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Happy New Year.  It is a time to transform oneself and to encounter life anew.

I want to start my new year’s editorial with this testimony written by a doctor who worked in Africa.  It speaks to my heart.

Isaiah 65:24: – “Before they call, I will answer.” 

One night I had worked hard to help a mother in the labour ward; but in spite of doing all that we could do, she died, leaving us with a tiny, premature baby and a crying two-year-old daughter. We would have difficulty keeping the baby alive; as we had no incubator (we had no electricity to run an incubator). We also had no special feeding facilities.    Nights were often chilly with treacherous drafts. The nurse went to stoke up the fire and fill a hot water bottle. She came back shortly in distress to tell me that in filling the bottle, it had burst (rubber perishes easily in tropical climates). “And it is our last hot water bottle!” she exclaimed.  “All right,” I said, “put the baby as near the fire as you safely can, and sleep between the baby and the door to keep it free from drafts. Your job is to keep the baby warm.”   The following noon, as I did most days, I went to have prayers with any of the orphanage children who chose to gather with me.  During prayer time, one ten -year-old girl, Ruth, prayed with the usual blunt conciseness of our African children. “Please, God” she prayed, “Send us a hot water bottle today. It’ll be no good tomorrow, God, as the baby will be dead, so please send it this afternoon.”  “And while You are about it, would You please send a dolly for the little girl so she’ll know You really love her?” 

As often with children’s prayers, I was put on the spot. Could I honestly say “Amen?” I just did not believe that God could do this.  Halfway through the afternoon, while I was teaching in the nurses’ training school, a message was sent that there was a car at my front door. By the time I reached home, the car had gone, but there on the verandah was a large 22-pound parcel. I felt tears pricking my eyes. I could not open the parcel alone, so I sent for the orphanage children. Together we pulled off the string, carefully undoing each knot.  There were brightly-coloured, knitted jerseys, knitted bandages for the leprosy patients, raisins and other dry fruits.  

Then, as I put my hand in again, I felt the…..could it really be? 

I grasped it and pulled it out. Yes, a brand new, rubber hot water bottle. I cried. I had not asked God to send it; I had not truly believed that He could. 

Ruth was in the front row of the children. She rushed forward, crying out, “If God has sent the bottle, He must have sent the dolly, too!” 

Rummaging down to the bottom of the box, she pulled out the small, beautifully-dressed dolly. Her eyes shone! She had never doubted it! Looking up at me, she asked, “Can I go over with you and give this dolly to that little girl, so she’ll know that Jesus really loves her?” 

True transformation begins only when we have the simple faith of a child.  That’s why Jesus said, ‘become like children.’ Such child like faith begins with a spontaneous encounter of the divine, in you, around you and in others.  Life I believe is a series of encounters which happen only when I trust and trust is essential to any relationship. The divine exists only in relation and another name for relationships today is network.  After all, this true story of childlike trust from Africa was available to me only because of the social media network.  Social networking is not bad or good, it is the way I use it that makes it either.   This issue of Magnet with Social Media – To Transform & Encounter as its cover story contains numerous live examples of encounter – encounter with God, encounter with human pain, encounter with goodness embodied as human.  May you experience life in all its colour and authenticity as you read through the pages of this issue of Magnet.  Wishing you a bright and Joy filled 2023.

I am happy to introduce our new writer for our psychology column Fr Dr. Joseph Jeyaraj Swaminathan, SDB.   He trained as a Person-Centred Therapist (PCT) at Salford University, Manchester, UK and has been practising PCT, family counselling, youth and trauma counselling. He is the founder of Niraivagam – the Don Bosco Institute of Psychological Services, which is at Chennai, and is presently its director.  Fr Joseph Jeyaraj is an experienced writer, visionary and exemplary thinker as you will see already in his first article in this issue of Magnet.  It is indeed our privilege to have him as a regular columnist.

Pushpa Joseph

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Aha! A fresh and lovely morning! Teena (name changed) threw her hands up and down in the air as she came out into the courtyard to relish the newness of the morning. She had slept well that night and that was a great success for her!  It is a year and a half since she is suffering from depression and is under medication. Her need to take medicine itself aggravates her helplessness and anger. At the age of 56 she misses her children who are settled abroad. She feels too tired to get up in the morning, to cook meals or to do any work. All her skills and education seem to be a mere waste.  She doubted if her husband loved her at all with those wrinkles appearing on her face and hands.

