In a month's time the Catholic Diocese of Christchurch will welcome Denis McNamara from the Liturgical Institute of St. Mary of the Lake University, Mundelein, Chicago. I have been fortunate to have been taught by Denis, and to spend time with him here on the campus at Mundelein.
I would describe Denis as an "architectural theologian." You will see this in the depth of his reflections on the videos. His visit to the Christchurch diocese is timely given our need to rebuild churches following the earthquakes.
In preparation for Denis' visit I will upload a series of brief video clips to this blog - two or three each week. In each brief clip Denis introduces us to the meaning, the beauty and the potential of Catholic Church architecture.
I first read this little story in the Readers Digest more than 30 years ago. It has stayed on my mind and when posting the Josef Pieper reflection this morning I remembered the kites, and then found the story online. It will only take you a couple of minutes to read, and may stay with you for 30+ years.
Do you ever find that you long for a break from study or work, or from the busyness of life, then the weekend or vacation comes, then goes, and you are left feeling as though you need another weekend right now?
Pieper suggests that our misguided belief that everything of value can be achieved through work has eliminated our culture's ability to truly relax and to play. Pieper reminds us that leisure is the basis of healthy human existence, and therefore of a healthy culture.
You might like to take a few moments to relax with this video clip. I guarantee it will make you change the way you want to use your leisure time.
If you had told me when I was at High School, that in thirty years time I would be spending several hours each day sitting in a classroom with other students listening to a teacher, and the rest of each day reading and writing papers, I would not have been happy! I was not a good student at High School, and my results reflected my struggle. But somehow I got through, and here I am in my early 50's, spending several hours each day sitting in a classroom...
Today, and often when sitting in class or at my study desk, I think of and pray a prayer for all high school and university students who are struggling with their studies. One of my problems at school was that no one ever really taught me to study. Much of the class and reading information seemed to go in one ear and out the other. Some of you will be able to relate to what I was saying.
I am convinced that the secret to study is prayer. I don't mean praying instead of studying. If I were to only pray and ignore the study there would be no learning, so why would I then bother with the classroom and the reading? Study lubricates the mind and the information gained opens doors to a more full experience of life now and into the future. Study isn't just about getting a job. Study is the method to intellectual maturity.
It is prayer that keeps study (indeed keeps all of human existence) in perspective. I know from my own experience that when I'm in the midst of work on a paper or preparation for an exam, the reality of human life can take on a selfish and even sour flavour as fear of failure creeps in. Prayer keeps me focussed on the more complete reality.
If you don't believe me, try it! Make a decision to begin and conclude every day with prayer. Perhaps a minute before you get out of bed in the morning, and the moments after you turn out the light at night.
Begin with the Sign of the Cross.
Then just talk to Jesus in your own words about the day ahead or the day past. Ask Jesus to give you the ability not to forget that he is with you.
Then conclude with a prayer you know well, perhaps an Our Father or the Hail Mary.
You might also ask your Godparents or Grandparents to pass on to you a couple of their favourite prayers. I still use a simple prayer that my grandmother taught me when I was a toddler. "Now I wake! see the light! God has kept me through the night. Keep me good dear Lord I pray. Guide and guard me through the day!"
And now to prayer during a time of study, Take a minute when you begin to study, to remember that you are not alone. Jesus is with you. One of the powerful and traditional study prayers at the start of class or study is the prayer to the Holy Spirit:
Come Holy Spirit,
fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them
the fire of your love.
V. Send forth your Spirit, and they shall be created.
R. And You shall renew the face of the earth.
Let us pray.
O, God, who by the light of the Holy Spirit, did instruct the hearts of the faithful, grant that by the same Holy Spirit we may be truly wise and ever enjoy His consolations. Through Christ Our Lord. Amen.
