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The second volume of the Council Notebook delves into the theme of ‘Revelations as the Word of God,’ particularly focusing on Dei Verbum 1-6. Continuing the tradition established by the Council of Trent and the First Vatican Council, the Second Vatican Council emphasized the Doctrine of Divine Revelation. The aim is to ensure that the message of new life is heard by the entire world, leading to belief, hope, and love. This volume consists of four concise chapters: The Word of God; Written Word; The Response to the Word of God; The Word of God in Action.

God’s Ongoing Communication

Reflecting on Dei Verbum is akin to revisiting the entirety of the Second Vatican Council’s history. It’s the final constitution approved by Vatican II, serving as the cornerstone for interpreting all its teachings. Through this document, we can reconnect with Sacred Scripture in a lively and dynamic way, understanding the event of Christian revelation. Dei Verbum delves into the profound ways of how God reveals Him/Herself and communicates with humanity. Biblical history unfolds as a series of revelations, culminating in Jesus Christ revealing the true nature of God as a loving Father and Mother. Emphasizing that “God has spoken,” Dei Verbum underscores that this divine action isn’t confined to the past but continues to impact the present. God’s ongoing communication with His Church unveils hidden truths and deepens our understanding of revealed truth.

Sr Shalini Xavier CTC

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This is how Sr. Norma Pimental, MJ, began a TED talk: “In 2014, I visited a detention facility where hundreds of little children, immigrant children, were detained for several weeks in conditions that were very heartbreaking. They were dirty and muddy and crying. Their faces were full of tears. I had the opportunity to go in and be with them. And they were all around me. They were little ones, some of them not older than five years old. And they were saying to me, ‘Get me out of here. Please, help me.’ It was so difficult to be there with them. I started to cry with them, and I told them, ‘Let us pray.’ And they repeated after me, ‘God, please, help us.’  As we prayed, I could see the Border Patrol officers looking through a glass window. They were on the verge of tears, as they heard the children praying. A little boy came closer and told me, ‘Please, help me. I want to be with my mother.  She was here, I was separated from her.’  When I walked out of the cell, an officer got close to me and said to me, ‘Sister, thank you. You have helped us realize that they too are human beings.’”

Sr Norma Pimentel, who belongs to the Missionaries of Jesus Congregation, has been for many years the Executive Director of Catholic Charities, the charitable arm of the Diocese of Brownsville in Texas, U.S.  In 2014 thousands of families tried desperately to leave their countries in Central America and seek asylum in the U.S.  Responding to this crisis, she set up Humanitarian Respite Centers, where hundreds of American volunteers took care of these poor and hungry asylum seekers. These efforts brought Sr Pimentel worldwide recognition. In March 2015, Pimentel spoke at the U.N. Headquarters in New York City. During the Papal visit to the U.S. that year, Sr Pimentel met Pope Francis in New York City and presented him with one of her original paintings of an immigrant mother and child. Before coming to work for Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley, Pimentel was one of the leaders who directed Casa Oscar Romero, a refugee shelter that served Central Americans fleeing their war-torn countries in the 1980s. The shelter provided emergency relief and temporary housing for hundreds of thousands of refugees. It is there that she developed a passion for helping refugees and asylum seekers.

Fr M.A. Joe Antony SJ

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My tryst with art dates back to my childhood. Dabbling in the school’s art room with a keen curiosity to learn anything coming my way, I aspired to pursue further studies in art history and painting at college level.  My work is symbolic in nature, inspired by the contemporary city life around me and its fast-paced nature where disparate elements seem to coexist. Age old architecture with Corinthian pillars and marble statues, a reminder of the British era of which Kolkata was once the capital, jostling for space alongside skyscrapers made of glass and steel. The architectural repertoire of the city, spanning its history in a single frame.

The other elements that populate my paintings are people and trees – people as crowds and yet with varied expressions and personalities; and trees, spanning more than a hundred years and unaffected by almost everything they have witnessed in their life span. The compositions hide within them houses, doorways, windows, foliage, leaves, trees and flowers – elements that we miss in the fast paced and crowded city life. These hidden elements are a reminder of how the city is accommodating mammoth growth, while retaining its basic spirit.

