"The precepts of the Lord...give joy to the heart" - Prayer for the Faithful Departed at Notre Dame

O God, who manifest your almighty power above all by pardoning and showing mercy, bestow, we pray, your grace abundantly upon us and make those hastening to attain your promises heirs to the treasures of heaven. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

* * * * * *

CIMETIERE NOTRE DAME CEMETERY

23.09.2012

Quand on se retrouve comme aujourd’hui dans un cimetière, il est impossible de ne pas penser à la mort, la nôtre et celle des autres. Ces êtres chers qui nous ont quittés, quelques fois après beaucoup de souffrance, deviennent par leur silence comme des prophètes qui nous renvoient à nous-mêmes, et nous questionnent sur le sens de la vie.

L’homme moderne cherche souvent à écarté la mort de ses préoccupations quotidiennes orientées sur l’urgence de vivre; il évite d’en parler, il supprime le plus possible les rites qu’elle impose, il réussit même à l’ignorer sinon à la cacher, à faire comme si elle n’existait pas; il passe vite à autre chose.

Alors, on ne vit que pour aujourd’hui sans penser à demain. Mais la mort nous rattrape toujours avec les questions fondamentales du sens de la vie et de l’au-delà. Dans un monde qui fait rimer dignité avec santé et où la seule réponse efficace à la souffrance en fin de vie est la suppression de la vie, il est essentiel de tenter de résoudre l’énigme de ce paradoxe autrement que par la seule raison. « Nous croyons qu’il existe une espérance pour le monde d’aujourd’hui. »

Quelles que soient les croyances ou la vision de la vie, la mort demeure pour la très grande majorité des personnes une réalité troublante. Il nous est impossible de savoir avec précision comment nous réagirons lorsque nous verrons notre propre mort arriver.

The death of a loved one is always difficult, regardless of whether when it occurs after a long life or after a long, painful illness. To help the family to get through these times, it is important to have rituals and gatherings that mark a break in everyday life and help make the transition caused by the death.

It can be important for some to be able to physically see the person after he or she has passed away.

We see the suffering of families after a great tragedy when families aren’t able to retrieve their loved ones’ remains because we need to see the remains of the deceased to have peace.

We know that the mourning period extends beyond the funeral rites. Relatives, as well as society as a whole, need places where they may spend time with the dead, to remember them and to pray for them. Cemeteries and other licensed premises that honour the body or the ashes of the deceased are places that recognize the importance of the deceased persons, not only for their families, but also for society. Hence the great importance of our cemeteries…

Today, we are invited to remember our dead in a special way. It is through our visits to the cemetery, our participation at Mass, and by our prayers that we can remember our beloved dead. We know how important these things are: Your presence here this afternoon affirms that this is true!

Le croyant cherche à s’ouvrir à cette autre dimension de la vie qui lui échappe et il trouvera dans la révélation que propose la Parole de Dieu un peu de lumière pour éclairer ses ténèbres. « Certes mourir est une réalité biologique irrévocable mais c’est aussi l’achèvement d’une vie, d’un parcours humain qui a une dimension spirituelle constitutive…» (Coll. Credo, la résurrection de la chair p.110)

Comme nous l’a rappelé l’extrait du document sur L’Église dans le monde de ce temps de Vatican II et que je reprends : « Certes, elle passe la figure de ce monde, déformée par le péché; mais nous avons appris que Dieu prépare une demeure nouvelle et une terre nouvelle où réside la justice, dont la béatitude comblera et surpassera tous les désirs de paix qui gonflent le cœur de l’homme. »

La mort est un mystère trop grand pour qu’il faille l’absorber seul. Il nous faut une lumière pour en éclairer le sens; toute la révélation depuis le début enseigne que l’homme est fait à l’image de Dieu et donc, capable de Dieu, fait pour Dieu : « Dieu a créé l’homme pour une existence impérissable; il a fait de lui une image de ce qu’il est lui-même. »

Certaines personnes pensent que Dieu est distant et qu’il n’st pas touché par les souffrances du monde. Pourtant, dans la personne de Jésus Christ, dieu est venu dans ce monde. Il a expérimenté comme nous la souffrance et les peines de cette vie. Il a démontré qu’il est ému au plus profond de son être par les souffrances humaines. Lorsqu’il a marché sur cette terre, Jésus a guéri les malades et ceux qui avaient le cœur brisé; il a rendu la vue aux aveugles et la santé aux malades. Il a redonné espoir à ceux qui n’en avait pas.

