Mk.6:30-34
Fr. Stan went back to our heavenly Father’s abode on 5 July 2021. He stood for the cause of social justice until the end of his life. Everyone knew that his imprisonment was an injustice to a senior citizen and affected by Parkinson’s disease. Almost a hundred days he spent in the prison without trial. He had to face various health issues during these days, but he was denied good medical treatment. Being a Parkinson patient sipper tumbler was essential for his survival; the authorities dismissed even that. Anyhow his heart was not filled with hatred towards anyone. He could have remained in his homeland lead a comfortable life, but he took up the cause of suppressed people of Jharkhand because, like Jesus, he, too, felt compassion for them. I want to quote one of his letters from the prison that depicts his compassionate heart:
“Dear Friends, Thank you so much for the solidarity support by so many, for me and my co-accused. I am grateful. The Prison administration provides breakfast, tea, milk, lunch and dinner. Any additional edibles are to be purchased from the prison canteen twice a month. Also, newspapers, toiletries, stationary and other essentials can be purchased through the prison canteen. My needs are limited. The Adivasis and the Society of Jesus have taught me to lead a simple life. I had brought with me a “sipper-tumbler” to drink tea and water. However, the same was disallowed at the prison gate on entry on 9 October. Now, I am using a baby-sipper mug, which I purchased through the prison hospital. I have communicated this need to our lawyers. I am still awaiting to receive the sipper-tumbler. Varavara Rao is very sick. Kindly, pray for him. Listening to the life-narratives of the poor prisoners is my joy in Taloja. I see God in their pains and smiles.”
Fr. Stan Swamy SJ
In today’s gospel, we see disciples come back after the successful completion of their missionary experience. After these hectic days, they wanted to have little leisure time together in a lonely place. Anyhow, when people come in search of Jesus, He makes himself available for them. Being available to someone or ready to give our time for a service is a great challenge in our days. We might be occupied with our busy schedule, or we may have so much works to accomplish. The usual tendency in us is to give priority to achieving our tasks and plans than others. There is nothing wrong with completing one’s tasks. All the same, the followers of Christ are invited to wait to walk an extra mile and to be available to those who are needy.
Evangelist stated that he moved with compassion because they were like sheep without a shepherd. We are familiar with the root meaning of compassion. It is a gut feeling that inspires us to suffer from the other. When we are driven by compassion, we make ourselves entirely at the disposal of our fellow brethren and being available to enter into their life situations. Jesus could have easily made his presence felt and disappear immediately by enquiring about their wellbeing and could have sent them back. Yet, we see in the gospel that he forgets his tiredness and breaks the Word of God and satisfies their hunger for a God experience.
Though there were several religious leaders, none of them could satisfy their longing for God; instead, they could not become a shepherd who guides them to a God experience. The uppermost thoughts were how they could exploit their subjects in the name of religion. They were completely disconnected from the problems and life situations of ordinary people. Jesus himself said that they tried to add burden to people. Jesus felt compassion not only at this occasion alone nevertheless, but it also began from his incarnation, passion, death and resurrection. He descended into our midst from the wellbeing of his eternity. He courageously encountered complex realities of our existence such as suffering, evil, etc. He suffered with us and suffered for us so that we too may share eternity with him.
As followers of Christians, our witness should be marked by our compassion for our fellow brethren. It is easy to be a Christian who observe all the practices of piety but if we can’t get into the shoe of others, understand their struggle, and be a presence there. As a result, he/she may experience the consoling and shepherding presence of Christ. Then, we are proclaiming and living Christ.
The authorities thought that keeping Fr. Stan till the end of his life the prison could be the method to make him silent. In his later from the prison, he wrote: “A caged bird can still sing,” yes, now generations will sing the heroic story of his compassionate heart… Long Live Fr. Stan…