A son's father...

The father of the son. 

Thank you Jorge. 

You made him everyway. 

He stayed as a grateful son everyday. 

We too are grateful. 

Farewell Jorge Messi. Rest in Peace. 

Sunday 9 August 2026

The fragrance of the Rose in the month of Rain. The bouquet was rewarded through a divine smile. Efforts are appreciated, without fail; our God and our King know our hearts. 

Nolasco Chapel

After the gospel reading, last Sunday, I almost sat on a toddler who had crawled four rows up and climbed on my chair. Thank God, I did not sit on the baby, it would had been disaster, physically and emotionally. 

We don't come all the way for the pilgrims mass at Vallarpadam to sit on someone else's baby. 

It was awful to think the family who was on the row behind me, did not warn me. Perhaps they did not see the Baby too as the gospel reading was on. 

The Fall of the heroes

On July 20th Argentina was defeated in the FIFA World Cup Final and Spain became the champions of 2026. 

Argentina fell short by one man when one of their men got a red card in the 90th minute. Game went into extra time and on the 116th minute Spain scored the goal they held and won the cup 1-0. 

Spain dominated the game, their victory was not a surprise. They successfully stopped Messi, he did not get much ball to play nor the opportunity to make play. 

Our hope was on this man, to see whether God had anything glorious for him in the way of second world cup, defending their titles. In his loss he became more human, more believable. 

For those who love him he will be our greatest to play football. He is a very good human too. 

Best Wishes Messi. 

Congratulations Spain, you played well. 

Argos

The film that is running in the theatres of our town is the "ODYSSEUS".

Odysseus comes back to his country after twenty years as a war hero. For ten years he fought under the great Greek King Agamemnon in the Trojan war. Despite the stellar warriors like Achilles, Hector it was Odysseus cunningness that won the war for Agamemnon. He built the Trojan horse. 

After the war he returned home to Ithaca with his crew in their sail ships. It took him ten years, nobody from his crew except Odysseus himself made it to home. 

But when he came back Ithaca itself has changed a lot in twenty years and he was advised not to enter his kingdom as the king he was but in disguise. He came disguised as a beggar and no one recognised him except his hunting dog Argos who was twenty years old by then and was waiting for his master since the day he left twenty years ago. Surprisingly a long time for a dog to live. 

Argos in his old age, too weak to stand on his own, recognised his master as he approached, moans in recognition and wags his tail as strongly as he can. Odysseus pats him on the head and say some loving words, seeing and hearing his master after so long and feeling his love even if it is only for a few moments,  Argos dies. 

The dog at Vallarpadam, who often sleeps at the east gate, now tired and old. 

This is the second in the series, the first one died in 2009, lovingly called as 'Lazar'. 

Quarter Finals FIFA World Cup 2026

A World Cup Morning

I had hoped to watch the 6:30 a.m. FIFA World Cup quarter-final between Argentina and Switzerland on the large public screen at the shopping mall near me. Instead, I discovered that the match was being shown only as a paid screening inside one of the cinemas in the complex, with tickets starting at ₹200 plus taxes. Unfortunately, I learned this only after arriving.

Rather than buy a ticket, I decided to ride to Vallarpadam where I had wrote a prayer request for our Messi. It seemed the most natural thing to do once the opportunity to watch the match live was not there anymore. The rain had eased for a while, making the journey peaceful. I reached much earlier than expected and spent the time attending two consecutive Holy Masses.

By the end of the morning, Argentina had secured a 3–1 victory. It was also the first match of this World Cup in which Lionel Messi did not score a goal. What began as a disappointing change of plans turned into a quiet and memorable morning of prayer, followed by good news for Messi and Argentina.

Messi

June 24

39 Years

Happy Birthday Leo Andres Messi

A Prayer for Messi

O God, by whatever blessings You have graciously blessed Messi, may You now lead him to the fullness and excellence of those blessings in these days.

Protect him from injury, deception, and every trap that may come his way. Be his constant guardian.

Bless Messi to remain steadfast, trusting in You until the very end.

Soccer 2026

Vallarpadam Fans. 

The Sunday Visit to Vallarpadam 7th July 2026

A work related call just when I was about to leave for Vallarpadam. Finally when I reached the church the 11.30AM pilgrim's mass was over and everybody had already left. 

The remains from the Feast of the Holy Ghost was still around. It seemed the statue of Mary was taken in after the mas. The flower crowns were still there where the statue was last Sunday. 

