Values for the Yatra

Archdiocesan Value Education Centre (AVEC ) E-Letter December 2009

The JOY of Sunrise

My grandfather was in his last days dying with cancer. I came to visit him in the
hospital. After a three-hour visit, I called home and said I felt like I needed to spend
the night with him in the hospital room. He was afraid. He felt lonely. Most of all, my
G-daddy asked me to spend the night with him. His eyes told me this would be our
last time together.
G-daddy was my dad’s father. He was the little old man in the hat. That’s what he
had always been to me. He took me fishing. He kept cinnamon balls in a bag so
they’d always be there when I came to see him. He taught me how to Bar-BQ and
even told me his secret ingredient. He let me sleep in his den with all his mounted
deer heads on the wall. He had the first color TV I had ever seen. But he was the lit-
tle old man in the hat to me. I would always love him. I especially loved him that
long, horrible night.
The night lasted forever. G-daddy slept fitfully. He moaned with pain. I called for
more medication. Then he was angry and combative, almost hostile with the nurses.
His language was coarse and ugly. He was a man I had never seen, raging in my
grandfather’s body. Finally, the medicine slowly began to take effect.
G-daddy calmed and we talked. We remembered the past. We talked about my
dad, his son, who had predeceased him. He gradually slipped away in sleep. But his
dreams on the medication were frightening and repeatedly startled him awake. I
would comfort him and talk him back asleep. What sleep I got, was stolen while lying
on two chairs, trying to sort out what was happening. Then ten or fifteen minutes
later, the cycle would begin all over again. It went on all night. My heart ripped
apart. I had come for a brief visit and spent the night becoming acquainted with my
grandfather’s anguish as cancer stole his life away. The night lasted forever. Finally,
the soft glow of morning light softened the darkness behind the curtain. As the sky lit
up with the light of a new day, G-daddy calmed and found the sleep that had es-
In this ISSUE caped him earlier. Relief arrived. And I began my two-hour drive home, left to con-
template a night I have not shared with anyone, till now.
The Joy of Sunrise 1 I loved my granddad. I had never seen him like this. I hated it for him. I hated
death and its imposing and impending certainty. I hated that night. There is no way
to describe how important it was for me to see the first rays of sunlight.
But one thing from this horrible night has been a source of hope that has strength-
Teaching 2 ened and cheered me through the dark hours of sadness. No matter how long, how
Joyfully deep, and how dark the night, sunrise does eventually come. No, I’m not talking
about the temporary sunrise that ends a night of sadness, like I experienced with G-
Super Brains 3
daddy’s night of anguish. I’m talking about a permanent sunrise.
So when G-daddy’s agony ended a few days after my visit, I was able to let the
Joy to the World 4 horrors of the night slide into the dark closet of memory. Instead, I chose to remem-
ber the soft glow of morning light as it softened the darkness behind the curtain and
gave the promise a better day — a day without cancer, a day without pain, a day
Gift Yourself 5
without darkness, a day without death.
Webster defines Joy as “the emotions evoked by well-being, success, or good
News and Photos 7 fortune, or by the prospect of possessing what one desires”. The source of that kind
of joy is “things.” But the Joy of God is harder to define. The source doesn’t come
from things or feelings. It comes from His Presence. Joy is divinely connected to all of
Festive Joy 8 the things of God. “Joy” means a source or object of pleasure or satisfaction. It
means to “take” pleasure and “rejoice in” that pleasure. It means to fill with “joy”
and to “enjoy”. It is the latin word “gaudium” which means “gladness or delight” and
“gaudium” comes from the latin word “gaudere”, and it means” to rejoice”.
Mr. Rochwyn Fernandes
 Values for the Yatra
Archdiocesan Value Education Centre (AVEC ) E-Letter December 2009

Joy in Making Learning Psychologically Safe

Attend to students’ psychological comfort by enhancing their self-image and building a relaxing atmosphere
conducive to learning.
First, say and do things that show you respect them and support their studies:
♥ I know this is tough, but I also know you can do it.
♥ You can always come to me when you need help.
♥ Any question is a good question.
♥ The only stupid question is the one not asked.
♥ I’m glad you’re in this class.
♥ If you want extra help, just call.
♥ Take me as far as you can in the problem until you run into a roadblock.
♥ You are a responsible person. First do these two and….
♥ I was thinking about your question the other day and….
♥ I would like to know how you arrived at that incorrect solution.