Ayant appris la mort de son ami Lazare, Jésus a déclaré : « Notre ami Lazare s’est endormi, mais je vais le réveiller » (Jn11, 11). Même s’il savait qu’il allait ressusciter Lazare, Jésus a pleuré en voyant la souffrance, la douleur et la tristesse que sa mort causait à ses proches, et il a prononcé quelques paroles pour révéler cette encourageante vérité à ceux qui étaient affligés : « je suis la résurrection et la vie; celui qui croit en moi, même sil meurt, vivra » (Jn 11, 25)

C’est l’espérance et la vérité dans lesquelles nous avons grandi et dans laquelle nous cherchons à vivre… et nous pouvons affirmer que ceux et celles qui reposent dans ce cimetière ont cherché et vécu dans cette espérance et cette vérité… Ils ont été ceux qui nous ont ouvert la porte de la foi… Si à une époque la foi se transmettait facilement et naturellement entre les générations… ce n’est plus la réalité actuelle…

Our faith teaches us that it is in hope and truth that we have grown and in which we strive to live... and we believe that those who rest in this cemetery sought and lived in faith this hope and truth... They are the ones who opened the door of faith for us when we were children and growing young people...

At one time, faith was passed on through family life easily and naturally from generation to generation... Sadly, it is often not the reality today...

While the Year of Faith will soon begin, Pope Benedict XVI reminds us that faith opens a door that gives us access to the path that leads to eternal happiness. If we believe in eternal life, we will cross the threshold that leads to a new world without hesitation.

Also, because of our faith, we invite others to follow us. The Second Vatican Council’s document, The Church in the Modern World taught us: “Therefore, while we are warned that it profits a man nothing if he gain the whole world and lose himself, the expectation of a new earth must not weaken but rather stimulate our concern for cultivating this one. For here grows the body of a new human family, a body which even now is able to give some kind of foreshadowing of the new age.”

Today let us respond to this invitation by discovering our faith and to dare to believe today.

May the blessing of the Lord be upon each of you and remain with you on the road of life as you walk with Christ who is the way, the truth and the life.

May this celebration of the commemoration of the faithful departed renew our vision of death and our death. And ask the Virgin Mary to pray for us “now and at the hour of our death.”

”Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death."

 Que la bénédiction du Seigneur habite chacun de vos cœurs et vous accompagne sur les routes de la vie où marche avec vous le Christ qui est le chemin, la vérité et la vie.

Que cette célébration de la commémoration des fidèles défunts renouvelle notre regard sur la mort, sur notre mort.

Et demandons à la Vierge Marie de prier pour nous « maintenant et à l’heure de notre mort ».

« Sainte Marie, mère de Dieu, priez pour nous pauvres pêcheurs, maintenant et à l’heure de notre mort ». Amen!

Saints Michael, Gabriel & Raphael

O God, who dispose in marvelous order ministries both angelic and human, graciously grant that our life on earth may be defended by those who watch over us as they minister perpetually to you in heaven. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

* * * * * *

Saints Michael, Gabriel and Raphael

Angels—messengers from God—appear frequently in Scripture, but only Michael, Gabriel and Raphael are named.

Michael appears in Daniel's vision as "the great prince" who defends Israel against its enemies; in the Book of Revelation, he leads God's armies to final victory over the forces of evil. Devotion to Michael is the oldest angelic devotion, rising in the East in the fourth century. The Church in the West began to observe a feast honouring Michael and the angels in the fifth century.

Gabriel also makes an appearance in Daniel's visions, announcing Michael's role in God's plan. His best-known appearance is an encounter with a young Jewish girl named Mary, who consents to bear the Messiah.

Raphael's activity is confined to the Old Testament story of Tobit. There he appears to guide Tobit's son Tobiah through a series of fantastic adventures which lead to a threefold happy ending: Tobiah's marriage to Sarah, the healing of Tobit's blindness and the restoration of the family fortune.

