The Stone has been Rolled Away!

Have you ever faced a moment when all seemed lost? When the weight of sorrow felt like a stone too heavy to move? This was the reality for the disciples on Good Friday. Jesus, their Master and Lord, was crucified. His lifeless body lay in the tomb, sealed with a great stone. Darkness, despair and defeat seemed to have prevailed. But then comes Easter!

In his 2024 Easter Message to the world (Urbi et Orbi), Pope Francis has a lovely reflection: "The Church relives the amazement of the women who went to the tomb at the dawn of the first day of the week. The tomb of Jesus had been sealed with a great stone. Today too, great stones, heavy stones, block the hopes of humanity – the stone of war, the stone of humanitarian crises, the stone of human rights violations, the stone of human trafficking, and other stones as well. Like the women, the disciples of Jesus ask one another: "Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?" (Mk 16:3).

"This is the amazing discovery of that Easter morning – the stone, the immense stone, was rolled away. A new path leads through that empty tomb – the path that none of us, but God alone, could open – the path of life in the midst of death, the path of peace in the midst of war, the path of reconciliation in the midst of hatred, that path of fraternity in the midst of hostility."

The Resurrection narratives in the gospels focus on two profound realities – the empty tomb and the appearances of the Risen Lord. The tomb was empty, but for the apostles, it did not become a proof of the Resurrection. The appearances of the risen Jesus proved that Jesus was indeed alive. The stone rolled back from the entrance of the tomb with the angel sitting on it (Mt 28:2) was a proclamation of God's victory over sin, death and defeat.

That is the significance of our Easter celebration each year. Good Friday represents the ultimate to which human malice can go – to the point of killing an innocent man. Hatred has prevailed. The tomb of Jesus is shut and sealed. It is the end. But Easter proclaims that:

• The last word is not death and despair, but life and hope.

• The last word is not hatred, but love.

• The last word is not the darkness of the tomb, but the light of the Resurrection.

That is the core of our faith, and the Church proclaims it each year in a special way at the Easter Vigil Mass – Christ is Risen, Alleluia! The Easter candle, shining in the darkness, reminds us that even in our darkest moments, Christ's light prevails.

We are in the Jubilee Year with its theme 'PILGRIMS OF HOPE'. From the vantage point of distance, I see so many signs of hope in the Archdiocese of Bombay:

• We have just had ordinations to the priesthood: ten young men, in the prime of their youth, pledging their lives for the service of God and of the Church!

• The tree plantation drives and many initiatives, in the wake of Pope Francis' Laudato Si, to create a 'green diocese'.

• The inter-faith dialogues to promote solidarity, peace and love for a better world, along the lines of Fratelli Tutti.

• The commendable efforts of Prison Ministry Mumbai to care for the most neglected of society – those in the lockups and prisons.

• The many programmes to engage the Youth like Prayerathon, Rocklamation, CIAO (Carlo inspired Action Outreach), and so on.

• The tremendous effort of the Health Promotion Trust to promote health through natural remedies.

• The establishment of the Archdiocesan Commission for the Protection of Minors and Vulnerable Adults to redress the abuse of minors.

The Resurrection proclaims God's victory over sin and death. New life has entered into the domain of death. The Pilates and Caesars are men of the past. The Risen Jesus continues to be with us to bring us new life and hope. "Remember, I am with you always to the end of the age" (Mt 28:20). As we celebrate Easter, let us allow this truth to shape our lives. Let us not be discouraged by the 'stones' that seem to block our path—the stones of suffering, injustice, and despair. Just as God rolled away the stone from Christ's tomb, He will remove the obstacles in our lives. This Easter, let us become true Pilgrims of Hope.

Christ is Risen, Alleluia!

(Guest Editorial) Bp Agnelo Gracias is the Apostolic Administrator of the diocese of Jalandhar and Emeritus Auxiliary Bishop of Bombay.

The Living Journey into Holy Week

Fr Joshan Rodrigues

Each year, as Christians enter the sacred season of Holy Week, we are invited into something far deeper than a ritualistic remembrance of ancient events. Holy Week is not merely a liturgical pageant we watch unfold; it is a mirror held up to our lives, a path that traces our own story, from joyful beginnings, through sorrowful valleys, into the hope of new life. As we trace Jesus' final days, we are not spectators. We are participants.

To walk through Holy Week is to step once more into the mystery of our own humanity. Like Jesus entering Jerusalem to the cheers of the crowd on Palm Sunday, we too have known moments of triumph. There are times in our lives when things come together, when we feel seen, celebrated, and full of promise. These moments echo birth itself—the beautiful, chaotic entry into life, full of potential and light. Yet, as Holy Week unfolds, so does the deeper truth of our journey.

