From Social Network to the Human Network

Communication is an important aspect in life, be it among humans or non-humans. Among ants, birds and animals, though primitive we admit, is highly advanced, effective and hassle-free. There is no vindication, no fear, or limited to one’s own class or clan. Anyone who can decode it, can make use of it. That’s why when there is food available or when an enemy is approaching they raise their alerting voice. And the rest of the world follows it without any difficulty. There is no false news or wrong message being spread to deviate one from the path. But, the communication system involved amongst the most advanced beings, the humans is always under the scanner.

One of the recent metaphors for communication is net or inter-net, a tool of cyber technology. It has become a synonym for knowledge and wisdom, and even we have begun to speak about Artificial Intelligence (AI). Any resource for any issue, any solution to a problem, etc. is available at the click of the mouse. After all, many of our problems are similar in nature and therefore there is a commonality in the solution too. One helps the other. We are better connected with this facility. Kudos to the technocratic world, we have outlived our capacity. We have lost our creative wisdom.  

There are some important aspects to be noted in this metaphor. There is no centre here, rather there are multiple lines and intersections. Each inter-section though looks independent, without its relation with the other node has no life. Though there are several such cohesive and adhesive elements, there are also certain drawbacks. It can make a person ‘hermit,’ alienating oneself from one’s own creative potentialities, and from other’s well-being by treating other as ‘means and things’ to nurture one’s own selfishness and ego.

Our society is not a single entity, nor there is a single centre to say, “this way only,” rather there are multiple centres and nodes. Each node is connected to the other with a transcendental relationship. For example, the word ‘nation’ cannot be limited only to a geographical boundary nor to a particular language or culture. It is a sum total of a history, culture, language, interest, ideology, etc. ‘The Church’ is not a community of only Catholics, rather a sum total of a people who believe in Christ. In the same way, a religious congregation, a diocese or a community has a meaning in the relationship and well-being of every members of it.

When there is a dissent of voices in the community, or when a decision is autocratically enforced upon its members, the community sans to be so. It no longer remains as an organismic unit, like body and its parts. A complete body is that in which each limb is intact and communicate suitably. Thus, the metaphor of the body and limb is a better imagery for social networking than the internet, for, there is recognition of other’s face in a community which the latter lacks.

Today’s ministry of Communications in the Church in India though far better than a couple of decades ago, has not yet become a perfect model to be boasted about. The Church known for its cohesiveness has not yet effectively manifested. Admitted that Christians are minorities in the country and in some pockets sizeable number has not become ‘the salt’ and ‘the light’ which can give taste and guidance to the rest of the community. May be, the inner motives of different denominations are the blocking issues. But that is not an excuse either. In recent years the official highest body of Christians in India has made a difference in knitting various segments and streams of thoughts of the society. But that is not sufficient. The basic elements of the systems should take initiative in building bridges and then only the efforts of the higher level body will become more effective.

The Catholic Church, though have better structures, both in terms of networking and personnel has not sufficiently tapped and utilized its resources. In many parts of the country the hierarchy and including the several congregations are busy in constructing niches for themselves and for political and economic gains. Recent general elections and adherence to certain party ideologies by certain people of the hierarchy in different parts of the country cannot be forgotten, nor be forgivable. Many minorities of the country are looking for the Christian leadership, because they know that only Christians and their role in social well-being can bring a positive change in the country. Have we fulfilled this aspiration of the millions? Have we not failed in establishing bridges?

We need to be proud of our education and healthcare institutions. India has produced thousands of great think-tanks and social reformers through our institutions. This has made the country grow and develop in various sectors. The demand for admissions to our institutions is a visible proof for this. As we put our chest up, we need to reflect its present effectiveness. Economic well-being is not all that is primary. Though it is necessary, the future of the people is the most urgent need. The future is building a humane society filled with gospel values. Sacrificing these for the sake of establishing a structure is not being a Christian. Somewhere there is a lacunae created by our present welfare institutions. Our English medium schools, technical institutions, etc. are multiplying, but the quality and values that need to be cherished is being disintegrating day by day. We are losing our ‘Christian culture,’ sacrificing moral values for consumerist values. Somehow, we are falling into the trap of ‘-isms’ such as, ‘hermitism,’ elitism, standardism, superiorism, competitionism, etc. Should we not base our identity on ‘otherness’?

