Reflections
MAGAZINE
CATHOLIC
The Transfiguration of Jesus by Armando Alemdar
Transfiguration of the Lord Thursday 6th August
CROESO I MEIRIONNYDD
AUGUST 2020
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Croeso and welcome to the latest edition of Catholic Reflections. We hope everyone is well and keeping safe in these challenging times. We pray especially for those who are shielding and are involved in the care and support of the sick in their communities. Whilst the overall picture of how the pandemic is impacting on peoples’ lives is very worrying, our prayers and thoughts go out to the frail, the vulnerable and the poor whose welfare is at a greater risk because of the lack of access to adequate medical care. Ecclesiasticus [37: I, 2] reminds us that ‘the healing powers of medicine are a gift of God’ and we give thanks to him for those gifted and talented individuals he is using to develop an effective vaccine to treat the victims of Covid 19. In this month’s issue there is an article about the Catholic community of Morocco by Cardinal Christobel Lopéz. He tells us that the Church is ‘a bridge’ between Christianity and Islam. Since the visit of Pope Francis in 2019 a more positive accord had been developing. However, sadly the Catholic Universe this month has reported there have been incidents of harassment and the arrest of Christian converts who are seen as a security threat. We pray that these fears will diminish and for an improvement in relations between the State authorities and the Church. The editorial efforts at ‘Reflections’ are much inspired by the Holy Spirit and we have been lead to the fascinating story of the French Carmelite monk who was offering refuge to Jewish children at his boarding school in the early part of World War two. We hope you enjoy this month’s magazine and our thanks to Monsignor Alex Rebello for his expertise and guidance. Finally, we remember in prayer those caring professionals and private individuals who are nursing people with Covid 19, emergency services and those involved in food processing and distribution. We also remember priests, their parishioners and religious communities across the world, for their physical and spiritual well being in these times of trial and difficulty. Thank you for your continued support and words of encouragement. Gras ein Harglwydd Iesu fyddo gyda chwi! The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
The Parish of Saint David and Saint Mair is part of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Wrexham. The Parish provides a Christian outreach to local residents and holiday visitors in Tywyn and Machynlleth. It is a focal point for Catholics to meet in fellowship and worship. It has a ministry to support the Faithful through the celebration of the Mass and the Sacraments of the Roman Catholic Church. Hoffwn roicroeso cynnes i chi o ran cymuned ein plwyf yma ar lannau gwych Bae Ceredigion. Mae plwyf Dewi Sant gyda Santes Fair, sy’n rhan o esgobaeth gatholig Wrecsam, yn estyn dwylo i ymwelwyr a’r rhai sy’n byw yn Nhywyn a Machynlleth; a ganddo weinidogaeth i gynnal y ffyddloniaid trwy weinyddu’r Offeren a sagrafennau eraill yr Eglwys Gatholig. Hefyd, mae ei ddwy eglwys yn gweithredu fel ganolfannau y mae catholigion yn cymdeithasu ac addoli ynddynt. Saint David Catholic Church, Corbett Avenue, Tywyn, Gwynedd, LL36 0AH Saint Mair Catholic Church, Maengwyn Street, Machynlleth, Powys, SY20 8EF www.stdavidandstmair.co.uk facebook.com/parishesofstdavidandstmair twitter.com/stdavidandstmair1 instagram.com/stdavidandstmair Parish of Tywyn and Machynlleth Registered as a Charity in England and Wales No 700426 Diocese of Wrexham
Mount Grace Priory Yorkshire
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The Assumption of Our Lady in to Heaven Saturday 15th August
THOUGHTS ALONG THE TIBER
Meditation for the Feast of the Assumption of Our Lady in to Heaven
A Reflection - Corpus Christi
An oblation of Love The entire life of the Blessed Virgin was an uninterrupted exercise of love. From the first dawn of reason, her heart beat lovingly for God; her childhood was wholly consecrated to His love, and with magnanimous devotion she loosed the bonds that attached her to family and home, at a tender age, to consecrate and prepare herself for greater sacrifices. Full of graces, but animated with divine love, Mary could, when the fullness of time had come, consent to become the Mother of the Saviour, the Mother of the Crucified. How often may she in ever increasing love have renewed this sacrifice, till finally, with her Divine Son, she could say: "It is consummated." After the Ascension of Christ into heaven, she consumed herself in holy longing, till the intensity of her love severed the bonds that held her soul captive in the body, and led her into the holy Sion. O death without bitterness, O holy death, O precious death of love! May our death resemble thine, O mother of beautiful love! Obtain for us the grace that we may, according to thy example, lead a life of love, that our last sacrifice, the surrender of our lives may be an immolation of love. Hail, Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, mother of God pray for us sinners, now, and at the hour of our death. Amen. Long before dawn, in the cold stillness of early morning the birds have already begun chanting their lauds as they praise the Lord with grateful song awaiting the gift of yet another sunrise and yet another day. Where was this choir all through winter? Possibly, rehearsing in secret! Mimosa blossoms splashing the tree tops yellow with lavish generosity herald in anticipation the advent of spring. They remind me of those lyrics: "Tie a yellow ribbon ........ " How prodigal indeed God is with His pigments with the entire Universe as His canvas! And where was all this colour in winter? Possibly, being processed in silence! And all this "sight and sound festival" made me wonder and ponder. Must there not be an interiorisation before the exhibition? A conception before birth? Intense work behind the scenes before the stage performance? A withdrawal before actual involvement? Ours is indeed a world propelled by frenetic activity with everybody trying to elbow his/her way in this seeming, never ending rat race. We want to be where the action is. We want to appear publicly on the stage. We disdain action that is hidden and unseen. And we end up "by making a little noise that goes with the wind"! I have come to realise that even the holiest of actions if not born of silence and solitude, of apparently useless hours of intense prayer and suffering, of long and dreary "interior winters", begins by distracting us, continues to dissipate us and finally destroys us! Cedars of Lebanon have fallen because their roots weakened. Commitment to people, and not mere causes howsoever noble these might be, will endure only if it is rooted in and nourished by the wellsprings of communion with God! Spring always follows winter! By Monsignor Alex Rebello St Tudwal Catholic Church Barmouth
Fancy Quotes
St Pius X Feast day Friday 21st August Artist unknown
‘The Kingdom of God must come first’ History repeating itself?
