As I think how to celebrate the Feast of Our Dear Founder,
Amidst my stream of activities, a voice in me cried…
Stop! Listen to what you are hearing
At the urging of the inner call to stop, I paused for a while
and I hear the words of Pope Francis which turn my
direction…
I am inspired and am challenged…
Stop! Listen to what you are hearing…
As I think how to celebrate the Feast of Our Dear Founder,
Amidst my stream of activities, a voice in me cried…
Stop! Listen to what you are hearing
At the urging of the inner call to stop, I paused for a while
and I hear the words of Pope Francis which turn my
direction…
I am inspired and am challenged…
Stop ! Listen to what you are hearing
“We can build many things but if we do not profess Jesus Christ things go wrong…We may become a pious NGO not the Church”
“St. Peter did not have bank accounts to be secured find security in the free gift of the Gospel”
“Do not be carrier driven careerism is leprosy on the priest hood.”
“Progress of the Church can be hindered by duel temptation of wanting to remain in the past and adolescent progressiveness.”
“We need to go to the out skirts where there is suffering. Bloodshed, blindness that longs for sight and prisoners enthralled to many evil masters.
“Clergy must be shepherds not wolfs, because if we go on the road to the riches, if we go on the road to vanity we become wolfs not shepherds.”
“Culture of waste – money controls and God the Father gave the task of protecting the earth not to money but to us men and women. We do not respect creation, we do not consider it as freely given gift to look after, we are losing our attitudes of wonder, contemplation of listening creation and no longer manage to integrate in it.”
Stop! Listen to what you are hearing
“The fidelity of a life and priest hood of PBN was rooted in the intimate relationship with God. He was a man of prayer and ...It was said of … ‘He went about doing good – for this reason he was called ‘good father’ His charity has no limits.”
“To seek and live for God Alone was the power that impelled him to give himself generously in the pastoral ministry and later as founder to dedicate himself on the immense work of founding a Family.”
“Love, seek and desire God Alone in everything and derived from Him Alone the light, the consolation and strength the needs for fulfilling the vocation.”
“Mary was a faithful companion on his journey – All through Mary.”
There is a struggle within me to move forward in
responding.
Stop! Listen to what you are called?
To be faithful to Christ and to live in absolute love of
God and manifest in selfless service in the Kingdom.
To have a desire for communion with all peoples, with all creation, living a life of simplicity and detachment promoting justice, peace reconciliation and respect for all forms of life.
To have a sense of common mission of communion.
To a life centered on the Word/ to go beyond the written word to touch the word of life.
To journey with Mary. In priest’s faith journey Mary is a faithful companion on the way. Near her Son she will reach her hand to support, guide and intercede.
To celebrate the Eucharist with great deal of devotion and piety. Consider it to be a pinnacle of priestly ministry.
Fr. Benet Shantha
Priest Associate of Colombo – Sri Lanka
