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In the 15^th year of my Religious life, God gave me a wonderful message: Get wedded to silence.

Silence from the need for self-justification, from the need to argue and prove my worth, from the need for name and fame and from the need to be appreciated and approved by others.  One fine evening, I began to ask myself what more the Lord wants from me, besides my teaching profession.  The answer that knocked at the door of my heart was, “Be my Witness” (Acts 1: 8), but how?  Hardly had I known then that to be a witness to Christ means to die to myself, to my self-righteous ways, to my merely rational thinking, to my judgemental attitudes and so on.

              Slowly and steadily, the Lord began to mould me and shape me.  This was my desire, too, as I love to sing often the hymn, “Have thine own way, Lord, have thine own way; thou art the potter, I am the clay; mould me and make me after thy will.”  Often, I used to tell the Lord: I do not love others as I ought to or as you wish me to.  Then I happened to read the words of an author called Kyle Idleman, “We love others best, when we love God most.”  Here I caught the secret.  One day, in the secret of my heart, I told the Lord that I wanted to love Him round the clock. The Lord took seriously what I had whispered in secret.  He then sent days and months where I could go to no one except to Him for love and consolation, for strength and support, for refuge and rest.  His invisible presence enabled me to embrace each day and make wisdom my guide, patience my companion and humility my strength.

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Sr Nambikkai Kithari SAP

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Suppose you worked hard at something, say, in cleaning a place, or teaching a group of students, or preaching, or writing a book, and you asked someone: “How do you find my work?” And that person does not mention anything good about your work, but points out only what he/she sees as defects. You will feel bad, right? Some of us may feel so discouraged, we may not want to do that work again.

And yet, this is what often happens in life. Most people, most of the time, take others’ good performance for granted, seldom say a word of appreciation, and are quick to notice and point out the flaws. We may treat our parents and others who did much for us this way.

People miss being affirmed. A sincere and direct word of appreciation would go a long way to energize people, create a positive spirit in the organization and make people want to work there. We know this in theory. We feel good when someone appreciates us. Why don’t we, then, do this for others?

A well-known British study asked 2000 mid-level managers what they missed most in their place of work. Their clear answer: Appreciation for what they were doing well.

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Fr Joe Mannath SDB

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Financial self-sustainability is one of the key features to be considered while assessing any institution in terms of its continuance.

By financial self-sustainability we mean generating all the required financial resources from within (without depending on external donations). For financial self-sustainability of our institutions, some of the following means could be considered:

  1. Creating a Healthy Corpus Fund: As we know, a corpus fund is the backbone of any institution. By having a healthy corpus, we can ensure the financial sustainability of our institution. For an institution with a regular income from within, the corpus can be built up by setting aside a portion of the income, if the auditor and the Commissioner of Income Tax would permit (for, normally, corpus is created out of donations from the third parties with an explicit written donation letter). If setting up a corpus out of one’s own income is not permitted, then we can set up other funds according to our needs. But for an institution with very little foreseeable income, it may be better to consider creating a corpus right at the time of starting the institution so that lack of finance doesn’t become a threat to its very existence. The corpus can be built up by making an appeal to third-party sources.

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Fr Alex G. SJ

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Pope Francis gave a text called the “The Beatitudes of the Bishop” to all the Italian bishops meeting in plenary assembly in Rome in November 2021. It gives wise guidance and encouragement, not only to the 5000 Catholic bishops around the world, but to all who hold leadership roles in the church. It was written by Archbishop Domenico Battaglia of Naples, who first used it at the ordination of three new bishops. It is modeled on the eight beatitudes given by Jesus in the Sermon of the Mount. Pope Francis liked that text, and has made it widely known.

The beatitudes of the bishop refer to the poverty and suffering in the world and the pastor’s loving closeness to the people, as well as the temptations bishops and other religious leaders face.

