Gerald D'Cunha

T oday is Good Friday... Thought, I would repost this Blog, which I had first posted in June, 2022. Though the subject of the Post relates to the last hours of Jesus Christ – widely known as ‘The Passion of the Christ’ – strangely, I had Posted it in the month of June, when the Holy Week was long behind... But, today, when I revisited this Post, it surprised me and prompted me to ask the same question, which had prompted me to write this Post four years ago: “What it means to live life passionately?” Hope you find the Post relevant... A blessed Friday to all... May peace prevail both inside us, and outside us... as we step into the fullness of life...   STEP INTO THE FULLNESS OF LIFE “It’s only by owning who and what you are can you step into the fulness of life.” Oprah Winfrey   A s a child born and brought up in a Christian (Catholic) household, observing the solemnity of Lent – particularly that of the Holy Week – was an integral part of my faith. The ...

“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.” ...

“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.: Azriel D'Souza “The words of the prophets are written on the subway walls and tenements halls and whispered in the sounds of silence.” - Paul Simon   D uring Jesus’ trial after his arrest, He was taken to both Jewish religious authorities as well as Roman authorities.  He was first taken to Annas, the former High Priest… Next, He was taken to Caiaphas, the current High Priest… then, to Sanhedrin, the assembly of Jewish religious leaders… From there, Jesus was taken to Pilate, the Roman Governor…. who, on learning that Jesus belonged to King Herod’s jurisdiction, sent Him to be trialed before the merciless Herod… Finally, Herod packed Jesus back to Pilate, and, there, the trial ended: Pilate sentenced Jesus to die on the cross! There is one episode in this entire trial of Jesus, which, though shrouded in mystery, fills me with strength during my own trials and tribulations. Before each authority – Annas, Caiaphas, Sanhedrin an...

Pic.: Pradeep Nanda A few hours ago, I heard someone banging on the wall outside my office and went out to see what the disturbance was all about. It was a plumber hired by one of my neighbors…. He was drunk and was careless. Hardly a sentence I must have spoken with him, and I found myself speaking to him with irritation and anger. The fact that he was drunk, and the fact that he or my neighbor hadn't discussed the work before starting to hammer, yes, it was playing on my head, and, added to this, I couldn't swallow the rough way in which the plumber was talking to me… I stopped the work and told him that I would talk to his employer, who I knew well. Well, the work stopped. But, not the talk inside my mind… Today is Good Friday. I had chosen to work… I  hadn't  kept a fast… Abstinence is a very powerful term… After I had subdued the drunk plumber with my strong words, which came from my stronger position in life ...