Mathrudarppanam - Encore
In celebration of the Faith year and as per directives from Mar Jacob Angadiyath, the Bishop of Diocese of Chicago to conduct programs to increase devotion among the faithful, the parishioners of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Syro Malabar Catholic Mission, conducted Mathrudarppanam: reflections of our Blessed Mother thru the looking glass of our lives on May 18, 2013.
Exceeding expectations, Mathrudarppanam received accolades from critics and well-wishers alike resulting in a repeat performance aimed at raising fund for building a parish of our own. Mathrudarppanam - Encore was performed on November 16, 2013 at 5:00 PM at Laurel High School, 8000 Cherry Lane, Laurel, MD.
Utilizing navarasabhavangal, the nine emotions as described by Natyashastra, we interpreted what Our Blessed Mother must have experienced in her devout life. As God banishes Adam and Eve from paradise, He makes a covenant with humankind that the son of Eve will destroy sin. Mary of Nazareth is the second Eve, whose son Jesus Christ, by his death has conquered sin. Looking through the mirror of our lives, we arrive at the realization that Mary is able to relate to us so well because she is one of us. But, what sets our Patron Saint apart from the rest of humanity is her ability to glorify God and rejoice in Him amidst her trials and tribulations.
Exceeding expectations, Mathrudarppanam received accolades from critics and well-wishers alike resulting in a repeat performance aimed at raising fund for building a parish of our own. Mathrudarppanam - Encore was performed on November 16, 2013 at 5:00 PM at Laurel High School, 8000 Cherry Lane, Laurel, MD.
Utilizing navarasabhavangal, the nine emotions as described by Natyashastra, we interpreted what Our Blessed Mother must have experienced in her devout life. As God banishes Adam and Eve from paradise, He makes a covenant with humankind that the son of Eve will destroy sin. Mary of Nazareth is the second Eve, whose son Jesus Christ, by his death has conquered sin. Looking through the mirror of our lives, we arrive at the realization that Mary is able to relate to us so well because she is one of us. But, what sets our Patron Saint apart from the rest of humanity is her ability to glorify God and rejoice in Him amidst her trials and tribulations.
Scene 1: Genesis
In the beginning, God created the universe, and on the sixth day, God created man in His own image and likeness. Sin entered the world when man disobeyed God. As God banished Adam and Eve from Paradise, He makes a covenant with man that the offspring of the woman will destroy sin. Mary of Nazareth is the woman, the second Eve, whose Son, Jesus, by His death on the cross has conquered sin.
Between 200 B.C. and 200 A.D., Sage Bharatha delineated eight “rasas” (emotions and feelings of the human condition) in his Natyashastra (the theory of artistic performance). In the 6th century, Abhinavagupta added one more rasa totaling to what are collectively known as the “navarasa” which form the cornerstone or foundation of all performing arts of India. We have borrowed a page from Natyashastra to interpret what Our Blessed Mother must have experienced in her life. Looking through the mirror of our lives, we come to the realization that she is able to relate to us so well because she is one of us.
Scene 2: Haasyam/Aanandam (Mirth/Happiness/Joy)
Mary enjoyed a childhood of devotion to God as she spent the first 12 years of her life in the temple and she found happiness in praising God throughout her life. Let’s have a glimpse of her happy childhood as she reminds us of God’s great providence through this song. “Look at the birds in the air, they do not sow or reap or gather food into barns and yet your heavenly father feeds them...” (Matthew 6:26)
Scene 3: Veeram (Bravery)
What must have been the feelings of Mary, a young 14-year old girl, when a messenger from God approached her with an unusual request to become the Mother of God? Fear? Terror? Panic? No matter what she felt, she bravely agreed to carry out the will of God: “...Behold the handmaid of the Lord, be it done unto me according to your word.” (Luke 1:38)
Scene 4: Valsalyam (Tender Love between Mother and Child)
How must Mary have felt when she welcomed motherhood in that small manger in Bethlehem? As a mother bird protects her nestling beneath her wings, Mary protected her child on that flight to Egypt. In spite of poverty and distress, hunger and thirst, she nurtured and nursed child Jesus “ ... and Jesus advanced in wisdom and age, and grace, before God and men.” (Luke 2:52)
Scene 5: Bhayanakam (Terror/Fear)
As was tradition, Jesus, at twelve years of age, went with His parents to Jerusalem to celebrate Passover. While there, He was lost. Can you imagine the panic, fear and anxiety that overcame Mother Mary as she frantically searched for her son? Then three days later, when she found him teaching the priests and elders, can you imagine the tremendous relief she must have felt? But then hearing her son’s reply, was she able to fully comprehend it or did her maternal heart weep without truly knowing what he meant?
