Author: Fr M.A. Joe Antony, SJ

Welcome to our new online magazine, INI! INI, is a new venture of the Madurai Province (MDU), Tamil Nadu, India, born on the feast day of St. Ignatius, 31 July 2021 - the year which Jesuits celebrate as the Ignatian Year – the 500th anniversary of his conversion. INI, by the way, is not an acronym. INI, as you may guess, are the first two syllables of the original first name of St. Ignatius. He was called 'Inigo.' INI stands also for 'initiative'. There is a Tamil word, which is pronounced exactly like the first two syllables of ‘Inigo’ and ‘initiative’. It means ‘henceforth,’ - ‘from now on.’ INI is, in fact, the brainchild of Fr. Danis Ponniah,SJ, MDU Provincial. It is he who thought of it and invited me to edit it. Trusting in the unfailing grace of God, the maternal love of Our Blessed Mother, and the blessings of our Founder and Father, St. Ignatius, I have accepted to edit this online magazine. I hope my experience of editing the New Leader for 20 years and Jivan, the South Asian Jesuit magazine for 17 years, will help. So will the feedback and help of the eminent members of our Editorial (Advisory) Board. Anyone who asks ‘What is important to today’s Jesuits?’ has only to look at what Jesuits call their 'Universal Apostolic Preferences (UAPs).' After a long, serious process of discernment and discussion that lasted for nearly two years, Fr. General Arturo Sosa, SJ declared on 19 February 2019 that all through this decade (2020 -2029) Jesuits all over the world will focus on four areas: 1. To show the way to God through the Spiritual Exercises and discernment; 2. To walk with the poor, the outcasts of the world, those whose dignity has been violated, in a mission of reconciliation and justice; 3. To accompany young people in the creation of a hope-filled future; 4. To collaborate in the care of our Common Home. In the light of these four apostolic preferences, every Jesuit Province has come up with its own apostolic preferences – called Province Apostolic Preferences (PAPs). Provinces seem to have mostly tried to interpret the UAPs in their own local context. The MDU Province came up with five - the first four reflecting the UAPs in the context of the State of Tamil Nadu, India and the fifth one on Jesuit formation – forming our men in Ignatian spirituality to be credible in life and mission. Apart from focusing on UAPs of Jesuits, if any Province has, among its PAPs, something unique – like MDU’s PAP on Jesuit formation, INI will look at them too, with a view to enlightening others on why they consider it important. INI is not merely for Jesuits everywhere, but also for all our associates and collaborators - professors, teachers, students, alumni, and priests and religious who belong to IGFA - the Ignatian Family - all those who draw inspiration from St. Ignatius and the Ignatian spirituality, all those who collaborate with Jesuits – priests, Religious and all men and women of good will. So read INI regularly and send us your feedback. Write. Get your friends and colleagues to read it. To begin with, INI will be a quarterly, published every three months. It is free and if you want it to be sent to your inbox regularly, you need to register, giving your name and email address. Let INI inspire us all, in its own little way, to show the way to God, to walk with the marginalized and the poor, to work for reconciliation, justice and peace, to accompany our youth, and to care for our planet, our home!

The Call of Easter to the followers of Ignatius

Antony Inigo, SJ, an Ignatian expert, tries to articulate what the festival of Easter could tell the followers of Ignatius.

By D. Antony Inigo, SJ

How could we, the sons and daughters of St. Ignatius, look at Easter and understand its message for us today?

St. Ignatius of Loyola talks about the Resurrection in the fourth week of the Spiritual Exercises. He instructs the retreatants to reduce the penances, to change the prayer timings. He wants them to feel and experience the paschal joy of the risen Lord. The important image and function of the Risen Lord in the Spiritual Exercises is that of the Consoler. He brings solace and peace. This grace dispels the darkness of fear and confusion. It brings immense joy, awe and wonder at this marvel.

Apparition to Mother: St Ignatius exhorts the retreatants to contemplate the apparition of the Risen Lord to his mother. This is not reported in any of the four Gospels. In appearing to his mother Jesus acknowledges her perfect discipleship. It was hard for her to surrender to an unknown plan of God that unfolded day by day, moment by moment in ways that were hard to understand. It was indeed agonizing for her to lose the special gift of divine-human Son to that plan. Therefore she deserves this consoling meeting between her and her beloved son. She was the first to know of the incarnation through the annunciation. She brought him up till he left for his public ministry from her home. Now she becomes the first one to know the resurrection.

It is important to recognize the role of a mother and its importance. The awareness of the big sacrifices that mothers make is a grace and gift. The Lord, through this gesture, sets us an example. This meeting that fills Mary’s heart with strength and joy enables her to accompany the disciples. They were in disbelief. From these men of doubt, fear and guilt was born another mother to us, the Mother Church.

The important image and function of the Risen Lord in the Spiritual Exercises is that of the Consoler. He brings solace and peace.

Mother Church from unbelieving disciples: The unbelief of the disciples is caused by many factors like fear, anger and guilt: fear of the future, anger against the perpetrators of unjustifiable violence, guilt that they abandoned the Lord during his sufferings. This unbelief made them numb to the greatest of all the miracles – the resurrection. Their eyes were closed. They could not hear the message of the Lord reported by those whom he met and sent. They were frozen in their unbelief.

The Lord appears to them, wishes them peace, speaks to them, shows them the marks of the nails on his hands, eats with them, breathes on them the Holy Spirit, till they are convinced he is alive, that their Master is truly the Messiah whom God has raised. They are strengthened and consoled. They are commissioned to ‘go and proclaim the good news to the whole world’. With the power of resurrection they withstood and overcame the powerful who opposed it.

Later when the disciples were admonished by the high priests and Jewish authorities for proclaiming the Risen Lord, they stood firm and fortified to face them. Those who controlled the Jewish religion could not control the disciples, after they knew that their Master has transcended death.

New People: The resurrection injected in the disciples a new energy. It made them go beyond their educational and sociological background and religious boundaries. The more we contemplate this event that is both history and mystery, the more hopeful and joyful we will become. When the disciples had to face suffering they must have consoled one another with the message of the resurrection.

This is what we need today for all those who have faced pain, suffering, humiliation, isolation, organized and structural violence. Those who still live in darkness need this message of hope, so that they continue to work against the forces of darkness, hoping in the dawn that is about to break.

Many Mothers: Besides our biological mother, we have Mary, Mother of God and our Mother, there is the Mother Church, which is on its way to becoming a synodal Church. We have also our mother Society, and mother Earth. This connectivity to all these mothers gives us strength and comfort. In our mission journey these mothers accompany us. They form us, send us and sustain us through thick and thin. We are called to share with them the joy and fruitfulness in our mission.

Every member of the Society and the Church in some way accompanies us in our path towards resurrection. The members of these big families accompany us faithfully and generously without counting the cost.

These are like the women who went to the tomb in the early hours of the Easter Sunday. They did this in spite of the gloom and pain of Good Friday. They proactively engaged themselves with the question, ‘What next? What shall I do next?’

Thomas, however, was not satisfied by just reports. He sought the experience of seeing, hearing, smelling, touching and tasting. Jesus was gracious to respond and offer him the experience he sought. God directly deals with the devout soul. All the explanations of the guide do not satisfy people like Thomas as much as personal reflection and prayer when they themselves get to see him. Everyone has to experience the resurrection.

