Youth apostolate: Standalone Events to Cause-based Movements

 This morning addressing the young Salesians, especially those involved in youth apostolate, I began citing two of the major headlines in the recent days: Gen Z protests, across the county and the FCRA amendment opposition. 

Both remained parallel protests, with no ecclesial figures getting involved in the Gen Z protests and no young people opposing the FCRA amendment.  The ecclesial group is very much involved in education and the Gen Z protest was purely about the corruption set in the education system of the country.  Yet, the former did not feel the importance of getting involved.  For the FCRA opposition, the Church was at the forefront. 

My whole point was to recommend the Salesians to move away from restricting youth ministry to events and functions.  The attempt should be to facilitate a youth movement or process; that too based on a cause or a need.  Rather than invest great amount of time, energy, resources and personnel on standalone events, wherein there is neither preparation on the part of the youth as a line-up for the event, nor a follow-up from our side post the event, I exhorted that we should be catalysts for a youth movement, a process.  

Secondly, that movement or process is need-based or revolving around a cause!  

Thirdly, that this need or cause should be that of the young people themselves. Not our motives or reasons!  A youth group without a purpose, a cause or a need that propels it, is a club of party-goers. And young people should not be insulted by engaging them in mere decorative purposes as arranging chairs, or performing a dance in a celebration or as choir members in the Church. The youth are a dynamite and we shouldn't be lighting a cigarette with it. 

Lastly, in order to facilitate this whole process and purpose, we shouldn't be taking centre stage or shifting the focus on ourselves as guides!  Moreover, we should not hesitate or feel ashamed to network or join hands with anyone who is of the same mind; be that with other members of our community, other departments of our institution or Province, or even non-Salesian and non-Catholic individuals or organisations.  The cause and purpose should take precedence over the names and groups! 

Property woes

One of our staff members returned this morning from his native village after attending the funeral of a relative.  I saw him down since his arrival and just before lunch asked if all was well.  He then started narrating his pain about retaining a small bit of land - all that he really owns, in his village - that too from the greedy hands of his own uncle.  What pained him most was this betrayal and backstabbing by his own kith and kin.  Those who should have been standing by him, are the ones usurping his share of the property.  Not only do they want the land bit but to grab it the tactics they are adopting are cruel: they forced this man and his family out of the rented house at midnight.  He, along with his wife, two small kids, aged mother were on the road just before midnight!  He couldn't bear it anymore and broke down narrating it.  This is the first time I have seen him weep.  The pain and humiliation of a son, a father, a husband ... was vivid. All this, around and about a one and half cent bit of land!  

He is still to recover from that shock and pain. Adding to it is the awareness of his helplessness.  No one wishes to get involved citing it to be a family matter.  Walking away from that land is like giving up the only thing he feels connected with back with his roots, especially his deceased father's legacy. 

 As religious, we own much land.  Keeping track of every bit of it and ensuring maximum utility is not something that we do or feel pressurized to do.  But I also know of the agony involved in securing these properties and ensuring that no one creates false documents and lays claim for any of these bits.  Although it is a big headache, it is not always a matter of life and death for us.  Worse comes to worse, we forgo the land and move on. We do not feel the pinch of it. 

On the other hand, most lay people, especially farmers in rural areas who have inherited land from their ancestors or simple city folk who have 'earned' miniscule plots after years of toil, face an uphill task to keep these land bits secure.  And by chance, if some greedy souls lay eyes on it, then they either spend their whole earning on it or have to give it up, due to sheer pressure of the big sharks.  The desperation and helplessness when faced with such challenges is deep and acute! 

What Faith!!

 The Canaanite woman who approaches Jesus for a cure for her ill daughter, the woman suffering with hemorrhage, the Centurion who seeks a cure for his servant all have something in common... great and deep faith.  

The Canaanite woman is 'insulted and humiliated' by Jesus himself when he asks if it is justified to offer the dogs the food of the master!  She does not retort or feel insulted.  She acknowledge the insult, but claims what even a 'dog' is permitted: crumbs, fallen from the masters table.  She does not ask for the meal of the master. Not even the leftovers. All she asks for is crumbs!  

The woman suffering with the hemorrhage chases Jesus, in the midst of the crowd, with one clear intent. Just one clear intent.  Only to touch the fringe of his garment. Not be touched by Jesus. Not to hold Jesus' hand or feet.  Not even to get hold of the whole garment of Jesus.  Just the fringe of Jesus' garment - FRINGE! 

The Centurion asks Jesus only to say a word. He not say that he will get his servant into Jesus' presence.  He does not ask Jesus to send one of his trusted apostle to the bedside of his sick servant, leave alone pester Jesus to visit his servant.  All that the Centurion asks is Jesus' word.  'Just say a word and my servant will get well!' Not a person, not a big prayer service, not long prayer, just a word! 

In each instance we see the depth of their faith.  Of the three persons, two are not even Jews!  From their own personal observation and experience they trusted him so much that all they wanted was not a full-fledged presence of Jesus or his full attention or an extensive time-slot; but merely a crumb, the fringe of his garment, one word from his mouth!!

Media objectivity and reliability

 In times of crisis or turbulence in a country, we all rely on media to keep updated.  Because the turbulence or movements or protests is not geographically spread evenly across the whole nation. Moreover, even before it spreads across the whole country, it starts in one place and then slowly spreads across.  

The speed and intensity with which a movement picks up pace depends much on how media portrays the whole unfolding scenario. Often the state tries to silence or present a sober picture. But in an age of social media, the tiny bits and pieces of information and citizen "reporting" exposes the lacuna.  