The memorials of Gabriel (March 24) and Raphael (October 24) were added to the Roman calendar in 1921. The 1970 revision of the calendar joined their feasts to Michael's.

Each of these archangels performs a different mission in Scripture: Michael protects; Gabriel announces; Raphael guides. Earlier belief that inexplicable events were due to the actions of spiritual beings has given way to a scientific world-view and a different sense of cause and effect. Yet believers still experience God's protection, communication and guidance in ways which defy description. (www.americancatholic.org/saintoftheday)

OM: Saint Wenceslaus, Martyr - Father Carl Joseph Matthews, S.J.

O God, who taught the Martyr Saint Wenceslaus to place the heavenly Kingdom before an earthly one, grant through his prayers that, denying ourselves, we may hold fast to you with all our heart. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

 * * *

St. Wenceslaus

St. Wenceslaus, duke of Bohemia, was born about the year 907 at Prague, Bohemia (now the Czech Republic). His father was killed in battle when he was young, leaving the kingdom to be ruled by his pagan mother. Wenceslaus was educated by his grandmother, Ludmilla, also a saint. She taught him to be a Christian and to be a good king. She was killed by pagan nobles before she saw him king, but she left him with a deep committment to the Christian faith.

Throughout his life he preserved his virginity unblemished. As duke he was a father to his subjects, generous toward orphans, widows, and the poor. On his own shoulders he frequently carried wood to the houses of the needy. He often attended the funerals of the poor, ransomed captives, and visited those suffering in prison. He was filled with a deep reverence toward the clergy; with his own hands he sowed the wheat for making altar breads and pressed the grapes for the wine used in the Mass. During winter he would visit the churches barefoot through snow and ice, frequently leaving behind bloody footprints.

Wenceslaus was eighteen years old when he succeeded his father to the throne. Without regard for the opposition, he worked in close cooperation with the Church to convert his pagan country. He ended the persecution of Christians, built churches and brought back exiled priests. As king he gave an example of a devout life and of great Christian charity, with his people calling him "Good King" of Bohemia.

His brother Boleslaus, however, turned to paganism. One day he invited Wenceslaus to his house for a banquet. The next morning, on September 28, 929, as Wenceslaus was on the way to Mass, Boleslaus struck him down at the door of the church. Before he died, Wenceslaus forgave his brother and asked God's mercy for his soul. Although he was killed for political reasons, he is listed as a martyr since the dispute arose over his faith. This king, martyred at the age of twenty-two, is the national hero and patron of the Czech Republic. He is the first Slav to be canonized.

* * * * * *

R I P :  FATHER CARL MATTHEWS, SJ
AVID PROMOTER OF CATHOLIC EDUCATION

On August 2, when I spoke with Carl Matthews at the Jesuit Infirmary, I was struck by how physically diminished he had become; but he was, as always, cheerful and affirming of me and my ministry.

Carl was a great promoter of causes in which he believed and he had great faith in the justice of the cause of full funding for Catholic education in Ontario. His studies had convinced him on historical grounds of the rightness of the cause of extending funding in Catholic education beyond Grade 10.

He also loved to write and so being publishing editor of the Catholic Register was a dream come true; he was disappointed when he lost his job over an overly effusive editorial he wrote that promoted federal constitutional change.  But he was loyal and took up with passion his subsequent ministry at Waubashene and Christian Island, which, because of proximity to the Martyrs Shrine, allowed him to celebrate and preach there and in a sense continue along the paths laid out by the Canadian Martyrs in service to rural folk and the Native People.  I am sure he would have found it fitting that it was on the feast of the Martyrs that Our Lord came to call him home to the Father's home.

There will be wake services at Manresa Retreal House Chapel on Sunday, September 30 from 2-4 PM and at Rosar-Morrison's on Sherbourne Street from 7-9 PM. 

The funeral Mass will be celebrated at 10:30 AM on Monday morning, October 1 at Our Lady of Lourdes Church (Sherbourne and Earl Streets), with burial that afternoon in the Jesuit Cemetery, Guelph, ON. Here in a slightly edited form is the obituary provided by the Jesuits in English Canada Province: 

Father Carl Joseph Damien Matthews died peacefully in Rouge Valley Hospital, Ajax-Pickering, Ontario on September 26th, the Feast of the Canadian Martyrs in his 81st year of life and the 62nd year of his life in the Society of Jesus.

