Monday, January 12, 2009

Examinations; yesterday, today…

and ever shall be the same. The first term examinations come knocking the doors of the Pontifical University Students, Rome. Watch out, who is knocking whose door? What is the hurry? What is the urgency? Why? The old habit – ‘I just need to know exactly which are the probable questions for the examinations’. Who cares if I am studying for knowledge, for life, or for examinations? Can I deny the truth? Things have not changed. Elementary or High school but and university (one mentioned), examinations always come around you sipping your cup of tea. I am not kidding. There is no difference, the difference is the age – one is old and the other young.
No, there should be some difference and the difference can be me and me alone. I cannot change the system. But I can change my approach. It is the attitude. I think that make sense.

Tuesday, January 6, 2009

Martha or Mary…


Gifts always come as a surprise. To me, the greatest gift of the season was a scandal for many, news too good to be true. Believe me; I told my companion, ‘I am with Martha and Mary…’ and the instinctive query was, “are you Jesus or Lazarus?” Well, I have not made my claims. But my sisters, Mary Grace and Suchita (at Convento San Giusseppe, Cassine) were the greatest gifts of the season. I made my home with them for Christmas and New Year. We don’t pick such gifts from super markets or hi-tech shops nor do we merit them.
I believe, the shepherds experienced a surprised announcement of the privileged gift. I don’t know if they have merited it. In my case, it’s a pure blessing.

Remember the Night… (26th December 2008)


Remember the night with a difference. My Christmas was between expectation and apprehension, anticipation/expectation because it was my first Christmas overseas; apprehension because it was also my first mass in Italian with Italian community. So, it was sort of mix feeling. My midnight mass was at Gavonata, closed to Cassine, a cute little community, the most active and lively community in the parish. It was a well prepared liturgy. The liturgy began with an hour long opera, narrating the birth of Jesus with well prepared chorus. The celebration therefore became very meaningful in spite of the poor performance of the celebrant. Thanks for such an unforgettable night, the night at Gavonata, the night of the messiah, the night of the star, and the night of the stranger in their midst (the celebrant).
No more fear, no more anxiety, but joy and peace is what Christmas always bring to us. Keep remembering the night, the night of the light, the night of the shepherds, the night of the star, the night of the manger and the night of contradictions.

What a Difference… (23rd December 2008)



This is Cassine, closed to Alessandria in Pietmonte region. Cassine is not Rome. Rome is or could be like Cassine. I love Rome but people don’t seem to love or know each other. I meet lovely normal people here. Everyone knows everybody. You cannot be a stranger here. You may say it’s an obscure little place of no importance. But you always find Jesus this way. And am so happy, people here are so warm and lively. My life here on 21st December is already a Christmas experience. Scatola Colori, il trenino, visit to the presepe, children celebrating Christmas with anzianis (the aged), Ciocolato, etc., are all activities centered on children and it reminds you of the same enthusiasm and anticipation of a child’s joy, a thing of the past. The musical night concert was an experience.
As we think of celebrating Christmas, bring to reality; the least, the weakest and fragile souls into our midst and made Christmas truly meaningful in the midst of all contradictions.