Filling the Gap…

The Sistine chapel is part of the residence of the pope and it contains some of the most famous paintings in the world including the Last Judgment and the Creation of Adam by Michelangelo. It is also the chapel where the conclave of the College of Cardinals takes place to elect a new pope. When I was thinking about an idea to write in the blog on the season of Advent and Christmas Michelangelo’s Creation of Adam came to my mind.  

In Genesis 1: 27 we read: “God created man in his image; in the divine image he created him; male and female he created them.” Fathers of the Church say that when God was about to create man he looked at his own Son and then created man. That means the original image of man was that of God’s Son. In Michelangelo’s picture, God is wrapped in a swirling cloak and Adam is painted naked. God’s right arm is outstretched to impart the breath of life into that of Adam. It is evident from the picture that the fingers of God and man are not touched. Various interpretations have been given to this picture. Some say that the gap has been created by the sin of Adam. But it has been filled by Christ through his death and resurrection.  Christ reconnects us with God the Father.

The Jews believe that Jerusalem is the center of the world and the temple is the meeting place of heaven and earth.  The liturgical celebration happening in the temple is an image of what is going on in heaven. In our Christian understanding Jesus unites heaven and earth. Heaven and earth ‘overlaps’ and ‘interlocks’ in Christ. According to the interpretation of the Fathers of the Church, by his Incarnation Christ brought heaven to earth and by his death and resurrection he elevated earth to heaven. Our celebrations, especially the celebration of the Sacrament of Eucharist, unite us with God as it prefigures heavenly life.   

In Will Durant’s famous book Caesar and Christ, he explains that Caesar was the ruler of the world as the Roman Emperor and Christ in his earthly life was mostly unknown except for a few in Palestine. But in a certain moment in history Caesar and Christ met together and ever since Caesar began to decrease and Christ began to increase. Now Caesar is decorating a few pages in history books and Christ still rules. He is not ruling with any military power but by giving his own life for us, unlike all other worldly kings. Knowingly or unknowingly everything is related to Christ. Christ is the center of creation, human history and of all lives. My birthday is related to Christ’s birth day just as Abraham’s birth is also connected to Christ’s birth.

Pope Benedict XVI in his book Jesus of Nazareth says that there is a deeper meaning for the word evangelion beyond its usual translation of ‘good news’. The Holy Father says that this term was used by the Roman emperors who presented themselves as the lords, saviors and redeemers of the world. Their messages were evangelion (in Greek, or in Latin evangelium), regardless of the nature of the content. Whatever comes from the Emperor is not just a piece of news but accepted as a saving message because it makes the world better.  But when it comes to Jesus what the emperors illegitimately claimed really occurred. It was not a simple message but a message with real authority because it is not just talk but reality.  The message is the person of Jesus Christ, who is not just information, but action with effect which enters into the world to save and transform. Giving this message to the world is imparting the person of Christ into every reality, transforming them in Christ. In giving that saving message of Christ, the giver must conform oneself to the message.

When we prepare ourselves for this year’s Christmas we should have all these ideas in our mind. Just as a tree without root cannot stand alone for a long time, a Christian who is not connected to Christ cannot celebrate Christmas in its proper sense. We should not allow the “commercialism” to steal our Christ. The lights we light inside and outside our homes should be a projection of the light of Christ living through the flame of faith in each one of us. When we see the world trying to make man to live as if he is his own image it is our duty to remind that human beings are the image and likeness of God. It is by the enlightened faith life we lead, we make God credible in today’s world. The gap created by the sin of Adam has been filled by Christ and through Christ we enter into the heavenly bliss of the Father. Then as Pope Benedict says: “It is only by means of people who have been touched by God that God can return to be with mankind”. 
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Along with the Rector and few other priests from our Norbertine College, I went to the solemn Prayer Vigil for All Nascent Human Life at St. Peter’s Basilica. We didn’t get any seats, so after spending few minutes inside the Basilica, we got out and attended the service watching through the screen at St. Peter’s Square.

I received a few emails asking to explain further on my recommendation to live the Word of Life every month. For those who wrote to me I gave some directions on how to live it in our daily life. If you are interested in living it, I request you to search further in the website of the Focolare Movement.

 http://www.focolare.us/us/spirituality/word-of-life/218-2010/267-word-of-life-december-2010

             Lifebook vs. Facebook

It is hard for us to keep up with this rapidly changing world. I often get emails and facebook messages from a third grader from Port Huron, MI and a sixth grader from Center Line, MI. It is one of the signals of the changing world that the children of this generation are more advanced than the previous generation. Now, most of the children begin their day by turning on the computer and ends the day by turning off the computer. Adults also are not immune from this temptation and are trying to catch up with the children in imitating this behavior. Computer along with other modern communication devices have more importance than God, parents, friends and teachers in human life and relationships today. Many people depend on Google than God to find answers to the difficult questions related to life and living.

