Today's scripture verse is from James 4:7-10 (NRSVCE)
"Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Lament and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy into dejection. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you."
It seems to me that the journey to holiness is filled with contradiction. On the one hand, we are to "work out your own salvation with fear and trembling" (Philippians 2:12), and on the other "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God" (Ephesians 2:8).
Here in the book of James, there are some practical advice:
1. Submit to God
The biblical idea of submission is quite different from what our culture teaches us. Most of us think of submission as submitting under the authority or power of someone else and is usually deemed mandatory or obligatory, e.g. obeying the speed limit or filing income tax. If we fail to do so, we can do ourselves harm either criminally, in a civil lawsuit, or financially.
But submission to God as James writes in 4:7 "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." suggests something different. The way James writes this is that our being able to resist the devil is conditioned on whether we are submitting ourselves to God…only then will “he flee from you”. But if you’re not submitting to God, you might not be able to resist the devil because you can’t expect God’s help in resisting temptation from the devil while you’re refusing to submit to Him. There is no guarantee that he will flee from you at all under this circumstance. (Patheos).
Resistance is possible only because the power of God within us is greater than the power of the Evil One present in the world (1 John 4:4). Also see Ephesians 6:11-17 and 1 Peter 5:8-9) - from Ignatius Catholic Study Bible New Testament (ICSBNT) p.444
2. Draw near to God
Submission is only possible by the grace and power supplied by Jesus Christ after we have been incorporated into His body, the church. It is "A call to return to the covenant and reestablish friendship with God (Zech 1:3; Mal 3:7)" - from ICSBNT p.444
The best way to do this practically is to spend time in prayer and meditation. I am doing Liturgy Of The Hours - at least the Morning Prayer. I get a daily email reminder through the Morning Offering.
3. Cleanse your hands... purify your hearts
James speaks of moral purity, exhorting us to wash ourselves of evil deeds and intentions. Purification is demanded of everyone who approaches the all-holy God (Ps 24:4-5; Is 1:15-15). ICSBNT p.444
There is no better way to do this than to go to Confession at least once or twice a month. I am trying to practice the Examination of Conscience every evening before going to bed. "Pursue peace with everyone, and the holiness without which no one will see the Lord." (Hebrews 12:14)
4. Mourn and Weep
A call to shed tears of repentance. Catholic tradition refers to this as "compunction" of heart. The practice of confession is so helpful to do this. "Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted" (Mt 5:4). Oh there is so much comfort to be had from the Lord!
5. Humble yourselves...exalt you
Jesus reminded us that "All who exalt themselves will be humbled, and all who humble themselves will be exalted." (Mt 23:12) and St Peter also exhorted us to "Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, so that he may exalt you in due time." (1 Peter 5:6)
Practically I am learning that “True humility is not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself less.” ― Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here for?! It's been so helpful that every time I drifted into either moments of extremely pride or self-pitying, the best way was to simply switch off whatever I was thinking and turned my thoughts to praise and worship to God.
"Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things." (Philippians 4:8)
Friday, 24 November 2017
Saturday, 21 October 2017
The Message of the Cross
The homily from EWTN Daily Mass on Oct 20, 2017 by Father John Paul was one of the best messages I have ever heard on the Cross of Christ.
The scripture reading that day was one of my most quoted passages by St Paul in 1 Corinthians 1:18-25
For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.” Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, God decided, through the foolishness of our proclamation, to save those who believe. For Jews demand signs and Greeks desire wisdom, but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength.
The Saint celebrated for that day was Saint Paul of the Cross who founded the religious order the Passionists who "express their participation in the Passion by a special vow, by which they bind themselves to keep alive the memory of the Passion of Christ. They strive to foster awareness of its meaning and value for each person and for the life of the world. They seek to incorporate this vow into our daily lives by living the evangelical counsels." Paul of the Cross took "taking up the cross daily to follow Jesus" quite seriously.
Father John Paul also quoted one of my favorite TV Catholic preachers Fulton Sheen, who was quoted this morning in Morning Offering: "It is part of the discipline of God to make His loved ones perfect through trial and suffering. Only by carrying the Cross can one reach the Resurrection." How profound!
