Statuses

Taste awakens memories from the past and brings us back to specific times and experiences. Blackberry jam brings me back to the Castlegar fields on the edge of Galway city where we picked bags of blackberries in the autumn; back to the kitchen where my mother made the jam in a big saucepan; jam jars being filled with the hot new jam. And, when it cooled and set, the taste of it on fresh bread. Nothing compares with that taste and it is a blessed memory that speaks of home life at its best, with its own unique flavour and atmosphere.

The Word of God has the power to awaken memory in a particularly powerful way. A phrase or a single word can revive in us an experience of God that has some meaning for the present.

When I read the readings for today, the seventh Sunday, my mind initially went off in the direction of loving enemies, turning the other cheek, forgiveness and living in harmony with one another. It seemed the obvious way to go and yet something in me felt weary about this.

So, I closed my eyes for a while and into the silence this phrase presented itself with great clarity – “Be holy for I the Lord your God am Holy!” (Leviticus 19:2)

And it took me back to the Cathedral in Thurles when I was a young student. Sitting there in the hush and half-light of a Saturday evening waiting to go to confession. At that time my heart was on fire with that call in Leviticus – “Be holy for I am Holy.” Be holy, since it is the Holy One who has called you!

I understood this, not so much at the level of thought but, in the depth of my soul where it resonated and made perfect sense. The holiness of God is the beginning of everything. He is in essence Holy and what a joy it is to be called to share in this holiness, to have all of one’s life flow from it – all my thoughts, actions, desires, gestures and words.

The youth in me hungered and thirsted for this and I would give my whole life to the search for it – the search for the Holy One who was already within, without, behind and before me. The phrase, “Be holy for I am Holy” became a focal point on the horizon of my life as I steered my boat towards its destination.

That was part of the reality that waited in the quiet of Saturday nights in the Cathedral. The other part was my struggle with sin – the part of me that kicked against the holiness of God, a struggle that meets with Mercy time and time again; the ongoing struggle of the pilgrim life.

What we discover in our journey through life is that the very effort of living day-to-day can swallow us up and consume us to the extent that we lose sight of the goal, the horizon, the essence of the call. And this is where our Word or phrase of scripture can bring us back into focus.

The call to holiness is not just for the few. It is for every single one of us. God told Moses, “speak to the whole community…and say to them ‘be holy for the Lord your God is Holy.’” It is expressed differently in everyone’s life but it has the same meaning, the goal is the same, the source is the same.

To be holy is to become like God in every aspect of life. St. John says, “Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears,^[a] we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. ³ All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.” (1 John 3:2-3)

Be holy is also expressed in the Bible in terms such as, be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect; be compassionate as your heavenly Father is compassionate.

A lovely expression of the holiness of our lives is given by St. Paul, “Didn’t you realise that you were God’s temple and that the Spirit of God was living among you… the temple of God is sacred; and you are that temple.” (1 Corinthians 3:16)

The life of holiness is one that puts God first, recognizing that He is in fact the beginning and the centre of all existence. It is a life of profound reverence for God who is revealed definitively in the person of Jesus Christ. It has become a counter cultural life in a time that does not reverence the sacred, that sees God as one who can be manipulated and used in any way we choose.

The life of holiness must also be one that reflects itself in love of neighbour, ‘“You must not bear hatred for your brother in your heart. You must openly tell him, your neighbour, of his offence; this way you will not take a sin upon yourself. You must not exact vengeance, nor must you bear a grudge against the children of your people. You must love your neighbour as yourself. I am the Lord.”’ (Leviticus 19:17-18).

