Priorities and finance

 We are at the fag end of the academic year and at this time we usually end up our evaluations and look forward to the next academic year... drawing up plans, strategies... (hopefully) based on the evaluation of the present year! 

One of my long standing criticism of our own functioning as a council is that we do not have a list of priorities to guide us.  Most of our decisions, policies and actions are ad hoc, on a day-to-day basis.  The most serious issue with this is that while we do a lot of good, we end up making no significant progress.  It is like running on a treadmill and expecting to reach the next town!!  Only when we have a clear set of priorities that guide us in our decision-making, and everyone, every sector, every community, also works towards the SAME priorities, albeit in their own ways, can we actually gauge the progress. 

The other challenge that I face is the unhappy marriage of priorities and finances.  I understand that procuring finances can be one of our priorities; but if a priority is linked up so badly to finances, that without the budgeted amount, the priority will not be achievable at all, then my question is 'Is that a priority at all?'  Because a priority is something that is a cause of grave concern, and if overcoming that is entirely based on finances, then finance is a priority, not the concern itself!! 

Even if finances are required (certainly so), they are to be planned for.  It is not that I have a priority to be addressed and someone else should give me the funds for it!! The procurement of the needed funds too is part of the lines of action, addressing the priority concern. 

Last, but perhaps the most important point: in religious life, most of our priorities are (supposed to be) spiritual needs or concerns.  Even if speaking of priorities in our active apostolate, we are gifted with extensive expertise, years of formation and an army of fellow confreres and having all of these yet to wait for money to start (and do) some priority tasks is a sin! We do not turn these gifts into tools and means.  When that does not happen, I question if we do have priorities at all? 

A sense of entitlement

One of the many contagious sicknesses plaguing priests and religious is a sense of entitlement. Unfortunately, the sense of entitlement is not in any spiritual aspect (son of God)! The entitlement is purely on the basis of being a priest or religious… of wearing a cassock or habit. Not on the basis of one’s merit, hard work, depth of personality, confidence, or any other virtue, but just because ‘I am a priest/nun’. By itself, this sense of entitlement is bad; coupled with ignorance, incompetence, lethargy and power, it is lethal!

Why not to canonize Pope Francis?

Now that Pope Francis is no more and that he is laid to rest, the topic of his canonisation is doing the rounds. And I have serious objections to that!!! 

The main issue is that Francis did nothing extraordinary. He merely did and lived as he actually professed to live – as a pastor. And if we start canonising people for merely doing what we choose to do, what’s the relevance of ‘canonisation’? We cannot afford to make living as one is supposed to be, a criteria for sainthood. By making someone a saint for doing and being what one is supposed to do and be, we are subconsciously normalising substandard living, or making corrupt, lethargic life as acceptable and the regular mode of life. 

Another downside of making someone a saint is that he/she is exalted, his/her photos and statues erected, novenas recited, prayed to and all that stuff… except emulated! Unconsciously, we put him/her up so high that imitating that person’s lifestyle and living by that person’s attitudes is considered as beyond liveable.

Salesian priorities

 I came across this beautiful description of the shift in our Salesian approach towards young people, in the last General Chapter GC 28, p. 38 (AGC 433): 

We do not doubt this truth of the young people themselves, a truth we recognised at the same time in the Chapter hall: “They ask us for time and we give them space; they ask us for relationships and we provide them with services; they ask us for fraternal life and we offer them structures; they ask us for friendship and we provide activities for them. All this commits us to rediscovering the riches and potential of the ‘family spirit’”.[CG28, Priority of the Salesian mission among today’s young people. First nucleus, no.5]

I think this para exactly sums up what we should be focusing on (spending time, building relationships, developing friendships...), rather than what we are presently engaged in (creating spaces where we Salesians are missing, offering services, structures, and activities). 

Election of the Pope

 Now, with Pope Francis buried and the whole mood shifting towards the upcoming conclave, everyone is keen to decipher who would be the next Pope.  

