Saints and Idols

Do Catholics worship idols by having pictures and statues of Mary and Saints?

“And God spoke all these words, saying, "I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. "You shall have no other gods before me. "You shall not make for yourself a graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them or serve them; ” (Exodus 20: 4-5)

Divine laws, rules and commandments are given for a reason. Just like we have rules in football – be it the offside rule or the maximum number of substitutions or the rules on tackling from behind – these rules are what makes the game beautiful, free flowing and thoroughly enjoyable. Without a concrete set of rules and an officiating authority, a game is sure to quickly descent into chaos. However, laws and rules are not an end in itself – though the offside rule helps in making football more interesting, it is seldom the reason for playing the ‘beautiful game’ – rules are a means to an end. Divine laws are also a means to an end – to help us in our goal of achieving that perfect communion in and with Christ; to become a saint and in turn, to be led into the perfection of our Father in heaven. Rules help us in that journey, giving us direction and pointing us in the right path.

Though the laws of a game or a nation might change, divine laws (as Christianity believe those 'revealed laws’) never change. Yet, as God is a mystery Who becomes more and more comprehensible as one deepens and grows in his/her journey of faith in Christ, so has the Christian understanding of the Old Testament (OT) divine laws become refined and better illuminated through Jesus himself. So we have Christ through his words, “The Sabbath was made for humankind, and not humankind for the Sabbath” bringing to the Old Testament commandment of Sabbath, a holistic interpretation. Jesus did not change the commandment of “Keep the Sabbath Holy”, but he brought home an understanding of Sabbath which went deeper than the mere “doing or not doing” of work during Sabbath. In His own words, Christ came not “to abolish the law or the prophets, but to fulfil”. And fulfil he did, and the Church’s understanding of the OT laws stem from this Christ who fulfilled the Old in the New – never abandoning the Old, but giving it meaning and completion.

Looked through this lens, the commandment of not worshipping images implies much more than what the text says, especially in our time and age. As Bishop Barron says, “at the heart of the Old Testament sensibility is the conviction that God chose a people, Israel, whom he would shape according to his own mind and heart so that they might draw all of humanity into right relationship with God”. Right relationship flows from right worship – because eventually we become what we worship. Yet, the history of Israel is one of repeated failure to worship the ‘One True God’ and in the whole of the Old Testament we see Yahweh, through prophets and kings, trying to lead His people back into a proper order and sense of worship. For a small nation like Israel, the lure to worship the gods of the neighbouring Kingdoms – the gods of the more prosperous, powerful and mighty kingdoms surrounding it, was all too tempting. And Yahweh through the commandment to not worship images is explicitly telling His people that everything on earth and in heaven is part of His creation, and “man is the only creation that God has willed for its own sake, and he alone is called to share, by knowledge and love, in God’s own life” (CCC 356). When we worship anything in creation other than the Creator God (as in the worship of Idols), we are forgoing of the dignity that God has called us into. God is utterly transcendent, beyond anything that we know of, or have experienced in the created world.

However, this utterly transcendent God took human form and as St John says, “The word became flesh” so that all of us humans – whose knowledge primarily stems from experiences through our five senses – could know and experience God in a tangible way. The same God who said “you shall not worship anything on earth below or heaven above”, in Jesus says, “I AM the way, and the truth and the life” and that “whoever has seen me has seen the Father”!! In Jesus, God has a face and a body and Christians are people who worship God in Jesus. The utterly transcendent God became utterly immanent by entering time and space, such that “to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God”. And saints are those people who received him; believed in his name and tried to follow in the paths laid out by him, even in struggles, difficulties and suffering. Following St Paul’s exhortation to be “Be imitators of me as I am of Christ”, Christians have always held in special esteem the lives of these men and women who led heroic lives, and have honoured and revered their memory.

So is it idolatry that Catholics have the images of Saints in their churches?

Not at all - the images/pictures of saints by themselves, is seldom an object of worship for a Catholic. The images serve a purpose and the purpose is to keep the heroic life of that saint alive in the consciousness of people. The power of stories in shaping culture and humanity is enormous, and the life stories of saints are given by the Church so that it comforts as well as inspires the present generation to walk the faith, even when the chips are down and all seem lost. Take the case of Mother Teresa of Calcutta – my generation would know her by name, have an image of her in our minds and can quickly remember how she took care of Christ in the poor, sick and the dying. But I doubt that would be the case for my children – they would hardly recognize her, unless of course they see her picture in our homes and churches, where at least out of curiosity they will ask who she is and hopefully, be intrigued by her life, struggles and the joy amidst those struggles.

Is praying to Saints in breach of the first commandment?

No – praying by definition is communication with God. I don’t think any of the Catholics who pray to St Anthony would consider St Anthony to be God. Prayer takes a myriad of forms – we pray sometimes in silence, sometimes using scripture and/or with words; sometimes just those tears are our prayer, yet other times our prayer takes the form of complaints or petitions. There is no one way to pray – one form might work better for some people, a different form for some others. When Catholics say they are praying to St Antony, what they really mean is “I am praying to God through and with the help of St Antony”. Catholics believe in the communion of saints – which means that Church is not an entity down here on earth alone, but encompasses both heaven and earth. For God, who is not constrained by time or space, heaven is where he wants us for all eternity and after this pilgrimage of life, death is the door through which we enter into that new life. And saints we believe have entered into that beatific life and just as I pray for my fellow beings here on earth, our older sisters and brothers – the saints, would pray for us in heaven. How cool is that!!

