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A NEW BEGINNING. A GRATEFUL GOOD-BYE

“Future generations will scarce believe that such a one as this in flesh and blood walked the earth.”

That is what that matchless genius, Albert Einstein, said about Mahatma Gandhi. In the final years of his life, Einstein had only picture in his office—that of Gandhiji.

October 2 is Gandhi Jayanthi. Under book reviews, we present an impartial Westerner’s view of the Mahatma. In India right now, there is not only a repudiation of much that he stood for; there are even attempts to denigrate the man himself and even glorify his murderer. Fischer’s book would be a reliable corrective.

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This is the 74^th—and the last—issue of MAGNET that I am editing. I am doing it together with my successor, Dr Pushpa Joseph. I am more than ready to hand over the editorship of MAGNET to a competent and visionary new editor.

I know Pushpa ever since the time she was doing her M.Phil. and Ph.D. at Madras University, where she was my student. Coming from a literature background, she shone in religious studies, and brought to her studies and research—and later to her teaching—a clarity, passion and grasp that are truly remarkable. Her experience as a major superior makes her aware of the nuances of religious life better than most.

Welcome, Pushpa! I feel confident that MAGNET is in good hands. You are sure to do a great job!

MAGNET was approved by the National CRI in April 2016, after seeing a sample issue I had prepared, and launched in September of that year.

I was lucky to get a few excellent writers to be our regular columnists. Each of them is an expert in a field, as well as a good writer. The main credit for the acclaim MAGNET has received over the years goes to our writers. All of them do it free, as a ministry, not for payment. What as admirable example!

At the very start, Brother Julian McDonald CFC—a very competent and experienced Australian religious—suggested that, to maintain international standards, I put together an international team. Hence our International Consultants from every continent. Their interest, encouragement and feedback has helped me much to maintain and promote quality.

Given the rather poor reading habits of many religious, our circulation is still far from impressive. I hope our major superiors will remind communities to read and promote our magazine. An encouraging fact is the enthusiastic reception MAGNET has received among lay readers.

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Our cover theme this month is: What difference can and must we, religious, make? In addition to the cover story, you will read personal responses from seven religious. More such responses will appear in the coming issues.

All the best to you, Pushpa, and to our regular writers. Our designers, website manager and printer have been doing an excellent job. Please continue. Thanks, and bye for now. I am delighted to move from the editor’s desk to the role of an interested reader.

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Fr Joe Mannath SDB

 

HONOUR, PRIVILEGE…AND A CHALLENGE!

It is an honour and privilege to assume the editorship of MAGNET.  Reading through its past issues and letters to the editor, I know that it touches the hearts of many.  As one of the best Catholic magazines in Asia, as many point out,  it is a testament to the far sighted vision of  CRI and its governing body that reshaped its journal in this present avatar.  I firmly believe that MAGNET must continue its inspiring role of defining and revitalizing religious life for India today.

This prestigious magazine is today what it is due to the focussed work and unstinted commitment of its founding editor and former CRI secretary, Fr Joe Mannath SDB.  That Joe is a well-known person in the Catholic religious scene both in India and overseas is not merely a truism.  Having been one among my best teachers at the University of Madras, a very wise and spiritually seasoned guide and above all a compassionate listener, the multifaceted features of his personality are undoubtedly endearing. The specialty of Joe is that he has this innate quality of being a friend and confidante to many, a characteristic reserved only to a renowned few.  I thank Joe wholeheartedly for having given flesh and blood to MAGNET and for making it inexplicably attractive.  I am aware that this change of editorship will cause many a regular reader of MAGNET some anxiety.  However, I want to assure you that Joe will continue to be a part of our team, because writing is an essential part of Joe as a person. It is we who will stand to lose by his absence. There is more that we can all learn from his contributions.

Taking a magazine of this depth and quality forward is a challenging task.  However, with the synergy that our togetherness creates and the enhancing force that divine energy brings, nothing I believe is impossible.  I look forward to working with all our regular writers who are exceptionally brilliant in their task and the editorial team who are meticulous in their observations.  Thanks to the governing body of MAGNET for their support.  I would be happy to receive suggestions and any new ideas you have for our magazine.

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Dr Pushpa Joseph

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We, members of religious orders and clergy, claim to have made this choice to follow Jesus more closely. We are offered a long, expensive and specialized formation for this. In the simplest terms, following Jesus means to walk through the world as He did, as a loving, compassionate healer, centred on God’s will and not on power, glory and comfort. People who deal with us on a day-to-day basis make out pretty soon whether we are genuine in our quest or have wandered from it. The following ten mini-articles look at the dangers, failures, inspiring examples and wise choices we see in real people. We can open our eyes and learn. May we become good human beings others can learn from.

