NECHA BULLETIN JANUARY 2021

NECHA BULLETIN NORTH EASTERN COMMUNITY HEALTH ASSOCIATION (NECHA) BHOLA BABA PATH, HOUSE NO. 2, SIX MILE, GUWAHATI - 781022, ASSAM VOL - II. NO.IX JANUARY, 2021 EDITORIAL Continuation of the mission and ministry of Christ entrusted to the Apostles and down to us the anointed and consecrated is our primary mission of proclamation, sanctifying the faithful through sacraments especially Holy Eucharist and penance, healing the sick and delivering people from bondages and casting out evil spirits. All other activities like education (running of schools and colleges), and health (running of hospitals, health centers, dispensaries etc) are considered to be secondary or supplementary activities supporting the primary mission. Neglecting the primary mission and occupying with secondary is not justice and fidelity to Christ. More lay people can be engaged for secondary mission. As far back as 350 AD St. Basil and St. Gregory Nazianzen, both Bishops, allowed monks and nuns to go out of the monastery cloisters and to operate hospitals as a supplementary to the direct mission of Christ. St. Kuriakose Elias Chavara, after getting the canonical approval of the CMI congregation in 1855, founded seminaries, 1st catholic Sanskrit school, 1st printing press and home for the aged. He organized all the activities with priests and lay leaders to supplement the primary mission and ministry of Jesus. In 1988 I led an exposure group of priests and nuns to Philippines. We visited a diocesan university having the strength of about ten thousand students; classes from nursery to post – graduation, conducted in the same complex. It was managed by one priest as vice Chancellor, 4 religious Sisters and all the rest were Catholic leaders and teachers. In the same complex there is also a convent with 60 sisters, engaged all in various Diocesan commissions and programmes. It is a good example for us to get involved more in the primary mission of Jesus and guide and enable more lay people to take up the secondary or supplementary mission activities. Sanctification and holiness of the anointed and the dedicated for continuing the mfoiussnidonedaPbnLydEJAmeTsSiOunEsisTTCtrUAhyrRPiosNftH.JEeRsuEs are the strength of the church

NECHA BULLETIN EUCHARIST: CENTRE THE LAST SUPPER OF LIFE. AND EUCHARIST MULTIPLICATION OF LOAVES Jesus took bread, said a blessing and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat, this is The miracle of multiplying five loaves and two fish my body.” Then he took the cup and gave thanks, and and feeding 5000 people was a preparation for passed it to them saying, “Drink this all of you, for this giving his body and blood in the form of Holy is my blood, the blood of the covenant, which is poured Eucharist to people (John 6:1-11). out for many for the forgiveness of sins (Matthew 26: 26-28). “Do this in remembrance of me” (Luke 22: 19- JESUS WISHES HIS PEOPLE 20). TO BE IN HIM AND HE IN THEM From all these we can conclude that Jesus wants his Feeding all the people is significant. Jesus declared, Apostles and Ministers to make available his body and “I am the living bread, which came down from blood not only among themselves but also to the heaven; whoever eats of this bread will live forever. people as often as possible for their food and life. So The bread I shall give is my flesh and I will give it for the anointed ministers and the consecrated disciples the life of the world” (John 6:51). The conclusion is have to prepare the people for the celebration of the that all have to eat his body and blood for eternal Holy Mass and reception of the Holy Eucharist. This life. was the primary mission, ministry, duty, responsibility and obligation of the Apostles, disciples and consecrated people. We the anointed priests and consecrated religious are bound to be in the villages to preach and sanctify the believers through celebrating Holy Mass and giving the Holy Communion. PRIMARY MISSION LIFE IN JESUS “He who eats my flesh and drink my blood lives in me and All that is mentioned above was the primary mission, I in him” (John 6:56). “The words I have spoken to you are ministry, responsibility and obligation of the Apostles, spirit and they are life” (John 6:63). Jesus loved the disciples and consecrated people. We the anointed Apostles and all the people who followed him. Before priests and consecrated religious are bound to be in laying down his body and soul on the cross as a sacrifice the villages to preach, teach and sanctify the believers to God the Father for our sins, he wished all to eat his through celebrating Holy Mass and giving Holy flesh and drink his blood as often as possible and the Eucharist. people “to live in him and he in them.” PLEASE TAP HERE TO TURN

