CHRISTIAN PERSPECTIVES

Jesus nailed to the cross carried Himself

Jesus is the founder of the religion known as Christianity and Christmas on December 25 is the Annual Ceremony in memory of the birth of jesus. However there are some who have expressed the view that he was born sometime between the years 8 B.C. and 4 B.C. He was born in Palestine.

His family and the religion founded by Jesus grew out of Judaism. Presently Judaism is the name given to the religion and culture of the descendants of Hebrews, the Jews. The belief of the Jewish religion is that there is only one God and that He is loving and just. He is the Creator of the Universe and all mankind.

The New Testament gives us most, if not all the information about Jesus’s life.

It tells us that Jesus was born to Mary, wife of Joseph, in a stable where animals were fed in Bethlehem in Palestine. The conception being a miraculous one, as predicted by the prophets in the Old Testament.

Just before His birth, Jesus’ father and mother were going to Bethlehem to registerer themselves for the census. The crowds going for the same purpose was so massive that Joseph could not find any dwelling house to give him and his wife accommodation for the night. In the stable where Jesus was born, Mary the mother used the wooden manger of the quiet oxen as His first cradle.

Having got to know that a king of the Jews was born, King Herod of Palestine sent a command that all male infants be slaughtered. Joseph the loving father took Jesus to Egypt but very much later returned with Him to Palestine near the Sea of Galilee, Jesus probably worked with Joseph who was a carpenter.

Jesus’s cousin, John the Baptist was prophetic and preached that the Messiah would arrive in the very near future and by the ceremony of Baptism cleansed the people to prepare them for the event.

When Jesus was about 30 years He went to John to be baptized and John accepted him as the Messiah. During the next few years that immediately followed, Jesus began a program of teaching and was successful in gathering a few of them to be the twelve Apostles and with them he travelled through Palestine spreading the Gospel which was filled with miracles that Jesus performed, convincing the people that He was speaking for God and that He could solve their problems.

He preached love and forgiveness and was very popular with the downtrodden.

Jesus opposed the corrupt Hebrew priests of jerusalem who feared Jesus’s growing popularity. When He was 33 years He left for Jerusalem to celebrate the Jewish holiday of Passover. Joseph and Mary were very devout people. In fact every year they went up to Jerusalem for the feast of Passover.

At Supper Jesus announced that one of the Apostles, Judas Iscariot would bring about his death. That same evening Judas Iscariot having received a bribe from the Priests made the soldiers capture Jesus.

He was tried by the Hebrew council which condemned Him to death for claiming to be the Son of God. He was nailed to the wooden cross at the top of a hill, Mount Calvary having made to carry the cross up the hill Himself. Jesus was buried and it was soon reported that the body was missing.

He is said to have stayed on earth for 40 days more conferring with His followers, after which He rose to Heaven.

The Apostles then dispersed and spread the new religion throughout the world. Easter is the annual cerebration of the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. The exact date varies in the different calendars. However Easter falls in spring in the northern hemisphere. Good Friday, the Friday before Easter is the anniversary of Jesus’s death.

- Prof. R.N. de Fonseka

Thought for Lent:

Live simply so that the simple may live

Richard Dwight

At the festival of Christmas a few months ago, everything more or less centered around the manger. But as the manger recedes and we now enter the season of Lent.

The Cross looms large in our minds and pervades our entire thinking. Reflectively, as Christians, we realise that there is a deep bond between the manger and the Cross.

They are interlocked as it were, for the one is verily incomplete without the other.

The base and the foundation of all Christian thinking rests heavily on the Cross on which our Lord hung and died upon.

This Cross which gives one a sense of direction and meaning confronts one and all to lead victorious lives.Looking at the manger scene, we see the shepherds, the wise men, the cattle, and if we were to look at it more closely focusing our attention solely on the infant Jesus, wrapped in swaddling clothes lying in the manger then we will surely see through it all the shadow of a Cross.

For in the heart of God was planted a Cross. To us at Christmas in the midst of kith and kin, it is a time of reunion but to our Lord and Saviour, it was quite the opposite. For Him it meant separation, fro m the Father. He had to bade farewell in obedience and descend to this sinful world to complete the work of redemption on the Cross.

