The Spiritual Exercises (Month-Retreat )

Alone with the Alone: Greetings from Mount St Joseph Novitiate, Bangalore. It gives us great joy to inform you that we, the Ten First Year Novices, are beginning our Spiritual Exercises (Month-retreat) on 1 November under the guidance of Fr Willie Sequeira, our Novice Director. We earnestly request you to pray for us, so that our inner journey with Christ Jesus may be fruitful, that we may be able to experience God’s unconditional love for us and that the great plan God has for us be fulfilled.

It is our humble request that you pray for our sixteen second year Brothers, as they are going to begin their Mission Experiment, an outward journey with the Lord. During these precious days, we too assure you of our prayers for your forthcoming mission.

Seeking your prayers and blessings, Yours in Christ Jesus

First Year Novices - Mount St Joseph, Bangalore.

Tapping the Inner Resources - Intensive Journal

Fr Francis Menezes, the Rector, initiated the First Year Novices into the process of self-discovery by taking a 3-day course on Intensive Journal. Silence and calm descended again in the Novitiate when the First year Novices journeyed into themselves into rediscovering their real selves. The journey was an exciting experience as the course cruised silently through the Life Dimensions, hopped over the Stepping Stone Period, veered around the Life Intersections and offered the unforgettable experience of facing the Twilight Imagery. Fr Francis who has guided many through his courses on Intensive Journal has shown us yet again the importance of self-knowledge. We are grateful to Fr Francis Menezes for his loving service.

“Compare yourself with nobody and you will be the most handsome or beautiful in the world” Karna Lama Karki

It's Curtains Down on the Silver Jubilarians' Course

After a month’s stay with the Lord, the 38 participants of the Renewal Course for Silver Jubilarians headed home. The course started on September 11 has seen a favourable response from all the participants. A course is a time of vivid encounter with the Lord. It is a time to manure the garden of our inner selves to yield greater harvest. The guidance and help of the experts, the support staff and the green ambience here provided the participants with much needed rest with self-reflection. As a final and most important part of the course, Frs Arock, Francis Menezes and Maxim Misquith directed the participants into the deep waters with a week’s retreat. A day of sharing and evaluation and the final conclusion on October 15 placed the icing on the cake and brought down the curtains on the course which has surely been a blessing in the life of the participants.

"Learn to pause...or nothing worthwhile will catch up to you." - Doug King

Just a Quiz - No Exam Nerves!

Taking a break from the routine, a quiz was conducted in the Novitiate on 14 October. To get into a huddle and to work in teams, 4 groups were created. The topics were vast enough for everybody to comment and prepare, but it was very relaxing. Covering almost the entire syllabus done in the classes and including current events and other topics, the quiz gave us a thorough brush up on our studies. Novice Vincent pens down his experiences as follows

VINCENT VIJAYAKUMAR: After a long gap, we had a quiz session which kept me thinking for an hour. Our librarians did a fantastic job in preparing the quiz. I personally think that the quiz has even more closely fastened the cord of our relationships in the community. The questions fascinated me and there was a good spirit of competition in all the groups. It was a time for us to relax in a virtual ‘exam hall.' Although I was in the team of losers, I calmly accepted my defeat. It has helped me to improve my knowledge beyond horizons.

ಅಮ್ಮ, ನೀ ನನ್ನ ಸರ್ವಸ್ವ

ತಾಯಿ ತೋರಿದ ಪ್ರೀತಿಯು ದೇವರ ಪ್ರೀತಿಗೆ ಸಮಾನ ಎಂಬ ಮನೋಭಾವವನ್ನು ನವಶಿಷ್ಯ ಜೋಯಲ್ ಸಂದೀಪ್ ಈ ಕವನದ ಮುಖಾಂತರ ಸಾರುತ್ತಾರೆ.

ನಾ ಉದರದಲ್ಲಿ ಜನ್ಮಪಡೆದಾಗಲಿಂದ
ನಾ ಬೆಳೆದು ದೊಡ್ದವನಾಗುವರೆಗೂ,
ನನಗೆ ಆಸರೆಯಾಗಿ ನಿಲ್ಲುವಳು ಒಬ್ಬಳೇ.
ಅವಳೇ ನನ್ನ ಅಮ್ಮ, ನನ್ನ ಪ್ರೀತಿಯ ತಾಯಿ.

