don bosco sep 2008

18 Cover Story

Editor www.dbbulletinindia.com Glorious Steve sdb Sub editor R. Kirubagaran sdb Copy editor Stafford Mantel Editorial Team A. Raj sdb Joe Andrew sdb Prof. Victor Louis Joe Mannath sdb Francis Karackatt sdb George Plathottam sdb

Free yourself from stress!

Advisory Council K. Maria Arokiam sdb Stanislaus Swamikannu sdb K.J. Louis sdb

Today, with the too many diversification of human activity, we come face to face with numerous causes of stress and the symptoms of stress and depression.

At one point or the other everybody suffers from stress. Relationship demands, physical as well as mental health problems, pressure at workplaces, traffic snarls, meeting deadlines, growing-up tensions. Is there a way to overcome stress?

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Editor : Glorious Steve

Bible

Current Affairs 11 A giant leap

Well-Being

12 Humility-the forgotten virtue

Students Plus

24 The five methods of taking notes-2 Don bosco SEPTEMBER 2008

27 Game of death 4 The educative/pastoral community 15 Offering ‘ASHA’ 28 Salesian news

Values

8 Divorcing the husband 32 Stories for radiant living 30 Church news

Regulars

26 Humour 34 Children’s page

RECTOR

F

MAJOR

undamental for the carrying out of the Salesian Educative Pastoral Plan (EPP) is the Educative/Pastoral Community (EPC): a group which “involves young people and adults, parents and educators… so that it can become an experience of Church and a revelation of God’s plan for us.” From the earliest days, around Don Bosco this family community was being formed, in which the young people themselves played a leading role and shared responsibility.

Within it there was an atmosphere imbued with the values of the Preventive System, with well-defined spiritual and pastoral characteristics, clear objectives and a convergence of roles thought out and coordinated with the young people in mind. The complexity of the social, cultural and religious circumstances of

effort at formation on the part of all its members. Unfortunately young people often feel themselves lost and at a loss, noticing that what happens around them on the streets, in the family, at school or in the youth centre doesn’t always coincide, nor do they have the same educational objectives.

The EPC is not a new structure but a community of people, in which the same vital values are shared and contribute to forming an identity in which all are happy to participate. It is called educative because at its centre is the concern to promote the all-round development of the young, to bring to maturity their potential in all areas: the physical, psychological, cultural, professional, and

EDUCATING WITH THE HEART OF DON BOSCO

THE EDUCATIVE/PASTORAL COMMUNITY

“The animating nucleus of the EPC [Educative-Pastoral Community] is becoming composed ever more of other subjects (young and lay people, members of the Salesian Family, representatives of the local Church and neighbourhood) who share our spirituality and mission committing themselves to animation. Within it the Salesian community plays the role of the charismatic point of reference from which all take their inspiration.” young people today requires the existence the transcendent. And it is called pastoral and successful functioning of such a because it opens up to evangelisation, it community, so as to make educational walks beside the young, brings about an activity possible. Education is a social experience of Church, in which the values phenomenon the result of the coming of human and Christian communion are together of individuals, procedures and, to be found. In a secularised and secular competences, according to a shared world, the EPC aims to be an outstanding plan. The Salesian system requires an Christian community, leaven in the locality atmosphere of real involvement and of in which it is possible to present, to live genuine friendly fraternal relationships and to celebrate the faith. In addition to in which the sharing of the values of the Salesian community (the guarantee Salesian spirituality is the foundation of of its identity and of communion), and communication and of participation in the to the young people (we work for them, mission. In this sense, the EPC is not just among them, with them and through the subject but also the object of Pastoral them), the parents belong to it as those Ministry and therefore requires a constant primarily responsible for education. The

Don bosco SEPTEMBER 2008

family, in fact ought to be considered the fundamental and primary setting for education and evangelisation. In this sense it becomes the object of the educational and pastoral concern of the EPC. Many lay people are involved in the educative community in various capacities especially members of the Salesian Family who are working in the locality. All of them collaborate at different levels in drawing up the educative plan which is the focus of all the various activities: they work together in the educational process itself.

Keeping themselves professionally and pedagogically up-to-date and spiritually motivated, is one the main concerns of the EPC and all the members and all the various categories involved in the educational process. The ongoing formation of the educator is a basic requirement. It is necessary to invest time, resources and people in the formation of all those engaged in educative/pastoral work. The EPC is a living organism, the subject and the object of education and of pastoral work, a work-shop where the needs and the challenges of culture, the anxieties and the hopes of the young people converge and where an effort is made to find, create and dream solutions. In the face of so many disappointments, it needs to bear witness to the fact that nowadays education is the best way to transform society, preparing the new generations and persuading them

Pascual Chavez Villanueva sdb

E d i tor i a l

Use Skills, Not Pills S

tress is the most commonly used word in today’s busy world. Many health hazards are immediately connected to stress. While it is said to affect the most busy business people, the reality that it affects even children who are burdened with too many lessons to study and too many home works to complete, saddens us.

Some people want to reduce their stress so much that they are willing to pay large sums of money to do so. People spend thousands of rupees needlessly on stress vitamins, tranquillising pills, sleeping pills and many more products in the hope of eliminating the harmful effects of stress on their health.

Sometimes stress becomes really severe, in spite of all your efforts.

Then even small details become overwhelming. If you find yourself chronically unable to function because stress is so overwhelming, it may be time to seek outside help.

Perhaps that is the time when people caught in stress begin to look for any product or service that can bring you a little relaxation and tranquillity. Today one needs to be aware that any product or service that can bring you relaxation can take your money, and make empty promises that it will bring a soothing relaxation.

“It is fatal to enter any war without the will to win it,” said General Douglas MacArthur. Stress is the by product of entering into a war without a will

to win. For those who are determined to win and courageously enter into any risk, stress has no place.

stress which in turn may bring additional problems, it is better to opt for a simpler and personal solution to the problem.

Wise time management can also help you to minimise stress. When students say that they spent all week studying for their exams, it actually means that they spent six days worrying about the exams and just spent one day studying. Thus, instead of worrying too much if we can make the best use of time, stress can be released.

The exact opposite of the stress response is the relaxation response. This response reduces blood pressure, slows the pulse, quells anxiety, and releases tension. Relaxation permits your body to recover from the effects of stress, and you can will it to happen, even in the midst of a stressful situation. You can relax anywhere, any time. You can simply tune into a tranquillising thought or word and relax. For most people, though, relaxation is first learned through a formal exercise.

All of us, at certain moments of our lives, need to take advice and to receive help from other people. Perhaps you can choose the moments of stress to listen to others and humbly receive some helps from others, so that you don’t lose your inner peace and calm.

Helen Keller said, “When one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has opened for us.” Perhaps stressful moments open new horizons for anyone caught in stress. The saddest reality is that those under stress remain looking at the door that is closed instead of the new horizon that has opened up.

Stress comes into the life of so many people primarily because many of us want to be men of success rather than men full of values. Human mind can easily work out a clear plan without taxing your mind or body in such a way that it can lead us to a stress free life. Instead of relying too much on the artificial ways of removing Don bosco SEPTEMBER 2008

Leonardo Da Vinci said, “Every now and then go away, have a little relaxation, for when you come back to your work your judgment will be surer.

Go some distance away because then the work appears smaller and more of it can be taken in at a glance and a lack of harmony and proportion is more readily seen.”

You need to develop many personal skills to handle your stress. The best relaxation will always come not from outside, but from inside. Because, relaxation, happiness and peace are inside jobs. The skills you develop to handle your worries will guard you against stress.

Relax! Enjoy your life! For tranquillity,

Glorious Steve sdb Editor

Spirituality

T

he earth has traversed through many roads of changes, explorations, discoveries and inventions. There are umpteen merits and de-merits in all the realms. If our behaviour fetches a good atmosphere for oneself and the cosmos, then it is laying a highway for maintaining ecology. Human beings are not just a minute particle of creation. She/he voluminously takes part in an integral way, in the happenings of the earth.

FOLLOW YOUR OWN NATURE: There are thousands of flowers that blossom differently. Hence, we also have the right to blossom in our own way. We are all caressed and nourished by the wonderful and splendid Mother Earth. Now a question arises, are we really responding or reacting?

Planet Earth Contest Prize Winning Article - 7

Eco-spirtuality: a road to holistic life

Consciously, I would say no. The reason is that we try to play against nature. We behave in a way that fortunate only our needs and anxieties.

Sometimes, we fail to be altruistic.

Though there are chunk of news that flashes out the ecological status, we are still very slow and naive.

IS IT ECO-SOCIETY OR ECHOING SOCIETY? The crux of this question can be understood in this way. We are all social beings, so much so our achievements bring us to the lime light by our total interdependence.

The menacing factor is not that we are trying to develop a thoughtful ecosociety, but an echoing-society with certain statuesque of individuals.

In a nut-shell, we can apprehend that wo/man tries to control nature by gulping it under her/his feet. The mere factor is to progressively march upon the cyber space world. This becomes a din that unusually provokes nature to create some haphazard actions against creatures.

GOD, OTHERS AND I: Reasonably, God, others and I are integrated in many ways to promote a healthy

ecology. The saddening fact is not that we fail to respond but, we fail to make a positive collaboration with God and others. Turning the pages of the holy Bible, we can highlight the climax of creation. In the book of Genesis we read that God created human beings to be ‘care-takers’ of His creation. So, the aspect of responsibility is framed very vividly in this regard.

IN SOLIDARITY, WE FIND MORE RESPONSIBILITY: Every ability has responsibility. Certainly, the aftermath of any action will not only affect others, but the cosmos Don bosco SEPTEMBER 2008

at large. Hence, solidarity plays an efficient role. Instead of manipulating the ecological standards, we must consciously work together in creating an emerging eco-society.

Still, there is an absence of a connection between human beings and nature. Many sages who were concerned about the prevention of ecological traumas stressed the link.

As the spirituality of human beings.

ECOLOGICAL SPIRITUALITY: “Spirituality is an articulated essence of the human condition of a given

Spirituality time,” says Skolimowski. Great minds and souls have reflected on it and presented many deep insights.

Our circumstances and problems are unprecedented and they require a new spiritual response, a new form of spirituality. Within the frame of ecology, the earth is viewed as a sanctuary. Naturally, we should revere our universe diligently.

Whatever our race and religion be, ecology still connects us all together.

So, the responsibility that we read earlier is more of religious aspect.

Hence, healing planet Earth is a spiritual work of our time. This means to assimilate the beauty and integrity of the planet.

EXTEND YOUR HORIZONS: All the awareness that has been formed presents both practical and spiritual act at the same time. We become complacent within the four walls of our life, family and all that pertains to it. The need of the hour is to unite in one accord for the common service to Mother Earth, in one stupendous ecological prayer.

Buddha says, “Desire is the root cause of suffering.” Here, the desire is attachment to the unsustainable factors. On the contrary, there is need for attachment to the ecological factors. This becomes more meaningful only when there is mutual response. Or else, there will be an appalling chain-reaction.

THE SIDE – REACTION OR RESPONSE: We already spotted out that spirituality is the link that affiliates human beings with the universe. Yet this relational aspect needs more response, in an optimistic manner. Moreover, our spirituality must be sanctified in an optimistic manner. This must be sanctified right away as our life is not too long to travel and is too short to marvel.

Our life can be a light for others… let there be light.

Ecology can be decked with beauty and splendour, only by our filial response. Industrialisation emerges out, mostly with disastrous discoveries and inventions. In particular, this constant action of hoarding industrial products has corroded the real nature and the flamboyant beauty of Mother Earth. So, our life and our spirituality need a greater attention and also a deeper search.

THREATENING MILIEU – AN EYE OPENER: Some up-to-date news gives us the cause of commotions found in the nature. In this regard, Poland is now one of the most polluted counties in Europe. In the south-west part of the country there is a group of cities called ‘triangle of death.’ 25% of children need special attention of medicines. Many of the children are mentally challenged.

