Fr Peter's newsletter notes - March 2006

1st Week of Lent - Sunday 5th March 2006

The recognition of sin is the beginning of conversion.

I am sure many of us have begun Lent with the best of intentions, but have already found ourselves weakening at the edges. This weakening should not be encouraged but it can give a useful lesson in the reality of human willpower, and the palpability of the force that makes us abandon even the simplest of penitential practices. It might be described as a third force intruding into our relationship with God. This third force has been given the name 'the devil'. It is the serpent in the Garden of Eden, a created animal but also the most intelligent, an animal that can rouse the suspicions of those most placid of people, Adam and Eve. The drama of life as revealed in the Garden of Eden does not simply involve humanity and God, but also this third force, that virtually takes over the human soul. This created but spiritual force does not doubt the existence of God, but calls into question God's truthfulness and goodness. Is God defending His privileges by not allowing Adam and Eve to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil? Their consequent embarrassment at their nakedness makes them hide from God, and that natural connection between God and man has now been lost. The forces of evil and the ubiquity of sin, as described in the succeeding chapters of Genesis, demonstrate that there is no way out of this except through the action of God. The opening chapters do give a signal of hope when the writer prophesies that the offspring of the women (an allusion to the Virgin Mary) will triumph over the offspring of the serpent.

The gradual erosion of faith and collapse in the relevance of the final judgement has cauterised the human imagination. Now it looks as if the world as it exists is all that matters. Consequently, any attempt to re-establish this 'natural' relationship look either faintly quixotic, or to be pandering, in the eyes of an atheist, to an infantile image of humanity. However, it is this claim to restore the relationship between humanity and God that lies at the heart of the Christian message. It is a message we all need to hear in all its fullness. It does, however, require a difficult process of conversion, because the force of evil creates a sort of hardened shell around our imagination which makes us fail to recognise the truth about our actions. Pius XII wrote in his encyclical 'Humani Generis' (The begetting of man) that 'the perversion of the concept of sin in general as an offence against God also goes with the perversion of the idea of satisfaction performed for us by Christ'. Consequently the all too common tendency to think of oneself as basically a good person is the road to perdition, because a 'basically good' person cannot and need not be saved as he has everything now. The tragedy of such an attitude is to admit that 'the devil has the best tunes.'

The season of Lent is the time to break through this darkened shell that surrounds our imagination and cauterises our moral sense in order to embrace the richness of Christ's gift of salvation. The two aspects go together. Our Lenten practises are there to assist us in nurturing our moral and spiritual sense. They are not ends in themselves.

2nd Week of Lent - Sunday 12th March 2006

The Christian in the workplace can identify both his vocation and cross and so give his work redemptive value

It must be a perennial question for any religious professional working in the city, or indeed for anyone engaged in daily work, how does my faith relate to my work? Perhaps the first step to mention is that this question, addressed to us as Catholics, is a general one, applying to other faiths, or no faith, either pursuing the truth about right and wrong, or acting justly both within and without the workplace. This is not a competition between faiths or none, nor a reason not to ask the question. However, the question is for us compulsory, as we are asked to give all our lives to Christ, so that His grace can transfigure not just the respectable parts, but also those parts that we might think have little relevance to faith. This transformation extends beyond the personal and into the institution or society at large. The Gospel message is addressed to us as individuals but also to the whole generation and to society at large.

At the heart of our faith is the 'human measure' which for the Christian has definitely been revealed in Jesus Christ. Consequently, at the very simplest level, our dealings with our co-workers should exhibit sufficient Christian charity both in terms of politeness, consideration and the friendship of common purpose. This 'human measure' is not an isolating measure involving a solitary individual, but includes the family and, further outwards still, individual societies and humanity at large.

The Church understands that work is both a burden, as a consequence of the fall of Adam, something on which all of us can agree, but also a vocation. It is part of God's command to subdue the earth, and therefore the Church teaches that 'labour' has priority over 'capital'. Work is made for man, not man for work. This abstract formula is made real when the Christian treats their work colleagues as human beings first rather than as tiny cogs, or cost centres, in the enterprise. The simplest way to understand this, in our own individual circumstances of life, is to ask ourselves the questions 'why'. Why should one be treated in this way, or why do I or should I treat people in this way? Why are the objectives of the organisation, institution, team spelt out in this way? The question 'why' orientates thinking about work away from mere processes and their smooth functioning to the wider vision of what sort of society one is trying to build by engaging in such work.

