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KEVIN SULLIVAN

Each year, as the summer months wind down, Crystal and I head off to enjoy an extended vacation with the hope of renewing our appreciation for each other and preparing to face the prospect of a long, cold winter which awaits us in our hometown shortly after our return.  This year we headed off to one of our favorite destinations, Germany, where Crystal’s only uncle lives. We are not ‘big city people’; so most of our sightseeing is limited to small towns and villages we encounter as we travel about by automobile, train or boat. Coming from a relatively young country like the United States of America, I am always enthralled with the history we experience as we walk through villages that have been around for several centuries. As we enter these villages we always seek out the local Catholic church (and an occasional Protestant one as well) where we take a few moments to offer prayers of thanksgiving to God as well as petitions for the well-being of family and friends. Entering each of these Catholic churches, no matter how large or small, we experience an environment that is (in one feature or another) spectacular, awe-inspiring and breathtaking. Such was my experience the day we entered one small church in a village in southern Germany.

We had visited this church to venerate a relic of the Precious Blood of Christ. Yet once we were inside, it was the beauty and the majesty of the tabernacle that captivated me. As I knelt down to pray at the Communion rail my eyes and my soul were drawn to the beautiful tabernacle that soared above and overwhelmed the modest original altar of this humble church.  It was arrayed in gold with golden rays spreading out from behind it, providing a majestic and glorious framing. I could not recall seeing anything nearly as spectacular anywhere in our years of visiting churches throughout the world. The phrase “giving glory to God” occupied my soul as I gazed upon this stunning sight. It was truly beautiful. My thoughts were immediately drawn back through the centuries to ponder the farmers and craftsmen who nearly five hundred years earlier were inspired to create such a magnificent home for the repose of the Blessed Sacrament.  Who were these people, who in such times of scarcity and struggle would pour so much of what they had to create such a powerful witness to their faith in God? I could only imagine an immense outpouring of gratitude that must have been in the hearts of those who were called to choose to execute such a glorious structure.

I must admit that the longer I meditated on this beautiful tabernacle, the more I longed for a return to those days when people were unabashed about their desire to glorify God.  Modern Catholic churches in the United States, especially those built since Vatican II, have been severely toned down when it comes to majesty, statuary and the presence of the Blessed Sacrament. In fact there are many churches where the tabernacle has been located off to the side or even out of the sight of the congregation. Some have no art or statues. Of course I am aware that there is always the tension of presenting an ostentatious display of wealth in face of the ever present overwhelming needs of the poor. I know that tension existed five hundred years ago. Yet, like those who have come before us, something seems right about holding nothing back in an effort to glorify God and give thanks to Him for the life we are given.

While I fully appreciate that buildings, structures and displays don’t affect the reality of the Real Presence of Christ in the tabernacle or in my life, I can not help but reflect on the role of beauty in predisposing me to the majesty of God and His unconditional generosity and love that I found so often displayed in all of the magnificent little churches as well as cathedrals in Europe.  In all of these displays I experienced the faithful witness of artisans, farmers and craftsmen who lived centuries ago. It challenges me to think not about the beauty and grandeur that may be missing from many of our churches today, but to consider what I am doing to give witness to the beauty of our Catholic faith to those I encounter in my daily life.   I can’t build magnificent altars or exquisite statues in order to show my belief in a great and glorious God. Yet, I can give witness by living a more admirable life by trying to bring the joy and peace of Christ alive by how I love and care for my dear Crystal and our family. I can reflect God’s unending generosity by giving graciously of my time, talent and treasure in my parish and in my community.  While my life may never seem as grand, glorious and majestic as that beautiful tabernacle in a small church in Southern Germany, inspired by it I can strive to bring a little more of beauty to life in the world through how I live and love as a follower of Jesus and always be on the lookout for the beauty of God’s presence.

CRYSTAL

Before we left home, we had a family situation arise which caused me concern and sorrow, and I knew that my only recourse was to turn to God in prayer for a peaceful resolution. As we visited each of the churches, I would seek out, and always find, a statue of the Blessed Mother with a small collection of candles which could be lit to add to the prayer intention. What comfort I felt as I found ‘my mother’ waiting for me in each church, reassuring me of her intercession no matter how far away I was from home. I find this one of the most appealing aspects of our faith, to be able to attend Mass or simply to go into a church and pray in a foreign country, not always understanding the language spoken, but always understanding the promise of God’s presence in our lives. Like Kevin, I am so grateful to the men and women who have given so much of their earthly treasure in order for us to enjoy a small glimpse of the heavenly treasure that is available to us through our faith.

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Melville looked discouraged when he came in. He was in no mood for jokes this evening, and came straight to the point.

“I’m already in my third year of college,” he said, visibly annoyed at himself.  “And I still don’t know how to study.  Can you teach me a good method of study?”

A good method of study—that is what thousands of others like Melville are looking for; and they don’t seem to find any.

What Melville does not know is that experts have found good solutions to his problem. Psychologists and educationalists have developed effective methods of study and scientific work. The best findings can be described under the “SQ3R METHOD OF STUDY.” Using this method, we can spend less time studying, and get better results.

What is the SQ3R Method?

It is a method of study you can use everyday. Once you make it a habit, you will get much more out of the time you spend studying or reading.  It can be used for all subjects.

