home

The 43rd North East Regional CRI Assembly, held from August 24 to 26, 2024, commenced with a welcome address by Sr Escociana Vaz MSMHC, the then Regional CRI Secretary, who set a tone of warmth, inclusion, and shared purpose. The opening prayer, led by Sr. Mary Mathew SMI, Provincial and Executive Member, called upon the words of St. Paul from 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s Will for you in Christ Jesus.” These words framed the assembly as not merely a business meeting but as a gathering under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, seeking to discern God’s Will in the ongoing mission of the Church in North East India.

The ceremony of lighting the lamp, a traditional symbol of illumination and wisdom, involved various dignitaries including Sr. Christine Mynsong MSMHC, Bro. S. Maria Soosai SG, and Fr. K.J. Abraham CSC. This symbolic act set the stage for the collective discernment, dialogue, and decision-making that would take place in the following days, reflecting the light of Christ in their shared mission.

SR ESCOCIANA VAS MSMHC

To read the entire article, click Subscribe

Have you ever looked at yourself in the mirror and thought, “Me, a saint? Yeah, right!”? I know I have. The idea of being created to be a saint can seem pretty far-fetched when you’re struggling to get through your day without losing your cool in traffic or gossiping about your coworker.

But here’s the thing: sainthood isn’t about being perfect. It’s about being fully human, with all our brokenness and weaknesses, and still striving to let a little more light into the world. It’s about progress, not perfection.

Think about it this way: remember that time you helped your elderly neighbour with their groceries? Or when you stayed up all night comforting a friend going through a tough time? Those moments, as small as they might seem, are glimpses of the saint you’re meant to be.

Fr Dr John Singarayar SVD

To read the entire article, click Subscribe

The Eucharist draws us into the heart of God. At its core, the word Eucharist means thanksgiving, derived from the Greek Eucharistia. In celebrating the Eucharist, we join Jesus in His Last Supper, a moment of profound gratitude. Yet, it remains a mystery, a reality we cannot fully explain but can only be deeply experienced. It is like a door that opens to the divine, allowing us to participate in the prayer and love of Jesus. This mystery is not just a historical event but one we enter into every time we celebrate Mass. In the Eucharist, we step into Jesus’ love, gift, and communion with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. As Pope Benedict XVI said, “The happiness you have a right to enjoy has a name and a face: It is Jesus of Nazareth, hidden in the Eucharist.” Each Mass is a sacred encounter with this deep mystery of love.

Everyone is Welcome

In the Gospel, God does not discriminate between good and bad, worthy and unworthy. All are welcome at the Lord’s table. The Eucharist is not reserved for the pure or the sinless; it is a celebration for everyone – the broken, the lost, the hopeful, and the grateful. Entry is free and open to all who seek to experience God’s love. We gather as a community, not because we are perfect, but because we are united in our need for God’s grace.

Sr Shalini Xavier CTC

To read the entire article, click Subscribe

In all his obituaries, in addition to the well-known initials – SJ – that appeared after his name, I was intrigued to find another two initials – AC. Eventually I found that they referred to the award with which the Australian government had honoured him – Companion of the Order of Australia – which is the highest civilian award for which an Australian can aspire. He was also awarded several honorary doctorates.

This month let me place on the candle stand a fellow Jesuit who is celebrated all over the world as a brilliant theologian and a prolific writer – Fr Gerald O’Collins, SJ, who died on 22 August 2024 at Melbourne, Australia at the age of 93.

Gerald, or ‘Gerry’ as he was often referred to, was born in 1931.  His father, Patrick Francis O’Collins, who was called simply ‘Frank’ by family and friends, was an army officer. During the First World War he served for some time in England, and, after the war, returned to Australia, studied law and built a lucrative career as an advocate in Melbourne. Since Gerry’s parents were hospitable and generous, they had many guests at home. His father, Frank, used to tell his children, “Don’t just go and greet the visitors. Engage them in conversation.” Michael Walsh, in an article in the Tablet, says this could have been “the foundation of Gerry’s lifelong capacity for friendship, his openness to people and ideas, his hospitality of mind and heart.”

M.A. Joe Antony, SJ

To read the entire article, click Subscribe

“We often focus on so many urgent but unnecessary things. We occupy and preoccupy ourselves with so many secondary realities. Perhaps without even recognizing it, we neglect what counts the most and we allow our love for God to grow cold bit by bit. Jesus offers us the remedy to rekindle a tepid faith. And what is the remedy? Prayer,” affirms Pope Francis.

We are fortunate to live 2024 as the Year of Prayer in preparation for the Jubilee Year 2025.  Pope Francis has dedicated it to rediscover the great value and absolute need for prayer in our life.

Prayer allows us to stay connected to God’s love on a daily basis. Often, we can get immersed in our myriad activities, which seem to be urgent and necessary.  But as Consecrated People, prayer should be our priority. That is the essence of our Consecrated Life and the fruitfulness of our mission.

