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March 21 to March 27, 2018

This year’s Winter Theology presenter

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prepare the way of the lord

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The history of the Stations of the Cross

Actors on being St Paul, St Luke in new film

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Reg no. 1920/002058/06

LENT

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SA youth in Rome to prep youth synod By nEREEShA PAtEL

the parish of Our Lady of Lebanon in Mulbarton, Johannesburg, at last year’s Palm Sunday procession. Palm Sunday is the final Sunday of Lent, the beginning of holy Week, and commemorates the triumphant arrival of Christ in Jerusalem, days before he was crucified. this year Palm Sunday is on March 25. (Photo: Mark Kisogloo)

Benedict XVI: Some criticism of Pope Francis is ‘foolish’ By JunnO AROChO EStEVES

ETIRED Pope Benedict XVI has defended the continuity of the Church’s teaching under his successor and dismissed those who criticise Pope Francis’ theological foundations. In a letter sent to Mgr Dario Vigano, prefect of the Vatican Secretariat for Communication, Pope Benedict applauded the publication of a new book series titled The Theology of Pope Francis. “It contradicts the foolish prejudice of those who see Pope Francis as someone who lacks a particular theological and philosophical formation, while I would have been considered solely a theorist of theology with little understanding of the concrete lives of today’s Christian,” the retired pontiff wrote. Mgr Vigano read the letter during a presentation of the 11-volume series. He said he had invited Pope Benedict “to write a page or a page and a half of dense theology in his clear and punctual style”. Instead, the retired pontiff “wrote a beautiful, personal letter that I will read to you,” Mgr Vigano said. Referring to the book series, which was authored by several notable theologians, Pope Benedict wrote: “These small volumes reasonably demonstrate that Pope Francis is a man

The

Pope Francis greets Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI in 2016. (Photo: L’Osservatore Romano) with profound philosophical and theological formation, and are helpful to see the interior continuity between the two pontificates, even with all the differences in style and temperament.” Pope Benedict has made no secret of his affection for and admiration of Pope Francis. During a Vatican celebration for the 65th anniversary of Pope Benedict’s priestly ordination in 2016, the retired pope expressed his sincere gratefulness to Pope Francis, saying that his goodness “from the first moment of your election, in every moment of my life here, touches me deeply”.—CNS

S outher n C ross

PRETORIA Catholic is among the 300 young people at present in Rome for a preparatory meeting for this year’s Synod of Bishops on the youth. Koketso Mary Zomba, the secretary-general of the Southern African Bishops’ Conference’s Interdiocesan Youth Committee and a youth member at Tshepo pastoral district in Hammanskraal, was selected to represent the Southern African region at the week-long meeting in preparation for the Synod of Bishops on the theme “Youth, Faith and Vocational Discernment”, which will be held at the Vatican in October this year. Ms Zomba was chosen from three nominated candidates under the age of 28. Before departing for Rome, Ms Zomba said that she was “nervous” after finding out that she had been the one chosen by SACBC secretary-general Sr Hermenegild Makoro CPS, based on her active involvement with the youth ministry and reporting abilities. “I thought I might not be the best representative for the meeting considering there were so many energetic and outspoken young people to choose from,” explained Ms Zomba. “But after praying about it, I now know that God chose me for a reason, and I am excited to be the voice of all the young people in Southern Africa.” Since her teenage years, Ms Zomba has been involved in the Church, “a space where I’m able to grow every day in most aspects of my life”. She manages to balance her duties as the secretary-general of the Interdiocesan Youth Committee, a position to which she was elected in 2016, and as a human resources and marketing administrator at an IT consulting company. To represent all the SACBC’s youth ministry, said Ms Zomba, is “a great blessing”. “Apart from my own views, I will positively be able to present those of young people” in the SACBC region, which includes South Africa, Botswana and Swaziland.

Koketso Mary Zomba who is representing the SACBC youth ministry at a pre-Synodal meeting in Rome. (Photo: Peter Akinsipe) “As young people, we have a lot to share with each other and we also hold answers to our questions, so what we don’t share will only remain a mystery. I plan not to do such an injustice to those who have entrusted me with this opportunity,” Ms Zomba said. At the pre-Synodal meeting, Ms Zomba and other delegates have the opportunity to discuss their viewpoints, such as what they think about themselves and adults; how they live their faith and what difficulties they encounter in being Christians; how they see the Church today and how they would like it to be, among other topics. These will be presented in the form of a document to the Synod of Bishops in October. Ms Zomba hopes that the results of the meeting, as well as the synod, will “help one another in solving the challenges we face as young people”. “With so much faith which the Holy Father has shown in calling us to such a gathering, I hope we will produce a document that will make our bishops understand us: what we need, what we can offer, and how they can assist us in all of that,” she said.

A pilgrimage with Bishop Victor Phalana

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the Southern Cross, March 21 to March 27, 2018

LOCAL

New SA hymn written for Our Lady Launch for Winter ERIn CARELSE

Songwriting pair Ryan Papenfus (left) and Santoro Arikum of Our Lady of Mt Carmel parish in Benoni, Johannesburg diocese, have hit the ground running, with media coverage and CDs of their new hymn ‘Our Lady’.

YAN Papenfus and Santoro Arikum from the band Candela have created a unique new hymn dedicated to Mother Mary called “Our Lady”. A copy of the song, which has captured the hearts of parishioners both young and old, has been sent to Pope Francis in the hopes of getting it sanctioned in hymn books. Fr Arwin Tauro of Our Lady of Mount Carmel parish in Benoni, Johannesburg diocese, spurred the songwriting pair. At Mr Arikum’s birthday celebration, Fr Tauro approached him to write a special hymn for the feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. Mr Arikum, who is passionate about songwriting, began to write the very next day and was surprised at how effortlessly the words flowed. “Within 15 minutes the lyrics were complete. Divine inspiration, if you will,” Mr Arikum said. He then approached Mr Papenfus, his music teacher, and friend; a songwriter, lyricist, and multi-instrumentalist, to write the music. Together they decided on a very simple chord progression that could be easily copied and re-interpreted. “After I made a few lyrical adjustments, the music and vocals pulled together with ease,” Mr Papenfus

said. “I quickly sent the acoustic version of the song back to Santoro for his approval. I think he was shocked at how well it had taken shape and at how differently I had interpreted his lyrics.” This unusual and serendipitous collaboration resulted in the new hymn. “The song ‘Our Lady’ epitomises the ‘woman of valour’ in the Book of Proverbs. Our goal is to evangelise with positive, uplifting, and illuminating music and lyrics which surpass race, language, age, or religious persuasion,” Mr Papenfus said. “Our Lady” was officially launched and performed live for the first time at Our Lady of Mount Carmel’s feast day. Mr Arikum’s daughters Shannel and Dalveena, and Mr Papenfus’ young daughter

Leah, provided musical backing along with the church choir. Around 100 CDs were sold for charity on the night. The demand for copies of the song and its sudden popularity drew the attention of local newspapers and the songwriting pair were featured in both the Benoni City Times as well as the Boksburg Advertiser. “This song has very special meanings for both of us,” Mr Papenfus said, “and is a personal dedication to all women—mothers, sisters, and daughters—who humble us with their patience, as well as a celebration of their power, tenderness, and love.” n To buy a copy of the CD, contact Ryan Papenfus on ryan@mamba group.co.za, or Santoro Arikum on arikumsantoro44@gmail.com

Theology priest By ERIn CARELSE

HE Jesuit Institute will host the April 19 local launch of a book on cultivating vibrant parishes by this year’s presenter of the Winter Theology series of lectures. Canadian Fr James Mallon will be speaking in Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town in August. His book, Divine Renovation: From a Maintenance to a Missional Parish, aims to help parishes become dynamic faith communities centred on missionary discipleship. Many parishes seem to have lost their missionary zeal and are, as Fr Mallon says, into “maintenance” alone. This, he argues, has consequences for catechesis, preaching, and the general health of a parish community. Fr Mallon is the episcopal vicar for parish renewal and leadership support for the archdiocese of Halifax-Yarmouth in Canada. His earlier book, the Divine Renovation Guidebook, which was a stepby-step manual for transforming parishes, was published in 2016. The launch of Divine Renovation will be held on April 19 at 18:30 at the Jesuit Institute at 15 Molesey Av-

Fr James Mallon will present this year’s Winter theology series of lectures. the Jesuit Institute will host the local launch of Fr Mallon’s latest book in Johannesburg. enue, Auckland Park, Johannesburg. The keynote speaker will be theologian and scripture scholar Fr Martin Badenhorst OP. Members of parish pastoral councils are especially encouraged to attend, the Jesuit Institute said. n To attend the book launch, e-mail invitations@jesuitinstitute.org.za by Tuesday, April 16.

Bicentennial Mass planned at Jo’burg’s Marian shrine By ERIn CARELSE

OHANNESBURG archdiocese, as part of the year-long bicentennial of the Catholic Church in South Africa, will celebrate with Mass and the rosary on April 21 at the Mother of Mercy Shrine in Magaliesburg. The rosary will be at 9:30 fol-

lowed by Mass at 10:00, and all parishes in the archdiocese are requested to participate. Funds will also be raised for the shrine project, and an appeal has been made to all the faithful to bring a donation of at least R50. The Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference has recom-

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mended that all dioceses celebrate the Church’s bicentennial milestone, as it is a special moment of looking back at the growth of Catholicism in the country. The SACBC said this is a time of “paying profound homage to the missionaries, men and women, who devoted themselves ... to the

task of transmitting the torch of the Christian faith”, (Pope John Paul 11’s Ecclesia in Africa). The bicentennial celebrations are planned to culminate with national Masses of Thanksgiving at noon on June 10 in every cathedral, parish and mission station throughout Southern Africa.

A recording from Pope Francis will be aired, and the special candles distributed to all bishops at the inaugural Mass in Cape Town will be lit in every cathedral in South Africa, Botswana, and Swaziland. Bells will be rung to symbolise the solidarity of faith between everyone.

‘Worming’ your way to loving language By ERIn CARELSE

HREE young women from the Witbank diocese’s Catholic Young Adults (CYA) group have started a literacy initiative for children in the Church between the ages of seven and 13, which they hope other dioceses will adopt. Innocentia Mokganyetsi, Lekgale Mokota, and Modireleng Mampuru are the founders of Literacy Worms, a reading competition in which children compete in English and African languages. Launched and founded in the Sekhukhune deanery of Witbank diocese in 2017, the competition’s regional rounds were held in 2017 and the deanery final round in February. Ms Mokganyetsi said the competition is intended to improve literacy from a young age, nurture a love for language and reading, boost children’s confidence in each parish, and participate in church activities, especially during the liturgy of the word.

