Oct 2013 148 by EuropeAxess Media

JOY TO ALL MEN AND PEACE TO MANKIND

friend us on

Dear Friends,

Pre Jesus headed for Jerusalem. As Jesus approaches Jerusalem he looks at the city and weeps over it, fortelling the suffering that awaits the city. Artist: Enrique Simonet

hen the days drew near

for him to be received up, he resolutely turned his face towards Jerusalem. And he sent messengers ahead of him who entered a Samaritan village to prepare for his arrival; but the people there would not receive him, because he was making for Jerusalem. When his disciples James and John saw this, they said “Lord, do you want us to bid fire come down from heaven and consume them?” But he turned and rebuked them, and they went on to another village.

@uponthisrockmag

Share us round the world online:

can we be...

judice FREE? Young people from Gibraltar met with nations from all around the globe in Rio as they celebrated World Youth Day.

Are you surprised to see two of Jesus’ disciples praying for the destruction of a Samaritan village? The Jews and Samaritans had been divided for centuries. Jewish pilgrims who passed through Samaritan territory were often assaulted. Jesus did the unthinkable for a Jew. He not only decided to travel through Samaritan territory at personal risk, but he also asked for hospitality in one of their villages! Jesus’ offer of friendship was rebuffed. Is there any wonder that the disciples were indignant and felt justified in wanting to see retribution done to this village? Wouldn’t you respond the same way? Jesus, however, rebukes

his disciples for their lack of toleration. Jesus had “turned his face toward Jerusalem” to die on a cross so that Jew, Samaritan and Gentile might be reconciled with God and be united as one people in Christ. Tolerance is a much needed virtue today. But aren’t we often tolerant for the wrong thing or for the wrong motive? Christian love seeks the highest good of both one’s neighbour and one’s enemy. When Abraham Lincoln was criticized for his courtesy and tolerance towards his enemies during the American Civil War, he responded “Do I not destroy my enemies when I make them my friends?” How do you treat those who cross you

and cause you trouble? Do you seek their good rather than their harm? “Lord Jesus, you are gracious, merciful, and kind. Set me free from my prejudice and

intolerance towards those I find disagreeable, and widen my heart to love and to do good even to those who wish me harm or evil.” God Bless you, Fr Stuart.

Upon this Rock magazine is published monthly by EuropeAxess Media, Gibraltar. Editor: Fr. Stuart Chipolina: editor@uponthisrock.gi Production Editor: A. Sargent angela@europeaxess.com Cover: Members of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem on a Year of Faith Pilgrimage in Rome. Upon this Rock magazine is entirely supported by advertising and donations. It is run in liaison with the Catholic Diocese of Gibraltar by EuropeAxess Media Ltd. as a not-for-profit project. For Advertisers: This magazine is hand-delivered to homes, churches, hospitals and many businesses around Gibraltar every month. To discuss your advertising requirements, or promote your church group or charity, call Tel: +350 200 79335 email: angela@europeaxess.com Editorial is selected by EuropeAxess Media in liaison with the Catholic Diocese of Gibraltar. Neither of these parties is responsible for the accuracy of the information contained herein, nor do the views and opinions expressed herein necessarily reflect the views and opinions of either party. Advertisers are not endorsed by virtue of advertising in this magazine. EuropeAxess Media Ltd. reserves the right to refuse space to any submissions or advertisements. Efforts have been made to establish copyright owners of images, but if we have used your material, and have not credited you, please contact us to discuss restoration.

www.uponthisrock.gi

Join Upon This Rock on

ilgrim Knights in Rome

Above: In the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls where 3000 Knights and Dames attended the closing mass of their pilgrimage. Main Cover photo: All 3000 Knights processed into St. Peter’s Basilica via St Peter’s Square to attend Mass led by the Cardinal Grand Master. Cover Insert: Photo of Large Screen projection as Bishop Ralph talks with Pope Francis in the Pope Paul VI Audience Hall.

Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor events in October

is Eminence Cardinal Cormac MurphyO’Conner will be visiting Gibraltar to take part in the GIBUNCO Gibraltar International Literary Festival. As part of the Diocese Year of Faith Celebrations, on Wednesday 23 of October the Cardinal will give the third in a series of talks on the Spirituality of Vatican II, the first and second talks will be given by Bishop Ralph Heskett on the two preceding Wednesdays. The time and venue of these talks will be announced on the

@uponthisrockmag

Diocesan website calendar: www.catholicdiocese.gi On 26 October, as part of the GIBUNCO Gibraltar Literary Festival, the Cardinal will give a talk entitled ‘The Popes I have Known’ covering the work Popes John XXIII, Paul VI, John Paul II, Benedict and Francis have done leading the world’s estimated 1.2 billion Roman Catholics. Entry to the talk is by ticket (£10), these are available from the Literary Festival website (Google Gibraltar Literary Festival to find the page.) The Cardinal will also be celebrating the Gibunco Gibraltar Literary Festival Mass at the Cathedral at 10.30 am on Sunday 27 October (free of charge).

Share us round the world online:

Members of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem recently participated in a three day pilgrimage to Rome, in response to Pope Benedict XVI’s call to mark The Year of Faith.

n arrival in Rome, the pligrims were pleased to learn that Gibraltar had been promoted from a Magistral Delegation to a Lieutenancy. The Order in Gibraltar is very grateful for this recognition, and will continue to better itself along with the family of 62 other Lieutenancies and Magistral Delegations around the world. A Representative from Gibraltar was present at the ‘Consulta’ a gathering of all Lieutenants and Magistral Delegates of the World which is held in Rome every five years, this was held prior to the Pilgrimage. A party of 24, members and

www.uponthisrock.gi

family from Gibraltar, joined almost 3,000 other participants from around the world in prayer and celebrations. Bishop Ralph Heskett, CSsR KC*HS, concelebrated with other Cardinals, Archbishops and Bishops, as well as some 70 priests from the Order, at the Masses in the Basilicas of St Paul’s Outside the Walls, St John Lateran. His Lordship also concelebrated with Grand Master Edwin Cardinal O’Brien at the high altar of the Basilica of St Peter. At the audience granted to the Order, Pope Francis addressed all who attended the Pilgrimage and Grand Prior Bishop Ralph Heskett, CSsR KC*HS and our newly promoted Lieutenant, Charles Sacarello

KC*HS, were presented to His Holiness.

The Order’s fundamental role is to sustain and aid the charitable, cultural and social works and institutions of the Church in the Holy Land, whilst preserving the spiritual duty of propagating the Faith. The late John Cardinal Foley CHS, former Grand Master of the Order, summed it up: “Christ was born, lived, died and rose from the dead in this land that we call Holy and which is so central to our faith and to the mission of this Order.” Members are required to

make an annual personal donation, which is sent to support the Catholic Church and its mission in the Holy Land. In the last 10 years over $100 million has been donated by the knights and dames around the world, (approximately 28,000). The Order in Gibraltar shall be holding an investiture for new members in 2014/15 and practicing Catholics who would like to know more about the Order are invited to e-mail the secretary, John Gaggero KHS: secretary@EOHS.gi or write to: Lieutenancy of Gibraltar, Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem, Cloister Building, Market Lane, PO Box 544, Gibraltar. The Lieutenancy is also calling on local companies or individuals to support our work as Friends of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre in a new initiative. For further information please contact the secretary at the addresses above.

Join Upon This Rock on

National Day

Bishop Heskett speaks at the

MASS

Photos: Maria Louisa Aguilera

arlier in the year, you may recall, we had a visit from representatives of the Council for Christians and Jews.

Among the visiting group was the Archbishop of Westminster, Vincent Nichols. As part of the day, he celebrated Mass here at the Shrine. In his homily, reflecting on his tour of the Rock earlier in the day, and in particular, the view out to sea, the Strait and the movement of the ships in and out of the bay, he said that he couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t help but reflect on how Gibraltar has been and continues to be something of a crossroads, where the waters of the Mediterranean and the Atlantic meet.

