Pivoting on the Cross: Pope Francis’s Playbook for Spiritual Resilience

 

 Introduction: A Pontiff’s Passion for Sports and Spirituality 

Pope Francis, known for his humility and pastoral warmth, reveals in his autobiography an unexpected hobby dimension of his life: a deep love for sports and particularly his interest in football. His allegiance to the Argentine soccer club San Lorenzo de Almagro —founded by Salesian priest Lorenzo Massa— and finding pride in supporting the team hint at a formative link between faith, community, and play. San Lorenzo is a neighborhood in Buenos Aires. Francis’ support for San Lorenzo ties to his Salesian connections, which influenced his upbringing and perhaps his spirituality. Yet it is basketball, a staple of his youth at the Salesian oratory, that provides a striking metaphor for Christian living. Speaking on basketball, Francis says, the player while dribbling the ball suddenly stops pivoting around a fixed leg, trying to motion himself in diverse directions in order  to pass or free himself to proceed to score the basket. The Pope’s reflection on the “pivot”—a basketball maneuver where a player anchors one foot to change direction—becomes a transitional and spiritual ‘pivot’ analogy: just as athletes pivot to navigate the court, Christians must root themselves in the Cross of Christ to serve others amid life’s challenges. This column explores how this athletic wisdom illuminates the path of discipleship, particularly for priests and religious in an era of tumult and transformation; pivoting while being centred on the Cross of Christ and live lives in service towards others, especially when things seem tough and difficult.

The Art of the Pivot: Lessons from the Court 

Let me explain the basketball term for those unfamiliar. Pivoting in basketball is when a player stops moving but can rotate around one foot to change direction. It's a strategic move to avoid defenders or find a better passing angle. In basketball, the pivot is a moment of strategic recalibration. When a player stops dribbling, plants one foot, and rotates to survey the court, they gain clarity to pass, shoot, or evade defenders. The move requires balance, awareness, and trust in one’s footing. Without that anchored leg, the player risks traveling—a violation—or losing control. The key analogy here is the basketball move where a player stops dribbling, pivots around a fixed leg, and then moves in a new direction. Similarly, life demands moments of pause and reorientation. We relate this maneuver  to being grounded in Christ (the pivot foot) while being able to adjust to life's challenges. Pope Francis relates this to Christians, particularly clergy and religious, needing to pivot around the Cross of Christ, especially in tough times, to serve others.

For Pope Francis, the Cross of Christ is the “fixed foot” around which believers pivot. It is both a source of stability, strategy, adaptability and a catalyst for dynamic movement. Just as the pivot enables athletes to adapt mid-play, the Cross equips Christians to respond to adversity with grace and creativity.

 The Cross as Our Fixed Point: Theology of a Spiritual Pivot 

The Cross stands at the heart of Christian identity, symbolizing sacrifice, redemption, and unconditional love. Jesus clearly directed his disciples: "Take up your cross" (Mt 16:24).  St. Paul writes, “May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Gal 6:14). The Cross is central to Christian identity. The Cross as the fixed point. The Cross represents sacrificial love and salvation. Elaborating on this analogy by connecting the basketball pivot to spiritual life we expand this reflection, mostly for a religious and lay persons. The readers would be interested in how sports metaphors apply to their faith and vocation. The Cross as the pivot point, leads us to discuss the challenges faced by Christians/priests, and how the Cross helps them serve others despite difficulties through practical applications.

Pivoting around it means keeping Christ's sacrifice central, allowing it to guide decisions and actions. When things get tough, instead of moving away, you turn towards the Cross for direction. To pivot around the Cross is to center one’s life on this paradox: strength in weakness, victory in surrender. For clergy and religious, whose vocations are marked by public witness, the Cross is not merely a symbol but a lived reality. It calls them to embrace the “folly” of the Gospel—serving the marginalized, forgiving relentlessly, and prioritizing spiritual wealth over worldly acclaim. 

