18 Cover Story
www.dbbulletinindia.com Editor Glorious Steve sdb
Sub editor Antony Xavier K.J. Editorial Team A. Raj sdb Joe Andrew sdb Prof. Victor Louis Joe Mannath sdb Francis Karackatt sdb George Plathottam sdb Advisory Council K. Maria Arokiam sdb Stanislaus Swamikannu sdb K.J. Louis sdb
Increasing
Human Population
Publisher Balasamy Yettukuri sdb Financial Advisor Philominathan Sagayaraj sdb
21 Human errors in lifestyles and production models 22 The growing pressure
Design and Layout M. Remo Reegan Raj Tharani Editorial Office Don Bosco Bulletin, The Citadel, 45, Landons Road, Chennai 600 010. Tamilnadu. Phone: (044) 26612138. Fax: (044) 26411310.
Editorial
Subscription Rates Single Copy : Rs. 10.00 INDIA 1 Year Rs. 120.00 2 Years Rs. 220.00 3 Years Rs. 300.00
5 Work and temperance Sri Lanka US $ 8 US $ 14 US $ 20
OTHER COUNTRIES: Sea Mail : Air Mail : Life Subscription Air Mail : Sea Mail :
One Year US $ 15 US $ 30
US $ 600 US $ 350
Printing SIGA, 50 Taylor’s Road, Kilpauk Chennai 600 010. Tamilnadu. Website : www.dbbulletinindia.com e-mail : stevieglo@gmail.com dbbulletin@gmail.com
Spirituality
Salesian
4 The social significance of salesian education
6 Destiny in our hands
16 A legend passes away
Bible
28 Salesian news
10 Moses: an abandoned hero
Current Affairs
Values
8 The power of the name!
11 Tight slap & an excuse
32 Stories for radiant living
Well-Being
30 Church news
12 Drive your blues away
Media Matter
27 Lakshmi tatma, media’s child
Students Plus
Regulars
26 Humour 34 Children’s page
24 Learn how to take class notes Don bosco july 2008
RECTOR
W
MAJOR
e know the origins of Salesian work. Don Bosco himself described the first boys at the oratory: “As a rule the Oratory boys included stonecutters, bricklayers, stuccoers, road pavers, plasterers, and others who came from distant villages. They were not churchgoers, and had few friends; so they were exposed to the dangers of perversion”. Those aimed at therefore, in Don Bosco’s charism, are the most needy youngsters, sons of the people, from the working class. In his circular letter “He had compassion on them”, Fr J. Vecchi draws attention to the new scenario for the educational work of the Salesians: “Economic, social and cultural
exploitation of minors, child soldiers, etc. This is painting a black picture, but it is an incomplete one. Concern for the “least” is always present in the formulation of our plans, understanding by the least youngsters at risk, living in economic, cultural and religious poverty, the poor in affective moral and spiritual terms, those suffering on account of family problems, the youngsters living on the margins of society and of the Church. The first response is the work of education with these young people. The Salesian charism continues to write glorious pages in history, setting in motion the vast social programmes of prevention and assistance in all the continents: in refugee camps, with
EDUCATING WITH THE HEART OF DON BOSCO
THE SOCIAL SIGNIFICANCE OF SALESIAN EDUCATION
“If I want… to feel the dropouts and the drug addicts, those without work and without hope as brothers, not as a different species; if I want to put Christianity into practice, also in society, and I might say one that is sanctified socialist… if I want to relate not in a way that is paternalistic but fatherly, not authoritarian but authoritative, not repressive but with understanding, not one of communication but of communion… I have perfectly understood that I need to turn to Don Bosco”. factors are bringing about a new configuration of society. Hence the priorities of our mission are also changing, at least to some extent: the subjects to whom we give preference, the gospel messages to be disseminated and the educational programmes to be set in motion.” The old and the new forms of poverty among the young are a constant challenge to the creativity of the charism and make it relevant. Often on the television screen we see images, aspects and the effects of poverty, such as hunger, the exodus of thousands of refugees the victims of ethnic conflicts, religious discrimination, wars about spheres of influence. And again, unstable urbanisation that creates the phenomenon of urban marginalisation, immigration, child labour, the situation of women, the sexual
street children, in the rehabilitation of childsoldiers and sexually exploited youngsters, in a great variety of projects on behalf of emigrants. The educative worth of the Preventive System shows its effectiveness in putting the wayward youngsters on the right path, and when they have already embarked on the wrong one helping them not to make worse choices. However, we have to avoid a certain “moda pauperistica”, which becomes demagogy and leads us to talk about the poor, without doing anything for the poor. It is not possible to educate to the values of compassion and solidarity from a standpoint of the satisfied and the powerful, nor even of being neutral. In order to educate to solidarity and justice it is necessary to assume the place of the “victims” in society. Don bosco july 2008
The Church has always seen in the poor “a theological place of encounter with God”. Following an interpretation in gospel terms of the situation of the Latin American continent, the Congress in Puebla affirmed “the need for the conversion of the whole Church to a preferential option for the poor in view of their complete liberation.” The accelerating speed of change, the giddy rhythm with which events follow one after another can result in a certain deadening of our sensitivities or those of the young. It is necessary to find “the appropriate pedagogical means” to keep the heart always open to the cry of life in search of survival and dignity. It is here that education has to say something critical as a means of analysing the situation and of removing all that does not appear to be just. In the face of a world that is individualist and not open to the needs of others, education has to work to overcome indifference and reawaken feelings of concern for social issues, help people to become more aware of the world around us V assess it critically and to and to learn how to feel responsible for and active agents in what happens, taking part in drawing up replies that go beyond having recourse to violence. Poverty and marginalisation are a phenomenon that is not just economic, but rather something that concerns the conscience and challenges society’s way of thinking. For this reason, moral education and education in general should be seen as something of real urgency in a society in which the great problems of the human race, and the principles that govern relationships between the people and the state, and the natural environment, require new ethical and moral guidelines rather than technical and scientific solutions.
Pascual Chavez Villanueva sdb
E d i tor i a l
Work and Temperance T
he rate of inflation is going higher and higher. A couple of months ago the rate of inflation had just crossed 7 per cent, and that was the highest price rise witnessed in the previous 40 months. There was an air of acute despair amongst top Congress leaders since no easy options seemed to be available to the government to control the surge in prices of a wide range of commodities, including most staple food items. Today, the prime minister and his senior cabinet colleagues would probably be very happy to give up their salaries for a month or two if they could turn the clock back to April! The rate of inflation has now touched a mind-boggling 11 per cent. And what is worse is that the future looks just as bleak as it was in April. No one can predict when the process of spiralling prices will come to an end. We know that the current inflationary process is a global phenomenon and practically every country is suffering. Nominal prices of oil have increased by 150 per cent. Food prices keep rising and pressure keeps mounting on families. In simple terms, the world economy is just not producing enough to satisfy rising world demands. Emerging and developing countries have been growing significantly faster than the rest of the world, and there has been a steep surge in demand in these countries. This has been a major cause for the rise in world demand because the economies in most developed countries have been stagnating. Since there is no reason to believe that world production will rise miraculously at least in the immediate
future, many people expect that prices will keep on rising. These expectations in turn exacerbate the inflationary process. Households buy more of non-perishable goods than they need for their immediate consumption because they expect prices to go up even further. What can the government do under these circumstances? In the short run, it is not easy to increase domestic supply. So, its policies must be aimed at reducing aggregate demand. Of course, attempts to restrict demand will obviously have some adverse consequences for growth. People are not accustomed to give up their desire to hoard up. We got used to linking growth with more and more acquisition of wealth. There is no magic cure-all solution for all times and all economies. But when inflation rages at close to double digit figures, clearly the only sensible solution is to lower the consumerism level and to produce more with our capacity to work all the harder. While contractionary monetary policies will have some effect on the general level of prices, more needs to be done in order to reduce food prices. Unfortunately, there are no easy options, partly because of the past sins of the government. Krishna Iyer once said, “ In times of crisis, the democracy of India was safeguarded not by the educated rascals; but, by the ordinary simple people who toiled and sacrificed even their basic needs.” Desperate times call for desperate measures. The government’s efforts to buy small quantities of food grain from world markets which will also signal to domestic traders that the government is determined to curb prices. This in turn may induce traders to release additional quantities because of fears that hoarding would no longer be profitable. Don bosco july 2008
Apart from government machinary’s efforts, what is going to be the measures taken by individuals who are part of this government? The salesian constitution Article 18 has something important not only for critical moments like current inflation, but. It gives a general norm for life. It speaks of work and temperance: “Work and temperance will make the Congregation flourish”, whereas the seeking of an easy and comfortable life will instead bring about its death. The Salesian gives himself to his mission with tireless energy, taking care to do everything with simplicity and moderation. He knows that by his work he is participating in the creative action of God and cooperating with Christ in building the Kingdom. Temperance gives him the strength to control his heart, to himself and remain even-tempered. He does not look for unusual penances but accepts the daily demands and renunciations of the apostolic life. He is ready to suffer cold and heat, hunger and thirst, weariness and disdain whenever God’s glory and the salvation of souls require it.” Hard work is the hallmark of any development. Similarly is the curbing of desire to acquire. Giving into ease and comfort will make us die a slow death. We had learnt to grow fast; now is the time to device pace suitable for our growth. Temperance is the key to a stable growth. These are difficult times particularly for the families. But, let us continue to work and follow temperance. That is all that we need to arrest any inflation.
Glorious Steve sdb Editor
Spirituality
Planet Earth Contest Prize Winning Article - 5
Yes it was the first atom bomb dropped into the heart of the earth which has left indelible wounds, some of the after-effects still continue to this day even after 62 years.
Destiny in Our Hands
Today, we have to remove the egoself from each one of us and replace it with eco-self. The Cobwebs that are created in our minds due to the improved technologies, fast growing infrastructures and materialistic cultures have to be removed to create “eco-self” in each one of us.
Science and Nature
Man is reaching great heights with the help of bio-technology and genetic engineering. The plants developed with the help of bio-technology caused the death of butterflies called “Manark” while they were pollinating. Hence new comforts offered by science make man selfish, a seeker of pomp, exploiter of the earth and hunter of nature.