Would God be jealous that more people are going to St Antony than him?

Christian God is not a God who is in competition with his people. That thought of a competing God is synonymous with the common atheistic position, that humanity can achieve progress and success only if we banish God from our midst. Both the thoughts are born of the notion that God is a bit jealous of human achievement and in order for God to maintain his status as God, humans need to be held from progress, success and achievement; and any time a human being is praised or looked up to, God loses some of his aura. Well, God is not a being in time and space to be in competition with humans, but God is "being itself". “The glory of God is man fully alive” and who else has shown us how to be fully alive than the saints? God rejoices mightily, when through the prayer and intercession of saints, more and more people come to faith and come to Him. St Therese could say, “I will spend my heaven doing good on earth”, only because she understood the nature of God and his relationship to us.

Is praying for the dead futile?

No. (More on this some other day).

Pray With me...

"I am drunk..... But can you please help me pray?..... You know, I was baptised in this church, I had my fist holy communion and confirmation here; yet now..... Do you think God would listen? Would he understand?" 

There are times in our lives, when knowledge doesn't come to our aid, nor does the theology or the wisdom of the volumes of books read through the many years. Here I was, in the midst of one such situation. Standing alone in St Edmund's Church, before that young man at about half past 3 in the morning, when most of the world was sound asleep, all I could say with tears welling up in my eyes was, "Sure, let's pray then." We knelt before the blessed Sacrament, took the 'Praying the rosary with ikons' CTS booklet and started praying the glorious mysteries. The meditations of the mysteries took on a new meaning that morning; we prayed, we meditated, we stayed silent, he wept, and I, I could see oceans of love, grace and mercy welling up within and around us. The God of surprises once more caught me unawares. 

It was probably at around quarter to 3 in the morning, that there was a loud bang on the door and I saw this young man of about 26 or 28, with a bag in his hand, trying to get into the church. I opened the door and he asked, "can I pray?". It was early Sunday morning, and the 48 hour adoration at St Edmund's Church that started on Friday morning was drawing to a close. After two nights of sleeplessness, I was, quite shamelessly, looking forward to a refreshing nap in the morning. There were not many people on Saturday evening, but as the night wore on, there was a regular but small stream of people coming in and going out. Though I was tired, I was quite happy to unlock the doors for all who wanted to come in or go out. If not anything, vindication, I thought of my ministry and its relevance. But after this young man came in, a few minutes later, the last person who was keeping watch also left the church. Now it was just me and him and the God my Lord in the monstrance. It was then that he came to me and told about his need to pray. We prayed the rosary, the litany and the memorare, and after that I stepped back a little, leaving my new friend and the Lord to talk it out. 

During the 2002 World Youth Day in Toronto, Blessed Pope John Paul II said to the young people,

"No fear is so great that it can completely suffocate the hope that springs eternal in the hearts of the young. Do not let that hope die. We are not the sum of our weaknesses and failures,; we are the sum of the Fathers love for us and our real capacity to become the image of his Son"

 As I sat there that morning, I thought about that Father's love in my life, which has sustained me in my every struggle and weakness. The love that has searched me when I have wandered off; the love that has reignited me when I have become lukewarm, and the love that has held me precious even during those hours when like Job in the Old Testament, I cried out that I do not desire to go on with these failings and misery. Life is not about what I do, rather its about what I become, its about how much I allow myself to be transformed in the image of Christ. As Blessed John Paul II says again, "Its the struggle to surrender the person that-I-am for the person I-ought-to-become..". And I understood that this Awakening adoration happening in St Edmund's was not about the number of people who have not come or who have came for the adoration, its about me and my capacity to accept this love, which has come to its fullness on that cross on Calvary..

Yes, this is what I am called to do, to be the love of the Father in my life situations; to be Jesus to my brothers and sisters. 'To be in his image', is to allow 'Gods love' to radiate through me, even in my weaknesses and failures. This is my calling, this is what 'New Evangelization' is, to be transformed in Christ, in Love and to live that love as a witness and a pauper in a world where love is all about taking in and consuming, and not giving up. What I do can never be a vindication of my calling, because as Blessed John Henry Newman says, "Somehow I am necessary for His purposes, as necessary in my place as an Archangel in his--if indeed, I fail, He can raise another, as He could make the stones children of Abraham". Today, if I don't do this, then tomorrow God will raise a hundred others in my place to do the work he asked me to do, and they will do it in a much better way.

After a while, my new friend came to me and said its time for him to go. Has he found joy? Has he found his God? I don't know...  But I could for sure see the peace on his face. We hugged and said goodbye and I promised to keep him in my prayers everyday and asked him to keep me in his as well. He collected his bag, and started his walk back home and as he walked out, I thought, "He is still drunk, drunk with God.."

A response to "Gay marriage: a war of words that obscures the Church's message"

"If you abide in the love of Christ, rooted in the faith, you will encounter, even amid setbacks and suffering, the source of true happiness and joy. Faith does not run counter to your highest ideals; on the contrary, it elevates and perfects those ideals. Dear young people, do not be satisfied with anything less than Truth and Love, do not be content with anything less than Christ."
(Pope Benedict XVI during the prayer vigil at Cuatro Vientos, WYD 2011).

