ST JOHN THE BAPTIST PARISH

The Church in the Holy Land

Thu, 12 Oct 2023 11:31:36 GMT

The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem.

From the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem.

We provide you with the latest updates on the state of our parish and parishioners in Gaza through a Phone conversation we conducted on Wednesday, October 11th, 2023, at 10:30 a.m. with Father Gabriel Romanelli, the parish priest of the Holy Family parish of Gaza.

Father, can you please inform us about your situation in Gaza?

Fr. Gabriel: I am not in Gaza right now; due to the situation I have not been able to return to our parish in Gaza. As you know there are only 1017 Christians living in Gaza. Many of them are currently being welcomed by the Church, particularly the residents of the Rimal area, which has been subjected to violent bombardment. I was informed that four of our Christian families have lost their homes, destroyed by the war. They are currently staying in the church building.

Does the parish have enough space to host those in need?

Fr. Gabriel: We have opened 3 of our spaces to receive the needy. There are currently more than 150 individuals staying in the church and monastery building. The second area is the Saint Thomas Aquinas Center, which currently hosts more than 30 individuals. The third area is the Holy Family School, which has welcomed another group of people. The religious sisters of the area (Sisters of the Incarnate Word, The Rosary sisters, and Sisters of Charity) have also been helping by serving and assisting the families to the best of their abilities.

Is there enough food and water supplies, as well as electricity power?

Fr. Gabriel: In fact, we are faced with a shortage. We are trying to divide the supplies among ourselves to sustain us as long as possible. Regarding the electricity situation, just like the rest of Gaza’s citizens, we have limited access to electricity throughout the day, it comes for a short period. Unfortunately, fuel is almost running out and there are speculations that there will be an electricity outage across the Gaza Strip. We do not have enough water, so we are using it wisely and mostly just for drinking. As everyone knows and sees through the news, due to the destruction and devastations left by the war, there are barely any supplies left, and they are mostly non-existent. Hence, we are not able to buy anything or meet the needs of the people.

We know that you have received a call from H.H. Pope Francis, could you please share with us his words to you?

Fr. Gabriel: Yes, His Holiness spoke to me and Fr. Joseph, the assistant priest of the parish, who is currently there in Gaza. Throughout the call, Pope Francis assured us of his support and urged us to not cease in lifting our prayers to God Almighty and to continuously offer help to those in need. He said he would do his best to put an end to this horrific war. This has renewed our hope and faith that this war will end soon and has encouraged the parishioners upon knowing that Pope Francis has kindly contacted us.

Dear Father Gabriel, do you have any last remarks you would like to share with us?

Father Gabriel: The outcome of War is devastating; hence it must come to an end quickly, in fact, it should stop, right now! The post-war deterioration in the health sector and other systems will have a significant impact on our normal lives, here in the strip. Not to mention the psychological effect, fear, and disorders this war will leave on the people of Gaza. Many will suffer! So, we ask everyone, and every official, to do their utmost efforts to stop this war immediately. We also ask the faithful, everywhere, to unite with us in prayer, and to join the kind appeal made by Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa to dedicate the next Tuesday to fasting, abstinence, and intercession to cry out to God to end this war and bring about peace.

Freedom to think, debate and pray

Sat, 18 Feb 2023 12:30:52 GMT

Uk Government threatens the freedom of thought, debate and prayer.

Reflections for the month of November

Fri, 04 Nov 2022 17:22:12 GMT

November - Month of the Holy Souls

The first reading this Sunday is from the Second Book of Maccabees. First and Second Maccabees are sections of the Hebrew Scriptures or Old Testament that we do not encounter too often in the Sunday cycles.

First and Second Maccabees are among those books found in the Catholic and Orthodox Bible but not the Protestant Bibles. Catholics believe that they are the Word of God. Many other Christians do not. The reason for this discrepancy goes back to the end of the first Christian century. At that time there were two listings or ‘canons’ of books of the Hebrew Scriptures followed by the Jewish scholars. One listing, called the Palestinian canon did not have all the books found in the other listing called the Alexandrian canon. From the very beginning of the Church, the longer Alexandrian listing of books was followed. This lasted all the way to the sixteenth century, when the Protestant founders, particularly Martin Luther, chose the shorter Palestinian list for the Protestant bible, because they did not like the theology of the books they removed. Luther also removed the Letter to the Hebrews and several other New Testament texts. Eventually these were readmitted to the Protestant New Testament. Therefore, First and Second Maccabees, Sirach, the Wisdom of Solomon, Tobit and sections of other books were removed to fit the theology.