These messages by the Venerable Fulton Sheen are worth reading:
The Divine Romance: The Pulpit Of The Cross
The Way of the Cross
and his famous Youtube archive on My Cross
One thing I will do from now on: when I make the Sign of the Cross I will do so with reverence and gratitude for what Christ has done for me.
I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. (Galatians 2:19b-20)
The scripture reading that day was one of my most quoted passages by St Paul in 1 Corinthians 1:18-25
For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.” Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, God decided, through the foolishness of our proclamation, to save those who believe. For Jews demand signs and Greeks desire wisdom, but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength.
The Saint celebrated for that day was Saint Paul of the Cross who founded the religious order the Passionists who "express their participation in the Passion by a special vow, by which they bind themselves to keep alive the memory of the Passion of Christ. They strive to foster awareness of its meaning and value for each person and for the life of the world. They seek to incorporate this vow into our daily lives by living the evangelical counsels." Paul of the Cross took "taking up the cross daily to follow Jesus" quite seriously.
Father John Paul also quoted one of my favorite TV Catholic preachers Fulton Sheen, who was quoted this morning in Morning Offering: "It is part of the discipline of God to make His loved ones perfect through trial and suffering. Only by carrying the Cross can one reach the Resurrection." How profound!
These messages by the Venerable Fulton Sheen are worth reading:
The Divine Romance: The Pulpit Of The Cross
The Way of the Cross
and his famous Youtube archive on My Cross
One thing I will do from now on: when I make the Sign of the Cross I will do so with reverence and gratitude for what Christ has done for me.
I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. (Galatians 2:19b-20)
Friday, 15 September 2017
It is more blessed to give than to receive - evidence from Free/Open Source software for healthcare
This is a draft of an article I was asked to submit to the FOCUS Magazine:
It is more blessed to give than to receive - evidence from Free/Open Source software for healthcare
Linus Torvalds, the computer nerd from Finland who invented Linux (1), once called himself an "Accidental Revolutionary"(2). He and I share similar interests and my 30 year journey creating Free/Open Source Software (FOSS)(3) isn't too dissimilar to his, except perhaps by calling myself a Christian, I acknowledge that nothing is ever "accidental", and I should learn not to be too proud by calling my creation "revolutionary". This brief article tells my story of seeing God's hand at work in my life even though I was not always aware of it at the time. And now I give all the glory to God who "redeems my life from the pit, and crowns me with love and compassion" (Psalm 103:4).I was first trained as an electrical engineer - having passed all my examinations using a slide-rule (4)! I worked as a software programmer for 5 years during which time I became a Christian. My life took a drastic turn when I received a call to the Mission field. I felt I would be more useful to enter into the medical field. After finishing my medical degree and residency training I took my first job as a lecturer in Family and Community Medicine at the Chinese University in Hong Kong, with a ministry focus on the medical students. Being a young faculty, I resolved to use what I knew best - writing software - to make a difference in health and health care. I produced the first microcomputer based Computerized Medical Record (CMR) system for the teaching clinic (5). There was some interest in the software so I gave it away for free. Without the Internet at the time, software distribution and collaboration was quite difficult. CMR was a very good tool for research and I was able to experiment with new ideas to improve the care of my patients using it.
My next job was a faculty position at McGill University where I produced the next version of an Electronic Medical Record (EMR) called MUFFIN (McGill University Family Folder Information Network) (6). Even though the software was freely given away, it required considerable effort to help others use it. So there were MUFFIN Workshops held not only at McGill, but in other countries as well. Many friendships were formed, which turned out to be very important for the next phase of this development.
Photo taken by the CIO of UCLA outside the National Health Service sponsored conference in London, England.
In 1997 I joined McMaster University. There was very little resource and their antiquated computer system was facing the looming Y2K disaster. I managed to modify MUFFIN to support the teaching clinics there. After making further improvement I was able to get a large grant from the Primary Care Reform Technology Incentive Program. The money was intended for the purchase of a commercial system but with the confidence of my colleagues, I was given the opportunity to develop a totally new, web-based system called OSCAR (Open Source Clinical Application Resource). The name of the project was chosen carefully, after learning an important lesson from MUFFIN. McGill lawyers did not allow us to use the name MUFFIN! OSCAR is free from any university or even country restriction. I also learned that it was not so easy to simply give away our software. It took a lot of time and energy to work with the university Intellectual Property department to carefully package our "gift" with a FOSS General Public License (7). With the generous support of the Chief Information Officer of UCLA, OSCAR was officially released to the world on the UCLA campus (near Hollywood!) on November 17, 2002.
