St David's Day

‘Do the little things in life’ (‘Gwnewch y pethau bychain mewn bywyd’) is a very common Welsh phrase, and one that has stood many in good stead. It originates in the words of their Patron, Dewi Sant, St David, whose feast we celebrate today.

In contrast to the other patron saints of the British Isles, we have quite an amount of information about the life of St David. This is largely due to the work of Rhygyfarch. He encouraged a life of great asceticism: the Monastic Rule of David insists that monks pull the plough themselves without draught animals; to drink only water; to eat only bread with salt and herbs; and to spend the evenings in prayer, reading and writing. Without possessions, they are to life a simple life for the glory of God.

Tradition and legend holds that David lived for over 100 years, dying on Tuesday 1 March, around the year 590. The monastery is said to have been ‘filled with angels as Christ received his soul’. His last words to his followers were in a sermon on the previous Sunday. Rhygyfarch transcribes these as ‘Be joyful, and keep your faith and your creed. Do the little things that you have seen me do and heard about. I will walk the path that our fathers have trod before us.’

As we journey towards Easter, we are grateful for the example of David. May his teachings on the little steps to heaven bring us also to share with him the same glory.

The Sorrowful Mysteries

I remember as a child picking up a book on the mysteries of the Rosary, and seeing the wonderful pictures that went with each decade. I still have that book today, and is still part of my rosary. I remember looking at the Sorrowful mysteries and thinking how cruel people were to Jesus. In times of trouble in my life when I had felt down I would take a decade of the sorrowful mysteries, in this case the “Carrying of the Cross,” and remind myself that everyone has a cross to bear, I’m not alone, even Jesus had a burden all through his passion. Even today I feel the same, when times are tough, I still take that decade and remind myself that I am not alone. Yet I still search for someone to help me carry that cross, which digs so firmly into me. I still look for someone to ease the pain of the weight of my burden. Even though my friends and family are nearby to listen to me, it is always this decade that helps me lift my cross and helps me move on with a lighter load. It is here that I find Christ carrying my cross with me. Let the sorrowful mysteries help you carry your burden, but also maybe you can help someone carry theirs. These mysteries are a road we must take to overcome our suffering and be with Christ on his cross, for it there that we find our salvation.

Quodlibet 9: Call no one on earth your father

I attended a social function recently. I noticed that some attendees addressed the Catholic priest as 'Mr'. They quoted the verse that says call no one Father etc. Could you help me understand the reasoning behind our use of Father as a form of address of our priests?


The passage from Matthew about calling no one on earth your father, as with all scripture, needs to be carefully interpreted. Surely Jesus did not mean that we now have to start calling our parents by their first names. Rather, Jesus is reminding us that there is only one source of our being, our Father in heaven. Titles can be dangerous because they can make us forget this, and they can foster a spirit of superiority and pride. Given this warning, why do we address priests as father? Well, the priest acts in the person of Christ. This means the priest has the authority to act in the power and place of the person of Christ himself. Therefore, by calling a priest father, we are really showing reverence to Christ.

The Fifth Mystery of Light - The Institution of the Eucharist

Why is the institution of the Eucharist included as one the mysteries of light? St. Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians 11:17 – 34, offers us an opportunity to explore the connection between the mystieries of light and the Eucharist. In this passage we see that St. Paul is addressing the problem of social divisions which have developed in the life of the Christian community since his first visit to the people of Corinth. Overall, the community seems to have forgotten that they are “one body” in Christ by their ill treatment of the poorer members of the community.[1] The wealthier Christians gathered early for the community meal, eating and drinking to excess while the poorer members of the Church such as slaves and others were not able to arrive early enough to partake of the meal.[2] Essentially, this type of behavior created tensions between the wealthy and the poor, even though both rich and poor had "put on Christ" through their acceptance of Paul's message. In verse 11:20 Paul states: “When you meet in one place then it is not to eat the Lord’s supper, for in eating and drinking each one goes ahead with his own supper, and one goes hungry, while another gets drunk.” The theological issue here seems to be the fact “those who gathered early for the community meal may have thought that they were gathering for the Lord’s Supper but their conduct seems to betray their membership in the church of God.” [3] Paul chastises the community for their behavior by recounting the institution of the Lord’s supper (23-26) to remind them that “whenever the new community celebrates the Lord’s Supper it becomes an announcement of the Lord’s death…For Paul the story of the crucified gives meaning to the meal and in turn prevents members from treating the poor as second class citizens.”[4] Ultimately, Paul reproves the Christian community at Corinth in order to persuade them to abandon their less than Christian pattern of behavior. In the mind of St. Paul, it seems that the institution of the Eucharist by Jesus on the night before he died was an act of total self-gift which we are called to emulate in our relationships with one another. The Corinthians, then and all who eat and drink the body and blood of Christ now, do so in order to become the living presence of Christ in the world; hence one body in Christ. By eating and drinking the body and blood of the Lord, we are not only nourished spiritually but we enter into relationship with Christ, and it is through our relationship with Him that we are transformed into persons who are better able to reflect and share the self-less love of Christ with our neighbors. In the end, St. Paul’s message to the Corinthians challenges us to realize that love of neighbor is the hallmark of the Christian life and that it (love of neighbor) originates in the Eucharistic action of the community as it gathers to hear the Word of the Lord and to receive the great gift of Christ in the Eucharist. Thus, meditating upon the Luminous Mysteries of the Rosary, we can see that the Insitution of the Eucharist is an important mystery of light because it is through our reception of the Eucharist that we are enlightened with the grace of God to recognize the face of Christ in the presence of the "other" in our midst. Approaching the mid-point of our Lenten journey of prayer, pennance and alms-giving, there are two important questions for our reflection: who are our "neighbors" and does our reception of the Eucharist make us more Christ-like, in our relationships or are we more like the Corinthians who failed to recognize the presence of Christ in the poor? As we ponder these questions, may Mary our Mother, through her intercession, help, guide and sustain us in our struggle to be that which we receive.
[1] Raymond F. Collins. Sacra Pagina Vol. 7 First Corinthians. (Collegville, Liturgical Press, 1999), p. 421.
[2] Raymond F. Collins, p. 418.
[3] Raymond F. Collins, p. 419, 21.
[4] Charles B. Cousar. The Letters of Paul. (Nashville, Abingdon Press, 1996), p. 139.

