Hard work and personal witness

 Call it coincidence or serendipity.  Before leaving for the MPE meet in Delhi, Dc Banka Sagar was sharing one of his experience while during practical training in Manoharabad.  Prior to joining the Salesians, he said he used to once in a way work at construction sites, especially while putting in the RCC slab.  When in the novitiate, they was some renovation work going on and the sand unloaded by the lorry needed to be taken up a floor or two. Sagar spoke to the Master and the Contractor and agreed to do the shifting for a price of Rs 5000.  He got the novices one evening and completed the work.  They used that money for a special meal for the community. 

While in Delhi, the Salesian Province of Dimapur shared a practice in vogue in one of its remote rural mission station school, where the school monthly fees is about Rs 700 or so. That's a day's wage for labour in that part of the country.  With most parents being poor labourers or farmers, rather than insisting with them to pay the fees on time, some Salesian at some time in the past proposed a day's labour in exchange for a month's school fee.  So those parents or sometime grown up students themselves who wish to pay their monthly fee through work, instead of cash, collectively work on the Salesian farm on a chosen day.  The farm work progresses, the parents are happy that they need not give their meagre income to the school, children continue their studies uninterrupted for want of school fee payment!  A win-win situation for all. 

Reflecting on these two narrations, I was wondering how many of us Salesians and boys will not mind some such undertaking.  In a month, take up some work in some ongoing work in the neighbourhood, just for a day or max two.  That too a holiday or free day.  Use that amount for something noble of the house: fees of someone unable to pay the fees, salary of one staff for a month, purchase of a small equipment or gadget for the smooth running of the institution, cover some sick students medical bill... any such NEED of the house.  Of course, the Salesian should be the heart and soul of this initiative and undertaking!  Not that he is the first one to resist hard work or shun manual labour!  

It is easy to misinterpret this initiative or thought as a fund-raising gimmick.  The earned amount is only an auxiliary outcome.  The bigger goal is respect for labour and collective effort at addressing communal needs. Most of us are used to getting our needs met by others labour.  My bigger issue is how we treat our boys who share our residence and food.  We get funds and donations in their name, but most of it is spent for our wants (not necessarily needs). If only boys and our students see us passionately striving for their well being, not as outsiders or as different from them, but as truly their 'brothers' and 'fathers', they will not mind cleaning the sewage of the town.  I've seen them fight to do that dirty job, just because I felt that it should be cleaned and I was ready to jump in to do it.  

MPE Rewind 2026

 I've been wanting to pen my learning from the recently concluded Mission Poverty Eradication (MPE) Rewind 2026 meeting held in Delhi.  I purposely kept delaying it to achieve some sort of objectivity and fairness (historical distance!), rather than let my reflection be moved primarily by emotion. 

While I truly still feel, a virtual meeting would have sufficed, but to be fair, I cannot but appreciate the meeting content.  Rather than come without a set agenda and let things unfold, the meeting was aimed at collating the efforts of the last one year, across the provinces of south Asia.  So the best was that preparation done.  We did not walk into the meeting, arms swinging.  Each province had to prepare two definite presentations and a video. So, in that sense, there was much effort and planning and thought put into the meeting itself. 

What I'd sincerely appreciate is a little more of openness and synodal approach towards the whole enterprise.  This is about the methodology at work of the whole initiative rather than the meeting per se.  I somehow sense a strong suspicion underlying the initiative, that most Salesians are against this endeavour.  That outlook really hampers the owning up of the undertaking because much of it depends on involvement and commitment.  When people tend to feel emotionally hurt, the tendency is to either resist or stay aloof - both of which are foolish and immature reactions.  Neither of which is helpful for the dissemination and imbibing of a noble initiative like MPE.  

That said, I see the potentiality and the ultimate goal that this undertaking strives to achieve: an attitudinal and strategic change in the way we exercise our ministry, focusing our attention consciously on the poorest. 

God's love for young people

 One particular statement of Fr Fabio Attard, the Rector Major, during his talk to us in Delhi in the context of the meeting on Mission Poverty Eradication struck me: 

Let not the stories of Don Bosco distract you or keep you from knowing THE story of Don Bosco.  

He was challenging us to get to know the real spirit and mind of the man whom we claim to the Father of youth, the founder of the SDBs.  Not to being satisfied with knowing tits and bits of his life and works and trying to imitate those.  To know Don Bosco is to know his mind and his whole life story as one.  To be driven by what moved him most and best: God's love for young people. 

They are celebrating!

 For those who think they are smart, they will sooner than later find someone who will outsmart them, that too in a most humble and hilarious manner. 

Most recently during our table conversations, I heard of the following incident involving Fr VG Mathew.  He originally hailed from Chennai Province but moved around the other Indian Provinces before settling for good in Bangalore Province.  He was certainly not an easy character!  

One day he approached the then vice-provincial, Fr Koonan Thomas stating that he would like a small celebration in his honour.  The occasion being him completing 25 years of his moving from Chennai Province to the Bangalore Province.  To which, Fr Thomas immediately replied, "Why should we celebrate. The Chennai Province is celebrating!" 

