Weird b'day salutation!

A few days ago we had Santiagu's birthday.  We celebrated the day with Mass and supper in the evening, as a community.  Being a Sunday we invited the Salesians of the city for the meal two days later on a Tuesday.  

One weird thing I found, which I felt I should have pointed out much earlier was the way he was addressed during all those days, in different places and at different times, by different groups!  Most kept saying, "Birthday of Fr Provincial!"  

And every time I heard it, I squirmed!   The birthday was of Santiagu, not Fr Provincial; not even of FATHER Santiagu!  On the said day, Santiagu was born, not the Provincial, not the Priest!  Worse still, he'll be the Provincial only for his tenure of 6 years! And celebration of the Provincial's b'day, if at all one is to celebrate the event, is to be on the day he took charge as the Provincial. 

This distinction is essential in bearing in mind that titles, roles, responsibilities as distinct from a person!  Each one has its own place and importance. Human being is the substance; the rest are accidents! 

Taxi ride and price wars

 A couple of weeks ago Ravi and I travelled by cab to take delivery of a new Renault Duster for vocation promotion at their showroom in Kukatpally.  During the drive, Ravi out of respect for me, sat with the driver and let me sit alone at the back!! I took the opportunity, as I always do when I do not have the steering wheel in my hand, to catch a wink.  

Nonetheless, I could catch bits and pieces of conversation Ravi was having with the driver, a muslim guy.  The driver was quite refined and polite and knowledgeable as well.  At one point, I could hear Ravi confirming with great conviction what the driver was expressing.  The driver was sharing about his woes of running a taxi in the Uber-Rapido era!   

When the competition increases, the prices naturally dip.  In the price war between service providers, the customer is the beneficiary.  With taxi operating giants like Uber, Rapido and Ola each claiming a share of the travellers, the price war is inevitable.  The taxi driver was most unhappy about the Rapido bike taxi.  The introduction of the bike taxi, that too permitting private individuals to use their personal bikes, has been a big blow to the taxis.  The taxi has to pay a higher road tax, insurance and annual payments, while the private individual pays lessor, yet gains a higher margin when it comes to earnings.  This, he felt, is not fair.  

Ravi, on the other hand, ended the ride, feeling consoled that he isn't in the taxi business, like a couple of his friends, who ditched their salary-based 9-to-5 job!

Chasing God's plan

 For our spiritual reading we have been using the book by Gianni Asti, Don Bosco and Vocational Accompaniment (translated by Ian Doulton). It is a well-written book. 

Reading and listening from it, I wondered, especially after the episode of Rinaldi and Cagliero.  Don Bosco doggedly pursued Rinaldi.  Not just for days but years.  I could be wrong but Don Bosco did not pursue anyone so persistently as he did with Rinaldi.  Why?  

To add to the mystery, Don Bosco knew (either by insight or divine illumination) that Rinaldi would one day succeed him. If Don Bosco knew that so convincingly, why did he have to run after Rinaldi for so long, that too so painstakingly?  If God had shown Don Bosco that he would be a Salesian and that too with a prominent role to play, why slog so badly?  Don Bosco could have easily taken care of things God hadn't been clear about.  He could have chased after other vocations or matters that God did not give him a clarity about.  If God had so decided that Rinaldi would be a Salesian, why not trust God and let him weave His magic.  

But I think Don Bosco knew all too well, that even though God had his plans and people, Don Bosco had to do his best.  Don Bosco was not a man who would have leaned back on his easy chair and swung his legs on the table, relaxing away in his office.  He was Don Bosco! He had to do his work.  

Don Rua and Don Rinaldi

Be good!

 

Mode of challenging

 Two aspects I've grown and learnt over the last couple of years in this office as the Economer: 

Mood and mode of challenging: Challenging, confronting and pulling up people for various reasons is  something I was used to. In fact, everyone considered me a task-master.  That hasn't changed much.  But what has evolved is the ability to pause before jumping to action, and the self-reflection to ensure that I'm doing the confrontation for the right reasons and the good of all concerned.  The pause gives me time and space to calm myself and evaluate my reasons (not justify them).  The self-reflection has taught me to do the confrontation keeping in mind the larger picture and the greater good, rather than for the sake of 'teaching him a lesson'. Not confronting at all has not been an option for me.  But whenver I've done the confrontation right, for the right reasons, I've not had any guilt or regret.  If at all there was regret, it was mostly because I did not do the confrontation right or for the higher good; but not for the point which needed to be challenged. 

Picking my battles: Not all fights are worth the effort and energy.  If there is something that I see as the greater challenge and I can prevent that into turning out to be a major issue later, I'd prefer to use the 'word in the ear' technique rather than go out guns blazing about a smaller issue right now.  Not that the small issue at hand is right or that I do not condemn it, but if the larger good can be achieved then this small issue will automatically be taken care of or even overlooked, if the greater good is achieved.  This has helped me conserve my energy for some productive works rather than dissipate it in mere fire-fighting. 

Youth apostolate: Standalone Events to Cause-based Movements

 This morning addressing the young Salesians, especially those involved in youth apostolate, I began citing two of the major headlines in the recent days: Gen Z protests, across the county and the FCRA amendment opposition. 

Both remained parallel protests, with no ecclesial figures getting involved in the Gen Z protests and no young people opposing the FCRA amendment.  The ecclesial group is very much involved in education and the Gen Z protest was purely about the corruption set in the education system of the country.  Yet, the former did not feel the importance of getting involved.  For the FCRA opposition, the Church was at the forefront. 