The Fourth Mystery of Light - The Transfiguration

The transfiguration of Christ is one of those moments in the gospel that is awesome, and yet elusive. In the gospel of St Matthew, chapter 17, the transfiguration is set six days after Jesus tells his hearers that following him involves the cross, the daily embracing of the cross. These are difficult words, for even the most faithful follower, it seems perhaps a bit gloomy. Is this all that being a disciple of Jesus means, the cross? Well, six days later Jesus, accompanied by Peter, James and John, ascends a high mountain. There Jesus appears in a glorified state, shining like the sun. He is no longer merely a man, but his godhead is, for a moment, revealed. Yet this moment of glory does not go on, it stops. The apostles are, naturally, reluctant to leave, and after what they saw it’s understandable. Yet Jesus has to move on, to a journey that will lead to another high place eventually. At this high place the glory of Jesus will not be exposed, but hidden in his powerlessness, in his bruised body and in his blood. In this high place the Apostles will not wish to delay, in fact most will not be there at all. In this high place Jesus will hang on the cross and die a most cruel and humiliating death. Yet when Jesus dies at this high place, the glory seen by the disciples at the previous place will not disappear again. By dying here, the glory of Jesus seen by the apostles will be fully realised, and will never fade away again.

The Third Mystery of Light – The Proclamation of the Kingdom and the Call to Repentance

The proclamation by Christ of the coming of the kingdom or reign of God, and his call to repentance, represent the third significant moment in the public ministry of Our Lord presented by the luminous mysteries of the Rosary. This mystery can sometimes seem a rather difficult one to contemplate since, unlike, for example, the Baptism of Jesus or the Wedding at Cana, it does not relate to one specific event in the life of Christ. Rather, Jesus’ announcement that the kingdom of God is close at hand, and his appeal to repent and believe the gospel, are central to the whole of his preaching ministry. Pope John Paul II points out in his Apostolic Letter on the Rosary, Rosarium Virginis Mariae, that with this third luminous mystery we contemplate ‘the inauguration of that ministry of mercy which [Christ] continues to exercise until the end of the world, particularly through the Sacrament of Reconciliation which he has entrusted to his Church’.

Perhaps one episode in the ministry of Jesus which we can focus on when contemplating this mystery is the Sermon on the Mount. This “charter of the Christian life”, it has been noted, describes the ways of the kingdom of heaven towards which the Holy Spirit wishes to lead the disciple of Jesus. The Beatitudes, for example, which are, at one level, a description of Christ’s own life, are also a list of the fundamental attributes required of the Christian disciple who seeks God and his kingdom. The kingdom of God belongs to the poor in spirit and the persecuted. Those who shall see God and enter his Kingdom are the pure in heart and the peacemakers. Jesus also teaches that it is the merciful who shall themselves have mercy shown to them. This reminds us of the 'Our Father' which occupies a central place in the Sermon on the Mount. In this prayer we seek not only the coming of the kingdom, that is, the rule of God in our lives, but also make the forgiveness we ask for in repentance conditional on our own willingness to forgive the wrongs done to us by others.

The Second Mystery of Light - The Wedding at Cana

One of our brethren once told me that as a child he was always more frightened of Our Lady than of God. For this brother, Mary was very much the one watching over us, ready to rebuke. This account in the Gospel is quite a special one, which has attracted much reflection through the centuries, and been the subject for many artists, commentators and writers. The wedding feast at Cana is one of a small number of Gospel accounts where we have words that express directly something about the relationship between Jesus and his mother Mary, an insight into the love between a mother and her son. The message of this passage is often summarised by the words 'Do whatever he tells you'.

So why include such a Mystery in the Rosary? Well, it expresses a tender relationship between Jesus and his mother. And it shows us in particular Mary's role as the one who presents our needs to Jesus, and how powerful Our Lady's intercession is. But what is also shown is the place that Jesus should have in our lives. As Dominicans, we make Profession of obedience to God first of all, but also to Blessed Mary. By doing so we undertake that we will be obedient to the Mother of Jesus, who tells us that we should do whatever Jesus tells us to do. Obedience to Christ is a fundamental part of being a Christian. This obedience is the way by which we may be lead ever deeper into the life giving mysteries of God. In contemplating this mystery with Mary, we are given an example of Christian discipleship, and a reminder of the importance of Our Lady as the one who points beyond herself, guiding us to her Son.

The Woman of Samaria

This reflection is by Brother Thomas Casey OP, who is responsible for the magnificent gardens at the Dominican Retreat House, Montenotte, Cork. For more photographs of the gardens see here

I put this piece together watching the women in Tanzania drawing water from the well. The water vessel is always filled to the brim. The woman tilts it so that a cupful spills onto the ground in thanks. She then lifts it on to her hip, then to her shoulder, and finally onto her head. Once balanced she sets off gracefully to her village.

Drawing water in Tanzania as in most of Africa is a woman's task. Though difficult, it is one of the more pleasant chores. It is a social occasion. The women set out together for the well around 4 o'clock when the heat is out of the sun. There they exchange greetings and have their little chat. As for the men, they are never seen near a well.

It must have been the same custom at the time of Jesus. The gospel says that Jesus sat by the well alone and tired. Strange too that a woman should draw water on her own in the heat of the midday sun. Having had five husbands was a source of scandal in a small community. Going to the well alone may have been her one opportunity for space, and then to discover a man who was a total stranger there ahead of her.

When he asks for a drink, she is startled. One question leads to another. He seems to be talking in parables. One minute he is thirsty - the next he is offering living water that will never make you thirsty again - very puzzling, to say the least. Suddenly the puzzles give way to the clear light of day, when the man points out that she had five husbands and the one living with her now is not her husband.

