If someone had told me, this time last year, that come September 2009 my mother would no longer be with us, it would have seemed completed unbelievable, quite simply not possible. The death of people close to us is something of which we are all naturally frightened. We are frightened of what the world will be like without them, we are frightened of the process of death and grief and we are frightened of how we will (or will not) cope with all of these things.
From the moment I picked up an e-mail from my mother last December announcing that she had somewhere between nine months and a year to live, whilst obviously shocked and upset, I nevertheless had an overwhelming sense that God was with us and that God’s hand was all over the situation. There was a strange sense of calm and a renewed urgency to try to rejoice in God and in his way of doing things. I urged everyone in the family to never forget to give thanks to God for all things for, convinced that by so doing, we could be sure that God would take care of everything.
However, there remained the agonising process of watching a loved one die a painful death. One could have been forgiven for asking, how could God possible have a hand in such a profoundly sad and painful situation as a death sentence? … a sentence of wall-to-wall suffering for my mother for a full nine months as it turned out? We could have been forgiven for railing at God, for demanding of him, “how could you? How could you even think of such a dreadful end for such a faithful servant of yours?” (and she had been remarkably faithful for all her life).
That would have been the obvious and very human reaction to such a catastrophic diagnosis, until mum herself reminded us of the words from Job, words with stayed with her throughout her illness: “If we accept joy from God’s hands must we not also accept suffering?” (Job 2:10)
We only have to look at the life of Jesus to know that the authentic Christian journey is likely to include suffering, for God did not spare his only Son from the horrors of the events of Good Friday. God does not shield us from suffering, but I have no doubt that, with faith, he gives us his grace in order to bear it. St Francis de Sales says:
“Do not look forward to the changes and chances of this life in fear. God, to whom you belong, will lead you safely through all things; and when you cannot stand he will bear you safely in his arms. Do not look forward to what may happen tomorrow. The same everlasting Father who cares for you today will take care of you tomorrow and every day. Either he will shield you from suffering or he will give you unfailing strength to bear it. Be at peace, then, and put aside all anxious thoughts and imaginings.”
At any time of our life we are asked to hand ourselves over to God, to give up our lives to him and for him and for his work. This may sometimes feel like being asked too much, like being drawn into a desert into which we would rather not go. But, it is worth remembering that it is in the desert that God works his greatest wonders, and it was in the desert of watching my mother suffer and eventually die, and in the desert of grief at her passing that we all felt the wonder of God’s comfort provided to us by the loving prayers of all those who were praying for us. Now, if the loving attentions of mere mortals are a powerful comfort and consolation, how much more so God’s? God was with us, his loving hand upon our family in a way which words could probably not describe, and it brought to mind this beautiful psalm ….
O Lord, you search me and you know me,
you know my resting and my rising,
you discern my purpose from afar.
You mark when I walk or lie down,
all my ways lie open to you.
Before ever a word is on my tongue,
you know it, O Lord, through and through.
Behind and before me you stand,
your hand ever laid upon me.
O where can I go from your spirit,
or where can I flee from your face?
If I climb the heavens, you are there,
If I lie in the grave, you are there.
If I take the wings of dawn
and dwell at the sea’s furthest end,
even there your hand would lead me,
your right hand would hold me fast.
For it was you who created my being,
knit me together in my mother’s womb.
I thank you for the wonder of my being,
for the wonders of all your creation.
Already you knew my soul,
my body held no secret from you
when I was being fashioned in secret
and moulded in the depths of the earth.
(Psalm 138/139)
On the day she left us, and looking for comfort from God’s Word, I looked at what the Mass readings were for that day, and there, set out before me, was yet more proof that God was with us and providing us with all that we so desperately needed, for this was what he put before us on that most painful of days:
The souls of the virtuous are in the hands of God, no torment shall ever touch them. In the eyes of the unwise, they did appear to die, their going looked like a disaster, their leaving us, like annihilation; but they are at peace. God has put them to the test and proved them worthy to be with him; he has tested them like gold in a furnace, and accepted them as a holocaust. They who trust in him will understand the truth, those who are faithful will live with him in love. (Wisdom 3:1-9)
Monday, 14 September 2009
Monday, 7 September 2009
Exposition ... what is it?
At the very heart of the Catholic faith is the Eucharist, otherwise known as Holy Communion or the Blessed Sacrament. We believe that when we are in the presence of the Eucharist, we are in the absolute and true presence of Jesus Christ.
