DNC Times - April & May -2016

vision is to bring the love and hope of the risen lord to the
people, especially those who are unloved and feel that
theyarehopeless.
This issue of DNC times is the combined issue of
April and May on the theme-“Resurrection: Through
the life of Pope Francis.” Various writers have
expressed their views beautifully on this theme. Fr.
Stephen gives us a new perspective of the pope as a
liberated person and compares him with Buddha, who
realising his liberation, showed the way of liberation to
others. Fr. James B. Dhabi in
his article gives a different
meaning to resurrection
which is devoid of all the
limitations and sees the Pope
as a prism that refracts light
to others. Sr. Maureen's
article 'Resurrection
demands response' reminds
us of our responsibility
towards the people who are
weak and have lost hope. While enumerating each of the
quality of Pope Francis with examples, Sch. Jose pens
down the paradigm shift from the conservative and
fundamentaltoliberalandflexiblechurch.
Dear readers to draw your attention more towards
Pope Francis and the resurrection of our lord, this issue
will feature the quotes of Pope Francis instead of the
regular interview column. This issue may give you a
different outlook towards the resurrection and the person
of Pope Francis. As you read the articles one after the
other, do remember the words of Pope Francis who says
always, “Let our lives be conquered and transformed by
the Resurrection.” Dear readers I wish you all a hope
filled and joyous Easter, hoping that this Easter will bring
happiness,good healthandlotsoflove.
(Praveen Jose is a 2nd year Philosopher at JDV)
ope Francis, a Jesuit priest, now a Pope, with
his exuberant personality, humility and ever
approaching nature has brought back manyPpeople to God. He is the embodiment of love and hope of
the risen lord to the people. Wherever he went he brought
exuberance, laughter, tears of joy and compassion among
the enormous crowds gathered to witness his presence.
Above all, he brought love and hope for the people. He
leads with exceptional leadership qualities and inspires
everyone with his words especially the youth. Unlike
other popes, he is concerned
more about the happenings
of the world. He dares to
condemn those that are
against humanity and
nature; while he appreciates
and encourages those that
promote life and harmony.
His encyclical 'Laudato si' is
onesuchexample.
God sent Moses to
the Israelites to liberate them from the Egyptian's
bondage; Moses was their hope then. When the expected
time came God sent his only Son Jesus to save the world;
Jesus was the hope then and he still continues to be our
hope today. Today, Pope Francis is the hope; a true living
witness of this risen Christ to this highly sophisticated
world where love is merely a word, help is merely a
work, and compassion is merely a feeling. His message
to all is, 'Don't lose hope.' And he reiterates, “faith in the
resurrection of Jesus and the hope He has brought to us is
the most beautiful gift that a Christian can and must offer
to his brothers and sisters.” It is apt to say that he is the
hope of the present church, because soon after his
installation as the Pope he said, “Today, amid so much
darkness, we need to see the light of hope and to be men
and women who bring it to others.”His mission and
02 April & May 2015April & May 2015
Francis is our Pope
For the Church, he is the Hope
Francis is our Pope
For the Church, he is the Hope
Praveen Jose SJ
Editorial

witnesses of it as it can't get more obvious. Pope Francis
has managed to sow the seeds of simplicity and humility
into the hearts of the religious and the seeds are
apparently growing well. The Pope has also insisted the
need to reach out to the people of various creeds and
cultures by way of his very life. Fitting examples would
be the meetings he had with the leaders of Islam and the
EasternChurch.
The most important religious revival of all is the
Pope's emphasis is on the faithful blessing the religious to
lead a committed life. Yes! This is precisely why the
Pope, soon after his election as one, entreated the people
to bless him first prior to himself blessing them. Besides
the loving and abundant grace of God, we need the
blessing and assistance of the faithful, to righteously lead
thelatterinGod's path.
In accepting modernity and scientific views on
various things, he has won the hearts of the people.
Tradition is always good but tradition blend in newness is
even better. He has chosen this way, reading the signs of
the time, taking the right path at the appropriate time.
The changes he has brought in with regard to the
understanding of the Church pertaining to divorce,
abortion and other issues are remarkable and more than
welcomed and appreciated among the faithful who look
up to a merciful and forgiving God and not a punishing or
stringent God.The declaration of the year of mercy fits in
well.
The arrival of Pope Francis meant the revival and
resurrection of the whole Church, denoting the need for
the cultivation of Christ and Church values. Hence the
most important thing would be to imitate the Pope and to
live up to the Christian values as he does. This would
certainly result in the revival of not only the doer but also
the people and the world around us. Therefore let's be
proud tobepartoftherevivedandresurrectedChurch.
nd
(Jeyaseelan is a 2 yr Philosopher in JDV)
he resignation of Pope Benedict XVI in 2013
shocked the whole world irrespective of the
Tcreed as it was the first of a kind in recent
centuries. The official reasons given for the resignation
were not as convincing as they are rumoured. The
election of Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, Archbishop
of Buenos Aires, Argentina as the Pope was even more
shocking and surprising as that too was the first of a kind
in the Church history – a Jesuit Pope. The expectations
were sky-high and the failure of which would almost
result in the recession of the Church. We all know by
now,whathappened.
Yes! The number of the Catholics around the
world is significantly increasing since Pope Francis
started leading the Church. It thus obviously denotes the
pivotal role played by the Pope in reviving the Church.
The revival of the Church has been possible only because
Pope Francis himself took the lead in living out an
exemplary life filled with moral values added with
simplicity.
The resurrection of the Church, if we could term
it so and for a lion's share, meant also the revival of
religious life. Pope Francis paved the way for it by posing
himselfas asimpleandhumbleservantofGod.Weallare
The Resurrected Church with the PopeThe Resurrected Church with the Pope
Jeyaseelan SJ
Article

