Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Children have the upper hand

If we have the eagerness to celebrate life as much as children do, we definitely have fewer problems. It’s -9o here at Cassine on 20th December 2009 and the cold is – well imaginable but that’s not going to stop them from pulling their mother’s apron to the piazza to ride on the trenino, visit the presepe, and most importantly tickling the aging at the hospice to moments of laughers with their presumptuous gifts and Christmas carols. I see the impatience of these children to celebrate but such impatience would have been a treasure in our adult world.
And watch out, we are definitely going for a white Christmas. Some think it unfortunate but I think it is romantic and poetic so the song reminds us. In truth, it takes you back to the manger.

Monday, December 14, 2009

It's time for Christmas

Be it in the Christian world of the West or the world of other faiths, Christmas is still phenomenal to our planet. In a sense Christ is proclaimed worldwide even if it is for many a season of profit making. Bringing together families, relatives, friends, acquaintances and communities definitely is the height of Christmas regardless of one’s faith. I always loved and highly value this aspect of coming together.
Unconsciously this thought was conscious to me as we (me and Breson) spent our time with friends from S. Elena di San Severino Marche on 13th December 2009. They (eight in number) came to Rome for no particular intention if not to visit us and exchange Christmas wishes. That make a lot of sense to friends.
We passed off the day having nothing to do in particular (that wasn’t the purpose) but found no sufficient time. We participated at the Angelus with Papa at St. Peter’s Square, enjoyed ourselves a leisure lunch to the self service Ciao Restaurant at Termine, make a merry go round the city – passed the Christmas stalls, visited P. spagna, fontana di trevi, monte citorio, Pantheon, P. Navona or along the trastevere. This is good for a meaningful Christmas celebration in context. We can definitely carried forward such wonderful experience into the Christmas event and pray for each other more concretely even when one is not physically present to each other. I offer the same complement to everyone, friends in particular to a happy Christmas preparations and to the meaningful celebrations.
See friends of the Day (video clip).

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

FEELING AT HOME IN NAPLES-POMPEII


I, together with Breson and Marwein make a dashing visit to Naples-Pompeii on 5th and 6th December 2009. In a word, I felt quite at home. As you alight the train, you will be surprised to see the leaking roofs at different parts of the station. Walk in through the street, you sense the shit all over, you will not be surprised of the blasting horning from all directions and if you are crossing the road you got to be very careful, they get right through you. People are definitely rough and tough and rustic and less discipline. And of course, they look suspicious too. There is sufficient disorder here and I felt at home at the very first sight as we ourselves are from a house of disorder-India. I made no comparison with other cities of Italy, be it in its orderliness, beauty, aesthetic and artistic consciousness or whatsoever. Naples has its own originality in its disorder. We had a different experience altogether.

Sunday, November 29, 2009

UPS! THERE WE ARE!

The brothers and sisters of North East India wandering around in Rome came together for a headcount at UPS on 29th November 2009. We were not less than 50 present for the Holy Mass at 12 noon and of course later for the grant fellowship meal. It was a wonderful occasion to meet fellow brethren, many of whom we already know or at least heard of and never met or seen. We had ample time to interact among ourselves and to find out how we all are doing out here. It was also a good day out to refresh ourselves away from books and computers screens. To sing those familiar hymns at the mass, say prayers that are homely, those typical tribal cuisines–apparently unattractive though, but leaves no trace of it at the end, etc. means a lot to a pilgrim away from home. So much better, but we have to take leave of each other sooner than expected; for we must go miles before we sleep.

We may be far from home but we have a family here (see traces of it in the video clip).

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Say a Prayer for Her

(Remembering Alungphy, a cousin and friend. She passed away on 23rd November 2009).
Alung - my sister, Let this little picture I photographed on 6th January 2007 be our point of connection and consolation. I left a copy for you before I took leave of you. I am sure you took a good look of it yourself before you took leave of us. I heard you passed off peacefully. That doesn’t lessen my grief though. I wrote to you sometime last year and you were grateful to me. The last time I spoke to you over the phone, I sense you were anxious about something and… I promise I shall keep it. Forgive me for not been there to lay you to rest. But I promise you will be my first host on my return home. I will be there on my knees at the Church’s grave yard before your tomb’s stone – I promise. Tonight I offer your soul to the Lord (with veryheavy hearts though) in the offering of His body and blood at the Eucharistic table. I did it for you, all alone. Now, go in peace my sister.