If you find yourself struggling in the middle of a class, or alone in study, just close your eyes for a moment, and remember again that you are not alone. The God of miracles is with you. Tell Jesus what you think you need. And then let him tell you what he knows that you need to receive from him. And there is a second part to this secret as well. (now this secret is the way that I need to live every day, but in the midst of many things I forget this call). Make a decision every time that you pray, to not give in to any sin. Sin is exhausting. While sin promises everything, it delivers nothing. Sin is much more harmful than just wasting time. Sin creates problems for us (and for others) that have consequences well into the future. Our personal experience teaches us this. I am often tempted by thoughts and actions that promise fulfillment and happiness. When I give in to the temptation, I am left feeling less happy and more unfulfilled than before. Look at your own experience...am I right? The one who seeks to bring energy and focus to study (or to any other virtuous project), can not afford to throw away energy in sin. Here are some commitments that you might make each day to help you to live in intimate relationship with God and free from the compulsion of sin.
Pray that the Holy Spirit will kindle in you the fire of divine love.
Ask theHoly Spirit to instruct your heart, revealing to you any way in which you struggle to keep the teachings of Jesus and of the Church. Perhaps this is a personal struggle with forgiveness, love of enemy, justice, care for those in need or some aspect of sexual morality.
Express to Jesus your desire to live fully all that he has taught, and also tell him of your desire to live in harmony with all that the Church communicates to us. While this is the commitment that we make in our baptism, it is helpful to renew this, especially when we need the energy that sin saps from us for our study. Since the Mass and the Sacraments are at the heart of our personal encounter with Jesus in the Church, you might even make Mass on a weekday (as well as Sunday), and the celebration of the Sacrament of Reconciliation, the heart of your study commitment.
This is not a magical recipe for study success. Instead this is a simple rhythm of focus on Jesus who is with us in every moments, and especially in the midst of struggles with study.
OK, I have just re-read what I have written here and I am feeling encouraged. Let all of us who are studying these days, and those of you who feel for us, pray for each other too. Now, back to the books!
Well I am on a bit of a roll with these priesthood videos. This is one I first saw last year, but I could not find it last week when I uploaded "No! it's much better!" and "surprise blog statistic." This half hour movie will give you a good appreciation of the beauty and power of the life of a priest, and the health of the Church. Thanks to the Midwest Theological Forum for producing this and for making it so freely available. Pass it on!
During the celebration of Mass this afternoon I was aware that there were twice as many priests in the chapel as others. There were more than twenty priests. Most of them were in their 20's and 30's. I think there were only three older than me!
In many parts of the western world there is still a pervading remnant of a 1970's - 1980's spirit of negativity about the Catholic Church, and a sense that the Church was in decline. This decline is not the present reality of the church.
In the last two decades, I have noticed a growing number of people appreciating that the Catholic Church offers something different from the western smorgasboard of secular and religious options. And today, more than ever in recent history, discerning people are looking for a life that will lead them to intimacy with God. This is the purpose of the Catholic Church. I know that most NZ'ers would be surprised to see as many young priests as I celebrated Mass with today. That's why I'm posting this encouragement. It is significant to note that ten years ago there was one seminarian studying for the Diocese of Christchurch. This year there are nine. I was interested to read the cover article of the NZ Listener magazine a couple of months ago (April 6-12). The cover advertised the article: "Why the scandal-ridden Catholic Church is growing fast in secular NZ."
It is true that the Church has been through a time of purification. Let us hope that the Church continues to be purified of all that distracts us from the heart of our mission. But the Listener article notes a positive spirit of healthy and energy among Catholics:
The three page feature then concludes stating that all those who were interviewed for the article were optimistic, then finished with a comment from Joy Cowley:
So while we don't put too much weight on media comments, let those of us who are committed to living fully as Catholics be encouraged by a positive Listener article, and the couple of dozen young priests who prayed with me at Mass this afternoon.
My paternal grandfather knew his way around the night sky. In New Zealand, the Southern Cross is the most sought-after constellation. I remember my grandfather showing me this cross, and also pointing out the "Pointers", the two starsthat indicate the Southern Cross.
