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Editorial approved by Fr. Stuart Chipolina
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f all of the teachings of Jesus, the parable of the Good Samaritan is undoubtedly the most famous, known to Christians and nonChristians alike. This parable is, of course, about responsibility, about caring for others no matter whom or what they may be. Today, however, I want to pay attention to some other
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responsibilities we have. Responsibility and caring for our neighbours is not enough even though the definition of “neighbour” is boundless. So what might those other responsibilities be? Strange as it may seem at first glance, we ought to take a look at how we can be responsible for ourselves. I say strange because we hear so much about our selfishness, our self-centredness, and selfish consumerism that is gobbling up our world’s resources and damaging our environment. We must remember, however, that Jesus told us to love our neighbour as we love ourselves. So it is important to realize that how we treat ourselves influences how we love others. How can we respect others if we don’t respect ourselves? We cannot give what we don’t have. We must love our neighbours as we love ourselves. What I want to point out is our responsibility to our inner selves, our responsibility to our
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souls. We need to pay attention to our spiritual selves, not just our material selves. So many men in their older years realize that they spent so much of their lives on the treadmill of a work existence, working, working, and working to have things and have things for their families. But what sort of things should have been the question on their minds. In being obsessed with their work they missed their children’s youth and missed their wives’ closeness and companionship. Like the man in the ditch in the good samaritan gospel account their wives and children were on the side of the road and passed by. This isn’t true just of men. Nowadays with women in the workforce they, too, may fail to give adequate attention to their families, wishing at the end of their lives that they had been more responsive to their husbands and children. There is another responsibility to our inner selves, namely that of letting our feelings
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out, letting them be known, expressing our feelings. The phenomenon of living with repressed feelings allows those repressed feelings to be cancerous infections that cause physical and emotional illnesses, many of them resulting in hurtful behaviours to themselves and to others. I am not a social psychologist but I wonder if the widespread addiction to pornography can be traced to a lack of closeness to others, others whom, in our bottled up feelings, we pass by as we travel on the road through life. Laughter and tears allow others to relate to us in healthy ways just as they allow us to reveal and share our hearts and souls with those around us. To put it simply, feelings allow us to get in touch with our real selves just as they allow others to get in touch with us. This suppression, by the way, is one of the fundamental causes of teenage distress and teenage anti-social behaviour. Isn’t it
true that teenagers often cry out: “You just don’t understand! You just don’t get it!” Then there are friends and our responsibility to care for them. How many of those we call friends are at the side of the road as we pass them by in all of our busyness, obsessed as we are by all of our concerns? Notice in the parable that the Good Samaritan didn’t simply give the innkeeper money; he didn’t simply give a moment of caring and then move on. No. The Good Samaritan told the innkeeper he would be back and give further attention to the neglected man. Simply giving money is only superficial concern and gives me permission not to get involved. Our time and our attention are more important that our money. Staying in touch with our friends is important not only to them but to us, to our sense of well-being. Friendships require time and effort. The same is true in our friendship with God. We can’t simply throw a few crumbs of our time and care for God and then move on.
What, then, do we give to God?
However busy and preoccupied we may be we need to put times of reflection into our lives. Those times of reflection and thought must be intentional and deliberate; they won’t just happen by default. Our ability to respond is learned and cultivated in our families, in our homes, in those with whom we interact daily. Our ability to respond in caring love isn’t just a gift that automatically drops down from the sky. It’s
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with
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a gift God has planted deep within our hearts and souls, a gift that needs to be nurtured, a habitual state of mind that needs to be developed. Without times of prayer, without times of reflective awareness in God’s presence we will remain spiritual children, immature and self-centred. Caring involves a change in our attitudes. We fear changes and are comfortable in living in our same old ways. We need a change in how we see things. Worries of what might happen beset us. Mark Twain once said, “I have known many troubles in my life, most of which never happened.” Fear can immobilize us. But while this is so we need to also realize that God is a God of surprises, surprises that can change us in good ways.
This means we must care for ourselves. Leaving ourselves at the side of the road has consequences, some of which can be serious. Out of love, God has given us our selves. He wants to be loved by our selves as we have developed them. Who we are and what we have become is our gift of loving God in return. So the big question is: What kind of persons are we, not only in this life but when we return to meet God face to face? Leaving ourselves by the side of the road is not giving God what He wants when we go back home to Him. God has given us the gift of responsibility, the ability to respond. It’s not a burden, it’s a gift, one that can enrich us and
helps us to be who God wants us to be, one that at the same time allows us to be who we really want to be.
