Offer It Up

July 2nd-July 7th

As you all know, there is no doubt that I have been having a beautiful time in India. But it hasn't been easy.

Transitioning into a different culture and getting used to the environment here is no easy task, especially for an ABCD, so whenever I am faced with a difficult adjustment or an inconvenience, the only way to get through it is by telling myself to offer it up.

My time here has passed the halfway mark, so in light of the Catholic tradition, I have decided to write my own litany with the response: offer it up

The Litany of Kerala for an ABCD

For the gust of B.O. when you walk outside of Cochin International Airport, offer it up

For being unable to find a place to click your seatbelt into, offer it up

For knowing that every car ride in India might be your last, offer it up

For the oncoming bus that's headed straight towards your car and doesn't seem to be moving any time soon, offer it up

For not knowing how a bus, a car, an auto rickshaw, and a motorcycle manage to drive side-by-side in a two lane road, offer it up

For getting weird looks from the driver because you scream whenever the car misses crossing pedestrians by an inch or two, offer it up

For having to let go of my "manliness" and hold someone’s hand while crossing the street, offer it up

For getting pushed and shoved on the bus because of a lack of aggressiveness, offer it up

For red ants, big spiders, and giant cockroaches, offer it up

For mosquito bites, offer it up

For getting mosquito bites while eating, offer it up

For getting mosquito bites while showering, offer it up
For getting mosquito bites while writing this litany, offer it up
For using a mosqito net in reverse and trapping ten mosquitos inside while I sleep, offer it up

For looking like a fool during Mass because of all the failed mosquito assassination attempts, offer it up

For having to explain to every person I met about what each person of my family is currently doing, offer it up

For having to wake up before 6am almost every day, offer it up

For putting up with the lack of the Oxford comma in Indian English literature, offer it up

For always sweating in 110% humidity, offer it up

For forgetting to carry around an umbrella during monsoon season, offer it up

For sambar stained fingernails, offer it up

For not being able to understand people with a Thrissur accent, offer it up

For missing out on all the fun happening back home in America, offer it up

For missing out on seeing Martin dance on stage for the first time, offer it up

For missing Deacon (now Father) Michael Edathil’s Ordination, offer it up

For knowing that my time India will eventually come to an end, offer it up

But aside from all this, I really am having a wonderful time in India.

I also had the opportunity of seeing the movie ABCD

I really enjoyed the movie. It was funny and it was nice to see a few familiar faces from back home. But what I really enjoyed was how the film makers portrayed the American born Malayalis, the ABCDs.

The ABCDs they depicted in the movie are far from real. The American born Malayalis in the movie are sons of millionaires, drive around in Lamborghinis, go clubbing every night, get into violent gun fights with “the blacks”, and do nothing but waste their parents' money, spending nearly $20,000 a month on clothes, phones, girls, etc.

Sorry Johnny monne, ithe New York life alla.

I’ve always wondered why people in Kerala get so surprised when I tell them that I’m in the seminary. But I guess if this is what image they have in their mind of American born Malayalis, I would be surprised too.

I feel like my presence in Kerala, fully being capable of eating Kerala style food, and somewhat speaking Malayalam is making the people here rethink their understanding of people like me

I wasn’t sure whether I would be able to see the movie. The seminarians only have certain days throughout the year when they can go watch movies. I thought that I could probably go there by myself, so I asked one of the priests for directions. He ended up taking me to the movie…and watching it for a second time.

The theater seemed brand new and had a pretty nice food court. I was really surprised. 

                                                                                                                     

Before the movie began, a picture of the Indian flag was shown on the screen and the audience was asked to stand up and sing the Indian National anthem. It was a proud moment for me to join in and sing the national anthem, all thanks to my days back at Gurukalam. And thankfully, I was able to stop myself from transitioning right into the American National anthem…

My time at Mangalapuzha Seminary has been great. I was able to join the brothers on their weekly “social service” trips. I joined a group of seminarians on a visit to the slums, but it was a bit different from my last time of visiting the slums with Br. Jigin at Vadavathoor.

There seemed to be a lot more suffering at this “colony”. The brothers were telling me how many of the children growing up here have broken families; almost all the fathers here are alcoholics and many of the mothers have ran off with other men.

Recently, there was an event that struck the whole community. Just a few days back, one of the fathers here committed suicide; he hung himself right in front of his son.

There’s a lot of pain here. The brothers do whatever they can to alleviate it from praying with them to building new homes for them. In years past, the seminarians would come once a week just to tutor the kids, but they had to discontinue because it was really difficult for the students to focus and so they weren’t able to learn much. But how can you blame them when they’re growing up with all these issues?

When we arrived, there were several families who we visited who welcomed us into their homes and talked with us for quite some time, but there were also many families who did not want to see us at all.

We knocked on some doors and told whoever was inside that the brothers from the seminary had come, but some people responded saying that if we didn't have money or even candy to give to their kids, there was no point in coming by.

The brothers saw a familiar face and asked the middle-aged woman if she was doing well, and she responded saying:

Well? You want to know if I’m doing well? Do you not see that I live in the slums? Do you not see how heavy it’s been raining here these past couple of days? Well? Go back to the seminary where you belong!

Some families welcomed us, some didn’t, but we continued on. 

The story of Blessed Kunjachan and his work with the Dalit community was no different.

While it may seem like Blessed Kunjachan’s efforts to liberate the Dalit people would have been accepted wholeheartedly by them, they were not. Many were cold to him, not wanting his presence among them, seeing him a radical destroyer of the status quo. Some scolded him and rebuked him, but he nevertheless remained steadfast to the mission given to him by God and continued to persevere in working towards the liberation the Dalits who were open to Blessed Kunjachan’s love and care.

How did Blessed Kunjachan manage to persevere in the liberation of the Dalits, despite the many hardships and setbacks he endured from the very people he was trying to liberate?

He offered it up.

Lord Jesus Christ, you offered yourself as a sacrifice to remit the sin of the world. Strengthen us to make up all the hardships that Christ had to undergo for the sake of his Body, the Church. Treading the path of your commandments faithfully, let us reach eternal happiness. Lord of all, forever

-Slotha, Sunday, Period of Summer, Lelyia (Night Prayer), SyroMalabar Liturgy of the Hours

(Life-size model of the crucifixion at St. Mary's Forane Church, Chalakudy)