sublimated in after life. The limitations are of space and
time, knowledge and wisdom, ability and might, caste
and class, sickness and death. The resurrection is not
experienced only in the afterlife but even in the present
life, one can experience it. Jesus forms the paragon par
excellence, who overcame the limitations of various
kinds imposedupon His lifeas aJewish humanbeing.
Since the day he is elevated to the helm of the
Catholic Church, Pope
F r a n c i s s p r e a d s
resurrection in the veins
and sinews of the body of
the Church. He had the
personal conversion of
dying to the self. In his
past life as a Jesuit Priest,
he directed the Novices,
governed the Province of
Argentina. As the
Bishop and Cardinal, he
a d m i n i s t e r e d t h e
Diocese. He came to realize more and more of his
bondages. Becoming aware of one's own shackles forms
the first step of the ladder of resurrection. His sojourn
with the poor, his intimacy with the needy, his union with
the suffering and his compassion for the downtrodden
taught him to be an altruist in the vein of Jesus.Therefore,
after being elected as the Pope, he wants the Church to be
the Church of the poor. He opted to live in the guesthouse
rather than the Papal Residence as the befitting gesture of
belonging to the Church of poor. He insists that Doctrine
of the Church should adjust to the lives of Church
members and not vice versa. Such attitudes would
engender hope in the hopeless. Everyone is invited to
taste the resurrection gifted by Jesus, but the Church has
tofacilitatethatprocess.
As a theology student, I had come across models
of the Church. Pope Francis has added a poignant model
here is no better introit for the following
composition I could have than the literary piece
th
TI read in Matters India, published on 6 March
2016, at 10.31 P.M., that appeared in Catholic News
th
Agency on 5 March 2016, concerning 18 years old
Carlos Adrian Vazquez Jr. Carlos has been sentenced to
11 years in prison, which he has begun serving at age 16.
He wrote to Pope Francis. He received the response from
st
the Pope on 21 January.
Carlos did not expect a
response, but the Pope did
respond. The Pope
consoles Carlos, requests
h i s p r a y e r , a n d
encourages him to make
use of the Holy Door of
Mercy at the prison for the
Catholic Church's Jubilee
of Mercy. This letter of
Pope brought a change in
Carlos. He had wanted to
end his life, but now he sees hope and a future. He has
written to the family of his victim for forgiveness. He has
confidence that God has forgiven him. He characterized
the Pope's letter as a message from God. I hum the
chorus: 'Great things happen when God mixes with us.'
Death was understood to be the end of life; when God
became a human in Jesus, the same death was
transformedtobethebeginningof resurrection.
The term 'resurrection' constitutes an experience.
Instead of comprehending it intellectually, one needs to
experience the resurrection. Yet, one must distinguish it
from resuscitation. The locution 'resuscitation' indicates
returning to the same life encumbered with limitations.
To paraphrase this definition, resuscitated Lazarus of
Bethany will fall sick again and die. Resurrection leads
into the life that is devoid of limitations. Those
limitations that weigh heavily upon the present life are
Resurrection through the Prism of Pope
Francis' Life
Resurrection through the Prism of Pope
Francis' Life
Fr. James B. Dabhi SJ
Article

Father. Pope Francis urges us all to become merciful to
one another, like our Heavenly Father.The Pope believes
that everyone is a loving child of God. Therefore, he
could write to Carlos in the prison, “Dear Carlos, May
the peace of Jesus Christ be with you!” Therefore, he
could utter on other occasion, “Who am I to judge?” in
connection with those having homosexual orientation.
We are here to understand and accompany our fellow
human beings. Such attitude ushers in resurrection for
all. The Church has all the potentials to exhibit the
resurrectionthatisprovidedbyGod throughJesus.
The resurrection is not only the end product of the
earthly life, but also the part and parcel of it. In other
words, one has to experience the resurrection every day
and not wait for the last day. If I am able to forgive, ask
pardon, obey, adjust, accept, go out of myself, think out
of box, then I am experiencing resurrection. When I
forgive, I rise from my grave of hurts. When I accept the
other as she/he is, I rise from my grave of prejudice.
Risen from my grave, I may be able to raise others from
their graves of disorientation, addiction, disappointment,
hopelessness, hardheartedness.According to Fr. Michael
Kennedy, SJ, who guided Carlos, Carlos started to read a
lot of articles about the Pope. Carlos felt that the Pope
was a person who had transformed his own self.
Resonating with Carlos, I admit that the one who has
experiencedtheresurrectioncanleadotherstoit.
God raised Jesus from the dead and announced
God's project to raise the whole humanity through Jesus.
Death is not the last word of human history, but the
resurrection. The resurrection must permeate the entire
human history and not remain just the end product.
Therefore, Jesus lives a life, bringing many out of their
varieties of graves. His vicar on earth, Pope Francis,
continues now to sow the resurrection in the field of
death.
(JamesistheRectorof Gujarat VidyaDeep)
into that catalogue. According to him, the Church is a
hospital near the battlefield. The wounded soldiers are
brought to the hospital.The hospital cannot keep waiting,
because the wounded soldiers may not be able to come on
their own. The hospital needs to go to the fallen soldiers.
The Church has to embark in search of the lost, the least,
and the last. Jesus, who founded the Church, has
envisaged such a Church. The lost, the least, and the last
musthaveanopportunitytoexperiencetheresurrection.
Pope Francis' magnanimity toward rectifying
marriages, restarting administering the sacraments falls
in line with going forth in search of the lost. The Church
is the dispenser of the sacraments, not the controller. He
holds that faithful should not be denied the sacraments,
unless grave reasons demand so. I am reminded of an
analogy, my sacrament teacher used to offer in theology
class, that in a parish, there is division. Should a priest
celebrate the Holy Eucharist, which is the sign and
symbol of unity in this parish? One answer could be,
“no.” Unless the parishioners are united, no Holy
Eucharist can be celebrated, because it symbolizes the
unity. Other answer could be, “yes.” In spite of disunity,
celebrate the Holy Eucharist, because the Holy Eucharist
is the source of grace to generate unity. Pope Francis
seemstoadvocatethelatterposition.
In his Apostolic Exhortation EvangeliiGaudium,
Pope Francis asserts that God is in dialogue with the
faithful. Therefore, he exhorts the preachers to prepare
and deliver the homily in such a way that enhances this
already initiated dialogue rather than hinders it. He
counsels the evangelizers to disseminate joy through
words and works. To the youth gathered in convention,
Pope Francis advices to be positively restless. One has
not to feel comfortable with the limitations of the system.
All his efforts lead his flock in the direction of
experiencingtheresurrection.
The current year of Jubilee of Mercy enfolds all
who stand in need of love and liberation of the Merciful