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The year was 1974. I can still remember Miss Helen, my sixth grade teacher, telling us, “Children, open your copybooks and draw two margins on both sides of the page.” We, eight-nine-year-olds, would do as told. “Now, write down, if I have five apples and I eat . . .” she would continue. When she would have finished dictating the math problem, she would instruct us, “All rough work should be done in the space outside the right-hand-margin.” Miss Helen would never accept any rough, untidy work within the margins. That was the “sacred” space for the proper, tidy work! Since we were still in primary school, she taught us all the subjects. So, then, we would have her reiterate the same directions during drawing classes, “Do not colour outside the lines!” And, as the obedient scared little boy that I was, that’s what I did. And, for the rest of my life, I never strayed outside the lines, outside the margins.

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Bro Carmel Duca MC

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A religious superior asks:

Our congregation was invited by the bishop of a diocese twenty years ago, and entrusted with a school in a parish. We did not have a proper written agreement. We continue to teach in the school, with minimum salary. Today, this school is one of the best-known schools in the city and is financially strong. But we are given the same salary. When we approached the present bishop, he said: “You are doing the work for the diocese, not for salary.” How shall we deal with this problem? Financial stability is also a need for a religious congregation.

The Congregation for Bishops and The Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life jointly published a document in 1978, called “Mutuae Relationes” (Mutual Relationships). This document precisely speaks about the guiding principles between the Bishops and Religious Congregations.

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Sr Navya Thattil OSF

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JANUARY 4:

International Braille Day

January 4 is celebrated as International Braille Day. It marks the birthday of Louis Braille, an educator and an inventor of Braille System.

Louis Braille was born on 4 January, 1809, at Coupvray, France. At the age of five, he lost one eye by accident and then the second one due to infection.

When he was just fifteen, Braille invented the system of reading and writing for the blind. Having mastered the Huay system and familiarized himself with the Charles Barbier system of communication at Royal Institute for Blind Youth, he worked for several nights to evolve his own system. Then he transcribed several books using his system with six dots. To accomplish his goal, he had to fight severely adverse conditions: ill-health (tuberculosis), bullying by his companions, mistreatment at the hands of the director of the institute, who burned all the transcribed books. The final battle was to prove publicly the efficiency of his system over that of captain Charles Barbier. Braille’s system finally saw the light of day in 1829.

Normally, we are inclined to believe that we have something to give to the blind.  The contrary is true. I realized that Louis Braille had important points to teach me. He had a dream to offer a gift to his blind companions and to the rest of the world.  And He did it. Further, he taught history, algebra and geography in the same institute till the end of his life. He was the official organist in two cathedrals in France until he died. He lived fully the forty-three years of his life.

Braille’s life touched me. He shook me out of my complacency. I was impelled to question myself about how meaningful my life is.

The world is enriched by score of musicians, artists, writers, poets, educators, sportsmen and women. Who can forget Helen Keller, Andrea Bocelli, Stevie Wonder, Ravindra Jain and several others? Louis Braille is a reminder to the world that the visually impaired have much to contribute. We cannot be indifferent to the 2.2 billion blind people in the universe. We have an obligation to provide them the possibilities of developing and sharing their gifts with the world. This is what Louis Braille accomplished.

JANUARY 24:

International Education Day

This day is celebrated to highlight the role of education in peace and development in the world.  The celebration is an effort towards achieving the SDG (Sustainable Development Goal) 4 of the UNO: Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.

What can I do to make education possible for all? By way of answer, here are two true storis.

Christopher, my dad, studied up to Standard Two against the wish of his father. He was beaten and starved for attending classes. When his first daughter was born, he made up his mind to educate her at all costs. He had to fight the conservative outlook of the villagers regarding girls. He made huge sacrifices to educate her. He borrowed money, fought against his wife to get her daughter admitted in a distant boarding school. To meet the expenses of her schooling, he himself carried about 50 kg of rice and 10 kgs of dal on his shoulders and walked twenty-five kilometres through mountainous terrain at least twice a year for thirteen long years. He begged and borrowed money to pay the annual fee of Rs 250 as school, boarding and science lab fees. My elder sister Teresa matriculated and became a teacher in the primary school of my village. In the thirty-eight years of her career, she taught more than a thousand students. The ripple of education stirred by my father continues even now through her students.