Despite many negative predictions, OSCAR has passed many major government testing and certification. Over 3000 health care professionals across the country now use it to care for millions of Canadians. Because the software can be downloaded freely, it is hard to know how many other countries are also benefiting from it (there were two downloads from Mongolia in 2002!). Moreover, it has attracted many collaborators, many of whom I have come to know as devout Christians, volunteering hundred of hours of their time to support the user community. Many businesses have also been created. They compete on providing good support services to the users, since the product itself is free of charge. The poorly resourced communities can benefit from this world-class software. I currently support a refugee clinic and a free YMCA physiotherapy clinic using surplus computers. Two years ago I supported a project in Vietnam to use OSCAR in their Methadone clinics. Listening to one story of an ex-addict turning her life around because of it has made all the effort worthwhile.
OSCAR-EMR (8) and OCUS (9) (OSCAR Canada Users Society) are two important not for profit organizations created to support the ongoing development of OSCAR and the supporting community. OSCAR was also created to support other web applications. Know2Act (10) is a platform to share clinical knowledge and tools based on the social-networking paradigm. It is now receiving over half a million visits daily. It has probably the biggest collection of electronic forms to help with clinical care. The service is available for free. KindredPHR (11) is a Personal controlled Health Record (PHR). It is probably the most exciting project since the creation of OSCAR itself. The purpose of a PHR is to put the Patient in the centre of Health Care, where all the tools to support making informed choices both towards wellness and managing chronic illnesses take place. This is probably the most revolutionary idea – turning our health care system upside down.
The headlines for eHealth are littered with scandals and failure: “eHealth scandal a $1B waste: auditor” (12), “Auditor general’s report: Scrapped diabetes registry cost Ontario government $24.4 million” (13), “Public health IT system defective, way over budget, says BC AG” (14). This FOSS project is perhaps a little bright light.
Over the years, this verse from scripture has helped me greatly: “"It is more blessed to give than to receive" (Acts 20:35). Here the apostle Paul reminded the Ephesian elders as he was bidding them farewell, knowing that he would be facing tremendous dangers up ahead and that he would most likely never to see them again, "In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’" These words of Jesus were not recorded in any of the four Gospels. It is possible that Jesus had said this directly to Paul when He met him after the Road to Damascus (Acts: 9:1-10). Paul was reminding the Ephesian elders that he had not been a financial burden to them even though they owed it to him for his preaching the Good News to them. "You yourselves know that these hands of mine have supplied my own needs and the needs of my companions." (Acts 20: 34). So instead of asking for what he deserved to receive, he gave of himself fully for their salvation. Paul was validating Jesus' teaching on the blessings of giving.
When I became a Christian, I had to overcome my weakness of holding on to things that belong to me. I came from a poor family background. I learned hard work in order to move ahead. To give away what was hard earned was not an easy thing for me to do. I have the tendency of viewing all the commandments from God as burdensome rules to obey. But more and more (praise to the Holy Spirit) I have discovered that these commandments are means by which my Heavenly Father blesses me! I love to spend time with my Father and hear Him tell me He loves me.
So giving is the same. The more I learn to give things away generously the more I will discover riches from my Father. This brings to mind the story of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32). I don't want to be like the older brother who became mad when his father was treating his prodigal brother generously. His father reminded him: “‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’” (Luke 15:31)
Oh may I have a big and generous heart like my Father!
References:
2.
"Just for Fun: The Story
of an Accidental Revolutionary" - https://www.amazon.ca/Just-Fun-Story-Accidental-Revolutionary/dp/0066620732/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1505485469&sr=8-1&keywords=just+for+fun
6.
The name was picked because
that was what I called my 3 lovely daughters (my muffins!)
