Excerpts taken from the: APOSTOLIC LETTER - MANE NOBISCUM DOMINE
of the HOLY FATHER JOHN PAUL II to the Bishops, Clergy and Faithful for the YEAR of the EUCHARIST
INTRODUCTION
...3. The “breaking of bread”—as the Eucharist was called in earliest times—has always been at the centre of the Church's life. Through it Christ makes present within time the mystery of his death and resurrection. In it he is received in person as the “living bread come down from heaven” (Jn 6:51), and with him we receive the pledge of eternal life and a foretaste of the eternal banquet of the heavenly Jerusalem. Following the teaching of the Fathers, I have frequently urged the Church to reflect upon the Eucharist, most recently in the Encyclical Ecclesia de Eucharistia. I thought it helpful for this purpose to dedicate an entire Year to this wonderful sacrament.
4. As is known, the Year of the Eucharist will be celebrated from October 2004 to October 2005. The idea for this celebration came from two events which will serve to mark its beginning and end: the International Eucharistic Congress, which will take place from 10-17 October 2004 in Guadalajara, Mexico, and the Ordinary Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, which will be held in the Vatican from 2-29 October 2005. I would like the young people to gather around the Eucharist as the vital source which nourishes their faith and enthusiasm.
5. In the present Apostolic Letter, I wish to reaffirm this pastoral continuity and to help everyone to grasp its spiritual significance...
II THE EUCHARIST, A MYSTERY OF LIGHT
“He interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself” (Lk 24:27)
11. The account of the Risen Jesus appearing to the two disciples on the road to Emmaus helps us to focus on a primary aspect of the Eucharistic mystery, one which should always be present in the devotion of the People of God: The Eucharist is a mystery of light! What does this mean, and what are its implications for Christian life and spirituality? Jesus described himself as the “light of the world” (Jn 8:12), and this quality clearly appears at those moments in his life, like the Transfiguration and the Resurrection, in which his divine glory shines forth brightly. Yet in the Eucharist the glory of Christ remains veiled. The Eucharist is pre-eminently a mysterium fidei. Through the mystery of his complete hiddenness, Christ becomes a mystery of light, thanks to which believers are led into the depths of the divine life.
12. The Eucharist is light above all because at every Mass the liturgy of the Word of God precedes the liturgy of the Eucharist in the unity of the two “tables”, the table of the Word and the table of the Bread. This continuity is expressed in the Eucharistic discourse of Saint John's Gospel, where Jesus begins his teaching by speaking of the mystery of his person and then goes on to draw out its Eucharistic dimension: “My flesh is food indeed, and my blood is drink indeed” (Jn 6:55). We know that this was troubling for most of his listeners, which led Peter to express the faith of the other Apostles and of the Church throughout history: “Lord, to whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life” (Jn 6:68). In the account of the disciples on the road to Emmaus, Christ himself intervenes to show, “beginning with Moses and all the prophets”, how “all the Scriptures” point to the mystery of his person (cf. Lk 24:27). His words make the hearts of the disciples “burn” within them, drawing them out of the darkness of sorrow and despair, and awakening in them a desire to remain with him: “Stay with us, Lord” (cf. v. 29).
13. It is Christ himself who speaks when the Holy Scriptures are read in the Church. The Council Fathers urged the celebrant to treat the homily as part of the liturgy, aimed at explaining the word of God and drawing out its meaning for the Christian life. Forty years after the Council, the Year of the Eucharist can serve as an important opportunity for Christian communities to evaluate their progress in this area. It is not enough that the biblical passages are read in the vernacular, if they are not also proclaimed with the care, preparation, devout attention and meditative silence that enable the word of God to touch people's minds and hearts.
“They recognized him in the breaking of bread” (cf. Lk 24:35)...
(To be continued in the next issue...)
PERSONALITY PROFILE
BARNABAS-'SON OF ENCOURAGEMENT'
Every
group needs an ‘encourager’, because everyone needs encouragement
at one time or another. However, the value of encouragement is often missed
because it tends to be private rather than public. In fact, most people
need encouragement when they feel most alone. A man named Joseph was such
an encourager that he earned the nickname ‘Son of Encouragement,”
or Barnabas, from the Jerusalem Christians.
