The current
of the river at the surface looks pretty calm and serene. But if we happen to
delve deep into the heart of the river we will realize that what appears to be
at the surface is not the case at the deeper level. Beneath the surface flows a
strong current which at times could be very rough and violent, yet it will
never show its roughness on the surface. Similarly, as we journey through life
what appears to be calm and serene may not always be the case deep within. As consecrated
men and women we are called by the lord to be His chosen instruments to calm
the sea and protect the ships entrusted to us from sinking. Unfortunately many
of us are blinded and we never notice the tossing ships by the turbulent waves
generated by the changing attitudes. We view at the far away ships in the river
from the harbour (Church gates, convents, offices, etc.), which from our
standpoint look very tiny and seem to navigate peacefully in its journey of
life. Thus we conclude that they are sailing smoothly.
However, how
often do we not complain when ships fail to report at the harbor? We get upset,
irritated, and even become violent when we don’t find people coming for Church
services, parish gatherings, meetings, youth programs and things alike. We tend
to think of them as irreligious, illiterate, arrogant, irresponsible, and often
consider them as someone lacking moral maturity. The fact is that we make judgments
but we dare not to delve into the lives of people. We are satisfied looking at
the surface of their lives and making a judgment about them. It is like a frog
in the well passing the judgment about the world.
As God’s chosen instruments, how many of us do
we really visit the houses of the sheep entrusted to our care. We claim to be
their shepherds but how unfortunate that we do not know them, their currents of
life. We blow our trumpet and expect them to dance on our tunes. Very often
even our preaching goes to deaf ears not because we do not know how to preach.
It is because we have become blind to their needs and all that we preach does
not connect to their life. Moreover, we
dare not to step into their lives to experience and understand their under
currents of life.
A few
individuals who regularly visit the families would realize that there is an
unquenchable thirst in the hearts of faithful for the visit of consecrated men
and women. We could easily justify our arrogance here saying if the faithful
thirst for us then why they don’t come to us. This is the biggest problem that
has crept into our hearts and minds. We proclaim ourselves to be persons placed
at their disposal but how often do we not set conditions in approaching us.
There is a huge price tag in meeting us to which poor and innocent faithful
can’t afford.
However, for the faithful the longing for the
visit of the consecrated men and women still remains as a burning desire. I
personally have heard many people from different parishes say that the visit of
a consecrated heart invariable creates an atmosphere wherein they tangibly
experience the presence of divine and even feel inexplicable joy and happiness
in their heart. If people could experience the love and mercy of Jesus so concretely
in the visit of a consecrated person than it is a dire need to rejuvenate the
dying missionary visits. Let us not imprison Jesus in the harbor far away from
the currents of life, rather build a harbor amidst the turbulent river so that ships
could find a refuge and also that Jesus could command at the storms “Be Calm.”
Romanius Barwa
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