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When Sister Fidelis, newly appointed secretary to a Provincial, was first told to prepare a report of a meeting and make fifteen copies of it and make sure there are no mistakes, she individually proofread all fifteen copies even though she had proofread the original! She was afterwards blamed by the Provincial for being slow at her work and felt very upset. (This is a case of perfectionism arising from excessive fear of making a mistake or being found to be inefficient and the excessive care taken resulting in the opposite.)

Johnson was a young man who was very conscious of his appearance.  He had sported a beard. On one occasion, getting ready to go to a party, he kept on trimming his beard to “get it just right!” as he told a friend later. He kept on correcting the little mistakes he made while trimming until there was very little left to trim. The beard was now looking quite awful and he had to shave it off completely! (A case of compulsive need to get things just right.)

We may also have come across someone who has to wash his or her hands several times, even when washing once is more than enough. Or, one who checks several times if the door is locked, sometimes returning to check after having gone a distance? Or, one who feels the need to rearrange books and other articles on their desk several times a day to make sure they are always in the right place and in the right order.

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Fr Jose Parappully SDB

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Recently I was speaking to a sister who was a member of the General Council of her congregation. I asked her what the main topic of their discussion in the next meeting would be.  I was quite taken back by her response.  She said: “We do not discuss much.  The General and one or two of the Council Members decide what is to be done.  And they tell us what to do. There is very little listening, discussion and discernment.”

            This may be one way of getting things done, but it is not the way God wants us to function.  God has called us to be a synodal Church.  Synod means “walking together.”  And one of the primary conditions for “walking together” is to listen to one another to find out what God wants us to do in any situation.  Decisions are to emerge as a fruit of listening to one another.  The Preparatory Document for the forthcoming Synod says: “Listening is the first step, but it requires having an open mind and heart, without prejudices.” (n. 30 §2).  Vademecum, the official handbook that accompanies the Preparatory Document, says that “The heart of the synodal experience is listening to God through listening to one another, inspired by the Word of God. We listen to each other in order to better hear the voice of Holy Spirit speaking in our world today” (n. 4.1).

Listen to Everyone

            We are all familiar with the saying: “The older you get, the wiser you become.”  Taking this to be literally true, we give prominence to the elders and fail to listen to the young.  We assume that the young do not have much to contribute. While it is right to give due value to the lived experience of the elderly, it is to be done without neglecting to give a hearing to the young.   St Benedict, the father of Western monasticism, in the rule that he wrote for his community, asks the abbot to listen to everyone in the community, especially the young.  He insists: “The abbot calls the whole community together; all of us have been called to give advice… because often it is to the youngest that the Lord reveals the best solution” (Rule, 3, 1.3).

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Fr Jose Kuttianimattathil SDB

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(We are happy to reproduce this email from the famous inspirational writer and resource person, Robin Sharma. See the six attitudes he stands strongly against. – Editor)

I’m not anti-many things. I do my best to live peacefully, to salute the gifts in others and to tread the earth with light footprints. I’m sure you do the same.

Yet I do believe there are a number of things that we—if we’re sincerely interested in a life of success and soulfulness—should fiercely resist. And protest.

Please allow me to share six of the primary ones:

1. Be Anti-Average.Who wants to follow the herd when it will only lead you off a cliff. Stand for higher standards than the crowd chooses. Abide by the wisest values (including honesty, courage, patience, understanding, mastery and kindness). Select activities that fuel your joy and accelerate your growth. Push work that is masterful. Exemplify possibility.

2. Be Anti-Superficial.What an era we inhabit! 10 second videos of people dancing are consumed by millions yet too many of the heroic books remain unread by most. Be a contrarian. Go deep versus really wide. Have rich conversations. Think interesting thoughts. Apply rigor and excellence and carefulness to all that you do. Be a heavyweight in a culture gone ultra-light.

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ROBIN SHARMA

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My name is Royston D’Souza. I come from Tiruchirapalli, Tamilnadu. I was born and brought up in Roman Catholic family. My father was an officer in the Railways and subsequently in BHEL. My mother was a teacher. I am the fifth in a family of seven (four boys, three girls). I did my school education in Campion Anglo-Indian Higher Secondary School, Trichy, and my diploma in Seshasayee Institute of Technology. I got a job in BHEL. I did my BE in the Regional Engineering College.

