tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87119683167542698152024-03-12T17:18:31.024-07:00MATT MUSES...matt coutinhohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07963347214173289167noreply@blogger.comBlogger178125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8711968316754269815.post-35346798099623551172017-12-23T00:00:00.000-08:002017-12-23T00:00:11.992-08:00PRAYER FOR THE FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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matt coutinhohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07963347214173289167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8711968316754269815.post-28040489674186073152017-12-16T00:00:00.000-08:002017-12-16T00:00:37.224-08:00PRAYER FOR THE THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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matt coutinhohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07963347214173289167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8711968316754269815.post-9757818794130359752017-12-09T00:00:00.000-08:002017-12-09T00:00:33.620-08:00PRAYER FOR THE SECOND SUNDAY OF ADVENT<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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matt coutinhohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07963347214173289167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8711968316754269815.post-90379640776981858682017-12-03T12:18:00.001-08:002017-12-03T12:18:16.465-08:00PRAYER FOR THE FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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matt coutinhohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07963347214173289167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8711968316754269815.post-60120854260595020322017-11-08T13:01:00.000-08:002017-11-08T13:01:07.594-08:00THE MIRACLE OF LIFE IN THE WOMB<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/%3Ciframe%20src=%22https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2F295182010906469%2Fvideos%2F326642034427133%2F&show_text=1&width=560%22%20width=%22560%22%20height=%22380%22%20style=%22border:none;overflow:hidden%22%20scrolling=%22no%22%20frameborder=%220%22%20allowTransparency=%22true%22%20allowFullScreen=%22true%22%3E%3C/iframe%3E"><iframe allowfullscreen="true" allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="380" scrolling="no" src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2F295182010906469%2Fvideos%2F326642034427133%2F&show_text=1&width=560" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" width="560"></iframe></a><br /></div>
matt coutinhohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07963347214173289167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8711968316754269815.post-80454546386876978372017-06-27T00:46:00.001-07:002017-06-27T00:46:01.970-07:00SUPER BRAIN YOGA<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="344" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/KSwhpF9iJSs" width="459"></iframe><br /><br />
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Something all of us can try...When I was a kid this was the punishment meted out to mis-behaving young people...I can vouch for doing quite some of this yoga as punishment. If I only knew the long-term benefits of the 'punishment' I would've seen this exercise as benign and positively reformational rather than retributive...matt coutinhohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07963347214173289167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8711968316754269815.post-20098365104987235022017-05-14T11:01:00.000-07:002017-05-14T11:01:36.196-07:00SIMPLE EXERCISES TO PREVENT HEART ISSUES<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxxmd6ZgjeeehvutkPbLrplk4WnJobB4VfCdDr4DKF1UOJ4d8p3JdtBfMNl303EC7QPl0ug4M5ZrD6j7lCj1g' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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matt coutinhohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07963347214173289167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8711968316754269815.post-59445550823969056052017-01-05T12:19:00.000-08:002017-01-06T02:13:47.078-08:00EPIPHANY PROCLAMATION 2017<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span class="style77" style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: red;">D</span></span>ear brothers and sisters,<br />
the glory of the Lord has shone upon us,<br />
and shall ever be manifest among us,<br />
until the day of his return.</div>
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Through the rhythms of times and seasons<br />
let us celebrate the mysteries of salvation.</div>
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Let us recall the year's culmination,<br />
the <span style="color: red;"><b>Easter Triduum</b></span> of the Lord:<br />
his last supper, his crucifixion, his burial,<br />
and his rising celebrated<br />
between the evening of <b>13 April</b><br />
and the evening of the <b>15 April,</b><br />
<span style="color: red;"><b>Easter Sunday</b></span> being on the <b>16 April</b>.</div>
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Each Easter - as on each Sunday -<br />
the Holy Church makes present the great and saving deed<br />
by which Christ has for ever conquered sin and death.</div>
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From Easter are reckoned all the days we keep holy.</div>
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<span style="color: red;"><b>Ash Wednesday</b></span>, the beginning of Lent,<br />
will occur on <b>1 March</b>.</div>
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<span style="color: red;"><b>The Ascension</b></span> of the Lord will be commemorated on<br />
Thursday, <b>25 May</b>.</div>
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<span style="color: red;"><b>Pentecost</b></span>, joyful conclusion of the season of Easter,<br />
will be celebrated on <b>4 June</b>.</div>
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And, this year the <span style="color: red;"><b>First Sunday of Advent</b></span> will be<br />
on <b>3 December</b>.</div>
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Likewise the pilgrim Church proclaims the passover of Christ<br />
in the feasts of the holy Mother of God,<br />
in the feasts of the Apostles and Saints,<br />
and in the commemoration of the faithful departed.</div>
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To Jesus Christ, who was, who is, and who is to come,<br />
Lord of time and history,<br />
be endless praise, for ever and ever.</div>
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Amen.</div>
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matt coutinhohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07963347214173289167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8711968316754269815.post-91307897074207689292017-01-02T23:25:00.000-08:002017-01-02T23:30:20.882-08:00SOME POSSIBLE NEW YEAR RESOLUTIONS...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I came across the following in an article I was reading and thought many would find it useful.<br /><br />(https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/7-incredibly-simple-effective-habits-develop-2017-betty-liu)</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>7 Incredibly Simple but Effective Habits to Develop in 2017</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The new year is fast approaching, and we're all looking to the future. Some of us are hitting the gym to develop healthy habits early. Others are contemplating the next steps in their careers.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Just as a few tweaks in your exercise regime might do wonders for your body, so will a few tweaks to your daily habits do wonders for your professional life. Whether you're starting your own business or angling for the next promotion, here are 7 habits to develop that will power you into even greater success in 2017.</span><br />