development of the entire society, yet this man finds few
issues to solve and walk with the people, which he says
with a smiling face.As for me, he is different who has the
power to lift me up from my imprisonment. He is a man
with whom I can walk with a deep rapprochement and
haveadialoguetobefree.
The Christian message not only questions justice
and peace but also accompanies people in their
difficulties. On Maundy Thursday he included a woman
as part of the twelve disciples and washed their feet, met
prisoners and has declared a year of mercy. “If the
Church is called to be merciful, why then is the Church
not able to forgive all who are really in need of
forgiveness?,” I exclaimed. Ah! He says that the Church
at times follows and stresses on that which is in the code
as moral rules and excludes the rest. The Church leaders
are afraid to be innovative and creative and take the
middle path to be safe. In fact the Church is called to be
the models of Christ, living God's presence showing
mercy and forgiveness to all in need. I see a creative and
charismatic leader in him who has an ambition to wipe
every tear from the eyes of those who suffer and bring joy
back in their lives. He has broken all traditions by not
abolishing it but by giving it a new meaning to follow
with ease. He said, “Who am I to judge?” The One above
knows us well and forgives so why can't we? Whether
you feel it or not, I feel I am accepted and ready to fulfil
his mission. I see this man as an expert filled with
diversified experiences making an impact on the whole
world.
Then I heard a voice calling me, “Get up, get up
my friend” and I got up realising that I was dreaming.
Whatever may be, this man has made me to see an
everlasting dream. It's my responsibility to make this
dream a reality to face the challenges and live like him,
seeinganopportunitytobuildanewChurch.
(Pratapisa3 yrPhilosophystudentatJDV)
rd
s I was so weak and needed help, a strong man
lifted me up and he walked holding me. The
Aworld's views about him have not remained
the same, with time their perspectives have changed. I am
a divorced man, an unforgivable sinner. Many years have
passed and it was for the first time ever since my divorce
that I could at least see the church doors opened to me. He
liftedmeuptoseetherealityas awholeinitsparts.
In this era of profound changes the Church is
called to offer herself as an accommodative entity. It has
to be genuine and liberal, rendering visible signs of the
presence and closeness of God. It has to live out the true
spirit of Christ which I find this man is doing, he has been
trying his very best to broaden the horizons of peoples'
heart. Yes he has become the voice of the voiceless. The
newness we see is truly the new horizon for our times. It
is not something new but a renewal of the age old
traditions.
According to him Vatican II allowed the Church
to emerge from the shoals which the Church for years had
kept herself enclosed. With Vatican II though the Church
feltthatshe has beenabletodirecttheoverallgrowthand
From a Closed Church to …?From a Closed Church to …?
PratapSamad SJ
Article

blind Bartimaeus
who was begging
there. The Pope
o b s e r v e s t h a t
r a t h e r t h a n
offering alms to
the blind man, he sought to encounter him, asking: “What
do you want me to do for you?” It indicates Jesus' desire
'to hear our needs.' He wants to talk with each of us about
our lives, our real situations, so that nothing is kept away
from him. It is the disciples' duty to lead people to Jesus
inawaythatis encouragingandliberating.
Pope Francis went on to warn against two
specific temptations to which Jesus' followers are
susceptible. He refers to the first of these as a “spirituality
of illusion,” whereby we walk alongside Jesus, but avoid
being bothered with the problems of others. He
continues, “We can walk through the deserts of humanity
without seeing what is really there; instead, we see what
we want to see. We are capable of developing views of
the world, but we do not accept what the Lord places
before our eyes.” We are able to speak about him and
work for him, but we live far from his heart, which is
reachingouttothosewho arewounded.
The second temptation is what Pope Francis
refers to as a “scheduled faith,” whereby we walk with
God's people but follow our own agenda for the journey,
expecting others to “respect our rhythm,” and being
bothered by our own problems. The Pope observed that
this temptation makes us like the “many” people in the
Gospel who lose patience and rebuke Bartimaeus, with
the mindset: “whoever bothers us or is not of our stature
is excluded.” “Jesus, on the other hand, wants to include
those, kept on the fringes who are crying out to him,” he
said.
st
(Paul is a 1 yr Theologian at JDV)
ope Francis, during the Synod on Family,
reminded the pastors of their duty to accompany
Pthe faithful and to be the bearers of God's mercy
especially in times of suffering and conflict. He said
“Jesus' disciples are called to this, even today, especially
today: to bring people into contact with the
compassionate Mercy that saves.” Moments of suffering
and conflict are for God's occasions of mercy. Today is
the time of mercy! “His fatherhood opens up for them a
path forward, a way of consolation after so many tears
andgreatsadness,” thePopesaid.
Pope Francis was reflecting on the difficulties
and joys of the pastors in their work. “A believer is
someone who has experienced God's salvific action in his
life,” he said. We pastors have experienced what it means
to sow with difficulty, at times in tears, and to rejoice for
the grace of a harvest which is beyond our strength and
capacity. Jesus' compassion, led him to take up all human
weaknesses and temptations; for this reason he is the
mediator of the new and definitive covenant which
brings us salvation.
As we read in the Gospel of Mark 10:46-52,
Jesusseems to be entering into a conversation with the
To Lead the People, Walk with them
A Glance at the Life of Pope Francis
To Lead the People, Walk with them
A Glance at the Life of Pope Francis
Br.PaulRaj
Article

