Solitary Soul

The Catholic Church Cl. Mario D’Couto SDB             The word ‘Catholic’ means ‘universal’ and this gives us an idea of what the Church is meant to be. Today, Christianity has been broadly divided into Catholic and Protestant but yet within the Protestant denomination, there are several other sects. In the Gospels, when Our Lord instituted the Church He said, “You are Peter, the Rock and on this Rock I will build my Church.” (Matthew 16:18) Notice that He mentions ‘Church’ and not ‘Churches’. From this, it is obviously clear enough that Our Lord wanted to have one Catholic and Apostolic Church. However, in its history, there have been many who have chosen not to stay with Holy Mother Church starting with Martin Luther. Our brethren of other denominational sects would want to say they are the ‘true’ Church and they would quote left and right from Scripture to prove that the Catholic Church is false. But interestingly, ea...

NATURE – GOD’S GIFT TO THE HUMAN PERSON Cl. Mario D’Couto SDB             “Technology has no limits!” This is something that has been said on and off and this is precisely because it is thanks to the various discoveries and innovations of science that our lives have changed.                         However, while this is true indeed, it is also interesting to note that there are some very essential things in life which we heavily depend on but it is something we cannot produce. These include the sun, the rain, the wind the moon, the stars, fire and all other aspects of nature.             When I look at technology today, I am baffled at its process. Who would ever think that sixty or seventy years ago we would be handling cell phones or making distant ...

THE CRACKED POT Cl. Mario D’Couto SDB             There is a story told of a farmer who had two pots and would regularly use these two pots to draw water and use it for his crops. One day, one of the pots accidentally fell down. The good thing was that it was not completely broken except for a small crack that was found on the pot. However, the farmer was too poor to repair it and was in no position to buy another one. Hence he just left it in a corner of the house. Sooner or later, the farmer began to feel the pinch and felt the need for another pot as one pot was just not sufficient to water the plants and the crops. The other hitch was that he was too poor to afford another one. Hence, given the situation, he decided to take the cracked pot along with the good pot.             The trouble with this situation was that he had to be quick or else, the water soon wo...

BALANCING WORK AND PRAYER Cl. Mario D’Couto SDB             There may be a time when we are all so busy with our work that we need to slow down our pace and try to look at ourselves inwardly. The time for rest and reflection is important as it serves as an antidote for the stressful lives we live in. But how does one achieve it? The answer is found in the Gospels.             Christ, too, was involved in a life of service. However, He knew how and when to take the time to nourish His life in moments of exclusive presence to the Father in prayer. The Evangelists tell us that Jesus repeatedly disappeared from the crowd to go off by Himself to pray. He had to make time in His life for moments of reflection. In these moments, He discovered the will of the Father for Him and found the inner strength necessary to live out His will.       ...

THE SACRAMENT OF CONFESSION – PART 2 Cl. Mario D’Couto SDB          In one of my previous articles called ‘The Sacrament of Confession’ [Please check the old posts] , I had written in favour of the justification of this sacrament and why it is important. In this article, I intend to show the loopholes in this sacrament, not to say that it is false in any way but it is just that this sacrament is so freely available that the seriousness of this sacrament could be lost. It is over here that the laxity of one’s spirit is seen.             St. John Vianney would say that a lukewarm soul will go to Confession regularly and even quite frequently. But the question is ‘What kind of confessions are they?’ What happens to a person who has no preparation and no desire to correct his faults? The confessions of such a person are merely a repetition of old ones, which would be a happy state –...

THE SOUL – GOD’S MARK UPON US Cl. Mario D’Couto SDB             We human beings can pride ourselves about the fact that we are the crown or the cream of God’s creation for unlike other living creatures that exist, God shares a unique relationship with each of us. As the title of this article goes, the soul is indeed God’s mark upon us for as in the book of Genesis, it is written, “God has created each of us in His likeness.” Hence, this is to say that we belong to God.             How different we are from other living beings? In many aspects, we share the same biological aspects of other living beings like eating, reproduction and so on. The thing that differentiates us from other living beings is our rationality. It is because of our rationality that we are all self – conscious beings. Consequently, it is also because of this unique faculty that we are able to wi...

