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The Current
Director: Nikita Zubarev. Cast: B Bradenton Harper, Blade Yocum, Dariush Moslemi, David Harper, Jana Lensing (2014. 85 minutes)

This is a story of growing up through pain and loss and coming to understand the meaning of faith. Teenager Jake’s parents want to protect the boy from exposure to city violence and delinquency in Chicago. The rebellious Jake openly opposes his parents’ attempts to relocate to rural life. He hates to lose his friends and also his favorite baseball events. The family moves to the banks of Providence River in rural Minnesota. Jake chafes at the work he is assigned, but does it all the same. His meeting with the neighbour Peter Owens brightens up his dreary life. Peter had lost his mother two years back and lived with his father, Brian, in a Christian community. Peter’s positive influence on the mischievous Jake draws him closer to Christian faith. Enjoying many boyish adventures together in the forest, life turns upside down when Peter is drowned in the river while swimming and Jake fails to save him. This changes his life forever. Brian, deeply wounded in spirit by the loss of his whole family, rejects God and shuts himself off from the church. Jake hasn’t forgotten the lessons in faith learned from Peter. From the local pastor he is inspired by the story of Horatio Spafford, who lost his fortune and his children but found God’s will and wrote the famous hymn “It’s Well with My Soul.” Jake wins back the hurt Brian during the visit to his friend’s grave on Peter’s birthday. Afterwards, Brian asks bitterly: How can a God that claims to be a loving father do this to him, taking his wife and son away? Jake tells the grieved father: “God… reveals to us one day at a time.” With his newfound faith, Jake tells Brian to trust God and live like the river, ‘to “go with the flow” of God’s plan. They both will see Peter again if they trust God’s will. Brian returns to life. Jake later becomes a pastor. He realizes that, though he could not save Peter from his death, Peter did save him.

NOTE FROM GIGY:

Pls note: Since there are two other movies with the same name, care may be taken to see that the right poster for this one is identified. Note the director when browsing!

Molokai: The Story of Father Damien
Director: Paul Cox. Cast: David Wenham, Peter O’Toole, Sam Neill, Derek Jacobi, Kris Kristofferson (1999. 109 minutes)

 A faithful depiction of the story of “the martyr of charity” canonized in 2009.  Fr Damien, a member of the Society of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and Mary, was working in Honolulu when he heard of the need for a priest to serve the needs of the lepers deported to Kalaupapa on the island of Molokai. People dreaded going there, since it was a quarantine settlement where lepers were cast away for life. The authorities treated them like animals. On his arrival there in 1872, a scenario of utter human misery – humans of all ages physically, spiritually and morally ravaged by leprosy, destitution and death—greeted Damien. He would rebuild the abandoned church all alone. Then he planted trees with the help of the lepers to buffer the strong ocean winds, and tried to care for their spiritual and physical needs as best he could.

Initially Damien has to face resistance from his beneficiaries too. He strikes up a friendship with a dying English man, once a health official, now cast away because of leprosy. Damien is his comfort in his dying moments. Failing to find someone to go to Molokai, his sympathetic bishop personally visits Damien to hear his confession. However, because of the fear of infection, the captain of the ship would not allow the Bishop to land on the island or allow Damien to board the ship. So, Damien has to shout his confession to the bishop on board the ship from a boat. Damien’s attempts to get medicine and basic comforts are ignored by authorities. He gets world attention through the press when the sympathetic Princess of Hawaii visits the village. But it only infuriates the Hawaiian administration that thinks of shutting the place. Damien has a long struggle ahead to get nuns to come there to nurse the sick. When he gets leprosy, he identifies himself with the sufferings of the crucified Christ, and does not bother to seek any comfort other than what his people get. Once he is forced into a humiliating physical examination by a doctor in front of an official on grounds of a false theory that this disease is the result of sexual misconduct. On his deathbed his wish is granted, when two nuns—Mother Marianne Cope and Sister Leopoldina Burns—arrive to continue Damien’s work.

