Ksj writers' forum october 2015

OCTOBER 2015OCTOBER 2015 Writers’ ForumWriters’ Forum0202

EDITORIALEDITORIALVishwas Misquith SJVishwas Misquith SJ

e are living in a fast changing world,

trying to keep ourselves up-to-date Wwith the world. In such a conflict

situation we are n danger of loosing our identity. In

simple terms we are in a hurry, looking for instant

results. There is only action without any reflection.

We try to compete with the youth outside especially

with our lifestyle. In this process we forget who we

are and where we want to go. Now how do we strike a

balance?

Now from such

a conflict ridden life

one needs to retreat

oneself and rediscover

one's identity. At this

juncture it is the

effective formation

that shapes and moulds

the life of a formee.

It is the context

that determines the

nature of our work and

mission. And it is the

m i s s i o n t h a t

determines the nature

of our formation. Both need to go hand in hand.

Very often the context is forgotten and thus the

formees while facing the real situation/context are

lost. They struggle to survive the challenges of the

modern world.

We are Jesuits and we are called to see things

differently. So we have the tool of St Ignatius i.e.

Discernment to ask ourselves who are we and where

do we need to be. This will put all things in place.

Finally formation is a

never ending process. Each

day we are formed in a

different way. It is an on-

going process. Only when

this continual formation

takes place, we accomplish

God's will in our lives.

This present issue of

Writers' Forum tries to

reflect over the theme,

'Formation'.

P e o p l e h a v e

expressed their opinion on

formation based on their

experience. I wish all the

readers a joyful reading.

FORMATION FOR

TRANSFORMATION

FORMATION FOR

TRANSFORMATIONPruthvi Rodrigues S JPruthvi Rodrigues S J

young Jesuit priest died at the age of 33.

He was taken into heaven with all the Aheavenly entrance tests. At last he stood

before Jesus face to face. This Jesuit was so furious

that he started arguing with Jesus saying, "I've spent

more than half of my lifetime in the seminary and

after 17 years of formation I became a priest. I was

healthy, strong, and was filled with zeal for

missionary work. But suddenly you took away my

life. Why? Seventeen years of my Jesuit formation

went in vain!

Jesus who was listening patiently began to tell him a

parable. "The Parable of a Stone.”

There was a huge stone lying in a hilly area. It

was shapeless, unattractive and ignored by all. One

day a sculptor happened to see it. He visualized a

wonderful piece of art hidden inside that stone. At

once he took it to his house. Day after day, he started

removing the unwanted protrusions from that stone

by hitting it with different tools to give it the required

shape. This went on for a long time, for he wanted his

work to be a perfect one.

One fine day, after the finest touches given to it, the

artist stood back a little and looking at his work,

exclaimed, "The masterpiece of my work!" It was

later kept in a prominent place, for it was really a

masterpiece.

The priest asked, "Lord, what is the meaning

of this parable?”

Jesus answered, "The stone in the hilly area

was you before I called you. I placed you in various

Jesuit formation houses. Every hit on the stone was

your formative year which involved corrections,

encouragement, ups and downs in life,

confrontations, failures, victories and so on. The

different tools used are the different people who

formed you.

At last when you were transformed into a

masterpiece I called you to be with me always. For I

love you. Your formation was for your

transformation...

0303OCTOBER 2015OCTOBER 2015 Writers’ ForumWriters’ Forum

GOING BEYONDGOING BEYONDOvin Rodrigues SJOvin Rodrigues SJ

esuit formation prepares quality men for the

mission. The formation is quite long but very Jsolid and effective. I finished my Juniorate

studies in Trivandrum last year. It was a time for me

to learn many things and put a strong foundation to

my life of further study. The Society provided me

with all facilities, competent formators and the

opportunities needed to grow and form myself.

What I cherished most in my Juniorate is the

desire in all of us to 'Go Beyond'. Our professors

were exceptionally good. They taught us what is

important, but more than that, they instilled in us a

desire to aim high. Their expertise, competence and

hard work were themselves a great inspiration for all

of us. In my companions I noticed a quest for doing

great things. Some worked hard to learn various

musical instruments, while others learnt Latin and

many other languages. Of course, our library and

reading room were well used. Each one tried to make

the best use of the time and opportunities that were

available.

For me it was a time to grow in the knowledge of

computers and communication skills. Till the

novitiate, I had an allergy to books. But here I started

reading many books. This desire made me

understand why some Jesuits have done

exceptionally well in more than one field, and I

dream to become one like them.

