Volume 2 Number 2
Second Quarter 2014
In this Issue From the Editor.................................................... page 4 Sacred Heart Promises.......................................... page 5 A Dominican’s Dithyramb...................................... page 6 Missionary in my own land..................................... page 8 The Portable Priest............................................. page 10 Words............................................................... page 12 Online Ordination - Is It Real?.............................. page 14 Katholic Kitchens................................................ page 16 Stations of the Cross.......................................... page 31 Second Quarter Saints Wordsearch....................... page 41 Saints Calendar................................................. page 42
Convergent Streams Vol. 2 No. 2 This publication is an outreach ministry serving the entire Independent Sacramental Movement, operated by the International Old Catholic Churches’ publishing office, the Office of Communications and Media Relations. Copyright 20132014 All rights reserved.
Very Rev. Prior Michael Beckett Mrs. Brenda Eckels Burrows Rev. Fr. Tom Shortell Rev. Mrs. Dollie Wilkinson Rev. Fr. Bryan Wolf Guest Writers: The Very Rev. Lady Shelia Sherwood
Executive Editor: The Right Rev. Gregory Godsey Managing Editor: The Very Rev. David S. Jennings Editor-at-Large: The Right Rev. A. Edmund N. Cass Contributing Editors: The
From the Editor The Right Rev. Gregory W. Godsey editor@convergentstreams.org
It has been a winter to remember! Most of us in the southern United States rarely see any kind of winter precipitation, or if we do, it is usually nothing more than a dusting of snow or a slight icing of the roadways. However, this year has been wild. Here at the headquarters for Convergent Streams, we were without electricity for 74 1/2 hours. It was another two days after that before the internet was restored. This led to the small delay in the publication of this quarter’s magazine. For that, I am truly sorry. This quarter our magazine is also a little lite on articles. I can only attribute that to the numerous rounds of winter storms that have plagued most of the United States. All of us have been focused on survival and helping those around us who need the most help. That is far more important work than to write for CS. That is living the Gospel! In my time away from electricity and internet, in what was no doubt a combination of mild hypothermia and internet withdraw, I began to see things a little more clearly. I began to
see how dependent we have become on technology. Now don’t get me wrong, I love my tablet and laptop as much as the next guy. However, we have come to a point where we live more in cyberspace than we do in real space. A prime example of this could be seen a few nights ago when I went out to eat with my family. There we were at a local restaurant and I began to look around at the 30 or so people seated in the establishment. About 10 of them were kids under the age of 16. Every single one of those kids had a cell phone, video game console or tablet of some kind and spent the entire time eating and playing on their electronic devices. Now one might say that this is merely the tend of the next generation. Yet, many of the parents and adults in the establishment could not pull themselves away from their email or Facebook accounts long enough to speak two words to their children. As the moral leaders of the next generation, we must lead by example. The only way to do that is to put down the electronics and begin to see each other for who we are, not
for the things we post online or for our scores in some video game. We need to take time to help each other find themselves again and to unplug from time to time. It is not easy, but it very necessary, for the sake of our lives and our spiritual well-being. Only then can we reconnect with the divine and recharge our own batteries in a way that will make it easier to deal with life’s problems (real problems) and issues that we face day in and day out. And know that while I too am trying to detox from the Internet, that I will be praying for you every step of the way! Many God richly bless you all! +Gregory
Sacred Heart Promises 1. I will give them all the graces necessary in their state of life. 2. I will establish peace in their homes. 3. I will comfort them in all their afflictions. 4. I will be their refuge during life and above all in death. 5. I will bestow a large blessing on all their undertakings. 6. Sinners shall find in My Heart the source and the infinite ocean of mercy. 7. Tepid souls shall grow fervent. 8. Fervent souls shall quickly mount to high perfection. 9. I will bless every place where a picture of My Heart shall be set up and honored. 10. I will give to priests the gift of touching the most hardened hearts. 11. Those who promote this devotion shall have their names written in My Heart, never to be blotted out. 12. I promise you in the excessive mercy of My Heart that My all-powerful love will grant to all those who communicate on the first Friday in nine consecutive months the grace of final penitence; they shall not die in My disgrace nor without receiving their sacraments; My divine Heart shall be their safe refuge in this last moment. --Promises to those devoted to His Sacred Heart as given to St. Margaret Mary
A Dominican’s Dithyramb The Very Rev. Prior Michael Beckett msgrbeckett@myiocc.org
Curses
O
h Lord, open Thou our lips, and our mouth shall show forth Thy Praise. How many of us have repeated those words, over and over again, every time we say Morning Prayer? How many of us take those words to heart and apply them to every aspect of our daily lives and conversations? What goes into someone’s mouth does not defile them, but what comes out of their mouth, that is what defiles them. Matthew 15:11 (NIV) Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Ephesians 4:29-30 (NIV) When we were kids, my mother used a bar of soap, applied quite liberally to the teeth, tongue, and gums to demonstrate to my brother and
I just what words SHOUDN’T come out of our mouths. I learned early to let my brother use words I wasn’t sure of and test the results. Poor him. For a while, he must have had the cleanest mouth in our neighborhood, since he said “bad words” as soon as he learned them. I must say, the results were quite effective, and the lesson she taught us by doing so remains with me to this day. It seems to me that certain words and phrases that were once considered totally unacceptable have become mainstream in today’s culture, even for Christians. Should this be so? Profanity is growing more and more popular. According to some of the latest statistics, public profanity in America is up by 800%. We can now expect there to be loud profanity in many public places, even places that claim to provide a family atmosphere. Women and children are now often heard speaking expletives without any shame or regard for others. 57% of Americans are bothered a lot or some when people use profanity. 42% are bothered a little, or
not at all. A recent Barna Research survey reveals the use of profanity was deemed morally acceptable by 37% of church people. In a conversation with a bishop from a different denomination from mine, he made the comment that he had “a lot of s**t to do.” In the course of normal conversations with other clergy, I’ve heard the phrases, “every damned one,” and “get the hell out of here.” Perhaps I’m a prude, but I was shocked and dismayed and disappointed. Are we as Christians not to be set apart from other people? Are we not to be an example of clean and Godly living? Does this not include our speech? Webster tells us that a curse is “the verbal expression of a wish that a person, place, or thing, might suffer some evil, loss or harm.” First, we need to establish that despite claims to the contrary , cursing and cussing are virtually the same things. Even though there are some people who may attempt to differentiate the meaning of the two words, there really is no difference. The fact is, the word cuss is simply a colloquialism that is derived from the word curse. In other words, cuss is merely the slang form of the word curse. Although it is true that in modern times cursing or cussing has come to be used as an expression of disdain, vulgarity, or frustration, it is still typically a form of cursing.