It must also express itself in love of enemies, as Jesus says, “But I say this to you: love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you; in this way you will be sons of your Father in heaven, for he causes his sun to rise on bad men as well as good, and his rain to fall on honest and dishonest men alike. For if you love those who love you, what right have you to claim any credit? Even the tax collectors do as much, do they not? And if you save your greetings for your brothers, are you doing anything exceptional? Even the pagans do as much, do they not? You must therefore be perfect just as your heavenly Father is perfect.’ (Matthew 5:38-48)

For anyone wanting to experience a more profound spiritual life it is worth taking time in silence to wait for God to give a Word that will be the focal point on the horizon of our journey. Then, no matter how caught up we become in the mill of life, no matter how many mountains we have to climb or rivers to cross, we will have the grace to pause, look up and focus again at the essence of what it is to be truly human –  to be Holy as God is Holy.

Eamonn Monson sac

February 19, 2017

Life is a pilgrimage.

Pilgrimage is an important part of spiritual life for Christians. Christians see life as a journey, coming from God and returning to God. The pilgrim seeks to separate himself from the everyday concerns of the world, and to spend time in the presence of God as he travels to a place of special meaning.

In Argentina we have over 12 places of pilgrimage (mostly all dedicated to The Blessed Virgin Mary). For the past 36 years, on the first Saturday of October over one million youth make their annual pilgrimage by foot to our national shrine  in honor of Our Lady of Lujan. It is amazing that so many young people respond so generously to this invitation to visit Lujan. Pope John Paul 11 had challenged young people to join him on a particular pilgrimage to different parts of the world every two years.

The monastery of Taize (France) offers a pilgrimage of simplicity and prayer which  thousands  of young people make every year, sacrificing much to come to meet other young people from different denominations around the world. World youth days, Knock, Walsingham (UK), Rome, Medjugorje, Nnamugongo (Africa), Lujan (Argentina) and many other local pilgrimages demonstrate that young people are captivated by these pilgrimages which somehow help them in a dramatic way at a particular time on their faith journey.

Whatever the initial motivation to make these journeys, it cannot be underestimated what a profound effect they have on them. It has not been uncommon for young people on a youth pilgrimage to make life choices or to be gently nudged by The Holy Spirit in a particular direction. It is clearly shown in the life of Jesus how important pilgrimage is.

Jesus made pilgrimage when he was growing up and the climax of salvation happened whilst on pilgrimage. The Holy Spirit came with great power on the apostles whilst people from many nations gathered in Jerusalem for the pilgrimage at Pentecost.

In the fourth century Christians rediscovered pilgrimage as part of their heritage. Prior to this there was a move away from jewish practices. Basilicas were built in Jerusalem on key places associated with Jesus. These quickly became centers of pilgrimage. Martyrs´ tombs also became places which Christians would make a prayerful journey to. The golden era of pilgrimage was, unsurprisingly, the middle ages, Rome. Cologne, Santiago de Compostela (Spain),Canterbury and Walsingham are but a few of the places which were not only key places of pilgrimage, but also cultural and economic centers. During the reformation many pilgrimage centers were destroyed, yet the idea of pilgrimage remained strong in the minds of many Christians.

In the 1800`s to this day pilgrimage had a massive revival. There is no doubt that somehow Christians need these times to take stock, to be with other like-minded people and to draw closer to God.

A pilgrim wanders through life, often limping, sometimes bewildered, at times quite lost; and the pilgrim is searching, often quite unconsciously, for something or someone to make sense of life, and certainly to make sense of death. He or she may discover that God has spoken in many ways but most emphatically through a Son, whom to see is to have seen The Father Himself.

In Argentina preparations are well underway for the 2010 youth pilgrimage to Lujan on Oct.2nd. This year it will coincide with the celebrations for the 200 years of independence of Argentina from Spain. The organizers are expecting 2 million young people who will walk the 68.8 klms from Buenos Aires to the Shrine of “Our Lady”. The motto for 2010 is “Mother Mary” –“We want a nation where everyone in included” In 2009 over 8 million pilgrims visited “The shrine. 14.340 and 283 weddings were officiated  during the year.

An authentic pilgrimage means the pilgrimage begins many months before the day of departure. The time of preparation is all part of of our journey.