By Maundy Thursday, the tone begins to shift. The meal with friends becomes tinged with farewell, betrayal and sacrifice. For Jesus, it is a moment of deep intimacy and vulnerability—kneeling to wash the feet of His disciples, breaking bread that signifies a broken body to come. In our lives, too, we experience such seasons – moments where love asks more of us than we think we can give, where trust is tested, and when we are called to serve even as we are hurting. We feel the weight of relationships stretched, loyalties questioned, and mortality acknowledged.

Then comes Good Friday—the day of stark reality. There is no turning away from the suffering, abandonment, and death. It confronts us head-on. We may want to skip this day, avoid the pain it presents, but doing so is to shortchange both the story and ourselves. For who among us has not faced loss, betrayal, fear, or grief? Good Friday speaks to the raw core of human experience. It is the funeral we didn't want to attend, the call we didn't want to receive, the prayer we uttered when words failed us. It is the child hungry on our screens, the mother weeping in a war zone, the loneliness we feel when the world keeps moving but our hearts do not.

Yet, even in the darkness of that day, something quietly unfolds. The veil is torn. The earth trembles. Love, though crucified, is not defeated. And it is here, perhaps, that the true heart of Holy Week is revealed—not as a sequence of sorrowful events, but as the embodiment of God's commitment to accompany us in every part of life. Jesus brings His entire lived experience— His joys, wounds, miracles, and grief—into our worship and into our very lives. By the Spirit, these are not distant memories, but living realities, present each time we gather in His name.

This is the gift and challenge of Holy Week – it does not leave us in the grave. The story does not end at the Cross. Holy Saturday holds the tension—between death and life, between despair and hope—but even that silence is heavy with promise. And then, dawn breaks. The tomb is empty. Mary hears her name spoken by the risen Christ. Resurrection shatters the finality of death.

This journey through Holy Week is not a tidy narrative of suffering and reward. It is a lifelong movement, played out again and again in each of us. We are always somewhere on the road—from Palm Sunday's celebration to the quiet confusion of Maundy Thursday, the heartbreak of Good Friday, the stillness of Holy Saturday, or the joyful shock of Easter morning. We bring who we are—our past, our burdens, our hopes—into the sacred rhythms of the Church. And just as Jesus' humanity is never shed, but transformed, so too our wounds can be held and healed in the light of the Resurrection.

Fr Alexander Schmemann once wrote that liturgical celebration is a re-entrance into not merely the "idea," but the living, concrete reality of the event. We are not observing history; we are walking with Christ, and in doing so, we come face-to-face with our own story, transformed by His presence. That is why each year, though the Gospel readings remain the same, we hear them differently—because we are different. Our lives have moved. We have learned, suffered, grown, lost, and begun again.

Holy Week, then, becomes a sacred drama, one in which we are cast not as bystanders, but as fellow pilgrims. Like any good story, it draws us in, demands something of us, and then offers a reward greater than we expected. Not because we earned it, but because we dared to journey through the whole story. As one ancient prayer puts it: "Through the Cross, joy has come to all the world." But the joy is real only because the pain was real, too.

So let us journey well. Let us not skip the difficult parts. Let us stay with Jesus in the garden, at the table, at the foot of the Cross. Let us grieve with the women, and run with Peter to the tomb. And when we hear our name spoken in love by the risen Christ, let us, like Mary, respond with wonder and recognition.

In journeying through Holy Week, we are journeying through our lives—with all the beauty, agony, mystery, and glory they hold. And we are not alone. The Risen One walks beside us.

The People’s Shepherd

Fr Joshan Rodrigues

What can be said about a human being about whom reams of pages have already been written? His towering and respected stature in the Church (matched by his physical height), the enduring impact of his ministry, the endearing qualities of his persona, and his deep love and compassion for everyone, are well known to all, and honourably described in the following pages. When he finally hung up his cassock (figuratively speaking) as Archbishop of Bombay on January 25 this year, having served as the Chief Shepherd for 18 years, it was the end of an era. A churchman, whose life has had such a wide breadth of impact and influence over space and time, and whose spiritual life has uplifted and energised the Church and its members with an incredible profundity, comes but once in a century.

Notwithstanding his incredible achievements and the numerous portfolios he has held over the years, both nationally and globally, Cardinal Oswald Gracias is defined by his simplicity and humility. His successes have come not just due to a mind that is naturally brilliant, but most would say, due to his penchant for hard work. A brief scare with cancer in 2008 did not pull him down, but only doubled his motivation to throw himself even further and deeper into the Lord's Vineyard. 