Disdain is a form of evil contempt, and vulgarity is a verbal offense. And shortening curses does not change the principle. For example, if someone were to shorten the phrase “God damn it,” to simply saying, “Damn it,” or even “Damn,” that does not change its basic meaning. Damn is a curse word, so that when we utter this word in frustration, we are pronouncing a curse on whatever or whomever we are frustrated with. And whether we say, “damn you,” or we merely day “damn,” we are still cursing. Whether we say, “go to hell,” or simply say “Oh hell,” again, we are pronouncing a curse, and are thus cussing. There really is no difference between the two words. And using any other number of these words in a profane or unsavory way falls into this category of cursing. Is cussing a sin? I believe it is, because cursing, or wishing evil on someone or something is a “usually” sin. And in the context of cursing and cussing today, it is almost always sin. A simple examination of the meanings of these words will illustrate this. They are usually words (besides a curse) meaning filth, excrement, sexual innuendos and acts, or are otherwise insulting in some way. When people use these cuss words, they invariably do it to be profane (sin), as a vulgarity (sin), in a vain attempt to gain approval (sin), to give in to those giving (Continued on page 21)
Guest Writer The Rev. Fr. Tom Shortell uaccmex@gmail.com
Missionary in my own land Part One
A
nyone who has traveled and lived outside of the United States for an extended time is familiar with the term culture shock. Culture shock is a complete disorientation to the new world around you. All the standard cues and social signposts and norms that guide individuals in their daily interactions with the world around them and with others, are no longer present. All of our accustomed sensory perceptions are thrown to the wind. We have nothing familiar to orient us to the new world in which we find ourselves. An individual passes through many stressful periods and emotional ups and downs until slowly s/he gets acclimated to the new environment and learns how to navigate the new waters. For this reason many companies that have employees working in different parts of the world, provide
cultural orientation programs for the employees and their families prior to them assuming their new overseas positions. It is to be expected then that new immigrants to this country would experience culture shock. What of the priest, deacon or minister who is in service to them in the United States? True, these ministers are in their own country, but once they enter into the Hispanic subculture, they are at a total disadvantage. They too, experience culture shock. The standard Anglo-American norms that s/he is used to are no longer perceivable. The language, food, sights, smells, social gestures, music and even clothing are different, not to mention popular religious observances. Suddenly the clergy person finds himself or herself struggling to balance what he or she knows to be true based on Anglo-American norms with things that are
norms within a separate cultural context. There is a strong tendency to recur to the attitude that, “well, that’s how we do it here in the U.S.”, “you’re here so YOU have to adapt”. These are fair, typical and even acceptable social responses, but not the right ones for pastoral ministry. The clergy person literally straddles between two worlds, at least initially. The pressure is intense. When one is living in a foreign country, adapting to new attitudes and methods is expected. When one is living in one’s own country, it can be very difficult to step out of that world. It takes a lot of conscious effort. Adding to the stress is the composition of the immigrant group itself. Some are new arrivals, some have been here a while and some have been born in the United States. Each group operates under a different social norm. The clergy person trying to juggle all these realities can feel overwhelmed and most definitely inadequate. Fear not. For those seriously committed to God’s work within a Hispanic context, this anxiety will resolve itself and you will settle into your new role(s). How? You will accomplish this through contextual theology and by becoming one with the community you serve. It is not the intent of this document to provide a deep academic or anthropological discourse on the development, practices, merits and deficiencies of contextual theology. Moreover, the discussion here will provide a brief overview of
contextualization and then address its New Testament praxis. Contextualization or Contextual Theology simply stated is preaching the Gospel and making it relevant to a group of people relative to their cultural context and world view. It is applying the Gospel to culture. God’s message is universal but the ears that hear it are not. Stephen Bevans, SVD in his lecture on contextual theology to the Church Mission Society in Oxford, England states: “… contextual theology is a way of doing theology that takes into account, or we could say puts in a mutually critical dialogue, two realities. The first of these is the experience of the past, recorded in Scripture and preserved and defended in the church’s tradition. The second is the experience of the present or a particular context, which consists of one or more of at least four elements: personal or communal experience, “secular” or “religious” culture, social location, and social change.”1 Stated another way, “Also known as “enculturation,” contextual theology refers to the manner in which the church in every age tends to adapt its teachings to the culture in which it finds itself.”2 Since the term first appeared in 1971, theologians, academics, clergy, and missionaries have been trying to accurately define the concept (Continued on page 24)
Guest Writer The Rev. Father Bryan Wolf frwolf@myiocc.org
The Portable Priest “He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.” Mark 16:15
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try to always travel prepared and, for that matter, be prepared. Perhaps it is from my early youth of being a boy scout, as it is their motto; but more than likely my nearly thirty years as a police officer. You never know what you might encounter or where. I can remember searching down an early morning drifting smoke, to discover a burning fraternity house where students still slept. Investigating an isolated van parked at a construction site, only to happen upon a sexual assault in progress. More then ten thousand days on patrol, only to have those instincts now transferred to my mission as a priest. We can never know where God will cause us to be. Often, as in the situations above, I felt it was God and His providence that directed my patrol. Contrary to being in “the wrong place, at the wrong time” more often than not God places us in the right place at the right
time. Where He needs us to be. Where God needs to be. After all, that is why were are here. Not just as clergy and religious, but as Christians. As human beings. We are here to do those things- those acts of kindness and mercy, those acts and actions of justice- as if God were here himself. For indeed God is. God lives- and loves, through us. So falling back upon my police career and training, I have been comically referred to by friends as “the portable priest”. For I carry with me at all times, what I refer to, as my “priest pack”. It may be something we called to do so, might practice and carry. In a small nylon weatherproof zippered bag, one might find for hiking or camping, I carry the following: a small reversible stole, a small crucifix, anointing oil, a condensed copy of The Book of Common Prayer and Administration of the Sacraments, The Pocket Book of Catholic Prayers, a plastic laminated double sided card with the Holy Anointing Unction 10
( Last Rights) on one side and The Absolution on the reverse. I also carry, “Celebration Cups”- these are an item purchased from a religious supplier (in my instance I use Livinggracecatalog.com ) that are small Eucharistic unleavened wafers and juice sealed together in one small cup. They are ideal for hospital visits and for keeping in my “priest pack”. Known for our traffic volume, congestion and “Jersey attitude”, I can sadly report I stumble upon as many traffic accidents now as I did when I was dispatched to them as a police officer. If the accident appears more horrific then a mundane fender bender, I will stop and identify myself to a police officer as a priest. My “priest pack” in tow, I ask if there is anything I can do- even if it is as simple as standing with parties involved while the weight of the accident slowly sets in. To be certain, as a retired police officer, there are common sense protocols to be done: not to distract the officers or persons involved, not to park or in anyway obscure or impede the accident scene or investigation or to use the unfortunate event to ask “if they’ve found Jesus”. Recently New Jersey has begun training and certifying police chaplains. I was fortunate to attend the training program in early December of 2013. By written
communication, we can avail ourselves to police in our local towns to be chaplains on call. From serious accidents that leave a high school and community in shock or a neighborhood gathering in the night as a destructive fire hits to close to home. We do not propose to save souls in these matters, unless in our sacred office we administer the last rights, but we intend to be a ministry of presence. A comforting presence or shoulder to lean on, even if we just stand in silence. For in those times of great adversity, disbelief and pain- is Christ not standing beside us in silence, supporting us and holding us up? As we can never be certain of ones religious faith ( Christian, Jew, Muslim, Hindu, even agnostic, etc) we can always say, “May I stand with you?”- and even gently crack the door, “Would you like to pray?” At one such accident, I stopped for a car engulfed in flames on the Garden State Parkway ( a major north-south toll road through our state second only to the Turnpike ). Unbeknowst, a life was lost as initial responders could not get close enough to one of the cars. I offered whatever assistance as a priest I could. My offer was accepted when another motorist, who was not involved but only had stopped as well, ask that I pray with him. (Continued on page 30) 11
A Dominican’s Dithyramb The Very Rev. Prior Michael Beckett msgrbeckett@myiocc.org
Words
T