Deepshikha Khaitan

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This excerpt from Surumi, a professional artist and alumna of Stella Maris College, Chennai, eloquently recounts her artistic journey. It unveils a path of self-discovery intertwined with the revelation of a trans-formative voice poised to impact the world. The images included are her original art works.

“How many hours did that take you to do?” This is probably the most common question I get asked when someone sees my art. People are always intrigued by the level of detail that creates each piece. It’s true. I rarely go beyond a 0.1mm thick pen, allowing me to capture even the finest details with precision. Strangely enough, I never really felt the need to keep track of the time it takes me to complete a piece. Perhaps it’s because my focus has always been on the process itself rather than the end result. I’ve never been conscious of my technique or the subject matter I choose to portray.

I have always been impulsive. I didn’t realize that is also my instinct. If something excited me, I would eagerly draw it. I didn’t overthink or analyze my choices. It was all about capturing what I felt compelled to express. I would sit down with a pen and a sheet of paper, and let the lines flow. The process was intuitive, almost like a natural extension of myself.

Surumi Mammootty

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(In this article, Fr. Arnald Mahesh illustrates the dynamic influence of empowered women in the Church, drawing inspiration from his own mother and other living examples. Following cues from Catholic theology and the teachings of Pope Francis, he underscores the significance of ongoing debates surrounding women’s roles and their increasing emphasis within the church.)

That One Woman

One woman stands out for her extraordinary efforts in empowering not only herself but also her children, especially her daughters. She was a mother of ten children, seven of whom were girls. With unwavering support from her life partner, she dedicated herself to raising her children and ensuring that her daughters found empowerment. Education was the key tool she used to promote their growth. Despite regretting not securing a government job due to her parents’ rush to marry her off before she could finish her studies, she never confined herself to the home only. Instead, she explored various creative ways to contribute to the family income while raising her ten children. From running a small business making and selling idlis to managing a modest firewood shop (to mention a few), she involved her children in every aspect of family life.

Her journey was marked by immense challenges and struggles, yet she persevered, elevating her children to a notable social status. She embodied courage, hard work, commitment, familial bonds, friendship, love of God, and compassion for humanity, especially the poor. This woman of faith inspired three of her children to commit themselves to religious life. Her life exemplified how one can become a blessing to many by recognizing the abundant blessings of God. Among all the women I know, she stands tall as my HERoine, my beloved amma, late Mrs Josephine. Her greatest gift to me is my seven loving sisters, who continue to shape and inspire me with their lives and values. My family taught me the importance of viewing women with respect and dignity and showed me how to support and empower them whenever the opportunity arises.

Fr Arnald Mahesh SDB

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(Cover Story Four, by Sr. Mudita, explores examples of women’s empowerment throughout history. These women emerge as pivotal agents of connectivity, solidarity, and renewal, birthing a new order of creation.)

Women have been gifted with the unique capacity to uphold the primacy of love in human life. Her very physiological structure is so designed, that it has “room for another” and an innate sensitivity to the goodness of the human being. Coined by Pope John Paul II in his Apostolic letter “Mulieris Dignitatem” in 1988, the term “feminine genius” celebrates this divine grace bestowed upon all women, regardless of whether they bear children physically or not.  Woman embodies the essence of perfect love, with the potential to birth anew. The ethereal bond she shares with “the other” resembles a divine lifeline. She epitomizes tenderness, mindful of her actions and their impact on others. Fashioned by the Creator, she embodies patience, kindness, forgiveness, tolerance, resilience, faithfulness, and unconditional giving, akin to Mother Earth. Women possess innate abilities to motivate, collaborate, and advance community interests. With strength, courage, and determination, they embrace learning, hard work, and leadership. Evolving to maintain peace and harmony, they are pacifying forces with healing touches and greater endurance. They bridge gaps between groups, fostering a broader, lasting vision for peace to flourish.

Dr (Sr) Mudita Menona Sodder RSCJ

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Once I was present at the evaluation of a course by a group of students.  The students were very outspoken and criticized almost everything about the course.  They had quite harsh words also against the way the director handled the course.  The director, who was chairing the evaluation, sat through the whole process patiently, listening attentively, occasionally pointing out some facts without trying to justify anything.  He was in control of himself, never lost his temper, did not talk down to anyone, and said what he had to say with an effective voice.  At the end of the session, I overheard one of the students, who was rather new, asking another student: “How could you be so forthright and critical?”  The other replied more or less in these terms, “We know the director.  He is soft-spoken but tough.  He can take any criticism and will not retaliate.  He is a man of honour who wishes the good of others.”  The director, in other words, was a meek person.

