Dear Gulf-Goans,The following Konkani article was written for Anjuna Church 3rd quarterly magazine ‘San Miguelicho Avaz,’ which was released this week; I thought I would share it with you all. English translation follows after Konkani version.Thank you.
Moi-mogan,
Domnic Fernandes
Anjuna, Goa
Mob: 9420979201
MAGNNEM
Dhorm’ ek xist asa. Amkam xist aslear sogllem sarkem zata ani tharear poddtta; xist naslear jivitachi duspott
zata.
Jivitan magnnem gorjechem asa. Magnnem korop mhonnchem Deva ani amchea modekat gonnovp
(communication.) Dhor disa magnnem korun ami Deva sovem amchi soirigot vaddoitanv.
Adli pillga nhoich fokot Comunhanv ani Krism ghevpache toiearen Devak magnnem kortalint punn hi sonvoim tim apunn morosor chalu dovortalint.
Hemch asa veglleponn atanche ani adle pillge modem. Adli pillga Dev Rochnnar mhonn sot mandtali dekun
Dev tanchem magnnem tabortob aikotalo ani tancher aplo axirvad ghaltalo. Aiz ami Deva vorte mhonn
somzotanv ani dekunuch amchim magnnim aikonk Dev uxir korta ani Devachem besanvui amcher asonam.
Jezun kaiborem amkam orthaborit “Amchea Bapa” magnnem dilam. Punn kitlim zannam hem magnnem
zotnaien mhonnttat ani tacho orth aplea jivitak lagu kortat kai? Eka kira porim ami magnnem dekor kortanv ani tacho orth monan golloinastannam tem mhunnot ravtanv. “Amchea Bapa” hachea dusrea bhagachim utram ami bore baxen niall’lear tinch utram amkam sasnnanchem jivit favo korunk xeoktat.
Choddxe zannank magnnem mhonnchem ek visex suddsuddai (an extra activity) – fursodichem kam’ (a part-
time exercise.) Ami magnnem korunk zai mhonn kortanv. Jednam TV-cher tore-torechim cholchitram ani
khellache kariokram ami polletanv tednam amkam puro zainam ani jem’ einam, punn jea vellar magnnem suru
kortanv teach vellar amchea bhejean devchar ghusta; panch minut zanvchea adinch jemencheo ghantto marunk ami suru kortanv ani hea porim magnnem sogllea vostum poros olkem mhonn dakoll kortanv.
Sod’deak, ami magnnem korun Devak ulo martanv fokot amkam goroz poddtta tednam nam zalear Devacho
ugddas korunk amkam bilkul vell mellonam. Avgoddaiank sampoddttanv vo duent poddttanv tednam ami
igorjen dhanv martanv ani Devak ani sogllea santank toxench Saibinn Maink ulo martanv. Titlench nhoi, ami
angovnneo pasun kortanv ki zori amchem maglelem kam’ zait zalear ami om’kea santak vo khursak ladain
korteleanv mhonn vo Tamil Nadu vochon Vailankani Saibinnink bhett’teleanv mhonn.
Punn amchem kam’ zatanch ami Devak visortanv ani portun ‘Devak divnk mhaka vell nam’ oslo akar ami
dakoll kortanv – “kam’ zalo voiz melo” mhuttlelea porim.
Amchea bhurgeaponnar ami xist xikleanv tea pormonnem disak panch pavtti magnnem korunk zai:
(1) Sokallchea panch horar igorjechi poili ghantt vazta. Hi ghantt amkam zagoita ani sokallchem dhormik
vachop korunk ugddas korta. Amchea bhurgeaponnar ami he ghanttichea avazar utt’ttaleanv, Devak
dhinvastaleanv ani sokallchim prathonnam kortaleanv. Atanchi sonsot oxem korta kai?
(2) Sokallchea sov horar igorjechi dusri ghantt vazta. Hi ghantt amkam sokallchem magnnem korun amcho dis suru korunk ani dispott’ttea povitr misak vochonk ugddas korta. Adlea kallar choddso lok sov horanchea misak igorje vetalint. Amchea modlim kitlim zannam oxem kortat kai?
(3) Donparchea bara horar igorjechi tisri ghantt vazta. Hi ghantt amkam donparchem rozar korunk ugddas korta.
Adim, choddso lok hi ghantt vazlea uprant donparchem jevonn jevtalint. Aiz-kal donparchea jevnnank amkam vogotuch nam. Donparche ghanntichea avazar ami rozar kortanv kai?
