Sunshine

The English obsession with the sunshine is well-known.  Summer is the most looked out for season of the year.  Not only because it is the season for holiday but because the sun is out.  Most preferred holiday destinations are places where it is warm and sunny.  And the best holidays are those that are spent in the sun - even if it is just laying down basking in the sun!! 

As an Indian, I find this fascination with the sun - often bordering obsession - quite amusing.  At times, I wonder what's so special about the sun.  People like me and others from Africa, will do everything possible to get away from the sun!! So seeing others crave for the sun appears a bit weird.  

I guess it is a cultural thing.  I'm sure it is the same feeling the Brits have looking at us amazed by the snow.  Anyway, each of us has our own peculiarities and eccentricities!!  And each one seeks for his or her own bit of sunshine!! 

Selling free

For quite a few days now we have been passing by a particular sign near one of the houses we walk past for our evening Rosary which announces that it is up for sale.  What caught our attention and intrigued us when we first saw it was the tagline: Sell your home for free! 

It really took us some time to get our heads around the meaning of that line.  We ultimately deduced that the housing agent will not charge a fee for overseeing the sale of the house.  Perhaps the tagline best reads: Sell your house without a fee.  Certainly not giving away the house for free!!  

Prayer

 Prayer and the candle light have much in common.  Like prayer, the candle light is unselfish.  The radiance of the light remains the same;  whether placed in a dark room or out in the sun.  The light does not diminish itself under the sun or brighten itself in a dark room. It emits the same light.  Only when in the dark do we appreciate better the candle and if out in the open we do not seek one.  But that does not affect the candle light. Most often we have recourse to prayer only in times of difficulty.  At other times when everything is going on well we do not really feel the need to pray.  That does not mean the power of prayer reduces. It is our perception of prayer and our need for it that increases or diminishes.  

Another aspect of a candle light is that it is selfless.  No amount of lighting other candles from it will diminish the initial brightness of the candle light.  The candlelight does not say that since it has been shared or divided it will shine less brightly now.  Prayers too when shared do not become less efficacious. 

Another essential feature of the candlelight that we often do not see replicated in prayer is the efficacy of it at all times and for all people.  The candlelight is not partial to the good and less bright for the not-so-good.  No matter who, when and for what purpose, the candlelight is always at its best.  Prayer too is for all.  We often remember those close to us and those who are good to us.  We barely pray for those whom we do not like. 

Vocation

Everytime we speak of 'vocation' in our religious circles we most often mean 'vocation to priestly and religious life'.  It is as if vocation to married life or any other form of life is not a vocation.  When this partial outlook is pointed out we cover up saying that even they are vocations, but the former is the crowing of all vocations! 

However, I feel strongly convinced that unless and until we really understanding vocation in its universal and true sense, we will only be 'selling' vocation; doing recruitment rather than discernment.  As educators of the young, we are primarily called to help young people discover, discern and follow their vocation.  And every person's primary vocation is to love and be loved!  The vocational discernment is to help young people ask themselves basic questions about meaning and purpose of his or her life.  As long as we sincerely and passionately engage in this noble apostolate we are true to our own calling as Salesians. Otherwise we are only 'pedlars' or vendors of the Salesian career - all in the name of youth ministry and vocation promotion.  

The post youth synod apostolic exhortation by Pope Francis, Christus vivit no. 286 describes the great vocational question that every young person has to ask himself or herself as "for whom am I?"  This is more deeper and way too personal than merely asking oneself, "what am I to do?" or "who should I become?"

The interconnectedness

The secret language of trees... 

There is nothing wrong with having a tree as a friend.  Ross Bob

Trees have a vast root system that supports not only survival of itself but facilitates a highly complex and intricate communication system between the various trees in the vicinity.  It is not just the trees roots that do all the work, but there is a whole invisible army of fungi, algae, microbes, sugars... that is at work.  Not all of this network and their mutual functioning and aiding is clear or understood by human science.  But the fact remains that there is a whole give-and-take going on underground.  Most of it is mutually benefiting, but not necessarily all of it.  

What's most interesting is that there is information too passed on!!  This sharing of information helps neighbours get ready to cope with factors (drought, insect attack, diseases...) not yet encountered by itself but by another in its vicinity. 

The bottom line of it all is the interconnectedness of nature!!  

The partial God and gender equality

Christianity has always upheld the notion that God does not have favourites. That he loves and cares for everyone equally.  However, the origin and evolution of Christianity proves otherwise.  

Right since the beginning of God's intervention in human history, as per Christian tradition, God has always been on the side of a particular group or nation.  The old testament is a fitting proof that Yahweh always preferred Israel over and above all other nations and people.  He was on their side, against the Egyptians (when in exile), against the Canaanites (on their return), against the Jebusites (on behalf of David)... Yahweh always chose the Israelites.  

