Oh well, here I go again to everyone's unsolicited displeasure!!!! On Goanet, each post is like a reverberating tectonic plate, creating additional fault-lines within the same thread and shifting the goal post further from its designated stand.
Gilbert's gusty post with the advisory line: "More is expected from them to whom more is given."? – instantly made me recalibrate my sails and get out of the way! :) Correspondingly, Adolfo's change of stance on the Basilica's size, incubated – in the chambers of my subconscious – an ulterior manifestation. Let me succinctly elaborate. To the biblical encore: “To whom much is given, much will be required” (Luke 12:48)?” –Yes, I did indeed blindly prostrate my adherence, giving away everything I hadn't in the first place acquired through Divine Providence. To the Goa State Museum, I bequeathed all antiquities in my personal collection (including a priceless painting [oil on copper plate] possibly the work of the Flemish painter Jan Van Yck or one of his pupils). Also bequeathed to the Museum a rare abstract painting by Gaitonde, which today could fetch enough millions at Christie's to subsidize scaffolding costs for the super Basilica. In addition, I bequeathed to a fellow Goan my three bedroom flat located near the New Secretariat (along with all the paintings stashed therein), as well as the corpus funds of the Verodiano Foundation. The gesture was upon the reckoning that this indefatigable Goan could do more for Goans and Goan causes than I ever possibly could, and he HAS. I could go on with additional pitch notes but Oooops! – sounds like the monsoon flooding has finally clogged my homemade Tuba. Does anyone have a Gregorian trumpet I can briefly borrow? Therefore, in the Goan Hemisphere – at the moment and for some time now -- I am legally homeless and naiyapaisaless. So when Adolfo opted for a bigger Basilica, I had to swiftly rubberstamp endorsement. That way, if I ever revisit Goa, I will – along with other homeless faithfuls – at least have some place in the quadrangle to roll out my bamboo mat. And yes, while we were 'feni'tically blowing august air in August, tussling sails, battening down goal posts with bungee cords – in comes William Rebello with the proclamation that the Basilica of St Jose has already been contemplated for construction along the banks of the Zuari River, and a sombrero passed through the pews in the Church of St. Michael, Taleigao. So there you have it, folks. The Basilica is not a phony or “feni” mirage. It's all happening and with that, I think it's time for me to lower my sails, hire a Uber before the next tectonic rattle, fault-line or tsunami hits this thread! Dom Martin Message: 4 Date: Tue, 13 Aug 2019 20:22:23 +0000 (UTC) From: Gilbert Lawrence <*[email protected]*> To: Goanet Org <*[email protected]*> Cc: Martin Dom <*[email protected]*>, Mervyn Lobo <*[email protected]*>, Filomena Giese <*[email protected]*> Subject: Re: [Goanet] ST Joseph Vaz Basilica in Goa Message-ID: <*[email protected]*> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8 From: Mervyn Lobo? There is no body to bring back nor is there now the need for a basilica to hold it in.? If you cannot find St. Jose Vaz in your living space? you will never find him in Kandy. Nor will you find him in a brand new basilica. When I want something from a saint, I do not pray to him/her. All I do is flatter the saint. And the biggest form of flattery (I know) is to imitate the saint's lifestyle. --------GL responds: The point Mervyn makes is likely raised by many diaspora Goans.? So I want to respond to this post thoughtfully and respectfully.? So let's look at this specific example and not talk generalities. ? The issues that likely apply to Mervyn, in varying degrees, apply to a lot of diaspora Goans and to many native Goans too. It would appear that Mervyn is a devotee of St. Jose Vaz and he "imitates (or tries to imitate) the saint's life style."? This specifically in the case of St. Vaz, and likely most saints, is to sacrifice, and give all their wealth to the poor. ? ? Mervyn started life in East Africa and like most Goans in those East African countries went through a tumultuous period (to put it mildly) relocating to other countries. Likely during that period they prayed to Vaz and many other saints.? Likely most diaspora Goans, through a period of trials and tribulations, Mervyn and family landed upright on their two feet in Toronto, Canada.? To make a long story short, Meryn like most diaspora Goans are now in the one to ten percent of the top economic ladder of the people in the? countries where they settled. ? The probability is all of us go through five to six crises through our adult life.? The next crises that arrives at Mervyn front door,? likely will be dealt with similarly - a scurry to the library to find the picture of amcho Goenkar St. Jose Vaz buried in one of the books or a framed picture hanging on a wall or on a stand.? I do not know what St. Jose Vaz response will be.? But the following to Mervyn or to me or most diaspora Goans could logically be: St. Joseph Vaz response: "I have interceded for you, as another Goan, every step of the way and brought you and your family safely through.? Now you personally live in a 3-5 bedroom, 8-room house with two fancy cars in garages.? Yet when I wanted to have my own house for my devotees, you could not spare one-tenth of one percent (0.1%) of your wealth, which BTW I helped you amass."