My untiring, ever smiling mom- Lethisia Veigas

Mom on her golden marriage day

My mom Lethisia (Rodrigues) Veigas (1944-2019), aged 75, passed away in our family home in Kalyaradda of Badyar Parish after having lived 56 years of married life with my dad Athus Veigas on 07 February 2019.  She leaves behind her husband Athus Veigas and half a dozen children, Raphael, Marcel, Philip, Fr Jerome SJ, Sr Irene BS and Fr Olvin SJ. 

My mom was a person of simplicity and amicability.  With a broad smile she won the hearts of all our Hindu neighbors, Muslim customers in our shops, Christian faithful in our parish and a large band of relatives.  Mom was very active in the parish life of Badyar Church.  Bring a member of the “Sodality of Our Lady of Sorrows” and the “Third Order of Franciscans”, she was actively involved in its activities either in the parish level or deanery level along with her husband, Athus.  She was so much attached to the Church and its community life. When she had to forgo going to Mass on Sundays to a parish because she had to be with me in an apartment in Ernaculam/Kochi taking care of her sick priest son, she felt something missing, even though her son did private Masses for her.  For her relationship meant a lot.  It had to be lived actively in a practical way.  Sunday’s was the day she looked forward as she could meet her contemporaries and others.  She would often express her dissatisfaction of being unable to be with her parishioners especially when her health deteriorated in the last few months.

Mom’s end came in a very powerful way symbolising how her deep faith in Christ and devotion to Rosary could bring such a happy death.  I had reached home around 6.30 in the evening of 07th February 2019 from Bangalore.  After spending an hour and half with mom, we decided to say the family Rosary. Just as mom was so well disposed to evening prayer in everyday of her life, on this day  she ended her earthly life during the evening prayer at 8.30 PM. 

Mom was a woman of great faith and prayer.  She was the one who taught us all the first Christian prayers and prepared for first communion.  She had a beautiful voice.  Her voice could be heard so well in every prayer meetings and other liturgies of the Church.  I have recorded some of the old Christian hymns and other folkloric songs while planting the paddy and could be found on YouTube.

Mom loved to have friendship with all.  She made no difference whether a person is rich or poor, Hindu or Muslim. She kept up the friendship by meeting them or inquiring about them often.  The number of our neighbors or acquaintances of our family came to visit her in the last two months while she is bedridden is simply amazing.  Practically everyday we had visitors to her in spite of our house being far away from the town. 

Mom was a learner, in fact an active learner.  In 1979, we got our first 5 HP Cooper diesel motor pump to irrigate our land and with that dad established a small rice mill.  She learnt the skill of turning on the wheels of this heavy machine in starting it and then working on the “Huller” (rice mill).  In one hour, the Huller would prepare 120 kilos of rice. The speed at which the things had to be worked out during that process is simply treacherous and would put the person’s stamina, energy and patience into check.  Mom would do this work singlehandedly as all of us her six children were in the school and our senior grand parents at home.  Mom had the amazing capacity and curiosity to learn.  Even though, she had finished only the 5th grade schooling in her village school in 1956, she  learnt quickly to manage the digital mobile system which is purely in English. 

Mom & dad on their golden marriage day in 2013

Mom was a generous person. Just like the saying in the Bible that it is in giving that one finds more joy and not in receiving, so too, Mom, experienced true joy in giving.  Dad being a bit disciplinarian, for anything and everything all of us went to mom for permissions or things that we wanted from dad.  Whoever came to our home seeking some material assistance or saw someone needed her help, she was always ready to listen and help.

I always learnt something new from my mom as well as my other four brothers and one sister.  We felt always happy to say something about her.  We enjoyed her good company as she got older and sicknesses made their home in her.  Whenever, we three religious, (Fr Jerome, Sr Irene and I) came home on home visit we had our dinners together in our ancestral home, then we would sit in our front portico of our home and enjoy the fun.  Henceforth, we will be missing this very greatly. 

Mom was a charming lady.  When I got terribly sick and had to receive treatment in almost solitary confinement so that I don’t get infection, mom stayed with me for 7 months.  These were the months I came to know really who the mom was, what a mother can do to a half alive son to rejuvenate.  Even though, mom knew nothing of Malayalam she would converse in Kannada with the neighbors of our apartment where we were staying. They understood her Kannada and my mom neighbour’s Malayalam.  Many said to me that even though they were staying there for quite many years, they did not know each other but mom within a short span of time had won their hearts with her enthusiasm and simplicity.  Within no time they had become her friends.  This is what baffled me so much. 