Peace and unity: Ignatius and the first companions reached out to the medically abandoned and socially driven out to the peripheries. By this they showed that resurrection is possible even for those abandoned by the society.

Ignatius and his friends tried to bring about peace and unity wherever they worked. It is our mission today to work for reconciliation, justice and peace. Today we are called to fight the false propaganda of the unscrupulous that projects religious differences as threats. We have to confront the outbreak of fanaticism and fundamentalism, communalism, casteism or linguistic chauvinism.

This presupposes a psychological resurrection. Only economic wellbeing is projected as growth. But an integral development includes improvement in all spheres of life of a person and the civic society. At times we too fall for the notion that those with a lot of money and influence, those who are successful in business are the ones who are blessed. We are called to use our educational institutions to shape men and women for others, those who would accept people of other religions and castes as their equals. We, Jesuits, and our collaborators are called to lead our people to experience this resurrection.

Caring for our Common Home: Easter, the festival of life, invites usto respect and care for all forms of life. The risen Lord invites us to deepen our relationship not merely with the Creator but all the creatures, all that God created even before creating humans. Blessing above all other blessings is the creation.

We must be able to sense God’s presence in the heavens and the earth, in every human, animal and bird, in mighty mountains and the lowly grass. Inspired by Ignatius, we must ask for the grace to see the glory of God revealed in everything in this vast universe.

Although in the course of history the relationship between nature and humans has been ruptured, the Lord of life calls us to a renewed commitment towards nature – to stop all that hurts and wounds nature and to do all that preserves and conserves nature.

D. Antony Inigo, SJ, has done his ‘Master Ignaciana’ and Licentiate in Spiritual Theology. He is the Novice Master at Beschi Illam, Dindigul, Tamil Nadu. His email id: inigodevsj@gmail.com.

Four Men and Their Three Roles

In this exclusive interview to INI, Fr. Vernon D’Cunha, SJ, explains what he and the three other Assistants ad Providentiam do for the General and the Society.

Interview with Fr Vernon D’Cunha, SJ | Assistant ad Providentiam

Fr. Vernon D’Cunha, SJ, comes from the Province of Bombay (BOM). He was born in Mumbai, India, in 1956. He entered the Society on 30 July 1977 and made his final vows on 8 December 1994. A former Provincial of Bombay Province and a Novice Master, he was elected one of the four Assistants ad Providentiam at the last General Congregation.

Fr Vernon, thanks for this interview. You are one of the four Assistants ad Providentiam, who were elected by and at the last General Congregation, right?

Yes, it is the General Congregation that elects the Assistants ad Providentiam. The number is fixed at four. The delegates at the GC elect these four from among the professed of four vows. They are to be from different Assistancies, keeping in mind the General Counsellors appointed by the General, but with the freedom of the congregation remaining intact to choose other persons. (NC 364 § 1).

What do these four AaPs do?

By a decision of GC 34 d. 23 E 1 no.2, they are also General Counsellors of Fr. General (NC 364 § 3). The Assistants ad Providentiam are required to meet every three months to consider among themselves and give feedback about where we see things going well and offer suggestions for improvement. If needed, we can meet more frequently. While the Complementary Norms say that the Assistant who has been professed for the longest time should convoke these meetings, we have, for the sake of convenience, placed this mantle on the Admonitor of Fr. General, who is also an Assistant ad Providentiam. (NC 365)

If the majority of the Assistants ad Providentiam, out of love for the Society and their knowledge of it, judge that the Superior General, for a grave reason, ought to resign his office, they should advise him of this through the Admonitor (NC 366 § 1). So we, as Assistants ad Providentiam, meet at least four times a year – on an average about once in three months. We share among ourselves what we have observed and what we have heard from others about the functioning of Fr. General. On a couple of occasions, we have interviewed the Presidents of Conferences and members of Fr. General’s Council so as to gather information about the functioning of Fr. General from the wider Society.

This has certainly been helpful. After each meeting, a summary of the points that we all agree upon, or at least a majority of us agree upon, is communicated to Fr. General orally and in writing by the Admonitor. We communicate also what we are happy about in the functioning of Fr. General and things that he could be mindful of, especially in the area of his personal health.

How is Fr. General’s health?

So far, Fr. General has kept good health and has been performing well as Superior General. Hence, there has been no cause for concern or need for extra meetings on our part. In fact, it is amazing and inspiring to see the amount of work he manages to do and see how much he cares for the mission and the life of the Society.

You communicate with Fr General through the Admonitor. The administrative genius of St. Ignatius is seen in this unique position he invented – the Admonitor. But probably the Admonitor does what he is supposed to do only here – at the General Curia. How many Provincials, and how many Rectors and superiors, in your view, would respect the role of the Admonitor and let him do his duty? In most places their role is sadly restricted to being mentioned as the Admonitor in the province catalogue, isn’t it?

Well, every Socius of a Major Superior is ex-officio, admonitor of the Major Superior, unless otherwise specified or unless another Jesuit has been appointed by Fr. General for the purpose. For those who would like information on this, they could refer to the Manual for Juridical Practice of the Society of Jesus: no. 272 of this document talks about who designates an admonitor and no. 276 explains his role and responsibilities.

An admonitor, and this is one of the genial facts of our governance, is always appointed by a higher superior. Hence the admonitor of Fr. General is elected by the General Congregation. So, while every Major Superior without fail has, theoretically, an admonitor, not many of such admonitors, at least in South Asia, perform this role as expected. The reasons are understandable: firstly, it is not pleasant to do so especially because a Socius has to work very closely with a Major Superior. Secondly, there could be ignorance about what, when and how to function as an admonitor.

Every local superior is also required to have an admonitor, who functions along similar lines as mentioned in number 276 above. However, most often they are not designated by the Major Superior concerned, or if they are, due to difficulty or ignorance of how to function, they do not fulfill their responsibility as desired by the Society.

However, some do it and do it well. It is an important part of Our Way of Proceeding and our governance structure.

Do you accompany Fr General during his visits to provinces?

Sometimes. If one of the Assistants ad Providentiam accompanies Fr General, then this Assistant would normally make sure that Fr. General is not stressed out or over-stretched because of too many demands made on him by well-meaning Jesuits and Catholics.

Don’t some people refer to these four as Assistant Generals?

Yes, in some parts of the Society, Jesuits mistakenly introduce us as “Assistant General”. Firstly, this is not true. Secondly, there is no such thing as “Assistant General”. The Assistants ad Providentiam are also General Counsellors and, in the current scenario, Regional Assistants as well. So personally, I am one of the two Regional Assistants for South Asia, a General Counsellor and an Assistant ad Providentiam.

But why should we call them by this strange name which has one English word and two Latin words? Can’t we find a good, helpful English equivalent? Can’t we give to a group of English scholars this task of finding English equivalents to the Latin terms we still cling to – terms that sound incomprehensible to others, even to some Jesuits? ‘Socius’ is another such term.

Well, every group of people and every profession has their “jargon” which is natural and which members of that group or professions are supposed to understand. We are normally introduced to these terms from the novitiate itself and these get repeated over the years. However, this does not preclude from having helping English equivalents. For example, if you look at the English translation of the Manual for Juridical Practice of the Society, the term used there is, “Assistants for provident care” or “General Assistant for provident care” (see alphabetical index of this manual and no. 304, §3, 3° of the same).

