ATTACKS ON CATHOLIC PRIESTS by Fr. Nelson Lobo OFM Cap

 WONDERING GURU

                      (A Reflection on the persecution of the Church and the “Clergy Killers”)

           Ian Paisley is well known in Northern Ireland.  He promotes a form of Biblical literalism, which he describes as "Bible Protestantism". Paisley's website describes a number of doctrinal areas in which he believes that the "Roman Church" has deviated from the Bible and thus from true Christianity. It seems in 1988, when Pope John Paul II delivered a speech to the European Parliament, Paisley shouted "I denounce you as the Antichrist!" and held up a red poster reading "Pope John Paul II ANTICHRIST" in black letters. John Paul continued with his address after Paisley was ejected from the hemicycle by fellow MEPs.   Paisley continued to denounce the Catholic Church and the Pope after the incident. In a television interview for The Unquiet Man, a 2001 documentary on Paisley's life, he expressed his pride at being the only person to have the courage to denounce the Pope.

          If a person could attack a Pope the visible head of the Catholic Church, is it surprising when the bishop or priests are attacked. Jesus has clearly said “If they have persecuted me, they will persecute you too” (John 15:20).  The Scribes and Pharisees said that He was healing with the power of Satan.  If Jesus himself, our God and Saviour, was abused is it startling that the Pope was called antichrist? For the past two thousand and twenty-two years the popes, bishops and priests have experienced attacks in different forms.  Some even have laid down their lives for the sake of faith and for the sake of the Church.  Persecutions in different forms have always been part of the Church.  One of the best things about persecution the Devil does not realize is that there is tremendous growth in the Church.  The primitive Church flourished in times of extreme persecutions.  Therefore, Church father, Tertullian recognizing this phenomenon had said in the 2nd century that “the blood of the martyrs was the seed of Christianity”. 

The shock and pain are too much when the persecution is from its own members, from its own children.  Today the threat to the Catholic Church is not from believers of other faiths but from its very own members.  When Christians, the disciples and brothers and sisters of Christ themselves are involved in persecuting the Church of Christ, it hurts.  It’s very strange that even good priests who do wonderful work are persecuted.  How do we explain this mystery?  May be fruit bearing trees invite more stones. Pope John Paul II now a saint in his lifetime he was called antichrist. Bishop Romero was shot dead in El Salvador while celebrating mass. Thomas Moore was condemned to death only because he opposed the illegal marriage of King Henry VIII.

G. Lloyd Rediger a psychologist, who has made a study on these attacks on pastors (clergy) by the faithful has published a book rightly entitled ‘Clergy Killers’. His work is the fruit of his counselling with the suffering clergy.  He observers that abuse of priests/pastors by congregations and the breakdown of priests/pastors due to inadequate support are now tragic realities.  When he uses the term ‘Clergy Killers’, he defines it.  “Clergy killers are people who intentionally target pastors for serious injury or destruction.  We must distinguish them from ‘normal’ persons who disagree with the pastor,…or oppose some pastoral project or issue”  Rediger describes ‘Clergy Killers’ and their characteristics.  He says generally speaking there are a few (perhaps two or three) in every parish or congregation but they are deadly and they have expandable influence that typically attracts people with common gripes, frustrations or misguided agenda.  Their characteristics can be summed up in six Ds.

•Destructive- They just don’t disagree or criticise; they insist on inflicting pain.  Their tactics include sabotaging, inciting others etc.

•Determined-Clergy Killers don’t stop.  They may pause, go underground or change tactics but they will intimidate.

•Deceitful- they manipulate, camouflage, misrepresent and accuse others of their own tactics.

•Demonic- They are evil and may be mentally disordered.  Spiritual leaders become symbols and scape goats for their internal pain and confusion.

•Denial- The Church as a whole doesn’t want to admit to the reality of Clergy Killers because we believe that “this cannot happen in the Church”.

•Discernment- To face these Clergy Killers one needs discernment of God’s grace and the power of the Holy Spirit to face such Clergy Killers.

     The best and the surest way to deal with the attacks against the Church, the pope, the bishop and the priests is by forgiveness.  Just like the way our Saviour did. Jesus was betrayed he forgave. Jesus was spat upon he forgave. Jesus was scourged he forgave. Jesus being God was humiliated he forgave, even on the cross he forgave. Being the minister of God means to forgive, to show the other cheek.  Showing other cheek also means being prudent.  When we notice such ‘Clergy Killers’ it is necessary to identify them, speak about them in the parish council, with the prayer groups etc.  If the priest/pastor remains silent he will suffer collateral damage to his health and reputation.  For a lie repeated dozen times is accepted as truth.  The aim is to pray for the ‘Clergy killer’ taking into confidence the people of God. ‘Clergy killers’ need help even though they may think that they are fine.  They need not only psychological help but also family and spiritual help.  Forgiveness of the ‘Clergy Killers’ should be at two levels; one from the part of the priest/pastor and second from the part of the parish.  For when “clergy killers” malign the good name of the priests, they also fling mud on the reputation of the parish and of the church. The biggest blessing that results from forgiveness (given by both, priest as well as parish) is the conversion of the offender.