surrender ourselves to God in prayer, we get the grace to
look at the world as God looks, which is with compassion
and mercy. It is with this divine eye that he looks at
people, events and situations especially the poor and the
marginalised.
When Bergolio was chosen the Pontiff, he
promised to reform the antiquated and troubled Vatican
Institutions; he took a
strong but merciful stand
against sexual scandals
and child abuses in the
Church. His approach
a g a i n s t i n j u s t i c e ,
o p p r e s s i o n a n d
exploitation, has a
definite preference for the
poor, the oppressed and
the exploited. He is a man
for others who is not afraid of speaking out the truth even
when it hurts the powerful and the evil doers. In reference
to Trump's policy towards Mexicans crossing over to
America he said 'anyone who is thinking about building
walls without building bridges is not a Christian.” He
cautioned the political parties and movements in Europe
which oppose immigrants fromArab countries about the
imminent'disappointment'.
How is Pope Francis relevant to the people in
Asia? What is his message to the people of Asia? Pope
Francis, in his first Easter Sunday message after his
election called for peace in Africa, Asia, the Middle East
and across the globe. During his visits to South Korea, Sri
Lanka and Philipines he stressed the importance of peace
and stability through dialogue, pursuit of truth, solidarity
with the poor and mercy to the weak. Given the cultural
and religious diversity, rampant corruption, exploitation
of the weaker sections, persecution of the minority,
(Continued in the next page)
ccording to Indian religions, liberation is the
ultimate aim of life in this world and a total
Aliberation is possible either while alive or at
the time of death. Buddha, through his enlightenment,
was a person who was totally liberated while he was
alive. Pope Francis belongs to the category of people
who are totally liberated while alive (jivanmukta). Total
liberation is an experience
of resurrection from the
limited human existence to
the unlimited possibilities
of divine existence. A
liberated person continues
to live in this world not for
his own sake but for the
welfare of the other and the
world. How do we know
whether a person is
liberated while alive or not? Based on one's life, actions,
values and result of their actions, one can decide whether
aperson isliberatedor not,whilealive.
As the young Jesuit provincial of Argentina,
Bergoglio was a limited person, limited in his world
views and understanding of persons and realities around
him. He was criticised for his unilateral decisions:
ignorance about the suffering of the poor, the migrants
and the slum dwellers and also his intolerance towards
liberation theology and his insensitivity towards the
Jesuits who worked with the poor and the marginalised.
After a voluntary exile in Cordoba when he came back in
1992 as the auxiliary bishop of Buenos Aires, he was a
transformed person. Weeks of prayer and meditation in
solitude made him a liberated person, a man with the
'resurrection experience'. Prayer was the core of his
resurrection experience. Prayer for Bergoglio was 'an
experience of giving away, surrendering to God, where
dialogue, listening and transformation occur.' When we
Pope Francis: A Liberated PersonPope Francis: A Liberated Person
Fr. Stephen SJ
Article

passionately articulated in Ladato si, are clear
expressions of his liberated self. People in Asia/India
need liberated people like Pope Francis to give them
hope, support and consolation. Pope Francis is a bright
star shining in the darkness giving light and hope to
million across the world. Like Buddha, he can show the
wayofliberationtoothers.
(Stephen SJ is a professor of Indian Philosophy at
JDV)
division and conflict in the name of religions and
ideology, the Pope's visits gave new hope and impetus to
the liberative movements in different parts of Asia. In
spite of North Korea's provocative actions during the
visit of the Pope, in his first speech in South Korea, he
said reconciliation on the Korean peninsula had
implications for “the stability of the entire area and
indeed of the whole war-weary world.”The 'gift of peace'
to the younger generations, he said, can be ensured only
through 'listening and dialogue.' In his address in Sri
Lankawhere the army andTamilrebels accuseeachother
of atrocities, the Pope called for the 'pursuit of truth,' “not
for the sake of opening old wounds, but rather as a
necessary means of promoting justice, healing and
unity.” And he assured that peace could be achieved
through “cultivating those virtues which foster
reconciliation, solidarity and peace.” He encouraged the
local church “to seek partners in peace, so that all
religions can stand united against any further violence”
orreligiousextremismintheland.
In Philippines, based on the theme 'mercy and
compassion' he emphasised “solidarity with the poor and
mercy to the weak.” To the typhoon Haiyan affected
people he said, “I admire the heroic strength, faith and
resilience demonstrated by so many Filipinos in the face
of natural disaster.” Referring to the corruption and
social inequalities in the country, he exhorted the people
“to reject every form of corruption” in the society and
requested the political leaders to “adhere to honesty,
integrityandcommitmenttothecommongood.”
Pope Francis has impacted the church and the
world more than any other pope, through his life-style,
values, policies, interventions, compassionate actions
and documents. The proclamation of the year of mercy,
strong actions against the corrupt and evil forces in the
church, his concern about 'our common home' which he
Opinion
`Pope Francis has been leading
well not only the whole Church but also the
entire humanity with his exemplary life.
He is making a positive and vibrant impact
on every one who encounters him and
whom he encounters. If we look at his early life, he was
not the person whom we admire now. Today he is like
one of those Jesus' disciples who preached Christ after
his resurrection. Resurrection made a lot of difference in
the lives of his disciples. The unrelenting faith of the
disciples is the convincing proof for the resurrection of
Christ. Those disciples who were once so afraid, came
out courageously and proclaimed the good news, risking
their lives. Their bold and courageous behavior does not
make sense unless they knew with absolute certainty that
Jesus had been raised from the dead. I feel that Pope
Francis too must have had such an experience of the
resurrected Lord and the way he lives and leads people
are effects of his such experience. I hope that he will lead
the whole world to have the impact of Christ's
resurrectionasithadon himselfanddisciplesof Jesus.
rd
(Albin is a 3 yr philosopher at JDV)

