Nov 9, 2019
Gospel Reflection
He is God, not of the dead, but of the living.
Reflection & Dialogue: The Resurrection of the Dead and Life Everlasting
The Gospel (Luke 20:27-38)
The Nicene Creed ends with the words: “We look forward to the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come”. As this liturgical year draws to a close, all of us could profitably reflect on these truths.
With regard to the first of these, the resurrection, it is well known from the Gospels, the Acts of the Apostles and the contemporary historian Josephus, that in Jesus’ day, a chief tenet of Sadducee conviction was denial of the resurrection of the body on the last day. While the Jews had a very keen sense of God’s presence with them in the Temple, in worship, in prayer and in time of trouble, and while they believed firmly that God rewarded the good and punished the wicked, they had no belief in life after death with reward or punishment. They had no concept of a personal existence after death. The spirit of man, and all living things, at death returned to the God who gave it. Not that death meant total extinction. A shade of the human remained, and all the shades of good and evil persons were herded together in an underworld. This left the question of divine retribution and of personal union with God unanswered, questions on which intimations and questions are visible in earlier biblical literature. Matters came to a head with the fierce persecution of the Greek king Antiochus Epiphanes in 167-164 BC and his attempt to wipe out the Jewish religion. Many martyrs sacrificed their lives from the faith. It was then that belief in a bodily resurrection at the end of time became formulated. The belief gave courage to the martyrs (as is clear from today’s first reading). The belief in the resurrection was strongly advocated by the Pharisees, but denied by the Sadducees. As Jesus reminds them in today’s Gospel reading, the power of the living God stands behind resurrection and eternal life. Belief in both is as certain as belief in Jesus’ own resurrection. Both are intertwined.
With regard to eternal life, one is often asked as to what we really know about it, going on credible sources and leaving imagination aside. We have the words of St Paul (1 Corinthians 2:9): “As it is written: What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the human heart conceived, what God has prepared for those who love him”. We can recall that it will not be as human life is here on earth, but as Jesus said to the Sadducees, comparable to that of the angels. We know, however, that in the Church we pray to the elect in heaven, that they hear our prayers, and intercede for the living on earth. They thus are aware of events on earth, a truth we profess in belief in the communion of saints.
Fr Martin McNamara MSC
Nov 7, 2019
At the end of September, the MSC Missions Office in the Philippines paid a visit to the Badjao community in Canlanipa, Surigao City.
The Philippine Province of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart support a literacy programme for disadvantaged children in the area, encouraging much-needed education for vulnerable children, as well as the development of social skills and emotional growth. The scheme also provides nutritious food for the children where possible, as many of these youths come from severely impoverished backgrounds and suffer from malnutrition as a result.
Together with Sr Cathy, a member of the Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, and other group leaders, representatives from the MSC Missions Office ran talks and lessons for the Badjao children, as well as a feeding programme which provided nourishing meals for hungry youths on the day.
With poverty, hunger, and hardship being real and pressing problems for many families in the Philippines, our MSC brothers are continuing their work around the country to being aid to families who often don’t know where their next meal is coming from. Education is key, and many MSC projects in the Philippines focus on promoting self-sufficiency – essentially, the aim is to give vulnerable families and communities the tools to build a better life and a brighter future for their children through various sustainable ventures. Most recently, the MSC Centre for the Poor in Butuan has called for support as they encourage local people to work in harmony with the environment, nurturing the gifts of the world around us while utilising them for the good of the community.
The literacy programme for disadvantaged children in Surigao City is yet another positive step in the right direction for the underprivileged youths in the area, giving them a chance to learn and to grow, and to pave the way for a brighter tomorrow.
Images via the MSC Mission Office Philippines, Inc. on Facebook
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Oct 31, 2019
This year, our MSC mission in Mozambique marked the Feast of St Matthew with a wonderful day of baptisms in the community of Ravia.
On September 21st, the people of Ravia and beyond joined together to mark St Matthew’s feast day. It was a joyous day indeed, as 80% of the members of the community who had not already been baptised celebrated the sacrament together.
“It was a great celebration,” the MSC Mozambique Facebook page posted on the day. “Now, the faithful people of Ravia have been baptised.”
The Mozambique mission began in March 2018, with MSCs from Brazil ministering in the Pemba diocese – an area of extreme poverty and hardship, where up until that point, local families had no access to church infrastructure or pastoral ministry.
Despite challenging setbacks, our MSCs have been tireless in their work to bring about positive changes for local communities – the most pressing being the two cyclones that hit north-eastern Mozambique over the space of six weeks earlier this year. Hundreds lost their lives, and over 21,000 people were left homeless by the disasters. Homes, crops, and livestock were destroyed by floods and mudslides, while wells were contaminated, leaving the local drinking water unsafe for consumption, with the threat of cholera and malaria a real danger.
