An Unforgettable Journey…

An Unforgettable Journey…

This is one of the most unforgettable and unique experiences in my life which is ever alive in me.

Once my grandfather came and took both me and my younger sister to his house and after two days my sister cried a lot to return to our home. Unfortunately nobody could reach us home. Therefore, he put us in the bus entrusting us to the care of a gentle and pious middle aged teacher. It happened that the bus after going to some distance stopped in middle of the way and could not proceed further due to some problem. There we could find neither a house, water nor any refuge. In those days there was no possibility of communication through mobile but somehow my grandparents came to know about it and they were worried a lot. We both the sisters began to cry, did not know what to do, where to go, how to go and whom to trust because all were strangers to us .We were  lost in middle of the road without seeing our destination. Either could we walk longer distance since we were small or anybody could carry us, because all the passengers were in same condition. There was no possibility to get another bus for some distance therefore, we had to walk. Deep within I was frightened and anxious, and I surrendered all of us specially my sister in the loving hands of the Lord through the intercession of St. Christopher the patron saint for a safe journey. I awe my sincere gratitude to that gentle, faithful, trust worthy, simple and humble teacher who became our refuge on that memorable day. I remember the teacher telling to us, do not cry, don’t worry and don’t be afraid. See I am your father, I will take care of you and above all God will take care of us all. If we reach early and can catch the bus, I will reach you home if not I will take to my home and next day I will reach you home. He took care of us in every way even carried my sister and walked a long distance. In the same day my father was coming to take us back home, he was waiting for the bus but did not know the incident. He was wondering why the bus was delaying. By the grace of God we reached to a place where we got the bus and that teacher was coming to reach us home and my papa was waiting for the bus. And as we got down from the bus we met our papa and there was an outburst of joyful cry which cannot be explained.

I ever remain grateful that simple and faithful teacher who taught me not the lesson from books but a great lesson from his very life example to be sensitive to the needs of the helpless and hopeless brethren specially the little children.

By Sr.Rina Nayak SCCG

Forgiveness Does Wonders

Forgiveness Does Wonders

FORGIVE AND FORGET

“To forgive is the highest, most beautiful form of love. In return, you will receive untold peace and happiness.” (Robert Muller)  Yes, the forgiveness takes time, it is sweet to hear other’s testimony, and it is easy to speak on forgiveness to others but I would say it is very hard to practice or live the word F O R G I V E N E S S in one’s life. But once we succeed to make this word as part of our flesh it brings the untold peace and happiness.

It is said that ‘to forgive is to set a prisoner free, and realize that the prisoner was you.’ Yes, there was a time in my life when I was prisoner to myself almost for one month. During those days I experienced complete darkness in and around me. I could not pray, could not smile at the people, no friends were found around me, and I felt completely cut off from the relationship with my other companions. The story of my break down began with a small incident which mounted so high. Once my friend A and I decided to write a letter to one of our friends B. Without thinking anything I wrote the letter first in the inland and left the space for A to write below where I had written. She didn’t like it.  She told me that since she was elder, I could have asked her to write first. The issue is very simple when we look through simple eye. Because there was nothing wrong, and the person B was the friend of both of us.

Thereafter I began my experience of imprisonment for one month. As a result my friend A went away from my friendship. She stopped talking to me, started publicly insulting me and what not, we had to go to college together but she never called or waited for me. We had to come back together from college, but she never opened her mouth to convey any message, like what and where she was going. But I just followed her wherever she went, like a dog who follows its master. I went behind her, just to hide from others that we had some difficulties among us. I tried my best to speak to her, I asked pardon from her a number of times and I prayed with tears to reunite our broken relationship. But nothing happened…even during Holy Mass, she stopped exchanging peace with me. I could observe, with other members she talked so happily right in front of my eyes but she behaved just opposite to me. Day by day my friend was going away from me. But my Lord was with me, I believe because I did not lose heart, and I tried to bring her close to me by asking sorry to her. But in return I got only shouting. She said- “if you ask sorry then will your mistake be removed from you, and after asking pardon will you be like saints or angels who will never commit the same mistakes again? Please go away from me, I don’t believe in people asking sorry.” I became speechless and broke down into tears. On the same night I went to a room closed the door and took a crucifix of the Lord in my hand and embraced it and told my Lord- “please Jesus now it is you who have to intervene in our lives…I have lost all my patience, again I cannot go in front of her. It is so painful when someone is away from my life because of my mistake.” Like a friend I shared all my feelings and struggles to My Beloved Lord and I got new hope and courage to face my friend and once again to ask pardon for my mistakes. This time I was convinced that she will speak with me.