Carl Matthews was born on February 23rd, 1932 in Kingston, Ontario, the son of Charles Matthews and Florence Casey, attended Regiopolis College there and on August 14th, 1951 entered St. Stanislaus Novitiate, Guelph.

After first vows and two years of classical studies in the juniorate, he studied philosophy at Regis College (the Jesuit Seminary), 403 Wellington Street, Toronto. He returned to Regiopolis for two years of teaching and then did special studies in education at the University of Toronto.

During his theological studies he was ordained a priest on June 4th, 1966. He returned to the University of Toronto for studies in education, which led to a long ministry in the field that included his being a consultant to the Catholic Education Association, a Trustee of the Catholic School Board and Chairman of the Toronto Catholic District School Board. During this time, he wrote several books on education in Ontario and did pastoral ministry at Martyrs’ Shrine, Good Shepherd Parish in Thornhill and St. Michael’s Cathedral.

After a brief tenure as editor and publisher of The Catholic Register, he began in 1994, a stint as pastor of St. John the Evangelist Church in Waubaushene and St. Francis Xavier Mission on Christian Island. During this time he also offered lectures at St. Augustine’s Seminary and did considerable writing and editing. In 2010 he became Chaplain at St. Joseph’s Motherhouse in Toronto.

Recently, when his health deteriorated, Fr. Carl moved to the La Storta Community in Pickering, and then to the Rene Goupil Infirmary; he was a dignified and gracious priest who cherished his clerical role and related warmly if somewhat formally with his companions. Very interested in politics, he enjoyed recounting a good story; he will be missed by his family, Jesuit companions and many associates.

St. Vincent de Paul - Mont-Gabriel

 O God, who for the relief of the poor and the formation of the clergy endowed the Priest Saint Vincent de Paul with apostolic virtues, grant, we pray, that, afire with that same spirit, we may love what he loved and put into practice what he taught. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

* * *

Saint Vincent de Paul: Il ne me suffit pas d’aimer Dieu, si mon prochain ne l'aime pas de même

Le 27 septembre l’Église fête saint Vincent de Paul. Voici un texte de ce grand apôtre de la charité au XVIIe siècle.

Notre vocation est d’aller enflammer le cœur des hommes, de faire ce que fit le Fils de Dieu, Lui qui vint porter le feu dans le monde pour l’enflammer de son amour. Que pouvons-nous désirer d’autre sinon qu’il brûle et consume tout?

Il est donc vrai que je suis envoyé non seulement pour aimer Dieu, mais pour le faire aimer.

Il ne me suffit pas d’aimer Dieu, si mon prochain ne l’aime pas de même. Je dois aimer mon prochain, fait à l’image de Dieu et objet de son amour, et tout faire, pour qu’à leur tour, les hommes aiment leur Créateur qui les reconnaît et les considère comme ses frères, qu’il a sauvés; et faire en sorte que, par la charité réciproque, ils s’aiment les uns les autres par amour de Dieu, qui les a aimés jusqu’à abandonner à la mort son propre Fils pour eux. C’est cela mon devoir.

Et bien, s’il est vrai que nous sommes appelés à porter au loin et à proximité l’amour de Dieu, que nous devons en enflammer les nations, si notre vocation est d’aller répandre ce feu divin dans le monde entier, s’il en est ainsi, dis-je, s’il en est vraiment ainsi, mes frères, combien me faut-il moi-même brûler de ce feu divin!

Comment donner la charité aux autres, si nous ne l’avons pas entre nous? Observons si nous l’avons, non pas en général, mais si chacun l’a en soi, s’il l’a à la mesure nécessaire; parce que si elle n’est brûlante en nous, si nous ne nous aimons pas les uns les autres comme Jésus Christ nous a aimés et si nous n’accomplissons pas d’actes semblables aux siens, comment pourrions-nous espérer diffuser un tel amour sur toute la terre? Il n’est pas possible de donner ce que l’on n’a pas.

