Pope Francis...

‘You surprised me!’ is the name of a book by Joe Mannath. This poetical title becomes very relevant with the sweet and simple Francis, the pope.

We were all watching this otherwise unassuming and simple shepherd from Argentina to make a difference for the good of the sheep Jesus entrusted to Peter ensuring his irrevocable commitment to love him. Thereafter, it were days of surprise after surprises.

And on 25^th Sept I received a mail from one of my friends providing me with an attachment. It was the interview Antonio Spadaro, S.J., editor in chief of La Civiltà Cattolica, the Italian Jesuit journal, had in person with Pope Francis on 20^th Sept ’13. It was conducted on behalf of La Civiltà Cattolica, Thinking Faith, America and several other major Jesuit journals around the world. See and savor the outright honesty, beauty and boldness befitting an enlightened.

Spadaro starts point-blank: “Who is Jorge Mario Bergoglio?” The pope stares at him in silence. He asks him if he may ask him this question. He nods and replies: “I do not know what might be the most fitting description.... I am a sinner. This is the most accurate definition. It is not a figure of speech, a literary genre. I am a sinner.”

This simple man is making waves already, waves of hope in a seemingly drowning/sinking church ship. May be that she has conveniently forgotten a saying attributed to the hard core atheist, Frederick Nietzsche. It is somewhat like this: ‘Christ was a crocodile. Church was built upon it. The crocodile went down and the church alone is seen.’ One of my friends in the early eighties wrote a verse exhorting to make roofs out of crosses without Christ for the poor!

Though the alarm had already been raised with the scandals of child sex abuse, corruption and incompetence, she was sitting rather complacent. May be that Pope Benedict XVI was bold and humble enough to take the lead by stepping down with a clear hint that he was no more competent to lead!

Naturally the worried and anxious faithful were expecting a new shepherd who will steer clear the ship of impending troubles and take it to the safe shores. And they were indeed praying the lord of harvests to send a man of his heart of warmth and understanding and not judging and condemning. Yes, the lord heard the prayers and gave this simple man who preferred to live in the apartment in the Casa Santa Marta, hinting at what is in store for the days to come.

How honest, humble and bold was he to suggest: ‘Who am I to judge?’ He had the heart of Jesus when he asked us not to ‘interfere spiritually’ in the lives of gays, lesbians and so on. Pastors have enough urgent business of nourishing the faithful with the ‘saving love of God’ than judging and penalizing.

The other day he was heard referring to the all encompassing church centre and was again hinting at decentralization. It is better that the local church address the local issues, if necessary only in consultation with the Vatican.

He was eloquent while speaking of greed the minority which begets poverty for the majority. He brands it as ‘idolatry of greed!’

“I did not see myself as a priest on my own. I need a community… I cannot live without people. I need to live my life with others.” What an awesome understanding of priesthood!

In pastoral ministry we must accompany people, and we must heal their wounds…I dream of a church that is a mother and shepherdess. God is greater than sin…The first reform must be the attitude. The ministers of the Gospel must be people who can warm the hearts of the people, who walk through the dark night with them, who know how to dialogue and to descend themselves into their people’s night, into the darkness, but without getting lost

Religion has the right to express its opinion in the service of the people, but God in creation has set us free: it is not possible to interfere spiritually in the life of a person.

Here is a real shepherd God has given to his church ‘to speak freely and say what needs to be said’ – not fearing the loss of favor with people… they are certainly not guarding their flock with the care expected of a shepherd but are acting like hirelings, because hiding behind a wall of silence is like taking flight at the approach of the wolf.’…They are likened to dumb dogs that cannot bark… The lips of a priest, adorning the office of herald, shall guard knowledge, and men shall seek instruction from his mouth…’ (Pastoral Rule of Gregory the Great, Bk 2, 4 in p.609-10 of The Divine Office, Vol. III)

Let me conclude with the first and last lines of the Hindu editorial today: ‘Pope Francis may have been an unlikely successor to Pope Benedict XVI, but he is already emerging as a remarkable pope… For Roman Catholicism, (he) may well be a truly world-historic figure.