This is not a soothing sight for the blurred eyes, that is, we fail to recognise and make a concrete approach towards these unseen problems of the ecological factor. We need specific strategies, by making our spirituality as the ultimate factor to cure the excruciating pain of the planet Earth.

LET THERE BE A SMALL LIGHT…….. Meaning to say, our life can be a light for others and also for ourselves. Eco-spirituality of human beings stands as a factor of living our life holistically. “God gives us the face, but we choose the expressions.”

Let our vision be broadened, so that the planet Earth may be a better place to live and to love, not only for this generation, but for the years to come.

Let this not be an empty phrase, instead let it be an attitude, if we really want to commit ourselves to safeguard this gorgeous Mother Earth.

Bro. Ashwanth Alfred, SDB II Year Philosophy Yercaud

Don bosco SEPTEMBER 2008

S

V A LU E S

ome women approached Jesus and sincerely asked him: “Is it against the Law for a woman to divorce her husband on any pretext whatever?” Salome, one of his best followers, was the leader of the group. Jesus was taken aback by the question. He was a Jew, a man from this male-dominated culture! But he recovered soon. Within himself he was happy and amused that such a question arose.

“Men are supposed to ask this question.

Ah… but with the arrival of the Son of Man things seem to have turned upside down,” commented Jesus with a smile. “Any way, have you not read that the Creator from the beginning made them female and male.

power, property and what not. What I want to know is whether this is really God’s mind.”

Jesus saw that there was no escape from this question.

“All right, if you want to know what God intended, things are not to be in this way.

They are supposed to be equal in rights and dignity. In duties, of course, they cannot be the same always. You know that physically and temperamentally they are made differently and are meant to be complementary.”

“I would say that God created the woman first, and then gave her a helper, the man.”

FROM THE GOSPELS AT A TANGENT - 22

Divorcing the Husband That is why a woman would leave her father and mother and cling to her husband and the two would be one body?”

“So?” “So, what God has united woman shall not divide!”

Peter was passing that way at that moment.

He said: “If that is how things are, it is better not to marry at all!” All the women turned and stared at him angrily. He realized that he had said something foolish as usual, and quietly left the place.

“You see, the reaction of Peter. Men are trying to do it all the time. Why did Moses command that a writ of dismissal could be given by men in case of divorce? Is that right?” this was Rebecca.

“Rebecca, Moses?”

how

dare

you

question

“Answer me first Jesus,” she insisted. The other women in the little group chuckled.

“Are you asking me to test me, or do you want a real answer?”

“Lord, please…,” pleaded Salome. “I know that this is a man’s world. But is that right? Being physically stronger they make us their slaves and in everything they have the advantage, be it in worship, rights,

(Mt 19: 3-12)

Man and woman are supposed to be equal in rights and dignity.

In duties, of course they cannot be the same always… this was Deborah. Jesus realised that they had come planned to attack him. But Jesus was happy. They were not dumb, but intelligent disciples who loved him and so they felt free with him. Several of them used to help him and the apostolic group even with their own money.

“Now you are going beyond inquiry and entering into polemics Deborah,” said Jesus laughing pleasantly. “Well, why do you say that?”

Salome came in. “The female is the archetype of God himself according to me.

Our Scripture says that God created the human being in his own image and likeness and if God is love and creator of life, then the woman is his first image. Man was Don bosco SEPTEMBER 2008

made later to help her.”

“That is not how it is written I think,” said Jesus, secretly admiring her daringness.

“That is because the books were written by men!”

“But let that be,” he continued changing the topic. “Tell me are you having problems with your husband. I have seen Suza. He seems to be a good fellow. Doesn’t he love you?”

“Yes, he does, in his own way. He wants me to be a doll in the house, serve him and him only and think of nothing else in life. He thinks I am a slave that he owns and that he is my little God just because he married me! He says that in everything I have to live only on his terms, and for him alone. Should I not have a personality of my own?”

“What has made you so angry?” asked Jesus.

“He enslaves me in various ways, and I put up with it long enough. He does not give me freedom even to do things that I consider most important in my life.”

“And what would that be that important?”

“Following you, for example!” Salome said this slowly and deliberately, hitting the nail on the head. Jesus opened his eyes wide.

She knew how to catch him! “He is not permitting me to follow you, even when I do not neglect my duties towards him and my children.”

The Master became pensive. He bent down and started scribbling on the ground. This was his mannerism whenever he was trying to think out the solution for a problem.

Just at that moment a group of Sadducees barged in. They were a group who did not believe in the resurrection from the dead. They wanted to corner Jesus and their leader straight away started with a story.

“Master, there was a man who had six brothers. He married and died without issue. So, according to our law and custom,

V A LU E S call it the marriage between the people of God and the lamb of God. During their life on earth the union between married couples is to be lived as a sign of this union between the Church and her Lord, the Christ. Their conjugal love should lead them to love God rather than hinder it.”

“Lord, I am thrilled,” Salome shouted. “So if my husband is a block to follow you, what shall I do?”

“Disobey him,” Jesus said firmly. “You are made for your God, not for your husband.

No one has the right to stop you from following your God and the One He has sent!”

“Disobeying him, I can. I am already doing it. What I want to know is whether I can divorce him?” Although She asked the question quickly, there was a visible sadness in her voice. She was a good wife and loved Suza all these years.

“Oh no! divorce is another matter. Love by its very nature is given permanently.

You cannot truly have loved someone, and then say, ‘now I stop’. Try to convert him.

Tell him that he too is made for me. If you know how to tell him that he will believe you…, and in me!”

Sure enough, that night she spoke to her husband as lovingly and as clearly as possible. The next day they both came to the Master. the next brother married the widow. He too died. Thus did all the seven. Finally also the women died. Now in the resurrection of the dead, whose wife will she be?”

Jesus was happy that they came. They gave him an opportunity to answer also the questions of his female disciples.

“You foolish people. Do you want to marry here and continue that also in the next world?” He burst into a peel of laughter.

“Only in this world there is marriage because you have a human body needed to beget children and express your love for each other. In the next world there is no marriage. Because all will be the beloveds of God alone, like the angels. There all will be married to Him. He will be the only husband and all of, his people, will be his beloveds. All the human love we cherish

in this life will not be destroyed but fused into God’s boundless love.” Following this Jesus explained to them about the loving God whose beloved ones will not be allowed to die for ever. With that, whether they understood it or not, the Sadducees left, in the same way they came.

“Come my beloved,” Jesus called out loud.

Both of them were looking at each other in doubt.

“So, Salome, what were you telling me?”

“You, Suza, it is you whom I called. I think your lovely wife must have talked to you last night. Now you know that you too are made for me, not for her,” Jesus said with a smile.

“I said that my husband prohibits me from following you.”

Salome began to stare at him. But he did not mind it.

“Yes, yes… that is serious,” Jesus said with mock seriousness. “Listen carefully all of you. You just now heard me telling those Sadducees that all men and women were made by God to live with Him as His own beloved people for all eternity. Men and women are created finally to be married to God alone. In the future my disciples will

“And if ever Salome is a block for you to follow me, leave her alone and come after me,” Jesus said pleasantly with a twinkle of mischief in his eyes. And that is how Suza

Don bosco SEPTEMBER 2008

K. Maria Arokiam sdb

mariaarokiam.kanaga@gmail.com

BIBLE

A

aron is remembered for the miraculous blossoming and almonds of his rod, as he was empowered by God to turn it into a serpent before Pharaoh’s eyes. As the high priest, he was the founder and ancestor of the Israelite priesthood. He was the eldest son of Jochebed and Amram of the tribe of Levi, brother of Miriam and Moses. He was three years older than Moses. Because Moses stuttered, Aaron served as a spokesman before the Pharaoh and the Israelites towards their freedom.

In Hebrew his name meant: exalted; high mountain; mountain of strength. The Bible does not say anything about Aaron’s birth, his early life, or his upbringing. It states that he

when the Levites, by order of Moses, killed about 3,000 of the idol worshipers.

Although Aaron did not take any part in the construction of the portable sanctuary, God ordered Moses to consecrate him and his sons as official priests. During the consecration ceremonies, Aaron and his sons, Eleazar and Ithamar, officiated at Moses’ side; while two of his sons, Nadab and Abihu, died when they burned forbidden incense before the Lord, a tragic loss that Aaron bore in silent resignation. And once a year, on the Day of Atonement, Aaron was allowed to go into the Sacred Sanctuary, the holiest part of the Tent of Testimony, bringing his offering.

Personality for Imitation -9

Aaron: The First Israelite

High Priest married Elisheba the daughter of Amminadab, of the tribe of Judah, by whom he had four sons: Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.

After Aaron his son Eleazar succeeded as High Priest. In the book of Hebrews, Aaron is seen as the imperfect priest when contrasted with the perfect priesthood of Jesus.

10

At Meribah when the people complained of no water, God then ordered Moses to speak to the rock, and Moses hit it twice. Since Moses and Aaron had not carried out God’s command exactly as they were expected to, God reproved and told that they would not live to see the Promised Land. Like Moses and Miriam, Aaron was not allowed to enter the Promised Land. God used Moses to prepare Aaron to face his death on Mount Hor. Aaron died at the age of 123. The Israelites did not believe his death until a strange vision in which they saw Aaron lying peacefully in a cave, a candle burning by his bedside.

For forty years Aaron remained in Egypt to share the hardships of his people, while Moses fled into the wilderness. He knew every Israelite families and was very much influential among them. And so Aaron was bold enough to introduce Moses to their assembled elders and declared to them God’s divine commission with persuasive power. He was also a great lover of peace, who brought love and harmony among people and in many homes. Because of this the entire people of Israel mourned his death for thirty days.

In the Bible, Aaron was first mentioned by God when Moses declined the hazardous Exodus mission imposed upon him. God then told Moses that Aaron would be his mouthpiece.

Aaron’s eloquent speeches to Pharaoh were reinforced by the miracles that he performed with his walking stick. After the march out of Egypt, Aaron was no longer a central figure.

In the Wilderness, at the first battle of the Israelites against the Amalekites, with Hur Aaron supported Moses’ wearied hands held upward to ensure victory. Again later with Hur, Aaron acted as deputy for Moses when he climbed Mount Sinai to receive the two stone tablets of the Law. During Moses’ prolonged absence, Aaron yielded to the pressure of the people and made with their jewelry a tangible god of golden calf that became a cause of apostasy. Despite this he was neither punished nor disqualified from the priesthood. The people, on the other hand, were harshly punished

the congregation were equally holy. The earth split open and swallowed Korah and his followers.

To demonstrate the special status of Aaron’s priesthood and the Levites, Moses placed a stick from each of the tribes in the Tent of Testimony and left them there overnight; the following day, the stick representing the tribe of Levi, which had Aaron’s name inscribed on it, was the only one sprouting blossoms and almonds.

The Bible records an incident of friction between the brothers when Aaron sided with their sister, Miriam, against Moses’ supremacy, using as a pretext Moses’ Ethiopian wife. God punished Miriam with leprosy but again Aaron was not punished.

Aaron and Moses were the target of a serious revolt led by their cousin, the Levite Korah, who claimed that all the members of Don bosco SEPTEMBER 2008

Aaron remained always as faithful ‘Mouthpiece’ of Moses. In all his interviews with Pharaoh stood by Moses. In the battle against Amalek, Aaron and Hur supported Moses hands to prevail Israel. He also stood as a model and prototype of the Jewish High Priest. Because God forgave his envoious questioning against Moses supremacy and his instability in making idolatroy cult of worship. And upheld him of his priesthood by blossoming him rod and allowing him to enter into the Holy of Holies on the great Day of Atonement.

Victor Antonyraj sdb victoraraj@yahoo.com

CURRENT

A giant leap At a time when our country is facing so many problems on the terror front and corrupt criminal politicians deciding the fate of our nation these performances has given a fresh lease of life for our people.

