Giving

The other day I was in a shop that sells kitchen equipment. In one corner four shelves were stacked with different brands and varieties of electric toasters, over twenty in all. Prices varied widely from £27 to £158. When I saw the latter price, I asked myself, “Why would anyone pay that amount just to burn or singe bread? Or perhaps the retailer thinks it might be bought as a Christmas present.”

This is the time of year when we are tempted (or pressured) to be extravagant in getting gifts for family and friends to celebrate Christmas. But why do we do it? We know that some gifts are bought out of a sense of duty. “We must buy Aunt Maud something, or she would be terribly upset.” Giving someone something unnecessarily expensive may come across only as a boast about how wealthy you are. However most gifts are bought and given to celebrate our affection and love for others. But what does this mean?

Giving things to people always carries a symbolic meaning. So, do we give to others in order to tell them that we want a gift in return? Or do we give not expecting or asking for a return, but simply because we love them? If it is the first of these, then we are not giving, but engaging in a form of trading. If it is the latter then we are imitating what God does for us, His love is universal and eternal – it is everywhere and always there. And this, I think, is how we should approach Christmas shopping – finding gifts that will express our love (not our wealth) for those to whom we send. them. The greatest gift we can give others, of course, is our love as parents, siblings, friends or even enemies. That can take the form of physical objects or prayers on their behalf or time spent with them, and so on. A device for burning bread is not the only way of showing you care, whatever the cost.

                                   TC

A babe wandering the world’s wilderness 

whose horrors seek to overwhelm and crush 

your spirit, you cry out in a voice that’s ageless 

for counsel to escape evil’s ambush.

What is good has been explained to you, child; 

this is what the Lord asks of you: only this,
to act justly, love tenderly, be mild,
accepting, ready to receive his kiss

as you humbly walk each day with your God:
a life at odds with itself, discomfort
joined with true peace, the normal with the odd, 

easeful hardship, love and terror’s concert.

          The world wants martyrs for the gods above: 

           God asks only that we return his love.

                                                    Tom Caple April 2019

                                                    Drawn from Micah 6

Peace is the goal of most people and all nations. What that means, of course, differs widely from one person, one community, one nation, from another. As we approach another Remembrance Day, it is worth reflecting on what we Catholics mean by it. Catholic Social Teaching views peace as having two dimensions: being at peace with God and being at peace with others, especially between nations.

“Peace I leave with you, my own peace I give you; a peace the world cannot give, this is my gift to you. Let not your hearts be troubled or afraid” (John 14:27)

“Peace with God is God’s gift to us. God alone can place us in right relationship with him. This teaching is clear in both the old and the new testaments. God initiated the covenant with man, restored it when we fell, and fulfilled it in Jesus Christ....

As Christians, we know that god dwells in us making us temples of the holy spirit (cf. 1 Cor. 6:19). He promised us that he would provide for all our needs (cf. Matt. 6:26-34) and that “all things would work together for good for those that love god and are called according to his purposes” (Rom. 8:28). We are told that without him we can do nothing (John 15:5), but that, in him, we are “more than conquerors” (Rom. 8:37).’(Mgr Stewart Swetland A Primer of Peace 2007) Because this is God’s gift, we should do everything we can to protect and sustain it. However, we know too well how easy it is to divert ourselves from being at peace with God because of:

• The troubles of life and the fear of being without;
• Others’ faults and shortcomings;
• Our own faults and shortcomings.
• The fear of suffering.

Next week we will look at the tools God gives us to overcome these difficulties and maintainour peace with Him.

                                                               TC

We saw last week how Peace begins with peace between God and Humanity. If you are a believer, how else can you have a positive relationship with your Creator?  Belief in God and in God’s peace freely offered to us is the bedrock on which we can build peaceful relations between people and nations. We have seen that for each of us there are issues that can divert us from the search for peace with God and, therefore, with others. They are: -life’s troubles and fear of being without; our and others’ faults and shortcomings; and fear of suffering. 

So, how do we deal with them? 

Jesus did not leave us bereft of resources. One of His great gifts was the Beatitudes. They are much, much more than a set of suggestions or guidelines – they, together with the Ten Commandments, constitute a programme of actions to take to be at peace with God and, making them the centre of our way of living, the basis for being at peace with others around us. If you want  to  know  what  peace  and  justice  is,  it  is  the beatitudes working together, and in concert with the Commandments, summed up in the following: 

“The love we get from God is what we must 

give others - that means giving all we are,” 

their dying mother whispered. “The dry dust 

we are springs to life in others justly loved.” 

