All That Matters: Love, Life and Heart...

 Also in the "Weekend" issue of Free Press, Indore (12.02.2012)

Have you ever reflected on the relationship between heart, love and life? What is their importance to each other if any? They are inseparable three vital realities of human life and existence. One cannot exist without the other two. If there is no heart, you have neither love nor life because both love and life spring and come from heart. If you have no love, the life and heart are meaningless and a human being is as good a walking corpse. Even if you do wonders, perform great miracles and change the whole world but if you have no love within, it is all in vain. And furthermore, if you have no life, the heart and love cannot exist. Thus these three things, Love, heart and life are three angles of same triangle. If one of them is missing, the other two also disappear or lose their purpose.

            All these three have God as their ultimate source of existence, because it is God who gives life, and it is God’s love that dwells within and fills our hearts and the whole world. The most important among these three is love, because it is the binding force for the other two. You have life because your heart beats and your heart beats because it has love within. It is because of love that the world moves. It is love that changes and renews the face of the earth; that makes human life beautiful.

The very creation of the universe is the outcome and fruit of God’s love. In the Holy Bible we read when God had created everything and saw it, He liked it and said, “Everything is good.” Liking something is synonymous to loving something. So when we say God likes us that means and implies that God loves us and the whole creation. Everything is filled with God’s love; the whole creation exists in God’s love. It is because of this basic nature that creatures express their love for one another. We, human beings, are rational beings hence able to express our love in more creative ways than other creatures of lesser rational nature.

The highest expression of love of one human being towards others is even to trade it with life. Since love, heart and life are all equal hence one thing can be given for the other. There can be no greater expression of love than to go to the extent of giving one’s life for the other. This is what Jesus taught and did. He, being God himself, died for human beings that are just one dimension of His beautiful creation. Jesus is the True expression of God’s unconditional and unreserved love for human beings. It is through giving our life for others that we get life.

The dwelling place of love, the heart starts beating even before a human being takes a proper shape in the womb. And even before the heart starts beating, it is the love between a man and woman in marital context that gives existence to another new life. Sex in the marital context is the highest expression of love by the spouses towards each other. And children born out of this union are the fruits of that mutual love of the man and woman. When a new human being is born it is love that fosters his/her life in a healthy manner. Without love a human being cannot grow as a proper human being.

Today love is the most misunderstood and misused concept. Love is most often confused with many other similar feelings such as liking, lust, infatuation etc. When one likes something or somebody, s/he calls it love, and claim that ‘I love it’ or ‘I love him/her.’ When one wants to possess something or somebody and always be around them, it is not love it is lust. To understand what TRUE LOVE is, one must read Bible. It is the touching Love Story of God and the World. It says and shows what true love is. Just to give a short passage about love from Bible: it says, “Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way (it is not selfish); it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. Love always protects, always trusts, always hopes, and always perseveres. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things and endures all things. Love never ends; love never fails (1Cor. 13:4-7).”

जो मेरा अनुसरण करना चाहता है...

 जो मेरा अनुसरण करना चाहता है...

प्रभु येसु ने उनका अनुसरण करने वालों के लिए एक शर्त रखी है कि, “जो मेरा अनुसरण करना चाहता है, वह अपना क्रूस उठाकर मेरे पीछे हो ले.” सभी ख्रीस्तीयों ने अपने बपतिस्मा द्वारा प्रभु येसु के इस आह्वान को स्वीकार किया है. हमारी इस स्वीकृति के द्वारा हम उस अनंत पुरुस्कार के सहभागी बन जाते हैं जिसका वादा प्रभु येसु ने हमसे किया है, और वह वादा है स्वर्ग में हमारे लिए अनंत जीवन. इसके सम्बन्ध में संत योहन हमें याद दिलाते हैं कि “ईश्वर ने संसार को इतना प्यार किया कि उसने उसके लिए अपने एकलौते पुत्र को अर्पित कर दिया, जिससे जो उसमें विश्वास करता है, उसका सर्वनाश न हो बल्कि अनंत जीवन प्राप्त करे, (योहन 3:16).” और हमने अपने बपतिस्मा द्वारा ईश्वर के उसी एकलौते पुत्र में अपने विश्वास की घोषणा की है. प्रभु येसु में अपने बपतिस्मा द्वारा हमें नया जीवन मिला है. संत पौलुस हमसे कहते हैं कि बपतिस्मा द्वारा हमें नवजीवन मिला है और हमारा पुराना जीवन मसीह के साथ क्रूस पर चढ़ाया जा चुका है. (देखें रोमियों के नाम पत्र 6:4-14)

