DNC Times-September-2016

Of the many inspiring quotes of Mother Teresa,
“Helping hands are better than praying lips” is
the one that I like the most. Yes! She inspired
the world not by her prayer but by her service to the
humanity in particular to the neglected, the broken, the
wounded, the abandoned etc. Thereby, she has become a
teacher for the whole of humanity. Filled with the joy of
her sainthood, the DNC Times team is glad and
privileged to dedicate this edition of DNC Times to St.
Mother Teresa as “Mother Teresa – A teacher for
Humanity”.
Different experiences of Mother Teresa have
been reflected and highlighted in this magazine. Fr.
Cyril focusses on
how she inspired the
world throughout
her life. She became
an Indian in her heart
and mind. She read
the signs of times
and did what was
n e e d e d f o r t h e
people of India,
e s p e c i a l l y o f
C a l c u t t a . H e r
experience was such that she was no longer serving
humans but Jesus Himself. This realization kept her
goingamidstalldifficulties.
It was a call within a call for Mother Teresa. She
was willing to walk in the path that was shown to her by
God knowing that it wouldn't be easy. She faced
challenges perennially, yet she didn't give up. She broke
open not only the boundaries of a convent but also those
of culture becoming the mother of the poor and the
orphans. In spite of her constant prayer and ardent
servicetothepoor,she alsohadaspiritualdryness within
her and Arul Rayan draws a lesson for all of us form her
dark experience of her soul. The issue also focusses on
Teachers day and Mother Mary. Both Mother Mary and
Mother Teresa are teachers for humanity. They taught a
spiritual lesson for the world through their very lives.
Mother Mary set a perfect example for humility by the
very way she surrendered herself completely for the Will
of God. Bengal Mother taught us to be compassionate
and merciful to the suffering and the needy. Both of them
taught that it is not money and power that foster life but
love. Love for God and one another is the fuel for the
world to function. However, this love is a challenge
which we all need to face. It is a challenge because it
requires our entire
being and we need to
be ready to give
ourselves fully as
our mothers.
We knew that in
recent times Mother
Teresa's selfless
s e r v i c e w a s
c o l o u r e d w i t h
religious identity.
D e s p i t e t h e
assumptions and allegations of some fundamental
groups, her care and service for the sick and the poor are
undeniable. Let us not just admire at St. Mother Teresa
but become like her so as to bring forth the change that
the world is in need of. We shall become teachers for
humanity through our generous service to its growth. I
hope this magazine reaches its desired destiny wherein
thefirewithinyou is awaitingarekindling.
rd
( Bosco is a 3 yr student of philosophy at JDV)
02 sEPtEmBEr 2016sEPtEmBEr 2016sEPtEmBEr 2016
EditorialEditorialEditorial
Have a Fruitful Reading
Amal Bosco SJ

so many desperately poor and abandoned people led her
through a long dark night of the soul, but she learnt to
mature in her faith and soon many young girls from India
and all over the world sought entrance into her order,
which made very severe demands on their lifestyle. They
had to live in almost the same impoverished conditions as
those they served. Many volunteers from all over India
and the world, not all of them were believers in God and
many non-Christian Brahmin girls too, came forward to
collaborate with her sisters in their work among the
slums and gutters and ghettos of the world, not caring that
they sullied their high caste hands with the blood, filth
andpus of thelowerclasses.
She will be canonized by Pope Francis on the
anniversary of her being called to the Lord, this year.
Like any charismatic person she was very demanding,
often even dictatorial to her sisters, to the extent of
deciding how many chapattis
they were to have for
breakfast, not allowing them
to change the routine of their
Homes for the Poor andAged
by even five minutes without
her express opinion. She was
often quoted as telling
aspirants or volunteers who
asked too many 'Why-
questions!' "You are not here
to question the rules but to observe them!" But for all that,
she was universally loved with a tender affection by all
her sisters. She is most remembered for her words, "I am
by birth, an Albanian, by citizenship an Indian, as to my
calling I am a Catholic nun, I belong to the whole world
butmyheartbelongstotallytoJesus!"
She transformed the lifestyle of every convent
(Cont’d on Pg. 14 )
Agnes Gonxhe Bojaxhui, more popularly
known to all over the world as "Mother Teresa
of Calcutta" and one of the most recognizable
women's faces on the planet, was born in Skopje
(Albania, then under the dominion of Macedonia) on
August 26, 1910. When she died in Calcutta, as an Indian
citizen, founder of the Order of Missionaries of Charity,
distinguished by their simple blue-bordered saris, on
September 5, 1997, she had become almost a household
word and universally loved for her work among the
poorest of the poor, not only in Calcutta, but all over the
world. Royalty from Europe and from the world over
attended her funeral in what was now called Kolkata and
the ceremony was televised by Doordarshan and relayed
acrosstheglobe.
Her parents, Nikole and Dranafile, were what
we'd call middle class people but she learnt from them to
always have a heart, like the
family table, open to the poor
and the needy. Later, she
joined the Sisters of the
Institute of the Blessed
Virgin Mary (more popularly
known as the Loreto nuns)
and travelled to Dublin for
her formation. She was sent
to India to teach in one of
their schools for the elite, but
began to feel a call in her heart to work more directly with
the homeless, the destitute and those who died unloved
and unattended on the streets of the former capital of
BritishIndia.
She had to wait until 1950 to get canonical
approbation for her Order and was most grateful to many
Jesuits of the Calcutta Province who supported her
spirituallyinherwork. Needlesstosay,herlaborsamong
Fr Cyril SJ
Mother Teresa, a Teacher for HumanityMother Teresa, a Teacher for HumanityMother Teresa, a Teacher for Humanity
Article

