SILENCE! Shih!

 

JESUS, THE MODEL OF SELF-SACRIFICE AND BREAD OF ETERNAL LIFE

“Subsisting for a long periods solely on the reception of the Eucharist, St. Catherine of Siena prayed incessantly and suffered especially for sinners who refused to pray for themselves.”

It was after a frightened and disheartened Friday, when all hope was gone, that two of Jesus’ disciples who were on their way to Emmaus discovered the risen lord at the breaking of bread. The bread that was life giving; the bread that energizes them to carry out the Easter kerygma: that is proclamations of Jesus’ dead, resurrection and of course his appearance.

It is this bread of life that we celebrate today in our liturgy. We bring in our celebrations natural thing like water, produce of the earth like bread and wine. But in their natural symbols they are being transformed and yet remain as important examples of the universe, now graced and redeemed in Christ (SC no 7).

Bread and wine are symbols of the sacrifice, and they represent our entire lives. They can represent our giftedness, fears, insecurities, woundedness, brokenness, sinfulness and humanness. As the bread and wine are transformed and made sacred, so are we transformed and made sacred, if we unite ourselves consciously and prayerfully with these symbols of sacrifice. But now we must ask what it means to sacrifice. When we sacrifice we are giving away something that belongs to us without expecting anything in return.

A sacrifice comes from a deeper love and commitment and it expresses the true intentions of the heart. The kind of sacrifice, the meaning the object of sacrifice has to do with the person giving it, and the abandon (or lack) with which it is giving all express and reveal the true nature of the person making the sacrifice. Total respect or love demanded a total sacrifice that is giving away the most precious possession one could have, a child for instance in the case of Abraham and Isaac; God and Jesus.

What is important to realize is that when we identify with an object and perceive it as ours, it begins to matter to us what happens to it, simply because it becomes attached to our egos. It has become, unconsciously, a symbol of ourselves and so we see it as a part of our personality.

Celebrating the Eucharist means becoming poor. It means giving our lives as a gift and not receiving any “thing” back but just a relationship. It means facing the poverty of our humanity. It means letting go of our cherished values.

The sacrament of the Lord’s Supper encourages us into this kind of spiritual poverty through continuous sacrifice of our selfishness. When we continue to sacrifice more and more of ourselves and our lives to God, we begin to hold back our desire for and need of things which fill our egos by adhering to them and making us self-centered people. Freeing our dependency on things makes us empty and it is only in our emptiness that we realize our hunger and thirst for God like the deer that yearns for running stream so will our souls yearn for God (psalm 42.1-2). It is only then that we can say, “oh God, you are my God for you I long, for you my soul is thirsting…”

Self sacrifice also demands from us the awareness of how deeply we are attached to the things in our lives. It challenges us to admit our dependency on things and let go of them. It challenges us to depend ultimately on God alone.

At each Eucharist, then, Jesus calls us to celebrate with him. He calls us to sacrifice ourselves with him, as he says to each of us “do this in memory of me.” Let go of your anger in memory of me; let go your aggressiveness in memory of me; let go of your competitive attitude in memory of me; let go of your attitude of character assassination in the name of reporting brothers in memory of me; He asks us to become conscious of various parts of ourselves we have not yet given to the father, and to sacrifice them to him. He asks us to become aware of how much we depend on things to make us feel good about ourselves and to give security and meaning to our lives. When we do this, then, he will offer us the true glory that the father offered him, for when we join in his sacrifice with a all that is in us, we open ourselves to the father’s ability to transform us.

Jesus was transformed, was raised from the dead, because of the perfect way he offered his life to the father. In every Eucharistic celebration, Jesus offers the same opportunity for transformation and renewal to us in every part of our lives that we choose to sacrifice with him to our father. Normally Jesus assumes our humanity at the transubstantiation, because it is only then, that he is incarnated. Thus, the Vatican II fathers were very quick to proclaim in Ad Gentes that what was not assumed by Christ was not healed. Therefore, during communion, we go to the altar expectantly to receive a new humanity: a humanity which was once brokenness and wounded but now renewed, revived, restored, refashioned, remolded; a humanity that was deformed but now reformed and transformed.