I

t was a golden moment for our country when our shooter Abhinav Bindra hit the bulls eye. For the first time in the history of Indian Sports a gold medal was bagged in the individual category and in the process shattered the famed lines that not a single gold for a country with a population of more than a billion. The medal tally swelled up by two more bronze medals. Thanks to the brilliant performance of Delhi wrestler Sushil Kumar and boxing glamboy Vijender Kumar. Unfortunately the media’s favourite and medal hopefuls Leander Mahesh duo, Anju George, Rajyavardhan singh Rathore did not rise up to the expectations. .

A one day cricket matched played in Barbados will attract enough eye balls to the television set that a world class sports played in the heart of our capital city will have very few takers. With 3

medals in individual sporting disciplines at the Beijing Olympics it has given the much needed momentum for the upliftment of the not so popular sports in our country. It’s a giant leap for the sporting fraternity other than cricket.

At a time when our country is facing so many problems on the terror front and corrupt criminal politicians deciding the fate of our nation these performances has given a fresh lease of life for our people. Also in Badminton, tennis and archery we almost had near podium finishes. When the small contingent of 56 sports person who walked in the Beijing stadium there were many who thought that it was just going to be another presence at the Olympics. With hockey not even getting qualified for the Olympics the medal chances were all the more slimmer. Even the Indian Olympics Association president made a statement sayDon bosco SEPTEMBER 2008

AFFAIRS

ing, “ Not to expect miracles ” but miracles still happened.

Also if one noticed that all the three performers were overnight stars. They got into limelight because of sheer hard work and determination. Abhinav Bindra, 25, son of a wealthy businessman from the northwestern city of Chandigarh, won a gold in the 10-meter air rifle competition. Vijender Kumar, 23, a bus driver’s son from a village about 80 miles from Delhi, won a bronze in boxing. And Sushil Kumar, 24, who learned to wrestle in the dirt on the outskirts of Delhi, also won a bronze.

Within days after their feats many state governments and sporting bodies and corporate unleashed cash prizes and gift vouchers running into crores of rupees.

It’s celebration time for all the winners and also for the upcoming players in the field of not so popular sport. With state governments promising to set up academies to promote boxing and wrestling, India looks poised to have an Olympic sporting culture of its own.

But Governments, sporting associations and corporates should come forward to support Olympic sports. For instance the phenomenal performance of China with an impressive 51 gold medals followed by USA with just 36 was mainly due to the policy of the government of China. It understands and values the importance of sports and sports people.

We should take a cue from China be it on the economic aspect or sports.

A distant dream of gold at the Olympics has been realized and now it’s the time to look forward to boost the much neglected and sidelined sports in our country. A day will come when we will lose the count of Olympic medals predicts an enthusiastic sports buff. Miracles will happen.

S. Rajvee

www.rajvee.com, rajvee@rajvee.com 11

W E LL - B E I N G

T

he following incident is reported to have taken place on a British Airways flight between Johannesburg (South Africa) and London.

A white woman, about 50 years old, was seated next to a native African.

Very disturbed by this, she called the air hostess. “You obviously do not see it then?” she asked. “You placed me next to a black man. I did not agree to sit next to someone from such a repugnant group. Give me an alternative seat.” “Be calm please,” the hostess replied.

still have one place in the First Class.”

Before the woman could say anything, the hostess continued. “It is unusual for our company to permit someone from Economy Class to sit in First Class.

However, given the circumstances, the captain feels that it would be scandalous to make someone sit next to someone so disgusting.” She turned to the African and said, “Therefore, Sir, if you would like to, please collect your hand luggage, a seat awaits you in the First Class.”

At that moment, the other passengers, who had been shocked by what they had

just witnessed, stood up and applauded the crew of the aircraft.

The moral of the story is that arrogance does not always put you on a pedestal and that humility and respect for others is still a value that is cherished.

We are living in a society that encourages raw competition, unbridled consumerism and a craving for material possessions. A natural outcome of this phenomenon is arrogance, aggressiveness and the need

Humility-the forgotten virtue “Almost all the places on this flight are taken. I will go to see if another place is available.”

The hostess went away and then came back a few minutes later. “Madam, just as I thought, there are no other available seats in Economy Class. I spoke to the captain and he informed me that there is also no seat in Business Class. All the same, we

Humility is actually founded on inner strength. Once I am confident of my self worth, I am not afraid of being humble.

to push forward our external selves. We have to win at the cost of the failure and fear of others. The overemphasis on personal fulfillment, self-confidence and self glory by psychologists and new age gurus could lead to selfishness and pride. The famous novel ‘The Fountainhead’ by Ayn Rand (1943), for example, spoke of extreme positivism or Objectivism – ‘each person is expected to think primarily about himself and to live primarily for himself. The needs of the individual can never be sacrificed to the needs of the group.’

In our wellbeing articles we have spoken of self acceptance and self confidence but it has to be founded on humility.

True self-acceptance is based on love and humility and we can call this love for self.

Selfishness instead, is based on pride and a disregard for others. Love for self begins with the humble acceptance that all that I have (talents, looks, achievements etc.) is a gift from above. This enables me to be grateful and to look at others with compassion and love.

Jesus is humility personified. He was God but he took the form of a human being and was born in poverty in a stable. He died a shameful death on the cross to save humanity from their sins. This is

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W E LL - B E I N G humility. If God himself humbled himself how much more should we humble ourselves? He said to his disciples: “Learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for your souls.” (Mt. 11: 29). Humility is the foundation for a life of holiness and sanctity. It makes one understand that God is in control and that we are only his humble, but worthy instruments. It is said that as the ant and the elephant walked across the hanging bridge, the ant remarked to the elephant, “Boy, don’t we make this bridge shake!” It is God who is at the centre of the universe. In the words of Bernard Baily, “When science discovers the center of the universe, a lot of people will be disappointed to find they are not it.”

Christian Herter was the governor of Massachusetts in the 1950’s and once when he was campaigning, he came across someone whom he was about to ignore, but found himself having to notice. Apparently, he was having a really hard day campaigning, missed his lunch and came in the late afternoon to a church barbeque, really hungry. As he moved down the serving line, the story goes, he held out his plate to the woman serving chicken. She put a piece on his plate and turned to the next person in line.

“Excuse me,” the governor said. “Do you mind if I have another piece of chicken?”

“Sorry,” the woman told him. “I’m supposed to give one piece of chicken to each person.” “But I’m starved,” the governor said. “Sorry,” the woman said again, “Only one to a customer.”

Governor Herter was apparently a modest and unassuming man but he decided this time he would throw a little weight around. “Do you know who I am?” he said to this woman. “I’m the governor of the state.” “Do you know who I am?” the woman replied. “I’m the lady in charge of the chicken. Move along mister,” she said.

Humility is the defining characteristic of an unpretentious person, one who is modest and is not arrogant or aggressive.

Humility is often mistaken for timidity or subservience or lack of assertiveness.

Humility is actually founded on inner strength. Once I am confident of my self worth I am not afraid of being humble.

The more a person grows in greatness and wisdom, the humbler he or she becomes. It is said that it is often the neo-rich who flaunt their wealth in a very vulgar manner. David Packard, the cofounder of Hewlett-Packard is quoted as saying: “You shouldn’t gloat about anything you’ve done; you ought to keep going and find something better to do.”

Another great leader is Patrick Daniel, CEO of North American energy and pipeline company Enbridge, espouses two leadership attributes: determination to create results and humility, “I have learned through the lives of great leaders,” he said, “that greatness comes from humility and being at times, self-effacing.”

Friendships and marriages often dissolve and come to nothing due to the lack of humility. A little humility can often solve a number of problems in our families and places of work. It is the lack of humility that does not allow real dialogue to take place. The very word dialogue means that we come open to the truth and not come with fixed ideas. True humility makes us make statements like: “You are right!” or “This is something I can learn from you.” Humility helps us to apologize.

Arrogance is “I” centered and humility Don bosco SEPTEMBER 2008

is “we” centered. A famous evangelist decided to write a book on “Humility” and unfortunately its publication was delayed because the printer ran out of capital I’s!

In the days when an ice cream sundae cost much less, a 10 year old boy entered a hotel coffee shop and sat at a table. A waitress put a glass of water in front of him. “How much is an ice cream sundae?” “Fifty cents,” replied the waitress. The little boy pulled his hand out of his pocket and studied the number of coins in it. “How much is a dish of plain ice cream?” he inquired. Some people were now waiting for a table and the waitress was a bit impatient. “Thirtyfive cents,” she said brusquely – a little arrogant. The little boy again counted the coins. “I’ll have the plain ice cream,” he said. The waitress brought the ice cream, put the bill on the table and walked away without a smile. The boy finished the ice cream, paid the cashier and departed.

When the waitress came back, she began wiping down the table and then swallowed hard at what she saw. There, placed neatly beside the empty dish, were two nickels and five pennies - her tip. No wonder Jesus one day took a child in his hands and looked at his followers and said: “Unless you become like little

Joe Andrew sdb

joeandrewsdb@hotmail.com 13

SALESIAN

Anti Christian Violence in Orissa 1. NUN REPORTED BURNT ALIVE: A Christian woman, possibly a nun, was reported burnt alive on 25th August 2008 by a group of Vishwa Hindu Parishad mob which stormed the orphanage she ran in the district of Bargarh (Orissa). Police Superintendent Ashok Biswall has told this to news reporters. A priest who was at the orphanage was also badly hurt and is now being treated in hospital for multiple burns.

2. NUN RAPED: A young Catholic Nun of the Cuttack Bhubaneswar diocese working Jan Vikas Kendra, the Social Service Centre at Nuagaon in Kandhamal was reportedly gang raped on 24th August 2008 by groups of Hindutva extremists before the building itself was destroyed.

3. SENIOR PRIEST AND NUN INJURED: Fr Thomas, director of the Diocesan Pastoral Centre in Kanjimendi, less than a kilometer away from the Social Service Centre, and another Nun were injured when the centre was attacked. They were taken to the police station in a dishevelled state as the armed mob bayed for their blood. The Pastoral centre was then set afire.

4. BALLIGUDA CHURCH BUILDINGS DESTROYED AGAIN: On 24th August 2008 evening lynch mobs at the block headquarters of Balliguda, in the very heart of Kandhamal district, which had seen much violence between 24th and 26th December 2007, attacked and destroyed a Presbytery, convent and hostel damaging the properties. The mobs in Balliguda caught hold of two boys of the Catholic hostel and tonsured their heads.

5. PHULBANI CHURCH DAMAGED: On 25th august 2008 morning 14

followers of the late Lakshmanananda Saraswati damaged the Catholic Church in Phulbani, the district headquarter town.

13. Muniguda Catholic Fathers and Nuns’ residence have been damaged.

6. MOTHER TERESA BROTHERS ASHRAM ATTACKED: Mobs attacked the Mother Teresa Brothers’ residence and hospital in Srasanada, destroyed once before and rebuilt two months ago, and beat up the patients.

15. Padanpur: One priest is attacked and admitted to a hospital. Hostel boys and the in charge have moved away from the place.

Fundamentalists have targeted Priests, religious and also the Faithful in Pobingia also.

7. BHUBANESWAR BISHOP’S HOUSE ATTACKED: On the morning of 25th August 2008, violent mobs made several attempts to enter the Catholic Church and Archbishop’s house in the Capital of the State of Orissa. They could not enter because of the police presence. They threw stones at the guesthouse of Archbishop’s House, damaging windows.

8. DUBURI PARISH: Another group of fundamentalists entered presbytery in Duburi parish, managed by the SVDs and destroyed and damaged property. Two priests of the parish are missing.

9. Mr. Jamaj Pariccha, Director of Gramya Pragati, is attacked and his property, vehicle etc. damaged, burnt and looted.

10. A Baptist Church in Akamra Jila in Bhubaneswar is also damaged.

11. Christian institutions like St. Arnold’s School (Kalinga Bihar), AND NISWASS report some damage.

12. BOUDH DISTRICT [Adjoining Kandhamal]: Fundamentalists enter the Catholic parish church and destroy property. People are fleeing to safer places. But nothing seems safe.