Since May 15th, Edavam, the rain has started and on Ist June there was the offical announcement that the Monsoon has started. Yes, it did seem so. Heavy down pour with little breaks, all day with ear breaking and terrifying thunder rolls. 

The new model of ever burning oil lamps looked endearing with so much rain and the oil lamps still burning without a flicker in the cemetery. 

To You, we come, our Lord, you are our refuge and consolation. 

The people we see around during our visit, we may not see them again, pilgrims afar and near, Lord, bless them with your grace to bear their crosses in life well and welcome them to Your Glory of resurrection. 

May Ends

A Sunny Day in the Rain

At the church where Meenakshi Amma, the Hindu devotee, still shares the centre of memory and affection, the day unfolded strangely — a sunny day in the rain.

The air was warm and people sweated. The Nolasco Chapel carried the smell of gathered humanity — sweat, damp clothes, devotion and fatigue mingled together. Before Communion, the chapel grew loud with children running about. It has become a refuge for families with little ones, and perhaps rightly so. Yet my heart longed for stillness.

So I moved quietly to the main church door and received Holy Communion there, earnestly and with attention. Afterwards my mind was at peace. The usual urge to remain for the Chaplet of Divine Mercy did not come. The soul seemed already satisfied.

After Mass I went to greet Rozario Daddy, who had returned from Canada about a month ago. He spoke warmly and kindly. But midway through our conversation a small thought rose within me — that even during his time abroad, he had never kept in touch through WhatsApp. The thought lingered. So I gently brought the conversation to a close and returned once again to the church.

The Nolasco Chapel was now empty.

The lights and fan were still on. Pleasant. Quiet. Mercifully still.

I sat there for a long while.

Eyes closed.

Praise and worship.

A kind of half-sleep descended upon me — not fully asleep, not entirely awake. People came and went. A boy from Bombay sat beside me. I handed him a school reopening card and spoke only briefly, telling him about Saint Nolasco and the Lady of Ransom Church. Nothing more.

Then again I drifted.

There were visions perhaps, and voices too — conversations that felt positive, strengthening, almost instructional. But like dreams that dissolve with morning light, I could not remember them.

When I finally awoke, earthly reality returned with its familiar weight.

Bills are due.

And I have no money at all.

For a moment sadness sat beside me.

Then another thought arrived — not dramatic, not thunderous, but steady.

Why worry?

You walked your own way. You made your choices and stood by your decisions. And what did you gain? Often failures, disappointments and roads that led nowhere.

Now leave room for His plan.

For every soul born into this world, perhaps there is a path already known to Him. Our task may not be to control every turning, but to remain close enough to recognise it when it unfolds.

Let Him work your future.

Let Him pay the bills in His own mysterious arithmetic.

But be mindful of acceptance.

When His plans arrive, do not say again, “I do not want this,” as you have done before.

And sitting there beneath the quiet fan of the empty chapel, I understood something with unusual clarity:

My plans have often exhausted me.

His plan — if I have the humility to receive it — may yet carry me where my strength could not.

Back to school

Scooter Splash

It rained heavily early in the morning. On my way to Magdalena’s Church, which is on the other side of town, there were puddles of water all along the road. Since I was feeling a little uneasy in my heart and on my left side, I was riding my scooter very slowly.

A young man in a red raincoat came up behind me. He seemed to be rushing to work and found my slow maneuvering around the puddles irritating. As if to punish me, he rode his new electric scooter straight through a puddle at great speed, splashing dirty water all over me before speeding away.

I was amused.

Perhaps I had been moving too slowly for other people’s convenience.

After the splash the fuzzing was gone. 

My Lord and my saviour, thank you for not letting me fall into anger and violence. 

Surovov

ലോകം കീഴടക്കുന്ന മനുഷ്യരും ഉണ്ടു;

സ്വന്തം ആത്മാവിനെ കീഴടക്കാൻ പരിശ്രമിക്കുന്ന മനുഷ്യരും ഉണ്ടു.

Alexander Vasilyevich Suvorov ഈ രണ്ടും ആഗ്രഹിച്ചു.

എന്നാൽ ഒരു യുദ്ധം തോൽക്കുന്നതിനെക്കാൾ, തന്റെ ആത്മാവ് നഷ്ടപ്പെടുമോ എന്ന ഭയമായിരുന്നു അദ്ദേഹത്തിനുണ്ടായിരുന്നത്.

