Priestly Way

It was a special day for the priests, when they together with their Shepherd, the Bishop, celebrated their priesthood, on the occasion of the Chrism mass every year. And this year it was held yesterday, and it was a joy to see so many priests assembled for the occasion. My rough estimate was about 200 priests, young and old, from the city and from afar. It gave me a sense of belonging to this privileged group of people, who had been consecrated to be the ministers of the Word and the mission entrusted to them by the Lord. How unworthy I am to belong to this select group, who had been specially called to re-present the Lord to his people! All my pride and arrogance melt the very moment when I recall to mind how the Lord had chosen me to be his minister, despite my many weaknesses and frailties. The wounded healer, that is what I am, and am honored to be part of this special assembly.

What happened during the two hour ceremony is a routine affair, and I had earlier attended quite a few Chrism masses, and by now know the order of the mass, and about the special homily when the Bishop addresses his ordained ministers, reminding them of their commitment to the Lord and his people. But every year while attending this mass, I feel the grace of the Lord freely flowing over simple and even sinful people that we are. I know at least half the priests who had gathered, and had been meeting them here and there on several occasions. Not all of them are worthy of their call, this I can say with all humility, the same way I feel about my own call. Sometimes I even feel that the priests go down in their sanctity and holiness after their ordination, and a lot of worldly values possess them, which is a sad part.

Just after the mass, when we were having supper, one of my diocesan friends approached me to complain to me about our new priest whom I had arranged to keep him in that parish for a few months of pastoral experience. This young man, specialized in a particular field of ministry, had been telling the priests that he was specialized in a particular ministry and so he should not be asked to take up other responsibilities in the parish or the attached school. I was told that he had been telling the diocesan priests that the Jesuits don’t behave in the way the diocesans do. I know my friend and the priests in the parish were concerned about the welfare of the new priest, but I was surprised to hear such complaints about him, and now I wonder how I could tackle him, and help him to open himself to correction, and learn from the seniors.

Unfortunately we are living in a world where young people do not want to learn from the seniors; this is the world of self-help learning, and there are all means available at the click of the mouse button, and the young feel it is boring and even annoying to learn from the old, who are out of touch with the present day reality. I have been experiencing this on other occasions too, and therefore sometimes I shut my mouth and let the young do what they want; however at times I feel also guilty for not correcting the young when they make obvious errors, and still refuse to be open for correction. We have come a long way from the traditional gurukul system of teaching and learning, and it is time that we return to the cherished values of that system.

But let these bad feeling not dampen my spirit as we celebrate our special calling; it is a privileged moment, and that is why we celebrate our call with a fairly good dinner (despite it falling in the season of Lent), and I am sure coming together as members of this kind of fraternity is essential to support one another, and feel consoled that I am not alone at this arduous journey; I am walking along with other priests who have more worries to handle, more burden to shoulder, and more responsibilities to share. We are overshadowed by our burdens most of the time that we fail to take time to celebrate our life as ministers of the Lord, and I wish we take time off more often to celebrate our call, because this is sure to have a positive effect in our lonely journey, reaching out to the needy and the helpless.

Lessons to Learn from Least

I found it hard to believe that Europeans could be so very insensitive, when they come to our country. Unlike we people here in India, who are so very informal, and would love to just walk in unannounced, the Europeans are known to appreciate formality, and yet when it comes to dealing with us, they take many things for granted, and that was one of the things which was annoying me, ever since this team of three Jesuits through a third person announced that they are coming to meet us. They would have booked their flight tickets some three months earlier, but they did not find time to inform us about their program.

I had a taste of how the Europeans behave in Europe, just a year ago, and after a stay for over a month I found, I might not survive if I were to stay in Europe. Life is so very artificial, and there are not much scope for one to be free to be what one wants to be in Europe, or at least that is the kind of feeling I got. You cannot walk into even your best friend's room or office without first making a prior appointment. That is how the society operates over there, and we would like to do things very differently here, and that is what makes all the difference to the people who visit us.

When people, even priests and nuns, visit us from either the United States or the Europe, often they exhibit a sense of superiority over us, our culture, language, though they cannot afford to do it openly and directly. Money power is their major strength, and sometimes they make attempts to purchase our value and cultural system with monetary and charitable help. They also show a sense of condescending over our culture and our people. While they appreciate our culture and rich traditions, they would hesitate to eat what we eat, drink what we drink, an obvious indication of keeping themselves apart.