Scene 6: Roudram/Bheebhalsam (Fury/Disgust)
At the age of 30, after His baptism in the Jordan, Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert, where He fasted and prayed for forty days and forty nights. At the end of forty days, He was famished with hunger at which time He was tempted. How must Mary have felt towards Satan who continued to tempt Jesus at the most critical moments of His life? Did she feel disgust and anger towards this perverse spirit who attempted to lure Jesus away from his destiny? St. John’s Revelation speaks of a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet who angrily destroys the head of the dragon (sin). Theologians interpret that this woman is Jesus’ mother, Mary of Nazareth.
In our life’s battle of good and evil let us seek Our Blessed Mother’s intercession to provide us the strength to overcome the temptations.
Scene 7: Atbhutham (Surprise/wonder)
Jesus went to a wedding at Cana with His mother and He performed His first miracle there. Our Blessed Mother interceded with her Son, for the first time recorded, for a family who was undergoing tremendous turmoil. Thus, at the request of His mother, Jesus performed His first miracle by turning water into wine and the family’s potential shame became a moment of rejoicing. Even knowing that Jesus was the son of God and had the capacity to perform miracles, did she wonder what He would do? Was she surprised at her son’s first miracle?
For three years, Jesus preached the good news, opened the eyes of the blind, healed the sick and the lame, and raised the dead. Then on His triumphant entry into Jerusalem on a donkey, the old and the young sang “Hosana”. How proud Mary must have been when she saw her beloved son being welcomed into Jerusalem like a king!
Scene 8: Shokam (Sorrow)
After His arrest, Jesus was brought to Pontius Pilate. He was condemned to death at ‘Gabbatha’ and carried His cross to ‘Golgotha’. He was betrayed, denied and abandoned by His own disciples; even those who received cures and blessings turned against Him. But the Bible mentions one person who followed Him as His own shadow to Calvary and remained at the foot of His cross; it is none other than His Mother, Mary of Nazareth.
Shokam is a bhava (expression) that becomes the rasa (emotion), karunyam. Mary is often portrayed as vyakulamaatha or Mother of Sorrows. Let us contemplate for a moment about our sins that have earned her this title as she witnessed the crucifixion, death and burial of her beloved son, Jesus Christ.
Scene 9: Shantham (Tranquility/Peace)
After Jesus’ Resurrection and Ascension, Mary joins her Divine Son in heaven with her Assumption and was crowned queen of heaven and earth. It is traditionally believed that St. Thomas the father of our faith was miraculously present at Our Blessed Mother’s side at the moment of her “dormition and assumption.”
Scene 10: Karunyam (Compassion/Mercy)
Out of all the “rasas” (emotions) that Mary must have experienced in her life as a human person, what stands out most is her total surrender to God’s will and total dependence on Him. As a result, her stable “bhava” was one of glorifying God and rejoicing in Him even in the midst of the most crucial and tragic moments of life. She could always sing, “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my savior” (Luke 1:46). This is what sets Mary of Nazareth apart from the rest of us. As weak human beings, we turn to this endless ocean of mercy for help in our daily prayers. This finale, by our Marian group, is a dance depicting the Litany of Loreto.
Mary continues to be Our Mother of Perpetual Help as evidenced by her many apparitions and messages, through the centuries to the present day and across continents.. (Guadalupe, Lourdes, Fatima, Medjugorje, etc..). Let us approach her with confidence and hope and experience her loving tender care...
