Youth Ministry - Reflexions

Happy to share starting from today... a series of Reflections on Youth Ministry via the posters!

VOCATION GUIDANCE: A MISSION RELAUNCH

Mumbai, 26th January, 2011

The South Asia Vocation Guidance Meet ends with a unanimous commitment to relaunch the mission of creating a culture of vocations in the individual provinces. There were 30 participants from the provinces of India and the Vice province of Srilanka. The Rector Major and the General Councillor were present in spirit, the former through the call to create a culture of vocations through the strenna for this year and the latter with the video conference he gave to the participants.

Organised by the DBYASA, the Meet was convened by the Delegate for Vocation Guidance for DBYASA Rev. Fr. Brian Moras sdb and present all through were Rev. Fr. Joe Almeida, the Provincial incharge of Vocation Guidance in the SPCSA and Rev. Fr. Maria Charles the Director of DBYASA. Thanks to the hosting Province of Mumbai and its Provincial house, the meeting was a pleasant experience. Now that the annual exercise is over, what do we expect out of this?

A boom in the number of vocations? No. That is not what the theme concerns itself about. Rev. Fr. Fabio Attard, the General Councillor put it succinctly during his video conference saying, ‘the culture of vocations has not got to do with numbers but to do with the whole picture of Don Bosco’s Charismatic experience.’ A youngster to feel at home with your proposal of a vocation has first to feel at home with you, said the Councillor, drawing attention to why the Rector Major calls Don Bosco an ingenious Voction Animator – because he created an atmosphere where the young felt at home to search for meaning to their life.

Keeping with the theme, Creating a Culture of Vocations the presentations of the three resource persons, Fr. Ajoy Fernandes the Vice Provincial of Mumbai, Fr. Maria Charles the Director of DBYASA and Fr. Joe Almeida the Provincial of Guwahati, were well prepared and designed to prod the participants to concrete action. The outcome: there was a concerted ‘yes’ to the call to create a culture of vocations in the provinces. Searching for ways and means to do it the participants came up with the following possibilities – to create an awareness among every confrere about the mind of the congregation regarding the project and process of Vocation Guidance being part of the larger picture of Youth Ministry; to create systems – like networked teams, networked departments – within the provinces to ensure a holistic vocation ministry; to initiate activities that require holistic plans and participation of all the Salesians passionate about their life and its meaning and witness; to nurture good catholic families and to convince oneself and the provinces that vocations are primarily fruits of our personal and collective witness of life.

The departing feeling of the participants was one of joy and optimism that we are passionate about the Spirit that Don Bosco has left as our legacy and that it is enough for us to rekindle the energy as individuals and provinces to relaunch this specific mission in South Asia – to create a culture of vocations!

meet you soon...shd be back in chennai in two days!

UNIVERSAL COSMIC HARMONY

We are well versed with the oft repeated saying of George Pope Morris, “United we stand, divided we fall!” Even the weak become strong when they are united. When we talk of Unity we do not imagine uniformity.

Take the imagery that Paulo Frere offers us – one of the platform with tiled interlocks versus a mosaic. Both are pieces of art, but the former stands for uniformity and the latter stands for a harmonious blending of differences.

The Universal Cosmic Harmony, we reflect on here, is such a blending of differences. Human beings are made for transcendence. One has a need to find this essential harmony within oneself, leading to the same with those around him or her and then to the whole of the reality that surrounds and ultimately finding that harmony at the Cosmic level under the One who is the source and summit of our existence – God!

All of us have something unique to us, our family, our clan, our region, our country and our race! The questions we are inspired to raise are –
Why should this uniqueness divide us?
When it divides us, does it not infact deprive us of a richness which is the
outcome of the variety amidst us?
What do we do to be agents of this unity or harmony?

Step 1: Promote Harmony within
“Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony” says Mahatma Gandhi. In promoting harmony, the right starting point is from within. The greatest and the most difficult of all conquest is self-conquest” says Swami Vivekananda. Once a person can feel the unity within, he or she can perceive it around.

Step 2: Promote Harmony in your immediate surrounding
The second step is to look at those around you – your family, your siblings, your neighbours, your classmates, your colleagues, your friends! Being united in mind and spirit with people around you makes you experience and offer peace within and to those around you! “Mutual dialogue and Understanding” the tagline of the International Year of Youth announced by the UN (2010-2011) is the key not merely at the international level, but right here at the local level. For it all begins at home! Differences of opinions, clash of desires, personal idiosyncrasies can be factors which put hearts in conflict. The same when approached with a reasonable maturity can lead to a rich atmosphere.

