Year of Faith Christmas Brings Glad Tidings to the Religious
Vijayawada (CBCI News): In the run up to Christmas the religious of Vijayawada gathered in the NSM Montfort School Hall on December 16 for an early community celebration of Christmas of the Year of Faith.
The four hour evening programme showcased a wonderful line-up of programmes from carols to Christmas skits from classical dances to modem mime to celebrate the birth of the Jesus.
Bishop Govindu Joji, the apostolic administrator of the diocese joined over 400 religious men and women. Congratulating the CRI members for their services to the society in the name of Christ, the bishop highlighted the themes of the Year of Faith and invited the listeners to emulate Mary in her fiat, the shepherds in their simplicity, the star in its right track, and the Magi in their effort to find God.
As the world is struggling with bad news, the religious are like lamps set on a hill top to light up the path of faith to their fellow beings and lead them to salvation through the merits of the Church’s teaching and faith in Jesus, he said.
The President of the local CRI unit, Sr. Benigna, MSI welcomed the gathering and explained the theme of the CRI Christmas logo taken from the CCCC icon of the adoration of the Magi by Gentile da Fabriano an Italian painter of Florence painted in the year 1423. These icons of the holy scenes of our faith enable us to appreciate the beauty of faith in art forms, she explained.
Maris Stella College students staged a modern play called, “ Towards a Better World” while the Pallottine formation house mimed a blind man’s plight and how Jesus restored back his eyesight as the sign of the messianic era.
“ I am very glad that I participated in this CRI Christmas celebration as I witnessed the faith of the religious community of the diocese of Vijayawada working in unity and preparing themselves to help others to build a better world, said Sr. Shareena Ferrao, a young missionary who is destined to the mission of Brazil.
-Sr. Benigna Menezes