don bosco june 2008 by Glorious Steve

18 Cover Story

Editor www.dbbulletinindia.com Glorious Steve sdb Sub editor Antony Xavier K.J. Editorial Team A. Raj sdb Joe Andrew sdb Prof. Victor Louis Joe Mannath sdb Francis Karackatt sdb George Plathottam sdb

MUSIC

Advisory Council K. Maria Arokiam sdb Stanislaus Swamikannu sdb K.J. Louis sdb Publisher Balasamy Yettukuri sdb

Wild Sound Civilised into Time and Tune

Music used to be an agent of transformation, medium of socialisation and a means of community experience. Today, it has become an individual affair. Latest gadgets have facilitated a narrowing down of the communitarian aspect of music into an individual experience; a shared experience into a private experience. Fr. Jesudoss Periyanayagam looks into the history and evolution of music to trace its civilisation process from being a wild sound to rhythm and harmony, time and tune.

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Editorial

Students Plus

Spirituality

Salesian

6 Development: an alternative vision

24 A time to look back & time to plan...

10 Sarah: princess of beauty

4 Educating evangelising 16 Salesian appointed CBCI communications secretary 28 Salesian news

Current Affairs

Values

Bible

11 MLM- multi level mess

Well-Being

12 Let’s run through the rain

Media Matter

27 Media create society

8 The folded towel 32 Stories for radiant living 30 Church news

Regulars

26 Humour 34 Children’s page

Don bosco june 2008 Don bosco JUNE 2008

RECTOR

MAJOR

or Don Bosco religious instruction was the foundation of any kind of education. Although a little simplistic, perhaps the formula that best expresses his thought is: upright citizens and good Christians. In other words, the values of our holy religion ought to inspire and guide the development of all the potential of the young person until he becomes independent. But in the context of the evolution of modern societies, it is not clear that education and evangelisation should be united and has mutual influence. “Today the tendency is to present the educational situation in prevalently secularist terms,” said Egidio Vigano. It is easy to interpret the ‘professionalism

not so much with the imposition of norms as with rendering freedom more responsible, with developing individual enterprise with reference to his conscience, the authentic quality of his love, and his social dimensions. It is a true process of personalisation to be brought to maturity in each individual.” Education cannot be reduced to simple method. Education is essentially linked to the evolving process of the individual. “It has something in common with fatherhood and motherhood, as though sharing in the process of human generation for fundamental values such as truth, freedom, love, work, justice, solidarity, sharing, dignity of life, etc. And for this very reason it is concerned with

EDUCATING WITH THE HEART OF DON BOSCO

EDUCATING EVANGELISING-2

“Our art as educators is pastoral in character not only in the sense that on the part of the educator it flows from and is explicitly nourished each day by apostolic charity, but also in the sense that the whole educative process with everything it contains and in all its methodology is directed towards the Christian goal of salvation and is permeated by its light and its grace.”

of educators’ by reducing them to the level of simple teachers. “The danger of our cultural task becoming disjointed from our pastoral commitment is a very real one. Educating and evangelising are two activities which in themselves are different, but, the essential unity of the young person requires that they be not separated” Educational activity finds its place in the area of culture and forms part of earthly reality; it refers to the process of the assimilation and the combination of human values that are evolving, with a specific goal and its own justification that should not be exploited. Its aim is a person’s human development, in other words for the adolescent to learn the art of being a person. It is a question of a process of growth that is long and gradual. “It is concerned

the avoidance of whatever is degrading and deviant, the idolatries such as riches, power, sex, and marginalisation, violence, selfishness, etc. Its aim is to bring about the growth of the young person from within, so that he becomes a responsible adult and behave as an upright citizen. Education therefore means sharing with a fatherly and maternal love in the growth of the individual concerned, while fostering collaboration with others to the same end. Educational relationships presuppose, that, a number of different agencies are working together.” “Evangelisation on the other hand is directed, of its nature, to the passing on and the fostering of the Christian faith; it belongs to the order of those salvation events that flow from the presence of God in history; it aims at Don bosco june 2008

making them known, communicating them and making them come alive in the liturgy and testimony.” Having noted this distinction, we would say that in all circumstances we ought to consider as fundamental and indispensable the interdependent relationship between the process of maturing as a human being and growing as a Christian. Education ought to take its inspiration from the Gospel and that evangelisation needs to be adapted to the evolving situation of the one being educated. Our way of evangelising aims at forming a person who is mature from all points of view. Our education aims at opening people to God and to man’s eternal destiny. To be evangelising, education needs to take into consideration some factors: the priority of the individual in respect of other ideological or institutional interests, care of the environment that ought to be rich in human and Christian values, the evangelical quality and the consistency of the cultural proposal that is offered through the programmes and activities; seeking the common good, commitment towards those most in need; the question of the meaning of life, a sense of the transcendent and openness to God, the provision of an education that fosters in the young the desire to progress in their formation and to be involved as Christians in society and on behalf of others. The Christian educator in the Salesian style is someone who takes up the work of education seeing it as a way of collaborating with God in the growth and development of individuals.

Pascual Chavez Villanueva

E d i tor i a l

The only sensual pleasure without vice “M usic, the greatest good that mortals know, and all of heaven we have below,” said Addison, in his ‘Song for Ceceilia’s day’. Whether you admit it or not, music imbeds our daily life, weaving its beauty and emotion through our thoughts, activities and memories. If you’ve paid much attention to how you respond to a variety of music, you may have noticed that some music seems to energize you, some music can move you to tears or spark a special memory of a time, place, food, or perhaps a certain person. Some music seems to make you relax, feel less stressed, and feel happier. And some music fills you with deep spiritual attunement. If you look on the Internet or go into your nearby audio store you are likely to find music labeled “Healing Music.” The section may include music for relaxation, meditation, stress reduction, pain relief or tapping into one’s soul. There may be a variety of instruments or sounds from a forest or the ocean. So what makes this music “healing music?” Music has a way of stirring our innermost feelings and all of our senses, of tapping into parts of ourselves unlike anything else. Music is a universal language that has the ability to speak to us deeply and uniquely because of its healing qualities. That is what John Logan meant when he said, “Music is the medicine of the mind.” It is a sweet and healing balm of troubles.

I remember watching “Titanic” and its gorgeous love theme that permeates throughout the movie and throughout ourselves with its bittersweetness, generating the beauty of love and the tragedy of the massive ship’s sinking and loss of so many lives. It is because emotion is the sphere of music more than thought.

One aspect of “healing” music is to stir our feelings, to help us deal with grief, sadness, anger or other feelings. By allowing ourselves to ‘feel’ those feelings, the intensity will eventually lessen and even dissipate, resulting in being healing for us. When we avoid our feelings, consciously or subconsciously, they nonetheless tend to build up inside. They don’t just go away. Music can be a tool to help us deal with feelings within us, whether we’re aware of them or not. This is one of the wonderful ways music can be incredibly healing. In ‘The Mozart Effect,’ Don Campbell talks about using music in a variety of ways throughout the day, in the morning to help energize us, throughout the day to help us focus or concentrate better, music to help our intelligence, and in the evening to help us relax. What exactly is “relaxing” music? Whether we are aware of it or not, music that’s relaxing tends to slow down our heart rates to about one beat per second. If we’re feeling stressful, angry, anxious, or irritable, our heart rates tend to increase. Music can actually help our heart rates slow down to a more relaxing pace, changing our physiology. This phenomenon is what can help people fall asleep more easily. That is what is found with many meditation tapes Don bosco june 2008

or other music specifically designed for stress reduction or relaxation. Chanting has existed for centuries. For example, there are wonderful recordings of Gregorian chants, Indian chants, chants sung by Catholic or Buddhist monks and other religious or secular groups. They tend to be repetitive with the goal of deepening our spiritual lives, whatever they may be, or at the very least, to help bring peaceful feelings into our beings. There is a large variety of music that taps into our souls. Listening to music has been a truly inspirational journey, one that has been incredibly healing. It reaches the soul directly to give a healing touch. All that we need to do is to pay attention to our responses to a variety of music - physically, mentally, spiritually. Music does things that even human beings cannot do at times because of the space that it creates for you to be yourself. When someone enters your life you are happy. But, slowly he/she takes away your time, energy, space and your possessions. Instead music fills you with enough riches: memories, feelings, rejuvenation and make you energised so that you take on anything with ease. A new song can reflect a new way of being without creating side effects, and a new way of imagining life in the world. This is what music means to all of us. We can say with Samuel Johnson that music is the “only sensual pleasure without vice.”

Glorious Steve sdb Editor

Spirituality

Planet Earth Contest Prize Winning Article - 4

Development: An Alternative vision

he issue of Development – be it technological, soft, sustainable or even exclusively human, has gained crucial importance in ecological discourse and environmental management. This article tries to provide an alternative vision, especially in an intercultural light. In an ashram in North India, an American engineer was criticising the backwardness of India, in front of a guru and his disciples squatting on the ground. “We have put a Man on the moon,” he said. “But do you know whom you’ve sent?” was the prompt reply of the guru. Well, reaching the top of the world is certainly a great sign of development. But getting to the centre of one’s being and existence could equally signal a significant progress. But, in our contemporary crosscultural human situation, we realise that both these forms and directions of development, though important, are insufficient to ensure the human and cosmic welfare. Perhaps both need to serve as “external stimulus” and even as “pressure points” to one another, so that an intermediary space may be created by their mutual criticisms and mutual concessions. A. Cultural Critique: After the initial enthusiasm regarding development, we begin to wonder whether development is not a continuation, in disguise,

of the previous colonial attitude and mentality. The essence of colonialism, as we know, is the belief in the monomorphism of culture. It considers everything only in terms of one culture. Not too long ago, this meant one king, one God, one religion, one empire. Now this is passé – but we go on – one World Bank, one world democracy, one development, one science, one technology, one network of everything. Perhaps we notice here, the enculturation syndrome of development. Development has to be uniform everywhere, to be at home anywhere. Don bosco june 2008

The archetype underlying the idea of development implies anthropology and a cosmology that seems to be not shared universally by all cultures and also proves inadequate for three quarters of the world population. We also discern a particular kind of anthropology and cosmology that seems to operate behind the politics of development. It has an underlying anthropology, which sees man as a bundle of potential needs, which requires only development in order to make life happy and meaningful. Development, in this sense, seems to be the anthropological counterpart to the biological theory of evolution. Man develops in the same manner

Spirituality as the universe is set on evolution. No wonder, development leads to ruthless competition for the survival of the ‘fittest.’ Death is such a tragedy for those who believe in development, because one can never be sufficiently developed. We are “on the way to development,” then, death comes so suddenly, shattering all our dreams and ideals. We are almost there, then, it comes like a blow … Can we ever rest and even kiss our beloved without getting guilt complex, because we are not as yet developed, and very incomplete in all that we are and in all that we do? Fulfilment while we have not yet developed and joy while we are struggling is unattainable. There is always the mirage to go towards – further and further. Development appears inadequate from a cosmological point of view too. The idea of development amounts to believing that the cosmos is simply an inert physio-chemical body with properties, which stimulate man to make the earth a resource for his own purposes.

