Love, Kindness, Marriage and Bishop Pat Power – on the Feast of Sacred Heart of Jesus - 2012

Jesus’ heart was pierced and came the last drops of blood and water – a powerful imagery of Jesus’ love, God’s love - to us and to the whole humanity. God loved the world so much that he gave his only son and His Son loved the world so much that He gave even the last drops of water and blood from His heart to the world, which became fountain of grace flowing through the sacraments in the Church.

St Paul encourages us “to comprehend the breadth and length and height and depth,
of the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge”. The power of love is very well depicted in this short story.

A MOTHER'S HEART         
There is an old tale         
About a boy,         
An only son         
Who fell in love with a lovely girl.         
`You don't love me,        
 You never did,' said she to him.        
`But if you do, go then        
And fetch me your mother's heart.'        
 Downcast and distraught         
The boy walked off        
 And after shedding copious tears         
Came back to his love.          
The girl was angry         
When she saw him thus.And said, `Don't you dare come back again         
Without your mother's heart.'         
The boy went and killed         
His mother, and as he ran         
With her heart in his hand         
He slipped and fell.         
`My dear child, My poor child,' Cried the mother's heart,         
`Did you hurt yourself?'
By Armenian writer,  AVETIK ISAHAKIAN

 Jesus’s love is like the mother’s love. He loves even when it hurts and his love is compassionate.It gently, but powerfully invokes us to love and show kindness.
Yesterday after 21 years after receiving the Nobel Prize, Ang San Suu Kyi – Burmeese democracy fighter – delivered her Nobel Prize acceptance speech. Suu Kyi used her speech to promote kindness and warned against kindness fatigue. It was an emotional ceremony, as you might have watched. She said:

"Of the sweets of adversity, and let me say that these are not numerous, I have found the sweetest, the most precious of all, is the lesson I learnt on the value of kindness. Every kindness I received, small or big, convinced me that there could never be enough of it in our world. To be kind is to respond with sensitivity and human warmth to the hopes and needs of others. Even the briefest touch of kindness can lighten a heavy heart. Kindness can change the lives of people."

It is this kindness the mission of Christ and Church today in this world. Church does that with great care, but many a time it can be misunderstood. Going back to the story of Mother’s heart, the Church’s heart would add something like this, I guess:

`My dear child, My poor child,         
`Did you hurt yourself?'
`You poor thing. Watch over! There are hurdles ahead.'

That attitude of concern also come from great love and care. One of those issues would be that of the debate on marriage in Australia and this week is very critical for that debate.
As Peter Jensen – the Anglican Archbishop of Sydney noted: “There are some glossy slogans out there (like marriage equality), but the difficulty with slogans is that they are not arguments and, so, are hard to refute, except by slogans in return.” Unfortunately, Church is not in the business of slogan writing. But we can just say with great love and kindness that we value marriage – and the right of our children to be born, raised and nurtured in a family atmosphere – with the care and love of a father and mother.

And we will be remembering the contribution of such a wonderful parental figure in our archdiocese this week – our retiring bishop Pat Power. We acknowledge the love and kindness he has shown to all in our archdiocese and his farewell Mass is on this Tuesday evening at the Cathedral. Let’s say thank you to him.. and to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Reference:
http://www.groong.org/tlg/tlg-20061125.html
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2012/06/16/excerpts-suu-kyis-nobel-peace-prize-speech.html
http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/politics/stylish-samesex-campaign-glosses-over-real-issues-20120615-20f6e.html

* Delivered at Corpus Christi Parish, South Tuggeranong, Canberra on 17 June 2012

A Tribute to Archbishop Mark Coleridge

“He is a great builder of the Church”, commented Archbishop Phillip Wilson (Adelaide) on Archbishop Mark to me once. It sums up what Bishop Mark is. He leaves a great legacy and solid foundations for the future as he leaves Canberra and Goulburn, which he built on the good works of his predecessors. As Mons. Kevin Barry-Cotter rightly pointed out in his farewell address in Cootamundra – the greatest achievement of Bishop Mark was realizing the long-term dream of a “Pastoral Institute” in CatholicLife at Rheinberger Centre, Yarralumla. The successful Archdiocesan Assembly few months ago and the follow-ups in setting up a mission model of pastoral care in different centres will shape the future of the archdiocese, for sure.

To be Catholic means to be universal, which truly Bishop Mark is. He was always at the heart of the Church – when he gave leadership to the liturgical translations and frequently visited Vatican to be part of various committees he is a member of – and we felt listening to the orthodoxy of the Church whenever he delivered his eloquent and animated homilies and addresses.  He is a great teacher.

