“Take up you Cross and Follow me”
A friend of mine was sitting in his back garden reading a newspaper when two gentlemen came in through the gate, they came up to him and asked ‘Have you found Jesus?’ to which he replied, having put down the paper, ‘Please don’t tell me he’s lost again.’
“Who do you say I am?” is a truly demanding question. It invites each one of us to look deep into our hearts and souls to find the answer. For many ‘enquirers’ the answer is often expressed in moments of revelation or in moments of conversion. Some times the experience is dramatic – sometimes it comes in the bits and pieces of every day.
For some of us there isn’t a moment in our lives when we weren’t conscious of Jesus in our lives. We simply imbibed him with our mother’s milk and have continued to grow in our awareness of who he is both for ourselves and the community of the Church. We have had to let go of childish and infantile ideas of Jesus as a sweet and cuddly toy, for instance.– letting of these false images may have been difficult and even caused pain. For me, at this moment, Jesus is the one who challenges the status quo and invites his followers to have the courage to grow in freedom – freedom to commit oneself to working for the good of others, working for Justice and peace and reconciliation.
Last Friday the final report on the terrible happenings which took place in Derry over 30 years ago, known as Bloody Sunday became public. 
It was a frightening indictment of the then ‘powers that be’ defending the status quo and falsifying evidence, casting the victims of official violence as perpetrators of violence rather than as the recipients of violence. I was deeply impressed by the Prime Minister’s whole hearted and unconditional acceptance of the report and expression of sorry for what happened in ‘our name’. I was even more impressed by a relative of one of the victims who said ‘We don’t want vengeance or anything like that – all we wanted was the clearing of the victim’s names and now we seek for reconciliation.’
There is someone who like Jesus in yesterdays Gospel learned to ‘pray alone in the midst of his disciples’ – who has learned to take up ‘his cross and follow Jesus’ – To follow Jesus not just to the place of the scull but to follow him through the cross echoing those incredible words of Jesus “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do”.
The richness and compassion of his response disturb me deeply. Despite my deep conviction of the significance of Jesus in my life - would I be capable of such a truly liberating act, if one of my family had been so unjustly treated for so long? I’d love to think that my answer would be ‘Yes’ but I can honestly say that I don’t know and can only hope that my ‘Yes’ would be unconditional. 
As I write this I am reminded of another friend of mine Johnny Leary, who sadly died of cancer. Johnny, whose eyes continued to sparkle through out a long term of illness, once again challenged me to the very core when we were having a conversation about the inevitability of what was going to happen. This is what he said, “It’s a real hard thing to begin to see your own body as your enemy. And you know that eventually you come to realize that you have to enter into relationship with the illness and the cancer inside you and in some way allow it to become your friend.” I stand in awe of such people for whom the ability to ‘take up the cross and follow me’ are times of liberation and true freedom.
A question for all who journey within the RCIA, in whatever role, is to try to share as honestly as we can our experience of answering the question; ‘Who do you say I am?’ and sharing how ‘taking up the cross’ has liberated each one of us. As the saying goes ‘Be not afraid.’
It’s Great To Be Growing! (Reflections for Corpus Christi)
Recently I planted some bedding plants in the garden ably assisted by my two children. A few days later after the copious amounts of sun, and rain, that we have enjoyed recently the plants had bloomed. Upon witnessing this, the joyful cry went up ‘THE PLANTS ARE GROWING!!!’
It’s great to see growth! It brings us joy and a sense of fulfilment.
When we see growth in the lives of neophytes we have been journeying with, and in our own lives, it too can give us a real sense that the God is truly with us. We can know once more that while we have done our best to be faithful ’planters’ and ‘waterers’ of the seed of God’s Word, it has been God alone who has given the growth.
“What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task. I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow." (1 Corinthians 3:5-7)
In the period of Mystagogy that many of us are now experiencing, as well as celebrating the growth that has taken place we can also look ahead with hope for the growth that is still to come. Our hope is that we will see growth in our own lives, in the lives of the neophytes and in the Christian communities to which we all belong. But how can we encourage this growth?
How does the Church grow?