The term “socius” is again part of our Jesuit jargon. A socius is much more than an “assistant” or an “executive assistant”. A socius is meant to be an assistant, an executive assistant, a friend and a companion, the hand and the memory of a Major Superior and more….all in one! It is difficult to find a term that would encompass all these in English, although some provinces, especially in the west, have tried to do so.

What is the meaning of this term – ‘Assistants ad Providentiam’? Is this how they were always called?

The term “assistants ad providentiam” signifies that these persons are specially charged with the responsibility of caring for the person and performance of Fr. General. While every Jesuit is expected to take care of Fr. General wherever he is, these four are charged specifically with this mission.

If one looks at the Constitutions (the translation of George E. Ganss, the term used is “assistants”, the Society should depute four assistants (Const. 779). The original in Spanish also uses the same term, “assistentes”. I suppose with the passage of time, and with more assistants gradually being added to Fr. General’s Council, the term became more precise since the others had this word as part of their designation e.g. “Regional Assistant”.

Apart from the duties you have talked about, can you be given other duties?

Occasionally, yes! For example, Fr. General constituted a search committee with the four of us in the run up to the appointment of a new General Treasurer. In addition, all the Acts of the Province Congregations had to be ultimately approved by the four Assistants ad Providentiam. All the correspondence that comes from the Holy See to Fr. General is passed on to the four of us.

Does an Assistant ad Providentiam have a term?

First of all, Fr. General is emphatic about the fact that no responsibility in the Society has a term. For a Provincial, the Constitutions (no. 757) suggest a period of 3 years, which can be lengthened or shortened. Normally, since an Assistant ad Providentiam is elected by a General Congregation, they hold office from one GC to another. However, if there are serious reasons, they can ask to be relieved from the office or they can be asked to resign. But the process is a bit laborious.

Tell us about your experience as an Assistant ad Providentiam, a General Counsellor and a Regional Assistant.

I have found the job a responsibility as well as a privilege. It is a responsibility to care for the person and well-being of Fr. General. It has been a privilege and an opportunity to help Fr. General in his governance. It has also been a service and a responsibility to the entire Society. I am happy to be able to render this assistance and service.

As Assistants ad Providentiam, it is neither our duty nor our responsibility to evaluate neither the works nor or the provinces and regions of the worldwide Society. This would be part of the job description of a General Counsellor and a Regional Assistant.

I have found my job as Regional Assistant very fulfilling and rewarding. It has been an opportunity to give helpful guidance to all those who seek it, especially Major Superiors. It is impossible for Fr. General to know every Province/Region and every issue that comes to his table from the Assistancies. In this, he relies on the Regional Assistants for information and suggestions regarding solutions or actions that could be taken. It is in this connection that my visits to the provinces and regions that come under me assume great importance. During these visits, I meet a number of Jesuits, in fact anyone who would like to meet me. I try to visit as many communities and works that time and distances allow.

Normally, a Regional Assistant is required to make a visit to a province/region in the run up to the appointment of a new Major Superior. After a Major Superior completes three years in office, the Regional Assistant, depending on the need, may make a visit. However, whether he makes a visit or not, Fr. General would like the performance of a Major Superior to be evaluated after 3 years in office so as to provide the Major Superior with feedback and help for the years that remain.

I must say, I have enjoyed every visit I have made to the provinces and regions I work with. It is a joy to meet and see the hard and committed work being done by Jesuits, often in difficult and challenging situations. The lifestyle of most communities and the commitment to the poor and disadvantaged are a source of much inspiration for me.

Meeting individual Jesuits is another source of great consolation. It is a privilege, a joy and a humbling experience to encounter so many Jesuits at a personal level. I often meet with communities or groups of Jesuits during these visits and this gives me an opportunity to share about major happenings in the Roman Curia, the major plans and concerns of Fr. General, important happenings in different parts of the Society etc.

These visits also offer me possibilities of meeting and thanking our partners in mission – like religious congregations, lay partners and partners of other faiths. Meetings with these partners in mission and with the local hierarchy help to get feedback about how we Jesuits come across to them and how we can improve our service.

Thank you, Fr Vernon, for your service to the Society, Fr General, and our Region. Thank you for finding the time for this interview in the midst of your many responsibilities.

Equal and united

Friends,

We are happy to present to you this issue of INI, dated April-June ’23 on 1 May, May Day that calls us to remember the workers – those who labour and so are weary and burdened.

Students are not workers yet, but in these months of April and May students and teachers in India brave the heat-wave conditions in many parts of the country to prepare for and then sit for their exams. For most of them these are the most stressful months during the year. They slog, hoping that a college degree will eventually bring them a job.

This is why I was surprised to learn that the present situation in the U.S. is quite different. In an article in TIME (10-17 April 2023) titled, ‘The Point of College’, Jenny Anderson says, “Soon after the 2008-09 financial crash tanked the economy, Americans’ unflagging faith in higher education started to falter… In 2009, 70% of recent high school graduates enrolled in college. In 2021 that figure was 61.8%, about where it was in 1994.”

If 70% students enrolled in colleges about 15 years ago, it was because of a vigorous campaign that proclaimed that a college degree will enable them to work “smart” rather than “hard.” The images of a dirty plumber next to a shiny college graduate showed what the campaign slogan meant.

But now they are asking, ‘Does everyone have to go to college?’ Employers as well state governments are dropping the requirement for a college degree. According to an estimate, over two-thirds of Americans do not have even a bachelor’s degree. Why would they slog for a college degree if 1.4 million jobs would be available to workers without college degrees? In Germany and Switzerland one half to nearly two-thirds of students pursue vocational education. These men would say, ‘What if I don’t have a college degree? I have a job. If I can have a job, why would anyone want to sweat for a college degree? What I studied has earned me a job.’

Here in India the situation still favours higher education. Students are convinced that it is the college degree that would assure them of a decent job and a handsome salary. The problem is that what they are after is just a degree. Do they imbibe values? Is their faith in God strengthened? Does their college education make them immune to viruses like communalism, casteism and chauvinism? This is why the challenge all our educators face is how to make them men and women for others – how to help them see all humans are their brothers and sisters. Read Cedric Prakash’s article titled, ‘Rich in diversity, equal in dignity, united in solidarity’ in this issue. Happy reading!

– M.A. Joe Antony, SJ

Wrestling with grief

M.A. Joe Antony, SJ, narrates the story of an interesting film that he watched recently and the lessons it offers for all those who struggle to cope with grief

By M.A. Joe Antony, SJ

‘How helpful this film could be for all those who have to wrestle with grief caused by the death of their life partner! This could make them think and even show them the path to beat the gnawing grief.’ That is what I thought soon after watching this short film of just 35 minutes.

On a Serpentine Road, with the Top Down is the first episode in Season 2 of the popular anthology, Modern Love, released by Amazon Prime Video on 13 August 2021. These films (episodes) are fictionalized versions of the popular column, ‘Modern Love’ published in the New York Times. In the films of Season 1, released last year, all the action took place in New York city.

But obviously love is not something restricted to New York. Isn’t it found everywhere? Herbert Shipman wrote, “Across the gateway of my heart/ I wrote “No Thoroughfare”/ But love came laughing by and cried/ “I enter everywhere!” Therefore, quite rightly, for some of the episodes of Season 2 the producers have moved to other countries. This episode takes place in Ireland, I think.

