The shrinking human body

I reached Narsipatnam this afternoon as part of my annual visit to the community. I was asked to address the boarding boys the traditional Salesian good night. That is when I noticed the stature of the boys. Most appeared like high school boys, especially some of the degree students. 

This is not the first time that I have noticed the young or short stature the intermediate and degree students at Narsipatnam. Even last year i couldn't but notice this. Perhaps since most of them are tribals they appear so. But, in general, I think the human size has shrunk. 

I guess, it is part of our evolution... If not of the actual human body, at least of my mind!

That said, most of the boys still had that genuine joy and happiness in their greeting and interaction with me. That matters most!

Study for?

 I came across the following passage in the Biographical Memoirs of Don Bosco (BM, XVII, 356)... quite direct and true: 

Don Bosco considered teaching catechism so much the core of his mission, that in one of his dreams the best way the devils could think of for destroying the congregation was to make the Salesians study for the sake of learning and attaining fame.  Then they would give up the festive oratories, teaching catechism and educating poor youth.  This would cut the congregation at its roots and destroy it. 

Once again, a radical challenge to stay committed to the poor, the young!  And of course, the warning about the real purpose of our study: For you (young people), I study...! 

Being young

Today, after a very long period, we went out as a community, to a water park.  Playing in the swimming pool, having a good time, especially on the slides, watching children and their eagerness to play in the water.  Nonetheless at some moments it struck me that young couples and children would have found it hard to understand why 'old men' like myself are also having fun!! 

In fact the realisation that I am not 'their' age, that I'm almost double the age of most of those who were there in the theme park hit me quite strong on a couple of occasions.  But that didn't make me feel any 'older'; in fact, I felt happy to realise that contrary to my bald head and greying hair, I still am quite young!! 

Thanks be to God for this grace of being and feeling young at heart; being a Salesian! That's one of the amazing quality of being a Salesian: being with the young and being so focused on them, one never ages!! 

Young people

Two news titles caught my attention today... both of the UK (BBC) 

End of hedonism? Why Britain is turning its back on clubbing

Wonderful teenagers helped my son on Halloween

Two specific reasons: 

Both focus on emphasising that young people are not as bad as most often people tend to think they are. There is always a great amount of goodness and kindness that young people are capable of living and sharing. 

The other fact is that young people are an energetic lot. They are not usually satisfied doing the minimum.  With the right ambience and support, young people tend to achieve far more than what they themselves set out to achieve. 

Salesian Youth Movement (SYM)

Salesian Youth Movement (SYM) is an apt name. And I think we Salesians should not lose sight of the meaning of this very name... a movement. Not an event, a mere celebration or an achievement. But a movement. A process. 

The greatest challenge we face is to regularly ask ourselves (and subsequently, the youth) as to what is the PURPOSE of this movement. Without a clarity and consensus about this purpose and goal, our youth groups, fests, gatherings and other such events are scattered mount Tabor experiences – leading to a good and nice feeling at the moment, but of no real use in the long run. 

The greatest risk is that we make our youth dumb and superficial. By nature, the youth are a dynamite; but if they are not challenged well beyond their capacity, they become hollow and settle for the least of standards and capacities.

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! 

Young people; not youth

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

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

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

Prayer

My prayer on the feast of Don Bosco... (for myself!)
May I genuinely love the young, so much so that I do not have to 'proclaim' to them that I do so, but my mere presence announces my affection for them!  In this being carried out, I pray that I learn to be less of myself and constantly cherishing the Lord's presence with me.
Amen!

Urgency

Yesterday we celebrated the feast of Dominic Savio and today in the first reading of the Mass it was Stephen, the young man, who challenged the elders and priests of the times accusing them of murdering Jesus.  Both youngsters in the prime of their life.

In both of them one gets to see a sort of urgency.  A strange kind of recklessness.  No compromises. Nothing short of what is decided.  In Stephen's case, he does not resort to any diplomacy or sugar-talk in dealing with the elders of his time.  His words are direct and brave.  He is not waiting for the Romans to intervene and bring to justice those who falsely accused Jesus and put him to death.  He boldly attacks them, face to face. 