I also have to admit that I spent a considerable amount of time checking and replying to emails, putting pictures in facebook and sending messages to others. At the same time it is also a means for evangelization for me. I deliberately try to send messages always adding that I pray for that person. Still we all know that many of our relationships through these social networks are not that deep. We could feel, even after having thousand friends in facebook, that we are lonely. One of the reasons for this feeling (in my view) is that it lacks the necessary component of a good relationship – the spiritual dimension. Just having many friends in our list is not sufficient to make our life worth living. Google might know more of our secrets than our doctor, priest, parents and teachers because of the searches we do. But it cannot give the warmth of a spiritual friendship. For this, I need to begin and end my day with prayer and then it is all right to turn on the computer to check the messages. Remember the words of the wise philosopher, Socrates: “An unexamined life is not worth living”.  

It is very important in our Christian life to have a close and personal relationship with the Lord and through that relationship with one another. I believe that I can have a good unselfish relationship with a friend of mine only when I place Jesus in that relationship. It is also true that to have a successful family life we need to bring Christ into it.

Family is the domestic church and church is the extended family. Jesus is not just a subject for us to learn in the catechism class rooms (just like any other topic), but is a living reality to experience. Sometimes we wonder from where our children learned all those things which we didn’t teach or believe (even the little ones!). We live in a culture where children encounter everything opposite to what we believe and consider sacred. The attractions of this materialistic life have penetrated the core of our thinking – we should have more in order to be fully alive. Even the trend to create a spiritual world without God or Church (an attitude that you need to be spiritual but doesn’t mean that you have to be religious), might seem unharmful but is really dangerous.  

We need to connect our life with Christ to feel the flow of spiritual energy to penetrate into every reality we come into contact with. As Disciples of Christ, we have to move with a passion and joy of living the life with the Lord, rather than doing some good for the fear of inheriting hell. Then the mistaken attitude of just showing up in the church guarantees some preference in heaven should be changed to lead a worthy Christian life. What we celebrate in the church is inherently connected to what we live outside of the church. The celebration continues after leaving the church on Sunday and we are not just ‘Sunday Christians’ and six day ‘pagans’! Becoming a Christian is a vocation - to be a faithful disciple which demands an active response for a grace filled life.

Jesus has added us in his Lifebook page and we just accept the invitation and communicate with him daily and soon we will realize that it is more fun and worth doing. 

This week also I have a beautiful testimony to share with you. Jann Wolocko, who was part of my last Bible Study group at St. Thomas a’Becket, shared her joy in finding solutions in Christ for the life struggles. Please continue to remember Jann and Phil along with all our friends in our prayers.

Dear Fr. Mathew,

I would like to take a moment to thank you for bringing daily prayer back into our lives.  Since our dinner together (over a year ago)when you told Phil and I about St. Thomas a Becket encouraging daily family prayer, Phil and I begin and end every day in prayer together.  It has not only strengthened our commitment to each other but has drawn us closer to God.  It’s amazing how our lives are affected by making time to focus on God together. 

Recently due to the death of Phil’s beloved brother and a very close call for another brother, I insisted that he go through some tests for his arteries and heart.  The tests showed a 60+ percent blockage in two major arteries.  An appointment was scheduled with a cardiologist and we began to pray.  I immediately asked friends and family to pray and even several of my work colleagues e-mailed me or told me that they were praying for us.  I later found out that Phil’s prayer was much different than mine, his prayer was for me and the rest of the family, he said he was ready to go if God wanted to bring him home but was praying about the affect it would have on the rest of the family so close to his brother’s death.  The cardiologist did a cardiac CATH the very next day and the two blockages turned out to be much less than anticipated so he did not even require surgery.  We were prepared for surgery but what they visually saw in the CAT scan was almost gone and I am certain that it was the result of all of the people praying for him.  To my knowledge these things don’t just disappear in a few days time.  I know that you were one of those praying so thank you from the bottom of my heart.  God has given us time and we are committed to using this time and circumstance to honor Him. 