इस भूमिका को याद रखते हुए यदि हमें आधुनिक युग में प्रभु येसु के सच्चे अनुयायी बनना है तो कड़ी चुनौतियों का सामना करना पडेगा. आजकल चारों ओर ऐसी परिस्थितियाँ हैं जो हमारे लिए सच्चा ख्रीस्तीय जीवन जीने के लिए अनेकों बाधाएं उत्पन्न करती हैं. यदि हम चाहे टेलिविज़न चालू करें, या फिर कोई भी समाचार पत्र या पत्रिका उठाकर पढ़ें, हर तरफ ऐसी खबरें भरी पड़ीं हैं जो मानव जीवन की नैतिकता के पतन की ओर इंगित करती हैं. इतने सारे अपराध, उपभोक्तावादी सोच, नई-नई विचारधाराएँ जो आसानी से आनन्दमय जीवन का भरोसा दिलाती हैं, सुबह से लेकर शाम तक हमें ऐसी परिस्थितियों का सामना करना पड़ता है जो जाने-अनजाने में हमारे समक्ष प्रभु येसु का अनुसरण करने में बाधाएं पैदा कर देती हैं. हममें पवित्र आत्मा निवास है और ईश्वर का वही आत्मा हमारा ईश्वरीय जीवन जीने में उचित मार्गदर्शन करता है. लेकिन यदि बार-बार हम उसकी प्रेरणा को अनसुना कर देंगे तो धीरे-धीर हमारी अंतरात्मा पवित्र आत्मा की प्रेरणा के प्रति उदासीन हो जायेगी, और हम पाप के चंगुल में फंसते जायेंगे, और हमें इस बात का तनिक भी आभास नहीं होगा कि हम ईश्वर से कितनी दूर चले गए हैं.

कहा जाता है कि यदि एक मेंढक को उबलते पानी में डालो तो वह थोडा भी तापमान अधिक होने पर मर जाता है, लेकिन यदि उसे समान्य तापमान वाले पानी में डालो और धीरे-धीरे उस पानी को गरम करो तो वह बहुत देर तक उस गरम पानी को सह सकता है. हम जब पानी के अंदर होते हैं तो हमें उसका नुकसानदायक तापमान महसूस नहीं होता लेकिन अगर कोई बाहर से उसे छुए तो बता सकता है कि हम कितने ठन्डे या गरम पानी में हैं. उसी प्रकार जब हम अपने चारों ओर पापमय वातावरण पाते हैं तो हमें अपनी आध्यात्मिक हानि का आभास नहीं होता. लेकिन यदि कोई हमसे बेहतर आध्यात्मिक जीवन जीने वाला व्यक्ति है तो वह हमारी कमजोरी हमें बता सकता है.

कई बार हम अपने अंदर तथा अपने चारों ओर व्याप्त पाप को नहीं पहचान पाते. हम बहुत सारे छोटे-छोटे पापों को नज़रंदाज़ कर देते हैं. पूर्व संत पिता धन्य योहन पौलुस द्वितीय ने एक बार कहा था कि आज की पीढ़ी का सबसे बड़ा पाप खुद पाप को पहचानने में उदासीन होना ही है. इस दुनिया में ऐसा कौन व्यक्ति है जिसने पाप नहीं किया, हम सब पापी हैं. फिर हम इस बात के प्रति क्यों उदासीन हो जाते हैं? माता कलीसिया हमें चालीसा काल के रूप में ऐसा समय प्रदान करती है कि जब हम अपने जीवन की अंधी दौड़ में कुछ पल रुककर सोचें कि क्या मैं बपतिस्मा में मिले उसी नवजीवन को जी रहा हूँ या इस संसार का जीवन जी रहा हूँ? क्या मैं बपतिस्मा द्वारा प्रभु येसु के अनुसरण करने के निमंत्रण को भूल गया हूँ और अपना क्रूस रास्ते में ही छोड़ दिया है? ख्रीस्तीय जीवन चुनौती भरा जीवन है, क्रूस ढोने का जीवन है. चालीसा काल हमें अपने दयालु पिता की ओर वापस मुड़ने का निमंत्रण देता है. ईश्वर हम सबको ऎसी कृपा दे कि हम अपने स्वर्गीय पिता के दयालु प्रेम को पहचान कर अपने पापों से विमुख होकर सारे ह्रदय से उसकी ओर लौटें.

बी. जोंसन मरिया,

Merry Christmas

The True Message of Christmas

             (Also in Weekend Issue [25.12.2011] of Free Press, Indore)

            Christmas is the commemoration of the Birth of Christ that took place more than two thousand years ago. December 25 has been celebrated, as the birthday of Jesus Christ, and birthday, whose ever it may be, is always a matter of great joy, we start the preparations for Christmas around thirty days before the actual day. There is lot of decoration done, we clean and decorate our houses, send greeting cards to our near and dear ones, prepare a crib and off course, participate with full devotion in the liturgical celebrations. Often on Christmas day we invite our friends and relatives for a sumptuous meal to share our joy. This is what we normally perceive what the Christmas is, but is that all, the Christmas is about?