There is a link  in connecting the pivot to Salesian spirituality, since the Salesians focus on youth, sports, and education. Don Bosco's oratories used sports as a means of evangelization. Pope Francis's father playing basketball at the Salesian oratory shows the environment that shaped him. This ties to the idea that sports teach collaborative teamwork and strategy—qualities applicable to spiritual life. The pivot as a lesson from sports applied to faith. The Salesian tradition, which shaped Pope Francis’s early years, emphasizes joy, youth outreach, and the sanctification of daily life. Sports, in this context, were more than recreation; they were tools for forming character and community. Don Bosco, founder of the Salesians, saw play as a means to teach discipline, teamwork, and trust in God. The pivot, then, becomes a Salesian metaphor for discernment: staying grounded in Christ while engaging the world with agility.

Challenges of Modern Ministry: Why the Pivot Matters 

Why is this important for priests and religious? Priests and religious today face a court crowded with challenges: pressure of secularism, clerical scandals, internal Church issues, sustaining faith, societal and religious polarization, etc. They face burnout in the midst of  declining vocations. The Cross as their anchor helps them stay focused on service and mission. Therefore, there is the  need for a firm foundation. The pandemic amplified these struggles, forcing ministries to “pivot” literally—to virtual Masses, doorstep sacraments, and emergency outreach. Yet even in calmer times, the temptation to drift from the Cross persists. Some cling to rigid traditionalism, refusing to rotate toward new needs; others chase relevance at the cost of Gospel fidelity. 

Pope Francis’s analogy offers a corrective. The spiritual pivot is neither stagnation nor aimless motion. The Cross is not static but a source of dynamic movement. Being rooted allows flexibility in service. It is the art of holding fast to the Cross while turning toward the ever-changing “signs of the times.” For a priest in a dwindling parish, this might mean reviving traditional devotions while embracing social media evangelization. For a nun serving the homeless, it could involve advocating for systemic change without losing sight of individual dignity. . Pivoting allows one to see new opportunities to serve others in need, change tactics if needed, but always rooted in Christ. The Cross isn't just a symbol but a call to action. Pivoting helps in responding dynamically to others' needs, while being rooted in Christ's love to serve effectively. The Cross, as the fixed point, ensures that adaptation never becomes compromise.

Saints as Pivotal Figures: Historical and Modern Examples 

The saints, contemporary priests and nuns made a difference exemplifying this balance, because they kept the Cross central. For example, St. Teresa of Avila’s experience of Christ's presence in the midst of daily sufferings and humiliation, and  St. Francis of Assisi embracing the Cross. Modern clergy and these men and women embody this centrality of the Cross. St. John Paul II, whose motto was “Totus Tuus” (Totally Yours), anchored his papacy in Marian devotion while spearheading ecumenical dialogue and confronting communism. Mother Teresa pivoted around the Cross by seeing Christ’s cry of “I Thirst”  in the “distressing disguise of the poor,” combining contemplative prayer with radical service. Closer to our time, Fr. Damien of Molokai rooted himself in Eucharistic adoration while serving lepers isolated by fear, and Sr. Norma Pimentel, a modern-day advocate for migrants, draws strength from the Cross to defend the vulnerable at the U.S.-Mexico border. 

These figures show that pivoting on the Cross is not passive. It demands courage to face resistance, whether from external critics or internal doubts. As St. Ignatius of Loyola taught, discernment requires freedom to “find God in all things”—a freedom grounded in unwavering love for Christ.

Practical Playbook: Cultivating a Pivotal Spirituality 

How can today’s Christians, especially clergy and religious, practice this pivotal spirituality?  How to cultivate this pivot point in daily life?

1. Anchor in Prayer: Begin each day before a crucifix, asking, “How does the Cross shape my decisions?” Daily prayer before a crucifix, the Liturgy of the Hours and Eucharistic adoration recenter the soul on Christ’s sacrifice. 

2. Examen for Discernment: Reflect nightly  and examine to see where one needs to pivot: Where did I pivot toward or away from the Cross? Identify moments when fear or pride hindered Gospel responsiveness. 

3. Serve at the Peripheries through corporal and spiritual works of mercy: Like Pope Francis’s “field hospital” Church, step into uncharted territory—prisons, online forums, interfaith spaces—while carrying the Cross as a banner of hope. Engage in works of mercy as actions stemming from the Cross. Embrace the 'pivot' moment, rooted in Christ, to serve others with agility and love.

