SEcond African Synod

AFRICA : Hopes for the Second African Synod by Peter Henriot, S.J., (The following article appears in the September 2009 issue of Hakimani, the e-newsletter of the Jesuit Hakimani Centre, a peace and justice center in East Africa. Fr. Peter Henriot, S.J., is the director of the Jesuit Centre for Theological Reflection, Lusaka, Zambia.)

[When some 200-plus bishops and advisors from all over Africa gather in Rome in October, a special focus will be on how the Catholic Church can best serve the people of this continent.

The Second African Synod (officially called the Second Special Assembly for Africa of the Synod of Bishops) meets October 4-25, with the theme "The Church in Africa in Service to Reconciliation, Justice and Peace: ‘You are the Salt of the Earth…You are the Light of the World.’"(Matthew 5: 13-14)

Preparations - Preparations for the Synod have been going on for the past three years, with efforts of mixed success to involve a cross section of Catholics to explore the significance of the theme and its implications for theological reflection and pastoral practices. I say "mixed success" because in many dioceses and parishes much activity has gone on and in many others very little activity.

In 2006, a set of discussion guidelines (in Latin, Lineamenta) was circulated to prompt early conversations about the theme, inviting an "examination of conscience" about our life as "family of God."

The results of these conversations were then communicated to the Vatican for preparation of the agenda (Instrumentum Laboris) to focus the debates of the Synod. When Pope Benedict XVI visited Cameroon in May, he presented the agenda with a call for reflection and prayer to engage all of us in this important event.

Personally, I am struck by the relevance of the agenda topics to the life of the Church in Africa. There is an honest reflection on the difficulties of implementation of the First African Synod (1994), with clear recognition that many parts of Africa have in the past decade been severely wracked by armed conflicts and ineffective governance. The concrete experience of the Church in relating to this challenging situation is sketched with obvious questions regarding the effectiveness of our responses.

Challenges - Of many points that can be emphasized about the significance of Synod debates and decisions, here are three that seem to me to be very important:

First, is the necessary formation that needs to be done in the church social teaching (CST) across all of the Church – bishops, clergy, religious, laity. There still is too much ignorance of the content of the CST and/or reluctance to take seriously its call for prophetic stances by everyone in the Church.

Many lay people, including those in important positions of government and business; simply do not know about the CST because many priests and pastoral leaders have never communicated its content and challenge in homilies, workshops, catechetical programs, etc.

Second, priority is to put high emphasis upon promotion of the dignity of women in both Church and society. As the agenda clearly notes, "Women and the laity in general are not fully integrated in the Church’s structures of responsibility and the planning of her pastoral programs."

Anti-evangelical cultural and ecclesial attitudes, patterns and structures must be challenged head on by the Synod if any true reconciliation is to be possible.

Third, priority that Synod discussion and decision must address is something which is surprisingly absent from the agenda. This is the topic of environmental concern touching issues such as climate change (global warming), ecological integrity, life-style adjustments, and industrial pollution by new investors coming to the Continent (e.g., in the extractives sector).

Aside from one passing reference to multinational corporations’ not paying adequate attention to the environment, this topic that is so much in the forefront of problems in Africa is not explored. Surely, the actual Synod deliberations will take up the topic! - http://www.jesuithakimani.org/

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Experience -> The Great Teacher

Wounded God...> Healing wounded World

Victor Edwin SJ "Yesterday, I went to Chester, a little city close to Wales. I was walking around in the city centre. City centre was full of weekend visitors. There I found an Afro British man standing behind a small table with literature on Jesus was speaking about Jesus. Often I have seen Evangelical Christians and Muslims distributing reading materials for free in city centres.

Earlier, I have never shown any interest in listening to such preachers. However, some how I felt I should listen to this man who was giving witness to Christ. I went closer to him and listened. He was talking about compassionate God. I could not but think of Paul speaking to the audience on Athens about his faith! His message was simple.

He said God is good and loving. He gave his son out of love. Jesus, son of God through his woundedness heal the wounded world. Jesus is the face of wounded God. Only way to respond to this loving God is to love one another and forgive others. He repeated this in many beautiful ways.

There were many other, mostly teenagers were listening to him. First of all I was indeed surprised about his courage: to stand amidst a large number of week end visitors and speak about Christ. Secondly, he was saying something which I do feel the world need to hear. Indeed he set the tone for my whole day of reflection and prayer.

Thinking of his message I went to visit and pray at Chester Cathedral. The Cathedral has a rich and fascinating heritage. Chester Cathedral is a truly remarkable building, with a history spanning almost two thousand years.

According to legend, a prehistoric Druid temple existed on this site, which was succeeded by a Roman temple dedicated to Apollo. When Christianity became the state religion of Rome in the fourth century AD, the pagan temple may have become a Christian church. A picture and a statue of the Virgin and Child impressed me a lot.

The picture is painted on the web of a caterpillar. This famous painting is about 200 years old. A Tyrolean art form, there are apparently only 64 remaining in the world, and this is the only one in the UK.

