THE WOMAN WITH THE STIGMATA
WHAT IS GOOD ABOUT GOOD FRIDAY?
A FAITH-BASED COMMUNITY FOR ADDICTS
Informing, Inspiring, Challenging Today’s Catholic
APRIL 2019
MARY MAGDALENE FALLEN WOMAN OR LEADING APOSTLE? MEN'S SPIRITUALITY
RECLAIMING TRADITIONS THAT ASSIST THE JOURNEY INTO MANHOOD
AVERY DULLES
THE CATHOLIC CONVERT WITH WHITE HOUSE CONNECTIONS
www.redcoms.org Redemptorist-Communications
ADERS
TO
R RE ALL OU
@RedComsIreland �2.50 �2.00
Want to pray more with your children? Look no further!
TOGETHER WE PRAY
Prayer resource for family, school and community prayer Prayers to encourage and inspire. Prayers for life events. Prayers for children and adults.
Includes two candles. Light a candle, pray and reflect.
â‚Ź9.95 (plus p&p)
To order, contact Redemptorist Communications Telephone: 00353 (0)1 4922 488 Email: sales@redcoms.org www.redcoms.org
IN THIS MONTH’S ISSUE FEATURES �� MARY MAGDALENE: FALLEN WOMAN OR LEADING APOSTLE? Often seen as a great sinner, careful study might bring us to see Mary in a very different light. By Fr Brendan McConvery CSsR
�8 CELEBRATING GOOD FRIDAY As the most solemn day in the church’s year, it begins in silence and reaches its climax with the veneration of the cross. By Sarah Adams
�� CENACOLO: FROM BROKENNESS TO TRANSFORMATION How a faith-based community founded on prayer and fraternity is helping people with addiction. By Susan Gately
��
�6 THE ROAD LESS TAKEN MEN’S JOURNEY THROUGH POWERLESSNESS Reclaiming some of the traditions that once guided young men into manhood. By Br Kevin McEvoy FSC
�� THE CROWNING WITH THORNS We contemplate especially the inner torture of Our Lord in his passion. By Fr George Wadding CSsR
�6 AVERY CARDINAL DULLES SJ Born into an upper middle class Protestant family, Avery Dulles became a Catholic at Harvard and served in the army in World War II before entering the Jesuits. By Mike Daley
�8 SCIENCE MEETS FAITH IN LATIN AMERICA Scientific analysis of what appeared to be blood from a statue of Christ raises serious questions on the frontiers of faith and theology. By Dr Seán Ferguson
��
�6
OPINION
REGULARS
11 BRENDAN McCONVERY
04 REALITY BITES
17 JIM DEEDS
07 POPE MONITOR
31 CARMEL WYNNE
08 SAINT OF THE MONTH
44 PETER McVERRY SJ
09 REFLECTIONS 41 TRÓCAIRE 45 GOD’S WORD
REALITY BITES DUBLIN-BORN PAPAL CARETAKER? VATICAN CITY
4
DUB GETS TOP JOB
Pope Francis has named Dublin-born Cardinal Kevin Farrell as Camerlengo or Chamberlain of the Holy Roman Church. This office will require him to take over the general administration of the Holy See between the death or retirement of the pontiff, and the election of his successor. This period is known as sede vacante (the empty chair). According to Canon Law, as soon as the cardinal is informed that the pope has died, he is required to establish the death from the medical evidence in the presence of the papal master of ceremonies and the members of the Apostolic Camera – the group he oversees. He seals access to the pope’s study and bedroom, and ensures that the papal apartments remain vacant and secure until a successor has been elected by the conclave of cardinals. He takes the pope’s ring — the sign of his authority and ensures that it is defaced to prevent documents being forged with the late pope’s seal. He officially notifies the cardinal vicar for Rome of the pope’s death in his role as acting head of the diocese of Rome. During the vacancy of the Apostolic See, the camerlengo is responsible for safeguarding and administering the goods and temporal rights of the Holy See, which he does with the help of the three cardinal assistants, and on critically important matters, after consultation with the entire College of Cardinals. Cardinal Farrell is prefect of the Dicastery for the Laity, Family and Life. He is the first Irishman to be appointed to camerlengo. His predecessor, Cardinal Tauron, died in office in July 2018. The Swiss Alps
Top: Incoming camerlengo, Cardinal Kevin Farrell. Above: Former camerlengo, the late Cardinal Eduardo Martinez Somalo, sealing Pope John Paul II's apartment.
SWITZERLAND: SUICIDE TOURISM? ZÜRICH
BAN REJECTED
An increasing number of people in Switzerland are turning to assisted suicide. Exit, the largest suicide-facilitating group which only caters for Swiss citizens, reported 1,204 assisted suicides in 2018, a 23 per cent increase from 2017. Dignitas, another which caters for foreigners, facilitates at least 200 cases each year. The law prohibits doctors, spouses, children, or other such related parties from directly participating in a death with medical or other assistance. In 2015, 965 REALITY APRIL 2019
Swiss residents used assisted suicide services in Switzerland. That is an increase from 742 the previous year, and an even more notable increase since 2000 when only 86 people resorted to assisted suicide. Women are more likely than men to seek assistance to die (539 against 426 in 2015). These figures do not include people who come from abroad to commit suicide in Switzerland. A proposed ban on 'suicide tourism' was rejected by popular vote in the canton of Zürich by a 78 per cent majority. Assisted suicide is not limited to the terminally ill: it is only necessary that the person seeking assisted suicide does so while in full possession of their decision-making capacity.
N E WS
WHO IS ENTERING RELIGIOUS LIFE? EVIDENCE FROM AN AMERICAN STUDY WASHINGTON
A VILLAGE MAKES A VOCATION
A survey of American religious who made final profession in 2018, by the Centre for Applied Research in the Apostolate at Georgetown University, has come up with some interesting results. The 240 men and women professed tended to be cradle Catholics with multiple siblings and attended Catholic schools. Responses were obtained from 162 religious – 92 sisters and nuns and 70 brothers and priests. About 80 per cent of religious institutes reported that no one professed perpetual vows in 2018. About 13 per cent had one member profess, while just 7 per cent reported two or more. Average age of respondents was 38: the youngest was 22 and the oldest was 75. About 70 per cent identified as white, 16 per cent as Asian, and 10 per cent as Hispanic. While more than two thirds were US-born, Vietnamese were the second highest, with eight respondents. About 90 per cent were baptised Catholics as babies, while 10 per cent were converts. Among these converts, the average age at adult conversion was 19. Both parents were Catholic of 78 per cent. Only about 20 per cent were only children, with 18 per cent having one sibling, 34 per cent having two or three siblings, and 45 per cent having four or more. They were more likely to have attended a Catholic elementary school and high school compared to Catholic
adults overall, and much more likely to have attended a Catholic college: 50 per cent attended Catholic elementary school, 38 per cent attended Catholic high school, and 36 per cent a Catholic [third level] college. About 23 per cent of respondents earned a graduate degree before entering their congregation and more than 71 per cent had at least a bachelor’s degree. At least 85 per cent of respondents served in ministries, such as readers, altar servers or extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion. About 40 per cent worked in faith formation, catechesis, or RCIA, youth or campus ministry, or music ministry. About 25 per cent worked in social ministry while one in six taught at a Catholic school. About 90 per cent had a regular private prayer life before entering the institute, with two thirds taking part in Eucharistic Adoration, praying the rosary, or attending retreats.
PROMINENT CATHOLIC DOCTOR: “SHAM POLL” ON EUTHANASIA LONDON
"RIGGING" THE POLL
The president of the Catholic Medical Association in the United Kingdom has accused the Royal College of Physicians of "rigging" a poll on euthanasia. Dr Dermot Kearney, CMA president, said it was guilty of "gerrymandering" and of organising a "sham" survey, so it could abandon its traditional opposition to euthanasia and assisted suicide. Dr Kearney is one of more than 1,000 doctors to express grave concerns about how the college is conducting a vote on its euthanasia policy. In January, the college announced it would declare a neutral position on assisted dying,
unless a "supra-majority" of members (at least 60 per cent) said they wished to uphold the policy against it. The results of the poll will be published in March. The last poll, conducted in 2014, found that more than 58 per cent believed the college should continue to oppose assisted suicide and euthanasia. Less than a quarter of members were in favour of a change in the law. Dr Kearney, a cardiologist, said he believe that the 60 per cent figure was chosen deliberately so the college could abandon its antieuthanasia position. continued on page 6
5
REALITY BITES 'PLACING HOPE IN FAITH' –
REVOLUTIONARY PRIEST RESTORED TO PRIESTHOOD
The diocese of Killala, in North Mayo, embarked on the second stage of its consultation process, ‘Placing Hope in Faith’, at the end of February. The decision was taken by Bishop John Fleming and priests of the diocese in February 2017 to consult the people of the diocese about what they thought and felt about church matters and how the diocese might respond to the many challenges of the present time. The first phase of the diocesan listening process was launched by Bishop Fleming on January 31, 2018 with an attendance of over 200. On the basis of present figures, it is estimated that in 20 years’ time, the diocese will have between three and six priests left in full public ministry in its 22 parishes. A Sunday Mass survey over three consecutive weekends in September 2017 estimated that the average Sunday attendance is around 30 per cent. Ten focus groups, with over 100 members, were set up: 1. Family/Pastoral Care; 2. Prayer; 3. Liturgy/Deacons; 4. Youth; 5. Management of parishes; 6. Lay participation; 7. Inclusion; 8. Women in the Church; 9. Education in the faith; 10. Vocations. The groups are expected to complete their work by December 2019, and the implementation of initiatives is planned for 2020.
Pope Francis has restored priestly Fr Ernesto Cardenal faculties to 94-year-old Fr Ernesto Cardenal, who had been suspended from priesthood in 1984 for taking a cabinet position in Nicaragua’s Sandinista government, in violation of canon law. A statement from Archbishop Waldemar Stanislaw Sommertag, apostolic nuncio to Nicaragua, said that “Fr Cardenal has been under suspension of the exercise of the priestly ministry for 35 years due to his political party involvement. He accepted the canonical penalty imposed on him and has always observed it without carrying out any pastoral activity. In addition, he had abandoned all political commitment for many years.” Cardenal, a poet and liberation theologian, actively collaborated with the Sandinista National Liberation Front revolution that ended the dictatorship of Anastasio Somoza. He was appointed a minister when the Sandanistas took office in 1979 and continued until 1987. Several other priests associated with the government, including Ernesto’s brother Fernando, Miguel D’Escoto and Edgard Parrales, were also suspended. St John Paul II publicly reprimanded Cardenal when he visited Nicaragua in 1983. In a now-famous photo, the Polish pope can be seen wagging his finger at the kneeling Cardenal who had come to welcome him at the airport. The Sandanistas fell from power in 1990.
ACCORD IRELAND
CATHOLIC SCHOOLS CLOSING IN US
There has been a sharp decrease in marriage counselling sessions provided by ACCORD, the Catholic Marriage Care Service, in the Republic, with the number of sessions falling by half in some areas. ACCORD, which provides marriage preparation and counselling services, revealed its 2018 figures which show a decline from 38,881 counselling sessions delivered in 2014 to 24,180 last year – a 38 per cent reduction. Counselling in the region that includes counties Carlow, Kilkenny, Waterford and Wexford fell by 49 per cent. This is in line with the Government’s decision to cut ACCORD’s funding by about 54 per cent. The agency reported nevertheless that 75 per cent of couples felt their relationships had improved after the counselling, with greater success rates for clients attending as couples than for those attending as individuals. Attendance at ACCORD’s marriage preparation courses remains relatively stable with 16,048 couples using the service in 2018 and 15,504 attending in 2014.
Once the pride of the American Catholic Church, the parochial school system is under challenge. The Archdiocese of New York has announced it is closing seven of its schools. The archdiocese says that despite its best efforts, "continuing to educate students in buildings that are under-utilised or in need of significant improvements has proven unfeasible." Cardinal Timothy Dolan said that despite its regret at having to close schools and the impact this will have on parents and children, “the goal is to strengthen the remaining institutions and preserve catholic education in New York for years to come. We understand the impact this will have on families and will provide both pastoral support and educational guidance to all those affected in order to ensure all children will be warmly welcomed into a nearby Catholic school where they will continue to learn and thrive.” The remaining 208 schools serve more than 62,000 children from kindergarten to the end of high school. The dioceses of Chicago and Oakland have also closed schools in recent years due to declining enrolment and increasing financial problems. The Diocese of Memphis reopened nine Catholic schools in 2000, some of which had been closed for 50 years in the city’s poorest neighbourhoods. Last January 2018, however, they were forced to announce that they all would close again at the end of the current school year. Funding the schools had proved a challenge and the generous trust fund from donors was nearly depleted.
LISTENING PROCESS IN THE DIOCESE OF KILLALA
6
REALITY APRIL 2019
N E WS
POPE MONITOR KEEPING UP WITH POPE FRANCIS PAPAL SUMMIT ON ABUSE A four-day meeting between the pope and heads of bishops’ conferences worldwide was held in the Vatican from February 21 to 24, 2019 to discuss how to put an end to the problem of sexual abuse by clerics. The meeting was announced last September. In addition to the 114 presidents of bishops’ conferences, the attendance included 14 leaders of Oriental Catholic Churches, 22 superiors of men and women religious, 14 members of the Vatican Curia, and a further 15 bishops and cardinals. While the participants were predominantly male and clerical, ten women religious and three laywomen also addressed the meeting. Video testimony of five victims from Europe, Africa, Asia, South America, and North America speaking about the trauma of their abuse was presented on the opening day. An African woman described how her abuse by a priest began at the age of 15: she got pregnant three times, and he forced her to have three abortions, and would physically abuse her if she refused sex. An Asian sister described how her religious superiors covered up the abuse of nuns. The summit included an act of repentance for their failures in confronting the abuse issue honestly and the lack of humanity in their dealings with survivors. In his concluding address, Pope Francis condemned abuses by clergy, saying that such priests were “tools of Satan" whose behaviour is "utterly incompatible with the church's moral authority and ethical credibility". Critics have said that the summit was too narrowly focused on the abuse of minors and did not focus sufficiently on the coercion of adults. Hanging over the meeting was the shadow of the reduction of American Cardinal McCarrick to the lay state, and the guilty verdict brought against Australian Cardinal Pell, who has declared he will appeal the verdict. It will be some time before the results of the meeting will be made available, including whatever changes to canon law and procedures are required.
