Theology of Priorities- Reflection On Martha & Mary (Luke 10: 38- 42)

Kuunjuni: Lalitha today you have to kindle the lamp

Lalitha: Yes, I will

Kunjuni: Do you remember any chanting what your father had chanted?

Lalitha: Yes

Kunjuni: Lalitha, then today you should start to chant.

The above conversation is from the novel ‘Gurusagaram’ written by O.V. Vijayan. This novel is all about Delhi based Malayalees. The author through this novel explains that Lalitha has forgotten her priorities when she is migrated to Delhi for Job. The readings of the day both epistle and gospel in the same way ask us to reflect on choosing and devoting oneself to do the priorities. St. Paul through the letter to Titus reminds us to avoid evil actions and get ready for every good work. The gospel of Luke points the same theme by differentiating the characters of Martha and Mary. As we all know Martha was very busy in treating Jesus. However the preaching of the retreat preachers and the homilies we heard has made us misunderstand Martha’s action. I would say she also did a good Job. Showing hospitality to the host is a virtue. In Indian milieu Martha cared Jesus as God because we Indians consider ‘Athithi’   as ‘Deva’ host as God.

Then why Jesus did counter her action by saying “Martha you are worried and distracted by many things.” Robin Sharma in his book ‘Mega living’ wrote “Everyone must do what is needed to develop the best for his or her life.”  The difference between Martha and Mary can be easily found out, if we draw our attention to the phrase what Jesus uttered. “There is need of only one thing.” In their context the only thing that needed was to sit at Jesus foot and listen to him. It reminds us to choose our priorities in our life.  We are religious crammed with lots of responsibilities and activities like studies, co-curricular activities, ministries and administration. Some time we give up our priorities as Martha in the gospel and Lalitha in the novel forgets to accomplish their priorities. Here Mary becomes a question mark before us. Let us deeply meditate on the questions; do we give importance to our prayer life? Do we spend time before our Eucharistic Lord, which is vital for our life?  Let me wind up by quoting St. Francis of Assisi   “Start by doing what's necessary; then do what's possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible.”

May God bless you all!
Jithin Kalan CMI

SHADES OF FRIENDSHIP

“A friend cannot be replaced” it is a dialogue from the English movie Eragon. Truly the Month of August invites us to think on friendship. What is friendship? Who is a friend? Friendship is a relationship between two or more people. It is a stronger form of interpersonal bond than an acquaintanceship. A friend is whom we feel comfort and emotional safety. It is when you do not have to weigh your thoughts measure words. A friend is someone who knows you better than yourself and assures to be on your side in every emotional crisis. Friendship is much beyond roaming together and sharing good moments; it is when someone comes to rescue you from the worst phases of life.

Friendship starts the moment a child starts socializing. It is essential for the development of the personality of a person. There are famous stories about friends in mythology of different religions. They say a person who has found a faithful friend has found a priceless treasure. I wind up with a quote by Aristotle “What is Friend? A single soul, dwelling in two bodies”
Jithin Kalan CMI

Young Philosophizing

                                                                                            

Abode of wisdom, love and a place where you can realize all your genuine dreams  that what the prestigious institution Dharmaram Vidaya Kshetram (DVK) Pontifical Athenaeum for Philosophy, Theology and Canon Law is. Bowing my head before and thanking my Professors, let me begin my observation on young Philosophizing. “Winners do not do different things they do things differently.” People of every time wish to become both winners and different. Why does it take place? Here the Philosophy of man Answers I am not superior, I am not inferior, I am not equal but I am something special. I am unique. No one is able to put the other in a frame.  This year Philosophy of faculty in DVK is blessed with enthusiastic, energetic and extraordinary youth apart from priestly and religious students to do their Philosophical studies. Youth in the 2G world opt for Professional studies, and to have easy chair job. Being a young in this discipline it’s a big question in front of me, why do they choose to study Philosophy?  Here I am with some of my humble remarks on this issue. As we know the word Philosophy is the mishmash of two Greek words Philo and Sophia means love of wisdom. Reality is what people of this eon becomes more informative but not transformative. They become customers not producers and contributive. To be a designer of something it sounds that he or she needs to have Philosophia or wisdom. Wisdom helps us to reflect upon our lives and makes transformation in our lives.  Doing philosophy will lead us to get hold of real wisdom or the subject for correct thinking. Information that you gather from different sort of sources like Media, Internet and Book will not make you to arrive at real wisdom, of course they play their part but still they too are confined. “For me philosophy is training for correct thinking (to become a professional thinker)” says Pradeep a student from Faculty of Philosophy at DVK. 