Monday, 21 August 2017
Catholic Church on Moral Issues
It has been more than a month since I last wrote a blog. I had a lot of opportunity to learn and grow during this month. The most exciting event was the "Depending the Faith" conference at the Franciscan University at Steubenville, Ohio July 28-30, 2017. My wife and I were totally pumped, and are already thinking about going back again next year, perhaps even for a week long conference.
I also finished reading a very reaffirming book called Born Fundamentalist, Born Again Catholic by David Currie. The reason the book was very reaffirming is that it explains more clearly many of the Catholic teachings that had either drew me to the church or gave me doubts about my decision. I had written previously "Why I'm Catholic" which touches on many of these questions. But the most practical and compelling of all these reasons is in fact the Catholic Church's teaching on moral issues (chapter 11 in the book). On the surface, Evangelicals and Catholics build on the same foundation on moral issues. However, as society becomes more and more secular, the Catholic Church is the only church that has not caved in on many "hot button" issues such as abortion, euthanasia, and gender identity. I have grown so much in the past year on the understanding of marriage (including my own) and virtues (including sexual purity). Let me quote a bit from the book. From the last paragraph on page 136, "As an Evangelical, I was surprised when I found that the Church sees her moral teaching as part of that initial truth handed to her by the apostles for safeguarding. The moral standards of the Catholic Church find their source in the original deposit of faith entrusted to the first bishops. That is why she will not budge in her moral teaching. Better to lose all of England to a schism, as in the time of King Henry VIII, than to be guilty of modifying Christ's commands concerning the sanctity of the marriage bond... Nowhere is the refusal to modify rules for our convenience clearer than in the Catholic Church's teaching on birth control. Hers is virtually the only Christian voice still opposing artificial birth control. She knows she has no authority to tamper with the original deposit of the faith."
The church has such a strong view on the sanctity of life, from the moment of conception to the point of natural death. The true Catholic can honestly say, "I love life!"...p.138 2nd paragraph, "Christian parents have the singularly important task of populating heaven with saints... Angels are ontologically different from humans. God alone made the angels. There is only a set number of them. They cannot procreate... But when God made humans, he gave them the privilege of working in concert with him in creating new humans. What a privilege!"
Page 142 1st paragraph, "God built humans with two basic drives. The hunger drive preserves my personal life. That is its primary purpose. I can enjoy it, but when I separate it from its purpose, I become guilty of gluttony. Gluttony is short-sighted. It's only consideration is the pleasure of the moment... The sexual drive is the other basic drive. Its purpose is also to perpetuate life: the life of humanity. That is its primary purpose. I can enjoy it, but if I separate it from its purpose, I become guilty of sexual sins. All sexual sins are short-sighted, also. They are a failure to appreciate the eternal perspective, which is the increase of God's glory. When pleasure and purpose are totally severed, even homosexuality and masturbation can be made to sound sensible. We have stepped onto a slippery slope with no handrails. This eternal perspective is the unifying moral perspective that links abortion, birth control, homosexuality, euthanasia, racism, masturbation, and divorce. It involves having a view to God's glory and how he made humanity. This leads us to a godly perspective on life - its creation, its dignity, its ultimate purpose, and its preservation."
I know even within the Catholic Church there are many who don't adhere to the church's teaching on these moral issues. But when I joined the church, I declared (openly) that I believe and submit to all of her teaching. When I do, and when I learn the reason behind it, I am convinced that I have come to the right place, where many of God's people are holding hands together, facing a conformable enemy. But we have Jesus's promises: "And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." (Matthew 16:17-19), and "And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age." (Matthew 28:20).
I also finished reading a very reaffirming book called Born Fundamentalist, Born Again Catholic by David Currie. The reason the book was very reaffirming is that it explains more clearly many of the Catholic teachings that had either drew me to the church or gave me doubts about my decision. I had written previously "Why I'm Catholic" which touches on many of these questions. But the most practical and compelling of all these reasons is in fact the Catholic Church's teaching on moral issues (chapter 11 in the book). On the surface, Evangelicals and Catholics build on the same foundation on moral issues. However, as society becomes more and more secular, the Catholic Church is the only church that has not caved in on many "hot button" issues such as abortion, euthanasia, and gender identity. I have grown so much in the past year on the understanding of marriage (including my own) and virtues (including sexual purity). Let me quote a bit from the book. From the last paragraph on page 136, "As an Evangelical, I was surprised when I found that the Church sees her moral teaching as part of that initial truth handed to her by the apostles for safeguarding. The moral standards of the Catholic Church find their source in the original deposit of faith entrusted to the first bishops. That is why she will not budge in her moral teaching. Better to lose all of England to a schism, as in the time of King Henry VIII, than to be guilty of modifying Christ's commands concerning the sanctity of the marriage bond... Nowhere is the refusal to modify rules for our convenience clearer than in the Catholic Church's teaching on birth control. Hers is virtually the only Christian voice still opposing artificial birth control. She knows she has no authority to tamper with the original deposit of the faith."