Step 3: Promote Harmony with the reality around
Taking the reality around into consideration – the nature, the country, the society, the people, the infrastructure, the developmental scope – is an essential process of human transcendence. One cannot remain with I, Me and Mine if he or she is progressing holistically. The harmony one achieves with those around gradually takes the individual and the group to the next level of harmony with the reality around. The person and the society become conscious of the nature, the people living around far and wide, the consequences of one’s behavior on each other and on the world at large. “The unlike is joined together, and from differences results the most beautiful harmony”, says Heraclitus.

Step 4: Promote Harmony with the Divine
Once a person reaches a level of feeling one with, harmoniously united with the whole of the reality, he or she has reached a point of transcendence where one can encounter the Divine. All Scriptures speak of this final stage of Harmony in very many terms. Vasudeva Kutumbaka, the Kingdom of God, Ekam Sat – are just few of the expressions we have in the religious traditions.

Prayer:

Make us O Creator,
Persons who appreciate differences,
Friends who go beyond little misgivings,
Brothers and sisters who feel the warmth of each other,
Children of one God, who accept this whole world as our lovely dwelling place,
May we join hands despite all differences to make this world a paradise on earth!

The Devotees of Religion?

Dear!
here below i am placing on blog a report by one good friend of mine...
he is a non-catholic christian minister...
i share his sorrow on the predicament of Christians today!

The Devotees of Religion?
Rev. P. Joseph Ramanathan
“Stop! You cannot give baptism to them in our church. If you want to baptise them, take them into your house.” A church elder thundered the priest. The church members supported the elder’s command to withdraw the idea of baptism.
This real incident happened in a church that believes in evangelism. The church priest led ten non-Christians to receive Jesus Christ as their God. These new believers wanted to join the fellowship of believers by taking the baptism. Past six months the priest prepared them and arranged the baptism on the Easter Sunday of 2010. However, the baptism service was stopped and new believers were sent out.
The reason is, regrettably, the new believers come from the caste that is not similar to the church members. The church elder is a disciplined person who follows all the church rules faithfully. His family and relatives support the church activities, north India missions, youth, children and revival ministries. His sacrificial giving is well appreciated by the powerful evangelists as well. Quite a number of magazines are pumped into his home address. The church members elect the particular elder for the church leadership every time unanimously. Therefore, it is not easy to condemn him for this unscriptural behaviour.
Who is to be blamed? Sadly, most of the Christians did not know that caste discrimination nullifies the power of the gospel. So they did not consider that the caste bigotry is sin. There are many reasons for this perspective. First, most of the priests, including powerful evangelists and anointed pastors, are staunch believers in the caste system. Some of them lived and died more faithful to their caste rather than to the body of Christ. As a result, they preached that all are equal in the eyes of God, not among human beings that assert inequality. Second, the missionary movements initiated a slight process of change. However, their fund raising actions have to comply with the caste lines. Third, the priests and pastors are appointed on the basis of the caste lines. As a result, the church becomes another social club in the society. Thus, it is easy for the Christian institutions and individuals to follow the cultural patterns blissfully. There is no place for an alternative culture by the Gospel.
Regrettably, this type of Christians’ mind is not ruled by the word of God. Hence, there is no transformation in their thoughts, memories and reasons. As a result, their emotions are not touched by the Spirit of God. So, it is impossible to expect the fruit of Spirit in their lives. Consequently, it is normal to obey the patterns of the world instead of obeying the will of God. (Romans 12:1-2)
Apparently, they are devotees of Christian religion, not the disciples of Christ. The Scripture teaches that God created everyone in His image. Discrimination and exclusion are sin against God. (Eph.2:14). Repentance is required to enter into the Kingdom of God.
Rev. P. Joseph Ramanathan serves with Equipping People for Excellence in Leadership that involves in training the Christians for effective missions.

The SPIRIT of a Missionary – from being to becoming!

Fr. Klement Vaclav’s visit has once again cleared the dust over the discussion on missionary spirit in our province. Being a missionary, needless to repeat, is a Vocation by itself. I recall the visit of Fr. Vaclav a couple of years back – when a few of us asked if we can opt to work in a foreign land for a few years on agreement, he drew a clear cut distinction between being a missionary and working in a foreign province! Yes, the crux is the movement from being a missionary to becoming a missionary! Unless I am a missionary, I cannot become a missionary. It was in this regard that Teresa of Child Jesus was made the patroness of the missions. Though she might not have become a missionary, she was a missionary at heart, a missionary in Spirit. What spirit of a person is indicative of his or her missionary vocation, is the question I begin this reflection with.