Barnabas was drawn to people he could encourage, and he was a great help
to those around him. It is delightful that wherever Barnabas encouraged
Christians, non-Christians flocked to become believers! Barnabas’s
actions were crucial to the early Church. In a way, we can thank him for
most of the New Testament. God used his relationship with Paul at one
point and with Mark at another to keep these two men going when either
might have failed. Barnabas did wonders with encouragement!
As Barnabas’s life shows, we are often presented with situations
where there is someone who needs encouragement. Our tendency, however,
is to criticize instead. It may be important at times to point out someone’s
shortcomings, but before we have the right to do this, we must build that
person’s trust through encouragement. Will you take the opportunity
to encourage those with whom you come in contact today?
Strengths and Accomplishments:
One of the first
to sell possessions to help the Christians in Jerusalem.
First to travel
with Paul as a missionary team.
Called an apostle,
although not one of the original 12.
Weaknesses and mistakes:
With Peter, temporarily
stayed aloof from Gentile believers until Paul corrected him.
Lessons from his life:
Encouragement is
one of the most effective ways to help.
Sooner or later,
true obedience to God will involve risk.
There is always
someone who needs encouragement. Encouragement can change a person’s
life.
Vital Statistics:
Where:
Cyprus, Jerusalem, Antioch
Relatives: Aunt:
Mary, Cousin: John Mark vOccupations: Missionary, teacher
Contemporaries:
Paul, Peter, Herod Agrippa I, Silas
Key verse:
“News of
this came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas
to Antioch. When he came and saw the grace of God, he rejoiced, and he
exhorted them all to remain faithful to the Lord with steadfast devotion;
for he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great
many people were brought to the Lord.” (Acts 11:22-24)
Mentioned in:
Barnabas’s story is told in Acts 4:36-37; 9:27-15:39. He is also
mentioned in 1 Corinthians 9:6; Galatians 2:1, 9, 13; Colossians 4:10.
BIBLE READING PLAN FOR THE MONTH OF APRIL:
| 152.. Day 1 ..... Esther 6-10 | 153.. Day 2 ..... Job 1-5 | 154.. Day 3 ..... Job 6-11 | 155.. Day 4 ..... Job 12-16 |
| 156.. Day 5 ..... Job 17-24 | 157.. Day 6 ..... Job 25-30 | 158.. Day 7 ..... Job 31-35 | 159.. Day 8 ..... Job 36-38 |
| 160.. Day 9 ..... Job 39-42 | 161.. Day 10 .... Psalms 1-8 | 162.. Day 11 .... Psalms 9-17 | 163.. Day 12 .... Psalms 18-21 |
| 164.. Day 13 .... Psalms 22-27 | 165.. Day 14 .... Psalms 28-33 | 166.. Day 15 .... Psalms 34-37 | 167.. Day 16 .... Psalms 38-42 |
| 168.. Day 17 .... Psalms 43-49 | 169.. Day 18 .... Psalms 50-55 | 170.. Day 19 .... Psalms 56-61 | 171.. Day 20 .... Psalms 62-68 |
| 172.. Day 21 .... Psalms 69-72 | 173.. Day 22 .... Psalms 73-77 | 174.. Day 23 .... Psalms 78-80 | 175.. Day 24 .... Psalms 81-88 |
| 176.. Day 25 .... Psalms 89-94 | 177.. Day 26 .... Psalms 95-103 | 178.. Day 27 .... Psalms 104-106 | 179.. Day 28 .... Psalms 107-111 |
| 180.. Day 29 .... Psalms 112-118 | 181.. Day 30 .... Psalm 119 |
PRAYER TO OUR
LADY OF EVANGELIZATION:
O Mary, Mother of Jesus and Mother of his Church, we are mindful of
the role you play in the evangelization of souls who do not yet know
Him. We are mindful of how missionaries came with the power of Christ’s
Gospel and committed the success of their work to you. As the Mother
of Divine Grace you were with the missionaries in all their efforts.
And as Mother of the Church you presided over all the activities of
evangelization and over the implantation of the Gospel in the hearts
of the faithful. You sustained the missionaries in hope and you gave
joy to every new community that was born of the Church’s evangelizing
activity. You were there with your intercession and your prayers, as
the first grace of baptism developed, and as those who had new life
in Christ your Son came to a full appreciation of their Christian calling.