Many artistic representations of John the Baptist show him as a 'pointer'. He is pointing away from himself and towards Jesus. This popular image (as in this section of Matthias Grunewald’s painting ca. 1480-1528), points us to the heart of the purpose of the life of John the Baptist.
John the Baptiser is the patron of our Catholic diocese of Christchurch. It is a happy coincidence that we can, with all Catholics around the world, today celebrate this feast of his birth.
Here in Chicago as I write it is Sunday evening and I have just come from the vigil Mass for the feast. Tomorrow the Mass and the Prayer of the Church will be from the liturgies for the Feast of John the Baptist.
We encounter the adult John the Baptist, preaching and baptizing in the region of Galilee. Andrew and John were two of his followers. One day, the Baptist sees and recognises his cousin Jesus. He turns to John and Andrew and announces. “Behold: there is the Lamb of God.”
The image of the artist captures this moment with the pointing finger. ‘No, not me! I am not the one to follow’ (indicates John). ‘All my preaching has been about this man, the Messiah. There he is. Go and follow him’.
They do as John indicates and go to Jesus. “What do you want?” Jesus asks them. “Where do you live?” they ask. “Come and see!” he replies. At this moment they went with him and they found everything they had been looking for.
I would love to have been a fly on the wall when John and Andrew got home that night.
We know that they were changed dramatically. This is clear since when Andrew got back home he announced to his brother Simon Peter: “We have found the Messiah.” The next day they take Simon Peter to meet Jesus, and Jesus greets him with a remarkable proclamation: “You are Simon, son of John, you will be called Cephas (ie Peter or rock”)
From this moment of first encounter with Jesus, their lives were dramatically different.
Until now these first disciples had lived the kind of life that our contemporary society would call ‘normal’. There were ups and downs, good days and bad days, successes and failures. ‘Life’ (as they had known it) was a process of trying to grasp at whatever offered happiness. Then, all over again they would realise that this 'hope' was nothing more than an illusory promise.
These 'desert' travellers were longing for refreshing waters. They catch sight of an oasis. They spend time, energy and resources to reach this oasis, only to find a mirage.
And then there are the times when we grasp the promising offering. We eat our fill and even gorge on the apparent nourishment, only to discover that we are left feeling even more lonely and isolated than before.
But for John, Andrew and Simon, life had now changed. Sure they still had the good days and the bad. But instead of an aimless wandering from one attraction to the next, their new life had one single purpose. Instead of living as lonely drifters, they were now the intimate friends of Jesus who is the Messiah.
This new life life provided both a meaning and context capable of answering any "what" or "how" or "why" questions. They were now oriented towards the one who was capable of satisfying every human desire both now and eternally.
There are many key messages that we can take from the life and witness of John the Baptist. Each of these points is radically different from the predominant messages of our western contemporary society:
Whereas the culture of our time encourages people to look after themselves, and to seek their own prestige and success, John the Baptist points away from himself, and clearly indicates the centrality of the person of Jesus.
He was, above all else, the first witness to Jesus. Already he had his own support group - perhaps even a bit of a fan club. But the moment he recognised the presence of Jesus, he directed his own followers away from himself, and towards Jesus.
John was a formidable presence since he was unafraid of those who might oppose the truth. As Pope Benedict reminds us, he was prepared to denounce transgressions even when this meant paying the price of his life. He was committed to Truth.
We find our own health and happiness in this present life (and eternally) when we let go of self-concern, and look to Jesus.
In the tender compassion of his divine gaze towards us we find all that we seek. We begin to use our words and actions to point to Jesus, and we are filled with courage to speak out on behalf of those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death.
Take a moment to pray with this Canticle from the daily Morning Prayer of the Prayer of the Church. This was the proclamation of Zechariah on the occasion of the birth of his son, John the Baptist:
Every now and then I check the stats for this blog. There are a number of regular readers from all over the world, and several thousand visitors each month. For the past two years the readership has increased every month, and this is due to word-of-mouth advertising. Thank you! If you find that what I post here truly is "food for faith", then consider passing the word on to someone else. All they need to do is to type "food for faith" into a Google search. It is interesting to see which postings are the most read. Surprisingly, one of the most popular postings in the last six months is "no, it's much better!", inviting readers to email the link to young men inviting them to consider priesthood.
