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So, last February, the Municipality of Kolkata or the Councillors of our area (I never understood the difference), decided to turn a small dumping lot in front of our gate into a shrine dedicated to Mother Teresa. Municipality workers built a small wall, enclosed the area and put white and blue designed bathroom tiles on it. A metal railing and gate with a padlock were attached. The wall behind was smoothly plastered and images of Christ and Our Lady were painted on it. Next, they built a high pedestal and brought this tall ugly statue of Mother and placed it on top of it—the statue depicts a 6-foot (at the least) Mother Teresa holding a baby in her arms. Both Mother’s and the baby’s face and body are painted yellow! . . . and all this work done while Sanju and his mother sat on the footpath contemplating and admiring the whole enterprise.

Sanju and His Mother

You see, Sanju is maybe fifteen years old. I don’t know much about his life, but he walks on his knees while balancing himself with his hands. I have no idea whether he was born like that, or whether he was made like that or because of an accident. He lives and sleeps with his mother in a 1 metre by 1 metre elevated wooden box (which their neighbours generously built for them) on the opposite side of the street where Mother’s shrine was being erected.

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Brother Carmel Duca MC

Introduction: COVID Times are dominated by two key words: UNCERTAINTY and UNTIMELINESS. The regular pattern of daily life has changed rapidly and drastically. No one is certain about tomorrow. Positive cases are increasing steadily. One statistical model predicts that India will touch and cross 250000 cases a day by February 2021. WHO keeps reminding the world that COVID-19 is here to stay for at least two years. Now it is not a question of IF, but WHEN will the virus may hit me!!!

What are the implications of this reality? In the coming months, many religious may be down with the virus. Many will recover, a few will die. Those above sixty years of age and those with other illnesses are more vulnerable. Some of the victims may be key persons with high profile jobs in our congregations and dioceses, such as, superiors, managers of societies and trusts, heads of institutions, administrators, staff, etc. What happens if such persons are diagnosed as COVID-positive? What are the challenges to be met? What will be the implications if the treatment is prolonged? What happens if the person dies? Are we preparing ourselves for these eventualities? Are our systems in place so as to allow for a seamless transition in case of emergencies?

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Fr Trevor D’Souza, OFM

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Archbishop Peter Machado of Bangalore shares his vision, the priorities of the Archdiocese and his sources of inspiration. Here are the questions we sent him, and his simple but practical answers.

MAGNET: 1. At the 2020 CBCI Plenary, you presented your vision for the Archdiocese of Bangalore, with special emphasis on caring for the most deprived. A number of us found that vision inspiring. Please share those points with our readers.

Not anticipating COVID-19 or any other calamity, we had taken as  the theme for the year 2020 for Bangalore Archdiocese: Year of the Poor. But it so happened that the concern for the poor was, for most part of the year, the welfare of the poor itself. I had suggested to our priests to adopt a simple life-style that befits the situation of the people around us and to avoid wastage. The consumeristic trend these days has ushered in a culture of waste. We, church personnel, should set an example by being the first to avoid waste.  I had also taken other points for consideration in the year, such as, education of poor children, providing the hungry with meals, food kitchens, etc. Further, we had in mind also a scheme to reduce the medical bills of the poor by coordinating the efforts of the Christian hospitals with the services of the St Vincent de Paul Society. Visiting the imprisoned, welcoming the migrants, providing shelter to the homeless and arranging employment opportunities for the jobless – these were the other schemes that we had thought of in this Year of the Poor in the Archdiocese. During the lockdown, we were able to reach out to many poor and needy persons. Our animators and co-ordinators were able to organise shelter and transport to many migrants.

How did you develop this sensitivity for the problems and needs of the poor?

Coming to Bangalore from the poorer dioceses of Karwar and Belgaum, I saw there was more poverty in Bangalore, despite the facade of skyscrapers and painted development. When I began my ministry in Bangalore, I also saw a ready connect with the poor. Surprisingly, I also found a lot of generosity and willingness to help among the rich and middle class in Bangalore. My task was not formidable, and I found a ready response among the priests, religious and the faithful.

