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Rev Fr A. J. THAMBURAJ, S.J.MY SPIRITUAL DIRECTOR 3/31/2007 LIST OF POSTS & LINKS[] LINKS:
1) http://www.geocities.com/thamburajsj/PRAYPAINT [TR Pr Pntngs main Website] 2) http://new.photos.yahoo.com/thamburajsj/albums/ [Pr Pntngs,O.F. prayer, TR Y album] 3) http://www.geocities.com/thamburajsj [TR Pntngs with Medtns, BLOG] 4) http://www.geocities.com/thamburajsj/myprayerpaintings [TR 8-PaintingsPhotosPage] 5) http://prembhakti.blogspot.com/ [blog of TR’s spiritual disciples] 6) http://bhaktiprem-bhakti.blogspot.com/ [BP Gblog of FrTR] 7) http://thamburajsjprayerpainting.blogspot.com/ [Our Father, a Pictorial Contemplative prayer] 8) http://www.geocities.com/thamburajsj/OurFather [Our Father Prayerpaintings]
other sites, dear to us, for prayer&contemplation: 1) http://shalomplace.com/seed ==============================================================================
[] Entries in this Blog 1)MARY AND THE CHURCH 2)PAPAL AUTHORITY & STRUCTURE OF THE CHURCH 3)OF ANIMAL LIFE 4)A CHRISTMAS MESSAGE 5)LENT: MEANING AND SIGNIFICANCE 6)HAVE WE LOST THE SENSE OF SIN =================================================================== MARY AND THE CHURCH 1. Why do we honour Mary?
-Dignity of Motherhood of Mary. (Lk.1:26 ff) Lk1:35 ff; Ex.24:15-16 .Ex: 40:34ff; Ikgs8:10-11;
Mt 17:1-5; Acts1:9; Mt 26:64.
-‘the New Ark of the Covenant’=Lk1:43=2Sam6:9; Lk.1:44=2Sam 6:5; Lk.1:56=2Sam 6:11
=-The Last will (testament) of Jesus-Jn19:29.
-“Solitary boast of tainted human nature.”Wordsworth.
-the new Eve-Eve belied in the word of the serpent and Mary believed in the word of Gabriel
2. The Mystery of Mary always was joined in thought and meditation to the mystery of the Church
In the closing allocution at the end of the third session of the Ecumenical Council on November 29,1964, Pope Paul VI officially bestowed on Mary the title, “ Mother of the Church”..
3.”Mary is the Mother of the New People of God”-Bossuet.
“Mary is the earth in which the Catholic Church was sown”-St Ephrem.
“By the complete adherence to the Father’s will to His Son’s redemptive work and to every prompting of the Holy Spirit, the Virgin Mary is the Church’s model of faith and charity. Thus she is (as Vat II claims an eminent and wholly unique member of the Church. Indeed she is the exemplary realization of the Church” (CCC).
4. “She is redeemed like ourselves but in a manner altogether different, a manner more sublime. Preserved free from original sin from the moment of her conception in the womb of Saint Ann, her mother, God filled her with grace (Lk1:28) so that His divine Son may be born of her and with Him the Church in her whollness.For it was in her womb that the Universal Church was betrothed to the Word and united to God
by an eternal alliance”-Bl.Pope Pius IX.
5. “It can be clearly seen how the relationship between Mary and the Church is a fascinating comparison between two mothers.Beause the Catholic Church does the will of God and hears the word of God and acts on it; she like Mary, is called by Christ Himself His Mother.(Lk.8:21;Mt 12:50;Mk3:35).
6. Intercessor-Mediatrix and Co-Redemptrix.
7...Immaculate Conception (1854) Assumption. (1950).
“Fr Karl Rahner SJ.reinterpreted them as radically continuous with human life. In his view, the Immaculate Conception refers to the fact that Mary’s life was caught up with God’s grace right from the start of her conception, in virtue of the redeeming action of Christ. The Assumption implies the same about the end of her life. Body and soul Mary’s whole person is with God, her human life radically accepted, which is, according to Christian belief, the ultimate hope of all humanity. These two dogmas offer us the conviction that our lives too, are graced from the beginning to end, that ultimately grace will triumph over sin and we, too, will find God’s ultimate gracious acceptance. Thus Mary’s life offers a paradigm and a hope for all human life.”(The New Dictionary of Catholic Spirituality.”p 639)...
8. The eschatological Nature of the Pilgrim Church and her union with the Heavenly Church.
“Mary is depicted as a faithful disciple who has finished the journey and kept her faith. She is the one who offers hope to those of us still on the journey that our pilgrimage through life may result in a similarly joyful outcome. At the same time she is an icon of fidelity for the Church as whole, a concrete symbol of hope that the Church as whole may not stray from the path of truth and faithful action in response to the Gospel.” Mary shined forth on earth, until the day of the Lord shall come…as sign of sure hope and solace for the Pilgrim People of God”L.G.6) She is a prophetic witness to the salvation that God offers to all human beings” (NDCS.p 640)
9. A note on the apparitions of our Lady...[to continue....]
--Fr A.J.Thamburaj S.J., Dhyana Ashram, 25 Madha Church Road, Chennai-28.[16th May 2007 (Mangalore)]. ============================================================================= PAPAL AUTHORITY & STRUCTURE OF THE CHURCHI. Papal Authority
1. the Pope, the Bishop of Rome, is the principal spiritual leader and supreme pastoral authority
within the Roman Catholic Church:
-Pope=papas (Gk) papa (Latin) a term of affection a child uses for its father-
-In the East, the Bishops and priests were called fathers.
