The Feast of The Epiphany~The Rt.Rev. Michael Beckett, OPI

Today we mark the end of the Christmas season – the Day of Epiphany.  We celebrate this day to reflect on the visit of the Magi – the wise men – to Jesus and the giving of their gifts. We reflect on the meaning of this visit of those wise ones to see Jesus.

Epiphany is about Jesus and his message being available and relevant to people of every age and race. Jesus isn’t just a Jewish prophet with an exciting message, but God made present amongst us and available to all of us to worship and follow. God’s love reaches beyond the everyday barriers of race and class; something the Magi didn’t quite get at first.

So Who Were the Magi?

We don’t know much about the Magi from Scripture. All Saint Matthew tells us is that they were “Magi from the East”. Some translations have “Wise men from the East”. The word in Greek refers to priests of the Zoroastrian religion. They came from Persia, the countries now known as Iran and Iraq, and they saw meaning in the movement of the stars. Their visit fits an Eastern pattern of great births being accompanied by momentous events in the sky. Certainly we know of a comet in 11BCE in Gemini with its head towards Leo, seen by many as a symbol of Judah.  We also know of planetary conjunctions in both 7BCE and 6 BCE which would have added to a sense that momentous happenings were on the way. The Magi would have noticed these things and taken them seriously. But who were they?

One commentator, Brian Stoffregen puts it like this;

“Originally in Persia, Magi were dream- interpreters. By Jesus’ time, the term referred to astronomers, fortune-tellers, or star-gazers.   They were horoscope fanatics – a practice condemned by Jewish standards. We might compare them to people in fortune – telling booths, or people on the “psychic hotline” or other “occupations” that foretell the future by stars, tea leaves, Tarot cards etc. They were magicians, astronomers, star-gazers, pseudo-scientists, fortune tellers..”

Another writer, Nathan Nettleton, puts it like this;

“They were the speakers of the sacred words at the pagan sacrifices. At worst, the term referred to a magician or sorcerer, or even a deceiver. Magi were people whose activities were repeatedly condemned and prohibited throughout the scriptures and were completely anathema to the people of Israel.”

Whilst in English we get the words “magic” and “magician” from Magi, the Zoroastrian religion forbade sorcery. They clearly were looking for a new king and had found meaning in the movement of the planets and stars which led them to come to Israel to greet the new-born king. They journeyed from their homes in Persia to Bethlehem in search of this baby. Instead of angels and visions, we have the image of the Magi following a sign in the skies – in nature – and for a long period of time. The magi see the intentions of God in the skies. This is not new: Psalm 19 tells us that the heavens themselves declare who God is, and that his handiwork is seen in created nature.  “We observed his star at its rising”. The magi know that there is something significant happening.

When did they come?

The Gospel of Saint Luke doesn’t mention the Magi and holds that the Holy Family returned to Nazareth after the presentation of Jesus at the Temple where he was circumcised. It’s probable that Saint Luke didn’t know of this episode in Jesus’ early life. Saint Matthew seems to place the visit of the Magi some time after Jesus’ birth. The Holy Family are in a “house” not in the
stable of the inn.  Herod kills all the newborn boys under the age of two years. So it’s likely that the Holy Family had stayed for some time in Bethlehem and the Magi came some time after Jesus’ birth, perhaps as long as two years after.

WHY did they come?

Clearly, the Magi were searching.  The Magi recognized much of the truth of Jesus, who he was and what he would become.  The magi had a general idea of this God and this King of the Jews, but they didn’t really know who or what they were looking for.  Bono and U2 were criticized some years ago by some supposedly orthodox Christians when they produced a song entitled, “I still haven’t found what I am looking for.”  I can’t see the problem with that especially given the spiritual depths in many of their songs. You see, the example of the Magi was that they were searchers, not really knowing what or who they were looking for.  They didn’t claim to have it all but they saw their lives as a journey of discovery. And in that they are an example to us. We don’t know it all. But if we like them are prepared to be diligent seekers, then like them we may be graced by God’s light, by our Epiphany.  When the wise men finally found Jesus, we are told that their first response was joy – “they were overwhelmed with joy”. That is what happens when we find Jesus. This is what awaits us at the end of the journey. Next, they paid him homage – they worshiped him and acknowledged Him as King. After the joy comes the worship. That means acknowledging Jesus as King. Jesus as the center. Jesus as Lord. And then, after joy and after worship, comes offering of their gifts. In response to who Jesus is and the joy He gives, we offer ourselves and our gifts to Him.