A number of readers were surprised that I suggested sending this link to any young man who has been baptised as a Catholic - even if they haven't been near a Church for years. This is important. It is amazing how many of today's younger priests and seminarians went through a period of years of distance from the Church. Every story is different, but a common thread is that there was a moment, an event, a situation, a comment, that was enough to awaken a sense that God was calling, and that they would find fulfillment if they followed. So, for those of you who missed it, here is the link again. I have made a couple of changes to the post since it was first published, and added a couple more brief priestly vocation videos.
The weekly newsletter for the Catholic Parish of the Good Shepherd, Hurunui District, is now uploaded to the parish website at www.catholichurunui.co.nz
For the past couple of days I have been savouring the June issue of the "Traces" magazine. From the first page I was moved to read of the personal experience of some of those who met with Pope Francis for the Pentecost Vigil.
"Why am I here? Why are we here? There is something that we already know, that we already possess, but it does not satisfy us precisely because we think we possess it"
And then Pope Francis began, "giving the longest speech of his pontificate to date, a stupendous speech, from the heart" ...with a question:
How have you been able in your life to attain the certainty of faith; and what route do you suggest we take to enable each one of us to overcome the fragility of our faith?" This is a historical question because it concerns my personal history, my life-story!"
Later he spoke about the patient presence of God:
"We say we must seek God, go to Him and ask forgiveness, but when we go, He is waiting for us, He is there first. In Spanish we have a word that explains this well: primerear- the Lord always get there before us, He gets their first, He is waiting for us!" When we fear or doubt, it is because we do not believe, deep down, that the Lord loves us. The "encounter" is crucial. Again, in the words of the pope: "When we seek Him, we discover that He is waiting to welcome us, to offer us His love. And this fills your heart with such wonder that you can hardly believe it, and this is how your faith frows - through encounter with a Person, through encounter with the Lord."
"Traces" is the monthly publication of the Communion and Liberation movement. It is refreshing for both its breadth and depth. It is robustly Catholic, and energetic in its passion for life and freedom.
You can read more about the movement at the link: Communion & Liberation. And you can visit the website for the "Traces" magazine at www.tracce.it. (click on translation to read in English)
If you live in New Zealand you can now subscribe locally from Matt Young: matt@paintcraft.co.nz The subscription is $66.00 (including postage within New Zealand) per year (11 issues). $33.00 half year. Ipad users can sign up for the app version. Search the "Apple App" store "Traces".
For the last couple of weeks I have been studying at the Liturgical Institute of Mundelein University, Chicago. I will be here for a few more weeks. It is a privilege to have this opportunity to study in an environment that is focussed on the Liturgy of the Church as the privileged place of encounter with Christ. Every day we pray together as a community for Mass, and Morning and Evening Prayer. For the rest of the time we learn together, studying all aspects of the Liturgy. The beauty of the Liturgy is evident when people who have a love for the liturgy come together to grow in their knowledge of the liturgy, and to celebrated the liturgy. A couple of years ago, Adam Bartlett, a student here at the Institute, took a few enthusiastic people, for just a couple of hours practice, and prepared William Byrd's Ave Verum Corpus. While most NZ parishes have the singers who are capable of this, and musicians who with a bit of guidance would be able to lead a schola, we have not yet developed (at parish level) an appetite for such beauty.
If you listen carefully next time you are at Mass, you will notice a change to the text of the second, third and fourth Eucharistic Prayers. Today Pope Francis announced that the name of St. Joseph will be added to these prayers, immediately following the Blessed Virgin Mary (the form of this addition is) "with Blessed Joseph her spouse."
