POPE FRANCIS

The Catholic Church has a new Pope – Pope Francis. I was having fever and I could not go out of my room for three days. These days I was telling myself that I should be there in St. Peter’s Square when the new Pope makes his appearance. The privilege to be there in the basilica is not given to everyone. Many who want to be there cannot be there. I was motivating myself that everything will be allright. The white smoke appeared on 13.3.13 around 7.05pm. 

It was raining and I had cold and fever therefore I was in a dilemma. Would not it be better to watch the whole event clearly in T.V. rather than being in the piazza without getting able to go any way near the pope - I asked myself. I was hesitant to go out but I should say that I was almost drawn towards the Basilica. The motivation came from a priest. We reached the Basilica around 7.35pm. We found a place at the center of the Piazza.

The drizzling slowed down as though helping the people to gather in peace. The piazza and the street were full…around 8.10 the senior cardinal announced the good news that we have the Pope – Cardinal George Bergoglio who will take the name of Francesco. I was amazed – I am sure others too. His name did not make an appearance in the newspapers and television. I was thinking that he is from Italy, the name suggested it. Somewhere from the crowd someone said – Argentina.

The Pope appeared – the crowd shouted – the Pope stood still – unmoved, at least I thought he was. When he started speaking I was moved literally. He said: “My cardinal brothers have found one from the other end of the earth to be the bishop of Rome” – He laughed and we too. He then called everyone to pray for the Pope Emeritus. The most important and moving part was this: he said: before I give my blessing, please pray for me that lord bless me. I was astonished to see him bowing his head – No wonder he chose the name Francis.

I am sure that the Church has a very humble, simple pope who will be a living witness to many. He seems to be the ‘first’ in many ways – I hope it continues.

Prayers for You Always – Viva il Papa.

A Stranger is not a Stranger

It was 14^th October 2012. I was travelling from Germany in a train. I could not speak German well since it is not my mother tongue. Very few suffer like me.  But many today speak in many languages as though using the ‘shift’ key in a computer. I find it difficult to switch between three languages. I wonder how people do that between five and six. 

I was hesitant to start a conversation with a stranger who was sitting next to me because he was speaking in German with some of his friends. Another wonder with the system of the railways, when you book the ticket together you do not get adjacent seats. You find always a stranger inside. You have to personally and verbally request the stranger to change the place. In India they ask you to even change coaches. Here they are very hesitant even to request to sit in the next seat. What is given is given – but it also means that they do not want to intrude in what is given to them. More, one does not know how the other would react.

I was already a stranger in the train, and still a remote stranger between the companions who traveled together. Even with a stranger who is doubly alienated, a conversation could be initiated. It starts from silence. who said  one needs language to communicate? A peaceful silence that has a smile normally kicks off with a common, agreeing note like mamma mia – che caldo! Or what a bright and sunny day? Well if there is no smile, then there is no conversation. Even if there were to be one it will be cold, hard, and strict NO.

I had already smiled and he reciprocated it. After entering Austrian the border we started speaking about the rivers that flow, the climate, and the European Union. He and I shared the same feeling that this union could be a model for other continents in living together irrespective of different languages. I told him that India too has a model - which house different languages and culture. He thought that India has a single language. It was a revelation for him to know that the north Indians do not understand the south Indians and vice versa.  

India is a country but European Union is not.

... To be continued ... 

SUFFERING, JOY, and HOPE

When we are put to test, or unwanted events happen, we drown into the sea  of tears, and sadness. Suffering never comes alone. It comes as a legion - one after another. We will not have time even to count them. We suffer so   much that even the good things seem as bad. We do this, and then a little while later do that unfortunately they turn against us. We keep on doing it, nothing seems to work well, nothing seems to be on our favor.

But 

On a sudden day, it is very bright. That gentle breeze that enters the room in the window seems to bring everything fresh. From that time on everything seems to fall in its place. Everything works so well. Good things, like the bad ones, do come in group - one after another. Even the bad events look good - they seem a blessing in disguise now. How happy one is when everything happens as expected.

