Salesian Gardens

This particular one I was not able to trace.  It bloomed only a few days ago.  Am surprised of the survival grit of this plant.  It was in a pot in one corner crowded by other plants and I honestly did not want to waste water for those plants.  Only when I cleared some of those did I discover a "new" plant in the pot. So I let it be because it seemed to have some sort of bulbs from which it shot out the stems.  Am happy I did that and here's the result...

Salesian Gardens - Round headed leek

This particular red flower has been in the garden for a couple of weeks now.  Peeking out of the bushes the red colour makes it stand out.  I learnt that it is the round headed leek. At least that's what the app says it is. But really did not find its exact equivalent online.  ... or is it a new species?!! Ha ha!

Anyway, till I get a better flower and a better photo, let me call it a red headed leek.

Salesian Gardens - Hydrangea

The one that I had recently posted turned out to be a type of Hydrangea macrophylla, commonly known as bigleaf Hydrangea.  I also 'resurrected' another dying plant of the same variety, but the popular one. But it is yet to flower. So am not sure what colour it would yield.

But this one looks really great.  White flowers to begin and now they are all almost dark pink.  They are the best as of now in the garden.  I guess it did not get sufficient nutrients so there are only few flowers rather than a whole ball of them.  I'll make sure of that next time round! 

Salesian Gardens - Tutsan

This evening I had a bright idea.  Instead of asking those around me what the name of the plant or the flower was - and in most cases, they'd ask me back! - I downloaded an app (plantnet) which helps identify plants and flowers.  Google was rather useless in this regard.  Every time I tried to identify the a particular flower through a photo, it would give me two or three options: flower, flower and some totally different flower which had no resemblance to the one I wished to identify.  I guess, it is yet to acquire the ecological sense!

So here's one from our Salesian Gardens.  Tutsan (Hypericum androsaemum).  What Katie told me was that it could be 'honey-suckle'.  Well I discovered that it is considered a weed in some parts of the world!  But it has small lovely yellow flowers and the shrub is full of them.  Then there appear berries which are initially white, green, then red then turn black.  They are poisonous!!  Wow!  At present in the shrub in my garden there are no more flowers but plenty of berries, all red.

This is how the flower looks...

Film and philosophy

I read one of the articles on Aeon a couple of days ago... it was about film and philosophy.  It speaks of the great connection between film and philosophy.  More so about philosophy learning from film.
I suppose this is because philosophy is a combination of art and science.  While most philosophers would deny this and claim philosophy to be a pure science, the very core of philosophy (namely the ability to trigger reflection rather than answers, questions rather than solutions, introspection rather than experimentation) shows otherwise.

Most important, however, given philosophers’ unhealthy obsession with rationality, filmmakers can teach them what it means to be human: about our messy ways, about how shifty, complex and ultimately irrational we can be. We are driven by emotions and passions as much as we are by reason; we employ mythical imagination just as much as argumentative thinking. And, perhaps, philosophy should for its own good be more generous with its definitions and humbler in relation to other fields. From film, for example, it can learn many a useful thing – human warmth, social urgency and a way of speaking directly to the human heart – things that don’t abound in philosophical texts. Read more ....

Economic immigrants?

The other day one of the local newspapers ran an article stating that 7 out of 10 immigrants who entered Europe in the last one year were economic immigrants.  That is to say that they dared the seas and death itself purely for economic reasons.  That situation back home were not really life-threatening or serious but it was dreams of prosperity that drove people to the European shores.

Well, I would not deny the fact that it could be money that prompted the Africans, Libyans and Syrians to flee their own homeland.  Another reason to support this argument is the gender ratio of those found crossing the Mediterranean sea... it is mostly men folk.  Proportionately there are very few women and children among those rescued or seeking residence in a foreign land.

So I was thinking to myself: Would I leave my homeland for economic gains?  Would I have the heart to leave behind my family, relatives and friends to go to a foreign land where I know that I'd be looked down upon?  Would I be so daring as to even face death by drowning, or shot by the middle-men, be sold in slavery in some other part of the world that I'm trying to escape, or be put in prison even if I make it across safely... such high risk for money?

I believe there is more to economics than purely earning money.  Life is too complicated to be restricted to one factor or aspect of living.   While economic well being may be one of the reasons, may be a strong reason, but that alone cannot drive a person from all that he or she holds dear in life - even life itself.  Situations at home may not be life-threatening, but they certainly are not life-enhancing either!  