A particular news article carried this headline: '... Potential candidates as the Pope' I could only smile reading the headline alone. I never read the article. Not a line of it.  That very phrase 'potential candidate' is a weird one to be used in the context of the election of the Pope.  Perhaps we can speak or discuss about the same 'possibilities' while speaking about a political leader or the head of a small well known and knit group.  But to speak of 'potential candidates' for the Papacy is a paradox or contradiction.  

As one cardinal rightly replied, on being asked after the funeral of Pope Francis, if the next Pope could be an Asian, pointing heavenwards, 'Only He knows'. 

And even if one is still keen to discuss potential candidates, let that be based on virtues of what Pope Francis himself lived during his Papacy: a life of witness, simplicity, love for humanity in its fragility and brokenness, a deep connection with God, a total detachment from wealth and luxury, works and policies marked by mercy and love rather than adherence to tradition...

Pope Francis: In death, as in life

The choice of Pope Francis to have a simple burial, without any fanfare or frills, an ordinary wooden coffin, to be kept on the ground rather than elevated above the floor, to be buried in a place where he spent his time in prayer and among a locale which is inhabited by the poor and migrants... he continues to be himself in death, as he was in his life. 

The secret according to me, of his simplicity, humility and balanced outlook towards everything, was that he never stopped being Jorge Maria Bergoglio.  His election as Pope only made his life and choices more radical as Jorge Bergoglio. What characterised his term as Pope was not the title of being the 'Pope' or the 'head of the Church' but the name he chose 'Francis'.  To the already existing nature of Jorge Bergoglio, he added the qualities of St Francis. 

I wish and pray that the Church continues to elect and appoint such leaders who live and lead by example, rather than doctrine alone or empty pulpit advice. 

The uncommon Pope of the common people

Right since his Papacy began, even after his very election as the Pope, Jorge Maria Bergoglio was a man different and set apart from all his predecessors.  He was not one to follow the centuries old tradition where a person becomes quite different, more complicated, and disjoint from his personal life, once elected to office.  He continued to be Jorge Bergoglio, even as Pope Francis. 

Be it his taking up residence in Sancta Maria rather than the palatial Papal residence, his continued use of public transport, and even when insisted upon chose a very very ordinary car rather than a luxury sedan; him having his meal with the Vatican staff and pilgrims rather than in the solitude and privacy of his chambers; his very first public appearance as Pope wherein he asked people to bless him rather than him blessing the crowds at the Vatican square.  

His choice of clothing, accessories he wore as the Pontiff, mode of transport, spontaneous style of meeting people and addressing gatherings, open appeal and acts on behalf of migrants and the poor... 

Not sure if any other Pope ever did this... and these were not mere gestures or sporadic planned or portrayed events! These and all such similar humble acts were the outcome of a regular, routine and natural lifestyle. 

Pope Francis, the penitent

The year after Pope Francis was elected as the Pope, during the Lent of 2014, he was to preside over a penitential service. Everyone was keen to hear him, receive his blessings and participate in the service.  But no one was prepared for what actually happened. 

Rather than head to the assigned confessional, he went ahead to another confessional where there was already a Priest seated, knelt down and made his confession! Right there, in front of all people and all the participants, at that very hour when he was expected to hear the confessions of others.  Before all of that, he made his confession! 

A true living witness of what and who a Pastor should be... leading by example rather than mere words. 

Between Easter and Pentecost

The period between Easter and Pentecost, in its maiden chronological occurrence would have been an interesting time to view at, from a historical distance.  Imagine, an event taking place (the resurrection) which has been totally not unheard in reality for ages happening in our midst.  Not even the apostles were sure or clear about what actually was happening, leave alone the others. 

Strange reports and narration of experiences.  Weird social context.  All things put together, it would have been a totally new experience for the Jews, especially those who were close to Jesus.  Never were they really prepared for it. 

For us Catholics we believe in the Holy Spirit and hence the Pentecost marks a significant turn in the history of salvation and the Church.  But sociologically speaking it would really have been a point where the uncertainty, confusion, doubt and anxiety about Jesus' death and the subsequent resurrection paved the way for a communal conviction and belief in the actuality of both.  Even without the spiritual dimension, the very sociological mood and mode itself would have been a great ferment.   

