A letter to the poeple of Premnagar
Salutation:
Joshy, a disciple of Christ Jesus by the will of God, to the faithful
brothers and sisters in Christ in Premnagar. Grace to you and peace from God
our Father.
Thanksgiving for Exemplary Faith
I give thanks to God for all of you and mention you in our prayers and
Eucharist, constantly remembering before our God and Father your work of faith
and labour of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. Beloved,
what has been providentially gifted to you through word and Spirit, you
accepted them with open hearts and kept them, and lived them out with full
conviction.
You became imitators of us and of the Lord in spite of the struggles of
daily life and survival. Thus you became an example to the Sarna brethren of Premnagar
and also to the Christian tolas of Tankara Toli and Kanke.
You have turned away from the idols of modernity and turned to the
living and true God who created for us this land and everything that is in it,
and has taught us to plough, to cultivate and live a life in communion with
nature, other beings and our ancestors.[1]
Joshy’s Ministry in Premnagar
You yourselves have witnessed, brothers and sisters that my coming to
you was not in vain. Though, you were more in number and my visits were at
times disrupted, you welcomed me and accepted my message of love with eagerness
and satisfaction. We never came there to seek attention or to show off that we
know more. My intention was to preach Jesus Christ, who in spite of my sinful
youth, called me to Him to become His disciple and He is calling us to live the
fullness of life.[2]
Though I may have insisted on you regarding the evening prayer and
attending of the Sunday Mass, I have been gentle among you like Nage Era who nursed the human pair
rescued from the rain of fire.[3]
I rode on my cycle and even walked to your place when it was raining
and the road was waterlogged, so that I don’t miss a chance to be with you at
the service of the Lord. I thank God for all of you for your enduring love for
the Lord.
Divisions in Premnagar
Now I appeal to you brothers and sisters by the name of our Lord Jesus
Christ, that all of you be in agreement and let there be no divisions among
you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same purpose. You say, “I
belong to RC,” or “I belong to GEL,” or “I belong to CNI.” Has Christ being
divided? Dear brothers and sisters, let there be no man-made divisions among
you.
We all belong to the Crucified and Resurrected Christ. He is our head
and we are His body. In Christ Jesus, the corner stone, the whole structure is
joined together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are
built together spiritually into a dwelling place for God; it is said “I will bless them and multiply them, and
will set my sanctuary among them forevermore. My dwelling place shall be with
them; and I will be their God and they shall be my people”.[4] So you
are the earth-worm of Christ in the ministry of reconciliation and unification
i.e., bringing back the scattered children to God.[5]
Christ the visible God
Beloved, keep in your heart that Christ is the image of the invisible
God. This Christ, though, was in the form of God, took the form of a slave and
became a human being like anyone of us. He took all our sins upon himself and
died for us on the Cross. But God exalted him and glorified him.
Sin and death came into the world through disobedience of our first
parents, Adam and Eve i.e., through Luku
and Lukumi who overcame by desire ate
the fruit (tamarind) which Singbonga
had forbidden.[6]
The new Luku (Adam), the Christ has
overthrown death by his sacrificial death on the Cross.
We proclaim this Christ who by his humility silenced the wise of the
world. Thus Christ became for us the wisdom from God, and righteousness and
sanctification and redemption.
Christ our Ultimate Ancestor
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus, in Christ we find our
ultimate ancestor. Our life is marked by the blessings of our ancestors. We
always think of journeying with our ancestors rather than living for individual
rewards after death. Attaining union with the bongas of our ancestors is our primary goal. Let us strive in this
life to attain this communion with Jesus who is our primordial ancestor,
through whom all creation came into existence and who became for us the Toro Kora in fighting and destroying the
Asurs who wanted to make him an
object of human sacrifice.[7] Jesus,
our ancestor, has already won for us this communion, however we wait for his
second coming when the whole creation will be brought in communion under him.
Justification by Faith
Beloved, Christ, after being glorified by the Father, has taken away
our sins and thus saved us from everlasting death and won for us eternal life.
We were sinners and under law we were liable to be punished. However, Christ
has made us righteous before God. Thus Christ has won for us justification
which begins in God who is upright and who justifies the godless sinner as a
result of what Christ has done for humanity. As the wife of Singbonga, by her own merit, freed all
women from the burden of making and using a plough,[8] Christ
has freed us from the wrath of God that our sinfulness had inherited.
Freedom Won by Christ
Brothers and Sisters, it has been told to you that you observe the
omens to judge the fate of your day.[9] You also
remain in fear due to the effects of the evil spirits (bongas). You spend lot of money to propitiate the spirits. Come on,
you are freed from such snares of enemy by the Blood of Christ Jesus. He has
won for us redemption and salvation. Let you be guided by the Word of God than
the foolish utterances of ojhas and
magicians. You are invited to put your faith in Christ Jesus and to walk in the
path of Grace not in fear. Glorify Christ who has become the source of all goodness.
Concerning Prayer
Beloved, remain united with God in prayer. Let your faith in Christ
Jesus manifest in our ceaseless prayer to God the father of our Lord Jesus
Christ. Because you are sons and daughters, God has sent the Spirit of his Son
into our hearts, crying, “Abba Father.”[10]
I urge you to have prayer as a token and source of your unity and
fellowship in Christ. Our servant, Ms Celestina Kujur, has volunteered to lead
the prayer. Let everyone who shares in the body and blood of Christ gather in
her house for worship. Let evening prayer at home and the Sunday Eucharist in
the parish be abundant sources of blessing of the Risen Lord on your family.