Preparation helps us to focus on our theme for the year. It helps us ask the questions “why am I going (again)? and helps to see our need for spiritual renewal, to thank God for something, to offer something back and to seek real forgiveness. The youth pilgrimage is tiring and demanding on many levels and yet it should help us to be active Catholics, more apostolic in our everyday life and more willing to serve the needs of the people we make the journey with.

We all like to go on a pilgrimage and we should be aware that it’s a unique opportunity for us to experience real Community, service that does not count the hours or days and prayer which comes from what is deepest inside us. The way is ofen rough for a pilgrim and hard going but pilgrims must keep going resolutely and courageously.

We are lost if we stop looking for the right way to reach our destination. But there is ONE who is on the look-out to guide us; it is the Son of God who is the Way, the Truth and the Life. Through Him we derive the inspiration and the strength to keep going on our pilgrim way.

Our Lady of Lujan pray for us!!!

I was born in Thurles in October 1935 in the old St. Mary`s Hospital. As was common practice then I was baptised at 2 days old in the Cathedral of the Assumption, Thurles. I was raised in a rural community in the parish of Drombane about 8 miles from the town of Thurles. I attended a National School in Newtown, Drombane parish. When I concluded my primary education I attended Thurles CBS. Back in those days there was no free transport so we travelled on bicycles in all weathers.

Many boys and girls at that time and for years afterwards entered convents and Junior Seminaries at a young age. I joined the Society of the Catholic Apostolate (Pallottine Fathers) as a postulant in 1950. We used to go  to the CBS Secondary for our daily classes. Fortunately I enjoyed sports and I played hurling and gaelic football with various teams. I was lucky to win Dr. Harty Cup, Dean Ryan Cup, Croke Cup and Rice Cup finals with the famous school. Tipperary had great minor hurling teams in those days. They won the All Ireland hurling finals in 1952, `53, `55, `56 and `57. They were beaten in the 1954 final. I was lucky to win All Ireland medals in 1953 and 1954.

Our novitiate was in Cabra – about two miles outside Thurles in those years. I entered the Novitiate in September 1953. Fr. Tom Phelan, who was a avid Tipperary supported allowed me to leave the novitiate and head for the big city of Dublin and play against Dublin in the All Ireland final.  Having completed the novitiate I transferred to our college in Thurles and from there I attended daily lectures in the local St. Patrick`s College. This is no longer a seminary; it is now the equivalent of a university.

After finishing 1^st. philosophy and spending a couple of days on retreat in Mt. St. Joseph`s Monastery, Roscrea I made the decision that the priesthood was not for me. People in Ireland were fairly poor at that time and jobs were scarce. There was great emigration in the 1940`s, `50`s and 60`s to Britain and the US. I obtained temporary employment in Thurles Sugar Factory and later on with the ESB.

When I left the seminary I made a decision to never enter any seminary again. I had cousins home from London on holidays and they assured me that they would find employment for me in the big city of London. I worked in an office for a Kerry man – J. Murphy and Sons – and the pay was £7 each week. In those far away days you could get an excellent meal for 5 shillings in the old money. I kept up the hurling and I played for a team in Kilburn, West London. There was no trouble carrying a hurley on London transport at that time.  I bet it might be considered a dangerous weapon now.  I moved from Murphy`s to work for a subsidiary of ICI.

During my time in London I became very active in the Legion of Mary. Initially I was a member of a parish praesidium. The parish was between two prisons, Holloway and Pentonville.  I joined the men`s prison presidium in the parish and I became an official prison visitor to Pentonville Men`s Prison. I became the treasurer and later the president of Islington  Curia and at that time there were 23 praesidia in the curia. I lived a very full social life and at that time there many Irish dance halls throughout London and I learned to dance with the best of them, although I would have to confess that I was no Fred Astaire.  I dated a girl, who was a native of Bruree and after a couple of years we became engaged to be married.  Back in those days couples didn`t live together unless they were married to each other. Sometime in 1960 we decided that we would emigrate to America.  I would go first and later on she would follow me.  I was sponsored by my sister and brother in law in Syracuse, New York State. I obtained employment in a bank – working as a cashier.  My job description then could never lead me to be a part of the ongoing chaos in banking. 

