Music is profoundly synodal. It makes us listen, perform and belong together. Music emerges from lived experience and makes our life livable. Sonic phenomena have been part of life at least from the time we offered the first music of our cry as a way of announcing our arrival in the world as infants. Sound thus, became a first means of representing ourselves. Music, sound, language and meaning are constitutive to the shaping of our individual and collective lives. We live and have our being in soundscapes that make the dense continuum of sonic experience.
We in Goa are blessed with great musical traditions of which the sacred and the religious are indeed emblematic and play a great influence on our life. Within this dynamic sonic architecture of Goan music, we may place the trilogy of Fr. Allan Tavares, What did he sailed for? It is composed of there musical plays: (1) Francis a Man in a Hurry, b) Francis on a Mission: Mission Japan, c) Xavier’s Mission China. Having performed the first two musicals during expositions held in 2004, and 2014, respectively, Fr. Tavares came up with his third musical to be staged during the ongoing 18th exposition of the holy relics of St. Francis Xavier. I was fortunate to witness the staging of the first show on 30th November 2024 at Ravidra Bhavan in Curchorem.
Xavier’s Mission China is inspirational drama and is set to scintillating music by Rabin D’ Pietro and Rio Fernandes, directed by Fr. Allan Tavares, performed a galaxy of artists and produced by Shubhsandesh Gospel Echoes Troupe in collaboration with the sisters of the Congregation of the Handmaids of Christ. The musical did stir the minds and hearts of audiences that attended it performance in Curchorem ( 30/11/2024), Margao ( 2/12/2024) and Candolim (3/12/2024). The performance blended song, dance and acting beautifully and took the audience back to times of St. Francis and produced a sense of dignity, honor and sacrality that belongs to it as well as instilled a love for mission in the audience.
The permorfmatives of dance, music and action did not just open us to the life of the Saint but also triggered to desire to imitate his way of following Jesus. The acting, singing and dancing was synchronic and produced a sense of divine aura of abundance overflowing through the person of St. Francis. The sub-episodes and narrations within the larger narrative of Xavier’s dream of taking mission China are not just taking Xavier on the threshold of mission China but also depicted how the presence and ministry of Xavier itself brought troubled people on the threshold of grace through which God brought about transformation in their lives.
The play powerfully manifests that all mission is God’s mission. St. Francis did his best to play his role in the theo-drama (Hans Urr Von Baltazar). St. Francis like Mosses came close to the promised ‘land’ but did not enter it. This does not mean St. Francis is a man of lost dreams. He lived the dream of God and served divine mission with his entire life to the point of his death. His mission was not an Ego-drama ( Hans Urr Von Baltazar). Hence, God rewards his work by the triumph of his body which is beautifully re-enacted in the play to the tune of heart stirring ancient hymn Sant Francis Xaviera.
The musical show has several touching scenes and the final scene that brings the body of the saint to Goa is indeed profoundly impressive and heart-touching. The mission China has another important message for the synodal Church. St, Francis Xavier’s waiting for his time to go to China is highly inspiring and relevant for our time that is pushed on an acceleration by several forces. We seem to be set on a rat race. Although, St. Francis is a man in a hurry, he is still willing to wait. Waiting is patience and sacrifice. Synodal Church has this challenge to wait for everyone. Without waiting, we cannot walk with everyone. Indeed, Xavier’s Mission China is a great experience. The concept, script, music, performance came together to let the missionary zeal of St. Francis shine and touch us. Like Francis we too are challenged to join God’s mission. St. Francis loved the mission of Jesus.
We too have the imperative to love the mission of Jesus. Hearty congratulation to Fr. Tavares, his troupe and Congregation of the Sister of the Handmaids of Christ for presenting us a soul stirring musical drama.