You my friends, whisper a prayer for her as you listen to this music.


Tuesday, November 17, 2009

New Places-New Experiences

Any journey to a new place is an adventure. You cannot pre-determine too many presumptions. We got to be prepared to face any circumstances, expected and unexpected. But the worst thing that can happen-happens unexpectedly. A weekend, free from your normal routine can be a wonderful idea if not habituated. To visit Leuven has been contemplated for quite sometime especially to pay a visit to compatriot Stanis and exchange few pleasantries, a chitchat of everything. Breson Paul and I took off for Leuven on the 13th November by Ryaniar at 08.30 hrs. Everything was in perfect order until the first disaster struck. I realized my mobile phone gone missing. I felt the ice flowing right through my spine and to think that I may never ever again hear some people. I felt part of me going missing – the inability to communicate. The second disaster and the first casualty of the missing mobile came immediately. Fr. Stanis who must be at the station to pick us up is not around even after two hours of waiting and the link by now is cut off with the mobile gone. He seemed to have disappeared for ever only to discover later that we were then looking for each other at the twin parallel stations. This is true and still happens in the modern hi-tech world when a quantum of it gets disrupted. The rest you can well expect. How we found each other - in fact we had no time even to evaluate the entire episode. We had too many things to talk and too many places to reach in this short time. Leuven is known worldwide for its love for knowledge and for producing well known theologians, educationists, philosophers etc. The entire atmosphere actually speaks for its importance. Brussel, the capital city definitely is far modern in contrast to the cute little antique city of Brudge or the city of Kent immortalize by the famous painting – The Mystic Lamb. Take a trip on the video clip.

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

A thought for a Birthday

I am intrigued to thinking of the arrival and the departure of life on this day while thanking God for the gift of my life. Think of what a wise man would have said: ‘man has three friends; worldly goods, which at the hour of death must be left behind; parents and friends who will naturally accompany your body to the grave, shed tears but must forget you sooner; but good works which may have been loved very little will indeed accompany you and be remembered’. If only a good deed passes by everyday.
It does make sense. It is not enough to do, but it is necessary to do well what we do. Not enough to be alive, but necessary to live well.

The sea is blue and so are the skies. You always stand between them to make it one.

Sunday, October 11, 2009

4th October 2009, Feast of St. Francis Assisi

This in fact is my third time in a row at Assisi in a year’s time with no regrets whatsoever. In fact, every visit to Assisi was unique. This time it was occasioned to accompany my Archbishop, Dominic Lumon and Fr. Francis Kalapurackal whose patron Saint’s Feast we went to participate. We reached Assisi at about 10.00 am and found an ocean of people crowding the entire vicinity of the Basilica. We could never possibly venture to go up to the upper part of the Basilica but managed to visit the tomb and returned back home as late as 9.00 pm. Captured video clip of the day.

Saturday, October 3, 2009

To the Audience of the Holy Father

30th September 2009 was like any other day, like any other audience of the Holy Father that one may attend. But to me this audience was something special and memorable. My friend Anna Menghi make all the difference. Special people, special occasion, make the moment memorable. It was an honour to be with her and to lend a little helping hand for her movement as she has to be wheel chaired (impaired physically by polio). Apparently weak from her physical difficulties but superior in her intellectual acumen, God fearing, politically credible, keen in understanding people’s problems, and a person in whose presence you feel at ease. A one time Sindaco (Mayor) of Macerata (a province) and involved in many associations, ecclesial and social activities. I am privileged to find a friend in her. I shall remember this audience with unique memories of her. Find a video clip of the day.


Tuesday, September 22, 2009

A Pilgrimage to Medjugorie


I always thought of making a pilgrimage to Lourdes or Fatima but not Medjugorie. It was a surprise and unexpected turnaround, thanks to my friend Anna Menghi. The day started from 3rd until 9th September 2009. We left on a Pullman for Ancona Port and boarded for Split-Spalato, Croatia and spent the night on board. The next five full days were spent at Medjugorie with immense spiritual enrichments. We heard the testimonies of Maria and Ivan to whom our lady continue to appear daily. We visited many communities at Medjugorie to hear their testimonies of faith (Cenacolo, Oasis of Peace, etc). We made the journey to the apparition hill and way of the cross to Kresvac, the mount of the cross. The celebration of the Eucharistic meal, the endless procession of penitents to confessions, the depth of silence at the Eucharistic adoration, are incredible impressions of deep spiritual experience.

