Newton’s Law: every action has an
equal and opposite reaction. Throw a
stone into the water and ripples will form.
Nothing comes from nothing. You’ve
heard and seen it all.
I have always been fascinated by
consequences. Just the thought makes me
agonise over decisions and, sometimes, when I have reached a point in life, I
pause to trace back as far as I can go and I am amazed at the chain of events –
the minuscule, small, medium, large and enormous consequences - that have
determined my journey. Consequences – it’s a topic I’ve waffled on about before
and will waffle on about again – and again!
Let me explain: We have a discussion
group on faith and culture and we have to take it in turn to lead the
discussion. So far, I had been happy to
take a back seat. Then, the priest
director and I happened to engage in conversation and I threw up the remark, ‘How
am I a Catholic?’ He was taken aback, ‘What do you mean?’ Well, I know that I was baptised and
confirmed and I do attend Sunday Mass and I will jump into arguments on
doctrine and faith for argument’s sake, but does that make me ‘Catholic’ in the
way it is supposed to mean? Our discussion meandered, as it usually does and
the upshot was that I led the discussion on ‘my’ topic. It so happened that I used a prayer written
by a Jesuit, Fr. James Martin. It turned
out that he had written a book, ‘My life with the Saints’. I was given the loan of it and what a joy it
was to read. The author is an excellent raconteur with a
rare personal honesty and the ability to find grace in all things (I like to
think that is a Jesuit trait – I like the Jesuits!). I discovered much that I had forgotten and
was happy to remember. I discovered that
we had many saints in common – those whom we liked, to whose intercession we
had turned, whose name was part of our own. For instance, the happiest part of Confirmation
was that it allowed me to add St. Bernadette to my given names! And who hasn’t tweaked St. Anthony’s ears for
that lost and must be found object.
Included in Fr. Martin’s book was my favourite Pope, John the XXIII – I have
a cherished rosary with his image embossed on the case. And I had recently been introduced to Fr. Pedro
Arrupe through a heart tugging musical put up by a student group from Goa.
But I digress (so did Fr. Martin, on
occasion, but he did it so nicely!). The
point I wanted to make was about saints and names: my baptismal name is
Anne. A little patience and you’ll see
where this is going. Consequences!
God called my husband home. Our parish organist – who played at his
funeral – followed him a little later.
That was unexpected and a shock.
It also left a vacuum in the music ministry. I started filling in with
my minimal keyboard skills and scratchy soprano, happily drowned out by the
powerful and in majority altos. From there I went on to accompany Sister at
morning Mass. She is the Principal of a
school in need of a singing teacher. In
Mumbai singing teachers are either priced out of range or thin on the
ground. And so I was reluctantly press-ganged
into training the uninitiated to unite voice with keyboard in a semblance of
harmony. I use recorded tapes for voice
(the mind boggles at the thought of 60 voices imitating me!). I digress again.
The name
of the school? St. Anne’s!
I have never given my patron saint a
second thought. All I know about her is
that she is Our Lady’s mother, her husband’s name was Joachim and we remember
both on parents’ day – July 26 every year. Now that I have read Fr. Martin’s
book, I am curious. After a lifetime of
exploring different trails, this connection cannot be mere coincidence. And
there is more. Three sisters in law
taught here. And I have just discovered
that St. Anne’s is the Alma Mater of my office assistant at XIC – a very happy
young lady who bubbled over with memories of her schooldays. Consequences with
connections!
Consequences
or God’s plan? Should I even dare to think so? Many
tomorrows will reveal the pattern; in the meantime I will be the thread woven
into the motif, the patch, sometimes in the background sometimes in relief. A bright thread I hope - one which lends (a
little!) decoration to the design.
Oh dear! I have waffled. My thoughts have run away with me and today’s
late night is going to have disastrous consequences if I don’t rise and shine
with the dawn tomorrow.
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