I
n 1854 American President Franklin Pierce asked the Red Indians to give a big plot of forest land to build a factory. The Red Indians were totally upset for they considered earth as their mother. So they replied to him saying, “Shinning sky and the purity of the earth can’t be bought and sold. It is a mystery to us. The newness of air and the brightness of the water are not ours then how can we sell it to you? We’ve seen the carcass of thousands of buffalos shot by the white people while passing on the train. We also kill animals but only to sustain our lives. I wonder
how gun became more precious to you than the buffalos. As blood binds all family together, earth binds each thing to one another. We might give you our land if you consider earth as your mother and animals as your brothers.” This shows how we have to take care of the earth which is very precious and important to us.
A Lesson from Hiroshima
In 1945, August 6 at 6.45 am, a great ball of fire fell on the surface of the earth, its gigantic waves swept over the earth, huge buildings kissed the ground one after the other, black rain poured in every corners of the world. Don bosco july 2008
“Stephen Hocking” in his interview to the “China Daily” once said, “The biggest threat that man is facing today is not the nuclear weapons but the global warming”. The atmosphere is an insulating blanket protecting the earth. Scientists say we need to reduce the emission of the most important greenhouse gas, carbon dioxide (Co2) from transportation and industry by 80%.
What must be the pattern of our development?
We should always protect the mother earth as it is our duty to leave the natural land for the future generation. Unfortunately, today’s development is based on two things – profit and authority.
Ecology and Bible
“We, of this generation, are the stewards of the land in which we live. The next generation will call up on us to give amount of our stewardship.” (Charles Eliots)
Spirituality Christianity is often blamed for pollution extinction, wastefulness, and the poor ecological state of our earth. In 1967 “Lyon White” a historian from the University of California published an article entitled “The historical roots of our ecological concerns”. It stated that
respected and cared for’. Therefore the root of our ecological problem is not Christianity but the heart of man. Christians should be the best environmentalists as we consider how wonderfully god’s creation displays his handworks and his glory.
When Columbus reached America it had 80 crore acres of forest land but today due to development and the growth of cities it has reduced into 5.5 crore acres of forest land. At the time of independence, India had 33% of forest land but unfortunately today it is only 11.
a way of life totally imbued with what I like too call “eco-spirituality.”
Eco-Spirituality
Eco- It comes from a Greek word “Oikos” means “home” refering to the cosmic community of life, as lived especially on earth. SpiritualityIt is an all pervasive life-style that facilitates the understanding, respect and relational nature all reality. EcoSpirituality reflects “a relationship experienced personally by an individual with his environment, reflecting an equal state of inner harmony giving rise to knowledge, inner balance and wellbeing”.
The Aim of Eco-Spirituality is
• To find and to love God present and acting in all reaction • To nurture reverence for life in all its manifestations • To achieve greater wellbeing and happiness for individuals, society and planet • To assist in activating the inter- communion of all living and non living components of the earth community (Thomas Berry)
the root causes of our ecological crisis are so largely religious and the remedy must also be essentially religious. The world was created for us and entrusted to us; we are its stewards (Gen 1/26). We are created in the image of God and should feel the responsibility of protecting and nurturing the planet.
Eco-Care: How to be a Winner?
During the last 150 years the scientific and industrial establishments have given us current ecological crisis and also an evolutionary philosophy. The natural outcome of Social-Darvinism defined by “struggle for existence” and “survival of the fittest” is that nature is to be ‘conquered by man, not
Lethal killers such as global warming, O3 depletion and environmental pollution are slowly and systematically disfiguring the green earth into an uninhabited grey wasteland. “Operation saving the earth” urgently calls for a connected effort on the part of each one of us to adopt
The rainbow of Genesis 2/13 pledges God’s eternal covenant with all creation, while Romans 8/19-22 tells us that creation itself awaits God’s full redemption on it. Such “ecotheology” affirms that the entire creation is saved by the “Cosmic Christ” (David S Joolan).
Don bosco july 2008
Do we consciously experience that “Earth is crammed with heaven and every common bush afire with God? (Elizabeth Barret Browning). Do we accept the fraternal model of St. Francis of Assisi? Each one of us can contribute to the “saving of the earth,” plant a tree, reduce the use of plastic bags, keep the ambience clean. Famous Ecoscientist Prof. W.A. Turmo wrote, “We did not acquire this earth as a heredity from our ancestors but as a debt from the future generation”. So let us remember the words of the father of our nation, Mahatma Gandhi – “There is enough for everyone’s need; not for everyone’s greed.”
Shibin Varghese
A
V A LU E S
small group of women walked towards a garden tomb early on a Sunday morning. They almost ran. They had not caught a wink of sleep the whole Sabbath night, waiting for the crack of the dawn. Their leader squinted into the darkness but could not see the Roman soldiers she knew were there. There was an eerie silence in the area. But she was not afraid. Her eyes wandered to see that the tomb was open. The front stone was rolled out of the way. An unearthly fear took hold of the other two women. With trepidation
dishevelled and somewhat haggard, looking older than her age. She too began running, but to look for the apostles. Her mind was racing ahead, trying to guess where she could find Peter and the others. “They are probably in the house of the friend, where the master shared his last meal with us,” she reasoned. She was right. “They have taken the Lord away,” she screamed as she burst into the room, frightening the men huddled there and still half asleep. “He is gone; the body is missing!”
FROM THE GOSPELS AT A TANGENT - 20
The Power of the Name! They all looked up at her with questioning eyes. Suddenly they were all fully awake. “Ah, women’s stories,” grumbled someone from the corner. Mary brushed aside the traditional prejudice. “Peter, come and see, if you don’t believe me.” John seemed incredulous for a minute, but then pulled Peter’s sleeve, got up and began to run out of the room. Peter and Mary followed him. When they reached the tomb, they found that Mary had rightly reported. Peter was afraid that the Roman soldiers might return there any moment. And he did not want to be in their bad books again. He walked hurriedly back to their hideout. John followed, still silent and thoughtful.
they peered into the tomb. Only two pieces of white cloth were lying there. The body was gone! Leaving the leader and the spices they carried, the other two women fled out of sheer fear. Tears began to flood her large, beautiful eyes. Mary - that was her name - was a beautiful young woman, but now
But Mary was not a woman to be frightened. She stood there and began to weep! And suddenly she saw a gardener standing there. “He must be knowing something” she thought. The man spoke first. “Woman, who are you, why are you weeping and what are you doing here at this odd hour? This is not a place fit for women to come in darkness.” Don bosco july 2008
“I am looking for my Lord!” “Your Lord? Who is that? There is only a tomb here and the body of a carpenter from Galilee.” “Yes, yes, that Carpenter is my boss, and Lord. Her voice cracked. Tears began once again to flood her eyes and blur her vision. “Sir, are you the owner of this place,” she asked between the sobs. “If you have taken him away, please tell me where you have put him and I will go and take him away.” “You will carry away his body? What audacity. How can you, a slender woman, can carry away the body of a man. Do you know how heavy corpses are? Besides, what are you going to do with a dead body? Are you crazy?” “Crazy, I definitely am! He is my master, my teacher, and my healer. You seem to be a nice gentleman, and I don’t mind telling you. He healed me from the possession of seven evil spirits. I was lost. He saved me. He made me feel loved, and gave me back my selfrespect. Without him I have no life and no reason to exist. I am sure he is the Messiah… I mean… was the Messiah. Now everything is lost in my life. The day before yesterday, standing under the cross where they hanged Him, I saw him die, and I lost my soul; now, also his body, the last sign of His presence.” She began to beg and plead now. The man sat on a nearby rock still smiling and called out: “Mariette!” It was a most loving voice, like the voice of a lover calling his beloved! Mary felt a tinkle in her heart and all of a sudden it burst forth into glorious symphony. “Rabbuni!” she yelled and ran and clutched His feet in a tight embrace. She felt as if her heart would busrt. “Rabbuni, Jesus, my Rabbuni,” she called again. “Is it you? Is it really you? Oh my God, you are alive. Oh my
V A LU E S God… Oh my God!” How did I not recognize you for so long.” “You did not even look at me properly,” He said. “Mariette, I too am so happy to see you this morning.” She just held his feet tight and rested her head on His knees. “What is happening to me,” she muttered to herself. “Is this all real, or am I dreaming?” But then she realized that she was holding the real feet of Jesus in flesh and blood! “Yes, I am alive. I am the Living One, the Eternally Living One, and your friend! I told you all several times that I will come back to life. Which of you believed me. But let that be. I was talking to you so long and how is that you recognized me only when I called your name? Didn’t you think that it could be someone else who knew you?” “Oh, no! Lord, that voice and that name, they woke me up from my stupor. That loving voice hit my dark mind like the burst of the sun. I knew it was you. No one else calls me “Mariette”. “Mariette, do you know that I have a pet name for everyone of my loved ones? I call all of them by that name and with the same loving tone. It is sad that most of them do not recognize my voice. There was sadness in His voice now. “But tell me. You have always called me Rabbi. What is this ‘Rabbuni’ now?” He was now teasing her. “That is my pet name for you! I never called you like that before because others would have teased me. And you know Lord that my entire heart is in it. You know I love you more than anything else in the world. I hope it is all right if I called you by a pet name!” “Now, aren’t you letting my feet go?” “Oh no. To rest my head on your feet is heaven itself for me. Lord, I won’t let you go, now that I have found you.” Jesus laughed and said: “Don’t be afraid Mary. I have not yet ascended to my
Father and to your Father! I will still be around for some more time when you can physically see me. Now get up, I have a work to give you.” She slowly released His feet and got up. Jesus too got up from the stone where he was sitting and they began to stroll in the garden. “Go and tell my frightened disciples that I am alive and that I will come to see them.”