What I gather from Medjugorie is all ordinary; in fact too ordinary to believe that our lady chose such an obscure place – but Bethlehem or Nazareth is ordinary anyway. The extraordinary thing here is that everything is ordinary. At Medjugorie there is nothing to see without faith. Everything is simple, natural, apparently nothing supernatural.

Therefore, whether you believe in the apparition of our lady is – but owe to you if you doubt the manifestation of faith by the faithful and pilgrims here. At Medjugorie you find the presence of God (through our lady) more concretely and visibly. The message of our lady is simple: turn back to God (a call to conversion).

Friday, August 28, 2009

Top of the World

In fact, every peak is on top of the world. In any case, guys must not think that I am only going around doing nothing. In fact, that’s my purpose, to sketch and move on even if it is on a snail’s pace. Every vista, a panorama is a turn in one’s life. A day out to the Sibillini mountains (27th Aug), like Mt. Bove or Mt. Prata or to the community of Castelluccio, seated on a plateau with decorated valley all over and walled around by these scenic mountains. Why not to a lunch or a cappuccino adorned by this beauty. It was indeed a day filled with natural scenic beauty all over you. A visit up to Mt. Bove by seggiovia (ropeways) or walk around at various viewpoints may mean a bit too much but it’s worth the once. It was a day out, and it counts for a holidayed who must get back to work. It’d sure helps to go on and go well.

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Never Forget to Celebrate Life

Keep celebrating life without forgetting your identity. Out for a pizza to Marchigiano or to Serrapetrona for the night to the feast of the maize or more exciting even to be there at Loro Piceno to zip to the vino cotto (which literally would mean cooked wine). It was a night full of life (23rd August). You find crowding from one spot to another, either to a sing out or to the steps like salterello, typical dance of the place. Watch out the video clip of the fire work at the finale. It was just fantastic.

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Feragosto 2009

Feragosto is definitely a day of celebration if not for the Assumption of the Blessed Lady into heaven which at time is sidelined. In fact it is true. People closed up their houses and go off to mountains and beaches. The priest has to go there to find a congregation for the mass. I found myself right on top of Elcito, at the hem of Monte S. Vicino. It is such a beautiful little hived village, an ideal place for holidaying but not live here, so the inhabitants say. They no longer live here anymore except for the summer camping. Right at the tip of the cliff is the church of S. Rocco, cute and adorable. A priest rightly came on these days and celebrated the mass. I spent two days (15th and 16th) here with my parishioners so that I would not be left home alone blinking. Definitely it was an experience and worth the celebration. You can see that people wanting to be away from home and work for a day or two. So if you are working, you deserve a feragosto. (view picture of Elcito)

Monday, August 10, 2009

A Day Like This Counts

Some People are Always Special. I am back to my old community of Gavonata. They have been always special to me. They are very lovable, warm and homely. You just enjoy their hospitality, love and affection. This is the community where I first began my ministry in Italian, and tonight (4th August) a dinner like this with them is lovely. A day like this really counts.
During my short stay here, I also visited the sanctuary of our Lady (Madonna della Guardia) at Tortona where the remains of Don Luigi Orione (St. Aloysius Orione) whose body still remains intact, uncorrupted and venerated by the faithful. It always moved you to think and reflect on life, death and resurrection. Today, I am back in Sant’Elena. Life and ministry is rewarding when you are wanted, needed and you are able to give your service without reservation. God bless priesthood.

Monday, August 3, 2009

Some Days It Is Like That

A week has passed off quietly almost unnoticed. In fact, I am spending this past week in a parish at Cassine, in the province of Alessandria to substitute Don Pino while he is away with the parish youth to the mountains. Basically the day is left open to my leisure except the celebration of a mass or two. Saturday and Sunday were exhausting. I have to celebrate two masses late in the evening of Saturday and four masses on the next day with the first mass at 8.00 am. I intend to make up the loss browsing the desk for a while.

Monday, July 27, 2009

Among the Folks

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