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Spiritual Gifts and the Church

Donald Bridge, David Phypers (2001)

Spiritual Gifts and the Church originally published in 1973 and revised in 2001, explores the diverse beliefs and debates within various church denominations regarding the Holy Spirit’s gifts. The book draws insights from Paul’s Epistles, primarily 1 Corinthians 12 and Ephesians 4, to emphasize unity among Christians. Divided into three sections, it navigates through the role of spiritual gifts in the Church, the Baptism of the Spirit, and how to embrace these gifts. The authors highlight that while there is an abundance of literature on spiritual gifts, their aim is practical rather than academic. They seek to clarify shared fundamental truths among Christians, advocating for tolerance and unity. The opening chapter delves into Paul’s concept of the “Body of Christ,” characterized by its supernatural nature. It discusses the purpose, nature, origin, and number of spiritual gifts, referencing Paul’s Greek terms: Pneumatikoi, Charisma, diakonia, and phanerösis.

The book acknowledges that some aspects remain unclear, even to Paul himself, and cites disputes over early church practices. It explains the unique gifts granted to Apostles, Prophets, evangelists, pastors, teachers, and others, acknowledging that distinctions between these roles can be complex and are not always essential.  The current controversy within different denominations regarding the concept of the ‘Baptism of the Spirit’ and its manifestations, particularly in relation to the growing charismatic movements is discussed in detail.  The book encourages unity among Christians while exploring the multifaceted topic of spiritual gifts through a practical lens. Each individual is invited to share in the gifts of the Holy Spirit as historical examples show.

The Power of Silence: Against the Dictatorship of Noise

Cardinal Robert Sarah with Nicolas Diat (2016)

The Power of Silence: Against the Dictatorship of Noise is a profound dialogue between Cardinal Robert Sarah, a notable voice in the African Church, and Nicolas Diat. The five-chapter book captures their conversations at the La Grande Chartreuse monastery. Addressing modern challenges in a noisy, materialistic world, the book draws from saints, mystics, and Cardinal Sarah’s experiences. The cardinal explores key questions: Can truth, beauty, and love be grasped without silence? Does wisdom spring from silence, where God’s voice is heard? Creativity is nurtured in silence, but our loud world hinders its pursuit. Modernity’s lack of connection with the divine creates an anguishing dilemma. Silence, a profound relationship between humans and God, births prayer and depth.

Silence, the author contends, enables humans to follow God’s lead. It fosters encounters with God’s light and is more significant than any human endeavor. The true revolution emerges from silence, aligning us with God and service to others. Mother Teresa’s example highlights love born from seeking Jesus. Cardinal Sarah acknowledges the challenge of explaining divine silence. Pope Benedict XVI’s afterword lauds him as a spiritual guide, imparting wisdom from his deep union with the Lord. In essence, The Power of Silence offers insights into the trans-formative potential of silence amidst a noisy world, drawing from Cardinal Sarah’s profound reflections and experiences.

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In this September issue of Magnet, our spotlight is  focused on the profound theme of “Listening and Learning.” In a world that is constantly evolving, it is imperative for us to champion the values of receptivity, growth, and empathy.

Teachers, those guiding beacons who shape the minds of the future, are not merely transmitters of knowledge but are, first and foremost, listeners and perpetual learners themselves. They recognize that the classroom is not just a place for one-way dissemination of facts, but a dynamic arena where diverse perspectives and experiences intertwine. A true teacher understands the art of listening, embracing the unique stories and voices of their students. By doing so, they foster an environment of inclusiveness and collaboration that empowers young minds to flourish. In India, Teachers’ Day is a cherished occasion to honor these guardians of enlightenment.

Education and the Art of Listening

Education has traditionally been celebrated as the gateway to knowledge, but it encompasses much more than a mere repository of facts and figures. It involves the art of cultivating the ability to truly listen – to engage with the voices that resonate with thoughts and emotions. Education seeks to build bridges of understanding among individuals, transcending the barriers that divide us, and fostering a sense of unity. The foundations of education should firmly rest on the principles of openness and inquiry, two virtues closely intertwined with the spirit of listening and learning. Learning suffers when educational autonomy is compromised. Teachers, who should champion free thought and critical examination, often feel restricted by conformity.

