Tuesday, August 21, 2012

A few weeks ago, Thomas Farrell also wrote a very nice review of my book. I refrained from posting it on this blog because it was posted on Facebook. In response to a couple of requests from people who do not indulge in Facebook, here is the review with my sincere thanks to Tom:

Anthony deMello, SJ: The Happy Wanderer: A Tribute to My Brother is an accessible and enjoyable biography – and at times, moving to read. Bill deMello (born 1944) has synthesized an impressive amount of information about the life of his internationally famous older brother,  Tony (1931-1987), whose works about prayer and spirituality still attract people today. In the course of this book, Bill emerges as an amiable and self-deprecating narrator. Tony emerges as brilliant, full of jokes and stories, and an enormously attractive Jesuit retreat director and speaker. Bill intertwines highlights from his own life in India with the events in Tony’s life.
Tony’s life included the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965) in the Roman Catholic Church, which instructed religious orders such as the Jesuits to study their original charisms and undertake renewal of those charisms. As Bill makes clear, Tony worked in the formation of Jesuit seminarians, directing new Jesuits during their 30-day retreats following the Spiritual Exercises of Ignatius Loyola, the founder of the Jesuit order. Later, Tony worked as a retreat director with other Jesuits who were involved in the formation of Jesuit seminarians. Because his book Sadhana: A Way to God (1978) sold well in English and was widely translated into other languages, Tony was also in demand in numerous countries as a retreat director and speaker.
Early in the book, Bill tells us how a business trip took him from his adopted home in Australia to New York City in 1987. Tony was scheduled to broadcast an ambitious conference from Fordham University in the Bronx. After Tony had arrived from India, Bill was able to arrange to spend an evening visiting with him at Fordham. But the next day at work, Bill received a call from Fordham. Tony had died during the night from a heart attack. I have the impression that Bill’s loving tribute to his brother in this book is a way for him to work through his bereavement.
Thomas J. Farrell, Professor Emeritus
University of Minnesota Duluth
Homepage: www.d.umn.edu/~tfarrell

Saturday, August 18, 2012

Jesus preached Love and Freedom. Sadly His followers are led by a Church which seems to have lost it's way.
Tom Farrell is a respected author from the USA and writes articles and reviews of books and magazines. This latest article is most intereting. Please click on the link(or copy and paste) to read his views on the state of affairs in the Catholic Church today:
http://www.opednews.com/articles/The-Religious-Zealotry-of-by-Thomas-Farrell-120226-291.html

Then, contemplate on this passage from Prayer of the Frog I: Anthony deMello SJ
An elderly woman who was an enthusiastic gardener declared that she had no faith whatsoever in predic­tions that some day scientists would learn to control the weather. According to her all that was needed to con­trol the weather was prayer.
Then one summer, while she was away on a foreign trip, a drought hit the land and wiped out her entire garden. She was so upset when she got back that she changed her religion.

She should have changed her silly beliefs.

w

ILLUSION
“How shall I attain Eternal Life?”
“Eternal Life is now. Come into the present.”
“But I am in the present now, am I not?”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“Because you haven’t dropped your past.”
“Why should I drop my past? Not all of it is bad.”
“The past is to be dropped not because it is bad but because it is dead.”
One Minute Wisdom: Anthony deMello SJ


Eternal Life is now. Come into the present.”
“But I am in the present now, am I not?”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“Because you haven’t dropped your past.”
“Why should I drop my past? Not all of it is bad.”
 


Wednesday, August 8, 2012

A big thank you to Suma Varughese for publishing a very touching article written by Marita Nazareth. Marita knew Tony and attended a couple of his seminars. Her article describes The Happy Wanderer as a 'must read' book. I'll post the article as soon as I can. Here is the editorial of this months Life Positive Magazine:

Thursday, August 2, 2012

Oops! Sorry Tony. That last quote was from your book Song of the Bird.
I'm just getting back to this blog so I know you'll forgive me for not attributing the quote to you.
I'll remember to do so in future.

Wednesday, August 1, 2012


THE ELEPHANT AND THE RAT
An elephant was enjoying a dip in a Jungle pool when a rat came up to insist that he get out.
"I won't," said the elephant.
"I insist you get out this minute," said the rat.
"Why?"
"I shall tell you that only after you are out of the pool."
"Then I won't get out."
But he finally lumbered out of the pool, stood in front of the rat and said, "Now then, why did you want me to get out of the pool?"
"To check if you were wearing my swimming trunks," said the rat.
An elephant will sooner fit into the trunks of a rat than God into our notions of him.




I've been absent here for a good reason. That snail finally reached the top of the Cherry Tree.
Anthony deMello Sj, The Happy Wanderer- A tribute to my Brother was launched in Mumbai April 22nd and is now available through my Indian publisher Gujarat Sahitya Prakash: booksgsp@gmail.com.
If you live in Australia, it's available through the following link:  https://mosaicresources.com.au/titles/9789380066608
There's even better news: An American publisher(soon to be announced) has made an offer and contracts are being exchanged. The book should appear in North America by March next year.

I have almost forgotten how to use this blog since I spent most of the last twelve months compiling the book with my editor Clifford DeSilva.
Look forward to being more active here from now onward.
Bill.