The story revolves around Stephanie (played by Minnie Driver), who is a medical doctor loved by everyone – Niall, her second husband, her two daughters, her patients and even her car mechanic. She drives a vintage sports car, which is not merely old, but actually dying. The car keeps breaking down in spite of all the repairs and one day the frustrated mechanic swears, “I am changing my number until you get rid of this thing.” Her second husband, Niall (played by Don Wycherley), who sees to the bills and taxes, tells her repeatedly to sell the dying car.

Some others, like Stephanie, find it impossible to let them die, though they are dead. So they try to keep them alive in whatever way possible.

We soon learn why the smart, affable Stephanie holds on to the old car. It was bought by her first love and husband, Michael (played by Tom Burke). It is the car they both drove from the moment they fell in love and so it holds countless beautiful memories for her. After their daughter, Shannon, is born, she shares in those memories too. But when the daughter is just an adolescent, Michael succumbs to a sudden illness and dies. The grief caused by his sudden and untimely death haunts her. Although she recovers enough to marry again – this time an amazingly good, mature man – and has her second child, she is unable to let Michael go.

She comes up with an innovative strategy to keep him alive in her life. Whenever she is alone in the car, she imagines that he is there sitting by her side, just as he used to do when he was alive. She keeps talking to him about everything and believes he is there listening to her every word. Years after her second marriage to another man, she tells her former husband, imagining he is sitting there in the car beside her, “There is not a day I wake up or go to sleep without thinking of you. I love you. I miss you.” This is the reason why she is unable to bring herself to sell the forty year old car. More importantly, she can’t bring herself to reveal this to Niall, her second husband.

Grief is a dark, difficult and dangerous emotion. People come up with their own strategies to deal with it.

She eventually sells the car, although she doesn’t want to do it. But soon she senses the resentment she is developing against Niall, who is a marvelous husband and a devoted father. So there can be only one reason for this growing resentment. He kept pointing out the sheer futility of holding on to a car that is not able to serve her any longer but forces her to spend their hard-earned money on endless and utterly useless repairs. One day she blurts out the truth to Niall, who is surprised.

And now that he knows, would he leave her, she asks. Niall replies that he finds nothing wrong in what she has been doing and understands that it is her way of dealing with grief. When people lose someone they love deeply, they struggle to cope with the sorrow that grips them. Some people find it hard to keep the dead alive. They quickly heal and get on with their lives. Some others, like Stephanie, find it impossible to let them die, though they are dead. So they try to keep them alive in whatever way possible. They strive to keep their memories alive. What they do depends on how they cope. There is nothing right or wrong, says Niall.

Does Niall resent the fact that when he is there beside her, she is trying desperately to keep her first husband alive? His response reveals that he is an extraordinarily mature person – quite unlike most men who are possessive or jealous. He says, “Your heart is the biggest place I had ever been in the world. If I get one little part of it, that would be way more than I ever expected in my life.” Deeply touched by his understanding and acceptance, she wonders how she got so lucky twice in her life. And he says, “I am grateful I did once.” A teary-eyed Stephanie, deeply touched, hugs him. Probably at that moment she gains the strength to let go of her first husband, Michael.

After Niall discovers the huge emotional significance the old car holds for his wife, he sells his boat and uses the money to buy back the old car she felt obliged to sell. The final scenes show Stephanie driving her old car again to pick up her first daughter, Shannon, who is coming home from her college for Christmas. They chat and sing as they drive home, as the film ends.

Grief is a dark, difficult and dangerous emotion. People come up with their own strategies to deal with it. What helps them recover is the presence of people in their lives – who don’t ridicule them or find fault with them, who understand their struggle and accept them and love them. When that happens, as Niall says, grief will hopefully fade in the course of time and memories will dim. But love endures.

The film may have a lot to offer to those who are struggling with sorrow and grief after the death of a loved one. How many do you think would be fighting a bitter battle with their sense of loss and grief these days? The grim statistics remind us that about 4.5 million people have died of Covid 19 so far. How many millions, therefore, will have to deal with their sorrow?

“In this time of pandemic and instability, sadness and melancholy have taken on devastating proportions in many people’s lives. This has ramifications that go far beyond its immediate impact of dampening our desire to act and to accomplish: It may even take the form of real mental and physical illnesses.” says Reginaldo Manzotti. This film, written and directed by John Carney, can help a little all these grieving souls fighting their inner darkness in today’s dreary world, devastated by the pandemic.

M.A. Joe Antony, SJ, is Editor of the online magazine, INI (https://inimagazine.org). Former editor of The New Leader and Jivan, he now resides at St Joseph’s College, Trichy, teaching, writing and directing retreats and seminars. He can be contacted at: majoeantony@gmail.com

What Covid taught me

Twelve Jesuits from five Indian Provinces share their Corona experience and what the dreaded disease taught them.

Twelve Jesuits from five Indian Provinces share their Corona experience and what the dreaded disease taught them.

Clifford Sequeira, SJ

A nerve-wracking near-death experience

By Clifford Sequeira, SJ

I tested positive for Covid-19 on 07 September 2020, and was hospitalized. A few days later I was additionally diagnosed with leptospirosis (rat fever) which leads to liver damage. My oxygen levels dropped suddenly and I was rushed to the ICU and put on high flow nasal oxygen. My lungs were severely damaged and I was told to be ready to go on the ventilator if things didn’t improve within 24 hours. I had only a 50 per cent chance of surviving.

I gathered all my faith and tried to think positive. It was a nerve wracking near-death experience.

What I learnt from this experience is that prayers do work and God does answer our fervent prayers. Many well-wishers and my Jesuit community ensured I got the best treatment, and the nurses in ICU took tremendous care. I experienced an overwhelming abundance of love, care, concern, kindness, and generosity.

I truly believe that God has a purpose in keeping me alive. This experience taught me to value life, to cherish and appreciate whatever we have, to be content. I have become more sensitive and compassionate towards those who suffer. I praise God for his mercy.

Clifford Sequeira, SJ (KAR) is the Principal of St. Aloysius PU College, Mangalore. He is a former Principal of St. Joseph’s European School, Bangalore.

Deepak George, SJ

A powerful reminder to find meaning and joy in everything

By Deepak George, SJ

Whatever symptoms I had I dismissed them as the usual ‘cold and cough’. But they became worse and the test revealed I was Corona positive. Three things happened to me.

First, my ‘health ego’ was shattered. I always believed that I am a strong and sturdy guy immune to viral and bacterial attacks. But now here I am with a positive antigen and RTPCR test results! For the first time I realized that my physical fitness and wellbeing could change in no time!

Secondly, one evening as I was getting ready for a bath I suddenly experienced something strange. I couldn’t breathe properly for a minute! I was frightened and anxious and I was about to faint and fall. But when I changed my attention from that fear everything became normal. I think it was nothing but an intense and morbid fit of fear and anxiety, which continued for a week. I realized I should take life in its stride and never give in to panic. We should divert our attention to something better and beautiful. We should remind ourselves that nothing really bad will happen to us without the knowledge and will of a Superior Power who plans everything for our ultimate good.

Thirdly, as soon as I tested positive a strange and uneasy thought started haunting me. Am I really ready and willing to die? I thought to myself that I should have gone for a confession and prepared myself before going for the test. "Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour". (Mathew 25: 13). I came out of my post Covid 19 quarantine almost like the way I come out of my annual eight-day retreat. All things considered, now I see this experience as a powerful reminder to find joy and meaning in everything, in the most ordinary and mundane and even the most painful realities of everyday life. This has made me realize that I should make use of every opportunity to reinvent myself and to rejuvenate myself in mind, body and spirit.

