Farewell Fr. Romulo RIP

Rev. Fr. ROMULO NORONHA  rip
Please accept my deep sympathy as I join the bereaved family, you and the confreres of the province of Panjim in prayer, offering back to God, his precious gift, our dear Fr. ROMULO. For certain, Our merciful Lord has embraced him in eternal bliss. Surely, Mother Mary, whose Assumption  we just celebrated, has opened the gates of heaven for him. 
Fr. ROMULO will be remembered by very many for his friendly dealings and helpful ways. My association with Romulo began in the formation house in Yercaud, Tamilnad, way back in 1962. I saw him as a very practical and hardworking confrere, a trait that defined his whole life, even through the period of his recent illness. Generous in every way, he reached out to others, unmindful of his own health. He was qualified in the technical field and rendered valuable leadership as Rector in our institutions. True to our Salesian Spirituality, he lived a blend of work and prayer and as Novice Master, was an inspiration to his novices. As the Delegate of the Konkan region, he guided the early steps of the present Province of Panjim. Let us remember him with gratitude and draw inspiration from his life of priestly zeal and Salesian commitment.
Farewell Fr. ROMULO and thank you!

Sincerely,
Tony D'S sdb

Gospel Leadership

The Gospel Leadership of Jesus Christ – the only answer for all times.

Modern manuals on Leadership point out repeatedly, that the great leaders of history are  those with a vision, persons who have been open to life, who immersed themselves in it and come face to face with their own vulnerabilities. Such indeed is the Biblical pattern of leadership described as the “suffering servant” in Isaiah 42, and repeatedly exemplified in the Gospels.

The inauguration of Gospel Leadership takes place at the river Jordan. Jesus Christ enters into a real human setting, for his baptism. He chooses to become part of his people, to immerse himself into the community with its need for repentance  and expectation of a Messiah. At the Jordon, attested by his heavenly Father, as “My beloved Son”, Jesus achieves the status of a ‘Messiah”, a leader because he deeply experiences the heart of sinful and suffering people. The temptations in the desert that followed, tried to distort his Messianic leadership by offering him the lure of wealth, power and glory. But Jesus remains true to his identity as  the Faithful Word, the Obedient Son and the humble Servant of God’s Kingdom. He embarks on a new path of leadership, as Isaiah points out, to become one with his people in order to lead them to eternal Life.. It is this Gospel Leadership of Jesus, the Way, the Life and the Truth that is the perennial answer to the challenges of changing times.

Gospel Leadership is Power to serve.

When Jesus preached on the Kingdom of God, he defined the role of leadership as a power to serve and not to dominate. To the ambitious sons of Zebedee He said: "You know that among the gentiles, their so-called rulers lord it over them, and their great men make their authority felt. This is not to happen among you. No; anyone who wants to become great among you must be you must be your servant, and anyone who wants to be first among you must be a slave, to all. For the Son of Man himself did not come to serve but to give his life as ransom for many” (Mk.10, 42-45). It is a power which has an enormous influence in the lives of people who benefit from the service..

The Leadership ministry of Jesus is characterised by the release of God’s power in service as He instructs his disciples, expels demons and heals those who believe. The woman with the issue of blood touches Jesus and power goes out from him. When Jesus sends out the disciples two by two he confers power on them. “Receive the Holy Spirit to heal and cast out demons”. Today, genuine Church leaders  should feel empowered by the same Spirit  and develop ways of making decisions, organizing life and harmonising gifts in our Christian communities. Sad to say, like the disciples competing for primacy and positions, not a few in the hierarchy keep mixing up the two types of power, wanting to rule and lord it over others, instead of releasing the power of service to others. “This is not to happen among you”, Jesus still insists.

The Catholic Priest is a leader ordained for Servant ministry.

