The Spirit Of Diwali · Very Happy Diwali To One And All. Editorial Sammelan XV - 4 : Oct.-Dec. 2018 u 2 OUR CONSTITUTIONAL VISION AS A GUIDE TO NATION BUILDING The Indian Constitution

D I A L O G U E

The Bombay Archdiocesan Commission for Inter-Religious Dialogue

President : Cardinal Oswald Gracias

Secretary : Dr. (Fr.) S.M. Michael SVD

Office Add. : Institute of Indian Culture, Mahakali Caves Road, Andheri (E) Mumbai - 400 093

Telephone : 2836 8038 Website : www.archbomird.org

Email : [email protected]

Members : Fr. Aniceto Pereira, John Misquitta, Noella Colaco, Dolphy D’Souza,

Stanley Fernandez, Joseph Miranda, Melissa Nair and Faye Tarachandani

Admin Assts. : Marie D’Souza, Thelma Cardoz

Printed at : Ganesh Offset, Dadar, Mumbai - 400 028. Tel.: 2437 8688

Vol. XV No. 4 Oct. - Dec. 2018

1. Our Constitutional Vision as a Guide to Nation Building S. M. Michael SVD 2

Editorial

2. Dialogue is an enrichment with differences Pope Francis 6

Message to the Emouna Fraternité Alumni Association

(23 June 2018)

3. Light Overcomes Darkness 8

Inter-Faith Gathering for Diwali Brian D'Souza

4. Dialogue of Action on 12

The Second World Day of the Poor (18th Nov 2018) Fr. Aniceto Pereira

oerheeJeueer kesâ efueÙes Devlej Oece& ØeeLe&vee meYee DevegJeeokeâ - heer. Skeäme. mJeeceer

The Spirit Of Diwalilecemeescee pÙeesefleie&ceÙe

AVery Happy DiwaliTo One And All

Editorial

Sammelan XV - 4 : Oct.-Dec. 2018 u 2

OUR CONSTITUTIONAL

VISION AS A GUIDE TO

NATION BUILDING

The Indian Constitution is the binding force

of Indian identity

The Indian Constitution grew out of the

challenges and contending visions for the

future of India's cultural, religious and ethnic

plurality at the time of the freedom struggle.

In this editorial we will show that the secular

Constitution of the Republic of India is the

outcome of conflicting views on the secular

form of the modern state and various

religious claims on Indian identity; between

contending visions of what India should be;

between the enthusiastic support for the

promotion of Hindi and the fearful reticence

of the non-Hindi speaking majority; and

between the demands of a centralized

government and policies defined by local

needs and visions.

After sixty eighty years of the promulgation

of the Indian Constitution as the guiding

principles of the nation, now the country is

facing a similar situation of conflict and

identity quest as that of pre-independence

times. The culture and heritage of the nation

that the BJP and the Hindutva organizations

intend to preserve is precisely the cause of

fear among the people. The beef ban is politics

of the foulest kind being used to splinter India

by targeting Muslims and Dalits under the

garb of cow protection. In recent times the

attack on minorities has increased and ritual

humiliation of Muslims, Christians and

Dalits through cow vigilantism breaks the

peace and harmony of the nation. Repeated

assaults on campus democracy and

saffronisation of education and other

institutions are threatening the constitutional

autonomy of the well cherished pillars of

Indian secular democracy.

In order to find a solution to today's problems

of conflict of identity, we need a historical

perspective on how India arrived at a

consensus in the formation of the Indian

Constitution which alone can unite all

Indians. The Constitution of India evolved in

the historical circumstances of the rise of

nationalism. Hence, let us understand the

historical development of India as a nation.

The Emergence of India as a modern Nation

The Age of Nationalism in the modern sense

of the word is no longer than the eighteenth

century. According to Kohn, it was only

between 1815-1920 that the political map of

Europe was redrawn, while the political map

of Asia and Africa changed between 1945-

1965 (Kohn, 1968:63). Before this period

nationalism with its present implications did

not exist; there were city-states, tribal groups

and dynastic states and empires (Gellner,

1994:62).