Now the real conversation is only beginning. The woman feels accepted and now it is her turn to ask questions. She is drawn to explore all about religion, about where one should worship, and about a messiah who will come. Jesus tells her that he is the Messiah: 'I am he - the one who is speaking to you'. It is the answer to the question that is on everybody's lips, yet it is to this foreign woman that he makes this remarkable disclosure.

The lady of Samaria had a burden heavier than water jars to carry. Lord, you felt she would accept real love, and you were right. The disciples on their return could sense the intimacy of the moment and are surprised that he is talking to a woman.

Jesus tells her that in future God is to be worshipped 'neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem'. Rather those who worship God must worship 'in Spirit and in Truth'. We may envy the woman meeting Jesus face to face. But wherever there is trust, acceptance and intimacy there is sacredness. Put more simply, wherever there is love there is God.

Lenten Vocations Day for Men and Women

Third Sunday of Lent - Peace

'Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand; and we boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God' (Romans 5.1-2).

Augustine seems to think that not to be in a state of divine peace is to be in a state of conflict. The conflict comes about from the deceptions of demons and from their multifarious temptations. Due to our weakness, when these deceptions and temptations are turned towards us what results is anxiety. At the occurence of these situations, the time is to be understood as evil.

Interestingly, Augustine thinks that any such situation can be useful. These situations of anxiety can stir up in us a more fervent longing for that state of serenity where peace is utterly complete and assured.

Now, Augustine thinks that these 'situations of anxiety' are resolved when the creator of all natures bestows on our nature the gifts that are 'good but also everlasting'. Augustine says this applies to the spirit, which is healed by wisdom, and also to the body, which will be renewed by resurrection.

Augustine says, at the resurrection the virtues will no longer be engaged in conflict with evil. We will possess peace which no adversary would be able to disturb. At which point, we would be experiencing ultimate bliss.

However, he does say that we can experience this peace in this world - 'the peace of a good life'.

Paul says 'we have peace with God'.

So, let us:

'Praise the LORD, O Jerusalem!
Praise your God, O Zion!
For he strengthens the bars of your gates;
he blesses your children within you.
He grants peace within your borders' (Psalm 147.12-14. NRSV).

The First Mystery of Light -The Baptism of the Lord

In the Synoptic Gospels' accounts of the baptism of Jesus, a voice from heaven is heard saying: "This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased" or "in whom I find my delight". It is worth recalling that the same words were heard at the Transfiguration with the addition of an imperative, "Listen to him". But here, at the Baptism, there is no such imperative, but a declaration. When we are baptised, we share in Christ's real baptism, his death and resurrection for our salvation, and become adopted daughters and sons in the Son. And so the beautiful and tender words of this declaration to Jesus at his baptism by John apply to us as well: "You are my beloved in whom I find my delight".

It may well be that we don't feel delightful or lovable, and Lent may seem like a time to recall our wretchedness, but we do well to recall that God does not dwell on our sins but always embraces us with these words and loves us so much that he sent his Beloved Son to die for sinners, his beloved sons and daughters. 

If we are so caught up in our sinfulness we can become turned inward and so miss the wonderful work that God has initiated in our lives. Gazing at ourselves and our ills, we don't see that God sends his Spirit of love upon us. Hearing only the clamour of our Accuser, we miss the Father's voice from heaven claiming us as his own. 

The next time we sign ourselves with holy water as we enter a church and we recall our baptism, let us try to catch a glimpse of what Jesus clearly beheld: that God delights in us because we are his beloved children. Then, healed by the Father's love and redeemed by the Son's death and touched by the Spirit's presence, we are ready to be sent on a mission of love as Jesus was.

Feast of the Chair of St. Peter

In the Gospel for today’s feast, Jesus puts a stark question to his disciples. It is the same question that Jesus puts to all those who would follow him and take the name of Christian. Who do you say that I am? Only Peter, moved by the inner prompting of the Holy Spirit, has the courage to speak up for the truth and proclaim boldly, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God". Then Jesus goes on to proclaim Peter as the Rock on which he will build his Church and to grant him the power of the keys, the power to bind and loose sin. That authority is founded on Peter’s proclamation of the truth about Jesus.

The mission of St Peter to proclaim the truth about Christ to the world remains with the Church. It is purpose of the teaching office of the Pope which we celebrate on today‘s feast. The truth about Christ, about the dignity and inviolability of every human life from conception to natural death, about love, justice and our true identities as beloved children of God is a message the world today often reacts against. Yet it is a message as vital and as liberating as ever. In a modern world that prefers to ask like Pilate "what is truth?" the Church dares to boldly proclaim Jesus Christ as the Way, the Truth and the Life.

The Mysteries of Light

In 2002, Pope John Paul II proposed that a new set of optional mysteries be introduced, the Mysteries of Light. These mysteries aim to bring out the Christological depth of the Rosary. We are invited to contemplate Christ’s public ministry between his Baptism and his Passion. In these mysteries the reality of Christ is made present to us and we come to know that He is the light of the world.

Despite the Mysteries of Light being optional, there has been some resistance to their introduction. Some people are upset that the connection between the Rosary and the number 150, the number of Psalms in the Psalter, has been broken. Pope John Paul was aware of this connection, but he felt that the Rosary was in need of revitalisation. After Vatican II, with the emphasis on the centrality of the Liturgy, there was a decline in the popularity of the Rosary. However, as Pope Paul VI said, the Rosary is not in conflict with the Liturgy, but sustains it. The Rosary faithfully echoes the Liturgy, and perhaps it does this even more so with the addition of the Mysteries of Light.

Whether or not we feel comfortable praying these new mysteries, let us never forget what the Rosary is about – in the words of Pope John Paul, ‘to recite the Rosary is nothing other than to contemplate with Mary the face of Christ.’

