Therefore a certain lapse of time has to be given.A full medical report from the beginning of the ailment and the process of medication is required for the special team of Doctors working with the Postulator General to approve the miracle."There is no doubt that miracles of this type have been worked through the intercession of Bl. Joseph Vaz but they have to be brought to the notice of the National Secretariat so that a process of inquiry be instituted. The National Secretariat and the Diocesan Shrines record several favors and some of a real miraculous nature, but they have not yet met the expected requirements. Therefore, it is up to the Catholics of Sri Lanka and Goa to be united in daily prayer invoking God to grant such a miracle through the intercession of this great Apostle of Sri Lanka.The closing words of the Postulator general throw a great challenge to the Catholics of our land "Don't deny the Church the gift of St. Joseph Vaz by not praying for the Cause." May the Catholics of Sri Lanka and Goa prove themselves worthy to have him canonized before long in the New Millennium.

Sermon(Delivered by the Postulator general on 16th January 2001 on the feast day at the sanctuary of Blessed Joseph Vaz at Sancoale, Goa India)

Thank you Fr. Robin .I am pleased certainly to be here first of all as a priest in the act of worship the Mass I am pleased to be here as the Postulator of the cause. What is the job of the postulator? Postulator is a person who speaks in the name of the church and with the Church who speaks to the Holy Father and asks the Holy father solemnly and formally to canonize a new saint that is my role and in the canonization of the saints there are two important aspects: the first is this; to study the life of that person, to look at the life they led to look at their call they received form God virtues to see how they served, God and how they served those round and to examine that very carefully that is already being done in the case of Fr. Joseph Vaz  and because of that we had issued a decree of Heroicity of virtues  as a man of heroic virtues and then  Pope went ahead in 1995 in Colombo, Sri Lanka declared him blessed.

But there is another part of the process of canonization and it is this: It is to see if the life, the gifts and virtues and the devotion of Fr. Vaz has continued to exist in the church. Fr. Vaz died in 1711 but one of my jobs is to see whether he is still alive and what do you mean by that? If he is still alive in the faith of the people. If this man is still influencing the church, l influencing the people of faith of peoples lives. If he is still a cause of faith in peoples eyes and that is my job to look at that! And carry back to Rome my knowledge of the faith of the people who keep Fr. Vaz alive. And the faith of the people is shown in a very special way, because by prayer and by belief God is asked to show a special sign, a special sign that he want this man to be declared a Saint, a special sign, a miraculous cure to give us this sign that we should declare him a Saint .You see, I don't make that sign all I do is look for that sign But who is it that brings about that sign? Of course it is the grace of God. But how is the grace of God to come about? It comes about by your prayers, by your faith and by your devotion; you are the ones that will cause God to act by your faith by your prayer and by your devotion. If you are silent, God will remain silent .if you are praying, if you believe, if you are devoted then God will act.

You see Fr. Vaz is already united to God but we need a sign from God so that I can take this back to Rome and then the Pope can stand up and in the name of the whole church declare him a Saint. That is a very great responsibility of yours but it is also a wonderful privilege. Fr. Vaz was a priest, Fr. Vaz was a missionary. Fr. Vaz remains a Goan; he is flesh of your flesh, bone of your bone. Behold when God responds to our prayers by a cure, by some wonderful sign not only is Fr. Vaz lifted up but the whole people and nation of Goa is lifted up. It is very important that when we pray for this cure, but first of all we have faith that it will happen and secondly when it does that you speak to the Rector at the shrine to let him know what has happened because sometimes we don’t have our eyes of faith open wide enough to see what is happening. Often times in life, when you hear about or see something extraordinary you are often inclined to say you know:" I would never have believed it, unless I had seen it. I will never believe it, unless actually seen it for myself". But with God it is often the other way not "I wouldn’t have believed unless I had seen it" but with God I wouldn’t have seen it unless if I believed it.Belief comes first! And must believe that God will respond to your prayer and devotion to your faith and so when this comes about and you do come to the Shrine and let people know about it.

Then that is God giving us a sign, let our hearts be open, let our eyes be open to see that sign. As I said: it is your responsibility, it is your very very great privilege.  You keep Fr. Vaz alive. If Fr. Vaz had not existed you would not have been here today. You wouldn’t undertake this building here. This is keeping him alive. He is being kept alive because he was the beloved of God was a lover of God, he himself is your model in your Life, a priest as missionary and a Goan. So, by your presence here and by your continued visits to this shrine by your continued generosity to raise up a physical building as   a sign of faith, by all these signs, let us move God to give us a miracle so that some day we can move forward. That is when Fr. Vaz is declared Saint Joseph Vaz. He is now as a Patron of your diocese. He is honored and loved in Goa and Sri Lanka. But when some day, when the Pope will declare him Saint, he will belong to the whole Church not just Goa, not just Sri Lanka but he will belong to every catholic, in every country and in every corner of the world. That will come about by your prayer your devotion and your faith.

