Diocesan News and Forthcoming Events...
Over 100 Locations T he annual Global Rosary Relay for the sanctification of priests will be held on the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus on 23 June 2017. We plan to encircle the world in prayer for the eighth year, with more shrines than ever taking part, in what is now recognised as a truly significant and powerful devotional initiative within the Catholic Church, to recognise and bless the work of priests
serving the faithful the world over. Each of the participating shrines in 50+ countries prays a particular mystery of the Rosary, at a particular half hour on the day, in thanksgiving to God for our priests and to implore the protection and loving care of Our Lady, Mother of all priests, for all her priestly sons. See the official announcement above for Gibraltar’s allotted time and chosen venue.
Upon this Rock magazine is published monthly by EuropeAxess Media, Gibraltar. Editor: Fr. S. Chipolina: editor@uponthisrock.gi. Production Editor: A. Sargent: angela@europeaxess.com. 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 handdelivered 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. The magazine is online at uponthisrock.gi. Cover Photo: Steve Ray, Inces Hall, Gibraltar ŠAnselmo Torres
2 uponthisrock.gi
Tweet with us!
@uponthisrockmag
New Nuncio
H
That they might hear! T he Gibraltar Hearing Impaired and Tinnitus Association (GHITA) has recently launched the use of special hearing assistance equipment in St. Theresa’s Church, on Devil’s Tower Rd. The GHITA is particularly grateful for a large donation from the Alwani Trust
934 Friends
301 Page Likes
which together with its own fundraising meant they were able to provide 16 sets of equipment. GHITA Chairman Edgar Triay explained that the equipment works via the St. Theresa’s Church P.A. system, and that there are sets available for those with and without hearing aids.
is Holiness Pope Francis has appointed Archbishop Edward Joseph Adams who hales from in Philadelphia, USA as nuncio to Gibraltar. The 73 year old archbishop has served in this diplomatic post of the Holy See, in Bangladesh, Zimbabwe, the Philippines and was eight years in Greece before this latest appointment. He now becomes the Holy See’s ambassador to Gibraltar and Great Britain.
The office of the nunciature is located in London, lying within the Archdiocese of Southwark and overlooking Wimbledon Common.
Corpus Christi 2017 T
he Corpus Christi Procession will take place on WEDNESDAY 14th JUNE at 7.30pm at John Mackintosh Square, starting with the Eucharistic Celebration
and processing to the Cathedral with the Blessed Sacrament.
The change of date is due to the Queen’s Birthday Parade being scheduled for Thursday 15th June.
uponthisrock.gi 3
Text: Steve Ray www.catholicconvert.com Photos: Anselmo & Grace Torres
After an inspirational Conference in Gibraltar’s Inces Hall, we can present a bonus Pentecost Teaching from
STEVE RAY
ETWN GUEST SPEAKER CAT H O L I C A PO LO G I S T
Mary Other Body of Christ and the
T
he room was pretty full. It was warm but a gentle breeze was blowing— that would change.