Witbank diocese’s Catholic young Adults group is running children’s literacy classes, with competitions between parishes. “Church has come to mean more than a place of prayer. Today, a church’s function has broadened to solve a number of social problems, including educational issues,” she said.

“Being a yearly community outreach activity for CYA, the contest was inspired by serving and relating to the young community in a way that excites them and would potentially have a long-term effect on their lives in general,” Ms Mokganyetsi noted. At the heart of this initiative is a belief that by building literacy in churches and teaching children to read, they are being groomed to become sharp, literate and strong-minded adults. “Being part of Literacy Worms encourages reading, which is a fundamental skill that children have to learn, as it improves confidence, discipline, and knowledge,” Ms Mokganyetsi said. The three parishes that took part in the competition were Luckau, Mashabela and Schoonoord, with 20 children taking part. The overall top readers were Kefilwe Mampuru and Nqobile Tshabangu. They were each awarded a copy of Mathilda Sibanyoni’s book The Foreign Me.

Job-training courses offered

YOUTH project in Cape Town is offering various skills courses in the fields of computers, food preparation, bricklaying, and sewing—for only R200 each. The courses offered by the Salesians aim to give young people the social and job skills they need to support themselves. Part of the Salesians’ Youth Employment Skills programme, the courses will run from Monday to Friday. All classes start with intensive

group training in life skills, where young people learn about personal development, the work environment, and social challenges. Courses in Computer Literacy & Office Management, and Computer Maintenance & Mobile App Development, will run from May 7 to June 29 (and after that from July 2 to August 24, August 20 to October 12, and October 8 to November 30). Participants must have a minimum of Grade 12.

Courses in Food Preparation, Bricklaying & Plastering, and Sewing, will run from May 7 to August 24 (and repeated from August 20 to November 30). the minimum requirement for these courses is Grade 9. To register, applicants must produce their ID document, Grade 12 certificate (where applicable) or Grade 9 school report. n For more information contact Sive Ngqwala on 021 421 3450 or 021 421 4683, or e-mail Sive. Ngqwala@salesianyouth.org.za

LOCAL

the Southern Cross, March 21 to March 27, 2018

New priest’s experiences ‘life-changing’ By nEREEShA PAtEL

MONTH after his ordination to the priesthood, “lifechanging” and “amazing” are the words Fr Denardo Gnanapragas used to describe his initial experience as a priest. Joined by his friends, family and fellow clergy, Fr Gnanapragas was ordained by Cardinal Wilfrid Napier of Durban in Emmanuel cathedral. “My ordination was really a gracefilled experience,” said Fr Gnanapragas, who hails from Good Shepherd parish in Phoenix, Durban. “Serving the people of God and being able to celebrate Holy Mass has deepened my faith and drawn me closer to God. I find myself looking at things from a different perspective, that of a shepherd and servant of the people.” Fr Gnanapragas was born in Dur-

ban in 1977. Growing up in Phoenix, faith played an important part of his life. His parents, the religious of Good Shepherd parish and his active participation in Church life helped to nurture his relationship with Jesus, he said. “Through discernment and prayer, I was able to recognise the call of God in my life, and through his grace I was able to respond to the call,” he explained. From 2003-07, Fr Gnanapragas studied for a philosophy degree at St Joseph’s Theological Institute in Cedara, near Pietermaritzburg. While there, he joined the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate as a scholastic. He participated in a year-long regency programme in 2006, which saw him working at St Luke’s mission in Lupane, Zimbabwe.

In mid-2007, Fr Gnanapragas left the Oblates to take a personal break. He then completed his studies in theology at St John Vianney Seminary in Pretoria from 2013-17. Through the support of formators and spiritual directors, as well as participating in retreats and prayer, Fr Gnanapragas said, his vocation grew and strengthened. Right now he is assisting the parish priest at Good Shepherd, where he was ordained to the diaconate last August, but will soon be receiving a new appointment. “My life has changed totally,” said Fr Gnanapragas, “and I extend my deepest gratitude to my family, friends, the priests of Good Shepherd, the parish community and Cardinal Napier for all the support, guidance, love and prayers they have given me over the years.”

Fr Denardo Gnanapragas of Phoenix, Durban, was ordained a priest by Cardinal Wilfrid napier in Emmanuel cathedral.

Diakonia invites Catholics to Good Friday service StAFF REPORtER

ATHOLICS are invited to join the Diakonia Council of Churches, when it presents its annual ecumenical Good Friday service on Friday, March 30, starting at the Durban Exhibition Centre (DEC) before processing, in silence, through the streets of the city to the Durban City Hall. The well-established tradition of the ecumenical, multi-lingual Good Friday service has become not only the flagship of Diakonia but also a major event on the Durban calendar, attended by thousands of people who gather together at the most auspicious time for Christians, to commemorate the crucifixion of Jesus and his death on Calvary. Each year, the service highlights a particular aspect of national suffering or injustice. The service this year will focus on the theme “Do Not Fear, Stand Firm”. Nomabelu Mvambo-Dandala, executive director of Diakonia, said those participating will be reflecting on what it means to stand firm in their faith.

the Diakonia Council of Churches will again be holding its annual Durban Good Friday ecumenical service. this year the theme is “Do not Fear, Stand Firm”. Supporting Diakonia are (from left) Sabelo Mthembu, Kendall King (Do not Fear), Sloane Goldstone (Stand Firm), Alison Goldstone, Lorna Charles Bux, Sasha Lee King (In truth) and Siya Msomi (In hope). (Photo: Val Adamson) “This Good Friday we will be reflecting on an internal journey to see if we are ready for God’s vision for us as individuals. We need to

stand firm, even if it means standing alone—standing in truth, in hope, in justice, and in faith. The world, and at times our country,

Pilgrimage to Poland and Medjugorje

Led by Father Charles Rensburg OMI the Catholic nurses’ Guild met with their national chaplain, Fr Michael Rasello, in Kroonstad to prepare for their AGM and congress in Welkom from June 22-24.

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Thanksgiving Pilgrimage Led by Fr Alfred Igwebuike Rome, Assisi, Monte San Angelo, San Giovanni Rotondo, Medjugorje 23 September – 07 October 2018 R35 995.00 incl. Airport taxes

Pilgrimage to Italy

Led by Fr Siﬁso Ntshangase

Rome, Vatican, San Giovanni Rotondo, Assisi 30 September – 09 October 2018 R27 995.00 incl. Airport taxes

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may seem like it is in turmoil, with rampant prejudice, corruption, crime and financial strife,” Ms Mvambo-Dandala said. “While most of us feel we should rather look away and focus on ourselves, our families and our work stresses, we must ask if we are doing what God wants us to do in our land.” The sermon will be delivered by Reverend Thulani Ndlazi, the synod secretary of the United Congregational Church of Southern Africa (UCCSA), a position he has held since 2013. Prior to moving to Johannesburg to take up this role, he was based in Durban from 2011-12 as moderator of the UCCSA for the KwaZulu-Natal region. Durban people will remember him as the programme manager of the Church Land Programme based in Pietermaritzburg from 2004, in which he spearheaded and coordinated the first ecumenical Land Matters Project, focusing on land and human rights, in KwaZulu-Natal. He also co-facilitated the research-based Bible Study produc-

tion process, which led to a formation of another rural social movement, called Rural Network. Meditative singing will start at 5:15, with the first part of the service taking place at 6:00. The congregation will then proceed through the streets of Durban in silent public witness. The service will then conclude at about 8:15 at the City Hall with the flowering of the Cross—as an act of commitment by all present to work for a just society and take up God’s call. Limited parking and street parking is available at the DEC, with additional off-street parking around the City Hall. Transport back to the DEC from the City Hall will be arranged for the elderly and the infirm. Entry to the Good Friday service is free, with a collection being taken during the service to help fund the costs of the event, and the organisers have appealed to all congregants to contribute generously. All are welcome. n For more info, contact the Diakonia Council of Churches on 031 310 3500 or visit www.diakonia.org.za

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the Southern Cross, March 21 to March 27, 2018

INTERNATIONAL

Good Friday collection to Syrian nuncio: ‘It’s like aid Christians in Holy Land the Rwandan genocide’ C A S the Vatican’s annual Good Friday Collection approaches, the head of the Congregation for the Eastern Churches has encouraged people to take pilgrimages to the Holy Land, in addition to supporting the local Christian communities through prayer and monetary assistance. “All of us are invited to resume pilgrimage to the Holy Land, because of the knowledge, and the living experience of the places of our redemption,” Cardinal Leonardo Sandri wrote in a letter. “Walking in the steps of Jesus, Mary, Joseph and the disciples, helps us to deepen our faith and also to understand the context in which Christians live in the Holy Land,” he said, noting that pilgrimages are also a source of income for thousands of families. As it did last year, the Good Friday Collection will benefit people in the Holy Land, as well as Jordan, Cyprus, Syria, Lebanon, Egypt, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Turkey, and Iraq. In a letter accompanying the announcement, Cardinal Sandri explained the importance of prayer and monetary support for the Holy Land, stating that unless we take on the “spirit of Christ, who emptied himself” unto death on a cross, “the outcry of our brother will remain unheard and the faces of thousands of less fortunate people remain unnoticed”. Among these people are the thousands of families who have

the remains of St Mary’s Syrian Orthodox church in homs, Syria. (Photo: Aid to the Church in need) fled the war in Syria and Iraq, Cardinal Sandri continued, especially children and young people, “who appeal to our generosity in order to resume their scholastic life and dream of a better future”. He said that Lent especially is a good time to help others through works of charity, and contributing to the Good Friday Collection is one way to show solidarity and accompany our brothers and sisters who are in difficulty. These cries break our hearts and invite us to embrace them “through Christian charity, a sure source of hope”, he said. The Good Friday Collection has been an annual tradition since its

institution by Pope Paul VI. According to Pope Paul VI, the collection was created “not only for the Holy Places but above all for those pastoral, charitable, educational, and social works which the Church supports in the Holy Land for the welfare of their Christian brethren and of the local communities”. In 2017, the collection received approximately R83 million in benefit of the Church in the Middle East. The funds went towards education expenses for priests, seminarians, religious, and youth; support for local Churches; emergency relief; and the reconstruction of Iraq’s Nineveh Plain.—CNA

