The document discusses the importance of reflection and formation. It notes that there are two worlds - the external world and inner world of thoughts and experiences. Reflection helps provide clarity and meaning to both worlds. Reflection must lead to right action. Formation plays an important role in developing leaders who can take right action. The document discusses topics covered in the Prajwalana journal, including formation, family, and leadership, and how ideas from reflection can be put into action. It thanks contributors and formators for their support.

1. Oct 2015 - Jan 2016Oct 2015 - Jan 2016Oct 2015 - Jan 2016 111111111111
We live amidst two huge worlds. The irst
world is the external world of people, things,
places, events, etc. The other world is the inner
world of emotions, experiences, memories,
thoughts, convictions and all that constitutes
it. We constantly shift our focus between these
two worlds which are very much interlinked.
The only vehicle that can enable us to see these
worlds with clarity and help us draw meaning
inlifeisthevehicleofre lection.
Re lection is not an end in itself. It must lead to action. This is
where the role of the leader (or “saviour”) comes into the picture. We
live in a world that is constantly throwing new challenges at us.
Re lection offers us better understanding of these problems and the
possible ways of going ahead. In other words, re lection is only a
prelude to right action. But there is a danger here. With the habit of
re lection, we have the tendency of becoming men of the head. The
head, which represents the aspect of thinking and reasoning in us
dominates and pushes the heart to the peripheries. Formation plays
animportantroleinsettingrightsuchanomaly.
The scholastics writing for the Writers Forum in the last three
months have been re lecting on the topics of formation, family and
leadership (“saviour in today's world”). These topics were discussed
in the line of the year of the 'Consecrated Life' that ended this year
with the introduction of the jubilee 'Year of Mercy'. The thrust has
always been on the question of relevance of ideas that can be put into
action.
KSJ Writers Forum has been providing a platform for the
scholastics to re lect and express their ideas on the pressing issues of
the time. The selected items from the last three issues are the result of
the present edition of Prajwalana. As we wish you a prosperous new
year 2016, we wish you pleasant and enriching reading of this edition
of Prajwalana. I remain grateful to all those who have contributed to
this issue. I also express my sincere appreciation to our formators,
especially Fr Stanislaus D’Souza our Provincial, Fr Joseph D’Souza,
our PCF, Fr Richard Sequeira and Fr Thomas Quadros for their
supportandguidance.
Praveen Kiran Martis
EditorialEditorial
Page 1
rajwalanaP
My hearty congratulations and
good wishes to another issue of
Prajwalana
Journals and newsletters rise
and fall. The fact that Prajwalana
keeps going is a clear sign of the
vitality of the venture and
creativity of the young minds.
While I am aware of the demands it
makes on the time and energy of the editors and
contributors, I have no doubt that it shapes a literary
and 'intellectual formation more than ordinarily
exacting' (GC 32:35). As I had said in my last message,
the Society sets very high standards for Jesuit
publications, in content, form and style. Just to bring to
your attention this high standard: “Whatever Jesuits
publish, should have the following characteristics: The
subjectmattertreatedshouldbeusefulaccordingtothe
apostolicgoalandmissionoftheSociety.Theworktobe
published should be better than average in its category
andthuscomeuptothelegitimateexpectationsofthose
forwhomitisintended”(Manual320).Theselegitimate
expectations are a constant challenge to go beyond
mediocrity that often characterizes the print and
electronicmedia.
I am happy to note that you have taken relevant
themes for your intellectual search: formation for
transformation, family Life, and Christmas ­ Saviour in
Today's World. A close look at the themes suggests that
they are interrelated. The birth of Jesus in the family of
Joseph and Mary has set a model for formation in family
and everywhere including seminaries. From a human
point of view, although Joseph and Mary were poor
people, and hence they had to encounter many socio­
economicdif icultiesandstruggles,theyformedJesusin
Provincial’s MessageProvincial’s Message