The New Testament is jam packed with stories of how Jesus moved amongst the people, touching and healing them. Knowing that he was about to die, he was anxious to put in place a means by which he could continue to visit his people, to be among them, to do for humanity what he was able to do whilst he walked the earth.
On the evening before his arrest, he gathered his very close friends together around him and invited them to eat with him. They were all seated around the table when …. “he took some bread, and when he had said the blessing he broke it and gave it to them. ‘Take it’ he said, ‘this is my body which will be given up for you; do this in memory of me.’ Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, and all drank form it and he said to them, ‘this is my blood, the blood of the covenant, which is to be poured out for many’. (Matthew 26:26 / Mark 14:22 / Luke 22:19)
Catholics believe that in the Mass we are carrying out Jesus’ instruction to ‘do this in memory of me’. The bread and wine which are brought to the altar as just that - plain bread and wine - become through the miracle and holy re-enactment of the Last Supper the true Body and Blood of Jesus and therefore his very presence. Jesus did not say that the bread and wine would be a symbol or some vague representation of him: he said quite unequivocally “This IS my body.... this IS my blood”.
This was his parting gift to the world: the opportunity to meet with him over and over and over again in the Mass.
At our school Mass at the start of the school year the priest will consecrate more bread/hosts than is necessary for the immediate Mass. This is in order to enable us to keep a reserve of the consecrated hosts in our school tabernacle for two primary reasons: firstly and most importantly, to ensure the presence of Jesus in our school throughout the school year and, secondly, to enable me, the school chaplain, to lead our school Thursday liturgy for parents (Parents’ Prayers) during which parents have the opportunity to receive Holy Communion.
Added to that, we keep the Lord in our chapel tabernacle for the purpose of Exposition.
Exposition is when one of the large consecrated hosts is brought out of the tabernacle and made visible on the altar using a ‘monstrance’, from the Latin ‘monstrare’ (also the French ‘montrer’, ‘to show’).
The monstrance is put onto the altar, accompanied by a lit candle and also, ideally, incense. The candle and incense symbolise the true presence of Christ/God and remind us that when we come into the chapel during Exposition we are absolutely in the presence of the person of Jesus Christ, who comes amongst his people still.
What does one do at Exposition?
Nothing is required of whoever comes into the chapel for Exposition other than to sit in the presence of Jesus for whatever length of time they wish. There is no set liturgy and there are no words. There is nothing except you, Jesus and silence.
Exposition presents us with a wonderful opportunity to be with Jesus. If you were given the opportunity to come face to face with him who holds the world in the palm of his hand and who has supreme power over your life, what would you want to say to him? What would you want to ask of him? My imagination runs riot at the very thought: there is so much I want to say to him, so much that I want his help with, so many people I want him to come to in a special way … where shall I stop?
What would Jesus say to me? Perhaps he would say, “I love you so much that I don’t want you to go through life without me. I want to be with you in all your troubles and difficulties. There is so much I can do for you and give to you when you come to me. There is much that I can do for your loved ones when you intercede for them through this special time in my presence. I am giving myself to you so that you may be empowered to be the person I want you to be, a good and truthful person, someone of courage and faith, love and kindness, a person of humility and joy, a person who wants to become like me…."
We all know how wonderful it is to be with someone who loves us. We feel supported, protected, encouraged and affirmed. We learn to be tolerant and patient, understanding and gentle. We become grateful for our loved one and for all who love us. Of all the virtues, love is the most powerful and the most healing, and in the sacrament of Holy Communion, Jesus is giving us an expression of his love. Jesus wants us to feel this love. He wants to be with us and through that being together he wants us to be empowered to live the life he wants us to live, to become more like him and transformed by him.
When people have lived together for some time, it is interesting to see how they gradually become very similar in nature and character. They share the same likes and dislikes, the same sense of humour and ways of doing things. Our relationship with Jesus is no different: the longer we spend in his company and the more often we come to be with him, particularly in Holy Communion, the more we will become like him.
In coming into the presence of Jesus we are being empowered to grow in love, faith, trustfulness, humility, self-control, patience, goodness, joy and kindness. Perhaps God is calling you, personally, to carry out some special task which is only yours to do?
