Duc in Altum

 Published in the annual magazine of the Dominican Studentate at Nagpur, Veritas , Vol. 19 (2022-23), pp. 48-49. A moth is drawn to a flame so irresistibly that it is inevitably consumed by it, the very object of its desire. Indeed, desire is one of the most powerful emotions that we, as human beings feel, and the samething that we see even in other species. For instance, the plant’s innate desire for the sun, leads it to direct its growth in the sun’s direction. Likewise, animals too, following their sense appetite go in search of the fulfillment of their natural desires. Desire, then, is something that is imbued by the Creator into nature, a gift that helps to sustains the order of the Universe. Man, the crown of God’s creation, is blessed with the desire for God, and nothing less than God can satisfy him. But even this is not the greatest desire. For, far greater than every desire of man, is God’s desire, a desire so wonderfully expressed by Jesus on the night of the Last Supper...

  A poem published in Dominican Ashram , Vol. 4 No. 2 (June 2022), pp. 83-85. Reproduced with permission. Like fragrant incense, rising up In clouds before the altar, The fragrance of your sanctity, Has filled the Church with wonder. And like a candle burns itself out To illumine the deep’ning darkness So your sacrificial life has brought To sinners, light and gladness. Father, Dominic, your earthly life Radiated Christ the Light: O Lumen Ecclesiae , Shine on us today.   Like gentle music, which delights The ears of all who listen, Your voice resounded ceaselessly In tireless, holy preaching. And like a solemn hymn or psalm Gives joy to all its singers, So you announced the Gospel loud Bringing salvation to us, sinners. Father, Dominic, in silence now Your voice is yet more clear and loud. O Doctor Veritatis , Guide our steps to Jesus.   Like grains of wheat that fall and die To yield a hundredfold, In penitence you...

A poem published in the annual magazine of the Dominican Studentate at Nagpur, Veritas , Vol. 18 (2021-22), pg. 52. W hen Adam’s side was opened, while he slept in Paradise, O ut of his ribs, God fashioned a companion by his side. ‘ M other of all the living’, Eve was Adam’s wife A nd sin came to all nature when she heeded Satan’s wiles. N evertheless, her fault was healed in God’s appointed time.   W hen Mary said her ‘Fiat’ to the Angel Gabriel, O vershadowed by the Spirit, she conceived Emmanuel. M other of the Redeemer and of the new Israel, A ll generations shall hail her and proclaim her blessed N ow that she has trampled on the infernal serpent’s head.   W hen Christ’s side was opened on the Cross at Calvary O ut of his heart, blood and water flowed to renew humanity M ystically forming the Church, his ever-living Body. A dorned with twelve stars and the moon, shining radiantly N ow the Bride of Christ is ready for the nuptials of eternit...

An article published in the magazine of the Dominican Studentate at Orlim, Aspiring Preachers , Issue 3 (2020), pp. 24-26. What is truth? This question that Pilate asked Jesus is one which is not new to human beings – it was asked down the ages. However, today, more than ever, this question is being raised as we live in a world of lies and deceptive appearances. Take any sphere of human activity – politics, religion, surveys and researches, science, media and advertising, education – they all try to tell us that this or that is true. Every newspaper and TV channel boasts that it presents the objective and true story. Many movies and serials claim to be ‘based on true events.’ But we know that much of this is fake. Relativism and subjectivity characterize the beliefs and behaviours of our day. In a world that is increasingly presenting falsehood to the gullible, we could wonder if anything at all is true, and if so, how do we recognize it and how does it impact us? It’s not easy to fi...