Show us the way!

Very often we hear it being said that parents are the primary educators of their children. How true! Yet, we also have to ask ourselves if parents are receiving the necessary formation, knowledge and skills so as to pass on the truth of our faith?

If we do not, then we may inadvertently be letting the blind lead the blind.

Logically, one cannot give if one does not have.   Surely no one can impart to others what they do not know themselves. So we find that in the catechesis of children, youths and young adults, well-informed adults must show the way. They must witness the Catholic Faith in their lives and in their sharing with their families, in the church and wherever they are.

For this to take place, we need to look at the leaders of the church first, and these are our priests. The lay people learn from the clergy, working with them in the different areas as directed by the Church. All, as a community of believers, are to witness to the love and grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.

As Pope Paul VI taught us, “The modern world listens more willingly to witnesses than to teachers, and if it listens to teachers it is because they are first witnesses.” ( Evangelii Nuntiandi #41)

Are we ready to meet the challenge?

Jesus, our sole Treasure, our only Teacher

Jesus is the primary teacher and if we should be called to teach others what we have learnt in our faith journey thus far, we are just mere servants of the Master Himself. We are called then to be faithful to what we have learnt so we speak the truth with love and courage.

We recall that Jesus has said:  “my teaching is not my own, but His who sent me.”  (John 7:16)

If we believe we have been called, then let our message too not be our own but Christ’s message. We cannot give our own opinions. We cannot pick and choose. We are expected to be faithful, and let us remember that we are all accountable.

Jesus’ teaching is the same today as it has always been: the Deposit of Faith, both written (Scripture) and handed down (Tradition), always rooted in Sacred Scripture and interpreted by the Church’s Magisterium.

Sacred Scripture and the Catechism of the Catholic Church must be the primary sources of formation for us and for our teaching. It is crucial that in our communication of the Good News we do not try to separate the Lord Jesus from his Church. It is He who founded the Catholic Church. So the Church is an essential aspect of the Gospel. It is He who has directly willed and structured the Church, given us His Holy Spirit to speak the truth for the salvation of souls.

The Church, we must remember, is not a mere human institution. Yes, we are sinners. But we are also the Sacrament, the Bride and the Body of Christ. We are constantly being renewed and our perfection, we pray, will be complete when we reach our journey’s end.  Thank God that He has not finished with us yet. So, let us move on with courage!

Sent forth

This evening I was blessed to have been at the Eucharistic celebration for yet another batch of catechists to have completed their coordinators’ training course. At the Eucharistic celebration, the Chief Catechist, our Archbishop, gave a good homily in which he reiterated the many points our Holy Father himself had spoken urgently about. There were two key words that hit home and those two key words are SILENCE and WORD. One has to keep silence so as to hear the Good Shepherd’s voice. Then one can go forth and bring His Word to young children and youths. One can then give the Good News to those who need to hear it.

Before Jesus ascended into heaven,  he gave all of us the Great Commissioning. He has given us His Spirit to empower us. How true it is that we can all say something but can we touch and change hearts? To do this we need the power of the Holy Spirit. Unless the Lord builds, we labour in vain. So the  best speeches made may simply be empty words. As instruments of God, we need to speak the Word of God. Jesus has said that we are to go forth and baptise those we evangelise in the Name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. He is the same yesterday, today and forever. His words remain true. His words must be obeyed.

As children of God we have all been gifted. We have different gifts, special talents and together, as the body of Christ, we can build God’s kingdom. Catechesis is, in fact, an ecclesial act and all who have encountered Christ must give Him to others. It is not the sole work of catechists alone. We are all called. We are all expected to obey. Let us go forth!

Corpus Christi

Last month many children received Jesus in the Eucharist for the first time. Yes, the children made their first Holy Communion. They received the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus has promised us that those who receive His Body and Blood will be raised up on the last day. We believe, Lord.