The church has such a strong view on the sanctity of life, from the moment of conception to the point of natural death. The true Catholic can honestly say, "I love life!"...p.138 2nd paragraph, "Christian parents have the singularly important task of populating heaven with saints... Angels are ontologically different from humans. God alone made the angels. There is only a set number of them. They cannot procreate... But when God made humans, he gave them the privilege of working in concert with him in creating new humans. What a privilege!"
Page 142 1st paragraph, "God built humans with two basic drives. The hunger drive preserves my personal life. That is its primary purpose. I can enjoy it, but when I separate it from its purpose, I become guilty of gluttony. Gluttony is short-sighted. It's only consideration is the pleasure of the moment... The sexual drive is the other basic drive. Its purpose is also to perpetuate life: the life of humanity. That is its primary purpose. I can enjoy it, but if I separate it from its purpose, I become guilty of sexual sins. All sexual sins are short-sighted, also. They are a failure to appreciate the eternal perspective, which is the increase of God's glory. When pleasure and purpose are totally severed, even homosexuality and masturbation can be made to sound sensible. We have stepped onto a slippery slope with no handrails. This eternal perspective is the unifying moral perspective that links abortion, birth control, homosexuality, euthanasia, racism, masturbation, and divorce. It involves having a view to God's glory and how he made humanity. This leads us to a godly perspective on life - its creation, its dignity, its ultimate purpose, and its preservation."
I know even within the Catholic Church there are many who don't adhere to the church's teaching on these moral issues. But when I joined the church, I declared (openly) that I believe and submit to all of her teaching. When I do, and when I learn the reason behind it, I am convinced that I have come to the right place, where many of God's people are holding hands together, facing a conformable enemy. But we have Jesus's promises: "And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." (Matthew 16:17-19), and "And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age." (Matthew 28:20).
Friday, 14 July 2017
Be Wise as Serpents and Innocent as Doves
Today's scripture reading is taken from Matthew 10:16-23. It's a sobering message about the persecution which Christians face throughout the ages (incidentally today's saint is Saint Kateri Tekakwitha who was persecuted by her own native Mohawk people in New York in the 17th century for being a Christian). Father Ian reminded me that I should not be surprised that persecution is real even in Canada today, and that the church does the best under persecution.
What jumps out at me in this passage is verse 21: "Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death". This brings to mind what I saw and heard when I was visiting China a few years back - stories of lives lost during the Cultural Revolution. I saw trees where people were hung because their friends or even their own children reported them as counter-revolutionists. What a sad part of China's history!
This passage is also telling me that Jesus is sending me to a world hostile to the Christian message: "See, I am sending you out like sheep into the midst of wolves; so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves." (verse 16). The Ignatius Catholic Study Bible did not have any commentary on this passage. Father Randy Sly gave this lovely homily four years ago and here are a few useful quotes:
What jumps out at me in this passage is verse 21: "Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death". This brings to mind what I saw and heard when I was visiting China a few years back - stories of lives lost during the Cultural Revolution. I saw trees where people were hung because their friends or even their own children reported them as counter-revolutionists. What a sad part of China's history!
