Marist Messenger June 2022

June 2022 $6.00 Focus: Feature: Feature: Mary at the heart of the What on earth is the Tik Tok and broken Church Synod on Synodality? communion

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mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm 1C1onte2n0ts 36FeaturesRegulars mm 8 Marist Spirituality 4 Focus Editorial m An Introduction -Part 2 6 Francis Speaks m 11 Strange and Surprising Grace 25 Daily Reflections m 14 Stacked for Pentecost 33 June Saint m 15 What? 39 Messenger Briefs m 17 Words and God’s Word - Part 5 51 Death of a Marist m 20 What on Earth is the m Synod on Synodality?!!! Fr John Worthington SM m 36 Tik Tok and Broken Communion 52 Can You Bear It? m 40 The Word was Made Flesh and 53 Crossword m Dwelt Amongst Us 55 Remembering Our Dead m 43 The Beginnings of the Catholic m Church in Tonga m 46 The Messages We Share mmmmmmmm 48 The Golden Ladder of Charity

4 Marist Messenger June 2022 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm FOCUS Mary at the Heart of the Church By Fr Patrick Brophy SM During the month of June, the Church celebrates three important feast days on with the disciples, tells them to stay in successive Sundays. They are the Feasts of Jerusalem to await the coming of the the Body and Blood of Christ, of the Holy Spirit. They are to receive his power.(Acts Trinity and of Pentecost. They’re all 1,8). They will receive Jesus’ Spirit and important to the Church; the People of begin his mission. The cover of this issue God. shows the moment the Spirit appeared to Mary together with the disciples and other The fifty days of Easter Time draw to a women “as tongues of fire; these separated close with the celebration of Pentecost. and came to rest on the head of each of The very name Pentecost comes from the them”. (Acts 2:3) Greek and refers to the Jewish festival of Shavuot or ‘Weeks’, a harvest festival There are more classical depictions of celebrated fifty days after the Passover. the moment of Pentecost. Many are more This feast is mentioned several times in attractive or artistic. This one is special to the Old Testament. In Exodus it is called Marists. It is a mural on the wall of the the feast of first fruits of the wheat harvest. small modern chapel at La Neylière in France. La Neylière is the house Fr Colin, At Pentecost Jesus sends his Spirit on the founder of the Society of Mary, retired those gathered in the upper room. We see to and spent the last years of his life. He is the extraordinary outpouring of gifts that buried there. To understand why this the Spirit gives. These gifts, including the depiction of Pentecost is important for gift of languages, were so unusual, Marists, we need to look to the founding of witnesses thought the disciples were the Society. A seminarian, Jean-Claude drunk! But others from many lands could Courveille, was first to promote a new understand as the disciples, on fire with congregation inspired by Mary, the mother the Spirit, preached the Good News of of Jesus. He had a spiritual experience at Jesus Risen. Thousands became followers. At Pentecost, we celebrate the first fruits of a great harvest of souls. This feast is considered the day the Church was born. Jesus, “while at table”

Marist Messenger June 2022 5 the shrine of Our Lady at Le Puy. This We see Mary at the heart of the experience set in train the events leading community of the disciples of her Son, to the founding of the Society of Mary. Jesus. At Pentecost they’ve been missioned by him to continue his work and are given At the seminary in Lyon, Courveille power to do this. That is the central gathered a group of seminarians together element of the mural at La Neylière. and spoke of the private revelation he received from Mary at Le Puy: “I supported In the Acts of the Apostles, St Luke the Church at her birth; I shall do so again names the Apostles present and at the end of time.” After Fr Colin assumed continues: the role of guiding the newborn society, he often spoke of this inspiring revelation. “With one heart, all these joined constantly in prayer, together with some The first part of these words of Mary women, including Mary the mother of refer to Pentecost, the birth day of the Jesus, and with his brothers.” (Acts 1:14) Church. In recounting Courveille’s mystical experience Fr Colin speaks of Mary is at the heart of the Church. At “L’Eglise naissante”. This has the sense of Pentecost, she supports the at-first fearful ‘the Church in process of being born.’ and timid apostles by her calming Childbirth is completed in a relatively presence. She encourages them with short time period. This phrase has the words and in her actions and she lifts sense of an ongoing event rather than a them up in prayer. Mary is mother of the completed event that simply happened Lord, and she becomes mother of the sometime in the past. Church. Mary is rightly at its birth, in the centre. She remains there now. We pray this in the prayer Veni, Sancte Spiritus – Come Holy Spirit: In the midst of the community, the Holy Spirit is alive and active now, creating Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Thy the Church. Mary is there, supporting the faithful and kindle in them the fire of Thy Church as it is being born, as it is being love. Send forth Thy Spirit and they shall created. All Marists, clerical and lay, are be created. And Thou shalt renew the face called to support the Church. This is the of the earth. ordinary mission of us all. The Latin translated as “created” has And so, after the celebration of the sense of ‘recreate’ or ‘renew’. The Holy Pentecost we, the Church, begin Ordinary Spirit is creative, ever renewing us; the Time. It’s back to normal business. The Church. Fr Colin’s intuition of Mary’s place Church is being born, the Church of the in the Church dovetails quite closely with Resurrection. It is up to us to create it now. what the prayer expresses.

6 Marist Messenger June 2022 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmheavy.com greatness of God in a piece of Bread, in a fragility that overflows with love, that Francis Speaks overflows with sharing. Fragility is precisely the word I would like to On the Solemnity of the underscore. Jesus becomes fragile like the Body and Blood of Christ bread that is broken and crumbled. But his strength lies precisely therein, in his Jesus Becomes Fragile in the fragility. In the Eucharist fragility is Eucharist strength: the strength of the love that becomes small so it can be welcomed and The Gospel presents us the narrative of not feared; the strength of the love that is the Last Supper (Mk 14:12-16, 22-26). The broken and shared so as to nourish and words and gestures of the Lord touch our give life; the strength of the love that is hearts: He takes the bread in his hands, split apart so as to join all of us in unity. pronounces the blessing, breaks it and offers it to the disciples, saying: “Take; this And there is another strength that is my body” (v. 22). stands out in the fragility of the Eucharist: the strength to love those who make And thus, with simplicity, Jesus gives us mistakes. It is on the night he is betrayed the greatest sacrament. His is a humble that Jesus gives us the Bread of Life. He gesture of giving, a gesture of sharing. At gives us the greatest gift while he feels the the culmination of his life, he does not deepest abyss in his heart: the disciple distribute an abundance of bread to feed who eats with Him, who dips the morsel in the multitudes, but breaks himself apart at the same plate, is betraying Him. And the Passover supper with the disciples. In betrayal is the worst suffering for one who this way Jesus shows us that the aim of life loves. And what does Jesus do? He reacts to lies in self-giving, that the greatest thing is the evil with a greater good. He responds to serve. And today once more we find the to Judas’ ‘no’ with the ‘yes’ of mercy. He does not punish the sinner, but rather gives His life for him; He pays for him. When we receive the Eucharist, Jesus does the same with us: he knows us; he knows we are sinners; and he knows we make many mistakes, but he does not give up on joining his life to ours. He knows that we need it, because the Eucharist is not the

Marist Messenger June 2022 7 reward of saints, no, it is the Bread of This is the logic of the Eucharist: we receive sinners. This is why he exhorts us: “Do not Jesus who loves us and heals our fragilities be afraid! Take and eat”. in order to love others and help them in their fragilities; and this lasts our entire life. Each time we receive the Bread of Life, In the Liturgy of the Hours today, we Jesus comes to give new meaning to our prayed a hymn: four verses that are the fragilities. He reminds us that in his eyes summary of Jesus’ entire life. And they tell we are more precious than we think. He us this: as Jesus was born, he became our tells us he is pleased if we share our travelling companion in life. Then, at the fragilities with him. He repeats to us that supper he gave himself as food. Then, on his mercy is not afraid of our miseries. The the cross, in his death, he became the mercy of Jesus is not afraid of our miseries. “price”; he paid for us. And now, as he And above all he heals us from those reigns in Heaven he is our reward; we go to fragilities that we cannot heal on our own, seek the One who awaits us. with love. What fragilities? Let’s think. That of feeling resentment toward those who May the Blessed Virgin, in whom God have done us harm — we cannot heal became flesh, help us to embrace the from this on our own; that of distancing Eucharist with a grateful heart and to ourselves from others and closing off make a gift of our life too. May the within ourselves — we cannot heal from Eucharist make us a gift for all others. that on our own; that of feeling sorry for ourselves and complaining without ANGELUS Saint Peter's Square, Sunday, 6 June 2021 finding peace; from this too, we cannot heal on our own. It is He who heals us with his presence, with his bread, with the Eucharist. The Eucharist is an effective medicine for these closures. The Bread of Life, in fact, heals rigidity and transforms it into docility. The Eucharist heals because it unites with Jesus: it makes us assimilate his way of living, his ability to break himself apart and give himself to brothers and sisters, to respond to evil with good. He gives us the courage to go outside of ourselves and bend down with love toward the fragility of others. As God does with us.

