Friday, January 13, 2006

The Crucifixion from A to Z

The Crucifixion from A to Z

A reminds us of His ARREST like a common criminal and the legions of ANGELS who could have been summoned by Jesus.

B is for the BETRAYAL by a "friend," the murderer BARABBAS, the BLOOD that Jesus shed, or the BEATING that He endured.

C makes us think of the CROSS on CALVARY, the Jewish high priest, CAIPHAS, before whom Jesus was tried, and the shameful CROWN of thorns, the Roman CENTURION who concluded that "Truly this Man was the Son of God!"

D is for the DESERTION by His DISCIPLES, the DARKNESS which enveloped the whole earth for three hours just before His DEATH.

E reminds us of the ENMITY of the religious leaders, Christ's EXCRUCIATING pain, or the EERINESS of the darkness.

F makes us think of the FATHER's agony in heaven that day and the FORGIVENESS that Jesus desired even for His killers.

G stands for the GARDEN of GETHSEMANE, the place of betrayal, and GOLGOTHA, the site of the crucifixion.

H is for HEROD and the HYPOCRISY of those who condemned Him.

I calls to mind the INNOCENCE of our Lord and His name IMMANUEL, meaning "God with us."

J is for JUDAS, the trusted friend who turned betrayer, and JOHN to whom was committed the care of His mother.

K reminds us of the KISS of infamy placed upon the KING of kings.

L brings to mind the LIES that they told, the matchless LOVE that caused the Lord of lords to give His life "a ransom for many."

M is for ME (He died for me!), the MOCKING, the howling mob, and His MOTHER, MARY.

N helps us to think of the NAILS that were driven through His hands and His feet, as well as the NINTH hour, the hour He died.

O calls to mind His OPPONENTS who appeared victorious.

P has to remind us of PONTIUS PILATE who released the guilty and killed the innocent, and the PURPLE robe placed upon the Lord in an act of derision.

Q is for the QUAKING the earth did as the shameful deed was done.

R has to do with the REJECTION of Jesus by His own disciples and the RELEASE of the infamous Barabbas.

S stands for SPITTING in the face of the very SON of God, the terrible SCOURGING, the SPEAR that was thrust into His side, and the elite SANHEDRIN who SANCTIONED such an unbelievable crime.

T is for the TOMB in which His body was placed, the THORNS, His THIRST, the false TESTIMONY, and the TRAITOR.

U reminds us of the UNJUST trials and the UNSPEAKABLE shame.

V helps us to remember the VICIOUS VENGEANCE of His enemies, the VEIL of the temple that was rent at His death, and the great VICTORY over death that Jesus would very soon display.

W stands for the WATER Pilate used to try to WASH the guilt from his hands, and the fact that Jesus died for the WHOLE WORLD's sins.

X stands for EXAMINING ourselves, which we do as we remember His death during the Lord's Supper.

Y reminds me of the YELLS of the riotous mob as they cried out, "Crucify Him, Crucify Him!"

Z is for the ZEAL of His executioners.

Forwarded by Shirley Pinky

Thursday, January 12, 2006

2006 St. Lawrence Feast Schedule

Annual Feast of Saint Lawrence Church, Attur, Karkala

2006 Feast schedule

Tuesday 24.1.2006
Solemn Festive Mass (in Kannada) at 6.00 pm.
Chief Celebrant: Most Rev. Dr. Lawrence Mukkuzhy, Bishop of Belthangady.

Other Masses: 9.30 am, 11.30 am, 1.30 pm (Kannada), 3.00 pm, 4.30 pm, 8.00 pm, 10.00 pm, 12.00 midnight followed by Yakshagana on the life of St. Lawrence.


Wednesday 25.1.2006
Solemn Festive Mass at 10.00 am.
Chief Celebrant: Most Rev. Dr. Aloysius P.D'Souza, Bishop of Mangalore.