He shared a very special heart for the youth. The leadership he provided to the success of WYD-Sydney and Days-in-the-Diocese prior to that was inspirational. He inspired a new breed of youngsters to priesthood, which resulted in a healthy number of seminarians and young priests in the Archdiocese.

We wish him well and offer prayers for his future ministries.

On Equity and Environmental Issues

 Thanks Shobin Mathew for the post/blog. I had similar views 15 years back and my minor thesis for Bachelor in Philosophy was on Pritvi Sukta (Earth Chat from Vedas) on enviornmental issues and published an article in Kerala Times daily (that daily is no more running now!). But I have changed my postion after that. "Its all about economy, stupid" (Cliton's famous quote). Developing nations dont have a responsibility and should not take responsibility for the mess created by others for centuries. They need to progress and for that they need to consume. That is a question of equity. Otherwise their poor masses will remain poor for ever. But its good to use clean energy technologies as long as it dont hurt their economies. Any argument agaist that is to make poor poorer in the present world order. Peace and progress. 

I wanted to  promote a campaign for Earth Hour, like "Keep a light Burning" during "Earth Hour" to keep those poorest masses in our minds and their right to develop. 

 

About the Nursing Uprising in Kerala

Let me try to put things in perspective: Nursing profession got attractive among Kerala youth not because they thought that they will get great jobs in Kerala or to that matter in India. They were dreaming/aiming at working and migrating to abroad. That's why they took huge loans and studied in nursing colleges mostly outside Kerala giving hefty capitation fees. They just wanted jobs for 2-3 years in prestigious Kerala hospitals to get working experience. But now because of GFC and the impending GFC II, the would nursing market is coming down and our nurses are no more welcome in those countries as in the past (They just implement tough IELTS condition, etc, etc which our new nurses cant get). The nursing community realize the danger. They are stuck. Also our medical field/industry is growing at a phenomenal rate. Nurses see that. They want a share of it. Fair, but the effect will be rocketing hospital/medical fees/expenses in Kerala. No more cheap labor, which is good, but that will result in a situation medical assistance going away from the reach of poor masses in Kerala, in the near future. We can also expect a cut in the number of nursing positions in hospitals, which means lesser job opportunities for new nursing students and deteriorating nursing care in hospitals. What we need is a balance. Nursing should remain as a noble profession of serving and not to be considered as a profession to make money. At the same time improve the working and salary conditions of the nurses to just-wage levels so that nurses can continue this serving ministry with dignity. Feel free to express your creative responses. No abuse please.

Published at MarunadanMalayalee

Honouring the Memories of a Brother - Rememberance Article about My Late Brother - Lalson

  

On15^th September, just after midnight (around 00.30 am), my mobile phone started to ring. I was at bed and knew that it was an overseas call. Usually I never take those calls, because my friends and family overseas knew that I live in a different time zone and I like them to respect my time zone. But it started to ring again. I picked up the phone to hear that shocking news – my younger brother Lalson (36) had a silent cardiac arrest and he is no more. He was my only sibling and was working and living in Bahrain with his wife and two young children.

I couldn’t believe. I called Fr James at the Cathedral (a friend priest from Kochi, India) to come to Calwell presbytery and to verify the news. He verified the news. I cried. We did an “office for dead” at Calwell presbytery chapel.

It happened after lunchtime at Bahrain and was evening in Kochi. I instructed not to break this news to my aging parents that night and managed to get into a flight to Kochi. It was the most difficult thirteen hours of plane journey in my life. I prayed that my sister-in-law gets enough courage to bring Lalson’s body from Bahrain to Kochi, with his children. I reached on same day evening and the funeral was planned for next day evening.

When the news broke, it was devastating for my parents. My mother had to be taken to the hospital.

According to our customs (Syro-Malabar Catholic rite), the first part of the funeral ceremony is celebrated at the family house and then the body is taken to the church and then to the cemetery. It is more of a personal and communal event. There were around 1500 people gathered for the funeral including more than 50 Carmelite priests and nuns. It was an honour for me to officiate his funeral ceremony. But I could do it only with extra-ordinary grace and courage from above.

An official memorial service was conducted on the 7^th day of death, according to our tradition. The Syro-Malabar curia bishop – Mar Bosco Puthur officiated that Memorial Mass and it was followed by a solemn vegetarian lunch (Sadya) for all 600 special invitees.  I remained with my parents and the family of Lalson for the next 30 days, listening to their stories, sharing our grief and observing a fast with abstinence of non-vegetarian food and entertainments.  I officiated a Holy Mass on the 30^th day with my family and close relatives to mark the end of that fasting period.

A very special thanks to the parish community and Frs John and Peter who supported and prayed for my family and me all throughout these difficult times. It helps me to find new meaning in the mysterious ways of the plan of God in my life.