I feel this is something beautiful in Jesuit

life. We strive to do everything for the greater glory

of God. Our desire is always to do something more

and to perform better. What we receive in the form of

input is minimum, but the scope for improvement is

very large. It is left to each one to make the best use

of the opportunities provided and become effective

Jesuits.

What I learnt in the Juniorate in very

precious to me. I wish that all young Jesuits grow in

their desire to excel, improve and shine as they move

from one stage of formation to the other.


oday in the Jesuit Formation circles

troubling questions are raised: What is Treligious formation and what is so special

about Jesuit formation? What are the strengths and

weaknesses of South Asia Jesuit Formation

programs? What models of relationship must exist

b e t w e e n

formators and

formees? The

i n t e l l e c t u a l

i n p u t s t h a t

formees receive

are not often

translated into a

living message

of good news;

their interior

being is not

t o u c h e d a n d

s u f f i c i e n t l y

transformed by

the reality of

Jesus Christ.

I believe

t h a t J e s u i t

formation is not

a m a s s

production in terms of quantity, but what we must

aim at is quality. A reading of the constitutions on

the issue of selecting candidates would indicate that

Ignatius wanted superiors to be very selective. In a

preliminary draft of the Constitutions 'Recruitment

and Training, Part 1', Polanco had optimistically

listed eighteen means “for getting people”. Ignatius

wrote in the margin: “Quitar todo” – “Knock them

all out” – which Polanco obediently did. Ignatius

was a pilgrim, not a vagabond. He had a clear goal.

He wanted every member to have a clear

understanding of, and a firm commitment to, this

goal: the glory of God and the good of his people. If a

Jesuit is what he should be, he will do what he should

do.

Integration

seems to be

d i f f i c u l t

a m o n g t h e

formators and

f o r m e e s .

T h e r e a r e

many kinds of

i t : personal

integration of

r e f l e c t i o n ,

prayer, life and

a c t i o n ;

integration of

p a s t o r a l

experience and

r e f l e c t i o n

c o r r e l a t i n g

faith tradition

with life and

w o r k ; a n d

integration of

courses, including those of philosophy with

theology. Integration must be arrived at by reading

the 'signs of the times', listening to God speaking to

us through the secular world and people's

movements. Dialogue must mark not only the

context, but also the content and the method of

formation. In this light the Inculturation

Commission Report also formulated succinctly the

goal of theological formation in the following way:

JESUIT FORMATION TODAY IN SOUTH ASIAJESUIT FORMATION TODAY IN SOUTH ASIA

P. R. John SJP. R. John SJ


As the service of faith and the promotion of

justice are today held out as the concrete and specific

mission for the Society as a whole, and therefore for

us in India as well, our theological reflection should

arise out of actual living contact with the human

community in our region and country - its

possibilities and problems, its aspirations and hopes,

its strivings and struggles, its crises and fears, its

needs and achievements – interpreted in the light of

faith.

Both the formators and formees carry with

t h e m t o t h e f o r m a t i o n h o u s e s

(Philosophy/Theology) the internal problem of

South Asia Jesuit Communities: The Jesuit

provinces in India are facing serious internal

problem of the union of minds and hearts. Our

residences, by and large, are not communities of

“friends in the Lord.” Friendship requires mutual

trust and care, the subordination of our fears of one

another to our love for one another (Jn 15: 9-17).

If we are to achieve a community, then, we must

develop relationships of mutual affection one with

another. We all have fears (linguistic, caste, exercise

of power and position) that make it particularly hard

to entrust ourselves to others, especially strangers. I

believe that one of the reasons why Jesuits these

days often experience one another as strangers

derives from the different formations (more than

generational gap) we have had.

Sincerely, I dream that the Jesuit formation

in South Asia aims at preparing spiritual gurus and

apostles for the twenty-first century, known for their

excellence, rooted in Ignatian and Indian tradition

and yet open to the world, nourished by their faith

and commitment. They should be cradles of a new

Universal (South Asian) Jesus' disciples. Hence,

Jesuit Formation is an invitation to dialogue and to

transform oneself into Christ.

P. R. John SJ

(Vidyajyoti, College of Theology, Delhi)

JESUIT FORMATION TODAY IN SOUTH ASIAJESUIT FORMATION TODAY IN SOUTH ASIA

P. R. John SJP. R. John SJContd. from pg. 5Contd. from pg. 5


he title of this article is taken from the book, th

“A radical path, a path of light”. The 6 Tchapter of this book plainly says that the

main task of a religious community is to live together

in real love, and to treat others with genuine love.

Every formee leaves his/her family, home,

belongings, etc., and joins a religious community.