The transformation, wholeness, healing and renewal which we experience in the Eucharistic sacrifice do not happen because God is returning a gift to us in recognition of our gift to him. Rather, they are natural result of the dynamic of every self sacrifice. For sacrificing our egos creates an emptiness that needs to be filled; a motion toward the one to whom the sacrifice is made. As we are filled with God, we can be nothing but filled with new life.

When we open ourselves to God by empting ourselves of selfishness, we enter a state of union and communion, with Jesus, his father and the Holy Spirit. The union God achieves with us therefore, causes transformation in our lives, for God is now filling what has previously been filled with ourselves.

It was this eternal bread that transformed the hopelessness of the disciples and propelled them to sacrifice their lives in the midst of persecution. It was also this eternal bread that gave them courage to testify to the resurrection and appearance of the Risen lord. In the same way, St. Catherine of Siena was sustained for several days on the holy Eucharist. Through the Eucharist, she prayed for the sick and they were healed.

Donatus Abul, C.Ss.R

Redeemer House, Ibadan, Nigeria.

EASTER: AN EVENT REPLETE WITH HOPE

The resurrection of Jesus Christ is an event beaming and anchored on hope. In fact, it is ad rem to affirm that the life of Jesus is a life anchored on hope. His was a life lived in a total abandonment in the hands of the Father. More than anything else, the cross is the icon per eccellenza of Jesus’ hope, and indeed from his cross we learn how and what it entails to hope.
As a matter of fact, we see the total self-emptying of Jesus and as such an entrance into Kenosi, to the extent that he was subjected to all sorts of evil. On the cross all sorts of evil befell on Jesus:


-PHYSICAL EVIL: The death on a cross is the highest form of physical suffering and corporal torturing.


-PSYCOLOGICAL EVIL: Jesus was abandoned by all, he was denied and betrayed. We cannot but remember the ingratitude of those who wanted Barabbas instead of Jesus. There was the wickedness of those who gave him vinegar while he was thirst.


-MORAL EVIL: The injustice of Pilate who suffocated and sacrificed the truth at the alter of unfounded consensus. The condemnation and death of an innocent.


-SPIRITUAL EVIL: Then here comes the pertinent question: where is God? Here we see the seemingly absence of God, and Jesus feels this abandonment: My God, My God why have you forsaken me?


How did Jesus die on the cross? He died in the profession of the great Hope: “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit”. Even in the midst of all these evils Jesus did his profession of hope. Little wonder, on Good Friday the Holy Mother Church proclaims the cross “sign of hope”. Here Jesus transformed the cross to an icon of love and hope.


Above all else however, the resurrection of Jesus is the response of the Father to the hope of Jesus. For St. Paul , Jesus does not only teach us hope, he is our hope(cfr. 1Tm1,1). On the other hand, the silence of the Father reveals that the paternity of God is not a paternalistic paternity. Little wonder, his absence during the crucifixion was apparent. Why was it unshakeable the hope of Jesus? Because it was founded on the communion with the Father. At the basis of the communion in question, there is the Holy spirit “Vinculum comunionis”. Jesus dies abandoning himself to the Father who brings the dead to life and calls into existence what does not yet exist (Rm.4,17).


Dear brethren in the resurrected Lord, even in the present economic, moral, political and religious crisis we may be experiencing, together with St. Paul it is my utmost desire to reawaken in you the knowledge of the nature of the hope founded on the God of hope(cfr.Rm.15,13). On discovering this, St. Paul averred: “Our hope will not disappoint us, because the love of God has been poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit which has been given to us” (Rm.5,5).Therefore, “ we should always have our answers ready for those who ask us the reason for the hope that we have”(1Pt.3,15). Our Hope is Jesus and the resurrection is the reason for the hope. Yes, Christ among us, is our hope of glory (Col.1,27).
Wishing you a grace-filled Easter celebration.


Vitus M.C Unegbu S.C
Rome.

VERONICA WIPES THE FACE OF JESUS

Fierce looking soldiers surrounded Jesus. They were determined to execute the order; nothing must stop them from ensuring that Jesus was crucified at Calvary. Who dare stop them! Their sight alone was a warning. So all who loved Jesus followed mournfully from a safe distance.