The wall in Berlin was built in June 1961 and America was afraid of a war starting between themselves and Russia. I was called to register for draft, although I wasn`t a US citizen. I was classified 1A and I was given the choice to join the army or leave the country. I had hoped to work at banking in the military but Providence led me to qualify to be a Chaplain`s Assistant.  When I was fully trained I was assigned to the Post Chapel at Fort Sam Houston, San Antonia, Texas.

One day I said to myself, “I was once in God`s Army and here I am now stuck in Man`s Army”.  Although I was still engaged to be married I began to think about entering a seminary again, but not the Pallottines. I was living in the US and I considered entering some Religious Order over there, but I couldn`t decide which one.  The Catholic Chaplain encouraged me to enter a seminary. I had an uncle at that time, who was a priest in San Diego Diocese and he asked me to join his diocese. I said “no”; I wanted to join some Religious Order.

I still could not make up my mind.  I went to have breakfast on the Broadway, San Antonia with my army chaplain boss and another soldier.  On the way in I purchased a daily paper and going through the pages I found myself transfixed looking at a picture of Blessed Vincent Pallotti, who was about to be canonised at that time in Rome. This was in January 1963. My mind was made up as I felt Jesus; the great High Priest was directing me back to my first love as a future Pallottine.

I applied for readmission and I was accepted. I entered the Pallottines for the second time in September 1963. Of course I had to break off my engagement to a wonderful Irish Catholic girl. In time she married a former English seminarian and I often visited them in their home in Ealing parish, London.  They have 3 sons and over the years 2 of them played rugby with London Irish.      

Fr. Phil Barry SCA

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him may not perish, but may have eternal life. (John 3:16)

“Jesus Christ is true God,

Jesus Christ is true man, 

in body, in soul and in divinity.

And he is ours, he is completely ours.

All of the life of Jesus Christ is ours,

all his merits are our merits,

all his virtues are our virtues.

Jesus Christ is mine, the Word made flesh in body, soul and divinity is mine, 

and all the works he did here on earth are mine. 

Jesus Christ is so completely mine that not even

God himself who gave him to me could take him away from me.”

OOCC XIII, pages 123-24. 

Lord Jesus Christ, at your Last Supper you prayed to the Father that all should be one. Send your Holy Spirit upon all who bear your name and seek to serve you. Strengthen our faith in you, and lead us to love one another in humility. May we who have been reborn in one baptism be united in one faith under one Shepherd. Amen.

Diaconate Ordinations yesterday, January 11th 2017, in Mbulu, Tanzania. The two men on the right of the top photo are Pallottines – on the extreme right is Stephen Lwebuga SAC and next to him is Norbert Mukabwa SAC.

Homily of Bishop Isaac Amani, Bishop of the Diocese of Moshi and Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of Mbulu; 11^th January 2017.

Readings: Acts of the Apostles 6:1-7 and Matthew 9: 35-38

Dear Brethren,

We are gathered here in the Cathedral Church on this happy and joyous occasion to thank God for Stephen Lwebuga, SAC, and Norbert Mukabwa, SAC, who have requested to be ordained deacons.  Through a special ritual to be performed they will be empowered to render service on behalf of the Church and with the Church. Their presence here is an indicator that God cares for his people. This is an important day for the Mbulu Diocese and for the Pallottine family. We pray for God’s blessings upon their vocation journey. God calls them to serve his people. God has answered the prayer of his people to send labourers into his vineyard. He called them to give testimony to his Word and by their faith.

The Gospel today tells us how Jesus chose his disciples: “And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.”

