In view of this result, Christians say they have growing concerns about government plans to crack down on "non-violent extremism". Read more

Take one's relation to a doctor. Insofar as we deal with a doctor qua doctor, we want him to tell us the truth about what is wrong with us. If we didn't, we should not bother him. We do not, if we are normal, want him to lie to us.

Unless we know what the problem is, we cannot decide what, if anything, we need to do about it. And if we decide the doctor is incompetent, we still have to find one that is.

Definitions are good things. They are intended to tell us what a thing is in words we understand. Generally, we want to know what a thing is whether we like it or not. Indeed, we need to know what things can harm us and which ones help us.

We understand that it is dangerous for us deliberately to choose not to know the truth about something. On the basis of what they are and of what we are, our knowledge relates us to everything that is not ourselves.

In the Easter season, someone who does not know much about what it means might well ask: "What exactly is Easter anyhow?" Accurate knowledge of it is not always easy to come by.

Indeed, we have the impression that many people do not want to know what it really is lest it make a demand on them they are not willing to consider. Still, what would be a fair and accurate answer to an honest inquiry about Easter that had no further purpose but to hear accurately what this word and the reality to which it refers mean?

On hearing the explication, the inquiring listener might say: "So that is what it means!" or "Makes no sense to me!" or "I had it all wrong" or "It's really complicated" or "Run that by me again..." In any case, the question—"What is Easter?—is a worthy one. Continue reading

Sources

• The Catholic World Report article by Fr James V. Schall, S.J., who taught political philosophy at Georgetown University for many years until recently retiring.
• Image: The Guardian

And then…? Well, a few weeks of lilies and extra "Alleluias!" and then back to business as usual. (E.g., First Confessions and Communions in May, a spate of weddings in June, etc.)

It seems that Holy Week is a lot of work for a few, an inconvenience for a few more ("How many times do I have to drag the kids to church this week?!?"), and an annual irrelevance for many, if not most Catholics. But does it have to be that way?

Here's the key problem with Holy Week as described above: People who halfheartedly believe that they're sinners try to stir up sorrow for an atoning death they're not quite convinced they need, so that a few days later they can try to stir up joy for the benefits of a resurrection they don't quite understand or believe in.

So understood, it's not very convincing theater, and even less is it worthy worship.

Why do we put up with it? Why does the Church ask us to put on this act year after year? That's asking the wrong question. Better: What is divine mercy and providence offering us in Holy Week?

And how can we be good stewards of what could be the last Holy Week we will ever see? (Remember that not one future moment is guaranteed to anyone.)

We're created in the image and likeness of God. Our souls, which we surrendered to the dominion of Satan by our sin, are worth fighting for.

Jesus, Son of God and son of Mary, ransomed our souls with his own blood. If you were given one week before your death to contemplate that truly shocking fact—how would you spend it? Continue reading

• Father Robert McTeigue, SJ, is a member of the Maryland Province of the Society of Jesus.

The year will also deliver hard work. Living in this world creates layers of busyness, planning, anxieties, small divisions that fracture our sense of wholeness. Yet when we pause long enough to go back to the sweet calm of the manger, we connect again with that newness. It echoes a line from Gerard Manley Hopkins: "…there lives the dearest freshness deep down things…"

What we encounter with Jesus in the Nativity, is our own birth, a pure soul coming into incarnation. What we feel is our own God-given state of grace.

I can't remember the name of the church father who described humanity as "part angel and part animal." That's a good metaphor. We immediately recognize in ourselves, the tools for survival, those animal me-first instincts that can block our spiritual path if we don't work with them and learn from them.

We can put a lot of prayer into the "sins" of the ego. That is not wrong, but our faith will lack balance if we don't also acknowledge the angel, that spark of God in us. Deep down, under the surface struggle, we all live in astounding grace.

Our struggles can be regarded as lessons in "life school." Sometimes the lessons are hard and we need to sit an exam more than once, but that core of grace will always move us forward. We go from narrow thinking in which we see ourselves as separate and alienated in a hostile world, to spacious thinking where we know the interconnectedness of everything - God manifest in all of creation.

This growth process is succinctly described by an anonymous 15th century monk: "Find thyself: tis half the path to God. Then lose thyself and the rest of the way is trod."

Losing oneself comes when we let go of dualistic thinking and see God in all things. There are no enemies, simply beautiful souls in various stages of growth in life school. The pilgrim who comes to this way of seeing, may appear to be full of loving kindness. That's because another's pain is his pain, another's celebration, his celebration, another's struggle her struggle. This is something beyond compassion. It is the true understanding of chessed, the Hebrew word for loving kindness.

