GRACE...!

Dear friendz it is always fascinating to hear something about death and life after death. Very often we hear people getting frightened to talk about their own death. Why do I say suddenly about death. Yes friendz there is an interesting thing that took place a couple of days ago. I was with an elderly priest (Swami Vikrnat sdb) who was 84 years old and came down to Warangal to take Latin classes for our brothers. During our tea time he was telling us that he was up to his last book to be completed and in the process of publishing. Out of curiosity I asked what would be the title of the book. He said that "How to Die Gracefully." I was really fascinated by his wonderful way of living and going about. Beautiful. I do not need any words of inspiration and motivation. For his life and works speak volumes of love, laughter, fun and frolic. He is a passionate teacher, well qualified in Indian Philosophy.

Of late I was reading a book titled "Spiritual Stamina" in which the author focused on the essence of Christianity. I was stuck by the beautiful saying of the author. Suppose if we ask what is the core of Christianity we may answer saying LOVE. But the author puts it better in his words as it is said dat, the Theology of Christianity is MERCY (Compassion) and the Ethics of Christianity is Gratitude. Yes it is beautifully put by the author as compassion and Gratitude.    

          Once, during my Hermeneutics class for the third year philosophy students, I posed a question to the students, What is TRUTH? and in fact I asked them to write and come for tomorrow's class. Well on the next morning it was interesting to see what is truth for them.          However, I was glad to hear from a particular student's perspective on what truth is. He said, the truth is relative and it is all matter of one's disposition and attitude to the reality and of course with one's self. There cannot be any objective truth.        The truth is always relative because he has his own truth, she has her own truth and there is also the truth itself. So, it is highly personal to accept or hold on to what exactly a truth or the truth is....

All of us who believe Jesus as the savior and redeemer can raise with one voice echoing that Jesus is truly Son of God. Well, it is very nice and easy for us to utter that Jesus is our Lord. But, let me ask you what exactly is FAITH? Off late I have experienced how difficult it is/was to define what Faith is. However, the probable answers could be Faith is what I believe, Faith is what the Church teaches, Faith as what my fore-fathers believed   and handed down to us etc.,   I would like to give an explanation about what faith is. Faith is first and foremost a gift of God, as we learn from our catechism. When it is a gift, it is free and benevolent. Now you might ask me a question saying, do we deserve this gift? My answer would be No. We do not deserve the gift of Faith. Because we have no reasons to take on our credit for the gift of faith. In fact we have lost the loving relationship with God as existed between God our first parents before the original sin. Yet, t...

Today life is on the rat race. What I mean by saying this is very simple. Life is noting but of relationship. This presupposes that life is all about relationships. That 's might be the reasons why Philosophers have that we are social animals.What ever be the reason in our relationships there are three levels. Relationship with oneself (intra), relationship with the other (inter) and relationship with God (spiritual). So, now we know that life is not a single commodity but a series of relationships. Primarily of all these three, Intra relationship is primordial. Because this is where one is in touch with oneself. In this process one comes to know the depth of person hood. In this process of knowing one's relationship with oneself, one also comes to about the quality and quantity of his/her contribution to the other. One can give something to the other only if one has something inside. For example, I can only what I have, either ignorance or wisdom. If I have ignorance I shar...

            Dear Friendz, I am staying in Hyderabad during this summer 2012-2013 for my holidayz. Over here I got an opportunity to address young people of our Campus and around. Well they are about 35 of them, of which the boys were in minority. I just wish to pen down the sum and substance of my interaction with those youngsters.             It is always interesting to have an interaction with the young people of current generation. One of the reasons could be their multiple dimension of mindset and varied interests of habits and what not. Therefore without much thinking I  agreed to interact with them.             Today, young  people are in a way like moving machines and magics. Because they think that they can move all, on speed and instant. As a result they also wish and desire to have things...

Aurelius Maschio was born on 12 th  February 1909, in the village of Vazzola in Italy. His father Giuseppe was a firm, hardworking and kind business man who was noted for his devotion for God. Aurelius’ mother Orsolina Dalla Cia was known for her prudence and qualities of heart. She attended to all her children’s needs with utmost love, of which Aurelius was the sixth of the twelve. Thus with her nature and grace she won the affection and friendship of the other mothers around the village. In spite of a big family, twelve children, nine brothers and three sisters they were yet a happy family. That highlights the saying ‘a family that prays together lives together.’ Once his elementary school master said: “He is an intelligent and diligent student endowed with strong good will.” So, his parents chose Genoa, a long way from home, about two hundred miles over the plains of Lombardy to reach the Salesian school at Sampierdarena. There came a time where he revealed to his parents...