With Christ as
the centre of your life, you will never be disappointed
Pope Francis
The liturgy of the day
invites us to be persons who are determined, persevering and hopeful.
Our life on earth is a journey;
a journey to the house of the Lord. Contradictions and conflicts, ups and
downs, struggle for a just living are part of this journey.
We heard about the
widow who persevered before an unjust and a corrupt judge for she knew what she
needed and HOW to get there. Even an unjust judge because of her perseverance
and determination had to restore justice to her.
A few decades ago, a Jesuit
Rector of Loyola School at Bannerghatta Road went to the office of education
department, seeking permission to open a high School for the poor children of
the vicinity. They authorities expected bribe. Righteous man Fr Raquinha, did
not oblige, as it was against the value system he believed in. Obviously he did
not receive permission.
He kept going to the office day after day with the
cassock and wait outside the office of the concerned official, the whole day.
It went on for a year. His friends, people around him and others who saw a
priest sitting outside the office daily, ridiculed him for not being reasonable,
outdated in his approach and imprudent. Yet he continued doing what he was
doing. His perseverance and undying spirit bore fruits finally when the
official was pulled up and the priest received permission to the school without
paying a pie. Loyola school has brought new hope in the lives of hundreds of
poor children of the vicinity.
It was a struggle between – getting permission to a
school no matter what means are used against getting permission only through a
just way, which meant a long delay. Today Jesuits look up to Fr Rasquinha, for
he taught, a life built on Christ’s values is a life worth lived.
As we celebrate
children’s day today, what do they teach us? We are aware, when a child learns
to walk, it falls, cries, tries to get up and walk again, yet again it falls
and gets up again and finally because of its perseverance and never die
attitude begins to walk independently and there begins a new era in the growth of
a child. All of us have gone through this phase and perseverance and never die
attitude is part and parcel of our personality. And as Christians we are
invited to live it out and be a witness to promote a just society.
Let us pray for all the
children of our parish and elsewhere today.
To be a Christian means
to be a person with undying spirit and to be persons of hope. Let us ask for this
grace during the Eucharist and live the Eucharist during the day….Amen
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