When he pointed out that the only way of salvation for the world to-day was through the sanctification of individuals, the Pope reiterated the theme that has been central in Catholic thought from the beginning. Even Catholics, however, are bound to be influenced to some extent by the false approach of those around them and we are all too prone to put our faith in secular institutions without asking ourselves on what these are based. The League of Nations was to have brought peace to the world. It failed. Equal hopes were placed in the United Nations and they were quickly disappointed. Men are now looking around feverishly for something to put in their places, and the choice seems to be falling on the superior armed might of the United States in association with the Western Powers. This hope will prove even more dangerously illusory than its predecessors unless it is accompanied by a real effort to seek first the Kingdom of Heaven. How far in this generation we can expect to have the exterior peace that is the only kind recognised by most people is a question that no one can answer. What can be said with certainty is that it will be assured only after the peace that is “not as the world giveth.” The false attitude which consists in thinking that harmony between nations can be achieved by multiplication of congresses and treaties is only one aspect of the widespread rejection of the doctrine of the Fall. It is seen in an equally marked form in the approach to juvenile delinquency and crime of all kinds. External conditions certainly produce the occasions of sin and something can be done to reduce national and individual delinquency by improving the environment. The trouble is that fashionable thinkers to-day attribute everything to environment and nothing to man’s fallen nature which can be reached and perfected only by grace. History has shown that changed conditions of life do not necessarily bring peace in the real sense in which the Pope speaks of it—that is in the only sense in which it can bring true happiness. They merely substitute one form of disorder for another. Taken from The Universe, April 14th, 1950 The Pope referred to in the article is Pope Pius x11
A church that wants to be a ‘bridge’ between the Christian and Islamic worlds. Deeply involved in the field of immigration, Cardinal Cristobal Lopez, Archbishop of Rabat speaks to us. He had only been a bishop for a year and a half when, on 5 October last, he was made a cardinal. “It is clear that this appointment is not due to my merits – His Eminence says – I have not even had time to gain any merit. The merit belongs to this Church, the Church of North Africa. With every appointment, the Pope sends out a message. I believe that, in this case, he is saying: ‘I wish to promote interreligious dialogue between Islam and Christianity’. He is saying: ‘Have courage, you minority Churches of North Africa, your witness is important, not only where you are but also for the whole universal Church, your contribution will be acknowledged …’ As Archbishop of Rabat, Cardinal Cristóbal López, a 67 year-old Spanish Salesian, presides over a small Catholic community of no more than 30,000 faithful out of a population of 35 million inhabitants. They are all foreigners, mainly young people from Sub Saharan Africa. The Catholic Church in Morocco has two archdioceses: Rabat and Tangiers. There are 36 parishes served by 44 diocesan and 39 religious priests. There are around 200 religious Sisters. The work of the Church is also expressed in the daily work of running 15 Catholic schools and 21 assistance centres. Mons. Lopez says: “Our Church is wholly African since the majority of those attending our churches are young university students from Sub Saharan Africa. They are ‘migrants’, having left their countries to come to Morocco; they are here legally with the specific aim of studying at the university. They are active in the choirs, in the small Christian communities, in the catechumenate groups and in all pastoral activities at parish and diocesan level. Then we also have a large group of migrants whose aim is to reach Europe. Morocco is just a stage on their journey. They come here wounded, beaten, violated and robbed … even sold. This dramatic situation has led us to revise the charitable work of the Church: we try to be a Samaritan Church that takes the trouble to approach its vulnerable and wounded brother to sure him, encourage him and help according to his needs”.