     Blessed are they that hunger and thirst for 

     justice, for they shall have their fill and more.” 

                                                                                 From ‘Justice’ Tom Caple

“For everything there is a season and a time for every matter under heaven. A time to be born ... A time to plant ... A time to uproot what has been planted.

                                 ECCLESIASTES 3:3-2

“Working in the garden in these last days of October is indeed an endless source of satisfaction. One season is dying, yet we are already looking ahead by making preparations for the next spring. This is the same in our life of communion with God. Though this communion is realized in the present moment, in the daily of our lives, it looks ahead to the designs God has for each of us, to his promise of eternal life. After the long winter of our lives achieves its completion, we can look forward to the endless spring feast, the Lord’s eternal day.”

                                 Brother Victor-Antoine d’Avila-Latourette • Blessings of the daily

“Peace I leave with you, my own peace I give you; a peace the world cannot give, this is my gift to you. Let not your hearts be troubled or afraid” (John 14:27) 

We are all familiar with Red Poppies, made by the Royal British Legion to commemorate British military victims of war and those who fought alongside them, and to acknowledge civilian victims. 

You may be less familiar with White Poppies. They have been worn for almost 80 years and have three elements: remembrance for ALL victims of war; a commitment to peace; and challenge to attempts to glamorise war. 

My father and I never met. He was killed in the War six months before I was born. His death was neither glamourous nor heroic, just messy and painful. So, I have always worn a red poppy to remember his sacrifice. 

Equally, I know that people of different communities, nations, religions, age, etc. have died and continue to do so because of war and its consequences. So I support all attempts to end war, and bring about lasting peace. That’s why I wear a White Poppy. 

Both types of Poppy are about respect and remembrance. That’s why I support wearing both. 

                                                                                 TC

That time of year thou mayst in me behold

When yellow leaves, or none, or few, do hang

Upon those boughs which shake against the cold,

Bare ruin'd choirs, where late the sweet birds sang.

In me thou see'st the twilight of such day

As after sunset fadeth in the west.

Which by and by black night doth take away, 

Death's second self, that seals up all in rest.

In me thou see'st the glowing of such fire
That on the ashes of his youth doth lie,
As the death-bed whereon it must expire, 

Consum'd with that which it was nourish'd by. 

This thou perceiv'st, which makes thy love more strong,

To love that well which thou must leave ere long.

                                               William Shakespeare

The Bible cites many instances to show that God watches out for his people. In Exodus, God promises to send a messenger, an angel, to act as a guide. “I am going to send an angel in front of you, to guard you on the way and to bring you to the place that I have prepared.” (Exodus 23: 20-22) In Genesis, angels escorted Lot out of Sodom. An angel finds food for Elijah in the desert, and in Matthew’s Gospel we are told that angels ministered to Jesus in the desert. In the Acts of the Apostles, we read that an angel released Peter from prison. 

Belief in Angels and specifically guardian angels who are assigned to guard the souls of individuals is ancient. I remember when I was a child being instructed about my guardian angel. I can’t say I have been very attentive said for some time to what he has, until I came across a quote from Pope Francis: 

“Ask yourself this question today: How is my relationship with my guardian angel? Do I listen to him? Do I say good morning to him in the morning? Do I ask him: Watch over me when I sleep?’ Do I speak with him? Do I ask his advice? He is by my side. We can answer this question today, each of us: how is our relationship with this angel that the Lord has sent to watch over me and accompany me on my journey, and who always sees the face of the Father who is in heaven. 

“The angel is the daily door toward transcendence, to the encounter with the Father, the angel helps me walk along the path because he looks at the Father who knows the way. Let us not forget this traveling companion.” 

                                                                                  Pope Francis 2015 

“As we journey along the pleasant and sometimes unpleasant rhythms of the seasons, we become more and more aware of the immutable wisdom of the seasons, and their Creator. We become more attentive to the question of living in harmony with nature’s cycles, of looking deep into the seasons which shape our daily lives. From them we glean inspiration and inner sustenance. 

“Ultimately, our lives become fully integrated only when we accept the guidance of God and harmonise with the cycles of nature, the cycles of the heart, the cycles of the liturgy and the cycles of life and death……………. 

“…. I gaze at the tapestry of beauty around me and delight in the sunlight shining in the trees. The air is crystal clear, and there is nothing finer than breathing it deeply. As I rejoice at the lovely sight of our trees, standing tall in regal colours, I drink deeply from the sweetly scented seasonal air. I thank God for the gift of life, for the fact that he brought me here to this place, to this point in time, where I can marvel at the wonders of his creation. It gives complete satisfaction to the heart.” 

