HOMILY OF POPE FRANCISSaint Peter's BasilicaHoly Thursday, 28 March 2013Dear Brothers and Sisters,This morning I have the joy of celebrating my first Chrism Mass as the Bishop of Rome. I greet all of you with affection, especially you, dear priests, who, like myself, today recall the day of your ordination.The readings and the Psalm of our Mass speak of God’s “anointed ones”: the suffering Servant of Isaiah, King David and Jesus our Lord.
All three have this in common: the anointing that they receive is meant in turn to anoint God’s faithful people, whose servants they are; they are anointed for the poor, for prisoners, for the oppressed A fine image of this “being for” others can be found in the Psalm 133: “It is like the precious oil upon the head, running down upon the beard, on the beard of Aaron, running down upon the collar of his robe” (v. The image of spreading oil, flowing down from the beard of Aaron upon the collar of his sacred robe, is an image of the priestly anointing which, through Christ, the Anointed One, reaches the ends of the earth, represented by the robe.The sacred robes of the High Priest are rich in symbolism. One such symbol is that the names of the children of Israel were engraved on the onyx stones mounted on the shoulder-pieces of the ephod, the ancestor of our present-day chasuble: six on the stone of the right shoulder-piece and six on that of the left (cf. The names of the twelve tribes of Israel were also engraved on the breastplate (cf. This means that the priest celebrates by carrying on his shoulders the people entrusted to his care and bearing their names written in his heart. When we put on our simple chasuble, it might well make us feel, upon our shoulders and in our hearts, the burdens and the faces of our faithful people, our saints and martyrs who are numerous in these times.From the beauty of all these liturgical things, which is not so much about trappings and fine fabrics than about the glory of our God resplendent in his people, alive and strengthened, we turn now to a consideration of activity, action.
The precious oil which anoints the head of Aaron does more than simply lend fragrance to his person; it overflows down to “the edges”. The Lord will say this clearly: his anointing is meant for the poor, prisoners and the sick, for those who are sorrowing and alone. My dear brothers, the ointment is not intended just to make us fragrant, much less to be kept in a jar, for then it would become rancid and the heart bitter.A good priest can be recognized by the way his people are anointed: this is a clear proof. When our people are anointed with the oil of gladness, it is obvious: for example, when they leave Mass looking as if they have heard good news. Our people like to hear the Gospel preached with “unction”, they like it when the Gospel we preach touches their daily lives, when it runs down like the oil of Aaron to the edges of reality, when it brings light to moments of extreme darkness, to the “outskirts” where people of faith are most exposed to the onslaught of those who want to tear down their faith.
People thank us because they feel that we have prayed over the realities of their everyday lives, their troubles, their joys, their burdens and their hopes. And when they feel that the fragrance of the Anointed One, of Christ, has come to them through us, they feel encouraged to entrust to us everything they want to bring before the Lord: “Pray for me, Father, because I have this problem”, “Bless me Father”, “Pray for me” – these words are the sign that the anointing has flowed down to the edges of the robe, for it has turned into a prayer of supplication, the supplication of the People of God.
When we have this relationship with God and with his people, and grace passes through us, then we are priests, mediators between God and men. What I want to emphasize is that we need constantly to stir up God’s grace and perceive in every request, even those requests that are inconvenient and at times purely material or downright banal – but only apparently so – the desire of our people to be anointed with fragrant oil, since they know that we have it. To perceive and to sense, even as the Lord sensed the hope-filled anguish of the woman suffering from hemorrhages when she touched the hem of his garment.
At that moment, Jesus, surrounded by people on every side, embodies all the beauty of Aaron vested in priestly raiment, with the oil running down upon his robes. It is a hidden beauty, one which shines forth only for those faith-filled eyes of the woman troubled with an issue of blood. But not even the disciples – future priests – see or understand: on the “existential outskirts”, they see only what is on the surface: the crowd pressing in on Jesus from all sides (cf. The Lord, on the other hand, feels the power of the divine anointing which runs down to the edge of his cloak.We need to “go out”, then, in order to experience our own anointing, its power and its redemptive efficacy: to the “outskirts” where there is suffering, bloodshed, blindness that longs for sight, and prisoners in thrall to many evil masters.
A mob in Chandauli 480 km from Lucknow, damaged government property and attacked the policemen, after there was no action in the alleged gang-rape of a minor girl.The gang-rape of a 12-year-old girl came up in the Sakaldiha police station area in the district, when the angry villagers complained to the police against five local youth. The police refused to file a first information report (FIR), then the livid mob first stopped traffic on the road at the Alimpur square and then went on rampage and ransacked the police station, drove away the policemen and set on fire an office at the tehsil (administrative unit).
The crowd also threw stones at the police and damaged several vehicles that included police jeeps. When senior officials were apprised about the violence, they immediately came to the spot with additional police force to control the situation. The senior police officials had a tough time in pacifyi ng the angry crowd. FIRs were registered against Vipul Singh, Vikki,Prince and two other local youth. A delegation from the US House of Representatives and business leaders met the Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, and appreciated the development in the state.