<strong style="border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></strong>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong style="border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">1. Do the hard stuff early.</strong> Before you even settle down at your desk, do one of the really hard things on your to-do list. Write that unpleasant email or make that difficult phone call in the morning before the day gets started. Work on that project in the early hours. You'll find you'll become way more efficient if you don't walk around all day with a big cloud hanging over your head of what you "need to do."</span><br />
<strong style="border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></strong>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong style="border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">2. Take care of your body. </strong>Not all of us can have the rock-hard body of <a href="http://www.instagram.com/p/BJV-gRmj3fn" rel="nofollow noopener" style="border: 0px; cursor: pointer; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_blank"><strong style="border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The Rock</strong></a>. Still, exercise is an extremely important habit to develop, for both your physical and mental health. Many successful entrepreneurs, despite lamenting how little time they have during the day, still find time to hit the gym or run a few laps around the track. Working out helps you burn off emotional energy—as well as that morning donut—and refocuses your brain.</span><br />
<strong style="border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></strong>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong style="border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">3. Get sleep! </strong>Getting a great night's sleep does wonders for your next day. Entrepreneurs tend to sleep very little, and they don't always sleep well, but that's not to say it's unimportant. Try to get 7 hours of sleep a night. Light a candle, get into your fuzzy PJs, and try to find a routine that will make you snooze.</span><br />
<strong style="border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></strong>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong style="border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">4. Be grateful. </strong>When the going gets tough, don't get mad—get grateful. It seems hokey, but exercising gratitude everyday will make you infinitely more successful. Some career coaches suggest making a list of things you're grateful for, such as the freedom to start your own business or the support of your family. Others recommend simply taking a moment to recognize how lucky you are. As Wall Street veteran and Ellevest CEO <strong style="border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Sallie Krawcheck</strong> said on <a href="http://soundcloud.com/radiatepodcast/ep04-sallie-krawcheck" rel="nofollow noopener" style="border: 0px; cursor: pointer; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_blank">an episode of the Radiate podcast</a>, "my worst day is better than most of the world's best day." Acknowledging that fact on a regular basis will improve your life immeasurably.</span><br />
<strong style="border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></strong>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong style="border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">5. Work really hard...and then break for some fun. </strong>If you want to be a success, you have to work 24/7, right? Wrong. Sure, there are days when you'll be working incredibly hard, but let's stop with the myth that only entrepreneurs who work all the time will succeed. If anything, they'll fail. Even the hardest-working people in the world know how to break for fun. Being able to turn your work off to recharge your batteries is critical to your success.</span><br />
<strong style="border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></strong>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong style="border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">6. Forgive yourself.</strong> You screwed up a pitch? So what. You got into a fight with a coworker? That happens. The only thing that's guaranteed in the next year is that you will make plenty of mistakes. Forgive yourself, and mean it. Then, move on.</span><br />
<strong style="border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></strong>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong style="border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">7. Do things for others while expecting nothing in return. </strong>It's amazing how much helping someone—it doesn't matter who or what, or how big or small—will improve your outlook on life. Helping someone is empowering. Helping someone without expecting a return is freeing. Don't keep score. The universe works in mysterious ways—you'll get your rewards soon enough.</span></div>
matt coutinhohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07963347214173289167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8711968316754269815.post-66245564368453337192016-12-17T01:34:00.002-08:002016-12-17T01:34:39.422-08:00THE BETHLEHEMIAN RHAPSODY<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<iframe allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="625" scrolling="no" src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fkeithadsouza%2Fvideos%2F10155431789258943%2F&show_text=1&width=560" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" width="560"></iframe></div>
matt coutinhohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07963347214173289167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8711968316754269815.post-16623542586734337792016-10-09T08:20:00.000-07:002016-10-16T08:23:34.746-07:00ON THIS DAY 19 YEARS AGO - FR. ANAND DALMET RETURNED TO THE LORD...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: x-small; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">(Remembering my priest companion on his death anniversary...Here is the sermon of the funeral mass celebrated by our then provincial Fr. Tony D'Souza sdb)</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">FR. ANAND DALMET SDB <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">NO
MORE WITH US - FOREVER WITH GOD<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US">Dear Confreres,<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Once again death
has struck our Province and a little down the rungs of our ladder, claiming
this time a young priest of seven years, our dear Fr. Anand Dalmet, at the age
of thirty-eight.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">It was the <b>9<sup>th</sup> October 1997</b>, Fr. Anand
had travelled overnight by train to Jaitala, Nagpur to the Church of Our Lady
of Fatima to preach at the novena service. He preached on devotion to Mary and
urged the people to find their hope and Joy in the family rosary. Informed
about an elderly sick parishioner, he volunteered to carry Holy communion to
the sick person accompanied by Sister Isabel of the Fatima Sisters
Congregation. On his return back while driving
across on the Nagpur Highway at 8:15 p.m., he was run over by a speeding
truck. Sr. Isabel fell off the bike and
sustained fractures in the arm and leg and is recovering in the government
hospital in Nagpur. For Fr. Anand It was instant death but it was also I
believe instant Life ! Fr. Anand died with Jesus, in fact, from his lifeless
body I lifted the pix which contained Holy Communion.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">With these last
acts of ministry, Fr. Anand concluded his service as a priest in Jaitala, the
very place where he began seven years ago.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span lang="EN-US">St. Paul in 2 Timothy says:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">Here is a saying
that you can rely on:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">If we have died
with him, then we shall live with him,</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">If we hold firm,
then we shall reign with him. (2Tim
2:8,11)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">Born on 20<sup>th</sup>
September 1959 at Bassein, his parents Braz-Anton and Merciana brought him up
in a holy family of christian faith. He was baptised on 11<sup>th</sup> October
1959 at Nirmal, Bassein, and received the sacrament of Confirmation on 26<sup>th</sup>
March 1970. He entered the Salesian aspirantate in Borivli from 1972 to 1975
and later was transferred to the aspirantate to Lonavla from 1975 to 1978.