“SQ3R” is, of course, a code.  It means: “Survey, Question, Read, Recite, Revise,” Each of the five words stands for an important part of the method.

1. SURVEY

First, survey the matter to be studied.  This is done very quickly – in anything from a few seconds to a few minutes.  If it is a book you have to read, your survey covers the preface, the table of contents, the conclusion and, in case they are given, the main summaries of each chapter.  Your aim at this stage is to get a general picture of the whole book.  If you have to study a chapter or article, look through the main titles and subdivisions.  This takes only a few minutes, or even less than a minute.  Make sure that at this stage you get the purpose and the structure of the book or article.

2. QUESTION:

Questions help you to be an active reader.  They prepare the mind for intensive reading and push distractions out.  Secondly, they help you to find the answers better and faster.

What do you do at this stage?

You already have an idea of the structure of the work.  Ask yourself what problems the author is trying to solve in this book or article or chapter.  At times the author himself tells you these questions, or the teacher may have explained them in class.  At other times, you have to discover the questions on your own. As long as the problems are not clear to you, much of your study will be boring and unproductive.

Write down the questions (problems).

3. READ:

Stage two (Question) has prepared you for attentive and profitable reading. Don’t just read; look for answers to your questions.

How fast must you read?  That depends on the subject, the kind of book or article you are reading.  You cannot read a technical article published in a scientific magazine at the same speed at which you read a non-detailed text. A good student adjusts his/her reading speed to the material in hand.

An essential, often forgotten activity at this third stage is note-taking.  If you want to analyze or retain what you read, you have to take notes—even if you do not plan to keep the notes afterwards.  (This is all the more important when you listen to lectures.)  Note-taking forces you to be attentive, to sift out the main points from the secondary, and to concentrate on the more important words and ideas.  Studies done by experts show that students who take notes (on what they read and on the lectures they attend): (a) are more attentive and understand the subject better, (b) retain it more effectively, (c) perform better in examinations and interviews.

Here is a common mistake—and a dangerous assumption. It would be wrong to conclude that what I read is “above my head,” just because everything is not clear at the first reading. Study is work! Reading a text book (understanding it) is different from reading the cricket score or hearing a story.  A  few notes made carefully during the reading can make all the difference between boredom and enthusiasm, clarity and confusion. 

4. RECITE:

The second R of the SQ3R method stands for “recite.” It is not a question of rote memory, or word-by-word recitation. A word-by-word recitation is necessary only in some special cases, such as language study (learning new words and phrases), or memorizing anatomical or botanical terms, or studying a poem by heart.

In all other cases, what is recommended is that you must be able to outline the substance of the passage.  All that you need to do is to pause at the end of your reading and check whether you recall the main ideas in order.

This can be done in three ways—mentally, orally or in writing. Oral recitation (by oneself or to someone else), or writing is more effective than mental recall. Develop the habit of writing; you will remember what you jot down long after you have forgotten what you read.

5. REVISE

All you need to give to this fifth step are a few minutes of your study time.  Revise in order to make sure that you remember.  You need not read the whole matter over and over again. Go over those parts of the book or article where you found gaps during your recitation. Check your grasp and recall by reciting it.

What makes study boring and time-consuming for many is the practice of half-hearted (and often distracted) reading done mechanically once, twice or even three times.  Instead of the tedious, unproductive drudgery, the cleverer student budgets one’s time, works attentively rather than half-heartedly, and follows the SQ3R method of study.

A SIXTH STEP

The SQ3R method has a marvellous complement in a sixth step, if and when you have the opportunity for it.  This sixth step has a very short name: USE.

Use the knowledge you have gained. It is the surest way of reinforcing knowledge.  This can be done in any of the following three ways.

• Teach the subject: The best way to learn a subject is to teach it.
• Study in groups: When you discuss and explain the points to each other, you notice the gaps in your knowledge, and help the mind to get a stronger hold. In addition, common study cuts down on boredom and increases concentration. A mistake students often make in group study is to get a brighter student to do the talking. It is this student who will benefit most from the discussion. If group study is to be effective, all must take turns in explaining the subject.

(c) Work out exercises on the topic you have covered: When you cannot use your knowledge in either teaching or group work, this is a good plan to follow, especially with subjects such as mathematics or learning a foreign language.

At this stage, it is useful to remember a general principle of psychology that it is not work that tires us, but boredom, worry, and lack of motivation.

Summing up the whole procedure, we have: SQ3R, plus U. Study, Question, Read, Recite, Revise and Use. The difference between excitement and boredom does not lie mainly in the subject matter; it is found chiefly in one’s attitude to work.

Do you want to make study more interesting, more rewarding, more enjoyable? If so, be an active student – a student who does not “put up with” study, but makes sure that the time spent on study bear fruits. And the best way of making study bear fruit seems to be the SQ3R method. Try it and see for yourself!