“Why is this important?,” one may ask. Well, these books of the Bible have numerous references to the resurrected life and to prayers for the dead. The Lord, as a faithful Jew and teacher would have prayed for the dead, for their repose and for mercy.

The two books of Maccabees speak about the times during the Jewish revolt against Syria in the second century before Jesus. These were the days when the Syrian King, Antiochus, decided to unify his extensive Kingdom by demanding that all the people of his Kingdom worship the pagan gods of Greece. Although Antiochus was King of Syria, he was descended from the Greeks who conquered under Alexander the Great.

The whole Middle East was embracing Greek culture, philosophy and lifestyle. People were building Greek gymnasiums throughout the region. Pagan rituals, sacrifices and orgies were seen to be new and modern. However, there was a pocket of resistance to this new way and to the King’s orders in Palestine among some of the Jewish people. When Antiochus learned about this he sent his soldiers to enforce his laws. They took over the temple and constructed a statue of the god Zeus on the altar in the Holy of Holies in the Temple. This was an area so sacred to the Jewish people that only one chosen priest could enter it and then only once a year. It was in the Holy of Holies that the curtain separating the Holy of Holies from the rest of the Temple would be torn in two during the earthquake when Jesus died on the cross.

About 175 years before Christ Antiochus’ soldiers desecrated the Temple. Many of the Jews gave in to the Syrians. First Maccabees says,

“In those days there appeared in Israel men who were breakers of the law, and they seduced many people, saying: "Let us go and make an alliance with the Gentiles all around us; since we separated from them, many evils have come upon us."

Others, though, refused to compromise their principles. The Second Book of Maccabees, our first reading for today, detailed the sufferings and deaths of those who died for their faith. One can understand how the early Church treasured Maccabees texts as an inspiration to endure persecution for the faith. They can remain an inspiration now as the secular liberal relativist agenda has begun in earnest to attack the Christian faith (though not other faith interestingly).

Among those who resisted the Syrian King were a group of people living in Modein and led by Mattathias, a faithful Jewish priest. Mattathias was elderly and died soon after the revolt, but the revolt was continued by his five sons, led by the strongest of them, known as Judas Maccabeus. The First Book of Maccabees speaks about the battles of Judas, and his conquest of the Syrians. When Jerusalem fell, the Jews spent eight days cleaning the Temple from its pagan impurities. The eight-day purification of the Temple is still celebrated in the Jewish Feast of Hanukkah. Thus, the eight candles on the Jewish Menorah, a celebration kept around the same time as our celebration of Christmas.

One of the battles that Judas engaged the enemy in was the battle against Gorgias. Although Judas won the battle, many of his soldiers were killed. When their companions went to bury them, they found that each dead soldier was wearing pagan amulets under his tunic. It was clear why they died. Judas then took a collection up among his soldiers and sent an offering to Jerusalem so that sacrifices and prayers might be offered up for his men who had sinned and fallen. It is here that we read an important verse for us during this Month of All Souls:

“In doing this Judas acted in a very excellent and noble way, inasmuch as he had the resurrection of the dead in view; for if he were not expecting the fallen to rise again, it would have been useless and foolish to pray for them in death. But if he did this with a view to the splendid reward that awaits those who had gone to rest in godliness, it was a holy and pious thought. Thus, he made atonement for the dead that they might be freed from this sin.”

The Books of Maccabees present a firm belief in the eternal life of those who have lived for the Lord and a belief in praying for those who have died. We continue this in the Church. We use the term purgatory, or place of cleansing, as the state of those waiting and preparing for full entrance into the love and Presence of the Lord. Our prayers for our loved ones is also a powerful expression of the Body of Christ the Church which extends not just throughout the world but throughout creation, time and space. The Church is militant, (on earth), suffering (purgatory) and heavenly because we are, through Baptism ‘in Christ’ and Christ is all, in all.

Nowadays there is a trend to canonise everyone when they die. The local drug dealer who by their trade ruins peoples lives, contributes to a chain of abuse, supports terror and trafficking suddenly becomes ‘a lovely man, the life and soul of the party and was kind to animals’ . Everyone knows it is nonsense, but we must say only ‘nice things’. Not to be ‘nice’ is now considered a secular crime. The idea that everyone enters into heaven is profoundly unchristian because it denies our free will, it denies the Lord’s great gift of freedom to choose by our lives and actions.

