Source, not exclusive container

 The first reading of the day where Ezekiel describes the temple, and the water flowing out of it, in different directions, with all length, depth, direction and final destination of the same. 

What struck me as I read this passage during Mass was that the Sanctuary - and I suppose, the Church, as a whole - is the source of life and growth.  It is not the container or the exclusive right over life and growth.  But that the power of the Church is such that whatever comes into its contact should be life-giving wherever it goes.  

In this instance he speaks of the water that flows from the sanctuary. But I'm sure, the sanctuary is not 'producing' the water! And by itself, water nourishes life.  But that water when it flows THROUGH the sanctuary is so blessed that wherever it flows, it brings abundant life.  

So, too should every wisp of breeze, every fly that glides through the Church, every person spending time 'in' the church, should actually be a blessing wherever it or he or she goes.  

A very naive and shallow interpretation would be to exalt the sacred space 'in' itself. No.  The beauty of the Church is in its empowerment, its giving-out, its life-giving power that flows OUT of it.  It would be very incestuous to believe that the power of the Church should be and is only within itself!  

Facing fears

Reflection for April 29 (Jesus walks on the lake)

The disciples travelling by boat are frightened of the 'ghost' walking on the lake. Each of us is frightened of our own 'ghosts'. Fear is a good thing; it keeps us active and agile. But when there is excess of it, fear paralyses us. It is in such crippling fears that the Lord helps us. It is not through some magic that He does this. Rather He empowers us with His presence: “It is I. Do not be afraid.” We only need to truly feel His presence for any fear to depart from us. Just like a child or a pet, even though it feels frightened of darkness or strangers, feels emboldened in the presence of a loved one, Jesus builds up our strength. With Him at our side the battle has only begun. To expect Him to fight our battles is laziness. To think that that I alone can do it is foolishness. To feel His presence and face fears is wisdom.

My stand?

Palm Sunday

Of the large group of people that welcome Jesus into Jerusalem for the feast there would certainly be present also for the scene where Pilate offers the choice: Jesus or Barabbas.  And perhaps some of the same people who acclaim Jesus as the king, later bay for His blood.

A mob is fickle-minded. It does not have a stand of its own.  It is swayed by a few who wield the power of attraction. Most often a society is nothing but a mob, with most people either being bystanders or sitting on the fence.

Where do I stand? Among the few who manipulate the crowd for my own selfish plans? Or the few who inspire and lead others in the right direction? Or am I one among the spine-less persons with no standing of my own, willing to be swept off my feet by the first attractive idea I hear?

Do not seek to be merciful… do not allow Participation

Reflections on the Year of Mercy (7)
(courtesy: Fr T.D. John)

Do not seek to be merciful… Do not allow Participation in decision making 

Involving people in decision making is a waste of time. It is very messy too. When there is strong authority there will be unity of direction and rapid growth. Remember the emergency days! What do children and people know.

During this year of mercy I will take all the decisions. Each time I will tell the people that I am doing it to save them trouble. I tell them that I know what is best for them.

Statutory Warning: When people participate they will be satisfied and collaborate more.

Taking sides

During the PAR training programme, an interesting question that plagued my mind, as it did some others too, is this:

If we are to take sides with the weakest and be biased about our whole attitude (if not of our procedure), then there may come a point wherein the group which we have been standing for, becomes one of the groups on the forefront and another is now the last.  What then? 

Another form of asking the same question would be

Why not be impartial and strive for equal growth, especially of the marginalized?  Why should we take sides at all?  

Prof. Manti was clear and direct in his answer: The moment we see that there is someone who is marginalised we take his/her side! That's it... that's what PAR is all about.  To talk of equality for all, at all times is living in an utopia.

God empowers

We, as human beings, always wish God to treat us as babies when in difficulty and as youngsters for the rest of the time.  While the truth is that God treats us neither as helpless babies nor as carefree youngsters. He walks along with us, mature adults, grown up persons well endowed with grace and growth.  So while we wish that He carries us in His bosom, He gives us strength and points out the direction to tread on our own 'God-given' feet.  We expect Him to wash away our sins and make us 'as white as snow' but He gives us opportunities to have our sins forgiven.  God does not do things for us or instead of us, for in doing so He would be insulting Himself.  After all it is He who created us in 'his own image and likeness'. Why should He belittle Himself when He has already blessed us with all things necessary to fight and win the battle.  All that He joyfully does is accompany us, empower us.... not spoon-feed or babysit us!

Happy with the apparent!

Most of my seminarians believe and are firmly convinced that as priests, when encountered with some difficulty brought forth to their kind consideration, all they have to do is this: dole out some advice (say something) with two to three Biblical verses (with reference as icing).  That done, the problem is solved and everyone is happy!