The second story is about Miss Erin Gruwell, the main character of the 2007 film, Freedom Writers.  In spite of her privileged background and excellent qualifications, she chose to teach at a problem school in a poor neighbourhood marked by inter-racial violence. Her students did not see the point in studying. Their life outside the classroom was marked by poverty and violence. Against all odds, employing her skills, love and patience, energy and money, she succeeded in motivating all the hundred and fifty students to graduate successfully. Her method of journal writing to help the weak students was adopted by several schools in USA.

The question worth thinking about is: What can I do to make education accessible to as many as possible?

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Fr Shilanand Kerketta SDB

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When you see destitute boys carrying luggage at a railway station, do you ever think that one of them may become a successful lawyer?

That is the story of a boy I know well.

Sanjay Das (name changed) graduated from Shyamabazar Law College in Kolkata with distinction in 2019. After passing the Bar Council of India examination, he registered himself as a Lawyer in Kolkata High Court in 2020 and began practising under the guidance of a senior advocate.  For Sanjay it was a long journey from the Dumdum Railway platform, where he spent five long years after running away from home while studying in Class II, to the hallowed portals of the High Court. On this journey he was accompanied by Don Bosco Ashalayam, a project with street and railway station children in Kolkata, during his school days; and Terra Indica, an organization to promote talents among Youth at Risk headed by a French philanthropist in Kolkata, for his college studies.

Age seven: From Home to Railway Station

The story of Sanjay makes a very fascinating reading indeed. At the very tender age of seven, he landed up in Dumdum railway station by a local train that passed daily  through his  remote village in 24 Pargana District, West Bengal. Extreme poverty bordering on starvation and the possibility of a bleak future forced Sanjay to take the extreme step of leaving home without permission or information to his parents.

What awaited him in the city railway station baffled him. With vast crowds of people and hundreds of trains arriving and leaving, he was literally at a loss as to what to do and where to begin. Being an intelligent boy, he observed what was happening around and began to imitate boys like him making a living on the railway platform. He offered his services to sell tea at a teashop on the platform and it was accepted. Slowly, he settled down in the station like other children of his age. He found a place in one corner of the station to sleep at night and slowly learned all the tricks of the trade for survival on the platform.  He could earn sufficient money for his food and clothing by selling tea, polishing shoes, and a myriad of other jobs that we see children doing on railway platforms and in trains. Other children noticed that he possessed a sharp intelligence and had leadership qualities. Gradually, he became a sort of a leader of these children.

What Next?

Five years passed. Sanjay he realized that he was not  a small child any more. He also become aware that a railway platform was not a place for one to make a permanent residence. He came to know from some boys living with him on the platform  about the monthly overnight stay programme that was being  conducted on the first Sunday of every month at Don Bosco Ashalayam, Howrah, by the Childline. (Ashalayam was founded to rehabilitate street and railway station children by weaning them away from such places and placing them on the path to education, skill training, job placement and permanent settlement with marriage, land and house. Ashalayam now is in its 35^th year of existence and have educated, trained and permanently settled hundreds of boys and girls over the years.)

Sanjay ventured out with other boys for one such monthly programme in Ashalayam and returned back to the railway platform on the following day. He attended the programme for a few subsequent months and then decided to settle down in the night shelter wing of Ashalayam. He found the activities there very interesting. These were meant to help the children to give up life on the platform and return to school. He told me of  his decision to continue with his studies. Seeing that he was smart and exceptionally intelligent, we got him admitted in Class V at St. Peter’s School, Maulali. In the final exam that year he stood first! He was given a double promotion to Class VII. From then on, there was no looking back. Sanjay excelled in every field of activity, both curricular and non-curricular. Everyone who knew him was impressed by his talents and winning personality and capacity for leadership.

After completing Class XII with flying colours, Sanjay moved out of Ashalayam and joined Terra Indica for his college studies. In 2014, while doing his first year B. Com.,he qualified himself for a government-sponsored exchange programme in one of the colleges in the United States of America for  one year. On his return from the United States, he decided to pursue the study of Law. Terra Indica stood by him solidly till he began his practice in the High Court in 2020.