4. Embrace Sacramental Renewal: Confession and the Eucharist (and other Sacraments) restore spiritual balance, much as athletes hydrate and rest. 

5. Community as Coaching: Surround yourself with “teammates”, communal and interfaith fraternity, forums, associations, groups and movements (spiritual directors, lay collaborators, civic bodies) who challenge and support your mission. 

Conclusion: The Game Plan for Gospel Life 

Pope Francis’s basketball analogy invites us to view the Christian life as a divine sport—one where agility and fidelity coexist. In a world that glorifies speed and self-sufficiency, the pivot teaches us to slow down, plant ourselves at the foot of the Cross, and move outward in love. His teachings on the Church as a Mission, going out to the peripheries while pivoting on the Cross, makes sense. The pivot allows turning towards those in need. For priests and religious, this is not a mere strategy but a survival skill. The Cross, as the ultimate fixed point, transforms every trial into a pivot toward resurrection. 

Here is Paul's analogy of athletes in spiritual life: “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.  Therefore, I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize” (1 Cor 9:24-27). As the final buzzer approaches, may we all learn to play the game with the heart of a saint: eyes on the prize, feet grounded in grace, and hands ready to pass the ball of mercy to a world in desperate need of hope. “For the love of Christ impels us” (2 Cor 5:14)—to pivot, to serve, to live.

 

 

 

GIVE PEACE A CHANCE

"Peace is a divine gift but at the same time the fruit of human efforts," the Vatican message for Ramadan 2024  states. It continues, “The desire for peace and security is profoundly rooted in the soul of every person of good will, since no one can fail to see the tragic effects of war in the loss of human lives, the toll of serious injury and the throngs of orphans and widows."  Because of this, Ramadan calls for respect for the gift of life, the  conviction that hatred, violence and war – which is “fratricide, useless, senseless, and dark” – must be rejected and peace preserved. For preserving this peace, we need "closeness and friendship"  in order to "extinguish the fire of war and light the candle of peace."

The ongoing production and trade of arms as the primary driving force, accompanied with the enduring human aspiration for control, geo-political ambitions, and economic interests are the roots of conflicts. The global  human family suffers much from the devastating effects of the use of arms – as “dipping a morsel of bread in the blood of our brother”, says Pope Francis.  Inter-State conflicts, armed clashes, military combat,  criminal organizations, armed gangs, killing of innocent civilians, millions of people displaced, arms trade, immoral commerce, have been on the increase. This increase in hostilities is transforming “a third world war fought piecemeal” into “a genuine global conflict.”

Like the Christian Lent, Ramadan focuses more arduously on prayer, fasting, almsgiving. In fact, all religions consider human life sacred. Therefore,  it must be respected and protected. Consciences are to be formed "to respect the absolute value of the life of each person and the right to physical integrity, security and a dignified life."

Giving peace a chance requires courage and conviction, especially in a digital landscape where outrage and polarization often reign supreme. Yet, if we are to truly honor the legacy of Jesus, we must rise above the fray, resist the temptation to engage in hostility and vitriol, and instead strive to cultivate a culture of empathy, understanding, and respect.

Ultimately, living the Lent and Ramadan, or celebrating Easter, Resurrection or Id AI-FITR in the present times, is not just about restoring religious faith and practice and defend its ‘sacredness’ and its ‘greatness’, but about giving peace a chance. It is about reclaiming the transformative power of universal message of love and peace – a message that transcends time, culture, and ideology and speaks to the deepest longings of the human heart; reclaiming his message of compassion and kindness, and applying it to the challenges of the modern world. By embracing the values that each religious belief embodies and promoting a culture of dialogue and understanding, we can work towards a more peaceful and just society.

We recall the words of Jesus himself: "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God" (Matthew 5:9). The word, Islam, coming from an Arabic root,  etymologically means peace, salaam, or shalom in Hebrew. In a world torn apart by conflict and division, may we be instruments of peace, channels of love, and beacons of hope, both online and offline. The followers or believers of the world Religions must form a peace-attitude of the mind and heart that outlines a life program for them. It implies a total sharing of peace and unity as the way of life and a mission. All must imbibe the ability to observe it and put it into practice.