message of resurrection lies in the heart of the people and
should bring transformation in the society where we live.
The Pope says that the good news of the Resurrection,
should shine on our face, in our feelings and in our
behavior and in the way we treat others. Christ's
resurrection would not demand unattainable goals but it
is to be a response to the daily events of our life, where we
connectourselveswithGod, neighborsandself.
From this perspective, Resurrection becomes a
pointer that aids us to work towards the omega point
which all the creatures of the world march towards. This
point is Christ. When there is no impact of resurrection,
our lives become absurd and we feel the absence of His
presence in and through us. Being consecrated people
we are call to be channels of love to the marginalized and
unprivileged in the society.
Where there is injustice,
suffering and desperation, we
are called to be living
instruments of peace and
reconciliationfor humanity.
Pope Francis again in
strong terms says that we
proclaim the resurrection of Christ when his light
illuminates the dark movement of our existence and we
are able to share it with others; when we know when to
smile with those who smile and weep with those who
weep; when we accompany those who are sad and at risk
of losing hope; when we recount our experience of faith
those who are searching for meaning and happiness. The
sacrament of Baptism invites all Christians to partake in
the paschal mystery and to respond to the Message of
God. In Christ through our Baptism, we are raised; we are
passed from death to life, from the slavery of sin to the
freedom of love. Through the Baptism the seed of
eternity is planted within us. Let our lives be conquered
andtransformedbytheResurrection.
st
(Maureen is a 1 yrTheologianinJDV)
esurrection of Christ is the fullness of life
which demands every Christian to respond.
RAccording to Newton's third law of motion, for
every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. As a
Christian, we are called to respond to the resurrection of
Christ through our way of life which is the spirituality of
resurrection. This spirituality should emerge within us to
answer the Divine call. Resurrection is the starting point
of our response to the crucified Christ.Apostles were the
first witnesses who responded to the call of God amidst
persecutions and hardships. Jesus did not disappear after
His resurrection but started to encourage His own to
respond to the demands of His resurrection. The initial
response to the resurrection may be a combination of
wander, perplexity and unbelief. Actually Jesus'
teachings do not end with His
death. His disciples still had
much to learn. Without
resurrection Jesus life would
have been an utter failure and
disappointment because it had
more promises. With the
resurrection every movement
of Jesus' life became meaningful. The apostles
recognized more and more the power of Jesus'
resurrection in their lives. Easter is the beginning of the
attitudes and spirit of hopes, of confidence and trust. It is
our responsibility to cooperate with this wonderful grace
thatJesus isofferingus.
According to Pope Francis, this is the Good news
that we are called to carry to others in every environment,
animated by the Holy Spirit. The Disciples of Christ had
to launch out to the world, revealing the Merciful love of
the Father and the liberating power of the Paschal
mystery. Faith in the resurrection of Jesus and the hope
He has brought to us are the most beautiful gifts that a
Christian can and must offer to his brothers and
sisters,the Pope reiterates. He also asserts that the
Resurrection Demands ResponseResurrection Demands Response
Sr. Maureen. P SCC
Article

Jesus is absent; his tenderness, his meekness, and his
love are not found in dry ideologies. Ideologies are
always rigid. When a Christian becomes a disciple of
ideology, he has lost faith. The knowledge of Jesus gets
transformed into an ideologistic and moralistic
knowledge. This type of an attitude has closed the doors
of the Church to many. The Christian with such an
attitude is no longer a disciple of Jesus; he is a disciple of
anattitude,athought.
Ideologies frighten people and chase them away.
It distances people and distances the Church. Ideologies
cause rigid and moralistic attitude which is without
kindness. One of the reasons why a Christian becomes
like this is because he does not pray. Only in prayer can a
Christian become more Christ-like and avoid falling into
the trap of being satisfied because he is following some
rigid and dry ideology which is devoid of any human
feelings or emotions in it. It is easy to become a disciple
of an ideology, than to follow the living Jesus, whose
demands, calls for a total surrender from our innermost
being. It is taking refuge in certain well laid out ideas than
following the promptings of the Spirit which could lead
us anywhere.
Therefore, Pope Francis exhorts us to serve one
another and not ideologies. He warned against
ideological colonization that wants to destroy the family
unit. Families are based on love, a total love and a
complete commitment which is irrevocable. Christianity
is not about following a certain set of rules and
regulations; dos and don'ts. It is the complete surrender
of self to Christ; it is the following of Christ and loving
Him so intimately that one gets transformed into His
image and likeness. It calls for complete commitment
that leads to genuine and real happiness and joy. Thus we
arecalledtoserveandnottobeserved.
rd
(Sanay is a 3 yr Theologian at JDV)
esus was people-centric and not ideology-centric.
He came not to form a dry ideology but to bring
Jlove, joy, and peace in the lives of the people here
and now. Our present Pope is very closely following this
exampleof Jesus.
Pope Francis told the Cuban people that love and
service, not anyone's ideology, are the keys to their
happiness. "We do not serve ideas, we serve people," the
Pope told hundreds of thousands of people gathered at
Havana's Revolution Square for Mass on Sept 20, 2015.
In his homily, Pope Francis focused on an aspect of Jesus'
ministry that he tries to imitate: First of all, identify the
good in a person, then help or challenge him/her to build
onthatgood instinctor behaviour.
“Far from any kind of elitism, the horizon to
which Jesus points to us is not of those few privileged
souls capable of attaining the heights of knowledge or
different levels of spirituality,” he said. “The horizon to
which Jesus points us always has to do with daily life,
also here on “our island”, something which can season
ourdailyliveswitheternity.
The following reflections are culled out from the words
ofPopeFrancis.
Ideologies do not beckon people. In them
Serve people, not ideologiesServe people, not ideologies
Sanay Antony SJ
Article