Fr Ceirion Gilbert, the director of youth services in the diocese of Menevia in south Wales, in a blog post in 'The Tablet', spoke about the recent remarks made by Cardinal Keith O'Brian and the pastoral letter by Archbishop Vincent Nichols and Archbishop Peter Smith (on the legalisation of same sex marriage) and said how "the Catholic Church is aligning herself with the wrong side, portraying herself as the "defender" of a position and an interpretation of society and humanity at odds with that of younger generations and almost incomprehensible to them in its rigidity and - to use an admittedly "loaded" term, bigotry."

I have read and re-read the above blog post by Fr Ceirion and feels that I, as a person who is relatively young and who works with young people on a regular basis and more importantly, has dreams for a vibrant youth ministry in this country, needs to put down few words about what Father Ceirion has said about the youth of today. This in no way is intended to criticise Fr Ceirion in any way whatsoever, but its just an effort to share my views on the youth of today and the whole question of 'values' of young people. I have utmost respect for Fr Ceirion and his work and hopes and prays that if there is any hurt anywhere, then the God of mercy would pour out his healing for us all.

The above article seems to speak for the entire youth of the day and suggests that the youth of today are men and woman who do not follow nor understand, the teachings of the Church relating to sexuality and marriage. As Dan Brown's vicious occult group Opus Dei in The Da Vinci Code, the Church is defending a falling fort, fighting a losing battle, because we have a "church hierarchy that all too willingly goes into convulsions when moral issues are called into question but remains silent when faced with the real social scandals of our time."

I do not think we are doing justice to the millions of young people in this country by saying that all of them are copycats who just follow the majority. In fact, just last week a young man who got on the train from Winchester with his friends after college, was explaining to his friends about the new legislation and how its an intrinsically wrong law, which we all should oppose. I listened to the arguments and counter arguments for some time until I got down couple of stations later. From my experience growing up as a young person in a world where freedom has lost its true meaning, and from my experience of walking with a few of today's youth, I am totally convinced of one fact. As has always been through out the generations, the young people of today are also men and woman who seek truth; truth in its fullness, who would not be satisfied with any thing less than truth in its wholeness. Yes, as Fr Ceirion says, its a fact that many of them do not think that the Church is dealing aptly with the many social issues (read child abuse scandals) within it, but that does not mean that they are not searching for truth. It just means that they are searching for truth somewhere other than in the Church. And if the millions of young people search for truth elsewhere, either in relationships, alcohol, drugs, or whatever it may be, then its not their mistake, its our mistake. We, the chosen people, the specially called who have seen the truth, known the truth, experienced the truth, have not had the generosity to share this truth of Jesus Christ with others.

Surely every youth ministry and youth program should have this as their focus, leading the young people from the darkness all around to the light of Jesus Christ; never to compromise by conforming to the ways of the world, but being in the fullness of truth, seek out the more excellent way, the way about which St Paul spoke about in 1 Corinthians 12:31. "But strive for the greater gifts. And I will show you a still more excellent way. "

In this day and age, no one needs God or religion to be a 'good person'. Charity and 'goodness' comes naturally and a disaster relief appeal any day raises millions. We are more tolerant, more 'inclusive' and we pride ourselves on our humanity. Once, the society looked to God and religion to provide the moral framework to be better human beings. Today, we brand morality old-fashioned and while men and women have moved on from the once 'constraining' bondage of religion, Christianity and more specifically Catholicism, seems to still hold on to the values of truth it has held universal for the last 2000 years. But even in this pinnacle of our humanness, we realise sadly that though we eat more, yet we are not full, though we earn more and buy houses and cars, yet we are not content, and though we have 'liberated' sex from the clutches of marriage and relationship, yet we are not fully happy. Luke O'Sullivan has written about how even during Jesus' day, many of his disciples had a problem accepting his 'difficult' message. Many of his disciples turned back and no longer went about with him. (John 6: 58-69)

Fr Ceirion's article goes on to say, "Surely if there is one constant and common theme throughout the scriptures it is in the gradual discovery and recognition of the reality of God as a God of an inclusive and all-embracing Love whose ultimate expression is found in the Paschal Mystery of Death and Resurrection of his "Word" incarnate, Jesus of Nazareth." 
St John goes to lengths to tell us that God is love. Jesus himself says that "by your love, the world will know that you are my disciples" (John 13:35). Yes, "God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son so that all who believe in him might have eternal life"(John 3:16). And yes, as the author above says, this love of God found its ultimate expression in the passion and death of our Lord and it is precisely because of this that the Church teaches that Love is much more than the gratification of our desires. In fact, Love is the very image and likeness of God, in which he created human beings and every love in this world demands sacrifice and pain. Freedom and free love are not free by any means. One of the tragedies of today is that words have lost their true meaning, since 'Language, we know, is far from objective', Church at all times has had the calling and responsibility to rise above the constraints of language and culture and stand firm for fundamental human truths.

One may or may not accept what the Church teaches, but one should never try to justify his/her decision based on on one's generalisation of the value system of the young or the old. For every generation from times immemorial, has considered the previous generation to be too traditional, at times even orthodox, and considers its next generation to be completely without morals or values. If today Cardinal Keith O'Brian or Archbishop Vincent Nichols would not proclaim the truth, then tomorrow, the rocks and the stones of this land will shout out the truth of his Love. Those rocks may very well be the young people of this generation.

