death or life?

I read once that humans have only one fear: the fear of death. Every fear, anxiety, worry etc, is a face of this one fear; the fear of death.

In my blog reflection yesterday I quoted from this Sunday's gospel reading in which Jesus says: "do not be afraid; just have faith.

And then I found this helpful little video clip. You might find it encouraging as well.

Newsletter (13th Sunday O.T.)

The weekly newsletter for the Catholic parishes of the Hurunui District and the Chatham Islands for Sunday 1 July (Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time) is now uploaded at this link.

If you are just looking for the reflection for this Sunday, follow this link instead.

just have faith

Later this year (October 11) the Church will mark fifty years since the opening session of the Second Vatican Council.

Many of us were taught to see this gathering of the bishops of the world as a ‘turning point’ in the direction of the Church. Contrasts are often made between life before the Council, and post-Conciliar life in the Church. 

Such contrasts are at best an over-simplification of the reality, and a missing-out on the clarity and depth of the Council’s renewed presentation of the life of faith.

I suspect that the generalisation I am about to make is correct: most New Zealand Catholics think that the main work of the Council was to reform the liturgy by turning the priest to face the people and in allowing the Mass (and other sacraments) to be celebrated in English. 

If my generalisation is on target (let me know if it is not!), then it is sadly significant that Council’s policy and encouragements on matters such as the nature of the Church, religious freedom, social communication, the apostolate of the laity, and religious education (to name just a few of the 16 documents) remain completely unknown to most NZ Catholics.

Pope John Paul II was aware that many Catholics either did not know, or had mis-heard and therefore wrongly understood the teaching of the Council.  To address this he published the Catechism of the Catholic Church to mark the 30th anniversary of the opening of the Council. In this volume that we see the work of the Council presented in a concise, coherent, attractive and relevant way.

I am fortunate in these weeks to be studying at the Liturgical Institute of Mundelein University in Chicago.  Even after many earlier years of study, and over 25 years of ministry as a priest, I am discovering anew the beauty and depth of the faith of the Church.

It is encouraging to see again that the documents of the Second Vatican Council are a re-communication of all that is at the heart of the life of faith. It is true that in this process we are encouraged to let go of some attitudes and practices that had wrongly taken central place in the faith lives of Catholics. Once again the Council reminds us that our faith is not primarily about doctrines and practices, but about the person of Jesus Christ who is the source and summit of all human life.

This is not to say that the doctrine and practices of the Church are not important. In fact that life of the Church (with all the teaching and practice) is essential for our lives of faith. Without these gifts our ‘faith’ is reduced to a ‘wishful thinking’, or continual attempts to ‘look on the bright side’ of difficult situations.  If this is what we understand by ‘faith’, then it is no wonder that we are afraid!

In 1968, Pope Paul VI invited the people of the Church to “make “an authentic and sincere profession of the same faith”.  Rather than  going along with the crowd (and being Catholic simply because my parents and grandparents were Catholic), Pope Paul wanted people to make an “individual and collective, free and conscious, inward and outward, humble and frank” profession of faith. The pope’s purpose was for the whole Church to “re-appropriate exact knowledge of the faith, so as to reinvigorate it, purify it, confirm it, and confess (i.e. proclaim) it”. (Paul VI, June 30 1968, Credo of the People of God)

Forty-four years later we find ourselves in a similar situation. In fact comparisons can be made between life in 2012 and life in Judea and Samaria at the time of the earthly ministry of Jesus. The fundamental human needs don’t change that much, and human attempts to satisfy human desires are remarkably uncreative.

In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus responds to the fear of the people. Their fear is caused by the same concerns that worry us most: sickness and death, insecurity about the future, guilt and anxiety about the past. Jesus’ response is both immediate and transforming. The sick are healed and the dead are returned to life.  Jesus then says to them: “do not be afraid; just have faith.”

This gospel even gives the detail that the afflicted woman had “spent all she had” on therapies, healers and other treatments.  Nothing had worked for her.  But her encounter with Jesus did much more than enable her to ‘look on the bright side.’  She is healed!  She received what we all need.

Earlier this year Pope Benedict announced that the celebrations of the fiftieth anniversary of the opening of the Council will be marked by a Year of Faith.  This announcement was made in his letter entiled: “The Door of Faith” (Porta Fidei)”

In one of my classes this week, the teacher gave the example of taking his children to Mass and making them enter the Church through the main front doors. The children are not always happy about this, but Chris insists. Entering a Church for worship is not like slipping into my house, or a concert venue. 


When I enter a Church, I am intentionally (and ritually) articulating my deep desire for life with God in the Kingdom of God.  The casual conversations of the street are fine in the foyer, but in this sacred space my desire is simply for God.

Each Sunday we enter the Church for Mass aware that there is much that makes us  afraid. But the God whom I seek has given me faith. This faith is not the ‘power of positive thinking’, but the ultimate relationship with Jesus, which HE initiates (in baptism) and that HE nurtures and sustains in the sacraments. Even the fact that you have read to the end of this little reflection is proof that faith is alive in you.

Do not be afraid. Just have faith!  

Msgr. Tom Power

Of your charity please pray for the happy repose of the soul of Monsignor Tom Power of our Christchurch diocese who died this morning.

"Hear with favour our prayers,

which we humbly offer, O Lord

for the salvation of the soul of Thomas, 

your servant and Priest.

that he, who devoted a faithful ministry to your name,

may rejoice in the perpetual company of your Saints.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,

who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

one God, for ever and ever

Amen

Collect, Funeral Mass for a Priest

now this is radical!