Institutions in your Archdiocese, both diocesan and religious, are doing much for those affected by COVID-19 and the lockdown. What is your main strategy for helping those most affected?

Yes, the institutions in the Archdiocese, especially among the religious, have done a lot for those affected by COVID-19. When we started the distribution of food kits for the poor in the Archdiocese, organised by our Social Service Centre, many religious institutions helped us financially. Others helped in packing and distribution. Besides this, the Jesuits, Salesians, Franciscans, Carmelite Fathers and Sisters had also their schemes of distribution of food for the poor. Many of the religious were also engaged as NGOs taking care of other needs in these COVID times, like the stitching of PPE kits for medical personnel, masks for the public, etc.

According to you, what is the main role of a bishop or major superior today in India?

The bishops and the religious superiors have to be humble enough to assert in the words of St. Paul, “to become all things to all persons” (1 Cor 9, 22). The pastoral office that we don behoves us to decipher the needs of the people—spiritual, emotional and material. Our duty is not only to do, but also to get things done. As such, we need to be foremost role models of support and service.

What is the Church in India doing well?

I think, given the circumstances, the Church in India is doing well. Of course, there are people who criticize the Church and wish the Church to be more pro-active. Being a bishop myself, I see the constraints and difficulties in trying “be all things to all.” I have realised myself, in all humility, that sitting in the chair of authority, it is not easy to please everybody! The Church and its institutions have great credibility. Organizations like Caritas India, St John’s Medical College, and the social transformation brought about among the tribals, Dalits and downtrodden, can make the Indian Christians very proud.

Where are we weak or failing, and need to improve?

We are perhaps weakest in our witness value. While our pastoral and spiritual services are accessible to all, our tall structures, rich institutions and our lifestyle distance us from the common folk. Very often, it is a vicious circle. In order to provide quality, we have to keep up the standards of teaching and working in our institutions. They then become unaffordable to the poor, who naturally feel abandoned. On the other hand, when we try to make our institutions accessible to the poor, we find it hard to maintain the standards and in the end, it is the poor themselves who do not frequent our institutions. I think that, over time,  when the poor and the common folk are involved in our participating structures and decision- making process, things will certainly improve. There is scope for much improvement. There is certainly a lot of hope, especially with the involvement of the young.

Who has (have) been the main source(s) of inspiration in your life? How were you influenced by them?

Well, my own family was the biggest inspiration. Ours was a large family of eleven children. My parents weren’t rich, but we were never left wanting. “There is no gain without pain”; this was very true of my family.

My earliest education under the Carmelite Sisters and Jesuits shaped me to be what I am today. Besides, priests and religious of noble ideals, who helped me at different stages, stood as stalwarts before me. I owe much to my Seminary formation in Papal Seminary, Pune, too. Bishop William D’Mello, the pioneering Bishop of Karwar, who ordained me and who guided me all through my twenty-five years of priesthood, was a big influence in my life. You may be surprised to hear that many lay people, in their humility and simplicity and without any publicity, also cast indelible impressions in my life as a priest.

Many young Catholics feel cut off from the Church, or see it as irrelevant for their life. How can we make the Christian faith and life more relevant for today’s youth?

Yes, it is sad to note that many young Catholics feel cut off from the Church. As I said earlier, they find us lacking witness value and authenticity. Our lives are not as impressive as our words to them. Our liturgies, programmes and pastoral action do not appeal to them, in as much they are not involved or made to participate. I see this deficiency of involvement in my ministry too in the Archdiocese. Fortunately, the media and accessibility of Web-based programmes have brought many close to the Church. Incidentally, this was a positive revelation to us in Bangalore in this COVID period, when the churches have been closed and our liturgies and programmes have been available on the Web-based media. Involving all the sections of the people and reaching out to individuals will perhaps be the biggest challenge for us in the post-COVD era.

Bangalore has the largest concentration of religious houses in India. What recommendation would you make to them, and to the religious of India?