There is an enormous communication gap between our institutions, hierarchy, and people. We are treating each one as an independent entity needing no cohesion. This selfish gene from us should to be removed. Only when drops are united river finds life, so too is the society. For this we need to bring back the basic Christian community model of the Acts of the Apostles, ‘where one person’s need was everybody’s need.’ Sharing our resources with those who are in need is the real need of the hour. Add to this, shunning the individuality and wearing the robe of inter-dependence without any malice can give us a real success. Let’s hope for a healthy and vibrant human community.



Fr. Raju Felix Crasta

Washing the Feet, an Eucharistic Mandate to Serve: An Insight for the Maundy Thursday

Washing the feet of our guests is not uncommon for any North Indians, irrespective of their religion. This is a common picture among the tribals of Chotanagpur. In the tribal culture, which I am familiar with (though I am an outsider), if the house owner’s wife comes out with a towel, soap, oil and water to wash the feet of their guests necessarily imply that they (the guests whose feet they will be washing) are very special (VVIP). He/she is an intimate guest or considered “our person.” Probably, this culture had to do with the kind of geographical setup, transport and distance covered. 

The life in Palestine at the time of Jesus was not different either. The popular means of transport was the feet. People walked a long distance on rough and dusty roads. Travellers often arrived their destination with sore and aching feet. As a sign of hospitality, the host would see to it that the guests were given a warm foot bath and massage as a way of relieving their aches and pains. This was usually done by the house servants or slaves.

This service of bathing and soothing the tired feet were also provided in the rest houses or inns found at strategic locations along the major roads and highways. Travellers worn out along the way could go into these rest houses and have food and foot bath. Their energy thus restored, would then be able to continue and complete their long journey. That is how such rest houses along the way got the name “restaurant(s)” – they restored strength of the tired and exhausted travellers on the way. The disciples would have understood Jesus’ washing their feet in the light of this cultural background. And for us, it is a pointer to the Eucharist we celebrate.

Understood in the light of the washing of feet, the Eucharist is a place of restoration for people on the way. The life of a Christian in the world is a pilgrimage, a long and hard journey. Along the way, we get tired and worn out and are tempted to give up and turn back. But Jesus has provided us with the Eucharist as a place where we can go in to bathe our aching feet and to be refreshed in body and soul for the journey that is still ahead. When we give communion to a sick person we call it viaticum which means “provisions for the journey.” The Eucharist is always a viaticum: in the Eucharist, we derive strength to continue our upward journey, a journey towards God.

I remember an incident that took place during my Diaconate ministry in a parish. There was a bedridden elderly man in a house. The Parish priest used to take Holy Communion every Tuesday. Once I accompanied the Parish Priest to that place. The elderly man said, “Father why do you take trouble in bringing Communion every week? I will not get healed, that I know. My days are soon to be over. When I need, I will send a word to you.” Then the Parish Priest replied, “I know, that this small piece of bread will not heal you nor will make you rise from your bed and walk again. But my coming to you taking Jesus, and in the name of Jesus and talking to you will surely relieve your loneliness, tension and mental worries. I can read this from your face. If this happens, even if you say ‘no,’ I will come.”

In the incident occurred at the table of the Last Supper, Peter was uncomfortable having Jesus washing his feet. Peter, who was somewhat of an activist, would have preferred to see himself doing the washing, washing the feet of Jesus and even of the other disciples. Sometimes it is harder to remain passive and allow someone else to bathe us than it is to bathe someone else, as every toddler can tell you. But having our feet washed and washing the feet of others are two sides of the same coin. We must proudly call it the Christian life.

The first and most essential part is to let the Lord wash us. As Jesus said to Peter, “Unless I wash you, you have no share with me” (John 13:8). First, the Lord washes us clean so that we belong to the Lord. Only then are we qualified and empowered to wash the feet of our sisters and brothers in the Lord. When this truth dawned on Peter, he overcame his reluctance and cried out, “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!” (v. 9). For this to happen all that the Lord needs from us is simply for us to be there, to present ourselves to him and to let him wash us.

The other side of the coin, which is equally important is that after our feet have been washed by the Lord, we must go and wash the feet of others. After Jesus had washed his disciples’ feet, he said to them: “Do you know what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord – and you are right, for that is what I am. So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you” (John 13:12-15). This is actually a mandate (mandatum in Latin) for every Christian. Washing other's feet is to serve others in humility, care, respect, love. It is being hospitable and doing charitable work.

Pope Francis washing feet of the inmates of Rebibia prison in 2015

Jesus establishes a close link between his washing the disciples’ feet and the disciples washing the feet of others. If the Eucharist is the place where the Lord washes our feet, our daily life is the place where we ought to wash the feet of others. Eucharist leads to life and life leads to Eucharist. True Eucharistic piety must lead to the service of others. Jesus who broke the bread of the Eucharist also washed the feet of his disciples. We must follow his example both at the altar of the Eucharist and at the altar of life.

