Christian Perspectives

Spiritual leadership and preaching the Word

Fr Indra R Fernando Director Colombo Archdiocesan Apostolate for Catechetics

It is advisable indeed to ponder over the priestly ministry as the Year of the Word of God was dawned with the advent of the season of Advent. Priestly mission is necessarily involved with the effective proclamation of the Word of God.

Reflection on the priesthood envisages the effective preaching of the word, administration of the sacraments and the proper guidance. These three aspects are directly associated with the mission of a priest. Priest as a minister of the word is entrusted with the responsibility of inviting the faithful to the Eucharist experience. Indeed, Eucharist becomes the centre in the priestly ministry.

Pope Benedict XVI in his Verbum Domini says “The homily is a means of bringing the scriptural message to life in a way that helps the faithful to realize that God's word is present and at work in their everyday lives” (59). The Pope is very clear regarding the sole duty of the priesthood. Scriptural message must be a part and parcel of the life of each faithful. Awareness of God's Word which has to be operative in their lives. Through the effective preaching during the Eucharistic celebration, the faithful have to be given an opportunity to taste the word which stands as the ever brightening lamp. The homily must not be a theological content which perhaps remains in the air. To preach effectively, priest has to be a person of prayer. The contribution of St Augustine is very helpful for us to realize this situation.

“Let the preacher pray for himself, let him pray for his hearers, let him be a pray-er (orator) before being a say-er (dictor). As the time approaches for him to speak before handing the word over to his tongue, let him lift his thirsty soul to God so that what he drank may pour forth.” Yet we must be aware of the fact that it is the Holy Spirit who leads the hearts of the faithful to the Word irrespective of the talents, abilities and capabilities of the so called priests, preachers.

St Paul can be clearly pointed out as far as the proclamation of the Good news is concerned “For this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher,” (2 Tim. 1/11). Preaching for St Paul was an effective means in building up God's kingdom. The word of God has to be the central focus in the preaching. Personal testimonies and stories can be used as tools and vessels of effective preaching of the Word. Even St Paul used them in order to make the hearers understand (1Cori. 9/24).

St Paul's style of preaching

Some practical points can be highlighted when analyzing St Paul's style of preaching:

At first, the sole focus/core of his preaching was Christ Himself. “May I never boast of anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world” (Gale 6/14). Thus he always paved the way for the word of God to lead him to be a powerful witness. In the process of witnessing, he was prudent enough to accustom himself to varying situations in the mission of the proclamation of the Good news.

Another important factor in St Paul's life was his constant updated knowledge through his constant relationship with the Apostles in Jerusalem (Acts 9/26, Gale 1/8).

St Paul was conscious always of his mission; hence, he did not have time to waste. His quest to preach the Word at of undoubtedly influenced the lives of even non-believers.

Thereby we are also invited to make use of the maximum time in preaching the Word through our own life - example. The best preaching is life. For instance, Blessed mother Theresa in India, her whole life was a living preaching of the Good news. We are able to learn a lot from St Paul in managing time properly as it is said “time management is life management.”

We also know that the verbal preaching is an art. It is a part of the whole process of life. As Rev Fr S Joseph Lionel, professor of sacred liturgy and social Communications of Institute, Bangalore, India, says “It is like building a beautiful building with good architecture. Just dumping heap of bricks on the construction site would not make a good building. A good builder places the walls, windows and doors in appropriate places to make it look better.

Similarly in good preaching, the ideas are not simply throwing. They are built like a building, first setting foundation then gradually building the main structure and then beautifying it with good traditions.

Administration of sacraments

Administration of Sacraments can be described as the heart of God's invisible grace. Well - disciple sacramental life of the particular community of faithful in turn echoes the ministerial priesthood. There is a very close link between the Administration of Sacraments and the ministerial priesthood. This so called “link” necessarily envisages the sanctification of the faithful.

The vital nature of being admitted to God's unceasing love through sacramental approach has to be clearly made aware to them. It is pathetic to say that sometimes the sacramental approach is to some extent devalued and irritated at the presence of the advancement of the new technology, thus, varying novel ideologies and argumentations of different models seem to underestimate the indispensable nature of receiving sacraments of various junctures of Christian life.

Systematic instructions and awareness on various aspects of sacramental approach would undoubtedly benefit the community of faithful. If not, misunderstandings will create unhealthy tension among the faithful. Generally speaking, it is to be admitted that there is a need for proper Sacramental catechesis in parish contexts today. Since as we are in the year of the Word of God as one diocesan family, it will be profitable to focus our attention on different workshops and group discussions in parish basis with the helping - hand and contribution of very well trained catechists and those who pass out from Sinhala and Tamil theologates (Deva Darma Nikethanaya).

