Monday, December 11, 2006

Sanctified in the mystery of death, and eternal life


Fr Gerard Beckers, sj, 1924-2006

Jesuit, sanyasi, teacher, activist, bodhisattva.

“That which is not shared, is lost: blood, education, and love.”















5 comments:

Vincent said...

As a matter of interest, how many of those crowds gathered to commemorate him (if that is the case) do you think are Catholics, as opposed to those who revere his memory for who he was rather than his religion?

Anonymous said...

“That which is not shared, is lost: blood, education, and love.”

How beautiful and true. May God rest his soul, and place him in the first ranks of His beloveds.

Ya Haqq!

Anonymous said...

Hullo Yves. There were many in the gathering who were Catholics. They partook of the Holy Communion. However, there were many more non-Catholics, people from all walks of life, who had come simply out of reverence and love for Fr Beckers.

Best, rama

KRG Convenor said...

I was a student of Fr. Beckers in 1955. He was young then, though we were younger still. He was not quite the figure of reverence yet that he was to become to later generations; what came through in a marvelous way was his joy of living, and his ability to cut through all barriers that separate people.

When I last visited him last on March 19, 2006 his memory was undimmed. He could recount events with students from 50 years ago, and ask in detail about a particular friend who distinguished himself in neutron physics later at Cambridge (UK) and at the Argonne National Labs (USA). He inspired affection among his students, and got to know them well.

Thanks for providing the only corner of the Web where I could read a profound tribute to the man whose life was touched others deeply, because it touched the divine.

Anonymous said...

Dear Joe, thank very much for your visit and comment. I deeply appreciate your sharing your memories of Fr Beckers. Best, rama