Novena Videos

St Vincent De Paul National Council at the Shrine
100 participants of Society of St Vincent de Paul, National Council of India visited the Infant Jesus Shrine on September 16, 2023. They had come from all over India to participate in the 69th Annual General Meeting held at the Pastoral Center, Bajjodi-Mangalore. Rev Fr Stifan Perera, the Director of the Shrine whole heartedly welcomed them all and explained to them the architecture of the Shrine, the mission and ministry of the Carmelite. The Society of St. Vincent de Paul is an international Christian lay voluntary organization dedicated to tackling poverty and disadvantage by providing practical assistance to those in need – irrespective of ideology, faith, ethnicity, age or gender. The vision of SSVP is to be a global catholic charity organization providing aid, development and hope to the poor and the marginalized. The Society of St. Vincent de Paul was founded in 1833 to help impoverished people living in the slums of Paris, France. Blessed Frederic Ozanam, the founder of the Society was a French lawyer, author, and professor in the Sorbonne. He was only 20 years old when he founded the society. Frederic Ozanam was beatified by Pope John Paul II in 1997.

Monti Fest celebrated meaningfully
"It is not how much we give, but how much love we put into giving," said Mother Teresa. It is the divine command given by Jesus to search for him in the humblest of people. It is in them that the Lord abides!. Mary hastened to help Elizabeth in need! Being a poor woman of Nazareth, she saw God’s generosity in giving to others joyfully. Inspired by this, the devotees at Infant Jesus Shrine offered things such as sugar, pulses, grams, oil, flour, peas, snacks and toiletries, respectively, during the nine days of Novena in preparation to Monti Fest. This initiative taken by the friars of St. Joseph’s Monastery saw an exceptional response when the faithful provided in large amounts. Thus, in response to the promise that these gifts would be delivered to those in need, they were distributed to different places. On the first day, things were distributed to the Cammelian Sisters and Fathers at Gurpur, where HIV+ kids are housed. On the second day, the rest was distributed to Snehalaya, De Mercede Orphanage, White Doves and Shalom Trust Kadri. Thus, only in giving do we receive!. Our happiness knew no bounds when we received grateful smiles and generous prayers. May the spirit of Christian charity prevail and may God be glorified forever!

Monti Feast: with the Church, Family and the Poor
Mother’s Birth: A Feast that Unites
Fulanchem Fest at Infant Jesus Shrine, Bikkarnakatte
With great joy and festivity, Infant Jesus Shrine, Bikkarnakatte, solemnized the feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The feast of the Monti Saibinn is rather very close to the hearts of Manglorean Catholics, and indeed the august day witnessed the participation of an enormous congregation. As has been the custom, the feast day was preceded by nine days of novena. This year Carmelite Brothers preached short reflections on the various titles of Mary, for each of the nine days. The little ones, listened attentively to the reflection, before offering flowers to Mary’s statue, at the singing of Moriye Hogolsiya! Monti feast is also seen as a harvest festival – a time of plenitude. In order to share with the needy, the blessings we have received, an innovative idea of offering specific items on each day of novena was met with generous response. Thus, the faithful brought sugar, grains, oil, wheat flour, rice, snacks, soap and it was distributed to the underprivileged. What more to please heaven, when we fulfill the command to love one’s neighbour! The liturgy commenced at the Grotto of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, with the blessing of the new corn. On the Fulanchem Fest, after offering flowers to Mary, everyone moved in procession to the Shrine, to thank God for the most beautiful flower in his garden: Mary!

Infant Mary Novena Day 9
If only we had faith like Mary! As humans, our lives are built on the foundation of faith. Without faith, it would be impossible to live. Wherever we go, whatever we do and however we face situations in life, without faith nothing would make sense. Thus said Br. Movin Pereira who preached on the theme ‘Virgin most faithful’ on the last day of the Novena to the Blessed Virgin Mary. As Christians, we need to transcend the faith we have and direct it towards the will and providence of God just like Mary did when she said, “I am the Handmaid of the Lord.” This was the penultimate reflection on the preaching on various titles of Mary which spanned for nine days. The mass that followed the novena was celebrated by Fr. Francis Bartholomew. He further added to the reflection saying that while we need faith in God, He will not abandon those who need him especially the ones who are frustrated and anxious. After the mass, the tiny fingers grabbed the malpuris that were served. Thus, as brothers of Mary, we have paid her our respects with the means that would surely please her – through the offering of flowers by the little ones! We wait for tomorrow, to solemnize her birth with greatest honour and love!

