Christian Perspectives

What is happiness

Happiness :

The Oxford English mini dictionary says that to be happy is to be contented or pleased. Perhaps inward peace is oneself is synonymous to this.

Humour and laughter

A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance. Prov. 15:13a

To be joyful, to rejoice are signs of happiness. Ps 21:1, Ecc 2:10, Heb 3:18, Rom 12:15 a, Phil. 4.4.

1. Stressed facial muscles become relaxed when people smile and laugh, 2. Gives greater aeration to the lungs, 3. Laughter overcomes moderate depression, 4. A pain killer that heals some ailments, eg. produces our alertness hormone catechalamine. This same hormone when increased in the blood can directly attack parts that have arthritis. Ref: Laughter Prescription by Dr. Lawrence Peter and Bill Diana. Humour is a panacea for all diseases.

The two greatest obstacles hindering people of any age to live happily

1. Unforgiving spirit

Strangely, we have this spirit with people who are very close to us. It can be our parents, in-laws, family members, cousins, nephews and nieces, spouse, children and very close friends. By-products of this spirit are revenge with a vengeance.

Many of the above people would have helped us in times of our troubles. But one bad word or act against us is remembered far more than the good they have done to us. Words spoken can never be retrieved. How can we overcome this? Yes, the moment we realize that the unforgiving spirit is in us, our life can never be the same. How? Always think of the good done to us and forget the bad. Generally we can forgive but cannot forget.

How do we overcome this? Pray in earnest asking God to soften our hearts to forgive our enemy.

If we feel a peace in our hearts towards the person, it's wonderful. Luke 6: 37b - Forgive and you shall be forgiven.

Matt 6.15 - If you forgive not men their trespasses neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

2. Jealousy

This is a little less damaging than the unforgiving spirit. Jealousy is defined as the pain you feel when someone you consider equal to you or less than you in any field has overtaken you. It is different from envy where you like to emulate the person but you don't feel jealous.

The by-products of jealousy are pride, anger and arrogance.

An acid test for jealousy is to know whether we can celebrate another's success, or share their burdens as our own. Positive and compassionate thoughts always work in a matrix of love.

The greatest gift that anyone can have is to enhance the quality of life for others through our bubbling enthusiasm for eternal life.

V.R. Amarasingham,
Former Vice Principal, St. John's College, Jaffna, Sri Lanka,
Founder President
Aging Gracefully,
Sri Lanka,
International Patron.

Trinitarian dimensions of Christian priesthood

Fr. J. Patrick Perera Rector/Principal, St. Aloysius' Seminary

Holy Father Benedict the 16th has dedicated this year, as the year of the Priests, in order that the Christian Community may feel the importance of priests to the church, also the priests may become more conscious of their commitment.

It is true that the Catholic priesthood is different from the priesthood of other religions. Christian priesthood is different from a purely cultic priesthood. It is a ministry entrusted to serve the community of the people of God to make present Christ Sacramentally so that the believers can encounter the living Christ of their faith and build up the Body of Christ, the community. It is understood that the vocation to priesthood is a mystery. Why God calls a person to the Holy Priesthood can't be explained. But we know God has called, he calls and he will call men for this sacred life. So the ministerial priesthood is at the service of the common priesthood.

It is foundational experience of Christian that the humans are created in the image and likeness of God, the Trinity. Therefore, the Trinity reveals to us the structure of our being, as Trinitarian. Every human being is Trinitian by nature. Indeed we are small trinities.

As the Trinity is absolute communion, we the images of the Trinity are by nature communication and inter-related. Trinity based on our faith-experience further reveals to us that we have the dimensions of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit in each one of us. One who receives the ministerial priesthood, will practice these threefold functions in daily lives.

Sharing in the office of the ministry of Bishop, a priest is consecrated after the image of Christ by virtue of the sacrament of orders. (Lumen Gentium No. 28) to fulfill the pastoral, priestly and prophetic function of Christ.