hey went to Capernaum; and when the Sabbath came, he entered the synagogue and taught. They were astounded at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes. Just then there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit, and he cried out, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God.” But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be silent, and come out of him!” And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying with a loud voice, came out of him. They were all amazed, and they kept on asking one another, “What is this? A new teaching--with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.” At once his fame began to spread throughout the surrounding region of Galilee. Mark 1:21-28 (NKJV)
I love words. I am addicted to words. Words are such an important part of life. We are flooded with words - words from the radio, from the TV, from the phone, from fellow workers, from sales people, from neighbors, from noisy children. We are surrounded by words on paper, on the screens of computers and mobile phones, on billboards, pinup boards, signposts and screens. You think about it. There aren’t too many of our waking hours when we aren’t surrounded by words. And words have power. I was reminded of this yesterday. One of my favorite “downtime” activities is to play “Words With Friends” on Facebook. Brother Joshua and I were playing yesterday morning, and he made the word, “cry,” and scored 12 points. I was ever so glad that he did, because I really needed that “Y” he used. I played “joy” on top of his “cry” and scored 14 points, then made the observation that “joy” tops “cry,” and stated that there was a sermon right there 12
in front of us. How funny that that little episode has led to this sermon! Today we focus our attention on the words Jesus used to fight a battle as he engaged the power of evil. The scene of this battle between Jesus and evil was in a synagogue. The time was a quiet Sabbath about 2000 years ago. The place was a sleepy little backwoods town tucked away on the shore of the Sea of Galilee. Jesus had been teaching in the synagogue in words that were straight and direct and loaded with power. Those who listened were amazed because it seemed as if God was talking directly to them through this man’s words. As they were listening intently, all quiet as the teacher spoke to them, a wild man, tormented by an evil spirit, burst into the synagogue and screamed at the top of his voice, “What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? I know who you are – you are God’s holy messenger. Have you come to destroy us?” Who was this man? We have no clue, but I can imagine his anguish, his loneliness, living on the outskirts of the town, rejected and feared by everyone, made fun of by many, and shunned by all. To the man’s question, or the unclean spirit’s question, “What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? I know you are –
you are God’s holy messenger. Have you come to destroy us?” Jesus responded with a resounding “Yes!” With authority, in a no nonsense voice, Jesus spoke the words, “Be quiet! Come out of the man!” And with a shrill agonizing cry the evil spirit came out of the man, shaking and contorting him violently. This loud scream must have reverberated throughout the synagogue, echoed around the assembly, and the worshippers must have shrunk back in fear at the sight and the sounds of witnessing such a struggle. Then, silence. I would imagine that the congregation stood in shocked and amazed stupefaction for a few moments, and the man who had had the demon sat or stood where he was, trying to catch his breath, trying to understand what had just happened, and enjoying a calmness, a silence, a peace, that he had not known before. All too soon I imagine the silence was broken by the amazed cries, the clapping and cheering of the crowd, as they celebrated and talked about what Jesus had done in front of them. The words they spoke to each other, questioning what they had just seen and heard, must have been spoken quickly, with a sense of wonder: “He said….” or “With just a few (Continued on page 22) 13
Guest Writer The Very Rev. Lady Shelia Sherwood reverendsherwood@gmail.com
Online Ordination - Is It Real? Based on Second Timothy 1:6-8,13-14
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n today’s world it seems easy for people who do not have a true calling to get ordained via the internet, or by email. Merely filling in a form or sending an email is not the way this should be done. When God calls us into service, He is calling our hearts, our minds and our whole selves to serve him and his earthly children to his Glory. We are shepherds to God’s people, guiding them to have a full and loving true relationship with the Father and to teach them His true Holy word so that they may enter into his Eternal kingdom. Ordination is very serious and not something that should be entered into for earthly reasons, but to answer God’s call. Ordination is a blessing from God our Father, and when we are ordained by the Laying on of hands as in Apostolic Succession, We are receiving the precious gift of the Holy
Spirit which fills our being, our souls and sanctifies our service to God. To be ordained without Apostolic succession, means the person is not receiving the gift, blessing, filling, and sanctification of our service to God by The Holy Spirit. It tells us quite clearly about this in second Timothy 1:6-8, 13-14 as it says... 6 That is why I am reminding you now to fan into a flame the gift of God that you possess through the laying on of my hands. 7 God did not give us a Spirit of timidity, but the Spirit of power and love and selfcontrol. 8 So you are never to be ashamed of witnessing to our Lord, or ashamed of me for being his prisoner; but share in my hardships for the sake of the gospel, relying on the power of God 13 Keep as your pattern the sound teaching you have heard from me, in the faith and love 14
that are in Christ Jesus. 14 With the help of the Holy Spirit who dwells in us, look after that precious thing given in trust. We are given the gift and blessing of The Holy Spirit through Apostolic succession and the laying on of hands in trust and this trust is a wondrous blessing that must never be belittled. But to be in a place of personal readiness to receive this wonderful blessing of God through the Holy Spirit, we first need formation and to learn all about the word God teaches us so that we are truly readied to take on this wonderful, trusted and vital role in being God’s voice in the world and to his people. Without receiving the Gift of God through the Holy Spirit by ordination by Apostolic Succession/laying on of hands and receiving the true formation of God’s Holy word and teachings, we cannot even begin to do God’s work on the earth. Simply filling in forms online and/or sending emails to gain ordination offers little if any training at all about the importance of serving the Lord and I feel is damaging to the work for God that he has called us to undertake on his behalf until he returns again in Glory. Have a blessed day everyone, God Bless each and every one of you..... Mother Sherwood is the Vicar General for the UK in the International Old Catholic Churches.
Guidelines If you would like to submit an article or if you have a comment or complaint, you may send them to editor@ convergentstreams.org in Microsoft © Word format or Adobe © PDF format. You may also mail submissions, query letters or comments to Bishop Gregory Godsey, 118 Frances Drive, North Augusta, SC 29841, USA. All submissions will be considered, but no guarantee or promise is made that said submission will be published. The editorial staff of Convergent Streams reserves the right to publish, refuse to publish or hold for publishing at a later date any submission without explanation. if you require materials returned, please enclose SASE. Advertising Advertising space can be purchased for ads that are considered relevant to members of the Old Catholic Church or Independent Sacramental Movement. Please contact Bishop Godsey at bishopgodsey@myiocc. org for more information. As always, for more information, you can visit our website at http://www. convergentstreams.org.
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Katholic Kitchens Convergent Streams Staff and Readers staff@convergentstreams.org
Beef Curry Ingredients • • • • • • • • •
1 lb (450 g) minced beef 1 Onion 1 Bell pepper or 1 cup (200 g) frozen mixed bell pepper curry powder to taste 1 Beef stock cube 2 Tblspn tomato purée 2 Tblspn of sweet pickle 2 oz (55 g) rice per person 1 lemon
Optional • •
1 Tbls mango chutney 1 teaspoon paprika
Procedure • • • • • • • • •
Peel and chop the onion and pepper Brown the mince in a pan and add the curry powder Add the chopped onion and pepper to the pan and fry this for one minute Add a crumbled stock cube, tomato purée, pickle (mango chutney and paprika) to the pan and stir Pour water into the pan till it covers the mixture Bring to a boil and simmer for 1 hour stirring every 10 minutes Boil the rice till fluffy Add lemon to the rice Put the rice on a plate with the curry on top
Grammy’s Potato Salad • • • •
3 pounds California long white potatoes 3 hard boiled eggs, chopped 1 medium onion, minced 3/4 cup mayonnaise 16
• • • • • • •
1/4 cup sweet pickle juice (from jar of pickles) 1 tablespoon dried parsley 1/2 teaspoon celery seed 3/4 tablespoon sugar salt pepper paprika
Procedure • • • • • • • •
Cut unpeeled potatoes in half and cook until they are tender when tested with a knife. Do not overcook. Peel the potatoes by scraping them lightly with a knife and cut them into 1/2 inch cubes. Place potatoes in a large bowl and let them come to room temperature. In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, pickle juice and sugar and stir until smooth. Add the mayonnaise mixture, minced onion, parsley, celery seed and chopped eggs to the potatoes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Stir lightly to combine. Place in large serving bowl and sprinkle with paprika. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Baba Ganoush Ingredients • • • • • • •
1 medium-large eggplant, any variety, 1 to 1½ pounds 2 tablespoons raw tahini Juice of 1 lime 1 clove garlic, crushed 3 tablespoons olive oil ½ tsp salt Paprika or cayenne pepper, as a garnish
Procedure •
Roast the eggplant. This can be done in a variety of ways, but the flesh should be fully cooked and the skin should be burned and falling off easily. An effective method is to 17
• •
prick the eggplant and place it a few inches under a broiler, turning it as the exposed skin blackens, about every 3-4 minutes. Place a pan underneath to catch the juices, and discard them. Scrape off the eggplant skin. It’s all right if you miss a few burned bits. Finely chop or blend the eggplant flesh with the rest of the ingredients. The consistency should be smooth. Reserve a bit of the olive oil, and drizzle that over the top. Sprinkle with some paprika or cayenne.(I use lemon instead of lime juice.)