Our MSC missionaries have been helping local families to rebuild their lives following this catastrophe, while also continuing in their mission to share the message of God’s love in this area of real need. The baptism day in Ravia has been a great triumph for the local community and our MSC mission in the region. Blessings and best wishes to all who took part!
Images via the MSC Mozambique Facebook page.
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Oct 24, 2019
Our Mozambique mission spent a wonderful weekend marking the Diocesan Day of Youth in August, with the Bishop of Pemba, Bishop Luiz Fernando, celebrating the opening Mass.
At the opening Mass, Bishop Luiz reminded the young people in attendance that the young Catholic must always bear in mind the joy of the Lord and the workings of Christ within society, and to always keep an open mind to saying yes to God. “Only then”, he said, “will it be worth the participation”.
The Diocesan Day of Youth was a real moment of unity for the young people of the area. Throughout the weekend, the group reflected on celebrating faith in Christ, establishing a positive relationship between the local youths, acknowledging the challenges faced by the parish, and establishing harmony and peace in the region.
The celebrations served to greatly increase the sense of friendship and togetherness amongst the youth of the diocese, encouraging young people to come together in their faith and in the love of the Lord.
Above all, Bishop Luiz encouraged the young people present to be vigilant in hearing and understanding the call of the Lord, and being available to serve Him in any way they can. “In addition,” he said, “meet with God through prayer, have joy, says yes to God, and have faith.”
Oct 19, 2019
Gospel Reflection
God will see justice done for his chosen who cry to him.
Reflection & Dialogue: Prayer without ceasing. Reading the Scriptures
The Gospel (Luke 18:1-8)
Prayer without ceasing
The heading in today’s Gospel reading invites us to a subject on which to reflect – prayer without ceasing. All today’s readings, in fact, provide two clear topics for our reflection, topics mutually related. These are Jesus’ call for prayer without ceasing and Paul’s emphasis on the Bible as a guide for Christian life, an approach to the Sunday Scripture readings which we attempt to follow in these monthly reflections.
With regard to prayer, it must be regarded as necessary, since belief in Christ cannot be understood without a personal relationship with God in prayer. Christianity is a mystery, a mystery that demands this personal relationship. Without this there is no living faith. Of course there are many different forms of prayer, both public and private, but any of the forms need to have this personal relationship with God, and in the Christian tradition under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
With regard to the reading and the study of the Bible there is no better place to begin to examine their importance than today’s reading from the Second Letter to Timothy. This reading can serve as a timely reminder of the importance attached by the Vatican II Council to the reading of Scripture in the new revised liturgy, especially in the readings at the Sunday Mass. The Council goes beyond this and in its Constitution on Divine Revelation (Dei Verbum) there is an entire chapter on the place of scripture in the life of the Church, and in the various aspects of Christian living. In this chapter special mention is made of its importance for the all clerics – priests, deacons, catechists, and all with direct contact with the ministry of the Word, and a call on them to immerse themselves in the Scriptures by constant sacred reading (lectio sacra) and diligent study. In another Council document, in the Decree on the Ministry and the Life of Priests, the matter is attended to in greater detail, with a special section on the priests as ministers of God’s word, with an expressed desire that they endeavour to treat of contemporary problems in the light of Christ’s teaching – something the reflections on this website have been attempting to do over the years, from 2011 onwards.
Fr Martin McNamara MSC
Oct 17, 2019
August saw great celebrations for our MSC community in the Democratic Republic of Congo, when four MSC novices came to the end of the novitiate journey and made their First Professions.
“First Profession takes place at the conclusion of the Novitiate, which is a one-year period of intense spiritual preparation for young men who wish to become Missionaries of the Sacred Heart. From this point on, they are now members of the Society, with temporary status, and they will continue their studies in preparation for the day when they will make their Final Profession as full members of the Society.” (Fr Joseph McGee MSC)
The ceremony took place in Kimwenza, outside the city of Kinshasa. The three-hour Eucharistic celebration was led by the Regional Superior of the Province of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Fr Dieudonné Kenda MSC, and was a powerful and joyful celebration for all involved. There were approximately 130 priests and members of the religious community in attendance, along with family and friends of the newly professed MSC brothers, and members of the local congregation who all wanted to celebrated the beginning of a new chapter for these four young men.
The newly professed MSC members will now continue with their studies, while also engaging in different types of ministry and pastoral experiences as part of the MSC community. We wish them all the very best on the beginning of this new leg of their journey, and our prayers are with them all.
Congratulations and blessings to the newly professed Br Roland Kaboré MSC, Br Sylvain Mingou MSC, Br Alfred Gomis MSC, and Br Brinda Nguele MSC!
Images via @AmeturMSC on Facebook.
