Oct 2015 - Jan 2016Oct 2015 - Jan 2016Oct 2015 - Jan 2016 111111111111

We live amidst two huge worlds. The �irst world is the external world of people, things, places, events, etc. The other world is the inner world of emotions, experiences, memories, thoughts, convictions and all that constitutes it. We constantly shift our focus between these two worlds which are very much interlinked. The only vehicle that can enable us to see these worlds with clarity and help us draw meaning in life is the vehicle of re�lection.

Re�lection is not an end in itself. It must lead to action. This is where the role of the leader (or “saviour”) comes into the picture. We live in a world that is constantly throwing new challenges at us. Re�lection offers us better understanding of these problems and the possible ways of going ahead. In other words, re�lection is only a prelude to right action. But there is a danger here. With the habit of re�lection, we have the tendency of becoming men of the head. The head, which represents the aspect of thinking and reasoning in us dominates and pushes the heart to the peripheries. Formation plays an important role in setting right such anomaly.

The scholastics writing for the Writers Forum in the last three months have been re�lecting on the topics of formation, family and leadership (“saviour in today's world”). These topics were discussed in the line of the year of the 'Consecrated Life' that ended this year with the introduction of the jubilee 'Year of Mercy'. The thrust has always been on the question of relevance of ideas that can be put into action.

KSJ Writers Forum has been providing a platform for the scholastics to re�lect and express their ideas on the pressing issues of the time. The selected items from the last three issues are the result of the present edition of Prajwalana. As we wish you a prosperous new year 2016, we wish you pleasant and enriching reading of this edition of Prajwalana. I remain grateful to all those who have contributed to this issue. I also express my sincere appreciation to our formators, especially Fr Stanislaus D’Souza our Provincial, Fr Joseph D’Souza, our PCF, Fr Richard Sequeira and Fr Thomas Quadros for their support and guidance.

Praveen Kiran Martis

EditorialEditorial

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My hearty congratulations and good wishes to another issue of Prajwalana

Journals and newsletters rise and fall. The fact that Prajwalana keeps going is a clear sign of the v i t a l i t y o f th e v e n t u re a n d creativity of the young minds. While I am aware of the demands it makes on the time and energy of the editors and contributors, I have no doubt that it shapes a literary and 'intellectual formation more than ordinarily exacting' (GC 32:35). As I had said in my last message, the Society sets very high standards for Jesuit publications, in content, form and style. Just to bring to your attention this high standard: “Whatever Jesuits publish, should have the following characteristics: The subject matter treated should be useful according to the apostolic goal and mission of the Society. The work to be published should be better than average in its category and thus come up to the legitimate expectations of those for whom it is intended” (Manual 320). These legitimate expectations are a constant challenge to go beyond mediocrity that often characterizes the print and electronic media.

I am happy to note that you have taken relevant themes for your intellectual search: formation for transformation, family Life, and Christmas ­ Saviour in Today's World. A close look at the themes suggests that they are interrelated. The birth of Jesus in the family of Joseph and Mary has set a model for formation in family and everywhere including seminaries. From a human point of view, although Joseph and Mary were poor people, and hence they had to encounter many socio­economic dif�iculties and struggles, they formed Jesus in

Provincial’s MessageProvincial’s Message

such a way that he became a world leader. They could have been obsessed with deprivations and made their lives miserable. But they changed their perspective. Amidst their limitations they looked at God, the source and summit of all goodness and became creative in their attitude and approach. They found many opportunities to form Jesus as a great leader in history.

I think we have a message here. As humans we are limited. We have our weaknesses and limitations. And we can be obsessed with them. But holy family offers us an alternative model: we can be different and make a difference if we change our perspective. Shall we be positive, proactive and thus be productive? Let us resist being negative, instead focus on our strengths and build on them. While wishing a new beginning to all those in formation I wish all the best to Prajwalana: long live Prajwalana; may it always be transformative, foster family spirit, and spread Christmas joy.

Fr Stanislaus D’Souza SJ

PCF Speaks...

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Front page Header is designed by Sch. Arul

Formation is the process by which a man prepares for life as a priest or brother. Continued discernment is an essential part of formation, since the process gives a man the tools and experience he will need in order to discern well. The process of discernment does not change a man into something he is not, rather, it helps a man to become who he really is and who God created him to be.

While we re�lect on the aspect of formation, articulating some key aspects of it are necessary.

The formees in formation are essentially the product of the family. They inherit many traits from the family. Pope Francis speaking about Priests says, Priests have a history. This means that one cannot become a priest, believing that one has been formed in a laboratory, no; he starts in the family with the 'handing on' of the faith and with all the experiences of the family.

While one inherits many riches from the family, he also brings certain wounds along with him. On one hand one has to learn to �ind peace with this, on the other hand unlearning is necessary to learn needed characteristics of religious life. So human formation is very necessary for a religious.