There was fear in the room. The Roman army was a thing to be feared, they had just crucified Jesus and it was a dangerous
4 uponthisrock.gi
thing to be associates of an executed criminal. They were also anxious about the promise. The only thing they knew about God descending in fire was the experience of their ancestors at Mount Sinai. When that happened they all ran and hid and said to Moses, Never let
Upon This Rock thanks its readers for engaging with the special
God speak to us again; you go talk with Him and come back and tell us what he said. Pentecost was approaching. Pentecost means “the 50th day.” Fiftieth day from what? From the Passover. Almost fifty days ago the Passover lambs had been slain, and so had THE Passover Lamb. Then there was the forty mystery days when Jesus was gone but not gone— with them but not with them, at least not like before. And he kept just appearing and then disappearing. He taught them a lot in those forty days, He had breathed on them, gave them power to forgive and retain sins, fed them loaves and fish, appointed Peter as his shepherd, commanded them to go out from Jerusalem to the world. He explained to them much about the Kingdom of God and their tasks as His emissaries. The last meeting was the most unusual of all. He answered a few questions, gave a few instructions and without even a formal Good-bye He started going up—and continued going up until all they saw was the bottom of his sandals as he disappeared into a cloud. Daniel 7:13-14 says he went back to the glory of heaven. They looked at each other with obvious concern on their faces—they were fearful. They locked themselves in the
Upper Room to pray as He had commanded. They were praying for what they feared—fire upon a mountain, Mount Zion. They prayed for nine days, the first Novena, before the promise of the Holy Spirit fell. We are specifically told that there were about 120 people in the room. Actually the word is “names” not people. How strange. Can you imagine me saying, “About 120 names came on our pilgrimage to the Holy Land”? This made me curious so I looked up 120 in early Jewish literature and law. Sure enough, my research paid off. In Israel if a group of Jews desired to leave the big city and start their own new community, they needed a minimum of 120 names on a list. What was happening here in the Upper Room? A new community was being started. The word “church” in the New Testament is ecclesia which means “a group of people called out.” Even today the Knessett (lawmaking body in Israel) is made up of 120 representatives. Mary is listed among the believers in that Upper Room. It was important that she is listed among the names with others. She is the mother of Jesus. She gave birth to him in Bethlehem and was, in a sense, giving birth to him again on Pentecost. What is our affectionate term for Pentecost? Can you sing
Lenten Appeal on Facebook, helping to promote this worthy cause
“Happy Birthday, to you…”? Yes, it is the Birthday of the Church. What is being born? The Mystical Body of Christ. Who is there for the birth? The mother of course. Mothers have to be present when their child is born. Mary is the mother of Jesus the God-Man and Mary is the Mother of the Church, the Body of Christ. She was necessarily present at both births. Mary was also there because the others were afraid of the descent of God in fire on this new mountain. I am convinced they trembled in fear not only of the Jews and Romans outside, but of the prophesied “baptism of fire” within—as they wondered and feared what that might be. The gentle breeze was about to become a rushing wind. But Mary was there to calm their anxieties. I bet she said
something like, “Don’t be afraid my friends, the Holy Spirit has already overshadowed me and He was pure love. Just wait until you are bathed in His love!” The gentle breeze became a rushing wind but it was warm and after nine days of praying, the Holy Spirit fell in fire on the tenth day—which was the 50th day from the death of the Passover Lamb, Jesus on the cross. The Jewish festival of Pentecost also celebrated the first fruits of the harvest. Remember, Jesus said he was like a grain of wheat that would be buried in the ground. The grain must be buried and die to bear its fruit. Jesus died, was buried in the ground and rose from the dead as the first fruit. Now on the “Feast of First Fruits” the first of the harvest is brought to God. continued on page 11
uponthisrock.gi 5
V
Words by Manolo Galliano
Members of the Gibraltar Cursillo Movement joined Cursillistas from all round the world in Fatima last month
World Ultreya
th
Friday 5th May One o’clock in the morning and a motley group of about 30 of us, with our luggage, huddle together in a sudden drizzle, on the other side of the Frontier, waiting for the coach to transport us to Fatima. This is not a holiday escapade, but rather an encounter of international proportions, planned during many months, for attendance at the Vth World Ultreya – a coming together of peoples from all over the world who have experienced the joy and spirit of the Three Day Cursillo in Christianity. Soon we are on the way, our tiredness and lack of sleep counterbalanced by the expectancy of the importance of the occasion, with the battle cry of ‘Ultreya!’, signifying ‘Onwards!’, fresh in our hearts and minds. After a long night punctuated by the customary stops on the way, we finally arrive in Fatima to be greeted by the ringing of the Basilica’s bells pealing the ‘Ave Maria’ chimes. This immediately reminds us that this holy place will shortly be celebrating the 100th anniversary of the first apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary to the three shepherd children, at which event His Holiness Pope Francis will be overseeing the celebrations and carry out the canonisations of the two younger children, Francisco and Jacinta.
6 uponthisrock.gi
That evening, following the arrival of some other members of the group who had travelled separately in their own cars, we all went down to the Apparition Chapel in the Basilica’s main square for a multitudinous celebration of the Holy Mass. This was followed later by the recitation of the Rosary, carried out in a number of different languages, concluding with the traditional candlelight procession. Some of our group members, who had experienced this event for the first time, were heard to say that the sight of the meandering candlelights in the darkness of the vast square were like a lava flow emanating from a volcano–veritable streams of love flowing from the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Saturday 6th May Fully refreshed after a proper night’s rest, we all set off early for the Stations of the Cross in the Valinhos Sanctuary; a one hour peregrination on foot through beautiful meadows and olive groves, meditating along the way on Our Lord’s last journey to Calvary. This was a truly emotive experience for all those taking part, as we prayed and sang and brought to mind the Lord’s sacrifice for our Redemption. There were tears and moments of joy, especially as we kept meeting up with countless other Cursillistas from all over the world,
Tweet with us!
