Media Persons attend Christmas Get-Together hosted by Bishop of Mangaluru
Mangaluru: It is that time of the year that Bishop of Mangaluru diocese, Rev Fr Aloysius Paul D’souza makes it a point to invite the media personnel to join in the Christmas Get-Together at the Bishop’s House hall, in appreciation of the support rendered by the media towards the Diocese throughout the year. Christmas is a season of giving and sharing with loved ones and those less fortunate than ourselves. During the Christmas season you will also have the gift of time – time to celebrate each of our special and unique families, time to spend together as a family, time to travel and visit loved ones, time to rest and renew. During this wonderful Christmas season, we need to focus on your blessings – because that is what Christmas is all about.
Addressing the media persons after cutting the Christmas Cake to mark the forthcoming birth of Jesus Christ, Bishop Rev Fr Aloysius Paul D’Souza said, “Jesus Christ was born in a manger in a small village named Bethlehem to mother Mary, and St Joseph was his foster Father. They were poor but leading a Holy life. Hence our families must inculcate the virtues of the Holy Family. The Holy Father Pope Francis in his Apostolic Exhortation Amoris Laetitia means the Joy of Love said that families are not a problem but they are first and foremost an opportunity. Pope has given three golden rules to make our families like the Holy Family”.
The Bishop further said, ” A Family should pray together, switch off the TV, Mobile and computer one hour every day and devote that time for their family, use three words-Please, Thank You and Sorry in dealing with family members. Our families should be temples of love, Joy and compassion. Pope Francis while celebrating the First world day of the Poor on 19 November 2017 said ‘Let us love not in words but in deeds’. Keeping in mind the call given by the Pope, the Diocese of Mangaluru had made the arrangement of free drinking water facility last year and in the coming year, we are planning to provide food fridge where people can store food and fruits and the hungry can take and consume them. And today evening, 23 December at 7 pm the Diocese is hosting a free dinner for the poor at Milagres Church grounds”.
Apart from this, The diocese of Mangalore has taken up various activities and projects in this direction to eradicate poverty from our society. Many activities are planned and we are expecting all the programmes to be implemented. The concern of every religion and every community is to eradicate poverty. “We Christians, have a special mission and responsibility in this regard”, Bishop called upon Christians to join hands with people of other religions too to wipe out poverty prevailing in the society. Every person, especially the poor in the society deserves respect and dignity. And in this regard, we need support from the media to bring awareness to this programme.
Our Lord Jesus Christ, though he was the son of God, did not count equality with God, but took the form of a simple human being, He was born in a manger and was brought up in a very poor family of Joseph and Mary. Historically his birth took place in Bethlehem. During his public ministry, he claimed that the Kingdom of God belongs to the poor. He had great love and concern for the poor, it is also mentioned in the Bible that the poor, sick and marginalized are very close to Jesus. Bishop also said, “Christmas celebration has meaning when we love the poor”. He called upon the faithful to respect every person especially the poor and treat them equally and not discriminate them. Christmas celebration should inspire and motivate all to work for the poor and the needy.
In Rome, the representative of God, Pope Francis had repeatedly said in his Christmas Message and urged the Christians around the world to implement programmes to eradicate poverty. Recalling the words of Pope Francis, “A Church must be poor and serve the poor” Bishop Dr Aloysius D’Souza said we would like to celebrate Christmas by extending a helping hand to all those who suffer due to poverty.
Msgr Denis Moras Prabhu-Vicar general, Chancellor Fr Henry Sequeira; Fr William Menezes-PRO; Marcel Monteiro- PRO; were among others present on the dais during the function. Raymond D’cunha compered the programme. A bag comprising of cake and Kuswar was distributed to the media persons by the Bishop.