Christian Perspectives

Month of November:

The cult of Death

Leonard R. Mahaarachchi

We have just passed the month of November. In the teaching of the Catholic Church, it is a month set apart to memorialize the departed souls, and the 30 day period is set apart for prayers, alms and other meritorious deeds which are offered for the relief of their souls.

Death is a common feature, the end result of life on planet earth. The Christians believe that the departed souls are retained in a place called Purgatory, a place of cleansing. Merits are offered to these poor helpless souls, via Holy Masses, the offering of alms and prayers for the repose of such souls.

If you go to the website for the definition of death, we have the following. “Death is the end of life, the full cessation of vital functions in a biological organism. It is generally considered a permanent state in the field of biology and all living things are believed to eventually die, whether through natural causes such as disease, or unnatural ones such as accident.”

Teachings

The Buddhist teaching is that there is no cessation of life after death but you will have a rebirth depending on how well or bad you lived the previous life. The Hindu religion also teaches that the dead are to be reborn again and again until the Karma is exhausted and the soul is liberated. In Islam the spirit of the dead are tormented unless one has lived an exemplary life which will lie in peace till Judgement day.

Though men have died from time immemorial even today with medicine making such progress, it is difficult to ascertain as to which moment on actually dies. Death was once determined as the stoppage of the heartbeat, called cardiac arrest in medical jargon. Now death is defined as ‘clinical death’ but even after this it is possible that the heartbeat may be restarted.

The science of today’s medicine opines that even if the heart beat stops and lungs do not function a person can be sustained with life support devices. Today’s doctors and coroners turn to ‘brain death’ or ‘biological death’ before pronouncing the cessation of life.

Purgatory defined by the councils of Florence and Trent as a place where detained souls are helped by those living by their prayers, alms and mostly by the sacrifice of the mass. It is the teaching of the church that the souls there are afflicted by material fire. But this belief the Greeks did not take seriously.

Salvation

The bright side of Purgatory is that those who are there are certain of their salvation some day, due to getting relief from the faithful living on earth, who offer them prayers, alms and other penitential and meritorious acts.

As for the church, a special privilege has been granted to priests to offer three masses on All Souls day, a privilege that is reserved for Christmas day. This was given by one of our current Pontiff’s predecessors.

Way back in 1915 Pope Benedict XV decreed that three masses be offered for the repose of the souls departed. Looking for Biblical references for the practice of offering merits for them, can be found in the Book of Maccabees that even in the pre Christian era, this ritual was being practised by the Jewry. (2 Mac 12/46). This text is found in the Apocrypha of the Bible which is missing in the Christian Bible.

In the post Christian epoch, way back in 1565 the council of Trent vide session XXV issued a decree to the effect that the faithful must offer prayers and other merits for those in the deep sleep of death.

Sentiments on death vary with the faithful depending on how close they are to the presence of Jesus in their lives. It was St. Paul who said “For me to live is Christ, and death is a gain.” Many saints embraced death with unheard of courage. In fact all feasts of the saints are kept on the day of the their death and not birth.

It is the teaching of the church that the day of death (of a saintly Christian) is only his or her birthday in Heaven. “Some Jewish religious who believed in an after life even had detailed how their dead body should be attired, so that with it they would rise to another life with the selfsame dress.

Coming back to closer times, famous author cum US evangelist and Jesuit Most Rev. Bishop Fulton Sheen once when asked how felt about death (he was to be operated on) if the surgery failed, he replied smilingly, “Well If I survive the operation Jesus will continue to live with me and, if I die, I will live Jesus” What beautiful sentiments of death for those who fear life’s end?

For the Jewry of Jesus’s day, death meant the gate where time meets eternity. The Psalmist’s saying, “The Lord is not praised by the dead, or by any who go down to the land of silence” indicates that while alive we need to praise God, which cannot be done later.

Sufferings

In the book of Tobit and in Maccabees, death is justified by the alleviation of suffering by prayers of the living. In the latter we have, “It is a wholesome thought to pray for the dead, to be loosed from their sins.” (2 Mac. 12/45). In fact the church teaching on Purgatory is burrowed from these texts, while the Christians do not believe in a place called Purgatory.