Nonetheless, it is significant to note that what marked this sociological shift in mood, was actually built on individual testimonies and witnesses.  That there were times when Jesus appeared a group or crowd of people is true, but it was his personal encounter with individuals that really made the impact.  But more than that singular encounter, I believer it was the shift in their personalities, after the encounter with Jesus, that truly made the difference.  That post-resurrection encounter was something remarkable in the lives of those whom Jesus met; if not, Pentecost would have been another Passover! 

Then came a Pharaoh...

In our religious houses, among the numerous issues plaguing our transition procedures, is the break of rapport between the one laying down office has with the various people with regard to our apostolate and the one replacing the outgoing confrere.  The phrase 'there came a pharaoh who knew not Joseph' aptly describes this issue. 

In my three years in office, I've come across several lay people who feel greatly disturbed, and some even feel humiliated, after a new set of confreres replace others in a place with a long history.  The new set of confreres treat this particular individual or persons with utter disregard or total shun any contact with him or them.  At times confreres may not be doing this consciously.  It is sometime out of pure ignorance or because his predecessor has not introduced or even mentioned about these individuals to the incoming confreres. But for the lay persons involved it is very awkward.  It is just that some of them have long been associated with our works and our mission.  And after being so closely associated and worked so much, suddenly to find themselves being treated as strangers, by actual strangers (new Salesians!) is embarrassing.

I also know of instances where some Salesians have pampered some lay persons to the extent that rather than become people who would positively influence the apostolate, they become parasites or looters.  The fresh team distancing themselves and the apostolate from such persons is actually needed and is healthy for all involved. 

At other times, our attitude of being omniscient, certainly does not help!  Even though, we have no idea of the new apostolate, or have never even bothered to glance through its history, we act as if we were born into that responsibility.  In such a scenario, there came a Pharoah, who not only knew not Joseph, but thought of himself as Yahweh!! 

Reworking our transition procedures keeping in mind such scenarios is one possible way forward. But ultimately, blessed is he who does not feel as a Pharaoh at all!

Happy Easter

 

A Pope in a Poncho: The Gospel of Fragility

by Johnson Kotaram 

It was not the papal cassock, the golden cross, or the solemn gaze from a palace balcony that marked April 10, 2025.

Instead, it was a fragile old man in a striped poncho, worn black trousers, and oxygen tubing, rolling quietly through the grandeur of St. Peter’s Basilica.

No proclamation, no camera crews, no ceremonial fanfare. Just a tired pilgrim in the skin of a pope, moving slowly toward the restored chair of Peter and the tomb of Saint Pius X.

To some, it was a scandal. To others, a shock. And to a few—perhaps not many—it was a moment of profound, unscripted holiness.

Because it was not the Vicar of Christ clothed in tradition but something far rarer: a leader without costume, a priest without performance, a man who dared to embody the Gospel in raw, human skin.

In an institution where clothing is language—the cassock, the skullcap, the ring—all speak of office, succession, and sacred continuity—Francis chose a language older than vestments: the language of presence.

In his beige Argentine poncho, he wasn't signalling authority; he was invoking memory—of his homeland, of the poor, of the Jesus who walked dusty roads with no sceptre, throne, or robe worth envying.

Some saw an older man too frail to dress appropriately. Others saw disrespect for ritual. But to those attuned to the undercurrent, it was something else entirely: a gesture of undoing, the kind that refuses to uphold a performance when the soul is calling for honesty.

He didn’t come to be venerated that day. He came to be.

And in doing so, he reminded the Church—perhaps unintentionally—that the robes, collar, rituals, and relics are only bridges. They are not the water beneath.

When we strip away the grandeur, what remains is a question the Church must confront more often: What happens when the sacred no longer looks impressive? When authority arrives in a wheelchair, with sunken eyes and no cross on its chest?

Whether deliberately or by accident, Francis exposed the quiet truth: the real scandal is not the poncho, but how much we’ve come to rely on appearances to sustain our reverence.

