Deepavali / All Saints Day / Great Grandad

First,

Happy Deepavali to all Hindu friends...but go easy on the muruku ok? :P

Second,

some thoughts on the festival itself. Deepavali as a metaphor for enlightenment, the shift from darkness to light, and from the baser self to nobler, more divine attributes. the triumph of goodness over evil embodied in Lord Krishna's victory over the demon Ravana.
i think it is a metaphor for the human condition in itself; the struggle to reach for the light instead of falling back into the darkness in our daily journey. heaven knows how hard the struggle is. the temptation is all too real...

it's also All Saints Day in the Catholic calendar... a day of obligation. went to mass a while ago, at 8 pm.
tomorrow is All Souls Day, a day to remember the departed in prayer and action. will be paying a visit to St Michael's Church to light candles at my great-grandad and great grandma's graves...dear Moses and Agatha Chong... God bless their souls! And a requiem to all souls.

can't say how proud i m to have a wonderful great grandad, Moses Chong...i didn't have the privilege to get to know him personally...but i do know that he was a catechist who taught the Catholic faith to the Hakka people in Ipoh; that he was devout, pious and hardworking; and that he was greatly beloved of his family. he died in bed peacefully, surrounded by loving family members...a final blessing to a courageous and kind man. there are many stories about what he did, but i will not go into them here for want of space.

i also know that the Catholic faith in my family goes way back to my great(x times) grandad who was converted when he was working on the Panama Canal... i m heartened to know my religious heritage, it keeps me going in dark moments and encourages me.

Have a great day ahead, and Selamat Hari Raya to all Muslim friends...!