ost teachers would agree that it is very
Mdifficult to teach a class of 50 students for
two to three hours at a stretch. But this man
from Galilee taught thousands of people at a time and all
through the day. His way of life had an impact on every
nook and corner of the regions of Galilee, Judea and
somepartsofSamaria.
The teaching and preaching of Jesus, though very
simple had a commanding impact invariably on
everyone who listened to it. In fact, Jesus was not even a
qualified teacher. Dr. James Allan Francis in his book,
'The Real Jesus and Other Sermons,' describes Jesus as a
man, born in an obscure village to a peasant woman,
visited no school or college, held no degrees, but
captured the hearts of people. Gandhi, when speaking
about Jesus says, “To me, he was one of the greatest
teachers humanity has ever had.” And so it is interesting
to know why and how the teachings of Jesus have a
lastingimpacttilltoday.
Horne, in his book, 'Philosophy of Christian
Education,' says that, it is his conviction, purpose and
mission oriented attitude that made him a powerful
teacher. Though His 'Why, What, and Whom,' played a
vital role in His success, the 'How' of His teaching makes
him really special. Three techniques of Jesus come
across to me as very powerful. (i) Parable or Storytelling,
(ii)Asking questions(iii)Repetition.
(i)Parablesof Jesus
Why do films and story books interest us more
than mathematical derivations? It is because they are
pictorial, easy to grasp and our senses can cherish them.
Jesus also used pictorial stories and everyday events to
explain most of his abstract concepts. Therefore, His
teaching had a great impact. (Lost Son, Lk 15:11-32) But
when Jesus used abstract concepts like “I am the bread of
life”(Jn 6:35),hebecameafailuretotheextentthatHis
own disciples leaving him (Jn 6:35). Moreover, His
parablesreflecteddailyactivitiesofthesimplefolk.
(ii)Asking Questions
The Dialectical method is very effective in
teaching a concept. Socrates used this method to trigger
the Youth of Athens. Jesus did likewise. In the Bible, we
often see Jesus throwing questions at the crowd or to His
disciples or particular persons, thus making them search
forananswer.
(iii)Repetition
Repeating an activity, a process or a detail leaves
an indelible mark in one's memory. Jesus often repeated
His concepts. He emphasized His concerns repeatedly
such as the love of the Abba Father, the values of
Kingdom, a conversion of heart and mind, His Paschal
Mystery and so on! He used different parables to explain
thesameconcept.
He knew very well the Why, What, Whom and
How of His teaching. His purpose was not only to take
the people back to the Father (Abba), but also to make
them realize that they were also beloved children of
Abba, Father. Therefore, his core methodology of his
teaching can be summarized into two words: 'Love and
Compassion'. He touched the dreaded lepers, interacted
withoutcastSamaritanwomanandthelistis endless.
That is why, Jesus remains a role model for every
teacher till today. Because not much of his words but his
attitude and overwhelming love towards people inspired
everyone.As Jesus did, let our lives become a method of
realteaching.
There has never been, and there will never be, another
human who has been more successful than the humble
Teacher, Jesus Christ - Monica Johnson
(Clement is a former student of MPh at JDV)
Fr. Clement SJ
Methodology of JesusMethodology of JesusMethodology of Jesus
Article

reporter once asked Mother Teresa how could
Ashe get up each morning facing the
overwhelming poverty of Calcutta and
continue her work. For which, Mother responded "God
does not call me to be Successful. God calls me to be
faithful." This is the most essential lesson we get to learn
from Mother, seeking God and God alone in all things.
When we look into our own lives we all seek God but
often seek some other things or someone else in life too.
Can we call it being faithful or successful? In life we
often tend to run after success forgetting to admire life's
beauty itself. This calls us to take the Example of Mother
TeresaandfollowChristwho was meekandhumble.
In the Bhagavad - Gita Arjuna is given the
secretive knowledge of 'Nishkama Karma' i.e. doing
ones dharma without expecting any reward by Lord
Krishna. Therefore, our work should be such that neither
the pleasure of it nor its pain must affect our actions. This
attitude was the hallmark of Mother Theresa. In an
interview with the Times Magazine she once said, “I am
like a pencil in the hands of God. God does the thinking.
God does the writing. I'm just allowing myself to be used
by Him.” This attitude won her many prizes, like the
Nobel Prize, the Bharat Ratna etc. for reaching out to the
poor and those most in need. In the midst of all this she
remained humble without taking any credits for herself.
In her religious life too, she lay back pondering where her
God was, and sensed a lot of spiritual consolations as
mentioned in the writings 'The Dark Night of the Soul.' In
spite of all this she remained patient in times of inner
turmoil and showed humility when successful,
cherishing faithfulness the virtue of the fruit of the Holy
Spirit.
The inspiration to be faithful to God than being
successful is very Scriptural. Mother made the scriptures
come alive in the streets of Calcutta being an Alter
Christus to those in need and to the suffering. Even those
dying found God through Mother. In the scriptures we
have the examples of Joseph, Daniel, Barnabas and
others who focused on doing God's will irrespective of
success or failure. In the garden of Gethsemane, Jesus
prays to his Father that the cup be passed from Him. He
does not get what He asked for, yet He remained faithful
to the mission of dying on the Cross. Mother too like St
Paul can say, “I have finished the race that was given to
me.” In life Mother never credited any claims for her
great success but remained faithful to Christ's mission,
servingallbybeingmercifultothemall.
Striving for success isn't wrong, but we can't
expect total guarantee in all our endeavours too. We have
many saints who have failed in their lifetime to convince
people of what they did but now are looked up to as
models. St.Therese of Lisieux, a cloistered Nun is known
today for her spirituality of 'doing little things with great
love.' St.Alphonsa spent most of her life in a sick bed and
is now the first woman Saint from India. St. Paul, who
persecuted the Jews and Christians, became the follower
of Christ to preach Christ to all, holding all things as loss
and rubbish before the value of Christ's knowledge,
valuingChristashisonlygain.
Choosing faithfulness over success can sound as
a resignation when we live in a society that is constantly
striving for success and successful people. Thus it is hard
to take the less beaten path to live our life devoted to our
work and with a spirit of indifference to success and
appreciation. But when we begin to practice this
theology of work we see the Kingdom of Peace being
establishedwithinourselvesasMotherTeresadid.
st
(Rejin is a 1 Yr student of Theology at JDV)
Called To Be Faithful Not SuccessfulCalled To Be Faithful Not SuccessfulCalled To Be Faithful Not Successful
Rejin Joseph SJ
Article
“ If you can’t feed a hundred people,
then feed just one.” - St. Teresa

