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A Liberation Rosary for Goa
Article in Herald, Opinion
Column | By Joseph L. R. Vaz | Mon Dec 21
Today, as we celebrate yet another Goa Liberation day,
it makes me wonder whether I should be happy or sad.
Whether Goa and Goans have benefited from this
liberation or only India and Indians. Certainly Goa
lost a lot, from being a part of an advanced European
Country to that of a developing one.
Goans were not given a choice to decide; rather we
were forcibly conquered and fooled into believing that
we are free.
I remember my father telling me that before liberation
the houses were hardly locked and you could do your
shopping and be back without locking the door. Today
in spite of having double doors and big locks and
grills to every opening including the windows and the
ventilators, my mother never likes to lock the house
and go out.
Earlier in our childhood we never had phones, forget
mobiles and our parents hardly worried whenever we
were out, but today we are so anxious and worried when
our children are out and we have to drop them and pick
them up from school, because we fear accidents and
child molesters.
I remember 30 years ago my father dug a well so deep,
that he would proudly tell all my neighbors not to
worry about water during summer season as they can use
the well that will never dry up. But today forget the
summers, we can not use the well even during the rainy
season, courtesy sewage from a big Hospital and other
Housing societies flowing into river Sal.
Today our fields and ponds are being filled up for
buildings, the hills are being cut for more buildings,
forest being destroyed for mining, our homes are being
broken for road widening, our lands are being acquired
for various reasons and ultimately handed over to
outsiders who have more black money then us. We have
to make place for outsiders who want to settle in Goa,
to build more flats and make the roads more wider. We
have our politicians creating colonies for Vote-Banks.
These colonies are turning out to be dens of vices
with active support of our politicos.
Our jobs are being taken over by migrants because we
demand better salaries and decent working conditions
and we have to compete against outsiders most of whom
can’t manage a single meal in their home state and are
willing to work like slaves. In the end we have to go
abroad to make a living, leaving behind our wives and
families at the mercy of these outsiders.
We have the rich and famous from the whole of India
coming to Goa with their pot loads of money to buy out
our land, with the result, us Goans born and brought
up here cannot afford to buy our own land. Therefore,
what do we do? Many Goans have lost hope and have left
Goan shores, because they feel Goa is ruined.
In the 16th Century a similar situation arose in
Europe. I’m talking of the Battle of Lepanto which is
a great lesson of confidence for us today. In times of
acute danger and hardship, we must always fly into the
arms of the most powerful Mother of God and turn to
the recitation of the Rosary.
Europe was on the verge of being occupied by the
powerful Turks. The Ottoman juggernaut was about to
roll across the Mediterranean and adjacent lands,
spearheaded by the Turkish fleet, with Italy and Rome
as one of its targets.
No nation could stand up to the marauding Turkish army
and the candidates for an alliance were few. Northern
Europe had risen up in armed rebellion against the
Church with France deeply involved in the conflict,
while much of Europe felt that neutrality was the best
policy to follow after the Turks occupied a large
chunk of its land in the Danube River Valley. Only
Spain and Venice had the resources to resist, and they
hated each other along with deep mistrust.
The Pope at that time, Pope Pius V — calling down
divine grace as only a man of prayer could — forged an
alliance with them as the core of an organized fleet
of over 200 galleys. With his considerable tact and
diplomatic skills, he not only kept them unified, but
he convinced them to attack the enveloping menace.
The Archbishop of Mexico had an exact copy of the Holy
Image of Guadalupe sent to King Philip II, who in turn
gave it to Andrea Doria, one of the three principal
admirals of the fleet, who placed it in his cabin.
When the Armada went from file to line abreast and
attacked on the morning of October7, 1571 the blue
standard of Our Lady of Guadalupe was also flying from
the masthead of Don Juan’s flagship. But Our Lady’s
presence that day was more acutely felt through the
Holy Rosary.
Pope Pius V, did what Catholics have always done in
times of acute danger: fly into the arms of the most
powerful Mother of God. As a follower of Saint
Dominic, he knew the most effective means of imploring
her help was through the recitation of the Holy
Rosary. He ordered all monasteries and convents in
Rome to increase their prayers for the impending
battle and organized rosary processions in which he,
as sick as he was, participated.