Let us try to take clues from this great pope and mend our ways to enable God’s people realize the Kingdom of God in their midst.

Sanju again...

Sanju again with his quickfire 60 in the Champions League T20!

Champions League Twenty 20 came to an end with Mumbai Indians spinning the way to the glittering trophy defeating Rajasthan Royals in Delhi.

Faced with a mammoth task of 203, Rajasthan batsmen took the challenge head on. After rather disappointing performances of Kushal Perera and Brad Hodge, came our own Sanju to the rescue worrying the Mumbai camp with his destructive batting. Maintaining his composure, he rode to his fabulous timing to blast the Mumbai bowlers all over the ground, for fours and an equal number of sixes in his quickfire 60.

Keep cool and confident Sanju. You are doing wonderfully well and perform still better. You have a lot to achieve for Indian Cricket which will have yet another legend in you. Keep your target still higher after every great performance. Cricket world expects a lot from you. We wish you to be on top and our prayers follow you. CONGRATULATIONS!

Silence and sound...

‘A religious leader should be careful in deciding when to remain silent and be sure to say something useful when deciding to speak… Negligent religious leaders are often afraid to speak freely and say what needs to be said – for fear of losing favor with the people… they are certainly not guarding their flock with the care expected of a shepherd but are acting like hirelings, because hiding behind a wall of silence is like taking flight at the approach of the wolf.’…They are likened to dumb dogs that cannot bark… The lips of a priest, adorning the office of herald, shall guard knowledge, and men shall seek instruction from his mouth… [Pastoral Rule of Gregory the Great, Bk 2, 4 in p.609-10 of The Divine Office, Vol. III.]

The Id, ego and Freud...

The Id, ego and Freud:

“Where does a thought go when it is forgotten?” It began with this question, born in the mind of Sigmund Freud. He spent his life answering this question (and its derivatives) and came up with ideas we’ve been trying to forget since.

After all who wants to know what goes on up there? Who wants to know the truth behind all that anger, jealousy, and fears; those strange sexual fixations and bizarre dreams? Who wants to know the secret wishes that lurk in the darkest recesses of the unconscious?

“The mad man is a dreamer awake.”… But self-realization is better than living in an illusion. “Being entirely honest with one’s self is a good exercise.” “A man should strive to eliminate his complexes but to get into accord with them: they are legitimately what directs his conduct in the world.” [p. 4 of Metro Plus of the Hindu, Saturday, 28, 2013.]

Probity and integrity...

Probity and integrity:

‘My heart is sore for …., sometime one of your clergy, that he should have so little understanding of the office that was conferred on him. It moves me to warn you earnestly against any excessive fondness for money, and to insist upon your absolute probity and integrity. You must keep yourselves from the slightest taint of wrong. If a man has no control over himself in matters of this sort, how can he possibly preach it to anyone else? If he fails to rise above the love of money, he will find himself corrupted by the worship of his idol…’ [Letter of Polycarp to the Philippians, Ch 9,1-11,4, II Reading from the Office of Readings on Wednesday, 26^th Week, p.596 of Vol. III of The Divine Office.]

First Communion...

Reflection on First Communion:

Today went for the First Communion of Beena-Francis Antony (Shaji)’s son Sharon. Wondering as to how much a boy of 11 years will understand the meaning of such a mystery I attempted to present it in the following lines:

Communion is said to be a memorial of Jesus’ Passover meal with his disciples on the eve of his almost sure arrest, trial and conviction. The arrest and the scripted proceedings were planned by his opponents who felt threatened by his new teachings. Besides framing charges of treason and blasphemy, they instigated people to demand for his crucifixion, even to the extent of releasing a hard core criminal like Barabas in exchange, if needed. Not being able to pacify the crowd, Pilate yielded, rather not fully convinced of the charges, to their outcry and handed him over to be crucified.

In all appearance Jesus was a criminal convicted for crucifixion. But in his genius, or divinity as people would prefer to claim, he prepared ground to negate this charge and conviction by taking the usual ritual Passover to an entirely new realm wherein he presented the bread as his own body and wine as his very blood, signaling the morrow’s breaking of his body and shedding of his blood in the cross. But for this rather saving clause, the crucifixion would have turned out to be yet another end of another criminal.

