The Old Rugged Cross is Back

I listened to all kinds of music. I love all types of music. I spent time listening to rap, jazz, country or pop or whatever. Any music has its beauty. It helps to put you in perspective. May be we devote too much time to pop culture today. Anyway, I won urge anyone to abstain from listening music. I would only ask you to do some charity to yourself. Change your music genre for a while. It can do you a lot of good. Do it as a Lenten penance. I listened to an old classic hymn of George Bernard today. It is said that "On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross". If you have to cling on to anything, cling on to this. Well, this hymn places you right there. Listen to it and spend little time meditating on it. It won harm you anyway. You can follow the words as well as scripted below.

On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross,
The emblem of suff’ring and shame;
And I love that old cross where the dearest and best
For a world of lost sinners was slain.

So I’ll cherish the old rugged cross,
Till my trophies at last I lay down;
I will cling to the old rugged cross,
And exchange it some day for a crown.

Oh, that old rugged cross, so despised by the world,
Has a wondrous attraction for me;
For the dear Lamb of God left His glory above
To bear it to dark Calvary.

In that old rugged cross, stained with blood so divine,
A wondrous beauty I see,
For ’twas on that old cross Jesus suffered and died,
To pardon and sanctify me.

To the old rugged cross I will ever be true;
Its shame and reproach gladly bear;
Then He’ll call me some day to my home far away,
Where His glory forever I’ll share.

Farewell Dear Fr. Chacko

     The news of the death of Fr. T.J. Chacko has left me somewhat in despair. I can do nothing about it except silently thank him and bid him farewell. I feel so bad that I am denied this final rite. I saw him last October and he looked healthier and happier than ever.  He gifted me his autobiography part II. I never thought that he could leave so fast. I always think of him because he is part of my vocation story. How much influence he has had on my path to priesthood I will never know, maybe I was too young to know or I am not willing to appreciate what I know. But I am too sure of too many things when it comes to how it all began.

     How much do I believe in the plan of God for me? I don’t know. But one thing is clear and everything seemed to unfold with the arrival of Fr. Chacko to Chingjaroi (my village) in 1980 as the first parish priest to pioneer the centre. Because that’s the first time I ever saw a priest and that’s the first time I ever step into a school (the school was then managed by the Church and subsequently absorbed into the new parish school the following year). With his arrival many things began to role in to the life of the Church in Chingjaroi as well. That’s the first time I went to a catechism class to prepare us for the First Communion. That’s the first time I ever saw teachers coming from outside the village (Ms Christina & Ms Sara). So many things were taking place in this first year and the following. I see Fr. Chaco everywhere – teaching songs now, a throw ball game or an Arabian flag game there, villages constructing a temporary thatch roof school, a boarding house, clearing the jungle for gardening, collecting dry firewood, clearing the path to the great dream of connecting road from Razai to Chingjaroi and the list can go on. All these left a great impression to the young boy. Perhaps for a little rustic like me, it was too great a dream to dream to be a priest but I guess I quietly desired to be one. The truth is, whenever I think of or speak of my vocation, he always takes the front seat. That says much and done to a little impressionable mind. 

     Today, I am still wondering how on earth I was able to get around him as a small boy. I mean we all knew him as a tough man, a disciplinarian and demanding and kept him as far away as possible. But for whatever reason, I happen to be one among the chosen ones to be there to mind the parish house and look after the pigs and chicks during the vacations when the boarders are home away. This personal care, trust and confidence placed on us later pay dividends – (two priests). Fr. Parvis was no different in this matter.

     Today, as the final rite is been celebrated I can only join from afar with the community of faithful of the diocese of Imphal along with the  bishop, priests, religious and his dear and loved ones. I join them all in commenting his spirit to the Lord.  I will always be ever grateful to him for what I am today. Farewell dear Father!

     I was just listening to this old song today and thought of him. Really, ‘What can I give you in return’ for all that you are to me and so are my friends and the many people for whom you toiled and labour and above all gave them Christ. We can only say we will miss you Father.

Can I Start My Christmas Today?

I do not think I can easily make mistake remembering one Christmas time more than 30 years back that’s when I got a new shirt with an extended enlarged pocket - of course only on my insistence so that I can drop in all my little possessions in it.  This was days much before the Christmas Day and I remember exactly that early chilly morning with the new dress on asking my dad if I could start off my Christmas day. I don’t think I ever waited for what he has to say; anyway I was already off to somewhere to show off.

It doesn’t matter which part of the world you come from, whose generation you referred to, children always have the first taste of Christmas celebrations. May be they are too impatient to see the new Christmas KID or they are too excited about their new look – the new dress, the toys, the gifts, the snow or Santa Claus or the carol and the like of the season. I have seen children with the same excitement and anticipation even in a more sophisticated society. I wish we have little more of this enthusiasm and excitement even though that means looking little childlike.