@uponthisrockmag
Photos John Tewkesbury
acknowledging each other with the traditional greeting of ‘De Colores!’, the traditional Mexican folkloric title of the song adopted worldwide by the Cursillo Movement. After a well-earned lunch in the hotel, we made our way to the Basilica of the Holy Trinity situated at the southeast corner of the Sanctuary, where the Ultreya was due to commence. This huge modernist structure, inaugurated on 12th October 2007, has a seating capacity for almost 9,000, with its gentle slope affording a perfect view of the altar to all the congregation. In no time at all, the interior filled up completely and the loud hum of voices was soon silenced as a procession of a hundred priests, a dozen bishops and the Cardinal Patriarch of Lisbon, the Reverend Manuel Clemente, made their way from the entrance down to the main altar. There were addresses by past and present Presidents of the OMCC (Organismo Mundial de Cursillos de Cristiandad) and a meditation entitled ‘The Evangelisation of the Peripheries – Mission of the Cursillo’, in which the emphasis was clearly on the lay members’ task of continuing with the task of inserting Christianism in Life through the encounter and personal friendship with God and in communion with our brothers and sisters in Christ. This was followed by a Rollo (Talk) by a past President of the
934 Friends
301 Page Likes
OMCC, Juan Ruiz, entitled ‘Friendship, Trust and the Faraway’, which gave a witness account of his personal encounters with Eduardo Bonnín and Father Sebastián Gaya, the two stalwart founders of the Cursillo Movement. Furthermore, Ruiz also spoke most eloquently about the need to have confidence in oneself, in others and especially in God. To be aware that every person, both near to us or not, needed to be touched by the love of God. The intermission resulted in a frenzy of singing of Cursillo songs and the waving of national flags and parish banners, resulting in a chance encounter with the Cursillo community of the Campo de Gibraltar, who were delighted to meet their counterparts from across the Bay. The session ended with the concelebration of the Holy Mass and a final closing address on the theme of the New Evangelisation by the Cardinal Patriarch. All in all, although the event went on for a number of hours, it still proved to be a wonderful experience of conviviality and brotherly love. Continued on page 10
uponthisrock.gi 7
The Christian Mission Trust; 15 Years Old By Chris Pitaluga, Chairman
The Christian Mission Trust was 15 years old on Monday 17th April 2017, two days before the last meeting of the Trustees.
Happ y Birthday! M
ost people in Gibraltar, and indeed probably most of the readers of “Upon This Rock”, will not have heard of the Trust and, if they have, will probably not be aware of what we do. It was in late 2001 that I went to see Bishop Charles Caruana with the idea of establishing a charitable trust, the main purpose of which would be to provide funds and other means of support for the Christian churches in Gibraltar and any faith groups associated with them. We would assist those who were directly involved, in one way or another, in the promotion of the Christian faith. As with most faith-centred things, Bishop Charles was hugely enthused by the idea and gave his immediate blessing. From the start, therefore, the Christian Mission Trust’s (CMT) main purpose was to do what it said on the tin: provide financial assistance to all Christian denominations in Gibraltar for missionary outreach. As a result, I invited the then Methodist Minister, Wilf Pearce, and the Dean Kenneth Robinson, to join us as trustees. I still remember going to see them both, with not a little trepidation. To my relief, they gladly agreed. Much has been written about Gibraltar’s multi-faith community model and the “tolerant” way in which we live together. Whilst I understand what is meant, I also think that “tolerant” doesn’t do justice to the way in which our community demonstrates respect and, indeed, active affection for the interaction of the multiple faiths that are exercised on the Rock. This is so much more true of the Christian denominations themselves, a tradition which goes back to the early years of the colonisation of the Rock in the late 18th and early 19th
8 uponthisrock.gi