So, the Passover made the difference. Through this he made it clear without any tint of doubt that his life is for others, a perfect abandonment of oneself for love. Knowing the possibility of his friends do likewise, he wanted them to do so in his memory, a memory of breaking oneself for others, shedding one’s blood for them through loving surrender.

Whoever partakes in this memorial commits himself for this love to the extent of death even. When needed he should be broken for others and shed his blood for others.

POVERTY...

POVERTY

United Nations: Fundamentally, poverty is the inability of getting choices and opportunities, a violation of human dignity. It means lack of basic capacity to participate effectively in society… not having enough to feed and clothe a family, not having a school or clinic to go to; not having the land on which to grow one’s food or a job to earn one’s living, not having access to credit… It means insecurity, powerlessness and exclusion of individuals, households and communities… susceptibility to violence, and it often implies living in marginal or fragile environments, without access to clean water or sanitation.

Copenhagen Declaration: Absolute poverty is a condition characterized by severe deprivation of basic human needs, including food, safe drinking water, sanitation facilities, health, shelter, education and information. It depends not only on income but also on access to social services.

Synonyms: privation, neediness, destitution, indigence, pauperism, penury. 

Antonyms: riches, wealth, plenty.

CHURCH/CHRISTIANITY:

– One of the three evangelical counsels or counsels of perfection

-      A radical way to live out the Gospel of the Kingdom.

-      Expressing the oneness with the poor...

 JESUS:

Jesus would not have wanted this for his children. He wanted his children to enjoy the freedom of the children of God. ‘He came to give life, life in its fullness…’

-      Riches are ‘thorns that choke up the good seed of the word’ (Mt. 13:22).

-      "The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air nests: but the son of man hath not where to lay his head" (Mt. 8:20),

-      "If thou wilt be perfect, go sell what thou hast, and give to the poor" (Mt. 19:16-21).

-      ‘Don’t carry a stick, a tunic etc…’

-      ‘Woe to you, the rich…’

-      ‘It is easier for a camel to slip in through the eye of a needle than a rich man to enter the kingdom…’

-      He was hungry and his disciples too…

-      They “sold their goods "and divided them to all, according as everyone had need" (Acts 2:45),

-      The object of a virtue must be something honorable or praiseworthy in itself: now poverty has no intrinsic goodness…

-      Calling this poverty would be a mistake, as the main principle of Buddhism, Jainism, Hinduism or Gandhi's teaching is to use minimum resources or giving up the greed to consume.

-      To share all in common rather than have personal ownership of material goods.

-      When so many are ignoring people who are on the fringes of society, religious with a vow of poverty can connect with the poor, work with them and speak about their needs and concerns.

-      Be contented with what is necessary 

-      Expressing the oneness with the poor

-      Benedict XVI distinguishes “poverty chosen” (the poverty of spirit proposed by Jesus), and “poverty to be fought” (unjust and imposed poverty). He considers that the moderation implied in the former favors solidarity, and is a necessary condition so as to fight effectively to eradicate the abuse of the latter.

Poverty is the consequence of greed. [Gandhiji]

Need to live like the birds of the air and lilies of the field.

We really don’t trust God, but everything else which gives us what we call ‘security’!

Poverty of the majority, the ‘anawim of Yahweh’ compels us to be accountable, transparent etc.

Yahweh agitates at the exploitation and the resultant poverty of his people and promises them to take the land flowing with milk and honey, that is, plenty…

Jesus identifies himself with the least of this brethren, the hungry, the thirsty, the naked etc…

Our style of life with plenty, the modern amenities, palatial churches, presbyteries etc is an affront to the poor…

A greedy man’s prayer can’t be heard when there is any number of needy people around…

‘The food/left over kept for tomorrow belongs to the one who goes hungry to bed…’ St. Basil

-      ‘Security’ v. vulnerability…

28.09.2013:

Temple:

1. These days the first readings from Ezra, Haggai and Zachariah deal with the building of the temple at Jerusalem.

Why do the temple given so much of importance in the Old Testament? Not that Yahweh wants a place to dwell! Rather he wants his people to come together in a sign of brotherhood under his loving and caring fatherhood befitting his children experiencing the warmth of one another, concerned of one another, understanding the others needs, both material, physical, emotional and even spiritual. This is what for a temple is needed. Yahweh must be glorified, when his people is dignified through their enjoyment of the freedom of the children of god.