2. such a way that he became a world leader. They could have been obsessed with deprivations and made their lives miserable.
But they changed their perspective. Amidst their limitations they looked at God, the source and summit of all goodness and
becamecreativeintheirattitudeandapproach.TheyfoundmanyopportunitiestoformJesusasagreatleaderinhistory.
I think we have a message here. As humans we are limited. We have our weaknesses and limitations. And we can be
obsessedwiththem.Butholyfamilyoffersusanalternativemodel:wecanbedifferentandmakeadifferenceifwechangeour
perspective. Shall we be positive, proactive and thus be productive? Let us resist being negative, instead focus on our
strengths and build on them. While wishing a new beginning to all those in formation I wish all the best to Prajwalana: long
livePrajwalana;mayitalwaysbetransformative,fosterfamilyspirit,andspreadChristmasjoy.
Fr Stanislaus D’Souza SJ
PCF Speaks...
Page 2
rajwalanaP
Front page Header is designed by Sch. Arul
Formation is the process by which a man prepares for life as a priest or brother. Continued
discernment is an essential part of formation, since the process gives a man the tools and experience he
willneedinordertodiscernwell.Theprocessofdiscernmentdoesnotchangeamanintosomethingheis
not,rather,ithelpsamantobecomewhohereallyisandwhoGodcreatedhimtobe.
Whilewere lectontheaspectofformation,articulatingsomekeyaspectsofit arenecessary.
The formees in formation are essentially the product of the family. They inherit many traits from the family. Pope Francis
speaking about Priests says, Priests have a history. This means that one cannot become a priest, believing that one has been
formedinalaboratory,no; hestartsinthefamilywiththe'handingon'ofthefaithandwithalltheexperiencesofthefamily.
While one inherits many riches from the family, he also brings certain wounds along with him. On one hand one has to
learn to ind peace with this, on the other hand unlearning is necessary to learn needed characteristics of religious life. So
humanformationisverynecessaryforareligious.
Each vocation is personalized because it is the concrete person who is called to discipleship and priesthood. So can we
undermine the signi icance of a self formation? We cannot deny the role of formators in the formation of a formee,
nonetheless,selfformationisakeytogrowthand loweringofonespersonality.
Canwelearnmuchwisdomfromtheattitudeofthreeworkerswhowereworkingataconstructionsite.Toaquestionwhat
are they doing, each one answered differently. ' I am cutting a stone' , One said. Another replied, 'I am earning my livelihood.'
Thethirdanswered,'Iambuildinganation'.
Formation is for mission. Formation should gear towards to have in one a clear vision and a clear mission for oneself and
fortheSociety.
CanascholasticintheKarnatakaProvince say,IamformingmyselftobuildtheKarnatakaProvinceinparticular andthe
UniversalSocietyofJesusatlarge?
Fr Joseph D’Souza SJ
Jerald

3. Prajwalana
Page 3
I got out of my car and noticed the punctured
wheel. There was no transportation facility on that
road. It was a remote place. As I began to walk, I
came accross a burial ground. There I noticed a
young man, sitting beside a grave and crying. I was
moved. I approached him and asked him the reason
for his tears.
The man, though initially remained silent, after
some time broke his silence. He told me that the
grave beside him was his mother’s. I listened
attentively to him as he started to tell his story.
“Sir, my mother was a liar.
My story begins from the time
when I was a child: I was born
poor. Often we hadn’t enough to
eat. Whenever we had some
food, my mother often gave me
her portion of rice. While she
was transferring her rice into my
bowl, I used to tell her,”Mummy,
it is your share”. But she used to
tell me, “Eat this rice, my dear
son; I am not hungry.” This was
mother’s First Lie.
As I grew, mother gave up her spare time to
fish in a river near our house. She hoped that from
the fish she caught, she could give me a little bit
more nutritious food for my growth.
Once she had caught just two fish. She prepared
fish soup out of them. While I tasted the soup,
mother sat beside me and ate what was still left on
the bone of the fish I had eaten. My heart broke
when I saw that. So I gave her the other fish, but
she immediately refused it saying, “You eat it, son!
I don’t really like fish.” This was mother’s Second
Lie.
After father’s death, mother had to play the role
of a single parent. She had to look after all our
needs alone. Our family life was miserable. We
Only Mother
Arun Lobo SJ
suffered from starvation. Seeing
our family’s condition worsening,
our neighbours often advised my
mother to marry again. But
Mother refused to remarry, saying,
“I don’t need love at all”. This
was mother’s Third Lie.
When I had to sit for the final
examinations, mother accompanied me, after dawn.
She waited for me for hours in the heat of the sun.
When the bell rang, I ran to meet her. Mother
embraced me and poured me a
bowl of rice water. Seeing mother
covered with sweat, I at once gave
her my bowl and asked her to
drink too. Mother said, “Drink,
son! I’m not thirsty!” This was
mother’s Fourth Lie.
My mother started to work
day in and day out, both inside
and outside the house. She hardly
rested. Seeing her so, I would tell
her to rest a while. But she would
tell me, “No son, I am not tired”.
This was mother’s Fifth Lie.
After I had finished my studies, I got a job in
one of the famous companies in America. It was
time for my old Mother to retire, but she carried on
going to the market every morning just to sell a few
vegetables. I kept sending her money but she was
steadfast and even sent the money back to me. She
said, “I have enough money, son.” That was
mother’s Sixth Lie.
I continued my part-time studies for my
Master’s Degree. I was helped by the Company
for which I worked. I excelled in my studies. With
a big jump in my salary, I decided to bring mother
to enjoy life in America with her only son, but
mother didn’t want to bother her son. She said to

