home

The world is broken, countries are fractured, families are torn apart, and individuals are left shattered. We witness violence permeating our society, and the dehumanization of individuals is all too common. Why does violence persist in our society? Why are human beings not treated with the dignity they deserve?

Throughout history, we read about ordinary people performing revolutionary and courageous acts. These individuals stood by their values, fought for the rights of the innocent, and never expected anything in return. Today, how many of us can genuinely be ourselves, take responsibility, and honour our commitments to uphold the truth, even if it means challenging the status quo?

When we stand for a cause, nothing should deter us. In whatever small way we can bring justice to an individual or society, we must find the courage to act. Courage is what empowers us to stand up and speak out. Let us not remain passive members of an audience, content with simply clapping from the sidelines. Instead, let us take our place on the podium, boldly proclaiming truth and justice. Regardless of the obstacles, truth will always prevail.

Sr Lini Sheeja MSC

To read the entire article, click Subscribe

“A good priest, sister or nun must above all else be a man or woman who is formed and shaped by the Lord’s grace, … they must be people who are aware of their own limitations and willing to lead a life of prayer, and dedicated witness to the Gospel.”

– Pope Francis

This article highlights the relevance and necessity of ‘reconciliation-centered’ formation process for Catholic priests and nuns.

As we know, 3D or three dimensional, refers to the three spatial dimensions of width, height and depth. The title of the article, ‘3D formation’, refers to a new perspective of the ‘reconcilation-centered formation’ process from three dimensions. In other words, a ‘reconciliation-centered formation’ requires the width of relationship, the height of love and the depth of compassion.   

The integral aim of the formative process is to help one to configure oneself to Christ. This configuration-process happens when one tries to answer the question, ‘why reconcile with someone’?  In fact, one reconciles to relate better. What is the outcome of a deeper relationship? Efforts to relate well increases the capacity to love. Once the capacity to love increases, a person becomes a more compassionate person, because one cannot be compassionate without love, and one cannot be lovable without compassion. In short, ‘reconciliation-centered formation’ needs to highlight awareness of relationship, love and compassion. To create this awareness in the formation process through various ways is the first step of a ‘reconciliation-centered formation’ process.

Fr Binny Marydas

To read the entire article, click Subscribe

India has been enduring intense heat waves over the past few months. In 37 cities, temperatures soared above 45ºC, and nighttime temperatures remained as high as 36ºC in many areas. These extreme events, which are increasing in frequency, lasting longer, and becoming hotter, are becoming the new normal in this age.

Heatwaves: Testing Our Human Endurance

An analysis by World Weather Attribution (WWA) reveals that climate change has made the current extreme temperatures in India 45 times more likely than they would be without climate change. India now has a 10% chance of experiencing an extreme heatwave in any given year. Additionally, a World Bank report predicts that by 2030, heat stress could lead to a global loss of 80 million jobs due to decreased productivity, with India potentially accounting for 34 million of these job losses.

It is not just heatwaves; we are constantly challenged by unexpected, frequent, and intense droughts, floods, forest fires, and other calamities. Humanity is facing an unprecedented environmental crisis. Over the past few decades, we have used and abused coal, oil, forests, rivers, and seas, and now we are bearing the consequences. The climate has changed. The wound is deep, and the damage appears irreversible. Can we live in a shattered house? Impossible. The wounds need healing, and the damages require restoration.

Fr Ricopar Royan SDB

To read the entire article, click Subscribe

This is the fourth article in a series on prayer written by Sr. Celine as part of the preparation for the Jubilee Year 2025. The first article focused on prayer as a spiritual oasis, the second on prayer as power, and the third on prayer as being in the presence of the Lord. This fourth article centres on prayer as listening.

We live in a world of incessant noise. Almost everywhere we go and whatever we do, we are constantly bombarded with distractions—images and sounds from TV and social media, conversations with friends and neighbours, and the activities of family and surroundings. Listening has become a lost art in our modern culture. Rarely do we get quiet time together with our families without some kind of distraction. Seeking a quiet place to spend time with God or with ourselves is not always easy. Too often, we find ourselves challenged and confused about what we should do in a given situation or what is truly the most important thing in our lives.

LEARNING TO LISTEN IS AN ART

Learning to listen is a process that involves great desire, quality time, much effort, patience, and persistence. It is demanding inner work – a desire to listen just for the sake of listening, beyond words and any personal agenda. Not many people know how to do it. Staying silent until the other person stops talking is not the same as listening, and thinking about what to say next while the other person speaks is not the same as listening either. To listen to others, we need to close our eyes, shut our lips, open our ears, and connect our hearts.