8 Marist Messenger June 2022 Marist Spirituality An Introduction - Part 2 Cerdon The Marist story, and hence our Rural France spirituality, began at one level with a 1816 – 1822. small group of seminarians. They saw the exciting prospect that Mary herself was By Fr David Kennerley SM taking an initiative in calling for a diverse group to do ‘her work’. It would seem This is a series by Fr David Kennerley, who from their fervent talks together that they was formerly Novice Master for the Society had concluded that high amongst the of Mary and later served as the New things Mary wanted were missionary Zealand Provincial. He is now involved in catechists she could call her own. This spirituality ministry in Hawkes Bay was a role that could be interpreted rather broadly, but it was also one that could be undertaken collaboratively with quite a mixture of other people. Following ordination the superiors of the young men of the Fourviere Pledge deliberately scattered them far and wide throughout the diocese of Lyon to frustrate their efforts to connect and so fulfil the commitment they had made to Mary on their last day together. In short they met with many difficulties and obstacles, so much so that it wasn’t long before only five of the original twelve signatories remained intent on the project. For these though, Mary and ‘her work’ remained a driving force.

Marist Messenger June 2022 9 And so it was that Marcellin A Prayer to Mary Champagnat, in 1817, began recruiting teaching brothers. Jean-Claude Mary, help me let Jesus have His way Courveille had also quickly gathered completely in my heart, ‘til I reproduce together a group of lay people. In towards Him your attitude of soul in Cerdon, Jean-Claude Colin soon told the unresisting love that sings, ‘Be it done parish priest, Pierre Colin - his older brother, about the project. He too unto me according to your Word.’ enthusiastically entered into it. He even invited a young woman called Jeanne- O Mary, teach me your approach to Marie Chavoin, the future founder of the Jesus till I feel at home with Him within Marist Sisters, to come to Cerdon to see my soul and love his presence there; ‘The if it was for her. Lord is with you’, Laity and priests met regularly Mary, may He also be with me. around the kitchen table in the Cerdon presbytery, praying and sharing ideas An historical extract together. These meetings were highly encouraging and supportive and the “At the start of our enterprise, things numbers grew. Something was were very hazy. The whole of creation was happening with these people and their against us, we lacked every-thing. We had faith, laity and priests alike. to rely on God alone; there was only Him. On the other hand, I felt impelled to this Late at night, Jean-Claude Colin work, not by the ardor of youth, but by an began to commit to paper “the early impulse that I felt came from above. It was ideas” of a spirituality and a Religious that which gave me the habit of praying Rule for the group. He envisaged them always and for everything.” Fr. Jean-Claude Colin

10 Marist Messenger June 2022 living and working together under A Contemporary Marist Writes: Mary’s inspiration, sometime in the future. The central motif became “These first Marists were young and nuanced as “Mary in the early Church.” inexperienced when they started. They Mary present in a most unifying and lacked information, finance or contacts in effective way at the birth of the Church high places. Colin was always stressing the and continuing to be so until the end of importance of inner, spiritual life, but he time. That is, including our days! also said, ‘We did not build the Society on our knees.’ Champagnat, recalling the Given the ‘allergies’ and ‘hyper- grinding labour of the early days declared: sensitivity’ of people at that time to the ‘We built the Society, literally with our Church, Marist ministry was to assume a hands!’ The Sisters had sometimes to eke ‘hidden and unknown’, self-emptying out a living by what was simply sweated approach to people. Nothing within labour. Yet all were buoyed up by an them is to be an obstacle to ‘winning- immense confidence, the mad trust of the over’ people to Christ. Marists are to be saints they were becoming, in a call to especially ‘instruments of mercy’ to further ‘the work of Mary’, as they called it.” those most struggling and in need. Denis Green, A Special Presence, p.5 To do all this effectively, Marists need to create space within themselves for QUESTIONS TO PONDER God by saying NO to pride, greed and 1. “To win people to Christ.” power. In this way too, their lives alone Do you feel called to do this as one who are to be a real witness to Christ and to the power of the Gospel. was made a priest, prophet & king by your Baptism? For the shy young Jean-Claude, living out what he felt he was inspired to write 2. Where in fact in your life are you led to personal transformation. Mary’s already witnessing to Christ? In what sense way of living the Gospel also saw him does the Gospel ‘have power’ for you? tasting God’s presence and action in what he later described as six years of 3. To ‘taste God’. What do you make of extreme sweetness. The proposed that phrase? Does it appeal to you in any Society of Mary, “her work,” was way? intended by God and was more than capable of producing real fruit in the lives of ordinary people.

Marist Messenger June 2022 11 Strange and Surprising Grace By Fr Kevin Bates SM It’s Pentecost and we celebrate once again the birth of the Church and the coming of the Holy Spirit upon the Disciples. You know that already, but it’s probably worthwhile drilling down a bit to get some sense about the surprising and even strange grace that flowed that Pentecost Day. Here are the Disciples with their memories of time spent with Jesus, his teachings, stories, great adventures and his death and resurrection. They had his promise that he would somehow remain with them and that the Holy Spirit would come upon them, but chances are they had little idea what this might mean. As they were gathered, so the story goes, there was a disruption of some kind. It felt like a mighty wind and like tongues of fire circulating in the room, and a whole new energy, a clarity about their path forward and their mission crystallised for them.

12 Marist Messenger June 2022 They began preaching and proclaiming This faithful, graced, presence has the Good News to the point that people somehow remained right through a from diverse cultures could pick up what history of great holiness, and great sin they were on about and the infant Church and corruption. It is a reason for us to was born, seemingly with great passion hope still, that we will always be in good and joy. hands despite our failings and frailties. The grace of this event foreshadows the This grace is indeed as much a surprise graces that have accompanied the Church to us as the stirring grace of the Pentecost right down to our own day. These graces event would have been. Who could still are an expression of Jesus’ promise of love us so relentlessly after all our failures faithfulness, “I will be with you always to love in return? even to the end of time.”

Marist Messenger June 2022 13 The surprising strangeness of God’s with God is something we nurture grace is our gift to receive and taste. Our regularly, we might just glimpse God’s mission as we know, is to become bearers hand at work even in the middle of the of this grace, no matter how strange or day’s turmoils. unrecognised it is in our present-day world. In seemingly strange and unexpected circumstances, God’s grace so often One good place to start is to become reaches us. It could be a gesture, a word, a more aware and alert to the graces that message, even a breath of wind. It could God showers on us each day. It’s easy to be seem like nothing to write home about, lyrical about all this and easy to be cynical but to an alert heart it could be a blessing about it in the light of the burdens, that has to be more than mere confusions, crises and demands that coincidence. accompany us. Come Holy Spirit, we pray yet again These things are easy to spot as they this Pentecost. We don’t need to strain too impact on us with some immediacy. We hard in order to encounter the grace of the can’t avoid encountering them and we Spirit’s breath. have to spring into action in order to respond to them as best we can. Sometimes they are sufficiently annoying or distressing that they take our full attention and until they are resolved we don’t feel we have much petrol in the tank for anything else. It can sound a bit trite to say it, but it’s true just the same, that in the middle of all this daily mess, God’s grace is at work within and among us. It’s so easy to miss the signs of God’s grace at work and often seems to be a matter of common sense that we dismiss these signs as having no value for us as we don’t have time or energy for such musings. Perhaps we will recognise God’s hand at work in retrospect, when things calm down. Just perhaps, if our relationship

14 Marist Messenger June 2022 Stacked for By Fr Gerard Pentecost Whiteford SM At all major international airports, Christ has no body now but yours aircraft waiting to land are ‘stacked’. No hands, no feet on earth, but yours Inbound aircraft will, quite literally ‘be Yours are the eyes through which He looks stacked’ at different altitudes waiting for Compassion on this world runway space to become available. Imagine you have a pack of playing cards, Yours are the feet with which He walks and as you take one from the bottom and To do good place it on a table, the card directly above Yours are the hands the previous card now becomes the With which He blesses all the world bottom card, and so on. So at airports Yours are the hands there are sections of airspace called Yours are the feet “stacks”; Quite often, as a passenger, you Yours are the eyes have the distinct feeling of going round in You are His body a big circle. You are! These days between Christ has no body now but yours the Sunday of Ascension and Pentecost No hands, no feet on earth, but yours remind me of the ‘stacking space’. We are Yours are the eyes through which He looks getting there, however, the descent is slow. Compassion on this world The Spanish mystic, Teresa of Avila has a prayer that might be of help as you make Christ has no body now on earth descent. The singer/songwriter John But yours Michael Talbot has put the words of this prayer quite beautifully to music. See YouTube - St Theresa's Prayer by John Michael Talbot

Marist Messenger June 2022 15 What? By Anne Kerrigan “The value of consistent prayer is not him if he has the hearing aids in his ears, and he is not sure! He just checks his ears! that God will hear us, but that we will hear We sometimes even have a laugh at that uncertainty. There are so many issues in Him.” William McGill the golden years which need to be addressed that hearing aids are often on “I call on you my God, for you will the bottom of the list. I realise that they should be more at the top of the list answer me; turn your ear to me and hear because communication is essential, but such is the reality of our present situation. my prayer.” Psalm 17:6 The doctor’s and dentist’s appointments, physical therapy, organising and ordering As one reads scripture, it is clear that the daily pills which keep us going, and there are many references to hearing and then paying bills on time are only a few of listening. I really began to internalise that the demands on our time. Not to mention concept of hearing and listening when my the fact that we are now much slower husband began to lose his hearing. The performing these tasks! hearing aids are wonderful, when he remembers to use them! It is when I begin Actually, I am very grateful for the to hear the usual phrases which indicate a golden years, but I am still in the learning hearing loss that clue me in to the fact that mode when it comes to this hearing he is not using them. problem. The issue here is that the hearing aids do not always work as advertised. My “What? What did you say? Say again.” husband has been tested and retested, and the hearing aids adjusted as needed but, Then I have to remind him to use the truth be told, hearing aids do not always hearing aids. There are times when I ask