Catholic Church in Morocco. A ‘bridge’. Monday, 1 June 2020 8:00
and in all pastoral activities at parish and diocesan level. Then we also have a large group of migrants whose aim is to reach Europe. Morocco is just a stage on their journey. They come here wounded, beaten, violated and robbed … even sold. This dramatic situation has led us to revise the charitable work of the Church: we try to be a Samaritan Church that takes the trouble to approach its vulnerable and wounded brother to assure him, encourage him and help according to his needs”. Is this why you set up the project Qantara? “Certainly. This is an initiative aimed at assisting the most vulnerable – unaccompanied minors, pregnant women, the sick – among those in transit. It is through this project, whose name in Arabic means ‘bridge’, that we are trying to put into practice the four verbs proposed by Pope Francis: ‘welcome’, ‘protect’, ‘promote’ and ‘integrate’. Caritas has developed genuine expertise in terms of welcoming and protection, but it also promotes education, social life and integration among many of these migrants. It is an intense and vast task. The programme has involved more than 8,000 people in one year but, logically speaking, it is difficult to reach the roots of the problems that are to be found in their original countries and in the economic and commercial rules and regulations”. What is the role of the Al Mowafaqa Ecumenical Institute which you lead together with a Protestant person? “It is a theological institute, of training in the Christian faith, with our feet on the ground. This is why the curriculum includes such subjects as Arabic, the study of the Koran, the sources of Islam and also Islamic culture, history, laws and spirituality. Its role is to promote the experience of ecumenism and Islamic-Christian dialogue and it also aims to be a bridge between the Churches of the North, mainly those of Europe, and those of the South. The ultimate aim is to prepare lay people, religious and priests, men and women, Europeans and Africans who are well trained and committed to the service of their respective communities”. Last year, on 30 and 31 March, Pope Francis paid an Apostolic Visit to Morocco, visiting the cities of Rabat and Casablanca, 33 years after Pope St. John Paul II. Speaking in the Cathedral of Rabat he spoke of “The importance of the religious factor in building bridges between people”, respecting differences and specific identities. “Faith in God”, the Pontiff remarked, “leads us to recognise the outstanding dignity of every human being, together with their inalienable rights”. We do this in as much as “we believe that God created human beings equal in their rights, duties and dignity and that He has called them to live as brothers and sisters and to spread the values of the good, of charity and of peace”. In this framework, the Bishop of Rome reaffirmed the urgency of recognising and protecting “freedom of conscience and freedom of religion”, which “is not limited just to freedom of cult but must also allow each person to live according to their religious convictions”. Continuing his intervention, Pope Francis then underlined that the hoped-for ‘solidarity among believers’ is called to place itself at the service of the entire human family, offering original contributions to tackle global emergencies such as that of ecology and that of migrations.
original contributions to tackle global emergencies such as that of ecology and that of migrations. Pope Francis said that it is necessary to move “to concrete action, especially a change of attitude towards migrants, that affirms them as people and not just as numbers”. The migrants fleeing war and poverty, the Bishop of Rome noted, “whenever conditions permit, may decide to return to their homes in conditions of security that respect their dignity and their rights. This is a phenomenon that will never find an answer in the building of walls, in spreading fear of others, or in denying help to those who aspire to the legitimate improvement of life for themselves and their families”. Remembering that visit, His Eminence concluded: “Pope Francis has left his mark on the Church of North Africa. Commitment to dialogue and to the immigrants will trace the future journey of our Churches”. Cécile Avril With thanks to SouthWorld https://www.southworld.net/ catholic-church-in-morocco-a-bridge/ Images: Casablanca. Hassan II Mosque. Pope Francis and King Mohamed VI.
Liturgical Snippets (12) The second of the six silences at mass is at the Opening Prayer. The Celebrant says: 'Let us pray' followed by a silence after which he prays aloud the Oration. This silence is meant to help all in the Congregation at worship to make their own petition/prayer which is then taken up together in the Collect which the Celebrant prays aloud. Each of us at mass needs to ask: What is it that I want to petition/pray to God for? All our collective prayers are always Through Christ Our Lord Monsignor Alex Rebello
Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Casablanca, Morocco Image: HombreDHojalata
Corona virus Prayer God our Father. You are the giver of life. Have mercy on us. Bless the efforts of all those who are fighting this disease. Protect us from Corona Virus and keep us and all those dear to our hearts, safe and secure in the shelter of your love. Through Christ our Lord Amen Monsignor Alex Rebello
In this simple study of the prefigurements of Mary in the Old Testament we will hopefully gain insight into her place in God’s plan as the Mother of Jesus. The early Church Fathers saw every part of the Scriptures as linked to every other part. They believed that God had encoded patterns of similarities and contrasts into his Word to produce flashes of illumination. St. Augustine said that “the New Testament lies hidden in the Old and the Old is fulfilled in the New.” Like other Church Fathers he distinguished between the outer “literal” and the inner “spiritual” meaning of Holy Scripture. And like them he often preferred spirit to letter. Mary being immaculate and without sin from the time of her conception said “yes” to God at the Annunciation and in so doing, played a key role in bringing about our redemption, as the Mother of God the Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. Mary is the bridge between the Old and the New Covenants. The two covenants are basic to the divine plan of salvation and her role in salvation history becomes apparent when we see that she is the living embodiment of fundamental themes in the Old and the New Testaments. The Church Fathers pondered these biblical themes and were able to reveal some of these ‘encoded patterns of similarities’. For them Mary became, in effect, a ‘vessel of honour’ where God was present in a special fashion. For them continued reflection on Scripture was essential for a better understanding of Mary and that will perhaps give us a glimpse of how the first Christians saw her. In this way Scripture parallels became apparent to the Church Fathers symbolically as Noah’s Ark, Jacob’s ladder, Burning bush, Ark of the Covenant, Cloud of Elijah, Shut door of the Temple and Gate of Heaven.
