Canonisation - Canada

SPECIAL FILE FOR CANONIZATION OF BR. ANDRÉ LET US REJOICE ! The Catholic Church will soon have a new saint: Br. André of Montreal. Welcome to the Archdiocese of Montreal's special online feature for the canonization of Br. André. Here, you will find an array of articles that will recount the life of the Holy Cross Brother who founded St. Joseph's Oratory in Montreal, as well as testimonies from people who have been touched by him or were healed through his intercession. Be sure to follow the blog on Br. André's canonization (www.saltandlighttv.org/blog/brotherandre), starting Oct. 16, with reports from Rome, Montreal and Quebec City. The blog is a collaborative effort of St. Joseph's Oratory, the archdioceses of Montreal and Quebec, and Salt + Light Television. Follow Brother André's canonization as well on Twitter (twitter.com/frere_andre) and Facebook (facebook.com/saintfrereAndre)

		THE MAKING OF ST. BROTHER ANDRÉ Brother André will be the first Canadian-born male saint. What's involved in the making of a saint and how did Brother André's canonization come to pass? Find out here. LIFELONG FRIENDS & HEALING PARTNERS Alfred Bessette was still a child when his mother instilled in him a devotion to St. Joseph, Jesus' adoptive father. This lifelong friendship, characterized by trust and abandon to St. Joseph's loving care led to a life of miracles. Read more. BROTHER ANDRÉ ENCOURAGED SIGNS OF FAITH Brother André would often distribute two things to the sick and needy who came to visit him: St. Joseph's oil and St. Joseph medals. Neither the oil nor the medals had magical healing powers, he would say. Rather, they were objects that helped a person to express their faith, and it was their faith that made them well. Read on.

A SHORT BIOGRAPHY OF BR. ANDRÉ Br. André was born Alfred Bessette on Aug. 9, 1845, into a family of 13 children in Saint-Grégoire d'Iberville, just south of Montreal. Poor and unschooled, like many other children of his era, he was orphaned at the age of 12. There was nothing exceptional about him, except... Read his short biography. THE MIRACLE THAT LED TO BR. ANDRÉ'S CANONIZATION The family of the person implicated in the miracle wanted to stay out of the media spotlight so as to keep the focus on Brother André. But the administration of St. Joseph's Oratory recounts the most salient details of this healing, judged to be miraculous. Read on. POPULAR DEVOTION FOR BR. ANDRÉ KEEPS GROWING When Brother André died in 1937, several thousands of people came to pay their respects. It was a clear sign of his great popularity. His popularity has never lessened since. In fact, it has been quite the opposite. Read the text.

		A SPIRITUALITY OF HEART, PRAYER AND LISTENING Everyone who has met Brother André has said his facial expression communicated peace, compassion and hope. Which spirituality then nourished the simple doorkeeper of Notre-Dame College?  Find out here. THREE SONS, THANKS TO BR. ANDRÉ'S INTERCESSION Deacon Brian Cordeiro and his wife, Effie, attribute the birth of their three sons to the intercession of Brother André. The entire family will head to Rome for his canonization in thanksgiving and Effie is to receive the Eucharist from Pope Benedict XVI during the mass of canonization. Read Deacon Brian Cordeiro's witness. WORDS OF WISDOM SPOKEN BY BR. ANDRÉ Brother André would only meet people for a few minutes at a time. Not all were healed, but all left consoled by his words, some of which were collected by his friends and fellow religious. Read some of them here.