The very first greeting of the Resurrected Jesus is: “Peace be with you.” This must be the be-all and end-all of all faith practices. Faith is not just a subjective experience for one’s own salvation; rather, it is a way to peace, love and unity. Otherwise, all Religions are a fraud and fake. Universal peace is  the fullness of God Kingdom on earth. True, that peace in this imminent world is not all. There is still a greater possibility for God to be up to a permanent peace. And the path of permanent peace is ever open to everyone. Jesus went all the way to death seeking this eternal peace – peace for all. The stunning lessons from Him and from the world-evil should stimulate us all to work for lasting peace.  

Human beings are often trapped in their own remorse, unable to see hope at the end of the tunnel; they feel helpless, discredited.  Peace is not the absence or removal  of outside problems though; instead, peace infuses trust and hope for a better future; disheartened people are put at peace with themselves. Therefore, we move from remorse to a peace-mission, by breaking out of ourselves, from the self-absorption, from our self-centered imprisonment. Peace is an irreplaceable fruit of justice and human Rights; it is the absence of evil in us, for evil has its price. We, therefore, cannot run far away from our duty of finding peace through justice and Rights, thus emerge from the depths of abandonment – a sense of being unwanted. Peace is about being freed by setting our feet on the ground and keep walking in the midst of uncertainty. Consequently, peace rehabilitates us and lifts us up from the human dungeon of hopelessness, dispelling the darkness and fear that are residing within us. Peace touches our inner core to raise us up to confidence so that through a shared mission we can live a fuller life on earth. A renewal of peace happens, therefore, when we stoop humbly to serve and bind the wounded, and those broken hearted.

Pope Francis tells the Christians and Muslims, and all people of goodwill, to extinguish “the fires of hatred, violence and war, and instead light the gentle candle of peace.” God loves all those who devote their lives to the service of peace. Peace is an outcome of justice; it is the fruit of human efforts to build a just world. Human being is called to lay the conditions necessary for its preservation by “drawing upon resources of peace that are present in our rich human and religious traditions” and by acting as “witnesses of hope”. Again, at Easter “Urbi et Orbi” on Wednesday, 3^rd April 2024, the Pope called for peace in the world amid global conflict, war, human suffering, destruction, homeless refugees, social tensions,  humanitarian crises, human rights violations, and human trafficking,  proclaiming Jesus Christ as “the way of peace, reconciliation and fraternity.”  War is "always an absurdity” and “a defeat."

In the midst of these conflicts, people of goodwill of all Religions and non-believers are to enter into dialogue for building up of peace through “encounter, coexistence and pluralism”  especially in Gaza, Syria, Lebanon, Ukraine, Russia, Western Balkans, Armenia and Azerbaijan, Rohingya in Myanmar and Africa. Let us all break the ‘Good-Friday-Ramadan fast’  along with other religious groups, including the Bahá', Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhs, and Taoists, in fellowship, friendship, solidarity and peace. Let our greetings to each other be: Shalom, Shanti, Peace, Salam, and serve our neighbors in need, thus contribute to the common good of the society.

 

 

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HUMAN PASSION TO DENY OR TO DEVOTE! A REFLECTION

 

 

I am inspired to pen these words by Bishop Barron’s recent Sermon (Palm Sunday), on his YouTube channel. So, I thought of sharing some of his thoughts and my personal reflections with the readers on my blog.

 

Like Solomon, Jesus mounts a donkey and rides into the city of Jerusalem. The crowd cheer him, ‘Hosanna, Son of David, King of Israel,’ the heir to David’s kingdom. But, when Jesus enters Jerusalem unlike Solomon, Jesus will be crowned with thorns and reign from the Cross, while being abandoned by most of His closed associates. 

According to a 20th century theologian the Gospels are basically Passion narratives with long introductions, says Bishop Barron in a recent homily. Therefore, the Passion narrative is the whole of the Gospel. On a bit different note, away from Jesus’ passion, putting ourselves in the scene, Bishop Barron suggests that we could focus on a series of people around Him, see their different reactions to the Passion events. Can we identify with any of these persons as they react to Jesus’ awaited death? The passion opens up  with the scene where Mary of Bethany anoints Jesus’ feet with the alabaster jar of perfumed oil, preparing for his predicted death and burial. She breaks open the jar of expensive perfume.  She pours it on Jesus' head. It scandalizes people around.  Judas explodes, “That's very expensive. Couldn't that nard be sold and the money given to the poor?” What a waste of an entire jar of perfume ! Yes, we could question it, “weigh it in the balance ethically”. Jesus, while dismissing his critique, praises her saying, “What she has done will be remembered for all time” and tell her to keep the rest of the oil for his burial. Mary is the first one to react to Jesus nearing his death. His death represents God's extravagant gift to us, that God went all the way down into our dysfunction. She responds with an extravagant gesture, she breaks open that jar of perfume, as though she's breaking open her whole heart.

