“Christian Hope – Eternal Life in Jesus, The Prince of Peace” was the theme of this year’s Feast of Our Lady of Velankanni. The celebrant for this year’s Feast was Father Alexander Rawi from the Holy Family Church, Ulu Tiram, Johor, Malaysia.

The Feast was held from Wednesday 3 September 2008 to Saturday 6 September 2008. On each day, there was a Mass in the evening at 7.30pm. On Friday, 5 September 2008, the Mass was followed by Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and Healing. Devotees from all walks of life attended the Feast. The congregation consisted of our local Indian and Chinese parishioners from Toa Payoh and other parts of Singapore, foreign workers in Singapore and laity from other countries.

For the first time, this year’s homilies were delivered in Tamil and English. On the last day, Saturday, Father Alexander Rawi delivered a homily in Mandarin in addition to Tamil and English.

On Thursday, the celebrants included Father Cyril who is from India and Father Augustine Joseph from our local church, Church of Our Lady of Lourdes. On Saturday, the celebrants were Father Alexander and Father Cyril.

I was touched by two aspects of Father Alexander’s homilies. Father Alexander highlighted the great conversion of St Augustine and how St Monica, Augustine’s mother, prayed constantly and prayed hard for the conversion of her son. Indeed St Monica had the immense hope that God will answer her prayers. Father Alexander’s homily on the two saints on Thursday was an illumination of the sub-theme for that day – “A Christian Pilgrim perseveres in Hope towards Eternal Life.

Another aspect of Father Alexander’s homilies that I took home was his emphasis on Faith, Hope and Charity. He considers these three virtues to be very important in a Christian’s journey to Eternal Life. Father Alexander repeated these two aspects in his Friday homily.

Father Cyril in his Saturday homily said, amongst others, that happiness is found in oneself and no in the material goods of this world. Happiness must from the inside of ourselves. We need to be contented with what we have and not compare ourselves with our neighours. We should maintain a feeling of satisfaction and happiness in the “here and now” and not postpone our happiness to a later date.

Let us believe that Our Lady of Velankanni will always pray for us and give us her blessings in our journey as a Christian pilgrim on this earth and while we make our way to Eternal Life.