Prophecy and spiritual direction

Two points reflecting on the life of St Margaret Mary Alacoque...

The first one is more a social aspect but nonetheless rooted in spirituality.  This aspect is true of most 'prophets' who are called for a particular purpose, specially to tell his or her fellow people that what they are up to is not the ideal - far from it.  The telling part may not be the most challenging part, but the living together, after that, certainly is.  So when God tells Mary Alacoque to go and tell the community members and the Church at large that they are to do penance and increase their fervour for the Sacred Heart, it is a challenge.  First of all, she certainly was not the eldest in the community.  Secondly, not the superior herself.  But she has to tell this 'revelation' to all, even those older to her, those who have lived their life in the convent, following the vows for donkeys years.  I guess the same must have been true for St Theresa of Child Jesus too.  The only exception where a 'prophet' is actually invited to share his wisdom is Daniel, when as a child he is called in to resolve the Susanna dispute.  For the rest, beginnings were/are never easy. 

The second point is the pivotal role of spiritual direction.  In moments of such intense or out of the ordinary experience, to have someone who can direct and help one discern what actually is happening around you, is such a blessing.  To be able to live one's daily life imbued by that divine experience, rather than be run over by it, to have someone help you make sense of what is happening to you rather than be totally overwhelmed and lost, is a great help.  

Muonic generation

Muons are part of electrons (themselves part of atoms and molecules).  However one specialty of these muons is that their lifespan is 220th fraction of a second.  One of the research students at the university doing her research on muons is trying to see the benefits of colliding muons.  Her first challenge is to get sufficient muons, enough to cause a collision, and most importantly 'prolong' their life to more than that minuscule fraction of a second, to actually make the collision happen!  One possibility she said was to speed up the muons to the speed of light, wherein time slows.  That way one could 'extend their lifespan'. 

Listening to Fr Louis Grech's talk on spiritual accompaniment of Generation z (the digital natives), I could not but see the great connection and similarities between muons and generation z.  The digital natives of today too are like muons.  Very short attention span, a pace of their own, exist in a world quite different from the rest, the interaction space is on another plane (the instant media, not even social media). So I was asking myself how can one 'extend' time with such a generation?  How to travel at the speed of light in order for that interaction to take place? 

Whatever be the pace and space inhabited by generation z, they too are flesh and blood.  They too have feelings, emotions, fears, anxieties, pain... I think it is in those times that time actually slows down for them.  That's the possibility of 'catching up with them'.  But this 'catching up with them' is not going to be possible if we have not had some accidental but meaningful interaction with them somewhere in 'their' world at some time. 

Gone are the days, at least in most of Europe, where the space of interacting with young people is a formal physical institution where they all are gathered and listening attentively to the words of a Salesian.  Or the young members of a youth club which meets every weekend or evening of a weekday.  Most youngsters today are members of groups, but all online. None physical. None geographical.  

God's Rosebud!

An interesting anecdote and poem about discernment. 

A new minister was walking with an older, more seasoned minister in the garden one day. Feeling a bit insecure about what God had for him to do, he was asking the older preacher for some advice.

The older preacher walked up to a rosebush and handed the young preacher a rosebud and told him to open it without tearing off any petals. The young preacher looked in disbelief at the older preacher and was trying to figure out what a rosebud could possibly have to do with his wanting to know the will of God for his life and ministry. But, because of his great respect for the older preacher, he proceeded to try to unfold the rose, while keeping every petal intact. It wasn't long before he realized how impossible this was to do.

Noticing the younger preacher's inability to unfold the rosebud without tearing it, the older preacher began to recite the following poem...

It is only a tiny rosebud, 

A flower of God's design; 

But, I cannot unfold the petals 

With these clumsy hands of mine. 

The secret of unfolding flowers 

Is not known to such as I. 

GOD opens this flower so easily, 

But, in my hands they die.

If I cannot unfold a rosebud, 

This flower of God's design, 

Then, how can I have the wisdom 

To unfold this life of mine?

So, I'll trust in God for leading 

Each moment of my day. 

I will look to God for guidance 

In each step along the way.

The path that lies before me, 

Only my Lord and Savior knows. 

I'll trust God to unfold the moments, 

Just as He unfolds the rose.

The Father knows!

