Fr Cajetan Lourenco MA (MCJ)
The World would have been a ‘Kingdom of God’ (Swarg) if people were inspired by the HSSC guide. What is God’s Kingdom that I am talking about? It is the reign of God where all human beings, along with given environment, grow and live peacefully. It is that society of human beings who freely submits to God. What is HSSC? It is Human Secular Scriptural Communities (HSSC) live in harmony. Then who can be its guide? In this regard, I would like to draw some inspirations from a traditional Christian Saint ~ St Anne. In Hebrew, the name ‘Anne’ signifies ‘Gracious.’ One cannot separate St Anne and Blessed Virgin Mary. They are venerated amongst the Christians.
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As per the ancient historians, St Anne lived at Nazareth in the town of Galilee, a very short distance from Mount Carmel. She was of a priestly tribe. Her husband Joachim a devout man of the tribe of Judah belonged to the generation of David by Nathan. They spent their days before God in prayer, manual labor and almsgiving. Their lifestyle was a perfect devotion in the eyes of God. St Anne, having arrived at an advanced age without children, was often made to feel embarrassed by the women of her neighborhood. But God was gracious to Anne and she conceived and gave birth to Blessed Virgin Mary at her advanced age. A miracle God alone can explain!
A few characteristics of St Anne can inspire us to guide our small communities:
Human: As a woman she could stand the humiliation of the accusing society of her time. She was labeled as barren by her community and society. Despite all this, she could dedicate her time for the temple serving the needy. In today’s world, communities require individuals who are basically human like her.
Secular: No doubt, we live in a secular world. To be in the world and transcend the worldly value system is a challenge. Although we live in materialistic and consumerist world, we can still be religious and spiritual. St Anne is an example of this. She trusted in God. What was not possible according to human thinking was possible with divine intervention and power. Ultimately, God is supreme over our secular world.
Scriptural: Many people follow religious rituals without knowing the real essence of it. Quite many people, who belong to any of the world religions, are ignorant of their sacred scriptures and their interpretations. This was not the situation with St Anne. She held sacred scriptures close to her and probably, she even explained them to her daughter Blessed Virgin Mary. I am sure, in every conceivable religion and culture of the world today, there is something sacred and divine. We need to look into our sacred books for guidance. Here are some examples:
Christians: Love your neighbor as yourself. Judaism: What is hateful to you, do not to your fellow man. That is the law: all the rest is commentary. Islam: No one of you is a believer until he desires for his brother that which he desires for himself. Hinduism: This is the sum of duty; do naught unto others which would cause you pain if done to you. Buddhism: Hurt not others in ways that you yourself would find hurtful. Confucianism: Do not unto others what you would not have them do unto you.
Why cannot we be well rooted in the sacred scriptures of our religion?
The modern generation lives in the world of isolation and loneliness. Today’s children live with modern gadgets. Their childhood is grown in the midst of material world of robots, toys, computers, video games. As a result, the bond of human touch and sympathy is missing. Sometimes, parents have no time to spend with their children. No family meals together. No sharing and caring. No true human community. We live in a shallow and artificial world of our own making. At this juncture, St Anne becomes the essence of human community and connectivity.
In our human society (HSSC) and in our spiritual life of learning, St Anne is a guide par excellence.
The writer is the Parish Priest of St Anne’s Church, Ponda