The prefigurement of Mary in the Old Testament
PART TWO
Noah’s Ark Noah’s vessel, the “ark” actually means a sanctuary or place of refuge. At Advent we recall the time when Jesus was in the womb of Mary when she joyfully awaited his birth. If we consider Genesis 6: v8 – ‘Noah found favour with Yahweh’. This is interesting for in some way it mirrors Mary’s experience in Luke 1:31? ‘You have won God’s favour.’ vs 12 – 13 tell us ‘Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight, and the earth was filled with violence. And God saw the earth, and behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted their way upon on earth’. In verse 18 - God says to Noah, ‘I will establish my Covenant with you’ and to Mary God says in Luke 1: 31 – 34 through the angel Gabriel - ‘Mary, do not be afraid; you have won God’s favour. Listen! You are to conceive and bear a son, and you must name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord will give him the throne of his ancestor David; he will rule over the House of Jacob for ever and his reign will have no end.’ Now compare the words of Mary from the Magnificat in Luke 1: 48 – 55 ‘Because he looked upon his servant in her lowliness, hence forward all generations shall call me blessed, the Lord has done great things for me, Holy is his name, and his mercy reaches from age to age, for those who fear him. He puts forth his arm in strength and brings down the mighty from their thrones and lifts up the lowly. He fills the starving with good things and sends the rich away empty. He protects Israel his servant and remembers his mercy to Abraham and his servants forever.’ In the Magnificat she acclaims herself as the humble vessel of the maternity of Jesus. [1] Jacob’s ladder Jacob was the grandson of Abraham. He was much loved by God, but it took Jacob a while to understand what that meant. He was the favourite son of his father Isaac and after he had cheated his brother Esau, he fled from his brother’s wrath to his uncle Laban. We catch up with him in Genesis 28: v 10 – 11 ‘When he had reached a certain place, he passed the night there, since the sun had set. Taking one of the stones to be found at that place, he made a pillow and lay down there where he was. He had a dream: a ladder was there, standing on the ground with its top reaching to heaven; and there were angels of God going up and down.’ ‘On his journey to his uncle’s house, he fell asleep on a stone where he had a vision of a ladder extending from earth to heaven. The ladder represents the cross with which we can be elevated to heaven, while unbelievers descend to hell. In this place, Jacob recognized the awesome nature of God’s house as the door to heaven, so he named it “Bethel.”
The earth represents mankind; heaven is God and the two are reunited. The angel who is sent by God descending to the Virgin Mary from heaven is the first manifestation of Jacob’s dream. [Luke 1: 26 – 38] The Theotokos* is called the “Ladder of Jacob” in our Church hymns, for she is the link between heaven and earth. She is the passage to heaven and the ladder perceived by Jacob. *Mainly used in eastern Christianity, Mary the Mother of God is given the title Theotokos. This is a Greek term meaning ‘God-bearer’. [2] The burning Bush This image from the Old testament is described for us in Exodus 3: v 1 – 6 “Moses was looking after the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian; he led it to the far side of the desert and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. The angel of Yahweh appeared to him in a flame blazing from the middle of a bush. Moses looked; there was the bush blazing, but the bush was not being burnt up. Moses said, 'I must go across and see this strange sight, and why the bush is not being burnt up.' When Yahweh saw him going across to look, God called to him from the middle of the bush. 'Moses, Moses!' he said. 'Here I am,' he answered. 'Come no nearer,' he said. 'Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground. I am the God of your ancestors,' he said, 'the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.' At this Moses covered his face, for he was afraid to look at God." The Catholic theologian and writer Scott Hahn tells us “the name Mother of God was recognised at the Council of Ephesus in 432, they also ratified the tradition of calling her Theotokos. Hahn explains about the reading from Exodus 3: 1 – 6 thus: ‘The historical meaning of the passage is rather straightforward. This is the moment in Moses’s life when God calls him to be a prophet and the deliverer of his people from bondage in Egypt. The spiritual meaning of the passage, however, is sometimes related to the divine maternity of Mary. Consider the interpretation of Saint Gregory of Nyssa, an extraordinary theologian and bishop of the fourth century. He states: “What was prefigured at that time in the flame of the bush was openly manifested in the mystery of the Virgin, once an interval of time had passed. Just as on the mountain the bush burned but was not consumed, so also the Virgin gave birth to the light and was not corrupted. Nor should you consider the comparison to the bush to be embarrassing, for it prefigures the God-bearing body of the Virgin.”[3] The Lord likewise descended upon Mary. Once she gave consent to her vocation, the Spirit of the Most High came upon her, causing her to conceive in her womb a child who is “the Son of God” [Luke 1: 35] Now, if Mary’s child is a divine Child, and the divine presence is revealed in fire, then it seems beautifully fitting to see the Burning Bush as a figure of her divine maternity.’ [4] To continue the study of the Prefigurement of Mary in the Old Testament go to - https://pub.lucidpress.com/ 6883e296-239e-4a20-bc35-dee497fc6bc9/
Fr Jacques de Jesus Carmelite Friar and teacher 1900 - 1945
Lucien Bunel, or Father Jacques of Jesus as he was known by everybody, was a Carmelite friar and the director of the Petit Collège Sainte-Therese de l Entfant -Jesus in Avon, near Fontainebleau. He was arrested along with three young Jewish boys who were students at the college.