PRAY THE WAY OF THE CROSS During his weekly audience on January 30, Pope Francis took a small booklet from his pocket. He revealed that it was a set of meditations given to him by a friend in Buenos Aires which he carries with him and uses to pray when he has a spare moment. “Walking with Mary, behind Jesus carrying the cross, is the school of Christian life: there you learn patient, silent, and concrete love. When I have time, I follow the Via Crucis. Pray the Via Crucis,” he encouraged his listeners, “because [it is] to follow Jesus with Mary on the way of the cross, where he gave his life for us…” The pope had been reflecting on the Way of the Cross celebrated with the youth of the world in Panama. The Way of the Cross is always an important devotion at the World Youth Day.
The Way of the Cross at World Youth Day
POPE’S CAR: WORKING FOR SAFETY IN DERRY 7
Image courtesy of The Westmeath Examiner
Fr Tim Bartlett, secretary general of the World Meeting of Families, travelled to Derry on February 5 to hand over one of the two identical cars used during Pope Francis’ Irish visit, to Foyle Search and Rescue. Pat Carlin of Search and Rescue said the charity was astounded to be nominated to receive a papal car. “We are absolutely delighted. We intend using the car for education and operational purposes. Archbishop Eamon Martin said he thought of us because of the work we’ve been doing over the last 26 years. There’ll be many benefits for us, not least financial. It takes £135,000 each year to run Foyle Search and Rescue and we’re currently looking at our transport.” The blue Skoda Rapid estate became a familiar sight as Pope Francis travelled to different venues. Foyle Search and Rescue provides suicide prevention and rescue operations in cooperation with the police and the RNLI. It was set up in 1993 in response to the high number of drownings in the River Foyle. Some deaths were the result of accidents, while others involved people taking their own lives. Volunteers patrol the river after dark and in the early hours of the morning, reaching out to anyone they suspect might be in difficulty. The other car was given to Crosscare, the Dublin diocesan charitable agency.
REDEMPTORIST SAINT OF THE MONTH ST JOHN NEUMANN 1811 - 1860
8
St John Neumann is the only canonised saint awarded the Fáinne for his ability to speak Irish. President Eamonn de Valera laid it on his tomb in Philadelphia in 1963. He was born in the town of Prachatice in what was then known as Bohemia (now the Czech Republic) on March 28, 1811. John felt the call to priesthood as a boy and entered the local seminary of Budweis at the age of 20. As he came towards the end of his course, the bishop made an extraordinary announcement: since the diocese was well supplied with priests, he was suspending ordinations until further notice! John decided to leave his homeland to dedicate himself to the European immigrants in America, who were deprived of spiritual support. He was well equipped for this work, as he had picked up six languages, including Czech and German, the spoken languages of his homeland. John arrived in New York with one suit of clothes and one dollar in his pocket in April 1836. The archbishop immediately accepted him for service and ordained him deacon and then priest in June 1836. John devoted himself to the pastoral care of German speaking emigrants. For the next six years, he toiled in a parish that stretched from Lake Ontario to Pennsylvania, covering long distances on horseback. John was not a great horseman: he was so short that his legs hardy reached the stirrups. The incessant work of running such a vast one-man parish made him long for the companionship and support he might find in a religious community. He applied to join the Redemptorists who had only arrived in America a few years previously, and who, like himself, were German speakers. He was accepted into the noviciate in Pittsburg, and here there is another Irish link. His novice master, Fr Joseph Prost, an Austrian, would be the leader of the first Redemptorist mission in Limerick a decade later. John was an indefatigable worker, but he was also a man of intense prayer. He served in various communities, and after only six years as a Redemptorist, he was appointed Provincial Superior of the American foundation. At the age of 41, he was nominated Bishop of Philadelphia. The city already had a large and constantly growing population of Catholic immigrants. The Germans and Slavs fleeing from the unrest on the continent were now joined by large numbers of Irish fleeing the Great Famine. It was to minister to them that John set about learning some basic Irish, especially to hear their confessions. It is said that one elderly Irish woman came out of his confessional, giving thanks to God that "now we have an Irish bishop". The Irish would be joined by the Italians and the Poles. The arrival of these Catholics in a large industrial centre like Philadelphia gave rise to civil unrest. During John’s episcopate, new parish churches were completed at the rate of nearly one per month. Speakers of the same language and people from the same country often gathered around a particular church, and so national parishes were born. The most significant contribution of this gentle bishop to the American church was his promotion of the Catholic school system. The number of parochial schools in his diocese increased from one to 200. His fluency in languages endeared him to the many new immigrant communities in Philadelphia as well as the Irish. In addition to ministering to newcomers in his native German, Neumann also spoke Italian fluently. He invited religious congregations of women to establish new houses within the diocese to provide necessary social services. He founded a religious institute of sisters for the work of education. He only once took a break outside the diocese when in 1854 he travelled to Rome, and then for the first brief visit with family since he had left almost 20 years before. He was present at St Peter's Basilica for the definition of the dogma of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. On his return, he resumed the round of work he had begun in the diocese. On the eve of the Epiphany, January 5, 1860, Bishop Neumann collapsed and died on a Philadelphia street. He was still only 49. John Neumann was beatified during the Second Vatican Council on October 13, 1963, by Pope Paul VI and was canonised by the same pope on June 19, 1977. In his homily at the canonisation, Pope Paul described the new saint: “He was close to the sick, he loved to be with the poor, he was a friend of sinners, and now he is the glory of all emigrants.”” Brendan McConvery CSsR REALITY APRIL 2019
Reality Volume 84. No. 3 April 2019 A Redemptorist Publication ISSN 0034-0960 Published by The Irish Redemptorists, St Joseph's Monastery, St Alphonsus Road, Dundalk County Louth A91 F3FC Tel: 00353 (0)1 4922488 Web: www.redcoms.org Email: sales@redcoms.org (With permission of C.Ss.R.)
Editor Brendan McConvery CSsR editor@redcoms.org Design & Layout David Mc Namara CSsR dmcnamara@redcoms.org Sales & Marketing Claire Carmichael ccarmichael@redcoms.org Accounts Dearbhla Cooney accounts@redcoms.org Printed by Nicholson & Bass, Belfast Photo Credits Shutterstock, Catholic News Agency, Trócaire,
REALITY SUBSCRIPTIONS Through a promoter (Ireland only) €20 or £18 Annual Subscription by post: Ireland €25 or £20 UK £30 Europe €40 Rest of the world €50 Please send all payments to: Redemptorist Communications, St Joseph's Monastery, St Alphonsus Road, Dundalk County Louth A91 F3FC ADVERTISING Whilst we take every care to ensure the accuracy and validity of adverts placed in Reality, the information contained in adverts does not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of Redemptorist Communications. You are therefore advised to verify the accuracy and validity of any information contained in adverts before entering into any commitment based upon them. When you have finished with this magazine, please pass it on or recycle it. Thank you.
We have moved to our new permanent home! Redemptorist Communications St Joseph's Monastery, St Alphonsus Road Dundalk, County Louth A�� F�FC
REFLECTIONS A melancholy-looking man, he had the appearance of one who has searched for the leak in life's gas-pipe with a lighted candle. PG WOODHOUSE
The society that allows parents to kill their children will also allow children to kill their parents.
Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it's thinking of yourself less. CS LEWIS
The poor will insult you. The ruder they are; the more dignified you must be. Remember, Our Lord hides behind those rags.
Political language is designed to make lies sound truthful and murder respectable. GEORGE ORWELL
BLESSED ROSALIE RENDU,
Abortion is the only event modern liberals think too violent and obscene to portray on tv.
DAUGHTER OF CHARITY
PETER HITCHENS
I am certain that after the dust of centuries has passed over our cities, we too will be remembered not for victories or defeats in battle or in politics, but for our contribution to the human spirit.
In the depths of winter, I finally learned that there was in me an invincible summer. And that makes me happy. For it says that no matter how hard the world pushes against me, within me, there’s something stronger – something better, pushing right back.
CARDINAL SEAN O’MALLEY
Do you want to fast this Lent? Fast from hurting words and say kind words. Fast from sadness and be filled with gratitude. Fast from anger and be filled with patience. Fast from pessimism and be filled with hope. Fast from worries and trust in God. Fast from complaints and contemplate simplicity. Fast from pressures and be prayerful. Fast from bitterness and fill your heart with joy. Fast from selfishness and be compassionate to others. Fast from grudges and be reconciled. Fast from words and be silent so you can listen. POPE FRANCIS
The only difference between the saint and the sinner is that every saint has a past, and every sinner has a future. OSCAR WILDE
JOHN FITZGERALD KENNEDY
ALBERT CAMUS
It is love that will burn out all the sins and hatreds that sadden us. DOROTHY DAY
Some people seem to gravitate from one fundamentalism to another, from some kind of secular fundamentalism into a religious fundamentalism or the other way around, which is not very helpful. PETER BERGER
You got a God. Don't make no difference if you don' know what he looks like. JOHN STEINBECK
People, even more than things, have to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed, and redeemed; never throw out anyone. AUDREY HEPBURN
We never dealt with satire or suggestive material. Although some of our films were broad parodies or burlesques of popular dramatic themes, there was no conscious attempt at being either sarcastic or offensive. STAN LAUREL
9
EDI TO R I A L UP FRONT BRENDAN McCONVERY CSsR
CHRISTIAN INITIATION
One
of the fruits of the liturgical renewal ha s b e en the reclamation of Easter as the great feast of Christian initiation. In the liturgy, the baptismal font is both a symbol of dying and rising with Christ and of the fertile womb of Mother Church. Even though most Irish people are baptised as infants, an increasing number, many of them new Irish, go through the process of Christian initiation each year, making the last stage of their journey through the catechumenate during Lent to receive baptism, confirmation and first communion at the Easter Vigil according to the form of the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA). As this rite makes clear, this is the correct order for conferring the sacraments. It is the form of Christian initiation that is still observed in Catholic and Orthodox Churches of the Byzantine and other rites. In the Greek Catholic Church, for example, baptism concludes with chrismation, the anointing with chrism that we call confirmation. The child receives their first communion of a little of the consecrated bread soaked in the chalice and administered by the priest with a spoon when they are next brought to the Divine Liturgy. Our common practice is radically different from that. In parishes, baptism is celebrated throughout the year – sometimes weekly. Then seven or eight years later, it is time for first communion, probably celebrated close to the end of the school year. Yet another sacrament, reconciliation or first confession, which does not form part of the three sacraments of initiation, will have been celebrated some time prior to first communion. We move on a few years, and it is time for confirmation, usually administered when the boys and girls are approaching the end of their time in primary school. There are several problems with our current model, and that is not in any way to criticise teachers or pastors who work hard, and with
imagination, in preparing children for the sacraments. It is hard to grasp the unity of Christian initiation when it is spread over 12 years or so. It also raises some uncomfortable questions. If sacramental preparation is so school-centred, what place is there in it for home and parish, especially if the home is nonpractising? The celebration of these sacraments has also raised some social expectations that have little to do with the sacramental realities. The cost of dressing a child (especially a little girl) can hit the pocket, especially when the family is struggling but wants to keep up appearances. Suggestions that everyone wears a simple alb provided by the parish seldom win support. The once simple meal at home with family and friends with a treat for dessert seems to be long gone. Local restaurants advertise their offers for ‘first communion lunches’ well in advance of the day. I was in a restaurant on the outskirts of Belfast that caters for weddings at lunch time last year. I noticed that three of the banqueting suites were reserved for first communion groups. The 'bouncy castle man' also does great business on first communion day. What of the future? I would like to see a return to something closer to 'the Greek Catholic model' in which parents bring children for holy communion as soon as they can receive it, so that the Mass becomes the ‘family meal’ of a believing family. I was once celebrating Mass at home for my mother’s birthday. One of my nephews was due to make his first communion a few weeks later, but he held out his hand for communion. I was in a dilemma – if I gave him communion, what would his mother say? Instead, I tried to fob him off with an unconsecrated host. He proved to be a better theologian than his uncle: "No, it is not the same" he said as his eyes filled with tears. Reflecting on it, I felt guilty: I had treated an innocent little boy as a public sinner, by refusing him the Body of Christ.
If confirmation is the sacrament of an adult faith, it comes too early for that. Some of my priest and teacher friends have voiced the concern that confirmation is becoming more of a farewell to the church than a celebration of commitment. I would like to see something like a year of initiation to a more adult faith sometime in the mid-teens that is freely chosen and follows the leads of the RCIA. It need not be school-based, but there is place for a strong, information-based telling of the Christian story that draws on the rich resources of the Catholic humanist tradition in the arts, music, literature and science. It would also introduce young men and women to a deeper prayer life based on meditation. Essential would be a component of regular service – to the elderly, the marginalised, the disabled – anything that brings young people into a caring and loving relationship with human pain. The climax would be a time of pilgrimage, of moving out of the comfort zone and discovering something new and unfamiliar. My preference would be for a visit to the Holy Land but also valuable would be accompanying the parish or diocesan group to Lourdes as a volunteer or even just following on foot one of Ireland’s sacred ways as a communal experience. There is not much time left, otherwise we lose another generation from the church.