 It is matter of joy and happiness to me in Bangalore to hear that Bangalore has the largest concentration of religious houses in India. Yes, it is like a mini-Vatican! The contribution of the religious in Bangalore is also enormous. They are serving the parishes; they have their own institutions, health centres, houses of formation and retreat centres. So, the services they render are all round. Many are also involved in innovative ministries, like prison ministry, anti-trafficking, women’s liberation, rescuing and rehabilitation of children – you name a ministry and we have it in Bangalore. Can you imagine that in this COVID period, some of the religious switched gears to stitching of PPE gowns and masks for the people?

  By way of recommendation for the religious in Bangalore, I would like to request them to bloom where they are planted, immerse themselves in the culture and language of the people, be cohesive in their activities and coordination of their ministries, work towards a sense of belonging and unity in the Archdiocese and always be open to accommodate the poor by walking the extra mile in all their apostolates.

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10 September: Suicide Prevention Day

World Suicide Prevention Day (WSPD) is organized since 2003 by the International Association for Suicide Prevention, with the World Health Organization as co-sponsor of the day.

Its purpose is to raise awareness that suicide can be prevented. This is a growing and shocking problem. Someone commits suicide every forty seconds. According to WHO, that comes to about 800,000 people every year; but several estimates put that number closer to one million. More people die from suicide than from murder and war.

For every suicide resulting in death, there are as many as forty attempted suicides. Every life lost represents someone’s partner, child, parent, friend or colleague. So, the number of those who suffer intense grief or are otherwise affected is enormous. This is part of a mental health emergency.

It is good to be aware that any of us can suffer depression and want to give up. No person or group is exempt from such human weakness. So, we cannot judge anyone who attempts suicide. What we need to do to understand suicidal tendencies and their underlying causes, and help those who feel tempted. Many suicides can be prevented through listening, counselling, friendship, community support and spiritual helps, such as meaningful prayer, healing retreats and developing a personal sense of God’s nearness and strength.

Physical and especially mental health disabling issues, such as depression, are among the most common of the long list of complex and interrelated factors, ranging from financial problems to the experience of abuse, aggression, exploitation and mistreatment, that can contribute to the feelings of pain and hopelessness underlying suicide. Having access to means to kill oneself—most typically firearms, drugs and poisons—is also a risk factor.

This special Day aims at:

• Promoting mental health literacy among the general population;
• Raising awareness about suicidal behaviour and mental health disorders;
• Decreasing the stigmatization and taboos regarding suicide;
• Reaching out to those who don’t seek help;
• Highlighting where and how people can get the help they need

23 September: Day of the Deaf

Established in 1951, this Day is also celebrated annually as the International Day of Sign Languages. This year’s theme is: Sign Languages are for everyone!

According to WHO, over 5% of the world’s population (360 million persons!) suffer from loss of hearing, resulting from genetic causes, diseases, chronic ear infections, exposure to excessive noises and aging. Globally, there is a lack of access for treating hearing loss. Timely and effective interventions can help people to achieve their full potential, facilitating their education, employment and communication.

The deaf are unable to hear—partially or fully. But they are capable of everything else. They are not stupid! Our society inaccurately depicts them as “disabled.”

They have a beautiful visual language which involves moving the hands combined with facial expressions and gestures.

In the past, they were forced to oralism, i.e., communicating using speech and lip-reading. That was really difficult for most of them. Speech therapy is still emphasized, because children who are deaf are sometimes also dumb.

Decision-makers must be constantly motivated to effectively include deaf people. Our workaday world should strengthen the status of sign languages on a par with spoken languages. These are often misunderstood as mere gestures. But this is not true. These are fully functioning languages with grammar, syntax, etc., structurally distinct from spoken languages, alongside which they coexist.  There is a simpler international sign language used by deaf people in international meetings, and informally when travelling and socializing. This has a limited lexicon.

The first sign language dictionary, called Gestuno, was published in 1965. It recorded three hundred gestures; the third edition has already 1500. Unlike Gestuno, the international language developed in a natural way using natural and iconic gestures, drawings and labels, lexical and grammatical elements of national sign languages.

Various integrative programmes enable deaf and hearing children to attend the same school and learn side by side. Educators are encouraged to learn the sign language and techniques so as to include deaf children in their class.

