Fr Vijay Kumar Prabhu - A Jesuit with a Large Heart and Deep Human Spirit

Fr Vijay Prabhu, SJ in a recent photo at FRH

There are many people who come into your life but very few leave behind indelible mark. This is because they have been exceptionally kind, gentle and generous towards you. You do not want such people to go away from this life so early. Because they are simply good. This is the case with Fr Vijay Prabhu (1940-2020) who left us today for eternity on this day of the feast of Our Lady of Sorrows (15th September).

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A gentle and generous leader

Fr Vijay was blessed with a tremendous capacity to be gentle and generous leader. He was exceptionally gifted with a unique capacity to be gentle with the Jesuits and others under his care. He touched many people with warmth and affection. Wit, humour, and wisdom would flow naturally in his conversations. Perhaps that must be the reason why everybody wanted him to be the superior or rector of their communities. Since his return to the province after serving as professor of philosophy and principal of our Jesuit Philosophate Satyanilayam in Chennai he took up responsibilities of greater importance of governance in the Society of Jesus. He never looked for positions in the Society instead they came in search of him. He was the Superior of Vidyaniketan, Dharwad, rector of Mount Saint Joseph, Bangalore, St Aloysius College, Mangalore, St Joseph's College Bangalore, Karnataka Jesuit Province Coordinator of Formation (PCF), Provincial of Jesuits of Karnataka and so forth. This shows the amiability and warm-heartedness of Fr Vijay. I believe that no Jesuit either young or senior felt inhibition or unease to speak to him when Fr Vijay held the position of governance in the institution. As a young Jesuit in 1990's I had a great hesitation either to visit or stay in some of our major houses with attached institutions as it contained persons who should be called pezzo grosso (big shots) who gave an impression that these houses are meant only for professed Fathers. Once Fr Vijay became the PCF and rector of Mount St Joseph things began to change rapidly. All the young Jesuits in formation found an abode in Mount St Joseph because of Fr Vijay's hospitality and kind welcome. 

In Forgiveness there is no Maths

24th Sunday in Ordinary Time - Readings: Sirach 27:30–28:7; Psalm 103:1–4, 9–12; Romans 14:7–9; Matthew 18:21–35

Enmity bothers us. Hatred destroys us. Forgiveness liberates us. As many of us would be spending this Sunday in our homes and communities, our liberator Jesus invites us to be free, free from hatred, enmity, anger, hostility, animosity, revenge, resentment, jealousy, repugnance, arrogance, scorn and so forth and become persons of forgiveness, meekness and kindness.  As we get stuck in our houses and communities continuously without having much recourse to other activities with the outside world due to this never ending pandemic, many of us must be feeling of boredom, resentment and frustration. During this time we would be feeling psychologically the tension building within us. The inability to go for confessions, spiritual direction, Holy Mass or just have friendly chat with a person whom we know and love must be giving way to mental strain thus increasing within us rueful tension. We may not be noticing such elements but certainly others must be watching over you.

Health Remedies: Aloe Vera and Gastrointestinal Problems

Aloe vera plants

The book of Sirach of the Old Testament writes, "God makes the earth yield healing herbs which the prudent man should not neglect" (Sirach 38:4).  God created everything for our good. Even though His Divine Majesty made us "little less than God" and yet He has "crowned man and woman with glory and honor" says very beautifully Psalm №. 8. Therefore, God has provided us life tools to stay healthy, vibrant and realise our full human potential. You become what you eat! When food is consumed according to our personal physiological needs acts like a medicine balancing our metabolism and promoting vitality. Unfortunately, our bodies grow weaker and vulnerable as years are added to our age or age is added to our years! Our human machine gets old without much to our notice. Therefore time to time we need to do the servicing. In this context, I would like to share something I have been experimenting with myself.

In my previous post, I wrote on Kashaya in Times of Corona. One idea leads the other. Readiness to the new horizon opens up to fresh possibilities and brings us vital knowledge. Many suggested to me that the juice of Aloe vera is beneficial to fix the gastro-intestinal problems and helps in treating cancer. Many thought that I am suffering from cancer even though I was not. Often people don't ask the patient what s/he is suffering from. The genuine concern and interest of people should be appreciated but not always. People visit the patient with presumptions and advice a number of medicines or names of doctors and hospitals without ever having taken those medicines or seen that doctor or hospital. I have a blogpost that I wrote quite a while ago on A Few Titbits While Dealing With a UC or Cancer Patient.

