Alphonsian - July 2021

ST. ALPHONSA SYRO-MALABAR CATHOLIC CHURCH,
Austin, TX

www.stalphonsaaustin.com

St.Alphonsa Pray For Us!

Liturgy Schedule

Sunday: Tuesday: Friday: Saturday:
10:30 AM 9:00AM
Holy Mass. 7:30PM 7:30PM Holy Mass and Novena to Our Lady of
Perpetual Help.
Holy Mass and Novena Holy Mass and Novena
to St.Antony. to St.Alphonsa.

VICAR PARISH COUNCIL MEMBERS PARISH COUNCIL SECRETARY CCD PTA SECRETARY
Mr. Manu Sebastian Mr. Shince Joseph
FR. DOMINIC PERUNILAM Mr. Manesh Antony PASTORAL COUNCIL REP SCHOOL OF LANGUAGES PRINCIPAL
Mr. Siby Pangottil Mr. Jiby George Mrs. Aisha Lawrence
Ph: 732-357-7757 Mr. Manu Sebastian YOUTH REPRESENTATIVE SCHOOL OF LANGUAGES SECRETARY
Mr. Deepak George Mr. Nithin Sunny Mrs. Gilsy Riju
TRUSTEES Mr. Jomy Joseph ACCOUNTANT LITURGY COORDINATOR
Mr. Robins Joseph Mr. Robins Mathew Mr. Beno Mathew
MR. MANESH ANTONY Mr. Jiby George CCD PRINCIPAL CHOIR LEADERS
Mr. Melivin Xavier Mr. Melivin Xavier Mr. Ajith Varghese
Ph: 512-826-2180 Mr. Nithin Sunny CCD VICE PRINCIPAL Mr. Sijo Vadakkan
Mrs. Shani Jiby Mrs. Siji Robins WEBSITE ADMINISTRATORS
MR.SIBY PANGOTTIL Mrs. Sonu Rony CCD SECRETARY Mr. Geo Joseph
Mrs. Litty Vadakkan Mrs. Jess Siby Mr. Binod Joseph
Ph: 651-208-2781 Mrs. Sonu Geo Mr. Jefy Dominic

Idaya Sabdam

Lovingly

Dominicachen

St.Alphonsa Pray For Us! ear Friends in Christ,

DThe month of July is vey special for us. We cele-
brate the Feast of St. Alphonsa ( July 26) although
we celebrate it elaboratly on Sunday October 31,
with the presence of Bishop Mar Joy Alappatt.
Happy Feast of St. Alphonsa!

Holy Pope Francis established a World Day for Grandparents and
the Elderly new Prayer to be celbrated on the Fourth Sunday of
July every year. It is to be noted that this year the day comes on
the evee of the Feast of St. Joachim and St. Anna (July 26)who
ar the grandparents of Jesus.

Pope to grant Plenary Indulgences on World Day of Grandpar-
ents and the Elderly

The Holy Father has also granted the faithful the possibility of
obtaining a plenary indulgence on July 25 by devoting adequate
time to actually or virtually visit elderly people in need or in dif-
ficulty (such as the sick, the abandoned, the disabled and other
similar cases).

The Message of Pope Francis on the World Day of the Grandpar-
ents and the Elderly

Dear Grandfathers and Grandmothers, Dear Elderly Friends,

“I am with you always” (Mt 28:20): this is the promise the Lord
made to his disciples before he ascended into heaven. They are
the words that he repeats to you today, dear grandfathers and
grandmothers, dear elderly friends. “I am with you always” are
also the words that I, as Bishop of Rome and an elderly person
like yourselves, would like to address to you on this first World
Day of Grandparents and the Elderly. The whole Church is close