Proper guidance

Shephedic function has to be brought into the picture when proper guidance is pondered over. In fact, priest plays a vital role in this regard. Leadership in the lives of the faithful is in fact, spiritual.

This spiritual leadership has to be a reflection of the example of Jesus on Maundy Thursday. Leadership in servant hood is the model of Christian guidance. The faithful are got to be guided in this path of leadership.

The role of the priest is to go in search of the weak and feeble in the community as the good shepherd; Jesus was always seeking them in the task entrusted by God the Father. The field of pastoral theology is immensely helpful and supportive.

“I am the Good Shepherd. I know my sheep and they listen to my voice.” (John 10/27).

Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil or the Tree of Life ?

[Weekly Devotion]

Sunitha Sahayam

People who are alive today, are between the 1st coming and 2nd coming of Christ - referred to as the ‘end times.’ At this moment in time, we have some important privileges that people in other periods did not have. After Christ's first advent, He left the gate open to have a beautiful relationship with God as never before.

The message that Angel Gabriel brought to the shepherds was fulfilled. The message was a message of goodwill to all mankind. The Saviour had come to bring salvation to the whole world and this included the birth of a new type of relationship between God and man as never before. Humanity could have a beautiful relationship with God with no more barriers. All the barriers that sin brought was broken by Christ's perfect sacrifice on the cross and it was laid on a platter for us to have this special relationship with God.

*The perfect sacrifice has been completed by Christ on the cross - to make us right with God

*Jesus has risen to destroy death whereby eternal life with God has been made available.

*The complete revelation of God to get this relationship right is given to us – by the word of God.

*The Holy Spirit is here with us to protect and direct us in God's will for our lives.

Although we have all these privileges, we can still miss out by making the wrong choices. The freedom of choice is left for us to make God will not touch it. Therefore it is good for us to ask ourselves periodically questions,

*Am I doing God's will or my own will?

*Am I pleasing Him?

*Am I walking with Jesus as the Bible teaches me?

*Am I neglecting some areas and falling by the wayside?

*Am I ready to meet my maker if He comes back today or should my life comes to an end?

The only way to find the answers is to read and study the Book of Direction, completed for you By God Himself - The Bible.

Worldliness and Godliness

Worldliness and Godliness are on opposite poles. The choice was given to Adam and Eve, the first human beings and this was represented by the fruit of knowledge of good and evil and the fruit of life. God commanded them not to touch the fruit of the Knowledge of Good and Evil but gave them permission to eat of any or all of the other fruit that was in the Garden of Eden. The Fruit of Life (which was what God intended them to choose, which would have given them everything that was good for them, including eternal life with Him was right next to the forbidden tree. Unfortunately, a wrong choice was made by our forefathers. However we too face this choice in various ways.

1 John 2:15,16

Do not love the world or the things in the world

If anyone loves the world the love of the Father is not in Him

For all that is in the world - the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, And the pride of life is not of the Father

But is of the world.

And the world is passing away

And the lust of it

But He who does the will of God abides forever.

If we truly fall in love with God our Father through Christ our Lord we will turn away from the world, as Jesus firmly grips your hand and walks with you. May God keep you throughout this New Year in His grip.

Prayer:

Lord Jesus Christ, Teach me to walk uprightly with you through all the trials and temptations I face. Father, help me to make the right choices to be in your perfect will - however green the grass on the other side may glisten.

Protect me from the evil one, so that I may fully comprehend your will and purpose for my short life here on earth so that my place with you in the life to come will be secure.

My Lord Jesus, I know you are interceding for me in the Father's presence, at this very moment in time and you are able to fulfil this desire in me. I present my prayers in Christ's name. Amen.

Senior version of Jesus Loves Me

Instead of going to church on Sunday, I watched a church in Atlanta honoring one of its senior pastors who had been retired many years.

He was 92 at that time and wondered why the Church even bothered to ask the old gentleman to preach at that age. After a warm welcome, introduction of this speaker, and as the applause quietened down, he rose from his high back chair and walked slowly, with great effort and a sliding gait to the podium. Without a note or written paper of any kind he placed both hands on the pulpit to steady himself and then quietly and slowly he began to speak....

“When I was asked to come here today and talk to you, your pastor asked me to tell you what was the greatest lesson ever learned in my 50-odd years of preaching. I thought about it for a few days and boiled it down to just one thing that made the most difference in my life and sustained me through all my trials. The one thing that I could always rely on when tears and heartbreak and pain and fear and sorrow paralyzed me... The only thing that would comfort was this verse......... .....

“Jesus loves me this I know.

For the Bible tells me so.

Little ones to Him belong,

We are weak but He is strong.....

Yes, Jesus loves me....

The Bible tells me so.”