We glimpse some of this quality in saints like Mother Teresa. We see it in its fullness in our Lord Jesus Christ who bore the pain of the world because he chose not to be separate from us.

That brings us back to Christmas and New Year. During the coming year, we will reflect on Jesus's death and resurrection, on his teachings, his miracles. But by far the greatest miracle is his birth. How could he choose to come into incarnation for us? That is truly astounding grace.

• Joy Cowley is a wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and retreat facilitator.

But it's not always easy. For every exotic location, there's a 12-hour drive. For every amazing meal, there's a lunch of cheez-its.1 For every new friendship, there's an hour of longing for consistent community. And with the online detractors and uninterested audiences and awkward hosts, it can be really tough to keep going.

The Lord knows that I'm weak, though, so he keeps filling my heart by showing me how he's working in me, often despite my best efforts. Here's a glimpse into two of these amazing moments.

Hearing His Voice

I was at an evangelization conference in London, surrounded by people who know the Lord intimately. They kept talking about Jesus telling them very specific things when evangelizing people. "God told me someone in the crowd was suffering from divorce," "the Lord sent me to talk to an old man," that kind of stuff.

And I kept listening to them and getting more and more discouraged. These people are straight out of the book of Acts, hearing God send them to specific people with specific words. Meanwhile, I'm just sowing seed on any soil I can reach. Maybe I'm doing this wrong. Maybe I don't really know him the way I think I know him.

So I was all mopey about how everybody else is a better pray-er than me, and suddenly it was time to go give a talk. I wasn't feeling it, but the show must go on. I knew, though, that I needed someone to pray over me-now. So I started walking through Leicester Square looking for somebody to ask.

Now, I've maybe felt a need to be prayed over four or five times in the last four years. But I was desperate for it, and suddenly I saw a guy I'd met a few nights before. I knew nothing about him beyond his name, but I walked straight up to him and asked him. "Will you pray over me?" Continue reading

• Meg Hunter-Kilmer is a cradle Catholic and a revert, brought back to the fold by a grace-filled confession and the supreme logic of Catholic doctrine.

Helen Schucman, who died in 1981, had claimed that Jesus dictated the contents of her book "A Course in Miracles" during "waking dreams".

A German Christian academy published extracts from the book last year, arguing that Schucman had not claimed to be the author and that the book was in the public domain.

It regarded copyright as not applying to work really done by Jesus.

But Frankfurt judges have ruled the law is on the side of the original publishers.

Authorship attaches to "the actual process of creation", and this can apply even when an author is in a trance or under hypnosis, the court reasoned.

Continue reading

This is the question the creators of Spears The Musical: The Gospel According To Britney ask in regard to their new opera, which tells the story of Jesus Christ through the music of Britney Spears.

According to the musical's website, the show will chronicle the life, death and resurrection of Jesus using Britney's hits like "Stronger," "One More Time," "Lucky" and "Crazy."

Spears was developed by Patrick Blute, a 23-year-old Columbia University graduate, who debuted the show in April 2012 at the college to a sold-out crowd.

Continue Reading

The trouble with the crucifix is we no longer see it, but rather filter the image through our eyes of faith. Some people wear it as an accessory like gold earrings or a necklace; others use it as a talisman to ward off evil, if not vampires. A few brave souls even have it tattooed on various parts of their anatomy. The truth is, if we actually took the time to see the crucifix, we, like the Chinese, would be shocked, if not thoroughly scandalized.

While the Romans did not invent this particularly brutal form of capital punishment, they certainly perfected it. They were not interested in simply killing criminals; they intended to demean and dehumanize them. The slow, tortuous death was a bonus. The public spectacle served not only as a punishment for miscreants but also as a warning to anyone who harbored similar rebellious thoughts.

When I ask Bible study groups why Jesus was crucified, I get the formulaic "He died for our sins" or sometimes "He died to show God's love for us," which are true enough, but not complete. Certainly the powers-that-be who conspired to silence the pesky rabbi from Nazareth didn't have the salvation of the human race in mind. Rephrasing the question: "What did Jesus do to deserve crucifixion?" proves more thought-provoking. Clearly Jesus and his message posed a threat to the status quo, both religious and political. His cleansing of the Temple was the last straw. But the physical expulsion of merchants and moneychangers from the Court of the Gentiles was simply the final, dramatic manifestation of Jesus' scandalous message throughout his ministry: God loves everybody, unconditionally. Continue reading

Sources

• Joseph R Veneroso in National Catholic Reporter
• Image: Vimeo

Maryknoll Fr. Joseph R. Veneroso is a former editor and publisher of Maryknoll magazine and Revista Maryknoll.