@uponthisrockmag

Our physical position and surroundings often help to define who we are as individuals, as a community and as a nation, and determine in some way how we relate to the rest of the world. Crossroads are often places where people engage and are made welcome. Gibraltar, as a crossroads and natural meeting point over the years has, dare I suggest, helped to shape Gibraltarians into a people ready to engage with others and to be warm in their welcome. Today then, I invite you to

Share us round the world online:

Photo: Mike Brufal

remember and give thanks for Gibraltar as a place of genuine encounter of peoples. Throughout the centuries, Gibraltar has been a meeting place for people all over the world. Some have simply passed through, others have come, stayed a while, then moved on. Yet others have stayed, formed and shaped a community that continues to be enriched by its diversity of cultures and faiths. Today I invite you also to remember and give thanks for Gibraltar as a place of welcome and hospitality. First of all, Gibraltar welcomes millions of visitors every year, many of whom return, year on year. Gibraltar welcomes too, those who come and stay and make their home here. And I dare to include myself here! So Gibraltar is a place of genuine encounter and hospitality, these qualities and more we celebrate and give thanks for on this 21st National Day. The scriptures we read earlier remind us that these inherent Gibraltarian values lie at the heart of the Gospel. Paul,

writing to the Church in Rome, offers a no-nonsense vision of Christian living: • Sincerely prefer good to evil. • Have a profound respect for each other. • Keep on praying • And you should make hospitality your special care. Luke records for us the encounter of Jesus and the sisters Martha and Mary: Martha, the overactive one “busy about many things,” and Mary, the dreamer, sat at the feet of Jesus, listening attentively to his every word. Both, nonetheless, have a genuine encounter with Jesus and offer him the hospitality he seeks. In his Angelus message on 1 September, Pope Francis called for a day of fasting and prayer for peace throughout the world in the light of the worsening situation in Syria. In the course of his message, reflecting on the importance of the values of a spirit of encounter, of openness and welcome, within peoples and among peoples, he made the following remark: “It is neither a culture of

confrontation, nor a culture of conflict, which builds harmony within and between peoples, but rather a culture of encounter and a culture of dialogue: this is the only way to peace.” Dare I say that Pope Francis seems to suggest that whenever Gibraltarians do whatever comes naturally, we can be true envoys for peace and share with others that seemingly most elusive of gifts!

HOPE

cordially invites all

Expectant Mothers Family and Friends to a

MASS

at Sacred Heart Church on Wednesday 16 October at 7pm www.uponthisrock.gi

Join Upon This Rock on

Consecration to the Ordo Virginum

n 7 September Bishop Ralph Heskett invited the faithful of the Diocese to come together, and participate in the Consecration of Maria Louisa Aguilera into the Ordo Virginum, at the Cathedral of St. Mary the Crowned.

Speaking on this joyous occasion Fr. Mark Miles explained a bit about this ancient Rite, and also about the nature of vocation, saying that while we know a good deal about the martyrs, for example, who died for their faith in the first few centuries, but less is known of the women who renounced the path of marriage in order to consecrate themselves in a new way to Christ. These women lived and worked in towns and cities and they helped the local Christian community by offering spiritual support and works of mercy. In the middle ages they dwindled in numbers due to the fact that large religious orders sprung up everywhere. It was only in the last Century that Rome received petitions from women who wanted to be consecrated

according to the old Rite and live outside a monastery or religious community. All over the world the Church is now seeing a revival in this vocation and the reason may lie in its unique contribution to the Church as it faces the challenges of the contemporary world. The first aspect of this calling is the promotion of the virtues of listening, fidelity, commitment, and purity. God calls us all to an intimacy with him through baptism but in Louisa’s case the intimacy is expressed in a very particular way. The first

reading introduces us to the essence of this vocation: it’s about an intimacy between God and the soul. The Prophet says: I am going to lure her and speak to her heart; I will betroth you to myself forever, with tenderness and love, with faithfulness. The image is of a Bride. She is called

Sheriff Electrical Contractors Ltd.

