Celebrate the Word and Change the World

The Bible Speaks For Ever

B.D. Speaks only for A Year

The Joy of Christmas has to be expressed significantly with the Message it conveys.

___________________________________________________

The Danger

Every other day we read one or the other news that is related to the ecological crises and the imminent danger that is set to fall on posterity. Though there are natural disasters that take away life and the future, the disasters caused by humans are dangerous. Most of the studies show that we and our predecessors who have lived during the past 70 years have done more damage to the earth than all other generations put together.  A recent study shows that “humanity which is just 0.01% of living beings, has caused the loss of 83% all wild Mammals and half of the planet.”

The Critique

In 1966, on 26 December, the day after Christmas, Lynn White, addressed a gathering in Washington D C. The Address was later published as “the Historical Roots of our Ecological Crisis,” in March 1967. It became such an important document that it is central for anyone who is interested in ecology. His article criticized the Judaic Christian tradition as responsible for the crisis because of the world view it had portrayed. According to him, the anthropocentric world view is the major candidate to be blamed for the crisis. 

The Response

Whether or not true, we have to give this point some serious consideration, if we really care for the world.  We have often seen the world as a place of exploitation and as if they are at our disposal. In Laudato si, the first ever encyclical totally dedicated to the care of nature, Pope Francis deals with the verse 2: 15 taken from the book of Genesis: “till and keep it”. He says that we have to cultivate and care for the earth. We become stewards and care-takers of the earth. We, the Christian community all over the world applauded the encyclical so much and conducted seminars at various levels to till the earth and care for it. Three years after receiving the encyclical, we need to ask ourselves where exactly do we stand?  

We cannot save the earth with mere seminars and meetings. We need to continuously struggle to protect it.   We need to have a committee dedicated for the care of nature – “ecological committee” like finance committee in the parish and at the diocesan levels. If we seriously respond to the criticism of Lynn White and respond to the call of the Pope, we need to ask ourselves – what ought we to do as Christians?

A sincere question is posed to us: what have we done as Catholics to reduce the damage and harm done to the nature? More than 25 % of the total trees are cut down in the world for the paper industries. I don’t need to tell you the importance of trees and the forest. Yet we have been cutting down trees for human consumption. In spite of the digital world, we still use lots of papers for the day today life. We not only need to plant a few trees, we need to work out a plan that will indirectly reduce the cutting down of trees for the paper industries.

The Word became Man

Let me explain the issue in the context of the season when we remember God’s incarnation - God taking the human form. Jesus loved this world – all his teachings somehow included the reference to the natural kingdom – the birds of the air, mustard seed, the sower and the word of God, etc. All these examples can be the source of our care for the nature. But more importantly, I want to insist that the logos of God which is God Himslef [Eucharist] and his words that are contained in the scripture [Bible] are the true sources of our Faith. Along with the Eucharist, the Bible is the source of God’s Words uttered to us to meditate / contemplate and to understand the plan of God.

The Bible became Closer 

It should be acknowledged here that only after the Vatican II, the Catholic Church has moved up from below sea level in the use of scripture to the heights of the sky. The Catholics began carrying the Bible and using it during the breaking of the Word. The Scripture is used in the Mass not as an academic material for study but as the sacred scripture that is used as the Holy Book. That is why liturgy of the word is part of the Eucharist. People who were carrying the Bible now are carrying ‘Bible Diaries’.

The Bible becomes an Object of Untouchability

With the advent of the business of making bible diaries, we are going back to the level below the sea in using the Bible. We had distanced the Bible from the faithful prior to Vatican II from the people. With the consumerist publications of Bible Diaries we are distancing the scripture from the faithful yet again. We begin to separate the word of God from the Bible and make it as an object of study or an exercise in piety rather than words for contemplation. We have the bible diaries – normal, special, pocket size, executive and Royal Bible Diaries. We are alienating people from the Bible as well perpetrating economic discrimination. Are we not perpetrating different bible diaries for different classes of people? 

I believe that the publishers would have earned some profit when half of what they had printed sold out? However, in the month of January the diaries are available with 10% discount, in February 20%, and Easter time with a 30%. Some publishers would even be willing to bury the unsold diaries in the dust bins rather than giving it to the poor to read in the month of April and May. 