The Fifth Joyful Mystery - The Finding of the Child Jesus in the Temple

The story of the temporary breaking up of the Holy Family and the finding of the Child Jesus in the Temple is the only insight that the gospels give us into the early life of Our Lord, which many theologians have referred to as the hidden life in Nazareth. We can only imagine the pain that Mary and Joseph felt at losing a child they knew to be so precious - not simply the human pain that a mother feels at losing her child but the deep spiritual wound of being parted from the presence of Christ. The story comes straight after the Simeon's prophecy to Our Lady where she is told that a sword will pierce her own heart and indeed, the losing of the Child Jesus for three days is one of the Seven Sorrows of Our Lady that make up the devotion to Our Lady of Sorrows. We are called to follow Christ in all things: his fleeing from his family reminds us of our duty to leave home and family so as to serve our heavenly father. We can only lose the presence of Christ within our souls by grave sin and so during this time of Lent let us strive to purify ourselves by prayer, fasting and almsgiving so that we may never lose him again.

The Fourth Joyful Mystery - The Presentation in the Temple

St Luke’s account of this is meant to evoke for us two key events in Salvation history. The first, that all firstborn are consecrated to the Lord (Ex 13:2), recalling the Passover and Israel’s liberation from Egypt; the second, the story of Samuel (1 Sam 1 – 2), where Samuel is consecrated to the Lord, welcomed by the priest Eli at Shiloh, as Jesus is welcomed in the Jerusalem Temple by Simeon.

Simeon, the penultimate prophet of the Lord, filled with the Holy Spirit, then utters two oracles (Lk 2:34 – 35). The first, familiar to us in the liturgy as the Nunc Dimittis, in praise of the child Jesus, bearing God’s salvation to all nations. As his parents, presenting Jesus at the Temple have dutifully fulfilled the precepts of the Law, Simeon and Anna, inspired by the Spirit, utter prophecies about Jesus’ future; the context Luke wants to present to us is that Jesus sums up the heritage of Israel, the Law and the Prophets.

The second prophecy, of Jesus being a sign to be contradicted, and the specific address to Mary that “a sword will pass through your own soul” is more obscure. The sword (and the falling and rising of many; cf Ez 14:17) most probably represents the judgement of God on those who accept or reject his offer of salvation; Luke (Lk 8:21) presents Mary as being one of those who “hears the word of God and does it” - Mary’s greatness lies in the fact that her consent to God’s Word makes her the pre-eminent disciple. We too, by virtue of our baptism, are consecrated to the Lord - but how do we present that to others? This Lenten season provides a time for us to reflect on how others might see us in this regard.

The Third Joyful Mystery - The Nativity

We seem to be running short of answers for those friends of ours who think that religion should be banned. Perhaps, like Herod, they consider the Child born of Mary to be a threat to them, to their lives and ambitions. Nothing more misleading. The Incarnation of God brought us the true liberty and calm, we can now face ourselves and others as we really are. No more fear and hiding. Jesus is born into a human family and transforms the relationship within the family. But there is more. He transforms all human relationships as he brings hope into our world. We do not need to fear a stranger. Why is it? There is no real competition that we can now have among ourselves. It is Christ who is the cornerstone of the entire universe and all things relate directly to him. Both the stranger and we ourselves rely on the same hope. It is the same God who created us all, saved us and is looking out to see us coming back. If we accept this liberty there is no problem in calling Mary the Mother of God. This what she really is and this fact brings no threat to us. Neither does it influence in any negative way our personal hope for seeing God. We can still have a broadband access to God, even though Mary holds the hotline. No need to fear the Mother and the Child.

The sacrifice of an only son

You have to pity poor Abraham; he is the classic example of faith; he has done whatever God has asked him to do, without question. His wife Sarah has become the long time suffering wife, and yet God keeps promising them a child. When a child, Isaac is born, God puts Abraham again to one final test, to offer sacrifice of that only son. Would you do it? The first reading is a reminder that we are always bring tested by God, a new car, more money, more greed, more want and take, and no giving to others. God wants us to be faithful to him, to trust him. God always wants our undying obedience, and it seems that Lent is a time for temptation and sacrifice, and God puts us to the test.

Abraham is willing to sacrifice that which he has longed for for so long, his only son. This final test will secure Abraham’s faith and prove that by placing your trust, hopes, and fears in God, He will provide.

The sacrifice Abraham was going to make is a foretelling of the actual sacrifice that God WILL make when Christ is put to death, the death of His only Son. St. Paul tells us in the second reading, that God handed his Son over for our sake and grants us all things. At the transfiguration of Christ in the Gospel, the Son of God knows that he will be sacrificed, he speaks with Moses, and Elijah, perhaps confirming that his sacrifice will be offered up for everyone; it is the foretelling of Christ’s suffering, the fact that His Father will do what He would not allow Abraham to do. Abraham overcame his anguish, his suffering, by willingly and readily accepting that he must sacrifice his son. We too must sacrifice ourselves to God, by giving him control of our lives and allowing him to work through us, and to help us overcome our own difficulties, through Christ’s death.

The Second Joyful Mystery - The Visitation

At the Visitation, Mary is called 'Blessed' by Elizabeth, because she placed her perfect trust in God. Perfect trust in God is not based on the Self, but upon the infinite perfections of God: the love and mercy of God endures for ever, and its infinite power will never wain.

Mary went to serve Elizabeth in her time of need, and in the same way, she reaches out with her Son, who answers all our needs in ways that surpass our understanding. And even when that need seems great, and even when it seems small, He will give to us more than we can even ask for.

The Psalmist cries 'I was helpless so he saved me' (ps 116), and no matter how far we fall, how intense our trouble seems, we are always upheld by His love. And as Mary went 'with child' to Elizabeth in her time of need, so the Lord comes to us each day, even when we don't appreciate the true significance of His Eternal and True Presence.

When Jesus comes to visit us, he inspires our hearts to trust in Him; and if our hearts respond in true humility and sincerity, then He will live deeper within us. Then we will rejoice in His presence, as John the Baptist did even before he was born, and our hearts will be increasingly conformed to the saving love and justice that is the heart of the Godhead.