If the Catholic Priest is  essentially an “Alter Christus” who may say with St. Paul: “I live not I, but Christ lives in me,”  then his first responsibility is to proclaim the mystery of God and his Kingdom. The clergy participate in the messianic anointing of Jesus and are  “sent” to bring Good News to the poor, the oppressed and the sick, in fact to the world The vast majority of priests and bishops in fact,  provide edifying spiritual witness and committed pastoral ministry. Yet, a vocational crisis in the Catholic Church persists and seems to be triggered, not so much by doctrinal differences on the Priesthood, nor by a clamour for a married clergy; but rather, by an increasing disappointment today with the actual exercise of priestly ministry. Too often, the Catholic Priest has become a hyphenated or multi-task professional; or a business manager absorbed in administrative, financial and organizational activities. Consequently, Priestly ministry, though intended primarily to serve the spiritual and pastoral needs of the community, suffers from fatigue and disinterest? Quite often and not without reason,  some priests are labelled as domineering and arrogant, unavailable and partial, and even dishonest. A few are even publicly criticised and physically assaulted. The unbecoming behaviour of some is often overshadowing the saintly witness of exemplary pastors and perhaps attracting fewer candidates to the priestly and religious life.

In chapter 13, the Evangelist John captures the mind of Jesus on ministerial service .  In a telling gesture, at a very significant moment of the Last Supper, Jesus dramatically rose from the table to wash the feet of his embarrassed Apostles. He made it absolutely clear that his style of leadership which he intended to share particularly with his chosen apostles, was different from what was exercised in other secular or religious groups. Gospel leadership as Jesus practised and preached was never to be associated with dress, and so, no flow ing robes and showy phylacteries; no reservation for prominent places and therefore, no status privileges.

In Jesus of Nazareth, Part II, chapter 3, Pope Benedict XVI sees Jesus washing the feet of his apostles not so much as an act of ritualistic purification.  It may seem that Jesus replaced the ritual concept with a moral diktat, the purity of the heart. Rather, in the “washing of feet”, Jesus did more. He gets up from the table to demonstrate first and foremost His Love for his Apostles. The ritual of washing the feet for Jesus was a gesture of love and a lesson on  humble ministerial service.  “If I, then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you” (Jn 13, 14-15).  Note  too, that even prior to the Eucharistic mandate: “Do this in memory of me”, Jesus insists: “… that  you also should do as I have done to you” . This is not ritual but reality which introduces us to the person of Christ. It is here, at the washing of feet that the High Priest sets himself up as a Paradigm of ministerial Priestliness and Gospel Leadership.

Our present Holy Father, Pope Francis, a faithful and exemplary Vicar of Jesus Christ is a proactive Leader with a Gospel vision incarnated in concrete gestures, such as washing the feet of men and women of different religions at the Maundy Thursday service. Francis wields power, but as ministerial service. He believes and lives “collegiality” within the Church and with all Nations, Cultures and Creeds. Pope Francis is indeed also a prophetic “Dissenter” who talks and walks in the footsteps of his Master. His fundamental option for the poor and his solidarity with the marginalised, makes him speak out passionately when the need arises. His love for the Universe urges him to gently, yet fearlessly, confront  global issues of our ‘common home”; the miserable plight of refugees and migrants; the inhuman violence and the urgent need of God’s mercy to transform the world. Pope Francis’love for the Church is seen in his personal prayerful and ascetical life; his unsparing commitment to his pastoral responsibilities to foster unity among Christians; to clean God’s temple, marred by sin and scandal and ultimately, to lead all nations on the path of mercy to the peace of the Kingdom.

The Church lives in difficult times but we remain hopeful  that the Gospel leadership of the Risen Jesus Christ, who gave his life for his sheep is becoming more and more visible in our Church leaders and must remain so. Like the Master whose Priestly ministry led to sacrifice on a cross, Church leaders will encounter much suffering and rejection. But then, the grain of wheat must die in order to be a source of life. This is the ‘zeal for Thy House’ which consumed Jesus Christ, our eternal High Priest. This quality of zeal must transform the clergy into Christ-like leaders, in these changing times. The washing of feet must be more than a symbol, the praxis of humble service and sincere love which always  precedes, accompanies and follows the sacramental ministry of every priest, the “Alter Christus” for changing times.

Bro. E.C.Joseph

Brother Joseph Chowry RIP (10^th. July 2016)

Though the curtains are drawn on the life of Bro. Joe, a Salesian Coadjutor, his artistic talents and many technical skills still remain with us in the  furniture  products and metal works he has left behind to benefit several Salesian communities of Mumbai, Goa and Gujarat. They remind us of the original creativity and the edifying spirit of hard work of Bro. Joe. Though the machines he worked with were loud and noisy, Bro. Joe himself came across as an unassuming and quiet but professional trainer of technicians. He will be remembered with respect and gratitude by many of his past pupils  in Panjim and Sulcorna(Goa),  Borivili(Mumbai) and Chhotauddepur(Gujarat), who are earning their livelihood in the technical field. 