A simple scrutiny of Indian civilization will

reveal that since the middle of the second

millennium B.C. several streams of migrant

groups and communities from different parts

of the world migrated to the Indian sub-

continent. The advent of the Aryans, the

Tibeto-Burman-speaking Mongoloid groups,

the Kushans, the Sakas, the Greeks, the Huns,

the Arabs, the Persians, the Turks and the

Mongols at different points of time testifies to

the pervasiveness of the migration process


during the successive periods of Indian

civilization. The process of adaptation and

interaction among the various groups

brought about, on the one hand, India's

characteristic diversity and, on the other, a

composite cultural tradition. This fact is

borne out by historical sources and

contemporary surveys as well as researches in

folklore.

In the course of time the Indian sub-continent

was governed by several kings in different

geographical and linguistic areas. During the

time of Ashoka the dominant religion of his

principality and its neighbourhood was

Buddhism. Each region in India had its own

regional expression of the religion of its

people. Thus, during its almost five thousand

years of history, the vast Indian subcontinent

has nourished the growth of a great

civilization, characterized by the diversities

of many cultural and racial groups, castes,

religions, and languages, and vitalized

through cross-cultural contacts. In the early

stages unity was achieved by recognizing this

plurality and the autonomy of various

groups. Thus, the unifying force of Indian

civilization was the acceptance of multi-

culturality and linguistic diversity rather

than political ideology based on religion.

Indian nationalism is an outgrowth of

modern nationalism which emerged in

Western Europe in the second half of the

eighteenth century and which quickly spread

throughout the world in the nineteenth. In

India it can be traced to the political and

administrative unification followed by

economic unification. The first expression of

national consciousness was in the form of

social and religious reform movements. The

important question then was: what was the

cultural foundation of Indian society and how

to reconstruct it as a modern nation on par

with other modern nation states? Three

strands of thought emerged which became

the foundation of different political

ideologies in modern India.

Indian pluralism and different visions of

India

The first position emphasized the Indian

nation to be built on a rational approach to

culture and society. The basis for this was the

enlightenment philosophy of the West which

influenced the Western-educated Indians

during the colonial period. It gave rise to the

“Indian renaissance.” With ruthless self-

criticism the new Western-educated elite

sought to lay the basis for a total

transformation, to weld science and

rationality to Indian culture, to create modern

India. For example, Raja Ram Mohan Roy

(1772-1833) with his Western learning and

reasonable familiarity with the basic

teachings of Islam, and a closer study of the

Christian Gospel, provided him many key

ideas for the reform of Hinduism and Hindu

society. Roy's revolt against the living Hindu

society and his appeal to Indians to purify

their religion and reconstitute their social

institutions echoed throughout the century

after his death.

The second proposition for the modern India

was given by Dayananda Saraswati (1824-

1883). While Ram Mohan Roy held a vision of

an Indian society ultimately renovated by

centuries of exposure to Western science and

Christian morality, Saraswati urged a

regeneration of Hindus through adherence to

a purified “Vedic faith”. He founded Arya


Samajin 1875. Its favourite mottos being “Back

to the Vedas” and “Aryavrata for Aryans”.

This view simply equated Indian culture with

Brahmanic Hinduism and Sanskritic culture;

all non-Hindu aspects were regarded as

contaminating influences. The national

r e n a i s s a n c e i m p l i e d p r e c i s e l y, f o r

Dayananda, a coming back to the Vedic

Golden Age. He gave a two-fold agenda to his

movement: Shuddi, meaning purification,

which was the term for the ceremony by

which non-Hindus were converted to

Hinduism, and Sangathan - which literally

means union – by which the Arya Samajists

meant the promotion of solidarity among the

Hindus. In short, Arya Samaj wanted to

establish a Hindu nation based on Sanskrit

culture by converting others through the

Shuddhi movement. The Arya Samaj is

probably the first movement in India defining

nationalism in terms of ethnicity. These views

of Dayananda Saraswati are said to be the

basis from which the laterHindu movements

and organizations such as the Hindu

Mahasaba, R.S.S., V.H.P., Bajrang Dal and BJP

have emerged. The leaders of the Hindu

nationalist movement based on a revival of

Hindu culture openly acknowledged their

identification of nationalism with Sanskritic

or Upper Caste Hinduism.

