This morning I had a very blunt one-to-one talk with one of the Brothers who has been consistently maintaining his record of being the last in the class for all academic and intellectual purposes. As I placed before him his last options of pulling himself by his bootstrings, he plainly told me that my 'reputation' - if one may say so - preceded me much before I set foot in Kondadaba... that I was a task master! He told me how he was warned of studying well my subjects and not to unnecessarily meddle with me. I was glad he was warned... but as they say, forewarned is not always forearmed! So our friend took it lightly, and now he is feeling the heat of the furnace!! Anyway he has now just two months (Jan and Feb.) to redeem himself and prove that he is serious about his vocation to Priesthood.
Amidst all that he shared and we discussed, I was surprised how he clearly remembers all my words which I stated in the first community meeting. And when at the end of our long chat he was the one who reminded me that all that I told him now was already told by me on that day, way back in June 2010. Then he heard them, today he feels the weight of them! Good for him, good for me too, to ensure that I'm after them consistently and for the right reasons.
No wonder Don Bosco used to insist so much on accompaniment... Salesian Assistance!
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