I am well aware of the fact that I am touching upon a very sensitive issue. And I am struggling to see a way out of this problem. May be it is left to the Christian Publishers in the Country who are different from the secular liberal publishers whose motive is profit. It may also be true that other religious or secular organisations have Christian names for their publications and are publishing profit making materials. However it is time for the Catholic Publishers to prove that their target is not profit but rather the promotion of truth, proclamation of the good news and setting an example to others on being true witnesses. Though I have no right to enter into the business of the publishers, I think Christians have a moral duty to respond to the ecological crisis by reducing the use of paper on unnecessary publications. 

The Word Reprinted

We print the bible diaries every year which have nothing new except the small reflections. Otherwise every other year the readings are the same for weekdays and the same every three years on Sundays. What we need along with the bible is only the ORDO. Instead of carrying a small book, we are publishing various diaries. Are we not doing something out of proportion? Should we keep on printing bible diaries which can be replaced by a booklet? We agree that we will not be able to totally abandon the use of paper and print industries. But our bible diaries are simply being reprinted every year and wasted too. 

Even if those diaries are published, not as a material for profit, for the purpose of evangelisation only, I earnestly request the Christian publishers to think of alternate books for bible diaries, like bible commentaries or reflections rather than bible diaries which are redundantly published. I believe that an ordo (already the parish calendars have the daily readings) and the bible are sufficient for the faithful and the preachers. 

The Gift!

Let our Christmas Gift for the other be simply the ordo and not the bible diaries. By doing this we are contributing indirectly to the saving of the trees by saying ‘No’ to bible diaries and ‘Yes’ to the Bible. Since nature, like Gaja which struck in and around Vailankanni, Vedaranyam and the delta region, may have its own way of uprooting the trees, we should not be the cause of uprooting the trees.  

We may not probably reduce the cutting down of the trees entirely, but we could make a difference. Let the incarnation of Christ teach us to listen to His words properly with due respect in the Bible. This is our message and let this be our resolution for the New Year.   

MERRY CHRISTMAS 
AND 
A PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR!  

Originally published 

in Vailankanni Calling, December, 2018

SP

GDP - what is it?

Recently, i read in a news paper which said something like this: "half of the population in India work on farms but the farming itself contributes only 15% of country's GDP.

I don't understand the meaning of GDP and its relevance at all.
It may contribute only 15 percentage but it contributes food for 100 percentage of the population. if they don't work on farms we are going to buy from other countries' farmers. which GDP will high India or the country from which we buy.

we should rethink looking at work simply on the basis of GDP. otherwise the future generation will starve to death, if all the farmers quit farming.

Spiral of Violence - An example

From Nakkeeran seithi

"சென்னை கோயம்பேடு மேட்டுக்குளம் பகுதியைச் சேர்ந்த 17 வயது வாலிபர் விக்னேஷ். இவர் அதே பகுதியில் உள்ள ஒரு பெண்ணை காதலித்து வந்ததாக கூறப்படுகிறது. 

அவர் காதலித்து வந்த பெண்ணுக்கு கணேஷ் என்பவர் பாலியல் தொல்லை கொடுத்ததாக கூறப்பட்ட நிலையில் இதை கண்டிப்பதற்காக விக்னேஷ் ஒரு திட்டம் போட்டான். அதவாது சம்பந்தப்பட்ட நபரான கணேஷை அழைத்து மது அருந்தலாம் என கூறிவிட்டு அழைத்துச்சென்று  இருவரும் மது அருந்திவிட்டு பைக்கில் சென்றுள்ளனர். கோயம்பேடு மேம்பாலத்தில் சென்று கொண்டிருந்தபோது பைக்கில் பின்பக்கம் அமர்ந்திருந்த விக்னேஷ் கணேஷின் விலா எலும்பில் கத்தியால் குத்திவிட்டு வண்டியிலிருந்து எகிறிக்குதித்து  இறங்கியுள்ளான். இதனால் பைக்கை தாருமாறாக செலுத்திய கணேஷ் சாலையில் உள்ள தடுப்புச்சுவரில் மோதி உயிரிழந்தான். 

இதனையடுத்து போலீசார் இது விபத்து எனக்கருதி மருத்துவமனைக்கு கணேசின் உடலை அனுப்பிவைத்தனர். ஆனால் பிரேத பரிசோதனையில் கணேசன் உடலில் கத்தியால் குத்தப்பட்ட காயங்கள் இருந்தால் இது விபத்தல்ல கொலை என கருதி கொலை வழக்காக பதிவு செய்தனர். மேலும் அந்த கொலைவழக்கின் பேரில் நடத்தப்பட்ட விசாரணையில் விக்னேஷ் கைது செய்யப்பட்டான்.