Other Masses: 5.30 am (Kannada), 7:00 am, 8.30 am, 12.30 pm, 2.00 pm, 3.30 pm, 5.00 pm, 7.00 pm, 8.30 pm (Kannada), 10.00 pm, 11.30 pm.


Thursday 26.1.2006
Solemn Festive Mass at 10.30 am.
Chief Celebrant: Most Rev. Robert Miranda, Bishop of Gulburga.

Other Masses: 6.30 am, 8.00 am, 12.30 pm, 2.30 pm, 4.00 pm (Kannada), 5:30 pm, 7.00 pm.


Other Information for pilgrims:

1. Feast Novena will start from 15th Jan 2006, 8.30 am. Novena followed by Mass daily.
2. During feast days, special prayers are offered for the sick.
3. Candles, oil and other religious articles are available at Church Stall.
4. Donations for shrine projects will be accepted at the stall counter.
5. After every Mass, prayers with laying of hands will be conducted.

More info : http://www.stlawrenceattur.com/

Posted by Shirly Pinky

Wednesday, January 11, 2006

Fr. Cyprian Coelho - Update

Fr. Cyprian Coelho suffers paralytic stroke, turns 59 today

Mangalore: Fr. Cyprian Coelho, who is recovering at the Father Muller hospital after a cerebral bleed, turned 59 today.

He was admitted in a serious condition, on December 15, 2005, following the cerebral bleed and had been operated upon. He has now been moved to the ward and is recovering from the paralytic stroke. He however, suffers the loss of his left side from the stroke.

V. Rev. Fr. Cyprian Coelho is the Parish Priest of the Rosario Cathedral, Dean of the Episcopal City, and Chairman of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal Services at Mangalore. Fr. Cyprian was born on 11th January 1947 and ordained a Diocesan Priest on 23rd October 1974.

Group members have known Fr. Cyprian as a great source of inspiration and help to all in Mangalore, especially in the area of faith formation.

Please continue to remember Fr. Cyprian in prayers.

Inputs from
Nishan Mathias/Monita Fernandes/Crispin D'Almeida

Tuesday, January 10, 2006

Father Elias - Update

Fr. Elias With Toe Injury, Otherwise Fine

Father Elias is almost perfectly fine now, we have been informed.

He was admitted to Father Muller hospital 3 days earlier following a bike accident. Though the condition was initially reported serious, he now seems to have had no more than a toe injury, the wound of which, still remains to be healed.

We sincerely thank all those who have responded to our request for prayers for Fr. Elias.

Father Elias is associated with the Jeevan Jyothi retreat team and preaches missions all over Karnataka, mainly in the dioceses of Chikmaglur, Mangalore and Bangalore. We pray for his complete recovery and wish him all the best in his mission.

Update Posted by
Monita Fernandes/Charan Colaco

Monday, January 09, 2006

Two Priests Meet With Accident, One Still in Coma

Prayers Requested for Fr. Tommy and Fr. Salvador

Father Salvadore Rodrigues from an interview with DAIJIWORLD.com
Father Salvadore Rodrigues, Orlem, Malad West


(Jan 6). Father Tommy Kuruvilla and Father Salvador Rodrigues (Fr. Salu) of the Bombay Archdiocese, are reported to have met with an accident at Ratnagiri on Goa-Mumbai highway today. They have been admitted to Kolhapur Hospital, Maharashtra. The two Priests were returning by car from Goa to Mumbai when the tragedy is said to have occurred.

According to an update, Fr. Salu has been brought out of the ICU, while Fr. Tommy continues to remain in coma.

Fr. Salu is the parish priest of Our Lady of Lourdes parish, Orlem, Malad West, which is the largest parish in the country having a strength of over 20,000 catholics. He is also the the trustee and manager of St.Anne’s School and the ecclesiastical adviser at the Bombay Catholic Sabha (BCS). Fr. Tommy is the Director of the Diocesan Estate Office at Convent Street, Mumbai.

