FEAST IN HONOUR OF THE INFANT JESUS

  NASHIK ROAD

18TH FEBRUARY 2012

THEME: LORD, INCREASE OUR FAITH

FEAST DAY: JESUS CHRIST, CENTRE OF OUR FAITH

           At the Holy Name of Jesus, let every one bow – on heaven and on earth. May all acknowledge Jesus as Lord - to the glory of God the Father.

           Welcome, my dear people, pilgrims from afar, Mumbai, Pune, Vasai, Goa, devotees from our own city of Nashik, welcome to this feast in honour of the Infant Jesus. St. Paul tells us in the first Reading of today: At the Holy Name of Jesus, let every one bow – on heaven and on earth.

           For what have we come to this Feast, if not to bow down before the Holy Name of Jesus – to praise and glory the Holy Name of Jesus – to express our thanks and gratitude to the Infant Jesus for all the graces and favours we have received through the Holy Name of Jesus – to surrender our lives before the Infant Jesus seeking His blessings on ourselves and on our families.

           We are aware of our weaknesses, our sinfulness, our ungratefulness, and we seek purification and forgiveness through the Holy Name of Jesus, as we say: I CONFESS

 HOMILY:

          Lord, increase our faith ! has been the theme of the Novena to the Infant Jesus – this year – and every day of the Novena - we have learnt how different persons in the Holy Bible have been models of Faith to us – instructing us, guiding us, encouraging us, to place our Faith in Jesus, to place our trust and confidence in Jesus alone. Everything passes away, everyone will one day pass away, so Jesus remains forever. At the Holy Name of Jesus, let every one bow – on heaven and on earth. May all acknowledge Jesus as Lord - to the glory of God the Father.

          Abraham, our Father in Faith, heard the voice of God: Abraham, leave your country, and I will give you a new country. Leave your Father’s House and I will give you a new House. Abraham obeyed the voice of God placing his Faith in God. Abraham was blessed by the Lord. Abraham became the Father of a great nation. We saw the great faith of Joseph and the simple trusting faith of Mary as they recognized their child Jesus as the son of God – and raised up their son to become the Saviour of the world.

       Our backdrop behind this Altar today encourages us to pray: "Prabhuji, aamchaa vishvaas vaadvaa" - "Lord Jesus, increase our Faith". Increase our Faith in you, dear Infant Jesus. You alone are our Lord and our Saviour.

          The image on the right shows Jesus bending over and saying: Little girl, I say to you, Arise. And the girl who was declared dead, came back to life and sat up – because of the great faith of those faithful Jewish parents, Jairus and his wife. May the great simple Faith of our parents, our fathers and our mothers, raise us to new life and increase our faith in Jesus.

           I have not found Faith like this in all Israel, Jesus exclaims, as that Roman Centurion, on bended knee, pleads with Jesus, Master, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, say but the word and my servant shall be healed. Thousands of our Indian people have great faith in Jesus. Our Non-Christian friends, People who follow other Religions, other cultures, are often a great inspiration to us, Christians, to place our faith and trust in Jesus. Every time, we receive Jesus in Holy Communion, we are inspired by that Roman Centurion to say: Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, say but the word, and my soul shall be healed.

          If only I can touch the hem of his garment, I will be healed. Great was the faith of that woman who had been suffering from haemorrhage, bleeding for years and no doctor could heal her. Who touched me ? questions Jesus, My healing power has flowed out of me because of the great simple faith of that elderly woman. Is there anyone of us who is sick ? – physically sick, mentally sick, spiritually sick ? May we reach out to the Infant Jesus – in faith, in hope, in trust – with the great simple faith of that woman – if only I can touch the hem of his garment, Jesus will heal me, Jesus will make me well again, Jesus will raise me to new life.