16 Marist Messenger June 2022 replicate good hearing. On occasion, they analogy became so clear to me. Just as my are not sitting in the ear properly or the husband sometimes can’t hear, I can’t hear batteries need to be replaced. Often, he the Lord speaking to me. My husband is just forgets to put them in his ear! patient and kind as he deals with his Therefore, I must try to ascertain when my hearing limitation, but I am also the one husband needs some help along the way who often does not hear, does not with this hearing situation. Even though I respond. I realise that I am also challenged find myself getting rather easily frustrated to listen more deeply, both to my husband at my husband’s lack of response to my and to the Lord. That realisation was a conversation, I have learned a few tricks graced moment. along the way. I must speak directly to him, face him, and speak clearly and I find it incredible that I have learned slowly. My training as a lector helps me to such a valuable lesson, gained so much remember to enunciate clearly to make it insight, just due to reflection on a simple easier for him to understand me. We thing like hearing aids! There are so many bumble along, trying the best we can to lessons here for me. I have ears, help me to deal with the situation. listen! As I reflect on our personal situation Lord, help me to pray consistently, and with this hearing topic which comprises to be silent on occasion, so that I will hear some serious listening skills, I wonder if both you and my loving husband! Please this is how the Lord feels when trying to let my spiritual hearing aids always be in interact with me. On occasion, does He place. want to bop me on the head to make me listen, as I often feel like doing to my Scripture reminds us, “He who has husband? Do I not hear God’s many ears, let him hear.” attempts to make me listen to Him? Are my spiritual hearing aids in place so that communication can happen? Do I need the batteries replaced? Do I have to check my ears again? Am I saying, “What? Huh? Say again?” I can actually imagine God getting frustrated with my lack of response to His efforts to communicate with me. (If God can get frustrated!) All of a sudden, the

Marist Messenger June 2022 17 Words and By Fr Tom God’s Word Ryan SM Part 5 of 10 “What is your opinion?” ‘What’s your opinion?’ It’s not just an adult thing. Parents quickly learn that children have their own ‘What do you think we should do’? opinions. At times, a parent can be puzzled, surprised, even bewildered at an It’s nice to be asked. And, there are opinion a child might offer. times when we should be asked. Everyone is different. Temperament Whatever the case, when others want may shape how a child (and adult) to hear our views, we feel acknowledged, responds. The same events may trigger valued. And, as experience tells us, it different reactions. And with life (and makes for better decisions but also for growth), opinions can change. healthier relationships.

18 Marist Messenger June 2022 As we know, it is often around the The Council of Jerusalem family meal table that we learn the basics of listening, respect and tolerance. The twentieth century Church finds Pope St. Paul VI speaking of the three More generally, in his book Legacy, Erik circles of dialogue, and of how the human Overby notes how we need other opinions person is essentially a dialogical being. His and points of view to help us navigate successors, Pope St John Paul II and Pope issues that arise in daily living. This is Francis develop these ideas. especially true of those matters that require more delicate and subtle forms of We grow as persons, made in the image appraisal: of God, through relationships with others, especially in dialogue and the shared We need civil debate to present search for truth and goodness. opposing viewpoints and point out our blind spots. We need the ability to speak And, of course, this brings up the word freely and civilly to one another. often used by Pope Francis, namely, ‘synodality’. This leads to another aspect. These days, we hear much about effective This term is meant to capture the call leadership. Words such as ‘transparent’ (if not right) of all members of the Church and ‘accountable’ are common currency. to contribute to the Church’s life and decisions. Seminars in the field cover topics such as effective planning; leadership styles; It means walking together with a handling (and harnessing) conflict; common goal; a constant attitude of participation and consultation; the need listening; the effort to understand the for, and ability to, delegate. In many ways, then, we are talking about the wisdom of the group. We see glimpses of the beginnings of democratic processes in Athens (even if women and slaves were not included). Again, there is the shared authority and leadership in the period of the Judges in Israel. The Acts of the Apostles give clear witness of the Spirit working through the group at the Council of Jerusalem as a model of leadership.

Marist Messenger June 2022 19 perspectives of others (and the reasons offered). At times, this process may entail ‘evangelical’ candour, even, a level of heated interchange. It is through such means that the Holy Spirit works in the process of discernment and its fruit, namely, coming to a judgement. What is God’s perspective in all this? God’s Word and Shared Wisdom Lao Tzu Think how often Jesus asks questions them down at table and waits on them. of his disciples and the various people he Praise and acknowledgement indeed!! meets. He wants to know what they think; perhaps, it might open a door to reflect When we think about ‘what is your further about life and themselves. ‘What opinion’ and God, what emerges is how are you looking for?’ ‘What do you want God trusts us (something we will pursue me to do for you?’ further next month). Consider how Jesus went about his For the moment, let’s close these ministry. He did not try to ‘go it alone’. He thoughts about shared wisdom and gathered disciples to help him. collaborative leadership by looking back to the Chinese tradition: He sent them out in pairs. He gave them ‘riding’ instructions beforehand. As for the best leaders, When they returned, he encouraged them The people do not notice their existence. to come apart, rest and, no doubt to The next best, the people honour debrief about what happened. and praise. It was very much a collaborative The next, the people fear. exercise, a sharing of experiences and And the next the people hate … wisdom. … when the best leader’s work’s done, the people say: As we saw last month, Jesus uses ‘We did it ourselves’. parables about working together. A landowner entrusts his affairs to stewards Lao Tzu 6BC and employees. He trusts them to use their judgement. When he returns home, he sits Next month: ‘If you please …’

20 Marist Messenger June 2022 What on earth is By the Editor the Synod on Synodality?!!! When I was a boy we had a party line sharing more literally – she used to listen telephone in the house. Because we were in on others’ conversations – sort of in the countryside we shared the line with inviting herself to the party! To ring several other households. Each household someone, you had to call up the exchange had their distinctive ring – long, short, and ask for a certain number. The operator long, for example. When you heard your at the exchange would physically plug ring, you answered the call. Of course, you your line into the receiving line. couldn’t ring if someone was already on the line. Sharing a line did have its You can imagine our wonder when all disadvantages. One neighbour took this was automated. We got a phone with a dial! Anyone younger than 40 probably

Marist Messenger June 2022 21 won’t remember dial phones – they were One of the Icons for the Synod: Mary, symbol of superseded by telephones with the Church, offers the chalice to the centurion, a pushbuttons! Now, of course, less and less people even have a house phone. Things \"pagan\" who is the first believer. have changed, haven’t they? for some element of the Church’s “One could say that today we are not structure). Previously only bishops and living in an era of change so much as in a cardinals occupied these roles. Change change of era.” Francis said this two years indeed! after he was elected Pope. Most of us just thought we were living in times of change, So what on earth is the Synod on perhaps even changes more important Synodality?!!! than telephones. When we reflect on the changes we have seen in our lifetimes and “Synodality denotes the particular style perhaps the lifetimes of our parents, we that qualifies the life and mission of the can see that we really are in a new era, a Church, expressing her nature as the new epoch. People of God journeying together and gathering in assembly, summoned by the Two events in the last year have the Lord Jesus in the power of the Holy Spirit potential to bring the Church even more to proclaim the Gospel.” 2 radically into this new era. The first was the opening of the 16th Synod of Bishops Last October Pope Francis opened the last October. More on the Synod below. 16th worldwide Synod of Bishops. The other event is Pope Francis’ Motu Postponed because of the Covid Proprio 1 “Praedicate Evanglium” pandemic, the Synod now is a two-year (Proclaim the Gospel) which reorganizes process concluding with the bishops’ the Roman Curia (the Vatican). This meeting in Rome in October 2023. essentially puts the Curia at the service of the mission of the Church: the Pope, Synods are not novelties in the Church. bishops and laypeople. One element of the Since Pope Paul VI instituted the Synod of motu proprio is the acknowledgement Bishops towards the end of the Second that qualified lay people can be the head of a dicastery (the department responsible [1] Motu Proprio: Latin: “on one’s own initiative”), a papal document personally signed by the pope to signify his special interest in the subject [2] www.synod.va/en/what-is-the-synod-21-23/ about.html