Prayers for their speedy recovery are requested.

Posted by Sachin Quadros

Also Read :
  • Tribute to Fr. Tommy (Thomas) Kuruvilla by Frs. Salu Rodrigues, Allwyn D’Silva, Eddie D’Souza and John D’Mello
  • Father Tommy Passes Away
  • Tags:

    Sunday, January 08, 2006

    Goa to get Konkani Bible

    Church in Goa to print complete Bible in Romi script

    Ref No.:- DCBA 13/2005-06
    08–07–2005.
    CP/1261/2005
    ULO

    Akhem Povitr Pustok chhapunk duddvanchi khori goroz asa ti polleun ami hi ievzonn mandun ghetanv ani amchea Padri bhavamnim ani loukikamnim hea kamak aplo sogllo tenko diunk magtanv.

    Panjim, 10.7.2005
    + Filipe Neri Ferrao
    Arsebisp - Patriark
    POVITR PUSTOK ROMI LIPINT

    Mogall Padri Vigar / Kopelanv / Kur,

    Jezuchi xanti ani maiemogacho nomoskar. “Bori Khobor porgottunk mhaka zalear êk kaido” – oxem sangta amkam Bhagevont Paulu.

    Zaitim vorsam porian ami ravtaleanv to Adlo Korar toiar zait ailo ani novean topaslolo Novo Korar-ui chhapunk toiar asa. Anik koslich motti addkhôll iena zalear, akhem Povitr Pustok hem gonvllik voros sompchê adim amchê porjechea hatant ghalunk amchi axa ani anvddo. Dhormprantik Porixodechea mona pormannem hem Povitr Pustok dôr-eka ghorabeant bhitôr kaddunk amchi itsa.

    Dôr eka Povitr Pustokachea chhap’pacho khorch don’xim voir Rupia zata punn amchi ievzonn asa unnem molak vikunk. Hê porim tem viktem gheunk, konnakuch addkhôll zaina zaunk ani sompeponnim Povitr Pustok sogllea ghorabeamnim pavunk.

    Punn, “dolle pavtat ani hat pavonant” tosli amchi gôt zal’li asa. Akhem Povitr Pustok chhapunk khub poixanchi goroz asa. Bhaile duddu maglear aiz-kal, te diunchê adim, amchea ganvchea lokan kitle dileat tem zanno zaunk sôdtat. Tedna kitem zobab diuncho ho amkam proxn poddta. Dekhunuch amchi êk ievzonn asli ani ti xarthi pavounk tumcho adar amkam zai. Dôr eka ganvant amchim “Fabricas” ani “Konfrari” asat ani zaitê pavtti tanchê lagim khub duddu asta. Tea bhair amchea dhormachi porgôttni korop, tanchem ek mukhel kam’. Tumi tanchi êk zomat addaun, tankam hea amchea kamachi niz goroz dakhoun diun ani hea amchea kamak tancho sohokar amkam kitlo gorjecho ani molacho tem tanchea monant haddun, hea amchea kamak tumcho adar diunk ami magtanv. Khorem mhollear, hem kam’ amchem soglleanchem – dôr eka Kristanvachem. Hê porim amchi denngi hea Borea kamak diunche nanv? Jerul ditoleanv mhonn mhaka khatri asa. Konn bore monache monis tumchê firgojent asat tancho-i adar amkam dhaddun diat.

    Tumcheô cheques / D. D. hea pot’tear dhaddcheô:
    Secretary DCBA, Canara Bank, A / C No. 6272, Old Goa.

    Ho ulo tumchea kanar poddun tacho foll ieunk amchim magnnim.