centuries. As a Catholic, it was as unsurprising, therefore, as it was nonetheless satisfying to obtain the support of these other Christian denominations for the establishment of the charity and, moreover, for the proposal that the other lay trustees to be appointed should be Catholics in order for the faith demography of Gibraltar to be proportionately represented on the board of trustees. In 15 years, we have never once encountered a problem within the board of trustees related to our differences as Christians. Quite the contrary: the CMT is a true reflection of the wider Gibraltar Christian faith community. Today’s trustees, Bishop Zammit, Reverend Fidel Patron, Dean John Paddock, Anna Breen, Frank Mifsud, David Wahnon, our treasurer, and I, all exercise this duty cooperatively and gladly. I am grateful to each of them. With the generous assistance of the late Nicholas Keeling, senior partner of the law firm Denton Wilde Sapte, the trust deed was drafted and approved and at a meeting of the trustees on the 17th April 2002, the Christian Mission Trust was launched. The only remaining members of the initial group of seven trustees are Frank Mifsud and I. Since 2002, the Trust has been served by Bishops Charles Caruana and Ralph Heskett as well as Deans Kenneth Robinson and Alan Woods, as well as Fr. Bill Watson of the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity; and, of course, the Reverend Wilf Pearce of the Methodist Church. We have been blessed also to have been served in this time by Mrs Maribel Chiappe and Louis Falero who gave their enthusiastic support to the aims of the Trust for many years. Since its inception, the Christian
Mission Trust has contributed over £200,000 in support of a wide and numerous range of individuals and groups, all
within and from Gibraltar, in the proclamation of the Gospel and local evangelisation, and in all manner of forms and events.
The highlights
have included:
The original Alpha Course run by the CMT itself in 2003 which, by way of anecdote, was held mainly at The Mount after the Retreat Centre was taken over by all the residents of Mount Alvernia. Since then the Trust has also supported other Alpha Courses held interdenominationally in Gibraltar. Support for the Diocesan Catholic Youth Group, Emmaus when the group has attended World Youth Days with the Pope in places like Cologne, Sydney and Warsaw. The ministry of the Methodist Church in its attendance at the annual Hillsong Conference in the United Kingdom. Sponsorship of the HeartBeat Music Festival in 2009, supported and organised entirely by the Trust, at which the principal musical guest was Graham Kendrick. Sponsorship of various art programs for the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity. Other groups such as the Catholic Charismatic Renewal. The Cursillo Movement • The Secular Franciscan Order. Faith and Light • Methodist Youth Ministry. Women of Grace • Upon This Rock magazine. These, as well as host of individuals too numerous to mention, have benefited from the work of the Trust from time to time. It has been a blessing for the Trustees to see the work of the Lord unfolding in Gibraltar over the last decade and a half and we look forward, with the Lord’s guidance and His provision, to assisting many others in the years to come. The Trust advertises in each edition of this magazine because we want to encourage all those in the Christian community in Gibraltar who have been inspired by the Holy Spirit to step out in faith in the cause of mission to feel that there is at least a degree of financial support for their laudable ambitions and aims. The Trustees take a wide view of the meaning of
“proclamation of the Gospel” and “evangelisation” but still operate within carefully crafted criteria to ensure that there is some measure of outreach and mission involved when a donation is considered. If you’re in the category of those who aspire to serve the Lord and who therefore know you’re in for an ordeal (Ec. 2: 1) at least part of the journey will be less hard if you have the financial backing to get you underway on the road ahead. Feel free to ask: you don’t have much to lose. See Details opposite.
Tweet with us!
@uponthisrockmag
CH
Faith and Light
FUNDING AVAILABLE
US
T
N
The Christian Mission Trust provides local Christians with donations for evangelistic SI O N TR initiatives and outreaches. The Trust is ecumenical and has provided money to many groups, individuals and churches during the last 12 years. It is run by a Board of Trustees.
MIS
Cursillo Movement
R ISTI A
We invite applications for funding from anyone who wishes to launch an evangelistic initiative or who needs support for an existing Christian missionary activity. Please write to: The Chairman, Christian Mission Trust, 4 South Pavilion Road, Gibraltar.
