Karnataka Faith Conference

Overview of Second Vatican Council - Part 3

CHANGES

What were some of the changes that the Council brought about? Many of our attitudes, many of the things that today we take for granted, came about as a consequence of Vatican 2. There are far, far too many things that could be mentioned – and here are just a few.

 

1. The Church itself - Vatican 2 redefined, re-imaged the Church

Since the break-up of Christendom at the time of the Reformation ( 400 years earlier ) the Catholic Church had become very inward looking, had become reactionary and had withdrawn itself from the world. It had seen itself, referred to itself, as a ‘perfect society’. In reacting to what had happened at the Reformation, it had become a fortress Church – withdrawn, pulled up draw bridges, isolated.

The Council pushed the Church back into the world. It used ancient biblical images to redefine the Church – People of God, the Body of Christ, the Edifice of God, the sheepfold, the community of believers. Instead of portraying the Church as a perfect society, it redefined the Church as a community of those believers who are on a pilgrimage, sharing ‘the joys, the hopes and the anxieties’ of humankind.

The Council said that the Church was the People of God – it was a community of all the baptised, both laity and their pastors. “The Church is a priestly people, it is like a pilgrim in a foreign land, and it presses forward amid the persecutions of the world, announcing the cross and death of the Lord until he comes.”

 

2. Laity

If you re-image an organisation – you end up redefining those who make up the organisation. So we saw in Vatican 2 a new place for the laity. The Church was to be less clerical. All are equal members by Christian Baptism. Roles may differ, but Baptism is the key sacrament and makes all of us members of the Church. “All are called to be holy.” Prior to the Council if you wanted to be holy you left the world, you became a priest or entered a religious order. All can be holy in the world.

The role of women has changed. They are regarded as equal with men in the lay state. Women today however challenge the Church towards continuing progress and development. We have seen much more lay involvement in the Church. The laity are key to the Church’s mission, because they live in the heart of the modern world and work in its engine rooms. 99% of the Church is made up of lay people.

Since the Council there is a huge increase in ministries in the Church. Council reminded us that ministry is rooted in Baptism not Holy Orders. Today the laity is absolutely vital to every enterprise of the Church.

 

3. Liturgy

Perhaps the most obvious change of all came about in regard to the way in which the Church goes about worship. Prior to the Council, most saw the liturgy as the domain of the clergy or the priest. Over time, the liturgy had become clericalised. The laity had become passive spectators saying their prayers and devotions. The Council decreed in that famous text, that in regard to its worship, the Church desired nothing less ‘than the full, active and conscious participation of the faithful’. The Council ordered a complete revision of the way that all of the sacraments were celebrated. As a consequence – in 1970 – we finally got a whole new way of celebrating the Eucharist.

We can recall how altars were turned to face the people, and Latin was replaced with local language. At the time many thought that these were brand new ideas. They weren’t new at all. The Church was just going back to an earlier tradition of how it conducted the liturgy. Our liturgy today is a lot less clerical, for we now understand that liturgy is essentially the work of the people.

 

4. Ecumenism

One area in which the Council brought about great change was in its understanding and relationship with other Churches. Prior to the Council it was hoped that Protestants would return to the ‘one, true Church’ and that the Orthodox schism would end. In the decades before the Council, Protestants had become more and more involved in what had come to be called the ‘Ecumenical Movement’. The World Council of Churches had been founded and there had been many mergers of churches. All of these moves expressed a hope for unity among the Christian Churches. But the Roman Catholic Church remained aloof from all of this.

And then came Pope John who called his Ecumenical Council. He immediately set about inviting the separated communities to send delegations. He showed how important they were by insisting that they be seated in the front of St Peter’s just across the aisle from the patriarchs and cardinals. Until Vatican 2, we as Catholics didn’t recognise the other Christian Churches. We saw them as heretics and schismatics. At Vatican 2 we recognised the validity of their Baptism and the Council demanded that we look upon these communities as ecclesial, and that the members of these churches were indeed ‘our brothers and sisters in Christ’. A revolution!

When Pope Paul VI took over the Council after John’s death, he spent a great deal of time in his opening speech at the Council’s second session on the subject of Christian unity. Christ willed and desired that his Church be one. The ecumenical movement and the desire for Christian unity continue to our own time. It is a work in progress. We must, as Christians, pray and work that all who believe in Jesus may be one.