I would like to conclude this reflection on a lighter note. The preacher's Sunday sermon was ‘Forgive Your Enemies’. Toward the end of the service, He asked his congregation, "How many of you have forgiven their enemies"?   About half held up their hands. He then repeated his question. As it was past lunchtime, this time about 80 percent held up their hands. He then repeated his question again. All responded, except one small elderly lady.   "Mrs. Jones?" inquired the preacher, “are you not willing to forgive your enemies?”  "I don't have any." she replied smiling sweetly.  "Mrs. Jones, that is very unusual. How old are you?" "Ninety-three," she replied.  "Oh Mrs. Jones, what a blessing and a lesson to us all you are. Would you please come up in front of this congregation and tell us how a person can live ninety-three years and not have an enemy in the world."  The little sweetheart of a lady tottered down the aisle, faced the congregation, and said "I outlived the old hags."

“If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own…If they persecuted me, they will persecute you.” Jn 15:18-20

SOLEMNITY OF THE MOST HOLY TRINITY by Fr. Nelson Lobo OFM Cap

 

WONDERING GURU

                       

Ex 34:4-9; 2 Cor 13:11-13; Jn 3:16-18

 History of the Day: The mystery of the Holy Trinity, a doctrine enunciated by the ecumenical councils of Nicaea and Constantinople, is one of the fundamental doctrines of Christianity and the greatest mystery of our Faith, namely, that there are Three Divine Persons, sharing the same Divine nature in one God.     “There is one God, who are three Persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  Each Person is God, yet there is still only one God” (CCC #234, #253-256). This belief in Holy Trinity was introduced into Western liturgy by the regional council of Toledo in AD 589. The feast of the Blessed Trinity was introduced in the ninth century and was only inserted in the general calendar of the Church in the fourteenth century by Pope John XXII. But the remembrance and invocation of the Holy Trinity is, of course, to be found throughout the liturgy.

 Reflection of the Day: The dogma of faith which forms the object of the feast is this: There is one God and in this one God there are three Divine Persons; the Father is God, the Son is God, the Holy Spirit is God. Yet there are not three Gods, but one, eternal, incomprehensible God! The Father is the first Divine Person; the Son is the second Divine Person; the Holy Spirit is the third Divine Person, proceeding from the Father and the Son. The doctrine of Three Persons in one God, co-equal and co-eternal in Divinity yet distinct in Person, is not explicitly spelt out in the Bible. Even the very word “Trinity” is not found in the Bible. However the Old Testament has indirect and the New Testament has direct references to the Holy Trinity. Genesis 1:26 presents God speaking to Himself in plural:  "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness."    Genesis 18:2 describes how Yahweh visited Abraham under the appearance of three men, an event that the Russian Orthodox Church celebrates as the “Trinitarian Experience of Abraham.” In Genesis 11:7, before punishing the proud builders of the Tower of Babel, God says, “Come, let Us go down among them and confuse their language”. Direct references in New Testament are: The Annunciation (Luke 1: 26-38), the baptism of Jesus (Matthew 3:  16-17), (Luke 4:22), John (Chapters 15-18) Jesus speaks about the three Persons of the Holy Trinity and finally Jesus commands his disciples “in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” (Matthew 28:19; John 10:30).

      But the doctrine of the Trinity underlies all major Christian feasts, including Christmas, the Epiphany, Good Friday, Easter, the Ascension and Pentecost. All the official prayers of the Church, including the Holy Mass and the Sacraments, begin with an invocation of the Holy Trinity: “In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” We are baptized, absolved of our sins and anointed in the name of the Blessed Trinity. Throughout the world, church bells can ring three times a day inviting Christians to pray. 

No mortal can fully fathom this sublime truth. However in a nutshell we can say that God did not abandon us.  When the right time came (God’s time) he sent his only Son (Jn 3:16) to redeem us. Jesus loved us so much he gave His life on the cross (Jn 15:13). After Christ's ascension the Holy Spirit, became our Teacher, our Leader, our Guide, and our Consoler.

The feast of the Most Holy Trinity may well be regarded as the Church's Te Deum of gratitude. This feast, which falls on the first Sunday after Pentecost, is a synthesis of Christmas, Epiphany, Easter, Ascension and Pentecost. Even though we celebrate a special feast in honour of the Holy Trinity we should not overlook the fact that every Sunday we remember and invoke the Holy Trinity. Every Sunday we remember that the Father (Creator) created and predestined us; the Son (Redemeer) redeemed us and the Holy Spirit (Sanctifier) sanctified us.  Sunday, therefore, is the day of the Most Holy Trinity. 

Today’s readings convey the fundamental mystery that the Triune God reaches out to people with love, seeking the deepest communion with them. Today’s feast invites us to live in the awareness of the presence of the Triune God within us: The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. We belong to the Family of the Triune God.  The love, unity and joy in the relationship among the Father, Son and Holy Spirit should be the supreme model of our relationships within our Christian families.  Our families become truly Christian when we live in a relationship of love with God and with others.  Like God the Father, we are called upon to be productive and creative always working, promoting life and building up our families, our Church, our community and our world.  Like God the Son, we are called upon to reconcile, to be peacemakers, to restore broken relationships, to restore life.  Like God the Holy Spirit, we are invited  to speak and teach the truth and to dispel ignorance.