Baklava Ingredients • • • • • •
1 lb. Phyllo dough. 4 to 5 cups walnuts, chopped coarsely. ½ cup sugar. ¼ tsp. ground cloves. 1 tsp. cinnamon. ¾ lb. sweet butter.
Syrup • • • •
2 3 3 1
½ cups of water. cups sugar. tsp. lemon juice. tsp. vanilla extract.
Procedure •
•
• •
Combine nuts, cinnamon, cloves, and sugar. Melt butter in a saucepan. Use a pastry brush to brush inside of a 14 X 10 ½ inch pan with melted butter. Line bottom of pan with one piece of Phyllo dough. Fold under excess Phyllo. Alternate sides with each piece of Phyllo, brushing 18
• • • • •
the top of each layer with melted butter. Repeat five (5) times, making five layers. On the 6th sheet, sprinkle evenly with nut mixture. Continue until all nut mixture is used and last six (6) buttered sheets of Phyllo form top crust. Use a sharp knife to cut into diamond shapes. Bake at 300 °F (150 °C) for about 1 ½ hours or until lightly brown.
Syrup • •
Combine syrup ingredients. Boil syrup for about 10 minutes and then allow to cool. Pour cooled syrup over hot pastry. Enjoy!
Frappé Coffee Ingredients • • • • •
1-2 spoons of instant coffee Tall Glass of Cold Water 1-3 spoons of sugar (optional) 3-5 ice cubes (optional) Milk (optional; condensed/evaporated milk works best)
Procedure • • • • •
Put coffee and sugar in a shaker or tall glass and add a little water, just enough to cover the mixture (about 10 ml, or a couple of teaspoonfuls). Shake or stir with mixer until the mixture becomes foamy. Fill the glass with cold water. Add ice cubes, milk (preferably evaporated or condensed milk) or cream to taste. Sip with a straw.
All Recipes this month are courtesy of the WikiBooks Cookbook. The WikiBooks Cookbook can be found at http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Cookbook. They are licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/ Share-Alike License and as such are the only part of Convergent Streams that bears the same licensing.
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Curses (Continued from page ) peer pressure (sin), or to call a curse on someone (sin). What God-glorifying way are cuss words used? They are often spoken in a quarrelsome manner, and this is not what should be coming out of the mouths of Christians. When is cussing ever done in a positive light? These facts in themselves should be proof enough for earnest Christians that this is not a good thing. Paul tell us, “But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips.” Colossians 3:8 (NIV) And, that we as Christians are to be an example in everything that we do and say: “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God— even as I try to please everybody in every way. For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved.” 1 Corinthians 10:31-33. (NIV) And finally, does cussing show Christ’s light and love to others, or would we be totally embarrassed ashamed to let a well used unsavory phrase slip out when standing before Christ? Simply ask yourself,
“Would I be comfortable cussing and swearing in normal conversation with Jesus, or would I watch what I say? When in prayer, do I use these words?” Would Jesus, like my mother, want to get out a bar of soap? The honest answer is usually is a good judge of how we feel about what we say, and is indicative of whether or not we should amend our speech habits. As many of us pray before we preach: “May the words our mouths and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable in Thy sight, O Lord, our Strength and our Redeemer.” Amen. Prior Beckett is the Prior of the Order of Preachers, Old Catholic in the International Old Catholic Churches. He is to be consecrated a Bishop in June of this year. He and his husband live in West Virginia with their two lovely canine children.
All the darkness in the world cannot extinguish the light of a single candle. -St. Francis 21
Words (Continued from page 13) words…” or “Did you see? Did you hear???” “Just a few words….” Mark relates to us that with just his word – God’s Word – Jesus has power and authority over evil in this world. He has power over the forces which seek to cripple, distort and destroy human life. A simple word from Jesus can destroy this evil. Jesus is the conqueror over all the evil that paralyzes human life and makes us less than what God has created us to be. The words of Jesus Christ: we read them, we gather in our churches to hear them, we listen to the words of a Savior who came to free us from the power of all evil that tries to overwhelm us. The words of Christ are as powerful today against evil as they were that day 2000 years ago in the synagogue. Whenever evil seeks to distort and destroy our lives, the words of Christ have power to free us. So when evil whispers in your ear, “It’s no use, you can’t do it, give up!” we turn to the words of Scripture, and there we hear the words of St. Paul thunder in our ears, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!”(Phil 4:13). When evil whispers in your ear, “You’re alone, there’s no
one who cares for you, and no one who will stand by you”, Christ’s words assures us, “I will be with you always, to the end of the age.” (Mathew 28:20). When evil whispers in your ear, “You’re a failure, no one can possibly love a person like you”, the word of the Lord gives us the strength to carry on. “Your sins are forgiven,” (Luke 5:20), we are told. “The mountains and hills may crumble, but my love for you will never end” (Isaiah 54:10). When evil whispers in your ear, “There is no hope and no help or comfort in the face of sickness and grief, a word comes from Christ, “I am the good shepherd. I know my sheep and they know me.” “I will never forget you! I have written your name on the palms of my hands” (Isaiah 49:15). When evil whispers in your ear, “You’re going to die and that will be end of you” and terror strikes your heart, Jesus comes with a word, “Don’t be worried and upset. Trust me. I have gone to prepare a place for you,” (John 14:1-4). “All those who live and believe in me will never die,” (John 11:26). When evil whispers in your ear, “Why bother with the church? You don’t need them; they don’t need you.” Jesus says with authority, “If anyone wants to come with me, he must forget himself, take 22
up his cross every day, and follow me,” (Luke 9:23). In other words, being a disciple is not easy; it’s not about being comfortable, but about giving yourself for the sake of everyone else, just like Jesus did. When evil whispers in your ear, “There is no point in praying, don’t waste your time. You have better things to do.” The word of the Lord comes to us with authority, “When you call on me, when you come and pray to me, I will listen,” (Jer. 29:12). When Jesus spoke that day in the synagogue, the demons fled. When words from God are spoken with power and authority into the everyday circumstances of our lives things happen – sins are forgiven, strength is given to resist temptation, comfort and assurance are given in times of grief, hope and patience and strength are given to see our way through an illness or accident. When Jesus speaks, things happen. We learn in 1st John 1 that “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was God.” There is a word… Jesus Christ is the word that comes into our lives and defeats the powers of darkness that distort our lives. He can turn back the tide of evil that comes against us. So when trouble comes into our lives, and we reach the point when we don’t know where to turn, or how
we will survive this crisis, or how to deal with all that stress, we cling to the strong word of Christ. It has power and authority. It supports and holds us up through the worst situations. HE has the power. HE has the authority. HE has the strength. Listen with a renewed freshness to the powerful words of Jesus, listen to His voice, and like the people in the synagogue, we too will be amazed. And we, too will know, that “cry is topped by joy.” Amen. Prior Beckett is the Prior of the Order of Preachers, Old Catholic in the International Old Catholic Churches. He is to be consecrated a Bishop in June of this year. He and his husband live in West Virginia with their two lovely canine children.