                        From Blessings of the Daily•Brother Victor-Antione d’Avila-Latourette 

Nature’s first green is gold, 

Her hardest hue to hold. 

Her early leaf’s a flower; 

But only so an hour. 

Then leaf subsides to leaf. 

So Eden sank to grief, 

So dawn goes down to day. 

Nothing gold can stay. 

                            Robert Frost 

                            From A Poem for Every Night of the Year 

It’s an old question, which goes through our heads when we experience pain – whether ours or other people’s. Some continue to believe that pain is God’s punishment for our sins, although Truth (as old as the Church itself) is gaining ground– the truth that God is Love. Flowing from this great truth are two others. 

The nature of God is revealed in the loving trust he puts in us to safeguard and nurture His creation, and in Jesus’ willingness to suffer pain and death so that we can be free to do what God wants of us. 

Pain occurs when things malfunction: mind or body don’t work properly because of illness or the way we - or someone else – mistreats them: groups, communities and nations go wrong because of poor or bad leadership, hatred, economic failure, bad weather, etc. Natural disasters overwhelm us. Whilst we should pray to God to help us cope with pain arising from these events, God trusts us to find ways of coping and ways of avoiding or reducing different kinds of pain. And that’s not just a job for experts and politicians, church leaders and others in positions of power. It’s down to us as well, 

Pope Francis’ way of coping with pain is 

“The only answer to pain is tenderness, caresses and closeness.” 

I’m writing in pain and would like to add to this a sense of humour and tenacity which will remind us that we are never alone, with Jesus at our side. 

Prayer 

“Lord, please lay your hands of love and healing on all who suffer, and bring them, in the fulness of their time to everlasting life with you.” 

                                                                   TC 

1. Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 

2. Blessed are the meek: for they shall possess the land. 

3. Blessed are they who mourn: for they shall be comforted. 

4. Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after justice: for they shall have their fill. 

5. Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. 

6. Blessed are the clean of heart: for they shall see God. 

7. Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. 

8. Blessed are they that suffer persecution for justice' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 

Some (mercifully few) people look on the poor with disdain as if poverty is their fault. Most of us have some sympathy for those who find it difficult to meet their needs for whatever reason. So, when Jesus talks about the “poor in spirit”, and urges us to seek it, what exactly does he mean? 

Simply this: we must be humble in our spiritual life. “Humble” has some negative meanings these days, thanks to Charles Dickens and his creation, Uriah Heap, a swivel-eyed, leering hypocrite who proclaims frequently that ‘I’m very ‘umble’. Fortunately Uriah is not the role model for what Jesus meant. 

“Humble” emerged in English 800 years ago and meant “submissive, respectful, lowly in manner, modest, not self-asserting, obedient." So, to be “poor in spirit” is to acknowledge in modesty our spiritual poverty and sinfulness and – this is where humility is essential – our need for salvation, for Jesus’ saving love, if we are to overcome our spiritual poverty and move onwards in our spiritual journey. 

There are both negative and positive consequences of this acknowledgement. On the one hand we must not be self-satisfied or proud, acting as if we don’t really need God, because we are good enough. On the other hand, we must put self-interest aside and focus on God’s gift of love to us, sharing it with all who are part of our lives. This means trusting Him to protect us and give us the Holy Spirit’s gift of discernment that enables us to sense what he asks, and to use our talents in His service, 

Like everything that Jesus asks of us, when we put our self-interest to one side, it is all quite – Simple!! 

                                                               TC 

Meekness ≠ Weakness 

“We have every reason to be meek. We did not bring ourselves into existence. Every good we have is a gift ..… We cannot prevent our own deaths. We cannot raise ourselves from the dead and give ourselves the gift of eternal life with God. But God can.”                       Kevin Aldrich • Catholic Stand • May 2014 

Of all the Beatitudes, the one calling for meekness might seem the most puzzling. Isn’t it the strong and most forceful who conquer lands and acquire power? From our Catholic perspective meekness means making choices: choosing to embrace humility, to put aside arrogance, and to be kind and open to others. These are not the actions of the weak and naïve! To make and stay with these choices, you have to have courage, strength and stamina. 

Across the Church there are priests, religious, catechists, teachers, ministers, parents and young people who strive to live Catholic virtues and who do so in a meek and humble fashion. Their gentleness of heart and spirit shows that, in their own way, they are claiming their inheritance by the power of love, compassion, mercy, and understanding: - the outward signs of meekness. 