This question was asked by the Fathers of the Second Vatican Council. In response they stated that “as often as the sacrifice of the Cross by which Christ our Passover was sacrificed is celebrated on the altar, the work of our redemption is carried on.” In short they were affirming that the celebration of the Eucharist is at the centre of the process of the Church’s growth (Lumen Gentium 3, Ecclesia de Eucharistia 21).
Pope John Paul II in his Encyclical Letter Ecclesia de Eucharistia remarks that “the Apostles, by accepting in the Upper Room Jesus' invitation: ‘Take, eat’, ‘Drink of it, all of you’, entered for the first time into sacramental communion with him. From that time forward, until the end of the age, the Church is built up through sacramental communion with the Son of God who was sacrificed for our sake.” (Ecclesia de Eucharistia 21). He adds that “incorporation into Christ, which is brought about by Baptism, is constantly renewed and consolidated by sharing in the Eucharistic Sacrifice, especially by that full sharing which takes place in sacramental communion.” (Ecclesia de Eucharistia 22)
As we look back to the joys of our Easter celebrations, it is heartening to know that the grace of those baptisms are ‘constantly renewed and consolidated by sharing in the Eucharistic Sacrifice’.
So the Eucharist constantly renews and consolidates the gift of new life given at baptism, builds us up and enables us to continue to grow in our Christian life. This is captured in the Rite itself where the instruction for the Liturgy of the Eucharist at the Easter Vigil states:
“Before saying ‘This is the Lamb of God’, the celebrant may briefly remind the neophytes of the pre-eminence of the Eucharist, which is the climax of their initiation and the centre of the whole Christian life.” (RCIA 233).
So right at the outset, in the Rite, and in the Easter liturgy itself, the Church is encouraging us to find the source of our life and of our future growth in the Eucharist. These can be deeply encouraging truths and timely for us as prepare for and celebrate the Solemnity of Corpus Christi.
As we look ahead, to future ministry opportunities and new groups of catechumens and candidates we can also receive consolation and support by knowing that “from the perpetuation of the sacrifice of the Cross and her communion with the body and blood of Christ in the Eucharist, the Church draws the spiritual power needed to carry out her mission.” The truth is that “the Eucharist... appears as both the source and the summit of all evangelisation...” (Ecclesia de Eucharistia 22)
So the Eucharist renews and strengthens us, it is the centre of our Christian lives and also gives us the spiritual power we need to witness and share the Good News in many and various ways. Truly we can grow strong and bloom if we can remain true to this great Sacrament.
To end here is a song that I heard some children singing at our local Catholic School, the words are set to the traditional tune Frère Jacques. As we continue to be a Eucharistic people we pray that the truth of these simple and childlike words can become our own as we see the growth that God’s grace will bring in our lives as we share the one bread and the one cup.
"I am growing, I am growing big and tall, big and tall. Growing up for Jesus, growing up for Jesus, big and strong, big and strong!”
And Renew the Face of the Earth
Pentecost - the Celebration of the Spirit; the Birth day of the Church; the fastest fifty days in the calendar.
The time between the celebrations at the Easter Vigil and Pentecost seems to be caught by the image of the Spirit which blows when and where it will leaving the neophytes, parish RCIA teams and communities in a spin.
In theory the process of the RCIA should still be engaging in the period of Mystagogia of reflecting on the experiences preceding and proceeding the Easter Vigil, but in reality many parish groups have by now stopped gathering. Some may have come together for a few weeks after Easter to share their Vigil stories and perhaps had a party of celebration. Some groups may have continued with a few sessions in order to cover some of the items left out of the schedule and other groups haven't met again, now that everyone is 'done'.
The Feast of Pentecost reminds us that in these past 50 days we were meant to gather in upper rooms and other rooms, not out of fear any longer but in anticipation of the coming of the gift of the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, which animates all of us together, sending us out into the world as witnesses to God's power and Gods' presence in our lives.
The period of mystagogy is extended well beyond the 50 days, in reality the mystagogy of going deeper and reflecting on our faith experience is a life long activity...we are all still in this period. Reminding our newest members that we are also joining them in this life long journey gives them the assurance that we continue to be with them even after any formal meetings stop.