Unfortunately, nowadays churches are built ignoring god’s people and their need for a decent shelter! This must be an affront to the very god whom they try to please or placate! Jesus might have meant this when he lamented of his, the son of man’s, having nowhere to lay his head!

PP’s Allowance:

From September 2013, the ‘allowance’ of priests in the archdiocese of Trivandrum was raised to `7000/- from `4000/-! I think, it is 57% increase! May be that it is not that big in the present sky rocketing cost of living. This is besides our residence, water and electricity, in some places, telephone facilities and health insurance.

Though they are said to be ‘full-timers’ without having anyone to look into as to how much time they are using for the people, like me going to the courts from 9.30 to 4.30 or so! Along with this hike, is it not advisable to have some ‘job’/service conditions?

In this context, should we also think of the other ‘emoluments’ and ‘stipends’ and of regularizing them. What about our evangelical counsel of poverty? It would be beyond a priest’s ability to employ someone for cooking, cleaning and washing. While the later two could be done by themselves, food could be arranged from convent, if there is one, or from willing families paying them fairly.

When the ‘allowance’ of priests was hiked, should we not increase the wages/salary of the ones working with us and for us? While doing this, it would again be advisable to have their service conditions relooked with hours of work, weekly leave and other rights of workers. To my understanding the daily wage of an unskilled labor for an average 8 hours is somewhere around `400 to `500/-! That means an average monthly salary of `10000/- or so!

In the rather eroding credibility situations, we need to be accountable and transparent besides being simple, honest, trustworthy and available of course. 

Attempts by ‘higher ups’ to protect Unauthorized Resorts…

Attempts by ‘higher ups’ to protect Unauthorized Resorts…

Yesterday’s (Fridays, 23.08.2013) Mathrubhumi in Page 14 reported that few MLAs and Church ‘higher ups’ wrote to the CM asking him not to forward the Supreme Court ordered Enquiry Report by the Chief Secretary fearing negative impact on the illegal resorts at the bank of Vempanad Lake.

Among the signatories the ‘Syro Malankara Catholica Major Archbishop Baselios Cardinal Cleemis’ is also found! After the elevation to Cardinalship, he is no more a simple head of a rather small individual church alone, but a ‘prince’ of the church whose actions and utterances will have an unavoidable impact on the Church as a whole. When the alleged MLAs came out with their explanations in today’s paper for their signing, there is nothing of that sort from the Cardinal or other ‘church higher ups’! They should not presume that they are not accountable or answerable.

In this context, I am thinking of writing to the Cardinal. Depending on his explanation, if at all he prefers to respond, shall either stop or resume further. Let the Church leadership not take everyone for granted.

Would like to get your opinion before sending the letter. Kindly respond without fail. [shown to archbishop Pakiam and sent to Mr. Thomas Kutty for comments...]

Practicing with senior counsel Celine Wilfred comes to an end....

LAW PRACTICE with Adv. CELINE WILFRED…

Dear ‘Chechi’,

Loving greetings! Thanks for everything from our first meeting on Wednesday, 13^th July 2012 and then from Monday, 10^th September 2012 as an enrolled advocate till this day.

You seemingly welcomed us generously and as days went on you seemed to lose that gradually leaving us wonder whether we are really wanted or not, if not dispensable. At one stage I even came to your house to share that, especially the financial constraints, though I didn’t expect any monetary benefit as I always maintained in my ministry in the church.

For your information, to this day `3000/- (three thousand only) on16 days out of my nearly 175 days was given except the amounts in Judy’s cases (`2500/- at CJM on 17^th May and `2000/- at Family Court on 9^th July, 2013). Knowing her to be poor and dependent, I gave back the two remunerations to her only.