Each vocation is personalized because it is the concrete person who is called to discipleship and priesthood. So can we undermine the signi�icance of a self formation? We cannot deny the role of formators in the formation of a formee, nonetheless, self formation is a key to growth and �lowering of ones personality.

Can we learn much wisdom from the attitude of three workers who were working at a construction site. To a question what are they doing, each one answered differently. ' I am cutting a stone' , One said. Another replied, 'I am earning my livelihood.' The third answered, 'I am building a nation'.

Formation is for mission. Formation should gear towards to have in one a clear vision and a clear mission for oneself and for the Society.

Can a scholastic in the Karnataka Province say, I am forming myself to build the Karnataka Province in particular and the Universal Society of Jesus at large?

Fr Joseph D’Souza SJ

Jerald

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I got out of my car and noticed the puncturedwheel. There was no transportation facility on thatroad. It was a remote place. As I began to walk, Icame accross a burial ground. There I noticed ayoung man, sitting beside a grave and crying. I wasmoved. I approached him and asked him the reasonfor his tears.

The man, though initially remained silent, aftersome time broke his silence. He told me that thegrave beside him was his mother’s. I listenedattentively to him as he started to tell his story.

“Sir, my mother was a liar.My story begins from the timewhen I was a child: I was bornpoor. Often we hadn’t enough toeat. Whenever we had somefood, my mother often gave meher portion of rice. While shewas transferring her rice into mybowl, I used to tell her,”Mummy,it is your share”. But she used totell me, “Eat this rice, my dearson; I am not hungry.” This wasmother’s First Lie.

As I grew, mother gave up her spare time tofish in a river near our house. She hoped that fromthe fish she caught, she could give me a little bitmore nutritious food for my growth.

Once she had caught just two fish. She preparedfish soup out of them. While I tasted the soup,mother sat beside me and ate what was still left onthe bone of the fish I had eaten. My heart brokewhen I saw that. So I gave her the other fish, butshe immediately refused it saying, “You eat it, son!I don’t really like fish.” This was mother’s SecondLie.

After father’s death, mother had to play the roleof a single parent. She had to look after all ourneeds alone. Our family life was miserable. We

Only Mother

Arun Lobo SJ

suffered from starvation. Seeingour family’s condition worsening,our neighbours often advised mymother to marry again. ButMother refused to remarry, saying,“I don’t need love at all”. Thiswas mother’s Third Lie.

When I had to sit for the finalexaminations, mother accompanied me, after dawn.She waited for me for hours in the heat of the sun.When the bell rang, I ran to meet her. Mother

embraced me and poured me abowl of rice water. Seeing mothercovered with sweat, I at once gaveher my bowl and asked her todrink too. Mother said, “Drink,son! I’m not thirsty!” This wasmother’s Fourth Lie.

My mother started to workday in and day out, both insideand outside the house. She hardlyrested. Seeing her so, I would tellher to rest a while. But she wouldtell me, “No son, I am not tired”.

This was mother’s Fifth Lie.

After I had finished my studies, I got a job inone of the famous companies in America. It wastime for my old Mother to retire, but she carried ongoing to the market every morning just to sell a fewvegetables. I kept sending her money but she wassteadfast and even sent the money back to me. Shesaid, “I have enough money, son.” That wasmother’s Sixth Lie.

I continued my part-time studies for myMaster’s Degree. I was helped by the Companyfor which I worked. I excelled in my studies. Witha big jump in my salary, I decided to bring motherto enjoy life in America with her only son, butmother didn’t want to bother her son. She said to

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me, “I’m not used to high living, son. I am happyhere.” That was mother’s Seventh Lie.

In her old age, mother suffered from cancer andhad to be hospitalized. Now from far across theocean, I went home to visit mother who was on bedafter an operation. Mother tried to smile, but I washeartbroken to see her so thin and feeble, but shesaid, “Don’t cry, son! I’ve no pain.” That wasmother’s Eighth Lie. Telling me this, she died.

She used to call me “my son”. That was herNinth and Final Lie. Yes, she used to call me “son”,

but I was not her son. I realized this only after herdeath. She nursed a thrown away child - me.

I am really blessed to have such a mother.

For those of you who are lucky to be still blessedwith your mom’s presence on earth, this story isbeautiful. For those who aren’t so blessed, this iseven more beautiful.

I remembered my mother and thanked Godbecause my family is only my Mother…

It begins with loveAs a permanent commitment, as a vowWow! Promising loyalty in faith and loveAs a sacrificial token exchanged forever and now.

Yes, everyone is born in a bondCaring, loving and holding handForget not, we swim together in a pondSupporting each other, rapture beyond.

Praying together morning and eveningYou know! It’s a graceful blessingAnd here starts sharing and caringA paradigm of life in fullness rendering

Today, it is rare to findPhoney relationships can’t strong bindWhen foiling storms are strong as windEverything is remorse and destroyed.