Decided forum

 I was part of a two day meeting recently. Most of the meeting comprised of presentations and videos of various achievements and strategies of the various provinces across the region.  However, there were two sessions, in the afternoons, titled 'Open Forum'. 

Most of the participants were familiar with one another, and attending this programme for the second time in as many years.  As for me, I was attending this gathering for the first time, outside the Province. At one point, during the Open forum, I made a proposal citing a similar effort already underway, as the same initiative proposed earlier in the day.  I did not oppose the initiative proposed or negate the plan.  All that I proposed was that we could converge efforts and minds, because the methodology and the end result were exactly - EXACTLY - the same!  

However, what happened immediately after I made the proposal was really something I was not prepared for.  The reaction to that proposal soon made it clear to me that the planned initiative and the whole meeting was a highly isolated and individual effort.  This enterprise spanned everything but did not want anyone or anything else to touch it - leave alone, assist or impact it.   

Far from being a Open forum, it appeared to me as a 'Decided Forum'! 

Different purposes

 On my recent flight from Hyderabad to Delhi, I couldn't but pay attention to the in-flight announcements, especially by the Captain and the flight crew head.  While I barely could understand what the Captain spoke, the crew head's message was a little more understandable.  I couldn't help but compare the announcements with newsreading. 

A newsreader spells out the words in order for the hearer to grasp and understand.  An inflight announcement is to fulfill an obligation.  The former's whole endeavour is to articulate the message in as clear way as possible.  The latter has no such responsibility to articulate a communication (flight safety and convenience, being the priorities).  

Output to outcome!

 I'm attending the Mission Poverty Eradication, Rewind 2026 episode in Delhi since yesterday. 

Among the few significant aspects that the learnings of the two year enterprise that have struck me, the one that really caught my attention is the following fact: reflection. 

Although not still clear of the focus of this initiative, at least in terms of the methodology and procedure, more than the goal, I should say I'm fully with the ultimate purpose of this initiative: that we need to focus our attention on the poorest of the poor. 

Another aspect: Shifting from output to outcome.  The shift from asking "How many have we trained?" (output) to asking, "What has changed in the lives of those we have trained?" (outcome)

Morning miracle

 On 8 September 2026, the birthday of Mother Mary, three miracles happened in my own personal life: 

1. I woke up (thanks be to God, for the gift of life!) 
2. I woke up, by myself, without the alarm ringing (that has rarely happened!) 
3. I woke up, by myself, in time for Mass (that's the real miracle!)

Values and context in Vocation Promotion

 For quite some time a thought has been doing the rounds in my own mind, with regard to vocation promotion.  In particular, vocation promotion by myself, close at home!  I've been asking myself if I'd feel comfortable and confident to invite my own nephew or niece to join the Salesians, as a Priest or Brother and Sister.  

To be honest, I am neither comfortable nor confident in offering that invitation.  Nonetheless, I would still not mind speaking about this possibility to them, but with a rider: Join, only if you are willing to be true to your basic values and not fold up to the pressures which are in plenty and enticing too!  

Looking back and counting my blessings, especially those which have helped me keep myself steady and strong, I count the values inculcated in me by my parents and the context in which this was done as one of the most powerful one. While my parents hard work and determination was inspirational, their struggles were not hidden from my brother and I.  Their example and the financial situation of the times helped me grow without being shy of engaging in hard manual work.  

While I have no doubt about the values my nephew and niece witness at home, I seriously wonder if they are used to living a hard difficult life, not just without moaning about it, but joyfully embracing it as an opportunity for growth. That they may actually embrace the challenge is a possibility; but I also fear our present comfort level in the religious life is too enticing and tempting. 

I also need to remind myself that a vocation is initially God's call. So He who calls, also equips! 

AI and the mosquito bat

 A few months ago, I bought a tennis bat sold on street corners to kill mosquitoes. Those who have used these bats know that this can be electrically charged and used to 'shock and awe' mosquitoes.  However, prior to this purchase and use, I've spent days and months and years killing mosquitoes with hands... at times with just one hand. And I was good at this hand-killing!! 

But of late I noticed, that my hand-killing skill has gone dull or weak.  Relying on the electric bat has significantly reduced my reliance on using hands alone to catch and kill mosquitoes.  What began as an added tool, soon became the only 'skill' I knew.  

I guess this same is what can be applied to incessant use of AI in life and works. Using the support of AI certainly enhances the quality of our work; but relying solely on AI for any specific task or all tasks, severely hampers natural skills and talents.  

The calculator was an additional tool to help us calculate large numbers and figures.  Unfortunately, some of us now reach for the calculator to calculate 8 times 8!! Heavy and total reliance on the calculator has divested us of our ability to calculate even simple sums and mathematical calculations.  Let it not be said of our generation that complete reliance on AI has cost us our ability to think and reflect.