This is not a sudden change. It seems that Pope Benedict had prepared the way for this to happen. But even before then, fifty years ago at the start of the Second Vatican Council, Pope John XXIII had added St. Joseph's name to the Roman Canon, (the first Eucharistic Prayer). More on this addition at http://wdtprs.com/blog/2012/11/john-xxiii-50-years-ago-st-joseph-added-to-the-roman-canon/
There is an item on this with the full text of the decree at the Vatican news site.
People often ask me: "what's it like to be a priest?" It is a difficult question to answer. While as a priest I "do" many things, there is much more to priesthood than the things I do. It's like being in love...deeply satisfying and difficult to put into words.
Here (below) is a video clip, made in Australia, that gives a helpful insight. I have also added a two-part priestly vocations video from the USA.
Every young Catholic Man (as young as high school), when considering life-choices, should consider priesthood as one of the options.
If God is calling you to be a priest,
you will be happier as a priest
than you could be in any other life-choice
In past years parents, grandparents and godparents prayed that one of their sons / grandsons / Godsons would respond to God's call to serve as a priest. Now the option is rarely presented to a young man. It is time we got over our hesitation and proudly invited all young(ish) men to seriously consider whether God is nudging them towards life as a priest.
I know of someone who is today in the seminary, only because a parishioner tapped him on the shoulder out of the blue and suggested he consider if God was calling him to priesthood. That brief conversation sowed the seed and the man found the life he didn't even know he had been searching for!
So, send this blog link to any single young man aged between 15 and 50. If they are an active parishioner, that is helpful, but also send this blog link to those who may have been baptised as Catholics and has had little or no contact with the Church since. Write them a brief note of a sentence or two, encouraging them, and inviting the to watch this 10 minute video.
If you are receiving this link because someone has forwarded it to you, Don't be afraid!!! I (the author of this blog) am a priest, and after 28 years I can honestly say that if I had known what priesthood was like, I would not have hesitated as much as I did to respond fully to God.
Some years ago I was invited to address the Year 13 students at one of our local Catholic High Schools. The session was in preparation for the celebration of the Sacrament of Reconciliation with the students.
During the class I asked the young people if they were sinners. Initially three or four put up their hands, but after asking again, a few more indicated that indeed they were sinners. So that I could proceed with the point more I asked the reverse question: I asked if anyone thought they were not a sinner. No hands, so I moved on with my point.
I then suggested that in thinking of ourselves as sinners, we tend to think only of the tip of the iceberg. I might name a few things I did wrong and some things I didn’t do right. I might even think of some thoughts and attitudes or fears that I know to be sinful.
But still, this is only the visible tip. Underneath, deep in my subconscious, there is a mass of sinful disorder. At my core I am often oriented away from all that is truly life-giving. I am fighting against the loving creators intention for me.
In short, we are much worse sinners that we might ever imagine.
Yes, this is bad news. But before the class could get too depressed I told them the good news. God’s forgiveness and mercy is much more abundant that we could ever need. In fact, our acknowledged (confessed) sin, becomes our capacity for the overwhelming love and mercy of God.
Immediately after the class, the teacher came up to me pretty upset. The concern was along the lines that the school was doing all it could to boost the self-esteem of these students, and the priest (me) comes in, and in a few comments trashes all the teacher’s work.
This teacher’s response reveals a serious misunderstanding of the cause of self-esteem. It also reveals a major confusion about the potentially fatal consequences of sin.
But the teacher is not alone. We so easily forget that the path to the life we seek is not found by avoiding death, pain, and the sinful reality within us, but by allowing Jesus to carry us through the cross, and beyond the tomb, to the risen life we so desperately seek.
Indeed, sin entered the world through a single action of selfish grasping at an escape from the beauty and abundance of earthly existence. Let me take a couple of paragraphs to explain.
Human self-esteem is not a human achievement. A healthy self-image is not the result of successfully ‘looking on the bright side'. Instead self esteem begins and thrives in the one who is able to honestly acknowledge their reality. This reality is often suffering, pain, anxiety, and boredom in the midst of interminable and mundane routines.