 Symbols of the Trinity: Equilateral Triangle; Circle of Eternity; Three interwoven Circles; Triangle in Circle; Circle within Triangle; Interwoven Circle and Triangle; Two Triangles interwoven in shape of Star of David; Two Triangles in shape of Star of David interwoven with Circle; Trefoil; Shield of the Holy Trinity; Three Fishes linked together in shape of a triangle; Cross and Triangle overlapping.

Could be Examples of Trinity: Egg, water, clove, a triangle, a shamrock leaf, sun, candles, rose and brick. These symbols were used by saints in the past to explain the nature of Holy Trinity.

Mystery of the Day: The great 20th-century Catholic Theologian Father Karl Rahner, SJ, was supposedly asked once by a priest friend how he should explain the Holy Trinity when preaching. Father Rahner’s reply was simple: “Don’t!” The mystery we celebrate in today’s feast defies not only explanation but also comprehension. Therefore John Wesley said "Bring me a worm that can comprehend a man, and then I will show you a man that can comprehend the Triune God."

Prayer of the Day: “Most Holy Trinity, who live in me, I praise You, I worship You, I adore You and I love You.” St. Francis Xavier

Thought of the Day: "All sorts of people are fond of repeating the Christian statement that "God is love." But they seem not to notice that the words 'God is love' have no real meaning unless God contains at least two persons. Love is something that one person has for another person. If God was a single person, then before the world was made, He was not love." -C.S. Lewis

 

St. Anthony: The People’s Choice by Fr. Nelson Lobo OFM Cap

 

WONDERING GURU

 

Who does not know St. Anthony? Who has not heard about him? Which catholic has so far never attended the novena or feast of St. Anthony? To say Anthony in the morning Anthony in the noon time,  Anthony when the sun goes down may appear to be an exaggeration or may be even an aberration but looking around the countless persons, schools, colleges, bars and restaurants and of course the numerous churches and chapels bearing the name Anthony can be a justification.  Yes! He is the number one people’s choice therefore he is the saint of the masses including people of other faiths. Sometimes I feel St. Anthony is not only popular than Goemcho Saib St. Francis Xavier but we can take the liberty to say even more popular than his master Jesus himself. Since we Goans love St. Anthony so much let’s find out the Goan connection with the most popular saint.

 ·       His Portuguese Connection-Being under Portuguese rule for 450 years and having the opportunity to be a Portuguese citizen brings us very close to the saint of Lisbon.  With such a long connection with Portugal, political, social and cultural we feel St. Anthony is ours, one among us. Born Fernando Martins de Bulhoes (August 15, 1195 – June 13, 1231), Anthony of Padua and Anthony of Lisbon are one and the same. He was known for his powerful preaching, profound knowledge of the scripture, humility and undying love and devotion for the poor and the sick. He entered the Augustinian monastery in Lisbon when he was only fifteen. 

·        His Franciscan connection- When news of the Franciscan martyrs in Morocco reached him, he joined the Franciscans. He volunteered to be a missionary to Morocco. Man proposes but God disposes became true in Anthony’s life.  He became ill, and had to return. On the way back due to heavy storm his boat landed in Sicily, Italy. At that time St. Francis' the founder of the Franciscans assigned him to the province of Romagna  to teach theology. He became a preacher by accident (actually God’s plan). So Francis gave him permission to preach. His preaching had extraordinary power of conviction; it was filled with the penetrating power of the Bible. Because of his success in converting heretics, he was called the "Hammer of Heretics". The Franciscan missionaries first introduced St Anthony to Goa in the Bardez taluka. The saint’s popularity then spread to other parts of the state. Therefore in all the churches built by the Franciscans you always get to see Franciscan paintings and statues especially the statues of St. Francis of Assisi and St. Anthony.

·       His Hotspot Connection-The two most popular hotspot connection about St. Anthony are Siolim in the north and Deussa (chinchinim) in the south.  How did they become so popular? In 1600, when the Siolim church was being constructed, a serpent kept disrupting the work. A statue of St Anthony was placed at the site and prayers were offered. The next day the dead reptile was found wrapped around the statue. This miracle made the church popular at that time. Later on with the promotion of devotion to St. Anthony the popularity continued. In the south the Deussua chapel in Chinchinim is known for many miracles.  Having preached many times in this chapel I can confidently say that every Tuesday, hundreds of people come to attend mass or to pray to St. Anthony to seek favours from the saint.

 ·       His Lost & Found Connection:  “Tony, Tony, come around, something’s lost and can’t be found.” That’s the secret to call on the humble saint to find your lost things. He is more popularly known for his intercession when an item has been lost.

 ·       His flower Connection- In Goa, a lily has been named after St Anthony. It is called as St Anthony’s flower. It is a white, single or multi-petal flower. It usually either blooms in the month of June or in places where there is excess moisture.

