Category: April-June 2025

By Cedric Prakash, SJ

For many years American children used to sing a popular song at camps, picnics and other get-togethers. Thanks to its very catchy tune, it was always a hit. The chorus of the lyrics went: “This land is your land, and this land is my land/ From California to the New York island/ From the Redwood Forest to the Gulf Stream waters/ This land was made for you and me.”

A special stanza of the song said: “There was a big, high wall there that tried to stop me/ A sign that was painted said ‘Private Property’/ But on the back, it didn’t say nothing/ This land was made for you and me.”

The song is essentially a protest song, first composed by the American folk singer Woody Guthrie in 1940. It was a critical response to Irving Berlin’s ‘God Bless America.’ The song was a hit then, particularly during World War II; over the years, the lyrics of the song have undergone several changes and adaptations. The essence however remains the same, “this land was made for you and me.” In 2025, it was listed at No. 11 of ‘The 100 Best Protest Songs of All Time.’

Given the context of the highly polarised and divided world we live in– this song is definitely all the more relevant today!

On 2 March 2025, at the 97^th Academy Awards, No Other Land won the coveted Oscar for the Best Documentary Film. The film has been made by four Israeli and Palestinian activists (Basel Adra, Hamdan Ballal, Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor) and is a powerful examination of life in West Bank. It is their directorial debut. They describe the film as an act of resistance on the path to justice during the Israeli–Palestinian conflict.

‘No Other Land’ is a portrait of a West Bank village under Israeli military occupation. The documentary film gets its title from a statement by a long-time West Bank resident who says, “We have no other land. It is our land. That is why we suffer for it.”

The documentary film gets its title from a statement by a long-time West Bank resident who says, “We have no other land. It is our land. That is why we suffer for it.”

‘No Other Land’ is a breathtakingly powerful chronicle of what it means to live with the constant threat of eviction. The film captures with heartrending detail the relentlessness of Israel’s effort to remove any trace of Palestinian presence in the West Bank. This reality is what the world painfully witnesses today and yet does not dare to address collectively!

The documentary has the friendship between Basel and Yuval as a backgrounder. Their relationship is filled with intense emotions. Basel, a Palestinian who lives in the West Bank, is very anxious over the fate of his family and village, to the point of exhaustion. Yuval, an Israeli, expresses guilt and sorrow over being unable to prevent imminent destruction or to persuade his fellow- Israelis to see reason.

Nobody can miss the sad, grim irony when Basel says that he has a law degree, but can only find work as a construction labourer in Israel. The manner in which the judiciary can be used to redesignate land use and thus enable unfeeling eviction policies points to a familiar playbook predicated on absolute denial of basic human rights.

In their acceptance speech, two of the film’s four directors pleaded for an end to the Israeli- Palestinian conflict. Basel Adra, a Palestinian activist who is from Masafer Yatta, a region of the West Bank said, “About two months ago, I became a father, and my hope for my daughter is that she will not have to live the same life I’m living now – always fearing settlers’ violence, home demolitions and forceful displacements that my community is facing every day under the Israeli occupation.…We call on the world to take serious actions to stop the injustice and to stop the ethnic cleansing of Palestinian people.” Adra also described the issues faced by his village, including home demolitions and displacement.

Yuval Abraham, an Israeli investigative journalist, co-director of the film said, “When I look at Basel, I see my brother, but we are unequal. We live in a regime where I am free under civilian law, and Basel is under military laws that destroy his life. Israelis and Palestinians are ‘intertwined’; my people can be truly safe only if Basel’s people are truly free and safe.”

Israelis and Palestinians are ‘intertwined’; my people can be truly safe only if Basel’s people are truly free and safe.”

In February 2024, at the 74^th Berlin International Film Festival, ‘No Other Land’ won the Berlinale Documentary Award and the Panorama Audience Award for Best Documentary Film. In his acceptance speech, Abraham said, “We are standing in front of you now, me and Basel are the same age. I am Israeli; Basel is Palestinian. And in two days we will go back to a land where we are not equal. I am living under a civilian law and Basel is under military law. We live 30 minutes from one another, but I have voting rights. Basel does not have voting rights. I’m free to move where I want in this land. Basel is, like millions of Palestinians, locked in the occupied West Bank. This situation of apartheid between us, this inequality, it has to end”.