They are to exercise the function of Christ as Pastor and Head of the faithful to build up the community (Presbyterorum Ordinis No. 6) when the Christian priesthood is lived and actualised as the father-dimension of the Trinity, it unfolds itself in the self-emplying love of the pastor for those who are under his care. Because of the further dimensions the priest has to go beyond the boundaries of his 'church' of flock to those other flock belonging to the Lord.

The son-dimension of the Trinitarian aspects of priesthood, is well expressed by virtue of his receiving the Sacred orders. Those ordained, primarily the Bishops and then priests share in the priestly function of Christ. Priests sharing in the Presbyterian with the Bishop celebrate the divine worship are true priests of the New Testament. (LG 28)

"Through that sacrament priests by the anointing of the Holy Spirit are signed with a special character and so are configured to Christ the priest in such a way that they are able to act in the person of Christ the Head. (PO 2)

It is the first task of the priests as co-workers of the Bishop to preach the Gospel of God to all people (PO No. 4). The spirit who has spoken through the prophets in the past gives the priest the charisma to proclaim the Word of God effectively. According St. Paul, Holy Spirit is the impelling force that gives conviction to the preacher and makes the proclamation effective in the hearts of the hearers. (1 Tes. 1/5-6. 1 cor. 2/6-16)

In conclusion we may be able to say one who receives priestly ordination, will be gifted with these dimensions, namely Father, Son and Spirit, which is the Trinitarian Dimension of the Christian priesthood.

Weekly devotions :

The Ten Commandments

Exodus 20 : 1 - 17.

The ten commandments as spoken by God is important as this is the moral code that our Lord, our God gave to Moses.

In Matt. 5 : 7 Jesus said :-

"Do not think that I have come to abolish the law of the prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them."

In Mark 12 : 28 - 31.

One of the teachers of the law asks Jesus, " of all the commandments, which is the most important?"

"The most important one," answered Jesus, 'is this.' "Hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one.

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength."

The second is :- "Love your neighbour as yourself."

"There is no commandment greater than these." We find here that Jesus condensed the ten commandments into two major categories - and in the right order. The most important one is to love God with all our heart and the second to love our fellowmen.

We, as fallen beings and having a sinful nature can never live up to the high standard set by God. God knew this very well and therefore sent His Son Jesus to fulfil the Law, so that on our part we receive this as a gift of salvation.

But then, what is the purpose of the law if we cannot keep it, you may ask.

We find the answer to this in Rom. 3 : 20. Therefore, no-one will be declared righteous in His sight by observing the Law, rather through the law we become conscious of sin.

In other words, as we realize we cannot keep the law, we become aware that we are sinners, and therefore, need a Saviour.

God Himself had to provide us with righteousness apart from the law as we cannot keep it - and this righteousness is given to us as a free gift through the sacrifice that Jesus made on the cross.

Let us not think for a moment that good works will bring us righteousness - our good works does not measure up to God's righteousness.

We have to clothe ourselves with Christ's righteousness by believing in Jesus" saving grace and are thus able to stand before God reunited through Christ's blood being shed for us.

Prayer :

Thank you Jesus, for thy saving power. What the law could not do for me you were able to do by shedding your innocent blood for me. Help me to have thy law in my heart and fulfill it through Jesus Christ my Lord. Amen.

SUNITHA SAHAYAM

Impact of Passion Plays on Sri Lankan drama

W. T. A. Leslie FERNANDO

There had been a rich tradition of Sinhala music and dancing in Sri Lanka. The musicians and dancers were endowed with lands by the Kings and the Chiefs for their maintenance. They in turn had to perform music and dancing on royal occasions, festivals, ceremonies, pageants and also in the battlefield.

Nevertheless there is no evidence of any organised drama in the ancient past. There are some references to dramatic performances in the Mahavamsa, Pujavaliya and in some other literary works. There have been also some crude forms of folk drama like kolam, sokari and Gammadu. They are not considered as drama in the real sense of the term.