However, my guys fail to see the indepth values and the subsequent demands this ministry makes on us.  They need to realise that a mere blah-blah with a verse added as decoration and delivered with a dramatic flair and all of it enveloped in some bullshit 'advice', cannot be an adequate response.  It is people we are dealing with and not some dolls or even children who can be temporarily helped to get over their troubles with a fairytale and a candy.  They are people who need to be strengthened, to be helped to stand and fight their own battles;  they are people with flesh and blood and a whole lot of power hidden.  Unless we assist people REALLY (and even receive their help, when in need), we have no right to bluff them!  We cannot make Karl Marx's idea of religion as opium, come right, while all the time denying it.  

Altar as the fort

Looking at some of the Brothers who take 'refuge' in 'spirituality' and 'piety' and desist and resist anything challenging, I realise that they treat Priesthood as some sort of safe heaven where they will be looked after. The altar is some sort of fort, which once they scale and get in they are protected. The cassock is some sort of a license which grants them easy access to things, places and people which otherwise will be impossible or out of their reach. Hence their whole focus is on 'prayer' - words alone. The living out of that prayer in day to day life, in communion with others is 'not prayer'. So someone being poor is promised prayers but not a tangible means of getting out of that poverty. Someone struggling with living a life of dignity and justice is sympathised with but not empowered. Now, the latter calls for an involvement, a commitment, a dedication beyond and more risky than mere goody-goody prayers or the Church premises/timings. It calls for an action, over and above the pulpit sermon and time.

Jesus did that all the time. He also got into trouble just because of this. If we claim to be His disciples how then can we not risk, if not our everything, at least something to see that our prayer does not merely remain 'on our lips'. That our hands, mind and heart too join in the prayer. That rather than use the altar, cassock and Priesthood/religious life as a fort, a shield or a castle for our personal safety, as a means of service.

Bocha Ravi, an epitome of determination

This evening the youngster, Bocha Ravi, a simple yet very determined boy from one of the neighbouring villages (Cheepruvalasa), about whom I had written an article for the website last year visited the Seminary. In fact he came here to show to Fr KT, his appointment/invitation letter from a couple of reputed companies in India... thus gratefully acknowledge the assistance that Fr KT had once offered him when he was still in his school days. Talking to me personally he broke down a couple of times, narrating how Fr KT supported him and how his generous help, prevented him from being a 'nobody'. He is now determined that this job at IOC which he now taking up, is not the end of his dreams. His greatest dream, which he is determined to live out, is to become an IAS officer and serve in Vizag or Vizianagaram. Why IAS? That is the way I can really bring about a change and help the rural sector.

What I admired in him, was his simplicity. He was really humble and sober. No airs whatsoever. Secondly, here is a young man, clear about what he wants to achieve in life. When asked, if he had any plans to go abroad, where there are better prospects given his field of study, he was immediate in responding, "I've no interest in accumulating money." Now that's the clear headedness and determination that makes life worth living... I hope and pray that more and more of us, who have dedicated our lives exactly for this purpose, begin to live it.

Fructifying Education

This evening I made my maiden visit to a couple of neighbouring villages to which our Brothers go for their weekend ministry. Something that gave me a great satisfaction in one of the villages was the sight that students of higher levels helping those in their elementary studies. That truly is one of the most fruitful signs of 'education'.

It was also in the same place that I drank a cup of tea... after ages!!

My God and me

Late last night I had an intense discussion with Willy. It centred on God and our relationship with Him. It was quite elaborate and intense. During the discussion, I got to clarify my concept of God and my relationship with Him. It was good to spell clearly that the God whom I believe in is one who empowers me. He is one who is with me, who challenges me to greater heights and growth. All this while being with me. He is not one who gives me crutches and lets me be stuck to them for the rest of my life. He is one who shows me the direction, gives me guidance and then lets me find my way out. For I am convinced that He has already given me the potential great and gracious enough to do things by myself, rather than pester Him every now and then for every little thing.

And precisely for this, that I get in touch with Him, not to ask Him for this or that, but as a loving son or friend who is grateful to Him for giving me the raw materials and challenging to make my own resources.

To pay or pray?

The children and young people who are helped by the educational support by Fr Zuffetti and the Seminary here, are in thousands. Though the help offered is only for a few, the same amount is generously distributed to hundreds facilitating their education. However this year Fr KT has been asking the parents too to take an active role in the education of their children... at least by way of meeting him with their children when collecting the sponsorship amount or the books. That he is asking for accountability and responsibility from their part is indeed a great step ahead. Rather than just dole out what we have, making them (parents and children) put in their enthusiasm and spirit too is equally (if not more) essential.

However, the Parish Priest has long since been making a very vehement protest. That Catholics who receive the help are the first ones to turn back and spit on the Church. Most of them hardly come to Church and what's more, take up activities against the Church, all this while claiming to be 'Catholics'. Now whether these Catholics need to abide by their faith in order to avail of this sponsorship is the question.

