The misplaced Cult of Saints-
Fr. T. Sebastian
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| Fr.T.Sebastian |
Any
one traveling through Kerala will most certainly not fail to notice the
numerous shrines and churches dedicated to the Saints in that small State. It
is a matter of wonder why Christianity in that State which claims its origin to
St. Thomas the Apostle, should have settled down to such extravagant devotion
to certain particular saints. Undoubtedly, every Saint who has been declared as
such by the Universal Church is worthy of our veneration because they reflect
in their lives the glory of God. Some of them gave their lives in professing
their faith and became martyrs. Others lived their life faithfully in
accordance with the gospel and radiated the presence of Christ in their lives.
We call them confessors. Whatever may have been the circumstances in which they
lived on earth, it was only through the grace of God they displayed to a heroic
degree the love and compassion of God for humanity in tangible forms. They had
so merged themselves in God that whatever they asked they received in prayer. People
called them miracles but for them it was nothing else but God’s glory and
compassion being manifested to the world afresh
Among
the Saints who have caught the fancy of
the Christians in Kerala are: St. Thomas the Apostle, St. Anthony of Padua, St.
Jude the Apostle, St. Theresa of the Child Jesus, St. George, St. Sebastian, St.
Francis of Assisi and recently St. Alphonsa of Bharananganam has been added to
the list. There are a few churches dedicated to Our Blessed Mother Mary as well
as St. Joseph. Most other saints don’t seem to figure anywhere in the
devotional life of the people of Kerala, possibly because they are not known
for any particular cause which interests them. It is amazing to see the
extravagance of pomp and splendor displayed by Catholics in manifesting their
devotion to the Saints even appearing to be bordering on idolatry and
superstition. The bishops and priests seem to concur with this trend whole-heartedly.
In these days churches built in honor of these saints go into high profile
budgets of crores of rupees. No thought is spared for the millions in the rest
of India who struggle for their bare existence. Does the fact that we have the
money justify lavishing it on iron and bricks? What glory do we give to God by
building elaborate churches in honor of saints but do not lift a finger to
build the living temples we have around us?
The
Saints are sought after for favors and little is done to encourage people to
emulate them. It is indeed a sad fact that such great men and women who walked
this earth filled with love of God and neighbor are today sought after merely
for temporal favors. Aren’t the saints trailblazers for the rest of humankind, showing
us all how our life in its ordinariness can be made extraordinary by the grace
of God and humble surrender to him? Are they not men and women who braved
enormous struggles in their lives and did the will of God heroically, setting
the example of authentic Christian life? They never sought to make their lives
easier for themselves. But today everyone runs to them to be freed of their
burdens, be it physical or mental. It is fitting to remember the words of Jesus
who said: “Come to me all of you who work hard and who carry heavy burdens and
I will refresh you” (Mathew 11: 28). This is a clear invitation to seek refuge
only in Christ and learn from him how to handle the burdens of life. That is
what the saints did and became what we know them to be. Unfortunately, more
often than not, we prefer to take the easier route and seek to free ourselves of
troubles, for which the saints seem to be an easy way out. Hence the novena to
St. Antony is more sought after than an hour of adoration in the Eucharistic
presence.
The
feast days of saints are celebrated with special solemn Masses, novenas and
processions with much fanfare bearing the statutes of the saints. But on the
other hand Christmas, Easter, Pentecost, the Feast of the Body and Blood of
Christ, the Sacred Heart, Immaculate Conception or the Assumption pass off
making hardly any ripple in Catholic circles. Processions with the Blessed
Sacrament are rarely seen any longer in churches throughout Kerala. They have
all been relegated to the distant past. Homes are no longer consecrated to the
Sacred Heart. But novenas to St. Anthony and St. Jude go on in full churches. In
some churches Eucharistic adoration that had been traditionally held on Friday
has been shifted to Tuesday because St. Anthony draws the crowds and not the
Eucharistic Lord. Obviously there has been a misplacement of values. But why
this frantic effort to win the favor of the saints? The chief underlying reason
seems to be the failure of people to grasp the mystery revealed to them. “It is
Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Col.1:26-27). Secondly, the mistaken notion
that God’s blessing is equivalent to freedom from troubles and hence the
pursuit after the saints for favors. We look
up to the saints for help in attaining our temporal needs that are never ending
when abundant life has been granted us by God. It is of supreme importance to
bear in mind at this juncture that any form of devotion to the saints including
Mary, Mother of God, that does not lead one to Christ, is misplaced and a form
of self-seeking.
St.
Alphonsa, the first saint of India and especially of Kerala, is drawing crowds
of pilgrims from all over India and abroad to Bharananganam in the diocese of
Pala. Alphonsamma, as she has been affectionately called, was a saintly nun who
taught the world the way to bear joyfully suffering in all its forms, thus
setting an example of bearing one’s cross without complaint as Jesus taught. She
sought to live a hidden life away from the limelight but God in his designs has
proclaimed her greatness to the whole world. However, it does not suffice that
we flock to her place, admire her virtues, pray to her and carry away relics of
her. Off course it is not possible for us to imitate her as we can only be who
we are. Nevertheless, her life should serve as an inspiration to us, so that we
cherish the values she cherished. How appropriate would it be to have a hospice
within the vicinity of Bharananganam where terminally ill patients or those from
the economically weaker sections are treated free or at reduced cost with the
offerings received at the shrine of St. Alphonsa! But the present scenario is much
money falling into the multiple collection boxes in and outside the shrine of
St. Alphonsa and the proceeds going directly to the treasury of the bishop to
be used for unknown reasons. Blessed Kunjachen of Ramapuram in the same diocese
distinguished himself as a holy man by dedicating his life to the dalit people
around. The Church today heaps praise upon him for his good works and people
flock to Ramapuram, but nothing is done to promote the cause for which he stands
out as a model pastor. There is no institution for the development of the dalit
population anywhere around. It is a fact that Christians continue to do
business with the saints but do precious little to walk the road they walked.
People
of all faiths continue to throng pilgrimage centers wherever they are in India
or abroad. The recent example of the disaster that overtook thousands of
pilgrims in Uttarkhand is still fresh in our minds. No miracle was worked to
save anything or anyone. Only Christ the Good Samaritan appeared in the form of
heroic army personnel. Even the Grotto of Lourdes in France was not spared in
the devastating flood that overtook that town in the recent past. The message
is clear that what is required of everyone is to open their eyes and experience
God in and around them, for that is the central message of the Incarnation in
Christ. It implies that we tone down our craving to see wonders realizing that
everything in life is a wonder to the one who has eyes to see and ears to hear.
When the Jews followed Jesus to the place he had gone quietly to be free from
being crowned king on account of his miracles, he rebuked them saying. “I tell
you the truth, you are looking for me, not because of the signs you saw, but
because you ate bread to your satisfaction. You must work not for perishable
food but for the lasting food which gives eternal life.” (Jn.6:26-27). Signs
and wonders are given to us under special circumstances so that we may awaken
to the presence of God in our midst and stop pining for more wonders. In this
year of faith it should be our endeavor to tone up our faith in Christ the
center of Christian life and grow to our maturity in Christ. “The core of the
Christian vocation is Christ,” said Pope Francis at his inaugural Mass on 19th
March 2013. Let the saints remain as our models and intercessors and not the
focus of our piety.
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