Every family develops its own gestures to communicate with a deaf child. When the child enters the inclusive school, he or she learns a sign language and may not use those family gestures anymore. Therefore, it is important that parents learn the sign language in order to communicate and support their child more effectively.

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Sr Esme da Cunha FDCC

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Race
Director: Stephen Hopkins. Cast: Stephan James, Jeremy Irons Shanice Banton, Jason Sudeikis, Barnaby Metschurat, William Hurt, David Kross. (2016. 134 minutes)

This movie presents the legendary Black US athlete Jesse Owens, whose stunning performance in the Berlin Olympics of 1936 won also a moral victory over the blatant racism of the Nazis as well as that of his own country. In 1933, the poverty-ridden young Owens goes to Ohio State University where his potential is identified by the athletics coach Larry Snyder, who persuades him to train for the 1936 Berlin Olympic Games. Jesse works in a gas station (petrol bunk) while training on the track and studying, which is really tough. The coach mentors Jesse to be confident and also remain unaffected by the racist insults that he has to face. In 1935, despite an injury, he competes in the sprint event and clocks a record despite a booing racist crowd. The referees refuse to accept the record, but he is unfazed and goes on to break records in other events too and becomes a hero. Hitler had designed the 1936 Berlin Olympics as a show piece of Aryan supremacy (over Jews and other racial groups).

 Owens has to face much opposition, but he puts sports over politics and would go on to defeat racism  During the first event—long jump—Owens competes for gold with Germany’s showpiece Luz Long, with Hitler in the box. Luz Long stands out as a true athlete, helping Owens correct his faulty technique and win with a record. Hitler refused to give the customary shake hand to the winner and did not turn up to watch the other three events where Owens created history. Luz Long and Owens’ friendship is a celebration of Olympians triumphing over racism. The movie also shows the racism in the US. When Owens and his wife arrive for the party held in his honour, they are allowed to enter the hotel only through a back door. However, Owens remains unaffected. The White House did not acknowledge the contributions of the black athletes. The film is also a nod to the celebrated German cinematographer Leni Riefenstahl, who defied the Nazi government’s orders to stop recording Owens’s performances on film.

I Am Kalam
Director: Nila Madhab Panda. Cast: Harsh Mayar, Gulshan Grover, Pitobash Tripathy, Beatrice Ordeix, Sanjay Chauhan (2011. 87 minutes)

Set in Rajasthan and Delhi, the film tells the heartwarming story of Chottu, a gifted but poor village boy who overcomes all odds to achieve his dream of getting a good education. It is also a tribute to the late Indian president A P J Abdul Kalām, a great champion of education. Chottu, though a child, works in a dhaba in Bikaner, and lives with his widowed mother Meera, who lives in abject poverty and debt. He is mischievous, jovial and clever, with a passion for language learning. The dhaba is at the doorsteps of a Rajput palace now turned into a tourist resort. Too poor to realize his dream of going to a good school, Chottu collects books and finds time to teach himself language. The dreamy kid is fired up when he listens to a Television speech by President Abdul Kalām and begins to idolize Kalām to such an extent that he renames himself “Kalām.” Chottu dreams of Delhi and becoming a future president. He makes friends with Ranvijay, the youngest son of he resort’s owner, who has no friends. They have secret meetings and fun together, without the knowledge of the elders. Ranvijay offers to teach him English and in return Chottu would help him with Hindi. Lucy, a French tourist, teaches Chottu French.

Hardships multiply. A jealous neighbour destroys Chottu’s books. Worse, Chottu is taken for a thief on account of the gift of books and clothes that Ranvijay has given him. To escape, he hitches a ride with a friendly Punjabi and reaches Delhi. His dream is to meet the president. He writes a letter to President Kalām and hands it to a policeman and lives on the street as an entertainer.  Alarmed by the boy’s disappearance and the discovery of his innocence, his mother and his employer follow him to Delhi, where they are reunited. The film is both entertaining and inspiring. Coming to realize the boy’s passion for learning, he is sent to school along with Ranvijay in the way in which Chottu always dreamed of.