Electrical Contractors Office 40/42 Cornwall’s Lane,

Tel: (350) 200 79353, Fax: (350) 200 74515 E-mail: sheriffgib@gibtelecom.net Fire Services Division 3 Cornwall’s Parade, Tel: (350) 200 40583, Fax: (350) 200 74515 E-mail: sherelec@gibtelecom.net

A. A. Sheriff (Wholesale) Ltd.

Retail 51 Engineer Lane, Tel: (350) 200 78065, Fax: (350) 200 74515 Wholesale Unit 12A, Watergardens, Tel: (350) 200 73083, Fax: (350) 200 40585 Planet Mobile Unit 12A, Watergardens, Tel: (350) 200 50063, Fax: (350) 200 40585 Offices 40/42 Cornwall’s Lane, Tel: (350) 200 40583, Fax: (350) 200 74515

E-mail: sheriffgib@gibtelecom.net Warehouse Unit 14, The New Harbours, Tel: (350) 200 41836, Fax: (350) 200 46344

E-mail: wisco@gibtelecom.net

@uponthisrockmag

Share us round the world online:

to listen to Christ and to offer her life to him. She will not give her heart to another. She is called to fidelity just as the Church is presented as a Bride in the Book of Revelations. The Church is compared to a Bride because she possesses this attribute of “being for Christ”. The Church listens to God and offers herself up to God and there is holiness in this. By

the sacraments, by remaining faithful to the teachings handed down by the Successors of Peter and the Apostles, by holding fast to the communion that binds all the baptized together, the Church is a Bride who waits upon God. She listens and she desires to be faithful to the voice that speaks to the heart. Despite the sins of individuals,

During the Rite of Consecration, the candidate offers themselves to God at the hands of the Bishop. Left: the Bishop places his hands over hers as she professes her intention to live a life of chastity. Then above: the Bishop places on her hand a ring, the Insignia of Consecration. To fulfil their duty of prayer, the candidates are encouraged to celebrate the Liturgy of the Hours each day, to pray without ceasing. Above right: Maria Louisa was duly presented with the book containing the prayer of the church.

www.uponthisrock.gi

the Church possesses a purity, a holiness, which is God’s work. For example, no matter the state of the priest, the Mass he celebrates never fails to offer up to God a perfect act of praise and it always brings grace. When we come with our burden of sin and a heavy conscience to the confessional, we can be sure that the priest’s words of absolution confer a forgiveness that is from God himself. When the Church teaches that Christ is the only Mediator through which we can be saved, it is not a human construct or invention, but an authentic truth, pure and of divine origin. Louisa’s vocation points to this truth and holiness. But it is also a fact that, as individual members of the Church, our lives often do not reflect the sacred things that we celebrate. Perhaps at times we lack purity of intention? Perhaps we lack commitment to God and are easily distracted by other messages from

a society that is eager to promote individualism, gratification and human success? Being selfabsorbed is a temptation that is strong in today’s culture. Perhaps we do not give time to prayer so as to listen to God. Louisa’s vocation reminds us of the importance of restoring the primacy of God in our lives, and the important virtues of listening, fidelity and commitment. Here is where I see the reason for the revival of consecrated women around the world. To help us by their prayers and example, to witness to a Church that listens to God, and seeks greater fidelity to his love. The second aspect of this vocation relates to a spiritual concern, a motherly concern, in imitation of Our Lady and the Church. Blessed John Paul II, in his address to consecrated virgins from all over the world in 1995, said: Continued on page 14

Join Upon This Rock on

The University that Angela Sargent writes

found God

the Jeremy, with his mum, Denise at

Catholic community Centre.

an University of Steubenville. ary Roundabout on the Francisc Jeremy Duo walks round the Ros

erek Duo had mixed feelings when his son, Jeremy accepted a place in the Franciscan University of Steubenville, Ohio, but he was in for a surprise!

He explained how back in the 60’s, the students at Steubenville College were just like their peers all across the States, in petitioning for ever more liberal attitudes on the Campus. They won changes in the curriculum, abolishing the requirement for philosophy and theology, and were even demanding unlimited visitation between male and female dorms. This was refused, but most depressing was when students asked to skip Mass. The lowest point came during opening day of the 1973 autumn term when a meager six students and eight members of the faculty attended the first Mass of the term. In 1974, the Board of Trustees chose Father Michael Scanlan, a Third Order Franciscan, as President of the University. Instead of approaching the needs of the College from academic and administrative directions, he went straight to the heart of the problem as he wrote in his autobiography, “What was needed was a series of changes over time that would eventually alter the system and transform the whole atmosphere of the College. This would be a step-by-step process, but it would be guided by a clear understanding of the eventual goal–a spiritual transformation.” Rather than merely refusing the students permission to skip Mass, Father Mike declared that he would be celebrating the Sunday liturgy himself. And while other administrators, even at many Catholic colleges, caved in to students’ demands, Father Mike rejected them. Instead he inaugurated “households,” an innovative residence life program requiring students to form small groups for ongoing communal prayer, sharing, and mutual support. Despite some initial resistance, the households proved effective in ending the severe

