Christian Perspectives

"The Lord is my Shepherd. He leads me beside quiet waters........":

Reflection on 'The Good Shepherd'

The Good Shepherd is ever attentive to the needs of His flock. He gathers them to Himself and keeps them safe from predators who seek to scatter and steal and slaughter. He seeks them out when they are lost and rejoices when they are found. He leads them through the valley of the shadow of death to the restful waters and verdant pastures where they might find rest.

The Good Shepherd is not to be outdone in taking care of His sheep. How can we not be moved by this account of vast crowds hanging on Jesus' every word as He preaches at length about the Kingdom of God. His words speak to the heart of every person, for they truly give life to the soul.

How blessed we are to have access not only to the words of Jesus as they are presented in the Bible. But, also to have access to the word of God, living and breathing in the heart of the church.

Like the members of the large crowd that gathered that day so many years ago, we are privileged to experience in every celebration of the Holy Eucharist at the word of God who becomes flesh and dwells among us.

The image of the Good Shepherd is most compelling, for it gives us an unforgettable mental picture of the abiding presence of Jesus in our lives.

As long as we stay within range of the voice of the Good Shepherd, we need not fear the power of the enemy who seeks only to scatter and steal and slaughter.

The Good Shepherd attacks the enemy with great force and deadly accuracy, using the weapon of his cross to secure our safety.

That love that Jesus has for us is no mere sentiment or feeling. His love is about great fidelity, commitment and sacrifice, "For there is no greater love than to lay down one's life for a friend."

By laying down His life for us upon the cross Jesus establishes with us the new and everlasting covenant, pledging to lead us through the valley of the shadow of death and guide us to verdant pastures and restful waters. May we always remain near to our good and gentle Shepherd.

In Jeremiah 23: 1-6, God severely condemns wayward shepherd who have "let their flock be scattered and neglected the care of those entrusted to them." He will pasture them so that "they will be fruitful and increase in numbers."

The climax to the raising of faithful shepherd will be Christ himself who will be "a virtuous Brand from David" characterized by honesty, wisdom and integrity: "In his days Judah shall be saved/an Israel dwell in confidence / And this is the name he will be called / The Lord-our-integrity."

Jesus is the true Good shepherd as announced by Jeremiah, the one who laid down his life for his flock. Jesus is calling all men and women who are endowed with sound poise, calm and peace. This requires times of silence and solitude, away from the maddening crowd.

This vision is amplified in the responsorial Psalm No. 23: "The Lord's my shepherd." Jesus will lead his people to green pastures and restful waters, guiding them through dark valleys with his crook and staff, feeding and protecting them from danger.

They will lack for nothing. All this once again converges on Jesus who pities the crowd who seen like "sheep without a shepherd." He will teach them at length, not counting the cost in time or energy. When he gives them bread in the wilderness, it is out of compassion for them because they have followed him and listened to him.

He tells His disciples it is their responsibility to give them something to eat. He has compassion on their material and spiritual hunger.

When a shepherd restors a cast down sheep, he reassures it, massages its legs to restore circulation, gently turns the sheep over, lifts it up, and holds it so it regain its equilibrium.

What a picture of what God wants to do for us! When we are on our backs, flailing because of guilt, grief, or grudges, our loving Shepherd reassures us with His grace, lifts us up, and holds us until we've gained our spiritual equilibrium.

If you've been cast down for any reason, God is the only one who can help you get on your feet again. He will restore your confidence, joy and strength.

Camillus Fernando

Prayer services and healing services

Are all the prayer services healing services and all the healing services prayer services? Do prayer services ensure healing? Do healing services perform a kind of magic? Why do people prefer healing services to prayer services? Aren't these questions thought provoking? Here is an open invitation to you, the learned readers to ponder.

We should pay attention to the core of the two elements; prayer service and healing service. Unlike in the yester years people hunt for prayer services and healing services nothing like mad.

Why do people attend prayer services and healing services conducted by the priests as well as laity? The simple answer could be that the participants go in search of solutions for their burning problems that irritate them and relief from mental and physical tribulations and also satisfaction in Jesus.

Today most people are highly disturbed by diseases and socio-economic and political problems that have drawn them to misery. Possible and positive solutions seem to be far from them.

But still they have faith in religion and make attempts in finding solutions through religion.

By now most people have understood that nothing material can bring them genuine ultimate happiness and satisfaction unless they seek solutions and happiness in Jesus through spiritual exercises such as meditation, prayers, sacrifices etc.

Since they are oppressed by their turmoil they are somewhat lost but not their faith that is lost. They need guidance and assistance very much in this regard.

When a person prays with strong determination and pleads in the name of God, he is granted what is best for him. Jesus Himself has said, 'Ask you shall be given.'

When their genuine prayer is answered or they are cured, out of happiness they spread the news as was done by the people of Jesus' era. Can we be prejudice? Can we blame those innocent people who get cured or are eased from their burdens sharing their happiness with others and encouraging them also to follow suit?

