PASTORAL LETTER 2010
WITNESS TO CHRISTIAN VALUES IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF JOSEPH VAZ
Pastoral Letter, to the Priests, Religious,
Lay Faithful and People of Good Will in the
Archdiocese of Goa and Daman
(Approved English version of the Pastoral Letter No. CP-Past/131/2010 written originally in Konkani language)
Dear Sisters and Brothers,
The grace and peace of God our Father and of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you!
The grace and peace of God our Father and of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you!
1. INTRODUCTION We celebrate important days and events in different spheres of our life; their memories are etched in our mind and, as they come, they become for us opportunities to reflect more deeply upon them and to discover in them new perspectives. This year, the Church in Goa remembers some historical events and days of her life:
• The Holy Eucharist is the source and the summit of Christian life! On November 25, this year, it will be 500 years since the First Mass was celebrated on Goan soil.
• The Seminary of Rachol is the cradle and nursery of priestly vocations! On November 1, this year, is the fourth centenary of the dedication of its Church.
• Joseph Vaz was a Man of God, a Servant of the Church and is the Patron of our Archdiocese! In this Pastoral Year itself, on the 16th of January, 2011, we shall celebrate the 300th year of his death.
With these three celebrations in mind and with a special focus on the life and ministry of Joseph Vaz, we have formulated the following theme for this Pastoral Year in our Archdiocese: ‘Witness to Christian Values in the Footsteps of Joseph Vaz.’
We need role models on our earthly journey. Their life influences us immensely and we try to hold on to the path they have blazed and the vision they have received. Aware of their importance, Jesus too provided a number of them to his disciples: placing children among them, he set an example of humility (Mt 18:1-5); he set the faith commitment of a few as an example for many to let the light of their faith shine out (Lk 7:9; Mt 15:28); the little that the poor widow put in the treasury became a great model of generosity (Mk 12:43-44).
In the religious field, many women and men left behind the mark of their exemplary lives; their life and work became a source of inspiration; their voices still ring out to the ends of the world (Ps 19:4). Blessed Joseph Vaz is one such great man! A man with a vision, one who worked selflessly to make his priestly ministry fruitful in the service of God and of neighbour, a follower of Christ who witnessed to Christian values in word and in life!
‘Yesu Maha-Utsov’, a celebration proclaiming and awakening the faith, was held in October 2009, in Mumbai. Reflecting on the theme ‘Let your light shine: be the Message and the Messenger,’ it challenged the faithful to let the rays of Christian values shine around. Joseph Vaz called upon his nephew to spread the radiance of Jesus by giving him the command: Jesus is the Sun, you be the Moon! - This call was first lived by him, as he let his life in the family, in the Church and in the society radiate with that of Jesus, the Sun. In his homily during the beatification liturgy of Joseph Vaz, Pope John Paul II said: Joseph Vaz is an inspiration to you to work ever more zealously and to witness to the Gospel in the family as well as in the communities’.1 For us too, in this diocese, the life of Joseph Vaz is a ray of Jesus, the Sun! He is an example and inspiration to witness to Christian values. Therefore, reflecting on some facets of his life so as to inspire us to witness to Christian values, we joyfully address to you this Pastoral Letter in this year of historical jubilee celebrations.
2. JOSEPH VAZ: AN EXAMPLE TO THE FAMILIES
A good tree bears good fruits. We know the tree from its fruit (Lk 6:43-44). Joseph Vaz is a fruit from an exemplary family. His parents were a beacon of a life of holiness. They built their home on the foundation of the love of God and of neighbour, thus making their family into a model for the families in the neighbourhood. Christian virtues like integrity, justice, courage, concern for the lowly, love, forgiveness, patience and prayer were never found wanting in their home.2 Joseph Vaz got enriched a lot in such a home and, in turn, contributed to its enrichment; and, at every stage of his life, as he carried out his priestly ministry — particularly at the service of the family — he let many taste the value of these virtues and principles .
2.1 Joseph Vaz, Fruit of a Family of Prayer
The family of Joseph Vaz was a family of daily prayer. They prayed together after rising in the morning and went about their daily chores after a short meditation. Of equal importance in that family was the regular reception of the Sacraments and the reading of the Krista Purana and of lives of saints. This atmosphere
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1 Cf. Holy Father’s Homily at the Beatification Mass in S. G. Perera, Life of Blessed Joseph Vaz, Apostle of Sri Lanka, Canada (2005), p. 250.
2 Cf. S. G. Perera, Life, pp. 1-3.
Golden Verse
1st Thessalonians 2:9
For you remember, brothers, our hardship and weariness. We preached the Gospel of God among you, working night and day, so that we would not be burdensome to any of you.