Gerald D'Cunha

  “The most critical time in a battle is not when I’m fatigued; it’s when I no longer care.” Graig G. Lounsbrough   O ne of the powerful imageries, deeply imbedding in my mind, relates to this period of Lent... Jesus Christ’s prayer at the lonely place – Gethsemane Garden. He knew, what’s coming upon him... He had lost his courage... He was feeling his humanness completely... Thus, He had gone, accompanied by a few trusted disciples, to pray for courage... That prayer was so intense, the Holy Book says, that Jesus sweat blood... Down on His knees, He had prayed: “Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless, not what I will, but what thou wilt.” It wasn’t possible for Jesus Christ to arrive at this crucial stage before he could experience the courage and peace... He prayed hard before acceptance brought in Him – peace... Now, He was unafraid, he was ready to face whatever was supposed to befall upon Him... In Lent, we ...

“Man is a complex being: he makes deserts bloom - and lakes die.” Gil Scott-Heron   A small piece of agricultural land had come to me after our dad’s death. It was about 35 years ago. The land was used by my grandfather, later by my dad, to cultivate rice (paddy). A highway passed along its side, and the land did not seem profitable at all considering the deserted surroundings and low area which was prone to flooding. By then, I had migrated to Bombay (now Mumbai) in search of better prospects, assuming, that there was where gold grew, not paddy. So, when I needed some money to set up my small coaching centre, here in Bombay, I asked my widowed mom to dispose off my piece of land… Which, mom did, and sent to me the proceeds: Rs. 2,70,000! It was a ransom to one who badly needed it, at that time… Then, I simply forgot about what was once ‘my piece of land’… A simple man, a mechanic, was the new owner of that land, now. He erected a temporary tin-shed and ran his worksho...