The mass and prayers during Covid…!

 

The mass and prayers during Covid…!

 

The news of not more than 5 people or 20 people to assemble for mass was the beginning.  Added was the addition those above 65 years and below 10 years shall not attend to avoid Corona.

From March 3^rd week on wards on 2020 this has been the state.  By this time the small television channels through which Holy Mass was telecast became a solace in the morning mass.  There was mass in all the rites available in Kerala including Latin Malayalam Mass which is usually telecast at 8 in the morning.

The mass in the Latin, is always crisp and to the point and generally takes half an hour.  Usually it is telecast on 'Shalom'TV at 8 am.  The Father blesses all with absolution and proceeds with the mass procedures and deep prayers!   Our Father in Heaven is said after the main Mass Hymns ae pronounced by the celebrant.  The peace is exchanged and the declaration and hope of the death and resurrection of our Lord is declared and the pronunciation of the Glory and Honour to the Lord is done.  The father receives the Holy Communion.  Then the final blessings follow and the Celebrant declares the end of the mass and asks the attendants that ‘The Mass is ended, Go and serve the Lord…!’

The same mass in the Syro Malabar rites would take about an hour if not more.  Some prayers would be repeated and there may or may not be singing in between.

An evening walk during the Covid days...!

The evening walk is a 40-50 minute exercise.  The dress up and leaving is complete with a face mask which is made by a white cotton hand-ker-chief.  It is cumbersome in the beginning but one gets used to it.  That is how I found it.  Only thing is the exhaling air moves up into the spectacles and grounds its surface which we have to remove and swipe often times.

Walking out, the by-lane roads are mostly empty due to the covid threat and only very necessary people come out.   As it is rainy, there could be an occasional shower any time and water crossing the road or at places stagnating is usual.  There are hens checking the mud for little worms and competing with them are the crows, minahs and n occasional copper smith.  As long as it is the road up to the paddy fields, this is the state.  Once I enter the paddy field area, just after the "Konchira Muthi" shrine,  (Muthi is the Malayalam for Grand Mother which the local people have given to St. Mary of Pompey, who is venerated in the shrine) I make a sign of  "In the name of the Father...." and proceed on to the paddy field road where there are intersecting canals carrying a lot of water where a few guys are sitting with long fishing rods and on the green fields are the small cranes, water birds looking for the fish available in the water.  An occasional king fisher sits on a lonely tree waiting for a rare sighting of his daily meal which is a small fish.  Once he locates one, now he located one, he went into the water and flew up with the little fish in its beak.!

In this drama, there was a little commotion on my left side water body from where a small crane fluttered out giving a "eeek..eeek" sound.  It was a small frog in the beak of the crane which was making its sos call.  But in the natural scenario there is nothing much to be done as the crane was going over a water expanse and going to a choice place to take his early dinner.  Since it crossed me I turned around to see its trajectory.  It went over an exanse encircling me,  reached a place on the road which I had already covered and settled to have its dinner.   I walked on.  The field expanse if a 10-12 kilometre area or more which is said to be 'kole-padam'  (said to be below sea level paddy fields).
One gets to see a good expanse of the free sky here with various cloud formations and wind movements and the evening skies make a colourful canvas at times.

Walking up at the end of my country road and turning to the tarred road between various houses the land scape changes to house compounds on both sides and an occasional motor cycle or car or any kind of other vehicles coming at times.  Those who walk for walking a too little or nil.  But there are people going or coming with daily errants or needs such as going to the market etc. would be there. In some houses children will be playing at some other vehicles and cars would be seen parked.  The vehicles mostly don't run after covid.  They all are parked mostly.  Rare occasions they try to run. The earlier days before covid, most of them rarely used to stop, now the plate is reversed.

On the way comes the city market of the village where most of the wares are sold and purchased.  This place too people are less out marketing.  And those who come are all in their masks and keeping a fair distance.  After the market comes the church of St. Mary, now so silent, the mother blessing all of us passing by.  As all are taking precautions and directions given by the local government, the daily mass etc. are conducted with very few able bodied only in attendance and other programmes are generally postponed.

After the church, a few more steps, I hear my next compound neighbour firing his bullet motor cycle for his evening run.  That makes my evening walk during these covid times, my friends!

The boy who made it to the Capital: A 'Morning Mass' in the Line Bus

The boy who made it to the Capital: A 'Morning Mass' in the Line Bus: This is a story from one of my earlier trips..!          We reached the bus stop early in the morning.   Had just come out of the Rai...

A 'Morning Mass' in the Line Bus

This is a story from one of my earlier trips..!