ചരിത്രത്തിലെ മഹത്തായ സൈനിക മേധാവികളിൽ ഒരാളായി അറിയപ്പെട്ടിരുന്നെങ്കിലും, അദ്ദേഹത്തിന്റെ ജീവിതം ഒരു സന്യാസിയുടെ ലാളിത്യവും തീർത്ഥാടകന്റെ വിനയവും നിറഞ്ഞതായിരുന്നു.

ചക്രവർത്തിനിയുടെ സന്നിധിയിൽ പ്രവേശിക്കുന്നതിന് മുമ്പ് പോലും, അദ്ദേഹം ആദ്യം ദൈവമാതാവിന്റെ തിരുരൂപത്തിന് മുമ്പിൽ സാഷ്ടാംഗം പ്രണമിക്കുമായിരുന്നു. ഭൂമിയിലെ അധികാരത്തിനുമുമ്പല്ല, സ്വർഗ്ഗീയ സത്യത്തിനുമുമ്പായിരുന്നു അദ്ദേഹത്തിന്റെ നമസ്കാരം.

ഒരു അവസരത്തിൽ ചക്രവർത്തിനി തന്നെ ലജ്ജയോടെ ചോദിച്ചു:

 “അലക്സാണ്ടർ വസില്യേവിച്ച്, ഇതൊക്കെ ചെയ്യാൻ നിങ്ങൾക്ക് ലജ്ജയില്ലേയോ?”

എന്നാൽ സുവോറോവിന്റെ വിശ്വാസം അചഞ്ചലമായിരുന്നു.

ട്രെബ്ബിയയിലെ യുദ്ധത്തിൽ ഒരു നിർണായക നിമിഷം വന്നു.

സൈന്യത്തിന്റെ വിധി ഒരു നൂലിഴയിൽ തൂങ്ങിയിരുന്ന സമയം.

അദ്ദേഹം കുതിരയിൽ നിന്ന് ഇറങ്ങി, ഭൂമിയിൽ സാഷ്ടാംഗം വീണ്, ഏതാനും നിമിഷങ്ങൾ ദൈവസന്നിധിയിൽ പ്രാർത്ഥിച്ചു.

ശേഷം എഴുന്നേറ്റ് നൽകിയ ഉത്തരവുകൾ റഷ്യൻ സൈന്യത്തെ വിജയത്തിലേക്ക് നയിച്ചു.

എന്നാൽ ആ വിജയങ്ങൾ ഒരിക്കലും തന്റെ കഴിവിന്റെ ഫലമെന്നു അദ്ദേഹം കരുതിയില്ല.

ഓരോ യുദ്ധത്തിനുമുമ്പും, ദൈവത്തോടും രാജാവിനോടും മാതൃഭൂമിയോടുമുള്ള കടമയെക്കുറിച്ച് അദ്ദേഹം സൈനികരെ ഓർമ്മിപ്പിച്ചു.

ഓരോ വിജയത്തിനുശേഷവും, ആഘോഷത്തിലേക്കല്ല, ദൈവാലയത്തിലേക്കായിരുന്നു അദ്ദേഹത്തിന്റെ ഓട്ടം.

സകല നന്മകളുടെയും ദാതാവായ ദൈവത്തോട് നന്ദി അർപ്പിച്ച്, വിശ്വാസികളുടെ കൂട്ടത്തിൽ ഒരു സാധാരണ മനുഷ്യനായി അദ്ദേഹം ഗായകസംഘത്തോടൊപ്പം പാടി.

യുദ്ധത്തിനിടയിലും അദ്ദേഹം കരുണ മറന്നില്ല.

വീണുപോയ സൈനികരുടെ സംസ്കാരച്ചടങ്ങുകളിൽ അദ്ദേഹംയും എല്ലാ ഓഫീസർമാരും നിർബന്ധമായും പങ്കെടുത്തു.

ശേഷം അദ്ദേഹം മരിച്ചവരെ സ്മരിച്ച് ചെറിയൊരു അനുസ്മരണപ്രസംഗം നടത്തുമായിരുന്നു.

വയസ്സായപ്പോൾ, അദ്ദേഹത്തിന്റെ ഹൃദയം മഹത്വത്തിനല്ല, മാനസാന്തരത്തിനും ആത്മശാന്തിക്കുമായിരുന്നു ദാഹിച്ചത്.