How do we become meek? We must throw away anger. Meekness is the opponent of anger. Therefore, we return love for hatred and blessings and prayers for curses. One thing we do not do is violently impose our faith on others. The early Church conquered the Roman Empire through non-violent means and we will re-evangelize our society in the same way. 

So Meekness is chiefly about the virtue of hope. We trust that God will keep his promises to us: to give us eternal life.       

                                                      TC 

In the last two weeks we have reflected on humility and meekness. This week we look at one of the most difficult of life’s experiences – grieving and comforting those who mourn. 

It seems a bit odd that the mournful can be called ‘blessed’. We all understand how painful grief can be, whatever the loss – and it doesn’t feel like being blessed. Indeed, it can feel like a punishment. But this beatitude refer to a special kind of mourning that is, in fact the antidote to grieving. 

If we love God, we will love all those who belong to God, that is, everyone. God’s incomprehensible love is given to every human being without exception. 

When we truly love others, their happiness becomes ours. Even so, we may find them in pain, suffering and struggling to be happy. Because we love them, their suffering also becomes ours. We mourn for and with them. It is impossible to remain indifferent to the sufferings of others, once we have discovered and recognised God’s love. It is the sins of human beings, the cold indifference of others towards God and our neighbour that fills us with sorrow. 

God’s love is there for all who grieve. We can be a channel of God’s love for those who mourn, by sharing their grief. 

Through this sharing, both become blessed. 

                                                         TC 

Source: The Beatitudes: A Concise Summary Deacon Douglas McManaman • catholiceducation.org 

“See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and that is what we are.” 1 John 3.1-2 

Those who heard the fourth Beatitude would recognise immediately the terms He used. At the time Jesus gave the Sermon on the Mount, hunger and thirst were quite common. However, Jesus did not intend his words to be taken literally. He is pointing to what John (above) says: that God’s love is so great that he gave his Son in sacrifice to save us. Through this act of love our identity as children of God is confirmed. 

The foundation of love is justice and moral perfection. This makes sense. To pursue justice is not to obey passively God’s law, but also to act: - to achieve, sustain and promote brotherly love of Jesus. In other words, following this beatitude means committing ourselves to establishing and maintaining the right (just and loving) relationship between ourselves, God and the people we live and work with. 

So, why ‘hunger’? Hunger is a sign of life. We become spiritually alive when we hunger to love others for their sakes, not as snack food to meet our needs. Jesus says those who have this hunger will find their appetites filled. This makes it easier to see the wrongs about us and to want to do battle to fix them. We cannot do this relying on our own strengths, but, as with the first three Beatitudes, by abandoning our self-interest to allow Jesus to work within us. 

“Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love.” 1 John 4:7 

                                                           TC 

What is Mercy? 

Mercy is the unmerited act of kindness to someone in need. It is kind to do something good for another. This may be giving some water to someone who is parched or giving all one has to people who have nothing. 

It is unmerited because it is not something the recipient has ‘earned’. It is a just act to reward employees for doing their jobs not an act of mercy! Contributing to the second collections in church are acts of mercy because they invite you to make an unmerited act of kindness for people in need. 

Being merciful is not just about giving money. It is, more importantly, about our use of the power we have over others. You may think you don’t have any power, but you do - over elderly relatives who need you to ensure they are cared for; children whose education is in your hands; neighbours who may need friendship. Mercy also extends to those who may have offended or hurt you, when forgiveness may lead them to do good. 

Take a moment now to write down the people in your life who could or do benefit from your unmerited kindness towards them. I think you’ll find it a long list! 

Christ promised that those who show mercy will receive it. We need His mercy; we are sinners and prone to use our power over people to act in our interests, not theirs. As with a hunger for justice, we must also search within ourselves for the mercy that wants no reward. Acts of mercy are powerful ways of sharing God’s love with others 

Prayer: Lord give me eyes to see how I can make an act with kindness today to someone in need. Amen. 