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to you – to us – and cares about you, wanted to celebrate for the to us with new possibilities,
loves you and does not want to leave you first time in this particular new ideas, new consola-
alone! year, as a long period tions, but always close
of isolation ends and to us. You know that
I am well aware that this Message comes social life slowly re- the Lord is eternal;
to you at a difficult time: the pandemic sumes. May every he never, ever goes
swept down on us like an unexpected grandfather, every into retirement.
and furious storm; it has been a time of grandmother, every
trial for everyone, but especially for us older person, espe- In Matthew’s
elderly persons. Many of us fell ill, others cially those among Gospel, Jesus tells
died or experienced the death of spous- us who are most the Apostles, “Go
es or loved ones, while others found alone, receive the vis- therefore and make
themselves isolated and alone for long it of an angel! disciples of all nations,
periods. baptizing them in the
At times those angels will name of the Father and of
The Lord is aware of all that we have have the face of our grandchil- the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
been through in this time. He is close dren, at others, the face of family mem- teaching them to observe all that I have
to those who felt isolated and alone, bers, lifelong friends or those we have commanded you” (28:19-20). These
feelings that became more acute during come to know during these trying times, words are also addressed to us today.
the pandemic. Tradition has it that Saint when we have learned how important They help us better understand that our
Joachim, the grandfather of Jesus, felt hugs and visits are for each of us. How vocation is to preserve our roots, to pass
estranged from those around him be- sad it makes me that in some places on the faith to the young, and to care
cause he had no children; his life, like these are still not possible! for the little ones. Think about it: what is
that of his wife Anne, was considered our vocation today, at our age? To pre-
useless. So the Lord sent an angel to con- The Dream of Joachim by Giotto serve our roots, to pass on the faith to
sole him. While he mused sadly outside the young and to care for the little ones.
the city gates, a messenger from the Lord The Lord, however, also sends us mes- Never forget this.
appeared to him and said, “Joachim, Joa- sengers through his words, which are
chim! The Lord has heard your insistent always at hand. Let us try to read a page It makes no difference how old you are,
prayer”.[1] Giotto, in one of his celebrat- of the Gospel every day, to pray with the whether you still work or not, whether
ed frescoes,[2] seems to set the scene psalms, to read the prophets! We will be you are alone or have a family, whether
at night, one of those many sleepless comforted by the Lord’s faithfulness. The you became a grandmother or grandfa-
nights, filled with memories, worries and Scriptures will also help us to understand ther at a young age or later, whether you
longings to which many of us have come what the Lord is asking of our lives today. are still independent or need assistance.
to be accustomed. For at every hour of the day (cf. Mt 20:1- Because there is no retirement age from
16) and in every season of life, he contin- the work of proclaiming the Gospel and
Even at the darkest moments, as in these ues to send labourers into his vineyard. handing down traditions to your grand-
months of pandemic, the Lord continues I was called to become the Bishop of children. You just need to set out and
to send angels to console our loneliness Rome when I had reached, so to speak, undertake something new.
and to remind us: “I am with you always”. retirement age and thought I would not
He says this to you, and he says it to me. be doing anything new. The Lord is al- At this crucial moment in history, you
That is the meaning of this Day, which I ways – always – close to us. He is close have a renewed vocation. You may
wonder: How this can be possible? My
energy is running out and I don’t think
I can do much. How can I begin to act
differently when habit is so much a part
of my life? How can I devote myself to
those who are poor when I am already
so concerned about my family? How can
I broaden my vision when I can’t even
leave the residence where I live? Isn’t
my solitude already a sufficiently heavy
burden? How many of you are asking
just that question: isn’t my solitude al-
ready a sufficiently heavy burden? Jesus
himself heard a similar question from
Nicodemus, who asked, “How can a man
be born when he is old?” (Jn 3:4). It can
happen, the Lord replies, if we open our
hearts to the working of the Holy Spirit,
who blows where he wills. The Holy Spir-
it whose freedom is such that goes wher-
ever, and does whatever, he wills.

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As I have often observed, we will not us, the strength needed to embark on a it is possible to emerge renewed from an
emerge from the present crisis as we new journey along the path of dreams, experience of hardship. I am sure that
were before, but either better or worse. memory and prayer. you have had more than one such expe-
And “God willing… this may prove not to rience: in your life you have faced any
be just another tragedy of history from The prophet Joel once promised: “Your number of troubles and yet were able to
which we learned nothing… If only we old men shall dream dreams, and your pull through. Use those experiences to
might keep in mind all those elderly per- young men will have visions” (3:1). The learn how to pull through now.
sons who died for lack of respirators... If future of the world depends on this cov-
only this immense sorrow may not prove enant between young and old. Who, if Dreams are thus intertwined with mem-
useless, but enable us to take a step for- not the young, can take the dreams of ory. I think of the painful memory of war,
ward towards a new style of life. If only the elderly and make them come true? and its importance for helping the young
we might discover once for all that we Yet for this to happen, it is necessary that to learn the value of peace. Those among
need one another, and that in this way we continue to dream. Our dreams of you who experienced the suffering of
our human frailty can experience a re- justice, of peace, of solidarity can make war must pass on this message. Keeping
birth” (Fratelli Tutti, 35). No one is saved it possible for our young people to have memory alive is a true mission for every
alone. We are all indebted to one anoth- new visions; in this way, together, we can elderly person: keeping memory alive
er. We are all brothers and sisters. build the future. You need to show that and sharing it with others. Edith Bruck,
who survived the horror of the Shoah,
Given this, I want to tell you that you are has said that “even illuminating a single
needed in order to help build, in fraterni- conscience is worth the effort and pain
ty and social friendship, the world of to- of keeping alive the memory of what
morrow: the world in which we, together has been.” She went on to say: “For me,
with our children and grandchildren, will memory is life.”[3] I also think of my own
live once the storm has subsided. All of grandparents, and those among you who
us must “take an active part in renewing had to emigrate and know how hard it is
and supporting our troubled societies” to leave everything behind, as so many
(ibid., 77). Among the pillars that support people continue to do today, in hope
this new edifice, there are three that of a future. Some of those people may
you, better than anyone else, can help to even now be at our side, caring for us.
set up. Those three pillars are dreams, These kinds of memory can help to build
memory and prayer. The Lord’s closeness a more humane and welcoming world.
will grant to all, even the frailest among Without memory, however, we will never