I will remember Bro. Joe, whom I knew at close quarters, as a very warm and sincere person. All through the years, as a Salesian,  Bro. Joe’s life style remained simple and his personal needs were very few. His workshop was his chapel and obviously, he regarded work as worship. He appreciated honest friends and kept his distance from those he considered “survivors” or “hypocrites”. Beneath his external reserved behaviour, was a heart that cared for the poor and showed concern for his confreres. I remember, with a touch of emotion, that it was Bro. Joe who gifted me the first safari suit for my travel to East Africa. In the latter part of his life, he began to take interest in the Sacred Scriptures and became an avid reader of Barclay’s commentaries. Infact, from then, Bro. Joe developed his own brand of spirituality expressed in enigmatic phrases which found their way to the community noticeboard. I will remember best and reflect often on his statement that Jesus wants us to be CHRISTians and not CROSStians. Quite a deep truth!

May Christ Jesus, in whom Bro. Joe believed and lived in a unique way, his Christian faith and Salesian commitment, embrace him with his merciful love and lead him to the joys of heaven.

-        Tony D’Souza sdb

Saint Mother Teresa

            " Saint Mother Teresa"

Whoever said: to live with the saints in heaven is all honour and glory, but to live with the saints on earth is quite a different story, must be talking of pseudo-saints. Mother Teresa who will be canonised by  the Holy Father in September, 2016, to me was certainly no such pseudo saint, as few biased critics make her out to be.

My first personal contact with this holy nun was in 1975, at the Mumbai airport. As I walked through security into the departure lounge, I saw quite a crowd of passengers standing in awe and gazing at a lady who was seated quietly all by herself. As I got closer to the scene, I recognised Mother Teresa in her blue bordered white sari and her simple wooden handle shopping bag.   Something within me pushed me to approach her and I did. With a slight smile and a welcome nod of her head, she seemed to welcome me to a seat by her side and this I did as I introduced myself, a priest belonging to the Salesians of Don Bosco Society. Already then, She came across to me as very motherly in our brief conversation. I told her I was looking after a group of seminarians in Pune and requested her for more than an "autograph, a message for my community of young seminarians. This is what she wrote: Teach your seminarians to find joy in sacrifice. I was reminded of mama Margaret's words to her newly ordained son, John Bosco:   "Remember, to be a priest is to begin to suffer" .
Over the years, I have experienced the wisdom of these messages and shared them with others.

Her precious time permitting, Mother Teresa attended the yearly CRI (Conference of India) meeting of Major Superiors. What impressed me was that though she sat in the assembly, mostly quiet and without pretensions, her humble presence and lively interactions with the members had a formative influence on us all.

But my best memory of Mother Teresa was a spiritual retreat ( 1990 i think) I was invited to animate for the Missionaries of Charity in Nairobi, Kenya.  The Retreatants were superiors/leaders of the many MC communities in East Africa and their Foundress was to attend as well. Mother Teresa arrived late night on the eve of the retreat. She was received warmly at the airport by a small group of sisters and treated respectfully by the immigration and customs officials. However, there was one problem. The young novice from Poland who accompanied Mother Teresa was held up at the immigration as at that time Poland, a Communist country, had no diplomatic relations with Kenya. The Chief Immigration Officer could not be immediately contacted for special clearance. The Officer on duty suggested that Mother Teresa could proceed to her convent. The Polish sister, they assured her, would be well cared for while she awaited clearance. Mother Teresa stayed with the sister saying: "You have held back my daughter and I must stay with her".  The Chief Immigration Officer was finally contacted by 2am and an entry permit granted to the young novice. What a motherly gesture.

The next morning, despite a sleepless night, Mother Teresa was punctually present at 7am in the chapel, for the first meditation talk of the retreat. Infact, she participated prayerfully in all the liturgical services and listened attentively to the meditation talks, seated devoutly in the last row. Overwhelmed by her humble presence, I concluded each talk by sitting at her side and inviting her to share her own reflections on the topic. And she did so, very modestly. While I preached from a pedestal of theory, She preached from the pews and her sermons were not just words but real acts of selfless motherly love for the poor, the sick and abandoned.

