A Never Re-Tired nun: Sr. Noel Mary Menezes

It was her humility that captured my attention. She was humble yet rich in knowledge and wisdom. Her contribution to education in Guyana especially higher education is remarkable I am delighted to express my honours to Sr. Noel for she has been appointed by the President to the Order of Roraima of Guyana, second highest award in the country. I was so exultant to hear this great news for she deserves this award for her academic excellence and more importantly for her service to the less fortunate children of our society. This is not only good news for the nation but for the Catholic Church in Guyana. The Church in Guyana has been in the forefront of the society in forming the young men and women for others.

One of my friends recalled, “Sister Noel had tremendous command over the children whilst at the Church; when she entered the Church, there was a pin drop silence. Everyone looked up to her as a good mother.” She has been popular not only among the academics but also among the poor people. She was a person of integrity intertwining her academic with service of the poor.

She has been inspiration for many of the boys and girls; she is one of the second great inspiration to me after an old nun in England, Sr. Chris Fealey, who used visit prisons at the age of 90; she was well respected as the religious governor of the prison and prisoners addressed her as mother. Sr. Noel has been inspiration for many for basically two effects; namely her academic excellence and her service for the less fortunate. She not only educated men and women for others but also showed in her life how one has to show sympathy for the less fortunate.

Her academic excellence was not known to me until I browsed the website Guyana Achievers, which read an extensive biography on her career. Her work on Portuguese history is noteworthy. Her publication titled “The Portuguese of Guyana: A Study in Culture and Conflict” (1992) and the earlier work, “Scenes from the History of the Portuguese in Guyana” (1986), added to my knowledge of cultural diversity of this beautiful nation. Her laudable work in the University of Guyana in the department of History showed her as person of great learning. The CXC students would have read her name in the Caribbean History Syllabus, so now you know that Sr. Noel has been awarded this eminent award. She has the prestigious Golden Arrow of Achievement award to her credit, which was awarded in 1982.

Sr. Noel never basked in the glory of her achievements as an outstanding educator and unloved her real mission to serve the disadvantaged. She served at the St. John Bosco Orphanage in Plaisance for over 30 years. She had special love and care for the children who are in need of a mother. She has been visiting the Mahaica Hospital for patients suffering from Hansen’s disease regularly, which she still does with her close friends like Sr. Celine and Pat Pierre. She is a tireless and non-retired person who cares for the boys. The boys have an utmost respect and love for this elderly sister, which I can see on their faces when I chat with them. When she was awarded this prestigious award, her heart was not in the award but she was little downcast because one her boys from home was ill. This showed me greatness of a person who has been awarded this great award yet her love and care for the boy remained priority.

Let me conclude congratulating Sr. Noel on winning this award and appeal to everyone that we need to look up to the people like Sister who have achieved such great fame both nationally and internationally. Let us look at our local talents and be inspired to be excellent in our endeavours. It is significant to remember the less fortunate people whilst we enjoy the fame and glory. Sister Noel must inspire our young people to be excellent in academics and excellent in our service for the nation.

Hima-Hera Fire Fortune

There is a Guyanese indigenous legend shows why the indigenous people use Hima-Hera tree sticks to produce fire by rubbing them. There was a wicked witch named Nanyoba who hid the twins of Yar and Usidiu for her benifit because Usidiu died at child birth and Yar had gone for hunting. When Yar came to Nanyoba to enquire about Usidiu, Nanyoba lied that twins were not his children. When twins found out that Nanyoba is not their mother and a wicked witch, they set her hut on fire. When she was scorching in the fire she did not die rather she turned into a frog. While she was on fire she spit fire from her mouth which was implanted in the Hima-Hera tree. According to the legend this tree has potential to produce fire and this is just a myth of the tree and the fire. Even if this tree has the ingredient to create fire, it has to be done by rubbing the sticks. 

Human person is a complex being; a being that needs support from other human beings but this support must be based on trust. This trust might emerge because of the closeness one enjoys or merely on ideological sphere. Human persons organize themselves based on their personal allegiance to other persons whom they trust. This happens in our day today lives. We trust someone whom we know very well. This works in all the areas of life. For a business person to invest in some firm one needs to trust the firm. 

Our societies are organized as political entities for a beeptter life and a happy life of everyone. That is why we have found a best way to organize ourselves keeping a societal integrated development. Most often our political allegiance is not really based on genuine perspective rather it is influenced by religious or ethnic ideologies. This is the danger we have to face in any political system. When I was growing up in India I was always told by my family that Christians must vote for congress party because this party is pro Christians and Muslims. The BJP is the Hindu party who wants promote Hindu ethos. Now, I believed this brain wash but no sooner I realized that the above idea is just a myth or a legend, then I used my own descretion to evaluate the government and vote accordingly. 

We can be over whelmed with the allegiance that our forefathers enjoyed and we might adhere to it. This will defeat the purpose of you becoming an independent citizen. This is the myth that when a person of my own becomes the leader I am better off. Most often it might be true because a leader is chosen to lead every people irrespective of who his subjects are. Hence, we need to overcome the myth that I am better off if my own person is the leader. I am shying away from the reality that friends benefit from another friend. This can be an example of bad leadership in which case cronyism ties root. A good leader will make sure to care for everyone of his subjects more importantly his opposites, for Jesus said love your enemies. It is wrongful to think that Hima-Hera tree has the fire within which give out the same fire when rubbed. Our lives must be like this legend of the tree and the fire. We have to be reasonable to know and decide what is best for me and my neighbor. 

