Pope Francis, a Man who DARES

Pope Francis, a Man who DARES

             Here is a man who dares to be different and is ready to pay the price for being so. He is man of indomitable spirit and a magnanimous heart.

He is a man of extra-ordinary simplicity and humility which is very vivid right from the moment of his election when he first greeted people in the language of the common man (good evening dear brothers and sisters), addressed himself as the ‘bishop’ of Rome and bowing down asking the people to pray for him. We find him dresses in the simplest way possible; we hear of him answering phone calls, serving the guards, inviting people on the street for his birthday celebration and what not. Wherever possible he kisses babies, embraces the sick and the disfigured faces. We are at times awe struck by his gestures; they reveal the simple and humble person he is. Greatness does not consist in big achievements, personal glory and fame but in simplicity. Invariably all people who are considered ‘great’ today were in some way people who practiced simplicity to a heroic extent. No wonder within a short time he has positively drawn the attention of the whole world.

            He is a pope of Mercy. We find in Pope Francis a person who constantly proclaims the mercy of God. He says, mercy is greatest of all virtues and God is never tired of forgiving us and He redeems every human being on this planet. If integral person is defined as one who does the things at the right time he said he would do and in the right manner he said he would do, then we have in Pope Francis a person of great integrity. There is a great harmony between his words and his life style. Today world wishes to see people of integrity and only such persons can inspire people and bring about a change.

            Far from being a man who dares to be different he expresses great care and love towards every being (human and non-human) on this earth. His daring personality makes him a sort of controversial figure; but he turns a deaf ear to all the criticisms and continues to be a wonderful sign and replica of God’s mercy and love.

            Many people quote him today not only because it has become a fashion but largely because they are inspired by the person he is. May his example set us on fire to live out our human life to its fullness and may God protect him from all dangers and continue to assist him to be His sign of Love. 

Cl. Nithiyan sdb

I know her as Mrs. Love

I know her as Mrs. Love

            Imagining the unimaginable is always fun and an ineffable experience. Knowing what such and such a thing is would happen if it could speak or express its opinion. This art of tickling one’s brain is to envisage something to have life and to hear it express or speak. More often the outcome would picture the writer’s views on such topics, though presented differently for emphasis and creativity.

            Life which is a potential of immense energy is actualized differently by each being. Here I’m incorporating an imaginary life into a virtue known for its unifying factor. It is interpreted differently by people of varied ideas and commitments. All possess it in different levels as recognized by scholars and researchers. While I’m imagining it to speak, in reality, it lives and grants life to us human beings and makes us more human. All of us have always felt her and I know her as Mrs. Love. Given her the opportunity to express and speak, she is embarrassed and flabbergasted. Over to you Mrs. Love

            “Hello, I’m Mrs. Love esteemed greatly in Christianity and embraced by all of humanity. I am one of the theological virtues. Gabbing is not my passion but expression in terms of emotions and feelings. I’m known and acknowledged in this regard by all. I reside in the human heart and my husband Mr. Faith works in the human mind. We were created by God and married at the dawn of human race. Our journey along with human beings has been a great adventure because everybody interpreted us differently in the presence of Mr. Experience. Slowly, Mrs. Pride came to the forum of human mind with good intentions to help Mr. Faith and collaborate together to make human beings assertive of their accomplishments. With Mr. Experience around us, Mr. Faith and I realized that Mrs. Pride had taken a wrong turn and had over exercised her powers. This led to the downfall of the creation of human beings. Each one caused harm to the other which led to the outbreak of world wars I and II and numerous other battles. Intending to see the good of all human beings, we managed to weed out the negative aspect of Mrs. Pride from human minds. With chaos and destruction all round human race was distressed and couldn’t see a future. Then we gave birth to our Son Hope.”

            “Hope brought a smile on their faces and assured them of a bright and a pleasant future. Human dignity was given more regard with the coming of Hope. Faith, Hope and I are continually forwarding the good of all. Mr. Experience over and again informs and updates us if there emerges a need for renewal. I’m glad to carry out this wonderful act of uniting all of human race along with my family of theological virtues. Continue to feel our presence in your life and never forget the expression of Leo Buscaglia from the book Loving Each Other – ‘there is nothing greater in life than loving another and being loved in return, for loving is the ultimate experience.’” 

Cl. Lawrance sdb

Unemployment in India – A Social Conundrum

     Down the centuries and in every civilization, there has been this hot potato issue of unemployment. Some have been able to deal with it better than others. In India we are still figuring out the way to deal with it in the best way possible. And while we do our figuring out, there are social repercussions that force us to take brave steps and do so in a hurry.