The third perspective on modern India comes

from JotiraoPhule (1826-1890) who belonged

to the Sudra caste. JotiraoPhule proclaimed

the dawn of a new age for the common man,

the down-trodden, the underdog and the

Indian woman. It was his aim to reconstruct

the social order on the basis of social equality,

justice and reason. He denounced a caste-

based Hinduism as a means of deceiving the

masses and legitimizing their power. Hence,

Phule consciously sought to bring together

the major peasant castes along with the large

untouchable castes in a common “front”

against upper caste cultural domination. To

fulfill his life's ambition for a casteless society,

Phule founded the Satya ShodhakSamaj in

1873.

The above survey on identity of India shows

that there have been several contending

visions of Indian identity. All these visions

were active and influential in the formation of

the modern Indian State during the freedom

struggle. A continuous dialogue took place

with regard to identity in free India. The

failure to reach a satisfactory conclusion on

the question of Indian identity resulted in the

separation of Pakistan from India. Mahatma

Gandhi fell a victim to excessive and narrow

nationalism.

Indian Constitution is the unifier of the

plurality of the Indian reality

In spite of these setbacks, after almost three

years of deliberation, the Constituent

Assembly of India on 26 November 1949

adopted a constitution for the world's largest

liberal democracy. The debate in the

Assembly reflected the paradoxes of the

Indian situation, which we highlighted above

as the contending visions for India. The

founding fathers of the Indian Constitution

defended the notion of a pluralistic society

and a neutral state based on equal rights and

citizenship. The Indian Constitution may

justifiably be described as secular and

multicultural. Recognition and protection

was offered to religious, cultural and

linguistic minorities. Equal respect, fairness

and non-discrimination were to be the

guiding principles of state policies towards

minorities.


This Constitutional vision is under attack

But today, there is an active and powerful

move to unify India in terms of Hindu Rashtra

(Nation). The impression has been created

that upper and middle caste Hindus are the

true patriots, whereas others are not. Steps

have been taken to rewrite history to suit the

above agenda. The education system has been

revamped to influence young minds to accept

the Hindutva ideology.

Here we have attempted to highlight the

informal dialogue which took place during

the freedom struggle for the purpose of

defining an Indian nationhood. Dialogue of

the past could guide us in our present

situation. Indian nationalism should give

dignity to all Indians and make them wanted

and respected citizens. But what we see

today is that Dalits, tribals, backward castes

and other marginalized and suppressed

communities are in search of a nation inspired

by egalitarian values, social justice, economic

opportunities and participation in political

decision making; the Hindutva ideologues,

on the other hand, are equally strong in trying

to retain control of their present privileges

and dominance by insisting on ancient

hierarchical Brahmanic Hindu cultural

values. Thus, culture and nationalism in India

has become polarized by the contrasting

interests of the upper and lower groups, the

former vigorously clinging to their

traditional status, and the latter fighting for

justice, equality and human dignity.

Constitutional Vision as a guide to face the

challenges of today

The future lies in strengthening the inclusive

nationalism as visualized by the Founding

Fathers of this great nation. The question the

intellectuals in India need to address is how

can the citizens strengthen the pluralistic

characteristics of Indian society. Our

attention should be also to give equal

opportunities to all the citizens of India.

Special attention has to be paid to the plight of

tribals, dalits and formers who feel the

marginalization very acutely.

What we need to ask is: Is it possible for all

Indians to experience a sense of common and

shared humanity in the Indian nationhood?

Or is nationalism the luxury of the rich and

the powerful? As citizens of this country, we

need to be concerned about human dignity

and the integration of all Indians. In the face

of economic globalization where the rich are

becoming richer and the poor are becoming

poorer, we need to define nationalism in such

a way that the poor and the downtrodden

receive their due attention and care. As

concerned citizens we need to ask what

nationalism means for the poor, for Dalits, for

tribals and other weaker groups. Behind the

dreams and aspirations of these marginalized

groups lingers the hope that a nation of

fairness and justice will be realized, a nation,

humane and inclusive.