Original editorial from Fr. Charles Irvin, Senior Priest, Diocese of Lansing, Michigan.
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: Gibraltar Pro Life Movement, ‘Stand up for Life’ Rally. Photo © Grece Torres
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Protecting the next generation of Gibraltarians.
We will keep up the pressure – says GPLM O
n June 26th the Gibraltar Pro Life Movement (GPLM) held a NightWatch event at Convent Place to highlight the injustice of the proposed Abortion Bill which was to be debated in Parliament the following day, and to encourage Gibraltarians to register their opposition to it. Speaking at the event, chairperson of GPLM Karenza Morillo said: “We are encouraged by
the number of people who have become involved in our movement in recent weeks. Following our Rally in Casemates Square earlier in the month, more and more Gibraltarians are becoming aware of how radical the proposed Abortion Bill is. They are realising that the Bill will do nothing to offer positive support to women in unplanned pregnancy and their families but will only end human life.” She called on Gibraltarians to make their views known to
MPs in the important days prior to the Bill being debated. She said: “This Bill would represent a fundamental change to our law. It would introduce life-ending legislation and does nothing to provide positive supports to women in vulnerable situations. It’s more important than ever that anyone who believes that human rights extend to all humans, including unborn babies, gets in touch with MPs or joins our campaign to register their opposition to the unjust Bill.” Ms Morillo made it clear that the pro-life movement will continue to vigorously oppose the Bill. She said: “No amount of tinkering at the edges of this legislation or attempts at appeasement will have us support the Bill. It is a very extreme proposal that allows unrestricted abortion within the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, and abortion up until birth in some situations.
Similar laws introduced in other countries, have resulted in 1 in 5 babies in the womb having their lives ended. Our community is one where life and family have always been respected and cherished, and this bill goes totally against our core values.”
She urged the people of Gibraltar to make their views known to our MPs by visiting www.chooselife.gi and pledging to vote for prolife candidates in the next election.
She said that MPs should consider their positions and that the people of Gibraltar will be looking closely at their actions and will exercise their votes in the next election accordingly. “This is the most fundamental issue that Parliament will ever vote on. It’s essential that we all make our voices heard”, Ms. Morillo concluded.
Significant numbers taking ‘Voters Pledge’ Rosary Around The Rock October 7th 2019 a date for your diary!
Monday 7th October is The Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary, formerly known as Our Lady of Victory and Feast of the Holy Rosary. This feast day marks the anniversary of the decisive victory of the combined fleet of the Holy League of 1571 over the Ottoman navy at the Battle of Lepanto.
The GPLM has circulated an invitation to take a ‘Voters Pledge’ online, whereby recipients can pledge only to vote for politicians who take a stance in favour of defending the right to life and the right to legal protection of the unborn. With forms available at GPLM events, like the NightWatch shown here, numbers of voters promising to take this pledge have swollen significantly, with 559 voters already signed up when we went to print. Find the pledge at www.chooselife.gi/pledge
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DIVERSITY & INCLUSION SEMINAR
The positive impact of dyslexia in the workplace
The Gibraltar Dyslexia Support Group (GDSG) in association with the Gibraltar Federation of Small Businesses will be hosting the ‘Diversity & Inclusion – the positive impact of dyslexia in the workplace’ seminar on Tuesday 24th September 2019 (see opposite page). The seminar is aimed at the local business community but everyone is welcome. The seminar will explore how people with dyslexia can be a real asset to your organisation and positively benefit your business. The speakers will be: Edward Davis – His Excellency The Governor of Gibraltar, Kate Griggs – Gibraltar Dyslexia Support Group Patron and Founder & CEO of ‘Made By Dyslexia’ and Benjamin Cooke – Senior Strategy Consultant at EY London, UK. The seminar will be held at the John Mackintosh Hall Theatre from 9am and will be finished by 12 noon. The GDSG would like to take this opportunity to thank the sponsors Kusuma Trust, Gibunco Group, Hyperion Group of Companies, BrightMed and EY. Entrance is free, but registration in advance is required by emailing events@dyslexia.gi as places are limited and will be allocated on a first come first served basis. Closing date for registration is Tuesday 17th September 2019. When registering, please advise if you have any accessibility requirements, such as physical impairments or dietary requirements. Gibraltar Dyslexia Support Group Charity Number 62.