I am married and God blessed us with three sons. I used to go to church daily and I thought I was a good Christian. I did not lack anything.

Life was going on smoothly when suddenly, in June ‘92, a few red spots appeared on my left forearm. I taught it must have been an insect bite while plucking flowers to put near the photo of my mother, who had died in 1983. I did not take notice of this since it did not give me pain, but after a few months these spots started to get bigger. My wife asked me to visit the doctor. I went to the skin specialist, who examined and gave me medicine for fifteen days, asking me to return if the spots did not disappear. After fifteen days of treatment, the spots did not go away.

Diagnosis: Shocking beyond words

I was playing in a band and, as we were booked for all the functions for Christmas and New Year, we were busy with practice and I did not see the doctor. During the first week of Jan ‘93, these spots became patches and started spreading all over my body. I felt numbness in my left fingers, I found that I was losing sensation in my skin. My ears lobe started to pain. I told my wife of this and I met the doctor. who asked me why I had not come after fifteen days. I told the doctor of my busy programme with the band. After a thorough examination, the doctor told me, “D’Souza, I do not know how you will take it. You are suffering from leprosy.”

 I got the shock of my life. I started arguing with the doctor: How is it possible for me to contract this without any physical contact? The doctor told me, “There are many ways of contracting this disease, I do not know how you have got it, but the fact is you are suffering from leprosy.”

He recommended me to go to “The Sacred Heart Leprosy Centre,” Kumbakonam. I was totally shattered. I went home and, before my wife could ask me what the doctor said, I started weeping. I told my wife, and she started weeping. We did not know what to do. I told my father, and he wept, I told my mother-in-law and father-in-law, and they wept. I did not tell anyone else.

On January 14, 1993, I went to the Sacred Heart Leprosy Centre, Kumbakonam. I was examined by Doctor Thompson. After conducing lab tests, he confirmed that I was suffering from leprosy, that it was positive and in the reactive (infectious) stage. He started me on multi-drug therapy and gave me instructions that I should do no manual work, must not get worried or tensed, and I should be secluded to prevent my family members from getting the disease.

Two years of treatment

The treatment was for a year. Every month I had to go for a checkup. I went home desperate. I cannot tell you how I felt while I was sitting amongst lepers waiting to see the doctor. I asked God why I was given this sickness. What had I done? I started wearing long sleeve shirts to cover the patches on my hands.  I did not have any patches on my face.

A terrible fear entered my life. I was very afraid of death. I became very superstitious and was wondering what people would think of me if they know I was suffering from leprosy. I could not get sleep at night for days. I lost my peace of mind.

My wife went through a lot of suffering during this time. Leprosy can be cured, but it takes a long time (years). Two thousand years ago, during Jesus’ time, lepers were considered sinners and cursed by God. They were outcast and looked down by society. Today this situation has not changed much, with the stigma attached to this disease. I tried to end my life on more than two occasions, but God saved my life.

I was very fair. The medicine taken settled under the skin and made me dark. My friends used to tell me, “D’Souza, something is wrong with you.” I would tell them lies—that my children were giving me trouble, or that I did not get proper sleep. How could I tell them the truth?! I pretended that nothing was wrong with me.

After a year of treatment the doctor told me that I needed another year of treatment. I took it. I visited The Sacred Heart Leprosy Centre twenty-six times. The doctor then told me the treatment was over, but I had no feeling in my skin, I had numbness in my left fingers, my ear lobes used to pain and, if I happen to hit my hand on anything, my bone would pain very badly, but my skin had no feeling. I could cut my skin;  blood would come out, but I had no pain.

An Unexpected Voice

It happened in the first week of February 1995. I was talking on the telephone to a friend when there was cross connection. A voice said, “D’Souza, you are going to Chalakudy.”

I recognized the person who spoke. His name is Arulraj. I did not know why he said what he did. He did not know my situation. He started meeting me and telling me that I was going to Chalakudy. I had no idea about the Divine Retreat Centre, nor did I have faith. I told him I could not go, as my wife is a teacher and it was exam time for my children. I told my wife about this experience. A few teachers working along with my wife had visited Divine and told her about this retreat centre. My wife and I talked this over, and decided to give it a try. I inquired about the food which was served at Divine, as I was used to eating very good food four times a day. Myself and my wife went to Divine during the last week of April ‘95.