In the 13th century, a predecessor of the present Pontiff, His Holiness Pope Benedict XII defined that souls of those dying in the taste of mortal sin, go to Hell, while those dying in the state of Grace go to Purgatory to be purified. (Bull, Benedictus Deus) The 4th Lateran council held in 1215 expressly spoke of the lot of the impenitent as befitting “Eternal damnation”. But thanks to the resurrection of Jesus, Catholics who die need not nurse fears about death, since it is the prelude to a resurrection of all, and then it is Life everlasting, depending on the sort of life one led here. Take courage dear reader, death is not the end, but a new beginning.

First Sunday of Advent

Rev.Fr. Chris. Silva

Advent puts us all on high alert. The Lord is coming, be ready! Be awake. We do not know the time or the hour when the Lord will come, we must not be caught out or be unprepared.

To be on high alert for someone to come or some event to take place is easy for a moment but far difficult to sustain for a longer period of time. We can’t keep up the enthusiasm, excitement or attention for long. .

Being on high alert is difficult to sustain at the best of times. When it comes to being ready for the second coming of our Lord it might seem impossible. It has been a very long time. Many people have cried, ‘the end is nigh’ But no end has been nigh. If Advent is a time to look forward to the final coming of the Lord, it is also a time to be ready for his more immediate coming. And this is where the constant cultivation of something like being on high alert is important and necessary for us here and now.

Our readings for this Sunday do look forward to the coming of the Lord at some point in the future when the world as we know it will come to an end, but their main point is about the present and how we should behave in the present. They tell us to be alert in the here and now, to be awake in the here and now. The coming of the Lord is the active presence of God in our lives here and now as well as in the future. What is required of us to be alert, to awake, to the light of faith as offered to us here and now?

The gift of this faith is the advent of the Lord in our lives right now. For most of us, most of the time, the problem is that we are not on any kind of alert for the coming of this gift, let alone high alert. We may have faith of a sort, a kind of attachment to the Christian religion and all that it teaches, but this is not the faith that is the light of God present and active in our lives, convincing us of the truth that is God and of the truth of the life he invites us to live for our human flourishing.

We are called on to walk in the light of the Lord, the light that shone when he appeared on earth as a human being born of the Virgin Mary, the light that will fully manifest when he comes again, and we called to walk in the light of faith in the here and now, our hearts open to the coming of our Lord the Bridegroom, open to his graces and gifts, open to the communion of love that he offers us. Let us, then be awake and alert to his coming during this season of Advent.

Weekly Devotions

Blessed endures temptation

Sunitha Sahayam

James 1:9-12

Let the lowly brother glory in his exaltation, but the rich in his humiliation, because as a flower of the field he will pass away. For no sooner has the sun risen with a burning heat than it withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beautiful appearance perishes. So the rich man also will fade away in his pursuits. Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.

Since this passage relates to trials - I feel this verse should not be treated out of context.

James is clearly saying during our trials not to look at our position in life as something that affects us and if you are of a lowly state in the eyes of the world not to be discouraged as in Jesus you are precious and He will help you as you are very precious to Him.

You must understand your position in Christ, you are bought with a price i.e the blood of Christ and you are important to Him, and during this time one must constantly remind oneself of this privilege as Satan will attack you on this particular field to bring you down.....

Similarly, the person who is wealthy should not rely on his wealth to see him through this time of trial and he reminds us how useless and unreliable money and wealth are at this time of trial and warns us not to depend on it- and reminds us that our wealth is as temporary as the flower that fades away quickly and falls on to the ground.

So the rich too have to forget their position in the world and approach God, stripped off their wealth, not to solve their problems by buying over whatever that causes the problem but to allow the completion of the trial according to God’s direction and to endure it until the whole process of trial brings about the right result on his character and it is approved of God, in order to attain and obtain the Crown of life that awaits him, once the trial has been completed to God’s satisfaction, and achieves the purpose for which it was allowed to take place.

We must learn to wait in God’s presence to receive wisdom as to how to overcome it in His time - as God reveals to us step by step to receive His direction through faith and not doubt Him. Following His instructions, obeying Him in faith, no matter how trivial or unreasonable the action He directs us to follow compared to the vastness of the trial.

For instance, Naaman was asked to dip himself seven times in the river Jordan to get healed from Leprosy!! Naaman was furious but he had to forget about his position in the world - his power and wealth meant nothing during his trial but humility in the presence of God and obedience and the faith that all things are possible to the Almighty One - the Great I am- the actual response from him carried him through and brought about victory in his trial.