I have been reaching out to Teena for a while now.  Also, with a few other women in their late middle age and older, who go through immense stress; a battered wife even at the age of 63 years, a mother with a 22-year-old daughter with Down Syndrome, a widow struggling to bring up her children, families with heavy bank loans and some others submerged in loneliness and fear as they are left alone at home. If only one could touch their lives in some small ways!

Women at this age group became a priority for the two of us Good Shepherd Sisters as we found them as a stuck, hidden and ignored group in the so-called developed society in Kerala. This awareness paved the way for a new beginning. A Day Care Centre was initiated to accompany the elder women.  This new venture in consultation with the needy in itself was empowering for all. We welcome them cordially; have a lot of games, sing-songs, dance, creativity session, relaxation besides counseling and group work. Just three months since its establishment, this Centre proves to be an effective forum for unconditional support, wellness and empowerment for the attendees.

Sr. (Dr) Shalini Podimattam RGS

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The phrase ‘New Beginnings’ denotes that there were old starts. This may mean that one is not satisfied with the earlier beginnings and would like to have a new beginning, or a new situation.  New challenges in life require new beginnings in order to move forward in one’s life journey. New beginnings have hope, expectations and have certain goals. New beginnings are the result of certain understanding and insights such as—Self Evaluation, Situational Evaluation, Mission Evaluation and so on. Certain events and certain seasons motivate one to a New Beginning. This Christmas season may we be motivated to have resolutions for New Beginnings. The need to have a new beginning will differ from person to person and from group to group. One such need for a new beginning is shared in this article.

Extra Money – A Persistent Slogan

Today the focus, the goal of the people in general is— ‘Make Money.’ Is making or earning money a bad thing? No, it is not; rather it is an essential one. But today there is a craving for ‘Extra Money.’ A salaried person wants to have some ‘Extra Money,’ a business person wants ‘Extra Money,’ a Producer of a commodity wants ‘Extra Money,’ a consumer wants ‘Extra Money,’ people involved in social work want ‘Extra Money,’ people involved in spiritual activity want ‘Extra Money,’ people’s representatives from grass root to the top want ‘Extra Money,’ the voters want ‘Extra Money’ and in short, given the chance, it appears that every one of us wants ‘Extra Money’ which is not ours, which is not legal and which is not right.

This ‘Extra Money’ is usually in the form of bribe, adulteration, cheating, duplication, low quality, buy one get one free, lottery, donations, corruption, horse trading, operation, selling the votes, freebies and so on.  But every one of them justifies the ‘Extra Money.’ This increasing craving for ‘Extra Money’ is one of the main causes for many of the evils that are found in society. This is one of the biggest hurdles in the way of change—be it Social or Political Change.

K. John Don Bosco

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Christmas, for me, symbolizes a season of new beginnings, inviting us, to be hope to those who have lost hope and to restore dignity to those who are marginalised at every front.

My Great Desire

It has always been my great desire to do something for women’s empowerment. God placed me in Gujarat through my congregation to work with the most underprivileged Adivasi women. Since 1999, I have been involved in making efforts for empowering Adivasi women through skill education, leadership training and wider outreach to the village communities.

WEST – For the Underprivileged

I was happy, during this academic year, to collaborate with a Jesuit centre in Rajpipla, Gujarat in developing a programme called Women’s Empowerment for Social Transformation (WEST). It is a training programme for young women from the marginalised sections of the society, especially Adivasi women, to become lawyers and social workers. It is a five-year programme and in the first year, language and computer skills are given along with the training for transformation based on Paulo Freire’s pedagogy of education – self and social transformation.  Our outdated education systems have not contributed to the socio-economic development of Adivasi women.  And so, the WEST programme envisages a paradigm shift from the traditional education system in creating situational changes. Through this programme young women are trained to develop an ideology of change and value formation so that they are equipped to work for the transformation of their own society, to assert their rights and gain a rightful place in the society. As trained women in their respective professions, they will be the decision makers. This will provide them with space and expertise and thus they will break traditions and taboos in a non-threatening manner. It will become a naturally nurtured and accepted women leadership in the community. It will promote gender equality.

My Contribution

I taught life skills to these young women to develop their confidence and be focused. I could notice a positive change in their attitude and perspective after conducting a series of sessions with them. The common notion is that Adivasi women are not ambitious and are not  motivated to persevere in their career. It was an uphill task for me in the beginning to motivate them and get them on track. I was happy that I could help them to persevere in their studies.

Sr Magy Allessu DHM

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St. Francis of Assisi was the first to create augmented reality of the Christmas event as he made the 4D Crib which the Franciscan history vouches was a living crib, wherein the Christ-Child came alive.  It was the beginning, a beginning that set to flame the saga of many a Christmas event re-enacted in every believing heart.