Those events took place in Nazi-occupied France. By the fall of 1940, one year after the German invasion of Poland, the Nazis dominated almost all of continental Europe, including France, which had been overwhelmingly defeated by Hitler’s forces. Everywhere in occupied Europe, Jews were subject, sooner or later, to the anti-Semitic policies of the Nazis and eventually targeted for extermination. As the Nazi vise tightened in France, two key trends emerged: many Jews sought to escape detection by hiding or fleeing, and, gradually, a small network of Christian rescuers grew and came to the aid of the persecuted Jews. In France, geography aided those Jews seeking to hide, since there were countless small villages and scattered farms, especially in the southern half of the country. For those in flight, France provided potential, but often perilous, routes to Spain and Switzerland, officially neutral neighboring countries, where the dream of safety still survived. The Christian rescuers in France worked clandestinely to provide hiding places, forged documents, escape routes, and, above all, hope to the persecuted Jews. Those Christian rescuers contributed to the fact that 75 percent of French Jews survived the war, a far higher proportion than in Belgium or the Netherlands. Still, of the 300,000 Jews in France, 75,000 perished. Malle was striving to evoke his experience during the darkest days of the Nazi occupation, especially the day on which his Jewish schoolmates and Père Jacques were arrested and taken away, never to return. Père Jacques, legally named Lucien Bunel, was devoutly Catholic and from a large working-class family. He was born in 1900, in Barentin, a Norman mill town in the Seine Valley, near Rouen. From his boyhood years, Bunel developed four enduring characteristics: a deep religious faith, a tireless work ethic, an active love of learning, and a staunch sense of social justice. In 1912, he left home to enter the seminary in Rouen, and for the next thirteen years, until his ordination to the priesthood, he devoted himself to his studies and contemplative prayer. He excelled in French literature and foreign languages. Socially, he emerged as a youth leader of exceptional merit, particularly as director of the summer programs for the needy youngsters of his home parish. During these years, the impact of distant events first directly impinged on him. His brother André was killed in World War I. His own two years of compulsory military service brusquely introduced him to the harsher realities of modern life.
A most unusual man Père Jacques and the Petit-Collège d’Avon
The Petit-Collège d’Avon in 2019
Father Jacques with a young student
particularly as director of the summer programs for the needy youngsters of his home parish. During these years, the impact of distant events first directly impinged on him. His brother André was killed in World War I. His own two years of compulsory military service brusquely introduced him to the harsher realities of modern life. Because of his outstanding performance in the seminary, Bunel was eventually selected to serve, first as a proctor and subsequently as a teacher of religion and English, at St. Joseph’s Institute, a distinguished Catholic prep school for boys in Le Havre. Very quickly, the young Father Bunel won the admiration of his colleagues and students for his total dedication and innovative teaching methods, taking an interest in each pupil’s personal progress and unpretentiously practicing the moral ideals he preached in the chapel and explored in the classroom. Still, Father Bunel longed for a stricter, more contemplative life. This quest led him, in 1931, to enter the Carmelite monastery in Lille. The Carmelites had a long, rich tradition of spirituality, but they were not a teaching order. Not long after Father Bunel entered, however, the Carmelite leadership determined that the future of their order required the establishment of a premier Catholic preparatory school for boys, some of whom would potentially join the order in the years ahead. Père Jacques, as Father Bunel was now called, was, of course, superbly suited to undertake the establishment of such a school. He was enthusiastically selected for the position of founding headmaster. He toiled tirelessly to make the school first a reality and then a model of educational excellence. The Petit-Collège d’Avon first opened its doors for the fall term of 1934 and quickly became one of the most highly regarded Catholic schools in France. Its student body included sons of several of the most prominent Catholic families in France, boys like Louis Malle and his brother. From its planning to its staffing, every dimension of the organization and operation of the school reflected the guiding spirit of Père Jacques. The idyllic early days of the school ended, however, in September 1938. For Père Jacques, the Czech crisis meant a call-up to military service, and the Munich Accords, far from guaranteeing peace, represented the betrayal by France of its faithful friend Czechoslovakia. He prophetically asked at the time: “How many French citizens no longer appreciate that death is preferable to dishonor?” With the outbreak of World War II, in September 1939, Père Jacques was called up once again for military service. With the fall of France, in June 1940, he became a German prisoner of war, after his entire artillery battery was captured near Lunéville, in eastern France. Eventually, he was released and returned to Avon, in time to prepare for the delayed reopening of the Petit-Collège, in January 1941. France was now markedly different. The country was not only defeated militarily but also demoralized and divided. The Germans occupied the northern half of the country (including Paris and Avon). A nominally autonomous, but increasingly collaborationist, French regime ruled in the southern half, often called the Free Zone, or simply Vichy. Gradually, the essential depravity of the Nazi and Vichy authorities was revealed. For conscientious Christians like Père Jacques, the government’s anti-Semitic policies were particularly repugnant. Père Jacques considered Jews theologically to be God’s chosen people and humanly to be his brothers and sisters. He was outraged when he saw his friend Lucien Weil, a distinguished botanist and fellow member of the local Resistance network, wearing the yellow star, as all Jews were required to do. After Professor Weil was deprived of his teaching post at the Lycée Carnot, in Fontainebleau, Père Jacques welcomed him to teach science at the Petit-Collège when school reopened in the fall of 1942.
