An Asian missionary to Asia

One time I was challenged by the immigration officer at the Mumbai international airport whilst I was traveling to Guyana. The officer asked me a question with smug look on his face, why are you going abroad to be a missionary? Don't you think we have enough work right here in India? 

This was an indication for that we have a lot to do to bring religious unity in our country. Pope John Pual II expressed as he declared St. Joseph Vaz a blessed, "An Asian missionary to Asia." It is true Asia and particularly India is the cradle of religions. It is true that there is a religious allegiance to their respective gods. It is true Asia celebrates life with religious thrust to it. It is also true that we have a rise in the number of Catholics and particularly there is a boom in the priestly vocation. Hence there is demand for the Indian priests and religious to go to the west in order to stored the gospel. Let me reflect with you on the significance of religious people in a religion-full continent. 

St. Joseph Vaz was a devout priest in the mid eighteenth century who became the first saint of Sri Lanka. He went to Sri Lanka amidst the persecution by the colonialists who were Calvinists. The Dutch colonials drove out the Portuguese missionaries and killed the Catholics. Hence Sri Lanka became a strong Calvinist country where Catholicism saw its demise. It is at this situation St Joseph Vaz makes his silent entry into Mannar region of Sri Lanka. It was not easy task for this saint to preach the good news because Catholics were in hiding. He adapts himself as 'coolie', a laborer in order to reach out to the poor. He wore just the loin cloth in order to identify himself with the laborers. It is said that he even hid his Mass kit in his loin cloth for the fear of adversaries. He struggled to bring back the catholic faith for about twenty six years. It is when St Joseph Vaz prayed for rain, the miracle of rain happened. This incident changed the mind of the Buddhist king. He gained the protection of this non-Christian King, Vimaladharma Surya II. With this he finds a stronghold to spread the faith. He used Inculturation as a missionary method. He founded a Catholic para-liturgy and literature using the two languages and cultures of Sri Lanka, Tamil and Sinhalese; he practiced and taught Meditation.

Pope Francis canonizing Blessed Joseph as said exclaimed, "Saint Joseph shows us the importance of transcending religious divisions in the service of peace." Sri Lanka is a multi-religious country and it is crucial to work towards unity of every religions. It applies to every country. Religiously motivated violence is escalating in our times. Every religion proves that it's important and superior

to other religion. God's love has faded from the religion and man made radical doctrines have taken its roots. Hence man has become God and in the name of God so many divisive atrocities have destroyed the nations and its people. There is a silent decline of many young people from going to religious gatherings. As a young person what do you feel about religion? Every young person would like to have peace of mind as they achieve their goals in this competitive world. If religion brings them sheer sadness and division why would they feel to come to religious events. If we don't work and unite our young, our work will go in vain. First of all our young needs to know that we all believe in one God and that God is a sign of unity. Religion is supposed to bring unity and peace. We need to work strenuously like St. Joseph Vaz so that every hard hearted persons may be drown towards God, God of unity and peace.