I went to Divine for only one reason: to get mental peace. I attended the retreat on the first day and was told to say, “Praise the Lord!” to shout “Alleluia!” and to clap our hands and to raise them up and to pray. At the end of the day, nothing happened.

The second day, after the talks on sin, time for Confession. I got a flash back of all the sins I committed from my youth. I took a pen and paper and started writing them down one by one. I made a very good Confession. After that I found myself very light, as if some great load had been removed from me. I tell you, this was the best confession I ever made in my life.

Something Beyond Expectations

The third day was a day of surrender and physical healing. During this physical healing, the preacher prays with all present in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament and after the prayer he will announce the healing.

Something totally unexpected happened during that prayer.

I felt something like an electric shock from my head right down to my feet. I did not know what was happening. I was crying. At that moment, the preacher on the dais said: “Two persons here have been healed of skin disease.” Without my knowledge, I stood up. I found that the numbness of my fingers had gone, I could feel sensation in my skin, my ear pain had gone, all dryness of the skin where the patches were disappeared, my skin came to normal. I was totally healed! I could not believe my eyes! Me and my wife, we were filled with utter joy. I did not want to disclose this to anyone, but then I heard a voice from inside saying, “Go, tell everyone what I have done for you.”

That same evening, in presence of eighteen thousand people, I bore witness to the miracle God had done in my life. Words cannot explain this utterly blissful experience of the touch of God. I came to Divine Retreat Centre only for mental peace, but God healed me physically, mentally, spiritually.  I got mental peace. My fear was gone.

From that day until today I have not visited the doctor or taken any medicine for this disease. I returned home to my family and friends, who were wonder struck. I visited many parishes and bore witness to God’s love. Many people have visited Divine and were delivered from their bondages. I have never looked back. Although I am a sinner, God has worked many more miracles in my life. He has brought me closer to Him and has given me the gift of praying for others. Many of my relatives and friends contact me in time of crisis. My loving God hears my cry.

Today, when I look back on my life, I have gone through a lot of problems and crises. Many times I have slipped back, but, as soon as I call on Him, He gives the courage and strength to overcome all difficulties. Prayer, Holy Mass, Bible-reading, reciting the Rosary, and prayer meetings have become an integral part of my life. My prayer is that all of you may have that blissful touch of the Lord Jesus. Alleluia!

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“Human trafficking is an open wound on the body of contemporary society, a scourge upon the body of Christ. It is a crime against humanity.” (Pope Francis)

“Remember that every person on the streets, in a club, on the internet, in a hotel room, WHEREVER they may be, have families and loved ones and hearts just as you do, and that they are worthy and enough. Extend a small bit of compassion even though you may not personally understand?” (Melissa Diehl, survivor of human trafficking)

“Defeating human trafficking is a great moral calling of our time.” (Condoleezza Rice, former U.S. Secretary of State)

“Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.” (Barack Obama, former U.S. President)

“Human rights are not a privilege conferred by government. They are every human being’s entitlement by virtue of his humanity.” (Mother Teresa)

“Child slavery is a crime against humanity. Humanity itself is at stake here.” (Kailash Sathyarthi, Indian activist)

“Trafficking in children is an income for gangs and organized crime. So, instead of selling guns and drugs, they are selling children.” (Dalia Racine)

“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” (Martin Luther King, Jr.)

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Heidi

Director: Alain Gsponer  * Cast: Anuk Steffen, Bruno Ganz, Quirin Agrippi, Isabelle Ottmann, Jella Haasse, Katharina Schuettler (2015. 111 minutes).

This is the latest of the many film adaptations of the Swiss novelist Johanna Spyri’s 19th century children’s classic.  It tells the story of a young girl growing up in the 19^th century Europe against a scenic Alpine background. Heidi is orphaned as a baby and brought up by her maternal grandmother and aunt Dete, a stern disciplinarian. Dete deposits the girl with Heidi’s paternal Grandfather Alpöhi living alone and embittered in a remote cabin in the Alps. The grumpy old man initially refuses to accommodate her, but Heidi cheerfully accepts his coldness and he soon grows to love her and warms up to the role of a loving grandfather.  Heidi is intelligent and simple. She makes friends with a local goatherd Peter who lives with his mother, Brigitte, and his blind maternal grandmother and they accept her as part of their family. Three years later aunt Dete returns to takes Heidi away by trick to act as companion to Clara, a wheelchair-bound rich girl. Country-bred Heidi feels homesick and out of place not knowing the manners and etiquettes of the sophisticated. Heidi’s longing for her mountain home become serious when she takes to sleepwalking, scaring the people in the house at night. Clara’s father takes the girl back to her grandfather under the psychiatrist’s advice, which upsets Clara. But Heidi happily reunites with the changed Alöphi who lets her go to school and soon she is visited by Clara, who regains the use of her legs and when her family visits them they are overwhelmed by joy. The movie captivates by the running theme of reformation and family relationships.

