Family prayer

We as a family are pretty slack about praying together though all of us mumble a few words to God before hitting bed, V of course being the most earnest among us. He kneels on the bed as if he were playing elephant with the kids - which the kids did until they crossed the first decade of their lives. They would walk under and over his torso while he recited Our Father and Hail Mary and the numerous littanies we Orthodox people have in our repertoire.

So here we were all seated on the sofa when the man of the house exhorted us all to join for prayer. I was already enjoying my post-kitchen, post-bath relaxation on the sofa and didnt require much prodding. However I didnt take kindly to his order that I cover my head like a good Xian woman while praying. I told him he should do it too like the other Abrahamic religions. The patriarchy in India has singled out women for such submissions to God.

And then came in Ash, asking who a Pharisee was, and how a kid Jesus could argue with Pharisee elders. I told him Pharisees are the very religious, who like to observe all the rituals and rules without applying their hearts to God. And that Jesus was a revolutionary who stood up to the wrongs in the system.

"Like Appa asking us women to cover their heads. Appa is like a Pharisee."

Appa told us to stop talking and start praying.😂