17. The season of Lent during this Jubilee Year should also be lived more intensely as a privileged moment to celebrate and experience God’s mercy. How many pages of Sacred Scripture are appropriate for meditation during the weeks of Lent to help us rediscover the merciful face of the Father! We can repeat the words of the prophet Micah and make them our own: You, O Lord, are a God who takes away iniquity and pardons sin, who does not hold your anger forever, but are pleased to show mercy. You, Lord, will return to us and have pity on your people. You will trample down our sins and toss them into the depths of the sea (cf. 7:18-19).
The pages of the prophet Isaiah can also be meditated upon concretely during this season of prayer, fasting, and works of charity: “Is not this the fast that I choose: to loosen the bonds of wickedness, to undo the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover him, and not to hide yourself from your own flesh? Then shall your light break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up speedily; your righteousness shall go before you, the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard. Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; you shall cry, and he will say, here I am. If you take away from the midst of you the yoke, the pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness, if you pour yourself out for the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then shall your light rise in the darkness and your gloom be as the noonday. And the Lord will guide you continually, and satisfy your desire with good things, and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters fail not” (58:6-11).
The initiative of “24 Hours for the Lord,” to be celebrated on the Friday and Saturday preceding the Fourth Week of Lent, should be implemented in every diocese. So many people, including young people, are returning to the Sacrament of Reconciliation; through this experience they are rediscovering a path back to the Lord, living a moment of intense prayer and finding meaning in their lives. Let us place the Sacrament of Reconciliation at the centre once more in such a way that it will enable people to touch the grandeur of God’s mercy with their own hands. For every penitent, it will be a source of true interior peace.
I will never tire of insisting that confessors be authentic signs of the Father’s mercy. We do not become good confessors automatically. We become good confessors when, above all, we allow ourselves to be penitents in search of his mercy. Let us never forget that to be confessors means to participate in the very mission of Jesus to be a concrete sign of the constancy of divine love that pardons and saves. We priests have received the gift of the Holy Spirit for the forgiveness of sins, and we are responsible for this. None of us wields power over this Sacrament; rather, we are faithful servants of God’s mercy through it. Every confessor must accept the faithful as the father in the parable of the prodigal son: a father who runs out to meet his son despite the fact that he has squandered away his inheritance. Confessors are called to embrace the repentant son who comes back home and to express the joy of having him back again. Let us never tire of also going out to the other son who stands outside, incapable of rejoicing, in order to explain to him that his judgement is severe and unjust and meaningless in light of the father’s boundless mercy. May confessors not ask useless questions, but like the father in the parable, interrupt the speech prepared ahead of time by the prodigal son, so that confessors will learn to accept the plea for help and mercy pouring from the heart of every penitent. In short, confessors are called to be a sign of the primacy of mercy always, everywhere, and in every situation, no matter what”.
With all good wishes for a fruitful season of Lent,
Fr. Jose Sebastian
Chancellor,
Diocese of Jalandhar
Congratulations to Bishop Franco Mulakkal on his 7th Episcopal Consecration Anniversary. May the Lord grant all the necessary graces to guide the Church under his care.
Dear Rev. Fathers and Sisters,
DIOCESE OF JALANDHAR
THE COMMISSION FOR THE CLERGY AND RELIGIOUS
The Commission for the Clergy and Religious, Diocese of Jalandhar, is happy to invite all the Priests and Religious working in the Diocese for the concluding celebration of the Year of the Consecrated Life.
Date: Saturday, 30.02.2016
Venue: Bishop’s House, Jalandhar City
Programme
10.00. A.M: Tea and Registration
10.30. A. M: Thanksgiving Holy Mass
Main Celebrant: Rt. Rev. Dr. Franco Mulakkal
Concelebrants: All the Priests working in the Diocese
12.00 Noon: Felicitation Programme
1.00 P: Lunch and departure.
Kindly come and join the Holy Mass to thank God for the Consecrated People and appreciate what they are doing in the Diocese.
Happy Ordination Anniversary to Rev Fr Thomas Kalapura. Wish you speedy recovery of health. God bless you..