The old pastor stated, “I always noticed that it was the adults who chose the children's hymn ‘Jesus Loves Me’ (for the children of course)during a hymn sing, and it was the adults who sang the loudest because I could see they knew it the best.”

“Here for you now is a Senior version of Jesus Loves Me”:

JESUS LOVES ME

Jesus loves me, this I know,

Though my hair is white as snow

Though my sight is growing dim,

Still He bids me trust in Him.

(CHORUS)

YES, JESUS LOVES ME.. YES, JESUS LOVES ME..

YES, JESUS LOVES ME, FOR THE BIBLE TELLS ME SO.

Though my steps are oh, so slow,

With my hand in His I'll go

On through life, let come what may,

He'll be there to lead the way.

(CHORUS)

When the nights are dark and long,

In my heart He puts a song..

Telling me in words so clear,

“Have no fear, for I am near.”

(CHORUS)

When my work on earth is done,

And life's victories have been won.

He will take me home above,

Then I'll understand His love.

(CHORUS)

I love Jesus, does He know?

Have I ever told Him so?

Jesus loves to hear me say,

That I love Him every day.

(CHORUS)

God Bless Us All!

Correspondent

Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin

Immaculation Conception

*Mary was sinless from her birth

*Feast is celebrated nine months prior to that of Mary's nativity

* It was established in the church before the middle of the 14th century

* Mary in her office of the Incarnation is compared to Eve of Eden

In the liturgical cycle of the Catholic Church, there is a feast on December 8, that of the Immaculate Conception of the blessed virgin Mary. Many, mistake this feast with that of the conceiving of Jesus in Mary's virginal womb. Immaculate Conception of Mary is that Mary was conceived sans the original sin with which all others born to this world are afflicted, save St John Baptist who is the other, that was conceived without original sin or the sin of our first parents.

Church history records this feast being kept in the early church. But it was in 1854 that ecclesiastical approval to the dogma was issued by His holiness Pope Pius iX. Then four years later Mary herself declared that she is the Immaculate Conception to the seer at Lourdes, when the latter asked for her name.

Mary was sinless from her birth, while Jesus was sinless by virtue of His divinity. This fest is celebrated nine months prior to that of Mary's nativity. (September 8). It was by privilege that Mary was kept sinless. The controversy of this privilege began as early as the 12th century. The church in Lyons adopted it while Rome had not by then. St Bernard (1193) is said to have remonstrated with the church of Lyons that the Mother of Jesus was not conceived immaculately, but may have been sanctified only while in the womb of her mother St Anne, like the Baptizer.

A predecessor of the present pope His holiness Benedict XIV declined to accept St Bernard's opinion. In the following century St Thomas held the view that Mary was sanctified in the womb of her mother like john the Baptist, the same view expressed by St Bernard. His argument was that if she was immaculately conceived she would have not needed to be saved by her Son's death. This matter became highly controversial that Pope Pius V in 1570 forbade the discussion of this doctrine except at levels of assemblies of learned men.

Pope Gregory XV went further banning any discussion on the subject except by Dominicans to whom he allowed to hold their view in 1622. Benedict XIV in the 18th century wrote that the ‘church inclines to the opinion of the Immaculate Conception, but he Apostolic See has not yet defined it as an article of faith. In 1849 pope Pius IX wrote to the bishops of the world for their opinion. The Italian, Spanish and the Portuguese bishops agreed with the pope, but those of France, Germany & Switzerland did not. They argued that it had no scripture base. It was then that pope Pius IX declared to the world on 8th December 1854 that it is a truth coming down from Apostolic times and hence should be treated as an article of faith.

Mary in her office of the Incarnation is compared to Eve of Eden, the mother of the human race, before the fall from grace. The doctrine that Mary in some sense is the second Eve, is a commonplace of our primitive theology. St Iraneous urges the parallel between Mary and Eve just as he insists on the parallel where he says, “Eve's knot of disobedience as untied by Mary's obedience. He further infers that she was never stained by sin.

St Ephrem said that “Truly it is three and thy mother only, who are fair altogether”. He also places first among the fallen, the infants who die in Baptismal innocence so that it must be freedom from original sin that he ascribes to Mary and not actual sin. St Augustine held the view that, Mary being conceived in the ordinary way, must have been conceived in sin, as Original sin passes from parents to children. England was the first country (in Europe) to keep this feast, and a council of London, attributes its inclusion to St Anslem....From there it passed to Normandy and Lyons.

This feast was established in the church before the middle of the 14th century. Pope Sixtus IV, (a Franciscan) approved it and had a chapel erected (Sistine chapel) in the 15th century, to honour the Immaculate Conception. He wrote a mass for the day while pope Clement XI, made it a Holy Day of obligation. It was known as the feast of the “Conception of Mary, till pope Pius 9th changed it to the Immaculate Conception, but was celebrated on the December 9.