Brendan McConvery CSsR Editor
11
COVE R STO RY
12
REALITY APRIL 2019
THE FIRST EASTER MESSENGER
MARY MAGDALENE FALLEN WOMAN OR LEADING APOSTLE? MARY MAGDALENE IS OFTEN IDENTIFIED AS A WOMAN WHO WAS A GREAT SINNER. HOWEVER, A CAREFUL READING OF THE GOSPEL MIGHT BRING US TO LOOK AT HER IN A VERY DIFFERENT LIGHT. BY BRENDAN McCONVERY CSsR
13
Mary
Magdalene is probably the most popular of the biblical women saints, after the Mother of the Lord. She has been invoked as patron of converts, glove makers, hairdressers, penitent sinners, people ridiculed for their piety, perfume-makers, pharmacists and tanners. She is above all the first witness of the empty tomb and the Resurrection, which makes her, along with St Thomas, the Saint of Easter. SORTING OUT THE MARYS In addition to the mother of Jesus, several women called Mary appear in the pages of the New Testament. They include a woman, apparently living in Galilee with her sister called Martha (Luke 10:39). St Luke can be
hazy about the geography of the Holy Land, so he may be confusing her with another Mary and Martha, who had a brother called Lazarus, and lived in the village of Bethany on the outskirts of Jerusalem (John 11). There is also Mary, the wife (or daughter) of a man called Cleophas, who stands with Mary Magdalene and Mary his mother near the cross of the dying Jesus (John 19:35). Mary the mother of James and Joseph is one of the women who goes with Magdalene to the tomb on Easter Sunday (Mat 27:56). Another Mary, the mother of John Mark, opens her house to the infant Jerusalem church (Acts 12:12). Paul greets someone in Rome called Mary, who "has worked hard among you"(Rom 16:6). Mary, or Miriam, was
a common name for Jewish women first given to the sister of Moses. It has been estimated on the basis of burial inscriptions that one in three women in the Palestine of Jesus were called Mary (Mariam, Miriam or Marianne), from peasant women of Galilee to members of the Herodian royal family. There has been a tendency to identify two unnamed women in the Gospel narrative with Mary Magdalene. The first of these is “the woman who was a sinner� and who brought an alabaster jar of ointment (Luke 7:37) to anoint Jesus (probably because Mary of Bethany used a similar container of oil to anoint the feet of Jesus, John 12:3). Less frequently, the unnamed woman taken in adultery (John 8:4) has been identified with her.
C OVE R STO RY
JUDEA
Capernaum
Bethsaida
Magdala Tiberias Sea of Galilee
14
From her name, we know she came from a town called Magdala on the shores of the Sea of Galilee WHAT THE GOSPELS TELL US ABOUT MARY MAGDALENE None of the Gospels have given us even a potted biography of Mary Magdalene. Five simple strands of the story give us the basic facts.
1. From her name, Magdalene or ‘of Magdala’ we know she came from a town called Magdala on the shores of the Sea of Galilee. Archaeologists have recently explored this town in detail. 2. She followed Jesus because she had
experienced a profound healing. Both Mark 16:9 and Luke 8:2 identify it as a release from "seven demons". Seven is a symbolic number, suggesting serious demoniacal possession. Possession suggests many things, including personality disturbances that today might be equated with profound psychiatric disorder. 3. According to Luke, she belonged to a group of women disciples who provided for Jesus and his followers out of their resources (Luke 8:3). This brief verse suggests that some of them at least had a higher social and economic status than we normally associate with the disciples of Jesus. It may be reasonable to assume the same of Mary. 4. According to both the Synoptics and John, she was one of the small group of women disciples who witnessed the crucifixion, whether from a distance (Matt 27:55, Mark 15:40: Luke 23:55) or directly under the cross along with his mother where John places them (19:25). 5. All four Gospels name Mary as a witness to the empty tomb, either alone (Gospel of John) or in the company of other women according
Left: The excavated ruins of the village of Magdala Right: Magdala's first century synagogue. Jesus probably preached here.
REALITY APRIL 2019
15
to the Synoptics (there is some variation in their names). All four Gospels describe a vision of angels at the tomb, while Matthew and John describe an appearance of the Risen Jesus. John describes this appearance in the greatest detail and with real literary art. MARY’S HOME TOWN Magdala is about nine kilometres north of Tiberias and about 16 south of Capernaum. Having lain hidden for almost two millennia, Mary’s home town has recently come to light. During the first Christian centuries, it was a centre of pilgrimage with a large monastery and church. Both were obliterated by a sequence of earthquakes and invasions. During his visit to the Holy Land in 2009, Pope Benedict XVI blessed the foundation stone for a new Magdala Centre to be built on the site. During the mandatory archaeological tests, the remains of a synagogue, a market
To call Mary ‘Apostle of the Apostles’ might even suggest that she is foremost among the apostles place and a harbour were discovered. Only seven other first century synagogues have been discovered in the Holy Land. A coin minted in the nearby city of Tiberias in 29 CE was found in the synagogue, proof that it existed during the time of Jesus’ ministry. Given that he cured Mary and visited a place called Magadan (Matt 15:39, probably another spelling of Magdala), it is likely that Jesus night have preached in this synagogue. Magdala probably comes from the Hebrew word migdal, meaning a tower. It is probably the same place as Magdala Nunayya, the “Tower of the Fish”, mentioned in the Jewish Talmud. The historian Josephus, who commanded the garrison of resistance fighters stationed in the town during the Jewish War, refers to it as Tarichiææ, which means pickled or smoked fish. The tower
may have been a building in which fish were dried. The Roman natural history writer Pliny in his description of ancient Galilee, says that Tarichiaeae produced “excellent salt fish; it also produces fruit-trees, resembling appletrees.” If we consider Mary to be one of the women mentioned above who financially supported Jesus and his disciples, might it be reasonable to think that she or her family might have earned their income from the fish business? APOSTLE AND WITNESS TO THE RESURRECTION In many medieval manuscripts of missala, Mary Magdalene’s feast day had the heading “Apostola Apostolorum” (“Apostle of the Apostles”). This title for her can be traced back to the early part of the third century
C OVE R STO RY
when it was first used by a writer called Hippolytus in what might have been an Easter homily, now part of his commentary on the Song of Songs. It reflects however the truth that Mary was sent, or commissioned by Jesus to be the first person to bring to others the news of his Resurrection. In the Hebrew and Aramaic languages of Palestine, a phrase like ‘king of kings’ or ‘song of songs’ also suggests a degree of excellence or superiority. Jesus is not just any sort of king, but as King of Kings he is superior to all others. Similarly the Song of Songs is not just any Song but ‘the greatest Song there is'. To call Mary ‘Apostle of the Apostles’ might even suggest that she is foremost among the apostles. Her old title was restored in 2016. Explaining the reason for the change, Archbishop Arthur Roche, secretary of the Congregation for Divine Worship, said that Pope Francis himself had taken this decision in the context of the Jubilee of Mercy “to stress the importance of this woman, who
shows great love for Christ and was very dear to Christ”. The New Testament makes no further mention of Mary after the Resurrection. Many legends about her grew up. One of the best known tells how the ‘three Marys’ (Mary Magdalene, Mary Salome and Mary of Cleophas) set sail from Alexandria in Egypt with their uncle Joseph of Arimathea. They landed in the South of France near a place named Les Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer (the Saints Marys of the Sea). It is a popular place of pilgrimage especially for gypsies who believe that their special patron, St Sarah, accompanied the three Marys as their servant.
Fr Brendan McConvery CSsR taught scripture for many years and has published several books and articles on biblical topics. He is currently editor of Reality.
COM M E N T WITH EYES WIDE OPEN JIM DEEDS
PASS THE FAITH ON WITH LOVE
WHAT DO YOU WANT TO PASS ON TO YOUR CHILDREN OR GRANDCHILDREN AS THEIR BEST INHERITANCE? MEMORIES OF TIME SPENT WITH THEM ARE ESPECIALLY VALUABLE. I had the very lucky experience of having a wonderful grandfather growing up – Jimmy Webb, my mother’s father. Sadly, my lovely paternal grandfather had died many years before I was born and so all my grandson-grandfather time was with Jimmy. I was the eldest of his grandchildren and so I was the first to spend time with him. Much of this time, in my memory, was spent visiting friends and relatives. Jimmy Webb had a love of people and wanted to share it with me. And I would like to share two very different experiences with you. The first occurred when I was around seven years of age when my granda and I had gone on one of our regular visits to his sister Lilly. Now, my great aunt Lilly was a kind and loving older woman. She was also what we Belfast people call a ‘targe’. That means she was formidable, held strong opinions and was a bit of a bossy boots. On this particular visit my aunt Lilly went to the kitchen to make tea, as was her way when visitors came. However, instead of bringing back the usual one cup of tea for my granda and one cup of tea for her, she came into the room carrying a tray with THREE cups of tea. Realising that the third cup was meant for me, I looked at the tray and then at my granda and said, “Granda, I don’t like tea.” Well, a look of panic spread across his face! With a wild look in his eyes he said, “Oh, just drink it. She went
to all the trouble.” I knew that he was worried that she would ‘barge’ him. (This word means ‘to shout at or grump at’. It is quite common in Belfast for a targe to barge!) Out of love for my granda and a little of the fear I caught from him, I forced the tea down my throat as we sat there in her little front room. I tried my best to hide my grimaces as I drank the hot liquid that I didn’t like at all. Forty years on, and I have never drank a cup of tea since. The smell and sight of it reminds me of that formative, uncomfortable experience. Let me share with you a different experience (or set of experiences really) I had whilst visiting relatives with my granda as a child. My granda loved music as much as he loved people. He loved to sing, and he taught all us grandchildren to sing from an early age. Everywhere we went, he would get me to sing. I stood at the front of many a living room and belted out one of the old
Belfast songs that he had taught me. I remember that he got me to do this through infecting me with his love of music while learning the songs and through great encouragement and praise of the voice coming out of my young mouth – even when I made a mistake or strayed from the tune. All in all, learning songs and singing them was an experience of great love and accompaniment. I remember the smile on his face to this day. It is seared into my memory and into my very soul. The result is that I have sung a song and played music every day since then. Indeed, I can’t imagine a day without playing guitar and belting out a song or two. Isn’t it interesting how those two experiences differed so much? One was a pressured and fearful experience and one was a gentle and loving experience. Both took root deeply within me. Both had implications for me later in life. It is worth reflecting on this when we
come to consider young people nowadays. What do we want to hand on to our children in terms of skills, behaviours, ethics, manners and outlooks that we would want them to have? And what do we want them to ‘catch’ in terms of their view on spirituality and religion? I’m sure that, as people of faith, we would love to think they would have a sense of the existence of God, the beauty of our faith and the great love God has for them and for all creation. How might we hand on these things to the next generation? Do we force them down their throat like so many cups of tea from my lovely aunt Lilly? Well, if we do, we can be pretty sure we’ll put them off or encourage them to hold them in a fearful, dogmatic kind of a way to be forced down others’ throats in time. Perhaps the better path is to support, teach, nurture and encourage our children, loving them in the times when they stray from the path of faith and loving them right back onto it again. If we do so, we can be pretty sure that they will develop their own mind on the issues and may be more amenable to holding on to those things with love – which they will then pass on to others in time.
Belfast man Jim Deeds is a poet, author, pastoral worker and retreat-giver working across Ireland.
17
In Tune with the Liturgy A series that highlights some of the features of the Church’s worship in the month ahead
Celebrating
GOOD FRIDAY 18 THE AFTERNOON LITURGY OF GOOD FRIDAY IS ONE OF THE MOST SOLEMN IN THE CHURCH’S YEAR. IT IS ALSO THE MOST AUSTERE, BEGINNING IN SILENCE WITH A BARE ALTAR. ITS CLIMAX IS THE VENERATION OF THE WOOD OF THE CROSS. BY SARAH ADAMS
As
a child, Good Friday, never seemed particularly ‘good’. It was a pretty sombre day in our household, marked by an early departure to the church to arrive by 2pm for the 3pm Good Friday service which seemed in our books to go on for an eternity! We were almost always the first to arrive which ensured that we had the best seats – those in the front row. To be fair to my mother, she was wise. Situated in the front seats we did at least get to see everything that was happening, so the chance of us being distracted by other things or people was diminished considerably.
