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!  

Whistle before the Hail Mary

Don Bosco's passion of working for the abandoned and vagabonds of Turin gets going in the sacristy of the church, on 8 December 1841. Don Bosco, while vesting for Mass, hears the sacristian chasing out a poor frightened boy who had sneaked into the sacristy to stay warm.  He calls the boy back and initiates a conversation, only to get single word terrified answers, until the question, "Do you know to whistle?"

I can imagine the joy on the face of this boy when he hears a question to which he has a joyful answer!!  I'm sure Don Bosco too would have whistled with him (although it is not recorded anywhere!).  But it is only after the whistle did they pray the Hail Mary (with Bartholomeo Garelli, reciting after Don Bosco). 

Wonder if Don Bosco had insisted on beginning everything with a prayer, where would we Salesians be - if at all, we did come to be! 

Grafting the gospel

One gets to hear and read of the phrase 'planting the Gospel' sometimes in Christian literature or discussions.  This phrase refers to the process of evangelisation/mission, especially among those who have not heard of Jesus or the Gospels before.  But according to me a better and more apt phrase would be 'grafting the Gospel'.  

Though the idea is the same, there are subtle differences in how one perceives the Gospel and how one sees it 'taking root'.  No culture ever absorbs the Gospel in its entirity at the first instance.  No matter how great an opportunity they get to witness the Christian example, a culture always absorbs a 'new' input only in layers and over a period of time.  Therefore to expect the first 'wave' of those who come in contact with the Gospel to become 'Christian' would be to see them as totally uprooting themselves from who and what they were before - culturally speaking.  It is only after a certain period of time - and ages - that we arrive at a balance of making the most of the Gospel and the culture we call our own.  Exactly as an agriculturalist would view a grafted plant as not a perfect product, but a merger of two different plants; however, the fruit of that grafted plant will eventually have a better inherent structure of both - no more as two different plants, but as one plant.  

To expect the Gospel to replace absolutely and permanently one's culture is unchristian.  

Good human beings and honest citizens

The Strenna of the Rector Major for the year, "Good Christians and upright citizens" in the light of the 'Our Father' is a reminder of Don Bosco's own mission for his boys back in his times.

For me, everytime I come across this theme or the poster, I am reminded that it is while speaking about this theme to the Cooperators, last November, that I got the call from home!  And ironically, I was speaking to them about contextualising the theme in the Indian context and the relevance of the 'name'.  While preparing for the talk, and the significance of the 'name' in the Indian tradition and how we tend to 'use' it rather than live it, I was always thinking of it in the context of our political and religious heritage.  But while speaking to the cooperators, what kept coming back to my mind was my own name 'Castilino'.  And all the examples and explanations I was giving, even though it fitted well with the context I was explaining, in my mind, they were all mirroring my surname, my family name, my Dad!

The only other thing I remember of that talk, is that I did not focus on the latter half of the theme: 'honest citizens'.  I remember not if I did tell this to them or not, but I certainly thought about it.  To accomplish that in the Indian context, it may take even Don Bosco himself quite some time and effort!  

A blessing lost

Today during Mass - during Communion, to be precise - I witnessed a scene that made me feel sad.  It made me say those words that young John Bosco said of the priests who never replied to a simple greeting: "If I were a priest, I would not do that!" 

The scene was of a small boy (J), aged 6 or 7, approach the priest distributing communion, along with his mother.  I've seen and interacted with this boy and for him his small toy, Teddy, is the best thing in the world.  So every Sunday he brings it along with him to Mass.  Today he surprisingly brought in another toy - appeared like a tiger or a honey bee.  But what he does every time he approaches the priest for a blessing, instead of the Communion, is that he stands there holding his toy high up, for the priest to give it also a blessing!!  I guess his logic is, if I can be blessed, why not bless Teddy too! 