22 Marist Messenger June 2022 Vatican Council, there have been fifteen The Conversion of Cornelius ordinary assemblies and almost the same number of extraordinary Synods to We contemplate an everlasting address different questions and issues Pentecost. Around a table, we see the facing the Church. However, their roots go apostles with Peter in the centre and back much further, to the beginnings of Cornelius with his family. From the the Church. Perhaps the first was the hand of God the Father, flow the flames meeting in Jerusalem recounted in the of the Holy Spirit, enlightening Acts of the Apostles (15:1-9) when the everyone and giving them filial life. disciples met to consider Jewish law Mutual understanding, collaboration, concerning circumcision and the dietary communion, the unity of humanity is rules. not only a horizontal reality, but a gift that comes from God the Father and The word synod comes from the Greek that must be received. This gift is the words ‘with’ and ‘path’ that suggest the love of God that has been revealed to us meaning of walking or journeying together by the Pascha of Christ. along the Way of Jesus. It is used to describe a gathering of churches or church The centre of the image is therefore people to discuss important issues or the Paschal Lamb (cf. Rev 5:6), situations. It is consultative and invites immolated, but alive, upright and participation of multiple groups often radically oriented to the Father. His through elected or appointed wound brings to mind what we representatives. contemplated in the first image and continues to remind us that synodality Vatican II clarified the nature of the is a gift that comes from the heart of Church. It is not an institution, nor is it Christ. On the table there is a cloth with made up solely of bishops and priests. various animals (cf. At 10,28-29). There Lumen Gentium tells us in Chapter II that is nothing impure in the eyes of God. all the members of the Church make up The Canaanite woman (cf. Mt 15:21-28), the people of God and all contribute to the the one who, humbly asking for the mission of the Church. Chapter III grace of healing for her daughter, explicitly includes those who are not reminded the Lord that even little dogs clerics or religious: “The laity are gathered eat the crumbs that fall from the table, together in the People of God and make up making clear that all are welcome at the the Body of Christ under one head.” (No. table of the Lamb. 33). Generally speaking Vatican II inverted the common idea people had of the Source: www.synod.va

23 The second Icon written for the Synod: The Conversion of Cornelius church as a pyramid with the Pope at the the world and continuing the benefits of top and the lay faithful at the bottom. consultation, communication, sharing and discussion experienced during the Council. The Fathers of the Council wanted to renew the idea of the Church to a more Synods are not a doctrinal or legislative inclusive one, where all form the people of ‘parliament’, however. They promote God. With the Muto Proprio ‘Apostolica communion, provide information on Sollicitudo’ (Apostolic Concern) Pope Paul church matters and offer advice to the VI instituted regular synods in 1965 as a Pope. They will draw up recommendations way of expressing the universality of the for the Pope who will make the decisions Church via gathering bishops from around he sees appropriate.

24 Marist Messenger June 2022 Pope Francis proposes a Synodal way, For more information involving lay people in the discussions and and ways of participation deliberations. Francis has called for a more see your local parish or ‘synodal’ church, one that listens. This listening is more than simply hearing. diocesan website. Concretely, being ‘synodal’ is a way of being. It is a way of working that takes a everyone matters because God can speak more grassroots, collaborative approach, though anyone. Pope Francis has stated taking time to discern the path forward that this collaborative, inclusive approach together. It highlights the fact that we all of synodality is precisely “the path that have something precious to contribute to God expects of the Church in the third the Body of Christ. In this way, a ‘synodal millennium.” Church’ is a Church that listens: \"It is a mutual listening in which everyone has The NZ Catholic Bishops’ Conference something to learn. The lay faithful, the will then prepare a report for the bishops, the pope: all listening to each Federation of Catholic Bishops’ other, and all listening to the Holy Spirit, Conferences of Oceania, a regional the “Spirit of truth” (Jn 14:17), in order to grouping that includes many of the South know what He is saying to the Church\" Pacific island states, Australia and New (Pope Francis, Commemoration of the Zealand. That regional body and others 50th anniversary of the institution of the like it around the world will draft Synod of Bishops, October 17, 2015). documents that will go to the Synod office Francis is building on these aims by in Rome to help prepare the assembly’s introducing the theme of the next Synod, working document for the last part of the ‘For a Synodal Church: Communion, Synod in October 2023. Participation, Mission’. We hear people speaking negatively The Synod has three phases: The about what is happening - the changes, Diocesan phase, the Episcopal Conference the diminishing numbers of priests, the phase and the Continental phase. crisis in the Church etc. We need to keep faith in where the Holy Spirit is leading the The Diocesan phase is, as its name Church. Pope Francis shows a way. suggests, rooted in each diocese. This will be a period of “active listening” and consultation with the local People of God. Each of us is invited to contribute at a parish and diocesan level. The voice of

Marist Messenger June 2022 25 Fr Kevin Mowbray SM Wednesday June 1 Fr Kevin is the Parish Priest of St Mary of the Angels, Wellington ST. JUSTIN, MARTYR consecration would be their unity in love. Acts 20:28-38; Psalm 68: 29-30, 33-35a, This is why we go to church on Sunday 35bc-36ab; John 17:11-19 and receive communion. Look around you next Sunday at mass. Do we go to mass for Faith and Reason ourselves or for communion with those in the pews about us? Justin lived and died only 100 years after Jesus. He was a philosopher in an age mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm when such men were highly thought of and whose opinions were sought out and Friday June 3 respected. He sought God by questioning ST CHARLES LWANGA AND COMPANIONS his world fearlessly, yet respectfully and Acts 25:13-21; Psalm 103: 1-2, 11-12, humbly. He did not see any conflict 19-20ab; John 21:15-19 between Faith and Reason. May the Courageously losing all example of Justin quietly reassure and Charles was martyred, along with 21 inspire us when others may think that our others, in Uganda in 1886. A member of Faith is unreasoned or unreasonable. the royal court he refused to take part in the sexual looseness of the court. He mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm encouraged other young men to do the same. He was only a catechumen when he Thursday June 2 was condemned to be burnt at the stake for his stand. The night before his Acts 22:30, 23:6-11; Psalm 16: 1-2a, 5, 7-8, martyrdom he was baptised. We may not 9-10, 11; John 17:20-26 have to face death for our convictions but we should pray to have the courage to That they may be one stand up for what we believe in, even when it may invite ridicule and insult. At the last supper Jesus prayed for those whom he was about to leave behind. He prayed that his followers would be protected from the evil one and consecrated to the truth of his word. The great sign of this protection and

26 Marist Messenger June 2022 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm down into the streets of that city. What was visible within that community was their Saturday June 4 dedication to the teaching of the apostles, the breaking of bread and their sharing of Acts 28:16-20, 30-31, Psalm 11:4-5,7; goods; what we could call creed, cult and John 21:20-25 conduct. Even today these three realities constitute the Church. Are we visibly Lord, what about him? attached to the teaching of the Church, its liturgy and the ethical behaviour expected Was Peter asking about John’s future out of of disciples? love for him or just out of curiosity? It’s not clear but the answer of Jesus most mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm certainly is, “What concern is it of yours? You follow me.” Ultimately, we too have to Monday 6 June do what Jesus asked of Peter, “Follow me.” Do what I ask you to do. What I ask of 1 Kings 17:1-6; Psalm 121: 1bc-2-8; someone else might be quite different. We Matthew 5:1-12 are not all called to do the same as a follower of Christ. Like Peter and like John The Sermon on the Mount we must be prepared to do what the Lord personally asks of us. Sometimes it is good to take a step back from a moment, an event, a phenomenon mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm and try to grasp the bigger picture. To see the wood instead of only the trees, as it Sunday June 5 were. When we take a step back from the Sermon on the Mount what is most PENTECOST striking is that Jesus turned upside down every one’s expectations. Be ambitious for Acts 2:1-11; Psalm 104: 1-2, 24, 25, 27-30; power, he teaches, but not power as the 1 Corinthians 12:3-7,12-13; John 20:19-23 world knows it. How do our ambitions measure up to his teaching? The birthday of the Church mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Pentecost is the day when the Spirit invisibly moved the little community of Tuesday 7 June believers gathered in Jerusalem to go 1 Kings 17:7-16; Psalm 4: 2-3, 4-5, 7b-8m; Matthew 5:13-16 Influence the world for good Does the Sermon on the Mount teach us to be shrinking violets? Not at all, if we are to believe Jesus’ compelling images of salt and light. We are meant to be in the thick of things, in the front lines. We should be trying to influence people and institutions for the better through a life of power-filled blessedness. Otherwise, we are as useless

Marist Messenger June 2022 27 as flavourless salt or as a lamp whose light mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm is concealed. Friday 10 June mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm 1 Kings 19:9, 11-16; Psalm 27: 7-8a, Wednesday 8 June 8b-9abc, 13-14 Matthew 5:27-32 1 Kings 18:20-39; Psalm 16: 1b-2ab, 4, 5ab, “It is better …” 8, 11; Matthew 5:17-19 The passionate conviction in Jesus’ words The Law and the Prophets hits us with force. We can be in no doubt that, for him, the commitment made The law and the prophets – essentially through marriage vows is truly sacred. what we call the Old Testament – had Consequently, we should do almost taught the chosen people about God. They anything to protect that commitment. Yet had served Israel well. And Jesus was not where does this leave people scarred by a about to throw them away. All he asked wounding relationship? There are no easy was that they be followed in a new way, his answers. But we should never forget how way. Looked at differently they could Jesus treated the one about to be stoned refresh, renew, bring life. Perhaps there are for adultery: never reject the sinner; reject some old rules and practices we were only the sin. taught at home or in religion classes at school that could be looked at again but in mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm a different way? Could they refresh our faith life? Saturday 11 June mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm ST BARNABAS, APOSTLE Thursday 9 June Acts 11:21-26, 13:1-3; Psalm 98: 1, 2-3ab, 3cd-4, 5-6; Matthew 10: 7-13 1 Kings 18:41-46; Psalm 65: 10-13; Matthew 5:20-26 A dedicated man Look deeper Barnabas is spoken of simply as one who dedicated his life to the Lord. He was a Perhaps all of us are guilty of focusing too man “filled with the Holy Spirit and faith. much on only our actions and not our Thereby large numbers were added to the hearts when it comes to the sacrament of Lord”. His holy dedication, however, did reconciliation. Our actions are important. not stop him from falling out with Paul But we need to look deeper. Our actions and going his own way to successfully should make us stop and think, “Why did I continue his ministry. Even good and holy do that? What does it say about me?” It is people don’t always see eye-to-eye. in the ‘heart’ - the secret, inner person - Something we should keep in mind when where we discover the source of our working in and for our parish community shameful actions. It takes a certain perhaps? courage to look unflinchingly and honestly at ourselves. Can we do this?