St John Henry, Cardinal Newman in his work ‘The Dream of Gerontius’ puts it beautifully. The soul of the old man, Gerontius, having for a split second looked into the eyes of the Saviour, at the throne of Grace, shouts:

Take me away, and in the lowest deep
There let me be, And there in hope the lone night-watches keep, Told out for me.
There, motionless and happy in my pain
Lone, not forlorn, - There will I sing my sad perpetual strain, Until the morn,
There will I sing, and soothe my stricken breast, Which ne'er can cease
To throb, and pine, and languish, till possest, Of its Sole Peace.
There will I sing my absent Lord and Love: - Take me away,
That sooner I may rise, and go above,
And see Him in the truth of everlasting day.
Take me away, and in the lowest deep. There let me be.

It is his own free will. It is his recognition that he is not yet ready for this vision and experience, there is still healing to be done; so, he shouts, ‘Take me away…that sooner I may rise and go above…’

The Lord of endless love and patience for those who try and strive by grace to be what we are made to be, images and reflections of His love, grants his request and the angel comes and sings:

Softly and gently, dearly-ransomed soul, In my most loving arms I now enfold thee,
And o'er the penal waters, as they roll, I poise thee, and I lower thee, and hold thee.
And carefully I dip thee in the lake, And thou, without a sob or a resistance,
Dost through the flood thy rapid passage take, Sinking deep, deeper, into the dim distance.
Angels to whom the willing task is given, Shall tend, and nurse, and lull thee, as liest;
And Masses on the earth, and prayers in heaven, Shall aid thee at the Throne of the Most Highest.
Farewell, but not for ever! brother dear, Be brave and patient on thy bed of sorrow;
Swiftly shall pass thy night of trial here, And I will come and wake thee on the morrow.
Farewell!

Our lives are fragile. A natural disaster comes, and thousands die without warning. Life is good and fine, then suddenly there is a virus. Even when we have an idea that our lives are coming to an end due to a devastating illness, we always die sooner than we expect and sooner than we would like. Our lives, in this stage of our journey into eternity are, by nature, transitory. We are not meant for this world alone, our true home is heaven, our true peace and fulfilment is union with the Creator Who goes to such extra-ordinary lengths to love us better, to call us home. Since the Lord wants children, lovers, disciples not robots we are given that most precious gift of free will in this life and the next. Without free will there is no love, and our God is love.

Sin, wounds us, it is our free choosing to live in ways which are not good for us, which do not lead to life, fulfilment, joy and completion as human beings made for a destiny beyond this transitory state. We need healing from the results of our sins, even if these sins are forgiven. The results of sin do not just go away because the sin is forgiven. Infidelity may be forgiven but it changes both people and the relationship, there is a wound. The wound may heal, but a scar remains. Someone may steal from me, and I may forgive them. However, the relationship is changed. We will not relate in quite the same way as before, that wound will leave a scar. Sin is the scar tissue of the soul.

During our lives we approach the Lord seeking healing for the results of our sins. When our lives on earth have ended we remain part of the family of the Church. Just as I would ask my family and loved ones to pray for me during and after a surgery, so too I hope that may family, natural and spiritual, will pray for me when I depart this stage of the journey. Those prayers help in the healing process so desperately needed as a result of the trauma of sin.

November is the month of Holy Souls. We have done a disservice to our dead by canonizing them all. It is a disservice because the faithful departed need our prayers. They need us to offer the sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross for them-- to have Masses prayed for them. And if we do not teach our children to pray for the dead, who will pray for us when our turn comes?

The Books of Maccabees tell us that ‘it is a good and noble thing to pray for the dead’. During the Month of November, let us pray often:

Eternal Rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them.

May their souls and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.

Pray for Peace

Thu, 24 Feb 2022 20:04:29 GMT

Pray for Peace

Let us listen to the request of Our Lady of Fatima, Queen of Peace and to the request of Pope Francis to pray and to fast for peace.

Let us keep in our prayers the people of the Ukraine.

Because He has made all things wonderful

Fri, 19 Nov 2021 16:20:35 GMT

He has made us as part of His wonderful creation, we are to be the stewards of it. Our ever increasing brutality and arrogance spoils not only our own environment but that of other species and parts of His creation. Creation is not an accident it is by design and for purpose. There is brutality and death throughout creation, but there is also incredible beauty, joy and innocence. If we can watch this and not smile then we are surely lost - to ourselves and our God.

Dante and Newman - Purgatory, Justice and Mercy embrace.