Our Lord when He lived His life here on earth, went about preaching and doing good. He was full of compassion and grace, spotless without blemish but in spite of all this, we esteemed Him not, despised, rejected, humiliated, stripped, stricken.

He bore His Cross and gave up His life for the sake of all mankind. In that time and age they thought His life was a mere waste and a failure. But was it really so? Nay, far from it,

He rose triumphant and men even 2,000 years later still talk about Him, sing about Him, read and learn about Him. Yes, indeed he is alive for evermore to influence and inspire men for all time.

“To fail in a cause now is to finally succeed. The bud may have a bitter taste, but sweet will be the flower.” What of ourselves, do we examine our lives daily, to see whether we are leading lives acceptable in His sight, or are we cheerless, without hope grumbling and murmuring all the time when things don’t go well with us.

If we are treated indiscriminately in the place where we work, even in our very homes, and in all other areas of our lives, do we in despair, throw our hands and question the very existence of God Himself.

Some of us are blessed abundantly with the good things in life, still others have the bare necessities, whilst there are many who have little or nothing to fall back on.

Let us therefore resolve this Lenten season, to live simply in order that the simple may live.

Beginning of the Holy Week :

Passion plays of Lanka

E. Weerapperuma

The statue of Christ Crucified and Holy Cross carved by Lawrence Marcus using a truck of a Kohomba tree (Courtesy: Jaela Church)

Rev. Fr. Santha Sagara Hettiarchchi

On Palm Sunday or the Passion Sunday as it is known now falls April 5, marks the beginning of the Holy Week and Catholics celebrate the glorious entry of the Jesus Christ to the City of Jerusalem. The devotees in their large numbers gather in the churches or go on pilgrimages to Shrines of their choice to observe rites and rituals and to renew their faith.

Sri Lanka then Ceylon was a new mission country during the times of Blessed Joseph Vaz, the Apostle of Sri Lanka. During his time with the able support of Fr. Jacome Gonsalvez, Patron of the Sinhala Catholic Literature, the inhabitants including kings and other court officials embraced faith in the Tribune God, and the converts had to be instructed well in their new religion.

The missionaries though aliens to the local languages and customs of the land they had set their foot, in no time not only learnt the languages and to observe customs but also began to write religious books, translate and narrate Bible Stories and compose hymns to be used of the devotees.

Following the Calendar of Catholic events like the “Season of Advent” and the “Season of Lent”, the Missionaries of yesteryear using dramas and long stage plays “Wasappu” enacted the important events of Jesus’ earthly life to instill the Catholic teachings and strengthen the faith of the new converts.

They used statues to portray the Divine characters and men to play the roles in the story of Creation and the fall of Adam and Eve or in the Passion plays.

Religious hymns, songs and lamentations called “passan”, were used with instruments as back-ground music while actors performed on the stage. The local dance was used where necessary and appropriate.

It was the best way of instructing the illiterate at the time. We continue with the same tradition during the season of Lent as it is the best and ideal time to bring the believer closer to God, his Creator.

The Season of Lent plays an important part in their lives and the devotees visit Shrines such as Maggona, Hiniduma, Matugama, Horana, Alagollawa, Hingurana, Sapugaskanda, Mabima, Thambakanda, Mahena and Kadugoda during this season.

Boralessa, Bolawatte, Duwa and Jaela are some of the places they eager to visit as they have impressed the minds of the devotees with Passion Plays. “Jaela- Kapala Kande” is one such centre visited by the Pilgrims. Although it had not received the deserving media coverage it is one of the earliest places to have enacted the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Christ using drama, as a mode of instructions to the early Christians.

It is claimed the emerging Catholic community enacted the first Passion Play at Kapala-Kanda, in 1859, organized under the leadership of L. Luwis Fernando.

The Historian Queyroz in his writings says that he found that there was a strong faith sweeping the area from Wattala to Dandugama by the 1628 and history records the existence of a Church in 1835 at Wewala being the only Church at the time.

