LITURGY

YOU ARE THE INTRICATE WORK OF GOD’S LOVE

Introduction
Today the church remembers Our Lady of sorrows. Mary’s total love for
Jesus and the Father gave her the cross. We pray that we, too, learn to
experience joy and grow in love in our daily lives through the crosses we
encounter. Let us also pray for all congregations who celebrate the feast of Our
Lady of Sorrows.
We here, at Mater Dei have another reason for celebration. The birthday
of sisters Sabina and Sirya Pushpam. Yes, dear sisters God began His intricate
work in you from the moment you were in your mother’s womb.
A birthday is a milestone calling for a celebration. It’s your birthday--the
day on which God ordained your unique place and purpose in the universe.
Celebrate your beginning, your being, and your becoming! Consider yourself
surrounded by a radiance that proclaims: This is my special day and I am
special. A birthday is a wonderful opportunity for renewing, rejuvenating,
rejoicing! Remember—You belong to God. From the first moment of your
existence, God’s name was written in your heart. God claimed you from all
eternity to be born this day. Read God’s personal birthday greeting to you in
the kindness of loved ones, the goodness within your heart, the wonder of
nature. Therefore today, we wish to portray your life with that of a butterfly.

OFFERTORY:
The plans of His heart are established; the plans of His heart are filled with
praise. Yes, dear sister Sabina, it is by His touch you live, move and grow. On
this joyous day we look back at your whole life as with the different stages of a
butterfly.
1. The Egg Stage:
This resembles the birth and infancy in the life of Sr. Sabina .We
thank you Lord for Sr. Sabina in whom you breathed life on this day. Her very
existence is a blessing. We pray you Lord, to keep enkindling in her a total
dependence on you as that of a child. Grant the bliss of Paradise to the souls of
her dear parents.
2. Caterpillar.
The second stage symbolizes the childhood of Sr.Sabina. Just as a
caterpillar begins to enjoy the beauty of life, so too, Sr.Sabina had begun
experiencing the love of God through her family. We ask you Lord, to keep this
flame of love burning brightly in the heart of Sr. Sabina that she may always
draw strength from you. Sustain all those whom she holds dear with your love
and peace.

3. Chrysalis:
This represents the adolescent stage of Sr. Sabina. Chrysalis is when
the caterpillar experiences a crucial and painful change in the process of
becoming an adult.
The same as experienced by Sr.Sabina, as she had to take a firm decision to
say, “yes” to Jesus.
Lord Jesus, you have been instrumental in the life of Sr.Sabina by your constant
guidance and the assurance of your presence in her life. Thus drawing many
more vocations in your vineyard may you continue to enhance the lives of
those whom she encounters and moulds.

4. Butterfly
Finally out of the cocoon then eventually emerged a complete
butterfly. It is a reflection of new life, hope and joy. A good index to measure
the ecological health of a region is the number of butterflies that are seen
flying freely in it. Yes, dear Sr.Sabina, you have been fully formed by the
master’s touch. As a person you are generous, affectionate, youthful, kind,
prayerful, optimistic, firm yet caring, joyful, simple, approachable,
understanding and many more. You are this butterfly, which radiates new life,
hope and joy in the lives of others.

5. Bread and wine.

In order to get the finished product the raw materials have to under go
various stages of processing. Likewise in order to grow unto the fullness of
Christ we have to transcend beyond our frail nature that we may experience
and share this love with those around us. We pray specially for Sirya Pushpam
whom the Lord has planted in His vineyard to grow in deep intimacy with Him.

PRAYER SERVICE

YOU ARE THE INTRICATE WORK OF GOD’S LOVE

Let me start again-----hymn.

Introduction:
One morning the angels realized that God is going to perform a great
work. They anxiously waited to see what is going to happen. They even had an
argument among them on this issue. Some said, he is going to create a new
star, some said, no, He is going to build a nation, some had the opinion that He
is going to perform a great miracle, that was to create a human being, who will
be called Sabina, the daughter, of Mr.& Mrs. Yes, dear sisters,
today we are here this morning to celebrate the great miracle, which God had
performed many years ago.
We thank God too, for the gift of life to Sr. Sirya Pushpam who also
celebrates her birthday today. For all that she is to her family, Congregation
and to this community at Mater Dei. We thank and praise you Lord.
We invite sisters Sabina and Syria Pushpam to light the lamp.
Pause
We shall now pay careful attention to a story being enacted.
The Island feelings

