Pope Benedict XVI--Life and Thoughts

Reflections on the Liturgy.

The Holy Father during his years as a university professor and later as the Prefect of the Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith has reflected deeply on the nature of the Liturgy and the reforms that took place in the Liturgy after the Vatican Council. He has written extensively on the different aspects of the Liturgy in his book “The Spirit of the Liturgy” where he shows also his appreciation of Eastern Liturgies. Worthy of special mention is his reference to the Syro-Malabar Rite and to the apostolic origin of the Christian faith in India. He mentions how the ancient Chaldean Liturgy has been preserved in the Syro-Malabar Rite and adds that the “Chaldean liturgical family goes back to the Apostle Thomas and to Addai and Mari, the disciples of the Apostles.” He has also dealt with the same subject in the various interviews he has given which have been published later as “ God and the World” and “Salt of the Earth.”It would be very beneficial for the Syro-Malabar Catholics in the U.S. to know more deeply the views of the Holy Father on the Liturgy as we are on the threshold of practicing more vitally the Syro-Malabar liturgical tradition in the United States.

Before going further into his reflections on the liturgy, it would be good to trace the intellectual development of the Holy Father that he himself has described in his memoir known as “ Milestones.”

John Jay Hughes, one of the former students of the Holy Father reminisces about the contact he had with the Holy Father in the magazine “America”. He speaks about the great impact the Holy Father had on his students while he was a University Professor : “I experienced Joseph Ratzinger’s rhetorical gifts myself 40 years ago. His lectures at the University of Munster attracted not only students but people from the town, who came to hear him at 8.15a.m.before going to work. After every lecture, one wanted to go into a church and pray.”(America,Aug.15-22,05) He adds further that “those who know him best speak of his willingness to listen, his modesty and kindness, his shy reserve—and an impish humor.”

It is said that the German journalist, Peter Seewald, who interviewed Cardinal Ratzinger for three days on all kinds of issues facing the Church in the modern world became a convert to Catholicism. All these attest to the powerful influence the Holy Father has on those who interact with him.

In his memoir, “Milestones”, Cardinal Ratzinger describes his early life in the seminary and later his life as a university professor. His early life and his work as a priest and a professor as described in his memoir will offer us a great window to look at the shaping influences on his life as an intellectual and a great theologian.

Early Life:

The Holy Father was born on Holy Saturday on April 16,1927 in Marktl am Inn. The Holy father considers a big act of Providence that he was baptized a few hours after his birth from the Holy Water that was blessed on Holy Saturday ceremonies. He joined the minor seminary because of the suggestion of his pastor. His expenses were covered from the salary of his sister. He got himself immersed in reading great German authors while in the seminary. As the political atmosphere was changing fast in Germany with the ascent of Hitler in power, the quiet years of his school life began to be affected.

The minor seminarians were drafted into the army and the Pope had to move to Munich with some of his classmates. But as he reached the military age, he was drafted properly into the military. He did not remain long in the military as by that time Hitler was defeated and the American forces were in Germany. Joseph who left the army was imprisoned by the American forces and he had to spend several weeks in an open camp as a war prisoner. When he returned home after release, it was like reaching heaven. About his release from the camp and joy of his parents in seeing him, he writes: “ My father could hardly believe it as I suddenly stood there before him, alive and well……I have never again had so magnificent a meal as the simple one that Mother then prepared for me from the vegetables of her garden.”

After the war, Joseph along with his brother joined the seminary again to continue his studies for priesthood. He did his philosophy in Friesing’s seminary and later his theology at the University of Munich. He mentions two professors as the shaping force on his theological formation. One, the star of the faculty, Wilhelm Maier, the Professor of New Testament exegesis and the Rector, Josef Pascher. From Maier, he got his interest in exegesis and from Pascher, his interest in Liturgy.

Priesthood:

Before his ordination, one of his professors suggested to him to enter a competition where he would have to write a dissertation on a topic and if that dissertation won the prize, he would be allowed to go for doctoral studies. Even though, it was just the preparation time for his ordination, with the help of his brother and sister, he could complete his paper within the assigned time. The topic was “The People and the House of God in Augustine’s Doctrine of the Church”

He was ordained a priest by Cardinal Faulhaber on June 26,1951.He was appointed the Assistant Pastor in the parish of Precious Blood in Munich. He had to give sixteen hours of class instruction at the school at different levels along with his other pastoral duties But then he was called to teach in the seminary in Friesing in 1952. In July 1953, he received his doctorate in Theology after a series of very exhausting exams and assignments.

Now his colleagues at the seminary wanted him to write another scholarly work known as “habilitation” which would qualify him to hold a chair at a German University. This was a big scholarly enterprise and Fr. Ratzinger worked hard on it. He handed over the work and to his dismay he was informed by one of the readers that it was not acceptable. Since it was not totally rejected, he had another chance to modify it. To the surprise of the faculty, within a short period of time, he modified it and presented it again. It was finally approved. Now he had to defend the thesis in public. He could fail there too. The auditorium was full to overflowing. After his presentation, the two readers gave their observations and later it became a dispute between them with Fr.Ratzinger remaining a silent observer! In the end, the Dean came and announced that he had passed the test. From then on, he became a successful professor of theology and began to get invitations from several universities to teach in their departments.

The passing away of his parents deeply affected him as he and his brother were very close to them. About his mother’s passing away, he notes: “ I know of no more convincing proof for the faith than precisely the pure and unalloyed humanity that the faith allowed to mature in my parents and in so many other persons I have had the privilege to encounter.”(Milestones,p.131)

Vatican Council II

One of the decisive moments in his life was his being chosen as a theological expert by Cardinal Fringes of Cologne. The Cardinal came to know of him through his secretary who was a friend of Fr.Ratzinger. The stay in Rome as the peritus of the Cardinal gave him a lot of opportunities to meet some of the great theological luminaries of the time as well as to get involved in the preparation or amendments of the several documents of the Council.

After the conclusion of the Council, he was appointed by Pope Paul VI as a member of the International Papal Theological Commission. During this time, he moved to Regensburg as a Professor Theology from Tubingen.

Cardinal Ratzinger describes how he was appointed the Archbishop of Munich.

The Apostolic Nuncio visited him at Regensburg and they chatted for a while on trivial matters and after some time, the Nuncio handed him a letter and asked him to reply to it after thinking over it at home. It was his appointment as the Archbishop of Munich and Freising. He told the Nuncio about his reservations, but in the end, he wrote his acceptance on the letterhead of the hotel where the Nuncio was staying .In 1977, he was installed as the Archbishop of Munich.

