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The Weight of Glory (2015)

C.S. Lewis

This collection of nine sermons by renowned Christian apologist and novelist C.S. Lewis offers thought-provoking ideas relevant to our time, addressing many erroneous popular notions of modern humans. Lewis explores the concept of glory, relating it to the Christian spiritual journey and the human longing for something greater that bears significance for our daily lives. He argues that our desire for glory is an intimation from God, and we are designed to bear its weight. Our pursuit of worldly pleasures is a distortion because we are meant to seek heavenly joy. Paradoxically, our desires are not too strong but too weak, easily distracted by earthly temptations. According to Lewis, ‘glory’ should not be misunderstood as fame or self-praise but as a divine attribute. Humans are destined to partake in God’s glory, a realization that should inform how we relate to others, as all are partakers of a divine future. In a sermon delivered during World War II, Lewis refutes the argument that the pursuit of learning is futile in wartime, describing this attitude as shortsighted. Life is never free from crisis, and we must continue to learn to inspire hope and progress. Christian life is a spiritual war, and learning is essential to our spiritual growth.

Among other pieces, we read about forgiveness and the perils of seeking social inclusion. Forgiveness is not excusing wrongs but pardoning the inexcusable in others, as Christ did. Seeking social inclusion implies the desire to belong to an exclusive group or society, potentially compromising our principles and distracting us from our duties and moral obligations. In “Transpositions,” Lewis uses the analogy of music to explain how spiritual phenomena are represented in the physical world. Higher forms of existence manifest in lower forms to make them intelligible, like complex music transposed into simple notes for learners. The book also explores pacifism, Church membership, theology, and salvation and grace, highlighting the human effort to follow Jesus, however imperfectly, regardless of the cost.

The righteous Mind: Why People are Divided by Politics and Religion (1900)

Jonathan Haidt.

Social psychologist Jonathan Haidt’s three-part book explores the psychology behind the divisiveness in religion and politics, attributing it to our natural “groupishness” and selfishness. The issue cannot be simplified as good versus evil; our minds are designed for groupish righteousness. As intuitive creatures, our gut feelings or intuitions control our strategic reasoning. Moral concepts are often conditioned by time, place, and culture. To understand the conflicting morals in politics and religion, it is crucial to consider people’s intuitions over reasoning.

Haidt employs the metaphor of a rider and an elephant to describe the human mindset, where intuition and reason vie for dominance. The elephant represents human intuition—powerful and larger than reason, here the rider. Intuitive reactions come first in mental processes, with reasoning coming second, making our moral judgments largely post-hoc. The rider is reason, which must steer the elephant of intuition. Haidt posits six “moral foundations” that underlie human responses: care, fairness, loyalty, authority, sanctity, and liberty. Liberals and conservatives differ in their priorities—liberals value the first two, while conservatives balance all six, giving them broader appeal. Haidt likens the righteous mind to a tongue with six taste receptors, corresponding to the six moral foundations. Successful politicians appeal to the elephant of the people’s righteous mind using as many receptors as possible—they “knew how to talk to elephants.”  Being groupish and selfish implies that our morality can both bind and blind us. According to Haidt, 90 percent of our choices and actions are selfish/intuitive, and 10 percent are groupish. Social hierarchies prevent chaos, but individual choices are also important. This duality in morality led sociologist Durkheim to describe humans as “homo duplex.”  Conflicts in society can be mitigated by understanding others’ perspectives. However, Haidt’s views have faced criticism from some thinkers.

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Do you enjoy reading this article?

In general, do you enjoy reading?

What do you really enjoy during a normal day?

Enjoyment is a sign of good mental health. What do I mean?

If I am physically healthy, I will enjoy most of my physical activities. I will enjoy the taste of food. I will enjoy having good sleep. I will enjoy walking and other exercises.

If a couple have a good, loving relationship, they will enjoy sexual intimacy, spending time with each other, talking and listening to each other, doing things with and for each other.

The same for the whole family. A loving family enjoys meeting each other, being in each other’s company, preparing a birthday party for a family member, travelling together.

Enjoyment is a sign of health and good relationships.

Something similar happens in the so-called spiritual life, too. It is hard to define spirituality. In fact, different people and groups mean different things by this term. Very heroic and extremely cruel deeds have been done in the name of religion and spirituality—service of the least, making sacrifices for the poor, volunteering to work in difficult areas, even being ready to die for another, as also cruelty, including torture and murder.

Think of saints like Fr Maximilliam Kolbe who volunteered to die of starvation in the place of another man in a Nazi concentration camp. Threats or fear will not enable a person to do such heroic deeds. Only faith and love can inspire and strengthen someone to do it.