ചക്രവർത്തി പോളിന്റെ കാലത്ത് വിരമിച്ചപ്പോൾ, ഒരു മഠത്തിൽ പ്രവേശിക്കണമെന്ന ആഗ്രഹം അദ്ദേഹം രേഖപ്പെടുത്തി.

“പരമോന്നതന്റെ സിംഹാസനത്തിനു മുമ്പിൽ നിർമലമായ ആത്മാവോടെ എത്തുവാൻ ഞാൻ ആഗ്രഹിക്കുന്നു,”

എന്നു ഒരു കത്തിൽ അദ്ദേഹം എഴുതി.

മറ്റൊരിടത്ത്:

“എന്റെ അവസാനം അടുത്തുവരുന്നതായി ഞാൻ കാണുന്നു; ഞാൻ ഒരു സന്യാസിയാകുവാൻ തയ്യാറെടുക്കുന്നു.”

എന്നാൽ 1799-ൽ അദ്ദേഹത്തെ വീണ്ടും ഇറ്റാലിയൻ സൈനികയാത്ര വിളിച്ചു.

ജീവിതത്തിന്റെ അവസാനം അദ്ദേഹം എഴുതിയ വാക്കുകൾ അദ്ദേഹത്തിന്റെ വിജയങ്ങളെക്കാൾ വലിയ സാക്ഷ്യമായി മാറി:

“ഞാൻ എന്റെ അയൽക്കാരനെ സ്നേഹിക്കുന്നു.

എന്റെ ജീവിതത്തിൽ ഞാൻ ആരെയും ദുഃഖിപ്പിച്ചിട്ടില്ല.

ഒരു മരണശിക്ഷയിലും ഞാൻ ഒപ്പുവെച്ചിട്ടില്ല.

ഒരു ചെറുപുഴുവുപോലും എന്റെ കൈകളാൽ കൊല്ലപ്പെട്ടിട്ടില്ല.

ഞാൻ ചെറുതായിരുന്നു, ഞാൻ മഹാനായിരുന്നു;

ജീവിതത്തിന്റെ ഉയർച്ചതാഴ്ചകളിൽ ഞാൻ ദൈവത്തിൽ ആശ്രയിച്ചു, ഇന്നും അചഞ്ചലനായി നിൽക്കുന്നു.”

അദ്ദേഹം യേശുക്രിസ്തുവിനായി ഒരു “കാനോൻ” രചിക്കുകയും ചെയ്തു.

അതിന്റെയവസാനത്തിൽ അദ്ദേഹം ഇങ്ങനെ പ്രാർത്ഥിക്കുന്നു:

 “കർത്താവേ, നിന്റെ അതിപവിത്ര മാതാവിന്റെയും ആദിമുതൽ നിന്നെ പ്രസാദിപ്പിച്ച സകല വിശുദ്ധരുടെയും മധ്യസ്ഥത ഞാൻ സമർപ്പിക്കുന്നു.

അവരുടെ പ്രാർത്ഥനകൾ ശക്തിയുള്ളവയാണ്.

അർഹനല്ലാത്ത എനിക്കുവേണ്ടി അവരുടെ മധ്യസ്ഥത സ്വീകരിക്കണമേ.”

1800 മെയ് 18-ന്, വിശുദ്ധ കുർബാന സ്വീകരിച്ച ശേഷം, മഹാനായ സൈന്യാധിപന്റെ അവസാന വാക്കുകൾ ഇങ്ങനെ ആയിരുന്നു:

“ഞാൻ വളരെക്കാലം പ്രശസ്തിയെ പിന്തുടർന്നു.

എന്നാൽ അതെല്ലാം ഒരു സ്വപ്നം മാത്രം.

ആത്മശാന്തി പരമോന്നതന്റെ സിംഹാസനത്തിനരികിലാണ്.”

അവസാനമായി, സുവോറോവിന്റെ യഥാർത്ഥ വിജയം യുദ്ധഭൂമിയിൽ നേടിയ ജയങ്ങളിലല്ലായിരുന്നേക്കാം —

ദൈവസന്നിധിയിൽ തേടിയ ആ ആത്മശാന്തിയിലായിരുന്നു.

May 2026

Some pictures from the church before the monsoon arrived.

The e kiosk. :)

Not much crowded but hearty as ever. 

