"Why Bi-Centenary"?, rather, "Why not Bi-Centenary"?

WHY BI-CENTENARY ? Rather, Why not?

“Why BiCentenary”? Well, the birth of Don Bosco on 16^th August 1815, is indeed, an historical event deserving of a worthy celebration to gratefully acknowledge and commemorate a humble country Priest whose life and ministry as a Pastor and Educator, made a tremendous impact not only on the lives of marginalized youth and poor people of his time, two centuries ago, but continued to inspire and benefit  young people and inspire Youth Workers and Educators over the years and across countries, leading to this moment in history, the Bi-centenary Year, 2015.

In the field of Education and Spirituality, Don Bosco, very much present in the Salesian Family he established and the Religious Congregations he founded, remains very relevant today both, as Pastor and Educator. His spiritual message, “God’s will is your holiness” and his educative method based on “Reason, Religion and Loving-kindness” appeal to the young and the old. This legacy of Youth Ministry must live on.     Hence, no question about “Why Bicentenary”?

Rather than “Why Bi-Centenary” perhaps the question to be asked is “How Bi-Centenary ?”     In fact, the Salesian Family, over the last three years began a spiritual preparation with the “pilgrim Don Bosco” visiting the Salesian world and arousing a greater commitment to the Salesian Charism. Careful to sidestep vain and expensive triumphalism, the emphasis, as clearly indicated by the GC27 (27^th General Chapter) has been “to return to Don Bosco” by reclaiming the Salesian Identity: to be “Mystics in the Spirit,Prophets of fraternity and Servants of the youth”.

“Returning to Don Bosco” as a theme of the Bi-centenary obviously suggests that the tone of the celebrations must be less about building monuments’ staging performances and multiplying activities but more about the ‘rebirth’ of Don Bosco’s Spirituality in every individual Salesian.   

The reason for the emphasis on the spiritual tone of the celebrations is clear. Although, over the past two hundred years, on the one hand there has certainly been a positive growth in the Salesian Mission: for example:

·         A fundamental option for the poor & the marginalized youth in particular;

·        A Return to Evangelization and the Missions     (Africa, East Europe, China-Hongkong; Europe);
Opennings into the Islamic world(Gulf,Mid-East);

·        A Professional approach to youth ministry, opening institutes of higher learning and reaching out more to adolescent youth.

On the other  hand, in recent years there has been a growing concern about:
* A superficial Spiritual life lacking depth; 
* A secularization of religious values and the Vows;                 * A focus on Social activism and worldly success; i
* A neglect of community life and family spirit;
* A lesser interest in prayer and priestly ministry;
* A weak assimilation of Salesianity;

And consequently, an increasing vocational frailty, fragility and infidelity.

In the context of such concerns, the Bi-centenary celebrations need to be more realistically focussed on reclaiming our Salesian Spirituality and restoring it to its prime place in the life of Don Bosco, the Union with God. There could not be a more practical resolve to celebrate the Bi-centenry of the birth of Don Bosco  than the determination to redefine the Identity of Salesian Family and every individual Salesiaan as the Union with God.

“Why Bi-centenary”? The answer is clearly written in the “How Bi-centenary” programme of celebrations and the message is “Be Holy, as I am Holy”.    

GREAT EXPECTATIONS ...........greater frustrations!

Congratulations to India's democracy, the results of the elections to the Parliament saw thr baton of Governance snatched eagerly from the INC (Indian  National Congress) by the BJP (Bharatya Janata Party) under the RSS frontliner, Mr. Narendra Modi, now the Prime Minister of the country.

Though I failed to get my name on the voting list and though I still have apprehensive thoughts, I marvel like the rest of Indians at the spectacular victory of the ruling party. Credit is given to the well timed and closely monitored campaign trail across India costing huge expenses. What was intended to be a Lok Sabha election of parliamentarians turned into a saffron Presidential type modelled on USA pattern. The RSS are rejoicing behind the scenes, biding their time to inject their 'Hindutva' schemes. The BJP stalwarts have begun the scramble for power and positions and the 'Modi effect' has even affected the SAARC community. The INC has yet to recover from the decimating experience of being reduced to a less than 50/540 seats in Parliament.  While the BJP received just 31% of votes, 2/3% has either opted for other parties or abstained just silently indicating that the hysteria and hype of the national BJP is just reflecting the choice of 1/3 the voting citizens. The rest are waiting with great expectations or will it be, greater frustrations.
God bless India! 

From shame and scandal to saint and sanctity,

2013, in the Calendar of the Catholic Church will be remembered as the year of shattered faith, ironically in the official "year of Faith". With the announcement in February, 2013, of the unexpected resignation of Pope Benedict XVI, there followed a media blitz attempting to investigate the the problems at the very heart of the church, the Vatican offices and the Curia in particular. Financial scams, sexual crimes and serious indisciplie were the charges and the secular media lashed out at the Catholic Church unsparingly. Though there were exaggerations, the charges were enough evidence of the shame and scandal in the One, Holy, Catholic and apostolic family of the Church. The liturgical season of Lent saw catholics shocked and saddened with the happenings at the Vatican. While most wore penitential ashes and prayed for forgiveness, not a few moved away from church membership. Easter 2013, with the election of Pope Francis who presented himself as a humbled sinner needing prayers, revived the hope in catholics that "Jesus is risen". Howvever, the scene was not very much different from the shame and scandal in the apostolic times, with Peter and others intending to return to their fishing nets, Thomas voicing the inredulity of the others and the two disappointed disciples returning back to Emmaus. Prophetic witnessing of Pope Francis reflected the post resurrection Jesus appearing several times and places to convince his apostles that "He is risen". As we stepped into 2014 and celebrated Easter, the resurrection message announced emphatically that the Church is not only a church of sinners but also of saints. Mercy Sunday indicated that while the Church may be weak and sinful, it has been always a witnessed to the holiness of Jesus Christ. The canonization of two Popes of recent history rings out clearly the message that Church leadership, in imitation of Jesus has its roots at the heart of Rome.

