The Other is My Blessing

I read a very beautiful and inspiring article “On Teachers as Angels: A Reflection on a Life in the Middle East,” Divyadaan 26/1-2 (2015) 111-126, by Stephanie Saldaña. I want to read the article once again. There are so many things I could write after having read it once. For the time being, I want to just say that Saldaña shares about her life-experiences, nay, her wisdom with regard to inter-religious dialogue. The article is nothing but a mature and profound reflection on her life spent as a Christian living among Muslims in the Middle East. Thanks to Ivo who had mentioned about her (and the idea that I'll talk about shortly) in the Lonergan conference at the Greg a couple of years ago. One of the inspiring moments for me was to understand that during the Visitation it is Mary who carries Christ, but it is Elizabeth who gives the blessing. Similarly, as Christians we carry the message of Christ within us, but it is the Other who gives us the blessing of God.

I want connect this to what Jean Vanier says. He remarks that Jesus did not say, "Blessed are those who care for the poor," but "Blessed are the poor." Henri Nouwen deepens this reflection by saying that it is nothing wrong with the desire to help and care for the poor. "But unless I realize that God's blessing is coming to me from those I want to serve, my help will be short-lived, and soon I will be burned out." [Henri Nouwen, Here and Now: Living in the Spirit (Mumbai: St Pauls, 2011) 81.] The Other is my blessing.

Four Criteria of Inculturation

Maurice Schepers in his article, “St Thomas and the Project of Enculturation: Christianity in East Africa in the Twenty-First Century,” African Christian Studies 12/3 (1996) 42-47, gives a fourfold criteria of genuine inculturation - four D's: distinction, development, dialectic, and discernment. Moreover, he states that the idea of inculturation is neither a novelty nor nonsense. He is also of the opinion that St. Thomas Aquinas' example of inculturation, i.e., the incarnation of the gospel in the culture of medieval western Europe, is valid and inspirational even today.

Now coming to the four D's, the first criterion of inculturation is the real distinction between gospel message (grace) and culture (nature). For Schepers culture is an instance of development "from below upwards," and gospel is the source of another kind of development "from above downwards." For me such a distinction seems simplistic. Culture is not merely an achievement of developmet from below upwards; the primary development even with regard to culture is the way above downwards. While Schepers takes the two ways of development from Bernard Lonergan, he explicitly quotes from Lonergan's Method in Theology only in the next paragraph. According to Lonergan, when one preaches the gospel, one also preaches one's own culture. Here is where we need to abandon a classicist notion of culture, and embrace an empirical understanding that affirms and acknowledges a multiplicity of cultural traditions. Furthermore, in a tight-compartment distinction between culture-as-nature and gospel-as-grace, we might miss the idea that the plurality of cultures are nothing but expressions not only of the human spirit but also of the divine Spirit. The second criterion talks of the essential integrity of the Christian religion implying a development. When we understand St. Thomas' theology, we also grasp the development of tradition (Paul, John Chrysostom, Clement of Alexandria, Origen, and Augustine). Therefore, in inculturation we are invited to integrate not only the thoughts of Catholic theologians but also of others like Luther, Calvin, et al., inasmuch as they have something positive to contribute to the tradition. In connection with this, Schepers ascertains the fact that the authority of Sacred Scripture is both proper and necessary, whereas the authority of other teachers in the Church is proper, but probable. Thirdly, there is a dialectic between pluralism and unity. St. Thomas was the pope's theologian, this is a lesson in the delicate balance, or the dialectical interaction, between pluralism and unity. Particularly interesting is the author's question in the final endnote: "Is it the Bishop of Rome's prerogative to direct the development of the church's Creed?" And the final criterion is the discernment that every human culture is somewhat faulted, and is incapable of sustained development. In other words, this is a call to exercise a prophetic discernment regarding the culture we are called to integrate and transform.

Woman, why do you cry?

Jesus' words to Mary Magdalene are still resounding in my mind: "Woman, why are you weeping?" I want to apply this to the general situation. The woman, first of all, she cries because she is strong... We, men, think we are strong and think we don't need to cry or shed tears. But it is she who is the strength of the family, the society, and the church. Moreover, the Indian situation is deplorable. She is shouted at, abused, raped, ridiculed, hurt, victimized in sexual and physical violence, ill-treated, a dowry victim, not respected, not given equal status with men, and even unwanted at birth. Has she become a mere object to others? The woman today is weeping, she has been strong, she is still strong - giving strength to others... But can I do something to allievate her pain, her situation today? Lord, have mercy on us for the times we have disrespected her and ignored her and victimized her in various ways.

The Lord will fight our battle

Yesterday's first reading from Exodus gave this beautiful verse for our reflection: "The Lord will fight for you, what you have to do is to keep calm." How perturbed we can be... we want to show our strengths, our abilities, our talents... Antony Christy too in his blog today has reflected on God's mighty action, "The Lord fights... provided we allow!"