Le devoir de la charité consiste précisément à faire aux autres ce que l’on voudrait raisonnablement qu’ils nous fassent. Est-ce que je fais vraiment pour mon prochain ce que je voudrais qu’il me fasse?

Observons le Fils de Dieu. Il n’y a que Notre Seigneur, qui soit si épris de l’amour pour les créatures qu’Il a laissé le trône de son Père, pour venir prendre un corps soumis à l’infirmité.

Et pourquoi cela? Pour établir entre nous, par sa parole et son exemple, la charité prochain. C’est cet amour qui l’a crucifié et a accompli l’œuvre admirable de notre rédemption.

Si nous avions un peu de cet amour, resterions-nous les bras croisés? Oh! non, la charité ne peut pas rester désoeuvrée, elle nous pousse à procurer le salut et le soulagement aux autres. [De “Conférence aux Prêtres de la Mission” de St Vincent de Paul (Conférence 207).]

* * * * * *

THE AMBIENCE OF MONT-GABRIEL

The Holy Canadian Martyrs, Secondary Patrons of Canada - Sunday 26B: "Would That All Were Prophets" - CCCB Plenary Photos

Les SAINTS MARTYRS
de l'AMÉRIQUE du NORD
(XVIIe siècle)

Vers le milieu du XVIIe siècle (1642-1649) une vaillante légion de Jésuites travaillait, dans le Canada encore à peu près sauvage, à la conversion de peuplades féroces, parmi lesquelles étaient surtout les Iroquois. Alors s'ouvrit pour les missionnaires ce que l'on a justement appelé "l'ère des martyrs".

Au pays de Hurons (aujourd'hui Midland, Ontario) la première victime fut le Père Antoine Daniel qui fut percé de flèches, achevé d'un coup de feu, dépouillé de ses habits et jeté dans le brasier de sa chapelle devenue la proie des flammes (le 4 juillet, 1648).

Quelques mois plus tard, le Père Jean de Brébeuf et le Père Gabriel Lalemant subissent à leur tour les plus affreux supplices (les 16 et 17 mars 1649). On pique d'abord le Père de Brébeuf avec des alènes rougies au feu, on promène sur ses membres des tisons embrasés, on lui enlève la peau de la tête en forme de couronne. Pour l'empêcher d'exhorter ses fidèles, les bourreaux lui coupent les lèvres, la langue et le nez, lui fendent la bouche jusqu'aux oreilles, enfoncent un fer rouge dans sa gorge; ils coupent des lambeaux de sa chair, les font rôtir et les mangent sous ses yeux. Ils jettent ensuite de l'eau bouillante sur sa tête, enduisent son corps de résine et le font griller lentement; enfin, un chef Iroquois lui arrache le coeur, le dévore et boit le sang du martyr. Le Père Lalemant subit un supplice du même genre pendant seize heures et eut enfin le crâne fracassé à coups de hache.

Le Père Isaac Jogues aurait pu se soustraire une première fois au martyre en 1642; dans cette meme annee René Goupil a subit le martyr. Aussi, Jogues ne voulut pas se séparer de ses chrétiens, prisonniers des Iroquois. Après des supplices aussi inouïs que variés, il fut arraché à la mort et ramené en France. Mais son coeur était resté au Canada. Il y revint en 1646, et y reçut bientôt la palme d'un martyre glorieux le 18 octobre; le lendemain, 19 octobre Jean de la Lande fut mis a la mort.

Au nombre des autres victimes des Iroquois furent, les 7 et 8 decembre 1649, les Pères Charles Garnier et Noël Chabanel, massacrés dans l'héroïque exercice de leur apostolat. Le Pape Pie XI béatifia ces admirables martyrs, dignes de ceux des premiers siècles en 1926. - Quelle est divine la religion qui inspire de tels courages et suscite de tels apôtres! [Abbé L. Jaud, Vie des Saints pour tous les jours de l'année, Tours, Mame, 1950].

* * * * * *

St. John de Brébeuf, St. Isaac Jogues and Companions

French Jesuits were among the first missionaries to go to Canada and North America after J. Cartier discovered Canada in 1534. Their mission region extended from Nova Scotia to Maryland.

