Arockia Rayappan –
At Concordia University, we have weekly and monthly events organised by the International Student Office (ISO) of the University. We familiarise ourselves with University Life, Montreal, Canadian and North American acculturation, and academic opportunities and life-challenges with some extra-curricular activities through these ISO events. This in turn helps us meet other international students and Canadians who are undergraduates and graduates.[1] After our get-together last weekend, I was informed by a student that she could not go for the funeral of her grandpa back home in India. I expressed my heartfelt condolences and promised to pray for her grandpa. As per the promise, I silently whispered a prayer for her grandpa and remembered him[2] later in the Holy Eucharist. In my prayerful offering for her grandpa, I was inspired to offer some food to the student far away from her hometown. Why was I inspired to share the food with the student? I am starting to analyse the many events that had occurred in my family as well as at the university.
I consciously looked back at the moments of the loss of my mom. I recall many persons with much gratitude for their sensitivity and humanity shown unto me generously, beyond my expectation. In a way, I am learning from the students-community how to accompany other students in moments of success, pain, failures, personal loss, and family loss. I personally experienced much support via WhatsApp, email, and telephone calls, and supporting messages coupled with personal visits. I recall that some Muslim students enquired if they could bring some home-cooked food for me. Maybe it is the students’ community who inspired me to share some food with the student who lost her grandfather.
Inspired by the way the student-community responded to me during the loss of my mom, I thought of showing a simple gesture my way of buying a mixed fruit and other food items which might not require more efforts and time to prepare. It is during the purchasing of mixed fruit at Provigo (a grocery store) that I met Natalie, the protagonist of the story [This event is illustrated with the kind consent of Natalie, the protagonist of the unfolding event].
It happened on the day after my birthday in the afternoon. It was June 30, 2024. So, it was very special to me! I bought some mixed fruits from the Provigo grocery centre. While I left my residence, I carried a bag provided by the Concordia Library to carry the books home. But the library bag proved smaller for the fruit packet, and I could not put it into the bag. The saleswoman asked the payment of 0.40 cent (Canadian), the cost of the bag. I was about to pay 0.40 cent with my credit card. Natalie, who happened to be there to make payment for her groceries expressed her willingness to pay the total amount for the bag since she had the cents with her. I was not too sure. Then, she promptly and gently persuaded me to accept it. She had no issues if she could pay for it since she had the coins. In that way, I could avoid using the credit card for 0.40 cent. I received her offer of 0.40 cents, and she gave them to the saleswoman. That was a moment of inspiration, moment of solidarity, sensitivity, sharing, goodness, and all the aspects related to construct a better world. That little gesture of kindness for me epitomised the hallmark of generosity and response-ability. Thereafter, I gave her the little Library Bag from Concordia (as seen in the photo) after I had a fruitful conversation and receiving her consent to publish an article on the event that has just occurred.
Instantly I felt what might have been the experience of Jesus when he encountered the woman who gave all she had when she only offered a few cents as illustrated in the Gospel. It is here that I was amazed at initiating a conversation with Natalie. I responded to her that now I understand the experience of Jesus illustrated in the Bible (Mark 12: 41-44). In the Marcan event, Jesus highlights the aspects of generosity and giving it all for God alone. It is titled as ‘The Poor Widow’s Contribution’ and narrated as:
“He (Jesus) sat down opposite the treasury and observed how the crowd put money into the treasury. Many rich people put in large sums. A poor widow also came and put in two small coins worth a few cents. Calling his disciples to himself, he said to them, “Amen, I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all the other contributors to the treasury. For they have all contributed from their surplus wealth, but she, from her poverty, has contributed all she had, her whole livelihood.”
Here I also experienced the new locus of Professor John Sobrino SJ of Liberation Theology: ‘No Salvation Apart from the Poor.’[3] Natalie Jackson reflected on her kind gesture at my request, and shared the reason for her generous gesture,
“What made me lend a helping hand is everyone is human, a small act of kindness leaves some kind of positive impact, because we’re all gonna be in a situation where we all need help and that was me once. So, I know how it feels, I think everyone has the decency to help, but not all of us choose to.”
Through the timely gesture of Natalie, I learnt a few lessons for my life. The readers of the Indian Catholic Matters may find them beneficial for their spiritual life: Natalie’s help was instantaneous. She was attentive to the happenings around. She allowed the event to affect her reasonably and logically. She extended help without being asked. She realized the need to help. Without expecting anything in return, she was ever willing to pay the 0.40 cent. This is where I realize the value of being present to current-life events. Through the life of presence and responsibility, she struck a chord with the one who needed help. The protagonist was not even aware of who she was interacting with. She was totally unaware of who I was and what was my designation. She did what she did because of what she truly was. It showed the goodness of the person she is made of. By small acts of kindness, we weave into our daily lives much kindness, compassion, sensitivity, and humanity contributing thereby to a human-friendly existence whose essence is genuine concern for the persons in need. It may be holding the door, helping a neighbour, or simply offering a smile.
The author is a priest of Delhi Archdiocese. His ordination motto: ‘To Be the Gift of God to the People of God’ based on the words of Jesus in John 10.10, “I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly. He is currently a Ph.D. candidate at Concordia University, Canada. Please visit the weblink of Concordia Library Spectrum Research Repository for more details. His Orchid ID. His most cherished quotation is: “Inspiring and effective leaders are made not born – and it can take a lot of hard work to develop the skills and know-how to do this.”
[1] The undergraduates are those who pursue bachelor’s and graduates include those who study master’s and Ph.D. and post-doctoral studies too as understood in India. The graduates pursue masters as well as Ph.D. at the university.
[2] For reasons of right to privacy, both the names of the student and the deceased person have not been mentioned herein.
[3] Amy Daughton is Director of Studies and Director of Research at the Margaret Beaufort Institute of Theology, Affiliated Lecturer in the Faculty of Divinity, University of Cambridge, UK. She proposes that the journey of Liberation Theology could be described as an attempt to rework whole theological project of understanding God and the world. She also observes that Jon Sobrino’s article on the new locus is a presentation of this theological project as a new logic, a new way of reasoning and of imagining for the future, with and led by the reality of the poor. In his article, “Extra Pauperes Nulla Salus: A Short-Utopian Prophetic Essay The Need for a New Logic to Understand Salvation,” Sobrino’s new locus is well complemented by the scholarly and practical insights and inputs of theologians and human rights activists across the continents such as Ignacio Ellacuría from Spain and El Salvador, Saint Martyr Oscar Romero of El Salvador, Pedro Casaldáliga of Spain, and Brazil, Johann Baptist Metz from Germany, Dietrich Bonhoeffer from Germany, Felix Wilfred from India, Ronaldo Muñoz from Chile, Aloysius Pieris from Sri Lanka, Engelbert Mveng from Cameroon, Pedro Trigo from Venezuela, José Comblin from Belgium, Martin Luther King from USA, and Gandhi from India.
Natalie Jackson (from Trinidad) reflected on her kind gesture at my request, and shared the reason for her generous gesture, “What made me lend a helping hand is everyone is human, a small act of kindness leaves some kind of positive impact, because we’re all gonna be in a situation where we all need help and that was me once. So, I know how it feels, I think everyone has the decency to help, but not all of us choose to.”