         We reached the bus stop early in the morning.  Had just come out of the Railway Station after a strict health check up.  But we were a bit too early for the next bus.  The bus stop lacks space as the on coming buses for Kozhikode and Kunnamkulam come almost to your toes.  One has to be careful here and paste oneself to the boundary wall not to get hurt.  And there are other travellers or those waiting for other buses.  Most of the people left for Guruvayur, a pilgrimage centre and to either Kunnamkulam or Kozhikode.  Now we were left with ourselves (my wife and I) and an elderly poor looking Tamilian lady.  As we could be spotted as travellers the auto rikshaw operators will come one after the other to  invite us as their passengers. We refuse. Next is the Guruvayoor Bus conductors.  We refuse them too as their route doesn’t suit us.  Then they would want to know where we are headed.  Out of courtesy we blurt out our destination.  They tell us as much guidance as a return courtesy.  Next was the old lady standing near us. ‘Where are you going?’ We feel we don’t have to. But don’t want to be counted arrogant, we reply ‘Enamavu’.  She explains we are too early.  The first bus in this route is six fifteen.  ‘I also take that bus ahead to Guruvayur’ .  A sudden feeling of closeness comes among us.  Now we are free to talk. But we don’t have nothing much to speak.So the lady continues by hearself: “I go to Guruvayoor everyday to sell jasmine flowers.” I reply to show courtesy ‘Oh..’   And she takes it as my interest and continues:  “I live here in a big house of a big officer. They never take any rent from me.  I can live there all my life”   “Oh….” I say again and she continue “But I shall never become a burden or trouble for them”  “I sell flowers in front of Guruvayoorppan.  He keeps me well in life”.  By my next Oh….the bus came and she hurried to the front gate of the bus as ladies enter through the front gate in buses  in this part of the country.  That kind conversation so ended.

        Even other wise a bus conversation  or a bus stop conversation does not go far or stay on.  These are chance meetings like the far flying cosmic objects passing near by.  Most satisfying little conversations lasting few seconds or minutes.  At times they make an impression, at times not and are forgotten.

I scrambled in with my two little suit cases and kept them behind the last but one seat where there is a little more space.  Once that was settled, I noticed the one going to be my seat fellow.  A fragile dark hued fellow in a blue shirt, most probably a Gentleman from a neighboring state, looking away through the side window of the bus..!  His fragile stature struck me…! Since he was looking away, I could view him closely.  For a moment I wondered if I have to sit there or in a near by different seat as there were plenty of free seats as it was an early morning first trip for the bus.  But then, it will be construed that I dislike a person who is not that good to sit with as he is poor!   It was time for the morning mass.  Had I been at mass, I shall be praying to Jesus who would have definitely asked me “Didn’t you see me when I was in the bus?”  That would be a question, I may not be able to answer.  That decided it for me. I sat in the seat along with him.    Once settled, my task was to fix my two little suit cases on the huge tyre placed behind a half seat.  Once it was being done the fragile man turned to me and was helping me adjust the boxes.!  Touching that was!  He was not thinking of me, perhaps.  He was only just helping a hand which was trying to adjust his luggage.  Now that was done!  I sat back. And the fragile man also sat back.  The Bus Conductor has started collecting the bus charge now and each one is now taking out the charges in their hand.  I took out the needed amount and kept ready.  My friend in the seat was keenly counting a lot of coins in his fragile hand.  Now the charges have gone up and most of the passengers give their charges in notes mostly.  But here this gentleman was counting a number of coins in his right hand.  He was counting them with his left hand.  In my old times my childhood there was a time when we used to keep small coins in the ‘gullocks’ (piggy-banks) and open it during our festivals to buy possible guddy-guddies.  By the time my friend finised counting the conductor was near us and he gave his coin stock and the conductor counted it at a glance and simply told the old man “The amount is two rupees less” for which my friend did not give any reply.   The conductor did not linger on it, he quickly turned to me.  I paid our charges and he moved away.   Now I was free to inter-act with my friend.  I asked him: “Where are you going?”  “Guruvayoor” he replied.  “Do you have family and other members?” I asked.  “Yes, at Vellaloor”  He was fragile but his answers were simple and straight forward.  “Where is this place” I further blurted out.  He said “Near Kadalur” .   “Oh…I got it, it was near Kadalur which was affected badly in the Tsunami?    I asked.    And he replied:  “Athu than..!”  (That’s it).   “What are you going to Guruvayoor for?” I asked again for which he did not answer but showed both his hands in a gesture as some one would beg for alms with both hands open.    For a moment I was ashamed of myself, I should not have asked that question.  The man was unknowingly very clean in his answer.  He is going to beg till the evening when he may, perhaps, catch the bus back.  That was why the conductor did not ask him where was going.  I scrambled my pocket for a small note which I put into his hands!”  His face lit up a bit….   And that was my morning mass!  It was time for me to get down.  I got up and unbuckled my boxes for which he too was helping me with his fragile hands!  I waved him a good -bye saying   “We will meet some other time, friend” I said.  It brought a wide smile on his face and he waved me back.   And my day was made!  I got out of the bus and the bus moved on to Guruvayoor..!

അക്ഷരമെഴുതാൻ ഒരു മോഹം (A desire to write letters) (Malayalam)

Mathew at the Morning Mass....!

