No luxury to worry about the heat

 This year's summer has been extremely hot!  The worst prolonged hot days, ever!  Nonetheless, life goes on. We all adapt and carry on.  

Often I've thought and in the house spoken about the poor people who work, out in the open.  Being inside the building and barely stepping outside, we feel cooked. What about those poor people slogging it out, eking their living out in the open, under the direct sun. However, there too, life goes on.  We grin and bear (and burn!). 

The following quote from one poor lady in Madhya Pradesh, (as reported by the BBC website) about the Indian summer sums up the reality of Indian life, especially that of the poor: 

Poor people don't have the luxury of worrying about the heat.

Most of us Indians, have greater adaptation and endurance capacity than other world citizens.  We adapt.  More out of necessity than choice.  

Cockroaches on the move!

 With the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) making headlines (certainly not on Godi media, but everywhere else), there is both entertainment as well a great hope.  The hope is that this satirical act and response to a stray comment by a legal authority, is talking, and talking perfect practical sense, which is being recognised.  The very fact that the government is banning and closing and accusing it of all 'anti-national' traits, is enough proof to say that there is some truth behind CJPs thought. The best aspect of this 'movement' - if one may say so - is that it is youth who are driving the process. Whether it sustains the momentum and results in some radical changes and growth, helping Indian democracy and future, is something to be seen (this statement qualifies me too to be a member of the CJP - lazy and waiting for someone else to work for the results!)

That said, I liked the following summary of the eligibility criteria: (an extract from the article of Fr Jose Maliekal) 

Dipke used AI tools like Claude and ChatGPT to design the website and manifesto within two hours. The movement's eligibility criteria are openly satirical yet strategically inclusive: unemployed ("by force, by choice, or by principle"), lazy ("refers only to physical activity"), chronically online ("at least 11 hours daily, including bathroom breaks"), and able to rant professionally ("content must be sharp, honest, and point at something that matters").

I specially like the last criteria! 

Conversation with a stranger

 Two days ago I received a call from an unknown number. It was a lady on the other end of the call.  She introduced herself as a housewife, mother of two kids, living at one end of Hyderabad city.  She called because she wanted to enroll herself for some skilling course and procure some employment.  From her voice her desperation and need was evident.  I listened to her.  Asked her a few particulars about her location and educational qualification. Then based on the information gathered, I directed her to call one of our Dhisha units offering career guidance and job placement opportunities in Hyderabad. Also recommended that she visit the office and meet the Dhisha staff or coordinator to speak in person, since she lived not too far from there. Besides she could also see for herself if there was a course beginning at Tech Mahindra, which is right next door to the Dhisha office. 

She later texted me saying she wasn't able to get through to speak to the person whose contact I shared.  Then asking if there were any other possibilities or opportunities in Hyderabad itself.  I guided her as best as I could.  We texted back and forth over the next two hours, with her basically updated me. The last text hours later the same day was that there were no courses or programmes on offer through any of the people she contacted through my reference.  I had my hands full that day with a hundred and one other things and I couldn't right away offer her any further options. So I marked that whatsapp conversation as unread, to offer her a reply with some other options, in a day or two - when I could think of something.   

This afternoon she called me and stated that she joined a particular skill training course with MagicBus, very close to her residence - starting today.  And she began to thank me profusely.  At one point I told her, "It is I who need to thank you, for having the courtesy of informing me of this opportunity that has come your way. But why are you thanking me? Because I wasn't of any help to you." She replied, "Sir, your willingness to help me was a great blessing for me! That's why I'm calling back to inform you of this opportunity that I chanced upon." 

It has been quite sometime since I have had such an experience.  Some stranger getting back in touch with you, just to thank you for being with her in her time of desperation, for being concerned and willing to help... even though I wasn't really of any use to her. Right now, I'm thankful to God too, for I did say a prayer for her - that she would get help, because she needed it. That prayer was more out of my own guilt of being unable to extend her the help she needed, than anything else.  God bless her!  

Nehemiah, the new discovery!

 This morning hearing the presentation on the first encyclical of Pope Leo XIV, I realised I heard something new from the Bible.  The text and the story of Nehemiah.  I can't remember hearing it before, leave alone reading it myself.  But the story left a deep impression on me.  There was this animated video of the story of Nehemiah played, as part of the narration of the Encyclical, and it was inspiring.  

• risk of power without accountability 
• prayer before action
• trust in God
• synodality and participative leadership
• response modes and content of the response, in the face of adversaries
• facilitating rather than autocratic domination
• restoration of not just the walls and gates, but of the people 

But as we finished viewing the animation clip, I said to myself I need to review the same clip, but this time, without the self-glorification of viewing myself as Nehemiah!  I certainly need to see that clip! I should read the text! I need to see and feel God's grace speaking!  

Prayer

This morning we began the annual leaders meeting.  There were several aspects going through my heart and mind and I was aware that I was disturbed.  There were a couple of presentations, that I was mostly coordinating, and was anxious not knowing what actually the presenters will finally come up with or how they would put across the core ideas. Besides, I myself was handling a delicate topic and was anticipating trouble from some lousy participants ... and was itching to wring someone's neck!  But sense prevailed... or let me be honest in acknowledging God's help in understanding my own situation.  So I said this silent prayer and even wrote it down, right in the hall, in the midst of the preliminaries: 

Lord, let me say and do what builds and paves for growth or transformation, rather than assuage my hurt feelings or boost my own ego! 

