In order to be a good priest and be of service to God and one’s fellowbeings,
one must first acquire and manifest the qualities of a realized being. Graduating
through the curriculum of philosophy and theology are mere technical tiers preceding
ordination. The greater challenge remains in graduating through the exercise of
exerting compassion without let or prejudice. Such graduation is without a semester
and demands a lifelong commitment.
Forty-one years ago, when I was in Ariosto’s class, he exuded that quality of
compassion. Four years later, when we were in the seminary together, nothing had
diminished in that arena. In 1968, when I visited the Salesian Novitiate in Yercaud,
Ariosto welcomed me with a compassionate hug, literally unaware that he was hugging a
loser. (Earlier that summer, I had been denied admission into the Salesian order and
while en route to joining the Benedictine monastery, I made an impromptu detour to
visit my former seminarians one last time before confining myself to a life of
solitude. Obviously, at the time, I had no reckoning that it wasn’t proper protocol
for a persona non grata to show up uninvited and in so doing, risk subjecting the
psyche of the chosen ones to some damning influence!)
In retrospect, the Salesians did me right by showing me the door while consoling
me that God had much greater plans for me out there. It was a period in my life when
my unstable soul was so fixated on Heaven’s limited quota of saints, that at times I
could sense even God was beginning to feel discreetly uncomfortable. Eventually, I
got the message that I was specifically cut for the canvas and not for the cloth.
In the mid 70's, when I was deputed to attend Ariosto’s ordination on behalf of
Joe Rodrigues (a mutual great friend and former member of the Salesian order), Ariosto
mistook me for a priest -- dressed up as a Bohemian. And as he extended me his
compassion, I took it as a benign sign that he and I reached the divine threshold
within hours of each other, even though my arrival was via the material wastelands!
And in the late 70's, when Ariosto visited the Bom Jesus Basilica art gallery where my
paintings are on display, he took the time to recall with warmth our antiquated
acquaintance.
Today, a quarter century has slipped by since we last met. A current meeting,
however, is neither mandated nor exigent in order to reassess or re-validate
Ariosto’s compassionate predisposition. Some people change over time, others change
the times they live in, and Fred’s post reminds us that good deeds come from the
resources of goodwill and have a perpetual tendency to reincarnate in the wavelength
of memory and gratitude.
Dom Martin
Message: 10
Date: Sun, 15 Jun 2003 14:48:10 +0530 (IST)
From: "Frederick Noronha (FN)" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subject: [Goanet] Ariosto... remembered in Muskaorem
Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Some days back, work took me to this small hamlet of Muskaorem. Ram
Gaonkar (32) got talking about life in the village, how things had
changed, for both better and in some ways worse.
For this small hamlet in the village panchayat of Rivona, the growth of
education in recent years has been a big boon for the villagers. Ram
recalled, in particular, how Don Bosco's at nearby Sulcorna had brought
education to a place where they earlier had to walk some 12 kms for
schooling.
Then he mentioned Ariosto Coelho, who was one of the builders of the
Sulcorna school and allied institutions (they also have an agri-farm).
It was quite a coincidence to note that the person he was taking about has
been a long-time (if largely silent) Goanetter, and who's wife is an admin
of Goanet. Ram, who is a Velip from the region (an aboriginal community
that has long missed out on most of the fruits of 'development') recalled
how he had a problem with his nose, and Ariosto took him to distant Panjim
to get him cured.
Wonder if Ariosto recalls this guy. It's a small world, and electronic
communication is making it even smaller. FN
##########################################################################
# Send submissions for Goanet to [EMAIL PROTECTED] #
# PLEASE remember to stay on-topic (related to Goa), and avoid top-posts #
# More details on Goanet at http://joingoanet.shorturl.com/ #
# Please keep your discussion/tone polite, to reflect respect to others #
##########################################################################
