Yesterday was Good Friday and I did what I always do i.e. sneak into the Children’s Way of the Cross at St. Patricks School. It is the cutest, sweetest, simplest and quickest Way of the Cross I have ever attended. It is conducted by the Nuns who run the St. Patricks Orphanage and is open to all kids below 16 I think. I have always managed to sneak in with a little tot I borrow from anyone I can recognize. This time there were many and I took one such coterie along with me.
The children lead the Stations right from the beginning with simple meaningful readings and prayers in between. And the hymns are simple too which means everyone could join in. We finished the Stations in about 40 minutes. In the main church the priest was still in the 6th Station.The extraordinarily long sermons made the service almost 2 hours long. I just do not understand the penchant of Priests to give long meaningless sermons. Except the Redemptorists, none of the other Orders know how to give a Sermon. In Mumbai the rule in churches is 7 minutes for a sermon, no more. I think it is high time Bangalore churches adopted the same. I took a few snaps, with my friends mobile cam which I am posting at random here.
Holy Week services are so well conducted and looked forward to because of this elegant and graceful church. The services are conducted at the St Joseph’s College grounds. There is plenty of place to sit and the place is cool with a brisk breeze wafting in to make the Lenten summer tolerable. And the choir makes the whole experience so sublime.
Yesterday’s rendition of the “Old Rugged Cross’ by Oscar Menezes was so melodious that I wanted to record it for posterity. Hope this gifted singer does record his album of hymns one day. Micehelle Cherian's solos were like liquid gold in the ears. Carlton Saldanha led the choir that is perhaps one of the best I have heard in recent times. I am so looking forward to Easter Service at the same place.
( p.s. Why does Lent come in summer when I so look forward to a chilled Beer? *sniff* )
A blessed Easter everyone!
15 comments:
Happy Easter to you too Alexis! All ready for the Beerabishekam tomorrow :))
happy easter beeraholic eggaholic!
@poison" *hugs* for that very cute wishes :)) The same to you too. Actually I am a shandyaholic i.e. a mix of sprite and beer :)
That was a real nice read...reminded me of mass at school and how we guys wud start getting so restless and ruin the service for the preist if the mass ever exceeded 40 mins which was the length of a class period.
We had a combined Way of the Cross in the heart of Trivandrum City from 7:00 to 8:30 am where atleast 50000 catholics must have been present following which the Syro-Malankara mass close to my house immediately began and winded up only at 2:30 pm!!! i sneaked in at 1:30 pm...just for the nercha kanji after the service, which in the heat and humidity, i swear tasted better than the best biryani!!
I had stayed away from alcohol for 2 1/2 months but lost my control last week when i met my friends here!! neways there is a long time still to get on the right side of God during the lenten season...hehe! Wish you a Happy Easter and yeah enjoy the beerings!!!
Loved reading this post. Lovely place to attend Good Friday services.
I was in the choir yesterday, singing away or trying to while, some real talented singers held the show together. :))
Happy Easter silverine!
@jiby: Hey! You had that kanji too at 2:30. When I was a kid, and as the closest Syro-Malabar (yeah you must know the different rites too ;)) was miles away, we used to go to the Malankara church and the services used to go on like forever to a hungry 10 year old. And the kanji afterwards was awesome. With that ila kondulla spoon and all. :)) Was really nice.
we still get Kanji in the Jacobite church in KL.. I used to sneak in after 2pm( it is not a holiday in Malaysia, so hv to work), just to eat the kanji with payaruthoran and mango pickle and rush back to work..
Here in Vancouver, I made my own kanji and payaru..it didn't taste one bit the same..sigh
@quills, i share ur same fate...the syromalabar church is driving distance while the syromalankara church is a short walk away...so have been a longtime sufferer...i even intended to write an anonymous letter to the archibishop threatening him that the youth of his church were losing interest in the holy week masses coz of its length but never got around to doing it!!! was a bit disappointed that this year the old ceramic pinjaanams and plavilas have been replaced by steel bowl and spoons!!
@sarah, forgot to mention the kadumaanga pickle and the yummy payaru thorran...thanks for adding that!!
that was excellent.. i spent a lot of time in church this good friday, just as i do usually. kind of like making up for the missed sundays :) oh yeah, i did have the yummy kanji, with payar, chammanthi and pickle. i think its yummiest as you have it after a long fast and also after a marathon service!
you know one thing i really hate in christianity? these divisions and the way our priests try to promote one "sabha" over another. i kind of have moved away from church in some ways and i prefer going there and praying alone rather than for any service. sorry to bring this up here, but couldnt resist.
WISH YOU A HAPPY EASTER!!!
damm it ... Missed Way of the Cross, Good Friday mass and Midnight Easter Mass also. How i wish i was below the age of 16. Damm damm damm..
Happy vishu (my friends told me it was some festival that brought in the new year) and Happy Easter as well man.
Have a good one!
Jiby: I have spent many a Lent in Kerala as it normally falls within the summer holidays. You just reminded me of the yummy Nercha Kanji.I have actually sent a mail telling the parish priest to reduce sermons or he would lose the youth..it was signed by a venerable old lady :))
Way of the Cross in the heart of Tvm city must have been a hot and sunny exp. Luckily in Blr the 'sabha' problem does not exist.
I was so looking forward to my beer today, and guess what, it is raining in Bangalore ruining my first taste of beer in summer
:((
The Easter Service at 9 pm at the same venue after the thunder showers was nice and the people actually sat and listened to the choir instead of rushing out.
@Quills: Thank you. Hey you are as singer? That's great!!!!
@immigrantincanada; Dont you get packaged rice from Kerala there? This time my mom made some delicious kadumaanga pickle besides payaru thoran and maanga chammandhi with the kanji as we don't get it in the church here. It was a feast fit for a King who is fasting :)
@mindcurry: That's what I like about bangalore..the lack of 'sabhas'. Luckily I grew up with Goans and Mangaloreans for whom religion is a way of life and not a weekend activity. So youth programmes and retreats were a part of life. That's how religion should be followed I guess.
@Pradeep: Thank you and the same to you too.
@dr pissed:Next year beg, borrow or steal a tot and come to St Patricks for the way of the Cross and I hope you went for morning mass today!
ahaaaaaa
now only i saw this "think pad" :D
Happy Easter
http://www.chackochan.com/easter
@monu: This is my serious write pad :) Happy Easter to you too. That card you made was so nice.
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