Adra chipped in saying, “It’s our first movie; since many years my community, my family has been filming our community being erased by this brutal occupation. I am here celebrating the award, but also very hard for me to celebrate when there are tens of thousands of my people being slaughtered and massacred by Israel in Gaza. Masafer Yatta, my community in the West Bank, is also being razed by Israeli bulldozers.”

Since its release in February 2024, the documentary has won numerous awards and accolades from all over the world. However, for reasons unknown it has not been screened in India. Even in the United States, the film has failed to find a distributor because it reveals truths that some think Americans should not see!

No Other Land is about divisiveness and discrimination, about demonization and denigration, about demolition and destruction! At the receiving end are the Palestinian people – the ‘other’! It is not without reason that Pope Francis has been praying every single day for the people in Gaza. Even when he was hospitalized recently he didn’t forget to keep in touch with friends in Gaza, whose sufferings he understands.

This film is a powerful manifestation of the terrible reality faced by millions all over the world. It is time that the rulers of the world realize that “this land was made for you and me.”

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By Sahayaraj Stanley, SJ

During a British conference on comparative religions, experts from around the world debated what, if any, belief was unique to the Christian faith. After some time, C.S. Lewis wandered into the room. “What’s the rumpus about?” he asked and heard in reply that his colleagues were discussing Christianity’s unique contribution among world religions. Lewis responded, “Oh, that’s easy. It’s grace.”

We live in a world inundated with grace. Grace, the mysterious and manifold gift of God, comes in many forms and shades. For me, one such enduring source of grace is books. Of late, a unique book arrested my attention and made me realize once again that I live in the domain of grace. What Is So Amazing about Grace? is the name of the book, and Philip Yancey is the author. For me, this is an explosive book, weaved by a dexterous craftsman who simplifies theology.

This book is divided into four elaborate parts. The first part deals with grace that fills the earth as water fills a jar. The second part reminds us that we have to break the merciless cycle of ungrace! The third part magnifies the scandal of grace and reminds us that we have to see the world with grace-healed eyes! The fourth and the last chapter makes the readers realize the need for filling the world with grace-filled actions in the days to come.

As soon as you open the book, you see the extraordinary story of a Chicago prostitute whose experience with ‘grace’ comes unannounced. Many people fail to recognize the indwelling and overpowering presence of grace. Philip Yancey contrasts “the age of Law” and “the age of Grace.” In his opinion, legalism has taken away the finer nuances of grace that are to be tasted and cherished as the unmatched gift of the Lord. One has to taste and see the goodness of grace!

Love, through grace, conquers the world, and ungrace becomes a toxin that spreads venom and rancour in the lives of the people.

Grace and ungrace: Philip Yancey gives a telling example of the uniqueness of grace. Love, through grace, conquers the world, and ungrace becomes a toxin that spreads venom and rancour in the lives of the people. Philip Yancey uses the word ‘Ungrace’ to denote the state of gracelessness and the lack and absence of grace. Yancey points out that, like a spiritual flaw encoded in the family DNA, at times, the defect of ‘ungrace’ gets passed on in an unbroken chain. This ungrace does its work quietly and lethally, like a poisonous, undetectable gas. When this ungrace gets solidified, individuals and, at times, communities get poisoned and develop prejudiced opinions.

 This ‘ungraced’ poison spans centuries and traditions! The best remedy to heal this disgrace and come out of this pitiable situation is the miracle medicine of ‘love.’ When one is suffering from ‘ungrace’, a dose of ‘gratitude’ clothed in ‘loving grace’ can serve as the right antidote.