Newton’s Grace

Director: John Jackman * Cast: Erik Nelson, John Jackman, Landon Wall, Jim Mckeny (2017. 84 minutes)

This is the true story of a real “Prodigal Son,” John Newton, who is known to the Christian world for his classic hymn ‘Amazing Grace’ which sprang from his conversion experience.

John Newton was a British sailor, slave trader, who at one time was himself enslaved in Africa, and later converted to become a great pastor of the Anglican church in the mature years of his life.  He was spiritual adviser to the British parliamentarian William Wilberforce who fought to end slavery and slave trade in the British domains.

His father was a sea captain who was mostly absent from his home leaving the little boy to be brought up by the mother who taught John to read scriptures and pray.  Traumatized by his mother’s death and the father’s remarriage, the   unloved and unwanted boy nursed a deep rage inside making him a delinquent. Expelled from school for indiscipline, Newton’s father took him to the sea to work as a cabin boy on board merchant ships, where also he got severe punishment for minor offenses. He abandoned all faith in God and became a hardened man. He continued to suffer brutal punishment on board the ships. In the meanwhile he fell in love with a girl in England and looked forward to marriage. But this was not to be since he was trapped into slavery by one of his rivals who sold him to a white slaveholder and his black wife in Africa. It kept him away from home for years and out of contact with anyone. After being rescued from slavery he was promoted to midshipman and worked on slave trading ships, and was also forced to serve the royal Navy in War against his will. Caught in a violent storm, he has a miraculous delivery which reveals the meaning of his old dream, leading to his conversion.

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Prof Gigy Joseph

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Everyday Ubuntu: Living Better Together, the African Way

By Mungi Ngomane (2019)

In the preface to this book authored by his granddaughter, the late Archbishop Desmond Tutu defines the key principles of human connectedness: “I am only because you are.”   Ubuntu is a South African philosophy about how to live life well, together. In 1994, under Nelson Mandela, Bishop Tutu chaired the Truth and Reconciliation Commission which applied it effectively to heal the wounds of racial violence. This method helped to reunite and heal the wounds of Rwandan society after the massacres of 1994.  Here are the principles:

1. See yourself in other people: more than mere kindness, it recognizes the inner worth of each.
2. Strength lies in unity, not in social status or economic conditions.
3. Put yourself in the shoes of the other to see divergent viewpoints to explore the bigger picture.
4. See the wider perspective, rejecting the “my way or the highway” attitude.
5. Dignity and respect for yourself. Do at least two feel good things each day.
6. Believe in the good of everyone. If you look for the good in someone you will find it.
7. Hope over optimism. A necessary, wonderful gift for oneself and others. In hopeless times recognize when it’s happening, take time to refocus, explore avenues of faith in everyday life.
8. Seek out ways to connect. Connectedness brings happiness.
9. The power of Forgiveness. Forgiving is letting go and relieving the burden on ourselves and other people applicable to individuals, family race and nations.
10. Embrace our diversity. Human beings have one thing in common—differences. It can propel us forward or hold us back. Diversity has helped build civilization. Draw on the strengths of our differences and leave the judgment behind.
11. Acknowledge reality. This will help us change tomorrow for the better.
12. Find humour in our humanity. Humour is the best way we experience Ubuntu.
13. Little things make a big difference. The smallest of actions have consequences
14. Learn to listen. Good communication depends on patient listening- the basis of strong connections, mutual appreciation and growth.