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Prof Gigy Joseph

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God’s Implanted DNA: A Journey to Deep Happiness and Health
By Don Johnson (Trafford Publishing, 2012)

Don Johnson’s book centers on the argument that God has implanted in every one of us a deep-seated urge to happiness that can be realized only through serving others. He calls it “God’s implanted DNA.” Life’s fullness can be enjoyed only in relatedness at different levels—the interpersonal, familial, social, and, finally, to the larger universe. Despite our weaknesses and failures, we still can realize this urge.  He demonstrates this from his personal experience as well as those of famous people who have found out the divine DNA in them by offering themselves in the service of others. “Real deep happiness is grounded in serving others with all our energy.” His own choice to become a religious minister was the result of a search for purpose in life.  As a pastor in his first parish, he overcame his initial disappointment with parishioners’ indifference, when he understood that his attitude was the problem. When he began to connect personally with the people, things changed and he began to enjoy his work. During our early life we depend on others around us, usually the immediate family. In adulthood, relationships should spread outward in order to make life truly meaningful. Many people, like Mother Teresa, Martin Luther King Jr., Albert Schweitzer, Dag Hammarskjold, and others discovered their divine DNA through conscious choice to serve others. Constant attention to our inner life helps us understand why we are created; it is to serve others. This offer changes the giver more than the receiver. Seventy-year-old Kay Oursler’s example is inspiring. Kay suffered depression when her husband of forty years divorced her. To the amazement of others, she overcame her sense of worthlessness by enrolling in the Peace Corps and volunteering in Africa. Jacqueline Novograntz, an American business woman, ended up working on non-profit organizations for the poor in South Asia. The late Dr Govindappa Venkataswamy, the founder of Aravind Eye Hospital, is yet another shining example. In an interview, he reflected: “for me God exists in that place where all living things are interconnected and we know it when we feel divine.” He felt that “tough determination and our sense of interconnectedness is the way to heal our world.” The practical way of discovering our implanted DNA is to take the model of Christ, who prayed; “not my will, but your will be done.”   In contemplative life, whether we read the Bible or a newspaper report, we can ask: “What is God saying to me through this?” Caring for others is not different from caring for oneself; on the contrary it is an intensification of self-care. In the public domain (corporate life or banking), instead of asking, “What I can get out of it?” we should ask what we can give.

The Plague
By Albert Camus (1947)

Considered one of the greatest European novels of the last century; The Plague has recently been talked about. It presents a social upheaval and implications during an epidemic. It raises questions of God and nature, unmerited human suffering, separation and death. In the laid back town of Oran, Algeria, life is thrown out of gear when plague strikes—out of nowhere. It rages for a year. The first sign of plague outbreak is noticed by Dr Rieux, who finds it difficult to convince the authorities, who are slow to respond. Initially there is indifference and complacency; then incredulity and finally panic, as the epidemic rages.  When quarantine is declared, the town becomes a virtual prison. The plague symbolizes human suffering, an irrational evil force that kills indiscriminately. In the midst of the cataclysm there are people like Dr Rieux, Paneloux, a Jesuit theologian and Jean Tarrou, a journalist and novelist, who teamed up against the plague. The interactions of these three highlight the key ideas.  Contrasting philosophical responses to the experience are expressed. The agnostic Dr Rieux does not think of himself as a hero or a saint, but is committed to saving life. Fr Paneloux organizes a prayer week, and speaks of the calamity as a deserved punishment for the sinful city, a scourge to humble the proud, though the long-suffering compassionate God did not will it. The plague happens because God’s light is withdrawn. But God’s compassion brings forth good from evil. Dr Rieux disagrees with such an abstract approach and questions the irrationality of the universe.  He thinks that if he believed in an all-powerful God, he would cease curing the sick and leave that to Him. Not denying God’s existence, he is troubled by His “silence” and “absence.” Jean Tarrou, instead, believes in humanity but not in a merciful God, and wonders if it is possible to be a saint without God. A change occurs when they witness the agonizing death of a child.  Paneloux’s faith is troubled when his prayer fails. All he can say is that “perhaps we should love what we cannot understand.” Dr Rieux tells him that he can never love a scheme of things that allows innocents suffering. It is revolting.  However, the two realize that they are united in the cause of saving lives “beyond blasphemy and prayers…the only thing that matters.”  Paneloux understands that suffering cannot be interpreted except in the sense that it is of absolute good and part of God’s will. There is no middle path between belief and unbelief. In his second sermon Paneloux does not speak of punishment but about loving acceptance of suffering which is beyond rational explanation. He completely identifies with the victims in suffering and dies of mysterious causes. Though the plague disappears after a year, it is possible that it may appear again somewhere. The Plague demonstrates that, despite contradictory beliefs, the believer and the unbeliever are united in the same cause –the assertion of human dignity, freedom and responsibility.