Quoting from a plethora of authors, Philip Yancey points out how we are loved by a God who is ‘extravagantly’ gracious and ‘unconditionally’ forgiving. The psalmist sings, “If you, Lord, kept a record of sins, Lord, who could stand?” The catch here is that as God loves us with grace and compassion, we too are expected to reciprocate. In the pages of the Bible, one reads stories of reconciliation and forgiveness from different perspectives acted out by different protagonists. I agree fully with Yancey, when he says the Bible is a luminous chronicle of the book of Grace and Compassion!

Grace & forgiveness: Tango is a celebrated, fast, South American dance with a strong rhythm in which two people hold each other closely. It is said that it takes two to tango! In theology, to tango, grace normally is coupled with forgiveness. But it is not easy. Philip Yancey writes that behind every act of forgiveness lies a wound of betrayal, and the pain of being betrayed does not easily fade away. From the life of Leo Tolstoy and his wife Sonya, Yancey brings out graphically how, for half a century, jealousy and unforgiveness had blinded Sonya, who refused to forgive Tolstoy and, in the process, destroyed all the love for her husband.

The gospel of grace begins and ends with forgiveness. And people write songs with titles like “Amazing Grace” for just one reason: “Grace” is the only force in the universe powerful enough to break the chains that enslave generations. Grace alone melts ungrace!

Yancey quotes C.S. Lewis, who in turn talks of Saint Augustine, who quipped that “God gives where He finds empty hands.” A man whose hands are full of parcels can’t receive a gift.” Grace, in other words, must be received. Lewis explains that what Yancey has termed “grace abuse” stems from a confusion of condoning and forgiving: “To condone an evil is simply to ignore it, to treat it as if it were good. But forgiveness needs to be accepted as well as offered if it is to be complete, and a man who admits no guilt can accept no forgiveness.” So, in other words, forgiveness goes along with accepting the mistake and the willingness to redress the mistake.

We live in a world that is slowly becoming deaf to the mild, melodious notes of grace. Grace, perhaps, can be compared to the still, small, and subtle sound that Elijah heard when he was on the edge of the rock, encircled by the divine presence.

‘Everything is grace,’ says St. Thérèse of Lisieux. As I grow older, I begin to relish the wisdom and magnitude of this powerful statement.

Gravity & grace: In the closing section, Yancey mentions Simone Weil, the French mystic, who concluded that two great forces rule the universe: gravity and grace. Gravity causes one body to attract other bodies so that it continually enlarges by absorbing more and more of the universe into itself. A similar force operates in human beings. We too want to expand, to acquire, to swell in significance. The desire to “be as gods”, after all, led Adam and Eve to rebel. Emotionally, Weil concludes, “All the natural movements of the soul are controlled by laws analogous to those of physical gravity. Grace is the only exception.” Most of us remain trapped in the gravitational field of self-love, and thus grace gleefully escapes through the cracks.

Philip Yancey asks and answers a very pertinent question: How does a grace-filled Christian look? He answers that a graceful Christian is one who looks at the world through “grace-tinted lenses.”

The style of Yancey is not didactic but deeply personal, spiritual, and human. He infuses historical data and personal experiences by fascinating anecdotes to elucidate and throw light on a particular point. Yancey presents complicated theological insights as palatable fast-food takeaways!

Todo es Gracia – ‘Everything is grace,’ says St. Thérèse of Lisieux. As I grow older, I begin to relish the wisdom and magnitude of this powerful statement. We stand before God as recipients of innumerable gifts. Ultimately, grace is a precious yet free gift, and one needs to believe “Grace Happens!”

As we live in a world that looks hopeless, the Easter season should remind us of the delightful promise of ‘hope.’ Philip Yancey’s book helps us see it as a grace-filled world. Though Philip Yancey is an Evangelical Christian, he quotes Catholic authors at random. He is so appealing, because his insights are blended with suffering, chaos, confusion, and human pathos. His book is a much-needed consolation to heal the wounds of ungrace.

After reading this book, you may like to dip into Philip Yancey’s other masterpiece, Vanishing Grace, or Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s reflections on ‘Costly Grace’ and ‘Cheap Grace,’ as well as Scott Peck’s Road Less Travelled, where the last section deals with ‘grace.’ Deo Gratias!