The fact remains that we are invited to forget ourselves on purpose, cast our awful solemnity to the wind, and join in the general Dance. - Thomas Merton 23
Missionary in my own land (Continued from page ) and establish norms for its application in evangelization. David Hubbard, Fuller Theological Seminary’s former president, once expressed, “no word in the Christian lexicon is as fraught with difficulty, danger and opportunity as contextualization.”3 Our own cultural biases and world views color any attempt to define contextualization and therefore its methodology and implementation. We can end up doing the right things for the wrong reasons or the wrong things for the right reasons! That danger does not preclude us from the responsibility of kerygma that Christ passed on to the church and to all its baptized disciples. The word context, according
to the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, comes from the Latin term contextus, meaning a connection of words, and from contexere meaning to weave together. The question is, how do we evangelize in a contextual way so that we weave God’s message into the fabric of the people and not just pin it to their culture? Several methods, techniques or approaches have been and continue to be developed to assist in successful contextualized evangelization. No single methodology is better than another. Everything is relative to the situation although there are common elements. Let’s first talk about the “scientific” models proposed by Stephen Bevans in his book Models of Contextual Theology (Faith and Culture Series). They are as follows: translational, anthropological, praxis,
Method
Minister / Ministry
Notables 6
Translational
Pastoral and Narrative Minister
Hesselgrave, Pope John Paul II
Anthropological
Pastoral Minister and Chaplains
Robert E. Hood, Vincent J. Donovan
Praxis
Pastoral and Educational Ministers
Douglas J. Hall, Asian Feminist Theologians
Synthetic
Community Service Youth Ministers and Missioners
Kosuke Koyama, Jose M. De Mesa
Transcendental
Ministers involved in multicultural ministry
Sallie McFague, Justo L. Gonzalez
Countercultural
Peace and Justice Advocates
Lesslie Newbigin, Darrell Guder, Michael J. Baxter
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synthetic, transcendental and countercultural.4 In this 2002 edition of his book, he added the countercultural model, a sign of the continuing efforts to look for ways to better evangelize in today’s world. Each model is suited for different types of ministries and ministers and takes into account notable figures in the field.5 Translational Model As any professional translator knows, not everything can be translated from one language into another because the concept for the term simply does not exist or its closest meaning falls short in conveying the intended idea. Some ideas translate exactly and others do not. This model of contextualization seeks to take the meaning of the Gospel and make it real to a group of people using words, phrases, idioms etc. from their own language. This incorporates the Gospel ideals with the experience of people. Anthropological Model This model uses the anthropological understanding of culture, that being, the way in which a group of people seeks to understand and express meaning in the world around them. This model uses the culture to its advantage to seek ways to infuse the Gospel message. Praxis Model
This is a very intense model in that it requires the group to go through a five-step analysis of its experience in the light of critical reflection. The desired outcome is a disposition to a new understanding that leads to a transformation in daily living. Synthetic Model In this approach the light of the Gospel and the culture is shined on each other bringing new insights into the culture about itself and the Gospel. The culture is enlightened but remains unchanged. Transcendental Model The key to this model is the idea that human reasoning and thinking are universal and above cultural confinement and even biblical content. This model leads people to use that same thinking process to transcend culture and the content of the Bible to find a better understanding of existence and experience. Ultimately they will give appropriate expression of the Gospel message in their particular cultural. Countercultural Model This is the “shock and awe� approach to evangelization. It uses techniques that portray Jesus and his message as far above anything the culture has to offer. The goal is to change culture with the new values but (Continued on page 26) 25
(Continued from page 25) not in a confrontational way. Being countercultural in this application means being above the culture and effectuating change through the inherent Gospel power. Charles Van Engen, in the book, The Good News of the Kingdom: Mission Theology for the Third Millennium (Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 1993) provides information on additional methods that others have proposed. These methods can be grouped into two categories, methods employing “from above” theology and those using “from below” theology. The first method employed in the “from above” category is one in which the tradition of the church is primordial and the connector between the church’s mission and the Bible. This method promotes ecclesiocentrism where the goal is not so much evangelization but rather the growth of the church denomination. The second “from above” method derives its authority from Scripture and interprets Scripture through the individual goals of the church. This method is counterproductive because it denies the Gospel the opportunity to interrelate with the contextualized mission. To this degree, the mission is cutoff from any of the benefits that Scripture could bring to bear. The final two methods that
fall into the “from below” class are used by both members of the World Council of Churches post Second World War and evangelical missions. These groups set their individual church agendas for mission and then seek to support and validate and accredit their agendas through the Bible. With respect to these approaches, Richard B. Pease states, “Though theology “from above” may result in irrelevance, theology “from below” carries the risk of the Church losing all sense of its prophetic role, along with being salt and light.”7 2 Timothy reminds us that all Scripture is inspired and good for teaching. Therefore, the goal of contextualization is to allow the people being evangelized to be transformed by the Word of God. The job of the missionary or evangelizer is to serve as a facilitator to bring awareness to the group so they can open themselves up to the Spirit. The ways we accomplish this or the models of contextualization that are employed are varied as we have seen There are, however, some guiding principles to the contextualization process outlined by Daniel Sanchez, that are summarized here.8 1. Scripture has the final word in the process of contextualization. All of culture must be viewed and evaluated through the lens of Scripture 2. The integrity of all gospel elements that transcend culture 26
must be maintained. 3. Any changes brought about in theologizing, church structure or methods of evangelization must be through local leadership’s guidance. 4. Theological postulations that may be developed must be validated against dogma and coherent with the general Christian community to avoid the possibility of error and/or syncretism. 5. There should be no mixing of theology, i.e. syncretism 6. Humility and forbearance must be practiced by all. 7. Proper analytical tools must be employed in the sociocultural evaluation. 8. The model of contextualization should treat the socio-cultural and Scriptural contexts equally. Evangelization that is properly contextualized opens the doors for a Spirit- infused culture. The experience allows the culture and its people to grow in fullness to be better represented and realized. Darrell Whiteman, professor of cultural anthropology relates this story: “Last year one of our students at Asbury Seminary, studying with us from Thailand, said to me, “Now that I have been studying contextualization and have discovered how the
Gospel relates to culture, I am realizing that I can be both Christian and Thai.” On a recent sabbatical in Southeast Asia, I probed the question of how the Gospel was being proclaimed and lived out in a contextualized manner, and, frankly, I was disappointed. In Thailand I heard over and over again, “To be Thai is to be Buddhist.” The notion that one could be both Thai and Christian was an oxymoron to many. My student at Asbury went on to confide, “It always seemed strange to me that after I converted to Christianity out of Buddhism, I became so aggressive and felt forced to turn my back on my Buddhist family and denounce my culture. Now I realize through the insights of contextualization that I can practice a cherished value of meekness, affirm much of my Thai culture, and follow Jesus in the Thai way.””9 Prof. Whiteman’s student was a product of contextualization that functioned correctly and brought about the hoped-for results. Effectively managed, contextualization will do three things: 1. It will present the Gospel message in such a way that is culturally recognizable and acceptable to such an extent that a person’s inner-most spiritual needs will be met. People become better people, because of Gospel values and still remain totally within their cultural paradigm. We (Continued on page 28) 27
(Continued from page 27) see a concrete example of this is Act 15. As the Gospel message spread, Gentiles became Christians without losing their Hellenistic identity. They did not have to become Jewish, culturally speaking, by adhering to the Jewish laws and customs. 2. Done properly, contextualization will offend the listener. The offense taken will not be because the contextualization goes against the cultural norm (although it may) but because it sheds light on sinful behavior within their culture. Minds are changed. 3. Reciprocity. A truly effective contextualized Gospel will not only enhance the culture but in turn the renewed culture will enhance the church at large. In effect, both will learn from each other things they didn’t know they didn’t know. Hidden treasures within themselves and their cultures will be discovered. Whiteman accurately states, “One of the things we admire most about the Gospel is its ability to speak within the worldview of every culture. To me, this feature is the empirical proof of the Gospel’s authenticity.”10 The church has been multi-cultural from its very beginning. Throughout its long history the church has gone through the growing pains of finding itself and coming to an understanding of the grace and blessing that our multi-