At the end of the day, as I re-read the same prayer from my scribble pad, I sincerely THANK GOD for hearing my prayer! 

Lizards around the tabernacle!

 In his sermon today, Santiagu spoke of four ways in which we who claim to be men of God, can turn to be Godless men.  

It was his description of the second stage that amused me most.  He spoke that in the second stage we use God for our survival.  Rather than Him being the centre of our lives, he becomes a tool we use to make a living for ourselves.  

The analogy he offered was the best: lizards around the tabernacle.  Those creatures who practically live around the tabernacle, do so not out of love for the Blessed Sacrament or because they have a personal relationship with Jesus (perhaps they do!), but because that's the easiest place to secure their food.  With the tabernacle lamp glowing day in and day out, insects naturally get attracted to the light and become prey to the lizards. Moreover, most tabernacles are placed in such a way that there is enough space to hide behind or around it.  

Great!  Fits some (or most) of the lives of priests and religious!

Hunger and its impact

 The Indian Express ran the following story yesterday of a kind hearted soul who has initiated a movement to bridge the gap between those wasting food and those sleeping hungry: Neemani Malleshwar Rao, the founder of the initiative, Don't Waste Food. 

A Childhood of Hunger, a lifetime of giving

Nothing glorious or pompous.  Just small steps to making someone's life better.  A journey learnt not from books or after having becoming a billionaire, but drawing inspiration from one's own life and its initial struggles. 

Such are the initiatives that make an impact.  No wonder the movement has spread across some other Indian cities, since its work began here in Hyderabad in 2012.  What began as an impulsive act of distributing excess wedding food that was dumped, to homeless people in the city of Hyderabad, might have appeared impulsive at that moment, but it had its deep roots in Malleshwar's personal life and struggle.  

In short, it is a matter of being open to being moved to action; rather than wait to strike big and then do some good. 

Desire and suffering

 The Buddhist philosophy directly and squarely places the blame of suffering on desire.  It is desire that is the root of all suffering.  Take desire off the equation, all suffering also ends.  

Although it may sound too dire or exaggerated, there is a great sense of wisdom in it.  The Buddhist thought rationally helps one understand this connection between human desire and untold suffering prevalent in the world, especially in one's own personal life. Therefore Buddha's own simple path: detachment.  No desire or attachment towards anything at all - not even detachment itself!  

The greater the plans and ambitions, the greater the toil and the consequent joy (on fulfilling the plan) or suffering (at failing to live out the plan).  And the comedy of human life is such that no matter what the outcome of the plan, we don't give up desiring!!  At the most, we desire something else.  But never do we totally renounce everything!  Perhaps this counter dimension is what Arthur Schopenhauer was driving at. 

These are the most rabid thoughts playing out on my mind, as we enter a week-long string of meetings.  We have mega plans, and I personally am almost certain that we are biting more than what we can chew.  So I'm not pinning my hopes on achieving much, leave along even to convince our confreres of half of what we want them to change or plan for this academic year.  Nonetheless, there is also a sense of calmness within, that what we are doing is truly a selfless animation for the good of the province. And that it is God's work, so he's actually responsible.  If he has other plans, I'd rather be open to his plan rather than stubbornly hold on to what I hold clear and sure. 

Everyone is leaving!

 An excerpt from the book of Teresia Bosco, on the life and works of Don Bosco... 

As I heard the following passage, I was struck by the first sentence itself! 

Can't you see that everyone is leaving us?

As soon as the work of the Congregation began, the external difficulties ceased and the internal ones began! 

I remember that once, seeing that many people were leaving, I took the liberty of saying to Don Bosco: "Don't you see that everyone is leaving us?" He replied: "God does not need anyone. It is we, his poor creatures, who must be grateful to him because he has called us! If we do not, God will call others, who will listen better to his voice. You will see how the Lord will provide to fill the vacancies! Look, I remember that when at the beginning of the Oratory I was abandoned by everyone, God showed me the church, the house, the clerics, the priests... People would ask me: "Where are they?". And I answered: "They are not there yet, but I can see them.  If you have patience, you too will see all these thing!" I asked: "But what kind of habit would these clerics and priests have?" He replied: "They must have the habit of virtue."  This answer convinced them that he was mad.  But in the meantime, came the Oratory, the church, the porticos, the clerics and the priests.  Then he said: "Don't doubt: we will overcome this difficulty too."

Construction

 The construction work is laborious - naturally for the one doing it, but also for the one who is carrying it out (the owner).  Without supervision, there are a hundred and one things that can go wrong, which the masons and team will not bother look at or see to. Not that the mason and team are bad or malicious, it is just that they are so focused on their task that they do not tend to notice any other tasks their job has created! As the home owner, one looks at the whole house, rather than just one portion that is being built or renovated. 

But one thing is sure, investment in construction and worse, renovation, is a dead investment!