 ·        His monsoon Connection-I remember as a kid when the monsoons were delayed too long the people of my village took out a procession with the statue of St. Anthony asking his intercession to bless our land with rain. In some villages in bardez (Aldona, Assnora) people carry stones on their heads and walk in a procession to a nearby hill singing to St Anthony pleading for rain. And if it did not rain even after praying to him, some devotees would immerse the image of the saint in a bucket full of water or lower it in a well. They would remove the statue only when it began to rain.

 ·       His Patronage & Profession Connection: He is a patron of sailors, boatmen, fishermen, travelers, mariners, amputees, oppressed people, poor people, seekers of lost articles, elderly people, expectant mothers; against sterility, harvests, mail, starvation, swineherds, animals, asses, barrenness and shipwrecks.

 ·       His Symbols and their meaning-Connection: The Holy Child on a book; the Franciscan habit, the lily; the fish; the mule; money chest and human heart; the flame of fire.  The lily represents his purity of heart and his devotion to Mary under her title “Immaculate Conception” and Queen of the Order of Friars Minor. The Franciscan habit is a reminder of his journey to the Franciscan Order. The Christ Child expresses his attachment to the humanity of Christ. The open book of the Gospels reminds us that Anthony was a great preacher of the Word. The flame is a symbol of his zeal and passion. The bread recalls his charity to the poor.

 ·       The Bread Connection In many Franciscan churches, “St. Anthony’s Bread for the Poor,” which goes back to 1263 symbolizes not only bread to eat, but the nourishment we receive from the Word of God. Bread of St Anthony (Pao de Santo Antonio)  is a charitable tradition that originated in France. The practice first began after a woman began offering loaves of bread as thanksgiving for a favour that she received. The bread would be distributed among the poor. Later, it was discontinued due to wastage. At Siolim church, the ‘Associacao de Caridade Pao de Santo Antonio’ has been in existence since 1924.

 QUOTES FROM ST. ANTHONY

1) “Actions speak louder than words; let your words teach and your actions speak.”

2) “Earthly riches are like the reed. Its roots are sunk in the swamp, and its exterior is fair to behold; but inside it is hollow. If a man leans on such a reed, it will snap off and pierce his soul.”

3) “Attribute to God every good that you have received. If you take credit for something that does not belong to you, you will be guilty of theft.”

4) “Solicitude for material things distracts the soul and divides it. The devil seizes the divided soul and drags it to hell.”

5) “Christians must lean on the Cross of Christ just as travelers lean on a staff when they begin a long journey.”

6) “The spirit of humility is sweeter than honey, and those who nourish themselves with this honey produce sweet fruit.”

7) “Anyone, then, who desires to live chastely in Christ Jesus, must flee not only the mouse of lust, but even from its very scent.”

8) “The creator of the heavens obeys a carpenter; the God of eternal glory listens to a poor virgin. Has anyone ever witnessed anything comparable to this? Let the philosopher no longer disdain from listening to the common laborer; the wise, to the simple; the educated, to the illiterate; a child of a prince, to a peasant.” **

9) “Damned money! Alas! How many religious did it blind! How many cloistered religious did it deceive! Money is the ‘droppings of birds’ that blinded the eyes of Tobit.”

10) “The saints are like the stars, who, in His providence, Christ hides under a seal, lest they appear whenever they wish. Instead, they are always ready to disembark from the quiet of contemplation into the works of mercy at the time decided upon by God, whenever their heart should hear the word of command.”

 

 

The Feast of Visitation by Fr Nelson Lobo OFM Cap

 

WONDERING GURU

31^st May

Why did Mary visit her cousin Elizabeth? Was it only to help Betty?

·       Did they share special relationship with each other?

·       Why did JB leap in her mother’s womb? 

·       Why this feast of visitation?

·                   The first reading of the day is taken from Zephaniah 3:14-18. Prophet Zephaniah is asking people to shout with joy.  The gospel is taken from Lk 1:39-56. The gospel speaks about the visitation of Mary.

This feast of visitation began somewhere in 13th or 14th century. It was established widely throughout the Church to pray for unity. The present date of celebration was set in 1969, in order to follow the Annunciation of the Lord and precede the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist.

Like most Marian feasts, it is closely connected with Jesus and his saving work. The more visible actors are Mary and Elizabeth. However, Jesus and John the Baptist the two cousins inside the wombs steal the scene in a hidden way.

Jesus makes John leap with joy—the joy of messianic salvation. Elizabeth, in turn, is filled with the Holy Spirit and addresses words of praise to Mary—words that echo down through the ages.

You know friends, God the Father not only loved Mary He also loved her cousin Elizabeth (Betty) who suffered so much due to the stigma of not being a mother. Of course God has a plan for Betty and soon to be born the great fearless JB but God in His wisdom has prepared Betty to welcome Mary and to understand her secrets.

Mary might have been about 14-16 years old; we do not know the exact age, such a tender age for a child to conceive.  Such young age to comprehend the divine mysteries never heard off. Even though she has now said Yes to the angel she is now worried. 

As a human being she needs to unburden herself/ share.  But who will understand her and understand God’s plan?  It’s extremely dangerous to tell anyone. A woman conceiving without a man 2000 years ago was impossible.  There was no IVF technology.  They never thought of test tube babies. Too many questions are now racing in her small head.