Don bosco SEPTEMBER 2008

14. Sambalpur HM Sister’s residence (Ainthapalli) has suffered damage.

16. Madhupur Catholic Church currently under attack.

17. SMALL CHURCHES: Attempted violence on small churches in various districts, including Padampur, Sambalpur near GM College, Talsera, Dangsoroda, Narayanipatara, Muniguda, Tummiibandh, Tangrapada, Phulbani, Balliguda, Kalingia, Chakapad are Srasanranda.

18. VILLAGE CHRISTIAN HOUSES ATTACKED: Houses attacked on forest hamlets of Balliguda, Kanjamandi Nuaguam (K.Nuaguam), Tiangia (G.Udayagiri), Padangiri, Tikabali.

19. KALAHANDI DISTRICT: Houses burnt even though the district is more than 300 kilometers from the place where Swami Lakshmanananda was killed.

20. Pastor Sikandar Singh of the Pentecostal Mission beaten up and his house burnt in Bhawanipatna.

21. Kharihar: three Christian shops were looted and burnt. Pastor Alok Das and Pastor I M Senapati beaten up.

22. Aampani: Pastor David Diamond Pahar, Pastor Pravin Ship, Pastor Pradhan and Pastor Barik beaten up and chased away with their families.

23. Naktikani: Mob surrounds village to attack Christians. The government has sent forces, it is reported.

Dr. John Dayal

I

SALESIAN

SALESIAN

ndia is a vast sub-continent populated with one thousand million habitants, characterised by a complex cultural structure, with thousands of ethnic and many different languages. In 1991, Kolkata celebrated the 300th anniversary of its foundation. As the capital of the British India until 1911, Kolkata has been the centre of social, cultural and political reforms. During its history the city has produced an almost unparallel cultural richness, and is still the economic headquarters for the Eastern region of India, attracting millions of migrants in search of employment and new life.

At the same time Kolkata has become infamous for its poverty, slums and daily struggle for survival that many of its people. Amongst the poorest of these are the children, living alone and working on the streets and railway stations. These children scattered in the train station or in some parts of the city, have in most cases lost contact with their families. According to the UNICEF, there are 100,000 children in the streets of Kolkata.

The causes of this misery are of all sorts: poverty, illiteracy, death or sickness of parents, drunkenness of the father, prostitution by the mother, conjugal violence, divorce‌.. In a constant struggle to live, these children have to use any and whatever means possible to survive: searching garbage dumps, begging, stealing, sweeping trains, polishing shoes, performing spectacles on the streets; and of course, avoiding all the multiple dangers: threats from the older children, rejection from society, rape, sickness, drugs, prostitution, etc.

It is in this situation that the work for street children began in Kolkata. From a tiny seed that sprouted in Pilkhana, near Howrah station, Don Bosco Ashalayam has grown into a mighty banyan tree offering shade and succour to thousands of children. Ashalayam, as we see it today, is a gigantic family, working for the rehabilitation of street and destitute children in Kolkata and the Districts of Howrah, Nadia, 24 Parganas (N), Burdwan and Kharagpur, irrespective of caste, race, religion or gender since 1985. Currently around 600 children are living in 21 residential homes (5 for girls) and 3 night shelters (1 for girls) and they

Offering ‘ASHA’

The hopless, rootless and roofless children find a shelter that makes a lasting impression and a permanent livelihood in the various premises of Ashalayam, Kolkata. are daily in contact with more than 5,000 children who are still living and earning off the city streets.

The Origin

Don Bosco Ashalayam has its humble beginning on the platforms of Howrah station in 1985. Fr. Anthony Thaiparambil, a Salesian priest, while passing through Howrah station on one of his several journeys noticed many children on the platforms. They seemed to have made the railway station their home.

They survived by means of begging, rag picking, checking trains for lost or abandoned goods and most of the times for food. They looked helpless and lost.

He decided to do something for them.

He started visiting them regularly. But the children found it difficult to accept a stranger because they considered the ordinary and decently dressed people as their enemies.

However, after repeated attempts gradually the children accepted Fr. Anthony as their friend and began to Don bosco SEPTEMBER 2008

open their hearts to him. He listened to their problems and stories. Their first problem was having a shelter, because at night they were harassed by adults, senior street kids and others. Whatever money they could save was also stolen. A solution was found and on 8th December 1985, 14 boys walked into a shelter for the first time. Thus was born Don Bosco Ashalayam at Pilkhana. And eventually, the shelter became a home offering hope to the hopeless and rootless and roofless children in and around Kolkata.

Don Bosco, the inspiration

Don Bosco (1815-1888) the founder of the Salesian Society, known as the father and friend of abandoned youngsters, welcomed the roaming children on the streets of Turin, Italy, into his home. The industrial revolution had caused rampant unemployment and poverty which left these children helpless, homeless and hopeless. Malnourishment and ignorance minimised the chances of employment or a bright future for these youngsters. Don Bosco, a young catholic priest, began an 15

SALESIAN

a

2. PREVENTIVE ASPECT: Preventing the children from landing up on the streets and railway platforms by reaching out to them where they are through various activities and programmes under our different projects like Childline, NonFormal Education Project, NCLP, Outreach , Street Contact Programmes, etc.

The strategy devised for the socioeconomic rehabilitation of the beneficiaries is reached through the 6 steps as detailed below:-

Established member of the society

HOMING

me

SAVING

ing y iet oc eS

STREET PRESENCE

th

WEANING

of

GROOMING

er

TRAINING

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1. CURATIVE ASPECT: Curing the children of their wounds (physical, mental and emotional) and helping them forget their traumatic past through a lifestyle with a family-like set-up. For this the 21 Homes have been opened up providing the children with proper and professional mental health support, medical support, basic education, formal education and training in professional skills.

ut

To those children who do not want or need to be institutionalised, they try to reach their services in a variety of ways: NONFORMAL Project, which helps provide the children living in the slums, bustees and station-adjacent areas with support

The uniqueness of Ashalayam’s methodology is the division of its activities into two broad areas:- Curative aspect and Preventive aspect.

rib

A unique approach

Methodology

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In the beginning Ashalayam provided only Night Shelter to these children, but gradually the children expressed their needs and slowly it developed its own homes, so that they could meet all their basic needs and rights. Even today Ashalayam cannot reach out to all the street children who are working in the various lanes and by-lanes of Kolkata.

But the Ashalayam family is doing its best to reach out to the maximum number of these youth.

AND FINAL SETTLEMENT CELL which tries to provide assistance for job seeking, self employment, purchase of land, making a house, etc.

Co

The child on the street is totally at a loss and the aim of Ashalayam is to make each one experience the lost warmth and love of the family. If any child has a family, every effort is made to help him/her get back to it and if the child is roofless and rootless, Ashalayam helps him/her to form his/her own family in its own unique way.

tc hil db ec om ing

Ashalayam aims to…

ree

Don Bosco Ashalayam is a movement which has been founded to protect children from the evils of our present day society. It offers them possibilities to blossom in an environment that assures them security, love, hope and acceptance. The very word “Ashalayam”, in Sanskrit means, “A Home of Hope” and it really emphasises on meeting the needs of the homeless and helpless children.

St

This was the inspiration behind the work for street children in Kolkata.

for education in formal institutions, medication and nutrition; NATIONAL CHILD LABOUR PROGRAMME (NCLP), a project partially financed by the Government of India which weans away the child labourers/prospective child labourers from the labour market and tries to provide education to them; CHILDLINE Project, (a Government of India sponsored Programme) provides 24-hour service on the streets and railway platforms catering to the needs of lost children or children in distress by way of either restoring them back to their families or providing other services, either direct or referral; OUTREACH AND STREET CONTACT Programme in the streets and stations of Howrah, Kolkata, Burdwan and Kharagpur which reaches out to the children and youth and tries to wean them away from the streets and stations to the institutional care of Don Bosco Ashalayam or refer them, to partner NGOs; SANJOG project which tries to remedy the emotional setback that the children have received from the society while they were on the streets and railway stations by constant counseling and guidance on their career prospects; VOCATIONAL TRAINING project which trains the children in various professional trades like carpentry, bakery, welding, Tailoring, etc; PLACEMENT

A

oratory for gathering these boys. And later began to offer these boys shelter, literacy and trade skills. Gradually many recognised his work and came to support him. Slowly the boys’ self respect and self confidence were built up and they turned out to be responsible and useful members of the society.

SIX PILLARS OF ASHALAYAM Don bosco SEPTEMBER 2008

Street childern

SALESIAN The expansion of DB Ashalayam/Homes of Ashalayam Over these past 23 three years the activities of Ashalayam have increased manifold. Many new projects have come under the wings of Ashalayam, new units have been opened and new activities been developed. Thus the need was felt to divide all the homes into four specific units due to the increase of works.

I. Howrah Unit 1. Ashalayam – the coordinating centre of all the activities and projects.

2. Asha Anand (1999) – a home located in Pilkhana, for children between 10-14 years.

3. Mayeer Asha (1997) – a home cum training centre for girls in Ichhapur, Howrah.

II. Bhattanagar Unit 1. Asha Neer (1992) – children coming mostly from railway stations, age between 6-12 years.

2. Asha Nivas (1993) – It is the main centre of Bhattanagar Unit and children are between 11-16 years of age.

3. Asha Maria (1995) – A family type home for children between 13 18 years.

4. Asha Jyoti (1995) – this is a half- way home and children staying here are between 4 to 8 years of age.

5. Asha James (2000) – a family- type home and children are between 7-12 years.

6. Asha Arunodoy (2001) – a family- type home for street and destitute girls aged between 4 to 14 years.

III. Kolkata Unit 1. Asha Deep (1994) – a shelter home and the age group is between 5-7 years.

2. Asha Bosco (1995) – a shelter home, aged between 8-12 years.

3. Asha Bhavan (1996) – a shelter home for boys of age group 12-15.

4. Asha Deepti (1997) – a family type home for age group 6-18, initially located in Hastings but from 2005 it has been shifted to the new premises at Mominpore in Kokata.

5. Asha Dristi (1999) – a shelter home opened for children between 14-16 years.

6. Asha Nayan (2002) – the most recent home which also has a night shelter of age group between 13-18 years.

IV. Kalyani Unit 1. Asha Salven (1997) – for children of aged group 6-10 years.

2. Asha Niketan (1997) – a house donated by Bishop Lucas Sircar.

This is exclusively for the children who go to Auxilium School, Kalyani, aged between 8-24 years.

3. Asha Uday (1999) – a home for small boys between 6-10 years of age.

4. Asha Dan – meant for comparatively bigger boys who want to make farming their way of life.

5. Asha Nirmala (2003) – a home cum training centre for girls of aged group between 5-18 years.

Project of Ashalayam Non-formal Education (NFE) – regular classes and monthly medical check-up Mobile Health Clinic (MHC) – provide basic medical facilities Asha Shramik (ASP) – work for child labourers of the slums and underdeveloped areas Childline – 24-hour emergency phone outreach service committed to respond to children in difficult circumstances.

Don bosco SEPTEMBER 2008

Other Activities • • • • • •

• • •

Melas Night Shelters Placement & Final Settlement Documentation centre Home-Link MCS (Missing Child Search) Website Annual Summer Camp Computer Training Programme Scouts and Guides

These once abandoned children, now here with Don Bosco Ashalayam, are given the chance to begin a new life through educational and vocational training programmes, and through dedicated care and support are assisted to grow into mature, responsible and productive citizens with the help of generous individuals or institutions that partially support various initiatives.

Therefore we see that in all these ‘Asha’ (hope) is being offered by the Salesians to the street children. The transformation of these children has been the greatest miracle the Salesians have worked out with the strength of their visionary founder Don Bosco.

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STORY

Stress can cause headaches, irritable bowel syndrome, eating disorder, allergies, insomnia, backaches, frequent cold and fatigue to diseases such as hypertension, asthma, diabetes, heart ailments and even cancer.

T

he word ‘stress’ is defined by the Oxford Dictionary as “a state of affair involving demand on physical or mental energy”. A condition or circumstance (not always adverse), which can disturb the normal physical and mental health of an individual. In medical parlance ‘stress’ is defined as a perturbation of the body’s homeostasis. This demand on mind-body occurs when it tries to cope with incessant changes in life.