The ministry of our Lord on earth makes up an integral part of your formation. Teaching, preaching and healing were three important ingredients in the ministry of our Lord in preparing his disciples to truly become salt of the earth and light to the nations. “When he saw the crowds he was moved with pity, for they were harassed and helpless like sheep without a shepherd”. Jesus was moved by the plight of his people. They were tired and scattered. In order for us to engage in proper evangelisation we need to read the signs of the times. True gospel preaching will address the real needs that face our people, such as: looking for and bringing back the one who has strayed, healing the wounded, feeding the hungry and affirming the weak ones. Jesus said to his disciples ‘the harvest is plentiful but the labourers are few. Ask the master of the harvest to send workers to gather his harvest.’ The prayer of Jesus is still relevant in our times. There are many members of the Church who devote their lives to continuing the work of evangelisation in different ways. Parents play a crucial role in preparing their children in the way of faith through prayer, love of liturgies, love for God and people, and good manners while in the church. Adults have also a duty to lead a life full of love, justice and humility before God. Those who are consecrated are called to lead lives worthy of their consecration and to share the values of the Gospel. Our society need to hear the Word of God. The role of Catechists, who are teachers of the faith, and of the clergy, is to empower all the faithful to stand firm in their faith.

We heard in the first reading that as the number of disciples grew some people complained that their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution. To address the matter the twelve summoned the whole body of disciples to choose seven respected men, full of wisdom and spirit. They laid hands on them and prayed over them.   Their task as deacons was to attend to the needs of the community and the Apostles continued with the ministry of prayer and the Word. And we hear from this reading that the Word of God continued to spread, and the number of disciples in Jerusalem increased greatly.

Your ministry as deacons is to preach the Gospel. We need full-time workers in the vineyard of the Lord. The harvest is plentiful but the labourers are few. We need good and well-disposed ministers in schools, in small Christian communities, hospitals, prisons and in various Christian communities. 

We thank the Lord for calling these young men. They are being ordained as we celebrate 150 years of evangelisation in mainland Africa and 100 years since the first native Tanzanian was ordained to the priesthood. Your presence here is a testimony of God’s answer to the prayer of his people. We wish you God’s blessings and I ask you to collaborate with the priests in the parishes where you will be assigned to work. I wish to thank your parents for the good accompaniment and formation they gave to you their children. We wish you God’s blessings in your vocation.

During the XXI^st General Assembly of the Society of the Catholic Apostolate, on October 10^th, 2016, the participants had the joy of meeting Pope Francis. On that occasion, the Pope did  not address only the Pallottine priests and brothers, but the entire Union of Catholic Apostolate (UAC). Francis said that Saint Vincent “has become an enlightening and inspiring beacon in the Church. His charism is a precious gift of the Holy Spirit, because it has given rise to and continues to call forth various forms of apostolic life and urges the faithful to engage actively in Gospel witness”.

The theme of light reminds us of the Encyclical Lumen Fidei (the Light of Faith), to which Benedict XVI also contributed in its structuring and the drafting of its content. Let us try to understand what it means to look at Saint Vincent as “an enlightening and inspiring beacon in the Church” in the light of faith. In the first place, faith is not illusory, is not a leap in the dark, but rather it objectively illuminates the personal and social history of the person. This aspect of light is necessary to faith and is rediscovered in the encounter with truth, because believing does not offend reason, but opens it to the light. The witness of faith that the UAC is called to give presupposes that it involves a faith which rather than living in superstition, bears witness to the truth. In this sense we recognise the importance of ongoing formation in order to give reasons for our faith.

The first part of the Encyclical poses the question of the means to knowledge of faith. If we want to understand what faith is, we consider the story of those who have guided their lives by faith, who have believed in the promises of God and have received what they expected from the faithfulness of God himself. This way of knowing faith as light distinguishes us from intellectualism and brings us the witness of those who have gone before us on the path to be followed as disciples and missionaries of Jesus Christ. On the abovementioned occasion, Francis said that we are called “with renewed vigour to reawaken faith and rekindle charity, especially among the most vulnerable segments of the population, that are spiritually and materially poor. In this, you are sustained by the example of so many of your confreres, authentic witnesses of the Gospel, who have dedicated their lives to serving others. I too got to know them during my pastoral service in Argentina and have fond memories of them”. In fact, 40 years have passed since the death of five Pallottines who were assassinated in St. Patrick’s parish, during the military dictatorship. They were true witnesses of Christ.