The man sat on a nearby rock still smiling and called out: “Mariette!” It was a most loving voice, like the voice of a lover calling his beloved! “Yes, Rabbuni,” she said, “There is nothing more exciting for me than to announce that you are alive. But they will not believe me. I have been there already earlier to tell them that … your body was missing from the tomb, and they all looked strangely at me.” “Besides, they despise me. They call me … a prostitute, and sometimes I feel they are upset because you love me. That pains me a lot. Lord you know that I was not a prostitute.” “I know. I only cured you of your several possessions of which you were a victim. It pains me too that they call you that. But you have to learn to live with certain type of calumny, which is very hard to tackle. And you will be one of the strongest witness to my living love for humanity.” Don bosco july 2008
“All right Lord. Anything for you. I will give every drop of my life only to proclaim your Resurrection! “I have one more incurable weakness,” she said with hesitation. “I am a woman! You know that in our society the witness of women is not considered credible.” Jesus laughed loud. “Oh no, Mary. Your womanhood is your strength. God’s maternity is more naturally expressed in the love of a mother!” “God’s maternity?” Mary was totally surprised. “You have taught us everyday that God is our Abba, our Father.” “Now don’t worry about all that. I assure you the woman is absolutely in no way inferior to man in God’s plan. Their witness to me is in no way less valuable. Rather, I tell you solemnly that women will witness to my love in more numbers and with greater intensity till the end of the world! You, for example, will be one of the most valuable witnesses to me, as I have appeared to you first after my coming back to life.” “Rabbuni, bear with me, just one more question before I go on my mission. Thanks for appearing first to me. But why did you choose me of all people?” Jesus laughed heartily. “Because you were the first to turn up this side. Getting up early in the morning has its advantages. And then they say that the fastest way of spreading a secret is to tell a woman!” Mary too laughed pleasantly. “Apart from jokes, Mary, your heart is pure. There is nothing in your heart except me! That is purity! Blessed are the pure of heart, for they shall see God. And you have seen God.” Mary flung herself once again at His feet in adoration and kissed them. She became the forerunner of the millions of people who will kiss His feet in adoration throughout history. He laid His hands on her head and blessed her. She got up, and began to run!
K. Maria Arokiam sdb
mariaarokiam.kanaga@gmail.com
M
BIBLE
oses is one of the most commanding and memorable characters of the Bible. A great Hebrew national Hero, Leader, Author, Poet, Lawgiver, Deliverer and Prophet. He not only gave the law, but gave the history of his people and of the world right from the beginning. He played a key role in the Exodus. He received twice The Ten Commandments from God, because he smashed the first set when he discovered the Golden calf worship by the Israelites at
and had two children Gershom and Eliezer. He then took over the family shepherding business. In Sinai, he spent the second 40 years of his life, learning how to raise his family in the wilderness. The turning point in Moses life began when God appeared to him in the unconsumed burning bush at Mount Horeb and gave him the Exodus mission. God also revealed His name as “I am who am”; that he is the ‘God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob”. Moses was commissioned to return to
Personality for Imitation - 7
Moses: An Abandoned Hero the foot of Mount Sinai. He was directed by God to build The Tabernacle, the moveable temple and The Ark of the Covenant. He is also the first writer of scripture, the author of The Pentateuch, the first 5 Books of the Bible. The story of Moses is covered in the Books of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. He is mentioned 80 times in the New Testament, usually as a lawgiver. He is also seen as the prophet who points the way to Jesus. Moses, along with Elijah appeared in the Transfiguration with Jesus. Moses was the third child of Amran and Jochebed from the tribe of Levi, and the younger brother of Miriam and Aaron. At his birth, the Israelites experienced severe oppression in Egypt and the King ordered to kill all male Hebrew infants by drowning. Moses’ mother and sister concealed him for three months and when no longer possible to hide, they put him in a waterproof basket and set it adrift in the Nile River. The Pharaoh’s daughter found the basket and adopted the infant. She significantly named him as Moses, because “I drew him out of the water”. Miriam mediated to Pharaoh’s daughter to make her mother nurse the baby in the royal palace. He spent first 40 years of his life, in the palace of Pharaoh, being educated in “all the wisdom of the Egyptians” and learning how to govern. In the Sinai wilderness, he met a Midianite priest named Jethro; married one of his daughters, Zipporah 10
He was directed by God to build the Tabernacle, the moveable temple and The Ark of the Covenant. He is also the first writer of scripture, the author of The Pentateuch, the first five Books of the Bible. Egypt and lead His chosen Israelites out of bondage. But Moses expressed doubts and reluctance. God promised to demonstrate His power and requested to take Aaron as his mouthpiece. And Only after a series of ten divinely ordained plague punishments and at the death of the first-born son of every Egyptian, did Pharaoh set them free. Don bosco july 2008
At God’s command, he parted the Red Sea, to allow an escape route on dry ground for the Israelites from the Egyptian army. Due to disobedience, grumbling, and lack of trust in God, the Israelites were forced to wander in the desert for 40 years, where Moses served as the leader of the rebellious people and a prophet who received and delivered the Law to Israel. Since he struck the stone twice, he lost his faith. And so, he was allowed to see the Promised Land but not to enter. He went up to Mount Nebo, which over looks Canaan and died at the age of 120. Moses’ character was many-sided: His refusal to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter and his choice to suffer affliction with the people of God shows his great love for his brethren. His attempt to be excused from the leadership of his people proves that he was a man of humbleness of mind. His address to the people at the Red Sea shows that he was a man of extraordinary faith. His sitting to hear all the complaints of Israel proves that he possessed great perseverance. His acceptance of the advice of his father-in-law in reference to govern people establishes the fact that he was progressive. His conduct at Mount Sinai in the destruction of the golden calf and its worshippers proves that he was aggressive. His fervent petition to the Lord to spare Israel even when God promised, on their destruction, proves his utter unselfishness. His refusal to rebuke Eldad and Medad for prophesying proves that he was free from envy. His prayer to the Lord to forgive his sister Miriam proves that he was meek and forgiving. His conduct in suppressing the rebellion inaugurated by Korah establishes the fact that he was a man of extraordinary courage. Moses was the great deliverer, the one God used to bring Israel out of slavery; he remains an “abandoned hero” because he led the people to the Promised Land but he himself did not reach there.
Victor Antonyraj sdb victoraraj@yahoo.com
CURRENT
AFFAIRS
Tight Slap & an Excuse O n June 4, the central government announced a price hike of Rs.5 per litre of petrol, Rs.3 on diesel and Rs.50 per LPG cylinder, together with customs and excise duty cuts in an attempt to save the oil marketing companies from bankruptcy. But the common man on the streets fume over the sudden move of the government who are already reeling under inflation.
“Milk products, vegetables, fruits have all gone up so much, and the autofare is so costly that I have no choice other than walking nowadays I see 25 paise coins have become defunct“ says Rani, housewife.“ They say international crude oil prices have gone up and we have to hike the price, I think we will live to see the cost of 1 litre of petrol at Rs 150.00 soon atleast in India” says another grumbling petrol customer. But the Government was quick to clarify its stand on price hike. The prime minister addressed the nation through television and argued his inevitable move of fuel price hike. He said he knew the rise won’t be popular but the govt. couldn’t take the burden of rising prices alone. “There are limits to which we can keep consumer prices unaffected by rising import costs. Our oil companies cannot go on incurring losses. This way they will have no money to import crude oil from abroad,” the Prime Minister said. “I know that the price increases we have had to announce today, will not be popular, even though they are only modest,” Singh said his address explaining the circumstances which forced the UPA coalition government for a hefty fuel price revision. With the Centre having taken a revenue hit of Rs 22,660 crore by cutting duties, the Prime Minister asked the
state governments to reduce their taxes and levies as well. He said the oil prices in the country had not been raised so that cost of living did not hurt the poor sections of the society but that at some point in time the national prices have to reflect international realities. He said the high growth in the country has been accompanied by high inflation. “We cannot remain captive to uncertain markets and unsure sources of supply. We have to develop renewable sources of energy, including nuclear energy,” he said. “Each one of us should conserve energy. I urge every citizen to spend less petrol, diesel and LPG,” he added. “We cannot think only for ourselves, for the present and for the here and now. We must think about what is good for future generations -and for the welfare and security of our children, grand children and their children. It is our duty to ensure their food security and energy security,” Singh said. In this context, how many people in our population would have taken the word of the prime minister seriously to spend less Don bosco july 2008
We cannot think only for ourselves, for the present and for the here and now. We must think about what is good for future generations. petrol and diesel? Even if a few take it seriously it might be of a little relief. With inflation like never before the government employees can at least manage their household but the majority of our workforce in the unorganized sector are the worried lot. Soaring prices and a static salary has burdened majority of our people. If our Government is so keen to alleviate the present crisis, let them take a drastic step to recover all the dues to bank by defaulters which include powerful politicians and business tycoons which runs to several thousand crores. Ours may be a democracy but it is only the man on the streets who bears the brunt of price hike.
S. Rajvee
www.rajvee.com, rajvee@rajvee.com 11
W E LL - B E I N G
O
ne of the most important and realistic truths about living is that there is no life without pain, suffering, loss, struggle and sacrifice. Once we understand and accept this important truth about life, we can reduce a lot of stress and discouragement in our day to day life. The dictionary defines discouragement as follows; “a feeling of despair in the face of obstacles; or a state of distraught and loss of sense of enthusiasm, drive or courage.” When we accept the fact that life is a package of joys and sorrows, high points and low, success and disappointment, ecstasy and pain, we learn to overcome discouragement and a feeling of despair
either your purpose or your problems, God’s power or your weakness, Christ or your circumstances. It’s your choice.” I am sure that most of you would have read the inspiring story of the farmer’s donkey. One day a farmer’s donkey fell into a well. The animal cried miserably for hours as the farmer tried to figure out what to do. He consulted the people of his village and finally they decided that the animal was old and it could die in the process of being saved. At the same time they could not leave the animal to die slowly. They decided that mercy killing was the only solution and the well needed to be covered up anyway. They all grabbed a shovel and began to shovel
Drive your blues away
“You have a choice of what you’re going to focus on: either your purpose or your problems, God’s power or your weakness, Christ or your circumstances. It’s your choice.”
or desolation; or in the words of popular musicians ‘drive away or sing away or rock away our blues’. Momentary bouts of discouragement and despair are natural since life has its share of struggle and pain. But wellbeing calls for the acceptance of this fact and hence to make the choice of fighting discouragement. As I have often repeated in these wellbeing articles - life is all about choices and one of the choices we have to make is to fight discouragement. It could become a way of life if we are not careful. This momentary feeling can become our attitude. Discouragement could become our choice.
Today he is hailed as a great economist, lawyer, educationist, politician, champion of human rights and emancipator of millions of downtrodden people. Imagine the fate of India if he had become a victim of discouragement and despair.
