Prayer, Penance, and Charity: Three Hindu Men in Periyanayagi Matha Church

It is the beginning of spring. Songs of birds fill the morning air. Busy Robins scan the lawn and chirping sparrows play in groups. Lent season has began and the prayers of devotees fill the heavens all over the world.

Prayer, penance, and charity are the three prong efforts of Christians during this season. This weekend, I worked on preparing my new vegetable garden bed in my backyard. It was such a hard work that exercised every muscle fiber of my body. I offered up that hard work as my penance for the day.

While I was working physically on my new vegetable bed, My mind reflected upon the prayer, penance, and charity aspects of lent season.

Prayer: Prayer involves zeal, passion, devotion, piety, love, charity, motivation, friendship, and God's fear. On Christmas eve of 2017, we visited our Lady of  Periyanayagi church at Konankuppam, Tamilnadu, India. After a brief prayer, visit, and devotion, we sat on the bench, which was located in front of the cafeteria facing the church. As we were having the cool drinks and were observing the people, there came three men emerging from the church main entrance. Two were dressed in kavi veshti and shirt , which is in safran color[ designated for Hindu priests] and another was dressed in olive green veshti and shirt, which is also indicative of a Hindu sanyasi or priest. Obiviously, their dress code denotes that they are hindus and they are hindu priests. They have come to visit and pray to our lady with great love and devotion to the blessed mother.

The scene of them walking from the church, reminded me of the incident where God appearing to Abraham as three travelers. I became curious and interested to speak to them, however, I wanted to do so only, if they come near us to the cafeteria. As I was thinking about it, they three reached the cafeteria and stood near us ordering coffee for themselves. I ceased the opportunity to dialogue with them. I asked them about their visit and their prayers to our lady. They spoke with great zeal and devotion for blessed mother. They informed us that they are Hindu priests, who visit a catholic church on Christmas Eve, every year. They go by walk. This year, they wanted to go to Villliyanoor, Pondycherry, however they could not do so, they visited Periyanayagi matha church.

One of them was carrying a new Bible, which he bought from the gift shop. I asked him whether he reads Bible regularly. He said, he wanted to have one Bible for the past 15 years, but only he could buy one today. He asked us to pray over it. I requested him to bless the Bible from the priest, but we prayed one Our Father , Hail Mary, and Glory Be, to fulfill their request. He had asked one christian many years for a bible, but he did not receive one. So he bought one today, he hugged the Bible to his chest, with a joyful possession of it. They were knowledgeable on Mother Treasa and her charitable works.

This brief encounter, left me wondering about the piety, devotion, zeal, and love for prayers and reading scripture. I cherish that experience and munch it time and again upon the zeal of Hindu men had for christian prayers. Definitely, I consider that it was my honor and privilege to meet those devotees with high spirited joy of visiting a church and praying with zeal. I witnessed Prayer, Penance, and Charity in those three devotees.


Note: Veshti & Shirt [ Tamil Men attire]
Kavi Attire was adopted by Veeramamunivar[ Rev. Fr. Beschi] as well, which is more special to the church that was built by him.