The formation should form him/her not merely into a

nun/priest, who follows the letter of the law. If it is

so, then as pope Francis says, “We will have many

more monsters”. The formation should make a

person more compassionate, loving, caring, and

above all, more human.

I know a priest who was a parish priest-cum-

formator of a diocesan seminary. Although he

renovated the church building, equipped it with

modern light and sound system, within two years of

his taking charge as Rector, nearly half of the

seminarians left the diocese. While vocation is a

precious gift from God, the formators play a vital

role in nurturing the vocation of the formee. To

support the above-mentioned statement the

predecessor of that Rector was a perfect example.

He was a simple man who was busy in mending

broken families, interacting with the youth,

manifesting special love for the elderly and so on. As

a formator he was outstanding. He tried his best to

mingle with his seminarians. He joined them for

games, recreations, prayers and almost every other

activity. Even today when I speak to him, I feel

energized in my vocation.

If we ask students studying in an educational

institution run by priests or nuns, they will say that

they admire those priests and nuns who bring cheer

to their lives. Although we are meant to serve

students in schools and colleges by imparting them

education, our academic qualification should be

supplemented with gentleness, kindness and love.

This additional qualification is not provided in

Universities or training centers, but in our formation

houses.

Jesus is known to be the best formator. He

went for vocation promotion. He did not teach

Philosophy, Theology, Methodology, Methods of

Prayer, not even the Constitutions. He simply kept

the people inspired.

A FAMILY, NOT A FACTORYA FAMILY, NOT A FACTORYSandy Gonsalves SJSandy Gonsalves SJ


BY YOUR GENTLE TOUCHBY YOUR GENTLE TOUCHSunil Kumar SJSunil Kumar SJ

My heart is filled with many words to express

Your love, O Lord.

But, when I see Your

beauty,

I become stunned and I

forget myself.

Even when You gaze at me

with Your Compassionate

eyes,

It is impossible for me to

hide my tears from You.

I could see clearly my own disfigured image in

Your eyes.

Oh! I am not yet

healed;

Sin is within me.

Allow the tip of Your

finger to touch my

soul.

So, let me be

transformed forever

and ever.

He did not teach them to perform miracles, but He

taught them to be a blessing in the life of others. He

did not hold a workshop or course on homiletics,

rather he wanted His disciples to be a living Gospel.

This was enough for His disciples to set the world on

fire of love.

At this juncture, we cannot judge a strict or

demanding formator as bad or wicked, if all his/her

ways of dealing with the formee are Christlike.

He/she shouldn't be thought of as a Hitler or

Mussolini.

I would like to conclude this article with the

following words of Fr. Joe Mannath SDB: “No man

can really form another human being, as we can train

an animal or mould a lump of clay. What we can do is

to be genuine and caring, to create an atmosphere

that is conducive for growth.”

A FAMILY, NOT A FACTORYA FAMILY, NOT A FACTORYSandy Gonsalves SJSandy Gonsalves SJContd. from pg. 7Contd. from pg. 7


FORMATION FOR

TRANSFORMATION

FORMATION FOR

TRANSFORMATIONRyan Rodrigues SJRyan Rodrigues SJ

ormation if it has to bear rich fruit in the

long-run and have a long lasting impact then Fauthentic transformation ought to take place

from within. A lot of formation these days

focuses on Psychology!

Psychology certainly has

some insights to give us and

maybe o f g r ea t he lp

especially in the early years

o f f o r m a t i o n ; b u t i f

formation is based only on

this model then i t is

incomplete. The equally

important spiritual and

socio-pastoral dimensions

also ought to find a place in

format ion to make i t

balanced.

Another important insight is that we educate

ourselves in the process of formation. Does our

education always have to be only input after input?

This model does work to a great extent but I would

like to propose an alternative that

can be tried sometimes if not

always. It is called as SOLE (Self-

O r g a n i z e d L e a r n i n g

Environments) where we teach

ourselves through the variety of

means we have today, be it the

internet, mass media etc! The

guide can merely play the role of a

mentor and that which comes from

within will surely help us to

transform ourselves.

esuit formation in my opinion goes by the

motto: 'self formation is the best formation.' It Jis built on the pillar called trust. What I am

today is because of the

timely constructive

c h a l l e n g e s a n d

confrontations of my

S u p e r i o r s a n d

formators. The best part

of Jesuit style of training

is the thrust towards

f r e e d o m w i t h

responsibility and spiritual direction, and not fear.

The clear-cut expectations of every stage of

formation give a clear vision for the formee. I have

never regretted for having joined the Society of

Jesus because I have

been helped to groom

m y s e l f t o b e a n

integrated person for

the mission. The two

stages of formation I

can never forget are my

col lege s tudies a t

Dharwad and the RTC

years at Anekal.