HRISTIAN activists warn that 1 million Syrian civilians will face certain slaughter in north-western Afrin, where they allege Turkey and its militant allies have already carried out “war crimes” and “ethnic cleansing”. They have appealed to international leaders to stop the bloodshed, warning that failure to act jeopardises the hard-fought military campaign against ISIS in Syria. Civilians from other parts of Syria and outside the country have reportedly offered to stand as “human shields” between the Kurdish-backed fighters and Turkish forces set to storm Afrin. Cardinal Mario Zenari, apostolic nuncio to Syria, said: “I have never seen so much violence as in Syria.” He likened the situation to the 1994 Rwandan genocide. The nuncio called the situation in the war-ravaged land “hell on earth”, especially for vulnerable children. In March, Syria's conflict entered its eighth year. More than 350 000 people have died, 5 million are

refugees and 6,3 million civilians are displaced within the country. Syria is currently “one of the most dangerous places for children”, Cardinal Zenari said. “It’s terrible. I always say, it’s a massacre of the innocents.” Two Christian activists, Bassam Ishak and Lauren Homer, told CNS of the relentless assault by Turkey and militants from hardline jihadist movements, including ISIS. “Turkey has committed war crimes and ethnic cleansing already in Afrin and the Federation of Northern Syria,” or FNS, they said. “Turkey has already cleared villages of Yazidis, Kurds, Christians and others, promising to replace them with Syrian refugees. In fact, Afrin already has enlarged its population by 50% to house internally displaced Syrians, who are among those being killed, injured or captured,” they said. People in and around Afrin are facing the warplanes, tanks, artillery and other heavy weapons of NATO’s second-largest standing army, Turkey.—CNS

Cardinal Lehmann theologian, dies 81 By CAROL GLAtZ

ARDINAL Karl Lehmann, longtime president of the German bishops’ conference and a respected theologian who participated in the Second Vatican Council, died on March 11 aged 81 at his home in Mainz. He was born May 16, 1936, in Sigmaringen, Germany, and became a priest in Rome in 1963. There he attended sessions of the Second Vatican Council. Before being made bishop of Mainz in 1983, he was professor of theology at the city’s university. Cardinal Lehmann’s death was marked by an outpouring of tributes from all major German media, including Der Spiegel, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Die Welt, Deutsche Welle, and German radio stations. Expressing her sadness upon hearing of Cardinal Lehmann’s death, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said in a statement that she was “deeply grateful” for the conversations and meetings she had with him over the years. She called him “an exceptionally gifted mediator,” not only in talks between German Catholics and the Vatican, but “also in the spirit of the economic movement between the Christian churches and between Christians and believers of other religions”, according to Vatican News. Cardinal Lehmann led the German bishops’ conference for 21 years, resigning in 2008 because of health issues. However, he continued to lead the diocese of Mainz—

Cardinal Karl Lehmann, longtime president of the German bishops’ conference and a respected theologian who participated in Vatican II, died on March 11 at age of 81. (Photo: Paul haring/CnS) where he was appointed in 1983— until 2016, when he turned 80. Although as president of the German bishops’ conference, Cardinal Lehmann often mediated between the Church and the Vatican—he was one of three German bishops who in 1994 allowed Communion to be given to Catholics who were divorced and remarried without their first marriages being annulled, until the Vatican stopped the practice. After months of dialogue with the three bishops, the Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith issued a letter to the world’s bishops restating that Catholics in that situation could not receive Communion. He was a supporter of dialogue with the main Lutheran church organisation in Germany and joined with its leaders in making public statements on social issues. Pope John Paul II made him a cardinal in 2001.—CNS

Pope: True Christians take risks By CAROL GLAtZ

RUE Christians take risks to constantly seek out Christ, because they know that receiving God’s grace is just the beginning of a lifelong journey toward real joy, Pope Francis said. Settling and being content with the first grace one receives from God is like filling up on the appetiser and leaving the restaurant unaware that the best was yet to come, he said in his homily at morning Mass in the Domus Sanctae Marthae. “There are lots of stationary Christians who do not walk, bogged down by everyday things,” he said. They are good people, he said, “but they do not grow, they stay small”.

They are like “parked Christians —they park themselves. Caged Christians who do not know how to fly with the dream of this beautiful thing the Lord calls us to,” he said. God is inviting everyone to keep going and seek the joy and delight of being with the Lord, the pope said. “Do I seek the Lord this way? Or am I afraid? Am I mediocre? What is the measure of my longing? The antipasto or the whole banquet?” he asked. He asked that people maintain that yearning for God and not get too comfy, but “go forward a bit, take risks. The true Christian takes risks and leaves one’s comfort zone.”—CNS

INTERNATIONAL

the Southern Cross, March 21 to March 27, 2018

Story of the miracle for Romero sainthood By RhInA GuIDOS

HOUGH Church authorities in El Salvador said they would wait to give more details of a Vatican-approved miracle that has cleared the way for the canonisation of Archbishop Oscar Romero, a Salvadoran newspaper published an account of a 35-year-old woman who said her husband’s prayer asking for the intercession of Bl Romero saved her life. The newspaper El Diario de Hoy said a woman named Cecilia in August 2015, after she gave birth, was diagnosed with HELLP syndrome, a life-threatening condition that affects some pregnant women and damages the liver. The newspaper story said a doctor told Cecilia’s husband that her liver and a kidney were damaged and, “if you believe in something, in a god, pray for her because the way she is, it’s likely that she’ll die”. HELLP is an abbreviation of the three main features of the syndrome: destruction of red blood cells, elevated liver enzymes and

Bl Oscar Romero in 1979. (Photo: Octavio Duran/CnS) low platelet count. The husband went home to pray, opened a bible his grandmother had given him, saw a card with Bl Romero’s image in it, and even though he’d had an “aversion” to his grandmother’s prayers to the slain Salvadoran archbishop, he prayed for his intercession, the story said. Though Cecilia had slipped into a coma, she awoke on September 10 and made a full recovery, the

newspaper said. The couple told the newspaper they knew it was a miracle and decided not to tell anyone about it but eventually confided in their priest, who secured the documentation to send to the Vatican. The Vatican announced that the decree approving a miracle attributed to Bl Romero’s intercession had been approved. Archbishop Romero was assassinated on March 24, 1980, as he celebrated Mass following several public denunciations of violence against civilians in the Central America nation. He had spoken out against injustice towards the poor that was leading to a conflict that would last 12 years and leave more than 70 000 dead. He was beatified on May 23, 2015. At a meeting with Cardinal Angelo Amato, prefect of the Congregation for Saints’ Causes, Pope Francis formally signed the decree recognising the miracle needed to advance the sainthood cause of Bl Romero. No date has been announced for his canonisation.—CNS

Catholics slam new Israel law to expel East Jerusalem Palestinians By JuDIth SuDILOVSKy

NEW Israeli law that allows the government to revoke the permanent residency status of Palestinians living in East Jerusalem is contrary to international law, said the director of a Catholic legal aid centre. “Under international law, East Jerusalem is occupied territory, and the Palestinians living in East Jerusalem...are under [Israeli] occupation. So this new law would require people under occupation to be loyal to the occupying power. Clearly this is contrary to international law,” said Raffoul Rofa, director of the Society of St Yves Catholic Centre for Human Rights. “The new law requires non-citizens of the State of Israel to be loyal to a country they are not citizens of,” said Mr Rofa. The St Yves society, working under the patronage of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, provides free legal aid to those who need it. According to the law, the residency status of East Jerusalem Palestinians can be revoked if they engage in “terror” or other “antiIsrael activities”. The law also will allow for the state to deport any-

Palestinians wait to cross an Israeli roadblock in occupied East Jerusalem. A new law allows the Israeli interior minister to revoke the permanent residency status of Palestinians living in East Jerusalem. (Photo: Ammar Awad, Reuters) one whose residency status has been withdrawn. The law stipulates three situations in which residency can be revoked: if the original status was granted under false pretences, if the resident endangered public safety or security, or if he betrays

the State of Israel. Unlike Palestinians living in the West Bank and Gaza, East Jerusalem Palestinian residents— who were born in Jerusalem—are subject to Israeli law, although they have only permanent residence status in Jerusalem and do not have Israeli citizenship. They are legally stateless, as they also do not have Palestinian or Jordanian citizenship. “In general, Palestinians in East Jerusalem are always under threat of losing their residency,” said Mr Rofa. “If they live outside Jerusalem for more than seven years or take on citizenship in a different country”, they can lose their residency. Esawi Freige, an IsraeliArab member of parliament, was quoted as saying the law is intended to “empty East Jerusalem of its Palestinian residents”.—CNS

Pope asks youth to write meditations for Way of Cross By CAROL GLAtZ

the Colosseum is pictured before the Way of the Cross on Good Friday in Rome. (Photo: Paul haring/CnS)

N light of this year’s Synod of Bishops on young people, Pope Francis has asked that the Way of the Cross meditations be written by a group of students. An Italian high school religion teacher is coordinating the texts that will be written by 15 of his students in Rome, the Vatican announced. Each year, the pope asks a different person or group of people to write the meditations for the night-time Holy Week event at Rome’s Colosseum. This year, Good Friday falls on March 30. The pope named Andrea Monda, an Italian writer with degrees in law and religious studies, who quit his job in the legal department of an Italian bank to teach high school religion classes. He is overseeing and collecting the different texts for the 14 stations of the cross, the Vatican said. The pope wanted today’s younger generation to reflect on the Passion of Christ, Vatican News reported.—CNS

A priest hears confession from Pope Francis in St Peter’s basilica at the Vatican. (Photo: Stefano Rellandini, Reuters/CnS)

Pope to confessors: Bring people closer to Jesus By CAROL GLAtZ

GOOD confessor is a good listener, Pope Francis said. By truly listening to the penitent during confession, “we listen to Jesus himself, poor and humble; by listening to the Holy Spirit, we put ourselves in attentive obedience, becoming listeners of the Word” in order to know what God wants to be done, he said. This is how priests can offer “the greatest service” to all penitents, especially the young, because “we put them in touch with Jesus himself”, he said. The pope spoke to hundreds of confessors and other participants attending an annual course on the sacrament of reconciliation, sponsored by the Apostolic Penitentiary, a Vatican court that handles issues

related to the absolution of sin. A confessor must never forget that he is not the source of mercy or grace, but he is, however, an “indispensable instrument, but always just an instrument”, the pope said. Being a conduit between the Holy Spirit and the penitent does not diminish this ministry, rather it leads to its fulfilment, he said. The more the priest “disappears and Christ, the supreme and eternal priest, appears more clearly”, the more the priest fulfils his vocation as “an unprofitable servant”. The pope asked confessors to be witnesses of mercy, “humble listeners of young people and of God’s will for them; always be respectful of the conscience and freedom of those who come to the confessional, because God himself loves their freedom”.—CNS

the Southern Cross, March 21 to March 27, 2018

LEADER PAGE LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Editor: GĂźnther Simmermacher