While still a student, at home, he completed his Junior college and picked up
tailoring as a trade. He entered the
Salesian novitiate at Nashik on 24<sup>th</sup> May 1978 and professed on 24<sup>th</sup>
May 1979 in Nashik. During his studies of philosophy in Yercaud, Madras, he was
privileged to receive the cassock from the hands of the Rector Major, the late
Rev. Fr. Egidio Vigano.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">After completing
his practical training in the houses of Don Bosco Matunga and Don Bosco Borivli,
he made his perpetual profession on 24<sup>th</sup> May 1986. He completed his
theological studies from 1986 to 1990 in Kristu Jyoti College Bangalore and was
ordained a priest by Simon Cardinal Pimenta on 1<sup>st</sup> April 1990 in
Vasai. He was appointed in Jaitala, Nagpur, as Assistant Parish Priest of Our
Lady of Fatima Church, and Vice Principal of St. Joseph’s High School. After
three years of zealous ministry in Jaitala, he spent a year in St. Dominic
Savio’s Boys’ Home Andheri as Prefect of Studies, and in 1994 he took charge as
Vice-Rector of the community and Principal of Don Bosco High School Yervada
Pune. The life of Fr. Anand Dalmet though brief leaves behind very many happy
memories in grateful hearts among his family members, his confreres and the
youth and people he cared for. He came across to us all as a strong and well
built Salesian and more than his looks, his gentle personality attracted us to
make friends with him. Though a bit shy and reserved by nature, he made great
effort to reach out a helping hand to people and youth in need even at the cost
of sacrifice.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">As a Salesian
religious, he lived a very exemplary life and related with much respect
towards his superiors and confreres. Fr.
Anand was a man of unassuming ways and simplicity. He was very popular among
the confreres who enjoyed poking fun at him and always got away with a smile
from Anand. There were times when he did feel hurt but he never kept a grudge.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">His obedience to
his superiors was characteristic of a man of faith. There were moments in his
life when misunderstandings crossed his path but he turned to God in prayer and
found strength in Jesus. There was much
of the human in Fr. Anand and his tastes for the little joys of life stayed
with him till the end.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">He had a strong
sense of duty and fulfilled his responsibilities in the best way possible. As
Principal, he was concerned about discipline but then his kind heart always got
the better of him on many occasions. His students both in Jaitala and Pune
mourn the loss of a friend and loving Principal. The school staff appreciated
his sincerity and understanding ways.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">There was a
little touch of elegance in Fr. Anand. A slight look of seriousness in his face
but he couldn’t help hiding his friendliness and humility, preferring to suffer
in silence rather than hurting anyone. His sense of humour could be read more
in his eyes than on his lips. We shall miss that smile that we all remember as
a smile of a priest gentle and understanding, compassionate and concerned, a
smile behind which he also carried bravely his little hurts and disappointments
of life. We shall remember him as a young, exuberant Salesian with a radiating
smile that spoke of his love for Jesus and the Church, for Don Bosco and the
Salesian Congregation and for poor simple people and our youth.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">We shall miss
Fr. Anand very much. Our hopes seem
shattered but our faith in God assures us that he is with Jesus and that he
will continue to stay with us and obtain for us His choicest Blessings.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">Unlike the young
man of the gospel who asked, <b>‘Lord, what
must I do to gain eternal life?’</b> Fr.
Anand responded promptly to the call of
Jesus to follow Him leaving everything behind and follow Him he did, faithfully and enthusiastically as a Salesian
Priest of Don Bosco.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">True to His word,
Jesus has granted him Eternal Life earlier perhaps than anyone of us expected.
We surrender ourselves to God’s will and pray<b> ‘ Fr. Anand</b> <b>may you be
Anand forever.’<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "poster"; font-size: 14.0pt;">I AM THE RESURRECTION <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "poster"; font-size: 14.0pt;">AND <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "poster"; font-size: 14.0pt;">THE LIFE<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "poster";"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span lang="EN-US">Monday, October 13, 1997 </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span lang="EN-US"> Fr. Tony D’Souza sdb<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "poster"; font-size: 14.0pt;"> </span></b><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"> </span></b><span lang="EN-US">Provincial</span></div>
</div>
matt coutinhohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07963347214173289167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8711968316754269815.post-32987620935381412882016-10-04T00:03:00.004-07:002016-10-04T00:03:54.974-07:00PRAYER OF THOSE WHO SEEK TO SERVE THE POOR<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Lord, forgive me for getting used to seeing children
who seem to be eight years old
and are really thirteen.<br />
Lord, forgive me for getting used to
sloshing around in the mud.