4. Prajwalana
Page 4
me, “I’m not used to high living, son. I am happy
here.” That was mother’s Seventh Lie.
In her old age, mother suffered from cancer and
had to be hospitalized. Now from far across the
ocean, I went home to visit mother who was on bed
after an operation. Mother tried to smile, but I was
heartbroken to see her so thin and feeble, but she
said, “Don’t cry, son! I’ve no pain.” That was
mother’s Eighth Lie. Telling me this, she died.
She used to call me “my son”. That was her
Ninth and Final Lie. Yes, she used to call me “son”,
but I was not her son. I realized this only after her
death. She nursed a thrown away child - me.
I am really blessed to have such a mother.
For those of you who are lucky to be still blessed
with your mom’s presence on earth, this story is
beautiful. For those who aren’t so blessed, this is
even more beautiful.
I remembered my mother and thanked God
because my family is only my Mother…
It begins with love
As a permanent commitment, as a vow
Wow! Promising loyalty in faith and love
As a sacrificial token exchanged forever and now.
Yes, everyone is born in a bond
Caring, loving and holding hand
Forget not, we swim together in a pond
Supporting each other, rapture beyond.
Praying together morning and evening
You know! It’s a graceful blessing
And here starts sharing and caring
A paradigm of life in fullness rendering
Today, it is rare to find
Phoney relationships can’t strong bind
When foiling storms are strong as wind
Everything is remorse and destroyed.
Come, let’s again combine and rejoin
As suff’ring and joy come together, two faces of a coin
Prayer and faith surely shower blessings’ rain
To grow in mutual and meaningful life again.
KENOSIS
John Prashanth
Saldanha SJ

5. Prajwalana
Page 5
A family
Is made of love and tears,
Laughter and years.
It grows stronger
And remains longer
With precious memories.
Sometimes a family is made of ones
You don’t like for a while.
But still love for a life time
You fight, quarrel and stop
Talking for days
yet sharing and caring for years.
It’s a place where you find
Someone to encourage you
Believe in you.
Celebrate with you, also
Mourn with you.
A family is where you
Feel at home because
You are welcomed, cared for and loved.
It’s a gift you get without asking,
It’s a gift you can compare with nothing.
A Precious Gift
Arun Lobo SJ
Stay Connected
Father is flying a kite. His son is watching him carefully. After some time son says “Dad, because
of the string the kite is not able to go any further..” Hearing this, the father smiles and breaks the
string. The kite goes higher and then shortly after that, it losses controls and is lost in the sky. The
child is very dejected and sad. The father sits next to him and calmly explains: “Son, in life we reach
a certain level and then we feel that there are certain things that are not letting us grow any further
like home, culture, friends etc. We feel we want to be free from those strings which we believe are
stopping us from going higher. But, remember son, ‘our home, family, friends and culture are the
things that will help us stay stable at the high heights. If we try to break away from those strings our
condition will be similar to the kite. “We will be lost.”
Moral: Keep in touch with your family, culture, relationships as they keep you
stable while flying high.

6. Prajwalana
Page 6
The web, the strands, the spider, triggers a
thought of connectedness and belonging. Each
aspect in the web signifies a variety of different
dimensions compared to the world. The web began
with a spider searching for a place to construct its
web. It chose the dimensions of spiritual, emotional,
physical and social life to hold on to and it built its
web. This spider’s web, the strands in it depict the
families. The diverse, rich and colourful families
spread all over the world as mentioned. “Look
towards heaven and count the stars if you are able
to count them.” [Gen 15:5]
The family is the cradle of life and love where
one first learns to become human. The basic sense
of belonging and the reception of identity shape the
life of an individual. This is conceived right from
the beginning in a family that moulds the clay as
per the values and the culture it has received. Life
is all about receiving and giving. History teaches
this and we practice living it. It is all that we have
imbibed from the roots of our families. But it takes
courage to become and live what we are called to,
amidst this fast changing culture and traditions in
this present world.
THE WEB OF LIFE
Avinash D’Souza SJ
How could we aspire to live
it? As we say that the beauty of a
country or the world is determined
by the values, character and the
principles of the family. As each
strand in the web contributes to
support another and uphold the
web, so it is with an individual in
the family. The responsibility rests on each one to
be humane and to live with harmony. One could to
damage relationships and cause chaos and turmoil.
This would harm the beauty of the family which is
called the web. The trick is supposed to be very
simple - to listen to our hearts and live as a flower
and not to listen to our mind and live as an ego-
filled stone. This is the very reason for the
difficulties and damages that take place in a family
life. As a stone shatters the spider’s web, so does
ego cause disharmony in families. The desire of
individualism should be pruned to extend the values
of give-and-take in the family.
The biological family that we come from and
the family of the Society of Jesus that we are living,
in guard the beauty of the web. The wind may blow
or the rain may splash over it. It still keeps shining.
It encourages us to live in a better way each day. It
challenges us to be like the flower rather than the
stone. As we march ahead in this world, let us
witness the richness the family life provides, and
live as a happy family and make the web of life
shine.
I asked GOD: If everything is already written
in Destiny, then why should I Pray?
GOD smiled and said: I have also written
‘CONDITIONS APPLY’
***
Trust is like a sticker. Once it is removed, it
may stick again, but not as strong as it holds
when you first applied.

