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.