In Exposition Jesus comes to us not with a mighty trumpet blast or glorious alleluias, but as he came into the world in the first place, quietly and humbly. He comes in the form of a humble wafer of bread. His great hope is that, in return, we will bring ourselves, humbly, into his presence. Exposition is a celebration that, despite Jesus' walking this earth 2,000 years ago, despite his death and despite his leaving for heaven, He is still with us.
The New Testament is jam packed with stories of how Jesus moved amongst the people, touching and healing them. Knowing that he was about to die, he was anxious to put in place a means by which he could continue to visit his people, to be among them, to do for humanity what he was able to do whilst he walked the earth.
On the evening before his arrest, he gathered his very close friends together around him and invited them to eat with him. They were all seated around the table when …. “he took some bread, and when he had said the blessing he broke it and gave it to them. ‘Take it’ he said, ‘this is my body which will be given up for you; do this in memory of me.’ Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, and all drank form it and he said to them, ‘this is my blood, the blood of the covenant, which is to be poured out for many’. (Matthew 26:26 / Mark 14:22 / Luke 22:19)
Catholics believe that in the Mass we are carrying out Jesus’ instruction to ‘do this in memory of me’. The bread and wine which are brought to the altar as just that - plain bread and wine - become through the miracle and holy re-enactment of the Last Supper the true Body and Blood of Jesus and therefore his very presence. Jesus did not say that the bread and wine would be a symbol or some vague representation of him: he said quite unequivocally “This IS my body.... this IS my blood”.
This was his parting gift to the world: the opportunity to meet with him over and over and over again in the Mass.
At our school Mass at the start of the school year the priest will consecrate more bread/hosts than is necessary for the immediate Mass. This is in order to enable us to keep a reserve of the consecrated hosts in our school tabernacle for two primary reasons: firstly and most importantly, to ensure the presence of Jesus in our school throughout the school year and, secondly, to enable me, the school chaplain, to lead our school Thursday liturgy for parents (Parents’ Prayers) during which parents have the opportunity to receive Holy Communion.
Added to that, we keep the Lord in our chapel tabernacle for the purpose of Exposition.
Exposition is when one of the large consecrated hosts is brought out of the tabernacle and made visible on the altar using a ‘monstrance’, from the Latin ‘monstrare’ (also the French ‘montrer’, ‘to show’).
The monstrance is put onto the altar, accompanied by a lit candle and also, ideally, incense. The candle and incense symbolise the true presence of Christ/God and remind us that when we come into the chapel during Exposition we are absolutely in the presence of the person of Jesus Christ, who comes amongst his people still.
What does one do at Exposition?
Nothing is required of whoever comes into the chapel for Exposition other than to sit in the presence of Jesus for whatever length of time they wish. There is no set liturgy and there are no words. There is nothing except you, Jesus and silence.
Exposition presents us with a wonderful opportunity to be with Jesus. If you were given the opportunity to come face to face with him who holds the world in the palm of his hand and who has supreme power over your life, what would you want to say to him? What would you want to ask of him? My imagination runs riot at the very thought: there is so much I want to say to him, so much that I want his help with, so many people I want him to come to in a special way … where shall I stop?
What would Jesus say to me? Perhaps he would say, “I love you so much that I don’t want you to go through life without me. I want to be with you in all your troubles and difficulties. There is so much I can do for you and give to you when you come to me. There is much that I can do for your loved ones when you intercede for them through this special time in my presence. I am giving myself to you so that you may be empowered to be the person I want you to be, a good and truthful person, someone of courage and faith, love and kindness, a person of humility and joy, a person who wants to become like me…."
We all know how wonderful it is to be with someone who loves us. We feel supported, protected, encouraged and affirmed. We learn to be tolerant and patient, understanding and gentle. We become grateful for our loved one and for all who love us. Of all the virtues, love is the most powerful and the most healing, and in the sacrament of Holy Communion, Jesus is giving us an expression of his love. Jesus wants us to feel this love. He wants to be with us and through that being together he wants us to be empowered to live the life he wants us to live, to become more like him and transformed by him.
When people have lived together for some time, it is interesting to see how they gradually become very similar in nature and character. They share the same likes and dislikes, the same sense of humour and ways of doing things. Our relationship with Jesus is no different: the longer we spend in his company and the more often we come to be with him, particularly in Holy Communion, the more we will become like him.
In coming into the presence of Jesus we are being empowered to grow in love, faith, trustfulness, humility, self-control, patience, goodness, joy and kindness. Perhaps God is calling you, personally, to carry out some special task which is only yours to do?