                                                        TC 

God’s plan for us is to see Him and to be with Him forever. To be pure of heart means that our love is directed wholly and solely to God: 

“you shall love the LORD, your God, with your whole heart, and with your whole being, and with your whole strength” [Deuteronomy 6:5] 

Jesus added that we must love our neighbour as ourselves [Mark 12:29-31] for, as we have seen in looking at other Beatitudes, our mission is to continue Jesus’ work and bring God’s love to others’ 

It is an old definition made popular again these days that “pure” means “without blemish’. Because of this, some argue that “pure” spirituality is a spirituality unsoiled by contact with grosser elements most especially with biological matter such as the human body with its wide variety of fluids, sticky viscous substances, mucus, blood, spit, sweat and so on. But this is to argue for sterility. In the same way there are those who claim that ‘scepticism is the purity of the intellect and the only sure thing is doubt’ But that also is to argue for intellectual sterility through failure to commit sincerely to any faith or any action. Think about it and you will realise that these ways of thinking about purity go only skin deep. 

From the earliest days of the Church, Christians have taken an entirely different approach. Our emphasis is on being free from sin and has above all to do with relationships - with God and our fellow humans. If we have a heart that is simple, open, and good, purity of heart means that we don’t hide who we are from other people, and that we treat others the way Christ would, as persons with great dignity, not reducing them to objects of personal pleasure. Thus may we see God 

                                                                       TC 

“Peace” has several meanings for us humans: an end to hostilities; freedom from disturbance; tranquillity; peace of mind; being in a state of friendliness; civil order. All these definitions have one thing in common: they refer to relations between people and usually refer to some improvement from undesirable to agreeable human circumstances. 

This is not what Jesus is talking about when calling peacemakers “children of God”. In this Beatitude, Jesus refers to our relationship with God as individuals, as communities and as a Church. He is saying that whatever else is happening, our focus has to be on the journey to paradise, following the road. He urges pursuit of ‘the peace that surpasses all understanding’ (Philippians’ 4:7). 

Being at peace is not a passive state: it is good to strive for the end of war, for freedom from disturbance, for maintaining friendships and so on. But these are only steps on our journey, driven by our desire to serve and love God, and not our self-interests. Self-interest may drive much peacemaking: history shows such ‘peace’ is not sustainable. 

God’s Peace should be the basis of all work for peace, because divine peace is the fulfilment of our friendship with God, our acceptance of His authority and our joy in His love. As such it is the perfect template for achieving peace in the world. Jesus, leader and exemplar of our struggle for peace, says he is not bringing peace on earth but bringing earth (that’s all of us) to peace in heaven. 

It follows that peace is and should be the Church’s priority and that building and maintaining friendships is top priority for each of us in our daily lives. 

                                                                 TC 

We celebrated this event on August 6th. In the Gospel accounts of the Transfiguration, we see the explicit desire on the part of the eternal Father to glorify his Son before he undergoes the sufferings of his Passion. For the moment the veil covering his divinity is lifted and, suddenly, Jesus appears clothed in unsurpassed beauty. He is luminous, translucent with the Father’s glory. The disciples present at the event instantly recognise the glory of God shining from that human face. From the mysterious, enveloping cloud, they hear the solemn declaration: “This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to him.” (Mt 17:5) This is the Father speaking, with nearly the exact words he spoke from on high at the baptism of Jesus. He bears witness to the fact that Jesus is the only Son of God, true God from true God, as we believe and assent in the Credo. 

                              From Blessing of the Daily Br. Victor-Antoine d’Avila-Laturette 

Most people seem to think of ‘freedom’ and ‘obedience’ as opposites. This usually in reference to some ‘rules’ that a person wants to break or dismiss. “Now I work for myself, I can express myself fully.” “I’m retired, so I can do what I want.” 

In reality, freedom and obedience go hand in hand: 

“Freedom of choice is a core value of modern life. Somebody might express it as follows: ‘I don’t want to be told what to do. I want to be free to be me. I express my freedom by exercising my right to choose … Yet, for many people, their supposedly free choices are driven by obedience to a hidden agenda.” 

                                          Rev. Christopher Jamison Finding Sanctuary 

“Choice” of clothing is a good example. People may think they have many choices when buying clothes, ranging from grunge jeans to smart suits, differing styles, materials and prices. Yet these ‘choices’ are only responses to other people’s ideas about what we should wear. Fashion houses, retailers, fashion leaders, friends and associates’ preferences - few of us can claim to be truly independent in what we wear. Using the language of freedom while being ruled by hidden agendas is dangerous. We may claim to be doing one thing but are actually doing the other. I know someone who often says, “I’m still a Catholic, but I don’t go to mass. It does nothing for me.” Can you be a Catholic and refuse to go to mass? 

Obeying good rules is healthy and life fulfilling. So is true independence. So how can we do both? First we must know what we are choosing to obey. Second we must look for choices which improve our spiritual wellbeing. How can we tell that? It’s very difficult, but there are two things we can do that help us – listening to God as he talks to us through scripture, the Mass, the words of our parish priest and other good people we may meet: then, we can ask ourselves “What would Jesus do?” 

