Receiving the Holy Habit

One of Pakistan’s youngest aspiring De La Salle Brothers just took the next step toward his dream.  

Anosh Lazar, who has just completed his year’s postulancy in Sri Lanka received the Holy Habit on 15 September at the Brothers Community in Faisalabad, Pakistan.  

The ceremony symbolises a deepening of the candidate’s commitment while publicly assuming the identity of a De La Salle Brother-in-training. During the ceremony, the aspiring Brother is accompanied by his sponsor and receives the habit and other gifts, like a Bible or a Rosary.  

Rev. Fr. Bashir Francis and other supporters of Anosh celebrated the Mass. In his homily, he spoke about the importance of religious vocation and God’s will for every human.  

“God has called Anosh for a particular purpose and has given him grace and dignity through which he will receive esteem and honour,” he said. He further spoke about how God called prophets in the Old Testament. 

Anosh’s family celebrated the significant milestone with him, having travelled from around Pakistan to participate. His loving family prayed for him to become a member of the Lasallian community, and he believes these prayers encouraged him to answer God’s plan. 

Anosh calls Multan City, Pakistan, home. Before entering the Brothers’ Institute, he considered becoming a pilot, something he was passionate about as a young man. “God’s Ways are strange and beautiful,” he recalled. “I think it’s the plan of God that instead of being a pilot, I become a servant of Jesus.” 

Anosh was educated at a Lasallian school, where he first considered joining.

The charism and zeal of the staff, both Brothers and lay, were inspiring to him. His heart was touched by the Brothers' efforts to reach out to the poor and the marginalized in his community.  

“All of their love and concern for society inspired me a lot,” he said.  

In addition to his family, all the Brothers from the Pakistan Sector witnessed this significant event. After the final blessings, Anosh thanked the Brother Visitor, the Sector Coordinator, his formators, teachers, family members, and Aspirants who accompanied him in his initial formation stage.  The event ended with a festive lunch organised in the Faisalabad community.  

Anosh started his formation journey of becoming a Brother in Faisalabad, Pakistan, in 2017. It has been a powerful learning experience, he said. He progressed through Aspirancy and Postulancy in this spirit of growth.  

“All these personal and spiritual experiences helped me to believe in God’s holy and humble Providence,” he said. “Both stages helped me to know myself well and to listen to the Voice of God.” 

He finds inspiration in the life of the Founder and other Lasallians who were canonized. He also augmented his prayer life and learned more about the Gospels.  

In his spare time, Anosh spends time on his hobbies, which include keeping up on the local news, reading spiritual books and novels, and playing music. He tries to read books on spirituality on the weekend, he added.  

“The experience of different authors helped me persevere in this life,” he explained.            

Anosh finds his inspiration in studying the Scriptures. He had his most profound spiritual moment during his Postulancy program in Sri Lanka when he entered a more significant understanding of the Four Gospels and Acts of the Apostles.  

Jesus’ teachings challenged him to open his heart and life to God’s will. As part of his formation, he carried a rosary to remind him of Mother Mary.  

As Anosh moves into another step of becoming a De La Salle Brother, he aims to live his life in service to others and serve as a vessel of Christ to all those entrusted to his care.  

He owes his progress in no small part to the Brothers from the ANZPPNG District, starting with the principal of his primary school, Br. Shahid Mughal. He also felt the influence of the Formation House directors, Brothers Qumar John, Zohaib Gill, and Saddique Gill, and foreign Brothers Aloysius Hurrell, Gregory Ferguson, and Denzil Perara.  

“All these Brothers helped and inspired me through their lives and commitment to serve others,” he said.  

With gratitude to all of the above Brothers, he added that he hopes to underline the legacy of St. Miguel Febres, a Brother who always keeps a smile on his face.