However, a woman in the weeping crowd matched her compassion for the bleeding Jesus with courage. She was so deeply touched that her attention faded from the fierce-looking soldiers and was singularly directed at the person of Jesus and His wounds and pains. This experience made her to begin to associate herself personally and totally with Jesus. Thus, it did not matter whether she was not the only one weeping or following Jesus; it did not matter what the blood-thirsty soldiers would do, neither did it matter what people would say! All that concerned her then was the good she could do for Jesus at that moment.

Therefore, she stepped out of her comfort zone to wipe the face of Jesus with her veil. It was as if she wanted to share her comfort with Jesus. Today we encounter the bleeding face of Jesus wherever there is hardship, tension, misunderstanding, unforgiveness, injustice, etc. Veronica has given us an example. Our compassion at such situations must not be mere self-pity. We must translate it into a living experience of encounter by backing it up with courage and action. Jesus says “In so far as you did this to the least of these brothers of mine, you did it to me” (Mt 25:40). Like Veronica, we must focus our attention on Jesus and recognize His face in our brothers and sisters. This will energize us to move out of our comfort zones to bring comfort to others.

Good Friday reflection
April 10, 2009

Summary of Pope's Message for Lent 2009

If you ask Pope Benedict XVI ‘what should I do this Lenten season?’ he will respond: “Fast”. This is the main focus of his message for this year’s Lenten season. Drawing from the Scriptures and Church Fathers, he explained the meaning and importance of fasting in our life.

In fasting we deprive ourselves of something that in itself is good and useful for our bodily sustenance. Why? He says it’s a great help to avoid sin and all that leads to it. But true fasting, following the example of our Lord Jesus Christ (Mt 4:4; 6:18, Jn 4:34), does not culminate in mere avoidance of material comfort/food, rather it is directed towards doing the will of God.

“In our own day, fasting seems to have lost something of its spiritual meaning, and has taken on, in a culture characterized by the search for material well-being, a therapeutic value for the care of one’s body. Fasting certainly bring benefits to physical well-being, but for believers, it is, in the first place, a “therapy” to heal all that prevents them from conformity to the will of God,” says the Holy Father.

Fasting helps us to mortify our egoism and open our heart to love of God and neighbor. Quoting St. Augustine, the Pope explains that in the face of divergent and negative impulses, fasting confers unity to the whole person.
“At the same time, fasting is an aid to open our eyes to the situation in which so many of our brothers and sisters live. By freely embracing an act of self-denial for the sake of another, we make a statement that our brother or sister in need is not a stranger. It is precisely to keep alive this welcoming and attentive attitude towards our brothers and sisters that I encourage the parishes and every other community to intensify in Lent the custom of private and communal fasts, joined to the reading of the Word of God, prayer and almsgiving.”

He urges us to cast aside all that distract the spirit and grow in whatever nourishes the soul. He says, “I am thinking especially of a greater commitment to prayer, lectio divina, recourse to the Sacrament of Reconciliation and active participation in the Eucharist, especially the Holy Sunday Mass.

“With this interior disposition, let us enter the penitential spirit of Lent. May the Blessed Virgin Mary, Causa nostrae laetitiae, accompany and support us in the effort to free our heart from slavery to sin, making it evermore a “living tabernacle of God.” With these wishes, while assuring every believer and ecclesial community of my prayer for a fruitful Lenten journey, I cordially impart to all of you my Apostolic Blessing.”

WHERE DO WE LOOK FOR WHAT WE WANT????

What do you really want in life? where are you searching for it? how will you know when you have found it? Often, we think we are aware of these questions, and we think we know the answers, but unfortunatly, what we think we want may not be what we really want. The classic story of Siddhartha is a vivid illustration of this human conundrum.