Fr Joe Mannath SDB

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The world is broken, countries are fractured, families are torn apart, and individuals are left shattered. We witness violence permeating our society, and the dehumanization of individuals is all too common. Why does violence persist in our society? Why are human beings not treated with the dignity they deserve?

Throughout history, we read about ordinary people performing revolutionary and courageous acts. These individuals stood by their values, fought for the rights of the innocent, and never expected anything in return. Today, how many of us can genuinely be ourselves, take responsibility, and honour our commitments to uphold the truth, even if it means challenging the status quo?

When we stand for a cause, nothing should deter us. In whatever small way we can bring justice to an individual or society, we must find the courage to act. Courage is what empowers us to stand up and speak out. Let us not remain passive members of an audience, content with simply clapping from the sidelines. Instead, let us take our place on the podium, boldly proclaiming truth and justice. Regardless of the obstacles, truth will always prevail.

Sr Lini Sheeja MSC

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“A good priest, sister or nun must above all else be a man or woman who is formed and shaped by the Lord’s grace, … they must be people who are aware of their own limitations and willing to lead a life of prayer, and dedicated witness to the Gospel.”

– Pope Francis

This article highlights the relevance and necessity of ‘reconciliation-centered’ formation process for Catholic priests and nuns.

As we know, 3D or three dimensional, refers to the three spatial dimensions of width, height and depth. The title of the article, ‘3D formation’, refers to a new perspective of the ‘reconcilation-centered formation’ process from three dimensions. In other words, a ‘reconciliation-centered formation’ requires the width of relationship, the height of love and the depth of compassion.   

The integral aim of the formative process is to help one to configure oneself to Christ. This configuration-process happens when one tries to answer the question, ‘why reconcile with someone’?  In fact, one reconciles to relate better. What is the outcome of a deeper relationship? Efforts to relate well increases the capacity to love. Once the capacity to love increases, a person becomes a more compassionate person, because one cannot be compassionate without love, and one cannot be lovable without compassion. In short, ‘reconciliation-centered formation’ needs to highlight awareness of relationship, love and compassion. To create this awareness in the formation process through various ways is the first step of a ‘reconciliation-centered formation’ process.

Fr Binny Marydas

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India has been enduring intense heat waves over the past few months. In 37 cities, temperatures soared above 45ºC, and nighttime temperatures remained as high as 36ºC in many areas. These extreme events, which are increasing in frequency, lasting longer, and becoming hotter, are becoming the new normal in this age.

Heatwaves: Testing Our Human Endurance

An analysis by World Weather Attribution (WWA) reveals that climate change has made the current extreme temperatures in India 45 times more likely than they would be without climate change. India now has a 10% chance of experiencing an extreme heatwave in any given year. Additionally, a World Bank report predicts that by 2030, heat stress could lead to a global loss of 80 million jobs due to decreased productivity, with India potentially accounting for 34 million of these job losses.

It is not just heatwaves; we are constantly challenged by unexpected, frequent, and intense droughts, floods, forest fires, and other calamities. Humanity is facing an unprecedented environmental crisis. Over the past few decades, we have used and abused coal, oil, forests, rivers, and seas, and now we are bearing the consequences. The climate has changed. The wound is deep, and the damage appears irreversible. Can we live in a shattered house? Impossible. The wounds need healing, and the damages require restoration.

Fr Ricopar Royan SDB

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This is the fourth article in a series on prayer written by Sr. Celine as part of the preparation for the Jubilee Year 2025. The first article focused on prayer as a spiritual oasis, the second on prayer as power, and the third on prayer as being in the presence of the Lord. This fourth article centres on prayer as listening.

We live in a world of incessant noise. Almost everywhere we go and whatever we do, we are constantly bombarded with distractions—images and sounds from TV and social media, conversations with friends and neighbours, and the activities of family and surroundings. Listening has become a lost art in our modern culture. Rarely do we get quiet time together with our families without some kind of distraction. Seeking a quiet place to spend time with God or with ourselves is not always easy. Too often, we find ourselves challenged and confused about what we should do in a given situation or what is truly the most important thing in our lives.

LEARNING TO LISTEN IS AN ART

Learning to listen is a process that involves great desire, quality time, much effort, patience, and persistence. It is demanding inner work – a desire to listen just for the sake of listening, beyond words and any personal agenda. Not many people know how to do it. Staying silent until the other person stops talking is not the same as listening, and thinking about what to say next while the other person speaks is not the same as listening either. To listen to others, we need to close our eyes, shut our lips, open our ears, and connect our hearts.