Today the Church celebrates Trinity Sunday. Next week we will celebrate Corpus Christi. Here I would like to show all the photos I took at the Church of St Ignatius where the catechists had prepared the children for first Holy Communion. A careful study of each presented piece of work would reveal the heart and mind of each child. With what love the children have allowed themselves to be moved so as to let their hearts and minds be prepared for the reception of Holy Communion.

My own experience of reiving the Eucharistic Lord was a powerful experience which remains etched in my heart and mind. It waas the night of the Holy Easter Vigil. We had been preparing for our Baptism that night. At the Eucharist, we were blessed to have the honour, after the priests, to receive both species – the Body and the Blood. Even as we gathered to await Holy Communion, I was praying for the Lord to come to me and to make me a fervent disciple. My tears were flowing down my cheeks and the rest of the night I was floating on Cloud Nine. I could not go to sleep. I prayed. I sang. I praised the Lord for accepting me into His family. What a glorious moment!

The Eucharist continues to be the source and summit of my life. It is so for every Catholic. It continues to bring me consolation. I am nourished daily and I know that I am also being strengthened. Thank God for the gift of the Sacraments of the Church and in a special way for the Sacrament of the Eucharist. Praise God!

Eucharistic Adoration

I was very happy to witness a young boy go before the Blessed Sacrament one morning. This young boy had just served at the mass and after he had changed, he came and knelt before the Eucharistic Lord. When I saw him so full of ardour in his prayer, I thanked God for his act of faith, hope and trust.

Indeed, Eucharistic Adoration is now the ‘in’ thing in our little island, and thank God for Fr Antoine Thomas who came here a couple of years ago. Fr Antoine Thomas is from the Community of St John in the United States. His community wants, [and I quote from their Rule of Life,] ” to be a community of children of the Father and friends of Jesus, gathered together by the Holy Spirit , in order to live a fully evangelical life in the footsteps of Christ in intimate communion with Him: a life of adoration and contemplation intimately close to Mary.”

Before Fr Antoine showed us how children could be led to participate in Eucharistic Adoration, one priest said that he could not believe that young people could remain still before the Eucharistic Lord. Now this particular priest knows that he was wrong and that children are perfectly capable of adoring Jesus. If I may say so, we adults have much to learn from the young ones. Many parents now take their children to Eucharistic Adoration specially arranged for children at least once a month. The youths too are doing likewise. Praise God!

It is time for us all to dig deeper, “to put out into the deep,” into a new and authentic liturgical spirituality that is at the same time old and new, active and contemplative, historical and mystical, familiar and challenging. All of this also applies to our “fully active and conscious participation” in liturgy outside the Holy Mass, especially in Eucharistic Adoration, the Sacrament of Reconciliation, Marian devotions, and the Liturgy of the Hours.

Eucharistic Adoration is not, as some have said, a distraction from the central meaning of the Mass, or from the reception of Holy Communion. It is instead a great help and one that ought to be wholeheartedly supported and encouraged. Eucharistic Adoration is an extension of our reception of Holy Communion, and brings about a deeper longing and preparation for our next reception. Just as you cannot be exposed to the sun without receiving its rays, neither can you come to Jesus exposed in the Blessed Sacrament without receiving the Divine Rays of His grace, love and peace.

The best thing that has happened is the providence of a Perpetual Adoration Chapel. There is a need to continue promoting Eucharistic Adoration till this becomes a part of our Catholic way of life and making visits to the Blessed Sacrament becomes almost second nature. I recall Fr Antoine urging the little ones to request that their parents stop by whenever they pass a church to visit Jesus if only for a few minutes. Another practice worth cultivating would be to carefully make the sign of the cross whenever one passes a Catholic Church. May we work as one to see how we can, with the priests, explore ways of making the Eucharist more central in our lives through periods of Exposition, Adoration and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament, and Eucharistic Processions?

In his 2003 encyclical letter “Ecclesia de Eucharistia” Pope John Paul II wrote: “The Eucharist builds the Church and the Church makes the Eucharist.”