    Tumcho ixtt Jezuchê sevent,

    Pri. Manuel Gomes
    Chittnis,
    Povitr Pustokachea Vavrachi Somiti

    Posted by
    Gaspar Almeida/Auspicio F.M. Rodrigues

    Tag:

    Saturday, January 07, 2006

    Retreat Preacher Fr. Elias Serious

    Fr. Elias Sequeira meets with accident, condition serious

    Popular retreat preacher Father Elias Sequeira is reported to have met with an accident a short while ago. The Priest has been admitted to Father Muller hospital, Mangalore and his condition is said to be very serious. The accident appears to have damaged both his legs, a source has reported. Further details are awaited.

    Father Elias is associated with the Jeevan Jyothi retreat team and preaches missions all over Karnataka, mainly in the dioceses of Chikmaglur, Mangalore and Bangalore.

    Prayers for his speedy recovery are requested.

    Friday, January 06, 2006

    Diocesan College to Construct Chapel

    St. Joseph Engineering College Campus to have Chapel

    St. Joseph Engineering College at Vamanjoor (SJEC), Mangalore will have a chapel inaugurated in its campus on Christmas Day 2006, Fr. Robert Crasta, spiritual animator of MangaloreCatholics.org reported in the Konkanifriends egroup. The college which is a unit of the Catholic Diocese of Mangalore, currently has about 640 Christian Students, most of whom according to Fr. Crasta, come from villages and poor background. "They are doing well in their studies due to the facilities provided by the diocese in the hostels. Many of them are extended concessions in the payment of their bills", Fr. Crasta noted in his email.

    The college, started in 2002, is the only Christian Engineering college in the Diocese and the first in Karnataka. It currently has an annual intake of 300 students and offers BE degree courses in four brances of engineering - Electrical (60), Electronics (90), Computers (60) and Mechanical (90). The first batch has one more semester to go before they complete their course.

    More information about the college can be had from their website at : http://sjec.ac.in/

    At Konkani Catholics, we are pleased to have students from SJEC with us. We wish them all the best in the ongoing semester exams. May the construction of the chapel increase faith and virtue and help promote a Christian culture among all connected with the Catholic institution.

    Konkani Catholics Gets Website

    Konkani Catholics Now Has Own Website

    The Konkani Catholics eGroup now has its own website at http://www.konkanicatholics.com. The website, which was the long desire of its members, was made possible by the prayers and assistance of both members and wellwishers.

    The provisional launch of the site on the feast of the Epiphany (Jan 6, 2006) is regarded as the work of Divine providence and the members of the Konkani Catholics family are ever grateful for the opportunity to manifest themselves, united with Christ, as light to the world.

    Visit : http://www.konkanicatholics.com (Visit and use "Ctrl + D" to Bookmark)

    Thursday, January 05, 2006

    The forgiveness of Sins

    Do I need to confess?

    Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. (Acts 2:38). We receive forgiveness of sins from the merits of the sacrifice of Jesus on Calvary. In the Church, Christ left us two means of receiving forgiveness - one is Baptism. So Peter wrote, "Baptism which is prefigured, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body, but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ" (1 Pet 3:21). For sins committed after baptism, a different sacrament is needed. Continue reading...

    Posted by Jeneview Lasrado

    Wednesday, January 04, 2006

    Infant Jesus Shrine Decennial Celebration

    Infant Jesus Shrine to webcast decennial celebration

    The annual feast and the decennial celebrations of the Infant Jesus Shrine at Carmel Hills, Mangalore will be observed on January 12. The shrine which has been attracting hundreds of thousands of devotees in the last 10 years has made all arrangements to provide, for the first time, a real time broadcast of the solemn festive celebrations at its website www.infantjesusmangalore.com. The grand festive mass will be celebrated by the recently appointed Bishop of Gulbarga, Most Rev. Dr. Robert Miranda.