Missionaries

On the other hand, the Catholic missionaries who came to the island after the arrival of the Portuguese made use of drama as a medium of religious instruction and edification of the Christians.

The events connected with the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Christ have been dramatised and enacted in the Christian world. In fact it is said that it was the liturgy of Easter that paved the way for Christian religious drama.

In Sri Lanka we have a popular form of drama on the passion of Christ known as 'Pasku'. These Passion plays performed with a combination of images of sacred personages and human actors are a class of its own found only in Sri Lanka.

The history of Passion shows in Sri Lanka relates back to the Portuguese period.

During the Portuguese times, a Fransican friar at Matara called Antonio Peixoto had enacted drama on Christ and on the lives of Saints. These plays have impressed even the non-Catholics. He had also composed hymns on the passion of Christ and Fr. Jacome Gonsalvez is said to have drawn inspiration from them, when he wrote 'Pasan' or lamentations later during the Dutch times.

It is very likely that Antonio Peixoto had staged plays on the passion of Christ. However, none of the plays performed during the Portuguese times have come down to us.

It was the Oratorian Fathers who came to the island in the latter half of the 17th century who introduced passion shows with images of sacred personages.

The Jesuit priests in Goa used the technique of puppet plays to instruct and edify the devotees. Ven. Fr. Joseph Vaz seeing that people loved to see puppet plays initiated the performance of passion shows with images of sacred personages in Sri Lanka on the model he had witnessed in Goa.

Passion shows

It is on record in the 'Oratorian Mission' there were Passion shows in Kandy and in Vanni during the Lent in 1706 and later in Trincomalee and several other places.

Fr. Jacome Gonsalvez, the assistant, companion and successor to Blessed Joseph Vaz did much to improve these Passion shows. Fr. Gonsalvez wrote 'Dukprapthi Prasangaya' a book of nine sermons to be chanted while the dumb show was on. To break the tedium of listening to sermons he also composed 'Passan' or lamentations to be recited in a plaintive tone. When Fr. Jacome Gonsalvez was at Bolawatta the passion shows were performed there with all the solemnity.

Annavi Rala

These passion show were performed inside a large shed which was covered at the bottom with cadjan walls about six feet in height. The statues were moved by people covered by the cadjan walls so that to the spectators it appeared as if the statues were moving on the stage. A leader called 'Annavi Rala' who had an appealing voice explained the various scenes in chanting style.

According to Prof. E. R. Sarathchandra, the earliest traditional Passion show known in the present form was performed at Pesalai, Mannar. Most of the scenes of these traditional Passion shows except the Crucifixion was enacted in the open air. The movements of the statues were effected with strings.

Later this form was adopted in Jaffna as well. The fishermen from Negombo and Chilaw who went for fishing expeditions around Mannar performed passion shows in their homelands emulating the Pesalai Passion show. Till recently a Passion show similar to that of Pesalai was performed in Tamil at St. Sebastian's Church, Sea Street, Negombo.

These Passion plays later spread to Sinhala Catholic areas like Duwa, Pitipana, Negombo, Nanjunnakkara, Bolawatta, Wennappuwa, Katuneriya, Chilaw, Ja-ela, Wadduwa, Paiyagala and Maggona. The world famous Duwa Passion play was an innovation of traditional Passion plays enacted with images of sacred personages.

It is the general consensus the earliest form of recognised Sinhala drama is Nadagam. The Nadagam too were introduced by the Catholics. Rt. Rev. Bishop Edmund Peiris, the late Bishop of Chilaw who had done much research on the origins and development of Nadagam shows that the first Sinhala Nadagam was 'Raja Tunkattuwa' presented by Mihindukulasuriya Gabriel Fernando of Chilaw.

Sinhala Nadagam

Gabriel Fernando staged his 'Raja Tunkattuwa', the first Sinhala Nadagam around 1761. The Oratorian priests introduced Passion shows in the latter half of the 17th century and Passion shows have definitely appeared before Nadagam. However Nadagam had a complete dramatic convention in contrast to those earlier Passion shows performed with images of sacred personages which were mere meditative narrations on the sufferings of Christ.

