“They go out, they go out full of tears carrying seed for sowing; they come back, they come back full of songs carrying their sheaves”. These verses of the Psalms are realized in the garden of the Society of Divine Vocations in India as three of our Deacons, Dn. Lawrence Edakalathur, Dn. Anil Akkara and Dn. Sinoj Poruthur, bowed their heads for priestly consecration. On December 30th 2006, Dn. Lawrence Edakalathur SDV, one of the pioneer students in the Father Justin Vocationary at Thalore, received the sacrament of Holy Orders conferred by His grace Mar Jacob Thumkuzhy, the Arch Bishop of Thrissur. The ordination was held at his own native parish, ‘Little Flower Church’ at Ponnur. The church was filled with the local faithful and invited guests. Ten priests concelebrated with the Bishop and hundreds of religious priests and sisters witnessed and blessed the event with their presence and prayers. The Archbishop exhorted the faithful about the excellence of priestly consecration and the extraordinary privileges which this consecration confers on those who receive it. Quoting Psalm 94, His Grace exclaimed that those who consecrate their children to God are like the sparrow that build its nest in the temple and brings up its seedlings around the altar. The celebration was in Syro-Malabar rite. Though the theological content of the celebration is similar to Latin rite, there are lots of cultural modifications. A day before the ordination, the superior of the community accompanies the deacon to his house. And on the day of his ordination, the parents accompany the deacon to the bishop and the deacon will be received solemnly along with the bishop at the parish church. In the church, before the commencement of the real consecration the deacon lights up a lamp along with the bishop. It signifies that here after he will be the light for the world. Then the parents wash the hands of the deacon and pray over him and present him to the bishop for the ordination. This washing of the hands of the deacons by the parents symbolically mean that thereafter he doesn’t have any obligation over them and that he is fully free to serve the Lord. On 1st January 2007, the New Years day dawned for us with the hearty celebration of Dn. Anil Akkara’s priestly ordination, who also belong to the first batch of Fr. Justin Vocationary. His parish is very close to our vocationary. He was ordained by His Grace Mar Andrews Thazhathu, the Auxiliary Bishop of Thrissur. At the moment of the consecration, the church premises were quaked by crackers and amits, announcing the birth of a new priest. On this auspicious moment of the priestly consecration, His Grace admonished the deacon and the faithful that “a priest is another Christ”. Here after his hands are anointed for the priestly, prophetic and kingly ministry of Christ. Through this very act of consecration, the priest is elevated from his ordinary life style to an extraordinary status, to love and serve all people of God through the life of prayer, penance and intercession. On January 2, 2007, Dn. Sinoj was ordained a priest by imposing of the hands by His Grace Mar Andrews Thazhathu. The function was held in the morning. The journey to Sinoj’s parish was so lovely. The church was on a mountain. The ceremony was held outside the church in a well decorated stage. There was a picture in the front side of the altar which depicts an ordination scenario with the caption, “Here I am, Send me, Lord”. The compound was full of zealous and happy people of the locality. The bishop and the deacon were welcomed solemnly with the garlands; ladies and children carrying flowers and lighted coconut lamps. On this day the bishop seemed to be emphatic and assertive during his sermon. His Grace said that the priest is the medium through which Christ works in the world. A priest is the ladder for the people to God and God to people. Looking at the numerous seminarians and religious aspirants, the bishop commented that today the church needs people who are ready to become Christ-like, authentic and committed. “All of you have that capacity” and respond to Christ if you can be authentic only. These three days should be written in red letters, because for the first time in the history of Vocationary in India three ordinations took place. We lift our hands to God and bow our heads before Him for His magnificent ways of showering graces on us. We are obliged to all especially Rev. Fr. Castiglione, Rev. Fr. Louis Caputo. May God bless them and all of you for the prayers and sacrifices for us. |
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2005 Vocationist Fathers |