A ‘stress’ condition seems ‘relative’ in nature. Extreme stress conditions, psychologists say, are detrimental to human health but in moderation stress is normal and, in many cases, proves useful. Stress, nonetheless, is synonymous with negative conditions. Today, with the too many diversification of human activity, we

Free Yourself From Stress!

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COVER come face to face with numerous causes of stress and the symptoms of stress and depression.

At one point or the other everybody suffers from stress. Relationship demands, physical as well as mental health problems, pressure at workplaces, traffic snarls, meeting deadlines, growing-up tensions—all of these conditions and situations can be valid causes of stress.

People have their own methods of stress management. In some people, stress-induced negative feelings and anxieties tend to persist and intensify.

Learning to understand and master stress management techniques can help prevent the counter effects of this urban malaise.

The Dynamics of Stress

In a challenging situation the brain prepares the body for defensive action—the fight or flight response by releasing stress hormones, namely, cortisone and adrenaline. These hormones raise the blood pressure and the body prepares to react to the situation. With a concrete defensive action (fight response) the stress hormones in the blood get used up, entailing reduced stress effects and symptoms of anxiety.

When we fail to counter a stress situation (flight response) the hormones and chemicals remain unreleased in the blood stream for a long period of time. It results in stress related physical symptoms such as

“Nothing gives one person so much advantage over another as to remain always cool and unruffled under all circumstances.”

—Thomas Jefferson

STORY

tense muscles, unfocused anxiety, dizziness and rapid heartbeats. We all encounter various stressors (causes of stress) in everyday life, which can accumulate, if not released.

Subsequently, it compels the mind and body to be in an almost constant alarm-state in preparation to fight or flee. This state of accumulated stress can increase the risk of both acute and chronic psychosomatic illnesses and weaken the immune system of the human body.

Stress can cause headaches, irritable bowel syndrome, eating disorder, allergies, insomnia, backaches, frequent cold and fatigue to diseases such as hypertension, asthma, diabetes, heart ailments and even cancer. In fact, Sanjay Chugh, a leading Indian psychologist, says that 70 per cent to 90 per cent of adults visit primary care physicians for stress-related problems. Scary enough. But where do we err?

Just about everybody—men, women, children and even foetuses—suffer from stress. Relationship demands, chronic health problems, pressure at workplaces, traffic snarls, meeting deadlines, growing-up tensions or a sudden bearish trend in the bourse can trigger stress conditions. People react to it in their own ways. In some people, stress-induced adverse feelings and anxieties tend to persist and intensify. Learning to understand and manage stress can prevent the counter effects of stress.

Methods of coping with stress are aplenty. The most significant or sensible way out is a change in lifestyle. Relaxation techniques such as meditation, physical exercises, listening to soothing music, deep breathing, various natural and alternative methods, personal growth techniques, visualization and massage are some of the most effective of the known non-invasive stress busters.

Don bosco SEPTEMBER 2008

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Stress can be positive The words ‘positive’ and ‘stress’ may not often go together. But, there are innumerable instances of athletes rising to the challenge of stress and achieving the unachievable, scientists stressing themselves out over a point to bring into light the most unthinkable secrets of the phenomenal world, and likewise a painter, a composer or a writer producing the best paintings, the most lilting of tunes or the most appealing piece of writing by pushing themselves to the limit. Psychologists second the opinion that some ‘stress’ situations can actually boost our inner potential and can be creatively helpful. Sudha Chandran, an Indian dancer, lost both of her legs in an accident. But, the physical and social inadequacies gave her more impetus to carry on with her dance performances with the help of prosthetic legs rather than deter her spirits.

Experts tell us that stress, in moderate doses, are necessary in our life. Stress responses are one of our body’s best defence systems against outer and inner dangers. In a risky situation (in case of accidents or a sudden attack on life et al), body releases stress hormones that instantly make us more alert and our senses become more focused. The body is also prepared to act with increased strength and speed in a pressure situation. It is supposed to keep us sharp and ready for action.

Research suggests that stress can actually increase our performance.

Instead of wilting under stress, one can use it as an impetus to achieve success. Stress can stimulate one’s faculties to delve deep into and discover one’s true potential. Under stress the brain is emotionally and biochemically stimulated to sharpen its performance.

A working class mother in down town California, Erin Brokovich, 20

Research suggests that stress can actually increase our performance. Instead of wilting under stress, one can use it as an impetus to achieve success. accomplished an extraordinary feat in the 1990s when she took up a challenge against the giant industrial house Pacific Gas & Electric. The unit was polluting the drinking water of the area with chromium effluents.

Once into it, Brockovich had to work under tremendous stress taking on the bigwigs of the society. By her own account, she had to study as many as 120 research articles to find if chromium 6 was carcinogenic. Going Don bosco SEPTEMBER 2008

from door to door, Erin signed up over 600 plaintiffs, and with attorney Ed Masry went on to receive the largest court settlement, for the town people, ever paid in a direct action lawsuit in the U.S. history—$333 million. It’s an example of an ordinary individual triumphing over insurmountable odds under pressure. If handled positively stress can induce people to discover their inherent talents.

Stress is, perhaps, necessary to occasionally clear cobwebs from our thinking. If approached positively, stress can help us evolve as a person by letting go of unwanted thoughts and principle in our life. Very often, at various crossroads of life, stress may remind you of the transitory nature of your experiences, and may prod you to look for the true happiness of life.

COVER

Stress Throughout Evolution Stress has existed throughout the evolution. About 4 billion years ago, violent collision of rock and ice along with dust and gas, led to the formation of a new planet. The planet survive more than 100 million years of meltdown to give birth to microscopic life . These first organisms endured the harshest of conditions—lack of oxygen, exposure to sun’s UV rays and other inhospitable elements, to hang on to their dear life. Roughly 300,000 years ago, the Neanderthals learnt to use fire in a controlled way, to survive the Glacial Age. And around 30,000 years, Homo sapiens with their dominant gene constitutions and better coping skills, won the game of survival. Each step of evolution a test of survival, and survival, a matter of coping with the stress of changing conditions.

Millions of trials and errors in the life process have brought men to this

stage. Coping with events to survive, has led men to invent extraordinary technologies, beginning with a piece of sharpened stone.

From the viewpoint of microevolution, stress induction of transpositions is a powerful factor, generating new genetic variations in populations under stressful environmental conditions. Passing through a ‘bottleneck’, a population can rapidly and significantly alters its population norm and become the founder of new, evolved forms.

Gene transposition through Transposable Elements (TE)—’jumping genes’, is a major source of genetic change, including the creation of novel genes, the alteration of gene expression in development, and the genesis of major genomic rearrangements. In a research on ‘the significance of responses of the genome to Don bosco SEPTEMBER 2008

STORY

Coping with events to survive, has led men to invent extraordinary technologies, beginning with a piece of sharpened stone. challenges,’ the Nobel Prize winning scientist Barbara McClintock, characterized these genetic phenomena as ‘genomic shock’. This occurs due to recombinational events between TE insertions (high and low insertion polymorphism) and host genome.

But, as a rule TEs remain immobilized until some stress factor (temperature, irradiation, DNA damage, the introduction of foreign chromatin, viruses, etc.) activates their elements.

The moral remains that we can work a stress condition to our advantage or protect ourselves from its untoward follow-throughs subject to how we handle a stress situation. The choice is between becoming a slave to the stressful situations of life or using them to our advantage.

Naveen Segal 21

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STORY

Stress Free in 10 Minutes

7 ways to chill out and recharge

W

ith problems small or large, finding a quiet oasis from stress not only preserves sanity, but can be a lifesaver. Constant stress can harm the heart and even promote clogged arteries.

New findings show it can cause a surge of stress hormones in the blood—stream that can weaken the body’s immune defences, making us more susceptible to infections like colds and flu. Everything from heartburn and cold sores to asthma and cancer are linked to high stress levels—they can even exacerbate memory loss as we age.

But relax. There are proven ways to quell stress. At an American university, scientists taught 59 adults a meditative approach to stress management.

Afterwards the volunteers not only felt less anxious, but also reported fewer 22

is finding two or three you can turn to whenever your stress metre climbs.

Do Nothing Here’s How: At least once during the day, take five or ten minutes to sit the day, take five or ten minutes to sit quietly and do nothing. Focus on the sounds around you, your emotions and any tension in your neck, shoulders, arms, chest, etc.

“It’s one of the hardest things for many people to do,” says Robin Gueth of a California stress management centre.

“We’re so used to thinking of our worth in terms of what we get done. Doing nothing can be a real struggle.”

Just sitting quietly slows heart rate and reduces blood pressure, countering two of the most obvious effects of stress.

It can also change your perspective an increase your sense of control over events. “Studies show that the most stressful situations are things we can’t control,” says psychologist James Carmody. “We can’t change the past. We can’t predict the future. The only thing any of us can control is the present moment,” he explains. “When people in our programme practice this technique, they regain a sense of control—and ease stress.”

stress symptoms, such as headaches.

When students at a university in Australia learned easy ways to defuse pressure, they had fewer sick days and faster recovery from colds. And a study in Miami found that HIV-positive patients practising stress reduction could boost the number of immune cells circulating in their bloodstream.

You don’t need to turn your life upside down to tame stress, says American psychologist Frederic Luskin. “A lot of people say they’re too busy to stop and deal with stress. But things you can do anywhere, and that don’t have to take more than a few minutes, can stop the stress response before it goes out of control. The truth is, by learning to clam down, you can actually feel less busy.”

Try a different one of these techniques each day this coming week. Some will work better than others. What’s important Don bosco SEPTEMBER 2008

Laugh Out Loud Here’s How: Keep something handy that makes you laugh. It could be a collection of your favourite comic strips, or a funny e-mail from, say, your child or a friend. You could even take a few moments to think about watching your favourite comedy serial. Turn to this every so often during your day.

One of the most effective stress-busters occurs nightly, says California researcher Lee Berk—when many people turn on their favourite serials at the end of a long day. Berk’s studies have shown that a good laugh reduces levels of the stress hormones cortisol and epinephrine and boosts immunity. What’s more, the beneficial effects of a good belly laugh last up to 24 hours.

Even looking forward to laughing clams people. In results reported last year, Berk and his colleagues found that telling

COVER volunteers they would participate in an experiment that involved watching a funny video created a more positive mood and lowered their stress levels on the spot.

study from 2001. Researchers found that when people practice yoga or recite a prayer, their breathing slows to the fiveseconds in, five-seconds-out rhythm, which, it turns our, matches a ten-second cycle fluctuation that naturally occurs in blood pressure. By synchronizing breathing to these underlying cardiovascular rhythms, people not only feel calmer, but may also improve the health of their cardiovascular systems.

Tune In Here’s How: When you face a daunting task, play soothing music—be it classical, country or jazz. At work you can use the CD drive on your computer to keep the music at the ready.

In an Australian study, two groups of students were told to prepare an oral presentation. Some worked in silence; others listened to classical music. Stress caused the silent workers’ blood pressure and heart rates to climb. Not so the volunteers in the musical group, whose measurements remained steadier. They also reported feeling much less stress.

Is there music you shouldn’t listen to?

“A lot of people find classical music most relaxing, but not everyone,” says psychologist Elise Labbe, who has been testing the calming effects of music.

“Our volunteers select everything from concertos to country music. Whatever music feels most calming to you is the one hat’s most calming to you is the one that’s most likely to help ease stress.”

Think Happy Here’s How: Focus on someone or something you care deeply about for anywhere from 15 seconds to five minutes. Or picture a scene from a peaceful vacation. A phrase that makes you feel positive about yourself and the world can also work.

It sounds like advice from a greeting card, but thinking happy, calming thoughts can counteract the physiological changes that occur when we’re under stress. “A lot of the stress we experience comes from negative emotions we carry around with us—grudges, anger, hurt,” says Laskin, who studies the healing power of forgiveness (he’s also the author of the book Forgive for Good). “Just thinking about someone you’re angry with—a boss who’s a jerk, or a friend who hurt your feelings—can cause damaging stress hormones to flood the system. Thinking of people and things you love can have the opposite effect.”