The answers are numerous and intersect. For some, the primary reason could be earning sufficient to bring up a family, the basic building block of all societies; for others, it could be building a better world through economic development and the establishment of law. A few take the radical option of abandoning everything and live the life of the early Christian in a monastic community. In a fallen world none of these vocations is straightforward, and not all people find it easy to discover their path in life, nor are we all called to do the same thing. Once we have discerned something of the 'why', we can identify both what needs to be redeemed in our own behaviour, and within the culture of our workplace as well as discover where the Cross lies in our particular workplace. This will all give our work a redemptive value, and so establish that for myself that work is made for me and me for work'.

3rd Week of Lent - Sunday 19th March 2006

Individuals have greater loyalty and affinity to their local parish unit than to larger, more remote entities

The experience of growing up in a small town, or even in one of the many villages that make up London, can help nurture a special sense of place. It will always be home. For me, both Swiss Cottage in London and Mere in Wiltshire will always be home. As a child I thought that I must have traversed nearly every square yard, and investigated every nook and cranny. This sense of home nestles in the imagination which is that human faculty that connects our sense experience and our mental activity. Our imagination is both stimulated by our surroundings, and directed by our minds to search for meaning and direction within the experience of our senses. Some places and towns obviously generate a deeper sense of loyalty than others, either through a shared history, or though its physical surroundings. A strong sense of our home town can cope with a diversity of religion and approaches to life that might otherwise be intolerable.

The history of the 20th century has largely been one of separating peoples by race or religion: the exchange of peoples in 1924 between Greece and Turkey; the partition of India and Pakistan, and the expulsion of Poles and Germans from Western Russia. This so-called process of political rationalisation led to an appalling human cost in terms of dislocation, economic servitude and, in far too many cases, death itself. Perhaps though the history of the 21st century might be different and see a return to a more city-based identity rather than that of the nation state. One of the consequences of the July 7th bombings was to rekindle a sense of being a Londoner whatever one's religion, or political stance. The wanton act of violence by Islamic extremists points to the fact that a confessional state based on the Koran is now an anachronism, and the idea of a state now comprising a single nationality is being quickly eroded in the face of migration, whether legitimate or illegitimate. The close connection in the modern world between religion and the state always leads to a perversion of religious precepts in favour of the instruments of power. The crisis that has engulfed the Catholic Church in Ireland has been partially caused by the misuse of power over the last 60 years. The unfortunate consequence is that all the spiritual and charitable work conducted by the Church is now tainted with the trauma of those victims of the misuse of power.

The experience of the Catholic Church will be very different in the years ahead, but there is plenty of room for hope. The cellular structure of the Church with its parishes covering the globe allows for the innate sense of place and belonging that animates our imagination. Those parishes can cope within themselves with a diversity of peoples from different nationalities, as they are united in a higher end, the worship of God. They can also speak to the town and city, especially in highlighting the plight of the poor, the consequences of local government and conditions in the work place. As the nation state becomes more of an anachronism in the 21st century, so also will the multitude of national Bishops' Conferences which have had the unwitting effect of 'neutralising' individual Bishops just when at the moment when as local voices, they could speak with greater authority. Nevertheless, we can take comfort in the fact that, just as Papal authority never diminished after the loss of the Papal States, so will it be for individual Bishops once they are free from the ties to the nation state that have been fostered by these national conferences. In any case, the individual Bishop's communion with the Bishop of Rome is more important, as this guarantees the bonds of faith and charity. The Church's structure is well placed to meet the challenges of the 21st century but is there the spiritual strength within each of us to reach out in a world more diverse that we might care to contemplate.

The divine quiet of Easter Sunday must not be lost in the human business of Lent

The French writer Albert Camus shocked his peers by describing his lack of feeling at the death of his father. Perhaps he was one of the first to admit the truth, that everyone approaches the death of a parent in their own particular way, and for him an easy access to sorrow and desolation was not immediately possible. I can feel a certain sympathy with him, because anyone who has had to organise the funeral of parents knows how much there is to do, and how the mind becomes ruthlessly efficient. The grief and, God willing, peace will come later once the immediate aftermath of organisation and contact has subsided.