கைது செய்யப்பட்ட விக்னேஷ் 5 மாதங்களுக்குப் பிறகு ஜாமீனில் கடந்த வியாழனன்று வெளிவந்துள்ளார். கோயம்பேடு மேட்டுக்குளம்  மைதானத்தில் தனது நண்பர்களுடன் இருந்த விக்னேஷை கொலை செய்யப்பட்ட கணேஷின் தம்பி பிரகாஷ் தாக்குவதற்காக தனது நண்பர்களை அழைத்துக்கொண்டு அந்த மைதானத்திற்கு வந்துள்ளான். மைதானத்துக்கு வந்த பிரகாஷ் மற்றும் அவன் நண்பர்கள் விக்னேஷை சரமாரியாக வெட்டி கொலை செய்துள்ளனர். இதனையடுத்து இந்த வழக்கில் விக்னேஷை கொலை செய்த பிரகாஷ் மற்றும் நண்பர்கள் உட்பட 5 பேரை போலீசார் கைது செய்துள்ளனர். மேலும் 5 பேரை போலீசார் தேடி வருகின்றனர்.

Link:

https://www.nakkheeran.in/24-by-7-news/thamizhagam/koyambetu-youth-murdered

H1N1 - Who can take the test?

swine flu is everywhere. we hear everyday people are dying in Tamil Nadu because of swine flue.
They say that the swab test costs around Rs. 4,000 and vaccine costs Rs. 500.

How can a poor man afford all these?

Humans Responsible for attack on Nature

Nature under assault: 80% decline in freshwater fauna population; Latin America worst hit with 90% loss of wildlife

Earth’s wild animal population plummets 60% in 44 years.

Shrinking forests

• Nearly 20% of the Amazon rainforest, the world’s largest, has disappeared in five decades. Tropical deforestation continues unabated, mainly to make way for soy beans, palm oil and cattle.
• Globally, between 2000 and 2014, the world lost 920,000 sq. km of intact or “minimally disturbed” forest, an area roughly the size of Pakistan or France and Germany combined. Satellite data shows the pace of that degradation picked up by 20% from 2014 to 2016, compared with the previous 15 years.

Depleting oceans

• Since 1950, our species has extracted 6 billion tonnes of fish, crustaceans, clams, squids and other edible sea creatures. Despite the deployment of increasingly sophisticated fishing technologies, global catches — 80% by industrial fleets — peaked in 1996 and have been declining since.
• Climate change and pollution have killed off half of the world’s shallow water coral reefs, which support more than a quarter of marine life. Even if humanity manages to cap global warming at 1.5°C — which many scientists doubt is possible — coral mortality will likely be 70 to 90%.
• Coastal mangrove forests, which protect against storm surges made worse by rising seas, have also declined by up to half over the last 50 years.

SOURCE

https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/energy-and-environment/earths-wild-animal-population-plummets-60-in-44-years-wwf/article25370522.ece?homepage=true

India - The Most Dangerous Country for Women

I was shocked to read that India is the most dangerous country for women in the world. for the first time USA has also made an appearance in the list of 10.

We need to become the topper in the list of the safest countries for women in the world.

We have to remember that we all had been given a chance to see this beautiful world, because of the love of one woman - Mother.

If we often remind ourselves of that, probably we can make this place the safest place for them.

Read the following News:

"The survey noted that Indian government data shows reported crimes against women were up 83 percent between 2007 and 2016. During that year, there were an average of four rapes reported every hour in India." 

America Will not Learn

FLORIDA SHOOTING

At least 17 dead


It is very alarming and threatening to those who read the news - once again the massacre of children in the United States of America has occurred. If it is so threatening to the one who reads it - what about the parents who have lost their children?

My Prayers for those innocent victims and the consolation of the parents....

America will never regret the loss of children...
For they value individual freedom more valuable than the lives of the children and ordinary citizens...

It will condemn the massacre but it will never rethink its policies on owning ammunition.

The criminal might walk out free - because he might have done this out of depression, hence maximum security will be given to the one who has done the crime...

Instead of creating a public space which is a free space - the space of peace, we have made it as a space of danger where everyone will carry his own pistol[s] with him...

There will be many more shootings...
You don't need a Nostradamus to say this...

As long as america sells ammunition to the World
America will have massacre like this...

Discuss about your policies
Gain real freedom -

"FOR ALL WHO DRAW THE SWORD WILL DIE BY THE SWORD." - Mt 26: 52.