The stone that the builders rejected has become the corner stone..

St Joseph, Pray for us.

On this feast day of St Joseph, found the below beautiful song with the Divine Office morning prayer.

If 'Jesus grew up in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and men' (Luke 2:52), then St Joseph must have been a wonderful, loving Father. If the grown up Jesus spoke with the Samaritan woman at the well; told the Scribes and the Pharisees, "He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her"; cried with Martha and Mary, then, he would have first seen how Joseph respected Mary in the Holy Family.

In my constant failings as a dad and husband, praying today the intercession of him, who was always faithful to his calling as a father, as a protector, as a husband and above all, faithful to God.

Did you wonder where he’d lead you?
Were you afraid of what the world might say?
I feel you understand my fears today
I feel you standing by my side.

You taught the child to be a man
A man whose life my freedom won,
Yours was the shoulder that he rested on
You have the Saviour in your arms.

St Joseph pray for me that I may live my life with Jesus as you did
St Joseph pray for me that at the hour of my death He may hold me
St Joseph pray for me,
That I may follow where the Spirit leads me
Chaste husband of the Virgin wife
Wise guardian of the Bread of Life,
The One beheld the Son of God
St Joseph pray for me!

The little hands that played with wood
The little boy who you called “son”,
You always knew he was the chosen one
Who’d one day hang upon a cross.

Yet you lived to do the Father’s will
Fearlessly followed His commands,
You were the loving and gentle man
He chose to guide his precious One.

St Joseph pray for me that I may live my life with Jesus as you did
St Joseph pray for me that at the hour of my death He may hold me
St Joseph pray for me,
That I may follow where the Spirit leads me
Chaste husband of the Virgin wife
Wise guardian of the Bread of Life,
The One beheld the Son of God
St Joseph pray for me!

Chaste husband of the Virgin wife
Wise guardian of the Bread of Life,
The One beheld the Son of God
St Joseph pray for me!

“Prayer to St. Joseph (Husband of Mary)” Sung by Angelina is available from Amazon.com

Why I love Jesus and His Church..

And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. (Matthew 16:18-19)

Jefferson Bethke's video, "Why I Hate Religion, But Love Jesus", with 1.4 million hits, is going 'viral'. 

Today there was this response from Fr Robert Barron. Not that every sort of allegation against the Church needs to have a response, but what Fr Barron says here makes lots of sense.

Another video has also been published as a catholic response.

For some people, they search for truth and eventually find it; whereas for some others, truth searches them out; but there are still others like Pontius Pilate, who, when they come face to face with truth, can only ask "what is truth?" and sadly, walk back, for they have too much to lose..

For you my child...

Dear Lord,

This is my prayer for her.

That she may know you, not because you are my God, but because she would realise that you alone are her Father, who knew her before you knit her in her mothers womb.

That she may love you, not because of fear or obligation, but because you would give her the gift of faith; the assurance of things hoped for, and the conviction of things not seen.

And that she may dedicate her life to you, not out of compulsion, but because of the knowledge that you are her God, who waits for her with love undefiled in the tabernacle, a love that is patient and kind..

This prayer, O Lord, I make my own today.

(Quoted from Khalil Gibran's The Prophet - On Children)

Your children are not your children.
They are the sons and daughters of Life's longing for itself.
They come through you but not from you,
And though they are with you yet they belong not to you.

You may give them your love but not your thoughts,
For they have their own thoughts.
You may house their bodies but not their souls,
For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow,
which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.

You may strive to be like them,
but seek not to make them like you.
For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday.
You are the bows from which your children
as living arrows are sent forth.
 
The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite,
and He bends you with His might
that His arrows may go swift and far.
Let your bending in the archer's hand be for gladness;
For even as He loves the arrow that flies,
so He loves also the bow that is stable.

So Help me God...

Feed my lamb..

When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” 
“Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.”

Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.”

On the shores of Tiberius, early on a morning, when there was little hope, nor faith nor joy, a man commanded Simon Peter, "Feed my lambs"...

Wishes and prayers for all the 22 new cardinal designates, named by Pope Benedict the 16th during today's angelus. As a member of the Syro Malabar Church, I am especially happy to see the name of Archbishop Mar George Alencherry, also among the twenty two new cardinal designates. Congratulations to all and especially to Mar George.

It was also hugely uplifting to read the response of one of the cardinal designates, the Archbishop of New York, Timothy M Dolan to this news. As the New-york times rightly puts it, Archbishop Dolan is one of the rising stars of the Catholic Church in America. In his response, he says,

"let’s be frank: this is not about Timothy Dolan; this is an honor from the Holy Father to the Archdiocese of New York, and to all our cherished friends and neighbors who call this great community home."

It is precisely this no nonsense approach that makes Archbishop Dolan so endearing to most Catholics, especially the young of the Church. He is precise in saying that the office of the Cardinal is more about the Archdiocese of New York than about the person of Timothy Dolan and the same is the case with Mar George Alencherry as well. As the head of the Syro Malabar Church, this is a gift from the Holy Father and the global Catholic Church for the small church in Kerala, acknowledging and recognising us, even though we are, but a tiny drop in the ocean of the Holy Mother Church.

