Jesus Christ is risen Haleluah! Easter in my mother's place church
Easter festival began in my mother's place church, which is the church of Immaculate heart of Mary, located in Periyasamypuram, which is in Tuticorin dioceses. The church, which I hold dear to my heart always, where my faith walk began. I am captured by the mere beauty of The Mother Mary statue in this church and her many miracles in my life through this church. My Mother's house is very far from mine in India. It will take about 16 hours to reach mother's place by road. Even then, however little my holidays may be, when I travel to India, I designate 2 days to visit my mother's place mainly to visit my parents and to visit this church. Such visits are unannounced and I do it between my family schedule and my professional presentations in Indian universities. I always like to decorate mother Mary statue with a large rose garland. so whenever I go to this church, I take a big rose garland for her, which I do not buy ready made, but i will stop by the neighboring town and get the garland made fresh with lot of pink roses, while I am waiting near and watching it is being made, usually it takes about 3 to 4 hours to make a big rose garland. When I reach the village, always my first stop will be the church, where I visit Immaculate Heart of Mary, then I go to mom's house, which is just behind the church. One such visit, it was noon, usually,the church front door, will be closed during that time, only the side door will be opened, but, as I was getting down from my car, the sacristian was opening the church door wide, he was there randomly for checking something, for me it was like mother Mary, was welcoming knowing my heart's desire, and it was like almost she was saying welcome home my child. The sacristian helped me to place the garland around Mother Mary statue right away, if not it would have waited until the evening prayer. I need not mention further the joy, peace, and blessings I received during that trip. Like wise every time I visit, mother Mary fulfills my childish desires. By the way, having childish desires is good to soul. Last week I learned from the parish priest, Rev. Fr. John Xavier, that they are renovating the church, I can't wait to see the church soon.
My Mother's place is a catholic village, where only one caste and one religion ( Catholic) people live. It is a panchayit village, where seven other village constituted under this village Jurisdiction. The center of attarction of this village is the Church of Immaculate Heart of Mary, where there is daily mass and daily evening prayers. In the month of May, every day mass is sponsored by a family and evening vespers and adoration is sponsored by a family. Whole month mass and the vespers in the evening are sponsored by families. In my behalf my mother celebrate one day mass and vespers every year. Easter has many traditions in this little village. It begins from Palm Sunday, when the whole village people attend mass and the four main streets of the village are cleaned and sprinkled water by the village youth girls, and the village youth boys tie the palm and lights all over the streets as the preparation for the palm Sunday procession.Palm Sunday mass is preceded by the grand procession of palm all through four main streets of the village. Then throughout holy week, people cook common meal and share to the villagers in the evenings. This done by some people with some prayerful intentions. Eating in such meal is counted and considered as a blessing. providing such a meal in the church is considered as a thanksgiving offering. On Holy Thursday people cook, a traditional meal, which is made up of red beans and jaggerry, and they share with friends and neighbors, and they attend evening church. Good Friday nobody goes to work, the people who reside outside the village come to the village, children come to the parents house. There is an interesting story behind not going to work on good Friday. Let me share that with you now. I do not remember the name of the priest related to this story, it happened during my father's childhood, I will ask him later. Our village then was called as "Kattapadu" which means place for COD fish. Yes then there was abundance of COD fish in our sea, where many people went for fishing. One good Friday majority of the people went to fish without going to church. The priest was very sad, and he said that day, if the COD fish kept you all from the church, there will be no more COD fish in this sea. From that day onwards there is no Cod fish, no more fishing in this sea. It has become a beautiful clean sea shore. Many elders of that time recall this event account. This days we are treating priests very lightly, without realizing their power. They have power to bind and to release the bondage in this earthly life and even in heaven. I recall St. Francis of Assisi saying about priests. He said that if an angel and a priest come opposite to him he will venerate the priests first. Getting back to the holy week tradition, the traditional cooking in everybody house on that day is Dhal curry and green leafy vegetables. There is a custom, some houses they will cook food and the man of the house will go out and bring three people he meets first for the lunch, signifying the Holy Trinity. My father has done this many times that I have observed during my childhood. Whole village attend the church for good Friday with great spiritual observation. Eucharistic adoration, which began after the holy Thursday mass continues till 12 noon of Good Friday, when all the villagers attend the adoration and they have the lunch after adoration. Majority of then fast until that time. Each hour adoration is designated to may religious sabai such as children, women, youth boys, st. vincent de paul, holy family, ave maria ( youth girls),etc...........