Goodbye, Things – The New Japanese Minimalism

By Fumio Sasaki (2017)

In this book that recently became an international bestseller, Fumio Sasaki writes from his personal experience of having much and then choosing to give up those very things that he realized had only made him unhappy. This meant giving up a life-style that provided only stress, greed and possessiveness.  Sasaki’s philosophy of modern minimalism involves a decision to say goodbye to everything that one does not absolutely need in life. Sasaki confesses that it gave him real freedom, a new perspective and a real sense of gratitude for everything around him. The benefits of minimalism can be gained by anyone in any walk of life. Saying goodbye to all our extra things, including the information overload (how much of our social media info give us anything worthwhile?)  in our brains will help us focus on things that are truly important in life. Things that we often think as necessary are often not so. Reducing these is vital to enduring happiness. We all started in life as minimalists and our worth is not the sum of our possessions.  We develop the habit of equating possessions with value and self-worth. Most people are concerned with making others believe that they are happy rather than be really happy!

Here we need to distinguish between wants and needs. When you discard something, you gain more than you lose.   We can begin disburdening ourselves of things that are clearly junk and step by step get used to discarding things and thus make it a habit. We can get rid of things that you haven’t used in a year, and if something is kept for the sake of appearance, discard it. You will enjoy a deep sense of contentment. You get more energy to focus on what really brings happiness: connections, relationships and experiences. Life becomes stress-free, emotional health improves, which improves the physical health too. It helps clarity of mind, increases productivity. Our houses become less cluttered and cleaner and harmonized. Sasaki’s thoughts are truly an antidote to the trap of contemporary consumerist culture and a practical way of living a life of poverty.

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Here is an instructive interview Sr Alena Fernandez SCB, who worked as a doctor for years, and is now the superior general of her congregation, the Sisters of St Charles Borromeo. She was interviewed for MAGNET by Janina Gomes.

1.You combine two important roles, as Superior General of the Congregation of the Sisters of Charles Borromeo and as a medical doctor looking after the seniors in your Home at Kalyan.  How do you combine these roles?

First of all, I am happy to tell you that, as a Superior General, I am fortunate to practice my medical profession to a small extent, since the Generalate is attached to the Home for the Senior Citizens. Doing only administrative work would not have been suited to my nature, as my work as a medical doctor adds meaning to my life as a religious. I don’t need to make extra effort; rather I enjoy caring for people. My work demands that I am on the move often, so I miss my old and loving people. In fact, when I was elected Superior General, I felt sad I would miss my patients; but then someone gently whispered to me, “So far you took care of patients; now God wants you  to care for your sisters.” I am trying to do that to  some extent through love and kindness! Being humane and humble is a great goal to achieve.

2.Was your calling to be a religious linked with your calling to be a medical doctor? How did it all happen?

“The call” to be a religious goes back to a very young age. I was attracted to the life of the sisters who taught me, who loved me and inspired me when I was hardly ten years old. The desire to be a Sister like them grew steadily, as I continued my high school. From the very beginning I was inclined to care for people, especially the sick and the suffering. So the calling and the caring went together. I owe much to my Congregation, which has helped me to live both these aspects to the full. I find fulfillment as a Religious being a medical doctor. One complements the other. I believe strongly that whatever happens in one’s life is a gratuitous gift from  God and He always provides the grace we need to fulfill his will.

3.You served in your hospitals in Bhadravati and Belgaum for thirty years and was Director of the hospital for several years. How did that ministry help you in your personal growth and journey with God?

This is the secret of my happiness, being fully alive and active as a religious and a doctor.  It has always been easy for me to harmonize the two. When you can find God everywhere, in everything and in everybody, it is easy to strike a balance. When God is with you, it is easy to find Him connected to everything and everybody.  This does not mean that life has been smooth sailing. There were times when life was stormy, but I found God closer to me in the difficult situations of the hospital than in the chapel! As the saying goes, faith is tested in fire and the best of an individual is also revealed in most difficult situations. I have grown stronger in faith and in my professional acumen, facing, with the Lord, the storms and floods of daily life. I am proud to say that God is the rock, the foundation of my life.

4.How did you approach your many patients? How did they respond to your healing?

 It is too long to recount, for it is a story that spans over nearly forty years. I started my medical studies way back in 1980. One’s interaction with the patients starts already when one is a medical student. Soon after my initial studies, I was in a hospital with minimum facilities and maximum patients, giving me ample opportunities to grow, to learn, to mature, to develop and flourish. As I mentioned, the Lord has been at my side as a stronghold, ever upholding me, and allowing me to witness to His love and mercy by ministering to thousands of suffering people.

