THE INDIAN COMMENTATOR

Image Courtesy: Instagram Ever since the fateful day on 30 July 2024, when Wayanad in Kerala, was hit by the catastrophic landslides, day after day, hour after hour, a certain numbness set in. It is a numbness that results from seeing hundreds of people, men, women, and children dead, some floating in rivers several kilometres away in the most visceral display of nature’s uncompromising transfiguration. Equally terrifying is the human bodies floating in the Chaliyar River in Pothukallu panchayat in Malappuram district about 12 kilometres away from the location of the landslide. These bodies were washed away by the gush of water from the hills that spat out death for hundreds of people. Some bodies are dismembered and now people are collecting human limbs from the river shore. In the numbness, it wasn't easy to find words of consolation. It was also difficult to find words of prayer. However, by the Grace of God, I was able to pray a rosary for the deceased and especially for the ca

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As we face challenges in life, we hear our well-wishers tell us to have faith… in God, in ourselves, and sometimes, in governments or even in aliens. Faith in God is certainly THE life-saving option, as Saint Augustine discovers in his life. At his younger age, he sought a life of material success, intellectual glory, and superiority among his peers. He could never achieve contentment, though. However, his mother, Monica, was adamant that her son would leave his old ways and accept faith in Jesus. She wanted her son Augustine to have God in his life. However, Augustine was too busy chasing after the world that he left his mother and went to Rome. Later, his life brings him closer to God and finally, his mother’s long wait was over with Augustine receiving baptism. He finally opened his heart to God and found His peace in life. As we are in the thick of things, it is difficult to open our hearts to God. Here is a strategy. I have learned this strategy from someone very special- the Moth

It is important, for our growth, to understand that the real problem in the world is not good versus evil. In the present day, at least, this is not a problem we need to be concerned about. On the other hand, the problem we need to address is our rejection of God. This doesn’t mean evil doesn’t exist. When we are too concerned about good versus evil, without trusting in the sacrifice of the Living God, we reject God. When we exercise our capacity to imagine and conceive the idea of God as a superhero who would destroy our enemies, we are again rejecting the Living God. It is said that “for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous.” ( Matthew 5:45) If you consider the history of the world, evil has already been defeated, conclusively, in the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Jesus died on the cross, taking upon himself all the rejection, pain, and suffering the world has to offer. His death was the perfect conclusion and beginn

 Our Lady of Sorrows The intelligent use of sorrow can take us closer to God. Sorrow is allowed in our lives for a purpose. The intelligence required to understand the purpose of sorrow is available not in us but in God. One cannot unlock the mystery of sorrow all by oneself. Seek the intercession of our Blessed Mother to gain access to the solution of this puzzle. It was during my first renewal of the Marian Covenant at Kreupasanam that Our Lady of Grace taught me this wisdom. There was a time when I had gone through immeasurable stress in life. After a period of extreme upheaval, things have calmed down due to the intercession of Mother Mary. But then, in a quick unveiling of a set of uncertainties, I was yet again tossed into the thick of things. Although I had received scriptural verses as an assurance of the Blessed Mother’s intervention in my matters during my stay at Kreupasanam, I still worried. The agony was well beyond any limit I had endured previously. I was burning inside

The sorrow of watching Jesus suffer in Calvary from a maternal point of view is enough to kill anyone. As the son suffers, the mother watches it helplessly. But she doesn’t protest. The protest would have weakened her. She stood  strong , accepting the Will of the Father, the  easiest  burden to carry. How does it become an easy burden to carry? Christ says that His is an easy burden.  “Come to me, all you  who are weary and are  carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Mat 11: 28- 30) How is it easy to see one’s child suffer? The  father  of the faithful, Abraham, was asked to sacrifice his son, Isaac. It was only such matters as the time and location to make the sacrifice that Abraham was worried about. Of course, the pain of losing his only son was searing into his  heart,  like a piece of hot coal. His life co

Our Lady of Fátima There are those moments in life when I felt I kept Christ outside. It was as if I politely asked him to stay outside of the room or the house or outside of my business entirely. During those moments, I never realise the gravity of the matter. As the moment passes, a deep sense of loss and dissatisfaction envelops my mind. This is a regular occurrence. I realised the remedy to the feeling of loss and dissatisfaction in Christ. This realisation came to me late in life. I was in our parish church for Sunday Mass. There was Adoration and while I was there, a voice spoke to me. It said I must invite Christ to all my affairs, even the ones I am most ashamed of or embarrassed about. There is no need to feel shame in front of the Lord. Just tell Him what you are going through. That would help you overcome the feeling of loss and dissatisfaction. I am presently in the 90 days of the Kreupasanam Marian Covenant. Our Lady of Grace is watching over me. I am grateful. These momen