-It was the title of the Patriarch of Alexandria.-
From the 6th century the word Papa began to be applied to the Bishop of Rome and by the 8th century
this usage was restricted to him.
-Other papal titles are: Bishop of Rome, Vicar of Christ, Successor of the chief of the Apostles, Supreme Pontiff of the Universal Church, Patriarch of the West, Primate of Italy, Archbishop and Metropolitan of the Roman Province, Sovereign of the State of Vatican City, Servant of the Servants of God.
2. Biblical Foundation. - Vat I (1869-70)
Christ the Lord constituted the Apostle Peter as chief of all the Apostles as visible head of whole church militant; that Christ himself established by divine right (Jus Divinum) that Peter should have perpetual successors in the primacy over the entire church, and that the Bishop of Rome is the successor of Peter in this same primacy.
Three Petrine texts:
A) Mt 16:17-19: “You are Peter and upon this roc I shall build my church”.
B) Jn 21: 15-17: “Feed my lambs…look after my sheep”.
C) Lk 22: 3”Strengthen your brothers”.
3. The Primacy of the Pope: Jesus directly and immediately conferred upon Peter not only a primacy of honour, but a true and proper primacy of jurisdiction.
The Pope does not simply have an office of inspiration and direction, but rather that he has full and supreme power and ordinary and immediate jurisdiction over every church, every bishop and every believer. The Pope’s authority is truly Episcopal; its objects are faith, morals, discipline and government and the decision of the Pope as supreme judge is subject to no one, not even an ecumenical council.
The Pope can teach infallibly.
-Ordinary- refers to power that is not delegated but belongs to properly to the office itself.
-Immediate- the Pope is free to exercise his authority in relation to the entire church directly without having to go through any intermediate person or body.
-Truly Episcopal - the genuine sacramental character of papacy, since the Pope as a bishop, has pastoral authority to sanctify, to teach and rule.
The temporal authority of the Pope and the Papal States came to an end in 1870.A vestige of this temporal authority remains today in the Pope’s role as sovereign of the 109 acres of Vatican City, an independent state within the city of Rome, set up by the 1929 Lateran Pact between the Holy See and Italy.
4. The Pope and the Bishops:
Vat II- Collegiality of the Bishops-continuity of the Apostolic College. Bishops are successors of the Apostles. The Pope is a fellow- bishop and his primacy is not over the bishops but among the bishops; the college of bishops does not exist without the Pope.
5. The election of the Pope:
It is an ecclesiastical law and not a divine law.
During the first millennium, the bishop of Rome was elected by the local clergy and people...In1509, Nicolas II, by a papal election decree designated cardinal-bishops as papal electors; they are an advisory body. The cardinal electors meet in a conclave to elect the Pope. The word “conclave” is derived from Latin com=together and clavis = key and refers to locking away of the participants from outside influences, a measure that was introduced first as a means instead of forcing them to reach a decision. In 1179, the Third Lateran Council included cardinal priests and deacons among the electors and demanded a two thirds majority.
Gregory (Hildebrand era) introduced some pillars of papal government:
-oath of A) exaction of Episcopal obedience.
B) The enforcement of Episcopal visit (visitatio liminum apostolorum)
C) Prohibition of simony and lay investiture.
D) Enforcement of celibacy.
E) Appeals to the Roman Curia.
In 1588 Pope Sixtus V limited the number of cardinals to 70, a number that remained unchanged until the twentieth century. Now cardinals who are under the age of 80 alone can elect the pope.
Traditionally, only six cardinals held the rank of Cardinal Bishop, but when Eastern rite patriarchs are made cardinals, they too hold the rank of Cardinal Bishop, without being assigned a suburbicarian se, still less a church in Rome. The other cardinals have the rank either of Cardinal Priest or Cardinal Deacon, t he former rank being normally assigned to bishops in charge of dioceses, and the latter to officials of the Roman Curia and to priests raised to the cardinalate.
Since a reform by Pope Paul VI a priest who has been nominated a cardinal is required to be ordained a bishop. (In previous centuries there were cases of cardinals who only had minor orders) .Very few such priests have asked for and obtained dispensation from is recent requirement; Cardinal Avery Dulles, S.J., and Cardinal Albert Vanhoye S.J.
are recent examples.
-In theory any baptized, male Catholic, who is capable of accepting the election and exercising authority may be elected. If a priest or a deacon or layman is elected Pope, he would have to be consecrated bishop. The true beginning of full papal authority requires both election and consecration. The requirement of
Consecration indicates the sacramental quality of the papacy and intimate link
between the power of orders and the power of jurisdiction.
Other types of elections:
-Acclamation.
-Delegation.
-The most usual –scrutiny (written ballets).
-the first Pope to take a new name upon election was John II (533-535) whose previous name was Mercury.
-only two exceptions=Adrian VI (1522-23) and Marcellus II (1555) kept their baptismal names.
-Three popes have been honoured by the title “the great”-Leo I (440-61) Gregory I (590-604) and Nicolas I (858-67).
-the most popular choices of papal names have been Benedict, Clement, Gregory, John, Innocent, Leo and Pius.
-there has never been a Peter II or a John XX.
-John Paul I was the first pope to choose a double name out of respect for his two immediate predecessors.
6. The loss of papacy:
A) By death (insanity)
B) By resignation (Clement V (1294) resigned after only five months. The resignation does not have to be accepted by anyone. A pope has the option of resigning (the term”abdicate”is not normally used of popes) the two best known cases are those of Pope Celestine V who resigned in 1294. He was canonized in 1313 and Pope Gregory XII who resigned in 1415 to help end the Great Western Schism.
C) Deposition-A heretic pope ipso facto ceases to be a pope. It is called divine deposition.
II Hierarchy IN THE CHURCH
Pope-Bishops-(Cardinals) - priests- Laity
Patriarchs- The head of some autonomous (Latin sui juris) particular churches consisting of several local churches (dioceses) are given the title of Patriarch
-The Coptic Catholic Patriarch of Alexandria (Coptic Catholic Church)
-the Syrian Catholic Patriarch of Antioch (Syrian Catholic Church)
-the Melkite Greek Catholic Patriarch of Antioch (Melkite Greek Catholic Church.)
-the Maronite Catholic Patriarch of Antioch (Maronite Church)
-The Chaldean Catholic Patriarch of Babylonis (Chaldean Catholic Church)
-The Armenian Catholic Patriarch of Cilcis (Armenian Catholic Church).
The honorary title for the Patriarchs is His Beatitude.
Major Archbishops:
At present there four Major Archbishops:
-The Major Archbishop of Kyiv-Halych-(Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church)
-the Major Archbishop of Ernakulam-Angamaly, (Syro-Malabar Catholic Church)
The Major Archbishop of Trivandrum (Syro-Malankara Catholic Church)
The Major Archbishop of Fagaras and Alba Julia (Romanian Byzantine Catholic Church.
Primate
Metropolitans-pallium
Auxiliar ad co-adjutor bshops
Diocesan Administrator
Vicar General
Episcopal Vicar
Judicial Vicar
Vicar Forane
Parish priest or pastor
{other important titles or functions, but not necessarily held by (arch(bishops include those of Apostolic Delegate, Apostolic Nuncio, Papal Legate, Patriarchal Vicar, Pontifical Delegate}
Deacons—transitional deacons -permanent deacons -married deacons
The Laity the term comes from the Greek “laos theon” meaning “people of God”
-Lay Ecclesial Ministers
-the Religious (are lay people) common rule- community life, 3 vows-
-mendicant orders-societies of apostolic life.
Monks-Nuns
Brothers -sisters.
Miscellanea:
-Tiara-mitre-patoral staff toped by a crucifix, a custom established from the 13th c.
-pallium (with six black crosses)
-keys of the kingdom-silver to bind and loose on earth and gold to bind n loose in heaven
-fisherman’s ring.
Umracullum-flabella=fans made of ostrich’s feathers.
-sepia gestatoria= a mobile throne carried by 2 men in red uniform.
-the above two items were suppressed by Pope John Paul II.
Popemobile
-papal coat of arms.
-other popes:
a) The heads of Coptic Orthodox Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church of Alexandria are called “the "the Coptic Pope” or “the Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the Holy See of St Mark”... and the “Pope of Alexandria and all Africa” respectively.
b) Black Pope = is a derogatory name given to the Superior General of the Society of Jesus due to Jesuits’ practice of wearing black cassocks(compared to the Pope’s always wearing white robes) and to the order’s specific allegiance to the Roman Pontiff.
c) Red Pope-The Cardinal Prefect of the Congregation of the Evangelization of Peoples (formerly the Sacred Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith) is known as the “Red Pope” because he has almost absolute power over mission territories for Catholicism essentially the Churches of Africa and Asia
-married priests in the Catholic Church.
-The Catholicism is the largest Christian Church and the largest organized body of any world religion. According to the Statistical Year Book of the Church, the Church’s worldwide recorded membership at the end of 2004 was 1,098,366,000 or approximately one in six of the world’s population.
.-the Catholic Church is a worldwide organization made up of Western or Latin and 22 Easter Catholic Particular Churches all of which have the Holy See of Rome as their highest authority on earth(277o sees).
-By Fr A.J.Thamburaj S.J.-2007
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******** among comments received: - from Joseph
Ecumenism as interfaith dialogue between representatives of diverse faiths, does not necessarily intend reconciling their adherents into full, organic unity with one another but simply to promote better relations, as i understand. It promotes toleration, mutual respect and cooperation, whether among Christian denominations, or between Christianity and other faiths. Congratulations and thanks, Father, for such articles and your PrayerPaintings on the Net, i think they do serve such a valuable cause, best wishes.[i am planning my own Blog shortly, i am learning the technique, and i shall respectfully refer to your themes in my jottings. Thank you, Father.]================================================================================== OF ANIMAL LIFEIntroduction: Life in all forms is sacred .Life has its origin from God. Hence we need to have reverence for all forms of life. The basic human ethic begins with a reverence for life. Without this basic reverence for life, humanity harming itself is necessarily inevitable. All life cries for compassion from man. “A system of values which selfishly concerns itself only with our relationship to other people is incomplete and therefore lacking in power for good. Only by means of reverence for life can we establish a spiritual and humane relationship with both people and all living creatures, within our reach. Only in this fashion can we avoid harming others and within the limits of our capacity go to their aid and whenever they need us”Albert Schweitzer.
1. The attributes of God and angels are described in the Bible in terms of animal symbolism.
God himself is described and likened to a lion, a leopard, a bear and an eagle.
“So I will become like a lion to them, like a leopard I will lurk beside the way. I will fall upon them like a bear robbed of her cubs, and will tear open the covering of their heart, there I will devour like a lion, as a wild animal would mangle them”(Hos 13:7-8). “As an eagle stirs up its nest and hovers over its young; as it spreads its wings, takes them up, bears them aloft on its pinions, the Lord alone guides them”(Det 32:11). God is the source of animal life and he created them and they belong to Him.
“Then God commanded, “Let the earth produce all kinds of animal life, domestic and wild, large and small, and it was done. So God made them and he was pleased with what he saw” (Gen 1:24-25). “All the animals in the forest are mine, and cattle on thousands of hills. All will be mine and all living things in the fields”. (Ps 50:10-11, Ps 104).
Jesus said that God cares for the animals: “Look at the birds of the air flying around.
Your Father in heaven takes care of them” (Mt 6:26).
“He gives animals their food and feeds the young ravens when they call” (Ps.147:9).
The Bible describes vividly the Angels around God’s throne as having features like those of a lion, a bull and an eagle.
“As for the appearance of their(angels) faces: the four had the face of a human being, the face of a lion on the right side, the face of an ox on the left side, and the face of an eagle; such were their faces.( 1: 10 ; Rev 4 : 7).
2. Jesus is described as the Lamb of God and the Lion of Judah.
In the New Testament, John the Baptist, the forerunner of Jesus introduces Jesus to his disciples thus:
"here is the Lamb of God who takes way the sin of the world” (Jn 1: 29).
John, the Evangelist in his book of Revelation says:” Worthy is the Lamb that was slaughtered to receive power and wealth, wisdom and might and honour and glory and blessing” (Rev 5: 12).
Jesus is known as the Lion of Judah (Rev 5: 5) He was born in a stable among animals (Ek 2:7).He rode on a lowly donkey in triumph through Jerusalem on the great day of the Feast (Mt 21:5) and he prophesied to return again in glory as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, riding on a white horse” (Rev 19:11).
3. In the beginning of creation the relationship between human beings and animal kingdom is described in terms of harmonious coexistence. In order that man can have company of animals and other living creatures, God created all forms of living creatures: And God said: ‘Let the earth bring forth living creatures of every kind: cattle and creeping things and wild animals of the earth of every kind. And it was so.God made the wild animals of every kind and everything that creeps upon the ground of every kind. And God saw that it was good”. (Gen 1:24-25).
4. Dominion over animals was wrongly taken as domination and exploitation of the animal kingdom.
In paradise there existed a beautiful harmonious relationship of human beings with animal kingdom. There was perfect peace with God and all creatures. God put man in change of all living creatures.
“God blessed them and God said to them ‘Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth” (Gen1:28)
Dominion is not domination. Man has assumed superiority over animals. Today we are living in a world of democracy and we understand and accept equality of not only human beings but also of animal and vegetable kingdoms. All living creatures help us glorify God. We use them for the benefit of humanity. But by ill-treating and exploiting Nature with an attitude of consumerism we destroy the very purpose of creation. So dominion has taken on an ugly face of domination and we hurt Nature and animals and cause them to suffer for our pleasure.
5. Distruption of harmonious relationship of human beings with animals is the result of domination and selfish exploitation of Nature and animal kingdom.
The false assertion of superiority over other living creatures leads man to a disastrous consequence .Because man disobeyed God and exploited nature for his own selfish purpose, he fell from the state of grace and was driven out of paradise and hostility was born between man and animal kingdom. Spontaneous production of vegetable kingdom to serve man turns into a tragic situation for man and incurs God’s wrath and curse. “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten of the tree about which I commanded you, ‘you shall not eat of it’, cursed is the ground because of you: in toil you shall eat of it, all the days of your life; thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you and you shall eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread until you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; you are dust and to dust you shall return”(Gen 3:17-19).
6. Edenic paradisiacal harmony will be restored by God at the end-times.
But God is so forgiving that he promises a return to the edenic paradisiacal status to man at the end of the ages. “The wolf shall live with the lamb; the leopard shall lie down with the kid, the calf and the lion and fatling together and a little child shall lead them. The cow and the bear shall graze; their young shall lie down together and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. The nursing child shall play over the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put its hand on adder’s den. They will not hurt or destroy on my entire holy mountain for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea” (Isaiah 11:5-9).
7. Jesus was an animal-rights activist.
Jesus cleansed the Temple and drove out of the Temple all those who were selling animals for sacrifice. By doing this we can say that he stopped animal sacrifice and all killing of animals. He will soon replace all animal sacrifice with his own body and blood on the Cross and in the Eucharist.
“Consequently when Christ came into the world, he said: ‘Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired, but a body you have prepared for me; in burnt offerings and sin offerings you have taken no pleasure. Then I said ‘See, God I have come to do your will, O God…He abolishes the first in order to establish the second. And It is by God’s will that we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all” (Heb 10:5-10).
8. St Francis of Assisi is patron-saint of Ecology.
St Francis of Assisi believed in the brotherhood of all God’s creation and he practiced equality of man and animals and nature, by showing honour and respect and love to all animals and birds. He spent lot of time in the woods admiring the beauty of nature.” The sparrow was as much his brother as the Pope”.
St Francis preached to hundreds of birds about being thankful to God for their wonderful clothes, for their independence and for God’s care. It is told that the birds stood still as he walked among them, only flying off
when he said they could leave.
“Another famous story involves a wolf that had been eating human beings. Francis intervened when the town wanted to kill the wolf and talked the wolf into never killing again. The wolf became a pet of the townspeople who made sure that he always had plenty to eat” (Cf.Catholic on line Saints).
9. A Christian response to dealing with animals.
The Catholic Church teaches a religious respect for the integrity of creation.
“Animals are God’s creatures. He surrounds them with his providential care. By their mere existence they bless him and give him glory. Thus men owe them kindness. We should recall the gentleness with which saints like St Francis of Assisi or St Philip Neri treated animals” (CCC 2416).
“It is contrary to human dignity to cause animals to suffer or die needlessly. It is likewise unworthy to spend money on them that should as a priority go to the relief of human misery. One can love animals; one should not direct to them the affection due only to persons” (CCC2418).
“In writing the cautionary sentence about spending money on animals that should rather go to meet human needs, the Catechism had clearly in mind the sometime excessive indulgences of humans on behalf of their companion animals. This principle could well apply to animal food-production. In the United States, half of all fresh water used and more than 70 percent of all harvested grain are used to produce animal products while much of the world goes hungry. Surely this is a massive misapplication of resources that should go to the relief of human misery”
(James Van Alstive-‘A Christian Response to Animals).
10. We know that there does exist in Christianity love for the animals. This can be clearly illustrated by the fact that there is a practice in Christianity of praying for the well-being of all animals as well as praying over sick animals.
Animal Blessing: “Blessed are you Lord God, Maker of all living creatures
On the fifth and sixth days of creation, You called forth fish in the sea,
Birds in the air and animals on the land. You inspired St Francis to call animals,
His brothers and sisters. We ask you to bless this animal.
By the power of your love Enable it to live according to your plan.
May we always praise you For all your beauty in creation.
Blessed are, you Lord our God In all your creatures. Amen
Prayer for a sick animal:
“Heavenly Father, You created all things for your glory And made us stewards of this creature. if it is your will, restore it to health and strength. Blessed are you, Lord God, And holy is your name for ever and ever.Amen.
Conclusion: By way of conclusion let us consider a couple of quotations from animal lovers. “He who is cruel to animals becomes hard also in his dealings with men. We can judge the heart of a man by his treatment of animals” Immanuel Kant. “If you have men who will exclude any of God’s creatures from the shelter of compassion and pity, you will have men who will deal likewise with their fellowmen” St Francis of Assisi. “The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated”. Gandhi. A CHRISTMAS MESSAGE from Fr Thamburaj SJTRANSITION------- A New Weltanschauung—A Paradigm Shift.
1. Transition from Spirit to flesh
Transformation and Transfiguration Transubstantiation.
2 T.from Godhead to manhood.
3. T.from Son of God to Son of Man
4 T.from the lap of the Heavenly Father to the lap of the earthly mother.
5 T.from the unseen to the seen
“No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son, who is close to the Father’s heart who made him known”-Jn1:18.
6 T.from the unknown to the known -from the inaccessible dwelling place to the cave.
7. T, from the Eternal Silence to the concrete speech.
”Long ago God spoke to our ancestors in many and various ways by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son”_Heb 1:1-2.
8. T, from the intangible and invisible and incomprehensible and inaccessible to the tangible, visible and comprehensible.
“He is the reflection of god’s glory and the exact imprint of God’s very being”Heb1:2.
“We declare to you what was from the beginning ,what we have heard, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the word of life-this life was revealed and we have seen it, and testify to it, and declare to you the eternal life that was with the Father and was revealed to us-we declare to you what we have seen and heard so that you also may have fellowship with us and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his son Jesus Christ”1Jn 1: 1-3.
9. T from eternity to the here and now.
10 T of Mary and Joseph from Nazareth to Bethlehem
11 T of angels from heaven to earth.
12. T of shepherds from the fields to the manger.
13. T of the wise men from the eastern countries to the middle-east.
14. T from the star of the sky to the Star of David.
15 T from richness to poverty-Phi 2 4-11.
16 T from virginity to motherhood.
17. T for Mary from her humble abode to the house of Elizabeth.
18. T for Joseph from dream to reality.
19. T for Joseph from Bethlehem to Egypt.
20. For me now what is my transition?-from flesh to spirit-from weak humanity to participation in the divinty.God became man so that we may become God-like.-from earth to heaven.-from the seen to the unseen-from the known to the unknown or unknowable-from speech to silence-from temporality to eternity-from the manger to our workplace-from poverty to the divine richness-..
[Stories; 1Jesus visiting Christmas time as a young man.2the loneliness of an Australian-Mother Teresa.]=============================================================================== LENT: MEANING & SIGNIFICANCE1. Tessarakost or Dia Tessaron (Gk) =40 days
Quadrassima (Lat)
Lengthen-Lencten (Anglo-Saxon-Norse)-Long-days-beginning of spring
Lenz (Ger) =springtime or long days or the prime of life.
2. At first there was 40 days of fast independent of the Easter feast. This first appeared among the third century Egyptian monks. They were trying to imitate the 40days fast of our Lord Jesus Christ.
-40 days of fasting signifying 40 hours Jesus spent in the tomb.
-the two days of fast before the feast of Easter.
-In the third century Lenten fast was made for six days long from Monday to Easter Vigil.
-In 800 AD it was made 40 days.
3. A) Lent was in the beginning was principally days of preparation for Easter.
b)-Public sinners (who had committed adultery, murder and apostasy) did public penance and fasted for 40 days. On Maundy Thursday they were officially received back into the Church.
C)-Lent was also a time of preparation for Baptism (Catechumens).On Easter night, the Catechumens were given Baptism. Once infant Baptism became an accepted practice, the preparation of adults for Baptism became a private matter. Penance and fasting then became the duty of all Christians.
d)-For Lapsed Catholics- it became an occasion for returning to the Church.
4. Number 40 is a sacred number- a mystical number in the Bible-it has a special significance:
a) The flood in Noah’s time lasted 40 days and nights.
b) The Israelites wandered in the desert for 40 years. Deut 8:2, 4).
c) Moses stayed 40 days and nights on Mount Sinai (Ex 24:18)
d) Elijah walked 40 days and nights to Mount Hermon (Kings 19:8)
e) Jonah: Nineveh fasted for 40 days and nights.
F) Jesus was in the desert fasting for 40 days and nights (Mt 4:1-12).
-In the Bible number 40 is not so much a chronological concept as a symbolic one. It stands for a time of passage, a time of preparation, of conversion, of penance, purification, a turning away from sin and deciding for God, spiritual renewal, transformation, self realization, reaffirmation of one’s faith in God Lent is meant to witness to others not merely for oneself.
5. Prayer-penance-almsgiving (Mt 6:1-18)
6. Ash Wednesday =in all religions ash is a sign of penance, repentance and conversion.
7. Catholics between ages of 18 and 59 are obliged to fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday.
All Catholics 14 years old and older must abstain from meat on Ash Wednesday, Good Friday and all the Fridays of Lent. Confession and Communion is a must at the time of Easter season.
8. Let us analyze the different Prefaces that are offered by the Church during the season of Lent and see how the Church inculcates a positive attitude to penance and fasting:
Lent I: The spiritual meaning of Lent:
“Each year you give us this joyful season when we prepare to celebrate the paschal mystery with mind and heart renewed. You give us a spirit of loving reverence for you, our Father, and of willing service to our neighbour. As we recall the great events that gave us new life in Christ, you bring the image of your Son to perfection within us.”
Lent II: The spirit of penance:
This great season of grace is your gift to your family to renew us in spirit. You give us strength to purify our hearts, to control our desires, and so to serve you in freedom. You teach us how to live in this passing world with our heart set on the world that will never end”.
Lent III: The fruits of self-denial:
“You ask us to express our thanks by self-denial. We are to master our sinfulness and conquer our pride. We are to show to those in need your goodness to ourselves”.
Lent IV: The reward of fasting:
“Through our observance of Lent you correct our faults and raise our minds to you, you help us grow in holiness, and offer us the reward of everlasting life through Jesus Christ our Lord”.
First Sunday of Lent: The temptation of the Lord:
“His fast of forty days makes this a holy season of self-denial. By rejecting the devil’s temptations he has taught us to rid ourselves of the hidden corruption of evil and so to share his paschal meal in purity of heart, until we come to the fulfillment in the Promised Land of heaven”
Second Sunday of Lent: Transfiguration.
“On your holy mountain he revealed himself in glory in the presence of his disciples. He had already prepared them for his approaching death. He wanted to teach them through the Law and Prophets that the promised Christ had first to suffer and so come to the glory of his resurrection”
Third Sunday of Lent: The woman of Samaria (Jn 4) or the barren fig tree (Lk 13: 1-9):
“When he asked the woman of Samaria for water to drink, Christ had already for her the gift of faith. In his thirst to receive her faith he awakened in her heart the fire of your love”.
Fourth Sunday of Lent: The man born blind (Jn: 9) or the prodigal son (Lk 15: 1-32)
“He came among us as a man, to lead mankind from darkness into the light of faith. Through Adam’s fall we were born as slaves of sin, but now through baptism in Christ we are reborn as your adopted children”.
The Fifth Sunday: Lazarus (Jn11) or the adulterous woman (Jn 8 1-11).
“As a man like us, Jesus wept for Lazarus his friend. As the eternal God, he raised Lazarus from the dead. In his love for us all, Christ gave us the sacraments to lift us up to everlasting life”. -Fr A.J.Thamburaj S.J.
Dhyana Ahram ,25 Madha Church Road ,Chennai-28. thamburajsj@yahoo.com Lent-2007. HAVE WE LOST THE SENSE OF SIN “FATHER I HAVE SINNED” (Lk 15:18) Introduction: Today nobody wants to speak about Sin. It does not mean that we are living in a sinless society. As Pope John Paul said we have lost the sense of sin. Sin is basically selfishness. It is saying no to God. God wants to fellowship with us; but we reject that fellowship. This refusal of fellowship has also something to do with fellow-human beings and nature. Hence sin is basically a rupture in the relationship with God and man, man and man, man and nature. Mother Teresa said that the greatest sin of today is indifference to our neighbours especially the poor. We know the history of sin and how it entered the world and spoiled the plan of God. And yet God in his infinite mercy and compassion starts all over again his dialogue with human beings
and extends his forgiveness to them.
Three sins: We shall take three instances in the Bible and analyze how in these three events people confessed “I have sinned”. First let us consider David’s sins. David was preferred by God among the eight sons of his father Jesse and he chose him and anointed him king over Israel. God saved him fro Saul who was hounding his life. God showered upon David lavishly power, prestige, property, prosperity and fame .And yet he yielded to his selfishness and used wrongly his position and committed three sins:-adultery, murder and against the will of God he took census of his nation. Here we are reminded of John’s words: “Do not love the world or the things in the world. The love of the Father is not in those who love the world; for all that is in the world-the desire of the flesh, the desire of the eyes, the pride in riches- comes not from the Father but from the world” (1Jn 1:15-16). No one commits serious sins all on a sudden. We yield to temptations and they gradually lead us to sin. James says the following in his letter:” But one is tempted by one’s own desire, being lured and enticed by them then when that desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin and that sin when it is fully grown ,gives birth to death”(James 1:15 ). This is what happened to David. The first step in his sin was that he shirks his responsibility as a leader by returning home to his palace from the battle-field. When the Ark of the Covenant and able-bodied men are out in the battle-field no one was supposed to return home. The second step in his sin is that he sees a beautiful woman Bathsheba bathing. Seeing is not sin. But out of curiosity he enquires about her and pursues his desire of satisfying his eyes. The third step is that even after being informed that Bathsheba is the wife of Uriah the Hittite, he wants to see her and converse with her he knows that she belongs to somebody else and yet he sends his servant to fetch her to his palace. The fourth step is that once he was alone with her he could not control his passion and commits adultery with her... The final step that he takes is that when he is told she was pregnant, he wants to hide his sin by eliminating Uriah and he sees to it that he is done away with-thus in order to hide one sin-adultery he commits another sin-murder. After Uriah’s death King David takes Bathsheba as wife and goes about his affairs as if nothing has happened. Then comes Nathan, the prophet and confronts David by telling him a fictitious story of a rich man taking away a lamb owned by a poor man, which was like a daughter to him, slaughters it and serves it for dinner to entertain his guest. After hearing the story the king’s rage condemns the man by saying that the man deserves death. At this juncture the Prophet Nathan tells David point blank: “You are the man”. Nathan continues ; “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: I anointed you king over Israel and I rescued you from the hand of Saul; I gave you your master’s house and your master’s wives into your bosom, and gave you the house of Israel and Judah; and if that had been too little I would have added as much more. Why have you despised the word of the Lord, to do what is evil in his sight? You have struck down Uriah, the Hittite with the sword, and have taken his wife to be your wife, and have killed him, with sword of Ammonites” (2 Sam 12: 7-9). David said to Nathan: “I have sinned against the Lord”. David not only acknowledged his sin humbly but also pleaded for God’s mercy and forgiveness. At this juncture he wrote his famous psalm 51.God in his infinite mercy and compassion forgave him and called him “a man after my own heart”. Such is the loving-kindness and steadfast love of God. David by his sin not only offended God by breaking his commandments but also offended and committed injustice against his fellow-being .
Let us consider a second incident of a sin when the sinner confessed “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son” (Lk 15: 21). Here we have a young man who wants to lead a totally independent life. He wants to wrench away all ties from his family. He wants to go his own way. Nothing was wanting for him in his house and yet he wanted to choose a path that was not in consonance with his family tradition catering to his selfish desires He is estranged from his father. In Israel it is an offence to ask for one’s property when one’s father is alive. The younger son must have deeply hurt his father by demanding his of heritage. Well, we know the rest of the story how he squandered his property. Sin leads him to complete annihilation and degredation.First of all he seeks to work under a foreigner-a gentile, which was a great humiliation for a Jew. The second degradation is that he is sent to take care of the pigs which are polluted animals. and thirdly he is treated worse than the pigs because he is not allowed to eat the pods that the pigs ate Thank God that a ray of light dawns on him when he is hungry and famished. He comes to himself and decides to return to his father. We must note here that he had the confidence and trust that if he returns home his father will accept him. Otherwise he would not have taken the bold step of returning home. This was redeeming factor in his life. Sure enough when he returns to his father, it is his father who takes the initiative to receive him. The Bible says: While he was still far off his father saw him and was filled with compassion, he ran and put his arms around him and kissed him”. The father accepted his son without any conditions. The father reinstates him to his former dignity and status by offering him the best robe, the ring, and sandals, fatted calf and throws open a sumptuous banquet. This parable shows us how our heavenly father accepts us without any reservation. We don’t need to earn God’s love. He gives it to us gratuitously; because he considers even wayward sons as his sons. No matter what our past has been the Father has a plan for our future.By contrast, the elder son resents the forgiveness offered by the father and he stands outside the house refusing to be reconciled with his younger brother. By doing this he becomes the real prodigal. The one who was outside has come inside and the one who was always with the father in the house, not taking advantage of what was already available in the house, has become the outsider. The elder son is like the Pharisee who after praying in the Temple goes home without righteousness. Because his prayer was self-centred.
And this is the third incident we shall consider here. Two people went up to the Temple to pray. One was a Pharisee and another a Tax-collector. The tax-collector dares not approach the inside of the Temple but chooses a place at the rear end of the Temple and humbly bowing his head beats his breast and acknowledges his sin by saying “God, be merciful to me a sinner”. This man was accepted and welcomed, forgiven and healed by God. And found righteousness in the sight of God. The Pharisee did not really come to pray but he comes to inform God what good things he has done in his lie-In his prayer, if it is a prayer at all, there is too much of his ego, self and what is worse he compares himself to the Tax-collector and depicts himself as a better person. But in the eyes of God the sinner becomes a saint and goes home justified whereas the saintly hypocrite is condemned for his presumption to have been a pure person. Today we need to learn how to say to the Lord” I have sinned”, we have sinned. And approach the mercy seat of God. God’s forgiveness is always available. The sun always shines, God always loves. He washes aw ay our sins by the most precious blood of Jesus Today we need to ask forgiveness from God not for our sins of commission and omission but for the sins of mission, for our infidelity to bring his forgiveness to others. Today we need to say to the “we Have sinned” individually, at the communitarian level and at the cosmic level. We have sinned as a group, as a community-corruption,violence,the Inquistion,the Crusades, the Hiroshima bombimg,fundamentalism,terrorism,exploitation of women, child labour,the way the dalits are treated in an inhuman way, displacement of tribals,persecution of the minorities, the caste system and bonded labour. Through pollution of rivers and seas, through depletion of ozone layer, endangering animals species ad fish we have sinned against Nature and have caused ecological imbalance. Jeremiah 2:7 says “I brought you into a plentiful land to enjoy its fruits and good things but when you came in you defiled my land”. At the beginning of the new millennium on March 12th 2000, the Holy Father John Paul Ii, wearing Lenten vestments took part in a special penitential rite and besides asking for forgiveness from God of all the sins of Christians over the centuries down to our own time he embraced the Crucifix as well.” The Church is a communion of saints but solidarity of sin also exists
among the members of the people of God” he said.
The following were the seven pardon requests presented to God by the Holy Father: 1) A general confession of sin: purification of memory and commitment to the path of true conversion. 2) Sin committed in the service of truth: sin of intolerance, and violence against dissidents wars of religion, acts of violence and oppression during the Crusades, methods of coercion employed in the Inquisition. 3) Sins which have compromised of the unity of the Body of Christ: excommunication, persecutions, divisions. 4) Sis regarding relations with the people of the first Covenant, Israel: contempt, hostility, failure to speak out. 5) Sins against love, peace, the rights of peoples, and respect for cultures and other religions which took place during the works of evangelization. 6) Sins against human dignity and the unity of the human race, against women, races, ethnic groups. 7) Sins against basic rights of the person and against social justice, the defenseless, the poor and the unborn, economic and social injustices, marginalization.
Conclusion: What is my response to the Lord today? Tertio Millenio Adveniente number 33 says “The Church cannot cross the threshold of the new millennium without encouraging her children to purify themselves through repentance of past errors and instances of infidelity, inconsistency and slowness to act” Let us make the words of The Holy Father and ask the Lord for pardon for sins committed individually as well as, as a group and community of the people of God. ================================================================================ |
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