The meeting was significant as the US was denying a visa to Modi for his alleged role in the 2002 Gujarat riots. An invitation to speak at the Wharton India Economic Forum in the US was taken away when students and faculty of the University of Pennsylvania objected to Modi's inclusion in the event. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had stated that Modi has never asked for a visa, in the first place. US businesses, however, have relaxed to Modi in recent times. Aaron Schock, a Republican representing Illinois in the House of Representatives, leads the delegation. Ron Somers, president of the US-India Business Council (USIBC), Cynthia Lummis, Republican Congresswoman for Wyoming, and Cathy M. Rodgers, Republican Congresswoman from Washington state, are the noted figures in the delegation.
Narendra Modi said on Twitter, 'I spoke to the USA delegation about how Gujarat has adopted a faster, inclusive and environment-friendly process of development.' Sensex closed more than half a percent higher on the last day of 2012-13 financial year on Thursday as there were healthy buying in metal, bank and capital goods stocks and settlement of monthly derivatives contracts.The 30-scrip sensitive index (Sensex) of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), opened in the red at 18,702.46 points but closed at 18,835.77 points, up 0.70 percent or 131.24 points from its previous day's close at 18,704.53 points. The Sensex dipped to a low of 18,568.43 points in intra-day trade and touched a high of 18,888.22 points.
The wider 50-scrip S&P CNX Nifty of the National Stock Exchange (NSE) also ended 0.73 percent or 40.95 points up at 5,682.55 points.Buying revived in the second half of the trading session after European markets opened higher and on short-covering on the expiry of the derivatives segment on the last day of March. The BSE metal index increased by 229.62 points, followed by bank index, up 212.46 points, capital goods, up 191.73 points, consumer durables index, up 131.34 points, and the public sector undertakings (PSUs) index, up 112.02 points.The automobile index was down by 76.86 points.Of the 30 Sensex scrips, 21 were gainers. Gail India, up 5.02 percent at Rs.319.15; Hindalco Inds, up 3.98 percent at Rs.91.50; ONGC, up 2.29 percent at Rs.311.55; Sterlite Inds, up 2.91 percent at Rs.93.80; and HDFC Bank, up 2.70 percent at Rs.631.Only 11 of the 30 Sensex scrips lost: Tata Motors, down 2.16 percent at Rs.269.30, Hero MotoCorp, down 1.95 percent at Rs.1,541.90; Bharti Airtel, down 1.77 percent at Rs.291.80; Jindal Steel, down 1.35 percent at Rs.348.15; and Hindustan Unilever, down 1.34 percent at Rs.466.10.The BSE and the NSE will stay closed on March 29 on account of Good Friday. Jaswant Singh Rajput who was the part of the hockey team which won independent India's first Olympic gold medal, played both as a left-half and centre-half. He now 85 doesn't like watching the national team. He says it is now more of a power game that is hit and run. There is no skill in it.
He is also disappointed with India's performance. He was part of the gold medal winning Indian hockey team at the 1948 Olympics and a member of the squad at the 1952 Games. Rajput is very angry at the administrators of the sport and the lack of talent in Indian hockey. He said that the administrators were responsible for that as they ruined the national game of the country. As there is no money or fame there are not many takers of the game.
Rohan Sippy among the four films that he has directed considers his forthcoming 'Nautanki Saala' as the lowest budget film so far.The first movie which he directed was 'Kuch Na Kaho', and after that he made 'Bluffmaster' and 'Dum Maro Dum'. He didn't reveal the budget though but he said that on screen one cannot say that it was a small budget film and that is the magic.
The movie releases on April 12, 'Nautanki Saala' has Ayushmann Khurrana, Pooja Salvi, Kunaal Roy Kapur and Evelyn Sharma in the cast. The director said they have not forced comedy in the movie. He further added, 'I think we are in a positive time. Last year we had some wonderful films.
With such interesting films like 'Kahaani', 'Vicky Donor', and 'Paan Singh Tomar' and different degrees of success. I hope, we get more greedy and make many more good films. It's wonderful to know that now people are liking the film on the basis of the content.' Top Indian space scientist U.R.
Rao has been included into the Satellite Hall of Fame in Washington DC by the Society of Satellite Professionals International, in the US. This makes him the first Indian space scientist to be inducted into the Satellite Hall of Fame and he is now part of the select group of about 50 members, that has Arthur C. Clarke, Van Allen, Harold Rosen, Peter Jackson and Robert Berry, among others. Rao,chairman of the Physical Research Laboratory in Ahmedabad in Gujarat, has been instrumental in the development of Indian space technology and its application to communications and remote sensing of natural resources since the 1960s. As ISRO chairman (1984-1994), he set up the satellite technology in India. Rao also hastened the development of Indian rocket technology leading to the launch of ASLV rocket in 1992 and the operational PSLV launch vehicle. He was responsible for the promotion of the space technology for its use in broadcasting, education, meteorology, remote sensing and disaster warning.
US House of Representatives and business leaders meet ModiA delegation from the US House of Representatives and business leaders met the Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, and appreciated the development in the state. The meeting was significant as the US was denying a visa to Modi for his alleged role in the 2002 Gujarat riots. An invitation to speak at the Wharton India Economic Forum in the US was taken away when students and faculty of the University of Pennsylvania objected to Modi's inclusion in the event. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had stated that Modi has never asked for a visa, in the first place.