As the Christian fleet sailed toward the great clash
of cultures, Mass wascelebrated and the rosary recited
daily on each vessel. This heart felt request for
divine assistance resulted in a crushing defeat of the
Ottomansat Lepanto that ended their dominance in the
Mediterranean.
To celebrate Our Lady’s intercession, the Church has
designated October 7 asthe Feast of the Holy Rosary
and Saint Pius V added Help of Christians(Auxilium
Christianorum) to the Litany of Our Lady (Loreto).
Similaracknowledgement to the Blessed Virgin’s
intercession through the rosary weremade when John
Sobieski forced the Turks to lift the Siege of Vienna
in 1683and after the victory of Prince Eugene of Savoy
at Temesvar in hissuccessful campaign to remove the
Ottomans from Europe in the next century.
While the din of battle gradually diminished at the
bloody waters offLepanto, Saint Pius V was going over
accounts in the papal apartments withBartolo Busotti,
his treasurer. Suddenly, he arose with his face
radiantwith joy and announced, “Let us go and thank
God, for this moment our fleethas defeated the Turks.”
Human agency brought news to Rome two weeks later.We
think it is time that we start the Rosary Crusade in
Goa to save ourbeloved Goa. We too are about to be
usurped from our land. We can start withsmall groups
of people even 2 persons, can gather at any public
place atleast once a week and dedicate a 5 decade
Rosary for Goa. The beauty of theRosary is that it can
be said anywhere even while moving and you do not
needspecial permissions. You can say it in a Church,
or Chapel, or a cross, maybe in a field or a mountain
(remember most of the apparitions of Mother Marywere
in a field) or any other public place. We have done it
for manydifferent causes and have got success in the
worst of cases. We can alsonetwork with each other so
that we can share our ideas and experiences andsupport
each other in times of difficulties.
Such Rosary crusades are going on in many parts of the
world including USA.
Let us do something for Goa before it is too late. The
enemy is too big tofight with our earthly strength.
The enemy is powerful and can destroy us ina moment.
Therefore the only option for us is through divine
help andnothing better than a “ROSARY FOR GOA” once a
week. Viva Goa.For start if any body is interested
they can contact us at kat.goykar at gmail.com or sms
or call on 9420978536.*Joseph L. R. Vaz, **Navelim.
**Civic & Consumer Activist.* |
|
The Decade We Didn't See Coming
By Joel Achenbach |
Washington Post Staff Writer | Sunday, December 27,
2009
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/26/AR2009122601822.html
The decade began so swimmingly. No Y2K bug, no
terrorism, nothing but lots of fireworks as the planet
turned and, time zone by time zone, all the zeroes
replaced the nines.
America was at peace. Prosperity reigned. The popular
president soon announced a budget surplus of $230
billion. The dilemma for Washington lawmakers was what
to do with all the extra money. People watched the
values of their houses soar. The Dow had jumped 25
percent in just a year. Imagine how $1,000 might
mushroom if invested in stocks for the next decade!
The future had arrived bearing nifty technological
gifts. An entire music catalogue could fit in the palm
of a hand. People nurtured their avatars in Internet
role-playing games. Technology offered a virtual
escape from the real world.
f the 20th century was the "American Century," as
Henry Luce called it, then the 21st century remains --
with 10 percent of it gone -- very much up for grabs.
China may be the most fascinating country on Earth,
but it has demographic and environmental burdens.
India has a billion people and a lot of jobs once
performed by Americans. Europe is integrating
portentously. But the United States remains the
world's sole superpower.
ad_icon
America has a new leader who, back in 2000, was an
obscure state legislator in Illinois. The next decade
could be Obama's to shape. But governing is harder
than campaigning. And Obama has already discovered
that "Change" is something many people want in the
abstract more than in real life.
Human civilization evolves paradoxically. A world
where you can donate money with the click of a button
to save a life in Africa is also one where men strap
bombs to themselves to blow up innocent strangers.
As history marches on, this decade will be known for
its stumbles and reversals. The scolds and doubters
reminded us that hope is not a plan. But neither is
despair a winning strategy. The smart move is to look
back at the 2000s glancingly, and then turn, with
optimism, to the decade ahead. |
