Friday, October 14, 2011

Running Away to Home
Home after three years must be something. I wasn’t expecting something I wasn’t waiting for. In fact, I really needed to be home. I needed to get back and get the feel of the familiar surroundings. I needed to get the sense of the reality out there and not be frustrated by the outlet news. I disparately needed to get the smell of the kitchen smoke which I generously got it spending time with my Dad & Mum around the oven. I wish I could endlessly describe from day one to the finishing hour of my home stay - cut off from the basic necessities of modern gadgets. First of all, no electricity, no road connectivity to the village, I actually walked home 8 kms as the village is cut off from the public transport, no water supply, no possibility of internet connectivity, no televisions around – it all sounds like you lacked everything. But in fact, I had everything. I had all the time. I got no time to waste while I did nothing. I Spent much of my home stay, going around to say hello to as many as I could some of whom I definitely know I will not see them again when I get home the next time (that’s the sad part of it).
I was able to divide my short time (from 17 September to 09 October) between home & diocese. I stayed at bishop’s house where I could say hello to a good number of priests. I spent a day in Mumbai with my brothers and cousins around there. I reached San Romano Martire parish, Rome on 10th October where I will be doing my pastoral ministry as a student priest and continue my studies. The coming days are going to be very busy trying to get myself registered in the university, get settled in the parish and get used to parish life here. I hope friends will say a prayer for me so that I cope up with this new situation. Probably I will be able to share more of my home stay experiences even at later pace when I am allowed to. I only want you to know that I am back and that my escape to home was worth the making.