BELLARY, MAY 13: 21 couples got into wedlock at Our Lady of Fatima Church, Hire Naganoor on May 13.

Bishop of Bellary Henry D’Souza presided over the Eucharist Celebration and blessed the couples.

Bishop urged the newly-wed “always to treat each other with respect and honor, to love each other sincerely and to build good families”.

Bishop D’Souza urged the new couples “to keep away from harmful life-style

and work together to come out of their economic backwardness through hard work and deep trust in God”.

“Daily family prayer and reading of the Word of God will ensure success in family life”, added Bishop D’Souza.

Of the 21 newly married couples, 10 from Hire Naganoor parish, 3 from Pothnal, 3 from Kavital, 3 from Hutti, 1 each from Deodurga and Lingasuguru.

Over five thousand people witnessed the colourful ceremony and participated in the community meal.

Bishop lauded the initiative of Fr. Gnanaprakasam, the parish priest of Hirenaganoor parish and thanked him for the hrad work put in for the noble cause of helping the poor families by organizing the community celebration of wedding.

Bishop D’Souza also honoured the donors and thanked the public for their generous contributions, which helped in defraying the expenses.

The Hirenaganoor parish organized the community celebration of wedding for the second time successfully.

“Religions are a great motivating force. They need to motivate their followers to serve the society through education, healthcare, promotion of human rights of Dalits, women and children”, Bishop stated.

Bishop D’Souza was speaking at a large inter-religious gathering held at H.B. Halli in the heartland of Veerashaivism, April 16.

“Religious leaders should promote mutual trust, human dignity and freedom”, added Bishop Henry D’Souza.

“God has created all humans in equal dignity and freedom. Therefore, all religions must fight the forces which curb human dignity and freedom through social evils such as caste discrimination, violence and corruption”, Bishop declared.

“Human life is for inter-being, for mutuality and communion. Hence, all walls of hatred, mistrust and disrespect should be pulled down by all religious leaders”, Bishop added.

Sighting the example of Christ, Bishop D’Souza urged all leaders to sensitize their followers to the plight of the Dalits, physically challenged and the economically poor sections of the society.

Earlier inaugurating the meet, the local member of legislative assembly K. Nemiraj Naik called for more harmonious inter-religious relationships in the society.

“Respecting every living being is the essence of any religion and motivating the people to lead honest life is what true religion is all about”, said Sri Shanthaveeraswami of Gavimatt, Hadagali.

Hazrat  Maulana Ibrahim Shakafi urged that all religious followers should respect each other and foster tolerance in the society.

Chief Guest of the gathering, Swami Dingaaleshwar of Balehosur spoke on the need of avoiding evil ways and fostering non-violence and kindness to fellow human beings in the society.

Local parish priest Fr. Jose Prakash and MSFS priest Fr. Mijo also attended the programme. 

By P.N. BENJAMIN

Thus, ostensibly it all ended in defeat and despair on the Cross on Calvary on that Black Friday two thousand years ago.. "Well, that's all over," the Roman governor and his friends must have thought. How wrong they were! It was only the beginning. Not defeat, but a fabulous new hope had been born; not despair, but an unexampled joy, had come into the world. Christ died on the cross as a man who had tried to show his fellow men what life was about; he rose from the dead to be available forever as an intermediary between man and God.

How, rose from the dead? After his death on the cross, we are told, he was seen by the disciples and others on numerous occasions; the stone in front of the tomb where he was laid was found to have been removed, and the tomb to be empty. These are matters of legitimate historical investigation; what is not open to question is that today, two thousand years later, Christ is alive. The words he spoke are living words, as relevant now as when they were first spoken.

Christ turned the world's accepted norms upside down. It was the poor, not the rich, who were blessed; the weak, not the strong, who were to be esteemed; the pure in heart, not the sophisticated and the worldly, who understood what life was all about. Righteousness, not power or money or sensual pleasure should be man's pursuit. We should love our enemies, bless them that curse us, do good to them that hate us, and pray for them that despitefully use us, in order that we may be worthy members of a human family.

No words ever uttered, it is safe to say, have had anything like the impact of these, first spoken to some scores, may be hundreds, of poor, and mostly illiterate people, by a teacher who in the eyes of the world, was of small account. Besides belonging to eternity Christ belonged to his times.

On the outskirts of the dying Roman civilisation, he spoke of dying in order to live. Today, when human civilisation is likewise dying, his words have the same awe-inspiring relevance as they had then.

What Christ had to say was too simple to be grasped, too truthful to be believed. So the great majority of Christians have never been able to believe when Christ said that the whole duty of man resolved itself into loving God and our neighbour, he meant just that. It seems so simple, so obvious. And, furthermore, there is the question of who is our neighbour. In Christ's estimation our neighbour is everyone – Hindu, Muslim, Sikh, Jain and others. He said: Feed my sheep - all black, white and piebald.

The rest of the story of Christ belongs to history. Terrible things have been done in his name; the doctrine of unwordliness which he preached has been twisted to serve worldly purposes; the cross on which he died, besides inspiring some of the noblest lives which have ever been lived, and some of the noblest thoughts and actions of man, has also served as a cloak for some of the basest; his gospel of love has been enforced with the rack and the whip, and driven home with the sword.

Let others better qualified than I work out, if they can, the gain and the loss, in human terms. Here, in this world, where he was born, lived and died, we may remember how miraculously, nonetheless, his light continues to shine in the dark jungles of the human will, as I with a skeptical mind and a sensual disposition, most diffidently, unworthily, but with the utmost certainty testify.

Standing amid our personal Calvaries, confused and disillusioned, we need Easter to remind us that there is always "a third day" on its way. With that knowledge we can look at any evil in the face and say with confidence: "You can't win". Easter is the birthday of vibrant hope for every individual and for the entire world. It is also a warning to every evil power that preys on mankind, a warning that truth is again coming out of its tomb. Easter is a ringing reminder that the human spirit cannot be confined. "Eternal truth is eternal. It can be distorted but not destroyed. But after every black Friday there dawns an Easter morn”.

Wish you all a Blessed Easter!

P.N.BENJAMIN

501 Indira Residency

167 Hennur Road

Bangalore 560 043

India

BELLARY, April 7 (Sagayam): Hundreds of Bellary Christina participated in a 10 kilometers marathon called “Run for Jesus” on held on Holy Saturday, April 7, here at Bellary.

The marathon was flagged off by Bishop of Bellary Henry D’Souza from Bellary Arogya Mathe shrine. It wound through the streets of Bellary - via VIMs College, Tank Bund road, Mothi circle etc. concluding at the well known Wardhlaw College.

In his opening address Bishop urged the runners “to dedicate the marathon for the people suffering from acute hardship due to severe draught in northern Karnataka and for peace and prosperity of the people of India”.

Recalling the words of St Paul who stated “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness” (2 Tim 4: 7-8), Bishop urged the runners “to be sportive in promoting unity of all Christians”.

“People joined with great enthusiasm, with hearts Easter joy in their hearts and singing Halleluiah, praising the Risen Lord”, said the key organizer Praveen.

Fr. Chowrappa, vicar general of Bellary gave the concluding message and B.I. Kiran of Aradhana Broadcasting International Pvt. Ltd. facilitated the program.