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Prof Gigy Joseph

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Contents Really Valuable
Thank you for MAGNET. I look forward to receiving it and find the contents really valuable. Have particularly been enjoying the articles by Brother Carmel. The first article of his that caught my attention was when he shared about the ‘boys’—the mentally challenged men he was taking care of in Peru.  Written with respect, humour and love, it really helps us see the inmates as individuals with their own needs, feelings and thoughts. The latest article too ‘Going Down from Jerusalem to Jericho’ gives a different insight into the Good Samaritan story and helps ponder on the story more deeply.
I also want to make mention of the Fun and More section, refreshing, enjoyable and light—just what one needs when one is taking a break. Particularly enjoy the ‘hidden words’ in pictures and the spot the differences; always brings a smile to my face!
Especially during these difficult times, we need sources of nourishment and care that MAGNET provides. Thank you!!
Pearl D’Souz
Mumbai, Maharashtra

Passing It On
Thank you for the very well done May 2020 Issue of MAGNET. The presentation is attractive, with lots of valuable materials. I love the “Heroic Sisters of 1918” HEROIC SISTERS OF 1918 (Spanish Flu).
I shall pass on the materials to all our Jesuit companions for their reading pleasure.
Fr Richard Jarain SJ
Kohima, Nagaland

Amazing
It’s such an amazing magazine and it keeps inspiring millions in India and around the globe, especially during this trying times of Cosmic Covid Crisis!
All the best to you and your efficient Team!
Fr Michael Augustine SCJ
Eluru, Andhra Pradesh

Will read every page
Greetings. Thanks for sending me MAGNET, which I will read through page by page till I reach the end… Yours is a MAGNET that attracts! Yes, as much as you enjoy doing the work, I enjoy reading it and appreciate your labour of love. CONGRATULATIONS to the new Editorial Board.
Most Rev Lumen Monteiro CSC
Bishop of Agartala, Tripura