But we know that the earth, in the present situation is exhausted and is not just a resource for all people. Matter is not dead and a blind stuff for many cultures. This of course leads us to a cross-cultural consideration. A Cross-Cultural Comment: To begin with, the vision of development is monocultural and is only a particular vision, with a particular meaning. This vision may even be right and beneficial, but is not the only one. The archetype underlying the idea of development implies anthropology and a cosmology that seems to be not shared universally by all cultures and also proves inadequate for three quarters of the world population.

People are on the way not just to development, but to awakening. Awakening would represent a new awareness concerning the meaning of life, the reality of the earth and the sense of the divine.

And we may well affirm that not all cultures have seen life as a “progression,” where the goal or destiny is kept outside of life, to be reached somewhere else. For them, life is not development – but a constant creation, a constant surprise, which does not go through a highway. Again, not all cultures have the idea that the human being is a kind of instrumental wheel going towards the New Jerusalem or Heaven or anywhere…. the quicker, the better. A Cultural Innovation: The cultural innovation that is suggested, therefore, would imply throwing in another word instead of development: Awakening. People are on the way not just to development, but to awakening. Awakening would represent a new awareness concerning the meaning of life, the reality of the earth and the sense of the divine. Awakening, in other words, would amount to perceiving better with our ears, eyes and mind, discovering the invisible dimension of things. It is not just the privilege of the few who have “made it” because they alone are “developed.” Awakening would also imply waking up from the dream, even nightmare, of the technocratic world and overcoming the technocratic trance of modern civilisation. On the other hand, on the part of the traditional cultures it would imply waking up really and fully to the hard realities and life-threatening conditions of the last and the least, the unsolved plagues such as the appalling predicaments of the dalits, the dire poverty of the masses, and so on. This awakening could well be triggered and stimulated by the human face of the technocratic civilisation with its focus on human development and progress.

J. Arokia Arun Kumar Don june bosco2008 june 2008 Don bosco

V A LU E S

hen Mary finished her ecstatic narration of how she had seen Jesus alive, she met with eleven pairs of skeptic eyes staring at her. “Feminine hallucinations,” grumbled Thomas at the far end of the upper room, where the frightened and discouraged apostles were hiding. “She must have been dreaming,” suggested Bartholomew. The disciples were convinced that their adventure with Jesus of Nazareth had come to a tragic end and that there was nothing more to it. Mary was aghast at their disdain for her news. She knew that women were not accepted as credible witnesses in the tradition of Israel. It hurt her badly. Here she was with the most momentous news of their lives and they deride her and doubt her veracity. John was always different from the rest.

could not have walked out by itself.” “Peter,” called out John in a rather solemn and reflective voice. Peter stopped and looked back at his younger companion, the disciple whom Jesus loved. Peter too loved this young man, not only because the Master was very fond of him, but also because he had a keen intellect and often said things that were quite wise! Even though he was the leader, Peter was a humble man, and valued John for his rare gifts. “I saw, and I believe,” said John very slowly and steadily. The solemnity and the

“It was. It was folded neatly and kept where the head of Jesus had been. Does that not tell you anything?” After squinting his eyes for a moment, he said: “Nothing. I find it only a bit odd, that the thief should take the trouble to fold it and keep it there. I wonder why anyone would do that?” “Peter, do a bit of reasoning. The truth is starring at you in the face.”

FROM THE GOSPELS AT A TANGENT - 19

The folded towel

“Peter,” he nudged the leader of the group sitting next to him. “Let us go and see. There may be something in what she is saying.” Peter got up and ran, with John at his heels. Being younger the latter outran Peter and reached the tomb, which was, to his surprise and dismay, open. The stone had been rolled away. But he did not go in. He waited for Peter to arrive. When Peter came puffing and panting, he went in immediately. John too entered. There were the clothes, which were wrapped around the body of the Master lying on the floor. And the towel that covered his head was folded neatly and kept where the head was! Seeing the scene, Peter was totally confused. He did not know what to make of it. But John, yes, he was different! He saw and believed! As they came out of the tomb Peter said: “John, they have stolen the body. It is clear.” “Wait a minute. Who could have stolen the body? Who would have been interested in taking away a dead body? What would be the benefit, or at least what would be their motivation?” John was speaking rapidly, as they were walking back to their hiding place. “I do not know all that,” said Peter. “I just know that the body is missing and that it

conviction in his voice were unmistakable. “You saw? What did you see? I did not see anything but the empty dark tomb,” replied Peter, rather bewildered and to some extent annoyed. “The clothes, Peter, the clothes.” “Oh, yeah, the clothes. I saw them lying around on the floor.” “The cloth that wrapped the body, yes. But what about the head towel?” “Well, I think that napkin was folded and kept on the head side.” Don bosco june 2008

No truth was starring at Peter. Only Peter was starring at John now. “OK. I think that the Master Himself folded and kept the towel there!” Peter burst out laughing. “John, don’t be stupid. You have been talking too much with that girl from Magdala. You are catching up with her dreams. According to you the dead body got up, folded the head towel neatly and kept it there, pushed the stone away and walked out! Is that what you are saying?” “Just think. No one else would have done that, I mean fold that towel. He himself did

V A LU E S it and it left it there as a symbol pointing out the truth.” “John,” cried Peter. “Please don’t torture me like this. I am a simple man and I am already in pain. You don’t have to add to it.” “Don’t you know the table manners of our people?” asked John abruptly. “Table manners? What have they to do with this?” “You know how a servant attends his master at table. He sets the table, puts all the food there, and places a napkin there for the use of the master. Then he waits just outside the room, while the master takes his meal.” “That is right.” “And you know Peter that when the master finishes his meal, he just crumples the napkin and throws it on the table and goes out. The servant who sees that knows that the master has finished his meal and has left. He now removes the plates and other utensils.” Peter continued this narration with evident annoyance: “And when the master has to temporarily go out for some reason, but

would like to return to finish his meal, he folds the napkin neatly and leaves it on the table. Seeing that the servant is to understand that the master has not finished and that he would come back soon! Oh John,” shouted Peter with excitement. “I begin to see something. Do you mean to say that the Master is coming back and he has not yet finished with this work?” “Fantastic, Peter,” exclaimed John. “You have got it. You know that Jesus is fond of symbols. I do believe that the Master Himself left us a symbol. HE IS ALIVE! He is around. Mary is right.” John said this with such conviction that Peter could almost hear his heart pounding. But Peter became doubtful again. “I understand that there are such table manners. But you always see so many symbols and meanings where I see none. You may be reading too much into this small matter.” “I think not,” said John firmly. “Remember that Jesus spoke of the Kingdom of God as a

banquet. And remember that last and fateful meal we had with him the night before the day he died. And do you not remember one of his simple parables about a servant who comes from the fields and first serves the master his meal, before he himself eats? Peter, the signs are very clear. The Master is around. I can sense him in the air.” As John was saying this, they reached the upper room, entered and shut the door firmly behind them. The other friends got up and looked at them expecting some news. Peter spoke up: “Well, friends, the tomb is empty. I do not know what to make of it. Probably the Jews or the Romans have stolen the body of the Master.” There was a heavy silence. Suddenly, while the doors were still closed, Jesus appeared and stood among them, and with a gentle smile on his face said: “Peace be with you!”

K. Maria Arokiam sdb

mariaarokiam.kanaga@gmail.com

ADVT

Don bosco june 2008

BIBLE

arah, daughter of Haran, wife and half-sister of Abraham and mother of Isaac. Her story begins after her marriage with the patriarch. Right from her birth she was known as Sarai, later by the divine command she received the name Sarah. Sarai means “princess” and true to the name she was exceptionally beautiful. She was the first Matriarch who built up the Jewish nation. Sarah’s double relationship with Abraham helped them on two occasions to protect and safe-guard their life. The first was at the time of their wanderings from Canaan to Egypt. Sarah, though above 60 years, traditionally an elderly woman, was too old to bear children, yet her natural beauty attracted even the na-

with most unusual wounds on their bodies. Pharaoh then realised this as punishment from God and in a dream he was told that Sarah was Abraham’s wife. He then sought forgiveness from both, and sent them off with honour and many valuable gifts. Pharaoh’s daughter Hagar saw the miracle, which God performed for the sake of Sarah, to save her from the hands of the Egyptian king. She readily left her royal home to become a maidservant to Sarah. Sarah treated Hagar with respect and consideration. When God delayed the promised seed by Sarah, she implored Abraham to have a child with Hagar. Thus she hoped to bring up Hagar’s children and merit God’s blessing. When

Personality for Imitation - 6

Sarah: Princess of beauty Sarah’s hope began to be fulfilled, it brought her unexpected suffering. For, as soon as Hagar realized she was to have a child, she began to assume an air of superiority and looked down upon her mistress. At this stage, Sarah made it clear of Hagar’s role as maid. Hagar was unable to accept her servant-hood, and so fled into the wilderness. There, an angel told her to return to Sarah for the sake of the child. When Ishmael was born, Abraham thought him to be his heir that God had promised.

tional leaders. Being aware of the low morality of the Egyptians and knowing their readiness to kill a man to take his wife, Abraham and Sarah decided to say that they were brother and sister. Impressed by her beauty the Egyptians praised Sarah to the King Pharaoh of Egypt, and the result was her transfer to the royal palace. Immediately, Pharaoh and his entire household were struck 10

God’s promise of Abraham’s heir through Sarah was kept pending. For the second time, Sarah is exposed, through the cowardice of her husband, to dishonor and ruin. Abimelech, king of Gerar, desired to associate by marriage with Abraham, sends for Sarah, whom he knows only as Abraham’s sister. But the divine promise is not altered, by persistent human weakness and sin. God reveals to Abimelech in a dream, the true state of the case and Sarah is restored to her husband with security. Don bosco june 2008

Sarah, at 90 years old, remained barren until when they get a visit of three men who were angels and one of them promised of Sarah’s pregnancy. Sarah gave birth to Isaac. She paid great attention to Isaac’s upbringing and realized that wild natured 13-year-old Ishmael was not a suitable companion for Isaac. And so, she insisted Abraham to send away Hagar and Ishmael. When Abraham was reluctant to do so, God instructed him to do, as Sarah desired. At age of 127, when she hears the news of the sacrifice of her son, she is torn between her unmovable faith in God and her firm motherly instincts and she dies. At her death, Abraham bought a buryingplace for the family in the cave of Machpelah. She is the first to be interred in the common resting place of the fathers and mothers of the future Israel. In the merit of Sarah, God blessed Abraham with wealth and with all other blessings. The greatest blessing was the long life of companionship with Sarah that shared his hope in God, his faith in the promises, and his power to become God’s agent for achieving what was humanly impossible. Both were equal in doing charity and in spreading Godliness. Both had an unyielding fanatic faith in God; As long as Sarah lived, a “cloud of glory” hovered over her tent, and her home was full of blessing. Her motherly affection won Isaac that none could comfort him after her death. Sarah by her character was quiet and soft-spoken. With her beauty she was ever submissive and loyal to her husband. Thus she was a princess of gentleness and meekness. She has always been a great inspiration for all Jewish daughters and mothers, everywhere and for all times.