In the beginning, God created the universe, and on the sixth day, God created man in His own image and likeness. Sin entered the world when man disobeyed God. As God banished Adam and Eve from Paradise, He makes a covenant with man that the offspring of the woman will destroy sin. Mary of Nazareth is the woman, the second Eve, whose Son, Jesus, by His death on the cross has conquered sin.
Between 200 B.C. and 200 A.D., Sage Bharatha delineated eight “rasas” (emotions and feelings of the human condition) in his Natyashastra (the theory of artistic performance). In the 6th century, Abhinavagupta added one more rasa totaling to what are collectively known as the “navarasa” which form the cornerstone or foundation of all performing arts of India. We have borrowed a page from Natyashastra to interpret what Our Blessed Mother must have experienced in her life. Looking through the mirror of our lives, we come to the realization that she is able to relate to us so well because she is one of us.
Scene 2: Haasyam/Aanandam (Mirth/Happiness/Joy)
Mary enjoyed a childhood of devotion to God as she spent the first 12 years of her life in the temple and she found happiness in praising God throughout her life. Let’s have a glimpse of her happy childhood as she reminds us of God’s great providence through this song. “Look at the birds in the air, they do not sow or reap or gather food into barns and yet your heavenly father feeds them...” (Matthew 6:26)
Scene 3: Veeram (Bravery)
What must have been the feelings of Mary, a young 14-year old girl, when a messenger from God approached her with an unusual request to become the Mother of God? Fear? Terror? Panic? No matter what she felt, she bravely agreed to carry out the will of God: “...Behold the handmaid of the Lord, be it done unto me according to your word.” (Luke 1:38)
Scene 4: Valsalyam (Tender Love between Mother and Child)
How must Mary have felt when she welcomed motherhood in that small manger in Bethlehem? As a mother bird protects her nestling beneath her wings, Mary protected her child on that flight to Egypt. In spite of poverty and distress, hunger and thirst, she nurtured and nursed child Jesus “ ... and Jesus advanced in wisdom and age, and grace, before God and men.” (Luke 2:52)
Scene 5: Bhayanakam (Terror/Fear)
As was tradition, Jesus, at twelve years of age, went with His parents to Jerusalem to celebrate Passover. While there, He was lost. Can you imagine the panic, fear and anxiety that overcame Mother Mary as she frantically searched for her son? Then three days later, when she found him teaching the priests and elders, can you imagine the tremendous relief she must have felt? But then hearing her son’s reply, was she able to fully comprehend it or did her maternal heart weep without truly knowing what he meant?
Scene 6: Roudram/Bheebhalsam (Fury/Disgust)
At the age of 30, after His baptism in the Jordan, Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert, where He fasted and prayed for forty days and forty nights. At the end of forty days, He was famished with hunger at which time He was tempted. How must Mary have felt towards Satan who continued to tempt Jesus at the most critical moments of His life? Did she feel disgust and anger towards this perverse spirit who attempted to lure Jesus away from his destiny? St. John’s Revelation speaks of a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet who angrily destroys the head of the dragon (sin). Theologians interpret that this woman is Jesus’ mother, Mary of Nazareth.
In our life’s battle of good and evil let us seek Our Blessed Mother’s intercession to provide us the strength to overcome the temptations.
Scene 7: Atbhutham (Surprise/wonder)
Jesus went to a wedding at Cana with His mother and He performed His first miracle there. Our Blessed Mother interceded with her Son, for the first time recorded, for a family who was undergoing tremendous turmoil. Thus, at the request of His mother, Jesus performed His first miracle by turning water into wine and the family’s potential shame became a moment of rejoicing. Even knowing that Jesus was the son of God and had the capacity to perform miracles, did she wonder what He would do? Was she surprised at her son’s first miracle?
For three years, Jesus preached the good news, opened the eyes of the blind, healed the sick and the lame, and raised the dead. Then on His triumphant entry into Jerusalem on a donkey, the old and the young sang “Hosana”. How proud Mary must have been when she saw her beloved son being welcomed into Jerusalem like a king!