Material compiled by Monsignor Paul Farmer of the Auckland Diocese

Overview of Second Vatican Council - Part 2

THE COUNCIL BEGINS

The following is an excerpt from an author giving an account of the Council’s grand opening ceremony in Rome: Pope John was 81 years of age when, on a marvellous October morning in 1962, he was carried on his sedia gestatoria into St Peter’s. His face was wet with tears. Never had the papacy been so high in public esteem. If all popes were like him, it was said, everyone would be lining up to be a Catholic. He personified the phrase of Horace, ‘Nothing prevents one from telling the truth with a smile on one’s face.’ The Council showed that even a pope was prepared to listen and learn.

In his opening address, he made it plain that the Church was not to heed the prophets of doom. The Church had to update herself radically, and without fear. The cold war of the churches, as far as Rome was concerned was over. There were to be no anathemas; instead, a return to the Gospel of the Master, Jesus Christ. The presence of non-Catholic observers in the aula was a sign of the Church’s change of heart.

The historian McBrien says of Pope John. ‘In a period of less than 5 years he almost single-handedly transformed the Catholic Church from a clericalistic, monarchical, unecumenical and theologically rigid body to a community of radical equality in Christ – laity, religious and clergy alike, open to dialogue and collaboration with other Christian and non-Christian communities with non-believers, and with the world at large.’

And there’s another beautiful story told of this ever-so-human pope. It’s a story that you still hear in Rome and that you read over and over in any writing about this man. It goes, that on the night of October 11, 1962, the night of the opening of the Second Vatican Council, something like half a million people gathered in St Peter’s Square below the Pope’s bedroom window. The crowd chanted and sang. The aim was to bring Pope John to his window. And on the night of the greatest day of his life, he rewarded their singing and chanting by appearing at his window. He called out to them, “Children, I hear your voices,” and then he went on to explain to this mixed gathering his hopes for the Council. One historian I read says that the event was very well recorded in the Roman papers the next day and from that moment the skeptical Romans were totally converted to his Council. When he finished his explanation of the Council, he said to the crowd. “Now go back home, and give your little children a kiss – and tell them it’s from Pope John.” As one commentator put it: “You could almost touch the emotion. The ‘patriarch’ gave and generated love with all his being.”

At the time of its opening session, Pope John was a sick man, with cancer. He died on 3rd June the following year, as a never-before worldwide audience prayed and journeyed with him in his final days. He had become universally loved like no pope before him.

Pope Paul VI

He was succeeded by that most Catholic of popes, Paul VI, who was totally committed to the vision of his predecessor. For the next three years he led the Council to its climax and conclusion in December 1965.

To be continued.......

Material compiled by Monsignor Paul Farmer of the Auckland Diocese

Overview of Second Vatican Council - Part 1

On 11 October 2012 – our Church celebrated the 50th anniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican Council. It would be a great pity if such an anniversary were to pass us by without comment or reflection on why the Council was convened, and what it achieved.
 
The Second Vatican Council was a huge event in Catholic life. Many have referred to it over the decades as a tsunami. It certainly was, in the sense that it changed and altered Catholic life in a dramatic way.

Pope John XXIII (now Blessed John XXIII) the initiator of the Council, preferred to call the Council “a new Pentecost”. It was his dearest hope that the Council would be a new springtime in the life of the Church. The Council was presided over by two outstanding Church leaders- Pope John XXIII and Pope Paul VI. John had been pope for less than ninety days when, even to the surprise of those closest to him, he called the Church into Council. The last General Council of the Church had been held in 1870. Pope John realised that the world of the sixties was indeed a very different world.
Let us dwell for a few moments on Pope John because he was by all accounts an extraordinary person. John XIII enjoyed a short pontificate, and his decision to call a Council was responsible for initiating a period of change in our Church that continues to this day.

Whatever author you read in regard to Pope John, he was obviously a man who trusted deeply in God. He was a charismatic man, a man of simplicity and humour and shrewd wisdom. His only wish was to draw people to God. He continually reached out to all – both those within the Church and beyond, with a message of peace, renewal and reconciliation. His vision was to bring the Church back to the gospel of Jesus Christ As one author puts it … “he was that rare phenomenon; a charistmatic Christian in a hierarchical position.” What he did, was what he was! John XXIII knew the inevitability of change & development. He was an historian by training, and history had taught him - as it can teach us - that nothing is unalterable. Pope John’s profound faith in God, his great love for the Church and for all humanity, together with his historical perspective, led him to change the course of the Catholic Church irreversibly. Good Pope John - as he was affectionately known and is still called - desired that his Council would have wide aspirations and that it would be pastoral. It would not be a Council that condemned. John saw himself essentially as a pastor, as a shepherd, who wanted to bring everyone with his embrace.

To be continued.......