One of the most enticing thing that I saw in mom and admired for, is her ability and patience to suffer.  She suffered greatly as her health deteriorated over the years and the symptoms kept on increasing and multiplying. She bore everything in patience and forbearance.  She offered everything to the Lord Jesus Christ.  Surely, mother was a humble, distinct and unique person and now I’ll have to relive those wonderful moments that I spent with her. 

Dear  mai, goodbye for the moment,  but you will be always my mai and forever! (Mai=Mother in Konkani)

- Fr Olvin Veigas, SJ

08 February 2019

Feast of Saint Josephine Bakhita 

St Joseph Vaz: Man of God, man of people and man of the Church

In the context of public ministry of Jesus, “he went on doing good” as the scripture says, we could ask this question. Where did Jesus get so much energy and passion to preach the Word of God, to heal the sick, lame, and blind and go about teaching people from one place to another without much rest and leisure? One thing is prominent in the life of Jesus is that he was chosen to be the saviour of the world, he was conscious about his mission. Therefore, Jesus was clear about who he was. Hence he spoke for God, he meditated God in his life, he worked for God. Jesus lived in the spirit of God.  

Here we are in this shrine of St Joseph Vaz in Mudipu. A man committed to the Gospel, committed to God. Once a person gives himself to God then he has to live for God, he has to speak for God, he has to bring people to God. This is what Joseph Vaz did in his life.  I would like to place before you three aspects, which I believe are very prominent in the life of Fr Joseph Vaz.

The first one is: Joseph Vaz was a man of God. He came from a simple family in Goa. His parents gave him the faith in Jesus Christ. He was nurtured in that faith. And this faith made him to offer himself to God. In other words, he experienced God in his life. He could not contain this experience of God to himself. He wanted to share this faith with others.  To do so, he thinks that becoming a priest is an ideal way. Therefore he applies to the newly arrived Jesuits. Unfortunately, they do not receive him in their order. Finally, he joins the Oratorians order and becomes a priest. His heart was bigger than himself. His love for Christ and to share that faith he begins his intense pastoral life. He comes down to Gangolli, Kundapur, Mudipu in the Coastal Karnataka in order to preach the Gospel and to strengthen the already existing Christians here. He sees the problem in the Church. There were no priests or apostolic vicars in the coastal belt. He recommends the Church authorities in Goa to send the pastors to these places.  Christians were returning to their previous religion as there were none to guide them. There were problems in the Church of 17^th century in India especially the hierarchical politics of Pedro Vado and Propoganda Fide and colonialism. This does not disturb him but makes it a point to save the faith of Christians. Because, Joseph Vaz was a man of God.  While he was in the Canara he hears how the Christians in Sri Lanka are suffering under the Dutch, under persecutions. He did not remain silent or mute. He begins his journey. He hears the God’s voice that he should go to Sri Lanka and save the people of God.

The second point is: Joseph Vaz was a man of people. He lived in a society in which castism was part and parcel of it. There were class structures. There were people who were part of the ruling class.  There were people belonging to various religions either in Canara or Sri Lanka like, Hindus, Jains, Buddhists, Christians, etc. But he was a pastor of all. He never made any distinctions among the people. He was close to the King of Kandy. He even translated the book of herbal medicine from Portuguese into Sinhala, which would serve the people in Sri Lanka. He won the favours from the king in Kandy for his good deeds for all the people. People from other religions revered him; they protected him from Dutch who were persecuting the Catholics. Joseph Vaz was truly a man of people. He was people’s pastor. He nursed the sick and poor. He took care of people who were fallen to small pox.  He started hospices and clinics for people. In this context he showed through his life that we are supposed to unite people and not divide.      

The third point is: Joseph Vaz was a man of the Church. Why? He loved the Church so much, being a native of our land, India he understood that natives will do a better job in preaching Christ. He understood clearly the existing Church problem of not taking the natives into the religious order, and allowing the natives to become priests. Strangely, Church said it does not need them. But Christ needed them. So, he founded an Indian version of Oratorians. Through which he prepared men for the Church. He wanted to serve the Church better. This was a radical shift in the way he thought and worked for the Church. This in fact, is a revolutionary idea from his part.  In spite of the problems in the Church, he said that he needed a strong lay Church. In fact, Church needed him badly. Sadly, Church is still not a lay Church, lay oriented Church but a priestly centered Church, a clerical Church. He wanted people’s Church. Only when we become people oriented Church we can serve the Lord better and boldly. Certainly, Joseph Vaz was a man of the Church. He loved the Church more than any other.