Too often advertising uses this struggling human reality as the hook to capture our desires. Of course we want to be free of the "painful" parts of this earthly existence! The world of advertising takes this healthy desire (which is actually our healthy human need for God) and seeks to convince us that their product is the solution. Now that they have our attention, they proffer potions and lotions, food, pastimes, paradise island vacations and other escapes. But when I return from one escape, when one anaesthesia wears off, then I am faced with my reality once again, so I plan another vacation or have another drink. We can all relate to this pattern.
But the honest and reflective person will have moments of alert awareness. In these grace-full moments we notice that all is not well. There must be more to life than an endless grasping at fleeting satisfactions. Now we are ready for God.
In this moment of insight, I may feel especially vulnerable and helpless. It may be as though a great light has shone on the reality of my life and I wonder if I have any purpose at all. All my successes may seem as nothing, and my sin will be magnified - as if I am defined by my rejection of the real life that God has created me for. But this is the moment when real conversion is offered. We may have an awareness that it is not possible to break from the snares of habits alone. In the end there is nowhere to turn but to Jesus.
It is helpful to remember that we are all in this boat together. We are not alone. In the family of the Church we cry out together in need of God’s forgiveness and mercy. Even the saints! A saint is not someone who does not sin. Instead a saint IS a sinner, who has the wisdom and humility to continually to acknowledge their sin before God. A saint is one who knows Jesus well enough to know that he never tires of forgiving us, and embracing us anew in love.
In fact, the most intimate way in which we can show our love for Jesus, is by repeatedly turning to him seeking his forgiveness. In doing this we are acknowledging that we accept the reality of God as loving and merciful:
“So I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven because she has shown great love. But the one to whom little is forgiven, loves little.” He said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” Luke 7:50
...and further to my post earlier today, here is the link to the video of the meeting between Pope Francis and Archbishop Justin Welby of Canterbury.
This clip will be of special interest to NZ Catholics for the presence of our friend Archbishop David Moxon, the Archbishop of Canterbury's Respresentative to the Holy See.
“Your steps have not brought you to a foreign dwelling ... we are pleased to open the doors to you, and with the doors, our heart, pleased and honoured as we are ... to welcome you ‘not as a guest or a stranger, but as a fellow citizen of the Saints and the Family of God’.”
The weekly newsletter for the Catholic Parish of the Good Shepherd, Hurunui District, is now uploaded to the parish website at www.catholichurunui.co.nz. Click on the "newsletter" tab on the homepage.
This morning, the Memorial of St. Anthony of Padua, Pope Francis offered his daily reflection at the morning Mass. As usual his words were direct, challenging, and a practical invitation to live every nuance of the beauty of life with Jesus.
“I would like to ask the Lord to give us all the grace to guard our words, to watch what we say about others. It is a small penance, but it bears a lot of fruit. Sometimes, we think:‘I would like to taste that fruit and take the chance of criticizing another person.' But if we don't give into that hunger, it bears fruit and in the long run it's good for us. That's why we must ask the Lord for this grace, where we can adapt our lives to this new law, which is the law of patience, the law of love, the law of peace. We can at least try and hold our tongues a little, hold the comments we make of others. The outbursts that lead us to anger or insults. May the Lord grant us all this grace.”
A few years ago Fr. Armand Nigro SJ was brought to Christchurch NZ to lead the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius Loyola. His visit was arranged by the Adult Education Trust who, for several years after 2000 organised a number of faith formation events for the people of Christchurch. Their work was well appreciated by many people, and the fruits of their efforts are still abundant.
Fr. Armand's public reflections were especially well received. He was totally focussed on the person of Jesus Christ as alive and present. His gentle, strong and loving manner modelled superbly the divine life he proclaimed.
After last week's letter from Bishop Barry on the immanent start of Perpetual Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament in the diocese, I remembered this story told by Fr. Armand. Actually I first came across it thirty years ago as a seminarian. While the letter is written especially for seminarians, you will have no difficulty relating it to your own situation. It will be helpful for anyone seeking to pray more easily.
