Substitution

 Today we commemorate the feast of a man who wasn't the firsthand choice of Jesus as one among the 12 apostles. 

Mathias was a substitute or replacement of Judas. He was filling in the shoes of someone who had betrayed the very Master. Not a pleasant or exciting offer. 

He knew well what apostolate meant. Nor was he a first timer or random passerby who got dragged into the inner circle of the early apostles. I'm sure he was around when Jesus went about his mission. So when the slot fell vacant, the choice of Mathias was not surprising to those around. 

Being a substitute he could have acted as a spare wheel, rather than take on the full responsibility. But I'm sure that wasn't the case. In fact I'm almost certain, he would have continued being who he was and doing exactly what he was doing earlier. Even if he were not to have been chosen, he would still been the same and done the same amount of good. I guess the same is true of Barsabas, the alternative option who was considered for the substitution.

That's virtue. That's integrity. Valuing who I am and doing what I truly believe is good no matter the circumstances around me or the existence or non-existence of power, position and responsibility.

Joseph called Barsabbas

In the selection process for the replacement of Judas, Joseph and Matthias are the finalists.  Unable to decide upon which one, the apostles pray and cast lots (initially reminded me of the soldiers at the foot of the cross casting lots for the robe of Jesus).  The lot falls for Matthias and he is announced as one of the apostles. 

What became of Joseph called Barsabbas?  Simple: He carried on his life and ministry!  That's how I would like to remember him.  If among all the people they had to choose from, the apostles zeroed in on these two men, they surely must have been men of faith, men dedicated to the ministry and truly in love with Jesus.  So I don't think being granted the title of an 'apostle' would have made any big difference to their personal character.  All that happened was that one got an additional role and responsibilities, the other didn't get that role... but the ministry and life of faith continued.

How often in life, have we seen people give up everything for a particular goal or post?  And once they do get the post, life is totally different.   It happens all the time in politics and with politicians.  It happens also with priests, religious and bishops..., especially those whose aim is the post (religious politicians?).  I wish Luke the author of the Acts had enumerated the qualities of Joseph and Matthias and a bit more of the selection criteria.  But honestly speaking all that was needed is clearly mentioned:

...it is necessary that one of the men who accompanied us the whole time the Lord Jesus came and went among us, beginning from the baptism of John until the day on which he was taken up from us, become with us a witness to his resurrection.

...been with Jesus and his people and a genuine witness of all that Jesus stood for... we get the role for being this, with the confidence that we would do better.  If those basic qualities for which we were granted the role and related responsibilities are compromised with, then one has no right to continue in that role or claim anything related to it.  That would be the story of Judas, not Joseph Barsabbas!

Places in heaven

Preparations for the 500th anniversary of the Reformation have already been underway since long here in the UK.  Not only Protestant but also all the Churches are trying to get involved in some way or the other in reflecting on not just the event but its aftermath as well.  Hardliners always swing to the extreme and call for greater clarity between one's own Church and other denominations, falling back on the founder's distinctive characteristic.  Like the Orange Order (Ireland) calling on Protestants to refrain from using "RIP" for the dead as they deem it is a prayer for the dead - something they find superstitious and bad.  After all, as per their belief all that one is to earn, of course by faith alone, is here on earth.  Nothing more can be achieved after death.

Anyway, that was what I was distracted with during Mass when I heard the words of the Gospel wherein Jesus tells Salomi, the mother of James and John that the places on either side of him in heaven are for those the Father has allotted.  Is it that they have been earmarked for someone and no matter what or how good one strives to be, one can never ever secure those?  Well, I don't think so.  That they have been allotted does not mean the one's who will occupy them has been finalised down to the particular individual.  But basically the characteristics and virtues of those who get to sit there have been made clear.  It is like the reserved compartments in trains wherein those who have planned their journey, bought the tickets in due time and have paid the required amount are eligible to occupy. Those passengers do not own those seats but are worthy to use them for having fulfilled the requirements.

However, let me also add that I don't think, for those people who really 'deserve to be at the right and at the left of the Lord' in heaven, it really matters where they sit, as long as they are in the presence of the Lord! It is a strange paradox: for those whom it matters, don't deserve; and for those who deserve, it does not matter!

A call to responsibility

Reflection for April 22

"He reproached them..."

The years of formation or preparation we have before we take up a life-long calling is just the tip of the whole gamut. To think that the six to ten years leading to ordination or final profession are anything but enough for a lifetime of spirituality is immature! Jesus spent three years with the apostles, day in and day out. Yet after three days of His absence, they are back to square one. He appears to them and reproaches them for their incredulity and obstinacy in not believing those who had seen Him after he had risen. Perhaps they were thinking that if at all the resurrection was true, He would have appeared to them first. After all, they were His closest associates for the last three years! 