cultured world is. Each culture contains and reveals a small part of the eternal expression of God. In evangelizing others we continue to evangelize ourselves and jointly draw closer to the source of our being. It is by means of contextualization that the church in the 21st century will have the exciting opportunity to have a renewed look in the mirror. With all the great strides in the area of contextual theology, it behooves us to take a step back and consider the time when it all began. Because being missional is inherent in the nature of the church, evangelization is inherently contextual because of the nature of its origin. Jesus was the first and greatest contextualizer. “So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.” (John 1:14 NLT). When Christ took on the form of a human, he had one of the most contextualizing jobs ever. He was contextualization personified. In his divinity, he understood humanity. In his humanity, he shared his divinity. Most children of immigrants that come to the United States at a young age learn to become fully bicultural as well as bilingual. They can cross the ethnic divide between Anglos and Hispanics with ease. They, like Paul can become all things to all people (1 Cor.). 28
ENDNOTES: 1. Bevans, Stephen. “What Has Contextual Theology to Offer to the Church of the 21st Century?.” Church Mission Society. CMS (2390). 9 Accessed March 29, 2013. http://www.cms-uk.org/ DesktopModules/Bring2mind/ DMX/Download.aspx?DMXM odule=410&Command=Core _Download&language=en-US& EntryId=2390&PortalId=2&Tab Id=81. 2. Got Questions.org. “What is Contextual Theology.” Accessed April 12, 2013. http://www.gotquestions. org/contextual-theology. html#ixzz2OyQhu55S. 3. Gilliland, Dean S., ed. The Word Among Us: Contextualizing Theology for Mission Today. Dallas: Word Publishing, 1989. viii 4. Bevans, Stephen B. Models of Contextual Theology Faith and Culture Series. Maryknoll: Orbis Books, 2002 5 Uniting Church in Australia. “Understanding Approaches to Ministry for a Missional Church.” 4-5 Accessed April 12, 2013. http://wr.victas.uca.org. au/assets/141/Approaches_to_ Ministry4.pdf
Continuing Search for Relevance.” edited by Kenneth N. Foster, N.p.: Academic Alliance Review, 1999. Accessed March 14, 2013. http://www.kneillfoster.com/ aar/1999/AAR1999-6.php. 8.Sanchez, Daniel. “Contextualization and the Missionary Endeavor”.” InMissiology: An Introduction to the Foundation, History, and Strategies of World Missions, edited by John M. Terry, Ebbie Smith, and Justice Anderson, 318-33. Nashville: Broadman and Holman, 1998 9. Whiteman, Darrell L. “Contextualization: The Theory, the Gap, the Challenge.” Seattle Pacific University. Accessed March 15, 2013. http://www.spu.edu/temp/ denuol/context.htm 10. Ibid. Bishop-Elect Tom Shortell, OSFC, D.Min. will be ordained to the Episcopacy in August 2014. He is Vicar for Mexico for the United American Catholic Church and currently resides in Guerrero, Mexico.
6. MacLeod, Duncan. PostKiwi Blog. Accessed April 14, 2013. http://www.postkiwi. com/2004/stevan-bevans-oncontextual-theology-models/. 7. Pease, Richard B. “Contextualization: The 29
The Portable Priest (Continued from page 11) My “priest pack” is always with me. For at every unforeseen tragedy we encounter happenstance, Christ is there as well- standing in silence. Always present. Always comforting. Always interceding. Christ ask us to be His “visibility”. His hands. His shoulders. His words. So we are charged to ask the- can I pray for you? Lord make me an instrument of your peace. Where there is hatred, let us sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where there is sadness, joy. Grant that we may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand, to be loved as to love. For it is in giving that we receive; it is in forgiving that we are forgiven; and it is by dying that we are born again to eternal life. Amen. [ A prayer attributed to St. Francis. BCP 833 ] Father Wolf is a police officer in New Jersey and is the pastor of St. Aelred’s Parish in the International Old Catholic Churches.
Useless Facts Most American car horns honk in the key of F. Barbie’s full name is Barbara Millicent Roberts. Every time you lick a stamp, you consume 1/10 of a calorie. The average person falls asleep in seven minutes. Studies show that if a cat falls off the seventh floor of a building it has about thirty percent less chance of surviving than a cat that falls off the twentieth floor. It supposedly takes about eight floors for the cat to realize what is occurring, relax and correct itself. Your stomach has to produce a new layer of mucus every 2 weeks otherwise it will digest itself. The citrus soda 7-UP was created in 1929; ‘7’ was selected after the original 7ounce containers and ‘UP’ for the direction of the bubbles. 101 Dalmatians, Peter Pan, Lady and the Tramp, and Mulan are the only Disney cartoons where both parents are present and don’t die throughout the movie. . ‘Stewardesses’ is the longest word that is typed with only the left hand.
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Stations of the Cross by Cardinal Newman, in his Meditations and Devotions, Longman’s and Green (1893) pp. 155-68. Begin with an Act of Contrition. O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended You, and I detest all my sins, because I fear the loss of heaven and the pains of hell, but most of all because they offend You, my God, who are all good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve, with the help of Your grace, to confess my sins, to do penance and to amend my life. Amen. The First Station - Jesus condemned to Death V. We adore thee O Christ and we bless thee, R. Because by thy Holy Cross you have redeemed the world. The Holy, Just, and True was judged by sinners, and put to death. Yet, while they judged, they were compelled to acquit Him. Judas, who betrayed Him, said, “I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood.” Pilate, who sentenced Him, said, “I am innocent of the blood of this just person,” and threw the guilt upon the Jews. The Centurion who saw Him crucified said, “Indeed this was a just man.’ Thus ever, 0 Lord, You art justified in Thy words, and do overcome when You are judged. And so, much more, at the last day “They shall look on Him whom they pierced” ; and He who was condemned in weakness shall judge the world in power, and even those who are condemned will confess their judgment is just. Lord’s Prayer, Hail Mary, Glory be The Second Station - Jesus receives His Cross V. We adore thee O Christ and we bless thee, 31
R. Because by thy Holy Cross you have redeemed the world. Jesus supports the whole world by His divine power, for He is God; but the weight was less heavy than was the Cross which our sins hewed out for Him. Our sins cost Him this humiliation. He had to take on Him our nature, and to appear among us as a man, and to offer up for us a great sacrifice. He had to pass a life in penance, and to endure His passion and death at the end of it. O Lord God Almighty, who does bear the weight of the whole world without weariness, who bore the weight of all our sins, though they wearied Thee, as You are the Preserver of our bodies by Thy Providence, so be You the Savior of our souls by Thy precious blood. Lord’s Prayer, Hail Mary, etc. The Third Station - Jesus falls under the weight of the Cross the First Time. V. We adore thee O Christ and we bless thee, R. Because by thy Holy Cross you have redeemed the world. Saten fell from heaven in the beginning; by the just sentence of his Creator he fell, against whom he had rebelled. And when he had succeeded in gaining man to join him in his rebellion, and his maker came to save him, then his brief hour of triumph came, and he made the most of it. When the Holiest had taken flesh, and was in his power, then in his revenge and malice he determined, as he himself had been struck down by the Almighty arm, to strike in turn a heavy blow at Him who struck him. Therefore it was that Jesus fell down so 32
suddenly. O dear Lord, by this Thy first fall raise us all out of sin, who have so miserably fallen under its power. Lord’s Prayer, Hail Mary, etc. The Fourth Station - Jesus meets His Mother. V. We adore thee O Christ and we bless thee, R. Because by thy Holy Cross you have redeemed the world. There is no part of the history of Jesus but Mary has her part in it. There are those who profess to be His servants, who think that her work was ended when she bore Him, and after that she had nothing to do but disappear and be forgotten. But we, O Lord, Thy children of the Catholic Church, do not so think of Thy Mother. She brought the tender infant into the Temple, she lifted Him up in her arms when the wise men came to adore Him, She fled with Him to Egypt, she took Him up to Jerusalem when He was twelve years old. He lived with her at Nazareth for thirty years. She was with Him at the marriage-feast. Even when He had left her to preach, she hovered about Him. And now she shows herself as He toils along the Sacred Way with His cross on His shoulders. Sweet Mother, let us ever think of thee when we think of Jesus, and when we pray to Him, ever aid us by thy powerful intercession. Lord’s Prayer, Hail Mary, etc. The Fifth Station - Simon of Cyrene helps Jesus to carry the Cross. V. We adore thee O Christ and we bless thee, R. Because by thy Holy Cross you have redeemed the world. Jesus could bear His Cross alone, did He so will; but He permits Simon to help Him, in order to remind us that we must take part in His sufferings, and have a fellowship in His work. His merit is infinite, yet He condescends to let His people add their merit to 33
it. The sanctity of the Blessed Virgin, the blood of the Martyrs, the prayers and penances of the Saints, the good deeds of all the faithful, take part in that work which, nevertheless, is perfect without them. He saves us by His blood, but it is through and with ourselves that He saves us. Dear Lord, teach us to suffer with Thee, make it pleasant to us to suffer for Thy sake, and sanctify all our sufferings by the merits of Thy own. Lord’s Prayer, Hail Mary, etc.