Christ critiqued his religion, Judaism. He condemned the bogus practices of its priestly class and religious leaders like scribes and Pharisees. However, Jesus did not leave his religion. Until his death on the cross, he was a pure Jew. He worshipped the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. He read the Tora. He did what a normal Jew would do. He had his strong foundations, roots in the Jewish religion. Joseph Vaz followed this Jesus as his model and faith in his pastoral and missionary life.

- Olvin Veigas, SJ

16 Jan 2019 

Feast of St Joseph Vaz

What is Christmas?

Christmas Message 2018

1. Christmas is an event that we Christians commemorate to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ 2000 years ago in an obscure village called Bethlehem, of Palestine, under the Roman rule.

2. Jesus Christ is a focal point of our faith, and existence, moreover, gives us reason to celebrate that he is our Saviour and Master.  Jesus said, those who have seen me have seen the Father. 

3. The event of Jesus' coming into the world is to take us out of darkness and lead us to light, from untruth to truth and from death to life, in other words, as Jesus himself said, that he is the way, the truth and life. It’s the moment to start imitating.

4. Jesus' coming into the world is considered as a historical true event which happens in our own human history. Such an event is God becoming human to be part of our lives so that we become like him. It’s a story of our salvation. Christmas reminds us that we need to take seriously our life in this world as this would lead us to God once and for all. 

5. Christmas is a feast of life. It’s a festival of joy, peace, consolation, contentment, excitement, happiness, gladness. We are called to be partakers in this great event human story. Only God can give us the joy of living waters.

Happy Christmas!!!

- Olvin Veigas, S.J. 

22 Dec 2018

Three Takeaways From the Life of St Francis Xavier

What are the three takeaways from the life of St Francis Xavier on his feast day?

First of all, St Francis Xavier was a man of God.  Unfortunately, St Francis was thought to be a man of secular culture and carrier oriented man until he met Ignatius of Loyola.  Actually it is not so. Francis Xavier was a man of his times.  A man of his stature who is of noble birth would be looking normally during those times what the influential Catholic Church could offer him, a fine job in the hierarchical church.

If we go and see the Xavier Castle in Navarre, Spain there is a little place for prayer used by his family, a kind of chapel.  Here is a unique but large crucifix which was used by his family to pray daily.  Francis grew in this atmosphere of prayer and praying before the crucifix which still adorns the castle even today.

If we read his life, Francis was a man endowed with divine gifts and talents.  Unlike Ignatius of Loyola, we do not hear anything stupid or mischievous things from the early life of Francis.  Even though the Jesuit historians have given too much importance to the so called conversion experience of Francis under the guidance of Ignatius especially the line from the gospel "What will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul?" (Mt 16:26).  But in reality, Francis knew what he wanted, and would strive to achieve the thing that he wished to attain.

What built Francis was his various experiences either in the Xavier castle, or his early studies in Navarre, or his later life and study in Paris academia. Paris was known for its philosophical and theological studies and continues to be so even today.  From Thomas Aquinas, Bonaventure, Duns Scotus, Erasmus, and others the tradition of wisdom, humanism and experience went hand and hand. “The unexamined life is not worth living”, the words of Socrates seems to have rung high in Francis’s ears.  Therefore he was ready for any ventures including listening to Ignatius of Loyola and doing Spiritual Exercises under him. Later we see Francis and his adventures as Missionary in India  and South East Asia.

Secondly, Xavier was s man of the Church and of Christ. Once he had experienced God very intimately in the Exercises and among his first companions, Xavier was ready to do anything for Christ and His Church.  No personal comforts and any other benefits attracted him to preach Christ. In his short life of 46 years, he spent 10 years a missionary in Asia.  It is believed that much of his time, to exaggerate a bit, he must have spent at least 7 years in voyages in the sea.  Francis Xavier is widely pictured with a cross in his hands, including during his final hours of his life in a little known island of Shangchuan, Taishan, which is overlooking China.  Holding Crucifix is a symbol of Xavier’s incredible faith that he had since his childhood in Xavier castle which continued until his death in a far away continent Asia.  In other words, Christ was his solace and master.

In his letter to Ignatius of Loyola in Rome, Francis dispatches a letter from India in which he puts so beautifully his amazing zeal for souls and heart full of fire to gain the souls for Christ.  "Again and again I have thought of going round the universities of Europe, especially Paris, and everywhere crying out like a madman, riveting the attention of those with more learning than charity: “What a tragedy: how many souls are being shut out of heaven and falling into hell, thanks to you!”

  I wish they would work as hard at this as they do at their books, and so settle their account with God for their learning and the talents entrusted to them.