John de Brebeuf, Gabriel Lalemant, Noel Chabanel, Charles Garnier, Anthony Daniel, Isaac Jogues, Rene Goupil and John de Lalande (the first six Jesuits, the last two laymen) preached the gospel to the Iroquois and Huron Indians, and after being tortured, they were martyred.

The martyrdoms took place between 1642 and 1649: Goupil in 1642, Jogues and Lalande on October 18 and 19, 1646 in the area of what is now Auriesville, New York; Daniel on July 4, 1648, Brebeuf and Lalemant in March 1649, Garnier and Chabanel in December 1649--all of these five in Huronia, near present-day Midland, Ontario. Ten years after the martyrdom of St. Isaac Jogues, Kateri Tekakwitha was born in the same village in which he died. These martyrs are co-patrons of Canada.

The missionaries arrived in Canada less than a century after its discovery by Cartier in 1534, in the hope of converting the Indians and setting up "New France." Their opponents were often the English and Dutch colonists. When Isaac Jogues returned to Paris after his first capture and torture, he said to his superior: "Yes, Father, I want whatever our Lord wants, even if it costs a thousand lives." He had written in his mission report: "These tortures are very great, but God is still greater, and immense."

Isaac Jogues' declaration on leaving France to return to the mission in Canada is heroic:

"My heart tells me that if I have the blessing of being used for this mission, I shall go and I shall not return; but I would be glad if our Lord should fulfil the sacrifice where he began it, and that the small amount of blood I shed in that land should turn out to be an advance payment for that which I would give from all the veins of my body and heart."

In the Office of Readings we have an excerpt from the mission journal of St. John de Brébeuf, who had been a student of the great Jesuit spiritual writer, Louis Lallemant. He wrote:

For two days now I have experienced a great desire to be a martyr and to endure all the torments the martyrs suffered.... I vow to you, Jesus my Savior, that as far as I have the strength I will never fail to accept the grace of martyrdom, if some day you in your infinite mercy should offer it to me, your most unworthy servant.... On receiving the blow of death, I shall accept it from your hands with the fullest delight and joy of spirit.... My God, it grieves me greatly that you are not known, that in this savage wilderness all have not been converted to you, that sin has not been driven from it.

[Excerpted and adapted from Enzo Lodi, Saints of the Roman Calendar]

* * *

In 1999, the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops published a pastoral letter on the Canadian Martyrs to mark the 350th anniversary of the final deaths of these heroic priests in 1649.  It may be accessed at: http://www.cccb.ca/site/Files/martyrse.pdf.

* * *

O God, who chose to manifest the blessed hope of your eternal Kingdom by the toil of Saints John de Brebeuf, Isasac Jogues and their companions and by the shedding of their blood, graciously grant that through their intercession the faith of Christians may be strengthened day by day. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

* * * * * *

Twenty-sixth Sunday of Ordinary Time (Year “B”) – September 30, 2012

BREADTH OF VISION IN JESUS

AND THE CHURCH

[Numbers 11.16a, 17c, 25-29 [Psalm 19]; James 5.1-6; Mark 9.38 -43, 45, 47-48]

When the Declaration of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith Dominus Jesus (“on the uniqueness and salvific universality of Jesus Christ and the Church”) was published in the year 2000 it unsettled some Christians, including Catholics.

For it seemed to backtrack from the vision of the Second Vatican Council in its openness to other religions and to Christians separated from Rome. It might even have appeared to counter the tolerance manifested by Moses and Jesus in today's scriptural readings.

In Numbers, Moses revealed a generous spirit when Joshua wanted to put a stop to two unauthorized individuals, Eldad and Medad, who were given the gift of prophecy.



Prior to this manifestation of the Spirit's largesse, Moses had complained to God about the burdens of leading the chosen people. Heeding Moses' prayer, God had taken some of Moses' spirit and shared it with 70 elders chosen to assist with his leadership responsibilities.

In response to the gift of the spirit which had been in Moses these elders prophesied. But in contrast with Moses' unique and on-going gift of prophecy, the elders received the prophetic gift only for this occasion (“when the spirit rested on them, they prophesied; but they did not do so again”).

Mysteriously and in a seemingly unplanned way, when the spirit of Moses was being shared with the 70 elders some was spilled onto two people who stayed in their tents and were not with the 70 at the tabernacle.