Unfortunately none of the priests so far have obliged him!  And every time his mother has to drag him off the line!  My simple question: What does one lose by giving that toy a gentle tap?  You don't even have to utter a blessing.  Just smile and tap the toy!  J does not want anything else!  He's not asking for his Teddy to be baptised as per the ritual.  Just a blessing!  And even if a priest did bless the toy, will the latter then become the body of Christ?  Or will his priestly power diminish? 

If blessing a toy is going to brighten the day of a little 6-year old, and with him that of his whole family, I'd gladly do it every day! In fact, it is not the boy who lost out on a blessing today, it is we grown ups, especially the clergy, and the Church as a whole, who've lost out on the blessing of a happy child!  

Witness

As part of the Alpha course that I joined today in the parish, we were watching a video by Nicky Gumbel. Therein he mentions about drugs and alcohol not being the problem, but the solution - at least for those addicted.  The real problem being reality.

That set me thinking for the rest of the talk and the evening.  Certainly for those addicted, drugs and alcohol are not the problem but the solution.  But for the rest of us, looking objectively at those addicted and the drugs and alcohol, that's a problem!  The real problem is reality.  In order to face this reality, those addicted use drugs and alcohol and they see it as a solution.  I was wondering if, as per the intention of this prayer/discussion, we the "faithful" see belief in Jesus as the solution. Someone looking at us believing in God/Jesus, sees this as a problem not a solution.  Just replace drugs/alcohol with Jesus or religion.  From the perspective of an "outsider" it is all the same. 

As a believer, it will do me no good to merely harp on Jesus or religion as the solution because the 'outsider' will only hear that as the rant of an 'addict'.  Perhaps what will influence his attitude is if he sees that this 'addiction' is actually helpful not just for me but for everyone who comes in contact with me, and that too in a holistic manner.  

Playing the second fiddle

The saint of the day, St Barnabas, is said to have stood as a witness and presented Saul, after his conversion, to the apostles as a genuine Christian.  They do undertake some missionary journeys and do much good.  However, history remembers Paul more than Barnabas.  While both carried out their missionary activity, initially together, it is Paul who almost overshadows Barnabas with his eloquence, wisdom and reach.  Perhaps this was also the cause of their parting ways - could be! 

What strikes me is that Barnabas was - at least initially - willing to play the second fiddle, if one might use such a hierarchical language in ministry.  In cricketing terms, Barnabas let Paul do the real scoring and only lend his support by rotating the strike.  Barnabas, was one of the apostles, a chosen one of Christ. Paul, on the other hand, a newcomer, one who had never seen Jesus during his lifetime here on earth.  Yet Barnabas let Paul take the lead. 

This was possible only and as long as both of them understood that the mission at hand was greater than their individual egos.  A good lesson for us priests and religious when engaging in ministry: letting the Spirit work rather than insisting on it working (only) through me, or worse, emphasizing my work.  

Witnessing

At the end of the first reading of the day, Paul is patted on his shoulder for his daring witness in Jerusalem.  But if we actually see the preceding lines, all that Paul said was merely one line!

My brothers, I am a Pharisee, the son of Pharisees; I am on trial for hope in the resurrection of the dead.

That's it!  Not a word more.  And the ensuing circumstances saw Paul being a prisoner, walk away a free man.

Perhaps only a smart and shrewd man like Paul could pull it off.  He knew well the composition of the Sanhedrin before whom he was called to testify.  All that he did was pitch one party against another (Pharisees vs the Sadducees).  The resulting confusion was too much for the presiding officer to handle and with no clarity of the charges against Paul, he was let off. 

It is not always best to speak the truth in the most blunt and honest manner.  Sometimes stating it in a smart way yields better results without being unfaithful.  However we need to bear in mind, what led him to being held a prisoner in the first place: His relentless proclamation of Jesus being risen from the dead and all the good that he did along with it. Moreover, once in Rome Paul tries a similar stunt, but does not succeed for long.  