Now is the time to integrate them more fully into the community at whatever level and pace is best for them. Afterall, it is into the life of the Christian experience that has been the goal, not the meetings. However, even though teams and the neophyetes themselves may be 'tired', it is crucial that people are not just left alone and this is where the role of the whole faith community comes into being. It is in this period of mystagogia that the people of the parish, of all ages, become real and tangible for our neophytes. A welcoming, consistent, authentic community will gather the neophytes in as if they had always been there.
As we reflect on the fire of Pentecost which kindles and sparks us into a community which accepts and respect all, we remember that each person has something to offer in spreading the Good News and building up the Kingdom of God. When we are tired or fearful or doubtful we could recall this excerpt from Nelson Mandela's Inaugural Address, May 1994:
'Our worst fear is not that we are inadequate, our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask oursleves, "Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous?" Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God; your playing small doesn't serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We were born to make manifest the glory of God within us. It is not just in some of us; it is in everyone. And as we let our own light shine we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. '
As we embrace the power of the Spirit, reaffirmed at Pentecost, we look forward to the life long period of mystagogy and the variety of ways in which together we will renew the face of the earth.
Confronting darkness – praying for Light…
We are in Eastertime – the most joyful time in the Church’s Year and yet, following their recent meeting, the Bishops of England and Wales have issued a statement expressing their deep sorrow for the pain that has been caused to children, young people and vulnerable adults by clerical abuse. You can find it here. For those of us charged with nurturing new Catholics and those still on the journey, it offers a challenge and an opportunity. The challenge is how to deal with a subject that causes us shame – or anger – or evokes our own painful memories. How do we come to terms with the fact that “people like us” –priests, religious sisters, servers, musicians, catechists, MCs – could so tarnish ministries that should be about love and service to God and our neighbour? How do we reassure people that the Church is a safe place in which to be – and to bring up children? Is it easier simply to leave it to others? Or is it an opportunity to teach a profound lesson on the reality of sin and how the Church has ways with which to deal with it – even if it seems not to have been very good at using them in the area of clerical abuse.
It is quite likely that new Catholics, catechumens and candidates would be reluctant to bring up a subject that they know will be embarrassing and distressing to their priests and catechists. Where they do, it is worth reflecting on how to respond – and where they don’t, to find ways of addressing it. It can be helpful to speak honestly of the pain caused to the vast majority of priests and religious who also trusted those who committed these crimes – helping them to consider how they might be feeling, perhaps by thinking about how they would react if someone they respected or admired was found to have done similar things. Talk about how “ordinary” Catholics can feel betrayed – particularly when the crimes were committed in their own parish or nearby – and how their feelings about family baptisms, first Communions and other celebrations are tainted. It will take sensitivity to know how much to share of the “family’s” shame, but openness following decades of silence and cover-up can only be helpful in the healing process.
The bishops also ask Catholics to pray, particularly on the Fridays in May. Not one of us can put the clock back and stop the abuse from ever having happened but, as the bishops remind us, we can turn to the Holy Spirit who “guides us to sorrow and repentance, to a firm determination to better ways, and to a renewal of love and generosity towards all in need.”
For many of us, words have failed – what can we say that others haven’t said better? And are there enough words in the universe to express the anger and dismay we might feel? This is why one of the ways of prayer suggested by the bishops is silence before the Blessed Sacrament. Perhaps a time of such prayer could be built into a meeting. Set the scene with candles, flowers and incense – but explain that it is the Presence of our Risen Lord that is the most important thing. Choose a couple of psalms (for example, No 50: Have mercy on me God in your kindness, or 129: Out of the Depths) and pray them antiphonally, allowing pauses for the words to hang – and then at the end to fade into the silence. Select short phrases from Scripture to “drop” into the silence – or gentle music that speaks of sorrow. Alternatively, resources for group and personal prayers are being prepared. You can find some of them, and links to others, here. 
Ritual and symbol can also help when words fail. You could reflect on the darkness surrounding the abuse – of how it will have wounded and darkened the lives of those most directly affected – how it was used to conceal the crimes – and how a shadow has fallen upon many in the Church. Remind the group of the Triduum … of Holy Thursday and the watching in darkness – of Good Friday when, Scripture tells us, a deep darkness covered the earth as the Lord of Life died – of Holy Saturday and the long waiting for the evening – the gathering in the dark – until finally, the moment when the darkness was broken by the light of one candle and the acclamation: Christ our Light! And then the passing of that light from one to another until the church was filled with small lights which finally dispelled the darkness of that night. Our prayer may only be one little light – but it is, as the saying goes, better to light a candle than to curse the darkness.