Such a humanistic nationalism has to be

pursued by all right thinking people not by

themselves alone but in collaboration with

emerging humanistic peoples' movements.

Widespread support of the cause of

suppressed groups and identities will take us

in the direction of a more complete and

integral understanding of our nation. A

healthy civil society marked by an active

pluralism will ensure also an authentic and

humanistic nationalism.

S. M. Michael SVD


DIALOGUE IS AN ENRICHMENT WITH DIFFERENCES

Pope Francis' message to the Emouna Fraternité Alumni Association

(23 June 2018)

I give thanks to God for the existence of your

association, born in the framework of the

Emouna-L'Amphi des religions, which was

p r o p o s e d a n d i n i t i a t e d b y t h e

Institutd'étudespolitiques in Paris, with the

participation of the great religions present in

France. In fact, I rejoice at the inspiration that

has been shared by your association which

seeks to strengthen the ties of fraternity among

the members of various religions, while

deepening the work of research. In fact, in the

course of your studies, for which I wish to greet

all those who have begun this work and those

who continue to share their insights, you attest

to the possibility of living healthy pluralism,

respecting differences and values that each

person contributes.

And you also bear witness, in a spirit of

openness, to the capacity of religions to

participate in the public debate at the

h e a r t o f a s e c u l a r i z e d s o c i e t y ( c f

Evangeliigaudium, 183 and 255). You also

d e m o n s t r a t e , t h r o u g h t h e f r a t e r n a l

connections established between you, that

dialogue among believers of different

religions is a necessary condition in order to

contribute to peace in the world. I therefore

encourage you to continue your work, having

at heart the task of

seeking always to

understand three

f u n d a m e n t a l

attitudes which

can help your

d i a l o g u e : t h e

duty of identity,

the courage of concern for the other and the

sincerity of your intentions.

You know, indeed, that true fraternity can only

be lived in this attitude of openness to others,

which is never aimed at a conciliatory

syncretism; on the contrary, it always sincerely

seeks to enrich itself with differences, with the

will to understand them in order to respect

them better, for the good of each person resides

in the good of all. I invite you to testify to this

fact by the quality of your relations that

religion is not a problem but that it is part of the

solution: it reminds us that we must raise the

soul to the high to learn to build the city of men.

Thus, you can support each other to be like

well-planted trees, rooted in the terrain of

history and in your respective traditions; and

in doing so, you will contribute, with men and

women of good will, to transform the polluted

air of hatred into the oxygen of fraternity every

day (International Conference of Peace, Cairo,

28 April 2017). I encourage you to grow a

culture of encounter and dialogue, to promote

peace and to defend, with gentleness and

respect, the sacredness of all human life

against all forms of physical, social,

educational or psychological violence.

Exhorting you to

p r a y f o r o n e

another, I ask God

for this gift of

peace for each one

of you.

THE BOMBAY ARCHDIOCESAN COMMISSION FOR INTER RELIGIOUS DIALOGUE

Organizes

THE BIRD ALUMNI DAY OPEN CONFERENCE

Mission Sunday, 21st October 2018, 9.30 am to 1.30 pm

St Pius College Auditorium, Aarey Road, Goregaon East, Mumbai 400 063

CHALLENGES TO NATION BUILDINGIN DEFENSE OF

THE CONSTITUTIONSpeakers:lFr. (Dr.) S. M. Michael SVD,

Director, Archdiocesan Commission for Inter Religious Dialogue, and Institute of Indian Culture, Andheri

lProf. (Ms) Abhinaya Kamble,Professor of Political Science, K. J. Somaiya College of Arts and Commerce, Vidhyavihar

lDr. (Ms) Zeenat Shaukat AliProfessor of Islamic Studies and Founder Director, Wisdom Foundation

lDr. Ram PuniyaniProfessor, Researcher and Activist involved in secular and democratic initiatives

Anchor:Mr. Dolphy D'Souza

Invitees:BIRD Alumni, all Parish IRD Cell Members and people of all faiths.

