Of Courage, Joy and Unity – Revisiting Canisius Art Blast 2014

This post should be published on last May, which I never did. However, it is still valuable to late publish below article. One I have written as a reflection-writing to be accompaniment to audiences who attended the CAB 2014.

Alas, the booklet did not post it rightly. I consider to repost it here on my own blog page. The show itself were tremendously gorgeous and proudly presented. Students really performed with confidence and most important, they were looked …. very happy!

If you like to see some of the footage you may like to see here on youtube.

——————————————————————————————————————————

OF COURAGE, JOY AND UNITY

Now is the time to seize the day, stare down the odds and seize the day.

Courage cannot erase our fear, courage is when we face our fear. 

Once we’ve begun, if we stand as one, someday becomes somehow, and a prayer becomes a vow

– Seize The Day, Performed by The Newsies.   

Summer of 1899 in New York City was one that historically noted in American history. Louis Ballatt or his friends used to called him as Kid Blink – so named because he was blind in one eye – gathered a large number of New York City newsboys in a two weeks strike refusing distribution of New York World, newspaper owned by Joseph Pulitzer and New York Morning Journal, owned by William Randolph Hearst. The strike was weighed heavily to World and Journal’s distribution and later inspiring other newsboys community to strike including newsboys strike in Butte, Montana (1914) and in Louisville, Kentucky (1920). Decades later, when child-welfare examined and considered as one that should be included in basic human’s rights, this event believed to be one make greater influence.

Newsies: The Musical is a Disney Theatrical Production started on September 25, 2011 at the Paper Mill Playhouse and a year later being performed in Broadway. It is based on a 1992 musical movie titled “Newsies”. Both film and its theatrical version inspired from the above newsboys strike in New York City. A fictional leader Jack Kelley is used instead of Kid Blink for an unknown reason.

The strike itself something which interesting to be examined. The Newsies –  a called to newspaper boys – refused to purchase World and Journal since they raised a bundle of a hundred newspaper from fifty cents to sixty. It happened since 1898, when the Spanish-American War exploded, newspapers around the country had increasing number of its sales. After the war they returned to their original price, but it did not happen to World and Journal papers. Both kept their increased price and made them harder to be sold. Even worse, newsies were sides who took its burden which happened since if they cannot sell these papers they did not allow to return them. After two weeks on strike, the two newspapers agreed to buy back all unsold papers, although they refused to lower their price.

It is obvious that the newsies story is about a fight from minors against the power of capital owners. These kids did not seek an easier life nor take opportunity to be a little richer, they simply were looking for justice and their own rights to live. Nonetheless, their effort would have less impact – even none at all – if they did not unite in one vigour. Therefore, Newsies: The Musical as a play goes beyond than just a story of seeking justice. Its worth do not come from its story, but from its spirit.

Three things should be considered as integrated main themes of this play: courage, joy and unity. They are all made Newsies: The Musical worth to be watched and played. The courage of newsies do not emerge from a single or individual passion. Jack Kelley – the main character of the play – is portrayed as a charismatic leader whom could not rise if he never be able to love and be loved by his member of the newsies band. He is influence and be influenced by his community. His passion which soon become the passion of the newsies to seek justice comes from his compassion in understanding the suffering of his newsboys’ mates to sell papers. There are friendship and solidarity which bind them both physical and spiritual. These are keys to understand their shout in joy while proclaiming strike: “One for all and all for one!” (Seize The Day)

Joy comes forward after courage being made and stitched by union of heart and soul of the members. Friendship will bring along love and love will make people able to experience joy. A Catholic writer Heather King once writes, “Pleasure is shallow, but joy has pain in the middle of it. Pleasure comes and goes, but joy has eternity in it.” This sentence is echoing a reflection of 1Corinthian 13, where St. Paul writes that love will endure all things, including all burdens. It reflect a power of love to stay and to live, even in affliction toward life happened. Love will make people reach joy amidst pains and sorrows. Throughout the play, we will be presented performances or displays of a dynamism of joy. Actors move with joy and unafraid to show their happiness. This fact explains a lot about why Disney failed to reach success from their movie, but lure more and more audiences to their play at Broadway. They even awarded with Tony Awards in 2012.

Along with the above thoughts, this year Canisius Art Blast (CAB) should be something worth to be played and watched. Newsies: The Musical is a play which performed as a mean of learning to wisdom and to life. Aside of many hardship, hindrance and challenges which are experienced by the committees, students, choreographer, directors and all who involved to this play it is worth to noticed how joy and happiness stitches us in togetherness to make Newsies: The Musical as memorable and also be learned as well. It is valuable enough to strive for. The preciousness of this year CAB do not come from how well it is being performed or how many people come to watch this show, but its significance occurs from its process of learning and training.