The Priesthood

Today we thank Jesus for giving us the Eucharist and the priesthood. Both the Eucharist and the Priesthood “were born” during the Last Supper. The two sacraments of this day – the Eucharist and the Holy Orders – are closely linked to each other. Without the Priesthood there cannot be Eucharist.

Pope John Paul II in his Letter to the Priests for Holy Thursday 2004, says that the priesthood is born during the Last Supper, “At the Last Supper we were born as priests…” (§1) Then he continues to write about the connection between the priesthood and the Eucharist, saying that priests were born from the Eucharist, “We were born from the Eucharist. If we can truly say that the whole Church lives from the Eucharist…we can say the same thing about the ministerial priesthood: it is born, lives, works and bears fruit “de Eucharistia.” There can be no Eucharist without the priesthood, just as there can be no priesthood without the Eucharist” (§2).

Priests involved in many different activities. No matter what type of work a priest is engaged in, the highpoint of the priestly ministry is celebrating the Eucharist. It is the most important moment of the day for a priest. And so the Pope writes, “The ordained ministry…enables the priest to act in persona Christi and culminates at the moment when he consecrates the bread and wine, repeating the actions and words of Jesus during the Last Supper” (§2).

Before this extraordinary reality, we find ourselves amazed and overwhelmed, so deep is the humility by which God “stoops” in order to unite himself with a human! If we feel moved before the Christmas crib when we contemplate the Incarnation of the Word, what must we feel before the altar where, by the poor hands of the priest, Christ makes his Sacrifice present in time? We can only fall to our knees and silently adore this supreme mystery of faith (§2).

The Pope reminds us of the importance to pray for vocations so that priests may never be lacking to the Church. This reminds us of the huge sacrifices that some people down through the history of the Church have made to protect priests during times when they were endangered by anti-Catholic laws.

Today’s Reality of Priests

Yes, and indeed a vehement Yes, that many priests are involved in scams, dishonesty, travesty, and what not! This does not nullify the honest, god-fearing and simple priests like St. John Maria Vianney. There are many more such priests with their prophetic zeal working amidst us. It is because of these true servants of Christ, the Catholic Church is bubbling with life today. I am proud of it.

Priests are not fallen from the sky nor are they formed overnight in a seminary. They are born in our families. They are weak as any human being is. They are broken in many places. But I must say, it is not the formation that is received in the seminaries make a person ‘the best priest,’ rather it is the formation received at the younger days at home that make a person ‘the best priest.’ It is the timely correction of father and mother, their love and their initial catechism that form a person who they will be in the future. If anyone asks a priest about their formation, no doubt, they will give their first credit to their parents and family members. As a priest, I can boldly say that it is the formation I received from my parents is what I carry in my priestly ministry even today. My seminary formation was only a confirmation of my family formation. The formation received at home gets deepened, branches out, and become a huge tree in the seminary. But it yields fruit, again, amidst his greater family, the world where he is sent. Had not the formation of parents, a priest is a half-baked one.

However, not all apples are sweet in a basket. There may be one or two insipid or sour. Just because one is not sweet enough, let us not throw it away. Our mothers know it well, how to re-use the leftover rice of the previous night. This is the beauty. Priests need the help of such mothers and fathers and brothers and sisters in making them delicious. I beg earnestly from you, ‘love your priests, help them, guide them, teach them, direct them, love them.’

Often, priests are misunderstood and become a subject of talk for the people. A famous anonymous quote goes like this:

A priest is always wrong because:

If he begins his mass on time, his watch is advanced;

If he begins a minute later, he keeps people waiting

If he preaches too long, he makes people get bored;

If his homily is too short, he is unprepared.

If he owns a car, he is luxurious;

If he does not own one, he does not go with the times.

If he goes out to visit families, he is always out:

If he does not, he has no time for them.

If he asks for donations, he is a moneymaker;

If he does not do it, he is too proud and lazy.

If he takes time in the confessional, he is too slow;

If he makes it too fast, he has no time for his penitents.

If he renovates the church, he throws away money;

If he does not do it, he allows everything to rot away.

If he is with the youth, he forgets the old.

If he is seen with women, he is a playboy;

If he goes with men, he is not normal;

If he is young, he has no experience;

If he is old, he should retire.