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Prof Gigy Joseph

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Something Beautiful for God: Mother Teresa of Calcutta
by Malcolm Muggeridge1971

When Malcolm Muggeridge, then a famous British journalist working with BBC, came to Calcutta in 1968 to make a film on Mother Teresa, it became history. It was Muggeridge’s BBC documentary that brought her work to world notice. It changed Muggeridge’s life too, eventually leading to his entry into the Catholic fold. The book became widely known. Muggeridge noticed how her view of life so contradicts the modern worldly view of life. Mother Teresa did not want anything like a biography of hers because the Lord never had one during his life time. She was just the instrument of His love. She impressed him as one who, by effacing herself in Christ, made an ineffaceable impression on him at the very first meeting. People thronged around her just to be in her presence. Queried about her stand on welfare state as against her work, she replies that Christian love is for a person. Mother’s own writings are deeply meditative, profound yet simple. She reflects that her own work involves suffering without which it would just be social work which is “very good and helpful, but not the work of Christ.” The book also recounts the beginnings of her second vocation and the remarkable growth of her community despite the hard and frugal conditions of life involved, something of a miracle. Radiating the joy of Christ in action is what brings the poor closer to God.  Her work is not about providing the poor everything they need. The worst disease that any human can experience is being unwanted. Modern medicine can cure many diseases, but this terrible disease (of being unwanted and unloved) can be cured only by people with willing hands to serve and hearts to love. In the touching last section Muggeridge reflects deeply on the questions of faith, in the light of his encounter with Mother Teresa. It provides deep insights into the problem of suffering. Whereas the world thinks of suffering as an outrage,  or “unjustifiable violation,”  for Mother Teresa suffering and death are part of the everlasting drama of our relationship to the Creator… exemplifying our human condition. Our service is doing something beautiful for God.

At the Master’s Feet
by Sadhu Sundar Singh (Wilder Publications, 2011)

Sadhu Sunder Singh is one of the best known Christian mystics and thinkers of India. In his life time he was a legend. Many details regarding his life and death are the stuff of legend.  This little book is a testimony to the great mystic’s Christ experience. Thematically arranged into six sections dealing with the vital aspects of Christian life and thought, the Sadhu informs us that the truths set forth in the book were revealed to him by the Master and they deeply affected his life.  Rendered in the form of an intimate conversation between the Disciple and the Master, it begins with two of his visions while meditating in the forest. Christ visits him in the guise of a beggar. Mistaking him for a beggar, Sundar Singh tells him he has nothing and directs him to the next village. But when the stranger disappears in a flash, Sadhu realizes that it was his Master. The second visitation is a satanic temptation. A man apparently a devout Christian meets and suggests him to become the leader with a large following. In reply Sadhu reasserts his devotion to the Cross. He is filled with the presence of Christ and begins to glow. He realizes that “man’s heart is the very throne and citadel of God.” Then follows a series of conversations between the Master and the disciple in which Christ reveals the divine truths to him. The master reminds the disciple that spiritual and religious ideas are connected less with the head than with the heart, which is the temple of God. As for prayer, it is not about begging for favours, but it is the ‘effort to lay hold of God Himself, the Author of life… breathing in of the Holy Spirit” who is given freely to all. The meaning of Christian service is “the activity of the spiritual life and the natural offering prompted by love.” As for Heaven and Hell, the master describes them as “two opposite states of the spiritual realm.”  In its charming simplicity and homely style the book makes a deep impression.

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Prof Gigy Joseph

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The name is new; the contents go back to the time of Adam and Eve.

Soft Skills.

Much in vogue today. Websites, books, seminars, training programmes tell us what they are, why they matter and how to develop them.

Why this surge in interest?

Which do you expect more from your parish priest—that he can drive a car or that he gives good sermons?

What do you want in your new provincial—that she can cook well and repair broken gadgets—or that she relates well and really understands those going through a rough patch?

What kind of a husband or wife does a young person look for—someone who knows all about smartphones and laptops or someone responsible who will not cheat or ill-treat?

The answers are evident. The first option in each sentence is a “hard” skill; the second is what comes under “soft” skills.