Although on the one hand,  this is not about the person of Timothy Dolan, or of George Alencherry, or of any one of the other 22, on the other hand, in a different dimension, ultimately, this is entirely only about the person who is being made the Cardinal. Well, this is a paradox, but this paradox is what Christianity is all about. Today's feast of Epiphany is about the coming of the three wise men, to pay homage to the "King of the Jews", the saviour of the world. Yet, every Christian who has experienced the love of God at one point in his or her life, 'knows' deep down, that Christ would have come down from Heaven and would have definitely died on the cross, even if it were to save me alone. The gospel is all about breaking the barriers of one's self in search of God, and when eventually I see Him in the face of my neighbour, I move closer to finding the God in me. The grain of wheat that falls down into the ground and dies, only to bear much fruit..

As Pope Benedict says, Christianity is all about a God who comes in search of man, a God whose heart is restless for man, and a Christian is one who realises that the man whom God is searching for, is me indeed. When God calls a person to a higher office, yes, the office takes precedence, and yes, there is grace given from above for the fulfilment of the responsibilities associated with the office, but most importantly, God is more concerned about the person and much lesser about the office. The love of God is searching out new ways to bring me closer to Him; to His Son, through His Spirit. The call of the above twenty two to this higher office is in one sense God's infinite love leading his children into the fullness of His knowledge. When I realise this, all I can do is stand in wonder and awe, and proclaim, "Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever!"

O God, give your wisdom and power to your chosen ones that we may be your witnesses, where you have called us to be... 

40 Days For Life

Friday morning, while on the train to work, I cam across this news in Metro daily. It was such a joy to see the picture of Melinda Star Guido at 24 weeks. I believe pictures speak more profoundly than words. With the legal abortion limit at 24 weeks here in UK, its good to realise that at 24 weeks, the child in the mothers womb already has arms and legs and a face and above all a soul, which is irreplacable. Every human life concieved is a miracle, a miracle of Gods unconditional love and trust.

Below is a small sharing I wrote for Jesus Youth after we visited and prayed with the 40 days for life campaign in early October in Birmingham, UK.

Last Sunday, we (me and my wife) along with some of our friends, went along to the "40 Days for life" prayer campaign in Birmingham. We spend a good couple of hours in prayer outside the Calthorpe abortion clinic there.We also were fortunate enough to take part in the siege of Jericho prayer around the clinic that evening. It was a cloudy day, the mood was sombre. And my heart was heavy; probably the powers of darkness and evil in me were wielding too much power over there. During the Jericho prayer we walked around the clinic seven times, praying countless number of rosaries and divine mercy chaplets; praying for the walls of evil to crumble and fall; praying for the innocent lives of hundreds of unborn babies whose mothers have and would visit the clinic in future; but above all, praying for forgiveness, upon us, we, who have fallen to even greater depths and upon the whole world.

It was indeed a touching experience for all of us to have taken part in this huge witnessing of faith. As I walked around the clinic, with around 75 other people, both young and old, families with small children, priests, nuns and seminarians, I really began thinking "why I believe in what I believe". For this was a long cry from the beauty and majesty of the Holy Catholic Church of the World Youth Day and its joys. Now, all that I could feel in me was a lingering pain, a dizziness, a sense of abandonment, but I knew somehow that this was where the church wanted me to be; this was where my God needed me to be. No glory, no fanfare, but to be part of a cause, which the world considers to be madness at best and bigotry at worst. Am I willing to fight the losing battle? Would I trust and would I have faith? Oh yes, for there was plenty of faith on display there, faith that drives people like Isabel, Brian and Aline to stand and kneel in front of that clinic, day after day, hour after hour, praying the rosary, being ridiculed, mocked and verbally abused, yet only smiling, helping and blessing in return. And I could hear the words, "You of little faith".

Sometimes you see evil face to face and it frightens you, at other times it taunts you, many times it teases you, lures you, tempts you and over the last couple of days, I have seen and felt quite a bit the power of evil in and around me. I posted some updates on yesterday's prayer siege on my Twitter account and was surprised to see the amount of interest it generated from some pro-choice supporters from around the world. My comments were torn apart and I was bombarded with arguments and counter arguments, was pronounced a miserable thing, despicable. And I understood that sometimes courage alone is not enough to stand up against evil, faith and lots of it is needed. As St Paul says, Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen..

I was there only for a couple of hours and the abuse I endured was mostly online, I can only imagine the amount of abuse and taunts our brothers and sisters who would be praying outside the clinics around the world would endure. As the Siege of Jericho around the Calthorpe abortion clinic came to a conclusion yesterday, the following poem was read out, which for me summed up the whole experience.

MY LITTLE ONE
Today I think of you while I am weeping
And slowly count the lost and empty years;
If you had lived, it would have been your birthday,
Though every day, in truth, is filled with tears.

I try, of course, to think of other matters,
To dust and clean and wash away the pain
And yet the more I try to push you from me,
The deeper in my heart do you remain.

What colour were your eyes, your hair I wonder
Your little ears – what shape would they have been?
I want you, seek you, yearn so much to hold you
But in my searching mind you stay unseen.

If I  had known upon that day the future,
If I had felt the torment I would bear,
If I had not then let them take you from me,
I would not now be slave to this despair.

Within that room of death and dark and coldness
The devil surely did exultant dwell,
For was it not indeed the very annex
Adjacent to the icy halls of hell.