28 Marist Messenger June 2022 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm unexpected confronts us are we supple enough in spirit to go where God’s Spirit Sunday 12 June may be leading us? TRINITY SUNDAY mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Proverbs 8:22-31; Psalm 8: 4-9; Romans Tuesday 14 June 5:1-5; John 16:12-15 1 Kings 21:17-29; Psalm 51: 3-4,5-6ab,11,16; The Mystery of God Matthew 5:43-48 Not a mathematical problem to be solved Love your enemies but a mystery to be lived! Notoriously difficult to think about and to preach on, Only when we stop and think of the very this doctrine of the Trinity has its worst that could happen to someone we foundations firmly in Scripture. Familiar love dearly does the enormity of Jesus’ words push us to the edge of the words strike home. Nothing in the Gospel unfamiliar, into uncharted territory. The seems more demanding, more impossible doctrine of the Trinity begins to tell us that than this command of Jesus. It is beyond God is beyond all thought and all imagining that such love is possible. imagining. God is truly unknowable. Only Impossible for us, yes. But for God? when we acknowledge this fundamental Perhaps this command tells us as much truth can we then turn and face Jesus with about God as it does about us. awe-struck humility and say with Peter, Paradoxically, then, the impossible “You are the Christ.” becomes a sign of hope for us if we place our trust in God alone. mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Monday 13 June Wednesday 15 June ST ANTHONY OF PADUA 2 Kings 2:1, 6-14; Psalm 31: 20, 21, 24; 1 Kings 21:1-16; Psalm 5: 2-3ab, 4b-6, 7: Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18 Matthew 5:38-42 Almsgiving and Fasting Led along unexpected paths True humility never makes itself known by Anthony’s life as a Franciscan friar was full clever tactics or subtle gestures and it of unexpected twists and turns. Anthony certainly never looks gloomy. A quiet joy, caught this note of unexpectedness well that might even evade our notice, radiates when once preaching about the saints: from the person who has recognised the “The saints are like the stars. In his truth about themselves, about how they providence Christ conceals them in a look when standing before God, the hidden place that they may not shine Almighty. A joy based not on what they do before others when they might wish to do for others but rather on what God does for so. Yet they are always ready to exchange them. It is in and through that joy they feel the quiet of contemplation for the works compelled to reach out beyond of mercy as soon as they perceive in their themselves in almsgiving and fasting. heart the invitation of Christ.” When the

Marist Messenger June 2022 29 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Thursday 16 June Saturday 18 June Ecclesiasticus 48:1-14; Psalm 97: 1-7; 2 Chronicles 24:17-25; Psalm 89: 4-5, 29-34; Matthew 6:7-15 Matthew 6:24-34 Our Father God and money Have you ever gazed into the night sky Money is a convenient way to facilitate the when it is clear and starry all across the exchange of goods and services. Perhaps horizon? Not only the immensity of the one day soon we will no longer need universe but also its beauty is money, not even a credit or debit card! Our overwhelming. We can feel so small and mobile phone will be enough. Yet the lost and yet also feel at home. An challenge of Jesus will still remain: what is infinitesimal part but not insignificant. the point of accumulating more and more Isn’t this nothing else but the beginning of goods and services? In a world that seems the smallest whisper telling us that what increasingly fixated on material success Jesus shared with us is true? In his own what will give us true peace of soul and joy personal prayer to his Father, gifted to us of heart? as sign and promise, he has revealed the secret of our existence in this mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm extraordinarily vast world. Sunday 19 June mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm THE BODY AND BLOOD OF CHRIST Friday 17 June Genesis 14:18-20; Psalm 110: 1-4; 2 Kings 11:1-4, 9-18, 20; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26; Luke 9:11-17 Psalm 132: 11-14, 17-18; Matthew 6:19-23 Source and Summit Treasure in Heaven In the 1960’s all the Bishops gathered in Have you already noticed what Matthew is the Second Vatican Council, explicitly doing? Like a good teacher he is helping us taught all the People of God that the to understand what was expressed so concisely in the Beatitudes. By gathering together various little sayings and images of Jesus into one extended teaching, sayings and images that were most probably shared at different times and places in Jesus’ public ministry, Matthew is subtly telling us how consistent and focused the Good News is. In today’s reading Matthew adds depth and colour to the beatitude, ‘Blessed are the poor in spirit …’ Read the Beatitudes again in the light of these images and sayings.

30 Marist Messenger June 2022 Eucharist – the Body and Blood of Christ – seminarian, from the plague which he was the source and summit of our caught from the sick he was tending in Christian life. So earthy, so physical yet so Rome. His simple, ascetical lifestyle was in mysterious. This Feast not only celebrates sharp contrast to that of many of his the centrality of the Eucharist but reminds contemporaries. He challenges us all, not us also that the fullness of life is found just the young for whom he is a patron, to only in the fullness of Christ, in his whole rethink our lives and what we long for. person. Listen carefully again to the words What does our heart truly crave – God’s at the end of the eucharistic prayer in the kingdom or an earthly one? mass, “Through Him, with Him and in Him…” mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Wednesday 22 June Monday 20 June 2 Kings 22:8-13, 23:1-3; Psalm 119: 33, 34, 36, 37, 40; Matthew 7:15-20 2 Kings 17:5-8, 13-15, 18; Psalm 60: 3, 4-5, 12-13 Matthew 7:1-5 False Prophets Don’t judge! Since time immemorial individuals have risen up at certain moments and Really? From time to time isn’t it prudent proclaimed they knew a truth that would to judge others characters? Shouldn’t we shake the world. Most have disappeared as make a judgement to avoid the company quickly as they have arisen. Our day and of people who might compromise our own age is no different. Perhaps amongst the standards? Shouldn’t we discern, by false prophets of today are the conspiracy judging, those whose company will inspire theorists and those who spread lies in the and encourage us? The answer is clearly, social media. In contrast, we should yes! So, the teaching of Jesus is not gently, firmly, always stand up for the directed at those who judge humbly in truth. Sow the seed of truth, scatter it order to seek the good for themselves and wherever you find yourself and trust that others. Rather, it is directed at those who, in God’s good time it will take root in good intent on destruction, judge others with a soil and give a harvest beyond measure. blind arrogance. mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Thursday 23 June Tuesday 21 June 2 Kings 24:8-17; Psalm 79:1-5,8-9; ST ALOYSIUS GONZAGA Matthew 7:21-29 2 Kings 19:9-11, 14-21, 31-36; Psalm 48: Will the Kingdom come? 2-3ab, 3cd-4, 10-11; Matthew 7:6, 12-14 With this passage we come to the end of Earthly pauper, heavenly prince the Sermon on the Mount. Starting with the Beatitudes, and then explaining them Aloysius, born into a princely family in through images and sayings, Matthew has Renaissance Italy, turned away from a life allowed us to catch a glimpse of what the of luxury, even decadence, and entered the Kingdom of Heaven will look like. That is Jesuits. He died as a young man, still a

Marist Messenger June 2022 31 why those listening to Jesus were denouncing evil. Crowds sought him out astounded at his teaching. This vision of a because he radiated integrity - there was new reality, of life transformed, they saw in no split between the man himself and the him. Do we really believe that this message he preached. Jesus himself was kingdom will come, as we pray daily when attracted to John because of this quality. we recite the Our Father? Through his compelling integrity he prepared the way for the Lord. Do we mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm prepare the way for Our Lord by integrating our faith with our every word Friday 24 June and action? THE SACRED HEART OF JESUS mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Ezekiel 34:11-16; Psalm 23: 1-3a, 3b–6; Sunday 26 June Romans 5:5-11; Luke 15:3-17 13TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME Pain born of love 1 Kings 19: 16, 19-21; Psalm 16: 1-2,5, 7-11; The wounded heart of Galatians 5:1, 13-18; Luke 9:51-62 Jesus is a powerful symbol of both pain and love. His “He resolutely determined …” love for his Father and for us led him The word ‘resolutely’ says so much about inexorably to the Jesus and his commitment to all that cross. Jesus’ awaited him in Jerusalem. The lack of wounded heart hospitality in the Samaritan village teaches us, reminds us offended James and John but Jesus hardly that not all pain should seemed to notice. He kept moving. Then be avoided. To do so would be to leave us he seemed to brush aside those who less than human. For pain born of love is wished to follow him, but only half- infinitely different to pain born of sin. Pain heartedly. His determination to do his born of love stretches us, turns us Father’s will, wherever it may lead him, outward; pain born of sin cramps us, turns was all-consuming. A focused will – is this us inward. The Sacred Heart of Jesus the definition of purity? Do we have the brings us face-to-face with the cost of courage to be so pure? discipleship. mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Monday 27 June Saturday 25 June Amos 2:6-10, 13-16; Psalm 50: 16bc-17-23; THE BIRTH OF JOHN THE BAPTIST Matthew 8:18-22 Jer 1:4-10, Psalm 71:1-2,34a,5-6ab, 15ab, 17; A teaching repeated 1 Peter 1:8-12, Luke 1:5-17 Why does the Church place before us the John is his name. same reading about half-hearted disciples two days in a row? Perhaps because John was a man of burning inner repetition is a good technique for helping conviction, who lived simply, austerely and who exhibited a fierce courage in