7. Prajwalana
Page 7
Years ago, Fr Lancy D’Souza, of a certain
diocese in north India had to travel back to his
mission place from Mangalore central railway
station via Mumbai. He boarded the Matsyagandha
Express. His tickets were confirmed. He felt within
himself a kind of fear of travelling. Meanwhile he
received a call on his mobile of his friend priest of
Mangalore diocese who requested him not to travel
since an important programme was arranged in the
city. Fr Lancy walked back to his house. On his
way back he regretted for cancelling the tickets. He
could not understand why he felt a great relief in
cancelling his tickets. The next morning, as he woke
up he found many miss-calls in his mobile and a
SMS. It read, “Please watch any news channel”. The
news was “Matsyagandha Express derails; 14 dead”.
I was in a remote mission station for my
Christmas ministry. I left no stone unturned to make
the celebration a memorable one to the people. The
church was shining with colourful lights. Everything
was set ready. The church was full with the faithful.
It was 11:45 p.m., and we were about begin the
midnight Mass. My choir members were eager to
sing the entrance hymn. Suddenly the electricity
went off. Everything came to a standstill. We had
no other alternative power suppliers. All were quiet.
I was sitting near a window, desperate, not knowing
what to do. I saw the full moon shining brightly
LET EVERY HEART PREPARE HIM ROOM
Anush D’Cunha SJ
and shedding its light on us
through the windows. I asked the
people to open the windows wide.
In the still silence a month old
child cried loudly. Our choir
began the entrance hymn, Silent
Night. A true Christmas.
We have burdened ourselves
with external pomp. Our external sounds of
Christmas have engulfed us. I may be mistaken in
generalizing, but the truth is that we spend minimum
time in listening to our inner voice in the month of
December. We strongly believe that external
preparations would help us for internal preparation.
Can it be the other way round?
Today we are challenged with many external
forces. We are afraid of speaking aloud our religious
convictions. Every new rule and project of the
government seems motivated by polarization. We
find clouds surrounding us and curtailing our
freedom to live and to profess our faith.
Our Christmas can be meaningful if Christ is
realized in our day-to-day activities. Advent is not
a time for just waiting. It is a time of waiting for
ourselves. We need to come back to ourselves. We
need to realize that our inner voice is more important
than the external voices. Christ wants a place to be
born in us. He wants us to be simple in our hearts.
Let our hearts be ready to welcome Him.
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Life is similar to Boxing. Defeat is not declared
when you fall down. But it is declared when
you refuse to get up.
***
Everything is valuable only at two times. First
before getting it and second after losing it.

8. Prajwalana
Page 8
What is life? It is a mystery. The famous
Philosopher Gabriel Marcel would define mystery
as that thing which I am part of. Life is definitely
part of me. At times it thrills, at times it satisfies, at
times it showcases the greatest of my gifts while at
some other times it even pins me down or hangs
me upon my weaknesses. Life is that which ushers
itself with a cry and takes its leave with a moan.
All this gives life its meaning.
Life is popularly associated with movement, for
that which does not move is suspected as though
dead. Science also upholds the
layman’s notion of life as activity.
Bishop Fulton Sheen would go
one step further in defining life as
an imminent activity. The lowest
forms of beings are minerals and
chemicals formed deep inside the
earth. Needless to say that they
are part of the mineral kingdom,
belonging to the non-living. To
these activity is supplied from outside. For living
things activity is supplied from within. A plant
grows from within. It has the power of generation,
it can grow mysteriously by itself and it can nourish
itself. But a plant is made to remain fixed in one
place. The greater is the imminent activity, the
greater the life. An animal has a higher life than a
plant, the beast a fuller life than the grass it eats, so
also the bird than the pollen it gathers. Therefore
animals have a double imminent activity, that of
movement and the other of sense perception. But
animals are bound to their instincts.
Moving one step higher in the hierarchy of all
created things is the creation of human beings.
Human beings have a higher imminence of thinking
and willing. What makes human life special is the
capacity for knowledge and for love. A thought in
the mind of a human being is equally spiritual as is
that activity of an animal towards generating its
kind. The Psalmist has wonderfully said that life
consists in knowledge. Others are doomed to
THE GIFT OF LIFE
Ryan Rodrigues SJ
sameness; humans on the other
hand are gifted with creativity.
Above all things, we have the
capacity to commune with the
Ultimate that is good, true and
beautiful. A stone will fall with
the law of gravity, an animal will
be a slave to his instincts whereas
a human being has got a free choice to make, to do
or not to do all that lies in front of it. This choice
comes from within. We are co-creators. We have
the right to make anything as our
food, the power to harness the
waterfall, to even treat nature as
we like. But how can we become
perfect? Neither minerals, nor
plants or animals or even human
beings can be looked up to as
models of perfection. Perfect life
is that which is free and
independent of everything else.
That is what I would call God.
Life is God’s greatest gift to us and what we do
out of it is our gift, given back to God. The glory of
God is man and woman, fully human and fully alive,
happy and holy. Life is full of experiences and the
only thing that we have to do is to pursue these
experiences awaiting us. That is the imminence.
Don’t we find so much meaning? Yes, Life is
wonderful and worth living.
The month of December is special for us
Christians. We celebrate God who came and pitched
his tent among us. He chose to live among us. This
is the mystery of the incarnation. By taking human
nature upon Himself, the second person of the
Trinity laid aside his divine prerogative to sanctify
us, to save us and to redeem us. Human body is
therefore not a thing to be despised rather a temple
of the Holy Spirit. As we celebrate the birth of our
Saviour we celebrate the gift of life in all its fullness.
Let us cherish this gift and live it to the full. Merry
Christmas!