All these adorations are organized and helped by the Seven dollars sisters, the only convent in the village, where there are about 8 sisters reside all the time. they run the school and help in the altar. I leaned gardening and altar decorations from these sisters in my childhood. Holy Saturday, there is something called assanam, where the people come together and cook a common food from morning 9am till 1pm and in the evening from 3pm to 6pm whole village sit together and have a common meal, then they return back for Easter mass at 11pm. Recollecting all these events, which I observed in my childhood, learning that nothing has changed from then, I call them as my village tradition. Our Easter tradition there involves whole village as one family. In every details of these celebration, the priest is the center person, sisters, and the village organizers , and the entire village. My mom is one among the village organizers and co coordinators, she also sings in choir and all my maternal uncles as well.My mom is my inspiration, in everything I do. My maternal uncle, who is of my age, he is the village leader now.My grant father and fore fathers were village leaders in their time.
My Mother's place is a catholic village, where only one caste and one religion ( Catholic) people live. It is a panchayit village, where seven other village constituted under this village Jurisdiction. The center of attarction of this village is the Church of Immaculate Heart of Mary, where there is daily mass and daily evening prayers. In the month of May, every day mass is sponsored by a family and evening vespers and adoration is sponsored by a family. Whole month mass and the vespers in the evening are sponsored by families. In my behalf my mother celebrate one day mass and vespers every year. Easter has many traditions in this little village. It begins from Palm Sunday, when the whole village people attend mass and the four main streets of the village are cleaned and sprinkled water by the village youth girls, and the village youth boys tie the palm and lights all over the streets as the preparation for the palm Sunday procession.Palm Sunday mass is preceded by the grand procession of palm all through four main streets of the village. Then throughout holy week, people cook common meal and share to the villagers in the evenings. This done by some people with some prayerful intentions. Eating in such meal is counted and considered as a blessing. providing such a meal in the church is considered as a thanksgiving offering. On Holy Thursday people cook, a traditional meal, which is made up of red beans and jaggerry, and they share with friends and neighbors, and they attend evening church. Good Friday nobody goes to work, the people who reside outside the village come to the village, children come to the parents house. There is an interesting story behind not going to work on good Friday. Let me share that with you now. I do not remember the name of the priest related to this story, it happened during my father's childhood, I will ask him later. Our village then was called as "Kattapadu" which means place for COD fish. Yes then there was abundance of COD fish in our sea, where many people went for fishing. One good Friday majority of the people went to fish without going to church. The priest was very sad, and he said that day, if the COD fish kept you all from the church, there will be no more COD fish in this sea. From that day onwards there is no Cod fish, no more fishing in this sea. It has become a beautiful clean sea shore. Many elders of that time recall this event account. This days we are treating priests very lightly, without realizing their power. They have power to bind and to release the bondage in this earthly life and even in heaven. I recall St. Francis of Assisi saying about priests. He said that if an angel and a priest come opposite to him he will venerate the priests first. Getting back to the holy week tradition, the traditional cooking in everybody house on that day is Dhal curry and green leafy vegetables. There is a custom, some houses they will cook food and the man of the house will go out and bring three people he meets first for the lunch, signifying the Holy Trinity. My father has done this many times that I have observed during my childhood. Whole village attend the church for good Friday with great spiritual observation. Eucharistic adoration, which began after the holy Thursday mass continues till 12 noon of Good Friday, when all the villagers attend the adoration and they have the lunch after adoration. Majority of then fast until that time. Each hour adoration is designated to may religious sabai such as children, women, youth boys, st. vincent de paul, holy family, ave maria ( youth girls),etc...........
All these adorations are organized and helped by the Seven dollars sisters, the only convent in the village, where there are about 8 sisters reside all the time. they run the school and help in the altar. I leaned gardening and altar decorations from these sisters in my childhood. Holy Saturday, there is something called assanam, where the people come together and cook a common food from morning 9am till 1pm and in the evening from 3pm to 6pm whole village sit together and have a common meal, then they return back for Easter mass at 11pm. Recollecting all these events, which I observed in my childhood, learning that nothing has changed from then, I call them as my village tradition. Our Easter tradition there involves whole village as one family. In every details of these celebration, the priest is the center person, sisters, and the village organizers , and the entire village. My mom is one among the village organizers and co coordinators, she also sings in choir and all my maternal uncles as well.My mom is my inspiration, in everything I do. My maternal uncle, who is of my age, he is the village leader now.My grant father and fore fathers were village leaders in their time.
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