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October 10 Father DamianA small country with a Holy Father
Damien
Damien was born as Jozef ("Jef") De Veuster as the seventh child in the family. Following in the footsteps of his brother Auguste (Father Pamphile), Damien became a Picpus Brother On March 19, 1864, Father Damien landed at Honolulu Harbor in downtown Honolulu as a missionary.
The Native Hawaiians became afflicted by diseases inadvertently introduced to their islands by foreign traders and sailors. Thousands died of influenza, syphilis and other ailments which had never before affected them. This included the plight of leprosy .Damien's arrival is seen by some as a turning point for the community. Under his leadership, basic laws were enforced, shacks became painted houses, working farms were organized and schools were erected.
As indicated in his diaries, in December 1884 Damien went about his evening ritual of soaking his feet in boiling water. He could not feel the heat because he had contracted leprosy. Despite this discovery, residents say that Damien worked vigorously to build as many homes as he could and planned for the continuation of the programs he created after he was gone. Father Damien died of leprosy at 8.00am on April 15, 1889, aged 49.In 1936, the Belgian government asked for his body to be returned to native soil. It was brought back aboard the Belgian sailing ship Mercator and now rests in Leuven, an historic university city close to the village where Damien was born. After his beatification, the remains of the right hand were returned to Hawaii.
He gave his life for the people with leprosy
and to morrow october 11 th in the Vatican Pope Benedict XVI will make him Holy..
   April 13 Sinhala New YearHappy New Year. And may this year be a healthy one and full of joy...
New Year in Sri Lanka or the Sinhala New Year - Aluth Avurudhu usually falls on April 13th or 14th every year. According to Sinhalese mythology, New Year begins when the sun moves from Meena Rashiya (the house of Aries) to Mesha Rashiya. It also marks the end of the harvest and spring. Rains enlivens the spirit of the nature as flowers bloom, trees get laden with fruits and bounties of farmers are full.
Sinhalese New Year Rituals Sinhalese New Year or Aluth Avurudhu rituals begin with observance of Nonagathe. At this time, people consider it to be inauspicious to engage in any activity. They go to temples and perform religious rites to receive the blessings of the priests. Women in villages congregate to play rabana (drums) to announce the time to start performing New Year rituals. Auspicious Bath People begin the New Year by taking a ceremonial bath on the last day of the old year. They apply Nanu (a herbal mixture) on their head and body before bathing. This herbal is supposed to purify the body and soul. Betel Another custom of offering betel to the parents and elders is considered as a token of love and gratitude. Elders feel accepted and cared by their children and give them blessings in return. New Year Cuisine Food is the essential part of New Year festivities in Sri Lanka. Sinhalese food is very rich in nutrition. They prepare sweet meats such as mung kavum, konda kavum and unduvel. There is also an old tradition of preparing Kiri Bhaat (milk rice) with rice from new crop. It is prepared by the father or the male head of the family. All the family members sit together to enjoy the lavish feast on the New Year's day. New Year Celebrations in Sri Lanka Sinhalese get their houses whitewashed and thoroughly cleaned to bid farewell to the bygone and to welcome the New Year. They light and decorate the house on the New Year's day. It is considered inauspicious to decorate the house before the New Year. The main New Year's day begin with the lighting of hearth. Then the family members wear new clothes and exchange New Year gifts with each other. For some Aluth Avurudhu is the day to venture into new business while for some it is the time to get their daughters married. A famous game called Guddu (similar to cricket or baseball) is played with excitement by children as well as adults. Another game is also played with coconuts where you try to hit others' coconuts. Some also play cards on this festive occasion. People of Sri Lanka love to visit their relatives and friends house to gift them sweets like kavum, kokos and other auspicious gifts. The festivities come to an end with the anointing of the oil ceremony. In this auspicious hour, an elder anoints the young with herbal oil. Sinhalese also set an auspicious time to go to work.  April 04 EasterThe meaning of Easter - What does it mean to you?
The meaning of Easter is Jesus Christ's victory over death. His resurrection symbolizes the eternal life that is granted to all who believe in Him. The meaning of Easter also symbolizes the complete verification of all that Jesus preached and taught during His three-year ministry. If He had not risen from the dead, if He had merely died and not been resurrected, He would have been considered just another teacher or Rabbi. However, His resurrection changed all that and gave final and irrefutable proof that He was really the Son of God and that He had conquered death once and for all. However, Easter did not always symbolize Christ's resurrection from the dead and the meaning of Easter was quite different than what Christians celebrate today. The feast day of Easter was originally a pagan celebration of renewal and rebirth. Celebrated in the early spring, it honored the pagan Saxon goddess Eastre. When the early missionaries converted the Saxons to Christianity, the holiday, since it fell around the same time as the traditional memorial of Christ's resurrection from the dead, was merged with the pagan celebration, and became know as Easter. The meaning of Easter was also changed to reflect its new Christian orientation. Today, the meaning of Easter, for million of Christians, is that of honoring and recognizing Jesus Christ's resurrection from the dead, and His glorious promises of eternal life for all who believe in Him.
Did u know that a lot of young ppl dont even know why they have some days off from school or work...!!!!!!!! October 18 DIWALII wanna wish all my Indian friends
in advance a Happy Diwali
A friend told me a lot abt this. ( he told me its kinda of Christmas for U) .but i wanted to learn more so I came to Wikepedia
Diwali (also called Deepavali, दिवाली or दीपावली or தீபாவளி in Tamil) is a major Hindu, Jain, Sikh and Indian Buddhist festival/celebration. Known as the "Festival of Lights," it symbolises the victory of good over evil, and lamps are lit as a sign of celebration and hope for mankind. The reason for celebrating Diwali or Deepawali (lines of earthen lamps) is the return of Lord Ram, after killing Ravan (Demon) during his exile for 14 years. The day of killing Ravan is celebrated as Dussehra (19~21 days before Diwali). Celebrations focus on lights and lamps, particularly traditional diyas (as illustrated). Fireworks are associated with the festival in some regions of India. Deepavali is celebrated for five consecutive days in the Hindu month of Ashwayuja. It usually occurs in October/November, and is one of the most popular and eagerly awaited festivals of India. Hindus, Jains and Sikhs alike regard it as a celebration of life and use the occasion to strengthen family and social relationships. For Jains it is one of the most important festivals, and beginning of the Jain year. It is also a significant festival for the Sikh faith.
April 02 BuddhismTime ago i got from my friend Asela a site named Wildmind Buddhist Meditation. Got a bit to read abt Buddhist mantras.....................there are so many .... but Siddharta Gautama the first enlightened man always has my greatest attention......His mantra...... (Om muni muni mahamuni shakyamuni svaha)Shakyamuni (the sage of the Shakyan clan) is the historical Buddha, also known as Siddhartha Gautama. He was almost certainly the first enlightened figure to be visualized. There's a beautiful passage in the Sutta Nipata (an early Buddhist text) where Pingiya talks about how he is never separated from the Buddha. He says that at any time he wishes he can see and hear his teacher. His mantra is a play on his name.Muni means sage. Maha means great. So the mantra reads "Om wise one, wise one, greatly wise one wise one of the Shakyans, Hail!"
I have a book its titled THOUSAND WAYS TO ENLIGHTMENT abt KNOWLEDGE If somebody ask u a question u rather dont wanna answer " U SMILE and ask :"Why do u wanna know?
I HAVE STILL SO MUCH TO READ Why should i know everything...For most ppl it takes a life time to know. |
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