Scene 8: Shokam (Sorrow)
After His arrest, Jesus was brought to Pontius Pilate. He was condemned to death at ‘Gabbatha’ and carried His cross to ‘Golgotha’. He was betrayed, denied and abandoned by His own disciples; even those who received cures and blessings turned against Him. But the Bible mentions one person who followed Him as His own shadow to Calvary and remained at the foot of His cross; it is none other than His Mother, Mary of Nazareth.
Shokam is a bhava (expression) that becomes the rasa (emotion), karunyam. Mary is often portrayed as vyakulamaatha or Mother of Sorrows. Let us contemplate for a moment about our sins that have earned her this title as she witnessed the crucifixion, death and burial of her beloved son, Jesus Christ.
Scene 9: Shantham (Tranquility/Peace)
After Jesus’ Resurrection and Ascension, Mary joins her Divine Son in heaven with her Assumption and was crowned queen of heaven and earth. It is traditionally believed that St. Thomas the father of our faith was miraculously present at Our Blessed Mother’s side at the moment of her “dormition and assumption.”
Scene 10: Karunyam (Compassion/Mercy)
Out of all the “rasas” (emotions) that Mary must have experienced in her life as a human person, what stands out most is her total surrender to God’s will and total dependence on Him. As a result, her stable “bhava” was one of glorifying God and rejoicing in Him even in the midst of the most crucial and tragic moments of life. She could always sing, “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my savior” (Luke 1:46). This is what sets Mary of Nazareth apart from the rest of us. As weak human beings, we turn to this endless ocean of mercy for help in our daily prayers. This finale, by our Marian group, is a dance depicting the Litany of Loreto.
Mary continues to be Our Mother of Perpetual Help as evidenced by her many apparitions and messages, through the centuries to the present day and across continents.. (Guadalupe, Lourdes, Fatima, Medjugorje, etc..). Let us approach her with confidence and hope and experience her loving tender care...
The team
Without a doubt, the whole community participated in the program, both in the front and back stage. But here is a few we cannot thank enough!
Conceived & Directed By: Shiny Mathew
Conceived & Directed By: Shiny Mathew
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Cast and Crew
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Sound and Visual effects
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Dancers
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പരമദയാേലാ പാദം വന്ദനമെ... Invocation dance
Choreographed by Shiny Mathew Coordinated by Gitty Thomas Flora and Fauna of Garden of Eden Coordinated by Rincy Jasmin Snake dance Choreographed by Digna Kakkanattu കുഞ്ഞാറ്റക്കിളികളുെട കളെമാഴികള് കേട്ടുവോ... (Kunjatta...) Choreographed by Digna Kakkanattu Coordinated by Teena Thomas മംഗളവാര്ത്ത ൈദവദൂതന് അറിയിച്ചു... (Annunciation sloka/dance) Choreographed by Shiny Mathew Magnificat Choreographed by Shiny Mathew ഈേശാ നീ വാ... (Eesho Nee vaa) Choreographed by Shiny Mathew Hava Nagila (Jewish wedding dance...) Choreographed by Shiny Mathew & Joby Sebastian Coordinated by Asha Justin ഓശാന...ഓശാന... (Oshana, Oshana...) Choreographed by Liji Scaria Descent of the Holy Spirit Choreographed by Shiny Mathew Mary’s battle with serpent Choreographed by Digna Kakkanattu Marian meditation (in Sanskrit) |
Aleysha, Anjali, Arunima, Elizabeth and Teresa
Abigail, Alisha, Alvin, Christian, Dhanya, Dylan, Jaiden, Jesslyn, Joseph, Julianne, Rhea Mary, Saleisha, Zerah, Zuriel Digna Kakkanattu Alana, Bittina, Maroon, Namitha, Neetha, Reshma and Sneha Anjali, Alena, Milana, Teresa Irene, Jasmine, Liji, Milana, Sneha Shiny Mathew Abhishek, Aiden, Alan, Atul, Dave, Jeffrey, Melvin, Nikhil and Ryan Alina, Anjali, Isabelle, Kaitlyn, Karen, Riya, Rona, Sara, Serin and Venassa Alena, Anjali, Elizabeth, Irene, Jasmine, Milana, Namitha, Neetha and Sneha Digna Kakkanattu and Milana Paul All Dancers |