This passage is also telling me that Jesus is sending me to a world hostile to the Christian message: "See, I am sending you out like sheep into the midst of wolves; so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves." (verse 16). The Ignatius Catholic Study Bible did not have any commentary on this passage. Father Randy Sly gave this lovely homily four years ago and here are a few useful quotes:
- When we are sent into the world for the work of the gospel, two key virtues need to be developed - prudence and simplicity. Prudence is more than merely common sense; it is our inclination to make choices which contribute to the common good. It is called the "charioteer of the virtues" (CCC 1806) and is the guide of all the other virtues. Simplicity is the opposite of needless complexity; it is a life that is honest, straightforward, and uncomplicated. (CCC: Human virtues are firm attitudes, stable dispositions, habitual perfections of intellect and will that govern our actions, order our passions, and guide our conduct according to reason and faith. They make possible ease, self-mastery, and joy in leading a morally good life. The virtuous man is he who freely practices the good. They are the fruit and seed of morally good acts.)
- Serpent-like Prudence - As the natural enemy of man, serpents do a good job of avoiding contact... Prudent actions are used to avoid confrontation, giving the one with that virtue the opportunity to serve another day...The prudent person cultivates a lifestyle of careful action. As the Catechism states, Prudence is "right reason in action," writes St. Thomas Aquinas, following Aristotle. It is not to be confused with timidity or fear, nor with duplicity or dissimulation. The prudent man determines and directs his conduct in accordance with this judgment. With the help of this virtue we apply moral principles to particular cases without error and overcome doubts about the good to achieve and the evil to avoid. (CCC 1806)... This is a time when the Church needs prudent apologists. Those who are able to give a reason for the hope that lies within and cultivate right actions toward providing for the common good of all.
- Dove-like Simplicity - Simplicity - or innocence - as a virtue is easy to explain: "what you see is what you get." The word in the Greek [akeraios] here means to be "pure" or "unmixed." It is the same word [katharos] used in the Beatitudes when Jesus says, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." ... People with the virtue of simplicity are clear and transparent, and their relationships are honest and solid. There is no secret agenda, no hidden intentions. The simple person is never two-faced; she is sincere and straight, with nothing to hide... When we live lives of simplicity, not only will we see God, as we read in the Beatitudes, but those around us will be able to see him as well.
- Prudence and simplicity are two virtues worth cultivating, especially in light of our call to the New Evangelization, where we go into the world to make disciples. In Pope Francis' first Encyclical, Lumen Fidei, we read, Faith is passed on, we might say, by contact, from one person to another, just as one candle is lighted from another. Christians, in their poverty, plant a seed so rich that it becomes a great tree, capable of filling the world with its fruit.These seeds are planted by those who are able to successfully navigate through the world of wolves by virtuous living and, in the love of Christ, clearly and simply deliver the message of light.
Monday, 10 July 2017
Bethel - House of God, Gate of Heaven
I was one of those (Christians or non-Christians) who used to criticize the money wasted to build expensive church or religious buildings. I have even heard recently from a friend who linked the building of cathedrals to repressing the poor!
Father Ian in his homily today explained from the scripture passage on Genesis 28:10-22 that the Catholic church considers the church building not just a meeting place for believers, but truly the House of God, the Gate of Heaven. For when Jacob woke up from the dream when he met God he said, “Surely the Lord is in this place—and I did not know it!” And he was afraid, and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.” (verses 16b-17). He built an altar and named the place Bethel (which in Hebrew means "House of El" or "House of God"). The significance of Jacob's dream was that God renewed His promise to him, “I am the Lord, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring; and your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south; and all the families of the earth shall be blessed in you and in your offspring. Know that I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” (verses 13b-15). There are four specific promises:
(1) Jacob (Israel) will inherit the land in that region (came true)
(2) His descendants will multiply to a great number (came true)
(3) All the families of the earth will be blessed through Jacob's offspring (Jesus!)
(4) Divine promise of His presence and protection (YES!)
At the Mass this morning, I was quite aware of Jesus' presence, His body, blood, soul and divinity. He was ever present - not only during Mass but always, dwelling in our midst within the tabernacle up by the altar.
When I googled "Why Catholics Should Build Beautiful Churches" a number of good articles came up (with a few quotes):
Patheos - So a Catholic Church that is beautiful and built to last is a witness to the incarnation…We believe in the eternal truths that are so beautiful and true and everlasting that no one can ever destroy them…A beautiful, traditional Catholic Church protests against all of that vulgarity and low life with great dignity and power…a church is not just a meeting place. It is a house of prayer. It is a place that becomes hallowed with prayer. Therefore it must be a place that lifts the heart to prayer. The human heart is vulnerable to beauty. The beauty of worship and the beauty of a church building lifts even the hardest heart to prayer.
