Let us worship - Kariye Aradhana - Gujarati devotional

Gujarati shubhsandesh in Braille

Communications technology not a threat

Vatican City: 

Communications technology not a threat: Cardinal Gracias

He was speaking at the bishops synod in Rome.

Cardinal Oswald Gracias has said that Asia is experiencing a boom in communications technology which should not be viewed as a threat.

“It is a great gift from God to be used to spread the Good News," he said.

Cardinal Gracias, who is also the president of the Federation of Asian Bishops' Conferences, was speaking at a Synod of the Bishops in Rome, which began on Oct. 7.

He was one of five speakers summarizing the state of evangelization in different regions of the world.

The speakers mentioned the role of the media and insisted on the church's obligation to use social networks to reach new generations of Catholics.

Cardinal Gracias said that the church must help parents, pastors and teachers who can train young people to use the new media and to benefit from them.

The prelate said that Christians make up only 3 per cent of the population in Asia and persecution of the community is not completely uncommon.

"For us in Asia, dialogue is a necessity, not a luxury," he added.

The cardinal said that many Asian cultures have a deep respect for life, including for the life of animals and plants.

He hoped that it should not be difficult, through dialogue, to help people see that respect for life must include the life of the unborn and the life of their neighbors who belong to a different faith.

Speaking on similar lines about the new media, Cardinal Peter Erdo of Esztergom-Budapest told the Synod that the Catholic Church needs to use its media and social networks to spread the faith.

“Much of the news media cover about the church is full of lies," the Hungarian Cardinal said.

Cardinal Erdo is also the president of the Council of European Bishops' Conferences.

Mexican Archbishop Carlos Aguiar Retes of Tlalnepantla told the synod that since the Second Vatican Council, the Latin American bishops have focused on building community, entering into dialogue with the world around them and educating the faithful about their role in transforming society.

Archbishop Carlos, who is the president of the Latin American bishops' council, said the church must "employ new communications technologies to allow the life and mission of the church to be known and for dialogue with the world."

In today's culture, he said, "the social communications media are most influential."
c/o UCAN / India

Jesus in India?

Rearrangement of posts in this blog.

Long articles [ text messages ] are moved to other pages not to make the home page very crowded.
Thanks for accessing my blog.
Devasia M
Some images from our South Gujarat shooting Trip.

Takre Tribal dance by Students of St Xavier's Subir, Gujarat, India.

Takre Tribal dance- another still photo.

My hands tremble - video song Gujarati

http://www.gujaratjesuits.blogspot.in

  for some good reflections on life go to the link above.

devasia

Medicine Man - Ajit c/o UCAN India

Jesuit Alumni Meeting , St xavier's Doranda,Ranchi,India

Prasanna Devi

Prasanna Devi

Junagadh:  Age has yet to catch up with Prasanna Devi, a 67-year-old Catholic sadhvi – ascetic – who has lived alone in a mountainside forest for 38 years.

The only concession she grants to her advancing years is to go less often to church. After all, it takes her an hour-and-a-half to walk there through the thick woodland.

However, she did make an appearance at St Anne’s Church in Junagadh last Pentecost Sunday, to attend Mass and visit a doctor.

Around 65 Catholic families live in the parish of Junagadh in Gujarat state. To them, the saffron-clad woman is a familiar and welcome sight. “They flock around her whenever she makes her visits to the church,” says the parish priest, Father Vinod Kannatt.

When she returns to her hermitage, she often finds a swarm of regular visitors and new admirers awaiting her. They bend down to touch her feet and seek her blessings.

“She gets hundreds of visitors. She has a good memory for the people who visit her regularly, including me,” says Fr Kannatt.

He has recently started to make life easier for her by going up to her dwelling each week to offer Mass.

“I take my motorcycle up to the forest gate where a board says entry is restricted,” he says. “Then I leave the bike and trek up the hill.”

The sadhvi first came to the forest after the closure of a religious congregation which she had joined as a teenager. She opted for an ascetic life because she was attracted to the Indian way of sanyasa, or renunciation. So she set up her hermitage in the forest of Girnar, which is home to numerous animals including monkeys, leopards and Asiatic lions. They come frequently to drink from the reservoir that is just a stone’s throw from her door.

She also has a flock of six mongooses for company. “I have a clock, but they are my real timekeepers,” she says. “They arrive at four in the evening for their regular cup of tea, served in a saucer.”

Three generations of mongoose have kept her company, keeping rats and snakes away, although they are? helpless at monsoon times, when crawling creatures overrun the place.

Her greatest admirer is Praveen, a trishaw driver who visits her daily to see to her needs. Apart from him, thousands of visitors have now come to pay their respects, squatting for hours on the floor while she speaks in the local dialect about God’s love and care. They also share their problems with her and seek her advice.

“These people may not be Christians by faith, but they are true believers in Jesus through their deeds,” she says.

Now that age is starting to catch up, she says she is not sure how she will manage if her health deteriorates.

“But I am sure Mother Mary will give me strength to take care of my needs and continue to spread the Gospel,” she says. Then she laughs and walks to the hand pump to fill a bucket for her garden.
[UCAN India]

"Shunyan" an enlightened Guru at "Pranayakulam"



"Shunyan" as his disciples call him.



My visit to this Ashram on 29th may 2012 was a spiritual experience. The Ashram is at the shore of Muvattupuzha  river[ Kerala, India] I sat for about two hours with him sharing our spiritual expereinces. The boats passed by on the calm surface of the river in the same way as words and thoughts passed by the silence within me. His real name is Babu Paul. He tlod me that some one gave him the name "Shunyan". When one empties himself he becomes a "Shunyan"

A beautiful flower of Keralam

Sheema Peringalam - a common flower in May

My way Andre Rieu - violin

The Hidden Christians of Japan

Fr Narciso Mendiburu

Just now I received the news that Fr. Narciso Mendiburu has expired. [ 18th May 2012- in Spain ] 

After our arrival in Pamplona he experienced a slight improvement. But  he had a sudden collapse and was taken to the clinic. Apparently he had  a blood clot in the brain. He got worse in the clinic and early in the morning  I got the news that he had expired. The Superior of  the Community has offered me the chance of officiating at the funeral, .I have gladly accepted the invitation.

I must say that the whole community has accompanied Mendiburu  all the time he has been here. He was visited everyday in the clinic and the nurse from the community was continuously at his service.  Everyday he had visitors in the clinic,though he could not talk.he expressed his appreciation to the visitors by crying..

 Gujarat is, of course, all the time in my thoughts. Best wishes to those around. Sincerely and gratefully

yours,

Pablo Gil S.J

Just now I received the news that Fr. Narciso Mendiburu has expired. [ 18th May 2012- in Spain ] 

After our arrival in Pamplona he experienced a slight improvement. But  he had a sudden collapse and was taken to the clinic. Apparently he had  a blood clot in the brain. He got worse in the clinic and early in the morning  I got the news that he had expired. The Superior of  the Community has offered me the chance of officiating at the funeral, .I have gladly accepted the invitation.

I must say that the whole community has accompanied Mendiburu  all the time he has been here. He was visited everyday in the clinic and the nurse from the community was continuously at his service.  Everyday he had visitors in the clinic,though he could not talk.he expressed his appreciation to the visitors by crying..

 Gujarat is, of course, all the time in my thoughts. Best wishes to those around. Sincerely and gratefully

yours,

Pablo Gil S.J

Audio recording

Better shots with compact cameras

Tricks - for photography

Essential skills - Photography