  This thought would certainly stir most of them to meditate on spiritual realities, to listen actively to what God is saying to them. They would forget their own desires, their human affairs, and give themselves over entirely to God’s will and his choice. They would cry out with all their heart: Lord, I am here! What do you want me to do? Send me anywhere you like – even to India".

Thirdly, Francis was a man of the world in other words, a man of people.  His heart was for the world but not in the world.  He never got stuck with Europe, its ideas and centrist working style but whole of the world.  I suppose his life of experience looked for something unique.  He quickly understood how important for the Church and for Christ to win three great civilisations of Asia, namely India, Japan and China.  To know these civilisations he was ready to embark on any sort of  tedious journeys or venture into dangerous risks.  His ardent desire was to bring Christ into those civilisations.  He looked something deep inside these cultures of the world.  Xavier did not conquer the world instead he tried to consent the world to embrace Christ and His Church.

One of the fascinating things we can see in Francis as a missionary is his popularity around the world. The early Jesuit reductions in Latin America bore his names. In Bogota, Colombia there is a huge Jesuit University called Javeriana.  A lot of Institutions and churches bear his name in all the continents of the world.  But probably not so much in Europe.  With my little experience in Italy I should say that I’m yet to trace an institute or Church honouring St Francis Xavier except his hand in our Jesuit Church Gesù, where an alter is dedicated to him.  Xavier was a man of the periphery in spite of coming from the centre of the world, that is Europe. Just like Jesus, Jerusalem did not embrace him but the outskirts of the Jerusalem.

Perhaps we can learn a number of things from his life. Francis lived beyond the rules.  He neither saw the Constitutions of the Society of Jesus, nor the rule books of the Society.  For him the experience of Jesus was the rule book.

Xavier had a great autonomy to do things.  He appointed a very young Italian Jesuit Antonio Criminali (1520-1549) who was in his late 20’s as mission superior in Madurai mission and later was killed being the first Jesuit martyr in India in 1549.  He trusted his men with full confidence and support. When he realised that God was calling him to Japan, Francis set his foot.  Because he saw Jesus was calling him there.  Probably we should self critique today as Indian Jesuits.  Often we are stuck with rules and regulations and have given little space to the Spirit to work within us.  That is why we have become less enterprising and not ready for Christ’s missions but missions of our superiors or provincials.  If you are good at something and is ready to do fascinating things for Christ why not you give a try?  Probably we should do some self evaluation as we reflect on St Francis Xavier who is a role model in many of the things that we do today.  He is still relevant for our times in making Christ known in our world.

Olvin Veigas, SJ

03.12.2018

Feast of St Francis Xavier

An Awareness of Suffering in Your Own Body

Yes, My body is suffering and its suffering badly.  The reason is the disease Ulcerative Colitis. How does your body suffer?  Is suffering of your body real?  Is your body suffering or you are suffering?  The questions could go on and on your suffering.  Finally, we have to find an answer which involves our humility to accept this complex reality of our human body that is a mystery. 

Along with our thoughts and minds our body suffers when sickness enters.  Moreover the body suffers terribly when we begin to treat our sickness.  We take medicines, tablets, syrups, undergo various therapies, receive biological medicines, inject steroids and so on and so forth.  When we take these medicines, our body begins to ache especially not the part which is sick but the other good parts of the body.

One of the examples I could describe here is how I developed cataract in both of my eyes. Before I could get the Ulcerative Colitis I had a very good eyesight and vision.  Within 10 months of starting my medication which included strong steroids and biological medicines I already began to feel dimness in my eye sight.  The matter got worse when I went through the scanning (CT) of my stomach a procedure followed by receiving a lengthy injection.  Once I got out of the scanning theatre one of my eye couldn’t see anything and everything looked to me blurred.  After three months when I went through second scanning I lost the vision of my another eye. Continuous taking of allophatic medicines cause nothing but suffering of weaker parts of the body.  Finally, tablets and other substances that are injected into the body are nothing but chemical compositions which enter an alien body causing the human body such an anxiety.  At last, the natural human body is unable to withstand with the foreign agent making its home in it.

This above incident suggests that our human body is continuously threatened not only by viruses, germs and other bacteria’s but also those components which supposedly rectify the body.  If you take each part of the body separately, nerves, finger, colon, heart, liver, skin, membrane, tissue, nano cells of the body, retina, etc., you might ask don’t these parts of the body asking themselves why I should be receiving the consequences of an injection which is meant to the colon but adversely affecting the retina of the eye? 