The Sixth Station - The Face of Jesus is wiped by Veronica. V. We adore thee O Christ and we bless thee, R. Because by thy Holy Cross you have redeemed the world. Jesus let the pious woman carry off an impression of His Sacred Countenance, which was to last to future ages. He did this to remind us all, that His image must ever be impressed on all our hearts. Whoever we are, in whatever part of the earth, in whatever age of the world, Jesus must live in our hearts. We may differ from each other in many things, but in this we must all agree, if we are His true children. We must bear about with us the napkin of St. Veronica; we must ever meditate upon His death and resurrection, we must ever imitate His divine excellence, according to our measure. Lord, let our countenances be ever pleasing in Thy sight, not defiled with sin, but bathed and washed white in Thy precious blood. Lord’s Prayer, Hail Mary, etc. 34
The Seventh Station - Jesus falls a second time. V. We adore thee O Christ and we bless thee, R. Because by thy Holy Cross you have redeemed the world. Satan had a second fall, when our Lord came upon the earth. By that time he had usurped the dominion of the whole world -- and he called himself its king. And he dared to take up the Holy Savior in his arms, and show Him all kingdoms, and blasphemously promise to give them to Him, His Maker, if He would adore him. Jesus answered, “Begone, Satan !”, and Satan fell down from the high mountain. And Jesus bare witness to it when He said, “I saw Satan, as lightning, falling from heaven.” The Evil One remembered this second defeat, and so now he smote down the Innocent Lord a second time, now that he had Him in his power. O dear Lord, teach us to suffer with Thee, and not be afraid of Satan’s buffetings, when they come on us from resisting him. Lord’s Prayer, Hail Mary, etc. The Eighth Station - The Women of Jerusalem morn for our Lord. V. We adore thee O Christ and we bless thee, R. Because by thy Holy Cross you have redeemed the world. Ever since the prophecy of old time, that the Savior of man was to be born of a woman of the stock of Abraham, the Jewish women had desired to bear Him. Yet, now that He was really come, how different, as the Gospel tells us, was the event from what they had expected. He said to them “the days are surely coming when they will say, ‘Blessed 35
are the barren, and the wombs that never bore, and the breasts that never nursed.” [ Luke 23:29. NRSV]. Ah, Lord, we know not what is good for us, and what is bad. We cannot foretell the future, nor do we know, when You come to visit us, in what form You wilt come. And therefore we leave it all to Thee. Do to us and in us [whatever pleases you]. Let us ever look at Thee, and do You look upon us, and give us the grace of Thy bitter Cross and Passion, and console us in Thy own way and at Thy own time. Lord’s Prayer, Hail Mary, etc. The Ninth Station - Jesus falls for third time. V. We adore thee O Christ and we bless thee, R. Because by thy Holy Cross you have redeemed the world. Satan will have a third and final fall at the end in the everlasting fiery prison. He knew this was to be his end--he has no hope, but despair only. He knew that no suffering which he could at that moment inflict upon the Savior of men would avail to rescue himself from that inevitable doom. But, in horrible rage and hatred, he determined to insult and torture while he could the great King whose throne is everlasting. Therefore a third time he smote Him down fiercely to the earth. O Jesus, Only-begotten Son of God, the Word Incarnate, we adore with fear and trembling and deep thankfulness Thy awful humiliation, that You who art the Highest, should have permitted Yourself, even for one hour, to be the sport and prey of the Evil One. Lord’s Prayer, Hail Mary, etc. The Tenth Station - Jesus is stripped of His Garments. V. We adore thee O Christ and we bless thee, R. Because by thy Holy Cross you have redeemed the world. Jesus would give up everything of this world, before He left it. He exercised the most perfect poverty. When He left the Holy 36
House of Nazareth, and went out to preach, He had not where to lay His head. He lived on the poorest food, and on what was given to Him by those who loved and served Him. And therefore He chose a death in which not even His clothes were left to Him. He parted with what seemed most necessary, and even a part of Him, by the law of human nature since the fall. Grant us in like manner, O dear Lord, to care nothing for anything on earth, and to bear the loss of all things, and to endure even shame, reproach, contempt, and mockery, rather than that You shalt be ashamed of us at the last day. Lord’s Prayer, Hail Mary, etc. The Eleventh Station - Jesus is nailed to the Cross. V. We adore thee O Christ and we bless thee, R. Because by thy Holy Cross you have redeemed the world. Jesus is pierced through each hand and each foot with a sharp nail. His eyes are dimmed with blood, and are closed by the swollen lids and livid brows which the blows of His executioners have caused. His mouth is filled with vinegar and gall. His head is encircled by the sharp thorns. His heart is pierced with the spear. Thus, all His senses are mortified and crucified, that He may make atonement for every kind of human sin. O Jesus, mortify and crucify us with Thee. Let us never sin by hand or foot, by eyes or mouth, or by head or heart. Let all our senses be a sacrifice to Thee; let every member sing Thy praise. Let the sacred blood which flowed from Thy five wounds anoint us with such sanctifying 37
grace that we may die to the world, and live only to Thee. Lord’s Prayer, Hail Mary, etc. The Twelfth Station - Jesus dies upon the Cross. V. We adore thee O Christ and we bless thee, R. Because by thy Holy Cross you have redeemed the world. “Consummatum est.” It is completed -- it has come to a full end. The mystery of God’s love towards us is accomplished. The price is paid, and we are redeemed. The Eternal Father determined not to pardon us without a price, in order to show us especial favor. He condescended to make us valuable to Him. What we buy we put a value on. He might have saved us without a price -- by the mere fiat of His will. But to show His love for us He took a price, which, if there was to be a price set upon us at all, if there was any ransom at all to be taken for the guilt of our sins, could be nothing short of the death of His Son in our nature. O my God and Father, You have valued us so much as to pay the highest of all possible prices for our sinful souls--and shall we not love and choose Thee above all things as the one necessary and one only good? Lord’s Prayer, Hail Mary, etc. The Thirteenth Station - Jesus is laid in the arms of His Blessed Mother. V. We adore thee O Christ and we bless thee, R. Because by thy Holy Cross you have redeemed the world. He is Thy property now, O Virgin Mother, once again, for He and the world have met and parted. He went out from Thee to do His Father’s work--and He has done and suffered it. Satan and bad men have now no longer any claim upon Him- too long has He been in their arms. Satan took Him up aloft to the high mountain; evil men lifted Him up upon the Cross. He has not 38
been in Thy arms, O Mother of God, since He was a child--but now thou have a claim upon Him, when the world has done its worst. For thou art the all-favoured, all-blessed, all-gracious Mother of the Highest. We rejoice in this great mystery. He has been hidden in thy womb, He has lain in thy bosom, He has been [nursed] at thy breasts, He has been carried in thy arms--and now that He is dead, He is placed upon thy lap. Virgin Mother of God, pray for us. Lord’s Prayer, Hail Mary, etc.