            Christmas is not just an event of celebration, something celebrated outwardly. It’s a great event not only in the life every Christian but in the history of salvation of whole humanity. It’s not only the commemoration of the birth of Jesus in a manger at Bethlehem, but it’s an event that marks coming down of God Himself to meet humanity, to live among best of His creation, the human beings, so that they give up their evil ways, turn to God and be saved. It is an event when God’s love towards humanity crossed all boundaries. The “Days of Advent” are given to us not just for decorating our houses, but also to decorate our hearts and prepare ourselves internally as well as spiritually. God’s decision to dwell among humanity is an invitation for all of us to turn towards God. God loved the world so much that He gave His only son (Jesus Christ) to save all human beings, and to teach us to love one another. Now it is our turn to do our part.

            Is there any religion that teaches that loving one another is sin and harmful hence should not be practiced? Has God ever asked a person to do something that is impossible for him/her? The only true message of Christmas is this: God loves us unconditionally, so much so that He sent His Son Jesus Christ, who died as an innocent victim on the cross for the sins of whole humanity. In return, God does not want from us anything extra-ordinary but only that, we should love Him and one another sincerely. Ultimately, God would want that the whole humanity, whom He has fashioned out of His Eternal love and creativity, live in peace and harmony. That’s why he came down as “Prince of Peace.”

            Today, the world is facing lots of challenges. Peace seems a rare commodity; peace within individuals, peace with the nature etc. There is lot of turmoil and disturbance in the world. People, instead of loving one another, are bent on to shedding the blood of one another in the name of caste and creed, for selfish motives. The other person has become just an object to satisfy one’s desires. Will the god of any religion want that this world should be flooded with one another’s blood? Will God, whom we call by whatever name want, that human beings should not love one another? The real Christmas or any festival for that matter will be meaningful only when we realize that God loves us unconditionally and so we also should love one another. So let’s try to understand the real meaning of Christ’s coming into this world (Christmas) that is, God being born not in a manger but in the hearts of whole humanity. Let us turn to God, love Him, and love one another.

                                                                        - B. Johnson Maria

50 years of NITSC

              The North India Theology Students’ Conference (NITSC) had originally a small beginning. In the early fifties, the three colleges namely Leonard Theological College (Jabalpur), Serampore College (Serampore) and Bishop’s college (Calcutta) joined together at annual conferences. They used to host the conferences in rotation. Five student representatives accompanied by staff guide from each college attended the conference held for three days. In a response to a suggestion from then acting principal of Bishop’s College, NITSC in 1967 invited St. Mary’s College, Kurseong (now Vidyajyoti College, Delhi) to be its member. With two students from St. Mary’s college, NITSC acquired an ecumenical flavor. Since then NITSC has been growing from strength to strength. Many theological colleges of different denominations, offering B.th of B.D. degrees or their equivalents have been enrolled as members of NITSC.

            It was during the 36^th NITSC (1997) in Leonard Theological College in Jabalpur, that the conference felt the need to develop its vision further. It was at this conference that the members decided on the apt motto of “UNITE SHARE TRANSFORM” and also selected the emblem for the same. At this conference its Constitution was also drafted adding a clearer sense of purpose and administration to the NITSC.

            The conference has continued through the years to be the occasion that facilitates ecumenical fellowship, worship and theologizing in order to develop deeper understanding and newer practical strategies for life and ministry of the Church today. This has been carried on through the process of presentation of seminar papers on topics and issues decided by the conference as necessitating study and reflection for the benefit of Christianity for the future. The annual conferences are organized by the President, General Secretary and staff advisor of the hosting college and it is conducted with the help of the committees drawn out from among the delegates of the various colleges represented.

God is always near...

There may be many times when you feel God is far from you... when God seems to desert you...

Don't worry... ask others... Perhaps He is close to them... they can bring Him closer to you.

The point is when you waver in faith... look at others faith... that will enhance your faith too...

God never forsakes us...

We may feel sometimes so...

But our feelings are not always indication to right path...

 

God is always near!!