At San Romano (my parish here in Rome) you can have some of these privileges. All these days a day passes by with something to remind you that we are at the threshold of the great event and the anticipation keeps you wild awake for the day we await. Think of the musical concerts we have had in the parish in preparation, some special meals with special groups or movements, a day of celebration for little school kids, and lots of spiritual initiatives to prepare us well worthy of the day.

I guess everyone out there too is busy working out something special for this Christmas and that is great. I wish friends, acquaintances, and all lovers of Christmas celebrations God’s manifold blessings on this Christmas too and get something to take forward to a Happy New to begin with.

A small video clip to have a glance of San Romano Martire Parish, Rome. 

  

Finding a Home at San Romano Martire

I guess I have taken too long to settle down. In fact it is more than a month since my last update. I haven’t said a word about my new place, people and parish here in Rome. I don’t know why I waited so long. May be I did not know where to begin and what to begin but waited rightly for a New Day of the New Liturgical Year (27^th Nov. 2011). Look at the lovely 1^st Sunday Advent candle lit at our parish church. With such sentiment I would wish everyone out there, busy in one’s own right, a season of great hope, a time to reclaim our faith and reaffirm our commitment to the Gospel.
As for the parish, named San Romano Martire (St. Romanus Martyr) that’s where I find myself, I must say I am much impressed and edified in the practice of faith by the people in this parish. This is one parish in Rome where I found the Church is rightly used. We have four masses (plus the vigil mass on Saturday) celebrated on Sundays and every mass the Church is filled to its capacity. On week days too many people frequent both the masses – morning and evening. I found what is even more edifying to see people visiting the Blessed Sacrament all the day through. You hardly find the chapel of the Blessed Sacrament empty even though we do not have perpetual adoration (we have it every Thursday).  You can drop in any day of the week at 6.00 pm to join in praying the rosary. Besides, the parish is engaged in numerous other activities and movements to take the parish forward both in faith and in the day to day life of the parish and parishioners. 
A young and dynamic Parish Priest Don Marco Fibbi is definitely the man pulling the string, keeping the parish going strong and alive. He is assisted by his Assistant Don Julio and two other student priests Don Ayad and me of course who lend him a helping hand. I am more than happy to find myself here to offer my priestly ministry.You definitely would like to know more about this parish. You can visit the site at www.sanromano.org and find out more about the parish. This picture is the interior of the church – the sanctuary beautifully done in mosaic art.

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.

The Woods

I had some real quiet time as I could not excess to the internet for over a week as both the parishes that I stayed did not have it in their rectories. I had much better time without having to worry if I have to browse for some news or messages. I had some good time doing the things I loved. I was so excited when Fr. Scott Nobbe invited me to join him for fishing and had great time enjoying every single fish I pull up – I tried out with the big mowing machine at St. Joseph’s and ended up cutting the entire open ground of the parish. At Fr. Aaron Jenkins (Bright) I would go around looking for deer, turkeys or geese which I always found them and it was more than exciting. I must be grateful to him also for taking me out to a place I love – the woods. It was in fact a day out – picnic with his parents, sister and family. We really had fun, going around the woods with the four wheel little car and a grand picnic lunch. You will love to spend in such a natural world.

Ordinary Days

Passing off an ordinary day of the week days can be an extraordinary day if you have nothing to cry over. Imagine you have the best house with everything you need: a room, a TV, a laptop, a cell phone, food and drink – just lack nothing in a sense. But what do you do the whole day – get up -  say your lousy prayers,  sit before the television set for a while, browse in for some news and updates from around the world, sip a coffee, move out of the house for a walk around and come back to the same empty house? I mean, you may have the best of everything, but there can be a sense of emptiness, restlessness, or whatever in such a situation. This can be frustrating when you apparently have everything and lack everything - when you have no one to relate to except creating a virtual world around you with modern technologies.

I have tried not to fall into such a monotonous situation. In fact over the past weeks, I have occupied myself doing several things. Going to places has been my weakness for the moment. I stayed a couple of days at Nashua NH with Fr. Daniel, spent a weeklong at Tampa FL with Fr. Augustine Mailadiyil sharing some old and new stories of Manipur and the diocese, a day with Joyce & Annemarie NJ and occasional cookout or dinner out with Fr. Jim & Fr. Josekutty. To me each of these days had been always an extraordinary day. So if guys are wondering how I pass off my ordinary days, it has been always extraordinary, it’s as simple as that.  See also the video clip.