However, the statue of our Lady with toddler Jesus struck me very deeply. I felt the statue somehow deepened the message of the preacher at the City Centre. The sculptor has used loose and uneven scrap copper sheets to make this beautiful statue. The statue powerfully highlight the poverty of Mother and Son.

The sculptor's note which is kept at the feet of the statue tells that the sculptor used scrap and broken sheets to convey the woundedness of God. The sculptor wanted to show that the wounded Lord is shown to be the healer of the wounded world. I was deeply moved by the words of the preacher at the City Centre and the words of the sculptor which came alive in the statue. The challenge is to forgive others, so that we can really talk about woundedness of God and bring about healing. " ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Courtesy: Victor Edwin SJ

Email: victoredwinsj@gmail.com

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Why do we mess up our life?

MEETING GOD IN A MESS

"You must have had beautiful curls as a baby!"

My ... (Superior) was not paying me a compliment, but sarcastically telling me my hair was too long and looked a mess. Usually he didn't go in for such subtleties. But that day he did. In plain language he was telling me, "Get a hair cut!"

Most of us strive to create a good impression so that people will admire and respect us. We fear that we will be despised and rejected if we fail. Image making has developed into a sophisticated art. A politician is thought to stands a better chance of being elected if he looks like a film star. That's what Ronald Reagan actually was. It's been argued that one of the reasons why Kennedy beat Nixon was because on a TV debate Nixon was thought to look like a thug, while Kennedy appeared handsome and honest.

I must admit that I'm not very bothered about how I look. Perhaps I should be. But my prior certainly was right. My scruffy appearance let my community down, if not myself. But certainly a good impression goes way beyond how any of us looks. What people think of our behaviour is much more important. That's where the real problems begin. Before couples get married they strive to do their best not to reveal any defects, which may put off the one whose love they want to win.

But no one can keep up the appearance of being a paragon of all that is desirable. We all have faults. These will become apparent over years of marriage, or ...(of any religious) community life. At times we will behave badly. We will be moody, selfish and unforgiving. We will be petty and reveal irritating habits. We may be seen without our teeth and our normally well groomed hair may be a mess first thing in the morning. People only discover what we're really like by sharing our lives for a number of years. Hopefully we will still take them and ourselves by surprise.

These musings came to me during our community prayers. As we sang the Divine Office I realised that while some of the psalms expressed respectable sentiments of adoration, praise, thanksgiving, joy and repentance, other psalms reflected the ugly side of human nature -anger with God and with life, bitterness, revenge and self pity. Some people have wanted to remove these psalms from the Prayer of the Church. But wisely, the Church has retained them. Why? Certainly we are not meant to imitate these ignoble reactions, but to copy the psalmist in praying with absolute honesty. As he does so he brings before God what people actually feel. As we pray these ignoble thoughts we ask God not to confirm them but to heal them. Sometimes we will need God to heal what is wrong in the way we react or feel. And if the Prayer of the Church doesn't express our present sentiments it certainly sums up how other people are feeling. So, then we stop thinking about ourselves and turn our prayers towards our brothers and sisters who are going through a rough time.

With great honesty we exposed to God the side of us and them that is ugly. That takes great trust that he won't reject us. We are prepared to make ourselves vulnerable by stripping away the mask of pretence. We stop trying to create a false, good impression. Any way God already knows us better than we know ourselves, so there's no point in trying to deceive him.

And yet we are convinced that he will always love us, with all our faults and failings. His love for us is utterly unconditional. But he can only heal whatever is wrong in our lives if we are prepared to be absolutely honest with the Good Physician. As we bring our unworthy thoughts before God he is able to heal them and bring peace and order to our lives when they are in a mess. As he loves us as we are he helps us to become what we should be.

God's unconditional love for us is the model of how we should love each other. We will need great courage and trust to reveal our true selves, warts and all. We may well fear we will be vulnerable to contempt and rejection. So, too, will our loved ones as they make themselves equally vulnerable. But if we have the courage to welcome each other unconditionally we will not only grow in love, but also help each other to become better people. Loving mercy and compassion can help to heal the messy, ugly parts of our lives.

True. I do look more respectable and younger when shorn of my unruly grey locks. But far more important, God's love doesn't depend on the tidiness of my life, or even of my hair!

Posted by Peter Clarke O.P.