Fri, 29 Oct 2021 16:30:17 GMT

Dante and Newman - Purgatory, Justice and Mercy embrace.

BETWEEN the second and fourth centuries Christianity became more concerned with thoughts about the state in which the soul found itself between the moment of death and the Last Judgement. From this there gradually matured the belief that some who had died not in ‘a state of grace’ were saved through grace and by means of some kind of further trial or testing. A foreshadowing of this process was seen in Sacred Scripture. Some would say a new doctrine was born; others would say that it was simply a logical and theological development of our belief that earthly life and eternal life are the same journey to God, divided only by the moment of death — our passing from one mode of existence to the other. This belief matured gradually in popular devotion and practice as well as in theology. A full-blown theology of purgatory can be said to have been achieved in the late twelfth century when we see the noun purgatorium coming into use.

The medieval theology of purgatory reused and reworked motifs which had gained currency in earlier times, themes such as: darkness, fire, torture, the bridge as ordeal as well as passageway, mountains, rivers and the like. Many of these images are found in The Old Testament and in other world religions and cultures. Although the twelfth century saw the theology of purgatory more or less as we do today, the definitive doctrine was not worked out until the sixteenth century at the Council of Trent. It is a Christian doctrine which is almost exclusively Catholic and was totally rejected by the ecclesial communities of what became known as the ‘Reformation’.

Several scriptural references support this doctrine. The most notable is II Maccabees 12:41-46; which describes a battle in which a number of Jewish soldiers were killed after having committed a sin and Judas Maccabeus orders a collection to be taken that sacrifices and prayers be offered on behalf of the dead. These texts were to be, and remain, very important for the formation of any doctrine regarding prayer for the dead. Naturally when Luther removed several books from the Canon of Scripture including Maccabees I and II any Scriptural basis was removed for the ecclesial communities of the ‘reformation’.

Perhaps one of the most important historical accidents that helped the doctrine of purgatory to become fixed in people’s minds was the poetic genius of Dante and his work The Divine Comedy. Dante Alighieri began The Divine Comedy in 1308 and completed in 1320, a year before his death in 1321. It is widely acknowledged to be the pre-eminent work in Italian literature and one of the greatest works of world literature. The first two parts, the Inferno and the Purgatorio were completed in 1319.

In the Inferno (Hell) Dante and his guide encounter the torments of separation from the self, others and God. It is a place without hope. Famously Dante inscribes the chilling instruction over the gates of Hell, ‘Abandon all hope, you who enter here’ . The essence of Hell is complete absence and particularly the complete absence of hope. In Dante’s vision of Hell there is most certainly the classic ‘fire and brimstone’. However, when Dante and his guide Virgil enter the centre of Hell (the ninth circle – Betrayal) and encounter Satan it is not fire and brimstone which surrounds Satan, but rather ice. Satan is encased in ice. Dante sees Satan, who hardly even notices that Dante and his guide have entered, eternally consuming Brutus, Cassius and Judas. For Dante these are the three great betrayers of innocence, the three great traitors. Satan is surrounded by others encased in ice, those who have betrayed others, themselves and God. The heart of Hell is ice, a frozen heart of treachery and Satan so self-possessed he is unconcerned with the presence of Dante and his guide.

It is a powerful demonstration of what sin does; we are frozen, restrained, unable to reach out to others.

The popular image of purgatory was of a subterranean place of torment and pain. However, Dante’s purgatory is on earth, though inaccessible to man and directly opposite Jerusalem. It is a steep mountain with seven concentric circles (canto) rising to the summit. Each circle corresponds to one of the seven deadly sins and is the place where that particular sin is to be purged from the soul. This purging of sin is by means of work and suffering in correlation to the particular sin.

On entering Mount Purgatory the first circle the sinner encounters is that of pride. The proud carry great stones on their backs, constantly bowed and bent. As once they stood tall in their pride now they are bowed and brought low and proclaimed the value of humility.

(Canto 10)

“Whatever makes them suffer their

heavy torment bends them to the ground;

at first I was unsure of what they were.

But look intently there, and let your eyes

unravel what’s beneath those stones: you can

already see what penalty strikes each.”

Each sin is expiated by the proclamation of the particular virtue.

The terrace of pride is followed by those of envy, anger, sloth, avarice, gluttony and finally lust. At the summit of the mountain, Dante with Virgil as his guide, enters the earthly paradise; on the threshold of this paradise Virgil relinquishes his office, saying:

'Expect no more of me in word or deed. Hence your will is upright, free and whole, and you would be in error not to heed whatever your own impulse prompts you to. Lord of yourself I crown and mitre you...'