The three Jewish boys - Hans, Maurice and Jacques
Fr Jacques at work in his office
Gradually, the essential depravity of the Nazi and Vichy authorities was revealed. For conscientious Christians like Père Jacques, the government’s anti-Semitic policies were particularly repugnant. Père Jacques considered Jews theologically to be God’s chosen people and humanly to be his brothers and sisters. He was outraged when he saw his friend Lucien Weil, a distinguished botanist and fellow member of the local Resistance network, wearing the yellow star, as all Jews were required to do. After Professor Weil was deprived of his teaching post at the Lycée Carnot, in Fontainebleau, Père Jacques welcomed him to teach science at the Petit-Collège when school reopened in the fall of 1942. By this time, there had emerged in France a small but crucially important spiritual resistance movement called Christian Witness (Témoignage chrétien). Through its underground publications, that movement awakened the consciences of countless Christians to the fundamental immorality of Nazism and to the urgency of helping persecuted Jews. In the spirit of this movement, Père Jacques was contacted and implored to shelter three Jewish boys who were in grave danger of deportation and death. Au revoir les enfantsre-creates the experiences of those three Jewish students at the Petit-Collège d’Avon. The film concludes with the arrest of the boys and Père Jacques. The three Jewish students were deported directly to Auschwitz, where they were executed upon arrival, along with their science teacher, Professor Weil—who had been deported on the same train—and his family. Père Jacques was eventually condemned to the Mauthausen concentration camp, in Austria. Within the camp, he quickly won the respect and admiration of his fellow prisoners, even the Communists. More than anything else, his selfless care for the sick and the dying, to whom he routinely gave half of his meager ration of food, touched his fellow French-speaking prisoners. They unanimously chose Père Jacques to represent them in their interactions with the liberating forces and the home countries of those who survived when their release finally approached, in May 1945. By then, Père Jacques weighed only seventy-five pounds and showed undeniable signs of terminal pneumonia. Still, he refused special transport back to France and pledged to remain until the last French prisoner was repatriated. Four weeks later, he died in Linz, Austria. His remains were returned to France, where he was buried in the monastery garden of the Petit-Collège, on June 26, 1945. At his burial, Rabbi Jacob Kaplan, the future Grand Rabbi of France, eulogized Père Jacques with these words: “Thus we have seen cruelty pushed to its extreme horror and benevolence carried to its highest degree of nobility and beauty.” "Au revoir les enfants" Père Jacques and the Petit-Collège d’Avon To read the full article The Criterion Collection By Francis J. Murphy ON FILM/ESSAYS — MAR 15, 2011 https://www.criterion.com/current/posts/ 1781-au-revoir-les-enfants- p-re-jacques-and-the-petit-coll-ge-d-avon
Greek [Orthodox] Ukrainian Catholics
BYZANTINE CATHOLICS
What is the Byzantine Catholic Church? • The Byzantine Catholic Church is a branch of the Catholic Church. • The Byzantine Catholic Church is in full communion with the Pope of Rome, who is recognized as the visible Head of the Catholic Church. • Byzantine Catholics are recognized as being "Catholic" by the local Roman Catholic Bishops and the Bishops of the United States of America and the whole world. However, Byzantine Catholics are NOT Roman Catholics, but Catholics who are identified as being Eastern Catholics. • As Catholics, Byzantine Catholics and Roman Catholics share the same faith and have the same seven sacraments. The difference is that Byzantine Catholics have different customs and traditions that date back to the early centuries of the church. At the Last Supper, after Jesus changed bread and wine into His own Body and Blood, He told His disciples to "Do this in Memory of me." This they did. As the disciples brought the Gospel to different parts of the world, they adapted ceremonies of the Liturgy to the customs and music of that people. In the end, four great centers of Christianity emerged with distinctive Christian customs, but the same faith. These centers were located in the great cities of Jerusalem, Antioch, Rome and Alexandria. A couple of centuries later when the capital of the Roman Empire was moved to the Eastern city of Byzantium and renamed Constantinople, an adaptation of the Antioch way of celebrating Liturgy was made. Thus, a new center of Christianity arose in Constantinople and her ritual became known as the Byzantine Rite. From Constantinople the Slavic peoples of Eastern Europe were converted by Sts. Cyril and Methodius and naturally followed the Byzantine Rite. Are Roman/Latin Catholics of the Byzantine Rite? • No, Byzantines are their own separate church. "sui iuris” is often the term used to describe this state. The Eastern Catholic Churches are autonomous, self-governing particular churches in full communion with the Pope. Together with the Latin Church, they make up the Catholic Church as a whole.