The second part of the Encyclical presents the relationship between faith and truth. The difficulty in dealing with this issue is the crisis around truth, and this theme is always looked at with suspicion of totalitarianism and fanaticism. We have witnessed terrible violence and deaths because of certain conceptions of faith.. However, it is reasonable to have faith since God keeps his promises and we can place all of our security in Him. This is because authentic faith is an expression of truth; it is not a fairy tale, a dream, but is capable of offering new light to the human realities in which God is present.

Thus, beyond being related to truth, faith also pertains to love, and love is not alone, since it would otherwise be solitude and egoism. In this way, it opens out to the encounter with the Other (God) and with others (others). This is why Christianity contributes to the common good: faith relates to truth and to love, for the building of the human community.

At this point, there is no danger of religious fanaticism because love is possessed as a fruit of faith, which is not imposed, is not violent and does not crush the person, but reaches the heart of every human being. This is the biblical concept of faith, presented as a listening to the voice of God in the depths of conscience (heart), so that one day we may see God face to face. The UAC has the mission of developing dialogue with contemporary society, of contributing to the building of a new social order, motivated by faith which enlightens the life of families and the world of work for the building of the civilisation of love.

The third part of the Encyclical presents the transmission of what has been received. Those who have opened themselves to love (God) and welcomed his voice, receive his light, and cannot keep this gift to themselves. This transmission comes about in contact, person to person, like a flame which kindles another flame. Therefore, it is impossible to believe alone; faith does not occur in an isolated relationship between the self and the divine, but by its nature opens out to a “we”, which means opening oneself to the community of the disciples of Jesus, the Church. Thus we have the unity of faith which finds its origin in one Lord, and is shared with all of the members of the community like a body. From here comes the importance of a profound ecclesial experience of belonging, capable of understanding the dramas and tensions of community life, not isolating oneself, but placing oneself on the path and in the footsteps of Jesus, even if the cross is heavy.

This same faith contributes to the common good, teaching that the light of the face of God illumines the face of our brothers and sisters. Through faith, nature which has been given by God is welcomed with respect and responsibility, we are always open to forgiveness which often requires time, patience and effort, because goodness is always more original and stronger than evil. Faith is also light for those who are suffering, since weakness and even death are illumined and can be lived as the ultimate experience of faith. The Church believes that everything which is human is illumined by faith in the Incarnation of the Word of God.

In conclusion, the model par excellence of faith is Mary, she who believed in God and in the fulfilment of his promises. The members of the UAC, in the footsteps of the Founder, cannot be but devoted to the Madonna. In the presence of Mary we feel at home, in the home of our mother who welcomes her children in their needs. Pope Francis said: “The Union of the Catholic Apostolate, the bearer of the charism of Saint Vincent Pallotti, offers so many opportunities and opens new horizons for participation in the mission of the Church”. Let us learn from Saint Vincent Pallotti to be an enlightening and inspiring beacon in the Church.

From the writings of Saint Vincent Pallotti:

“Through this association, therefore, no one is excluded from taking part in the Catholic Apostolate, and of sharing in its merit, its undertakings and its rewards. Now what could be conceived of that is more pleasing to God than this purpose, or end, which the pious association proposes, that is, to work for, contribute to and pray for the conversion of souls? God has not created us in time except to bring us happy to eternity. His desire is to see all saved, illuminated by the light of his Divine Truth. To this end are directed the spreading of His graces and the exercising of his Providence (OOCC IV 124-125).

Questions for personal and community reflection:

1. Faith becomes light for actions. Do we know and practise the social doctrine of the Church?
2. The UAC is an association recognised by the Church. Do we work as an association or simply individually?

                                                         Fr. Denilson Geraldo SAC

                                                   Rome

____________________________________________________

Segretariato Generale, Unione dell’Apostolato Cattolico

Piazza San Vincenzo Pallotti 204, 00187 Roma, Italia uac@uniopal.org