Even in the new testament we see this continued privilege of Israel.  Jesus, the son of God is born a Jew.  In Israel.  For that matter, Jesus himself was partial all his life.  He took the side of the poor (against the rich), the religious ignorants (against the religious authorities of his times), the Jews (rather than side with the political rulers of the time, the Romans).  None of his chosen twelve was a non-Jew.  He barely preached outside Israel or to any non-Jews.  Rather his treatment of Syro-pheonecian woman can always be used as an example to prove his preferential option of the Jews, over non-Jews.  

However, there is one thing common among the many preferential choices that God made all along history.  He chose to be on the side of the poor, the underdogs, the marginalised, the weak and the oppressed.  He stood by those who needed support and guidance.  Who by themselves would not have been able to make it.  So that makes me wonder, if his choice of men alone for the chosen twelve or for active apostolate, was an indicator of who was the weaker gender.  Who it is that needed support and accompaniment?  Going by God's preferential choices and the reason for that choice, it certainly looks as if he considered woman as the more stronger and able gender!  If there was someone who needed to be guided and supported it was the man!!  So much for thinking that man is the superior of the two sexes!!  

Young people; not youth

Reality is more important than ideas.  Unless one acknowledges this truth, we will only be living in a dreamland and never be able to make a meaningful impact on life itself.  

The simple fact, especially for us Salesians, is the notion of youth ministry.  However, youth is an abstract notion.  In reality there is no youth.  There are only young people.  And unless and until we interact with those young people, in person, in the concrete situations of our life (and their lives), our youth ministry would be excellent only paper but not in reality.  Our starting point has to be the young people immersed in their context. Starting with the abstract notion of youth will only lead us astray.  

Together with this fundamental truth, it is also equally important that we begin with the premise that we are going to encounter God in the young people, not get them back to God.  We do not have monopoly over God.  He is already present with the young in their situatedness. We only need to be open and available to Him, in and through the young - rather than approach the young as if we are the one's offering God to them! 

Reflecting on the the Youth Synod

Reflecting together with Fr Romano Sala from the UPS in Rome, about the Youth synod and its ripples in the Church and for our own Salesian youth ministry, as part of the study day in the Province, I was inspired by many insights. The most significant of these insights is perhaps the notion of synodality that Fr Sala was emphasising to be the process being pushed for by Pope Francis.  

The youth synod, not only spoke to the youth but also very concretely involved them in the process of the synod - from the beginning to the end!  This method of inviting them on board, this involvement of the youth in discussing matters of faith and vocation in the Church made a huge impact on the mood and mode of the synod itself.  I think it made a deep impact most of all on those participating in the synod.  Going forward, I think this method of involving all the stake holders in all the processes of decision-making, right since the beginning is the key to resolving quite a few issues that plague (or lack of which, hinder growth in) the Church and the congregation -  clericalism, ecumenism, inter-religious dialogue, bureaucracy, transparency and collective responsibility.  

This attitude and concrete method of synodality shifts the predominant mentality of the church and the congregation, from 'doing something' for the young to 'being with' the young.  

Vine and the branches

One interesting thing about the branches of a vine is that they can never of their own accord get detached from the stem.  Neither is it in their nature to seek independence.  They always stay connected to the main stem and draw energy from it.  

The mistake is to treat the branches and the stem as individuated parts.  As if they were different part put together to form the vine.  It is we who call the different aspects of the plant as stem, branches, fruits and leaves.  For the plant itself it is one life.  

So it would be good to ask ourselves this Sunday, as we reflect on the gospel of the vine and the branches if we are looking at our relationship with God as outsiders or as from within that relationship.  If the latter then we are one; if we view our relationship as an outsider then we are different beings brought together and assembled into one.  And if assembled, then we can as well be un-assembled.  

Jesus and the twelve

When the time came for Jesus to begin his public ministry, and he chose the twelve apostles, it is quite strange to see that he chose all strangers!  There is hardly any evidence that the twelve men knew Jesus before Him calling them out.  We only hear some anonymous person exclaiming, "Is he not the son of the carpenter?"  Had any of the twelve known Jesus earlier, I think at least one of them would have made that statement!!  

Nicolas Poussin

But did Jesus know them before hand??  

Jesus never went far or beyond Israel, or for that matter his hometown.  And so, during those 30 years that he spent in the same place, would he not have known most of those men?  He was a carpenter and surely he would have met and interacted with a lot of people of varied backgrounds.  Everyone would have sought the services of a carpenter at some time of their life, for some work.  My guess is that Jesus did have a rough list but not for long, perhaps just about the time he began his ministry.  And Luke records that he spent the night in prayer and when morning came, called out the twelve who were to be called his apostles.  

The reason(s) he chose those twelve and not some others, I guess were privy just to him.  We can only guess and theorize.  But none of those reasons would be applicable to all the twelve!! 

Another strange fact that find is that of the chose twelve none was a carpenter.  Jesus did not select anyone from among those whom knew him!! 

St Joseph the worker

 An excerpt from the Vatican II document on the modern world (no. 34)... 

Where men and women, in the course of gaining a livelihood for themselves and their families, offer appropriate service to society, they can be confident that their personal efforts promote the work of the Creator, confer benefits on their fellowmen, and help to realize God's plan in history.

The childhood of Christ by Gerard van Honthorst