One aspect that I have always admired personally is his indefatigable capacity to work for long hours and travel so extensively. This does not make him weary; on the contrary, he perennially exudes a lively zeal and a spiritual vibrancy. The secret is that he thrives on his interaction and connection with people. He is equally at ease with the rich and well-heeled and with the poorest of the poor. The true shepherd that he is, he loves being surrounded by the sheep, and thrives on the love, friendship and prayers that he receives from them. 

Challenges and crises do not subdue him; rather, they bring out the best in him. Nowhere was this more visible than during the COVID-19 pandemic, when he masterfully coordinated the Church's response, and ensured that all of the Church's resources were at the disposal of those who were suffering, without prejudice to caste or creed. Pushing the archdiocese to pivot towards a digital ministry was his brainchild, and the excellent spiritual and catechetical programmes produced by the Archdiocesan media during this time ensured that the people were spiritually nourished, in spite of shuttered churches. If Tuesdays became "Terrific," his Sunday Masses and evening Q & A sessions became a global phenomenon, and ensured that his people were always comforted by the visible presence of their Shepherd, no matter the deep angst wrought by the pandemic. 

"To reconcile all things in Christ" – his episcopal motto – has been at the heart of his ministry. His brother bishops recount with great admiration his ability to tactfully and gracefully disarm the most explosive situations within the Church. He has been seen by many as first among equals within the Indian episcopal college, and most have been awed by the progressive vision he brings to the Indian Church. 

To his priests, he has been a Father and Mentor. Always ready to listen to the joys and sorrows of his men in the field, he has helped them discover the potential of their priesthood and steer them along paths they never dreamt of. He has always had the uncanny ability to spot talent in those who cannot see it themselves. He is a wonderful judge of character and a merciful spiritual father, reflective of Luke 15. His warm smile, joyous gaze, gentleness of spirit and disarming humility never fail to communicate the joy, love and compassion of our heavenly Father to those who encounter him, regardless of which faith they profess. 

This special issue of The Examiner is a humble attempt to celebrate his more than 50 years of priesthood, more than 25 years of the episcopate, and 18 years as Archbishop of Bombay. However, his legacy will not be remembered by numbers, but by the deep humanity and spirituality that he has lived and communicated. 

A man of God. A man of the People. Truly, a People's Shepherd.

Vocations to the Priesthood and the Religious Life are indeed ‘Signs of Hope’ today!

Pope Francis, in his insightful message for the 61st World Day of Prayer for Vocations (April 21, 2024), invited us all to become "pilgrims of hope" and "builders of peace." Indeed, every vocation is a divine invitation and a call to forge a life filled with dedication and commitment. In their own unique way, vocations to the priesthood may be described as "signs of hope" in our world today, since they embody a profound commitment to spiritual service and the transformative power of the Gospel in the face of challenges faced today.

Following the example of the Divine Master, every Priest is called to see his mission as addressing not only the spiritual needs of the world today, but the social issues of our time as well. Priests, therefore, may be described as guiding lights for their communities, offering spiritual nourishment, moral leadership, and compassionate service. Consequently, every Priest is called to be a beacon of hope, bringing the light of the Gospel into even the darkest moments of life.

By creating nurturing spaces through religious education, Retreats, and creative parish initiatives, we need to stimulate the calling to the priesthood and religious life. May I offer some essential principles to guide and inspire this sacred exploration:

1. Embrace Prayer and Spiritual Reflection: We need to create a space for silence and prayer in our life. Furthermore, by participating in the Eucharist and in Eucharistic Adoration, as often as possible, we are able to discern the voice of the Lord leading us towards our true calling.

2. Explore your talents and passions: Your unique strengths and gifts are God's blessings. You need to reflect on how you can use these talents to serve others, as your vocation often lies in the intersection of your faith and your passionate call to live life to the fullest.

3. Seek guidance from Mentors: Connect with spiritual directors or mentors who can guide you with their wisdom and encouragement.

4. Engage in Proactive Exploration: Our seminary has the 'SemEx' programme (a 'Come and See' programme); other religious congregations have something similar. Participating in these programmes and Vocation Retreats may provide clarity and ignite your passion to serve the Lord as a Priest or Religious.

5. Learn from Role Models: Interact with those actively living their vocational commitments. Their life and example can inspire you and offer practical insights into what it means to serve faithfully.