Our Church needs light – to uncover and bring into the light all that has been sinful and damaging to so many people. Our new Catholics and those preparing to become Catholics offer us hope by showing us that, in the face of so much hostile press, they find much that is good, holy and attractive in the Church and want to be part of it. Drawing them into the prayers during May can help them to feel they belong – and be a blessing to those whose faith is being stretched to breaking point.
Lord God,
source of unfailing light,
by the death and resurrection of Christ
you have cast out the darkness of hatred and lies
and poured forth the light of truth and love
upon the human family.
…
Enable (us) to pass from darkness to light
and, delivered from the prince of darkness,
to live always as children of the light.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
(Prayer from the Second Scrutiny, RCIA #155B,
Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults approved for use in the Dioceses of England and Wales and Scotland, p91)
Getting into the Scriptures
Getting in to Scripture
I developed my love of the scriptures long before I became a Catholic in the seventies. Indeed my familiarity with Scripture helped me to make the transition. I noticed that the Mass, the Catechism and the Office were full of scripture. I encountered some Catholics who knew the scriptures much better than I did, and many more who did not, but who were keen to know more.
Some RCIA enquirers may come from another Christian tradition and already know their way around the Good Book. The majority, however, will simply not know where to start, and introducing them to it needs to be an important part of the RCIA programme.
A Bible study is led by someone who knows something about it, has prepared it in advance and can provide input before facilitating the very thoughtful session of sharing and discussion which usually ensues.
Many people think that the Old Testament is boring and irrelevant to the Christian faith. In the following example I seek to convince enquirers that this is not so.
The story of David and Bathsheba is a tale of sin and repentance. It also can offer an introduction to the scriptures. In the New Testament David is described as a man after God’s own heart’ (Acts 13:22) by St Paul in a sermon to Jews in Antioch in Pisidia. The Jews at Antioch would know about this, for they, like Jesus, were steeped in scripture. I find it’s useful to get everyone to look at the passage in Acts and pick out the key verse. It’s not usually a good idea to get someone to read out the whole passage – it all gets a bit like school, the leader of the group loses pace and everyone else loses the thread of the amazing story. But people might want to look at the passage at home if they find it interesting. Most people are surprised that the Scripture is interesting and challenging. We’ve already introduced St Paul, where Acts comes in the Bible and the sort of thing you find in Acts. We also introduced the idea that the New Testament draws on the Old, often giving it a new slant, and deeper meaning.
But who was David, the man after God’s own heart?
I used to think that the story of David and Bathsheba was surely something which everyone had heard of, yet a surprising number of people have not, or, if they have, do not realise its significance. Second book of Samuel 11:1-27 and 12:1-15 tells a tale of lust, temptation, sin, cover-up and murder. Again I like to get everyone to find it, pick key points out of it and suggest they might like to read it in full at home. There’s a lot of scope to discuss how David was in denial. Enter Nathan and a lot of scope to discuss what repentance really means. But there’s more. Psalm 50 or 51 (depending which bible you use) starts ‘Have mercy on me’ and we have a fascinating insight into David’s reaction when the full aweful enormity of what he had done hits him. He confesses his sins and his repentance was far reaching, profound and sincere. He realises it needs to be far deeper than just saying ‘sorry’. He recognises his need for conversion, to turn around and let God change him. ‘Create in me a clean heart’ he says. Then he asks ‘Lord, open my lips and my mouth shall speak out your praise’. He lives in a world where animal sacrifice was part of religious practice but he utters the profound words ‘sacrifice to God is a broken spirit’, a flash of forward-looking words which could so easily have come from the New Testament, before returning, in the final verse, to the world of 1000BC and animal sacrifices again.
The short answer to why he was a man after God’s own heart was given in Acts 13:22 where St Paul says that he would do the will of God. The long answer is that David had a personal relationship with God. He believed his sin had spoilt this relationship. Yet as psalm 51 (50) unfolds we sense that he goes through sorrow for sin and repentance to forgiveness and a restored relationship with the God he loves.