Selection, deselection and God's plan

Some Catholic dioceses in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana have stopped taking any young men as candidates for priesthood.  To that effect, they have closed down their seminaries and formation houses.  Perhaps one or two are sent for formation to other diocesan formation centres - that too if the candidate is a 'highly recommended' one.  The simple reason for this closure?  Too many vocations! So say the Bishops.  They don't know what to do with those already priests, so why have more!  I've always found that logic strange and the whole process very confusing.  However, reading the conversion narrative of Saul (to Paul), planted a wild thought in my mind.

God chose Saul as his messenger at a very crucial mode.  Christianity was being suppressed.  The Apostles and the few fervent disciples were doing their best.  But perhaps God felt that a bit of extra boost at this time would do a great deal of good in the long run and hence, without discounting the great work already being done, he choose a man who would actually shift the gear of the whole work of evangelisation, not just in deed but in vision and text too.  Would Christianity have had the same rigour and accelerated growth without Paul?  Perhaps not!

So perhaps even this 'break' in accepting candidates for priesthood, could also be phase in evangelisation.  Just like Saul was chosen for that extra zeal he brought to the evangelisation process in the early days of Christianity, so too a lull could do some good for the very same evangelisation process today!  

The emotional and rational dimensions of faith

The gospel reading of Easter Tuesday is one of the most emotional and powerful instance in the Gospel where Mary Magdalene encounters the risen Lord at the tomb.  Her response and perception of the whole incident is highly emotional.  She sees the angels but is not in any sense surprised or amazed - as if they were creatures one encounters day in and day out in the market place!  Her whole concern and worry at that point is the missing body!  Nothing matters more to her than the one whose body she came to anoint. 

Contrast that highly emotional perspective with that of the rational dimension of Peter's ministry with the Jews in the same post-resurrection scenario.  The Jews listen to the 'arguments' of Peter, and are 'convinced' of what he says and get baptised. 

Perhaps the only difference one sees and is in a way important is that the 'rational' means adds numbers, is meant for the crowd; while the emotional is highly personal and intimate.  One needs both along ones' journey of faith and growth.   

Salesian presence in Cowley, Oxford

While at Cowley, near Oxford, we visited our Salesian parish of Our Lady of Help of Christians. Fr Peter was ill and hence could not meet him.  Fr Graham was kind enough to show me around the Parish church and describe its history to me.  He is almost doing a PhD on the historical origin and growth of the Church.  Listening to him, and his enthusiasm of constructing the past from all the bits and pieces of correspondence and plaques and local news and oral memory of Salesians and the local population, was almost like viewing the whole past on a screen before the eyes.  More of its history is here.

A couple of facts that still linger in my mind:

• Cowley housed the Provincial house and the post-novitiate of the GBR province for several years.  That was mainly because it was in Oxford and students could study at the famous college.  Though the original building, with all its structures, is no more - what remains is the Parish church, which came to be much after the other structures were closed - the influence of Salesians in the locality is still strong.  Add to that the fact that the Salesian Sisters ran the primary school just down the road from the present location of the Parish, meant a very strong Salesian presence.  
• Perhaps the social context of the place too played a major role in the dynamic growth of the Salesians: the mini-cooper car factory was a great attraction for workers.  I learnt that there were many who came from Ireland to work in the car factory.  These fervent Irish catholics found in the Salesians a great support and vice-versa. 
• Much was said about Fr Thomas McKenna, the second Salesian parish priest, and the astute administrator of funds and manager of people who almost single-handedly built the Parish and the existing structures. 
• Interesting to note was that the Parish is today existing not because of the existence and functioning of the Provincial house but mainly because of the Dominic Savio club that was started close to the present location of the parish.  The club was for years the centre of life and activity of the local Catholic population.  

A few pics of the Church interior...

This plaque is all that is to commemorate the memory of Fr McKenna. 
Most beautiful aspect of this: it was planned and placed by the Parishoners. 