So my message for today is to dare, like them, to take the risk of seeking, and God may well bless us with our own Epiphanies which transform us as doubtless the Magi were transformed by what must have been a surprising experience for them as they knelt before the infant Jesus.

So how do you find Jesus? Maybe you can start out like the Magi – with a general idea of God, and a general idea that He is guiding you. Like the Magi, we need to turn to the scriptures. If you don’t read them, you will never really get the specific directions that God is trying to give you. Approach them with the right spirit, the right purpose. Ask for help along the way – the church, God’s people, are meant to help you along that way. The wise men knew when they needed to ask someone else for help. And pray. Ask God. When you find Jesus, rejoice. After all, He is God. Put Him in the center of your life. Ask yourself whether what you are doing honors him a King. Offer to him what you have, who you are.

Where can this Jesus be found?  He is with you now.  Won’t you seek Him?  Won’t you recognize Him?  Won’t you let Him fill YOUR life with joy?  Amen. 

Suffering, Growing and Living in Faith ~ The Feast of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton~The Very Rev Lady Sherwood, OPI

Today we come together as the church to commemorate the Memorial of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton who is my name saint within the Order of preachers Independent, due to our Prior (and Presiding Bishop) feeling there are similarities between the life of St. Elizabeth  Ann Seton and that of my own life

Throughout all of Biblical history and even still in our current times, we sometimes come across people who have endured much within their lives and who, regardless of this, remain strong and devout within their faith. Today we remember St Elizabeth, whom is one such person from whose life, heart and devotion, we can take inspiration within our own spiritual life.

Elizabeth was the first native-born citizen of the United States to be Canonized to sainthood.

Elizabeth was born as Elizabeth Ann Bayley in New York city on the 28th August in the year 1774, and she was a child of the Revolutionary war. She was raised Episcopalian which was the faith of her parents.

Elizabeth married at the  tender young age of only nineteen years old, to a man named William Magee Seton. He was a young but wealthy merchant and together they parented a total of five children.

Elizabeth had a very deep devout faith and concern for the poor even as a  very young woman and she shared this devotion with her sister-in-law,  who was Rebecca Seton, and with whom she became very close friends. Together, Elizabeth and Rebecca undertook various missions for the poor and for the needy of their region and they adopted the name of the ‘Protestant Sisters of Charity` for their mission works.

Elizabeth’s life changed after only the short time of four years of marriage and her life became rather burdensome in nature. Elizabeth and her husband were left with the responsibility for seven half-brothers and sisters of William’s father when he died in the year 1798.

Elizabeth suffered even further in the year 1801, when her own father with whom she had a  very close relationship, especially since the loss of her mother at aged only three,   himself passed into the care of the Lord.

Then yet again she suffered after only another two years, when both her husband’s business and his health failed. Filing for bankruptcy, Elizabeth and her husband sailed to Italy to help his health and to try to revive his business.

Whilst in Italy, Elizabeth suffered even further, as William’s condition worsened. He was quarantined and subsequently died of Tuberculosis in December of 1803. Elizabeth remained in Italy for several months after his death and during this time, was more fully exposed to the Catholic faith.

Elizabeth returned to New York city in June of 1804, only to suffer yet again with the loss of her dear friend and sister-in=law, Rebecca Seton, in the very next month.

At only the young thirty years of age, Elizabeth had endured the loss of so many who were close to her and she seemed to have the weight of the world upon her shoulders. Even so, throughout all this, Elizabeth still remained fervent in her faith.

The months ahead were life-changing for Elizabeth and she seemed ever more drawn to the Catholic faith and to the Mother Church, much to the horror of her friends and her remaining family who were firmly Protestant.

Elizabeth Ann Seton was received into the Catholic Church on the 4th March 1805. Her conversion cost her dearly in the areas of her friendships and in the support from her remaining family.

