Christmas greetings

Here are my Christmas greetings to all who happen to visit this blog during the season of our Lord's birth. God bless you all :-)

Suggestions for a more meaningful Christmas

Over at LifeTeen.com, Mark Hart (aka Bible Geek) offers us some useful suggestions for how to make the graces received during the Christmas season have a lasting effect on our daily lives once the season of Christmas is over.

LIFE TEEN Presents "Spread the Word"

'Tis the Season!?! “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven…” - Ecclesiastes 3:1 Situation Explained Ready for Christmas? Ready for Christmas to be over? How do you keep Christmas going? Solution Offered It’s a familiar sight: boxes torn open, bellies full of food, trash cans overflowing and wrapping paper flung aimlessly about while children unleash a sugar fit and parents enter into a sleep-deprived food coma. Christmas is not a day, it’s a season It’s Christmas night. Families have squeezed into overstuffed pews, encountered the Lord of the universe in the Sacrament(s) and returned home with “Silent Night” engrained in their heads. Santa has come. Relatives have joined together and departed (or fallen asleep) and all that work of shopping and wrapping, cooking and cleaning came to fruition. Christmas is over – says the world. Christmas is just beginning, however, says the Catholic Church. Christmas is not a day, it’s a season. We don’t just celebrate Christ’s coming over a 24-hour period, but for days – weeks, even. So, how do we avoid falling into that trap of cleaning up and counting down the 364 days until the next organized melee of celebration? Here’s a few suggestions: First, be present to the holy days (holidays). Pay attention to the people around you. Ask them questions. Find out how they are and what they need prayers for this year. Listen to stories, even if you’ve heard them a thousand times before. Be thankful for the mere opportunity you have with your family and loved ones, you never know how many more Christmases you (or they) will have, just as Christ reminds us in scripture: “no one knows the hour.” (Matt. 24:36) Next, make the Christmas Mass primary for yourself (and hopefully for your family). Encourage your family to start getting ready even earlier and leave plenty of time to get the Church ahead. Stress, tardiness, parking and overcrowding lead to frustration during what should be a joyous liturgy. Enter into the Mass, fully, and offer a joyful example for all to see. Third, don’t even dish up the food or sit down to eat until everyone has taken a few minutes in meaningful prayer before the meal(s). Now, this looks different from household to household. If your family doesn’t pray, be bold and initiate it. If your family always prays, go deeper – make it even more meaningful. Doesn’t God deserve better than a “quick prayer” before we start shoveling food? After all, He’s the reason we’re having a party. Keep up this practice each night before dinner. Next, practice being patient each and every day, one situation at a time. Possibly carry your rosary in your pocket, wear your cross more prominently or do something else visual and visible that will act as a reminder to you to be like Christ to people who annoy you. You, my brothers and sisters, make Christ’s name more holy or less holy to the world, through your actions. Fifth, with every tear of the wrapping paper and while cleaning up every box and gift bag, remind yourself of those who are without this year. Many will not open any presents, or eat any food. Many are alone this holiday season. Be thankful for each and every gift you receive (even the tube socks, calendar, ugly sweater or bad tie). Sixth, at the end of Christmas day, go to bed extra early, and spend some time in prayer thanking God for not only the physical gifts you received, but for the gifts we often don’t thank Him for, like your sight, your hearing, your mobility, your health, your clothing, food, etc. Keep up that early-to-bed practice for at least a week – it only takes a couple weeks for something to become a habit. Lastly, begin a list on Christmas, and spend the following week until the holy day on January 1st (The Solemnity of Mary) adding to it. On the list, write down concrete, practical ways that you are going to use your gifts to proclaim Christ’s love and His mercy this next year. Make these your primary “New Year’s” fesolutions. These are just a few ideas, but they can easily become simple things that bear great fruit in your life. You probably have much better ideas, so write some down and commit to them. The gifts in boxes and bags won’t last a lifetime. The gift of eternal life is the only one that does… Salvation Given “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven…” - Ecclesiastes 3:1 There is no time like the present and there is no present like this Christmas season.

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Yr. 7 fund-rasing for Haiti

At the request of us Brothers, Miss Staunton (Head of Year 7 at our Liverpool school, St. Francis Xavier's College) has agreed that fund-raising carried out by Year 7 pupils (11-12 years old) this year will go towards helping the relief efforts in Haiti in the aftermath of the Caribbean country suffering the devastating effects of 3 hurricanes and a tropical storm in quick succession during the summer. The worst effects were due to severe flooding and mud slides down hillsides. These areas have had most of their trees cut down to make paper by big international companies. Without the trees, any heavy rainfall quickly becomes a mudslide. Officially, 793 people died (466 in the city of Gonaives alone) as a result of the storms and the bodies of over 300 others are still missing.