Very often my patients were my motivators. The more you give, the more you receive. Certainly, I have received more than I have given. Ninety-five percent of my patients were non- Christians. They would freely share their woes and worries with me, more than their ailments, and seeing them go home happy was so rewarding and encouraging. Their sincere gratitude and speedy recovery would give a lift to my weary spirits and give me the energy required to move on. Moreover, there was not a single night spent without being woken up several times, and often I was asked by my patients from where I drew such energy. These were occasions when I could speak about my God who walked and worked with me.

5.What are some of the challenges sisters involved in the medical ministry (nurses and doctors) face? What consolations do you experience? What gives you strength in difficult moments?

For me, it was certainly the spiritual strength I drew from the source of Eternal life, the daily Eucharist, the intense moments spent in His presence, my community life lived with a strong sense of belonging and the deeper joy of being appreciated and accepted. These are some of the forms of wealth I have treasured the most, right from the beginning of my religious life until today. They sustain me even today.

So definitely, the challenges will be greater when these treasures are lacking in one’s life, such as lack of appreciation and non-acceptance by one’s community members.  On my part, what helped me was to remain simple and humble, just as any other member of the community.

My principle in life is also not to expect much from others. So, I am not disappointed easily. Self-pity, fault-finding and blaming others will only make our life miserable. Most often problems and challenges arise from your own sisters and authorities, who misunderstand you and do not support you in times of difficulty. It is a two-way process, to be committed to your religious calling and dedicated to the apostolate of the community.

6.What is your vision for the Congregation?

 My vision for the Congregation is that we live as disciples witnessing to the love and mercy of the Lord. We have no Mission other than to become JESUS to others. By constant effort and good will, we have to arrive at that. As a religious, I need to make a difference in the lives of others by the way I live and not so much by preaching. This is what Pope Francis is challenging every religious to be: a true disciple, by witnessing to Jesus’ passion, death and resurrection, all three included; and not only to His Resurrection. No glory without agony!

7. Religious vocations are hard to come by these days. How do you cope with a shortage of Sisters, and how do you see the future of your congregation?

It is indeed a hard reality to be faced, with hope and trust in Divine Providence. At the same time, we must remain confident, that it is God who is guiding and leading us. We look back at the past history of our Congregation with gratitude and praise God for all that has been complished in the last 340 years in spite of our poverty. We also look forward with hope, and work hard for more labourers in God’s vineyard. The master of the vineyard knows what is best for His church. God works through our fears and our frailties, we must let the Lord steer our course. At time we want to be in complete control, but it is God who sees the bigger picture.

The shortage of religious vocations is felt acutely in our overseas Mission. With a decline in the number of sisters in India, we lack young sisters to replace the aged and ailing sisters. This situation may force us to wind up a few communities both abroad and locally. We are still hoping for the best. I am positive that there will be new forms of religious response to God’s service. I also envisage a future religious life with more lay collaborators.

8. Who are the persons who have influenced you most? What qualities did you pick up from them?

My family had a big share in contributing to my upbringing. In particular, my maternal grandmother had a great impact on me. Her holiness was contagious; she was always connected to God from early morning right into the night. She loved us so intensely and forgave us generously. As I mentioned already, the Sisters who taught me did play an important role in sowing the seeds of a vocation that enabled me to bloom and flourish in good soil. As a young sister I admired and avidly imbibed the goodness, the faith, the selfless service and courage of others.

 Soon after my first profession, I had the privilege of living for six years in our Mother House in Belgium. This laid the foundation for the rest of my life. It was not easy: new place, new people, new language, different food and culture… but finally, life is about being happy and taking everything as it comes.

There are lots of people inside and outside, both religious and lay, who have influenced me in many ways to grow and blossom. I am grateful to all of them. But I would like to mention just two names and pay tribute to them: my Superior General in Belgium, Mother Anne Marie Carlier (I lived with her as a junior) and the first Indian provincial, Sr Benedicta Lobo. Both of them have had a lasting impact on me. Their strong faith in God and their fidelity to their calling have taught me much.

9. Do you have any special message for readers of MAGNET? (Most are religious, the majority of whom are engaged in the teaching ministry, and a good number of them in medical work, while others do social or pastoral work, and a few are engaged in media work.)