WITNESSES TELL OF HEALINGS AT THE ORATORY Thousands people will converge on Rome for the canonization of Brother André Oct. 17. Among them are several people who have either been healed or have had family members who have experienced healings through the intercession of the new saint.  Read the testimonies. CALLED TO HOLINESS, EVEN TODAY "Holiness" is not a buzzword these days. Instead, it alludes to an old image of saints who perceived God to be severe, distant and authoritarian. But this is not how Brother André perceived God. His understanding of God gives hope that holiness is attainable for everyone. Read on.
Read former informations already shown

SPECIAL ACTIVITIES - SPIRITUAL TOURISM 
OVER THE WEEKEND OF OCTOBRE 29-31

Consuslt the schedule of the cultural and religious visits proposed to you over the weekend: museums, churches, etc.
Why not take advantage of your stay in Montréal to discover new religious sites...
If you already live in the Metropolitan area, discover cultural and religious places you have never visited before 
Click HERE for schedule and details !

Hedwig St Cistercian

Saturday, 16 October 2010

St. Hedwig, Religious (1174-1243)

---

SAINT HEDWIG
Religious
(1174-1243)

        St. Hedwig, the wife of Henry, Duke of Silesia, and the mother of his six children, led a humble, austere, and most holy life amidst all the pomp of royal state.

        Devotion to the Blessed Sacrament was the key-note of her life. Her valued privilege was to supply the bread and wine for the Sacred Mysteries, and she would attend each morning as many Masses as were celebrated.

        After the death of her husband she retired to the Cistercian convent of Trebnitz, where she lived under obedience to her daughter Gertrude, who was abbess of the monastery, growing day by day in holiness, till God called her to Himself, in 1242.

Lives of the Saints, by Alban Butler, Benziger Bros. ed. [1894]

Mary MacKillop youtube & text

Thanks, Anne Marie.
Beautifull.
Scenetific.

It will be lovely if this will travel to my Blog.

Donald

PS. To go with TEXT of YouTube

IN HONOUR OF BLESSED MARY McKILLOP

Copyright Peter Rose and Anne Conlon, 2010. Rose-Conlon publications.

1. Lord, I give my life to you;

you are my loving Father.

Freely I walk the path you lead,

trusting in your love.

Let your will be my will;

let my will be yours.

In trust draw me close to you,

the Father my soul adores

2. Lord, I seek to do your work,

touching the world with your kindness.

Gladly I share your cross of pain,

trusting in your love.

Let your will be my will, let my will be yours.

In trust draw me close to you.

The Saviour my soul adores.

3. Lord, I long for you alone,

you are the treasure I yearn for.

You are the breath which brings me life,

trusting in your love.

Let your will be my will, let my will be yours.

In trust draw me close to you.

The Spirit my soul adores.

----- Forwarded Message ----
From: Anne Marie . . .
To: N & D
Sent: Thu, 14 October, 2010 10:17:52
Subject: RE: Today's travel
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XigbrHkSSRg

Hi, D & N hope you are well.

I put the video of the hymn to Blessed Mary McKillop  up today and this is the link I hope.
Our choir can access the tune so that they can learn it for Sunday so your suggestion was not so wild after all.
D.  does not need our prayers but the Lazarists do.................

I was hiking from Crianlarich to Tyndrum on the West Highland Way.  It was lovely Scottish weather, cloudy and mysterious.

    Anne 

Teresa of Avile

Friday, 15 October 2010

St. Teresa of Jesus, 

Virgin and Doctor of the Church (1515-1582) - Memorial

Mass Intro: Fr. Nivard.

  “Do not be afraid, you are worth more than many sparrows.” Don’t worry. This was Padre Pio’s favourite dictum, don’t worry! The real reason why your prayer isn't always successful is that you begin your prayer worried and anxious. Your mind is not focussed on Jesus and there is no love in your heart. This worry is useless. All you get is spiritual fatigue and coldness of soul.

   St Teresa has much the same message. “May the Lord give us understanding of how wretched is the security that lies in following the crowd. True security lies in making progress on the road to God.

Let us turn our eyes to Him and not fear the setting of this Sun of Justice. He will never allow us to go astray in the night.

Halloween

Hi, Andy,

Now to Link a Link if possible.

Thanks.