According to Bishop Barron, the ‘odor of this woman’s perfume waft’, over the whole of the Passion narrative. This extra generous gesture suggests Jesus’ absolutely radical giving away of self – “nothing calculating, careful, or conservative”. Out of the heart’s abundance it flows,– “religion resists the strictures set for it by a fussily moralizing reason.” There are critiques who complain about the Church’s extravagance! Jesus gives himself away totally and lavishly, ‘pouring out’ his whole life for the world. Is our response to Christ a bit constrained, calculative and too careful? Are we ready to break open our hearts, pour ourselves out for the world?

In the course of the passion narratives, the disciples failed and abandoned Jesus. They fled from the soldiers when Jesus was apprehended. Will we too flee from Jesus? Or as Jesus’ disciples are we ready to take up our crosses, knowing that we too will be vindicated? How can I embrace suffering and sacrifice for Christ’s sake and for the needy ? How am I called to take up my cross today? Peter only follows at a distance. At the climactic moment of Jesus passion, while going through an inner struggle, he sweats blood at the Gethsemane. Peter, James and John – the intimate disciples – fall asleep. The disciples fell asleep several times; they could not keep awake. They dozed off into spiritual slumber. They did not accompany Jesus as he prayed. They did something disrespectful to their Guru. They showed their lack of spiritual attention, while a deep spiritual moment was taking place. They seemed to say: “we don't care” – quite indifferent to Jesus’ agony. It symbolizes contemporary secularism in the midst of God’s creative activity constantly happening around – God's love being poured out through the sacraments,  preaching of the Word of God and through social upliftment through acts of mercy.

We too who are intimate friends of Jesus,  often fall asleep into indifference. As Church members, what are we doing as the Lord is acting in the world? Snoozing away? Recall Prophet Eli  and Samuel ‘inside’ the temple, sleeping away! As Religious, we withdraw, we deliberately decide to fall asleep within the Church’s hierarchy, as the world’s evil and cruelty crucify Christ in the innocent people.

Again, we have a young man, running away ‘naked’ into the ‘night’ with the rest of the disciples from the Gethsemane, leaving his ‘tunic’ behind. This unexpected peculiar detail speaks of leaving our baptismal white garment that symbolizes our devotion to Christ. Like the Apostles we too have put on Christ. But at the moment of truth, when Christian faith demands our courageous witness, when things are “getting dangerous and dicey” because we are Christians, are we counting the cost? “Do we stand our ground or do we run off into the night leaving behind our baptismal identity?” Do we, like that young man, abandon our baptismal identity, run away from the struggle?

What's our attitude at those moments of truth?

The high priest, after hearing various witnesses, puts Jesus on trial at the Sanhedrin, and he asks, "Are you the son of God?” Jesus shockingly cites from  Daniel, chapter seven, saying that he sees the ancient days when one like the son of man coming on the clouds, someone who shares in the authority of God – a messianic prediction.  He affirms, "Yes, I am” – not mere a teacher, or a political leader, or just the Messiah in the conventional sense, but God from God, light from light, true God from true God. Jesus is not a distant historical figure, or a literary device, or an inspiring spiritual teacher that many modern men hold him to be, says Bishop Barron.  But he is God – the central claim of the Church. To fall short of this central faith identity, is effectively to be against Him. How often in our spiritual lives we make vow not to betray Jesus, yet like the apostles we too  deny Jesus’ true identity.