Archbishop David Moxon, formerly the bishop of the Anglican diocese of Waikato, New Zealand, has been a good friend to the Catholic Church in New Zealand over many years. I
In this morning's link from romereports he speaks about his new role as the Anglican Communion's chief representative to the Holy See.
It was an extraordinary thing to know as I prayed at that time, that popes (I'm using the plural since I am sure that Pope Benedict also have joined in), and people around the world, were united in prayer at that same hour. There was a tangible sense of the people of God united in need of God - at least for sixty minutes. The sense was not just of community, but of communion (ie. what God is doing not just what humans have created).
I had this same sense today at Sunday Mass, and in the Prayer of the Church. While Christians pray in many different ways, for a variety of needs, and in their own way (ie personal or private prayer), Catholic gather for Sunday Mass to worship God together, and to pray with and for the family that is the Church. So even if I don't feel like doing it, I just do it anyway. Perhaps this is like the tired parents who still get up to their hungry or anxious child in the middle of the night. Some things are more important than the feeling.
And this is the sense I also had tonight at Vespers, Evening Prayer of the Church. It is helpful for me to remember as I pick up the Breviary that, even if I don't feel like praying in this way at this time, this is a way that I can take ten minutes to live in unity with all who pray this prayer at the beginning, the middle, the evening or the end of this day. The popes will pray these same psalms and reflect on this same scripture. Cloistered monastics will do the same. And so too will a growing number of mothers and fathers, business people and farmers, students and ... well, people everywhere.
The people of the Hurunui District and the Chatham Islands have been especially in my thoughts and prayers today, as every day, and especially every Sunday when I offer Mass for the people of these parishes that I serve.
You might like to join in with this "prayer of the Church", perhaps picking just a psalm or a scripture for the appropriate moment of the day. The Universalis website is a helpful guide. There are some smartphone apps for the Prayer of the Church too.
This post will make no sense to those who haven't discovered the computer game "Angry Birds."
I've had a bit of free time today and rediscovered the game. Very soon, once again, I was hooked.
I haven't played for a few months, since my last addicted bout. At that time I had only recently discovered the game and was having very little luck progressing through the levels.
Then a friend saw me playing and politely told me that if I tapped the bird soon after launching it would explode and cause much more damage to the pigs. Sadly the same thing happened today. I had forgotten the tapping bit and another friend gave me the same lesson. (I think he has studied the game a lot more than most).
It left me wondering how many other things I struggle with simply because I had not asked advice, or been willing to share my frustration. Without my friends' advice I would still be struggling with Angry Birds, but now I am flying through the levels, completely oblivious to the feelings of the helpless little pigs.
Earlier this week I read the readings of this Tenth Sunday in Ordinary Time a few times. Both the first reading and the gospel begin by painting pretty gloomy pictures in which anxiety, suffering and death abound. It is not difficult for citizens of the twenty-first century to relate to these experiences.
The chapter opens with Elijah bringing news of an immanent drought: “there will be neither dew nor rain for the next few years...”(v.1). This message is a guaranteed way for a new preacher to get offside with farmers.
However this first verse continues with the hopeful heart of Elijah’s message: “...except at the command of the Lord.” Ah, the Lord, God has power over all things, even the weather. And this encouragement is at the heart both of today’s readings, and the heart of the life of faith.
Just before today’s first reading selection begins, Elijah (led by God) arrives at the home of a starving widow and her son. The widow (who lost all means of support on the death of her husband), has only enough food for one more meal for herself and her son “and then we will die.”
Both the woman and Elijah are living in such intimate harmony with God, that when the Lord prompts Elijah to ask the woman for food (an extraordinary request given her situation), the Lord also nudges the woman to feed her visitor. There is a great moment of relief when she realises that after finishing the meal, the original ingredients are restored to their jars.