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SCCs in Africa

AFRICA : Small Christian communities - The following excerpt is from this longer article, The role of small Christian communities (SCCs) in the implementation of reconciliation, justice and peace in Africa, by Maryknoll Father Joe Healey for the AMECEA Consultation held Sept. 15 in Nairobi, on the Second African Synod. - There are now over 90,000 SCCs in the eight AMECEA (Association of Member Episcopal Conferences in Eastern Africa) countries. Kenya alone has over 35,000 SCCs. There are many examples and case studies of SCCs that are involved in social and mission outreach and in promoting justice, reconciliation, and peace in Africa. In January 2008, Kenya plunged into a wave of riots and violence. Much of the unrest was fueled by tribalism and negative ethnicity. This dramatically affected the thousands of SCCs too. But some communities and people rose above the crisis. Some SCCs in Kenya became effective local tribunals to mediate tribal and ethnic conflicts. A three member mediation team of the St. Augustine SCC in St. Joseph the Worker Parish, Kangemi, Nairobi visited other SCCs to promote the healing of their ethnic tensions and promote reconciliation and peace. They especially encouraged the SCC members to talk about their problems and feelings. On a regular basis there have been peacebuilding seminars for the SCC leaders of Christ the King Catholic Parish in Kibera, Nairobi. For example, on March 7, there were 32 participants from the SCCs -- 20 women and 12 men representing the larger ethnic groups in Kenya such as the Kikuyu, Luo, Kamba, Luyia and Kalenjin. They used two role plays on the causes of instability in the Kibera slums and problems facing the SCCs in the parish. Decisions and suggestions were made on how to implement what was discussed in the SCC. People should be honest about the difficulty with paying debts and not to betray trust by hiding. Also people should ask for forgiveness, be responsible, organised, open and reconcile with others. In Kenya there were many inspiring, uplifting and positive witness and testimony stories. It is important to tell our African stories of justice, forgiveness, reconciliation and peacemaking. To be valuable these stories must be real, that is, having a sacrifice/struggle/vulnerability/overcoming adversity and odds "reality edge" to them (hali halisi stories as we say in Swahili). Searching in the "African Story Database" on the African Proverbs, Sayings and Stories website by theme and sub-theme one finds 38 stories on SCCs. - http://www.maryknollogc.org/

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Igantius of Loyola's "Take and Receive"

Take and Receive Take and receive, O Lord, my liberty, Take all my will, my mind, my memory, Do thou direct and govern all and sway, Do what thou wilt; command and I obey. Refrain: Only thy grace and love on me bestow, Possessing these, all riches I forgo. All things I hold, and all I own, are thine; Thine was the gift, to thee I all resign. Do thou direct and govern all and sway, Do what thou wilt, command and I obey. (Refrain…)

Transforming prayer

You are invited to prayerfully reflect on the following:

Enjoy a few quite moments of silence before reading the following…

Let all the tension in you flow away…

Read the following insights one by one;

allow each sentence to touch your inner self…

Do not rationalize…

Just wonder…

Listen to the promptings of the Spirit...

Let your whole self be changed for the better… The Spirit is praying within you! Amazing Grace!

I have been granted the gift of another day!

TODAY ! How did the universe come to be?

However brilliant, educated, or experienced we may be,

we do not know everything that there is to know… The more we know,

the more we realize that we do not know… Happiness is not tomorrow.

Happiness is now! In every word I say, each action I perform,

God intervenes in history. "When you pass through the waters I will be with you;and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Saviour."

(Isaiah 43:2-3)

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EID MUBARAK

Dear Friends

Eid Mubarak

May God bless the spiritual efforts of all who want to come closer to God and serve humanity. I would like to share with you the message of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious dialogue on the ocasion of Eid. PONTIFICAL COUNCIL FOR INTERRELIGIOUS DIALOGUE Christians and Muslims:Together in overcoming poverty MESSAGE FOR THE END OF RAMADAN ‘Id al-Fitr, 2009 a.d. Vatican City