It was very much later specially after the famous Passion play at Pesalai that Passion shows developed into fully fledged drama. Even the Duwa Passion play which was first enacted in 1839 was more or less a meditative narration based on the 'Nine Sermons' in 'Dukprapthi Prasangaya' written by Fr. Jacome Gonsalvez. In 1939 Fr. Marcelline Jayakody following Dorothy Saeyers famous play 'Born to be a King' revised and re-casted it while maintaining the traditional outlook. Since then Duwa Passion Play became famous all over.

Sri Lankan impact

The Passion shows had an impact on Sri Lankan drama. They have influenced Nadagam that had some scenes taken from Passion plays. For instance at the death of the protagonist in some nadagam like the death of the Prince in Maname the scene was similar to that of coming down of Halo rays at the death of Christ on the cross.

The character of 'Pothe Gura' in Nadagam had some aspects of the character of 'Annavi Rala' in Passion Plays.

In the latter half of the 19th century when Nadagam faded away with the introduction of Nurthi, the Nadagam artistes began to produce puppet drama. The stories of early puppet plays were Nadagam stories and characters of Nadagam like 'Pothe Gura' 'Sellanlama' and 'Konangi' were also found in them. There is no doubt when Nadagam artists turned to puppet drama they were inspired by Passion plays with images of sacred personages enacted in Catholic areas.

The Passion shows could be considered as the earliest form of serious dramatic performances more advanced than crude primitive plays.

(The writer is a former High Court Judge and Vice President of the Newman Society Alumni Association)

Latest Harry Potter film wins Vatican approval

The Vatican on Wednesday came out in favour of "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" after Pope Benedict XVI criticised earlier films in the boy wizard series.

"The mixture of supernatural suspense and romanticism sets the right balance, making the adventures of the protagonists more credible," wrote the Vatican mouthpiece Osservatore Romano, calling the film "the best of the series."

In 2003, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, the future pope, voiced fears over "subtle seductions" in the saga that could undermine children's religious development by blurring the line between good and evil. The Osservatore Romano, in January 2008, published two opposing views on the runaway best-selling series.

Under the headline "The Double Face of Harry Potter," an expert in English literature, Edoardo Rialti, argued that Ratzinger was right to worry, while Catholic essayist Paolo Gulisano wrote that "behind the fabulous adventures of the different characters you can see the author's anthropological vision."

Author J.K. Rowling, writing for a "post-modern" and individualistic world, "wants to help the young reader understand that 'doing good' is the best thing to do," Gulisano wrote. The Osservatore Romano said Wednesday that in the sixth installment, "everything seems to prepare and lead to the final confrontation between good and evil, which remain the real protagonists of the saga." AFP

De Mazenodian Walk - 2009

The Old Boys' Association of De Mazenod College, Kandana with the patronage of Rev. Bro. Bertram Perera, Principal of the College organised the "Mazenodian Walk 2009" and the carnival as a fund raiser for the proposed College Swimming Pool project. The foundation stone for the pool was laid by Harry Jayawardene, Chairman of Stassen Group of Companies recently. Rev. Bro. Bertram Perera, Principal of the College, Rev. Fr. Ranjith Madurawala, Director of Catholic Schools, Rev. Fr. Preeya Jayamanne, Dean of the Kandana Deanery, Rev. Fr. Mahendra Gunatilake, Parish Priest of St. Sebastian's Shrine, Kandana leading the walk.

John Amaratunge, MP, Dr. Jayalath Jayewardene, MP, Merril Perera, Member WPC and Dr. Sunimal Jayakody, General Secretary of the OBA also participated. Picture by R.S.A. Rangala

The Annual Feast of St. Ugo Church, Burullapitiya, Minuwangoda was held on July 11 and 12 under the auspices of Rev. Fr. Clement Waidyasekera. Rev. Fathers George Perera and Parish Priest Subash Chaminda are also seen in the picture. Picture by Gampaha Roving Corr.