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). 

Business in Religion

What would have happened to you if there was no God in our world? What would have happened if there were no religions in the world? These are the two daunting questions that have made many religious scientists to ponder. We are also faced with these questions at some point in our lives. It is natural for every religious or non religious to ask these questions whilst we are faced with the stark reality of life in the universe; reality of violence, reality of poverty, reality of hunger, reality of natural disasters, reality of chronic diseases and list is numberless. It marvels us when we witness allegiance of the people to religious duties. People have been paying allegiance to religious duties over centuries. The religion plays a vital positive role in the lives the people whereas it also downgrades the human reasoning in regards to the current happening around us. 

Let me cite a few examples of religion can make you admire with an almost radical mindset.  I was attending a Sunday service in certain church. The pastor was very oracular in his delivery of preaching. He was a successful speaker, who could grip and play on the psyche of people. The pastor was excluding himself from the instructions on the morality of people. The tone of his preaching was very negative and downgrading the faithful. He claimed that the people are not living a life worthy of God, rather they a life of selfishness and immorality. This was not new that pastors involved in instructing the right way of life, but what surprised was that the faithful were like a sheep heeding the voice of the shepherd. The sheep was listening to the shepherd. It occurred to me now that the shepherd is always superior to the sheep and when the sheep is fat and ready to be slaughtered, the shepherd himself scoops the sheep to be handed over to the butcher. It was more alarming to know that the pastor himself has many flaws, which must be a turn off for the people. 

There is a popular understanding among the people that a pastor is worth millions of profit for the family. Some of the pastors would like to help their family. An iota of nepotism creeps into our society. There is one thing we hear today about pastors, that pastors have fat bank account and they siphon wealth to their own family. This is true to a large extent among a few pastors who look at church's wealth for personal gratification. People have nosedived to reason as to why one has doll out money to be prayed over. Can we buy graces from God? This is proving against St. Paul's concept of free graces irrespective of religion and class. As St. Peter spiritualized, ‘Silver and gold, I have none to give you, but I will give you what I have in the name of risen Christ” (Acts 3:6), we have received freely, lets give freely. Jesus instructed that, ‘no one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other.” More important statement follows, “You cannot serve both God and money.” (Mat 6:24).

Religion can make a person conscientious to oneself and to one’s neighbor. This can be seen in our proximate when someone is conscientious because of the religious arousal. Religion can be a watchdog to the humanity. It can be a morality-check. It enforces the good and condemns evil in the humankind. It teaches values to the people; these values make one to build one's life. Consequently, religion paves a strong alleyway towards good and mends what is not right in the universe. 

I would like to point out a few incentives that people get from religion. Why do people clutch on to God and their religion? Why are people zealous about their religion? There are a few things that make them to clasp on to their religion and be passionate about their religion. 

Fear of God can make people hold on to their religion. In the early childhood I was taught in the church that God would punish if I don't obey my parents. God will punish and send me to the fire of hell if did not do my homework. God will punish me if I didn't go to church regularly. I was constantly reminded of my duties with a fear factor of God. Hence God became a cop in my early childhood. This understanding took convincing stem in me. This above fear factor seemed true when someone was struck unfortunate events. Some times it coincided with the threat of God. Many of the religious persons have this understanding that God will send us into eternal fire if we did wrong. We have to be redeemed in order to go to heaven. The church and other practices can make one pure and worthy of heaven. Only God can redeem us is the common understanding that drives one to do good and avoid evil. Can God really punish us is the question. We don't have to be frightened of God because God will never let us down. 

Fear of after life, is also a negative force driving one to hold on their religion. The early doctrinal understanding of hell and fire is still the teaching of many religions. There is new understanding given to this concept of hell and heaven. Heaven and hell is not a place that we get as reward for our works here on earth. They are situations in which we live. We create these situations; they can be here and now. A situation where God's values prevail or simply good values prevail. Therefore, it is not ideal for anyone to be fearful of these abstract concepts. We hear from the pulpit to live a good life otherwise we will be sent to the fire of hell. If we do good we go to heaven. Now I am not rebutting on that idea, because I really do not know whether they are rewards for our good or bad actions. 

Religion can be a cleansing pond to cleanse myself of all my sins and be pure again in order to live a good life. It's an incentive to every one who longs to be cleansed and be free. When someone is bogged down by the evil committed, naturally he needs to find a place to vent out. It is this juncture that religion comes in handy to be freed from all the immoralities. Someone can be a monster outside the sacred space but he can be well mannered within the religious sphere. Hence religion can become merely a place to rejuvenate, and just to begin anew day monstrosity. 

