The beauty of 'being' together-2

(We often concentrate on ‘doing’ and neglect ‘being’. In this new column I would like to ponder over some of experiences of being together. These are based on my personal experiences of different Jesuit communities, where I lived and worked!)

There are certain things I cannot forget. I can still narrate conversations, which I have had with certain people years ago, or my first meeting with someone, or particular pages of some books or a scene of a film. I consider this particular memory as my way of showing love to someone or something. Let me share a simple but significant gesture, which I had experienced in my early days of Jesuit formation.

This must have been in December, 2000. I was in Calcutta, doing Jesuit novitiate. After the Christmas, the province assembly of the Calcutta Jesuits took place in the novitiate campus. We, novices had to vacant our rooms in order to make place available for the Jesuits who would come for the gathering. We, instead, went to the villages to have pastoral experience.

When I returned to the novitiate, I found on my table a short place of folded paper with a pen. I opened the paper, which read: “this is a small gift of love for the novice who lives in this room, from Fr …..” That was a big pleasant surprise for me. I had heard the name of that particular Jesuit, but never met him in person. I was touched by this simple gesture. Those days of my ‘innocence’ it was a big thing for me. Many years I kept that particular pen with me as a remembrance.

That was a lesson for me that with a simple gesture we can win the heart of others. Perhaps often we do not notice, ‘the simple thing’ of life. Can we give a try to notice the next ‘simple thing of life’?

If there were no Good Friday!

(Flipping over the pages of my old diary, I found a garland of few words which I penned during one of my spiritual exercises. Years gone by, but thoughts still remain the same!)

Where would have been the Risen Christ?
Where would have been the Christianity?
Where would have been my existence?
If there were no Good Friday!

Good Friday was the beginning of a new beginning
Good Friday was the creating of a new history
Good Friday was making a Risen Christ
But then, if there were no Good Friday!

Good Friday is a call to rise with Him
Good Friday is a call to embrace Him
Good Friday is a call to touch Him
Good Friday is a call to fall in love with Him
But then, if there were no Good Friday!

Good Friday comes to our lives, so that we can experience the Easter Sunday!

That was enough!

13/03/2013 at 19:00!

We, eight of us along with our two formators, were waiting for a bus at the bus station. It was drizzling and rather cool breeze was blowing. All of us sudden we saw our Spiritual Father, aged 70, was approaching to us almost running. “There is white smoke” he said from rather distance, “we have a Pope.”

That was enough to changed our planned programme. We immediately got into a bus which would take us to St Peter’s Square. But bus was moving very slow, as there was heavy traffic. “Let’s go walking” said someone. ''It might take a few hours to reach Vatican with the bus and I am getting down from the bus'' said one of my formators and got down from the bus.

That was enough for all of us to get down from the bus and began to walk. We were joined by many who were almost running to reach to Vatican. It was incredible. I have never seen people running like that in Rome. The church bells began to ring.

That was enough to announce the good news. By the time we reached at the St Peter’s Square, the Square was almost filled with people. We pushed though people and went ahead as much as we could. All the eyes were fixed to the balcony, from where the new Pope would address. A great excitement of who has been elected as the new Pope. There were a few names going around. Almost an hour later, appeared a Cardinal and said, we have the new Pope and he is…! All were silent. “He is a Jesuit from Argentina” exclaimed one of my companions.

That was enough  for me to remain a standstill for a while. ‘A Jesuit pope!’ ‘How it is possible!’ ‘What a strange thing to have a Jesuit pope.’ ‘What would happen now?’… And many more comments. Then after a few minutes appeared a man, white dressed. He began to speak the language of ordinary people. He asked people to pray for him.

That was enough for the world that we a have a completly different man to guide the Church. The rest is history. He created a history. He won the hearts of all. People began to say- ‘He is different’, ‘He is so humble’, and ‘He is so simple.’

That was enough for me to appreciate my vocation  as a Jesuit. He appeared to me a man with great simplicity. He gave a message of great simplicity. His gestures invited to go deep into my vocation. It was also a 'turning point' for me as I was getting ready for diaconate ordination. I was touched...

Frankly speaking I really do not agree when people say that the world is very complicated. The world is simple. But there are some people who make it complicated. Perhaps the simple gestures of the new Pope invite us to look into our lives. Are we simple? Or are we complicating the simple thing? Was that not enough?

Faith: Why?

I write this post with a heavy heart! I am sad! I am angry! I asked again and again ‘why’?

For the last few days I have browsed newspapers of my country again and again. Each time I found rather sad stories. There was also fear of where would my country go from here? ‘Again’ in the name of the God a certain section of the majority was attacking the minorities. They have not only attacked their houses but also the places of worship. I asked God, “Where are you? Why are you not helping innocent people?

God remained silent. He did not answer me. But He helped me to realize that He is amidst the suffering people. He is suffering with them. Perhaps He is asking us all, “Why?”

Faith, hope and love!

I can loudly say, though some may not agree with me (!) that we almost spent our first week of the second semester reflecting on three words: faith, hope and love. Different professors ‘broke’ these three words from the different point of views. Though my professors developed these words based on Christian theology, scripture, ethics, here I made an attempt to look at them from a ‘secular’ point of view (theology in daily life!).

Hope: turning dark in to light!

I did not have any choice than to observe the entire episode. Each time I called my father, I would listen to rather sad stories from him. He was planning to visit me in Rome, but obtaining visa for Italy seems to be impossible. He has done all that he could do. He was almost giving up hope. In spite of my anxiety, I remained rather calm and cool. Somewhere deep within me I had a hope that everything would come along the way in due time.

Last Monday I spoke with my father to know the latest development and the result was as usual. While talking to my father, I saw a priest friend of mine was on line. Though for a long time we did not have any contact, I asked him if we could skyp for a while. He readily accepted and showed great eagerness. We spoke for a while, and then I said, “Can I ask you something?”

“Of course” he said immediately. “I can do anything for you.”

I knew when he said he can do anything for me, he really meant it. Then I narrated to him the entire episode. Once I finished, he said, “Ripon this is my work. I will make sure that everything is done. You do not need to be worried. You get ready to receive your parents at the airport.”

He has done what he could do. He spoke to my father and gave the instruction of what to do. The next day when I spoke with my father, he sounded to me very happy. He began to dream to visit me. Though he is yet to get visa, but he has got a hope. My priest friend gave him that great hope.

In our modern world we often lose our hope. In certain context our life is controlled by the machine. We want everything instant. If something goes wrong, we give up.

Back to the class in my own way: Jesus brought hope to many. He gave hope to the woman, who was sick, or to the father whose daughter had a sudden death or to the sisters who lost their brother. Many found hope and new life in his words. Often I think as religious, we are often called to bring hope. There are lots of people around us, who need just a little hope. Some might need a little encouragement or a little gentle touch. Are we ready?