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By Francis Peter, SJ

The question that all educators should ask is: Are we equipping our students with what they need to play a meaningful role in tomorrow’s world? Our present education leaves unaddressed significant gaps for critical leadership roles of tomorrow. Today’s knowledge economy relies on information and knowledge in creating jobs and fostering growth whereas our education system, modelled on labour economy, is fixated on land, labour and capital model as factors of production.

The gap between what our world needs and what our schools and colleges deliver needs our urgent attention. Our effort at bridging this gap begins with a radical shift in our perception of learners and on what gets them to learn.

Learning is not the prerogative of an elite few! Social status, economic affluence, locational advantage, etc. are no prerequisites or necessary conditions for learning to happen. You do not need to be highly intelligent, especially talented or “good at languages” to learn a foreign language. Every normal human being is prewired to learn, all that we need to trigger learning is a conducive atmosphere and an internal compulsion to learn. If we are reminded, given motivation and exposure, it is impossible for one not to learn a foreign language. A compelling attraction to a topic made comprehensible with sufficient opportunity to interact in the process of understanding issues and solving problems pertaining to the topic gets a learner to learn both the content as well as the medium. What is encouraging is that these opportunities are not impossible to introduce in our schools and colleges.

The gap between what our world needs and what our schools and colleges deliver needs our urgent attention. Our effort at bridging this gap begins with a radical shift in our perception of learners and on what gets them to learn.

In a way, learning, like seeing, is involuntary. Nobody needs to teach another normal human being to see. All you need to do is to open your eyes and everything before you becomes visible. One only needs to like what one sees, focus on what one wants to acquire and judiciously omit all other distracting details. Some assistance from an expert caregiver or peers would be an added advantage to help notice what is critical but not obvious in what is presented. When the content is seen as relevant, appealing, achievable, and rewarding, learning is triggered.

However, the fact is not all are interested in acquiring everything presented to them. Despite firm resolutions and repeated exhortations, some seem to make no progress. Why they abandon their pursuit halfway and give up can be quite revealing.

Call to mind any three resolutions you had made in the last six months, things you required, skills or information you wanted to acquire. Take, for example, your desire to get a 4-wheeler driving licence, master a computer package/coding language, master a new recipe, learn a foreign language like Japanese/ Spanish, try and slim down, or publish an article in Scopus/UGC journals. Now, you might have achieved some and abandoned others halfway. Analysing factors bearing upon your outcome, you would agree that predominantly we give up halfway because we felt the task undertaken was beyond/below our capacity, has no immediate use/relevance, or was not exciting enough. And whatever you felt achievable -even if mildly challenging – and rewarding, you pursued.

That is also true of learners. When their passion matures into persistence and determination their effort becomes a pleasure. They begin to realise what they are looking for is also looking out for them. Think of the learners who struggle in traditional classes to stay focussed in the classroom, to pass an exam. Yet these kids easily master intricate computer games, replete with so much more complex rules than those that govern solving mathematical problems or complex language construction.

In a way, learning, like seeing, is involuntary. Nobody needs to teach another normal human being to see. All you need to do is to open your eyes and everything before you becomes visible.

They demonstrate astounding mastery of complex concepts involving multiple interconnected aspects, operating under specific conditions. Playing the game creates a compulsive need in them to learn to win. So, they determine the most successful route, anticipate the probable moves of competitors, develop strategies to counter them and look out for and take advantage of favourable opportunities. They succeed because the game creates a compulsive need in them to learn and enjoy what they do. When success is round the corner, the task becomes so engaging that they do not mind the burdens and hurdles along the way.

A classroom can also succeed if it can replicate a situation like this. When what is taught is made relevant, challenging, rewarding, interesting, and interactive, it is likely to become compulsive, engaging, and effective. With an added provision of an expert who is ready to guide them, to track their progress, to offer non-threatening feedback about their progress the students will march at a pace not witnessed before. Learning would turn into a celebration, transforming the learners’ current ‘have to learn’ attitude to a welcome ‘want to learn’ attitude. They will take the initiative in making learning yield desired and assured results.