The De La Mennais Brothers have many schools and about 45 Brothers in Haiti (with the majority native Haitians). I did some of my studies with a Haitian Brother in France who is now the Head Teacher of a primary school back in Haiti. His parents lived in Gonaives. Their house was destroyed, but fortunately they were away visiting relatives in the USA at the time. The Brothers’ secondary school in the capital Port-au-Prince has been used as a base for the work of relief agencies in helping to distribute supplies, medicines, etc… The English Brothers have already sent a donation to Haiti and we have told the Brothers there that our youngest pupils will be collecting for them throughout the year. They were truly delighted to hear this. Their efforts can make will really make a difference in helping to rebuild peoples’ lives.

This is an example of traditional Haitian art and shows just how much of a paradise Haiti could be.


These photos taken by some of our Brothers in Haiti will give you some idea of the devastation.

A Brother wading through the mud.

One of our schools.

Families having to sleep in a classroom.

Mass celebrated for the refugees in the school.

A New De La Mennais Brothers Website and Magazine

The religious order that I belong to, the De La Mennais Brothers (with Brothers in 24 countries worldwide), has a new central website:

http://www.lamennais.org.

For the moment most of the website is just in French, but it will soon be available in both English and Spanish versions. For the more inquisitive, there are some documents available for download in English, especially the new, colourful version of the Brothers’ worldwide bulletin, “La Mennais Magazine” (download it as a .pdf file here). It has a variety of articles and photos showing what is going on in De La Mennais Brothers’ schools, communities and youth movements around the world. You may even spot one or two familiar faces inside!





Anyone (parents, staff, pupils) who is interested in taking out a yearly subscription for the magazine (£10 for four issues, plus the first one FREE) can contact me (Bro. James) in the Chaplaincy - perhaps with a short letter from a parent/guardian in the case of a pupil - or leave me a message in my staffroom tray and I will give you a subscription form (or send me a message at bro_james@blueyonder.co.uk). When this is returned with payment, you will then get the first copy free.

See http://www.brojames.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk for further information about the Brothers (in English) and lots more besides.

Spiritual evolution - part 2

Here is a follow-up discussion post in the same blog thread as the text quoted in my previous blog article here. It is in response to remarks by another contributor to the blog discussion. His comments are in quote marks:

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What you say is indeed totally coherent and I very much agree (as someone in education) with your analysis of both modern day teaching and society in general in terms of a desire to efface the past/traditions and that this has led to people becoming more and more rootless. I think people today have a thirst to know where they have come from, as well as where they are going (just think about the fascination today with genealogy, retracing one's family roots). This responds to some kind of inner need in us.

Statue of St. James the Major, Santiago De Compostella Basilica.

Fortunately, in our school (a Catholic state boys' comprehensive/for US readers, a govt.-funded Catholic High School) we still teach both Latin + Greek up to A-Level (end of High School) - a throwback to pre-1980s Grammar School days. I myself was fortunate enough during my training to be able to study Hebrew for 3 years (and some Greek). To be able to find your way round the Hebrew Old Testament is a marvelous, eye-opening experience which has taught me so much about our origins as Christians.

An "enormous spiritual hunger in our society"...

...yes, most definitely. Just look at the success of the BBC series from 2005, "The Monastery", which has now been shown in at least 10 countries worldwide, is still being shown and has spawned similar shows in many of those countries. Abbot Jamison of Worth has attempted to go further in terms of helping people thirsting for God through his books "Finding Sanctuary" and "Finding Happiness".

The "blandness of modern Catholic observance"...

... in many places, yes. But from my own experience, not everywhere. Some parishes/congregations are far luckier than others in this respect. And there are I think more and more parishes (certainly round here) returning to the popular devotions of the past (that should be of the present!): Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament (for 24 hours in some cases), Rosary, Novenas... May not seem like much, but I think they are signs of a parish that is alive and kicking, especially if they have regular Exposition.

"If we were willing to make our own lives visible statements of God's promise..."

So, so important. The graces we receive through our Baptism, the Eucharist, our personal and community relationships with God are not meant to be kept for ourselves. We are called to "spread the wealth". If we don't, we are not fulfilling our calling as Christians.

"... and our Church was willing to evangelise secular society instead of "dialoguing" with it, I think that very many people could be brought to the Faith."

Yes, definitely, but we are the Church as much as the hierarchy is, and so much can be done simply through the quality of our relationships with others, and more actively through the power of our witness to Christ.

I believe passionately that each person (whether they acknowledge this or not) is called to a particular vocation in life, to a way of life that will bring each person the greatest possible happiness and fulfilment, but at the same time allow them to best use their God-given talents for the good of others. This calling is to be responded to every day anew. I am also responsible for co-ordinating vocations work in England for my order and I am more and more convinced of the importance of helping EVERY Christian understand that they are called by God.

Spiritual evolution

Here is an edited version of a blog post that I wrote on the right-leaning Daily Telegraph religion blog, in a thread looking at the willingness of Pope Benedict XVI to encourage making the latin Mass more easily available to ordinary Catholics:

(original article)

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I have always tried to look at the decline in religious practice from a positive perspective... i.e. yes, things have gone wrong post-Vatican II, but maybe, just maybe, this is part of a process, a much bigger picture that only God knows, and that we (the Church) have needed to go through this difficult time to come out stronger the other side. My main reason for this is that I feel humanity's religious nature is one in evolution (or purification), an evolution/purification that is gradually (through many highs and lows) bringing us all closer to God, closer to the day when we will all be one with Him again. I have always felt that the Book of Job is a crucial one in terms of highlighting this process of purification of belief.