Dear Muslim Friends, 1. On the occasion of your feast which concludes the month of Ramadan, I would like to extend my best wishes for peace and joy to you and, through this Message, propose this theme for our reflection: Christians and Muslims: Together in overcoming poverty. 2. This Message of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue has become a tradition cherished by us all, which is looked forward to each year and this is certainly a cause for joy. It has become, over the years, an occasion of cordial encounter in many countries between many Christians and Muslims. It often addresses a matter of shared concern, making it therefore conducive to a confident and open exchange. Are not all these elements immediately perceived as signs of friendship among us for which we should thank God? 3. Coming to the theme of this year, the human person in a situation of impoverishment is undoubtedly a subject at the heart of the precepts that, under different beliefs, we all hold dear. The attention, the compassion and the help that we, brothers and sisters in humanity, can offer to those who are poor, helping them to establish their place in the fabric of society, is a living proof of the Love of the Almighty, because it is man as such whom He calls us to love and help, without distinction of affiliation. We all know that poverty has the power to humiliate and to engender intolerable sufferings; it is often a source of isolation, anger, even hatred and the desire for revenge. It can provoke hostile actions using any available means, even seeking to justify them on religious grounds, or seizing another man’s wealth, together with his peace and security, in the name of an alleged “divine justice”. This is why confronting the phenomena of extremism and violence necessarily implies tackling poverty through the promotion of integral human development that Pope Paul VI defined as the “new name for peace” (Encyclical Letter Populorum Progressio, 1975, n. 76). In his recent Encyclical Letter Caritas in Veritate on integral human development in charity and truth, Pope Benedict XVI, taking into consideration the current context of efforts to promote development, underlines the need for a “new humanistic synthesis” (n. 21), which, safeguarding the openness of man to God, gives him his place as the earth’s “centre and summit” (n. 57). A true development, then, must be ordered “to the whole man and to every man” (Populorum Progressio, n. 42). 4. In his talk on the occasion of the World Day for Peace, 1st January 2009, His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI distinguished two types of poverty: a poverty to be combated and a poverty to be embraced. The poverty to be combated is before the eyes of everyone: hunger, lack of clean water, limited medical care and inadequate shelter, insufficient educational and cultural systems, illiteracy, not to mention also the existence of new forms of poverty “…in advanced wealthy societies, there is evidence of marginalization, as well as affective, moral and spiritual poverty…” (Message for the World Day of Peace, 2009, n. 2). The poverty to be embraced is that of a style of life which is simple and essential, avoiding waste and respecting the environment and the goodness of creation. This poverty can also be, at least at certain times during the year, that of frugality and fasting. It is the poverty which we choose which predisposes us to go beyond ourselves, expanding the heart. 5. As believers, the desire to work together for a just and durable solution to the scourge of poverty certainly also implies reflecting on the grave problems of our time and, when possible, sharing a common commitment to eradicate them. In this regard, the reference to the aspects of poverty linked to the phenomena of globalization of our societies has a spiritual and moral meaning, because all share the vocation to build one human family in which all - individuals, peoples and nations - conduct themselves according to the principles of fraternity and responsibility. 6. A careful study of the complex phenomenon of poverty directs us precisely towards its origin in the lack of respect for the innate dignity of the human person and calls us to a global solidarity, for example through the adoption of a “common ethical code” (John Paul II, Address to The Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences, 27 April 2001, n. 4) whose norms would not only have a conventional character, but also would necessarily be rooted in the natural law written by the Creator in the conscience of every human being (cf. Rom 2, 14-15). 7. It seems that in diverse places of the world we have passed from tolerance to a meeting together, beginning with common lived experience and real shared concerns. This is an important step forward. In giving everyone the riches of a life of prayer, fasting and charity of one towards the other, is it not possible for dialogue to draw on the living forces of those who are on the journey towards God? The poor question us, they challenge us, but above all they invite us to cooperate in a noble cause: overcoming poverty! Happy ‘Id al-Fitr! Jean-Louis Cardinal Tauran President Archbishop Pier Luigi Celata Secretary PONTIFICAL COUNCIL FOR INTERRELIGIOUS DIALOGUE00120 Vatican City ''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

COURTESY: Victor Edwin SJ

Manresa House,

Birmingham

United Kingdom

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Year of Priests

YEAR OF PRIESTS : Ministerial Priesthood by Fr. George Kureethra

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The Pope has inaugurated the Year for Priests, describing it as a year of prayer by priests, with priests and for priests. The stress is on priestly ministry and spirituality. The very term ministerial priesthood implies that priests are at the service of the People of God. According to St Peter the whole Christian Community is a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people set apart to proclaim God’s wonders (1Pet 2/9). The ministerial priesthood is at the service of this royal priesthood. I would like to highlight in this article one of the most important dimensions of ministerial priesthood that Jesus very much stressed, namely, servant hood. "As you know", Jesus said, "the so called rulers of the nations act as tyrants and their great ones oppress them. But it shall not be so among you; whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you shall make himself slave of all. Think of the Son of Man who has not come to be served, but to serve and to give his life to redeem many." (Mk 10, 42-45). Jesus confirmed this teaching by his own example when at the last Supper he washed the feet of his own disciples. "Do you understand what I have done to you?" Jesus asked. "You call me Master and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet, you also must wash one another’s feet." (Jn 13, 13-14). I have been fortunate to come across some very holy and humble priests during my seminary studies and early priesthood. It was in 1951 that I joined the Delhi Archdiocese as a seminarian. I was sent to the Allahabad Seminary for my formation. In those days the Allahabad Seminary was a very tiny one. We were just 37 seminarians including theologians, philosophers and minor seminarians. Not one of our professors had a doctorate. But they were very humble, holy and dedicated priests. They took great pains to prepare the classes and taught us well. They were more interested in our formation than in teaching. I was deeply impressed by them. It was enough to look at the way they spent their lives with the seminarians – in the classrooms, in the garden, in taking part in the manual work and in sports. I used to correspond with my Archbishop, Joseph Fernandes, frequently. He used to reply promptly, using always an Inland Letter Form, the cheapest form of communication. No letterheads, no printed envelops. Once I wrote to him for a permission. The reply came within a few days, and it consisted of just one word, yes. Not another word. When the time came for priestly ordination, I wrote to him saying that arrangements would have to be made for our retreat prior to the ordination. In those days candidates came straight from the retreat to the Ordination Ceremony. We were two of us, myself and Fr Thomson Panakkal. The Archbishop made arrangements for our retreat in St Xavier’s School. I wrote to him saying that we would take a taxi from the railway station to go to St Xavier’s. When we arrived at the railway station I was shocked beyond belief that the Archbishop himself was there on the platform to receive us! He warmly welcomed us and took us to St Xavier’s where he introduced us to the preacher, Fr Charles Saldhana S J, a great Jesuit. The retreat was another great experience for me. Though we were just the two of us, Fr Saldhana preached a full-scale retreat, without any shortcuts, as if he was preaching to a crowd of sixty priests. There was the morning prayer and meditation, followed my Mass. From 9.00 a.m. to 9.45 meditation. Meditation again at 11.00. In the afternoon at 3.00 there was a conference. Meditation again at 6.00, followed by adoration. At 9.00 pm. there were points for mediation, concluding with night prayers. Fr Saldhana was available throughout the retreat. I learned from him how to put my heart and soul to a job without counting how many would be the beneficiaries. It was a great learning experience. We were ordained in the cathedral on 21st December 1960. In those days concelebration was not permitted. Archbishop Joseph was the ordaining prelate, and Archbishop Angelo Fernandes was the commentator. I distinctly remember how after the post-communion prayer Archbishop Angelo declaimed in his sonorous voice the famous poem by Lacordaire, The Beautiful Hands of a Priest. Later I learnt that among the priests present was an Italian priest, Fr Favrin, who was then parish priest of Karol Bagh. He owned an old car and also an old motorcycle which he used to repair himself. As a result the grease and the dirt left some permanent stains on his hands. When Archbishop Angelo declaimed the poem The Beautiful Hands of Priest, Fr Favrin proudly displayed his hands to those around him saying, Look, look, the beautiful hands of a Priest! Later at dinner, he introduced me to the priests and alluding to my very short height, said: "Fathers, I have great pleasure in introducing to you the latest pocket edition of a priest!" For many years I was known as the pocket edition. Such hilarious mirth was a welcome relief to us new priests. Later I had the opportunity to live in the Archbishop’s house for some weeks where I again experienced the humility of Archbishop Joseph. When he came to the dining room he would be the first one to greet us, without waiting for us to greet him. Whenever the postman arrived, the Archbishop himself would go and distribute the letters to the priests. Of course, fifty years ago our diocese was a very small one, with just a handful of priests and a few thousand faithful. There was hardly any project worth talking about. Archbishop Angelo was here mainly as the Secretary General of the CBCI, which post he held for many years. I am amazed at the way the diocese has grown. We have benefited very much from the presence of a very large number of men and women religious. Today the religious priests outnumber the diocesan. More women religious are engaged in social service and other forms of apostolate than in educational activities. The laity has come to their own, making tremendous contributions to the growth of the diocese. The wise Chinese philosopher Lao-Tsu wrote: What have the river and the sea done To be the kings of the hundred valleys? They have put themselves below them And that is why they reign in the hundred valleys. The meaning is clear. Life is in the valleys. Culture and civilization flourish in the valleys. But there would be no valleys without the river and the sea. By placing themselves below the valleys, the river and the sea control life in the valleys. Lao-Tsu continues: If the saint wants to be at the top of his people,