US businesses, however, have relaxed to Modi in recent times. Aaron Schock, a Republican representing Illinois in the House of Representatives, leads the delegation. Ron Somers, president of the US-India Business Council (USIBC), Cynthia Lummis, Republican Congresswoman for Wyoming, and Cathy M. Rodgers, Republican Congresswoman from Washington state, are the noted figures in the delegation.
Narendra Modi said on Twitter, 'I spoke to the USA delegation about how Gujarat has adopted a faster, inclusive and environment-friendly process of development.' Sensex ends fiscal 2012-13 with 131 points gainSensex closed more than half a percent higher on the last day of 2012-13 financial year on Thursday as there were healthy buying in metal, bank and capital goods stocks and settlement of monthly derivatives contracts.The 30-scrip sensitive index (Sensex) of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), opened in the red at 18,702.46 points but closed at 18,835.77 points, up 0.70 percent or 131.24 points from its previous day's close at 18,704.53 points.
The Sensex dipped to a low of 18,568.43 points in intra-day trade and touched a high of 18,888.22 points. The wider 50-scrip S&P CNX Nifty of the National Stock Exchange (NSE) also ended 0.73 percent or 40.95 points up at 5,682.55 points.Buying revived in the second half of the trading session after European markets opened higher and on short-covering on the expiry of the derivatives segment on the last day of March.
The BSE metal index increased by 229.62 points, followed by bank index, up 212.46 points, capital goods, up 191.73 points, consumer durables index, up 131.34 points, and the public sector undertakings (PSUs) index, up 112.02 points.The automobile index was down by 76.86 points.Of the 30 Sensex scrips, 21 were gainers. Gail India, up 5.02 percent at Rs.319.15; Hindalco Inds, up 3.98 percent at Rs.91.50; ONGC, up 2.29 percent at Rs.311.55; Sterlite Inds, up 2.91 percent at Rs.93.80; and HDFC Bank, up 2.70 percent at Rs.631.Only 11 of the 30 Sensex scrips lost: Tata Motors, down 2.16 percent at Rs.269.30, Hero MotoCorp, down 1.95 percent at Rs.1,541.90; Bharti Airtel, down 1.77 percent at Rs.291.80; Jindal Steel, down 1.35 percent at Rs.348.15; and Hindustan Unilever, down 1.34 percent at Rs.466.10.The BSE and the NSE will stay closed on March 29 on account of Good Friday.
March 27 2013 Day Of The Week
Olympian Jaswant Rajput does not watch the game nowJaswant Singh Rajput who was the part of the hockey team which won independent India's first Olympic gold medal, played both as a left-half and centre-half. He now 85 doesn't like watching the national team. He says it is now more of a power game that is hit and run. There is no skill in it.
He is also disappointed with India's performance. He was part of the gold medal winning Indian hockey team at the 1948 Olympics and a member of the squad at the 1952 Games. Rajput is very angry at the administrators of the sport and the lack of talent in Indian hockey. He said that the administrators were responsible for that as they ruined the national game of the country.
As there is no money or fame there are not many takers of the game. 'Nautanki Saala' lowest budget film of Rohan SippyRohan Sippy among the four films that he has directed considers his forthcoming 'Nautanki Saala' as the lowest budget film so far.The first movie which he directed was 'Kuch Na Kaho', and after that he made 'Bluffmaster' and 'Dum Maro Dum'. He didn't reveal the budget though but he said that on screen one cannot say that it was a small budget film and that is the magic. The movie releases on April 12, 'Nautanki Saala' has Ayushmann Khurrana, Pooja Salvi, Kunaal Roy Kapur and Evelyn Sharma in the cast. The director said they have not forced comedy in the movie. He further added,'I think we are in a positive time. Last year we had some wonderful films.
March 23 2013
With such interesting films like 'Kahaani', 'Vicky Donor', and 'Paan Singh Tomar' and different degrees of success. I hope, we get more greedy and make many more good films.
It's wonderful to know that now people are liking the film on the basis of the content.' Top Indian space scientist honoured in the USTop Indian space scientist U.R. Rao has been included into the Satellite Hall of Fame in Washington DC by the Society of Satellite Professionals International, in the US.
New 28 March 2013 Calendar
This makes him the first Indian space scientist to be inducted into the Satellite Hall of Fame and he is now part of the select group of about 50 members, that has Arthur C. Clarke, Van Allen, Harold Rosen, Peter Jackson and Robert Berry, among others. Rao,chairman of the Physical Research Laboratory in Ahmedabad in Gujarat, has been instrumental in the development of Indian space technology and its application to communications and remote sensing of natural resources since the 1960s. As ISRO chairman (1984-1994), he set up the satellite technology in India. Rao also hastened the development of Indian rocket technology leading to the launch of ASLV rocket in 1992 and the operational PSLV launch vehicle.He was responsible for the promotion of the space technology for its use in broadcasting, education, meteorology, remote sensing and disaster warning.