Little things but great

When we're dead and buried what mark will we leave on the world?  In our pride we probably think that we might write the world's best-selling book, invents some labour-saving gadget or discover the cure for some life-threatening disease. But the reality, of course, will be somewhat different.

Most of our lives are not made up of headline events.  Our days are calmer and much more about the ordinary comings and goings.  Maybe that's why many of the saints show us that the way to heaven is by striving to do the little things of life well.  For it is the little things that make the most difference.
(from the St Anne's Catholic Church Newsletter, Chertsey)

The stranger

The first reading of the day, wherein a lady not only offers hospitality to the prophet Elisha but eventually makes room for him in her house, stands in stark contrast to the situation in the West today.  In the light of the immigration crisis there is a sizeable population in the 'developed countries' who do not want 'foreigners' in the land, except when they bring in revenue.  If they arrive as dependents, then they are not welcome!

Take for instance, Australia.  It takes in approximately 13,000 immigrants every year.  Given the size of the country and its terrain, even if that number were tripled it would still be able to accommodate them all. But it would not!  Well even I am not for immigration.  But for different reasons.  Why should a person be forced to move out of his own place, his home, his land?  Only wanderers love roaming around.  For most, we human beings like to get back home at the end of the day... even if that day is stretched to months or years.  So rather than 'rehabilitate', help make their homes and countries a safe place where they can continue to live.  They may not have the luxury and the comfort of another nation, but what greater place on earth than 'home'.

While hosting nations and citizens have genuine concerns about those coming into their country.  Some of them are worth discussing and do cause inconvenience to all involved.  However, most of the reasons cited by those against 'non-natives' are based on undue fear and heightened selfishness of a few.  The gospel of the day is then a challenge to each one of us to move out of ourselves, to risk, to be generous and see the world as more and beyond oneself.

Whoever receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet's reward, and whoever receives a righteous man because he is righteous will receive a righteous man's reward. And whoever gives only a cup of cold water to one of these little ones to drink because he is a disciple--amen, I say to you, he will surely not lose his reward. 

Hospitality

In Sanskrit there is a saying which has this particular phrase, athithi devo bhavaa (Guest is God-like).  It comes in a series of statements which places parents and teachers in the same privileged place like guests, all god-like.

Today's Mass readings highlight this element of hospitality when it speaks of Abraham's kind gesture towards the travellers.  He invites them in, prepares a royal banquet for them, waits on them.  They are total strangers and all of this hospitality, without being asked for it.

Sociologically it can be said that in the middle-east seeing some person in those deserts was a real joy. Hence the hospitality to anyone one comes across.  However, there is also the cultural and moral dimension that sees a guest as more than a mere mortal.  It is said that even if an enemy asks for hospitality and comes as a guest, he is to be treated like an angel.  Not only is he to be protected from any danger at whatever costs, he is to be treated royally.

This particular narration from the life of Abraham when juxtaposed with the gospel of the day where in the centurion 'does not want' to have Jesus in his house is quite interesting.  The centurion perhaps is aware that if Jesus, a Jew, were to step in his house, he would be considered impure and have to undergo the rights of purification.  But more than that the faith of the man in Jesus is something that that stands out.  He knows that Jesus can cure his servant even without making the effort of moving from his place.

The strangers bless Abraham and Sarah only after their meal and towards the end of their stay.  Here Jesus blesses the centurion even without stepping into his house... a matter of receiving Jesus into our hearts much before we receive him into our homes.  

Pat Barnes

This morning during the 8.30 Mass in the Parish, Fr Michael, the Parish Priest felicitated Ms Patricia Barnes for her consistent and quality contribution by way of accompanying the liturgical singing at the piano during the Sunday Masses for the past 42 years!  He presented her with a papal blessing from Rome (a certificate).  She was delighted and quite surprised to receive this special gift in front of the whole community.

In fact, the Barnes' (Brian and Pat) are the only family that I know in the whole of Chertsey, besides my own Salesians.  Both of them have been kind to me and have even invited me out for a couple of magic shows and events.  But a commitment like that for 42 years... consistently and with great care and precision is something remarkable.  In the whole range of activities carried out in the whole Church all round the year, this may seem not a very outstanding one, but the consistency is what strikes me: every Sunday, for the 8.30 Mass, all through the year, for 42 years!  Now she does not play the organ for the Mass because her health is very delicate and her fingers don't really follow her mind. But she still enlivens the Church with her bright smile and kindness.