REALITY APRIL 2019
Ours was a large parish, and on Good Friday the church was heaving. Although liturgically not the best move, there were three crosses which people could go to venerate. This ensured that the service finished within two hours, though as a nine-year old, I did feel it went on far longer! It was a very different service to Mass and I was always intrigued by the number of servers required and the various roles that each played. The highlight of the day, I confess, was the hot cross buns we bought fresh from the bakery, still open, on the way home. I am quite sure that this
was not meant to be the moment of the day but when you are a child your understanding of what is ‘good’ often differs! AND YET, IN SPITE OF THAT, THEY CALL THIS FRIDAY “GOOD” The word ‘good’ is not uncommon. It is used extensively in our language. Good falls into the category of lazy words such as ‘nice’. It can be quite a bland word. Dictionary definitions describe it as something which is pleasant or enjoyable. We may find it in such sentences as: ‘We had a really good time together’ or
‘There’s nothing better than a good cup of hot coffee’ or ‘It’s good to hear your voice after all this time'. ‘Good’ also means something of a high quality, standard or level. We talk of having a 'good' education. If you are good at something, you are skilful and successful at doing it. Equally we can say that we are not very good at something, such as singing, football or other such things. Thinking of
of Christians every year flock to church to remember this event which occurred well over 2,000 years ago. A man known to so few yet remembered by so many may be seen to be a reflection of how ‘good’ that day was. That said, the ‘Good’ in Good Friday actually comes from old English when good meant holy. This is why we might also call Good Friday, Holy Friday.
sing a hymn. Given that most people are going about their normal everyday business, these processions provide a stark reminder of what Good Friday is really all about. In other countries, particularly in South and Central America, people will process with statues to the church before a service. These are often statues of Jesus, Mary and other saints. THREE-DAY CELEBRATION Given that Good Friday remembers such a bleak event, that of the suffering and death of Jesus, why do we call it ‘good’? What exactly is it all about? For those who are not Christians, it can be difficult to comprehend but for those who are believers, Good Friday is a crucial day of the year. Within the Catholic Church, It forms part of the three days running up to Easter. The main service on Good Friday is part of a three-day liturgy (Triduum), beginning with the Mass of the Last Supper on Maundy Thursday and ending with the Vigil on Holy Saturday night, culminating in the glorious celebration of when Jesus was raised from the dead, heralding his victory over sin and death and pointing ahead to a future resurrection for all who are united to him by faith. This makes it very ‘good’. For many remembering what happened on that treacherous day is more important than anything else. Ever since Jesus died and was raised to life again, Christians around the world have proclaimed the cross and resurrection of Jesus to be the decisive turning point for all creation. In his letter to the Corinthians, Paul considered it to be "of first importance" that Jesus died for our sins, was buried, and was raised to life on the third day. This was to fulfil what God had promised all along. Within the Catholic community Good Friday is part of a much bigger drama. When people arrive for the Good Friday service they enter a church which is stark in its emptiness. There is a barrenness about the environment, the altar lies bare of cloths, the tabernacle is open and empty. In this environment, we hear once more the Passion of Christ as we did
Millions of Christians every year flock to church to remember this event which occurred well over 2,000 years ago. A man known to so few yet remembered by so many may be seen to be a reflection of how ‘good’ that day was these definitions of the word, we might wonder why the Friday of the Easter Triduum is described as ‘Good Friday’. However, if we also understand that when we describe a piece of news or the impact of something as good we can see why it might apply to Good Friday. There is nothing particularly ‘good’ about what happened on what we call ‘Good Friday’. Almost everyone, particularly Christians, know that Good Friday refers to the day when a man called Jesus was brutally put to death on a cross. There appears to be nothing good about that. The death of someone by cruel means is rarely considered to be good and yet millions
T h ro u g h o u t t h e w o r l d p e o p l e commemorate this day. Some are rather more elaborate than others. In Spain and some other Mediterranean countries, people (called penitents) who are sorry for their wrongdoings walk through the streets, wearing long robes with hoods and carrying a big cross of wood. It is not uncommon in some countries such as our own for Christians of all denominations to have what they call a ‘walk of witness’ through the streets of their town or village. These often incorporate stages along the way where the procession stops and people listen to a part of Scripture proclaimed, or
A priest venerates the cross on Good Friday at St Catherine's Church, Brussels, Belgium
19
nts s cou tomer Dis cus ge alued Lar our v for
20
€0.35/£0.30
REALITY APRIL 2019
In Tune with the Liturgy
Every year the procession of the 'Misteri' is celebrated on Good Friday in Procida, Italy
on Passion/Palm Sunday, we pray for the whole world, and then we venerate with deep reverence by kissing the feet of Jesus on a crucifix. This act of veneration came about when in the seventh century, the church in Rome adopted the practice of adoration of the cross from the church in Jerusalem, where a fragment of wood believed to be the Lord’s cross had been venerated every year on Good Friday since the fourth century. According to tradition, a part of the Holy Cross was discovered by the mother of the emperor Constantine, St Helen, on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem in 326. A fifth-century account describes this service in Jerusalem. A coffer of gold-plated silver containing the wood of the cross was brought forward. The bishop placed the relic on a table in the Chapel of
Men dressed in traditional white robes carry a statue for a Passion of Christ re-enactment, during a Good Friday procession in Valleta, Malta
the Crucifixion, and the faithful approached it, touching brow and eyes and lips to the wood as the priest said (as every priest has done ever since): "Behold, the Wood of the Cross." Adoration or veneration of an image or representation of Christ’s cross does not mean that we actually adore the material image, of course, but rather what it represents. In kneeling before the crucifix and kissing it we are paying the highest honour to our Lord’s cross as the instrument of our salvation. Because the cross is inseparable from his sacrifice, in reverencing his cross we, in effect, adore Christ. Thus we affirm: "We adore Thee, O Christ, and we bless Thee because by Thy Holy Cross Thou hast Redeemed the World." Music for Good Friday is austere, simple and reflective of the solemn nature of the liturgy. G entl e cha nt s , combined with silence, facilitate the prayer of the community, allow people to process with dignity and ponder on the action they are participating in and enter ever more deeply into the mystery of Christ’s suffering and death. This is not a day for rousing hymns, rather One of the many Good Friday processions in Aragon, Spain 'less is more'.
GOOD FRIDAY COMMUNION SERVICE What of holy communion on Good Friday? Given that the liturgy of Good Friday is part of a three-day liturgy and not a Mass, people may feel confused as to why communion is distributed on Good Friday. In the ancient tradition of the church there would have been no communion on this day, as the liturgy was not celebrated on fast days. Then the priest alone received on Good Friday, from a host consecrated at the previous day’s Mass. It was only in the 1956 reform of the rites for Holy Week that communion for everyone was introduced from hosts consecrated at the Mass of the Lord’s Supper. There are liturgical traditions, such as the Greek Catholic or the Ambrosian Rite, observed in Milan, where there is no communion on Good Friday. Some Roman Catholics also choose not to receive communion on Good Friday. Their reasons are varied. For some, it is a reminder of the special Paschal fast of these day. Others want to walk alongside those who are preparing to enter full communion with the church at the Easter Vigil. Others do not receive because they want to hold in prayer those who are still being persecuted in our world today.
Sarah Adams is the director of adult education and evangelisation for Clifton Diocese, England. She has a Masters in Theology with a focus on liturgy from Maynooth.
21
G O D 'S S U R P R I S E S II
FROM BROKENNESS TO TRANSFORMATION
22
Barry and Keith at adoration
HOW A FAITH-BASED RESIDENTIAL PROGRAMME FOUNDED AROUND PRAYER, WORK AND FRATERNITY TAKES PEOPLE STRUGGLING WITH ADDICTION ON A JOURNEY TO HEALING AND BEYOND. BY SUSAN GATELY
On
an isolated hill, six kilometres from Knock Shrine, lies a brightly painted blue and white bungalow, home to the Cenacolo Community. Here
REALITY APRIL 2019
eleven young men from five countries (including Ireland) live what can only be described as a monastic life. Rising early, they work and pray hard. Sleeping on bunk beds, four to a room,
they accompany each other, sharing out daily tasks – from making cheese to gardening, from cooking to laundry, from leading prayers to cutting wood. What is so astounding about this community is that each member, including their leader, is a former drug addict. The men recount stories of brokenness – fractured relationships, estranged families, lost jobs, lies, stealing, dealing and in some cases, prison – a downward spiral to hopelessness and self-destruction. And then somehow, each one hears of
Cenacolo – an extraordinary free residential programme based around prayer, work and brotherhood, which takes them on a journey to healing and beyond. THE FIRST UPPER ROOM The Cenacolo community was founded by an Italian Catholic nun, Sr Elvira Petrozzi (the Sister of Drug Addicts) who entered the Sisters of Charity of St Giovanna Antida Thouret in 1956. Cenacolo is the Italian for the “Upper Room” where Jesus celebrated the Last Supper and
The dove – symbol of the Cenacolo community
where the community met to await the Spirit at Pentecost. From 1970, Sr Elvira felt a “fire inside” pushing her towards young people. Patiently she waited years to obtain her order’s permission to answer this call “to open doors to the abandoned, to children at railway stations”. In 1983, accompanied by two other sisters and with nothing other than the “certainty of trust in God, who is Father” she opened the first Cenacolo community in an abandoned house in Saluzzo, near Turin. They sought to create a community for youth on the fringes. Those who approached
were addicts. “Young people continued to knock at the door and we opened a second house and then another. Now I’ve lost count of the houses,” she writes. Today, there are 65 communities on four continents. From these come vocations to priesthood, religious life, marriage and missions. The house at Knock opened in 1999, but its story began years earlier when a group visiting Medjugorje met the community there. For years they raised funds to purchase the house and then volunteers worked to get it ready. Cenacolo receives no
The community farmyard across from Cenacolo house
government assistance and lives entirely from Providence. “God provides. We never lack anything. Sometimes we have food for 30 [not 11],” says community leader, Fabio, laughing. Keith (23) from Wicklow, who has been with the community eight months, says he is “dumfounded” by the generosity of people. At a recent open day, in tears he thanked some of the volunteers. “Nineteen years ago when this started I was four years of age and yet there was someone out there fighting to save my life,” he told them. REGULAR LIFE At the centre of community life lies a tough daily timetable. They rise at 6am (some rise earlier for Adoration), wash and meet in chapel for the first of three daily rosaries and to read the Gospel of the day. After breakfast, they go to their tasks like handmilking the cows or working in the vegetable garden. They eat at midday, and have some free time, but they cannot lie down! There is no radio or internet, and clothes and dishes are washed by hand. Free time is generally spent
chatting or washing clothes. At 1.30pm they take a walk together reciting the rosary, and then return to work. The third rosary is after work, followed by dinner and recreation – usually board games. Occasionally the men watch a movie or a football match. After a busy day, they’re looking forward to bed at 9.30pm. Barry from Inverness recalls his arrival at Cenacolo. “It was a complete shock. No TV, no mobile phones, no smoking, no contact with the family. Then I saw all the guys. They were so fresh looking.” At first he judged them, thinking they hadn’t been through what he had, but soon found out this wasn’t so. “Very quickly you realise something special is happening even though I still didn’t want to be there.” He came from a large working class family and began drinking aged 14. For more than 20 years, he went from drink to drugs to dealing. When he came out of prison in November 2016, he was beyond caring for anything. But one morning out of the blue, he rang his mother, a devout Catholic, who told him
• Cenacolo has comm unities Herzegovina, Croatia, Slo in Italy, Bosniave Austria, France, Great Br nia, Poland, itain, Slovakia, Spain, Portugal, USA, M exico, Peru. Brazil, Argentina, Liberia and Ire land. • 65 communities – 10 for women, 55 for men . • Over 2,000 people th rough residential programme. • Vocations arising fro m community life to priesthood and religiou s life • Entire families live in and serve communities • Missionary projects in South America and Africa
23
G OD 'S S U R P R I S E S II
le was the Cenacolo (upper “One place Mary appeared in the Bib s, who were full of fear, room). She was there with the apostle presence brought them like young people are today. But her n the Holy Spirit descended together and helped them pray. The rageous witnesses. We and they were transformed into cou ause we want this same called it the Cenacolo Community bec hearts of the young people transformation to happen today in the we welcome.” Mother Elvira
about Cenacolo. Accompanied by a young priest, he made the life-changing journey to the community in Kendal in February 2017.
24
ADORATION – A SECRET POWER Barry was not a religious man, but at his second period of Adoration, something happened. “I was having a difficult time and I remember [getting] this real sense of ‘It is going to be okay’. It was an overwhelming feeling.” Adoration is an intrinsic part of
Cenacolo. Worldwide, among its 65 communities, they take it in turns to ensure there are always one or two people praying before the Blessed Sacrament. “Many of the lads say personal adoration changes their lives,” Fabio tells me. “When I go in at 5am, I get the strength I need to face daily life. Everything is there. We have no doctor, no psychotherapist, no tablets. Our doctor is Jesus Christ,” he says. I wonder how strange it must be for a young person who has been away from faith to be catapulted into such devout prayer. Keith says
Fabio standing in front of the community house
REALITY APRIL 2019
he knelt in prayer at the beginning because he was desperate. “But now I enjoy praying. I get a peace from it. I believe God is helping me in all the struggles.” LOVING ONE ANOTHER For the last year Fabio has led the Knock community. “My
role is to make sure the lads are okay and to help them learn the community way.” He keeps a watchful eye in particular on younger men who might need direction, supported at all times by weekly calls to the Cenacolo motherhouse in Saluzzo. It is part of the programme for members to switch houses within a year. In this way each community is refreshed and people learn new skills, like foreign languages. A former drug addict for 20 years, Fabio was touched by the peace-filled atmosphere of the Saluzzo community when he joined in 2015. “People don’t swear.” Men were going through cold turkey and sometimes someone went a bit crazy, but the others calmed him down with peace and smiles, he recalls.
There are no guarantees that someone who does the Cenacolo programme will stay drug-free but it is believed that many do
A work group cutting wood for the fire
addiction, fighting demons but it’s never a bad place to be. When you’re missing home and a bit lost, you see in the brothers why you are here. When they come and put their hand out – they say something stupid or give you a smile – these things are where miracles really happen.”
For further information go to www.communitycenacolo.ie
The weekly working rota - everyone shares in the upkeep of the community
“I wasn’t used to that reaction. The affection touched me a lot.” There are no guarantees that someone who does the Cenacolo programme will stay drug-free but it is believed that many do. For
Keith, the biggest lesson he’s learnt here is to choose love, to act “the way Jesus would”. He understands that true friendship is people telling you “all the hard truths [about yourself] only out of love”.