      Unemployment is a situation where a capable, willing workforce doesn't get work. There are basically three types of unemployment. Frictional unemployment which is those looking for their first job. This can be abated by spreading information on various job openings. Then there is seasonal unemployment which is specific to certain industries. This can be dealt with encouraging these people to take up alternative employment in the off season. Finally there is structural unemployment caused due to a change in structure of the economy, change in patterns of consumers and increasing technology. It is the most vicious. Yet it can be approached by providing retraining opportunities.

      In India, another stumbling block is overpopulation. 66% of the Indian population is under 35. This is the largest population of youth in the world. Added snag in the process of providing employment is the lack of a varied skill set even though the education levels have increased. There are also other forms to unemployment which include disguised unemployment, where many workers are employed for a small job and all appear to be employed; underemployment where a worker is not given work to his capacity and wages too are not in accordance to his capacity. In India, unemployment records are maintained by the Ministry of Labour and Employment.

      The effects of unemployment are varied. It causes hardship and frustration especially among the young people. It increases the burden on the family. The worst ramifications are the increase in crime related activities by youth to survive and earn a living. Another sad outcome is that the intelligent youth migrate to foreign countries for better opportunities.

     The government set up a committee headed by M. Bhagavati to suggest measures, and based on this study set up the following schemes to deal with unemployment: The Rural Works Programme, Agro-Service Centres, and Crash Programme for Rural Employment, National Rural Employment Programme and Food for Work Programme. These schemes are not progressing well owing to the rampant corruption, preparation of bogus musters, paying less than stipulated wages, bureaucracy in administration and lack of effective representation of poor in the implementation of the schemes.

      When we look at the quandary of unemployment and reflect on it, we can say that there is no simple solution but we could alter our outlook to life. We need to be focused more on skills and putting our theory in to practice. We need to see the dignity of work and eliminate the evil of unemployment. While we might not be able to provide easy solutions to such a complex solution, we could refurbish our educational setups to provide better skills training with more advanced techniques.

      We also need to look at our openness to do different kinds of work. Quite often due to our inherent thought pattern of the caste system, we are reluctant to do certain types of work which we feel is not ‘ours,’ or we are hesitant to change our occupation.

 Let us toil together to eradicate this social evil. As a country, as the young generation of India, we can do achieve any good that we agree to work towards. So, let’s strive to provide the best milieu for gainful employment and just wages.

 Cl. Swithin Moraes,sdb

Śaṇkara’s Life: A Lesson in Itself

I’ve been reading the life of Śri Adi Śaṇkaracharya, the great Indian philosopher and theologian and have been struck by certain facts and incidents. He was only sixteen when he wrote his major philosophical treatises. That is hard to imagine! But this fact is alluded to in most accounts of his life. At sixteen, I on my part was struggling to understand the ‘simple’ material being fed to me in higher secondary school. Whereas this lad was not only well-versed in the numerous Hindu texts but was writing commentaries on them. I find it astonishing. He was beyond doubt a prodigy.

He lived a relatively short life of 32 years but he lived them fruitfully. Such was the impact of his life that he was a huge sensation in his day and still is one in ours. His philosophy is one of the most lucid and coherent systems in the world. His genius must be admired.

One incident that struck me in his life was his meeting with a chandala (dalit). The rigid caste system was beginning to engulf society and Śaṇkara too was influenced by it. The story goes that one day he was walking down to the Ganga with his disciples when he saw a chandala walking up the path with his dogs. Instinctively, he commanded the chandala to get out of the way of him and his disciples. To his surprise, the chandala stood his ground and issued him a challenge. A gist of what the chandala said is reported in the book I was reading. A series of questions were hurled at the young scholar. “You preach that the Vedas teach the non-dual Brahman to be the only reality and that it is immutable and never polluted. If this is so, how has this sense of difference overtaken you?”

“You asked me to move aside and make way for you. To whom were your words addressed, O Learned Sir? To the body, which comes from the same source and performs the same functions in the case of both a Brahmin and a social outcaste? Or to the Ātman, the witnessing Consciousness, which is the same in all, unaffected by the body? How do differences such as, ‘This is a Brahmin, this is a social outcaste’ arise in non-dual experience?”

This experience shook him up and helped him set aside the vestiges of dualism from his mind and experience the truth of non-dualism. Mythology narrates that the chandala revealed himself to be Lord Shiva, and the dogs-the four Vedas.

