PROVINCIAL |
MSFS
PROVINCIAL HOUSE |
 |
Website: www.msfssouthwest.org
e.mail: msfsmys@dataone.in msfsmysore@yahoo.com
Message on the occasion of the Celebration of 60th Birthday and 33rd Ordination Anniversary of Fr. James Manjackal MSFS.
Dear
Friends,
With
a heart full of gratitude to God I join all of you in celebrating the 60th
Birthday and 33rd Anniversary of the Priestly ordination of
Fr. James. Our joy becomes unbounded as we recall that 30 years of his
priestly life was dedicated to Preaching ministry spending his life in
the service of Preaching God’s Word all over the world.Just
as you are with Fr. James at this moment, I remain affectionately close
to him and live the sentiments of joy, gratitude and pride as I think of
him. The Gifts and Giftedness of his life as a priest have become the source
of Grace for millions of people all over the world. Today I join all of
you in thanking God for His marvelous ways in the life of Fr. James. I
thank God for the gift of his life, for the gift of his vocation, for the
gift of his religious and missionary commitment and for the gift of the
Global-mission entrusted to him.
To
go back in memory, Fr. James Manjackal started his priestly life as a zealous,
hard working missionary in the villages of Andhra Pradesh in
Fr
James lives his life with a Prophetic mission. As a Preacher of God’s Word
he is uncompromising with Gospel values and Church Teachings. He speaks
courageously against the moral evils and secular life shattering the Christian
life today. He is bold enough to say ‘yes’ when he believes it ‘yes’ and
‘no’ when he believes it ‘no’. He is ready to suffer for Jesus and His
mission. In fact he has had many agonizing experiences in his life while
being in the service of Preaching God’s Word.
He
is anointed to preach and he does it with a Difference.People
of every walk of life, young or old, irrespective of the cultures, languages
and nationalities, can simply experience the power of God’s presence in
their life through his preaching.His
words are anointed with the Spirit of God that it touches and transforms
all those who listen to him. He radiates the living power of the Spirit
in his preaching.
He
has the Gift of Healing. Human lives are healed through his preaching and
prayers. This is possible for him because of his Abba-experience through
personal prayer. He remains in deep communion with God for hours. The power
he receives from the Lord he shares it with others and it effects in the
form of renewal and healing of human lives.I
place on record his loyalty to the church, his undying commitment and faithfulness
to the Word of God, his courage of convictions to address everyone. Fr.
James, as you complete 33 years of priestly ministry, on behalf of the
Congregation, on behalf our
I
thank God for you and thank you for what you are to the congregation, to
our province, to the church and to the World Evangelization mission. I
thank you for your personal concern for the mission of the province, I
thank you for the simplicity of your life, I thank you for the sincerity
and transparency of your person, I thank you for your fraternal love for
your confreres, I thank you for your love
for the province. I thank you for the love you have for me. I am not able
to be with you today as 11th June is the day of the Religious
Profession of our novices and as Provincial
I am obliged to be with them to admit them to religious life and accept
them to the congregation.
Together
with everyone present with you I pray that God may continue to give you
good health and continue to keep you anointed by His Spirit to be a channel
of His Grace for the world at large. You have thus achieved a unique place
in the congregation as no one else has so far had -in
the ministry of Preaching for 30 continuous years, preaching 1289 retreats,
79 large conventions, innumerable one-day retreats and healing seminars,
and proclaiming in 67 countriesJesus
as the Savior. In the spirit of our patron Saint Francis De Sales, Fr.
James all what I wish you for the rest of your life is Vive Jesus
– may Jesus Live – live in your heart, in your head, in your eyes, in your
ears, in your mouth, in your lips, on your finger tips, in every part of
your body, in the depths of your soul – so that You may remain continuously
anointed by the Spirit of Jesus to proclaim Jesus as the Lord. May the
Lord give you good health to be his faithful servant for the rest of your life.I
send you loving wishes, hearty congratulations and prayers.
Fr. Jose Parappillil
MSFS
Provincial