REDEMPTORIST
PARISH MISSIONS
For Barry it is about putting God at the centre and thinking of others – like staying up with someone who can’t sleep. “We laugh every day. We are 11 guys away from our families, fighting
Suan Gately is author of God’s Surprise - the New Movements in the Church, published by Veritas, and is a regular contributor to Reality
Breaking the Word in April 2019
Please pray for the Redemptorist Teams who will preach the Word and for God’s People who will hear the Word proclaimed this month in:
St Patrick’s, Kilwarlin & Magheralin (6th – 12th April 2019) Parish mission preached by Laurence Gallagher CSsR, and Helena Connolly
Mother of Perpetual Help Novena St Gerard’s, Antrim Road, Belfast (26th April – 4th May 2019) Parish mission preached by Denis Luddy CSsR and Helena Connolly
The details above are accurate at the time of printing. If you have any views, comments or even criticisms about Redemptorist preaching, we would love to hear from you. If you are interested in a mission or novena in your parish, please contact us for further information. And please keep all Redemptorist preachers in your prayers. Fr Laurence Gallagher CSsR, Email: missions.novenas@redemptorists.ie Tel: +353 61 315099
SP IRI T UA LI T Y
THE ROAD LESS TAKEN MEN’S JOURNEY THROUGH POWERLESSNESS
26
DO MEN NEED TO RECLAIM SOME OF THE AGE-OLD TRADITIONS THAT ONCE GUIDED YOUNG MALES INTO MANHOOD AND HELPED THEM TO TAKE OWNERSHIP OF THEIR LIVES? BY KEVIN McEVOY FSC
From
July 24-28, 2019, a group of men will converge on Kiltegan, County Wicklow, for what has come to be known as the Men’s Rites of Passage. “What on earth is that all about?” I hear you ask. The Men’s Rites of Passage (MROP) is a five-day, deeply soulful and experiential programme, devised mainly by the US author, spiritual writer, preacher and Franciscan friar, Fr Richard Rohr, OFM, back in 2004. It builds on the classic patterns of
REALITY APRIL 2019
male initiation through profound rituals and teachings. Each day includes major teachings from the Wisdom Traditions central to masculine spirituality, quiet time for reflection, and opportunities to share stories and experiences with other men in the context of small groups. DO MEN HOLD ALL THE CARDS? It would appear, many men in today’s society struggle to find meaning and purpose in their
lives. The Canadian clinical psychologist, Jordan B. Peterson, writer and author of 12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos, has spent a considerable amount of his time of late debunking the notion that men have all the advantages in life and that most of the ills in life are attributable to the tyranny of the male hierarchy. He contends that while a tiny proportion of men have much of the world’s wealth, a serious disproportion of people who are disaffected in life are men. Most homeless people on our streets are men, most victims of crime are men and most people who die by suicide are also men. Most people who die in wars, do the most dangerous jobs, are men, and a greater proportion of those who fail in our educational institutions are also men. The litany goes on.
•
“From working in predominantly female working environments, I’ve been subjected to stereotyping and sexism that if it was on the other foot would probably have got me fired. There is no such thing as sexism for men. And if you mention it you are met with aggression and ridicule.” Clearly, there are issues out there to be addressed; what are the solutions? Where are the supports?
funerals. A good funeral always seems to touch a man at his deepest visceral level, the level of his own mortality. When I was teaching in Marsabit, North Kenya, most of our students came from a nomadic background. From time to time a group of Rendille or Samburu elders would come to the school office looking for certain students whose time for initiation had come.
"Being a man now is actually quite scary. Everyone expects a certain stoicism in you, a will to repress emotions and 'act manly'"
WHERE HAVE ALL THE MEN GONE? One childhood memory I have is of my maternal granny visiting our home from time to time. We were instructed to go out and play while my father went into town with my uncles to the local pub (referred to by Tommy Tiernan as ‘a monastery of alcohol'!) to talk about manly things, while the women remained at home and chatted about women’s ‘stuff’. For lots of reasons, that scenario has well and truly changed and it’s my sense that the men have come off the worst. Where do men get their support nowadays? Whatever support men may have got from church attendance in the past is not working either as many men have stopped turning up – except for On International Men’s Day in 2018, the Irish Times ran a vox pop and asked a sample of men what it was like being a man in Ireland today. Many men might identify with some of the responses given: • “Being a man now is actually quite scary. Everyone expects a certain stoicism in you, a will to repress emotions and 'act manly'." • "Emotion is prohibited by standards, and it’s taking its toll in incredibly harmful ways.” • “The hardest thing about being a man in 2018 is not the weight of the shames of our breed but the absence of the archetypal hero to lead us out of this murk. Our old gods are dead, and good riddance, but where are the men?”
The young men (about 15 years old) would then be taken out to the desert, to an isolated place where they would spend about six weeks being mentored in what it means to be a moran, a warrior who would be both brave and strong in his defence of the values and way of life of his community. Warriorhood preceded elderhood, the final stage of the passage to manhood when they became elders, with full rights to marry and partake in the meetings of elders. There was nothing easy about those rites which ultimately led the young man through the path of testing and suffering and into the greater realisation
27
SP IRI T UA LI T Y
28
that in the search for a more meaningful and purposeful life, the small ego needs to face its own death before the bigger and truer self can be set free to take those stances in life that lead to some kind of significant transformation.
men are either ignorant of or choose to ignore healthy interpersonal boundaries, with the inevitable consequence that countless significant others – especially women – are left wounded and diminished? Furthermore, Rohr contends that transformation, initiation or getting the great vision rarely happens (perhaps cannot happen?) within the confines of brickand-mortar institutions; the young man always has to be taken into nature to be transformed. For some reason, the whole created world, the animals and the seasons of nature allow us to surrender and trust much more than sermons, words or people do, where we seem to be much more defended, in our heads, and even afraid. Reading reality from inside this circle of creation, and with the eyes of nature, you will inherently know you are already in sacred space, you will know that you belong and you will know that it is okay. Creation is our first and final cathedral. Nature is the one song of praise that never stops singing – or, as Mary Oliver says, it’s “the doorway into thanks”.
"I’ve been subjected to stereotyping and sexism that if it was on the other foot would probably have got me fired" ELDERS IN SHORT SUPPLY? While there is no shortage of elderly people in our society, there does seem to be a shortage of elders – those who can mentor the next generation into a more expansive and generative way of being. Sadly, one consequence of that reality is that many of our teenagers are being mentored by their peers – and we know the damage that causes to many of our young people and neighbourhoods. Richard Rohr is adamant that if the young man is not inducted into the big vision or quest, he’ll try to be part of something loud, a big marching army or a big rock concert. If the young man is not led on the downward journey of powerlessness, he will always abuse power – and is that not the core message of the #MeToo Movement? That REALITY APRIL 2019
A RITE OF PASSAGE? So, what can the men who will turn up in Kiltegan this coming July expect? They will learn and experience something about ageold traditions that guide men into manhood and taking ownership of their lives. They will learn something about coming to trust that there is something much greater at work in life than they could ever imagine. The rituals will take them out of their comfort zones, but more deeply back into their own lives. They may find themselves mentally, intellectually, emotionally or spiritually challenged. This is part of the experience for some men: it may feel risky or even uncomfortable as they may not always feel in control. Throughout the five days they will be held by an experienced team of male elders who have all previously undertaken similar programmes themselves. As the elders take them through the process of the rites they will experience drumming, ritual, fire, silence, small group interaction, wilderness, solotime, teaching ... and much, much more. One man, David, said of his rites back in 2012 in Kiltegan: “I signed up for Men's Rites of Passage without knowing what I
was letting myself in for. I had a vague idea of what initiation was but couldn’t place how it would be relevant in the Ireland of today. Some of the initiated men I met at the monthly MALEs meetings at Marley1 were quietly encouraging and suggested it would be five days well spent. They were correct. Taking part in the MROP was time well spent – time very well spent. It was one of the most powerful experiences of my 46 years to date. On almost every level, emotionally, psychically, and spiritually. Wounds were revealed, hurts exposed, tears were shed, bonds were forged. I will never forget my five days in Kiltegan, County Wicklow.” How about you? If you are a man and would like to take a significant step along the journey to being a more authentic man, why not go to the website www.malejourney.ie where you can download the application form? You won’t regret it.
MALEs Ireland hold their monthly meeting in Marley, Dublin, on the third Saturday of each month which is open to all men. Men are invited to gather and share their stories with other men in a safe, confidential and supportive environment. Check www.malejourney. ie for further information and the opportunity to subscribe to An Turas their monthly newsletter.
Kevin McEvoy is a De La Salle Brother who has spent most of his life working in education and formation in Ireland, Africa and Asia. Available from Redemptorist Communications
Denis McBride’s STATIONS of the CROSS
then and now
The way of the cross is not confined to a lonely road in Jerusalem two thousand years ago: it is a busy highway winding through every village, town and city in our modern world. Fr Denis McBride C.Ss.R. reflectively guides us along the way of the cross. He contrasts the beauty and solemn simplicity of the more traditional Stations by artist Curd Lessig with modern images that challenge us to link Jesus’ story to the struggle of our everyday life. Through its rich array of scripture passages, paintings, poetry, prayers, photographs and reflections, Stations of the Cross – then and now becomes a companion not only on our Lenten journey but throughout the year: suffering is not limited to one liturgical season. Whether we walk in solitude or with others, this book translates the passion of Jesus into our own life and times.
To Order: Call 00353 (0) 1 4922488, Email: sales@redcoms.org or go to shop at www.redcoms.org
Just
€14.9&5p plus p
Are you enjoying this issue of Reality? Would you like to receive Reality on a regular basis?
AN SUBSCRNUAL IPTION* ON LY
€25/£20
Taking a subscription ensures Reality magazine is delivered to your door every month instead of calling to a church or a shop in the hope that you will find it there. Each issue is packed with articles to inform, inspire and challenge you as a Catholic today. A one year subscription to REALITY magazine is just €25 or £20 No extra charge for postage and packing
HOW TO ORDER: Phone 01 492 2488 • Email sales@redcoms.org • Online www.redcoms.org Post Complete the order form below and return it to:
FREE!
Redemptorist Communications, Unit A6, Santry Business Park, Swords Road, Dublin D09 X651 With every
ORDER FORM:
Yes, I would like to subscribe to REALITY.Please send me a copy of ‘VISITS TO THE BLESSED SACRAMENT’ PAYMENT DETAILS | Please tick
OPTION A:
I wish to pay by credit card
subscription
one of the following options:
VISA
MASTERCARD
Valid from:
LASER
Valid to: CVC
OPTION B:
I wish to pay by cheque
OPTION C:
Existing account holders only:
PLEASE NOTE THAT CHEQUES MUST BE MADE PAYABLE TO “REDEMPTORIST COMMUNICATIONS”
I enclose a cheque for:
Please bill my account at the address below.
My account number is:
Name
Phone
Address
Email Signed
*SUBSCRIPTION RATES ARE: • €25 (ROI) • £20 (NI) • £30 (UK) • €40 (Europe) • €50
COM M E N T FAMILY & RELATIONSHIPS CARMEL WYNNE
CONVERSATION STYLES
WE ALL HAVE DIFFERENT STYLES OF CONVERSATION. THE DIFFERENCES ARE ESPECIALLY MARKED BETWEEN MEN AND WOMEN. IT CAN BE FRUSTRATING WHEN OUR WORDS, EVEN OUR HESITATIONS AND SILENCES, ARE MISUNDERSTOOD Wouldn’t it be wonderful if all the people with whom we interact were sensitive and willing to listen and understand when we try to explain how their words and actions, even their silence, affects us? The research of leading neuroscientists show there are brain differences between men and women’s conversational styles. Women find it easy to multi-task and believe that talking and sharing personal information is bonding and supportive. Men find it hard to follow the multi-stranded conversation of women. They tend to switch off and go silent when they can’t make sense of a conversation. When people are unaware of the effects of their different conversational styles, each person assumes that the other understands their viewpoint and often they don’t. It’s beyond frustrating when words or silence are taken to mean something that we never intended. We respond or react to what we think people mean and it can happen that how an answer is worded or a fleeting facial expression can be misunderstood and cause unintended hurt. Eva was having coffee with her two sisters. Not sure if the colour of her new jacket suited her she asked her sisters, ‘What do you think?’ Jane said, ‘Is the jacket new?’ Eva said, ’Yes’. Mary said nothing because she knew from past experience how sensitive
Eva was. Fearful of saying the wrong thing she remained silent. Eva took her silence as an unspoken criticism, ‘What don’t you like about it Mary?’ Before Mary could answer, Eva turned to Jane and stated, ‘Mary likes none of my clothes. Actually I think this is a stylish jacket, I’m just not sure if it’s my colour’. Accused of something she didn’t say put Mary in an invidious position. She knew Eva’s tendency for mindreading, her habit of making assumptions then treating them as facts. Attempting to defend herself by asking Jane to confirm that what Eva said was untrue could escalate into one of those fractious ‘He said, she said’ arguments where there are no winners. Jane had no qualms about voicing her opinion in a work situation. She and John are co-workers. Their different conversational styles generated a lot of tension in how they interacted. Invited to work together on a marketing project, their different approaches to the task generated a great deal of friction and resentment. John read their assignment and immediately made decisions about how they would work. Jane heard him say, "I’ll contact the speakers and organise their hotel accommodation and flights. You can do the brochures and marketing and look for media coverage." Jane was furious that he took control and
acted as if he was in charge of the project. Her reaction was to feel undermined and undervalued. "That’s not okay with me," Jane told him. She would never have made any decisions on a team project without consultation with her co-worker and she informed John of this. Sharing how she felt was Jane’s way of bonding and showing respect. The non-verbal communication was that if he was acting professionally they would have had a discussion. She felt that it should have been obvious to John that her experience was an asset. Jane had already worked with three of the speakers and had good contacts in the hotel industry. She believed that John should respect this experience. It was not her role to carry out his instructions. Jane felt she was very clear when she let John know what she expected if they were working as a team. Her belief was ‘Do unto others as you want them to do to you’. Her positive intention in inviting John to say what he wanted to do was to open a discussion; to look at each of their strengths; to talk about the experience that each of them could bring to the project; to see if there were areas that would offer more experiences and learning opportunities. John found it difficult to understand why she was upset. He asked her, "What would you do differently if we were working
as a team?" She explained that she would have consulted him and asked, "What area do you want to deal with?" John was confused and angry at her perceived lack of logic. He told her, "I don’t understand why you are complaining, I’d have told you that I wanted to look after the speakers, hotels and flights." As children we were told to ‘say what you mean and mean what you say’. As adults we know this simplistic directive ignores the differences in conversational styles that cause hurt and distress. I agree with linguist Deborah Tannen who says “Every time we open our mouth to speak, we are taking a leap of faith – faith that what we say will be understood by our listeners more or less as we meant it”
Carmel Wynne is a life and work skills coach and lives in Dublin. For more information, visit www.carmelwynne.org
31
Praying with the Rosary – The Third Sorrowful Mystery prayer corner
The Crowning with Thorns WE CONTEMPLATE THE CROWNING OF OUR LORD WITH THORNS AND THE MOCKERY TO WHICH HE WAS EXPOSED. MARK THE FOLLOWING GOSPEL PASSAGES AND KEEP THEM HANDY - MT 27:29; MK 15:17; JN 19:2,5 BY GEORGE WADDING CSsR
32
REALITY APRIL 2019
Thank
you for staying with me as we come to the third stop on our sorrowful journey – the Crowning with Thorns! When the soldiers were ready they lifted me bodily from the floor and dragged me over to a low seat. I tried to pray and the words of Ps 30 came to me: In the face of all my foes I am a reproach, an object of scorn to my neighbour and of fear to my friends… I am like a dead man forgotten, like a thing thrown away. I have heard the slander of the crowd… as they plot together against me, as they plan to take my life. But as for me, I trust in you, Lord, I say: ‘you are my God. My life is in your hands, deliver me from the hands of those who hate me.’ However appalling the scourging was, there were laws controlling it. From here on, though, the soldiers were left to their own devices. Restraint was gone; they could now indulge their own vicious nastiness, and make fun of their victim to their hearts’ content – only make sure that he did not die, yet. MOCKERY Their play time centred on my alleged claim to be king. Well, let’s make him a king! An imitation royal cloak was wrapped around my naked shoulders, immediately adhering to my open wounds. A reed to represent a royal sceptre was shoved into my clenched fist. Then came the ‘crown’. Thorn bushes are quite plentiful in Palestine, and the palace courtyard had heaps of them for use as tinder. In the Book of Judges we are told how Gideon was furious because the unfriendly men of Succoth refused to give bread to his
troops. “Just for that,” he said, “I will tear your flesh with desert thorns and briers” and he dragged them through a thorn patch – a grisly retribution though not fatal (Jdgs 8:7,16). These thorns were too long for weaving into a wreath. So a handful was carefully gathered and dumped on my head like a cap. The soldiers made sure that some of the thorns were pointing upward like the rays of the sun. It was a crude mock-up of the sun crown, the sort worn by monarchs and the like all over my world with points like rays of the sun. I offered no resistance. Of course, this boorish sport of the soldiers expressed their contempt not only for me, the alleged king, but also for the people whose king I was supposed to be. I was merely another of the Jewish rebels with kingly pretensions, whom they had easily dealt with in the past. The lictors were joined by other soldiers as they approached me in mock deference, bowing and crying out "Hail, King of the Jews!” Some carried sticks, others took my ‘sceptre’ and, with howls of raucous laughter, they rained blows on my crowned head. The pain was excruciating and I bled profusely. My hair became matted with blood and sealed to the sides of my head.
