(A reflection shared at the Youth Vigil on the Feast of Pentecost 11-12 June 2011. This reflection was delivered from 11.30 pm to 1am. Since Powerpoint was used to illustrate the thoughts, the following notes might seem very sketchy.)
The key text that you have chosen for the Pentecost Vigil this year is:
God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but the Spirit of power and love and self-control (2Tim 1:7).
When I looked up at this theme, I remembered a billboard that I had seen years ago at Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. It was an ad for Pirelli tyres. It had the caption: “Power is nothing without control.” Therefore, I would like to reflect together with you tonight on the meaning of Power and Control.
Let me start with an analogy to clarify what I mean: just imagine that you have this beautiful car with six cylinder engine; it has a […]
Author: selvam
Pfingsten: “Empfangt den Heiligen Geist“ (Joh 20, 22)
„Empfangt den Heiligen Geist“ (Joh 20, 22)
Pfingsten 2011
In den letzten Jahren bin ich durch die Kontinente gereist und habe in verschiedenen Kulturen gelebt. Dadurch ist die Frage, „Wo kommen Sie her?“, für mich zu einer schwer zu beantwortenden geworden. So ähnlich geht es sicher vielen Menschen durch die Möglichkeiten, die die heutige Welt bietet. Ich bin Gott für diese transkulturellen Erfahrungen dankbar, und ich fühle mich als ein Weltbürger. Dass dies alles für mich möglich wurde und dass ich mit wenig Aufwand und auf erfreuliche Weise diese Erfahrungen machen konnte, hat damit zu tun, dass ich Christ bin und dass ich katholisch bin! Katholisch bedeutet für mich Universalität.
Heute feiern wir den Geburtstag der Kirche – den Geburtstag der universalen Kirche. Wir feiern die Gegenwart des Geistes in der heutigen Gemeinschaft der Glaubenden, genau wie er in der Gemeinschaft der Gläubigen in Jerusalem gegenwärtig war. In einigen Ländern wird dieses Fest […]
Psycho-spiritual reflections on later years of life – 1
Dealing with the questions of later years:
Towards the age of Maturity
A Personal Introduction
These reflections are going to be very subjective and personal. Though I will rely on insights from the findings of social sciences on later years of life, they are largely my own personal observation and reflection. Therefore, a few words about me are in place.
In the recent months I have been introducing myself with these words, and I do it yet again. One question that is becoming increasingly difficult for me to answer is, “Where do you come from?” Where do I come from? Do I come from London, where I am pursuing my graduate studies since September 2008? Or I do come from East Africa, where I lived 16 years as a young priest in a variety of contexts – six in Kenya and ten in Tanzania? Or do I come from India, where I was […]
Psycho-spiritual reflections on later years of life – 2
Wrinkles on the Brain:
Towards Wisdom
When I reach my later years I would like to be like my Italian teacher, Father Benjamin Listello. Besides his calm demeanour and his graceful acceptance of his inabilities, what we admired in him was his sharp memory at the age of 87. But one day when I visited him in his room, I discovered his mnemonic device – just a simple things-to-do list that he updated it several times a day! An additional secret was that he always dropped his things-to-do list on the floor near the door, so that he was forced to pick it up and have a look at it.
In popular understanding, one of the signs of ageing is forgetting (and in some cases extreme dementia. Dementia is not just a problem of memory, but a cognitive condition that is marked by difficulties in skills associated with understanding, language and problem solving. […]
Psycho-spiritual reflections on later years of life – 3
Arrivals & Departures:
Handling socio-emotional situations towards altruism
In traditional societies, due perhaps to restricted physical movement, older people generally reduce their circle of acquaintances. They live in familiar set ups, with familiar people. They hardly meet new people. This makes their life less interesting perhaps, but in terms of socio-emotional aspects their situation is understandably less complex.
The beginning of later years is often marked by an experience of arrivals and departures in relationships. If the later years begin at the time of retirement, this stage is marked by an experience of saying good-bye to friends and colleagues at the place of work. At this stage many retired people may become members of church based groups or other interest groups, where they are exposed to new acquaintances. In the developed world, due to easy access to transport, (and thanks to the freedom pass for the senior citizens!), elderly people might travel more, […]