But the freedom of paradise has only been won by the steep climb and at times Virgil had to pull and drag Dante up literally on all fours through each of the circles. In each circle there was temptation to give up and remain there instead of moving on. But this was the Mountain of Purgation and moving on, growing, change, development and most importantly hope is the essence of what goes on there.

Dante says:

'Now shall I sing that second kingdom given. The soul of man wherein to purge its guilt, and to grow worthy to ascend to heaven...'

Purgation on the mountain is accomplished in three ways: by material punishment which sacrifices the passions and instils virtue; by meditation on the sin to be purged and its correlative virtue; and through prayer which purifies the soul, strengthens it by the grace of God and expresses the soul’s hope of heaven. But it is love which is the principle that governs the assignment of souls to the various circles of purgatory. Virgil explains the working of this principle to Dante, saying that all sin is the absence of love for God, an absence of the love of the good. Love may ‘turn to evil’, or ‘show less zeal than it ought for what is good’, or it may ‘turn on its Creator’ and this is the true nature of sin.

On the Mountain of Purgation the true love of God is totally restored; the soul works and climbs to regain love, to find its way back to God after having been delayed by sin. So, as Dante insists, hope reigns supreme on Mount Purgatory. The souls in purgatory, which are endowed with immaterial bodies, are delivered, redeemed and already saved. Hope is frequently expressed through prayer. The Purgatorto is punctuated throughout with prayers and hymns and it was this image of souls in prayer that the late mediaeval artists chose to distinguish purgatory from Hell. In Hell, where there is no hope, what is the use of prayer? In purgatory by contrast, the certainty of salvation is to be embodied in prayer, which not only expresses the certain end but actually brings it closer.

Dante’s great work, like St John Henry’s reflects its own historical context. In Purgatorio there is a sense of ‘working off the debt’ due to sin. There is ‘muscular Christianity’ as though Heaven could be gained by the souls own means. The Church definitively teaches that no person can merit eternal life by their own power. That is the heresy of Pelagianism and was condemned by the Church. The Church teaches that our initial grace of salvation (repentance and baptism) is unmerited, undeserved and unearned but our final salvation (entrance into Heaven) is worked out, made real and active in our daily choices, our works and our actions, as St James points out in his letter. Faith and Good works are the two sides of the one coin. We do not simply watch Christ do all the work of redemption, but through Baptism we become members of His body. As members of His body we are, by faith, the sacraments, good works and prayer to work out and make real that salvation given as grace by Christ. Dante’s work is not Pelagian since Purgatory is a means of purification after having already, although imperfectly, made the choice to follow Christ and to act in faith.

At first glance the whole poem by St John Henry, Cardinal Newman, The Dream of Gerontius, is about the death of an old Catholic gentleman. The poem tells of the passage of the soul into the presence of God. Throughout the work there is a sense not of ‘muscular Christianity’ but rather ‘active passivity’ by responding and submitting to the grace of God, however imperfectly. The great work is not about death but life!

The work was widely acclaimed by Catholics and non-Catholics alike. It had been reprinted numerous times during his own lifetime. St John Henry’s poem was the basis of Elgar's oratorio.

Although Elgar’s libretto for Part One of the oratorio required a fairly limited reduction of the original, Part Two endured a much great redaction. St John Henry’s original text is more than twice the length of Elgar's libretto. Elgar had to omit whole sections while retaining the narrative thrust which gives the work such vitality.

Dante attempted to convey life after death by using the sensual imagery of our world of mountains and rivers. Dante certainly drew heavily on Greek and Roman mythology as well as inserting contemporary political figures. Newman put this imagery aside as unsuitable and tried to convey the other world in a supra-sensible manner, a world populated by spirits, angels, souls, the Blessed Virgin and the supreme Judge Himself.

Instead of sensual imagery he used variations in metre, liturgical language and the thoughts and feelings that these evoke:

Go forth upon thy journey, Christian soul. Go from this world. Go in the name of God The omnipotent Father who created thee...

Sanctus fortis, Sanctus Deus,

De profundis oro te,

Miserere, Judex meus,

Parce mihi, Domine.

Firmly I believe and truly

God is Three, and God is One;

And I next acknowledge duly

Manhood taken by the Son.