Concerning the Youth
I appeal to the youth of Premnagar to rededicate them to the cause of
the Gospel. Youth are precious in the eyes of the Lord. It has been observed
that the youth keep themselves away from the works of prayer and charity. Let
the youth be the pride of the place and not their mothers’ grief.[11] Let the
values of Chris Jesus shine in their dealings with others so that they shine
like stars among the people. Let them be like King Solomon of the Old, full of
wisdom and fear of the Lord.
Concerning Alcoholism
Beloved, you may argue that Singbonga
Himself has taught you to make rice beer [12] thus
justifying your inclination for drinking. Let those who find happiness in
drinks turn to Christ Jesus who is the true source of joy and happiness. Rice
beer is meant to be taken for special purposes designed by our ancestors. It is
not a substance to be abused but a cultural drink to be shared. Let koinonia be the motive behind
consumption of rice-beer and let it help us to preserve the sacredness and
purity of our culture. Let Christ be glorified in everything you do and let all
your actions be rooted and grounded in love. “It is not for kings to drink wine, or for rulers to desire strong
drink or else they will drink and forget what has been decreed, and will
pervert the rights of all the afflicted…”[13]
Let parents admonish their erring sons and set themselves as example for their
growing children.
Concerning the Effects of Modernity
Brothers and sisters in Christ let everyone discern wisely to choose
what is good and ideal for oneself in the eyes of the Lord. The world with all
its charm is tempting you with many things. Let you be wise as a swan to
receive what is good and to reject what is harmful. Let your quality of life be
marked by your fidelity to Christ than in acquiring more and more things. Let
modernity not eradicate the rich culture and language that God has graciously
gifted to you. Modernity is marked by greed which pervades in all aspect of
your life and it should be dealt with the simplicity and humility of Christ
Jesus.
Concerning Servant Girls
Beloved, God has been gracious to you that many of your households are
blessed with servant girls who assist you in your daily work. Many of them are
early teenagers who are your distant relatives or brought from poor families. I
urge you to love them and treat them with dignity and honor. Feed them like
your own children and don’t overburden them. Let them have enough time for
rest, relaxation and prayer. Similarly the servant girls also should honor
their masters and love them sincerely for the trust they have placed in you. We
all are fellow servants in Christ.
Works of Flesh
Live by the Spirit and do not fall into the temptations of the flesh. The
desires of the flesh are like the heat emanating from the furnaces of the Asurs.[14] The
works of the flesh are fornication, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery
etc. But we are led by the Spirit of Christ Jesus and we spread the fragrance
of the love of God to all creation.
Fruits of Spirit
Contrast to the works of flesh, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy,
peace, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Let
these fruit be the weapons of our survival on the earth. No rich can bring us
these gifts which only the Spirit of Christ can give to the believers. When we
proclaim the Christ crucified, we crucify the passions and desires of the
mortal flesh thus winning immortality with Christ.
Thanking for Sirni Rice and
Offering
I rejoice greatly in the Lord that you have been extremely generous to
the Church of Christ in your Sirni
rice and monetary offering. I assure you that your generosity will not be
misused and pray that you be highly rewarded by the Lord. I appeal for further
generosity in your help to make a new church for our parish, which will be our
gift to God to make a dwelling place for Him. And my God fully satisfy every
need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.
Rules for Households
Let there be love between husbands and wives. Children obey your
parents and teachers and be regular for your Sunday Catechism classes. Parents
admonish your children with love and don’t be harsh with them. Devote
yourselves in prayer. Welcome the guests and be kind to strangers. Never let a
beggar go empty-handed. Pay your civic bills regularly and don’t steal
electricity and water. Maintain religious harmony. Let your faith in Christ
Jesus be manifested in your moral conduct and way of life.
Final Exhortation
Therefore, as God’s chosen ones, holy and well beloved, clothe
yourselves with the sentiments of compassion, kindness, humility, meekness,
long suffering. Bear with one another and forgive whatever grievances you have
against each other. Just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you must forgive.
Listen to my requests and be assured of my prayerful support. Kindly
greet everyone with my Jai Jesu. Tell them that I am eager to come to Premnagar
and spend time with you.
Blessing
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion
of the Holy Spirit be with all of you.
Note:
All references to adivasi myths are taken from the collection of
Adivasi myths, edited by Fr John Mundu. S J
[1] See Creation Myth of the Hos and the Creation account in Genesis
[2] Jn 10:10
[3] See Ho myth on the Rain of Fire
[4] Eze. 37:26-27
[5] See Myth on the Creation of Land in Ho
tradition where the earthworm wholeheartedly collaborates with Singbonga in
raising land from water.
[6] See Ho myth on Creation of Human beings
[7] See Asur Myth of the Ho tradition
[8] See the Myth of Making of the First Plough
[9] Omens in Kharia Tradition
[10] Gal 4:6
[11] Proverbs 10:1
[12] See the myth on Creation of Man in all the
traditions
[13] Proverbs 31:4-5
[14] See Asur
Legend where the heat emanated from the furnace of Asurs destroyed the harmony of nature and human beings.