After all, it is in the simple, ordinary experiences one has to find meaning, joy and God. There is no other way.

Deepak George, SJ (KER) is the Province Development Director for the Jesuit Province of Kerala.

John Wilson, SJ

Gratitude and hope

By John Wilson, SJ

I was admitted with high fever and diagnosed corona positive. My immediate reaction was one of fear and uncertainty. I entered into a denial mode, thinking that the result was not correct. It could be a false positive. But reality sank in with more tests. Slowly I came to accept that I was affected by Corona and I needed treatment.

I am grateful to the Society of Jesus for providing me the best of care and treatment at the earliest. I am grateful to the frontline workers like Doctors and nurses, who played a vital role in my recovery. In spite of serious risks to their own health, using the PPE kit, they reached out joyfully and instilled hope in me. I was fortunate to be treated by such kind and compassionate people. Their mission and commitment made me reflect how I lead my life amidst fear and uncertainties. If they could risk their life for me, why can’t I reach out to the people who are in need and live amidst uncertainties?

Though corona weakened my body, I have come out stronger as a person. I feel that I can face uncertainties with hope and instill hope and faith in others. I am grateful to God for this experience. As a corona survivor, I strongly feel that the corona disease itself is not as dangerous as the feeling of fear, denial, loneliness and uncertainty. If the families and friends of the infected persons reassure them and support them emotionally, the recovery will be faster and the danger will be lesser.

John Wilson, SJ (MDU) is a professor of Electronics at St. Joseph’s College, Trichy. He is also the Director of St. Joseph’s Empowerment Centre.

Jose Mathew, SJ

Reminded of the red robe

By Jose Mathew, SJ

Being the founder and the director of THARA – a home for children found on streets – I have been living with children for nineteen years. There are about a hundred children here. I had taken all the measures to protect them during this pandemic and, thank God, so far they are safe. But exactly one year ago, on 07 July 2020, I had mild symptoms of Covid. Initially I did not go to the hospital. Later I was admitted in a non-Covid hospital. As soon as I was declared a Covid positive, I was given a PPE kit. I was reminded of the red robe given to Jesus by Herod before sending him back to Pilate. They asked me to leave and get admitted immediately in a Covid hospital. It was around midnight. All faces turned away from me. No one dared to take me to another hospital –not even my Jesuit companion. In spite of my mental preparedness I found myself that night physically exhausted and tense. I felt cornered. It was my superior, who, in spite of his ill-health, took me and admitted me in another hospital with compassion and understanding. I was in the hospital for five days. Piercing of needles and taking blood continued on all days. One day, at midnight I was terrified to see 15 persons from a joint family with severe Covid symptoms getting admitted. But on other days I was at ease and relaxed and I admired the caring staff. When I was discharged, I was so glad to see all the hundred children at THARA welcoming me breaking a hundred coconuts. I keep thanking God who healed me.

Jose Mathew SJ (AND) is Director of Tender Home for Anawim Rest and Awakening society (THARA), Secunderabad.

Lancy D’Cruz, SJ

It’s the fear that kills!

By Lancy D’Cruz, SJ

I must state that I had taken much care to protect myself and those in the College (where I work), during the first wave. But with the advent of Holy Week and caution being thrown to the winds, the virus sneaked into our Jesuit community leading to one of the Fathers being quarantined. I suddenly began to believe that the symptoms were setting in. And so, I got myself quarantined in the residence.

Waiting for RT-PCR test was like waiting for an eternity and waiting for the result, was an even longer eternity! The moment when I saw the test result (on WhatsApp) was like falling into a black hole!! I didn’t know whether to laugh or to cry! But I knew one thing…. It’s not the virus; it’s the fear that actually kills!! And that is where I knew I had to be confident… trusting in a God who heals. I listened several times a day to “I am the God who Healeth thee” of Don Moen! And the next thing I knew, I was sharing this hopeand confidence with several others who were suffering!

Seventeen days in home quarantine was a long, long time. It was a deep spiritual experience. It freed me from the anxiety of the constant look at oxygen saturation and the screaming of ambulance sirens. Through the cage of my room, I could reach out to those in need of hope… and courage…..! Not me, but it was Him who reached out through me!

Lancelot D’Cruz, SJ (GUJ) completed his doctoral research in ethnobotany which inspired him to found ‘AadiAusadhi’ to promote the socio-economic development of the VasavaAdivasis and to protect their traditional knowledge of medicinal plants. He is the coordinator and the founding member of the Gujarat Jesuit Ecology Mission. He is currently the Principal of St. Xavier’s College, Ahmedabad.

Melwin J. Pinto, SJ

The virus exposed us

By Melwin J. Pinto, SJ

Aches and ills have been a part of my life, as I have suffered many infirmities. So Covid 19 never seemed a threat. Given my co-morbidities, everyone considered me vulnerable when I got infected with Covid 19. However, I was quite oblivious to the fact that I may be a victim of the pandemic. I remained cool till the end despite the seriousness of the illness, even while I needed a respirator for over ten days in hospital.

In all the while I came to terms with a sense of vulnerability, but also developed a spirit of resilience. I attribute my recovery to prayers of all who love me, the grace of God for sure and my never-say-die attitude. They say, we got exposed to the virus but it’s a greater truth that the virus exposed us. While we witnessed the dark side of a self-absorbed paranoia among many, there were several other wonderful human beings who stepped out of their secure comfort zones to reach out to the victims and those affected by the pandemic. In all my pain I felt loved. In turn I felt called to love. God was indeed present, not as a magician driving away the virus, but in the hearts of the Covid 19 warriors.

Melwin J. Pinto, SJ (KAR) was a school principal in Karnataka for 15 years. Later he worked for Vatican Communications in Rome for 5 years. After a brief period as a formator, he is presently the Rector of the St. Aloysius Institutions, Mangalore.

Pushparaj Gnanasamy, SJ

God has given me a second life

By Pushparaj Gnanasamy, SJ

My case must be rare. For reasons I still don’t understand, for two days last November I didn’t go down to the dining hall for meals. Nor did I take my usual medicines. Late in the evening of the second day two Jesuit officials of my community came up to my room and said they were taking me to the hospital for a check-up.

Even after they admitted me in AnnaiVelankanni Hospital, Palyamkottai, I was not fully aware of what was happening and the tests and scans they reportedly did. After eight days I realized I was seriously sick with Covid with lungs damaged nearly 90 per cent. I lived in fear and the future looked uncertain. I realized I needed to have hope. I kept saying, “Lord, I don’t know what’s happening to me. But I know you will always do what is best for me.” The way the doctors and nurses cared for me and the medicines they gave me intravenously must have healed me.

Even after I was discharged from AnnaiVelankanni Hospital, our Rector wanted to be doubly sure that I was fully cured and so sent me to the Apollo Hospital, Madurai. After four days at Apollo I returned to my community, St. Xavier’s but the confinement and care continued. Totally after 52 days – 14 days in AnnaiVelankanni, 4 days at Apollo, Madurai and 34 days of post-hospital care at St.Xavier’s – I was able to resume normal life.

God has given me a second life and he must have a reason for it. It is my prayer that I should fulfill the purpose for which he rescued me from the jaws of Covid.

Pushparaj Gnanasamy, SJ (MDU) is Secretary, St. Xavier’s College of Education, Palayamkottai. A former college Principal and Secretary, he is the Founder-General Secretary of the Consortium of Christian Minority Educational Institutions.