Elizabeth relocated to the Baltimore area and there she established a school for girls. She also founded a religious community along with two other young women and she took vows before the Archbishop Carroll as a member of the Sisters of Charity of St Joseph. From this time forward, Elizabeth was known as Mother Seton and she left a legacy of care and education for the poor. She even established the first free Catholic school of the nation.

In so many ways, the journey into the Catholic faith, helped Elizabeth to much more appreciate and to embrace her faith even more profoundly. Elizabeth was willing to endure all things to follow Christ. In her journal, she even wrote, ‘If I am right Thy grace impart still in the right to stay. If I am wrong Oh, teach my heart to find the better way’.

Many of us who have chosen the Catholic faith have experienced some setbacks and have had to endure issues with relationships, but for this brave and devout woman of faith, the cost was even greater.

Elizabeth died aged only 46 on January 4th 1821 from Tuberculosis and she was Canonized on September 14th 1975.

On this your special day, St Elizabeth Ann Seton, Pray for all of us who follow your pathway of faith. Pray that we likewise to yourself will say yes and will accept all that will come to us in the years ahead, and to allow our earthly endurance to further our faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.

Amen.

The Feast of the Holy Family~The Rev. Frank Bellino,OPI

A young soldier once wrote to his father, complaining of his many duties and the demands of the military life, even rising in the early hours to begin the day. His father was not impressed, and replied: ‘My boy, your mother and I must get up three or four times a night to calm a crying baby [they had just had their fourteenth child], and that is less romantic than your physical training. (Howard Twilley)

Many of the abilities and abilities we possess as adults and probably never comprehend are due to our parent’s unrelenting sacrifice. Brushing teeth, tying laces, riding bikes: nobody is born with these abilities – someone has had to endure boredom of the highest level, repeating the same old thing repeatedly and again for our sake. How bored my mother must have been spending night after night throwing me in the air whenever I managed to read a word correctly (I had stubbornly refused to start reading), but it worked, and I was soon reading without any encouragement.

Every one of us has the benefit of numerous acts of generosity and sacrifice. That is what it means to be part of a family, to be a part of a community where people give themselves freely so others can grow and develop. I exist against a hidden backdrop of generation after generation, a story of formation in human life of which I am a part of the chain.

Jesus, as the genealogies in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke remind us, is a part of a family story, he exists against a backdrop of generation formation, of sacrifice and generosity. In the Gospel, we see Jesus’ immediate family situation shifted to the limit through anxiety and fear of loss.

Mary and Joseph have searched for three days and three nights for Jesus, and when they find him in the Temple his words must have cast a shadow over the life they lived together: ‘Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house.’ The child given to them to raise, to sacrifice for, is destined to be the sacrifice of liberation for the whole human race. Jesus’ destiny is to give everything back to the source of creation, so that it may be renewed and recreated. He tells us that the backdrop of all things is the patient generosity of the Father, who will sacrifice even his own Son so that we may have a life.

Therefore, the holy family is a family learning to live backwards. The child is often the image of the parents, but in this family, Mary is in the image of her Son: without sin she is a mirror for the newness of what God is doing in Christ, and Joseph – like us a sinner – is called to let that image be formed in him patiently, through the graces of the Holy Spirit working within him.

This family, called to form and raise a boy, is a school where the adults are established through knowing and loving the child. The Gospel contrasts the scribes in the Temple, amazed at the wisdom of the boy Jesus, as so many will be amazed at his words in his earthly ministry – an amazement so compatible with taking offence, rejecting Jesus, putting him to death. Those entrusted with teaching Israel will not desire to learn, will not be able to see.

Mary, we are told, kept all these things in her heart. Mary’s humility allows her to be taught by her own child, and so she can become more deeply in the image of the one who is the true image of the Father. Going back to Nazareth Jesus is obedient to Mary and Joseph and grows in stature. The holy family is a place of passing on the story of human life, of the old transforming into the young. Moreover, this family is a place where the young shape the old, where the heart must grow older as it contemplates the face of Christ.