Even though she is engaged to JOSEPH she is not sure if he will understand her and accept her. She doubts whether her parents ANNA AND JOAQUIM (AJ) will accept her even though they are very pious and godly.  Sharing with anyone can end up being a blown-up gossip that will definitely invite capital punishment from the society-stoning to death.

God does not play dice.   When we play ludo game we use dice. If you want a six everything depends on luck.  But God has a plan.  It is not luck. He has already put in place a strategy. God knows our human psychology.  Teenagers do not easily open up to their parents or teachers.  They seek their friends in times of trouble. Betty was not only her cousin she was also her friend, her bestie, her confidant and so Mary felt happy and comfortable to visit her.

Elizabeth could be the only person in the whole of Judea who might accept her crazy story. Because Elizabeth herself had her own crazy and miraculous pregnancy, and so wasn’t at all skeptical of Mary’s. In her years of barrenness, she had already experienced the disgrace and rejection of the community that Mary was likely to face when word got out. All her life, God had prepared her, not only to be John’s mother, but to be the example of maturity and understanding that Mary needed for the enormous task ahead of her.  

  When Betty greeted Mary on her arrival with the words  “why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?” Mary stands speechless. How did Betty know?

Mary was preparing, practicing and rehearsing the words she would say to Betty on the way. You see every unfolding of divine mystery is pushing Mary on the edge.  Life is getting dangerous but also exciting.  It’s more of an adventure than a danger. 

Mary’s yes is now changing her whole life.  Everything now looks new and adventurous.  The adrenaline in her body is rising.  What is more in store for me she questions herself?  As she gazes at Betty with big eyes and mouth wide open with astonishment and as her mind is racing beyond speed trying to make sense of everything, Betty embraces her with a mighty teddy bear hug.

Ah, there it is! the meeting of the two cousins; two outside and two inside the womb.  JB the fearless baby cannot hide his excitement so he leaps.  Millions of babies have leapt in their mother’s womb. But JBs leap was extraordinary. That leap is remembered even after 2020 years. That’s the power of baby Jesus. When Jesus walks in there is joy. Baby JB is definitely joyful just like his mother Betty. It’s not for nothing the Psalmist said “He makes Lebanon leap like a calf, Sirion like a young wild ox” (Ps 29:6). “The mountains leaped like rams, the hills like lambs” (Ps 114:4)

     

     International Day: World No Tobacco Day- Almost every year around 6 million people worldwide, die due to tobacco related sicknesses. In a bid to inculcate awareness among people the World Health Organization (WHO) observes a 24hour day of self-restraint from Tobacco on the 31st of May. Let’s pray for "Tobacco-free world"

    QUESTIONS TO PONDER:

·       Zephaniah said praise God. Do you praise God enough? Or are you too preoccupied with only asking Him favours?

·       Whether it is Zephaniah, Elizabeth, Mother Mary or St. Anthony they lived a joyful life in their simplicity and poverty. Are you truly joyful? Or are you too much focused on your sickness and problems?

·       Even though Mary had great difficulty still she went to visit her cousin. St. Anthony visited many places not only to preach but also to reach out to the sick and the dying. Do you visit others who are in need specially those who need help?

·       Mary had Elizabeth as her friend to share & unburden herself.  Do you have a cousin or friend with whom you can share your secrets?

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What does the feast of Pentecost Teach us? Fr Nelson Lobo OFM Cap

 

WONDERING GURU

PENTECOST

Fr. Nelson Lobo OFM Cap

When we celebrate the birth of Jesus most of the world pauses to celebrate Christmas with us. When we commemorate Good Friday, the whole world knows that Jesus died on good Friday. When we celebrate His resurrection, much of the world recognizes Easter as a special feast of Christians. But when we celebrate Pentecost the birthday of the church, hardly anyone notices it except may be the Jews. It’s time that we Christians start giving importance to Pentecost.

On the Pentecost Sunday the liturgical color is red.  The color represents the Holy Spirit. Pentecost (Greek-pentekoste) designates the 50th day after the Passover. It is a Jewish Feast Day also, known as the Feast of Weeks or the Feast of Harvest. It was on this day, that the Holy Spirit was poured out on the Followers of Christ who were gathered in Jerusalem. (Acts 2:1-31) It was on this day that the Church was born. Born in a Blaze of Glory, in a blaze of Fire.

STORY: There is a story told about the 3 prospectors who found a rich vein of gold in California during the gold rush days. They realized what a great discovery they had, & decided, "We have a really good thing going here as long as no one else finds out about it." So, they each took a vow to keep it secret. Then they headed for town to file their claim & get the equipment necessary to mine the gold. True to their vows, they didn't say a word to anybody. They filed their claim, bought the equipment, & headed back to their mine. But when they did, a crowd followed them. And the reason was because the expression on their faces had given them away. Their faces were aglow in anticipation of the wealth that soon would be theirs. People knew that they must have found something very special. So, a crowd followed them out of town. Pentecost was such an experience for the disciples. They couldn’t hide their joy and excitement.

What does the feast of Pentecost Teach us?