In same step to this reflection, it is precious to notice that as community of learners, we should consider and take respect to a process of learning. Aside of many obstacles and challenges of educating young people, we have been invited and motivated to provide joy and happiness along toward a process of learning. Learning without joy and happiness will not allow us bear good fruits to knowledge and it will alienate any potential to make differences toward life.

Together as community, we want to celebrate this year CAB as our celebration in joy and happiness, raising  thanksgiving to the Lord our Creator and Almighty educator, and in the end we may take courage to make differences.

Being Studious and Conscientious

English Mass with Grade XI Canisius College, Jakarta

on the Memorial of St. Claude de la Colombiere – Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Introduction

Claude la Colombiere, was born at Saint-Symphorien-d’Ozon, Dauphine, southeastern France in 1641. He entered the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) in 1659. Later he went to the College of Clermont in Paris for his theological studies. In 1675 he made the solemn profession of his final vows and was immediately made rector of the Jesuit College at Paray-le-Monial. During this year, Claude met Sister Margaret Mary Alacoque. She had been the recipient of visions of Jesus’ Heart but was plagued by anguish and uncertainty. She was waiting for the Lord to send her a “faithful servant and perfect friend” to help her carry out her mission: of revealing to the world the unfathomable riches of Christ’s love. Margaret Mary at once opened her inner experiences to Claude and he assured her that he accepted them as being genuine. He told her to put them in writing and promised her every support in the mission she was being given. Claude had only been a year and half in Paray, when in 1676 he was transferred to London. He had been appointed preacher to the Duchess of York, Mary of Modena, who was a Catholic and would later be queen. It was a difficult and delicate assignment in a predominantly Protestant England. Even in the Court Claude lived the life of a religious. On 15 February 1682, Claude suffered the severe haemorrhage which ended his life.

Homily

Once I read a funny status update on one of my fellow students’ bbm. It was written as: studying equals study plus dying. The status reflected her tiredness to school and to being studious. However, as one of the student who studied in a Jesuit’s college, she had a false understanding to the college life.

Being a member of a college, students have been accompanied both by their teachers and peers student to notice and pursue their own goals to live their life. Therefore, the school community should help students to be able choosing their own options. By this objective, every student will live their college life as one of the joyous and unforgettable moments of their life. Reflect more deeply, we should make distinction between things we desire and things we have been tempted. In daily routine, it is easy for us to lose our focus in life and be attracted to things that not important for life. Similarly, very often we busied ourselves with many things we wanted and could not be able sharing our times with other people.

In the gospel, St. Mark, the writer of the gospel, gives us his reflection about being conscientious and awareness of our own life. The story of Jesus who cured a blind man in Bethsaida actually a kind of makeup story which served to make us known that understanding does not instantly shape to one’s mind. It begins with a process of knowing and requires openness of one’s heart to the subject or matters. At the end, it will lead us to what we call as truth. During the process, God’s graces always available and follow us in order to make us arrive to the real truth. To make this grace bears fruit, we should have an open mind and heart also wills to what was going on. Many times in reality, we have no patience to get along with the process to gain truth. We do not open our heart and mind to many possibilities available. We became narrow-minded and believe that things should work and serve ours rather than we serve them. Conversation will stop and demands to provide ours will be rise. On that moment, we have losing our capability to aware and conscientious.

Close to this reflection, St. James speaks about men’s integrity that his belief should appear on his action. In our experiences, many times students boasted that they really proud to be a part of the Canisius College. Yet, they were acting as if they did not. Faint and mellow appearances will make you look like you were burdened and if you felt did; you should noticed maybe this school did not fit you. Here as Canisians, we are trained to be conscientious leaders and as this kind of leader, you were train to be able to make your own decision which also reflecting your openness to the common good. This will bring you to some hardship and struggles since some values and virtues will challenge your own values. The question then, are we going to take this challenge and by this also means we are open ourselves to values of common good and virtues or are we choosing to stay close to our comfort zone and let everything be entertaining and relaxing for our own good?

I will conclude this sermon by remembering you that you have been educated and formed not only to academicals outstanding, but also to gain a well-built characteristic. And like Goethe said about conducting a good characteristic, that talents are best nurtured in solitude, but character is best formed in the stormy billows of the world. We have been driven to reach every goals in our life not by an easy life, but by struggle and hardship which giving us a real understanding what is real living.

We ask grace of our Lord Jesus Christ helps us to stand firm and do not run from any hardship that come from life, and by doing so we are gaining our peace and joy as human being which optimistically believe we still can change this world to a better life. AMDG.