          Peter, why did you doubt, O man of little faith ? Peter wanted to walk on the waters like Jesus – and He did walk on the waters with his strong faith in Jesus. The moment Peter stopped looking at Jesus and looked at the storms of life around him, his faith in Jesus weakened and He began to sink into the waters, Lord, save me, cried Peter. I am sinking. Faith in Jesus can work wonders, Faith in Jesus can make the impossible, possible. May we never hear those words of Jesus: O woman - O man - of little faith, why did you doubt ? We acknowledge that when we look at the storms of life around us, when we realize our own weaknesses, our helplessness, our sinfulness, we tend to doubt – Is the Lord really with us ?

       That little girl, that Roman centurion, the elderly sick woman, and Peter, the apostle of Jesus, all encourage us on this Feast day, to open our hearts to Jesus and pray: Lord Jesus, increase my Faith. Amen.

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NOVENA IN HONOUR OF THE INFANT JESUS

 NASHIK ROAD

 9^TH TO 17^TH FEBRUARY 2012

THEME: LORD, INCREASE OUR FAITH

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PRAYER OF THE FAITHFUL – DURING THE NOVENA

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        O Infant Jesus, you say to each one of us: Come to me all you who labour and are overburdened and I will give you rest. We come to you - with hearts full of fears and anxieties about our past - and with hopes and aspirations for our future. We believe that our hearts will never find rest until they rest in you, trusting in you, in faith and hope, for this we pray: LORD JESUS, INCREASE OUR FAITH.

        O Infant Jesus, you invite us to be one - as you are one - with the Heavenly Father and the Holy Spirit. We pray for all Christians, who profess to be your disciples, that though we may belong to different Churches, we may live as one Christian community, one in mind and in heart, one in bearing witness to you, by our words and our actions, for this we pray: “LORD JESUS, INCREASE OUR FAITH.

        O Infant Jesus, you reveal that where two or three are gathered in your name, you are present with us. We believe that you are here in your midst - as we assemble during these Novena days - in preparation for the Feast. May our faith in you - be the source of our life and our strength, for this we pray: LORD JESUS, INCREASE OUR FAITH.

We now recite together the Novena Prayer to the Infant Jesus:

        O Jesus, you said, “Ask and you shall receive, seek and you shall find, knock and it shall be opened to you”. Through the intercession of Mary, your Most Holy Mother, I knock, I seek and I ask that my prayer may be granted.                                         (Make your petition)

        O Jesus, you said, “All that you ask of the Father in my name, He will grant you”. Through the intercession of Mary, your Most Holy Mother, I, humbly and urgently, ask your Father in your name, that my prayer be granted.                                                 (Make your petition)

        O Jesus, you said, “Heaven and Earth shall pass away, but my Word shall not pass”. Through the intercession of Mary, your Most Holy Mother, I feel confident that my prayer will be granted.

                                                                        (Make your petition)

        LET US PRAY:   O Infant Jesus, we thank You for our many pilgrims, devotees, friends and benefactors, who have come from far and near, who may belong to different religious faiths. We entreat you to bless each and every one of them. Bless each and every one of us gathered here. Grant our prayers. Fill our hearts with Your joy, Your love and Your peace. We make this prayer through You, dear Infant Jesus, Who live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Shrine of the Infant Jesus, Nashik Road 422 101. India.

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NOVENA PRAYERS TO THE INFANT JESUS

(This Novena may be said at every hour - for nine consecutive hours - just in one day)

O Jesus, you said, “Ask and you shall receive, seek and you shall find,

 knock and it shall be opened to you”.  

Through the intercession of Mary, your Most Holy Mother, 

I knock, I seek and I ask that my prayer may be granted. 

(Make your petition)

O Jesus, you said, “All that you ask of the Father in my name, He will grant you”.

Through the intercession of Mary, your Most Holy Mother,

I, humbly and urgently, ask your Father in your name, that my prayer be granted.

(Make your petition)

O Jesus, you said, “Heaven and Earth shall pass away, but my Word shall not pass”.

Through the intercession of Mary, your Most Holy Mother,

I feel confident that my prayer will be granted.

(Make your petition)