Appreciations
View(s):A prophetic priest sees a ‘new Jerusalem that will not pass away’
Fr. Oscar Abayaratne
Through the power of the Holy Spirit, he brought tens of thousands of mainly poor Catholic people to a direct and personal relationship with the Risen Lord.
Rev. Fr. Siri Oscar Abayaratne whom the Lord chose to launch the Kithu Dana Pubuduwa (KDP) or the Catholic Renewal Movement passed away on November 4 after a long illness. On Friday, a thanksgiving Mass was held at the KDP’s main centre – the Sri Prasansaramaya at Walpola in Ragama. The Mass was concelebrated by the Archbishop of Colombo Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith with six other Bishops in the presence of scores of other priests and lay leaders of the KDP. In a glowing tribute to Fr. Oscar, the Cardinal highlighted his outstanding service to the Catholic Church and how he had transformed head level Catholics to heart level Catholics who gave an inner response to God by doing His will as Christ Jesus did and as our Blessed Mother did.
Bible scholars and Church analysts have described the KDP which celebrated its golden jubilee this year, as a most powerful charismatic movement. Its vision was to be like Christ Jesus who told the apostles that he did only what the Father told him to do and said only what the Father wanted him to say. Among the KDP’s goals were personal holiness, community life, evangelization, building a church of the poor, creating a just and fair society by getting actively and effectively involved in issues such as climate change and poverty alleviation. Another important goal was the setting up of an all-religions solidarity alliance especially with the majority Buddhists.
Fr. Oscar had regular meetings with Buddhist prelates to find ways in which Buddhists and Christians along with Hindus and Muslims could work together for the common good of all. Among the main issues were the importance of living according to the teachings of those who began the religions—Gautama the Buddha, Christ Jesus, Prophet Muhammad and Hindu leaders.
Fr. Oscar and the KDP also gave a prominent place to the principles of alpechchathaawaya or a simple and humble lifestyle. He set the example by living in a mud-hut at the Sri Pransansaramaya and for several decades used public transport for his work. While travelling he did not wear his robe because he did not want to get the special preference given to priests. If he had to conduct a seminar at the Prasansa Mandiraya or some other distant place and it was to begin at 8.30 a.m., he would come there by 8 a.m. not only to set an example of punctuality but also perhaps to wait and pray for the people who were attending.
Fr. Oscar’s body was blessed by the Cardinal and the other Bishops before it was buried near the Blessed Sacrament chapel in the Prasansaramaya premises. His life and lives of most KDP members could be summed up in this inspiring hymn: “…..go tell everyone the news that the Kingdom of God has come; just as the Father sent me so, I’m sending you out to be, my witnesses throughout the world, the whole of the world; don’t carry a load in your pack, you don’t need two shirts on your back, a workman can earn his own keep; don’t worry what you have to say, don’t worry because on that day, God’s spirit will speak in your heart.”
Some years ago international charismatic movement members came to the Sri Prasansaramaya for a conference and went to the mud-hut to see the ailing Fr. Oscar. When they came back, they told the KDP’s lay leaders that a living saint was in their midst. Indeed this living saint by the power of the Holy Spirit spiritually nourished people to be so committed to God’s vision that they could sing from the heart.
As Fr. Oscar departed this immortal song may have been sung from his heart: “Last night I lay a-sleeping, there came a dream so fair, I stood in old Jerusalem, beside the temple there, I heard the children singing, and ever as they sang, Me thought the voice of angels, from Heaven in answer rang, Jerusalem, Jerusalem!, lift up your gates and sing, Hosanna in the highest, Hosanna to your King!; and then me thought my dream was changed, the streets no longer rang, hushed were the glad Hosannas, the little children sang, the sun grew dark with mystery, the morn was cold and chill, as the shadow of a cross arose, upon a lonely hill, Jerusalem, Jerusalem!, Hark! How the Angels sing, Hosanna in the highest, Hosanna to your King!; and once again the scene was changed, new earth there seemed to be, I saw the Holy City, beside the tideless sea, the light of God was on its streets, the gates were open wide, and all who would might enter, and no one was denied, no need of moon or stars by night, or sun to shine by day, It was the new Jerusalem, that would not pass away, Jerusalem! Jerusalem, sing for the night is o’er, Hosanna in the highest, Hosanna for evermore!”
Louis Benedict
Our saint for many, many years bid adieu on All Saints Day
Margaret Machado
The outpouring of grief, messages of sympathy, assurances of masses and prayers, and the most amazing and touching tributes from all over the world only emphasise what we lost when our beloved Mummy breathed her last on Monday, November 1. Fittingly, Mummy died on the morning of All Saints Day as she was our saint for many, many years.
Margaret Mary Therese Little Flower Machado nee Roche passed away aged 96, in Melbourne. She was the last in her wonderful family to leave this world for her heavenly home. Born on October 17, 1925, Mummy was the daughter of Pagnani and Annie Roche, and sister to Gerard, Bertie, Matilda, Sr. Fortunata and Joe. She studied and later taught at the Holy Cross Convent in the south Indian city of Tuticorin, before moving to Sri Lanka, along with her parents, in her early 20s to marry Rosario Joseph Machado.
The tremendous faith which she inherited from her parents played a huge part in her life –three of her Dad’s brothers were priests, one ending up a Bishop, while her sister served as a nun for more than six decades.
She and Dadda fostered and encouraged the Christian faith in all their children: Axie, Rienzie, Sally, Veronica, Belinda, Fortunata and me. The toughest time was when our eldest brother Axie, an established tea planter, died in an accident on his estate, on August 25, 1985, leaving a young widow, a five-year-old son and six-month-old daughter. Mummy and Dadda always said parents should never bury their child, but their faith and trust in Our Heavenly Father, and the support of our vast network of family and friends, sustained and kept them and all of us going through the darkest days and nights.