he Role of a teacher in the life of Human beings
Tis marvelous and unavoidable. In fact behind
every successful person, there is a teacher who
is involved directly or indirectly in transforming the
person and shaping one's abilities. For some, the world is
an unknown history but for those who are molded
according to the principles of their teachers, make
history.Agood example of this is that of the recent ended
Olympics silver medalist P.V. Sindhu who has made
history because of her dedicated teacher and coach
Gopichand. We have several more examples of teachers
inspired success. In line with this, William Arthur Ward
says, “A mediocre teacher tells, a good teacher explains,
a superior teacher demonstrates, and a great teacher
inspires.”
In this regards the Church holds Mother Mary as
an important teacher of life. She teaches every Christian
to walk on the values of life being obedient to God in faith
and love. Though Mary might not have taught in any of
the synagogues of that time, she inspires humanity by her
simple faith in God and readiness to do His will. Being an
ordinary Jewish girl she remained obedient and faithful
to God, to her parents, to the traditions and to the laws.
Mary teaches us to believe in God's providence,
whenever He choose us for something she is a model for
us to say, “Let your will be done,” i.e. to say a total
surrender to participate in God's plan of salvation and
future. She does not teach us anything extraordinary but
her life teaches us to walk in the path of the Lord
embracing all the crosses that come on the way and do
extraordinarydeedsinanextraordinaryway.
Mary's sensitivity towards the needy and concern
for the helpless makes us ponder and act according to the
need of the hour. This attitude comes from the core of the
human heart that affects the mind with reason to act
instantly like Mary. Her sensitivity makes her fully
presenttothereality,teachingus tobeintouchwithour
own realities and to be aware of our interior movements.
She calls us to be attuned to the music of the heart, to
show empathy towards the needy and to extend a helping
hand to the distressed like she did to her cousin Elizabeth
by rushing to greet her to help her. There were many
instances where Mary showed great love and affection to
the anavim. It is therefore evident that as a teacher
Mother Mary teaches us to be affectionate towards the
poorandtheneedywhomwemeetinourdailylives.
The important aspect in every teacher is to
accompany the learners in their growth. Mary does it
faithfully by accompanying the apostles and all the
believers in leading to the Father through His son Jesus
Christ. Normally it is believed that a distinction is
maintained between the teacher and the student but in
case of Mary, she does not exalt herself so much rather
with humility she becomes one with the believers. A
person grows healthily when accompanied by an
experienced person. The presence of Mary in the journey
towards the Father makes it more relevant and
meaningful to all who invite Mary to be with them. It has
been the experience of the Apostles and the Saints who
implored Mary to accompany them in their faith journey.
Thus, they were able to sustain the sufferings and pain
meted out to them with a joy in their hearts. Being a
Mother of Sorrows accompanying Jesus at the Cross, she
teaches us to bear pain by believing in the Resurrection of
Life.With the support of Mary, we get enormous strength
to face the challenges of the world and walk in faith with
convictions. Mary through her very life inspires us to do
God's will, affects our hearts to be sensitive and
accompanies us in our journey towards reaching the
Calvaryof ourlife,thus beingamotherlyteacher.
st
(Bosco is a 1 Yr student of theology at JDV)
Mother Mary: A TeacherMother Mary: A TeacherMother Mary: A Teacher
B. Bosco SJ
Article
“If you judge people, you have no time
to love them.”- St.Teresa

have just completed the course on Prophets.As I sit
Idown to write about 'the dark night of the soul' of
Mother Teresa, there is a tendency to compare
Mother – as she is fondly remembered, with what I have
studied and reflected about the call narratives and
mission of the prophets. I have willingly given myself
into that tendency because such a comparison, illumines
'the dark night of the soul' of Mother comprehensively to
me.The call narrative of any prophet involves four
stages. (a) God calls (b) God commissions (c) The
prophet protests and (d) God responds to the protest of
theProphet.
Having gone through some literature on the 'dark
night of the soul' of Mother, I perceive these four stages
evidently present in her life. God called her on
September 10, 1946, while riding a train to Darjeeling to
make a retreat; Mother heard a call within a call. God
commissioned her to give up her life with the Sisters of
Loreto and follow Christ into the slums to serve Him
among the poorest of the poor. I look at the experience of
'the dark night of the soul' of Mother as the combination
of the third and the fourth stages of the call. Mother had
protested to God about her inability to find Him, and her
spiritual dryness and the feeling of being abandoned.
However, the covenantal God who called her remained
faithfultoherandMothertoHimtilltheend.
It seems at some point during their lives many
saints have suffered what St. John of the Cross called 'the
dark night of the soul' St. Therese of Lisieux too,
experienced a 'night of nothingness.' John of the Cross
and others wrote poems and spiritual canticles to
describe their sufferings in God's absence and their
frustrated longings for the embrace of His love. Mother's
book of private letters, 'Mother Teresa: Come Be My
Light' revealed that she endured years of feeling
abandonedbyGod andanintensespiritualdryness.
Fr. Joseph Neuner, SJ, her confessor suggested to
Mother, that the feeling of abandonment and spiritual
dryness was to intensify and aid her vocation to the
rejected poor of India and the world. These feelings
mirrored Jesus' feelings in the Garden and on the Cross.
Mother wrote to Neuner, “If I ever become a saint - I will
surely be one of 'darkness.' I will continually be absent
from heaven - to light the light of those in darkness on
earth.” Strengthened in the furnace of suffering, she was
readytocontinuehermissionuntiltheendoftime.
God answers those who cry to him. When Israel
cried outYahweh heard them (Ex 3:7) and liberated them
from slavery. Only those who have faith in God cry out to
Him out of helplessness and a believer's lament of the
absence of God. “My God, my God, why have you
abandoned me” is not the cry of the atheist; it is the cry of
the psalmist and of Christ. It is the cry of a believer. 'The
dark night of the soul' is not about doubt; it is about
enduring, faithful, unquestioning love. God's love is
'wombish.' Mother was precious in His sight and He
loved her. She did not fear as He was with her (Isa 43:3-
4). God accompanied her in the hungry, the naked, the
homeless, the crippled, the blind, the lepers and all those
people who feel unwanted, unloved, uncared for
throughout society, people who have become a burden on
others and are shunned by everyone. She was the Good
Samaritan par-excellence (Luke10:37). Hers was a
simple faith that resided in her deep desire to see Jesus in
every human being. She said, “I say to myself this is
hungry Jesus, I must feed him. This is sick Jesus; I serve
because I love Jesus” (Mt 25:35). Mother's life is a
testimony that emboldens us to go and be merciful like
the Father, trusting in His love, for God does not call the
qualified, He qualifies those whom He calls (Ex 4:10-
13).
rd
(Arul Rayan is a 3 Yr student of theology at JDV)
The Dark Night of the SoulThe Dark Night of the SoulThe Dark Night of the Soul
S. Arul Rayan SJ
Article

