Sunday with Mary and Meenakshi Amma

The rain was raging all through the week. Fortunately, on Sunday, at noon, the sky cleared for a long while and I could join those who visited Vallarpadam. There were quite a few though the church continued to remain closed. Meanwhile in the parish church behind the Basilica a local sweethearts were getting married and the whole event in the Corona safety settings became so novel an idea in its simplicity. 

Sometimes, I wonder, what is that make me go to Vallarapadam Basilica on every Sunday and whenever possible. Is it the service or the miracles or the grandeur of the church itself...

I guess its an emotion I feel, the carefree, happy, secured, peaceful...

A happy family who brought their newborn to Mary along with the grandparents were gratefully offering their gratitude for the blessing and the sight of them earnestly thanking God was very inspirational. The young mother beamed a hearty smile at me which warmed my heart and made me wish that all those childless couples who seek Mary's help would one day soon get an opportunity to visit here smiling with the happiness of their wish being fulfilled.  

On the way back rode quickly to the Lady of Hope at Vypeen before it started raining again just to have a look around. The pandemic has wrecked the small town of Vypeen just like any other town of the Pandemic hit world and as I rode back all I could think was when will this tragedy end and folks can go back to their work and means of bread, normally 

8th day of the Feast

I couldn't, due to my work, come to the church on the feast day. As usual, the church was crowded on the feast day and the week preceding and following it. Pilgrims & devotees from far and wide and all religious background continued to visit the church on these days. As we all know, Lady of Ransom has a special place in the hearts of those who work in the sea. Such communities make their annual pilgrimage to Vallarpadam on these days. This year too, many of them were there on the day I went to the church. 

The procession after the 11.30 am mass. It went around the Rosary Park and returned to the church. 

Though it looks like ants on the church during day time, the lights were beautiful at night. 

My blessing this year was to know more about the Saint Peter Nolasco. An year earlier I had a dream in which I saw Saint Peter Nolasco standing at the altar of the church. I didn't know the saint then, on enquiry the church staff had told me that we have a statue of the saint in the church. On this feast day, I found the statue beautifully decorated and his name written in bold letters at the bottom. More about the saint in a later post. 

The best drink to have at any time of the day. Sugar Cane Juice are nutritious and very organic, unless the vendor contaminates it. The latest machine and technology make the juice maker's job easy and the waiting less for the thirsty. 

The feast of Our Lady falls in the month of "Kanni" which is called the best month in our Malayalam Calendar. Neither rainy nor summer, just the mild weather of Kerala. 

The Unmistakeable icons of the feast, the status quo accompaniments of the Church and the feast.

One more year, My Lord, I have come to the feast with my grand mother, that is the first visit I could remember and to all the feasts after that when I was home and here in Kerala. 

My Lord and My God, I pray bless all those who seek you with the grace and knowledge to live by You and live in your peace and Joy. 

Amen. 

Feast

Retreat Prior to Mary's feast at Vallarpadam

Beautiful Gateway to Our Lady of Ransom Church

Evening Sun lighting up the Vallarpadam Sky

The new building near the highway lit by the evening's golden sun

With the annual retreat and the Marian pilgrimage this year's feast is just about starting at Vallarpadam. I was lucky to be there on a Monday evening.

Moving on...

Summer holidays are coming to an end. The church was full of activities during these days. Children's activities, getting together, reunions....

As the sun fades and the monsoon advances, its another summer of memories for the young, but a nostalgic indifference for the old. Life goes on, every act needs to be re-acted all the time. :)

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.