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“
Saint Peter was a big burly fisherman.” The words quiver in the air, a faint whisper echoing down the years, as I remember my old teacher. Sponsored by
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That he was a fisherman we know, as his father before him. He was born Simon, son of Jonas and he lived in the 1st century, a native of Bethsaida, near Lake Tiberius, handy for fishing. He lived in a time of tension created by the Roman conquerors. We are told he lacked formal education, led a tough life, was often rash and hasty, unsure of himself. Why did Christ chose Peter, an uncultured man prone to failure, as a foundation on which to build his church? Jesus’s naming of Peter contradicts human reason. He chose a man who was all heart and apt to behave irrationally at times. Yet, Jesus saw him as the Rock, bestowing on him the added name of Cephas, meaning rock in Aramaic. In several instances, Peter showed himself to be impetuous to the point of rashness. For example, it was Peter who left the boat to walk on water to Jesus (Matthew 14:28-29)—and promptly took his eyes off Jesus and began to sink (verse 30). It was Peter who took Jesus aside to rebuke Him for speaking of His death (Matthew 16:22)— and was swiftly corrected by the Lord (verse 23). It was Peter who suggested erecting three tabernacles to honour Moses, Elijah, and Jesus (Matthew 17:4)—and fell to the ground in fearful silence at God’s glory (verses 5-6). It was Peter who drew his sword and attacked the servant of the high priest (John 18:10)—and was immediately told to sheath his weapon (verse 11). It was Peter who boasted that he would never forsake the Lord, even if everyone else did (Matthew 26:33)—and later denied three times that he even knew the Lord (verses 70-74). A big burly fisherman indeed, maybe a big bumbling fisherman would more
accurately describe him. Yet, for all his inept ways it is difficult not to like him. The three years of Jesus ‘s ministry were coming to an end and he invited Peter, James and John to accompany him to pray on what may have been Mount Tabor, 613 meters above sea level. This was a steep rocky climb over a few hours and surely they complained as they struggled up hill having no idea why Jesus had asked them to do this. Stumbling on to the summit they fell down in weariness and slept. Why would they not, they were human and exhausted from the long climb. Before inviting the disciples along to the mountain he had told them that he must suffer greatly, be rejected, scourged and crucified, before rising from the dead. Peter immediately rebuked Jesus in his shock at hearing these words. Despite nearly three years of following Jesus, witnessing miracles and such, they had difficulty in understanding who Jesus really was. He was the promised Messiah but the disciples, along with many others, expected a warrior Messiah, one that would free them from the Roman yoke, so it was a shock to hear about torture and death. These three who formed Jesus’ inner circle had left home, families and livelihoods to follow him and now he was telling them he was going to be killed. Standing at the top of this mountain, bleary with sleep, worried and frightened they needed reassurance! Suddenly, the air became filled with a dazzling light, a brightness that outshone all known light. It emanated from within the body of Jesus in sensational clarity, transfixing the disciples in breathless wonder. They must have watched in fear and trembled at
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Ma j e s t y Anne Mesilio writes
this glorious manifestation, this Transfiguration. The appearance of Jesus had changed, his face shone and he became wrapped in splendour atop this mountain. They must have been overwhelmed at this glimpse of glory, seeing him converse with Moses and Elijah and God the father proclaiming him his only begotten and well loved son. Truly, they were witnesses to majesty. These privileged three were given a spiritual experience to help strengthen them for the events that were soon to unfold, the Passion and death of Christ. From that gift of Jesus they were given something to hold onto, grace to sustain and nourish, letting them know they were not alone. When next we catch up with them it is at the end of the Passover (Last Supper) feast when Jesus asks these same three to accompany him to the Garden of Gethsemane. They follow and Jesus walks a little way ahead and kneels to pray, he expected them to stay and pray with him. The Transfiguration had shown Jesus raised up in glory, now he was at his lowest ebb, he needed human comfort but they, after feasting and a surfeit of wine, fell asleep. After Jesus had returned to them three times to find them sleeping he rebuked them; “could you not watch one hour with me” and finally they understood his death was near and were overtaken with grief. This raw night of sorrow was not over and Peter would deny his Lord three time, James fled but John stayed to the Crucifixion. Jesus’s transfiguration is the symbol and hope of our glory in heaven. We celebrate the feast day on August 6th and really it is a little known day whereas in the Orthodox Church it has always been a major festival.
