Daily Signet

Our Christmas in India was spent on the beaches of Goa—65 miles of perfect, uninterrupted sand and palms beside the Arabian Sea. It was warm water with big waves rolling in and Mary and the kids rollicked in it. We had gone down from Bombay on a ship; we had a stateroom, but most of the Indian passengers slept on a deck. The full moon was coming up to our left—a beautiful night and down on the deck the Indians sang, “I’m Dreaming of a White Christmas.” Later in the night there was a great storm, but I don’t remember much about it. We landed in Goa, storm gone. The next night Mary, kids and I were led around the great Cathedral of St. Thomas, the Apostle: he was lying there in state. Can you imagine six people being led through a great, empty, dark and darker cathedral by a dear priest with one candle? No else tried to go. (Somewhere in our house is a piece of St. Thomas’ shroud cut off by the priest leading us on our tour by candlelight.)

When we went back to the hotel late that night, as our ferryboat crossed the river, Mary said, “I hope someday someone will say something about the beautiful moon coming up, so I can say, “Oh, you’ve never seen it as a beautiful as it was coming up over the Mondavi River on Christmas night in Goa.”            

From “Omnific Journey”, by William Boast

Sunset on the Arabian Sea in Goa, India

On This Day…

Massacre of the Holy Infants: Christian Catholic remembrance of the first children murdered by order of King Herod when he heard of the birth of Jesus