First he has to learn how to talk with humility,

If he wants to lead his people, he should be last.

That is how the saint is at the top of his people.

And he doesn’t make them suffer.

Willingly they place him at the top.

And do not get tired of him.

Since he doesn’t compete with anybody,

Nobody can compete with him (as quoted in the Christian Community Bible) - http://www.cbcisite.com/

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Messianic Bible prophecy involving Jesus Christ

Messianic Bible prophecy involving Jesus Christ: "Messianic prophecies fulfilled by Jesus Christ By George Konig and Ray Konig http://www.konig.org/ ______________________ Jesus is unique among all people in history in that he is the fulfillment of centuries of Messianic prophecies, which are found in the Old Testament of the Bible, that foretold his place of birth, details of his life, his mission, his nature, his death, and his resurrection. The prophecies are sometimes called 'Messianic prophecies,' because they refer to the Messiah, which means 'anointed one' or 'chosen one.' Some scholars estimate that there are more than 300 Messianic prophecies in the Bible's Old Testament that refer to the Messiah (Jesus). You can learn more about Bible prophecy at AboutBibleProphecy.com, and we have included a sampling below. These prophecies, as well as the books of the Old Testament, were written centuries before Jesus was born. Many people think of Bible prophecies as being predictions about the future. Strictly speaking, they are not predictions, they are promises from God. Whereas a prediction can be a guess, a prophecy is more than a guess, it is a revelation from God about the future. To the extent that this article uses the word 'prediction,' the word is used synonymously with 'foretelling,' 'foretold,' or 'promised.' Jesus foretold his death and resurrection See Matthew 20:17-19, as an example. Many of the early Christians, some of whom personally knew Jesus, were willing to risk death to tell others about Jesus and his offer of salvation and eternal life"

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Meditation

To experience life in its wholeness:

Joy, Anguish, insecurity,

Contradictions of Living Existentially

Enjoy a few quite moments of silence

before reading the following… Let all the tension in you flow away… Read the following insights one by one;

allow each sentence to touch your inner self… Do not rationalize… Just wonder… Let your whole self be changed for the better… ===== 1) In the best of us there is the worst...”

I can will what is right but I cannot do it.

For I do not do the good I want,

but the evil that I do not want is what I do.”

(Rom 7/18-19)

2) In the worst of us there is the best...”

For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ has made me

free from the law of sin and death.” Rom 8/2

3) The masculine and the Feminine...

4) Our strength as Weakness;

Our Weakness as strength... “... Strength is made perfect in weakness...

for when I am weak then I am strong.”

5) Every opportunity is a crisis;

every crisis is an opportunity...

hence discernment...