Guest editorial: Kelvin Banda OP

The victory of the cross over death

HE cross, which we behold in a special way on Good Friday, was used as a method of capital punishment by many societies, including the Romans, from about the 6th century BC to the 4th century AD. Constantine the Great, the first Christian emperor, abolished it in his empire in AD 337, out of veneration for Jesus Christ, the most famous victim of crucifixion. Every blessing in life is designed to magnify the cross of Christâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;every good thing in life is meant to magnify Christ and Christ crucified. Christ died for our sins on the cross, and took away the wrath of God from us, and secured for usâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;even though we do not deserve itâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;the omnipotent grace of God that brings everything together for the good of humanity. The cross is the central theme and foundation image of Christian faith. The cross is the salvation event of Christ to humanity through which all have been saved and restored to life in Christ. St Paulâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s letters carry the constant theme of the crucifixionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s essential role in our redemption: â&#x20AC;&#x153;During my stay with you, the only knowledge I claimed to have was about Jesus, and only about him as the crucified Christâ&#x20AC;? (I Cor-inthians 2:2); â&#x20AC;&#x153;As for me, the only thing I can boast about is the cross of our Lord Jesus, through whom the world is crucified through me, and I to the worldâ&#x20AC;? (Galatians 6:14). Through the cross, Christ denied himself (his Godhead), and became a slave for our sake so that we may have life in abundance. This has a consequence for us: through the cross and on a daily basis we need to deny ourselves (our wants and desires), and in so doing take up our own cross by virtue of our willingness to live out and preach the cross of Christ: the Gospel. This daily experience of living and preaching the cross may cause us to suffer rejection, deprivation, and division with friends or family members or

colleagues. In extreme circumstance, we must be prepared to die for Christâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;the Gospelâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;as many of our fellow Christians do, even today. In this way we follow Christ to Golgotha where the cross brought salvation. The cross on which Christ died shines like the â&#x20AC;&#x153;bright morning starâ&#x20AC;? after his birth (Matthew 2:2). The cross of Christ must be revered as the tree of life: the event of salvation. The message of the cross of Jesus Christ is that only God can bring perfect justice to the world that God created, and that God has done so in the body of Jesus Christ our Saviour, and that God will do so in the future Day of the Lord. The cross therefore demonstrates the victory of Godâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;redeeming love over the destructive power of sin (John 12:30-33; Colossians 2:15). In the death of Christ, God delivered the final blow to human sin and rebellion and brought salvation to the world. The Church, as a people of God, is called to witness to the victory of the cross through preaching its true significance and joyfully submitting to the rule of Christ only as the Spirit works in prayer to awaken faith in human hearts (Luke 11:1-13; Colossians 4:2-6). It is for this reason that prayer is essential to all the tasks of the Christian community. We are called to witness to the victory of Jesus Christ in our whole lives through the cross: to make known the Good News of Godâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; as St Paul reminded us, the renewed reign over creation (1 Corinthians 10:31; Colossians 3:17). Thus, the work of the Church must be understood as part of the call of God to proclaim the Good News of his kingdomâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;a kingdom which is in our own day both present and yet-to-come only in the power of the cross of Christ. The cross of Christ refers to the suffering that comes because of proclaiming and living the Gospel. The cross of Christ has won the victory.

The Editor reserves the right to shorten or edit published letters. Letters below 300 words receive preference. Pseudonyms are acceptable only under special circumstances and at the Editorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s discretion. Name and address of the writer must be supplied. No anonymous letter will be considered.

Celticâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Protestant manager R OSS Ahlfeldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s interesting article on the Irish in Scotland (March 7) deserves further comment, and I write this letter as the final whistle has just blown in Glasgow, with Celtic beating that other team 3-2. The Irish, mainly from the south of the country, had a powerful influence on not just religion but also the very culture of the indigenous, mainly Calvinist, Scots population, who were understandably threatened by what some perceived as being an invasion. It is not difficult to find local parallels here with migrant workers in South Africa. My own hometown of Dumbarton, north of Glasgow on the Clyde, saw its population almost doubling in half a generation and, as that was

Godâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s revelation not deep-frozen

REGRET that my column â&#x20AC;&#x153;Safe answers not always the bestâ&#x20AC;? (February 7) should have given the mistaken impression to letter writer JH Goossens that â&#x20AC;&#x153;Mgr Hill informs us that Pope Francis wants to introduce a third exemption to the indissolubility of marriageâ&#x20AC;? (February 28). This I deny. There can be no change in revealed truth, the â&#x20AC;&#x153;deposit of faithâ&#x20AC;?. But this does not mean that Godâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s revelation is eternally, immutably, deep-frozen. The early Church welcomed the new tools of Greek philosophy to penetrate the revelation more deeply (logos, substance, etc). The history of the early councils shows how they slowly achieved greater precision, as expressed in the Creed we recite at Mass. It took 400 years. John Henry Newmanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 1845 An Essay on the Development of Christian Doctrine was denounced at the time, with some of the English hierarchy labelling him a heretic. He was later made a cardinal. Pope Benedict XVI acknowledged the value of his contribution, and beatified him. In the application of Godâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s law to our moral life, the Church must give guidance. This is given in the form of laws, which the Church can make, alter or remove. And this power is strictly scriptural: â&#x20AC;&#x153;To bind or to loose ...â&#x20AC;? Judgments are given in marriage cases by the Churchâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tribunals: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Was this a true marriage, or was it not?â&#x20AC;? Such judgments are not infallible. The judge must pronounce according to the evidence available at the time. This evidence can be incomplete, insufficient. In which case, the Church has another rule: â&#x20AC;&#x153;In case of doubt, the presumption is that the marriage is valid.â&#x20AC;? This too is only a presumption,

due to the immigration of Irish Catholics, it did indeed take time for the situation to stabilise. Similar situations developed in other western areas of Britain, including Manchester and Liverpool. During my early daysâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;I was born in 1947â&#x20AC;&#x201D;this was associated with a powerful anti-Irish, and therefore anti-Catholic, sentiment. Hence it was very difficult for first- and second-generation Scotsborn Irish to gain decent jobs; anything in the police, trades and local councils was impossible; thus the advent of the Irish navvy philosophy; they took any job on offer. It did have a positive side, as the religious persecution we experienced had a powerful uplifting effect on the Catholic faith. One not an infallible pronouncement. The marriage may be invalid, in factâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;but this canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be proven. Such are the problems of today and of our discussion. Fortunately, in The Southern Cross of February 28, there is an explanation of Pope Francisâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; attitude towards those who challenge him. Truth emerges from dialogue, not from mutual denunciation. Mgr Vincent Hill, Pretoria

Mgr Hill and his beloved Latin

N responding to Mgr Hillâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s letter â&#x20AC;&#x153;Why are some unable to change?â&#x20AC;? (February 6), on some of the objections to the introduction of the vernacular in the Mass, I note his statement that he loves Latin. That is indeed so. I recall the years when Mgr Hill was our parish priest at Maria Regina in Lyttelton, Pretoria, and the many hours he spent drilling our undisciplined choir members. The memory which remains clear was his insistence each Advent that we practise Hodie Christus Natus Est. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Christmas,â&#x20AC;? Mgr Hill would say, â&#x20AC;&#x153; is never complete without the Hodie!" Athalie Duigan, Centurion

Food for thought

PEAKING about lack of concern today for loss of life, Pope Francis declared a Friday in Lent, February 23, as a special day of prayer and fasting for peace (particularly in Africa). He asked â&#x20AC;&#x153;our non-Catholic and non-Christian brothers and sisters to join in the way they believe most opportuneâ&#x20AC;?. My husbandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s groupâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s monthly supper was on February 23, and before eating, they said the Stations of the Cross and prayed â&#x20AC;&#x153;for peace in South Africa, Africa, and the worldâ&#x20AC;?.

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wonders if such similar persecution were to develop now â&#x20AC;Ś would we find people flocking back to the Church? Mr Ahlfeld does not highlight the depth of anti-Catholic feelings that arose, and how this infiltrated football. Glasgow Rangers did not sign a Catholic until the late 1980s! Celtic FC can be justifiably proud of the fact that while they had a solid founding in Catholicism, this did not lead to exclusivity. The famous Lisbon Lions of 1967â&#x20AC;&#x201D;the Glasgow Celtic side who won the European Cupâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;were managed by a Protestant, Jock Stein, and always welcomed and contained Protestants. Congratulations on such a stimulating article. Deacon Alex Niven, Johannesburg Opinions expressed in The Southern Cross, especially in Letters to the Editor, do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editor or staff of the newspaper, or of the Catholic hierarchy. the letters page in particular is a forum in which readers may exchange opinions on matters of debate. Letters must not be understood to necessarily reflect the teachings, disciplines or policies of the Church accurately. Letters can be sent to POâ&#x20AC;&#x2C6;Box 2372, Cape Town 8000 or editor@scross.co.za or faxed to 021 465-3850

This comes from a Southern African Catholic Bishopsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Conference prayer which prefaces the St Francis prayer with the words, â&#x20AC;&#x153;O God of justice and love, bless us, the people of [country], Africa, and the world, and help us to live in your mercy, love, justice and peace ...â&#x20AC;? Two little thoughts: Does the story of Simon of Cyrene give us hope that Africa will again help Christ to carry the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s suffering, and does Veronicaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s caring act foreshadow that women will lead the world to more compassion? The attendance at the menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s supper of people from various nationalities, faiths and backgrounds was a reminder that Jesus, at the Last Supper, prayed, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Father, may they all be one.â&#x20AC;? Our little sacrifice of a â&#x20AC;&#x153;meatlessâ&#x20AC;? meal of vegetable lasagne and the caring service of all involved mirrored Jesusâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; loving act when he washed the feet of all the disciples. Our loving Father could not resist giving us a â&#x20AC;&#x153;big bangâ&#x20AC;? to finish our evening: lightning flashed and a roll of thunder shook our hall. My husband and I drove home 15km through the storm, and arrived safely as we said the last Hail Mary of our usual rosary. Deo gratias! Wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t it be wonderful if influential bodies, such as the United Nations, could have gatherings like our simple supper and with caring attitudes like those of St Francisâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; prayer perhaps solve the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s problems? Athaly Jenkinson, East London