Victor Antonyraj sdb victoraraj@yahoo.com

uy your dream home, luxury car, relax on a sandy beach in Hawaii, Yes , you will have a million at your disposal in one year time, all you have to do is buy 1 and refer 5. This is one of the hundreds of baits used by Multi Level Marketing crooks to lure people into their net. Gold quest, a MLM involving gold coin selling, was in news for cheating people to the tune of several crores.

Multi MLM-Level Mess

This is not the first time that MLM has landed in trouble , a few years back it was magnetic bed MLM that cheating people. There was such an uproar about the whole concept of MLM then but, it faded away slowly. MLM comes in many forms like bed, medicines, cosmetics, gold and even money. For Gold quest , the modus operandi is simple , you get 1 person to buy 2gms of gold coin for 32,000 rupees and then if he introduces 2 more people he will get back his money and the more the people who join later he will get extra commission. There are trained people who can literally brain wash any one of us, some people say that it may take some weeks to convince some people to get into their loop.

CURRENT With complaints of malpractice in Goldquest pouring in, the city police swiftly effected the arrest of three key persons of Gold quest based in Chennai. Vijay Eshwar, the main accused and a Malaysian citizen is absconding. They also seized huge amount of gold and cash from the office premises of Gold quest. People who have lost money in this scheme are mainly from the middle class families. There are instances where people have borrowed money to join this schemes. Many have refused to file a complaint just because they did not want others to know that they were fooled. “ When I told them that I can’t afford that much money, they gave me some ideas to convince our well off relatives and friends. MLM, in essence, is a form of direct sales in which independent distributors sell products or concepts usually by visiting the homes of their customers or over the telephone. They make money not only from their own sales but also from the sales effected by their recruits - many MLM schemes promise to pay huge commissions initially and this is a trap to lure people. Becoming an MLM distributor is usually simple and requires no knowledge of the products or concepts sold. MLM companies sell, distributor kits that include product literature, sales aids such as videotapes, audiotapes and so on, price lists, order forms and instructional manuals. All that anybody who is interested in becoming a distributor is to be a part And I did ” says Raj, an employee with a private firm. One investor on condition of anonymity said that, “ When actors like prabhu and people like Nalini Chidambaram come for the launch of this company we think it’s genuine. And now we realize with money anything can be done. I am hopeful that police will help us from this trouble. Chennai police commissioner Nanjil kumaran assured all those who lost money Don bosco june 2008

AFFAIRS

through Gold quest MLM, “ We have received 15,000 petitions with relevant documents from Tamilnadu and Andhra. We have seized 8000kgs of Gold, 860kgs of silver including cash worth Rs 20 crores. Also land documents have been seized. So with the advice from the officials of RBI we will disburse the amount”. Pyramid schemes are illegal in many countries, including the United States, Great Britain, France, Canada, Malaysia, Norway, Australia, New Zealand, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Iran. Normally, 99.99% of the people lost their money in any MLM of the chain and build it as much as he can. A sales pyramid is the basis of MLM, and therein lies the rub. The problem is that pyramid schemes are inherently fraudulent. Let’s look at the original pyramid scheme - the Ponzi - to understand why this is so. Ponzi schemes get their name from Carl Ponzi who, in 1920 in Boston, collected $9.8 million from 10,550 persons (including many members of the Boston police force) by offering profits of 50 per cent every 45 days - and then paid out $7.8 million in just eight months. Since then , any simple fraud in which initial investors are paid massive dividends from the deposits of new investors is known as a Ponzi. or pyramid scheme. Though were affected by MLM , the Indian government is yet to act to ban these companies. There are conmen everywhere. The people should be on guard. The simplest advice on this issue would be: stay away from MLM companies or their concepts. “ Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me ” – Think about it

S. Rajvee www.rajvee.com, rajvee@rajvee.com 11

W E LL - B E I N G

e are created for happiness and peace. But as life evolves and as we progress, our problems also increase and so do our worries. Wellbeing calls for choices. We can consciously choose to live a positive life or go after a negative life. One of the choices we can easily make is to live ordinary events in an extraordinary way. We have the freedom to experiment and to experience newness. Modern day life in a certain way chains us to habits, strict timeframes and monotonous living. We become automated beings. This results in boredom and we run the risk of losing the meaning of our existence. One of the outcomes of a positive life is to break free and to break the monotony of daily life and do something we normally never do or think of doing. This positive

habit can help us to have fun, break the routine, help us to smile and this in turn becomes a happy memory. Memories of happy moments have an important role to play in our lives. They reconstruct our lives and they have the power to inject fresh energy and enthusiasm when we are bored or tired of living. I would like to share with you this story forwarded to me via e-mail. A little girl had been shopping with her mom in Target. She was 6 years old, beautiful red haired, freckle faced image of innocence. It was raining outside. The kind of rain that gushes over the top of rain gutters, so much in a hurry to hit the earth. People stood there under the awning and just inside the door of the Target. Everyone waited, some patiently, others irritated because nature messed up their hurried day.

Let’s Run Through the Rain

Some were mesmerized by the rainfall. They got lost in the sound and sight of the heavens washing away the dirt and dust of the world. Memories of running, splashing as carefree as a child, came as a welcome reprieve from the worries of everyday. The little voice was sweet as it broke the hypnotic trance they were all caught in, “Mom let’s run through the rain,” she said. “What?” mom exclaimed. “Let’s run through the rain!” she repeated. “No, honey. We’ll wait until it slows down a bit,” mom replied. This young child waited about another minute and repeated: “Mom, let’s run through the rain!” “We’ll get soaked if we do,” mom said. “No, we won’t, mom. That’s not what you said this morning,” the young girl said as she tugged at her mom’s arm. “This morning? When did I say we could run through the rain and not get wet?” “‘Don’t you remember? When you were talking to Daddy about his cancer, you said, ‘If God can get us through this, he can get us through anything’!”

The entire crowd stopped dead silent. There was complete silence except for the sound of the rain. No one came or left in the next few minutes. The little girl’s mother paused and thought for a moment about what she would say. Now some would laugh it off and scold her for being silly. Some might even ignore what was said. But this was a moment of affirmation in a young child’s life. A time when innocent trust can be nurtured so that it will bloom into faith. “Honey, you are absolutely right. Let’s run through the rain. If God wants, let’s get wet, well maybe we just needed washing,” she said. Then off they ran. Don bosco june 2008

W E LL - B E I N G

We do the same things day after day and week after week. We have to plan to break free and find time to do what is different, just funny or the unthinkable. The rest of them stood watching, smiling and laughing as they darted past the cars and yes, through the puddles. They held their shopping bags over their heads just in case. They got soaked. But they were followed by a few who screamed and laughed like children all the way to their cars. They all needed some washing. Today more than ever, we tend to live life like clocks or computers. This obviously results in monotony and boredom. The type of jobs or responsibilities that people have force them to live in ways that are akin to the ticking of a clock. We do the same things day after day and week after week. We have to plan to break free and find time to do what is different, just funny or the unthinkable. God shows us the way. He could have lived his solitude in heaven. But He broke the silence, the solitude. He became one like us. He walked and talked with us. He smiled and He wept. Can one think of a greater adventure than this? Remember the movie “City of Angels’ with Nicholas Cage and Meg Ryan? Seth, an angel watching over Los Angeles, begins finding his job difficult as he falls in love with Maggie, a beautiful heart surgeon. This makes Seth want to become human so he can feel, smell, and love Maggie. It is a touching story of an angel who wanted to do something very different. Jesus was one day preaching in the Province of Judea, beyond the Jordan River and at a certain point He sits down to take some rest. The mothers from the surrounding villages begin to bring

their children to Him. The disciples (let us keep in mind a culture two thousand years ago that did not greatly respect women and children) in order to allow Jesus to rest tried their best to send them away. The gospels say that Jesus on noticing this, was very angry. Jesus then took the children in his arms and blessed them. This is one of the most beautiful scenes in the gospels. Jesus, God incarnate, finds time to play with children. Jesus often found time to dine with tax collectors and sinners. This often turned out to be a moment of conversion for them. It is good to stroke a cat if you have never done it before. If you always take your car to your place of work take the bus for a change. You will also get to know how much people suffer. How about sleeping on the terrace one night and do some star gazing before you sleep. You could talk to a poor person or an elderly person if you have never found the time to do it before. You could play with children. You could go for a walk in the forest or climb a mountain. You could do some manual work for a change. Gardening could be

We have to take time off to create beautiful memories. A few years later we will think of the walk with our child on the beach running after sea crabs as they jump into the holes they have made. The picnics we enjoyed, the fun we had together as a family, the train journeys, the walk in the park, the pranks and wild fun. Don bosco june 2008

an inspiring and interesting, hobby. If you have never tried cooking, you could try cooking something different. You could try to live without the television for one day. We have to take time off to create beautiful memories. A few years later we will think of the walk with our child on the beach running after sea crabs as they jump into the holes they have made. We could think of the beautiful walk with the ones very close to us. The picnics we enjoyed, the fun we had together as a family, the train journeys, the walk in the park, the pranks and wild fun. There are families that have very interesting family rituals. I was with an Italian family on April 22, Earth Day. On that day they did not use their electric lights or television. They were using candles. There are others who often use the cycle in order to keep our mother earth a little less polluted. There is a family that distributes bread and curry to the poor of the neighbourhood on Friday evenings. There are families that clean the cemetery before All Souls day (not just the tomb of their dear ones). I just heard of a young man who gave away his sandals to a poor boy who was selling some simple things at the road signal under the hot sun. A friend of mine did not want gifts for her wedding but asked the guests to bring cash for the poor children in India and Madagascar. The list is endless. Circumstances or people can take away our material possessions, they can take away our money, and they can take away our health. But no one can ever take away our precious memories. So, don’t forget to make time and take the opportunities to make memories everyday. To everything there is a season and a time to every purpose under heaven. Take the time to live! Keep in touch with your friends, you never know when you’ll need them. I hope you will take the time to run through the rain.