It is not the preacher or the teacher of scripture who cures them but the faith of the people that do so. 'Faith can move mountains.'

If faith is so powerful why can't faith cure an illness or bring solutions to the problems. Subsequently when they experience healing with a feeling they proclaim that they are healed.

The spiritual or mental healing a person receives and experiences the mighty blessings of the Holy Spirit are incomprehensible. This is subjective. If someone is prejudiced and ridicules it, he is committing a sin against the Holy Spirit that is unforgivable. This can happen in any prayer service before God who is miraculously present among the faithful. It is faith that cures them and nothing else.

As a result people throng at the prayer services and healing services impatiently expecting miracles and healings. People of Jesus' time too had the same desire.

If a person's strong faith cures him in a prayer service, why should we be prejudice and rash judge the prayer service as a healing service and discourage people attending prayer services?

It is easy to criticize or put forward restrictions to those who attend prayer services or healing services but isn't it better if we investigate as to why they do so?

Since I am personally interested in this regard, I interviewed some of the people at random who attend prayer services conducted by the laity and the healing services conducted by the priests.

Some of the interviewees questioned me when some of the misguided faithful in their difficulties believe in sorcery or sorcerers and seek their assistance and guidance, isn't it good that the intelligent children of the church attend prayer services where they are guided to Jesus in keeping with the norms of the scripture?

As long as their problems remain unaddressed by any authority; religious or political, innocent people have Hobson's choice / have no other option.

Unless we step down from our thrones and place our finger tip on the pulse of the general public, we are alien to their grave issues.

As long as we are free from incurable diseases and burning socio-economic and political problems we can easily ridicule or criticize the attendants of prayer services and healing services.

Bottles of water, king coconuts, salt, photographs or the passports of the particular person needs healing or solutions are carried along with them for blessings when those helpless people attend healing services but not the prayer services. If your only child has an incurable disease and if the child's days are numbered what would you do? Please ask yourself. Would you let the child die? Why do some of the doctors frankly say 'That's all we can do.' Further, they encourage the people to perform religious activities. Why?

Prayer services indeed guide the faithful to find refuge in Jesus and to enjoy the warmth of Him under His wings. When their faith is sharpened and strengthen they start praying on their own.

We as human beings naturally pray for most of our personal intentions including cure from diseases, redemption from our debts, solutions for unemployment problems etc. Genuine prayer services that are inspired by the Holy Spirit motivate the participants not to be spiritual beggars but to be the children of God who enjoy the bliss of the presence of God and His providence.

People are guided slowly but steadily to praise and talk to God as they do it with a parent. Gradually they get into the habit of talking to God.

As a result they are healed and or their prayers are answered. The more they experience God's providence, the more they praise Him.

Satisfaction or ease from worries and burdens can also be ideal for mental health. This sort of healing may happen anywhere.

In such instances is it fair to label such genuine prayer services as healing services that are against the Church or against the teachings of the Church and discouraging the people emphasizing the negativity of them? I do not know why some responsible people do so? Do they gain anything?

If the conductors of healing services bag the credit of healing and the people are directly or indirectly inspired for fund raisers and for making financial vows, such activities would mislead the faithful and finally the worthy cause of spirituality and healing would be in danger.

Today unlike the prayer services the healing services are on popular demand for various reasons. Jesus also conducted prayer services. He too cured the sick; even the incurable deadly diseases. Did Jesus in his prayer services demand anyone cured to bear witness to strengthen the faith of the disciples or the general public? Jesus asked those cured not to publicize it but they did the opposite. Did Jesus advertise his miracles? If so should the animators of healing services advertise the performances of the Holy Spirit in order to increase the number of attendants? Their motive ought to be transparent and it should not be for mere cheap popularity.

Ajith Perera, Wennappuwa.

Legacies of Jesus' resurrection

Leonard R. Mahaaraachchi

The Christians all over planet earth, in the habitat of homosapiens are right now basking in the glory of Christ's Resurrection. Did Jesus really rise from the dead and if so are there proofs to satisfy those who look for clear proof of this miracle. Well, these sceptics can go and see the Empty Tomb in Jerusalem or the Holy Shroud of Turin in Italy which are the legacies left by the Risen Lord.

I had the privilege of paying respects at the Empty Tomb during my pilgrimage last year to the Holy Land and our group was of the opinion that the Shroud too should be brought to Jerusalem and placed near the Empty Tomb.

The Resurrection of Jesus gave rise to a new religion and made it the centre of Christian belief, As St. Paul said, Our faith is in vain if Jesus had not risen from the dead. Jesus who died at sun down on the Full Moon of the Passover on April 7 29 AD, rose again at sun up on the first Easter Sunday, April 9. When Mary Magdalene and others went to the tomb at sunrise ending the Sabbath, they were surprised to find the stone rolled away and the tomb empty.