 I'm thinking of the numerous plaques and inauguration slabs all over the Province that are ordered and placed by the Salesians, inserting our own names on it!! It speaks of how frightened we are of being forgotten in time.  But if we genuinely do good, we continue to live in the hearts and minds of people and in their goodness, on a small plaque like this.  No self-decoration!

Go on your way...

Jesus sends out his disciples two-by-two (Luke 10: 1-9).  As he sees them off, he instructs them to carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals... From an Indian context this would not be a very very difficult task.  However for an Englishman, it would be quite impossible.  As Fr John during his introduction to the Mass stated, "He'd not get much further than the main door!"

Thanks to the cold of England, it would not be possible to travel outside one's home without sufficient warm clothes, and certainly not without some protective footwear.  So for an Englishman to try to live the gospel in its call to set off for evangelisation as per this passage would indeed be a radical choice.  Very well aware of the danger of reading the Bible as solitary passages, this call of Jesus certainly challenges the Englishman much more than an Indian.

Perhaps, if this Gospel passage were to be written in an English context, it would read:

Go on your way; behold I am sending you like lambs among wolves.
Carry no wallet, no picnic, take not your car, walk through the bylanes, greet every person you meet...

Remembering Fr Panampara

Yesterday was the fifth death anniversary of Fr Panampara Abraham.

that's him with his worn out multi-purpose towel!

I'd known him only as a fervent missionary who was often fooled by confreres for being a 'hose-pipe missionary'... the sort who believes in merely baptising everyone whom he comes across within the first day of meeting the person and not bothering about them later on!

However, I'm also aware of what he was before he consciously opted to be part of Hyderabad Province and this radical evangelization mode.  He was the one who threw open the doors of Sacred Heart College, Tirupattur, the then largest institute of higher education in Salesian India, to the poor and the dalits.  It was Fr Panampara who took that bold and radical step of making higher education possible and feasible for the dalits.  Many of those who were the initial beneficiaries of this decision of his, were in touch with him even till the end of his days (read this news bit on donboscoindia).  They attributed their present well being in society to his generous and visionary personality.  He always had a standing and open invitation to the past pupils meet.  All his trips were sponsored and he always returned with gifts... one of which was a laptop, which I was helping him learn to use (that was when I was in the Provincial house in 2008)!!

Of course, later on in years, he totally gave up the education field he was initially involved in and was a fervent advocate of direct evangelisation.  He would not spare any occasion or anyone, when it came to 'preaching Christ!'  He wrote books on catechism and sacraments, was the first to bring out Telugu hymn cassettes (Stuthigeethalu), printed telugu hymnals, started the catechists training centre at Ponnur... never one to back off from a challenge.  Most of us youngsters loved pulling his leg and he loved it too.

the province pioneers: Br Gabriel, Fr Benji, and Fr Panampara

So on this day would like to remember him and thank him specially for his legacy of hard work, dedication and commitment to live and work for the poor and those really on the margins of society.  

Missionary zeal

The apostles and early disciples of Jesus were truly a brave lot.  They traveled extensively, often to far off unknown places, encountering a totally different culture, language and people, carrying with them and witnessing a 'strange' doctrine.  They were often misunderstood, looked upon with suspicion, treated with prejudice, imprisoned, tortured, mocked at and also sometimes accepted.

And as if these 'extrinsic' factors which were well beyond their area of influence or even grasp, were not sufficient, the inner turmoil of those already professing allegiance to Christ and His gospel... and the church.  The Greek widows complaining of them being neglected in the rationing of alms.  The Pharisees challenging the entry of pagans into the christian faith, asking them to be circumcised and adhering to the Law of Moses as pre-requisites.  The dissensions and betrayals of those claiming to be close collaborators.

Then, I suppose, they also had their own inner demons to fight. Personal anxieties and tensions, likes and dislikes that constantly found themselves pitted against that what they preached, their own fledgling faith...

Truly, if they did all that they did, that too with such passion and zeal, as is evident in what history stands witness to, then how strong and deep was their conviction of their love for Jesus.