 Then we have the  “scapegoating mob” breaking out. The crowds who saw Jesus’ miracles and heard his words, abandoned Jesus. They asked for a murderous brigand to be released instead of Jesus. While  warming by the fire at the courtyard of the high priest's house, someone identifies Peter to be with Jesus. He retorts back thrice, “I don't even know Him." He denies knowing Jesus. He lies, “I do not know that man”. How often we as fellow sinners  who have pledged our complete loyalty to Him, deny as Peter the first pope did, when things get a little ‘dicey and difficult’!

Next, the Roman soldiers –if the Shroud of Turin is right – put a capped crown of thorns (not ringlet) placed upon the whole top of His head,  put the reed in His hand like a mock scepter. They put on him a purple cloth, laughing over his kingship. They beat Him and spit upon Him. Is not a lot of that going on today? There is so much of the mockery of Jesus and  of religion, through politics and religious fanaticism! And that is a kind of secularism – falling asleep, and indifferences. Have we mocked Jesus like these Roman soldiers with words, by saying/writing disrespectful things, or with our lives, or in associating with the crowd who jeered at Him?

Jesus cries out from the Cross “My God, my God, why have you abandoned (forsaken) me?” When Jesus breathed his last, women too were at a distance from the Cross. None of the remaining eleven apostles approached Pilate to ask for the body. Only Joseph of Arimathea had the courage to do so. Out of the various figures in the Passion narrative, who do we identify with?

Lastly, according to the scholars, the messianic secret is revealed at the foot of the cross after Jesus died.  Till then Jesus always told his closed followers or those whom he healed,  not to tell anyone about his Messianic identity. He quieted them down, muzzled them off. In fact, people were puzzled then, as we are now. Why would Jesus be so reticent? But as Jesus bowed in death, he no longer could silence anyone, reasons Bishop Barron. In fact, the Roman Centurion publicly reveals the Messianic secrecy, "Truly, this man was the son of God." Only the Gentile Centurian confessed publicly his faith in Jesus as the Son of God.

In short, these are signs of the vindication of Jesus: “Abandoned by his disciples, betrayed by Judas, denied by Peter, accused of blasphemy by the priests, rejected in favor of a murderer by the crowd, mocked by the Sanhedrin and by Roman troops and all who came to the cross, surrounded by darkness, and seemingly forsaken by his God, in this one dramatic moment Jesus is fully vindicated. God has answered Jesus’ cry by replacing the Temple as the locus of worship and by offering in its place His own Son who will be confessed by Gentile and Jew alike” (Raymond Brown, Christ in the Gospels…, 163). 

To conclude, Bishop Barron says, the Roman centurion who put Him to death, is the proto evangelist, confirming Jesus’ as the Son of God in place of the Roman Emperor, Caesar, who was the “Huios tou Theou”(son of the God) by tradition. Can we too say those same words? And say loud and clear, with that same confidence?

  

MAKING COUNTER-CURRENT CHOICES FOLLOWING THE CROSS OF CONTRADICTION

 

Pope Francis in his Lenten message 2024, has urged Catholics to "rethink their lifestyles" and  make choices that are "counter-current." Following the natural process of order-disorder-reorder, they are called for a radical renewal and make changes in their “habits of consumption” for the good of society. They are called to  “do just this”: make one’s presence felt in society by concretely “contributing  to its betterment"; an active presence that is "capable of altering the daily lives of individuals and entire neighbourhoods" and changing "the way we acquire goods, care for creation, and strive to include those who go unseen or are looked down upon." Going against the existing ‘societal current’ is to see the world being “in a process of giving birth” and not dying; being “at the beginning of a great new chapter of history". It is all about working for unity by fighting against a “model of growth that divides and robs us of a future." We are called to  "liberate" ourselves from the imminent and current forms of enslavements; from the "the darkness of inequality and conflict." Therefore, for the to-be counter-current Christians: "It is time to act."

Contrary to the prevalent trend of people seeking comfort and wellness, a desert-experience is a counter-current move, that truly can lead to freedom. It helps to hear God’s voice who says:  “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery” (Ex 20:2). Metanoia, understood as a total radical change (renewal, paradigm shift), is that counter-current move to conversion, – reordering the disordered self and society. Such desert journey is a demanding one. Concretely speaking, counter-current move requires a keen observation of the reality, and not to be swayed by emotive attachment of the status quo or the past. One has to avoid certain compromises with the present. It is a deliberate combat to counter all that corrupts the self and the society. It can be a ‘silent cry’ raised to move one’s own heart and that of others like Christ through the ‘cross of contradiction’. Precisely, one has to give up the ‘nostalgia’ for the past and change the present state of being.