Some may call it imprudence.  Others may call it the power of the Spirit.  Whatever it be, it is a typical youth response: passionate, fearless and uncompromising. 

Romanian mosquito

Heard a story about a Romanian mosquito today...

Invigilating an exam hall of 241 students this morning was quite an adventure!  Ultimately had to report and pull up one youngster who had notes on him all along.  Initially I made sure that he was being watched.  But he continued peeking at the notes tucked in his jacket sleeve.  Then under the pretext of the hall already being warm, got him to hand me his jacket.  He did and I was pretty sure with that move I had taken away his means of cheating.  By this time, he knew that I knew!  Within 15 minutes I again noticed him fiddling with his shoe.  Very soon I saw him with (another?) note.  Going against all instructions and regulations I went upto him and gently whispered to him, "Either you stop it or hand it to me!"  From his indication, I gathered he would not resort to it again.  By this time I had already informed the supervisor of the hall that I was suspicious of him. 

No sooner I moved away from him, he was at it again!  This time round I informed the supervisor that he certainly had notes on him and that he knew that I was aware, and that he was carrying on referring to them, in spite of my gentle verbal warning.  I was told to keep a close eye on him.  Towards the end of the two hour exam I was asked to inform him to stay back after the exam.  I left an official note on his desk to stay hack after the exam.  An official from the student administration was there by the end. She asked me what happened and I was given a form to fill up.  The student was then interviewed and she found the notes exactly where I told her he had it: in his left shoe. 

After the whole episode, it took almost an hour for me to get over it.  I was feeling bad for having done it.  Not that I regretted doing it - but just that the lad seemed so desperate to copy.  I know not what action would be taken against him.  None in the exam invigilation team or the student administration were sure.  "It was not our job," they said, "to worry about the end of the process."  They were very impressed by my work in that large hall, especially this particular case - but I told them, it was no merit!  In fact, I said I was sorry for having to do it. None-the-less I did it - and would do it again, if necessary.  My reasoning was simple: Going against regulations, I warned him twice (the latter being direct and verbal).  In spite of that if he was brazen about the act, he should also be ready for the consequences.  He needed help and I did help him - first by trying to prevent him, then by directly telling him and finally by making him accountable. 

And yes, the story he tried to tell me when I led him to the toilet, halfway through the exam... "If you saw me scratching my wrist, that was because I was recently on a trip to Romania and there a mosquito bit me.  That's what was itching me!"  Well, I hope he did not tell the Admin officer that the same Romanian mosquito wrote and put that slip of paper in his sleeve or shoe too!  

Being at home with ourselves

While discussing with a group of members of the Salesian family about the notion of spiritual accompaniment of young people, it came across to me that the basic starting premise of our effort is that there is something not right with young people today!!  For me that is a dangerous launching pad.  We (the grown ups of today) have a 'problem' with the young of today - may not be a life and death problem but let's say, a difficulty.  I realized that our preceding generation had the same complain about us!!  Nothing very different.

The starting point of all our interactions with the young should be meeting them where they are - not where they 'should' be!  The way forward is not to become like them or make them like us.  We are the digital immigrants and no matter how hard we try we will never become digital natives.  Nor is any attempt to make the natives feel like immigrants of any real benefit.  The best way forward is to be with ourselves today.   Most of us do not know how to be ourselves, leave alone how to be be with God! In being happy and contended with ourselves and in our openness (non-judgemental attitude) to be with them lies the key to a harmonious future, both for us individuals and for our collective society.  

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.  