As long as he lives, there are always people who are better than him. But the reality is this, “If the priest dies….there is nobody to take his place!” Our entire life is a period of formation. We too need ongoing formation. When we fail, kindly correct us, but don’t punish us with third-degree torture because we are for you only. If you don’t own us as your sons, brothers and companions, then who will?

Yes, I left my mother, so that you become my mother

I left my father so that you become my father

I left my brother so that you become my brother

I left my sister so that you become my sister

I left my relative so that you become my relative

I left my friends so that you become my friend

I left my everything so that you become my everything

Now, accept me the way I am, mould me, guide me, love me, strengthen me, forgive me

Be with me in my loneliness, worries, tensions and problems

I count on your being with me in all my good and bad times.

Fr. Raju Felix Crasta

St. Albert's College, Ranchi

Colour Colours the Reality

In our childhood we have studied that there are seven colours in the Rainbow. There are three primary colours - red, yellow and blue; three secondary colours – green orange and purple and six tertiary colours obtained as a result of mixing the first two groups. All other colours are combinations and shades of these. According to the psychophysicists, human being can perceive almost 10 million colours. Depending on the viewing conditions, the perception varies. However, what I want to reflect is not the scientism behind it, but the phenomenology of colour in the socialism. 

If someone is asked a question, “which is the natural colour?” obvious answer would be “White.” However, white is not considered the basic colour. In the spectrum, white is the result of seven colours of the rainbow. On the other hand, the most hated colour is, “Black.” Can anyone call ‘black’ as a colour? It is colourless or at least the absence of colour. Scientifically, when a ray of light is absorbed and not reflected back, it is called ‘black’. Therefore, neither white nor back are colours!? Yes, very much debatable. I am not going into it.  

White is the colour some people are proud about and think that it is ‘pure’ and ‘black’ as impure and vice-versa. The world has seen many wars, fights, bloodshed ever since human beings began to reflect over ‘colour.’ In the past, some colours enslaved and colonized the other. The shame is, this even continues in today’s postmodern globalized society! Can one colour be superior to another? If one colour were to be superior to the other, the whole equilibrium of the nature would collapse. 

The colour dominance depends on the light availability, its absorption and reflection. Light availability in the Polar Regions and the Tropical Regions is not the same. The pigmentation in the mineral rich and natural places like dense forest regions and arid desert landscapes varies. Temperate and cold regions have different equation. Therefore, claiming one colour to be superiority in one region and applying it to all other regions is a sweeping generalization and argumentum ad ignorantiam (fallacy of appeal to ignorance). Can anyone say a brown cow is superior to the black-spotted red cow? Absolutely no. If so, why should some human beings are to be considered superior or inferior to the other? Superiority should be gauged not with colour but with the internal traits – ones character, nature, personality, culture and behavior. In other words, your greatness is measured not with the kinds of attire you have, but with your ‘softness of heart’. 

Colour garnishes the reality. Often, multi-colour is preferred over unicolour. If the nature had only one colour, like the Arctic region (in fact not the case there) full of white ice, there would not be any creativity and life. The more colours in the nature, life bubbles out with joy. Varieties of trees and their flowers, colourful birds and animals, varieties of climate and landscape speak wonders of creation. This verily applies to human society. Varieties of cultures, people, habits, way of life, languages, relations, traditions etc. add life to the earth. The more varieties accepted by each other, there emerges a better harmony and peace. The world becomes habitable and in its real sense can be called ‘the earth’. If not accepted, the earth becomes a battle field, a hell. 

Psychologist and Counselors speak about the ‘Colour Therapy’ to treat the ‘unresolved’ brokenness of the self. It is a therapy where by a disorder or ailment is identified with an unpleasant colour. As a treatment, a colour which is pleasant and healing is filled within or the person is immersed in the healing colour. Thus, the unpleasant colour is taken away or abandoned. This heals the person. If a culture or a tradition is not a soothing one, unpleasant or if it is not making one a ‘human being’ it needs to be discarded and a culture / tradition which makes the person ‘truly human’ is to be imbibed. Years of unpleasant and subjugated life will only add agony and not happiness. Increased dose of pleasant colours will make life palatable. 

Colour blindness or Chromatopsia is disease whereby the person is unable to detect a particular colour. It can vary in number of colours. In our social life, many are not just blind to colours but also blind to the reality. Having eyes and sight is not able to see and judge. Even within the family, children do not recognize parents and parents their children and often from such families elderly parents end up in the ‘old-age homes’. What a pity! One community of people, do not recognize the other community. Many are blind with culture and tradition. Some see only the traditional language and letters inscribed in the scriptures and are unable to translate them into the vernacular language and culture and end up as fundamentalists. This is not just the case with some religions, but seen within one’s own religion and culture too. Religion, instead of binding (re-ligare = to bind) the scattered, scatters the bounded. Should I call such religions as salvific? 