We want our popes upright, glowing, and draped in theology. We don’t want them too human, too frail, too much like us.

But isn’t that precisely the paradox at the heart of Christianity?

Today, when Jesus rides into Jerusalem on a colt, his official representative on earth is wheelchaired into the most ornate church on earth, dressed in an Argentinian poncho reminded us that fragility is not the opposite of faith—it may be its most honest form.

That perhaps, in a moment like this, the Church caught a glimpse of what Jesus meant when he knelt to wash feet instead of issuing commands.

This was not the Pope as prince or priest. This was the Pope as a person, as a pilgrim, as a reminder that grace may arrive not dressed in white but in weakness.

And maybe, just maybe, that is the Church we need to become.

Grow as we go (Ben Platt)

You say there's so much you don't know You need to go and find yourself You say you'd rather be alone 'Cause you think you won't find it tied to someone else Ooh, who said it's true That the growing only happens on your own? They don't know me and you I don't think you have to leave If to change is what you need You can change right next to me When you're high, I'll take the lows You can ebb and I can flow And we'll take it slow And grow as we go Grow as we go You won't be the only one I am unfinished, I've got so much left to learn I don't know how this river runs But I'd like the company through every twist and turn Ooh, who said it's true That the growing only happens on your own? They don't know me and you You don't ever have to leave If to change is what you need You can change right next to me When you're high, I'll take the lows You can ebb and I can flow And we'll take it slow And grow as we go Grow as we go Grow as we go Grow as we go I don't know who we'll become I can't promise it's not written in the stars But I believe that when it's done We're gonna see that it was better That we grew up together Tell me you don't wanna leave 'Cause if change is what you need You can change right next to me When you're high, I'll take the lows You can ebb and I can flow We'll take it slow And grow as we go Grow as we go Grow as we go Grow as we go

Touch

As religious, we barely touch another person.  At the most we shake hands, and perhaps, once in a way, embrace someone as a sign of welcome or a birthday greeting or at a farewell.  That's it.  On a regular basis we do not really touch anyone.  

I understand that this is part of our state of life.  It is also something directly related to our vow of celibacy.  And in a growing world of misconceptions and misinterpretations, where there is a lot of 'bad touch' and sensuality doing the rounds, there is every chance that any touch or move is misunderstood. 

Nonetheless, in a family things are different.  All the more if there are small children in the family.  They are all over you.  And they should be!  Bereft of that simple but profound element of touch, children do not grow up normal.  

Perhaps, as children we need to touch and feel the most. As adults it is much less. Luckily! Or else, if much of good touch is needed for an adult to grow, we religious would be the most stunted people - by way of missing out on being able to physically touch others. 

Weight of the Cross

Every Wednesday and Friday of Lent, and in particular on Good Friday, as Christians, we partake in the traditional Way of the Cross. 

This particular tradition in the Church invites us to journey with Jesus, especially in his agony and pain of the last lap of his earthly journey, before being crucified and eventual death. 

Most often, we walk the WAY of the Cross.  This day I meditated rather on the WEIGHT of the Cross.  What is it that I say, do or be that adds to the WEIGHT of His Cross?   

Maundy Thursday mandate

The Maundy Thursday derives its name from the Latin word mandatum, meaning the same as in English today... a mandate, a command, an order.  

And that mandate is simple and direct: To serve, with love.  

Most preachers and thinkers split hairs to explain the significance of the day.  Some state (as prescribed by the Church teaching) that there are three significant events of the day: the institution of the Eucharist, the institution of the Priesthood and the washing of the feet.  Unfortunately, that is what they have each become: institutions!! 

Personally I believe, the focus and directive is clear: Serve everyone, with much love.  And this is not a new commandment or directive the Lord is offering us on Maundy Thursday.  This is what he spoke and did all his life!!  This was actually his mission. While the ultimate MISSION was to make known God's love, this love was explicated and made tangible in service. So the MISSION is to love; and the mission is to serve. But there is no duplicity or multiplication here.  They are one and the same!  That's the mandate: To serve, with love! 