Rick Warren says: “If you’re discouraged, that’s your choice. You have chosen to be discouraged. Discouragement is always a choice. It comes from thinking discouraging thoughts-and you can change your thoughts any time. You have a choice of what you’re going to focus on: 12
Don bosco july 2008
dirt and mud into the well to bury the animal alive. At first, the donkey realized what was happening and cried horribly. Then, to everyone’s amazement, he became quiet. A few shovel loads later, the farmer finally looked into the well and was astonished to see a miracle taking place. With every shovel of dirt that hit his back, the donkey was doing something astonishing. He would shake it off and take a step up. As the farmer’s neighbours continued to shovel dirt on top of the animal, he would shake it off and take a step up. Pretty soon, everyone was amazed as the donkey stepped up over the edge of the well and trotted off! Life is going to shovel dirt on you, all kinds of dirt. The trick to getting out of the well is to shake it off and take a step up. Each of our troubles is a steppingstone. We can get out of the deepest
W E LL - B E I N G wells just by not stopping, never giving up! Shake it off and take a step up! There are stories of so many great leaders that teach us the importance of not falling into the trap of discouragement. Life beckons us to face challenges. Dr Ambedkar’s childhood dream to go to school was shattered when his teacher asked him to sit outside the classroom. He had to carry a gunny sack everyday to sit outside since he was from a low caste. Untouchable children were segregated and given no attention or assistance from the teachers. They were not allowed to sit inside the class. Even if they needed to drink water somebody from a higher caste would have to pour that water from a height as they were not allowed to touch either the water or the vessel that contained it. This task was usually performed for the young Ambedkar by the school peon, and if he could not be found Ambedkar went without water. All this did not deter Ambedkar. He proved to the world that untouchability is a figment of the mind. He later went to the United States to complete his Ph. D. Upon India’s independence on August 15, 1947, the new Congress-led government invited Ambedkar to serve as the nation’s first law minister. On August 29, Ambedkar was appointed chairman of the Constitution Drafting Committee and given the task of drafting free India’s new Constitution. He bravely fought against great odds and became one of the founding fathers of our country, the backbone of our Constitutions. Today he is hailed as a great economist, lawyer, educationist, politician, champion of human rights and emancipator of millions of downtrodden people. Imagine the fate of India if he had become a victim of discouragement and despair. It is said that Albert Einstein could not speak until he was four years old and did not read until he was seven. His parents and teachers worried about his mental ability. Beethoven’s music teacher said about him, “As a composer he is hopeless.”
What if young Ludwig had been discouraged by this teacher? When Thomas Edison was a young boy, his teachers said he was so stupid he could never learn anything. He once said, “I remember I used to never be able to get along at school. I was al¬ways at the foot of my class...my father thought I was stupid, and I almost decided that I was a dunce.” What if young Thomas had been discouraged by his teachers? A newspaper editor once fired Walt Disney because he was thought to have no “good ideas.” Caruso was told by one music teacher, “You can’t sing. You have no voice at all.” What if these people had listened and become discouraged? Where would our world be without the music of Beethoven, or the ideas of Ambedkar, Albert Einstein and Thomas Edison? As Oscar Levant has accurately said, “It’s not what you are, it’s what you don’t become that hurts.” Jesus worked miracles, cured the sick, gave people bread, forgave sinners, was close to people and yet at the end of it all, He was crucified on a cross. It may seem paradoxical but the truth is that Don bosco july 2008
his death on the cross became the greatest sign of love and hope for mankind. Jesus must have been very discouraged when the people he had so lovingly served had turned against him. But he took up his cross as a sign that He still loved them. The cross became a sign of faith, compassion and victory. He chose to fight discouragement and taught us the meaning of love and suffering. Helen Keller wisely said, “The struggle of life is one of our greatest blessings. It makes us patient, sensitive, and Godlike. It teaches us that although the world is full of suffering, it is also full of the overcoming of it.” When Paul was in prison, he wrote to the Philippian Christians, “But I want you to know, brethren, that the things which happened to me have actually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel.” (Phil. 1:12). While most of us would have focused on the “defeat” (being in prison even though he was innocent), Paul was able to see what God was doing in his life. A man once told a sad looking passerby “I love the look of spring skies.” The sad person looked up and saw a lot of clouds. It was a cloudy day and he said, “It is far from spring, my friend. Summer is nearing the end and we still have winter ahead.” “Oh, I understand,” the other man replied and he continued, “I hope one day you’ll see spring in everything.” And he walked away with a smile. I hope all of us will be able to see spring in everything.
Joe Andrew sdb
joeandrewsdb@hotmail.com 13
rev i ew - B O O K
MEDIA EDUCATION
Key concepts, Perspectives, Difficulties and Main Paradigms Devadoss Joseph Sagayaraj his book is an excellent contribution to the field of ‘media education’ as it offers very practical guidelines as to what should be done and what should be avoided in media education. I congratulate the Author for the clarity in presenting the theme and for the theme and for the systematic way in which he has dealt with it Media and life influence each other so much, that lack of understanding of the role of media will be interpreted as the ignorance of life itself. In today’s contact we could say ignorance of the role of media is ignorable of
T
life. This book is sure to kindle and motivate the readers to make life meaningful. DEVADOSS JOSEPH SAGAYARAJ, a Salesian from Tamil Nadu, India, teaches in the Faculty of Social Communications at the Salesian Pontifical University (Rome) from where he has obtained a Doctorate in Mass Media. His main areas of interest are Communication Theories and Media Literacy. He has a number of articles and reviews to his credit. Price : Rs. 200
WOMAN IN MISSION Sr. D.J. Margaret FMA here can be two opinions about the fact that women are being oppressed even today in India and the world. It is true that there are women’s liberation movements everywhere. But they affect only a few educated and richer women. Sr. D.J. Margaret speaks of the mission of the Christians to work for the liberation of women. She roots this mission in the Bible and in the teachings of the Church. In the course
T
of this reflection she also evokes the challenges of mission today. A lot of study, research and reflection have gone into the production of this book. It is scholarly, but clear. It is religious and advocates people to collaborate with women in their struggle for liberation. It will inspire many men and women to work together that women may become free to contribute the richness of their lives and service to human community.
Price: Rs. 100 Books are available at : ARUMBU PUBLICATIONS© 49, Tailors Road, Kilpauk, Chennai – 600 010, India. Ph: +91 44 26413889 E-mail: arumbu@gmail.com 14
Don bosco july 2008
ADVT
Don bosco july 2008
15
SALESIAN
A legend passes away
R
Rev.Fr. Ittyachan Manjil, SDB
ev. Fr. Ittyachan Manjil, sdb, passed away at the Citadel, Chennai, at about 8:00 pm on 28 May 2008. He was 87 years old.
(1921-2008)
He had been keeping very indifferent health since the death of his elder brother, Fr. Antony Manjil, S.J., in March 2008. On 21 May morning he had a fall while coming out of the bathroom. As a result he sustained a severe hip injury and was confined to his bed. Death came to him peacefully on the evening of 28 May 2008. There was a concelebrated Mass for the repose of the soul of the dearly
He was a talented artist, cartoonist, actor, and outstanding in sports and games. A born teacher, he could make the intricacies of Mathematics simple and intelligible to the uninitiated. departed on the morning of 29 May at the Citadel. Rev. Fr. Stanislaus Swamikannu, sdb, Provincial, presided over the Mass. A good number of Salesians and lay people participated in the Mass. After the Mass the body was taken for internment to the Salesian cemetery at Don Bosco, Tirupattur, Vellore Dt. The funeral Mass was held at 4:00 pm, 29 May 2008. The Most Rev. P. Sounderaj, sdb, Bishop of Vellore, presided over the funeral Mass. A 16
“Tucking up his cassock, he took a broom from one of us and started cleaning one of the toilets. We needed no further goading to do our assigned task.” large number of Salesians from the three Provinces of Chennai, Tiruchy and Bangalore, his own younger sister, Sr. Mary Manjil, fma, Salesian Sisters, and other religious and lay people were present for the occasion. The body of Fr. Ittyachan was finally laid to rest at 6:00 pm. 29 May. Fr. Ittyachan was born on 7 October 1921 at Thrissur, Kerala, of a respectable Syrian Catholic family. He joined the Salesian aspirantate in 1946 as a graduate in Mathematics and Education (BSc., B.Ed.). He made his first profession as a Salesian in 1947 Don bosco july 2008
and perpetual profession in 1952. He was ordained a Priest in 1955. During his lifetime he has held several responsible positions in the Congregation and in the Church, as Vice Provincial, Rector, Parish Priest, Novice Master, Spiritual Director and Headmaster at: St. Mary’s Co-Cathedral, Armenian St., Chennai, St. Bede’s, San Thome, St. Francis Xavier’s, Broadway, Chennai, Our Lady of Lourdes Shrine, Perambur, Don Bosco Beatitudes, Vyasarpadi, Don Bosco, Pannur, Thiruvallur Dist., Salesian College, Yercaud, Salem Dt., Don Bosco, Vellore, Vellore Dt. and
sa l es i an Sacred Heart College, Tirupattur, Vellore Dt. He also volunteered to work for five years as Parish Priest and Headmaster at Don Bosco, Kohima, Nagaland, during the partial expulsion of foreign missionaries from North East India. Fr. Ittyachan was a versatile genius. As G.K. Chesterton puts it, “non tetigit quod non ornavit” (whatever he touched, he embellished). He had a gift for languages. He could read, write and speak English, Sanskrit, Malayalam, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Italian and Angami (Nagaland). He was the first Indian to learn Angami and celebrate Mass and preach in that language. He was a talented artist, cartoonist, actor, and outstanding in sports and games. A born teacher, he could make the intricacies of Mathematics simple and intelligible to the uninitiated. When, at times, some students would be distracted in class, he would not draw their attention by pulling them up but would rather turn to the blackboard a d vt
and draw a cartoon of the distracted student on it. The mischievous lad needed no other reminder. He taught by example and by words. I recall one of my first experiences as a fourteen-year-old aspirant at Sacred Heart High School, Tirupattur. One evening, five of us were assigned to clean the toilets. Brooms in hand we stood before the toilet doors hesitant to begin the job. Fr. Ittyachan who was doing his Practical Training as a cleric happened to pass by. He saw us standing with brooms in hand. He understood the situation. Tucking up his cassock, he took a broom from one of us and started cleaning one of the toilets. We needed no further goading to do our assigned task. He was a good story-teller and writer. As students we would eagerly listen to his unravelling of the plot in all its minutest details. He published several books in an age when publishing books was a rare thing. Above all, he was a great Salesian who loved the Holy Eucharist, Our
Lady and Don Bosco. That he was elected to represent the South Indian Salesian Province of Madras three times at the Congregation’s General Chapter, speaks volumes for the esteem with which he was held. As Fr. Sebastian Karottemprel, sdb, says, “for me, Ittyachan was a perfect Salesian and priest. He was an independent spirit and at times out-spoken and critical of certain policies. This trait of character and temperament did not endear him to some. Perhaps this fact prevented him from his being fully useful to the Church and the Congregation in roles of leadership”. In the death of Fr. Ittyachan Manjil, Salesian India, especially the Province of Chennai, has lost a pioneer and an intelligent, resourceful and indefatigable Salesian. May the Good Lord grant him eternal rest.