I. The first thing we learn about Pentecost is that the Church was founded by God not the Apostles. From the beginning of time, When God decided to send His only son to the world God had in His mind the Church. And He promised that even the gates of Hades would not prevail against it.  It begins on the Day of Pentecost. Sometimes the world thinks and may be even Christians that the Church was founded by the apostles.

II. The second thing we learn from Pentecost is that the duty of the church is to communicate the love of God-the mission of the Church is to communicate the love of God to a lost & dying world. The theme of Pentecost actually could be communication. The first Christians had a language problem because people were there from many different nations. Because God wanted each of them to hear the message in his/her own language, He performed a miracle, & gave the apostles the gift of tongues so they could communicate His message to everyone present. The mission of the Church is to communicate His message. Today this mission of communication is fulfilled in a very powerful way (Thanks to Vatican II) in the numerous translations of the Bible into many different languages & dialects.

III. The Third thing we learn from Pentecost is that the church is called to build a strong fellowship among its members.  On the Day of Pentecost there are 3,000 new converts, & they suddenly share something that has never been shared before. All of them know they are guilty -guilty of crucifying Christ. But now they have repented of their sins. They've been baptized and redeemed. They've been given the gift of the Holy Spirit. Suddenly, they are part of a new society.  Now they're part of a new fellowship where they can share things about themselves with others. Suddenly a whole different atmosphere prevailed. An atmosphere of forgiveness and acceptance in spite of different backgrounds, traditions and languages. This led to unity and brotherhood in diversity. They were "born again." No wonder their number quickly grew to 5,000 as the Church grew more and more. Nothing like this was ever seen before in all the world.

How do we respond to the feast of the Pentecost today?

Story: A story is told of a certain guide who lived in the Arabian Desert who never lost his way. He carried with him a homing pigeon with a very fine cord attached .to one of its legs. When in doubt as to which path to take he threw the bird in to the air. The pigeon quickly strained at the cord to fly in the direction of home and thus led the guide accurately to his goal. Because of this unique practice he was known as "The dove man." 

The Holy Spirit, the Heavenly Dove is willing and able to direct us in the narrow way that leads to an abundant life. The outpouring of the Spirit on the Pentecost day is not a special blessing for a special few in a special age.  It is for all.  All who have truly repented and believe in the Gospel. Someone made a statement. He said that “the average Christian and the average Church are somewhere bogged down between Calvary and Pentecost. They have been to Calvary for pardon, but they Have Not been to Pentecost for Power”.

J. B. Phillips, wrote “churches today are Fat and out of breath through prosperity. They are muscle-bound through over-organization. What we need today is again the wind and the flame of Pentecost”. Someone else said, this is the day of “Pentecost Substitutes.” Lacking the real power and fire from God we try to produce our own fireworks. We are like auxiliary power supplies.  We are living in the day of programs, propaganda and publicity. All of these things trying to duplicate what God, the Holy Spirit did on the day of Pentecost when the fire fell. These are the days of Pentecostal substitutes. We create a storm of our own wind. We whip our own flames and our own fire, but we lack the reality and the warmth of the real Pentecost. A.W. Tozer once said: "The Holy Spirit could be absent from 90% of what the Church today does and nobody would know the difference."

The Church is called to be a different people, a different culture, a different organization. But this is not easy because we are weak and limited.  D L Moody was once asked why he urged Christians to be filled constantly with the Holy Spirit. Well, he said "I need a continual infilling because I leak”.  Yes! You and me the church needs the continual infilling of the Holy Spirit because we leak, because we are weak and limited. May God help us. Amen.

 

The Heartbroken Jesus // Fr Nelson Lobo OFM Cap

 

Wondering Guru

(How to deal with a Broken Heart Experience?)

 

        We are in the Holy Week.  The most crucial week for us Christians in our Liturgical Calendar.  The most painful heart breaking words Jesus uttered during this Holy Week are ‘one of you will betray me’. Since we commemorate the Holy Week services every year our mind spontaneously points our finger to Judas.  Yes! Jesus addressed those words to Jesus.

        Jesus is now at the last supper celebration.  How dreadful he might have felt every time he looked at Judas.  How discomforting he might have felt within in the presence of Judas.  Yet like Mary He kept everything in His heart, did not tell anyone or share with anyone His emotional pain, the pain of the soul.  Being fully human he experienced everything that you and me experiences off course except sin. Very soon he will experience the greatest betrayal of all.  Betrayal from a person who was chosen and considered not only as a disciple but also as a friend.  Three years of friendship, three years of togetherness, three years of a journey will go down the drain. 

         Jesus tried everything to hate the sin and to love the sinner.  Jesus tried to be positive and hopeful waiting for the sinner to realize his mistake.  Waiting for the betrayer to understand the quantum of pain he will cause to his master.  Waiting for the money lover and political enthusiast to understand the irreversible consequences his kiss of death will cost the master and the remaining disciples. 

         It's time to give up hope.  Jesus tried everything. Jesus made numerous appeals to the conscience and consciousness of the betrayer. But nothing worked. His heart chose darkness.  Jesus is going to make now the last desperate attempt to help the betrayer to realize his mistake.  William Barclay the biblical commentator calls this last attempt as “Love’s Last Appeal”.  

