Devil - the hard worker

Most often, the Devil is cited as evil incarnate and that he/she has no good quality or virtue. The devil is said to be the absolute negation of good. 

However, perhaps he does have one virtue and that he is really good at it (perhaps there could be more such virtues). It is the virtue of hard work! 

None can deny any of the following: 

1. The devil is always at work.
2. He is consistent in his goal and mission. No concessions! 
3. The devil is creative and inventive. 

So there is something after all that we can learn from the devil! 

Glory and power

This morning for the morning prayer and meditation, there was this particular Psalm that we were reading personally.  The opening stanza reads thus: 

O give the Lord you sons of God, 

give the Lord glory and power... 

The first impression on reading this was a sense of diminishing oneself and exalting God, above and over oneself. It is as if God needs that sort of glorification and power and that we need to surrender that to Him.  The feeling was not very comfortable; that of giving up of oneself in order to merely increase His power and majesty.  

Nonetheless I continued reading the Psalm, and a few verses down this is what I read

The Lord will give strength to his people, 

the Lord will bless his people with peace. 

And what really hit me instantly was this great realisation that all the glory and majesty the Psalmist was exhorting us to surrender to God, for his sake, what apparently seemed to be self-negation for His luxury, is actually being utilised by God to empower me!! So all the glorification and praise and exaltation, is coming round to actually benefit us; benefit me!  

And of course, unless one is willing to undergo that act of diminishing oneself, of self-negation, of passing through the dark night of losing oneself, one cannot expect to be open to being strengthened by God.  To be blessed with peace, and even to cherish it, when one receives it, one must be willing to undergo the turmoil or uncertainty of oneself.  

Photography

A couple of months ago when there was a discussion about the selection of photos for the wall calendars and other annual reports or documentation, I made a point: insert or use only those photos which show or capture the natural scene... not a posed or orchestrated still. 

I understand the value and need of posed photos.  But when it comes to showing life and living in its best form, pictures that speak have far more value and add meaning to the text or context.  

I have before me a wall calendar with a photo of a group of women around a tailoring gadget.  It clearly shows an instructor speaking to a dozen women about the work or tailoring skill. It could have been a posed photo, wherein the cameraman or  someone may have asked them to gather around. But the beauty of the photo is that not one among those in the photo are worried or facing the camera.  Each one is so engaged in the words and instructions of the tutor that tells how profoundly they are interested in the skill or art of tailoring.  Their faces endorse the fact that there is training happening!!! That trainees are passionate about their training!  That the instructor is an engaging person.  

Tuition classes

I am for tuition classes... but for those who need additional assistance, because in the limited class hours or school time, the students are not able to comprehend everything.  And I think, the school itself should arrange these tuition classes - if at all they must.  Because as a thumb rule, tuition classes are an open self-proclamation (by the school, its teachers, its management...) that it is incapable of teaching within the allocated time (school hours).  

That said, I'm totally against tuition classes or extra classes for the brighter kids or those parents who wish to see that their children have the additional edge over their kids classmates or contemporaries.  And I'm all the more against, tuition for such a group or individuals, being offered by the school itself!!! 

Reasons: 

1. Such an arrangement is a declaration of discrimination, in favour of the already gifted and / those who can afford. As a person involved in deciding for such arrangements, I ask myself, why should only a section of students be given this extra help; why not all?  
2. It is also an acknowledgement that as a school, we are incompetent or unwilling to take the extra measure (which is very very minimal) to offer the students a little more than what is prescribed. In other words, we do not want to strain ourselves or give our very best to our wards. 
3. Every school is offering such additional classes or tutoring sessions is certainly no reason why we should follow the crowd. The same applies to the argument that even parents are asking for it.
4. Another minor, but still important reason... why coop the children inside the classroom all day long?  
   
   
   
   
   

Extra classes or tuition centres

The notion of extra classes or tuition centres during school days is something that has been in vogue for quite sometime now.  In earlier days, when I was still in school, only those who were really incapable of following the class room sessions and those who could afford would go for tuition. Or it was the notorious who wouldn't pay attention in class or those finding it really difficult to comprehend what was taught in a class, who would be told to attend the extra classes.  