While rediscovering the synodal journey, says Pope Francis, a true Christian will stop by the side of a needy neighbour and act like the Good Samaritan, through community decisions that are counter-current, going against the odd behaviour of today’s ‘priests’ and ‘Levites’. It calls for courage, daring to go against the ‘current’. In this context, prayer entails a “pause” to rethink how one can meet the needs of the needy individual and the community on the whole.   To take concrete action amidst struggles in going counter-current, it requires courage to do so. Yet, it has to be out of freedom to counter a “globalization of indifference”; to get out of the enslaving grip of modern ‘Pharaohs’. It demands a 40-days of desert experience to overcame temptations of ‘flowing’ with the current. Only a counter-current personal decision can make one mature by freeing oneself from the shackles of  past slavery. Finding a new criterion of social justice for the  community “in the presence of a wounded brother or sister,” is a new way of  pressing “forward on a road not yet taken.” It is to realize  with new creative energies that  “Love of God and love of neighbour are one love."  It means taking risks in being sensitive to one’s neighbours as “companions and fellow travellers.”

 A counter-current-disciple’s role in the current socio-political context  is not to  sit on a fence, or not say anything! A Christian disciple will take sides, be honest and speak the truth with conviction, and not rest in inaction. In the current political situation one has to prophetically defer, debate, discuss and be different from the rest, in order to stand for what is right  and protest against attacks, violence and harassment of Christians and Christian institutions. Christ did that too, and was killed and eliminated for his moral honesty, because he questioned and criticized the leadership for their hypocrisy. He exposed their hypocrisy. He was radically different from other teachers and the Scribes of his time.  Jesus was solidal with the poor and the exploited. He shook up the status quo that  threatened their security and comfortable living. Therefore, a true disciple of Jesus asks questions and exposes the truth. He is not afraid to fight the evil, and is ready to pay the price. This is Christian dharma.

The deepest hunger for God is met when the disciple engages with extra prayers, almsgiving and sacrifices (Mt 9:14–15) to uplift the poor and the needy by depriving the self of food and wealth. To access that true hunger, he/she desires it with discipline, and not allow the superficial hunger of lives to dominate. A counter-current life brings with it a newness in life-style, distinct from the existing culture of the day. He/she lives with new insights and inspirations; a set of practical ideas, and Christ-centric vision of things. The radical newness expressed through a counter-current path, embodies Christ’s presence and his transformative work. When a counter-current-person who feeds the hungry and serves the stranger, he/she hears Jesus confirming: “You  did it to me.” The “mutuality of our love for God and neighbor” is personified in him/her. This is a  radical commitment to love our fellow human beings. The sources of his/her spirituality and mission are different from others. 

In contrast to the normal flow of things, one follows the opposite direction, to show life’s true meaning of existence. What is needed, therefore, is a return to the original life that God has created us for, through a counter climate of change in contrast to the recent flourished post-modern culture. He/she, therefore, accepts being contradicted, misjudged and falsely accused. It is a path of  diminished “self-love and pride” through suffering. To be bread broken and shared with the poor, the ‘wheat’ of self must be threshed, winnowed, ground and baked before being given. S/he then has to fast,  forego, forgive, and repent in order to be reconciled and be filled with Spirit’s fire. It is one of blocking the social evil, and move the God’s way, by unleashing the flow of God’s life. One resents evil, by following the cross of contradiction, on which the innocent Jesus was unjustly nailed. But like Jesus, s/he forgives the enemies.  

 There is a kind of attraction to the security of familiar things and being compromised, while groping in the darkness of inequality and conflict, says Pope Francis. Various types of attachments, instead of enhancing deep encounter, they create conflict. On the contrary, instead of serving one’s self-made ‘idols’ that make us “mute, blind, deaf and immobile” (Ps 114:4), the open-minded counter-current person becomes “a silent force of good that heals and sustains the world,” and through him/her “others experience the love that makes all things new.” Therefore, it is time now to make choices that are "counter-current".