He took a new symbol, a donkey on his coat of arms which connects him with Freising as well as with St.Augustine. He concludes his memoir “Milestones” which was published in 1997 with the following words: “ In the meantime I have carried my load to Rome and have now been wandering the streets of the Eternal City for a long time. I do not know when I will be released, but one thing I do know: that the exclamation applies to me too: “ I have become your donkey, and in just this way am I with you.”(p.156) How prophetic are those words! He has now been released from wandering the streets of Rome to become the Pope of the Catholic Church!

The Role of Liturgy:

Liturgy has been a shaping force on his life. Even from his early years as a young boy, he was very much drawn into the Catholic liturgy. This was accentuated by the gift of the translation of the missal of the mass in German, known as Schott. The possession of the missal helped him to participate in the mass very intensely and from that participation developed his love of the liturgy. He felt then that “ he was encountering a reality that no one had simply had thought up, a reality that no official authority or great individual had created…..the inexhaustible reality of the Catholic liturgy has accompanied me through all phases of life..”(p.20).

Reform and Renewal:

The Cardinal had great reservations in reforming the liturgy. Liturgical texts should never be created anew; it should grow out of the previous ones. It should be a living development and not the product of erudite work and juridical authority. “ When liturgy is self-made, however, then it can no longer give us what its proper gift should be: the encounter with the mystery that is not our own product but rather our origin and the source of our life.” A renewal of liturgical awareness is needed. “ I am convinced that the crisis in the Church that we are experiencing today is to a large extent due to the disintegration of the liturgy….” He adds further: “ When the community of faith , the worldwide unity of the church and her history and the mystery of living Christ are no longer visible in the liturgy, where else , then ,is the Church to be come visible in her spiritual essence? Then the community is celebrating itself, an activity that is utterly fruitless. And, because ecclesial community cannot have its origin from itself, but emerges as a unity from the Lord, through faith, such circumstances will inexorably result in a disintegration into sectarian parties of all kinds.”

In the interview he has given to Peter Seewald, he goes on explaining his views on the nature and scope of Liturgy much more deeply. According to the Cardinal, the liturgy is never a mere meeting of a group of people but a participation in “ the world wide community of the whole church and also of the communio sanctorum, the communion of all saints.” He feels very strongly that the Eastern Churches have developed a strong sense of the nature of the Liturgy. According to him, these churches see the Liturgy as a” divine gift that one should not alter: we enter into it; we do not make it.”(God and the World, p. 413).

Organic Nature of the Liturgy:

With regard to reform of the Liturgy, the Cardinal points out that the reform could not be simply a break with the past, but had to treat living growth with respect.” He emphasizes the organic nature of the liturgy. It has to be seen as a living organism and hence one should not resort to wanton changes in the structure of the Liturgy. He affirms that the Vatican Council ll had this sense of the organic growth of the Liturgy: “ You cannot simply devise in professorial commissions what will be better in pastoral practice; what will be more practically effective, and other such things; rather, you must look , with great respect for what is carrying the riches of the centuries within it, and see where it is necessary and possible to supplement or prune back in a way that is meaningful.”(God and the World,p.414). The cardinal further points out that Liturgy is to be seen as a “gift that comes to us” and is not something that we can refashion and mutilate according to our likes and dislikes. It should be seen as “the living entity that has grown up and has been given us in which we take part in the heavenly liturgy.” (p.415)

Eucharist as a Sacrifice:

Speaking of the Eucharist the Cardinal points out that the “the Last Supper alone is not sufficient for the institution of the Eucharist. For the words that Jesus spoke are an anticipation of his death, a transformation of his death into an event of love, a transformation of what is meaningless into something that is significant….the death would remain empty of meaning, and would also render the words meaningless, if the resurrection had not come about, whereby it is made clear that these words were spoken with divine authority, that his love is indeed strong enough to reach out beyond death.” He adds further that Eucharist “ is more than just a meal; it has cost a death to provide it, and the majesty of death is present in it….overcoming of the death in the resurrection is present at the same time” Eucharist enables us to “ celebrate this death as the feast of life”. The Eucharist, according to him , “ plumbs the very depths of death.”(God is near Us,p.41)

The Relevance of these Reflections

For the Syro-Malabar Rite:

The above reflections of the Holy Father on the Liturgy and the Eucharist will be of immense benefit to one who wants to probe more deeply the importance of the Liturgy in the life of a Catholic. For the faithful of the Syro-Malabar rite, these reflections will give a corrective antidote to the trivial generalizations that come from several quarters with regard to the significance of the Liturgy. For the Eastern Churches, Liturgy is the melody of Theology since it is from the celebrations of the Eucharist and sacraments that they have developed their understanding of their faith .

As the Syro-Malabar liturgical celebrations are becoming more common for the faithful of the rite in the U.S., a basic insight into the nature of the Liturgy will help us to understand why a new liturgical celebration is needed in a country where there are plenty of Catholic churches in the U.S. Each rite has its unique way of celebrating the liturgy. We cannot do away with what we had from very early times. We have to preserve and foster what has been handed to us down through the centuries.

Some may ask why we should continue to hang on to something that belongs to the past without making any changes for the modern era just as shortening the prayers or limiting the duration of the celebration. The Cardinal gives a very appropriate response to such queries in the following words: “ It is important that the individual rites have a relation to the places where Christianity originated and the apostles preached: they are anchored in the time and place of the event of divine revelation. The Christian faith can never be separated from the soil of sacred events. Rites are forms of the Apostolic Tradition and of they unfold in the great places of the Tradition.”(The Spirit of the Liturgy,p.164).Hence we have to keep our liturgy without any drastic truncation in its ancient and original integrity.

Zen and Christian Meditation

In order to understand Zen, one has to be familiar with the basic teachings of Buddhism. Buddha(563-483 B.C.) wanted to offer peace and solace to people who were caught in the grip of suffering on account of the Law of Karma. he offered a new path that would take away the burden of suffering from the minds of the people.Hence he taught the following:

1. That life is full of suffering

2. That the cause of human suffering is desire.

3. That the cessation of suffering(Nirvana)is attainable.

4. That the eightfold discipline of morality,meditation and wisdom is the path to attain Nirvana.

Nirvana is the freedom from rebirth, freedom from suffering.

Karma is the force or energy produced by thoughts, words and deeds. Karma implicates all living beings in a series of births and deaths. The present lives are the fruit of the past lives.It was called transmigration by the Brahmanas and the Jains.