Courtesy: Jivan

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By Prakash Louis, SJ

Just a month before Pope Francis issued his well-known encyclical, Laudato Si’, a strong earthquake shook the mountain kingdom of Nepal on 25 April 2015. It left behind a trail of devastation and death. Around 10,000 people were killed and over 20,000 were seriously wounded. Nearly 600,000 buildings, both private and public, homes and institutions had been either fully or partially destroyed. About 1,26,000 pregnant women were severely affected. Further, over 2 million women and girls of reproductive age were badly affected. The UN Agencies announced that 12 million out of 30 million affected would need humanitarian assistance for years to come. Most of them are the poorest in Nepal.

It has become clear that cyclones and floods affect the poor who live along river banks and wash their dwellings away. Crop damage increases food shortage.

This is why the encyclical of Pope Francis, Laudato Si‘: Care for our Common Home was seen as timely and won wide appreciation. In this Encyclical, the Pope tried to enter into dialogue with all people about our common home. He termed this degradation of environment for the sake of excessive consumption and profit as sin – a social, moral, ethical, spiritual and ecological sin. This sin is against ourselves since it dehumanizes us, and opposes God’s plan for his creation. To be silent on the face this sin is neither Christian nor human. Hence, he called for immediate and urgent action.

With the increasing awareness about climate change and its effect on the marginalized, now hard data are available to demonstrate the level of impact that climate change has on the most vulnerable. The government of India’s economic survey, 2018 estimated an annual loss of US$ 9-10 billion, that is, 700 crore Indian rupees, due to the adverse effects of climate change. Some of these changes involve floods, droughts, storms, hail storms, cyclones, heat waves, tsunami, etc.

Bihar is India’s most flood-prone State, with 76% of the population in North Bihar living under the recurring threat of flood. Floods are recurring disasters that annually destroy thousands of human lives, livestock and assets worth millions of rupees. On an average, floods in Bihar affect 15 lakh hectares of land, and 76 lakh population every year.

With the increasing awareness about climate change and its effect on the marginalized, now hard data are available to demonstrate the level of impact that climate change has on the most vulnerable.

The most disastrous are floods in the Kosi River in Bihar. Hence, the Kosi River has been called ‘The River of Sorrow.’ Floods in the river have led to malnutrition and starvation, change in crop patterns, shifting of cultivable areas, change in settlements of villages, children becoming orphans, women becoming widows, etc.

How does climate change affect food security, particularly for the marginalized communities in India? Mahendra Yadav, a social worker associated with Kosi Nav Nirman Manch (Kosi Rehabilitation Forum), observed, “The 2008 Kosi flood deposited large amounts of sand and silt on agricultural land affecting millions of people in Nepal and India”. Quoting some of the studies, Mr Yadav asserted that over 700 hectares of fertile land were made uncultivable because of the inundation, which left sand and silt sediments. This forced thousands of people to migrate.  They had to migrate in order to survive.

Various studies examining the causes of migration in India have identified many natural and human-induced causes. The natural causes of migration include floods, droughts, earthquakes, tsunamis, landslides, unseasonal rains, melting of glaciers, global warming, climate change, etc. How can we help? All Jesuits, particularly members of groups like EcoJesuits,   should make the rulers – both in the State and at the Centre –  become aware of and commit themselves to 1) The principles enshrined in the National Disaster Management Act – rescue, relief, and rehabilitation must be strictly adhered to; 2) Infrastructure development in disaster prone areas should consider human and nature-related issues and construct common placesfor rescue, relief and rehabilitation; 3) Setting up large-scale alternative employment in disaster prone areas is one of the major demands of the people; 4) Large-scale skill training of youth to enhance their employability in the area and increasing employment opportunities; 5) Respecting formal and informal organisations that work to ensure women’s rightful place and role. 6) Emergency preparedness that helps address the emerging issues of climate change and their impact on people, especially the marginalised; 7) Promoting better health and education for the marginalised sector 8) Ecology, climate change and environmental protection must be taught in all schools.