am just a pencil in the hand of God,” says the 4 feet
Iand 11 inches woman, St. Teresa of Calcutta. The
woman, in an inexpensive white sari trimmed in
blue, whole-heartedly served the poorest of the poor. She
brought cheerful smiles on the faces of the poor and made
their life joyful. Responding to a greater call within her
call, she closed the pages of her first congregation,
“Loreto” and opened a new page in her life called,
“Missionaries of Charity” that has gone on to become a
home for the destitute and the needy. She enriched the
lives of many in every nook and corner of Calcutta by her
loving care. She also accommodated the people who had
makeshift homes for their livelihood. She immensely
lovedthemandlivedlikethem,herentirelife.
However great may her service be to humanity,
she always considered herself as a humble instrument in
the hands of God. The more she grew in her familiarity
with God, the less she knew God, the infinite mystery. To
her, the sky was the limit. Since she identified Christ with
the poor, she also became poor for Christ. She was truly a
poorforthepoor.
Mother Teresa began her works of charity to the
poor in a broken, filthy, un-electrified house in Calcutta.
To feed her children, she went out to the streets to beg.
One day, a man spat on her palms when she was begging.
Her reply to that man was, “this is for me, now you give
something for my children.” Many a time, she was
humiliated and mocked by people. She had never reacted
to these but merely digested them. Today, her
congregation, “Missionaries of Charity,” is well known
all over the world for their tireless service to the poor.
Over the years, her congregation has provided numerous
special opportunities to the poor for their well-being, but
even now the life style of these sisters remains as simple
asthatof Mother.
BeingaJesuitfromtheCalcuttaProvince,during
my novitiate formation, I had the opportunity to do my
hospital experiment for a month at Shanti Nagar, a home
for the lepers, run by the Mother Teresa Sisters. I was
asked to clean the wounds of the lepers. As I was
cleansing their wounds, I could not tolerate the smell.As
a result, I could not serve wholeheartedly for a few days.
By all means, I wanted to overcome such hate feelings
towards them. I asked one of the Sisters, Sr. Maria for
guidance in this regard. She was a medical doctor from
Spain. She requested me to participate in their prayer
service. They came together to the Chapel for prayer five
times a day and I took part in it. Day by day, my prayer
life with the sisters brought me greater strength which in
fact led me closer to serve these lepers better. Then, I
shared this experience with the sister and she said,
“Prayer is one of the greatest means to love, serve and
become like the poor.” She went on to say that prayer
gives them the strength to see the image of God in face of
the inmates. Perhaps that is the reason why Mother
Teresa spent an equal amount of time for service and
towards prayer. Her prayer life enlightened her to
becomepoor for thepoor.
To serve the marginalized in society, one needs to
become spiritually poor like Mother Teresa in order to
renderourlittleservicewithgreatlove.
rd
(Oscar is 3 Yr student of philosophy at JDV)
A Poor for the PoorA Poor for the PoorA Poor for the Poor
Oscar Daniel SJ
Article

Teaching is an art and the teacher is an artist. As
an artist enjoys drawing on his canvas mixing it
with the best combination of colours so does a
teacher who love to teach his/her students! Teaching is
not just a mere profession; rather it is something that goes
beyond a Profession. It is not about the salary s/he gets,
but it is about his/her true passion for reaching out. Salary
is to make a living but teaching is to make good and
responsible citizens who will transform the nation and
leadtheworld towards peaceandharmony.
A teacher has a large impact on students' lives
beyond the four walls of a classroom. S/he teaches more
than what is given in the text books; s/he teaches from
his/her life experience. S/he makes her lessons come
alive by making her class interactive and by engaging
students in the classroom as much as possible. S/he tries
to bring positive energy into a classroom.Ateacher might
encounter struggles in his/her own life but when s/he
enters the class, s/he leaves them behind and gets
involved with the students who are more important to
him/her than his/her own problems. Positive energy is
contagious;anditis up tohim/herhow tospreadit.
Teachers’ attitude towards their students should
be like that of a mother. There is a great responsibility
that comes along with the profession of teaching. First, is
to make a difference in the lives of his/her students by
making them feel secure and safe when in a classroom.
The second, is to make the students feel loved and
accepted because a teacher might never know what is
going on with his/her student outside of class. Thirdly,
s/he has to be in touch with the parents, in order to know
his/her student better and thus cater to each of them
individually. Fourthly s/he has to be positive with the
students so as to encourage them. Encouragement helps
the students to take more initiatives and do their best in
studies.
A good teacher is first a student and then a
teacher.Teaching is always a two way process.ATeacher
should have the love for knowledge and a love for the
development of others. S/he learns while s/he teaches. In
the process of teaching s/he discovers his/her own self.
S/he expands his/her own horizons of understanding
about life. The most important is to be humble enough
even to accept corrections from students; being ready to
listen to their views etc. Like the student, the teachers
also need to work hard in order to prepare for the class for
the next day. They should ever strive to make their class
more effective by simplifying the contents and adding
more examples.They ought to handle difficult times with
courage and patience. They must always maintain a
standardforthemselvesaswellas for theirstudents.
A teaching profession is at times demanding and
exhausting, although it is meant to be an enjoyable and
rewarding career. One should opt for this profession only
if s/he loves children and has passion for teaching. Thus,
the profession of teaching demands more than just
impartingknowledge.
st
(Ravi is a 1 Yr student of Philosophy at JDV)
Ravibhushan SJ
Teacher Beyond ProfessionTeacher Beyond ProfessionTeacher Beyond Profession
Article
“ What can you do to promote world peace?
Go home and love your family.” - St. Teresa