Donald

----- Forwarded Message ----
From: Andy ....
To:  Donald ...
Sent: Wed, 13 October, 2010 1:02:30
Subject: Fw: Recommended Article

Found this article in the Independent Catholic News very interesting

 

"Christians invited to reclaim Halloween "
http://www.indcatholicnews.com/news.php?viewStory=16897

Christians invited to reclaim Halloween

Posted: Tuesday, October 12, 2010 7:42 pm

Christians across the UK are being invited to place a light in their window on 31 October as a sign to passers-by that they are followers of Jesus Christ. The initiative is called Night of Light and is the inspiration of Damian Stayne, the founder of the Catholic community, Cor et Lumen Christi. He explained: "The Night of Light is an international initiative to reclaim Halloween as a joyful Christian celebration. In many countries around the world children's celebrations are being organised, as are prayer gatherings, with people putting a light in their window to visibly witness to neighbours and friends." He added: "The evening of 31 October is called Halloween ('All Hallows Eve') and is the vigil (beginning) of the Feast of All Saints - the feast in which Catholics celebrate the glory of God in His saints, the victory of light over darkness in the lives of God's holy ones in heaven. Jesus is the 'Light of the World'. The saints lived by that light, and became a beacon in their own generation. Everyone is called by Jesus to live out this vocation - to be the 'Light of the world' for others today." Damian suggests key elements of the Night of Light could include: a vigil Mass for the Feast of All Saints; all-night Adoration; parties and treats for children dressing up as saints;  placing a light in your window (safely) as a sign to passers-by that yours is a Christian household and Christ is your light. Some may like to wear a white item of clothing as a symbol of their allegiance to Christ, Our Light. Although the Night of Light has run previously, this year in partnership with the Home Mission Desk of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales it is being offered as a way of following up the Visit of the Holy Father to the UK. Bishop Kieran Conry (Arundel and Brighton), Chair of the Department for Evangelisation and Catechesis, said: "Halloween is now the biggest commercial festival after Christmas and Easter, and it is time we reminded Christians of what it really is. The celebration of feast days is an important part of our Catholic culture. On the evening of 31 October why not do something to make your faith respectfully seen and heard? Light a candle or display publicly another kind of light, for example, perhaps alongside an image of Christ. This could be a powerful way in which we can show people that we have hope in someone other than ourselves. The light will provoke questions and is a way that people can be signposted to goodness. I encourage everyone to participate." Archbishop Vincent Nichols recently wrote in his Pastoral Letter to his diocese: "Making faith visible is so much a part of the invitation the Holy Father has extended to us all.' Participating in the Night of Light is offered as one way of responding to that invitation. Additional ideas and resources to celebrate the night can be found on: www.nightoflight.org It follows news that copies of the Pre-Raphaelite painter William Holman Hunt's, 'Light of the World' have been given to every parish in England and Wales as part of the legacy of Pope Benedict XVI's visit to the UK; a reflection sheet to be used with the image can be found at: www.thepapalvisit.org.uk/legac

Mary MacKillop

Thank you, Patrick.
It is good to keep us on our toes.
Sr. Christina is rejoicing all the more in her community in Queensland, AU. 
Donald.
 
----- Forwarded Message ----
From: father patrick . . .
Sent: Wed, 13 October, 2010 17:51:56
Subject: Scottish Pilgrims

Scottish pilgrims making voyage to Rome for Mary MacKillop canonization

Glasgow, United Kingdom, Oct 12, 2010 / 09:49 pm (EWTN News)

Bishop Joseph Toal and Bl. Mary MacKillop

 

 