Destiny awaits. How can one expect the church to be this empty. Mind you, only for a minute. 

Miracle Sunday

There are seasons in life when a man feels abandoned by his own choices.

For me, the months after the tourism season often become such a wilderness.
From April to September, the roads grow quieter, the travellers disappear, and the income slows almost to silence. What was saved during the busy months must somehow stretch across the monsoon season. Many times it has broken my spirit. Many times I have questioned the day I chose tourism as my bread.

Yet life does not stop because money becomes uncertain.

The roof still has to be cleaned before the heavy rains arrive.
The garden must be prepared.
Vegetables must be planted.
Unfinished manuscripts wait silently on tables and shelves.
The house itself asks for attention.

This morning, as Sunday broke, I rose early, took a sickle in my hand, and walked toward the old mango tree hanging heavily across the gate. Thick green branches had overgrown everywhere. One by one I began cutting them down carefully, almost surprisingly, like a man who knew exactly what he was doing.

And perhaps that itself was grace.

Sometimes God does not begin by changing our future.
Sometimes He first asks us simply to begin the neglected work before us.

While I was finishing, a phone call came unexpectedly from a friend and senior manager from my earlier life in accounting. We spoke for nearly an hour. He spoke clearly, practically, almost urgently — about writing, about organising oneself in the modern world, about using opportunities wisely, even social media, and about not allowing gifts to remain hidden.

What moved me deeply was this:

In earlier years, he had always believed one should never leave the profession one had trained for. Yet today, it was he who encouraged me to continue forward.

I could not ignore the timing.

There are moments when encouragement arrives with such precision that it no longer feels accidental. It feels sent.

Later, when I reached — the shrine loved by generations, where even two hundred years ago women like Meenakshi came with devotion to Mother Mary — my heart felt strangely light.

Not because all problems had disappeared.
Not because the future had suddenly become secure.

But because, before reaching the shrine, I had already received something sacred:

the strength to work,
the courage to continue,
and the quiet assurance that God had not forgotten me.

Sometimes divine intervention does not arrive as thunder.

Sometimes it comes as a cleaned garden path,
a sharpened sickle,
an unexpected phone call,
and the strength to keep going one more season.

Sunday Thought

ജീവിതം കഠിനം. നമ്മെ വേദനിപ്പിക്കും. അങ്ങിനെയാണ് അതിൻ്റെ രീതി. ജീവിക്കാനുള്ള നമ്മുടെ ശ്രമങ്ങൾ തെറ്റി പോയത് കൊണ്ട് ആവണും എന്നില്ല. സന്തോഷം എന്ന പോലെ വേദനയും നമ്മെ കടന്നു പോകും. പക്ഷേ അത് കടന്നു പോകുമ്പോൾ ശേഷിച്ച ജീവിതം ജീവിക്കാൻ ഒരു ശക്തി തന്നിട്ടു പോകും. 

അത് ഉപയോഗിച്ച് പരമാവതി ആടി തീർക്കുക.

രണ്ടാഴ്ച കൂടിയാണ് പോയത്. ഒരു പരസ്യം. 

This man's success make us happy. 

ഈശോയെ Sanju Samson വിജയിക്കുമ്പോൾ ഞങ്ങളുടെ മനസ്സ് നിറയുന്നു..

മറ്റു ജീവിത പ്രശ്നങ്ങൾ ഉണ്ടെങ്കിലും സന്തോഷത്തിൻ്റെയും, സമാധാനത്തിൻ്റെയും ആ നിമിഷങ്ങൾക്ക് നന്ദി പറയുന്നു.

Sunday Prayer

Dear God, I pray that in all I do, may You see the love I have for You. May my thoughts, actions, and the words I speak be a reflection of the love I have for You. Father, may You keep me from being proud. I pray that I never think that my thoughts are above Your own. In Jesus' name, I pray. 

Amen.

"An angel adoring the Lord."

A painting by the artist who was also a Carmelite priest, Filippo Filippi, from the 15th century. 

Sunday

"Hand to Labour and heart to God. "

The motto of Ann Lee's Christian group from the 19th century. Though their presence have become less their social contributions while they were active still stands out. 

എങ്ങിനെ, എന്ന്, അറിയില്ല പക്ഷെ എൻ്റെ ദൈവമേ , എൻ്റെ രാജാവ് എന്നെ സഹായിച്ചു മുന്നോട്ട് നടത്തും.