Isn’t it truly AMAZING what God can do, I’m so grateful you came into our lives to remind us of his power and love.  This isn’t the first experience I’ve had where prayers have been answered, as you know I worked with a girl who had been praying for a Christian to come into her life, God spoke to me and after ignoring Him several times I finally asked  her about her beliefs, and during our conversation she told me that she had been praying for someone like me to come into her life that could help her, I cried, realizing that God had been trying to get me to listen all along and at how much time I wasted by not listening.  This was such a powerful realization that I still get tears when I tell the whole story.  I struggle with how to express what a personal relationship with Jesus can do to change lives,  I hope that He will give me the words to say that may help others.  I don’t always expect such a positive answer to my prayers but I can’t imagine handling the bad times without knowing that God is always with me giving me the strength I need to deal with all aspects of my life.

God Bless,

Jann

Day of Prayer and Reflection on New Evangelization

We had the monthly recollection (prayer day) at the Norbertine College from Saturday evening till Sunday noon. It reminded me of my seminary days. We have to keep the rule of silence for the whole recollection time and I tried to be away from the temptation to check emails and facebook messages. After the Morning Prayer and Mass a visiting priest came to give a reflection for our meditation. He talked in Italian and I sat there pretending it was the best talk I ever heard! The only thing I understood was that he talked about St. Francis of Assisi. The best part of the recollection for me was to be in the chapel together with my friend priests attending the Eucharistic adoration. During the adoration I offered the prayer intentions some of you have emailed me.

I also took time to reflect little bit about two important recent announcements of Pope Benedict XVI about a theme which I am emotionally attached to – New Evangelization. The first is the establishment of the Pontifical Council for Promoting the New Evangelization and the second one is his announcement at the end of the Synod on the Middle East, that the next Ordinary Assembly will be on the theme of “The New Evangelization for the Transmission of the Christian Faith”. The purpose of establishing the Pontifical Council is to reflect on the topic of new evangelization and to identify ways to promote the new evangelization efforts of the Church. Just like a person without a purpose in life is lost, a Church without mission is dead. It has become part of our daily experience hearing about closing churches and lost people. We need to do something about this. Many are worried about the ruined state of the world, some others are more worried about the ruined state of the Church, and few others are worried about ruined state one’s own family or personal life. Yet we decide to remain idle. St. Francis Assisi had a dream about the ruined state of his Church and he decided to do his part, trying to rebuild his ruined local church. But God gave him a bigger dream of rebuilding the Universal Church. We all have to dream bigger in protecting and rebuilding the Church. I will reflect on the theme of New Evangelization in my future articles giving little more clarity to this theme.  


I want my readers to do two things for me. First I am going to suggest a Scripture verse (or few verses) every week. We all are going to memorize that verse for the week and then try to live it every moment of our life for the whole week. Then you write down the occasions you lived that word or even the occasions you failed to live that word. I learned this from the Spirituality of the Focolare Movement and found out that the Word of God has the power to transform lives. You could practice this as a family, class or prayer group. For this week I suggest Mt 5: 8 : “Blessed are the poor of heart, for they will see God”. The second thing I want you to do is to send me your prayer intentions (malankaramathai@msn.com or malankaramathai@gmail.com ) and I will ask all my friends to pray for that intention. I will publish it in the blog and will remain there for the whole week. I will use my own discretion in handling this and will publish it only when you request it through an email.

I also have to share this beautiful testimony from one of my friends, Kate Vikstrom from Canton, MI who overcomes all her life struggles through her faith in God. Please keep her family in your prayers as we continue to support each other in Christ.

Fr. Mathew,

Thanks so much for praying for us...it really means so much!  I know that God has a purpose for everything in our lives and that sometimes we can't figure out why or don't understand why certain things happen....it is in those moments, though, that I know that I have to keep my faith and trust in Him that all is going according to His plan, and it comforts me to know that.  I have had things happen in my life over the past couple of years that have touched my life so deeply, things that have changed who I am, things that have brought me closer to God and have deepened my faith...and I know that the only explanation is that these things have been Him working in my life, all the time.  I had a personal experience of God while we were living out in California...it was a moment that I will never forget and it was unlike anything I had ever experienced before in my life.  I didn't realize it at the time, but this moment would play an important role in getting me through some difficult challenges that I would face in the coming year.  I really believe that God had given me that experience, and what I learned that day, to give me the faith and trust that I would need to get through the hard times in life, so that whenever I was doubting anything or trying to lose faith, that I would remember that day, and I would remember exactly what I felt and exactly what I realized and then I would know in my heart that everything was going to be ok.  Whenever I am having a hard time with something or have a challenge to overcome, a dream falling from my sight, I remember this experience I had and it really comforts me.  It was a very inspirational moment for me and one that deepened my spiritual journey so much.  I know that with God in my life, I can make it through anything, as long as I keep my faith and trust in Him strong always, no matter how hard it might be.  