32 Marist Messenger June 2022 us remember an important lesson? Jesus travelling far from their homeland to wasn’t afraid to demand much of those preach the Gospel. In Rome both are now who were attracted to him. Without commemorated by extraordinary basilicas hesitation, and time and again, he said which elicit awe and wonder from those ‘follow me’. Leave your boats, your who enter into them. Awe and wonder families, all that you treasure; that’s the inspired by two holy but flawed men. cost of following me. If that is what he God’s grace at work in ordinary human preached then that is what his Church beings, like you and me, can cause awe must also preach now. The repetition of an and wonder in others. We should pray that important lesson. this will be the case. mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Tuesday 28 June Thursday 30 June ST IRENAEUS Amos 7:10-17; Psalm 19: 8-11; Matthew 9:1-8 Amos 3:1-8, 4:11-12; Psalm 5: 4b-6, 7, 8; Matthew 8:23-27 The miracle of faith A conscientious bishop Why so few miracles? If Jesus is God why not heal everyone? Today’s reading shines Irenaeus lived in the second century and a light on this question which has learnt about the faith from St Polycarp perplexed and angered many. Healing who had been taught, in his turn, by John everyone would not lead people to the Apostle. So, Irenaeus could be acknowledge the truth about God’s plan regarded as a grandchild of the apostles! for us revealed in Jesus. Many saw his And his dedication to the teaching of the miracles but did not believe; some were apostles was clearly evident when he even cured and went off happily without a became Bishop of Lyons. He taught backward glance! We are not meant to vigorously against the false teachings of stand around gasping, saying “why not me his day and, eventually, this made of him a too!”; the miracles were performed to martyr. He faithfully handed on what he make us kneel before Jesus and say had received. This is what we are called to “forgive me Lord of all power, save me.” do as well. mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Wednesday 29 June STS PETER AND PAUL, APOSTLES Acts 12:1-11; Psalm 34: 2-9; 2 Timothy 4:6-8, 17-18; Matthew 16: 13-19 “Upon this rock” Holy but flawed men these great apostles are forever associated with the city of Rome. They were martyred there after

Marist Messenger June 2022 333 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm June Saint Saint Barnabas the Apostle Photo by Brother Lawrence Lew, O.P. By Fr Mervyn Duffy SM On 11 June the Church celebrates Saint Barnabas the Apostle. This is a very rare New Testament times it was a rank in the designation for a saint. Barnabas is not Church. St Paul argues strongly that he is celebrated as a martyr, nor as a bishop. He an apostle (1 Cor. 9:1 “Am I not an is an Apostle, yet not one of the Twelve apostle?”) The Pauline epistles identify by Apostles. ‘Apostle’ means ‘one sent’ and name another five people as apostles: Silas can be translated as ‘delegate’ or ‘envoy’. In (1 Thes. 1:1, 2:6), Timothy (1 Thes. 1:1, 2:6) Apollos (1 Cor. 4:9) and, intriguingly, Andronicus and Junia (Romans 16:7). Barnabas and Paul are named as apostles in the Acts of the Apostles “But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of this …”(14:14) Barnabas is introduced in chapter 4 of the Acts of the Apostles. “There was a Levite, a native of Cyprus, Joseph, to whom the apostles gave the name Barnabas (which means ‘son of encouragement’). He sold a field that belonged to him, then brought the money, and laid it at the apostles’ feet.” So, he is another of the saints (like Peter and Francis of Assisi [Giovanni]) who are known by their nicknames. ‘Son of Encouragement’ sounds like a very positive description and the two verses depict him as an early and generous member of the Jerusalem church community.

34 Marist Messenger June 2022 An issue for the earliest Christian great number became believers communities was whether they were a sect and turned to the Lord.” of Judaism, preaching the gospel only to their Jewish co-religionists or if they News of this came to should seek to convert gentiles, that is, Jerusalem and they chose to non-Jews. This question was particularly send Barnabas as their envoy to acute in the cosmopolitan city of Antioch that Church. He was a Cypriot, where the Jews were in a minority. There he could speak Greek and, was an Aramaic-speaking Jewish according to Luke, “he was a community, a larger Greek-speaking good man, full of the Holy Spirit gentile population and a significant group and of faith.” (Acts 11:25) of Greek-speaking Jews, called the Barnabas, presumably because Hellenists. According to chapter 11 of the of a prior connection, chose to Acts “some men of Cyprus and Cyrene seek out Saul/Paul in Tarsus to who, on coming to Antioch, spoke to the aid in the task of teaching the Hellenists also, proclaiming the Lord Jesus. Gospel to Greek-speakers. The hand of the Lord was with them, and a The story of Barnabas is entwined with that of Paul, their names are often paired. After working together for a year in Antioch they went to Jerusalem to deliver money to that Church for famine relief and to get the support of the apostles Peter, James, and John for their Gentile mission (Gal. 2:1-10). They then returned to Antioch and, with John Mark, a cousin of Barnabas, set out for Cyprus to begin the ‘first missionary journey’. The Missionary Journey of Barnabas and Paul They initially preach in synagogues where there are some non-Jews, referred to as ‘God-fearers’, in attendance. At Antioch in Pisidia (not to be confused with the Antioch in Syria where they had started) they encounter Jewish resistance

Marist Messenger June 2022 35 to their preaching but acceptance from the circumcision their Gentile hearers. They choose to focus faction. And other Jews on evangelising the Gentiles. joined him in this hypocrisy, so that even This is a controversial decision and Barnabas was led astray when they sailed back to Antioch in Syria, by their hypocrisy.” the church community again sent (Gal. 2:11-13) Barnabas and Paul to Jerusalem to discuss how non-Jews could be incorporated into When another Christianity. According to Paul’s account in his letter to the Galatians “James and Peter missionary journey is Crest of St Barnabas and John, who were acknowledged pillars, being planned, Paul featuring Tudor roses, recognised the grace that had been given does not want John worn on his feast day to me, they gave to Barnabas and me the Mark to come since medieval times. right hand of fellowship, agreeing that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the because he left them circumcised.” (Gal. 2:9) Barnabas and Paul returned to Antioch taking the news that during the first journey. The outcome is the Gentiles could become Christian without having to adopt Jewish practises. that Barnabas and Paul split up, Barnabas Barnabas and Paul stay together in going with John Mark to Cyprus and Paul Antioch and Peter comes over from Jerusalem to visit the Church community. going with Silas through Syria and Cilicia. Then a dispute arises over how to put the decision about the Gentiles into practise. With the New Testament record James represents one extreme on the focussing on Paul, we hear very little of the issue, Paul the other, and Peter and later career of Barnabas. In 1 Corinthians, Barnabas try for the middle ground. Paul’s written about 56 AD, Paul refers to the fact account of the event, a stand-up argument that both he and Barnabas earn their own before the church community, is: living. When Paul was imprisoned in Rome (61-63 AD) he refers to “Mark the cousin of “But when Peter came to Antioch, I Barnabas” being with him, which might opposed him to his face, because he stood mean that Barnabas has died. self-condemned; for until certain people came from James, he used to eat with the So, we celebrate a saint who took a Gentiles. But after they came, he drew leading part in the life of the early church, back and kept himself separate for fear of who was involved in the hugely important decision that opened Christianity up to evangelise the world. He is well deserving of the title ‘Apostle’ and of his nickname ‘Son of Encouragement’. May St Barnabas encourage us in our living and spreading the Gospel today.