the Southern Cross, March 21 to March 27, 2018

PERSPECTIVES

What do we pray for? O VER the past few weeks, Catholics and people of other faiths have been praying for the rains to come to avert the crisis. So in recent weeks, some believers have been thanking God for the rain that has come, however little it has been, as an answer to their prayers. I do not want to undermine or diminish the power of prayer, but it is worth asking ourselves what we feel the act of prayer in itself is actually doing. Some religious people see the drought as evidence of divine anger at humankind. God therefore needs to be satisfied (propitiated) before he sends rain. Even if this is how you see God’s relationship with human beings, a widespread drought would seem to be a strange choice of punishment for God to use in this day and age. After all, it affects everyone—even though presumably not all Capetonians have angered God equally. And have the people of Cape Town been notably more evil and sinful than the rest of us? As is already evident by some people buying water or setting up private desalination plants, it is actually the poor who will suffer most from such a supposedly divine blanket judgment. Are some pastors seriously arguing that God has sent the drought so that the poor will really suffer while the rich can prove again that they can find a way to avoid divine punishment? That does not sound like a plausible image of God. So if it is not propitiating an angry God, what exactly are we doing when we are praying? We cannot possibly be reminding God that the Cape needs rain—God knows that already. Nor can we be trying to change God’s mind—it is a definitive characteristic of God that God is unchanging. So we cannot claim that once God receives enough prayers he will have a change of heart and rain will follow. Following this logic, what quantity of prayers is required to get the dams up to 40% or 60% or even 100%? Theologians have grappled for centuries to try and explain the purpose of prayer. I

am unlikely to solve that in a few hundred words. But one explanation I do find convincing is that prayer is effective not because it changes the heart of God but because it changes our hearts. As soon as we pray for something, we automatically become more aware of it. We might feel that we are already grateful for our food, but formally saying Grace before a meal, especially if said out loud and with other people, makes sure that we really are grateful and that we remember those who are without food. In the same way, people in other parts of South Africa who, for the moment at least, are not worried about having enough water are nevertheless praying for our neighbours struggling in Cape Town. When we do so, it makes us more actively conscious of their plight. That’s a good start.

ut it’s only a start. The great Archbishop Bl Oscar Romero, martyred 38 years ago this weekend, had a lovely response to people who offered prayers when faced with a problem: “To pray and then sit back and wait for something to happen, isn’t holiness—it’s laziness!” So having started with prayers, what should we do next? We might be moved to take action to campaign for more efficient management or more equal distribution of water in Cape Town; or for a speedier response to leaking pipes; or for action to halt the climate change that is disrupting our

Our prayers for water must lead to a change in behaviour, argues Raymond Perrier.

How Christ frees slaves T HIS Holy Week we will hear a lot about redemption and how Christ’s death on the cross redeemed mankind. In our modern usage, to redeem something means “to buy it back”; and in Holy Week we can use that idea. Our history tells of human beings sold in slavery, who in order to regain their freedom had to be “bought back”. Slaves had no power to free themselves; they had to be redeemed; a ransom had to be paid. As Christians, we are fully aware of the worst of all slavery—our own slavery to sin! This frightening state robs us of the freedom which God intended us to have. Through sin, we land up in the enemy’s camp. When Christ Jesus redeemed us on the cross, he bought—and keeps bringing—us back from that slavery. It cost him inexorable suffering and a cruel death: yes, the shedding of blood! We relive that experience when we celebrate the Passover mystery, a mystery far beyond our understanding. For Jesus came to pay a debt he did not owe—because we owed a debt we cannot possibly pay. Pope Francis insists on the truth that Christ redeemed all mankind—believers and unbelievers, every human soul—and that this message must be proclaimed to all the world. “He gave his life as a ransom for many” (Mt 20:28). Sadly, not everyone chooses to accept God’s generous invitation, yet we know that it is his will that “all should be saved

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On the cross, Christ redeems us all. (Photo: Mark Kisogloo) and come to the full knowledge of the Truth” (1 Tim 2:4). Although we are a redeemed people, and God’s possession, we are still called to repentance and conversion, for the Christian life is ever on the conversion trail. That is a daily struggle for every sincere seeker. Our spiritual journey is never stationary.

here is a mistaken belief that conversion is the “changing of one’s religion”. We use the term when one enters the Catholic Church or comes to accept the existence of God, or whatever. However, St Paul is very explicit on the meaning of conversion and repentance: “You must give up your old way of life, your old self—so corrupted by following illusory desires; your mind must be renewed by a spiritual revolution” (Eph 4:22-24). It is to be a fresh way of thinking. This

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Faith and Society

weather patterns. All of these can be effective even if not immediately. But there is also something we can do which is immediate. The Cape Town crisis is caused in part by excessive consumption over the past years. And, statistically, the excessive consumption is more likely to be by middle-class individuals than by those who are poorer. So if I really want to show my solidarity with the people of Cape Town, I can reduce how much water I actually use, wherever I am. Not only will that maximise the total amount of water available in the country as a whole, but also establish a pattern of behaviour that will a make Cape Townstyle water crisis less likely. But that takes effort. It is certainly harder than offering “thoughts and prayers”, complaining on social media, or changing the frame of my profile pic. But it is more directly effective and is a much more authentic act of solidarity. I could wait till the threat of my own Day Zero before I sort out leaking taps; take shorter showers; turn off the water when I brush my teeth; or stop washing my car with drinking water. And I could hope that last-minute prayers will then make up for my years of complacency and wastefulness. Or I could take action now. It will require some behavioural adjustments. But next time I am tempted to flush the toilet to spare my nose a faint smell of urine, perhaps prayer will make me pause to consider if 14 litres of clean water might not be better used by someone who needs it to drink or to cook or to wash. So let’s keep praying for rain. And let’s pray that the act of praying will change our hearts and our behaviour so that each one of us reduces the amount of water we use, shares what we have more fairly with others, and takes much more interest in what we can do about climate change. That is the kind of miracle that is worth praying for.

Fr Ralph de Hahn

Point of Reflection

reformation of one’s life demands sincere repentance. Possibly, a shocking revelation that what we once accepted as good and “just natural” was wrongly judged. So, indeed, real repentance is rare. Most people come to confession to be reconciled with their own troubled conscience, or the neighbour, or household because they are disturbed by some unwanted behaviour and some uneasy relationship with another. Here, a confession of guilt is good, and will help. However, it is not a conversion repentance. We are called to a higher value scale, a change of direction, a deep regret of many former judgments, a whole new life as we learn the Jesus standard, to hear the call of the Master, and to sincerely yearn to follow his way. Lent is the season to come to grips with the real meaning of our redemption and road to conversion, and if we have not started with that yet, now is the time. Pope Francis has offered a useful way of fasting: he suggests fasting from hurting others by word; from worry by trusting God as a father, from bitterness by offering joy; from selfishness to be more compassionate, from grudges to be reconciled; and to speak only when able to improve upon the silence and the prevailing conversation. Lent offers a challenge and much joy. And here’s the good news: what we are starting in Lent we can live all year around, beyond Good Friday and Easter.

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the economy should be about the wellbeing of all, not the “bottom line”. (Photo: Steve Buissinne)

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Pray with the Pope

Beans for the eaters General Intention: That economists may have the courage to reject any economy of exclusion and know how to open new paths. T’S important to know what things are for, especially if we dedicate our lives to them. Today economists are being asked what the economy is for. The astounding thing is that in their training, few were asked to ponder this question. Kate Raworth, the proposer of the ecologically and socially sensitive “doughnut economics” theory, admits that when she was a student, no lecturer actually posed the question. Perhaps it was simply too dangerous and would lead to ethical and political questions concerning the distribution of wealth. Perhaps it was part of the scientific pose of economics which wanted the respectability of scientific “rigour” and “objectivity”. But such a distancing from questions of value ignored consequences such as the economic exclusion of the poor and the destruction of the environment. I often have the impression that some economists are unsure about whether the economy is there to make money (the financial economy) or create actual wealth (the enterprise economy), let alone how it should be shared out. We are so obsessed these days by the “bottom line” (what a terrible cliché it has become!) that we fail to ask whether the figure on the bottom line represents anything tangible in terms of concrete goods and services. Gross domestic product (GDP) goes up; our exports are higher. Does anyone ask whom this benefits and how sustainable it all is? The simple answers to the questions of what and whom the economy is for can be simply answered by the word “wellbeing”. That is what Professor Lorenzo Fioramonti of Pretoria University would argue. In his disconcerting book The Wellbeing Economy, he argues that the economy is there to serve the wellbeing of everyone in society. Well, who would have thought?

ut if we look at who actually benefits from our present economy and how we actually calculate our economic output, Fioramonti would suggest that we have got it all wrong. The sharing is often a sick joke because the neediest get the least. The accounting is surreal when you have indices like GDP which include things which are decidedly against our individual and collective wellbeing. For example, GDP increases every time there is a traffic accident because medical services, emergency services, insurers, panel beaters and so on, all benefit. Fioramonti calls GDP our “Gross Domestic Problem”. And that is without asking questions about how sustainable our economy is. Economists often fail to realise that it is a dependent subsystem of our natural ecosystem, the environment, and we treat limited natural resources as if they are infinite and may be exploited mindlessly and endlessly at our peril. We could certainly frack gas out of the Karoo, but that would create a short-term boom and then deplete scarce water sources and leave considerable ecological degradation. Even in strict financial terms, it might not—like many extractive industries—actually be worth it over the long term, calculating all the “externalised” costs like cleaning up after the frackers have fracked and gone! Some small countries, like Bhutan, are beginning to look at their economy in terms of wellbeing and sustainability, but apart from Fioramonti, I haven’t heard any South African economists asking these questions. The Quaker economist Kenneth Boulding once quipped that anyone who thought that exponential growth could go on forever on a finite planet was either a madman or an economist. As for our politicians, they keep promising us that our economy will continue expanding indefinitely despite the fact that we inhabit a finite world and that we need to look seriously at sharing. We badly need economists and politicians who understand that the economy is for the people, not for the financiers. The beans are for the bean-eaters, not the bean-counters! n You can find a short video on this theme featuring Pope Francis himself on www.thepopevideo.org.

the Southern Cross, March 21 to March 27, 2018

FAITH

the 14 Stations of the Cross are represented in one artwork in the Catholic Blessed Sacrament chapel in Jerusalem’s church of the holy Sepulchre, only metres away from the final station: the tomb from which Christ would rise again. Insert: Street sign for the Via Dolorosa in Jerusalem. (Photos: Günther Simmermacher)

The history of the Stations of the Cross During Lent, the faithful practise the devotion of the Stations of the Cross. Prof MIChAEL OGunu explains the history and purpose of that devotion.

