REFLECTION ON THE FOURTH SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME

“O that today you would listen to his voice; harden not your hearts.” This cry by the Psalmist sums up so much that went wrong with the faith of God’s people. The heart was really the center of thought and emotion for Israel. “A pure heart create for me, O God…a humbled, contrite heart you will not spurn!” is the prayer of David in Psalm 51 when he repents of his adultery with Bathsheba and all the sorry events that flowed out of it. “Come to me with your hearts broken, not your garments torn!” exclaims the prophet Joel, referring to the practice of rending garments when shocked by blasphemy, a practice which all too easily opened itself to hypocrisy.

The later prophets of Israel saw the Old Covenant between God and man, written on tablets of stone, as producing hearts of stone; hence Israel’s constant turning away from God. They believed that God would send his anointed one among them, to seal a New Covenant with his people in his own blood. In the words of the prophet Jeremiah, “Deep within them I will plant my Law, writing it on their hearts”. Or in that moving prophecy to Israel-in-exile in chapter 36 of Ezekiel: “I will take you from among the nations and pour clean water over you and cleanse you from all your defilements. And I will take out of your chest the heart of stone, and give you a heart of flesh. I will cause you to walk in my commandments. And you shall be my people, and I will be your God.”

This very message is directed at us today. The Lord Jesus came among us, and his very first message was, “Repent! For the Kingdom of God is at hand!” He calls us to a conversion from sin, a change of heart, a turning back to him. We, too, like Israel of old, can harden our hearts against his call, and refuse the faith and the holiness that he offers us. We need to convert back to him daily, to be sorry for our sins and to turn to the Lord our God, who is mercy and compassion. Let us listen carefully to the call of the Psalmist from so long ago: “O that today you would listen to his voice; harden not your hearts.”

Fr. Phillip

SOUTH AFRICAN TO BE BEATIFIED

It is the news that Catholics in South Africa and the rest of the African continent have been waiting to hear.

On 22 January 2015, Pope Francis met in private audience, Cardinal Angelo Amato SDB, prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints. In that Audience the Holy Father authorised the Congregation to promulgate various decrees.

(Click for Full Profile)

Among the decrees authorised for promulgation is the decision taken by the Holy Father that Servant of God Tshimangadzo Samuel Benedict Daswa died a martyr’s death. This opens the way for Benedict Daswa to be beatified as the juridical process has concluded. What remains now is a process towards a date for Benedict Daswa's betification. 

Already a group of theologians tasked to review the life of South Africa’s Benedict Daswa, unanimously voted late last year that Daswa be named a martyr. The matter was then discussed by the Congregation of the Causes of Saints and referred for recommendation to Pope Francis for the final decision. That decision has now come back with Pope Francis accepting the recommendation that indeed Daswa died a martyr's death. 

The Church in South Africa and in Africa will be gratified by the news of a new "Blessed" soon to be beatified.

Source: http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2015/01/23/benedict_daswa_to_be_beatified_as_pope_francis_agrees/1119705

REFLECTION ON THE THIRD SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME

Jonah was perhaps the most reluctant of all the prophets. We are told that when he was called, he decided to run away from God. He did this by taking a ship. Since Israel regarded the sea as the remnants of the chaos left over after the creation, filled with enormous monsters that only God himself could control, this is an odd decision, to say the least. And indeed, as the story tells us, there is a storm at sea and the frightened sailors throw him overboard, believing him to be the cause of the storm. We are told that Jonah was swallowed by one of the great sea monsters, an enormous fish, which three days later threw him up on the shore of the place he was to preach to and convert. Again reluctantly, he does what God requires of him, to preach conversion to the city. When the city converts upon hearing his message, he goes off and sulks.