6) Western principle of Contradiction:

Either/ Or (White or black)...

7) Eastern Principle of Contradiction:

Both/and... (White and black)

8) Contradictions are solved at higher levels:

union, convergence, love...

9) Be friendly with your weakness/shadow...

10) Without fight there is no victory...

11) Without resistance one cannot walk;

if the floor is too smooth it is difficult to walk...

12) Differences are to be accepted,

appreciated and celebrated...

13) Reality is a rainbow...

it is not monochromatic...

14) Wounded healer...

Jesus is the wounded healer...

We are called to participate in this mission...

Interir Freedom -> Passionate attachment ->

On fire -> Compassion - >

Peace... Peace...

Peace... Peace... Peace.

***************** E-Mail: vmalpan@gmail.com

No title - No message (?)

Pictures are themselves message-bearers.

Shall we listen? +++++++++++

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Peace-Building

Peacebuilding is the construction of new environments and new cultures which transform deficient structures and capabilities which unite the strengths of emerging innovations in all pathways of our local-global planetary life. Peacebuilding creates and maintains beneficial conditions for sustainable (life-enhancing) social, economic, political and spiritual development of all peoples. - (Adapted from speech given at UN by PTP and "An Agenda for Peace", a UN Report of the Secretary-General, 1992)

Unlike peace-making and peace-keeping, which are related to warfare and settlement of conflicts, "...the concept of peace-building (is) the construction of a new environment --- the transformation of deficient national structures and capabilities, and --- the strengthening of new democratic institutions." - (Excerpted from "An Agenda for Peace", a UN Report of the Secretary-General in January 1992, which globally and officially recognized the emerging field of peacebuilding.)

"We need to build not only geographical but spiritual bridges between people and strengthen the intellectual, cultural and communication linkages between our societies. (Let us) stand ready to participate in the effort to promote social integration and create a culture of peace." - (From UNESCO PRESS Report at World Summit for Social Development by Director-General UNESCO, Frederico Mayor)

"Where there is peace, there is culture; where there is culture, there is peace." - Nicholas Roerich "Positive creativeness is the fundamental quality of the human spirit. Let us welcome all those who, surmounting personal difficulties, --- propel their spirits to the task of peaceBuilding, thus ensuring a radiant future." - Nicholas Roerich - https://mail.google.com/mail/?ui=2&view=bsp&ver=1qygpcgurkovy

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HOMILY : A Tortured Relationship by Peter Clarke O.P. (Twenty-Fourth Sunday of the Year Readings: Isaiah 50:5-9 / James 2:14-18 / Mark 8:27-35) 'If anyone wants to be a follower of mine….' To me this is one of the most crucial statements in the whole of the Gospels. It forces me to ask myself how much it means to me to be a follower of Jesus. Am I prepared to give what it takes? We have read of Jesus asking his disciples, 'You, who do you say I am?' Peter's replied, 'You are the Christ!' with the title 'Christ' being loaded with all the understandings and expectations of a people that had being nourished on the Prophetic Word of God. Jesus then told his disciples that the Son of Man was destined to suffer grievously and even to be put to death. Not for a moment did Peter think that Jesus was playing with words. He started to rebuke Jesus. Far from telling Peter to calm down and not be so literal, Jesus rebuked him savagely, 'Get behind me, Satan! You are thinking not as God thinks, but as human beings do.' Jesus clearly wanted only those to be his followers whowould accept him as the Rejected One…and then, later, as the one who surmounted this rejection by his rising from the dead.And what is more, such a disciple would have to be one who was prepared to be rejected even as Jesus would be. Jesus warned them that in loyalty to him there would be renunciations for them to make and crosses for them carry. They would need to have the courage of their conviction, and in so doing they would transcend all the hostility that might be thrown at them.As Jesus laid down these ground-rules for discipleship he must have been thinking of himself. Knowing that he was the Christ, the Suffering Servant of the Lord, he had to come to terms with what this would mean for him. In Gethsemane, he would pray, 'My soul is sorrowful to the point of death …Abba, Father! For you everything is possible. Take this cup away from me. But let it be as you, not I, would have it' (Mark 14.34). What courage in his convictions! This is Jesus in an intensely loving relationship with his Heavenly Father, and yet a tortured relationship - not with the torture of resentment but the torture of extreme apprehension of the pain that loving obedience imposed.At this very moment some of you may be living out your Christianity in fear for your lives. Yet others, in an increasingly secular society, may be cornered by legislation that deeply offends your consciences. You may have a heavy career-price to pay if your convictions prevent you from following your leaders. Others of you may be subjected to victimization and vilification for no other reason than that you choose to wear in public the accepted Christian symbol - the Cross.Many of you, young and old, insist on living according to certain values. Day in, day out, you meet with jeers for being idealistic - out of touch reality which is practical, efficient, and capable of generating a measure of wealth, comfort, pleasure and success. You who would be ashamed to be part of this cynicism oblige yourselves to make renunciations and to carry the crosses of hardship and privation. I wish to affirm you in your courageously living up to your deep convictions!What distinguishes us from the brute beasts is that we humans can identify and espouse ideals and insist on living by them, in the full knowledge that this will involve much personal sacrifice. By contrast, animals pursue gratification and survival by all means possible without any qualms of conscience.And what distinguishes us as Christians is that our idealism is drawn from Jesus, the Christ, who for us is the Way, the Truth and the Life. As his followers we live in a loving relationship with Christ. It is a relationship that is far from comfortable, far from cozy. In fact, it is in many ways a tortured relationship, grounded on our resolve to remain his disciples, no matter what the cost to ourselves. - http://torch.op.org