Proclaim... the experience

Reflection for April 25

“Go proclaim...”

The directive to 'proclaim' the Gospel is a straight-forward one. It is a matter of reaching the Good News to all. Interestingly this message does not necessarily mean only the written text. Much more than that it is the personally experienced Jesus that is the real Good News. The command is from Jesus Himself, only later to be written down by the authors.

The apostles are directed by the risen Lord to share with others everything they learned with and through Him, experienced Him, saw Him do and heard Him say. They are directed to share that message enlivened by the passion of their thrill of having had that first hand experience of Jesus.

Proclamation, therefore, becomes primarily a sharing of an experience of the Lord, and not merely a description of the written word.

Go fishing

Reflection for April 21

After all that happened, the crucifixion, death and even the resurrection, the apostles go fishing! It really seems odd. But that is exactly how each of us live. We prefer to get back to what we are accustomed to, to that what we are comfortable with. However great an event or tragic a loss, the regularity we are used to offers a soothing balm. But imagine a scenario where the apostles had resumed their professional works, what they were used to three years prior, and never took up another mode of functioning…!

Yet the Lord once again challenges them. Calls them forth to carry on, without His physical presence, what they together did for three years. To be His witnesses. This is something the apostles are yet to fully learn. There is uncertainty and anxiety as to how it would unfold. Fishing is safer. Predictable. 

However, the apostles make that shift. They opt to move out of their comfort zones and preach the risen Christ. The first reading where Peter boldly asserts the source of healing the cripple goes on to show their full fledged immersion in the task of being witnesses. They are still fishing… but it is not fish they are after.

Even today, the Lord constantly challenges us to move out of our comfort zones. To explore more ways of being His witnesses than what we are routinely used to; feel contented with.

Viewing oneself...

One thing to say, that "I'm nobody" and another to say, "I'm nobody with you!" Perhaps the same logic can be perceived in the AA twelve step programme, wherein participants are recommended to have recourse to a higher power (God or any other power).  They are not really asked to admit that they are powerless, but rather asked to admit that they are powerless without the help of God or the higher power.

I think this is the distinction between true pastors/healers and false or dramatic ones.  The former help each one see the point of being helpless not just by oneself, but help one see that without realizing God's assistance one is not using our full potential.  The latter tend to exploit the 'vulnerability' of persons by showing them that they are weak and then inducing the conviction that without them (the facilitator) they will not have access to God!

So a true convert is not one who goes to church regularly, but one who goes to connect with God, not the priest!  Just like healing is complete when the patient can stand on his/her own without reliance on the doctor, so too is true conversion possible when the faithful can relate to God without the priest.  Then why the priest?  Merely to facilitate that connection.  If the priest or anyone else thinks that without him God is inaccessible to His people, then not only has the priest a wrong conception of God but it is this wrong concept of God that he will pass on to others! That's double trouble.

Silence (2)

Not sure what exactly Martin Scorsese wanted to depict in Silence.  Was it the harsh Japanese regime? Or the plight of the local Japanese Catholics? Or the deep faith of the poor peasant Catholics?  Or was it the inner turmoil of well-intentioned and doctrinally sound priests like Fr Sebastian Rodrigues, Fr Garupe and Fr Ferreira? Or is it the challenges of pastoral work in a context so different and complex that formation or doctrine never defines or never really prepares one for?  Perhaps it was one of these or all of these.

If the Japanese inquisitor and his team thought that cutting the 'roots' (eliminating Catholic priests) would curtail Christianity, then they did not really have a good understanding of their own people and culture.  If the priests were really struggling with their pastoral dilemma, it actually didn't look like, though there is the inner struggle but not very convincing.  If the silence of God was the real point, even that is broken when 'God seems to speak' at that crucial point when Fr Rodriguez steps on the image of Jesus.  However, the movie really doesn't capture any of it very forcefully - at least not form me.  In a way, The Mission was far more appealing than this one... at least in terms of portraying personal charisma in conflict with mission work or the harmonious blending of the two.  But I still fail to see the focus of the movie.  Speaking of silence, I think Noah fares far far better than this.