The discussion which might develop from this Bible study often goes right to the heart of the Christian’s relationship with God. It also provides a biblical context in which to explore the Sacrament of Reconciliation
Lectio divina (divine reading) is led by the Holy Spirit himself. Any human leader is there to help to develop the prayerful atmosphere at the beginning and maybe to discern when to end the session. In an RCIA context the leader may need to take care that the group knows what it’s about and is in a spiritually ‘safe’ environment. People often use the following Sunday’s Gospel as the subject of Lectio divina but it could be any part of the Bible – or, indeed any other suitable spiritual writing. Strictly speaking in Lectio divina the group listen to a passage being read aloud and then sit prayerfully in silence allowing the words to sink in, peacefully discerning what the Holy Spirit is saying to them. After thoughtful reflection the passage is read again followed by further reflection. One may also do Lectio divina alone as prayer..
The way Lectio divina is often carried out at the moment often involves sharing of thoughts between the people during the reflection. The sharing of the thoughts of one person feeds into the reflection of the group. This can be very effective, indeed very wonderful, but there still needs to be a lot of silence amongst the sharing of what the Spirit is saying through the Word of God.
Lectio divina is not a Bible study, nor teaching nor is it instruction. It’s not a debate, not an opportunity for people to express their own opinions nor an intellectual exercise about doctrine. It is a form of spirituality. The participants need not know very much about the passage in advance – although it does help if there is some general understanding of scripture.
The idea of opening yourself to the Holy Spirit in prayerful silence will be a new idea to many RCIA group members. People who are used to it develop gifts of discernment. To introduce Lectio divina to ‘beginners’ the passage needs be short – perhaps one of the scripture texts from the Office (Habakkuk 3:17-19 works well). The leader needs to establish the prayerful silence carefully. It may be, at first, only a few minutes. Then, and only then, the leader may invite people to share the thoughts that came into their minds. As the group grows into Lectio divina the periods of silent reflection may increase with time but much depends on the discernment and sensitivity of the leaders. The members of the group need to learn. The leaders help them to do so – but cannot do it for them.
Learning verses of Scripture In the bibles which the Gideon’s leave in hotel bedrooms there are lists of verses to read in particular circumstances, such as depression, uncertainty and anxiety. I’ve heard of Christians reciting verses and calling it ‘sword practice’, for the word of God is powerful, like a two-edged sword (Hebrews 4:12). If you find yourself slipping into being judgemental it might be helpful to remember that Jesus said ‘Do not judge, and you will not be judged’ (Matthew 7:1). If you are tempted to gossip remember that St Paul said ‘Love does not rejoice in wrong-doing but finds its joy in the truth’(1 Corinthians 13:6). If you are feeling pleased with yourself after putting a £20 note in the collection, remember that St Paul also said ‘Though I should give away to the poor all that I possess – and even give up my body to be burned – if I am without love it will do me no good whatever’ (1 Corinthians 13:3). And if you find yourself saying ‘I’ve every right to be annoyed’ remember that St James says ‘God’s saving justice is never served by human anger’ (James 1:20).
When Jesus was tempted in the desert (Matthew & Luke Chapter 4) he used verses of scripture to defend himself. The devil also cited scripture for his purpose, although it was always in a misleading context which Jesus could always see through. Learning verses is a powerful weapon against temptation as part of a growing understanding of the context in which they are placed.
A facet of growing in reverence for the scripture as the precious Word of God
The Rite of Election approaches – are we ready?
On Sunday next, 1st Sunday of Lent, our catechumens and candidates from across the Diocese will gather in the Cathedral, and be presented to our Bishop with the words :
'They have found strength in God's grace, and support in our community's prayers and example. Now they ask that after the celebration of the scrutinies, they be allowed to participate in the sacraments of baptism, confirmation and the eucharist'.
Those who have journeyed with them to this point find them 'to be sincere in their desire. They have listened to the word of Christ,and endeavoured to follow his commands; they have shared the company of their Christian brothers and sisters and joined with them in prayer', and so the Bishop announces to all present 'that our community has decided to call them to the sacraments', and then once again, he seeks the opinions of the godparents:
'As God is your witness, do you consider these candidates worthy to be admitted to the sacraments of Christian initiation?'