Personal Story

“Dear Friend in Christ, The last couple of months have been ones of serious contemplation & introspection, leading at times to frustration, until the LORD cheered me up and showed me the bright & positive side - The Light at the end of the long tunnel. For instance, near-by, an old man named 'Joseph Dias' died recently and we had a whole lot of friends enquiring, whether it was me!!! It set me thinking - Life is short & unsure. Eternity is forever. I could almost picture myself in the coffin with thousands glaring at the body. I could not stop myself from wondering - Is there some good I could have done, but did not do? And I discovered so many things, I did not know where to start!!! And even as I was coming to - What will the Lord say to / of me, when I meet Him ? - the following email came across: A rich man complained to his friend, "People don't like me. They say I am selfish and stingy. And yet in my last will and testament I have donated all that I own to a charitable institution." His friend said, "Well maybe the story of the cow and the pig has a lesson for you. The pig came to the cow and complained, "People always talk about your friendliness. Well it's true you give them milk. But they get much more from me. They get ham and bacon and lard, and they even cook my feet. And yet –no one likes me….to all of them I am just a pig, a hog. Why is that?" The cow thought it over and then said, "Perhaps it's because I give while I am still alive." John Milton wrote Paradise Lost & Paradise Regained after having been afflicted with total blindness. Beethoven wrote some of his great music, including his Ninth Symphony after he was almost completely deaf. Imagine our potential – if we have been blessed with just good health, not to speak of the numerous of God’s other blessings. To cut a long story short, I decided to have a personal vision & a plan for whatever days are left here on planet earth. I also could not help wondering about some of my more elderly friends - senior citizen Christians who have much value, which the community could use. I decided to absorb as much as I could, while they were still around & pass it on, before I too go on to join them with the Lord. So many of the community development initiatives, you hear of coming from The CSF, might well be from some of them...” With warm personal regards, Your Servant in the Lord's Service Joseph Dias, Gen Sec +91 9769 55 56 57 & The CSF Team www.thecsf.org trinity.cmd@gmail.com

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Contact: vmalpan@gmail.com

Picture Meditation 3

Awareness is healing!

Get in touch with your inner self... your inner experiences:

joy, hope, anxiety, fear, inner argument that goes on

within you, doubt, any other...

Silence is not merely the absence of sounds. It is a creative power that heals you. Allow yourself to be touched by the power of silence that heals...

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Just be aware of what you see here in these pictures...

Allow the pictures to speak to your heart...

Listen... Listen... Listen... Listen... Listen...

May good things happen to you and through you. AMEN!

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My E-Mail: vmalpan@gmail.com

Pass it on Please

http://vmalpan.blogspot.com

"God is present in your life today"

"If only you believe!"

A word of awakening everyday It’s only a mouse click away Let it energize you and your way So pass it on dear friend,

Let others join the fray! ~~~~~vmalpan@gmail.com A.M.D.G.

23rd Sunday (Year B) in Ordinary Time

Readings:

Isaiah 35:4-7;

James 2:1-5;