We ask you, Mary, to help us to fulfill this mission of evangelization
which your Son has given to his Church and which falls to us. Mindful
of your role as Help of Christians, we entrust ourselves to you in the
work of carrying the Gospel ever deeper into the hearts and lives of
all the people. We entrust to you our missionary mandate and commit
our cause totally to your prayers. To Jesus Christ your Son, with the
Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit be praise and thanksgiving forever
and ever. Amen.
XIV) PARABLES OF JESUS
Jesus told the crowds all these things in parables; without a parable he told them nothing. This was to fulfill what had been spoken through the prophet:
“I will open my mouth to speak in parables; I will proclaim what has been hidden from the foundation of the world.” (Matt. 13:34) The Gospel writers were able to account for about 32 parables of Jesus altogether. Half of them were accounted by Matthew. Broadly the parables of Jesus can be classified as: 1.Teaching Parables, 2. Gospel parables, and 3. Parables of Judgement and the future.Teaching parables can be further classified as: a) about the Kingdom of God, b) about service and obedience, c) about prayer, d) about neighbours, e) about humility, and f) about wealth. The Gospel parables can be classified as : about I)God’s love, and II)about thankfulness while the third category can be classified further as: about i)Christ’s return and ii)about God’s values. Following is the list of few of the parables as recorded by Matthew in his gospel. You have to find these parables in this gospel, mention where they are located and put them in the order as they are found. Read them carefully and classify them as a) Teaching Parables about the Kingdom of God, b) Parables of Judgement and the future, c) Teaching parables about service and obedience.
| 1. The Fishing Net, 2. The ten Bridesmaids, 3. The loaned money, 4. The Yeast, 5. The Wise and faithful Servants, 6. The Weeds, 7. The Workers in the harvest, 8. The Wedding Feast, 9. The Mustard Seed, 10. The Evil Farmers, 11.The Soils |
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| Answers to Last month’s Quiz XIII MIRACLES OF JESUS Answers in the Correct sequence: 11.A leper is healed at Gennesaret-8:1-4 a) 2. Calming the storm -8:23-27 b) 8. Demons sent in to the pigs -8:28-34 d) 9. Jesus heals a paralytic -9:1-8 a) 4. Jairus’ daughter raised -9:18-26 c) 6. Two blind men find sight -9:27-31 a) 10.A deformed hand is restored-12:9-13a) 5. Five thousand are fed -14:15-21 e) 7. Jesus walks on the water -14:22-33 b) 1. A coin in a fish’s mouth -17:24-27 b) 3. Cursing the fig-tree -21:18-22 b) |
Send Your Answers to: Rules to be followed: Thanks for taking the Quiz! Good Luck! |
A) JESUS IS OUR SAVIOUR AND DELIVERER!
A) TUMOUR DISAPPEARS THROUGH PRAYERS! JESUS HEALS EVERYONE!
Praise be to Jesus! Thanks be to Jesus!
I had a tumour in my stomach which had made my life miserable for the
past three years. With severe pain and bleeding on excreting, I went to
Holy Family Hospital, New Delhi and had myself examined thoroughly. The
result from the Endoscopy test revealed the presence of a tumourous growth
in my stomach. I was admitted in the I.C.U. and was given injections of
Rs.4000 each and the required medicine. Around 6 bottles of blood were
given to make up for the blood loss. The treatment was effective and within
a few days my stomach pain dwindled and bleeding stopped completely. I
was discharged from the hospital and the doctor suggested me to take the
medicine regularly. But after three months, my stomach pain started creeping
up again and I had to visit the doctor without any further delay. This
time the Endoscopy report revealed a much bigger tumour in my stomach
which was swelling further. The doctor advised me to have an operation
to remove the tumour immediately. But I was afraid to undergo an operation
and I could not risk my life at any cost. Hence he suggested me to increase
the dosage of the prescribed medicine. However, at this stage, this was
not the right solution as I did not get any relief.
Two months ago from now, my neighbours, who had planned a visit to Sec-22,
Jeevan Dham, Faridabad to participate in the Friday morning Holy Mass,
explained to me about the effective healing prayer service held every
Sunday and the healings performed by God during the service. That day
I went there along with them. The next Sunday too I went with little faith
and much anxiety and listened to the Word of God. I bought the prayer
book ‘Naya Jeevan’ and prayed fervently at home everyday.