A voice from heaven
In 2002 the then Pope, John Paul II updated the meditations of the rosary with five “luminous mysteries,” of which the Transfiguration is the fourth. I am going to give Peter, that bumbling burly fisherman in whom Jesus recognised strength, the last word;
Witness to
“For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For he received from God the Father honour and glory when such a voice came to him from the excellent glory: ‘This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.’ And we heard this voice which came from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain” (2 Peter 1:16-18).
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Stop support for jihadists – says Bishop A ACN News: Friday, 5th July 2019 – BURKINA FASO
Bishop in Burkina Faso has called on the international community to stop the flow of weapons to jihadist groups targeting Christians in the north of the country.
Speaking to Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need, Bishop Laurent Birfuoré Dabiré of Dori said: “If the world continues to do nothing, the result will be the elimination of the Christian presence in this area and quite possibly in future from the entire country.” Making a plea to governments around the world to intervene to stop the supply of guns to Islamist extremists, Bishop Dabiré said: “The weapons they are using were not made here in Africa. “They have rifles, machine guns and so much ammunition, more than the Burkina Faso army has at its disposal. When they come to the villages, they shoot for hours. “Who is supplying them with these resources? If they were not getting this support from outside, they would have to stop. “That’s why I’m appealing to the international authorities. Whoever has the power to do so, may they put a stop to all this violence.” The latest incident took place in a rural village in the Diocese of Ouahigouya on Thursday 27th June – but reports from the church have only come through today (5th July). The bishop said: “When the people of the village of Bani had
gathered together to speak among themselves, the Islamists arrived and forced everybody to lie face down on the ground. “Then they searched them. Four people were wearing crucifixes. So they killed them because they were Christians. “After murdering them, the Islamists warned all the other villages that if they did not convert to Islam they too would be killed.” According to the bishop, this is the fifth attack against Christians in the north-east of the country since the beginning of 2019, and brings the number of Christians killed to 20. Bishop Dabiré told ACN that attacks by Islamic fundamentalists have intensified since 2015. He said: “At first, they were only active in the frontier region between Mali and Niger. “But slowly they have moved into the interior of the country, attacking the army, the civil structures and the people. “Today their main target appears to be the Christians and I believe they are trying to trigger an inter-religious conflict.” Bishop Dabiré added that Fr. Joël Yougbaré, a priest of his diocese, was abducted by extremists on 17th March and that he has been forced to close down two parishes because of security concerns. A number of Islamist movements have been blamed for orchestrating the rising number of attcks in Burkina Faso including the Group to Support Islam and Muslims, and Islamic State in the Greater Sahara. Photos: BurkinaFaso Bishop Laurent Birfuoré Dabiré © ACN
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Marta Petrosillo and John Newton write
ACN welcomes vital review into persecution of Christians By John Pontifex
A
id to the Church in Need (UK) has acknowledged the importance of an independent report into the persecution of Christians released last month. Neville Kyrke-Smith, UK director of the Catholic charity for persecuted and other suffering Christians, praised the report commissioned by Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt.
The report, for which ACN UK provided research into the extent of persecution in Africa, the Middle East and South Asia, calls for more UK government action in response to violence against Christians, which is described as being at “near genocidal levels”. Mr Kyrke-Smith said: “We at Aid to the Church in Need are pleased to have been involved in
this report. “It is an encouragement that these issues are finally being recognised at the right level. “It is so important that the challenges faced by people of Christian faith and other minorities are recognised by our Foreign & Commonwealth Office. “There is a vital need to support the Christian presence
– as Christians are so often the bridge builders, peace makers and negotiators.” “We hope that whoever the new Prime Minister may be that he will implement in full the recommendations of this report.” Mr Kyrke-Smith welcomed the recommendations, which include FCO support for #RedWednesday, the initiative in support of persecuted Christians.
The world is largely silent in the face of Christian persecution. The scale of the problem is so great, silence is no longer acceptable. Persecuted Christians need YOU - and all of us! Together our prayers and actions can make a difference. You can PLEDGE YOUR SOLIDARITY by: • Praying ACN’s Prayer found in leaflets in your local Church, or your own prayers for Persecuted Christians in danger. • Sharing this article and Christian Persecution facts with others so that all understand the need.