Come, let’s again combine and rejoinAs suff’ring and joy come together, two faces of a coinPrayer and faith surely shower blessings’ rainTo grow in mutual and meaningful life again.

KENOSIS

John PrashanthSaldanha SJ

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A familyIs made of love and tears,Laughter and years.It grows strongerAnd remains longerWith precious memories.

Sometimes a family is made of onesYou don’t like for a while.But still love for a life timeYou fight, quarrel and stopTalking for daysyet sharing and caring for years.

It’s a place where you findSomeone to encourage youBelieve in you.Celebrate with you, alsoMourn with you.

A family is where youFeel at home becauseYou are welcomed, cared for and loved.

It’s a gift you get without asking,It’s a gift you can compare with nothing.

A Precious Gift

Arun Lobo SJ

Stay ConnectedFather is flying a kite. His son is watching him carefully. After some time son says “Dad, because

of the string the kite is not able to go any further..” Hearing this, the father smiles and breaks thestring. The kite goes higher and then shortly after that, it losses controls and is lost in the sky. Thechild is very dejected and sad. The father sits next to him and calmly explains: “Son, in life we reacha certain level and then we feel that there are certain things that are not letting us grow any furtherlike home, culture, friends etc. We feel we want to be free from those strings which we believe arestopping us from going higher. But, remember son, ‘our home, family, friends and culture are thethings that will help us stay stable at the high heights. If we try to break away from those strings ourcondition will be similar to the kite. “We will be lost.”

Moral: Keep in touch with your family, culture, relationships as they keep youstable while flying high.

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The web, the strands, the spider, triggers athought of connectedness and belonging. Eachaspect in the web signifies a variety of differentdimensions compared to the world. The web beganwith a spider searching for a place to construct itsweb. It chose the dimensions of spiritual, emotional,physical and social life to hold on to and it built itsweb. This spider’s web, the strands in it depict thefamilies. The diverse, rich and colourful familiesspread all over the world as mentioned. “Looktowards heaven and count the stars if you are ableto count them.” [Gen 15:5]

The family is the cradle of life and love whereone first learns to become human. The basic senseof belonging and the reception of identity shape thelife of an individual. This is conceived right fromthe beginning in a family that moulds the clay asper the values and the culture it has received. Lifeis all about receiving and giving. History teachesthis and we practice living it. It is all that we haveimbibed from the roots of our families. But it takescourage to become and live what we are called to,amidst this fast changing culture and traditions inthis present world.

THE WEB OF LIFE

Avinash D’Souza SJ

How could we aspire to liveit? As we say that the beauty of acountry or the world is determinedby the values, character and theprinciples of the family. As eachstrand in the web contributes tosupport another and uphold theweb, so it is with an individual inthe family. The responsibility rests on each one tobe humane and to live with harmony. One could todamage relationships and cause chaos and turmoil.This would harm the beauty of the family which iscalled the web. The trick is supposed to be verysimple - to listen to our hearts and live as a flowerand not to listen to our mind and live as an ego-filled stone. This is the very reason for thedifficulties and damages that take place in a familylife. As a stone shatters the spider’s web, so doesego cause disharmony in families. The desire ofindividualism should be pruned to extend the valuesof give-and-take in the family.

The biological family that we come from andthe family of the Society of Jesus that we are living,in guard the beauty of the web. The wind may blowor the rain may splash over it. It still keeps shining.It encourages us to live in a better way each day. Itchallenges us to be like the flower rather than thestone. As we march ahead in this world, let uswitness the richness the family life provides, andlive as a happy family and make the web of lifeshine.

I asked GOD: If everything is already writtenin Destiny, then why should I Pray?GOD smiled and said: I have also written‘CONDITIONS APPLY’

***

Trust is like a sticker. Once it is removed, itmay stick again, but not as strong as it holdswhen you first applied.

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Years ago, Fr Lancy D’Souza, of a certaindiocese in north India had to travel back to hismission place from Mangalore central railwaystation via Mumbai. He boarded the MatsyagandhaExpress. His tickets were confirmed. He felt withinhimself a kind of fear of travelling. Meanwhile hereceived a call on his mobile of his friend priest ofMangalore diocese who requested him not to travelsince an important programme was arranged in thecity. Fr Lancy walked back to his house. On his

way back he regretted for cancelling the tickets. Hecould not understand why he felt a great relief incancelling his tickets. The next morning, as he wokeup he found many miss-calls in his mobile and aSMS. It read, “Please watch any news channel”. Thenews was “Matsyagandha Express derails; 14 dead”.