1. Do Not Become Worse, please!

She was young and smart and pretty. Being good at studies and good-looking as well, she was expected to study, get married and have a career. But, to the disappointment of her family, she told them she wanted to join the convent. The main reason was the inspiring example of one of the sisters who had taught her. The parents didn’t like the idea, but, seeing her determination, finally gave in. She went as a candidate to the congregation she wanted to join.

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Fr Joe Mannath SDB

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Here are the new regulations of the Income Tax applicable to charitable and Religious Trusts

A new rule (17AA) titled ‘Books of account and other documents to be kept and maintained’ has been added to Income Tax Rules 1962. The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has brought out a comprehensive list of records that charitable institutions that get income tax exemption have to maintain.  These Income Tax (24th Amendment) Rules have come into effect from August 10 and would be applicable for universities, medical colleges and hospitals as well.  It is said that such a move intends to strengthen the surveillance and ensure tax benefits are meant for right causes.

These new regulations would be applicable for universities, medical colleges, hospitals and any other form of charitable entities functioning under the umbrella of tax exemption under 12A or 10(23C). Thus, henceforth, all charitable institutions and trusts will be required to maintain an exhaustive list of documents to get income tax exemptions. These include documents pertaining to payments made domestically or abroad, PAN/Aadhaar of voluntary contributors, projects undertaken, loan taken or given, investments made, etc., details of which are given below:

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Fr Alex G. SJ

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A brief presentation of the Pope’s recent encyclical on the Liturgy, and how we can live it today.

          One of the priests from our community was recently transferred.  In an informal conversation which recalled his presence in the community, one of the priests remarked: “He was the backbone of the liturgy in the community.  Whether it was the mass or the liturgy of the hours, he would take time to prepare, see to every detail and animate the community with joy and decorum.  We will miss him.”

          Liturgical celebrations are a very important part of Christian life and much more so of the life of priests and religious.  And to have someone capable of animating the liturgy well is a great blessing for a community. Recently Pope Francis invited all of us to reflect on the importance of liturgy in our lives through his Apostolic Letter entitled Desiderio Desideravi. This letter was published on 29 June 2022, the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul.  We shall present in brief some of the key points mentioned by the Pope.  It could be an incentive for us to give greater attention to the way we celebrate liturgy.

          The title of the letter “Desiderio Desideravi” (I have earnestly desired), is taken from the words of Jesus with which the account of the Last Supper begins in the Gospel of Luke: “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer” (Luke 22:15).  The Pope says that he wrote this Letter to help all of us, 1) “to rekindle our wonder for the beauty of the truth of the Christian celebration,” 2) “to remind us of the necessity of an authentic liturgical formation,” and 3) “to recognize the importance of an art of celebrating that is at the service of the Paschal Mystery and of the participation of all the baptized in it, each one according to his or her  vocation” (DD, n. 62).

• Wonder for the beauty of the truth of Christian celebration

The attitude that we ought to have in front of the Christian celebration is a sense of wonder.  We stand in awe and wonder at the beauty and truth of what happens in the liturgy.  What is meant by beauty here is an excellence that leads to a deep sense of fulfilment.

Before the Last Supper, Jesus tells the disciples: “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer” (Luke 22:15).  This indicates God’s great love for each one of us.  Each person of the Most Holy Trinity desires to enter into communion with us, out of their great love for us.  Jesus gives concrete expression to this great desire by instituting the Holy Eucharist.  Through the Eucharist God and humans enter into communion with each other.  We go to the Eucharist in response to the great love God has for us, a love that made him to become our food.  Pope Francis says: “We may not even be aware of it, but every time we go to Mass, the first reason is that we are drawn there by his desire for us” (DD, n. 6).

In the Eucharist, Jesus, the eternal Son, gives himself to us, unworthy human beings, out his great love.  There is, indeed, an infinite disproportion between the greatness of the gift and the littleness of those who receive it. In front of the excellence and greatness of God’s love, his great desire to draw us into communion with him, we bow in awe and adoration.