The Fourteenth Station - Jesus is laid in the Sepulcher. V. We adore thee O Christ and we bless thee, R. Because by thy Holy Cross you have redeemed the world. Jesus, when He was nearest to His everlasting triumph, seemed to be farthest from triumphing. When He was nearest upon entering upon His kingdom, and exercising all power in heaven and earth, He was lying dead in a cave of the rock. He was wrapped round in buryingclothes, and confined within a sepulcher of stone, where He was soon to have a glorified spiritual body, which could penetrate all substances, go to and fro quicker than thought, and was about to ascend on high. Make us to trust in thee, O Jesus, that You wilt display in us a similar providence. Make us sure, O Lord, that the greater is our distress, the nearer we are to Thee. The more men scorn us, the more You did honor us. The more men insult over us, the higher You wilt exalt us. 39
The more they forget us, the more You did keep us in mind. The more they abandon us, the closer You wilt bring us to Yourself. Closing Prayer Let us pray: God, who by the Precious Blood of Thy only-begotten Son did sanctify the standard of the Cross, grant, we beseech Thee, that we who rejoice in the glory of the same Holy Cross may at all times and places rejoice in Thy protection, through the same Christ, our Lord.
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Second Quarter Saints Wordsearch N S M I L A B S A H F T I A I O N E E S S A I
U U U A T B E R N A R D I N E O F S I E N A A
F A N E I S F O E N I R E H T A C K M N E T Y
U N G R R E V S Y I R I P F R R B A S A L E R
N R E S E E I H E O Z E L C O S J E A L L D P
P H I L I P N E R I A T E E F U R A E L P S E
B E F P A N C R A S E Z J A T N I E A A U T H
S Y R U B R E T N A C F O E N I T S U G U A H
O H A G A Z N O G S U I S Y O L A L D A N N E
R H N U U M T B B D T N E H M L O U A M R I R
O U C A O C F B Y A A E P C E E F Y P R A S E
H E I U L M E R H P E E H D D C C I F E E L H
U J S A N O R B E R T A T H Y R A L O H E A D
Francis of Paola Bernardine of Siena Isidore Christopher Magallanes Vincent Ferrer Rita of Casica John Baptist de la Salle Philip Neri Stanislaus Augustine of Canterbury Peter Chanel Marcellinus Louis Mary de Montfort Peter Catherine of Siena Charles Lwanga Pius V Boniface Joseph the Worker
E S O E S P R T B E R S H T R A S P Y P T U N
L R F E U W E A R L I N E O A M I S N O D S P
L C P O I R R C E T S C W R M U C P O T U B G
L L A E S N H S P I A F O E S U A R H S S T M
R A O S A A L A H F H M R V I S C Y T I S N A
A E L B N W B N I U U O K L U A L O N R L R S
A U A E A N O N E A D L E A O E A B A H I I A
Norbert Athanasius Ephrem Philip Anthony of Padua James Romuald Nereus Aloysius Gonzaga Achilleus Paul Pancras Matthias Barnabas
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J S L N H I O E L I P K R P L T A F U C I I P
E E G O T B P D S Y R A T I H I A T I E E S E
S A J H A C H I L L E U S A I H T T A M R P J
Saints Calendar April Apr Apr Apr Apr Apr Apr Apr Apr Apr Apr Apr Apr Apr Apr Apr Apr Apr Apr Apr Apr Apr Apr Apr Apr Apr Apr Apr Apr Apr Apr
1, 2014: Tuesday of the Fourth Week of Lent 2, 2014: Francis of Paola, hermit 3, 2014: Thursday of the Fourth Week of Lent 4, 2014: Isidore, B & D 5, 2014: Vincent Ferrer, P 6, 2014: Fifth Sunday of Lent 7, 2014: John Baptist de la Salle, P 8, 2014: Tuesday of the Fifth Week of Lent 9, 2014: Wednesday of the Fifth Week of Lent 10, 2014: Thursday of the Fifth Week of Lent 11, 2014: Stanislaus, B & M 12, 2014: Saturday of the Fifth Week of Lent 13, 2014: Palm Sunday 14, 2014: Monday of Holy Week 15, 2014: Tuesday of Holy Week 16, 2014: Wednesday of Holy Week 17, 2014: Holy Thursday 18, 2014: Good Friday 19, 2014: Easter Vigil 20, 2014: Easter Sunday 21, 2014: Monday in the Octave of Easter 22, 2014: Tuesday in the Octave of Easter 23, 2014: Wednesday in the Octave of Easter 24, 2014: Thursday in the Octave of Easter 25, 2014: Friday in the Octave of Easter 26, 2014: Saturday in the Octave of Easter 27, 2014: Second Sunday of Easter 28, 2014: Peter Chanel, P & M; Louis Mary de Montfort, P 29, 2014: Catherine of Siena, V & D 30, 2014: Pius V, Po
May May May May May May May May May May May
1, 2014: Joseph the Worker 2, 2014: Athanasius, B & D 3, 2014: Philip & James, Ap 4, 2014: Third Sunday of Easter 5, 2014: Monday of the Third Week of Easter 6, 2014: Tuesday of the Third Week of Easter 7, 2014: Wednesday of the Third Week of Easter 8, 2014: Thursday of the Third Week of Easter 9, 2014: Friday of the Third Week of Easter 10, 2014: Saturday of the Third Week of Easter 42
May 11, 2014: Fourth Sunday of Easter May 12, 2014: Nereus and Achilleus, Mm; Pancras, M May 13, 2014: Our Lady of Fatima May 14, 2014: Matthias, Ap May 15, 2014: Isidore, Farmer May 16, 2014: Friday of the Fourth Week of Easter May 17, 2014: Saturday of the Fourth Week of Easter May 18, 2014: Fifth Sunday of Easter May 19, 2014: Monday of the Fifth Week of Easter May 20, 2014: Bernardine of Siena, P May 21, 2014: Christopher Magallanes, P & M, and companions, Mm May 22, 2014: Rita of Casica, Rel May 23, 2014: Friday of the Fifth Week of Easter May 24, 2014: Saturday of the Fifth Week of Easter May 25, 2014: Sixth Sunday of Easter May 26, 2014: Philip Neri, P May 27, 2014: Augustine of Canterbury, B May 28, 2014: Wednesday of the Sixth Week of Easter May 29, 2014: Ascension of the Lord May 30, 2014: Friday of the Sixth Week of Easter May 31, 2014: Visitation
June Jun Jun Jun Jun Jun Jun Jun Jun Jun Jun Jun Jun Jun Jun Jun Jun Jun Jun Jun Jun Jun
1, 2014: Seventh Sunday of Easter 2, 2014: Marcellinus and Peter, Mm 3, 2014: Charles Lwanga and companions, Mm 4, 2014: Wednesday of the Seventh Week of Easter 5, 2014: Boniface, B & M 6, 2014: Norbert, B 7, 2014: Saturday of the Seventh Week of Easter 8, 2014: Pentecost Sunday 9, 2014: Ephrem, De & D 10, 2014: Tuesday of the Tenth Week of Ordinary Time 11, 2014: Barnabas, Ap 12, 2014: Thursday of the Tenth Week of Ordinary Time 13, 2014: Anthony of Padua, P & D 14, 2014: Saturday of the Tenth Week of Ordinary Time 15, 2014: Trinity Sunday 16, 2014: Monday of the Eleventh Week of Ordinary Time 17, 2014: Tuesday of the Eleventh Week of Ordinary Time 18, 2014: Wednesday of the Eleventh Week of Ordinary Time 19, 2014: Romuald, Ab 20, 2014: Friday of the Eleventh Week of Ordinary Time 21, 2014: Aloysius Gonzaga, Rel (Continued on page 44) 43
Jun Jun Jun Jun Jun Jun Jun Jun Jun
(Continued from page 43) 22, 2014: Corpus Christi 23, 2014: Monday of the Twelfth Week of Ordinary Time 24, 2014: Birth of John the Baptist 25, 2014: Wednesday of the Twelfth Week of Ordinary Time 26, 2014: Thursday of the Twelfth Week of Ordinary Time 27, 2014: Sacred Heart of Jesus 28, 2014: Immaculate Heart of Mary 29, 2014: Peter and Paul, Ap 30, 2014: First Martyrs of the Church of Rome
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