I can leave, they can't.<br />
Lord, forgive me for learning
to put up with contaminated water.
I can get away from it, they can't.<br />
Lord, forgive me whenever I switch on the light
and forget that they can't.<br />
Lord, I can go on a hunger strike but not they;
how can the hungry go on a hunger strike?<br />
Lord, forgive me for telling them
that "not by bread alone does man live"
and not fighting all out for their bread.<br />
Lord, I want to love them for them,
and not for me.<br />
Help me.
Lord, I dream of dying for them:
Help me to live for them.<br />
Lord, I want to be with them when the light comes.
Help me.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Prayer of Carlos Mugica (d. May 11,1974),
member of the Movement of Priests for the
Third World in Argentina, liberation martyr,
incorruptible prophet of the dispossessed,
murdered by those who fear to face a people free from
oppression </span></div>
matt coutinhohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07963347214173289167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8711968316754269815.post-15478161256302933162016-05-15T02:07:00.000-07:002016-05-15T02:07:11.240-07:00THE SALESIAN MARTYRS OF MANIPUR: 15 MAY 2001<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span data-offset-key="fdun1-0-0"><b>Remembering what happened this day 15 years ago</b>: </span></div>
</div>
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<span data-offset-key="ei1ar-0-0">(<i>From the Provincial Circular regarding the killing of Frs. Fr. Raphael Paliakara and two others Fr. Andreas Kindo and a young cleric, Bro. Shinu Varghese which took place on 15 May 2001 at Ngarian, Manipur</i>.)</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhttiuC6Io0jdFF31BkK7INoqBSw-yImdWukgQvL_6LXd8DkpkL8t8dQs3HVHxzGwLEahYJ3e-kQOPTPOlku_iJeWChboZY0DGyuX0QTDi-scJB0A4e1RVu_c-N2NyReG4I2oLMEj97VTs/s1600/raphael.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: justify;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhttiuC6Io0jdFF31BkK7INoqBSw-yImdWukgQvL_6LXd8DkpkL8t8dQs3HVHxzGwLEahYJ3e-kQOPTPOlku_iJeWChboZY0DGyuX0QTDi-scJB0A4e1RVu_c-N2NyReG4I2oLMEj97VTs/s320/raphael.jpg" width="285" /></a></div>
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“Two armed men in combat fatigues appeared at the gate of the Salesian Novitiate house at Ngarian at about 6.45 pm on 15 Tuesday, May 2001. The two armed men went near the kitchen by the side gate through the volleyball court. At gunpoint a domestic worker was told to call out the Fathers. The worker went in and informed Fr. Andreas Kindo. He went and informed Fr. Raphael who was giving a conference to the second year novices at that time. Fr. Raphael stopped the conference saying that he would return in tow minutes. He went out to meet the gunmen, together with Fr. Andreas.”</div>
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<span data-offset-key="cu5ri-0-0"> “Fr. Raphael came back shortly to tell the novices that the day’s conference was closed and asked them to go to the study hall, and to remain there without leaving the place. The novices saw him going to the chapel, where he remained a minute or two, and then came out into the volleyball court to talk to them again. After a lengthy discussion Fr. Raphael went into his office, apparently to collect money from there. As reported by the worker when he returned, the gunmen said that the sum was not sufficient. Fr. Andreas went into the house again. The novices saw him counting money as he rejoined the group in the volleyball court.”</span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="77su9-0-0"> “For the next 45 minutes, the four of them were engaged in a discussion. In the mean time the worker went to the front side of the building and saw white Maruti van parked at the road a with a man inside and another gunman dressed in casuals on guard at the gate.”</span></div>
</div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7y1u_04WezTMJpWs-QizrTV8YH-mX0ID955wxrYhbIZIVd0_fPeofYXm3poEsupbBSjhcaH0vY0SMdD4R6yDUz9ATlj8RcsKBcKclyM1SbRewkyJ9fPfxH1Ng0pSEfFRw-0VuXVzs1tM/s1600/andreas+kindo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: justify;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7y1u_04WezTMJpWs-QizrTV8YH-mX0ID955wxrYhbIZIVd0_fPeofYXm3poEsupbBSjhcaH0vY0SMdD4R6yDUz9ATlj8RcsKBcKclyM1SbRewkyJ9fPfxH1Ng0pSEfFRw-0VuXVzs1tM/s320/andreas+kindo.jpg" width="309" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fr. Andreas Kindo</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span data-offset-key="aio80-0-0"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span data-offset-key="aio80-0-0">“When the worker returned to the scene, he overheard one of the gunmen asking Fr. Raphael to bring out all the novices and separate them into locals and non-locals. The Master told them: ‘They are young boys. Why call them out. What you want from them, you tell me, and I will inform them.’ As all this going on, Bro. Shinu was watching the whole incident through the window of the dining hall, adjacent to the volleyball court. He also went to the study hall several times asking the novices to remain inside the study hall.”</span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="9qmjv-0-0"> “After a while, the gunman asked the worker to call the brother. The brother came out and followed the conversation for about ten minutes. It was now 7.50 pm. The novices were in the chapel for their personal prayer. They heard a shot from the road. Immediately after that, the gunmen at point blank range opened fire with their AK-47 at Fr. Raphael. As he fell to the ground, Fr. Andreas who bent forward to help Fr. Raphael was also sprayed with bullets. At this Bro. Shinu moved forward crying. The gunmen shot him, too, several times. Three martyrs in one pool of blood. ‘If two or three are gathered together in My name, there I am in their midst.’ The young men waited till their mission was accomplished, to their full satisfaction. Then they took the money that was given them and walked away. And it was night!”</span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="c0hus-0-0"> “The twelve second year Novices and the fifteen new ones who had just arrived at Ngarian on 8 May 2001, were left totally alone in a state of paralyzing fear. ‘They will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.’ No, not they. They stood by their master, Socius and their Assistant. Now it was quick action – two novices, one old and one new, together with two workers, ran across the paddy field to the nearby Yairipok Parish, and informed Fr. George Malayil, the Parish Priest what had happened in their hearing, and what they had seen. The rest carried their Master, Socius and Assistant into the house…bullet wounds all over the body, blood oozing out, drenching their minds more than the campus… and they waited – frightened, crying, praying. For them, all doors seemed shut. ‘If they have done it to a green tree, what about the dry wood?’ The young novices who were eight days away from their first commitment to daily martyrdom, and those who just walked in looking forward to a year of prayer, seemed to hear those words of Jesus. If only what they witnessed was not true. If only what they saw could be changed.”</span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="diq4e-0-0"> “The confreres from Chingmeirong came in, to take the place of the three Martyrs, to shepherd the fledglings. The bodies were shifted to the nearby Yairipok Police station for the formalities, and then to the RIMS for the post mortem. No bullet was found. Shots fired at point blank range had pierced through their meek bodies."</span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="em5so-0-0"> “Why did the assailants do such an irrevocable act? Was it for money? Or was it, that they thought it is better that these men die for the nation – that the system may fail, the Church and the Province will be shaken to their roots?”</span><br />
