Do whatever he tells you.

It is from the Gospel of St. Luke and it is the word of our Blessed Virgin Mary commanding the servers in the wedding feast at Cana to do and obey what Jesus will tell them this phrase makes think and ponder in a very deep sense. I am amazed as I read the further verses that these servants just spontaneously obeyed the word of Jesus without much philosophizing and questioning. I happily found out in the following verses that their obedience bore fruit that is water miraculously turn into wine. As I reflect upon it, an insight flush into my mind and found out that Mary my Mother is always present in people’s life even today and now. She knows what one’s community or family or tribes or society needs I too came to the realization that I, a Salesian religious is like a servant of those Cana time. I am one among many. In addition, our Blessed Virgin Mary is certainly asking me through this message to obey what her son Jesus Christ tells me to do. Hence, the question is what am I to do? Shall I listen to the voice of Jesus and act in order to bear fruit? I feel yes! I must do as a religious.

Life is like music: synchronize it!

Music becomes music only and only if a perfect tune is present, else it’s nothing but a noise or a pure sound. In music there are notes, chords, pitch, scale, an octave and so on. There is therefore a combination of chords that will turn the sound of a musical instrument into a beautiful music. In accompanying the songs or the hymns we have to strictly follow these combinations so as to get a correct and perfect tune.

It naturally happens that within that combination there are one or two chords that come accidentally to that particular set of combination. I simply called it a stranger chord. Of course many called them as accidental chords. These chords do not appear so as to destroy the song; in fact they came in between to add beauty to the sound of the music.

So also our life is like the music. I am a chord say ‘A’ chord or ‘G’ chord and to make my life fulfilled and beautiful I need someone to help me and guide me. So these chords that always there in my life is my parents, my past and present teachers, my superiors, my friends and all those who in one way or the other contribute to the good of my well being. It is also possible that in my life I will meet and face hardship and difficulties like these accidental chords but these aspects will certainly make my life good and beautiful if I accept it and learn from it. So appreciates the chords of life that add meaning and beauty to our existence.

Hearing and imitating may not give us correct knowledge.

Most of our knowledge is achieved through our hearing and imitating I would like to cite this above preposition with the help of these examples.

1. The very word “tomorrow” is learned through hearing and imitating

I truly learned this word through hearing. I heard people talk of tomorrow which means ‘the day after today’ it sounds perfect because everybody and anybody use it. But I personally feel that it is not a fact or say a knowledge that is not real.

Why do I say that way? If I think of this word tomorrow, it remains just a word or a concept because the tomorrow is never there for the tomorrow is nothing but it is today in short, “tomorrow never come.” Tomorrow is just what we are saying, in reality it is not there.

2. The vocabulary I use while I am in the conversation

Here too knowledge is received through hearing and imitating I heard from a professional English professor when he use the complicated and beautiful words in his lecture. So to impress my hearers I use the same words without actually knowing the real meaning of the words which later cause me to shame because the words I imitate is nothing but a wrong meaning. That is how the fact is many of us do use words without actually knowing the meaning of it. . We hear and imitate we see and imitate. So as to conclude with a main heading “hearing and imitating,” don’t always provide us genuine knowledge. The duty of the students of philosophy therefore is not to learn thing so passively but learn with an open minded and with a critical outlook.

What does mother Mary wants from me?

What does mother Mary wants from me?

An elderly priest once came to our community. In keeping with the Salesian tradition, he delivered to us a well-thought good night based on the motherly love or the “what is the expectation of our blessed virgin Mary from us.” He began his thought by sharing to us about his personal experience. He told that on the 70^th birthday of his mother. He and his two brothers went fort to their mother and asked, “Mommy on the special day like this or on your birthday like this would you like us to give an offer you? Their mother with her loving heart looks and smiles at them and said, “My dearest sons, I expect neither silver nor gold from you. I only wish and want from you is happiness in your lives. I want to see you all happy. If you are happy that’s enough for me.”

He concluded thus, so also with our mother Mary. She wants nothing from us especially external matter. In fact she wants from us to be happy. So the thought he gave is that really entered into my soul is “offer her my happiness.” And if I am not happy  or if I find difficulty in my life he told me that I must pray and ask her to help me to be happy always and to share that happiness t others.

It's just a joke!

It’s just a Joke!

