On Sunday, I arrived at the cathedral to see many symbols at play. A clash of symbols or just too many? This is a week when we celebrate our patronal feast - the Assumption of Mary. I expected that but then I see the Thai Church celebrating at the same time 100 years since Our Lady of Fatima appeared to the three children in Portugal. The apparition of Mary to these children happened on the 13th of each month from May to October in 1917. The last apparition saw the major miracle of Fatima - the Miracle of the Sun. I am not sure why here they chose August as the month to remember and not another month. I say this as Mary did not appear on the 13th day in August that year. She chose to be different that month. Why not remember Fatima in October - month of the rosary and month of the last apparition? Everything all at once here? Why?
That was my take but, on sharing this with a friend after mass, he automatically replied - In Thailand, it is this month because of the Queen's birthday and Mother's day both being on 12 August and Assumption being the patronal feast. Of course, Thailand is remembering 100 years of Fatima in August due to local Thai factors and not due to history or universal factors.
Obviously, I do not have a Thai mind as I think too rationally for here. Like it or not, when you live in Thailand, Thailand has its own thought patterns with the focus being Thailand and all things Thai.
Then on Tuesday, the actual day of the feast of the Assumption, I am in Yangon for work. I had travelled in the morning from Bangkok. I had arranged with a Burmese who works with me and also going for the same meeting, but on a different flight, for him to meet me at Yangon airport and we get a taxi together. Easy! Not so! My plane had a problem and so I was two hours late arriving. On talking with my Burmese colleague already in Yangon, I told him not to wait for me. Well, guess what? On arriving at Yangon, my Burmese colleague and his wife were there patiently waiting for me to see that I got to our office okay. I was so touched by such a kind and gracious act.
On that day, I went to mass at Yangon cathedral. The priest spoke too long and it was all theory and doctrine.
Well, what spoke to me that day of Mary, our model in faith, whose feast we celebrated today? It wasn't the priest's homily. Maybe I am not that rational after all.
No comments:
Post a Comment