Sr. Celine D’Cunha FMA

To read the entire article, click Subscribe

It is often said, “If you really want to know yourself and make progress in life, ask your enemies.” Enemies play a crucial role in our lives, offering insights into our weaknesses and keeping us alert. We have to be thankful to them for this unpaid job. They spend a lot of time and energy tracking us and informing us about our ‘areas for improvement.’ While their methods may seem harsh, we must acknowledge the value of their observations. Embracing criticism and evaluation is essential for personal growth and achievement.

As parents, teachers, animators, mentors, or formators, giving feedback is a challenging yet indispensable task that needs to be done responsibly. However, it is crucial to remember that the recipient of feedback is at the center of the process. Thus, it is our responsibility to deliver feedback with compassion and accountability, an act often referred to in religious contexts as ‘sharing truth in charity.’ Here are some guidelines to help you provide feedback effectively:

Richard Mascarenhas, SJ

To read the entire article, click Subscribe

Venerable Mamma Margaret was the mother of St. John Bosco, popularly known as Don Bosco.  After the death of her husband, she had a tough time bringing up her stepson Anthony and her own two sons, John (later Don Bosco) and Joseph.  Anthony was hot-tempered and John was stubborn.  Anthony wanted John to work on the farm and John wanted to study.  There would be heated arguments and fights between them.  Wise and patient as she was, she would give them time to cool down.  At the end of the day when the ‘Our Father’ would be prayed during the family prayer, Mamma Margaret would stop Anthony and tell him not to say the words, “forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.”  In the dialogue that would inevitably follow she would ask him how he expected the Lord to forgive him when he had not forgiven his brothers.  Her words, uttered in a simple and loving way, would usually produce the desired effect with Anthony admitting, “I was wrong.  Forgive me.”

When Don Bosco began his work for the poor youth of Turin, Mamma Margaret left her native place and stayed with him to help him.  Although she was very gentle and patient, she often found it difficult to put up with the thoughtless and irresponsible behaviour of the boys.  One day, tired, very upset and determined to go back to her village she went and complained to Don Bosco: “Your boys are careless and irresponsible.  They throw their clothes around.  They carry away the utensils from the kitchen to use for their amusement.  Playing around they destroy my vegetable garden.  I can’t take it anymore. I want to go back to my village to spend my last days in peace.”

Fr Jose Kuttianimattathil, sdb

To read the entire article, click Subscribe

“Learning to stand in somebody else’s shoes, to see through their eyes, that’s how peace begins. And it’s up to you to make that happen. Empathy is a quality of character that can change the world.”

— Barack Obama.

Many years ago, I remember watching a Chinese movie in which a little boy, Doggie, is cruel to frogs. He ties a large stone on the back of a frog and laughs in glee when the frog is unable to jump or move about. The master, known as “Wang Bianlian” or “King of Masks,” who had taken the little boy under his wing to train him, decides to teach him a lesson. One night, when the boy was sleeping, the master ties a large rock on his back and when the boy wakes from sleep, he is unable to stand up nor move. He starts crying and begging the master to free him. This scene is significant in the movie as it highlights the master’s effort to teach the boy compassion and respect for all living beings.

One of the core principles that underlie the emotional dimension of the wholeness paradigm is when we embrace our emotions and nurture our own and others’ emotional well-being, we are well equipped to cultivate a sense of wholeness and lead a more fulfilling life. In this issue, we shall discuss the highest manifestation of the emotional dimension – Compassion in all its richness and its significance in life.

Fr. Dr. Joseph Jeyaraj, sdb

To read the entire article, click Subscribe

Gaudium et Spes (meaning ‘Joy and Hope’), the Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World, stands as one of the four pivotal constitutions born out of the Second Vatican Council. True to Vatican tradition, its title is derived from the document’s opening words in Latin, ‘the joys and hopes.’

THE SPIRIT AT WORK IN ITS DEVELOPMENT

As the final document of the Vatican II, Gaudium et Spes (GS) was approved by a vote of 2,307 to 74 from the assembled bishops and was promulgated by Pope Paul VI on December 7, 1965, the Council’s closing day.

Unlike other documents, GS was not pre-drafted; it emerged organically from the discussions among the Council Fathers themselves. This fact highlights how strongly the Council Fathers felt about the theme of the Church in the world. The document’s content and emphasis were meticulously debated through multiple drafts.

Toward the end of the Council’s first session, Belgian Cardinal Suenens emphasized the need for the Church to address worldly issues rather than focus solely on internal matters. Cardinal Montini of Milan (later Pope Paul VI) supported Cardinal Suenens’ proposal the following day, and Cardinal Lercaro of Bologna echoed similar sentiments shortly thereafter. Thanks to the backing of these influential Council Fathers, the outcome was the longest document produced by any of the 21 ecumenical councils in the Church’s 2,000-year history.

