Provincial Message

Rejoice; rejoice for Christ has come…! To all the Sisters of Mangalore Province, My dear Sisters, „God becomes human being so that the human person becomes divine.‟ This is the essence of Christmas. The manner in which He became human and entered into our history is something amazing. He did not come with power, prestige or loud acclamations; He came silently as a ray of light, as the fragrance of a flower, as the life-giving dew on a winter morning. He came even more surprisingly as a poor child, deprived of the minimum comforts of an ordinary family. The infinite became finite; the omnipotent became a weak child. In other words, “God walked down the stairs of heaven with a Baby in His arms – says Paul Scherer. On 15th December 2023 Pope Francis thanked the organizers of the „Concert with the Poor and for the Poor” in the Vatican where 3,000 destitute people attended as „guests of honour‟. “I thank you because, by involving so many people, you manage to offer a free concert to thousands of poor people, and with your music, you offer a moment of meeting and sharing, and then a meal and blanket, in other words: fraternity”, he said, noting this is very consistent with the message of Christmas.” In this age of scientific progress, the message of Christmas is a challenge to our self-sufficiency and self-reliance. It calls us for introspection of our lives and for a change of heart and mind. As per the clarion call of the First Indian Mission Congress, let us be the Message and the Messengers. As a proof of our changed pattern of life, let us cut down or minimize our expenses and share it with the needy brothers and sisters in our locality as it is done at Vatican every year. As we celebrate Christmas, let us also bring before the Infant King the painful and tragic experiences of our brothers and sisters in Manipur, Gaza, Israel and so on. Let us resolve to continue His work by making our contribution to the task of healing brokenness, restoring peace and harmony, offering forgiveness to our offenders and bringing hope to those in despair and darkness. Sisters, when we accomplish such tasks, our Christmas is complete. May this Christmas and the present year 2023, end with a happy note and make way for a fresh and bright grace-filled and faith-filled New Year 2024. As Pope Francis has designated 2024 as the Year of Prayer, make time to be with Him and to be loved by Him. Wishing you all a Blessed Christmas and happy new year!