Not ELECTIONS but SELECTIONS .

The members of GC27, assembled in fervent prayer and openness of mind from 25th March till the week-end to perform a responsible task of choosing the members of the GENERAL COUNCIL. A GENERAL ELECTION] Very clearly, the term "Elections" in democratic and implies a choice of the people and expressed by the people in a process where candiddates "stand for election" and personally or assisted by supporters canvass for votes for a particular rank of position. The candidates and the parties they represent are pitted against eachother as rivals and seek votes,through debates and policy promises to the electorate. Nasty encounters and mudslinging accusations are often part of the process in politics. A clear case in point is the furore over the 'Parliamentary Elections 2014" in India. God forbid it deteriorates into violence and destruction of lives and property. God grant India peace and prosperity, justice and communal harmony in this country blessed with a multitude of cultures and religions. Do General Elections follow the same process in the Church? Here, the process is steeped in a prayerful atmosphere and spirtual context and not a secular contest. The voting community turns to God for assistance to discern the "selection" of the candidate and seen as the choice of God himself. In faith,it has always been God who selects his Prophets from biblical times. We should rather speak of GENERAL SELECTIONS.

LENT is not a spiritual exhibition.

As we stepped into Lent 2014, with ashes on our forehead, the Mass readings of Ash-wednesday, especially the Gospel seemed to have a new message for me. Yes, Lent calls us to Fasting, Praying and Almsgiving. Jesus is certainly not playing down the age-old practice of asceticism. However, he draws our attention to the vanity of fasting, praying and almsgiving prompted by an exhibitionist attitude. In Mathew's Gospel,chapter 6, Jesus repeatedly uses the word "secret" as the necessary condition to receive rewards from the Lord. "Your Father, who sees you in secret will reward you", Christian spirituality is essentially an "interior life". 'Secrecy' and not publicity of our ascetism merits reward feom our heavenly Father. Jesus denounced every form of external activities and appearances of piety calling it 'hypocrisy' and comparing it to 'whitewashed sepulchres'. Lent is not a 40-day spiritual exhibition of christian virtues. Lent then, is more about repentance and reconciliation through conversion of the heart (inner life) which alone will find us resurrecting in Jesus Christ, our Risen Saviour..

VALENTINE DAY ---- Romance or Love?

"Valentines Day" on 14th February each year is increasingly being celebrated as a feast of love in the secular world while in the Church calendar, St. Valentine, from whom this feast gets its name, is no more mentioned since 1969. Valentine, purported to be a 3rd century christian monk who risked his life helping young couples to remain faithful in love was venerated for centuries. The existence of such a saint has been lost in myths but the value of love, though distorted still remains. A search through the dictionary revealed the many aspects of Love with some equating it to Romance. However, in one dictionary I found a clear distinction between Love and Romance. It said: Love is a mutual commitment without conditions. Romance instead, is rather an affair surviving on many mutual conditions. As such therefore, Love tends to be a more permenant relationship "in good times or in bad times, in sickness or in health". Romance instead is a pseudo-love, or "puppy love" as the song goes. Too full of demands and conditions destined to crash the relationship at any time,before or after marriage. True Love in the pattern of Jesus' example is the biblical description: Greater love no man has than a man who lays down his life for his friend or spouse. All that goes by the name of love, today,is attractive Romance and explains the weak stability in marriage commitments. If Valentine Day is to gain its pristine purpose of fostering true love, our celebrations should shift from the trap of ephemeral Romance and promote true Love founded on honesty, sacrifice and faithful commitment.

PROVINCE COMMUNITY DAY - a celebration of 'BELONGING'

The "Feast of the Province" in the past chiefly focussed on the exemplary life of the patron saint, in our case,St. Francis Xavier, seen as a model for imitation. Traditionally, it was also a Day of Gratitude and appreciation of the person and performance of the Provincial Superior and therefore a celebration centered around an individual, hence, Provincial Day or at the local level, Rector's Day. Now that this official annual celebration has been termed "Province Community Day" is there any shift of emphasis or significant change in the understanding of this particular festivity in our present Salesian context? I believe Provincial Community Day more often, a Provincial Community Evening" is not a mere social ritual celebration limited to a devout Eucharistic Liturgy and a sumptuous dinner fellowship, in the provincial house or any one community of the province. Rather, in Post Vatican terms, it is the theological understanding and experiencing the Call to be and live in community that is rooted in the Divine Community of God, the Holy Trinity. The Provincial Community Day may be considered an annual "community building exercise" fostering a genuine oneness of heart and mind among the confreres of the province. May I observe that the "Province" is not only a legal term to indicate territorial bounds. To be a member of the Salesian Congregation, we enter through the canonical doors of a province. Our belonging is always registered through the process of selection, admission and profession in a province. In the Congregation we all are members of a Provincial Community. We do not "belong" to the local community where we exercise our assigned ministry. Our loyalty to the Congregation is expressed through our deep sense of belonging to the province. In fact, a confrere needs official permissions and motivating reasons to shift from one province to another. Has this always been our understanding? This principle is vital to the healthy life of the Provincial Community and must be clearly explained to Novices and young Salesians. Recalling this principle by senior Salesians is perhaps even more important. Polarization and disintegration of the provincial community takes place when confreres develop a greater belonging to a local community that belongs to the province. May the Provincial Community Day of Mumbai province on the feast of our patron, St. Francis Xavier, awaken in us a fresh missionary spirit and a convinced commitment of belonging, as Prophets of fraternal life