MAY 1
MAY DAY: WORKERS’ DAY
Called Labour Day or Workers’ Day, this day celebrates the contribution of workers to the lives of all of us. [The church added a liturgical feast to celebrate this day: St Joseph the Worker.] They are the first and the worst affected in any disaster or pandemic or lockdown. Pathetic proofs are all around us.
How do we treat the so-called lower sections of our society—manual labourers (cleaners, gardeners, construction workers, …) drivers, cooks, …? How they are treated in India is (sadly) very, very different from how a worker is treated (and paid) in Europe or America.
We show our character (whether noble or mean) more by the way we treat those “below” us than by how we deal with those “above” us.
Since the readers of MAGNET are likely to be employers rather than employees, may I remind all of us to treat our employees with dignity and respect. And, if we believe in Jesus, we know that one day we will be judged on how we treated the “least,” not by how we bowed before the big shots.
MAY 9:
MOTHER’S DAY
It is observed on the second Sunday in May.
A mother’s love and countless sacrifices are priceless gifts most of us take for granted. I used to ask college students during retreats, “Do you love your parents?” They would all shout, “Yes!” I would tell them: “It is too early to say who among you really love your parents. Right now, you need them. They are paying for your studies, and will continue doing much for you. Later, when you are strong and they are weak, and you do not need them, we will see who among you truly love your parents.”
Agree?
Do you really treasure your mother and what she has done for you? It is certainly more than we know or realize. Why not use Mother’s Day to do something to make her happy? What is it she needs most right now? Do it before it is too late.
MAY 12
NURSES DAY
Reason for the date: the birthday of Florence Nightingale, who transformed the care of the sick. When she went to look after British soldiers wounded in the Crimean War, she found the conditions appalling—dirty, unhealthy, without proper food and medicines. She changed all that. Her approach transformed the whole practice of nursing.
Nurses do an absolutely necessary, demanding and heroic service. Yet, in India, nurses are often not treated with respect, nor paid well.
I once asked an Indian nurse working in New York, “What do you like about living in the US?” Without any hesitation, she replied, “I feel respected as a woman and as a professional, both of which I did not get in India.”
Have you thanked the nurses who looked after you and your family members during illness? If not, why not do it today? Think of the thousands of nurses doing a fantastic service and see how you can appreciate their service.
MAY 15
DAY OF FAMILIES
Family can be the best and most beautiful experience of life—or the most miserable.
Mother, father, sisters, brothers, grandparents, grandchildren—what would life be without such close ties?
We often take our family for granted. Do we use birthdays and similar occasions to show our love for one another? Family members give us much, and need our affirmation and support.
Preachers and teachers matter; but they cannot match the influence of family.
Do you pray for your family members every day? If you are well-off, do you help poorer relatives? Is your home open to your family members? (Sadly, so many siblings become rivals and enemies, fighting over property, money and real or imagined hurts.)
Your family is not perfect; you don’t have to pretend it is. Further, a large dose of forgiveness is essential for a happy family life.
Celebrate family. Treat your aging parents well. Help those in need. Let your children learn from your behaviour how to care for family members.
And, if you are a religious or priest, do your best to create a family atmosphere (of love, welcome, mutual help and joy) in the institutions you run. About a good seminary or religious house, those who lived there will say, even years later, “It was a home of love.”
Fr Joe Mannath SDB
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