George Palackapilly SDB
With best compliments from
Montfort Brothers, Staff & Students St.Peter’s Hr.Sec.School St.Peter’s Primary School Montfort Nursery & Primary School 18, West Madha Church Street, Royapuram, Chennai - 600 013. Don bosco july 2008
17
COVER
STORY
Increasing
Human Population
A liability or an untapped resource? Ironically, where there is famine, the problem usually is not an excess of people but an excess of government, which leads to gross misallocation and misuse of resources as corrupt bureaucrats and dictators
N
ewspapers have become overpopulated, so to speak, with warnings about human overpopulation. Such warnings have been issued regularly for decades - even centuries - with consistently incorrect predictions. On the first Earth Day, Paul Ehrlich’s 1968 bestseller, The Population Bomb, was widely quoted. He predicted that by 1985, the “population explosion” would lead to world famine, the death of the oceans, a reduction in life expectancy to 42 years, and the wasting of the Midwest into a vast desert. He was about as accurate as Malthus himself, the Englishman who, in 1798, predicted catastrophic food shortages that never came. The population doomsayers usually offer the solution of global government - BIG government to determine, in Gaylord Nelson’s words, “the optimum number of people.” Ironically, where there is famine, the problem usually is not an excess of people but an excess of government, which leads to gross 18
The resulting large population, living at a higher standard than ever before, breathing cleaner air and drinking purer water, is a cause for celebration, not for doomsaying. misallocation and misuse of resources as corrupt bureaucrats or dictators seek power more than the welfare their subjects. Just what is “overpopulation”? How does one determine when a nation is overpopulated? There are no clear demographic indicators for this fuzzy notion. If population density is used as the criterion, then Bermuda and Monaco would be crisis zones, while Nigeria and Ethiopia should Don bosco july 2008
“
COVER
be paradise. Other factors, like population growth rate, also provide metrics riddled with inconsistencies. Yes, there are places where people lack resources and go hungry, but eliminating neighbours is not the solution to the condition of poverty. If we are worried about those who go hungry, let us recognize that the hungry are suffering from poverty, not from overpopulation. But isn’t poverty directly related to population size or to rapid population growth? Absolutely not. The population control crowd
is now embarrassed by the light of scientific study into the relationship between population and economic development. A wide variety of recent economic studies on this issue have shattered the myth that population growth is bad for a nation’s economy. Though rarely reported by the media, this has led to a remarkable revolution in the scientific (not the political) community. This scientific revolution is documented by Dr. Julian Simon, Univ. of Maryland, in Jay Lehr’s book Rational Readings on Environmental Concerns, Van Nostrand Reinhold Publ., 1992. Now the real scientific
STORY
On the first Earth Day, Paul Ehrlich’s 1968 bestseller, The Population Bomb, was widely quoted. He predicted that by 1985, the “population explosion” would lead to world famine, the death of the oceans, a reduction in life expectancy to 42 years, and the wasting of the Midwest into a vast desert. He was about as accurate as Malthus himself, the Englishman who, in 1798, predicted catastrophic food shortages that never came.
”
Don bosco july 2008
19
COVER
STORY
Even with high population density, enterprise-based economies flourish while centrally-planned nations stagnate and become addicted to foreign aid. The real problem is not excess people, but excess government.
debate centers on whether population growth has a neutral or positive effect, but there clearly is no significant negative effect. Fascinating case studies can be found in pairs of similar nations having centrally-planned and market economies, such as China and Taiwan or the former East and West Germany. Though the centrallyplanned nations began with similar resources and similar birth rates, and even lower population densities, than their market-based counterparts, the market economies prospered, in spite of the higher “population pressure.” Even with high population density, enterprise-based economies flourish while centrally-planned nations stagnate and become addicted to 20
foreign aid. The real problem is not excess people, but excess government. How can the “obvious” logic of the population control lobby be wrong? Because the resources of the planet are not a fixed pie that dwindle with each birth. The resources are whatever we can make of this planet - or solar system - and it takes the work of human beings to transform raw materials and energy into useful resources. Humans are not a liability, but a resource that we need! Our technological society, fueled by the precious resource of abundant working, thinking human beings, has enabled crop lands to skyrocket in productivity and has enabled humans Don bosco july 2008
to live vastly longer than ever before. The resulting large population, living at a higher standard than ever before, breathing cleaner air and drinking purer water, is a cause for celebration, not for doomsaying. Once-neglected resources - solar energy, sand, radioactive minerals, salt water, carbon dioxide, the vast interior mantle of the earth itself - may provide the foundations for future economies beyond anything we have today. The future could be bright, unless we surrender what’s left of our free economy for a global, centrally-planned economy in which political elitists rule and decide how many of us must live to achieve “the optimum number of human beings.”
Jeff Lindsay
COVER
STORY
Human errors in lifestyles and production models
P
opulation trends are crucial determinants of economic, social and environmental change. The 1999 medium fertility scenario predicts 9.5 billion in 2050, peaking at 11 billion in 2200. You can still get scary figures by projecting 1995 fertility rates, ignoring the declines in fertility. There have been large declines in fertility in many Third World countries. In June 1999 it was reported that the average Mexican woman had 7 children in the 1970 but has 3 children today. Bangladesh and India have also had large declines in fertility. The world’s most populous country is China. Its rate of increase has declined recently. The earth and accessible and usable planets place a limit on the possible human population. Population may eventually approach this limit, thus necessitating actions by sovereign countries or other entities to limit their population. World population would not be a problem if there were unlimited land, unlimited water, unlimited resources. Unfortunately, with overpopulation, there is the problem of sharing the same sized pie with smaller and smaller portions. People in developed countries who have been accustomed to a better quality of life are reluctant to give it up. In many cases, more efficient use of resources has come along hand-in-hand with improved quality of life. But there are still problems of overconsumption, exploitation, the short-sighted search for an ever-higher quality of life, and the greed of companies
and individuals in cutting corners resulting in pollution and reckless use of raw materials. Less-developed countries that, in the past, had smaller populations such that slash-and-burn agriculture had less impact, cities had fewer vehicles to send pollution into the air, and industries were not as attracted by cheap labor and thus polluted rivers and the air less.
Sustainability and Population
Population is not of concern if there are enough resources to go around. Important resources like water of suitable quality for growing crops, drinking, cooking, and cleanliness, fertile soil for growing food and trees, and fuel for warmth and cooking. Depletion of important resources leads to poverty, disease, malnutrion Don bosco july 2008
Sustainability is the practice of conservation that will allow people to have enough resources through their life and the lives of future generations. and often death. Impoverished people are usually forced to destroy their environment in order to survive. Sustainability is the practice of conservation that will allow people to have enough resources through their life and the lives of future generations. Sustainability is possible by conserving energy, materials, resources, by new technologies, and by ensuring that the number of births is low enough so that there is enough to go around.
Jenniffer 21
COVER
STORY
The Growing Pressure Is this a problem of increase in number or a problem of growing human centred planning?
E
ach year, about 90 million new people join the human race. This is roughly equivalent to adding three Canadas or another Mexico to the world annually, a rate of growth that will swell human numbers from today’s 5.6 billion to about 8.5 billion by 2025. The earth is a “closed system,” indicating that we have to recycle or store all the wastes we produce. We have one planet’s worth of land and water to provide resources for agriculture, energy and other needs. The resource use and pollution management basically depend on two factors: 1. The number of people on the planet, and 2. The average amount of resources available (per person) and the average amount of pollution produced. 22
As the world population continues to grow geometrically, great pressure is being placed on arable land, water, energy, and biological resources to provide adequate supply of food while maintaining the integrity of our ecosystem. According to the World Bank and the United Nations, from 1 to 2 billion humans are now malnourished, indicating the combination of insufficient food, low income, and inadequate distribution of food. This is the largest number of hungry humans ever recorded in history. Based on their evaluation of available natural resources, scientists have issued a joint statement reinforcing the concern about the growing imbalance between the world’s population and the resources that support human lives.
What solutions can we have?
Once we recognise the fact that overpopulation is a problem and that increasing standards of living around Don bosco july 2008
“
Strategies for the future must be based first and foremost on the conservation and careful management of land, water, energy, and biological resources needed for food production.
”
the world will add to our resourceuse and pollution-management challenges, we must resist any temptation and work toward better solutions.
We should
• Strive to reduce suffering by combating disease and poverty around the world; • Improve resource efficiency and pollution control so that standards
COVER of living can rise without negative impact, and • keep human population numbers that are sustainable.
to
Extinctions of non-human species Human activities that have caused massive extinction of species are by killing and degradation of natural habitat. There are other factors as well which are directly or indirectly relate to human actions. According to a survey nearly 70 percent of biologists believe that we are currently in the early stages of a human-caused mass extinction, known as the Holocene extinction event. The problems are:
of species during the modern Holocene epoch. The large number of extinctions span numerous families of plants and animals including mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles and arthropods; a sizeable fraction of these extinctions are occurring in the rainforests. Since 1500 AD, 784 extinctions have been documented by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources.
What should we do?
Strategies for the future must be based first and foremost on the conservation and careful management of land, water, energy, and biological resources
• Seriously impairing the ability of the environment to recover from natural and human-induced disasters. • Destroying the natural systems that purify the world’s air and water. • Reducing the potential for the discovery of new medicines. • Increasing flooding, drought, and other environmental disasters. • Contributing substantially to the degradation of the world’s economies, thereby weakening the social and political stability of nations across the globe. • Damaging agriculture, fisheries, and food production. • Decreasing the ability to control infectious diseases. Nearly one third of the world’s wildlife has been lost since 1970, according to the study released by the Zoological Society of London, WWF and the Global Footprint Network. It is high time we woke up understanding the consequences of our actions. The Holocene extinction event is a name customarily given to the widespread, ongoing mass extinction
According to the World Bank and the United Nations, from 1 to 2 billion humans are now malnourished, indicating the combination of insufficient food, low income, and inadequate distribution of food. This is the largest number of hungry humans ever recorded in history. Don bosco july 2008
STORY
needed for food production. The conservation of these resources will require coordinated efforts and incentives from individuals and countries. Once these finite resources are exhausted they cannot be replaced by human technology. Further, more efficient and environmentally sound agricultural technologies must be developed and put into practice supporting the continued productivity of agriculture. Additionally, as developing countries become more integrated into the world economy, they will place greater demands on their own natural resources and as a result, pollution and environmental degradation are projected to increase at a rate exceeding the population growth rate. One of the greatest threats to the world’s environment is the compounding number of rural poor who turn increasingly to the rainforests to feed and shelter themselves. They are sometimes pushed off more fertile soils by large, wealthy landowners who are capable of purchasing land or using political influence to gain title to land. Without realizing it, these poor farmers are perpetuating their own situation by their role in deforestation, which worsens their quality of life by increasing their chance of being diseased, degrading their drinking water stocks, escalating soil erosion, and leaving their children without the benefits of sustainably utilized forest. As the human population grows, the quality of all forms of life plummets as people are forced to move into more and more marginal lands with higher incidence of natural disasters (floods), crop failures, and disease.