The history of Nagoda Church goes back to 1796. With the passage of time in 1835 Rev. Fr. Joachim Alberto had come to look after the spiritual needs of the Catholics living along the boarders of Muthurajawela.

This included Nagoda, Wewala, Tudella, Weligampitiya, Kaleliya and Udammita. Muthurajawela land was fed by the waters of Pothuwila wewa and paddy was cultivated during the times of Muthuraja claimed to be the regional king at Ragama.

It is possible that Rev Fr. Pedro Noronha, an Oratorian priest from Goa resided at Nagoda within the then Uthuru Aluthkooru Korale Mission in 1845 and tradition gives credit to him as the person who had identified the hillock in 1848 in the area now known as Jaela on his visits to meet the catholic community spread out from Nagoda to Udammita.

It is about 18 meters and Fr. Noronha turned it to a place of religious significance by calling it “Kapala Kande”. The area covering about 1/4 acres of land belonged to the Jaela Church dedicated to Our Lady of Sorrows in 1801.

To be continued

Lenten service at Hiniduma

Theja Vidyarupa, Akuressa group correspondent

A view at the wayside of the Calvary peak.

The Lenten pilgrimage season of Hiniduma Calvary Shrine commenced with special service at Kurusa Kanda (Calvary peak) on Ash Wednesday and will be concluded with Thanks giving Mass on April 19.

Pilgrims from various parts of the country are flocking to Hiniduma Calvary shrine in large numbers during these days.

Special and official Liturgical services are being held from Thursdays to Sundays in every week.

All arrangements have been made by the shrine Administrator Rev.Fr. Shelton Fernando to celebrate the Holy Week from April 5 Palm Sunday to April 12 Easter Sunday conducting common way of the Cross, Passon Service, Vigil Service and Eucharist.

Holy Week special services are conducted by the Most Rev. Dr. Harrold Anthony Perera, the Bishop of Galle and Very Rev. Fr. Nihal Nanayakkara, the Vicar General of the Diocese. All facilities have been provided for pilgrims during the season. Fr. Shelton Fernando said the Calvary shrine was connected with the passion and death of Jesus Christ.

Every pilgrim should be decent in his/her dress and behaviour within the shrine premises.

New Apostolic Nuncio meets Sri Lankan priests in Rome

Msgr. Joseph Spiteri, the newly appointed Apostolic Nuncio to Sri Lanka met a gathering of Sri Lankan priests and religious living in Rome, March 19 at the Feast of St.Joseph, guardian of the universal Church.

It was an informal gathering held at the ‘Colligio San Paolo’ and was organized by Rev. Fr. Neville Joe, the National coordinator for the Sri Lankan migrants in Italy.

It was indeed a special day for Msgr. Spiteri and Fr. Neville Joe since it was their patronal feast day.

The evening’s proceeding began with the Holy Eucharist presided by the Nuncio and concelebrated by all the priests gathered.

Singing hymns in both Tamil and Sinhala languages added a national flavour to the liturgy.

In his homily the Nuncio reflected upon the life and mission of St. Joseph who was always trying to discern God’s plan in difficult and trying situations.

He further went on to show as to how St. Joseph, through his obedience to God’s mysterious ways of working in salvation history, was able to face the reality of mystery in his own life by being faithful to Mary and through her to God.

In his homily he called upon all those who were present to be ever faithful to God’s ways even amidst moments of personal discomfort and uncertainty.

Fr. Shamindra Jayawardena, OSB

How Jesus Christ spent his last few days...

Jesus drove them out and overturned their tables and seats of them that sold doves and said unto them, it is written my house shall be called the house of prayer, but ye have made it a den of thieves. MT 21: 12-13 MK 11: 15-18; LK 19: 45-46; JN 2: 13-16. When even (evening) come he went out of the city.

Tuesday - Day of controversy and parables

On the Mount of Olives, overlooking Jerusalem he taught in parables and warned the people against Pharasies. He predicted the destruction of Herod’s great temple and told his disciples about future events including his own return. MT 21: 23-24; 51; MK 11:27, 13:37; LK 20: 1-21, 36. He evaded the traps set by the priests.