the future generations may have enough space to breathe
thefreshairof equality,dignityandfreedom.'
Yet, all hope isn't lost. The voice of Pope Francis
is constantly raising our morale by disturbing the
stagnant conscience to rise and be awakened to look at
the reality around us and to clean the dirt of passiveness,
laziness, fear and suppression by acting in a manner that
the Risen savior has taught us, to be the voice of the
voiceless and to spread the Good News to the ends of the
world.
We have a great task at hand despite the horror
lurking around us to make disciples of all nations. Our
passivity and blurriness of vision will only lead us to the
empty tomb, but a deeper realization of our true
responsibility will help us move forward to implement
the voice of our conscience into reality that which was
once, only a faint dream. The dawn of a new life still
awaits us!!! Let's go and make a difference using the right
spectaclesattherighttimetoseetherealityclearly.
nd
(Savio isa2 yrPhilosopher inJDV)
e all wear spectacles in some form or the
other. The only difference is that while for
Wsome it is clearly visible to the naked eyes
while for others it stays invisible. Yet, we seldom make
an effort to clean our spectacles? The reason is our belief
in oneself, “I'm not blind, but you are blind, open your
eyes and see it for your self is our immediate response.” It
would all depend therefore on how clearly we see things
inthepresent.
Through my spectacles, when I do see Christ's
resurrection, do I see it as a new life that has been given to
me or do I just view it as an empty dead tomb? Is not my
heartburningtodo somethingfor aChrist?
Yes indeed, a deep and ecstatic experience of
Christ's resurrection gives me the strength to see my life
through His spectacles. A life completely filled with the
spirit and empty of all illusions. But, if my experience is
just a shallow, superficial, one time feeling type then it
will culminate at the empty tomb, beyond which I will be
abletoseeno further.
Pope Francis in his recitation of the Regina Coeli
on Easter Monday led the pilgrims in St. Peter's Square in
a rousing chant of “Christ is risen!” this act of Pope calls
each of us to participate in the celebration of the
resurrection in an active way. The chant is to become
aware of the risen Lord, and to experience his presence
among us as promised to us.This gives us the power to go
out into the world and to proclaim the Good news to those
inneed.
Here is what a person truly inflamed by Christ's
resurrection had to say about his deep and unifying
experience of the suffering servant of God. 'Our current
world is marred with the evils of war, corruption, rape,
pedophilia, etc. and all we do is sit dead in the empty
tomb not wanting to come out and see the reality. What
weoughttodois,movebeyondtobringachange,so that
SpectaclesSpectacles
Savio Fernandes SJ
Article

for all of us to take care of our environment. He brings
integration between science and religion by integrating
God's creationism with evolutionism. He says the “Big
Bang” theory or the “Steady State” theory is the work of
God as a part of His creation. For “God was not a
magician during the time of creation to make everything
appearwithamagicwand”hestates.
He has even come away from the conservative
track by his recent ideas. Earlier, divorce and abortion
were a sin in accordance with the Church. The former
Popes – John Paul II and Benedict XVI strongly opposed
divorce and abortion. But Pope Francis has declared that
women, who had abortion, might be forgiven and there
might be room for divorced people in the Church.
Though some Church hierarchy opposes him for these
ideas, the faithful welcome him. Even an atheist, who
lives a moral life, might find a way into heaven according
to Pope Francis. He declines to pass judgement upon gay
people by asking “Who am I to judge?” in this year of
Mercy.
The diversities among religions with their
teachings and belief systems should not affect humanity.
As he shares his love with whole humanity like Jesus, let
us also follow the footstep of Christ through the
exemplary life of Pope Francis and radiates love and
exudes joy. Let the world shine with the sparks of
“LOVE”.
nd
(A. Jose is a 2 yr Philosopher in JDV)
f there is not joy in your religion, you have a leak
in your religion.” - Billy Sunday
IIn this competitive world, everyone is trying to
compete with each other in all aspects. Humanity has
lost its human values and is more attracted towards the
material values. Even the different religions are not
exempted from this dehumanizing value. Each one
tries to claim that they were the true ones and others
were fake/false. Among all these conflicts, Pope
Francis with his very life has become a bridge to unify
all the religions and nations in the world with the
virtues of love, mercy and compassion.
The Roman Catholic Church had been very
conservative by strictly following the traditional values
till the date of Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio,
Archbishop of Buenos Aires, Argentina was elected as
Pope .The Church was not ready to change with the
modern world. As the world positively changes, so the
Christian Church needs to change. Pope Francis does not
want to be very conservative and fundamental but
lovable and compassionate towards humanity. It can be
understood that he is a mere reflection of Jesus Christ. He
continues to take the mission of Jesus Christ forward
which is to show other Christian communities and the
world that the Catholic Church is not only for a particular
group ofpeoplebutforthewholeworld.
His very simple life is an inspiration for many
faithful and others. Some radical instances are as
follows:
The very act of Pope Francis' washing the feet of
the prisoners during the Maundy Thursday Eucharistic,
his social concern by opposing capitalism, colonialism
and consumerism and his attempt to bring unity among
the enemy nations are good examples. Through his
encyclical – “Laudato si”, he invites us to care for
ourcommon home from this ongoing man made
destruction.His encyclicalonclimatechangeis analarm
Modern Christianity With Pope FrancisModern Christianity With Pope Francis
A. Jose SJ
Article

