Osama bin Laden...

Almost ten years to trace and less than ten hours to terminate and what next... is the question many wonder. Yes, the man personifying the American/ Western/ Jewish-Christian enemity is done with! His body was said to have been hurriedly buried in the deep! May be true, and may not be true too. It could be a fake burriel also after keeping his body/ brain for further study and research because such a person could not that way be annihilated. Future generations need to take lessons from his life, person and brain...

He was daring the numero uno for a 'cause'! The cause may be right or wrong, but he did that and proved the extent to which a person could go, if one is determined. Determination is what matters. Determined people will achieve much more, whether for good or bad.

Bad or negative determination will end up one day and that too so disasterously...

My wish is that if there were people with such determination for good, positive and creative purposes - for the well being of humanity and the universe at large!

Let us ensure equality, fraternity and justice leading upto that great peace - 'Shalom', 'Shanthi' or even 'Islam"! May there be PEACE...

Two letters...

Sixteenth and twenty first February two thousand and eleven. People become angry and loose all senses... Or else somekind of jealousy and go the way of ruin... All the more so the Eve's lot...

How people look at...

Dear Fr.Pancratius,

Sorry for the delay.And thanks for the prompt answer to my request that you sent me the matter at once.

To be frank I already knew what sort of letter would be yours to the Bishop as a result of my little bit of knowing you.So it was not a surprise though.

What I gather from your personality is this : That you are not afraid of saying a spade a spade because you do not need any thing from them.Neither you are not afraid of losing anything.Because you do not hold any thing.No positions nor things,or name or fame.

This I have got to know from what I know of you as well a few people who have known you have communicated to me.I feel proud of you.all what I want to say to you is"Please keep up to this attitude, this conviction, this stand of yours.You are a role model."Thanks for being a very good priest in this corrupt age.Nice having you as our dear neighbour. With full of laughter and always caring for the poor and down trodden and the lowly.

Affectionatly

Sr. Ancilla

Democracy in a Law College and Fairness in a University...

Democracy in a Law College!
These are the days of Election to the College Union. Students, especially the younger ones in the day batch are so spirited in the process and they were campaigning so vehemently among their evening batch seniors, not necessarily in the academic aspect but in age. They stand all the way from the entrance to the doors at our class rooms and stop everyone to solicit votes for themselves and their candidates.

Then they take out processions shouting slogans to the extent that none could engage any class. When one of the parties comes to a particular class, the others invariably see that the ones in the class don’t utter a word! Even when someone try to close the doors to ensure hearing, the ones outside bang the windows and doors so violently and the make the situation so volatile!
To add to this undemocratic ways are the so called ‘seniors’ who are seemingly so fanatic and they blindly support their brand of parties. The college authorities have to follow them to avoid any unnecessary confrontation among various parties! Teachers were almost helpless as none seem to be morally strong to say no to such unruly behavior! These are the ones to be the guardians of justice as lawyers and to end up as legislators one day or other!

Also fair play, a laughing stock in the campus!
Internals like the attendance, seminar, assignment and test papers are only farce as for as many are concerned. Test paper is an open mal-practice and none seem to worry about!
The staffs are not disciplined and don’t come prepared and so they initiate the value deterioration! Time table is never followed, nor do many of them come in time! Announcements never are given in time and in order.

Some teachers maintain their authority not on the basis of their erudition and scholarliness, but through their clout with the internal marks.

Library is worse than a recreation hall as there is only noise all over!

Need not say anything about the cleanliness of the class rooms! Stray dogs all around as it is the case in the roads and other public places like the beach and so on.

The University:
If the college is hopeless, the university seems to be worse. When we apply for scrutiny and revaluation, they show the papers first and demand us to sign without making any remark at all! After this, the result is announced as there is no change in marks! How come that happen, two people valuing a same answer in the very same way as if it was some kind of weighing! Our signing itself could create some kind of prejudice.

Besides this I doubt whether the previous marks will be deleted/ cleared to make the second valuation free and fair! If not, how can the second one not being prejudiced?
The syllabus and available books are practically none!

Nuptial Mass in Advent!

Loving greetings! Hope and pray that this letter finds you fine. Quite often you have seemingly treated me as an irritant! However, certain things I can’t but tell you for the betterment of the archdiocese, of course to my knowledge.

You are aware of the plight of Gladin in our parish! He was not even allowed to concelebrate the nuptial Mass of his own nephew, let alone the blessing of the marriage. He is not welcome there either! You know the incident behind that! The question of nuptial Mass in Advent!

Just today I went for a marriage in one of our parishes. I reached while the Gospel was being proclamed and remained there till the end. The Mass was concelebrated by five priests – two from our archdiocese, two from one of our neighbouring dioceses and one from a religious congregation! It was in no way different than the Masses of other days, though it is advent and that too after 17th.

I think that it is not the case with our neighbouring Kottar or the neighbouring Verapoly Province! To my understanding Trivandrum province alone is advocating it and that too for the poor and the weak! The mighty doesn’t care at all! That is the message, loud and clear, emanating from the marriage I referred above!

Though I can’t still understand the theology behind not offering Mass, I am here not to advocate for the repeal of any law decreed by you! However, I do question the inequality being meted out to the poor in our archdiocese! Equality before law is the basic right of anyone in this country and I don’t think that it is different in the church!

Laws may be violated, but not so blatantly as here in our archdiocese and that too with the knowledge and support of priests! The violators are violators and they should be treated so. Do we have a system of enforcing laws and booking the offenders? Do we really consult people concerned other than the ‘yes men,’ before enacting such laws, especially when it is seemingly contrary to what was practiced and provided in guides like the Ecclesiastical Calendar or so?

Let us ensure support of all concerned, and take everyone possible into confidence before enacting such laws so hurriedly and then helplessly witnessing violations!