• Published in the PM magazine of Corpus Christi parish, Tuggeranong, ACT, Australia

New Year 2012 – Reflections

 

The past year was a kind of mixed bag - the Arab spring and end of dictatorships in many countries were mixed with global economic woes, centered-round Europe. Our personal life stories many not be too different. This time is the best time to reinvent the ancient Christian spiritual tradition of “examination of conscience” - to take stock of our deeds and actions. Let’s find out some time to sit and relax, may be at the beach side (weather permitting!) and to look back and evaluate our life – both materially and spiritually.

It’s also a time to look forward and to make new resolutions. We may have dreams and wishes, like “I want to pass my exams this year”. But a resolution is bit different where I would say that “I will devout an extra hour everyday for study to pass my exams”. January 1^st is also the feast day of Mary - the Mother of God, who was prepared to put her efforts to realize that title.  Luke chapter 2 verses19 and 51 show us how she “treasured the word and pondered it in her heart" to respond concretely to the plan of God in her life. She not only said “Yes” but also was ready to corroborate it with actions, which we will see all through out her life – till the cross at Calvary and the Upper House with disciples.

Year 2012-13 is called by Australian bishops’ conference as “Year of Grace”. Wish you all a grace-filled New Year. 

Publish in the Parish Bulletin of Corpus Christi parish, Tuggeranong, Canberra, Australia

Christmas Homily 2011

Christmas Homily 2011

It’s Christmas and a little story for you. Once there was man in Europe who was decent, gentle and generous. But he felt Christmas as a lot of rubbish. “The whole business of Incarnation where God becomes man sounds crazy, it doesn’t make any sense to me”, he told his wife, who was a faithful churchgoer. It was Christmas eve and he wasn’t a Scrooge. So, he allowed his wife and children to go to midnight Mass. Soon after they left, it started to snow – it was a perfect white Christmas! But suddenly he heard some shattering noise at the living room windows. It was a flock of birds huddled miserably in storm, searching for shelter and trying to fly through his window. He felt sympathy – “after all it’s Christmas, I should help them.” He remembered the barn where the children’s pony was stabled. It would provide them a warm shelter. He went outside, opened the barn and invited the birds to come in. They wont come. He started to do all the tricks – switched on the light, put a trail of breadcrumbs, shooing them into the barn – but wont work. He was devastated. “I wanted to help these bloody ignorant birds” he said himself, “but they don’t get it.  “And I can’t seem to think of any way to let them know they can trust me. If only I could be a bird myself for a few minutes, perhaps I could lead them to safety. . . .”

Just at that moment the church bells rang- the Christmas Mass. He stood silent for a while and then he sank to his knees in the snow. “Now I understand,” he whispered. “Now I see why You had to do it.”

And that’s why He did it – the Emmanuel – God is with us – so that we may understand, and be led to safety – for our salvation and for us to know the mind of God and to touch his kindness in human form. Now we got a model and example before us, who can perfectly communicate God to us.  And God communicated Himself to us by being a part of family - father, mother and a child – Joseph, Mary and Jesus.. That’s why Christmas is a family celebration and also Christmas is a celebration of “family”. That’s the reason why we are supposed to enjoy a beautiful Christmas lunch with our family and friends around. Hope you all will have good time with Christmas gifts and Turkey tomorrow/today!

Let us also not forget the tiniest (and most insignificant) of our human family as we share Christmas joy with our dear and near ones. Let’s make sure that every child in our families gets a chance to be born from the very moment of conception in his/her mother’s womb, as Jesus could be born into our world. Let’s make sure that every child gets the warmth of a family with a father and a mother ensuring complimenting dimensions of parenthood, as Jesus was blessed with a family. Let’s make sure that every human being gets an asylum if they run away from persecution as baby Jesus did from King Herod and not to be perished in the sea.

 And after all JOY is putting J and O before Y. That is, Jesus, Others before You! Let’s allow Jesus to take the center-stage in our lives. Let’s love him – he is very cute in that manger on the crib and also in our hearts. Let’s also love others and put their needs before us. Let’s overflow our humanity with Christmas gifts to the marginalized and the poor – we could give generously to the Archbishop’s Christmas Appeal for charity today or to Vinnies or Caritas or others. By bringing JOY to others and ourselves, let’s join the party of Jesus’ birthday. Merry Christmas and safe travelling!

• With inputs from: http://www.frtommylane.com/homilies/years_abc/second_sunday_after_christmas-2.htm, http://www.munachi.com/z/christmaseve.htm

• Delivered at Corpus Christi parish, Tuggeranong, Canberra, Australia