Active participation in liturgy

The liturgy belongs to the entire Church, and in a special way to the faithful – not to a particular Diocese or parish, and certainly not to individual priests. As ministers of God, our priests keep up with the church through reading, studying and understanding all the documents related to helping the lay faithful with ongoing renewal. As it is God we worship, it is only right that we all play our part and together, priests and laity, offer resplendent worship to God alone. It is right that we do all this with understanding and excellence, and always in obedience to the Church. No one therefore takes it upon himself or herself to do with the liturgy as he or she pleases; liturgy does not exist for the sake of suiting one’s own preferences and opinions.

The Catholic Church has existed and will continue to exist with respect for the whole of Tradition, and this is not for the sake of simply keeping rules and regulations. The Catholic Church has been accused of legalism but that is not true. We love the Lord who built this Church and nothing can prevail against her. For the love of Christ then, we celebrate the Eucharist with all its beauty and sanctity. We desire that our Lord shines forth for all to see and to love. Hence, the liturgy is to be treated with importance.

Sometimes lay people make demands that put priests in a corner, and when that kind of situation happens it is a no-win situation for both parties. One sad thing that some lay people are quick to do, almost mindlessly, is to write nasty letters. The poor priests get no chance to explain or offer alternatives, if at all possible. Communication then breaks down and all suffer.  On the other hand, there are also cases where the shepherds seem not to bother too much about any issues raised, and this too can cause some misunderstanding. We certainly need to work as one for the glory of God and not for our own interests.  But again, we know that this is the Church, and we are all sinners in need of God’s help. How can we do our part?

 Full participation certainly means that every member of the community has a part to play in the liturgy; and in this respect a great deal has been achieved. Most parishes have many different ministries and it is exciting when one considers that the young, the youth and the adults all have opportunities for full participation to build community.  Whatever it is, the clergy and the laity have different functions and we are to respect the different roles assigned by Christ.

We come together in order to offer one great hymn of praise. We participate in gesture, word, song and service. We also maintain silence, remain still and listen to the readings, the homily and to prayers of the faithful so we may respond in agreement. We follow the prayers of the celebrant, the chants and the music of the liturgy. Not to do this is to be present in person but not in spirit.

Talking about the use of one’s voice, I remember a fairly long period of time in my life when I had some problems with my larynx. It seemed as if years of using my voice to teach had resulted in my voice box being affected somehow. It was diagnosed that I had a polyp and surgery was advised. For some six years I suffered somewhat and one of the most difficult trials was going to mass and not being to use my voice to sing or to respond to the prayers. I was like a dumb person and since I had to keep remaining silent when I really wanted to sing out loud, you can imagine the ordeal I had to endure.

Today, it would be hard to try and stop me from joining in the singing or prayers. My ordeal of keeping silent came to an end when I received healing at Fatima during the Jubilee Year. As an act of thanksgiving and upon the advice of a kind priest who listened patiently to my testimony, I offered the Lord my voice. For a start, I joined not only the choir as a cantor but also continued to serve as a lector. I am so grateful to be able to use my voice. Praise God!

 

 

I confess . . .

In every course that I have attended for the renewal of the catechetical scene in our country, the priest in charge would always bring up the Sacrament of Reconciliation. He would say that if one were to go for Confession only once or twice a year, one would make a very poor witness to our children. How can one transmit the faith if one is not first convinced that there is a need to first take care of our own spirituality?

In far too many places and among too many people, the regular reception of the Sacrament of Reconciliation has fallen by the wayside. This must be remedied if we are to grow in humility and holiness, and truly benefit from the gift of Jesus in the Eucharist. In the latest issue of a popular Catholic magazine, ‘The Word among us’ there is an article entitled ‘Finding Freedom through the Sacrament of Reconciliation’.

I fully agree with the point made and I thank God for the gift of this Sacrament. How many times have I received the mercy of God in all these years? Countless.