As much of what we do is passing on, passing on the benefits of human life and human life to those who will come after us. Whether it is our savings, the future good of the planet, or a love for great literature, human beings seek to convey it to others. But not everything is passing away into the future. The child born of Mary has come to renew humanity, to bring it back to life in the freshness of God’s Holy Spirit through the merciful patience of the Father.

A Light Shines in the Darkness: Feast of the Holy Innocents~Br Milan Komadina

“Always remember that God only makes happy endings. If it’s not happy, then it’s not yet the end. Live by love and hope. There is always something to look forward.“ This quote stands pinned on my IG profile and likewise it is the first post in it. Once when I randomly saw this quote I was impressed and I identified my own beliefs with it. So, I decided to save it, post it and pin it in order to see it often. I always tried to think positive and always tried to keep my faith in positive income of every life circumstance. As we often have bad days or negative situations. Somewhere I learnt how good way to go thought them is in changing our own approach and the way see them. So, I started to believe that everything happens with a reason. Everything is there with its purpose and sometimes bad experiences were only signs to lead us to a better place. Or they were just lessons that we had to learn.

Today we read John 1/1-5. This is yet another quote that I use as my Life motto “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. Alpha and Omega is God – the beginning and the end. As we know that God is light we could rest assured that light is eternal beginning and eternal end. Darkness is temporal. Darkness has its expiry moment it is not eternal. Same applies to everything negative that is going on in this world and in our lives. Modern psychology teaches us about the importance of positive attitude. This is beautiful but it is even more beautiful when we read about positive attitude in the Bible. Indirectly, through meditation and prayer.

When I moved to Germany I experienced many difficulties. I had problem to find a suitable job. And the job I was doing was very hard. I had struggles to learn the language and I had many temptations. Luckily I found there Church of Christ the King. And in all my struggles going to the church and attending the liturgy was helping me to overcome those difficulties. After several months God served in front of my eyes a happy ending. I learnt the language to intermediate level and I found a job that I loved. A couple of years ago I had similar experience. I was struggling for many months and wasted lot of energy trying to do jobs I was not happy with and at last I found a company where I was happy and I stayed within until I decided to move to Germany.

There is a popular singer song saying “All the world is a stage and everyone has their part.” Sometimes the story goes that our role is to be heartbroken and that’s how the show goes. But at the end applause and the light will be what we finally receive. Along with the applause curtains fall down and the entire theater is filled with the light. Remember our life is as a theater and God gives us roles to play. But no matter what role we play, a happy or a sad story it always starts with the light and it always ends with the light. Just like in the theater. As it is written in today’s Gospel – the light shines with the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it.

Keeping the Faith: The Feast of St. Stephen the Martyr~The Very Rev Lady Sherwood, OPI

My Dearest brothers and sisters in Christ!  We have just celebrated both Christmas eve, and only yesterday, we celebrated Christmas day itself, the Wonderful feast of the birth of  Jesus, Our Lord and Saviour. We have reflected upon the little newborn babe in the crib,  we have sung carols such as “silent night” and “Hark the Herald Angel’s Sing”, as well as other hymns and Carols, and no doubt festive non religious merry Christmas  tunes of all varieties as well, and we have heard about the tidings of peace, joy and salvation to all the world. And suddenly today, in stark contrast, we are clothed in blood-red vestments, we hear of the bloody death of Stephen, and of Jesus’ warnings of persecution, death, and hatred for his name’s sake. So, Is there a connection between Christmas and the first Holy martyr Stephen? How are we to make sense of this dramatic sudden contrast? Does it mean we shouldn’t take the beauty and the peace of Christmas too seriously? Does it mean that Christmas is merely a wonderful story, but that the reality is indeed extremely different…?

Not at all!! The long tradition of the Church in celebrating the memorial of St. Stephen the day after Christmas does not serve to demote Christmas in any way whatsoever, but to continue it, to strengthen it, and to manifest more clearly in our hearts the important meaning of the Christmas celebration. Jesus became mankind, he became born as an earthly child, so to in in his adult earthly years, to sacrifice himself for us and for our salvation.  He wanted as he wants today and always, for us to give him his rightful place within our hearts.  So after Christmas, the birth of the small Jesus, we contemplate also the birth of the Church,  because Our Lord was and is the Church, he was the church as a child.