@uponthisrockmag

isolation felt by some students. Households remain a cherished tradition today. Recruitment targeted young Catholics who were active in the charismatic renewal or who wanted to attend a college dedicated to authentic Catholicism. In time, the entire atmosphere of the College was reformed, in part by the influx of excited new students. The restoration of campus life meant that other improvements were delayed, some disagreed with Father Mike’s program, and many members of the student body, the faculty, and the administration, resigned or left for other schools. Slowly, Father Mike assembled a team that could implement his vision for the school as a place of vigorous Catholicism and academic excellence. The fruits of their efforts resulted in the College earning the official designation as the University of Steubenville, and in recognition of the Catholic Franciscan spirit suffusing the school, the Board of Trustees later voted to change the name to the Franciscan University of Steubenville. The quality of the faith was also attracting faith-filled Catholic professors, such as the renowned author and teacher Scott Hahn. When Derek visited the University he was completely won over by the place, and now Jeremy is settling in, very happy and doing very well. We continue to pray for the success of all young people studying abroad. If you would like to know more about Steubenville, check out their website at www.franciscan.edu You’ll find them ‘Academically Excellent, and Passionately Catholic.’

Share us round the world online:

Tributes to David Grant Angela Sargent

n 29 August 2013 in his 74th year, David Paul Grant slipped peacefully from this life with his wife Janet, and daughters Katherine, Anna and Julia at his side. Normality had been cruelly interrupted for the Grant’s by a mercifully short but incredibly distressing illness. While he was a very private person, he made no secret of the importance of family. His wife and daughters, their partners and his grandsons, as well as his extended family here and abroad, played a huge part in his life. The fondness he felt for all his business partners and clients was also clear to see during the Service of Thanksgiving for his Life at the packed Anglican Cathedral on 13 September. For in their response to the service, even the toughest businessmen were fighting to keep their emotions under control. But his eldest daughter Katherine stood tall, speaking in a clear tone, she gave a beautiful tribute to her Father, recording his training as an engineer in the RAF, his meteoric rise at Xerox in the UK and Kenya

www.uponthisrock.gi

“Gibraltar has lost one of it’s greatest business leaders.” Pete Boucher

where he met Janet, and their years running Image Graphics together in Gibraltar. David would have been be so proud of Katherine’s presentation, she showed great strength. There is no doubt that Image Graphics will be in good hands with Katherine at the helm. Anna talked of softer things, of her memories, many of which are our memories too, and of Muffin. She brings the sight of the two friends, tall man and small dog, back to life for a brief time and we can almost visualize David with Muffin, out for a constitutional, heading home on Governor’s Street. Meanwhile Julia’s tribute page on facebook was filling up with warm messages of condolence.

Brendan Roche spoke for all of us who worked with David in one capacity or another for so many years. He related how they first met, and how he understood all those years ago, that his new boss was a deep thinker. Which led perhaps to the time it took for the big man to make a decision, but that in all those years, Brendan says he “Never knew him to make a bad business decision.” But then Brendan has us choking up again, recalling David’s story about the time he went on a cycling tour of Ireland as a young man, how he had a keen sense of humour. It reminds me of other jokes David shared from Private Eye, and taking up reading it myself.

David Grant 1939 - 2013 His influence in our lives went way beyond the workplace. His care for us, also knew no bounds, the phone call when you were ill, making sure you had medicine. Practical help for his staff and their families whenever it was needed, even in the toughest situations. David was a solid supporter of Upon This Rock magazine, in fact without his support throughout the years the magazine would not have been able to continue to publish. I don’t think David has gone far, he lives on in the hearts and minds of those who had the privilege to work with him. May he rest in peace.

Join Upon This Rock on

L A C I M E CH 1 0tu0r% al

E E R F

g n i n n a l P y l Fa m i

Discovering the many benefits of NFP

Husband and wife saw improvements to health, faith life and love life after making the switch to Natural Family Planning.