This experience of Śaṇkara indicates that the anti-caste discrimination arose around the same time as caste discrimination did. From the earliest times people who have had a mystical experience have spoken against the reductionist nature of the caste system. Basically, caste-based discrimination is a result of a dualistic way of perceiving the human person. A philosophy of dualism is bound to encounter such problems. An integral, holistic view of the human person is necessary for a respectful and meaningful exchange between people. This is the challenge Advaita or non-dualism places before us. Can you perceive the Ātman in yourself and the other?

Cl. Ian Pinto, SDB 

Act the Inspiration

Act the Inspiration

Much of what we are is because of the influence of our family, our society, our education, and some prominent personalities. Often we hail many individuals who become an inspiration for us. Take some examples of great leaders who have been an inspiration for us. Mahatma Gandhi till today is an inspiration for peace and non-violence, Mother Teresa of Calcutta is an inspiration for service to the poor and the downtrodden, and in our recent past we bid farewell to a great soul, Dr. A.P.J Abdul Kalam who was an inspiration for humility, honesty and simplicity.

Many a time we hear our politicians and ordinary men and women citing the examples of such heroes in order to impress people. But I feel that we are lost in this first level of merely talking about such inspirations. Many of us say that I am inspired by Dr. Abdul Kalam’s such and such thought or idea, but I wonder whether this inspiration reaches the level of action. If we say we are inspired by Gandhiji’s idea of peace and non-violence, we must begin to act on such ideas. Being inspired by the idea of peace or non-violence cannot reduce hatred and violence, we need to work towards that.

Thousands of people admire what Mother Teresa has done and feel inspired by her commitment to the poor and the needy. But we still have millions who go hungry every day. We need to ask “why”. I think it is because we fail to act on the inspiration. To be inspired by an idea or a person is a great thing, but to be just happy with the inspiration is not really a great thing. To act according to the inspiration does not only mean to bring change or some revolution in the life of others or in the society, but it also calls for inner conversion. The inspirations must make me first a better person. If I am inspired by the humility, gentleness and simplicity of Dr. A.P.J Abdul Kalam, I must make these values a part of my life, only then can I expect the same from others.

Pope Francis is making headlines every day because of his charismatic and down-to-earth ideas. He is inspiring millions of people all over the world. In the religious circle too we find examples of the Holy Father being quoted in many homilies and talks. He is indeed a man full of passion and love for the poor. But we need to ask ourselves, Are we really putting into practice his thoughts on consecrated life, on evangelisation, on ecological concern, on the church of the poor, and so on, in our personal lives and in the life of the society? If not, we need to rethink and begin with something.

Jesus Christ gives us the perfect example of the doer. He said, “Love your enemies,” and he showed it by example when he forgave those who crucified him. Let us not just be hearers but doers of the inspiration. St. James in his Letter says, “Be doers of the word, and not merely hearers who deceive themselves” (James 1:22).

 Br.Pawanjit Singh

My Culture My Identity... I am proud.

   Preservation of Traditional Customs and Culture

                Societies in general manifest their identities through their specific traditions and custom. Various traditions of s society also present to us an intriguing panoramic view of their socio-cultural life. However, it is observed that the significance of the long practised traditions is now beginning to take a back seat.

  

                Tradition is an integral part o every society. Various feasts an festivals, religious rituals and ceremonies satisfies one’s mental and spiritual hunger. His daily activities are directed and guided by the traditions within which he is born and brought up.

                Speaking about the Naga society, Dr. K Gailangam says, “Festivals, feasts and ritual ceremonies are closely intertwined with the basics of the socio cultural life of a human being”. Every tribe in India is known for its rich and colourful activities such as fests , rites rituals, dances, songs, dresses and customs including religious belief.

 

                Gone are the days when man worried nothings about the future of his traditions and customs. It is important to analyze the reasons of or the declining of love and reverence for one’s own culture. Though the reasons are varied, we can notice that the growing urbanizations and westernization have made large contributions to the declining of traditional culture and customs.

                The recent years have been marked with a large scale migrations of rural population into urban areas. This happens when people begins to search for job opportunities, comforts in life etc. the busy urban life, usually, alienate people from the traditional fervor of one’s own culture. People in our country especially in cities have developed a concept that everything which is of the west is to be admired and imitated. Though this view is not altogether wrong, it plays a significant role in devaluing one’s own tradition.

                Our lack of awareness of loosing  the tradition and culture adds to the complex dimension of the fact. However, we are not too late. There are various areas that needs special attention of we wish to preserve our traditions and customs. We need to set our minds on learning more about our own culture, folktales, tribal history etc. the more we know of our culture the more will be our love for it. Preservation of something that we like is not a hard task.

                Education in tribal dialect should be given more attention. A child who grows up without proper knowledge of his own dialect will hardly be able to understand the significance of the folktales, cultural songs, tribal history etc. Of his tribe which assume a unique significance when expressed in one’s own dialect.

