Gerald D'Cunha

“In prayer, it is better to have a heart without words than words without a heart.” John Bunyan   I s there something wrong, if someone greets me – a Christian - on a Good Friday with - "A very happy Good Friday?” And, that’s how some did greet me yesterday. I hope many, many did get greeted similarly, too… Why should anything be wrong when someone greets me with a clean heart? Those of us, who were born and raised as ‘Christians’, have learnt to wear a sombre face on a Maundy Thursday and a Good Friday. We know the significance of these days… the trauma and sorrow – the Passion – Jesus had gone through. So, whenever someone greets us ‘A very happy Good Friday’ – yes, we tend to correct the greeter – ‘No, it’s not a happy day; it’s a sad one’… But, so sorry! A middle-aged Sindhi woman says this to me, “Whenever I reflect on the images and life of Shirdi Sai Baba, I see Jesus there. Both lived like fakirs, and they taught people to live a simple and sincere life.” ...

  “If people in your circle aren’t contributing to your growth, then, you’re not in a circle… you’re in a cage.” Kianu Starr   G rowing up in my native village, we kids do not remember having heard of the Easter Eggs and the Easter Bunny. All that we heard was of the real eggs our hens laid and the real bunny who lived a little away in the jungle! So, as the standard of living – or shall I call it, lifestyle? – improved, came along the idea of colourful Easter Eggs and Bunny into our lives… The Risen Lord, Jesus Christ, alone knows how funny these Easter Bunny, Eggs and Buns are! Anyway, if hunting for these Eggs, Bunny and Buns on an Easter morning can make children and adults happy, I think, the Lord, also, would be happy… Why be so serious about life? After all, Easter is all about hope and renewal… Isn’t it?   C oming Tuesday morning, we will be commencing our summer programme on Personality Development for young kids. Lord, also, knows, that every k...

“No pain, no palms; no thorns, no throne; “No gall, no glory; no cross, no crown.” William Penn M y dear friend Reema* lives in London with her husband and two little girls. Her brother’s family, too, lives in another part of London. And, they have been living there for years. Back home, here in Mumbai, live their elderly and sick parents along with Reema’s mentally-challenged brother, who is in his late forties. Mother, too, needs special attention due to her own prolonged mental-illness. The maid, who was taking care of the house, due to her own reasons, abruptly stopped coming to work the day the lockdown was announced. Reema and her London brother, weren’t able to come here. But, having gone through situations like this, almost, all her life, she handled it with lots of grace and grit. The neighbours, here in Mumbai, found a full-time lady to look after the house. It was when the lockdown was announced… that’s, some two week...

I f ‘seeing’ is a must for ‘believing’, then, most of us would have been Atheists in life! I haven’t ‘seen’ God; yet, I ‘believe’ in Him. And, I think, you, too, haven’t seen Him; yet, like me, you, too, ‘believe’ in Him. T oday is Easter… I remember Thomas, one of Jesus’ twelve disciples. Jesus had risen from the dead. He appeared to some of His disciples. When they told Thomas, “We have seen Jesus,” he flatly refused to believe them. “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it.” Some days later, while the disciples had gathered for a prayer meet, in a closed room, Jesus, once again, appeared before them. “Peace be with you.” He said to them. This time, Thomas was present in the room. Jesus said to him, “Thomas, put your finger here, see my hands; reach out your hand and put into my side… Stop doubting and believe.” Thomas was melted… “...

Pic.: Nachiket Jeurkar “S ir, I like Easter Eggs,” a ten-year-old said to me with excitement, “The neighbor aunty gives us every year.” Then, he asked me, “Sir, you like Easter Eggs?” “Oh yes, dear, I like them,” I caressed the little head, “Easter Bunny brings them to us, every year.” “Who is Easter Bunny, sir,” the little fellow asked me. “The good Rabbit, who comes, every Easter, from the far away land, carrying those colorful eggs in his basket for all of us,” I narrated to my little friend. I added, “Just as the Santa Claus, who comes every Christmas carrying gifts for you kids.” The little-one thought for a while, and, then, said in even more excitement, “Sir is he the same good rabbit who lives in the Moon?” Now, I knew the Rabbit who lived in the Moon and the Bunny who came with Easter Eggs in his basket were both legends... just as the Santa was. They, always, fired our imagination... and, we all accepted the legends without questio...