Young people and the Church

Noteworthy signposts from the survey of young people with regard to vocational discernment, faith and Church (England and Wales)... I'm looking at these from the Indian scenario, for though the reality is slightly different, the situation back home will soon be the same as it is here.  The sooner we wake up and shape up, the better chance we stand at being relevant and meaningful.  Or else not only will young people be out of the church, the church will be out of their world as well!  In spite of the serious drawback that most of the 3,298 participants were mostly those who 'come to Church', the results offer some insights worth serious consideration:

• An accepting, non-judgemental environment is essential for young people to feel welcome in church settings.  So implicit, informal, friendly invitations are more effective than explicit stipulations that they should be present. 
• You have struck a chord with young people, if they invite their friends as well. 
• Church needs to move from being the conscience of the people to forming the conscience of the people. 
• The word 'vocation' has become toxic to some catholics as it seems too narrow in the way that it is used!  (As though only call to priestly and religious life are 'vocations' and the other life choices are not. And that the former are greater than the rest of vocations!). 

Clarity vs authenticity

A recent (2018) survey in England and Wales of the youth with regard to faith and vocational discernment, in view of the upcoming Synod has shed some insights into what young people feel about the Church.  Though the survey itself could have been broader in its reach, the available data does indicate a growing sense of divide within the Church, especially in the UK. 

The most significant of the findings that struck me was this particular insight that there are two distinct groups:  A small vocal and determined group looking back to an era they have been told was better and a much larger group who are embedded in the culture and want the Church to engage more.  The first group wants clarity and the second, authenticity. 

This is the case not just of the youth in England and Wales but of the whole Church and one of the principal reasons Pope Francis is being criticized.  There was a time when the Church offered clear and sure guidelines for everyone, including the civil society.  Its decisions were looked upto with respect and proved valuable.  However, this era is long gone!  Pope Francis too leaves things hanging!  But that's exactly how things are!  Things are no more pure black or white.  There are grey areas; ambiguous and unclear.  The Church does no good offering a 'permanent remedy'... certainly not from a position of authority and hierarchy.  The Church leaders need to journey with the whole world and seek for answers - not dictate them from the pulpit.  Answers or efforts to seek answers in such a collaborative mode are more appreciated and helpful than ready-made doctrinal replies. 

To use an imagery: There are those inside the Church waiting for your instructions.  Then there are those outside the Church happy to let you join them.  Where is the priest or the religious to go?  If he stays in, those outside are not going to wait for him for long.  They will gladly carry on their way and not ever bother about anything.  If he joins the group outside, those inside are not going to sit waiting for long.  They'll seek their answers elsewhere.  Stretched between these two groups, a priest/religious of today needs to find his mission. 

Teachers and guns: a nauseating combo

Recently Donald Trump, the US president strongly advocated arming the teachers to combat shootouts in schools!  At first I thought it was a joke!  But he was serious and sure about it producing better results: preventing any further shoot outs. His logic: any intruder will not dare step into a place where he knows he is going to be shot at.  However I realised I needed to put down my thoughts as to why this idea is not only bizarre, absurd but nauseating.  Apart from the evident political gain of upsetting the pro-gun lobby, why is this proposal wrong...

Education is meant to equip students with a sense of meaning and purpose for their life.  It is meant to help them form not just their heads but their hearts and hands as well.  If one overseeing such an endeavour is carrying a firearm what message does it carry for the students?? 

• That violence is normal.  Rather than advocate and work towards peace, the teacher becomes a living symbol of violence and fear.  In an era when physical punishment is seen as detrimental to the growth of the child, how can carrying a gun be seen as helpful?  
• Imagine the trauma of a child watch a teacher kill a student, a fellow classmate - however wrong the latter may be!  
• A teacher is not a soldier.  He or she is not moulded to take lives but build lives. Those teachers who laid down their lives saving their students from bullets are hailed as heroes.  That's what teachers do - save and help grow.  Not shoot and kill! 
• What if a disgruntled teacher decides to open fire in his or her classroom?  
• How does having more guns prevent shootouts?  The only thing it would lead to is an increase in the possibility of a shootout.  
• Rather than see how troubled children and youngsters can be helped to grow up healthy, the proposal suggests to eliminate them! 
  

While I sympathize with the parents, relatives and friends of those children and staff killed in the recent Florida school shootout, my heart also goes out to the youngster who carried out the brutal attack and his family.  The larger question that needs to be addressed is how does one ensure that young people do not end up so depressed that they have no other means than the gun to resort to? 