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Prayer is by nature a dialogue and a union of man with God.  Its effect is to hold the world together.  It achieves a reconciliation with God

 (The Ladder of Divine Ascent. Step 28)

The ladder is an image frequently used to describe spiritual growth.  A spiritual classic in the Eastern tradition by St. John Climacus, called The Ladder of Divine Ascent, is well-known for using this imagery.  The popularity of The Ladder in the East equals The Imitation of Christ in the West.  It has been copied, studied and translated various times over the past fourteen centuries and is read every Lent in Orthodox monasteries.  Besides the monasteries, it is widely read by lay people in countries such as Greece, Bulgaria, Serbia, Russia and the Orthodox world.  Of the author we know very little, except that he most likely lived during the seventh century.  Some scholars suggest he was born in 579 and died around 649 CE.  At the age of sixteen he came to Sinai and began living a semi-hermetical life for about three years under the guidance of a spiritual father.  Later he lived as a hermit and after forty years, despite his reluctance, was elected abbot of the central monastery at Sinai.  During this period he wrote the ascetical-mystical classic, The Ladder of Divine Ascent.

 Though The Ladder is his most important work, he has another short treatise titled To the Shepherd, where he describes the task of the abbot or spiritual father.  Though The Ladder is written for monks, it has something for anyone who desires to progress in spiritual life.  Despite the fact that the imagery of the ladder had been used by St. Gregory of Nazianzus, St. John Chrysostom and Theodoret of Cyrrhus, the analogy is best developed by St. John Climacus.  The Ladder consists of thirty steps to grow in spiritual life and each rung represents one year in the hidden life of Christ.  Though St. John calls himself a second rate architect, it is evident that the thirty steps have been carefully arranged into three parts.  The first part speaks of the conversion of a person and a break from the world (1-3).  The second part deals with the practice of virtues.  It starts by highlighting the practice of fundamental virtues, including obedience (4-7).  This is followed by the struggle against physical/material and non-physical passions (8-23).  Finally, there is an indication of higher virtues such as simplicity, humility and discernment (24-26).  The third part deals with the transition to the contemplative life which consists in union with God (27-30).

An important element in spiritual growth is the centrality of prayer (Step 28) and the above mentioned quote indicates its meaning.  Prayer helps establish an abiding relationship with God and the entire world.  The sequence of prayer consists in: a) heartfelt thanksgiving, b) genuine contrition and c) the prayer of petition.  St. John insists on short and simple prayers and recommends the Psalms and the Jesus Prayer (Steps 15, 21 and 27) in order to experience greater union with God.  The imagery of the ladder has been critiqued by modern authors such as Karl Rahner who find it rigid and linear.  However, The Ladder takes into account the complexities and nuances of spiritual growth.  St. John clarifies that, though by God’s grace a person gradually progresses to higher levels in spiritual life, the lower levels continue to be present all along.  A re-reading of the text leads us to say that The Ladder of St. John Climacus could be better interpreted as a spiral staircase where certain graces and vulnerabilities reappear in different forms and at varying levels all through the life of a person.

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Why this new column? There are a number of new Church Documents addressing religious which we should be aware of. MAGNET is grateful to an experienced professor of Catechetics who has volunteered to present the theme and outline of these documents in a clear and systematic manner, so that individuals and communities can be up-to-date in this area. Thank you, Fr. Gilbert! – Editor.

New Wine in New Wineskins

At the beginning of the Year of Consecrated Life (November 30, 2014-February 2, 2016), the Plenary of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life met at the Vatican to discuss the theme, New Wine in New Wineskins. In the light of this Gospel phrase, the participants reflected on consecrated life in the present-day Church, fifty years after the Constitution Lumen Gentium and the Decree Perfectae Caritatis. This document was published by the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life on 6 January 2017. 

1. Preliminary Information

• Title: New Wine in New Wineskins
• Authorship: Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life
• Type: Guidelines
• Year of Release: 6 January 2017
• Aim: Presenting the Consecrated Life and its ongoing challenges since Vatican II
• Major Source of the Document: Plenary Session of the Dicastery during 27-30 November 2014 on theme: “New Wine in New Wineskins: Consecrated Life 50 years after Lumen Gentium and Pefectae Caritatis.”
• Documents that Influenced: Potissimum Institutioni (1990),Fraternal Life in Community (1994), Starting Afresh from Christ (2002), The Service of Authority and Obedience Faciem Tuam (2008) and Identity and Mission of the Religious Brother in the Church (2015)
• Tagline: Our ideals and doctrines need to become real in our community lives. “Realities are more important than ideas (EG 58).”
• Structure of the Document: There are three parts.

1. 1. For New Wine and New Wineskins (The Biblical Verse and post conciliar developments: Situating the Past (Jesus’ words), Present (last 50 years) and Future (Challenges ahead).
2. Ongoing Challenges: Issues in religious life today (Vocation, identity, formation, Gender issues, Obedience)
3. Preparing New Wineskins: Proposals for the future (Faithfulness, Formative models, formation of the formators, Multicultural dimensions, service of Authority)
4. Major Themes
5. The Verse: New Wine, New Wineskins

The new wine contains the teachings and actions of Jesus. There is a temptation to go back to the old wine (“The old is good,” Lk 5:39) as a secure life. There is a need to create structures to preserve, breathe and then share the new challenges of life.

2. Spiritual Renewal since Vatican II

Chapter VI of Lumen Gentium, and the Perfectae Caritatis set the tone for renewal and adaptation. There was a an exhortation for all the Religious in the form of “Creative Fidelity” after the Code of Canon Law (1983) and Vita Consecrata (1990). Consecrated life centred on Trinitarian mystery, community and mission was focused in Vita Consecrata.