If at all, as priests and religious, we live under this great misunderstanding that the call to priestly or religious life is great vocation and thereby bestows on us great powers, then let us at least also have the complementary understanding that with great power come great responsibility. The Lord is always gracious enough to send us reminders, often through simple people and instances. Let us therefore be open to His reminders and not wait for His reproach.

Being vulnerable

Reflection for Palm Sunday (April 09, 2017)

We are at the threshold of the Holy Week. We now witness the vulnerability of Jesus. If He wanted, He could have opted out or chosen a different path. But by making Himself vulnerable, He touches our hearts. We often feel strong and secure when our weaknesses are not known to others. We feel powerful when our secrets are safe. However, very few have the courage to expose their weaknesses and vulnerabilities. It is certainly a risky affair. You never know what others would do with such an intimate knowledge of ourselves. In the gospel narration of today we come across several people who are conscious to keep their secrets safe. The apostles anxiety in the Upper room: “Is it I Lord?” Caiaphas and Pilate had their own demons to be hid. The chief priests and scribes felt powerful to see Jesus on the cross; their inadequacies will no more be challenged.

However in the crowd there is also Mary Magdalene. She had nothing to hide. She was well aware that the Lord knew her whole story. She was touched by Him because she did not hesitate to hide from Him her frailties. To be truly touched implies the courage to reveal our vulnerabilities. In His passion, Jesus reveals to us his weakness: love for humanity. This Palm Sunday as we walk with Jesus, in His penultimate journey, let us acknowledge and work on our vulnerabilities rather than devise plans and ways to cover and safeguard them. Let us risk 'being touched'. Let grace flow.

Seeking confirmation

One of the virtues of a good leader is his ability to stand by principles and values.  While decisions are arrived at after consultation and discussion, there are times when this does not easily happen as such.  These are times when the mettle is tested.

Most often people crumble under the pressure of taking the right decisions and at the same time safeguarding their image or impression.  When the latter take upper hand, at the cost of values which need to be upheld, then one has lost his/her virtue as a leader - but retention of position is still possible!

He broke a new way -- because, only because, he had the courage to go farther without asking whether others followed, or even understood. He did not have the need for that protection against ridicule, which others seek in a divided responsibility, because he had a faith which abstained from seeking confirmation. 

Dag Hammarskjold, Markings

Education and Clergy in Britain

One of the things of the British system that I'm still to make sense is the education system.  Not exactly the style of teaching but the mode of administration.  Very many here are highly appreciative of the Salesian school. Great! But there is no Salesian on the staff, except for the Chaplain.  The Rector is also the Chairman of the board, I'm told.  The head teacher (headmaster, in Indian terms) is a lay person and so are the 13 other board members.

This is basically the structure of every school, I'm told - at least that's what I understood.  Worse still are the diocesan schools: there is no priest, leave alone on the board, on the staff not even in the vicinity!  So where are they? There are none - at least not available for working in the schools.

I attended the inaugural Mass of the St Xavier Educational Trust of Catholic schools, a new initiative undertaken here, this evening.  There are nine Catholic schools which have willingly come forward to be part of this venture whereby they wish to collaborate and strengthen one another in the education process, especially on the common ground of offering Catholic values and principles.  So there were the board directors of each of these schools, the head teachers, the governors and some teachers as well, I was told.  And of these how many were priests or religious? Just two!!  Only the director of our Salesian school was a priest. The other priest was a guest invited to join this newly formed trust.  All the others, namely head teachers and directors were all lay people!!  Take that ratio of priests and lay persons in the decision making animation body: 1 in 18!

On the one hand I'm quite surprised. On the other, highly pleased and eager to see this replicated back in India!  Surprised that the number is so low.  Highly pleased because priests and religious stay out of the administration circles and more than delighted that only capable and qualified persons are in positions to call the shots in the school.  So what if they are lay persons. A far far better option than some priest who can barely speak one sentence in properly. And what's his qualification to occupy that post: ordination!!

No wonder then that young people, and I mean high school children, are very clear about what they want to become in life.  They see these qualified and competent individuals throwing open the doors of knowledge and values to them.  They opt for possibilities, inspired by those who make this possible.  Naturally if priests and religious are not in this group then, vocations to that life are not growing to fall out of the sky.  However gloomy a forecast that might be, personally it is a better option than young people wanting to become priests or religious merely to exercise power and hold position without going through the grind of earning, to be truly worthy of it.

More to come...