You see Fr. Vaz and his life of virtues was God's wonderful gift to Goa. Make sure that you offer him as gift, now, as a gift to the whole world, offer him as a gift to the whole catholic world. That is your responsibility, which is your wonderful wonderful privilege. So during this Mass and in your frequent prayers and acts of faith, remember that, your are called to offer him as a gift to the whole world and by offering him, you offer your very nationhood and Goa itself to the whole world.  Let us thank God that he is Blessed, and let us pray to God for a sign that he is soon be proclaimed "Saint" and if we believe then we will see it.

 

FELLOWSHIP WITH THE SAINTS AND THEIR CULT ACORDING TO VATICAN COUNCIL II

(CF. “LUMEN GENTIUM”, NOS. 50-51)

In full consciousness of this communion of the whole Mystical Body of Jesus Christ, the Church in its pilgrim members, from the very earliest day of the Christian religion, has honored with the great respect the memory of the dead, and,  “because it is a holy and a wholesome thought to pray for the dead that they may be loosed from their sins” (2 Mac. 12:46) she offers her suffrages for them. The Church has always believed that the apostles and Christ’s martyrs, who gave the supreme witness of faith and charity by shedding of their blood, are closely united with us in Christ; she has always venerated them, together with the Blessed Virgin Mary and the holy angels, with a special love, and has asked piously for the help of their intercession.

Soon these were added to these others who had chosen to imitate more closely the virginity and poverty of Christ, and still others whom the outstanding practice of the Christian virtues and the wonderful graces of God recommended to the pious devotion and imitation of the faithful. To look on the life of those who have faithfully followed Christ is to be inspired with a new reason for seeking the city which is to come (Cf. Heb.13: 14 and 11:10), while at the same time we are taught to know a most safe path by which, despite the vicissitudes of the world, and in keeping with the state of life and condition proper to each of us, we will be able to arrive at perfect union with Christ, that is, holiness. God shows to men, in a vivid way, his presence and his face in the lives of those companions of ours in the human condition who are more perfectly transferred into image of Christ (Cf. Cor. 3:18).

He speaks to us in them and offers us a sign of this Kingdom, to which we are powerfully attracted, so great a cloud of witness is there given (C. Heb. 12:1) and such a witness to the truth of the Gospel.   It is not merely by the title of example that we cherish the memory of those in heaven; we seek, rather, that by this devotion to the exercise of fraternal charity the union of the whole Church in the Spirit may be strengthen (Cf. Eph. 4:6). Exactly as Christian communion between men and their earthly pilgrimage brings us closer to Christ, so our community with the saints joins us Christ, from whom as fountain and head issues all grace and the life of the People of God it self.

It is most fitting, therefore, that we love those friends and coheirs of Jesus Christ who are also our brothers and outstanding benefactors, and that we give due thanks to God for them,  “humbly invoking them, and having recourse to heir prayers, their aid and help in obtaining from God through his Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord, our only Redeemer  and Savior, the benefits we need. “Every authentic witness of love, indeed, offered by us those who are in heaven tends to and terminates in Christ, “the crown of all the saints, “ and through him in God who is wonderful in his saints and is glorified in them.   It is especially in the sacred liturgy that our union with the heavenly Church is best realized; in the liturgy, through the sacramental signs, the power of the Holy Spirit acts on us, and with community rejoicing we celebrate together the praise of the divine majesty, when all those of every tribe and tongue and people and nation (Cf. Apoc. 5:9) who have been redeemed by the blood of Christ and gathered together into Church glorify, in one common song of praise, the one and triune God.

When, then, we celebrate the Eucharistic sacrifice we are most closely united to the worship of the heavenly Church; when in the fellowships of communion we honor and remember the glorious Mary ever virgin, St. Joseph, the holy apostles and martyrs and all the saints. 51. This sacred council accepts loyally the venerable faith of our ancestors in the living communion which exist between us and our brothers who are in the glory of heaven or who are yet being purified after death; and it proposes again the decrees of the Second Council of Nicea, of the Council of Florence, and of the council of Trent. At the same time, in keeping with its pastoral  preoccupations this council urges all concerned to remove or correct any abuses, excesses or defects which may have crept in here or there, and so restore all things that Christ and God be more fully praised. Let us teach the faithful, therefore of external acts, but rather in a more intense practice of our love, whereby, for our own greater good and that of Church, we seek from the saints  “example in their way of life, fellowship in their communion, and the help of their intercession”.