Remington 23
S T UD E N T S
PLU S
Two Distinct Categories of Note- The permanent record helps to overcome our limitations in recording Taking Studies about the effect of note-taking on achievement recognize that there are two distinct categories of notetaking. The first category suggests that the notes themselves are valuable because 1) help the learner rehearse the lecture content and 2) can serve as a memory device that can help the student to remember parts of the content that were not included in the notes themselves.
7. Learn How to Take Class Notes
and storing information.
Moreover some lectures cannot be fully understood during the lecture itself. Indeed the purpose of most lectures is not to impart information for immediate recall. The aim is rather to present fundamental ideas, to outline topics for study, and to get students to follow up references and to do further work and study on their own.
The Amount of Notes to Take
There is no simple answer to the question of how full your notes should
W
hy take notes? There are three basic reasons: to learn, for reference, and to keep you thinking. But taking good lecture notes isn’t easy. Good lecture notes must summarise the main points, include the important ideas in you own words, and list the specific details needed for your purpose in this class. To be successful, you must make what you hear part of your own thinking. In our day-to-day life, note-taking influences the academic success of all high school and college students. They will increasingly have to depend on their ability to take notes in order to be successful in the classroom. Good class notes are essential to good study skills. If you study bad notes, it’s pretty clear that you won’t perform very well on tests. But what are good notes? Good notes capture the most important facts and enable you to understand how every fact fits into a larger puzzle. Many students fall into the trap of attempting to write down every word the teacher speaks. This is unnecessary, but even worse, it’s confusing. The key to good notes is identifying the most important things to write down. 24
The second category suggests that the act of taking notes is important because it 1) increases attention and concentration, 2) encourages students to process the material at a deeper level, and 3) provides a means of connecting new learning with prior knowledge. In other words students need to take notes during their class or lecture because – A permanent record is constructed which is invaluable for revision and subsequent relearning. Don bosco july 2008
be. The amount you need to take down will depend on: 1) The content of the lecture – very factual expository lecture may necessitate a great quantity of notes. 2) Whether or not you are familiar with the topic – the less familiar you are with the subject the fuller your notes will need to be. 3) Whether the information readily available in a textbook elsewhere – if no other source readily available, notes may have be full.
is or is to
S T UD E N T S In taking notes there are, then three courses open to you: (1) you can take down as much of the lecture as possible, (2) you can take outline notes, including, in more details, definitions, tables of figures, graphs etc., as may seem necessary, (3) you can take a skeleton outline only – or no notes at all. The middle course (2) is generally recommended the most.
Using Abbreviations Taking
for
Note-
It is found that students perform notetaking more efficiently when they are allowed “to encode information” using abbreviations. The use of abbreviations decreases hands and eyes engagement and enable to record spoken information more efficiently. Moreover, abbre-viating the spoken word increases the attention and concentration span, and provides
“
Be Prepared To Take Good Notes Know Your Instructor’s Style Understand What You Write Take Your Notes The Same Way Make Notes On Your Notes
”
more time for students to comprehend class material. They can process spoken information into written form faster and it enhances retention of the information and can lead to improvement in overall organisation of their notes.
Note Taking Tips As you get involved with the complexities of note-taking, you may tend to forget the simple things that can make life a lot easier. These tips
PLU S
are little hints that we all know, but forget sometimes. They can be summarised by four directives:
after lecture or as soon after as possible when the aid of the instructor or classmates.
1. BE ALERT – so you are aware of and prepared for the lecture content and situation.
Develop your own system enumerating and indenting.
2. BE ORDERLY – so you can process the lecture now and for review later. 3. BE SYTEMATIC – so you can establish a habit pattern and won’t miss anything important. 4. BE UP TO DATE – so that your well designed note-taking system gets done. Below is a list of tips which may help you be alert, orderly, systematic, and up to date. Attend lectures regularly. Once you miss one, it will be easier to miss more. Use a standard 8 ½” x 11” loose leaf notebook, for continued organisation and review. Spiral notebooks do not allow reshuffling your notes for review. Keep the notes of one class separate from other classes. Write on one side of the paper for easier organisation. It’s possible to overlook material written on the back of a sheet. Leave your notebook at home and carry with you only enough pages to keep track of the lecture. This way you won’t lose your entire set of notes if you should you misplace them. Carry extra pens and pencils for editing and unforeseen obstacles (UFO’s). Don’t doodle because it distracts. Keep eye contact when not writing. Make notes as complete as needed and as clear as possible so they can be used meaningfully later. Leave blanks where information is missed or misunderstood. Fill in gaps Don bosco july 2008
of
Use symbols such as asterisks for emphasis. Separate your thoughts from those of the lecture; record your own items after the lecture. Be alert for cues, postural, visual, etc. Listen especially at the end of the lecture. If the instructor has not paced his lecture well, he may cram half of the content into the last 5 – 10 minutes. Get into the five-minute technique and review your notes right after class. At this time you can change, organize, add, delete, summarize, or clarify misunderstands. Have study sessions once or twice a week to learn omissions and clear up misinterpretations. It is important that you are critical when note taking and that you only write or draw what you will need later on, and that you record the information in a format that is easy to understand. The lecturer or author will organise his or her material in a logical way so try to utilise their organisational skills when note taking. And most importantly, after taking effective notes, it is important to organise and store your notes effectively. Effective note taking should reduce your study time, should increase your retention of knowledge, and should provide you with a summarised list of resources for your future projects.
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
perfect grammar Teacher: “ Say a sentence starting with the letter ‘I’”. Pupil : “I is-” Teacher: “No, you must always say ‘I am’.” Pupil : “Okay, ‘I am the ninth letter of the alphabet’.”
the new job Somu joined in a new job. On the first day he worked till late evening on the computer. Boss was happy and asked “What were you doing today?”. Somu: Keyboard alphabets were not in order, so I put them in order.
ten commandments
parking
A woman decided to send the old family Bible to her brother by post, the postal worker asked her if there was anything breakable in the package. “Only the Ten Commandments,” she replied.
Santa was busy removing a wheel from his auto. Banta: Why are you removing a wheel from your auto? Santa: Can’t u read ‘Parking for two wheelers only’
a good doctor
Brother-in-law After having a bypass surgery, a man woke up to find himself in a Catholic hospital with nuns taking care of him. As they nursed him back to health, one of the nuns asked him if he had health insurance. “No,” he replied, “No health insurance.” “Do you have any money in the bank?” asked the nun. “No. No money in the bank.” The nun asked, “Do you have any relatives you could ask for help?”
Doctor to patient : You will die within 2 hours. Do you want to see any one before you die? Patient : Yes. A good doctor. Museum Administrator: That’s a 500-year-old statue you have broken. Banta: Thank God! I thought it was a new one. At the scene of an accident a man was crying: O God! I have lost my hand, oh!
The man replied, “I only have a spinster sister, who is a nun.”
Santa: Control yourself. Don’t cry. See that man. He has lost his head. Is he crying?
At this the nun becomes irritated and says, “Nuns are not spinsters. Nuns are married to Jesus Christ!”
Customer: “Waiter, do you serve crabs?”
“OK, then,” said the man. “Send the bill to my brotherin-law.” 26
Waiter: “Sit down, sir. We serve anybody.”
Don bosco july 2008
Joseph
me d i a
matter
Lakshmi Tatma, Media’s Child L
akshmi Tatma, only two years old, born in a poor family in Bihar, the parents hailed from an unheard of rural village, yet Lakshmi Tatma shot into national and international fame neither for her achievements nor for her parents’. Lakshmi underwent one of the most complicated and risky 27 hour surgeries by 36 member team of medical surgeons and specialists in Bangalore. It was a rare case of ‘conjoined parasitic twin’ (a longer medical term is irrelevant) and the surgery to separate Lakshmi from the half-formed twin was the first of its kind and glorified as a medical miracle. No newspapers and television news channels spared the news and went overboard with Lakshmi. The child was in limelight. The parents were interviewed. Doctors gave their opinions before the surgery. And the surgery had a happy ending. Now the scene shifts to post surgery scenario. The child is presented to the media within fewer hours than the time it took for the surgery. Lakshmi was paraded like a model in a fashion show amidst crowded media persons. Flash lights flooded the area and every one wanted to ‘touch and believe’. The complications and risks of the surgery projected in the pre-operation hype were forgotton. The wound was not healed. Risk factor was still high. Yet unmindful of child’s life the child was out there in an open space for the press (strictly for the press).
How did a reader or a viewer take the story of Lakshmi? What accounted for such prominent media coverage? Was anyone aware of what really the story wanted to tell us? Was Lakshmi an achiever to deserve media coverage that was beyond proportion? Didn’t they risk child’s life after the surgery? What was the need to present the child to the media in a hurried manner? The hype generated through media for Lakshmi has nothing to do with Lakshmi or her parents. It was the medical fraternity and the hospital directly involved in the surgery was trying to get free publicity. This was exactly a strategy of ‘surrogate advertising’. Advertising in the medical field is still connected and viewed as an ethical issue. Hence, a child was produced for the media. Don bosco july 2008
Our concern is to examine how did we treat such news? Now with facts exposed are we going to curse the doctors? the hospital? or develop an ‘anti-media’ attitude? If we don’t emphasize critical thinking, cynicism will lead to ‘moral panic’. We know what ‘moral panic’ has done in the issues of Salman Rusdie, Taslima Nasreen or in the case of ‘Dinakaran’ daily. It has lead to violent behaviour, ‘burnings’ and aggression. This has resulted in increase of violence in the society. Therefore it is important to understand the intentions of media in every news and views that they produce. Now we know that Lakshmi Tatma is media’s child.