TATIONS of the Cross is a devotion, especially during Lent, which prayerfully recalls the last stage of the journey that Jesus walked in his earthly life: from his death sentence by Pontius Pilate until he was taken to Golgotha, to be crucified and then buried in a garden nearby, in a new tomb hewn out of the rock. This devotion—also known as the Way of the Cross; in Latin as Via Crucis; and in the Holy Land as the Via Dolorosa, or Way of Sorrows—has evolved over time. Tradition holds that our Blessed Mother visited daily the scenes of our Lord’s passion. After the Roman Emperor Constantine legalised Christianity in the year 313, this pathway was marked with its important stations. St Jerome (342-420), who lived in Bethlehem during the later part of his life, attested to the crowds of pilgrims from various countries who visited those holy places, and followed what approximates to the Way of the Cross. In the 5th century, an interest developed in the Church to “reproduce” the holy places in other areas so pilgrims who could not actually travel to the Holy Land could do so in a devotional, spiritual way in their hearts. For instance, St Petronius, bishop of Bologna, constructed a group of chapels at the monastery of San Stefano, which depicted the more important shrines of the Holy Land, including several of the stations. In 1342, the Franciscans were appointed as guardians of the shrines of the Holy Land. The faithful received indulgences for praying at the following stations: at Pilate’s house, where Christ met his mother, where he spoke to the women, where he met Simon of Cyrene, where the soldiers stripped him of his garments, where he was nailed to the cross, and at his tomb (the latter two inside the church of the Holy Sepulchre). The earliest use of the word “stations”, as applied to the accustomed stopping-places in the Via Sacra (Holy Way) in Jerusalem, occurs in the narrative of an English pilgrim, William Wey, who visited the Holy Land in the mid-15th century and described pilgrims following the footsteps of Christ to the cross. In 1521 a book entitled Die Geystlich Strass (The Spiritual Road) was printed in Germany with illustrations of the stations in the Holy Land. When the Turks made access to the Holy Land difficult, reproductions of the stations were erected at

popular spiritual centres throughout Europe. Many of these stations were reproduced by renowned artists and are considered masterpieces today. By 1587, the Italian pilgrim Giovanni Zuallardo reported that the Muslims forbade anyone “to make any halt, nor to pay veneration to the stations with uncovered head, nor to make any other demonstration”—basically suppressing this devotion in the Holy Land. The devotion continued to grow in popularity in Europe.

“some sort of compensation to be rendered for the injury” with respect to the sufferings of Jesus. Pope John Paul II referred to Acts of Reparation as the “unceasing effort to stand beside the endless crosses on which the Son of God continues to be crucified”.

Plenary indulgences

Varying numbers of stations At that time, the number of the stations varied. William Wey’s account has 14 stations, but only five correspond to the ones we have today. Some versions included the house of Dives (the rich man in the Lazarus story), the city gate through which Christ passed, and the houses of Herod and Simon the Pharisee. In 1584 a book written by Adrichomius entitled Jerusalem sicut Christi Tempore floruit, gives 12 stations which match those in our present version. The book was translated into several languages and circulated widely. In the 16th century, devotional books appeared, especially in the Low Countries, which had 14 stations, with prayers for each one. At the end of the 17th century, the erection of stations in churches became more popular. In 1686, Pope Innocent XI, realising that few people could travel to the Holy Land, granted the right to erect stations in all churches and that the same indulgences would be given to the Franciscans and those affiliated with them for practising the devotion as if on an actual pilgrimage. Pope Benedict XIII extended these indulgences to all of the faithful in 1726. Five years later, Pope Clement XII permitted stations to be created in all churches and fixed the number at 14. In 1742, Pope Benedict XIV exhorted all priests to enrich their churches with the Stations of the Cross, which must include 14 crosses and usually be accompanied with pictures or images of each particular station. The popularity of the devotion was also encouraged by preachers like St Leonard Casanova of Porto Maurizio (1676-1751), who reportedly erected over 600 sets of stations throughout Italy.

The 14 Stations To date, there are 14 traditional stations: Pilate condemns Christ to death; Jesus carries the cross; Jesus falls the first time; Jesus meets his Blessed Mother; Simon of Cyrene helps to carry the cross; Veronica wipes the face of Jesus; Jesus falls the second time; Jesus consoles the women of Jerusalem; Jesus falls the third time; Jesus is stripped of his garments; Jesus is nailed to the cross; Jesus dies on the cross; Jesus is taken down from the cross; and

Catholics in Swaziland re-enact the Passion of Christ during holy Week. the events of the Passion following Jesus’ condemnation by Pontius Pilate are encapsulated in the 14 Stations of the Cross. (Photo: Bishop José Luis Ponce de León IMC) Jesus is laid in the tomb. Some modern liturgists say the traditional Stations of the Cross are incomplete without a final scene: depicting the empty tomb and/or the resurrection of Jesus, because Jesus’ rising from the dead was an integral part of his salvific work on earth. Advocates of the traditional form of the Stations, ending with the body of Jesus being placed in the tomb, say the Stations are intended as a meditation on the atoning death of Jesus, and not as a complete picture of his life, death and resurrection. There are the Stations of the Resurrection (also known by the Latin name of Via Lucis) which are used in some churches at Eastertide to meditate on the Resurrection and Ascension of Jesus Christ.

The Southern Cross followed the Via Lucis in text and pictures last year (see www.scross.co.za/category/ via-lucis).

Why do the Stations? The object of the Stations of the Cross is to help the faithful to make a spiritual pilgrimage of prayer, through meditating upon the chief scenes of Christ’s sufferings and death. It has become one of the most popular devotions for Catholics, and is often performed in a spirit of reparation for the sufferings and insults that Jesus endured during his Passion. In his encyclical letter Miserentissimus Redemptor, on reparations, Pope Pius XI called Acts of Reparation to Jesus Christ a duty for Catholics and referred to them as

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A plenary indulgence is granted to the faithful who make the pious exercise of the Way of the Cross (Stations of the Cross). The gaining of the plenary indulgence is regulated by the following norms: 1. The pious exercise must be made before legitimately erected stations of the Way of the Cross. 2. For the erection of the Stations of the Cross, 14 crosses are required, to which it is customary to add 14 pictures or images, which represent the stations of Jerusalem. 3. According to the more common practice, the pious exercise consists of 14 appropriate readings, to which some vocal prayers are added. However, nothing more is required than a pious meditation on the Passion and Death of the Lord, which need not be a particular consideration of the individual mysteries of the stations. 4. A movement from one station to the next is required. But if the pious exercise is made publicly, and if it is not possible for all taking part to go in an orderly way from station to station, it suffices if at least the one conducting the exercise goes from station to station, the others remaining in their place. Those who are “impeded” can gain the same indulgence if they spend at least one half an hour in pious reading and meditation on the Passion and Death of our Lord Jesus Christ.

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the Southern Cross, March 21 to March 27, 2018

CHURCH

For ‘St Luke’ actor, rosary was never far Playing St Luke in a new film about St Paul, star actor Jim Caviezel always had a rosary nearby, as he told COuRtnEy GROGAn.

W Jim Caviezel as Luke (left) and James Faulkner as Paul are seen in the film Paul, Apostle of Christ, which will be released in South Africa on March 23. (Photos: Sony Pictures)

Actor on being apostle By MARK PAttISOn

HE British actor in the title role of St Paul in the upcoming movie Paul, Apostle of Christ, isn’t taking a lot of credit for his portrayal. “I didn’t play Paul, it played me,” said James Faulkner. “I was imbued with the spirit of Paul and I found it transforming.” Faulkner, a lifelong Anglican, attributed this, at least in part, to writer-director Andrew Hyatt: “I felt I had been transformed by Andrew’s script and his direction. And an entire page of notes on how to play Paul—nothing precise but overall notes on how I should approach it. I’ve never had a director do something so tellingly about a character.” It’s not as if Faulkner had a lot of time to prepare for the part. “My manager called me and told me, ‘This is a fabulous script. I’ve had you in mind for months. Read it and come straight back to me.’ I read it and got back to him.” Faulkner said he recalled saying to his manager, “It’s wonderful.” His manager replied, “You’re on a plane to Malta in three days’ time. Good luck.”

His preparation had to be quick. “I had a really good grounding in the religion as a schoolboy. I was relatively familiar with the New Testament. One thing I was able to do was read the letters before I started Paul—not the stories, but from his hand. That was very useful.” The film was shot in 23 days; Faulkner’s parts were shot in just nine days. “Once I started shooting, I was in it. Long days, and we fortunately, in a sense, had split days—midday to midnight or 2am—so I had a couple of hours every morning to review the text for the rest of the day, because I was certainly too tired to read it at night.” Learning lines, he added, is “the great trial of the actor”. On his final day of shooting, Faulkner said, he did 16 scenes, including—spoiler alert—his beheading. Faulkner also read each of Paul’s letters for a companion audiobook to be released by the American Bible Society. The 69-year-old actor’s recent credits include Game of Thrones (as Randyll Tarly), Da Vinci’s Demons (as Pope Sixtus IV) and one season of Downton Abbey (as Lord Sinderby).—CNS

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Jim Caviezel as St Luke in the film Paul, Apostle of Christ. Caviezel said. “Everything that I do is always with heaven’s help. It directs my path. It guides me. It is where I got my talent from. What I give back to God from what he has given me… he just multiplies it and blesses it in ways that I never thought possible.”

aviezel says that he also has a great devotion to the patron saint of actors, St Genesis. The Roman martyr once had been an actor who performed in plays that mocked Christianity. Upon his conversion, he was tortured and beheaded in AD303. The role of Paul is played by British actor James Faulkner. “Well, I’m happy to admit that Jim is a much more devout Christian than am I, and I drew from his faith whenever possible,” said Faulkner, who was raised an Anglican. Conversion and forgiveness are major themes of Paul, the Apostle of Christ, Caviezel said.