Within a few days, I felt the change in my health. My wife used to pray
for me and used to go regularly for the prayer service.
Last month, I went to the doctor again for checkup. Amazingly, the result
of the Endoscopy report was an incredible miracle for me this time. The
doctor did not find any tumourous growth and told me to reduce my medicine
intake and I took medicine only when I felt some pain in the stomach.
Later, I left medicine totally and could eat anything without any threat.
I firmly believe that this healing is a miracle and it happened only through
the grace of JESUS who had mercy on me and answered my prayers without
delay. I give my sincere thanks to all those who prayed for me. Praise
the Lord!
Naresh (age-48 years)
New Delhi.
“In the day of my trouble I call on you, for you will answer
me. There is none like you among the gods, O Lord, nor are there any works
like yours.”
B)
HEALED OF 10-YEAR OLD ASTHMA THROUGH FAITH!
Praise
be to Jesus! Thanks be to Jesus!
For the past 10 years I suffered from breathlessness and I could not breathe
as a normal person did. I used to take long deep breath. At that time,
a private physician in my village, Pratapgarh, U.P. discovered swelling
in my lungs. All the treatments failed there and nowhere did I get any
relief. My breathing problem got worsened and I could not even have my
meals for two-three days. I had to leave all my work in such situation
and I took treatment from hospitals in Allahabad and Faridabad (for one
year) but all in vain. I was helpless and desperate. My life was totally
left at the mercy of God.
My son, who was working in Faridabad, had called me here for treatment.
When the neighbour living next door heard of my poor health, he advised
me to attend one Sunday healing prayer service and assured of my healing
if I had faith in JESUS. That weekend we all came together to JEEVAN DHAM
and heard the powerful Word of God and awe-inspiring testimonies of the
believers. The first Sunday itself, I felt the healing touch of Jesus
and got almost complete relief in breathing. Within a month, I got rid
of this terrifying disease and left taking the medicine which I was taking
for the past 10 years. I can now sleep well, eat well and can do any sort
of work without any pain or uneasiness. Thanks a million to my Merciful
and Loving Lord, my saviour JESUS CHRIST. Alleluia!
Motilal(age-50 years), Faridabad
“There is no wealth better than health of body, and no gladness
above joy of heart. Death is better than a life of misery, and eternal
sleep than chronic sickness.” (Sirach 30:16-17)
C)
THROUGH THE POWER OF HIS WORD, GOD GIFTED ALL THESE CHILDLESS FAMILIES
WITH A CHILD AFTER MANY YEARS OF MARRIAGE
“Believe on the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and
your household.”(Acts 16:31)
E-mail us your petitions to: justcallanthony@yahoo.com |
IMPORTANT TIMINGS DAILY MORNING PRAYER :  On
Weekdays from 9:00a.m. to 11:00p.m. 24-HOUR Adoration is going on
everyday ROUND-THE-CLOCK for over the last 1 year. You too can join
us in prayer anytime. HOLY MASS : On Fridays: morning 10:00 a.m. On Sundays: evening 6:30 p.m. |
WELCOME TO JEEVAN DHAM Are you … worried & burdened? Are you … depressed? Are you … sick or weak? Do you … feel the absence of peace & love in your life? Are you … grappling with a lot of problems in your life? Then visit this place chosen by God & see for yourselves all the incredible miracles happening here.This place is ‘JEEVAN DHAM’. Believe in God and attend the prayer session held every Sunday at St.Anthony’s School (ground), Sec-9, Faridabad from morning 9:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. organized with the grace of Almighty God by ‘Jeevan Dham’- H.no.696/ Sec-22, Faridabad. Obtain invaluable graces & heavenly blessings & witness the miraculous healings performed by Him. |
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WELCOME TO JEEVAN DHAM!
Scriptural references in DIVYA JYOTI are from the New Revised Standard Version (© Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers)1989 |
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Edited
and Published by Anthony. JEEVANDHAM, 696/22. Faridabad -121005,
Haryana, INDIA
Ph: 91-0129-2231126, 9350128560 |
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