3. New Paths So Far

Rich multiplicity of diakonia that was expressed by Religious in the present times is noteworthy. There was an attempt to work together the charisms for service. New communities were established beyond cultural barriers. Religious Life has embraced other cultures, languages and races apart from the culture of its origin.

4. Challenges Today

• Temptation of the security: There is a temptation of staying in the past.
• Gen-Gap: Basic cause of many leaving religious life is the result of inauthentic community life (sometimes due to lack of inter-generational dialogues in the community). There is a gen-gap between traditional elders and young religious from other cultures. Religious life faces several hindrances to de-Westernise and de-Europeanise consecrated life (13).
• Formation Issues: Formation tends to be more informative than performative. Formation is not a fine blend of spiritual and human dimensions. Young religious are more oriented to professional degrees than theological courses (12, 14).
• Ongoing Formation: On-going formation is at times reduced to religious tourism (visiting places of origin or pilgrim centres), attending some theological courses and lacking reflection and revision (16).
• Women’s Role: There is a failure to recognise the gift of the genius of women in the Church (Vita Consecrata 58). “The twentieth century is the century of women. It is one of the signs of times” (John XXIII, Pacem in Terris 22). There are moments of oppression from male chauvinistic clergy (towards Consecrated women) and at times from consecrated women themselves (17,18). Lack of mature relationship between consecrated men and women is often characterised by reserve and phobia.
• Service of Authority: At times, the service of authority is exercised vertically, avoiding subsidiarity. Some superiors maintain the status quo (“we have always done this way”) (19). Among recently founded institutes, there have been moments of manipulation of the freedom and dignity of religious depriving them of their basic rights, promoting forced dependence, etc. (20). Authority exercised through infantile behaviours (asking permission for everything) of members—something more common among women religious (21).
• Flexibility in Mission: Some hold leadership roles for too long (a common practice among women religious). This is due to a lack of specific general norms to diminish their duration (22).
• Religious Brother: Clericalisation of consecrated life has reduced the number of lay religious members (23).
• Cause of Leaving: Superiors give more importance to the institution than to its members. Hence, many leave their congregation due to lack of fraternal life (24).

5. Proposals
   • Religious need to follow the sermon of the mount more seriously (removing the old and bringing the new). “You have heard that it was said… now I tell you…” (29)
   • There is a need for adequate continuous formation and formation of the formators.
   • Superiors need to be close to the members and accompany them with a fraternal attitude (36).
   • Women religious need to be more exhorted on service in evangelical freedom than servitude (39).
   • The gap between authority and members (among women religious) needs to be bridged on matters of decision-making, personal and community resources (40).
   • A serious reflection on the document, the Service of Authority and Obedience (2008) to be done (43).
   • Need for mutual dialogue and listening among old and young religious (47).
   • Representation to the Chapters (especially General Chapter) is to be proper and proportionate from various cultures and generations in a fair and balanced way (48, 49, 53, 54).

6. Some quotes

• “No authority figure, not even a founder, must claim to be an exclusive interpreter of the charism” (20).
• “The ancient wisdom of monastic tradition: by the Lord’s inspiration, it is often a younger person who knows what is best” (20).
• “The twentieth century has been defined as the century of women, mostly because of the awakening of the female conscience in modern culture, which was identified fifty years ago by Saint John XXIII as one of the most evident signs of our times” (17).
• “The substitution of wineskins does not happen by automatism, but requires effort, skill and willingness to change” (22).
• “Young female vocations carry within them a naturally distinct feminine consciousness” (18).
• “We must not form administrators and managers, but fathers, brothers, traveling companions (Francis).” (34)
• “Formation is a work of art, not a police action (Francis).” (34)
• “No sister should be relegated to a state of subjection; something that, unfortunately, happens frequently. This state encourages dangerous infantilism, can hinder a person’s overall maturation” (40).

III. A Few Observations

1. Most of the references are for Women Religious.
2. Several references are from the Instruction, The Service of Authority and Obedience.

3. The Document discusses more on community life than any other area of Religious Life.

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Fr. Gilbert Choondal SDB

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St Augustine of Hippo: Confessions

St Augustine’s Confessions, completed in the years 397-400, is considered the first autobiography in world literature. It is not only one of the greatest conversion stories of Christianity, but also a book of philosophy, theological reflection and deep God experience. It is written in the form of an address to God after his conversion to faith. Its theme and passionate, personal language have made it a perennial favourite.

Augustine’s mother, Monica, prayed and wept for her wayward son, who followed a wrong doctrine called Manicheism, kept a mistress and had a child, and showed little interest in being a Christian. He was a brilliant and passionate man, restless and dissatisfied. In Milan he met Bishop Ambrose, whose sermons touched him. He would discuss religious matters with his friends, but found it beyond his strength to give up his worldly ways. Then, one day, fed up with his own inconstancy, he was walking in a garden, and heard a child’ voice saying, “Take and read! Take and read!” Seeing no child nearby, he thought this might be God’s voice. He opened the New Testament at random, and found the words of St. Paul, “Not in licentiousness and impurity, but put on the Lord Jesus Christ.” Augustine took this as God’s personal message to him. With that experience, all his doubts vanished.