    The festive celebrations will be preceeded by a nine-day novena starting January 3rd. The schedule of Novena and Celebrations is as follows:

    Grand Annual Feast of Infant Jesus and the Decennial Jubilee of the Shrine [1996 - 2006]

    January 3

    Commencement of Novena for Infant Jesus

    January 12

    Decennial Jubilee and Annual Feast

    Mass timings during the Novena days :

    Morning

    7.30

    Konkani Mass

    January 8,

    Sunday

    7.15

    Mass & Novena

    9.00

    9.00

    Novena & Sermon

    10.30

    10.00

    Novena & Sermon (English)

    Evening

    5.00

    English

    11.00

    Mass & Novena

    6.00

    Konkani

    12.00

    Novena & Sermon (Kannda)

    7.15

    Kannada

    Mass Timings during the Grand Feast on Thursday, the 12th January

    6.00

    Mass & Novena (Konkani)

    7.00

    Mass & Novena (Malayalam)

    8.00

    Mass & Novena (Konkani)

    9.00

    Mass & Novena (English)

    10.15

    Mass & Novena (Konkani) (Only for the sick)

    11.30

    Mass & Novena (Konkani)

    12.30

    Mass & Novena (Kannada)

    1.30

    Prayer Services (Kannada)

    6.00

    Grand Feast Mass

    Tuesday, January 03, 2006

    New Year Greetings Poem

    New Year Greetings in Poem

    Wishing you joy of 12 months
    That may bring you happiness
    Showers of God’s Blessings
    To assemble completeness

    Great dreams of 52 weeks
    That may spread love and peace
    Say a prayer to His Holiness
    To bring us together to rejoice

    Success of 365 days
    That may help sharing the needy
    By asking pardon for our sins
    To be blessed abundantly

    Good health for 8760 hours
    That may help serving the sick
    Praise Him for He is meek
    His softness and kindness

    Good luck of 525600 minutes
    That you may count on Jesus
    Leave yourself into His hands
    His formation is abundance

    Love of 3153600 seconds
    That may help to spread peace
    A Very happy New Year 2006
    Heavenly Father tender your grace

    Posted by Christine Pinto

    Monday, January 02, 2006

    JY Podcast 'Youth Vibes' Launched!

    'Youth Vibes' - Jesus Youth launches Podcast

    On New Year's day, Jesus Youth announced the launch of its podcast 'Youth Vibes'. "The birth of the new year will also mark the entry of Jesus Youth into a new media - the fast growing new age media of podcasting", Mr. Manoj Sunny, the International Co-ordinator of Jesus Youth, announced.

    While "the pilot episode will center around the personal experiences of different Jesus Youth, later episodes will cover a whole range of aspects relevant to young people today" the note on JOYnet, Jesus Youth's egroup, observed.

    According to the website information, the weekly podcast updated every monday, would feature "youth responses to current issues and spirituality" and would "offer a common platform for young people across the world who are committed to living a Christ-centred life."

    The podcast may be downloaded from http://www.jesusyouth.org/podcast.

    What is a podcast?

    A podcast is simply a web feed of audio files (although increasingly people are applying the term to video and other media) that is placed on the Internet for anyone to download. It's usually possible to download the files directly from the website, just as one would normally do; however, special programs called podcatchers exist that let users subscribe to podcasts in order to automatically download and store the media files for later playback.

    Tags:

    Indian Catholic missionaries killed in 2005

    5 Indians among 26 Catholic missionaries killed in 2005

    Rome, Dec. 30, 2005 (CWNews.com) - Twenty-six Catholic priests, religious, and lay catechists were killed while serving the Church in the year 2005, according to year-end statistics furnished by the Congregation for Evangelization.

    Each year the Fides news agency, an arm of the Vatican Congregation, publishes a list of the year's "martyrs for the faith." In 2004, there were 16 people on the list; for 2005 the list in nearly twice as long. In previous years Fides had listed 30 slain evangelists in 2000, 33 in 2001, 25 in 2002, and 29 in 2003.

    In this year's list Fides includes 1 bishop, 20 priests, 2 nuns, 2 monks, and 1 lay catechist.