8th day of Novena
Pope Francis in Amoris Laetitia, No. 31, says, “The welfare of the family is decisive for the future of the world and that of the Church.” Family is understood as the building block of every community. It is in families that people learn to be social, humane, virtuous, and God-fearing. It is in these very families that men and women realise and embrace their vocations for life. In the background of the importance of families, our Blessed Mother Mary has been titled Queen of Families by Pope St. John Paul II, in 1995. This was the theme of today’s reflection. Elaborating Mary’s role as the Queen of our Families, Br. Hilary Rodrigues invited the young ones to look at themselves as princes and princesses, because Mary is our Queen Mother. He urged everyone, and especially the children to emulate from our heavenly Mother, the virtues of humility, prayerfulness and charity. The reflection was also an exhortation to elders in the family, to surrender their day-to-day struggles into the hands of the Queen of our Families, and to trust in her intercessory power. Marian hymns echoed as the faithful proceeded to the Shrine; the Mass was celebrated by Rev. Fr. Michael Morris who preached on the liberating touch of Jesus. Senses were filled with the aroma and flavour of the royal mixture of ghee, sugar and gram-flour, from the city of Mysore – Mysore Pak – when it was distributed to all!

Infant Mary Novena Day 7
Mary helps! Unable to beat the scorching heat in the land that should have witnessed torrential rains, we had to beg the Mother to ask her Son to dampen our lands with necessary rain. And Lo! Mary is indeed the help of Christians because today’s rains assured it. The rains therefore did not deter the faithful from gathering at the grotto and thanking her. A coincidence or Divine Providence? Today, the theme we reflected on was ‘Mary, the Help of Christians.’ Br. Stany Pinto went all guns blazing! With some drama and props, he enticed the kids to be all ears to what he preached. Mary helped Jesus and continues helping us too! She thus serves as a model to help everyone. Hence, parents should help children and they should return the favor. With some humor, he also provided some lessons to the kids such as eating vegetables, using phones judiciously, and accompanying parents in their chores. The 7th day Novena Mass was celebrated by Fr. Gregory D’Souza. In his homily he exhorted this: Every child becomes wise when she/he directs the values she attained and applies them to her/his life. Being intelligent doesn’t suffice but being wise is the identity of a catholic. For this, one should draw inspiration from the word of God and Our Lady! Thus, today was a special day, as we witnessed the favours of Jesus through Mary in action and to add to this sweetness, Boondi Barfi was relished by all after the mass!

Infant Mary Novena Day 6
Can we – individual believers – be called the Ark of the Covenant? A Christian cannot but answer this question in the affirmative: for Jesus dwells in us, He comes to us through the Eucharist, nurtures our souls and intensifies our faith. Br. Avith Pais remarkably spilled these ideas before the faithful who were gathered to celebrate the 6th day of the Novena for the Monthi Feast! He juxtaposed the meaning of the Ark of the Covenant in the Old Testament with Mary’s treasuring Jesus, the Incarnate Logos in her heart first, and then in her womb, and reminded everyone of our calling to glorify in the depths of our being, the same God, who first loved us! Today, on the 6th day of the Novena, people presented oil as a goodwill offering for the poor and the needy. After the offering of flowers, the faithful advanced in procession to the Shrine and the Holy Mass was celebrated by Rev. Fr. Jocy Siddakkatte who preached a meaningful homily on the new identity that faith in Christ summons us to put on. Everyone manifested a bright smile as they cherished the sweetness of Rava Laddu!

Monthi Feast Novena - 5th Day
'The star of the sea and ocean, gateway to man's heaven' was adorably honored when the kids sang in chorus "Twinkle twinkle little star, Mary is the morning star." On the fifth day of the novena, the theme that resonated around the grotto was 'Mary, the morning star'. Vivaciously, Deacon Siltan Noronha provided a reflection on the same after providing kids with handmade stars! “Let us not be gloomy stars but be the shining stars,” he said. “Just like the magi were guided by the star to behold the newborn Jesus, Mary too is that shining star that leads us to her son - the ‘Sun’.” It was indeed delightful to see the kids lifting the stars high as if they would add another one to the crown of Mary! The novena was held before the 7:30 am Sunday mass at the Shrine. The mass was celebrated by Fr Ivan D’Souza and Deacon Clifford Rodrigues delivered a soul-stirring preaching on drug awareness as the Diocese of Mangalore has declared this month as ‘Anti-drug Campaign’ month!