The humus-effect—The Humility-Effect—of Jesus, is so overwhelming an experience that Francis of Assisi who had dwelt on it, became so Christ-intoxicated, hence a transformation so complete.  Tradition says that the early Christmas Cribs were made with mud and clay. I am certain many of us who belong to a different generation, blissfully different a generation, have had some experience of actually creating the idols and figures from the clay and mud. The Second Adam who is the Creator of the first Adam decided to be born as a human being in extreme humility and poverty. A humble person is known to be down to earth.  The word humility originated from the word humus which means soil, dark soil, fertile soil, earth etc. St. Francis saw the humility of God in the Christ Birth and the entire Jesus event.  He marveled at the sublime humility of God – The humility of God in the Eucharist, and at every Christmas event celebrated in the shadow of the Cross.

The Christmas event, the greatest of all events marks the beginning of the God-Man, Jesus, teaching us the story of humility, the humility of a God who was born on the earth, down to earth to raise the down-trodden to heights.  The path to Christ’s birth was not an easy one, no comfort was provided to the parents of the Divine Child. Jesus Himself from womb to tomb lived outside the comfort zone.  It was humility in its highest superlative, life in its extreme margins lived by the Lord Himself, as an itinerant, barefoot traveler, preaching and reaching out.

Sr Babitha Abraham FMM

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Christmas for me symbolizes a season of new beginnings; a new beginning when all hope is lost and suddenly, God shows up in the situation and changes all things around for our good.

A Blessing & Privilege

It had been a blessing to work with underprivileged students in St. Mary’s community College, Jharsuguda, Odisha. I had the opportunity to understand their difficulties, comfort them in sorrow, accompany them in their pain.  Their study is adversely affected by family problems such as alcoholic parents, family disputes, deceased parents, death of siblings and loved ones. Some of them are being brought up by a single parent.  Parents are mostly farmers and daily labourers. Most of them are school and college dropouts, young widows, those who were once involved in begging, have had bad relationships, part of child labour, and have experienced homelessness and suicidal thoughts, and many have also been victims of domestic violence.

The job that they are offered after their training, seems to really help them, this enables them to have a reason to believe in themselves, to feel accepted, and take control of their lives in a respectable manner.

I Made a Difference

Working with the underprivileged has helped me realize that I made a difference in their life. Sometimes it was difficult for me to handle them, or manage the finance. Many times I felt helpless. I simply brought all my anxiety and worry to the Lord during the holy hour from where I drew immense strength.  However, through a series of divine intervention, the God of new beginnings showed up and gave me grace to understand and love them and support them emotionally and financially. I felt proud that I was able to involve myself in the life of young people.

Sr.Ranjita Tirkey HM

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Recently while browsing through the internet, I came across the life stories of two ordinary children who became extraordinary persons because of what they did, the new possibilities they envisaged for themselves, others, the world and creation.  The first child is Gauravi Kaushik from Jaipur.  The second one is Ranjitha from Orissa.  The theme for this issue of the Magnet, New Beginnings, was inspired by them.   This in addition to the fact that Christmas always has a spontaneous delight which leads us to a recommitment of our selves.

Gauravi’s Little Steps

Gauravi Kaushik is presently a 16-year-old teenage high school student.  She is the Co-Founder of NGO R-4.  What does the 4 Rs of this NGO stand for? – REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE and RESTORE.  Where did Gauravi get her vision? What was that extraordinary event that pushed her on to something new?

In fact, there is nothing extraordinary.  When she was ten years old, she saw her elder sister collecting and storing kitchen waste for a few days and converting it into manure for plants. She was thrilled.  That day, says Gauravi, ‘I found my vision.  I realized I will embark on a journey towards making this society, this country and finally this world a better place to live in.’

Gauravi along with her sister first started a number of environmental initiatives in their school in Jaipur. In 2013 when Gauravi was 7 and her sister 13, they started R-4.  Initially they managed the project together and gradually they developed a network of 200 volunteers and 650 followers on Facebook.

What is their mission statement? – Reading and preaching about conservation is not enough. We have to act, and act now.

What did/do they do?

• They started with waste management projects which spread throughout Jaipur.
• They worked for sustainability along with volunteers.
• They helped with planting trees, made people aware about the importance of segregating waste through waste collection marathons, theatre festivals like Jairangam and other events.
• Presently, they organize annually a campaign called Meri Bhee Diwali event for which the vision is to see every child happy on the festival of Diwali. In view of this vision, they organize a collection drive for old festive clothes and foot wear every year – since 2016 to date.  They are then washed, packed and distributed to those in need.