- Olvin Veigas

30 Oct 2018

A Few Titbits While Dealing With a UC or Cancer Patient

Experience teach you many things in life.  Struggling and coping with ulcerative colitis has taught me a number of lessons which otherwise would not.  Books and experiences of others inform you many things. Seldom, we make them our own.

One of the blessings that I have received with my prolonged illness is a lot of sympathy and kind words and sometimes good deeds.  When a person is ill for a long time, many come to see and would like to talk to the person while in agony.  Often such talks become unbearably painful, irritating and even distressing when a visitor unable to read the mind of the patient.  I appreciate always visits by those whom I know and who are somehow connected with my life.  I’m not at ease with those people whom I do not know and have to do anything either with my life or life of my friends or my mission/apostolate.  Moreover, I find myself very difficult to answer those people whenever they have questions on my disease or on my life itself.  Everyone should practice some do’s and don’ts while visiting a person who is suffering from illness for a long time and all the more when the person is young. 

Every one has good intentions while visiting the sick person but it would be extremely good how the visiting person could be a better help than a hindrance in alleviating the pain and suffering of the patient.

I would suggest following things which you might help concretely and pragmatically.

Things may not be easy for you but you can do loads of things and these tips might help you.

1. Good to know who the patient is and what kind of terminal disease s/he is suffering from.  Sick person does not like to show himself/herself as sick but instead likes same things as before.
2. Please don’t ask but just do seeing the needs: Often people give tips to the patient what he should do and shouldn’t do including suggesting a different doctor or hospital without knowing the patient’s sickness.  The best thing you can do is instead of asking “how can I help you” just provide the food the patient likes, books to read, music the person might enjoy, take the person out for some sight seeing, a movie or to a park and so on.
3. Do not spiritualise his/her sickness: Don’t say “God has given you this sickness to purify you,” “to make you holy” or “God has great plans for you”.  Please don’t be God’s advocate. Bible says “My (God's) thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my (God's) ways" (Isaiah 55:8-9). 
4. Don’t preach like charismatic to a sick person especially saying that sickness is a result of your sin or the curse handed down though your ancestors, work of the devil in your life, etc.
5. Remember every sick person prays silently to God, if that is not visible then please remember that his/her body prays silently.  If God has given you life then he gives grace to fulfil it too.
6. Everyone is a theologian in sickness. S/he knows make sense of his/her terminal illness. On of the Church Fathers of the Eastern Church Evagrius Ponticus says “if you are a theologian, you will pray truly. And if you pray truly, you are a theologian”. - Treatise on Prayer, 61
7. Speak with the person his topics of interest like, politics, economics, literature, music, films, art, spirituality, history, science, cosmology, new technologies, etc. and please not your topics. The patient intentionally wants to divert his/her attention from sickness s/he is suffering from. Perhaps you might like to recall wonderful things that you did together when the person was in good health, or narrate part of a happy incident.
8. If you have no time visit the person, one of the loveliest things you can do to the sick person  is pick up the phone and call him/her.  That may be right moment the person is waiting for some sort of solace or consolation.  Or else send a text message or a card saying that “I am with you”, “ I am thinking of you”, “I’m remembering you in my prayers,” etc,.
9. You can’t cure the terminal illness: Please don’t say “you have tried this”, “you have done enough of medications “ “now no use”,  etc.
10. No solutions please.  Don’t try to lead the discussion to the terminal disease the person suffering from.  Always try to divert to other topics.
11. If possible have some laughter with the person. Crake a suitable joke or narrate a numerous incident that took place.

- Olvin Veigas

  29 Oct. 2018

Did we humans get a Savior or not? - A Comment

I received a number of comments for my post on "Why did You get this UC?".  My learned priest friends and lay people appreciated my thoughts over the issue of Charismatics and how these Charismatics devour simple Catholics with a bad theology of sin, satan and sickness. Here below I publish a comment by Filomena Giese.

Dear Father,

I have read your blog in which you have described your experience with charismatic healers. 

It shows the fundamental flaws in this sin-charismatic-healing movement.  

It stems from a misunderstanding to the Judeo-Christian-Islamic teaching that mankind disobeyed GOD and sinned and caused the evil, suffering, and imbalance in the world.  And hence you need a Savior to take away the sins of the world.

There's this strain of religion that has you constantly feeling like a sinner and promotes the idea that we must constantly be praying for forgiveness of our sins and the sins of humanity!  This is the Divine Mercy cult and the apparitions of Fatima and Medugorje, and the new charismatic healing movement these days.

Did we humans get a Savior or not?

The answer is definitely YES.