Roman Catholics may attend a Byzantine Church to fulfill their Sunday obligation. Holy Communion in a Byzantine Church. • During communion, both the Body and Blood of Christ are given to the person. • Rather than wafers, the Byzantine Catholics use little portions of bread cut from a loaf, which is usually baked by parishioners. • The consecrated bread is put in the chalice. The Holy Gifts are distributed under the forms of Bread and Wine by means of a small golden spoon. When receiving the Blessed Sacrament, one approaches the priest with hands folded right over left on the breast, and tilts his/her head back and opens his/her mouth. The priest then drops the Blessed Sacrament into the mouth of the recipient. The recipient should not touch the spoon with their mouth or tongue. • Unlike Roman/Latin Catholic Churches, Byzantine Catholics do not say, “Amen” after receiving Communion. Veneration • A genuflection is not made upon entering a Byzantine Church. Instead, a “metania” is made by bowing and making the sign of the cross as a sign of reverence. • Metania (or metany) comes from the word metanoia (Greek μετάνοια). It is performed by first making the Sign of the Cross. Then, one bends from the waist, reaches toward the floor with the right hand open and facing outward, and touches the ground. The metania is often used when venerating an icon and when approaching a hierarch or a priest for his blessing. Sign of the Cross • In the Byzantine Catholic Rite, the Sign of the Cross is made by holding the thumb and first two fingers of the right hand together, while the other fingers are tucked into the palm, them making the sign of the cross from the forehead to the breast, to the right shoulder and then the left shoulder. • The three fingers held together are an act of faith in the Holy Trinity, while the two remaining fingers signify the human and divine natures of Christ. This way of blessing oneself is very ancient and was in use in both the east and the west until the middle ages. Before he became pope, Innocent III (1198- 1216) wrote in The Sacred Mystery of the Altar, “The Sign of the Cross is made with three fingers, because it is imprinted under invocation of the Trinity… so that it descends from the upper part to the lower, and crosses over from the right hand to the left because Christ came down from the heaven to the Earth and crossed over from the Jews to the Gentiles.” Another rationale for touching the right shoulder first is that “Jesus sits on the right hand of the Father”.
the two remaining fingers signify the human and divine natures of Christ. This way of blessing oneself is very ancient and was in use in both the east and the west until the middle ages. Before he became pope, Innocent III (1198- 1216) wrote in The Sacred Mystery of the Altar, “The Sign of the Cross is made with three fingers, because it is imprinted under invocation of the Trinity… so that it descends from the upper part to the lower, and crosses over from the right hand to the left because Christ came down from the heaven to the Earth and crossed over from the Jews to the Gentiles.” Another rationale for touching the right shoulder first is that “Jesus sits on the right hand of the Father”. The Blessed Virgin Mary is referred to as "Theotokos". • The Council of Ephesus decreed in 431 that Mary is Theotokos because her son Jesus is both God and man: one Divine Person with two natures (Divine and human) intimately, hypostatically united. "Theotokos" is a Greek word meaning "God-bearer." A title commonly translated into English as "the Mother of God." • Because of Mary’s unique role and unique relationship with her Divine Son, she has a special place of honor in the Church. • The Church is awed by the mystery that her womb contained the uncontainable God, and the hymns of the church proclaim Mary to be "higher in honor than the cherubim and more glorious beyond compare than the seraphim." • Historically the Byzantine Catholic Church used to be known as the Greek Catholic Church. • The usage of the word Byzantine became popular in the U.S., because it helped distinguished the church from the other Greeks. • In Europe, the term Greek Catholic is still the norm. What are some of the differences between Byzantines and Roman Catholics? • The Liturgy (Mass) is almost completely chanted (song) and is different from the Roman Mass. • Communion is given out to standing communicants, who receive both the precious Body and Blood. (The priest uses a gold spoon to drop the bread/wine into their mouth.) • Icons are used and venerated instead of statues. • Incense is used throughout the Liturgy. • Byzantine Churches have large Icon Screens, which separate the Altar area (sanctuary or Holy Place) from the rest of the church,