INDIFFERENCE – MODERN SPIRITUAL SICKNESS

Often, we have to battle with our spiritual sickness of indifference to spiritual matters. Not that we choose it, but we do not make sufficient effort to fight against it. Indifference can destroy our passion and excitement for spiritual matters, and leave us weary and frustrated, exhausted and empty. No wonder why so many priests and religious allow themselves to be enticed by fame and name, power and popularity, and become easy prey to worldly standards. What would our life be without God, without passion and zeal, without fervour and enthusiasm, without a captivating smile and a heart full of love?

St. Augustine realized the futility of the fleeting pleasure of this world when he said: “To fall in love with God is the greatest of romances; to seek him, the greatest adventure; to find him, the greatest human achievement.” We all need a good and healthy dose of such romance. Don’t we?

CELINE D’CUNHA FMA

To read the entire article, click Subscribe

A Beacon of Hope in Crisis

There are countless examples of St. Charles Borromeo being a Pilgrim of Hope to those suffering from natural calamities and epidemics. St. Charles helped his people see how their suffering was a participation in the Passion of Christ, but he did so in a way that offered them hope. As a servant of God and father to his people, Charles was an outstanding example of a bishop whose care for the people was tested by fire. In the 1570s, Milan was struck by a plague. This was exacerbated by a shortage of food, leaving many malnourished and more vulnerable to disease. Faithful to his episcopal motto, Humilitatis (“Humility”), he visited and comforted the sick during the plague years of 1576 and 1577, sparing no expense of his own to care for the afflicted.

Walking the Talk: A Model of Humility and Service

St. Charles Borromeo aimed to live a simple life and believed that transforming his diocese began with converting his own household. His impact was primarily through personal example rather than decrees. “Walking the talk,” he sold most of his possessions and opened shelters for the poor, including wanderers, neglected individuals, reformed prostitutes, and orphans—today’s marginalized and vulnerable groups, such as battered women and abused children. While he recognized that giving away his wealth wouldn’t eliminate starvation or poverty, he understood the necessity of sharing. He upheld the Scripture passage, “The poor you will always have with you” (John 12:8), choosing to invest his resources where they were most needed.

SR SHEILA CORDA SCB

To read the entire article, click Subscribe

Too Small a World: The Life of Mother Frances Cabrini (1945, 2024)

Theodore Maynard

This newly republished biography of the first U.S. Catholic saint, Mother Frances Cabrini, captures her extraordinary journey as a pioneering missionary. Cabrini founded the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, dedicated to serving poor immigrant communities in the U.S. and South America. The book, based on exhaustive records, private letters, and interviews, provides an engaging blend of historical facts and spiritual insights that allow readers to closely connect with Cabrini.

The title, Too Small a World, reflects Cabrini’s belief that the world was too small for her ambitions – she sought to embrace the entire globe. The story begins with her arrival in New York with six fellow nuns, carrying only letters from Rome, and against her original dream of serving in China. Directed by the Pope to work among Italian immigrants, Cabrini faced immense challenges, including hostility from powerful figures.

The biography traces her early life in Italy, where as a child, she dreamed of becoming a missionary, and recounts her eventual work of establishing schools, hospitals, and orphanages in the slums of New York and beyond. Despite opposition, Cabrini’s 28 years of service reflected her unshakable faith and determination to bring Christ’s love to the marginalized. By 1909, she had gained American citizenship and was admired by Presidents and governors alike.

The epilogue includes eyewitness accounts of miracles attributed to her and highlights the reverence shown to her by Popes Leo XIII, Benedict XV, and Pius X. Cabrini’s deep prayer life is emphasized as the source of her extraordinary accomplishments.

To Light a Fire on the Earth: Proclaiming the Gospel in a Secular Age (2019)

Robert Barron and John L. Allen Jr.

To Light a Fire on the Earth: Proclaiming the Gospel in a Secular Age by Bishop Robert Barron and John L. Allen Jr. explores how to spread the Catholic faith in today’s secular world. Bishop Barron, a well-known Catholic apologist and evangelist, addresses pressing religious and cultural issues in three lengthy conversations with Allen. He critiques modern debates on religion and morality, which often devolve into polemics, noting the rising interest in religion on social media platforms.

John Allen introduces Barron as a fundamentally missionary figure, focused on the ‘beating heart’ of Catholicism rather than its secondary aspects. As Auxiliary Bishop of Los Angeles, Barron is seen as a modern successor to Venerable Fulton Sheen, engaging thoughtfully with a secular world often hostile to religion. This book reflects Barron’s media work, showcasing the intellectual relevance, beauty, and cultural significance of the Catholic faith through personal anecdotes and logical arguments.