I have formed a definition on philosophy, after two years of my philosophical studies, and that is Philosophy= Thinking+ Practical application. “In this age people do things before thinking that calls forth mistake and mischief.” Writes Chethan Bagat in his book Three Mistakes in My Life. The author of this book is of our own time. To be frank, it proves the present scenario of people’s capacity to think precisely. Philosophy has begun with the famous cliché of Socrates ‘Know thyself’. Today what we lack is this. The corollary of this not knowing oneself leads to login our day with a bed coffee and breaking news like Corruption, Murder, Women harassment and Terrorist attack. I am bit afraid of India, where this land of Rishi’s and clairvoyant goes? Back to bygone days we find that the culture of India was more oriented with spirituality and wisdom. It was our culture and the late mystics of India had their own philosophy and vision. During their life span they had voice to lead India a nation of spirituality and wisdom which they got from their unfathomable reflection. Today people think that Philosophy is a bumpy, taut and waste subject.  So they just rebuff to go on with Philosophy. Philosophy is part and parcel of our culture, it rings a bell doing philosophy as Indians we save our culture and our image.

The twenty first century has absolutely gone to the hands of business, and this is what we are going to pick up as fresh twig of Philosophy. Commercialism attracts us to become contributive, creative and critical. In this point, does Philosophy have any role in professionalism? Vikas, a student from Faculty of Philosophy at DVK and Christ University who left fine salaried job and came here to go on with philosophy answers, “commercialism or Professionalism can and has been going without any philosophy in today’s world, but I feel this is a sad state, Professionalism without philosophy of its core values is like a body without soul.” This creates an avalanche of negativity in new contributions.   

Philosophy was, is and will keep its value always because there is no zilch without its philosophy. To conclude let me write a discourse from the Malayalam Movie PRNAYAM Between Achu (Ambarish) and Mathews ( Mohanlal). Achu and Mathew were enjoying the sunset at seashore, and Achu had thrown shell twice to the sea. He asked Mathew did you observe that the second shell has gone far than the first? Mathew replied yes. Achu asked again can you tell the reason. He answered that you had given extra power to your hand so. Achu replied you are right but it was my will and wish that the second stone has to fall far from the first. Yes dear friends we need to be spurred that our lives should be more colorful, creative and contributive than the last second that we just passed, and let our philosophies help us.   

Jithin Kalan CMI

A bit that makes you handsome and beautiful

We all have to do our bit and it is clear by the words of  William Shakespeare "We all are actor male and actor female on the earth to act out our scene." Once an actor male or female finshes his or her panorama in Drama they are remembered just because the performance they had on the stage was bizarre. So this 2012 invites us to be a catalyst  which makes you a special from others. The beauty of your exclusive personality is measured by the bit that you do and the verdict that you take.

Wish you all a prosperous

New Year

Jithin Kalan CMI

Reflection on gospel of Matthew 16:13-17 By Jithin kalan cmi

Reflection on gospel of Matthew 16:13-17 

I walk by holding Christ’s hand. He is the only one consoling voice for me. The above quote is by Malayalam veteran writer Perumbadavam Sreedharan which was published in the Sunday supplement of Malayalamanorama on 3^rd September 2006. It clearly pictures out the fact that for Perumbadavam, Christ is the person who walks by him and becomes a consoling voice. The reading of the day invites us to reflect on the relationship between Christ and us. We see that Peter proclaimed Jesus as the Messiah, Son of the living God. What was that which strengthened him to speak out such a way? It is nothing but his own personal touch and experience with Christ.