1. The Spirit of Abraham – To leave behind!

When God asked him to leave behind his people and walk into the wilderness he did it! He was a missionary, going towards that land and life that God promised him. (Gen 12)

2. The Spirit of Moses – To own God’s people!

When God called the suffering lot “my people” and sent Moses to liberate them, he had to consider them all not just “His people” but his own people. (Exo 5) Though they were all from various tribes and clans, they were all ‘his people.’

3. The Spirit of Joshua – To dare in the steps of the Leader!

When Moses died, Joshua the youngster felt a big burden on his shoulder. But the promise that the Lord gave, “I will be with you as I was with Moses” enlivened him (Jos 1) and in that strength he dared in the footsteps of his Master!

4. The Spirit of Esther – To risk for the sake of one’s people!

The meteoric rise of Esther was destined. She knew little what it meant. But when it was made clear to her by her uncle Mordecai(Est 4:14), she risked her life and stood by her people. She liberated them from a treacherous plot, risking her own life.

5. The Spirit of Jeremiah – To feel the fire of God’s Word burn within!

Jeremiah suffered the worst among the prophets. No wonder he is taken to be the matchless OT parallel of the suffering Messiah. Even when he realized his sufferings were unwarranted (Jer 20:7ff), he took them upon himself, because otherwise he felt he could not… His word was in his heart like a fire, and he was weary holding it in.

6. The Spirit of Paul – To live to proclaim!

“Woe to me if I do not proclaim the Gospel!” proclaimed St. Paul. (1Cor 9:16) When it came to knowing Christ and proclaiming him, for Paul nothing really mattered – his life, his dignity, his intelligence, his wisdom everything amounted to nothing.

7. The Spirit of Mary – To realize one’s blessedness!

The Blessed Virgin Mary, when she was called to be part of God’s salvific mission, understood little of what it entailed. But she was certain of two things – one, of her lowliness and second, of her blessedness. When she exclaimed ‘from now on all ages will call me blessed!’ (Lk 1:48) she in no unclear terms realized her identity and that empowered her never to lose that identity as ‘the blessed one of God.’

It is high time I realize, I need not go somewhere to be a missionary. But if I am a missionary at heart, in spirit, I will find an urge to go somewhere to proclaim, to witness to live my life, for the sake of the Kingdom!

August is rushing past!

I turn around and take note! its already past two months since I blogged!

June,
then July
and now August is rushing past.

What challenging virtues perseverance and consistency are! not just is what we do,but even in what we are.

In spite of all the various things that crop up - like my hectic July and the August which began with a mishap leading to a fracture in the hand - perseverance demands and pays!

If I am serious about my personality, i think I got to go well past the mere level of knowledge. Knowing myself renders itself irrelevant if it does not help me transcend myself.

Let me resolve to be consistent, constant and persevering!

Meet you soon!

ME a Mystery

Reflecting on the Question that Jesus posed to the disciples, "who do you say that I am?"...

I wonder how much of me i know! There are so many moments i respond to a situation in a completely strange manner, a manner that puzzles me at a later reflection. There are certain convictions i hold, but when it comes to concrete moments, i seem to operate on a different plane altogether. There are certain things which mattered nothing to me all this while, but suddenly they begin to matter so much, and i wonder where it began!

Know Thyself - a challenge ages old, but ever relevant for it is never accomplished fully. The degree counts. To what extent i know myself would define my personality. To know and to accept what i am, is the prime requisite towards change and growth. Lord let me know, let me understand, let me accept myself, that i may come closer to you!

Life is so evasive

Sitting back after two funerals in a row, i wonder, what went on within me going through the events!

One that was on Wednesday, was a person of 58... when everyone still expected the person to be active and keep contributing, when the person was actually doing a lot, really a lot... the sudden demise was a shock! It was a sad sight to see the aged mother sitting beside her still daughter, tears flowing unceasingly.

The one on Thursday was of a person of 78… though could be considered aged, the events had taken place too fast in a row, that it seemed incredible that he was no more. His two brothers both elder by 7 and more years, were there mourning for him, as the numerous young grand nephews and nieces groaned with the pain of separation.

As I looked at these two, lying in their coffins and much more as they were being lowered into that pit and the mud buried them under… I wondered how evasive life was! Today I am alive, and tomorrow, who knows what? How true it is when the Psalms instruct us, “When their spirit departs, they return to the ground; on that very day their plans come to nothing” (Ps 146:4)

What happens to all that I think I am, what happens to what I wish to accomplish and what I long to achieve. Lord, where is my life? In the things that I hold on to today? In the things that matter to me today? In things yet to come? In things that have already come to pass? Oh how evasive life is!!!

SPIRITUALITY OF ACCOMPANIMENT - PART V Lessons from the Risen Lord (Lk 24:13-35)

SPIRITUALITY OF ACCOMPANIMENT - Part V
Lessons from the Risen Lord (Lk 24:13-35)
contd...

