14 March 1976,
This is my second year in Naleba. It is Lent. I notice that Indo-Fijians have their own special spirituality. Prayer for healing is very important. One of my neighbors – an elderly Muslim lady, said to me when I visited her, “I have a headache, Father. Can you blow it away!” This idea of blowing a headache away was a new concept for me. So I laid my hands on her head and prayed out loud in Hindi for her. I hope she wasn’t disappointed.
Our Indo Fijians love bhajans (hymns), kirtans (call and response chanting of the praises of God) and naam jap (chanting God’s name repeatedly). These are forms of devotion that capture their minds and hearts. They feel close to God and joyful in God’s presence when they sing or chant in this way.
The most striking aspect of their spirituality for me at this stage is how seriously they take fasting. I was shocked and shamed when I heard that the teenage girls attending the church here eat only one meal a day all through Lent. And there is no meat in that meal. This is much stricter than our Catholic rule for fasting. I wonder could I manage it?
by Fr. Frank Hoare