The Buddha rejected the idea that any such eternal , unconditioned entity called soul

Or God exists.His self-analysis revealed that everything that makes up the natural world is constantly changing.The Buddha offered his insight as the Middle Way between the Brahamanism and the Jainism.

Two Schools of the Buddhism: Mahayana (monastic life achievable in the lay life ) and Heenayana(Theravada—the way of the elders)

Fr. Griffiths: “ Buddhism will not allow a personal God. The ultimate Reality is conceived in negative terms—it is void(sunya).The essential truth of Buddhism is the doctrine of Nirvana, the cessation of becoming.The way to Nirvana is that of the Dharma—the noble eightfold path—the way of right view, right thought, right speech, right action, right living, right endeavour, right mindfulness, and right contemplation.

The sacred Literature of the Buddhist movement is Tripitaka( Three Collections—Sutra(Discourses),Vinaya(Disciplines) and Abhidharma(the further or higher teachings))

ZEN

Zen is the Japanese term for the Sanskrit word DHYANA meaning meditation. It is meditation without an object. Zen involves bodily position and is meant to drive conviction right down into the guts.

The upper levels of consciousness are ignored in order that one may concentrate at a deeper level.In other words, one is not preoccupied with thought but with the ground of one’s being from which thought takes its origin.Zen is extremely man-centered and existential. The instructions are concerned with the spine , the eye and the abdomen. One is led to Samadhi without too much theory.

As for Zen, the masters constantly exhort the disciples to great faith. This faith is summed up in the following incantation:

I put my faith in the Buddha

I put my faith in the Dharma(law)

I put my faith in the Sangha(community)

Zen speaks about just ‘looking”, just “listening” , just “sitting.”This means that you look or listen or sit and do nothing else. Zen will tell us to listen—to the sound of the river, or the waterfall, or the rain, or whatever it may be.Just listen and do nothing else but listen. And in doing this one becomes one with the object. One identifies with it; one loses one’s small self and discovers one’s true self.

Koan:

It is one of the seemingly crazy elements in Zen. It means a paradoxical problem. The koan is not solved by reason; it defies logic.By a process of identification , one lives the thing, forgets self, and in that forgets koan also.

Examples of Koan: What was the shape of your original face before you were born? We know the sound of two hands clapping.But what is the sound of one hand clapping?

Koan contains an element of psychedelic wisdom that the discursive intellect cannot grasp.The Koan has this effect; it purifies and leads to wisdom.

Christian application of Koan:

Koan approach contains something of tremendous value. In Jesus are summed up all the contradictions, sufferings, and anxieties of man as such. The Gospels abound in Koan. The Scriptures can be read as Koan : Let the dead bury their dead: He that loves his life will lose it. Let the words of the Scripture enter into you like the body and blood of Christ.

Coming to the practical aspect of meditation, if a Christian wants to use the koan exercise, let him select from the Bible a Koan that appeals to him and keep it constantly by him, with faith that it contains enlightenment and that a breakthrough is possible.The Koan exercise may teach us to see into the essence of the Scriptures.

Breathing and Rhythm:

One of the oldest ways of controlling the mind is through breathing. It is recommended in Zen that one should begin with a deep breath.One way of beginning is counting the breathing. While counting, one concentrates on the breath. Finally one stops counting altogether and simply follows the breath or is conscious of the fact that one is breathing.

Christian application:

Some people say that with the inhalation Jesus comes in, and with the exhalation, “I” go out, and in this way the personality is filled with Christ.

Enlightenment:

This is the center of everything in Buddhism.In enlightenment is found great wisdom as well as release from the shackles of suffering. Though the whole of Zen is geared to enlightenment , one is faced with the interesting paradox that one must never desire it.

This inner experience is called Satori.

Christian application:

If the Christian practices Zen, will he arrive at the same experience as the Buddhists?

Conversion or metanoia is the central religious experience demanded by the Gospel.Its vivid expression is found in the Acts of the Apostles where we read of the baptism of the Spirit that follows the imposition of hands. Conversion or metanoia is not the same thing as Satori. The methodology of Zen , if adopted by a Christian, may well culminate in a sudden conversion. If Zen is performed in a Christian atmosphere and surrounded by Christian liturgy, it may bring people to this deep and joyful metanoia.

Buddhism centers around enlightenment and Christianity around conversion.

William Johnston:

I myself believe that if Christian Zen is to be Christian and not simply Zen, it must be somehow Christocentric and somehow built on the Scriptures. But I ask myself if through Zen, we may not find a new approach to Christ.It means approaching Christ without using words and images. In Zen one does not have the use of images and concepts. Can we approach without the use of images and concepts?

I do not think that Christian contemplation and Zen are the same thing. For one thing, Zen never speaks of love. For them , sentiments of love for God, even for a God who is my deepest being and my truest self, are a species of illusion.

The greatest and practical difference between Zen and Christian contemplation is that whereas Zen regards thoughts and feelings and aspirations of love for God as illusion, I regard these as true and valid and valuable religious experiences.

For Zen I can and will continue to learn many things. But I am convinced that it is not the same as the Christian contemplation to which I feel called.

Taisen Deshimanu Roshi:

True Zen consists of sitting quietly in the correct posture. It is not a special state, it is the normal state: silent, peaceful, without aspiration. Zen means to put the mind at rest and to concentrate the mind and body. In Zazen there is no purpose, no seeking to gain something, no special effort or imagination. It is not knowledge to be grasped by the brain. It is solely a practice. A practice which is the true gate to happiness and freedom.

Christian –Zen Meditation:

Lotus posture—breathing in and out—saying a prayer(Koan) to avoid distractions.

The first thing thing is to let go of one’s anxieties.Then , become aware of one’s breathing. Breathing becomes deep and abdominal.. for the Christians, the breath symbolizes the Holy Spirit who fills all things with love.

Lotus posture , if correctly practiced , unites mind and body like the two sides of one coin.

One way of meditation is to adopt one of the postures and to become aware of one’s hands, feet and the whole body, repeating the words of Jesus…

One can let go of anxieties as the conviction of being loved grows and deepens and becomes an unshakable source of strength.

Contribution of the Church to Education in Kerala

As the first convention of the Syro-Malabar Catholics is being held in the United States for the first time in the history of this diaspora community, it is very appropriate for us to highlight the different contributions the Syro-Malabar Catholics made to the socio-economic and educational development of Kerala.It does not require much effort to become aware of the pioneering efforts made by the Catholics of this rite in the fields of agriculture, banking, health care and education.

Among all these areas, it is in the field of education that a massive investment was made by the Church. The magnitude of this contribution can only be understood when we realize the limited resources of this community. In capital, personnel as well as in the exercise of influence on the future generations, the role of the Church in the field of education is very significant.