On the next day I approached her and as usual said- my dear friend, I am so sorry for what I have done, please forgive me and pray for me so that I may not hurt others like this. I don’t have anything against you, but only one thing I beg from you, please let us reunite again and let us speak to each other instead of keeping silence. Praise the Lord! That day she spoke to me and we returned from the college very happily. From this experience I learned to humble myself, be persevering till the end and learned to be patient and wait for the Lord’s time. Thus the small word ‘Forgiveness’ did wonders in my life and freed me from my imprisonment. Now, my friend A and I have a very strong bond of relationship and we are continuing our relationships with renewed spirit. Thank and Praise you Lord for your steadfast love.

SR. JASMINE MARIA CMC

A MEETING OF GOOD SAMARITAN IN MY LIFE

A MEETING OF GOOD SAMARITAN IN MY LIFE

A good Samaritan is a person 

who sees the need

and takes the time to help out 

with many a kind helpful deed

S/he doesn't turn his/her head the other way 

and act like s/he doesn't see

but will work all day for the poor and needy 

and not even charge a fee

The good Samaritan is willing 

to go the extra mile 

even to help someone in his / her society

with a cheerful smile

The good Samaritan's payday will be 

with treasures laid up in heaven

as our heavenly father remembers 

all the things to him s/he has given.

 so the same experience  and act of an ordinary person's is narrated by a catholic priest

 

by Rev. Fr. Thambi Joseph OSFS. 

                         So dear friendsLet read and do the same to receive our reward in heaven.

It was on 22^nd January 2014 around 6.00 pm I was going to a village for a prayer meeting. As I reached almost at the middle of my journey to that village I had happened to see number of workers returning from the fields to the village. As I went further I could see an old man chasing a cow which was about to enter into his field that was ready to reap. The old man began to chase the cow, it started running towards me and I lost control of myself and had fallen down from the bike. After a while I got up and began to collect the books that had dispersed from the bike and was struggling to start the bike but all was in vain. In fact I was in a hurry to go, and meanwhile a young man of 23 years old was passing by with a bundle of firewood on his head, upon seeing the condition in which I was he had stopped and in a hurry walked towards me and inquired me if everything was well with me and I replied that everything was of fine. The young man dropped down his bundle of fire wood there on that spot and with the towel that he had he wiped away the small bleeding wound. Thereafter he started the bike and helped me to sit on the bike and took me to his home. Upon reaching his home he had cleaned the wound that was bleeding and gave me some water to drink and asked me to take some rest at his home, but I said that I need to go. He then got ready himself to come with me to that village; he accompanied me and was with me all throughout my service there. As we were returning from the service I did ask that young man what about his bundle of fire wood left there, and he answered me in this way, father, my daddy used to tell me nothing is more important than human life. Therefore the bundle of firewood is not more important than intervening in your life for me at that moment.

Since then, I began to look at my life and the life of the others as the best gift of God. I am ready to dropdown anything that hinders me in protecting the gift of life.

welcome to share your commends to vinayawww@gmail.com  

THANK YOU!   

WHAT WENT WELL WITH ME AS A TEACHER

WHAT WENT WELL WITH ME AS A TEACHER

Shared by Rev. Sr. Roshini DBS :  DVK Student

Memory of the experience – 2003

Place : Balaghat in Nagpur Arch diocese.

Share your Joyful experience to all and all to Joy….

Don’t give the fish to eat it will quench their hungry for a day but tech them to fish they can eat for all through their life ……

I would like to share a small inspiration that I received from God and because of which a tiny shoot has grown so well and is producing much fruit today. I give all the credit to my Jesus who is the reason behind all the good that I do.

It was in 2003 when I began my noble profession of teaching as an elementary teacher in St. Mary’s English Medium School at Balaghat in Nagpur Arch diocese.  I was really excited to be with tiny shoots of Slandered first. I was a full time teacher, friend, sister and mother to my 27 students. I always cherished their presence, company, endless doubts, innocence etc. The school was in its infancy stage and the people of that locality for the first saw the nuns in religious habits. In the beginning we were strangers in a foreign land but soon people became friendly with us as we began to visit the families of our students.

There was a little girl named Gunjan in LKG. She was dropped in the school by her father and elder sister Nayana. Gunjan was not very interested to come to school and hence Nayana accompanied her daily. Nayana was studying in Standard 2^nd in a private Hindi Medium School. One day Nayana expressed her desire to father that she would like to study in our school but her father was not very interested as he knew that she was from Hindi back ground and so there was very little possibility for her admission. That day morning also Nayana requested her father to make enquiry about her admission in our school but her father did not pay any attention to her request. She was unwilling to go out of the school and her father forcefully took her out of the school gate. She caught hold of the school gate and began to cry saying ‘I don’t want to study and if at all I study I will be studying in this school.’ Her father tried to put her in the vehicle and she cried louder and louder. Finally her father went to meet sister principal and discussed about her admission. Nayana was given a test to get to know her basic learning. She could not write even English alphabets clearly. So sister had to say ‘no’ to her father. Nayana then refused to leave the school. Sister then called me to the office and asked ‘what can we do for this child?’