STORY

Hit the Road Here’s How: Get up from your desk, the couch—wherever you may be—and take a ten-minute walk.

Most People have an intuitive sense that walking helps calm them down. Now scientists are finding proof. In a 2002 American investigation, researchers looked at people who were taking care of relatives with dementia—as stressful a situation as almost any of us will face.

Those who began walking four times a week, the scientists found, reported feeling less distressed and sleeping better. Tests showed that their blood pressure was also more likely to hold steady when they were under stress.

Don’t have half an hour to spare?

Don’t sweat it. Taking five- or tenminute walks whenever you’re under pressure may be just as effective.

“Our research suggests that the best strategy is to take a few minutes—or even a few moments—to calm down whenever stress levels start to climb,” says psychologist Luskin.

Breath Easy Here’s How: For five minutes, slow your breathing down to about six deep—belly breaths a minute. In other words, inhale for about five seconds. Exhale for about five.

We tend to take quick, shallow breaths, especially when we’re feeling tense.

Taking a few deep breaths forces you to stretch your shoulders and loosen up tight muscles.

Slow breathing has other unexpected benefits, according to an international Don bosco SEPTEMBER 2008

If your day is full of small hassles and frustrations, Gueth recommends putting a white dot on your wristwatch or the clock on your desk. “Every time you see that white dot,” she says, “take two or three long, deep breaths. You’ll be amazed how quickly it calms you down.”

Rise Relaxed Here’s How: Right before bed, and after the alarm goes off in the morning, take five minutes to relax your entire body. Start by tensing your toes; then consciously relax them. Move on to the muscles in your feet, and then your calves, upper legs, buttocks, moving upwards until you end by scrunching up and then relaxing the muscles in your face.

If you start your day feeling tense, chances are you’ll feel tense all day, says stress expert Gueth. If you take your troubles to bed with you, they’re likely to disrupt your sleep. And that can mean even more tension. People deprived of sleep, research shows, experience increased stress hormone levels. Gueth’s advice: Begin and end each day by taking a minute or two to consciously relax.

One effective approach is called progressive relaxation. In a 2002 study, 46 volunteers who were taught progressive relaxation experienced a significant dip in heart rates, perceived stress and levels of cortisol. “Too much of my day is spent running around,” says Shelly Wahle. “I don’t want to start it that way. So I take five minutes before the craziness starts to quiet my mind.

It’s not always easy. But once it’s part of your routine, you don’t feel right without it.”

Peter Jaret 23

S T UD E N T S

PLU S

A

s we have seen in our last issue, I had mentioned about the methods of notetaking. There are five methods of note taking. Last time we saw the Cornell method of note-taking. Now let us see the other methods of note-taking.

The Outlining Method

This is probably the most commonly used approach to taking notes. It is a good method to use when the information is organised. Dash or indented outlining is usually best except for some science classes such as physics or math.

1. The information which is most generally used begins at the left with each more specific group of facts indented with spaces to the right.

2. The relationships between the different parts are carried out through indenting.

3. No numbers, letters, or Roman numerals are needed.

4. Use standard Roman numerals or a free form, indented out line to organise the information in a lecture.

5. Organise your notes by major points and supporting ideas. This allows you to record and organise at the same time.

6. Leave spaces between sections or main ideas.

7. If the instructor returns to a point later, you can add information in the appropriate section.

24

9. The Five Methods of Taking Notes -2 This is probably the most commonly used approach to taking notes. It is a good method to use when the information is organised.

Advantages and disadvantages It can be well-organised system if it is done right. The outlining records content as well as relationships. It also reduces editing and is easy to review by turning main points into questions. The disadvantages could be that it requires more thought in class for accurate organisation. This system may not show relationships by sequence when needed. It doesn’t lend to diversity of a review attach for maximum learning and question application. This system cannot be used if the lecture is too fast.

Therefore the outline format can be used if the lecture is presented in outline organisation. This may be either deductive (regular outline) or inductive (reverse outline where Don bosco SEPTEMBER 2008

minor points start building to a major point). This can be used when there is enough time in the lecture to think about and make organisation decisions when they are needed. This format can be most effective when your notetaking skills are super sharp and you can handle the outlining regardless of the note-taking situation.

S T UD E N T S

PLU S

Example for Outline Method Study Skills 1. Note taking • Before class – Read set text – Sleep well • During class – Focus – Note key ideas – Leave blanks if you

don’t understand

– Ask questions • After class – Organise your notes – Review often 2. Reading • Read often and for short

periods • Use the SQ3R method – Survey the text – Ask yourself questions – Read and find answers – Recite - to test your

understanding – Review – until you un-

derstand and remember it 3. Memory • Organise your ideas • Use rhymes or acronyms • Visualise • Recite • Tell it to a friend

The Mapping Method

It is a diagram used to represent words, ideas, tasks, or other items linked to and arranged radically around a central key word or idea. It is used to generate, visualise, structure, and classify ideas, and as an aid in study, organisation, problem solving, decision making, and writing.

Mapping is a method that uses comprehension/concentration skills

This format helps you to visually track your lecture regardless of the situation. and evolves in a note-taking form which relates each fact or idea to every other fact or idea. Mapping is a graphic representation of the content of a lecture. It is a method that maximises active participation, affords immediate knowledge as to its understanding, and emphasises critical thinking. This Method helps writers analyse, organise, and present information with clarity focus and impact.

Advantages and disadvantages

This format helps you to visually track your lecture regardless of the conditions. Little thinking is needed and relationships can easily be seen.

It is also easy to edit your notes by adding numbers, marks, and colour coding. Review will call for you to restructure thought processes which will force you to check understanding.

Don bosco SEPTEMBER 2008

Review by covering lines for memory drill and relationships. Main points can be written on flash or note cards and pieced together into a table or larger structure at a later date. And the disadvantage would be that you may not hear changes in content from major points to facts.

When to Use

You need to use this when the lecture content is heavy and well-organised.

You may also use this effectively when you have a guest lecturer and have no idea how the lecture is going to be presented.

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

Winning nobel prize

nail biting

A young woman who was worried about her habit of biting her fingernails was advised by a friend to take up yoga. She did, and soon her fingernails were growing normally.

Seeing this, her friend congratulated her and said yoga had totally cured her nervousness.

“No,” she replied, but now I can reach my toe-nails so I bite them instead.

moscow the capital of china A girl was yelling in the Church after the Chapel: “Oh God! Please make Moscow the Capital of China!”

A man is driving down a country road, when he spots a farmer standing in the middle of a huge field of grass. He pulls the car over to the side of the road and notices that the farmer is just standing there, doing nothing, looking at nothing.

The man gets out of the car, walks all the way out to the farmer and asks him, “Ah excuse me mister, but what are you doing?”

The farmer replies, “I’m trying to win a Nobel Prize.”

“How?” asks the man, puzzled.

The priest inquired: “Why must you pray so, my child?”

“Well, I heard they give the Nobel Prize . . . to people who are out standing in their field.”

Girl: “That’s what I’ve written in my answer sheet in the examination!”

air conditioner

who is the fastest?

Three boys are in the schoolyard bragging of how great their fathers are.

The first one says, “Well, my father runs the fastest. He can fire an arrow, and start to run, I tell you, he gets there before the arrow.”

A customer was bothering the waiter in a restaurant.

First, he asked that the air conditioning be turned up because he felt too hot, then he asked it be turned down cause he felt too cold, and so on for about half an hour.

Surprisingly, the waiter was very patient, he walked back and forth and never once got angry. So finally, a second customer asked him why he didn’t scold the customer.

“Oh, I really don’t care or mind,” said the waiter with a smile. “We don’t even have an air conditioner.”

what are the pictures?

A young lad was visiting a church for the first time, checking all the announcements and posters along the walls.

The second boy says, “Ha! You think that’s fast! My father is a hunter. He can shoot his gun and be there before the bullet!”

When he came to a group of pictures of men in uniform, he asked a nearby old man, “Who are all those men in the pictures?”

The third one listens to the other two and shakes his head. He then says, “You two know nothing about speed. My father works in the Govt department. He stops working at 5:00 and he is home by 3:45!!”

The old man replied, “Why, those are our boys who died in the service”.

Dumbfounded, the youngster asked, “Was that the morning service or the evening service?”

Joseph

26

Don bosco SEPTEMBER 2008

me d i a

matter

escape today or else it would have been certainly death for me’. He prefers to play the latest interactive versions of Doom and Mortal Kombat.

Arundhati, a budding software engineer is struggling and slugging with a brood of aliens in a chilly canyon. Just as she is about to be done to death, she seizes an aircraft and escapes not before shooting down all the aliens in the vicinity.

Arundhati nicknamed tomboy by her friends prides to be smoking and playing rugby with the boys.

Game of death

S

could be a hero. He prefers to play a version of game of death where a young man is taken to a hospital in critical condition following a car accident. While in coma, he enters a dream world to defeat his opponents to be revived. The killers must be overcome using their own means of slaughter, meaning a strangler must be choked to death. The arms used are very traditional ones like axe and end Priya is at play with ‘Death Race 2000’. of a blade.

She drives around the field chasing Siddiq, a higher secondary student draws down as many people as possible and fire from a machine gun nest, scoots past run them over, turning them into instant and dodges the bullets in hair-raising tombstones. She occasionally plays with deathly attack. With sweat dripping her friend Reshma to see who can make along his jaws and a shiver in his legs, more tombstones quicker. he maneuvers the buttons and manages Gaurav is nuts about video gaming. With to escape from death from bullets by a his thick spectacles and stick-like body hair’s breadth. He made a great escape features, he thinks this is the place he and shouts, ‘Lucky me! I managed to hankar, a teenager plays the new version of video game ‘Game of Death’ in his computer and leaves it half way through and walks down the street to a nearby police station. He finds the revolver of the Policeman, picks it up and shoots the policeman in the station and returns to his computer to continue the game of death, (a real incident but the name is changed).

Don bosco SEPTEMBER 2008

Tomb Raider ‘Roshini’. She loves to be identified this way. So let me not deprive her identity. She is studying 9th standard in one of the popular city convent school. She loves playing this game again and again as she feels doing and being Angelina Jolie.

Take a breath. These are only sporadic samples of regular reportings.

“Ever since our son started playing these video games, his behaviour has changed.

He suddenly becomes very aggressive and at times, moody also” laments G. Nagesh, father a ten year old boy. He adds that constant barrage of gore and violence aimed at children and youth playing the games has many parents worried.

But not everyone agrees with Nagesh.

Some like Maria Sharon, parent of 16 year old Andrew, feel that if the elaborate rules of the game are understood and if one masters the game efficiently and successfully, it improves alertness and cognitive skills of problem solving.

Are the video games, games of death or are they really stimulating? The debate is on in the name of game.

(To be continued in the next issue)

A. Raj sdb

rajsdb@gmail.com 27

sa l es i an

news

BRIEFLY Faith Educators’ Training at Pastoral Centre A short training programme for the faith educators of Northeast India was organised at Pastoral Centre, Shillong from 11th to 14th August 2008. There were 29 participants hailing from different dioceses of NE India. They were all equipped with essential knowledge of the principles of faith

DBIHMCT INAUGURATED AT MUMBAI It was a grey Monday morning that 11th of August, with sheets of rain lashing Kurla.

However come rain or high water, nothing seemed to dissuade the enthusiastic band of young students assembled at the Don Bosco Institute of Hotel Management and Catering Technology (DBIHMCT) to inaugurate their institute and begin their professional training.

In the pressure of Salesians, Mr. Andrew Alphonso the principal, other principals of the campus, staff members and a representation of students from other Institutes, the academic year was inaugurated with a prayer service invoking God’s blessings on this new venture. The Rector, Fr. Mario Vaz then blessed the premises and addressed the gathering.