We are born and brought up in a mortley of cultures and we know how to mingle with people of different cultures, religions and ethnicities. We have no problem to dialogue with people of other languages and cultures; even when we do not know the language of a particular group of people, and yet we know how to communicate. We know how to esteem people, and relate to them on equal footing, without showing any sign of inferiority or superiority, and the Europe and the US have a lot to learn from us, and it might take several centuries for them to first of all acknowledge they have something to learn from the developing nations.

I wish all the people who visit India, especially from the Europe and the US, learn from us the art of hospitality. Atito devobhava - guests are like gods, that is what the Holy Scriptures of our land says, and we mean it, as opposed to the cold, calculated and indifferent attitude of the Europe. We know the art of making homes as opposed to the developed nations, who only know how to make buildings. That is another thing that they can learn from us. In fact, if we start listing all the things they can and need to learn from us, we can fill a library with the lists! This is not an exaggeration, but a notion which only those who have known India can vouch for!

Defeating Differences

First time in years I witnessed an auditorium overflowing with people; there were more people in the hall than it could accomodate. When all seats were full, more chairs were brought in from all possible places, and still there were more than fifty people standing and watching the song and dance performance by two of my companions. One a folk singer and another a classical dancer, and what may look strange, both of them are staying under one roof, in one Jesuit community. One may wonder, but how can that be possible? Folk and classical in common parlance, cannot co-exist; there is an in-born rivalry between the two, and in that case how is it that a folk singer and a classical dancer live peacefully in one house!

Over 25 years of training (or you may call it brain-washing), has made the two friends to go beyond their area of specializations and think in terms of looking at the common meeting points. We live in a world where differences are greatly highlighted, and similarities are often submerged by the overpowering differences. Some call them asserting of one's uniqueness, which makes one what s/he is. But then how do we account for the similarities, sometimes so very striking that we cannot help but vibe with one another?

The world would be a very different place if only people begin to look seriously at the similarities and leave the differences out of the matters of comparison. If there are so much of religious hatred and vengence, and brutal killing of one another in the name of religion, it is all because we had failed to look at the similarities we share, but only look at the differences. If we can only look even superficially the similarities we share in all spheres of life, then we would be foreced to acknowledge that we are all brothers and sisters, children of one mother!

But unfortunately there are people in the world around us who would not like us to acknowledge the similarities we enjoy, but only would project the differences, because that is how their hidden political agenda would be fulfilled. There are people who would not hesitate to make use of people in order to fulfil their ego. But anyone who is endowed with conscience and balanced consciousness would be propelled from deep within to shun any attempt to look at the differences with a magnifying glass, and look for similarities at all walks of life.

Can the folk be opposed to the classical? Where do they differ? These two are just two labels, and the difference is made by the people who wish to keep the differences in order to keep their status and privileged position. Some times down the century, the folk traditions were attributed to the people from the lower strata of society, while the classical traditions were attributed to the educated, high caste/class people. But times have changed, and it is time that we change our mentality too. The next time when I meet a stranger, and begin sharing with that person the similarities we share, I am sure to make him/her a friend in no time. For, who does not like a common ground where I feel the security of having people who are very much like me! That is the beginning of true human community!

In the world of the Dead

Every time I go to visit the departed friends at the cemetery, myriad thoughts cloud my mind; I know most of the persons resting in peace here at Dhyan Ashram, some of them had been my teachers, some 'father-figures', some guides; some of their words still ring in my ears. I remember great Leeming; whenever I would ask him how he was, he would tell me that he felt better when he saw me! He was obviously naughty at that age. There is Timmermans, who had a soft-heart for me, during the first year in Calcutta! (In 1984, only in Bangla, it was called Kolkata), much to the embarrassment of many of my companions. And Ernst, who liked telling me stories of missionary activities! And printer, builder Rosnar, who had told me so many times the same old stories of his hunting!

Some I know, get frightened when they visit the graveyard, as if by visiting they invite death to themselves! Far from it, it is a reality that everyone has to be prepared for! But for me it is always a pleasant experience to stand for a while before many of the familiar men, and even whisper something dear to me. It is an invitation for me to enter into their lives, a life that age could not stop. Many of these men, who have offered their lives for God and people, have become immortal in the hearts of the hundreds of men and women whose lives they had touched. They are truly immortal.

I can see the earth, which is so very kind and generous to accept them back to her bosom; she would not like anyone, bird or beast to destroy their bodies, which she had gifted to the world, until they become part of herself! The mute witness to all that these men had done on earth, is again mute when it comes to vindicating some of them for the wrongs they might have committed. The world may take several years to really forgive, but for Mother Earth, she might ask us, forgive what! After all, she is the mother, who will never refuse home to her child!