She explained to me about the basic learning of Nayana. Seeing her interest to study in our school, I suggested’ if Nayana can come to the school at 8.00 am, I am ready to teach her an hour.’ Her father agreed to leave her in the school at the prescribed time. She had lot of interest in learning and learned English alphabets within a week. In the following week she was enrolled to Std 1^st . I continued to spend an hour with her for the entire one year. After six months, she began to compete with other students of her class. At the end of the first year she stood in the second position. In the following year, her parents were the channels of new admission to the school. She continued to study well and in the 10^th  Std Board Exam she secured the highest mark in mathematics in the school. Nayana and her parents are extremely grateful to God, school and sisters for being given her an opportunity to study in our school. I thank God for making me an instrument to discover the hidden talents in the life of a little girl.

Along with psalmist, I pray “I will proclaim your greatness, my God and king; I will thank you forever and ever” (Ps: 145:1). 

   Thank you! 

WHAT WENT WELL ON MY MISSIONARY JOURNEY

                                           

This is one of the wonderful and unique experiences I had when I was doing my mission in the state of Arunachal Pradesh in one of the most interior areas. Christian missionary activities were not allowed in Arunachal Pradesh since 1978. It is only few years back that Christianity came to the state and people could freely practice their faith. Christianity is a growing religion in Arunachal Pradesh now. Amidst the geographical features, myriads of tribes and cultures and dialects of the state, missionary activities are still challenging even today.

The incident goes like this, I was asked to go with two of the Catholic women to a village called ‘Lot’. I was to go and prepare the people for the baptism, confession and house blessing.  After two days the priest would come for the Eucharist and baptism. Since there was no proper road there, it takes almost 10 hours from the parish to reach the village through the jungle. When we stated the weather was fine, warm and pleasant. So we were delighted, carried lots of food to eat and drink on the way. But after seven to eight hours of walk, before reaching the village the weather became so gloomy and cloudy. The village was still far off and we could expect a heavy shower at any time. After half an hour of quick walk, I was exhausted and frightened. Those two ladies were so courageous and tried to keep their composure. But after sometime there came a heavy breeze, rain, thunder and lightning. I was so scared but could not cry in front of those women since I was a nun. We were praying, but when the branches of the trees started to break and fall, I thought we were going to perish. We were completely wrenched in rain and I could not walk further because of my habit. Those two ladies were still praying, calling, “Jesus save us”. We took a short cut thinking that it would take us to our destination faster. Alas! When we reached one point our rat road was cut, the villagers had cut a new road for the vehicles to pass to collect the woods. It was so deep that none of us could imagine jumping down. We lost all hope, I was just a junior and I did not have much experience, I was really frightened. My fear knew no bounds by the thought of snakes which may appear at any time, for we were under a tree. I prayed, “God, do not leave us to die this way.” The rain was not stopping; the water from the road was flowing hard. I said to one of the ladies, “Maria, what shall we do now?” Then she replied in Hindi, “Sister chita mat karna, bhagavan hai”. I nodded, “yes’ with a firm hope, ‘God is there, we are going for His mission, His work, He would save us’.  We stood under the tree for almost an hour, just then we could hear someone clearing his throat. I was all the more frightened, who on earth could be there in this rain and storm. From among the trees there came a man who spoke to the ladies in their dialect. He was a local from that same village but he was not a Christian. He said that he had gone for hunting and was caught in the storm.  I was wondering whether I was seeing St. Joseph or an angel coming to save us. Seeing me shivering, he felt so sorry and he showed so much concern. Immediately he took us to the other way, where we could get down to the road by a ladder, made of big bamboos. We reached the village very late yet happy.

This was a unique experience I had in my life; the memory is so vivid.  I am grateful to God for the miracle I experienced and I remain ever grateful to my brave and God trusting Christian companions. I realise that how strong and firm their simple faith was and I believe that it was through their great faith that we were saved by that man whom I consider as St. Joseph even today. This incident boosts me to help and be ready for service at any time, to have deep faith in the providence of God. 

Shared By Rev. Sr. Teresa  Kamei SABS

DVK Student

Positive Psychology

Positive psychology is one of the newest branches of psychology to emerge. This particular area of psychology focuses on how to help human beings prosper and lead healthy, happy lives. While many other branches of psychology tend to focus on dysfunction and abnormal behavior, positive psychology is centered on helping people become happier.