Mummy, who had 14 grandchildren and 11 great grandchildren, was blessed with a healthy, generous and positive life until the last few months. She was an amazing person whose tremendous faith and love for Our Lord and the Blessed Mother Mary shaped her whole life. She and Dadda who passed away in Melbourne on August 20, 2003, attended daily mass when we lived next to St Lawrence’s Church in Wellawatte, and continued this in Melbourne. Church and church activities were a major part of their lives. Until a few years ago, Mummy never missed the Christmas midnight mass.
Mummy and Dadda migrated to Melbourne in December 1988, a few days before Christmas, and thrived in the different lifestyle of Australia, reigniting old friendships from Sri Lanka, while making new friends in their church and elsewhere.
Mummy always spoke of the many positives of living in Australia, and she and Dadda were very proud citizens until their last breath. But they never forgot their roots, always keeping in touch with their many relations, and friends, and ensuring we also knew the connections. They generously helped those in need, with Mummy continuing this till her last days.
Mummy was an excellent organiser, a nifty dresser with great taste, a magnificent cook, excellent seamstress, busy gardener, very creative planner, and supported Dadda with his home business (including making stockings for sale at Christmas), checking his correspondence, and providing invaluable ideas and advice for his new ventures to thrive. She also took our homework, and ensured we improved in everything we learned. Mum and Dad were a very loving, humble yet formidable team, who were highly respected wherever they went. They built a solid foundation for all of us.
Mummy touched everyone who met her in a very positive manner. She was a great listener who never believed in gossip.
Thank you for your prayers, visits, gifts and love shown to her while she was with us, and also now for her soul.
Lawrence Machado
A teacher’s tribute to a brilliant student
S.M.L. Marikkar
It is rare for a teacher to write an appreciation of a student whom he has taught even for a short period since the natural process of life and death has its order of precedence as illustrated by the dictum “seniores priores”. After seeing two appreciations written by two contemporaries and classmates of Marikkar (SML), Doctors Sarath Amunugama and Jayantha Dhanapala whom I had the good fortune to teach in the University Entrance Form at Trinity College, Kandy I thought it a duty, nay, a privilege to pen some lines in appreciation of a brilliant student who excelled in the classics.
That class of outstanding students included, besides the three mentioned above, Arjuna Aluvihare, Karaliyadde, Nihal Perera and J.K.L. Pereira, all whom became eminent professionals. In the case of SML there was more rapport between teacher and student as he had to spend more time in learning the two ancient languages from the teacher. Midway during the short teaching spell I used to wonder whether Marikkar could learn anything from the teacher as his knowledge of the classical languages had reached its acme. Though there was no “Guttila Moosila” relationship between the two, the teacher realized his potential at reaching the top unaided.
At the end of the year he won the Arts scholarship. And at the end of the stint in the university he capped it with a first in Classics Honours. A short time later he repeated this performance being placed first in the CCS examination.
I lost touch with him until the time he became a member of the Board of Governors at the Sri Lanka Institute of Development Administration where I spent almost a decade of my career untainted by politics. When both had retired there was hardly any communication between us although I had met Doctors Amunugama and Dhanapala off and on. SML was, by nature, a reticent, witty and helpful persona. About three months ago by some quirk he had got my telephone number and spoke to me. I then sent him my booklet on religion. He was happy to read it and sent me his comments in a handwritten letter of 16/7/21.
His views are condensed by his own words in that letter “A person’s religion is a combination of what he inherits from parents and others and what he experiences in life, especially the tragic and challenging moments. I am drawn to the concept of a loving and merciful god and find it difficult to accept a punishing and revengeful one.”
There are few more things he writes of, such as hypocrisy and corruption. Let me finally say that the country has lost a brilliant intellectual.
Requiescat in pace.
Dr. Leo Fernando
You brought joy to the many people you came across in life
Zahira Bahawodeen
Zahira Bahawodeen, Aunty Zahira to the many teacher trainees and students at the Maria Montessori Training Centre at St. Bridget’s Convent, where she was a lecturer for many years, serving education and her alma mater with distinction, passed away peacefully at the age of 91 on Monday, November 8.
The eldest daughter of M.T.S. Ahamad and his wife, Zahira too distinguished herself in the field of education while sister Lathifa guided countless number of artists in many genres and her youngest sister Jezima is a highly awarded academic. Zahira was no less a star than her younger siblings – though far from the public eye, she was teaching guiding and counselling the countless number of aspiring young teacher trainees in the Montessori method.
Coming from an orthodox Muslim family, when her only child Scherouza chose to marry a Buddhist, Zahira and her siblings embraced Dian into the family, and into her own home, where she would hear her grandchildren Dmitri and Nadira being taught Buddhism by their mother Scherouza. It was remarkable to see a shrine to the Buddha in the study room where Zahira sometimes coached and counselled students. Such graciousness!
Born with a silver spoon life was not at all a bed of roses for Zahira. Being widowed very young she bore her sorrow with fortitude, returning to her parental home, devoting her time between caring for her very young child and educating herself for a career in teaching. In later years Zahira would go to the United States for further learning and gaining experience in new methodologies returning to Sri Lanka to share the knowledge and experience with the teacher trainees.
Aunty Zahira, you carried the torch of widowhood with distinction, you brought joy to the many people you came across in life, you watched and mourned and rejoiced with us. Now that you have gone to your eternal rest look upon us and continue to bless us, as you did when you walked this earth among us. We who are left to mourn your passing, yet celebrate your life.
VR