Focus on Love and Forgiveness: Urges Bishop Henry D'Souza



BELLARY, MARCH 06 (Ash Wednesday: "Lent is a time to repent, renew and re-orient life. It's a time to focus on love and forgiveness of all in all places", declared Bishop Henry D'Souza today at the Ash Wednesday celebration in Bellary Cathedral. "Lenten Season reveals the unconditional love poured on humanity through Jesus Christ, who is renewing humanity through love and forgiveness. That divine love should be received by every heart and shared with families and all people", stated Bishop.

"Sadly, people continue to brood over negatives, such as sin and hurts, forgetting the power of love and forgiveness. We are all humbled before God, accepting the Lenten message: 'Repent, believe the Good News, turn away from your sins and turn back to Jesus Christ" insisted Bishop D'Souza.

Speaking on the message of Pope Francis for Lent 2019, Bishop said, "The root of all evil, as we know, is sin, which from its first appearance has disrupted our communion with God, with others and with creation itself, to which we are linked in a particular way by our body. This rupture of communion with God likewise undermines our harmonious relationship with the environment in which we are called to live, so that the garden has become a wilderness (cf. Gen 3:17-18). Sin leads man to consider himself the god of creation, to see himself as its absolute master and to use it, not for the purpose willed by the Creator but for his own interests, to the detriment of other creatures".

Bishop urged the faithful to fast on hated and rudeness and to feast on love and forgives, to fast on harsh words, and to feast on kindness and affection, to fast on greediness and corruption, and to feast on generosity and charity, to fast on social media and to feast on prayer and the word of God".

The cathedral church was over flowing with the faithful attending the Ash Wednesday ceremonies. Fr. Paulraj, Rector of Cathedral Church welcomed and Frs. Bagwanthraj, Sam Nalan, Cyril Lasrado, Lourd Raj and Vasanth Kumar concelebrated with the Bishop.