Holiness means being normal
Impressed with the lifestyle of the Naval Officer (“My Best Teachers,” MAGNET, December 2019), I remembered my mother, who lived a simple life, more like an ordinary human. She lived what she taught and she instructed others by her simple way of living. For me and others in the family, she is a SAINT, or a person who lived a holy life throughout. She wasn’t in any position or post, fame or name, but in her own way within the simple life she had, she was able to be an ordinary person, which was also holy in the eyes of others around her.
Being HOLY does not always need any extraordinary good deeds. Doing our day-to-day activities without harming others and helping those who are around us makes our living holy and be a witness to others. Keep up the good work of inspiring others through this magazine.
Robin Thomas, Hyderabad
To become one’s best version
It was on a journey that I came across the December issue of MAGNET. Among the many thoughts that pervaded me, being true to oneself topped the ladder. Happily, I found the issue had a lot to offer on what I really intended to get clarified on “Holiness Today.” The invitation of Pope Francis to rejoice and be glad through a life of integrity and dedication or the invitation to a life of holiness was a query I faced several times personally and in the company of others. The amazing testimonies and wonderful views of those who contributed to the cover story directed my thoughts to a new mode of challenging to be the best version of myself. It was indeed an eye-opener. Yes, I believe the nitty-gritty of holiness is a joyful encounter of one’s life with its best version of living, coloured with faith and love.
MAGNET stands for proper integration of human life. My sincere appreciation to the whole team for the challenging and impelling richness it offers.
Jithin Chakkimangalath SDB, Kerala
Time Management: Checking Our Priorities!
While going through the editorial and the Cover Story-1(MAGNET, January 2020) by Fr Joe Mannath SDB, I remembered the parting message of our well-known, much-loved, and renowned scripture scholar, the late Fr George Soares Prabhu SJ on the day he became professor emeritus at Jnana Deepa Vidyapeeth, Pune. While responding to the farewell programme, Fr Soares said, “Dear friends, time is precious, time is love, and time is divine. As love comes from God, time too comes to us from God. Therefore, do not waste; instead value time and live your life and God will be glorified.”
It is quite amazing to learn that time management is not merely focussing on the list of items to be done; rather it’s about sorting out our priorities and achieving what is important in life. By this I also understand that I cannot earn time or buy time. If I make use of the time properly (and meaningfully), time itself becomes an earning and ultimately it becomes part and parcel of my life! If so, I don’t think I will have regrets while facing death. Rather I will have the feeling of fulfilment (santhrupthi) and joy. It’s all because I had prioritized what was important in my life, and had taken all the needed risks and achieved what was important in life.
Fr Richard Mascarenhas SJ, Dharwad, Karnataka
Keep up the good work
Not a single issue of MAGNET passes unnoticed, nay without reading every word of all the variety of the articles in it which has certainly brought in so much enrichment to my life over the years. From its inception, I have been thriving on this bonanza. Even if any of the issues arrives late and at times two OR three issues reach together due to postal delivery, I would never skip the reading of any of it. Selection of very appropriate and varied themes and loaded with many inspiring and energizing articles by those experienced and generous personalities, every colourful issue of MAGNET brings beauty, brightness and boldness to live a blissful life. MAGNET contains so much hidden wealth, which has strengthened my spiritual life. It also provides nourishing health as I have experienced my wellbeing on the whole.
In response to what you have written in your January 2020 editorial, “those who enjoy the magazine in silence tell us what you think…., I wish to tell, “Keep up the good work” for many more years so that many more persons, and especially all the members of the CRI (on behalf of whom it is being published) may take interest to read, reflect and integrate in order to live God-centered and other-centered, fruitful lives.
Sr. Mary Ventura Fernandes FS, Kumarghat, Tripura
Cloud Computing: A Doubt
Dear Rocky, I am the Rector of Claretian Ashram, College of Philosophy.
Thanks a lot for your article in MAGNET on Cloud Computing. It is really beneficial.
I have a doubt. Can a third party watch someone’s WhatsApp video call? Can anyone use the content of the WhatsApp video call some other purpose? Will it be safe to use WhatsApp call to share our personal views or opinions with a personal friend?
Fr Suresh Thomas Madappattu CMF
Rocky replies: Thanks for your appreciation. WhatsApp messages, calls and video calls are secured with end-to-end encryption. Therefore, no third party can record any video call, unless it is permitted by a user. WhatsApp Company can get these and provide it to the government, if needed. Hackers too can do this; but they tend to target VIPs, not normal people. What we share on WhatsApp calls is actually confidential, except the aforesaid; hence safer than normal phone calls.