This new fashion charismatic movement is forgetting that Jesus Christ came to take away our sins and He achieved this by his death on the Cross! 

The second heresy that this kind of charismatic healing movement is promoting is the false belief that one's illness is caused by sin!  It's a heresy in my opinion and against the great Christian belief that Jesus won us forgiveness and mercy.  We believe that God is an all loving, merciful God who would never inflict illness on any living creature because he or she has committed some wrong!

It is also a false belief that some people have been given a special power to remove illness and give healing.  This is what the Fundamentalist cults teach to brainwash people, and get power over innocent people and their complete submission.   There are miracles and great healing miracles.  But they are by very saintly people who credit the healing to God, not themselves.  And great saints are compassionate toward those who are suffering.  They never say that the illness is caused by the patient's sins.  And great saints actually nurse ill people, regardless of their sins and even faith beliefs.  They don't tell them they are sick and dying because they sinned!

Hence St. Joseph Vaz washed, fed, nursed, and often healed the abandoned victims of small pox in Kandy, Sri Lanka, for 2 years, without asking them if they were Buddhist, Christian, or Hindu and without asking them about their sins!

Please feel free to share my feedback on your Blog.

Filomena

Community of St. Joseph Vaz (1651-1711), Apostle of Kanara and Sri Lanka

Editor's Note: Dr Filomena Giese is a theologian and President of the Joseph Naik Vaz Institute, California, US.  Being a great devotee of St Joseph Vaz, she had a miraculous healing through his intercession.  The Institute's efforts were devoted in hastening the Servant of God, Fr Joseph Vaz's cause to a sainthood not only by spreading his devotion through gatherings, writings and a thesis on Joseph Vaz but also making the files on this holy man move in the Vatican quickly, so that he could be proclaimed a Saint of the Catholic Church. Dr Giese's many writings have been published in the Vidyajyothi Theological Journal and other reputed Journals as well.

- Olvin Veigas
11.10.2018

Why Did YOU Get This Ulcerative Colitis?

In my last blog post, I wrote on how a person gets Ulcerative Colitis.  In this blog entry, I would like to deal with another question which purposely I left out to answer. All the more this question irritates me more than any other enquiries: Why did YOU get this disease? Connected with the same inquiry, I would like to deal with another sick question, how did I deal with satanic charismatics on my sick bed?

For my surprise, I find the answer already with the questioner.  Unfortunately I got this question mainly from charismatic preachers or followers of charismatic retreats.  Their number is no small in our Catholic Church today.  Unfortunately, newly converted charismatic preachers and their followers are hell bent on telling you why you get either terminal diseases or autoimmune diseases or any other such bad things happen to you.  The charismatic preachers and their followers have known to hear the voices of God, angels and saints instantly and directly.  These charismatics have ready made answers for you and for your problems with ready made judgements to pronounce on you.  For them, Bible tells everything and gives all the answers.  Without getting into historical-grammatical method of exegesis or going back to the original languages of our sacred scriptures, or going back to the exegesis and teachings of the Early Fathers of the Church, (I spent a number of years studying in two European Universities and one US University) the recently mushroomed charismatics of our church in India make no less effort in telling you how bad guy you have been and God has showed you your rightful place through his friend Satan. Often they come to you as three friends of prophet Job of the Old Testament in different times with varied musings and how you have hurt God, your Creator. 

Unfortunately, the first person who began to tell others and finally told me directly a year ago after attending the National Charismatic Convention in Mangalore, about the root cause of my disease is my own close relative.  Firstly, according to this charismatic, I got the dreaded Ulcerative Colitis disease because of my past sins especially when I spent 16 years of my life with the family.  I joined the Jesuits to be a priest at the age of 18.  Unfortunately, my close relative could not voice out what are those my past sins which are so treacherous to get a such heinous wrath from God.  Secondly, my close relative went on to narrate how he was revealed by the preachers at the National Renewal Program at the Rosario Cathedral that the whole world is in the hands of Satan.  Earlier he had such a revelation from Mulki Charismatic Retreat Centre.  Unfortunately, according to him, I have been badly caught by this Satan and as a result I have this disease and moreover it’s not getting healed for my bad luck, because the whole world is under the power of Satan!  Further, my relative went on to narrate that sickness comes because the person is not praying, not reciting rosary, not going for confessions, not respecting the elders and one’s parents!  The list is endless.  I have been a priest in good standing for the last 12 years and am in the 26th year of my religious life and a member of the Society of Jesus out of which I spent 15 years abroad as a missionary especially in Moscow and Siberia of Russia! (I suppose during my life in Sibera where temperatures go below minus 40 degree celsius - known for gulags and place of punishment during the Soviet times - should have been a earthly purgatory for my childhood sins and their reparations). 