Soft does not mean easy. It is easier to make a PowerPoint presentation or repair a motorbike than to make a marriage work, or be a good parent or effective counsellor.

Hard skills deal with handling machines, and are applicable to one type of work. Soft skills are about how we treat human beings; they come into play in all walks of life.

We can manage life without particular hard skills. Only some people need to master them. Thus, I know how to write this article using Word, but I do not know how to do heart surgery. The surgeon may not know cooking, and the cook need not know mechanical engineering. The bus driver need not be good at embroidery, and the tailor need not be an expert in law.

But we all need soft skills—how to manage our moods, how to deal with different types of people, how to communicate with one person or with a group, how to work responsibly without supervision, how to take right decisions.

Hard skills are certainly useful. They help us manage things and get us jobs, and help us “get ahead.”

Soft skills are not just useful; they are essential. They include emotional balance and caring relationships, attentive listening and effective communication. They teach us how to “get along.” The surgeon and the cook and the engineer need to handle life and relationships.

We not only need these skills. We need to teach them to those in our care. That is why they are even more necessary for leaders—parents, teachers, CEOs, religious superiors, trainers.

That’s the focus of this issue. Cover Story I shows us how soft skills matter. Cover Story II looks at three skills which make a significant difference in the ministry of religious and priests. Cover Story III is a quick look at the whole range of soft skills.

Developing soft skills is no soft job. It will involve hard work—and at times professional help. But, then, dealing with us will become a joy for others; our daily life and our many commitments—especially our dealings with people—will become smooth and refreshing. Isn’t managing life and relationships far more important than knowing how to put on a switch or flip through websites?

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Fr Joe Mannath SDB

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Today’s complex world has for many turned their “normal life” upside down.  These challenging times of pandemic virus, resulting in serious health concerns, isolation, unemployment, food shortage, and uncertainty about the future, bring fear and confusion. In addition, across the world, social justice issues arise in ever more striking ways, causing us to reconsider the very structure of society. Violence against marginalized peoples is no longer hidden but rather displayed daily on our social media and in our streets.  And we are all faced with the question, to what is all of this chaos calling me?  Who am I in the midst of such turmoil and pain?  Who have I been and who do I desire now to be? What is my response today and what will it be tomorrow?  We are all now called to look at the very fiber of ourselves and our society, but where and how to begin?

Life, even in its whole and healthy form, brings change, brings movement, and calls forth from each of us a stance, a way of being. To live our life in an intentional way, then, each of us needs to enter into and live out of discernment. As Parker Palmer in his short but powerful book, Let Your Life Speak, reminds us, “Embracing one’s wholeness makes life more demanding – because once you do that, you must live your whole life.”

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Sr Sharon Gray SCN

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Crystal and Kevin bring to the discussion their rich background as educated and committed lay persons. See how practical their understanding is!—Editor

CRYSTAL

One of the most delightful aspects of being a regular contributor to this magazine is the opportunity to reflect on topics that we as Catholics should be familiar with.  Unfortunately, this Catholic is not always as well-read as others. And so it was with a sense of wondering what Fr Joe meant when he said that discernment is one of Pope Francis’ favourite topics that I began to do a little internet research and discovered a beautiful array of the Pope’s reflections on the subject.

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Crystal and Kevin Sullivan

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This article looks at the basic meaning of discernment, its key role in life, the obstacles to right choice, and the clear and lovely outcome of a life lived with discernment.—Editor

God made us in His own image and likeness. He endowed us with intelligence and free will. He has also poured out His Spirit over us and into us, so that the inbuilt conscience within us will lead us on along life’s journeys, steadily and surely … if only we listen to it. We could call this the gift of discernment – to differentiate between what is good and what is bad, between what is good and what is better, and to make our choices accordingly. There is no ‘neutral’ stand. We cannot opt to be bystanders or onlookers. Life is too precious for that. We have to take a stand to make this world a better place to live in – one in which every person is my neighbour, my brother, my sister…  Who we are and what we do either makes us and this world, better or worse. We need to single out the path that God seems to be opening up for us, individually and collectively.

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SR ESME DA CUNHA FDCC

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