Fr. Sebastian Jose, sdb, M.A. (Eng.), is a member of the Salesians of Don Bosco, Dimapur Province. He is currently the Librarian and Lecturer in Salesian College of Higher Education, Dimapur, Nagaland. He has some experience in the field of education and leadership training. He has rendered pastoral and educational services in Upper-Assam, Nagaland and Manipur.

In an age of Information and technological revolutions,   reflective writing seems to become a fading art. For, what a     person truly is can be discovered when one sits down to write a personal reflection. To write something intimate and personal, to make known one’s interior vibrations is, no doubt, to come out in the open oneself, which calls for courage, honesty and sincerity. This book authored by Fr. Sebastian Jose, consists of a series of sketches and meditations, some poetic, some prosaic, some    others philosophic and theological, strung together in a         spontaneous, coherent and lucid manner. These are personal  reflections, insights, observations, elegies and tributes and       responses to various events of life. With transparent forcefulness and candour the author delves into some pertinent issues. In   doing so the writer unavoidably reveals something of himself, his aspirations and heartbeats, his cherished ideals and standards.

The author has brought together a wide spectrum of   astonishingly wealthy thoughts
and balmy musings that sparks the imagination and provokes reflection. Detached but not      dispassionate, probing, yet sensitive, the book is fascinating and refreshing on the whole. It portrays the complex dimensions of personal, interpersonal, spiritual and social issues that we often face on a day-to-day basis. It combines well the metaphysical and the material themes. The intellectual and spiritual stimulus of the author makes this book a pleasant read and it will be always a reward for the readers.

There is much food for thought here, enough to arouse the conscience of all of us. The writer challenges us to be people of depth and substance. “To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment,” reminds Ralph Waldo Emerson. Indeed, the author confirms that life is too precious to be wasted on what does not grip the heart. It is important to listen to the stirrings of the heart.

My sincere congratulations to Fr. Sebastian Jose for the effort made in    publishing his lovely personal musings and for the challenge that is posed before us to be persons of integrity and
authenticity.

Fr. T. C. Joseph Sdb, PhD.