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Fr Jose Kuttianimattathil SDB

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• “I never knew how to worship until I knew how to love.” (Henry Ward Beecher)
• “Friendship is “a kind of ‘sacrament’ of celibate love.” (Sandra Schneiders)
• “We must allow ourselves the exhilaration, genuinely felt and shown, and not just spoken about, which comes from loving and being loved. Only in this way, and through this experience, can we come closer to an understanding of a God who is defined as love.” (Francis Moloney)

Understanding Celibate Chastity

Remaining unmarried or not engaging in sex is not what celibate chastity is about. Both these are essential, of course, if one wants to practise celibate chastity. But these are not the essence of celibate chastity. At the heart of celibate chastity lies a profound mystical dynamic—a fascination with Jesus of Nazareth and what he called the “Kingdom of God.” Jesus and his kingdom become so important in our lives that everything else becomes relative, including sexual pleasure, family and children.

The Jesuit writer Peter van Breemen spells this out beautifully:

“In its final analysis, celibacy means being captured by Christ. He is our life (Col. 3, 4), fascinating us so completely that eventually we become unmarriageable. In its deepest sense, this is what celibacy means….  Celibacy does not mean that one has lost something, but rather that the celibate has found Someone.”

Another Jesuit, George Aschenbrenner, shares a similar view. He observed:

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FR JOSE PARAPPULLY SDB

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Jones shares with us in all honesty the mistakes he made that led to his separation from his wife and son, loss of his job, desperation and attempted suicide, seeking answers from astrologers and finally finding peace and happiness in the Lord

Praise the Lord!

I’m Jones, forty-three years old, an Indian married and living in Sri Lanka. I was brought up in a traditional Catholic family. I served as an altar boy, and my biggest ambition was to become a priest, which eventually changed after my school days. My two brothers and I hated drinking, since we suffered a lot with my father, who is an alcoholic. After finishing my B.Sc. degree at Chennai, I was working as a Video Editor for a TV Channel and had a decent income.

            In 2008, I got married to one of my relatives in Sri Lanka. Life was good, and nothing to complain about. In March 2014, I left my job and wanted to do my own business, which was one of the bad decisions I took. Since I was doing work from home, I had a lot of free time and I was distracted by many things after work. I started to spend more time on social media and got caught up with my addictions. I would like to mention something here, which I think will be relevant. I always had a thought that I don’t drink or smoke which is mainly projected as the sin. I thought that other addictions are not counted as sins. So, I went on with my addictions which made me stay away from the family and into my own dark world, with evil desires.

Marriage on the Rocks

My sinfulness I fell into an unholy relationship. I started lying and cheating, started fighting with my wife, and had no care, love, or happiness inside my family. I went away from my responsibilities and there was a gap building between me and my wife, and even between me and my son. I always was feeling scared about getting caught for my wrongdoing. There was no peace at all. As is it said, you cannot hide your sin for long and it will be brought to light one day. Finally, I was caught one day but then they weren’t sure whether the relationship was sure unless I admitted it. I lied then also without accepting my sin. Fearing for my life, I flew to India to be with my mother, thinking I would never return to Sri Lanka. Basically, I ran away.

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N. Jones

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Early every morning, eight-year-old Anuja (name changed) pulls a cart into town hauling water for her neighbours. When it’s full, the tank weighs about 450 pounds. After doing morning chores, the hardest part of her day begins. Instead of going to school, she goes to work in a brick factory all day long. It’s hard and tedious work, often in temperatures above 35 degrees, each family getting paid by the number of bricks they load. As Anuja’s mother was getting older and weaker and the family needed financial resources, Anuja was required to carry the family burden as she has four younger siblings.

“I wish I could go to school, but I need to make money to buy food for my family,” said Anuja in a desperate tone. “I’m afraid that I won’t be able to work enough. We owe other people lots of money. I work from six in the morning until six in the evening. But still we don’t have enough food.”. Her father died of COVID, leaving the family with a mountain of debt. And that’s how they came to the brick factory a year ago and Anuja started working. “I don’t know what to do, I wanted my daughter to be educated, so she doesn’t have to work in the brick factory like me,” said Anuja’s mother with tears rolling down her cheeks. Anuja’s dream of becoming a teacher is an impossible dream, as she is in no position to go to school. It’s hard to believe that a girl like her has to bear such a heavy burden on her tiny shoulders.

A child at this age is supposed to be on the shoulders of their parents, but it is a tragedy that a child of this age has to carry the burdens of the family on his/her shoulders. Why is there so much misery in our society? Where should a child be? He or she should be in schools, not in workplaces. Children should be playing in playgrounds, not washing vessels. Children should be doing Maths, not working in a factory. Children should eat good food, not working in fields in the scorching sun. Child labour deprives the child of her/his childhood. Are these children paid well for their work? When will our society treat children as children?