The Salesian community has been focusing on vocational and professional training with secure job placements at the end of training. The Hotel Management and Catering Institute is the fourth Institute on the Kurla campus. This full time 3 year degree programme earns a B.Sc in Hospitality Studies from Mumbai University.

formation, with a practical approach to scripturebased catechesis and with practical skills in classroom management and knowledge transmission. The participants expressed a great satisfaction for having got the chance to attend the programme and wish that such programmes be organised regularly. (BIS)

MSW Programme with 3 Specialisations at Jorhat The Bosco Institute, Jorhat (Assam), is offering a two year Masters degree course in Social Work. The College is affiliated to Dibrugarh University. Classes are starting from 25th August 2008. The three areas of specialisations include: Community Development; Family and Child Welfare; and Medical & Psychiatric Social Work. The prospectus as well as application form and other details can be had from www.boscoinstitute.org.

(BIS) 28

This new Institute will be a boon for many a youngster - graduate or not - who will be able to earn a livelihood in this fast growing service industry. The presence of eminent professionals and facilities on the campus provides a strong base for this fledgling institute to develop itself into an excellent one. Several Hotels and other allied service industries have evinced keen interest in the Hotel Management and Catering Technology training offered by Don Bosco’s Kurla and have promised support. (BIS)

Catechists’ Training Programme, Ponnur Hyderabad, Aug. 5. The Bosco Ashram at Ponnur came alive today with the commencing of the Catechists` Training Programme at 9 am. Riding on the success of the previous camp held last year and the enthusiastic response and fruit it bore, the Salesian Community at Ponnur has its expectations big and clear for this round. This 10-day programme is aimed at providing the lay faithful, especially the catechists of the various dioceses of Andhra Pradesh, a renewed vigour by way of depth and style, in their faith proclamation.

The inaugural session was officiated by Fr Maddhichetty Noel, the Salesian Provincial.

He stressed the growing need for this programme and welcomed all the 49 participants hailing from all over Andhra Pradesh. He exhorted them all to make the most of this opportunity for

sharpening our skills in aiding God spread His Kingdom.

Fr Jose K, the director of the centre and Rector of the Salesian community, based his inaugural talk on the Gospel and citing examples from real life, called the participants to become like Jesus, the sower.

The chief resource person for the day was Fr Leeno Reddy, the Diocesan Priest well known for his valuable contribution in the field of catechetics on Telugu soil. He began sharing with the group the methodology of teaching catechism for different age groups innovatively.

The training programme is

Don bosco SEPTEMBER 2008

spearheaded by the Rector of Salesian community, Fr Jose Kollithanathu and able assisted

by Fr Shantha Murthy, the assistant Parish Priest.

Eminent persons have been roped in to provide the participants the best. Various themes like, catechism, verbal preaching, use of mass media for evangelisation, techniques of evangelisation in rural contexts and many more form part of this 10-day programme. The centre plans to have this training programme more often as to ensure regular updating and greater reach. It is important to note that Bosco Ashram, Ponnur has to its credit being the only centre in Andhra established explicitly for catechetical training in telugu. Initially established in the year 1993, the main vision and scope of the centre was to aid in the efforts of catechesis and evangelisation in the local context. (BIS)

sa l es i an

PARISH ENTRUSTED TO SALESIANS IN KUWAIT On August 3, 2008, Bishop Camillo Ballin of the Apostolic Vicariate of Kuwait officially entrusted the Parish of St. Therese (Little Flower of Jesus) to the pastoral care of the Salesians and appointed Fr. Tony D’Souza as the Parish Priest.

The multi-cultural community of parishioners, mainly hailing from India (especially Goans, Mangaloreans, Malayalees, Tamilians), Phillipines and Sri Lankans attended in large numbers, to offer their prayerful gratitude to Fr. Berchman and Fr. Thomas, and to invoke God’s

blessings on their new pastors, the Salesians.

After the Eucharistic celebration, the Bishop thanked the Carmelites for their many years of dedicated service in this parish and expressed the hope that the Salesians will be “Good Shepherds” by living out the charism of Don Bosco among the youth and people of Salmiya Parish and the Vicariate of Kuwait.

There was brief farewell and felicitation program after Holy Mass. Speaking on behalf of the Salesians presently involved in education ministry since the last 7 years, Fr. Tony

Religious dignitaries, politicians and lay people present witnessed a rare occasion of inter-

thanked the Bishop for bringing in the Salesian community more actively into the pastoral ministry of the Vicariate and assured him the cooperation and commitment of the Salesians, now called to be “Pastors and Educators” both in the parish and in the school. (BIS)

religious dialogue and practical charity. “This offering”, Fr Pinto said, “is not something purely personal but a donation from my Congregation.

We are celebrating the Golden Jubilee of the presence of our Congregation in Sri Lanka. This is one way of extending our fraternal love towards the other religions. Converting the Buddhists does not motivate us but we are keen to see that they live a better life as Buddhists”.

“Sri Lanka belongs to all and all can adhere to the religions and faith of their choice. The State respects freedom of worship and this is guaranteed by our Constitution. Catholic clergy and the Salesians of Don Bosco have set an example for us to follow. We are grateful for their outstanding contribution”, the former Chief Minister said. (BIS)

Bishop Adrian Van Luyn Honored For Commitment To Social Justice Bishop Adrian van Luyn sdb has received this year’s ‘Adriaan Borst for Christian commitment’. The Dutch Christian-Social Congress Foundation, which grants the award, praised the Rotterdam bishop for “his continued commitment to social justice, in word and deed”.

The jury indicated that Van Luyn in countless articles, books and speeches links a living faith and the transla-

BRIEFLY Book on Charles De Foucauld by Dr Fr. Nirmol Gomes sdb

SAFFRON ROBES AND WHITE CASSOCKS

A brilliant example of Christian charity came to life with the donation of a Sangwasaya (hostel) by the Salesians of Don Bosco for novice monks of the Buddha Sasana studying at Sri Gnanissara Pirivena (education centre) at the Sri Priyadharshanaramaya Temple in a remote village in Sri Lanka’s north central province.

The handing over ceremony of the hostel occurred on Sunday 27th July. Fr Anthony Pinto, Superior of the Sri Lankan Vice Province, declared the new hostel open. The cost of the Sanwasaya was borne by the Salesians of Sri Lanka, adding a golden page to the record of services extended by the Congregation to the Buddha Sasana.

news

tion into societal choices for the poor and people on the fringes of society. The jury also pointed to Van Luyn`s commitment to experimentation with new forms of social commitment of young people, from the conviction that they are not deprived of idealism and motivation, but that the forms in which earlier generations were active in this field are less accessible and approachable to them.

Don bosco SEPTEMBER 2008

An edited version of the doctoral thesis on Charles de Foucauld by Fr (Dr) Nirmol Gomes sdb, was released on 31 July 2008 by Fr Jose Pampadiyil sdb, the Vice Provincial of the Province of Kolkata, in the presence of Dr Mrs. Nupur Das, Secretary, Undergraduate Council University of North Bengal and College Principals of Darjeeling-Kurseong and other invited dignitaries, staff and students. The book release took place at the inaugural session of the Three Day Seminar held at Salesian College, Sonada.

“america with christ: listen,learn and proclaim” With the slogan: “America with Christ: Listen, Learn and Proclaim” the third American Missionary Congress (CAM3), opened on 12 August in Quito, Ecuador, becoming thus an important appointment for reflection on mission and missionary service. It was concluded on 17 August.

The event, which is also the Eighth Latin American Missionary Congress (COMLA8), sees a gathering of bishops, priests, religious and laity involved in missionary activity, especially “ad gentes”, in the American continent and beyond, given participants also from Europe, Asia and Africa. There were Salesian Family representatives too, in the likes of Cardinal Oscar Andrés Rodríguez Maradiaga, archbishop of Tegucigalpa, Fr Vaclav Klement and Sr Ciri Hernández, General Councillors for the Salesians and Salesian Sisters respectively, were also present. (ANS) 29

c h u rc h

news

BRIEFLY Nuns Adopt State Chief Minister As ‘Brother’ To Help Protect Christians Some nuns of the community Blessed Mother Teresa started have tried to “reach out” to the chief minister of Madhya Pradesh state by tying ceremonial threads on his wrist on the festival of siblings.

On the day of Rakshabandan, bond of protection, 13 Missionaries of Charity (MC) nuns performed the ritual.

Sister Mamta led the nuns who visited Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan at his home in the state capital of Bhopal. She told UCA News on Aug. 17 they went there with hopes he will act as “a good brother” and protect them from the violent attacks of radical Hindu groups. (UCAN)

Archbishop of Bombay asks parents not to abort unborn child with heart defect Cardinal Oswald Gracias, the Archbishop of Bombay, on Sunday appealed to a couple seeking legal permission to abort their unborn child due to its congenital heart defect, asking them to stop seeking legal permission to abort the 25-week-old fetus. Cardinal Gracias promised that the Church would take care of the baby if it were allowed to be born.

Cardinal Gracias offered the Church’s help to the couple on Sunday and condemned all abortions, continuing his activities from earlier this year, the India Catholic says.

(CNA) 30

He who prays never loses hope, says Holy Father

In his general audience, celebrated in Castel Gandolfo, Pope Benedict XVI spoke about St. Teresa Benedict of the Cross, also known as St. Edith Stein, and St. Maximilian Mary Kolbe, whose feast days the Church celebrates in August.

also their worries, their family problems and those at work, the hopes which they carry in their heart and the anguish and uncertainties which humanity is living this moment.” He assured all persons that he remembers their intentions in his daily celebration of the Holy Mass and Speaking from a balcony in recitation of the Holy Rosary. the courtyard of the Apostolic Palace, the Holy Father The Holy Father stressed, “He recalled his recent two-week who prays never loses hope, vacation in Bressanone, Italy. even when he finds himself in He said that many people have difficult situations.” He said written him requesting prayer that Sacred Scripture and the for their intentions. Pope history of the Church give witBenedict explained, “They ness to how prayer sustains the tell me about their joys, but

way of the saints and Christian people. Pope Benedict added: St. Teresa Benedict of the Cross, whose feast the Church celebrated on August 9, and St. Maximilian Mary Kolbe, on August 14, are such examples in our time. The Pontiff reminded his audience that both saints were martyrs in the Auschwitz Concentration Camp, witnesses of the love which “defeats the darkness of egoism and hatred.”

The Holy Father concluded by calling on his audience to renew their trust in Mary, “who from heaven watches over us with maternal love.” (CNA)

The most important service is the proclamation of Jesus Christ Pope Benedict XVI sent a message to the Third American Missionary Congress (CAM3) being held in Quito, reminding Catholics that “the most important service we can give our brothers and sisters is the clear and humble proclamation of Jesus Christ, who came to this world that we might have life and have it in abundance.”

“He instructs us in order that we might remain in his love without molding ourselves to the messages of this world. Let us learn from Him. Let us imitate his way of life. Let us be sowers of the Word. In this way, with all of our lives, with the joy of knowing we are loved by Jesus, who we can call brother, we will be valid instruments for Him to continue drawing everyone to Himself with the mercy that flows from his Cross,” the Pope added.

He went on to encourage Catholics “to share this treasure with others, as there is no greater treasure than to enjoy the friendship of Christ and walk by his side. Consecrating our greatest energies to this beautiful labor is worth it, knowing that divine grace precedes, sustains and accompanies us in carrying it out,” the Pontiff stated. (CNA)

Caritas Georgia and Caritas Russia working together for victims of conflict

Caritas Georgia and Caritas Russia are working together to provide assistance to the thousands of victims who are suffering due to the conflict between the two countries.

According to the L’Osservatore Romano, the Apostolic Administrator of Caucaso, Bishop Giuseppe Pasotto, said, “There is great fear and disillusionment among Georgians because they think that the bombings will resume at any moment.”

In response to the current crisis, the bishop explained, “Caritas Georgia has begun Don bosco SEPTEMBER 2008

helping families in difficulties. Fortunately it had first aid supplies and food which it already began to distribute to the different camps taking in those who lost their homes.” He further explained that the relief effort is being carried out with “the collaboration of the patriarchate.”