ತನ್ನತನವನ್ನು ಮರೆತು ದುಡಿಯುವಳು;
ತನ್ನ ಮಕ್ಕಳ ಏಳಿಗೆಗಾಗಿ ಅವಳು,
ಕಷ್ಟಗಳನ್ನು ತಾನೆ ನುಂಗಿ ಸುಖವನ್ನು ಕೊಡುತ್ತ,
ಬೆಳೆಸಿದಳು ಅವಳು ನನ್ನನ್ನು ಪ್ರೀತಿಸಿ ಮುದ್ದಾಡುತ್ತಾ.

ಅವಳ ಅಪರಿಮಿತ ಪ್ರೀತಿಗೆ ಪ್ರತಿಯಾಗಿ ನಾನೇನು ಕೊಡಲಿ?
ಅವಳು ತೋರಿದ ಪ್ರೀತಿ ವಾತ್ಸಲ್ಯಕ್ಕೆ ಕೊಡುಗೆಯಾಗಿ,
ಅವಳ ಆಸೆಯನ್ನು ಪೂರೈಸಿ,
ಅವಳ ನಿಸ್ವಾರ್ಥ ಸೇವೆಗೆ ಚಿರಋಣಿಯಾಗಿ ಬಾಳಿ,
ಅಮ್ಮ ಎಂಬ ಪಾತ್ರಕ್ಕೆ ಮೆರುಗು ನೀಡಬೇಕು.

Fr Rector takes a bow on his Birthday!

All eyes were on Fr Francis Menezes, our dear Rector, as he celebrated his birthday, today, on 11 October. The day began for him with a very cheerful note - Soon after the wishes from the community scores of visitors came over to wish him; often wishing songs resonated in the house. Though he was over the moons today, the day was by no means relaxing. By evening, Fr Rector must have clasped at least a thousand hands!

The community as a family joined Fr Rector in the evening in thanking the Lord in a very meaningful Eucharistic celebration. In the evening, the Novices put a short birthday programme, with a skit which was very symbolic and was also a barrel of laughs. Fr Rector poured his heart out in a few words of gratitude that he expressed towards the end of the programme. As Fr Rector turns another leaf in his life of dedicated service, we wish him a very happy birthday and success in his endeavours.
"I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you." Jeremiah 31:3

Provincial’s Annual Visitation - A Time of Grace!

Fr Francis Serrao, the Provincial, was in everyone’s lips here in Mount St Joseph as he came for the annual visitation from 02 to 06 October. His visit made us hark back to the visit and stay of Fr General in March this year. Indeed the visitation was a time of grace for all in the community, especially the Novices who constantly besought him for his blessings and words of advice in view of the Month’s Retreat and Mission Experiment which will commence in November . Fr Provincial's visit has strengthened all the members of the community spiritually. We are sure that his guidance will stand us in good stead in the near future. We thank the Lord for this grace.

Interview with Fr Javier Melloni SJ

Fr Javier Melloni SJ of the Spiritual Centre of the cave of St Ignatius in Manresa, Spain was here with us in September. Here are the excerpts of the interview with him.

Can you tell us about your work and the challenges in your mission?

I teach Theology in the Faculty of Theology of Catalonia (Barcelona). In the West, in spite of the secularism one can see a quest for spirituality. The main challenge is to offer a deep experience of God. God is the Abba of Jesus, the original fountain of everything. We are called to lead people to the source of their self, in the cave of their heart - from the exterior cave (St Ignatius’ cave) to their personal inner cave.

Father, what do you focus on in the retreat center?

Ignatian Spirituality leads to a deep experience of God that transforms the heart in order to find God in every person and in everything. Our goal is to lead people into the same experience of the Pilgrim (St Ignatius). People expect from us to have an open-mind and an open-heart and the wisdom of discernment in order to lead them in the depths of God and the Reality.

What gives you joy in the work that you do? What keeps you going? (Your personal inspiration)

When I live authentically and faithfully, when I celebrate the Eucharist with all my soul and with all my heart, then words, actions and thoughts flow luminous from within and they reach the hearts of the seekers. I am also in the Inter- Religious field. The encounters and meetings with other believers also nourish me.

What is the role of Ignatian spirituality in today's context?

The main contribution of Ignatian spirituality is the understanding of spiritual life as a process, a process from self-centredness to selflessness. What has to be discerned is whether a particular practice makes me more and more open to God, to others and to the world. It is not about contents but about dynamics. That is why Ignatian spirituality is very fit for our times.

