Maiden Mass..!

"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another".

No. This is not a religious blog post. Those words hit the tympanic membrane of my ears as I stepped into the St. John XVIII Church completely soaked and gushes of the cold Canadian winter air still pumping my lungs. 

My first ever Mass!!

There is a reason why people, well predominantly, well ok only Christians call it a Holy week. Not that the other weeks are not worthy enough, but as I mentioned there is a reason to it. The departure of Jesus Christ, the agony that left a blemish on Earth's face and his ever divine Homecoming. These are the occurrences that constitute the embodiment of a celebratory week.

A friend of mine, much younger to me had the unsettling urge to attend the mass because she is Catholic and mostly because she wanted to please her Mother. I had never been to any Mass before. Although, I would every now and again go to a Church when I was studying in Switzerland. The reason - It was enchanting! The architecture!

I was  the only non-catholic figure in the premises at that time or at least I am pretty sure of it.  The hymns were supremely melodious. There were people of all ages, whispering, settling in, talking, coughing and some just calm. 

I was all ears and eyes to every movement, every sound, every turn of the page because I wanted to congregate information of what was going on. Why were people there. What do you mean by Mass. Why today.

Well literally mass just means a coherent, typically large body of matter with no definite shape. I heard the story. The story of Faith, Courage, Treachery, Supernatural, Kindness, Cruelty, Union, and more. I was nothing but flabbergasted. It had no twists, no creative touch, no manipulation. Simple, pure, straight truth.

Technically I am Hindu. A religion where you are never short of options of Gods to choose from. I believe in all of them. I do because I am scared. Because I am human. I do not know why, for the last 10 years I have always said a tiny prayer and crossed myself whenever I passed by a Church and this action has been involuntary.

I have been to Hindu Temples all my life. They are different. Louder, colourful, brighter. Churches are quieter, whiter, calmer. What was common? The believers! No matter where I went, or have been to, I found devotees from different parts of the society, backgrounds, orientation, race, and other classification there. All of those who believe. Who have a twinkle in their eyes.A twinkle of Hope and Progress. Honestly, I didn't feel like I was from another religion. Because, the one everybody was praying to, didn't look at me differently.

Nobody even knew. The message is clear. We are all going back together. One way or the other, this way or the other, we will see each other on the other side. The welcoming smiles, the soothing hymns, the cozy atmosphere, the beautiful white robes, the bewildering story telling and the classy oakwood furniture were all conspiring people into believing and having faith. That is the key!

Whether you follow a religion or not, there is always one source of energy that will work for you. That is your GOD!! Worship it, Respect it and Believe in it.

I went in a Human and came out a Human. The difference - I believe in peoples belief. 


Believe and Breathe..

Ragz