Second, do not say things that will make students feel they are unworthy or stupid:
☻I do not think you can do this, but try it anyway.
☻You are one of those whom I don’t think will make it.
☻How could you have gotten that answer?
☻Weren’t you paying attention?
☻Oh boy! We have to go back to the start
☻Why do you bother coming here?
☻Will you do this if I assign it?
☻You know that you will have to work to get this done.
☻This problem is only for the intelligent.

Third, say and do things that make the environment relaxed:

♫ Use naturally occurring humour about your
♫ Before and after class, find out what your students have been doing.
♫ Keep to business but don’t be unnecessarily rigid about times and protocol.
♫ Greet students by their names.
♫ Be explicit about what is required on tests and projects.
♫ Assure students that the practice you assign will help them perform well on tests and projects.
♫ Be explicit and timely with feedback.

Fourth, do not make statements.

• This test is extremely difficult.
• If you had trouble with the homework, this test is going to be a killer.
• Only one-third of you should pass this exam.
• I may not be able to get the assignment feedback to you before the exam.
 Values for the Yatra
Archdiocesan Value Education Centre (AVEC ) E-Letter December 2009

Knowledge has its foundations in ‘trained – memory’

Memory is not a gift

All possess a supernatural memory
The question is not about a
Good memory or a bad memory

Try the following secrets to develop Super Memory:

Visualization: We remember pictures more than words
Association: Creating links between things we study
Make things outstanding: Creative use with humor and absurdity
Imagination: Imagination creates strong emotions
Color: 50% note taking is improved by color
Rhythm: Rhythm activates your right
brain activity
Holism: Enhances memory to See the
whole picture
 Values for the Yatra
Archdiocesan Value Education Centre (AVEC ) E-Letter December 2009

Thoughts for Your Consideration: CHRISTMAS

Christmas celebrates the birth of a child. Christmas is a celebration of
joy and life. Our social teaching is about joy and life. We affirm the
value of all human life from conception to natural death. We work to
put an end to all those things which destroy life and the quality of life
for all.
Christmas calls us to see things in a new way. We are called to see the salvation
of God in a homeless child rather than in wealth, consumption, power, honors, or
status of any sort. We are called to create a world based on the values of this
child. The Christmas story lends itself to reflection on many issues of social
justice. The experience of Mary, Joseph and the child Jesus is analogous to the
experience of many people who are poor and powerless today.
1. Mary and Joseph are subject to the whims of the powerful as they have to
travel to Bethlehem for the census.
2. The Holy Family is homeless when they arrive in Bethlehem.
3. They become refugees in Egypt to escape the danger of death in Israel.
4. As the child is born, most people are going on with their daily lives and do not
recognize the presence of God.
5. Only the shepherds are able to detect the presence of God in the child that is
born to a homeless family in a stable.
At Christmas time we encounter many temptations. There is the temptation to be
sentimental. There is the temptation to get too involved in elaborate gift
giving. There is the temptation to focus just on our small circle of family and
friends. There is the temptation to make Christmas into a celebration of our
prosperity. There is the temptation to impose too many expectations on this
holiday and forget what we are celebrating.
The fact that Jesus was born poor and homeless calls us to be aware of these
temptations. More than that, the details of Jesus’ birth challenges us to be
engaged with those who are poor and powerless today – with those who are
living the human experience of poverty or injustice.
We are invited to see how the experience of those in the Christmas story is not
unlike the experience of millions of refugees and displaced people in our world
today, of children born into poverty, of agricultural workers who have no land of
their own, of the poor or unemployed in India who are losing their benefits, of
the those who are homeless, of those who are caught up in the events of war
and terrorist acts, of those who are still among the millions living in some form
of slavery, of those denied basic human rights, of those whose
lives are controlled by the power of large corporations and im-
personal governments, of those who go on with their busy lives
without any significant awareness of the presence and goodness
of God in the ordinary things of life. Merry Christmas
 Values for the Yatra
Archdiocesan Value Education Centre (AVEC ) E-Letter December 2009