• It is proper to stand during the Byzantine Liturgy as opposed to kneeling in the Roman Mass. • The Liturgy of is from St. John Chrysostom, which dates back to the 300's. There is little difference between Melkite Byzantine, Ruthenian Byzantine, and Ukrainian Byzantine Catholics. • Theologically, all the particular Churches can be viewed as "sister Churches". According to the Second Vatican Council these Eastern Churches, along with the larger Latin Church share "equal dignity, so that none of them is superior to the others as regards rite, and they enjoy the same rights and are under the same obligations, also in respect of preaching the Gospel to the whole world (cf. Mark 16:15) under the guidance of the Roman Pontiff.” • The main difference is their ethnicities. These sub-branches of the Byzantine Catholic Church are known as Jurisdictions. In the USA, the Ukrainian church is the largest Byzantine Jurisdiction, and has become a melting pot of different nationalities.s the largest Byzantine Jurisdiction, and has become a melting pot of different nationalities. I'm currently a Roman Catholic, how do I become a Byzantine Catholic? • To attend a Byzantine Catholic Church on a regular basis, you don't have to do anything special if you are already a Catholic. Simply go. • Some people find that they are spiritually fulfilled at a Byzantine Church, and in order to bring closure to their spiritual journey, they would like to be officially recognized as a Byzantine Catholic. This process is known as changing rites. • Basically, the process is simple: After discussing this with your priest, you write a letter to your Roman Catholic Bishop and the Byzantine Catholic Bishop. In the letter, you state spiritual reasons why you want to change rites. The Evangelization Station Hudson, Florida, USA E-mail: evangelization@earthlink.net www.evangelizationstation.com Pamphlet 656
The Bible prepares us for the Eucharist
The Holy Scripture is the Word of God given to mankind in various times and through various people, but always with the same purpose: God loves us. God communicates to us in many ways. He speaks directly to some people, such as the prophets, who then speak in His name. He speaks through individuals whose lives and whose destinies also speak the Words of God and give us a message. In times past, God spoke through many images and manners of instruction. St Paul sums this up simply, "God, who at sundry times and in various manners, spoke in times past to our forefathers by the prophets .... [Hebrews 1:1]. What is said about the Eucharist in the Bible is similarly expressed in images and words addressed to people in the form of prophetic revelations. So too, it is with what Jesus said and did concerning His own Eucharistic love. In the Eucharist we have the greatest divine gift, that of God being together with His people. "I will live in your midst; I will be your God and you shall be my people .... [Lev 26:11-12]. In preparation for Holy Mass, some people chose particular Scripture passages which express for them the essence of the Sacrament, the thoughts and feelings the moment of Communion engenders in them. "The cup of salvation I will raise; I will call on the Lord's name" [Psalm 115:13]. "A thanksgiving sacrifice I make to you, O Lord" [Psalm 115:17] 'Jesus stood up in the temple and cried aloud "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink"' [John 7:37] This article first appeared in "Celebrate the Mass with heart" [1994] by Slavko Barbaric OFM. The work was published by Faith Publishing of Milford Ohio, USA Fr. Slavko Barbarić was the spiritual director of the six visionaries. He was born in 1946, ordained to the priesthood in 1971, and sent to the parish of Medjugorje in 1983. He died whilst leading a group of pilgrims at Medjugorje on 24th November 2000.
Prayer for Wales
Gweddi dros Gymru
Hollalluog Dduw a ddanfonodd, o'th anfeidrol ddaioni, dy uniganedig Fab i ailagor porth y nef, ac i ddysgu inni dy adnabod, dy garu a'th wasanaethu, trugarha wrth dy bobl sy'n byw yng Nghymru. Meithrin ynom y werthfawr ddawn ffydd, ac una ni yn yr un wir eglwys a sylfaenwyd gan dy ddwyfol Fab. Dyro inni'r gras i fod gyda'n gilydd yn dystion cywir i'th wirionedd, ac i fyw'n ffyddlon i'th gariad. Sancteiddia ni trwy sagrafennau di Fab, a dwg ni i'th addoli mewn ysbryd a gwirionedd, fel y cawn dderbyn dedwyddwch tragwyddol gyda thi yn y byd a ddaw. Trwy'r un Jesu Grist ein Harglwydd. Mair, gymorth Cristnogion, gweddia dros Gymru. Dewi Sant, gweddia dross Gymru. Y Santes Wenfrewi, gweddia dros Gymru. Holl Seintiau a Merthyron Cymru, gweddia dros Gymru. O Almighty God, in Your infinite goodness, You sent Your only-begotten Son into this world to open once more the gates of Heaven, and to teach us to know, love, and serve You. Have mercy on Your people who dwell in Wales. Nourish in us the precious gift of faith, and unite us in the one true church, founded by Your divine Son. Give us the grace to be loyal witnesses together to Your truth, and to live faithful to Your love. Sanctify us by Your Son's sacraments, and bring us to worship You in spirit and in truth, so that we may come to have eternal happiness with You in the world to come. Through Our Lord Jesus Christ Your Son who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit one God forever and ever Amen. Mary, Help of Christians, pray for Wales St. David, pray for Wales St. Winefride, pray for Wales All the Saints and Martyrs of Wales, pray for Wales With thanks to the Catholic Charismatic Renewal in Wales
Gweddi dros Gymru Prayer for Wales
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