A. Raj sdb
rajsdb@gmail.com 27
sa l es i an
news
BRIEFLY The Salesian Bulletin now in Japan With the first issue published in May, Japan becomes the latest addition to the list of worldwide editions of the Salesian Bulletin, a magazine founded by Don Bosco to make his work and the Salesian mission known. The magazine “Catholic Life”, published by the Salesian Province of “St Francis Xavier” in Japan (GIA), for a number of years has now been renewed and entitled “Salesian Bulletin”. This new publishing enterprise is being promoted especially by the Japanese SalesiansCooperators; editorial direction is in the hands of Sr Marisa Gambato, Delegate of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians for the Association of the Salesians-Cooperators. (ANS)
Midlife Wanderings in East Africa
A group of midlife wanderers from the Salesian Province of East Africa gathered together at the Don Bosco theological study house at Utume, Nairobi from 7th to 11th June, to reflect on their experiences and make midway modifications to their life journey and especially to the maps (attitudes and past imperatives) they were using to guide them on that journey. (BIS) 28
SALESIANS LOOK FORWARD TO OPEN A HOUSE IN BANGLADESH On 12 April 2008, in the homily of the concluding Eucharist of the 26th General Chapter of the Salesians, the Rector Major, Fr Pascual Chavez, had mentioned Bangladesh as a new frontier of apostolate for the Congregation. Before concluding the Mass he also announced the appointment of Fr. Francis Alencherry, who had just relinquished office as the General Councillor for the Salesian Missions, as the first pioneer for the first Salesian presence in that country. From 15th May to 7th June Fr. Alencherry visited the Archdiocese of Dhaka and
the Dioceses of Khulna, Mymensingh and Rajshahi, in an attempt to assess the needs and the possibilities in different places. On his return he said, “The need is indeed enormous. What was remarkable was the eagerness and cordiality with which Bishops, clergy, religious and laity welcomed me and expressed their fervent wish that the Salesians of Don Bosco would join their ranks soon to work in Bangladesh. It is as if they have been waiting eagerly all these years, hoping against hope.” After a three week tour of Bangladesh Fr. Alencherry reports that there are three
basic expectations of the existing Bangladesh Church from the Salesians, which in turn could be seen as three Challenges for the Congregation - to invest in Education, Evangelization and Youth Animation. The Province of Kolkata too feels with Fr. Alencherry that the time is ripe for the Salesians to take up the great challenges the Project places before them in keeping with the call of GC26 and to start once again with Don Bosco, educating and proclaiming the Good News the way he did, focusing more on the needs of (BIS) the poorest youth.
BOSCO Joins Hands with Haryana Government in Mewat Shri. A.H. Ahalawat. IAS, CEO of M.D.A. (Mewat Devlepmnet Agency) inaugurated the Don Bosco Centre for Training and career guidance in Nuh for the youth of the area. Mr. J.D. Sharma, MDA Satffs, Fr. A.M. Jose the Director of BOSCO, Fr. Noble George, the Asst. Director of BOSCO, were among the dignitaries who graced the occasion. The government of Haryana, through His Excellency Dr. A.R. Kidwai , Governor of Haryana, had invited Don Bosco to establish a centre for youth development. The authorities have provided all those requirements requested by Don Bosco for the execution of the project.
The second half of the day was the interview for the students who wished to enrol in the centre for training. It was good to see over fifty students who turned up for the interview “I feel happy that Don Bosco has come to help us, now I am sure of an earning after my training” said Mr. Huassain Khan when asked about
Don bosco july 2008
his feelings after the interview. “Our dream is to reach out to as many youth as possible, and we hope with the support of the people around we would be able to work wonders in the lives of the young people,” assured Fr. A. M. Jose, Director of BOSCO. (BIS)
sa l es i an
The New Appointments – Provincial, Superior and Rector The Salesian Province of Kolkata began another chapter of its 86 year old chronicles with the installation of its 15th Provincial Superior on 31st May, 2008, at the Salesian Provincial House, Kolkata. At a very solemn function held in the Salesian Provincial House premises at Tengra, Kolkata, and in the presence of about 300 persons, Fr. Thomas Ellicherail, the new provincial made the public profession of Faith as well as took a solemn Oath of Fidelity as it is customary by a person on assuming an Office to be exercised in the name of the Church. Fr. Joaquim D`Souza has been appointed Superior of the Vice Province of the Salesian Pontifical University (UPS) in Rome. He succeeds Fr. Giuseppe Nicolussi. Fr. D`Souza had been a member of the General Council and in charge of the Region of Asia-
news
BRIEFLY
Salesian Sisters receive UN accreditation
On 6 June the Salesian Sisters (FMA) received accreditation from the United Nation’s Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) which allows them to be present as an Institution at meetings called by the UNO and opens the way for new opportunities of involvement by the Office for Human Rights in Geneva.
Balprafulta’s Rescue Mission
Australia from 1996 to 2002 and of South Asia from 2002 to 2008. Earlier he had been the Provincial of the Salesian Province of Mumbai. Returning from a summer camp for street children at Bongaon on the IndoBangladesh border, the former vice-provincial of Calcutta
province, Fr Jose Chunkapura received the news of his appointment as Rector of Don Rua, one of three International student communities at the Salesian Pontifical University (UPS) Rome. He succeeds Fr. Juan Luquero of Madrid province who has been Rector for 7 years. (BIS)
The 12 newly ordained Deacons like the 12 Apostles The Salesian Theological Community of Ratisbonne is blessed with the 12 newly ordained deacons by His Grace Fouad Twal of Jerusalem, on the 8th of June, The Archbishop Fouad Twal will take over as the patriarch of Jerusalem within two weeks time, from Partriach Michael Shaba. These 12 young men come from different parts of the world. Four of them are from India, two from Sri Lanka, three from Ethopia, one from Poland, one from Tanzania and one from Indonesia. The celebration took place at the historical Church of St. Anna, the birth place of the Blessed Virgin Mary. According to the tradition, under the Basilica there is a beautiful grotto dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary, and where Jesus healed the man who was sick for the period of 38 years (Jh.5). This Basilica is
under the care of the Community of the White Fathers or better known as the Missionaries of Africa. The celebration was well-organized, there were about 45 priests who con-celebrated at the Mass. The Ambassodor of Sri Lanka, who is located in Israel, was also present. Though a Buddhist, he was present throughout the celebration. The newly ordained deacons will be dispersed, for their three-month summer apostolate, to different regions of the world for their Diaconate Ministry. (BIS) Don bosco july 2008
(BIS)
World Anti Child Labour Day instituted by the International Labour Organisation, to remind people of the atrocities against children, 12 children all below the age of 18 were rescued from Sakinaka, Chandivali Mhada, Yadav Nagar near Kherani Road in the Andheri area, Bombay. The rescues operation was spearheaded by Balprafulta, a Don Bosco Organisation, with the assistance of the Labour Department, Police and the BMC. (BIS)
Northeast India’s Oldest Missionary Dies
Salesian missionary and priest Laarhuis Herman passed away in Shillong, June 6. He was 94. His mortal remains were laid to rest on June 8, after a requiem Mass presided over by Archbishop Dominic Jala of Shilliong, at the Divine Saviour Parish. Salesian Provincial Fr. Joseph Almeida, during his funeral oration, described Fr. Herman as a missionary who gave his very best and endeared himself to all people during his long and dedicated years of priestly and religious life. (BIS) 29
c h u rc h
news
BRIEFLY New collection of ‘Letters of St. Paul’ published To mark the special jubilee year dedicated to St. Paul, which Pope Benedict XVI formally opens June 28, Pauline Books & Media has published a new collection of the “Letters of St. Paul.” The pocketsize, 290-page book also includes prayers related to St. Paul’s letters, a study guide and an index of topics discussed by the saint. “Most of all, however, people striving to be great lovers of God and neighbor will find in these letters soul-shaping wisdom and practical ways of sharing the Gospel with the world,” Father Mickler said. “Savoring these letters as a whole will embed them in our hearts and minds, expand our capacity to love, and deepen our faith.”
Tens of Thousands Accompany Eucharist Through Streets of Quebec Nearly 25,000 Catholics from around the world poured through the narrow streets of Quebec City, accompanying the Eucharist in an outpouring of religious fervor absent from this city for at least half a century. The June 19 procession was one of the highlights of the 49th International Eucharistic Congress June 15-22. (CNS) 30
Mangalore Catholics Elated Over Their First ‘Servant of God’ Catholics in Mangalore, southern India, rejoiced as a member of their community took the first formal step towards sainthood, for the first time. Hundreds of people attended a special Mass on June 16 at St. Sebastian Church in Bendur, where Bishop Aloysius Paul D’Souza of Mangalore announced the Vatican’s decision to declare Monsignor Raymond Francis Camillus Mascarenhas a servant of God. The declaration is the formal
prelude to the three-stage process by which a candidate may be declared venerable, then proclaimed blessed and, lastly, canonised a saint.Bishop D’Souza noted that Monsignor Mascarenhas is the first Catholic from Mangalore diocese on the road to sainthood. Bishop D’Souza claimed that several miracles have occurred through the priest’s intercession. Born in 1875, he studied at Mangalore’s Jesuit-managed St. Aloysius College and was
ordained a priest for Mangalore diocese in 1900. After serving in five remote parishes, he was assigned to Bendur parish. There, in 1921, he started the Congregation of the Sisters of the Little Flower of Bethany, popularly known as the Bethany Sisters, with four schoolteachers who wanted to dedicate their life to the Church. Today it has 1,300 nuns in 162 convents serving mostly rural missions in Africa, Australia and Europe, besides India. (UCAN)
Christians In Orissa, Still Targeted After Attacks Still struggling to rebuild their homes and lives after suffering large-scale attacks last Christmas season, Christians in Orissa state’s Kandhamal district continue to face ostracism and threats from Hindu nationalists. It is more than five months after violence in Kandhamal that killed at least four Christians and burned 730 houses and 95 churches. “Christians who had started making a life for themselves through running shops and selfemployment were particular targets – they are still being socially boycotted,” Dr. John Dayal told Compass. “Even now, many [Christian]
girls cannot go to school for fear of molestation after threats have been issued to Christians.” According to an AICC report, intolerant Hindu leaders in three villages near Barakhama -Salagud, Madagudami, and Perbapanga - have ostracized Christian families. (CNS)
Fr. Henry D’Souza Consecrated As Bishop Of Bellary Bishop Henry D’Souza was consecrated third bishop of Bellary by Cardinal Oswald Gracias as the principal consecrator, with Archbishop Bernard Moras of Bangalore and Bishop Aloysius Paul D’Souza of Mangalore, as co-consecrators at the St. Joseph’s School Grounds, Bellary, June 12.