“The greatest controversy of this film is forgiving at all costs, and that doesn’t mean weakness or the acceptance of evil. It means meeting evil face-toface…that’s the hardest thing,” he said. “Some of the most powerful dialogue centres around what true courage is. Courage is ardent love. Love creates change by igniting a passion in each one of us. One person at a time,” Caviezel said. The film is dedicated to the world’s persecuted Christians. Paul, the Apostle of Christ was written and directed by Andrew Hyatt, who previously directed the film Full of Grace, about the Virgin Mary’s last days on earth. Both films were produced by the Catholic group ODB Films, in partnership with Sony Pictures Entertainment. ODB Films says it is “dedicated to fostering an encounter with Christ through artfully made, spiritually rich films”.— CNA

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HEN he played St Luke in a new film about St Paul, star actor Jim Caviezel, a Catholic, relied on scripture, daily Mass and the rosary to portray holiness on the big screen. Paul, the Apostle of Christ opens in South Africa on March 23. It depicts the persecution of the early Christians in Rome under Emperor Nero, along with an imprisoned St Paul conveying a message of hope at the end of his life. “I thought that that was one of the greatest parts of the script,” said Caviezel, who is well remembered for playing Jesus in The Passion of the Christ and more lately for his starring role on TV’s Person Of Interest. “Here is a beat-up old man in prison, facing execution. How can this man be a light to the world?” “But it’s often through our struggles, our trials, our tragedies that triumph comes,” he said. Caviezel plays the role of St Luke, who regularly visits Paul in prison to document his story while composing the Acts of the Apostles. The audience sees Luke serving the early Christian community in Rome as a physician, spiritual leader and writer. “[Luke] mentioned the Virgin Mary more than any other writer,” reflected Caviezel on portraying the Gospel evangelist. “I use the rosary to focus, to pray. I go to Mass every day and the Eucharist is Christ in me,”

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VERY story has a message within. So does every movie—and every biblically based movie as well. With the new movie Paul, Apostle of Christ, according to Eric Groth, one of the film’s executive producers, “it was real important to tell the story of God’s mercy”. “His message of love and life and mercy is so important for us today,” Groth said to an invitation-only audience of about 60 at an advance screening of the film at the St John Paul II National Shrine in Washington. Groth is head of ODB Productions. The company has made, by his estimate, about 250 short films for Catholic religious education programmes, and a series of 15 shorts based on each of the 15 sections of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. “All I wanted to do [in college] was play baseball. Then the Lord moved my heart,” Groth said. In addition to the film shorts, he also produced Full of Grace, about Jesus’ mother, Mary, helping repair the fractures that developed in the early Church. It was written and directed by Andrew Hyatt,

who had the same two jobs on Paul, Apostle of Christ. Groth called Full of Grace “a feature film that wasn’t supposed to be a feature film,” but one that led to Paul being made. The big name in Paul is Jim Caviezel, who played Jesus in Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ in 2004 and portrays St Luke here. “We wanted to use, in a good way, his star. He’s a star, but he’s not the leading man,” Groth said. “Jim’s playing Luke. Come

find out about Luke, too.” In the United States, Paul, Apostle of Christ is rated PG13—open to viewers above the age of 13—for disturbing images and violent content, virtually all of it Roman violence against Christians, although one group of Christians decides to act in a highly un-Christian way in response to the dictums against their sect by Roman Emperor Nero. Groth said some of the imagery in it could have been worse. “We flipped the room when they [a group of condemned Christians] were going out into the lions” so that the lions and the carnage are never seen, Groth said. He gave credit to Sony Pictures for its willingness to go out on a limb with the movie. “They stretched partnering with a Catholic organisation, they stretched in the idea, they stretched in the screening schedule,” which had started a few months before its worldwide March 23 premiere, Groth said. A constant comment he said he had received from preview audiences was that the film was “imbued with Scripture without it having been read to them”.—CNS

CLASSIFIEDS

Why we can’t limit God’s mercy Why do we find it so difficult to accept God’s mercy, asks BIShOP JOSé POnCE DE LEón.

N 2010 I went to the Holy Land with other bishops. We stayed in Galilee where Jesus lived and preached. The last night, just before leaving the place where we were staying to go to the airport and fly back, a man approached me to talk. He was living at the place. He said: “You know, Bishop, I am blessed being here. We do not get a salary. We are here to welcome people like you who come to the Holy. Land.” He continued: “My wife is here, too. She is not well. She has cancer. She’s had many surgeries and she is suffering a lot. I am grateful to God for having her still with me and for being able to spend this time together here.” He then put a hand in his pocket and showed me a small cross. He said: “This cross was made out of a tree that is here outside. It is an old tree. It is believed to be 2 000 years old. If so, it was here when Jesus preached. “Whenever I am struggling, I just put my hand in my pocket and grab the cross to be reminded of his love for us.” To my surprise, he then gave me the cross: “Take it, and whenever you feel you are struggling in your service as a bishop, put your hand in your pocket and remember Jesus.” Carrying a cross in our pockets can be a beautiful prayer. There are times when we pray with words and times when it is just the silence of our hearts— like St John Vianney, who used to say about his prayer in front of the Blessed Sacrament: “I just look at him and he looks at me.” We do it today in front of the cross and Jesus crucified. There will probably be no words as we witness such a suffering and death.

like the silent prayer of carrying a cross in the pocket because it reminds me of the words we heard on Ash Wednesday: “When you pray, do not imitate the hypocrites: they love to say

their prayers standing up in the synagogues and at the street corners for people to see them; I tell you solemnly, they have had their reward. “But when you pray, go to your private room and, when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in that secret place, and your Father who sees all that is done in secret will reward you” (Mt 6:6). I prefer the cross in the pocket to the one we carry from our necks. Some carry crosses in silver or gold. I see on TV people with big crosses on their chests. I wonder if that is out of faith or fashion. I fear that big crosses on necks make us forget that the crucifixion was the most cruel and disgusting degradation of a human being. It was the most painful, and because no organs were affected, it could take days until the person would die. To my friend in the Holy Land, the cross was strength in his struggles. To others it might be a very much necessary reminder of Jesus’ merciful love.

n early 2016, a book of interviews with Pope Francis was published. Its name was The Name of God is Mercy. That is a lovely title. The name of God is mercy... We need to remember it by heart because even though we

read about God’s mercy, even though we preach about mercy, we still struggle to welcome God’s mercy in our lives. Even though we had a jubilee of mercy in 2016, we still believe and preach that in one way or another God punishes us for our sins. No matter how many Holy Thursdays and how many times at Mass we hear Jesus say: “This is my body given up for you...this is my blood poured out for you”, and no matter how many Good Fridays we remember his passion and death on the cross, we still believe that somehow, somewhere, God punishes us for our sins. It seems to be in our blood. It seems we have decided how God should be and behave. It is not what Jesus revealed to us, but what we have decided to believe. We are stubborn. We do not want to welcome the good news of God’s merciful love. We might feel we do not deserve it. Of course, we don’t. It is a gracious gift from God. We grow up trying to make sure we deserve what we are given. Mercy is totally gracious.

ometimes, instead, we play it clever. We proclaim God’s mercy but we put limits to it, thinking: “God is merciful but not always, not all the time. He cannot always forgive.” We need to make sure God does not go too far! God wants to fill our lives with his merciful love but we seem not to want that. Maybe because we are afraid. We are aware that doing so might challenge us to do the same. In fact, Jesus said: “Be merciful like the Father.” We might not believe in being merciful with others. The problem is that when we do not choose mercy, we choose violence. Then his death on the cross is powerless in our lives. The choice is ours. We all know the painting of Jesus knocking at a door which can be opened only from inside. In his letter to the Romans, Paul wonders: “Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love?” Probably yes—our own choice not to open the door to it. n Bishop José Ponce de León, a member of the Consolata Missionaries, heads Swaziland’s only diocese, Manzini.

Light of Paschal candle represents Christ himself

A Paschal candle, showing the cross, the Greek letters alpha (above) and omega (below), and the year.

HE Paschal candle represents Christ, the Light of the World. The pure beeswax of which the candle is made represents the sinless Christ who was formed in the womb of his mother. The wick signifies his humanity; the flame, his divine nature, both soul and body. Five grains of incense inserted into the candle in the form of a cross recall the aromatic spices with which his sacred body was prepared for the tomb, and the five wounds in his hands, feet, and side. During the Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday night, the priest

or deacon carries the candle in procession into a dark church. A new fire—symbolising our eternal life in Christ—is kindled, which in turn lights the candle. The candle, representing Christ himself, is blessed by the priest, who then inscribes in it a cross, the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet, alpha and omega (“The beginning and the end”), and the current year, as he chants in prayer. The priest then affixes the five grains of incense. The Easter candle is lit each day during Mass throughout the Paschal season until Ascension Thursday.

the Southern Cross, March 21 to March 27, 2018

CLASSIFIEDS

Births • First Communion • Confirmation • Engagement/Marriage • Wedding anniversary • Ordination jubilee • Congratulations • Deaths • In memoriam • thanks • Prayers • Accommodation • holiday Accommodation • Personal • Services • Employment • Property • Others Please include payment (R1,80 a word) with small advertisements for promptest publication.

DEATHS

GAYBBA—Brian Patrick passed away peacefully on February 25, 2018. thank you for all you taught us and all you were to us. yours was a life poured out in loving service to God and others. your spirit of generous love will continue to inspire us. Deeply mourned by Monika, Richard; Jennifer and David, Luke and Joshua; Gay, Barbara, Janie and John; extended family, friends and the Grahamstown community. ‘God is Love’ 1 John 4:8.

PERSONAL

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PRAYERS

PRAYER FOR RAIN: O God, our Creator, you are the source of all life. It is through your divine providence and infinite power, that the wonder and splendour of all creation surround us. During this time of drought, we are mindful of our dependence on you for all that sustains us. We pray for the cooling, gentle rain that will once again bring life to the fields and crops that feed us, restore the colourful rainbow of flowers and the cooling shade of the trees. help us to always be good stewards of your creation and care for the many resources of this earth. We ask for these blessings through the intercession of

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Southern CrossWord solutions SOLUTIONS TO 803. ACROSS: 1 Pomp, 3 Acicular, 9 Educate, 10 No one, 11 Congregation, 13 Equine, 15 Tattle, 17 Vicar general, 20 Arian, 21 Nonplus, 22 In dismay, 23 Prod. DOWN: 1 Preacher, 2 Mourn, 4 Clergy, 5 Constraining, 6 Lookout, 7 Rued, 8 Patron saints, 12 Realised, 14 Unified, 16 Agenda, 18 Ruler, 19 Magi.