? It is a given that we will not take our wealth with us.? And since most Goans are conservative, we will not waste the money in gambling.? So the reality is the money will be inherited to the children and grandchildren.? Likely they will "blow it up" on cars, homes, vacations, celebrations possibly thanking grandparents for the money.? As a financial person yourself, would it not be wiser for you to invest some of that inheritance money, so that what ever happens to one or the other grandchildren, great-grandchildren etc they will always be assured (thanks to you) of the good graces of St. Jose Vaz; thanks to the people of Goa and the devotees of St. Jose Vaz who will? pray at the basilica? ? In my humble opinion, the lead for the basilica has to come from the Bishop of Goa.? And without that lead, I? think the dialog about a structure to honor St. Vaz is a talk in futility.? As Filomena says there has been some renovation of St. Vaz's place in Goa.? I did not know or have not seen it, and I do not know if it honors Goa's first Saint? ? To me a basilica (or call it what one may) in the midst of the saint's devotees is a natural extension of becoming a saint; and a physical way for the saint to be brought closer to his native people for whose benefit the saint is canonized. For diaspora Goans it is another connecting point for future generations from across the world. Mervyn know the bible better than me.? There are several references to "More is expected from them to whom more is given."? Cynical replies and explanations or flattery of the saints and oneself at the Pearly Gate or at the moment of crises is a poor substitute for lack of past actions. Regards,? GL [Goanet] Trashing the Magic of Charles Correa Inbox x Gilbert Lawrence <[email protected]> Mon, Aug 12, 3:52 PM (2 days ago) to Goanet, me, Filomena From: dom martin Places of worship are the only known Portraits of God, inspired by and dedicated to earthly saints. A Basilica of St. Jose Vaz would give God's Portrait yet another welcome patina. Now for some sound bytes: Does God truly need another Big House when countless faithfuls are homeless, endure hunger or persecution? If Goans can drum up capital for a ?Taj Bankroti?, why not restructure it into the 'St. Jose Vaz Provident Fund', use that power-capital to conserve existing Portraits of God in Goa which are in varying states of neglect and some, on the verge of becoming another variant of the Tower of St. Augustine? Such gesture would be the first time that a brown saint comes to the aid of white saints so that cohabitation may continue. Lastly, we live in an era circumvented by iPhones, ISPs and satellites. A single Goan can set up and maintain a Virtual Basilica where everyone can upload their intercessions to Cloud! :) In any event, don't count me out yet if there is an overwhelming 'pro' consensus, even if my sound bytes at the moment sound like rebounding from a ?ridiculously reductionist? router. ------------- GL responds: Dialoging on Goanet, always makes my head spin, because I never know the direction of the argument and logic. As the last paragraph suggest, Goa's foremost writer, instead of providing the needed leadership,is looking to see which way the wind blows. An argument I hear often is: Why do we need another place of worship (Big House)? Amazingly this comes from the very people who complain that it took 300 years to make Joseph Vaz a saint. I can almost hear the cardinals for the last 300 years saying something very similar, "Why do we need another saint when we already have more than 500 saints; and specially when this priest does not even have much of following in his own native place of birth?" This thread started with "thrashing the magic of Goan" architect Charles Correa and other Goan artists. The dialog appears to end with (paraphrasing), "In today's era of the cloud and computers we do not need structural buildings and artistic displays. We-Goans are progressive and can just live in the cloud." I suggest this logic is what really trashes Goan architects and artists at present and for generations to come. Perhaps that is OK, as none of them have bothered to step into this dialog on this thread. Living in the computer cloud would also mean we do not need to repair and maintain buildings, including those of Charles Correa, that are victims of time and nature. Let's save our crocodile tears. Regards, GL