Raj Irudaya, SJ

She assured me I’ll be healed

By Raj Irudaya, SJ

My Corona experience has been traumatic and at the same time graced. It has been traumatic because of the pain, anxieties, helplessness, flooding of medicines into my body, absence of personal contact with near and dear ones, impending danger to life, seeing under my nose the deaths of those near my bed in the ICU, etc.

But it has also been a graced experience for me as I felt deeply the power of the grace of God. I fall short of adequate words to express the powerful, compassionate and ever-loving hand of God that touched me and healed me and graciously brought me back to life again. While I was fighting for my life during a critical phase of my illness, I deeply experienced the never-failing and ever-abiding presence of God who strengthened and poured hope into me. I felt I was comfortably lying at the feet of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and of our Mother Mary who kept on assuring me that I would be healed. The incessant prayers of my Jesuit companions, relatives and friends must have stormed the heavens pleading for my recovery. The very thought of so many praying for me made me strong. The limitless care and concern my mother Society showed me is ever green in me. God’s care and love for me became visible and tangible through the doctors, nurses and health workers who attended on me with utmost care and concern. They were like walking angels that God sent. These angels brought home to me the healing grace of God through their dedicated service. May God bless them all abundantly!

Raj Irudaya, SJ (CEN) is the Superior and Professor of Scripture at Arul Kadal, Jesuit Regional Theology Centre, Chennai. He is the Secretary of Indian Theological Association. Formerly he was the Assistancy Delegate for Formation.

Sahayaraj J. Stanley, SJ

A new learning curve

By Sahayaraj J. Stanley, SJ

Daniel O’Leary, in one of his articles, writes, “The cherry tree was asked, “Speak to us of God,” and the cherry tree blossomed!” I was asked, “Speak to us of Covid,” and I blossom thinking of all those who cared for me when I was down with Covid. What I would always cherish is the number of calls and enquiries that my people made. God, in his own loving, compassionate way, reminded me that I am not alone in this life’s long path. It was a moment where the preciousness, as well as the precarious nature of life, was presented to me as a live show!

I cried thinking of all the people whom I had hurt. I thanked the Lord for all the special gifts that he had showered on me. I could see how Grace was lighting up my path through various personalities through their wit and wisdom, loving me all along! It was ‘love’ beckoning to me throughout, and showing that relationships were both a challenge and a promise. Though I felt comforted and consoled, the physical pain, mental agony and the utter loneliness are still lingering in me! Covid was indeed a new learning curve!

Sahayaraj Stanley, SJ (CEN) is the Director of Studies & Ministries at Arul Kadal, Regional Theologate, Chennai. He teaches Moral Theology.

Salvin Augustine, SJ

A new learning curve

By Salvin Augustine, SJ

When I tested covid 19 positive I was the principal of AKJM School, Kanjirapally. Pre-Covid: Although I was afraid of getting infected, I had to meet many people as the principal of the school. We tried to stay home, wear masks in public places, and trying to stay at least six feet away from others. Crazily, I thought that I should not be the first person in the community to be infected, that I shouldn’t be the cause for another person getting infected. But, in spite of all my precautions, the virus won, although I was not its first victim. Covid: As soon as I tested positive, I closed my door and remained confined to my room. My ‘desert experience’ began. I switched off my mobile. I planned to read some books but could not do so in the beginning. I had severe fever and headache in the first few days. I experienced deep desolation and frustration and I felt lonely. I started praying Psalm 91 and the rosary and spent 45 minutes in meditation. Gradually I became courageous and confident. I felt close to Jesus. Once my fear and sadness vanished and I gained mental strength, I could defeat Covid. I tested negative after 15 days. Post Covid: Even after I tested negative, I was feeling very weak and could not sleep. I realized that the sick bed can be a great teacher. Some of the lessons I learned are: Health is the most important factor in our life. Depend on God for everything. Take maximum steps not to transmit the disease to others. Pray regularly. Anything can happen at any time. Be humble enough to accept God’s plan. I believe that I will never forget my Covid experience and what it taught me.

Salvin Augustine, SJ (KER) is the Director, TUDI (Tribal Unity Development Initiatives) Wayanad, PCF, Province Coordinator for Formation, Administrator and teacher, Sarvodaya Higher Secondary School, Eachome, Wayanad and Former Principal, AKJM Higher Secondary School, Kanjirappally, Kottayam (2015-2021). Recently Published a book, Jesuit Education, in Malayalam by Yatra Publication.

Sunil Macwan, SJ

It has left a transformative imprint

By Sunil Macwan, SJ

The unforgettable experience of testing positive for the dreaded COVID-19 on Easter Sunday, enduring a two-week home quarantine, and, eventually, recovering from the illness has left a transformative imprint on me.

The first week of the home quarantine assailed me with fatigue and fear, leading to a sense of failure. So I decided to request some close friends for prayers. Two of them – an American couple – roped in many others and soon friends and strangers alike in the USA, Sweden, Spain, Australia, and India were praying for me. As a remarkable fruit of their prayers, one morning, I suddenly felt a deep communion with God, regained my hope of defeating the disease, and, above all, found the strength to accept the possibility of succumbing to the pandemic. Intercessory prayers inspired me to say a loving ‘amen’ to God’s will with regard to my health.

Moreover, the prayers of others also led me to pray ardently for friends and acquaintances seriously affected by the pandemic. Consequently, when someone recovered, I screamed a joyful ‘Praise the Lord’, and when someone passed away, I uttered a tearful ‘amen’. The moment of reaching out to others in my darkest hour opened my eyes to the truth of Dante’s verse, “In His will is our peace”.

Sunil Macwan, SJ (GUJ) is a Jesuit priest of Gujarat Province. He holds a doctorate in Postcolonial English Literature from Marquette University, USA. Currently, he is an Assistant Professor of English at St. Xavier’s College, Ahmedabad. His areas of interest include literature, critical theory, and cultural studies. He also writes articles on various literary, sociopolitical, and spiritual topics in both print and electronic media.

Vijaya Bhaskar Rao, SJ

I got it twice!

By Vijaya Bhaskar Rao, SJ

Although I had no symptoms, I was detected with Covid-19 for the first time on 22 July 2020. I was under medication for 15 days as advised by the doctor. That weakened my body. I got Covid-19 for the second time on 26 September 2020 with all its deadly symptoms. Doctor advised me to get admitted in the hospital immediately since my oxygen level was going down below normal.

I got admitted in hospital. Covid-19 treatment began with all steroids and anti-biotics began. But and RTPCR test done after five days came up positive again. But the doctor assured me not to worry much. So I got discharged on the sixth day, but I isolated myself for three weeks in my room.

I was frightened when the oxygen level was going down. I thought I would die. But at the same time, I felt I was not ready to die. After two days, a thought flashed through my mind, ‘How will I die unless it is part of God’s plan for me?’ This thought gave me a lot of strength. After getting discharged from the hospital, the first three weeks were terrible, with a completed drained body. Due to lack of energy, I was unable to walk and unable to sit for long even while eating. But the doctor advised me to walk every hour at least for two to three minutes. And I did follow his advice. And I had to manage cleaning my room and washing my clothes by myself. Being unable to sleep for three weeks was another great struggle.