Her question penetrated. I turned to talk to her but instead found myself looking back in time and wondering about how the symbolism of the cross had permeated my life.

In my world, the cross offered rescue from a difficult eternity. The execution of an innocent man meant that my eternal life would be blissful instead of tormented. As a young person I accepted that sacrificial exchange.

I eventually questioned that, along with a literal heaven or hell but it took longer to wonder about the desirability of eternal life. Why would I when my society still tries to live forever?

Previously fuelled by the imaginings of theologians and religious artists, this egocentricity is now given credibility by medical science. But it's still a dream state. An illusion that the essential me matters so much it must be kept alive for as long as possible.
In the Christian church we're in Lent, the run up to Easter, a journey that encourages the contemplation of death and imaginings about eternity.

We get 40 days to contemplate the story of a Jewish man, profiled as human and divine. We explore his outspokenness and compassion, his challenges to the prevailing religious system and his horrible death by crucifixion. It's an outstanding story, rich, nuanced and multi-dimensional.

When I grew up, we weren't encouraged to ask questions about belief so I didn't realise that the death of a man/god on a cross was an exploration of mortality that had appeared before in human history.

Nor did I explore the cross. Much later I wondered if it might be an archetypal image that arises in the collective unconscious. Symbolically sitting at the intersection of the material world and the unseen, spiritual realm, constantly irritating sensibilities as perception is rattled. A growth spot where meaning can flourish. Continue reading

• Sande Ramage in Spirited Crone

Sande Ramage is an Anglican priest and blogger.

I struggle to find a meaningful, significant, relevant means of living this season - consciously, authentically, deliberately.

Attending the Stations of the Cross is a traditional Lenten practice. But my recent experience seems to make a mockery of this devotional prayer. A formula recited at such a rapid pace that I barely had a moment for the Word, the Art, the Implication, to surface before I was walking, genuflecting, chanting again. It was almost as if there is an urgency to 'get it over and done with', to set Lent aside until next week, and get on with my usual life.

I want this faith story to be grounded in my life; to be contextualised. One of the things I love about Scripture is its polyvalent nature: the way it can speak at different levels, with different keynotes, to each individual in their unique context. A sprint through the Stations of the Cross on a Friday night just doesn't do it for me anymore. Jenny Green, in "The Art of Easter" (2006) wrote, "...the Easter story is no mere myth. It is the record of the very foundation of our faith, containing hope that has power to transform lives and situations."

I want to be challenged, confronted, provoked, confused, angered, filled with questions, empowered, transformed. I want to enter fully into the heart of Divine Love. I want time spent with the Stations of the Cross - with the art, the music, the words, the movement, the prayer, the silence - to be moments of grace; encounters with the Divine; to expand my vision; a gauntlet laid down by the Spirit. I want this prayer to blow away the cobwebs of traditionalism and institutionalism and motivate me to compassion and action.

How are the Stations of the Cross relevant to the man who has just lost his job? Here is the man standing before authority being handed down an apalling sentence. Here is the the man stripped of his dignity, his livelihood, his identity. Here is the the man who will now be dependent on the support of others. Do we recognise God's image in this man? Do we see that Jesus' way of the cross is reflected in his way?

How are the Stations of the Cross a meaningful prayer for the mother and wife diagnosed with terminal cancer? Here is a woman who trusts her husband and children into the care of others. Here is a woman whose body will be laid out and buried. Here is one whose spirit will be revealed in those she loves. Do we recognise God's image in this woman? Do we see that Jesus' way of the cross is also her journey?

Am I greedy or selfish, wanting public prayer to be freshly-prepared, current, relevant, reflective of those gathered and of the global community? Are my expectations too great? Am I setting myself up for a fall? Am I not trying hard enough to conform and uphold tradition? Do I demand too much from prayer and Scripture? The Jesus we remember and accompany as we walk the Stations of the Cross is an incarnational God - Divine Love in human form. How can I make Lenten rituals relevant and meaningful? Or is it time to walk another path, follow another way?

Source

• Liz Pearce, mother of 3 adult children, loves story, dollmaking, writing and silence.
  

Other resources

• www.stations.org.nz
• www.maristmessenger.co.nz
• www.heartfeltdolls.weebly.com

Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi spoke at the unveiling. He said the "only correct image now looks over the national gateway".

"Faleolo Airport is Samoa's front door to the world. It is only fitting then that the image of our merciful Christ greets and farewells those arriving and departing our shores.

"This is also a venue that is prone to accidents and perhaps diseases and other disasters that come from overseas, we depend on the mercy of our Lord to safeguard Samoa from such harm."

The Divine Mercy is a particular devotion within the Roman Catholic Church. Prayers are addressed to "the merciful love of God and the desire to let that love and mercy flow through one's own heart towards those in need of it".