Take the Initiative and You will Win

Twenty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time: Ezekiel 33:7-9; Psalm 95:1-2, 6-7, 8-9; Romans 13:8-10; Matthew 18:15-20

As I sit down to write these few thoughts, I am very much aware of the significance of this day i.e., 05th of September. Firstly, today, India marks the Teacher's Day - a day to recognise and appreciate the work our teachers do. Before we could become teachers to others we have been schooled or groomed under teachers. The trade of teaching is learnt from others. Secondly, the Catholic Church remembers in its liturgy today Mother Theresa of Kolkotta, now a Saint. Mother Theresa an energetic and active Albanian lady made India her home and travelled length and breath of India and the world in teaching us what it means to love the last, lost and the least; and what it means to spread the fragrance of Good News that Jesus taught 2000 years ago.

Pursuit of Truth will push you to the Corner

On this opportune day, the readings that we have for the Sunday liturgy are apt and appropriate for our meditation and reflections. Prophet Ezekiel, Apostle Paul and Jesus the Son of God invite us to listen to what they are saying. We live in the endless games of ridicule, exclusion and mockery, because of our views or opinions. In our pursuit of truth we can be people of outside, as a consequence of our opinions on matters of faith, morals, values, etc, because they differ from others.  In this context, we might like to read the Prophet Ezekiel, or Paul or Jesus.

Identity is for the Greater Glory of God

Twenty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time - Readings: Isaiah 22:15, 19–23; Psalm 138:1–3, 6, 8; Romans 11:33–36;  Matthew 16:13–20

Christ Handing the keys to St. Peter by Pietro Perugino

Know thyself 

As I write these few lines taking the readings of this Sunday, I am in the midst of teaching a course on theology. I am dealing with the development of the doctrine of the Holy Spirit. I imagine how the whole world is enveloped by the grace of this Spirit. The Spirit speaks and in fact speaks boldly. This is what made Simon Peter to say with such courage and determination, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” when Jesus asked his disciples “But who do you say that I am?”  (Matthew 16:15-16).

Why did Jesus ask this particular question to his disciples? What did he expect from them? Identity is very crucial in our world. Who are you in this world, in your congregation, in your company, in your institution, in your neighbourhood, in your village, town, city, state, country, etc., determines your place not just in this secular world, but even in the religious world? Your identity matters. Identity gives life and a purpose to live. A good identity is must and a norm.

Health Remedies - Kashaya in Times of Corona

Green leaves tea with whole lime pieces and boiling water - Kashaya

We learn from mistakes. We also learn from experiences. The experience of chronic illness of Ulcerative Colitis enabled me to experiment with a number of things. I read a number of scientific articles published in research journals to see what the doctors were doing with me. In order to heal my Ulcerative Colitis, I tried medicines from Allopathy to Ayurveda, Homeopathy to Siddha. There is nothing wrong in experimenting. My argument is that by consuming various kinds of medicines there might be some chance for healing. In other words, a particular component of medication might be able to fix the imbalance that was set in the body.

Every illness is the result of some sort of imbalance in our body. Medical practitioners may call such imbalances as lack of immunity, or lack of nutrition or proteins or vitamins, etc., in the body. The Ayurveda pandits would name this imbalance due to three Doshas in one's being, that is, Vata, Pitta and Kapha. We say the individual constitution of a person is in balance that is when Vata-Pitta-Kapha is inherently at ease and in harmony. Unfortunately, that is not possible. Whether we like it or not imbalance is part and parcel of our growing, maturing, ageing and dying process. Otherwise, we would live just like Adam, the first human being on the earth according to the Bible, who lived for 930 years! (Genesis 5:5).

God: He Comes, Ever Comes, Wherever We are!