The success of the total literacy campaign in the State was possible because of this immense contribution of the Church in the field of education. The Church saw to it that wherever churches were established , there would also be the establishment of schools. In far –flung villages of Kuttanad as well as in the remote villages of the High Ranges schools began to be established. Blessed Chavara Kuriakose was also responsible in prompting the leaders of the Church to establish schools wherever churches were founded.

The leading role played by the Church became a catalytic force, drawing other agencies and communities in the field of education, there by accelerating the spread of education in the State of Kerala on a much vaster and faster scale than in any other part of India.

It was Prof.Galbraith who pointed out in one of his talks in India that the progress of the Western countries was due to the spread of education. In a true sense, it can also be said that the socio-economic development of Kerala was due to this significant contribution made by the church in the field of education. The Syro-Malabar dioceses and religious congregations run more than 60 colleges as well as more than three thousand schools.

The Church’s effort in the field of education is in consequence of its obedience to the command of Jesus to spread the Good News.The Catholic Church as well as the other denominations were hence,right from the beginning, interested in forming the minds of the youth in order to make them better recipients of the Good News. The Syro-Malabar church followed the same tradition and forged ahead in establishing education institutions. It is the greatest contribution that the church has made to the youth of the country , irrespective of their religious affiliations. It was the schools of the Church that gave the young of the scheduled castes an opportunity to study when they were denied admission in the public schools.

It was the education freely accessible through the wide net-work of schools and colleges run by the Church that offered the young opportunities of employment. Later, when graduate courses were started in the Colleges, more opportunities of employment were opened to the young.

Another aspect of this contribution was the vast impetus given to the education of women.The starting of separate schools for girls and colleges for women offered them a chance to play a grater role in the social and economic development of the State.

But it was not all smooth sailing for the Church in the field of education.The leaders as well as the laity of the Church had to put up very valiant fight at different times to protect their educational rights.There was the attempt of Sir C.P. Rama Swamy Aiyar, the former Dewan of Travancore to curtail the educational rights of the Church. It was Bishop James Kalacherry of Changanacherry who came to the forefront to challenge the Dewan and force him to retrace his steps. Later, the first Communist government of Kerala came with a Bill to curtail the rights again and it was powerfully opposed by the Church which led to the Vimochana Samaram and to the downfall of the government.

If it were not for the blood and toil shed by the thousands of the members of the community, the educational rights of the Church would have been curtailed long time ago and the impetus to start schools would have disappeared .This would have produced catastrophic results in the employment opportunities as well as in the character formation of the young.

There are now voices raised against the starting of more colleges and schools as the population growth has reached almost a nil point in Kerala. Also, the expenses incurred in starting educational institutions have become too great a burden for small communities to bear on account of the cost of the land and enormous expenses involved in construction.But there is no denying the fact that it is the vast output made in the field of education that has accelerated the socio-economic development of Kerala.Educational awareness has created along with this a greater interest in health care. The large network of hospitals established by the Church is in fact responsible for the over-all reduction in the infant mortality rate and the increase in the longevity of the population.

There is a downside to this spurt of educational growth in Kerala.Agencies who have come into the field of education following the leadership given by the church have resorted to unethical means in the matter of appointments and admissions to courses. As the opportunities of employment are scarce , there is a mad rush on the part of the youth for the few jobs available by resorting to any means. This need has been exploited by some agencies and has brought a bad name to many of good educational agencies working in this field. A few of the Christian agencies have too succumbed to this greed.But the vast majority of our schools and colleges remain uncorrupted by this stain of commercialism.

It has to be noted that a lot more financial input is required to upgrade the existing facilities in our schools and colleges.Modernization of the educational facilities by introducing computers is also an urgent need. When some other states closer to Kerala are exploding with technical institutions which offer new job-oriented courses, the Govt. of Kerala is putting as many obstacles as possible to obstruct the private institutions from starting new courses. The Community has to turn its effort in the direction of offering more job-oriented courses.

The community here can help the educational effort of the Church in Kerala by offering its help in starting job-oriented courses and also by creating a great endowment to support the financial requirements of needy students.

In conclusion, it can be justifiably claimed that the Syro-Malabar Church has given a very significant contribution through its massive investment in the field of education to the socio-economic development of Kerala. It has thus paved for the way for Kerala to be compared with the developed countries of the West in the matter of health care, infant mortality, and longevity of life.

De Mello-Introduction

Tony de Mello was a Jesuit priest from India who conducted a large number of retreats and prayer sessions for priests as well as for the laity.He was born in Bombay in 1931 but passed away suddenly in New York when he came to give a retreat there in 1987. In the latter part of his life, he was spending time between India and the United States.He was the director of the Pastoral and Formation Center in Lonavala, near Bombay, India.. He started his retreats first for the Jesuits basing his reflections on the

Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola. Later, he incorporated some of the prayer methods employed in the Religions of the East, especially in Hinduism and Buddhism.

Tony began to use a lot of stories to convey the mysteries of spiritual life. He collected stories from all traditions and folklores.He wanted the stories to speak to our hearts.He points out that that every one of these stories is speaking to each one of us and that we should not apply these stories to other people.

About the sources of these stories, he says: I have wandered frequently in mystical traditions that are not Christian and not religious and I have been profoundly influenced by them. It is to my Church, however, that I keep returning, for she is my spiritual home.”

De Mello put a lot of emphasis on Awareness as a means of resurgence in spiritual life. It is our lack of awareness of who we are that lands in a lot of miserable situations with regard to our spiritual life. We forget, he reminds us, that we are the children of god, carrying the Holy Spirit within us. Even though in his talks on awareness he does not explicitly advert to the mysteries of the faith, we should always bear in mind that he was talking to a Christian audience, many a time, priests and the religious.

He has also developed methods of prayer along with the relaxation of our body. As we are human beings,and not beings of the spirit, our bodies,senses play a great part in our spiritual life. Many a time our distractions in prayer occur because we are not properly composed in our body and spirit. Tony believes that a proper relaxation of our senses will help us to be attuned to the presence of God in our lives. Hence he has devised methods of relaxation based on breathing exercises.

Hinduism

THE SPIRITUALITY OF HINDUISM

Hinduism traces its origin to the beliefs of people who came to India during the second millenium before Christ. The beliefs of these Aryan tribes(Indo-European ) then became modified with the customs and beliefs of the local people. “ Hinduism is indeed a complex and rich religion. No founder’s initiative, no dogma, no reforms have imposed restrictions on its domain; on the contrary, the contributions of the centuries have been superimposed without ever wearing out the previous layers of development.”