36 Marist Messenger June 2022 Tik Tok Br Hemi Ropata SM and Broken Communion In May 2021, 17-year old Adrian Lopez California. It began innocently enough, put out an invitation for his birthday party with music and dancing and pizza but – Adrian’s Kickback: “Slide tru this soon descended into chaos with people Saturday we finna turn up!!!!” The climbing traffic lights and flagpoles and invitation found its way onto Snapchat, running into traffic, and then, perhaps and then on to TikTok. By the weekend of predictably, it dissolved into a riot after the party, Tiktok videos with the hashtag someone shot fireworks into a police #adrianskickback had drawn more than cordon, who then returned fire with non- 280 million views. It became the talk of the lethal rounds. In the end, thousands of internet: ‘is it real?’ ‘Are we going?’ ‘What dollars of damage was done to local are we wearing?’. On the evening of the businesses, and 178 people were arrested. party, more than 2,500 young people descended onto Huntington Beach, For an elder millennial (born between 1981 and 1986) like myself, this sounds like

Marist Messenger June 2022 37 a nightmare. But if you listen to and read After more than a year of lockdowns the testimonials of the people who were and distancing, vaccination rates were there, it was magic. One person talks increasing, and social restrictions were about crowd-surfing while fireworks easing. For young people, and especially erupted in the sky and time seemed to those whose final year of high school had stand still – like the end of a summer teen been destroyed by Covid, Adrian’s movie. Another speaks about the Kickback seemed like an opportunity to excitement and exhilaration of running take back all of those moments that had into an alley as police were bearing down been missed. All of the memories that and finding another mini party happening could never happen, all of the summer behind a dumpster. They laughed and romances that never eventuated, all of the danced with these strangers until law significant moments in a young person’s enforcement found them and moved them life that were seemingly lost forever. They again. For all of the anarchy and danger, wanted to find these moments, and they for these people, it felt like a moment. It wanted to be with others when they were felt like something special. found. I have a lot of sympathy for these kids. I understand that they had missed In order to understand this, we have to out on something important, and they remember the social context of the North wanted their chance to have it. I American Spring of 2021. appreciate that after a year of being locked

38 Marist Messenger June 2022 in, they wanted to find a meaningful that love – in fact, we were made to share connection with another human being. in it. This is what St Augustine means But, unfortunately, those moments and when he says, “our hearts are restless until relationships at Adrian’s Kickback were not they rest in You.” We need real and deep real. At least not in the way they wanted relationships, the kinds of relationships them to be. that are self-giving and self-reflecting. Relationships that are embodied. We often hear in the Church that young Relationships that are ruled by love; and people are searching for community. this is why Adrian’s Kickback failed – even That’s only partly true. What young people with the best intentions, it was a are actually searching for is communion. community with a broken communion, Community is just a group of people who and it was doomed to fail. gather for a particular reason. Communion is a relationship that is On the day that I learned about rooted in, and reflective of Trinitarian love. Adrian’s Kickback, a young man in my Your school or your workplace is a religious community lost his father in a community. The relationship that you farming accident. The shock and surprise have with those closest to you is a of the news left him desolate and broken, communion. The three persons of the and as a community, we gathered around Trinity is a communion of self-giving and him to share in his loss and grief. That self-reflecting love, and by our own evening we said a special Mass for the relationships we are invited to share in dead, praying with and for our brother and

Marist Messenger June 2022 39 his family. I served the Mass that evening, mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm and as I looked at the altar crucifix, I recalled Christ’s final words to us: “I am Messenger Briefs with you always” (Mt 28:20). Jesus is with us in a real way, in all of our moments of NZ Marist Provincial Appointed pain and suffering but also in our joys and triumphs. It is difficult to watch someone Congratulations to Fr Timothy who is close to you endure such a Duckworth SM who has been re- profound loss, but the knowledge that we appointed by the Superior General as have a God who knows and cares is real Provincial of the Society of Mary in New consolation. This is what we mean by Zealand for another term of three years. communion – entering into and being part We wish him well for this important of one another’s lives in the way Jesus is task. with us. I think we all know the difference between our superficial and deep Happy Retirement Glen relationships, but perhaps we never realised that in our deepest friendships, there is something of the Divine. And Adrian from Adrian’s Kickback? He wasn’t at Huntington Beach that night. Instead, he was at another beach party with his closest friends. He realised that he didn’t want a community of thousands, but rather a small communion of loved ones. I think there is a lot of wisdom in that. Hemi Ropata SM is a 5th Year seminarian, After 16 years on the staff of the currently studying Theology at the Pontifical Marist Messenger, as the Layout University of St Thomas Aquinas in Rome. He Assistant, as well as contributing was raised in South Auckland, and is of Ngāti numerous articles, Glen McCullough Raukawa, Ngāi Tai and Ngāpuhi heritage. has decided to call it a day. We wish Glen well, and we thank him for his diligent service over the last 16 years.

40 Marist Messenger June 2022 The Word was By Sue Jones Made Flesh and Dwelt Amongst Us Part 2 of 4

Marist Messenger June 2022 41 In revitalising old traditions of prayer, This will be a little spirituality, a and perhaps sowing the seeds of new ones, spirituality of discipleship cultivated in it is good to remind ourselves about our Love with love, the Christian story of Catholic understanding of God. If we are at salvation lived over and over by laity who the beginning of nourishing the roots of a till the soil of Catholic life so that it bears new tradition around the practice of Lectio fruit in the world. To dream of what it Divina this ought to be done in the Catholic might look like is to perhaps think of tradition. This new tradition will probably parents of past generations who had the be largely informal, but not perhaps roots of a lay spirituality planted firmly in without its own spirituality in the world. their humble attitude towards God and prayer and habitual love of the Mass. To wonder at the possibility of the laity traditioning their own spirituality through Spiritually nourishing those roots taking up the practice of Lectio Divina is through the habit of Lectio Divina is an perhaps naïve. Certainly the Church needs individual spiritual exercise, founded in a some prayerful, contemplative middle common story of active Catholic faith. The ground in which all persons can work beauty of lay Catholic spirituality is that it is through their call to mission and holiness portable. It is unassuming, a universal in God, rather than in highly politicised sacramentality on the move. Wherever that faith environments where God tends to be prayerful person happens to be, there will a bit of a back-bencher, and his plan for be a personal, quite ordinary, love of life the world seems smothered by our plans spirituality at work. Like fragile blossom it for the world. wafts around all over the place, our lives giving life to the most humble, poorest, Today the spirituality of great saints loneliest and most spiritually impoverished like St. Benedict and St. Ignatius Loyola is people. Most of these people will be those well known but once it was new, the start on the edges of family life, our friendships, of a new charismatic tradition which our Church groups, our work environments, outgrew them. These men strike our persons not exactly unknown to us but sensibilities as being persons of prayer. If sharing a commonality of life. the laity can tradition the prayerful habit of Lectio Divina, and some have already Whilst traditions are not fixed in started, we could have the beginnings of concrete, nor formulated in meetings, our own spirituality. It will be rooted in the growing or traditioning them is somewhat same desire to share in God’s life and fixed in what Catholics believe and how revelation that the great saints had, but it that belief with its sense of God is lived out will be charismatically different. in every era.

42 Marist Messenger June 2022 The Catholic sense of God comes and flourish. In this tilling tradition we through our relationship with the created learn early on that Catholic life is always in order of the world, which is sacramental a process of becoming sacramental and and life-giving to those we know and to life giving. Later we find we are always the stranger we do not. As we love this being called to believe more deeply in a order simply because God loves it we learn personal God who reveals himself to us about how to live well within it. The utter through prayer, through our growing goodness of this order is exampled to us by understanding of the power of love and the spousal lives of our parents, from our sacramental sense of being Catholic in visible, prophetic religious life around us the world. We are not just called into a and from priestly life within the parish. habit of believing in God and serving Thus the seeds of what it means to be a others who suffer distortions of Gods’ Catholic are gently sown into the living soil created goodness. We are called to be holy, of our lives. to the habit of bettering our love through prayer. Parents of past generations habitually tilled this soil making these seeds grow

Marist Messenger June 2022 43 The Beginnings of the Catholic Church in Tonga Based on the writings of Fr Joseph Deihl SM, adapted by Fr Kevin Head SM Part 5 Church and Mission buildings of Maofaga Poverty and Persecution necessary to sustain the life of the missionaries. Alas! Our rations may suffice From their earliest days in Tonga, the to prevent us from dying of hunger, but not situation in which the Catholic to give us strength to go through the missionaries found themselves was dire. villages to search out and to instruct souls.” Apart from the persecutions they endured, they lived in abject poverty. In 1843, Fr Under an agreement between M. Du Grange wrote, “We are far from despairing, Bouzet (the Governor of Tahiti) in the but we lack one of the most indispensable name of Napoleon III and King George elements of success, that which is strictly Tupou, religious equality was established

44 Marist Messenger June 2022 in Tonga in 1855. While Catholicism was Maofaga, in the now free to develop after fourteen years of person of its third persecution, its growth would be plagued missionary, after with difficulty, because, for twenty-five 16 years of labour years, the Wesleyan missionaries had there, was to spread untruths about the Catholic faith in become the most of Tongatapu, Vava’u, Ha’apai and residence of other islands. Tonga's first Vicar The village of Maofaga was near to General -- Bishop King George’s capital, Nukualofa. Maofaga Lamaze, 1879.” was the ancient burial ground for Tonga’s In the 1850s, Fr (Joseph) Marin Breton SM high chiefs. As such, it was a sacred spot of the nearly where enemies were obliged to act as fifty Society of Mary missionaries assigned friends and where there was a right of to Oceania over a period of eight years, sanctuary. In the civil war of the late 1830s, four were sent to Tonga: Frs Joseph Maofaga was allied to the village of Pea, Monnier, (Joseph) Marin Breton, Pierre and some of the chiefs had become Guitta and Pierre Castagnier. An unnamed Catholic. When they returned to Maofaga, professor who had followed Fr Monnier’s they were harassed for being Catholic. career wrote, “you Marists, you do not When Pea was destroyed in 1852, a chief know how to keep your good subjects in called Kolosio escaped. He fled to Tahiti on France. You have a man capable of board the Moselle and returned to Tonga rendering you great honour in the in 1855, bringing M. Du Bouzet with him. sciences, and you have sent him away to He was a good leader in Maofaga and Oceania.” assisted Fr Calinon, the first missionary Fr Victor Poupinel, the Society of living in Maofaga. Mary’s Visitor-General, arrived in Tonga in Fr Deihl wrote, “We cannot trace here 1858. He brought with the full history of Maofaga through the him orders from Bishop years, but suffice it to know that Maofaga Bataillon, at that time was destined in time to become the chief in Europe, that a centre of Catholicism in Tonga. Pea, with mission should be set its fortifications, received and cradled it; up in Ha’apai. The Mua, through the prestige of its great chief, Ha’apai Group is made the Tui-tonga, gave it shelter and Fr Pierre up of many small protected it after the sack of Pea; but Castagnier SM islands surrounded by