It took almost two months to fully recover and resume normal life. After three months, I could feel an enormous amount of energy in my body. My confidence level increased. And I was not yet all frightened during the second wave. What really helped me besides all other things was my readiness to accept God’s will for me’ and my own ‘will power’ to get up and walk. At the end I feel happy that I got Covid-19. And I feel grateful to God for allowing me to go through the experience of Covid-19 for it has improved my physical health, emotional strength and spiritual vigour.

N. Vijaya Bhaskar Rao, SJ (AND) is an advocate, practicing in both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. He also directs retreats for the religious.

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Our Youth and the Pandemic

William Sequeira, SJ lists our youth’s differing perceptions of the pandemic and talks about how we can accompany them

How they see it and how it has affected them

By William Sequeira, SJ

“For everything there is a season and a time for every matter under heaven” proclaims the Book of Ecclesiastes. (Eccl. 3/1). If that is true, then there is a time for a pandemic too.

As of now, we are fully aware how Covid-19 has impacted the entire globe and turned the world topsy turvy. Since its inception the entire human community has found itself vulnerable to an invisible enemy. An enemy that does not make distinction between nations and cultures, rich and poor, educated, and uneducated, beggars and corporates, employed and unemployed, sellers and buyers. Suddenly, everyone is found to be going through anxiety, uncertainty, and fear. Children are frightened, adults are scared, senior citizens are terrorized. The entire family-unit has become an abode of tension and stress not knowing how to cope in this world of new-normal which is in fact abnormal!

When the first wave ceased and the second began, the effect has been lethal. If one thought that the pandemic has not touched me or touched my family the second wave assured that its effects are felt practically by everyone regardless of boarders. Millions contracted the virus world-wide. Nearly four million have lost their lives. The world is anxiously watching to know if a third wave would strike and if it would attack children. The fear is in the air. Families with infants have become tense and worried. Many a youth are disturbed.

One of the Universal Apostolic Preferences of the Society of Jesus for the years spanning from 2019 to 2029 is walking with the youth. If we Jesuits are going to accompany the youth, we must know their plight in this situation of the pandemic, their coping mechanisms, their understanding of it, and their struggles at this point of time.

Youth is a time of dreaming, imagining big things: education, a brilliant career, fat salaries, marriage, enjoyment, achievement and so on. With the onset and the subsequent domination by the pandemic, the youth find themselves in the doldrums, not knowing how to proceed, how to cope with the new normal.

Yet youth have an inner drive. They are charged with innate energy. For the bright and the well off, Covid – 19 has come as a blessing. Many have taken to online learning, joined crash courses, and picked up new skills. Besides, they have been experimenting with different creative ideas, like eating home-cooked food, cultivating kitchen gardens, doing yoga, exercising, watching movies, playing computer games, engaging in artwork, drawing, painting etc. Some have found solace and comfort in meditation, pranayama, and various forms of prayer.

In contrast, life has been very hard for the poverty-stricken unlettered youth, deprived of opportunities, especially those belonging to the unorganized sector. Their life has been one of misery and despair. Their dreams have been shattered. Their plans have gone with the wind. Many have become victims of depression. Some have taken to crime to eke out a living. Some have taken to smoking, drinking, drugs, gambling, and watching pornography. Unemployed youth are a common sight. Thus, the situation of youth from poor families has become pathetic.

It is quite intriguing to know how the youth understand this pandemic. An informal survey of their perception of this pandemic is very revealing:

A bio-war: Just as we have wars across the globe where one country attacks another, this “man-made” pandemic is a biological war among power mongers/rulers to show their supremacy over other countries.
A David and Goliath standoff: David, a small boy, killed the mighty Goliath. Likewise, a tiny organism has managed to vanquish the world.
A Storm-cloud: Even though the storm clouds disappear in the course of time, they make the weather depressive for the moment. So too the dark clouds of this pandemic have brought about darkness and gloom all around and affected every sphere of life (Fratelli Tutti). The covid situation has exposed today’s India. The misrule has caused a down swing both in GDP as well as in employment. This, in turn, has affected intensely the youth who were hoping to find jobs.
A freedom fighter: As each individual fights for one’s rights, the Corona Virus is fighting for the rights of nature. Human selfishness and greed have turned this planet into a garbage dump.(Laudato Si) The earth has suffered much by reckless human behaviour and habits. Now the Nature, through the mediation of the virus, is trying to fight back the damage that has been inflicted on it.
An eye opener: COVID-19 has conscientized us, as to how we are destroying our planet earth, ‘our common home’ by callous practices such as deforestation, pollution, unbridled development, and overconsumption. It has challenged our greedy behaviour and lifestyle. It has given us a clarion call to create a new world of harmony between humans, other forms of life, the earth and the divine.
A U-turn: The arrogance and greed of the rich and powerful have reached the end of the dark tunnel with no light in sight. They have accumulated more than they need whereas the poor have nothing to eat. At this juncture, the virus has come to command us to return to the basics, to restart a life of sharing and caring and shun monopoly and hoarding.
A death knell: This pandemic is a death knell, which is warning us about some bigger fatal disaster yet to strike us. During the first wave experts warned us that if the spread of virus continues, a huge section of the population will perish, and it has come true. This Covid is a wakeup call to mend ways and change our lifestyles or else to be prepared for a major catastrophe.
A relationship maker or breaker: Due to the physical distancing people have either knit together or become strangers. If in some families there has been greater peace and harmony due to closer bonding, in many others, there is a spurt in domestic violence. This in turn has driven many a youth into depression.
A teacher: The pandemic has taught that life is real wealth. It has conveyed the value of life. It has instructed us to love and care for each other. It has broken the walls between the rich and the poor and driven home the lesson that all human beings are equal and precious. It has instilled the desire to spend time in silence and prayer.
Call to conversion: The pandemic has made humans realize that life is precious and at the same time it is fragile. We cannot take life for granted. From moment to moment we are in the hands of God. Suddenly, people have become conscious of breath and breathing, the supreme elixir of life. Thus, many have turned to God the creator, the author of life, who breathes and sustains life
Shortness of life: Suddenly many a youth have come to this realization that humans are mortal, death is near at the door, no one can be certain how long they will live. Therefore, they seem to understand the need to live life to the full no matter the challenges involved, making the best of the life we have, and giving back to others and our world what life has bequeathed to us with graciousness.
Karma/ Fate: Some youth believe that the root cause of pandemic is Karma – the inevitable after-effect of the way humans have lived against which there is no remedy.

One must accept it for what it is, and reconcile and live with it.

Carl Jung, the eminent psychologist, says, “Every human life contains a potential. If that potential is not fulfilled, that life is wasted”. This applies very much to the young. They are at the start of life and are full of potential, containing a myriad talents and gifts and at the point of actualizing it. They require all the support and the guidance from the elders and their mentors. Tragically many youth are misguided in today’s India by political powers, taking them astray and ruining their future. Therefore accompanying our youth and giving them right guidance and direction is an important challenge for us, Jesuits.

Pope Francis imparts very moving advice to the youth of today: “Young people are naturally attracted by an infinite horizon opening up before them. Whatever you do, do not become the sorry sight of an abandoned vehicle. Don’t be parked cars but dream freely and make good decisions. Take risks even if it means making mistakes. Don’t go through life anesthetized or approach the world like tourists. Make the most of these years of your youth. Don’t observe life from a balcony. Don’t confuse happiness with an armchair or live your life behind a screen. Give yourself over to the best of life. Open the door of the cage, go and fly. Please don’t take an early retirement”. (Christus Vivit)

Pope Francis resonates well with the youth and gives them practical advice replete with images with the hope that young will rise up in these Covid times and confront the challenges head on. It is our task to make our youth listen to his words, and become the persons they are meant to be by the Giver of all life.