Preaching in the presence of a saintly Mother Teresa whom I always held in high esteem, was quite a privilege, but also a nervous experience. And when she approached me in childlike simplicity for spiritual guidance followed by confession, my nervousness reached its climax. I just could not remember the prayer of absolution. Instead, Mother Teresa was one penitent who converted me into a repentant confessor.

At the end of the retreat Mother Teresa thanked me profusely and thoughtfully gifted me a rosary for my own Mummy. She even accepted my request to visit Don Bosco Boys Town in Nairobi the following day. Unfortunately, she fell sick with cold and fever. Nevertheless, motherly as ever, to assuage our disappointment, she sent me an apologetic regret note and a bus load of her sisters to spend some time with our poor youth.

In a world terrorised by destructive forces and hate crimes especially against women, let us resolve that the canonization of Mother Teresa will not only place her among the saints in heaven, robed in honour and glory, but inspire us all to recognise and respect God's "motherly" image in every woman who walks on our streets and lives in our homes.

May God's Word: Whatsoever you do to the least of my brothers/sisters, you do unto me, ring not only in our ears but find expression in our lives as it did in the motherly life of the great 'Missionary of Charity', the Motherly Saint Teresa.

Globalization of Indifference

It has been said that the opposite of Love is not Hatred but Indifference. Very true indeed! 
Infact, in the book of Revelations God has this message for the church community in Laodicea: Because you are neither hot nor cold , I will vomit you out.
Pope Francis remarks that the increasing violence in our society today has its roots in what he terms, 'the globalization of Indifference' shown by good people. Perhaps, there are more good people in our society who prefer to be indifferent rather than committed to the demands of love. Such good people are only 'good for nothing' . 

Arise! Stand on your feet.

Addressing the youth during the special Jubilee Mass on 24th April, 2016, Pope Francis exhorted them, saying: Stand on your feet. God created us to stand on our feet. He reminded the youngsters of the words of Jesus; Arise (stand up) and Walk.

True to this statement, confirmed by his own spontaneous gestures, Pope Francis is infact, 'a pastor on his feet', physically and spiritually. His  indefatigable zeal and zest is stirring the lives of all people, to stand up, to 'rise and walk'. Despite his age and limp leg, Pope Francis gives no thought to his own comfort. Observe him during the liturgical celebrations and at the general or private audiences, following the rituals of ceremony or courtesy, be it walking, climbing steps or riding in the popemobile. He is indeed, physically on his feet, alert and attentive and betrays no signs of fatigue. Strengthened by the Spirit!

More significantly, Pope Francis is 'a pastor on his feet', with no questionable leanings, but one who stands firmly on Gospel convictions, faithfully proclaiming God's mercy and walking in the footsteps of the Good Shepherd, among the marginalised immigrants and refugees. Strengthened by the Spirit!

SORROWFUL MYSTERIES

The five Sorrowful mysteries of the holy Rosary highlight the various types of human sorrow that Jesus endured not only from Getsemany to Golgotha but all through his earthly life, from the Crib to the Cross:
* It was a mental torture that anticipated the reality and sweated blood; 
* It was a physical pain inflicted by the scourgings, the nailing to the cross; 
* It was a deep pain of humiliation; it was a moral pain  of shame and humiliation, condemned as a criminal and mockingly crowned with thorns as king of the jews; 
* It was a painful journey trudging to calvary and stumbling under the weight of a heavy cross; and finally, 
* It was the pain of death, a sting of a final defeat upto the last breath.

The sorrow and pain Jesus experienced was not merely an exhibition of endurance but a practical lesson for his disciples to follow Him, carrying their own crosses/sorrows. Rather than dabble with questions like why pain and sorrow, Jesus provides a challenging example to imitate, reminding us that the "disciple is not greater that the Master".