It is Passover time.  The meal is set.  Jesus is with his apostles at the table.  Barclay says the most important honourable place in the Jewish society those times during the meal was the left side of the host. It was reserved for the most intimate friend.  Barclay is of the opinion that Jesus gave this most prized left side place to the betrayer Judas.  That’s why Jesus who was reclining on his left side was very close to the heart of Judas. There is something more.  For the host to offer the guest a special morsel from the dish was a singular sign of friendship for a special friend.

       Again and again Jesus appealed to that dark heart, and again and again Judas remained unmoved.  Then the crucial moment came, the moment when the love of Jesus admitted defeat. “Judas,’ he said, ‘hurry on what you propose to do’. Jesus did not want to force his love and loyalty.  Jesus respected his freedom.  Judas was invited to be a friend not a slave. But there was no point in further delay.  If Judas was hell bent in betraying Jesus, then so be it.  When Judas received the morsel, the devil entered into him.  That is exactly what the devil can do.  He can take the loveliest things, twist them in such a way to make us agents of pain and suffering. 

       Judas was supposed to be a friend.  Judas was supposed to carry on the work of Christ.  Judas was supposed to defend his master. Judas was supposed to defend his friendship and relationship with Jesus.  But he did just the opposite.  In the garb of friendship and discipleship he betrayed Him and caused immense pain to the sacred heart of Jesus.  The pain of betrayal was much greater than the pain of the Cross. 

        We humans go through such pain again and again. We fall in love. We make friends. We have good time and then all of a sudden, our friends just disappear or betray us. Some even spoil our reputation.  Many of us have heart broken experiences. Many of us have gone through sleepless nights and waisted away our dreams and our health.  We hoped in vain that the things will be ok once again.  Things either became worse or we were left in a limbo.  Didn’t know what to do.  We were like caught up between two opposing feelings “wanting to feel the same love again” and “don’t want to feel that horrible pain again”. We waited long in hope.  We gave our friend many chances.  But nothing happened.  Our so-called friend remained stubborn careless and oblivious to our pain and sorrow. 

         Well! We didn’t pray for the death of our betrayer friend but we did pray for the grace of God to have the courage to move on in life, to let go what was. Psychologists say when you are heartbroken just don’t remind yourself of the beautiful smile S/he gave you but remind yourself also of the frown.  Remind yourself the very cause of the brokenness. Just don’t idealize your betrayer by remembering the good times but recall quite often how s/he made you suffer so much. 

       Yes, the mind reasons and speaks the truth but the heart plays the tricks and leaves us in misperception. Let go and move on is the advice of the experts. The toughest part of letting go, off course is realizing the bitter truth that the person you loved so much has already moved on. When Jesus was preparing for the Passover I am sure the days leading to Passover Judas was always on His mind.  Every time He went to sleep and every time He got up the first thought, the first person on His mind I guess was Judas and the pain that he will cause.  It’s the same with everyone who goes through a broken heart experience.  When you sleep and when you get up you remember the person who betrayed you and caused you lot of pain.  Such thoughts do de-motivate all of us.  But the good news is that time is a great healing factor.  Once time passes those who were the first on your mind gradually will be relegated to the 2^nd and 3^rd place and finally to the last chapter of the book of your life.  Somebody said “getting over a heartbreak is not a journey it is a fight”.  The journey of togetherness between Jesus and Judas is now coming to an end.  Now it is a ‘fight’ for Jesus to face the Cross.  In that painful fight He will rise victorious and begin a new chapter of resurrection. Betrayer will be forever remembered as a betrayer and nothing more. 

       All those who have gone through heart break, all those who have experienced betrayal or break in friendship, take courage and fight the fight.  You will be victorious someday. Avoid alcohol, avoid self-harm, avoid over eating, avoid abusing and trolling your betrayer.  Give yourself a short period of mourning time, a time to cry, a time to let go the tears. Walk in the rain or stay under the shower to hide your tears. Never take any major negative decisions that may harm your life or your family during the grieving period.  Do not punish yourself or your family because of that betrayer. But once the grieving period is over spend time with those who really love you.  Do lot of physical exercises. Spend a lot of time with Jesus and His mother. Both of them know first hand what pain of the soul and body is.  Finally surrender everything in God’s hands and allow the time to heal you. 

When you begin to write the new chapter of your life you are not beginning from scratch but from experience.  Write the best chapters of your life. 

Immaculate Conception made simple// Fr. Nelson Lobo OFM Cap

 

WONDERING GURU

 

Interviewer: Fr Can you explain to us this dogma of IC in simple terms? Do you know what this Immaculate Conception (IC) means? Is it about Baby Jesus or Baby Mary? 

Priest: Many Catholics think it is about the sinlessness of Jesus.  This feast is not about Jesus but about the sinlessness of Mary. This feast also raises the debate between the Catholics and the Protestant sects. Catholics believe Mary was born sinless.  Protestants believe that she too was a sinner and therefore needed a savior. Bible says two were created sinless-Adam and Eve.  One was born without sin-Jesus.  I say Mary was exception to the rule i.e. all were born sinners except Mary for the favour of God was upon her.

