A Season of Promise

Fr Joshan Rodrigues

The political turmoil has finally subsided in Maharashtra with the declaration of the State Assembly election results on Nov. 23. Perceptions of a close fight between the two opposed alliances proved to be misguided, as the Mahayuti romped home with an unexpected and comfortable majority. Election after election, India keeps its date with democracy, and is thus a shining light for the rest of the world, where many nations often struggle to hold on to true democratic principles and respecting the will of the people.

Even though democracy is alive and vibrant in our own country, it is safe to say that it is not perfect, and that citizens and leaders alike must continuously strive to buttress and strengthen political ideology, principles and rule, within the framework of the Constitution. Recent elections have thrown up areas of concern. First, it seems that political parties are stripping themselves of ideologies, principles and vision in a thirst to grab power at all costs. Power, and not public service, seems to be at the heart of Indian politics today. The frequent breaking and restructuring of alliances and the all-too-common party-hopping by politicians today betrays a lack of ideological rootedness, honesty, and a will to respect the people's mandate.

A second area of concern is the 'festival of freebies'. Announcement of freebies before every election, sops, direct cash transfers and unrealistic promises has become the norm of the political play. Unfortunately, this strategy seems to be working in the recent elections with incumbents being voted back to power on the basis of these freebies. A freebie culture, however, is shockingly short-sighted, and does not augur well either for economic well-being or for governance. The poor are happy to receive this money, the rich couldn't be bothered by it, and the tax-paying middle class ends up paying for it. As inflation increases, salaries remain stagnant.

The red herring of freebies is a magic pill for political parties to win elections in the short term; however, it absolves governments of their responsibility of providing much needed services and infrastructure. The common man and woman continues to struggle for want of good quality healthcare, education, housing and infrastructure such as roads and public transport. These are available only to the rich. A common Mumbaikar today struggles to breathe, travel and work with dignity. Is this the kind of governance and quality of life that we dream of and hope for?

HOPE! That is the theme of the First Sunday of Advent as we enter this beautiful season of joy, love, hope and peace. The Gospel reading this Sunday is apocalyptic. It portrays great distress and a cataclysmic destruction at a cosmic level. But as Christians, we are exhorted never to fear and instead place our hope in the second coming of the Saviour. Christian hope is never a refusal to recognise and accept the various forms of darkness that menace the world, but it is a refusal to allow that darkness to have the last word, because we believe in a God who can bring light out of darkness and new life out of death.

This is symbolised by the gradual lighting of the Advent wreath over the coming weeks. As the winter days get darker, the Advent wreath will get brighter. Our gradual lighting of the Advent wreath is a symbol of our desire to remain people of confident hope, even when there are very few grounds for optimism. And our hope lies in the coming of the Son of Man at the great feast of light, the feast of Christmas. In the gospel reading, Jesus declares that it is prayer that will keep that spirit of hope alive in us; 'Stay awake, praying at all times for the strength to survive all that is going to happen.' In prayer, we look towards the Lord; we open ourselves up to the Lord's strength, and it is His strength that will keep us hopeful even in dark times.

Advent is a Season of Promise. Promises are made by our political leaders too, and we are presented with visions and dreams of a better future. We are 'bribed' a little along the way, so that we can be coerced into believing in that promise. However, political promises are seldom fulfilled, and often denied. Advent is a promise rooted in Christ, the Light of the World. It is rooted in peace and love. It brings together the entire human race, and offers the world the guaranteed promise of an eternal salvation to those who choose to follow the Light of the Saviour.

I like to think 'Sabka saath, sabka vikas, sabka vishwas' at its heart is very Christian in its all-embracing spirituality and promise. Let us hope that the new Government in Maharashtra, coinciding with Advent, will pursue this in the truest spirit of the letter and the law.

Kinetics of the Kingdom

Fr Joshan Rodrigues

As I write this, I have just returned from a Youth Camp accompanying 20 octane-filled teenagers and adolescents for three days and two nights on a mountaintop far from the city, amidst the best evergreen treasures that Mother Nature has to offer. How I find the energy to animate this group has always been a mystery to me, but their laughter, joyfulness and vivacity is highly contagious. They were instructed to conduct a short prayer service after dinner on both nights, using their own creativity and expressions of faith. The result moved my heart to tears.