Then came an era when only the brighter students started taking tuition classes.  Those who needed the basic push or additional help to understand the portion, still went to tuition, but to a different place or with a different teacher.  The latter and the former were not at the same place or in one tuition room.  The former went to tuition to increase their marks in the final exam.  The latter went to score passing marks.  Of course, the goal was and still remains, of scoring marks.  The aim never was, and still isn't, to become more educated!!! 

Medical tourism

The latest and growing trend is that of 'medical tourism'.  There seems to be some confreres who are eternally obsessed with their health.  So much so, any sneeze or scratch is blown out of proportion to be related to some life-threatening ailment.  

Then there are those who wish, by any and all means, to visit every doctor and stream of medicine available, anywhere in the country, at any costs to address the same health concern.  Thus we have confreres who visit every ayurvedic therapy centre in Kerala, then return and within two months visit another therapeutic centre in another part of Kerala, and in another two months visit an orthopaedic centre in some part of Telangana, and all this while continue taking the strong doses of medicine prescribed by their first doctor whom they visited two years ago (but never again even mentioned to him about the rest of the medical journey)! 

On the other end of the spectrum are some who stubbornly refuse to visit any medical centre, even though they have some serious health issues which need medical intervention.  

Add to this list the growing cases of mental well-being and health issues.  Of course, some of the above issues are mostly because of mental imbalances!! 

The most comic angle of this scenario is that most (not all) of those 'sick' and expecting medical attention, are the first and most to travel places... any distance, any time, by any mode, for no significant reason!  

Self-discovery vs Self-awareness

Today I realised there a difference between self-discovery and self-awareness.  Not that I really thought much about self-discovery in comparison to the latter, but I presumed that one is more or less the same.  

As a matter of fact, both self-discovery and self-awareness are related; although not the same. Self-discovery is more as of now, today, here and now; while self-awareness is forward looking, in as much as it is future oriented, not stuck with today. 

Self-discovery has much to do with facts and affects (feelings, emotions, moods); whereas, self-awareness helps one influence choices, relationship and a whole lot of stuff, when one moves beyond the facts and affects.  The latter leads to changes and is transformative; while the former is intellectual.  

Self-discovery answers the question: Why am I who I am? 

Self-awareness responds to: What am I now/later meant to be? 

Being vs Doing

Doing usually flows from our Being.  Character often dictates or heavily influences our actions.  Therefore a greater focus on being is never misplaced.  

Nonetheless, our actions too have a bearing on our character, our being.  Besides ratifying or expressing our character, they do have an effect on our character.  

In short, the relationship between being and doing is not necessarily a one-way traffic; it is perhaps more of a Indian market-scene where everyone is in the right direction!!!

Parent's impact on children

Last Friday I had the good fortune of being present with the family of Thomas Aquinas, even though the occasion was not a joyful one; it was the funeral of his Dad. 

Nonetheless what was evident and a joy for me to witness was the sincere appreciation of the man that Mr Rayappan (Aquinas' father) was. He was the first trained catechist of the Salem diocese. And right till the end he continued being so.  

Much more than just doing the work of a catechist, he truly appears to have influenced the lives of people and brought them closer to Christ.  The most solid evidence to this fact of his life is the life of his sons!  Of the three I know Aquinas well.  And I told him as I left the cemetery after the burial, "No surprise, your roots run deep and strong!" 

The one thing that kept ringing in my head all along the Mass, especially listening to what several people were sharing and talking, either from the pulpit or all around me, was the impact of parents on the lives of their children!  True indeed, from the fruits one knows the quality of the tree! 

Origins of the Salesian Congregation

When Don Bosco initiated the Salesian Congregation (SC), which eventually took on the name of the Salesians of Don Bosco (SDB), his primary and perhaps the only goal was to ensure that the work for the poor boys is continued. But it certainly was more than a merely social enterprise. The well-being of the boys was for a higher purpose. 

The main aims of the newly founded society were the following: 

1. the glory of God
2. the salvation of souls, and 
3. the sanctification of its members

Of the three goals listed, none of them restrict limits itself to taking care of the boys.