A few examples of Groups or Projects s p o n s o r e d b y t h e C h r i s t i a n M i s s i o n Tr u s t
Vth World Cursillo Ultreya
Continued from page 7 Sunday 7th May The shops never seem to close in Fatima and many of us took the opportunity to buy some religious souvenirs and the delicious Pastéis de Belém (Portuguese custard tarts), before making our way to the Sunday Mass at the Sanctuary. Once again, there were thousands of people in the square, most of them seeking shade on the periphery, near the trees, as it was a really hot day with the sun beating down mercilessly. After the Mass, the
Farewell Procession took place in which the pennant of the Gibraltar Cursillo Movement was proudly paraded among the flags of so many countries of all five continents. As the image of the Virgin was returned to the Sanctuary, most of the pilgrims waved their white handkerchiefs, not in order to bid farewell to Our Lady of Fatima, but as a sign of our own impending departure to our own homes. This farewell is also reflected in the words of the hymn sung at the time –
‘Adeus, repito e choro, Adeus, saudosa Mãe (‘Farewell, I repeat and cry, Farewell, sadly missed Mother’). Back to the hotel for lunch, which proved to be a joyous occasion as we joined up with a large group of Vietnamese Cursillistas, based in Belgium, vying with each other in singing songs, in tandem and in a general chorus. Our own rendition of the Vietnamese hymn ‘Lὄi Chúa’ (‘Word of God’), actually sounding like a Chinese version of ‘She’ll be coming round the
mountain, when she comes’! Great fun ensued and friendships cemented, proving that we are all children of God and that neither race, politics nor creed should ever be a barrier to peace and goodwill. That afternoon we were free to relax and have some coffees in the excellent pavement cafés, watching the comings and goings of so many Cursillistas and pilgrims from many countries. Then one last visit to the Sanctuary after dinner, for the candlelight procession and to pray for our loved ones and for the wellbeing of our beloved Rock of Gibraltar. Monday 8th May After an early breakfast, we are on the way back home, accompanied by the chimes of the Basilica bells once more. We finally arrive in Gibraltar at 9.30pm, tired by the very long journey, but full of fervour of the experiences of the last few days which has proved to be a religious tonic to our sometime flagging spirits. If you would like to join the Cursillistas, see page 12 & 13 for details of the next course.
10 uponthisrock.gi
Upon This Rock thanks its readers for engaging with the special
Upon This Rock Diocesan Conference 22-23 April
The FRUITS
of the C O N F E R E N C E T
continued from page 5 We learn that 3,000 people were added to the Church that day—all in keeping with the tremendous symbolism and deeper meaning to all these events. And with these deep mysteries and truths we are just scratching the surface. Come to the Holy Land with us, get out your Bibles
and study books (or Verbum Catholic Bible Study software) and dig deeper. “There is gold in them there hills” for those with eyes to see and ears to hear and hearts and minds to learn. Thanks to Steve Ray for special permission to reproduce this Pentecost feature. There are more resources on his website
www.catholicconvert.com
Lenten Appeal on Facebook, helping to promote this worthy cause
ext of Monique Risso’s 24th April email to Christine Frendo: Dear Christine, Thank you for organising and bringing to reality the great opportunity to hear Steve Ray this weekend. This has been a true blessing. Through his knowledge and experience of the Scriptures (from his own research and his own travels in the Holy Land), he has given new insight to the Bible and our faith. He has certainly inspired me to learn more. I have been reflecting on the other blessing from this venture, which is how we have been able to meet, representing all the Diocesan groups. It has been lovely to be up to date with all the events happening in our community. I wanted to suggest that we continue to meet on a quarterly or even twice a year basis, to keep in touch and learn about all these amazing events that are happening locally. What do you all think? Lilian Galliano: First of all, let me thank you Christine for your hard work in organising this very special weekend. I am sure we have all learnt something from this great man Steve Ray. Just read Monique’s email. [above] Actually I commented exactly the same to my friend, how it would be a great idea for all groups to come together sharing a special event, maybe a day retreat, an Adoration, or as you say to pray as one Christian Community, twice or even once a year. xx Derek n’ Denise Duo: Thanks for everything Christine and your team, great idea to keep meeting. God Bless xx th May Message to All Groups from Christine Frendo: Hi everyone, after our Mass followed by a Coffee meeting this evening, we’ve set a date for an adoration, to continue praying together, on 18th August. Church venue and time to be decided. Our next Mass followed by a Coffee evening will be on 6th October.