What is the most important quality required of a Jesuit in the face of modern challenges?

The word ‘Jesuit’ comes from the Latin word “Jesu-ita” which means: “at the manner” (Ita) of Jesus,” “like Jesus”. So, like Jesus, two main things are required: to be rooted in the depth of the Father, the ultimate mystery of everything, and to be open to humankind, particularly the poorest and the excluded.

How can we attract the youth to Ignatian spirituality?

The characteristic of youth is authenticity, open mindedness, capacity to take risks and daring. If we live authentically, if we risk for the Lord and for the Gospel - that certainty will attract the youth; not because it is a strategy but because our lives will have the taste of Truth. That is what exactly happened with Jesus. We only have to be ita- Jesus, like Him.

Can you tell what it is to be a saint in today’s world?

To be a saint is the purpose of our vocation: to surrender our whole being to Christ. That means to feel, to look, to listen & to talk like Him. It requires all our life to make that transformation.

What did you like the most about your stay in India?

What I admire the most in Indians is the sense of the Divine. This gives you a very particular sense of life because you are deeply connected with the Absolute.

Thank You Fr Javier. (Interviewed by Novices Praveen Martis & Joseph Jerald)

Personalising the Feedback

Sharun Roy D’Souza: Every Jesuit is called to lead a life of action, reflection, evaluation and transformation. Feedback becomes an essential part of our Jesuit life. Fear and anxiety troubled within me when I faced the feedback for the first time. I gradually learnt the power of feedback sessions as it supplemented my self-knowledge. I have always been grateful to my companions for helping me grow after the feedbacks. The feedback that was held recently has also been useful to me like all the others that have come before and I am seeing a tremendous growth in me.

Leston Baptist Lobo: “A brother is a friend given by God to me!” Many questions dotted my mind as I began preparations for the feedback - Do I accept my brothers as they are? Do I reach out my hand in helping them grow? I felt responsible for my brothers. It was a time to walk hand-in-hand with my Lord and my companions. I was equally eager to receive and give feedback. I prayed sincerely for my companions during the past three days and hence I notice a warmth in my relationship with God and my companions.

Feedback Sessions - Pros and Cons!

The Joe-Hari window states that there are many shades in our personalities about which we are unaware. It is precisely for this reason that our Novitiate conducts feedback exercise every year at regular intervals. Each novice gets a complete feedback from his companions seated in a full circle. This year the Novitiate went into ‘feedback mode’ on 27, 28 and 29 September. It is not always pleasant receiving a feedback. The person receiving a feedback faces the 'firing squad' at point blank range! Though we were glum and gleeful after the sessions, we experienced tremendous growth in self-knowledge. Harold Bowden has aptly said, "Facts that are not frankly faced have a habit of stabbing us in the back." To internalize the lessons learnt, a day of recollection followed immediately after the feedback. Touching all the aspects of our nascent life in the Society of Jesus, the feedback became a very comprehensive and a constructive process.

"Each Year, one vicious habit rooted out, in time ought to make the worst man good" - Franklin

Athma Shakti Vidyalaya - A Haven of Love and Service

“I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.” (Matthew 25:36) Athma Shakti Vidyalaya is a therapeutic community devoted to the care and rehabilitation of the mentally challenged young men and women. The name means a school of the power of the soul. It saw the light of day in 1979, when a group of concerned counsellors, psychotherapists and parents joined hands to form a registered non-profit charitable society with a main thrust of bringing stability and competence back into the youngsters facing mental difficulties, especially Schizophrenia. A maximum of 24 youngsters can be placed here. In the safe hands of experts and placed in a community, the patients with an average age of 20-30 years learn to have a hold over their feelings, to be reasonable, to accept oneself and then to gradually merge into the challenges of normal living. The patients receive a holistic psychotherapy treatment that channels their inner strength in effecting recovery, instead of relying on medication. Fr Henry (Hank) Nunn, the shepherd of this bouquet of charity and service has, by his diligent efforts, made it see its finest hour.

Athma Shakti Vidyalaya can be contacted as follows:

No. 113, Madhuban Colony, B.G. Raod, Hulimavu Village, Bangalore - 560 076. Tel: +918026581564. Email: frhanknunn@hotmail.com