Most of us, especially religious, including myself, tend to do the first part of this mission; but very often and mostly do not strive for the actual mission or the greater purpose of this mission, namely to love.  We serve, but fail to love sufficiently! 

Therefore it is important to see everything and all things from this perspective. That love is the ultimate mission of every Christian, especially of a religious.  Once that decision to genuinely love is made, service automatically follows.  Unfortunately, love cannot be taught. It is caught; it is felt; it is experienced!  

The bigger larger picture

This morning during a particular meeting related to projects and plans, I got down to putting down all the various activities, possibilities and plans on one sheet of paper.  Just one excel sheet.  To see it all unfold within one frame was a great thrill. Just one frame, one page.  

That very exercise of putting several seemingly scattered tasks within one template and then collectively working out a strategy to take it forward was very satisfying and meaningful.  Personally when things sync and I'm able to see a larger bigger picture emerge from all the minute diverse activities we carry out, it gives me great joy.  

I'd rather see the bigger picture and then draw up the minute plans. That would be the ideal and the best way.  But at any given time, the other way around also works fine for me. 

On a practical note, I'm more and more getting to love the spreadsheet (excel)... for the diverse options and possibilities it offers. I think I need to take a crash course on it! 

Palm Sunday events and the involvement

In the Christian historical tradition of the Palm Sunday, there are several characters that play very different roles.  Most of those actively involved had no clue of the ramifications of the events unfolding before them.  

There was the crowd following Jesus through the streets of Jerusalem chanting his praises, the Roman soldiers and leaders, the Pharisees and Jewish leaders... for them it was just another day, in a long list of days. Nothing special, nothing great. Just another day, another event, another story.  Nothing special to write home about. 

Then there was Peter, and to an extent Judas as well.  Both of them knew that there is something special unfolding.  That their little brains were too big to get around. But there was something indeed happening. Perhaps it was more a gut level feeling than a rationalised conclusion.  For Peter the import of the events hits him when the cock crows and Jesus' words come back to haunt him. 

Then there were the apostles.  Most of them were clueless about anything that was happening around them.  Even at the death of Jesus, they didn't understand what exactly was happening.  They really 'woke up' perhaps at the Pentecost. 

And then there was Jesus.  And God, the Father himself, watching all of this.  Knowing perfectly well, where all this was leading to.  Yet, no sign of rushing towards it or away from it. A serene surrender to the unfolding of events, fully aware of what its impact is going to be. 

Photos and videos

Driving back from Karunapuram late this evening, the traffic was held up a particular point on the Outer Ring Road.  There was some renovation of the overhead signboards and hence all the lanes were closed for nearly 30 minutes.  

As soon as I reached the point and realised that the work would take some time, I switched off the ignition and sat quiet. However, what amused me was that every other driver (and passenger) of the other vehicles were out to find out why the delay and the blockade.  No sooner did they see and understand the reason, the cell phone were out and practically every other guy was capturing a video of the traffic on the road.  A couple of guys found that the apt time to shoot some reels in the middle of the road!  

This craze of cell phone usage for selfies, photography and video of any and every event or time is certainly well beyond normalcy! 

Vocation story

I was at Karunapuram today.  They began the three-day vocation camp of the Telangana region today morning. I was asked to speak to the 32 boys present about the mysterious ways of God, in the context of a vocation.  I chose to narrate my own vocation story to illustrate the theme.  I also took the opportunity to share about my choice of being a Salesian Brother and its insignificance in the context of my larger choice to be a Salesian!  I'm not sure if the boys understood the gravity of that distinction; but I really do not expect them to - at least at this point. 

Nonetheless, a couple of boys did meet me later and thanked me for the sharing. On my part, I was indeed happy to relive my own camp experience of 1993.  

Devil - the hard worker

Most often, the Devil is cited as evil incarnate and that he/she has no good quality or virtue. The devil is said to be the absolute negation of good. 

