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).

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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).