According to me those who are serious about education and are willing to 'pay it forward' should be helped. The rest need to be prayed for, not paid for! As for the question of Catholics (or lapsed Catholics), the same principle applies. And as far as I see, one who is serious about education, in these areas, where education is provided chiefly by Catholic institutions, one will not turn his/her back on the Church.

Empowering others

What an apt quote from Zig Ziglar, to sum up the experience of the youth day:

The greatest good we can do for others is not just to share our riches with them, but to reveal theirs.

Click here for a couple of more quotes from Zig Ziglar. I am happy I also got a chance to personally meet the youth of several places. I still do not know why Sudhakar and Anthaiah got their youth group to me after the whole thing was over, but I'm glad they did. It gave me an opportunity to share with them something that has been gnawing me from within, especially about their village: helping them make a shift from dependence to independence through empowerment rather than mere charity.

The Better Samaritan

I'd like to add something to the Gospel Parable of the Good Samaritan (Lk 10: 25-37): The Jew going down the road to Jericho was ambushed, robbed, beaten and left for dead... the Priest passed by without as much as a word of consolation, do did the Levite. But the Samaritan took it upon himself to nurse him and get him to a nearby inn for further attention. (Now for my addition...) He left the inn to trace the very track the Jew undertook, in order to encounter the robbers who did this to the Jew. He met them in order to help them see what good they could do in life. He wanted to show them what great things God wanted them to do rather than get stuck in the wilderness, running, hiding, looting and bringing harm to fellow human beings. He went back to the route to ensure that no one ever has to endure what the Jew endured during his journey.

What the good Samaritan did was indeed praiseworthy, noble and courageous indeed. But what the 'better' Samaritan did was empowering; not just tackling the individual symptoms of a malice but tackling the very root of the issue. Given our potential today, we really can effect changes that eradicate some of the evils that plague our society... if only we can move beyond the 'single Jew' at hand.

Charity, yes but coupled with empowerment

As I type these few lines inside, the distribution of notebooks to the deserving children is going on outside in the Seminary campus. Fr KT is all about the place ensuring that only those 'deserving' get the books and that others do not hijack the opportunity. That's a rather difficult task given the fact that everyone wants a piece (as big as possible) of a free cake! To then distinguish those who really are the deserved ones from those who can manage perhaps the biggest challenge. However, that so many children are helped annually with their studies is indeed a very noble task.

All said and done, I still have my reservations about the help we give. We still thrive in that old 'give and help' model, rather make a shift to the 'help and empower' model. I know it is easier said than done, but unless we make that shift, we never really 'help'. Some ways in which I see that this shift can be made are the following (drawing inspiration from the movie, Pay it forward):

• Get these children (and especially their parents) to commit to completing their basic studies.
• Ensure that these children put in their best (if they are not serious about their studies, pull back the educational support extended to them and offer it to those really serious about their studies)
• Put into the heads and hearts of these children that this help now being offered to them has to be replicated by them to others when they are able to stand on their own two feet. (It is surprising to see those children who once received help, now married and have children of their own, coming back to again ask for help for their children!!). Fr KT tells me that of the thousands helped so far, only one has come forward to help others, now that he is well settled.

Charity is a good thing but setting a movement by which each one, in whatever capacity is able to help, joins in is indeed a greater act. It liberates and empowers.

Everyone comes ALIVE!!

As the Parish Priest elaborated the most apparent themes that emerge from the Gospel of today, Jesus defending/saving the woman caught in adultery, my mind was recreating the scene with Jesus 'busy' writing something on the ground while all around him every man was baying for the blood of that lady. I visualised that poor woman, standing there surrounded by a crowd of men, not knowing from which side the first stone would come flying. I doubt if at all she was aware of the conversation and debate Jesus was having with those men. She knew there was no escape that day but the fear of waiting to be stoned, would have almost crushed her.

Looking at Jesus, I have my doubts: did He defend the woman (was He on her side) or was He attacking the men (was He on their side, preventing them from committing a crime in total blindness)?? But the solution he gives, saves EVERYONE! All leave the spot, ALIVE! What's more, each one leaves the place better than he or she was when they first reached the place. The woman, happy that she is alive, is given freedom ... not to sin anymore. The men, saved from turning to murderers, go home humbled by an introspection. I have a feeling, there would surely have been men who went on to stone other women caught in adultery... but not from that crowd which dispersed that day.

That's the beauty of Jesus' presence: everyone who comes in contact with Him cannot be the same as before. I now question myself: Can I claim the same about myself? Can I say that those youngsters whom I play with in the evening go home better because I was amidst them? Can the staff with whom I interact day in and day out, feel proud to be associated with me, because I make their lives better? Can those whom I meet on the way or deal with in the market, 'come alive' because they met me?

Lord, help me... as You helped everyone in today's Gospel!