Thanks again for your prayers!

~Kate

Our Pilgrimage to Mount Prenestini and the Sanctuary of Mentorella

Last Saturday the students of the Norbertine College visited the Prenestini Mountains and the Sanctuary of Mentorella. Prenestini Mountains are part of the Apennines Presestini Lazio which is located nearly 22 miles east of Rome. Looking from the mountains to the valley provides a spectacular view to the tourists. It is a stunningly wild landscape and one could spend hours meditating on the beauty of God’s creation by looking at these mountains and valleys. After reaching the top of the mountain we walked nearly a mile to reach the Mentorella Sanctuary which is thousand meters above the sea level.

The Mentorealla was the first sanctuary dedicated to the Virgin Mary in Italy. It was one of the favorite places for John Paul II to visit and pray. Pope Benedict also has visited the place to continue the tradition of his predecessor.  There are several pictures hanging in the sacristy wall of the Church John Paul II and Benedict XVI praying there.

The place of the Sanctuary is said to have been the place of the conversion of St. Eustachius ((also known as Eustace) in the 2nd Century. Eustachius was eventually put to death for his faith. Two centuries later the Emperor Constantine decided to build a basilica on the spot of Eustachius’ conversion. It was consecrated by Pope Sylvester I sometime before A.D. 335. The Benedictines built a Church there in a later age because St. Benedict (+ 547) spent two years here praying and meditating in a cave. The Fathers of the Order of the Resurrection is in charge of the Church and monastery today.

For me it was an incredible experience to spend time in praying in such a holy place. Walking in the footsteps of the forefathers of our faith is an invitation for us to imitate their holiness. It was because of their sacrifice, the Christian faith has been transmitted to us. I need to continue that commitment in faithfully fulfilling my vocation in bringing Christ into the situations I am engaged in.  

We also offered mass in the Church. As always I remembered my friends and family while spending time in praying there. There is a wooden statue of the Madonna in the church which was built in the 13^th century.

I get several emails asking for prayer and reacting to my blog updates. Last week I received an email from Taylor Sweeny, a friend of mine from Port Huron, MI, USA, whom I gave first communion in May 2002. I am very grateful for her sincerity in sharing her personal prayer life with us and offer our prayers for her and her family. This week in a special way I ask my friends to lift our teenagers to the Lord in our prayers so that they follow the Lord through their words and deeds.

This is what Taylor wrote to me after reading my blog on prayer and it lifted my spirit and hope that it lifts yours too:

I noticed that over the last year and a half I have drifted from having a close personal relationship with Jesus. I still attended church and said my prayers, but I felt no real bond, unity, or comfort during these times. This summer I started to pay extra close attention during mass to the gospel and homily to try and revive this connection. In a class I am taking at school we were challenged to add, remove, or modify a characteristic of ourselves or relationship in our lives. This was the perfect boost I needed to work even harder at strengthening my faith. The last week and a half, I have really been spending extra time on my prayer. Before I start to pray, I read at least three pages of the Bible and then spend a quiet minute reliving my day thinking about what I did well and what I could have improved on as a Catholic. The reading is a nice transition into prayer for me. When I find a verse that really speaks to me, I write it down on a pad of paper I keep in my bedside drawer. Then I recite the Lord's Prayer, a Hail Mary, and a Glory Be. After saying these prayers, I talk to Jesus about my day and ask Him for strength to improve tomorrow in a situation mishandled today. After doing this new routine for less than two weeks, I honestly feel more comforted and close to Jesus. I missed this feeling of always having a friend with me in God and am very happy to have found it again.

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It was heart breaking for us to hear the news of the killing of several Catholics including two priests last week in Bagdad just after the Synod on the Middle East ended calling for peace in the region. I couldn’t contain my emotion and tears watching this crime committed against innocent people who have nothing to do with the war. We express our solidarity with our brothers and sisters and pay our homage to these martyrs who heroically witness the faith in their unspeakable suffering.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wjfxKM1mEoA