Divine encounters

This weekend was rejuvenating, in many ways! 

Friday evening, Mater Dei, my parish celebrated a “thanksgiving” evening.  Nothing like my idea of thanksgiving- but the wine was a nice touch!  The parish has been busy renovating our hall space for the past 3 months, and Friday was about celebrating the congregation, and the space which makes the congregation.  I’m not homesick, per say, but I do know that it will be weird to celebrate Thanksgiving and Christmas in true SA fashion, without my favorite yam dish that granny makes, and no turkey (that I never really like anyway) and no family (well, biological that is).   Friday was such a good reminder how welcoming this community is, and that I am now part of it!  Things will work out J

On Saturday, somehow I got invited to celebrate in Hindu celebration in Malabar, the Indian community of Port Elizabeth.  Diwali, or the festival of lights, would be comparable to our Christmas celebration.    What an awesome experience!

First of all, I am always fascinated by the different cultures and traditions of this nation.  I’m not going to go into it because I have beaten that horse dead, over and over and over…  BUT, I got to chatting about the history of the Indian community in South Africa (weird, right?  Danika getting to talk to the old grannies about their histories..)  Super fascinating.  They have only been in this country for about 100 years, and they came as indentured labors.  So they left India to get away from the colonization, and were greeted in SA with more of the same.  Within 20 or so years, they had worked off their terms of their labor contracts, and began to form businesses and educating their children.

I was picturing Malabar as this dumpy, informal settlement.  Not sure how I got that picture?  Maybe I was thinking that Indians received the same treatment under the Apartheid as colored peoples (pretty crap), or maybe I was thinking of all the oppression and poverty in motherland India?  Well, in any case, I was wrong.  Such beautiful architecture, and warm people.  I had forgotten what it felt like to have a proper conversation about current affairs, which didn’t have a trace complaining about the current government structure!  It was refreshing.

So on to the juicy part.  The celebration was lovely!  We were in temple for quite some time, where I listened to a form of prayer that I was very unfamiliar with.   We lighted lots of candles, burned incense, and made a lot of offerings. Then we got a short history lesson from a community leader about the separation between Northern Indians and Southern Indians, and the different celebrations, and finally we got a blessing with holy water. (Sigh!  Something that I could relate to).  All of this was followed by more sweets that I can remember, and the most fantastic curries. NOMNOMNOM.

 

 

Then last night at mass, it was confirmation Sunday.  I lead my usual youth group through, which by the way is getting better.  I, as most of you know, am all about discussion.  Like probably too much.  I have ripped some limbs off trying to discuss with grade 8 and grade 9 students, but slowly, it’s getting better.  Then we all went to celebrate with newly confirmed.  Makes me think about my own confirmation.  I think I just went through the motions.  Yes, it was a choice to carry on with all the classes, and go to the camp and what not, but I think I was in it because granny made some good food, and I got backrubs from my friend in classes.  Whatever my intentions when I was 17, and whatever spiritual path I took to get where I am- boy am I pleased at where I am now.

The teens here have made this choice for themselves, and it has been very is inspiring, and I was happy to be here to share the fancy cake with them!