And is it my imagining, I wonder,
When first you felt that sharp, satanic knife,
You cried to me in fear, “What’s happening, Mama?
I beg you, help me … help me … save my life”.

It is a world become malign and shadowed
Where forces cruel, depraved, demonic reign,
Where those who are most innocent and helpless
Are cast away like winnowed husks of grain.

They talk of “women’s choice” and “women’s freedom”
And claim the right to life is theirs alone;
They blind their eyes to those who still lie hidden
Within the womb that they, themselves, have known.

All joy, all hope, all human warmth must perish
When pity, love and trust are thus betrayed,
When frozen hearts and callous hands accomplish
A work that dares destroy what God has made.

And it is He, the Lord of Life, who formed you
And cherishes you now, my little one,
Who will, upon that day when all shall tremble,
Ask why it was this piteous deed was done.

  --- Michael Healy

Jesus, help and protect the unborn.....

iForgive

I started with this blog post some time last week and for some reason (that I cant now remember), titled it iForgive, and the next day, as I woke up, the first news that greeted me was the death of Steve Jobs!! Its a great mystery to see the way in which the seemingly different, inconsequential things, sometime feel interconnected in life. Many consider it chance, luck or coincidence, whereas Blessed John Paul II used to call it grace and providence.

Over the last couple of weeks, the question of forgiveness have come up again and again. Through the many things that have happened during these days, the subject of forgiveness has remained fresh in my mind. For a long time, I had always wondered what it meant to really forgive. After the many bitter epoch's of life, once the anger and frustration has subsided, when I sit down to reason, argue and finally submit myself to God, albeit reluctantly, although I ask Lord for forgiveness and promise God to forgive all those people and memories, yet the question has always remained in me; what it means to really forgive? How does it feel to forgive as Stephan forgave, to suffer as Therese suffered and to love as Francis loved. Forgiveness is never an easy choice, let alone a natural one. It takes courage, it takes effort and mostly it needs faith. My question has always been how and when do I know that I've completely forgiven?

Its even harder when forgiveness has to become a daily choice. I have felt that its easier to forgive and move on from something that has already happened, when you know that its already behind you. But when we have to live daily with the reality of that situation or person, which is precisely what we are trying to forgive, it becomes a constant and often a losing battle against our own limitations to accept and love. Often the struggles in our families, the frustrations of our work places and the lukewarmness of our own faith are all of this nature. As someone rightly said, its a lot easier to die once and for all for Christ, whereas its much harder to live the faith, dying every single day to oneself. 'Then He said to them all(disciples), if any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.' (Luke 9:23). Its no wonder that this exhortation was not given to the crowd, but to his disciples in private. For many are called, but few are chosen.

Over time I've learned that I can never truly forgive on my own. Painful as it was, that has always been the truth. I can try how much ever I want, yet fall short of total forgiveness. On the other hand I know that it is truly possible to completely forgive, if grace from above would cover me. It is here that I understand the true meaning of what St Paul said, "I can do all things through him who strengthens me". Yes, if he, who made me, formed me in my mothers womb, who knows me through and through, would heal me, then forgiveness would come naturally, and love would flow out automatically. This is what inner healing is. A healing that sets us free. Free to love, and love until it hurts. When I get to that stage, I guess I would never have to wrestle with the question of whether or not to forgive or how much to forgive, because you, my brother, sister, can not hurt me, for I love you so much that there is no more any pain or offense, but love alone.

I often think about why Christ said what he said on the cross, "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do". Was it easy for him there? Broken, rejected, dejected, alone, with no sight or hope of any help, even death seemed far away. Yes he was God, but he was true man as well. I would like to think that even in his most vulnerable moment, as he recited his last words, Christ truly meant every word of the above prayer. "For they know not what they do". The Romans were in command, the chief priests and elders were in control, yet here is Christ, saying they did not know what they were doing. Yes, very often we see, yet vision eludes us, we hear yet understanding eludes us, we touch but sadly, warmth eludes us. It is to me that Christ is saying from the cross, that he, who has hurt me, really does not know what he is doing. Yes, they have hit me where it pains the most, they revel when I am weak and most vulnerable, yet the Spirit of God in me slowly tells me, they do not know what they are doing. Yes Lord, I forgive...

Firmes en la Fe

"I ask you, dear friends, to love the Church which brought you to birth in the faith, which helped you to grow in the knowledge of Christ and which led you to discover the beauty of his love." (Pope Benedict 16 during the homily on Sunday)

Some events and experiences in life are bigger than life itself. They neither begin nor end, but comes as a gentle breeze, lifting us up into an ecstasy that mind can neither comprehend nor understand, but ever continues the process of self realization that manifests in its various expressions of love, joy and pure bliss.

