Sunday Grace

Trolling ban during the month of June & July are keeping the boats idle. 

It was a beautiful Sunday in our Monsoon. Sunny and warm. The world Cup 2018 FIFA foot ball cup is on in Russia and last night was the match between Argentina and France. Since we had grown watching Maradona and his men winning the 1986 world cup for his country we are sentimentally attached to the Argentinian team. They lost to France 3-4 in a tense last 16 knock-out round match. 

The late night had got me late in waking up and when I reached Vallarpadam eventually it was nearing  2' o clock. I saw these beautiful boats all neatly tied up near the jetty by the flag post. Surprisingly, the air was so still, none of the boats moved at all. 

Beata Teresa Manganiello

Last Sunday a last minute call to work took me away for most of the day and I couldn't come to Vallarpadam. I missed the bliss the whole week and had slowed down quite a bit during the middle of the week. I was hoping to come in between during the week, but couldn't, some of the days it was raining very hard. So today, I was very focused and attentive with my meditative thanks giving and weekly breakups of events. I did that very earnestly. After the quite time, I was looking around when I came across this beautiful box with the picture of Teresa Manganiello by the window sill. My curiosity made me open the box and I found a light colored wooden cross inside. Someone's parents safe keep  which they have left here, perhaps after the dear one died.

The Italian nun is a very popular saint, even movies are made after her; you can read more about her at Beata Teresa Manganiello (click the name).

After the vegetarian lunch at Meenakshi Restaurant I came back and sat in the portico converted prayer hall. The Sunlight was perfect and the statue of Meenakshi Amma offering herself and her child to Mary came out well in the picture I took. Since the statue deck has been cleared recently there were hardly any thanks giving note. 

Just before the 4pm Tamil mass started I sat outside in the courtyard enjoying the afternoon breeze from the Arabian Sea which was very calming and soothing to the soul and body. The Vallarpadam special. 

It was a beautiful day, the time of the year when the Monsoon regulates the crowd, the church looked spacious and meditative with limited devotees in and around who greeted each other very warmly. 

Thank you Lord, for making me grateful for the week and work that went by and helping me look forward hopefully to the coming one by making me organize in thought what to do. Dear Jesus, the Sunday blessing is graciously appreciated. 

Remembering my Father

Fourteen years since my father died. I was working away from India in a good job and in a good position when he died. I was very grateful to God that I could make him proud and take care  of his funeral well.
Since then, my life has nose dived unbelievably. Fortunately, it has improved  in the last few years.
I wonder whether I thank God enough for my father.

I would be homeless and mostly breadless if I didn't have what he left for me.

Thank You Adonai, we the living pray for our dead. May his soul Rest In Peace.

Tith

When I put in my tithes last Sunday, I was hesitant, should I offer all that I have taken out from my purse. Monsoon means, less work in my very seasonal work and June, July are very frugal months. Still, when the offer box passed by I made the offering without holding back.
This Saturday, there was an unexpected call asking my service on Sunday morning. I was pleasantly surprised.

So on Sunday I came to Vallarpadam at noon,  happy and grateful after completing the assignment in the morning.  Ofcourse, I had a full meal too from the Meenakshi restaurant with their special chicken curry!

Thank you My Lord, please keep blessing all of us with bread!

Feast of Sacred Heart

It has been two weeks since I went to Vallarpadam. With the start of Monsoon, I couldn't make it to the church on last Sunday. It has been raining heavily since the beginning of the monsoon which literally started after the Vishu this year. The picture is the first sight I saw as I stepped into the church this Sunday morning. 

It was not crowded at all, calm and quiet, very pleasing to the mind. Even the Meenakshi restaurant was at ease. They had all the meal today. But I settled for some little snacks, though I wanted their full meal which is my practice on Sundays. 

For a moment, while praying I was blessed with a sweet connection which turned my being into joyful existence. That brief moment was enough and the inspiration stayed on for a long time and helped me with my thoughts, to be thankful and to do what I have to do in the coming days. Both the list, of things to be thankful and the things to do came out uninterrupted and effortlessly to my mind, I felt very grateful. 

One thing I need to keep thanking consistently is the blessing we all have with the English language. For those of us who has to depend on the language in earning bread, the mastery of this foreign language is so absolutely important. I am not sure whether I have kept on trying after a level, still the realisation itself was a blessing to work more on it. 