Calvary, nor when I was nailed to the cross. For now, I tried to steel myself against the pain. The degradation and the guffaws of the soldiers opened an even deeper wound in my soul. I wanted to make reparation for the sins of pride. I prayed for all those whose self-esteem depended on the false opinion of others. I offered to God the throbbing pain in my head for the arrogance and posturing of those who crush others to advance themselves. I prayed for those who would be the future leaders in my church. I prayed for those who would let themselves be mastered by blind ambition and the trappings of office, for those who would think that washing the feet of my sick, destitute, or grimy brothers and sisters would be below their dignity. Lord, these Roman soldiers do not know what they are doing, but my followers should know. They will profess to preach my gospel of humble service, to follow my way of life and then, by their shameless ambition, they will drive the thorns deeper into my head. Father, I offer you all my humiliations and sufferings for them. How often must I repeat it: “many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first” (Matthew 19:30). I was growing increasingly weak and lightheaded. Episodes of retching and shortness of breath were more frequent. I was shivering
As the soldiers struck me on my head with their reeds, I felt excruciating pain across my face and deep into my ears TORTURE There is a nerve which runs through the face. When irritated, it causes severe stabbing pain which radiates around the eyes and forehead, the lips, the nose, the cheek, and the side of the tongue. It is said to be the worst pain that anyone can experience. As the soldiers struck me on my head with their reeds, I felt excruciating pain across my face and deep into my ears, like I was stabbed with a red hot poker. The pain never left me all the way to
with fever. Even if the soldiers stopped now, it would be hard to survive the shock. Mercifully, they did stop. They dragged me to my feet and returned with me to Pilate. I was a mess, my face battered beyond recognition, my body just bloodied pulp. I stood there, hands tied, a blood-soaked purple sheet around my shoulders. It was a final appeal to the humanity of the crowd: "Is this the pitiable creature you want to crucify? Look at him! I tell you, there is no case to answer." continued on page 34
33
prayer corner
I was a mess, my face battered beyond recognition, my body just bloodied pulp. I stood there, hands tied, a blood-soaked purple sheet around my shoulders CRUCIFY HIM! But the chief priests and the guards rallied the crowd to shout once more for my crucifixion. The priests said I must die because I had claimed
to be the Son of God. Of course, this could be very dangerous if the 'divine' Tiberius heard of it. So Pilate questioned me further on this claim and again found nothing criminal in my replies. He had now played all his honour cards but the priests held the last trump: "If you set him free you are no friend of Caesar." They had him. They struck at his Achilles heel. And Pilate caved in. What is popular is not always right, and what is right is not always popular. Pontius Pilate sacrificed an innocent man to avoid problems for himself. Now, he who condemns an innocent man under pressure is no more innocent than those who put him under pressure. His handwashing and plea of innocence "of the blood of this just man" made him no more innocent than those who responded, "his blood be upon
us and upon our children." But, at least, this weak procurator did try. He knew what was right and was anxious to do it provided it could be done without personal sacrifice. I knew that throughout history there would be many magistrates and monarchs who would condemn the innocent because my word in them would be planted on rocky ground or in thorns. As I listened to Pilate’s words of condemnation I prayed, Father, forgive him and forgive all those, who like him, allow the thorns of human respect and cowardice to choke the word of truth and compassion.
Fr George Wadding CSsR is a member of the Redemptorist Community at Dun Mhuire, Griffith Avenue, Dublin.
The Crown of Thorns Prayer Dear Lord, I am grieved when I consider Your sad condition when You wore the Crown of Thorns upon Your holy head. I desire to withdraw the thorns by offering to the Eternal Father the merits of Your Wounds for the salvation of sinners. I wish to unite my actions to the merits of Your Most Holy Crown, so that they may gain many merits, as You have promised. Amen.
35
AVERY
American Catholic Converts
CARDINAL DULLES
HIS ORIGINS AS AN UPPER MIDDLE CLASS PROTESTANT WITH A FAMILY WELL KNOWN TO THE WHITE HOUSE DID NOT MARK AVERY DULLES OUT AS A FUTURE CARDINAL. HE BECAME A CATHOLIC AT HARVARD AND SERVED IN WORLD WAR II BEFORE ENTERING THE JESUITS. BY MIKE DALEY
Being
36
a somewhat fair-skinned Irish American, summer is both a season to be longed for and dreaded. Longed for in the sense that it is an ending to the dark and cold doldrums of winter. Dreaded in the sense that I need to protect my skin from the punishing rays of the sun. And from wasps. As a grass cutter, I have been unsuspectedly stung one too many times by these aggressive arthropods who evidently have little concern for my health and well-being. As an Irish American, there is another kind of WASP that I look out for as well— the White, Anglo-Saxon, Protestant kind. Though their American cultural influence is waning, this well-connected group has long held influence in matters educational, economic, legal, political, and social. For them, to be blunt, it isn’t Jesus who saves, but privilege. Ironically enough one of American Catholicism’s greatest theologians—Avery Cardinal Dulles—is the epitome of one. HOW A WASP BECAME A PRIEST In 1918 Dulles was born into America’s WASP aristocracy. He came from a long line of Presbyterians, several of whom were ministers. His father was secretary of state under Republican President Dwight D. Eisenhower. An uncle directed the Central Intelligence Agency. Cementing his own WASP credentials, young Avery Dulles enrolled in Harvard College in 1936. Surprisingly, though, he did so as an agnostic. While a student there, however, his
REALITY APRIL 2019
exposure to the philosophies of Aristotle and Plato, readings of the Gospels, studies of the Renaissance and Reformation, and evaluations of contemporary Catholicism through the writings of Jacques Maritain and Etienne Gilson, brought him to the point of conversion by the end of his graduation in 1940. Upon hearing the news of their son’s impending entrance into the Catholic Church, his parents were less than encouraging. He admitted that his father, not unlike many of his peers of the time, thought that Catholics were “sociologically and socially inferior and maybe rather superstitious”. Dulles himself insisted that “the decision to become a Catholic was the best decision I ever made. But it was a beginning rather than a climax.” The next year and a half was spent at Harvard Law School which, due to World War II, was cut short by Dulles’ enlistment in the United States Navy. Upon his discharge in 1946, he entered the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) and was ordained to the priesthood in 1956. Further studies took Dulles to the Gregorian University in Rome where he earned a doctorate in theology. This was followed by appointments to Woodstock College in Maryland (1960-1974), the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. (1974-1988), and Fordham University in New York (1988-2008). DULLES THE THEOLOGIAN The New York Times writer Robert D. McFadden observes that Fr Dulles’s “[tenure coincided with broad shifts in theological
ideas as well as sweeping changes brought on by the Second Vatican Council in the 1960s. These provided new understandings of how the church, after centuries of isolation from modern thought and even hostility to it, should relate to other faiths and to religious liberty in an age when the church was gaining millions of new followers in diverse cultures.” The author of over 800 articles and reviews and 25 books, Avery Dulles is perhaps most well-known for Models of the Church (1974). In it he describes five (and later upon revision six) different types that the church can be seen living out of: institution, mystical communion, sacrament, herald, servant, and community of disciples. Going against how many people saw the church prior to the Second Vatican Council, Dulles emphasized “that the institution is not primary…. The institution is for the sake of the spiritual life and for the sake of holiness, and is not an end in itself." Commenting on the book, Sr Elizabeth Johnson, CSJ, both a student of and later a colleague of Dulles, remarks: “In its day it helped to wean ecclesiology from a onehorse sleigh way of traveling. The fluency of his way of thinking made theology, even beyond ecclesiology, more comfortable with pluralism, more at peace with diversity.” Looking over the course of Dulles’ theological career, Fr Joseph Komonchak, emeritus professor of religious studies at the Catholic University of America, stresses that his “work has been marked largely by a commitment to conversation, which, of
course, involves listening as much as it does speaking”. Perhaps due to his conversational skills and comfort with plurality and diversity, Dulles lived long enough to at one time be called a liberal relativist and at another a conservative reactionary. LIBERAL OR CONSERVATIVE? This characterisation allows writer Joseph Bottum to summarise Dulles’ work as follows: “Explaining the liberalism of Vatican II to an old generation that had experienced only the unified, pre-conciliar Church, he became a leader for liberal Catholics in the 1970s. Explaining the conservatism of Vatican II to a new generation that had experienced only the fragmented, post-conciliar Church, he became something of a leader for conservative Catholics in the 1990s. But always it was the centrality of the council that he set himself to explain.” Describing the role of the theologian, among whom he is one of American Catholicism’s finest and most influential, Dulles stated: “The theologian is always trying to see how the tradition of the church can be adapted to speak to contemporary culture. But speaking to the culture does not necessarily mean embracing the dominant presumptions of the culture. Those presumptions have to be scrutinized, accepting what is good and rejecting what is bad.” On February 21, 2001, Dulles was named a cardinal by Pope John Paul II, the first US Jesuit and theologian to be so honoured. Over the years he was the president of both the Catholic Theological Society of America and the American Theological Society. He also served on the Vatican’s International Theological Commission and assisted the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops as a member of its Lutheran/Roman Catholic Dialogue. LATER YEARS Unfortunately, in Dulles’ later years, the effects of a post-polio syndrome that he experienced while in the military returned. Eventually, he lost the ability to speak and the use of his arms was limited. His
intellect remained clear and he was able to communicate through a computer. At his final lecture at the age of 90 (read by his friend and fellow Jesuit Fr Joseph O’ Hare) as the Laurence J. McGinley Professor of Religion and Society in April 2008 at Fordham University, Dulles gave not so much a theological address but a faithful witness. In his closing remarks, he commented on his weakened state offering these words: “Suffering and diminishment are not the greatest of evils but are normal ingredients in life, especially in old age. They are to be expected as elements of a full human existence. Well into my ninetieth year I have been able to work productively. As I become increasingly paralyzed and unable to speak, I can identify with the many paralytics and mute persons in the Gospels, grateful for the loving and skilful care I receive and for the hope of everlasting life in Christ. If the Lord now calls me to a period of weakness, I know well that his power can be made perfect in infirmity. ‘Blessed be the name of the Lord!’” A few short months later, Dulles died on December 12, 2008. In assessing his legacy, his biographer and author of the book Avery Cardinal Dulles, SJ: A Model Theologian, 1918-2008, Patrick Carey believes that “his theological journey dealt with change, development, and continuity in the Catholic tradition. In his early theological career, he emphasized development in continuity; later in life, continuity in development. But the two, continuity and development, were always in some kind of dialectical tension and synthesis in his thought.” Spanning his life he was many things: convert, intellectual, patriot, Jesuit, theologian, ecumenist, writer, and cardinal. Perhaps most of all, and the two descriptors to which he most aspired, Dulles was a faithful son of the Catholic Church and a committed follower of Jesus the Christ. Mike Daley is a teacher and writer from Cincinnati, Ohio where he lives with his wife June, and their three children. His latest book, co-edited with Diane Bergant, is Take and Read: Christian Writers Reflect on Life’s Most Influential Books (Apocryphal Press: Berkley, 2017.)
