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I¿sΩektμiw I¿sΩektμiw No. 234 am¿®v 2017 March 2017; No.234 1 I¿sΩektμiw CONTENTS Prior General’s Message ............................................................................3 Editorial .............................................................................................................8 GZ\n¬\n∂p sKZtka\nte°v........................................................13 t\mºv: a\:]cnh¿Ø\Øn\pw ]m]]cnlmcØn\pw...........19 Human Formation In Major Seminaries....................................29 Cu ]cnjvImcw F¥n\p (B¿°p) th≠n..................................39 sk‚ v Ipcym-t°mkv Gen-bmkv Nmhd A¿ss°hvkv B≥Uv dntk¿®v sk‚¿, am∂m\w...................44 am¿tXmΩ a°ƒ ]nXrk∂n[nbn¬................................................49 ]pkvXI]cnNbw........................................................................................52 A\pkvarXn....................................................................................................63 Golden Records......................................................................74 \mev]Xp aWn Bcm-[\; Hcp ]p\¿hmb\.................................76 Nmh-d-]n-Xm-hn-t\m-Sp≈ a≤yÿ {]m¿∞-\-Iƒ.........................86 News & Views..............................................................................................91 I¿sΩebnse kuK‘nI߃........................................................114 2 March 2017; No. 234 I¿sΩektμiw Prior General’s Message Back to the Basics 1. Time’s Up, Be Ready: “All the world’s a stage, And all the men and women merely players; They have their exits and their entrances” (William Shakespeare). A missionary is called to be always on the move; Moving has been built into our genes and it is part of us. We will not get settled down till we complete our race. Hence seemingly painful “good-bye” expression of parting could be expanded and elevated as “God be with you” experience of blessing. “Please forgive me,” “I forgive you,” “Thank you,” and “I love you” – are the four simple phrases or eleven words that make the journey ahead graceful. A casual visit to the cemetery might teach us a great lesson that no one is indispensable. The antidote for those who think of themselves as above others is humility and to say heartily, “We are unworthy servants; we have done only what we ought to have done” (Luke 17:10). 2. After me Deluge: John the Baptist is the text book to be read during the point of transfer and transition. He was well aware of his mission as the one who prepares the way for the Lord (Mark 1:2). “After me comes the one more powerful than I, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie (Mark 1:7). “He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30). That is why Jesus says, “I tell you the truth, of all who have ever lived, none is greater than John the Baptist” (Matthew 1:11). CMI family is yet to become generous and great for graceful retirement and transition. Really great people make you feel that you, too, can become great. (Mark Twain) March 2017; No.234 3 I¿sΩektμiw 3. New Chapter Please: Let us begin again. Provincial chapters are around the corner. It is a time of discernment, conversion, purification and accompaniment. The chapter members shall do the homework and speak truth with a prophetic mind and pastoral concern. A leadership team that does not criticize, update and seek to improve the state of affairs of the province becomes irrelevant and sick. A healthy body is one that can recover, accept, reinforce, care for and sanctify its members. “But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot” (Matthew 5:13). What makes an effective leader? The most important leadership competency identified by Sunnie Giles based on a global study is that the leader shall have high ethical and moral standards (HBR, March, 2016). 4. Gossip Circles: “ Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone” (Colossians 4:6). We do a lot of damage to ourselves and others when we write off gossip as a small issue. The birds of the same feather flock together and get engaged in gossip. They lack courage to speak directly and find joy in seeing another fall. Such members threaten the harmony of the community and cause so many scandals to the young. “But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea” (Matthew 18:6). 