Joe Andrew sdb

joeandrewsdb@hotmail.com 13

rev i ew - d v d

THE LITTLE GIANT – RELEASED!

Fr. Godfrey D’Souza releasing the DVD St. Dominic Savio – The Little Giant

MATUNGA, MAY 6, 2008: The Shrine of Don Bosco’s Madonna, Matunga was bursting at its seams with fervent devotees of the Little Giant – Dominic Savio, thronging to celebrate his feast day today. Many expectant mothers, teens and young couples made their way to participate in the many Masses celebrated throughout the day. The Festal Mass at sundown was no exception. Packed to capacity and spilling over, coupled with spirited singing led by the children’s choir from Our Lady of Dolour’s Parish Wadala, the Shrine exuded an unmistakable aura of holiness. Fr. Ian Doulton in his homily reminded the faithful that “holiness can be fun”. He said that like Dominic Savio we are called to be happy and help others be happy too. To top it all, a DVD on ‘St. Dominic Savio – The Little Giant’ a short film directed by Cl. Savio D’Souza sdb and produced by Tej-Prasarini, Don Bosco Communications was 14

released during the Solemn Festal Mass by Fr. Godfrey D’Souza, Vice-Provincial of the Mumbai Province. Speaking on the occasion, Fr Godfrey exhorted the gathering to “not only admire but also imitate” Dominic Savio in his exemplary life. Fr Joaquim Fernandes, Director of Tej-Prasarini expressed his gratitude and appreciation toward the many collaborators who contributed to this venture. The parents of Cl. Savio were then presented the first copy of the DVD. A special screening of the DVD was arranged after the Mass, for the benefit of the devotees. Chris Valentino sdb Name of the DVD Directed by Cost of the DVD Available at Order by phone Website E-mail Don bosco june 2008

“St. Dominic Savio – The Little Giant” offers a fleeting glimpse into the life of this adolescent gem with juxtaposed nuggets depicting his cheerfulness, determination and prayerful heroism. Interspersed with apt visual footage and succinct comments by Fr. Pascual Chavez, the Rector Major, it is an engaging journey of life-discovery. It also serves as a welcome invitation for people of all ages to emulate the exemplary holiness of this “Little Giant,” while having recourse to his intercessory aid. Hailed as a sparkling jewel of Don Bosco’s Oratory and exalted as the very first fruit of the Preventive System, Dominic Savio is a triumphant model of youthful holiness in the Catholic Church, by the youngest to reach sainthood.

: St. Dominic Savio – The Little Giant : Cl. Savio D’Souza sdb : 150/: Tej-Prasarini, Don Bosco Communications, Matunga : (91-22) 2415 0680 / (91-22) 6500 7840 : www.tejonline.com : tej_dbc@vsnl.net

ADVT

Don bosco june 2008

SALESIAN

Salesian Appointed CBCI Communications Secretary official news agency of the Salesians in South Asia under the name Bosco Information Service (BIS). Currently, Fr Plathottam serves as Director of the Department of Mass Media at St. Anthony’s College which offers two BA (Hons) courses in Communication and Visual media studies.

Fr George Plathottam, 52, has been appointed executive secretary of the Catholic Bishops Conference of India (CBCI) Commission for Social Communications. He will succeed former secretary Fr Henry D’Souza, who has been appointed Bishop of Bellary. About 170 dioceses make up the CBCI. Fr Plathottam of Guwahati province is one of the founding members of 15 year old BOSCOM India (Don Bosco Communications) and founder of a Salesian news agency which is now the

A member of the World Advisory Board of the Salesian Society on Social Communication, Fr George Plathottam has been also president of the Indian Catholic Press Association as well as managing editor of South Asia Religious News for 3 years. He has also served as President of the South Asian Catholic Press Association (SACPA). Currently pursuing Ph D in North Eastern Hill University on the theme: Press and Social Responsibility, Fr Plathottam holds a graduate degree with English major from North Bengal. University. He has a Master’s Degree in Theology with specialisation in Social Communications, from the Sacred Heart Theological College, Shillong. He also obtained a second Master’s degree in Journalism and

Communications from Madurai Kamaraj University, Tamil Nadu. Founder-Director of Don Bosco Communications Guwahati, a centre for the promotion and development of media and social communication, Fr Plathottam has authored several articles on Social Communications, Church, Tribal Social life and Culture of the Northeast India. He has authored and edited books for youth, scouting, pastoral and educational purposes and published newsletters, reviews, and magazines. Besides being a senior correspondent of the South Asian Religious News (SAR News) Fr Plathottam has been a correspondent also for Union of Catholic Asia News (UCA News) for several years. In 1991, he was elected President of the Indian Catholic Press Association (ICPA), the President of Editaids and the Editor in Chief of the South Asian News (SAR News). In 1992, he won The North -South Friendship Prize from Union of Catholic International Press and the Government of Germany. C. M. Paul

Mary Help of Christians appointed Honorary Mayor On the morning of 24 May in the course of an extraordinary open and public meeting, the local authorities of Morón de la Frontiera will proclaim Mary Help of Christians “Honorary Mayor” of the Spanish town.

of the Staff of Command of the City be made by the Mayor of Morón de la Frontiera, Mr. Manuel Morilla. Afterwards the procession will continue through the streets and conclude at the church dedicated to Mary Hep of Christians.

The meeting – for which the programme is still being finalised – will precede the procession in honour of Mary Help of Christians that will begin from the Salesian Institute and make its way to the Town Hall Square where the official act of the appointment as “Mayor” will take place and the presentation

The award of the honorary title of “Mayor of the City ” to Mary Help of Christians is something that the Mayor and Corporation have been speaking about for four years on account of the great devotion that the town has to the Virgin Mary.

Don bosco june 2008

Letters to the Editor Not in his footsteps

Send me articles

It was with a sense of disbelief that I read of the two groups of nuns who holidayed abroad (May issue, pgs. 17, 29 and inside back cover). Starvation, lack of education, poverty, disease when these problems are rampant in the areas in which these nuns work, how can they justify spending an amount of around Rs. 50 lakhs on a jaunt? If such funds are available, should they not be used for the education and upliftment of the poor? Also, what is the point of installing a statue at Nazareth representing Indian Catholics, and with much fanfare at that ? Surely, it smacks of idolatry ! Apropos the article on page 17, should any State government particularly in a third-world country - be subsidizing trips abroad - trips of anyone, let alone Catholics? Is government money so copious, and is the State so developed, that it has excess funds to splurge on unnecessary luxuries? It is deplorable that a socalled Christian magazine can consider it moral, when it is clearly a case of misuse of public money. And it is a matter of shame that Catholics would even consider using public money for their own interests. One does not ‘walk the steps’ of Jesus by going to Jerusalem. That is a farce. In the light of the expenditure incurred on such trips, they are also unchristian. One walks in His footsteps by doing as He did. And depriving the poor of a chance of survival so that some overfed nuns can go on a jaunt is clearly NOT it. - M. Nazareth mn-ccd@lth.ltindia.com

we enjoy reading every page I would like to add that we enjoy reading every page of your magazine. Please keep up the good work. God bless you and all who are associated with this beautiful magazine. - J.A. Gregory

I’ve been reading Don Bsoco since September 2007. I am avery much impressed to read about the articles written by Fr. Victor Antonyraj sdb., He has a thorough knowledge about Pauline letters. I would like to read more about St. Paul Kindly send the articles published before September 2007. - Gregory Andrade Udupi

Crisp and compelling Thanks for the magazine! The article of Joe Andrew sdb, was crisp and compelling. Reading his articles we get spiritually renewed. We look forward to his articles eagerly every month. - Alex

Chennai

Editorial was marvellous I am a Salesian co-operator. I had a chance to read Don Bosco magazine. I was delighted to read its contents. The editorial was marvellous. It was inspiring and had such a depth. You have changed the face of the magazine. - Max Fernandes Wadala, Mumbai.

Fantastic interview Congratulations to Fr. Paul. That has been a fantastic interview. They are words from the heart of a visionary with something definite to contribute for the greater growth for the Congregation. Looking forward to read more of this. - Kuruvila, Sharjah

Chennai

Dear readers, send your articles, reflections, impression about the magazine etc., to dbbulletin@gmail.com. For all other queries on subscription, change of address and administrative details mail to dbsubscriber@gmail.com. Other mails will not be entertained. Kindly give us two months time for change of address to take effect. When you send the address kindly write them in capital letters. Editor Don bosco june 2008

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music

Wild Sound Civilised into Time and Tune

This melam is a call for all of us to spend together as a community in the church, temple, marriage house and in the house of the dead in order to share and celebrate the occasion.

t is common to see people using latest technologies to listen to music irrespective of the age, gender and social status. It makes us wonder why the youth in particular have so much affinity to music more than any other medium. To explain their experience of music they had to fall back to the gadgets they use to narrate their experience of music. Obviously these devices had changed their external life and even their character as well. It has become an individual and personal experience. But can these gadgets become a social experience? That music is meant 18

to be shared is not anything new but a forgotten one in the modern industrial civilisation. Sharing music in fact refers to sharing the experience of music. It means sharing faith, culture, experience, occasions, events, power, energy, feelings, opinions and Don bosco june 2008

reactions, and talking about it in real time. David Tame notes, â&#x20AC;&#x153;as in music so in lifeâ&#x20AC;? Following the idea of George Christoph Lichtenberg we can say, from time to time one must return to in-

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vestigate music; for music can move away while music stands still. My memory goes back when I was a boy in my native village Thurinjipoondy where we would all gather instinctively and instantly at the crochet sound ( ta da tat, ta da tat, ta, da tat, ta da tat ) of the village drums known as pari, melam, to participate in social events. This is what Max Weber meant when he said that music is a social activity directed toward the production of sound-events intended for others. This melam is a call for all of us to spend together as a community in the church, temple, marriage house and in the house of the dead in order to share and celebrate the occasion. The joy and happiness of the village was seen at the occasion where the young and the aged danced to music played during the celebration. Church singing, and carols made us experience faith, fraternity and charity. The shared experience of faith right here in the church was manifested in singing and praying. Understanding music for us in a village was reacting to music in a culturally defined fashion, which includes dance, singing and playing the instruments. This could be called as a musical community. Ten people can not talk at the same time and make sense out of it but many people can communi-

when the youth listen to music they are entering in a world of energy and our eardrums move in resonance with these patterns of energy. This musical energy moves both individual and the universe.

cate, converse together and have individual and community experience by singing. Community bond was experienced in singing and dancing during the marriage and the social unity was experienced in mourning the dead. In this way the importance of music was measured by the various occasions of time the village participated in it. As Budd explains about music the people in villages had the human capacity to hear sequences of bare sounds in various ways. They were Don bosco june 2008