However, perhaps he does have one virtue and that he is really good at it (perhaps there could be more such virtues). It is the virtue of hard work! 

None can deny any of the following: 

1. The devil is always at work.
2. He is consistent in his goal and mission. No concessions! 
3. The devil is creative and inventive. 

So there is something after all that we can learn from the devil! 

Glory and power

This morning for the morning prayer and meditation, there was this particular Psalm that we were reading personally.  The opening stanza reads thus: 

O give the Lord you sons of God, 

give the Lord glory and power... 

The first impression on reading this was a sense of diminishing oneself and exalting God, above and over oneself. It is as if God needs that sort of glorification and power and that we need to surrender that to Him.  The feeling was not very comfortable; that of giving up of oneself in order to merely increase His power and majesty.  

Nonetheless I continued reading the Psalm, and a few verses down this is what I read

The Lord will give strength to his people, 

the Lord will bless his people with peace. 

And what really hit me instantly was this great realisation that all the glory and majesty the Psalmist was exhorting us to surrender to God, for his sake, what apparently seemed to be self-negation for His luxury, is actually being utilised by God to empower me!! So all the glorification and praise and exaltation, is coming round to actually benefit us; benefit me!  

And of course, unless one is willing to undergo that act of diminishing oneself, of self-negation, of passing through the dark night of losing oneself, one cannot expect to be open to being strengthened by God.  To be blessed with peace, and even to cherish it, when one receives it, one must be willing to undergo the turmoil or uncertainty of oneself.  

Photography

A couple of months ago when there was a discussion about the selection of photos for the wall calendars and other annual reports or documentation, I made a point: insert or use only those photos which show or capture the natural scene... not a posed or orchestrated still. 

I understand the value and need of posed photos.  But when it comes to showing life and living in its best form, pictures that speak have far more value and add meaning to the text or context.  

I have before me a wall calendar with a photo of a group of women around a tailoring gadget.  It clearly shows an instructor speaking to a dozen women about the work or tailoring skill. It could have been a posed photo, wherein the cameraman or  someone may have asked them to gather around. But the beauty of the photo is that not one among those in the photo are worried or facing the camera.  Each one is so engaged in the words and instructions of the tutor that tells how profoundly they are interested in the skill or art of tailoring.  Their faces endorse the fact that there is training happening!!! That trainees are passionate about their training!  That the instructor is an engaging person.  

Tuition classes

I am for tuition classes... but for those who need additional assistance, because in the limited class hours or school time, the students are not able to comprehend everything.  And I think, the school itself should arrange these tuition classes - if at all they must.  Because as a thumb rule, tuition classes are an open self-proclamation (by the school, its teachers, its management...) that it is incapable of teaching within the allocated time (school hours).  

That said, I'm totally against tuition classes or extra classes for the brighter kids or those parents who wish to see that their children have the additional edge over their kids classmates or contemporaries.  And I'm all the more against, tuition for such a group or individuals, being offered by the school itself!!! 

Reasons: 

1. Such an arrangement is a declaration of discrimination, in favour of the already gifted and / those who can afford. As a person involved in deciding for such arrangements, I ask myself, why should only a section of students be given this extra help; why not all?  
2. It is also an acknowledgement that as a school, we are incompetent or unwilling to take the extra measure (which is very very minimal) to offer the students a little more than what is prescribed. In other words, we do not want to strain ourselves or give our very best to our wards. 
3. Every school is offering such additional classes or tutoring sessions is certainly no reason why we should follow the crowd. The same applies to the argument that even parents are asking for it.
4. Another minor, but still important reason... why coop the children inside the classroom all day long?  
   
   
   
   
   

Extra classes or tuition centres

The notion of extra classes or tuition centres during school days is something that has been in vogue for quite sometime now.  In earlier days, when I was still in school, only those who were really incapable of following the class room sessions and those who could afford would go for tuition. Or it was the notorious who wouldn't pay attention in class or those finding it really difficult to comprehend what was taught in a class, who would be told to attend the extra classes.  