In today’s world, listening is paramount. Our society faces increasing suffering and violence, evident in headlines and viral videos. This is a clear call to action, emphasizing the need for our empathy and listening skills more than ever. Recent events, like the distressing case of our sisters in Manipur, who suffered a brutal violation of their dignity as they were paraded naked, has left an indelible imprint on our collective consciousness. This horrific incident serves as a testament to the depths of human cruelty. The fact that many of us still carry the burden of witnessing such atrocities underscores the urgency of our times. It impels us to confront the darkness and become beacons of hope.

Our Role as Church

In an era where those in positions of power and authority seem to have lost their way, where they no longer hear the cries or feel the anguish of their fellow human beings, it is the sacred duty of the Church to step forward. The Church is called to listen, to truly listen, with profound sensitivity. It must serve as a sanctuary where the suffering of the oppressed is not merely heard but deeply understood and solaced. Deep listening is an art that we must diligently cultivate, both as individuals and as a society. It surpasses the act of hearing words; it is about immersing ourselves in the pain, fear, and aspirations of others. Such a skill can only flourish in an environment of profound stillness, where the clamor of judgment and prejudice is silenced. It resonates with the pain of the people, for it is within this resonance that genuine empathy is born.

Jesus revolutionized teaching by introducing parables, fundamentally transforming education. He did so by attuning himself to the struggles of his people. In this issue of Magnet, our six Cover Stories explore our mission to revolutionize teaching by becoming lifelong learners in the school of life and pain. Teachers are not mere conveyors of facts; they are architects of empathy, builders of understanding, and champions of deep listening.

In addition to our regular columns, we present two articles on the concept of synodality, championed by Pope Francis as a model of listening and learning. These articles address different facets of synodality. The first delves into the events leading to the evolution of the Synod on Synodality, using the World Youth Day in Portugal as a parable of Synodality. The second reflects on how the sensibility of synodality can influence our life within the Church. Both articles will be followed by a second part.

We want to express our sincere appreciation to our writers and the dedicated editorial team for their hard work and unwavering commitment. We also extend our heartfelt thanks to our cherished readers, as without you, our existence would have no purpose. We hope you enjoy a delightful reading experience.

Pushpa Joseph

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Romans 12.:2 “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of the world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”

Mother Mary is the model to transform oneself unto the fullness of Christ. Transformation is not a call to passivity, it’s a call to action. The Assumption of the Virgin Mary into heaven is the bodily taking up of the Virgin Mary into heaven at the end her earthly life. Mother Mary’s assumption into heaven is a call to each of us to live our earthly life as a self-surrender to God alone.

I had a unique experience of transformation of my life and got empowered through the guidance of others. To share with you honestly, I faced many problems in life when I was a young religious mainly because of my ignorance of the situation and listening to negative people. At times I was arrogant, angry and not aware of the inner potentialities to help balance my life. This was made known to my spiritual guide by my sisters in community. One fine day my spiritual guide called me and asked me how I was coping in my life as a religious. I told her it is good and I am happy.  Further she asked, are you really happy? This question struck a chord within me, causing my conscience to surge forth and express itself.

Sr Benny D’Cunha UFS

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“Where the mind is without fear […]; where knowledge is free;

where the world has not been broken up into fragments by domestic walls; […];

into that heaven of freedom, […], let my country awake.”

– Rabindranath Tagore

A few days ago, I came across a report by United Christian Forum titled, “Atrocities Against Christians Increasing Drastically Year-On-Year.” It states, “The violence in Manipur has been raging for over two months now, and hundreds of churches and many precious lives have been lost. This year we have just completed half a year of 190 days and we have already witnessed 400 incidents of violence against Christians across 23 states in India with Uttar Pradesh leading the chart with 155 incidents. Last year during the same period (January to June 2022) 274 incidents of violence against Christians witnessed […]. This year the month of June in 2023 has witnessed the highest number of incidents against Christians with 88 incidents (almost 3 incidents a day).”

Addressing the issue of Manipur in his article, “Human Lives Matter” in the Indian Currents (10-16, July, 2023), Archbishop Emeritus of Guwahati Thomas Menamparampil SDB reacts that “Today our interests ought to coincide with hearts and minds united in shared human interests. Manipur matters. The Prime Minister should speak up.” He further comments that “Modiji remains unmoved, He coolly raises the issue of Uniform Civil Code [UCC] and diverts the nation’s attention from the tragedies of Manipur. Is the government deliberately adding insult to injury by keeping the Manipur horrors as a non-issue?”