<span data-offset-key="em5so-0-0"><br /></span>
The blood of the martyrs, we believe and hope, is the seeds of the Church and the Kingdom of God...Thank you for your witness - Pray that we are able to stand up for Christ and the Kingdom...</div>
</div>
</div>
matt coutinhohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07963347214173289167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8711968316754269815.post-65803277684626441062016-01-03T01:03:00.001-08:002016-01-03T01:03:48.065-08:00Wise Men Still Seek Him by Lynn Cooper<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="344" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/XFEKc3F3z4Y" width="459"></iframe>matt coutinhohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07963347214173289167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8711968316754269815.post-12462494300037274142015-12-24T00:54:00.003-08:002015-12-24T07:11:11.165-08:00CHRISTMAS IS NOTICING GOD IN THE ORDINARY<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<b>This beautiful story about the significance of Christmas comes via Ron Rolheiser OMI in his piece "<i>The Incarnation Means God is in the Ordinary</i>"</b><br />
<br />
Nikos Kazantzakis, the author of Zorba the Greek, once told this parable...<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
A man came up to Jesus and complained to him about the hiddenness of God. “Rabbi,” he said, “I am an old man. During my whole life, I have always kept the commandments. Every year of my adult life, I went to Jerusalem and offered the prescribed sacrifices. “Every night of my life, I have not retired to my bed without first saying my prayers. But . . . I look at stars and sometimes the mountains—and wait, wait for God to come so that I might see him. I have waited for years and years, but in vain. Why, Why? Mine is a great grievance, Rabbi? Why doesn’t God show himself?"</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Jesus, in response, smiled gently and said: “Once upon a time there was a marble throne at the eastern gate of a great city. On this throne sat 3,000 kings. All of them called upon God to appear so that they might see him, but all of them went to their graves with their wishes unfulfilled. “Then, when these kings had died, a pauper, barefooted and hungry, came and sat upon that throne. ‘God,’ he whispered, ‘the eyes of a human being cannot look directly at the sun, for they would be blinded. How then, Omnipotent, can they look directly at you? “Have pity, Lord, temper your strength, turn down your splendor so that I, who am poor and afflicted, may see you! “Then - listen, old man - God became a piece of bread, a cup of cool water, a warm tunic, a hut and, in the front of the hut, a woman giving suck to an infant. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
“Thank you, Lord," he whispered. "You humbled yourself for my sake. You became bread, water, a warm tunic and my wife and son in order that I might see you. And I did see you. I bow down and worship your beloved many-faced face!’”</div>
</div>
matt coutinhohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07963347214173289167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8711968316754269815.post-260059818935716462015-12-22T08:07:00.003-08:002015-12-22T08:07:39.540-08:00LOOK BEYOND - GOD IS IN CONTROL<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 19.32px; margin-bottom: 6px;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">I have been inspired by this and thought you my friends might also like to read this.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">This is a rather long quote taken from a recent sermon of our Holy Father Pope Francis: It was quoted by Blessed Oscar Arnulfo Romero, but pronounced for the first time by Cardinal John Dearden:</span></div>
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<span style="color: #141823;">“</span><span style="color: purple;">Every now and then it helps us to take a step back and to see things from a distance. The Kingdom is not only beyond our efforts, it is also beyond our visions. In our lives, we manage to achieve </span><span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline;"><span style="color: purple;">only a small part of the marvellous plan that is God’s work. Nothing that we do is complete, which is to say that the Kingdom is greater than ourselves. No statement says everything that can be said. No prayer completely expresses the faith. No Creed brings perfection. No pastoral visit solves every problem. No programme fully accomplishes the mission of the Church. No goal or purpose ever reaches completion. </span></span></div>
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<span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline;"><span style="color: purple;">This is what it is about: We plant seeds that one day will grow. We water seeds already planted, knowing that others will watch over them. We lay the foundations of something that will develop. We add the yeast which will multiply our possibilities. We cannot do everything, yet it is liberating to begin. This gives us the strength to do something and to do it well. It may remain incomplete, but it is a beginning, a step along the way. </span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.32px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
<span style="color: purple; line-height: 19.32px;">It is an opportunity for the grace of God to enter and to do the rest. It may be that we will never see its completion, but that is the difference between the master and the labourer. We are labourers, not master builders, servants, not the Messiah. We are prophets of a future that does not belong to us”</span><span style="color: #141823; line-height: 19.32px;">.</span></div>
</div>