                                                  TC. 

Do Your Children a Favour — Be a Burden on Them 

God gave us the Ten Commandments to guide us in right living. The Fourth Commandment, “Honour your father and mother,” is the last of the “Do” Commandments (as opposed to the 6 “Don’ts” that follow). 

We get plenty of opportunities to freely choose obedience to the first three Commandments. But once our parents get older — much older — and need more and more assistance, we don’t always get the opportunity to “honour” our parents — to take direct care of them. Many parents have chosen to not allow this, because they don’t want to be a “burden.” 

At one time, it was common for three (or more) generations to live under one roof. Now, the elderly have strangers taking care of them in institutions. Multiple generations of children have been conditioned to think “it’s probably better” to arrange this and call or stop by for a visit once a week, or once a month... or not at all. It has become “normal” to see taking care of one’s parents as just not practical — that we’re not qualified or we’re too busy. In the meantime, many elderly parents sit in hospital-like rooms in soulless facilities growing depressed that they see their children and grandchildren seldomly, and wonder why life turned out this way. Some ask God why he continues to let them live, because what’s the point? Some children wonder the same thing. 

When you look at this issue from the perspective both of the elderly parent and of the not-very-involved adult child, is it any wonder that assisted suicide has become culturally acceptable? In this context, even some Catholics are tempted to think “It’s probably better.” It isn’t. 

So, when you’re considering how you might want to handle retirement, consider the value of being a burden on your children. 

                                                   TC 

Recently someone asked me “How holy do you have to be to become a saint?” The Church’s teaching is that we can all become saints: 

“A "saint" is anyone in Heaven, whether recognized on Earth or not ……. These may include our own mothers, grandmothers or other loved ones (cf. 2 Tim 1:5) who may have not always lived perfect lives but amid their faults and failings they kept moving forward and proved pleasing to the Lord" 

                              (What is a saint? Vatican Information Service, 29 July 1997) 

Of course, there are saints and Saints, the latter being those officially proclaimed by the Church as a Saint. And I think that was what my friend was asking about – how the Church recognises that someone is in heaven and that their life was such that they should be held up as an example to all. 

5 Steps to Sainthood 

First, the person’s local bishop investigates their life. If the bishop is satisfied, he submits the information to the Vatican’s Congregation for the Causes of Saints (CCS). 

Second, the CCS can choose to reject the application or accept it and begin their own investigation of the person’s life. The person may then be called Servant of God. 

Third, if the CCS approves of the candidate, they can choose to declare that the person lived a life heroically virtuous. This isn’t a declaration that the person is in heaven, but that they pursued holiness while here on earth. The person may be called Venerable. 

Fourth, to be recognized as someone in heaven requires that a miracle has taken place through the intercession of that person. Miracles have to be first verified as scientifically unexplainable by independent experts, then the person is approved by a panel of theologians. Final approval lies with the pope. The person is then declared Blessed. 

Fifth, a second miracle is needed in order to declare someone a Saint. The confirmation of a second miracle goes through the same scrutiny as the first. 

More about this and our own progress toward sainthood below. 

                                                            TC 

Last week we saw how the Church recognises a person as a Saint – i.e. someone who has entered heaven and is a model for the rest of us. We also saw that everyone who gets to heaven is a saint, including those whose credentials for canonisation may not be known or recognised on earth. That is probably what will be the case for most us! So, it is worth exploring what it means in practical terms. 

Essentially, becoming a saint (whether canonised or not) means living a holy life. The question we might ask is how do I become and remain holy? That, however, is not quite the right question: 

Do you not know and understand that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells permanently in you? … for the temple of God is holy, and that is what you are” (I Corinthians 3:16-17) 

We do not become holy by what we do, but by what God has made of us - His temple. The message of the Gospel is not about being egotistical and having a (cunning?) plan for becoming holy. The Gospel’s message is about what God has done for us, through the sacrifice of His Son. We have been set aside for a specific purpose. You can’t become holy – you are made holy by God’s grace. This not something that happens in stages, but the act of God within us. Holiness is not a thing: it is a person and his name is Jesus. We live in Him and are eternally holy because of it. 