Liturgical Calendar Year B – Weekdays Cycle Year 2 Sunday March 25, Palm Sunday Procession Mark 11:1-10 or John 12:12-16, Isaiah 50:4-7, Psalm 22:8-9, 17-20, 23-24, Philippians 2:6-11, Mark 14:1--15:47 Monday March 26, Holy Week Isaiah 42:1-7, Psalm 27:1-3, 13-14, John 12:1-11 Tuesday March 27, Holy Week Isaiah 49:1-6, Psalm 71:1-6, 15, 17, John 13:21-33, 36-38 Wednesday March 28, Holy Week Isaiah 50:4-9, Psalm 69:8-10, 21-22, 31, 33-34, Matthew 26:14-25 Thursday March 29, Holy Thursday (Mass of the Lord’s Supper) Exodus 12:1-8, 11-14, Psalm 116:12-13, 15-18, 1 Corinthians 11:23-26, John 13:1-15 Friday March 30, Good Friday Isaiah 52:13--53:12, Psalm 31:2, 6, 12-13, 15-17, 25, Hebrews 4:14-16; 5:7-9, John 18:1--19:42 Saturday, March 31, Holy Saturday (Easter Vigil) First Reading, Genesis 1:1--2:2; First Psalm, 104:1-2, 5-6, 10, 12-14, 24, 35 or First Psalm, 33:4-7, 12-13, 20, 22; Second Reading, Genesis 22:1-18; Second Psalm, 16:5, 8-11; Third Reading, Exodus 14:15-15:1; Third Psalm, Responsorial, Exodus 15:1-6, 1718; Fourth Reading, Isaiah 54:5-14; Fourth Psalm, 30:2, 4-6, 11-13; Fifth Reading, Isaiah 55:1-11; Fifth Psalm, Responsorial, Isaiah 12:2-6; Sixth Reading, Baruch 3:9-15, 32--4:4; Sixth Psalm, 19:8-11; Seventh Reading, Ezekiel 36:16-28; Seventh Psalm, 42:3, 5; 43:3-4; Eighth Reading, Romans 6:3-11; Eighth Psalm, 118:1-2, 15-17, 22-23; Gospel, Mark 16:1-7 Sunday April 1, Easter Sunday Acts 10:34, 37-43, Psalms 118:1-2, 16-17, 22-23, Colossians 3:1-4 or 1 Corinthians 5:6-8, John 20:19 or Mark 16:1-7

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Easter Sunday: April 1 Readings: Genesis 1:1-2:2, Genesis 22:1-18, Exodus 14:15-15:1, Isaiah 54:5-14, Isaiah 55:1-11, Baruch 3:9-15, 32-4:4, Ezekiel 36:16-28, Romans 6:3-11, Mark 16:1-7, John 20:1-9

EXT Sunday is Easter Sunday, the greatest feast of the Church’s year, and as always we are given a formidable array of readings to help our reflection on the mystery. Normally I tend to say something about the two possible Gospels for the day; but this year it seems good to offer a thread that links together all the readings that we shall be hearing at the Vigil Service on Holy Saturday night. The point of them is that they offer a great sweep through the history of God’s dealings with the people; and on this day it is very much our story. The first reading starts (where else?) with the opening lines of the Bible, and the astonishing fact that God created us. The second reading, perhaps the most chilling tale of the entire Bible, is the testing of Abraham (or the binding of Isaac); read it slowly this week, to see what it says of our journey with God. The third reading, from Exodus, narrates the almost impossible liberation of the children of Israel from Egypt; that was the event that turned them into the people of God. So

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the focus narrows, from creation, to God’s demands for obedience, to God’s unfailing fidelity. The fourth and fifth readings come from adjacent chapters of the prophet Isaiah. The first goes deeper into the mystery with the assertion of God’s unfailing love (despite what it might feel like): “The One who has become your husband is your Maker…my love shall never leave you.” The second is a lovely poem that gives powerful expression to the thirst that we all feel for God, and asserts the undying mercy of this great God: “Seek the Lord while he may be found.” The sixth reading, from Baruch, turns to the disaster of Israel’s exile, and asserts the lesson, that unless we “walk in the way of God”, the same thing will happen to us; it meditates on the joy that comes from knowing what God wants: “Blessed are we, O Israel, for what pleases God is known to us.” Now Lent finishes and we enter into Easter, with the Gloria and bells, and the seventh reading is from the New Testament. This is Paul’s meditation in his letter to the Romans on what the death and resurrection of Christ has achieved for us. What it has done,

according to Paul, is that “we have been buried through baptism into his death, in order that as Christ was raised from the dead through the Father’s glory, we might walk in a new way of life”. In other words, we belong with Christ, not only with his death that we celebrate on Good Friday, but also in the Resurrection, the heart of our Christian faith, so that “we shall live with him”. The result is that we are “dead to sin, but alive to God in Jesus Christ”. This is what football commentators call “a result”. Then there are the two Gospels, Mark at midnight, and John on Sunday morning. I hope that you will go to both services; but if you don’t, please make sure that you have at least read those two Gospels. Both of them are shrouded in uncertainty. In Mark’s Gospel, the women buy spices to anoint Jesus’ body (which means, of course, that they do not believe in Resurrection), and expect to have to roll away the stone. To their astonishment, God has got there first, and the tomb is open. But they do not find a decomposing or dismembered corpse, as you might expect; instead there is a young man, who knows what they are about, and utters the great Easter cry,

How Bad Friday turned out Good Fr Ron G Rolheiser OMI

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OOD Friday was bad long before it was good, at least from outward appearances. God was being crucified by all that can go bad in the world: pride, jealousy, distrust, wounds, self-interest, sin. It’s no accident the Gospels tell us that, as Jesus was dying, it grew dark in the middle of the day. Few images are more telling. As Jesus hung upon the cross, seemingly, light gave way to darkness, love to hatred, and life to death. How can that be “good”? Moreover, as he was dying, Jesus no longer seemed divine, powerful, and in control of things, both in terms of what was happening in the world and in what was happening inside himself. The world was sinking into distrust and Jesus, the incarnate God, seemed to be sinking into personal doubt, one so gripping that it triggered the words: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” What’s happening here? How can this be “good”? To understand what happened on Good Friday we need to separate what was happening on the surface from what was happening at some deeper place. The surface event was bad and can never by any imagination be called good. Sincere religious people, good though weak, out of fear and weakness were selling out what was best in them and either helping incite the execution of Jesus or standing passively by and letting it happen. In effect, other than a few strong women who were not succumbing to fear or group-hysteria but who are too disem-

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Nicholas King SJ

Christ is indeed risen!

powered to practically do anything about it, everyone was aiding in the crucifixion of God, either out of ignorance, jealousy, or weakness. In Jesus’ own words, darkness was having its hour. The human, social, and political drama that played out on Good Friday was not good. It showed humanity at its worst before God’s seeming silence. But there was something deeper happening on Good Friday: a drama was playing out inside the recesses of Jesus’ private soul and conscience, the result of which was antithetical to all that was happening on the surface, in the crowd. Inside his struggle to accept what was happening in that situation and to accept what was being asked of him, we see the ultimate moral and religious drama: love struggling with and then triumphing over hate, trust struggling with and then triumphing over paranoia, and forgiveness struggling with and then triumphing over bitterness.

e see that epic struggle first playing itself out in his agony in the garden of Gethsemane where Jesus literally sweats blood in the face of his options—that is, standing before every form of opposition, hatred, ignorance, and misunderstanding he must decide to either give himself over in trust or flee in self-preservation. He chooses the former and, we are told, is then strengthened by a divine presence. But acceptance is not exactly full surrender, and the next day, on Good Friday,

Sunday Reflections

“He is risen!”, and tells them to go and tell the disciples, especially Peter. This is a story to give fill our hearts with joy. So too is the daytime story, from John’s Gospel, which also figures the women, or at least Mary Magdalen, though there is a hint that other women might have been involved. Mary’s report stimulates Peter and the Beloved Disciple to race to the tomb, a contest that is won by the Beloved, though he courteously allows Peter first entry; Peter sees the grave-cloths lying there, and the sweatcloth lying on its own, which means, of course, that it was not grave-robbers that were responsible for the disappearance of Jesus’ body. The Beloved goes a bit further: “He saw and he came to faith.” Finally they grasp that Jesus “had to rise from the dead”. And, if you think about it, that is inevitable, in the light of the long reach of readings that we heard through the night. If God is God, it was inevitable that Jesus should be raised from the dead. There is much to rejoice us today.

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Final Reflection

the final test takes place. The angel who strengthened him in Gethsemane seems to disappear when he is on the cross and a crushing dark night of doubt now racks him to the point of making him cry out with what seemingly sounds like despair: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” His acceptance, given to his Father the night before, is, at this crucial moment, made infinitely more difficult by the seeming absence of his Father who, up to now, had been his very breath. In the face of that seeming abandonment, Jesus had to make a choice for faith, love, and trust at the rawest level, in ultimate darkness. What’s the choice? What does Jesus do? In the words of Fr Karl Rahner, Jesus lets himself “sink into the incomprehensibility of God”. He surrenders to God, whom he cannot at that moment feel or understand but only trust. Here’s where Good Friday turns from bad to good—Jesus surrenders himself not in bitterness, grasping, or anger, but in trust, gratitude, and forgiveness. In that surrender, the struggle between good and evil, the most epic of all battles, is won. Ultimately, all that’s wrong in our world will not be vanquished by a morally superior violence, no matter how virtuous are those who are doing the vanquishing. Good violence will never rid the world of bad violence. We will rid our world of those powers that perennially crucify God only when each of us, like Jesus, can let our bitterness, grasping, and anger give way to trust, gratitude, and forgiveness. And, barring being extraordinarily gifted by special grace, we will all, like Jesus, have to let ourselves sink into the incomprehensibility of God, that is, by trusting even when we don’t understand, by loving even when we are hated, and by forgiving even when we are being hurt. All of us will have our Good Fridays, not least in our experience of death. By every appearance, they will look bad, but if we give ourselves over in trust they will be good.

ACROSS

1. Splendid display that goes with ceremony (4) 3. Accra Liu is about coming to the point (8) 9. Teach for life (7) 10. Not a soul there at midday out east (2,3) 11. Church assembly (12) 13. Having to do with horses (6) 15. Gossip (6) 17. Larger cave in which you’ll ﬁnd the bishop’s representative (5,7) 20. Heretic born under the sign of the ram (5) 21. Flummox without addition (7) 22. Say I mind being confused (2,6) 23. Poke with the shepherd’s crook (4)

Solutions on page 11

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1. The other title of the book of Ecclesiastes (8) 2. Those who … will be comforted (Mt 5) (5) 4. Ordained group (6) 5. Convert Cain in strong forceful way (12) 6. Beware, keep watch from here (7) 7. Regretted being unmannerly, it’s said (4) 8. We may have the names of these holy persons (6,6) 12. Became aware of dear isle (8) 14. Ecumenism expects Christians to be thus (7) 16. List of items to discuss at parish council meeting (6) 18. The governor who draws the line? (5) 19. Star followers bearing gifts (4)

CHURCH CHUCKLE

PRE-SCHOOL teacher was walking around her classroom while her students drew pictures. One little girl was scribbling so intently that the teacher asked what she was drawing. The little girl replied: “I’m drawing a picture of Jesus.” The teacher said: “Oh, sweetheart, nobody really knows for sure what Jesus looked like.” The little girl, without missing a beat, responded: “They will in a minute.”

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