A LENTEN PILGRIMAGE DAY -1

With the day's summer heat on, I notice from my window that a number of different birds, big and small, come to my little pond. They drink water and take a quick bath. No bird is afraid of the other though they belong to different species. I wish I could join them to splash water and do a little swimming. But if I go there they will all fly away.

 Why this mistrust and fear between me and the rest of creatures?

With this question in mind I went to the Devalokam chapel to join the Lenten Prayer of the Hours and the Service of Forgiveness (Shubkono).

In the gospel reading we heard the parable of the unmerciful servant who received the great kindness of his master, but was very unkind to his own debtor and fellow servant (Matthew 18:23-35). After the gospel reading, the leading priest knelt down and prostrated before the people assembled for prayer, and asked for their forgiveness for his sins and shortcomings. 

The worshipping community in turn prostrated and asked the priest for blessings and the grace to forgive.

It is interesting that in the ordinary non-sanskritised Malayalam language the verb porukkuka used in the prayers has three meanings: to forgive as in 'Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors', to heal as in healing a wound or diseases, and to dwell as in dwelling together in one house.

 Forgiveness is the key to healing and the basis for human social life, human culture and human survival.
So Shubkono calls for love and peace beginning with mutual forgiveness. This is essential for the continuation of the world and survival of the human race.

It is the hardest thing, I admit, to be able to forgive. 'Forgiving from the heart' (Matt 18:35), is certainly difficult for most of us. Still, let us take the first step in all humility asking God for the power of the Holy Spirit that we may walk in the path of karuna that ancient Indian word denoting compassion, kindness, mercifulness, tenderness and forgiveness as the essence of religion.

Rev. Fr. K M George