We are challenged and shaped by all that we hear, see, encounter and experience in our life. How I respond and get transformed into a better human being is up to me. When we are truly human, we begin to resemble God a little more, and finally we tend to become Divine. So, whatever ministry we are engaged in, we all need to strive to be part of God’s big plan of redemption. Always have a broader and positive perspective and discern before God; that will help you take the right decision for the good of all.  This will enable you to reach out to society at large, so that we do not just remain confined to the Institution. Reaching out to the peripheries is the call of the hour.

As I am an avid reader of Magnet, I am more than eager to encourage many more to subscribe to this enriching magazine. I would call it a Holistic Magazine, dealing with all aspects of life. It is very realistic, reflective and thought provoking and appeals to people from all walks of life. I enjoy reading it from start to finish.

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ENRICHING

I am a Jesuit scholastic doing my juniorate studies in Kerala. I am happy to say that your magazine is so enriching.

The cover story ‘Accompaniment: the heart of animation’ by Fr. Joe Mannath SDB (November 2021) is enlightening and enriching. The article is a personal wake-up call to all the consecrated people to enhance their mission with Christ’s love. As a seminarian, it is a great means for me to know the miracle of love and to introspect my life with this regard. Also, I was very much touched by the real-life incidents which are mentioned in this article. I understand that love is more powerful than punishment and that in no way counseling is the same as spiritual direction. Thanks to the editor for such a good article in this time of Advent.

1. Vineshragul SJ, St. Xavier’s College P.O, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala 695 586

A WAKE-UP CALL

The article “The Little Match Girl” by Ms Janina Gomes was a heart touching one. It was indeed a call to introspect our Christmas Spirit. When it comes to Christmas, we often tend to give importance to the celebratory aspects, and forget to see the Infant Jesus out there suffering in the damp and cold world in the form of the migrants and the poor. Ms Janina points out one of the fundamental problems that our Christian  faith faces in the contemporary world. There is a general trend creeping into our faith that makes us concerned more about the height of the “Star” or size of “Santa Claus” than the suffering neighbour. It is indeed a timely reminder, a call to awake and celebrate faith without losing its meaning.

Rins Padamattummal SJ, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala 695586

STUDY SKILLS

I would like to thank the Magnet team for this valuable magazine. As a new reader of this magazine I feel that it is for all who are marching towards success. I would like to mention the article on study skills by Fr Joe Mannath SDB. It is indeed fascinating and encouraging . The questions raised in this article really make the readers aware about their own Study skills. This article is helpful to all kinds of Students to study well and to update their study skills according to the science of time which is important in this modern era. It is also helpful for those who are struggling to study, those who are struggling to find their own talents and self-esteem. Congrats to the Magnet Team for all the young generation like me.

Scholastic Immanuel SJ,   St. Xavier’s College, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala

ENCOURAGE QUESTIONS

I profusely thank Fr Joe Mannath SDB, for his article “Encourage Questions” which speaks about the passive education system in India. Our education system has made the students empty vessels where many facts and information are stuffed by the educators.

 As the author rightly puts it, we as educators must allow the students to ‘question,’ which is the crux of all innovations. In my opinion, the western education system grants several platforms for students to question, reason, research and find the solution on their own. While students in India are often spoon-fed with the required resources on the particular subject.

This is woefully diminishing the creativity and reasoning faculties of students. To build an innovative and better future, we must allow our younger generation to question and think outside the box.

Anson Alex SJ, Trivandrum, Kerala

LIKED IT VERY MUCH

Greetings from Rome!
I just finished reading the January edition of MAGNET. Of course, I liked it very much. The cover stories were very inspiring, and really got down to the basic thing–we need to be witnesses of the God we know, and know intimately. Thanks for these reflections.

As always, Bro Carmel inspired me. I especially liked the picture of the pink swings on the US/Mexico border provided by the Design Centre in London. Talk about thinking outside the box!!

I found the article about healing of mental patients very practical and inspiring. Last evening, I had a nice talk with a student here at our Collegio (in Rome) from Ghana who is finishing a licentiate in psychology at the Greg. I will share the issue of MAGNET with him.

Your article on giving the proper feedback was again one of those very practical articles at which MAGNET excels. And I’m so glad you included Francis’s Beatitudes for Bishops. They are pretty good beatitudes for any Christian disciple as well!!