Fr Arnald Mahesh SDB

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If a celebration does not give any joie de vivre to a person or to a group of people, it becomes a meaningless event. Colourful ‘social media posts’ alone do not create any meaningful celebration in the hearts and minds of the people. These thoughts are relevant as we celebrate Indian Independence Day, which marks the end of British rule in 1947 and the establishment of a ‘free and independent’ Indian nation. On Independence Day, when the Indian tri-colour flutters in the air, it is apt to reflect on the importance of ‘freedom and responsibility’, since every celebration is an opportunity to refresh the memories, to revive the ‘original spirit’, and to analyze the holistic growth progress of a person or an organization in responsible freedom.

Freedom has nothing to do with the amount of physical space we occupy or the bodily capabilities we possess or fulfilling our instinctual needs.  In fact, it is more about respecting the ‘space of the other.’ Freedom is to choose, express and to live without infringing on the personal freedom of others. One of the secrets of happiness is to exercise responsible freedom. Freedom without responsibility is destructive and responsibility without freedom is frustrating. As far as a person does not exercise responsible freedom, no holistic growth happens in the life of that person. As a foetus experiences freedom in the mother’s womb, every human needs to experience freedom in the earth’s womb.

Fr Binny Marydas

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Violence and Jesus of our faith simply do not go together. All through his life Jesus has preached love of God and love of neighbor. He has also given us the touching and classical parables of all times by the names ‘The Good Samaritan’ and ‘The Good Shepherd’ to prove his point. He has also sacrificed his own life out of his pure love for others, for no fault of his. So, it becomes difficult even to imagine violence by such a person.

There is no dispute that Jesus is the Son of God. It is a late realization of his disciples, post Resurrection. As a human he lived exactly like one of us even in human limitations. We clearly come across two instances of his anger: (1) He used expletives like hypocrites, broods of vipers, whitewashed tombs, sons of murderers, etc. against the Pharisees and (2) He used violence while cleansing the temple in Jerusalem. So, there must be some strong reason for such a drastic deviation from his normal behavior resulting in violence. With the Pharisees, clearly the reason was their duplicity. But, for violence in the temple, the reason doesn’t stand out clearly; it emerges only when we put together all the four gospels and read them between their historical background. So, it is necessary to see Jesus from the historic perspective since he too has addressed himself most of the time as Son of Man.

Alex Mascarenhas SJ

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The school community rejoiced as two sisters joined the staff for the first time in our 14-year history. One sister became the supervisor for the Primary section, and I, the second sister, took on the role of moderator for Value Education, responsible for classes V to X. As the new academic year began, the Secondary section teachers approached me with a heartfelt plea. “Sister, please consider taking as many classes as possible in IX C. The students there are facing serious challenges, and we feel ill-equipped to handle them for they seem beyond redemption.” Despite being an amateur in this field, my love for the children and youth drew me to this class, since I was brought up in the soil of Salesian Fathers whose commitment to the young had made a great impact on me.

As I entered the class, I smiled at the students, and one of them said, “Sister, you have a captivating smile.”  “Thanks for the compliment,” I replied, “but let me tell you that you all deserve that smile.” Without wasting time, I began the class by sharing an experience from my school days.

“There was a class of 50 students, all very friendly and supportive,” I started. “But during lunchtime, I noticed one girl, Cicily, standing alone under a mango tree without eating. It puzzled me, and whenever I asked my friends about it, they said she was a proud girl and didn’t mix with others.”  “But one day, I decided to take a chance and called her to the Music room for a friendly chat,” I continued. “As she opened up about her life, I couldn’t control my emotions. I offered her my lunch and told her that I would wait for her every noon in the same room for lunch.”

Sr Mariella CTC

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A group of one thousand pilgrims hailing from Bergamo and Brescia in Italy embarked on a journey to Rome, retracing the footsteps of the two influential Popes of the Second Vatican Council, namely John XXIII and Paul VI. Their pilgrimage aimed to honor the legacy of these visionary leaders and deepen their understanding of the Council’s profound impact on the Catholic Church.  Sr Celine who was part of the group shares her experience of the pilgrimage.