Marking the Scottish ancestry of Bl. Mary MacKillop – who is about to become Australia’s first saint – over 100 pilgrims from Scotland will travel to Rome this month for her highly anticipated canonization. The Archdiocese of Glasgow announced Oct. 12 that close 140 people from Lochaber and various other places in the country will travel to Rome for Pope Benedict’s canonization of the 19th-century Australian sister on Oct. 17.
Although Bl. MacKillop was born in Melbourne, Australia, her family background is closely connected to Scotland, as both of her parents originated from the country. The Australian blessed’s father, Alexander, hailed from Perthshire, while her mother, Flora MacDonald, was born in Fort William in 1816. 
Bishop Joseph Toal of Argyll and the Isles remarked on the upcoming event, saying, “we all feel very proud of the fact that Mary MacKillop, whose parents were from Lochaber, is to be proclaimed as a saint of the Church, indeed the first Australian to be recognized in this way.”
“It is a testimony to the faith passed on to Mary by her parents as they sought a new life in Australia – it is the Catholic faith held on to so tenaciously by pockets of believers across the Highland glens and Hebridean Isles,” the bishop said.
“St. Mary MacKillop of the Cross will be for all of us a great example of Christian witness, and a powerful intercessor before the Lord for all in need of consolation and hope.”
Among those traveling to Rome will be Scottish Cardinal Keith O’Brien, Bishop Ian Murray and Bishop Joseph Toal, along with several individuals who have family connections to Mary. Members of Blessed Mary’s Congregation of the Religious Sisters of the Sacred Heart who work in Scotland will also be making the trip.

Luke 11:41 Add

Dear, William,

Thank you for the satisfactory addition of,

“Lk 11:41 must have taken the Pharisee aback!”

The Jerome is a good asset and, of course, Knox (The Gospel Story) a great standbye.

Probing the Word with joy.

Donald

----- Forwarded Message ----
From: William J . . .
To: Fr Donald . . .
Sent: Mon, 11 October, 2010 22:40:46
Subject: Re: [Blog] Lk 11:41 must have taken the Pharisee aback!

Dear Father Donald,

I am likewise intrigued by this verse!

"The Biblos translation by ‘charity’, embraces a more helpful understanding"

I like the Navarre commentary - all commentaries that I turn up to take me deeper start with the words "a very obscure verse" (eg. Jerome). So I am delighted with the directness of an earlier commentary you recommended, "The Gospel Story", commentary (p.231) which also uses 'charity' over 'alms' (as in the Knox translation), and then expands upon Our Lord's frustration with the Pharisees which drove him to this invective:

"..Pharisees, an organised body that is the great obstacle to the establishment of God's kingdom; right from their first appearance, they are shown to be enemies. When they took offense at Jesus' omission of the ablutions, he pointed out the cause of their blindness: their concern with keeping exactly every minute rule and regulation blinded them to the fundamental spiritual principle, charity".

After the word 'charity', there is a reference to the commentary on the Sermon on the Mount (p.85). This concludes with a 'no holes barred' comment which, I think, well expresses the meaning of Jesus' remark on this occasion:

"The scribes and Pharisees were the guardians of the Torah; they taught it to the children in the schools and explained it to the people in the synagogues. But the trouble was that they had lost the true meaning of God's law; they were so much concerned with observing every minute detail of the letter, that they missed its true spirit. Instead of leading the people to love God, they imposed heavy and more complicated regulations, which were like a yoke upon their necks. Our Lord's purpose in the Sermon was to emphasize the one fundamental, which external observance had obliterated: the love of God and the neighbour. Holiness is in man's will, not in his actions".

Everything that Jesus encountered in their behaviour must have been running around in his mind at that time, and his frustration at the Pharisee here taking issue was expressed in this one 'global' remark - how it will have taken his host aback! 

That has been a very satisfying study!

. . . in Our Lord,

William

Luke 11: 37-41

Tuesday of 28^th Ordinary Sunday

Gal. 5: 1-6

Lk. 11: 37-41

Mass Intro. Fr. S. . .

We judge people by external standards
But God sees our internal motivation.

In the first reading, we find the Galatians were seeking to obey the Law of circumcision as Jews did. Paul was against their embracing the rite of circumcision. He believed that the Galatians’ reception of circumcision would prove that they did not have full confidence and faith on Christ and therefore they became the slaves of the Law and separated themselves from Christ. To Paul, all that mattered was faith in Jesus Christ which works through love.