On one night, a couple of them led the whole group into a reflection on how the Lord calls us to be of service to His Kingdom and to the Church. As a concrete gesture of this, they imitated Christ on His last night on earth. They bent down and washed each other's feet, acknowledging the times they had hurt the other, and for the times they had failed to be inclusive, reaching out in love and acceptance towards every member of the group.  They invited the rest of the group to do the same. What followed was a moving display of how much their faith means to them, when young people are encouraged to express their faith in their own way. There was an unusual pensive silence during this time, and even when I opened my mouth once to say something, I was chided by a girl next to me to remain quiet!

As I watched this scene unfolding in front of the canvas of the church building, it occurred to me that such a powerful gesture of solidarity, love and youthful faith was possible only because the Kingship of Christ abides in our hearts. "The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many" (Mk 10:45). Jesus' Kingship was not one of dominance and strength, but one of humility and tenderness. He humbled Himself to become one like us, and suffered the ignominy of the Cross for the sake of our salvation. And in doing so, He conquered the throne of our hearts. This group of youngsters, that is very precious to me, may be tempted and targeted by the necessities and attractions of this worldly life, just like we all are, but Christ the King is deeply enthroned in their hearts and our hearts too.

In the Gospel proclaimed on the Solemnity of the Kingship of Christ, Jesus, the King of the Universe, stands bound before Pilate, a representative of the Roman Empire. In response to Pilate's question, Jesus answers, "Yes, I am a King, but my Kingdom is not of this world." He is not a king as the world understands that term. Unlike Pilate, Jesus has no battalions at His disposal. Joseph Stalin is famously said to have asked an adviser, dismissively, "How many divisions does the Pope have?" Jesus exercises His kingship by revealing the God of Love, by witnessing to God's claim on the world and on every soul in it. And He does this by His life, and especially by His death. 

If Jesus is our King, what does that mean for us - His disciples? The answer to that question lies in Jesus' final words to Pilate in the gospel reading, "All who are on the side of truth listen to my voice." We show ourselves to be on the side of truth by listening to Jesus' voice. As Jesus was speaking to Pilate, there was another voice clamouring for Pilate's attention— the voice of those who were demanding that Pilate put Jesus to death. The situation in which Pilate found himself is symptomatic of our own situation. In life, all sorts of competing voices make demands on us. All kinds of important things clamour to be the king of our lives, to become our most important priorities. And these can easily drown out the voice of Christ. The many truths that the world has to offer can drown out the Divine Voice who earlier in John's gospel said, 'I am the Truth.'

Our daily calling is to listen to the Lord's voice, because only there will we discover a truly liberating truth. That the truth of Christ will set us free. Dominance, pride, selfishness, ignorance, hate and individualism will fade away; instead, love, peace, mercy, compassion, joy and humanity will abide in our hearts forever. That night, my youth group reminded me that the Kingdom of God is well and truly present amongst us.

Ruby Jubilee beckons Mumbai SCCs to new emerging Synodal Pathways

For forty years now in the Archdiocese of Bombay, the Small Christian Communities have been a vital way of "being Church" – of witnessing in the society. As we celebrate this milestone, let us retrace the evolution of the Small Christian Community (SCC) and reflect on its intended functioning and relevance for our times.

The seed for the SCC movement was sown by Bishop Bosco Penha, a great visionary, after the first Bombay Priests' Synod in 1980. In a co-authored position paper, the then Fr Bosco proposed the Basic Ecclesial Community (BEC) as a model for building up the kingdom of God in which the priest's role is to be a Builder of Community. The paper states that: "Community happens where there is sharing of experiences, interests and problems. But sharing cannot take place among 5000 people. The strategy lies, therefore, in concentrating on smaller localities of about 30-40 families, of more or less similar background."

Three facets of the BEC/SCC emerged:

1. The community is missionary in nature, as explicitly noted in the Statement of the Synod – "open to the larger community in which it is situated, and to which it proclaims the Good News of Jesus Christ in word and deed." Proclamation in our pluralistic country calls for inculturation, dialogue and cooperation.