Once upon a time there was an Island where all the feelings lived.
Happiness, sadness, richness, vanity, love and others include knowledge. One
day it was announced to them all, that the Island was going to sink to the
bottom of the ocean. So all the feelings prepared their boats to leave. Love was
the only one that stayed. She wanted to preserve the Island paradise until the
last possible moment.
When the Island was almost totally under, love decided it was time to
leave. She began looking for someone to ask for help. Just then richness was
passing by in a grant boat. Love asked, richness, could I come with you on your
boat? Richness answered, “ I am sorry, there is silver and gold in my boat and
there would be no room for you anywhere.
Then love decided to ask vanity for help who was passing in beautiful
vessel. Love cried out, “Vanity, help me please?” “I cannot help you, vanity
said, you are all wet and will damage my beautiful boat.”
Next, love saw sadness passing by. Love said, “Sadness please let me go
with you.” Sadness answered, “ Love I am sorry, I just need to be alone now.”
Then love saw happiness. Love cried out, “Happiness please take me with
you.” But happiness was so overjoyed that he didn’t hear love calling out to
him. Love began to cry.
Then she heard a voice say, “ Come love I will take you with me.” It was
an elder. Love felt so blest and overjoyed that she forgot to ask the elder his
name. When they arrived on land the elder went on his way. Love realized how
much she owed the elder.
Love then found knowledge and asked, “ Who was it that helped me?” “
It was time,” Knowledge answered. But why did time help me when no one else
would? Love asked. Knowledge smiled and with deep wisdom and sincerity
answered: Because only time is capable of understanding how great love is.

Hymn “I can feel …….”

Each of us has seen how all his companions rejected love that wanted to
preserve the Island. Finally it was time only who understood the importance of
love.
Yes; dear sisters the reason for today’s celebration is non other than the
unconditional love of the parents of Sr. Sabina and Sr. Sirya Pushpam
The love that had been poured into their hearts by God has been
nurtured and fostered by the members of the family. Thus making them what
they are today. Love is the only virtue that surpasses all understanding. It is
this love that has enabled sisters Sabina and Siriya Pushpam become new stars
and the miracle of God’s creation thus enhancing them be active instruments
in building the nation.

Dear sisters our hearts want to tell you that God created you and only you
there is and they will never be another you in all eternity. He has made you
with all the essentials of a human being that is with feelings, emotions,
knowledge etc.. Yet in His unconditional love for you he has a great plan,
which you have to fulfill. Jesus now expresses in this hymn “Dooja Nahin Koi…”
which means there is no one like you and this is the truth.
 Pause
 Spontaneous intercessory prayers…

Let us now listen to a parable

One day a man punished his young daughter for wasting a roll of gold
wrapping paper. Money was tight and he was furious when the child tried to
decorate the box Nevertheless the little girl brought the gift to her father the
next morn and said, “ This is for you Dad.” He was embarrassed by the earlier
over reaction, but his anger flared again when he found the box was empty. He
yelled at her, “ Don’t you know when you give someone a present there’s
suppose to be something inside it?”
His daughter looked up at him with tears in her eyes and said “ Oh,
Daddy, It’s not empty I blew kisses into the box. All for you, daddy. The father
was crushed. He put his arms around his little girl, and he begged for her
forgiveness.
As years passed this girl got married and left to her husbands home. Her
Father yet continued to keep the golden box by his bed for many years,
Whenever he was discouraged he would take out and imaginary kiss and
remember the love of the child who had put it there.
In a very real sense each of us have been given a gold container filled
with unconditional love, love and kisses from our friends our family and from
God. There is no more precious position any one could hold.
Sr. Sabina, you have been instrumental in the lives of many formators
who’s lives you have enriched by your very presence and interaction. Today it
is you who are alive in their hearts and minds.

Malayalam Hymn.
Psalm 105

How great is my God,

And how I love to sing His praises!
Whereas I am often frightened when I think about the future,
And confused and disturbed
By the rapidly changing events about me,
My heart is secured and made glad
When I remember how He has cared for me
Throughout the past.

When I was brought forth from my mother’s womb,

God’s hand was upon me.
Through parents and people, who cared, He loved and sheltered me
And set me upon His course for my life.
 Through illness and accident my God has sustained me.
Around pitfalls and precipices He has safely led me.
When I became rebellious and struck out on my own,
He waited patiently for me to return.
When I fell on my face in weakness and failure,
He gently set me upon my feet again.
He did not always prevent me from Hurting myself,
But He took me back to heal my wounds.
Even out of the broken pieces of my defeats
He created a vessel of beauty and usefulness.
Through trials and errors, failures and success.

Through trails and errors, failures and successes,

My God has cared for me.
From infancy to adulthood He has never let me go.
His love has led me- or followed me-
Through the valleys of sorrow
And the highlands of joy,
Through times of want and years of abundance.
He has bridged impassable rivers
And moved impossible mountains.
Sometimes through me, Sometimes in spite of me,
He seeks to accomplish His purposes in my life.

He has kept me through the stormy past;

He will secure and guide me
Through the perilous future.
I need never be afraid,
No matter how and uncertain the months or years ahead of me.
How great is my God,
And how I love to sing His praises!
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