The quiet that followed on from my father's funeral was both the quiet of loss, of nothing being the same again, but also, I can see, the quiet of the resurrection, the silence of that first Easter morning. Jesus told His disciples that he would go before them to Galilee after His resurrection, but before that he appeared to individuals, such as Mary Magdalene, in the stillness of the garden. This incredible act of God that begins a new creation was not witnessed by anyone, so no limited human imagination can comprehend its effects. All we can grasp in fleeting moments is its enduring presence in our lives. These fleeting moments are very precious because they speak of eternal life, of the constant living presence of our ancestors. God is as Jesus describes, 'the God of the living and not of the dead'.

The intangibility of the Resurrection and the silence of that first Easter do raise questions about the meaning of Lent. Are the spiritual practices enacted over Lent really drawing us into the silence of God's creative action, or are they a human-spiritual workout that masks the power of God. The noise and intense suffering of Calvary captures our emotions and senses. It occupies our imaginations and stirs us to attend the Good Friday service with countless others who seldom darken the doors of a Church at other times of the year. Our Lenten practises are there to join with Christ's suffering on the Cross, a suffering that will lead to the forgiveness of sins since Christ died for all humanity.

Too often the Resurrection is considered as an after-thought to Good Friday, as if it was a simply a confirmation of the efficacy of Jesus' death on the Cross. The Resurrection is a singular work of God that both accepts the death of Jesus as the once and for all sacrifice that unites man and God, but issues in a new creation of the Holy Spirit. The pattern of human life is not composed simply of one Cross and one Resurrection except at its end, but of numerous Crosses and Resurrections. The recognition of these individual cases of resurrection in one's life - whether they be success after struggle, victory over temptation, or reconciliation of enemies - all share in some way, for the believer, in the singular Resurrection of Jesus. The gap between the Cross of bereavement, illness and loneliness might not be answered for years, but the hope for the Christian is that they will be answered with God's powerful intervention. This intervention will come unnoticed and remain unrecognised unless we train our hearts and minds to grasp God in silence. A good Lent might enable one to come one step closer in being able to achieve just this.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church: Jesus Christ suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. (Part 2) (571-592)

The Catechism continues this second part on the trial of Jesus by emphasising the divided nature of Jewish leadership about the claims of Jesus, and that the personal sin of each of the protagonists involved with the arrest and mock trial of Jesus is known to God alone. Jesus forgives them on the Cross and the first speech of Peter at Pentecost absolves them from guilt by association.

The death of Jesus on the Cross is not the result of chance and behind the free actions of every individual lays the providence of God. This includes both the filial response of Jesus and the actions that flow from the blindness of the Sanhedrin, the crowds, Herod and Pilate. This divine plan is revealed by the prophets, and Jesus takes upon Himself the title 'Suffering Servant', as the one who lays down His life for the many. The purpose of the birth of Jesus Christ was to assume our waywardness, and the fact that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, through whom everything is created, means that He connects with every sinner when he finally cries on the Cross, 'My God, my God , why have you abandoned me'. The Cross is the way that God reconciles all humanity back to Himself, and is the final proof of His love for us that precedes any merit on our own part.

The description of Jesus as the 'Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world' is revealed as Jesus embraces the Father's love for all people, and the humanity of Jesus becomes the perfect instrument of this divine love. There is a freedom of action here, and Jesus positively embraces His destiny. This is particularly expressed at the Last Supper when He turns the Passover meal into a memorial of His voluntary offering to the Father. He includes His apostles in His offering, and asks them to continue offering this sacrifice, thus instituting them as the first priests of the New Covenant. The cup that was anticipated at the last Supper is accepted in the Garden of Gethsemane and, by accepting His Father's will, accepts His death as being for our redemption. Jesus atones for our sins, so that a new communion with God can be established. This once and for all sacrifice on the Cross is the source of eternal salvation and peace with God forever.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church: Jesus Christ was buried, descended into hell. On the third day he rose again'. (CCC 624-658)

The burial of Jesus confirms that Jesus tasted death and experienced the separation of the soul from the body, which is the fate of all humanity. The divine person, Jesus Christ, the Son of God held together His human body and soul even though they were separated at death. This meant that Jesus' body was preserved from corruption till rising on the third day.

The discovery of the empty tomb by the women, and by Peter and John, did not prove the fact of Christ's resurrection, but initiated a journey of faith such that the Evangelist could say of St John, 'He saw and he believed'. No one witnessed the resurrection as such because it was the work of God alone, though it did take place in history. Originally the news given by the women was greeted incredulously, and this strand of unbelief, including the meeting with 'doubting' Thomas, continues throughout the accounts of the disciples' encounters with the risen Jesus. The Catechism affirms that such attitudes preclude the suggestion that the Easter appearances were due to hallucination or wishful thinking.