He was baptized by Bishop Ambrose, to the great delight of mother, who had been longing for this moment. Later, at the people’s request, he agreed to be a priest, and, still later, he was appointed bishop by popular demand.

Of St. Augustine’s nearly one hundred works, the most widely read is Confessions. Since the book contains also speculative sections which some find  too technical, a simplified version may be more accessible to most.

Quotes: “But my sin was this, that I looked for pleasure, beauty and truth not in You but in myself and Your other creatures, and the search led me instead to pain, confusion, and error.”

 “In my youth I wandered away, too far from Your sustaining hand, and created of myself a barren waste.”

“You were within me, and I outside. You touched me, and I have burnt for your peace.”

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Helen Keller –The Story of My Life (1903)

This memoir is one of the most inspiring of its kind. Born a normal child of loving and educated parents, Helen’s world almost closed down when she was only nineteen months old,  infected by a disease that left her deaf and blind. Suddenly cut off from normal means of communication, little Helen became a withdrawn and frustrated child, unable to see, hear or talk.

When Annie Sullivan of the Perkins Institute for the Blind stepped into her life, things began to change. She would spell words into little Helen’s hand all day, accompanying her everywhere she went. Even though Helen could not understand most things or connect words initially, the sense of touch helped her understand the connection between the spelt words and their meanings.  Slowly and painfully, she progressed to learning abstract ideas. Helen went on to read books and educate herself and finally realise her ambition of graduating from Radcliffe College.

Here is a touching passage. Helen wants to know what love is. Annie tells her:

“Love is something like the clouds that were in the sky before the sun came out,” …. “You cannot touch the clouds, you know; but you feel the rain and know how glad the flowers and the thirsty earth are to have it after a hot day. You cannot touch love either; but you feel the sweetness that it pours into everything. Without love you would not be happy or want to play.” Helen reports: “The beautiful truth burst upon my mind—I felt that there were invisible lines stretched between my spirit and the spirits of others.”

The book is as much about the author as it is about a most remarkable teacher whose patience and love for the pupil becomes a life-changing experience for both. Sullivan evokes in the child a love of language and through it a love of books and learning.  Keller’s story is a tale of victory over seemingly impossible difficulties and also one that tells us how education can transform the lives of everyone.  Keller later became a famous writer, lecturer, human rights activist and reformist. The book is a celebration of joy and hope.

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Pather Panchali (The Song of the Little Road) (1955)

Script, Direction: Satyajit Ray

Running time: 126 minutes

Satyajit’s Ray’s debut film put India on the world map of cinema. An adaptation from Bibhutibhushan Banerjee’s novel of the same name, Ray has created a black and white classic, which with its two sequels form the Apu Trilogy . It centres around the impoverished family of Harihar, a Brahmin who has a hard time fending for his family consisting of his wife, aged sister Indir, and his two little children Durga and Apu. Harihar nurses literary ambitions but is forced to go to the city to earn money as a priest, leaving his wife Sarbojaya to care for the rest. Sarbojaya has to work in neighbourhood households to make both ends meet She is humiliated by the daughter’s stealing fruit from their yard. Durga is closely linked to her grand aunt and Apu. In the father’s absence, the house is blown down in the monsoon rainstorm. What is far worse: Durga and the elderly aunt die. Harihar returns to a despondent family. His life is totally changed. They are forced to leave for the city in search of a new life.

The story might appear commonplace but the way Ray treats it is what makes it great. It is a tale of children growing up, of relationships among family members of the old and the new, of joy and sorrow in the midst of poverty and illness, of the relationships between the human and the natural world. It is a deeply compassionate humanist work, rendered in evocative black and white, with the haunting music provided by the then upcoming Sitarist Pandit Ravi Shankar. It shows the social changes in an Indian village at the beginning of industrialization. Much of the film is seen through the eyes of children, especially Apu. Striking scenes: the children seeing a train for the first time, the strong monsoon rain, Indir’s death that first exposes Durga and Apu to the reality of death, and of course the scene where Harihar discovers the truth of his daughter’s death.  The film won seven international awards in a year including the Vatican Award. Pather Panchali has not lost its appeal even after six decades of its making.

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Children of Heaven (1999 )

Screenplay & Director: Majid Majidi

Majidi’s Children of Heaven is regarded as a classic children’s movie which will haunt moviegoers by its simplicity and utter realism of presentation. It is about a pair of working class children living in a village near Teheran. Their father is an impoverished labourer and the mother an invalid. Ali takes his sister Zahara’s broken pink shoes to the cobbler on his way to the market, but afterwards loses them while he is in the grocer’s shop. A blind rag picker unknowingly takes them. Ali knows that his father won’t forgive him for the negligence. He enters into a secret pact with his sister to hide the fact from his father, offering her his sneakers which they have to share. She wears the loose fitting sneakers in the morning and Ali attends the afternoon classes when she returns home. But it often lands Ali in trouble for being late. One day Zahara notices one of her classmates wearing her lost shoes, and the brother and sister spy on her only to find that her rag picker father is blind and had not stolen the shoes knowingly. They leave it at that. Ali helps his father find work as a gardener and takes advantage of his father’s good mood to suggest that Zahara could use a pair of new shoes. The father offers to buy new pairs for both the children. But he is hurt in an accident.