Newman also introduced what he called ‘the poetry of dogma’, of which an example would be, ‘O wisest love, that flesh and blood which did in Adam fail should strive afresh against the foe, should strive and should prevail’.

This is poetry expressing the beautiful, central facts of our faith. He also used most effectively the idea of movement — not the slow climb up the Mountain of Purgation but the speedy flight of the ethereal spirit to the feet of the eternal Judge, who is all mercy and all love.

The Dream of Gerontius lacks the earthly imagery of Dante but it possesses something of equal power. It is dynamic in language, meter, spirituality and theology. It is of tremendous theological importance to the development of the doctrine of Purgatory.

As Gerontius dies he is afraid and begins to panic:

That I am going, that I am no more,

'Tis this strange innermost abandonment,

(Lover of souls! great God! I look to Thee,)

This emptying out of each constituent

And natural force, by which I come to be.

Pray for me, O my friends; a visitant

Is knocking his dire summons at my door,

The like of whom, to scare me and to daunt,

Has never, never come to me before;

So pray for me, my friends, who have not

strength to pray.

He calls on God to send an angel to him. He can hear the voice of the priest reciting the prayers for the dying at the point of death; yet at the same moment he is rushing away at great speed, in an instant of time, carried by the Guardian Angel:

I had a dream; yes, someone softly said ‘He’s gone’ and then a sigh went around the room. And then I surely heard a priestly voice cry ‘Subvenite’, and they knelt in prayer. I seem to hear him still, yet thin and low; ever widening interval…

The soul of Gerontius, which is not distinct from him, moves towards the throne of God at great speed but not of its own doing; he is carried and held in a loving grasp of his angel and by God himself, who draws the soul to Him. The Angel praises God for His wonder displayed in creation, but most of all displayed in the crown of His creation — mankind, who though flawed, is loved by God. In just a few words St John Henry sums up so powerfully and beautifully the state of humanity in the words of the angel:

Strange composite of heaven and earth! Majesty dwarfed to baseness! Fragrant flower running to poisonous seed! And seeming worth cloaking corruption! Weakness mastering power!

The Angel marvels at the fact that humanity is so beautiful in the sight of God and that angelic spirits are set over humanity to watch and guard them for God.

Gerontius is excited but anxious and the Angel explains to him that he is ‘hurrying to the just and holy Judge’ , all this in the very instant of death. Gerontius asks why, since he had feared this moment all his life, now that it is upon him he is no longer afraid but rather can look forward with a ‘serenest joy’ . The Angel explains that it is precisely because he feared the judgement of God that he has ‘forestalled the agony’ and for him ‘the bitterness of death is passed’ . But this is more than a forestalling of agony; Gerontius feels at peace and is happy.

Again the Angel explains:

‘That calm and joy uprising in thy soul is first-fruits to thee of thy recompense, and heaven begun’

As the soul of Gerontius, accompanied by the Angel flies to God, he passes through various courts of spirits where demons mock the work of God in raising man to such dignity, and through other courts where the angel choirs praise the work of God in the Incarnation. This great work was set to music by Elgar and the work of genius of both men use meter and tempo to underscore the growing moment of meeting between creature and Creator, between lover and beloved, between God and man. As he comes into the presence of God and flies to the foot of His throne the soul of the old man flies from the angelic grasp eager to meet His God and judge. The Angel cries out:

'Praise to his name! The eager spirit has darted from my hold. And, with the intemperate energy of love, flies to the feet of dear Emmanuel. But, ere it reach them, the keen sanctity, which with its effluence, like a glory clothes and circles round the Crucified, has seized, and scorched and shrivelled it, and now it lies passive and still before the awful throne. O happy, suffering soul! For it is safe —consumed, yet quickened by the glance of God' .

‘ Intemperate energy of love… ’ the urgent desire of the soul for union and communion with His Creator and ultimate destiny drives him to the Throne of Grace. The soul is ‘Consumed, yet quickened by the glance of God’ says the angel. As Dante had imagined the eternal consuming of the treacherous by Satan, St John Henry imagines a very different consuming. This is not annihilation or destruction but rather the complete possessing in love of the beloved by the lover. He is ‘quickened’ not destroyed. The soul is enlivened as never before in earthly life; it is most fully itself which brings peace. Having looked into the face of the Redeemer and seen there the love which drove God to save His creature now the soul ‘lies passive and still’ .

It is this moment of active passivity, this moment of absolute peace in the presence of ‘dear Emmanuel’ which brings also the moment of absolute clarity, self-knowledge and deepest desire to be worthy of such love.