Material compiled by Monsignor Paul Farmer of the Auckland Diocese

 
 

REVIVE Intercession Retreat

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Theology Of The Body - Seminar

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Passionately Yours...... Couples Retreat

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National Teens Ministry Gathering - Videos

Preparations

 

Inauguration and Day 1

 

Day 2

 

Day 3

 

Marian Eve

Dear friends,


Want to thank you all for your prayers and support for the Marian Eve on the 27th. The program went really well by the Lord's grace. It was held in Maria Bhavan (Montfort Fathers) near RRC.

We had a crowd of around 50-60 people, if I am not wrong with mostly families and a lot of kids :-). We were truly blessed to have Father Souri Raj (OSM) with us. He spoke beautifully about Mother Mary and though we just had one hour to listen to his words, we truly wished that we could hear him even more. He had a lot to speak about our Dear Mother. It was his second experience with Jesus Youth, the first being last month in Chennai. He is a good resource to call for any program.

The Rosary procession was beautiful, especially to see the little children proudly holding their candles and praying. Though everything was planned within a short span of time, things turned out well at the end.

There were a lot of kids running around and it was a joy watching them enjoy the refreshments and everyone had a good time of interaction. There were a lot of Marian books and CDs displayed for sale by our Montfort fathers and there were really happy to see us. Fr.Joseph appreciated all our efforts and assured his prayers for our movement.

A few photos are attached.

Our love for Mother Mary has greatly deepened through this program. Thank you dear Mother, for watching over us and praying for us.

Let us continue to pray for our Jesus Youth family and ask for Her special intercession.

Be with us Mary along the way
Guide every step we take
Lead us to Jesus your Loving Son
Come with us Mary, come.

With prayers,
Anne Mary.

Jesus Youth International Newsletter Sep 2012

Jesus Youth @ WYD 2013

MISSION AMAZON

13-19 July 2013

Begin the WYD experience with a mission exposure programme in the villages near the Amazon forests.

 

YOUTH ARISE FESTIVAL

20-22 July 2013 at Canas

Organised by Youth Arise International, this festival has been attended by Jesus Youth Pilgrims for over 12 years. It remains one of the most enriching and edifying experiences of travelling for WYD.

 

WORLD YOUTH DAY 2013

23-28 July 2013 at Rio

Official registrations have started on the WYD Rio site. To know more about the registration procedure and other details, visit their website: http://www.rio2013.com/en

 

JESUS YOUTH INTERNATIONAL GATHERING

28-29 July 2013

A regular feature at several WYDs, this gathering will see Jesus Youth members coming together from different corners of the world to celebrate as one big family.

 

MISSION RIO

30 July – 3 August 2013

A mission exposure opportunity meant mainly for leaders, these days will be spent in the shanty-towns of Rio de Janeiro.

 

For regular updates and information, keep visiting our website. You can also email us at jyglobal@jesusyouth.org

Oct 1: Teens Day

REVIVE Growth Retreat

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Jesus Youth Bangalore Newsletter - September 2012

Night Vigil 10th Anniversary

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Pope's prayer intentions for July 2012

This month, the Holy Father has asked Catholics everywhere to pray: "That everyone may have work in safe and secure conditions". Fr. Kubicki reflects on Pope Benedict XVI's general prayer intention for July 2012 in this video.

In addition to asking Catholics everywhere to pray for Work Security this month, the Holy Father has also asked for us to pray: "That Christian volunteers in mission territories may witness to the love of Christ". In this video, Fr. Kubicki reflects on Pope Benedict's mission intention for July 2012.

Family Gathering @ Snehadan

Family is one of the greatest gifts from God. We in the JY Family ministry, understanding this truth, spent some part of our last Sunday thanking and praising the Lord for this gift in our lives. There were around 30 families in this event. The program started out @ 2:30 PM with a blessed time of Praise and Worship led by Shine and team. After this we had an Ice breaking game amongst the participants. Everyone enjoyed this game as Ann Mary introduced lots of Bible Characters through this game.

This was followed by a sharing by Jose Thomas about the importance of couples group in the context of the Church in Bangalore. This very informative session was followed by an equally interesting panel discussion. The panel included Jose Antony and Sharu, Mathew Joseph, Sanjay Joseph and Sindhu Sanjai and they answered various questions on Family life, Pro Life, Challenges in Family & Professional life, Raising kids etc. This was followed by sharing of various ministry leaders about happenings in different ministries and the various options for families to support them. After this there was a break for tea.

