Unworthy renewals

 Rubbing salt on the wound, as if summer heat perspiration is not enough, is the laid back attitude of some who take life for granted.  Who have everything they need and still make no effort at contributing their little to the common pool of resources.  That was my thought as I sat at the back of the Church this morning, attending the Mass for the renewal of vows.  How I wished I could toss some of those sitting before me, not just out of the Chapel, but out into a furnace! At the same time, my mind was also telling me, that it is God who calls and perhaps he has a plan for these young Salesians - something of which I am not aware or, in my present state of mind, am unwilling to see! 

After three weeks of spaced out programmes and inputs, we found a couple of guys smoking in the rooms last night - just before the night of their renewal of vows! Last year, on this very day a few others were found with alcohol bottles in their rooms!  In the latter event, I wouldn't open my mouth to protest, because drinks are often served at table in practically all our houses.  So when the seniors drink, that too openly and sometimes, excessively, by what authority can I tell the younger generation that they ought not to.  But smoking??? When on earth do these guys pick that up?  

Sitting in the Chapel, it occurred to me, right now, we have within the Province, a long list of confreres, breaking every rule not just in the Constitutions but of the Gospel as well!  Confreres involved in financial mismanagement, unhealthy relationships, addictions, brazen disobedience, abuse of power, blinded by caste affiliations... and I don't mean, these are rare occurrences; these are habitual, brazen and seen as normal. 

Anyway, I have to remind myself, that it is ultimately God who is the master of vocations and it is His work that we are engaged in.  So if he feels a drunkard or a womaniser or a chain smoker is who he needs for his ministry, who am I to object?  Nonetheless, my conscience tells me that I cannot leave it all to God, for I am convinced he has put me here and now, with this role and that responsibility, for a particular purpose.  That does not let me see, without putting up a fight, my home, my family, my province go up in smoke! However I need to constantly remind myself that it is not God who needs protection or defense; it is the individual who needs accompaniment. 

The caste menace

 I never really fathomed the extent of caste rot in the Province, till I actually started fulfilling my responsibility as the Economer of the Province. Over the last couple of years, I've seen first-hand the prejudices, anger, bitterness, irrationality and absolutely nonsensical idiocity of confreres swayed merely by caste affiliations.  It has amazed me how strong and deep are these connections that cloud the mind and heart so badly that one grows blind (and deaf, and dead and what not) to the most evident facts of life. If only some of these confreres (not even all such 'infected') were half so passionate about Christ and his Gospel values, we would have worked innumerable wonders.  Anything and everything is viewed and interpreted based on the caste equation. Even common sense, leave alone, spirituality and ethical reasoning, goes for a toss.  It is sickening!  

Religious life, or priestly ministry, or for that matter Christianity itself, has no place for caste.  As Salesians we either leave out the dirty caste politics out of our apostolate, or show ourselves out of the congregation and the Church.  

Diplomacy in the apostolate?

 In today's reading we find Paul before the Sanhedrin, making a very shrewd move.  Indeed he shows glimpses of this 'Saul' personality.  Put on trial for preaching Christ, he cleverly incites one group (Pharisees) against the other (Sadducees), without letting them even get wind of his clever move. He merely puts out himself as one among the Pharisees, being accused of believing in the resurrection! The Pharisees fall for it and then the debate is all a fight between the two groups.  Paul, in the meantime, walks out with a sly smile (that's my addition!). 

And just when I thought that was it, there comes the message from Jesus: You bore witness to me in Jerusalem, now be my witness in Rome as well.  

One can be like the crowd, easily swayed by someone's clever distraction, missing out the core argument and point.  We end up, fighting and arguing, without even realising that we long stopped reasoning and focusing.  We can be like Paul, playing a diplomat or a politician, rather than being an apostle. Or could be that Paul was only being wise not wanting to waste his time 'preaching' to the group; hence he merely lets them get entangled with one another, while he gets back to investing his time and energy into positive outcomes and possibilities. 

Getting back to the scene played out at the Sanhedrin, the feedback of Jesus can be interpreted as an endorsement of the ploy that Paul played. Or it could be read as a chastisement.  I prefer to side with the latter.  For in Christianity, honesty is more valuable than diplomacy.  Paul was called to be an apostle, not a diplomat, and certainly not a politician!  

Perks or pricks of Freedom

 

From Telangana today... cartoon of the day 

Scarcity teaches us more

 One of the core lessons that I've come to learn, or rather, one of my beliefs that have been confirmed over the last couple of years is the fact that poverty teaches us more than abundance.  That in scarcity we find the true and deep meaning and value of anything, and life in general.  When we have something in abundance, we do not care for it.  We begin to realize the worth of it, only when that item or aspect diminishes or disappears.  

