For I am about to create new heavens and a new earth…… For I am about to create Jerusalem as a joy, and its people as a delight. (Isaiah 45: 17-18). As you begin the New Year, the Lord God promises you joy and delight! “My children! I love to make my temple within your heart an abode of joy and delight. I will wipe your tears and take away all your curses. I will lead you to showers of blessings in the year 2010”. Yes! He loves to lead us with kindness and concern like a loving father. “For this is God, our God forever and ever; He will be our guide even to death.”      (Psalm 48:14). He adopts and accepts us as his own children. “…. I will be their God and they will be my children”(Revelation 21:7).There is no need for you to pity yourselves saying, “I have no hope! No future! No one loves me; no one cares for me or helps me in any way, there is no one to understand me and be with me in my miserable condition”. We have our God who has adopted and accepted us as his own children. Let us share our burdens and problems with our Heavenly Father! Abiding in him you will be victorious (Romans 8:37) and fruitful (John 15:5) in every aspect of your life!  

TEARS BECOME JOYS:

Psalm 126:5 says, “Those who sow in tears shall reap with shouts of joy.” According to this promise as you begin your year with a resolution to abide in Jesus through prayers and reflecting on the Word of God, all your fears and tears melt away like ice in sunlight. “So you have pain now; but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you” (John 16:22).

Eucharist is the essence of the Catholic faith; it is the source of Christianity. It is the Eucharistic presence of the Lord that gives us the true meaning of Christianity, which gives us the fullness of life. Eucharist is the celebration of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is the celebration of the Lord’s victory over sin and death. Eucharist is the meal, the banquet that Jesus calls us to partake. If there was no Death and Resurrection of Jesus, our Christian lives would be empty and meaningless. Jesus came into the world for this purpose, to give His life for us so that we may live and live in all eternity with the Father. By His death on the cross he gave himself to us, he gave us his body and his blood, thereby opened the doors of heaven for us. It is the New Covenant that God made with his people through the sacrificial death of his only son, and has sealed this covenant with the blood that was shed from the cross.

An electric bulb needs electricity to produce light. Once the switch is off or the current flow stops, the bulb stops giving light. Without the electricity the bulb is useless. In our day today life we hear about and see a lot of advancement in science and technology. But what if we miss “THE ESSENTIAL”? What is this, “ESSENTIAL???” It is nothing …but that spark which keeps everything going……….

Let me illustrate:

A kite flying in the sky cannot say that the thread which is tied to it is not necessary, that it can fly better without it… The moment it says that, and decides to fly without that fine thread, it will be flat on the ground.

In the absence of the parish priest, Fr. John from the neighbouring parish was called to offer mass for a family of three – parents and their daughter – in the parish church. There might have been about 150 people for the liturgy that was well planned with proper readings, melodious hymns and good singing. Fr. John had no information about the jubilarians. He knew that it was a family of three people.

Before the liturgy began Fr. John arranged the altar book, the articles for the Mass, and 2 chairs reserved for the couple in front of the altar. The liturgy began on time.

As Catholics we all have to thank God for the gift of Magisterium to the Church.  The word Magisterium taken from Latin means teaching office.  Because of the Church’s teaching office (Magisterium), we have the assurance that the beliefs and practices of the Catholic Church are not human interventions and opinions but they are divinely revealed truths. Without this there is every possibility of confusion and differences of opinions as far as interpretation of the Bible and teaching of  truths are concerned.  It is not the matter of private interpretation. Some may feel that there is no need of any authority to interpret and teach the Bible to us. They claim Bible alone (SOLA-SCRIPTURA) is sufficient. It is the sole rule of faith and morals, the only infallible authority.

Divine Call Centre, Mulki, being one of the most influential retreat centres in spreading the Word of God, ventures into yet another innovative way to reach out to the World in spreading the Good news.

Divine Call Centre, Mulki, has come out with a New Konkani “Christmas Special” CD: “BALOK EK ZALMALA” with Carols composed especially for Church programmes during Christmas season & school performances on Christmas themes.

This CD was released by Rev Fr. Norbert Lobo, the Parish Priest of Immaculate Conception Church, Mulki, after the Solemn Mass on the eve of Advent on 28^th November, 2009 at Divine Call Centre, Mulki in the presence of Rev Fr. Cyprian Lewis SVD -the Director of Divine Call Centre and Rev.Fr. Melwin of Kinnigoli Parish.

KANNADA RENEWAL RETREAT began on 8th Nov, 2009 at Divine Call Centre - Mulki. Rev Fr. Cyprian, the Director of Divine Call Centre inaugurated the Retreat and welcomed the Team and the faithful.

YESU SPARSHA, a team under the dynamic leadership of Rev. Fr Franklin  conducted this special retreat which was held upto 12th Nov.

Divine Call Centre, Mulki, reached yet another milestone when “ICYM – National Youth Conference,” on the topic, “Youth in Emerging India,” was held on its premises from 5^th to 8^th November, 2009.

Divine Call Centre, Mulki celebrated 5^th Anniversary on Oct 3^rd 2009. To mark this occasion, there was a blessing & inauguration of the New Building – DIVINE VILLA-II .