THE MORNING MASS!

THE MORNING MASS

Morning used to be six o' clock.  The sun will rise up at six and come through the cashew tree leaves, the dew drops at the dips of the slanting leaves sparkling with pearlish rainbows in them, the place being near the equator and central Kerala.  In the winter times, mornings will be late.  The rainy season also used to delay the morning, not by late sun rise but by the cloudiness or rain which is copious at times!  Among these mornings the holy mass in the local convent chapel, was a blessing as this gave a mooring to the morning and direction for the day.  Once I got this feel, I made it a point to get up in the early morning and go for the mass in the nearest Convent Chapel.

The Convent Chapel was a kilometre away from my house and was less in distance from our main church which happened two kilometres away!  Moreover, the Chapel was smaller and cleaner compared to the huge Church. As all the members of the family was in support of this pursuit of mine, I was happy and jubilant in the mornings in getting up and preparing for the morning attendance.

At that time, a course of training was on for little boys to make them fit to serve at the altar during the morning mass, which is almost like a puja in the temples, which take place in the mornings everyday in the Convent.  Naturally, I took part in the same and got fit to take part in the mass helping the old Father who used to be the Chaplain of the Convent who said the mass in the old style of 'Suriaani'. 

I used to get up around five o' clock as learned in my boarding school and after ablutions and a bath, I am ready for the mass.  I wore my little white dothi and white shirt and walked fast to the Convent.  As I walk up, I can see the various night birds and other beings returning to their nests and the morning sun walking up to the eastern skies throwing a hash of red and yellow in the firmament.

The convent will be open by six o' clock and the mass used to be at six thirty  morning.  The old father will be in the sacristy usually to which we the altar boys had admittance.  He will be standing facing the cross with his hands on the table cloth in a calm and serene look with his eyes fixed on the cross or eyes closed.  As soon as we are there we light up the candles and do up the thurible for the smoking of the frankincense and then return to the old father who will be now ready for his dress up.   We used to help him with his huge outer cassock and hold the double huge white ornamental rope from behind.  He will take it with his both hands and tie it up at his waist, as if he is going to war.  Over the huge outer cassock and stalk he thus tied up the rope and pushed in the ends of the rope to his left and right side of the tide up rope and over that he would put the red outer ornamental dress!  He looked like an angel after fully dressed up!

The mass was in 'Suriani' language in those days.   The father once on the alter, started with 'Puthanekon....'   this he said in a some what longish way to which we the altar boys replied 'Puthaneda Mishiha...' and the mass went on with its various turns and twists in which the old father turned and offered and wished 'Peace to the Congregation'.  In between we had small small areas to say our return prayers which included a lot of 'Barek Mores' and all.  At times we rang the small cute bell at important points of the mass and also at times we had to swing and show the thurible, which set up white perfumed smoke which made the place very pleasant to be in.  

It is a pleasant work to fix the thurible ready for the mass.  The simple coconut shell charcoal is filled in the thurible and a piece of cotton wick dipped in vax is lighted and put among the charcoal to light it up.  In a while by giving a little air either by blowing directly or by a small fan, it is brought into a little furnace on to it the frankincense is put brining up a decent whilte smoke.  At the time of the offering, when the old father stood with his hands crossed with the cup and the chalice in them, the white smoke filled the altar sending the whole area into a super natural glow.  The old father stood for long with the cup and chalice in his hands, which made us think that he is really speaking to Jesus!  The mornings became a clelebration with the mass every day.

There were plenty of people on the main hall of the Chapel where as one side hall was filled with the holy nuns who provided all the needs on the altar and also arranged the altar so beautifully every day with new decorations. The sweet St. Mary's statue on the top of the altar was a treat to the eyes.  Over the statue, there were two colour glass windows from which the morning sun sent in coloured light.

There was more than one altar in the chapel.  The main altar is the one on which the usual morning mass was offered.  The main altar had full sight to three wings converging to it.  The front wing ear marked for the people from outside attending the mass or say, the general public, the left wing solely for the sisters and the right wing for the aspirants and the assistants and the lady inmates who lived with the sisters.

The father with his ornamental vestments turned around to face the people only to bless them or offer them 'Peace' etc.  Otherwise he faced the altar and if he was not attending the cup and chalice on th altar table, he was looking up at the sepulchre or the cross with the statue of Jesus on it, in a deep reverie of prayer! The whole atmosphere was one of great holiness and purity!

What ever said, the mass and the prayers had its light moments too at times, even though rarely.  The old father was a stickler to the important principle of love, affection, charity, purity, holiness all turned into one.  He used to get us new playing cards whenever we visited him in his personal parsonage! We visited him rarely, though.  He had a huge garden tended by the workers of the Convent and over seen by the sisters. 

I was an expert in lighting up the candles, which was very tall and stood around 10 feet in height from the floor, including the heights of the altar, the candle stand (which itself was three to four feet tall), and the tall candle which was from fine quality yellow bee wax and three to four feet tall and with matching thickness.  There was  a long pole with an inverted funnel on the top and a wick on the side just below the inverted funnel.  The wick was to light up the candle and the funnel was to put off the same when the mass and prayers ended.  It was my joyful privilege to do this!  Next interesting stuff was to light up the thurible which could be laborious when there is not enough wick to light up or not enough time to blow the charcoal into a good fire. 

One day, it so happened that the thurible charcoal for smoking the frankincense had no fire in it.  As soon as I saw this before the mass, I brought it to the notice of the sister who was assisting.  The sister was not keen on it and told me "You only show it!  Don't go too much into the other aspects, OK?"  The sisters had an upper hand in these things, as we are only called to help as a matter of piety to be practised as little children!  When a Sister asked us OK?, it is OK with us!   So, I returned with the dead thurible and at the appointed time when the Father turned to bless the frankincense, I swung it in the usual manner!

The thurible had four chains which we held in our two hands in such a way that the thurible vessel can be swung up and down by shortening the chain length by holding them together or from side to side by leaving the chain in full length.  Here, I was doing it on my knees, in the up and down fashion, and the father was facing me with raised hand to bless!  To my surprise, I found the thurible which I swung up did not come back and as I watched the father was standing with the hand raised to bless but not blessing!  He had fixed me and the thurible with his steel look and I was at a loss to know what was the reason!

I did not have to look long, as the Father, slowly turned around to face the sisters wing on the opposite side.  Fortunately the assisting sister was at the back so did not have to take the heat of the father's steel look!  He slowly asked:  "My children, why are you doing this penance?  If you do not want it, just tell, and I may not have to take the trouble!"  This was anyting but not a compliment in the morning and especially in between a mass!  Most of the sisters started going helter skelter and in a moment my thurible was on fire and smoking well and good and in a short while the altar and the chapel was full of the thick white smoke! 

As soon as the mass was over, we were free to go home and we did! There were people who practised more piety who stayed on to offer various other prayers and practices!  One old gentleman, who had his house near by was outstanding as he prayed on almost upto lunch time, which tea etc. being brought in for him from his near by house. Such prayers and piety needed a lot of affluence at home!  We never had that kind of privilege and we if at all we had to, and thought of, had to do them at home along with the night prayer or morning prayer!  Usually, as children we rarely remembered to pray during the day when we were busy with other aspects, and our knowledge of prayer was very limited.