I've come to believe that most of us priests and religious have lost not just the value of money but of God himself.  We are exposed to both in abundance, hence the loss of esteem.  

Beyond amusing... birth certificate of cows

 Couldn't but ignore following headline and hence read the news article: 

Show birth certificates of cows...

Now in Bengal, under the new regime, some legislators are demanding birth certificates of cows to be issued, to prove their age!  While livelihood of Bangladeshis and voting rights of muslims are being snatched, the political system is keen to ensure calves are issued birth certificates. Rather than focus on educating and integrating knowledge with values, our political system is out to drag us back to the pre-human era. 

In another news photo that I by chance came across in the morning, some scientists dropped the carcass of a cow into the ocean. Of course, the photo was AI generated.  Luckily, this was in China, not in India, or else, it would have been the most debated and discussed news item of the decade!  

Responsibility of lack of leadership

 Faced one hard truth today... 

In the last couple of years, I had come to moan the lack of truth worthy personnel who could  be entrusted responsibilities with a certain level of confidence, that they would take forward the legacy of our predecessors, of Don Bosco himself. That list of capable and clear-souled individuals who have matured over the years of formation, who could be relied upon. That diminishing list.  That rare species.  

Today, someone questioned me if that is not a systemic fault - of the present leadership? In a way no; but also yes, in a way! No, because those shoulders who are mature enough to take on responsibilities were trained in the previous generation, era, regime.  So, not really our fault. Not mine. But, then I asked myself, if the situation is bad now, have I made it better for the next generation to have sufficient and reliable personnel?  Or done nothing much, and eventually this trend is only going to get worse?  

To BE rather than BECOME

Most of the disciples of Christ choose to be with Jesus, not become apostles or own possessions.  They chose Jesus, because they were enamoured by who he was, what he did and how he went about living his life. They chose to BE with him, rather than BECOME someone or something. 

Michael Rua and John Cagliero decided to stay with Don Bosco, not because they wanted to be his successors or bishops or leaders of the Salesian congregation.  They merely felt at home with Don Bosco and wanted to BE like him.  They had no personal agenda, rather they aligned their own aspirations with that of Don Bosco.  

Good to pay attention to this! These individuals who made an impact on the world, chose to BE with their models. Those who decided to stay with the models in order to become something, became politicians or businessmen, not leaders, not models themselves - at least not for the better! 

What am I full of?

 A lady good at teaching Maths is bound to be approached by the students for clarifications and assistance.  Certainly the number of students approaching her for tuition in Maths speaks of her capacity and talent. To such a lady no one is going to ask her to pack a kilo of pickle for travel abroad! (Unless she does that as well - in which case, sooner or later, the number of people approaching her for either tuitions or pickle will indicate what she is excelling at).  

Point of the story: what one is good at, or perceived to be good at, is that people approach one for.  

So the question: what am I good at as a religious, as a Salesian?  If young people don't find me good for anything, then why would they approach me?  Does anyone approach me asking for prayers, after all, I'm a man of the cloth and spirituality is supposed to be my specialty. So if no one asks me for prayers, they don't perceive me to be good at it. 

One thing I know that most people approach us Salesians, for: funds and financial aid!  That says something!  We have projected ourselves (can't squarely blame people for perceiving us all by themselves) as rich.  The distinction/clarification I wish to make is between people approaching us for funds for education or for education?  Do they see in me a teacher, an educator, or merely an ATM, albeit for education - for which they approach someone else. 

Substitution

 Today we commemorate the feast of a man who wasn't the firsthand choice of Jesus as one among the 12 apostles. 

Mathias was a substitute or replacement of Judas. He was filling in the shoes of someone who had betrayed the very Master. Not a pleasant or exciting offer. 

He knew well what apostolate meant. Nor was he a first timer or random passerby who got dragged into the inner circle of the early apostles. I'm sure he was around when Jesus went about his mission. So when the slot fell vacant, the choice of Mathias was not surprising to those around. 

Being a substitute he could have acted as a spare wheel, rather than take on the full responsibility. But I'm sure that wasn't the case. In fact I'm almost certain, he would have continued being who he was and doing exactly what he was doing earlier. Even if he were not to have been chosen, he would still been the same and done the same amount of good. I guess the same is true of Barsabas, the alternative option who was considered for the substitution.

That's virtue. That's integrity. Valuing who I am and doing what I truly believe is good no matter the circumstances around me or the existence or non-existence of power, position and responsibility.