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able to hear two simultaneous rhythms in serious of sounds, along with melody, able to distinguish the various sounds and melodies, had the capacity to hear the sound as a whole. It can be explained better in the words of Rameau who says that music is regarded not as science but as the art of sounds. In my village music has always been a social art form, created and enjoyed by people in groups I still remember the names of the famous artists of our village being referred as melam adippar Marimuthhu, periamelam Govindan who used to perform the music in such an artistic manner. The village used to stand and participate in it with smile and admiration. This experience realised its values as music which is purely auditory. It consisted of interconnected modes of hearing mere sounds. The value of music was inherent in the forms of sound that compose the music. It is very much rooted in the context and culture with a reference to their lives. It was true that music was one of the primary means by which our people communicated, entertained and maintained the social bonds that held their families together. According to Robert D. F. Christenson P. G. and Gentile Douglas A. G. music had its importance and uses in both quasisocial and socializing. By quasi social they mean standing alone in a crowd and listening to the music still serves as a means to achieve the so19

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STORY cial need of an individual and social relationship that one longs for maturation. By socializing they refer to social events such as puberty, marriage, village feast, auspicious occasions, ceremonial events and death which help us to understand the social occasions, define the social boundaries and help to maintain the relationship. The music in the village helped us to express, create, and perpetuate the essential concept of community. Listening to music is an important aspect of every dayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s life of the people in general and particularly in the lives of the youth today. This aspect of listening music constructs and organizes the youth culture very much today. Music makes all of us feel and experience the happiness and sadness of life. Music helps us to feel relaxed. It gives energy and creates an atmosphere of life and death. Music becomes part of the people and makes sense of the place, action, situation and occasion. It makes us remember the occasions, situations and emotions. Music is to get people organized in a particular mood and convey social meanings to other people who are socially and culturally different.

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As Merritt adds that when the youth listen to music they are entering in a world of energy and our eardrums move in resonance with these patterns of energy. Don Donbosco boscojune june2008 2008

This musical energy moves both individual and the universe. Let us not think that the drummer plays drum only in fact the drummer is playing for the world and the whole world is dancing according to it. We can not avoid changes in the musical practice, behaviour and beliefs. This change can be accelerated with the arrival of technological development. Every change is capable of influencing the society particularly the youth. In the culture of change in music explains not only why the youth behave in this way but also how they get changed today. Since the invention of music recording however, about a century ago, technological developments have made the experience of music more and more a private activity. Once music could be purchased for listening at home, the possibility of enjoying music in private by yourself became more and more a popular alternative to attending performances. This has led to our current iPod era, where the most iconic image of a music listener is of a solitary individual dancing with mp3 player and earphones attached, rather than the social concert or social experience or village audiences of earlier periods. We know from our experiences that for various reasons the content of cinema - music has been a serious concern to our society today. This has resulted in the development of considerable connection between the musical culture of our society as represented by our cine stars and that of youth culture which is centred on the world of so-called popular culture made of cinema songs. Highly popular cine stars, music artists, singers can therefore serve as potent role models for our youth. However we can not abhor such relations and it would be rather naĂŻve to deny its existence. On the other hand it is a

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fact that these cultural impacts are seen as the root causes of many of the problems of the youth of our society today. The problem of music is universal in its understanding and in its definition. It is so difficult to imbue almost any sound with specific cultural significance. As Ballantine points out in his book, ‘Music and its social meanings,’ the most important force in youth’s musical behaviour and choice of music is a culturally derived one. And so it is a fact that the abstractness of music is one of the reasons for the youth to find it difficult to perceive and understand music. But the most important reason for the youth’s inability to perceive the concept of music is when it is separated from their social context and filled with artificial musical understanding which serves ideological interests. This insulation usually takes the form of repression or of a mystification. The fact that the youth struggles against these ideological distortion is a major concern for the youth workers educators. Walker R. states that learning for the youth today, have some bearing on the choices of musical sound made by the specific culture. This knowledge can only be acquired through experience and learning of the musical codes invented by each culture. As Bryant puts it, “past experience of any culture is crucially important and it influences the way a person perceives.” The Greeks commonly believed that the music exerted a powerful and undeniable influence over mind, body and spirit of the listener. The effect of music on character and behaviour was developed most fully in the philosophy of Plato and Aristotle. These great men regarded

musical training as a critical part of a child’s education that helped to discipline the character and elevate the soul. Storr tells that the Greeks of Plato’s days considered that the right type of music was a powerful instrument of education which alters the characters of those who listen to it, and it leads them toward inner order and harmony. Training the youth to have a correct musical experience is an essential concern of the educators of youth. As Aristotle puts it , “music produces certain effect on the moral character of the soul and if it has the power to do this it is our duty to educate the youth towards right attitude.” Finally, I think we as parents and educators should think that music is important from the point of view of its impact on youth. Because music in everyday life of the youth is common in the form of mobile phone. It is so common in our towns that it is Don bosco june 2008

foisted upon all of us against our will be it in the shops, travel, bars, restaurants, public places, school functions, homes, where popular cinema music is employed. It is time that we give due importance to music which becomes a tool for all of us particularly for the youth to achieve desired psychological needs and a means of defining their identity. The youth listen to music just because they like it and so they learn many things of the world. It teaches them things but does not help them to handle what they have learned as emotions and feelings but it does help them to social interaction. Music addresses the needs of the youth as they are in the developmental stage- love, sex, loyalty, affection, independence, friendship, authority which often they don’t get it from the adults. In short music is not a mere means for our living but for our emancipation. Jesudoss Periyanayagam sdb jesudosan@yahoo.co.uk The writer is a musician who has composed many church hymns and is s student of UPS, Rome.

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ou may be a great music lover. You may have a lot of collections of CDs, DVDs and VCDs. But, if you do not know some basic factors that will help you to make the best of use of these, you may end up wasting them and not benefit from any of them. Here are some tips to help you enjoy music. Room Dimensions. First, know the dimensions of the room before you design the layout. A good layout is essential. Select a rectangular room with minimal doors and windows. Select the components according to the size of the room. Then arrange the room with the proper acoustics, proper lighting and additional components so that it gives a good overall sound effect.

To enjoy music Factors you need to understand Home theatre acoustics. Using sound absorbing component like thick curtains for windows/doors, and placing pictures on the walls will improve the sound.. You can think of making the room soundproof if you have a big budget. Ensure that the floor is covered since bare floors reflect sound and diminish the quality of the sound. Lighting of the room. Remember the lighting in a cinema hall? You can follow the same style in your sound system. Provide some dim 22

light. It gives some ambient light to the room. Do not place the TV or projector screen opposite to any source of light, especially doors and windows. Use a TV or Projector? If your intention is to watch ordinary cable TV, satellite TV or VHS, then Television is better because when these images are displayed through the projector, the quality is often not as good as when you view it on a Television. In addition, video projectors usually do not have an Don bosco june 2008

RF connector like in a Television. Your cable or satellite receiver needs to have s-video, DVI or component connections to connect them to the projector. Projectors are good for watching DVDs or DVD quality movies

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and Cable/ satellite TV content that has high Def inition (HD) signals. The major drawback is limited lamp life. The cost of this lamp is comparatively high. A cost effective alternative to the projector is a Large sized rear-projection television. The right TV size: A simple rule is to provide the minimum viewing distance from the TV. It is the minimum distance you must keep from the TV while watching it. This distance is at least two times the width of the TV screen. Arrangement of speakers. The 2.1, 5.1, 6.1 and 7.1 speaker systems are popular. A 5.1 speaker system

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means that there are 5 speakers with a subwoofer. The number before the dot indicates the number of speakers and the 1 after the dot indicates the number of subwoofers in it. Among the above systems, 5.1 is the most popular today. The commonly available multichannel digital surround sound formats are Dolby digital and DTS(Digital theater system). It is used for making the movie sound both on film and on DVD. Both these surround sound formats use a 5.1 channel system. Now let us see how the speakers are arranged in a room. First, place the Television in a proper location. Then, keep the centre speaker below or above the TV. Place the front speaker pair on either side of the TV. The other speaker pair is the rear speakers and they are kept behind you. If you have difficulty in wiring the rear speakers, buy wireless speakers. Place the sub woofer between the front speakers. You can adjust the phase control of the subwoofer to get the best sound effect Don bosco june 2008

in the room. Do not buy large, tall speakers for a small room (less than 100 square feet). Seating arrangement. Arrange the seats like an arc leaving the minimum distances. You can reposition the seats or components in order to make the overall experience more comfortable. Apart from all these, you can get the help of technicians for professional assistance. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t forget to go through the manuals carefully. This may relieve you from headaches!

Ravi Kiran 23

S T UD E N T S

PLU S how much time you have and manage it effectively. So be realistic about your time and what you can do with it. Over commitment: Before you undertake study, you need to assess the demand it makes on your time. Be realistic about the amount of time an assignment will take you to complete. Different tasks require different amounts of preparation time. For example, you might only need a few

you ‘freeze’, put things off and don’t get anything done. Solution : 1. Set priorities. 2. Get started. Actually starting a task reduces your anxiety about it. List all the tasks you have to do in order of importance and urgency, and work through them one at a time. Problem : Procrastination: spending time on irrelevant tasks when you know you should be studying.

6. A time to look back & time to plan...

Solution : 1. Set study goals and vary your study techniques. 2. Make a ‘to do’ list. The problems mentioned above are classic ‘delaying’ tactics to put off starting work. Start a task that is giving you anxiety. Even if you just jot down a plan about how you will proceed further, at least you’ve made a start!

ear Students, I am sure you enjoyed your holidays. I guess many of you would have visited many places and are reluctantly getting back to classes. Of course there are expectations as you enter into the advance level of study. This is the time to look back and see how you fared in your study last year. The marks you scored would indicate how you fared. Similarly this is the time you prepare yourself and plan for the year that lies ahead of you. I have given you lots of tips for you to equip yourself. Read carefully the following guide to a complete plan for your study and faithfully follow the instructions given here.

Make a list of what you have to do in order of priority.