Broad-minded & Big-hearted

At Divyadaan Institute of Philosophy, in March 2016, six students of the MPh concluded their studies and may be considred as Philosophy graduates. But now, what! What I mean to ask is, if all the painstaking five-year efforts to delve into the lofty thoughts of acclaimed and not so acclaimed Philosophers resulted in a certificate of qualifiication as a teacher of Philosophy? I believe that Philosophy is not just an academic subject of intellectual content or a mere history of philosophers and their ideas. While it is all this, Philosophy is not a terminus ad quem achievement, but rather, a transforming process  that makes a person broadminded and bighearted - developing a mind that expands to accommodate and dialogue with the ideas of others; a heartwarming process that enlarges and embraces a wider circle of people. 
A philosophical mindset that is stubbornly imprisoned within one's own thoughts and ideas fails to enrich the personality, leading to an intellectual paralysis. Worse still, a philosophical mindset that generates mostly self-centered emotions of love and concern leads to, pardon the expression, a constipation of the mind and heart which develops into a spiritual constipation which which refuses to let go of erroneous concepts and experiences in order to give space to the God of Revelation. 
Hence to what purpose, if the discipline of Philosophy fails to develop a personality thats may be defined as "Broadminded and Bighearted. 

Mercy and Pardon.

Is there a distinct difference between Mercy and Pardon or are the two interchangeable and mean the same? 

Mercy, I understand is a freely bestowed grace which has its source in the overwhelming and spontaneous Love of God for his people. Pardon or Forgiveness instead, though still a grace, is a response  to man's appeal and flows from God's Justice. 
While Mercy defines the very identity of the I AM, as essentially a magnanimous, all-embracing Love, 
Pardon or Forgiveness is linked to Divine Justice and may include reconciliation through some sanctions or penance.  

Conversion of St. Paul.

Conversion of St. Paul.

Pope Francis has been the talk of the town , rather of the world, ever since he appeared on the Vatican gallery with his first humble utterance “pray for me”. Just a few years in the Chair of St. Peter and our Holy Father has attracted the respect of world leaders  in the corridors of power and the gratitude of poor refugees and immigrants  on the periphery of society.  And yet, when a journalist asked him: “Who is Jorge Mario Bergolio?” “I am a sinner” came the frank and humble public confession from one whom we all address as the Holy Father.

Our self-conceited and self-righteous society of today, trapped by inhuman rivalry and cruel violence, lives in a world of damaging denials. We maliciously hide our sins and stubbornly deny we are sinners. We always accuse the other and never admit our own faults, falsely pretending that we seek peace and justice, and we moan:  “Isn’t it , isn’t it terribly sad, I am so good and the world is so bad”. Notice however, that we Catholics, Like Pope Francis, admit that we are sinners.

At every Holy Mass we begin with the humble acknowledgement of our sins, saying: “Through my fault, through my fault to my most grievous fault” and then we pray: Lord have mercy, Christ have mercy, Lord have mercy.   In the Sacrament of Reconciliation, we begin by saying:“Bless me father, for I have sinned,”  and then we are absolved with the words: “May Almighty God have mercy on you, forgive you, your sins and lead you to eternal Life. Indeed, we confess we are sinners and God declares us sainta!

Today, in the feast of the conversion of St. Paul  , we have an edifying example of the power of God’s mercy transforming a notorious sinner into a notable saint, a Hebrew Saul to a Christian Paul. The story reported by St. Luke  in the Acts of the Apostles in Chptrs: 9, 22 and 26; and in St. Paul’s own letters to the Galatians 1, 13-17; and Phillipians 3,4-7  tells us of a self-righteous and self-conceited Saul, a young  Orthodox educated Jew and a Roman  citizen. Saul is all set on a vicious mission to imprison  the disciples of Jesus Christ and wipe out their Resurrection claims. But suddenly, Saul’s  journey  to Damascus is intercepted by a bright light; he falls blindly to the ground, and a voice calls him by name, Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?; a dialogue ensues; Who are you, Lord” ? Asks the blind Saul,  “I am  Jesus the Nazarene whom you are persecuting,”, admonishes Jesus.   Saul is repentant and asks: What am I to do? And Jesus directs him to the devout Ananias who is himself inspired in a vision to  restore Saul’s sight and set him on a path pf conversion, from Saul, a fanatical persecutor of Christians to Paul, a zealous Apostle of  the Gentiles. This genuine conversion  from sinner to saint offers us three reflections:

First, that spiritual Conversion is always an initiative of our merciful God; It is Jesus who first confronts Saul and admonishes him for his vicious plans;

Secondly, Conversion takes place only in a repentant sinner, open to God’s forgiveness. Shocked to realise who he was persecuting, Saul does not defend nor deny his sin but seeks a solution: What am I to do?