Now when Jesus comes to dwell in our hearts, that cannot remain without effect upon us.  When Our Lord  and Saviour, who can do all things dwells within us, he transforms our hearts, and thus makes a difference in our attitudes towards one another and toward life.  St. Stephen’s life is an excellent example of this. As one of the first deacons he had a double task. He was assigned to the service of the tables, to the “service of love” to the poor, so that the Apostles would have more time for their preaching. But Stephen also had the gift of preaching, and so he would also perform the ministry of truth. Stephen, trusting in Jesus, devoted himself whole-heartedly to the tasks entrusted into him. He was stoned to death because his preaching of Jesus as the Son of God was considered blasphemy. Now, we might think that if Stephen, had been far more considerate of the understanding and passion of his Jewish brothers for the oneness of God, and had spoken more carefully about Jesus, that he would not have been stoned, that maybe he could have continued to preach about Jesus, and that by doing this,he could have done more good….

But St. Stephen make no compromises concerning the truth. He proclaims the Jesus who revealed himself and the one truth whom he had come to know. But he does not proclaim this truth by way of any violence or hatred, but in instead in the acts of love and self-giving. Until the last moment he forgives the men who kill him. As Jesus prayed for those who killed him, so St. Stephen prayed, “Lord, do not count this sin against them!” And his witness, his death was fruitful for us as members of the Church. The remembrance of this witness, for example, probably helped Saul later to accept Christ’s message as the truth, and to later become the great Apostle Paul.

St. Stephen is an excellent example to us of true and unwavering faithfulness to Jesus, an example of holding fast to the truth in love. This is an example of the way we all should and want to go within our lives. This path of truth and salvation is not always easy. It is not always easy to avoid deviating from the correct path in one way or another. Sometimes one hears that faithful Christians, in order to be tolerant of others, must abandon the claim to truth, that they must not proclaim or hold the faith as truth or even as true, for that to some, may lead to intolerance and to hatred. But the example of St. Stephen shows us clearly that the world needs the witness of the truth, and that it is possible to preach this truth with steadfast conviction and yet without  any violence or hate, but in the acts of love and self-giving.

Let us pray to Jesus, who came into this world as a child for our sakes, that we have the courage and the wisdom to profess our faith in our family life, in our workplaces, in our society, wherever we are, in a convinced and convincing loving manner, as St. Stephen did. Amen.

He Is Born!

A Reading from the Second Chapter of the Holy Gospel According to Luke:

2 In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2 (This was the first census that took place while[a] Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 And everyone went to their own town to register.

4 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.

8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven,
    and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17 When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

Say Yes to God

Photo by Ron Lach on Pexels.com

A Reading from the First Chapter of the Gospel according to Luke:

26 In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”

29 Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30 But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”

34 “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”

35 The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called[b] the Son of God. 36 Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. 37 For no word from God will ever fail.”

38 “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her.

Hope, Preparation, and Bravery ~The Rev Frank Bellino, OPI

When we are baptized, and again at our Confirmation, we are anointed to take part in Christ’s threefold ministry of prophet, priest, and king. A great deal of modern theology, particularly modern Catholic theology, emphasizes that the Church must own a ‘prophetic’ role in the modern world.

Perhaps especially in this season of Advent, as we prepare ourselves to celebrate Christ’s first coming two-thousand years ago, and as we look forward with renewed hope to the time when Christ will come in glory, we should also ask ourselves how we are called to prepare the world, too, for the coming of Christ. What is the purpose of us to share in the prophetic ministry?

John the Baptist was the last and greatest of the prophets, the bridge between the Old Testament and the New Testament; and perhaps the most important thing about him is that he always points away from himself and toward Christ. He strongly denies that he is the Messiah, refuses to accept any title or status for himself, but rather directs all the attention of those who listen to his message towards the Light of the World.

We, too, must begin our task of prophecy by remembering that we are not called to this ministry in order to express our own opinions, to bask in the adulation of admiring listeners, or even — as perhaps is more likely in today’s indifferent and cynical world — to give ourselves something to moan about when our voice goes unheard. When we celebrate Christmas, we celebrate the fact that it was God himself who came into our world, became a member of human society in order to redeem that society, precisely because humanity is incapable of saving itself.