The Resurrection confirms the teachings and actions of Jesus as well as the overall thrust of the Old Testament. St Paul gives the Corinthians the earliest creedal formula, about the death and resurrection of Jesus that took place 'according to the scriptures' (1 Cor 15:3-5). Jesus tells the Pharisees, 'when you have lifted up the Son of man then you will know that I am He' (John 8:28) The death and Resurrection of Jesus both liberate the believer from sin, and open the way to a new life. This work of God leads to our justification, and re-instates us into God's grace. A new relationship is begun whereby the risen Jesus can call us brothers and sisters. Now the risen Christ lives in our hearts, and every believer should have tasted the power of the age to come', and thus have the courage 'to live not for ourselves but for Him who for their sake died and was raised'. The Resurrection is the central mystery of the faith and, without this decisive act of divine re-creation, all our faith and actions will have been in vain.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church: 'He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father'. (CCC 624-658)

The Ascension of Jesus Christ into the presence of God is the entry of Jesus' resurrected humanity into divine glory, and concludes the lifting-up on the Cross. During the forty days between Easter and the Ascension, Jesus' glory was veiled and it was not until His Ascension into heaven that His glory became apparent. Jesus had said to Nicodemus that 'no one has ascended into heaven but He who descended from heaven, the Son of Man'. Jesus has returned as the definitive High Priest who has entered the new sanctuary on our behalf and has inaugurated the kingdom of God. The ascended Jesus now sits at the right hand of the Father, and continues His priestly work by continually interceding for us.

The 'last hour' has now arrived, and the renewal of the world is underway. This reign though is still under attack by the forces of evil, even though they have been defeated by Christ's Passover. The present age is therefore one of struggle and witness, and calls for the aid of the Holy Spirit. It is also the time of waiting and watching for the second coming of the Lord, even if His seems to be delayed in terms of human history.

Before the final days of the world there will be a time of trial, and this will lead to the faith of many being shaken. This final persecution will unveil the deception of the Anti-Christ as the glorification of man in place of God. Consequently, during these last days, the Church rejects those human attempts to create the perfect society in distinction to God, as always leading to further inhumanity and violence.

The kingdom will only be finally established at the last Judgement, when Jesus judges the world as its Redeemer. Those who have culpably rejected the offer of God's grace will be condemned., and contributing to this judgement will be our own attitude to our neighbour. The rejection of grace and the love of God, as well as the rejection of charity and love of one's neighbour, is to pass judgement on oneself.

The Passion according to St Mark, Part 1 of 3 (14:1-31)

The Passion accounts in each of the Gospels reveal a common understanding of God's purposes as being achieved both by good and evil individuals alike. Everyone involved with the death of Jesus are not mere actors in a historical drama and culpable for their actions, but their guilt remains a matter of God's judgement alone. St Mark's account has a very strong emphasis on the common future for the apostles. This common future will be established at their post-Resurrection meeting in Galilee, and the preaching of the Gospel is based on the memory of what then took place.

The initiative to arrest Jesus through trickery is taken by the chief priests, and their intention is not to take Jesus during the Passover, but their success through the assistance of Judas turns the death of Jesus into the new Passover. Surrounded by these plots, Jesus chooses to spend His last days with His friends at Simon's house in Bethany, but the disciples fail to appreciate the moment, as becomes obvious when they complain about the actions of the woman who anoints the head of Jesus. She has recognised the moment, and intuitively grasped the import of Jesus' impending death, a death that will be remembered afterwards for its life giving qualities as will her act of love.

Jesus desires to build this common future through celebrating the Passover with his friends, and once the disciples ask to arrange the evening meal, they will find everything already in place for them to do so. This group of the Twelve is not perfect, and Jesus predicts that one will betray Him. Despite the impending disintegration around Him, His duty to the Father's will and to His friends becomes evident when Jesus uses the meal to create a new form of presence between Him and His disciples. This communion will be a real presence established on His death on the Cross. The disciples who drink from the cup will share in His destiny, and thus the 'Last Supper' becomes an ordination rite and a declaration for the future of the Church. All this lay in the future as Jesus predicts the Twelve's dissolution and dispersal, but Jesus understands that His choice of them is more powerful than their weak wills, and so will greet them again in the sunlight of the Resurrection.