Interviewer:  Did the Church give us a new dogma?

Priest: No! Church only confirmed what it believed all along. At the beginning of his pontificate Pope Pius IX received number of requests for a definition of the doctrine. Of the 603 bishops consulted, 543 favoured a definition. The result was the bull Ineffabilis Deus which was promulgated on December 8, 1854.  “The Blessed Virgin Mary in the first instant of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege granted by almighty God, in view of the merits of Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the human race, was preserved from all stain of original sin”. It took 1854 years for the church to confirm and define it. 

Interviewer:  Was there any opposition within the Catholic Church towards this dogma? If so why?

Priest: O Yes! Many theologians opposed it. You see Devil’s advocate is necessary to come to the truth. They said this dogma removed Mary from the company of those needing salvation i.e. you and me.  In other words we need salvation but not Mary for she is already redeemed. O really! And

Interviewer: How that is possible?

Priest: Well we can understand this in two ways. Thanks to Blessed Duns Scotus (1309) who said that Christ can save us in two ways: Preventive or Medicinal redemption.  Duns Scotus explained that falling into sin could be likened to a man approaching unaware a deep ditch. If he falls into the ditch, he needs someone to save him. But if someone were to warn him ahead, he could be saved from falling into the ditch. Mary was saved from sin by receiving the grace to be preserved from it. Preventive redemption-Mary was preserved from falling into sin.  It’s like taking vaccination so that you will not contact any diseases. Medicinal Redemption-After sin we are purified through the sacrament of Confession. St. Alphonsus Ligouri in his book ‘The Glories of Mary’ explains by giving an example of consecration of the church.  A church becomes consecrated only after the blessing so also Mary was made a sanctuary (a tabernacle) and was blessed (God’s favour was on her) through IC for the purpose of incarnation of Christ.  CCC 490- Mary was enriched by God with gifts appropriate to such a role. 

 Interviewer: Does this mean Mary never sinned?

Priest: No! Neither original (for God preserved her) nor personal (for God saved her) sin. Mary's sinlessness is not something that Mary achieved by her own power. It is a pure gift of God, God gave her this perfect human nature not as a reward for anything she did, not on account of any merit on her part, but in view of the singular role she was to play in life, namely, that of being the mother of God's Son. Protestants object to this quoting Romans 3:23 “All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” And 1John 1:8: “If any man says he has no sin he is a liar and the truth is not in him.”  If you take Rom 3:23 and 1 John 1:8 in a strict, literal sense the expression “any man” could apply to Jesus as well. The truth is Jesus Christ was an exception to Romans 3:23 and 1 John 1:8. Hebrews 4:15 reads: “Christ was tempted in all points even as we are and yet he was without sin.” Both Romans 3:23 and 1 John 1:9 deal with personal rather than original sin. 

 Interviewer: Did Mary need Jesus to die on the cross for her?

Priest: Well ! In Magnificat Mary says-‘My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour’. What she probably meant was God saved her from falling into sin. Protestants tend to see God’s “salvation” in connection with our actual committed sins. However, Scripture indicates that salvation can also refer to man being protected from sinning. St. Jude writes “Now to him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you without blemish before the presence of his glory with rejoicing, to the only God, our Savior through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever” (Jude 1:24-25). CCC 492 says she is redeemed by the reason of the merits of her son. CCC 494-St. Irenaeus says “Being obedient she became the cause of salvation for herself and the whole human race”.

 Interviewer: Was it necessary for God to make Mary Immaculate at her conception so that she could be Christ’s mother?

Priest: No! God could have kept Jesus pure in a sinful womb of Mary.  It is purely God’s favour to keep Mary sinless.

 Interviewer: What’s the message for us?

Priest: In celebrating the feast of IC, we recognise God’s goodness/favour/blessing towards Mary, his saving work of Grace on her life from the moment of her conception; signifying that Christ’s incarnation was not an accident of birth, but a planned, definitive intervention in humanity. Secondly, it is an example to us of God’s Grace intended for us, and which we will surely inherit because it was bought for us by the blood of the lamb. Karl Rahner says “Mary does not differ from us because she possessed special graces…the eternal Father could not intend anything for the Mother without intending it for us too…we too have been made the holy temple of God.  In us too the triune God dwells.  We too are anointed, hallowed, filled with the life and light of God”. In Mary Immaculate we have a glimpse of what God wishes for all of us.  In his book “The world’s First Love’, Bishop Fulton Sheen says: “One look at her, and we know that a human who is not good can become better; one prayer at her and we know that because she is without sin we can become less sinful”.  Yes! what Mary is by privilege we are called to become by grace and what she is by virtue of being the Mother of God, we are called to become like her aided by the fruits of her son’s redemption.  St. Paul tells the people “imitate us, you have an example in us”. (1 Cor 11:1) We have an example in Mary; an example of obedience, humility, purity and generosity.  Let’s imitate her virtues.  Live and Die in God’s friendship-be obedient, be faithful.  God says such (Immaculate) life is possible. 

Happy Feast of the Immaculate Conception!