The entire world has celebrated the canonization
of St. Teresa of Calcutta on September 4, 2016.
Though all of us might have participated in
different sorts of its external celebrations, as true
Christians we also need to imbibe the values which
Mother had lived in her life. Here I emphasize on an
important value which St. Teresa of Calcutta upheld
throughout her life. I admire her courage to go beyond the
boundaries of the times she lived in. this virtue of hers
becomes quite relevant in our times where people are
confined to their selfish zones and where others are not
respectedandcaredfor.
Mother Teresa was a member of the Loreto
Convent and was appointed as a teacher in the school. In
the course of time, she met many destitute on the streets
of Calcutta and felt compassion for them. Realizing that
her call should not be confined to the safe walls of the
Loretto convent, she moved on from her convent and
started working for the poor on the streets. This daring
step later made her the 'Mother of Destitutes' in Calcutta
and the 'Founder of the Missionaries of Charity.' In order
to understand her courage, we need to understand the
times that she lived in. Her move was nothing less than a
leap into the dark. Uncertainty had overshadowed her
future. Still she committed her entire life to the hands of
God for the sake of serving the poor and the deprived. It is
easy to say that I have faith in God when everything goes
well and is under my control. But am I courageous
enough to discern the will of God in my life and to
r e n o u n c e a l l m y s e c u r i t i e s f o r i t ? ’
‘A call within a call' has been a well said catch
phrase. We all have different calls. Some of us are called
to family life, some others to religious life and still others
to priestly life. But we need to find out the uniqueness of
each call at a personal level. St.Teresa of Calcutta though
a religious (in general), discovered her uniqueness (in
particular) as the 'Mother of the Destitutes.' Often in our
lives, we tend to walk on the paths which others have
trodden. Even in religious life, we continue to walk on
paths, paved by our respective founders. But it is very
important to find a new constructive way for ourselves
and at times even to walk alone. If Mother Teresa had
remained in Loreto Convent she would have lived a
secure and protected religious life, like most of us do. But
her daring step, led her to the grassroots of society and to
become the 'Mother' for many who were deprived of and
are not cared for. As a result the Church and the entire
world without any discrimination of religion, caste and
creed now admire and venerate her for the selfless
servicesshehasrenderedtohumanity.
Let us try to imbibe the courage of this great saint
to break the boundaries of the social stereotypes and
structured compliance. We should never forget that if we
wish to live like mother, we have to start from Christ who
was merciful throughout His life. We need to be inspired
byChristtoseeHis faceinour fellowbeings.
rd
(Ebin is a 3 Yr student of Theology at JDV)
Beyond the BoundariesBeyond the BoundariesBeyond the Boundaries
Ebin Orathel CST
Article
“lonElInEss AnD tHE FEElInG oF BEInG
unWAntED Is tHE most tErrIBlE
PoVErtY.”
- st. tErEsA

You want to know how to learn a new
language?” Once asked Fr. Hector (former
POSA) to a band of scholastics who were
preparing to go to the villages and he said, “Fall in love
with the people.” We all laughed because we did not
understand what he meant. Falling in love with people is
one of the most important factors we need when we want
to enter into their lives and know their worldview. This
was what made Mother Teresa fruitful in her work with
the poor. Her motivation to do so much was possible only
because she understood what true poverty is and fell in
love with the poor. Her words express it best, “we think
sometimes that poverty is only being hungry, naked and
homeless. The poverty of being unwanted, unloved and
uncared for is a greater poverty. We must start in our own
homestoremedypovertyof thiskind.”
Once in the crowded neighbourhood of Kolkata
(City of Joy), Mother Teresa picked up a man dying from
the dirty street. He was a Hindu temple priest left
deserted to die because he was sick and nobody wanted to
attend to his needs. When he recovered he asked Mother
Teresa, “Why do you care for me, a dirty deserted
person?”She just smiled at him. Her love for the poor had
no bound of caste, creed, religion, race or colour. To her,
every person was the same without any distinction. This
gavehergreatrespectfromthisHindutemplepriestand
among the Hindu neighbours
livingaroundher.
Her love for the poor
was wholesome, expressed
in every sphere of life. When
she walked out from her
Loreto Convent in the
th
evening of 17 August, 1948,
she dressed in a white sari with blue stripes. She was a
Headmistress but when love enclosed her she became a
poor Bengali woman. Jesus had said to her, “I want
Indian nuns, victims of My love to be Mary and Martha,
who would be so very united to Me as to radiate My love
to souls. I want free nuns covered with My poverty of the
Cross... You will dress in simple Indian clothes or rather
like My Mother dressed - simple and poor...Your sari will
become holy because it will be My symbol.” Stuti Das
explains about the significance of the sari: White - stands
for truth and purity.The three blue borders signify the
vows that the nuns of the Order take: the first band
represents Poverty, the second Obedience and the third
broad band represents the vows of Chastity and of
wholehearted free service to the poorest of the poor. The
Cross worn on the left shoulder symbolises that for the
Missionaries of Charity, Jesus on the Cross is the key to
theheart.
Mother Teresa spent her entire life caring for the
poor and the deserted without any limit or restriction. She
is a true model for the world which still struggles with
poverty, physical and spiritual. She did exactly in deeds
what many have said in volumes about inculturation, to
fall in love with the people we serve. She has shown us
how to fall in love so that we will be fruitful in whatever
endeavourwelookforwardtoinourlife.
st
(Khathing is a 1 Yr student of Theology at JDV)
A Loving Bengal MotherA Loving Bengal MotherA Loving Bengal Mother
C M Khathing SJ
Article