The first chapter recounts Barron’s life, from his 1959 birth in Chicago to his passion for baseball and the spiritual and intellectual influences that shaped him. His media work, particularly the Catholicism series and Word on Fire, has millions of followers worldwide. His mission centres on proclaiming a loving God to lapsed Catholics, the indifferent, and secular critics.

The book’s chapters – covering topics like ‘Beauty,’ ‘Goodness,’ ‘Truth,’ ‘Evangelization,’ ‘Prayer and the Supernatural,’ ‘The Bible,’ and ‘Obstacles to the Faith’ – offer a roadmap for rekindling faith. Barron’s core message is that faith is not “infrarational” (below reason) but supernatural, transcending reason while embracing it. He invites readers to set their lives ablaze with the “Word on Fire.”

To subscribe to the magazine, click Subscribe

How fit are you?

Physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually?

A very good example of fitness was Mahatma Gandhi. He kept himself trim and fit. When he was in his sixties, and the government sent soldiers to accompany him during his travels (frequently on foot), they found it hard to keep up with him. He had enormous stamina—the result of a very disciplined and active life.

He was not just physically fit. Mentally, he knew how to deal with complex political and legal issues. He replied to letters. He published articles regularly. His collected works come to one hundred large volumes.

As for emotional fitness, he was known as calm and serene, and not put off by the harsh and cruel treatment he often faced.

As for spiritual fitness, well, we have hardly any other politician who was also seen and followed as a deeply spiritual man. In fact, this is what Albert Einstein wrote about him, “Future generations will scarce believe that such a one as this in flesh and blood walked the earth.” In fact, in Einstein’s final years, the only picture he kept in his office was a photo of Mahatma Gandhi.

How fit are you?

Do you take responsibility for your overall fitness, and take the necessary steps to stay fit?

Fr Joe Mannath SDB

To read the entire article, click Subscribe

“Politics is necessary!” said Pope Francis in his address to the leaders present at the G7 Summit at Borgo Egnazia, Italy on 14 June 2024.  It is necessary for creating universal fraternity and social peace.  Therefore, we need to encourage and support the lay people in fulfilling their political responsibility.

Lay People and Politics

            The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) teaches that “It is not the role of the Pastors of the Church to intervene directly in the political structuring and organization of social life. This task is part of the vocation of the lay faithful, acting on their own initiative with their fellow citizens” (n. 2442).  Pope Benedict XVI says that “The direct duty to work for a just ordering of society, … is proper to the lay faithful. As citizens of the State, they are called to take part in public life in a personal capacity. So they cannot relinquish their participation ‘in the many different economic, social, legislative, administrative and cultural areas, which are intended to promote organically and institutionally the common good’.” (Deus Caritas Est, n. 29).

            We cannot say that we do not want to participate in politics or that we do not want to be involved in politics.  This is because politics in its most fundamental sense refers to the activity of a group of people discerning together the course of action to be taken to promote the common good. We cannot survive and achieve a truly human life all alone.  We need others, a group, a community to survive and to grow.  And in such a group we cannot only be receivers.  We have to be also givers.  This puts on us the obligation to make our specific contribution to the group, which will have a bearing on the good of all, on the common good.  This is why the CCC says, “It is necessary that all participate, each according to his position and role, in promoting the common good” (n. 1913).  Pope Francis states, “Not one of us can say: this doesn’t affect me, they are the ones who govern. No, I too am responsible for the way they govern and I must do what I can to help them govern well, by participating in politics when I can. Politics, according to the Social Doctrine of the Church, is one of the highest forms of charity, because it serves the common good.” (Homily during the Holy Mass at Santa Marta, 16-09-2013).

JOSE KUTTIANIMATTATHIL, SDB

To read the entire article, click Subscribe

Some Fundamental Questions:

• Do you as an individual enjoy interacting with people and sharing time and ideas with them?
• Do people in need come to you readily to share with you, their situation?
• Do all those who live together in your community feel wanted and accepted?
• Is there an atmosphere of friendship, spontaneity and cohesiveness among those who live together?
• Are people in your place of ministry, friendly and understanding although they are from different regions and social status?
• Is there an honest attempt in communities to intervene if there are social inequalities?

In the process of finding answers to these questions, we will also come to understand the fourth aspect of the Wholeness Paradigm, namely, the social dimension.

The Concept of Social Dimension

What does Social Dimension mean in the context of the wholeness paradigm? It refers to the interpersonal relationships and interactions between individuals within a society or community. Social dimension is an integral part of human societies and plays a crucial role in shaping our daily lives. It might vary across cultures and time periods, but there are many common features that facilitate social cohesion and solidarity. Some of these features are: interpersonal relationships, communication, cooperation, conflict resolution, and social norms. Additionally, the social dimension helps people to form connections, to exchange information and to support one another.

Fr. Dr. Joseph Jeyaraj, sdb

To read the entire article, click Subscribe