In the Gospel having accepted an invitation to dinner, Jesus goes to the Pharisee’s' house. He ignored the ritual washing before dinner which amazed the Pharisees. Jesus accused them of their paying attention to externals of religion. He told them that God sees our interior motivation, i.e. our heart rather than external observances of Laws.

 Jesus is not concerned with paraphernalia of externals used in ceremonies. He is concerned with the heart of religion such as love, mercy, compassion, justice, almsgiving to the poor and needy. Jesus said in the Gospel, “what I want is mercy, not sacrifice.”

+ + +

Scrapbook of NT technical hitches?

Luke 11:41 stubs the experts.

The hurdle for me is the almost unanimous translation of elemosynam / ἐλεημοσύνην / eleēmosunēn for ‘ALMS’.
To me the words sounds of 'alms box' of Church porch.   The Biblos translation by ‘charity’, embraces a more helpful understanding.

Luke 11:41

41   4133 41   ADV 41   πλὴν 41   plēn 41   rather	3588 T-APN τὰ ta the	1751 V-PAP-APN ἐνόντα enonta that are within	1325 V-2AAM-2P δότε dote give	1654 N-ASF ἐλεημοσύνην eleēmosunēn charity	2532 CONJ καὶ kai and
2400 V-2AAM-2S ἰδοὺ idou then	3956 A-NPN πάντα panta things	2513 A-NPN καθαρὰ kathara clean	5213 P-2DP ὑμῖν umin to you	2076 V-PAI-3S ἐστιν. estin are

(GNT-WH+)  πλην^{G4133 ADV}  τα^{G3588 T-APN}  ενοντα^{G1751 V-PAP-APN}  δοτε^{G1325 V-2AAM-2P}  ελεημοσυνην^{G1654 N-ASF}  και^{G2532 CONJ}  ιδου^{G3708 V-2AMM-2S}  παντα^{G3956 A-NPN}  καθαρα^{G2513 A-NPN}  υμιν^{G4771 P-2DP}  εστιν^{G1510 V-PAI-3S}  

(Vulgate)  verumtamen quod superest date elemosynam et ecce omnia munda sunt vobis

(AMP)  But [dedicate your inner self and] give as donations to the poor of those things which are within [of inward righteousness] and behold, everything is purified and clean for you. 

(DRB)  But yet that which remaineth, give alms: and behold, all things are clean unto you.

(KJV)  But rather give alms of such things as ye have; and, behold, all things are clean unto you.  

(NAB) But as to what is within, give alms, and behold, everything will be clean for you. (NJB) Instead, give alms from what you have and, look, everything will be clean for you. (NRSV) So give for alms those things that are within; and see, everything will be clean for you. (RSV)  But give for alms those things which are within; and behold, everything is clean for you.  (UPDV) But give for alms those things which are inside; and look, all things are clean to you+. (Vulgate)  verumtamen quod superest date elemosynam et ecce omnia munda sunt vobis

The Sacra Pagina Commentary ponders.

For the moment the Navarre Bible Commentary suggests:

Luke  40-41.  It is not easy to work out what these verses mean. Probably our Lord is using the idea of cleaning the inside and outside of dishes to teach that a person's heart is much more important than what appears on the surface--whereas the Pharisees got it the wrong way round, as so many people tend to do. Jesus is warning us not to be so concerned about "the outside" but rather give importance to "the inside". Applying this to the case of alms: we have to be generous with those things we are inclined to hoard; in other words, it is not enough just to give a little money (that could be a purely formal, external gesture); love is what we have to give others--love and understanding, refinement, respect for their freedom, deep concern for their spiritual and material welfare; this is something we cannot do unless our interior dispositions are right. In an address to young people, Pope John Paul II explains what almsgiving really means: "The Greek word for alms, "eleemosyne", comes from "eleos", meaning compassion and mercy. Various circumstances have combined to change this meaning so that almsgivingalmsgiving in the proper sense means realizing the needs of others and letting them share in one's own goods. Who would say that there will not always be others who need help, especially spiritual help, support, consolation, fraternity, love? The world is always very poor, as far as love is concerned" (28 March 1979).    Signature Sancta Maria Abbey: http://www.nunraw.com Blogspot:http://www.domdonald.org.uk/ or Google Nunraw