Fr. Jose Sebastian Chancellor
Dear Rev. Fathers, Sisters and Brothers,
Download Format Diojal Statistics Form 2015
CONFERENCE OF RELIGIOUS OF INDIA
JALANDHAR UNIT, PUNJAB
To, Rev.Fathers of the diocese of Jalandhar, Sub. Conclusion of the Year of Consecrated Life in the Jalandhar Unit of CRI Very Rev.Fathers, , Prayerful greetings from the CRI Jalandhar Unit. This is to kindly inform and invite you for the concluding celebrations of the Year of Consecrated Year in the Jalandhar Unit of CRI to be held at 10.30 a.m, on Thursday, 14th January, 2016 at St.Joseph’s Convent School, Moga. There are more than 800 religious from 34 religious Orders/Congregations serving in the diocese of Jalandhar. The Executive Council of the Unit has decided to celebrate the conclusion of the Year of Consecrated Life on Thursday, 14th Jan.2016 at Moga and entrusted me with the noble responsibility of inviting all of you to this function. Thus, on behalf of all the Executive members of the CRI Jalandhar Unit, I cordially invite you all to the function. Please come and pray with us and join in our joyful celebrations. Since, His Grace Arch-Bishop Anil Jose Thomas Couto of Delhi and His Grace Mar.Kuriakose Bharanikulangara of Faridabad and Msgr.Thomas Valiyaparambil, Vicar General of the diocese of Jalandhar are participating along with many of our Major Superiors, we earnestly solicit your valuable presence and prayers to make our function graceful and successful. Expecting a positive response to our invitation and wishing you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year 2016. Sincerely, On behalf of the Executive Members of the CRI Jalandhar Unit
Fr.Siby (Cyriac) Kochalumkal CST Sr.Maggi Maria FCC
President, CRI Jalandhar Unit Secretary
94630-47447 Email Id: sibyantonycst@gmail.com
Christmas Greetings 26-12-2015 Christmas is here. May it bring joy and peace to all my friends. Have a great season of God’s blessings, especially God’s mercy.
Rev Fr. Jose Sebastian Chancellor
An Information regarding the inauguration of Year of Mercy
Dec 08, 2015
Dear Fathers/Sisters,
Please inform the parishioners about the inauguration of the Holy Door of Mercy at the Cathedral on December 13, Sunday at 11.00 AM Holy Mass which will be celebrated by His Excellency Bishop Franco Mulakkal at the end of the Mass he will impart Papal Blessing to those who participate. Faithful and Religious of Jalandhar and Tanda Deaneries are requested to participate in the Inaugural Mass. Representatives from other parishes are also encouraged to participate in the inaugural celebration and receive spiritual benefits.
Opening of the Door of Mercy in the Deanery Churches could be finalized after the Priest Meeting on December 8, preferably on the following Sunday (4th Sunday of Advent).
Thanking you,
Fr. Jose Sebastian
Chancellor
Diocese of Jalandhar
Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy 2015-2016
Dec 6, 2015 Pope Francis has declared the Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy solemnly on April 11, 2015 on the Divine Mercy Sunday through the Apostolic Bull Misericordiae Vultus. The Jubilee Year coincides with the 50th anniversary of the completion of the Second Vatican Council and is a manifestation of the Holy Father’s desire to extend Divine mercy to all those who seek it with a repentant heart. The Jubilee Year formally began when the Holy Father opened the Jubilee Door at St. Peter’s Basilica on December 8, the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of Blessed Virgin Mary and would conclude on November 20, 2016 on the Solemnity of Christ the King. The major events that would take place during the Jubilee Year could be followed through internet by those who are unable to participate in them physically in the official website of the Jubilee (www.im.va). Jubilee Year of mercy in the Diocese The Year of mercy in all Dioceses would begin on December 13, third Sunday of Advent with the formal opening of the Door of Mercy at the St. John Lateran Church, Rome, by the Holy Father and in the Cathedrals of the world by the respective Bishops of the Dioceses. The closing ceremony in the Dioceses would take place on November 13, 2016, the 33rd Sunday of the Year. Hence, the Door of Mercy will be opened in our Diocese at St. Mary’s Cathedral, Jalandhar Cantonment on December 13, Sunday at 11.00 A.M. by His Excellency Rt. Rev. Dr. Franco Mulakkal, Bishop of Jalandhar. His Excellency would request the opening of the Holy Door, and then he will pass through it. The Concelebrants, Religious and Laity would follow him and enter the Church where the Holy Mass would continue. At the end of the Mass His Excellency would impart Papal Blessing at the Holy Mass, in accordance with the special privilege granted by the Holy Father for the opening of the Holy Door and for the closure of the door at the end of the Holy Year. All the faithful are encouraged to participate in the solemn inauguration of the Jubilee and receive Papal Blessing from His Excellency. The Deanery Churches where a door could be