5. Mediocre, but Arrogant: The face value of the priests and the religious has come down and they are viewed as mediocre and arrogant. God deserves our best. God’s people deserve our best. “The only sin is mediocrity” (Martha Graham). Mediocrity literally means halfway up the mountain in a state of having given up. Life without constant striving is a life of mediocrity. “True disciples are not content with mediocrity, but rather they rejoice in the mission of evangelization” (Pope Francis). Mediocrity multiplies the same over 4 March 2017; No. 234 I¿sΩektμiw and over again and it breeds arrogance. When the serene shut their mouth, the mediocre shout at others with arrogance and justify their incompetence. A single person can bring great good to the entire body, but also bring great harm and lead to sickness. Things that matter most must never be at the mercy of things that matter least. “So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth” (Revelations 3:16). 6. Poor, Yet Live Like the Rich: “The hypocrisy of those consecrated men and women who profess vows of poverty, yet live like the rich, wounds the souls of the faithful and harms the Church” (Pope Francis). Wanting more has become the sickness of the day. Is it not false security that a religious tries to fill an existential emptiness in his heart by accumulating material goods? Some glorify their bosses for their benevolence and they become victims of careerism and opportunism. The people of God have a great nose for sniffing out priests who serve the god of money more than God the father (Pope Francis). As the corporate leaders set the agenda for the modern governments, secular outlook and corporate mindset have plagued our religious ecosystem. We will bite the dust unless we become as wise as serpents and innocent as doves (Matthew 10:16). We shall listen to the warning of the Lord: “But I have this against you: You have abandoned your first love. Therefore, keep in mind how far you have fallen. Repent and perform the deeds you did at first” .(Revelations 2:4-5). 7. They Resist, but be Resolute: In any renewal and change process, resistance is natural. In his address on Roman Curia Reform, Pope Francis spoke of three types of resistance namely, open, hidden and malicious. Open resistance is often born of goodwill and sincere dialogue. Hidden resistance is born of fearful or hardened heart content with the empty rhetoric of “spiritual window-dressing.” They March 2017; No.234 5 I¿sΩektμiw say they are ready for change, yet want everything to remain as it was before. Malicious resistance springs up in misguided minds. It hides behind words of self-justification and, often, accusation; it takes refuge in traditions, appearances, formalities, in the familiar, or else in a desire to make everything personal, failing to distinguish between the act, the actor, and the action. Resisting voices have to be listened to, welcomed and encouraged, but we shall be resolute in doing what is expected out of us. Like the resolute desk of the American Presidnet in the Oval Office in the White House, we need a resolute attitude and determination to make the change possible. ”A normal life is boring” (Eminem). 8. Stay Awake with Him: “Could you not stay awake with me an hour?” (Mathew 26:40). Staying connected with the Lord is the backbone of all that we do and all that we are. Like Martha, we are anxious and too busy with our workload. A constant danger with the zealous among us is that they become so immersed in the work of the Lord that they neglect the Lord of the work (St. John Paul II). Most of us are laid up with spiritual Alzheimer’s and have fallen into the temptation of trying to close or direct the freedom of the Holy Spirit. “This kind cannot come out, except by prayer and fasting” (Mathew 17:21). Those who depend completely on their here and now, on their passions, whims and manias, build walls around themselves and become enslaved to their own idols 9. Quo Vadis? Where are you going? ”Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I. Send me!” (Isaiah 6:8). “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8). “The Church needs us, counts on us and continues to turn to us with confidence, particularly to reach the geographical and spiritual places where others do not 6 March 2017; No. 234 I¿sΩektμiw reach, or find it difficult to reach.” But are you ready to script a new story in your life? As a congregation we shall move to the peripheries where we are badly in need of in evangelization, formation, pastoral care and all what God wants from us. The best remedy for a sick church is to put it on a missionary diet. Missionary diet is the secret of our success and growth of our congregation. How blessed are you when you say, “Here am I. Send me.” Lord of Mercy, Give us the discernment that you gave to our founding fathers to read the signs of the times! May the Spirit of the Lord encounter us to seek God’s will always and everywhere! Mother Mary, pray for us to sanctify ourselves and to work for the salvation of all! March 2017; No.234 7 I¿sΩektμiw Editorial The Challenges to Discipleship The first few days of this year’s Lent have been unusually turbulent.

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