Ali gets an opportunity when there is an interschool marathon announced. The third prize is a pair of shoes and a free vacation trip. Ali is a good runner and joins the race, trying to come out third. But towards the last lap he trips and falls and tries to keep his position with a desperate dash that lands him first on the finishing line. Amid the cheers of the crows, he is weeping. He returns home with his badly bruised feet and saddened spirits. Ali’s father comes home with two pairs of shoes.

Majidi’s story haunts us with convincing portraits love in the midst of poverty and suffering and the pangs of growing up.   The movie may redraw our image of Iran and provide the insight that human beings and their problems are the same everywhere.

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Sr Veronica disturbs the peace and tranquillity of community life through her rude, unpleasant behaviour. Her words and actions damange the harmony of the community and make it difficult for others to live, work and support one another in the community.  Harsh words, unruly behaviour and frequent fights seem to have become her characteristic traits. When corrected, she responds badly, and refuses to admit her faults. How can we deal with such a member?

Fraternal life in community is a constitutive element of religious life.  The Code of Canon Law (CIC c. 602) speaks about communion as brothers/sisters living as ‘a true family in Christ’ through prayer, charity, mutual sharing and support. Another Canon (CIC c. 665§1) states that a religious has both the right and the obligation of community life in common.  While defining the characteristics of the religious state, a third Canon (CCEO c. 410) explicitly refers to common life in community.

Since this sort of difficulty arises in the local community, it is the responsibility of the local superior to deal with this member initially.  Patience and empathy should be the arms in dealing with that member.  Such a religious must be led to see through concrete examples of habitual neglect of the obligations of consecrated life that prevents the harmonious living in the community and mission.  Specific modification of behaviour patterns is to be recommended and counselling must be offered.

If kindness and counselling fail

If the disruptive behaviour continues, the next step should be to inform the major superior (provincial or general).  This is a must for the good of the individual religious and to protect the rights of other members to live in the spirit of their institute.  The difficult religious should never be neglected under the pretext of charity.  It would not only be an action of injustice done to other members of that community, who are trying to live out their call, but also to the individual, who is in difficulty.  Major superiors have the major responsibility to protect the rights of the members and also to convince everyone about their obligations to be fulfilled as members of the institute. The major superior is bound to do all that is possible to help that religious by way of exhortation and counselling. They may even resort to shifting that particular person from that community or ministry, because this type of problem can also arise from the incompatibility of that person with one or more members of that community, including the superior.

The major superior is to encourage the member experiencing difficulty to undergo a psychophysiological examination.  At times, such behaviour could be due to chemical or hormonal imbalances or mid-life transition.  There are instances, where prescribed medication has cured such abnormal behaviour of persons.  If the behaviour is due to physical, emotional or psychological illness, treatment is required.  Whatever be the actions resorted to, utmost care must be taken to protect the privacy and good reputation of the individual.

If treatment is needed

Two other Canons (CIC c. 665§1 and CCEO c. 478) state that major superior with the consent of the council can grant a member permission to stay outside the religious house as long as necessary for such a treatment.  During this period of absence from the house they are to follow the obligations of religious life and are accountable to the superiors.  The superior either personally or through a delegate is to keep in contact with the religious on leave and with the professional/physician who is treating the religious.  After doing all that is possible by local and major superiors in helping out the member, if the disruptive behaviour persists or that the member does not co-operate with the superiors, exclaustration could be a solution (CIC cc 686; CCEO cc 548). If exclaustration also does not bring the good results and the incorrigibility continues in the individual, eventually dismissal procedure can be initiated according to the norms given in CIC cc. 695-704 and CCEO cc. 551-553 and also according to the prescriptions in their Constitutions.  However, the process of dismissal is not to be applied to those suffering from emotional or mental illness or to those who are advanced in age.

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Sr.Licia SMI

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After hiding in a toilet from would-be murderers for ninety-one days, and coming out weighing just 29 kilos, a twenty-one year old woman turned her bitter experience into a great lesson in living. So did a survivor of the terrorist attack in Mumbai. How did they do it? Can we do the same?

“I live happier now than when I had everything,” a serene Immaculee Ilibagiza affirms at a Leadership Excellence and Development (LEAD) 2017 Forum presentation.

Her story of brokenness goes back to April 1994, just before celebrating Easter. The shooting down of the plane over Kigali airport on 6 April 1994, left Rwandan President Juvenal Habyarimana, belonging to the Hutu tribe of Rwanda, dead! This triggered the beginning of a three-month long genocide in which the Hutus (the majority tribe) massacred the Tutsis, the other Rwandan tribe.  The Rwandan holocaust, in a span of just one hundred days, left a million people dead and over two million refugees. A Tutsi survivor of the holocaust, Immaculee Ilibagiza was a barely twenty- one years old university student. Along with seven others, she hid in a small toilet measuring four feet by three feet, in the house of Pastor Simon Murinzi, a Hutu, for ninety-one days!