9. Prajwalana
Page 9
Family feasts and family gatherings are found
in almost every culture known to humanity. In their
collective wisdom, the authors of the various
cultures and traditions of the world have taught us
the importance of coming together as family. We
need family celebrations to go back to our roots and
to hold the threads of relationship firmly together.
Happy families make a happier world.
Family life is a grace and also a cross. We can
find many inspiring stories and also a lot of humour
surrounding family life. Family life is a joy. At the
same time it requires many adjustments, which can
often be uncomfortable and burdensome. With the
rapid changes in lifestyle, our life in the family has
also undergone rapid changes. The challenges this
brings forth needs newer answers. However,
problems concerning family cannot be solved by
words alone. Selfless love makes great burdens
light.
In his article, “Home and the World” (TOI, Oct
10), Dipankar Gupta makes a very interesting study
on farmers’ suicide. He bases his observation on
the National Crime Register which brings out the
two highest
causes of suicides in India – family problems
and health. Gupta notes, “a farmer’s loss of self-
esteem as father and husband makes indebtedness
hard to live with”. Gupta’s argument speaks for
itself and shows how family life can be a challenge
Family
Praveen Martis SJ
in the lives of many, especially the
poor and the oppressed.
Many philosophers and
thinkers remind us of our broader
link with the world around us.
Aristotle, the great Greek
philosopher of ancient times,
believed that family formed the
bedrock of a stable society. Martin Heidegger, the
well known German philosopher, speaks of our
human existence as being-in-the-world.
Pannenberg, a German theologian, reflects on
human existence as Weltoffenheit, which can be
understood as world-open-ness. Human beings are
always in the world. We are strongly linked with
the world. The world makes us what we are and it
forms our identity. Thinking with these great minds,
can we think of having a broader definition of
‘family’ today?
Family life can be seen as a loving-living
partnership. It reminds me of the anecdote of the
yoke that the late Fr Simon Furtado SJ often
repeated. It would be good to recall it. When two
bulls are put under a yoke, it is impossible to
calculate how much of the work is done by each of
the bulls. When the work is completed, we can only
say that the total of pulling is done by two bulls.
Family life is something like that - going through
life together.
The Church has always emphasized the
importance of family life. It has repeatedly taught
with wisdom, insight and concern that praying
together solves much of our family problems. This
is true for all times. The Synod of Bishops on
Family held this year between October 4 and 25
has been the latest attempt to deepen our
understanding of family and to reflect on the
challenges and the mission of family life in the
present context.

10. Prajwalana
Page 10
A young Jesuit priest died at the age of 33. He
was taken into heaven with all the heavenly entrance
tests. At last he stood before Jesus face to face.
This Jesuit was so furious that he started arguing
with Jesus saying, “I’ve spent more than half my
lifetime in the seminary and after 17 years of
formation I became a priest. I was healthy, strong,
and was filled with zeal for missionary work. But
suddenly you took away my life. Why? Seventeen
years of my Jesuit formation went in vain!
Jesus who was listening patiently began to tell
him a parable. “The Parable of a Stone.”
There was a huge stone lying in a hilly area. It
was shapeless, unattractive and ignored by all. One
day a sculptor happened to see it. He visualized a
wonderful piece of art hidden inside that stone. At
once he took it to his house. Day after day, he started
removing the unwanted protrusions from that stone
by hitting it with different tools to give it the
required shape. This went on for a long time, for
he wanted his work to be a perfect one. One fine
day, after the finest touches given to it, the artist
stood back a little and looking at his work,
exclaimed, “The masterpiece of my work!” It was
later kept in a prominent place, for it was really a
masterpiece.
The priest asked, “Lord, what is the meaning
of this parable?”
Jesus answered, “The stone in the hilly area
was you before I called you. I placed you in various
Jesuit formation houses. Every hit on the stone was
your formative year which involved corrections,
encouragement, ups and downs in life,
FORMATION FOR TRANSFORMATION
Pruthvi Ryanal
Rodrigues S J
confrontations, failures, victories
and so on. The different tools used
are the different people who
formed you.
At last when you were
transformed into a masterpiece I
called you to be with me always.
For I love you. Your formation
was for your transformation...
Under the dark sky filled with stars,
I walked the shore of life.
Only to find the washed-out stars,
That belong to the ocean of life.
So, back to their home I threw them,
To see them live again.
My joy was found in it,
So, I did it again and again.
A broken glass, I came across.
It would pierce my leg, I thought.
Hence, to the ocean I threw it,
To keep my leg clean of blood.
How would I know?
That I was not the only one,
To dump our problems, to the world of theirs,
Which could pierce their loved one!
I gave life to one of them,
While I took away from other.
Without knowing what my drop did,
I dropped in, both life and death.
Let’s add the drop of life,
To the world of theirs.
Let not the drop of death,
Make an ocean of dead.
My Drop in an Ocean
Nithin Coelho SJ

