Fifty Shades of Brown

July 8^th-July 9^th

My time in Kerala has been unforgettable. Tonight I will be going to Delhi.

I kind of wish I was able to stay here in Kerala a bit longer. My Malayalam has been improving but now I’ll be going to Delhi where I think they speak hindi, so I guess the Malayalam will be put on hold for the next few weeks.

My knowledge of Hindi only consists of Bollywood film and song titles, and I’m not exactly sure how useful they would be for a seminarian. Perhaps I can use the words, dil, pyar, and mohabbatien to describe my burning love for the Sacred Heart of Jesus, but at least I can call whoever is supposed to pick me up from the train station in Delhi and say main hoon na.

Yes, by train. Thirty-eight hours of riding over three-thousand kilometers of pure Indian rail.

Now, I know what you’re thinking. Foreign born Indian riding the train in India?

But don’t worry, I’ll make sure I don’t get locked into any train compartment with a girl

…named Simran.

But if I did learn anything useful from Shah Rukh Khan about riding the trains in India, it would be that dancing on top of a moving train and having no care in the world whatsoever is completely normal!

What will I be doing for thirty-eight hours? Mostly reading, praying, and people watching. The train will be starting at Ernakulam and ending in Delhi, passing through Karnataka, Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Rajasthan. Reminds me of the Bronx Syro NE Conference youth dance. Hoping to see around fifty shades of brown.

My reading list:

-Excerpts from The Way of Life (Essays and Articles by SyroMalabar Theologians)

-Revolution 2020 by Chetan Bhagat

-Excerpts from Women, Sex, and the Church (Essays and Articles by Catholic Feminists)

-Kunjachan: A Good Shepherd by Fr. Kurian Mathothu

I always tend to overload on my books whenever I travel and sometimes, I never get through to reading any of them. Hoping to get through at least five pages of each book…

Since this is a thirty-eight hour train journey, I won’t be able to attend daily mass for two days. I ask all who will be going to daily mass to please remember me and the people of India in your prayers. I also won’t be able to shower for thirty-eight hours, but it would probably be best if you not remember me during your shower.

I will miss all the brothers and priests at Mangalapuzha seminary. So many beautiful moments. I was able to go for more service trips with the brothers and I think they have become my favourite (that was intentional) part of being at the seminary. The classes here are great, but who in the right mind would love sitting through hours of systematic theology? (Jaisy Joseph is the exception)

This past Sunday, the brothers took me to a type of ministry that was completely new to me –jail ministry.

Every Sunday, one of the priests from the seminary comes to the jail to offer Holy Qurbana for all the Catholic inmates. Because of time constraints and commitments with the seminary, often times the priest only has time to offer Holy Qurbana and hear confessions, so who actually speaks, consoles, and prays with the inmates in a not so Sacramental way? 

Religious sisters.

Kerela is full of religious sisters and nuns. Wherever you go, you will see so many women in habits! But recently the Church in Kerala has been faced with a “crisis”.

In 2008, there were five-thousand candidates in the convent (women preparing to become nuns and sisters), but in 2013, the number has dropped to eight-hundred.

I asked one of the priests why the numbers had decreased so drastically within a short period of time and he said that it’s very complex and that there are several reasons.

He said that certain types of ministry that were once limited to religious sisters and nuns, like running orphanages, teaching in schools, and caring for the physically and mentally disabled, are now being taken up by many lay people, so a woman doesn't have to take the vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience in order to serve these different groups of people.

Also, most Catholic families in Kerala are having on average about two children, so while families in the past had several children, in which it “did not matter” that one of the girls was joining the convent, today many parents are a bit more reserved when it comes to letting their only daughter join the convent.

But what’s interesting is that, according to the priest I asked, families are more likely to allow their only son to join the seminary rather than let their only daughter join the convent because priests are seen by the community as “necessary for the Church”.

Religious sisters and nuns aren't necessary?

I’ve met so many religious sisters and nuns who radiate nothing but joy and love through their total surrender in responding to the beautiful call to live as a spouse of Christ.

I’m glad the Imagine Sisters Movement is creating a film to help the world recapture the beauty of religious sisters and nuns. Hopefully we can come to see the need in the Church for women to respond courageously to this call.

But fear not Church in Kerala! Pope Francis has some encouraging words for you!

“The spread of the Gospel is not guaranteed either by the number of persons, or by the prestige of the institution, or by the quantity of available resources. What counts is to be permeated by the love of Christ, to let oneself be led by the Holy Spirit and to graft one’s own life onto the tree of life, which is the Lord’s Cross” 

–Mass for seminarians, sisters in the novitiate, and those discerning their vocation

The Gospel reading for that Sunday when we had Holy Qurbana at the jail was perfect. It was about Jesus telling his disciples a parable on how to invite guests to a banquet.

. . .When you hold a lunch or a dinner, do not invite your friends or brothers or your relatives or your wealthy neighbors, in case they may invite you back and you have repayment. Rather, when you hold a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind. . .

-Luke 14:7-14

It was beautiful to see that, though these men were locked up in jail, they were nevertheless invited, just like everyone else, to the Divine Banquet –the Holy Qurbana/Divine Liturgy/Holy Mass. It was a reminder for me that whether a person is a criminal, an untouchable, or a member of the gay and lesbian community, all are invited to the Divine Banquet where they, after preparing their hearts, can come to receive the precious Body and Blood of Christ that nourishes the soul and brings man into communion with God and neighbor.

I also had the privilege of joining another group of brothers on their service trip to a nearby house for orphaned children called SOS Children’s Village where they tutor the kids in all subjects.

It’s nice to see that the seminarians here consider helping someone in their education just as much a ministry as visiting the slums and jails. The brothers tutor a few kids in all areas such as math, science, history, Malayalam, and English.

But giving children a proper education to all people isn't only unique to today's Church in Kerala. Giving the Dalit Christians a proper education was also an essential part in Blessed Kunjachan’s ministry.

At that time, Dalits were not allowed to join Public schools. Families from the high caste did not want their children studying side-by-side with an untouchable. The teachers didn’t want them there either.

It was unthinkable for a Dalit to think that he or she was worthy of receiving an education, since the caste system ensured that only the high-caste members of society would receive any type of education, while keeping the untouchables illiterate, ignorant, and far from any power gained through knowledge.

 .

So Kunjachan started small shed-like schools called Kalaris where he appointed teachers to give the Dalit children a basic education. They did not have money to buy basic school supplies, but Kunjachan fund raised enough money to get the Dalit students the essentials. 

When they grew older, many of them wanted to pursue higher studies beyond a basic elementary education, so Kunjachan fought for their ability to study in the Boy’s High School in Ramapuram. He persevered and was able to get the Dalits entrance into school where non-untouchable students were present as well.

Boss.

Lord, our God! Grant that we may enter the Holy of Holies with clean hearts and pure conscience. May we stand before Your altar with devotion, diligence, and purity. Make us worthy to offer You sacrifices, both rational and spiritual in true faith

-Prayed by the priest in a low voice before the Creed, SyroMalabar Qurbana

(Altar and Eastern Wall at Kollad Little Flower Church (MCBS),Archdiocese of Changanacherry)