'Have they faithfully listened to God's word proclaimed by the Church?'
Have they responded to that word and begun to walk in God's presence?
Have they shared the company of their Christian brothers and sisters and joined with them in prayer?
And then speakly directly to the catechumens, the Bishop invites them to 'express your response clearly and in the presence of the whole Church', after which they are declared 'members of the elect'. The whole Church are charged with acceptance of these 'chosen of the Lord', and asked to continue to sustain them through 'loving care and example'
Quite a responsibility. Are we ready?
Lent is offered as a gift for the healing, encouragement and renewal of all - the catechumens, candidates, both adults and children, and the whole community:
- to grow in love
- to overcome hesitations and trust in Christ
- to find joy in daily prayer and reflection on the scriptures
- to acknowledge faults and work to correct them
- to share with others the joy found in faith.
In other words, as described in the Rite (RCIA 125-126) it is more about interior reflection than catechetical instruction - a time intended to purify and enlighten minds and hearts through a deeper knowledge and experience of Christ. So let go of anxiety about 'have we given them enough doctrine'/'do they know enough' - after all, the Rite of Election reminds us very firmly that this is a process of initiation - and relax, and allow lent to be the time of 'retreat' and deepening of relationship with Christ.
A friend offered me this Lenten Prayer which may help us to get the focus for Lent right!
Fast from judging others; feast on the Christ dwelling within them. Fast from emphasis on differences; feast on the unity of all life. Fast from apparent darkness; feast on the realityof light. Fast from words that pollute; feast on phrases that purify. Fast from discontent; feast on gratitude. Fast from anger; feast on patience. Fast from pessimism; feast on optimism. Fast from worry; feast on trust. Fast from complaining; feast on appreciation. Fast from negatives; feast on affirmatives; fast from unrelenting pressures; feast on unceasing prayer. Gentle God, during the season of feasting and fasting, gift us with Your Presence, so we can be gift to others in carrying out your work. Amen.
At the Turning of the Year
Readers in the UK will know that many people are beset with huge problems caused by storms and what meteorologists have called a "once-in-a-thousand-year-rainfall-event". For those waiting to go home to see just how bad the damage to their homes has been - for the rescue workers and emergency services - for engineers trying to ensure the safety of highways and bridges - for teachers and students wondering whether schools should risk reopening - for all of these folk, the reality of the next few weeks as we approach the Christmas festivities will be bleak indeed. It all probably feels pretty apocalyptic - echoing some of the readings that the Church puts before us at this time of year. For all of us in the northern hemisphere, the nights are going to draw in still further until we reach the winter solstice - the weather will get colder - possibly wilder, windier and wetter - winter really is strengthening its grip ... and for some of us, the idea of hibernation for humans seems an increasingly good idea!
But the Gospel messages of the weeks ahead will be "Stay Awake!" "Be ready!" Rather than curling up somewhere cosy and letting the world go by until the warm weather returns, we are exhorted to stay awake - to be ready - to read the signs - to keep faith.
Many places will be preparing to celebrate the Rites of Acceptance and Welcome, marking a new stage in the journeys of faith of catechumens and those preparing to be received into the Church. It often seems appropriate to mark the beginning of a new Church Year by honouring this new beginning for them. And, in the midst of deepening darkness, this shared looking ahead to the new life of baptism and Easter is a powerful sign of faith and hope - for those at the "receiving end" and for the parish communities witnessing it.
The Christian message is that, when things seem at their darkest, there is hope -the promise of light. Unless people have walked in darkness there is no need for a prophet to assure them that they will see a great light. If people have not known oppression (in one of its many forms), there is no reason for them to long for liberation. If we have not experienced the weariness of journeys (actual or of life itself), how can we welcome the promise that rough places will be made smooth for us, paths that seem to be going nowhere will finally show us the way forward - that insurmountable obstacles will be laid low and valleys of despondency raised up? Life's experience takes us through the dark as well as the light. We have four more weeks of days getting shorter to get through - and several more months of wintry weather - but in these days, we know things are on the turn. We have the witness of people who have found in our communities something that has been as a light to them - something (or rather Someone) they have chosen to follow.
Suggested ritual for the Turning of the Year
Either on your own - or with a group - reflect back on the year just gone... and name some of the blessings received.