As people seem to believe, a priest is said to be a ‘consecrated’ person and all along I tried to live up to that faith. For me ‘holiness’ is nothing but truth, justice and the like. The little experience I have in litigation, led me feel that we, the lawyers are failing justice as the priests have failed ‘holiness’ all these days! That feeling suffocates me besides the change in attitude from your side.

The office seemingly doesn’t have any discipline with no one in charge especially with regard to us, the juniors. No guidance of any kind is given! Yes, in the first few days, you spared some time for us, and never thereafter. We could at least have been entrusted with some concerned seniors in the office. No evaluation, no remedial steps in the possible pitfalls! Besides this your attitude/comments of late is hurting, if not humiliating which I have never ever let anyone. Never ever have I gone against any of your expressed wishes or guidelines. Am sure that I was only happy to give you the respect you deserved as an experienced and esteemed senior, even when you openly exempted me as a ‘priest’. May be that I took little freedom with you and that that too never at the cost of respect due to you.

While there is no doubt with regard to our being beginners, no one needs to take us for granted ignoring our age and experience in our respective fields. Fortunately all in the office gave that much consideration, though some tried in vain to impose. Thank you again for letting me as your junior to this day. However, I shall only be happy to assist you in the courts or office provided that is asked for sufficiently in advance. 23.08.’13

Thanking you,

Pankiras A

Sanju V. Samson, our pride…

Sanju V. Samson, our pride…

When the Indian currency plunges into record low, one of our young man is taking us to the newer heights while remaining  grounded ‘without airs and graces’ ‘… not carried away by the attention and hype, the celebrity status after the successful IPL. Hear what he told M. R. Praveen Chandran for the Hindu on Wednesday, August 21, 2013: “What is important for me is to stay at the top of my game, make fewer mistakes, and learn from failures… and the ultimate aim is the India cap…”

Let this ‘role model’ young man who ‘caught the imagination of the public’ ‘with his strokes and maturity belying his age’ realize his ambition. Let us support him with our wishes and prayers. 

A church taken as hostage...

VETTUCAUD…

-      Have sent a mail for a discussion regarding this… No reply yet…

-      Hence this submission, knowing well that it is a matter ‘sub-judice’

-      My intervention should not be taken as an advocacy for multi-crore church complexes when people still live in huts, if not in slum like situations, besides having other pressing needs…

-      Am well aware of having no diocesan policy regarding church constructions in place, let alone demolishing the existing ones giving scant regard for the historicity and other existing civil requirements…

-      A huge structure with hectic investments is staring on all of us on our complacency in doing things within a time frame besides the sense of helplessness of the people concerned and the amount being wasted on avoidable litigations…

-      When the complainant seems to have no known gains out of this litigation and no real public interest is going to be served, one wonders why this litigation after litigations even after the parish priest was convicted for no fault of his…

-      Did the litigant ever had any dialogue or discussion with the parish prior to filing the suit? If so, does the diocesan leadership know of it and what is their stand, if at all they have any?

-      Even when the courts encourage ADR methods, why we fail to make use of such methods to resolve this and set an example for others to emulate?

-      Let us not wreak vengeance taking someone else, especially a parish in a hostage situation. It is not becoming of a priest, let alone any socially spirited person. Let us come across the discussion table and solve this scandalous dispute and set out framing some exemplary policies to be followed hereafter. [Thursday, August 22, 2013]

Faith that is handed over through friendly relations…

Faith that is handed over through friendly relations…

[Ru.1:8-14; Jn. 1:35-42]

Thycaud, Mon, 12^th Aug 2013

[Themes: 1) Communion, strengthened by faith…6/8; 2) Faith towards social commitment…7/8; 3) Faith that becomes evident through good works…8/8; 4) Faith that heals…9/8; 5 & 6) Renewal Retreat…10, 11/8]

Gen 3:8/ Ex. 33:11

Mt. 11:19/ Jn. 15:14 &15/

Friendship itself is based on faith

Faith brings in friendship

Enriched faith is one that flowers in friendship

          God is depicted as a friend

          Jesus called us his friends

          He relished friendship with all, especially with the sinners. That was how raised them to the status of the children of God. That was why he insisted on equality and resisted dominance and subordination. He came not to be served but to serve. Service is the expression of friendship.