Isee Jesus in every human being. I say to myself, this
is a hungry Jesus, I must feed him. This is a sick
Jesus. This one has leprosy or gangrene; I must
wash himandtendhim.IservebecauseIloveJesus.”
- St.Teresa
The moment I think of Mother Teresa the first
thing comes into my mind is the poor. Her life is
associated with the poor and she sacrificed it totally in the
service of the poorest of the poor. She became one with
them; and in looking after them she became a mother to
them. But a question arises in my mind, why do we call
her 'mother of the poor?' There are many people who do a
lot for the poor but only she can rightly be called 'mother
of the poor.'The only difference is the way MotherTeresa
responded “a call within a call”. She became a mother to
them by what she was to them. She understood her
mission i.e. she became aware of her true identity as a
child of God. Mother Teresa had reflected over her life
through prayer and so she could claim that she belonged
to the whole world. She treated the poor as though they
were part of her own existence and being. She did not
categorize them by caste, language, race, religion or any
other categories. She served unconditionally and
lovingly. Her attitude of openness helped her to love all
human beings. She believed that serving humanity is
equaltoservingJesus Christ.
Like any mother, during the dark periods of her
life she did not give up. She continued her efforts to
alleviate poverty and suffering around the world. She
was at unrest seeing the misery of the poor. In those dark
moments she faced many difficulties but she pushed
herself forward. She did not give up the work of Jesus.
She surrendered herself to God in deep faith. This in a
way helped her experience the pain and suffering of the
poor and destitute. She did not bother of herself while
serving the poor. Her goal was clear and in all the
frustration and painful time she kept responding to God's
call.
Mother Teresa truly deserves to be called the
mother of the poor not because of founding the
missionaries of charity, but she accepted the life style of
the poor and served bounteously till her last breath.
People called Mother Teresa a “living saint” while she
was alive. Today, with joy we all are celebrating her
canonization, which she deserves the reward for her faith
inGod, hercommitmentandlovefor poor.
This is possible because she paid attention to the
voice of God and let that interior transformation take
place. It is necessary for us that as long as we exist as
human on this earth to try to pay attention to the voice of
God. There is a constant process to go into the depth of
our hearts. We need to keep searching for meaning in our
lives. That would help us know what will bring us true
happiness. Sometimes we live our lives without any
meaning in it and that makes us more depressed. Mother
Teresa did not get the name Mother for no reason. She
earneditby lettingGod leadherallthroughout.
rd
(Jayanti is a 3 Yr student of Philosophy at JDV)
Jayanti SJ
Mother of the PoorMother of the PoorMother of the Poor
Article
“Kind words can be short and easy to speak,
but their echoes are truely endless.”
- St. Teresa

am indebted to my father for my life but to my
Iteacher for living it well,” saidAlexander the Great.
Teaching is an 'art' and it is a noble profession. The
role of a teacher is very important in society. S/he has
myriad duties to perform. A teacher has a lot of scope to
influence the students. Students are deeply affected by a
teacher's love and affection. They are influenced by a
teacher's character, competence and moral commitment.
A Teacher becomes a role model for the students.
Students try to imitate their teachers following not only
the teacher's life style and etiquette but also at times even
thewaytheteachercommunicatesandacts.
We can understand the importance of teachers
through the example of a building. Only an architect
would know an entire building, its strengths and
weaknesses.Ateacher is like an architect who knows the
students well. S/he has all the necessary knowledge to
shape the lives of the students, to mould and nurture it
appropriatelyaccordingtoeachindividual'sneed.
On the other hand when we reflect on the relevance of the
role of the teacher in the present context we are
flabbergasted. The office of being a teacher has lost its
dignity today due to corruption. It is unfortunate to see
that those who are not capable and competent much less
skillful get into the teaching profession through corrupt
means. They become lethargic and make the education
system as a profit making business.We also see that some
teachers see themselves inferior to other professionals
like doctors, engineers, advocates etc. This causes them
to lose interests and get frustrated with their job and thus
theyendupbeinglesscommitted.
Amidst all this we can still find competent and
sincere teachers who consider their job as sacred and give
themselves completely for the growth of the students.
Such teachers are models of faith and piety. They are
responsible,show positiveconcerntowardsthestudents;
participate actively
in the welfare of
society by creating
right consciences
in the students.
They accept the
students with love
and correct them too. They are just and upright. These
qualities in a teacher help them to be better instruments in
formingyoung mindsandhearts.
Parents too expect a lot from teachers. They
desire that their children get good education from a
teacher. Parents are also teachers in one sense. They
teach their children even before they start going to the
school. Children learn a lot of things at home. Both
parents and teachers are equally responsible for the
growth of a child. In recent times there have been some
strained relationships emerging between teachers and
parents due to various rules and regulations regarding the
rights of the children. Parents-teachers associations
established in schools are bridge builders between them
so that they come to a common consensus and owe their
respective duties and obligations towards the overall
developmentof thechildren.
Today the cyber world has become a substitute
for teachers. Internet in this sense should not be seen as
an obstacle rather as an added means to enhance the
growth of a student. Teachers must equip themselves to
help students to make use of the internet adequately and
appropriately. The two are not in opposition but
complement one another. There can be no substitute for a
teacher. A teacher's role in the life a student becomes an
inevitable growth factor. Dr Radhakrishnan says, “True
teachersarethosewho helpus tothinkfor ourselves.”
nd
(Raja is a 2 Yr student of Theology at JDV)
Relevance of Teachers TodayRelevance of Teachers TodayRelevance of Teachers Today
FrancisRaja SJ
Article