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Sr Lini Sheeja MSC

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I wish I were more of a minimalist, but I have a knack for keeping things “just in case.” It always amazes and to some extent shocks me how much stuff I manage to hoard in the time I spend in a community — books, newspaper cuttings, medicine boxes to trim into index-card-size, all types of paper for my art projects, tote bags, small plastic containers to mix my paints in  . . . . The latest fad is flash drives, hard drives, memory cards and other means of digitally saving things, and believe me, I save multiple copies on different drives. “Once bitten, twice shy,” says the adage. And I remember that day when I plugged in my 1TB external hard disc to realise it was dead. And having a dead external hard disc in my hand was definitely not a pleasant experience. I had to mentally go through files and folders trying to remember what I had saved on it and how I can retrieve the information. The initial shock and denial over, I was angry at myself for not keeping another hard drive as a back-up. And then telling myself, “A few years ago I did not know what an external hard drive was,” “if I didn’t have one, I wouldn’t have to go through such grief.”  Yes, I was depressed. I tried in vain to recover the information but to no avail. That’s when I gradually started accepting the fact that my hard drive was dead and I had to “bury” it.  Most probably Elizabeth Kübler-Ross, the Swiss psychiatrist, would have been proud of me for passing through the proper stages of grief — just to have the cycle start again . . . .

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Bro Carmel Duca MC

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“For surely I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord, “plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope.” (Jeremiah29:11)

As I introspected my past years, I realized that God’s call is so unique in me. I do not know from when onwards I felt an inner thirst or the desire to become a religious. This desire was within me, but I had not shared it with anyone. I was preparing myself to be the bride of Christ. I used to ask Jesus for my needs, but most of the times without asking He gave me exactly what I needed—both material and spiritual. Those experiences made a deep impression on me.

I saw that Jesus loves me so much and He understands me very well more than anyone could. He knows me through and through. Jesus has given up His life for me, why should I not give my life back to Him? I just desired only to be with Him and to do His will in my life, nothing else. My family and the parish atmosphere were very conducive and played a vital role to choose this way of life. I am very much grateful to my Catechism teachers that they instilled the seed of faith in me and introduced Jesus as my Lord and Saviour. Every Sunday and also during my exams, I used to go to the grotto of Mother Mary in my parish and say to Mother Mary: “Mary, my mother, I know only this much; I am leaving the rest in your hands.” From then on, I started to receive very good marks in my studies. Mother Mary was a source of blessing for me.

Deep Desire

When I was studying in the 8^th class, I told my mother that I wanted to become a nun. She was extremely happy. Sisters of the Congregation of Jesus Mary Joseph were rendering their services in my parish. I was deeply inspired by the way they take care of the blind children. Out of this experience, arose an inspiration to become a missionary, especially to reach out to the people ignorant of Jesus. Along with my mother, I approached the superior of JMJ Convent, Athani (Kerala), and expressed my desire to become a JMJ. I was extremely happy that day. I waited to complete my SSLC and during the summer holidays, I attended the ‘Come & See’ programme for two weeks at JMJ Provincialate, Bangalore. That time, I didn’t know much English to speak, but there were so many candidates—about thirteen of them. I was taken up by the sisters’ tender loving care towards me. I returned home and my mother instructed me to pray earnestly, as it was a great decision that I was going to make in my life and, if I chose this particular way of life, I need to remain forever as the bride of Christ. She suggested that I wait for two more years. I obeyed my mother to discern my vocation. After intermediate studies, this desire was stronger in me than before, where I felt Jesus alone is enough for me; nothing else mattered.

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Sr Simy Mariya JMJ

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Karl Rahner, the famous theologian, once wrote to this nun: “If I were the Pope, I would ordain you a priest.” Sr Mary John Mananzan OSB recalls this in NunSense, her autobiography.

On 8 March 2011, the centennial of International Women’s Day, she was cited as one of the 100 Most Inspiring Persons in the World by an organization called ‘Women Deliver.’  Sr. Mary John is a prominent Filipina, who is an activist, feminist, theologian, educator, author, and an able administrator.

She was born on 6 November 1937, in  Pangasinan, Philippines. Her father was a judge and her mother a teacher. She studied at St. Scholastica’s College, Manila, and joined the Benedictine Sisters of Tutzing, at the age of nineteen. After she taught in a high school for four years, her Congregation sent her to Germany to study missiology. She studied at Wilhelms University in Muenster, where she met one of the most revered theologians of the century, Karl Rahner SJ. Even after leaving the college, she kept up a regular correspondence with him and became a friend.

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Fr M A Joe Antony SJ

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