The First Joyful Mystery - The Annunciation

The Annunciation: Luke 1:26-38

Last year when I participated in a liturgical preaching seminar at Oblate School of Theology in San Antonio Texas, one of my classmates, Barnabus Simitende O.M.I. was asked to prepare and preach a homily on the Feast of the Annunciation. As he began his homily, Barnabus, as loudly as he could, shouted 'Mary said yes'!!! Mary despite her trepidation said yes to the message of the angel, who had visited her with news of great joy. As we pray and meditate upon this mystery of the rosary, we too are called to listen and respond in faith to the message of the angel by saying YES! But what does it mean to say yes and what are we being called to accept in our lives of faith?

Recently, the B.B.C. has devoted much time to the subject of Dr. Rowan Williams' statement regarding Muslim Sharia law which has created a hornet’s nest of controversy in the Church of England, Downing Street, and among the general public, with many people calling for his resignation from office. Whether we agree or disagree with Dr. Williams' comments, he has raised our consciousness to the fact that we as a human community are living in an increasingly multi-cultural world, where tolerance alone is insufficient if we wish to bring about peace and justice in our relationships with people of different cultural and ethnic groups. As Catholic Christians, we, like Mary in the Annunciation scene, are called to accept the presence of the "other" in our lives as Mary did when she accepted the presence and the message of the angel. The Annunciation scene must have been both a strange and foreign experience for a fifteen-year old girl from Galilee, as is the presence of people from different cultures and races in London, Oxford, or elsewhere in the United Kingdom for many of us. It is important to remember that despite her trepidation, Mary welcomed the message of the angel because she was open to the action of God’s grace in her life. We, like Mary, are being invited during this Season of Lent to cooperate with the grace of God and the message of the angel, which calls us to welcome the stranger and foreigner in our midst, including our Muslim brothers and sisters.

According to Nostra Aetate, Vatican II's Declaration on the Relation of the Church to Non-Christian Religions, “In this age of ours, when men and women are drawing more closely together and the bonds of friendship between different peoples are being strengthened, the Church examines with great care the relation she has with non-Christian religions. Ever aware of her duty to foster unity and charity among individuals, and even among nations, she reflects at the outset on what the human community has in common and what tends to promote fellowship among them.” The reason for this is that “all humanity forms but one human community. This is so because all stem from the one stock which God created to people the entire earth (Acts 17:26) and also because all share a common destiny, namely God" (NA 1).

In light of the war, violence and terrorism which has and continues to contribute to the displacement of many thousands of people from their homelands in places such as Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Kenya and Darfur, people are seeking refuge, employment and safety across continents in order to provide a safe environment in which to raise their families. As we heard in Nostra Aetate we are one human family despite our religious differences because we are all created in the image of GOD and share a common destiny; God himself. Because we share this common destiny, we are challenged to respect the stranger and alien who is our neighbor. In the parable of Last Judgement (Matthew 25:40), Jesus emphasizes the importance of taking care of the stranger and alien in our midst as he tells us: "In truth I tell you, in so far as you did this to one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did it to me."

As we pray the rosary and meditate upon the mystery of the Annunciation during this Lenten Season, may we have the courage to ask ourselves some very tough questions: are we open to God's grace which calls us to accept the presence of the "other" in our midst and are we open to learning more about the faith of Islam, so that barriers of fear and hostility may give way to love, acceptance and hope for those who are seeking freedom from war, violence and oppression. May Mary our Mother guide and intercede for us as we seek to say YES to welcoming the stranger and alien in our midst.

Patrons of Europe

Today we celebrate the memory of two of the Church's heroes, the brothers SS Cyril and Methodius, who along with St Benedict are patrons of Europe. They were ordained as priests in Thessalonica, from where they moved to Constantinople. There they attracted the attention of the Emperor who asked then to do something that would make them forever remembered. Around 863, at the behest of the emperor, the brothers went on mission to Moravia. Here, being acquainted with Slavonic from their youth, they were able to communicate with the people in their own tongue. To advance the spread of the faith, this holy twosome translated the sacred scriptures and the sacred liturgy into Slavonic also, thus unlocking the treasures of the faith for the people there. In the process of this great work SS Cyril and Methodius created an alphabet, which later evolved into the Cyrillic alphabet, laying the foundations for all Slav literature. These holy missionaries did indeed make a lasting contribution to the faith and culture of the Church there. After travelling to Rome, to seek help from the pope, St Cyril become a monk and died in the eternal city in the year 869. He was buried in the basilica of San Clemente (now in the care of the Irish Dominicans) where his relics continue to be venerated, especially by Slav pilgrims. The Pope, having consecrated Methodius bishop, made him archbishop of Sirmium, thus empowering him to build up a Slavonic church, with Slavonic clergy. There the Slavonic liturgy was further developed and got explicit papal approval in 880. St Methodius died in 884 and entered into his eternal reward. They are truly saints of Europe, and are a witness and sign for us of a united and diverse Europe, Christian in faith and culture, east and west together.

Blogging Colloquium at Oxford Chaplaincy

Recognising the recent upsurge in blogs and blog readers in the world, a special Colloquium has been organised by the Oxford University Newman Society, which will be held at the Catholic Chaplaincy on Friday, February 15, 2008 from 6-8:30 pm on the theme, ‘Blogging and the Church.’

This event will be quite informal and interactive and will discuss the nature of blogs: —What effect have blogs had on the Church? Who writes blog, who reads them? Are blogs an efficient way to disseminate information? What are the responsibilities of bloggers? Are blogs social forces?

The speakers are:

Rev’d Fr John T Zuhlsdorf, author of ‘What does the Prayer Really Say?’

Rev’d Fr John Hunwicke, author of ‘Fr Hunwicke’s Liturgical Notes’

Br Lawrence Lew OP, ‘contributor on ‘Godzdogz’

Matthew Doyle, author of ‘Lacrimarum Valle’

Directions to the Oxford University Catholic Chaplaincy can be found at:
http://www.catholic-chaplaincy.org.uk/how_to_find_us.html

For more information please contact, Yaqoob K Bangash, President, Oxford
University Newman Society: yaqoob.bangash@keble.ox.ac.uk

The Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary

The Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary consist of: the annunciation of Gabriel to Mary, the visitation of Mary to Elizabeth, the birth of Jesus, the presentation of Jesus in the temple, and the finding of Jesus in the temple. Pope John Paul II in his Apostolic Letter entitled 'Rosarium Virginis Maria' said that the joyful mysteries are marked by the joy radiating from the events of the incarnation. The Annunciation, Gabriel's greeting to the virgin Mary, is an invitation to messianic joy. He says the whole of history has led up to the Annunciation.