Major Sacred Texts of Hinduism:

The Rig Veda: This is the oldest of the sacred books. It contains hymns addressed to the gods. Most of the texts were composed with a view toward sacrifices. Sacrifice was at the center of the Vedic religion.

The Upanishads:

These works began to appear around 5^th C.B.C. There are 112 Upanishads. The composers of the Upanishads were thinkers and poets. These texts explain that ATMAN(the individual soul) is identical with the BRAHMAN(the Universal soul). Their message is that God must not be sought as something far away, separate from us, but rather as the higher self in us: “ That Thou Art.”

We find in them more inspiration than teaching.

Epics: The Mahabharata and the Ramayana: These epics contain poems , stories and characters who have molded the moral beliefs of the followers of Hinduism. The Bhagavad Gita is included in the Mahabharata. The Mahabharata describes the battle between two forces to establish their supremacy over India. The members of the forces belong to the same royal dynasty. The leader of one of the sides ,Arjuna becomes disheartened when he sees ranged against him his own teachers, uncles and cousins. Hence he asks Krishna the incarnation of the Supreme for advice. It is his advice that is known as the Song of God or Bhagavad Gita. This is in fact about the spiritual warfare that is taking place between good and evil in the heart of man.

A spiritual reader of the Gita will find in it the great spiritual struggle of the human soul.The essence of the Gita is the vision of God in all things and of all things in God. Its emphasis is on the absence of desires and on self-control.Man can find peace in the Infinite, not in the finite. “ Even as all the waters flow into the ocean, but the ocean never overflows, even so the sage feels desire, but he is ever one in his infinite peace.”

When describing the state of the man who has found joy in God, the Gita says: “ When in recollection he withdraws all his senses from the attractions of the pleasures of sense, even as a tortoise withdraws all its limbs, then his is a serene wisdom.” Juan Mascaro notes that St. Teresa uses the same image when she describes the prayer of recollection. St. Teresa: “ I think I read somewhere that the soul is then like a tortoise or sea-urchin which retreats into itself. Whoever said this no doubt understood what he was talking about.”

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Self-harmony or self-control is praised again and again in the Gita.All perfection in action is a form of self-control, and this sense of perfection is the essence of the Karma Yoga of the Gita.

The artist must have self-control in the moment of creation, and the work well done requires self-control; but the Gita wants us to transform our whole life into an act of creation.Only self-control makes it possible for us to live in harmony with other people.

Many are the themes of the symphony of the Bhagavad Gita, but the central ones are three: Light, Love and Life(Jnana,Bhakti and Karma).

Karma , work or action is often contrasted in Gita with Jnana or contemplation.; external ritual is set in contrast with inner spiritual life. … All life is action , but every little finite action should be a surrender to the Infinite, even as breathing in seems to be the receiving of the gift of life, and the breathing out a surrender into the infinite Life.

The Song of God

The Bhagavad Gita

Some notable sayings:

If any man thinks he slays , and if another thinks he is slain, neither knows the ways of truth.The Eternal in man cannot kill;the Eternal in man cannot die.

Beyond the power of sword and fire,beyond the powers of waters and winds, the Spirit is everlasting, omnipresent, never-changing, never-moving, ever One.

The Spirit that is in all beings is immortal in them all:for the death of what cannot die , cease thou to sorrow.

Think thou also of thy duty and do not waver. There is no greater good for a warrior to fight in a righteous war.

Prepare for war with peace in thy soul. Be in peace in pleasure and pain, in gain and in loss, in victory or in the loss of a battle.

Set thy heart upon thy work, but never on its reward.Work not for a reward; but never cease to do thy work.

When a man surrenders all desires that come to the heart and by the grace of God finds the joy of God , then his soul has indeed peace.

He whose mind is untroubled by sorrows, and for pleasures he has no longings, beyond passion and fear and anger, he is the sage of the unwavering mind.

Who everywhere is free from all ties , who neither rejoices nor sorrows if fortune is good or ill, his is a serene wisdom.

The restless violence of the senses impetuously carries away the mind of even a wise man striving towards perfection.

For the man who forsakes all desires and abandons all pride of possession and of self reaches the goal of peace supreme.

Action is greater than inaction: perform therefore thy task in life.

Let thy actions be pure , free from the bonds of desire.

Offer to me all thy works and rest thy mind on the Supreme.Be free from vain hopes and selfish thoughts, and with inner peace fight thou thy fight.

It is greedy desire and wrath, born of passion , the great evil, the sum of destruction: this is the enemy of the soul. …Set then, therefore, thy senses in harmony, and then slay thy sinful desire, the destroyer of vision and wisdom.

3

Know Him therefore who is above reason; and let his peace give thee peace. Be a warrior and kill desire, the powerful enemy of the soul.

In any way that men love me, in the same way, they find my love: for many are the paths of men, but they all in the end come to me.

No work stains a man who is pure, who is in harmony, who is master of his life, whose soul is one with the soul of all.

This man of harmony surrenders the reward of his work and thus attains final peace: the man of disharmony , urged by desire, is attached to his reward and remains in bondage.

The mind is indeed restless…: it is indeed hard to train. But by constant practice and by freedom from passions the mind in truth can be trained.

I am the Way, and the Master who watches in silence; thy friend and thy shelter and thy abode of peace. I am the beginning and the middle and the end of all things: their seed of Eternity, their treasure supreme.

Set thy heart on me alone, and give to me thy understanding: thou shalt in truth live in me hereafter. …If thou are not able to practice concentration, consecrate all thy work to me . By merely doing actions in my service thou shalt attain perfection.

The man whose love is the same for his enemies or his friends, whose soul is the same in honor or disgrace, who is beyond heat or cold or pleasure or pain, who is free from the chains of attachments;

Who is balanced in blame and in praise, whose soul is silent, who is happy with whatever he has, whose home is not in this world, and who has love—this man is dear to me.

Freedom from fear, purity of heart, constancy in sacred learning and contemplation, generosity , self-harmony….non –violence , truth. Freedom from anger, renunciation , …sympathy for all beings…forgiveness, purity, freedom from pride—these are the treasures of the man who is born for heaven.

Syro-Malabar Mass

In order to have a greater sense of participation in our Eucharistic celebration, it would be immensely beneficial if we come to know a little bit about the history , the development and the structure of our Eucharistic prayer. Every Rite grows around its liturgy and the Liturgy of the Eucharist is the shaping force of the religious values and traditions of the people belonging to that rite. As one of the Fathers of the Church has put it, liturgy is the melody of theology.