11. Prajwalana
Page 11
Jesuit formation prepares quality men for the
mission. The formation is quite long but very solid
and effective. I finished my Juniorate studies in
Trivandrum last year. It was a time for me to learn
many things and put a strong foundation to my life
of further study. The Society provided me with all
facilities, competent formators and the opportunities
needed to grow and form myself.
What I cherished most in my Juniorate is the
desire in all of us to ‘Go Beyond’. Our professors
were exceptionally good. They taught us what is
important, but more than that, they instilled in us a
desire to aim high. Their expertise, competence
and hard work were themselves a great inspiration
for all of us. In my companions I noticed a quest
for doing great things. Some worked hard to learn
GOING BEYOND
Ovin Rodrigues SJ
various musical instruments,
while others learnt Latin and
many other languages. Of course,
our library and reading room were
well used. Each one tried to make
the best use of the time and
opportunities that were available.
For me it was a time to grow in
the knowledge of computers and
communication skills. Till the novitiate, I had an
allergy to books. But here I started reading many
books. This desire made me understand why some
Jesuits have done exceptionally well in more than
one field, and I dream to become one like them.
I feel this is something beautiful in Jesuit life.
We strive to do everything for the greater glory of
God. Our desire is always to do something more
and to perform better. What we receive in the form
of input is minimum, but the scope for improvement
is very large. It is left to each one to make the best
use of the opportunities provided and become
effective Jesuits.
What I learnt in the Juniorate in very precious
to me. I wish that all young Jesuits grow in their
desire to excel, improve and shine as they move
from one stage of formation to the other.
Offer me no flowers when I am dead,
I would fail to smell their fragrance.
Sing no praises with thy loud voices,
My deaf ears in coffin won’t hear them.
Shed not those precious tears,
They are worthy of a better person than me.
Carry no memories of me in heart,
For all past of mine has dissolved in soil.
My love for you was a feather on yoke;
Farthest oceans would know our meet,
Tallest mountains would bow to our kisses,
Winds being too jealous of our relationship.
STRANGE IS THY LOVE...
Ashwil Lobo SJ
But, now the beginning has become a dead end.
Our long road has ceased at an early bend.
Strange is thy Love for me...
Stranger is thy heart to me...

12. Prajwalana
Page 12
“Theresa, I heard that you are going to the City
Market for Christmas Shopping”. “Yes,Anita, I need
to buy some stars, greeting cards, and a big cake.”
“Oh! That’s good. I wanted to purchase a watch.
Can I join you in the shopping? Besides, I want to
see the glitter of Christmas in the city”. “With
pleasure.”
Our staunch Catholic lady,AureliaTheresa, and
her next door neighbour Anita Natrajan are very
good friends. Anita is an atheist. For a long time
she has been considering Theresa’s invitation to
become a Catholic. She has developed interest in
listening to Theresa’s sharing’s and participating in
Christian practices. Theresa feels that this shopping
is a golden opportunity for her to mesmerize Anita
with her ideas on Christmas. Early next morning
both of them set out for the market. A long sermon
on the Incarnation and birth narrative of Jesus was
waiting for Anita during the bus journey.
Our Lady of the Wayside
Ovin Rodrigues SJ
As they stepped out from the
bus they were astounded to see the
ocean of colourful things and the
large crowds gathered there. The
market was flooded with sweets,
clothes, Santa’s caps, decoration
material and numerous fancy
items. They went from one shop
to anther and bought the best things possible. Their
shopping was almost over except forAnita’s watch.
Since the clock had already struck one, they thought
of going for lunch to the famous Taj Mahal hotel.
This hotel was very close to the shrine of Our Lady,
Shivajinagar. As they were going that way Anita’s
eyes fell on the gigantic and majestic shrine of
Mother Mary. She was very keen to go inside the
shrine. Theresa readily led her to this holy place.
Lots of pilgrims were thronging to this place
irrespective of their religion. Anita was deeply
touched by the atmosphere there.
As they were moving out, Theresa’s eyes fell
on the crib that was getting ready for Christmas.
She peeped through the curtains that were covering
the crib. Meanwhile Anita went near the charming
statue of Mary that was placed in the niche of the
adjacent wall. While returning Theresa noticed
Anita reading a pamphlet. Anita looked appalled,
and her face turned red as a beetroot. Sensing
something strange, Theresa too picked up a
pamphlet that was beneath the statue and started
reading it. She too was thunderstruck by what was
written in it. The pamphlet read – Mary is the most
powerful goddess in the world. Pray for her
Intercession, and print and distribute 413 copies of
this message. Your life will be changed. Mary will
bless those who believe in her and devour those
who disbelieve.
The narration in the pamphlet continued – Mr
Tony Ajith from Ramanathpuram distributed 413
copies of this message and won a lottery of 65 lakhs.
Sunita did the same and she won ‘Miss Mangalore’