So, stay focused on God who is able to do exceedingly and abundantly-much more than we can fathom with our small minds, and be victors and not victims.

May your trials become triumphs .....God bless you!

Prayer

Loving Jesus, I thank you for speaking to me today, and making me realize how precious these trials are to understand your nature. As I humbly bow in your presence Holy Spirit, reveal your mind to me as I want so much to be victorious and change into that person you want me to be. May the work of Christ transform me into the character you want me to adjust into, please Father mould me and make me as in your presence I humbly bow. In Jesus’ name........Amen.

St. Mary’s church feast at Mattakkuliya

The 148th annual feast of St. Mary’s Church, Mattakkuliya will be celebrated on Sunday, December 13. The theme of the annual feast is “A time for salvation for us all,” said the parish priest Rev. Fr. Nimal Ponweera.

Fr. Ponweera said that vespers will be sung on Saturday, December 12 at 7.30 p.m. presided over by the former parish priest Rev. Fr. Mark Fernando (TOR).

Novenas will be held daily at 6.30 p.m.

The festive High Mass in English and Sinhala will be celebrated on December 13 at 8.10 a.m.

The procession carrying the statue of Our Blessed Mother organized by St. Mary’s Youth Association and Elders will wend its way through St. Mary’s Lane, Jubilee Mawatha, Ferguson Road, Church Road, Farm Road, Vystwyke Road and St. Mary’s Road, Fr. Ponweera said.

‘Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols’

The Trinity College Choir will celebrate “A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols”, at the Trinity College Chapel, Kandy on Sunday 6 December at 6.30 pm.

This Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols follows the traditional form and content of carol services conducted by Kings’ College, Cambridge. It is one of the most important events on the Trinity College year and is also a much looked forward to event that continues to draw enthusiastic and appreciative audiences from around Sri Lanka, regardless of religious beliefs.

Many confess to being moved to worship by the beauty and purity of the Service, while sharing in its rich choral tradition.

The Festival

The scene within the famed open Chapel of 50 pillars, fine stone carvings and elegant murals, is ethereal. Pass through the fading evening light, beneath an entrance festooned with sweet smelling flowers and lit by the dim golden glow of gently smoking pol thel pahanas and you are transported into another world. Right on cue, a clear treble voice rises through the dusk as it voices a perennial carol. The Festival has begun.

The Choir

Trinity College, Kandy, was founded by the Church Missionary Society (CMS), which brought with it the great traditions of English Church Music and the concept of an organised choir whose very existence depended on discipline and commitment.

The Choir has played a pivotal role in Christian worship at Trinity throughout the Christian Year from Advent, Epiphany, Lent, Passiontide, sometimes Easter, Ascension, Whitsun to Trinity, with the exception of Christmas- which is during school holidays- and at week-day services and other school functions. The School term is drawn to an end with this grand and traditional event of the Advent Festival celebrated by the choir. Next year - 2010, the 75th Advent Festival in its history will be celebrated, which coincides with the completion of 75th years since the dedication of the Trinity College Chapel, and the 40th Festival of Nine Lessons & Carols Celebrated at Trinity

Barnabas Alexander, a legend in his time

Part of the rich traditions of the Choir is the calibre of choirmasters and mistresses who conducted it, and the organists who gave it melody. Among this august gathering is Barnabas Alexander, 76, widely regarded as being a legend in his time, having served as the regular Organist of the TCK Choir from 1964 to date, a record 45 years of continuous loyal and dedicated service.

Pivotal role in Christian worship

The Choir has played a pivotal role in Christian worship at Trinity throughout the Christian Year, from Advent, Epiphany, Lent, Passiontide, sometimes Easter, Ascension, Whitsun to Trinity, with the exception of Christmas, which is during school holidays, and at week-day services and other school functions. The school term draws to an end with this Advent Festival celebration by the choir. Next year, 2010, the 75th Advent Festival will be celebrated, to coincide with the completion of 75 years since the dedication of the Trinity College Chapel, and the 40th Festival of Nine Lessons & Carols Celebrated at Trinity.

The Choir completed the professional recording of the audio CD of Twelve Carols last year, now available for a donation to the TCK Choir Development Fund.