2. Common issues or problems in the locality are a starting point for community interaction and organisation, a process of unification that must be ultimately Christ-centric and sustained, and thus all of us must be committed to the struggle for social justice.

3. The community is to be organised by a core group of key persons in the locality, and thus lay leaders must be comprehensively trained and oriented towards community-building; this is the same strategy Jesus deployed when He chose and commissioned the apostles.

As a progression of these facets, and given the socio-economic situation in our country, the need was felt later for Small Human Communities (SHCs).

In the past four decades, our SCCs have thrived in Mission and Faith Formation. SCC leaders play a key role in visiting homes, praying the community Rosary, discussing faith themes, organising community Masses and get-togethers, bringing Communion to the sick and homebound, and so on. Should our SCCs continue with all of this? Yes, absolutely and undoubtably so. However, the commitment to the struggle for social justice seems to have largely devolved to Centres for Community Organisation (CCOs) – and there is discontent because their outreach is being availed mainly by people of other faiths. We have not achieved our full potential as SHCs. How can we better proclaim, and better foster dialogue and cooperation in our increasing polarised society? How does an SCC bond with members who are more comfortable with digital interactions? Do our SCC leaders serve or dictate?

At the FABC 50 General Conference, the Church in Asia resolved to reorient our BECs (SCCs) towards becoming catalysts of renewal in society, to empower the faithful to serve all of society and serve as bridge-builders and bridges, i.e. to move more purposefully forward as SHCs. Care for our common home as envisaged in Laudato Si' is another important way in which we can come together. Certain BECs in Asia have begun transitioning towards becoming Basic Ecological Communities.

Nevertheless, all these considerations will not take root in solid ground unless we are in close communion with God through the power of the Holy Spirit. In the Archdiocese of Bombay, we have already initiated reflections on the emerging future of SCCs in a Synodal Church. Our SCCs are now reflecting on the following questions individually, in teams, and as a whole group: Who are you as a group before God? What are you called to do? How do you do it? They go on to discern how to transcend fear and doubt in a culture based on cynicism and pessimism in order to lean into what is possible. These reflections are guiding the SCCs into being more inclusive, faith-formed, collaborative and relevant. The process may be slow, but the Spirit will definitely guide our SCCs in building up the kingdom in creative ways that best suit our times and circumstances.

Bishop Allwyn D'Silva

Meet ‘Luce’: The Vatican’s cartoon mascot for Jubilee 2025

Ahead of the 2025 Jubilee, the Vatican unveiled a cartoon mascot on October 28 as the cheerful face of the Catholic Church's upcoming Holy Year. The mascot, named "Luce" (pronounced lu-chay)— which means "light" in Italian — is intended to engage a younger audience and guide visitors through the Holy Year. Archbishop Rino Fisichella, the Vatican's chief organiser for the Jubilee, described the mascot as part of the Vatican's goal to engage with "the pop culture so beloved by our young people."

The mascot made its debut the same week at the Lucca Comics and Games, Italy's celebrated convention for all things comics, video games, and fantasy, where the Vatican's Dicastery for Evangelization hosted a space dedicated to "Luce and Friends." Luce was unveiled together with her friends, Fe, Xin, and Sky, and her dog, Santino, and guardian angel. It was the very first time that a Vatican dicastery has participated in a comics convention.

Clad in a yellow raincoat which is the colour of the Vatican flag, mud-stained boots, and a pilgrim's Cross, Luce's mission is to guide young pilgrims towards hope and faith with her trusted dog, Santino, at her side. She also wears a Rosary around her neck, a symbol of prayer which, of course, is integral to one's Christian journey. Shells glimmer in her eyes, recalling the scallop shell of the Camino de Santiago, an emblem of the pilgrimage journey. Archbishop Fisichella described Luce's shining eyes as "a symbol of the hope of the heart."

Simone Legno, the Italian co-founder of the pop culture brand tokidoki, designed Luce and her "pilgrim friends" — Fe, Xin, and Sky, each outfitted in brightly coloured jackets. Legno, who admitted a lifelong love for Japanese pop culture, said he hopes that "Luce can represent the sentiments that resonate in the hearts of the younger generations." "I am extremely grateful to the Dicastery for Evangelization for opening its doors to pop culture as well," he said.

