In most of the advanced countries, the moment a person sits on the steering wheel heading to a new place, he/she immediately feeds the address into their GPRS. Given that these countries have too many roads, this handy device helps immensely in reaching one’s destination. In the still developing countries like ours, while some may use ‘Google Maps’, most of us either rely on our memory or seek help from local residents to reach our target. Those too proud or busy to seek such help naturally get lost.
Is that not the case with our life too? Students after finishing school struggle hard to choose right subjects and need proper guidance while entering university. In some of our Asian cultures similar problem is faced while entering another phase of life having to choose one’s life partner. We come across several such situations in our life’s journey.
The question worth asking ourselves is, whether we ever seek guidance when we arrive on the crossroads of spiritual life and the crisis therein. Or does such a situation even arise for us? Do we really search for our final destination? Put differently, do we allow ourselves to be confronted by spiritual issues that bring us to another level of existence than our mere physical survival?
And if ever we do come across a spiritual crisis in life, do we have a GPRS in place to guide us through? Too the best of my knowledge, science has not seriously delved into inventing a device to measure a spiritual crisis (different from psychological or emotional crisis). One has to therefore simply rely on faith. But what if one faces a crisis of faith?
I have just returned after a personal pilgrimage to Fatima (Portugal), where the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to three shepherd children in a series of apparitions exactly one hundred years ago. The purpose of my pilgrimage was to express my gratitude to God, who I believe, through Mother Mary, guided me to overcome a spiritual crisis I faced more than twenty years ago. Then at a western university, doing my doctoral research, surrounded by rationalists of all shades on one side and the worldly attractions on the other, I was plagued by doubts not only about the whole relevance of my priesthood but struggled with serious uncertainties regarding God’s existence. I attribute the saving grace and the GPRS function to Mother Mary who guided me to find the right path.
No wonder then that millions of people throng to Fatima to either thank Mother Mary for the wonder God has worked in their lives through her, or to ask for favours from God through her or indeed to get their GPRS properly working. Do we all not require a GPRS to correct us from our faulty paths?