Last night I was asked to give a talk to the Salesian Cooperators of Chertsey.  They were about 20 of them present.  I was asked to speak about Don Bosco and the Sacrament of reconciliation.  I shared of how my personal insight changed my understanding of Don Bosco's notion of confession. 

The sacrament of reconciliation was always a kind of obligation that I felt needed to be fulfilled, earlier as a baptised member of the Church and then much more later as a professed Salesian.  However, it was only a few years ago that I began to really appreciate the sacrament for its great value.  And it was mostly the person of the confessor that made a whole difference in this aspect.  Have seen ample confessors who were so strict and abiding by the rule that confession was a real act of pain and suffering.  After the confession it a sense of relief that a 'job' is done, rather than savouring the grace of being blessed! 

What changed for me was the simple insight that the "Father knows!" So it was not something new that I was speaking to him about. There was nothing that would surprise Him, given the fact that I'm living in His presence.  So what's the whole confession about if He already knows? It is basically an acknowledgement of my present state of life, coupled with a genuine desire to be better.  This realisation helped me change my attitude towards confession and I really began to cherish this sacrament. 

Don Bosco's own writings and goodnights are rife with hell, sin, death, and all that stuff usually related to the sacrament of reconciliation, as was the trend of his times.  However, from my reading of his teachings, he never advocated confession to his boys as a fulfilment of an ecclesial obligation. He always recommended it as a means of personal experience, for growth and progress.  Boys loved going to confession to him. He personally gained and learned much about this sacrament from his own confessor, Joseph Cafasso.  It was from all that reading and especially observing the following photo of Don Bosco (one of the earliest original photos of DB) that it struck me that the boys not only were convinced of the fact that the "Father knows", but also felt greatly reassured by the knowledge that even "Don Bosco knows!" So it was a double, "Father knows!"

Notice the faces of the boys.  They are so serene.
No one's distracted or curious about the photograph itself - given this is the earliest history of photography
(at least in the oratory)

Confession was not restricted to the confessional anymore.  It was a continued relationship. It is in this light that Don Bosco's quote made great sense to me:

Want to be saints?  Here's the secret: Confession is the lock; the confidence in the confessor is the key.  This is how you open heaven's gates. 

Confession is the lock.  Confidence in the confessor is the key!  My earliest experience of shame and fear and guilt were replaced by a sense of love and comfort.  Mostly thanks to some of my confessors, especially Fr Lens. With him, I was at home. I did not have to be different.  I did not have to sift and mince words.  There was no fear or shame.  He knew me well enough that there was no need of a confession at all; but me confessing was me taking responsibility for my growth and him assuring his - and God's - continued support! 

As I was putting down these thoughts for the talk, it then occurred to me why Don Rua felt greatly pained when in 1908, the Vatican forbid the Rector to be the regular confessor of inmates.  I always thought he should have felt happy that he could focus more on being with the boys rather than being confined to the confessional.  But like Don Bosco, he had grown so intimately with his boys that not being with them in the confessional was like cutting out one important portion of their lives.  I realized how difficult it would have been for his boys!  That is not recorded anywhere!  In my years in the formation commission, I had neatly collapsed the distinct roles of the rector, as best non-compatible.  But I also understood my predicament why there should be such a fuss about Rector also being the confessor (and final authority on voting).  If I've been open to him, in and out of the confessional, I should have nothing to fear.  And if it in confidence that I have opened up to him, then I am also convinced that what he says and does is for my own good - even if it meant him asking me to pack up and go home!  Of course, in all of this the person of the rector or confessor does make a huge difference!  

Children and Discernment

"... in those days, the Lord did not speak often..."  Those are the words in the opening para of today's first reading from the book of Samuel.  Really?  The Lord did not speak?  Perhaps a better way of putting it or understanding it would be to say, 'People were not used to listening' or 'It was not common to hear people say that the Lord spoke to them'.

What makes this episode of the call of Samuel is that the Lord is 'speaking' to a child!  How often would an adult tell a child to be open to listen to God speaking? Worse still, acknowledge the testimony of a child stating that the Lord has appeared or addressed him or her.  We expect and teach the children to listen to us, and no one else.  We ourselves are not atuned or open to anything beyond what we want to listen.