We pray Jesus, bless all of us who do not have any kind of security or connections at all in this life and has to rely solely on the skills and talents that You have blessed us with, to keep our blessings polished and updated and that we continue to earn a decent bread with it. 

Another best thing about the rainy day is the parking with out the vehicle getting scorched in the shelter less heat of the church parking. 

On my way out of the church I saw that happy family sitting on the parapet enjoying the brief break in the rain. 

Happy Day Jesus! Thank you for teaching us to be peaceful and joyful even in scarcity. 

Bless your Sacred Heart.

Life inside the notebook

July 10th, a Sunday in the early Monsoon weeks. 

It was raining straight and hard. There was not much wind. Luckily, it cleared off after every 20 minutes or so into the rain. I was worried because I  had lost my umbrella again, the first of this season. I normally loose two or three every year. With the rain like this I have to  carry it with me everywhere and as the tradition suggests has to leave it outside the door of the office or other establishments I go to, but often I forget to take it back when I leave. 

I found this note book on the bench inside the church. Written as an offering from cover to cover with some pieces of paper with special request on them. This one here is a request to Mother Mary seeking blessing to build a small house.  

Very touching, indeed." Dear Lord, bless everyone who have decided to lead the family way of life with everything they need."

I felt it was such a blessing to come across an young ones' mind who is aware of their responsibilities and seeking heavenly blessing to carry them out. The note reads for the grace and strength to reach a situation in his/her life so that the person can take care of their family. 

Expect thou to give wisdom and send holy spirit from above!

Written 868 times from cover to cover on a hundred page notebook. 

Another note found inside the book. A printed thanks giving card with a baby's photo.

Life and emotions from the world we live in. I felt so grateful that I came across it. 

The Pentecost

I was looking forward to the day since Easter. I like the big candle they used to light in every church from Easter and wanted to photograph as many as possible in different churches I go to before  Pentecost. I did take some, but not many. 

They have a new flyover infront of the Basilica on the highway. Now, if we are coming from Ernakulam we have to go much forward and take the U-Turn from under the flyover and drive back to the church. Safe, though many who come to the church continue to take a right turn infront of the church the way they used to do earlier before the flyover. Unsafe and causes traffic block. 

The feast of the Holy Ghost was on at the Church. As we know when the Portuguese Missionaries started this church in 1524 it was dedicated to the Holy Ghost. It could be the first church in Asia dedicated to the Holy Spirit according to the church notification. Naturally, Pentecost, which is the beginning of the history of the church should be a big celebration at our church. But somehow the celebrations are there but not as big as the Mary's feast in September. 

In Jewish traditions there are three compulsory pilgrimages to Jerusalem temple the Jews have to undertake no matter where ever they are settled. "Shavout" or The Pentecost is one of them which is the fiftieth day from Passover. Galileans like Jesus and disciples had come to Jerusalem for the Pessach and it was during one of those pilgrimages when Jesus was caught and killed. After The Resurrection Jesus had instructed the disciples to be in Jerusalem. So when the Shavout arrived the disciples and Mary was in Jerusalem preparing for the festival. Mostly Shavout is a two day festival which celebrates the receiving of ten commandments by Moses from God nearly 3300 years ago. Women and children light candles and lamps at home while men will stay over at night awake in the synagogue and study Torah and read the book of Ruth. Since Shavout is also coinciding with the harvest of wheat its also a harvest festival when the Israelites offered the first fruit of their harvest to the temple. The offering included the first born of men and cattle also. 

Naturally Jerusalem and the temple was crowded when the incidents of The Pentecost occurred. The arrival of  Holy Spirit with the sound of storm and the disciples beginning to speak in many tongues. Many scholars comments that was the beginning of the church history too. 

An old offering box at the church. I like the simple, yet creatively crafted wooden box, still very well taken care of. 

Wish you all the blessing and grace of the Pentecost. May the breath Jesus breathed upon the disciples continue to live through us and help us carry our crosses and follow the One who came in the name of the Father. 

Bless you Adonai, Bless you Jesus, Thank you Mary & Apostles. 

Feast of St. George at Edapally

The festival is On at our Edapally St. George church. In our Kerala tradition the festivals in temples and churches start with the hoisting of flags.  At Edapally  May First marks the Grand Entry of the saint into the courtyard of the church fully dressed and adorned with ornaments. The statue of the saint will be placed making it convenient for the devotees to visit and pay their respect. For most of us its the day and event that we do not want to miss.
Thank you Lord, for one more year.