Dead Yesterdays, Born Todays and Unborn Tomorrows

Human being is gifted with life and existence. To put in the words of Sartre, “Man is thrown in to the world and hence a free being in the world.” At every moment of life, human being is free to make his/her choices to live as an authentic being. It is the authenticity that makes the essence of human life. I define authenticity as living life to the full dying in Yesterday, living fully in Today unworrying about unborn Tomorrow. In other words, authenticity is authenticity of today. But, human life is lived in yesterday that is gone and worried about tomorrow that is yet to be burn, thus making the born today unauthentic. In the long run human being moves away from authenticity subconsciously.

Dead yesterdays are the days passed in life. They never come back and end possibilities. To put in the words of Martin Heidegger, “Death is not a transition from one mode of life to another but the end of all possibilities to human being.” The dead yesterday has no possibility to offer possibilities to human being. They are no longer alive. They make up history. But, human being , thinking of dead yesterday is devoid of living in the born today in its fullness. It is also true and certain that the yesterday that is dead becomes the reason for today to live life to the full in and through ordinary events of daily life.

Born today is present at hand. It offers itself and strives to make human being authentic. Heidegger’s Dasein gave me pure insight into the life of today. Dasein is a being of today. It is the happening, being-in-the-world and also being here and now. Existence of human being is defined by the possibilities or more clearly, the projects undertaken for fulfilling the essence of human being. Today is the fullness of life with both possibilities and actualities promised by Christ in the gospel of St John, “ I came to give life and life in fullness.” The human being must live today with the experience of yesterday with an imagination towards tomorrow. The born today sets us free from all the chains that tie human being.

 

Unborn tomorrow is yet to be born or rather today is yet to give birth to tomorrow. Therefore, there is no need of tension or worry as to what I will do next? It comes to us in time and not out of time and as such no use of worrying about them. Jesus’ analogy of rich fool who by his pride dreamt of future to live merrily and happily, was told, ‘you fool; you will die to night.’ They are undoubtedly full of possibilities but leave every human being in uncertainty. They are ambiguous.

In conclusion, human life is a transition from yesterday to today, from today to tomorrow. This transition shapes and moulds human life. No human being is human being without undergoing this transition, which is a road towards transformic authenticity.

THE COMPASSIONATE MOTHER

St. Bernard speaking of the great compassion of Mary towards humanity, the poor creatures says that she is the land overflowing with milk and honey promised by God. Hence, St. Leo observes that the Blessed Virgin has so merciful heart that she deserves not only to be called merciful but Mercy itself.  St. Bonaventure considering Mary says, “ O Lady when I behold thee, I can only discern mercy, for thou was made mother of God for the wretched and thou was entrusted with their charge, thou art all solicitude for them: thou art walled in with mercy; thy only wish is to show it.

            The compassion of Mary is so great towards us, that the Abbot Guaric says that her loving heart can never remain a moment without bringing forth its fruits of tenderness. Mary is also called an Olive tree: as a fair Olive tree in the plains. For as the Olive oil alone is extracted, so from the hands of Mary graces and mercy alone proceed. Hence, venerable Fr Louis de Porte says that Mary may properly be called the mother of oil, since she is the mother of mercy. When we go to this good mother for the oil of mercy, we cannot fear that she will deny it us, as the wise virgins in the gospels did it to the foolish ones; lest perhaps there be not enough for us and for you.” Oh! No for she is rich in the oil of mercy as St Bonaventure assures us, “Mary is filled with oil of mercy and compassion.”

            Sometimes perhaps we fear that Mary does not see or does not feel for our necessities? She sees and feels them for better than we do ourselves. St Antonuys says who can ever feel for us in our miseries both corporal and spiritual like this woman, the most Blessed Virgin Mary. So much so that there where she sees misery she cannot do otherwise than instantly fly and relieve it with her tender compassion. Our good mother herself protests that she will never cease to fulfil this office of mercy. Emperor Tutus, the great was so desirious of rendering service to those who applied to hem that when a day passed without his being able to grant a favour he used to say with sorrow,’ I have spent the day without benefiting anyone. It is same with our mother of compassion whenever we ask anything with a grateful heart, she never denies and she is always ready to grant any grace.

Every human being should have recourse to this compassionate mother and confidently hope for salvation through her intercession for she according to the encouraging assurance of Bernardino de Bustis, she is our salvation, our hope, our model, our counsel, our life and our refuge.

I conclude with the beautiful and tender exclamation of St Bonaventure, “O Clement, O Pious, and O Sweet Virgin Mary. Mother Mary is clement with the miserable and compassionate with those who pray to her.

Religion- the Raison D’ être of Humanity

Is religion a raison d’être of humanity? It is certainly ‘Yes.’ The Bible declares in the book of Genesis, “God made human in his own image and likeness and also found him good.” In other words, it clearly tells that “God is part of human and Human is part of God.” God had done His part and this is a happy occasion but here comes the need for man to connect himself to God, the Creator, the part of his/her life. Human’s thirst for God is quenched only through religion. It sustains man in his/her desire to reach God and thus religion becomes raison d’etre of humanity.

            Religion had its roots in the heart of human being for ever-evolving and ever emerging desire to connect oneself to God and thus becomes the founder of Relgion of God. Religion etymologically derived from Greek word ‘Ligare’ means to bind together. It binds together ‘God and Man’ collapsing the borders between Godliness and Humanness when God took the form of human being and thus made everyone a child of God giving an invitation to every human being to become God like people

            What is the reason for being a human and not an animal? What is the reason for being a human and not a plant? Why should one be human and not anything else in this entire macrocosm? All these questions make us contemplate on the purpose of God in creating human being in His own image and likeness. Everything has come into the world with a plan and purpose designed by God. In this entire world only the human being has the ability and desire to know God and His purpose. This is uniqueness of human being because where as other beings do not long for this desire and they get satisfied with instinct-fulfilment and not bothering about their inner longing. Human being

            Animals, plants and so many other beings has life and grow physically, intellectually, psychologically, emotionally but not having the capacity for spiritual life and expression. Thus, they just remain ‘beings’ and not beings in the process of becoming. On the other hand human being grows physically, intellectually, psychologically, emotionally and also has capacity to feel and express him/herself fully and because of this, he/she is not just being but a Transcendent Being  in the process of becoming. This aspect of human being is perfected in Religion in his desire to quench the thirst for God. Therefore, religion became, becomes and will become a tool, an instrument in the hands of man to reach God.

Religion becomes the Raison D’être of Humanity:

Ø      When one realizes that religion means not being with God but becoming God

Ø      When one thinks that religion must exist for the purpose of transforming and reconciling people

Ø      When one comes to awareness that religion does not just exist but must be lived in daily life

Ø      When one believes that one’s faith in God is sustained and increased only through religion

Ø      When one knows that religion is part and parcel of human life

Ø      When one accepts religion without eliminating it

Ø      When one recognizes that existence becomes meaningless without religion

Ø      When one allows oneself to be taught by religion

Ø      When one experiences life as religion and religion as life

Ø      When one looks at religion as the way to reach God

Ø      When one embraces religion to show love for people

Ø      When one adorns oneself with the values of religion to give God to Human

Ø      When one professes that religion is life-giver

In conclusion, life is a gift and a vocation to human being from God and since it is a gift, it must be handled with respect, care and in a responsible way to make our life in turn an offering to God, an offering that life meaningful. This desire of human being comes to fulfilment in Religion alone and one can offer his life back to God through religion. Thus, offering this possibility to human being, Religion becomes the Raison D’être of Humanity.