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By Errol Fernandes, SJ

The Synoptic Gospels contain three passion, death and resurrection predictions. The predictions in Mark (8:31; 9:31; 10:33-34) can give us strength and hope in our own life situations. They can help us realise that because of Easter – which follows the passion and death of Jesus – Every Area (of our lives) Starts To Enter Renewal.

In the case of Jesus, the “predictions” must be interpreted not so much as “foretelling,” but as faith and hope statements. They are statements made in the present, about future events knowing that they WILL come to pass. They will come to pass because of the faith and hope that Jesus had in his “Abba”.

The first prediction: The first of these three, is in Mark 8:31. Before the actual prediction, Mark tells us that Jesus “began to teach his disciples”. He does not use parables now, but plain language. “He (Jesus) said all this quite openly” (8:32). It is likely that if Jesus had not taught them about the kind of Messiah/Christ he had come to be, they would have continued to think only of a glorious and conquering Messiah.

What is to happen to Jesus is ordained by God. Despite what people may do, Jesus would have the last word. To be sure, Jesus’ faith in his ‘Abba’ led him to believe that he would be vindicated. Jesus could predict that he would rise after death, because he believed in God in the present. He had faith and hope.

In all three Passion and Resurrection predictions, the Markan Jesus uses the phrase “after three days”, which would mean “the day after tomorrow”. Not only was Jesus confident that he would rise, he also knew when that would be.

The second prediction: The second passion, death and resurrection prediction in Mark is brief. It is briefer than the first. Here, the religious/political authorities are not specified. It is “into human hands” that Jesus will be handed over, and it is they who will kill him. Here too, he will rise, “three days after being killed.”

Not only was Jesus confident that he would rise, he also knew when that would be.

After the first prediction, Peter responded with shock and incredulity (8:32). After the second one, the disciples as a group do not understand what Jesus means and are afraid to ask him. The disciples are not usually reluctant to ask Jesus to explain difficult sayings (4:10; 7:17; 9:11). It is likely that their reluctance on this occasion was because they knew that the answer would be one, they would not want to hear. In other words, they understood enough to want to not understand more.

The third prediction: The third and final prediction in Mark (10:33-34) is the longest and most detailed of the three. Here the two groups which will collaborate are mentioned. Jesus will be “handed over” to the first group made up of the religious leaders. These will condemn him to death and then “hand him over” to the second group made up of political leaders who will kill him after torturing him. This sequence mentioned in this prediction, corresponds closely to the actual events of the Passion. Jesus will first be handed over (14:10) by Judas to the Jewish authorities, and then handed over (15:1) by them to the Romans. Here, like in the earlier two predictions, “he will rise again”.

What lessons can we learn from the passion, death and resurrection predictions in Mark?

No Easter without Good Friday: After each passion, death and resurrection prediction in Mark, the disciples misunderstand what Jesus says or do not want to understand. This is because none of them wants Jesus to be a suffering Messiah. They want an Easterwithout a Good Friday; they want the resurrection without the cross. However, Jesus believes that God is in control and it is God who has set the plan in motion for the salvation of the world. In this plan, there has to be trial and pain before victory, there will be a storm which will be calmed. Like the disciples, we too prefer glory without shame and ignominy, we too prefer victory without the effort and sometimes, the struggle. The truth is, however, that pain is a reality. What we can learn from Jesus is to know that there is “joy even in the midst of pain.” We need to believe like Jesus, that the cross is not the end. After the resurrection of Jesus, the cross can never be the end.

Fearlessness: If there was one striking quality that Jesus showed all through his passion and death, it was fearlessness. He had lived what he believed and was prepared to face the consequences of his action. His fearlessness led him to be bold but not abrasive, courageous but not arrogant. It was his unconditional love for all that made Jesus fearless. John explains this succinctly when he says, “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear; for fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not reached perfection in love.” (1 Jn 4:18)

The disciples on the contrary were frightened and gave in to that fear by running away. Mark states this unambiguously, “All of them deserted him and fled.” (14:50)

His fearlessness led him to be bold but not abrasive, courageous but not arrogant. It was his unconditional love for all that made Jesus fearless.