Thirdly, true Conversion is the gift of God’s mercy, turning a sinner into a saint.  Saul the over-zealous Jew, becomes by the mercy of God, Paul the committed Christian; from an aggressive persecutor to a zealous proclaimer of the Faith.

In St. Paul conversion means to be totally focussed on Jesus Christ; Now on his slogans are: I live not I, Christ lives in me; For me to live is Christ; Woe to me if I do not preach the Gospel; All I want is to know Christ and Him crucified. I long to be dissolved and be with Christ. Now on, graced by God’s mercy, St. Paul commences a “spiritual work of mercy” of admonishing the Christians to shun sin and embrace sanctity.

We have other Conversion stories in the Gospel of Sinner-Saints, like Mary Magdalene, Peter, Zacheus, etc. and what is most characteristic about them is not so much the turning away from sin as the permanent following of Christ and no turning back.

The Lives of all Saints reflect this “Conversion” spirituality. We notice also a Conversion pattern in the life of a nine year old country boy, Johnny whom Jesus admonishes in a dream: “not with blows”  and sets him on  a mission to be the Father of youth,  a channel of God’s mercy to the young. Here too, it is Jesus who initiates the conversion of Don Bosco who wholeheartedly devoted himself to the conversion of the young and the poor, transforming them from street boys to altar boys. He did so, particularly through the sacraments of the Holy Eucharist and Reconciliation (Confession)

God acts in our lives too. He takes the initiative and admonishes us too. Through our conscience or through our family or good friends, Jesus admonishes us and invites us to the Sacrament of mercy to be embraced by his forgiving love. Are we in denial declaring ourselves: I am not a sinner! Listen, Jesus says “I have come for sinners” and repeatedly assures us: Go, your sins are forgiven. Let us recall also that scene in the Gospel where Jesus declares that the Publican at the backdoor who prayed, “Lord forgive me a sinner” was more pleasing to God that the self-righteous Pharisee at the altar.

Confession of our sins draws down the mercy of God  and is the surest path to personal holiness, family peace and world harmony. Don Bosco’s pedagogy of sanctity was to help his boys to understand that the Confessional is God’s throne of mercy  and not a seat of judgement and condemnation. He made himself available at all times and in all places,  for this ministry of mercy. Holiness flourished among the youth in his oratory.

May the Sacrament of Reconciliation for us, young and old, be an experience of conversion of a prodigal son or daughter being embraced by an all forgiving merciful Father who says: Even if you sins are red as scarlet  will make them white as snow. "Go and sin no more".

WHAT'S NEW THIS NEW YEAR - 2016?

The New Year is not about changing 'dates' but rather changing 'directions'. The Christmas experience of the Wisemen led them to change direction away from the murderous King Herod.                   A sure sign that we have encountered the Baby Jesus this Christmas will be the inspiration within us, to change the direction of our lives so often trapped in selfishness sins and to move towards a New Year, to all that is bright and beautiful, generous and kind.

The New Year is not about changing 'calendars' but more about reinforcing 'commitments' in our day to day life, like Tubby. The story goes that the statue of the Baby Jesus was missing from the crib in the parish church. An anxious search by the sacristan spotted the Baby Jesus in the toy red pickup van which Tubby was pushing around the church compound. "What are you up to, Tubby"? Well, I am keeping my promise to Jesus", came the innocent reply. Tubby had prayed for a nice toy car at Christmas and made a commitment to give  Jesus the first ride. In fact, isn't Christmas the celebration of a promise, a commitment of God to send His only begotten Son  to redeem us?

The New Year is not about changing 'actions' but rather, building attitudes to face the future. Life as we have experienced thus far is an uneven blend of Adventures and Inconveniences. A closer look will reveal that they are in fact the same, depending on our attitude.
An inconvenience is actually an adventure negatively considered and an 'adventure' is actually an inconvenience positively viewed. The Christmas event too could be described negatively, as a series of inconveniences. With the eyes of a positive faith, we celebrate instead, the unique adventure of a God becoming man. 

The Salesian Strenna 2016, presented by the Rector Major invites us: "With Jesus, to journey together with the young, the adventure of the Holy Spirit".

Let's wish each other, an 'adventurous New Year, 2016!"