L’Osservatore Romano also reports that Caritas Russia has visited the camps together with leaders of the Orthodox Church to determine how to initiate assistance from Catholics for those impacted by the conflict. According to statistics, some 40,000 people in Georgia have become refugees during the conflict with Russia.

(CNA)

c h u rc h

Church cannot betray Gospel or adapt it to society Spanish priest Father Francisco Javier Ruiz had said that the role the Church has in today’s world is to bring to it the message of the Gospel, “but what she cannot do is betray the message in order to adapt it to society.”

“The truth is always the truth.

There are some things that cannot change, because they are things man has receivedrevealed by God in Jesus Christ,” and therefore “history and the present moment must adapt to the truth and not vice versa,” the priest said during an interview for the website Laverdad.es.

After noting that “there is no redemption or salvation” without the Church, he pointed out that despite what

is said about her, he has never considered abandoning the Church. “I have never had that thought. The Lord has given me the gift of a profound love for the Church,” Father Ruiz said.

the desire of the Pope-and the sense of the Church-is that priests should dress as clergy.”

For this reason, he stressed, “I will always dress as a priest,” as in “a world that is so secularized, where more than ever they want to take God out of everything, we should dress as to make present the mystery of God.”

“I always say that if I could be born again, I would be a priest,” he continued, stressing that “the greatest moment of my day is celebrating the Eucharist andin the name of Jesus Christ- He concluded by saying that it forgiving sins.” is not true that young people He also denied that many priests have lost their faith. “There live posh lives, and that instead are more young people in the they give of themselves in Church now than ever. Young service to others. “Since I have people are falling in love with been a priest I haven’t had one Jesus Christ and encountering minute for myself…I’m very the mystery of the Cross, in order to confront suffering. happy being priest,” he said.

Jesus saves them from the death Asked about priestly garb, Father of sin,” he said.

Ruiz said he is “convinced that

Priest’s Mutilated Body Discovered In Andhra Pradesh The mutilated body of Father Thomas Pandipally, 37, a Carmelite of Mary Immaculate (CMI) priest, was found on Aug. 17 near Yellareddy town, a deserted road in southern India’s Andhra Pradesh state. His provincial superior, Father Alex Thannippara, told UCA News on Aug. 18 that the murder took place during the night of Aug. 16-17.

Father Pandipally had been pastor of Jeevadhan (gift of life) Church and vice-principal of a Church-run high school, both in Yellareddy. According to the provincial, Father Pandipally was returning home on Aug. 16 evening after offering Mass in Burgiga, a mission station 25 kilometers from Yellareddy.

He stopped at a Franciscan Clarist Congregation (FCC) convent at Lingampet for dinner and left around 9:45 p.m. His body was found the next morning halfway to Yellareddy, 15 kilometers from Lingampet.

Father Thannippara said 18 stab wounds on the priest’s body reveal that he tried to block his attackers. “His palms had several cuts. He was pulled down from his motorbike and taken to a small bridge near the road,” he explained.

The FCC sisters drove past the body while going for Mass at the parish on Sunday morning. Father Thannippara said they did not stop because they did not recognize it, but after learning that the priest and his bike were missing and his room was locked, they went back and identified his body.

Father Moolayil insists that the murder was meticulously planned because the deceased priest received a call on his cell phone just before leaving the convent in Lingampet.

According to Father Moolayil, the caller wanted to know if Father Pandipally would be returning to his residence.

The police came with a dog squad and forensic experts, but heavy rain the night before had washed away all clues, Father Thannippara also said. He added that police have no clue as to the murderers. (UCAN) Don bosco SEPTEMBER 2008

news

BRIEFLY Berhampur Diocese In Orissa Mourns The Death Of Its First Local Bishop Bishop Joseph Das, who had been ailing for four years, died on Aug. 5. The 78-year-old prelate served the diocese from 1993 until he retired in 2006.

About 6,000 Catholics have attended the funeral of the first native bishop of Berhampur in Orissa; 200 priests and 500 nuns were among mourners attending the funeral for Bishop Das. The service was held on Aug. 7 at Queen of Missions Cathedral in Berhampur, about 175 kilometers southwest of Bhubaneswar.

(UCAN)

Pope approves beatification of St. Therese’s parents in Lisieux

Pope Benedict XVI has approved the beatification of Louis and Marie Zelie Guerin Martin, the parents of St. Therese of Lisieux. The couple will be beatified on Oct. 19, World Mission Sunday, during a Mass in the Basilica of St. Therese in Lisieux, France.

Sister Vincenza Maria Poloni, founder of the Institute of the Sisters of Mercy in Italy, will be beatified Sept. 21 in Verona, Italy.

Father Michael Sopocko, founder of the Sisters of Merciful Jesus and spiritual director of St. Faustina Kowalska, will be beatified Sept. 28 at the Church of Divine Mercy in Bialystok, Poland.

Father Francesco Pianzola, founder of the Missionary Sisters of the Immaculate Queen of Peace, will be beatified Oct. 4 in Vigevano, Italy.

Father Francesco Giovanni Bonifacio, martyred in 1946 by Yugoslav communists, will be beatified Oct. 4 in Trieste, Italy.

(CNS) 31

va l u es

STORIES FOR RADIANT LIVING The WISE King

T

here was a country long time ago where the people would change a king every year. The person who would become the king had to agree to a contract that he would be sent to an island after his one year of being a king.

One king finished his term and it was time for him to go to the island and live there. The people dressed him up in expensive clothes and put him on an elephant and took him around the cities to say goodbye to all the people. This was the moment of sadness for all the kings who ruled for one year. After saying farewell, the people took the king in a boat to the remote island and left him there.

On their way back, they discovered a ship that had sunk just recently. They saw a young man who survived by holding on to a floating piece of wood. As they needed a new king, they picked up the young man and took him to their country. They requested him to be their king for a year. First he refused but later he agreed to be the king. People told him about all the rules and regulations and that how he will be sent to an island after one year.

After three days of being a king, he asked the ministers if they could show him the island where all the other kings were sent. They agreed and took him to the island. The island was covered with thick jungles and sounds of vicious animals were heard coming out of them. The king went little bit inside to check. Soon he discovered the dead bodies of all the past kings. He understood that as soon as they were left in the island, the animals came and killed them.

The king went back to the country and collected 100 strong workers. He took them to the island and instructed them to clean the jungle, remove all the deadly animals and cut down all the excess trees. He visited the island every month to see how the work was progressing. In the first month, all the animals were removed and many trees were cut down. In the second month, the whole island was cleaned out. The king 32

then told the workers to plant gardens in various parts of the island. He also took with him useful animals like chickens, ducks, birds, goats, cows etc. In the third month, he ordered the workers to build big houses and docking stations for ships. Over the months, the island turned into a beautiful place.

The young king would wear simple clothes and spend very little from his earnings as a king. He sent all the earnings to the island for storage. After one full year the people came and dressed up the young king and put him on an elephant to take him around the country to say goodbye to others. However, this king was unusually happy to leave the kingdom.

People asked him, “All the other kings would cry at this moment and why are you laughing?”The wise king answered, “While all the other kings were lost into the luxuries of the kingdom, I always thought about the future and planned for it. I turned the deadly island into a beautiful abode for me where I can stay peacefully, so why should I worry about my future” The life of this world is to prepare for the life hereafter.

In this life, we shouldn’t get lost into the deceiving and attractive things of this world and forget about what is to come in the afterlife.

mulla and the wise men

O

ne day some wise men, who were going about the country trying to find answers to some of the great questions of their time, came to Mulla Nasruddin’s district and asked to see the wisest man in the place. Mulla Nasruddin was brought forward, and a big crowd gathered to listen.

The first wise man began by asking, “Where is the exact center of the world?”

“It is under my right heel,” answered Mulla Nasruddin.

“How can you prove that?” asked the first wise man.

“If you don’t believe me,” answered Mulla Nasruddin, “measure and see.”

The first wise man had nothing to answer to that, so the second wise man asked his question. “How many stars

Don bosco SEPTEMBER 2008

va l u es are there in the sky?” he said. “As many as there are hairs on my donkey,” answered Mulla Nasruddin.

“What proof have you got for that?” asked the second wise man.

“If you don’t believe me,” answered Mulla Nasruddin, “count the hairs on my donkey and you will see.”

“That’s foolish talk,” said the other. “How can one count the hairs on a donkey?”

“Well,” answered Mulla Nasruddin, “How can one count the stars in the sky? If one is foolish talk, so is the other.” The second wise man was silent.

The third wise man was becoming annoyed with Mulla Nasruddin and his answers, so he said, “You seem to know a lot about your donkey, so can you tell me how many hairs there are in its tail?”

“Yes,” answered Mulla Nasruddin. “There are exactly as many hairs in its tail as there are in your beard.”

“How can you prove that?” said the other.

“I can prove it very easily,” answered Mulla Nasruddin. “You can pull one hair out of my donkey’s tail for every one I pull out of your beard. If the hairs on my donkey’s tail do not come to an end at exactly the same time as the hairs in your beard, I will admit that I was wrong.”

Of course, the third wise man was not willing to do this, so the crowd declared Mulla Nasruddin the winner of the day’s arguments.

Prejudice Le Guang had a very close friend who had not come to visit his house for a very long time.

Le Guang was bewildered with it and asked him the reason.

His friend answered, “The last time I came to your house, you served me a cup of fine wine. When I raised up the cup of wine, suddenly I saw inside that cup a small snake. I was very scared, nevertheless I still drank it. After drinking it, I felt very sick and terrible.

Le Guang remembered the last time he served wine to him, on the living room’s wall, there hanged a bow decorated with snake motif. The big bow was bright in color. The small snake mentioned by his friend must be its reflection, he thought. Le Guang brought a cup of wine to the living room and asked, “What did you see in this wine?” His friend answered, “The same thing I saw the last time I visited here.” Le Guang then explained to him what was actually that his friend was seeing.

Soon afterwards, his friend felt relieved and all his illnesses disappeared completely.

GOD EXISTS One day a non-believer in God challenged the king to prove him the existence of God. But he was not able to give him a convincing reply. This caused a great embarrassment to the king so he asked his wisest minister whether he could help him out. The minister agreed for a debate with the non- believer the next day at a particular time, in front of all the coutiers.

The appointed time arrived the next day but there wasn’t any sign of the minister in the court. All the courtiers felt belittled that the minister had made tall claims but had absented himself from the proceedings.

The minister purposely arrived at the court very late. When he arrived in front of the non-believing man, he asked, “Where were you hiding yourself?!”

The minister replied, “I would have reached the court on schedule, but as I reached the riverside, I saw a peculiar scene there. It was so astonishing that my feet wouldn’t advance towards my destination! I saw a boat in the river that was floating on the water without any sailor. It was coming ashore on one side, picking up passengers and leaving them on the other side. From that side it picked up passengers and dropped them on this side! When I saw the boat had no sailor I was very astonished!”

The non-believing man had a hearty laugh and said, “How is it that the boat was making the up and down trips without any sailor?”

The minister now said, “When you think that a small boat cannot fend for itself without someone to row it, then how do you imagine that such a big universe will function without the One who controls it!” The non-believing man was now convinced that God exists.

A.J. Frank sdb

ajfrankie@gmail.com Don bosco SEPTEMBER 2008

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Answers for the August 2008 Brain Teasers 1. If 10 horses eat 10 bags of grass in 10 days,

in how many days would 1 horse eat 1 bag

of grass.

2. Without lifting your pencil from the paper,

join all the sixteen points (dots) with six

straight lines.

3.

Using all the numbers from 1 to 30, complete the magic hexagons below so that the points of all 9 hexagons contained within each one add up to 93.

4. Can you find two identical ears for

each rabbit? Write the number in the box

below the letters of the identical ear.

5. Re-arrange the following jumbled words to

form a sensible sentence.

(a) Cure better is then prevention.

(b) All animals are animals but all rates

not rats.

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Editor, Glorious Steve 34

Don bosco SEPTEMBER 2008