A Mothers bond of fond

Mother, an exhaustible word

Ourselves us it across the board

Eyes sparkling with love

Everyone in adoration bow

Naked was I formed in thy womb

A form of my being until the tomb

Myself emanate thy noble fragrance

Every fibre of my being show radiance

Thou strengthened my feet

Then I walked my way to greet

My eyes sparkled with courage

This could be a arrearage

You whispered into God’s ears

That help myself bears

Taught how to talk to God

Thence, my being a laud

Sweetest lady of my first love

I shall abide in you like a dove

My heart gushes to ponder

Despite with it yonder

You are the morning dew

I have none gifts but few

Thou art a jewel precious

I will cherish thou gracious

My being propels a mighty kiss

For thou art today I miss

An intertwined noble bond

I greet thou my dear mother with fond

The Mass for peace on the eve elections

Let us concentrate on two aspects of this day as we celebrate this Mass; true peace based on trust for each other and erasing the negativities of life. 

True peace based on trust: we know from the scriptures that after the resurrection Christ appeared to his disciples in their own situations and greeted them with utmost love for them, 'peace be with you'. This is the true peace that Christ came to share with his disciples. Scriptures says the disciples were so afraid, confused, terrified, anxious and more importantly the future was so foggy they locked themselves in the upper room for they thought the Romans will capture them and kill them like they killed their master Jesus Christ. It is in this ambience that Christ stands among them. He stands among to breathe into them his breath so that their fear can be driven away, they may have clarity from confusion, they can be courageous, they can be sure and that Jesus might open their hearts to see the future more clearly; the future is the way, truth, and life. That's the moment disciples' hearts were opened and were they burning with gods love and trust. 

Do we have some similarities as we look around us? Do we feel our society too is in the same situation as the disciples when their master is executed? Are we frightened; are we afraid as to what will happen to us next moment? Are we confused as to how we will live tomorrow? Are we terrified when we hear what's happening in our society? Are we anxious about our life tomorrow? More importantly, has our future of the society is foggy and blurry? Let us cast ourselves at the feet of God, feet of Jesus who will not abandon us at this time because he will most certainly meet us where we are now. He will meet us in our confusion, fear, anxiety, terror and uncertainty of the future. Our God will take care of because scripture says, we are worth more than million sparrows and the lilies of the field. 

Pope John 23 reminds us in his encyclical, pacem em terris, that Jesus Christ is the author of peace (a. 117), the Prince of Peace (a. 167) who brings us peace and leaves us peace (a. 170), and he reminds everyone that there can be no peace among people unless there is peace within each one of them (a. 165). Let us ask for that peace; the peace in each and every citizen in this country and let that peace might be emanate to reach out to every citizen irrespective of who you are and which ethnic background you are from. 

Erasing the negativities of life: when Rebekha, Jacob's wife was in labour to deliver a child, she was in great pain and she decides to name the child Benoi which means son of my pains because Rebeckha dies in the labour pain. When the attendants tell Jacob that mother has named the child as Benoi, he couldn't continue calling that child son of my sorrows rather he names him Benjamin means son of my strength. Jacob erases the negative name that Rebekha had given. 

Negativities of life can engulf our whole energy and time. Sometimes we can be so negative that we can make our lives miserable and everyone's life miserable. When I chat or council problematic person or couples the significant aspect affects them is their past life. How they lived this past life or how they were bad. Or at times they are bullied by their people that they are good for nothing. Winston Churchill failed 6 grade and his teachers told him that he is no good and not a bright student. Brothers and sisters Churchill goes on to become the celebrated prime minister in the history of Britain. 

As students or as teachers you might going through the same so you have hope that you might be celebrated prime minster (smile). Don't allow your worth to be judged by someone else, if you do that you will be worthless. But you know who you are and you know what you are past is, hence do what is pleasing to God. Cast out all the negativities that society poses to you, cast out in to the deep all the negativities and you be judge for yourself. Let no one control your emotions and let no one tell you what to do because you are the master of yourself. Your guide is only God for scripture says, I am the only good shepherd and I will lead you to green pastures and I will anoint with the cooling oil.  

Sisters and brothers as Bishop Francis Alleye, bishop of Georgetown says, let us greet this elections 2015 with shalom that is with peace. The peace that Christ wants to share with us. Let ask God to give us wisdom to take erase our negativities of life and society. 

Cleaning our Backyard

A teacher from Primary School asked her students to write an essay about what they would like God to do for them.  At the end of the day, while marking the essays, she read one that made her very emotional. Her husband, who had just walked in, saw her crying and asked her: ‘What happened?’ She answered- ‘Read this. It is one of my students’ essay.’ The essay went like this: Oh God, tonight I ask you something very special: Make me into a television. I want to take its place and live like the TV in my house. Have my own special place, and have my family around ME, to be taken seriously when I talk. I want to be the centre of attention and be heard without interruptions or questions. I want to receive the same special care that the TV receives even when it is not working. Have the company of my dad when he arrives home from work, even when he is tired. I want my mom to want me when she is sad and upset, instead of ignoring me. I also want my brothers to fight to be with me.  I want to feel that family just leaves everything aside, every now and then, just to spend some time with me.  Last but not least, ensure that I can make them all happy and entertain them. Lord I don’t ask you for much. I just want to live like a TV.  At that moment the husband said: “My God, poor kid. What horrible parents.” The wife looked up at him and said: “That essay is written by our son.” (Fr Eugene Lobo SJ).