Celebrating as 'One Community'

We post-graduate students celebrated our community day on 8th and 9th October. The theme of our celebration was “… THEREFORE… We Commune.”

“Therefore” is a polyvalent which means it has many different meanings and functions. In the context of community “therefore” invites us to commune with all our differences, skills, talents, experiences, idioms, styles of writing and speaking etc. which can inspire a community to commune with Trinity God.

On the evening of both days, there were many indoor and outdoor games that were organised. Fr Francis, our Moderator of PG block, officiated the games and wished our community …”therefore” … to stay on always as one community. We had games such as table-tennis, basket-ball, cricket, tug of war, blowing a ping-pong ball, etc. We divided ourselves into 2 groups – Noel’s team and Tommy’s team. The overall champion was Noel’s team.

An intense game of table-tennis

The answer is 'blowing' in the wind

Our basketball heroes

Cricket Match

C'mon fellas ... Tarikkkkk!


On the morning of the 9th, we gathered as usual for Morning Mass at our Post-graduate block chapel. Fr Jose Thayil, SJ., the rector of Papal Seminary, celebrated the Mass. In his homily he highlighted about Karl Marx’s ideology of sharing and contributing whatever the community has with one another. He also mentioned that we as a community need to accept one another and to be united with the community God (the Trinity God).

In the evening we had a fellowship gathering at our dining hall. Fr Joseph Fernandez, organised a few talent-time games like Dumb Shrewd (it is a game when someone acts and the crowd needs to judge). Some of the students came forward to sing, play the guitar and the flute.

Our fun was truncated by the arrival of distinguished guests and lecturers of our college. Before we proceeded for dinner, Fr Job, the president of our college advised us to be cheerful in the community and to go beyond reaching out to others. He was very proud with our community for the increase in numbers since the establishment of JDV College 56 years ago. We ended with a sumptuous meal.

Makan Time

All in all, our Community Day celebration was a joyful one and enjoyable one. It certainly reminded me of my seminary days where we normally have “Agape Night” before we leave for our semester or year break. A life of community will stay alive if it increases its values in “3Gs – Grow… Glow… Go...” A community needs to grow in love. When it grows in love then it will glow in the spirit of the Lord and with that glowing spirit it can go in spreading the good news of our Saviour. Kudos!
Our 1st quarter semester breaks will commence from 15th to 30th October.

Most of the students will be returning home during this break. My classmates and I will be leaving by train for Varanasi (North-East of India) for an Inter-religious dialogue seminar which will be held from 17th to 23rd October – it is our class project.

Hopefully I will have some interesting stories to write on Varanasi when I return.

My Feathered Friends

One Sunday, I came back straight to my room after morning Mass without having my breakfast. Immediately, I started work on my assignment and a few minutes later I sensed some movement near my window and went closer to take a look. I noticed that two tiny baby birds had fallen on the platform of my window from its nest. One died and another one was struggling for life.

The dead baby bird

I really don’t know how to reach out and save this little one. (Our windows have sliding mosquito netting doors, grills and glass windows). First, I have to push the sliding mosquito net window and if I push it to one side, the nest would fall. Anyhow I took the risk. I pushed the sliding window a little and managed to reach the little one with a help of a stick. My next problem was how to send back this little one into its nest.

The baby bird that survived the fall

Actually, there were a few nests on the top of both sides of my window and they were a little high. I then decided to check on the internet how to save a baby bird. With few guidelines I manage to keep the bird in a safe condition till the evening. That evening I asked my neighbour, Fr Sadanad to help me to return the bird into the nest. He is quite a tall man. With his help, we managed to reach the nest and brought down it. We saw another two more tiny baby birds inside the nest. We placed it nicely into its nest together with the other two and put back the nest accordingly.

After putting the little baby bird back to its home I felt relieved. That evening the mother bird came and I guess it was not happy. It was moving around the nest and it didn’t settle inside its nest. For two days I was watching the mother bird. I was very sure it didn’t stay inside its nest. I guess something was not right. Probably it was because we had disturbed its home. On the third day, I decided to check the condition of the baby birds. I climbed and noticed that the one I saved on Sunday had died, whereas the other two babies were rescued by the mother bird. I was little upset and I realised it was my fault for disturbing their natural habitat.

I really don’t know what species of bird this is. I know the amount of time the birds spent collecting grass and other materials from far away to build the nest. It was really a tough job for them to shape it. I still remember sometime in the middle of July, these pair of birds met each other outside my window. From then on, they came regularly to find a place for settlement. Initially, they failed many times to set the foundation. I felt pity for them and I wished I could help them. Right from the beginning I observed them very closely with their movements. I used to snap photographs of their single action. I didn’t go closer to my window and I don’t close my curtains either because I was afraid I might disturb them.

The first pair of birds building their nest

After about a month, I realised that the birds had disappeared. I thought they had gone elsewhere to settle down. On 15th August (the feast of the Assumption of Our Lady), the birds returned and this time they were so serious in building up the nest. Within 2 weeks they had completed the nest.

The completed nest ... Home is where the heart is


On 19th September, when I came back from my class I heard baby birds chirping. I knew the eggs had hatched but I didn’t know how many there were all together. I was so happy to hear that. I quickly informed one of my good friends in Malaysia via email that baby birds were chirping.

Now, on the right and side of my window, there is another nest that is being built. The birds have come back and are slowly settling down after disappearing for past two weeks. Like a proud parent, I hope to ‘hear’ some good news soon.

'Couple' No 2 setting up home


These past 3 months I have been observing the movements of our feathered friends. One mama bird has completed the cycle of ‘giving birth’ and the next bird is in the process of laying eggs. At one time I felt sad because the 1st pair of parent birds had flown away with their 2 babies within 7 to 8 days before their maturity. The baby birds’ feathers were not fully formed but I am very sure they are in a protected home somewhere and hoping that they are still alive.

Whenever I look out of my window I wish I could be like St Francis of Assisi so that I could communicate with these birds to find out the conditions of the baby birds and be able to ‘speak’ with the rest of God’s creatures as well.

Many people say that animals and birds are much more intelligent than human beings. They are independent and free creatures. They can survive on their own without any human care and love. They know how to look after their own. We, human beings are so different. We need tender love and parental care. We can’t survive without our parents or one another’s care and love. Often, we worry about the habitat and the environment. Some of us are so caught up by this so much so that we spend more time and energy looking on this and fail to look after our own families or our own needs.

When I reflect on the care shown by the ‘Papa and Mama’ birds for their young, this verse from the Book of Exodus comes to mind, “… I carried you away on eagles’ wings and brought you to me…” (cf EX 19: 3- 4, DT 32: 11-12).

Other birds carry their young with talons but eagles are said to carry their young upon their wings so that when hunters attempt to shoot a flying eagle, the arrow or bullet would not hurt the young ones. Similarly, we too can see how God cares and protects His people just like the parent birds.