Fourth Day of Novena to Infant Mary
The Grotto of Our Lady of Mount Carmel was once again teeming with children on the 3rd day of Novena in preparation for the feast of the Nativity of Mary. Faithful, young and old, gathered in good numbers, to partake, present flowers and solicit prayers through the intercession of the Queen of Heaven. After the Rosary, during the Novena, Br. Loy Jackson Crasta enthralled the congregation by expounding the title of Mary as The Most Chaste. The white cloth that infants wear on the day of their baptism was referred to as the call to holiness. This call to holiness can be translated as a summon to imitate Mary, the highest human creature, who perfected purity and charity. Br. Loy reminded everyone that in his generosity, God gives us the grace to be pure at heart and in body. In a world that belittles purity and virtuousness, the reflection was a point well made! The munchkins offered flowers to Mary, and the Mass which followed, was celebrated by Fr Michael Morris. Everyone cherished the sweetness of the plum cake after the evening’s celebration.

Third Day of Novena to Infant Mary
On the third day of the Novena to Maria Bambino at the Shrine of Infant Jesus, minds young and old were guided by Br. Alwin D’Souza to reflect on the Marian title “Mary, Seat of Wisdom.” He provided philosophical insight into how we acquire wisdom from our daily experience and how gradually this search leads us to Jesus! Jesus being the Wisdom was seated at the lap of Mary and thus she became the seat of Wisdom. In pursuit of this Wisdom, our lives acquire greater meaning through the aid of Mary. After the prayerful Rosary guided by the OCDS, the adorable kids delighted in offering flowers to Mary. Their innocent hearts were channelled to empathize with the less privileged and hence along with their parents and others, they offered soaps. After the novena, the people made their way devoutly to celebrate the holy mass. The Eucharist was celebrated by Fr Deep Fernandes who exercised his creative genius in interpreting the gospel of the day. Using a pen without a refill, he exhorted the people with virtues their lives to fulfil! After the mass, people smacked their lips relishing ‘Saat’!

Monti Fest Novena - Day Two
The Divine Son of God and His Most Holy Mother were both honoured today at the Infant Jesus Shrine, Carmel Hill - Mangaluru. As we combined today, the second day of novena in preparation to the Nativity of Mary, and Thursday devotion to Infant Jesus, the Shrine campus was inundated with faithful since morning. After the 05:00 pm English Mass, the Novena to Infant Mary was prayed at the Grotto of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. The Novena was preceded by the powerful Marian prayer: Rosary, led devotionally by the OCDS. Br. Elston Monteiro offered today’s reflection on Mary’s title as the ‘Mother of Divine Grace.’ Using a wrapped gift box as a creative aid, he expounded how Jesus is God’s ultimate gift to humanity, a gift that won our salvation, and how the gift of Jesus was given to us through Mary, our sister. He pointed the congregation towards the right theological insight in saying that Mary is not the dispenser of Grace, but rather the channel; for her Son, Jesus, is Grace Incarnate. With the example of how lemon juice converts plain water into lemonade, Br. Elston demonstrated how God’s grace converted Mary, a mere human, to an elevated position in God’s sight - an ideal whose heroic virtues we ought to emulate.

Monti Fest Novena - Day One
All the flowers began to bloom in full hue and radiance as they knew that they would be picked to honour the most beautiful flower in the garden of the Lord – the Most Blessed Virgin Mary! The novena in honour of the Nativity of Mary began at the charming grotto of Our Lady of Mount Carmel at the Infant Jesus Shrine today. This year the novena saw the dawn of many ‘new beginnings.’ For the first time, the devout praying of the Rosary preceded the novena led by the OCDS members. Coupled with this, for the first time, the shrine introduced a charitable habit of offering some items of the grocery that could be distributed to the needy on the last day of the Novena. Today, sugar was an item designated to be offered. Definitely, the ‘newness’ attracted many bees to the noblest flower of God and thus, today’s novena and mass had a large participation of the faithful. Br. Prithesh Crasta preached on the theme ‘Mother of Christ’ picked from the Litany of Our Lady. Just as the flesh of Jesus was derived from the flesh of Mary, we all share the same flesh of our Mother because we are the Body of Christ! The children were reminded to pray for their parents after which flowers were offered with great joy by the tiny tots. Following the novena was the mass to which the people marched to the shrine with utmost devotion singing praises to Our Lady!

Naman Balok Jezu January 2023

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