Finally, I found the article on narcissistic personalities very interesting and very true. I have known a few in my lifetime!!

Best to you for 2022. I’ll look forward to the February issue of Magnet in a few weeks!

Prof. Stephen B. Bevans SVD, CTU, Chicago, USA

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^{Do you know what is special about February 8th? It is Anti-Trafficking Day. It is the feast of St Bakhita, a Canossian Sister who had been a slave in her native Sudan, and later enjoyed freedom and was venerated for her holy life. She died on 8 February 1947, in Schio, Italy. During the Second World War, she assured the people of Schio no bomb would hit that town. And no bomb did.}

^{The three most profitable businesses in the world are—unfortunately and shamefully—not companies producing food or clothes, medicines or educational tools. No, the three businesses earning the most are: production and sale of arms, production and sale of drugs and—worse still—trafficking of human beings. This third “trade” was less profitable than the first two. Now, it has begun to occupy the second rung, since criminal gangs have found that, unlike drugs, a human being can be sold again and again.}

^{Our Cover Story is about this sad and cruel trade.}

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^{There are frequent references in the media nowadays to a central concept of Christianity—conversion. “Anti-conversion” laws, Christians “guilty of converting others through force or fraud,” etc. We need to understand this key concept and also explain it to those who want to know.}

^{Conversion (metanoia in the original New Testament Greek) means of change of heart. It means moving from a self-centred way of life to one centred on God’s love. I am either led by my ego, or by the Spirit of God. In this sense, everyone needs “conversion.” All of us have areas of our life and heart that are not God-centred. In fact, in most official prayer of the Church, namely, the Eucharist, we start by saying that we have greatly sinned, and we ask God’s pardon. We need purification every day. Everyone—from the Pope right down to youngsters—need conversion. It is not mostly or simply about someone changing one’s official religion. In fact—and we may need to state this explicitly in our official documents or in talks in our schools or colleges—it is totally against Jesus’ teaching to use force or fraud or any dishonest means to get someone of another faith to become Christian. Jesus’ core teaching is known to all—to love without bigotry or boundaries, and to do good even to those who have hurt us. As Nelson Mandela said he came out of jail after decades of imprisonment and ill-treatment, “If I do not forgive, I would still be in prison.” This is the spirit of Jesus.  And we meet Him mostly not through religious ritual or buildings, but through compassionate service of the least and the suffering. Who in his right mind would object to this?}

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^{Good and bad people are found in all groups—in all nations, races, religions, genders, backgrounds. No group is all immaculate; no group is all cruel or crooked. In the recent discussion on hate speeches and an increasing mutual suspicion and distance among various religions in India, we will do well to look at the good people who speak up for justice and truth, e.g., the US-based Hindus for Human Rights, or the professors from the prestigious Bangalore and Ahmedabad IIMs (most of them Hindus) who wrote an open letter to the Prime Minister that his silence encourages promoters of hatred. “Your silence on the rising intolerance in our country, Honourable Prime Minister, is disheartening to all of us who value the multicultural fabric of our country.” The letter urges him to steer the country away from “forces that seek to divide us,”}

^{“Our Constitution gives us the right to practice our religion with dignity – without fear, without shame. There is a sense of fear in our country now – places of worship, including churches in recent days, are being vandalised, and there have been calls to take arms against our Muslim brothers and sisters. All of this is carried out with impunity and without any fear of due process,” the letter read.}

^{It then requests the PM to stand firm against forces that seek to divide citizens.}

^{“We ask your leadership to turn our minds and hearts, as a nation, away from inciting hatred against our people. We believe that a society can focus on creativity, innovation, and growth, or society can create divisions within itself. We want to build an India that stands as an exemplar of inclusiveness and diversity in the world. We, the undersigned faculty, staff, and students of the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore (IIMB) and Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIMA), hope and pray that you will lead the country in making the right choices,” it states.}

^{While we admire and support such persons and groups,} we, who claim to be followers of Christ, should not practice or promote bigotry, divisions, power games or hate-mongering. Everyone knows what Jesus lived and taught. We are relevant to the degree with live it with conviction and joy, placing truth over falsehood, service over power games, and genuine unity over divisions.

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Fr Joe Mannath SDB

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