    The annual list compiled by Fides includes only Church personnel, and thus does not necessarily account for all lay Catholics who die for the faith. The list includes missionaries who knowingly accepted the risks of serving in areas where violence can occur, even if their deaths might be attributed to accidents or ordinary crimes such as robbery.

    The Americas saw the greatest bloodshed among Catholic missionaries in 2005. (The Vatican treats North and South America as a single continent.) There were 8 priests, 2 nuns, and 2 monks killed in Latin America. Colombia, where 4 priests and 1 nun died violently, was the single bloodiest country. But Church personnel also died in Mexico, Brazil, and Jamaica.

    Africa also saw considerable violence against Catholic evangelists, with 1 bishop, 6 priests, and 1 lay evangelist dying, in Kenya, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Congo-Brazzaville, and Nigeria.

    In Asia there were 3 priests killed in India, and 1 in Indonesia.

    Nor was Europe spared: 1 priest was killed in Brussels, and 1 in Moscow. The Americas also furnished the greatest number of "martyrs for the faith" on the Fides list, with 10. Colombia and India each saw 5 natives killed.

    The complete list includes:

    1. Father Thomas Richard Heath, an American Dominican priest, killed by gunmen during a robbery in Kisumu, Kenya on January 13.

    2. Father Thomas Harsidiyono, killed in another apparent robbery attempt in Java, Indonesia, on January 14.

    3. Father Jan Hermanovsky, a Slovakian priest serving in Russia, killed by intruders at his parish in Brjansk on January 20.

    4. Father Manuel Delgado, a Franciscan priest, whose badly beaten body was found outside Cuidad Juarez, Mexico, on February 6.

    5. Sister Dorothy Stang, and American sister of Notre Dame and naturalized Brazilian citizen, was killed at Anapu, Brazil, on February 12. An outspoken defender of indigenous tribes, she had received several death threats before her assassination.

    6. Father Mathew Uzhuthal, an Indian priest, died on May 1 as the result of multiple stabbing wounds he had received 19 days earlier when he was assailed by a young man with a long criminal record at his rectory in Patna, India.

    7. Father Rene de Haes, a Belgian Jesuit priest who had served in Africa since 1959, was killed by gunfire as he drove north of Kinshasa, in the Democratic Republic of Congo, on May 7.

    8. Father Robert De Leener, a Belgian priest, was killed on June 5 by a homeless man whom he had invited into his rectory in Brussels.

    9. Bishop Luigi Locati, an Italian native who was preparing to retire after 40 years in the missions, was killed on July 14 near the office where he worked as apostolic vicar of the Isiolo diocese. The bishop had received death threats after taking disciplinary action against his own diocesan priests; a priest was arrested for the killing.

    10. Msgr. Luis Enrique Rojas, died on July 21, three weeks after being fatally wounded by robbers at the cathedral rectory in Barranquila, Colombia. Msgr. Rojas had survived another assault in December 2004.

    11. Father Paulo Henrique Machado, a Brazilian priest, was killed by unknown assailants near Rio de Janeiro on July 25. Although money and a wristwatch were taken from his body, police believe that the killing was prompted by his active denunciation of human-rights abuses and drug trafficking.

    12. Father Godwin Okwesili, a Nigerian priest, was killed by intruders at his parish in Lago on August 2.

    13. Father Vicente Rozo Bavona, a Colombian priest, was killed along with Father Jesus Emilio Mora on August 15, when rebel guerrillas ambushed the car in which they were driving to celebrate Mass.

    14. Father Jesus Emilio Mora, a Colombian priest, died witih Father Bavona (above) on August 15.

    15. Father Jesus Adrian Sanchez, also a Colombian priest, was killed on August 18 by a rebel guerrilla who burst into a classroom where he was teaching religious education, in the Chaparral region.

    16. Father Francois Djikulo, was killed sometime in August by rebels in Mutendele, in the Democratic Republic, as he attempted a personal peace initiative. He died alongside his lay associate, Simon Kayimbi, apparently after brutal treatment.