Donation Details:
Bishop Carmel Zammit Lenten Appeal for‘Aid to the Church in Need’, Gibraltar International Bank, Account Name: ‘Trustees RCC/CAN’ Account Number: 00812022, Sort Code: 60-83-14.
ACN has been supporting religious Sisters provide medical care in Burkina Faso irrespective of faith background and helping the Church’s pastoral work.
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Where Science meets Theology
M
iracles
Well, being canonised, becoming a named saint, is the way we recognise that this human being is in heaven with God following their death.
The only way by which the Church can know this is by God performing a total of two miracles and the Church establishing that these occurred in the individual’s name. In the case of John Paul II, the first miracle was the curing of Sr. Marie Simon-Pierre of Parkinson’s disease, and the second was the healing of Floribeth Mora, a forty eight year old Costa Rican lawyer who had developed a cerebral aneurysm which was diagnosed in April 2011 as inoperable. She was given a month to live, and so prayed for the intercession of Pope John Paul II who had died six years prior to this, but whom she had always admired. On May 1st
and can we believe in them?
On April 27th 2014 Pope Francis canonized the Popes John XXIII and John Paul II. One of the requirements for any canonization is the verification of a miracle brought about through the intercession of the Saint.
she was awakened by what she thought was his voice telling her to get up. She became well and Alejandro Vargas Román, a neurosurgeon, declared her cure to be medically inexplicable. Floribeth Mora told reporters that: “I always prayed for intercession from John Paul II, and I said: John Paul II, you who are so close to God, tell God that I don’t want to die” However, in a modern society so conditioned by scientific proof and so sceptical of anything spiritual or not readily understandable, is it acceptable to even consider the possibility of miracles occurring? In a universe governed by immutable laws, can we accept the possibility of actions that go beyond the natural order? Can we reasonably justify or rationalise their existence? Did Christ perform miracles?
In the Gospels we find some 40 accounts of miracles performed
by Jesus, although we are also reminded that he performed many more than those that are recounted there. We know, from the Gospel accounts, of many miracles involving the curing of specific individuals: the blind, the paralysed, lepers, the deaf and individuals with heavy bleeding. There are also some miracles performed over nature, such as the walking on water, the miraculous catches of fish, the multiplication of the loaves and fish, the transformation of water into wine, and the calming of the storm… although the most important and impressive miracle of them all is the Resurrection of Jesus. But can we affirm the historical truth of these miracles? Did they really take place? Historical sources strongly indicate that they did. For example, when the evangelists set out to summarise the activities of Jesus Christ they did so by concentrating on
Photo: Pope John XXIII
Why?
Photo: Pope John Paul II
Part One: Do miracles exist,
two key activities of his: the announcement of the Gospel; and the curing of the sick. If we look at the Gospel of Mark, (excluding the part that deals with the Passion), 47% of it refers to the miracles of Jesus. The enthusiasm of the evangelist regarding the miracles of Christ is clear, and the Gospels show that even his adversaries accepted that
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he carried out extraordinary acts. Even Herod, when Jesus was taken to him, was pleased as he thought he might see a miracle performed. In all the levels of all the books of the New Testament we can see affirmations of the miracles brought about by Jesus Christ.
there is no objection whatsoever to the affirmation that Jesus Christ could perform miracles and did so. Even atheists believe in miracles!
Photo: Jacalin Dufin © writerstrust.com
Photo: Floribeth Mora © Jovel Álvarez
Dr. Bernard Farrell-Roberts writes
Jacalyn Duffin wrote: “Peering down the microscope, I saw a deadly leukaemia cell and decided that the patient whose blood I was examining must be dead. It was 1986, and I was reading a large stack of bone marrow samples “blind” without being told why. Given the nasty diagnosis, I imagined that it must be for a lawsuit. Perhaps a grieving family was suing the doctor for a death that really could not have been helped. The
bone marrows told a story: the patient took chemotherapy, went into remission, then relapsed, had more treatment, and went into remission for a second time. Then the slides stopped. Later I learned that she was still alive some seven years after her ordeal. The case was not a lawsuit. Instead it was being considered by the Vatican as a miracle in the dossier for canonization of MarieMarguerite d’Youville.” These are the words of Physician, researcher, historian, and self-professed atheist Jacalyn Duffin as she recounted her first contact with a medical miracle, one that led to the successful canonization of the first Canadian-born saint MarieMarguerite d’Youville. The above events encouraged her to learn more about miraculous healings, much to the surprise of those who know her! Over the next few years she examined more than 1400 of the cases recorded in the canonization files of the Vatican Archives and Library. Amongst others she investigated cases such as that of a paralysed
woman who rose and walked after lying next to the corpse of St. Diego d’Alcalá in 1555, a three-year-old boy who came back to life after a mother’s plea to St. Andrea Avellino in 1678, and a young woman who was cured of meningitis following appeals to St. Vincenza Maria Lopez y Vincuna in 1928. Although she was very sceptical at first, she came to believe that those involved in the events and their reporting were honest, and that their reports were accurate. She concluded that these events were miracles for those involved. When asked if she now believes in miracles, she stated that following years of hesitating, she can now answer comfortably that she does. She was impressed by the remarkably careful scrutiny conducted by Church officials who had always enlisted the help of the best scientific and medical professionals available at the time. She believes that the accounts she studied are true, and that as a result, they are indeed miracles. Part Two next month.