UNDERSTANDING THE HUMILITY OF CHRIST Cl. Mario D’Couto SDB             There are so many talks and so much written about humility. Humility is, indeed, a human virtue. It comes from the word ‘humus’ which means ‘earth’ in Greek. In one of my previous articles called ‘God’s greatness – Part 2,’ [please check out my older posts], I had highlighted the aspect of how Jesus literally stripped Himself of many divine qualities in order to become like us. Perhaps, it may not make sense for you and me because we do not understand its implications clearly. Consequently, we take it for granted, given the fact that we constantly come across this teaching now and then. Bishop Fulton Sheen in his book, ‘Life of Christ’ gives us a good illustration to vivify this point. Imagine, if it were possible, a human person’s soul is removed from the body and sent to the body of a serpent. It would be a double humiliation, namely, accepting the l...

FEAR AS A MEANS TO SUCCESS Cl. Mario D’Couto SDB             Psychiatrist Judd Marmor once said, “One is imprisoned by how many people operate upon the assumption that to worry about anything is ipso facto ‘neurotic’ and that the ‘normal’ person should never worry. Most people apparently seem to be unaware of the rather obvious fact that to be unconcerned in the face of a disturbing or threatening realty situation may sometimes be a symptom of a serious mental disorder, rather than a sign of mental health.”             Some fears and worries have a rational basis, while others are based on exaggeration and misinterpretation. But only a moron could go through life completely unconcerned and not worried every second of every day. Speaking about fear, Dr. Benjamin Fineübuer says something similar to what Judd Marmor has stated, “Worry can save a useful purpose. If...

MARY’S ROLE IN SALVATION HISTORY Cl. Mario D’Couto SDB             Mary holds a unique place in salvation history because it was through Her consent that our Lord Jesus was born. Some of our separated brethren, namely the Protestants would want to think that He was just a mere instrument in the birth of our Lord, as though to say that with the birth of Jesus, Mary’s role in the story comes to an end. But as we all know, such is not the case!             A lot of study has been done on our Lady right from the early Fathers such as St. Ignatius of Antioch, St. Justin and others till today. But what is it that has pushed some of these intellectual giants in the Church to understand the significance of our Lady? It is the Bible! Yes, dear friends, it is the Word of God that is and should become the source of all Marian theology, spirituality and devotion, which in othe...

THE CONSEQUENCES OF LONELINESS AND DEPRESSION Cl. Mario D’Couto SDB             Aristotle once said, “Man is a social being” and going by that sentence, we see that in the heart of every human person is the need to love and be loved. When we show love towards someone and if that love is not reciprocated in return, the natural consequences is loneliness and depression. The movie “Cast away” beautifully depicts what loneliness can do to a person – it can KILL! When we are caught up with our idealized selves, we forget the real person we are. Today, society is projected with so many things that life has become even more complicated than it was before. It was not like where we had few things and were content with it in the past.             While it is true that loneliness and depression are but natural consequences of not being content, it also has its positive sid...

NEUROSIS Cl. Mario D’Couto SDB             The title of this article comes from a section of Louise Hageman’s book, “In the midst of winter.” The word ‘neurosis’ refers to the natural impulses present in one’s personality. It could also refer to the sub – conscious state of a person.             Keeping this in mind, the focus of the article is to show how our neurosis naturally reacts to difficult or stressful situations. These can be classified into 3 types,   a)      Expansive solution or domination In this type, a person deals with stressful situations by asserting himself or herself out rightly. Over here, the norm of ‘might is right’ holds prime importance. To back out is a sign of weakness and so proving oneself to be in control of a situation is done at all costs, whatever it may be. b)      Self – ...