Factors to Consider Planning Your Time

When

Be Flexible: Some weeks will be busier than others, and unforeseen things can happen. Remember that a timetable is only a guide. You don’t have to follow it religiously every week, but try to stick to your plan. If you miss it, don’t panic - look at the schedule and rearrange your time. Be Realistic : Time management is all about taking responsibility for your learning. The best plan is to be aware of 24

Problem : Putting off starting a task because it feels so overwhelming or difficult that you can’t face it.

hours to prepare for a tutorial, but writing an assignment will take longer. You can’t produce good, well-written work unless you give yourself enough time to think, research and write. Brilliant assignments are not written the night before. So start them in good time. Seeking Help : It’s easy to procrastinate when you experience difficulties with an assignment, but putting off only means you will have less time to work on it. If you miss a deadline, you will lose marks. So, if you think you need some assistance, ask for it. Common Time Wasters Problem : Feeling so overwhelmed and anxious about your workload that Don bosco june 2008

Solution : Break up the workload into small achievable tasks. Then when you sit down to study, you are not facing a huge, daunting pile of work, but one small task. Complete a ‘chunk’ every study period. Take a break after completing a ‘chunk’. If it’s something you’ve really been dreading, reward yourself when you’ve done it! Problem : Daydreaming or ‘drifting off’. Solution : Check your energy level and concentration. Take a short break or a little exercise every hour. Open a window and walk around. If you drift off, try visualising a red stop light. Hold that image for a few seconds-then switch to a green light and go back to work. Problem : Feeling that you can’t begin because you won’t be able to produce a ‘perfect’ result. Solution : Aim at reasonable results! Rather than aiming for a masterpiece each time, it’s better to produce something - and pass - than to put it off for so long that you produce nothing at all.

S T UD E N T S Problem : The ‘Too Hard’ Basket: deciding that “I didn’t want to do this course / study / unit anyway!”

attention. Try positive self-talk. To avoid distractions, find a quiet place to study, the library or a study hall.

Solution : 1. Re-examine your motives for studying. 2. Ask for advice. 3. Use the ‘balance sheet method’.

2.Write out and set your priorities. List three goals or objectives that are most important to you, and indicate whether they are long range, medium range, or immediate:

Students do change their minds about their studies. You may even feel that you have taken the wrong path. However, changing courses should be rational decision, not a reaction made out of frustration because the work is ‘too hard’. A Practical Guide to Plan and to Set Priorities 1.Set Goals and other things. This can be one or two lists, a monthly list and or a long-term list. Put down your goals and things you have to do. What do you want to accomplish over the next month or year? What do you need to buy? Use this list to keep track of all your commitments. If you’re worried about something, put it on this list. The purpose of this list is to develop long-term goals and to free your mind to concentrate on today.

long medium now! range range

Goals 1 2 3

3 .Determine how you spend a typical week As you enter the hours or parts of hours for each activity, that amount is subtracted from each day’s total: Hours left

Mon Tues Wed Thu

Daily Activities: Classes: Studying: Sleeping: Exercise/sports:

Procrastination - putting off important jobs.

Personal care/grooming:

Crises management - being overwhelmed by the current crisis. No time for routine matters.

Meal preparation/ eating/clean-up:

Television, telephones and friends these are all ways of avoiding work. Emotional blocks - boredom, daydreaming, stress, guilt, anger and frustration reduce concentration. Sickness - getting sick and blowing your schedule. In all of these cases, the first step is to recognize the problem and resolve to improve. Use priority lists to focus

Sat Son

in each day:

Avoid distractions and lack of focus. Time is precious. Yet many people waste time by getting stuck in one or more of the following habits.

Switching and floundering - lack of concentration and focus on one job.

Fri

Work/internship: Family commitments:

Transportation (school, work, etc): Relaxation: TV/ video games, etc.: Socializing & friends: Other:

• Pick up a copy of your school’s term/ semester calendar • Develop a calendar of important dates for your classes: Tests, papers, projects, readings, mid-term and final exams, holidays, breaks, study days, etc. Don bosco june 2008

PLU S

• Enter important dates for your social and family life • Each week develop a daily schedule that includes routines and important dates • Place this schedule on your notice board of the study area : for referral and review, and to mark your progress • Each evening develop a schedule: to help you organize the next day, include routines, errands and important appointments • Review each day’s schedule that morning Work on those matters that are critical to you, and leave matters to others that are not important. Review how you spend your time in order to help you prioritize your goals and objectives. 4. Prepare the weekly calendar. Create a weekly calendar. Make it your basic time budgeting guide. List your courses, work, study time, recreation, meals, TV, relaxation, etc. Plan to study first priority classes when you work best. Be flexible, adapt your schedule to changing needs. Keep your schedule handy and refer to it often. If it doesn’t work, change it. 5. Set aside a diary for the daily “Things to Do”. Write down all the things that you want to do today. Note homework due or tests or subjects you want to emphasize. Include shopping and personal calls, etc. This list is a reminder. Use it to set daily priorities and to reduce decisionmaking and worry. If time is tight, move items to your long-term list. Rewrite this list each morning. Use visualization to help you focus on what to do. This list is also a measure of your day-to-day success. Check off items as you finish them and praise yourself for each accomplishment.

Merlyn Ross

merlyns@rediffmail.com Dear students, write to merlyns@rediffmail.com about the problems and anxieties you face in your studies. They will be addressed in the forthcoming issues. 25

h u mo u r

Humour

parachute and gas ball0on A man goes skydiving. After a fantastic free fall he pulls the rip cord to open his parachute but nothing happens. He tries everything but can’t get it open.

Just then another man flies by him, going UP. The skydiver yells, “Hey, you know anything about parachutes? The man replies, “No, you know anything about gas balloon?”

simple operation A man was seen fleeing down the hall of the hospital just before his operation. “What’s the matter?” he was asked. He said, “I heard the nurse say, ‘It’s a very simple operation, don’t worry, I’m sure it will be all right.” “She was just trying to comfort you, what’s so frightening about that?” “She wasn’t talking to me. She was talking to the doctor.

winning the lottery Banta buys a ticket and wins the lottery. He goes to Delhi to claim it and the man verifies his ticket number. Banta says, “I want my 20 lakhs. The man replied, “No, sir. It doesn’t work that way. We give you one lakh today and then you’ll get the rest spread out for the next 19 weeks. Banta said, “Oh, no. I want all my money right now! I won it and I want it.” Again, the man explained that he would only get a lakh that day and the rest during the next 19 weeks.Banta, furious with the man, screams out, “Look, I want my money! If you’re not going to give me my 20 lakhs right now, then I want my five rupees back!” 26

suicide Ramu went to the emergency room with the tip of his index finger blown off. “How did this happen?” the doctor asked. “Well I was trying to commit suicide,” Ramu replied. The doctor asked, “Trying to commit suicide by shooting your finger?” “No, silly! First I put the gun on my head and I thought my face would look horrible, then I put it in my mouth and I thought I just paid Rs. 1,000 to get my teeth straightened. So then I put the gun in my ear and I thought this is going to make a loud noise, so I put my finger in my other ear before I pulled the trigger.”

the trick

The little boy greeted his grandmother with a hug and said, “I’m so happy to see you grandma. Now maybe daddy will do the trick he has been promising us.” The grandmother was curious. “What trick is that my dear?” she asked. The little boy replied, “I heard daddy tell mommy that he would jump out of the window if you came to visit us again.”

telephone

Santa got up in the middle of the night to answer the telephone. “Is this one one one one?”, says the voice. “No, this is eleven eleven.” “Are you sure it isn’t one one one one?” “No, this is eleven eleven.” “Well, wrong number. Sorry to have got you up on the middle of the night.” “That’s all right, mister. I had to get up to answer the telephone anyway.”

Don bosco june 2008

Joseph

me d i a

ou hear an ad for this hat on the radio. You may be curious but you cannot visualize the actual style or yourself wearing this item. Next you see the ad in a newspaper. Now you can visualize the product but it is only a photo. Now you see a television commercial. The actors in the commercial are snowboarding and having fun. A song is playing in the ad that catches your ear. Now you subconsciously associate the product with fun, excitement and style. Now you want to go and purchase that hat.

manipulate and create false perception to further their own financial objectives. Our lives are saturated with mass media, and violence in media is having a detrimental effect on the well-being of children. Interpersonal attraction to media personalities have been associated with disordered eating and other health hazards.

This is a plain and straight example of how the media in their simplest form influence youth culture. Now if you consider how often youth are subjected to the idea that they need to look perfect, thin, use violence and smoke etc., you will realize that it is a powerful and effective influence or it would not be such a big business. If they were to be more responsible they run the risk of losing the revenues that they currently enjoy.

taking; from patience to convenience; from restraint to indulgence. Even adults are manipulated by these practices.

Media have changed attitudes of people. The attitudes are changing from simple living to consumerism; from collectivity to individuality;from security to risk

Media Create Society

This has an effect on society as a whole due to the fact that the younger kids are looking up to the older youth for guidance. They want to mimic the older youth who project a ‘cool’ and ‘macho’ persona. Adults have a desire to look and feel younger and therefore they tend to follow such trends in order to facilitate this behaviour. Thus the media have a large influence on society as a whole. They effectively

Media have created a confused society. How did current style of clothing and makeup, both revealing and overdone, are accepted as a way of life from being viewed as prostitution in the 70’s? Why do girls as young as 13 are increasingly adding to the amount of younger pregnancies? Are media encouraging sexual promiscuity? If media are convincing teens that this is life, what could possibly direct them in a right direction? There is a need to encourage critical thinking and debate about the media messages and need to create space for diverse representations of ideas and people, and informed citizen participation. People need to reflect critically on the structure of the media industry and the content it produces. Don bosco june 2008

matter

What do we do about media influence on society? We need to be aware of the media influence and learn to analyse the media content and participate actively in meaning creation strategies of the media. Hence Media education is vital to understand the media messages and their meaning and effects. Media education is not to shun mass media but to create positive changes in the mediating process and content.

Today, number of countries have awakened to the situation of media and have introduced training programmes for teachers for courses in media education that will eventually form part of the curriculum in the educational institutions. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Brazil and several other countries have media education to stimulate critical thinking among school children. Media industry in India keeps growing at the rate of 30 percent per annum. The entertainment and media together is the sixth biggest Industry of the country leaving out the IT industry. Our need for media education is urgent and imminent. The subsequent issues will be on media education with examples, anecdotes and stories relating to media.

A. Raj sdb

rajsdb@gmail.com 27

sa l es i an

news

BRIEFLY

Myanmar Archbishops Visit Cyclone-damaged Parishes

50% Students well placed in DB Tech Kottiyam

in the Irrawaddy River delta and Yangon area on the night of May 2, killed between 69,000 and 128,000 people. The Myanmar government confirms close to 39,000 dead and 28,000 missing. Hundreds of thousands of survivors are living in the ruins of their homes, or have taken shelter in Buddhist monasteries and temples, churches or other sturdy buildings that still have roofs. Most buildings in this town are damaged. The cyclone`s winds, repeatedly as high as 250 kilometres an hour, tore off half the Catholic church`s roof and knocked down all the trees in the church compound.