Detailed Feedback
You have kept up the quality, content, clarity, relevance, and got excellent writers on most relevant topics. “New Tax Laws” by Fr Trevor D’Souza is significant, useful and practical. Looking forward to reading more of his articles. “Water, The Source of Life!” by Sr Theresa Phawa: Excellent article with practical suggestions. “In these Dark, Dreary Days” by Fr M A Joe Antony SJ: In few words he has given the readers much to think about. The article is thought-provoking, moving, informative and challenging. “From Religious Brother to Husband and Father” by Louis Lopez: Every way of life has its own beauty and challenges. No one can have everything. One has to sacrifice the personal freedom and space in married life in order to gain something else. In religious life one has to sacrifice the companionship, intimacy, family….  to be totally free for serving the humanity. “A Tribute to Mothers” is another touching article about an extraordinary woman, though Bro Carmel has referred to her as an ordinary woman. I am inspired by what the writer has mentioned at the end: “At this point you might have learnt………about your mother? “Service Before Self”: After reading this, I am more convinced of one thing: My life is worthwhile if it is lived for others.
I see some of our young sisters who are ever ready to get the provision from the shops, pack it and keep it ready. When the officials or the police call and say that there are some needy people waiting for food, within no time they reach it there, though there are more than fifty cases of infection just in our neighbourhood. No complaints, no grumbling, no second thought……only compassion. In this crisis situation, then best of ourselves should be gifted to the suffering humanity.
You have done the wonderful work of encouraging the religious to reach out to the needy, motivating them, appreciating them and acknowledging their service and contribution  …. Thanks for being the link between all the people of good will, moving all of us to do even more. May we all consider ourselves generous only when we can say, “Less is left for us” and not in terms of how much we have given. We feel the unity, strength and family spirit among the religious as well as others.
“Commissions at different levels” also is a relevant and useful article. “Devotion to Mary”; I enjoyed reading this article. It gives much clarity about the way we honour Mary.  “Aging gracefully” is another good article. I find “Dualism’s influence on Spirituality” a bit heavy. I enjoy reading Fr Jose Parappully’s writings, but I found this one too theoretical. It may be my difficulty. Hopefully the next one will have more examples and practical suggestions. The topic is interesting, so I will read it again.“Missing the Sacraments and finding new ways”: An eye-opener for those who fulfil the ‘obligation’ by attending the daily mass. We are challenged to find the God within during these lock down days. “Heroic sisters of 1918” and “Covid-9: A Realistic Look” are the other inspiring articles. They are very informative and also stir our conscience, inspire us to go out of ourselves to reach out to the needy.
Overall, it is a fantastic work. I remember the fruit salad you promised when you started MAGNET and it is really nourishing the readers. Hearty Congratulations!
Sr Marina SU
Rathnagiri, Maharashtra

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Are you waiting to get back to your “normal” life?

Was it a good life to get back to?

Will the world be a good place for most people if it were to go back to how it was a few months ago?

Mayors of forty major cities of the world discussed this. They said we should not go back to “business as usual.” Why? See our Cover story.

Many things need to change.

It is not enough we and those dear to us do not die of COVID-19.

If all we do is to survive this pandemic, is that a great achievement?

Not only forty mayors.

Economists are asking what we really need to think about. They are asking themselves questions beyond economics.

Writing in The HIndu (May 6, 2020), Arun Maira, Former Member, Planning Commission, has this to say:

“Innovations are required at many levels to create a more resilient and just world…Changes will also be necessary in our life patterns, our work and consumption habits, and in our personal priorities.”

An unusual concept he mentions is “de-growth.” “A five-point ‘de-growth’ manifesto by 170 Dutch academics has gone viral … Goals for human progress must be reset. What should we aspire for? And how will we measure if we are getting there?”

“The redesign of economies, of businesses, and our lives, must begin with questions about purpose. What is the purpose of economic growth? What is the purpose of businesses and other institutions? What is the purpose of our lives? What needs, and whose needs, do institutions, and each of us, fulfil by our existence?”

Did you expect such questions from an economist?

The pandemic is making experts question their certainties.

What is progress? What is growth? Which countries are more “advanced”?

Coming to our work and mission, is a Catholic school a good school if its alumni are well-placed and earn well?

When things “go smoothly,” and today is very much like yesterday, and a set routine takes over, we seldom reflect deeply. We do not need strong inner resources or effective support systems to carry us through. Routine and common sense will do.

When emergencies or tragedies hit us, we are shaken. To survive and thrive, we need inner balance, a clearer vision, and genuine support systems. Or else, we will simply repeat platitudes—or blindly forward WhatsApp messages! –or drown.

No, this is an emergency. We need visionaries to see and lead. We need to get beyond pious platitudes. We need to think more clearly and more creatively. Love more deeply. Share more generously. Listen to the silent voices. Learn from the best among us.

See if this issue helps you with this.

And enrich us with your own ideas, too.