 

Hospital Call

Hospital Sick Call

A Memorable verse, (Psalm  30/31 :24) is:

"Be strong! Let your heart take courage, and hope in the Lord"

When God says: "Be strong!" His word creates the power it is asking you to stir up in yourself.

When he says: "Let your heart take courage", He himself plants that courage in your heart. You only have to open it to him. When he says: " .. and hope in the Lord." He isn't asking you to hope that he will heal you or will do this, or that for you. He just means you simply to hope in himself, without any conditions.

And he assures us that "Your hopes will not be disappointed".

Communion

Raising the Holy Eucharist, saying:

This is the Lamb of God
who takes away the sins of the world.

Happy are those who are called to this supper.

Sick person and communicants say:

Lord, I am not worthy to receive you,
but only say the word and I shall be healed.

Holding up the sacrament to him or her, says:

The body of Christ or: The blood of Christ).

Sick person receives communion and responds:

Amen.

A period of silence and then Concluding Prayer

Liturgy of Sick Call:
http://www.fisheaters.com/sickcalls.html

Sirach God's Compassion

TWENTY-EIGHTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
Monday 11 October.
Our Night Office Reading is from
Sirach, Ecclesiasticus, Ben Sir. 11:11-18

[Sirach, by the Jewish scribe Ben Sira of Jerusalem, also known as Wisdom of Jesus son of Sirach, the Wisdom of Ben Sira, or Ecclesiasticus, is a work from the early second century BCE, originally written in Hebrew.

Responsory Sirach 11:19.20; Lk 12:17.18].

When the wealthy man says: Now I can rest and enjoy my goods,
+ he does not know how long this will last before he must die and leave his wealth to others.
V. The rich man says in his heart: I will pull down my barns and build them even greater, and there I will store all my possessions. + He does not ...

From the writings of Frederick Faber

(The Creator and the Creature, 342-343)

God's providence

The providence of God in human lives is to each one in particu¬lar a private revelation of God's love. The biography of everyone of usis to ourselves as luminously supernatural, as palpably full of divine interventions, as if it were a page out of Old Testament history. Moreover all that is providential is also merciful. The interventions are all on the side of love. Stern-looking accidents, when they turn their full face to us, beam with the look of love. Even our very faults are so strangely overruled that mercy can draw materials for its blessings even out of them.

It is true we may easily delude ourselves. But the natural tendency to find a meaning in what happens to us, and to exagger¬ate its significance, cannot altogether, or even nearly, account for the providential aspect which our past lives present to us, when we reflect upon them in the faith and fear of God. Our merciful Creator seems to have led us very gently, as knowing how weak and ill we are; yet he has led us plainly toward himself.

If it is not speaking of him too familiarly, he seems to have done everything just at the right time, and in the right place, to have put nothing before us till we were ready for it and could make the most of it, to have timed his grace and apportioned it, so that we might have as little as possible the guilt of resisting grace, to have weighed even our crosses before he laid them upon us, and to have waited for an auspicious moment each time he would persuade us to something fresh.

