By Fr Antony Christy SDB –
Here is yet another anonymous little character, but mind, we are already crossing over into the New Testament. Right upto now we have been seeing Youth Icons from the old testament but today we have a boy whom we come across in the life of Christ, a boy who was instrumental in one of Jesus’ extravagant miracles – feeding the multitude.
The boy could not contain himself from the moment he saw Jesus a week before. Hearing that Jesus has come around again, he pleads his mother to let him go and listen to Jesus. The mother permits him and hands him a little pack of food. But by the time the boy reached the lake where Jesus was teaching, Jesus had left for the other side! He walks around, reaches that place amidst a multitude of people, nudges his way forward and gets as close as possible to Jesus.
What is happening with Jesus – he is just finished preaching. He directs his apostles to give the crowd something to eat: where would they go? This is what Andrew asks when he feels a tug at his sling bag. Turning around he sees a boy, with a small pack in his hand, offering it with a smile in his face and a twinkle in his eyes. Opening up they find just five loaves of bread and two fish – what would it be for such a multitude of people? It would be the source of a miracle, responds Jesus and feeds the crowd with that little boy’s pack.
Dear young friends,
– how eager are you to go in search of, get close to Jesus? do you really make some efforts in this regard?
– how do you estimate yourself – do you really know your talents? Are you eager to put your talents at the service of God’s purposes, however big or small they are?
YOU CAT
THE SEVEN SACRAMENTS OF THE CHURCH – II
The Sacraments of Healing (Questions 224-247). Section Two of Part II is a detailed description of the Seven Sacraments of the Church. The second chapter of this section deals with two sacraments that are called the Sacraments of Healing. Penance and Anointing of the Sick, sacraments in which we are freed from sin and strengthened in our spiritual and physical weakness, are signs of Christ’s pastoral love that seeks the lost and binds the wounded.
The sacrament of Penance, which is also called Reconciliation or Confession was instituted by Christ when he said to the apostles post-resurrection: ‘if you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retaine (Jn 20:23). In the parable of the Prodigal Son Jesus has given us an entire catechesis on the Sacrament of Confession or Penance. Only God can forgive sins and Jesus can do so because he is the Son of God. Because Jesus has given the power, the priests (who represent the apostles) can forgive sins in the name of Christ.
The Sacrament of Penances frees one from sin, totally unburdens and takes away the wreckage that can be created by a feeling of guilt. The essential elements of a Confession are examining the conscience, contrition, readiness to change, confession and penance. While Penance deals with the spiritual sickness that is sin, Anointing of the Sick deals with even the physical sickness a person suffers with. Anointing of the Sick is not, as it is sometimes called the Last Sacrament. It is the assurance from God of God’s nearness in moments of pain and sickness. Viaticum is the last Holy Communion a person receives to strengthen him or her for the final journey.
– The Sacraments of Healing: Are you aware of the sicknesses (spiritual and physical) within you? Do you really feel the need for healing?
KNOW YOUR CHURCH:
Is Vatican the Centre of the Church?
There is a popular misconception that when we say Roman Catholic Church, we mean that this Church is based in Rome. The Church is called Roman Catholic Church because it is one Catholic Church that in union with the Bishop of Rome – who is the Pope or the Holy Father. ‘Vatican’ refers to two realities – one the political entity of the Vatican City of which the Pope is the Head; the other is St. Peter’s Basilica which has come to signify the Roman Catholic Church for the secular world. It could be so for the souvenirs and stamps but not for those who respect facts.
The Vatican is not even the official cathedral of the Bishop of Rome (which actually is the Basilica of St. John at the Laterans). Rome is not the place where Christianity was born as many imagine it to be – Christianity was born simultaneously in many places where there were people who accepted Christ to be their saviour. There were many churches which were born – that is why, even today, every church (every parish, every diocese, every bishops’ conference) is the centre of the Church.
The Holy See at Rome and the Bishop of Rome have a very specific role to play, the role of ensuring universal communion. Vatican is just a symbol, let us not be carried away with symbols. Our faith is a living faith rooted in history and experience. The faith community in which we find ourselves is God’s gift to us, the Church where we are called to grow and mature in our faith.
DO CAT
WELFARE AND JUSTICE FOR ALL – ECONOMIC LIFE (Questions 158-194) – Affluence is neither unethical nor an absolute. Development has to be holistic, comprehensive, inclusive and value based. It cannot be reduced to consumerism, materialism and prosperity. These are often signs of greed, from which spring all crimes. Jesus’ view of material possession is very clear: it has to be relativised.
There can be nothing more important than love for God. Sacrificing people and right relationships for the sake of any material advancement is unChristian. Denial of right values for the sake of material benefits is against the Reign of God. The Reign can be established through material progress but only when it is consciously defined in holistic, comprehensive and inclusive terms.
One should fight perseveringly against one’s own situation of poverty and do everything within one’s capacity to alleviate the poverty of one’s neighbours. The Works of Mercy (spiritual and corporal) are signs of one’s commitment in this regard. We are not to go by names and terms of economic systems – whether capitalism is good or communism – for these terms mislead us.
The criterion given to us is clear: Compassion to all, Commitment to justice and Comprehensive development. Private property and Common Good are not totally opposed to each other, if every person becomes conscientious of one own lifestyle and the needs of the poor around. As long as money does not become an end in itself, it is no evil. Free Market, Competition, Globalisation – these are phenomenon to be cautiously treated. We have understand that Development is much larger than mere economic growth. Corruption is a treacherous cancer that is killing humanity. A corruption free society is the great witness a Christian society can offer the world today.
– Have you given a serious thought to the type of Development the world stands for today? Do you approve of it? In your capacity what do you intend to do, to make this world a better place?
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.