(4) Sanjechea sat horar igorjechi chovti ghantt vazta. Hi ghantt amkam tinsanchem vo Aimorechem rozar
korunk ugddas korta. Adlea kallar hi ghantt vazlea uprant konnuch ghora bhair panvoll ghalinaslint. Hi ghanntt
vazchea adim bhurgeamnim ghorant bhitor soronk zai aslem nam zalear Aimori mhunnon kabar zatanch amkam khast melltali. Amchea modlim kitlim zannam Aimorechi ghanntt vaztam ghoran bhitor sortat kai, ani ami Aimori mhunnttanv kai?
(5) Ratchea att horar igorjechi panchvi ghanntt vazta. Hi ghanntt amkam ratchem magnnem korunk ugddas
korta. He ghanntticho avaz aikotanch lok meleleanchea othmeank rozar kortalint. Hi ghantt vaztam ami
meleleanchea othmeank rozar kortanv kai?
Hea voir boroileli xist ami pallttanv kai? Nam. Portun zalear ami amcho vell dhondeak, fungsanv-ank ani TV-
veleo kariavolli pollovn sartanv.
Jednam avoi-bapui chukta tanchim bhurgim apunnuch vatt visortat. Avoi-bapuicho kaido dhor rati bhurgeank
ekttavn Saibinnicho ters rozar korunk punn oxem korche bodlek tim tankam viret (excuse) kortat mhunnon:
“To/tem xikpan revoddlolo/revoddlelem asa.”
Tech baptin, jednam nimanneo porikxeo lagim pavtat, toch avoi-bapui Deva lagim magtat tankam porikxeo
bore baxen borovnk adar divnk. Titlench nhoi, uprant dhondo kelelea porim avoi-bapui Deva ani santam lagim koblat kortat ki zorui tancho put/dhuv nimanni porikxea pas zait zalear apunn Igorjechea/kopelachea adharak umke ozar poixe ditelint oxem mhunnon. Zorui bhurgeam sovem Devak divnk pondra minut nam, Dev aplo vell amkam kiteak ditolo ani amchim magnnim kiteak aikotolo? Avoi-bapain aplea bhurgeank bore dhormik riti-rovixen voir kaddunk zai. Konknnint ek mhunn’ni asa: “Fuddlem zot cholta toxem fattlem cholta.”
Ghov-bailam eka ghorant jietat punn tim borobor rozar/magnnem korinant. Tor tanchean khuxeal jivit koxem
jieonk zata? Tanchea modem koslem-nam-koslem goir somzut utpon zatoch asta ani oxem ghoddonk karann
tim Deva sorxilim koddsorleant. Zaite pavtt ghov ani bail kuxin magnnem kortat ani somzotat ki tanchim
bhurgiim kuxin magnnem kortat astelim mhunnon – hacho porinam? Ek futt poddlolo ghorabo! Kednaim
okosmat konnanchoi okasianv aslear ani bhurgeank rozar korunk maglear tankam “Amchea Bapa” pasun sarki mhunnonk einam!
Avoi-bapain magnneank oromb divn bhurgeank fuddem cholonk xikovnk zai. Oxi ek mhunn’nni asa: “Zo
kuttumb sangata rozar korta to sodanch sangata jieta.” Hem amchea monan dovrum-iea ani zorui ami amcho
kaido pallunk visorleanv zalear amchea jivitachi novsorni korun Dev-bhirantichem suki jivit jieonk tozvit
korunv-iea.
Aiz-kalchea kallar magnnem ekdom gorjechem kiteak magnnem amkam sondi dita Devak fuddo korunk ani tannem dilelelea sorvoi denneank dhinvasunk ani toxench peleacchea gorzank ani koxtt-dogd bhogteleam pasot magonk. Jezun mhullam: “Darar mar ani dar ugoddttelem; mag ani tuka melltelem.” Tor ami sodankal magnnem korunk sonvoim korum-iea nhoi fokot amkam goroz tednam bogor dispott’ttem. Moi-mogan,
Domnic FernandesGaumvaddi, Anjuna, Goa
--------------------------ENGLISH TRANSLATION
MAGNNEM (PRAYER)
Religion is a discipline. If we have discipline, everything falls in place and turns out to be right; if not, life gets
messed up.
Prayer is necessary in life. It is a communication between us and God. By praying to God every day, we
increase our relationship with God.
Past generations did not just pray to God when they attended the Catechism classes in preparation of their first Holy Communion and Chrism but they continued the praying until they died.
This is the difference between today’s generation and past generations. In the past, they believed in God the
Creator; hence, their prayers were almost immediately answered and they were blessed. Today, we think we are greater than God; hence, our prayers are rarely answered.