Fr. William Sequeira, SJ (KAR) has been a Jesuit formator all his life. He has served as Director of Pre-Novices, Novices, and Juniors. He served also as the Rector of Mount St. Joseph and Director of Dhyanashrama Retreat House. For the past few years he has been a Tertian Instructor.

Where is God in the Pandemic?

Michael Amaladoss, SJ responds to the question, ‘Where is God in the pandemic?’

By Michael Amaladoss, SJ

People, experiencing the pandemic – the number of people dying all across the world, with no sure remedy in sight – may be tempted to ask this question. This question, of course, betrays a particular vision of God. God is seen to be the Creator and Master of the universe. He is managing everything. If this is so, why isn’t God doing something to control the pandemic?

Before trying to answer this question, I would like to evoke another moment in history when the same question could have been asked. Almost 2000 years ago, outside Jerusalem in Judea, on a small hillock, three people were hanging on crosses and dying. One of them was Jesus, who was proclaiming the arrival of the Kingdom of God. But there he is hanging on the cross. One could very well ask: “Where is God here on Calvary?” People, who believe that Jesus is divine, could very well ask further: “Why is God hanging on a cross?” The disciples may not have been full believers yet. But at least Mary knew who Jesus was. She remembers the words of the angel at the annunciation. And she could very well ask the question: Why is God hanging on a cross?Jesus, of course, rises again and shows himself to Mary and his disciples. But even then the question would not go away.

It is true that God created the world. But God created the humans as free persons. They were not automatons whom God could manipulate, as dolls in a show for children. They were free beings who could do what they wanted. We know from the story in the book of Genesis that the first humans chose precisely to do what they wanted – eat the forbidden fruit -, not what God wanted. We know what happened.They were driven away from the garden. They had to work for their food, suffer and die. Actually, in the very first generation, Cain killed Abel. History has been a story of conflicts, wars and murders. Where is God in all this?

Actually, it will be helpful to consider what kind of world God has created. He did not make a perfect cosmic machine that runs to order according to a pre-determined plan. Science tells us that the world has evolved following a big bang. The planet earth slowly cools down. Plants and other living beings emerge on the land and the sea. Finally the humans also come into being. Scientists still discuss whether there was only one original couple (in Africa?) from whom the whole human race evolves or there were many couples in many places. We still do not know whether there are other living beings, even intelligent ones in other stars and planets of the world. At the moment we occasionally hear about Mars and the possibility of finding water and perhaps forms of life there. We cannot either affirm or deny it. The humans too evolve and spread across the earth. God is not micro-managing all this process of evolution. God lets things evolve according to natural laws.

Once God has created living human beings with intelligence and freedom, God does not interfere with their evolution and development either. The humans evolve, spread across the universeand create their many languages and cultures. They have the earth and all its resources at their disposal. The humans are free to use them. But unfortunately they are also free to abuse them. So at the moment we see the humans destroying creation in various ways. They are even planning to migrate to other planets like Mars. Some would say that, over the centuries, the earth may become so unlivable that the humans will have to migrate to other planets like Mars.

God has not, however, left the humans totally to themselves. As late as a few thousand years ago, he sent leaders like Moses and the Prophets and finally God’s own Son Jesus Christ. Their goal is not to bring about some miraculous transformation. Talking only about Jesus Christ, whom we believe to be God-become-human, he proclaimed the coming of the Kingdom of God. This will not be a miraculous intervention of God. The Kingdom that Jesus proclaimed is to be a community of freedom, fellowship and justice. By establishing the Church, Jesus showed that such a community is possible. The only commandment that Jesus gave was to love each other as He loves them. This love has to be shown, as He himself did, in serving, sharing and self-giving. The early community was commissioned to do this and had some success. We read in the Acts of the Apostles: “All who believed were together and had all things in common; they would sell their possessions and goods and distribute the proceeds to all, as any had need. Day by day, as they spent much time together in the temple, they broke bread at home and ate their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having the goodwill of all the people.” (Acts 2:44-46)

But such practice did not last long. Even within the, so called, Christian world there have been divisions, conflicts and wars. In the 16^th century when routes were discovered to Asia and the Americas from Europe, the Christian countries in Europe colonized the rest of the world, exploited the people there and in the name of culture and science, destroyed creation too. Great numbers of people lost their lives, not only by natural calamities like the pandemics, but also by wars and famines. There have been plagues in the past too in which thousands of people lost their lives. Some of these pandemics may have come out of nature, of course abused by the humans. Others may have been human made. We hear of many saints who lost their lives assisting the people who were suffering from some form of the plague. One such saint that comes to my mind immediately is St. Aloysius Gonzaga. Mother Theresa and her sisters help many people suffering in that manner. There have been many others, known and unknown.

We are now living in the midst of a pandemic – the Corona pandemic – that has been affecting and killing thousands of people across the world, now going beyond a million. Let me now come back to our question. Where is God in this pandemic? The first thing that we have to be clear about is the origin of the pandemic. The source of this pandemic is said to be some virus affecting bats in a lab in Wuhan in China. But now scientists exploring the case have said that this virus, which may have had its origin in bats, has been manipulated by scientists there and enabled to attack the humans. Probably this may have been planned as a weapon in a situation of war. But it got out of hand, infected the people working in the laboratory in Wuhan and through them affected other people and has now spread across the whole world and affected millions, killing at the moment at least a million persons. It remains an unanswered question whether it spread among the humans by mistake or it was done consciously. So this is not a God-created virus, but something man-made. But, whatever be the source of the virus, when there are people dying in thousands, where is God?

God is not miraculously intervening, killing the virus and healing the people in miraculous ways.This is not the way God functions in the world God has created where there are free humans. God leaves it to the humans to seek to do the needful. The humans have got busy. Some, like the medical personnel, doctors and nurses, have cared for the sick and some of them have lost their lives in the process. Others, who are scientists, have sought to analyze the virus and discover medicines for it. Governments across the world have been inoculating their people with these injections to protect them. They have also adopted methods like lockdowns and have advised people to use masks, keep social distancing and wash hands. That some people in some areas do not observe these precautions is one reason why the virus is still active. But it has been controlled in other places where the people have been observing the restrictive protocols. The governments have also tried to vaccinate as many people as possible in the countries across the world. Some poor countries are even give the vaccine free of cost or at cheaper rates. On the other hand, some private hospitals are making money by charging the patients exorbitantly.

So we can conclude now. God has not caused this pandemic. But now that this pandemic is there where is God and what is God doing? God is handling the problem in the usual way. God is present and active in and through the humans: the doctors, nurses and other care givers, some of whom have nobly sacrificed their lives in the process; the scientists who have worked hard to discover the vaccines; the companies that produce them and the government that is vaccinating the people as many and as soon as possible and finally the many people who are praying. So God is there helping us, free humans, to help ourselves. Hopefully, we will be free of the virus shortly!

Fr. Michael Amaladoss, SJ (CEN) is an internationally known theologian, who has authored several books and articles. He has served as Principal and Rector of Vidyajyoti, Delhi and Jnanadeepa Vidyapeeth, Pune. As a General Assistant, he served at the Jesuit General Curia, Rome for twelve years. A trained Carnatic musician, Amal has composed music for a number of popular Tamil hymns.