I do not want be a Christian if my religion does not allow me to relate with a Muslim.

I do not want to be a Muslim, if my religion does not allow me to relate with a Hindu.

I do not want to be a Hindu, if my religion does not allow me to relate with a Buddhist.

I do not want to be a Buddhist, if my religion does not allow me to relate with a Jain.

I do not want to be a Jain, if my religion does not allow me to relate with a Sikh.

I do not want to be a Sikh, if my religion does not allow me to relate with an indigenous.

I prefer to be an atheist, an agnostic, a Carvāka, an Epicurean, a Materialist and Irreligious, if my religion does not allow me to relate with the last, least and the lost of the society hailing from any traditional background.

I prefer to be blind than to see.

Fr. Raju Felix Crasta

Picture source: http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/colours-important-trademarks-fashion-in-season-2019-a7705261.html

Tribal Eviction for Corporate Profit

We are shocked and appalled by the Supreme Court order dated 20/2/2019 for eviction of Adivasis and other Traditional Forest dwellers from their Traditional habitats, thus depriving them their right to life and livelihood guaranteed by Article 21 enshrined in Indian constitution. We unequivocally appeal to the Supreme Court to reevaluate this retrograde anti people order which will throw Millions of Adivasis and other traditional Forest Dwellers into the streets., which is against all humanitarian precepts, Natural Justice, the spirit of the Indian constitution and various covenants and declarations of the united Nations charter on the Rights of the Indigenous people. The Supreme Court gave this order on a petition filed by Wild life First which is an extremely callous anti people, regressive conservationist NGO.

It should be noted that the Adivasis and other Traditional Forest Dwellers have been co existing with flora and fauna since millennia in a mutually cooperative symphony and harmony. It is a sheer travesty of truth and historical inustice to blame the Adivasis and other Traditional Forest Dwellers for destroying the eco system and wild life. One should clearly see the nefarious game plan of this anti people wild Life NGO Acting on behalf of the corporate sector and other vested interests to handover the forest land to the corporate sector for commercial exploitation. Already the sword of Damocles is hanging over forests and forest dwellers by the new draft Forest Policy and CAF Act, with a clear cut intention to handover the forest lands to the corporate Sector.

It is quite outrageous that the Government of India which is elected by the people to safeguard their interests did not appear or argue in different hearings of this case before this anti Adivasi order was past.

This is not only a serious dereliction of Constitutional duty of the Central Government but also a conspiracy of complicity to handover the forest lands to the corporate sector. The court order violates Section 6 of the Forest Rights Act which says It is a Criminal Offence not to process the claims of Adivasis and other Traditional Forest Dwellers for their rights to the Forest land Under the Forest Rights Act 2006..

The Supreme Court has asked the Chief Secretaries of 16 State Governments including Karnataka to evict the Adivasis and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers whose claims were rejected by the respective Forest Departments. In Karnataka a Total of 2, 27,014 claims were filled Under Forest Rights Act from this 35,521 claims of Adivasis and 1, 41,019 claims of Other Forest Dwellers were rejected.

We hereby wish to firmly state that the claims of forest Lands under the Forest Rights Act is neither a gift nor an act of charity by the Government of India. This Act was a necessary course correction of the Historical Injustice meted out to the Adivasis under the Draconian provisions of the Indian Forest Act and The Wild life Protection Act. We strongly emphasize that the enactment of the Forest Rights Act was not a result of the magnanimity of the central Government, but was the result of years of arduous struggle by millions of Adivasis. It should also be remembered that historically, Adivasis constitute as a key force in conserving India’s forests, rather than destroying it. The forests in India can not be protected without recognising this key role of the Adivasis. The Forest Rights Act rightly recognises this key role and therefore, we remind the Supreme Court not to violate it.

We earnestly appeal to the mass organizations of the Adivasis, political parties and other progressive and democratic forces to express your deep reservations against this anti people Supreme Court order which violates our right to life guaranteed by Article 21 of Constitution of India.

We would also appeal to you to take these concerns of the rights of the Adivasis within all sections of the civil society, media, activist organisations and the concerned individuals within political parties.

On behalf of Tribals.

(Post appeared in Facebook. Found it worth circulating to conscientize people in this regard.
The Blogger)