The Hardest Part of Life

I met Sanjay recently in Kolkata during my monthly visit to the city to oversee the works in two slums that I am looking after. We were meeting after a long time. He was on his way back home from the High Court. During our friendly chat, I asked him a few questions. He was very happy to answer and was very candid in his sharing.

The first thing I asked Sanjay was: “What was the hardest time in your life, and your most difficult experience?”

He replied: “From my childhood onwards, I have gone through many tough times. It is difficult to choose the hardest one from among them.  However, I can say that life at the railway station where I lived all alone as a child for a few years was the hardest among them all. I was really small, probably seven or eight years old. We were extremely poor. The repeated verbal and physical abuse by my family members made me take the painful decision to run away from home. Coming to the railway station and staying there was terrible and frightening. The first few days I experienced the pangs of hunger. Then there was the danger of sexual molestation by strangers, the fear of being beaten up  the night by the railway police. The threat of illness due to unhygienic living conditions, extreme weather and lack of decent clothes, caused real danger to my life. Looking back today, I can say that life ahead cannot be worse than this and I can face any challenge that may come on the way.”

What Helped Him

Then I asked him what helped him most to become what he is today. This is what he had to say: “There are so many things that have helped me to become what I am today. Reaching Ashalayam at the right time and getting the opportunity to study was the  most important thing that happened to me. It provided me with a lot of exposure and opportunities. Apart from that, the most important factor were a few good people who believed in me, accepted me the way I was and loved and cared for me in spite of the background from which I came.  They remained very dear to me and helped me out in my most difficult times. Some people contributed by giving me a part time job and an opportunity to do further studies to achieve my dream. Others listened to my thoughts and supported me emotionally without being judgemental, which made me feel good as a person. Some people helped me financially in my time of need. Without them I do not know where I would have been today.”

His Suggestions

I asked him one more question before he took leave.  I asked him what he would like to suggest to educators (Sisters, Brothers, Fathers and others) who are working for the uplift  of the needy. With gratitude welling up in his heart towards all those who stood by him in his growing years, he told me: “I can never forget the people who stood by me and encouraged me to pursue my dream in my school and college days. I would like to suggest to all the educators to feel the needs of the children and fill them with love and empathy, and teach them a love for values—value of a good life, value of education, value of friendship (most important). Never show anger to children, even if they do the most terrible things. Children always get inspired from their elders, so it is important for educators to select the right staff to look after them, people who love and care for them and not just work for a remuneration. Apart from that, I would like to request all the educators to give children as many chances as possible, no matter how troublesome they may prove to be. No one can predict accurately at what moment in life the miracle of transformation can take place.”

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Another Poor Boy Who Came Up—and Gave Hope to Millions

I have narrated the story of Sanjay just to highlight the importance of creating access to education and retention in school and what transformation it can bring about in the lives of children. A small help given at the right time can produce incredible results.  I am reminded of the herculean struggle that Don Bosco had to undergo in  his childhood  to gain access to education and retention in school. Growing up at home without going to school due to poverty, he had to leave home at the age of thirteen, looking for work and was accepted in a family as a farmhand. He worked there for two years, displaying sincere dedication and hard work. His exceptional intelligence and his capacity for studies did not go unnoticed and before long, through the kind generosity of some benefactors, he was able to start regular schooling. But to support himself during his school years, he did incredible things. He slept in a “cubby-hole under a staircase;” stayed with a tailor and wore an old, ill-fitting jacket; worked as a helper in a blacksmith’s shop and other shops. Once he even went begging, knocking at every door seeking help for his studies; stayed in a family performing sundry chores in return for food and lodging; worked in a cabinetmaker’s shop; later worked as a waiter in a café; looked after a horse; worked in a vineyard,  and became a night watchman for some time. These experiences of school life, however, would help him in a big way later on in life when he began his work among the poor boys.