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Fr Joe Mannath SDB

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The New York Times celebrates the extraordinary service of Catholic Sisters during the terrible “Spanish Flu” of 1918.

On March 20, 2020, The New York Times published an article with this title: “We Should All Be More Like the Nuns of 1918.” The caption reads: “The sisters of Philadelphia were lifesavers during the Spanish flu epidemic. They are an inspiration today.”

What did Catholic nuns do in 1918 that inspires people even today?

The author, a writer and journalist called Kiley Bense, was researching her grandmother’s childhood in Philadelphia. Her grandmother, born in 1917, survived the “Spanish Flu,” the terrible pandemic which hit many countries between 1918 and 1920. It was far more devastating than the current COVID-19. It came towards the end of World War I, multiplying the suffering of people who had already suffered and lost much during the War. The number of victims was incredibly high: About fifty million deaths worldwide! To give you an idea of what that number means, it was thirty-four million more than those killed in World War I.

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Fr Joe Mannath SDB

Inspiring Outreach during COVID-19 and the Lockdown

This is something human beings know almost instinctively: Hardships sort out the wheat from the chaff. When the going is easy, we will have many so-called “friends.” When the going is tough—poverty, illness, court cases, false accusations—we realize who really cares and stands by us.

I wrote to the Major Superiors of Religious of India to send us a short report on what their provinces or houses were doing for those affected by the present emergency. We received 713 reports in reply. I passed the summary on to Caritas, the funding arm of the CBCI, which was asked by the Prime Minister’s office what the Catholic church was doing.

I am more than edified by the reports.

Then I found that religious in India are doing more, far more, than what the short reports said.

That’s the way, Sisters, Brothers, Fathers! We, religious—and the Church in general—are at our best when the challenges are toughest and others dare not step in. The heroic nuns of Philadelphia (See Cover Story 3) are just one example of this.

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Fr Joe Mannath SDB

The numbers change every day. For every city, every state, every country, for the world. With the current levels of instant information—and some misinformation—any of us can access the latest figures, and do it any time of the day or night.

The medical facts are pretty well known. A virus, not bacterial. Hence, antibiotics will not work. No known vaccine or medicine as of today. The only way to be safe is prevention.

Hence the strict lockdown, the social distancing, the frequent hand-washing, the use of masks and gloves, and separate seating, plates and utensils even within religious communities. Hence the acceptance of isolating those with fever, cold and cough, and quarantine for those coming from elsewhere.

Some have said this is the worst pandemic in human history. It is not. Nor is the number of deaths from COVID-19 (hyphenated word) comparable to some of the far worse tragedies humanity has faced.

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Fr Joe Mannath SDB

She was seven years old when World War II was at its height. Her country was heavily bombarded because it was a British colony. Her town was in ruins. For that reason, she had very little schooling—at least she learnt how to read and write. She still remembers those days when the sirens used to announce the coming of an air raid, they would run down to a communal underground shelter. Some rich people had personal shelters dug underneath their houses. Maria’s family was poor. They couldn’t afford such luxury, so they had to contend with seeking refuge with hundreds of other people in a tunnel. Even though Maria still remembers the day of her First Holy Communion vividly, she cannot prove that she actually partook of that Sacrament because, that same day, one of her schoolmates-bullies “jokingly” took her Holy Communion certificate and threw it in a well. She was heartbroken!

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Brother Carmel Duca MC

The author, a husband and father of twins, as well as principal of a school in Chandigarh, looks back on his happy years as an Irish Christian Brother, and shares the lessons he learnt from religious life, as well as the joys and challenges of his present vocation.

At forty-six years of age, I, Louis Lopez, am a married man with an affectionate wife and two adorable twins aged seven and a half and presently an educationist in Chandigarh.