That is not to say we can sit back smugly and watch the world go by. That would be placing ‘ME’ before Him. The purpose that God has for us in this life is to grow in the way we express the holiness within us. The Beatitudes tell us the different ways in which we can express this in terms others can recognise. It is our witness to the truth of the Gospel. It is worth reading and reflecting on the Beatitudes and the part they play (or should play) in our day-to-day lives. So, you can stop running to find what you already possess. Instead, use it! 

                                                              TC 

“Fear is a force that can turn that which is real, meaningful, warm, gentle, and kind in your life into devastation and a desert. It is a powerful force…. 

“The best story I know is from India … and it is a story about a man who is condemned to spend a night in a cell with a poisonous snake. If he made the slightest little stir, the snake was on top of him and he was dead. So, he stood in the corner of the cell … petrified. He barely dared to breathe for fear of alerting the snake. … When the full force of light came in with the full dawn he noticed it was not a snake at all. It was an old rope. 

The moral of the story is very profound: …… in our minds there are harmless old ropes, but when fear begins to work on them, we convert them into monsters who hold us prisoners.” 

                                    Walking in the Pastures of Wonder John O’Donohue 

Help is at hand. There are 33 places in the Bible where God tells to be not afraid: e.g. 

“Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.” Isaiah 41:10 

“I think there is no labour greater than that of prayer to God.” 

These are the words of Abba Agathon, one of the Desert Fathers, the founders of monasticism. Prayer for the desert monks was a constant practice. Every form of prayer came from and resided in the recesses of their hearts. They did not use long formulas or prayer books as we might today. Instead they prayerfully read the Scriptures, especially the Gospels and the Psalms, drawing from short prayers, such as “Lord, have mercy.” `these brief prayers would be uttered repeatedly throughout the day until they became part of the monk’s being. 

We can learn much from the desert monks (without having to imitate all their practices. Start with the basic question What is prayer? Or, specifically, what is praying to God? 

Essentially it is a conversation - “A talk, often informal, between two or more people” (OED) - i.e. between God and you. Does this really happen? Too often, I find myself conducting, not a conversation, but a monologue, especially with long, formulaic prayers that go on and on. And I don’t think I’m unique. [I suppose one proof that God loves us is that He can listen to all this, not nod off and still be patient with us!] 

So prayer, as a conversation, is two-way: not just praying to God but also with Him and listening for His response- at the very least pausing in case He wants to say something. 

A successful and meaningful conversation means that the participants really mean what they are saying. In praying we always have an obstacle to face - the more familiar the prayer, the more the risk that the words come out but our minds are somewhere else. Familiarity can breed superficiality, where what’s said is correct, but the saying is empty of real meaning. One short prayer in which you concentrate fully on the meaning of each word may be harder at first, but more fruitful in its outcome, than a long over-familiar one that trips off the tongue before meaning can catch up. One test of this to say a prayer then ask yourself what you just said, what you were telling or asking from God. 

Short spontaneous prayers can be powerful. A short prayer may be exactly what God wants to hear, so that by talking to him we can avoid the banana skins Satan puts under our feet. Here are some:

Prayer:     ...     So that you can: 

"Thank you for this breakfast, Lord." ...  Remember how He blesses us in practical ways. 

"Help me stay calm in this traffic jam."  ......................  Keep cool and manage anger. 

"Help me love this person now." ..............  Show respect & avoid scorn/hatred/ anger.

"Lord, show me what to do." ........  Discern God’s will; avoid one’s own impulses and wants.

"Lord, I love you. Be with me!"  .......  Have courage to protect myself from fear or negative reactions. 

"Lord, let me be honest."  ............................  Avoid deceit, conceit & misleading others. 

“But if you faithfully obey the voice of your God, by keeping and observing all his commandments … all these blessings will befall and overtake you…” Deuteronomy 28: 1-2 

Blessing is the enjoyment of God’s divine favour. It isn’t just about having more stuff; it’s being able to enjoy what you have. Blessings aren’t necessarily material things. We should remember this at Christmas. Which gift would you prefer - an iPhone X(S) or the embrace of someone you love? 

When the Bible was first translated into English, blessing was used to equate to the Latin benedicere, meaning to speak well of. So, blessing became an expression of a key feature of the relationship between God and humanity. When, at the end of mass, the priest gives us the blessing, he asks God to favour us. 

What form may this favour take? 

First, we can expect God to hear our prayers. 

Call on me in the day of distress. 

I will free you and you shall honour me.               Psalm 49: 15 

Second, we can also expect God to meet our needs. God knows all we need even before we do, and has all the resources of the universe! Of course, what we need may be different from what we want! 

Third, we can expect God to guide us, not only in dealing with important issues or major challenges in life, but also in our day-to-day work and leisure. 