13. Prajwalana
Page 13
contest. But beware! Samuel, Pune, didn’t believe
this and tore the pamphlet into pieces. Within a few
hours he met with an accident and died on the spot.
Supriya, Mysore disposed of this paper, making fun
of it and she lost her job and property.
Theresa got angry and tore the paper into a
thousand pieces. “Anita, this is utter nonsense.
Mother Mary is so loving. She will never bring
harm or curse to her children. This is the work of
some crack-pots”, she said. “But” Anita added,
“There might be some truth in it. This is found in
such a big shrine and many people visit this place.”
Theresa denied it point blank and she took Anita
out for food. But still the words of this pamphlet
were lingering in her mind. She could not enjoy
the meal. She felt as if the bones of the fish got
stuck in her throat. The water tasted bitter and she
felt suffocated. Both finished their lunch in
complete silence. There was a hidden fear in the
heart of Theresa. To add to her fear, Anita was
irritating her with unrealistic predictions.
Theresa tried to show that she had complete
trust in Mary. But she could not deny her conscience
that she was doubtful. Asmall dash from somebody
in the crowd seemed to be a great calamity. Her
nerves were on edge. Now she thought of
purchasing Anita’s watch quickly and running off
from there. They were searching for the watch for a
long time but they didn’t find a good one. Their
efforts didn’t bear any fruit. All through the search
Theresa was afraid whether this was the
consequence of tearing that sheet. She could not
want to go home like a coward. If she did this, the
matter would be the talk of the day in their village.
Theresa’s faith was put to the test.
Anita was growing tense and she exclaimed, “I
think Mary is very cruel. That is why she is
punishing us”. “Shut up! Don’t say like that”, burst
out Theresa, “I firmly believe that Mary will surely
come to our aid.” Hardly had she completed her
statement when her eyes fell on the portrait of Our
Lady among many other paintings that were being
sold on the roadside. Mary in this picture was facing
towards a narrow lane on the opposite side of the
road. Some magnetic force was pulling Theresa
towards this dull and old-fashioned street. “Theresa,
there might be something there,” her conscience was
saying repeatedly. So she took Anita and hurriedly
crossed the road. Theresa kept her fingers crossed
and moved towards the shop at the end of the street.
She was overwhelmed with joy to see so many
beautiful watches at reasonable rates there. Theresa
felt as if she was in the seventh heaven. Her faith
in Mary was confirmed and she didn’t lose her face.
She softly whispered, “Thank you, Jesus. Thank
you, Mary. Thank you so much.
Both of them returned home happy. Anita had
cherishing experience and her love in Mary
deepened. Theresa got renewed. Her mind level
faith reached the heart. The portrait which she found
on the roadside was placed next to the altar in her
house.

14. Prajwalana
Page 14
I am a school teacher at St. Joseph’s school, in
Mysore, with twenty years of service. I enjoy
teaching. I like my students. They also have similar
affection towards me. There is a good rapport
between their parents and me. The School
management appreciates me for the extra service
that I render to the school. Our school is doing
extremely well. It is known for its excellence. The
formation of the students is the prime concern of
the school. Most of the parents in the town want to
send their children to our school. Many are deprived
of this opportunity, because of the limited seats
available. Schools in our vicinity envy us, mainly
because of the kind of students we get and the name
the school has made in the whole State. There is no
second word about the commitment of the staff.
They are ready to give their life. There is focused
work and true formation of the students. Our
students feel our school is a home away from home
for them. In the school there are a number of
associations. All of them conduct a number of
activities. The children are encouraged to
participate and build up confidence.
One among them is social concern association.
It gets the maximum number of students. Usually
children give the first preference to this association,
may be because of the number of creative activities
and the outreach programs it conducts. We have a
special system in the school: students can elect a
teacher as the president for the association, by voting
at the beginning of the academic year. This year I
was elected by the students as the president. I took
up the work with great enthusiasm.We had a number
of activities in the school, among them were intra-
school and inter-school competitions. With the
intention of giving a village exposure to our
students, we organized a work-camp in a remote
village, since most of the students were from the
city. Initially my idea was to take only 10-15
students. I asked for volunteers. To my surprise
there were around ninety students. I was helpless.
With the approval of the parents, finally we selected
FATE THAT WOULD HAVE CHANGED MY LIFE
Dheeraj
D’Souza SJ
sixty students. I worked out all
the details. Everything was set.
When the real day came, there
was a lot of excitement among the
students. I too got up early, went
for Mass, and especially prayed
for the success of the camp.
On the first day everything
was good, very smooth. We had
to make a lot of adjustments. We did not even get a
proper place for cooking. But that was part of the
package of village experience. The camp was very
good; three days went very smoothly. On the fourth
day all of us got up with a lot of eagerness. The day
was as usual. But something strange happened
while preparing the food. There was adulteration
of the food.
Children were hungry, after the hard work in
the garden. They enjoyed the food. After an hour
all those who ate the food started vomiting blood;
one by one fell unconscious. I was helpless. There
was no proper transportation facility in the village.
I managed to send nearly thirty of them to the
hospital. Ten were delayed, they were grasping for
breath. Five of them breathed their last on the way.
I did not know how to react to the situation. I was
all the more frightened; words were not flowing
from my mouth. Police came for enquiry. I was
surrounded by media persons. I did not know what
to do. How to inform the parents? I was sweating
profusely. I even cursed God for being so unkind
to me. As I was in that helpless situation I heard
the bell. I thought it was the parish funeral bell,
since many of the students were Catholics. I grieved
all the more.
At that time I heard a voice from the camp
coordinator. How long do you sleep? It’s time to
get up. I saw him waking up the other children.
When I opened my eyes I realized that I was
still on bed. It was just a dream. Thank God, it was
only a dream!