Faith seems to be the basis of religions! Letter to the Hebrews in 11:1 says that ‘… faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.’ Yes, it seemingly is a matter beyond the grasp of our senses! It is not ‘intuition’. Usually it is demanded by an authority, for that matter religious authority which claims ‘infallibility’, or with regard to the revelations, ‘inerrancy’ and ‘inspiration.’ The so-called ‘faithful’ has no choice.

This approach doesn’t suit man who was created in the image and likeness of God. What could be the image and likeness of god other than his freedom and reasoning faculty? Other than the so-called revelation, truth could be accessed only through reasoning. It is this truth which would set us free as Jesus said. Jesus didn’t denounce Thomas when he defied believing in the risen Jesus till he saw him in person. That much freedom god’s children do have.

The ordeal of faith begins with the very first parents. They were asked ‘not to eat of the tree… in the midst of the garden… lest you die.’ In spite of resisting the delight of the tree, the woman failed before the persuasion of the ‘serpent’ which assured her that ‘you will not die… your eyes will be opened… know good and evil.’ The assurance of the serpent turned out to be real for they did not only die, but their eyes were opened and knew that they were naked!

And the punishment for this failure was certainly disproportionate and that is being inflicted on all humans to this day! Jesus is said to have atoned for all our sins, including that of the first parents! In that case, this punishment should have been lifted and there should not have been a hell! The ‘purgatory’ has already been abolished and what remains is this ‘hell.’ [Does it not imply that all these are man-made, including the gods…? The Malayalam poet Vayalar has written man has made religions which in turn have created gods. Both of them together have divided the land and our minds. Again Kunjunni has written: on the sixth day god has created man out of dust and on the seventh day, the very next day, man has made god out of rock!]

Coming to Abraham, the father of the faithful, that poor man was tested beyond his capacities and he obeyed blindly as if a mentally retarded person would do! Why should a god test or try humans like this? Are we a toy in his hands, having no feelings and other responses? Does he not respect our freedom? Has not Jesus re-written the old concepts of god? Why do we still keep him a Lord rather than a loving father, father of the prodigal son?

Jesus too had his share of these trials! He prayed that the cup should pass away from him for it was too much and bitter. His pain and anxiety was such that he sweats blood!

Why should there be evil at all, especially when there is this omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent god? Jose Saramago in his ‘The Gospel according to Jesus Christ’ depicts the temptation scene in such a way the Satan offers to resign in order to save Jesus from being sacrificed for sins, but god doesn’t accept the offer fearing that there won’t be any relevance for god himself in the absence of devil/Satan!

Faith would be meaningful in human relations rather than between god and man. To exist is to co-exist and faith becomes an imperative in this. Without faith human relations would be hell, a curse. Having faith in others and being faithful to them is what we earn for in life.  

‘Vaidhika mathangal’

 ‘Vaidhika mathangal’

‘Vaidhhika mathangal’ literally means revealed religions, as revelation (‘shruti’-what is heard) is claimed to be deposited in the Vedas (scriptures), which are collections of sacred texts. To this were appended in course of time the Brahmanas, Aranyakas and Upanishads by way of commentary etc. ‘Shruti’ was supplemented by ‘Smriti’-what is remembered- in the established religions.

Revealed religion is one where a ‘deity’ is said to educate through revelation. Revealed religions are the Abrahamic (Semitic) monotheistic religions like Judaism, Christianity and Islam.

In Vedic faith, incarnations like Rama and Krishna were not there. Such ‘deities’ might have been revered but not worshipped. Buddha didn’t claim to have been sent by God as did Jesus and Mohammed whose religions Christianity and Islam are thus said to be revealed.

Vedas – Scriptures:

In our times the scriptures are no more taken for granted as revealed due to growth in science and technology. These so-called sacred texts are also studied like any other literature to decide its antiquity, history etc and decipher its meaning using various tools like archeology, various forms of literary criticisms and so on. The official Catholic position is note worthy here: ‘as much it is the word of God, so much is it the word of man too.’

The so-called ‘canonicity’ of accepting or rejecting one or other books is an exercise by an establishment called ‘religion’ which is not without interest!