By Nick and Monica Warren

ick and Monica Warren, pictured with their children, were unclear about the Church’s teachings on birth control when they were first married but then found Humanae Vitae online. Many married couples are discovering the benefits of Natural Family Planning and making the switch from chemical contraceptives. This switch has made a surprising impact on our marriage.

When we were first married, we started using the birth-control pill to manage our fertility. At the time, we were unclear on the Church’s teaching on contraceptives. Like many modern couples, we wanted a proven way to plan the timing and size of our family. We were advised by our OBGYN that Monica would benefit from the pill since she had a history of endometriosis.

Misconceptions

@uponthisrockmag

Even though we were told about NFP before during ‘Engaged Encounter’, we chose not to use it. NFP looked too difficult to learn, too complex for us, and we feared it would interfere with the spontaneity of our love life. Plus it didn’t seem current or relevant to us, a modern-day Catholic couple. We were also a bit concerned about NFP’s effectiveness–even though we didn’t actually know the statistics. We didn’t spend any time seriously considering or praying about how to manage our fertility and just slid into using the pill. The side effects of the pill slowly started to impact our marriage. The source of these side effects wasn’t obvious at first. Monica felt low libido and intimacy was sometimes painful due to personal dryness. Nick felt awkward when asking for intimacy. We felt the romance slowing going away. These were actually the side effects of our contraceptive choice. Like many people our age, we

were and still are health conscious; we try to exercise regularly and eat well. We buy organic milk and yogurt. Yet despite trying to keep artificial growth hormones and antibiotics out of our diet, we were accepting that we would put artificial hormones into Monica’s body for the next 25 years via a pill. That made no sense to us. After being married for two years, we were ready to have children. We went off the pill and got pregnant. Because we wanted to space our children a year and a half apart, we didn’t go back on the pill in between each pregnancy. We had our three children over a five-year period. After our third child was born, we decided we wanted a more permanent method to control our family size. We started to research different methods to handle our fertility and started to earnestly pray for God’s guidance in the matter. Nick found information about various contraceptives, their effectiveness, side effects and the merits of each. We’ve found over the years that this is

Share us round the world online:

Editorial selected by Dr. Monique Risso a normal decision point reached by couples after they have had the number of children they intend.

NFP awareness

Google led us to Humanae Vitae (“Of Human Life”), Pope Paul VI’s 1968 encyclical that contains the Catholic Church’s official position on contraceptives. It explains why NFP is important and discusses the benefits to married couples. We realized those benefits were missing in our marriage. Humanae Vitae also clearly states that using NFP is the only family planning method that is morally accepted by the Catholic Church. After reading Humanae Vitae and praying, we knew it was God’s intention for us to use NFP. This was not easy for us to accept at first. It was out of obedience to the Catholic Church that we initially decided to use NFP. We found a local NFP class and attended. The NFP method being taught was the Sympto-Thermal Method, one of three methods actively taught in our community. It was simple and we came to understand it quickly. By the third class, we felt confident using the method.

It became simple to incorporate NFP into our lives after we started to use it. The benefits were almost immediate. Within a month we started to have more desire to be intimate more often. Intimacy was also more enjoyable. Monica started being more responsive, and she was ‘in the mood’ more often compared to when she was on the pill.

Far-reaching benefits

Thanks to ongoing charting, we also started to see patterns in Monica’s cycle that led us to understand that she had a micronutrient deficiency. By adding a few simple foods to her diet, we were able to alleviate these deficiencies, which made her cycle healthier. We can see in the charts when Monica is sick - sometimes Nick can tell before Monica even realizes it. Another benefit we experienced when using NFP is that a romantic spark returned to our love life. This is because we abstain during the times that Monica is fertile. NFP doesn’t say when you can and can’t be intimate with your spouse–it’s just awareness of

when the woman is fertile by watching the natural fertility indicators of her body. If a couple chooses to be intimate during the time that the woman is fertile, they are saying they are open to achieving pregnancy, and they may conceive. If they abstain during the fertile time and are intimate only in the infertile times, they won’t get pregnant (with 99.6 percent effectiveness). For us, this means we abstain about 10-12 days in a typical cycle.