Enlivening liturgy

This morning's talk of Fr Hugh was about making the Eucharistic liturgy meaningful, especially for young people and children, following the example of Don Bosco himself. I was reminded of my days in Shillong, where occasionally I would be invited to animate groups of the YCS or YSM… all school or college going youngsters. The animation would always conclude with the Holy Mass. I remember ensuring that there was always something that the group had to do during Mass, in continuation of the animation and based on the readings of the Mass. It would be some enactment (of either of the readings) or a particular hymn or some action songs, or special intercessions or some small write-up … children always loved it and remembered those activities where they felt that they were part of the liturgy, not mere passive onlookers.

The danger is to swing to either extreme: be rigid about the rubrics or be creative just for the sake of novelty!

Torn jeans

Oh, the number of young people I came across today wearing torn jeans!! Whew!  Not only the number of them, but the literally ragged state of the pants!  I'd seen some students at Royal Holloway and it was fine. But in London, the number of them was way too many to count.

If only Mummy were to see this fashion statement, she'd have never ever got rid of my old jeans.  They way by far, usable for another generation - even after my use!  The jeans that I saw today were so 'torn' that Mummy would think twice to use as a mopping cloth or a doormat!  Such was their state!

Image is from the net!
I would never dare click a photo of any stranger, leave alone in such an attire!

Short skirts?

It has been brought to my notice that in Kerala, a bishop, exhorting his faithful to a spiritual life, through his pastoral newsletter recommended (among others) that girls should not wear short dresses to Church.  While certainly he has the good of his people and their spiritual growth at heart, he is perhaps focussing on some non-essentials.

That youngsters come to Church is itself a great sign of the growing faith.  To state that one should be dressed neatly and look dignified is one thing.  But the length of one's dress need not always be the standard measurement of one's character or spirituality.

While I do agree that many of the traditional practices have been a great help in building the Church and spreading the faith, I also believe that they need not be practiced merely because 'it has been so'. Rather those practices need to be explained in terms of contemporary context and made meaningful for today.

Moreover, would like to really know, whose problem is it if girls come with short skirts?  Of the girls themselves? Of boys? Of elders? Or of the parish priest himself?  I'm sure it is not of the girls themselves.  Well then, whose-so-ever else is the problem, they need to ask themselves what exactly is their problem?  The newsletter would do good to balance its statement on skirts with this issue too.  

Contemporary Need

I remember two weeks ago when I had accompanied Fr John and a group of youngsters for a retreat to Battersea.  After Steve explained the basic fire drill of the house and the keys and timings of the main door and all that stuff, he gave out the wifi password.  At that moment there was a sudden spurt of life in the group.  Till then they were there, passively listening.  The moment the wifi was mentioned it was 'aggressive listening'!

Contemporary individuals constantly rewrite the definition and chart of human needs.  Here's an amusing example (reworked Maslow's hierarchy of human needs):

With the young

The past two days, Saturday and Sunday I accompanied Fr John and a group of my college students for a retreat/pilgrimage in London.  We drove down together to Battersea and spent the morning in prayer and sharing.  In the afternoon we visited two historical churches (both Anglican) and then joined for Even Song at one.  Returning home we had Mass of the feast of Our Lady of Lourdes.  Long time was spent at the table sharing and talking. On Sunday we had b'fast and a meaningful Mass.  We then sat for a brief round of evaluation and then started back home.

More than a full-fledged retreat, it was more of an outing. But given the varied mixture of the group - 13 students from different nationalities and backgrounds - anything one emphasis would have been an extreme for the others.  Hence Fr John was right in trying to strike a balance - this being the first time he is trying this.

I like being with the group, most of whom I already knew through my earlier interactions with them.  Each one is very very different from the others.  Most often their outward talk and behaviour camouflages their inner depth.  In comparison with the youth of India, these youngsters are far more sociable and ready to interact with others and that too without much delay.  Moreover the content of their conversations is often rich and intense.  Of course, they do gossip about friends but it never has a negative tone or content.