During this time, her entire family was brutally slaughtered. After nearly 275 days in darkness, hunger and thirst, stench, fear and extreme anxiety, Ilibagiza emerged a different person. She had weighed 52 kilos the day she went into hiding; her weight was down to just 29 kilos when she came out. Her bones stuck out of her frail body, but her heart was strong and forgiving. In her book, Left to Tell: Discovering God amidst the Rwandan Holocaust, she confesses that it was in that toilet that she discovered God. She learnt to cling on to hope, and she could forgive unconditionally, while she experienced the power of prayer and love. Her very name, Ilibagiza, means to ‘dispel the darkness’! A small bible that she borrowed from Pastor Murinzi and the last gift of a red and white rosary by her father to her, proved to be the defining supports for dispelling the darkness of those ninety-one days. Today, twenty-three years later, Ilibagiza is a staunch Catholic, a motivational speaker, author and member of the ‘Forgiveness, Reconciliation and Restorative Justice Forum.’ She takes time to care for a number  of orphans. Her life is ‘gracefully broken.’ She uses the many ‘lessons learnt’ in that dark toilet to help other broken lives to find ‘grace’ and ‘love.’ She is no more the ‘Tutsi-cockroach’ waiting to be slaughtered but a beloved image of God to be imitated and loved.

Light in the darkness

Behind every dark cloud, there is a silver lining. The end of every tunnel is always ‘light-embracing.’ Ahead of every failure lies a step toward success. Beyond the pain of every loss, there is a new arrival. Life somehow, even miraculously, recreates the broken! Our history is chequered with lives of personalities who have faced the utmost hardships, shattered to a thousand pieces, broken beyond repair, torn apart like shredded cloth, disfigured beyond recognition and failed a thousand times over. And yet, these same lives radiate a deep connect with God that expresses itself outwardly through joy, serenity, peace, forgiveness and hope. Light radiates through the cracks in their lives.

Kia Scherr, whose husband Allen and daughter Naomi Scherr were shot dead at the Trident Hotel on  26/11/2008, when terror struck Mumbai, is a beacon of hope. Her peaceful life was torn apart by the brutal acts of Kasab and his gang. Surrounded by pain, loss, the need for revenge and hopelessness, Kia chose to be a ‘peace entrepreneur’ and started a whole movement called ‘One Life Alliance’ that promotes the sacredness of life. “Revenge isn’t a word in the lexicon of Kia,” quotes Jyoti P. Lavakare. In her ‘Letter to a Terrorist,’ now made into a short nine-minute documentary, Kia writes, “I feel, with each passing day, more alive than I have ever been!” Kia and Ilibagiza share the same line of thought. Both gracefully broken!

The Japanese have developed an unusual art form: ‘Kintsugi’ or ‘Kintsukuroi’ or the art of ‘golden repair.’ Broken ceramic jars are artistically joined together with a special lacquer dusted with gold, silver or platinum. The golden joinery, in fact, makes the broken ceramic container more beautiful and expensive. What would naturally have found its way to the waste bin, is now displayed on a showcase for all to admire.

Five Life Skills

Here are five simple life skills to convert your brokenness into something gracefully miraculous:

1. ACCEPT THAT YOU ARE ‘PERFECTLY IMPERFECT’: There is great freedom in learning this life skill. Trying to live our lives ‘perfectly-perfect’ takes a toll on every cell in your system. Life was never meant to be a 100% success story, devoid of flaws, failures or tragedy. In fact, it is the ‘imperfectness’ of our lives that makes us more humane and brings out the compassionate and fragile-self of our lives. In embracing the imperfections in us, we find it easier to accept the brokenness of others. Life is a never-ending journey into becoming the best of who we were meant to be. But, this journey has to necessarily pass through periods of brokenness.
2. COURAGE TO GATHER THE FRAGMENTS: We were not created to live shattered lives forever. In the journey of life, we do break and fall apart. It takes a lot of courage, and humility too, to get down on our fallen knees and gather the fragments. Every fragment is an important piece in the mosaic of your life. Your history cannot disown your painful past. It is only in hind-sight, we learn to appreciate the events of our past. Steve Jobs was right when he said, “We need to connect the dots. No one connects the dots with reference to the future. We always connect them with reference to our past.” In connecting the dots, the tapestry of our life becomes more vibrant and significant. No dot can be left out.
3. SHARE THE STORY OF YOUR LIFE: The narratives of every life are important. They inspire and motivate people to take on a new direction in life. Hollywood and Bollywood are full of true life stories that inspire and give hope. Your life too can be inspiring. There is no shame in admitting your failures and brokenness. When your life is put to the test, it is your friends who come out the best.
4. ACCEPT THE BROKENNESS OF OTHERS: Just as you are ‘perfectly-imperfect,’ accept that there are others like you in the same boat. It would be hypocritical to hide behind a ‘better-than-thou’ attitude. Perfection is not a competitive struggle we need to engage in. In our imperfections, we recognise our need for support, formation and compassion.

ALLOW GOD TO “KINTSUGI” YOU: Great saints were broken sinners who allowed God to Kintsugi their lives. Our brokenness is the very reason for divine intervention. The Psalmist rightfully says, “God comes to heal the broken-hearted and to bind up all their wounds” (Psalm 147:3) and “The Lord is near to the broken-hearted and saves those crushed in spirit” (Psalm 34:18). With God’s Grace, we are assured of a happier future than all the shame and hurt of our past. Let not your tomorrows be a continuation of your broken past. Jesus, the master carpenter, knows best the art of joinery. He can mend your brokenness gracefully. Allow Him to turn you into a masterpiece.

