Positive Overtones

There was this book I had read a few months back. It is titled 'The Giver' by Lois Lowry. She wrote it as an adventure book for children. However, it ended up as being a story metaphorically describing how life under a totalitarian government. But, what I found interesting has nothing to do with all this. It is more related to the title and the central character in the book. Jonas lives in a community where everywhere lives as equals. Those with defects are 'released' from the community. However, when Jonas is chosen to be the Receiver of Memory, he receives knowledge that adds greater meaning to his life pain, thrill, joy and color. At a particular point in time, he decides to go and share some of this knowledge with his friends so that they too can experience life the way he is experiencing it. This is what really probed me to look deeper into the way I look at my interactions with others. I leave you the question: In our interactions with others, are we givers...

During the janata-bandh in India, an interesting phenomena had taken place though only for a brief moment. While the whole of India was ordered to remain inside their homes for 14 hours, there was also a time where a sense of unity prevailed amidst this global medical turmoil. At around 5pm, just as NaMo had asked us all to do, the whole of India awoke for roughly 5 minutes, making noise or sounds of some sort or another. Some say it was in appreciation to the health workers who are risking their lives by working with victims of COVID-19, others say it was a way to ward off the virus by sending positive energy around. I am sitting on the fence in these two views. However, I have seen a further implication to this move. As far as I know, this has been the first act where nearly 1.2 billion acted in unison towards a goal. It is definitely a show of strength in unity in our fight against the deadly coronavirus

Venerable Simon Srugi lived a life of utter simplicity and humility. His apostolate was very vast and yet very few knew of it and of those who knew even fewer knew him. Born on 15 th April 1877, Srugi’s father had come to Nazareth as a trader in saddles. Hence, the name Srugi which means ‘manufacturer of saddles’. At the age of six Srugi had lost both his parents. He was then taken care of by his aunt and sister. He had done his elementary classes and catechism lessons under the Franciscan friars. In 1888, he was put in an orphanage of Fr. Anthony Belloni, who had founded the religious congregation ‘The Holy Family’. In 1891, when this congregation was merged with the Salesian Congregation, Srugi was among those pupils who welcomed the Salesians wholeheartedly. He was named among the Salesian aspirants of the Agricultural School of St. Joseph in Beitgemal. Srugi has shown evident signs of a vocation and asked to be a Salesian brother. At, Beitgemal he became a teacher, assist...

For centuries unending, there have been tales, legends and sonnets were written describing the Fountain of Youth, and its numerous healing and regenerative powers. However, some have claimed that these are just mere fantasies that need to be rubbished else one gets carried away into a world of dungeons and dragons. On the contrary, I certainly believe in a fountain of youth. Now, before you judge me to be some sort of lunatic living in a world of my own imagination, let me clarify my stance. I strongly hold that not only has the fountain of youth been existent, but it has also been so for ages unending. If you are still a bit sceptical, turn your Bibles to"the water I give.....will become a spring of water welling up to eternal life." There you have it; The Fountain of Youth!!  In our present scenario with the explosion of the pandemic 'coronavirus', this fountain of youth is our one firm hope. Having recourse to Him will help us enjoy the healing and regenerative...

Around the end of May, I was headed to Goa for my holidays. I had to board a train that would take me roughly 18 hours to reach my destinatio n. What took place on that train had been etched in my mind ever since. I had boarded the train late at night when all the passengers were asleep. And so, I did not know my co-passengers on my journey at the beginning of the journey itself. However, the day's journey was quite interesting as I got to capture a glimpse of 'Chennai Express'. Looking back at the journey, I would divide it into three 'surgical strikes' if I may call it. The first 'surgical strike' was at breakfast itself. At the start itself, you could sense a certain resistance between the two families. While one family was from Southern India, the other was from Madhya Maharashtra. And so, when the children arose to have their breakfast, there was a bit of grumbling from both parties. The interesting bit of this grumbling was that both grumbled in ...