The visitation of Mary to Elizabeth and the birth of the divine Child is marked by exultation and gladness. John leaped for joy at the presence of Christ. The angels declared concerning the incarnation that it is news of great joy.

The presentation of Jesus in the temple and finding Jesus in the temple preserve the climate of joy and they point to future drama. There is joy in Jesus' consecration and the ecstasy of Simeon. These mysteries are mixed with joy and drama.

In the final mystery, however, Jesus appears most clearly in his divine wisdom. At the temple he listens and asks questions. He is teacher. His role as teacher is one of the tasks his Father has entrusted to him, and he is fully dedicated to fulfilling it.

The Pope says that to meditate on the joyful mysteries is to enter into the ultimate causes and the deepest meaning of Christian joy.

Praying the Rosary 3 - The Rosary as a Lenten Devotion

The Christian life may be regarded as a journey of transformation or “conversion” which we are called to travel step by step throughout our life. The annual season of Lent, which is itself a journey towards Easter, reminds us that the Christian journey is never over and done with in this life but requires sustained commitment and constant practice. The Rosary - a prayer which is also based on repetition and constant practice – is a journey in the company of Mary deeper into the mystery of Jesus Christ. The Rosary therefore blends easily into the spiritual journey of the Christian which we live even more intensely during Lent.

The Rosary is usually recited on a chain of fifty beads which are divided into five decades. Each of these decades represents a particular moment or ‘mystery’ in the life of Christ. As our fingers move through the beads of each decade we recite the Hail Mary prayer ten times while meditating upon a particular event in the life of Christ or His Mother. At the beginning of each mystery we pray the Our Father and at the end of each mystery we say 'glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be world without end, Amen'. There are in total four sets of mysteries – joyful, luminous, sorrowful and glorious - covering all the major events in the life of Christ. The Rosaries which Dominican Friars wear on their habits sometimes have enough beads for all twenty mysteries.

Prayer, fasting and almsgiving are the three traditional ascetical practices associated with Lent. During this season we are invited to intensify our life of prayer, that vital activity which sustains and deepens our relation to God. If the Rosary has sometimes been called a “compendium of the Gospel” we might just as easily call it a “compendium of prayer” consisting of praise, petition and contemplation and comprising some of the most important prayers in the Christian tradition. The “sorrowful” mysteries of the Rosary can be considered of particular importance as we journey through Lent towards Holy Week because with these mysteries we contemplate the individual moments of Christ’s Passion – such as His scourging and crowning with thorns, carrying the Cross, and Crucifixion and death – in anticipation of the light of the Resurrection on Easter Day.

Praying the Rosary 2 - The Rosary and the Dominican Vocation

Recently, the Master of the Order, Fr Carlos Azpiroz Costa, wrote a letter on the Rosary, declaring that this year should be a 'Year of the Rosary' for the Order. In his letter Fr Carlos, suggested that the Order undergo a process of re-discovering the importance of the Rosary in Dominican life, both as a prayer by which we contemplate the mysteries of salvation, and also as a means by which the Gospel may be preached.

The letter begins by treating the memories that we may have of the Rosary: these may be our own, or ones that have been passed on to us. These will help us, Fr Carlos suggests, to rediscover its importance in our own lives, and what it has meant to others. He recounts the story of the persecution of Brazilian Dominicans in the 1970s, and of a brother being dragged away, shouting for his Rosary to be brought to him. Such a moment showed forth the Rosary's importance to that brother. Why then might the Rosary in particular be so important to us?

The Master's answer is that the mysteries we contemplate in the Rosary are very much associated with the events of our own life. Each mystery speaks to us of the mysteries of salvation brought to us through the incarnation, and in a special way of the effect those mysteries have in our own life. There are few prayers that better speak to us and make God present to us in all our needs than the Rosary. Fr Carlos recounts his journeys throughout the world, visiting the Order, and how these have shown him how often people turn to the Rosary as a prayer in their deepest needs: in poverty, war, and violence. He encourages the Dominicans to see the Rosary as gift: it is a prayer that can be said at any time, in any place, alone or together. Sometimes maybe all we are able to do is to grasp the beads in our hands, 'grasping the hand of Mary herself'. It is a prayer for the whole of our lives, whether as a young child receiving our first Rosary as a gift, a young Dominican novice, receiving the Rosary with the habit, or as a symbol of lifelong devotion, at our side when we are laid to rest at the end of our lives.

In the letter, the Order is presented with a call to re-discover the value and place of the Rosary in our personal and community prayer, our contemplation and preaching. Perhaps reviving the praying of the Rosary is something that we should all be involved in as Catholics. We might wish to think about placing the prayer at the centre of our prayer lives this Lent, praying that it will help prepare us to worthily and reverently celebrate the mysteries of our salvation.

Breaking from the Devil's thraldom

Oscar Wilde once said, "I can resist everything except temptation", and this seems to be a truism. However, the Collect of Ash Wednesday spoke of our "Christian warfare" re-initiated in Lent, so we cannot simply surrender to every temptation but must "battle against the spirit of evil". How are we to do this if, as Wilde says, we evidently cannot resist temptation? He is right in so far as he means that we cannot by our own power resist temptation. We need better weaponry and a champion against the foe.

The Scriptures tell us that our "adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour" and we should "resist him, firm in [our] faith" (1 Peter 5:8-9). In fighting the foe, we should have faith in our champion, Jesus Christ who, as we hear in today's Gospel, resisted the devil's wiles through his steadfast focus on God, placing his faith firmly in the Lord and his promises, rather than in the world and its ephemera. 

