SEASON OF CREATION

 

Season of Creation (1^st September 2020 – 4^th October 2020)

We are at the 5^th anniversary of Pope Francis encyclical ‘Laudato Si’- the care for our common home. It is a time reminding us that everything is connected. It is teaching us to build a better society today collaborating and co-operating for sustainable future. People are everywhere crying for hope and our faith is urgently needed to light the way. So we joined the ecumenical churches in this season of creation beginning from 1^st September to 4^th October 2020.

Sr. Marykutty Mathew Palaparambil, our Provincial, addressing the sisters on the occasion of Season of creation quoted Pope Francis “Living our vocation to be protectors of God’s handiwork is essential to a life of virtue, it is not an optional or a secondary aspect of our Christian experience.” She reminded us to do something very practical within our campus, given the protocols of lock down, to make the message of caring and nurturing our mother Earth alive. Every community did their bit to contribute to the caring of Nature. The communities that have schools encouraged the children to understand the need to give more importance to growing trees, caring for the plants in their houses, campus and on the road sides. This was a educating for the students to know that as the earth gives sufficient for our sustenance it is our duty to care and persevere it for the generations to come. A tree planted today will go to yield its fruits for the future generation. The children also offered prayers (puja) to the trees that is a memory of their grandparents and also thankfulness to the trees for all the benefits the trees have given us. They also prepared eco friendly dustbins to avoid litter in the campus and on road sides. Children were asked to go across the walls to clear the garbage and to collect the plastics and to reuse it to make flower pots or pen stands or some kind of packing for boxes, etc. Children enjoyed at the same time got educated. Water harvesting is another way of judiciously using water. Most of our places don’t lack water but in solidarity with those lacking water we try to use water economically and also through rain water harvesting try to improve the ground water level.

Some of the communities who deal with the youth made use of this opportunity to conscientise them. The sisters cultivate the land and sell the produce earning sufficiently for our sustenance. This helped the youth who work with us and those who are part of our associations to recognize the good effects of enjoying home cultivated, organic foods which are healthier than the  once sold in the market. They were also encouraged to take care of one tree along the streets or around their homes so that we can breathe clean air as well as protect ourselves from pollution. This step can go a long way in helping the global crisis of climate change and global warming.

Cleanliness is an inherent part of caring for nature. To make the best out of waste is a program undertaken by all our communities. We use our kitchen waste to create organic mature. Many communities cultivate plenty of vegetables using kitchen waste. The communities which are in the village-like locations and closer to the hills, mountains and forests are encouraged to use things that are locally made. All the communities of north east India use lot of bamboo in their housing, cooking vessels and as vegetable and pickles. Rearing livestock like cows, buffaloes and chickens are very common to us but now we take care to rear them well so that the needs of the community and those of the poor families can be taken care of. This kind of efforts can provide sustainable development and also lead ultimately respect and care for all living beings.

We want to build ourselves and our future generations holistically so we encourage nature walks, nature meditations and this has helped all of us to improve our health and also to recognize the wonders of the Creator in creation. We have pledged to co-operate as instruments of God for the care of creation.

 

St. Francis Xavier Province, INDIA

Celebrating Spiritual Childhood - Feast of St. Therese of Child Jesus

 

  Celebrating Spiritual Childhood (1^st October 2020)

The Feast of St. Therese is one which fascinates all of us Carmelites. She is known as the Darling daughter of the Church. Her simple and little ways have always been an attraction for us. She used to say “Holiness consists simply in doing God’s will, and being just what God wants us to be.” so we too want to emulate her in our lives too. We, the novices – Shanti and Rajini have gathered fond memories of our first feast that would keep us going a long way on our journey to say our final ‘yes.’

Feasts are occasions to make us to ponder and to reflect the life of the saint and to draw inspirations for ourselves. St. Therese our patron’s entire life is an inspiration but for us who are getting to know her closely for the first time, it was a journey that uplifted our spiritual life. The 9 days of novena which was a preparation for the feast prepared us with various themes. Her spiritual childhood is the sum of all that. She would say “true happiness on earth consists in being forgotten and in remaining completely ignorant of created things. I understood that all we accomplish, however brilliant, is worth nothing without love.” Love ruled her whole life. She wanted to remain as LOVE in the heart of Mother Church. We understood how important it is to make love the centre of our lives.

Our Feast day began with a procession with lamps lit, it was a message that we wanted to tell all that the lamp of love has started burning in our lives and is going to glow in the whole world, whether small or big in whatever we do or say, there will always be love. The liturgy was meaningfully prepared by the novice mistress Sr. Mini Cyriac with creative pauses were given to emphasis the words of Therese and also to make us understand the simplicity with which she prayed. The Eucharist was celebrated by Fr. Patras Kujur, SJ, our spiritual director and confessor. He introduced St. Therese as a prayer warrior who spent her life doing sacrifices and sang songs of gratitude to the Lord. Her whole life was but a prayer of thanksgiving of Love. She became a victim of love and spent her life in service of love. His message really encouraged us to become real messengers of love. In these pandemic times we too like St. Therese could be within the walls of this house yet become prayer warriors for all those suffering outside.

The novitiate community sisters through their simple and humble ways of celebration have made our day special and memorable. Sisters from all the communities of the province poured their wishes on the phone and through video chats. We really express our gratitude and thank God that He chose us to be a Carmelite. We, too like to be another Therese who would spend our life here on earth doing good.

-          Novices: Rajini and Shanti,

St. Francis Xavier Province, INDIA