After eleven years at St Columba’s School, New Delhi, I was inspired by the Christian Brother who taught me, and I decided to join the Congregation. It was the first time I left home for such a long period. After the first few glorious months of being away from home, at sixteen years of age, I was struck by extreme homesickness. On returning to Delhi for my first Christmas vacation, I was certain that I would not return to Shillong even at the cost of losing a year in my academic progress. That decision changed mysteriously, and I found myself on a train, heading back to St Edmund’s College, Shillong. This was my first significant learning; to stay away from loved ones and yet learn, grow and develop.

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Louis Lopez

Here is a short summary of the Document published by the Vatican in March 2020, on an unusual theme—water!

Water is the source of life. Our survival and health depend directly on water. So does the production of food, energy and many consumer goods. Not all the planets are blessed with this precious gift, an indispensable element for life as our planet Earth. Therefore, we (human beings) should be more aware of its multifaceted value.

The latest church document, Aqua Fons Vitae, spells out four values of water:

1. A religious value: In many religions, water has been and is still perceived as holy and connected to divinities and their benevolence. In liturgical and devotional gestures, water indicates a transcendent value – water cleanses from sins and gives a new birth of innocence by water and the Holy Spirit at Baptism. Water cleanses, heals, quenches, purifies, and so on.
2. A socio-cultural and aesthetic value: Water is an essential part of human daily life – its cultural dimension is involved with human customs, navigation, farming, fishing and cultural exchanges between civilisations. It inspires literature, music and artistic expressions. Water is also symbolic in various social functions and celebrations.
3. An institutional value and a value for peace: Water has a vital link with our social life through all generations. Hence, as a connector, it has institutional value and a value for peace. It is an element that drives the creation of bridges, collaborations and dialogue. Therefore, much peace would be gained if countries could collaborate to resolve water conflicts in the world.
4. An economic value: Unfortunately, in many cases access to safe drinking water and for other purposes as well has a cost. This is a powerful message to all of us to consider how much we lose by not respecting nature and by not taking into account even the smallest negative impact we make on the environment. We should also appreciate the fact that adequate access to water brings about a happy and meaningful life.

Commitments to be taken:

The document further distinguishes the three dimensions of water: (i) water for human use; (ii) water as a resource used in many human activities, especially farming, crafts and industry’ (iii) water as a space: rivers, underground aquifers, lakes and above all seas and oceans.

The document looks at each of these dimensions. The challenges are analysed and suggestions for concrete commitments towards sustainability of water are made. The Church gives particular emphasis at the local level (in all parishes, monasteries, schools, canteens, oratories and health centres) to the following:

• Guarantee access to drinking water and sanitation.
• Abandon the use disposable plastic bottles.
• Create public water access points where possible and in particularly needy areas.
• Avoid food waste (food has been produced using water…).
• Motivate citizens to find justice in case access to drinking water is violated.
• Encourage and urge participation in water management policies.
• Adopt effective and environmentally friendly water systems.
• Celebrate and give greater visibility to anniversaries connected to seas and oceans.
• Avoid disposable plastic objects, wherever possible, in our facilities and activities.
• Contribute as much as possible, to the cleaning of beaches or river banks, involving groups of young people, families, religious people and scouts.
• Facilitate the outdoors, hands-on studying of ocean/river issues and participation in coastal restoration projects in Catholic schools at all levels.
• Avoid and reduce pollution from riparian and coastal parishes, schools, canteens, and health centres.

Education for a New Humanism

Furthermore, the Church continues to give strong emphasis on education for a new humanism and for a culture of encounter and collaboration about water. We must educate ourselves and others:

• In gratitude for God’s loving gift – the world where we live in
• In ecological education and habits – restoring harmony with God, with others, with nature and within ourselves
• In the contemplation of all forms of water, avoiding a merely utilitarian mindset
• In living a lifestyle of moderation that makes us care for the others
• In a culture of encounter and relationship
• In compassion and solidarity

Summing up, an education rooted in values is a strong remedy against water-related corruption. We are called upon to reflect and act conscientiously towards ensuring a safe environment and universal sustainable access to water, for the future of life, the planet and the human community.

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Summary by Sr Theresa Phawa FMA

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