matt coutinhohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07963347214173289167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8711968316754269815.post-50187400603127035902014-03-17T19:42:00.001-07:002014-03-17T19:46:02.300-07:00ON ST. PATRICK'S DAY<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div align="center" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<em><span style="color: #005c0e; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 25.5pt;">An
Irish Prayer for you: </span></em><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 8.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">May
God give you...<br />For every storm, a rainbow,<br />For every tear, a
smile,<br />For every care, a promise,<br />And a blessing in each trial.<br />For
every problem life sends,<br />A faithful friend to share,<br />For every sigh, a
sweet song,<br />And an answer for each prayer.</span></div>
</div>
matt coutinhohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07963347214173289167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8711968316754269815.post-17282280087269294892014-01-14T19:53:00.000-08:002014-01-14T19:53:04.445-08:00GOOD POPE JOHN AS REMEMBERED BY HIS SECRETARY<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
In a couple of months we will witness the canonization of two great popes - John Paul II and John XXIII...For those who have not heard much of the latter here is an incident that gives us an inkling into what made this wonderful and warm pope tick...<br />
<br />
<i>Do you recall any incidents from the years you were with Angelo Roncalli, from 1953 to 1962, which revealed his character and spirituality?</i><br />
<br />
Yes. After Pope John was made Cardinal Patriarch of Venice, he wished to visit all the priests of the diocese. One priest, perhaps out of a natural tendency, perhaps because he has let himself go a bit, lived away by himself, in a rest home. He no longer celebrated Mass or said his breviary. There were occasional incidents where he may have drunk one or two glasses of wine too many.<br />
<br />
After the cardinal had arrived in Venice, he said one day, "I must go and visit this Don Giovanni", as he was called. "No, don't go," the vicar general said. "He is very bitter. Who knows what he may say. He will criticise the curia. He may speak out even against you."<br />
<br />
But the cardinal said, "No, I have to visit him". And the cardinal went to this rest home. First of all, he went to the chapel.<br />
<br />
There were some residents of the home there, and some nuns, and he went to the altar and began to speak to them. As he was speaking, this man came into the chapel, with his tunic all torn and askew.<br />
<br />
Perceiving that this was the man, the cardinal turned to the others and said, "Excuse me, but now I must leave you, because here is my friend Padre Giovanni, who is waiting for me". He gave his benediction and then went into a nearby room to talk with Don Giovanni.<br />
<br />
The old priest began to rage against the hierarchy, against the former Patriarch, against the vicar general, against the priests, and he spoke of the injustice he had suffered at their hands. The cardinal let him go on, one minute, two minutes, five minutes, ten minutes. Then he put his hand on the old priest's back and he said, "Don Giovanni, we are both old men. And we must both appear soon before the tribunal of God. What use is it to dwell on these things? What use? Listen to what I am going to tell you: start to say your breviary again, start to celebrate Holy Mass." And he replied: "They don't want me to say Mass, they've stopped me . . ." The cardinal said: "I am your superior now, and I give you permission to say Mass. And bit by bit we'll clear things up." Then the cardinal called me. I was outside. (He told me all this later.) He said: "This Giovanni — he's lost his breviary. I want you to find one for him, new, nice-looking, and send it to him. And then, tomorrow, I want you to send a tailor here to measure him for a new cassock."<br />
<br />
Then he took a small bag out of his pocket and gave it the priest. "Padre Giovanni", he said, "this is for you. It will help cover some of your expenses." It was about 50,000 lire, the equivalent of about 400,000 lire ($350) today.<br />
<br />
Then the cardinal left, quite content.<br />
<br />
That evening, the old priest was playing cards with his friends in the rest home. "This new cardinal is quite a good fellow," he told them. He turned to one of the men. "Take this money", he said, "and go and buy a couple of bottles of wine with it so we can drink to his honour." And they did.<br />
<br />
The next day, the entire curia was laughing behind the cardinal's back. They said: "Did you hear? The cardinal thought that it would be enough to go visit Padre Giovanni, slap him on the back, pay him a compliment, for him to change his life. And what happened? Last night they were all drunk and singing like bums in the street!"<br />
<br />
The vicar general said to me: "See, I was right. I knew he shouldn't have gone. Look at the result."<br />
<br />
I was upset about the whole thing, so I went in to the cardinal. "Your Eminence", I said, "you were certainly right to visit Padre Giovanni, but you know what happened after you left? The first thing he did with the money you gave him was to buy two bottles of wine and get drunk and sing.<br />
<br />
The cardinal looked at me. "Do you really think", he asked, "that I believed one visit would be enough to change that man's life? It wasn't to change his life that I went to see him, but to begin to take away the bitterness. If you can take away the bitterness, then, maybe, later, the life will change. But if you don't take away the bitterness, nothing else you do is of any worth."<br />
<br />
"But the others won't understand", I argued. "They'll say you are weak, that you should discipline that priest."<br />
<br />
He took up a glass in his hand. "Whose glass is this?"<br />
"It belongs to the house."<br />
"And who is the master of this house?" "You are."<br />
"All right. So whose glass is this?" "Yours."<br />
"And if I let it drop on the floor, the broken fragments, whose are those?" "Yours."<br />
"And I must bend over and gather them up." He paused. "That priest is mine." There was a moment of silence. "This term 'mine', what does it mean? I must love. I may condemn a person, but I must love him. <b>If I do not love him, my condemnation is a sign that I am not a Christian.</b>"</div>
matt coutinhohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07963347214173289167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8711968316754269815.post-15846348538064945442013-12-01T09:25:00.000-08:002013-12-01T09:25:29.875-08:00ADVENT PRAYER from Henri J.M. Nouwen<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div align="center">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Lord Jesus,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Master of both the light and the darkness, send your Holy Spirit upon our preparations for Christmas.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We who have so much to do seek quiet spaces to hear your voice each day.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We who are anxious over many things look forward to your coming among us.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We who are blessed in so many ways long for the complete joy of your kingdom.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We whose hearts are heavy seek the joy of your presence.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We are your people, walking in darkness, yet seeking the light.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">To you we say, "Come Lord Jesus!"</span></div>
