Virgin Mary – Most Faithful

            Well! What does it mean to be faithful?  When we say a person is faithful, we generally mean that he or she is true, loyal to a superior, to a friend, to a cause, or truthful and exact in fulfilling obligations.  A faithful friend is one you can depend upon to be true to you in misfortune and failure.  A faithful servant adheres to his master, no matter what danger or difficulty comes in the way.  A faithful person is “full of faith” in the sense that you can fully trust in him or her.

            Role of Mary in the plan of salvation is irrevocable. She was ever most faithful to Jesus, She was all for Him, all His. This is well expressed in the words of the Angel Gabriel, “the Lord is with Thee,” one meaning of the prayer is that Our Lord is with Her inseparably.  She is ever holding Him up to us, even in Her very statues and pictures, saying: “Whatsoever He shall say to you, do ye.”

            Never was there a heart as faithful as Mary’s.   First of all, in Her own life on earth, She was always true to Our Lord and stood by him. From the sufferings and privations of his Infancy, to the terrors of the Flight into Egypt, and all through His Passion and Death on the Cross, She was always with Him; ministering to Him, and even at the last, when She could do nothing more for Him, She just stood by the Cross fixing her gaze on him, fearing no danger to Herself. This is very well expressed in the phrase: “There stood by the Cross of Jesus Mary, His Mother.”  These words are a history, a picture, of Mary’s fidelity, its crown and consummation. We may, again, interpret “faithful” as “full of faith” and it is very true in the words of St. Elisabeth to Mary. “Blessed art Thou that hast believed,”

            But there remained what was perhaps a still more searching test of Her fidelity to Jesus.  Jesus left Her bereft of His visible presence.  He left Her the care of His Church, His Mystical Body, then in its infancy as it were, just born, and needing a mother’s care.  Her whole Heart was with Jesus; without Jesus earth was to Her nothing but a blank wilderness, and yet She did this last hard task for Her Son’s sake, just as She had done so many others.  For fifteen long, weary years She lived patiently on without Him, fulfilling the charge Jesus had left to Her, ministering the Church, as She had done to Jesus in His Infancy, watching over His Apostles and disciples, sympathizing with them in their difficulties, advising them in their doubts, encouraging them in their trials, assisting in every way and saving souls by Her example and Her mighty intercession.

            Now in Heaven, to this very day, She is the same steadfast, loyal, faithful Virgin, so true to Her servants and Her children, that all those who have recourse to her been repaid a hundredfold.  Who could count the souls of sinners saved by Her, just because they had showed Her small honor or done Her some little service.  She has been faithful to them; She will be faithful to us. Let us, in turn, be faithful to Her. Once St. John Berchmans, when asked what was the best devotion to Mary? He answered: “Anything, no matter how small, provided one is faithful to it.”  

LIFE IS STRONGER THAN DEATH

            When we look at nature: Trees, flowers, and grass growing together; birds chirping, animals, reptiles, amphibians and human beings living together in love, we begin to wonder at the marvellous creation of God; On the other hand we witness, people being suppressed, oppressed, and abused in all imaginable and unimaginable ways – people starving to death, children made to labour, women, young girls forced to sell their flesh to meet the need of their families. Bombs are being dropped; people are denied their right to life due to envy, greed and pride of the human beings. Scientific development is looking for ways to enhance and to prolong life on this earth. The struggle to live longer is apparent.

            At times when we look at the world with pessimistic, realistic eyes then one got to say that death is stronger than life and eventually it wins out at the cessation of our temporal life. But Christians believe that since Jesus who was born on this earth, shared with us ordinary life, suffered unjustly, died and finally is risen and lives again. Hence the followers of Christ will meet victory. They believe that life is stronger than death, that human life is going somewhere, and that no failure is ever complete, that no disaster is irreparable or lasting.

"I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. (Jn: 10-10)."

            Now it is apt to say that Jesus came to save us from the eternal damnation. He has saved us by His death on the cross on Calvary. Jesus’ life clearly reveals that life is stronger than death.

            Is life tragedy or comedy? Now the choice is yours whether you want to make it a comedy or live a life of tragedy. Jesus gives us guidelines, methodology to tread the path when he said, “I am the way, the truth and the life.”

Challenge to Religious life - philosophical reflection from Socio-Economic Perspective

Socio-Economic Perspective

Introduction: The world today is characterised by rapid changes in terms of global, social and political advancements, technological and ethical fields. The triple explosions namely Money, Technology, and science have brought about radical changes in peoples’ perspectives, worldviews, attitudes, values systems and relationships. These changes in socio-economic views have challenged the religious more than ever. In many cases Congregations and Orders are already institutionalized. There is gradual disappearance of social consciousness, social responsibility, financial mismanagement, amnesia for poor, fragility in vocation and so on.  These days many pose questions on the authenticity and role of religious in the society. And one may ask: Can a religious contribute in the creation of a just social order? Do religious stand for social justice in all circumstances? What is the witness value of religious life of poverty in a consumerist society? Let me bring a few thoughts on the current state of religious life through a socio-economic perspective.