Education is the key

Creating access to education, especially for those at the lowest rung of the society, is one of the crucial concerns of every nation today. To provide educational opportunities for all is part of social justice, to bring about social equality, especially for those who are afflicted with all forms of dehumanising poverty.  It is precisely with this in view that Article 45 of the Constitution of India has enjoined upon the State to provide universal primary education to all children between six and fourteen years of age. While access has been created to some extent, retention in school and quality education remain a far cry.

The last fifty years of our history show that the commitment to universal literacy has been low among the priorities of the national planners at all times. So far the efforts to increase the spread of education have concentrated almost exclusively on either increasing the number of schools or on setting up endless schemes to provide incentives to deprived sections of the population to enable them to attend school. Little attention is given to the quality of education that needs to be imparted. Quality education includes physical infrastructure, competence and motivation of the teaching staff, and the organisational and managerial factors that determine the effectiveness with which resources are utilised.

In the present-day society with its advancement in science and technology, education has become a powerful means of effecting change, transformation and development in every sphere of human life. Nations and societies that have gone in for universal education and total literacy have attained a better standard of living, higher national income, better health and longevity for their citizens compared to those countries where literacy levels are low. It is a fact that no literate country in the world is poor, and no illiterate country is rich. Though the status of development can be measured from several socio-economic and demographic indicators, education occupies a primary place in examining the development of a country.

I want to conclude with what Daniel Webster wrote: “If we work on marble, it will perish. If we work on brass, time will efface it. If we rear temples, they will crumble down to dust. But if we work on immortal souls, if we imbue them with principles, with the just fear of the Creator and love of fellowmen, we engrave on these tablets something which will brighten all eternity.”

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Fr Mathew George SDB

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This month, we listen to an experienced psychiatrist, counsellor and motivator, with 25 years of work experience in India and in the UK. He is Secretary of the St Luke’s Catholic Medical Guild, Co-chairperson of the Indian Psychiatric Society’s Covid-19 Mental healthcare taskforce, and executive member of the Bombay Psychiatric Society.

Here are our questions and Dr Fabian’s replies. I thank Ms Janina Gomes for contacting Dr Almeida for us. –Editor

1. How serious is the situation of mental illness in India?

One in seven people in India were known to be suffering from some mental illness or the other. Anxiety and depression seem to be more common, but there’s also schizophrenia, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), bipolar disorder, and much, much more! This year’s ‘World Happiness Report’ found that the pandemic has shaken up lives the world over. And now the numbers have risen to around one in four people. However, the pandemic has also brought mental health and the need to support it, into a sharper focus.

     2. Throughout your career as a psychiatrist, you have been working to remove the stigma attached to               mental illnesses. Is the stigma a major obstacle to people approaching doctors for help?

Yes! Nine out of ten people with a mental health problem say that stigma or discrimination impacts them negatively. There are different types of stigma: self, public and institutional. It colours our thoughts, feelings and actions with negativity, doubt, fear and shame. Those most impacted by stigma include young people, men, minorities, people in the military and health workers. Yes, associated stigma often leads to delay in seeking help, thereby impacting the treatment outcomes negatively too!

3. As a leading consultant in Fortis and Shree hospitals, how has your Catholic faith made a difference to the way you approach your patients and heal them?

My Catholic faith has always helped me maintain my own stability and offer reassurance to my patients and their caregivers. I have always advocated a balanced spiritual approach as against a ritualistic, religious mindset. Trusting in your Creator, expressing your emotions and being grateful by counting your many blessings, even in adversity, can help to heal ourselves faster and better. Understanding that the doctor, his advice and the medicines, too, are all a medium that could be an extension of divine intervention, is how I like to look at it! Mathew 6:26 mentions, “Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in the barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to Him than they are?”

 I also use the lyrics of the meaningful hymn, “In His time…” to give hope, compassion and strength to others. It’s one of my favourites! I have an altar in my consulting cabin, to feel the presence of my God with me as I work, and a rosary in my pocket. My mother always reassures me, saying that she’s praying for all my patients to recover well.

      4. You use many approaches apart from medicines and counselling to heal your patients, such as art,              drama, summer camps for the young, a mental calendar every year. How do these approaches help?