Lesson 6: The REALISATION may be hind sight (v.32)

When I was a boy, a student of Standard Twelve, we had a warden whom we considered a terror! We complained all the while about him being strict and in fact we organized a campaign against him among our classmates! I wonder how hurt he felt when we did this to him, whereas we were determined that we were right in making him feel bad about his strictness. Just a few years later, when I looked back, I could not be grateful enough to the very same person. Ironically, he almost became my role model when I had a group of boys to take care on my part! The realization was post factum, it was a hind sight!

Jesus was determined to make those disciples understand for once the meaning of God’s schemes. What would the two of them have thought when this ‘wayfarer’ began speaking in terms like, ‘O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken’?(Lk 24:25) He did not mind being stern with making the truth known. Though they understood nothing much of what was said, later they looked back in hind sight and opened their eyes wondering, ‘Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?’ Our accompaniment with the young should matter for the whole life, and not cause just a momentary familiarity.

Lesson 7: Make a DIFFERENCE (v. 33, 34)

I was wonderstruck by what happened in the family of a friend. The son who was put in school for his JKG (Junior Kinder Garden) was crying all the time at school. He was found to be a nuisance by the management. They called for the parents and had a long chat as to what trouble the boy was creating. When my friend finally finished with that meeting and was returning home with his son, spoke on the way to him and said, ‘you know sonny, the principal was mad at me because you were crying all the time and creating trouble!’ The little boy was quiet all that while back home and the next day onwards looked so sad when he went to school but never cried again! That his father loved him so much and bore that shouting for his sake, changed that child drastically. That dad did make a difference in that kid!

When the disciples recognized Jesus finally, that very same hour they rose up and returned to Jerusalem. In v.13 we read that Jerusalem was threescore furlongs away from Emmaus and it was from there that the disciples had walked and recognition of Jesus makes them go back all the way, a right about turn, a total reversal of things! Jesus made a huge difference. Our accompaniment of the young should make a difference. They should feel they are a lot different after they have met us!
The Spirituality of accompaniment demands that we realize our vocation, remain grateful for the young entrusted to us and humbly seek the will of God according to which we would walk along with the young!

The end of the Reflection.

SPIRITUALITY OF ACCOMPANIMENT: Lessons from the Risen Lord (Lk 24:13-35) Part IV

SPIRITUALITY OF ACCOMPANIMENT
Lessons from the Risen Lord (Lk 24:13-35) Part IV
contd...


Lesson 4: DON’T FORCE yourself on them (v.28 -29)
I was with a friend’s family one evening. The only child of the family was a 6 year old boy, who was excited because I was there. He began showing me all his treasured possessions – toys, colour books, colour pencils, water paints, finger paints and what not! As he pulled out something with all his eagerness, he pulled down a full set of books and stood there helplessly. With the noise it made I sprang from my chair to rush to his assistance. My friend stopped me instantly and cried out, ‘Sonny, do you need me to help?’ Right enough, the reply came, ‘No, I will manage.’ That was a great lesson for me to understand that we need not force ourselves on the young. They should feel that we are there for them when they need us, at the same time having their own sacred personal space.
Jesus did not want to force Himself on the disciples as they reached Emmaus. Though He knew it is going to do a lot of good to the disciples, Jesus wanted the disciples to choose to have Him with them. Taking the initiative, as the first lesson tells us, is not same as forcing ourselves on the young! When the young reach a point in their life and they think they have reached the destination, like the disciples thought their destination was Emmaus, we are called to push them further and widen their horizons. Without weighing on them, we are called to be there at their side. Accompaniment is not walking in front of them for they may resent following, not walking behind them for it may not help, neither walking over them for that’s not what we want – it is all about WALKING WITH THEM. Walking with them in such a way that they wish more of it.

Lesson 5: Share that PEAK MOMENT (v.30, 31)
Knowing that I was a youth worker, my fellow passenger on a train once shared his concern with me. He recalled his batch of students and in a very special way his classmate who was a brilliant boy at School. When they were in the Higher Secondary school one shocking day, they heard that the boy killed himself consuming poison. I could never take these following words off my mind ever since I heard them from this co-passenger – ‘the educators never made him feel that they were there in his life. Probably he never recognized a help in them!’
Recognising someone as being present in one’s life requires certain peak experiences that are shared. When they saw Jesus break the bread, they instantly recognized it was the Lord! There was a specific experience the disciples had shared with Jesus which they could never forget. In our mission of accompanying the young we need to be there with them right upto that peak experience and not get dissipated well within the way. The young with us should go with experiences that will last for their life and not merely as long as they are with us.

(to be continued...)