It has to be pointed out at the outset that the faithful following the Syro-Malabar rite have lost that intimate link with the Liturgy that people belonging to other rites experience. Many historical reasons are responsible for such a disconnection.

The Christians of Kerala were following the East Syrian Liturgy from the 4^th C. But with the Synod of Diamper in 1599 A.D., there took place a great upheaval in the liturgical traditions of St.Thomas Christians. From that time onwards the faithful began to follow the traditions of the Latin rite, although the liturgical language remained Aramaic. When the liturgical reform took place with the introduction of Malayalam as the liturgical language in 1962, the faithful began to understand the meaning of their liturgical celebrations more clearly, but it caused again another disconnection. Also the revisions of the text of the Mass done in 1968 and in 1985 have made people more unfamiliar with the liturgy. It would take decades for the people to become accustomed to their liturgy and to establish a very strong and vital intimacy with it.

Once we grasp the nature and structure of the mass and begin to fall in love with that, we will develop the same attachment to our liturgy as other Eastern Rite Catholics have towards theirs.

One may ask why we should go back to the old instead of sticking with the one that we were accustomed to. The response is that it is in the nature of things that we keep to the original. We cannot use a truncated liturgical tradition. Either we use what we had before or create something new. It is not in the history of liturgical traditions that one creates a new liturgy. Moreover, the present liturgy is our patrimony , what our forefathers kept from the 4th C to the 16^th. This was the liturgy of the St. Thomas Christians of Kerala, before the community got divided into several denominations.

The Eucharistic prayer that we are using now developed in Edessa, a city of northeastern Syria, near the frontier between the Roman Empire and Persia. After the Council of Ephesus (A.D.431), Edessa became Nestorian and was later occupied by the Arabs.

It would be interesting to find out why Edessa was prominent in the historical development of different rites. We have to know first the political division of the world of that time. When Emperor Constantine moved the capital of the Roman empire from Rome to the site of the ancient city of Byzantium in 330 A.D., Constantinople (Byzantium) assumed great political prominence. The see of Constantinople began to get prominence after the See of Rome. Other centers of prominence were Antioch and Alexandria. The Liturgical celebrations in these centers achieved great prominence and they began to be considered as different rites later. Of these, Edessa was the only Christian center outside the Roman Empire and this came under the Persian Empire. Edessa, thus, became a great center of Syriac-speaking Christians.

When the Portuguese came to Kerala, they found the Eucharistic prayer of Addai and Mari being used among the Christians of Kerala.

According to Louis Bouyer, the Eucharistic Prayer of the Syro-Malabar rite is one of the most ancient Eucharistic prayers in the Christian world. “Everything leads to believe that this prayer is the most ancient Christian Eucharistic composition to which we can we have access today. It is modeled after the pattern of the Jewish prayers over the last cup of the meal.”(Eucharist, p.147). According Lucien Deiss, another scholar on the Eucharist, this prayer is “very close to Jewish blessings and has a prodigious history”

Louis Bouyer points out the Semitic character of this Eucharistic prayer by showing that this follows very closely the prayers that Our Lord used at the Last Supper. What we find is that the words used in the Eucharist come from the Jewish prayer over meals. Like other people of his country, Our Lord has also used the Jewish prayer over meals. They are either known as Beraka( short prayers of blessings) or Berakoth( which are long ones).According to him, “The Eucharist of Addai and Mari remains based on the Jewish meal Berakoth, to the point that like them it is still composed not of one but three prayers.”(p.158).

The Development of the Eucharist in the Church:

It has been almost established that the prayer used by Jesus at the time of Last Supper was the common grace-Brikath ha-Mazon-the prayer of thanksgiving at the end of the meals. The three main topics in the Jewish prayer were the following: creation, revelation (giving of the Law), and redemption. “Prayer is based on thanking God for these things or blessing him for them. In the Birkath ha Mazon, God is blessed in the first paragraph for creating the world; in the second for giving his people food ; and in the third , prayer is made for the restoration of Jerusalem.”( Prayers of the Eucharist,Jasper and Cuming,p.7)

“These prayers that Jesus uttered at the supper are the origin and model of the Church’s Eucharistic prayer, or Anaphora. It was called a eucharistia , a Greek word that means thanksgiving and designates both the prayer and thanksgiving recited in imitation of the prayer of Jesus.

“At the supper of Jesus there were two separate and distinct prayers of thanksgiving, one for the bread and one for the cup, whereas in the mass there is only one, the Eucharistic prayer or anaphora which embraces both the bread and the cup.” (The Celebration of the Eucharist,Mazza,p.21)

“The ritual of Jewish meal was traced back to the divine command given in Deuteronomy 8:10. “ You shall eat your fill and bless the Lord your God for the good land that he has given you.”

“The purpose of the prayer is not to change the meal into a sacred meal, but to acknowledge the gift of God…Whenever there is a meal, provided it consists in something more than a medium-sized olive, the Birkat ha –Mazon is said.(Mazza,15)

There is no fixed model for these prayers as it was not customary to have the prayer written down. But some have made a tentative reconstruction of those prayers. Here is a model:

“Blessed are you ,Lord our God, King of the universe, who feed the whole world in goodness, kindness, and mercy. Blessed are you, Lord, who feed the universe.

“We thank you Lord ,Our God, who have given us as an inheritance a desirable land, that we might eat of its fruits and nourish ourselves on its goodness. Blessed are you ,Lord, our God, for the land and the food.

Have mercy ,Lord our God, on Israel you people and on Jerusalem your city and on Zion the dwelling place of your glory and on your altar and sanctuary. Blessed are Lord, who build Jerusalem”(Mazza,p.16)

The First Eucharistic Liturgies:

The Didache and the Apostolic Constitutions (Hippolytus) are the earliest records which show the beginnings of the eucharistic liturgy. In these early prayers, one finds the adaptation of Jewish meal prayers by the Christians for the Eucharistic worship.

The Didache whose full title is the Teaching of the Twelve Apostles was discovered in 1875.It is now generally accepted that it was most probably written in the first C. Syria. The work is the earliest known example of a Church Order. Chs.9 and 14 deal with Eucharistic celebrations(J&C,p.20).

Didache was incorporated into Bk. VII of the Apostolic Constitutions in a re-written form. The following is the ritual of the earliest Eucharistic worship:

“Concerning the Eucharist give thanks in this way:

First over the cup:

We give thanks to Thee, Our Father, for the holy vine of David, thy servant,which thou madest known to Thy servant,Jesus.