6. Practise Patience and Openness: Understand that discernment is a gradual journey requiring patience. Remain open to the guidance of the Holy Spirit, trusting that God's plan for you will unfold in His time.

These earnest practices can create a culture that encourages and nurtures those called to bring hope and light into our world. We need to also remember that families, as the 'domestic church,' in particular, play a vital role in nurturing the seeds of vocations. The family is under tremendous pressure today from societal norms and standards that set benchmarks for defining "success, happiness and fulfilment." In this race and pressure to conform to expectations, the spiritual is gradually edged out and sacrificed on the altar of "making a future."

The local Church, parishes and families must once again go back to the drawing board, define what the real priorities are, what success and happiness means to them, rediscover their spiritual life, and how every member of the family – especially the children and youth – can be provided a fertile and supporting environment to align their present and future to the will of God. This is where true Christian families will emerge, and vocations to the priesthood and religious life will blossom.

Together, then, let us embark on this journey of discernment, trusting that many may be inspired to respond to God's call with courage and commitment, confident that, although they do not know what the future holds, they know WHO holds the future!

(Guest Editorial) Fr Gilbert De Lima, Rector of St Pius X Archdiocesan Seminary, Goregaon.

The Many Faces of Childhood

Fr Joshan Rodrigues

As we celebrate Pro-Life Day on March 25, the Feast of the Annunciation, the Archdiocesan Human Life Committee has – this year – decided to focus on the plight of children, beginning from the unborn child in the womb. Children are a priceless treasure from God, and the birth of children brings joy to the world. In the Gospels, Jesus is depicted as having a special affinity for children, welcoming them and emphasising that the "kingdom of God belongs to such as these." In Matthew 18:1-5, Jesus points out that heaven will elude those who do not approach God with a child-like innocence, trust and faith.

However, history has shown us that children have not always been treated as the precious gift they are. For many centuries, political and economic systems failed to properly recognise the needs and interests of children. In many countries, their rights were limited or non-existent – leading to their enforced labour, separation from families, and routine abuse. Sweden was the first country to ban physical abuse against children – as late as 1979. Surgeries were performed on children without pain relief until the end of the 1980s, and it wasn't till the 1990s that the field of Psychology began to really understand the unique mental health needs of young people. While progress is being made, millions of children across the world continue to find that their basic rights are being denied.

A brief look at these horrifying statistics will tell us that millions of children globally continue to be denied their basic rights and human dignity. 10,000 children die each day from hunger-related illnesses, and almost half of the deaths in children under the age of five are due to under-nutrition. This is despite the fact that there is enough food on the planet to easily feed everyone. Globally, more than one billion children live in poverty, lacking basic necessities like adequate nutrition and access to clean water. An estimated 365 million children live in extreme poverty.

Globally, 1 billion children have experienced psychological, sexual, or physical violence in the past year. 244 million children and youth are currently deprived of education or left out of school. Children are also the unfortunate victims of wars and conflicts raging across the world. Nearly 200 million children are living in the world's most lethal war zones, the highest number in over a decade.

The Gaza Strip is a graveyard for thousands of children, the United Nations has said. Since October 7, 2023, at least 17,400 children in Gaza have died due to the bombardment, according to Palestinian officials. That is one child killed every 30 minutes. Thousands more are missing under the rubble, most of them presumed dead. The surviving children, many of whom have endured the traumatic impact of multiple wars, have spent their lives under the shadow of an Israeli blockade, influencing every aspect of their existence from birth.

There can be reams of pages written about the sufferings of children. Hence, I will stop here. It seems ironical that more children die today due to human-related causes in a rights-based society, than at a time when children were not recognised as worthy of rights. It is clear that much work needs to be done in the areas of stopping global conflicts, child trafficking, poverty, hunger, forced migration, and basic education and health, so that children truly find a world that is hospitable, kind, and a loving soil where they can bloom in the way that God intended. What does it say of a society that cannot protect its future, its most vulnerable – beginning from the womb?

Let us begin by eradicating child suffering around us. Let us ensure that every child in our neighbourhood and in our city has access to good education, health services and good nutrition. Surely, that's not a big ask, and it's entirely doable.

Let us ensure that our children have a childhood! While the above statistics demonstrate how millions of children are robbed of their childhood, the same could also happen in a privileged society for entirely different reasons. A pressure to succeed and size up to societal and familial expectations, over-zealous parenting, a hyper-materialistic society, replacing love with rewards, and a technology-heavy world, can all contribute to quashing a child's childhood and their dreams.

Letting children be children is a true investment in the future of our planet.