Fifty per cent of the trained youth are offered jobs and are well placed as they complete their training programme in Don Bosco Technical Institute, Kottiyam on 10th May 2008. Thirty two young people passed out from the institute with training in skills such as Carpentry, Electrician, Electronics and Computer. As part of the integral approach all students have had basic exposure to computer course as well as life skills through sessions in such topics as personality, leadership, teamwork etc. The event has become a great news as the institution enrolled many from the Tsunami affected regions and particularly Azhekal for various trades so that they could become earning members of their families. The salesians rejoice at the success as their commitment to such deserving youth paid good results.

Foundation Stone laid at Ongole for Street Children Work The blessing of the Foundation Stone for the Don Bosco Navajeevan, Ongole Shelter Building for the street Children and working children was laid on May 13, 2008. At the invitation of Fr K.P. Mathew, Rector of Don Bosco, Ongole, Fr Maddhichetty Noel, Provincial of Hyderabad blessed and laid the foundation stone. Mr Hara Prasad RPF-CI of Ongole Railway station was the Chief guest of the occasion. 28

Archbishops Charles Bo of Yangon and Paul Zinghtung Grawng of Mandalay went with Father Noel Naw Aye, Yangon archdiocesan projects coordinator, and St. Francis Xavier Sister Leonie Marie to several parishes. They visited Kyaiklat, Maubin, Pyapon and Bogale, between 80 and 150 kilometers southwest of Yangon, on May 11, Pentecost Sunday. About 200 worshippers attended the mass at St. Theresa Catholic Church in Pyapon. Media now report the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies as saying Nargis, which caused massive destruction

``The pope has offered a message of condolence for the people who have been affected by the cyclone, and his delegate has also visited Yangon,`` Archbishop Bo said in his homily. ``As today is the feast day of the Holy Spirit, we get strength from the Holy Spirit`` and hope for better times. After Mass, the two archbishops met the affected people.

The group moved on at about 1 p.m. to Bogale, about 30 kilometers further on, but still in the parish of Pyapon. As the church there was seriously damaged, the visitors went to the home of a Catholic woman, where about 40 worshippers had gathered. During Mass, Archbishop Charles Bo encouraged them to consider that every crisis or difficulty offers an ``opportunity.`` He encouraged them to ``keep all people united and show your love, and try to reach out to all people.`` Reflecting on his visit, Archbishop Grawng told UCA News on May 13 that the people have strong faith, because despite the difficulties, they came to Sunday Mass. He said some of the people he saw faced extreme difficulty including lack of food and drinking water. Besides seeing people begging at the side of the road, he recalled others wandering around, seemingly in a daze. (BIS)

Living beyond the Tsunami New air of relief has come for the students of Don Bosco Monvila as 18 of them have done very well in the recent SSLC Examinations and all of whom were affected by tsunami. They have started living beyond the trauma of tsunami days. After the Tsunami disaster, the Don Bosco institution at Monvila responded by admitting the children from affected areas. About 100 boys reside in the boarding school and attend the school nearby. On 13th May, 2008, those who did the SSLC examinations

got the results of this public board exam. There was just jubilation as all the 18 boys passed the exam and most of them with good grades. The inmates of this boarding home at Monvila are from dysfunctional families and

Don bosco june 2008

many are semi-orphans as well. But they have shown much courage and determination to leave these realities behind as they pursued their education. Of course the great support given by the project and the ambient created for this application and behavioural enhancement has brought about his success. Now all of them plan to continue their education or take up a vocational course leading to employment. (BIS)

sa l es i an

Child Labourers Score High in Public Exams Results are a time for celebration. But this result calls for more than a celebration. Child Labourers seem to show the way to obtain good results and to keep dreaming higher for a good future.

Don Bosco Child Labour Mission at Davangere rescues child labourers and gets them back to mainstream education. In the last 10 years the project has placed back 1176 children back to mainstream education. Of this 1064 are continuing education and 43 passed SSLC (Class X). This year four such children scored above 60% in the SSLC examinations. Two of them also secured above 60% for the Pre University Education. Hanumantha, who was a bonded labourer, secured 389 marks (62.24 per cent), Manikanta scored 411 marks (65.76 per cent), Somakka scored 381 marks (60.96 percent) and Annappanaika secured 383 marks (61.28per cent) in

The project at Davangere, rescues such children and gives them `bridge course` programme for one year after which they are placed in mainstream education system. They are monitored and followed up in their studies as well as the challenges they face in continuing education.

the SSLC examination. M. Mahantesh secured 405 marks (64.8 per cent) and H. Nagaraj got 400 marks (64 per cent) in the PU examination. We are proud of these children and about their achievement considering their situation. Hanumantha for instance was rescued from bonded labour and had not seen what a school looks like until he was sent to the school to join straight to class VIII after one and half year of training with the salesians.

Of the 45 children from Don Bosco who wrote the SSLC examinations this year 40 of them have passed. This is surely a matter of joy particularly in a surrounding like Davangere and their success is surely to be celebrated considering the poor results in the state and in the district this year. But we celebrate for reasons more important - the parents of these children and others in our rehabilitation centre have taken this as an example to be emulated. And they are keen to ``make our children study`` and some were heard to say ``All children should go to school``. (BIS)

Training in Psychological Assessment of Candidates to Religious Life Salesian Psychological Association ( SPA) of India organized a three day seminar cum workshop for its members and others interested in training for assessing candidates to religious life. The seminar cum workshop was organized at BIRDY, Hyderabad, under the leadership of Fr.T.D.JOHN, the secretary of SPA. The participants were from different parts of India, mostly Salesians trained in Psychology and Counselling along with a few others of the same discipline. The workshop aimed at techniques of psychological testing. It offered modules to train Sale-

sian Psychologists in using tools of psychological testing in the assessment of candidates to religious life. It was a wonderful learning experience for the 16 people who were involved in learning learning by doing. Fr. Jose Parapully, Ph.D and Fr. Ajoy Fernandes, Ph.D, the resource persons with their expert knowledge of testing tools and techniques assisted the participants in learning some of the most administered testing tools. The themes and topics were: Overview of the Assessment Process, the Assessment Interview, the Bender Visual Motor Gestalt Test Projective Drawings in

general, the House-Tree-Person Test, Clinical Use of the Draw-A-Person Test, Sentence Completion Tests, Essentials and Use of MIPS and the Psychological Report of the Candidate. At the end of the three-day seminar on testing and assessing, the participants were made to understand that Vocation Guidance is a very challenging and a responsible job, which demands a well rooted knowledge in psychology and human nature and equally an attitude of discerning God`s will with the help of formators and the candidates themselves. (BIS)

Don bosco june 2008

news

BRIEFLY 25th Death Anniversary of Fr.Ephisius Usai observed A special prayer meeting (jingiaseng) was organized at Divine Saviour Parish, Nogthymmai, the parish that was started by Fr. Usai. on 11th May 2008 in remembrance of the 25th death anniversary of Rev.Fr.Ephisius Usai, a pioneer missionary in the Northeast. His grace Most Rev Dominic Jala presided over the prayer meeting. After the initial prayers Kong Flora Ranee, a Retd Magistrate gave a short Rev. Fr.Nicholas Tuligi sdb a friend and co-worker of Fr. Usai spoke about him.

I am close to the people of Myanmar: RM Fr Pascual Chรกvez, Rector Major of the Salesians, replying to the Superior Fr Joachim Ye Maung, expressed his appreciation for the the work the Salesians are doing for the victims of the Nargis cyclone which on 2 May struck Myanmar and his closeness to the people who are suffering the consequences. The Rector Major has promised that the Department for the Missions and the Mission Offices of the Congregation will play their part. (ANS) 29

c h u rc h

news

BRIEFLY Pope:Solidarity, Subsidiarity Reflect the Trinity “The solidarity that binds the human family, and the subsidiary levels reinforcing it from within, must however always be placed within the horizon of the mysterious life of the Triune God, in whom we perceive an ineffable love shared by equal, though nonetheless distinct, Persons.” The Pope affirmed this when he addressed participants in he plenary session of the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences

Catholic roots fight Hollywood nonsense: Jon Voight

Academy Award-winning actor Jon Voight said the strong Catholic roots instilled in him by his mother have helped him overlook much of the “nonsense” of Hollywood. “It is a relief in Hollywood to have some spirituality,” Voight told CNS . “You are protected from all the nonsense. You keep your spirituality by doing good deeds.” After a period of spiritual-seeking in the mid-1980s, Voight said, he rediscovered the lessons learned as a young child from his mother and became involved in using his celebrity status to help others, including American Indians, drug addicts, the homeless, Vietnam veterans and farmers. He also has been a spokesman for almost 20 years for Chabad’s Children of Chernobyl, a medical relief programme for Russian Jewish children still affected by the fallout from the 1986 explosion of the nuclear reactor in Chernobyl, Ukraine. Voight was in Israel to show his support for the Chernobyl children’s programme. (CNS) 30

massive mexican protest for life

Luis Mauricio Saldaña Ayala, executive secretary of the Mexican Bishops’ Committee on the Laity, announced this week that all dioceses in the country would be promoting a nation-wide pro-life protest on May 25. Plans for the protest were drawn up during the National Gathering of Diocesan Lay Councils, which took place April 4-6 in the city of Cuernavaca. “During those days of work and reflection, we focused on issues of national interest,

such as the right to life from conception to natural death,” Ayala said. Leaders at the event decided to organize a prolife march on May 25 and to request the support of all the Mexican bishops. The purpose of the event is to “publicly and openly” express support for human life, “from the moment of conception and in all of its stages,” as a living and coherent commitment “by those of us who believe in the marvelous gift of human life,” Ayala stated. (CNA)

POPE REAFFIRMS TRUTH ABOUT MARRIAGE AND FAMILY One day after California overturned a ban on same-sex marriage, the Holy Father has firmly stated that only marriage between a man and a woman is moral. After California’s Supreme Court came to a 4-3 decision overturning the state’s law preventing homosexuals from being recognized as married, the Pope said, “The union of love, based on matrimony between a man and a woman, which makes up the family, represents a good for all society that can not be

substituted by, confused with, or compared to other types of unions,” he said. “The union of love, based on matrimony between a man

and a woman, which makes up the family, represents a good for all society that can not be substituted by, confused with, or compared to other types of unions,” he said. He continued by speaking of the rights of the traditional family, “founded on matrimony between a man and a woman, the natural cradle of human life.” Mention of the need to defend the family is not uncharacteristic for Pope Benedict, but his statement takes on particular relevance following the California ruling. (CNA)

sisters of the good shepherd welcome the new act signed by bush The Sisters of the Good Shepherd welcome the signing of the Consolidated Resources Act of 2008 (S.2739) into law as their organization advocates and works for the women in trafficking. Since 1999, several Sisters of the Good Shepherd have been working in a shelter for women on the island of Saipan in the Northern Mariana Islands, a commonwealth of the United States under the banner National Advocacy Center ( NAC). The shelter is run by Karidat, the local Catholic social services agency. The Sisters noticed the growing need for assistance to women who are fleeing human trafficking- the tragedy of modern day slavery. These women struggle desperately to survive their ordeal of being held captive and exploited, and the Sisters gather resources to serve them once they are able to reach safety. A large part of the struggle these women face is immigration. The women have no safe place to begin a new life due to the difficulties in the immigration system. Don bosco june 2008