FAITH – PART 2 Cl. Mario D’Couto SDB             Life is a gift given in order to be surrendered. Daily we live through sickness, pain, loneliness, disappointment – little deaths that make us aware of how little we control we have over our lives. We fear letting go until we really listen to the words of Jesus, Anyone who loves his life loses it; anyone who hates his life in this world will keep it for the eternal life – John 12:25             By doing this, we come to realize that it is in surrendering our lives to the painful uncertainties that we can possess it. We will never know what the future holds in store for us but we can be sure of Who holds our future. It is our faith in God that will take us forward. 

BECOMING CONTEMPLATIVES IN ACTION Cl. Mario D’Couto SDB             After a long day’s work, the need for a time of relaxation becomes a great need. What is striking about this phenomenon is that in order for this to happen, one must make it possible by deliberately setting aside some time for unwinding. Contemplation is something like that. We can get lost in the midst of our work and at the end of the day, all our energy is gone.             It is said that in science there is a law that states, “Anything left to its self will tend towards equilibrium.” Metal is supposed to possess a certain quality of elasticity. A given amount of stress or tension can be applied to a piece of metal and unless the metal is  over-stressed   it will again assume its original shape. The breaking point or the rupture stage is reached when the limit of elasticity is surpas...

LONELINESS Cl. Mario D’Couto SDB             There are two kinds of loneliness, namely, a loneliness that comes when one cuts himself or herself out from God and when one cuts himself or herself from the people around him or her.             In the early Church and during Medieval times, the faith of the Christians at that time was strong. However, as time passed and with the coming of science and other new discoveries, humankind began to move away from God. This is not to say that technology in itself is bad. It is good and should be used although we have to be prudent in the way we use it.             The second form of loneliness is, as mentioned earlier, a consequent when a person cuts himself or herself, from the people around him or her. There is no doubt that we do require our moments of silence an...

APPRECIATING LIFE IN ITS TOTALITY Cl. Mario D’Couto SDB             Reality is an experience of the Divine, inexhaustible in its richness. What we receive from it depends on God’s grace and the quality of our presence to it. In dying to ourselves – to our fears, desires, needs, prejudices, differences – all of which distort reality, we can group with St. Paul, “…. The breadth and the length, the height and the depth; until, knowing the love of Christ, which is beyond all knowledge, you are filled with the utter fullness of God.” (Ephesians 3:18-19)             Each of us needs in some way to experience a similar return to life. We need to develop a reverent presence of reality and a gentle desire to understand the directions that come through each situation. It is in the ordinary events of life that one draws out the most profound insights as a saying goes, “Let na...

THE WEIGHT OF THE HOLY EUCHARIST Cl. Mario D’Couto SDB             This article is a true story about the Holy Eucharist. I was fascinated by it and that is why I thought of sharing it with you’ll. This incident happened in a place called Luxemburg. As mentioned before, this story is a true story told by the late Reverend Fr. Stanislaus.               One day in Luxemburg, a Captain of the Forest Guard was in deep conversation with a butcher when suddenly an old woman entered the shop. The butcher broke off the conversation to ask the old woman what she wanted. She had come to beg for a little meat but had no money. She told the butcher, “I am sorry I have no money but I’ll hear Mass for you,” the woman told the butcher. Both the butcher and the Captain were indifferent about religion, so they at once began to scoff at the old woman’s idea.   ...

DRYNESS IN SPIRITUAL LIFE Cl. Mario D’Couto SDB             Have you experienced dryness in your spiritual life? Have you ever felt that when you pray, nothing made sense to you? Have you been bored of prayer or experienced spiritual lethargy? If you have, then this article is just for you.             This article comes from a reflection written by Fr. Adrian Van Kaam, taken from his book, “Am I living a spiritual life?” When I read it, I felt so consoled and rejuvenated spiritually, for through this reflection it was an assurance for me that God still loves and accepts us, just the way we are and so I thought of sharing this reflection with you.             Fatigue, boredom, distaste, aridity are all familiar companions on the spiritual journey. Even the saints had to endure them. There are many times wh...