1. Speed Culture: Hi-tech world has given birth to new trends, new languages and new life styles. The impact of this on religious life is very grave. Expression like “I have no time”, and 24X7 life-style, challenges our relationship with God and community. With the speed culture, there is a thin culture creeping in. It  results in thin relationships in the community.

2. Image Culture: This promotes a culture of convenience, comfort, wanting ‘more, better and different’. It promises pseudo happiness and upward social mobility. This prods us to go after the thrills of life which are short lived, superficial and leave us empty. It neglects human interaction and joy of living in the community.  This provokes and drags religious to fall prey to consumerism, materialism and relativism which make him live a highly luxurious life.

3. Loss of sense of vocation: Professionalism is equated with career, efficiency and productivity. A professional approach to work does not allow for failures. Time rules and all are subject to many external governing structures. Now with advancement in all sectors, professionalism is slowly creeping-in in our institutions and field of work. This leaves religious or priest to focus more on proficiency, productivity and sense of time. This actually dulls the sense of vocation.

4. Amnesia for the poor: The influence of advanced marketing strategies is moving an emphasis from being and having to appearing. Radiating and glowing life is paramount, even if what lies behind is no more than an empty existence. This is infiltrating religious life and creating an unhealthy attention to having the appearance of poor living. Our apostolate seems to focus more on rich than poor. This expresses sentiments against poor and indirectly we say “We do not need you”, “You do not exist for us.”

5. Gradual disappearance of social consciousness and social responsibility: Growing indifference towards the society and refusal to social responsibility does not bring religious and priests inconvenience or privation on material level. They in turn get stuck with their four walls of mission – schools, colleges and technical schools and hospitals and become good business wo/men.

6. Institutionalization of Formation: After years of formation which consists of 12-15 years, seems to take away religious from the mission. Often, problem with our formation is that, formation remains in the intuition. Also our houses of formation and seminaries are often surrounded with comforts and amusements. They in turn isolate Him/her from the day-to-day lives and struggles of the people. Even the candidate’s whose quality and natural talents, motivation, academic standards, character, spiritual vision are said to be average or above average are unable to cope with the daily demands of their apostolate as priests and religious.

7. Vocational Fragility: Causes for the numerical reduction in the religious orders and congregations in the past were mostly extrinsic; but today intrinsic factor is playing a major role in the numerical reduction of religious. There seems to exist gap between the “lived experience” of community life and ministry. The ideals experienced and fostered during initial formation seem to become irrelevant. The traditional orders with its more impersonal tone, overly routinized prayer life, and rugged individualism leave them feeling isolated and unsupported, when they are in active apostolate. The common comment has been that life become “too damn lonely.”

8.  Life style: There is a widespread complaint that the life-style and living standard of the religious corresponds to the rich. There is an erosion of credibility in the way, religious life is lived out everywhere. There is an absence of a vibrant spirituality. Often the deliberations of the General and Provincial chapters reflect a high degree of radicalism and lofty options which remain only on paper. The vast majority of religious are cocooned in comfort zones of security.  This has resulted in a lot of cynicism and disappointment both within and outside religious life which calls us to re-think our life-style.

9. Financial Mismanagement:  There are several reports about scandals, financial mismanagements in the church among priests and religious, who are shepherds of their flock. The time calls for crusade against financial irregularity and mismanagement in the religious circles. Today Religious need to give proper account to the public administration. The actions of the church board should be recorded in detail by written minutes.

10. Affective Immaturity: The technological, scientific progress is attractive, but the burden it places on active religious is to be stressed.  Very often we are stressed due to heavy load of work and seek stress buster elsewhere forgetting the community in this sense our houses seems to become mere hotel and gradually we loose the sense of joy in living in the community.  This results in ending up developing an unhealthy relationship in the pastoral context.

11. Lack of Faith in Divine Providence: The origins of religious life calls for community living, we depend and contribute to the community as members of one family. The exploration in the fields of Psychology and the stress of the individualistic culture seems to have brought a dichotomy in the life of a religious. S/he is tempted to live under no one in a world which is more free and secular. Standards of living, phenomenon of private accounts, projects we undertake indicate lack of faith in the divine providence and is visible more today than ever.

RESPONSES: Fidelity to Mission: Consecrated persons are called to live at the service of the Church leaving everything behind and closely imitating Jesus Christ. Religious is called to be faithful to his mission and serve God’s people.

Radical Witness – in life style: In societies fast becoming pragmatic and utilitarian, there must be a presence that communicates the value of “being,” and not primarily of “doing.” This witness through presence requires proximity of people and participation in their life realities. Another aspect of this shift would be our integration and immersion in the local church and society.

Contextualization of Formation:  It is imperative then to radically rethink our formation programs. Formation of a religious need to be facilitated towards the holistic Experience and formees should be trained well to continue the mission of Jesus with people.

Conclusion: Today the life of religious is not as easy as earlier. Challenges are many and the deviations or distractions from all sides pull and attract us. Religious must come out of his comfort zones that he has carved out for himself and get involved in the lives and struggles of people. The ministry has to be taken up with love, care, and patience.  It may be acclaimed that it is there we touch the hearts and lives of the people, and mould and shape the future and rekindle flames of hope. Amidst these situations the Lord’s presence help us go further and calls us to live the life of witness radically.