I was in a remote mission station for myChristmas ministry. I left no stone unturned to makethe celebration a memorable one to the people. Thechurch was shining with colourful lights. Everythingwas set ready. The church was full with the faithful.It was 11:45 p.m., and we were about begin themidnight Mass. My choir members were eager tosing the entrance hymn. Suddenly the electricitywent off. Everything came to a standstill. We hadno other alternative power suppliers. All were quiet.I was sitting near a window, desperate, not knowingwhat to do. I saw the full moon shining brightly

LET EVERY HEART PREPARE HIM ROOM

Anush D’Cunha SJ

and shedding its light on usthrough the windows. I asked thepeople to open the windows wide.In the still silence a month oldchild cried loudly. Our choirbegan the entrance hymn, SilentNight. A true Christmas.

We have burdened ourselveswith external pomp. Our external sounds ofChristmas have engulfed us. I may be mistaken ingeneralizing, but the truth is that we spend minimumtime in listening to our inner voice in the month ofDecember. We strongly believe that externalpreparations would help us for internal preparation.Can it be the other way round?

Today we are challenged with many externalforces. We are afraid of speaking aloud our religiousconvictions. Every new rule and project of thegovernment seems motivated by polarization. Wefind clouds surrounding us and curtailing ourfreedom to live and to profess our faith.

Our Christmas can be meaningful if Christ isrealized in our day-to-day activities. Advent is nota time for just waiting. It is a time of waiting forourselves. We need to come back to ourselves. Weneed to realize that our inner voice is more importantthan the external voices. Christ wants a place to beborn in us. He wants us to be simple in our hearts.Let our hearts be ready to welcome Him.12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012341234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123412345678901234567890123456789012123456789012341234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123412345678901234567890123456789012123456789012341234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123412345678901234567890123456789012123456789012341234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123412345678901234567890123456789012123456789012341234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123412345678901234567890123456789012123456789012341234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123412345678901234567890123456789012123456789012341234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123412345678901234567890123456789012123456789012341234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123412345678901234567890123456789012123456789012341234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123412345678901234567890123456789012123456789012341234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234

Life is similar to Boxing. Defeat is not declaredwhen you fall down. But it is declared whenyou refuse to get up.

***

Everything is valuable only at two times. Firstbefore getting it and second after losing it.

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What is life? It is a mystery. The famousPhilosopher Gabriel Marcel would define mysteryas that thing which I am part of. Life is definitelypart of me. At times it thrills, at times it satisfies, attimes it showcases the greatest of my gifts while atsome other times it even pins me down or hangsme upon my weaknesses. Life is that which ushersitself with a cry and takes its leave with a moan.All this gives life its meaning.

Life is popularly associated with movement, forthat which does not move is suspected as thoughdead. Science also upholds thelayman’s notion of life as activity.Bishop Fulton Sheen would goone step further in defining life asan imminent activity. The lowestforms of beings are minerals andchemicals formed deep inside theearth. Needless to say that theyare part of the mineral kingdom,belonging to the non-living. Tothese activity is supplied from outside. For livingthings activity is supplied from within. A plantgrows from within. It has the power of generation,it can grow mysteriously by itself and it can nourishitself. But a plant is made to remain fixed in oneplace. The greater is the imminent activity, thegreater the life. An animal has a higher life than aplant, the beast a fuller life than the grass it eats, soalso the bird than the pollen it gathers. Thereforeanimals have a double imminent activity, that ofmovement and the other of sense perception. Butanimals are bound to their instincts.

Moving one step higher in the hierarchy of allcreated things is the creation of human beings.Human beings have a higher imminence of thinkingand willing. What makes human life special is thecapacity for knowledge and for love. A thought inthe mind of a human being is equally spiritual as isthat activity of an animal towards generating itskind. The Psalmist has wonderfully said that lifeconsists in knowledge. Others are doomed to

THE GIFT OF LIFE

Ryan Rodrigues SJ

sameness; humans on the otherhand are gifted with creativity.Above all things, we have thecapacity to commune with theUltimate that is good, true andbeautiful. A stone will fall withthe law of gravity, an animal willbe a slave to his instincts whereasa human being has got a free choice to make, to door not to do all that lies in front of it. This choicecomes from within. We are co-creators. We have

the right to make anything as ourfood, the power to harness thewaterfall, to even treat nature aswe like. But how can we becomeperfect? Neither minerals, norplants or animals or even humanbeings can be looked up to asmodels of perfection. Perfect lifeis that which is free andindependent of everything else.

That is what I would call God.Life is God’s greatest gift to us and what we do

out of it is our gift, given back to God. The glory ofGod is man and woman, fully human and fully alive,happy and holy. Life is full of experiences and theonly thing that we have to do is to pursue theseexperiences awaiting us. That is the imminence.Don’t we find so much meaning? Yes, Life iswonderful and worth living.

The month of December is special for usChristians. We celebrate God who came and pitchedhis tent among us. He chose to live among us. Thisis the mystery of the incarnation. By taking humannature upon Himself, the second person of theTrinity laid aside his divine prerogative to sanctifyus, to save us and to redeem us. Human body istherefore not a thing to be despised rather a templeof the Holy Spirit. As we celebrate the birth of ourSaviour we celebrate the gift of life in all its fullness.Let us cherish this gift and live it to the full. MerryChristmas!