He has combined events with the most consummate skill, and brought out the most wonderful results, and they have always been in our favour. There are difficulties and seeming exceptions to the ordinary course of this genial providence. But it is only at first sight that they perplex us. These very exceptions on closer inves¬tigation, on longer experience, turn out to be the most striking examples of the general rule of beneficence and love. If we ask each person separately, this is what he will tell us. We have all of us had this private revelation,

Let us dwell on one feature of God's providence, the way in which he vouchsafes to time things. Think of the hour of death, of

its surpassing importance, of its thrilling risks, of all those inward processes of which we have already spoken. Now may we not conclude, or at least with reasonable hope infer, that to most people, if not to all, the hour of their death is seasonably tinted? They die when it is best for them to die. Who can think of what death is, and yet doubt that God's wisdom and his love are brought to bear with inexpressible sweetness both on its manner and its time? If God were pleased to tell us, we should probably be amazed at the numbers of convincing reasons there are why each of us should die when, and where, and how we do.

Luke 17:11-19

Twenty-Eighth Sunday, Year C (2010)

Homily; Fr. Mark

Eucharist, the Greek word meaning thanksgiving, is the one word that sums up and expresses clearly both our vocation to be Christians and the spirit in which we should worship in our liturgy.  The readings we have in today’s Mass are all about thanksgiving.

The grounds for thanksgiving are many.  The healing of Naaman is one example.   And in the gospel we see another when Jesus cured the ten lepers who went to him in their need.

In the Second Book of Kings from which the first reading is taken, we know Naaman was a reluctant believer in the word of Elisha to go and bathe seven times in the Jordan.  But he did in the end and was miraculously healed.  The account of the ten lepers who pleaded with Jesus gives much the same message: believe and be cured, become changed.

Naaman’s response was his gratitude to God.  The Samaritan’s reaction was the same.  From Jesus’ own words we know the other nine lepers were also cured but did not return to give thanks.  There is something strange in our human nature that finds it difficult to say Thank You.

There are of course lots of reasons why this may be.  Often we can be reluctance to accept that we need others, even our need of God, may it be said. This may be because we think we don’t need help, or that we think we can do things better ourselves, thank you very much.  We want to be our own person.  That’s all right as far as it goes, but that attitude can lead us to a state when we almost want to save ourselves.  There is no real place for God in a life lived like that.  That is a house that will collapse under the weight of its own pride. The lives that God wants us to have are happier places than any of these pale imitations of them. 

Human beings have an inner need for society in one form or another.  They thrive on it.  We are meant to relate to one another, to build up families, to create communities, small and large.  Even hermits, strangely enough, are part of the fabric of the church world-wide. They give their lives to God alone but in their prayer they care for the world.

God reveals himself in the tender concern and thoughtfulness that people give to each other.  How often do we judge others before we get to know them?  And then we are surprised when we see what gifts of understanding and compassion they have to offer.  For our part, it takes courage and a certain trust to reveal our vulnerability to others.  But that itself in itself is character-building.  It prepares us, too, to trust God more and to be more thankful.

There is a certain logic about the sequence of events described in today’s readings.  Our love and belief in God is not for ourselves alone.  In the earlier parts of the bible gods were believed to be tied to a particular place and people.  That explains why Naaman wanted to take earth back from the Holy Land so that he could worship the God of Israel in Syria his own homeland.  However, during their exile from the Holy Land the Israelites were shown that their God was not bound to the land, the earth of their forbears, but went wherever they went.  God has come to be seen as God of all the earth.  That surely is a reason for us to give thanks.

The psalms are full of the glory of the world in its every manifestation and of thanksgiving to God who created the earth and all that is in it.  Outside of the psalms the word Thanksgiving is rarely to be found in the old dispensation.  But it is used very much in the New Testament, especially in the writings of St Paul and the gospels.  It isn’t surprising then that the word Eucharist lies at the heart of Christian spirituality.

When we see what we have been given and what we have become, we can truly thank God.  God is the source of what and who we are.

Grateful people are happy people.  They are not narrow-minded in their thoughts about others. They are not offhand in the way they treat them.  Those who have genuine gratitude in their hearts wish the same for others as much as for themselves.  In such as these we see the kingdom of God.

[Cf Scripture in Church, No.160, Oct –Dec 2010, 32-4  Terence Crotty, OP.]