Pushpa Joseph

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This article on the National Education Policy 2020 is a continuation of the cover story of the November issue.  Prof. Bernard Sami a visionary in Higher Education, and an experienced Professor teaching in Loyola College, Chennai has more to educate us on the implications of NEP 2020 for our Higher Education Institutions in India.

The governments of Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh have taken the lead in implementing NEP 2020, while other states are being, directly or indirectly, coaxed to implement it.  Some States like Tamil Nadu have opted for developing a State Education Policy (SEP) as an alternative. The implementation of the NEP is creating problems for the existing colleges and Universities as it mandates radical structural changes in Higher Education.  This article highlights the features of NEP 2020 and some serious concerns it raises in its execution.

Highlights of the NEP 2020 in the area of Higher Education (HE):

• The draft NEP had 484 pages, but the document that the Cabinet passed in July 2020 has 66 pages. The team headed by Dr Kasturi Rangan that received the feedback, scaled it down to a thinner policy cancelling state-level mechanisms such as Rashtriya Shiksha Aayog and other heavy bureaucratic systems.

• The importance of liberal arts education has been recognized and the starting of five Indian Institutes of Liberal Arts (IILA) to award four-year degrees is mentioned in the policy.
• Three kinds of institutions are envisaged – institutions with a focus on Research; Teaching, and Autonomous Colleges with degree awarding powers. Draft NEP envisages Tier I, Tier II and Tier III system.
  • Under Tier I – 300 research universities and 3000 teaching universities with a predominant research component with some teaching.
  • Under Tier II Universities devote time to teaching and carrying on some research with 25000-30000 student capacity, and
  • Tier III 40000 colleges with 2500-5000 institutions mainly comprising colleges to become autonomous colleges and degree awarding colleges.

However, it says nothing about funding, indicating that growth in higher education will be dependent on the private sector.

Dr Bernard D’ Sami

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We, the Missionaries of St. Francis de Sales (M.S.F.S.) better known as Fransalians, commemorate the 400th death anniversary of our heavenly Patron St. Francis de Sales on December 28^th 2022. In the spiritual life, saints show us the way to perfection. They are our real ideals, whom we emulate and have recourse to for our spiritual growth. We do bear their names, which reminds us of that particular saint and his or her teachings and principles of life to follow, in our lives. It was St. Francis de Sales’ life that influenced our Founder and Servant of God Fr. Peter Marie Mermier, to found the MSFS Congregation under his patronage. Since 1838, for the last 184 years, the Congregation is known worldwide and is contributing a lot towards the growth of the Universal Church. Hence it is very appropriate for us to reflect on the brief biography of our patron St. Francis de Sales from his birth till the last breath and days of his earthly life.

Francis de Sales – A Biography

Francis de Sales was born in Thorens, Savoy, France on 21st August 1567. He was a student of law and theology at the University in Padua, Italy. It was here that he obtained his Doctorate in Civil and Canon law in 1591. He returned to Savoy in February 1592. He was appointed Provost in 1593 and took charge of the diocese of Geneva, Annecy. He was ordained deacon on 18th September 1593 and ordained a priest on 18th December 1593. On 14^th September 1594, he volunteered for the difficult and dangerous Mission of Chablais. He worked for almost six years with his innovative ways of winning the hearts of the Calvinists and gradually conversions took place and they all returned to the Catholic fold. On 8^th December 1602 he was consecrated as the Bishop of Geneva.

Fr. Johnson Gonsalves MSFS

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Sr Martha (who is on the staff of a formation house, came to speak to me recently). Evidently sincere and eager to help the formees, she expressed several doubts.  How do I correct young women? How do I point out their mistakes without anger? How do I express my own views to other staff members without hurting them? All normal doubts and queries.

I told her some simple truths that many of us know.  We, religious and priests, while meaning well, tend to overdo two things: advice-giving (or exhortations) and moralizing.

“Try to be more patient.” “Do not be jealous of others.” “Let us be prayerful like our mother foundress.”  “You should control your temper.” “You should not waste time.”

A whole series of “Let us…” and Do’s and Don’ts.  Most of these do not help the hearer.

They know that they should not be jealous, or that they need to be more patient and prayerful. Exhortation is not what they need.

What they need—and look for—is example. To see loving, caring grownups who are not jealous of each other, who love and support one another, who look happy, who create an atmosphere of warmth and care.  And who are willing to share how they themselves handled their weakness, and moved from jealousy to collaboration, from fear to confidence.

Fr Joe Mannath SDB

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