A Blessing 

Blessed by all things 

wings of breath, 

delight of eyes, 

wonder of whisper 

intimacy of touch 

eternity of soul, 

urgency of thought, 

miracle of health 

embrace of God 

May I live this day                                              John O’Donohue: Eternal Echoes: Matins 

Finally, we can expect a life of joyous celebration of God’s blessings to bring us the peace and calmness that nowadays it is fashionable to call “wellness” - and we don’t have to spend a penny or eat a strange diet or sign up to an expensive club to achieve it!                                 TC 

“The Trinity” is the most famous of Andrei Rublev’s icons and the most famous of all Russian icons. 

Painted in the 15th century, the icon depicts the three Angels who visited Abraham (Genesis 18: 1-8), but it is usually interpreted as representing the Holy Trinity, with God the Father on the left, blessing the cup on the table. His hand is painted as if he is offering the cup to the central person, Jesus, who in turn blesses and accepts it with a bow indicating his acceptance of the Father’s will. The Holy Spirit stretches his hand in blessing too and observes the interaction of Father and Son. 

The three figures form a circle, with one space free. Rublev’s intention here appears to be to invite the painting’s observer to take the fourth place in adoration of the Trinity and as an act of commitment to follow Jesus. 

The icon is full of symbolism and well worth studying as part of a meditation on the Trinity. It is currently held at the Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow. Copies of it are easily found on the Internet. For a clear explanation of the icon go to: 

www.sacredheartpullman.org/documents/2017/Trinityicon.pdf 

Prayer 

• “Father, be gracious and have mercy on me: 
• Jesus, forgive and bless me: deepen my faith, strengthen my hope, keep love’s flame burning within me, so that, nourished by the Holy Spirit, I may return our Father’s love by imitating you: 
• Holy Spirit, pour into me the grace to glorify God by the way I live.” 

This was the moment when Before 

Turned into After, and the future’s 

Uninvented timekeepers presented arms. 

This was the moment when nothing 

Happened. Only dull peace 

Sprawled boringly over the earth. 

This was the moment when even energetic Romans 

Could find nothing better to do 

Than counting heads in remote provinces. 

And this was the moment 

When a few farm workers and three 

Members of an obscure Persian sect 

Walked haphazard by starlight straight 

Into the kingdom of heaven. 

                                            U A Fanthorpe 

Moonless darkness stands between. 

Past, O Past, no more be seen! 

But the Bethlehem star may lead me 

To the sight of Him who freed me 

From the self that I have been. 

Make me pure, Lord. Thou art holy; 

Make me meek. Lord, thou wert lowly; 

Now beginning, and alway: 

Now begin, on Christmas day 

                Gerard Manley Hopkins 

The story of the Messiah in the Bible is a complicated one. In the earliest biblical texts, the word originally referred to the king of that time. It later came to refer to some future ruler, then eventually a heavenly redeemer along the lines of the archangel Michael before, in the New Testament, Jesus is born and the mantle of Messiah falls firmly on his shoulders. 

What does ‘Messiah’ mean? 

It means “anointed one.” The term was originally used to refer to the king. Over time the word developed the connotation of something in the future—of a time when there is no longer an actual king. To call somebody anointed meant that he had a special role to play, whether or not any anointing oil was used. 

How did the word messiah come to mean a future saviour figure, as we understand Jesus Christ today? 

2 Samuel, Chapter 7 tells the story of God’s promise to David that one of his sons would always sit on the throne in Jerusalem. That promise held good for about 360 years, which maybe is a reasonable approximation of forever. But then the Babylonians came in and put an end to the native kingship in Jerusalem. The people had a record of a divine promise that something would last forever and had to face the fact that this was actually not the case. This is what gives rise to the hope that God will restore the monarchy, which is to say bring a new messiah, a new anointed king. People’s original messianic expectations were the hope for the restoration of the monarchy. 

It should be noted that Jesus never claimed to be the Messiah. This was what the crowd called him when he entered Jerusalem on Palm Sunday.  After his death, his followers concluded, yes, he is the Messiah, but not the kind of messiah that everybody was expecting - i.e. not a political ruler. Jesus made this quite clear to Pontius Pilate when he explained that his Kingdom was not of this earth. Jesus is a messiah who has to die first and then come back - which is what happened. 

So, as we anticipate the Lord’s birth, let us remember that he comes not to stand in for those who rule (in any sense) but to bring forgiveness, and joy as we journey towards paradise.    

     TC