Marist Messenger June 2022 45 reefs. On 7 July 1858 qualities, skilled in the use of the hammer, Frs Calinon, Guitta and the saw, and most clever in remedying and Poupinel the ills of the body. For these services the reached Lifuka, the natives came to him in large numbers, but most important they had no ear for his religious island. There were instructions. To all of this he joined almost three Wesleyan ceaseless prayer -- long hours before the ministers living Blessed Sacrament and the daily “Way of there and the the Cross,” which he made on his knees governor was Josias, but still were the hearts of these people Fr Joseph Monnier SM loyal to King George hardened. So very, very small was the Tupou. Josias refused success that after 10 years of patient the Catholic missionaries a place on the fortitude and perseverance, Father island, a breach of the convention of Calinon decided that the time was not yet equality of 1855. The missionaries went for Ha’apai and the station was closed. We back to Tongatapu. shall see it reopened under Bishop Lamaze.” Later that month, on 21 July, the French warship Bayonnaise, arrived in When he returned from France in 1859, Tongatapu, under the command of Bishop Bataillon obtained some land at Commander Lebris, who made it clear to Neiafu, the main village in Vava’u, where King George that the Catholic missionaries Frs Castagnier and Soret were stationed. were to have the same rights in terms of After three very tough years, they had land and houses as the Wesleyan about fifty catechumens. Their place was missionaries in Ha’apai. taken by Fr Marin Breton, a saintly man who ministered there for seventeen years. Frs Calinon and Guitta returned to He died in 1880, “attended by a catechist, Ha’apai in August 1858. as he was making the sign of the cross.” After some time, Fr Calinon remained Sources: MM May, June 1934 there alone. Fr Deihl wrote of him, “He did everything possible to gain the confidence of those among whom he laboured. He was a man with exceptional FFrr PPiieerrrree GGuuiittttaa SSMM

46 Marist Messenger June 2022 The Messages We Share By Ian Munro Lies, half-truths, disinformation, misinformation, fake news, alternative facts – these were once largely the province of dictators and other authoritarian leaders. Now it seems to have reached not only mainstream leaders but also sections of the general population through social media interactions. Two readings brought these thoughts to mind. Isaiah (6,1-2.3-8) tells us about the man with unclean lips while, in Mark (7, 14-23), Jesus discusses the things that come out of us that can defile, including greed, malice, deceit, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. Again, Jesus called the crowd to him and said, “Listen to me, everyone, and understand this. Nothing outside a person can defile them by going into them. Rather, it is what comes out of a person that defiles them.” [NIV] That which defiles us Pope Francis talks about the sort of stories that serve to lull us so that we aren’t necessarily aware of the falsehoods we’re taking on board. While we may not be defiled when hearing or seeing these falsehoods, repeating them certainly does.

Marist Messenger June 2022 47 Often on communication platforms, exponential levels (as in deepfake), we instead of constructive stories, which need wisdom to be able to welcome and serve to strengthen social ties and the create beautiful, true and good stories. We cultural fabric, we find destructive and need courage to reject false and evil provocative stories that wear down and stories. We need patience and break the fragile threads binding us discernment to rediscover stories that help together as a society. By patching together us not to lose the thread amid today’s bits of unverified information, repeating many troubles. We need stories that reveal banal and deceptively persuasive who we truly are, also in the untold arguments, sending strident and hateful heroism of everyday life. messages, we do not help to weave human history, but instead strip others of their We shouldn’t be sharing messages that dignity. 1 destroy, shouting hate and untruths at or past each other; neither the hate-filled Of late, we’ve seen the destructive and messages from the social media echo disruptive power of these sorts of chambers fuelled by anger, resentment, messages in relation to Covid-19; fear, or jealousy; nor the messages crafted misinformation and lies that seem to by international players aiming to create spread faster than the virus itself. dissension and social unrest by using our democratic values of freedom of thought The modus operandi of unscrupulous and speech against us. people, whose motives are sometimes hard to fathom, is to play into our fears Instead, we should be sharing and anxieties at a time when the messages that unite and promote life. uncertainties we’re facing make us Pope Francis tells us that we all know particularly vulnerable. The messages can stories that “have the fragrance of the be very compelling and are slickly Gospel, that have borne witness to the packaged with encouragement to “Share”. Love that transforms life”. It is these messages of love, compassion, and There are plenty of good stories forgiveness that we need to be sharing in every medium. Pope Francis reminds us that there are plenty of good stories we can tell and Ian Munro worked in secondary and tertiary share. education as a school counsellor, university liaison officer and NZQA manager. He is a In an age when falsification is member of Tawa’s Our Lady of Hope Parish. increasingly sophisticated, reaching This article was published on the parish website: ourladyofhope.org.nz. 1. Pope Francis’ Message for the 54th World Communications Day, 24 January 2020

48 Marist Messenger June 2022 The Golden Ladder of Charity By Victor Parachin Our opportunities to give are endless. and consistent in its call on people of faith Consider these almost daily occurrences . . to respond generously and unhesitatingly .a homeless person calls out as you pass, whenever a need presents itself. Consider asking for some money . . . a young person these verses: “Supply him (or her) liberally goes from house to house in your . . . Give to him as the Lord your God has neighbourhood selling items to raise blessed you.” (Deuteronomy 15:14) “Freely money for his school band . . . your church you have received, freely give.” (Matthew sends a letter asking for a yearly pledge . . . 10:8) “We have different gifts . . . if it is the mail brings pleas from several worthy contributing to the needs of others, let him social and religious service agencies (or her) give generously.” (Romans 12:8) “It highlighting their desperate need for is more blessed to give than to receive.” donations . . . someone you know has been (Acts 20:35) unemployed for several months and could really use even a little financial assistance . Such scriptures offer a wonderful . . a college student is struggling with opportunity to examine our giving style by tuition payments . . . a church agency asking questions such as these: operating a shoe-string budget, appeals to you for a contribution. • Am I a cheerful giver or a grudging one? Just as the opportunities to give are numerous, so are the ways in which we • Do I give liberally or minimally? respond. Some, upon learning of a need, open their hand, heart and chequebook. • Do I give freely or am I hesitant in Others may give grudgingly or not at all. responding? The bible commends the first group reminding us that “God loves a cheerful • Am I generous and magnanimous giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7, New or am I tightfisted and miserly? International Version). Scripture is clear • Do I truly feel blessed whenever I give or is there resentment?

Marist Messenger June 2022 49 Rabbi Moses Maimonides The first and lowest degree is to give - (1135-1204) but with reluctance or regret. This is the gift of the hand but not of the heart. The answer to such questions determines whether or not we put our The second is to give cheerfully, but not whole heart into our giving. That proportionately to the distress of the examination of spirits helps ascertain suffering (an example would be giving a whether our giving is truly sincere and few dollars to one homeless person you from the heart or merely superficial, encounter but nothing to the second one customary and expected. If you feel you you encounter). want to grow as a giver, then allow yourself to be guided by the Golden Ladder of The third is to give cheerfully, and Charity. This ladder was formulated by proportionately, but not until we are Rabbi Moses Maimonides (1135-1204). solicited. During his time, Maimonides was a highly regarded Jewish philosopher, physician, The fourth is to give cheerfully, astronomer and rabbi. Among his many proportionately, and even unsolicited; but spiritual and ethical teachings is this to put it in the poor man’s hand, thereby simply crafted Golden Ladder of Charity exciting in him the painful emotion of which outlines eight levels of giving. Read shame. them carefully, pausing after reading each level and seek to determine the depth of The fifth is to give charity in such a way your giving. Here is Maimonides ladder: that the distressed may receive the bounty and know their benefactor, without their being known to him. Such was the conduct

50 Marist Messenger June 2022 of our ancestors, who used to tie up brother either by a considerable gift, or money in the hind-corners of their cloaks, loan of money, or by teaching him a trade, so that the poor might tacit it unperceived. or by putting him in the way of business, so that he may earn an honest livelihood The sixth, which rises still higher, is to and not be forced to the dreadful know the objects of our bounty, but alternative of holding up his hand for remain unknown to them. Such was the charity. This is the highest step and the conduct of those of our ancestors who summit of charity’s Golden Ladder. used to convey their charitable gifts into people’s dwellings, taking care that their After reading and reflecting on the own persons should remain unknown. Golden Ladder of Charity, make the adjustments which are appropriate for The seventh is still more meritorious, yourself. Remember that what you are namely, to bestow charity in such a way looking for is that unique combination of that the benefactor may not know the heart and head acting together in an relieved persons, nor they the name of authentic expression of the spirit. As that their benefactor. takes place, we grow as givers becoming people who give cheerfully, quickly and The eighth and most meritorious of all without hesitation. is to anticipate charity by preventing poverty; namely, to assist the reduced