Another 365 days gone. A New Year ahead with equal opportunities and more. Its time to pick up the
pieces, review the past and reset for the future. For some it was getting wiser, for others growing older.
Change is in the ‘hair’. Christmas is here again. Gifts in plenty for all from tinsel to toys, cakes and cards,
cribs and stars, presents and prayers. But why not gift your self with something new this Christmas?
Searching for a gift… live CHRISTMAS
Allow me to share with you a small Christmas reflection to make this a meaningful one…

C: ‘Christ-Centered’ not ‘Crisis-Cornered’

On your journey of life, change depends on where you set focus. You can be ‘PRINCIPLED-CENTERED”
or you can choose to be “PROBLEM-CORNERED’. The kings focused on the star rising. Herod felt
threatened by the rising star. Thaddeus Galas rightly said, “Your daily life is nothing else but an
expression of your spiritual condition”. Cornered people find no way out with no light at the end of the
tunnel. Centred people journey with enthusiasm from crib to cross to crown. Centre you life on Christ.

H: ‘Holiness of Hope’ not ‘Horror of Hopelessness’

P. J Barley once said, “It matters not how long you live, but how”. The HOW reflects the quality of your
life. He was like us in all things but sin… the babe who threatened a king, a learner-boy who astonished
doctors in the temple, the carpenter turned shepherd carrying the broken back to the Father. Dominic
Savio’s life could be summed up in these words; ‘the older he grew, the better he became.’

R: ‘Repent and Respond not ‘React to Revenge’

John the Baptist ushered in a new era of repentance and reconciliation unlike Herod who sought to react.
We have the choice to respond to live the quality of life. In a rat race even if you win, you are still a rat.
Gift yourself with quality ‘me –time’. Nothing is more energizing than living a life of peace through
reconciliation. The New Year must find you energised and alive, not stale and burnt-out with reaction
and revenge.

I: ‘Inside-Out’ don’t ‘Intrude-In’

Doors are labelled ‘Push’ and ‘Pull’. It all depends on which side of the door you are. People are not
doors and neither are hearts. Relations are built on your own approach to others. People with an ‘INVITE
IN’ approach build bridges of love and friendship. Those with an ‘intrude-in’ approach cut the branch on
which they sit. Incarnation is simply God allowing himself to be invited into the hearts of humanity.

S: ‘Sacred-Silence’ not ‘Secular-sounds’

An Irish proverb goes thus, ‘There is always something wrong with people, as there is with a motor,
when it knocks continually.’ Gift yourself with moments of silence. If we really stopped to think more,
we would definitely stop to thank more. Only in silence do we discover the rich treasures of inner peace,
joy, happiness and forgiveness. Silent night echoes the mood of Christmas… all is calm, all is bright.
Solitude is the soul of genius.
 Values for the Yatra
Archdiocesan Value Education Centre (AVEC ) E-Letter December 2009

T: ‘Touch to Transform’ don’t ‘Transact to Trick’

“It is very hard for an empty sack to stand upright”, said Benjamin Franklin. The global awakening
can only happen from a spiritual awakening that is of global dimensions. You can be the touch
that heals the world; you can be the touch that brings peace to people of good will. He laid his hands
on them and they were healed. He raised his hands and blessed them. Without Jesus inside us we will
be empty sacks, loveless hearts and closed-fisted hands. Take Jesus with you to touch and transform
the world.

M: ‘Miracle of Metaphors’ not ‘Misery of Mediocrity’

Your life is determined by your metaphors. If your life is a battle; then everyone is your enemy, every
step a death trap, every sound a bomb shell. If life is a banquet; then everyone is a friend, every step a
celebration, and every sound a drum beat. Change your negative metaphors and experience the
miracles of abundance and change.

A: ‘Anchor on Acceptance’ not ‘Anger & Arrogance’

Change happens when one anchors in deep prayer, discernment and courage. In the midst of trouble,
conflict and anger one can only spark chaos not change. G.W. Lyon said, “Worry is the interest paid to
those who borrow trouble”. Let not the sun set on your anger. Angry people never changed the
world. Spirit-linked people anchor in the port of transformation and send ripples of change.