designated as the Jubilee Door and it could be solemnly opened on December 20, 2015 in the celebration of the Holy Mass for which the faithful of the deanery or neighbouring deaneries could be invited to participate. Churches where the Jubilee Door would be open are: St. Francis Church, Amritsar; St. Michael’s Church, Ajnala; St. Teresa’s Church, Dhariwal; St. Mary’s Church, Fatehgarh Churian; St. Joseph’s Church, Ferozepur Cantt.; St. Francis Church, Gurdaspur; Mount Carmel Church, Kakkon, Hoshiarpur; Holy Cross Church, Sarabha Nagar, Ludhiana; Little Flower Church, Muktsar; Corpus Christi Church, Bhikhiwind and Christ the King Church, Sahnewal. Plenary indulgence is granted by the Holy Father during the Holy Jubilee Year of Mercy which could be obtained for oneself or for the departed souls on condition that the faithful make a pilgrimage and pass through the Holy Door of Mercy, make the sacramental confession, receive Holy Eucharist in a state of grace by participating in Holy Mass, recite the Apostle’s creed and pray for the intention of the Holy Father (e.g. Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be) and invoke the divine name of Jesus (e.g. Jesus, I trust in you; Lord Jesus, have mercy on me a sinner etc.). The faithful who are unable to make this pilgrimage, due to old age and sickness can avail the same benefits if they offer their sufferings in union with the suffering Lord by contemplating Jesus on the cross and fulfilling the other conditions as mentioned above. Indulgences are remission of suffering, which would be necessary for an individual as part of God’s justice for every sin against God and neighbor after receiving forgiveness through the sacramental confession. Priests are to preach on the theme of mercy and make an effort to bring back lapsed Christians to full communion with the Church. To this end Faculties are granted to all priests to absolve from the automatic excommunication incurred due to the sin of abortion or active cooperation in it. Special arrangements are to be made for the hearing of the Word of God based on the theme of mercy, penitential services, and celebration of the Holy Mass throughout the Year of Mercy and circulate the programmes for the benefit of the faithful in the deanery and Diocese. The Year of Mercy is also for every faithful to share in the Divine mercy and become merciful to others through the corporal and spiritual works of mercy as indicated by the Holy Father and reminded by His Excellency in the Advent Pastoral Letter 2015. Let us join with the Holy Father in praying to the Lord for mercy in our times and on all our people. Let us celebrate the Jubilee Year of Mercy in a fitting manner and draw as many people to the Divine Mercy as possible by organizing pilgrimages and availing God’s mercy for ourselves and for others.
Fr. Jose Sebastian
Chancellor
Diocese of Jalandhar
Prayer of the Holy Father for the Jubilee
Lord Jesus Christ,
you have taught us to be merciful like the heavenly Father,
and have told us that whoever sees you sees Him.
Show us your face and we will be saved.
Your loving gaze freed Zacchaeus and Matthew from being enslaved by money;
the adulteress and Magdalene from seeking happiness only in created things;
made Peter weep after his betrayal,
and assured Paradise to the repentant thief.
Let us hear, as if addressed to each one of us,
the words that you spoke to the Samaritan woman:
“If you knew the gift of God!”
You are the visible face of the invisible Father,
of the God who manifests his power above all by forgiveness and mercy:
let the Church be your visible face in the world, its Lord risen and glorified.
You willed that your ministers would also be clothed in weakness
in order that they may feel compassion for those in ignorance and error:
let everyone who approaches them feel sought after, loved, and forgiven by God.
Send your Spirit and consecrate every one of us with its anointing,
so that the Jubilee of Mercy may be a year of grace from the Lord,
and your Church, with renewed enthusiasm, may bring good news to the poor,
proclaim liberty to captives and the oppressed,
and restore sight to the blind.
We ask this of you, Lord Jesus,
through the intercession of Mary, Mother of Mercy;
you who live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit for ever and ever.
Amen. (Pope Francis)
DIOCESE OF JALANDHAR
THE COMMISSION FOR THE CLERGY AND RELIGIOUS
The Commission for the Clergy and Religious, Diocese of Jalandhar, is happy to invite all the Priests and Religious working in the Diocese for the concluding celebration of the Year of the Consecrated Life.
Date: Saturday, 30.02.2016
Venue: Bishop’s House, Jalandhar City
Programme
10.00. A.M: Tea and Registration
10.30. A. M: Thanksgiving Holy Mass
Main Celebrant: Rt. Rev. Dr. Franco Mulakkal
Concelebrants: All the Priests working in the Diocese
12.00 Noon: Felicitation Programme
1.00 P: Lunch and departure.
Kindly come and join the Holy Mass to thank God for the Consecrated People and appreciate what they are doing in the Diocese.