Adoremus - Rather than calling for the wholesale rejection of the past, Sacrosanctum Concilium calls for the careful preservation of the treasury of Church art and architecture. It calls for “noble beauty rather than sumptuous display” (SC 124). Thus the importance of true beauty — as distinct from frivolous ornament — is confirmed, and it is to this true beauty that priests and parishes alike are drawn.
Quora - There are many reasons on why Catholic and Orthodox traditions have a strong sense of imagery, but one of them I find particularly interesting: in medieval times, many people, commoner and noble alike, were illiterate. Therefore images of saints, the Madonna, the Stations of the Cross, all helped to promote a better understanding of the faith. So did architectural styles. Gothic architecture, for example, came about precisely because of that: verticality to point out God as the center of all things, the idea of the Assumption, and man’s size in the cosmos, and light as the Divine light breaking through the darkness of worldly matters.
Father Ian in his homily today explained from the scripture passage on Genesis 28:10-22 that the Catholic church considers the church building not just a meeting place for believers, but truly the House of God, the Gate of Heaven. For when Jacob woke up from the dream when he met God he said, “Surely the Lord is in this place—and I did not know it!” And he was afraid, and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.” (verses 16b-17). He built an altar and named the place Bethel (which in Hebrew means "House of El" or "House of God"). The significance of Jacob's dream was that God renewed His promise to him, “I am the Lord, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring; and your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south; and all the families of the earth shall be blessed in you and in your offspring. Know that I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” (verses 13b-15). There are four specific promises:
(1) Jacob (Israel) will inherit the land in that region (came true)
(2) His descendants will multiply to a great number (came true)
(3) All the families of the earth will be blessed through Jacob's offspring (Jesus!)
(4) Divine promise of His presence and protection (YES!)
At the Mass this morning, I was quite aware of Jesus' presence, His body, blood, soul and divinity. He was ever present - not only during Mass but always, dwelling in our midst within the tabernacle up by the altar.
When I googled "Why Catholics Should Build Beautiful Churches" a number of good articles came up (with a few quotes):
Patheos - So a Catholic Church that is beautiful and built to last is a witness to the incarnation…We believe in the eternal truths that are so beautiful and true and everlasting that no one can ever destroy them…A beautiful, traditional Catholic Church protests against all of that vulgarity and low life with great dignity and power…a church is not just a meeting place. It is a house of prayer. It is a place that becomes hallowed with prayer. Therefore it must be a place that lifts the heart to prayer. The human heart is vulnerable to beauty. The beauty of worship and the beauty of a church building lifts even the hardest heart to prayer.
Adoremus - Rather than calling for the wholesale rejection of the past, Sacrosanctum Concilium calls for the careful preservation of the treasury of Church art and architecture. It calls for “noble beauty rather than sumptuous display” (SC 124). Thus the importance of true beauty — as distinct from frivolous ornament — is confirmed, and it is to this true beauty that priests and parishes alike are drawn.
Quora - There are many reasons on why Catholic and Orthodox traditions have a strong sense of imagery, but one of them I find particularly interesting: in medieval times, many people, commoner and noble alike, were illiterate. Therefore images of saints, the Madonna, the Stations of the Cross, all helped to promote a better understanding of the faith. So did architectural styles. Gothic architecture, for example, came about precisely because of that: verticality to point out God as the center of all things, the idea of the Assumption, and man’s size in the cosmos, and light as the Divine light breaking through the darkness of worldly matters.
Monday, 3 July 2017
We are no longer Strangers and Sojourners
Today's scripture reading is taken from Ephesian 2:19-22
Brothers and sisters:
You are no longer strangers and sojourners,
but you are fellow citizens with the holy ones
and members of the household of God,
built upon the foundation of the Apostles and prophets,
with Christ Jesus himself as the capstone.
Through him the whole structure is held together
and grows into a temple sacred in the Lord;
in him you also are being built together
into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.