Siddhartha was a young man, born in a tradional Hindu family, his father was a priest in a local temple and by tradition Siddhartha to succeed him. One day, Siddhartha begins to experience restlessness within himself. So he leaves his home in search of happiness. While on his search, he encounters a group of ascetics who live an austere life in the forest. Siddhartha is drawn to them and thinks to himself: This is what I really want. This will make me happy. He joins them and lives an austere life. He feels happy.But after some months, the restlessness returns. Siddhartha decides to leave the ascetics and contiunes his search. soon after, he meets a group of monks and is drawn to their monastic lives. He says to himself: This will make me happy. He joins them and experiences happiness. But after some months the restlessness returns. He then decides to leave the monastery and continues his search. Along his journey, he falls in love with a beautiful woman. For the first time he experiences the thrill of sexual love and says to himself: This is what I really want. He decides to stay with her. But after some time, the restlessness returns. He leaves her, Next he comes in contact with rich businessmen and he soon becomes a rich businessman himself. He has money, power and influence. He feels he has achieved what he really wanted. But the restlessness returns.

Tired of searching, Siddhartha decides to return home. Years earlier, at the start of his search for happiness, he had to cross a river. Now, years later, he is on the banks of the same river, waiting for the boatman to ferry him across the very same river. When the boatman comes near, he recognizies Siddhartha. He askes him, "weren't you the same man who, some years ago, went across in search of happiness?" Siddhartha answers, "yes" And then Siddhartha asks the boatman,"have you gone across in search of happiness?" the boatman responds, "no. i am not ready yet. The river is my teacher. i am learning much from the river and i have still more to learn." Just then siddhartha looks at the river and experience enlightenment. He deciedes to be an assistant to the boatman, helping him ferry people across the river.

Let's examin the story of its essential lessons. siddhartha, who is in touch with his restlessness, tries to deal with it by searching for happiness in one way of life after another. After many false starts he finds an end to his restlessness right where he began his search. Unlike siiddhartha,however, many of us tend to get stuck.We often relentlessly pursue what we think will make us happy. We might chase money, power, fame, status or achievement. A businessman may say to himself,"If i make a million dollars, i'll be happy."He works hard and makes a million dollars. He feels happy. but after some time, the old restlessness returns. Then he may say to himself, "perhaps two million will make me happy" Once again, he works hard and achieves his goal. He feels happy but only for a while. The old restlessness returns. Again, he ups the ante, "perhaps four million will make me happy"The man, like many of us, is stuck. Instead of realizing that money fails to make him happy and that, like Siddhartha, he should search for something else, he pursues more of what does not really satisfy him. We witness the same phenomena in a person's struggle for power, influence or achievement.WHAT ABOUT YOU?????

Vitus Chigozie Unegbu, S.C.

Rome

LOVE MUST BE RENEWED

Sometimes those close to us are the ones that appreciate us less. Persecution is most painful when it’s from the one who ought to embrace us. Because we are afraid that when people get to know more about us they may begin to less appreciate and love us, we are sometimes afraid of familiarity. That’s why they say familiarity breeds contempt. But we are not alone in this situation.

Our Lord Jesus experienced the same in Luke 4:16—30. His own people who ought to embrace him more than others tried to throw him off the cliff. They could not accept him because they thought they knew him very well. “This is Joseph’s son, surely.”

And we sometimes are like these people: we get familiar with Jesus and persecute him. We get used to Mass and the Eucharist; we cram the prayers; we know a lot about the scripture and doctrine; we get familiar with the priests and Religious, etc. We thus treat all these with mechanism and contempt. We scorn and laugh at anyone who tries to bring life out of them. Thus, we persecute the one we ought to love….

Should we then not get used to Christ and things that relate to him because we may treat them with contempt. No! Familiarity breeds contempt when there is no love! Love makes all things new. We must back our knowledge of Christ and his Church with love. And continue to renew this love. For love not renewed grows arid. And aridity can lead to scorn and persecution.

Therefore, our love for Jesus in the Eucharist must be constantly renewed, especially through confession. We must constantly ask ourselves why we do the things we do in the name of Christ so as to get rid of all selfishness that may creep in. If not, we may try to throw off from the cliff of our lives the one who loves us so dearly and offers himself for us. We persecute the one who has come to us with the message of life and abundance of blessings. Our love, both for God and each other, must undergo constant renewal.

Our help is in the name of the Lord—who made heaven and earth.

Jude Nwachukwu, C.Ss.R (01—09—08 Archangels’ Parish Satellite Town, Lagos)