Jesus gave us a meaningful prayer - ‘Our Father.’ But how many say it carefully and apply its meaning to our
lives? We memorize our prayers like a parrot and keep on repeating them without even realizing what they
mean. If we reflect on each word of the second part of the ‘Our Father,’ those words can help us attain eternal life.
For most of us, praying has become an extra activity - a part-time exercise. We just say it because we are
required to say it, without meaning it. We don’t feel tired or fall asleep when we watch a long movie or a TV
serial or cricket match but when it comes to prayers, more specifically the daily Rosary, we begin to toll the
bells within less than five minutes thus making our prayer look less important than all other activities.
Presently, we pray to God only when we need favors otherwise we don’t have any time for God. Whenever we are in difficulty or fall sick we rush to the Church, pray to all the saints and to Our Lady and even make a vow to celebrate a litany in thanksgiving to a cross or a particular saint or to pay a visit to the shrine of Our Lady of Vailankani in Tamil Nadu.
Once we get our favor(s), we are back to our ‘no time for God’ attitude – Kam’ zalem, voiz melo (Once you are cured, the doctor is forgotten) - ungrateful patient.
According to the discipline that we learned in our childhood, we are supposed to pray five times a day as
follows:
(1) At the ring of the first Church bell at 5:00am - MATINS: wake-up reading. It is a wake-up call to
parishioners. As children, we woke up at the sound of the Church bell, thanked God for helping us to wake up, said our morning prayers and began our morning studies. How many children do this today?
(2) At the ring of the second Church bell at 6:00am - LAUDS: morning prayers. It is a reminder to parishioners to begin their day with prayers and to attend daily holy mass. In the olden days, most people went to Church for 6:00 o’clock mass. How many of us do this today?
(3) At the ring of the third Church bell at 12:00pm - SELT: mid-day prayers.
It reminds parishioners to say mid-day prayers followed by lunch. Most people in the past ate their lunch soon after the mid-day Church bell rang. Today, we have no timing for lunch. Do we pray at the sound of the noon Church bell?
(4) At the ring of the fourth Church bell at 7:00pm - VESPERS: evening prayers. It reminds parishioners to say their evening prayers, which is usually followed by the Angelus. In the olden days, nobody stepped out of the house after the Angelus bell rang. Children were required to report back home before the Angelus bell rang or else they were punished as soon as the Angelus was over. How many of us return home by 7:00 pm? And, do we say the Angelus?
(5) At the ring of the fifth Church bell at 8:00pm - COMPLINE: night prayers. It is a reminder to parishioners to say their night prayers. People prayed for the departed souls at the stroke of this bell. How many of us do this today?
Do we follow the above-mentioned discipline/principle? No. On the contrary, we devote our time to business, attend countless parties, watch TV programs, etc.
When parents falter, children automatically go astray. It is parents’ duty to gather their children and say rosary every night but instead of doing that they excuse them by saying: “S/he is busy studying.”
By the same token, when final exams approach, those very parents pray to God to help their children pass in
their exams. That’s not all, as if dealing in business, they then make a deal with God and saints that if their
son/daughter passes, they would donate certain amount of money to the Church/Chapel.
If children do not have fifteen minutes to spare to say a rosary, how can we expect God to give us His time and grant us what we ask for? Parents must bring up their children with good religious ethics. There is an interesting Konkani adage: “Fuddlem zot cholta toxem fattlem cholta” meaning people always follow the leader.
Although husband and wife live together, they don’t pray together. So, how can we expect them to live a happy life? There is always some kind of misunderstanding between them; that’s because they have drifted away from God. Many a times each partner prays separately and they assume that their children, too, must be praying separately - the result? A split family! Whenever there is an occasion and if these children are asked to say a prayer, they can’t even complete the “Our Father” prayer!
Parents must take the initiative of saying prayers at home and give a good lead to their children. It is said: “A
family that prays together stays together.” Let us keep this in mind and if we have forgotten our duties let us
rectify ourselves and try to live a God-fearing, happy life.
Prayer is the need and necessity of the hour because it gives us the opportunity to really turn to God & thank Him for all the blessings we enjoy and to pray for the needs of those that are suffering. Jesus said: “Knock on the door and the door shall open; ask and thou shall receive.” So, let us make it a habit to pray not only when we are in need but always.Moi-mogan,Domnic FernandesGaumvaddi, Anjuna, Goa [As forwarded to gaspar almeida, http://www.goa-world.com/
on June 21, 2011 via email]