St. Mathew says the great stone was sealed. (27/66). Magda lene at first feared that the body was stolen by enemies of Jesus, at the instigation of the High Priests. But her fears were calmed when she heard Jesus call her by name.

Risen Jesus

Later the Risen Jesus appeared to the Apostles when Thomas was not there, and again later when Thomas was in their company. Thomas the doubter had to feel His wounds before acknowledging the Risen Jesus.

To those not willing to believe in the rising of Jesus, the Holy Bible has the answer. Mathew at Ch. 28 says, and as they went to tell his disciples behold, Jesus met them saying 'All hail' and they came and held Him by the feet and worshipped Him. '(vs. 9-10), He even assured them saying "I will be with you always even till the end of the world" (ibid vs.18 20) St. John at 20/ 26 - 29, 21/ 1 - 14 describes the resurrection story in detail. Later St. Paul who was not in the company of Jesus when He was alive, testifies to having seen Him and others. (1 Cor. 15/6-7).

How do we answer the critics who allege that the Shroud of Turin is a hoax? The Shroud is 14 ft 3" long and 3 ft 7" wide and the blood thereon is of the AB positive type and the details on it reveal that the man crucified and buried in it was a six footer Jew of 30 -35 age group and weighed about 175 lbs.

Famous author Holger Kersten in his book Jesus Lived In India has devoted nearly 20 pages for the shroud to prove its authenticity. In the section titled Scientific analysis of the shroud on page 151 he says, Amateure photographer Secunda Pia had the opportunity to photograph the shroud for the first time in its history.

Glass plates

After several attempts Pia succeeded in taking a reasonable picture of the shroud. As he developed the exposed glass plates in his dark room he made a sensational discovery, the negative on the photo plate showed a natural likeness of Jesus, pretty well as he must have appear in real life.

The Blood stains on the other hand, appear as bright marks on the negative. This fact alone demonstrates that the image cannot have been painted by an artist. To create such a perfect inversion by hand would take more than even the most modern technique is capable of.

Evidence

Secondly evidence of lash wounds in the shoulder region were evidently aggravated by later application of a heavy weight an indication that the victim of the crucifixion did indeed have to carry the horizontal beam of a cross and that the shroud shows irregular spots of blood on the forehead and back of the head indicating a crown of thorns not a plaited coronet but a cap that covered the whole of the top of the head.

He argues that any counterfeiter would simply have produced a copy of the conventional circle of thorns as shown on our crucifixes.

He adds that streaks of blood on the hands and feet showed that the arms were outstretched at angles of 55 or 65 degrees and that hands were nailed not through the palms but through the wrists.

The method even made it possible to reconstruct a life size, three dimensional relief of the body in the picture.

If it had been a forgery, the proportions would have come out all wrong.

Archbishop writes to Holy Father

In response to the recent direct media attacks on the dignity of the Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI and an attempt to discredit the Catholic Church, His Grace Archbishop Malcolm Ranjith in a letter addressed to Holy Father, expressed the communion and support of the Archdiocese of Colombo, Sri Lanka.

His Grace the Archbishop said, "I wish to inform your Holiness that along with my priests, religious and the laity, we are firmly with you"

"Reading the international media, I have been saddened by the organized and malicious attacks that are being carried out especially against the Church and Your Most noble person.

I wish to inform Your Holiness that along with my priests, religious and the laity, we are firmly with you and we pray for you very specially these days that the Lord may give you the strength and the courage needed to face up to these challenges.

We also wish to reiterate our profound sense of loyalty to you and personally I wish to inform Your Holiness that I am praying in a very special way for your intentions."

His Grace the Archbishop presiding at the Easter Triduum at St. Lucia's Cathedral, Kotahena, Colombo 13, invited the faithful to pray in very special way for the Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI and for his intentions. - Rev. Fr. Sunil de Silva

(Courtesy: Messenger)

Rev. Fr. Pascual Chavez, Rector Major of the Salesian Society together with Rev. Fr. Andriana Brogelia, Vicar General and Rev. Fr. Juan J. Bartalome, Secretary to the Rector Major visited Sri Lanka recently to inquire into the activities of the Vice Province and also regarding the holding of the Salesian Provincial Conference of South Asia. Here they were received at the Talahena Don Bosco Centre by Rev. Fr. Herman Pinto (Salesian Provincial Sri Lanka) and Rev. Fr. Shiran, Director, Eththukala Don Bosco Training Centre. Picture by H. Fernando, Negombo spl. corr.

Sunday school children of St. Mary’s Church, Kelaniya formed a Western Band under the patronage of Rev. Fr. Gihan Ridley, Parish Priest, Kelaniya. Here they posed for a photograph after forming the Western Band with Rev. Fr. Gihan Ridley. Picture by Edward Weerasingne : Kelaniya Group Correspondent.