MAGNET – a precious and unique gift to everyone who has subscribed for it (I wish all could/should subscribe and experience the power of transformation Magnet brings), truly is a wholesome and nutritious food for the mind and soul. I make sure to read from cover to cover and re-read again and again some articles and it has been a great blessing for my personal life as well as for my mission. It’s so magnetic with lovely, warm, inspirational, enjoyable and relevant articles written in simple language, a great help to enjoy and relish them with cartoons, appropriate pictures and layout all done with precision, passion and perfection. My sincere grateful thanks and appreciation to Fr Joe Mannath and his excellent team of columnists and others for their unique contribution to make Magnet our favourite magazine!
As in every issue, unique with its theme and content, the month of March issue brought in a very apt and relevant theme: “Indian Religious Orders: Top Priorities Today.” The Cover picture, the excellent Editorial and the Cover story by Fr Joe Mannath with life stories of concrete people is indeed wonderful, thought-provoking, soul-searching reflection, self and community evaluation and renewed commitment to our First Love. Thank you, Fr Joe, for this much-needed reminder and I do hope that Indian Religious Orders, in a busy world, will not miss to focus on Top Priorities Today!
“He Understood God’s Dream” by Fr M A Joe Anthony SJ on Archbishop Desmond Tutu is an excellent tribute to a man for all seasons and an inspiration to all peoples. In a few words Fr Joe Antony has brought out the best in this legendary figure of our times. Truly he is quoted and will be quoted and remembered for generations to come. Our National Education Policy 2020 also quotes him. “Inclusive, good-quality education is a foundation for dynamic and equitable societies.” ~Desmond Tutu (NEP 2020)
It was a pleasant and inspirational reading of ‘The Cafasso Squad’ by Fr Leon Cruz SDB, which was indeed a lovely curiosity and happy to know more about Fr Joseph Cafasso (Don Bosco’s Confessor) and the creative initiative of starting one of the groups of the Salesian Youth Movement and making the young people involved in Prison Ministry. Young People love social commitment and adventure, and I am sure it will usher a new phase of Prison Ministry India (PMI) through the young people who are creative and daring. Kuddos to the initiators of “The Cafasso Squad.”
“How the poor love one another” by Fr Mathew George, sharing his personal experience, was truly heartwarming and inspirational. Indeed, the poor are our teachers and we have so much to learn from them. In our modern world when money, wealth, power and market make the survival of the fittest and elimination of the weakest a sad reality, the poor keep their humanity alive and teach us to become better human beings. Thank you, Fr Mathew George. Your articles are always inspirational. Congratulations for the commendable loving service to the poorest of the poor!
‘Taking the First Step’ by Bro Carmel Duca MC (in fact, his every article under “Life on the Margins”) is indeed amazing, inspiring, full of humanity. He is great at touching the lives meaningfully among the people whom he ministers. I loved those beautiful last lines – Sometimes I wonder, if our founders and foundresses analysed and rationalised their vocation, and minutely planned all the details, they would not have started what they were being called to do. Instead, they just took that first step and kept walking. So true! I thought of Don Bosco! Thank you, Brother Carmel! You are an inspiration!
“Characteristics of a Synodal Community” by Fr Jose Kuttianimattathil SDB is a great help in understanding, participating and living the Synod and Synodality. They are practical and easy to understand and live. Looking forward for the characteristics of a synodal way of exercising authority in the next issue!
While we warmly welcome the new National Secretary: Sr Elsa Muttathu PBVM, our grateful, sincere thanks and appreciation to Fr. Jose Mannath for his loving and dedicated, fruitful and quality service to National CRI. I really hope and pray that MAGNET, which has been one of the greatest initiatives of National CRI, will live long and maintain quality for a very, very long time. Best Wishes!
Sr. Celine D’Cunha fma
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