What jumped out at me was St. Paul's exhortation: "You are no longer strangers and sojourners". What? I had always been taught that this world was not my home. I was but a sojourner (or an alien) on my way to my real home which was heaven where Jesus promised to prepare a room in His mansion for me (John 14:2). I even once spent a few days staying with a Christian Community called the Sojourners Community in Washington, DC to learn about living in a community dedicated to social justice. I had always found the idea compelling that this life on earth is not worth keeping comparing to the life to come. As the famous missionary martyr Jim Elliot famously said "He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose."
The Ignatius Catholic Study Bible didn't have anything on this verse. So I go back to read the entire chapter 2 of Ephesian to understand the context. St. Paul began by reminding us that we were once dead through trespasses and sins (verse 1). "But God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus." (verses 4-7) This describes the reality both now and in the future. And the purpose of this earthly life is "For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life." (verse 10). Starting in verse 11-12 is where the idea of strangers and sojourners (aliens in NRSVCE translation and foreigners in NIV translation) come in. St. Paul was speaking to Gentiles who were once not part of the Commonwealth of Israel, but now because of the Jesus, who "reconcile[d] both groups to God in one body through the cross, thus putting to death that hostility through it." (verse 16) and "through him both of us have access in one Spirit to the Father. "(verse 18). That's when he said "So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are citizens with the saints and also members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone." (verses 19-20)
So the idea that we are no longer strangers and aliens (Greek: xenos and paroikos) but are now citizens (Greek sympolitēs) is related to becoming God's one family uniting what used to be two distinct groups - Jews and Gentiles. Two really Catholic ideas have become more clear today from this passage:
(1) The Kingdom of God is here and now and will always include Jews who were the people God had chosen to bring about salvation to the whole world.
(2) The foundation of this Kingdom (and the Household of God) is built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ himself as the cornerstone, which to me is the Catholic Church for the last two millennium!
Canada just celebrated 150 years 3 days ago. I became a citizen in 1981. I love this adopted country but I love my spiritual Kingdom even more!!
Brothers and sisters:
You are no longer strangers and sojourners,
but you are fellow citizens with the holy ones
and members of the household of God,
built upon the foundation of the Apostles and prophets,
with Christ Jesus himself as the capstone.
Through him the whole structure is held together
and grows into a temple sacred in the Lord;
in him you also are being built together
into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.
What jumped out at me was St. Paul's exhortation: "You are no longer strangers and sojourners". What? I had always been taught that this world was not my home. I was but a sojourner (or an alien) on my way to my real home which was heaven where Jesus promised to prepare a room in His mansion for me (John 14:2). I even once spent a few days staying with a Christian Community called the Sojourners Community in Washington, DC to learn about living in a community dedicated to social justice. I had always found the idea compelling that this life on earth is not worth keeping comparing to the life to come. As the famous missionary martyr Jim Elliot famously said "He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose."
The Ignatius Catholic Study Bible didn't have anything on this verse. So I go back to read the entire chapter 2 of Ephesian to understand the context. St. Paul began by reminding us that we were once dead through trespasses and sins (verse 1). "But God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus." (verses 4-7) This describes the reality both now and in the future. And the purpose of this earthly life is "For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life." (verse 10). Starting in verse 11-12 is where the idea of strangers and sojourners (aliens in NRSVCE translation and foreigners in NIV translation) come in. St. Paul was speaking to Gentiles who were once not part of the Commonwealth of Israel, but now because of the Jesus, who "reconcile[d] both groups to God in one body through the cross, thus putting to death that hostility through it." (verse 16) and "through him both of us have access in one Spirit to the Father. "(verse 18). That's when he said "So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are citizens with the saints and also members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone." (verses 19-20)
So the idea that we are no longer strangers and aliens (Greek: xenos and paroikos) but are now citizens (Greek sympolitēs) is related to becoming God's one family uniting what used to be two distinct groups - Jews and Gentiles. Two really Catholic ideas have become more clear today from this passage:
(1) The Kingdom of God is here and now and will always include Jews who were the people God had chosen to bring about salvation to the whole world.
(2) The foundation of this Kingdom (and the Household of God) is built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ himself as the cornerstone, which to me is the Catholic Church for the last two millennium!
Canada just celebrated 150 years 3 days ago. I became a citizen in 1981. I love this adopted country but I love my spiritual Kingdom even more!!
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