Post-tea there was adoration lead by Jacob Jose, which was followed by Holy Mass celebrated by Fr Xavier Manavath. During the homily, father shared about the importance of lay groups in the Church. It helped the participants understand the greater role they could play in the Church. This was followed by dinner. Apart from enjoying the great food it was time for making new friends among the participants.

And last but not the least, the team of Volunteers who were there to look after our kids. The kids had a wonderful time with them. A BIG THANKS to the entire team ….

Much Love,

For JY Family Ministry

Rojes

SOUL CONNECT - An evening with the Lord

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New Professional Team for Bangalore

The new Professional Team for Bangalore was discerned and constituted on 24th June 2012. Please join us in congratulating the following team members who have a great mission ahead.

• Sr Sujitha CJ (Sister Animator)
• Crispin D'Almeida (Elder, Mentor)
• Mathew Varghese (Coordinator)
• Tulip Estibeiro (Asst-Coordinator)
• Mejo Jose
• Robin Joseph
• Rittu Roy
• Rajesh Raphail
• Agnel Sebastian
• Meetu Tony (Ex Officio)

Please pray with us that this team works efficiently and with total zeal towards God in the lives of all young people who are either working or seeking job in this city. Best wishes to the new team. We also thank all the members, who were part of the previous team at various stages, for all their hard works.

With Prayers,

Bangalore Service Team

 

 

Jesus & Me - Campus Leadership Training Program

Bangalore Campus Ministry was blessed to begin the JESUS & ME Leadership Training Program on the Day of Pentecost, 27th May 2012 in Holy Trinity Ashram. Most of the participants attended the Recommitment Day at DVK and were ready for what lay ahead. The training program saw the participation of a vibrant group of 42 youngsters from various colleges of the city, belonging to an age group of 16 to 22. What's amazing is how a group of complete strangers bonded together into one family.

The LTP was structured to nurture the person's relationship with God, with others and with oneself. Every day began with a time of Personal prayer and Praise and Worship. Group work, Personal projects and Farmville were everyday affairs. This was initially accompanied with groans of "Oh no!" or "Not Again!", but eventually helped them be more responsible and disciplined.

Fr. Bitaju, Fr. Vinoy, Alex Njavally, C C Joseph, Dony Peter, Jose Sebastian, Jacob Jose and Prajwal Pinto were the main resources and they covered a wide range of topics like Holy Spirit, Relationship, The Holy Bible, Evangelization etc. What helped the participants the most was the Q&A sessions which addressed a lot of issues and doubts that they had.

The highlight of this training program was the opportunity to share Jesus in public places like Malls and Zoo. They also shared their personal testimonies with each other and to the outside world. The entire leadership program centred on ‘Discipleship’ and ‘Evangelization’ and was dealt very practically.

The LTP not only equipped them with spiritual knowledge but also with basic disciplines of life required for Discipleship. JESUS & ME LTP came to an end on the 3rd June 2012.

Love and Prayers,
Bangalore Campus Ministry

Christians living in Europe, and the Eucharist - Pope's prayer intentions for June 2012

This month, the Holy Father has asked us to pray, "That believers may recognize in the Eucharist the living presence of the Risen One who accompanies them in daily life"; and also, "That Christians in Europe may rediscover their true identity and participate with greater enthusiasm in the proclamation of the Gospel". Watch this video for more!

Recommitment Day Gathering

Praise God!

Special thanks to all who joined us for the Re-commitment Day gathering and also to those who joined us in prayers. Our Re-commitment day gathering on May 27th was a big blessing. Nearly 450 people came together at DVK hall to pray for a greater anointing of the Holy Spirit. The gathering began with Rosary requesting the special intercession of Mother Mary. It was followed by JY prayer with a wonderful time of Praise and Worship and sharing of the Word during which Fr. Joy Inchody, Service Team pastor, shared about the significance of the day of Pentecost and the importance of the virtue of Charity by stating examples from the history of Church. The music ministry was superb throughout the program. Mathew Joseph, Service Team animator spoke to the crowd about being ‘Joyful Missionaries’ during his session. He shared his experience and also invited three others on stage to share about their ministry experiences and initiatives that they have taken in the last few years. This was followed by a blessed time of adoration. Few of our brothers and sisters sacrificed their time and effort and moreover the Re-commitment day gathering to prepare food for all of us. The lunch time was an opportunity for people to meet each other. Post lunch, Holy Mass was celebrated by Fr. Divia Paul, Youth Director of Archdiocese of Bangalore and concelebrated by Fr. Joy. During the homily Fr. Divia Paul stressed on the point - "we do many things and we are also gathered here not because we love our Father God, but because our Father God is loving each one of us". After the Holy Mass, the re-commitment prayer was led by Fr Joy. All ministry core teams were anointed and priests also prayed for special anointing by laying hands on all the participants. The youth prayer card and June 2012 edition of the Jesus Youth Bangalore newsletter were released during the gathering. Intercession before the Blessed Sacrament that started on the previous day morning continued till the end of the gathering. Overall it was a great day for the Jesus Youth in Bangalore. May the almighty God give us the strength and grace to continue in the anointing and be joyful missionaries.