And for the broken bread:

We give thanks to Thee Our Father, for the life and knowledge, which thou madest known to us through thy servant ,Jesus.

As this broken bread was scattered upon the hills…so let thy Church be gathered together into Thy Kingdom.

The Apostolic Constitutions(Hippolytus) appears to have been written around 215 A.D. and hence gives another account of the earliest version of the Eucharistic prayer. It reflects the Roman tradition that was practiced some fifty years earlier. This is extant in Latin, Coptic, Arabic and Ethiopian versions.

Special Features of the Eastern Rite Liturgies:

The following are some of he special features of the Eastern liturgies and the Syro-Malabar Eucharistic liturgy too exhibits the same features.

1. The presence of an Icon Screen: this screen separates the sanctuary and altar from the nave where people gather. It may be viewed either as a link or a point of separation. From the former perspective, icon screen is the meeting place between heaven and earth. As point of separation, it emphasizes the transcendence of God. In the Syro-Malabar rite , a veil is used instead of the icon screen.

2. Offertory rite:

In the Oriental liturgies, the preparation of bread and wine occurs at a side altar before the public part of the Eucharist begins.

3.Epiclesis:

Oriental liturgies have always attributed the actual real presence of Christ on the altar to the particular action of the Holy Spirit.

The Structure of The Eucharistic Prayer of the Syro-Malabar Rite:

In our Eucharistic prayer we have four long prayers which the celebrant says with an inclined head .They are known as Gahanta and there are other prayers said by the priest in a low voice which are known as Kusappa. The celebrant recites these prayers (kusappa)silently in order to express his unworthiness before the Lord and the people. The long prayers or Gahanta are the prayers used by the Jews in their prayer over meals.

Syro-Malabar Mass—Parts and Organization

(Bp.A.D. Mattom)

The mass can divided into three sections

1. Introduction---also called Enarxis ----up to “Saklathiinteyum Natha…”

2.Mass of the Catechumens---until the washing of the hands.

3.Mass of the Faithful---From the washing of the hands until the end of the mass.

The Mass of the Faithful can be divided into three parts.

A. Preparation for the Anaphora. From the washing until the prayer: Njangalude Daivamaya karthave.

B. Anaphora—From the first Gahantha to the end of the Epiclesis

C. Post-anaphora---up to the end of the mass.

.

Introduction(Enarxis)

Begins with the song of praise sung by the angels at the birth of our Lord. Was in practice before 11^thC. The Our Father at the beginning of the mass was added by Catholicos Timotheos 1(821)

After the psalms, the blessing of the incense. Incensing indicates the prayers rising to heaven. Also refers to the sacrifice of the Old Testament.

Then the Prayer, Njangalude Karthave…

Before this prayer, the veil is drawn aside.

The veil: a symbol indicating respect for the sacrifice

Reminds us of the veil of the Jewish Temple, separating the Holy of Holies.

Only the Mass of the Faithful was done in the Madbhaha. The rest on the Bema—During that time, the offerings were arranged on the altar by the deacon---hence the separation.

Mass of the Catechumens:

The Jews used to read the Scriptures (the Law and the Prophets) on the Sabbath in the synagogues. The priests/elders would then interpret them…..The Mass of the Catechumens was the occasion to teach those who were preparing to receive the baptism.

The following are the parts of this Synogogal section:

1. Parisundhanaya Daivame…

2. The Epistle

3. Sumara—the Song before the Gospel

4. The Gospel

5. Karosoosa

6. Preparation of the hosts and the wine

7. Kaiveppu prayer(Blessing)

8. Dismissal of the catechumens.

Parisudhana Deivame:…This is known as Trisagion. Thrice Holy.Used in all the Oriental rites.Became part of the mass around 5^th c. The Holy Trinity is being referred to. In the Antiochian,Armenian and Coptic rites—this refers to the Son.

In ordinary masses, in the place of Sumara(partsof psalms), Halleluiah is being sung.

In the solemn mass called the Raza, two readings from the OT and a reading from the Epistles are taken.

After the Gospel(The Gospel is always carried in a procession), Karosouza---

Bread and wine are prepared at tables known as Bez Gaza placed on either side of the

altar.

Before the dismissal of the Catechumens, there is a blessing by the celebrant. In earlier days, the doors of the church were closed after this blessing as the next part of the mass is reserved only for the faithful.

Mass of the Faithful:

Preparation for the Anaphora:

Washing of the hands

Procession of the gifts

Oniza de Raza(Song sung at the time of the procession of the gifts)

Offerings placed on the altar

Creed

Karosouza

Procession to the altar

Silent Prayer(Kusappa)

Washing of the hands indicates the purity of mind that is required of the celebrant.

Oniza De Raza is the song sung at the time of the procession of gifts to the altar…..Karthavil Njan drudmayai saranappettu)

Then the offertory.

The song after this is the continuation of the Oniza de Raze(the Bl. Virgin Mary , the Apostles, etc are remembered.

The creed is recited after this.

From the 6^th C. onwards the custom of reciting the creed came into being as there were a lot of schismatic tendencies existing in the church. In the Latin rite, it was officially introduced by Benedict V111(1012-1024).

In the Karosouza by the server, prayers are offered for all.

Now the procession to the Madbahaha—the Bishop and the priests together…

Anaphora:

1.First Gahantha

2.The offer of peace

3.Incensing

4.Doxology—Nammude Karthavisomishihayude

5Ninglaude Bodhangal…

6.Second Gahantha and Doxology

7.Sanctus---karthavum Balavanumaya Deivam Parisudhan…

8.Third Gahantha

9.Words of Consecration

10.Anamnesis---Anjanusmarenam

11.Intercessory prayer

12.Fourth Gahantha

13.Epiclesis

Each Gahantha is accompanied by prayers before and after and hence is seen to be a cycle of prayers.

In the first Gahantha, the priest praises God for the graces received from Him and acknowledges the mercy of God in enabling him to offer the sacrifice.

The offering of peace is a symbol of the unity that should exist among the faithful.

The Sursum Corda dialogue---It was in existence in the Roman rite from the 3^rd c but was introduced in the Chaldean rite from the 6^th c.

The Second Gahantha ---praises the Trinity along with the multitudes of angels.

The response is Sanctus—Parisudhan , parisudhan…existing in all the rites. The first part is from Isaiah third chapter. Another part is from St.Matthew’s Gospel21,9.

Third Gahantha—the most beautiful prayer—the whole history of salvation is summarized in this prayer.

The words of Consecration:

Anamnesis—

Intercessory prayer---

Fourth Gahantha:

The Bl.Virgin Mary is commemorated.Prayers for peace and tranquility are made.