STANDING ON THE SHOULDERS OF TWO GREAT MASTERS

The year 2023 is  a year of grace, to remember and celebrate two great Popes,  who contributed immensely to the renewal of the Church and the world.  June 3 marks 60 years since  the death of  John XXIII,  June 21, the 60th anniversary of the election of  Paul VI. They are the two important exponents of 20th century culture and thought patterns.  From June 2-4, Sotto il Monte and Concesio, the two towns that gave birth to these two holy Popes, celebrated these important and significant events, through a pilgrimage to Rome, and to meet Pope Francis in a private audience. Over a thousand pilgrims participated in this holy venture. Joining the Pilgrims, being part of this once in a lifetime grace-filled event, makes you feel proud to belong to the Catholic Church. It’s an occasion to revitalize our spiritual energies and  to renew our commitment to live our faith joyfully and enthusiastically.

John XXIII and Paul VI- the protagonists and parents of Vatican II with different family backgrounds, temperaments, formation and experience, were great friends; who admired, appreciated and supported each other. A profound relationship existed between Roncalli and Montini. One opened the Council and the other steered it wisely and closed it solemnly. Both of them shared the Council’s project to make the Church ever more open and docile to the action and inspiration of the Holy Spirit. As Jean Guitton said, providence made use of them: ‘of the bold, elderly pilot to launch the vessel into the sea’ and ‘of the young man to bring it into port’.  They are not merely two great masters but also true and authentic witnesses who  showed to everyone by word and example the true path to heaven.

Sr. Celine D’Cunha FMA

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Unveiling The Significance Of A New Liturgical Season

In a shocking report released on June 5th this year, the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) revealed the alarming increase in extreme weather events during the first four months of 2023 in India. Sunita Narain, the director of CSE, expressing shock stated “Scary statistics foretell how our natural world is transforming because of climate change. In 2023, in the first four months, 70 per cent of the days have already seen extreme weather events.”
Such alarming statistics reflect the urgency of addressing the Climate crisis. Since June 2015, the Catholic Church has been actively engaged in ecological discussions and action, with religious women and men at the forefront of this movement. Among the various new changes initiated by Pope Francis, one notable change is the introduction of a new liturgical season—the Season of Creation. New times call for a new liturgical season!
Spanning 34 days, this season calls upon the planet’s 2.2 billion Christians and all individuals of good will to pray for and care for God’s creation. It commences on September 1st, observed as the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation, and concludes on October 4th, the feast of St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of ecology.

Br Sunil Britto CFC

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Investment is a very important part of financial management. It is only common sense that whatever extra funds (other than what is needed for the short-term) we have are kept invested. Investment is done in order to earn interest, an additional income to support our needs. It is also meant to beat inflation.

Goal oriented investments: Any investment is done for a specific goal.  A financial goal is a very important and necessary element of investment. We may have many financial goals such as buying a school bus for Rs 20 lakhs, setting up a computer lab costing Rs 10 lakhs, putting up a new block for Rs 6 crores, setting up a poor students’ scholarship fund of Rs 5 lakhs, etc.

Kinds of Investment: Investment can be of different types such as fixed deposit (FD), bonds, mutual funds, shares, etc. Each category is meant for a specific purpose. We know what a fixed deposit is. It is an assurance given by a bank or company which accepts a fixed amount from an investor for a fixed duration of 1 year or 3 years or 5 years with a promise to pay a fixed percentage of interest. A bond is an assurance given by the issuing party, usually the government, which borrows money from its lenders, the public, for a duration of 10 years or 15 years to pay a fixed percentage of interest. A mutual fund is a fund managed by a company which pools together the money of the investors, invests the same in specified stocks of the stock market and earns profit on its investments and distributes the same to the investors proportionately. Here, neither the duration of investment nor the percentage of income (return) is fixed. However, we need to remember the exit load (penalty paid if exited before the expiry of the load period) levied by funds for various categories of funds. Return on the mutual funds depends on the performance of the specific stocks in the stock market. Unlike investment in a mutual fund, investment in stocks is a direct investment in the stock market where an investor invests his/her money directly in a stock (buys shares of a stock with the price per share of the stock at that particular moment) and duration of his/her choice (sells the shares bought earlier at a current price of the stock per share). The difference between the purchase price and sale price of the shares of the stock is calculated as the gain or loss for the investor.

Fr Alex G SJ

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