Pope Benedict XVI has noted in his encyclical Spe salvi, that our society has often come to place its hope of redemption in scientific progress, in politics, in technology, and yet, although all these may be good things - for those things which tempt us often are - they can never offer us salvation nor final hope. Rather than to hope in our own strength or worldly progress, we should emulate St Paul who says: "I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me" (Galatians 2:20). 

Lent re-calls us to also give ourselves - to God, and to our neighbour. Thus we arm ourselves with the "weapons of self-denial", in order that we might re-prioritise our life, and so, re-focus on God who is our only hope. Christ, whose obedience and perfect love of God has overcome the sin of Adam, is our champion. Let us struggle valiantly this Lent, trusting entirely in God's grace and strength, knowing that Jesus has won the victory for us, even if we should fail through our human frailty. As we journey with him, taking up our cross, may we become conformed to him so that Christ may live in us and give us a share in his final triumph. Then, as Blessed Jordan of Saxony once said, we "should laugh after breaking from the devil's thraldom".  

Let us pray: "Watch over us, O eternal Saviour; do not permit the tempter's wiles to ensnare us, for you have become our everlasting help" (from the Nunc dimittis antiphon at Dominican compline during Lent).

Praying the Rosary I - Devotion to Our Lady

As Catholics, devotion to Mary has a special place in our lives. In Mary we find the perfect model for the Christian life. At the Annunciation, Mary gave her courageous yes to God despite the fact that it could have meant facing serious questions from others. Mary was there at the Passion of Jesus, gazing upon him as he struggled under the Cross and there before him in his final agony on Calvary. Shortly after we find her at the heart of the disciples in the upper room at Pentecost, praying constantly and waiting.

Mary didn’t have all the answers. Like us she was often unsure what to think. She questioned Gabriel at the Annunciation, 'how can this be?' We are told that she pondered all these events of her life with Jesus in her heart, wondering what they could mean. But through God’s grace , Mary never stopped trusting in his loving mercy. Whatever suffering or joy life brought, Mary knew that God would be faithful in his love. Today Mary reminds us of this. As our Mother she constantly invites us follow Jesus, repeating her words at the wedding feast of Cana - 'do whatever he tells you'.

Devotion to Mary means following her example of a generous openness to God and others, and a faithful trust in his unfailing love. This Lent let us turn to her in prayer and ask her to guide us ever closer to the loving heart of Jesus. 'Mary, Mother of the "yes", you listened to Jesus, and know the tone of his voice and the beating of his heart. Morning star, speak to us of Him, and tell about your journey of following him on the path of faith' (Prayer of Pope Benedict XVI).

Freedom and Slavery - St Josephine Bakhita

In Spe salvi, his recent encyclical letter on hope, Benedict XVI speaks about three people whose lives testify to the power of Christian hope. One is Cardinal Nguyen van Thuan who died just a few years ago. He spent many years in Vietnamese jails, thirteen of them in solitary confinement. He was able to keep going because he was able to keep praying. His sermons and writings continue to give great encouragement to many people. The second is the 19th century Vietnamese saint Paul Le-Bao-Tinh, also imprisoned and eventually martyred for the faith. His description of the conditions in which he was kept are, Pope Benedict says, 'a letter from Hell', but Christ has descended into "Hell" and so the star of Hope has risen even in the midst of terrible and well-nigh unbearable torment.

The third witness is the Sudanese saint Josephine Bakhita whose feast day is today. She was born in Darfur about 1869 and stolen by slave-traders when she was nine. She was sold on five times to different masters and treated terribly by them: her body had 144 scars. Eventually she came to know a different kind of 'paron' or master, the God of Jesus Christ, by whom, she was convinced, she was known and loved - and awaited.

In pointing to St Josephine, the Pope is pointing to the radical character of Christian hope. To be without God in the world is to be without hope. To have faith in God is to have hope no matter what one's circumstances. This is not to be misunderstood. He is not saying that it is okay to be a slave or to enslave: of course not. But he is taking up what St Paul says about this too, that to be 'enslaved' to the Living God is to be truly free whereas to live in what looks like freedom but without knowing God is to be enslaved, trapped in the service of some false god or gods.

One of the striking thoughts in St Josephine's writings is that hope gives the believer the conviction that he or she is awaited. The God who became a slave so that we might become free knows me, she says, and loves me, and waits for me. We tend to think of ourselves - especially in Advent and Lent - as the ones who must do the waiting and make the preparations. But our faith teaches that there is One who has waited longer, and will wait longer. There is One who has made far more extensive preparations, sending the Son to lead us home to the banquet prepared for us. St Josephine writes:

I am definitively loved and whatever happens to me I am awaited by this Love. And so my life is good.

It is another way of saying what we read in I John 4:9-10

In this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the expiation for our sins.

That love is the reason for the hope that is in us and the root of our joy.

Media Vita

During Lent some beautiful pieces of Dominican chant are sung in the office of Compline. One of these is the responsory 'Media Vita' (which is said to have moved St Thomas Aquinas to tears) and which may be translated as follows:

"In the midst of life we are in death; of whom may we seek help but you, O Lord, who for our offences are justly displeased?

Yet, O God most holy, O holy and mighty, O holy and merciful Saviour, give us not over unto bitter death.

Cast us not away in the time of our old age; forsake us not, O Lord, when our strength fails us.

Yet, O God most holy, O holy and mighty, O holy and merciful Saviour, give us not over unto bitter death."

Below is a recording of the Dominican students at Blackfriars singing this chant: 

The Commemoration of Deceased Parents

Today Dominicans commemorate their deceased parents. It is an opportunity to acknowledge the huge debt we owe them. When the parent of a Dominican dies, the brethren share in this sorrow. Recently the mother of one our brothers died and in the week that followed, the rosary was recited daily for the repose of her soul.

