Palm sunday

My palm Sunday was at the St. Mary's Church in Nellore, a  town on the coastal plains of Andhra Pradesh.

St. Joseph's Day

March 19. St. Josephs day.

It was also my dead line day. Through a divine intervention manifested through an angel I met the deadline successfully.

Thank you Adonai, thank you Jesus. Thank you Apostles. For the know how and the lesson. Help me make it my default operational mode.

Later went to Kannamally and melted into the crowd of thousands of worshippers enjoying the heat, humidity and the heat.

Remembered Fr. Surez who brought divine intervention to stop the further spread of the merciless epidemic of cholera from the coastal island of Kannamally in the year of 1905, through his heartfelt prayers and unshakable faith in Adonai and our Lord Jesus.

Thank you St. Joseph, your memory keeps us focussed on  how to be responsible towards the ones we love and how we should mould our attitude towards bread earning and work for it relentlessly.

St. Patricks and St. Joseph's greetings my friends.

...Past the day and the task!

The day was hot and humid. When I reached the Lady of Ransom the 11.30 mass was just about starting. Even though the heat was whipping my concentration very badly the Sunday reading took all my heart. The disciples were informing Jesus about the Greeks who had come to see Him and in response what Jesus tells the disciples rather as a discourse than as a reply reveals how much Jesus was aware the way His teachings would be accepted by the rest of the world and rejected by many Jews for whom He had come. Since my Lent thoughts was around the social and political back ground of Israel in the time of Jesus, this reading was of a special interest to me. 

I guess my mind was feeling jerky not really 'cos of the heat of the sun, but rather for the bombardment of the emotional stress I have been taking for a dead line I had to meet soon. Inspite of all my efforts I was not in control  of the situation and needed divine help to get past the task I had to face and win in the next few days. Though my faith was strong and I believed with all my heart that I would go past the day and the task successfully, I still didn't know how. The uncertainty has kicked my peace out, though I looked and behaved cool. 

Blessed are you Adonai, our Lord, the creator of the universe. Thank you for sending Jesus to us. Thank you Jesus for glorifying your Father and being our way and truth to Him. Thank you Apostles for bring the Gospel to us, the men and women of far and wide. 

This day, we pray, Father, help all of us, who are facing difficult situations in life, help us with the wisdom to trust in You, the creator of everything. In Jesus name we ask and pray. 

We believe Adonai, You will help us go past the day and task and we will continue to worship and thank You the day and the next just like our forefathers have. 

Women's Day

Early mornings are the coolest and the most likeable part of our summer days in our Kerala. After the morning mass I was having my breakfast at Babu's, our very local shop which is famous for its good food and the most affordable rate.  This morning the restaurant was very crowded with the tamil workers who were just about to start the day at many construction sites around our suburb. The pootu and pappadam I ordered took a while to arrive and I was looking around the small restaurant when the lady on the next stool caught my eyes and attention. She looked like my friend Thiea whom I was missing very much. While fondly contemplating on the delightful resemblance my pootu arrived and the lady in the purple saree left. Half way through my breakfast a noisy group of tired looking ladies came in with their tuk tuk driver and sat right across me. They smelled terribly of fish.
These ladies were from a distant neighbourhood and had come to our local fish market  very early in the morning to buy and sell their fish. Having finished their day they were returning to their homes in the shared rickshaw they had hired while they stopped at Babu's to have their breakfast.
After overcoming the initial mere human thought of discomfort I made room for them on my table and said hello to them and they returned it cheerfully.
The way they shared their hot black peas curry among themselves and the comradeship that bound them together at work and in life made me wish that the friends I have was near and real too.

Sunday

Almost a month since I went to Vallarpadam.

Since the school exams are going on, the church was not crowded with pilgrims.

The way of the cross recitation was heard through out as it is the Lent season.

I was rather in a hurry. Or was it the state of mind to ward off the concerns which needed immediate attention!