15. Page 15
rajwalanaP
Coordinators: Sch Vishwas Misquith, Sch Praveen Martis
Editors: Fr Richard Sequeira, Fr Thomas Quadros
Guiding Team: Fr Provincial, Fr PCF, Sch Lumnesh
Section Coordinators: Schs Joseph Jerald, Joswin Pereira, Leston Lobo, Calvin Michael, Pradeep R S, Vivian
Richard, Martin Joseph, Cannon Fernandes, Nithin Coelho, Kiran Leema, George Pinto, Jason Martis, Ashwin D’Silva
Avinash
Avinash
Avinash
Joseph JeraldJoseph JeraldJoseph Jerald
Photography
Art Work&

16. WAKE UP! IT'S COMPETITION TIME 2016!!!
THERE WILL BE IN EACH SECTIONTHREE PRIZES
Last date to send your entries to the contact persons (for all competitions) is FEBRUARY 29th
For any queries please contact : Vishwas Misquith : vishwasmsj@gmail.com, Praveen Martis : praveenmartis1@gmail.com or write to ksjwriters@gmail.com.
ESSAYCOMPETITION
Topic : BEING MERCIFUL– In today's context of war, violence, intolerance towards other religion(especially ISIS). Besides that the dedication of this year as
a yearofMercyandGC35(Reconciliationwithothers)asbackground. WordLimit:1000Words
ContactPersons–LestonLobo-lblestonsj@gmail.com, GeorgePinto-georgepintosj@gmail.com
COMPOSINGMUSIC
 Themes:PEACE,ECOLOGY,LIFE.  Language:KannadaorEnglish.  Simplerecordingisenough.  The music and the lyrics should be original. 
Duration of the musical composition : Minimum of 3 minutes. Minimum – Nil.  Accompaniment of any one musical instrument is necessary. More than one
musicalinstrumentcanbeused.  Thecompositionmustbesung.  Thecompositioncanbeofgroup,soloorduetsinging.
ContactPersons–JoysonVaz-joysonvsj@gmail.com, PruthviRodrigues-pruthviryanalsj@gmail.com
PHOTOGRAPHY
Theme : NATURE, ANIMALS, BIRDS, LANDSCAPE, SCENERY,
HUMOROUS INCIDENTS, SOCIAL ISSUE, RARE HAPPENINGS, THE
BEGGAR'SINTHESTREET.
 Captionshouldbegiven.  Date and Place should be mentioned.
 Snapscanbetakenwithanycamera  One can send two photographs
entries  Itmustbeoriginal  Size10/12
ContactPersons–AshwinD'Silva-ashdsilva23@gmail.com
MartinJoseph-martin8sj@gmail.com
SHORTSTORYCOMPETITION
 Writeacreativestoryofyourchoice  It could be either in English or
Kannada  Storymustbeoriginal  It must not exceed 1000 words
 Writingstyleandcreativitycouldbefocused.
Contact Person - Calvin Michael - mikecalvinsj@gmail.com
JosephJerald-josephjerald5sj@rediffmail.com
VIDEO/DOCUMENTARY
Topic:MERCY/ANYSOCIALISSUE
 Itmustbeoriginal.  It can be compiled using any video editing software.
 TimeLimit:4to5minutes
ContactPersons–JoswinPereira-joswinpsj@gmail.com
DIMENSIONALARTWORK
 Yourartmustbeoriginal.  Painting:Oil,Acrylicetc..  D r a w i n g :
Colouredpencil,pencil,ink,marker,pastels,Charcoaletc.  C a r t o o n s
 Topics : BEAUTIFUL LIFE, NATURE, ANIMALS, BIRDS, LANDSCAPE,
SCENERY,HUMOROUSINCIDENTS
ContactPerson-PradeepRS-rspradeepsj@gmail.com
NithinCoelho-nithincoelhosj@gmail.com
HUMOUR
 Itmustbeoriginal  Can be something related to your Jesuit Experience
 WordLimit:400words.
Contact persons - Kiran Leema - kiranaleema@gmail.com
PrajwalVincent-prajwalvincent18@gmail.com
POETRY
Theme : ECOLOGY – LAUDATO SI AND GC 35 (RECONCILIATION WITH
NATURE)ASBACKGROUND.
 PoetrycanbeeitherinKannadaorEnglish.  Minimum16lines(2*8or4*
4orfreeflowing)
 Criteria:ThePoeticflow,CreativityandMessage.
Contact Persons – Merwyn Fernandes - merfersj@gmail.com
OvinRodrigues-ovinrodrigues@gmail.com
www.jesuitwriters.com
DearReader,
We would like to thank you for the support you have extended to us in this venture. Your support
has encouraged us to express ourselves in writing and other forms of creative works. This magazine
‘PRAJWALANA’ is only the tip of the iceberg. You can support and encourage us more by going
throughmoreofourworksonourwebportal: www.jesuitwriters.com
Please do subscribe to our updates and feeds there so that we keep in close touch. Join us on
facebook and follow us on twitter as well. And at any time feel free to leave a comment or a
suggestiononthewebsiteoremailusat:ksjwriters@gmail.com
Lookingforwardtoyourcontinuedsupportandencouragement!
Writers Forum
Page 16
rajwalanaP
To