Faith: When Jesus speaks of faith (Mk 11:22-23), he defines it as believing that what one is praying for is received already. There ought to be no doubt in one’s heart. In all three passion, death and resurrection predictions, Jesus was able to predict his passion and death because he could read the signs of the times and had his ear to the ground. He could predict his resurrection because he had faith in God. In this context, it is instructive to note that when he prayed in Gethsemane, it was his faith in his “Abba” which made him cede his will to God’s will. He knew that even though every fibre of his being was asking for the cup to be taken away, it was better to drink it, if it was God’s will.

In contrast to the faith of Jesus, the faithlessness of the disciples left them defeated, disillusioned and disheartened. When we look at the situation around us, we too might be tempted to feel defeated like the disciples felt. We can, however, opt to imitate Jesus and be faithful till the very end knowing that like him, if we too accept God’s will, the cross will lead to the resurrection.

Lessons for political and religious leaders: Like in Jesus’ day, most political leaders of our time are content to feather their own nests. They care little about the people. They see people as votes not humans and live from one election to the next. The passion and death of Jesus was caused by religious and political leaders, who instigated the people, indoctrinated and brainwashed them into believing that he was against their traditions and everything they believed in. He was to be eliminated. Though, the overwhelming majority was against him, Jesus did not back down. He stood for the truth and came out victorious. We can take a cue from the Lord in our present situation. Like him, we will continue to stand for truth, non-violence and harmony.

Promise of resurrection: The resurrection of the Lord does not lie behind us, but in front of us. There is no doubt that because of the resurrection of Jesus – and his promise of the resurrection to us – that we too will be raised. However, it is also true that we have to cross over the boundary of death. When and how that will be, we do not know. What we do know is that the God who raised Jesus from the dead, will raise us too. This is why the resurrection of Jesus keeps offering hope even in the midst of hopelessness. It keeps offering faith even in the midst of faithlessness and it keeps offering love even in the midst of fear. In and through the resurrection of Jesus, Every Area (of our lives) Starts To Enter Renewal.

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Friends,

Nine days before the scheduled release of this issue, we heard the sad news of the death of our beloved Pope Francis. Isn’t it better to wait and dedicate the next issue to the Jesuit Pope than to try and get some articles on the Pope in a hurry?

We are happy to release the latest issue of INI, dated April – June 2025, today, celebrated as ‘May Day’ all over the world. May Day could mean the International Workers’ Day that aims to honour workers and defend and promote their rights. It could also refer to an ancient European festival that celebrates the arrival of spring and includes crowning a local young woman as ‘May Queen’ and singing and dancing around the May Pole.

Keen readers of INI would have noticed that the issues of this online magazine are released on a joyful day of celebration. The first issue of this quarterly (Jan-March) is released on 14 February, Valentine’s Day, the second (April-June) on 1 May, May Day, the third (July-September) on 15 August, feast of the Assumption of Our Lady and India’s Independence Day and the last issue for the year (October-December) on 14 November, Children’s Day here in India.

Arriving on joyful days of celebration, INI, I hope, will add to your joy, by enlightening and inspiring you.

This issue carries Errol Fernandes’s article on Easter that tells us that what the resurrection promises should inspire us to stand fearlessly for truth, non-violence and harmony. Francis Peter points out in his article, which was published earlier in Jivan, that the present generation of students will learn when we manage to make the content be seen as relevant, appealing, achievable and rewarding. 

While climate change affects us all, the most affected are the poor, says Prakash Louis in his article. Sahayaraj Stanley summarizes for us a marvelous book he read recently – What’s So Amazing about Grace? by Philip Yancey. Cedric Prakash explains the significance of a documentary film that won the Oscar for the Best Documentary at the 97^th Academy Awards function held on 2 March 2025. 

May this issue of INI add to your joy by enlightening and inspiring you!

– M.A. Joe Antony, SJ