Mark 7:31-37 ----------------------

The opening lines of the gospel show us something typically true about Jesus, namely, he is always travelling. Up and down through Palestine he goes, through towns and villages, one after the other, pausing only for brief periods to pray alone with his Apostles or to visit friends. In contrast we observe so many of the self-proclaimed 'gurus' of our day who are hidden away with their followers in compounds, barricaded behind high security gates with guards and minders. Jesus was not like this; his mission was the world. Jesus was a man for all, as God is for all. If, at times, Jesus hid himself from the crowds it was mostly to strengthen himself with prayer for the arduous teaching and healing journeys which lay ahead of him. And so he is travelling when a man is brought to him. On TV the other night there was a show about a strongman. They brought him a phone book, a big heavy one and asked him to tear it in half. He took it, but then first gave it back to them to try it so that they could all see how weak they were. Then in front of them all, because this was all about him and his powers, he tore the book apart. The applause was deafening. So they brought Jesus a man, a deaf man with an impediment in his speech, and they asked Jesus to heal him, to lay his hands on him. They brought Jesus a man .. they asked Jesus to heal him .. . My evangelising antennae are up and buzzing; I would love to have them (whoever they were) in my parish - people who bring people to Jesus. The crowd is usually not very helpful to Jesus, in fact, it often gets in the way, blocking the door to the house for the paralytic, obscuring Zacchaeus' view and making him climb a tree, telling poor Bartimaeus to keep quiet... . This is a man not a phone book and Jesus takes him aside in private, away from the crowd. Notice how Mark insists on this action of Jesus by repeating it three times - Jesus took him aside, in private, away from the crowd. This is not a performance - this is GOD AT WORK! The deaf and dumb man, like all those in the gospels who are brought, or who come to Jesus for healing, represents at the same time both each one of us and poor suffering humanity as a whole. In this way the gospel operates at a number of different levels of meaning and effectiveness and fruitfully sustains our meditation. As Jesus stands alone with the man, holding his face between his hands to heal him, we can see Jesus embracing the whole of creation in his tender touch, gazing with profound compassion into our eyes, longing to heal us all. And also that man is me. The Master clasps my face in his divine hands and looks into my eyes, seeing all my need for healing, liberation and redemption. The deaf mute cannot hear him and so he communicates his intentions through touch. He puts his fingers into the man's ears. Is Jesus thinking: It is not just to my voice I want to open your ears but to my word? Then Jesus takes some spittle from his mouth and places it on the man's tongue. Is Jesus thinking: Soon I will be able to place on your tongue not just my spittle so that you may speak but my whole self, body, blood, soul and divinity to that you may live forever. Jesus looks up and gazes heavenward, communing with his Father. I do only what I see my Father doing, I do the works I was sent to do. He sighed and spoke the word ephphatha which itself sounds like a sigh. As the Father had created in the beginning with the words: Let there be light ... and there was light, so now Jesus recreates, restores, redeems with the words: Be opened ... and his ears were opened. Jesus has spoken - God has spoken. The works I do in my Father's name are my witness (John 10:25) ...and whatever the Father does the Son does too. (John 5:19) Their admiration was unbounded, and so is ours. We praise God for sending his only Son among us to seek us out and restore us to his Father and ours. He has done all things well. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Courtesy: Fr John Speekman , Austraila

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vmalpan@gmail.com

Proverbs: Encapsulated Wisdom

Source: Jan Knappert, The A –Z of African Proverbs (London, Karnak House, 1989)

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One “here-it-is” is better than ten “you’ll get it later”. From Bambara.

It is easier to find trouble than to avoid it. From Congo.

One finger cannot wash your face. From Congo.

If the fingers of one hand quarrel, they cannot pick up the food. From East Africa.

People with shoes forget those without. From Kenya

Do you hear the rumbling in your neighbour’s stomach? From Somali

God gave us the seed of every plant, but we must sow it. From Zande.

God lent us his property here so that we too should lend what we have to our neighbour. From Sawhili.

God does not sleep. From Congo.

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Proverbs are encapsulated wisdom.

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vmalpan@gmail.com

Logic of the Heart to Recognize Miracles

READ: Jn 6: 35-44: “I am the bread of life”. This verse is a powerful expression of Jesus’ self-identity. It contains the revelation that Jesus is God. The Jews see Jesus, but they do not really see or recognize Him as they refuse to believe in Him. They ask for a sign, a miracle. The logic of the Jews is the logic of reason: You work a miracle and we will believe in your claim. Jesus’ logic is the logic of the heart/ faith. You first believe in me, then you shall see and recognize miracles in your life… ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ GITANJALI: No. 69 If we have faith we would believe that: “The same stream of life that runs through my veins night and day runs through you and through the world and dances in rhythmic measures. It is the same life that shoots in joy through the dust of the earth in numberless blades of grass and breaks into tumultuous waves of leaves and flowers. It is the same life that is rocked in the ocean-cradle of birth and of death, in ebb and in flow. I feel my limbs are made glorious by the touch of this world of life. And my pride is from the life-throb of ages dancing in my blood this moment. We have two options before us: To believe in Jesus as the fullness of our life and all the manifestations of life or to refuse to believe in his saving power and throw our life into the hands of the powers of darkness and death. Which one shall we choose? That indeed is the real challenge. (Tagore)

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vmalpan@gmail.com

Nature Helps us to Pray

Come alive, dear friends!

Just contemplate the pictures above...

In silence...

Let the power of silence make you still, quiet,

God the Creator is present in creation...

Let this day be really the Lord's Day for you!

Let us take our hands off , let us open our clenched fists,

Let us let go of everything that prevents us from our life-denying attitudes,

and welcome the life-affirming experience of surrendering all

to the healing hands of the Lord.

Let us read the verses from the Book of Sir ach with our hearts

with faith, hope and love.

May the healing presence of the Lord be with us all! ``````````````````````````````````````

"The pride of the heavenly heights

is the clear firmament, the appearance of heaven in a spectacle of glory. The sun, when it appears,

making proclamation as it goes forth, is a marvellous instrument, the work of the Most Hight. At noon it parches the land; who can withstand its burning heat? ... Great is the lord who made it; and at his command it hastens on its course. He made the moon also, to serve in its season to mark the times

and to be an everlasting sign... The glory of the stars is the beauty of heaven, a gleaming array in the heights of the Lord. At the command of the Holy One they stand as ordered, they never relax in their watches. Look upon the rainbow, and praise him who made it, exceedingly beautiful in its brightness,

it encircles the heaven with its glorious arc; the hands of the Most Hight have stretched it out." (Sirach 43: 1-12) -------------------------------------- vmalpan@gmail.com