It was a non-issue.  How many times the father looks at Mathews direction.  Mathew never gave a damn to it.  But today, it was different.  That, Mathew was in a mood to attend a good Mass but reached late.  That does not matter on the usual style.  But today, the priest has changed, and the new priest was said to be a stickler.  He has just been told that the priest insists upon every body to have their mass book and be responding from it during the holy mass.  Mathew did not have the book and as a custom, never looked at any religious books.  Now, there are mass books kept at the centre book stand, but to walk up there to the centre of the church hall, made Mathew squirm. No, that is not possible.  In the glaring view of all, one side all the male gender and on the other the women.  Mathew knew that the men folk will rarely care for who is going where even if you walk on their toes, but it is the women he was afraid of.  Some of the women may look at him and he may not be able to look back at them.  So there would be no knowing who were looking or ogling and then the rumour will spread that Mathew Bhai never comes with his mass book. That is something Mathew would like to avoid. 

So he stood where he stood without moving and slightly with a slanting head ogled at the priest who was elderly and in grey hair.  To his utter surprise, the priest was still looking in his direction.  This is absurd, Mathew thought.  A new priest, only two days into the church, looks so intently at a parishner for not carrying a reading from a book?  He started looking down now.  Then a new idea struck him.  The Verger John is his friend.  He is near the altar smoking up the frank incense.  Once he gives the frank incense smoke vessel to the alter boy, he will go out to do other errands.  Now he can go out to meet John and enquire of him why the priest is looking at him.  Soon enough, John walked out and Mathew followed him through another door and met him at the outside step of the church. 

“Oh Mathew, what is the matter? Coming out before the mass is over?”

Mathew answered “No, no, not that.  I just wanted to know why the new priest is looking straight at me. Is it because, I don’t have the mass book?”

John  :“Is he?  You are the first person bringing up something like this. He is a stickler for people having the mass book, alright.  But not heard of looking at anybody personally.  If you want I shall check for you”  and he walked away busily inside the church.

Mathew made a couple of guffawing sounds as if he was clearing his throat in the morning fog, and slowly walked back to his place.  Now the father was looking at the other direction.  Mathew was relieved.   Once in a while Mathew ogled at the priest as he was sceptical of the new priest.  And Lo!  After a few minutes just before a long stretch of prayer, there is the new priest looking in his direction again!  He was really astounded now. He stopped looking at the priest now.  He joined his hands in prayer and closed his eyes, but mentally he was seeing the priest.  He thought about the last priest in place of the new one.  He was also an elderly priest, who spoke in very low voice that even the mike had to struggle to pick up his voice.  Even then it was difficult for the parishners to decipher it.  But he never looked at the individuals during the mass.  He saw all but never saw any, that was his attitude.  His prayers and method of offering the mass was crisp and with precision.  He never added anything to the long prayers, rather at times omitted some of the lengthy areas to the relief of the many.  Now the new priest seemed to be exactly the opposite to this.  He did not add anything, but would keep all the prayers in the book and recite them to the full and in good strong voice.  Added to this was his looking in Mathew’s direction. 

The mass went on and Mathew prayed on and at last the mass came to an end.  Mathew hurriedly came out of the hall to catch hold of the Verger John, who would be now proceeding to the cemetery for the arrangements for the prayers for the departed.  He was coming out of the church with the usual holy water and the fathers vestments for the prayers in the cemetery.  Mathew walked up to John who was walking with long strides. “Hai, John, anything”

John was startled, as he thought it was the Priest calling him from behind.  Once he saw Mathew his anxiety gave way to a smile.  He said smilingly : “Oh Mathew…You were worrying unnecessarily.  The new priest is a holy man.  He has difficulty in seeing the words in the Holy Qrbana Book.  The Thaxa, the Holy Mass Book Holder is kept in your direction.  When he looks insistently into the book, you feel that he is looking at you” “Go..go..happy and have your morning break fast at ease”

“Oh…” That was a sigh of relief which came out of Mathew after such a mental struggle all through the mass.  Now he happily walked home for a good break fast..!

Getting it done and seeing the doc

Driving in Chennai is not easy.  Vehicles fill up the roads and in between there would be umpteen number of two wheelers. Then among the vehicles are huge water tanker lorries, buses and local mini buses all carrying water and commuters according to usage.  Among all these one drives a two wheeler or a four wheeler car.

The weather is cool this time of the year, interspersed with cloudy skies and occasional rain!  On one of these days, I started out to see my Specialist doctor with due appointment.  But the last minute the Doctor announced his absence and I was free to see another usual doctor but not a specialist. We passed the Kumaran Nagar Red Light without much delay but got the Sholi Red Light for twenty five minutes!  Sholi is the short form for our usual Sholinganellur four cross junction.  The techies of the place call it 'Shols' for short.  The best pronounciation I got from the mini bus conductor, a little boy of  fourteen or fifteen.  He used to shout 'Sholielur, sholielur' It took me a minute to understand what he was saying.  Ultimately, I got it.  It is Sholienganellur, no doubt..!  It was nice to see, how people make short forms for places and make it convenient to repeat it when needed.  The Red Light was pretty long and we could cross it in three stops and the fourth pull got us out of it further to take care of the next three more Red Lights and a minor Toll Booth stop at Kandanchavady.  After that we see the Metro rail and then turn right on to the Adyar lead to reach our location.  The whole ride we made in about one and a half hours which is very fair and early for a 24 kilometres ride on the OMR road of Chennai.  We were satisfied with that ride considering the traffic density and the extreme effort of the police who are generally putting up a great show.