Indoctrination of the righteous, people can be follow instruction so blindly that they can even destroy other people who do not belong to their religion. In the struggle to keep one's religion active, the religious authorities can make the people hate other religious people. This can divide the community based on the religious allegiance. It is a struggle to prove that one's religion is superior to that of others. Most of the religious violence is driven by this one concept that one religion is truer than the other, neglecting the fact that religion is man-made entity. Indoctrination is the worst evil in our society, where humanity is divided and seed of hatred is sown in the hearts of the innocent. 

Religion is trendy charm to many people. It is trendy to try out different religions. For example, western world is bewitched to the eastern way of practicing religion. It is attractive because of its colors and bodily peace. There is an element of fashion and selfishness. It can provide people with personal gratification regardless of God and his existence. Most often these attractions cannot last long because there is always a better religions in the market. 

Religion is the platform and a springboard to launch one's own political and personal ideologies. We have known the many political ideologies have met their start at the religious scopes. It is to emphasize my earlier point of indoctrination; indoctrination by the powerful to spring to the heights of glory. 

Religion is divisive. In many circumstances religion has caused division among the people of the same community. People of every walk of life live together but as regards to religion people failed to accept each other. When I was studying in India it is customary for the Hindus and Muslims and Christians to go to same school and learn to read together. Hence school becomes a second home for most of us and education is noble. In our contemporary world every religion tries to promote religious awareness among the students. It would be noble cause for any school to promote morality, which comes from religion but not divisive indoctrination. 

Religion is comforter; Richard Dawkins once pronounced, that religion can give a person some comfort when the person is in sorrow or pain. It is true to a large extent, that we get our comfort in God. We go to church or worship places to make ourselves quenched; spiritual nourishment. We need someone to pay heed to our ordeals in life, especially if one is suffering with prolonged illness. This will make religion like a counseling clinic, where there is the pastor, the comforter. We need this clinic when we are in need of it. Hence religion is really a use at convenience.

Religion is a sedative to the human aggression. It is scary to hear about the stories of God being angry with the people for their evil behaviors. Children are constantly told that God would punish you if you don't do good. This would be a wrong approach in indoctrinating children that God is a police or nosy in our business. Religion brings in an eschatological dimension to human existence; if you do good on earth you'll be rewarded with heaven or virgins or superior beings, if you do bad you'll be sent to hades, where there will be grinding of teeth. Therefore, religion can make our warrior genes mellow down because of its aftermath consequences. Religion will help calm down human aggression. 

In conclusion, I would like to ask you the readers, what is religion for you? 

Are you shy to speak about God?

A daunting question that entertains most of our young people today is, “Is God really a private affair?” This question has challenged the theologians, atheists, agnostics, and the believers in God. Some would distinguish between religion and God; religion is a private affair and God is a universal phenomena. Prof Richard Dawkins, an atheist, a rationalist believes that concept God is not a private affair; hence we speak and preach about him in our churches, mosques, and temples. God is not really a private affair that cannot be talked about outside but we have a draw a line when we want to prove that God of this religion or that religion is more important or more Godly than others; this is limiting God to human institution.

In my homily on Easter Sunday, I called upon all the young people not to afraid or shy to speak about God; we all need God. Some of us need him only when we are struck with some chronic illness or succumb to depression or loss of someone loved one. We need God all the time, at times, we are not aware of his silent presence in our lives, for he probably lets us enjoy our freedom as a mother would watch her child enjoying in the meadows. God will watch over us just a mother watches over her children from the corner of her eyes. Just to elaborate aforementioned imagery of God, let us think about our own birth; we were formed in our mother’s womb in darkness and silence. No one knew how you going to look like yet mother had a hope that her child will be born as full grown and healthy baby. When being formed in our mother’s womb, who do you think gave us that form? I know I sound un-scientific but why is that some tissues are not formed properly and baby is deformed? Do the scientists have an explanation? Probably yes that the tissue is premature or misconception and etc. But my point is, can the doctors or mother put that deformed baby to right form to be born as a fully healthy baby. That’s where God comes in; we have no control over certain realities of life. Now, you can elaborate this imagery and even think of millions of other realities of life to have the knowledge of God and more importantly believe in that power of the divine God.