The monotheistic, impersonal God has given way to personal gods said to have been incarnations. [Like nirguna ‘Brahman’ giving way to various ‘Ishwars’.]

The constant theme of almost all the scriptures is the greater, higher human ideals and aspirations through the ups and downs, the dark and light of life throughout history.

Spirituality has given way to religiosity with its hierarchy and domination contrary to what the prophetic utterances state invariably in every scripture.

Being a Catholic/Christian minister/priest, the case of Jesus won’t be an example out of place. He dared to challenge the scriptures of his time when he announced, ‘… I have come not to destroy, but to fulfill the law.’ ‘It has been said to your forefathers… but I say to you…’ ‘Man is not for Sabbath, but Sabbath is for man…’ Over and above, he proclaimed, ‘I have come to serve, not to be served.’

Man is the measure of everything, for he ‘is created in the image and likeness’ of God. Anything which dehumanizes needs to be challenged and changed. Jesus came to give life, life in its fullness. [ a note for Msgr. Eugene H. Pereira for his class...]

Man...

Man:

The very first book of the Bible in its very first chapter declares that ‘…God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him…’ 27. In Hamlet, Shakespeare wonders, ‘What a piece of work is a man! how noble in reason! how infinite in faculty! in form, in moving, how express and  admirable! in action how like an angel! in apprehension how like a god! the beauty of the world! the paragon of animals!’

It is this man who is hungry, has no roof over his head, let alone anything else. This man was represented by the very Son of man, Jesus when he was hungry (Mk 11:12) and had nowhere to lay his head (Mt 8:20). Consolingly he identified himself with the hungry, the naked, the stranger, the sick, the prisoner etc in Mt 25:34ff.

The toll of starvation today is equivalent to a Hiroshima every three days! V. R. (Krishna Iyer) ‘…twenty eight people, most of them young children, are dying this very minute – twenty eight people no different from you or me or our children, except that we had food and they do not.’ (Morilyn Ferguson: The Aquarian Conspiracy, pp 455-56) Let us listen to Gandhi wailing of his own countrymen: ‘The poor sisters of Orissa have no saris; they are in rags yet they have not lost all sense of decency; but I assure you, we have lost. We are naked in spite of our clothing and they are clothed in spite of their nakedness.’ (M. K. Gandhi: Socialism of My Conception, pp 108-9) In basic human capabilities, India ranks 134; in adult literacy almost half the population remain unlettered; the percentage of underweight children are 63 and pregnant women with anaemia aged 15-49 are at 88%. How will one justify this deprivation against the dignity of man which is akin to that of God himself?

In this background let us listen to Vivekananda: ‘We talk foolishly against material civilization… Bread! Bread! I do not believe in a God who cannot give me bread here, giving me eternal bliss in heaven. Pooh! ...more bread, more opportunity for everybody…’  Now listen to Gandhi again: ‘…the economic constitution of India, and for the matter of that of the world, should be such that no one under it should suffer from want of food and clothing. In other words, everybody should be able to get sufficient work to enable him to make the two ends meet…’ (Young India, 15^th November 1928)

How this situation of want/deprivation compromises with the picture of man drawn in the Bible and in other literatures? On the contrary it challenges it which is an affront to human dignity and worth.

‘…Before they would work for change they have to believe that change is possible, that a culture fixated on individual profit-seeking alone is not ‘natural’. The tragedy is that we have had to reach the point where so many people are hungry and malnourished… before we could begin to see that our system- a system built on the vulnerabilities of the human personality instead of its strengths- can never create a human society.

…we must not allow our appropriate sense of urgency to lead to frustration and despair. It took centuries to create the structures that cause the worldwide deprivation we now witness. It will take time to construct a human world. That does not belittle our task; that makes it all the more important. Our personal time frames have changed. We must come to understand today’s struggle in light of the entire scope of human history. We must not limit our vision by what we see around us today. What we see today may tell us little about what our children and their children are capable of creating.’ (Food First, p. 503)

 Let us conclude this reflection by quoting Gandhi again: ‘There is enough for everyone’s needs, but not to anyone’s greed.’