Reviving romance

We were surprised to discover

that abstinence actually improves our love life and even increases how often we are intimate. Our time of abstinence is a time of buildup in anticipation for the night that is coming when we are infertile again. Both of us know when this is coming a few days in advance. We flirt during that time in anticipation, which brings a spark of romance. It’s like we get to experience each month, what it was like on our wedding night. We are surprised when other couples tell us that intimacy and romance have faded in their Ccontinued on page15.

Supportive community

We also discovered there was a large NFP community right in our own parish. Many of our friends were using NFP and we didn’t even know it. According to Dr. Mike Manhart, the executive director of the Couple to Couple League, which offers NFP training to married couples worldwide through local certified NFP instructors, “We have seen a nearly 20 percent growth in the number of couples taught in the last year.”

www.uponthisrock.gi

Join Upon This Rock on

Consecration

to the Ordo Virginum

Continued from page 9. “Have a merciful heart and share in the sufferings of men and women. You are well aware: [that] ‘You who are Virgins for Christ’ become ‘mothers in the Spirit’ (O.C.V. N.16), cooperating with love in the evangelization of man and his promotion”. This notion of ‘spiritual motherhood’ is to be lived humbly and always under the direction of the Bishop. Its fundamentally a spiritual attitude that takes interest in the spiritual welfare of others. The Church is a mother and she acts often with compassion and care. I believe its one of the blessings we have in Gibraltar, where people often see in their

priests a closeness and an understanding that is not always found in larger dioceses around the world. Louisa’s vocation, blessed by the grace of this consecration today, is a sign and a prayer of support for the ministry of compassion and care. The Church as mother is an image that struck me during a retreat given to all the priests here in Gibraltar by an English priest, Fr. Tony Philpot. I also remember that a member of the local clergy, the late Fr. Dominic Silver, who had a rather exacting discernment when it came to preachers’ conferences, was really impressed by this image of the Church as mother. The retreat master expressed the idea

that the love of God assumes a maternal nuance, or expression, precisely through the mediation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. In the same way, the Church channels God’s love with a form that is maternal in character. Many consecrated women in the early centuries, espoused this attitude by dedicating themselves to those who suffered most, the poor, the sick, the marginalised. Important for Maria Louisa, will be to exercise this concern and care with humility and generosity. These then are the two main aspects of her vocation: 1) a consecration of her life to God, and the emphasis on listening to God, fidelity and commitment and 2) the fruit of this consecration, a

spiritual, motherly concern for others through prayer and works of mercy. We ask Our Lady of Europe, Virgin and Mother, Patroness of Gibraltar, to help you, Maria Louisa, to live out this path that God has called you to. On behalf of the diocese, we thank you for having had the courage to make this step and you can count on our prayers and support.

Rhnk LZm^eebm^ <Z[e^ MO Ikhob]^k Ngbm *+; PZm^k`Zk]^gl !$,.)" +)).*.21 `b[lZm9`b[kZemZk'`b

@uponthisrockmag

Share us round the world online:

C H E M I C A L

FREE

ng i n n a l P y l i m Fa Continued from page 13. marriage, because for us it has been the opposite experience. NFP also opened new channels of communication between us. We talk more about intimacy and our marriage more than we did when we were using a contraceptive. NFP has given us a reason to touch base with each other every month to see how the other is doing and do we want to consider having more kids. So far neither of us has wanted to have more children at the same time.

Nothing has encouraged communication in our marriage the way NFP has.

We were so surprised about the changes that NFP brought to our marriage that we decided to get certified to teach the SymptoThermal Method, so we could influence other young couples. We feel NFP is one of the best kept secrets of the Catholic Church. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no wonder more people are discovering and using NFP in their marriage.

Article first published in the OSV Newsweekly osv.com Guidance on the use of Natural Family Planning is available in Gibraltar from: Dr. Monique Risso, MB ChB MRCGP General Practitioner and NaPro Technology Physician at the Specialist Medical Clinic, Unit 7, First Floor, ICC Building, Casemates Square, Gibraltar. Tel: +350 200 49999 www.ladyofeuropefertilitycare.com

www.uponthisrock.gi

Join Upon This Rock on