Day 48, Sept. 27

Today is Pooja. What that means would be revealed to me at night. For now, I had to go through a long good day. It was also Sunday. Father Deveraj thought it would be good if I would preach and he could translate at least at the first Mass at 5:30 am. I preached on the scriptures of the day which had to do with unauthorized people doing good things as well as cutting you hand off if it is causing you to sin. I just had two points based on what I had seen on y trip in India. The first was the six languages in which I concelebrated Sunday Mass during my stay so far in India. They were Kannada, Bengal, Nepali, Hindi, Malayalam, and here in Tamil. They wee all colorful forms o sincere praise of God. The other was my reaction to being in two Leprosy Hospitals. I expected sorrow and signs of psychological pain. Instead, I was met with joy. People wanted their pictures taken and gladly showed me their amputated digit or hand or foot. They wee happy to be cured. And they were happy to receive the treatment the sisters and the medial staff wee giving them. Amputation can be a joy-giving event especially if it means health and longer life. That’s what confession can do for us. The people liked it. Moe importantly, for good bad, Fr. Deveraj liked it and made me repeat it at each Mass.
Two men who had a lot to do with Love & Care showed up at the rectory n the early afternoon. They were Jesuraj and Mariasusai. I went with them to see a number of children who receive money from Love & Care to go to school. They wee all erect and bright looking like the head of their classes. All their fathers were deceased and their mothers reduced to coolie labor including construction work for a dollar a day. They would be going to the same work if it had not been for L & C. We also visited Jesuraj’s house. He was a school principle. Hs children all engineering students. They are a sign of what all the children in his area could be.
Coming home late from that jaunt, Father and I, in cassocks, rushed over to one of the parish missions for a Mass. The entrance rite here was at least as impressive as what I received the night before. I felt like a minor deity. More garlands and fire and speeches. The church was packed to over flowing. The atmosphere was electric. At the end of Mass, once again, there was a time for a kind of presentation of gifts and an open forum. Whatever I said must have been right again. This gathering was a very real symbol of heaven and we were enjoying it. The people went for that image agreeing with me. I also praised their pastor who had only been sent thee a month ago. I thought this was the highlight of the day.
But, I forgot this was Pooja. There was a celebration to experience. Pooja is a Hindu pagan feast. It’s sort of Thanksgiving mixed in with St. Francis Day. It’s a night for blessing especially means of transportation. We processed to the main street outside the church yard. There were assembled a cohort of heavy trucks as well as motorbikes and other mans of transportation. First, we blessed fire, then food, then the vehicles. Then all the fun broke loose s children were given all sorts of fun food mostly of the nut and grain variety.
Without being prepared for it, I was again asked to speak. When there’s a mob surrounding you at close quarters, I found it beneficial for my health to do what they told me to do. What I said was humorous and made a point and was short. All that was left to do was to let the good times roll. While the crowd rejoiced, the clergy got ready for another day.