During the World Youth Day in Brazil, Pope Francis called upon the millions of youth gathered in Copacabana beach, to go and make disciples of all nations. He expressed Jesus’ call to the young people to make disciples not because one would like to, or if one has time, but it is a mission we are born to do. This message struck a cord in myself. But I want the young people who heard this call from God, to make disciples to speak and tell me whether you are doing it, whether you are fulfilling God’s purpose for you. Are you shy to speak of God when you have an experience of God? Stop thinking that only saints, priest, bishops and righteous persons have God experience. Each and every person born in this universe has the experience of God, including Richard Dawkins, Lawrence Kruass and Sam Harris, but their God experience is covered up by their own intelligence; including the intelligence is given by God, because not all of us are given same level of intelligence, some people have low intelligence even if they are trained by a best teacher.

What is your God experience? When I was growing up, I did not pay attention too much to the birthday and its significance, but over the years it dawned on me that our birth is first proof of God’s existence, and for me my birth is even more profound, in which event I had an experience of God. We were not aware that we had this God experience but ask our mothers they would agree with me that, it was a profound God experience when they gave birth to their children after a long labour pain. For some parents, the innocent and natural smile of their children is a God experience. So now, try to remember what are you God experiences? If you have any, do not be shy to speak about it, hence God’s power and presence can make the others aware about their experiences of God.

Often times, young persons are have enormous peer pressure where they create an ideal world for themselves and other; this world they live in is virtual world where they find themselves jumping into band wagon. It takes less courage to follow someone’s ideals like the sheep that follows the shepherd but it requires extra courage to stand out in a crowd; it requires humility and humiliation to speak up your convictions and experiences. Jesus stood out in the crowd and spoke up against the popular ideologies and practices. This brought him great humiliation and death itself, but he is not forgotten and his voice is not supressed in the crowd, rather his voice is spoken after 2015 years to challenge the popular ideologies that bring injustice and inequality.

Why do our young people shy away from speaking about God and for God? I have a few usual suspicious arguments. 1. We live in the 21 Century; I have had a few experience where people challenging me that what is not tangible to our senses or cannot be proved by scientific methodology, is not really true. Hence, we seek for truth just like Richard Dawkins seeks for it all his life. Can anyone prove how different forms of living creatures came into this planet, or who gave them that form? Can you prove why a bird does not look like a snake? Can human scientist do that? We cannot prove everything in the universe; much less we cannot grasp every reality from our senses, for our senses are limited to certain extent only. 2. Your God and my God; this is long standing misconception that is being indoctrinated in our young people. Christian God is different that of Hindu God or Muslim God. We have come away from this understanding. God is universal and is One True God. Every religion teaches One God but different ways of approaching this God. Hence do not differentiate between gods. 3. God, a private affair; most would think God has to be in the Church, temple, or mosque. We are shy to bring him out of these worship places to our day to lives. We can have God experience right in my work place or in the aeroplane. God must be everyone’s business not only priests and believers. God must be a public affair; we must talk about God in our day today life. Do not be shy to begin your rocking party with a prayer. 4. God is a concept; for some God might be just a concept to discuss, to argue pro God or against God. Here, we are trying to limit God to merely human entities. God becomes a subject matter of our lives. 5. Speaking God and humiliation; some of us shy to speak about God in our daily forum of discussions. We are fearful that someone else might humiliate us for speaking about God. We might be considered weak and “old stylist”. This is an issue for most our young people. We have to come away from it, unless we speak about God, we cannot bring God someone’s life who has not God. This was an issue for me when I was in the college, but I grappled with it and come away from that shyness; I am not afraid to speak about God anywhere despite knowing that my listeners think I am crazy young man who speaks about God. 6. God and technology; someone might inclined to think that the technology is our God. We can mend or bend using the modern technology. Technology can help us only to an extent after which we rely on God’s providence. For example, can any technology cure deadly leukaemia and save people dying from it?

Therefore, young persons like me, do not be shy or fearful to speak of God in any forum. Let your life be full of God so God can flow from you to others in the world. We need God in our lives not merely when we are on our deathbed or when we are abandoned by our loved ones, but we need God all the time. Do not try to put down or humiliate someone who believes and speaks about God, you also will realize that you need God too but may be not yet. Let us try to put God before us, when we do that, our human ways of violence and power are sidelined, because God’s ways are not human ways.