37
F E AT U R E
SCIENCE MEETS FAITH IN LATIN AMERICA A RELIGIOUS STATUE BELONGING TO A WORKING CLASS WOMAN IN A TOWN IN BOLIVIA WAS HARDLY CALCULATED TO MAKE INTERNATIONAL NEWS. CLOSE SCIENTIFIC ANALYSIS OF WHAT APPEARED TO BE BLOOD COMING FROM THE STATUE RAISED SERIOUS QUESTIONS ON THE FRONTIERS OF FAITH AND THEOLOGY. BY SEÁN FERGUSON
The
38
key figure in this story is Doctor Ricardo Castañón, a Bolivian behavioural psychologist and biochemist, and the initial location of his investigations is Cochabamba in Bolivia. On March 9, 1995, Señora Silvia Arébalo bought a plaster statue of the head of Christ, crowned with thorns, for a shrine in her home in Cochabamba. Soon afterwards, the head began to exude fluids which looked like tears and blood. The local media became involved, as did Doctor Castañón. Samples were taken of the fluids, and subjected to chemical analysis. They were confirmed to be tears and blood. The scientists performed the tests “blind”, that is they were not informed of where the samples came from. The tests were repeated on a number of occasions, and under strict supervision. One of the samples included a scab which, under the microscope, was found to contain vegetable material which was shown to be the tip of a thorn which had originated from a plant in an arid country, such as is found in the Middle East. A CT scan of the statue was performed. It showed that there was no mechanism inside the statue to produce the fluids, nor any perforation in the plaster by which fluids might have been introduced. A VISIONARY? Also in Cochabamba, in June 1994, Doctor Castañón had been asked to interview and assess a lady called Catalina (Katya) Rivas who claimed to be receiving messages from Jesus. Katya said she had been instructed by Our Lord to write down these messages. Suspecting a fraud, Doctor Castañón went into much
REALITY APRIL 2019
detail on the case, and was surprised to find nothing to rouse any suspicion of deceit. Katya had written thousands of words, filling eight manuscript books, and she could be seen, while writing, to write uninterruptedly, as if she was recording dictation. She was even able to manage foreign language words and theological concepts that a lady of her limited education would not be expected to understand. She had not even finished high school. Here is a passage translated from her Spanish record of Our Lord’s messages: “Look at your pen. For Me, you are My pen that enables Me to express the symbols which are My words. What your hand writes, guided by Mine will remain, repeated and amplified by other voices which will fill the earth. I created the world and I created the tree that was to provide the wood of My cross. I buried in the bowels of the earth the iron that was to forge My nails. When I came in person to visit My land, there was no room for Me in the inns of the world. I came to men but men did not recognise Me, there was no room for Me. Everything, the heavens and the earth are Mine. Only the love of My creatures is not Mine. And that is what I search for.” A STIGMATIST? Scepticism prevailed until Katya developed stigmata. The media took up the story again and, at this point the interest of local journalists spread to North America where the Fox television network decided to send a team of reporters to inquire. In addition, the hardhitting Australian television investigative
journalist, Mike Willesee was invited to review the story. He duly arrived and saw for himself what Katya was experiencing. The stigmata developed, usually on a Friday and the very next day the wounds were healed. Willesee, a lapsed Catholic, became convinced that the events were supernatural, and returned to the church. Castañón, himself an atheist until his early 40s, also embraced Catholicism. ENTER FUTURE POPE FRANCIS In the late 1990s, the parish of Santa María, in Buenos Aires, Argentina came into focus. In 1999, Doctor Castañón was contacted by the then archbishop of the diocese, Jorge Bergoglio, better known to us now as Pope Francis. The prelate requested that the doctor look into events in the church of Santa María, firstly in 1992 and subsequently in 1996. In the first instance, a consecrated host had developed a reddish hue, and had not decomposed or changed in form. In the second instance, on the evening of August 18, a consecrated host had been inadvertently dropped on the floor by a communicant. Thinking that the host had become soiled, the communicant just left it there. It was found later and returned to the celebrant, Fr Alejandro Pezet. As is the custom, the priest placed the host in a container of water, put it into a tabernacle and expected it to dissolve, the solution then to be poured reverently over a natural area such as a lawn or a bed of flowers. The priest was startled about a week later to discover that the Eucharist had developed in size, shape and colour. The host was beginning to look like a piece of flesh. Archbishop Bergoglio gave permission for
THE ATHEIST DOCTOR
THE SCEPTICAL JOURNALIST
THE CURIOUS ARCHBISHOP
THE STIGMATIC WOMAN
CATALINA RIVAS
DR RICARDO CASTAÑÓN
MIKE WILLESEE
the host to be looked at in detail, and an examination in Buenos Aires found that, instead of unleavened bread, the samples taken were seen to be myocardium, that is, heart muscle. The laboratory staff were at pains to state that the samples were astonishing in that they appeared to have come from a living heart and not a cadaver. AN OUTSIDE EXPERT After further histological examination in California and Australia which confirmed the original results, Dr Castañón brought a sample to an eminent forensic cardiologist, Dr Frederick Zugibe in New York, and requested his diagnosis. As on all previous occasions, the examination was conducted “blind”. Dr Zugibe was not informed of the source of the sample. His conclusion was that the tissue was indeed from the left ventricle of a human heart, and stated that it was from a living heart and not from a dead body. He was able to identify leucocytes among the myocardial cells. Leucocytes are white blood cells which cluster around damaged tissues, and which die off a few minutes after the host tissue has died. Intact leucocytes mean, ipso facto, living tissue.
JORGE BERGOGLIO
And this from a host which had been consecrated several years previously. Needless to say, Dr Zugibe had no scientific explanation for his findings. His report and those from the earlier studies are the most compelling for the Catholic belief in the Real Presence at the consecration. AN OLDER EUCHARISTIC MIRACLE Dr Castañón has also studied the Eucharistic Miracle of Lanciano, a town in south-eastern Italy. Here, in the eighth century, a priest of the Basilian order was saying the words of consecration when he was suddenly filled with doubt as to the truth of the doctrine of transubstantiation. The host immediately turned reddish-brown and the chalice was seen to contain what appeared to be blood. These sequelae still exist and have been noted and revered by the church over the centuries. It was only in 1970-71 however that a scientific approach was adopted. Rigorous analysis was performed by Dr Odoardo Linoli, a university professor in anatomy and pathological histology and head physician at the United Hospitals of Arezzo. His research yielded the following results:
THE BLEEDING STATUTE •
The blood of the Lanciano miracle is real blood and the flesh real flesh. • The flesh consists of the muscular tissue of the heart. • The blood type is identical in the blood and the flesh and is type AB. • The proteins in the blood are in the same proportions as those found in normal fresh human blood. • There is no trace whatsoever of any agents used for the preservation of flesh or blood. Dr Castañón’s findings are identical to those of Dr Linoli. Human DNA has been found and is being characterised. Other events have been claimed as “Eucharistic miracles” and some are being considered for scientific investigation now that the tools, such as electron microscopy and carbon dating, have become available. Dr Seán Ferguson is a parishioner of St Gerard’s Belfast, who, after 16 years teaching, became a doctor and worked in hospital and the community. Now retired, he continues his interest in modern Latin languages, especially Spanish and Italian.
39
A Redemptorist Pilgrimage Visiting the sites associated with St. Alphonsus & St. Gerard in Southern Italy Saturday May 16th to Saturday May23rd 2020. Based at the Caravel Hotel in Sant’Agnello, Sorrento (Half Board) Cost: €1,095.00/ £985.00 per person sharing. Places are limited so early booking is advised. Group Leaders Fr Seamus Enright CSsR and Fr Dan Baragry CSsR For further details contact Claire Carmichael at ccarmichael@redcoms.org Tel: 00 353 (0)1 4922488
SPRING
Beautiful Sorrento
Ennismore Retreat Centre ST DOMINIC’S
Easter Triduum 2019
18th – 21st April Come and join the Ennismore team for these most holy days.
Ennismore Team. Cost Res €175 Non Res €100
Sunday 12th May 2:30pm-5:30pm Mary – and her other Madonnas. Reflection on Mary and her special place in our tradition. Fr. Joe Kavanagh Cost €35
Friday 24th – Sunday 26th May
Ennismore Retreat Centre is set in 30 acres of wood, field and garden overlooking Lough Mahon on the River Lee. It’s the ideal place for some time-out, reflection and prayer.
How to find us:
Crossing the Threshold Home …. A Celtic journey of the heart, through music, ritual, and prayer.
Deirdre Ni Chinneide. Cost Res €175 Non Res €100
For ongoing programmes please contact the Secretary or visit our website at www.ennismore.ie Tel: 021-4502520 Fax: 021-4502712 E-mail: info@ennismore.ie
Maria Mercedes Gomez, 65, is from the Rio Blanco community who are resisting the construction of a hydro-electric dam. Maria is a member of the Rio Blanco Elderly Indigenous Council. Photo: Garry Walsh
IRELAND TOLD TO TAKE CORPORATE ACCOUNTABILITY NEW TRÓCAIRE REPORT ON HOW CORPORATE GREED IS LEADING TO LAND BEING SEIZED, FORESTS CUT DOWN AND RIVERS POISONED.
The
UN special rapporteur on the rights of indigenous people, Victoria Tauli-Corpuz, visited Ireland recently to support Trócaire’s call for greater corporate accountability. The overseas development agency has launched a report called ‘Making a Killing’ which has shocking findings on how corporate greed is leading to land being taken, forests cut down and rivers poisoned. Those who stand up to defend their rights are being harassed, intimidated and even murdered. The past two decades have seen a global rush for natural resources and large-scale land acquisition. This race for natural resources in the developing world has led to land six times
the size of Ireland being sold to corporations since 2000. Indigenous communities often face the human rights impacts of this race for natural resources, often imposed on communities without consent. Those who try to defend these people face huge dangers, but there are growing numbers of human rights defenders risking their lives to defend their communities and their resources. In 2018, 321 human rights defenders were murdered, 77 per cent of whom were working on land, indigenous peoples and environmental rights. Indigenous people are being "killed, forcibly displaced, threatened and intimidated and subject to insidious harassment by criminal
charges which often are nebulous, grossly inflated or fictitious," said Victoria TauliCorpuz. They are being defamed as being anti-development, or even being branded as terrorists or guerrillas. Women human rights defenders are also being targeted through threats of sexual violence and smear campaigns. The launch of this report marks the start of a new Trócaire campaign calling for a legally binding global treaty governing business and human rights. The report makes it clear that there is an urgent need for global business to respect human rights in their operations and that Ireland can lead the way in taking action. Caoimhe de Barra, Trócaire’s CEO, said,
41
Their families have had their land, and their homes, taken…
Please help this Lent Donate now at trocaire.org or call 1850 408 408
TRÓCAIRE IS THE OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT AGENCY FOR THE CATHOLIC CHURCH IN IRELAND ROI Charity Reg No: 20009601 | Revenue Number: CHY 5883 | NI Charity Reg No: NIC103321 | For more information visit www.trocaire.org
“The 21st century economy is dominated by large transnational corporations. The world’s top ten corporations have a combined revenue equivalent to more than the 180 ‘poorest’ countries' GDP. We live in a world where business knows no border. Jobs and economic growth allow communities to lift themselves out of poverty. However, the absence of a global legal framework on business and human rights has allowed many businesses to exploit communities. “The global human rights legal framework has not kept pace with the modern globalised economy. It is largely voluntary and is failing to prevent human rights violations. Non-binding legislation is never really going to prevent human rights violations. A binding treaty is urgently
needed to protect the world’s poorest people and ensure their rights are not discarded in the hunt for profits,” she said. The ‘Making a Killing’ report argues that devastating human rights violations will continue to occur unless we move beyond voluntary approaches and bring in a legally binding treaty on business and human rights. Victoria Tauli-Corpuz urged Ireland to show leadership on corporate accountability, saying that “it is important that a developed country stands up and expresses its full support for the adoption of a legally binding instrument to regulate corporations. The track record of Ireland in terms of promoting human rights globally places it in a very good position to pursue
corporate accountability. I certainly hope that Ireland will take up this challenge to protect the rights of indigenous peoples and communities to their lands.” The event closed on a poignant note with a video message from Berta Zuniga Caceres, an Indigenous Honduran human rights defender. Her mother, Berta Caceres, was killed in 2016 for leading the struggle against an internationally financed hydro-electric dam.
For more information on this report or on Trócaire’s Lenten campaign visit www.trocaire.org
43
Victoria Tauli-Corpuz and Caoimhe de Barra, Trócaire’s CEO, at the launch of the 'Making a Killing' report. Photo: Mark Stedman
CO M M E N T REALITY CHECK PETER McVERRY SJ
WEALTH AND THE CHALLENGE OF THE GOSPEL
“WHEN YOU ARE WEARY OF PRAYING AND DO NOT RECEIVE, CONSIDER HOW OFTEN YOU HAVE HEARD A POOR MAN CALLING AND HAVE NOT LISTENED TO HIM.” ST JOHN CHRYSOSTOM (347-407 AD)
44
Each year, to coincide with the gathering of some of the world’s richest people at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Oxfam produces a report on the distribution of wealth in the world. In 2009, they reported that the 380 wealthiest people in the world held as much wealth as the poorest 3.7 billion people. In 2018, it was 42 people. A new billionaire was created every two days last year. The increase in the wealth of the world’s billionaires in 2018 would be sufficient to end extreme poverty in the world seven times over. “And a ruler asked him, 'Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?' And Jesus said to him, 'Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. You know the commandments: "Do not commit adultery, do not kill, do not steal, do not bear false witness, honour your father and mother."' And he said, 'All these I have observed from my youth.' And when Jesus heard it, he said to him, 'One thing you still lack. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.' But when he heard this he became sad, for he was very rich.” Luke 18:18-23
REALITY APRIL 2019
that your wealth comes from their weeping?” St Basil of Caesarea (330-370 AD)
Jesus understood that the accumulation of wealth in the midst of poverty not only destroys the poor, but the obsession with accumulating wealth also destroys the relationship between the wealthy and God. Jesus lived in a society where there was conspicuous wealth alongside extreme poverty. The wealthy were the civil and religious rulers, namely the royal court of Herod, the priests and Pharisees, as well as the big landowners, who had often accumulated their landholding through the confiscation by Herod of the land of small peasants to give as a gift to his supporters. The majority of the population lived from day to day, at a subsistence level, and some lived in destitution, like the beggars, the blind, the lame and others who were marginalised in society. It was amongst the poor that Jesus spent most of his time. He seemed far more comfortable in their company than in the company of the rich. Jesus challenged the religious leaders who preached a God of the Law. Belief in a God of the Law allows you to accumulate wealth, even while living in the midst of poverty, provided you have obtained that wealth in
accordance with the Law. It belongs to you and you can do what you like with it. Instead, Jesus revealed a God who is compassion. The only way he could reveal a God of compassion was by being the compassion of God to those who were suffering, who were in distress, who were excluded from the care and concern of society. He required those who wished to follow him to do the same. Those who were wealthy, and ignored the poor and the hungry all around them, were an affront to the God of compassion that Jesus revealed and a contradiction to everything Jesus stood for. In Jesus’ time, as in the world today, where people live in extreme poverty, the accumulation of wealth, for one’s own enjoyment and sense of security, is an obscenity. “How can I make you realise the misery of the poor? How can I make you understand
“Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” Matt 6:21
The irony is that while people think wealth frees them, it, in fact, enslaves them. “The property of the wealthy holds them in chains…they think of themselves as owners, whereas it is they rather who are owned, enslaved as they are to their own property. They are not the masters of their money, but its slaves.” St Cyprian (300 AD)
The Gospel calls us to rebuild human relationships in a spirit of solidarity. In Ireland today, Jesus might say: “Live simply, share generously.”