If you are ready to be shaken a little, challenged, inspired, all in five minutes, take a moment to watch the video clip at this link.

change - for the better

It is Sunday evening and I am still thinking about John the Baptist.  Sunday morning Masses are over in New Zealand, but here in Chicago it is only 8 on Saturday evening. I should be reading some Sacramental Theology for class next week, but I am looking for distractions. Jotting down these 'John the Baptist and change' thoughts is the only distraction I can find before I meet others for a drink in an hour. 


So if you are looking for a distraction too, take a moment to consider these ponderings.


Human beings cannot help but change. The only way to avoid change is to stop living.  The one who is living is changing.  And the one who is really really living, is changing often.

It is often said that some people find change easy and others prefer no change. I'm not sure that is accurate. 


If you think you don't like change, consider this: If life is difficult for you at the moment, aren't you longing for a change for the better?  


If you think you really like change: I don't know of anyone who would not try to avoid a change for the worse.

We know the unavoidable pattern of change in all living things from the natural world. The garden changes daily, even if I do not touch or notice it. The weeds still grow. The winter branch blooms with the new buds of spring and the blooms of summer.

People often make the mistake of thinking of Catholicism as a religion that does not involve change. Many think of Church doctrine and law as being preserved in dusty tomes. Most tragically a common perception is that if one says yes fully to the Catholic faith, that person will be saying 'no' to growth and change, and therefore 'no' to fun and freedom.

Tragically, Catholic faith is too often misunderstood as being primarily about doctrines and laws that, if followed, will limit freedom and restrict life. Such a misunderstanding reduces the beauty of the life of Catholic faith, to a dry and  deadly doses of moralism and legalism.

In this feast of John the Baptist we are reminded of the kind of change that is at the heart of Catholic faith. Two of John the Baptist's disciples were Andrew (his name is given in the scripture), and John (tradition tells us this). 

One day John the Baptist notices his cousin Jesus, whom he knows to be the Christ.  At this moment John becomes the first witness to Jesus. He changes direction and points to Jesus proclaiming to Andrew and John: "behold, there is the Lamb of God."   John and Andrew are real searchers.  Like us, they are not totally satisfied with every aspect of their present life. They move towards Jesus who asks what they are looking for. They ask him: "where do you live?".   Jesus responds: "come and see."

From that moment their lives are changed forever. We know that Andrew was married. That night he probably returned to his wife and family, and John too might have headed back to his home.

I have no doubt that their families would have immediately noticed that something dramatic, life-changing had happened to John and Andrew.  I'm imagining Andrew's wife meeting him when he enters the house. Even before Andrew speaks, Mrs Andrew would have noticed..."what on earth has happened to you?"  "You are different."   "What is it?"

This moment is the heart of the Catholic life of faith.  You see, Catholic faith is not primarily about following a moral code of laws (at worst 'moralism' and 'legalism'). Catholic Faith is focussed on a personal encounter with the person of Jesus Christ who is God. 

For John and Andrew, from this moment of encounter with the person of Jesus, their lives changed in every way. Beforehand, keeping the Ten Commandments would have been a struggle for them. Now, in the same way as with the one who falls in love, nothing is a bother. The keeping of the commandments is the the fruit of a relationship, no longer a legal requirement.

The person who knows love, does not have to settle for keeping the letter of the law (which is always a struggle).  Instead the change effected by love activates the life of the heart fully. How the spirit of the law is embraced. Adherence to the letter follows immediately and automatically.

This is the reality of faith for Andrew and John, the first disciples of Jesus. Life is changed, not ended.

Fifty years ago this year, the Second Vatican Council met for its first session. Pope Benedict has announced a "Year of Faith" beginning in October of this year, on the date of the opening of the Council.

In many ways the Second Vatican Council was a John the Baptist moment for the Church. Like John, the Council pointed Catholics back to the person of Jesus.  

In the years prior to the Council, some lesser aspects of faith had taken a central position. Other, more essential, beliefs and practices had been set aside.  Unfortunately people were often recognised as Catholics more because they did not eat meat on Friday rather than because they loved their neighbour and forgave their enemies. The sixteen documents that are the fruit of the Council clearly shift our focus back to the person of Jesus Christ.

The Catholic Faith is primarily about living in relationship with the person of Jesus Christ who is 'God with us'.   Just as Andrew and John were changed forever in this divine relationship, so too our lives truly become lives lived rather than existences endured, only when in relationship with Jesus Christ.

If you need to know if God is with you, there is a way.  Many of you have heard me give this example before.  


Take a moment to find your pulse.  Either on your wrist or your neck.   Feel that beat...   

The beat you feel, you are doing nothing to create.  This is the direct action of God, choosing (with every beat) to keep you in existence and to hold you in His loving embrace.

Therefore, like the first disciples of Jesus, we have nothing to fear.  Never forget....God is with you.

+++

• an image

• tap here to read yesterday's "John the Baptist" reflection.

the pointer: John the Baptist

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 stars that 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.

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 life provided both a meaning and context capable of answering any "what" 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:

Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel;

he has come to his people and set them free.

He has raised up for us a mighty saviour,

born of the house of his servant David.

Through his holy prophets he promised of old

that he would save us from our enemies,

from the hands of all who hate us.

He promised to show mercy to our fathers

and to remember his holy covenant.

This was the oath he swore 

to our father Abraham;

to set us free from the hands of our enemies,

free to worship him without fear,

holy and righteous in his sight 

all the days of our life.

You, my child, shall be called 

the prophet of the Most High;

for you will go before the Lord 

to prepare his way,

to give his people knowledge of salvation

by the forgiveness of their sins.

In the tender compassion of our God

the dawn from on high shall break upon us,

to shine on those who dwell in darkness 

and the shadow of death,

and to guide our feet into the way of peace.

(Luke 1:68-79)