Sr. Celine D’Cunha FMA

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It is often said, “If you really want to know yourself and make progress in life, ask your enemies.” Enemies play a crucial role in our lives, offering insights into our weaknesses and keeping us alert. We have to be thankful to them for this unpaid job. They spend a lot of time and energy tracking us and informing us about our ‘areas for improvement.’ While their methods may seem harsh, we must acknowledge the value of their observations. Embracing criticism and evaluation is essential for personal growth and achievement.

As parents, teachers, animators, mentors, or formators, giving feedback is a challenging yet indispensable task that needs to be done responsibly. However, it is crucial to remember that the recipient of feedback is at the center of the process. Thus, it is our responsibility to deliver feedback with compassion and accountability, an act often referred to in religious contexts as ‘sharing truth in charity.’ Here are some guidelines to help you provide feedback effectively:

Richard Mascarenhas, SJ

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Venerable Mamma Margaret was the mother of St. John Bosco, popularly known as Don Bosco.  After the death of her husband, she had a tough time bringing up her stepson Anthony and her own two sons, John (later Don Bosco) and Joseph.  Anthony was hot-tempered and John was stubborn.  Anthony wanted John to work on the farm and John wanted to study.  There would be heated arguments and fights between them.  Wise and patient as she was, she would give them time to cool down.  At the end of the day when the ‘Our Father’ would be prayed during the family prayer, Mamma Margaret would stop Anthony and tell him not to say the words, “forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.”  In the dialogue that would inevitably follow she would ask him how he expected the Lord to forgive him when he had not forgiven his brothers.  Her words, uttered in a simple and loving way, would usually produce the desired effect with Anthony admitting, “I was wrong.  Forgive me.”

When Don Bosco began his work for the poor youth of Turin, Mamma Margaret left her native place and stayed with him to help him.  Although she was very gentle and patient, she often found it difficult to put up with the thoughtless and irresponsible behaviour of the boys.  One day, tired, very upset and determined to go back to her village she went and complained to Don Bosco: “Your boys are careless and irresponsible.  They throw their clothes around.  They carry away the utensils from the kitchen to use for their amusement.  Playing around they destroy my vegetable garden.  I can’t take it anymore. I want to go back to my village to spend my last days in peace.”

Fr Jose Kuttianimattathil, sdb

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“Learning to stand in somebody else’s shoes, to see through their eyes, that’s how peace begins. And it’s up to you to make that happen. Empathy is a quality of character that can change the world.”

— Barack Obama.

Many years ago, I remember watching a Chinese movie in which a little boy, Doggie, is cruel to frogs. He ties a large stone on the back of a frog and laughs in glee when the frog is unable to jump or move about. The master, known as “Wang Bianlian” or “King of Masks,” who had taken the little boy under his wing to train him, decides to teach him a lesson. One night, when the boy was sleeping, the master ties a large rock on his back and when the boy wakes from sleep, he is unable to stand up nor move. He starts crying and begging the master to free him. This scene is significant in the movie as it highlights the master’s effort to teach the boy compassion and respect for all living beings.

One of the core principles that underlie the emotional dimension of the wholeness paradigm is when we embrace our emotions and nurture our own and others’ emotional well-being, we are well equipped to cultivate a sense of wholeness and lead a more fulfilling life. In this issue, we shall discuss the highest manifestation of the emotional dimension – Compassion in all its richness and its significance in life.

Fr. Dr. Joseph Jeyaraj, sdb

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Gaudium et Spes (meaning ‘Joy and Hope’), the Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World, stands as one of the four pivotal constitutions born out of the Second Vatican Council. True to Vatican tradition, its title is derived from the document’s opening words in Latin, ‘the joys and hopes.’

THE SPIRIT AT WORK IN ITS DEVELOPMENT

As the final document of the Vatican II, Gaudium et Spes (GS) was approved by a vote of 2,307 to 74 from the assembled bishops and was promulgated by Pope Paul VI on December 7, 1965, the Council’s closing day.

Unlike other documents, GS was not pre-drafted; it emerged organically from the discussions among the Council Fathers themselves. This fact highlights how strongly the Council Fathers felt about the theme of the Church in the world. The document’s content and emphasis were meticulously debated through multiple drafts.

Toward the end of the Council’s first session, Belgian Cardinal Suenens emphasized the need for the Church to address worldly issues rather than focus solely on internal matters. Cardinal Montini of Milan (later Pope Paul VI) supported Cardinal Suenens’ proposal the following day, and Cardinal Lercaro of Bologna echoed similar sentiments shortly thereafter. Thanks to the backing of these influential Council Fathers, the outcome was the longest document produced by any of the 21 ecumenical councils in the Church’s 2,000-year history.

Br. Sunil Britto CFC

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