It is this love and peace that I was honoured and privileged to experience during the last six odd days. With more than a million of my brothers and sisters from all across the world, we celebrated the gift of love, the gift of faith and above all, the gift of God himself. We sang our songs at noon when the sun was burning down at 40 degrees, we danced at midnight in jam packed metro stations, we raised our hearts and minds higher than the flags in our hands and when the rains came down, tears of joy flowed out of our eyes for we knew, that grace in its abundance was being bestowed upon us. How blessed O Lord, to see with awe and wonder the beauty and majesty of Your holy and ever Catholic Church. For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness. (Ps 84:10)

Love and faithfulness will meet; Justice and peace shall embrace (Ps 85:10). Indeed the supreme love of the holy Mother Church met with more than a million young hearts, united in their yearning to follow Christ, to serve Him, to be faithful to Him and trying to be firm in our faith. The chants of "Esta Es La Juventud Papa", came from deep within our hearts. The heart of the Church speaking to those hearts, that would one day shape and lead the same Church. There was no young and old there, for we were all young; we had the same dreams, the same visions, the same trials, the same sufferings and ever more, the same destiny. Yes, in our laughter, our songs and our dancing, making a joyful noise to the Lord we prayed ever more sincerely, so much so, that when the blessed Sacrament was exposed, even the raging winds calmed down as if not to disturb the union of God with us, Emmanuel.

The image of young men and women standing in the middle of the crowded airport runway of Cuatro Vientos at 2am in the morning and confessing their lives to priests who had no sleep, would always be in my heart. In my moments of struggle from now on, it would be you my friends, and what you said, holy father that would sustain me with hope and love. "Yes, dear friends, God loves us.  This is the great truth of our life; it is what makes everything else meaningful.  We are not the product of blind chance or absurdity; instead our life originates as part of a loving plan of God.  To abide in his love, then, means living a life rooted in faith, since faith is more than the mere acceptance of certain abstract truths: it is an intimate relationship with Christ, who enables us to open our hearts to this mystery of love and to live as men and women conscious of being loved by God."  

Alter Servers

Last week Francis Phillips wrote an article in Catholic Harald about why she thought the "The Cambridge chaplain is right to accept female servers at Tridentine Masses". Coming from an Eastern rite (syro malabar), my understanding of the "divisions" between the EF and OF forms of the Eucharist was pretty limited until Fr Alban McCoy decided to allow female alter servers for the Extraordinary Form. Finally today morning, there was the official clarification from Vatican stating that girls are not allowed to serve at the Extraordinary Form of the Mass. For a change, its is good to see the Holy See coming out promptly with a clear directive to settle a matter of dispute.

During the course of the last couple of weeks, it was a little sad to see some of the comments from both the traditionalists as well as the reformists on the subject. Obviously both groups felt very strongly on the subject and confrontation to an extend, is understandable. In matters of faith and specially when the groups or the individuals involved, think or 'know' deep down that they are doing the will of God, then consensus is out of question and even reconciliation becomes very difficult. Pope Benedict says this in one of his books, "There must not be a communion in which the avoidance of conflict becomes the prime pastoral value. Faith is always also a sword and may indeed promote conflict for the sake of truth and love ". Therefore, differences of opinion in themselves is in no way wrong, in fact, it can many times be considered a sign of life in the Church. The problem often is, how do we try and address this difference of opinion?

Personally, I have always been grateful to Vatican II for introducing Mass in vernacular, as I find that it enables ordinary people like me to understand the prayers of the mass in a deeper sense, thus enabling every catholic to be part of the Eucharistic celebration in a more personal way. But I also very much appreciate the beauty, history and profoundness of the extraordinary form as well. One is entitled to his likes and dislikes, personal opinions and judgements, but as Blessed John Paul II so precisely puts it, "the person is the sole author of the(his) judgement, but he is not the author of its truth ". Just because I deem something to be right, might not mean that my reasoning is in resonance with the objective truth of the scenario. In such a case, it seems to me, to be quite unchristian to openly and publicly revolt against the decisions of the Holy Father and the Magisterium in matters of faith. If only we knew the meaning of 'obedience is better than sacrifice'. By openly rejecting a teaching of the Church, one is explicitly and quite authoritatively asserting that, "I know better" and above all, if this public contradiction to the teaching of the Church comes from a seat of authority, then it sends all kinds of wrong signals to the many people out there for whom you might be a role model, and very often, the only role model. "It would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around his neck than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin ". Yet in my turn I too ask, "Not me, Rabbi, surely? "

This in no way imply that Christians must suffer the many injustices against us and the community. No. But every person who follow Christ should have the wisdom and humility to understand where his/her thoughts and actions cross the boundary of righteousness and ventures into egoism. If every one of my judgements and actions is dictated and determined by my perception of right and wrong (and mostly by my perception alone), then probably its time to expand my horizons a little. For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.  

Veni Sancte Spiritus..

Mission and Charity

Last Sunday we visited the Missionaries of Charity house in Southall and spend the morning with the sisters over there. Although we had planned to arrive in time to join the sisters for the Holy Mass, as is our wont we were late in the morning and eventually reached there by about 10:15am. By that time most of the cooking was done and many of our guests had already come. We helped with the rest of the cooking, and by about 11, the sisters started off the Soup Kitchen with a short prayer, beginning with a hymn, followed by the Gospel reading for the Sunday and a short reflection on it and finally praying for our Lady's intercession. We helped with serving the lunch and once the meal finished, with the cleaning and also joined the sisters for their prayer after the Soup Kitchen.

Everything we did over there in the soup kitchen, eventually made sense to me because of what we did before that and after that in the chapel. Only in the context of the person of Christ could I see the meaning of all this. It is hard to do what the sisters are doing, day in day out. They don't take holidays, don't get appreciated for what they are doing, does the same chores day after day; washes the same dishes, mops the same floors and above all, the people they serve, more often than not, take them for granted. Yet, these same sisters made our day by the smile of their faces, the joy of their hearts and the warmth of their welcome. I read the Gospel, they, they live the Gospel. I search for Christ; and Christ lives in them.