The town of Bellary wore a festive look with large posters of the bishop donning the city. The solemn ceremony, accompanied by melodious singing and prayers in Kannada, was attended by over 35
religious women and men, and thousands of people.
archbishops and bishops from all over India, and more than 300 priests and hundreds of
Don bosco july 2008
The Episcopal ordination was attended by Union Minister Oscar Fernandez, Secretary to the President of India, Dr. Christy Fernandez, Karnataka Minster for Tourism Shri Janardhan Reddy, several MLAs of the sate of Karnataka, Mayor and deputy Mayor, District Commissioner and other officials of Bellary. The dignitaries felicitated the new Bishop and assured him of their full support and collaboration. (CBCI)
c h u rc h
Kerala Gears Up For Historic Canonisation of Native Nun Catholics in Kerala state, southern India, are preparing for the canonisation of a local nun. Blessed Alphonsa, a Franciscan Clarist nun, is set to become the first Indian woman to become a saint, with Pope Benedict XVI scheduled to canonise her at the Vatican on Oct. 12. Sister Ceelia Mankuriyil, who heads the Franciscan Clarist Congregation, told UCA News on June 3 that the canonisation program at the Vatican “has been already finalised.” The two-hour-long ceremony will start 9:30 a.m. Vatican time, she said. “Prior to the ceremony, a tele-
On the canonisation day, Mass and special prayers will be conducted at Blessed Alphonsa’s tomb in Bharananganam, a village near Kottayam that comes under Palai diocese.
film on the life of Blessed Alphonsa would be screened to introduce the saint to a global audience. A bhajan (Indian-style hymn) would be sung, followed by prayers, Bible reading and reflection.”
As the canonisation date draws nearer, the number of people visiting Blessed Alphonsa’s tomb has increased. Meanwhile, the federal government plans to issue memorial coins and postal stamps to mark the occasion. The state government has started repairing and widening roads in Bharananganam and in Kudamaloor, Blessed Alphonsa’s native village.
PONTIFF SAYS RADIO HAS SPECIAL APOSTOLIC MISSION Benedict XVI says Catholic radio stations can play a part in spreading hope in the world, and they can do it by relaying the truth. The Pope said this today, June 20, when he received participants in a symposium titled “The Identity and Mission of Catholic Radio Today.” The symposium was organised by the Pontifical Council for Social Communications and is under way through Saturday. The Pontiff expressed the view that “radio, due
to its association with the word, participates in the mission and visibility of the Church, but it also establishes a new way of living, of being and of making the Church; this brings with it various ecclesiological and pastoral challenges. It is important to make the Word of God attractive, giving it consistency through your transmissions so as to touch the hearts of the men and women of our time, and to participate in transforming the lives of our contemporaries.” (Zenit)
A Tearful Farewell to First Bishop of Jashpur The mortal remains of the late Bishop Victor Kindo was laid to rest June 14 at the cathedral at Kunkuri. The 61-year-old prelate, the first bishop of Jashpur, passed away on June 12, after protracted illness. Some 8,000 tribal Catholics, 12 neighbouring bishops, some 500 priests and 700 nuns gathered at the funeral ceremony. Besides, people of other religions, many political leaders, civil servants and
Judbir Singh Judeo, son of reconversion activist Dilip Singh Judeo, joined the last rites. In his homily during the funeral Mass, Bishop Paul Toppo of neighbouring Raigarh remarked that just as the a good shepherd laid down his life for his sheep, Bishop Kindo had also sacrificed his life for the diocese by hard work and patiently suffering his sicknesses.
Bishop Kindo had opened many parishes and institutions, Father Edmon Bara, the bishop’s secretary and public relations officer, told SAR News. Twenty-seven parishes out of the 50 parishes in the diocese had been created by him, he said. The diocese has nearly 200,000 Catholics, mostly Oran Catholics, served by some 180 priests and 320 nuns, mostly (CNA) tribals.
Don bosco july 2008
news
BRIEFLY MALAYSIA: Kuala Lumpur Archbishop Receives State Honor Archbishop Murphy Pakiam of Kuala Lumpur on June 7 received the Panglima Setia Mahkota award, which carries the honorary title Tan Sri, in conjunction with the birthday of Malaysia’s King Yang di-Pertuan Agong Mizan Zainal Abidin. Archbishop Pakiam was among 30 persons on whom the king bestowed this honour. (UCAN)
Jesuit Environmentalist Awarded Honorary Doctorate in America Jesuit environmentalist and founder-director of Tarumitra (Friends of Trees) Student Environmental Organisation, Father Robert Athickal, was awarded, May 26, an honorary doctorate by the Holy Cross College, USA. The award was presented to him by college president, Prof. McFarland, in the presence of dean Timothy Austin, over 6,000 students, faculty members and their parents. He has been a crusader in bringing up the issue of ecology among Christian theologians, his own religious society - the Jesuits - and also within the Church. (SAR NEWS) 31
va l u es
STORIES FOR RADIANT LIVING the difference
The Triple Filter Test
A
Little girl and her father were crossing a bridge. The father was a bit scared, so he asked his little daughter, ‘Sweetheart, please hold my hand so that you don’t fall into the river.’ The little girl said, ‘No, Dad. You hold my hand.’ ‘What’s the difference?’ asked the puzzled father. ‘There’s a big difference,’ replied the little girl. ‘If I hold your hand and something happens to me, chances are that I may let your hand go. But if you hold my hand, I know for sure that no matter what happens, you will never let my hand go.’ Is God Holding your hand?
O
ne day a man met Socrates, the great philosopher and said,
“Do you know what I just heard about one of your friend?” “Hold on a minute,” Socrates replied. “Before telling me anything I’d like you to pass a little test. It’s called the Triple Filter Test.” “Triple filter?” asked the man. “That’s right,” Socrates continued. “Before you talk to me about my friend, it might be a good idea to take a moment and filter what you’re going to say. That’s why I call it the triple filter test. The first filter is Truth. Have you made absolutely sure that what you are about to tell me is true?”
break the chain
A
s a man was passing the elephants, he suddenly stopped, confused by the fact that these huge creatures were being held by only a small rope tied to their front leg. No chains, no cages. It was obvious that the elephants could, at anytime, break away from their bonds but for some reason, they did not. He saw a trainer near by and asked why these magnificent animals just stood there and made no attempt to get away. “Well,” trainer said, “when they are very young and much smaller we use the same size rope to tie them and, at that age, it’s enough to hold them. As they grow up, they are conditioned to believe they cannot break away. They believe the rope can still hold them, so they never try to break free.” The man was amazed. These animals could at any time break free from their bonds but because they believed they couldn’t, they were stuck right where they were. Like the elephants, how many of us go through life hanging onto a belief that we cannot do something, simply because we failed at it once before? 32
“No,” the man said, “actually I just heard about it and wanted to tell it to you” “All right,” said Socrates. “So you don’t really know if it’s true or not. Now let’s try the second filter, the filter of goodness. Is what you are about to tell me about my friend something good?” “No, on the contrary, it is bad.” “So,” Socrates continued, “you want to tell me something bad about him, but you’re not certain it’s true. You may still pass the test through, because there’s one filter left: the filter of usefulness. Is what you want to tell me about my friend going to be useful to me?” “No, not really.” Replied the man. “Well,” concluded Socrates, “if what you want to tell me is neither true, nor good, and nor even useful to me, why tell it to me at all .”
Don bosco july 2008
va l u es
the trick
A
young student was taking a walk with a professor. As they went along, they saw a pair of old shoes, which belonged to a poor man who was employed in a field. The student turned to the professor, saying: “Let us play the man a trick: we will hide his shoes, and hide ourselves behind those bushes, and wait to see his perplexity when he cannot find them.” “My young friend,” answered the professor, “we should never amuse ourselves at the expense of the poor. Instead let us put a coin into each shoe, and then we will hide ourselves and watch how the discovery affects him.” The student did so, and they both placed themselves behind the bushes close by. The poor man soon finished his work and he slipped his foot into one of his shoes; but feeling something hard, he stooped down to feel what it was, and found the coin. Astonishment and wonder were seen upon his eyes. He gazed upon the coin, and looked around but no person was to be seen. He put the money into his pocket, and proceeded to put on the other shoe; but his surprise was doubled on finding the other coin. His feelings overcame him; he fell upon his knees, looked up to heaven and uttered aloud a fervent thanksgiving, in which he spoke of his wife, sick and helpless, and his children without bread, whom the timely bounty, from some unknown hand, would save from perishing. The student stood there deeply affected, and his eyes filled with tears. “Now,” said the professor, “are you not much better pleased than if you had played your intended trick?” The youth replied, “You have taught me a lesson which I will never forget. I feel now the truth of those words, which I never understood before: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” Don bosco july 2008
The Salt
O
nce an unhappy young man came to an old master and told he was very sad and asked for a solution. The old Master instructed the unhappy young man to put a handful of salt in a glass of water and then to drink it. “How does it taste?” the Master asked. “Awful,” spat the young man. The Master chuckled and then asked the young man to take another handful of salt and put it in the lake. The two walked in silence to the nearby lake and when the apprentice dropped his handful of salt into the lake, the old man said, “Now drink from the lake.” As the water dripped down the young man’s chin, the Master asked, “How does it taste?” “Good!” remarked the young man. “Do you taste the salt?” asked the Master. “No,” said the young man. The Master sat beside this troubled young man, took his hands, and said, “The pain of life is pure salt; no more, no less. The amount of pain in life remains the same, exactly the same. But the amount we taste the ‘pain’ depends on the container we put it into. So when you are in pain, the only thing you can do is to enlarge your sense of things….. Stop being a glass. Become a lake. When you have pain in Life: put your trust in God.
A.J. Frank sdb
ajfrankie@gmail.com 33
Answers for the June 2008 Brain Teasers 1. The panda combinations are as follows: A-f-g, B-d-h, C-b-c, and D-a-e. 2. 500 girls 3. 21 4. Co-education, cooperation, complication, conjunction. 5. (b) 34
Don bosco july 2008