MY VIEWS ON FORMATIONMY VIEWS ON FORMATION

Lancy Fernandes SJLancy Fernandes SJ


irst of all I wish to congratulate all the

Scholastics of Karnataka Province on their Fcreative and apostolic use of electronic

media through KJ NEWS. I think this venture of

yours has inspired DNC NEWS also. I am happy that

this issue has the theme 'Formation for

T r a n s f o r m a t i o n ' .

In the spirit and charism of the Society of

Jesus, I look at formation in South Asia as

"Personalized, Integrated, Accompanied and

Transformative with spiritual, social and intellectual

depth, inspired by Magis for the greater glory of

God". If our formation

does not transform us or

if we do not allow

o u r s e l v e s t o b e

transformed by our

fo rmat ion , then i t

becomes a mere routine

or an empty ritual and

formality or a colossal

waste of time, money

and energy not only on

our part but also on the

part of the Society. Our

f o r m a t i o n m u s t

ultimately lead us to transforming ourselves more

and more into the very person of Jesus so that we

continue his mission with his spirit and charism.

Our Society itself was born of the

transforming experiences of St. Ignatius and the

First Fathers through the Spiritual Exercises. Our

Jesuit Spirituality is basically a transforming

spirituality. That is why we see in the history of the

Society the persons who went through the Spiritual

Exercises seriously and ardently became

transformed persons and they became agents of

transformation in whatever ministries they were

engaged. It is a well-known fact that the formation

in the Society is considerably long. There are

questions raised today on the long duration of our

formation in the context of today. The Society has

several valid reasons for its long formation. One

theological backing that I have given myself and to

others is that Jesus had to undergo almost eighteen

years of formation if his hidden life can be

understood as the time offered by his Abba for long

formation and preparation for his radical, committed

and fruit-bearing public life.

In our Society the formation

is well thought out and

systematically organized

right from Novitiate to

Tertianship. In the document

by our former General Fr.

Peter Hans Kolvenbach on

the different stages of

formation we see this plan

well spelt out through the

goals, objectives, processes

and outcomes for each stage

o f f o r m a t i o n . O n e

continuous thread of orientation that runs through

all the stages is that the formation has to help the

formees to become transformed persons, i.e. as

integrated Jesuits who would learn to integrate the

personal, psychological, spiritual, intellectual,

communitarian and apostolic dimensions of life.

As Fr.Kolvenbach used to say quite often, next to

God, it is the formee who is his formator. If the

formee allows himself to be formed adequately

through each stage, then the formation becomes

transformation.

FORMATION FOR

TRANSFORMATION

FORMATION FOR

TRANSFORMATIONFr I Raj SJFr I Raj SJ


Apart from the abundance of opportunities

offered, we encounter today a number of concerns

about formation of ours, namely mediocrity, doing

the minimum, superficiality, a tendency to opt for

settled and secure ministries, comfort zones, lack of

enthusiasm to venture into pioneering ministries,

inordinate dependence on the media, staggering

Magis in the study of philosophy and theology as

opposed to exuberant enthusiasm shown in secular

studies, lack of constant accompaniment by

formators, disconnectedness between stages of

f o r m a t i o n ,

d w i n d l i n g

spiritual and

i n t e l l e c t u a l

depth, etc.

I wish

to offer some

suggestions to

m a k e o u r

f o r m a t i o n

m o r e a n d

m o r e o f a

transformative

process:

The guidance

and orientations given by Fr. Kolvenbach's

document on the different stages of formation need

to be followed faithfully both by formees &

formators.

The four components mentioned in the letter

of Fr. Adolfo on intellectual formation, i.e. Context,

Content, Competency and Charism need to be

integrated into all stages.

The formees need to interiorize, personalize and

integrate their formation more and more.

Formation in and for Mission, proposed by the

Formation Review Commission (FRC) of the

Assistancy has been diluted in the recent past and it

has to be revamped.

S o c i o -

c u l t u r a l

e x p o s u r e s

o f f e r e d a t

different stages

should lead to

deeper reflection,

experience and

transformation

and not merely to

a n a c t i v i t y -

o r i e n t e d

programme.

Automatic promotion or moving from one

stage of formation to another in spite of the poor

performance of the formees, is to be monitored by

the Province Administration in order to help the

formee increase his level of commitment.

Since today's generation is digital and

visual, training in appropriate, creative and

apostolic use of electronic media, internet and social

network is needed.

The Assistancy plan for Jesuit Spirituality

and Ministerial Competencies in the different stages

of formation is to be implemented faithfully.

