I was very happy to hear that Fr Stan was preaching the inaugural recollection talk for the Chapter. His talk was truly inspirational. It took me back to the years 1996 - 1998 when I was a student of Philosophy at Yercaud and he was my Principal. As then, his talk raised more questions that offered easy solutions!
He began his talk asking who can be radical? Right away he ruled out the Church, the Congregation, the Province and even the Community from possible answers to that question. He stated that according to him, only individuals with a deep faith commitment can be radicals. Of course, no radical is easily understood, appreciated least of all supported!
His basic challenge to all the members was to basically accept the practical atheism of Consecrated life today - that of having faith, but not living it; of having moral codes, but of different standards for different people (softer ones for ourselves and harsher ones for others); justification of privacy and individuality which are actually individualism. More on it later.
Listening to him I realised one thing: we are collectively trying to think of ways to break the mould, all the while living inside an iron cast mould which we ourselves voluntarily entered! Perhaps we need reconsider the whole and not just a part, and that too from within the whole. But who'd take the onus: 'we' or 'I'?
He began his talk asking who can be radical? Right away he ruled out the Church, the Congregation, the Province and even the Community from possible answers to that question. He stated that according to him, only individuals with a deep faith commitment can be radicals. Of course, no radical is easily understood, appreciated least of all supported!
His basic challenge to all the members was to basically accept the practical atheism of Consecrated life today - that of having faith, but not living it; of having moral codes, but of different standards for different people (softer ones for ourselves and harsher ones for others); justification of privacy and individuality which are actually individualism. More on it later.
Listening to him I realised one thing: we are collectively trying to think of ways to break the mould, all the while living inside an iron cast mould which we ourselves voluntarily entered! Perhaps we need reconsider the whole and not just a part, and that too from within the whole. But who'd take the onus: 'we' or 'I'?
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