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Family feasts and family gatherings are foundin almost every culture known to humanity. In theircollective wisdom, the authors of the variouscultures and traditions of the world have taught usthe importance of coming together as family. Weneed family celebrations to go back to our roots andto hold the threads of relationship firmly together.Happy families make a happier world.

Family life is a grace and also a cross. We canfind many inspiring stories and also a lot of humoursurrounding family life. Family life is a joy. At thesame time it requires many adjustments, which canoften be uncomfortable and burdensome. With therapid changes in lifestyle, our life in the family hasalso undergone rapid changes. The challenges thisbrings forth needs newer answers. However,problems concerning family cannot be solved bywords alone. Selfless love makes great burdenslight.

In his article, “Home and the World” (TOI, Oct10), Dipankar Gupta makes a very interesting studyon farmers’ suicide. He bases his observation onthe National Crime Register which brings out thetwo highest

causes of suicides in India – family problemsand health. Gupta notes, “a farmer’s loss of self-esteem as father and husband makes indebtednesshard to live with”. Gupta’s argument speaks foritself and shows how family life can be a challenge

Family

Praveen Martis SJ

in the lives of many, especially thepoor and the oppressed.

Many philosophers andthinkers remind us of our broaderlink with the world around us.Aristotle, the great Greekphilosopher of ancient times,believed that family formed thebedrock of a stable society. Martin Heidegger, thewell known German philosopher, speaks of ourhuman existence as being-in-the-world.Pannenberg, a German theologian, reflects onhuman existence as Weltoffenheit, which can beunderstood as world-open-ness. Human beings arealways in the world. We are strongly linked withthe world. The world makes us what we are and itforms our identity. Thinking with these great minds,can we think of having a broader definition of‘family’ today?

Family life can be seen as a loving-livingpartnership. It reminds me of the anecdote of theyoke that the late Fr Simon Furtado SJ oftenrepeated. It would be good to recall it. When twobulls are put under a yoke, it is impossible tocalculate how much of the work is done by each ofthe bulls. When the work is completed, we can onlysay that the total of pulling is done by two bulls.Family life is something like that - going throughlife together.

The Church has always emphasized theimportance of family life. It has repeatedly taughtwith wisdom, insight and concern that prayingtogether solves much of our family problems. Thisis true for all times. The Synod of Bishops onFamily held this year between October 4 and 25has been the latest attempt to deepen ourunderstanding of family and to reflect on thechallenges and the mission of family life in thepresent context.

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A young Jesuit priest died at the age of 33. Hewas taken into heaven with all the heavenly entrancetests. At last he stood before Jesus face to face.This Jesuit was so furious that he started arguingwith Jesus saying, “I’ve spent more than half mylifetime in the seminary and after 17 years offormation I became a priest. I was healthy, strong,and was filled with zeal for missionary work. Butsuddenly you took away my life. Why? Seventeenyears of my Jesuit formation went in vain!

Jesus who was listening patiently began to tellhim a parable. “The Parable of a Stone.”

There was a huge stone lying in a hilly area. Itwas shapeless, unattractive and ignored by all. Oneday a sculptor happened to see it. He visualized awonderful piece of art hidden inside that stone. Atonce he took it to his house. Day after day, he startedremoving the unwanted protrusions from that stoneby hitting it with different tools to give it therequired shape. This went on for a long time, forhe wanted his work to be a perfect one. One fineday, after the finest touches given to it, the artiststood back a little and looking at his work,exclaimed, “The masterpiece of my work!” It waslater kept in a prominent place, for it was really amasterpiece.

The priest asked, “Lord, what is the meaningof this parable?”

Jesus answered, “The stone in the hilly areawas you before I called you. I placed you in variousJesuit formation houses. Every hit on the stone wasyour formative year which involved corrections,encouragement, ups and downs in life,

FORMATION FOR TRANSFORMATION

Pruthvi RyanalRodrigues S J

confrontations, failures, victoriesand so on. The different tools usedare the different people whoformed you.

At last when you weretransformed into a masterpiece Icalled you to be with me always.For I love you. Your formationwas for your transformation...

Under the dark sky filled with stars,I walked the shore of life.Only to find the washed-out stars,That belong to the ocean of life.

So, back to their home I threw them,To see them live again.

My joy was found in it,So, I did it again and again.

A broken glass, I came across.It would pierce my leg, I thought.Hence, to the ocean I threw it,To keep my leg clean of blood.

How would I know?That I was not the only one,To dump our problems, to the world of theirs,Which could pierce their loved one!

I gave life to one of them,While I took away from other.Without knowing what my drop did,I dropped in, both life and death.

Let’s add the drop of life,To the world of theirs.Let not the drop of death,Make an ocean of dead.