    17. Simon Kayimbi, a Congolese lay catechist, died with Father Dikulo (above) in August.

    18. Father Mathew Nellickal, an Indian priest and vicar general of the Tezpur diocese, was found dead at his home on September 3. He had been severely beaten--according to police, by a priest who was refused an assignment in the diocese.

    19. Father Giuseppe Bessone, an Italian missionary priest, was killed by a young robber at his parish in Blumenau, Brazil, on September 2.

    20. Father Angelo Redaelli, an Italian Franciscan priest serving in Africa, was killed by a mob in Owando, in Congo-Brazzaville, on September 12.

    21. Father Ignazio Bara, an Indian priest, was killed on September 12 when he tried to intervene during an attack by Hindu fundamentalists on Christian villagers in Simdega, India.

    22. Father Luis Velasquez Romero, a Mexican priest, was killed by gunmen in Tijuana on October 25. The killers are believed to have been involved in drug trafficking.

    23. Sister Suresh Barwa, an Indian nun of the Missionaries of the Poor, was killed alongside Brother Marco Candelario Lasbuna in Kingston, Jamaica, on October 27.

    24. Marco Candelario Lasbuna, a native of the Philippines who was also a member of the Missionaries of Charity, died with Sister Barwa (above) on October 27. The two were killed by a single bullet, shot by an unknown attacker, as they worked in the kitchen of a community residence.

    25. Sister Margarita Vásquez Sandino, a Colombian nun, was killed on November 11 in Medellin as she was traveling to visit a sick relative. The motive was believed to be robbery.

    26. Father Philip Valayam, a Salesian priest from India, was killed by intruders in the rectory of the parish where he was serving in Nairobi, Kenya, when he returned home after celebrating midnight Mass for Christmas.

    Tags:

    Sunday, January 01, 2006

    Fr George experiences God's protecting presence

    Father George relates his experience in the North East

    While serving as a missionary in Assam, I once found myself travelling fom Assam to Manipur. The presence of many militant groups in the North East, required me to halt at a certain location from where I was to proceed to my destination escorted by a convoy of 50 to 60 vehicles and the army.

    Due to the delay of my first bus, I missed the 8am connecting bus and was now stranded in this place till the arrival of the next bus at 11am. Feeling hungry, I left my luggage at the bus stop to find some bread to eat.

    At some distance I found some people engaged in a quarrel and all of a sudden one of them fell down. In the next moment, another dropped and I realised that they were being fired at.

    Panic gripped everyone, as they rushed to the nearest hiding place. I quickly joined two other people and moved into a grocery shop where we locked ourselves up from the inside using the vertical wooden planks. Four of us, including the shopkeeper and another fat person, struggled for space among the rice, wheat and dal sacks.

    The noisy scene outside continued for a while. Half an hour later, we decided to see if the situation outside had calmed down. As the shopkeeper removed one plank, two bullets shot right in, hitting the fat person standing in front of me and scraping over another person's foot.

    The fat man got the shot in his belly and blood was now soaking his shirt. We made space for him to lie down. In the meantime, we saw that the Police and Military forces had arrived at the spot and so with raised voices, we started asking to step out. However, the police inisted that we remain inside but we tried to tell them that one of us was injured with a bullet. Then they asked us to get the injured person out which I did, along with the shopkeeper.

    With fear gripping at this moment, I thanked God as I realised the experience of his powerful protecting presence. Had it not been for the other man in front of me, I would have been hit and who knows what would have been my fate. But more than that, it was the thought of my earlier 6 travels through that place that came back to me. On every one of those occassions, I had passed unharmed, yet it was only on this occassion that I realized that the Lord had really been present with me at every moment.

    For though I should walk in the midst of the shadow of death,
    I will fear no evils, for thou art with me.
    Thy rod and thy staff, they have comforted me.
    (Psalms 22(23): 4, DRV)

    Posted by Anthony Prem Soares

    Tags: