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THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD IS UPON ME

Saint Luke records Jesus as reading from the prophet Isaiah in the synagogue: "The spirit of the Lord is upon me because He has anointed me . . . to proclaim the year of the Lord's favour." (Luke 4:18)

Then, with all eyes on Him, Christ added: "Today, in your hearing, this scripture has been fulfilled." (Luke 4:21)

This declaration marks the consummation of the Messianic prophecies.

Dr Luky Whittle

Image with thanks to Freepik AI generated content by CN Whittle

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THE AVE MARIA IN ART AND LITERATURE BY DR LUKY WHITTLE

On 25 March, a gestation term before Christmas day, the Catholic Church celebrates the annunciation to the Blessed Virgin Mary of the incarnation of her divine Son.

In the words of St Luke, Mary was greeted by the Archangel Gabriel in the words: “Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee.”  In Latin the words translate to “Ave, gratia plena”.  Early Christians added the names of Jesus and Mary to the greeting in which they added the salutation of her pregnant elderly cousin Elizabeth: “Blessed art Thou among women and blessed is the Fruit of Thy womb.” The greeting is concluded in the words: “Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death.  Amen.” 

For centuries the Ave Maria formed part of the Christian’s daily prayer.  We find Chaucer early in the second millennium informing that heavenly favours are available by the simple expedient of the recitation of an “Ave Marie or tweye” (a couple of Hail Marys). In Life magazine’s Christmas edition in 1995, Robert Sullivan estimated the number of Hail Marys recited daily at two billion (a billion or tweye) – although, of course, no scientific way of quantifying prayer exists, as many of our prayers are sent up in private.  

The cult of the Blessed Virgin may now be entering a hitherto unsuspected dimension.  On 20 December 2003 “The Economist” traced alleged links in the veneration of Mary between Judaism, Christianity and Islam. In the 20 December 2003 the writer named the thousands of lines of “subtle and expressive religious poetry addressed to Mary, the Mother of Jesus” as one of the great cultural achievements of the Christian era.   England was no exception.  In Anglo-Saxon or Old English, spoken in England from about 700 AD until about the first century of the second millennium, we find references to Mary in the so-called Christ poems, ascribed to the pen of Cynewulf, a ninth-century writer probably resident in Mercia, the West-Midland of England of the early ninth century. 

In Christ I – the Advent Lyrics a description of Mary’s virginity is given in the following lines, as heart-stirring as they are simple:

The woman was young,

A virgin free from sin,

Whom he chose to be his mother

It came to pass without man’s embrace

So that for the sake of the child’s birth the bride became pregnant.

No woman’s reward, before nor since in the world, occurred in this way

It was kept secret.  God’s mystery.

Paintings of the Annunciation abound, particularly in the works of the old masters.  One widely known one housed in Florence’s Uffizi Gallery is Sandro Botticelli’s masterpiece painted in 1489 and 1490.  It shows the Blessed Virgin kneeling beside a wooden lectern.  She appears to be looking inward rather than outward, her hands at once beckoning and resisting Gabriel who kneels before her, a huge St Joseph’s lily in his hand.  The angel has wings which could belong to him or perhaps symbolise a hovering Holy Spirit, awaiting Mary’s fiat: “Behold the handmaid of the Lord.  Let it be done unto me according to thy word.” (Lk 1:38). 

The Irish-born playwright Oscar Wilde (1854-1900) could have been referring to the  Botticelli picture  when he concluded his poem “Ave Maria, gratia plena” in these words:

            “With wondering eyes and heart I stand

            before this supreme mystery of Love:

            some kneeling girl with passionless pale face,

            an angel with a lily in his hand,

            and over both the white wings of a Dove.

In medieval poetry which teems with poetry about the mystery of the Annunciation we often encounter the Eva-Ave theme.  Eve (Latin: Eva), the earth mother and Adam broke faith with God.  Their innocence was reclaimed by the immaculate Virgin Mary and her Divine Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.  During the Reformation the Douai-trained Jesuit priest Robert Southwell (1561-1595) who during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I was beheaded in the Tower of London for his Catholic faith, wrote:

            Spell Eva back and Ave shall you find

            The first began, the last reversed our harms

            An Angel’s witching words did Eva blind

            An Angel’s Ave disenchants the charms

            Death first by woman’s weakness entered in

            In woman’s virtue life does now begin.

Using the same inspiration The born Catholic turned Anglican priest and metaphysical poet John Donne (1573-1631) calls Mary “Thy Maker’s maker and thy Father’s mother”.  A fellow metaphysical poet, the Protestant George Herbert, wrote the heart-stopping “Ana-(Mary/Army)gram,” which consists of only two lines.

            How well her name an Army doth present

            In whom the Lord of Hosts did pitch his tent.

With the rise of the Oxford Movement in the nineteenth century, the composition of English Marian poetry which had abounded before the Reformation began to come back into its own.  Gerald Manley Hopkins (1844-1889), an Anglican turned Catholic priest is arguably the major exponent of Marian poetry during this century, although his works were only introduced to the public at large after the start of the twentieth century.  He took his inspiration from medieval religious lyrics, resuscitating sprung rhythm, a poetic conceit last used in the work “Piers Plowman” in the fourteenth century.  In his organic poetry he compares the Blessed Virgin “to the air we breathe”, saying:

She, wild web, wondrous robe

Mantles the guilty globe,

Since God has let dispense

Her prayers his providence:

Nay, more than almoner,

The sweet alms’ self is her

And men are meant to share

Her life as life is air.”

The sheer volume of Annunciation art and poetry is a sign that though it passes without pomp and circumstance, the annual feast of the Annunciation represents a landmark in the  faith of all Christians.  It marks the day when Mary was requested to allow herself to be used as a bridge between God and the human race.  In reply to Gabriel’s invitation she joyfully proclaimed: “Behold the handmaid of the Lord.  Let it be it done unto me according to thy word.” 

It is Mary’s joyous obedience to God’s redemptive plan which is the reason why  Christians throughout the ages have turned to her in good times and in bad for intercession with the Lord.  And as in Chaucer’s time and in the ten centuries before it we still do so using the prayer beginning with the Angelic salutation: “Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee.” Image with thanks to Freepik AI generated content by CN Whittle

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THE CHOSEN - MARY, THE MOTHER OF JESUS CHRIST

Mary, the Mother of Jesus Christ, supported Him from His Incarnation to His Resurrection, and beyond.  We honour the Mother of the Son of God and we honour all mothers. Motherhood is a calling which demands much love and self-sacrifice.

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LOVE LETTERS TO MARY THE VIRGIN

written by poets old and new

A COLLECTION OF MARIAN PRAISE POETRY

CLASSIFIED RESOURCE SUITABLE

FOR USE IN MARIAN STUDIES

 Dr Whittle gathered Marian poems stemming from the first millennium to the end of the nineteenth century during research. She used “A ring-Decorated Maiden” from the quill of Cynewulf as the Marian poem to represent the genre of Marian poetry as it appeared in the first millennium AD. 

A number of mediaeval English lyrics in praise of Mary are included in this volume. One or two examples from the pen of more generally known later poets such as Robert Southwell, John Donne, Gerard Manley Hopkins and Patrick Kavanagh have likewise been incorporated.

Overall, however, the vast majority of the poems included in this collection were composed by often anonymous American nun-poets, mainly during the second quarter of the twentieth century. Further examples of their Marian poetry as well as that of many others may be found in the files of the Marian Library at Dayton Ohio.

To access the book, please click in the link below:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1sAoRi0GPGevtv4_B_KHtjHGbZawW4m4Y/view?usp=share_link

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MOTHER MARY'S BEAUTY

The true beauty of the Mother of God is in her soul and hence incorruptible.

Giovanni Guareschi, The Little World of Don Camillo

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Ammas and Abbas - early founders

DESERT FATHERS AND DESERT MOTHERS

The persecution of Christians in the Early Church led to an exodus of believers to the deserts of Syria, Egypt and Asia Minor. These Christians became ascetics. The Christian women became known as mothers (ammas) and the Christian men as fathers (abbas). They were the early founders of what would become known as the desert movement. 

The desert was selected as a place to seek and hunger after God. These ascetics practised detachment from earthly comforts and were devoted to the pursuit of spiritual growth. [1] Their purpose was to live as hermits in the desert, to live a solitary life solely dedicated to God.

Anthony of Egypt and Pachomius

During the late 3rd century a Christian man named Paul, living in the city of Thebes in Egypt, was forced into the desert during the Decian persecution. He lived in a cave while awaiting the end of the persecution, and found he enjoyed the solitude and freedom to fast and pray. Paul embraced life in the desert and lived in that cave for many more decades as a hermit dedicated to the worship of God. [3]

The famous desert father Anthony of Egypt gave away his inherited riches, and retired to a hut in the desert. Anthony dedicated his life to fasting and prayer, living a life of poverty to the glory of God. 

An Egyptian from Thebes named Pachomius (292-348) was one of the founders of modern communal monastic life. When he was 20 years old, he endured imprisonment and received kindness at the hands of Christians. Pachomius became a Christian after his release from prison in c. 314. [2]

Father of Cenobitic Monasticism

Saint Pachomius felt drawn to the Desert Fathers and built his cell in the desert near St Anthony. He realized that most of the men who desired Anthony's eremitic life could not live in such solitary isolation. He decided to build 10 to 12 room houses where men could live in individual rooms and undertake practices of holiness. Thus Pachomius is called the 'Father of Cenobitic Monasticism.' All these centuries later, there are still Christian monasteries scattered throughout the Sahara Desert in Egypt. [2] 

Desert fathers

Other desert fathers include Saint Macarius of Egypt, Abba Agathon, Saint Amun, Saint Basil of Caesarea and Saint Moses. Those who were highly influenced by this early monasticism were Saint Athenasius of Alexandria, Saint John Chrysostom, Saint Hilarion and Saint John Cassian. Saint Benedict later developed the Benedictine rule for monasticism based on the writings of the early desert fathers. Thus most modern-day religious orders can trace their spiritual heritage to Egypt. [3]

Saint John Cassian brought the wisdom of the desert fathers to Europe, and his influence spread as far as Ireland. Thereafter, Ireland's own form of monasticism developed, largely based on the writings of Cassian and example of Saint Anthony. [3]

Desert mothers

Many women were leaders in the desert reform. Syncletica, Thecla, Macrina, Paula and Pelagia are some of the mothers (abbas) who shaped the spirituality of the desert movement.

Saint Syncletica and her sister

Syncletica was born in the 5th century to a noble Christian family in Alexandria, Egypt. She moved with her blind sister to the desert outside Alexandria to live in simplicity and prayer. Other women soon followed Syncletica, and she served as their spiritual mother. She called her followers to empty themselves of attitudes which did not spring from closeness with Christ. Syncletica loved learning, as she believed that ignorance hindered spiritual growth.

Saint Macrina 

Macrina was the elder sister of two bishops, Gregory and Basil. She taught that humility and love were the goals of philosophy. Macrina turned the family home into a monastic community where all possessions were shared. Her holy life attracted many followers. 

Saint Pelagia

Saint Pelagia was a woman who dressed as a monk in later years. An actress in her earlier life, Pelagia heard Bishop Nonnus preach in Antioch. She gave away all her possessions, and just before her baptism, she left wearing Nonnus' cloak, never to be seen in Antioch again. Pelagia assumed the identity of a monk, and retreated to the desert. 

Years later, one of Nonnus' monks travelled to Jerusalem to pray with a holy man name Pelagius. He returned a few days later to find that Pelagius had died. In preparing Pelagius for burial, he found that Pelagius was actually Pelagia, a woman. 

Saint Paula

Paula (347-404 AD) was a desert mother. After the demise of her husband, Paula went on pilgrimage to the holy sites. Concluding her journey, Saint Paula decided to remain in Bethlehem to develop a monastery and spiritual retreat with St Jerome. Paula and Jerome built a double monastery in Bethlehem - one for Paula and her nuns, the other for St Jerome and his months. The addition of a roadside hostel was also constructed to serve as an economic source to fund the monasteries. [4]

Many abbas and ammas

There were many desert fathers and desert mothers. Their words of wisdom have a lot to offer us in today's world. Further blog posts will follow in which the serenity of some of the holy words will be reflected.

Influence of the desert movement today

The influence of the desert fathers and desert mothers can still be felt within our world today. At times, yearning for a more peaceful life within the hustle and bustle of our constantly changing world may be experienced. 

Live the simple life

The example of the early abbas and ammas offer inspiration if we wish to live more simply, think more slowly and clearly, eschew over-reliance on earthly goods. Further, their example helps us to be resilient and self-disciplined. Following the holiness of the frugal monastic lifestyle helps us to offer daily difficulties as sacrifices to God for the advancement of His Kingdom here on earth.

Emulation of the example of regular prayer of the desert fathers and mothers, proves a strong spiritual support. It is holy to dedicate time each day for prayer and silence to still your thoughts, refresh your mind and strengthen your relationship with God.

[1] Women's history month: Early Church Women and Desert Mothers

[2] Sandra Sweeney Silver. Early Church History: Who were the Desert Fathers? 

[3] Philip Kosloski. Who were the Desert Fathers and why do they matter?

[4] Paula of Rome

With thanks to cbeinternational.com, earlychurchhistory.org, aleteia.og and wikipedia.org Paula of Rome

Image courtesy of Freepik AI generated content with CN Whittle

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Happy Christmastide and a Blessed New Year to all.

.May blessings be with you and your loved ones

at this time of peace, joy and goodwill.

We pray for an end to war.

We thank Almighty God for His Graces

and Blessings over the past year. 

A candle has been lit by in 

remembrance of all who are suffering

or have lost their lives due to war.

Our thoughts are with their families,

colleagues and friends.

Image with thanks to Freepik AI generated content by CN Whittle

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BLESSED BE JESUS IN THE MOST HOLY SACRAMENT OF THE ALTAR

So: I am intrigued. A church in Lucerne has apparently introduced a hologram of Jesus as a practical decision reportedly meant to encourage moments of intimacy with the hologram. This means - if I understand correctly - that people can interact in a confessional with an artificial intelligence program meant to imitate Christ. [1]

Hologram of Jesus

Reportedly installed in one of the parish confessionals, people can interact with the hologram representation of Jesus which, according to one user account, addresses users with "Peace be with you, brother" regardless of the gender of the person, and encourages them to discuss "whatever is troubling your heart today," alleged news. [1]

Sacrament of confession

I am all for evangelizing the wonderful truth that Jesus is the Son of God. Yet is it possible that the sacrament of confession - a sacred moment of truth, repentance and revelation between the penitent and God Himself, with priest as anointed intermediary - may be adversely affected by hologram project with no seal of the confessional protecting the visitor? 

Addressed as brother - the feminine view

It is possible that women who are proud of their God-given womanhood may find it slightly startling to be addressed as brother. As a little girl, I sat through church services where all prayed for mankind. I asked my mom why only men were prayed for, she answered that mankind meant both men and women. As a little four-year-old with a mind of my own, I wasn't buying it. 

As catechetics teacher in later years, I found some young girls confused as to why men were prayed for, and girls excluded. They also argued that the word mankind did not automatically include women. Sympathetic to their confusion - which exactly mirrored my own as a younger congregant - I used the word humankind. Thereafter, everyone was happy. 

Robots

It was so interesting to hear of a current theory that the priesthood should possibly be reimagined to consider robots instead of, or alongside, priests. Different spiritual traditions are making use of robots within spiritual contexts. Apparently a robot in one instance recites blessings in a number of languages.

AI chatbot "cleric"

Well now. Where to from here? It is certainly praiseworthy to consider new ways of evangelization in the modern context. However, attempts to introduce artificial intelligence options within spiritual streams has encountered heavy waters. An AI chatbot "Father" launched online apparently failed within two days. alleged news. [2]

Christ waits patiently in tabernacles

We have the true Presence of Our Lord Jesus Christ waiting patiently in church tabernacles throughout the world. He constantly awaits our footsteps. The tabernacle is a reserved place in the church where the Eucharist is kept. 

In the tabernacle, Christ is in the Eucharist which remains after the celebration of the Mass. The Saviour - fully present in transubstantiated bread within the tabernacle - speaks to all who come before Him, within their souls. 

Encourage confession and visit Jesus 

Let us encourage those in need to attend the Sacrament of Confession, to experience the overwhelming sense of relief that the lifting of a burden brings through the absolution of a priest.

To me, it seems a little sad that those desperately in need of true comfort from the Way, the Truth and Life would need to walk past the True Presence of Christ in the Blessed Tabernacle, to a virtual representation of the Truth in a confessional.

Why don't we encourage those in need of love, counsel, support, guidance, healing of grief and imparting of grace and blessing, to visit Jesus at the Blessed Tabernacle? He always listens, hears and gives answers at the right time.

[1] Swiss church puts 'AI Jesus' in confessional, Alleged News

[2] Sergeant, Leah Libresco. 30 April 2024. The defrocking of Father AI, Alleged News

With thanks to pillarcatholic.com, firtstthings.com and catholic-catechism.com

Image with thanks to Freepik AI generated content by CN Whittle

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WE NEED TO REJECT THE WAYS OF WAR, AND WORK TOGETHER FOR JUSTICE AND PEACE

Mother Mary knew the human cost of the gift of Christ's Life to the world

There is so much suffering and injustice in the world. In juxtaposition with this inescapable fact, there is also much joy, healing and bringing of justice to earth. Men and women have pivotal roles to play in bringing tenets of the gospel of peace to a suffering world.

Reject the ways of war

What can you and I do to bring peace and justice to situations where there is conflict and injustice? Reverend Vanessa Wyse Jackson preached that "We need to reject the ways of war, and work together for justice and peace." [1]

Women know the price to be paid

Women know the price to be paid for the building of a human life. Countless women have grown babies within their bodies, struggled with morning sickness, pre-eclampsia, gestational diabetes, perineal tears, post-partum psychosis in order to deliver the gift of a healthy baby to the world.

Olive Shreiner and the knowledge of woman

Olive Shreiner posited that "No woman who is a woman says of a human body, 'it is nothing'... on this one point, and on this point alone, the knowledge of woman, simply as woman, is superior to that of man; she knows the history of human flesh; she knows its cost; he does not." [2] 

Labor which brings forth a child

The labor which brings forth a child makes of a woman a realist. She knows what her child cost. Every woman who becomes pregnant faces the realization that she will have a lifelong reponsibility as mother towards this child. Is this not true courage indeed?

A woman knows the history of human flesh

On the website of artist Dina Cormick appears a haunting portrayal of Shreiner's quote, "A woman knows the history of human flesh, she knows its cost." In the depiction, a woman holds a child up towards heaven, her face would appear to be ravaged in grief. From the time I saw this artwork during the time of loss and death during Covid pandemic, I pondered its meaning. Reflection from personal inspiration I received from this image on Dina Cormick's art website has resulted in this article. [3]

The image suggested to me that a mother is holding her child up to God, the little one appears to be no more. The apparently bereaved mother is crying to Heaven for the little one, who was born of her love for another and from the sacrifices and pain of her own body. Now the little one is lost to earth, but not to Heaven. What happened? What tragedy occurred? I do not know. I do know, that this art work inspires me yet again to realize the inestimable value each precious life has in the Sight of Almighty God. 

Blessed are the peacemakers

Horrendous images and accounts of the true horrors of war have been available. Unimaginable pain, suffering and death in many countries trouble our earth. Men and women have mandate from Jesus Christ to be peacemakers and prevent this bloodshed, "Blessed are the peacemakers; for they will be called children of God," Jesus Christ tells us. [4] This seventh beatitude takes every Christian worker into the task of conflict resolution. Conflicts arise whenever people have differences of opinion.

Let us manage conflict. But let us do what we can to prevent the horrors of war. 

Mothers are less inclined to send their children into battlefields

In the context of war, Diplomat Dawie Jacobs considers that 'The burden always falls on the shoulders of the next generations. They are paying for "the sins of the fathers." ' [5]

Diplomat Jacobs goes on to write that "The only dim light ahead is that the new generation is, broadly speaking, less indoctrinated and blindfolded and that more women are slowly moving into positions of power.

As mothers they are less inclined to send their children into battlefields and generally are not as driven by a lust for power.

They rank brainpower higher than muscle power and generally put a high premium on the kind of world they leave behind for their children.

We need a new generation of leaders. Leaders that see consideration for others not as a weakness, but as a strength. Leaders that care about the kind of world they want to leave behind for future generations." [5]

Let us work for peace

Let us pray for end to war. Let us work for peace. And may women, who grow infants within their bodies and labor to bring new life into the world, continue to be life-bearers and witnesses to the utter sanctity of each human life.

As Mother Mary, the Mother of Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour did.

[1] Rev. Vanessa Wyse Jackson B.A., H.dip.Ed. Public sermon July 2016. Dublin, Ireland

[2] Olive Shreiner. Woman and Labor. 1911. Olive Shreiner Quote

[3] Dina Cormick. About the artist

[4] Matthew 5:9

[5] Jacobs, Dawie (Diplomat). Pretoria. "Sadly, history keeps repeating itself in senseless wars". Sowetan. Letters, Tuesday November 21 2023.

With thanks to Rev Vanessa Wyse Jackson public sermon, libquotes.com, creativewomanartist.com and sowetanlive.co.za

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DEEPEST CONCERN OF VATICAN COUNCIL II

“... the Council’s deepest concern lay with:

(i)    resurrecting of the status of the layman,

(ii)   breaking down the barrier which the Church had thrown up against the reunion  of the Churches.” 

Fr G.M.A. Jansen. (Norbert Jansen OP). p 10, Pro Veritate Vol VII No. 2 Jun 15. The Secularisation of the Church. June 15 1968

With thanks to Sahistory.org.za and Pro Veritate. Accessed 2 December 2023

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GREATEST INSPIRATION OF VATICAN COUNCIL II

"(i) The Council's greatest inspiration was to raise the lay-people out of their state of passivity and to make them conscious that they really formed the essence of the Church, the People of God."

Fr G.M.A. Jansen. (Norbert Jansen OP). p 10, Pro Veritate Vol VII No. 2 Jun 15. The Secularisation of the Church. June 15 1968

With thanks to Sahistory.org.za and Pro Veritate. Accessed 2 December 2023

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THE VOICE OF CHRIST

"The voice of the Vatican Council is the voice of Christ

  Himself, Who speaks through His body, the Church."

Fr G.M.A. Jansen. (Norbert Jansen OP). p 11, Pro Veritate Vol VII No. 2 Jun 15. The Secularisation of the Church. June 15 1968

With thanks to Sahistory.org.za and Pro Veritate. Accessed 2 December 2023

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LAITY AND FORMATION IN THE SACRED SCIENCES

       "Furthermore, it is to be hoped that many laymen will receive an appropriate formation in the sacred sciences, and that some will develop and deepen these studies by their own labours. In order that such persons may fulfill their proper function, let it be recognized that all the faithful, clerical and lay, possess a lawful freedom of inquiry and of thought, and the freedom to express their minds humbly and courageously about those matters in which they enjoy competence."

Fr G.M.A. Jansen. (Norbert Jansen OP). p 8, Pro Veritate Vol VII No. 2 Jun 15. The Secularisation of the Church. June 15 1968

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HUMAN ACTIVITY AND CHRIST'S REDEMPTIVE WORK

   "Just as human activity proceeds from man, so it is ordained toward man. For when a man works he not only alters things and society, he develops himself as well. He learns much, he cultivates his resources, he goes outside of himself and and beyond himself. Rightly understood, this kind of growth is of greater value than any external riches which can be garnered. A man is more precious for what he is than for what he has. Similarly, all that men do to obtain greater justice, wider brotherhood and more human ordering of social relationships has greater worth than technical advances. For these advances can supply the material for human progress, but of themselves alone they can never actually bring it about. Hence the norm of human activity is this: that in accord with the Divine Plan and Will, it should harmonize with the genuine good of the whole human race, and allow men as individuals and as members of society to pursue their total vocation and fulfil it. 

     With the consciousness of this total vocation, there grows the sense of greater responsibility. But it is only in freedom that man can direct himself towards goodness. Our contemporaries make much of this freedom, and rightly so, to be sure. For God has willed that man be left in the hand of his own counsel so that he can seek his Creator spontaneously and come freely to utter and blissful perfection through loyalty to Him. Hence, man's dignity demands that he act according to a knowing and free choice. Such a choice is personally motivated and prompted from within. It does not result from blind internal impulse nor from mere external pressure. Man achieves such dignity when emancipating himself from all capacity to passion, he pursues his goal in a spontaneous choice of what is good, and procures for himself. through effective and skilful action, apt means to the end.

    Christ's redemptive work, while of itself directed to the salvation of men, involves also the renewal of the whole temporal order. Hence the Mission of the Church is not only to bring to men the message and grace of Christ, but also to penetrate and perfect the temporal sphere with the spirit of the gospel.

   It is clear that men are not deterred by the Christian message from building up the world or impelled to neglect the welfare of their fellows. They are rather more stringently bound to do these things."

Fr G.M.A. Jansen. (Norbert Jansen OP). pp 8-9, Pro Veritate Vol VII No. 2 Jun 15. The Secularisation of the Church. June 15 1968

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ISAIAH: COME DOWN TO RE-CREATE US

THE SCRIPTURE READINGS:

ISAIAH 63:16-17;  64:1,3-8

Isaiah 63:16-17

16. But You are our Father, 

         though Abraham does not know us

         or Israel acknowledge us;

    You, Lord, are our Father,

         our Redeemer from of old is Your Name.

17. Why, LORD, do You make us wander from Your Ways

          and harden our hearts so we do not revere You?

     Return for the sake of Your servants,

          the tribes that are Your inheritance.

Isaiah 64: 1, 3-8

1.   Oh, that You would tear the heavens and come down,

       that the mountains would tremble before You!

3.   For when You did awesome things that we did not expect, 

        You came down, and the mountains trembled before You.

4.   Since ancient times, no one has heard, 

         no ear has perceived, 

       no eye has seen any God besides You,

         Who acts on behalf of those Who wait for Him.

5.  You come to the help of those who gladly do right,

        who remember Your Ways.

     But when we continued to sin against them,

        You were angry. 

        How then can we be saved? 

6.   All of us have become like one who is unclean, 

        and all of our righteous acts are like filthy rags;

      we all shrivel up like a leaf; 

        and like the wind our sins sweep us away. 

7.  No one calls on Your Name

        or strives to lay hold of You;

     For You have hidden Your Face from us

        and have given us over to our sins.

8.  Yet You, LORD, are our Father.

        We are the clay, You are the Potter;

      we are all the word of Your Hand. [1]

REFLECTION:

This powerful text expresses a passionate longing for God to come down among His people to heal them. "Oh, that you would tear the heavens open and come down . . ." 

These words were written soon after the exile. A group of Israelites had returned to a temple and city which lay in ruins. The situation was a discouraging one, and they may have felt that they were in much the same situation as sinful individuals before the exile.

The future was bleak. God may have seemed silent and distant from this sad plight of His people, 'For You have hidden Your Face from us...'  Now in this time of great change, Isaiah writes these words in which Israel prays with great determination and sincerity, addressing God with loving words as 'Father' and 'Redeemer'. 

Israel experienced hope for the future, due to the powerful deeds of the past in which God liberated the people from bondage. The people open themselves to God, as clay is available for work by the potter. God may come and create them anew. [2]

And just so are we today. We turn to God in this season of Advent, and ask Him to model the clay which is our inner being into His Image and Likeness. We turn from the ruin of past sin in our everyday lives, without making excuses for ourselves. Yes, we made mistakes. Yes, we were fearful. Yes, we did not have the full story. Yes, we were lied to. Yes, we were less aware then.

Yet, our sin was part of the equation. We have given in to temptation, been less than we could have been, shown lack of courage, less than gracious decisions, weakness, sinfulness, emotional and spiritual failings.

Yet all is not lost. We are as clay in the Hands of the Potter. Turn to God and ask Him to remodel you to be the best person you can be. Trust that the work in your soul is not yet finished, and trust that God will faithfully complete what He has begun in you.

In this season of Advent, turn to God. Love Him with all your heart, your mind, your decisions, your actions, your soul.

Then you can't go wrong!

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, as the potter moulds the clay: mould me.

As the heavens rend open and pour down light, change indifference in our world to care, and pour down heavenly grace upon kindly efforts.

Bring us into everlasting life. Allow us to grow in grace and dignity, knowing that - despite misunderstandings and mis-steps in our past, we truly are Your children. And You love us. And we love You!

Happy Advent!

[1] The Holy Bible 

[2] Inspired by: OMI sermon, 1984

Image courtesy of Freepik AI generated content with CN Whittle   

[lumierecharity]

ARE CHURCHGOERS HYPOCRITES?

Catherine Nicolette

Imagine my surprise when I opened a spiritual magazine recently and found an article questioning whether churchgoers are hypocrites. The query reminded me of many years ago . . .

As a young child and member of a devout church-going family, I was called aside one day by one of my little peers. She explained to me that all churchgoers are hypocrites. By eschewing to attend Mass, she explained, she was not a hypocrite pretending to be holy. As, she explained, I was. Her remedy was for me to leave the church and thus no longer be a cause of dismay to other more enlightened little peers.

I was completely nonplussed, faced with my ardent hypocrisy for attending church. Further, I inwardly shuddered at the thought of telling Sean and Luky Whittle that their little daughter would not toe the line and attend church. That most certainly would not have gone down well. Finally, my heart wept at the thought of not visiting the Blessed Sacrament regularly. What to do?

Then all of a sudden I knew how I felt about this issue. I looked at my little friend, and told her,  "I know I am not perfect." As there was no surprise there, she nodded sagely. I went on,  "That's exactly why I go to church. Because I need help from God. We all need to go. You should go, too."

Having put her hand to the plough, my little peer was not going to give up. She replied, "There is no need for me to go to church. I can stand in a field in nature and worship God quite well." I asked her, "And when last did you worship in a field?" She hesitated, then flushed and turned away. I heard her mutter later, "It's no good arguing with that one. She's got all the answers!"

She got me thinking, however. In later years, I often pondered over her words, especially when, sighing, I realize that I haven't measured up to Christ's expectations of me - yet again. But, you know, I don't lose hope. I just keep on trying. Reality helps to give rational perspective. I realize I can't go it alone. Thus, I go to church, to pray to God to ask for help. Spiritually sick need the Divine Physician for healing - and there is not one of us who does not have a soul hurt or spirit wound needing His care. Basically, churchgoers don't go to church because they are perfect. They go because they are not.

Every time I pass a field, I think of my little friend from long ago. My answer to whether churchgoers are hypocrites is that churchgoers are realists. All have but one life, and each will be called upon to account to Almighty God as to how that life has been spent. Why not both attend church and pray in fields while we still can to help us towards serenity on that day? 

As the sunflower turns towards the sun, let us all turn our faces towards God. . .

With thanks to free clipart library

[lumierecharity]

MIRACLES HAPPEN ALL THE TIME

Luky:

There was a song we used to sing in church when my eldest daughter played the organ. Our best singer would sing each verse, and we'd all join the refrain:

"I believe in miracles; I've seen a soul set free / Miraculous the change in one redeemed through Calvary / I've seen the lily push its way up through the stubborn sod / I believe in miracles, for I believe in God. "

Do you believe in miracles? I do. Plenty have happened to me in my life.

I was there

The big ones I don't talk about much, because people always get an odd little smile on their faces when I do, as if to say "poor fanatic - and you can see she actually believes it. "

Well, I do, because I was there when they happened. And it's those who believe in miracles that they do happen to.

If you truly believe that a piece of bread and a drop of wine change into the Body and Blood of Christ when the words of consecration are spoken by an ordained priest, then the little miracles that have happened to me are puddysticks by comparison. But, being human, I love my little miracles and get much comfort from remembering them.

Lord said it

At one time I was praying in a certain way, and got the feeling that I was unworthy to pray that way because of my sinfulness. That very day I opened a dusty volume of an old Dutch series of books about our Lord's revelations to Saint Gertrude.

Sweet memory

My eye fell on a paragraph which quotes our Lord as saying to the saint: "why do you feel reluctant and unworthy to pray to me (in the way I was praying)? Do you not know that the fragrance of the perfume is not impaired by the simplicity of the container?"

That day sweetness filled my heart and mind, and the memory of it still fills me with joy.

In a smaller way, something strange happened some years ago. I was having an argument with one of my children (that's not strange; it's normal.)

The child had mowed the lawn and tidied the garden, and was demanding payment. I felt as though I had failed in bringing up my children.

I said, "How can you, as a Christian, demand payment from your parents for lending a hand? If you need money, tell me how much and I'll make a plan. But surely you don't expect payment for helping your hard-working parents?"

Got soft

Well, my child gave as good as he got. Gone are the old days when I was strict and they would have run a mile before they dared to answer me back - I became soft in my old age.

Just then a song started playing on Springbok Radio. Rooted in my tracks, I listened; then I hauled the child in to listen too.

You may have heard the song. It's about a boy who brought his mother an invoice, detailing various chores he had performed for her and stating what each cost.

The mother produced a pen and wrote out an invoice of her own. "To nine months carrying you in my womb - no charge; to bringing you into the world in sorrow and pain - no charge; to the tears I shed for you - no charge."

Nothing owing

By now I was shedding some tears of my own and ducked into the sitting room, but I could hear the end of the song. The boy wrote at the bottom of his invoice: "Paid in full."

My heart was full, because I felt that again our Lord had performed a little miracle. The child was very quiet too, looking rather taken aback.

I'm no diplomat. I like pressing home my advantage, so I wiped my tears and said:

"I was trying to tell you something in the passage there, but I hadn't the eloquence. So our Lord allowed a small miracle to happen by inspiring the disc jockey to play that very song to show you how He would feel about your demanding payment.

"As a rule, Jesus doesn't go in for performing miracles; He has nothing to prove. So if you're wise, you'll remember this one for the rest of your life"

The child still regarded me mutinously, so I added:

"That piece of advice comes to you at no charge." 

Catherine Nicolette

My, it is many years since I thought of that beautiful hymn we used to play. As a teenager I loved the words and melody.

Now in my mature years, I have experienced many signs and wonders of God in my life. Having travelled in many countries, it has been amazing how God cared for me in many ways, small as well as large.

The greatest miracle, however, is to be part of the wonder when the moment of grace comes for an individual. We never know when one word, one prayer, one sermon or one song is the one which will change the road for another from struggle to the grace of faith.

As Mom said on so many occasions about Jesus Christ, "For one drop of His Blood Which for sinners was spilt,

Is sufficient to cleanse the whole world from its guilt."

The price is already paid, the miracle already granted. Jesus came to earth, lived and died for us and we had to make no payment. The Son of God took the consequences of sin and death upon Himself, conquered death through resurrection and gave us remedy for sin through baptism and sacraments.

We did not have to pay anything in order for God's Son to love us and set us free.

Let us pay Christ the compliment of our deepest love, respect and sincere gratitude for the price He paid.