Br. Sunil Britto CFC

To read the entire article, click Subscribe

As I stand at the threshold of merging into the vast ocean, I feel compelled to share a fragment of my journey as a woman religious spanning 55 years, with 35 of those years lived in the distinct manner of religious life. Memory turns into gratitude, and gratitude into mission: a life shaped by vows of commitment. These are my bittersweet recollections and love in action, akin to Mahua flowers scattered when the tree can no longer contain them. This is my humble expression of gratitude to life, my religious community, my nurturing family, and all the support systems that have propelled me onwards.

1. Consecrated Religious – Gift of the Universe

Religious life is like a puzzle; its assembled pieces reveal a beautiful, evolving embroidery. Unlike a puzzle, it transcends borders, demonstrating resilience and inter-connectedness. Religious life fosters a deep connection with the Earth and its ecology, offering an experience akin to falling in love.

Once, while cleaning the floor with Nagia Devi in the village, she explained, “This floor serves us day and night; it is part of us. Shouldn’t we serve it gratefully?”

Sr Joel Urumpil SCN

To read the entire article, click Subscribe

Noah (2014): 138 minutes

Director: Darren Aronofsky

Cast: Russell Crowe, Dakota Goyo, Jennifer Connelly, Ray Winstone, Finn Wittrock, Emma Watson, Skylar Burke, Logan Lerman, Nolan Gross, Anthony Hopkins

The film Noah, presents the biblical Genesis story with a blend of spectacle and narrative additions while staying true to the spirit of the original text. The story follows Noah, a descendant of the righteous Seth, who witnesses the murder of his father Lamech by a descendant of Cain, resulting in the loss of his birthright. As an adult, Noah lives with his wife Naameh and their three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth. They also care for Ila, a girl they adopt after she survives a massacre. Noah experiences visions of a catastrophic flood meant to cleanse the world of its wickedness and seeks counsel from his grandfather Methuselah, who confirms the divine message. Noah is instructed to build an ark to save his family and pairs of every animal species. Noah and his family receive unexpected aid from the Watchers, fallen angels now encrusted in stone, who initially doubt but later support Noah’s mission after witnessing a miracle. Family tensions arise as Ila and Shem fall in love, and Noah’s search for wives for his other sons in a refugee camp ends in disillusionment due to the camp’s immorality. Ila, believed to be infertile due to a childhood wound, is miraculously healed by Methuselah. Tubal-cain, the antagonist and a blacksmith, learns of the coming deluge and plans to take over Noah’s ark with his army. As the flood begins, a battle ensues between Tubal-cain’s forces and Noah’s family, with Shem and Ham playing pivotal roles despite their conflicts with Noah. The ark eventually lands on a mountain as the floodwaters recede. In the aftermath, Noah, overwhelmed by guilt, succumbs to drunkenness but finds redemption through the love of his family and the birth of his grandchildren. The film enriches the biblical narrative with imaginative elements and striking visual effects, offering a unique retelling of the classic story.

Saul: The Journey to Damascus (2014).  Runtime: 86 minutes.

Director: Mario Azzopardi

Cast: Kyle Schmid, John Rhys-Davies • Emmanuelle Vaugier, Callum Blue; • Kris Holden-Ried, Dan Cade as Stephen, Brittany Bristow

Saul: The Journey to Damascus dramatizes the profound conversion of Saul of Tarsus, a staunch persecutor of early Christians who transforms into Paul, one of Christianity’s most revered apostles. Set five years after the crucifixion of Jesus, the movie opens with Saul, a powerful Pharisee and Roman citizen, aggressively opposing the rapidly growing Christian movement. Supported by High Priest Caiaphas, Saul oversees the brutal persecution of Christians, including the stoning of Stephen. Despite facing death, Stephen forgives Saul with his final words, praying for Saul’s forgiveness. These words deeply haunt Saul, planting the first seeds of doubt and guilt in his mind. Determined to crush the fledgling faith, Saul travels to Damascus with Roman soldiers to arrest fleeing Christians. En route, they disrupt a wedding, leading to the bride’s death, and Saul experiences a divine vision during a sudden dust storm. Struck blind, he is taken to Damascus, where he meets Ananias, a persecuted Christian who miraculously heals him. Saul’s vision and subsequent healing lead to a dramatic change of heart. He releases the Christian captives and uses his Roman privilege to protect them from the Roman captain. Saul publicly confesses his past life and his change of heart before the very people he had persecuted, who listen in disbelief and fear due to their prior experiences with him. Despite their initial skepticism, Saul’s transformation sets the stage for his future mission as Paul the Apostle, a pivotal figure in the spread of Christianity. The film captures the intense struggle and ultimate redemption of Saul, illustrating his pivotal role in the spread of Christianity and highlighting the powerful themes of forgiveness and personal transformation.

To read the entire article, click Subscribe