St. Sebastian Church

Uniqueness of the month of June is the numerous changes taking shape in various aspects of our lives. Change in class- be it in school or college, change in or shift of residence for various reasons or change of Priests in different Parishes are normally the events unfolding in June and this year too is not different.

The sudden and unexpected news of the transfer of both our Parish Priests, Fr. Agnelo Rodrigues and Fr. Josely Rocha came as a rude shock to all of us. Last June, we had welcomed both, Fr. Agnelo and Fr. Josely to our Parish and now within just a year we have to bid them adieu.

Pentecost marks a pivotal moment in Christian history, where the Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus’ disciples, empowering them for global mission and witness. This event fulfilled Jesus’ promise and marked the beginning of the church’s mission to spread the gospel to all nations. The passage highlights the significance of Acts 2 (Pentecost) in light of Jesus’ instructions in Acts 1:4-8.

The Key points include:

1. Waiting for the Holy Spirit: Jesus instructed the disciples to wait for the Father’s promise, the Holy Spirit, emphasizing the importance of this empowerment for their ministry and witness. This waiting period was crucial in preparing them for the significant task ahead.
2. The baptism with the Holy Spirit: Jesus’ promise of baptism with the Holy Spirit was a pivotal moment, empowering the disciples for effective ministry, witness, and service, marking a new era in their relationship with God and their role in spreading the gospel.
3. Power for Witness: The disciples were commissioned to be Jesus’ witnesses, starting in Jerusalem, then expanding to Judea, Samaria, and ultimately to the remotest parts of the earth, fulfilling God’s plan to reach all nations through the gospel.
4. Dependency on the Spirit: The parallel between Jesus’ ministry and the disciples’ ministry highlights the essential role of the Holy Spirit’s power in fulfilling God’s work, emphasizing that both Jesus and the disciples relied on divine empowerment to accomplish their mission.

St. Anthony of Padua, whose feast we celebrate on 13th June, is one of the most popular saints of the Catholic Church, and a member of the Franciscan Order. Anthony was born in 1195 (13 years after St. Francis) in Lisbon, Portugal and given the name of Fernando at Baptism. His parents, Martin and Mary Bulhom, belonged to one of the prominent families of the city.

St. Anthony died in Padua, Italy on 13th June 1231. He was only 35 years of age when he died. He was one of the most quickly canonized saints in the Church History, being canonized by Pope Gregory IX, less than a year after his death. He was proclaimed ‘Doctor of the Church’ by Pope Pius XII on 16th January 1946. He was well-known for his powerful preaching, teaching, knowledge of Scripture and immense love for the poor and the sick. His body was exhumed 32 years after his death. It was found to be corrupted, yet his tongue was totally incorrupt; so perfect were the teachings that had been formed upon it.

Every year on June 24th, we celebrate the birth of Saint John the Baptist. This is a very special day because apart from Jesus and Mary, John is the only other person whose birth we honor with a feast. That’s because John had a very important job, to prepare the people for the coming of Jesus.

John’s story began with a miracle. His parents, Zechariah and Elizabeth, were very old and had no children. One day, while Zechariah was praying in the temple, the angel Gabriel appeared and said, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John” (Luke 1:13). Zechariah found this hard to believe, and because of his doubt, he lost his voice until the baby was born.

In this month of June, as we honour the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the Church also turns our gaze to Mary—His mother and ours. Through the feast of Mary, Mother of the Church and the celebration of her Immaculate Heart, we are reminded that Mary is both the tender mother who watches over the Church and the faithful disciple whose heart reflects the love of God.

June 9th – Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church

“Woman, behold your son… Behold your mother.” (John 19:26–27)

As Jesus hung on the cross, He entrusted His mother to the beloved disciple John—and through him, to all of us. It is this act of love that the Church reflects upon today, celebrating Mary as Mater Ecclesiae—Mother of the Church.

The Ascension of Jesus into heaven acquaints us with this deeply consoling reality on our journey: in Christ, true God and true man, our humanity was taken to God. Christ opened the path to us. He is like a roped guide climbing a mountain who, on reaching the summit, pulls us up to Him and leads us to God. If we entrust our life to Him, if we let ourselves be guided by Him, we are certain to be in safe hands, in the hands of our Saviour, our Advocate.(Credits: Pope Francis) Biblical Account

Then they gathered around Him and asked Him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by His own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” After He said this, He was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid Him from their sight. They were looking intently up into the sky as He was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen Him go into heaven.” (Acts 1:6-11)

Jesus taught us to “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Matthew 5:43-48, Luke 6:27-28, 32-36). This teaching emphasizes that both the wrongdoer and the victim are children of God.

Consider a family conflict where a son harms his brother. Retaliation would increase pain and sorrow for the parents. Instead, parents desire the wrongdoer to repent and seek forgiveness. Similarly, God expects His children to forgive and seek justice through appropriate means.

” Amen, Amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you do not have life within you. Whoever eats my flesh, drinks my blood, has eternal life and I will raise him up on the last day. For my flesh is true food and my blood is true drink. Just as the living Father sent me and I have life because of the father, so also the one who feeds on me will have life because of me.” (Jn 6:53-57)

Two months earlier, the institution of the Eucharist at the Last Supper, was observed on Maundy Thursday in a sombre atmosphere leading to Good Friday. The liturgy on the day also commemorates Christ’s washing of the disciples’ feet, the institution of the priesthood, and the agony in the Garden of Gethsemane.