Registrations: (Conference and lunch free of cost)With Marie D'Souza, Secretary, on 9930806875


Requirements :

A rangoli preferably of eco-friendly

material like flowers and leaves.

A table with a table cloth, and religious

books like the Holy Bible, (English and

Marathi/Hindi), Bhagwad Gita, Holy Koran

and Sikh GranthSahiba.

Asamai/lamp to be lighted by the Parish

Priest and various other religious heads

gathered.

Classical Indian music can be played softly.

The prayer hall to be given a festive look

with seasonal flowers adorning the doors

and windows of the hall.

Introduction

Leader : Everything in life is about light

overcoming darkness. It is a human

function to identify good and bad, part of the

survival thing. Light is a significant thing

throughout most religious Scriptures. Light

is used to convey something positive,

goodness, life and hope.

Light is one of the most universal and

fundamental symbols. It is the spiritual and

the divine , i t is i l lumination and

intelligence. Light is the source of goodness

and the ultimate reality, and it accompanies

transcendence into the Nirvana of Buddhist

doctrine.

The Spiritual Meaning of Light and

Darkness is how to win the war against the

forces of darkness. Light comes from the

one and only true God, the Father in

heaven. In the spiritual realm, light

LIGHT OVERCOMES DARKNESS

Inter-Faith Gathering for Diwali

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ØekeâeMe leLee DebOekeâej keâe DeeOÙeeeflcekeâ DeLe& Ùen nw, efkeâ DebOekeâej keâer MeefkeäleÙeeW hej efJepeÙe kewâmes heeSB ~ ØekeâeMe, efmeHe&â Skeâ meÛÛes F&MJej, mJeieea efhelee mes Deelee


represents life. God is light, and He gives

life.

We pray that this Diwali our minds and

souls are enlightened and we build respect

for all our fellow countrymen. May the Light

dispel all ignorance and bring bliss to each

of us. Through a new awareness open and

unhampered, may we develop a brightened

mind using concentration that, when

developed and pursued, leads to the

attainment of knowing and seeing.

Hymn or a suitable bhajan : (While the

hymn is being sung, the Parish Priest and

other religious dignitaries can light the

samai)

Silent Reflection.

Now, let us prepare our hearts to hear what

sacred scriptures speak about light.

The Bible (English): Isaiah 42:16.

Silent Reflection.

The Bible (Marathi or Hindi): Luke 8:16.

Silent Reflection.

Hinduism:“To show them special mercy, I,

dwelling in their hearts, destroy with the

shining lamp of knowledge the darkness

born of ignorance.”Bhagavad Gita, Chapter

10 Verse 11

Silent Reflection.

Islam: Those who believe will stand

alongside the Prophet, their light streaming

on ahead of them and to their right. They

will say, "Our Lord, perfect our light for us,

and forgive us!" Qur'an 66.8.

Silent Reflection.

.

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(Deye keâesF& GheÙegkeäle Yepeve ieeÙee peeS, Yepeve kesâ oewjeve heuueer hegjesefnle leLee DevÙe OeceeX kesâ Øeefleef‰le JÙeefkeäle meceF& pJeefuele keâjWies)ceewve ceveve

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ceje"er Ùee efnvoer yeeFefyeue : (uetkeâme 8:16)ceewve ceveve

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Sikhism: The Gurmukh knows the Divine

Light, while the foolish self-willed

manmukh gropes around in the darkness.

One who sees that Light within each and

every heart understands the Essence of the

Guru's Teachings. Guru Nanak DevJi

SGGS: Page 20, Line 8.

Silent Reflection.

Buddhism : It is wonderful, Lord! It is

wonderful, Lord! It is as if, Lord, one might

set upright that which had been upturned, or

might reveal what was hidden, or might

point out the path to one who had gone

astray, or might bring an oil lamp into the

darkness so that those with eyes might see

material shapes. Udana 49

Silent Reflection.

Now, let us listen to a bhajan on light

(Play any appropriate one)

Silent Reflection.