Jonah is a story rather than an actual history. The Bible is a library that contains history, poetry, letters, a hymn book (Psalms), even short stories such as Ruth and Jonah. But the message that the book of Jonah communicates to us reveals vital and eternal truths. One is that God has a task for us, and that we cannot escape his will, whether we act willingly or resist him. The High Priest of Israel wanted to stop Jesus from proclaiming his message by having the Romans crucify him. But in the crucifixion of Jesus, God’s will for Jesus was actually carried out; to die, taking the sins of the world upon his shoulders and to rise from the dead to give us eternal life. On the other hand, Mary accepted the great task of the world at once, with her words to the angel Gabriel, “I am the handmaid of the Lord. Let it be done to me as you have said.”

The call that God made to Jonah, he makes to all of us. He has some task for us that only we can do. It could be a very small task, or a very big one. But we can be sure that, no matter what it is, God will equip us with the means to carry out that task successfully. Like Jonah, we have the capacity to embrace or resist God’s call. But we will never have the power to prevent God’s will, and we will always, in the end, carry it out, be it willingly or unwillingly. Let us set ourselves the task, this Sunday, to ask God to reveal his will to us and to give us the means and the courage to obey him, no matter what he asks.

Fr. Phillip

ORATORIANS INTRODUCED TO THE BLOEMFONTEIN FAITHFUL

Fr. Phillip Vietri, Br. Alan Commaille, Fr. Xolisa Mafu, Jonathan Els, Fr. Johnny Johnson, Archbishop Jabulani Nxumalo, Simon Mowatt, Fr. Cyriacus Okoro

On Sunday the 18th of January, the Bloemfontein Oratory project was officially launched in the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart. Fr. Johnny was the main celebrant of the Mass, while Frs. Phillip, Xolisa, and Cyriacus concelebrated, and Br. Alan functioned as Master of Ceremonies. Two friends of the community in Port Elizabeth, Jonathan Els and Simon Mowatt, assisted at the Mass as well.

Archbishop Jabulani Nxumalo OMI, who presided over the Mass, introduced the members of the community to the parishioners. He briefly spoke about the credentials of the Oratory, as well as of each of its members, and outlined his own hopes in bringing the community to Bloemfontein. Firstly, the catechism programs in the diocese need to be reviewed, and the initiatives of the South African Catholic Bishops' Conference be implemented. Secondly, the standard of liturgy has been of concern, and His Grace would like to see that Bloemfontein effectively implements the GIRM, as well as the Bishops' pastoral statements on the matter. In both of these areas, one sees opportunity to revive the faithful, as it is in the areas of catechesis and liturgy where people often find inspiration and draw spiritual nourishment. 

The Oratorians sharing a light moment after Mass.

Fr. Johnny will be formally installed as the administrator of the cathedral in the near future. This is the third cathedral where he has served as administrator. The first being Emmanuel Cathedral in Durban (under Archbishop Dennis Hurley), and then later at St. Saviour's Cathedral in Oudtshoorn,  when the first Oratory in South Africa moved there. 

Fr. Johnny will be assisted by Frs. Xolisa Mafu and Cyriacus Okoro. Fr. Phillip will not be on the cathedral staff, but will assist pastorally while fulfilling his role as a teacher at Christian Brothers College. Br. Alan will function primarily as the cathedral Master of Ceremonies while completing his studies. 

REFLECTION ON THE WEDDING FEAST AT CANA

As we reflected last week-end, the wedding feast at Cana, which we celebrate today, is the third and final part, along with the visit of the Magi and the Baptism of the Lord, of what the Eastern churches celebrate as the Epiphany, the showing forth of Jesus to the world. The changing of the water into wine, John tells us, is the first sign that Jesus gives that he is the Messiah, the Anointed One, the Saviour whom God promised through his prophets of old.

The miracle wrought by Jesus on this occasion, it is made clear, is a consequence of faith and obedience. By doing what Jesus told them, the stewards at the wedding feast were rewarded with a new supply of excellent wine just when they were about to run out, about the worst embarrassment that could occur at a Jewish wedding feast of Jesus’ time.