In 1948, Mother Teresa left the landscaped confines
of Calcutta's Loreto convent for the teeming streets
to devote herself to caring for the poorest of the
poor. It was a heavenly summons. God was calling her to
give up the comfortable world of the Loreto convent to
live and labor in the slums of Calcutta to cater to lepers,
unwed mothers, discarded infants, the ill, the insane, the
retarded, the dying. It was a call with a call. I would like
to see this call as a call to 'do justice' according to its
Biblicalunderstanding.
The Hebrew word for “justice,” mishpat, occurs
in its various forms more than 200 times in the Hebrew
Old Testament. It means giving people their rights or
what is due to them. Amos was one such prophet who
spoke against the social injustice of his time and
castigated those who were responsible for it. Caring for
the sick widows and strangers reflects the character of
God who is the God of justice. In the book of proverb we
read, “If you insult the poor, you insult the Lord.” and “If
yougivetothepoor,yougivetotheLord.”
A yardstick to evaluate justness or misphat of a
society is how we respond to these groups. When we
neglect 'justice' to the people, it is not called merely a
lack of mercy or charity but a violation of justice, of
mishpat. God has a soft corner for those who are on the
fringes of society and the created being in turn should
have the same. That is what it means to 'do justice.'
The Bible remains the source of divine revelation
and power that can sustain us as Christians in our search
for God. If we are to remain faithful to this source, the
concept and call to justice are inescapable. When we try
to bring the periphery to the center we do justice because
we give all human beings their due as creations of God.
Doing Justice is not merely doing right over wrong, but
generosity and social concern especially towards the
least, the last and the lost of the society. St Teresa of
Calcutta,Prayfor us.
rd
(Wilson is a 3 Yr student of Theology at JDV)
Wilson SJ
Mother of JusticeMother of JusticeMother of Justice
Article
and religious house. Thanks to her, every decent person
realizes more clearly that he or she has to do something
for the under-privileged and broken. Her charism is to
pick up the effects of an unjust and sick society. Others
must complete and complement this with working to put
an end to the causes of the same unjust and sick society,
sometimesamoredifficultanddangerousgoal!
(Fr Cyril is an Associate Professor of Philosophy at
JDV)
(Cont’d from Pg.03)
Mother Teresa, a Teacher for Humanity

1. Mother Teresa went beyond boundaries in serving
others, how has it affected the idea of religion amidst
diversereligiouspracticesinIndia?
“We saw this at her funeral. Everyone was there.
The faithful of other religions are drawn to mother's
selfless example. India a country with diverse religions
has a love and great respect for mother. Everyone saw the
sanctity shown by mother, even in their own religious
conceptbringingunityamongall.”
2.Your life style and way of life emphasizes more on
“being the healing presence to
others” can you tell us how this
ideaimpactsyourworks?
“Mother saw mercy, as a
way of life, which she followed first
and foremost in her community of
nuns and then in her relationship
with others: this is our lifestyle,
characterized by love and
forgiveness, being the healing
presence to others. We follow the
example of our Mother in our daily
lives and works, making others feel
lovedandcaredfor.”
3.Given the 'motto' of your congregation, and the
work you are doing, how do you motivate youngsters?
Is thenumberdwindling orincreasing?
“What we give to the poor and to people we meet
along our path, is above all Jesus Christ and his love: we
are merely his instruments. It is the love of Christ that
sends laborers into his harvest field. As the numbers are
dwindling all over the world in terms of vocations, we too
are facing it, but have been getting vocations faithful to
their call. I see Mother Teresa allowing every man and
woman to see and be touched by God's mercy through the
actsofloveandmercy.
4. What is your personal experience, encountering
MotherTeresa?
“I have known Mother from 1980, she was a very
down to earth person, very simple in her lifestyle, would
share the dormitory with other sisters, eat meals together,
and never tolerated being treated differently than others.
She lived her religious life so much with joy that we all
wanted to be close to her. Even when sick she would be
the first to be in the chapel to pray and participate in the
Eucharist. This gave her the strength to give Christ to
others all throughout her daily life.
I was impressed by her way of life
and still hold close the crucifix she
gave me on my first meeting with
her.
5. Mother being so humble and
simple suffered darkness in her
s p i r i t u a l l i f e a n d f e l t
disconnected from God, what
have you tosay about it?
“I am in awe knowing this
fact that Mother went through the
dark nights of her soul. Even today
I am not able to understand it nor
can I explain what it would have been for Mother to go
through the depth of this suffering internally. I think a
soul who has not experienced it (the darkness) will not be
able to understand what it is. This is a mystery of the
spiritual life. Souls who know about it can connect with it
and associate with it, but souls who do not know about it
standbeforeamystery.”
6. How do you see the presence of Mother living even
afterherdeath?
“All throughout her earthly life she never did
anything to lead others to herself, but only to Jesus and
Mother Teresa the Icon of MercyMother Teresa the Icon of MercyMother Teresa the Icon of Mercy
Interview

Mary. Even now after her death Mother is still present
amidst us praying for us and reaching out to those in
need. She intercedes to Jesus to give us the grace to carry
on her mission standing by the side of every person and
working with them, whatever their religion or
nationality, wherever we are, for the sake of humanity,
trustinginthegraceandmercyofGod always.”
7. What made Mother Teresa win over the hearts and
mind ofpeopleinthis world?
“It was Mother's vision of the world that
everyone is infinitely loved by God, and that everyone is
meant to love and to be loved by others. The insight that
Mother had for the people of the world was that the
moment people realize their own worth and being loved
by God, they would not be at peace. This insight of
Mother Teresa made her win over the hearts and minds of
peopleintheworld.
8. How do you see yourself in the shoes of Mother as
thegeneralof thecongregation?
It is a great responsibility to fulfill. I can only
think of going forward by the grace of God and the
blessing of Mother and others. I see how God is using me
in a different way giving me inspirations to meet the
demands of our daily lives and the needs of our sisters
accompanyingthem.
9. What is the need of the hour as Mother is made
SaintTeresaofCalcutta?
“As we see before us a world wounded by
violence and shrouded in gloom, Mother accompanies us
along our path so that the light of Christ may illuminate it.
It is sad to see acts of terrorism causing infinite suffering
and sorrow. God made us for love and peace, not for war
and hatred. Though Mother loved the people of Calcutta,
itwouldbemorecorrecttosay,thatmotherlovedthe
individual sufferer and wanted to make a difference in
each individual's life. The need of the hour is to love and
bring peace in humanity.” Mother would say, “If I can do
something,thenImustdo it.”
10. What was the dream of Mother Teresa that you as
Generalwould liketo fulfill?
“Mother Teresa had a dream to open a
Missionaries of Charity Centre in China. This wish was
not fulfilled in her lifetime. But we hope that, God
willing and if the conditions allow it, we would be happy
tomakeithappenoneday.”
(Interview collated by Sch. John Fernandes S.J. from
various internet sources.)
Art By Wilson SJArt By Wilson SJArt By Wilson SJ