Intercessory Prayers

Leader : Dear brothers and sisters as we

celebrate the festival of Diwali, let us all

rejoice and share the joy. Let us each be the

light that shines brightly for our fellow

countrymen especially those who are unable

to celebrate the festival due to poverty,

bereavement or natural calamities like

floods. God teach us to serve one another

with genuine concern and humanity.

Response: God help us to love and serve

those in our family, neighbour hood,

country and the whole world.

1. We pray for our fellow Indians that their

minds be illuminated and all kinds of

regrets, worries, complexes and grudges

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yeewæ Oece& : Ùen DeeMÛeÙe&pevekeâ nw, DeeMÛeÙe&pevekeâ nw ~ Ssmee ueielee nw pewmes Guešs ngS keâes meerOee keâj jne nw Ùee pees Úghee Lee Øekeâš keâj jne nw Lee pees jemlee cetue ieÙee nw Gmes mener jemlee efoKee jne nw Ùee DebOekeâej ceW oerhekeâ peuee nw leeefkeâ efpevekeâer DeeBKes nw Jes mebmeej keâe meÛÛee ¤he osKe mekeWâ (Goevee 49)ceewve ceveve

(cegPes De%eeve mes meÛÛeeF& keâer Deesj ues Ûeue) Ùee Ssmee ner keâesF& GheÙegkeäle Yepeve ieeÙee peeS ~ceewve ceveve

ceOÙemLelee ØeeLe&veeSB :DeiegDee : efØeÙe YeeFÙees leLee yenvees ! nce oerJeeueer keâe lÙeesnej cevee jns nQ, DeeDees nce Deevevo ceveeSB Deewj Skeâ otmejW keâes KegMe keâjW ~ DeeDeeW nce osMe JeeefmeÙeeW kesâ efueÙes ØekeâeMe yeve peeSB, efJeMes<ekeâj Gvekesâ efueÙes pees iejeryeer, ieceer Ùee yeeÌ{pewmesØeke=âeflekeâ mebkeâš kesâ keâejCe KegefMeÙeeB veneR cevee mekeâles ~ ns F&MJej nceW meÛÛeer meoÙelee Deewj efÛevlee kesâ meeLe Skeâ otmejs keâer mesJee keâjvee efmeKee nw ~

peyeeye : ns F&MJej ! nceejer meneÙelee keâj, efkeâ nce Deheves heefjJeej, he[esmeer Deheves osMe leLee meejs mebmeej keâes hÙeej keâj mekeWâ~

1. nce Deheves meeLeer Yeejle-JeeefmeÙeeW kesâ efueS ØeeLe&vee keâjles nQ efkeâ Gvekesâ ceve ØekeâeMeceeve neW Deewj nj lejn kesâ Keso, peefšleeSB ceve cegšeJe Gvekesâ ceve mes otj nes


may be dispelled from their minds.

Response.

2. We pray for victims of devastating

floods, especially those in Kerala and the

North East, and other natural calamities,

that God give them strength to rebuild

and regenerate. Response.

3. We pray for our country as we go for

elections, that we may choose leaders

who will work for the poor, the

downtrodden the marginalized, women

and children that God may protect

each and every citizen of this country.

Response.

4. We pray for our environment that we

learn to care for our creation and

preserve our habitat and resources for

future generations to cherish and enjoy.

Response.

5. We pray that there is peace and

forgiveness in the family, as better

understanding in the family will lead to

better understanding and respect in our

communities and in the country as a

whole. Response.

Leader : Heavenly Father, you are the

Creator of all human beings and light. Help

us to radiate that light to all around us in the

form of gratitude, forgiveness, joy, words of

affirmation, kindness, gentleness and love

of others especially the poor and the

downtrodden, the marginalized and those

in constant fear.

End with an appropriate hymn or bhajan.

If possible celebrate Diwali with sweets and

fireworks.

