Preventive System in Practice

(While at Punganur...)

Living and working with children is a good learning opportunity for practising the Preventive System of Don Bosco. One gets to see some fruits of it rather immediately. Substituting physical punishment with simple acts of with-holding affection yield positive results. Children gain the double benefit of growing in relation and virtue too. They begin to see the value in doing/being good for itself rather than merely avoiding evil out of fear.

Divine Play

For Chris and Anet, my 5 year old nephew and 2 year old neice, Jesus and Mary are very much part of the household. Usually Mummy is the highest appellate judge in all matters and so the kitchen is the most frequented room by both of them with their list of complaints and grievances. On those rare occasions when Mummy is too occupied to pay heed or has issued a verdict against their liking, then they march to the living room (where the altar is) or the grotto of Our Lady in the courtyard. Once stated to Jesus or Mother Mary then the issue is no more of any concern to them. The ball is certainly in the divine court!

Jesus in the toilet

As my brother and his two kids got ready to go up stairs to hit bed for the night, my nephew used the toilet on the ground floor. Inadvertently he forgot to switch off the light. When my Mum reproachingly asked, “Who used the toilet last and forgot to switch off the light?” my nephew replied, “I did go but I am sure I put off the light. Most probably Jesus went in and forgot.” Saying so he marched up.

Once in their room upstairs, my brother forgot to put off the light in their bathroom. When Roshni (my sister-in-law) sternly asked who went in last and forgot to switch off the light, my brother replied, “I did go, but I am sure I put off the light. Most probably Jesus went in and forgot to switch off the light.” At this my nephew snapped back, “How many times will Jesus go for his needs? He just went to the loo downstairs!”

Grace like Oxygen

In the gospel of the day the woman with the haemorrhage seeks to touch the hem of Jesus' garment, convinced that this would heal her. And it does! I'm sure that among the multitude jostling around Jesus, there would have been several people with major issues to be resolved or healed, but none of which were. The difference: She did it with faith while the others didn't.

Grace is like oxygen in the air. One needs to breathe in for it to energize oneself. Air is free and readily available everywhere but it does not energize us without the minimal effort of breathing in.

Now your turn...

My 5 year old nephew is learning some martial arts in his new school and on returning home one day was keen to exhibit his newly acquired skills. He did a few somersaults and some moves and was happy to see his grandmother (my Mummy) pleased about it. Then he enthusiastically invited her saying, “Now you do!”

Pre-Vatican Mass

(While at Punganur...)

Christu, in all his innocence, spoke of a very different and interesting perspective of his indefinitely delayed diocanate.

What's there? When I participate in the daily Mass I'll think of myself as participating in the pre-Vatican era Mass, where the priest presided over the Eucharist with his back to the Congregation. When I get ordained, whenever that is, I'll think of it as I've made the shift to the post-Vatican style of presiding over the Eucharistic celebration.

Sharp Kids

(While at Punganur...sometime during the beginning of my stay at Punganur)

Present here at Punganur only for a couple of months I had told the students that I'm only filling in for another teacher or taking some free hours. With that introduction I began “FN English” (the title is stuck in the school; but none knew what FN meant... with some investigation I came to know it stands for 'Functional'). As I continued my class, and as a 'threat' to the 5th class students who fail to write their homework, I stated that they would not be permitted to enter my class anymore for the rest of the year. No sooner than these words left my mouth, a hand shot up: “So Brother you'd be with us for the whole year!”

"Arrived Confreres"

It was only during my trip to Chennai for the formation commission meeting that I came to know from Fr Stan that the phrase “arrived confreres” of Fr Camillus (a former provincial of Chennai) was actually of Fr Maliekal. It was a phrase coined by Fr Maliekal while he was still a cleric, doing practical training at Yercaud, with Fr Stan. It was a phrase used by him to describe students who showed clearly signs of saturation – nothing more to learn or incapable of absorbing any more. Fr Camillus liked this phrase and it stuck to him... but the author is Fr Maliekal.

Working with Children

(While at Punganur...)
Working with children is a refreshing experience. My teaching stint and the experience gained thereof stand me in good stead now. It is basically applying those same skills, but for a different group and a different subject. The procedure and the net result aimed for is the same: learning and growth. Not teaching and knowledge but mutual learning and mutual growth. Perhaps one evident difference between the Brothers and these children here is that the latter are interested and zealous, while the former are an “arrived” lot.

At DBNJ, Ramanthapur

It is almost a week since I took charge of administration at Don Bosco Nava Jeevan, Ramanthapur.  I'm still learning the ropes of the game!  However, being with the boys is a different experience all together.  Call it a bad habit or a compulsion, I just cannot ignore a comparative view, at times, while trying to understand the boys in connection with my years of experience in the Seminaries.  Whatever it be, these boys are just plain mirrors... perhaps with some deeper things... all open and frank.  Most of them have had a troubled past but it does not really hamper their 'now'. For now they are happy and living life to the full.  They stay here, because they love it here!  All I'm trying to do is learn being good, gentle and understanding.  My stay in Punganur and my experience there with the children has indeed made its mark.  For most instances, I fall back on that experience than of the past 15 years.

More so, in the coming days.