Saint Mary Faustina Kowalska (1905-1938), also known as Apostle of Mercy, initiated this devotion. It is said that Jesus revealed the Divine Mercy devotion to her, which she wrote in her diary, The Divine Mercy of My Soul.

Sources

• Savali News
• Image: Linundus Kinabalu

Jesus Christ was the master storyteller. The people connected with his parables because they related to issues of immense personal importance, such as unjust judges, rowdy neighbours, bullying employers, disastrously dry weather. But he always left plenty of room for the imagination of his listeners to make connections. That is why, two thousand years later, his parables can still spark immense interest. People still feel Jesus is talking about them and their problems.

Take the following parable about greed and the misuse of power. It is about a rich man, Dives, and a poverty-stricken Lazarus (Luke 16: 1-31). There is the opening scene. Dives was extravagantly clothed in purple and linen garments. He daily ate excessively on the very best foods. The purple dye of his clothes was reserved only to those who were especially wealthy and powerful, a social class distinguished by its oppression of the poor.

Lazarus, however, was not only an impoverished beggar but he was also covered in weeping sores. Lazarus' sores place him well below even the status of a beggar. Lazarus was socially a non-person. Exhausted and starving, Lazarus had no energy to defend himself against the equally ravenous street dogs. They awaited his death in the hope of relieving their hunger. The storyteller notes that Lazarus lay at the gate of the rich man (v.19). He was so hungry that he had no energy to sit upright which would have given him some chance to chase the dogs away.

In scene two the roles were reversed. The rich man was in hell, "where he is being tormented…[and ] in agony in [its] flames" (vv. 23-24). Lazarus, by contrast, was at peace beside the prophet Abraham (v. 23). The rich man struggled to get things back to his past position of wealth and power by bullying. As someone used to commanding social inferiors, the rich man addressed Abraham in a lordly manner. Lazarus must intercede for him. Abraham refused. The rich man must change his entire life and become committed to justice and solidarity with the oppressed.

Dives still did not get the message. He was so accustomed to having his commands obeyed, because of his wealth and power, that he tried once more to manipulate Abraham into doing what he wanted. Wealth had blinded him to the realities of poverty and his own role in the oppression of the poor. So he pleaded for special treatment for his family: "if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent"(v.30). Abraham sharply refused. He again reminded Dives of the principle of solidarity, that is, all peoples are equal before God. His family had been warned enough. No new sign will bring them to their senses, spiritually blinded by their own self-importance.

As in the time of Jesus, we can make connections with our present world. We know that the rich are getting richer, the poor poorer. On the global scene capitalism is ruling with less and less controls and concern for the common good. Economic rationalism, as it emerged in the 1980s, takes for granted that profit is the sole measure of value and the economics profession serves as its priesthood. Think of the often staggering amounts of payouts to executives of large corporations, especially in times of economic turbulence. Little wonder that people complain that greed, not concern for the equitable distribution of wealth, is outrageously out of control in the senior levels of the business world! The moral of the story of Dives and Lazarus remains relevant. That is the sign of a master storyteller.

_________________________________

Gerald A. Arbuckle, sm, is the author of Laughing with God: Humor, Culture, and Transformation (2008).

5/4/12

The Pakistan government withdrew the name of Jesus Christ from a list of censored words compiled on a 'black list,' that it identified as obscene, pornographic or with religious reference.

The move is seen as a particular victory for Paul Bhatti, a special advisor to the Pakistani government on religious matters.

Bhatti, along with demonstrations by parliamentarians and activists from the All Pakistan Minority Alliance were all involved in a multi-pronged political attack on the government's decision.

Fr John Shakir Nadeem, Secretary of the "Commission for Social Communications" of the Episcopal Conference, told Fides on 21 November, "The Catholic Church of Pakistan will make all necessary pressures on the government to eliminate the name of Christ from the prohibited list."

"We understand the desire to protect the minds of young people, indicating a list of obscene words. But why include the name of Christ? What is obscene? Banning it is a violation of our right to evangelize and hurts the feelings of Christians."

"If the ban is confirmed, it would be a black page for the country, a further act of discrimination against Christians and an open violation of Pakistan's Constitution. We hope that the government will make the appropriate corrections".

Organizations for the defense of human rights and freedom of citizens such as "Bytes For All" also said they will contest the order in court.

"It violates the right to freedom of speech and expression", Bytes for All said.

"It is an intrusion into the citizens privacy, and is not only oppressive and hegemonic, but also unconstitutional".

Sources

• Fides
• Asia News
• ucanews.com
• Image: ucanews.com