[Indebted to Justice V. R. Krishna Iyer, “…..’

Mary Magdalene

Mary Magdalene:

Yesterday, 22^nd July was the memorial/feast of Mary Magdalene. The ‘Divine Office’ Vol. III page 119* says: ‘She was one of Christ’s disciples and was present at his death. On the morning of Easter day she was the first to whom the risen Redeemer appeared (Mk 16:9). Luke in 8:1ff says: ‘Soon afterward he went on through cities and villages, preaching and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God. And the twelve were with him, and also some women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary, called Magdalene… John was more personal in detailing the resurrection account: ‘Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. So she ran, and went to Simon Peter… and said them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb… and they went toward the tomb… Then the disciples went back to their homes. But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept… she turned round and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom do you seek?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned and said to him in Hebrew, “Rab-boni!” (which means Teacher). Jesus said to her, “Do not hold me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brethren and say to them, I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God. Mary Magdalene went and said to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”… (20:1ff).

While replying to the inquiries of the angels she refers to Jesus as ‘my Lord’! While stooping to look into the tomb Magdalene saw two angels…, Simon Peter who was reported to have gone into the tomb earlier could not see anything other than the linen cloths lying!

Another noteworthy thing is of the reading today. A choice is given regarding the first reading: i) Song of Songs 3:1-4a or ii) 2 Cor 5:14-17! Why at all the Song of Songs, a love poem be given? The ‘church’ seems to be averse to such realities of life as love and so on. I feel there is lot of hypocrisy in it. Certain things we are so keen to protect, though it is not from Jesus or his immediate followers. This may be to protect some of the later ‘necessities’ to sustain some systems which again is not evangelical. May be that this has helped the church for some time, not really strengthened it basically.

The evangelical virtues are more ornamental than genuine.  [July 23, 2013]

New Church at Kochuthura..

Today, 23^rd July 2013, is the inauguration/dedication of a new church/mansion at Kochuthura where I was a parish priest some 25 years ago. At that time an existing church was renovated and it was that church which was demolished to have this multi crore structure for God when his very children/the poor of Yahweh don’t have a proper shelter to ‘lay down their heads!’ Coincidently Ramachandra Guha in his article on the editorial page of ‘The Hindu’ today writes while speaking on ‘What Hindus can & should be proud of’: “In a society where so many are without access to adequate education, health care and housing, where malnutrition is rife and where safety and environmental standards are violated every minute, to invest so much… in the demolition of a mosque and its replacement with a brand-new temple seemed wildly foolish, if not downright Machiavellian.”

Was Jesus not identifying with those who don’t have a roof over their heads or the ones whose roofs must be leaking especially at this downpours of the monsoon, when he said that ‘…the Son of man has nowhere to lay his head’? (Mt 8:20)

This rightly applies to this inauguration/dedication of the said church in the background of known public defecation in Karumkulam Panchayat where this village and church is located and in Thiruvananthapuram district coast where literacy is the poorest along with Malappuram, is an affront to the God who said, “I have seen the affliction of my people..., and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters; I know their sufferings, and I have come down to deliver them out… and to bring them up out… to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey…’ (Ex 3:7-8).

Listen what Paul is saying to the men of Athens: ‘The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in shrines made by man…” Acts17:24. Hearken to Jeremiah saying: ‘Do not trust in these deceptive words:”This is the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord.” 7:4. [July 23, 2013]

Msgr. Ferdinand Kayavil

Dear Msgr. Ferdinand,

Loving greetings!

Hope and pray that

this letter finds you fine.

Let me introduce myself!

Am Pancretius, a priest of

The archdiocese of Trivandrum.

Dr. Alphonse Legori,

One of my good friends

Complimented your

“Sathyavicharadarshanam”,

A fitting memorial of the

Golden Jubilee of your Priesthood.

You, a man of exceptional caliber,

Have put in such a lot of efforts

To compile and edit this volume

Ranging from education,

Health, history and so on.

It indeed is a reference

To those seek the history

Of Latin Catholic community.

Congratulations!

Pancretius.

[reply to a gift of his book being presented by Dr. Alphonse Ligouri]