On the other hand, let the faithful be taught that our communion with these in heaven, provided that it is understood in the full light faith, in no way diminishes the worship or adoration given to God the Father, through Christ, in the spirit; on the contrary, it greatly enriches it or if we continue to love another and I join praising the Most Holy Trinity-all of us who are sons of God and from one family in Christ (Cf. Heb. 3:6)-we will be faithful to the deepest vocation of the Church and will share in a foretaste of the liturgy of perfect glory. At  the hour when Christ will appear, when the glorious resurrection of the death will occur, the glory of God will light up the heavenly city, and the Lamb will be its lamp (Cf. Apoc. 21:24). Then the whole Church of the saints in the supreme happiness of charity will adore God and “the Lamb who was slain” (Apoc. 5:12), proclaiming with one voice: “To him who sits upon the throne and to the lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might for ever and ever” (Apoc. 5:13-14).

 

A SAINT FOR OUR TROUBLED TIMES

- Fr. Denis Pereira

In a message sent to the Bishops of Sri Lanka (Nov.27, l987) to commemorate the Three Hundredth Anniversary of the arrival of Fr. Joseph Vaz into Sri  Lanka, Pope John Paul II recommended in the tragic hour of tension and violence in their land," Fr. Joseph Vaz's approach of humble and courageous openness to every person, in evangelical love and fraternity, indicating the  essential ministry that the Church has to offer Sri Lankan society: the ministry of forgiveness, hope and reconciliation". In a sense, these words are prophetic vis-à-vis our situation in India today.

Who would imagine that the situation in which Blessed Joseph Vaz found himself to be when he entered Sri Lanka would be duplicated, though not to the same extent, more than three hundred years later, in India? 
He went to Sri Lanka to a Church in hiding -- ours is perhaps fast becoming (despite our tendency to be complacent) a Church under siege.

He went in disguise as a beggar, yet with the trappings of an Indian yogi -- ours is a Church that would be ill-advised to go about with the trappings of colonial power, using methods of aggressive evangelization. Our Church must increasingly be seen as a Church of service, an Inculturated Church, that does not cut itself from its cultural, spiritual and mystical roots in the stream of consciousness that comes down the centuries to us, the people  of this land.

He suffered much and was imprisoned as a spy of the Portuguese -- Our continuous source of pain will be to have to live under the pale of suspicion that we are a limb of colonial and foreign Western powers, currently reeking of economic imperialism. 
He went to the poor because they were in need. He did not discriminate between Christian, Buddhists and Muslims when disaster (small-pox, drought) struck the land -- our Church must be seen as truly concerned with the plight of the poor, making a 'preferential option' for them especially in our educational and health institutions. 

He did not discriminate between castes and religions. He was a man of dialogue, an ecumenist and irenic's (a man of peace} --for us, ecumenism and dialogue with other religions cannot be considered a fringe activity, or a superfluous attitude. Rather the Church in India must be seen as respectful and acceptant of the religious values, customs and traditions of people of other faiths. Joseph Vaz was able to integrate the local customs, myths, religious symbols into his catechesis, his religious writings, prayer services, even retelling of Biblical stories, without compromising either the Gospel message or the Church as the Kingdom of God.It is striking that Joseph Vaz anticipated the changes heralded by Vatican II in numerous ways, thereby winning for himself the accolade of noted musicologist Pierre Charles, SJ, who called him "the perfect model of an apostle". Scholars and Church historians in India would do an immense service to our Church in these troubled times if they would explore in greater depth the rich variety of this man of God, who hopefully will soon be declared a saint. We need not wait till then to recognize him as a "saint for our troubled times" -- and imitate his zeal. 

THE RELEVANCE OF BLESSED JOSEPH VAZ  TO THE EVANGELIZATION OF ASIA TODAY

- Archbishop Henry D'SouzaThe General Congress of Oratorians in Rome is a beautiful occasion to recall Blessed Joseph Vaz, himself an Oratorian of the 17th century.  I would like to talk about this great saint because of the very special missionary thrust for which his life and work offer inspiration.  Blessed Joseph Vaz was born in Goa and became a Priest in Goa.  He however volunteered to be a missionary in the island of Sri Lanka, then known as Ceylon.  The island was under severe religious persecution from the Dutch who at that time ruled the country. 