19
Hope you can all make it.
uponthisrock.gi 11
Anne Mesilio writes...
Let there be
SPONSORED BY
God continues to send His Holy Spirit to light the world and enlighten our hearts, and through us, the hearts of those around us as well. Anne takes a sometimes light hearted look at light through the ages.
12 uponthisrock.gi
Li T
here was a time when the earth was without form and dwelt in darkness...
Now I like to imagine that when the Lord was in creation mode, he could not work in the dark, so he said; “Let there be light�, and there was light, the rest as we say is history.
We take it for granted now this gift of light, the division between day and night, and yes, some darkness is necessary, we rest at night. Perhaps our ancient ancestors depended on the stars to light the night as well as the moon cycles, firelight briefly illuminated the evening as meals were cooked and the cave dwellers huddled together for warmth, but it was the sunlight that resurrected each day. What a long, long way man has advanced since then, but what is light? Simply stated, light is
Tweet with us!
@uponthisrockmag
2014: One of the crew members aboard the International Space Station took this early evening photo. Street lights
ght n a t u r e ’s way of transferring energy through space. That is really the simplest explanation I can find and it will suffice for now. Today we have electricity, imagine the ease with which we flick a switch, put a plug in, and we have power, clean, efficient and easy. It was not always like that and when I was growing up the advent of electricity was a momentous occasion. I remember the excitement to this day. The Lord may have created light, but he left it to man to harness the energy for his own use. Perhaps electricity came to Ireland a little later than most of Europe, we were after all the most westerly island at that time, somewhat isolated and grappling with our own struggles. The outbreak of World War two set everything back. It was 1939 when the Rural Electrification Scheme was about to be launched, but was postponed until 1946. The first pole of the rural electrification scheme was erected at Kilsallaghan, Co. Dublin, on November 5th, 1946. I was three months old. No, I do not remember this but I have clear recall of most of the next eleven years as we country folk awaited the day we could say let there be light. We did not live in darkness of course and well I remember the tilley lamp, the versatile paraffin pressure lamp. Only my parents
934 Friends
301 Page Likes
illuminate nearly all of Iberia and part of North Africa. The Strait of Gibraltar is well delineated.
1946: The first electricity pole being erected in Kilsallaghan.
could light it and it took a bit of work to. Paraffin was used as fuel, this was a colourless but highly flammable liquid, smelly too and had to be handled with care. I remember my mother going through the ritual of lighting. Very carefully she would pour the kerosene
John Tilley invented the hydro-pneumatic blowpipe (pump) in 1813. His UK based lamp manufacturing business is still a family run company today.
to the required level, being meticulous about wiping up any spillage. Then she would trim the wick and put this with the burner into the lamp and let the wick soak up the oil for ten minutes or more. While this was happening she would clean the chimney making sure it was dry. Then she would turn the wick down just above the burner sleeve and light it. A puff of oily smoke would pervade
the room for minutes and then the flame flickered and grew and bathed us in a soft golden glow for the rest of the evening. The tilley lamp was only used in the kitchen where we spent our time till bedtime. Then it was candles, usually standing in jam jars to prevent falling over which lighted our way to bed. We had to make sure these were not left near curtains in case of starting a fire. All that was vanquished by the flick of a switch! The tilley lamp lived on because often winter storms would bring down power lines and we had to make do with this for a day or two. Candlelight is so romanticized today. Scented candles accompany a long luxury bath, dinner by candle light and so on, and here I admit to my lasting love for candle light. Just as a matter of interest, our beloved iconic Europa Point Lighthouse sheds the equivalent of 72, 216 candles (as best as I can ascertain) at it’s peak. Candles play a role at Mass and prayer services. It is an ancient practice and we remember the
words of our lord; “I am the Light of the World”. We light candles as a way of showing solidarity with those who have been killed and maimed in terror attacks. Each flickering flame becomes a symbol of faith. In this day and age of electricity it is quaint to find the placing of a lighted candle in the window on Christmas Eve, to light the way for Joseph and Mary, still persists. June is mid way through the year, a summer month which celebrates the Solstice, or longest day. For those living on or above the Arctic circle this is a time for the celebration of the light that lingers. The sun does not set, just hovers on the midnight horizon joyfully shedding its light in this annual natural phenomenon. How dim the world must have been without electricity. Once the flick of a switch illuminated our lives there was nowhere to hide the cobwebs on the ceiling! Imagine Thomas Edison, labouring into the night by candlelight in order to bring us the light bulb! We owe him a lot, tongue in cheek, if it wasn’t for him, we’d be working on our computers, or watching TV by candlelight!