My Drop in an Ocean

Nithin Coelho SJ

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Jesuit formation prepares quality men for themission. The formation is quite long but very solidand effective. I finished my Juniorate studies inTrivandrum last year. It was a time for me to learnmany things and put a strong foundation to my lifeof further study. The Society provided me with allfacilities, competent formators and the opportunitiesneeded to grow and form myself.

What I cherished most in my Juniorate is thedesire in all of us to ‘Go Beyond’. Our professorswere exceptionally good. They taught us what isimportant, but more than that, they instilled in us adesire to aim high. Their expertise, competenceand hard work were themselves a great inspirationfor all of us. In my companions I noticed a questfor doing great things. Some worked hard to learn

GOING BEYOND

Ovin Rodrigues SJ

various musical instruments,while others learnt Latin andmany other languages. Of course,our library and reading room werewell used. Each one tried to makethe best use of the time andopportunities that were available.For me it was a time to grow inthe knowledge of computers andcommunication skills. Till the novitiate, I had anallergy to books. But here I started reading manybooks. This desire made me understand why someJesuits have done exceptionally well in more thanone field, and I dream to become one like them.

I feel this is something beautiful in Jesuit life.We strive to do everything for the greater glory ofGod. Our desire is always to do something moreand to perform better. What we receive in the formof input is minimum, but the scope for improvementis very large. It is left to each one to make the bestuse of the opportunities provided and becomeeffective Jesuits.

What I learnt in the Juniorate in very preciousto me. I wish that all young Jesuits grow in theirdesire to excel, improve and shine as they movefrom one stage of formation to the other.

Offer me no flowers when I am dead,I would fail to smell their fragrance.Sing no praises with thy loud voices,My deaf ears in coffin won’t hear them.

Shed not those precious tears,They are worthy of a better person than me.Carry no memories of me in heart,For all past of mine has dissolved in soil.

My love for you was a feather on yoke;Farthest oceans would know our meet,Tallest mountains would bow to our kisses,Winds being too jealous of our relationship.

STRANGE IS THY LOVE...

Ashwil Lobo SJ

But, now the beginning has become a dead end.Our long road has ceased at an early bend.Strange is thy Love for me...Stranger is thy heart to me...

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“Theresa, I heard that you are going to the CityMarket for Christmas Shopping”. “Yes, Anita, I needto buy some stars, greeting cards, and a big cake.”“Oh! That’s good. I wanted to purchase a watch.Can I join you in the shopping? Besides, I want tosee the glitter of Christmas in the city”. “Withpleasure.”

Our staunch Catholic lady, Aurelia Theresa, andher next door neighbour Anita Natrajan are verygood friends. Anita is an atheist. For a long timeshe has been considering Theresa’s invitation tobecome a Catholic. She has developed interest inlistening to Theresa’s sharing’s and participating inChristian practices. Theresa feels that this shoppingis a golden opportunity for her to mesmerize Anitawith her ideas on Christmas. Early next morningboth of them set out for the market. A long sermonon the Incarnation and birth narrative of Jesus waswaiting for Anita during the bus journey.

Our Lady of the Wayside

Ovin Rodrigues SJ

As they stepped out from thebus they were astounded to see theocean of colourful things and thelarge crowds gathered there. Themarket was flooded with sweets,clothes, Santa’s caps, decorationmaterial and numerous fancyitems. They went from one shopto anther and bought the best things possible. Theirshopping was almost over except for Anita’s watch.Since the clock had already struck one, they thoughtof going for lunch to the famous Taj Mahal hotel.This hotel was very close to the shrine of Our Lady,Shivajinagar. As they were going that way Anita’seyes fell on the gigantic and majestic shrine ofMother Mary. She was very keen to go inside theshrine. Theresa readily led her to this holy place.Lots of pilgrims were thronging to this placeirrespective of their religion. Anita was deeplytouched by the atmosphere there.

As they were moving out, Theresa’s eyes fellon the crib that was getting ready for Christmas.She peeped through the curtains that were coveringthe crib. Meanwhile Anita went near the charmingstatue of Mary that was placed in the niche of theadjacent wall. While returning Theresa noticedAnita reading a pamphlet. Anita looked appalled,and her face turned red as a beetroot. Sensingsomething strange, Theresa too picked up apamphlet that was beneath the statue and startedreading it. She too was thunderstruck by what waswritten in it. The pamphlet read – Mary is the mostpowerful goddess in the world. Pray for herIntercession, and print and distribute 413 copies ofthis message. Your life will be changed. Mary willbless those who believe in her and devour thosewho disbelieve.

The narration in the pamphlet continued – MrTony Ajith from Ramanathpuram distributed 413copies of this message and won a lottery of 65 lakhs.Sunita did the same and she won ‘Miss Mangalore’

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contest. But beware! Samuel, Pune, didn’t believethis and tore the pamphlet into pieces. Within a fewhours he met with an accident and died on the spot.Supriya, Mysore disposed of this paper, making funof it and she lost her job and property.