I wish I have the luxury of time to sit in the cemetery and spend a whole day, speaking to all the persons whom I had known during their lifetime. I dont know if they would be delighted to do that with me, but I will surely be delighted to remind them of my sweet time in their company. And to have someone from the other side of the world is, always a matter of great blessing, because for one thing, I know their invisible presence will protect me from all danger and harm!

Today as I stood before them, there was one little prayer, though that happens to be sign of my selfishness. I want to imitate some of their noble qualities, which surely I lack to a great extent. Many of the men lying here were great stalwarts, and had done some thing marvellous for God and Bengal. When I turn to myself in their presence, I find myself quite small, but while beholding the tradition of which they were part of, I know all their collective strength and integrity will be my food for the way.

I know some of these men were saintly people. I would like to look up to Cukale, who had a peculiar way of pronouncing my name, and had a paternalistic approach to me; this great pastor was a saint, who loved to pain and write poems. When he used to pain the walls of this very same cemetery in 1997, I used to spend sometime with him there, appreciating his art work, which was not a great thing, but he liked doing it! Today I would like to place myself in his presence, looking at him and appreciating the simple works of art he created. I know this way, I will inherit at lease a certain amount of his saintliness.

Glorying in God

Watching tit-bits of the mega Oscar award function at Kodak Theater in California, especially the Indian fraternity, showing of all their assets, as if this is the end of the world, I got a feeling that it was time for us to cool down, and even play our trumpets a little softer. Who knows when the trumpet may start blaring and annoying the people around. But in the scene full of color and sound, one little phrase by the Mozart of Madras caught my attention. Before showering encomium on his mother, A. R. Rahman dedicated the twin Oscar awards to God, and ended his short speech with a phrase he said in Tamil, "ella pugazhum iraivanukke". I just couldn't believe that a man of that stature will say this, 'all glory to God'. To attribute such an achievement to God is no mean gesture, it was beyond my imagination.

Was it a publicity stunt, as the public figures are wont to do often? I realized that it was not, because his mother said something in the similar tone, attributing the success of her son to the work of God. It was amazing to see how these simple people see God, and find a secure place in Him/Her. Granted that is young musician had to discontinue his studies to make a living with his musical talents, he had nothing to complain, or curse his fate; nor did he make a speech saying if he had received enough support, he would have won the Oscar sever years ago! One of the greatest and most enduring virtues of Islam is submission to the will of God, and Rahman was hinting at it.

He sounded more religious than most religious do. There is a mad rush to acknowledging all achievements to individual efforts, toil and sweat, and seldom do we come across people who would give due credit to a force that is beyond human comprehension. In this world that is soaked in disbelief and questioning, we often would like to keep God as a matter of personal conviction, and would only hesitate to bring Him/Her to our public space. I would like to think of the moments during this day, when I had brought even the word God at any moment of my public life; yes, I did, but that was in acknowledgment to the belief of a gentleman who came to see me. Is it possible for me to take my (some would be hesitant to claim God with a personal pronoun; but can't I have anything personal with God?) God?

We the Jesuits have as our motto, something what Rahman has publicly proclaimed, and most of our institutions have the first letters of this Latin phrase carved on the walls, printed in block letters on the books and notebooks : AMDG (ad majorem dei gloriam - for the greater glory of God)! Each of us Jesuits are called to do exactly what Rahman had done on the Red Carpet at Kodak Theater - to attribute all our successes, achievements to God, who is instrumental in all our activities, even our very existence. I would not venture to assess if we are able to do it always, and unconditionally; that is beyond the scope of this little reflection; but one thing is for sure: in the initial stages of the Society, all made conscious effort to bow their heads with humility before God, for making use of them as His/Her instrument.

It is a common belief that God carries us along wherever He/She goes, and is present at every thick and thin of life; is it not right then that we too take him along to our offices, work places, to our markets, tea stalls, and malls? I may not be able to publicly announce that I owe everything I have and have achieved to God (because there are more than I can believe who are there to frown at me if I were to say that), but it is possible for me to pause for a moment during the day, and whisper in His/Her ears, Thank you, God! This little gesture may not make us saints, but can for sure make us human, who can bend the knees before the mighty powers of God. If I seek his glory and honor, then I will have very little to pull up my collars and blow my trumpet, so that everyone on earth hears it!