A few months later of my close relative's revelation over my ill health, I received a guest who happened to be a recent convert to charismatic faith, a student of my Jesuit friend and relative who came to see his guru who was in his last stages of life as a result of terminal cancer.  My Jesuit friend asked me in advance whether I’m ready to welcome his student who is now a charismatic witness-giver but wants to prayer over him and on me.  I agreed out of courtesy as my Jesuit friend was my next room neighbour.  Well, this charismatic witness-giver went on giving me passages after passages from the Bible mainly from the Old Testament how Satan is active and why he has surrounded me with this disease.  This charismatic witness giver tried his level best to convince me that this sickness that I have is because of unforgiveness and active presence of devil in the world.  He gave me a number of passages to read and exercises to do on a notebook.  This poor creature spent with me more than 90 minutes, which gave me a glimpse of how charismatic preachers try to fool the simple catholics of today in India and take them for ransom as hostages for nothing.  Even though, I attended a moderate charismatic retreat preached by a Jesuit from Bombay for our province men in 1990’s which in fact, I liked it then the present experience was simply unforgivable for its scandalous outlook.  However, in an another charismatic retreat where we the Jesuit scholastics from Dharwad were asked compulsorily to be volunteers during my college studies, I had questioned myself why our Christian God is so deaf when the whole congregation of people assembled in St Joseph’s Church grounds Dharwad screamed, and shouted praises and alleluia’s in a university town which would reach my university college KCD.  I had found myself an answer then in the Kannada saying "Jana Marulo, Jatre Marulo" when my student friends from the college asked one after another.  Undoubtedly, the academic vigour of Dharwad had made me then an absolute alien to the charismatic shoutings at the church grounds of Dharwad and made any impression on me at all.

A couple of months ago, my British priest friend who came to work with me on a particular project met an another lay charismatic preacher who seems to be having healing powers brought to see me.  As ulceration in my colon was increasing I was confined to my bed and room.  After a few minutes of chatting, prayers were conducted over me by this lay charismatic preacher along with his another lay friend whom I found certainly in some restlessness and went on say “Amen” to his guru's chantings and my priest friend.  As a devout catholic, I said "yes" and willingness to heal then and there.  Towards the end of the prayer, the charismatic preacher said "you are healed" completely.  I said how is it possible so quickly, and their mutterings were answered.  And it was  because of my faith came the reply.  After which they left and I was back to my normal symptoms of ulcerative colitis!  Mercifully, this time, I did not hear from the charismatics’ favourite word ‘Satan’ instead I heard “binding”!

I have received not a few messages, internet links from many of my charismatic acquaintances on preaching by the charismatic preachers in the last three years.  Always with a note of thanks I have always asked them, do you know what kind of disease I suffer from.  Hardly any of my acquaintances or charismatic preachers inquired about my disease and how I am coping with. In sum, for these charismatics any sickness is the direct result of satanic force or unforgiveness.  I found in none of them a sense of reason, critique in dealing with these existential issues, let alone a general good knowledge of our finite, mortal, sickly bodies which are constrained by time and space and prone to infirmities.  The idea of devil or Satan has stuck in their minds so much, sometimes I strongly feel that devil is standing up in them, all he needs is the two horns!  Just like a child which longs and speaks about chocolates, so too the charismatic preachers think and meditate on Satan.  That is why they are so judgemental and their every conversation begins with Satan and ends on Satan alone. When will these charismatics learn fides quaerens intellectum dictum of St Anselm? Faith seeking understanding/intelligence or faith that does intellectually intelligible or reasonable.  When will these charismatics take out from their mind and mouth once and for all the word "Satan", "sin" and begin speaking on and about God, His love, compassion, mercy, benevolence and grace? I wish these charismatics first begin to read Fyodor Dostoevsky’s novels which explicate so vividly theodicy and get to the bottom of the sense of evil in our human world.  Secondly, along with Bible begin to read the theological writings of St Bonaventure, Friedrich Schleiermacher, Adolf von Harnack, theologians of Nouvelle théologie and the 20th century theologians. Hopefully, this would be only way to stop the filthy intelligence being vomited by the charismatics of our catholic church and stop the nonsense in describing the sense of evil in the life of the person and in society.