Wednesday (day of rest) not mention in the Gospels

The Scriptures do not mention this day, but the counting of days (MK 14:1, JN 12:1) seems to indicate that there was another day concerning which the Gosples record nothing.

Thursday - Passover, Last Supper

In an upper room, Jesus prepared both Himself and his disciples for his Death. He gave the Passover meal a new meaning.

The loaf of bread and the cup of wine represented His Body, soon to be sacrificed and his blood soon to be shed. So he instituted the “Lord’s Supper”.

First day of the unleaven bread, the disciples came to Jesus, saying unto him, where wilt thou that we prepare for thee to eat the Passover? Jesus said: go into the city to such a man and say unto him the Master saith my time is at hand, I will keep the Passover at thy house with my disciples, and disciples did as Jesus had appointed them and they made ready the Passover.

Now when the even (evening) was come, he sat down with the twelve and as they did eat, he said; Verily Verily I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me. Then the disciples were exceedingly sorrowful and began everyone of them to say unto him: “Lord, is it I am?” Jesus answered and said, “He that dippeth his hand with me in the dish, the same shall betray me.

The son of man goeth as it is written of him, but woe unto that man by whom the son of man is betrayed. It had been good for that man if he had not been born. Then Judas, which betrayed him answered and said: Master, Is it I? Jesus said unto him: Thou hast said.

As they were eating, Jesus took bread and blessed it and broke it and gave it to his disciples and saith; “Take eat this, this is my body, and he took the cup and gave thanks and gave it to them saying, “Drink ye all of it for this is my blood of the new testament, which shall be shed for many for the remission of sins. MT 26: 17-30; MK 14: 12-26; LK 22: 7-23, JN 13: 21-27.

If I thou your Lord and Master have washed your feet, ye also to wash one anothers feet, for I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you. JN 13: 12-15.

(Maththew, Mark and Luke do not narrate the story of washing of feet.) Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Geth-sem-a-ne and saith unto the disciples, sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder and took with him Peter and the two sons of Zeb-e-dee, James and John. Leaving them a little further, he went furthermore and fell on his face and prayed.

When he came back to his disciples, he found them asleep and said unto them, sleep on now and take your rest, behold the hour is at hand and the son of man is betrayed unto the hands of sinners.

While he yet speek to, Judas came, with him a great multitude with swards and staves and said: Hail Master and kissed him. Then, them all the disciples forsook him fled and they that had laid hold on Jesus and led him away to Cai-a-phas, the high priest.

Friday - Crucifiction

When the morning was come, all the chief priests and elders of the people took council against Jesus to put him to death and they bound him and led him away and delivered to Pontius Pilate, the Governor. He found no fault in him to be crucified and referred to Herod, as soon as he knew that Jesus Belonged unto Herod’s jurisdiction. When Herod saw him, he was exceedingly glad, for he was desirous to see him.

Pilate therefore willing to release Jesus, spoke again to them but they cried saying, Crucify him, Crucify him and Pilate said unto them the third time, why, what evil hath he done? I have found no cause of death in him, I will therefore chastise him, and let him go. Then they were instant with loud voices, requiring that he might be crucified.

And the voices of them and of the chief priests prevailed and Pilate gave sentence that it should be as they required.

Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the common hall and they stripped him and put on him a scarlet robe, plattered a crown of thorns and they put it upon his head and mocked him saying, Hail, King of the Jews and spat upon him and smote him on the head and after that they had mocked him took the robe off from him and put his own raiment on him and forced him to carry the cross unto a place cal;led Gol-go-tha, that is to say a place of a skull and they crucified him MK 27: 1-66; MK 15: 1 - 47; LK 22: 66-23, 56: JN 18: 13-40, 19: 1-18.

Philip N. Peiris

About 1,500 Christian devotees came from Mannar to the Vavuniya Calvari Church and participated in the prayer took place at Calvary. Picture by T. Vivekarasa, Vavuniya special correspondent