WHY The burning question that torments the mind of the elderly is the word WHY.  In the vulnerability of their age and heaven knows their illnesses and disabilities their lives are stacked on a mountain of uncertainties.  The WHY to this is fathom in the forgetful minds of their children and families.  They need to feel safe and secure not living on the edge of feeling disaster will strike and no one cares. The wide spread of mental and physical abuse can only be measured by the coldness of the heart that feels empowered to exercise these evil deeds.  Money foremost drives the power of rejection and abuse.  If the elderly have money, property etc. the abuse is shadowed by the lurking hearts of wanting it all by inheritance and many use every opportunity to cease the moments in the weakness of the elderly to deceive, while giving them little or no true heart of love and caring.  These evil doers have to make sure some semblance of decent care is...

DIAMONDS FROM HEAVEN I come to realize every day the goodness and mercy of God.  The village I’ve been living in for the last five years has been in a drought for the last three and hopefully, the monsoon will not fail this area again this year.  It has been said the reason for the drought by some locals are the sins of the village.  I cannot begin to second guess God’s decision making process but I know this much God is compassionate and long suffering when it comes to the actions of His children.  As His children we tend to live the I/Me life excluding Him surly from our daily routine certainly when things are going our way.  We tend to lock into His realm of love when we suffer to long with the usually why me, or a cry for help.  The village has suffered while rain came to other surrounding towns and villages.  The clouds full of rain where blown by the wind beyond the village.  We did get a five or ten minute of rain on occasion u...

I SURRENDER ALL TO YOu I look forward to my personal retreats at POONDI MADHA BASILICA and this last time I went was no exception.  To reach the Basilica in India is no easy task the roads are narrow in many places but the picturesque view of the river and dam site is breath taking.  The banana leaves in their richness of color shimmer in the sunlight and on occasion one can see a peacock.  Poondi is a classic retreat place the rooms have only bed, bathroom, ceiling fan, one chair and small table.  The distractions and comforts one might need are null and void after all one is there to reconnect with Our Lord uninterrupted by the noise, entertainment, and problems of one’s personal life or the world itself.  Even the food is plain and basic with few choices from the restaurant on campus.  There are no other options.  This time at Poondi is truly a time of prayer, mass, adoration, and confession.   As for myself although I have a d...

THE VULNERABLE This elderly man of poor health has been coming to ME A SERVANT OF CHRIST MISSION every Sunday for the last two years needing twenty rupees to buy half a pound of rice.  He never asks for more and blesses us every time for the money.  Other than the blessing he rarely says anything else. Approximately a little more than a month ago the elderly man did not stop by to get his rice money and we noted this but since we did not know where he lived we thought he might be sick.  The following week he stopped by to tell us he had been beaten up and the goons stole his property papers and took his land.  He went to the police but since it was Diwali (Hindu Festival) the police refused to register his complaint or look into the fact he had been beaten until the festival was over making the elderly man return once more to them.  The police took the complaint and placed it into the hands of an arbitrator, which in essence told the elderly m...