We must not be afraid to admit that, left to our own devices, we are without hope, for our hope is in the one who is God, Jesus Christ our Lord. The message of Christmas is that we are not left to our own devices, since God is with us.

For all that is different about our world from the way it was in Palestine two-thousand years ago, the one thing that seems always to be the same is the desperate need for hope. It is our job to bring to the world that message of hope, that death is not the end, that poverty, disease, hunger, fear and hatred will not have the last word; the message of John the Baptist, in fact: Repent, for the Kingdom of God is at hand.

So, dare we share in John’s mission? The story the Gospels relate about John the Baptist may seem strange and even alienating, with a central figure we might find unbelievable, or possibly frightening. Should we meet such a figure today, would we not mock him, or lock him away in a mental hospital, protecting ourselves as we so often do from anything that challenges our comfortable world-view with a combination of laughter and violence?

No doubt John the Baptist faced scorn and hatred during his ministry — we get just a hint of it coming from the Pharisees in today’s gospel reading — and in this way too his life pointed towards Christ, who died under an onslaught of hatred and mockery. What we need to ask ourselves is if we are aligned with those who find John today a ludicrous and despicable figure.

Even some who profess to admire Jesus Christ will strongly dislike John the Baptist, seeing him as ‘too Old Testament’, too out-of-touch, too unreal. Yet if John always pointed towards Christ, then to despise the one is to despise the other, and the Jesus that such people claim to admire must be a false Christ of their own invention.

So, we must be willing, every one of us, to be victims of mockery and intense dislike just as much as John the Baptist; for this is what it is to be a prophet. Let us not get carried away with romantic ideas about what it is to be a voice crying in the wilderness, though: we are not Winston Churchill in the 1930s, waiting for an opportunity to say ‘I told you so’; we are not glamorous rebels, icons of disaffected youth like Che Guevara or Kurt Cobain.

Some of this romanticism has infected the normally-sober world of biblical scholarship, for students of the Old Testament prophets often like to quote the saying that a prophet was ‘not a foreteller but a forth-teller’, not someone who could foresee the future but one with a radical new message for the present.

Though there is an element of truth in this, it becomes clear when one reads the prophetic books that for the most part the prophets were not so much calling for a radical overhaul of Israelite society as reminding the people of God of their obligations, re-calling them to their vocation. No doubt they seemed like tiresome nags to those who had turned from the God of their fathers to false idols, especially the false idols our own society continues to worship power, wealth, sex and national pride.

This is the ministry in which we share: not a glamorous one, not one that will bring us admiration and popularity, but — for the most part — dislike, scorn or, if we are lucky, indifference. Yet just as John the Baptist’s ministry was vindicated by the coming of Christ, a coming that has truly brought joy to the world, so our prophetic ministry will be vindicated when he comes again in glory.

We are, after all, foretellers and not just forth-tellers, because we point with our whole lives towards the coming of Christ, and he is the future.

2

To Be a Saint: The Feast of St. Lucy ~ The Rev. Dcn. Dollie Wilkinson, OPI

Our Beloved Sister Dollie Wilkinson, OPI, loved the Feast of St. Lucy.  Today, as a memorial to Sister Dollie, we reprise one of her posts about one of her favorite saints.)     

 

We often hear the common phrase, “He/She must be a saint.” when referencing someone who does good for others, or has suffered much but still perseveres. But what is actually required for the Church to declare someone a saint. Evidently this isn’t a quick, or easy, process. There are five important steps to sainthood:

First, the person’s local bishop investigates their life by gathering information from witnesses of their life and any writings they may have written. If the bishop finds them to be worthy of being a saint, then he submits the information that he gathered to the Vatican’s Congregation for the Causes of Saints.

Second, the Congregation for the Causes of Saints can choose to reject the application or accept it and begin their own investigation of the person’s life. If the application is accepted, the person may be called Servant of God.

Third, if the Congregation for the Causes of Saints approves of the candidate, they can choose to declare that the person lived a life heroically virtuous life. This isn’t a declaration that the person is in heaven, but that they pursued holiness while here on earth. If this is indeed found to be the case, the person may be called Venerable.