Epiclesis_--an important aspect of the Oriental Rite.

In many Oriental rites, prayers are offered to the Holy Spirit to change the bread and wine into the body and blood of Christ.

It was the Council of Florence(1439) that proclaimed that the change into the body and blood would happen when the priest as the representative of Christ recited the words of Consecration.

Post-anaphora:

Prayers of repentance

Incensing

Breaking of the bread

Communion

Thanksgiving

Prayers of Repentance---Psalm 51.

The Structure of the Latin Mass

The Liturgy of the Word (the Synagogue service)

Preface (Father, you are holy indeed)—gratitude—(doing the function of a Gahanta)

Consecratory Epiclesis

Institutional Narrative-On the night he was betrayed---

Proclamation of faith

Memorial—anamnesis—Calling to mind the death..

Communion Invocation—epiclesis

Intercession

Doxology—Through him , with him…

The structure of the Syro-Malabar Mass

Eight Parts

Introductory Part—(up to the Uthana geetham)

Liturgy of the Word(from the Trisagion upto the readings)

Offertory(up to the grand entrance)

Anaphora-4 cycles of Gahanta—each one with 4 prayers

Reconciliation—preparation for communion

Breaking of the Host—(Death and Resurrection)

The Lord’s Prayer--Unity

Concluding prayers

Meaning of terms and symbols used in the mass:

Madbhaha: Sanctuary---the place of the altar—heaven kept hidden by a veil—dbhah= to sacrifice

Altar: The sepulcher of Christ---also the place of Resurrection

Hykala: the place of the faithful—symbol of the whole earth.

Bema: Jerusalem---the place of salvation ---the center of the world.

Procession from the Sanctuary to the Bema: a movement from heaven to the world---the mystery of the incarnation---the incarnation and manifestation of the Lord.

Approach to the Altar: Qurbana—Qreb—to come near

(Preparation for the approach

Dismissal of the unworthy

Prostrations on the Bema

Washing of the hands

Procession-entrance creed

Three times bowing)

= Entry to heaven

Liturgy of the Word: The procession of the Gospel—a preparation for the passion---solemn entry into Jerusalem

Also the advent of the Lord from heaven to Jerusalem.

The descent of the Gospel and its placing on the altar---symbolizes crucifixion.

The Gospel procession between the sanctuary and the Bema---the incarnation, the earthly ministry, the teaching of the Lord,the passion,death , resurrection and ascension.

Karosusa: Proclamation—all the readings and the homily are parts of this proclamation…

Raza:

The Eucharistic celebration is in the East Syriac tradition is known also Raza=mystery of Christ.

The whole Eucharistic celebration may be seen as a series of repeated commemorations of the paschal mystery of Christ. According to commentators, the preparation of the mysteries on the beth gezzas and their transfer to the altar ,placing on the altar and covering with veil symbolize the passion , death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Another title for the Eucharist is Quaddasa---It means sanctification, consecration or hallowing. The term Quaddasa has both the anabatic(ascending) and katabatic(descending) dimensions.In the anabatic dimension, this term is much similar to the term eucharistia—sanctification of God.

The anaphora of A&M contains the eucharistia which reflects the same basic structure of Birkat Ha Mason.

The term Quddasa in the Katabatic dimention means sanctification or consecration of the mysteries and of the assembly.

Easter,05

The whole Holy Week culminating with the celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus is the high point of for our liturgical celebrations. As St. Paul reminds us, Resurrection is the corner stone of our faith. The Resurrection of Jesus is the indisputable proof of the divinity of Jesus and of what He has been for us all through these centuries. As Fulton J. Sheen has beautifully expressed in his Life of Christ, the other founders of religion came, taught and disappeared from the pages of history but there was only one person who rose from his death and asserted that he is alive. It is in this Jesus who conquered the forces of destruction and death that we believe.

We celebrate this Resurrection in the aftermath of one of the great natural disasters that has engulfed humanity. The tsunami disaster has taken thousands of lives away within the span of a few minutes or a couple of hours. People all over the world, all nations and nationalities, were affected by the tragedy. We saw how within no time all the plans and dreams that had been held dear to the hearts of many had crumbled and been shattered. We saw the fragility of life and how nothing could help the innocent victims in the hour of tragedy. So many cried out like Mary Magdalene at the empty tomb: “Where is my Lord?” The faith of so many was shaken. But the tragedy has brought humanity together; differences in race and culture were forgotten in the mad rush to help and heal. We saw the resurrection of the generosity of the human spirit and the willingness of many to sacrifice their time, talent and resources for the well being of those who were deprived of everything.

Easter is an integral part of our life. In times of suffering and sickness, we often forget how God is sustaining us. We forget the joyful moments that He has given us. Easter is a reminder to each one of us that suffering and sickness do not have the final say on our lives. The last word belongs to Jesus, to His Resurrection and not to suffering and death.

We have to ally ourselves, our sufferings and tragic experiences, with the Cross of Christ to experience the joy of a new life with Him.This celebration of the Easter should enable us to cry out with Mary Magdalene that “ I have found Jesus.”

Before we experience the joy of the Resurrection, the tomb of our life has to become empty. Jesus comes in when our life becomes emptied of selfishness and arrogance.

Time magazine has published an article in one of its recent issues dealing with the encounter between Ms. Ashley Smith and a criminal who barged into her apartment in the early hours of the morning. The young lady, recovering from her initial shock and fear, began to speak with the criminal and slowly tried to change his mind, succeeding in the end to hand him over to the police. Speaking about the event, the columnist writes the following: “The message of the Gospels is that God works with the crooked timber of human failure…Everyday, we have smaller, calmer chances to turn another person's life around, to serve and to listen. How often do we simply not see what is in front of ours? How often do we believe that the world’s evils—from terrorism to crime to emotional cruelty—are beyond our capacity to change?”

Easter gives us an opportunity to look at the world in a new perspective—a perspective that positive and hopeful. Easter is a reminder to each one of us not to be cowed down by disasters, defeats and failures. There is a new life, a new chance, a new opportunity waiting for us. With Jesus beside us, let us move forward with faith that the outstretched hands of Jesus will lead us through darkness and despair to the bright lands of hope and joy.

The following lines from a poet reflect the spirit of joy and hope that one should have during the Easter season:

Come, my friends

Let us walk over the greening fields.

Life is awakening from its sleep

And wanders through the hills and valleys.

Come, let us ascend the heights

And gaze upon the waving greenness of the plains below

Come, let us rejoice on this Easter Day

For death has folded up his tent and gone away.