In Exposition Jesus comes to us not with a mighty trumpet blast or glorious alleluias, but as he came into the world in the first place, quietly and humbly. He comes in the form of a humble wafer of bread. His great hope is that, in return, we will bring ourselves, humbly, into his presence. Exposition is a celebration that, despite Jesus' walking this earth 2,000 years ago, despite his death and despite his leaving for heaven, He is still with us.
Follow me!
On September 21st we celebrate the Feast of St Matthew, one of the original twelve apostles.
We first meet Matthew – also known as Levi – sitting at his desk in his office (Matt 9:9, Mark 2:13, Luke 5:27). He was probably totting up the figures of the tax he had collected that day, and working out how much profit he had made through the corrupt (but common) practice amongst tax collectors of taking more than was strictly due. It was this practice which made tax collectors so reviled. Jesus, we hear, walks straight up to him and says, “Follow me”. Matthew got up and followed him.
Later on that day, Matthew laid on a great meal for Jesus, and invited those who were probably the only friends Matthew had: fellow tax collectors and, as the Bible puts it, other ‘outcasts’. The Scribes and Pharisees were scandalised when they saw what was going on and asked Jesus’ friends, “Why does He eat with such people, with tax collectors and sinners?!” Jesus heard them and answered: “It is not the healthy who need the doctor, but the sick. Go and learn the meaning of the words: what I want is mercy, not sacrifice. And indeed, I did not come to call the virtuous, but sinners”.
In order to grow in our knowledge and love of God – and others – we have to ask ourselves of any of the Gospel passages: “Where am I in this story?”
Am I Matthew? Am I able to identify with him, the less than perfect, the sinner, the one who was easy prey to temptation, the one who fell short of the Christian ideal?
Am I the Pharisee? Am I able to identify with the apparently ‘righteous’ one? Do I hold in contempt those whom I perceive to be, somehow, less good or able than I am? Am I quick to judge and condemn? Do I, like the Pharisee, care unduly about my public image in order to impress?
Jesus is not fooled by any of our outward shows of piety or outward show of anything. He knew very well that the Scribes and Pharisees – those to whom the Jewish people looked up to as leaders and role-models – were so caught up with the minutiae of the Jewish rules and regulations that they had completely lost sight of the fact that God LOVES His people, and that, at the very centre of the entirety of God’s laws is LOVE. “Go”, said Jesus, “Go and learn the meaning of the words: WHAT I WANT IS MERCY!”
This passage should be a great source of encouragement for us all: Matthew was a really very ordinary man, doing a job which had to be done, but who found it hard to stay on the straight and narrow. And yet …. and yet … Jesus made a beeline for him, actively seeking him out. Jesus looked beyond frail humanity and saw the potential for greatness. He saw Matthew’s need and met it. That day, Matthew came face to face with the perfect Truth, Justice, Mercy and Forgiveness of God, found it to be irresistible and was forever captivated by it.
We are no worse or better than Matthew: our daily lives are littered with both small and big failings: our unkind thoughts and words; our small untruths; our impatience with others; our irritability at other people’s failures or weaknesses; our lack of humility; our slowness to apologize and so on.
Jesus is hopelessly in love with humanity, warts and all. He wades into the company of sinners just as much now as He did in Matthew’s time. If Jesus were here in person today, you would find Him in the prisons talking to and befriending the inmates, and anywhere that fallen humanity in need of His help is to be found.
Jesus sought Matthew out and led him into a better life and we need to ask ourselves: “Is Jesus seeking me out?”
The easy answer to this is, “Yes … He is most certainly seeking you out.” Not a day goes by when Jesus doesn’t seek us out. Jesus follows us around all day, every day, offering us a new life lived in His footsteps. But – and it is a big ‘but’ – we have to do two positive things. We have, firstly, to be attentive to His call and, secondly, to be open to the idea of getting up and following Him.
Be attentive to His call ….
We can be attentive to His call by making a point of bringing ourselves into His presence every day. This need not, at first, be more than just being still, acknowledging God and giving thanks. This is a truly fine prayer and a good jumping off point for greater communication with God.
Get up and follow Him ….