I am happy that you are always abreast with our many activities… Yes, lack of mental health awareness and associated stigma are two of the main causes that amplify the problems. Through my various initiatives, I attempt to glamorize mental health and normalize our conversations in context to ‘It’s OK to not be OK’….and by championing our patients and caregivers as ‘Positive mental health ambassadors.’ That also gives them a sense of self-empowerment. Our Instagram handle ‘wellspringscounselling’ is full of positive messages and videos to enlighten people in this regard. In fact, every 2^nd and 4^th Saturday, at 8 pm, we have an insta live programme titled ‘Baaton Baaton Mein’ just to encourage such mental health conversations. Every Saturday, at 6 pm, we have a zoom session called ‘Mann Darpan’ to talk about mental wellness and positivity. These interventions are free. I started this show during the pandemic and the lockdown in May 2020, and we are now heading towards our 100^th episode. Our online daycare facility also encourages the patient and caregiver to realize that they don’t have to be dependent on medicines. Small, significant steps towards self-help, support and lifestyle changes can make a BIG difference.

      5. What motivated you to become a psychiatrist?

Well, I love answering this question. I always wanted to be a child specialist…because I’m very fond of children. That’s also because my mother ran a home-grown kindergarten school for twenty-five years while she also taught English to girls of the 8^th, 9^th and 10^th grades in a convent school. Before making my final choice for post-graduation after my MBBS, I decided to visit the wards of the pediatric department. However, I was not very comfortable looking around and seeing only mal-nourished, bruised and inactive children. It was time to think again…and then I had my Eureka moment: I realized that my mom, as a wonderful teacher, had impacted the life of so many thousands of students, not only by teaching htm, but more importantly by being there for them; as friend, philosopher and guide. Disturbed students would come home to speak to my mom, and then go back with a smile on their face and a spring in their step! It dawned upon me that If my mom could make such a wonderful difference in their lives, how much more I could then do for the society at large, if I learnt the art and science of dealing with the problems of the mind. Yes, there was no turning back after that! I chose psychiatry as my specialty, at a time when it was still considered taboo, and a non-glamourous field, to say the least. I am happy to see how things have gradually changed, very favourably, over time.

       6.You have an outreach to patients of all classes and creeds. How do you meet so many varying needs?

Looking back, I realize that my steadfast psychiatric training at KEM Hospital,  Mumbai, gave me immense exposure to the mental illness approaches towards the common man. In these government hospitals, we interact with the poorest of the poor and the marginalized too, besides others from the middle-class. My work experience in the U.K sensitized me to very disciplined, comprehensive, multi-dimensional and team-based approaches to the treatment interventions.  Twenty-five years of private practice has taught me that each patient and caregiver is special in their own way. Of course, there are some bitter experiences, but I have also learnt to hold on to the learning lessons from each of my experiences. I always tell my patients: “Focusing on the positives helps you to move from good to better, and finally, the best!”

       7.What do you see as your more significant contributions in the field of mental health?

I thank God for blessing me with talents of creativity, innovation, a sense of aesthetics and a strong passion for mental health. During my medical internship days, I also pursued my diploma in fashion designing and technology, besides completing my MBA in hospital administration and healthcare. These skills help me to bring in a certain freshness, the flavour of fellowship and a fun element into my programmes, targeted towards mental health awareness and abolishing associated stigma. Our TTWW (Teachers Training Weekend Workshop) was conducted for ten consecutive years, around the first weekend of July, combining mental health awareness and out-of-the-classroom experiences for teachers, in the rejuvenating, outdoor monsoon setting. The last two years we have been conducting it virtually. So, the learning hasn’t stopped.

