The rains

The monsoon is here. Rains after a long summer. Whole day rains. 

Church was still crowded this morning. I enjoyed walking up my 15 minutes to the church holding an umberella, walking along the road with rain water flowing and ofcourse fresh dog shit :) . Rains can be messy. 

Picture from the church, the tiled building is our old school. 

Every body has to be ready for the monsoon, umberella, rubber slippers et al..

Humbling experience

I had an invitation last evening, to a tenth marriage anniversary. I was hoping I would drop in and come back quickly. But the folks I went with stayed over the night there, so I had no choice but to stay the night at their outhouse near the backwaters. It was a beautiful, clean, cool night with gentle breeze and a lot of fresh air. 

Since I had an accounting class scheduled early morning on Sunday, I woke up early and decided to walk an hour's distance to my home so as to get ready and go for the lecture on time. It was about 5 in the morning. 

Half way through that village road, I heard some quick footsteps approaching in that morning silence. It was an elderly woman, around 7o, walking quickly for the 5.30 am mass. Inspite of her old age, she was committed to reach the church before the mass starts and was literally running all the way.  We walked together talking, rest of the way.

It was an humbling experience for me. I was never so committed in attending a full mass each time I attended the mass. What more to say, I missed my Sunday mass today. 

I am so glad, that old woman stands more justified before our God, for her simple, yet strong faith rather than anybody else's grasp or understanding of the theological concepts or spiritual gravitation. 

Thank you, My Lord, for this wonderful experience. How much more our simple Mother Mary would have been committed to her faith, and our very own Meenakshi Amma, Vallarpadam Mary's slave, in the way of practice of her faith. 

Very inspiring thoughts for me...

Lamps of life

I have been desperately trying to clear some exams for  a license which would give me more opportunity to work on history and in tourism. Ever since the program was announced by the authorities in February, I have kept aside everything and kept working for it. Unfortunately, the program has not moved much from the application stage. The authorities have extended the last date for application thrice. The lack of backup plan to survive has devastated me.

Often, the pressure of the situation blew me away. Most of the time making me even forget how to pray. During such timea, it takes a lot of effort to find comfort through spirituality as everything seems lost. Difficult indeed, but for ordinary folks like me, what else is the way to stay alive. Sooner or later comes back to my God.

Deliberately trying to stick to the ritual of lighting a lamp at dawn and at dusk is one of the ways, that ensure I offer my day and thought to God without fail. Lighting lamp has a big significance in our Hindu Tradition. In old testament, the way the arc of the covenant should be respected with light and lamps are detailed very clearly.

Personally, when we light a lamp we are offering to God all our emotions of the day, anxieties, joys and everything we have in flames to the Divine Creator, who is light himself. It gives me joy to contemplate on how Meenkashi Amma lighted lamps at the altar of Lady of Ransom centuries ago. She sure would have lighted a lot of lamps everyday.

May the light in our lives, burn brighter.

Our prayers are with all those who lost lives in Oklahoma twister and through other natural calamities all over the world.

Holy Ghost Feast day

The Holy Ghost Feast.

I spend my slave day today at Lady of Ransom.

9.30 am was the feast mass.

After the mass, the procession was complete with staff cross, banners, flags, band set and the pole bearers with canopy and celebrant priest carrying the Divine bread in a radiant monstrance.

But the feast was nothing like the main feast of Lady of Ransom in September. Few people and few everything except for the mass which was full and high.

Holy Ghost Feast

The age old memories, The age old faith.

Living and living His way to find peace and happiness in life.

That's the tradition, we keep and we live.

Picking up our cross every day and following Him, just the way He picked up His own with utmost humility and all his heart.

Feast of the Holy Ghost

This week is the feast of the Holy Spirit at Vallarpadam, Lady of Ransom Church, which is the first church in Asia which is dedicated to the Holy spirit.

Mangoes

Three weeks, four weeks now, I do not exactly remember, since I have gone to Lady of Ransom. Few unfortunate reasons kept me away. 

The last Sunday, I went to Fort Kochi to be with a friend who is preparing for an exam. Though I could not be of much help to him academically, I could cheer him up a bit. 

From the Fort Kochi, Jankar Jetty, I could see the Marian Towers of Vallarpadam at a distance and across the back waters. I wished I could be there.

My current line of work, I should say academic interest rather, is taking me very far away from my main line of work and is not so economically productive, yet. Mangoes, has been a big help. Except for a few most of our trees bore fruit this year, even though the yield was considerably less. 

Many a day, I kept going on Mangoes alone. Mangoes, are a wholesome food, but too much of it in a day can be tiring, no matter how delicious they are. 

Another opportunity to thank God for the Mangoes and other fruits God so blessed this world with. Many of our blessings we hardly utilize.