From Antony Christy's blog, Thots and Lots, http://thots-n-lots.blogspot.in/2015/07/word-2day-21st-july-2015.html: "Between the devil and the deep sea... that was literally where Moses found himself. What could he do caught between an army that was like a sea and the sea that was swarming like a devouring army! Moses knew just what he had to do. .. Do what the Lord tells him! Because it was the Lord's battle. The Lord was fighting for them; they had to allow it and Moses did just that. The Lord said walk and he walked, the Lord said stretch and he stretched, the Lord said be still and he stood still drinking in the majesty and the power of God.

"Listen to the words of Father and carry it out exactly as said, and you will see the glory of the Lord unfold right in front of yours eyes, declares Jesus. Are we alright with the Lord fighting or battle? Or do we want to fight it ourselves? When the Lord fights the victory is certain but it may involve some challenging moments when we do not make sense of anything that would be happening. But it is the Lord who fights and we will surely triumph.

"The Lord is ready and willing; yes the Lord will fight our battle, provided we allow it."

Overlooked God's Signs?

“Master,” they said, “we should like to see a sign from you.” Their question was silly. Jesus called them “an evil and unfaithful generation.” (See the gospel reading of 16^th Monday, Ordinary Time – Matthew 12:38-42.) How could they ask him for a sign while they were surrounded by the signs he gave them? How strange to miss the greatest sign of all. Wasn’t he God’s sign to them? Have we overlooked God’s signs around us, especially the greatest sign Christ Jesus himself?

Since the Second Vatican Council we have been accustomed to the expression “signs of the times.” It proved to be a term that spoke to the mind of many a theologian. Pope John Paul II has mentioned it in many of his documents. The Salesian Congregation too has used it in many of its official communications.

One of those signs is the situation of poverty and of underdevelopment in which millions of human beings live. This is one of the signs wherein we can find Jesus. He identifies himself with the hungry and naked around us. He gives us that sign.

Are we sensitive to the signs of our times, especially the signs of grief and anxiety around us? All of us should make that grief and anxiety our own, because it is Jesus who identifies with the poor and the downtrodden. Or are we, too, asking for another sign from him? Are the poor the overlooked God's signs?

(Modified from the CD material, Entering the Lectionary.)

Dr. Patil Visits Divyadaan

Dr. Prakash Patil, a general physician, to whom we take our confreres from the community came here to treat Fr. Tony and a few other brothers. I like his calm and ever-smiling composure. He is a man for the poor, for the simple folk. An experienced man himself, he could have gone abroad (recently his son went to Sydney for studies) or taken long holidays thinking that he needs a rest from all the busydom of a medical profession. But his heart for service is that which is expressed clearly in all his dealings. No irritation, no hurry, no showing-off.... A wonderful example for me.

Don Bosco, teach us to pray

Thanks to Fr. Ian Doulton for his beautiful recollection talk on "Don Bosco, teach us to pray." It was basically a summary of the text that he has translated from the Italian Don Bosco, insegnaci a pregare written by Claudio Russo, a Salesian Cooperator from Colle Don Bosco. (A small book, but with thirteen chapters!) Particularly, I liked the questions that Fr. Ian posed for our reflection at the end of each chapter. For instance, Am I convinced of praying? What is my way of praying? Am I eager to go for prayers?

Another inspiring thing was about Don Bosco's prayer life itself. It is said that Don Bosco prayed in silence more often than by using words. But how do we know he prayed in silence? And this is what I liked: We know that Don Bosco prayed because of what happened immediately after that. A gentle touch, a healing word, an encouraging smile, a prodigious initiative, an insightful advice... these are the things that point towards the prayerful recollectedness, the practical living of the union with God... An unperturbed calm and serenity despite the heavy schedule of work. A word said not to hurt, but to heal. Beautiful. Isn't that beautiful? Prayer like sleep is seen only by its effects. Don Bosco's life bears this testimony.

FAW is the greatest foe

FAW -- standing for fears, anxieties, and worries -- is the greatest foe. (Thanks to Fr. Kulam for this formulation.) They can make us blind or lame. They can hinder our growth. Fears may be related to the present, anxieties to the future, and worries are about the past. Some may talk of them interchangably, but my point is that they can hamper my time and my life whether it be the past, the present, or the future. They may be summarised into one basic emotion of fear. It is normal, but still one needs to deal with it. The Bible, it is said, has the words or the equivalent, "Do not fear" ("Do not be afraid," "Have no fear") about 365 times repeated. That is to say, the Lord stands at your side to encourage you and comfort you each and every day of the year. How nice it will be to listen to him, and to believe in his words. And preach what I believe, and practise what I preach.