What is Meekness?

            Different dictionaries describe meekness as the quality of being quiet, gentle, moderate, mild, submissive, and unwilling to argue or express one’s opinions.  The word meekness as it is used in the Bible or in the statements of Jesus (Mt 5:5; 11:29) implies much more and has nuances that are not stressed in the modern-day descriptions.

            In Mt 11:29 Jesus says: “learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart” (NAB).  Many translations use the word “gentle” in the place of meek.  The original Greek word that is translated in English as “meek” or “gentle” is praus.  We do not enter into a detailed analysis of this word here.  But according to Biblical scholars this word may be better translated as being “temperate; exercising strength under control, demonstrating power without undue harshness.”  It has to do with being considerate and not being overly caught up with a sense of one’s self-importance.  It is the opposite of self-assertiveness and self-interest.  According to William Barclay, “There is gentleness in praus but behind the gentleness there is the strength of steel, for the supreme characteristic of the man who is praus is that he is the man who is under perfect control.  It is not a spineless gentleness, a sentimental fondness, a passive quietism.  It is a strength under control.”

Jose Kuttianimattathil, sdb

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We need more feet washing Jesus’ (Jn:13.5) than hand washing Pontius Pilates (Mt:27.24).

It was in the year 2013 that we received the first Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium by Pope Francis. Through this exhortation the Holy Father encouraged us to embark upon a new way of life marked by the joy that is born out of an encounter with the Jesus of the Gospel. And he assures us that with Christ, joy is constantly born anew and affirms that a joy which is shared is a joy ever new. 

Since then for the last ten years all the Apostolic Exhortations and Encyclicals of Pope Francis have been focusing on the joys, values and virtues of a Gospel way of life centered on Jesus the merciful Saviour, inviting us all to thank and praise God, and to learn from Jesus, to cultivate a loving and faithful, compassionate and caring heart that respects nature and all its creatures in our common home. The pope encourages us to be alive and active, giving thanks and praise to God and praying and forgiving like Jesus, so that we may know how to suffer with those who suffer, to rejoice with those who rejoice and be humble and Joyful like Jesus. Just a perusal glance at these documents makes it obvious that, all that is enshrined in them are the mind of Christ and the mind of the Church and are helpful in knowing God’s Will and doing it well.

Fr. Babu Jose Pamplany OFM

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Religious life grapples with an array of challenges in the contemporary world, which reflect the seismic shifts in social, cultural, and technological landscapes that have up-heaved the established global order. The intricate and multifaceted context, characterized by secularization, pluralism, diversity, social media, evolving moral values, scandals, credibility issues, youth disengagement, political entanglement, economic pressures, and environmental concerns, intensifies the complexities faced by religious communities. This dynamic reality underscores the interplay between tradition and transformation, as age-old structures, values, and institutions adapt to the forces progressively secularizing religious life.

Fr Jayaseelan Savariarpitchai SDB

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While studying Theology, I took the initiative to experience the pain that a beggar undergoes. For this purpose, I dressed myself as a beggar and sat on one of the busy footpaths of Pondicherry. It took nearly fifteen minutes to gather the courage to raise my hands and seek money from passersby, as I grappled with emotional pain and shame. Even though I spent an hour in that situation, unfortunately, no one offered me a coin. Seated on that footpath, I could sense the frustration, pain, hunger, and neglect that a beggar often endures. It is a reality that every encounter with the poor deepens our love and compassion for their struggles. In this context, the term ‘encounter’ is used to denote a casual or unexpected meeting with a person, thing or event that leads to a trans-formative experience for both parties involved.

Refrigerator Syndrome

What do we mean by the Refrigerator Syndrome in a religious community? It means that the atmosphere of the life in a community of a religious institute may create a ‘fake-spiritual ambience’ that seems very cool and comfortable like the ambience of a closed refrigerator. This is an ‘artificial coolness of religious life’ and those who live in this ‘comfort cool zone’ feel that they would be affected if they encounter the challenging realities of the poor and needy outside. Unfortunately, at times consecrated life misses or deliberately avoids opportunities to encounter the poor.

Fr Binny Mary Das

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