Dim the lights - if possible aim for total darkness - and reflect and, where appropriate, name some of the dark things that have affected you and the world over the year (and, possibly, longer). Simply let the words drop into the darkness - don't judge or, if in a group, comment or engage in conversation about them ...
When you feel ready - or people in the group have shared all they wish to, light a taper or candle (a lit tee-light tucked out of sight can make this a little less obtrusive than lighting a match!). You might like to use a psalm - part of Ps 27 or 43, for example, or the second of the Opening Prayers for next Sunday's Mass;
Father in heaven,
our hearts desire the warmth of your love
and our minds are searching for the light of your Word.
(At this point, you might wish to light a candle, perhaps the first in an Advent wreath)
Then continue (perhaps have the words below printed for the group to join in)
Increase our longing for Christ our Saviour
and give us the strength to grow in love,
that the dawn of his coming
may he find us rejoicing in his presence
and welcome the light of his truth.
Amen.
You Can’t Be Serious!
Over the past couple of Sundays the foot stamping antics of the bold John McEnroe questioning the referee decisions at Wembley seem very appropriate. It is easy to imagine Peter and the other disciples talking among themselves saying “He can’t be serious?”
“How could He possibly mean that the whole adventure will end in total failure? – on a Cross! Surely not!”
“And what does he mean by saying we must become like a stateless child, one who has no say and that’s the way to leadership!”
“And we must work with others who are outside our group and not shut them up!”
He can’t be serious – but maybe He is.
A number of years ago with a small group we visited the Basilica of St Francis in Assisi – it was a most moving occasion. What stayed with me, however, aren’t the beautiful frescos by Giotto or even the image of Francis himself but the question put to us by the American Friar who led us around the building. “Before we begin, can I ask you; “Are you here as tourists or pilgrims?” Rather shame faced we replied “Pilgrims”. Then he said “Great – I will try to bring you into something of the experience of Francis.”
The question has continued to haunt me. Am I a tourist or a pilgrim? – The tourist goes on a journey and tries to capture the moment taking the photo before even looking at the scene, trying to capture the moment - a journey of refreshment and hopefully excitement but essentially the tourist doesn’t change. The adventure just adds to his or her levels of experience and possible knowledge. The Pilgrim on the other hand sets out on a journey where hopefully he or she will experience change, possibly radical change, and come back seeing with different eyes, becoming, in the words of St Paul, a new creation.
These past few weeks are definitely an invitation by the Man Himself to get off the tourist journey into becoming an Adult Christian and move away from a rather shallow discipleship – away from the pick and mix of many a market based media approach to spirituality with instant formation and preference. The invitation is to step into deeper waters, to reflect and grapple with the riddles and ambiguities of the Man from Galilee – a task not just for one or two evenings but for years to come.
How is it possible to die and rise again – to be open to complete failure– and make that a creative way of life?
If we are caught up in the language and behaviour of “Who is the greatest?” what hope is there for true peace?
The great Mohammed Ali, used the phrase “I am the Greatest” not simply as a sign of personal vanity but as a profound challenge to the prejudices and bigotry of his own nation at a time when black people were very definitely second class citizens. Is it possible to use the language of dying and rising, becoming like a child, working with those outside of our group, beyond the pale, in a similar imaginative way?
The challenge to catechists, inquirers and catechumens is to allow the gospels of these weeks to find a deep home within and to resist the temptation to water down these radical sayings of Jesus and like the disciples to hide behind: “We don’t understand what he’s saying and we’re afraid to ask”. Or like the disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane to simply run away.
Surely! He can’t be serious?
YES – AMEN
Tomorrow is the 16th June. In Dublin it is a special day. The 16th June is known as Bloomsday – the story of one day in the life of the characters in James Joyce’s amazing novel Ulysses along with a celebration of the city of Dublin itself. The book opens with one of the characters, stately plumb Buck Mulligan, climbing a tower with his dressing gown , ungirdled and sustained behind him by the mild morning air holding aloft his shaving bowl and intoning “Introibo ad altare Dei”.