19th Sunday in Ordinary Time - Readings:1 Kings 19:9, 11–13: Psalm 85:9–14; Romans 9:1–5; Matthew 14:22–33

Photo courtesy - Jean-Marc Arakelian 

God comes to us in unexpected moments

Today's reading from the first book of Kings describes a unique experience of prophet Elijah. God meets him under unexpected circumstances. There is contrast between the silence of the cave and the noise of the mountain, solitude and disturbance. God meets him in unexpected moments of life. The prophet is the best example for us to think and expect differently about God whom we know from our scriptures, traditions and personal prayer.  

Need to clarify the concepts about God

The fourth century Church Father St Gregory of Nazianzus in his Oration 31:8 writes about God so delicately. "The revelation of what was previously hidden should suffice for us. 'What competence have we here? We cannot understand what lies under our feet, cannot count the sand in the sea, 'drops of rain or the days of this world, much less enter into the 'depths of God' and render a verbal account of a nature so mysterious, so much beyond words."

St Ignatius of Loyola: Unfatigued Soldier of Christ

Painting by Anthony Arul, SJ

I often ask this question whenever we have to think in the line of St Ignatius of Loyola: What would Inigo do if he is living today? The charisma of this great Saint of the 16th century that we cherish and carry forward through our lives is still relevant and imperative. If there was a Church man who thought out of the box during the time of reformation, then it was St Ignatius of Loyola. The legacy that he left behind us is enduring and timeless. The 15,000 Jesuits all over the world working in more than 100 countries and 6 continents, still continue to live a religious life with a particular spirit and charism of the founder both in theory and in practice through prayer and the works of the Order.

Many enemies of the Society of Jesus often felt and still feel that Jesuits are a privileged group in the Church. In fact their main contention is that Church hierarchy has made too many concessions on the Order founded by St Ignatius of Loyola. Actually it is not true. But it is true that the Society of Jesus is different from many other Religious Orders and Congregations. However, this is for effective and strong apostolic endeavours. Jesuits do not have a choir (liturgy of the hours in community) like other religious Orders, their Superior General is for life, Jesuits do not have particular set of religious habit (dress) to identify with, (local clergy's habit suits them very well), they have a special fourth vow of obedience to the Pope and so on. All these were granted already during the time of St Ignatius of Loyola. As we celebrate the feast of the Pilgrim Saint, who still continues to inspire not only the Jesuits but also many Religious Congregations and lay people who do Spiritual Exercises individually, we could highlight a few qualities of Ignatius that impress me very much today.

St Anna, Grand Mother of Jesus - A Woman of Faith

Icon of Saint Anna with child Mary - in Byzantine iconography

When I saw for the first time the parish dedicated to Saint Anne in Bijapur, one of the mission stations of the Jesuits in Karnataka in 1994, it intrigued me very much as a novice then. I had hardly heard anything much about St Anna except that she was the grandmother of Jesus. Since my return from Russia recently, I got involved in retreat ministry in our retreat house in Bangalore and have been meeting a number of Sisters belonging to different religious congregations who have either their congregations named after St Anna or have her as their patroness. Quite recently, I have been addressing religious congregations for various reasons and occasions. Therefore, I thought I should address this Saint Anna in an elaborate way.

St Joachim and St Anna in History and Tradition

On July 26th the Catholic Church remembers Saint Joachim and Saint Anna, parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Despite the importance of their role as the maternal grandparents of Jesus, we do not know much about them. The Churches in the East and Orthodox Churches have a special devotion to St Anna. The beautiful iconography on St Anna adorns their Churches. Slavs (People coming from Slavic countries, e.g. Russia, Slovenia, Poland, etc ) name their girl child "Anna" quite frequently.  The Orthodox  Church celebrates the feast of St Joachim and St Anna, the very next day of the feast of the Nativity of Mary.  They are also called as "parents of God" «Богоотцы» because they are considered as the immediate ancestors of our Lord Jesus Christ. This might be because kinship relationships and unbridled  connectivity have determining factors in tracing the roots of family ties. According to Christian apocrypha they also came from the royal line of King David. Some versions say that they lived in Jerusalem while others in Nazareth. The Byzantine liturgy has special prayers dedicated for Anna and Joachim.