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be able to build; without a foundation, cede for the poor of the whole world and have been my rock and my fortress since
we can never build a house. Never. And to become, in truth, a universal brother my youth!
the foundation of life is memory. or sister.
I thank You for having given me a family
Finally, prayer. As my predecessor, Pope I ask the Lord that, also through his ex- and for having blessed me with a long
Benedict, himself a saintly elderly person ample, all of us may open our hearts in life.
who continues to pray and work for the sensitivity to the sufferings of the poor
Church, once said: “the prayer of the and intercede for their needs. May each I thank You for moments of joy and dif-
elderly can protect the world, helping it of us learn to repeat to all, and especially ficulty,for the dreams that have already
perhaps more effectively than the frenet- to the young, the words of consolation come true in my life and for those that
ic activity of many others.”[4] He spoke we have heard spoken to us today: “I am are still ahead of me. I thank You for this
those words in 2012, towards the end of with you always”! Keep moving forward! time of renewed fruitfulness to which
his pontificate. There is something beau- May the Lord grant you his blessing. You call me. Increase, O Lord, my faith,
tiful here. Your prayer is a very precious make me a channel of your peace, teach
resource: a deep breath that the Church Rome, Saint John Lateran, 31 May 2021, me to embrace those who suffer more
and the world urgently need (cf. Evangelii Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Vir- than me, to never stop dreaming and to
Gaudium, 262). Especially in these diffi- gin Mary tell of your wonders to new generations.
cult times for our human family, as we
continue to sail in the same boat across Prayer for the Grandparents and Elderly Protect and guide Pope Francis and the
the stormy sea of the pandemic, your Church, that the light of the Gospel might
intercession for the world and for the I thank You, Lord, for the comfort of Your reach the ends of the earth. Send Your
Church has great value: it inspires in ev- presence: even in times of loneliness, Spirit, O Lord, to renew the world, that
eryone the serene trust that we will soon the storm of the pandemic might be
come to shore. You are my hope and my confidence,You calmed, the poor consoled and wars end-
ed. Sustain me in weakness and help me
Dear grandmother, dear grandfather, to live life to the full in each moment that
dear elderly friends, in concluding this You give me, in the certainty that you are
Message to you, I would also like to men- with me every day, even until the end of
tion the example of Blessed (and soon the age. Amen.
Saint) Charles de Foucauld. He lived as a
hermit in Algeria and there testified to Pope Francis.
“his desire to feel himself a brother to
all” (Fratelli Tutti, 287). The story of his May God bless all our Grandparents anf
life shows how it is possible, even in the the Elderly.
solitude of one’ s own desert, to inter-
Fr. Dominic Perunilam

- July 2021 5

Thanks & Congratulations

CCD Team

- July 2021 6

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God Love Endowers Forever

By Emily Jesu Joseph

We have never experienced what the power of love is like until we Emily Jesu Joseph
have experienced the love of God. God’s love is so wonderful, strong,
and a love like no other. God loved us so much that he gave his only son.
Jesus Christ to die on the cross for our sins. God even chooses to care
for the people who don’t ever read the word of God or go to church.
Now why is that? This is because, no matter what, God loves you so
much.

When we read the word of God, we hear so much about love. In ev-
ery single chapter, we hear now great god’s love is, especially in Jesus’s
teaching and paradies. When one of the teachers of the law tried to
trap Jesus with a question on what is the greates commandment, Jesus
replied with, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your
soul, and with all your mind”. This is the greatest and the most import-
ant commandment. The second most important commandment is like
it: “Love your neighbour as you love yourself” This proves
that when Jesus was sent here by God, it wasn’t just
do save us from our sins, but do show us and
help us understand that reason for everything
is God’s love and that we too should love God
with all our heart.

Not only does Jesus talk about the love of
God, but also the love of enemies, and the
love of our brothers and sisters. As you can
see, everything Jesus talk about is related to
love, usually the love of God. What Jesus is
trying to show us is that the Love of God is
not temporary, It is forever. No matter what
happens in our life, a death of a loved one,
temptations. or fear over something, We
must know that we are in God’s hand and
that whatever it is God is in control and
that we must love and trust in God.

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Thy Wi be done
By: Diya Arun
Diya Arun
The lord is my shepard
the lord is our saviour
He is the mighty one

Who will save us
from all those

greedy temptations
and the evil we may see

He is the one who bears
us the magical fruits

and snows us compassion
and kindness

He is the one who has
sacrificed his own
Son, Jesus Christ
so thy will be done
on earth as it is in
heaven and so
we may not be
called sinners,

but the children of God

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Let The Childer Come To Me

By: Rohan Anup Rohan Anup

Let the children come to me,
let them come close so they can see.

If they cannot, they will not know.
I cannot bless them like a seed not sown.

If they have faith and they believe,
they will do nothing but good deeds,

For only when I finish this job,
they can see, the power of God.

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