Charity that doesn't have its root in faith, is mostly, unsustainable. Yes, we have hundreds of charities across the country doing some wonderful work. The difference is that Christian charities work with and for people who do not appreciate, most times hate, those who so selflessly serve them. "Mother Teresa left home at age 18 to join the Sisters of Loreto as a missionary. She never again saw her mother or sister"(reference wiki). All through the rest of her life, struggling as a young nun in a foreign land, taking care of the needy, the hungry, the naked, the homeless, the crippled, the blind, the lepers, the unwanted, the unloved, the uncared; she saw the face of Jesus in each and every person. And so she loved, loved every poor, injured and dying; because she was convinced she was doing what her Lord asked her to do. (John 13:34) She loved, because she knew the worth of a human being, the beauty of a human being, the dignity of a human being.

As St James rightly says, faith without work is useless. When God becomes the centre of my universe, the love of Christ emanates from the Spirit through me and Caritas becomes part of my character, just like the sisters we met. Every single day, the word is being made flesh through them, and all who have eyes to see, witness the miracle of the splendor of truth and yet I ask, what is truth...

Priestly Celibacy

Watching and listening to Kate Flanagan talking about her husband (watch it here), Fr Ted Flanagan, a former Catholic priest, having had to chose between the 'two love of his life', and thereby, asserting that Priestly Celibacy is an outdated and outright foolish concept, made me a bit sad. She went on to quote a study done among British Catholics about Priestly Celibacy, which it seems said that 60% doesn't support it. I can only imagine the intensity of the psychological, social and emotional struggle that a young priest, Fr Ted Flanagen, might have had to undergo 49 years back, while he was contemplating that decision. And it wouldn't be a surprise if the young priest did not find too many sympathetic ears around him at this most crucial time of his life. Even those who might have listened may not have been too helpful. The Church has this uncanny ability to disappear when you need her the most.

Yet none of what she said, could explain to me why she told this at the start of her address, "My message to the Pope would be simple, Benedict get your act together; abolish compulsory celibacy". Ahem, I was not aware that PB16 was the one who introduced celibacy. But good that you mentioned Pope Benedict. In his lecture on the topic "Ecclesial Movements and Their place in Theology", as the then Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctorine of the Faith, Cardinal Ratzinger says this, "The Church explicitly emphazised the strictly charismatic character of the priestly ministry by linking priesthood with celibacy - which quite simply can only be understood as a personal charism and never simply as a quality of the office....The church cannot dispose of it as she wishes; it is not just there and cannot be set up or arranged by the church out of her own resources. It comes into being only secondarily through the Church's call; primarily it is through God's call to this particular person." Yes, it is primarily Gods call; realised in the charism provided by and through the spirit, renewing the priest himself and those around him, every single moment. As St Paul says, "Those whom he predestined, he also called; and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified." This call from above is the reason why JP2 said, Once a priest, a priest forever. Yes, Kate is right when she says God was or even is Fr.Teds love.

In this age of instant gratification, at times we overlook the fact that love demands sacrifice. Even the most pure form of love we humans know, a mothers love for her child, requires nine months of anxious wait where the mother's love lets her child take control of her womb; the love which gives strength to the mother through the many sleepless nights of care and protection; the many years of growing up and finally when he is ready to fly on his own, the love that manifests itself by letting go. John says Gods love is far deeper and harder to comprehend. If I love him, there are many things that I love otherwise, that I need to let go. But I reject all of them, not out of frustration and not at all, because the Pope and the church demands me to, but because I love him. In my teenage, I mistook passion for love and in my youth, ideology for love. As St Paul says, for now you see in a mirror, dimly, but then we will see face to face. As I advance in age, love is slowly unraveling itself before me more and more clearly. And I understand now, I need grace, divine grace, to love; love as it is defined by God through Paul.

It was never my intention to make a critical judgment of Fr Ted. I do not know the circumstances or the realities of the time and situation; but I also think, it was a bit unfair of Fr Ted and Mrs Kate to make a judgment about priestly celibacy based their experience alone. That is not doing justice to the hundreds of thousands of priests, nuns and religious who have marched and are marching along this journey, faithfully, trusting in the providence of Jesus alone. Yes, they also feel tempted, they also feel at times that it is not worth it, yet, they walk in faith, in hope and in trust. From His passover meal to His last breath, all along the streets of Jerusalem carrying the heavy cross on his shoulders, He looked to the right, yet found no one who knew him, not even a trace of the Father he passionately talked about and in whose name he worked wonders. It was not the flogging that broke him, it was that feeling of being abandoned, whence he cried out, My God, My God, why have you forsaken me. All who have the courage to follow him, would at some point have to go through this abandonment. The above mentioned Church's ability to disappear seems less strange now.

At the end of it, it seemed a bit strange that Fr Ted did not talk even a single word. May be he was too frail. But as Kazantzakis's Francis said to Leo, "had it not been for grace, how far worse would I have been". The Mother Theresa's and the Francis's did what they did out of love for God, but also through grace that strengthened them. It is that grace that would lead every priest and nun and all those who are called to family life also, in their journey home. No, none of the vocations are easy. Harder still is the vocation to Love.