I heard a very interesting commentary about the Gospel last Sunday (cf. Mt 16:21-27). It goes: human life is usually divided into 2 stages: the first stage is the time for finding out what is the cross assigned to us (God’s will); the second is the time for carrying it.
It made me recall the novel Peter Camenzind, one of Herman Hesse’s famous works, which I had to chance to read this summer.
It made me recall the novel Peter Camenzind, one of Herman Hesse’s famous works, which I had to chance to read this summer.
It is about a young man Peter who left his hometown with a great ambition to experience the world and become famous. The story proceeds with the account of all his adventures and mishaps, his university life, his falling-in-love and losing friends, etc. Seemingly following the Gospel commentary above, two thirds of the novel talks of his search for what could be the meaning of his life. The remaining part consoles me as Peter’s journey through Italy changes him in many respects and enhances his ability to love life and see beauty within all things, inspired by the spirituality of St. Francis of Assisi. Finally, he finds ultimate meaning when he becomes friends with Boppi, an invalid. This experience teaches him what it means to love other human beings and to see deeply beyond appearances and incidents. He starts taking responsibility for himself and others and learns to explore the depths of his humanity. After Boppi dies, Peter Camenzind returns to his village and takes care of his aging father, even as he plans out the completion of his life's great work.
Some lines in this book could be very useful aphorisms like: “the pains, the delusions, the depression are here not to make us unhappy nor take away our value and dignity; they are here to make us grow.”
The cross allotted to us, which hopefully we come to accept and carry, is given so we may live life and live it to the full.
Be that as it may, I cannot help but think of those who are suffering terribly not so much because of the daily cross assigned to each one but because of the evil inflicted by society gone amuck. I have in mind the present crisis in Orissa, India. How the “name of God” could be instrumentalized for torturing and inflicting pain on others! Let us join hands in praying and in appealing for the cessation of this violence!
Some lines in this book could be very useful aphorisms like: “the pains, the delusions, the depression are here not to make us unhappy nor take away our value and dignity; they are here to make us grow.”
The cross allotted to us, which hopefully we come to accept and carry, is given so we may live life and live it to the full.
Be that as it may, I cannot help but think of those who are suffering terribly not so much because of the daily cross assigned to each one but because of the evil inflicted by society gone amuck. I have in mind the present crisis in Orissa, India. How the “name of God” could be instrumentalized for torturing and inflicting pain on others! Let us join hands in praying and in appealing for the cessation of this violence!