Within a week of its launch, the character became a viral internet sensation. Hundreds of memes and fan art renditions of Luce popped up on social media websites such as Facebook, X, Reddit, and TikTok and have been circulating on the platforms. Many of the Luce-inspired memes invoke Christian messages of prayer and warding off the devil. One popular meme, which parodies a famous scene from "The Shining," shows Luce use her staff to break a hole into a wooden door and stick her face through the hole as the devil cowers in the corner. Some others depict Luce kneeling in prayer. Several Luce memes also invoke pro-life messages, such as one that depicts Luce saving a baby from a Planned Parenthood abortion facility.

Thomas Graf, the Social Media Manager for Catholic Answers, says, "Luce is undeniably adorable. Maybe you disagree, but I have to hand it to the creators: They nailed the look of childlike faith and innocence. And the pilgrimage symbols embedded in her character—muddy boots, Camino de Santiago shells in her eyes, pilgrim's Cross, and World Mission Rosary—are subtle."

Closely preceding the celebration of Children's Day in India, the Jubilee Mascots are a toast to two of the Church's youngest congregations: children and youth. Luce and her friends have a beautiful appeal for children, representing their child-like heart and faith, and their design in the anime and manga Japanese cartoon styles, is a shout out to the life and energy that young people bring to the Church.

The Vatican has planned a range of cultural events to accompany the lead-up to the Jubilee year, including a concert on Nov. 3 of Shostakovich's "Symphony No. 5" and an art exhibit of Marc Chagall's "White Crucifixion" painting, which will be on loan from the Art Institute of Chicago to be displayed in Rome's Museo del Corso from Nov. 27 to Jan. 27.

The Jubilee year itself will begin with the opening of the Holy Door of St Peter's Basilica on Christmas Eve 2024, welcoming an anticipated 30 million pilgrims into Rome by the time the Holy Year ends on Jan. 6, 2026.

(collated from various online sources)

A Synod Ends, A Journey Begins 

In a surprising move at the conclusion of the Synod on Synodality on Saturday evening, October 26, Pope Francis ratified the final report, approved its immediate publication, and said he will not publish a separate post-synodal document. The Pope is permitted in Canon Law to ratify the final document of a Synod of Bishops, giving more power to the assembly's "guidelines" — something that has never been done before. "I want, in this way, to recognise the value of the completed synodal journey, which through this document I hand over to the holy faithful people of God," the Pope said in a livestreamed address to synod participants in the Vatican's Paul VI Hall on Oct. 26.

The 52-page document, approved by 355 Synod members in attendance, outlines substantial proposals for Church renewal. The proposals include expanded women's leadership roles, greater lay participation in decision-making, and significant structural reforms. The final document is organised into five main sections, and calls for five forms of conversion: spiritual, relational, procedural, institutional, and missionary. The Synod on Synodality is the fifth synod of Pope Francis' pontificate. It marks the first time he has chosen to forego writing a post-synodal apostolic exhortation in favour of adopting the text drafted by the Synod participants.

While Pope Francis has declared the synodal path "completed," the document emphasises that a crucial implementation phase lies ahead. This next stage will focus on integrating synodality as a "constitutive dimension of the Church." The synodal Church "now needs these shared words to be accompanied by deeds," he said. Among the most significant proposals is a call for strengthening Pastoral Councils at parish and diocesan levels. The text calls for a revision in Canon Law, "clarifying the distinction and relation between consultation and deliberation, and shedding light on the responsibilities of those who play different roles in the decision-making process."

The Final Document calls for a new approach, no longer viewing the Church as a "corporation" with branches, but as a communion of Churches. The term "universal Church" is reframed to emphasise unity within diversity, seeing local Churches not as subordinate levels but as unique expressions of faith within a single Body of Christ. Paragraph 76 of the Final Document highlights that lay and ordained ministries should not be seen in opposition, but as complementary services within the Church. Lay ministers are not "fill-ins" for priests, but contributors to a shared mission, particularly in secularised regions where the Church embraces a community-based, rather than hierarchical, structure.