I thank God for some lessons learnt in this area too. I remember years ago when I was at a retreat. There were numerous priests from foreign countries, and as I prepared to go for Confession, I was deliberating in my mind which particular priest I should go to. I thought of an African priest and then I told myself that perhaps I ought to go to an Indian religious. This went on for quite a while. Finally I went to a foreign priest and the first words he said to me were something to this effect: ‘When you come for confession, it is God who hears your confession. There is no need to spend so much time choosing the priest.’ Wow, this took me by surprise. I was still a young Catholic then, baptized for about a couple years only, but I have never forgotten this. Indeed, our Lord is the one who forgives our sins. The priest is the humble instrument.

Another time, at another retreat, I was convicted of my sins and I went to make my confession.  I remember how powerful this session was. The tremendous love of God flowed right through me and the old priest who had heard my confession was so tender and so loving. Truly that was an experience of God’s healing love.

Still, I remember the time when we were afflicted with the bird flu. Due to this epidemic, there was a time when we could not even go to the confessional for our confessions. I remember telling one priest that I felt as if I had lost my sense of sin. “Father, when are we going to be able to go for confession?”

It is well known that St Angela recommends that regular confessions be made. Thank God for all the priests who avail themselves to us. Thank God for priests like St John Vianney and St Pio and so many others in our churches now. It is an act of love then to pray for the priests who hear our confessions. They are God-sent! Praise God!

Without this Sacrament, we lose a sense of sin in our lives, and overlook the obstacles it places in our path. Unless we confess our sins, they fester in our hearts, corrupting our good works and spiritual practices. Indeed, many, without knowledge and unheedingly, now receive Holy Communion in a state of mortal sin, making their Communion unfruitful at best and damning at worst.

But confession must be made easily available and then the lay faithful will want to avail themselves to this marvelous gift of God’s grace of forgiveness and healing. It takes only one simple act to start making this a reality and that is, to have our priests preach often on our need for repentance and sacramental confession. May God bless us all!

What needs renewal?

To begin with, it might help if we look at our personal response to the Eucharistic celebration. What is our attitude? Is it still the same one we have been hearing all these years, that one goes to attend mass on Sundays and holy days of obligation so as to fulfil one’s obligation?

If the Eucharist is the source and summit of our life as Christians because it contains our entire spiritual good, Jesus Christ, why do we not attend mass out of love for the Lord? He comes to us at Mass as a Father through His Son in the power of the Holy Spirit. He makes Himself tangibly present to us in the assembly, the ordained ministers, and the proclaimed Word of God. He is also present most especially and immediately in the Eucharist, which has a perfect and infinite value before His eyes. He graciously comes to us, not only to be with us, but also to raise us up to Heaven, to the Heavenly liturgy, where we worship in union with all the angels and saints, the Blessed Virgin Mary and the eternal offering of Jesus Christ to the Father on our behalf. Thus we enter the heavenly sanctuary while still on earth, and worship God in the full manner that He laid out for us!

 Did he not say, ‘do this in memory of me’? All that we are and do should flow from our participation in the Eucharist and lead back to it. It is absolutely central to our identity and faith as Catholics. It enables us to engage in our mission. Without a proper reverence, love, adoration and devotion to the Eucharist and the liturgy, we are lost.

Why do we not avail ourselves to the Eucharist daily? Here in our country, we are truly spoilt for choice. One can consider going to mass in the morning, at lunch time or in the evening. Sometimes there are also masses in the night. Not to avail ourselves to the Eucharistic banquet is to look at the Offering and turn away for food that will not last. It is tantamount to the person who prefers junk food to what will nourish the soul and sustain the spirit for eternal life.

Having been to places like Kenya, I can well understand the fervour with which the Eucharist is celebrated for at least three hours each time. Our brethren do not have the Eucharist like us. There are not enough priests to reach out to them. So many of our Kenyan brothers and sisters in Christ walk for miles on end to celebrate the Eucharist. Here we are still moaning and groaning about the air conditioning and about this and that.

Have we lost our focus? Yes, and  worse, we could have stopped loving Him who first loved us, Jesus our Lord.