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Discerning the layers of desires within us

Part 1. Begin with the Word of God:

Read the following Text:  John 1: 35-42

Focus on the question of Jesus in John 1:38:

• Jesus turned round, saw them following and said, “What do you want?”

(In other translations, the question is: “What are you looking for?” or “What do you seek?”

Part 2: The Layers of “What We Seek”

Do we really know what we want?  Our desires are multi-layered and often enmeshed. For instance, in the prayer of St Augustine, “Oh Master, give me chastity and continence, but not yet,” there are at least two layers of desire.  There is a desire to be chaste (may be at a deeper level), but there is also a desire to be wayward. If we get swayed by our shallow desire, then we may end up being empty, and in due course, frustrated and unhappy.

Similarly, there could be, at a deeper level within us, a desire to leave a legacy behind, but at a shallow level there could be a desire to be popular and famous. Both these are related, but if I focus on the shallow desire I might lose myself in overworking and getting burnt-out, or in putting down others in order to be popular.  On the other hand, if I focus on the desire to leave a legacy, I may achieve what I want more gracefully, including the legacy of good relationships.

Can you identify the layers of desires within you? Using the reverse of this sheet, write down as many desires as you can get in touch with. Answer the question (What do you want?) as sincerely and fully as you can.  Write your responses at appropriate levels as you might perceive. Now, please turn over!

Part 3: What is all this about?

After completing Part 2, have a second look at the waves of desires (on the reverse of this page).  In the box below write down your thoughts and feelings about the exercise.  What does this reality tell you about yourself?

The Waves of Desire:

Write down as many desires as you can possibly identify within yourself, layering them in terms of deep and shallow desires.  Write deep ones at the bottom of the page and the shallow ones on top.

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Fr Sahaya G. Selvam SDB

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You did not choose me. I chose you! (John 15:16)

That was where it all began—this venture into the unknown, following an unheard voice, an unseen face, into an unfathomable future. We had a mysterious attraction to this childhood God who suddenly or gradually caught hold of our lives and would not let us go!

Every consecrated person has a story to tell. Having to deal with young Religious, I would often start with these stories. Some stories were long, beginning from the womb of their mother. Others burst in at a very young age—First Holy Communion or thereabouts. Others were drawn in adolescence or teenage or even later. Whenever and however the call came, it just did not leave us in peace, until we made up our minds, one way or the other. The “If you wish…” of Jesus required a willing answer, not a forced one.

What drew most people to the Religious Life was usually a strong inclination towards prayer or a deep-seated urge towards some kind of apostolate.  After many years of living as a religious or a priest, most of us can honestly say that we seldom had great difficulties in our prayer life or the apostolate. Very few have gone through the ‘dark night’ of some of the saints. Very few have been persecuted because of their ‘apostolate.’

The Tough Challenge

Most of our difficulties in the Consecrated Life have come from an unexpected area—community living, the give-and-take of living and working together with other persons called to the same state of life.  In our youthful enthusiasm, we admired our priests and religious. We thought that because of their evident holiness they must be nice to live with.  But once in the community ourselves, we soon discovered the human elements of community living.

As an old and humorous saying has it:

“To live in love with the saints above,

Oh, what heavenly glory!

But to live and grow with the saints below,

Well, that’s another story!”

It is worthwhile to recall what drew us to the Consecrated Life in the first place. Did we find what we were looking for?

Now, several years after our formation days, what are we looking for? Are we satisfied that this is just what we wanted or felt called to?  Have we grown … grace-fully?

The real freedom, joy and serenity in Consecrated life come from our intimacy with the God who called us /calls us, who walks with us and sustains us. We were not called merely for something. We were called by Someone!  Jesus calls us to discipleship and only then does He send us out on a mission. Giving priority to our work, which we sometimes confuse with mission, at the expense of prayer and gratuitous fraternal love and service, is like placing the cart before the horse. Sooner or later we will burn out, or, if we drag on long enough, retirement will deflate the balloon of our self-importance!  How many disgruntled and disillusioned people we see, who seem to have forgotten their first love!

Whatever be our age, Consecrated Life holds its beauty, its attractiveness. Following in the footsteps of Jesus, living the values He proposed, growing in our likeness to Him, relating with others with His unconditional and forgiving love, serving gratuitously without seeking any reward … all these make our life more genuine, more divine, more worth living, more satisfying from a spiritual as well as a human point of view. We become more humane, more mature, more contented, more at peace with ourselves and with others.

This is the real freedom and joy of a life dedicated to God, a prolonged blessing!  And it is ours for the asking. He has called us and never goes back on His promises. We may have fallen, but He picks us up again. We may have strayed, but He willingly brings us back again.

He calls us even today. It is never too late. Oh, if today you hear His voice, harden not your heart!

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Sr. Esme da Cunha FDCC is a Canossian sister. Her experience includes: College Lecturer in physics, Co-ordinator of Preparation for Final Vows for fifteen batches, member of the provincial and general council.