Fourth, to be recognized as someone in heaven requires that a miracle has taken place through the intercession of that person. The miracle is usually a healing. The healing has to be instantaneous, permanent, and complete while also being scientifically unexplainable. Miracles have to be first verified as scientifically unexplainable by a group of independent doctors, then the person is approved by a panel of theologians, and then the final approval lies with the pope. If this is the case, a person is declared a Blessed.

Note: Besides the number of miracles attributed to them, the difference between is a blessed and a saint is that the scope of devotion for a blessed is narrower – usually limited to a specific group of people or a particular region of the world while a saint is held up for devotion for the universal Church.

Fifth, a second miracle is needed in order to declare someone a Saint. The confirmation of a second miracle goes through the same scrutiny as the first.

The five-step process is a general outline for how someone becomes a saint. There are definitely exceptions to this process and situations that may change the process as well. So how is it, a mere slip of a girl, become a saint? She is one of eight women who, along with the Blessed Virgin Mary, are commemorated by name in the Canon of the Mass. Her feast day, known as Saint Lucy’s Day, is celebrated in the West on December 13th.

St. Lucy was born into a rich noble Roman family. At a very young age she lost her father who was a Christian. Lucy was left behind with a huge dowry. Lucy’s mother wanted Lucy to marry a rich pagan man. Lucy, being a virtuous young woman, did not want to marry a pagan man. Lucy asked her mother to distribute the dowry among the poor. The mother did not agree. As a young teenager, Lucy had already consecrated her virginity and life to God. She was zealously working in the service of God helping the poor.

In addition she helped her fellow Catholics hiding in the dark underground catacombs who were at risk of suffering persecution. She would wear a wreath of candles on her head to find her way in the dark, as her hands were full of food and drink for the people. Lucy was also well known for her beautiful eyes. It was said that her eyes radiated her love for Christ.

Lucy’s mother became very ill from a bleeding problem. She had tried many treatments, but failed. Lucy then asked her mother to accompany her to Saint Agatha’s shrine where they both prayed all night. Due to exhaustion, they both fell asleep near St. Agatha’s tomb. St. Agatha had appeared to Lucy in a dream and gave her the good news that her mother was healed. Saint Agatha further informed Lucy that she will be the glory of Syracuse – the city where Saint Lucy lived.

Lucy’s mother, convinced with her miracle cure, then complied with Lucy’s request to distribute their wealth among the poor. The pagan man who proposed to Lucy was furious when he heard the news. He decided to destroy Lucy’s life denouncing her as a Christian to the Governor of Syracuse, Sicily.

That was a time when many Christians were persecuted for their faith. The governor sent his guards to forcibly take Lucy to a brothel house and then insult her in public. When the soldiers came to take her, Lucy was so filled with the Holy Spirit that she could not be moved. They claimed that she was heavier than a mountain. When the Governor questioned her as to how she could stay strong, she claimed that it was the power of Jesus her Lord and God. Finally they tortured Lucy to death and she died as a martyr.

There are two legendary stories about St Lucy’s eyes. As Lucy had beautiful eyes, the pagan man who was proposed to marry Lucy, wanted Lucy’s eyes. One story tells us that Lucy gifted her eyes to the pagan man, and asked him to leave her alone. The second story tells us that during the torture, Lucy’s eyes were taken out and that God had restored her eyes back. Either way, Lucy’s eyes were taken out and God had restored her eyes. That was the reason she became the patron saint for people who are blind and with eye problems.

The most important aspect of her story was that Lucy was such a brave young woman, who was zealous in giving her life to God. She was ready to give her eyes and even her life, but stood strong in her faith at a time where Christians were persecuted for their faith. This is why St. Lucy is venerated as a virgin and martyr. Matthew 6:22 shows us how important is our eyes, when we are in service to the Lord.

“The eye is the lamp of the body; so then if your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light.

Lucy sets a good example to our young people today, who are persecuted for their faith at school, at universities and work places. Her message would be, “To stand strong in your faith, no matter how hard the situation may be.”.