Brian D'Souza,

St. Peter's Church, Bandra.

peeSB ~ peyeeye2. nce ØeeLe&vee keâjles nQ, efkeâ meJe&veeMe yee{kesâ efMekeâej,

Keemekeâj kesâjue Deewj GòejhetJe& kesâ, leLee DevÙe Øeeke=âeflekeâ mebkeâš kesâ efMekeâejeW keâes F&MJej hegveefve&cee&Ce leLee mebpeerefJele nesves keâer Meefkeäle os ~peyeeye

3. nce ØeeLe&vee keâjles nQ efkeâ DeevesJeeues ÛegveeJe ceW nce Ssmes vesleeDeeW keâes Ûegves, pees iejeryeeW, heooefueleeW leLee neefMeÙes hej jnvesJeeueeW leLee Œeer leLee yeÛÛeeW kesâ efueS keâece keâjW F&MJej nceejs osMe kesâ nj veeieefjkeâ keâer j#ee keâjs ~peyeeye

4. nce Deheves heÙee&JejCe kesâ efueS ØeeLe&vee keâjW leeefkeâ nce me=ef°, DeeJeeme leLee meeOeve, keâer j#ee keâjW leeefkeâ DeevesJeeueer heer{er Gmekeâe Deevevo ues mekesâ ~peyeeye

5. nce ØeeLe&vee keâjles nQ efkeâ heefjJeej ceW #ecee Deewj Meebefleyeveer jns, keäÙeesefkeâ Fmeer mes meceepe Deewj osMe ceW Meefkeäle yeveer jnsieer ~peyeeye

DeiegDee : ns mJeieea efhelee ! letves ceeveJe keâer leLee ØekeâeMe keâer jÛevee keâer nw ~ nceejer meneÙelee keâj efkeâ nce ke=âle%elee, #ecee, Deevevo, meceLe&ve, oÙee, meppevelee, iejeryeeW leLee heooefuele leLee neefMeÙes hej jnvesJeeuees kesâ leLee [js ngDeeW kesâ Øeefle Øesce efoKeekeâj Gme ØekeâeMe keâes HewâueeSB -

(Deble ceW keâesF& GheÙegkeäle Yepeve nw nes mekesâ lees oerJeeueer keâer efce"eF& Deewj Heâšekesâ nes ~)

DevegJeeokeâ heer. Skeäme.mJeeceer - ceerje jes[


“On this World Day, we are asked to fulfil the words of the Psalm: “The afflicted shall eat and be

satisfied” (Ps 22:26). We know that in the Temple of Jerusalem, after the rites of sacrifice, a banquet

was held. It was this experience that, in many dioceses last year, enriched the celebration of the first

World Day of the Poor. Many people encountered the warmth of a home, the joy of a festive meal and

the solidarity of those who wished to sit together at table in simplicity and fraternity. I would like this

year's, and all future World Days, to be celebrated in a spirit of joy at the rediscovery of our capacity

for togetherness.”(Pope's message)

lWe LISTEN to the cry of the poor by getting directly involved with them.

From the beginning of November, volunteers of different faiths attempt to visit clusters of

poor people, listen to them and invite hem for the WDP gathering.

lWe ANSWER the cry of the poor by loving attentiveness to them.thImmediately prior to 18 November volunteers of different faiths meet to discuss the

plight of the poor and explore relevant answers to their situations.

lWe FREE the poor from the bondage of poverty, in collaboration with God.th

On 18 November, volunteers of different faiths pray with the poor, have a meal with them,

and provide a lasting solution to free them from their bondage. This gathering may

take place on the premises of a church or a shrine of any other religion.

DIALOGUE OF ACTION

Pope Francis Announces

THE SECOND WORLD DAY OF THE POORth18 November 2018

“Countless initiatives are undertaken every day by the Christian community in order to offer

closeness and a helping hand in the face of the many forms of poverty all around us. Often too, our

cooperation with other initiatives inspired not by faith but by human solidarity, make it possible for us

to provide help that otherwise we would have been unable to offer. The realization that in the face of so

much poverty our capacity for action is limited, weak and insufficient, leads us to reach out to others

so that, through mutual cooperation, we can attain our goals all the more effectively.”(Pope's

message).

Fr. Aniceto Pereira

Documents

The Spirit Of Diwali · Very Happy Diwali To One And All. Editorial Sammelan XV - 4 : Oct.-Dec. 2018 u 2 OUR CONSTITUTIONAL VISION AS A GUIDE TO NATION BUILDING The Indian Constitution