La Madonna della Pietà Our Lady of Piety Whenever I become aware of the love that Jesus has shown towards me during his Passion my eyes tear up. I feel an overwhelming sadness in my heart for all the moments which I had lost in receiving God in the Eucharist, for all the moments when I disowned Him just like Peter, the apostle. Still, He loved me, He loves me, and without any inhibition, He takes on his cross and walks to Calvary, for me. His mother, our Blessed Mother, observes, and watches, as this event unfolds in front of her eyes. It is her Son who is walking to His death shouldering the very instrument of torture that would cause Him His death. This is Jesus, the one who is shouldering all the sins of the world. He is the son of that woman. Yes, she also does not complain even when her son is led to His death. The walk to death is painful already. The young man of 33 years was beaten, taunted, spit at, mocked, and jeered at. She watches all of this and remains by his side, till t

Our Lady of Perpetual Help In his interview that was published on 14 April 2024 by PK MEDIA - VOICE on Youtube, the renowned Malayalam writer Perumbadavam Sreedharan declares that it is impossible to live without Christ. He observes Christ as a beacon of hope beyond all religious and geographical boundaries. Christ is above all boundaries and therefore, even if he is someone who does not proclaim faith in any particular religion, Christ is still quintessential for him, for his existence. About Jesus, I first heard from my mother. She, a Syro-Malabar Catholic, has always been a strong fortress of faith. She told me Jesus came from God. I was very young when she first told me this. My mind frantically started to make connections between Jesus and his essence. I couldn’t grasp the description in the proper sense that Jesus is God and is from God. Most of my time was occupied those days in thinking about a possible solution to solve this ‘mystery’. I remember, once asking my mother, is J

Our Lady of Grace, Kreupasanam Nothing can replace it. A few days ago, the mother of one of my colleagues passed away. This colleague of mine is also a good friend. I couldn’t visit him that day. I wish I could. There were too many classes to attend, and much work there was to be done. So I missed the day, when I should have been with him, as a shoulder for him and his family. Mother’s love can’t be replaced. When a mother leaves, it is also a withdrawal of a good life on earth for the children who survive. Nothing can pacify this tragedy. In Calvary, when Christ was hung on the Holy Cross, one of the many people who witnessed it was his mother, Mary, along with another Mary and Mary Magdalene. Each drop of Christ dripped out from the pores on his body, made by the lashes of the whip of the torturers, in front of Mother Mary. The Blessed Mother did not protest. She witnessed it with a Holy resignation that only she had mastered ever since the Annunciation, which is when the Angel Gabri

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  Courtesy: Adoration of the Shepherds by Dutch painter  Matthias Stomer , 1632 He was wrapped in swaddling clothes in the manger. This is what the Gospels say about the birth scene of Jesus Christ. “ The word “manger” comes from the Latin word manducare which means “to eat.” A manger or crib is a wooden or stone feeding trough or food box that holds hay for larger farm animals like cattle, horses, and donkeys. ” The food box used by the Jews during the first century AD was made of stone. “ The stone trough was a manger. Of course, it wasn’t made of wood. Wood was precious and expensive in an arid land where few trees grew straight and tall. That’s why the legendary cedars of Lebanon were so prized. There weren’t many trees, but there was plenty of rock. ” Not a comfortable place for the King of the Jews.  The newborn was a special child, yet the only place they could find was this stone manger. It was rough, it was meant for animals to eat from. Just imagine the thoughts that must hav

"Until I Find You" by Kanchana Banerjee is a captivating fiction thriller set in the charming town of Bannod in Rajasthan. The narrative revolves around two key characters, Jenny and Virat, each on a personal quest for redemption and truth, respectively. Jenny finds herself tirelessly searching for the son of her deceased best friend, while Virat, a determined police officer, is driven to solve the mystery behind the sudden disappearance of Jenny's crush. As fate would have it, their paths cross, and they find themselves reluctantly joining forces to achieve their individual goals. The plot of the story is peppered with both expected and unexpected twists, leading up to a climax that will leave readers in shock. The author skillfully crafts well-defined characters who grapple with themes such as cults, rape, and the vulnerability of victims. Through their experiences, the story delves into the profound impact that people's susceptibility can have on surrendering their