St Lucy is also the patron saint of Syracuse. Over the centuries many people have been healed by God through the intercession of St. Lucy. Lucy, whose name can mean “light” or “lucid,” is the patron saint of the blind. She is often seen with the emblem of eyes on a cup or plate. In paintings, she is often depicted with a golden plate holding her eyes and often holds a palm branch, which is a symbol of victory over evil. Lucy, though young, truly exemplified what Paul, in Romans 12:2, strives to tell us all:

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”

St. Lucy’s Prayer:

Saint Lucy, you did not hide your light under a basket, but let it shine for the whole world, for all the centuries to see. We may not suffer torture in our lives the way you did, but we are still called to let the light of our Christianity illumine our daily lives. Please help us to have the courage to bring our Christianity into our work, our recreation, our relationships, our conversation — every corner of our day.

Amen

 

Sister Dollie Wilkinson, OPI

APRIL 27, 1963 – SEPTEMBER 24, 2020

Prepare! Advent 2~The Rev. Frank Bellino, OPI

One of my greatest pleasures is working at an elementary school. In a talking with some kids at the school a few of the 1st graders (7 yr.-olds), I asked them what they were doing to prepare for the Coming of Baby Jesus.

One child answered: “I’m preparing the Nativity Scene in our house” …

Another said: “I helped Dad and Mom decorate the Christmas tree.”

I told them that all these things are quite alright but there is something more important than the exterior preparations…What then would that be?

An adorable girl replied: “Portándome bien y siendo buena” (By behaving myself well and being a good girl). – “Very good!” I exclaimed. (The teacher translated for me)

The best answer, however, came from one of the Spanish speaking little ones, who said: “PREPARANDO MI CORAZÓN PARA QUE JESÚS ESTÉ CONTENTO” (BY PREPARING MY HEART, SO THAT JESUS MAY BE HAPPY) …. [yesss!!!]… Out of the mouth of the babes…

External preparations form part of the season of Advent: they help create the Christmas atmosphere of joy and expectation.  A lot of people, moms especially, are much busier these days –poor moms…I salute you for your self-giving– planning the meals, shopping for gifts, planning for office Christmas parties, sending Christmas cards (although this nice gesture is becoming less common nowadays), …etc., and all these amid the current economic situation! All these are part of Advent season but then and still, not the most important…

Let us convince ourselves of the utmost importance of our interior preparation to celebrate the 1st Coming of Our Lord: preparing our heart so that Jesus would be happy, as the little girl said with all the simplicity and truth which can only come from a child.

I read a narrative which involved the now St. John Paull II. It was in the Advent Season of 1980 when Pope John Paul II met with thousands of children from different parishes of Rome. He began his teaching by asking:

– “How are you preparing yourself for Christmas?”

– “With prayer”, the kids answered.

– “Very well, with prayer”, said the Pope, “but also with Confession. You have to go to Confession in order to receive Our Lord in communion. Will you, do it?”

– Those thousands of kids answered in a loud chorus: “Yes, we will do it!”

– “Yes, you have to do it”, the Pope told them. And in a low volume: “The Pope will also go to confession in order to worthily receive the Child Jesus”.

Let us not be afraid “to clean the house inside out” by opening our soul to his grace asking forgiveness for our sins in the sacrament of Confession if we are not in the state of grace or if we haven’t gone for a long time I assure you that a well-done Confession, in spite of the initial shame, is worth all the effort for it is only when our soul is in the state of grace shall Jesus have “a place in our inn (Matthew 2:7)” and shall we will recover the profound happiness of being once more friends of God. Besides, it is the best gift we could give to Baby Jesus and to ourselves as well!

Let us also warmly invite and encourage our relatives and friends to do the same during this season of Advent, always respecting their freedom. With this, will bring joy not only to their soul but most importantly and most of all, to God. “Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance (Luke15:7).”

Mother Mary, Help of Christians, Refuge of Sinners; St. Joseph, Teacher of Interior Life, pray for us so we and a lot of people may prepare in our heart a place for the Child Jesus by frequenting the Sacrament of Confession, of Divine Love, Mercy, and Joy, and so welcome your Son in our life.