1) “A person who thinks only about building walls, wherever they may be - and not building bridges - is not
Christian.”
4) “Every Christians is called to “reconcile family feuds, relations with their estranged brothers and sisters,
and to being speaking with the estranged members forgetting the hurts and wrong doing of past.”
8) “Hatred is not to be carried in the name of God! War is not to be waged in the name of God!”
9) “I am convinced that the whole Church — which has much need to receive mercy, because we are sinners
— will find in this jubilee the joy to rediscover and render fruitful the mercy of God, with which we are
all called to give consolation to every man and woman of our time.”
10) “I see clearly that the thing the church needs most today is the ability to heal wounds and to warm the
hearts of the faithful ... I see the church as a field hospital after battle.”
Let the Church always be a place of mercy and hope, where everyone is welcomed, loved and forgiven.”
13) “Let the risen Jesus enter your life, welcome him as a friend, He is life! If up till now you have kept Him
at a distance, step forward. He will receive you with open arms.”
17) “Perhaps you were mad, perhaps plates flew, but please remember this: never let the sun go down without
making peace! Never, never, never!”
2) “Death is behind us, not in front of us. In front of us is the God of the living, the definitive defeat of sin and
death,thestartofanewtimeofjoyandendlesslight.”
3) “Do I pray that the Lord gives me the desire to do his will, or do I look for compromises because I'm
afraid of God's will?
5) “Flying a kite resembles the approach you need to take regarding a person's growth: sometimes you need to
givethemsomeslackbecausetheyare'wavering.'”
6) “God's face is that of a merciful father who is always patient. A little bit of mercy makes the world less
cold and more just.”
7) “Graceis notpartofconsciousness;itis theamountoflightinoursouls, notknowledgenor reason.”
11) “If we do not confess to Christ what would we be? We would end up a pitiful NGO… What would happen
would belikewhenchildrenmakesand castlesandthenitallfallsdown?”
12) “
14) “Letus allrememberthis:onecannotproclaimtheGospelofJesus withoutthetangiblewitness ofone's life”
15) “Letus ask for thegracenottotireaskingfor forgiveness,becauseHenevertiresofforgiving.”
16) “Our daily problems and worries can wrap us up in ourselves, in sadness and bitterness… and that is where
deathis.Thatis nottheplacetolookfortheOnewho isalive!”
18) “Resentment is like a full house with lots of people crammed inside so they can't see the sky, while pain is like a
cityinwhichtherearestilllotsofpeople,butatleastyou canseethesky.”
Famous Quotes of Pope FrancisFamous Quotes of Pope Francis

19) “Sin is not a stain that I must wash out. What I need to do is ask forgiveness and reconcile myself, not go to the
drycleaners.Ihavetogo encounterJesus who gavehis lifefor me.”
20) “Tell me: when God looks at a gay person, does he endorse the existence of this person with love, or reject and
condemnthisperson?Itisnecessarytoaccompanythemwithmercy.”
21) “The emptier a person's heart is, the more he or she needs to buy, own, and consume”
22) “The reality of vanity is this: look at the peacock; it's beautiful if you look at it from the front. But if you look at
it from behind, you discover the truth. Whoever gives in to such self-absorbed vanity has huge misery hiding
insidethem.”
27) “We proclaim the resurrection of Christ when his light illuminates the dark moments of our existence, and we
areableshareitwithothers.”
28) “Whenever human beings fail to live up to this responsibility, whenever we fail to care for creation and for our
brothersandsisters, thewayisopenedtodestructionandheartsarehardened.”
29) “
23) “This Year of Mercy is a good occasion to meet up again, to embrace each other and forgive each other, to
leave bad things behind.”
24) “We can do the work of forgiving, by being mediators of mercy with works of mercy, so many good things
people can do projecting an attitude of reconciliation and unity.”
25) “We cannot give up in the face of evil. God is Love and he has defeated evil through Christ's death and
resurrection.”
26) “We must overcome...all forms of racism. The problem of intolerance should be dealt with as a whole:
every time a minority is persecuted and marginalized...the good of the whole society is in danger.”
God asks everythingof us, yetatthesametimeheofferseverythingtous.”
30) “Abortionisnotthelesseroftwoevils.Itisacrime.Itistothrowsomeoneoutinordertosaveanother.”
31) “Ifmoneyandmaterialthingsbecomethecenterofourlives,theyseizeus andmakeus slaves.”
Famous Quotes of Pope FrancisFamous Quotes of Pope Francis
His words are very simple with a strong
message for our lives.
Let us take his quotes deep into our hearts
and actualize them in our life.
His life gives a ray of hope.