Theresa got angry and tore the paper into athousand pieces. “Anita, this is utter nonsense.Mother Mary is so loving. She will never bringharm or curse to her children. This is the work ofsome crack-pots”, she said. “But” Anita added,“There might be some truth in it. This is found insuch a big shrine and many people visit this place.”Theresa denied it point blank and she took Anitaout for food. But still the words of this pamphletwere lingering in her mind. She could not enjoythe meal. She felt as if the bones of the fish gotstuck in her throat. The water tasted bitter and shefelt suffocated. Both finished their lunch incomplete silence. There was a hidden fear in theheart of Theresa. To add to her fear, Anita wasirritating her with unrealistic predictions.

Theresa tried to show that she had completetrust in Mary. But she could not deny her consciencethat she was doubtful. A small dash from somebodyin the crowd seemed to be a great calamity. Hernerves were on edge. Now she thought ofpurchasing Anita’s watch quickly and running offfrom there. They were searching for the watch for along time but they didn’t find a good one. Theirefforts didn’t bear any fruit. All through the searchTheresa was afraid whether this was theconsequence of tearing that sheet. She could notwant to go home like a coward. If she did this, thematter would be the talk of the day in their village.Theresa’s faith was put to the test.

Anita was growing tense and she exclaimed, “Ithink Mary is very cruel. That is why she ispunishing us”. “Shut up! Don’t say like that”, burstout Theresa, “I firmly believe that Mary will surelycome to our aid.” Hardly had she completed herstatement when her eyes fell on the portrait of Our

Lady among many other paintings that were beingsold on the roadside. Mary in this picture was facingtowards a narrow lane on the opposite side of theroad. Some magnetic force was pulling Theresatowards this dull and old-fashioned street. “Theresa,there might be something there,” her conscience wassaying repeatedly. So she took Anita and hurriedlycrossed the road. Theresa kept her fingers crossedand moved towards the shop at the end of the street.She was overwhelmed with joy to see so manybeautiful watches at reasonable rates there. Theresafelt as if she was in the seventh heaven. Her faithin Mary was confirmed and she didn’t lose her face.She softly whispered, “Thank you, Jesus. Thankyou, Mary. Thank you so much.

Both of them returned home happy. Anita hadcherishing experience and her love in Marydeepened. Theresa got renewed. Her mind levelfaith reached the heart. The portrait which she foundon the roadside was placed next to the altar in herhouse.

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I am a school teacher at St. Joseph’s school, inMysore, with twenty years of service. I enjoyteaching. I like my students. They also have similaraffection towards me. There is a good rapportbetween their parents and me. The Schoolmanagement appreciates me for the extra servicethat I render to the school. Our school is doingextremely well. It is known for its excellence. Theformation of the students is the prime concern ofthe school. Most of the parents in the town want tosend their children to our school. Many are deprivedof this opportunity, because of the limited seatsavailable. Schools in our vicinity envy us, mainlybecause of the kind of students we get and the namethe school has made in the whole State. There is nosecond word about the commitment of the staff.They are ready to give their life. There is focusedwork and true formation of the students. Ourstudents feel our school is a home away from homefor them. In the school there are a number ofassociations. All of them conduct a number ofactivities. The children are encouraged toparticipate and build up confidence.

One among them is social concern association.It gets the maximum number of students. Usuallychildren give the first preference to this association,may be because of the number of creative activitiesand the outreach programs it conducts. We have aspecial system in the school: students can elect ateacher as the president for the association, by votingat the beginning of the academic year. This year Iwas elected by the students as the president. I tookup the work with great enthusiasm. We had a numberof activities in the school, among them were intra-school and inter-school competitions. With theintention of giving a village exposure to ourstudents, we organized a work-camp in a remotevillage, since most of the students were from thecity. Initially my idea was to take only 10-15students. I asked for volunteers. To my surprisethere were around ninety students. I was helpless.With the approval of the parents, finally we selected

FATE THAT WOULD HAVE CHANGED MY LIFE

DheerajD’Souza SJ

sixty students. I worked out allthe details. Everything was set.When the real day came, therewas a lot of excitement among thestudents. I too got up early, wentfor Mass, and especially prayedfor the success of the camp.

On the first day everythingwas good, very smooth. We hadto make a lot of adjustments. We did not even get aproper place for cooking. But that was part of thepackage of village experience. The camp was verygood; three days went very smoothly. On the fourthday all of us got up with a lot of eagerness. The daywas as usual. But something strange happenedwhile preparing the food. There was adulterationof the food.