St. John Lateran Basilica, Rome

Now, changes in preaching and teaching style (less "fire+brimstone", more "peace+love") post-V2 have had much to do with more recent changes/decline in religious practice. But let's think about this a moment. Many people may have only been going to Mass out of fear of God's punishment if they didn't. This is a caricature, I know. But, speak to someone like my father and you begin to realise that this hold over people (eg. in Ireland) that the Church had through fear was a very powerful one.

I would contend that the faith of such people must have been pretty shallow if the removal of the fear factor led to them drifting from the Church.

Now, don't get me wrong. I think fear/awe is a necessary part of faith, but a mature faith balanced by the knowledge of the depth of his love for us, not a childish faith such as that between a young child and an adult where the child simply obeys because they don't want to get a slap. God would want us to obey him out of love, not fear. Why were criminals, outcasts, etc... so attracted to Jesus? Because they felt comfortable with him, they didn't fear punishment and rebuke from him over their sins. They heard his message (which in some ways was much more uncompromising than that of the Jewish hierarchy in place), and yet they saw that he said it out of love for them. And this drew them in.

So, in conclusion, yes, changes since Vatican II (in terms of liturgy, teaching, etc...) and a misinterpretation of its recommendations have had a detrimental effect on the Church. But, I would contend that those who do still go to Church are much more convinced of what they believe, are far more committed, etc... Our job now is to reach out to those who have drifted away (in our families, workplace, friends...) and by the example of our faith help to draw them into a deeper relationship with God built on surer foundations.

The reforms of Pope Benedict will help us to do this if it makes the liturgy a more meaningful experience for all (both in the vernacular form (Novus Ordo) + the Latin form (Extraordinary Form)).

I am an optimist by nature and have great trust in God's Divine Providence (his ways are not our ways) as did the Founder of my congregation, Fr. Jean-Marie De La Mennais.

"Act as if everything depends on you and at the same time as if everything depends on God."

Faith + resurrection

This is an e-mail message I received recently from an American Brother in my congregation which I reproduce here with his permission. I think it is a moving, hope-filled reflection on death and resurrection: not particularly Christmas-y, but I felt it would be good to share it:


Dear relatives, confreres, friends:

About a week ago I got news that Jordan, a grandson of my (departed) sister Denise, had died in uniform in Iraq, aged only twenty! The grief of his family, my nephew and his wife and daughter can only be imagined. I wish I could give them some real consolation.

This morning about 3 o’clock, my confreres Brother Roland Vigeant, only a year and two months older than I, died from cancer. Only a year and a half ago he was his usual vigorous self. Until about two years ago, like every preceding year, he had gone skiing at Mont-Tremblant in the province of Quebec, Canada. He would also go skating almost every week at a local rink. He also liked to amble around on a bike, and was a dedicated aficionado of opera music and other classical music. He was appreciated and loved by his colleagues especially in the Education Department, and by countless students who had been taught or helped over his many decades in Ohio.

And suddenly, he is gone! On his death-bed he had no doubt that he was going to be with the Lord. Indeed he was impatient to be with the Lord. How do I understand this “going to be with the Lord”?

I have no doubts at all that we are all called to live in that beyond-imagining peace that only God can give.

Many people say that we “go to” Heaven. That is not any location in our three-dimensional world, but where Jesus “went” at his Resurrection, to the fullness of life where “God wipes away all tears” as the Book of Revelation says. Not a mere resuscitation (like Lazarus in John’s gospel), not a re-incarnation. But what about our own final resurrection to this deathless and endlessly fascinating Life?

Saint Paul taught clearly (check it up in Romans 8:18 to 23) that both the created world and we await (and groan because so much goes wrong) for the time when not only we shall be resurrected to new life but the whole created world also.

This was the faith of all the first Christians, and for centuries afterwards. That renewed world will no longer be subject to “decay” (to the law of Entropy, as scientists would call it), or to suffering or death. I know this is beyond imagining, but not beyond God’s power and God’s incredible imagination. And so the first Christians prayed, not that we might “go to” Heaven (as if this world was to be abandoned on the eternal junk heap) but rather that God’s kingdom may come, come here in the created world, by remaking it totally new: the same world which we are called to improve, now made a fitting home for us in our resurrected selves.

Since this is the true Christian faith, I am positively excited about all this. And God is very willing and ready to forgive us all, not just Christians. And what of those who do not believe in the good news that Christ came to teach us? Let them ask God for the gift of faith and they will not be disappointed.

Please forgive this overlong letter. This is what I fully believe and trust and expect. I expect to find you all there on the Last Day.

Sincerely,

Brother Ernest.