Gerontius cries out in urgent plea to be taken away, wanting willingly to be purged of sin; to pay the debt required for sin and to do so joyfully in the sure knowledge of heaven which, for a brief instant, he has tasted. He wants to go because he now realises that he is not ready for the fullness of the presence of God and so seeks to prepare for that experience of eternal intimacy with God:

Take me away, and in the lowest deep

There let me be,

And there in hope the lone night-watches keep,

Told out for me.

There, motionless and happy in my pain

Lone, not forlorn, -

There will I sing my sad perpetual strain,

Until the morn,

There will I sing, and soothe my stricken breast,

Which ne'er can cease

To throb, and pine, and languish, till possest

Of its Sole Peace.

There will I sing my absent Lord and Love: -

Take me away,

That sooner I may rise, and go above,

And see Him in the truth of everlasting day.

Take me away, and in the lowest deep

There let me be.

The work ends with the angel of purgation taking the soul of Gerontius from the throne of God to the Lake of Purgatory and releasing him into its depths. There:

'Angels to whom the willing task is given, shall tend, and nurse, and lull thee as thou liest; and Masses on the earth and prayers in heaven shall aid thee at the throne of the Most Highest'.

This lake of Purgatory, which is not fire and flame but rather baptismal water, is the soul’s welcome destination and he is content to wait there and spend the ‘night of sorrow’ lamenting his sins until he once again sees God for whom he longs. There is something here of the Prodigal, weeping, regretting and above all coming to his senses and hoping for restoration. That moment of clarity, regret and meditation on his mistakes drives him to make the decision, ‘I will return to my father and say…’ The soul of the old man, freely chooses to contemplate his past failures, to see more clearly the foolishness of sin and hope for final restoration. The Angel concludes by singing:

Farewell, but not for ever, brother dear! Be brave and patient on thy bed of sorrow. Swiftly shall pass thy night of trial here, and I will come and wake thee in the morrow.

For St John Henry, Cardinal Newman, purgatory is the free choice of the soul, it is the soul’s recognition that it is not yet ready to enter into the eternal presence of its creator and also the desire to prepare and ready itself of eternal love. For St John Henry purgatory is the state of the Prodigal before his restoration when once more the signet and robe will be placed upon him.

These two differing views of Purgatory have had an important impact upon the development of doctrine, each gives differing but valid insight. However, what remains is that this doctrine came not solely from theologians meditating upon Sacred Scripture but from the People of God, it is a genuine expression of the voice of the people. It remains one of the most consoling doctrines of our faith that life is eternal and love is immortal; ‘ for nothing can come between us and the love of God made visible in Christ Jesus, our Lord ’. (MPN)

Catholic Funerals

Wed, 20 Jan 2021 13:53:37 GMT

Resources for planning a Catholic Funeral

Having the sad task of planning a Funeral is never easy and can seem daunting.

The documents (also at 'Prayer and Devotions' on this website) are intended to help.

However, please do not hesitate to contact your priest who will help and guide you in the process.

The first document is an A3 (4 x A4 sheets) printable document and is intended to as a help and guide to making clear your own wishes for your own funeral. It should be completed and retained with your important documents and Will or given to your family. The idea is to make things easier for your family to know your wishes concerning your funeral. Some people think that it is morbid to plan such things, however, a little planning can be a great help to those left behind.

T he Document below is intended to help you or a family to plan a Catholic Funeral.

It gives a brief review of some of the options available.

The Document below is a general guide to the practical considerations which should be considered in planning a Catholic Funeral Service or Requiem Mass.

Holy Rosary

Wed, 02 Dec 2020 17:10:42 GMT

Scripture on a rope

The Holy Rosary is scripture on a rope. Our Lady leads us, as she always does, to her Divine Son and supports our praying the mysteries of our salvation. The Rosary has been much loved and encouraged for centuries. It is much loved form of meditation and prayer and one which would be a wonderful Advent resolution as we prepare for our annual celebration of the Lord's official birthday. Throughout the season of Advent the Joy Mysteries aid us in our meditation of the God made flesh.