Another related aspect that struck me today is that the whole notion of discernment, which is now the vogue term in Salesian circles (and rightly should be so), is not something that we grow up with.  It is only after we become 'adults' that this process of discernment is introduced into our life and living.  Some may say that children are intellectually incapable of discerning, especially matters beyond the physical.  But if they don't get a taste of what it means to discern and are thereby assisted meaningfully (as in the case of Samuel, by Eli), how will they ever acquire the habit of discernment, especially spiritual discernment?  Perhaps it is we adults who are not really willing to undergo the process of discernment and in turn, prevent children and not trust them enough.  

Accompaniment

Reflection for April 19

The 'Emmaus account' has a typically Salesian flavour. It is basically an excellent summary of genuine accompaniment. To be like the risen Lord who walks along with the disciples. Lovingly and patiently accompanying those entrusted to one's care, listening and responding to them in ways and idioms that they understand. At the same time always challenging them to go deeper. Spiritually it is a pilgrimage of which the centre and focal point is the encounter with the Eucharistic Lord, experienced not merely at the altar but on the dusty path, in the open. It is also an experience that becomes the springboard and launching pad for ministry even when it means hitting the road in the dark of the night, for the light is within.

Remembering the deceased

Today, the 1st of February, immediately after the day we celebrate the feast of Don Bosco, we Salesians commemorate the memory of our deceased confreres.  We remember with gratitude and pray for those gone before us who, in their lifetime, added to the charism of Don Bosco and made the Salesian work more dynamic, meaningful and contextual.

And in the morning the first names that I remembered were that of Fr John Lens, Fr Ronald Menezes and surprisingly, Fr Mauro Casarotti.  Fr Lens is someone whom I knew since my childhood.  He was in the school where I studied, then when I was an aspirant, he was my rector and then all the subsequent years, while he was in the novitiate, I kept in touch with him.  Initially through letters and then in person.  Never knew anyone as down-to-earth as him.  His joyful and perfect detachment from all material things was amazing... made it look so simple.  Also liked his simple way of interacting with anyone, just anyone!

Fr Ronny, was my rector during my one year stay at Don Bosco School, Matunga.  I was a studying media and communications and he was of great help and inspiration.  I liked him for his straight-forward attitude and simplicity of life.  He also had a good way of relating to people and making everyone feel comfortable and good about themselves.

Fr Casa, was someone I first met while studying M.Ph. in Nashik. He used to come from Mumbai and spend a few days with us, helping out as the confessor.  Around him it was all fun and laughter.  He was the heart of any gathering and corridor talk.  In spite of the fact that in the early days he was provincial of two diverse provinces (Mumbai and Guwahati), he carried himself with such simplicity that a casual interaction would mislead one to think of him as a simple 'old man'. Later too while at Matunga, I would meet him often, and he was the same. Still at that ripe old age, he would be consistent with his work in the propaganda office.  Always kind, gentle, smiling and friendly.  He loved people.  One always felt comfortable being oneself with him. He had no pretensions and neither did anyone feel like putting on a mask in his presence. 

Novena to Don Bosco: Divine Guidance

Novena to Don Bosco

(Remembering DON BOSCO and the significant people who shaped his life and works) 

Day 8: Mother Mary

(The Divine Teacher)

DIVINE GUIDANCE

Honoured as the principal patroness of the Salesian Congregation, and revered under the title 'Mary Help of Christians', the Salesians continue to imitate the filial devotion that Don Bosco had towards Mother Mary right since his childhood.

When you came into the world I consecrated you to the Blessed Virgin Mary. When you began your studies, I inculcated this devotion in you. Now I want you to belong totally to her. 

Said to John Bosco by his mother on the day before he was to join the Seminary and receive the cassock to begin his ecclesiastical studies for Priesthood (October 30, 1835) 

Become humble, strong and sturdy. 

Mother Mary's advice to young Johny Bosco during his famous dream at the age of nine, while promising her maternal guidance in changing the wolves into meek lambs. 

It is all the work of the Madonna. It all comes from a 'Hail Mary' recited with a boy forty-five years ago, in the Church of St Francis of Assisi. 

Don Bosco's words after the successful trip to France and Spain, even in his last years of life (1886), in order to raise money for the Church of the Sacred Heart in Rome.
(Click here to download the pdf file for display)

Novena to Don Bosco: Spiritual Direction

Novena to Don Bosco

(Remembering DON BOSCO and the significant people who shaped his life and works)

Day 3: Fr Joseph Cafasso

(John Bosco's guide and mentor)

SPIRITUAL DIRECTION

Fr Joseph Cafasso was the confessor of Don Bosco right from his days as a student of Theology till the former's death. Every step he took in the direction of his vocational journey was always discussed with Fr Cafasso from 1841-1860. Fr Cafasso is also the patron of the prisoners and the gallows.