Joshua implored Moses to stop such a runaway expression of God's Spirit by exercising his authority over them. Instead, Moses assured Joshua that he welcomed such a manifestation of God's insight among the people, as he had welcomed it among the 70 leaders (“would that all the Lord's people were prophets, and that the Lord would put his Spirit on them!”)

Likewise in the gospel, Jesus invited his disciples to embrace a tolerant spirit when several of them tried to curtail an exorcist found casting out demons in his name. Speaking for the Twelve, John said that they had forbidden the exorcist “because he was not following us”.

In reply, Jesus admonished them, saying they should not put constraints on such an exorcist. For he argued that such a person could not simultaneously use his name to perform an exorcism and “soon afterward” slander him. For “whoever is not against us is for us”.

Still, this same Jesus on another occasion uttered a saying that seems narrower and less open, “whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters” (Matthew 12.30). And yet, despite appearances, these sayings of Jesus need not be contradictory, particularly if the former was spoken to the disciples about themselves and the latter to those indifferent about his message concerning themselves.

Apropos of these two sayings, the Protestant biblical interpreter Eduard Schweizer observed, ‘There are times when one can no longer remain neutral.... Ecumenical openness (Mark 9.40) and the unambiguous demand for a clear confession of Jesus (Matthew 12.30) are certainly compatible’ (The Good News according to Matthew [Atlanta: John Knox, 1975], p. 287).

The Doctrinal Congregation's purpose seems to have been to remind those who, in the name of tolerance, affirm that all religions and even all Christian denominations have equal validity as paths to salvation. For the Church has always maintained that God has proposed Jesus as the Way, the Truth and the Life. And this Lord Jesus established a will for his Church that, when lived in its purest form, must manifest certain features important for the salvation of his followers. Indeed, rigorous demands such as these were articulated in the pastoral decrees of Vatican II.

In subsequent sayings, Jesus starkly emphasized the need to maintain one's status as a disciple by avoiding sins that undermine an authentic following of him. The startling words that it is better to “enter [eternal] life” maimed or lame or with one eye than being whole “and to go to Hell” describe what is at stake in deciding to follow Jesus or not.

Like Jesus, James minced no words in excoriating the wealthy who perpetrated injustice against the poor. The material goods in which they had put their trust would recoil upon them with painful consequences (“your gold and silver have rusted, and their rust will be evidence against you”).

* * * * * *

CCCB PLENARY PHOTOS

Our second day of the Plenary was very full: an address by the Major Archbishop of the Ukrainian Catholic Church (above and below); a presentation on the economic crisis and a meeting of the Board of CNEWA (Catholic Near East Welfare Association) Canada, etc. 

Some photos of these aspects and of other features of the day: 

Major Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk of Kiev-Halych, Ukraine

Father William F. X. (Bill) Ryan, SJ, speaks on Caritas in veritate's teaching on the economy

"Brother Jesuits"

Msgr. Jeffrey Steenson, of the Ordinariate of the Chair of Peter and Saint John Bishop Robert Harris

Above: CNEWA CANADA board meets over lunch and poses after the annual meeting (below)

OM: Sts. Cosmas and Damian, Patron Saints of Doctors - The Canadian Federation of Catholic Physicians Societies - Photos from the 2012 CCCB PLenary

Sts. Cosmas and Damian

This is one of the most ancient feasts of the Church, and these two martyrs have been honoured in the East and West in many ways, including the building of churches in their honor in Rome and Constantinople. Along with St. Luke, they are the patron saints of doctors. Little is known of their true history, but the legend that has come down to us is of very early origin.

Sts. Cosmas and Damian were venerated in the East as the "moneyless ones" because they practiced medicine gratis. According to the legend, they were twin brothers, born in Arabia, who studied in Syria and became skilled physicians. They were supposed to have lived on the Bay of Alexandretta in Cilicia, in what is now Turkey.

Since they were prominent Christians, they were among the first arrested when the great persecution under Diocletian began. Lysias, the governor of Cilicia, ordered their arrest, and they were beheaded. Their bodies, it was said, were carried to Syria and buried at Cyrrhus.