Trying to do what is right, not popular

Havoc will result when we do not do what is right and acceptable to the Catholic Church. Shudder when you think of how we will be held accountable at the end of time.  Can we then face the wrath of God? Since when have we ever been taught to please the world? Since when did anyone give permission to water down what is distinctively Catholic? Is it not ironical that by complying with what is totally unacceptable to the Catholic Church we then make ourselves irrelevant and impotent for the mission of the Church in the world? When we seek simply what works or is “useful” in the end, we do a great disservice. Indeed, we become quite useless.

Our urgent need at this time is to reclaim and strengthen our understanding of the deposit of faith. We must have a distinctive identity and culture as Catholics, if we would effectively communicate the Gospel to the people of this day. At this moment, I just thank God for all our bishops and their co-workers, the many faithful priests and all those who work in collaboration with them to keep bringing the truth to a needy world. I thank God for the Year of Faith that will commence this October and the many parishes already focussing on this key topic, so central to our lives as children of God. Truly, we can say that this is a mission we all share.

How successful are we in bringing the world to Jesus and Jesus to the world? We cannot give what we do not have; we cannot fulfil our mission to evangelize, if we ourselves are not evangelised. How do we reclaim and strengthen our faith, identity and culture as Catholics so as to engage more effectively in our mission? Here in our country, I thank God for the priests actively putting right what is not so right in our parishes, and I thank God for all who seek to cooperate for the glory of God. We owe it to our children and we owe it to all our fellow Catholics in the world.

One of the most encouraging signs is to see our priests encourage the practice of Eucharistic adoration and exposition of the Blessed Sacrament in particular, as well as prayer of adoration before Christ present under the Eucharistic species. In this area, we can thank God for our Archbishop who has given us a Perpetual Adoration Chapel, and we can thank God for raising up priests like Fr Antoine Thomas who, since his arrival to share with the local church, has encouraged Eucharistic adoration for both children and youths.

Praise God!

50 years later . . .

As we know, Blessed Pope John XXIII convened the Second Vatican Council to be the moment of renewal for the Church in the modern world. It has been fifty years since 1962 and we are still on the topic of new evangelisation. I recall hearing about the New Evangelisation in a recollection for catechists in 2005. Today I see that the same priest who had conducted our recollection is still sharing the same message. I see it as not so much a reminder as the fact that we have been slow to listen and to obey. The challenge continues. All of us, our separated brethren in Christ and all who have yet to embrace Jesus as Lord and Saviour have a need to be enlightened, and praise God, with His help, we will get there.

For Blessed John Paul II, it was his special mission and it was close to his heart throughout his entire pontificate. He spent time and effort, lovingly interpreting and implementing the Council’s documents according to the light of the Holy Spirit, given in virtue of his office, amid the changing circumstances of the Church and the world. Again and again he called on the Church to be fervent, to use the appropriate methods and with enthusiasm, embrace the Good News. The words of our Lord ‘go out and proclaim the Good News’ ring in our ears even as Blessed John Paul II keeps telling us: Be not afraid! And our Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI now says the same: Be not afraid. You lose nothing when you give yourselves to Jesus.

Today we have so many means of reaching out to the world. It is a matter of being wise and knowing how to tap on the new social media that has reduced the world to a global village. Fancy being able to reach someone far away with the Good News via the internet with Face Book, Twitter and other means. Since the word of God is all powerful and will never return empty but reach out to do what it wants to, we can count on the Lord to do what he says. But are we willing to be his hands, his mouth, his feet, his eyes and his ears?

Half a century is a brief moment compared to eternity but we are human and the psalmist says that one lives for seventy or at best, eighty, on this earth. So, it is up to each one to do his or her part. Some questions we could ask ourselves include the following: Have we understood the Council within the context of the entire history of the Church? Have we understood the documents well? Have we truly appropriated and implemented them? Is the current state of the Church what the Council intended? What went right? What went wrong? Where is the promised “New Pentecost”?

Come Holy Spirit, we need you!