Do you want to become saints? Here is the secret: Confession is the lock: confidence in your confessor is the key. This is how you open heaven's gates. 

Advice of Don Bosco to his boys, exhorting them to frequent the sacrament of reconciliation and avail themselves of the opportunity of spiritual direction. 

Go to confession every week, but not oftener, because it is not the number of confessions which make us good, but the benefits we derive from each genuine confession (with a good resolution). 

Following the example of St Philip Neri, Don Bosco used to tell his boys to make their confession regularly, and preferably to the same confessor.

Who is your Cafasso?

Today is the feast of St Joseph Cafasso, the spiritual director of Don Bosco... a person whom Don Bosco trusted with all his heart and who knew the young seminarian like a son.  Yesterday there was a news article on BoscoLink titled 'Who is your Cafasso' ... a very beautiful way of reminding one and all about the all important necessity of spiritual accompaniment.

For quite some time now, the whole congregation at large has been feeling the need to stress and draw attention to this important dimension of our religious spiritual life. The lacuna is two fold: confreres, especially the young ones, not feeling the need of having a spiritual director and the lack of competent and understanding spiritual directors.

Perhaps most of the issues the Province is today plagued by could be resolved if only we, as individuals and as a whole, work towards realising the gravity and depth of this simple yet profound dimension of life: discernment. Personally too, discernment, not only in matters concerning the conscience, but even in simple mundane matters is something I find difficult. Even when willing and keen to approach someone for directions or help, 'whom to' is a big question!  However, in times when it was really tough, there have been a few people whose help I could always count on. I wish I could say that more boldly and consistently.

Spiritual Direction

In the Acts, the incident of Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch offers a simple but profound analogy for spiritual direction - for that matter any discernment process.

1. The felt need of the eunuch for a better, clearer understanding based on a sincere desire and a prior attempt to learn. 
2. The competence of Philip to be able to grasp the eunuch's present situation, and offer him a holistic explanation and guide him to a deeper meaning. 

It is always a three dimensional process: the willingness on the part of the one seeking and the competency of the one offering.  Overseeing this whole process is the Holy Spirit! 

Seeking guidance

Accepting to talk to someone at their request is risky business! You never know what they wish to speak about and where you'd end up the whole conversation. But it is always a great GREAT help to the one seeking to speak to someone, if only I am sensible and willing to listen with a patient ear. I've had one such experience today. The person started with something very much on her mind right now, these past couple of days. Call it divine inspiration or whatever, when at a particular point I expressed my sincere observation about the person. She completely broke down and what followed next was anything but close to what we began talking about! She shared a particular painful experience she did undergo quite a while ago which she realized is the cause of her strained relationship with someone else. Once this was acknowledged, the initial matter was not the primary focus at all! From my little experience, I desisted offering a solution or a remedy; least of all offer a pious suggestion or activity! I merely let her speak and when she felt she was done, I merely shared with her one of my own past experiences asking her to see if there was anything that she would like to try from what I shared. Uff!

Makes my vague aspiration to equip myself with some counselling and spiritual direction skills more formidable...!

Spiritual animation vs Administration

Only in 1901, with the Vatican decree that the Rector cannot be the ordinary confessor of the boys and confreres, did the portfolio of the Spiritual Director emerge in the Salesian community. The role of the Rector, who so far was the ordinary confessor too, now had to be reinvented. Given the increasing workload, the Rector got practically swamped by the legal, administrative, and organisational work. This did lead to the Rector leaving the spiritual animation part to the confessor and taking up other responsibilities.

The current phenomena which sees Rectors not take up the spiritual animation of the community could be traced back to this historical event. However I think it has another reason too: spiritual animation is more demanding than taking care of administrative matters. Another way of putting it: administration is more lucrative than spiritual animation. This calls for an introspective of our values, our virtues, what we as religious find 'lucrative'. And if helping a person grown holistically is not my primary option, rather I choose do some 'petty' service which is fulfilling for now then I need to rethink what my true vocation is!

Anyone better than me?