I am extremely happy to notice that many guys in the seminar hall are very peaceful and consent with themselves even though their flexible neck perform itself the Gita Yoga. I turn to my pal who sits besides me and show him the peaceful scenery around. She too was amazed to notice that many dudes perform their disco neck dance. So I tell him to whether give them a gentle kick or not. To my surprise he quotes to me the unknown commandment. “thou shall not disturb for he knows what he is doing!

What is the Christian Identity in India?

WHAT IS THE CHRISTIAN IDENTITY IN INDIA?

The question is actually a big question. It is not fair to concise it to only a paragraph or two. However at this very juncture I would like to limit my self to only one or two paragraphs. The question is what is the Christian identity in India? For me personally I feel that the particular worldview and the vision as Father Mike said matter. We as Christian we should live authentically the Christian world view and the Christian vision. I am amazed to hear that in Christianity in quite many parts of our country. The cast system exists. I consider caste system as an evil or the system of dehumanization. So the question will be is this practices is in unification with Christian world view? I don’t think so! In short so as to conclude I would like to sate that for us Christian in order to have that authentic Christian identity we need to go back to the life of Christ and live the vision and the world view of the real Christian.

Any language I learn is not useless.

Any language you learn is not useless

There are many languages in our country India. The national language is Hindi. Learning Hindi is not useless, it is in fact too useful however Hindi alone would not suffice our well in our country. People converse different languages in many different places. I feel tough and difficult to learn languages in short I think I don’t have that gift of learning language. Many times in my life I come into my thought that learning language is useless for it consume my times and my energy. But I can’t say so. For example, two times I have traveled alone by train. In the southern part people talk Tamil, Telegu Malayalam, etc. in the central part of India many talk Hindi while here in Maharashtra people talk Marathi and Hindi.

I was not at all feeling comfortable because I did not know any of these languages. The worse feeling I experience because of the lack of languages is the feeling of loneliness and insecurity. So I realized that if I know these languages at least something of it I feel it will do me much good.

As a conclusion learn as many languages as you can for it is not useless I can guarantee at least to myself It is hundred percent useful.

Failure is a step to success.

Failure is a step to success.

Few bright people turn away from this phrase or quotation, for it is not naturally become success just because we fail unless we try to get out of it. For some it sounds as if all of us should fail so as to succeed. But to tell you the truth, these people will say it is not just that. Failure is one and success is another. So if we once fail, it’s fine there no problem at all. But we must want to succeed next time. If we want to succeed what we have failed then we need to work hard and recognize myself that I have failed in this or that attempt.

So failure become a step to success only and only if one wants not to fail again. If he or she is content with the failures, then it will become failure is a step to failure not at all to success.

ears ago, I feel that what we are reading and what we are preaching makes no sense without having a strong faith on that very word itself “ask and you will receive.” It will therefore bear fruit if and only if we ask and seek with strong eady and will be ready to be a teacher in my life.

Ask and you will receive!

Ask and you will receive!

It’s a verse taken from the Gospel of Mathew. A pagan friend of mine lost his dearest sister when she was just eight year old he came to me barking and telling me that you Christian preach the words of God and proclaim to many of us in the village that whoever asks what he or she needs will receive. But look at our family, at my parents we prayed to God to help and cure my sister, but nothing turned up to be better.  I was quite and just did not know what to say for at that very moment it is not so easy to talk about the resurrection of the incarnate spirit.

When I reflect at that scene that happened years ago, I feel that what we are reading and what we are preaching makes no sense without having a strong faith on that very word itself “ask and you will receive.” It will therefore bear fruit if and only if we ask and seek with strong eady and will be ready to be a teacher in my life.

Teaching is not a job, it's a vocation.

Teaching is not a job, it’s a vocation

From the start of my schooling, I have never understood fully about the role of the teachers. Whenever I met them on the way I just wished them spontaneously but had never understood how much they have labored to help me and my friends. This sick mentality remains on in me till this very moment. I, many times take for granted regarding the role of each teacher in the college I am studying. Truly I have never understood fully until I myself get chance to act as a teacher. These days we are having a course on principle and method of teaching (PMT). It was so true that the course demanded from us to learn the principles and methods from the professor and then put the things we have learnt into practice. So at the heat of the preparation for the class as a teacher, I realize that this is how ones need to be if he or she is to be a teacher. At the same time I remember all my teachers past and present who in many ways help me through their sacrifices. As I am preparing for the two days of classes with my brethren and with the help of Bro. Assistant I realize and even have the guts to voice it out that “Teaching is not a Job, It’s a vocation.”

So if it is a vocation then, “come what may.” I am ready and will be ready to be a teacher in my life.