Children were hungry, after the hard work inthe garden. They enjoyed the food. After an hourall those who ate the food started vomiting blood;one by one fell unconscious. I was helpless. Therewas no proper transportation facility in the village.I managed to send nearly thirty of them to thehospital. Ten were delayed, they were grasping forbreath. Five of them breathed their last on the way.I did not know how to react to the situation. I wasall the more frightened; words were not flowingfrom my mouth. Police came for enquiry. I wassurrounded by media persons. I did not know whatto do. How to inform the parents? I was sweatingprofusely. I even cursed God for being so unkindto me. As I was in that helpless situation I heardthe bell. I thought it was the parish funeral bell,since many of the students were Catholics. I grievedall the more.

At that time I heard a voice from the campcoordinator. How long do you sleep? It’s time toget up. I saw him waking up the other children.

When I opened my eyes I realized that I wasstill on bed. It was just a dream. Thank God, it wasonly a dream!

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Coordinators: Sch Vishwas Misquith, Sch Praveen Martis

Editors: Fr Richard Sequeira, Fr Thomas Quadros

Guiding Team: Fr Provincial, Fr PCF, Sch Lumnesh

Section Coordinators: Schs Joseph Jerald, Joswin Pereira, Leston Lobo, Calvin Michael, Pradeep R S, Vivian

Richard, Martin Joseph, Cannon Fernandes, Nithin Coelho, Kiran Leema, George Pinto, Jason Martis, Ashwin D’Silva

Avinash

Avinash

Avinash

Joseph JeraldJoseph JeraldJoseph Jerald

PhotographyArt Work&

WAKE UP! IT'S COMPETITION TIME 2016!!!

THERE WILL BE IN EACH SECTIONTHREE PRIZESLast date to send your entries to the contact persons (for all competitions) is FEBRUARY 29th

For any queries please contact : Vishwas Misquith : vishwasmsj@gmail.com, Praveen Martis : praveenmartis1@gmail.com or write to ksjwriters@gmail.com.

ESSAY COMPETITIONTopic : BEING MERCIFUL – In today's context of war, violence, intolerance towards other religion(especially ISIS). Besides that the dedication of this year as a year of Mercy and GC 35 (Reconciliation with others) as background. Word Limit : 1000 Words Contact Persons – Leston Lobo - lblestonsj@gmail.com, George Pinto - georgepintosj@gmail.com

COMPOSING MUSIC Themes : PEACE, ECOLOGY, LIFE. Language : Kannada or English. Simple recording is enough. The music and the lyrics should be original. Duration of the musical composition : Minimum of 3 minutes. Minimum – Nil. Accompaniment of any one musical instrument is necessary. More than one musical instrument can be used. The composition must be sung. The composition can be of group, solo or duet singing.

Contact Persons – Joyson Vaz - joysonvsj@gmail.com, Pruthvi Rodrigues - pruthviryanalsj@gmail.com

PHOTOGRAPHYTheme : NATURE, ANIMALS, BIRDS, LANDSCAPE, SCENERY, HUMOROUS INCIDENTS, SOCIAL ISSUE, RARE HAPPENINGS, THE BEGGAR'S IN THE STREET. Caption should be given. Date and Place should be mentioned. Snaps can be taken with any camera One can send two photographs entries I t must be original S ize 10/12Contact Persons – Ashwin D'Silva - ashdsilva23@gmail.comMartin Joseph - martin8sj@gmail.com

SHORT STORY COMPETITION Write a creative story of your choice It could be either in English or Kannada S tory must be original I t must not exceed 1000 words Writing style and creativity could be focused.Contact Person - Calvin Michael - mikecalvinsj@gmail.com Joseph Jerald - josephjerald5sj@rediffmail.com

VIDEO / DOCUMENTARYTopic : MERCY/ANY SOCIAL ISSUE It must be original. It can be compiled using any video editing software. Time Limit : 4 to 5 minutesContact Persons – Joswin Pereira - joswinpsj@gmail.com

DIMENSIONAL ARTWORK Your art must be original. Painting : Oil, Acrylic etc.. D r a w i n g : Coloured pencil, pencil, ink, marker, pastels, Charcoal etc. C a r t o o n s Topics : BEAUTIFUL LIFE, NATURE, ANIMALS, BIRDS, LANDSCAPE, SCENERY, HUMOROUS INCIDENTSContact Person - Pradeep RS - rspradeepsj@gmail.comNithin Coelho - nithincoelhosj@gmail.com

HUMOUR It must be original Can be something related to your Jesuit Experience W ord Limit : 400 words.Contact persons - Kiran Leema - kiranaleema@gmail .comPrajwal Vincent - prajwalvincent18@gmail.com

POETRY Theme : ECOLOGY – LAUDATO SI AND GC 35 (RECONCILIATION WITH NATURE) AS BACKGROUND. Poetry can be either in Kannada or English. Minimum 16 lines (2*8 or 4 * 4 or free flowing) Criteria : The Poetic flow, Creativity and Message. Contact Persons – Merwyn Fernandes - merfersj@gmail.comOvin Rodrigues - ovinrodrigues@gmail.com

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