I took up the General Chapter 27 document for reading this morning.  I took my own time to read it well.  Right in the first section itself something that struck me was the 'concern' about symptoms of self-referentiality whereby we do not go out of ourselves to be open to the demands of God and go out to encounter others.  This can be seen in our lack of updating, reference to a stable spiritual director and 'do it yourself' spirituality.

Now that's something!  Perhaps it is the other extreme of the mean called independence and self-mastery.  So I did a simple exercise on myself.  I asked myself this question: Who is better than me, around here? Frankly speaking it was a mere act of accessing my degree of humility, but all the same if I said to myself, if I can speak of somebody as inspirational and can even have the courage to tell that person that you inspire me for this and this, then I think I'm still on the right track. But if I have a great difficulty in recognizing the virtues that surround me, here and now, then I would be like a peacock strutting myself around, foolishly convinced that I'm the best.  This would also explain why I would not approach anyone to be my regular spiritual director. 

Spiritual direction and openness

We had a long discussion on spiritual direction and counselling and manifestation and related stuff this whole morning.  I intervened only before lunch. My only intervention was this: 

If young people joining us are given a taste of freedom that an attitude of openness offers right on early in life, then they are sure to get so 'addicted' to it that none need to 'tell' them to go for manifestation to the Rector, or meet the spiritual director.  They will naturally take to spiritual direction like fish to water.  However, this attitude of openness is essential for a religious.  If not, he is bound to carry with him a burden, which at time will surely become too heavy to bear.  However, there could be some issues that need counselling which could be addressed to by a psychologist or a trained counsellor.  But this is only an additional help.  If the person has not learnt the art of opening up, no counsellor or spiritual guide can help.  Furthermore, if a person is always carrying such a heavy baggage that he always needs support and counselling, when on earth will he help others with their baggage?  

We all are broken and wounded in some way or the other.  Yet we learn to extend a healing touch to others in and through our brokenness.  But if we are so broken that it is we who seek healing all the time and every time, then I would question the very vocation of such an individual to religious or consecrated life.  The best would be to ask him to discontinue and help him with or through a psychologist.

Defining spirituality

We concluded the evaluation of the Brothers today. Of the main five sectors that we based our remarks on, the one dealing with the spiritual dimension was a bit tricky.  Well one might wonder what's so difficult about spiritual dimension for those who intend to become priests?  That's exactly the difficulty. So sometime right in the beginning we agreed that in that section we would not limit ourselves to merely talking or evaluating the practices of piety or punctuality for Mass and capability of reciting prayers and singing.  I, for one, extended (or say, defined) spirituality to mean integrity, a sense of balance and constancy in life as a whole, not just in and around the Church and prayer.

While practices of piety and prayers are part of spirituality, to restrict the latter to the former is absurd...  though very many do that and fail to see the larger picture. But I was glad we collectively agreed upon this wider picture of spirituality.  So we repeatedly asked ourselves, 'How is this person in his overall outlook towards life and relationships? Is he balanced?  Does he live a rather steady and coherent life?  Is there a basic sense of integrity and communion in the various aspects of his heart, mind, body, spirit and attitude?  

Negative Feelings or helpful feelings?

During the morning session, among the many things the animator of our course spoke, something that caught my attention was this:  We always wish to get rid of all our negative feelings, those things that indicate the deeper pain and hurt.  And the best part is that these negative aspects of our emotions shield us from real danger.  Aspects like anger, fear, sadness, pain ... are all aspects which are there to 'protect the psyche'.

The animator was saying that this is the curse of our 'drug culture', wherein we would like to do away with anything painful or hurting.  We really do not bother to go to the deeper issues which cause these feelings.  We are quite happy to clean up these feelings rather than address the causes that give rise to these feelings.  Worse is when we rationalise or spiritualize these aspects and shove them off the radar (or so we think!).  

Good teachers

Another reflection while reading a commentary on the Gospels that I came across this evening...

...which of us nowadays goes in search of good teachers who will instruct us about the way of life?

There's a great amount of truth therein.  It is the whole debate and anxiety about spiritual direction and guidance.  Each one wants to be a self-made man, exclusively.  We are convinced that we know best and therefore anyone else or everyone else's opinion or guidance is looked upon as demeaning oneself. However, wisdom and experience shows that if coming from a wise and genuine source, any guidance can be life transforming.

It certainly is easier said than done!