There is a story which goes like this. Every day in the night the daughter runs to father and asks him “Papa, could you please tell a story?” when she cries for a story, he takes her on his lap and says the story. Later she used to fall asleep. It was the only story which father knows. It happened every day in the same line so the father got bored. He worked out an idea that he just recorded the story in a cassette. The same day when the daughter asked for story he played the cassette. But before the conclusion of the story there was a big sound. The daughter had thrown the tape recorder against the wall. Father immediately reached the room and got angry and asked her, “Why did you behave like this?” she said I can hear the story only through this cassette, but I cannot sit on papa’s lap. I want to hear the story on sitting Pap’s lap.

This story highlights the notion that knowledge will be blurred which has no personal consent. It will make clearer by the words of Steve Jobs, the co-founder of Apple Company who died couple of weeks ago: “Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma - which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of other's opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition”

It is a big question in front of us. As we are Christians do we have our own stand to say who Christ is for me? If we are able, we will be blessed with all the graces that St. Peter was showered upon by Christ. If not, our words and deeds become like beating around the bush as St. Paul proclaimed: “if Christ is not raised, my speech becomes in vain”. So let us button up ourselves to have a clear cut knowledge and experience of Christ through our gospel oriented and prayer life. Let me wind up by spelling out a quote often we hear “Your life should become a fifth Gospel which could be read by many.”
 Jithin kalan CMI

Prophet Elijah A Reflection

“ Then Elijah said to all the people come closer to me and all the people came closer to him. First he repaired the alter of the Lord that had been thrown down(1 King 18: 30).”  The very person Elijah reminds us to build up or to repair the alter of the lord. When we go back to the period of Elijah it is true that he repaired the alter which they used to offer sacrifice. In our era or this 2G world what actually  Elijah means of repairing the alter is nothing but repairing ourselves. We have to meditate it with the words of St. Paul saying don’t you know that you are the temple of Holy spirit? Being human and christian what all things do we need to repair or to reconstruct? First let us turn back to our prayer life. It is said that Elijah was very zealous for God. He silently conveys the message that to be with God or to have God experience we should inculcate a zealous mind and heart to lead a good prayer life.

Paulo Cohelo in his book Fifth Mountain writes “ Life becomes meaningful when it has an aim in front of it.” Let us think of ourselves . What is my real aim or do I have a goal to realize as human and christian? If not try to have one, otherwise we will be just like others who swim along with the current. Oxford dictionary defines Prophet as person sent by God to teach the people  and give them the messages from God. ‘ URIM’ and ‘TUMIM’ are the beautiful words we see in the book of Leviticus. This is what priests used to keep close to their chest to know the messages from Yaweh. Prophet Elijah asks us not to keep but to carry Jesus in our hearts. Old testament clearly pictures out that prophets were the persons who stood agonst all kinds of immoral acts. We log in our day both with a bed coffe and breaking news like corruption, bribe, injustice and etc.Growing as a spokepersons of God  what is our attitude and apptitude towards these kinds of immoral acts? Are we in the edge of seat to realize the Kingdom of God here in the earth? It is the second aspect which Elijah gives us to ponder over.

“Opportunities can come as disguised.” It is an ancient saying. Thirdly Elijah calls us to pay our attention on opportunities. Never turn our face from the realm of troubles and struggles, instead we have to makse use of the opportunities to gain more valuable things, remember what Jesus said “Unless and untill a seed of wheat unties itself remains us a seed of wheat if it explores bear fruits 100,60,30. Elijah’s life glance makes it more better he did everything from God experience that he had. Philosophy begins with know thyself, Epstemology begins with I think therefore I am, and Theology begins with word that became God but Prophecy with thy God and Lord. There can be no self understanding with out God understanding.

Introduction- Delivered on the festal eve of Prophet Elijah.

Jithin Kalan CMI