                The respect that one pays for his own culture and that of others’ contributes largely to its continuity. No one should be moved with an idea that he enjoys a certain level of superiority over other’s culturally. No effort should be spared in spreading awareness of the need to preserve the cultural identity of every society. Through awareness programmes as well as publishing of books, articles etc. people should be taught to respect and to love their culture and customs. people will strive to preserve their culture  only when they have access to adequate information about the worth of their cultural heritage.

                Preservation of tradition does not mean promoting every element found in a culture. Obviously, every culture is a mixture of both positive and negative elements. Every culture stands in need of purification. Superstitious practices like magic and witchcraft, human sacrifices etc. are still prevalent in many parts of our country. They can never be termed as positive and so should be eradicated.

                Awareness should be created that the cultural celebrations and festivals are more than a mere pass-time celebrations. It is a period of re-invigorating their fatigued cultural life and an occasion for commemorating their distinct cultural identity. It is a time of renewal of life and enrichment of interpersonal relationships. Festivals are also opportune moments of imparting cultural educations through songs, dances, folktales etc. according to H. D’souza it is an occasion for the younger generation to learn their traditions and culture.  

                As the saying goes, “Tradition is the voice of the dead”. It is meant to say that there is an uninterrupted continuity between old and new generations through the transmission of traditions and culture. However, today the elders are of the opinion that the unwritten laws and rules of our forefathers which were communicated through the words of mouth (oral tradition) have not been given due importance. As a consequence, many individual squander away their precious time and energy in reckless living.

It is the duty of everyone to keep alive his age old traditions and culture. We cannot go back to the past but we have to move forward we should move forward in the right direction traced out by our forefathers. In this way we can reclaim our culture and history. We need to make concerted efforts  and stand together to face any challenge to preserve our traditions, our culture and its beauty. 

By

Jerry Mathew SDB

A VIRTUE HARDLY EVER HEARD by Gnanasekar Nithiyan

A VIRTUE HARDLY EVER HEARD

‘Honesty is such a lonely word

Everyone is so untrue;

Honesty is hardly ever heard

And mostly what I need from you.’

– Billy Joel

We are living in a world where virtues are pushed to the back and vices have come to the fore. Virtues are looked down upon as abnormal and out of fashion. ‘When I want sincerity tell me where else can I turn’ is the unheard cry of seekers of truth and justice. For most people today money has taken the prime place in life. Today anything and everything can be manipulated in the way the individual desires, and truth can be easily covered up and put under the basket.

The present situation           

Billy Joel sings and claims that it may be easy to find tenderness, love, sympathy and security, but not honesty. The sad fact is that even the ‘love’ and ‘sympathy’ shown to others may be a pretty lie with hidden agenda behind. It seems there is a big cheating game going on beneath certain relationships and acts of human beings. When things go wrong people have learned the art of comforting others with empty promises which are soon forgotten.

It takes courage

            It is very easy to speak of honesty but not that very easy to make it come alive. It costs one very much if he/she decides to be honest. To be honest is to risk one’s relationship and even  one’s own life. People prefer to play it safe and close an eye to the injustices and silent cries of the oppressed. Justice seems to be suppressed. Somehow, safeguarding one’s so-called relationship is considered more important than seeking to establish honesty and justice. We don’t dare to risk; we don’t dare to get out of our comfort zones. Each one looks for his/her own comfort and welfare and nothing else seems to be of concern. In seeking these, honesty and truth are often neglected.

What are we to do?

            To be honest and to establish truth is to disturb the still waters. It means disturbing the comforted and comforting the disturbed. And this is precisely what the Son of Man came to do. He came to establish truth. That is why he said: “I am the way, truth and life.” It is the same Jesus who said: “Let your word be ‘yes, yes’ or ‘no, no’; anything more than this comes from the evil one.” This would also mean that in matters of sincerity and justice we need to be precise and firmly affirm the truth, leaving no room for compromise. Of course we will face threats and meet with challenges and difficulties, but remember, truth always triumphs.

            Let us then wage a war against injustice and insincerity and stop not until truth and honesty prevails. I say war because the clutches of injustice are too strong to be eradicated and unless we take strong measures the task of establishing truth may be impossible. Let the change begin from within. To begin with, let every individual be honest with oneself, with one’s way of life, one’s commitments and responsibilities. When each individual is honest with oneself we will naturally be led to a world wherein we become honest with others. This, in the long run,  will ensure a just society where honesty, sincerity and  truth find company, and are not left alone like strangers. Let us then begin the war …

- Gnanasekar Nithiyan