  

Novena to the Holy Spirit - Day 9

The novena in honour of the Holy Spirit is the oldest of all novenas since it was first made at the direction of Our Lord Himself when He sent His apostles back to Jerusalem to await the coming of the Holy Spirit on the first Pentecost. Addressed to the Third Person of the Blessed Trinity, it is a powerful plea for the light and strength and love so sorely needed by every Christian.

The nine-day Novena to the Holy Spirit will be prayed collectively by Jesus Youth around the world in union with the Universal Church to invoke a renewed out pouring of the Holy Spirit. The traditional Novena has been modified to include special prayers for a ‘new anointing’ on the movement.

DAY NINE

1. Come Holy Spirit

Leader: Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love.

Community: Send forth your Spirit and renew the face of the earth.

2. Introductory Prayer

Leader: O God, of old you instructed the hearts of your faithful by the light of the Holy Spirit. Give us this Holy Spirit; under His divine inspiration, may we have a sense of what is true and a taste for what is good, and always experience the fruit of His consolation. This we ask through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son.

Community: Amen.

3. Prayer

Leader and Community: God the Father, Creator and Protector of all, we praise you. God the Son, who incarnated as man to show the world the love of the Father, we worship you. Jesus, we thank you for sending your Holy Spirit upon us to prepare us to acknowledge and believe that you are our Saviour and Lord. O, Holy Spirit, who, since the creation of the Universe, has been continuously renewing the face of the earth with your presence, we glorify you. You, who descended upon our Holy Mother and the apostles who had been prayerfully waiting in the House of Sion, come and fill this community with your presence. Fill the hearts you created with your divine graces. Enable us to fill our bodies, your dwelling places, with holiness. O, Holy Spirit, fountain of holiness and love, come and purify us. Give us the grace to know and believe in the Father, the Son and their Spirit, you, the Holy Spirit. Amen.

4. Word of God – Acts 2:1-13

5. Short Reflection

6. Intercessions

Leader: Let us with joy and enthusiasm give thanks to the Holy Spirit for filling us with His gifts and fruits.

Community: We give you thanks.

1.    O, Holy Spirit, who descended as tongues of fire upon the Blessed Mother and the apostles who had assembled in prayer, and strengthened them,
Comm: We give you thanks.

2.    O, Holy Spirit, who appointed the apostles to carry the message of Salvation to the ends of the earth, and adorned them with your gifts and blessings,
Comm: We give you thanks.

3.     O, Holy Spirit, who inspired many to devote their time and abilities for the evangelization of India,
Comm: We give you thanks.

4.     O, Holy Spirit, who, by dwelling within the Church at all times, strengthens the Pope and the Bishops to lead the Church,
Comm: We give you thanks.

5.     O, Holy Spirit, who dwells within us and sanctifies us,Comm: We give you thanks.

7. Our Father

8. Prayer to Mary

Leader and Community: O Holy Mary, Mother of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ, intercede for me to God the Father that I may be freed from my sins by the merits of the Precious Blood of your Divine Son, and that I may be filled with the gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit. Take away from me my sinful heart and give me the new heart that Almighty God promised through the prophet Ezekiel. “I will give them a new heart, and put a new spirit within them. I will remove the heart of stone from their flesh and give them a heart of flesh, so that they may follow my statutes and keep my ordinances and obey them. Then they shall be my people and I will be their God.” (Ezekiel 11:19-20). Holy and loving Mother, intercede for me that I may be filled with the love of the Holy Spirit. Help me to be filled with the spirit of repentance, to abandon my sinful ways and be transformed into a new individual by the power of the Precious Blood of Jesus.

9. Concluding Prayer

Leader: O God, give us the fruit of self-control. Help us to control our temper and tongue. Grant that we may never be swept in some moment of passion into doing or saying anything which would hurt others. Deliver our hearts from nursing thoughts that are bitter, unforgiving, jealous and unclean. Help us to achieve self-mastery over our emotions and impulses. Help us channel them into ways and means of true brotherly and sisterly love. We make this prayer in the name of Jesus.

Community : Amen.