resurrection she refers to bodily and spiritual
resurrection of Jesus. In resurrection, God manifest His
power through Jesus Christ breaking all barriers of
human conditions. Jesus' resurrection from the dead and
the words of the angel at the empty tomb, “Why are you
lookingfor Himamongthedead,He is risen and is alive,”
give us the understanding that God is not bound by
structures and institutions. Rather, God is omnipresent,
omniscient and omnipotent. God is beyond all human
constraints. Jesus' words from the cross to the repentant
criminal hung besides him, “Today you will be with me
in paradise,” is reestablishing the ruptured relationship of
humans with God, to enjoy the presence that once was
given to them by the creator in the beautiful paradise - the
GardenofEden.
In the New Testament, Paul, in his letter to the
Corinthians, calls Jesus the second Adam who, through
his life, death and resurrection, has redeemed humanity
from the clutches of sin which we as humans have
received as original sin of the first Adam. The
disobedience of Adam, the first human, separated us
from God making us toil and fall prey to sins, whereas
Jesus, the second Adam, through His obedience to God
even unto suffering and death has
shown us the path of hope by
uniting us with God. Therefore,
we as followers of Christ are
called to reconcile with all,
seventy times seven, which is
called to be the key to salvation
i.e.reconciliation.
Pope Francis, in speaking
to the newspapers in line with the
LGBT's rights and acceptance once said, “Who am I to
judge?”What does that imply? It states that we are not the
creators of these people, then how is it possible for us to
takedecisionsonbehalfof themor againstthem?
od the creator of the world, though displeased
by disobedient acts of the first humans in the
Ggarden of Life, is reconciled with them
promising them salvation through the blessings given to
our father of faith, Abraham. The Biblical story of Noah
is a clear sign of God reconciling the whole of creation
for its sinful nature and deeds of displeasing God: “I will
never again curse the ground on account of man, for the
intent of man's heart is evil from his youth; and I will
never again destroy every living thing, as I have done.”
God regenerates the whole world in spite of its sinfulness
by taking pairs of everything created clean and pure, and
then He blesses them saying, “Be fruitful and multiply.”
The act of God's reconciliation towards humanity has
been continuous. God saved His people and promised
them salvation, but it is humans, who are prone to sin,
disobey God and worship other false gods. Despite
human frailties God fulfills His promise giving them the
gift of life. In another story, we see Jonah praying for
forgiveness for the sins of others. He beseeches God,
“Even if there is only one righteous person in the city,
will God not forgive the whole city and spare it from His
wrath?” The merciful and forgiving God forgives even in
this situation.Thus we see the reconciling act of God who
resurrectshumankindbacktolifeandmoralliving.
When we speak about resurrection, is it a bodily
resurrection that we are speaking of or is it a spiritual
resurrection. When the Church speaks of Jesus'
John Fernandes SJ
Article
Resurrection: An Act of ReconciliationResurrection: An Act of Reconciliation

where the Lord was laid is empty. We are joyous on
hearing the angels say that he is raised and is not there
among the dead. The act of Jesus's resurrection brings
about reconciliation. First at the cross, Jesus says,
“Father Forgive them, for they know not, what they are
doing.” Though heavily laden by the cross and suffering,
yet, Jesus forgives them, surrendering them into the
hands of the Merciful God. Secondly, his encounter with
Mary Magdalene and other Mary's after resurrection
reconciles the women and accepts them as followers to
spread the message of resurrection to others. Thirdly, the
resurrection encounter of Jesus to his disciples reconciles
them of their fears, denials, lack of faith and failure to
read and understand the message into courageous
witnesses of the risen Christ. Jesus' resurrection
reconciled the whole world of its doings and has brought
salvation to humanity. This calls us to live out our
experiences of the risen Christ knowing that through His
resurrection He has transformed us into a new creation to
enjoy with Him in paradise. Therefore friends, with
confidence that Jesus is present with us always lets
proclaimthegood news toall.
nd
(John Fernandes is a 2 yr theologian at JDV.)
In John 8: 10b-11, Jesus asks the woman caught in
adultery, “Where are your accusers, didn't anyone
condemn you?” “No one,” she replies. “Then I too have
nothing against you, go and sin no more.” What Jesus
calls us to do is to condemn the sinful act and not the
sinner; instead we are called to accept and love the sinner
so that the acceptance and communion can bring
conversion of heart, resurrecting the reified human to
become living and loving person again. In Mt 5: 23-24,
Jesus calls us to first reconcile with the one we have
something against or have hurt the one and seek
forgiveness. If that person whom we have hurt says, “I
forgive you,” then one will find peace within and will see
the face of God. Whenever we cause a broken
relationship between our loved ones it creates a distance
between us and God because it displeases God.
Therefore it is said that we need to reconcile with the
brokenhearted ones, rebuild relationships and reunite
themtohavepeaceandharmonyinthesociety.
The success to reconciliation is our approach towards the
other and the power to build a positive attitude is to
submit oneself to the will of God. It is not an instant effect
theory, even though the present generation wants
everything in an instant way. This type of an attitude
towards life and others requires patience and self-
assurance. The other, seeing us reconciled, will surely
change for good and unite.The recipe for such an attitude
to grow is to pull out the root of the problem of enmity
when it is small, for once it grows it takes a strong hold of
our being. Remember friends, God has reconciled us
through the death of Jesus paying the price for our sins so
that we are free. If we are set free through reconciliation
then it is our responsibility to reconcile others from our
heart and set them free. What we learn from Christ is to
rely on God with confidence and to pray constantly for
thegracetodiscernthewillof God atalltimes.
The scene of resurrection, when dramatized, gives us a
sense of joy and happiness, and at the same time, a shock
and disappointment. We are puzzled to see that the place
Art by Amal Bosco SJ

Art by Maria Bosco SJArt by Maria Bosco SJ

DNC Times - April & May -2016

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