What we often forget is the link? 

The efforts that we took to set things right. The hard work that we put in to straighten things up. 

Unless one makes such an effort, will he taste such a honey. Could it be possible that things fall on their places, if there had been no such efforts? Without our efforts nothing happens. But they are forgotten in the sudden transition.

That is why it is good not to get drowned in sadness - not good to sit idly without any efforts - keep on trying, Hoping that things will fall on their places.

I have gone through such difficulties ... I hoped ... and I hope ....

TEACHERS

Everyone will agree that teachers have a role to play in our life. Some value it positively and others negatively. Those who have had great teachers will appreciate teachers and those who have ‘bad’ teachers will hate them if not curse them.

A good teacher is great not because he is an intellectual but because he is able to relate with the students well in such a way that he could motivate them to think on their own and to understand life in a better perspective. But our educational system does not demand teachers who can play the kind of role that they can play in the aspect of motivation.

All that our system demands is that one can be a good teacher when he has the ability to transfer from the ‘printed format to the unprinted format’, that can be stored in the mind! In this way the teachers have no the active role of a teacher. However we still are able to find good teachers in this format too. The students who have the ability to draw the impressions of the mind to the practical problems do appreciate such teachers. Say those who are good computer engineers will definitely appreciate the teacher’s contribution and his communicative skills because of which the student had an interest for the subject.

Some do not have good teachers not because they are bad as such as but lacking the skill, i.e. the ability to communicate well either from the printed one or from their memory. It is because of this some students hate a subject not because the subject is less interesting but because the teachers are less interesting.

I am talking of good teachers in two senses: one who can communicate well the subject matter and one who can relate well with the students who can inspire them in the minimum way, at least. Even if the communication skill is lacking in a teacher, he could very well be called a good teacher because of the second. Because one likes the teacher, one may also develop a liking for the subject.

Well. I want to speak about a good teacher in another sense, not restricted to the realm of the school education. Hr is one who can help the students to become teachers of their own life. A teacher here is called good not because he makes his students well informed and thus able to communicate back to others what he has learned, but because he makes the students to think, ask questions, and to make him a teacher of his own. The teacher makes the students to live on his own independent of the teacher – not in the sense of searching for a job and live on his own but one can know the meaning of being human in the world and to set the framework of his life. In this way even a teacher of history can make the students to ponder from the events of history to think of the contemporary situations. But I do not know whether the educational system will allow such teachers to flourish at all.

I have had good teachers in all sense: A teacher who is good communicator but not kind; a teacher who is gentle and a good communicator; a teacher who is gentle but not a ‘motivational teacher’’; a teacher who is gentle, intellectual, communicator as well as motivational. 

I want to write about everyone – but not now. For now, Thank you my teachers …

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What to say of millions of our children 

who have no opportunity 

to meet a teacher yet?

Being Unmarried ...

I came in contact with a ‘Greek Catholic’ from Romania three years back. Although we have not been meeting often, we did exchange views and opinions on some interesting issues of the Church, when we met. He was married and has a son. He is a jolly good fellow. 

I enjoy chatting with him although I do not understand many things, because he speaks fast and I do not understand much a foreign language when people speak fast. People tell me that I speak very fast and they do not understand. But in many places I see that others speak faster than me and I do not understand. 

This is an irony of life. We become the victim of the same thing by which we victimize others.

He was sharing with us, there was another one this time, so that I can be sure that I understand him, about his difficulties in life. His wife wanted to leave him and the son, only to live with another one. The son wanted to move away from Italy and desired to live in his home land. He had to leave Italy to take care of his son.

I told you that he is a ‘Greek Catholic’. I did not tell you that he is a priest. He has decided to live alone with his son. When we were listening to him, I do not know what he thought, he patted my cheek and said:  ‘I am happy that you are not married’.

Does this mean ... No more Discussion ...