It is therefore time to stop gathering around
chilled Bisleri bottles in conference halls or sit reclined in
air conditioned seminar rooms and discuss global
warming and ecological crisis. We, in De Nobili College,
Pune along with the Tarumitra team here, are exploring
ways to unearth our affection and attachment to the
Earth.The past few months were brimmed with activities
that could subtly influence all dimensions of our growth.
Afewofthemfollows;
Reconciliationof Spiritwith Nature
Henceforth, sandals are not the be removed when
one approaches the sanctum sanctorum but while
entering the garden to water a dying sapling for the
Almighty had decided to play hide and seek in the
meanest and the least attractive, tiny sapling. We once set
our altar before our Pope Francis herbal garden in DNC
on the anniversary of the Laudato Si and that Eucharist
indeed made us realize that the 'whole Earth was the altar
and we were offering the labours and sufferings of the
world on it' (Teilhard de Chardin). On the first of
September we responded to the call of the best of apostles
of creation of today, Pope Francis and prayed along with
the Orthodox tradition, for creation. Now, we know that
ourspiritualityis aspiritualityofthesoilandmud.
Reconciliationof Laborwith Nature
Christ is not just a cosmic person but a cosmic
tree. Remember John chapter 15. St. Ignatius would
suggest that a seeking even among the puniest of them
all, will unmistakably unveil the Almighty laboring in
them. In the month ofAugust we had DNCVanmahotsav,
a tree plantation drive. We all planted a sapling that day.
Itwas raining cats and dogs buts not powerful enough to
deter us. That day we knew that soiling our hands was
away of reconciling our labor with creation and thus feel
that Magnificence dwelling in them. Going organic is a
well appreciated pro-nature initiative that's catching up
momentum in the field of agriculture. We also maintain
an organic farm here under the leadership of our minister
Fr. Jacob, along with our scholastics and coworkers.
They assure us with the good yield that chemicals are not
the gods of advanced agricultural practices but eco-
centric methods that do no harm to the larger web.
Reconciliationof Lifestylewith Nature
We are responsible for keeping promises to our
younger generation. But though we are living in a rented
home we have proved to be very poor caretakers of it.
Think of all the waste generated each day! Some cities
produce amounts if not segregated and disposed can
make Earth a dump yard in a year. In DNC, we thought
we should not preach until we practiced. So, we have our
waste segregated now. We segregate at the source- in
each one's room; then the biodegradable are moved to the
newly built vermipit and the non-biodegradable to be
disposed withthemunicipalgarbagetruck.
ReconciliationofWorldto Nature
We need to work until 'they beat their swords into
plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks.' The
DNC Tarumitra members go to schools in Pune to
conscientize children about the alarming plight of our
earth. We set up eco clubs and the children's enthusiasm
is an inspiration and boost for us to continue this work.
We also maintain noticeboards in DNC that tell ourselves
here how imperative it is to do ecology than speak
ecology. To conclude a poem of Tukaram will be helpful.
He, a mystical poet, is aghast at the knowledge of God
dwellingincreation;
Lo, God is sprouting on the tree branches, God is
spreading fragrance in flowers, God is quacking in
ducks, God is barking in dogs, and most of all God is
sittinginmeditationinhumanhearts!
nd
(Sch Nikhil is 2 yr Student of philosophy at JDV)
Reconciliation with Creation at De Nobili College,
Pune – Formed to be Eco-ambassadors

4 I's to Students (Imparting Inspiring Innovative Idea) Pune Youth Ministry also Known as PYA is a De
Nobili College Apostolic Ministry focused in orienting school students in and around Pune city. This apostolate
runs from June to September when schools conduct indoor programmes due to the monsoons. This academic year
we were able to reach out to 12 schools in Pune. The topics covered during the orientation cum personality
seminars were personality development, morals and ethics, social and media awareness, cyber crime, ethical use
of internet and social media, management techniques, parent – child relationships, relationship and friendship,
feelings and emotions, career guidance and choices and recollections for Christian students. The team consisted of
students from Philosophy and Theology who were good at motivating the students to achieve their goals and make
a better living in the future. Inspire, push, and get going is what makes the students take the leap to success.
Pune Youth Ministry
Panchsheel Nagar is a new slum ministry taken up by the DNC brothers at the request of Mr. Raj, the area
leader.We cater to nearly 25 to 30 students from Monday to Friday for an hour, helping them with subjects like Maths,
rd th
English, Science and Marathi. The students are mainly from std 3 to 9 studying in various English and Marathi
medium government schools. Two scholastics go daily for an hour to be with children and monitor their studies
carefully. The daily attendance sheet is kept in order to have the record of the regular students, who then are later
rewarded. In our visits to the children's homes we understanding of the family background and also the social and
economic situation. It is an opportunity to interact with people of the other faiths too. This type of involvement has
broughtus veryclosetothepeopleintheslumandwecanseethedifferencewheneverwearepresentthere.
18
PanchsheelNagar(Education&FamilyVisits)
sEPtEmBEr 2016sEPtEmBEr 2016sEPtEmBEr 2016

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