More Reflection sites

Mon, 05 Oct 2020 19:14:52 GMT

More Reflections

Universalis is an online Liturgy of the Hours and Mass Readings site. You can also have the Liturgy of the hours sent to you by email (once you buy a life time membership £19.99). But it is free to use online. Very many priests and lay faithful use it to pray the hours of the Church.

https://universalis.com

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Readings and Reflections Sites

http://www.wednesdayword.org

https://us.magnificat.net/free

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The Shrine of Our Blessed Lady

http://www.walsingham.org.uk/live-stream

Various Catholic Sites

http://www.catholictv.org/shows/papal-programming

Gobal Online Masses

https://mass-online.org/daily-holy-mass-live-online/

Excellent – video, Streamed Mass, also available on Sky

https://www.ewtn.com/

Great Reading and News

https://zenit.org/

https://catholicherald.co.uk/

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Thank you cards -2 xA5

If you know a medic, nurse, carer or even if you don’t but just want to say thank you to your local team, Practice or Care Home the Cards above may be of help. This is an A4 fold card which when printed gives you two different Thank you cards.

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Just Giving

Mon, 05 Oct 2020 18:58:42 GMT

Ways to support the parish

A number of parishioners have been in contact asking how best to make their Offertory during this time. I am very grateful to them for their kindness at a difficult time for us all.

There are several ways of making a donation. A very easy way is by Textgiving as below:

PLEASE CONSIDER TEXTING

CHURCH ST JOHNS

to 70500 to contribute £5 to the Offertory of our Parish.

Online Giving – is now up and running for all parishes and accessible through the Diocesan website at

https://www.dioceseofleeds.org.uk/supporting-your-parish/.

The Online Parish Offertory yellow box allows you to select a chosen Parish or fund from a list.

A STANDING ORDER via online Banking is also an easy way forward. Our details are:

HSBC – For the Diocese of Leeds St John’s Normanton.

Sort Code: 40-27-15 Account Number: 11018094

Below are two Standing Order Forms:

For the ordinary Standing Order

STANDING ORDER MANDATE-ST JOHNS

For the GIFT AID Offertory Standing Order

2 STANDING ORDER FOR GIFT AID DONATIONS

If you are a Taxpayer Gift Aiding your usual or any donation is a great way of increasing your giving WITHOUT ANY COST TO YOU. The Taxman will add to your donation.

In response to the very kind and generous requests of how to make donations during this time the Diocese has provided the ONLINE GIVING, as well as the other facilities listed in the ‘Giving’ section of the Blog. My sincere thanks to everyone for you support at this difficult time.

Online Giving – is now up and running for all parishes and accessible through the Diocesan website at

https://www.dioceseofleeds.org.uk/supporting-your-parish/

The Online Parish Offertory yellow box allows you to select a chosen Parish or fund from a list.

ST JOHN THE BAPTIST PARISH

The Church in the Holy Land

The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem.

Freedom to think, debate and pray

Uk Government threatens the freedom of thought, debate and prayer.

Reflections for the month of November

November - Month of the Holy Souls

The first reading this Sunday is from the Second Book of Maccabees. First and Second Maccabees are sections of the Hebrew Scriptures or Old Testament that we do not encounter too often in the Sunday cycles.

“Why is this important?,” one may ask. Well, these books of the Bible have numerous references to the resurrected life and to prayers for the dead. The Lord, as a faithful Jew and teacher would have prayed for the dead, for their repose and for mercy.

About 175 years before Christ Antiochus’ soldiers desecrated the Temple. Many of the Jews gave in to the Syrians. First Maccabees says,

“In those days there appeared in Israel men who were breakers of the law, and they seduced many people, saying: "Let us go and make an alliance with the Gentiles all around us; since we separated from them, many evils have come upon us."

St John Henry, Cardinal Newman in his work ‘The Dream of Gerontius’ puts it beautifully. The soul of the old man, Gerontius, having for a split second looked into the eyes of the Saviour, at the throne of Grace, shouts:

It is his own free will. It is his recognition that he is not yet ready for this vision and experience, there is still healing to be done; so, he shouts, ‘Take me away…that sooner I may rise and go above…’

The Lord of endless love and patience for those who try and strive by grace to be what we are made to be, images and reflections of His love, grants his request and the angel comes and sings:

The Books of Maccabees tell us that ‘it is a good and noble thing to pray for the dead’. During the Month of November, let us pray often:

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Eternal Rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them.

May their souls and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.

Pray for Peace

Pray for Peace

Because He has made all things wonderful

Dante and Newman - Purgatory, Justice and Mercy embrace.

Dante and Newman - Purgatory, Justice and Mercy embrace.

Catholic Funerals

Resources for planning a Catholic Funeral

Holy Rosary

Scripture on a rope

More Reflection sites

More Reflections

Just Giving

Ways to support the parish