By Antony Christy SDB-
This is a character so insignificant that we do not even know her name – insignificant for the world, as she was just a little girl; insignificant to the historians because she was just a maid servant of the wife of a Commander in Egypt, brought into Egypt as a slave when the Egyptians raided the Israelites for booty; but to the Lord she was no insignificant girl.
Though a slave and a prisoner of war, she was faithful to her master and her mistress! She wished their well being and already there she proves a great child of God. We find this story happening in the Second book of Kings (Chapter 5), when Naman was infected with leprosy and many of his efforts to get cured failed. The slave-girl suggests to her mistress that the master takes a trip to Samaria and shows himself to Prophet Elisha.
Things unfold rapidly and Elisha cures Naman, inspiring Naman to recognise the One True God, the God of Israel. He returns to Egypt as a believer of Yahweh. Look at that little girl, a simple maid servant, a mere slave – what a difference she made in the life of the man! That is the lesson she holds out to us: to make a difference in people’s lives, because we are children of God. She was able to make that difference because of a series of reasons: firstly, she knew her God; secondly, she believed her God could work wonders; thirdly, she loved her Master and Mistress though she was just a slave; fourthly, she had the courage of proposing to them to go in search of the true Lord; and finally, inspite of her insignificance she made a huge difference, bringing the household to the Lord. Bringing people to the Lord – that is a call given to every child of God – it will happen only when we know God and believe firmly!
Dear young friends,
– Do you know God; it is not merely knowing about God… do you really know your God?
– How prepared, daring and intent are you in bringing people to God?
YOU CAT
THE SEVEN SACRAMENTS OF THE CHURCH – I.
The Sacraments of Initiation (Questions 193 -223). Section Two of Part II is a detailed description of the Seven Sacraments of the Church. The first chapter of this section deals with three sacraments that are called the Sacraments of Initiation. Baptism is the beginning of a lasting relationship with God, which at the same time unites the person in a relationship with brothers and sisters in the Church.
The overwhelming reason the Church holds on to infant baptism vis-a-vis the other denominations, is her firm conviction that Baptism is a gratuitous gift from God, that the parents wish for the child, a grace that gives the Child an indelible identity and a responsibility to grow in the same. Confirmation as a Sacrament, in fact, completes the Sacrament of Baptism. Apart from becoming a full-fledged, responsible member in the Church, by the act of the Holy Spirit, the person is asked to personally and consciously affirm once again the promises assumed at baptism, making a covenant with the God who had chosen him or her from time immemorial. The Sacrament of Eucharist, makes one worthy of partaking in the body and blood of Christ.
Eucharist is the heart of the Christian community, which makes the Church truly Church. Holy Sacrifice, Holy Mass, Sacrifice, Liturgy, Sacred Mysteries, Communion – these are among the familiar names given to this sacrament, reminding us of the richness it possess within. The Eucharistic Celebration has two major parts – the Liturgy of the Word and the Liturgy of the Eucharist, flanked by a preparatory initial moment and a thanksgiving concluding moment. The Eucharist is a memorial (of what Jesus did with his disciples), a mystery (of participation in that one, single, unrepeatable sacrifice of Calvary every time) and a meal (sharing in one bread and one cup) that gives us the foretaste of the eternal life that Jesus has promised us.
– The Sacraments of Initiation: How aware and conscientious are you about your ongoing relationship with God?
KNOW YOUR CHURCH:
Is the Church under attack these days?
The anti-religious or anti-God forces in the world are grouping against the Church, specially the Church! The religious fundamentalists, be it the ISIS at the international level or the RSS at the local level in India, or the other hidden religious fundamentalists are all up against the Christians and the Church, the people of God; they want them off. There are threats that the Holy Father continuously receives, there are churches ransacked and communities attacked. Why is this happening? Is the Church under attack these days?
Church, the real people of God, have always been under attack. As Jesus said, if they did this to me, they will do it to you! What we need to understand is the fact that our Church, the people of God, is not merely you and me – we are a three tier community! First is the Glorious Church or the Sanctified Church or the Triumphant Church – these are those who have gone before us, who have fought a good fight, who have run the race and received the wreathe. They are an interceding Church.
The other tier is the Penitent Church or the Suffering Church or the Expectant Church. They are those who have gone before us, but are suffering due to the sins that they have committed on earth. They have repented but not prepared themselves enough to enter the beatific union with the Lord, still in the purgatory purifying themselves – they are a dependent Church, awaiting the mercy of God. The third is the Church that we are – the Militant Church, the people of God who struggle against sin, the satan, the rulers of this world, the powers of darkness and the evil that prowls. The union among these three tiers of the people of God, is what we profess as the Communion of Saints. We are on a journey, a journey with its ups and downs; the Church has been on this journey right from its inception. So never lose heart – be in the fight. Be strong, stand firm, and hold on to your faith!
DO CAT
OCCUPATION AND VOCATION – HUMAN WORK (Questions 134-157) –
At the beginning of human work is God’s creation, Pope St. John Paul II would say. Work makes a person realise the creator’s image in oneself. Work, in a way is an obligation as God created human persons and commanded them to protect and cultivate the rest of the creation.
It is also a joyful and grateful response to the gift of creation that God has given, by protecting it and enhancing it and not merely using it. Thirdly it is a participation in the ongoing work of God’s creation, as every human person is required to contribute to the positive development of the world. Jesus was a worker himself and he moved around in an all-workers ambient: fishermen, craftsmen and farmers.
However today, there needs to be a crucial distinction made: Work is an important part of life, but it is not life. Work is absolutised at times; there are the so-called workaholics. Work is made a mere means to earn money, while money dictates how much of work has to be done and why. Neither work not its monetary proceeds can become ends in themselves.
The classification of humanity as the working class (or the proletariat) and the moneyed class (or the bourgeouis) which has, for centuries now, came to stay, is totally against the vision that God had for the humanity. Church has been aware of this and outspoken about this, right from the encyclical Rerum Novarum (1891) of Pope Leo XIII. As against the class struggle that Marxism advocates and necessitates for an egalitarian society, the Church appeals to the humanity to arrive at a just balancing of interests among the various participants in economy and society. As against the Marxist demand of total abolition of private property, the Church defends the right to private property but insists on the principle that ‘property entails social obligations’. To work is a right of every human person, and right opportunities, safe conditions and just remunerations have to be ensured by all means!
– What is your judgment of the situation of work and workers in today’s context? Do you think you are able to make your holistic contribution to the enhancement of the society and humanity?
Fr Antony Christy is a Salesian Priest from 2005, who has a Masters in Philosophy (specialisation in Religion) and a Masters in Theology (Specialisation in Catechetics). He is currently pursuing his doctoral research in Theology at Salesian Pontifical University, Rome. Walking with the Young towards a World of Peace and Dialogue is the passion that fires him on.