Then came an era when only the brighter students started taking tuition classes.  Those who needed the basic push or additional help to understand the portion, still went to tuition, but to a different place or with a different teacher.  The latter and the former were not at the same place or in one tuition room.  The former went to tuition to increase their marks in the final exam.  The latter went to score passing marks.  Of course, the goal was and still remains, of scoring marks.  The aim never was, and still isn't, to become more educated!!! 

Medical tourism

The latest and growing trend is that of 'medical tourism'.  There seems to be some confreres who are eternally obsessed with their health.  So much so, any sneeze or scratch is blown out of proportion to be related to some life-threatening ailment.  

Then there are those who wish, by any and all means, to visit every doctor and stream of medicine available, anywhere in the country, at any costs to address the same health concern.  Thus we have confreres who visit every ayurvedic therapy centre in Kerala, then return and within two months visit another therapeutic centre in another part of Kerala, and in another two months visit an orthopaedic centre in some part of Telangana, and all this while continue taking the strong doses of medicine prescribed by their first doctor whom they visited two years ago (but never again even mentioned to him about the rest of the medical journey)! 

On the other end of the spectrum are some who stubbornly refuse to visit any medical centre, even though they have some serious health issues which need medical intervention.  

Add to this list the growing cases of mental well-being and health issues.  Of course, some of the above issues are mostly because of mental imbalances!! 

The most comic angle of this scenario is that most (not all) of those 'sick' and expecting medical attention, are the first and most to travel places... any distance, any time, by any mode, for no significant reason!  

Self-discovery vs Self-awareness

Today I realised there a difference between self-discovery and self-awareness.  Not that I really thought much about self-discovery in comparison to the latter, but I presumed that one is more or less the same.  

As a matter of fact, both self-discovery and self-awareness are related; although not the same. Self-discovery is more as of now, today, here and now; while self-awareness is forward looking, in as much as it is future oriented, not stuck with today. 

Self-discovery has much to do with facts and affects (feelings, emotions, moods); whereas, self-awareness helps one influence choices, relationship and a whole lot of stuff, when one moves beyond the facts and affects.  The latter leads to changes and is transformative; while the former is intellectual.  

Self-discovery answers the question: Why am I who I am? 

Self-awareness responds to: What am I now/later meant to be? 

Being vs Doing

Doing usually flows from our Being.  Character often dictates or heavily influences our actions.  Therefore a greater focus on being is never misplaced.  

Nonetheless, our actions too have a bearing on our character, our being.  Besides ratifying or expressing our character, they do have an effect on our character.  

In short, the relationship between being and doing is not necessarily a one-way traffic; it is perhaps more of a Indian market-scene where everyone is in the right direction!!!

Parent's impact on children

Last Friday I had the good fortune of being present with the family of Thomas Aquinas, even though the occasion was not a joyful one; it was the funeral of his Dad. 

Nonetheless what was evident and a joy for me to witness was the sincere appreciation of the man that Mr Rayappan (Aquinas' father) was. He was the first trained catechist of the Salem diocese. And right till the end he continued being so.  

Much more than just doing the work of a catechist, he truly appears to have influenced the lives of people and brought them closer to Christ.  The most solid evidence to this fact of his life is the life of his sons!  Of the three I know Aquinas well.  And I told him as I left the cemetery after the burial, "No surprise, your roots run deep and strong!" 

The one thing that kept ringing in my head all along the Mass, especially listening to what several people were sharing and talking, either from the pulpit or all around me, was the impact of parents on the lives of their children!  True indeed, from the fruits one knows the quality of the tree! 

Origins of the Salesian Congregation

When Don Bosco initiated the Salesian Congregation (SC), which eventually took on the name of the Salesians of Don Bosco (SDB), his primary and perhaps the only goal was to ensure that the work for the poor boys is continued. But it certainly was more than a merely social enterprise. The well-being of the boys was for a higher purpose. 

The main aims of the newly founded society were the following: 

1. the glory of God
2. the salvation of souls, and 
3. the sanctification of its members

Of the three goals listed, none of them restrict limits itself to taking care of the boys.