The law becomes significant after the Sr. Mary Stella Mangona travelled to Washington, D.C. from Saipan with a survivor of trafficking to testify before Congress the dismal situation of workers in February of 2007. The National Advocacy Center of the Sisters of the Good Shepherd has been advocating for the passage of the Consolidated Natural Resources Act of 2008 which includes a piece of legislation to reform immigration. The Sisters of the Good Shepherd feel that this law, signed on 9th May 2008 by the President, will have a positive effect on the lives of the women and will help prevent future instances of human trafficking. The Sisters of the Good Shepherd are a Roman Catholic order of women religious founded by St. Mary Euphrasia with the mission to promote the dignity of women and girls as well as the individual worth of every person. The Sisters are in 70 countries throughout the world, including the US. For more information see the NAC website at www.gsadvocacy.org

c h u rc h

brazil’s legalized abortion bill unaimously rejected Brazilian lawmakers unanimously voted to reject a new law that would have legalized abortion in the country. Brazil’s Social Security and Family Commission unanimously voted to reject a new law that would have legalized abortion in the country. All 33 members of the commission voted against the law that would have made killing the unborn, for any reason, legal throughout pregnancy. Lawmakers who wanted the debate on the new law to continue into a fourth round withdrew from the hearing after there was not enough support from a majority of members. Amidst widespread protests for and against the law, the hearing was closed. The organization Defesa da Vida said “Representative Jose Aristodemo Pinotti, together

with Representative Cida Diogo, initially said they would vote in favor of the law.” Pinotti justified his position by arguing that the number of abortions has decreased in the countries where it has been legalized. Defesa da Vida said such arguments were misleading and that data from countries in developed world, such as Britain, Spain, the United States, Australia, New Zealand and Canada show that after being legalized the number of abortions grew instead of diminishing.” The pro-life organization noted that since 1970 Pinotti has also been a member of the Population Council, which belongs to the Rockefeller Foundation, and was established in 1952 to spread international population control. The foundation currently seeks to spread abortion around the globe. (CNA)

defend the family: pope Upon receiving representatives of the Forum of Family Associations and the European Federation of Catholic Family Associations today, the Holy Father addressed the needs of the family while bringing to mind the words of Pope John Paul II, “the future of humanity passes by way of the family.” Pope Benedict addressed the representatives participating in the conference entitled: “Alliance for the Family in Europe, associations in the leading role,” recalling how the conference aims to raise “the awareness of political leaders and public opinion on the central and irreplaceable role that the family plays in our society.” The Holy Father also noted that 2008 marks the 40th anniversary of Paul VI’s Encyclical “Humanae vitae,” and the 25th anniversary of the promulgation of the “Charter of the Rights of the Family,” presented by the Holy See in 1983. The Charter of the Rights of the Family is “principally

addressed to political leaders” but it is also directed at families. The charter “offers those invested with responsibility for the common good a model and a point of reference upon which to base appropriate political legislation for the family” while encouraging families to “come together in the defense and promotion of their rights.” Benedict XVI emphasized the family’s importance by citing John Paul II, “the Pope of the family,” who said that “the future of humanity passes by way of the family.” Pope Benedict added that all of Biblical history is “an expression of a story of love, a story of alliance with God and with mankind. This is why the story of love and union between a man and a woman in the alliance of marriage was taken up by God as a symbol of the history of salvation.” Turning to consider the difficulties facing families in the modern world, the Pope noted that in families today, “we hear a cry for help, often an uncon-

scious one, which clamors for a response from civil authorities, from ecclesial communities and from the various educational agencies.” This must be recognized through a “common commitment to support families by every means available, from the social and economic point of view.” Among the initiatives of the conference, the Holy Father praised the family-friendly fiscal policy, which aims to “promote familyrelated policies that give parents a real possibility of having children and bringing them up in the family.” Exhorting members of the conference to “help families to be a visible sign of this truth, to defend the values which are written in human nature itself and which are therefore common to all humanity: life, the family and education. These are not principles deriving from a (particular) confession of faith but from the application of a justice respectful of the rights of each human being,” Concluded the pontiff. (CNA)

Don bosco june 2008

news

BRIEFLY Serving all people

Pope Benedict XVI explained that with faith, it is possible to see that “the heavenly and earthly cities interpenetrate and are intrinsically ordered to one another, inasmuch as they both belong to God the Father.” The Pope affirmed to the pontifical academy that “you can be assured that your discussions will be of service to all people of good will, while simultaneously inspiring Christians to embrace more readily their obligation to enhance solidarity with and among their fellow citizens, and to act upon the principle of subsidiarity by promoting family life, voluntary associations, private initiative, and a public order that facilitates the healthy functioning of society’s most basic communities.”

Pope encourages media professors to teach skepticism, not cynicism

Students preparing for a career in communications must learn to be skeptical, especially when the public good is at stake, but they also must be helped to avoid becoming cynical, Pope Benedict XVI told communications professors. “Nourish and reward that passion for truth and goodness that is always strong in the young. Help them give themselves fully to the search for truth,” the pope said in a May 23 address to participants in a meeting sponsored by the Pontifical Council for Social Communications. While discussing the specifically Catholic mission of their educational programmes, the best ways to respond to rapid changes in the field of communications and how to educate future media professionals in ethical values. (CNS) 31

va l u es

STORIES FOR RADIANT LIVING engine trouble

giant ship engine failed. The ship’s owners tried one expert after another, but none of them could fix the engine.

The engine was fixed! A week later, the owners received a bill

Then they brought in an old man who had been fixing ships since he was young. He carried a large bag of tools with him when he arrived. He immediately went to work. He inspected the engine very carefully, top to bottom.

from the old man for ten thousand rupees. “What?!” the owners exclaimed. “He hardly did anything!” So they wrote to the old man a note saying, “Please send us an itemized bill.” The man sent a bill that read:

Two of the ship’s owners were there, watching this man, hoping he would know what to do. After looking things over, the old man reached into his bag and pulled out a small hammer.

Tapping with a hammer...Rs 2.00 Knowing where to tap... Rs 9,998.00 Effort is important, but knowing where to make an effort in your life makes all the difference.

He gently tapped something. Instantly, the engine started working.

toy car

toy-car race was being held, and the final round was a few minutes away. There were only four participants left and each of them proudly exhibited their self-made toy-car. Among the players, was one child whose toy-car wasn’t in any way looking marvelous nor special in its look. Compared to his other players, his toy-car was the least magnificent and imperfect. Some of the audience doubted the toy-car capability to race against the other three. Yes, it was true, the toy car looked pretty dull. With simple wood materials and few blinking lamps on its top, but the owner was proud of his toy car, since it was his own creation. Every kid got his car ready on the start line, and at the slightest signal from the jury, they pushed the toy-car as fast as they can. They pushed and pushed, ran 32

and ran along with the car as fast as they could, and at the end, surprisingly, the kid with the least magnificent looking toy car got his toy car touching the finish line first among other players. The champion was then asked by the organizer before receiving his award, “Hey kid, I saw you praying before the final round started, you must have prayed deeply to God that you may win this tournament, didn’t you?” The kid was silent for a moment, and then replied, “No sir, that was not what I prayed, I thought it was not fair to ask God to help me defeat the other players. I only prayed that God help me not to cry if I lose.” After a few moments of silence by the audience, the hall was filled with applause from the audience.

Don bosco june 2008

va l u es

the magic bell

true happiness

nce a theft had occurred in an inn. All the ways the police had tried, but none succeeded. Finally the police came up with a unique method.

However it was strange because even after everyone had went through the tunnel, the bell still had not sounded itself. The lamp was then switched on.

The police gathered all the suspects in a place where a bell had been attached. Then he gave the instruction. “That bell is a magic bell. All of you one by one go pass this tunnel. And when you go pass that bell, I want you to touch it. If you are really the thief, the magic bell will sound itself when you touch it,” explained the police. The lamp was switched of and the whole room went pitch black.

The suspects were asked to stand in a line and show their palms. The thief was caught as the bell had actually been smeared with a special ink. They who did not commit the theft, were not afraid to touch them that their hands caught the ink. On the contrast, the thief, who was in fear and cautious, did not dare to touch the bell that his hand remained clean.

very rich wealthy man was standing thoughtfully on a bridge. Despite of all his riches, he could feel happy for his life was filled with sorrow and emptiness. He intended to commit suicide by jumping into the raging water. When he was about to do it, a beggar

approached him. “Sir, please give me some money to buy some food. I will pray for your health and long life.” Hearing this, he took out the wallet from his pocket and gave all the money inside to the beggar. “Take all of this,” he said.

the fight in the heart

“All of this?” the beggar repeated. He could not believe his very luck.

kindness, benevolence, justice, fairness, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and gratitude.

“Yes, take it all. I am going to a place where I won’t need it anymore,” said the man. He looked back at the river below.

“This same fight is going on inside you and inside every other human as well.”

The beggar felt suspicious with the man’s attitude. Looking at the money, and holding it for a while, he hurriedly returned it and said, “No thank you, I won’t take it. I may be a beggar but I am not a coward and I am not going to receive any money from a coward! Hearing his response, the man was very shocked. The satisfaction and happiness of him giving his money to the beggar vanished instantly. At that moment, he suddenly realized that Happiness is only real when sharing the feeling that he felt just now, that good feeling and satisfaction from giving others happiness, had indeed in turn became his own true happiness.

Grandfather was talking with his grandson.

“A fight is going on inside me,” he said to the boy. “It is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves.” “One wolf is evil and ugly. He is anger, envy, war, greed, self-pity, sorrow, regret, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, selfishness and arrogance.” “The other wolf is beautiful and good. He is friendly, joyful, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility,

The grandson paused in deep reflection because of what his grandfather had just said. Then he finally cried out; “Grandfather, which wolf will win?” The old man replied, “The one that you feed.”

A.J. Frank sdb

ajfrankie@gmail.com Don bosco june 2008

Answers for the May 2008 Brain Teasers 1. The bald-headed man in the lower right-hand corner has left the pool. 2. 60 days 3. 1 mile 4. Flower and Petals 5. VIOLIN (All the others are rela tives: brother, sister and mother).

Don bosco june 2008