My whole point was to recommend the Salesians to move away from restricting youth ministry to events and functions.  The attempt should be to facilitate a youth movement or process; that too based on a cause or a need.  Rather than invest great amount of time, energy, resources and personnel on standalone events, wherein there is neither preparation on the part of the youth as a line-up for the event, nor a follow-up from our side post the event, I exhorted that we should be catalysts for a youth movement, a process.  

Secondly, that movement or process is need-based or revolving around a cause!  

Thirdly, that this need or cause should be that of the young people themselves. Not our motives or reasons!  A youth group without a purpose, a cause or a need that propels it, is a club of party-goers. And young people should not be insulted by engaging them in mere decorative purposes as arranging chairs, or performing a dance in a celebration or as choir members in the Church. The youth are a dynamite and we shouldn't be lighting a cigarette with it. 

Lastly, in order to facilitate this whole process and purpose, we shouldn't be taking centre stage or shifting the focus on ourselves as guides!  Moreover, we should not hesitate or feel ashamed to network or join hands with anyone who is of the same mind; be that with other members of our community, other departments of our institution or Province, or even non-Salesian and non-Catholic individuals or organisations.  The cause and purpose should take precedence over the names and groups! 

Property woes

One of our staff members returned this morning from his native village after attending the funeral of a relative.  I saw him down since his arrival and just before lunch asked if all was well.  He then started narrating his pain about retaining a small bit of land - all that he really owns, in his village - that too from the greedy hands of his own uncle.  What pained him most was this betrayal and backstabbing by his own kith and kin.  Those who should have been standing by him, are the ones usurping his share of the property.  Not only do they want the land bit but to grab it the tactics they are adopting are cruel: they forced this man and his family out of the rented house at midnight.  He, along with his wife, two small kids, aged mother were on the road just before midnight!  He couldn't bear it anymore and broke down narrating it.  This is the first time I have seen him weep.  The pain and humiliation of a son, a father, a husband ... was vivid. All this, around and about a one and half cent bit of land!  

He is still to recover from that shock and pain. Adding to it is the awareness of his helplessness.  No one wishes to get involved citing it to be a family matter.  Walking away from that land is like giving up the only thing he feels connected with back with his roots, especially his deceased father's legacy. 

 As religious, we own much land.  Keeping track of every bit of it and ensuring maximum utility is not something that we do or feel pressurized to do.  But I also know of the agony involved in securing these properties and ensuring that no one creates false documents and lays claim for any of these bits.  Although it is a big headache, it is not always a matter of life and death for us.  Worse comes to worse, we forgo the land and move on. We do not feel the pinch of it. 

On the other hand, most lay people, especially farmers in rural areas who have inherited land from their ancestors or simple city folk who have 'earned' miniscule plots after years of toil, face an uphill task to keep these land bits secure.  And by chance, if some greedy souls lay eyes on it, then they either spend their whole earning on it or have to give it up, due to sheer pressure of the big sharks.  The desperation and helplessness when faced with such challenges is deep and acute! 

What Faith!!

 The Canaanite woman who approaches Jesus for a cure for her ill daughter, the woman suffering with hemorrhage, the Centurion who seeks a cure for his servant all have something in common... great and deep faith.  

The Canaanite woman is 'insulted and humiliated' by Jesus himself when he asks if it is justified to offer the dogs the food of the master!  She does not retort or feel insulted.  She acknowledge the insult, but claims what even a 'dog' is permitted: crumbs, fallen from the masters table.  She does not ask for the meal of the master. Not even the leftovers. All she asks for is crumbs!  

The woman suffering with the hemorrhage chases Jesus, in the midst of the crowd, with one clear intent. Just one clear intent.  Only to touch the fringe of his garment. Not be touched by Jesus. Not to hold Jesus' hand or feet.  Not even to get hold of the whole garment of Jesus.  Just the fringe of Jesus' garment - FRINGE! 

The Centurion asks Jesus only to say a word. He not say that he will get his servant into Jesus' presence.  He does not ask Jesus to send one of his trusted apostle to the bedside of his sick servant, leave alone pester Jesus to visit his servant.  All that the Centurion asks is Jesus' word.  'Just say a word and my servant will get well!' Not a person, not a big prayer service, not long prayer, just a word! 

In each instance we see the depth of their faith.  Of the three persons, two are not even Jews!  From their own personal observation and experience they trusted him so much that all they wanted was not a full-fledged presence of Jesus or his full attention or an extensive time-slot; but merely a crumb, the fringe of his garment, one word from his mouth!!

Media objectivity and reliability

 In times of crisis or turbulence in a country, we all rely on media to keep updated.  Because the turbulence or movements or protests is not geographically spread evenly across the whole nation. Moreover, even before it spreads across the whole country, it starts in one place and then slowly spreads across.  

The speed and intensity with which a movement picks up pace depends much on how media portrays the whole unfolding scenario. Often the state tries to silence or present a sober picture. But in an age of social media, the tiny bits and pieces of information and citizen "reporting" exposes the lacuna.  

The risk is when the state official media does not present the whole truth or consciously avoids essential elements of the report.  Then democracy itself is at risk.  On the other hand, social media points to the facts but is not necessarily always reliable.  Those media channels are not responsible to anyone and hence liable to be hijacked if the individual so chooses to.  Caught between this awareness that the state media isn't entirely objective and the risk of relying on social media content, the receiver is now forced to make a personal judgement.  

Be my baby

 Two lovely songs that I somehow remembered this night... 

The Ronettes singing 'Be my baby'... 

The following is a song that I remember from the movie Belfast, one of the movies I watched while in the UK.  Watching the movie in the context and in the country make it all the more special.  Not every one who watches the movie will FEEL it except those who have been through those time or places!