For more information or to support the Peter McVerry Trust: www.pmvtrust.ie info@pmvtrust.ie +353 (0)1 823 0776
GOD’S WORD THIS MONTH DOODLING IN THE DUST This short story pits Jesus against the representatives of official FIFTH SUNDAY religion, the scribes OF LENT and Pharisees. They have caught a woman committing adultery: there is not a word about her male partner, though the Law was quite explicit that both of them should suffer the death penalty (Leviticus 20:10, Deuteronomy 22.22). They have brought the woman before Jesus as he teaches in the temple. They claim to want his advice on how to implement the Law, but it is more likely they are opposed to the welcome he has for sinners and outcasts. Were he to do it once more in this instance, they could then accuse him of being unfaithful to God’s teaching.
APRIL
07
Jesus refuses to be caught in this trap. Almost nonchalantly, he bends down and begins to trace something in the dust. You would probably love to know what he wrote, but the Gospel writer does not tell us. For a brief moment, he raises his head and says to them: "If there is anyone among you who is without sin, let him cast the first stone." Then he resumes his writing. One by one, the accusers slink away, "beginning with the eldest" leaving only the woman and Jesus. Once more, he looks up and asks her where her accusers have gone. There is no one left to accuse her or to initiate the horrible death by stoning that would have been the penalty. Jesus then says something that makes even some Christian commentators on this scene nervous: "Neither do I condemn you: go and do not sin anymore."
This gospel needs little explanation, but it is one we can ponder for a long time. The first reading (Isaiah 43:16-21) has a beautiful line that sums up this gospel for many people. "There is no need to recall the past, no need to think of what was done before." Some people are haunted by the past: did they confess all their sins, did they maybe forget something or even hide it, were they truly sorry for them? Notice that Jesus does not ask this woman to make any great protests of her sorrow or to give proof that she has repented. He trusts simply that having tasted the forgiveness of God, she will respond from the heart. Today’s Readings Isa 43:16-21; Ps 125; Phil 3:8-14; John 8:1-11
45
God’s Word continues on page 46
GOD’S WORD THIS MONTH APRIL
THE GOOD NEWS OF THE CROSS Each of the four Passion gospels has its own special PASSION SUNDAY characteristics. The first of (PALM SUNDAY) Luke’s distinctive touches is his account of Jesus' prayer in the garden (22:39-46). Luke wishes to emphasise the struggle of this, the darkest moment in the life of Jesus. He describes how he sweated profusely, his perspiration falling to the ground in great drops "like clots of blood". He alone includes "an angel coming from heaven to give him strength". Luke calls it ‘agony’: that word originally meant a contest, like a wrestling match, with the angel taking the part of the trainer or ‘second’ encouraging his champion for the fight ahead. Only Luke includes Herod in deciding Jesus’ fate (23:6-10). Son of Herod the Great under whose reign Jesus was born, he inherited many of his father’s vicious characteristics, and had already executed 46 John the Baptist. Luke may be associating a trial before the Roman governor and another before the Jewish king with the description of the Messiah in Psalm 2, whom the rulers of the earth and the
14
APRIL
THE EMPTY TOMB All the Gospels tell a story of the discovery of the empty tomb of the Lord. There are some EASTER SUNDAY slight differences in detail from gospel to gospel. Today’s gospel contains two stories. The first is Mary Magdalene’s discovery of the empty tomb before dawn on Easter Sunday. The second is a rather humorous story of a race between two disciples to get to the tomb to verify Mary’s story. John has taken a traditional story of several women coming to the tomb and pared it down drastically until only one woman remains. She is Mary Magdalene who has followed him from her native Galilee. Mary often gets a bad press. Despite attempts to identify her, she is not the woman taken in adultery: neither is she the sinful woman who anointed the feet of Jesus nor even the sister of Martha and Lazarus. Mary followed Jesus because he had cured her of some mysterious disease ("cast
21
REALITY APRIL 2019
princes of the people join to resist. Herod clothes him in a garment of mockery before sending him back to Pilate. Luke adds another intriguing detail: these two earthly powers who have many reasons to hate one another, now become friends through their joint action against Jesus. Even as he is being condemned, Jesus is still acting as a reconciler of division. Luke adds a new scene to the journey to the cross. He insists that not everyone in Jerusalem was complicit in the death of Jesus. A large crowd follows him, especially a group of women who show their distress (23:26-31). Jesus does not reject their sympathy, but always the prophet, he foretells that something worse lies in store for them. Fifty years later, Jerusalem would be under siege and eventually fall to the Romans in 70 AD. At such a bitter time, mothers would no longer bear to look on their suffering and starving children, but would regret that they had brought them into the world to endure such pain. The words ("say to the mountains fall on us…") are taken directly from the prophet Hosea, predicting the fall of another city, Samaria, the capital of the Northern Kingdom of Israel, in 722 BCE. So great would the anguish be, that people would long for an early death rather
than endure more of the siege. If the fate of Jesus, the green wood of the tree of life, was the cross, what would be the fate of the dry wood? Luke is especially anxious to show us how Jesus dies with dignity, every inch a king. He is the only gospel writer to include a prayer of forgiveness, and even an excuse, for his enemies ("Father, forgive them for they do not know what they are doing"). To the criminal alongside him who prays to be remembered when Jesus comes to his Kingdom, he promises, as a royal benefactor, that he will be with him that very day in paradise (23:39-43). Just as despised shepherds were the first to hear the good news that ‘today’ a saviour had been born, a condemned bandit is the last person to receive the offer of salvation, not at some remote time in the future, but ‘today'. Luke also changes the final words of abandonment of Mark and Matthew, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" to a prayer of confidence – "Father, into your hands I entrust my spirit" (4-49).
out seven devils", as one text says). John pares the story down to its bare essentials because he wants to focus on the personal reaction of the characters. Here it is Mary’s hurry to the disciples, horrified that the tomb appears to have been robbed and there is no trace of Jesus. John’s story of the meeting of Mary with the Risen Jesus is even more personal in its intensity, but you will have to read it in the section immediately following today’s gospel (20:11-18). The second part of the story is how two disciples respond to Mary’s news and rush off to the tomb. There is something a little humorous about Peter being outrun by the younger Beloved Disciple who gets to the tomb first and sees the clothes in which Jesus’ body had been wrapped for burial, empty now and cast aside. The Beloved Disciple stands in sharp contrast to Peter. Just as he outran him in the race to the tomb, he is quicker on the uptake in understanding why the tomb and the grave clothes are empty. They are only slowly
beginning to grasp the truth about Jesus and cannot yet put it all together. There are several reasons why a tomb might be empty: a body might never have been placed in it (eg Jesus was buried in Joseph of Arimathea’s "new tomb"). It could also be empty because the body had been removed or even stolen (what the disciples of Jesus fear). The most unlikely of all is that the dead person has been raised from the dead. An empty tomb is a powerful symbol. For the moment, the Lord appears absent. John will go on to tell how Mary recognises him when he softly speaks her name. Above all, the tomb speaks of a victory over death, the last enemy of humanity
Today’s Readings Isa 50:4-7; Ps 21; 2 Phil 2:6-11; Luke 22:14-23:56
Today’s Readings Acts 10:34, 37-43; Ps 117; Col 3:1-4 (or 1 Cor 5:6-8); John 20:1-9
THE REALITY CROSSWORD NUMBER 3 APRIL 2019
WOUNDS THAT LET THE LIGHT SHINE THROUGH APRIL Today’s gospel tells two stories of the Resurrection of Jesus. The first recounts how he appeared to the disciples on the evening of the first Easter Sunday, SECOND SUNDAY and the second, the story of the appearance to OF EASTER (DIVINE MERCY) Thomas eight days later, is more closely associated with today. The first story emphasises the fear of the disciples, huddled together in a room behind closed doors. Despite having heard that the tomb of Jesus had been discovered empty on Easter Sunday morning, they are still uncertain. Suddenly, Jesus appears among them. He greets them with a word of peace and "showed them his hands and his side". The risen body of the Lord still retains its wounds. They are no longer the signs of suffering, but of victory. The Paschal candle was marked by five nails representing the wounds when it was blessed at the Easter Vigil. It stands in the sanctuary all through the Easter Season as a reminder of the Lord’s victory over death. After he has greeted the disciples, Jesus breathes on them, giving them the gift of the Holy Spirit. This action is highly symbolic. It recalls several passages from the Old Testament. The first describes how God created the first human being from clay, and "breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and the man became a living being" (Gen 2:7). A second important passage is the vision of the prophet Ezekiel who saw the wind stirring the dry bones strewn out in the valley "and they lived, and stood on their feet, a vast multitude" (Ezekiel 37:10). Jesus’ resurrection marks the beginning of the new creation. The message of Easter is a message of forgiveness: like the disciples, we are no longer trapped by memories of sin in an old world of fear. Forgiveness, and its power to transform people with new life, is the heart of the Easter message. Our second story, the appearance of Jesus to Thomas, contains a great deal of humour. Thomas appears as a boastful fellow, sure that he will not be trapped like the others into believing a pious tale that Jesus has come back to life. Only if he can put his hands into the wounds will he believe. Jesus appears as unexpectedly as he did the first time and invites Thomas to put his fingers into the wounds. The boaster is transformed into the devout believer who professes his faith in the familiar words "My Lord and my God". The final words of Jesus in this scene are a word of blessing for people like us who have not seen, yet believe.
28
SOLUTIONS CROSSWORD No. 1 ACROSS: Across: 1. Clocks, 5. Parish, 10. Nastier, 11. Insipid, 12. Grin, 13. Anvil, 15. Sari, 17. Gap, 19. Angola, 21. Igloos, 22. Antioch, 23. Depart, 25. Eagles, 28. Rap, 30. Lone, 31. Denim, 32. Ezra, 35. Keening, 36. Absorbs, 37. Stooge, 38. Elapse. DOWN: 2. Lashing, 3. Cain, 4. Spring, 5. Philip, 6. Rest, 7. Soprano, 8. Enigma, 9. Ad-libs, 14. Vatican, 16. Clare, 18. Ogham, 20. Ant, 21. Ice, 23. Daleks, 24. Pungent, 26. Lazarus, 27. Sparse, 28. Reggae, 29. Pilate, 33. Kilo, 34. Asia.
Winner of Crossword No. 1 Riona Lydon, Roscommon.
ACROSS 1. Time keepers. (6) 5. Catholic administrative district. (6) 10. Retsina is even more unpleasant. (7) 11. Lacking flavour, weak or tasteless. (7) 12. A broad smile. (4) 13. Iron block for shaping metal. (5) 15. Garment traditionally won by women from South Asia. (4) 17. A break in continuity. (3) 19. African country, capital is Luanda. (6) 21. Homes for Inuits. (6) 22. City from which St. Paul started his missionary journeys. (7) 23. Leave to start a journey. (6) 25. Kings of the skies. (6) 28. Strike a type of popular music with a series of quick blows. (3) 30. Solitary or single. (4) 31. The stuff that jeans are made of. (5) 32. Raze the Old Testament book. (4) 35. Wailing in grief for a dead person.. (7) 36. Takes in or soaks up. (7) 37. Larry or Curly or Moe! (6) 38. Pass like time. (6)
DOWN 2. Describes heavy rain in Ireland, also a cord used to fasten something securely. (7) 3. The firstborn son of Adam and Eve. (4) 4. Leap like a season. (6) 5. One of three Apostles from the city of Bethsaida. (6) 6. Cease work to regain strength. (4) 7. The highest singing voice. (7) 8. Something that is mysterious or difficult to understand. (6) 9. Speaks or performs without previously preparing. (2-4) 14. The Eternal City. (7) 16. County of The Burren. (5) 18. Old Irish form of writing. (5) 20. Tan a small insect. (3) 21. Frozen water. (3) 23. Traditional foes of Dr. Who. (6) 24. Having a sharply strong taste or smell. (7) 26. Jesus brought him back from the dead. (7) 27. Spears thinly dispersed. (6) 28. Musical genre from Jamaica. (6) 29. Roman governor of Judea who presided at the trial of Jesus. (6) 33. Metric unit of weight. (4) 34. The largest continent. (4)
Entry Form for Crossword No.3, April 2019 Name:
Today’s Readings
Address: Telephone:
Acts 5:12-16; Ps 117; Apoc 1:9-13, 17-19; John 20:19-31 All entries must reach us by April 30, 2019 One €35 prize is offered for the first correct solutions opened. The Editor’s decision on all matters concerning this competition will be final. Do not include correspondence on any other subject with your entry which should be addressed to: Reality Crossword No.3, Redemptorist Communications, St Joseph's Monastery, Dundalk, County Louth A91 F3FC