uponthisrock.gi 13
Be Calm In life there are times when it’s hard to remain calm, but instead of worrying and dwelling on the problem we must seek the Lord.
14 uponthisrock.gi
I
t is essential that we get away from all the noise around us and all the noise in our heart and find a quiet place to be with God. There is nothing like being alone in the presence of the Lord. There will be times in your lives when anxious thoughts will fill your minds. In these instances you need to find a place where there is peace and quiet and talk to the Lord. God will provide His children with a peace and
comfort unlike any other when we come to Him. The problem is that when we are so worried about things we refuse to come to Him even though He has the power to help us. Every time you encounter problems think of the words from the Bible in Psalms 46:10,
“Be still and know that I am God”.
At times it may be difficult to understand what it means to be still and what exactly we need to do to make that happen. When we face difficulties in our lives it may seem as if we are on a ship being pushed one way and another in stormy seas, in those circumstances how exactly can we be still and strong whilst a storm rages around us? We need to free ourselves from all outside noise, if we do so we
Upon This Rock thanks its readers for engaging with the special
in the presence of the
Lord
God, because we leave no room in our hearts for Him to dwell. God cannot dwell in a heart that is full of anger. It is when we learn to put at rest our complaints and cast our burdens on the Lord, to hush our cries and wait upon him, that we will find peace, He will bind our broken hearts. Sometimes when difficulties arise, we allow the anger and frustrations from those difficulties to push us into violence, or we try to force our will upon the Lord. Neither one of these choices will bring us peace. We can learn to be still as we pray, read scripture, go for a walk, meditate or give ourselves time to think, free from interruption or disturbance. This not only allows us to communicate with our Heavenly Father, it allows our Heavenly Father to communicate with us.
Lenten Appeal on Facebook, helping to promote this worthy cause
Often the pressures of everyday life make it impossible for us to truly hear what God is trying to tell us. It is when we slow down and allow ourselves the opportunity to rest that our mind and heart can focus on those things that are of the greatest importance. God wants to talk to us, but we have to be ready and available to listen. When our mind and spirit are still, our whole body is at peace. We are able to see things with a clear mind, feel things with a pure heart and hear the voice of our Heavenly Father with ears that are open and in tune with his spirit. We will know God because we will be one with him. “Be still and know that I am God,” is not just a saying, it is a state of being. It is the ability to know God well enough to trust in his abilities to rescue you. As we learn to be still and trust in
God, we come to know and understand that we are God’s children. We are never alone, never unaided and never forgotten. He will come to us. All it takes is for us to be still.
If you would like to experience this in your life, don’t hold back and enrol for one of our Cursillo Weekends. The next weekend events will be held at the Retreat Centre: 12 15 October for women and 9 - 12 November for men. If you are interested in attending please contact us on 58008885 or send us an email on cursillogibraltar@ gmail.com and we’ll send you an enrolment form, we look forward to seeing you there.
Photo: Canal du Midi © A. Sargent
are able to hear the voice of God’s Spirit as he comes to comfort and guide us through our difficulties. Some of the noise we experience, that could be blocking our ability to feel God’s presence, is our own worry. When we learn to change our thoughts from negative to positive, we will find it easier to feel God’s love, because we are in harmony with him. The noise is replaced by a sweet melody of peace. To be calm does not mean that the storm is no longer all around us, it means that the storm is no longer within us. The storms may still rage, but you are free from the effects of them. They no longer trouble you because you know in whom you have trusted. You are in a place where you no longer fear. Often, when difficulties come our way, we tend to get angry with God and cry out in complaint. When we do this, we reduce our ability to feel the presence of
God Bless, Cursillo Team Leaders
uponthisrock.gi 15