This is followed by IMPACT, our annual session specially designed for principals and school administrators. This year our theme was ‘Lifeskills learning and self-development.’ MINDSCAPE, an interschool mental health festival, was a first of its kind initiative, initiated by me, around the world mental health week celebrations, in the first week of October. This year, we gave it an online community theme, and it was amazing to see enthusiastic participation, both from all over India and abroad, including the U.K., the U.S., Canada, Netherlands, Philippines, Kuwait, Dubai, and France. We also conducted a “Wonderful Voices for Mental Health” competition, and had a tremendous outpouring of talent and thoughts, all helping us to sensitize society towards enhanced mental health awareness and positivity. MENTASTIC is our monthly sessions for school children, to help them balance their IQ (Intelligence quotient), EQ (Emotional quotient) and AQ (Adversity quotient). Our annual calendar, INSPIRATIONS, which is out by the first week of January, showcases stories of people having combatted mental health problems wisely and well, besides emphasizing the need for a collective approach to counselling, self-help and support from family and friends.

MANN DARPAN, as mentioned above, is our weekly zoom session on mental wellness and positivity, while BAATON BAATON MEIN is our insta live session every 2^nd and 4^th Saturday on wellspringscounselling. TWILIGHT TWINKLE is our monthly grief support group, to help people to come to terms with the loss of their loved ones. All these endeavours help me to keep my passion for mental health awareness alive and active!!

       8. You are also a convinced Catholic. Does your faith lend you special perseverance and courage in                   the face of difficult situations?

A doctors’s professional and personal life is not without its share of challenges! Yes, it is especially at these times that my faith comes to my aid. My parents have always taught me to reassure myself in conflict, with the words of Psalm 23: “The Lord is my shepherd, there is nothing I shall want.” The words that ring in my ears often are: “When I find myself in times of trouble, Mother Mary comes to me, speaking words of wisdom: let it be, let it be!” My devotion to Mother Mary is very strong, and that’s how the colours of my clinic are also white and blue. Gospel music gives me immense solace and strength. Another one of my favourite hymns is “God will make a way…” by the very talented Don Moen.

       9. You advise people to never give up. How do you deal with really difficult cases? How do you                           encourage them?

Out of every ten cases I see, at least two or three turn out to be difficult. But it is important for the doctor to decode the difficult in every case, keeping in mind the individual patient and caretakers. Sometimes a better understanding of the problem at hand, and of the available solutions, helps to dissolve the difficulties. A more in-depth history-taking may be required at times. Demystifying the various myths surrounding mental health, and outlining the multi-dimensional approach, involving counselling, medications if required, self-help and support, can make the situation easier. Genetic overlay, irregular follow-ups with the doctor and inconsistent taking of medications; can lead to complications. When we do not get the desired results in about four to six weeks, I make it a point to review the case with my peers and seniors, who have always been obliging, keeping the patient’s best interests in mind. Our ‘Online daycare’ facility—which offers four sessions of basic understanding of mental illness, role of patient and care-giver and many do-it-yourself options for better stress management—has been very effective. Our online support groups, too, offer encouragement and enlightenment, much needed through this journey of recovery and reintegration.

       10. Your profession is a high stress one. What do you do to relax and take on the fresh challenges that               come your way everyday?

Yes, everyday is a new day, a new playing field to learn, unlearn and relearn the rules of this game called life. I draw strength every day from my balanced spirituality and habits of morning meditation, light exercise and the grace of gratitude, not failing to count my many blessings, both big and small. My family and friends form a large part of my support system, and it is with them that I can unravel my mind, share my anxieties or seek comfort and reassurance. I take pleasure in watching movies, listening to music, doodling, and virtual travelling, now in the post-covid era. Formerly, I would take a weeklong vacation for myself, to de-clutter my mind from all the stress that I tend to take in from others, but my next trip may just have to wait. Getting into the kitchen and trying something new is also very de-stressing for me, except that my wife and mom need to do the cleaning after that! I am blessed to find joy in the simple pleasures of life. Finally, I would like to quote the lines that have always inspired me, so much so, that I have it etched in glass, in my clinic:

“Life’s battles don’t always go to the stronger or the faster man,

Sooner or later, the one who wins,

Is the one who THINKS he CAN!!”