Matthew’s complete lack of hesitation would suggest that this is not as hard as we might think. However, it is a challenge because to follow Jesus is to live a life of LOVE. That’s the bottom line: LOVE. Love at all times for all people; love not only for those who are easy to love, but love also for those we prefer to reject. To love is a great challenge, but the more we can bring ourselves into the presence of God who is Love, the more He will infect us with His love and the easier it will become. But, we have to start somewhere and, like Matthew, we can start with a simple “Yes”.
We first meet Matthew – also known as Levi – sitting at his desk in his office (Matt 9:9, Mark 2:13, Luke 5:27). He was probably totting up the figures of the tax he had collected that day, and working out how much profit he had made through the corrupt (but common) practice amongst tax collectors of taking more than was strictly due. It was this practice which made tax collectors so reviled. Jesus, we hear, walks straight up to him and says, “Follow me”. Matthew got up and followed him.
Later on that day, Matthew laid on a great meal for Jesus, and invited those who were probably the only friends Matthew had: fellow tax collectors and, as the Bible puts it, other ‘outcasts’. The Scribes and Pharisees were scandalised when they saw what was going on and asked Jesus’ friends, “Why does He eat with such people, with tax collectors and sinners?!” Jesus heard them and answered: “It is not the healthy who need the doctor, but the sick. Go and learn the meaning of the words: what I want is mercy, not sacrifice. And indeed, I did not come to call the virtuous, but sinners”.
In order to grow in our knowledge and love of God – and others – we have to ask ourselves of any of the Gospel passages: “Where am I in this story?”
Am I Matthew? Am I able to identify with him, the less than perfect, the sinner, the one who was easy prey to temptation, the one who fell short of the Christian ideal?
Am I the Pharisee? Am I able to identify with the apparently ‘righteous’ one? Do I hold in contempt those whom I perceive to be, somehow, less good or able than I am? Am I quick to judge and condemn? Do I, like the Pharisee, care unduly about my public image in order to impress?
Jesus is not fooled by any of our outward shows of piety or outward show of anything. He knew very well that the Scribes and Pharisees – those to whom the Jewish people looked up to as leaders and role-models – were so caught up with the minutiae of the Jewish rules and regulations that they had completely lost sight of the fact that God LOVES His people, and that, at the very centre of the entirety of God’s laws is LOVE. “Go”, said Jesus, “Go and learn the meaning of the words: WHAT I WANT IS MERCY!”
This passage should be a great source of encouragement for us all: Matthew was a really very ordinary man, doing a job which had to be done, but who found it hard to stay on the straight and narrow. And yet …. and yet … Jesus made a beeline for him, actively seeking him out. Jesus looked beyond frail humanity and saw the potential for greatness. He saw Matthew’s need and met it. That day, Matthew came face to face with the perfect Truth, Justice, Mercy and Forgiveness of God, found it to be irresistible and was forever captivated by it.
We are no worse or better than Matthew: our daily lives are littered with both small and big failings: our unkind thoughts and words; our small untruths; our impatience with others; our irritability at other people’s failures or weaknesses; our lack of humility; our slowness to apologize and so on.
Jesus is hopelessly in love with humanity, warts and all. He wades into the company of sinners just as much now as He did in Matthew’s time. If Jesus were here in person today, you would find Him in the prisons talking to and befriending the inmates, and anywhere that fallen humanity in need of His help is to be found.
Jesus sought Matthew out and led him into a better life and we need to ask ourselves: “Is Jesus seeking me out?”
The easy answer to this is, “Yes … He is most certainly seeking you out.” Not a day goes by when Jesus doesn’t seek us out. Jesus follows us around all day, every day, offering us a new life lived in His footsteps. But – and it is a big ‘but’ – we have to do two positive things. We have, firstly, to be attentive to His call and, secondly, to be open to the idea of getting up and following Him.
Be attentive to His call ….
We can be attentive to His call by making a point of bringing ourselves into His presence every day. This need not, at first, be more than just being still, acknowledging God and giving thanks. This is a truly fine prayer and a good jumping off point for greater communication with God.
Get up and follow Him ….
Matthew’s complete lack of hesitation would suggest that this is not as hard as we might think. However, it is a challenge because to follow Jesus is to live a life of LOVE. That’s the bottom line: LOVE. Love at all times for all people; love not only for those who are easy to love, but love also for those we prefer to reject. To love is a great challenge, but the more we can bring ourselves into the presence of God who is Love, the more He will infect us with His love and the easier it will become. But, we have to start somewhere and, like Matthew, we can start with a simple “Yes”.
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