The above facts clearly indicate the historical truth of Christ’s miracles. Jesus Christ as God is able to empower a part of the Universe so that it can do more than it could by itself. Historically, and ontologically,
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SAMUEL
The continuing serialisation of a story by Manolo Galliano.
- God’s Special Gift
This is the story of Samuel, a child with a mental disability and his encounter with Jesus, who became his very special friend. Continuing from Issue 216
Chapter 5
continued… Samuel has come to Jesus with his basket of food on the hillside at Bethsaida Julias…
Just then, an idea came to him, Jesus looked at Samuel and smiled, “See, little sparrow,” he said, “I did tell you that one day you would come along and help me, and, now that time has come.” He then turned round to his disciples and instructed them to make all the people sit down in groups of about fifty. Then, when everybody had settled down, he took the five loaves and the two fish from inside Samuel’s basket, and looking up to heaven he gave thanks to God. Aaron, who had been watching everything very intently, then saw Jesus break the bread and fish into pieces and hand then over to his disciples to distribute to the crowds patiently sitting on the grass.
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However, he could not really understand what was happening and he kept rubbing his eyes and even pinching himself to make sure that it was not all a dream. For before his very eyes, the same scene kept repeating itself continuously, as more and more people were fed by the very same pieces of bread and fish which were there originally. Aaron’s mind reeled and the wonder and the reality of this miraculous multiplication was further brought to him when he was handed his own portion. He was then able to touch and taste the bread and fish and confirm that it was real food and not just an illusion or a trick. Tears welled up in his eyes and with a voice choking with emotion, he cried out, “Surely, this is the Prophet who was to come into the world!” Jesus heard his words and turning towards him, he looked deep into his eyes and replied, “Would any of you who are fathers give your son a stone when he asks for bread? Or would you give him a snake when he asks for a fish? Bad
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as you are, you know how to give good things to your children. How much more, then will your Father in Heaven give good things to those who ask.” And taking Samuel by the hand, he walked over to Aaron and told him, “How fortunate you are, my friend, for your eyes see and your ears hear. I assure you that many prophets and many of God’s people wanted very much to see what you see and hear what you hear, but they could not.”
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Then bending down, he clasped Samuel tightly to him and said, “Go now, little sparrow. Your task is almost accomplished. Soon, I promise you, we will meet again and then we shall be together always.” Samuel looked at Jesus and wondered what was meant by those strange words. Would he be travelling all over the country, spending all his time helping Jesus with his miracles; or, rather, would Jesus come to live with him and his father and sister in their house? Whatever
it was, he decided, he knew that it would certainly happen and, in any case, it would make him very happy. He planted one of his very wet kisses on Jesus’ cheek and wagging a finger at him, said, “Now, don’t take too long to come for me. Remember, I’ll be waiting for you”. And taking Aaron’s
hand, they both slowly made their way through the departing crowds to where his sister and Mary Magdalene were waiting for them. “Rachel, Rachel!” he shouted, “You were right! Jesus has fed everybody here with my bread and fishes. Look!” And then opening up the basket which
was slung over his shoulder, they saw that it was full to the brim with large fragments of barley bread and pickled fish. Aaron, who could hardly contain his own excitement, said, “And on the way up here, I myself have seen the disciples collecting another twelve baskets full of pieces.”
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So, praising God for the marvels that they had witnessed, they joined the rest of the multitude of people as they returned to their homes and families in the certain knowledge that their lives would never be the same again. To be continued…
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