<div align="left">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Amen.</span></div>
</div>
matt coutinhohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07963347214173289167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8711968316754269815.post-29614956058176360892013-03-28T23:05:00.002-07:002013-03-28T23:06:19.424-07:00ON THE PRIESTHOOD...We need priests or do we?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<i>I had to share this little piece on the day of the Priesthood - Holy Thursday...</i></div>
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<i>praying that we priests remain humble and our flock a bit more understanding of our foibles...</i></div>
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<i>I think we generally make a pretty good team - the shepherds and the flock together...</i></div>
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<strong>A PRIEST IS ALWAYS WRONG BECAUSE..</strong>.</div>
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If he begins his mass on time, his watch is advanced;</div>
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If he begins a minute later, he keeps people waiting</div>
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If he preaches too long, he makes people get bored;</div>
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If his homily is too short, he is unprepared.</div>
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<br /></div>
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If he owns a car, he is luxurious;</div>
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If he does not own one, he does not go with the times.</div>
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<br /></div>
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If he goes out to visit families, he is always out:</div>
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If he does not, he has no time for them.</div>
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If he asks for donations, he is a moneymaker;</div>
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If he does not do it, he is too proud and lazy.</div>
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<br /></div>
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If he takes time in the confessional, he is too slow;</div>
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If he makes it too fast, he has no time for his penitents.</div>
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<br /></div>
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If he renovates the church, he throws away money;</div>
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If he does not do it, he allows everything to rot away.</div>
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If he is with the youth, he forgets the old.</div>
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If he is seen with women, he is a playboy;</div>
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<br /></div>
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If he goes with men, he is not normal;</div>
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<br /></div>
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If he is young, he has no experience;</div>
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If he is old, he should retire.</div>
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<br /></div>
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As long as he lives, there are always people who are better than him;</div>
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<strong>BUT IF THE PRIEST DIES....THERE IS NOBODY TO TAKE HIS PLACE!</strong></div>
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matt coutinhohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07963347214173289167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8711968316754269815.post-23265757045324636222013-03-16T22:07:00.001-07:002013-03-16T22:07:15.451-07:00REPENT, AND SIN NO MORE<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
TODAY'S GOSPEL reminds us to "REPENT, AND SIN NO MORE"...and in a lighter vein here is another story...</div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
A man was repainting the outside of the Church on Saturday to get it nice and spiffy for the service on Sunday. He had two sides of the Church done, when he realized that he didn't have enough paint to finish the job. What to do, since he was a long way from any store where he could buy more paint, and he would be running out of time? So he came up with the idea that he would thin the paint down so he would have enough to finish painting. After finishing the third side, he realized he would have to thin the paint even more if he was going to finish the job. Finally he finished the job and stood back admiring his work when suddenly it began to rain. The man watched in dismay as the paint ran off the last two sides he painted. The pastor came outside to see what was going on, and saw the look of disappointment on the man's face. The man confessed what he had done in order to finish the job. The pastor, wanting to ease the man's burden, said, "<b>Repaint and thin no more!</b>" What we hear in today's gospel is: 'Repent, and sin no more!"</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
(John Pachapilly in 'The Table of the Word' as cited in the homily notes of Jude Botelho)</div>
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matt coutinhohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07963347214173289167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8711968316754269815.post-89368804510024617592013-01-06T09:53:00.000-08:002013-01-06T09:53:19.548-08:00ON EPIPHANY SUNDAY<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Two wonderful pithy statements that summarise what the Solemnity of the Epiphany celebrates:<br />
<br />
- "<a href="http://suz-missionpossible.blogspot.in/2010/12/divinity-is-always-where-one-least.html">Divinity is always where one least expects to find it</a>" (Fulton Sheen)<br />
<br />
- "<a href="http://songsofpraise.com/mp3/wisemen.mp3">Wisemen still seek Him</a>..." (Lyn Cooper)<br />
<br />
May each of us continue to seek Him - and also be prepared for the Unknown and the Unimaginable...He may not be where we expect to find Him...but if we truly seek we shall see His Star...<br />
<br />
Happy Feast one and all !!!</div>