Do not seek to be merciful… Act arbitrarily

Reflections on the Year of Mercy (4)
(courtesy: Fr T.D. John)

Do not seek to be merciful… Act arbitrarily, without accountability 

The talk of proper procedures is a big joke. Where is the thrill of being the boss if I am to be accountable? Why should I follow procedures when I am in charge? Did I reach this far to be bound by common rules and procedures? I have the right to do what I want. I am not accountable to anyone.

During this year of mercy, I will announce that I will take arbitrary decisions and not follow any procedures. I will be careful to be accountable for my dealings.

Statutory Warning: If you follow procedures, people will feel safe and take responsibility.

Do not seek to be merciful... seek positions

Reflections on the Year of Mercy (2)
(courtesy: Fr T.D. John)

Do not seek to be merciful… Seek positions, and not to be a Servant 

Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross was offered once and for all, and would not need to be repeated like those by the other high priests. Likewise, Jesus has already been a servant to his disciples. Jesus has done it once and for all. We need not be servants anymore.

There are those who say that leadership should not be repeated, but rotated. I disagree. We are the rulers. Your job is to follow. We will rotate leadership positions among the privileged few.

During this year of mercy I will tell people the truth, namely, that I do not want to be a servant. But I will continue to preach to the people about their being servants. As for me, I want position, privileges and servants, the highest privilege I can get.

Statutory Warning: Falling from high places is injurious to health.

Do not seek to be merciful… Seek privileges

Reflections on the Year of Mercy (1)
(courtesy: Fr T.D. John)

Do not seek to be merciful… Seek privileges 

I will make a list privileges that I have or could have. I will speak about my privileges. I will privilege only those who are privileged.

During this Year of Mercy I will consciously serve those who are more privileged than me. I will ensure that I do not serve the needy. I will take every privilege that comes my way. I will even fight for them.

Statutory warning: When you give up privileges you are already merciful to the common people.

Priesthood and Service

I'm right now engaged in an interesting discussion or sharing of ideas with someone about Brotherhood and Priesthood.  It is more of a casual conversation. I then extended some bit of it to someone with similar ideas and he came up with this suggestion:

Abolish the laity! Priests will automatically be in the right place!

Basically it is about position, authority and posts.  In the words of this person...

Religious life has caught on to the evils connected with hierarchical priesthood. Hierarchy and the Gospels cannot go together. Privileges are part of hierarchy. The deacons were asked to help the apostles, to help in the service. This did not mean that the apostles stopped being servants and become masters!!!!! 

What an Irony that now all the laity are required to fulfil the role of reminding the priests of the secular reality! The priests can then live in a different world – of no responsibility and all the privileges! Double whammy! Neither service, nor work! Just enjoy power and pelf! Just today ------ told me, “I always thought priests were close to God!”

Being part of a larger discussion, this piece above may be misleading.  However, the point is that religious life and priesthood need to get back to Jesus' basic style of living.  The more institutionalized it gets, the more it will move away from the Kingdom.

Investing in people

Being at Punganur, and not having an official responsibility to fulfill, I glide in and out of any department or section of the work here. Not sensing me as a threat or an 'authority' figure, everyone feels comfortable and friendly. This provides me with a great sense of liberty to try and share with everyone – confreres, teachers, students, staff members – what I have within me and what I am made up of... my values, principles and attitude. Rather than expect from me some monetary help, I'm blessed with the position of being helpful in what I love most – investing in people rather than in structures or materials!

Gold and silver, I have none, but from what I have I give! Rings some bells?

About "level"

I just had a very informal and jovial discussion at the tea table with our domestic staff.  We gathered together to meet the Provincial and after he left, we (the seven staff members and myself) sat for some more time.  As always the case, whenever they relax and feel at home, they start pulling the leg of past and present staff (Priests and Brothers). Along the way they share quite a few insights, given the fact that half of them are Hindus and view things differently from the way that we view things.  However, they have been in the Seminary for more than a decade and hence know also the inner workings.  Today, of the many things, they shared and joked about they mentioned one past staff member who completely 'changed' when he was appointed at a higher post elsewhere.  So much so, he did not even wish them when he left the house.  Kasi, our cook, said, "I thought only politicians and local goons are conscious of their 'level' (referring to the feeling of status and posts). But after I saw him change his attitude so drastically, I realised whether there or here, once the level increases, everything changes!"

That's wisdom from ordinary lay people who slave for us everyday of the year!

Propelled by the title SDB

I spent the last two days - my maiden days - at Don Bosco Navajeevan, Vizag... that too as the director. On my way to the place, I said to myself ... what a fate. I take charge of a place, built up by someone and I'll be the 'boss' of people who have a working experience of more than half a dozen years in that institute (add to that another half a dozen years of work experience elsewhere). And what propels me straight away to the director's chair? My title: SDB!

God help me!!