YouTube Vacation

So I was thrilled we were making a traditional recipe for the Holy Week. Then someone calls out "bun is a good alternate". It was funny. But then I felt somethings cannot be substituted. You couldn't expedience the Caribbean by seeing videos on YouTube in your living room, could you? So I retorted. "That's like going on a vacation on YouTube".There are telepresence, Google hangout, Skype and other technologies to make you feel like you're there in person. But nothing like a real hug, a warm kiss or sitting next to someone on a bench in a park. Somethings, just cannot be substituted.

So this is my first post in some three years?

Looks like I haven't been challenged enough. I am too afraid to post this on FB. So here it is. It's just a link from The Onion. No One Murdered because of this image! 

A Layman's Sermon

It's the second straight Sunday I made to the mass. It was special yesterday. We went to a Benedictine monastery. It's a long time since I went there last. I did not exactly know where to enter the chapel. I entered from the side meant for the ladies. I loved sitting on the carpeted floor leaning slightly on the wall – my most comfortable position in a church.

The gospel was about the Canaanite woman pleading to have her daughter healed. The priest who said the mass explained about the faith of the woman and her persistence even at Jesus' indifference.

Jesus asks her how the food of the babies can be given to dogs. In all sense, Jesus referred to her as a bitch. The lady's reply was even the dogs eat what falls from the table, taking no offense at what Jesus called her.

What came to mind first is the movie "Singham" – the protest here in Bangalore about Ajay Devgn referring to the locals as dogs. The movie had to have a few scenes cut before it could be screened again.

The lady comes across to me as super humble. She takes no offense at what she's referred to. She knows what she wants and she does believe. With faith comes humility. Rather it's the other way around. When I am humble, I am able to trust. I take no offense and hold on to what I believe. On the other hand, I can boast I believe and when my ego is hurt, I have no qualms of throwing what I believe and starting a new church. I guess one of the reasons for so many denominations every other day is this. Everyone is talking about Christ and his belief in Christ. But why are there many faiths for the same man? I guess it's the lack of humility to accept humiliations or give up oneself for the faith he proclaims.

The second thing that came to mind is what priest said a long time ago. He'd like to be a "dog" in his second life. The reason – it's the most faithful creature he knows. Here's a man who'd take pride in being called a dog.

If you're reading this even after knowing it a sermon, I am honoured. We hate to just listen to one and here you are reading it all the way down. I don't like long sermons and I'd hate to make mine long. Let's learn from the dog – to be faithful, trust irrespective of beatings and love despite abuse and from the gospel – to be humble. J