On The Mystery of The Incarnation and Christmas


When I see this beautiful Babe lying in the Manger, I don't see a distant deity, cold and far from the creature as I was wont to as a Hindoo.  The gods seemed so far away, so cold, so grave, so strange but when I look at this Little Babe, God and Man, lovingly staring at me and saying "Will you be My friend,  My beloved brother and Playmate?" I see then there is no veil, no mystery, only love. As if He says "I'm close to you! Don't you see Me! I see you all broken but I love you and I want to fix you,  will you be Mine?" In my Catholic Faith have I seen a God who "walks like us, talks like us, God-is-with-us".

I would like to conclude with this Hymn:

 "Jesu, Creator of the world,

⁠Of all mankind Redeemer blest;

True God of God, in whom we see

⁠The Father's image clear express'd:


Thee, Saviour, love alone constrain'd

⁠To make our mortal flesh Thine own;

And as a second Adam come,

⁠For the first Adam to atone.


That selfsame love which made the sky,

⁠Which made the sea, the stars, and earth,

Took pity on our misery,

⁠And broke the bondage of our birth.


O Jesu, in Thy heart divine

⁠May that same love for ever glow;

For ever mercy to mankind

⁠From that exhaustless fountain flow!


For this Thy sacred heart was pierced,

⁠And both with blood and water ran;

To cleanse us from the stains of guilt,

⁠And be the hope and strength of man.


To God the Father and the Son,

⁠All praise, and power, and glory be

With Thee, O holy Paraclete,

⁠Both now and through eternity."



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Nilgiri Diaries- The Call of The Blue Mountains

Image
  Part 7- Wildlife, Sceneries, The Return  “The forest makes your heart gentle. You become one with it. No place for greed or anger there.” - Pha Pachak As we bade  farewell to the chilly winds, the beloved people of Ooty and the glory of the Blue Mountains and descended towards Bangalore, we flew through Madumalai Forest and Tiger Reserve and Bandipur Wildlife Reserve where we were welcomed by the playful elephants and the majestic peacocks with out spread blue-green tail, dancing with tune of rain drops falling on the grass and trees and the music they made.  But then, a hopping herd of deer welcomed us and in their play, took away my tiresomeness of the long journey. But, wait.... as if that wasn't enough a band of monkeys welcomed me with their joyful chattering.  Yet surrounded by fog and showered with raindrops, it felt magical as if I was in Ancient Ireland with the fae folk.  After this, and a sad farewell to the beloved animals, and a long journey,...
Read more

The Nilgiri Diaries- The Call of The Blue Mountains

Image
 Part 6: Treks, Temples, Churches, Food & a Farewell  "I am not the same having seen the moon shine on the other side of the world" - Mary Anne Radmacher When I started going on these trips,  I never knew it would become a habit. And good habits should be inculcated,  nurtured and grown. My trips have helped me see a world where there is joy and happiness in small things, something a corporate minded would seemingly call "useless" or derogate its importance.  But that's where travel comes in. It shows us that as humans,  we're all to an extent suffering but we need to smile and seek as well as find happiness.   My last day began with a visit to the Cathedral and it's adjacent Shrine of The Blessed  Sacrament, where after a quiet reflection and The Holy Rosary,  I visited my favorite South Indian Restaurant,  Ruchi on Garden Road, where I indulged into a treat of Poori masala or Bhatura and mashed potato sabzi. Next, a trip to an...
Read more

The Nilgiri Diaries-Call of The Blue Mountains

Image
Day 5: Chai Sutra: The Tea Trail of Ooty "Not all who wander are lost." - J.R.R. Tolkien My day began with Rosary and a trek through Elk Hill to visit the legendary Murugan temple housing a colossal statue of Murugan Swamy (Kartikeya), the god of war and bravery and the first born son of Shiva. Surrounded by pines and oaks, this trail took me half an hour's trek and Blessed with some beautiful views. Strong winds and showers of monsoon rain had made the trail not only beautiful but also dangerous but for a adventurer, when has a steep dangerous road stopped men from exploring the unexplored? Having explored Elk Hill and its charming views, I walked through another picturesque trail to The Government Rose Garden which is home to more than 500 different species of roses. Washed and purged by the heavy showers,  these roses danced in the wind as if to an unheard hilly folk song.  Next hopping on to an auto, we travelled to Doddabetta Peak,  the highest  point of Tamil N...
Read more