And then, just as things are looking a bit brighter, the widow’s son falls ill and dies. The woman is understandably distraught and blames Elijah. Elijah is confused and complains to God. Once again Elijah follows the promptings of his Lord and turns to God in passionate prayer: “O Lord, my God, let the life breath return to the body of this child.” God responds by raising the child to life. Now we see the faith-filled response of the rejoicing widow: “Now indeed I know that you are a man of God. The word of the Lord comes truly from your mouth.”
Now let’s turn to today’s gospel reading. It’s a very similar story: a widow has one son who has died. Jesus arrives in town as the funeral is taking place, and the weeping mother is at the burial of her son. Jesus moves through the mourning crowd, touches the boy’s coffin and prays. The dead man sits up and begins to speak, as Jesus returns him to his mother.
Once again we see the miracle end in the renewed faith of all who witnessed the power of God over death. “Fear seized them all, and they glorified God, exclaiming, “A great prophet has arisen in our midst,” and “God has visited his people.”
So what have these old stories got to do with our lives today?
A trap that Christians fall into is in thinking that these are simply ancient stories. Yes, these events did happen 2000 and 3000 years ago. But the God of Elijah is alive and active in our world today. Jesus Christ is not simply an historical character, but is living and present among us today. Our personal 2013 experience of the present reality of Jesus is what we call faith.
This brings us to the heart of the mission of Elijah. He was the one who reminded his world that there was only ONE God, and that this was not a pagan God of magic but a living God of miracles. (In magic something appears to happen but in fact does not - ie the woman is not really sawn in half. Whereas in a miracle, what appears to happen does in reality occur). If you jump ahead to chapter 18 of 1 Kings there is the great account of the competition between the “gods”. I won’t give away the story here, look it up for yourselves! (Click on this link to see the earlier blog posting and account of this event)
In each of these stories, life’s lowest point had been reached. The characters in these accounts really are at the “end of their tether.” They are immersed in hunger, suffering, death, grief and anguish. For the one who has no sense of the presence and power of God, these circumstances are without hope. At best we might anaesthetise ourselves against the pain, but then we sober up again and find that our earlier circumstances remain unchanged.
Thanks be to God the reality is totally different for the person of faith. This does not mean that the life of the Christian is free from human suffering. Not at all. The faith-filled person will experience all the traumas that are a part of the fallen (ie post original sin) human condition. But, the person of faith knows too that the “end of tether” feelings and thoughts that we might experience, while unpleasant, are simply an opportunity for Jesus to come to us anew. In this encounter Jesus does not simply restore our own human strengths, but allows us to share the fulness of His power and His divine and eternal life.
It is important to remember that in each of these accounts, we are hearing of resuscitations of dead bodies. Each of these two young people, while by the power of God now breathing and walking the earth again, would once again experience pain, suffering and death. Often again, each of them would come to the end of their tether and call out for help.
The heart of our faith is the fact that the resurrection of Jesus was no such mere rescuscitation. Resurrection is no return to a previous tethered earthly existience as resuscitation is. Instead the resurrection of Jesus broke through the barrier of death for all those who have the desire and the capacity to follow Him. The path is clear. Human happiness is not found by avoiding suffering and pain. Instead the deep and lasting joy we seek is found in facing all circumstances of human reality, knowing that we are perhaps ‘at the end of our tether’ and calling out to Jesus who respectfully awaits our cry. (To read Pope Benedict's comment on the distinction between resuscitation and resurrection refer to Jesus of Nazareth: Holy Week: From the Entrance Into Jerusalem To The Resurrection, Ch 9)
In this fact of faith, we find our hope. There is no situation that you or I can find ourselves in that is without hope. Most often our perspective is limited and death looks like nothing but an end. In this restricted vision, suffering and pain are harbingers of death. Such tethers appear to limit our freedom and prevent our happiness.
However the person of faith is able to see that these tethers are in fact divine cords of kindness (Hosea 11:4), drawing us into more intimate relationship with the God who is saving us.