If you don’t mind, I shall send to such comments as and when situations demand and would love to know your mind.

வறுமை, பசியின் கொடுமை...

ஜூலி வீட்டில் விளைந்த வாழைப்பழங்கள் சிலவற்றை எங்களோடு பகிர்ந்துகொண்டாள். அந்த பழம் ஓன்று அலுவலக மேசைமீதிருக்க, ஒரு ஏழை பெண்மணி நோய்க்கு மருந்து வாங்க உதவி கேட்டு வந்தார்கள். வேறு யாரும் அவர்களுக்கு உதவி செய்ததாக தோன்றவில்லை. என்னிடமும் அப்படியொன்றும் இல்லை என்றபோது இருப்பது ஏதாவது கொடுத்தால் போதும் என, என்னிடமிருந்த நாற்பது ரூபாயில் இருபது ரூபாவை வாங்கிகொண்ட அவர் மேசைமீதிருந்த பழம் எடுத்துக்கொள்ளட்டுமா என வினவ, நானும் நிறைவுடன் எடுத்து கொடுத்தேன். அங்கேவைத்தே எதுவும் பாராமல் அதை ஆசையோடு சாப்பிட்டதை பார்த்தபோது எவ்வளவு பசியோடும், பிணியோடும், வறுமையோடும் அந்த ஏழை பெண்மணி வந்தார் என்பதை புரிந்துகொள்ள முடிந்தது. இவ்வளவு நிறைவான ஒரு அனுபவம் மனம் குளிரசெயதது.

பசியின் கொடுமை தெரிந்ததால் தானே இயேசுவும் அப்பமென தன்னையே தந்தார்! பசிப்போர்முன் 'இறைவன்' அப்பமாக மட்டுமே வர முடியும், வரக்கூடும்.

கோயில்களில் அர்ச்சனையாகும் உணவு காணிக்கைகளை ஏதேனும் கடவுளர்கள் சாப்பிட்டதுண்டா என்று ஒரு வாசகர் கேட்க, தன்னுடைய பிள்ளைகளுக்கு உணவில்லாதபோது எந்த ஒரு தாயும் சாப்பிடமாட்டாள் ஆதலால், மண்ணுலகில் பசியுள்ள யாரும் இல்லாத ஒரு நாள் நிச்சயமாக கடவுளர்களும் அதை சாப்பிடுவார் என பதில் அளிக்கபெற்றார்.

இதேபோல் வேறு ஒரு நிகழ்வும் கேள்விப்பட்டிருக்கிறேன். கண் தெரியாத ஒரு பாட்டி வழியோரமாக இருந்து பிச்சை கேட்க, ஒரு சில இளைஞர்கள் அவருக்கு ஒருபொதி சோறு வாங்கி கொடுத்தார்களாம். சோறு வாங்கிய அந்த அம்மையார் கடவுளுக்கு நன்றி சொல்ல, அந்த இளைஞர்கள் பரிகாசமாக அவரை கேலி செய்து சிரித்தது மட்டுமின்றி, இது கடவுள் தந்தது அல்ல, நாங்கள் தந்தோம் என்றார்களாம். அதற்க்கு அவர், 'கொண்டு வந்தது யாரேனும், கொடுத்துவிட்டவர் கடவுளே' என்றாராம்! இப்படித்தான் கடவுள் வரவேண்டும். அப்படியே இயேசுவும் வந்தார்.

எனவேதான், 'எண்கள் அனுதின உணவை எங்களுக்கு இன்று அளித்தருளும்' என ஜெபிக்க நமக்கு சொன்னார். ஆகாயத்து பறவைகளை போற்றும் அவர், வயல்வெளி பூக்களை உடுத்தும் அவர், அவர்தம் பிள்ளைகள் நம்மை மறப்பதெங்ஙனம்?

நாளைக்கென இன்று நாம் பத்திரப்படுத்தி வைத்திருக்கும் உணவு, இன்று பசித்து தூங்கும் உன் அயலானது! உன்னிடம் அது இருப்பது தகாது, அது அந்த ஏழையிடமிருந்து திருடப்பட்டது என்றுகூட சொல்லலாம். நாளையைப்பற்றிய கவலை நமக்கேன்?

இங்கு அனைவரின் தேவைக்கும் எல்லாம் இருக்க, யாருடைய பேராசைக்கும் ஒன்றும் இல்லை என காந்தி தாத்தா கூறினார் என்றால் அது சரியே.

'விருந்து புறத்திருக்க தான் உண்டல் - சாவா

மருந்தெனினும் வேண்டர்பாற்றன்று.'

Remembering you with love and gratitude!

Remembering you with love and gratitude!
From:
William Graham View Contact
To:
Pankiras Arulappan
Dear Panky,
I know that it has been a while since I have written to you. Sometimes the time catches up with you and catches you off guard. I know that I have been thinking about you and I remember you each day in prayer. I hope that you are happy and satisfied in your work. I know that trying to balance so many things in your daily life will occasionally become tiresome and at times discouraging, but when we do it out of love for others and for the people of God much of the burden lightens and we are able to accomplish our tasks.
You are a special inspiration to a great many people, here, and at home. I hope you realize that. Your prayerfulness has been and continues to be a blessing in my life. Even now, after all these years, when I go to Our Lady of Good Counsel to offer Mass, I feel revitalized and know that I am praying with the people and helping them to pray with more fervor.
I have spoken with Joyce and Marylee, Bill and Joanne, and they send you their love. I hope your family is well, my sister and brother and their families are doing great. You would be amazed at how big Olivia and Ryan Charles are getting. Ryan became 3 years old, yesterday. It's hard to believe. You held him in your arms and I hope will hold them in your heart and your prayers.
With Love and Prayers,
Bill