Pope Francis emphasised the need for the Church to be "a sacrament." "She is a sign and instrument of our expectant God, who has already prepared the table and is now waiting." God's grace, he said, "whispers words of love into the heart of each person." It is up to the Church to "amplify the voice of this whisper, without hindering it; by opening doors instead of erecting walls." "We must not behave as 'dispensers of grace' who appropriate the treasure by tying the hands of our merciful God," Pope Francis warned, calling for openness and humility. Calling for a faith that is a "dance in the arms of grace," Pope Francis invited the Church to live out its mission with openness, joy, and trust in God's mercy.

The Synod on Synodality, with its various perspectives, asks a great deal of everyone. It asks for a change of mentality. It asks us not to consider synodality as a bureaucratic task to be implemented paternalistically with a few minor cosmetic reforms. It calls for a rediscovery of the desire to walk together as a modality that is desired, rather than simply endured, with all the consequences that this entails. It asks us to cast off the moorings and to be daring, in the certainty that it is the Lord who guides His Church through the gift of the Holy Spirit. 

It is an image of a Church whose members are rooted – in a place, in a history, in a community, in a context – and at the same time, pilgrims, that is, on the move, searching, missionary. The horizon of the text is Mission, to ensure that "Church going forth" does not remain an institution or end up being reduced to a mere slogan, but is fully realised with the contribution of all.

(collated from various online sources)

Living for Eternity: Embracing God’s Love

As we commemorate All Souls' Day, we pray for the souls of the departed, pleading for their peaceful rest in God’s presence. This act of prayer serves as a powerful reminder of our own destiny. Death is not the end, but a transition into eternal life with God. It challenges us to consider how we live and use our time on earth to prepare for this ultimate union. Death, often viewed with fear or sadness, can also be seen as a profound connection to the divine. It serves as a bridge, linking our temporal existence to the eternal love of God.

In contemplating death, we recognise the fragility of life and the preciousness of each moment. This awareness encourages us to live fully and authentically, embracing relationships, nurturing our faith, and expressing love. Instead of viewing death as an endpoint, we can see it as an invitation to deeper communion with God and a reminder of our interconnectedness with all Creation. In this light, every farewell becomes a promise of reunion, urging us to cherish our earthly journey, while remaining hopeful for the life to come.

The path of life presents each of us with distinct challenges and opportunities. For youngsters, the pressures of building a career, forming relationships, and achieving personal goals can sometimes overshadow the deeper call to spiritual growth. However, these early stages of life are a prime time for laying the foundation of faith and fostering a relationship with God that will sustain and guide us through the years to come.

In youth, service to others can be vibrant, active and full of energy and passion. As we grow older, the way we serve God may differ, but the call to deepen our spiritual journey remains constant. At this stage, we are often challenged to live out our faith amid the hustles and puzzles of life. Whatever may be the status of our life, we are all called to the process of letting go of worldly distractions. Detachment doesn’t mean giving up life’s joys or duties, but rather focusing on what truly matters. Swiss psychologist Carl Jung’s words, “Age is a grace and a chance given to us to discover our own wealth” remind us that the wealth we are to discover is spiritual, not material. The power and grace to be aware of this is available in all of us. Spiritual wealth comes from a life oriented towards God, and it becomes more apparent as we practise letting go of our earthly concerns and focus on the treasures of the soul.

Whether in religious communities or in secular settings, we all face the temptation to hold on to power, status, or achievements. Yet, by embracing humility, we can find ways to serve others, even when our roles and abilities change over time. Those who commit themselves to serving God often exemplify how to live joyfully, despite the difficulties or circumstances. Their example reminds us that serving God is not a burden, but a blessing, guiding us closer to Him.

Psalm 90 offers timeless wisdom: “Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom” (Psalm 90:12). This verse calls us to be mindful of the brevity of life, to recognise that each day is a gift, and to use our time wisely. Life is fleeting, but God’s love is eternal.

The Eucharist offers a profound connection to the experience of living in God’s service. In the celebration of the Eucharist, we remember Christ’s sacrifice—His body broken and His blood shed for the salvation of humanity. Everyone has gone through times of brokenness, whether in body, mind, or spirit. This brokenness can become a source of grace, just as Christ’s sacrifice became the source of life for us. We are invited to unite our sufferings, challenges and limitations with those of Christ, recognising that these experiences are not burdens, but pathways to deeper communion with Him.