 

Assignment

My Perception of Priesthood in Today’s Context

The seemingly bitter side of the reality: The other day I had a casual talk with one of the senior parishioners of the local parish. The conversation was about the celebrant of the novena mass for the day. And somehow unknowingly we started to talk about the priests. He told about a priest who quit priesthood and married, presently running a school. He is having a good family life with two small kids. This old man felt that it should not have happened, and I tried to explain to him in my own words so as to why it might have happened and why it possibly happens. I said, “its perhaps because he was not firm in his vocation, he must have not taken his spiritual life seriously.” I thought it was a good answer and that would satisfy my partner in conversation. But it was my turn now to be surprised and shocked on what he said next. He said, “It has nothing to do with vocation, the world outside is very challenging today and to live an easy and comfortable life, the boys join priesthood.” He might be wrong in his perception about priesthood today, but certainly the situation is not what it used to be before.

A link between God and people: The world is changing and so the concept and perception of priesthood today. I have always looked on a priest as someone who voluntarily gives up everything, including family, property, heritage and even his personal self, and stands as a mediator between God and the people. The need for the priests has increased to a great extent today as the people are slowly ignoring the importance of spiritual life and loosing the sense of sin, the state of being without God. What is most dangerous is that they don’t know all this, and there has to be someone who can remind them of their silliness and God’s love to them.

One who is much in demand today: In this consumerist and competitive world which follows the principle of ‘survival of the fittest’ the people are very busy in things that have no much value for the life to come. Religion has become the least priority except for those who are in the ‘evening of their life’ and preparing to meet their Creator soon. In fact people think, it is the last thing to care about spirituality and religion. The world is so fascinating that they don’t much feel the need of God in their lives. Today there is a dire need for someone exclusively appointed to lead them to God and Spirituality. That can be none other than a priest. Yes, a priest is meant to lead, to lead the people from worldliness to God, to lead people from consumerism and materialism to human values, lead people to feel the need to restore that image and likeness of God in them.

One who Lives God’s will: People follow the leader and a priest being a leader must look for his inspiration and strength in the leadership of Jesus himself. They say, “People may not follow what you preach but surely what you do.” It is easy to follow the one who does things than the one who just utters mere empty words. To lead the people to God, to make them feel the unconditional love of God, the priest himself must feeland live it first. Mere empty words do not produce any fruit. The priest has to bespiritual not just preachspirituality. Today there is increasing tendency among the priests to be busy in ‘the work of the Lord than in the Lord of the work.’ When disciples returned from evangelizing, Jesus asked them to come to a lonely place and spend some time in prayer. Even Mother Teresa, the more she worked, the more she spent time in prayer. There are numerous examples of priests who spent time in prayer and became the reason for many strayed souls to return to God. St. John Mary Vianney is one of them. To put it in a nut shell, a priest has to be a man of God so that he can lead others to become the people of God.

A Leader of the leaders: The world is much advanced today, and the people have great knowledge about things. A priest is meant to lead the engineers, advocates, managers, businessmen, peasants and people from all walks of life. Obviously he has to be all for all. That’s what Christ became. He became a friend to sinners, became a Guru to the intelligent and compassionate to the ignorant, forgiving to the offenders and became all to all, and a priest is called to be another Christ. I want to be a dynamic priest who is dearly loved by God and through whom God loves the world and world loves God.

A Teachers' Memories...

… He taught me a lesson for life!!!

            We human beings are strange beings! Sometimes we want to forget things but they still keep clinging to our memories and sometimes we want to remember and cherish some things but they fade away only to leave us perplexed and confused.

         It was when I was in third standard in a school of my village. Those days only few schools used to be there and there used to be ‘real teaching’ there. The head master (principal) was very strict and off course he loved discipline in the school.

          Once, my classmate and I planned to ‘steal’ some old news papers that were put in the store room. Actually we wanted to cover our books and that was the best option available for us. We promptly executed the plan. Somehow the headmaster came to know. He was known for his thrashing of the students who deserved the punishment. I had never had a chance to be punished; I was rather good in studies and over all a good boy. When he came to know of this act, he called the whole class together in the games period.

         All were quiet and perhaps knew what was going to happen. He called the first boy and gave him thorough beating. The boy cried, begged pity but he was not spared till the master was satisfied. Those days teachers were given freedom not only to teach the subjects but also to form the character of the child. Perhaps that’s why the master was obliged to correct us.

            Meanwhile I was already shivering and waiting for my chance… And finally he called me. I went to him slowly and softly, my heart beat already reaching to its height. But to everyone’s surprise he didn’t beat me… he called me close… kept his arm on my shoulder gently and said, “You are a good boy, the whole school knows it. Then what made this good boy to do such a bad thing. Stealing is bad, isn’t it?” I nodded my head in approval. He continued, “I know you will not repeat it.” I started crying, first slowly, then loudly. He said, “Now go home and get that paper back.” I ran without thinking further for another moment, and brought the paper. He taught me a great lesson that we can change the persons with love more easily then punishing. Love changes the world, love leaves memories in your heart. That was a great lesson not only for me but for the whole class. I will remember this incidence till the day I go to the grave.