It is 10 years since my father died. He was a true Christian, and it was with his encouragement and careful catechesis that I received the gift of faith. Trying to live up to the role model of my father has been a great inspiration for me. Just before I was born, he was diagnosed with cancer and he was given a very poor prognosis. But thanks largely to his firm faith and the prayers of my family, he made a full recovery and lived another 24 years. When he died, the gladness of ever having known him far outweighed the grief. He was not just my father, but he was also my friend. We had arguments, and I frequently failed to show him the respect a son should show his father. But he was always gentle and forgiving, loving me more than I loved myself. “Arise shine for thy light is come” are the words from Isaiah that appear on my father’s grave stone, words which express the sure hope that he will share in the glory of Christ’s resurrection.

Ash Wednesday

Today we begin our preparation to celebrate the passion, death and resurrection of Our Lord Jesus at the Sacred Triduum. The season of Lent recalls the time that Our Lord spent in the desert when he mortified his body through fasting and was tempted by the devil and yet sustained by the angels. In the early Church this season lasted for thirty six days, beginning on what is now the first Sunday of Lent. Later, the four weekdays were added in order to bring the total to forty days in order to better mirror Our Lord's fast.

Ashes carry great symbolism in the Old Testament where man is created out of dust in the book of Genesis. They had a penitential character among the Israelites who put on sackcloth and ashes when imploring God's mercy - as in the story of Jonah and the city of Nineveh.

In the early Church the rite of imposing ashes upon the forehead was only for public penitents who had committed grave sins. That the Church now imposes ashes upon all the faithful is a sign that we are all called to practice penance in order to purify the soul and renew our love for God. May we, who came from dust and to dust must return, make full use of this season of penance and purification so that we may be willing to share Christ's passion and thus be fit to rise to new life with him at his resurrection.

LENT 2008

Again this year the Dominican students at Blackfriars, Oxford would like to offer readers of godzdogz a Lenten Retreat. A meditation will be posted each day from Ash Wednesday until Easter Sunday. We invite you to check in each day and share the journey of Lent with us. We appreciate receiving your thoughts and comments also.

This year most of the meditations will be on the Rosary and its individual mysteries. The Master of the Order has invited us to make 2008 a 'year of the rosary'. It is the first in a novena of years during which the Dominican friars will prepare to celebrate their eighth centenary in 2016. The Dominican nuns have already celebrated their eighth centenary (1206-2006) and the friars have decided to use the years between 2006 and 2016 as 'a time to enter into a serious renewal of our life and mission as preachers'. As a first step, the Master invites us to re-discover the Rosary 'as a means of contemplation and an instrument of prophetic preaching'. Our Lenten meditations are offered in response to his invitation.

On the Sundays of Lent there will be reflections on the Mass readings and we will also interrupt the Rosary reflections for other important feasts along the way. We will follow the new arrangement of twenty mysteries, adding to the traditional Joyful, Sorrowful and Glorious mysteries, the 'Mysteries of Light' identified by John Paul II, in which we meditate on key moments in the preaching ministry of Jesus, his baptism, the sign given at Cana, his preaching work as a whole, his Transfiguration, and his institution of the Eucharist.

Have a serious - but happy - Lent!

Lectio Divina: Praying the Scriptures - Part 2

In the first post on lectio divina, we looked at its origins, value to the Christian and the basics of its practice. There are, however several other things that are worth thinking about.

How do we choose suitable passages for lectio divina?
One of the potential problems of lectio divina comes with selecting suitable Biblical texts. At one level, there is nothing wrong with using our favourite passages of the Bible, using lectio divina as a way of exploring their riches, and allowing God to speak to us through them. But we must be careful that we don't just stick to those passages that we like or choose ourselves. This is because we can get into the situation where we start to choose what we want God to be saying to us - a 'pick your own' approach. We need to find a way of choosing texts that is less subjective.

As Catholics, we believe that the Bible is God's gift to the Church, to a believing community. The fact that we are part of that community and not just an individual alone with God is important. Our interpretation of the Bible must be carried out within the Church. One of the best ways of choosing the texts for lectio divina is to use the texts that the Church gives us in the lectionary. We may want to make it part of our daily prayer to spend time in lectio divina with the Gospel of the day. Or we may even prefer to take the readings for the following Sunday, and go back to them several times. Either way, this means we are open to allowing the text that is given to speak to us, to give us a message that comforts, stirs, disturbs us.

What resources are available to help with lectio divina?
This website can be used to find the readings of the day, arranged according to date.

There are also many books available, and two in particular are really worth reading:

• David Foster OSB. Reading with God: Lectio Divina. Published: Continuum, 2005. – This is a superb book by a Monk of Downside Abbey in England. It is well written and clear, but not overly complicated.
• Mariano Magrassi OSB. Praying the Bible: Introduction to Lectio Divina. Published: Liturgical Press, 1998. – This is a little ‘heavier’ than Foster’s book, but is a really fine book by the late Archbishop of Bari, Italy.

Some tips:

• There are many websites about lectio divina, but few that give well written, in depth accounts. Be discerning! It can easily get to the point with prayer that we spend far more time reading about it than doing it. Once we know the basics, we just have to try, and persevere.
• For some people it might help to be guided by one who has some experience of lectio divina. Such a person may also be able to provide help by suggesting particular passages that might help reflect on particular questions or problems that life poses.

If you are unsure where to start, and don't want to launch into the cycle of daily readings, any one of the following passages might help:

Genesis 2:4-9
Isaiah 55:6-9
Matthew 7:7-11
Matthew 15:32-39
1 John 4:7-16

Recent Ordinations

On 15 December 2007, fr Didier Croonenberghs OP, was ordained a priest by Cardinal Daneels in Brussels. Fr Didier is a member of the Dominican General Vicariate of Southern Belgium, and is currently studying theology at Oxford University. Below are some photos from his ordination and also from his first Mass at which Fr Timothy Radcliffe OP preached. More photos from these occasions may be seen here.

We are also happy to report that fr David Rocks OP, a member of the Irish Dominican Province and studying in Blackfriars Studium, Oxford, was ordained a deacon in Dublin on 5 January 2008. Br David continues his studies in Oxford and writes for Godzdogz.