What is certain is that they were venerated very early and became patrons of medicine, known for their miracles of healing. The Emperor Justinian was cured by their intercession and paid special honour to the city of Cyrrhus where their relics were enshrined.

Their basilica in Rome, adorned with lovely mosaics, was dedicated in the year 530. They are named in the Roman Martyrology and are mentioned in the Roman Canon [First Eucharistic Prayer] of the Mass, testifying to the antiquity of their feast day.

The great honour in which they are held and the antiquity of their veneration indicate some historical memory among the early Christians who came out of the great persecutions with a new cult of Christian heroes. Cosmas and Damian were not only ideal Christians by their practice of medicine without fee, they also symbolized God's blessing upon the art of healing and that respect for every form of science, which is an important part of Christian tradition. [Excerpted from Rev. Clifford Stevens, The One Year Book of Saints] 

* * *

May you be magnified, O Lord, by the revered memory of your Saints Cosmas and Damian, for with providence beyond words you have conferred on them everlasting glory, and on us, your unfailing help. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

* * * * * *

The Ottawa Chapter of the CANADIAN FEDERATION OF CATHOLIC PHYSICIANS SOCIETIES is under the patronage of today's doctor-saints.

Naturally, we are all pleased that this feast day, which had been dropped from the Canadian liturgical calendar because it conflicted with the Canadian Martyrs Feast on September 26 has been restored, and is being observed now a day earlier in Canada as an optional memorial.

The CFCPG holds an annual convention, which in 2013 will take place from May 31-June 2 in Quebec City. 

Here is the poster for the meeting: doctors, medical students and others associated with health care in various forms are invited to take part.

For more info or to register for the conference: www.quebec2013.ca.

* * * * * *

VIEWS OF THE BISHOPS' ASSEMBLY

Across the Divide Shown at St. Paul's - CCCB Plenary Begins Today in Sainte-Adele, Quebec

On Wednesday night at St. Paul's, Salt and Light TV-collaborating with the Archdiocese of Ottawa, CNEWA Canada (a papal charity), the Holy Land Commissariat and St. Paul's University--hosted the Ottawa premiere of this very engaging film.

On the surface, campus life at Bethlehem University feels disarmingly familiar. And then you're reminded why this region is unlike any other.

Between classes, students pour into the courtyard, maybe spending a little too much time laughing and socializing. But here, each young person can recount experiences of violence and hardship. Like North American students, you can find them hastily finishing their course reading on the bus. But to commute a few miles from neighbouring East Jerusalem, students have to pass through an eight metre high concrete wall—or sometimes not pass, and wait for hours at an armed checkpoint.

And like a Catholic university in the West, stressed-out students will head to the chapel to pray. But in addition to typical freshman worries, Bethlehem students pray for an end to the cycle of war that haunts their city.

Salt and Light TV tells the story of Bethlehem University, the De La Salle Christian brothers who run it, and Christian students who will sacrifice everything for their education. Together, and with the intercession of St. Jean-Baptiste De La Salle, they aim to build a better future for the Holy Land.

After the film showing, which was very well received, I took part in a panel discussion with Carl Hetu, head of CNEWA and Kris Dimytrenko, co-producer of the film.  Here are some pictures, courtesy of Paul Lauzon.

Psalm 122: Song of Praise and Prayer for Jerusalem
A Song of Ascents. Of David.

1 I was glad when they said to me,
‘Let us go to the house of the Lord!’
2 Our feet are standing
within your gates, O Jerusalem.
3 Jerusalem—built as a city
that is bound firmly together.
4 To it the tribes go up,
the tribes of the Lord,
as was decreed for Israel,
to give thanks to the name of the Lord.
5 For there the thrones for judgement were set up,
the thrones of the house of David.
6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:
‘May they prosper who love you.
7 Peace be within your walls,
and security within your towers.’ For the sake of my relatives and friends
I will say, ‘Peace be within you.’
9 For the sake of the house of the Lord our God,
I will seek your good.

* * * * * *

CANADIAN BISHOPS GATHER

IN PLENARY ASSEMBLY

The bishops of Canada will meet from today until Friday midday in Sainte Adele, Quebec.

Please keep our work in your thoughts and prayers.

We are praying for all the people across Canada whom we are called to serve.