It is interesting to note the role of Jesus’ mother in this. To Jesus she simply says, “They have no wine.” A simple statement of fact; nothing more. But to the stewards she says, “Do whatever he tells you.” Note her words: Whatever he tells you. These words echo down the centuries towards us, as she directs our attention towards her Son. It is Jesus who is the centre of our faith, and if we wish to share in the joy of his kingdom for ever, a joy symbolised by the flow of wine, then we, too, must do whatever he tells us.

Not some or part, or most, but everything;  whatever he tells us. Jesus gives us his all; even to his life, offered up on the cross for our salvation. And he requires of us to give our all to him. What he wants may be something very small, or something quite big. We can never give him more than he gives us. But we can give him whatever he asks of us. Let us heed the words of his mother today as she fixes our eyes upon him: let each one of us do whatever he tells us.

Fr. Phillip

A NEW SAINT FROM THE ORATORY!

Below is a transcript of the Holy Father's homily on the 14th of September in Galle, on the occasion of the canonisation of Joseph Vaz, a priest of the Oratory. Deo Gratias!

"All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God." (Is 52:10)

This is the magnificent prophecy which we heard in today’s first reading. Isaiah foretells the preaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to all the ends of the earth. This prophecy has a special meaning for us, as we celebrate the canonization of a great missionary of the Gospel, St Joseph Vaz. Like countless other missionaries in the history of the Church, he responded to the Risen Lord’s command to make disciples of every nation (cf. Mt 28:19). By his words, but more importantly, by the example of his life, he led the people of this country to the faith which gives us “an inheritance among all God’s holy ones” (cf. Acts 20:32).

In St Joseph we see a powerful sign of God’s goodness and love for the people of Sri Lanka. But we also see in him a challenge to persevere in the paths of the Gospel, to grow in holiness ourselves, and to testify to the Gospel message of reconciliation to which he dedicated his life.

St. John Paul II at the beatification of St. Joseph Vaz in 1995

As a priest of the Oratory in his native Goa, St Joseph Vaz came to this country inspired by missionary zeal and a great love of its people. Because of religious persecution, he dressed as a beggar, performing his priestly duties in secret meetings of the faithful, often at night. His efforts provided spiritual and moral strength to the beleaguered Catholic population. He had a particular desire to serve the ill and suffering. His ministry to the sick was so appreciated by the king during a smallpox epidemic in Kandy that he was allowed greater freedom to minister. From Kandy, he could reach out to other parts of the island. He spent himself in missionary work and died, exhausted, at the age of fifty-nine, revered for his holiness.

St Joseph Vaz continues to be an example and a teacher for many reasons, but I would like to focus on three. First, he was an exemplary priest. Here today with us are many priests and religious, both men and women, who, like Joseph Vaz, are consecrated to the service of God and neighbour. I encourage each of you to look to Saint Joseph as a sure guide. He teaches us how to go out to the peripheries, to make Jesus Christ everywhere known and loved. He is also an example of patient suffering in the cause of the Gospel, an example of obedience to our superiors, an example of loving care for the Church of God (cf. Acts 20:28). Like ourselves, St Joseph Vaz lived in a period of rapid and profound transformation; Catholics were a minority, and often divided within; there was occasional hostility, even persecution, from without. And yet, because he was constantly united with the crucified Lord in prayer, he could become for all people a living icon of God’s mercy and reconciling love.

Second, St Joseph shows us the importance of transcending religious divisions in the service of peace. His undivided love for God opened him to love for his neighbour; he ministered to those in need, whoever and wherever they were. His example continues to inspire the Church in Sri Lanka today. She gladly and generously serves all members of society. She makes no distinction of race, creed, tribe, status or religion in the service she provides through her schools, hospitals, clinics, and many other charitable works. All she asks in return is the freedom to carry out this mission. Religious freedom is a fundamental human right. Each individual must be free, alone or in association with others, to seek the truth, and to openly express his or her religious convictions, free from intimidation and external compulsion. As the life of Saint Joseph Vaz teaches us, genuine worship of God bears fruit not in discrimination, hatred and violence, but in respect for the sacredness of life, respect for the dignity and freedom of others, and loving commitment to the welfare of all.