matt coutinhohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07963347214173289167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8711968316754269815.post-78776934399808629912012-11-30T22:45:00.000-08:002012-11-30T22:45:05.185-08:001 DECEMBER: WORLD AIDS DAY MESSAGE<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://newswire.crs.org/a-world-aids-day-message-from-carolyn-woo-president-ceo-of-crs/">A World AIDS Day Message from Carolyn Woo, President & CEO of CRS</a></h1>
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December
1 is World AIDS Day, a time when we pause to reflect on the ways in which the
HIV pandemic has changed our world, when we celebrate the exciting progress made
in the fight against HIV, while mourning the multitude of lives it has
claimed.</div>
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Many
challenges remain but this year we have good reason to be optimistic. Last week
UNAIDS reported that Africa has cut AIDS-related deaths by one third. And in the
last two years the number of people receiving lifesaving antiretroviral
medication has increased by more than 60%, to 8 million. However, there are
still 7 million people in need of medicine who can’t get it. And in some parts
of the world the epidemic is growing...</div>
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This
is a key moment in the fight against HIV. With each passing day comes hope that more people will have access to
lifesaving medication; that ongoing research will someday lead to
a vaccine or cure; that fear, ignorance and stigma will be replaced by love and
understanding. Today, let’s challenge ourselves to think about the important
role we can each play in what may be the defining challenge of our age. Someday
our grandchildren may ask, “What did you do?” Let’s make sure we have a good
answer for them.</div>
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Dr.
Carolyn Y. Woo<br />President & CEO<br />Catholic Relief Services</div>
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matt coutinhohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07963347214173289167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8711968316754269815.post-35360128082048491362012-10-23T04:45:00.001-07:002012-10-23T04:45:07.496-07:00A RETREAT ON THE YEAR OF FAITH ONLINE<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Here is a link to <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=dz8t7A1BHhI#!">a retreat</a> that we can make during this Year of Faith. It introduces us to the Catechism of the Catholic Church. So have a go!!! and enjoy the Year ahead...</div>
matt coutinhohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07963347214173289167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8711968316754269815.post-48861417822207549782012-10-11T12:47:00.003-07:002012-10-11T12:53:42.899-07:00POPE JOHN XXIII SAID THIS ON 11 OCTOBER 1962<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Dear friends, here is one of the most touching discourses I have heard. Uttered exactly 50 years ago in St. Peter's Square by the then pope "Good Pope John", it came <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=snMCpvJw2bc">after the first day of the Second Vatican Council </a>was coming to an end. One can sense the simplicity, holiness and paternal solicitude that embodied "Good Pope John"...Thank you Holy Father for that example of what it means to be a pastor who cares for the flock especially the lost, the last and the least...<br />
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<span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">“D</span></b>ear sons and daughters,</span><span style="background-color: transparent;"> </span></span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I feel your voices!</span><span style="background-color: transparent;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Mine is just one lone voice, but it sums up the voice of the whole world.</span><span style="background-color: transparent;"> </span></span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">And here, in fact, all the world is represented here tonight. It could even be said that even the moon hastens close tonight, that from above, it might watch this spectacle that not even St Peter's Basilica, over its four centuries of history, has ever been able to witness.</span><span style="background-color: transparent;"> </span></span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">We ask for a great day of peace. Yes, of peace! 'Glory to God, and peace to men of goodwill.'' If I asked you, if I could ask of each one of you: where are you from? The children of Rome, especially represented here, would respond: ah, we are the closest of children, and you're our bishop. Well, then, sons and daughters of Rome, always remember that you represent '<span style="font-style: italic;">Roma, caput mundi</span>' ['Rome, the capital of the world'] which through the design of Providence it has been called to be across the centuries.</span><span style="background-color: transparent;"> </span></span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">My own person counts for nothing -- it's a brother who speaks to you, become a father by the will of our Lord, but all together, fatherhood and brotherhood and God's grace, give honor to the impressions of this night, which are always our feelings, which now we express before heaven and earth: faith, hope, love -- love of God, love of brother, all aided along the way in the Lord's holy peace for the work of the good. And so, let us continue to love each other, to look out for each other along the way: to welcome whoever comes close to us, and set aside whatever difficulty it might bring.</span><span style="background-color: transparent;"> </span></span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">When you head home, find your children. Hug and kiss your children and tell them: 'This is the hug and kiss of the Pope.' And when you find them with tears to dry, give them a good word. Give anyone who suffers a word of comfort. Tell them 'The Pope is with us especially in our times of sadness and bitterness.'</span><span style="background-color: transparent;"> </span></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: blue;">And then, all together, may we always come alive -- whether to sing, to breathe, or to cry, but always full of trust in Christ, who helps us and hears us, let us continue along our path.<span style="font-weight: bold;">”</span></span></span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-size: 11px;">--Pope John XXIII </span><br /><span style="font-size: 11px;"><i>Discorso della Luna</i> ("Moonlight Speech") </span><br /><span style="font-size: 11px;">Window of the Apostolic Palace </span><br /><span style="font-size: 11px;">11 October 1962</span></span></div>
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matt coutinhohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07963347214173289167noreply@blogger.com1