The risk is when the state official media does not present the whole truth or consciously avoids essential elements of the report.  Then democracy itself is at risk.  On the other hand, social media points to the facts but is not necessarily always reliable.  Those media channels are not responsible to anyone and hence liable to be hijacked if the individual so chooses to.  Caught between this awareness that the state media isn't entirely objective and the risk of relying on social media content, the receiver is now forced to make a personal judgement.  

Be my baby

 Two lovely songs that I somehow remembered this night... 

The Ronettes singing 'Be my baby'... 

The following is a song that I remember from the movie Belfast, one of the movies I watched while in the UK.  Watching the movie in the context and in the country make it all the more special.  Not every one who watches the movie will FEEL it except those who have been through those time or places! 

Integrity and holiness of life - 2

 I glanced through the book The Dual Form of the Salesian Vocation by Andrea Bozzolo.  Read through the Theological interpretation of the dual form of the single Salesian vocation, as presented by Bozzolo.  Nonetheless, two aspects that stand out for me as serious lacuna which Bozzolo seems to have either missed out or misinterpreted.  

The first aspect is the emphasis and foundational character of our Salesian vocation: Consecration.  This dimension is something in common for ALL Salesians - irrespective of one's choice of brotherhood or priesthood. As Salesians, our identity is that of consecrated individuals, even prior to our identity as priests.  Now if this is not the case, then we are merely diocesans, wearing a different cloak and having a different abbreviation after our name, for the show of it. 

Now I thought I had heard this aspect of the CONSECRATION from Fr Ivo, who in turn heard it from Bozzolo.  Perhaps this book was an earlier interpretation or text from the pen of Bozzolo.  Or I am mixing up my sources! Nonetheless, this is one point that is certainly a very essential aspect missing in the book. 

The second aspect is that of the notion of integrity and holiness.  Somehow, it appears to me - not necessarily that it is what Bozzolo actually meant to say -  that Bozzolo isolates the Brother as the only one of whom integrity and holiness of life are expected.  Not necessarily of a priest!  Because in Bozzolo's understanding, the priest has the authority of the Holy Orders. And that seems to suffice!  Whereas a brother has to 'earn' his authority from the integrity and holiness of life and work that characterizes his life as a brother.  

I believe authority comes from integrity, no matter what state of life one is called to live.  Holiness is not a given grace that automatically transforms a person, without his or her own effort or attempts at being open to that grace!  If one does not live an integral life, no matter how many layers of Holy Orders one puts on or is bestowed with, one lacks depth, spirituality and holiness.  On the other hand, if living an integral life, no matter what 'lowly' work one does, one is holy.  In short, no one, not the priest, not the brother, not anyone, is exempted of this attempt at living a life of integrity.  

Integrity and holiness of life

 An extract from the book The Dual Form of the Salesian Vocation by Andrea Bozzolo (trans. by Michael Smyth) Bangalore: KJC Publications, 2019, p. 69 [emphasis added]

The Salesian Brother's ... way of evangelizing does not take the priestly form of preaching, liturgical proclamation of the Word, or celebration of the sacraments, but rather the typically lay form of making room for the Word of God among the things of the world, transforming work and the effort it involves into an act of love for his brothers and a true spiritual sacrifice pleasing to God, while not excluding explicit proclamation and catechesis.  Thus the integrity of his life will enable him to speak not in the name of ecclesial authority that comes from the sacrament of Holy Orders, but by the authority that comes from the holiness of life.  This is what we see very clearly in the lives of holy Brothers such as Artemide Zatti, Simon Srugi and Stephen Sandor.  They did not preach from the pulpit, but their workplaces - the hospital in Viedma, the clinic at Beitgemal, the printing press in Budapest - became places of extraordinary proclamation and irradiation of the faith.  Indeed, all the work they did spoke of God. 

Personal commitment

 I had another round of discussion with a confrere this morning, again very profound and touching some of the basic issues concerning our Salesian apostolate across the province and in the individual communities.  

One of my primary concerns - was and - is that we Salesians have become numb to the challenges of the youth!  We have found our safe haven in our houses and in our own worlds.  Our commitment to respond to the needs of the youth, is lost when faced with the slightest of discomfort or smallest of a hurdle.  We have basically losing or lost the SPARK!

I truly believe that if I am passionate about working with and for the young, and I notice that there is a challenge which the young people are struggling with - not in the air, but in my vicinity - I will pour out myself, in response to it.  Literally, pour out myself.  I will use every bit of space, every tiny infrastructure, every resource around me, every ounce of my strength and give my best to assist the young or the needy.  I need to 'own' up that challenge, with and for the young.  I will not wait for a mega project to be sanctioned, a new building to be put up, extra space/land to be provided, or someone from somewhere giving me directions as to what to do.  I will just do whatever I can, with whatever I have.  

Without that bit of will, that tiny effort, that initial investment of myself - all of myself - (and the little I have), no amount of money or resources or infrastructure or land or even God himself (by Himself, all alone) can make any meaningful and sustained impact.  

Future of apostolate

The future of our Salesian apostolate lies in building people, movements and processes, rather than continue the erstwhile style of huge buildings, heavy machinery and mega projects. Therefore, to be future-ready we need to be clear with our vision, generous with our commitment and be data-driven about the contextual needs. Openness to partner with like-minded individuals (especially, laity of the Salesian movements) and organisations, is another must. Without any of these essential aspects, we would end up doing great and good amount of work but without much impact.

That's my personal take on the way we need to approach the ministry in practice.  However, at a more deeper and personal level, without personal commitment to Jesus and His Gospel values, the end result too is going to be the same as the concluding line of the previous para.

God in search of man

 

One of the yardstick of measuring our own spirituality - if at all, one can have one! - is the ability to see how passionate are we about cherishing being in God's presence, rather than striving to please him.  The former attitude presumes God is ever present in my life and the latter perspective is based on our pursuit of his eluding presence!