S: ‘Sailors, Ships, Seas, Storms and Shores’

The world is not interested in the storms you encountered, but did you bring the ship to shore? How
you captained the ship is all that matters in the storm. Following the road map, hitching your wagon
to a star, beginning with the end in mind, seeking first the kingdom are all but the same. Difficulties
and storms will always be there. When you bring your ship to harbour there is always the celebration.
The secret is in changing course at times, ready to take a new path, knowing always that the STAR
still guides and the port is there to be reached.
CHRISTMAS IS ALWAYS A ROAD UNDER CONSTRUCTION. HAPPY BUILDING!! Make straight
the PATH through Values for the Yatra!!!
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year 2010

Fr. Glenford Lowe sdb

AVEC E-Letter ‘Values for the Yatra’ is an initiative to provide

Animation Resources for Teachers involved in Value Education in the ABE schools/ Jr. Colleges .
Values for the Yatra will be published every month and is for private circulation.
Your valuable suggestions are most welcome to assist us in making Values for the Yatra a useful
tool of animation and bonding among the teachers and students of the ABE schools.

CONTACT:
Fr. Glenford Lowe, SDB / Natasha Almeida / Rochwyn Fernandes
AVEC—Don Bosco Youth Services
Matunga 400019 , MUMBAI Ph: 24154477 e-mail: avecmatunga@gmail.com
 Values for the Yatra
Archdiocesan Value Education Centre (AVEC ) E-Letter December 2009

CAMPION SCHOOL: 60 Students of Std IX

The

AVEC

TEAM is

Available

ST. ISABEL’S SCHOOL:: 250 Students of Std IX and X To

Conduct

Training

Programs

For

TEACHERS,

STUDENTS,
ST. JOSEPH’S SCHOOL, JUHU: 390 students of Std VIII and IX
and

LEADERS.

Please contact the

AVEC Office for
further details.

ST. JOSEPH’S SCHOOL, JUHU: 150 students of Std X

ST. STEPHEN’S, CUMBALA HILL: 60 Students of Std VI & VII

 Values for the Yatra
Archdiocesan Value Education Centre (AVEC ) E-Letter December 2009

ST. FRANCIS XAVIER, (1506-1552)

He was born in the family castle of Xavier, near Pamplona in the Basque area of
Spanish Navarre on Apr. 7, he was sent to the University of Paris 1525, secured his
licentiate in 1528, met Ignatius Loyola and became one of the seven who in 1534, at
Montmartre founded the Society of Jesus. In 1536 he left Paris to join Ignatius in
Venice, was ordained there in 1537, went to Rome in 1538, and in 1540, when the
pope formally recognized the Society, was ordered, with Fr. Simon Rodriguez, to the
Far East as the first Jesuit missionaries. King John III kept Fr. Simon in Lisbon, but
Francis, after a year's voyage, six months of which were spent at Mozambique where
he preached and gave aid to the sick eventually arrived in Goa, India in 1542. There he
began preaching to the natives and attempted to reform his fellow Europeans, living among
the natives and adopting their customs on his travels. During the next decade he converted
tens of thousands to Christianity. He visited the Paravas at the tip of India near Cape Co-
morin, Tuticorin , Malacca , the Moluccas near New Guinea and Morotai near the Philippines
and Japan .
In 1551, India and the East were set up as a separate province and Ignatius made
Francis its first provincial. In 1552 he set out for China, landed on the island of Sancian
within sight of his goal, but died before he reached the mainland. Working against great
difficulties, language problems, inadequate funds, and lack of cooperation, often actual
resistance, from European officials, he left the mark of his missionary zeal and energy on
areas which clung to Christianity for centuries. His body brought in 1554 to Goa, is kept in
the Basilica of Bom Jesus. The sacred relic of St. Francis Xavier normally housed in a silver
casket in the Bom Jesus church, is brought in a ceremonious procession by several priests
to the SE cathedral every 10 years for an exposition He was canonized in 1622 and
proclaimed patron of all foreign missions by Pope Pius X. F. D. Dec. 3.

AVEC wishes all its Readers

Merry Christmas
&
Happy New Year 2010