It is to say the least a slightly irreverent opening as the action of the ‘stately plump’ figure and his action mirrors the action of the priest, as he would have celebrated the Mass of the Tridintine Rite, holding the host aloft with the altar server holding the priestly vestments behind him. And, of course, the words ‘Introibo ad altare Dei’ were the introductory Latin words of the Mass, as it was celebrated, when the book was written. However, apart from the irreverence perhaps a deeper message is being offered to us!
In the old rite when the priest and the server entered into the sanctuary of the church to celebrate Mass – the gates were closed. Symbolically the priest was entering into the presence of God where only the ‘holy’ could enter. The rest were present, looking on from a distance, often with heads bowed. Behind the altar rails was where God was to be found. In Joyce’s novel the ‘altar of God’ is not enclosed but out in the open air. The altar of God is found in the strange, imaginative, complex, even seedy lives both of the characters and city. In the course of one day, a day which takes over 930 pages to describe, the final word to all the complexity, richness and imaginative lives of the characters and city is YES. Yes to life. Yes to the altar of our lives. It is such a great word – Yes. In the words of the poet Brendan Kennelly
“I am always beginning to appreciate
The agony from which it is born.
Clues from here and there
Suggest such agony is hard to bear
But is the shaping God
Of the word that we
Sometimes hear, and struggle to be.”
Both James Joyce and Brendan Kennelly are, knowingly or unknowingly, reflecting the most profound insights of St Paul who, writing to the church in Corinth, has much to say about Yes. “For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, whom we proclaimed among you, Silvanus and Timothy and I, was not “Yes and No”; but in him it is always “Yes”. For in him every one of God’s promises is a “Yes.” For this reason it is through him that we say the “Amen” to the glory of God.” (2 Corinthians 1:19-20). Learning that God’s word to us is “Yes” and that that “Yes” finds its fullest expression in the person of Jesus of Nazareth is not necessarily easy. Yet it lies at the heart of the celebration of the feast of Corpus Christi, which we celebrated yesterday. When we are offered communion during the Eucharist, the Priest or Minister of the Eucharist holds out the host and says “The Body of Christ” and we answer “Amen” – What we are saying is “Yes! – this is the body of Christ” But we are also saying “Yes – ‘I am’ the body of Christ and ‘we are’ the body of Christ.’
YES – AMEN – let us go into the altar of God – the God of our lives
EUROCAT 2009: when strangers meet
For us, it’s twenty-one years since the publication of the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults in English(1988),and some forty-four years since the Vatican II call for the restoration of the catechumenate (Decree on the Missionary Activity of the Church, Ad Gentes Dec 1965). At the end of this week there is to be European gathering of representatives involved in the catechumenate (‘Eurocat’), with delegates expected from 22 countries, east to west, north to south. Each delegation is asked to provide a ‘poster’ of statistics from their context, together with a written report, and will have the opportunity to speak about the state of the catechumenate and the challenges faced.
So what are the good things? And the challenges? Although we do not have a ‘desk’ for the catechumenate at national level, as many countries do, the RCIA Network for England and Wales does have membership in most dioceses. Together we build on the good work that many dioceses are doing, and aim to encourage and share resources, both people and materials. From Network conference and study day participants over the years, and from those working in advisory roles, we hear that although many dioceses have identified ‘mission’ as important, this model is not always connected with RCIA. Statistics are available as to the numbers attending the Rite of Election in each diocese, as well as adult baptisms and receptions. Do these provide a full picture of catechumenal activity? What proportion of parishes in each diocese see themselves as initiating communities? How are those already graced through Baptism received into full communion in our parishes? How do we begin to integrate candidates and catechumens into the life of the community from the very start?
At the moment you may be aware that the Network is engaged in producing material that will support formation of parish ‘teams’. There are Network study days this year on the Role of the Assembly, with workshops on Receiving the Baptised and Formation of Teams. Work is also being done in collaboration with the Bishops Conference Department for Christian Life & Worship on Guidelines for Christian Initiation of Children of Catechetical Age.
The Eurocat conference theme is ‘Integration’ looking at what happens when strangers meet, and the psychological aspects of integration of newcomers into existing social systems. Please remember the conference in your prayer – perhaps with echoes of today’s Gospel in mind. There will be much telling of stories of ‘what has happened on the road’ in different lands, and perhaps some ‘agitation and doubts’. But above all, hearing Christ speak ‘It is I’ in all of these.