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Dr. Fabian Almeida

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He was an upper-class man, educated in the best schools of the day, and rooted in his religious tradition. He found this new sect abhorrent—daring to follow or even worship a publicly executed young man. No wonder he went around to have them arrested before they could mislead others. Today, he was on his way to a city to catch those following this foolish abomination, as he saw it, and throw them into jail.

On the way, something totally unexpected happened. A bright light blinded him, and he fell to the ground. An unknown voice called him by name, and asked him, “Why are you persecuting me?”

“Who are you?” he asked back, utterly taken aback.

“I am Jesus of Nazareth, who you are persecuting.”

This changed Saul of Tarsus. This well-educated, confident bigot, now struck blind, was actually losing his hate-filled blindness. He began to see.

He would fall in love with this Jesus. He would write words which only lovers use: “For me, to live is Christ,” “I long to be dissolved and be with Christ,” “Christ Jesus came to save sinners, of whom I am the greatest.”

We know what Saul, who became Paul, did later. But we cannot know what he experienced on the way to Damascus. We cannot enter into his inner experience. We can see its effects—not the experience itself.

Other Sauls meet the Lord today, and are transformed.

I guided a doctoral thesis at Madras University which studied the religious experience of 138 educated grown-ups. They met Jesus, and their lives were transformed. Amazing stories emerged. Persons from various professions, religions, age groups, cut through personal and group prejudice and experienced the new life that Jesus gave them. Joy, confidence and meaning marked them.

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It is cold in Delhi. Cold and heat are not theories. They are real. We know their meaning from experience.

So, too, with the taste of food, pain and sickness; motherhood and fatherhood; friendship and loss of dear ones. These not theories. We know them from direct experience. A mother knows the meaning of motherhood. She has not read books about it, nor can she define it, or put it into beautiful words. But we can see it in her face, as she looks at her children; in her tears when they suffer; in her energy when they need her help.

Experience is deeper, fuller, stronger, harder, more life-giving than a hundred theories.

This goes for our experience of God as well.

If we miss it, we miss out on the best we can get in this life. It would be like being blind and deaf and missing out all the beauty and sounds around us.

See the cover stories in this issue. Check out how others have been transformed beyond their expectations—how they moved from despair to new life, from anger to serenity, from boredom to enthusiasm, from sickness to health.

Organized religions are supposed to be vehicles for God-experience. Organized religious life is meant to bring together groups of people who want to make God-search and God-experience their main “profession.” We may be busy with different external jobs—teaching, nursing, writing, social work, …–but our real full-time job is our God-search, and our eagerness to share the life-giving joy of it with others.

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New year. I want to thank the outgoing Managerial and Editorial Board of MAGNET. The three sectional presidents of CRI constitute the Managerial Board. Since their team is over, and we have new executives in place, the new team forms our Managerial Board. So, Sister Maria Nirmalini AC (the CRI National President), Brother T. Amalan FSC (the President of the Brothers’ Section) and Fr Thomas Thekkel CMI (President of the Priests’ section) form the MAGNET Managerial Board.

The Editorial Board comprises competent volunteers who agreed to help us through helpful feedback. I thank the outgoing Editorial Board members—in alphabetical order, Sr Celine Vas BS, Bro Conrad D’Souza CFC, Mr Edwin Gracious Thomas, Bro Jesudass Amirthan SSP, Ms Juby Thomas, Fr Learoy Rodrigues SJ, Sr Marina Thomas SU and Fr Stanley Kozhichira.

Let me welcome the new Editorial Board Members (in alphabetical order): Dr Ann Agnes Mathew, Sr Celine de Cunha FMA, Bro Conrad D’Souza CFC, Fr Vincent Swami MSFS. Three others will join later.

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Happy, meaningful new year! May we learn from the good experiences and the mistakes of 2021 and enter the new year with a sense of expectation. Expect good things from God, from others, from yourself. The good far outweighs the bad—even if scandal-hungry media will make us think otherwise. In every setting we will enter, in every person we will meet, in every group we think of, there is more good than bad. It is up to me to strengthen the good, weaken the evil through good deeds, and get together with people of good will to make God’s dreams for us come true.

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Fr Joe Mannath SDB

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