Accompaniment and mentoring by formators and

not monitoring, need to be consistent in all stages.

FORMATION FOR

TRANSFORMATION

FORMATION FOR

TRANSFORMATIONFr I Raj SJFr I Raj SJContd. from pg. 10Contd. from pg. 10


FORMATIONFORMATION

George CV SJGeorge CV SJ

od calls each of us in a unique way; I

always cherish this unique call of mine to Gserve the Lord as a Jesuit.

I've had, as a religious, very good experiences both

challenging and worth cherishing.

Since my pre-novitiate till my graduation at

Vidya Niketan, I have always cherished one aspect

a n d t h a t i s

community life.

I f e e l t h i s

particular aspect

has strengthened

my vocation and

kept me going and

shaped my life as

Jesuit.

A s w e

know, to live in a

community is not an easy task. Because we have to

put up with the people who are from different

backgrounds of language, state, place, ideas, etc…

So community experience is not only a

supporting one but also a challenging one.

Throughout my days of formation, I discovered that

if I am able to survive in the community, I can face

any other external challenges courageously. And

being joyful is a sign that we love our community.

As for me if anyone is looking for a

community where there are no conflicts and

chal lenges

s u r e l y h e

will never

succeed in

finding one,

because it is

only those

conflicts and

chal lenges

that will be

a l w a y s

remembered and cherished throughout our lives.

John. 15:16 “you did not choose me but I chose you”John. 15:16 “you did not choose me but I chose you”

I wish to conclude with the thought-

provoking words from GC 34: “As we know,

mediocrity has no place in Ignatius' world view”. It

is therefore essential to give young Jesuits a human,

spiritual, intellectual and ecclesial formation as

deep, strong and vibrant as possible to allow each of

them to achieve our mission in the world 'with a

proper attitude of service in the Church”.

Ongoing feedback to the formees as they move from

one stage to another needs to be kept up for

continuity and consistency.

Formation Personnel need to have periodic

ongoing training on formation concerns and creative

and relevant methodologies of teaching, experience-

based and research-oriented reflection.

FORMATION FOR TRANSFORMATIONFORMATION FOR TRANSFORMATION

Fr I Raj SJFr I Raj SJContd. from pg. 11Contd. from pg. 11


BEING BORN AGAINBEING BORN AGAIN

ou must be Born from Above”-Jn3:7.

Now I realize the meaning of these words Yof Jesus.

Some years ago I heard a call within me

which was from above. Then I joined the Society Of

Jesus. That was the time I was born again as a tender

sapling. I am shooting up and getting ready to grow

as a tall tree. I

learnt the ABC

of spiritual life

h e r e . O n

finishing a few

y e a r s o f

formation, today

when I now look

back over the

past time from

yesterday till the

day I joined the

pre-Novi t ia te

t h e m a n y

wonders and

miracles that took place flash vividly before my

mind's eye. In these years I have gained a lot and I

have learned to give myself fully to the service of

others. There were also many chances to change

myself into a better person. As I cherish all these

experiences of yester years, I can never forget the

vivid role of all the formators who shaped my

distorted life.

As I was born again from above, I was given

certain props to help me. They are:

1. Closeness to Christ: I have learnt to share myself

transparently at least with one person, that is

Christ.

As a result there is a change in my convictions

and in the way of dealing with my neighbours.

Above all, I have learnt to pray even under the

scorching sun.

2. A journey into myself: Having known my

weaknesses I do not brood over them, but try to

make progress, little by little, because I have

realized my strengths too.

3. Preparedness

for the future:

I am a goal-

o r i e n t e d

person now. I

keep that goal

in my mind

and put my

heart and soul

in whatever I

do. In times of

crisis, laziness

and troubles

t h e g o a l

boosts me and

makes me keep going, swimming against the

current.

4. Rising above the rough storm: I have many

difficulties and obstacles too in my path. Before

I become a slave to my feelings I recall the

person who is with me as well as who I am and

what my goal is. Gradually I find myself rising

above the storm that disturbs me.

Thus being born again is a wonderful

experience. I need to keep on fueling, or else the

spark of fire in me may go out. Trusting in the

one who called me, my love for him and his

service of others will add fuel to that fire and

keep it burning.

Roshan Peter SJRoshan Peter SJ


“RESOLVE NOT TO BE OVERCOME BY EVIL, BUT TO COMBAT

EVIL WITH GOOD”

“RESOLVE NOT TO BE OVERCOME BY EVIL, BUT TO COMBAT

EVIL WITH GOOD”

Pope FrancisPope Francis

PEARLSPEARLS