Unfortunately, until now I have not seen or heard a person of charismatic spirituality either proclaimed by our Holy Church Saint, or on the way to sanctity.  I only know their rates when you call them for retreats in schools, communities and parishes and how offertory bags they open at the end of the retreat when they have mesmerized simple folks minds with sin, Satan, guilt and wrath of God.  I wish to see the charismatic preachers and witness givers men and women of holiness, justice and peace.  And my humble request to these lay charismatic preachers and their followers is that sick and infirm basically need acceptance, compassion, encouragement and moreover silence.  Silence at the mystery of life and death moreover sickness itself.  Thus, people of God understand that sickness or infirmity is a way to holiness and sanctity.  Sickness and infirmity are neither a curse from God nor a possession of Satan but a very much part and parcel of human life on this earth which is short lived.  As Friedrich Nietzsche said we are all unfinished realities.  St Ignatius of Loyola (1491-1556), the founder of the Society of Jesus puts it so beautifully: “If God causes you to suffer much, it is a sign that He has great designs for you, and that He certainly intends to make you a saint.  And if you wish to become a great saint, entreat Him yourself to give you much opportunity for suffering; for there is no wood better to kindle the fire of holy love than the wood of the cross, which Christ used for His own great sacrifice of boundless charity.”

- Olvin Veigas 

06 Oct 2018

How Did You Get This Disease?

Autoimmune diseases are scary and frustrating.  When a person suffers from a such an illness, well wishers and others begin to ask, how did you get this disease?  Or more emphatically they would put this another philosophical/spiritual question, why did you get this disease?  The stress is on “you”! Holy moley, every human being comes into the world with some sort of sickness or bad health either in its infancy or adult life!  Some children are born with sicknesses which might be fatal once they come in touch with this world.  So, why then people continue to ask these questions in spite of knowing the title of the disease?

I have become weary hearing the above questions repeatedly and not less answering them as a wise man or pundit!  Recently, I have begun to answer the inquirers of my health saying either I’m perfectly well or  simply say it’s a private issue.  Thus trying to stop the conversation over this issue temporarily.  In the early stages of my disease, I began to tell the inquirers that I’m getting better.  However, when my own research on Ulcerative Colitis showed and my own fight with the disease continued uninterruptedly there was no end and that there was no medication to heal the disease at sight.  I began to feel the frustrations within.  Nevertheless, I have to find a suitable answer to people where I can quickly answer their inhibitions and prejudices about the disease itself.

Here are a few of the conclusions I have arrived at through my research on how the Ulcerative Colitis comes:

1. UC is a autoimmune disease.  Thus, the disease can affect anyone who has low immune system in one’s body.
2. Pancreas produces pancreatic enzymes for digestion converting the food which is in the intestine we eat into fuel for the body's cells.  However, when there is no enough food to digest, the same enzymes begin to eat up the lining of the intestine.
3. UC by its very name suggests that it is a disease of the colon or larger intestine, wherein ulcers emerge. Thus leading to weakening of the digestive system, inflammation of the intestine, lack of control of the mussels of the bowels leading frequent expulsion of the stool with or without blood and mucous. Sometimes, it could be only expulsion of blood accumulated as a result of excessive ulceration in the colon.
4. Any gastrointestinal problems arise because something is not functioning well in the digestive track.  Before, one gets UC, the person might have been suffering from Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), Inflammatory Bowel Syndrome (IBS), etc. Interestingly, haemorrhoids, fistula, etc., are the symptoms of lack of functioning of the digestive track.
5. Mind-gut axis.  Recent researchers have been working on understanding this UC based on a number of studies on our nervous system.  Specifically the Vegus nerve seems to be playing a vital game with its connectivity between the gut and brains. When a person is stressed out, under sever pressure, his/her digestive system goes out of order.
6. Weather and environment: Gloomy weather without a sun is disgusting and leaves its traits on a person's health, behaviour, thinking and acting.  People who live in Nordic countries where sunshine is scarce during the winter tend to be different from people leaving in the tropical countries.  When cold, damp, cloudy, rayless days continue digestive system begins to weaken unless other remedies are sought.
7. Here below are a few links which throw more light on Ulcerative Colitis, it’s symptoms, causes, and cure.

https://patient.info/health/inflammatory-bowel-disease/ulcerative-colitis 

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/ulcerative-colitis/symptoms-causes/syc-20353326

http://www.planetayurveda.com/ulcerative-colitis-ayurveda-ebook.pdf

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/317846.php

https://therootcause.blog/2018/04/18/ulcerative-colitis-ayurveda-has-a-sure-shot-cure-with-testimonial/

http://www.crohnscolitisfoundation.org/resources/types-of-medications-1.html

Olvin Veigas
05 Oct 2018