Excellence: Doing well or doing good?

May 5, 2026May 5, 2026 selvam Current Activity

Early January 2026, the United States launched a military strike in Venezuela and captured incumbent president Nicolás Maduro and his wife. Later Trump in his inimical style prided to a journalist, “we have weapons nobody else knows about… we have some amazing weapons. That was an amazing attack.” He even shared on his Truth Social page a fake Wikipedia entry describing himself as the acting president of Venezuela.

Yes, America pulled off the “Operation Absolute Resolve” with impeccable precision, that is what the press reported. Yes, it was done well, but was it right, was it good? Was it ethical or even legal?

‘Excellence’ is an overused term these days. Often a mere capitalist marketing byline. Academic institutions aim at excellence in education. Service industry strives for excellence in customer care. Government agencies claim to deliver excellence in public administration.

The origin […]

Commentary on the Liturgy of Easter Vigil

April 3, 2026April 3, 2026 selvam Current Activity, Youth Liturgy

INTRODUCTION
Dear friends in Christ,
Good evening and welcome to this liturgical celebration.
In the Christian tradition, this night is the mother of all nights. We have prepared ourselves through 40 days of lent for this night. In the past three days we have accompanied the Lord in His passion and death. We are gathered here to celebrate His resurrection. Tonight is the climax of the history of redemption. It is this celebration that was the first to be celebrated in the early church.
The liturgy of Easter vigil is full of symbols; it is a feast to all our senses, and we welcome you to taste it with your hearts.
The liturgy of tonight has four parts:
1. Liturgy of the Light,
2. Liturgy of the Word
3. Liturgy of Blessing of Water and Baptism
4. Liturgy […]

Commentary on the Liturgy of Good Friday

April 3, 2026April 3, 2026 selvam Current Activity, Youth Liturgy

Good Friday
Liturgical Commentary
Introduction
Dear friends in Christ Jesus, on this day, which is called the Good Friday, we commemorate the passion and death of the Lord. According to the Church’s ancient tradition, the sacraments are not celebrated today or tomorrow. Today’s liturgy calls for silence and contemplation. This special liturgy has three parts:

The Liturgy of the Word
Veneration of the Cross, and
Holy Communion

PART I – LITURGY OF THE WORD
Now we are about to enter into the first part of our service: The liturgy of the Word. The priest(s) together with the ministers of the altar, wearing red garments, proceed to the altar. The presiding priest will then prostrate in front of the altar to commemorate the hour when Jesus gave up his spirit. Other priests kneel. We will all kneel […]

Why Is India Still Dirty?

March 23, 2026March 24, 2026 selvam Current Activity, Varia

If you have lived outside India for many decades, as in my case, landing again on Indian soil can be striking. The airports are modern, efficient, and impressive. Wow, Bharat Mata ki Jai!

As you drive outside the airport, however, two things hit you hard even as you admire the expanding infrastructure. They hit you very hard, undeniably hard: noise and dirt. India is noisy. India is still dirty.

The discomfort turns into embarrassment when travelling with foreign guests. The shame hits an epic-peak when the guest happens to be a German, as I realised in February 2026. We travelled from Trivandrum to Kanyakumari to Chennai to Delhi.

Kanyakumari district is simply dirty. One could blame it on the tourists. But cities such as Chennai and Delhi present a more […]

IPPA Spirituality and Meaning Practitioner Award 2023 to Rev Dr Sahaya G. Selvam

August 9, 2023December 2, 2023 selvam Current Activity

International Association of Positive Psychology (IPPA) Spirituality and Meaning Practitioner Award 2023
Rev. Dr Sahaya G. Selvam’s Contributions to Spirituality, Meaning and Wellbeing in Africa
Religion, spirituality, meaning, and wellbeing define Rev. Dr Sahaya Selvam’s work/ministry as a Catholic priest and as a psychologist, originally from India, now serving in religious and academic contexts in East Africa, particularly among the youth.
To him, besides the categories of religion and spirituality, there is also a possibility for religious-spirituality (Selvam, 2013). Positive psychology provides a theoretical and methodological framework for his academic research and to develop and delivery interventions in the context of religious-spirituality. Character strengths (CS), including purpose and meaning, act as mediators in the relationship between a spirituality and wellbeing. In his PhD work, he explored CS as mediators in the relationship […]