NECHA BULLETIN SUPPLIMENTARY MISSION the gifts of healing given to us and also prepare our people to exercise the same powers received through their Baptism. Already from AD 350 we see St. Basil and St. So give Holy Mass daily to different villages. Gregory Naianzen, both bishops, establishing cloistered monasteries and convents for taking people PLANNING closer to Jesus. At the same time, together with the monastic life, the monks were allowed to take up Plan and find out time, ways and means to go to the villages supplementary or complimentary works like running every day so that people may get their spiritual food. It is the health centres, hospitals and son on to face the right of the people to listen to the word of God and to live pandemic situations. Keeping up the monastic life they the word of God to have Eucharist as their daily spiritual enabled the people to run the charitable institutions. food. Let people make profits. Leave the idea of profit Today most of charitable institutions belong to the oriented activities to the people in the world. “You must be anointed and the consecrated and have become holy as the heavenly Father is holy.” (Matthew 5:48). profit oriented. Today our supplementary or secondary mission of schools AUTHORITY AND POWER and health care institutions have taken the place of our primary mission of doing what Christ and Apostles did. Jesus has given the authority and power to proclaim Without profit we do not want to venture into the primary the word, to heal the sick, to cast out evil spirits and to mission of Christ. This is the infidelity of the disciples, the draw people closer to Jesus. Unless we become holy anointed and the consecrated and not continuing the mission and sanctifying our life, we cannot use the authority, of Christ. powers and gifts of the Holy Spirit. So the primary duty expected of us is our own holiness and HUMBLE AGENDA sanctification so that we can have the gift of the Holy Spirit in its fullness for us and the people. As anointed FORM CONVICTIONS and consecrated people, we have to become holy and make others holy. 1. Have firm convictions about the mission and ministry of Christ, given to his Apostles and DAILY MASS Disciples. Our daily holy Mass and Holy Eucharist and Word of 2. Priests and Religious are anointed and consecrated God must be our daily food, without fail, for our to continue the Mission and Ministry of Jesus holiness and sanctification. With this we are able to without any compromise. exercise the authority, powers over evil spirits and 3. It is the duty and obligation of every priest, Religious and Catechists to go to people, every day as far as possible, to give word of God and Holy Eucharist to the people. PLEASE TAP HERE TO TURN

NECHA BULLETIN 4. Teach and orient the people to approach the table of the - Not brushing teeth in the morning or even after Lord every day and to draw power from it. Teach the each meal. people to make Holy Eucharist as the centre of their daily life. - Not rinsing the mouth after eating sour things. - Eating too much and too many antibiotics. 5. Show your active Faith, convictions, hope and charity - Eating sweets and sweet things and not washing through your examples of life. mouth 6. Make annual and monthly planner of your Pastoral - Not getting Calcium rich food. activities and circulate in advance to the villages. - Eating of too many Calcium tablets for a 7. Plan for daily Mass and reception of Eucharist in the prolonged period. villages, teaching the people for it and make finance needed for it. PROMOTION OF DENTAL HEALTH 8. Allot various supplementary mission work (Schools, Learn more about dental health and enable others to look hospitals, wellness centres, hostels) to competent and holy after their teeth. people with proper guidance and remunerations and trainings. PREVENTION 9. Share the Pastoral work with holy people - Brush the teeth even without paste, in the morning and after every meal. 10. Positive thinking and placing confidence in the people and a solid prayer life will make all the mission and ministry - Remove food particles from the teeth. of Christ successful in your life. - Rinse mouth thoroughly after eating. - Avoid antibiotics and unnecessary medicines as far 11. Prayer and faith in Jesus are the greatest weapons we have with us. Love for receiving Jesus in the Eucharist will as possible. increase the God-experience of the people. - Chew mildly and not violently; avoid chances of Health tips biting sand in the food. - Eat balanced diet. HEALTHY TEETH - Preserve the God given beauty of your teeth. God has given us and all creatures teeth for various CURE purpose. Use of teeth is mainly to chew and grind the food before it go into the stomach. Teeth are God’s gift. God 1. Keep mouth and teeth clean. has made it permanently white. Love your teeth and care 2. Remove decayed food particles from cavity. for it. 3. Attend to tooth decay at the beginning. 4. Insert clove or Euchatiptus oil or any other CAUSES OF TOOTH INFECTION traditional remedies into the cavity or mouth. Due to unfavorable food or drink, teeth can change the 5. Suspend saturated warm salt water in the mouth. colour into yellow or any light shades. 6. Consult a Dentist. 7. A far as possible do not extract a tooth. Doctor - Food particles remain in between the teeth for long time and the tooth infection begins. can fill the cavity or cap the broken tooth. 8. If teeth are removed, make artificial teeth so that - Sand or bones biting during meal may break or crack the tooth and infection can take place your food may be chewed well, your diction will improve. NECHA Bulletin is for the health education of the people, especially the youth in the villages. We wish to circulate the Bulletin to all the villages in the North Eastern States. You may give us the WhatsApp No. or Email ID of your people or forward it. Those who like to begin Community Organising Programmes in your village may contact your Parish Priest or Nurse Sister or Contact NECHA office directly. Fr. K.C. George, Director, NECHA Bholababa Path, House No. 2, Six Mile, Khanapara, Guwahati - 781022, Assam. Mobile: 9678224827 (O), 8974008332 (P) Email: [email protected], Website: nechaindia.org Private Circulation only