As we honour the souls of the departed, we recognise that death is not an ending, but a sacred threshold into God’s eternal love. This awareness invites us to cherish each moment and prioritise relationships that reflect divine compassion. By contemplating our mortality, we cultivate spiritual growth and deepen our commitment to serving others. Death becomes a bridge connecting us with the living and the departed, urging us to create a legacy of love. Ultimately, may we embrace this journey as a preparation for the glorious reunion that awaits us in eternity, binding us in hope and faith.

(Guest Editorial) Sr Francina DSS is a member of the Dinasevanasabha Congregation.

I Am Mission, You Are Mission!

Fr Joshan Rodrigues

This Sunday, October 20, the Universal Church will commemorate World Mission Sunday, an annual observance instituted by Pope Pius XI in 1926 through a papal decree. Marked on the penultimate Sunday of October each year, World Mission Sunday invites us to rededicate ourselves to the missionary mandate Christ entrusted to His Church—and to each one of us. It is a moment to reaffirm our support for the Church's evangelising mission globally. Out of the approximately 3,000 dioceses worldwide, about 1,000 are missionary dioceses, relying on our support to carry the Gospel to the farthest reaches of the earth.

The theme chosen by Pope Francis for this year is anchored in the Gospel of Matthew (22:1-14): "Go and Invite Everyone to the Banquet." This reflects the urgent and all-encompassing call to extend God's love to every person. The Holy Father elucidates key aspects of the missionary mandate by reflecting on pivotal words from the parable. "Go out and invite!" he reminds us, underscoring that mission is an unceasing endeavour to reach all people, drawing them into a transformative encounter with Jesus. This contrasts sharply with the familiar exhortation, "Come and see," often heard in vocational contexts.

Too often, our parish communities unintentionally become insular, focusing inward and catering primarily to the Catholic faithful within our church walls. Before we invite others to "come and see" and partake in the Eucharistic banquet that Christ has lavishly prepared for us, we must first "go and tell," ensuring that the Gospel permeates every facet of our daily lives and the lives of those we meet. The marginalised and spiritually distant must feel the ripples of mercy, joy, and love that emanate from the heart of every believer. Our task is not simply to bring the lost to the Gospel, but to bring the Gospel to the lost.

In today's world, even within our Catholic communities, there are many who have drifted from the faith. These are the gentes at the spiritual margins of the Church. Informal surveys across the Western world—and within our own archdiocese—indicate that this group is substantial and steadily growing. The causes are varied: rampant secularisation, irreligious media, an imbalanced work-life culture, poor Christian witness, failure to utilise contemporary means of communication, a lack of synodality… Whatever the reasons, Christ calls the Church to go out to these peripheries and re-evangelise.

As Pope Francis poignantly observes, "The drama of the Church today is that Jesus is knocking from within, asking to be let out! Too often, we become an 'imprisoning' Church that keeps the Lord to itself, forgetting that He came for mission and desires that we be missionaries."

However, even before we embark on the mission ad gentes (to the nations), the missionary mandate must first touch us personally—ad se. "He sent His servants to those who had been invited to the banquet, to tell them to come, but they refused to come" (Mt 22:3). Am I fully aware of the treasure of Baptism and the gift of faith I have received? Do I strive daily for a deeper love and communion with the Lord? Do I recognise that my secular life unfolds within the much grander design of the Divine, which is my ultimate destiny? Am I mindful of my duty to the broader Christian family and the global community of humanity?

Our outward missionary journey into the world must begin with an inward journey towards the heart of Christ. "The mission for all requires the commitment of all."

The Holy Father concludes his reflection by reminding us that mission must be inclusive of "everyone." It behoves us to contemplate which groups of people are often overlooked in our pastoral efforts and humanitarian outreach. In a bustling urban landscape like ours, numerous groups may fall through the cracks—the poor, the lonely, migrants and labourers, those identifying as transgender or with different sexual orientations, the working youth, inter-faith and ecumenical communities, environmental advocates… The list is endless.

"Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me." (Rev 3:20)