Catholic priests were forbidden to preach; it would mean imprisonment and even death if they were caught. Blessed Joseph Vaz went to Ceylon disguised as a Laborer. He walked the rural paths through the tea gardens, searching for Catholics, ministering to their needs, instructing them in the faith, regularizing their marriages, baptizing their children, and celebrating Holy Mass in their homes and villages.  He was a veritable apostle for the Sri Lankan Church and he revived the faith, which had been badly affected by the persecution.  He also converted over 30000 persons who embraced the faith and who still remember him. It was in 1693 that Blessed Joseph Vaz worked a miracle of rain during a very severe drought and the King of Kandy offered him protection and freedom to preach the Gospel in the Kingdom of Kandy.  He used the missionary method of Inculturation.  He composed a Para-liturgy in Tamil and Singhala.

He educated his servant John to be a priest.  John belonged to the Kunbi tribe, which at that time was not accepted for priesthood.  During a smallpox epidemic in Kandy, the King and other nobles fled; but Blessed Joseph Vaz remained ministering to the dying and abandoned victims for almost 2 years.  Blessed Joseph Vaz finally died in 1711 after 23 years of arduous missionary work in Sri Lanka.  In 1713 his cause for beatification was started. If the glories of the altar were denied to this intrepid apostle of the Faith for over 2 centuries, this must be attributed to the colonial mentality of that period. 

There is little use to lament over the injustice done.  Perhaps in God's providence, this millennium is the appropriate time for Blessed Joseph Vaz to emerge as a model of missionary effort in the face of opposition and persecution.  Blessed Joseph Vaz was beatified in 1995 by Pope John Paul II in Sri Lanka when he paid a visit to that island. There does seem to be a special role for Blessed Joseph Vaz to play at this moment of history.  His life and ministry becomes very relevant. Persecution against Christians in several countries in Asia is being evidenced.  During the past 2/3 years Christians in India have experienced atrocities from fundamentalist forces, which have become frequent enough to draw governmental attention.  Several times the Christian leaders are told that this is provoked by the Christian Gospel and converting people.

Yet freedom to practice, preach and propagate one's faith is enshrined in the Indian Constitution. Here then is a modern missionary challenge.  The unambiguous missionary mandate of "Go, preach the Gospel" is being questioned.  At this juncture it gives the Church and its missionaries renewed courage and zeal by looking at the life and work of that pioneer missionary of Sri Lanka, Blessed Joseph Vaz. He did not hesitate to face any persecution and even risked his life so that Christ might be preached.  His total commitment to the people was evidenced by leaving his homeland and dying among his flock in Kandy, far away from his kith and kin.  His adaptation of life-style, dressing himself even as a laborer, so that he could be with his flock and his effort for Inculturation in those colonial days are outstanding examples for emulation and inspiration.

The involvement of the Oratorians in the Cause of Blessed Joseph Vaz seems very important.  Blessed Joseph Vaz founded the first fully native Oratorian Congregation in the 3^rd world.  Blessed Joseph Vaz had heard of the Portuguese Oratory led by Bartholomew de Quintal and after correspondence with the Lisbon Oratory, he sought and obtained affiliation with the Oratory of St. Filippo Neri.  The Papal bull confirming the Goa Oratory was sent to India in 1709. Blessed Joseph Vaz has the distinction of founding a missionary oratory - priests who could be available for frontier missionary work. And in so far as all these priests were natives, the venture is even more creditable for the 17th century, where missionary enterprise was linked with colonial expansion. I have been here in Rome to meet the Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of the Saints in the hope that he would forward the sainthood of Blessed Joseph Vaz as a victim of the colonial period. 

Under any other conditions Blessed Joseph Vaz would long since have received the glories of the altar.  Neither his cause nor his devotion were fostered during the 2 centuries of colonial rule, where the devotion to saints from Europe were eagerly propagated.  No blame to anyone.  Perhaps God has his own plan; he has set the time and the occasion.  At this moment of history in the face of anti-Christian events, the example and zeal of Blessed Joseph Vaz have emerged as inspiring models for emulation by modern missionaries in Asia.  May this be so.  At times the observation is heard about the flagging efforts for proclamation of Jesus and his messages.  Blessed Joseph Vaz as a native missionary using Inculturation as an approach can serve as a role model, besides assisting the work of evangelization by his powerful intercession. We are told that an attested miracle is required so that Blessed Joseph Vaz may be canonized. 

It will be our task to foster a more popular devotion to Blessed Joseph Vaz in all the areas where evangelization is in progress.  This is surely the call that is made to us who have been inspired by his life and example. May the Oratorians join in wholeheartedly is our prayer and appeal. The process of proving miracles is not an easy one - made more difficult for the Sri Lankan Church, which is under great national stress and with the small funds available in our mission situations.  A petition to canonize Blessed Joseph Vaz even without a miracle has been made.  May be the petition will help the Holy Father to dispense with the requirement of a miracle.  This too could be a miracle - it is our prayer and hope.

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