The first thing that struck me as I got up from the seat at the end of the movie was this question that I asked myself: What would I do if were in such a situation?

Interestingly just as we (Fr John and I) were walking out of the theatre, a young couple came up to us and asked if we were priests?  And when we did acknowledge, they were happy that their guess was right. We did spend a couple of minutes discussing the movie in the corridors.  They were indeed moved by the whole idea of being persecuted for faith and how common folk were so convinced of their belief.  That Christianity continued to survive even without the presence of priests in Japan for hundreds of years, only shows that priests or religious are not really the one doing the work of 'evangelization'... it is primarily God and His people.  

Silence

Just returned from watching the movie 'Silence'...

The movie is about two Jesuits who volunteer to go to Japan to really find out about their mentor and confessor whom they revere much, but who is rumoured to have given up his faith.  They do not believe it and set out to find the truth.  Once they find themselves in the midst of hostile regime, they begin to see a different picture; not because they are persecuted but because of them, the poor native believers are tortured and killed.  That puts them in the shoes of their mentor and the choices they together make... the same as before, but lived differently.

I'll put my first impressions now and perhaps enumerate the deeper thoughts later.

• Not as graphic or emotionally gripping as I thought it would be, given it being a Martin Scorsese movie. 
• For those of us who have been second hand witnesses of persecution and evangelisation among non-Catholics, even those hostile to the faith, the movie does not come across as a big surprise or a shock.  To those who have had the comfort of a 'convenient' faith, untested by external inhuman conditions, this may be a bit shocking and gruesome.  
• The real crisis of Fr Sebastian: when he sees the image of Christ in himself, just before he is turned in to the Japanese. 
• Two facts which clearly indicate that Fr Sebastian, or even Fr Ferreira for that matter, never lost his faith, nor his priestly mission: when the former was willing to forgive the one who betrayed him and 'renounced' his faith time and again, repeatedly. Even in times when he doubted if the penitent really was worthy of forgiveness, he forgave.  The second is when he stamps on an image of Christ and he does it for the sake of the lives of those persecuted.  A Christian is not truly a follower of Christ if he chooses an image of Christ over and above the life of a human being.  
• When in the comfort of life, faith is lived out in terms of doctrine.  When life itself is in danger or questioned, true faith is lived out - doctrines don't really matter. Fr Sebastian bluntly recommends the villagers to apostate; Fr Garupe is shocked and opposes Fr Sebastian, saying that they cannot give up their faith.  The villagers faith was deeper than any symbols or religious artifacts.  
• Fr Sebastian's parting words to Fr Garupe: "They did not die for us! They did not die for us!" Something every priest and religious should always beware of: self-glorification in sacrifice.  

Over-all: Quite intense but quite long as well. Will appeal to the West not so much the East; the latter, live it in their everyday life (in different degrees) so will not find it as gripping as those whose faith has not been tested by external forces at such levels.  

Complete the joy

"...so that our joy may be complete" (1 Jn 1: 4).

That's the last line of the Reading on the feast of St John, the Evangelist.  John is not forcing down the throat of anyone his experience or convictions. He is merely sharing it with anyone who is willing to hear. His thrill of this experience of union with the Father, through His Son is so great, that he cannot but share it.  It is sheer joy that makes him speak up.

"... what we have seen and heard, we now proclaim to you..." 

What if he himself had not heard or seen or believed?  I'm sure he would have shut up and sat idle! Is the reverse of this possible? Do all who proclaim, have an experience of Him?  In short, is it possible to preach without experience?  Possible, unfortunately! So what then distinguishes this bogus show from the sincere expression? Sheer joy! Not for oneself, but one that is contagious and empowering.

No wonder, Pope Francis calls religious, people of joy!