Finally, St Joseph gives us an example of missionary zeal. Though he came to Ceylon to minister to the Catholic community, in his evangelical charity he reached out to everyone. Leaving behind his home, his family, the comfort of his familiar surroundings, he responded to the call to go forth, to speak of Christ wherever he was led. St Joseph knew how to offer the truth and the beauty of the Gospel in a multi-religious context, with respect, dedication, perseverance and humility. This is also the way for the followers of Jesus today. We are called to go forth with the same zeal, the same courage, of St Joseph, but also with his sensitivity, his reverence for others, his desire to share with them that word of grace (cf. Acts 20:32) which has the power to build them up. We are called to be missionary disciples.

Dear brothers and sisters, I pray that, following the example of St Joseph Vaz, the Christians of this country may be confirmed in faith and make an ever greater contribution to peace, justice and reconciliation in Sri Lankan society. This is what Christ asks of you. This is what St Joseph teaches you. This is what the Church needs of you. I commend all of you to the prayers of our new saint, so that, in union with the Church throughout the world, you may sing a new song to the Lord and declare his glory to all the ends of the earth. For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised (cf. Ps 96: 1-4)! Amen.

Source: http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/news/2015/01/14/full-text-pope-francis-address-for-canonisation-of-st-joseph-vaz/

REFLECTION ON THE BAPTISM OF THE LORD

Today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Baptism of the Lord. In the Eastern Orthodox Church it forms one of the feasts they regard as the Epiphany: the Epiphany itself, the Baptism of the Lord (which we celebrate today), and the wedding feast at Cana, which is celebrated next Sunday.

All three of these reveal Jesus to the world in various ways. He has already been welcomed at Christmas by the shepherds, the humblest of his own people, Israel. In the Epiphany, he is first revealed to the gentiles, the non-Jews, through the visit of the magi, who give him gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh (prophetic of what he was to become: priest, prophet, and king). In the Baptism, he is revealed as God’s only Son, Anointed One, the Holy Spirit being poured out upon him so powerfully that the heavens are ‘torn apart’. Finally, at the wedding at Cana, he shows the reality of his divine powers through changing water into wine, a small hint of the joy which is to be ours in the kingdom of God.

In his baptism, we are told at the Easter Vigil, Jesus makes holy the waters of baptism, the sacrament that frees us from sin. It is worth pondering today, how that freedom from sin affects our lives. Do we strive after holiness? Do we REALLY believe that Jesus’ death has freed us from sin, so that we might serve him in our hearts, our lives, our thoughts, our words? “This is my Son, the Beloved; listen to him”.

May these thoughts be with us during the week, and may Jesus change our lives and our hearts through his saving love.

Fr. Phillip

FIRST ORATORIANS ARRIVE

The first Oratorians arrive!

Just after 9.30pm on Sunday 4 January 2015, a small white car with a priest, a novice, 4 dogs and a trailer arrived at the Sacred Heart Cathedral. This signaled the beginning of the project aimed at establishing the third Oratorian foundation in South Africa.

In 2014, the Archbishop of Bloemfontein, the Most Rev. Jabulani Nxumalo OMI, asked the Port Elizabeth Oratory to seriously consider the possibility of establishing another community, and basing this community at his Cathedral in the heart of the city of Bloemfontein. After much prayer and preparation, the invitation was accepted and the project is under way.

Isabella and Snoopy on the trip

Fr Phillip Vietri and Br Alan Commaille arrived on Sunday the 4th of January, and were joined by Fr Cyriacus Okoro on Friday the 9th. The community began their pastoral duties on the weekend of 9/10/11 January.

During the course of the week, Frs Johnny Johnson and Xolisa Mafu will arrive. With four priests, a brother, and seven dogs, all members of the initial community will be in Bloemfontein.