Date: Saturday 4^th May 2013

                When we’re called to forgive, we can be at a loss as to what to do, what to think, how to deal with our emotions. This short talk looks at the practical side of forgiving someone: on the faith, the emotions and the actions related to forgiveness. It is based on the personal experience of the speaker.

“But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also.” Matthew 5:39. Reading that may leave us thinking Jesus wants us to be weak- which was not the intention. In the culture Jesus lived in this action made a lot of sense. When someone slapped another with the back of the hand, it was degrading- the aggressor was treating the other as a slave- while when they slapped with the palm of the hand, it meant they treated them as an equal. So, by turning your cheek after the backhand, you’re encouraging them to slap you with the palm of their hand- you’re restoring your dignity. You have made yourself their equal.

Forgiveness is God’s way of restoring our dignity, of freeing us from grudge. Division amongst humans just causes more bad rather than good. When we are called to forgive we are being called to love. Even though we may fear such loving will hurt us, it leads to freedom.

Forgiveness is a process; it is not something you just do once:

1)        Deal with the emotions

Generally, when you need to forgive someone it is because you believe they have done something wrong and it’s okay to feel hurt. In fact, it’s important to realise how you feel and to admit to yourself whatever you’re feeling whether it’s abandonment, anger, fear, rejection…

2)        Realise the Cause

Once you know your emotions, it’s important to study your situation and find the true reason for them. Why do you feel that way? What happened? What’s still happening? Understand your situation as best you can and find the reasons for how you feel.

3)        Rebuild safety and security

Once you realise your emotions and their cause, you can build barriers that keep you secure. By understanding the situation you’re in, you can protect yourself in the future to avoid further hurt.

4)        Let go

Once you have resolved the situation – let it go. While it’s essential to understand the situation, once you get over it with the person don’t keep bringing it up constantly. While your memories and scars won’t always leave you, bringing it up again is bating disaster- it’s time to let go.

Not forgiving a person brings division and a breakdown of communication which leaves us asking endless questions about what’s going on in the other person’s head. To forgive it’s essential that we see the other person as a human- that we try to see them in the balanced way God does. Furthermore, more often than not, forgiveness begins as a choice: you choose you forgive someone and then the forgiving emotions come later. That’s totally okay.

Most importantly, prayer is the fuel to get you through the process… no matter how many times you stumble. Don’t worry- your hope lies in the most merciful Being in all eternity… He’s got your back. 

Summary of Y4J talk

Speaker: Karla Debono Ciancio

Date: Saturday 20^th April 2013

This talk speaks of Judith, a woman who, through the help of prayer and creativity, did what she had to do to save Israel.

• The Story

            This talk is based on the Book of Judith. It’s one of the 7 books not included in a Protestant Bible. It’s set in the second century BC when an Israelite town, Bethulia, is surrounded by their enemies, the Assyrians. They refused to ally with the Assyrians because that would mean having to worship their king instead of God. The head of the army, Holofernes, had ignored warnings not to threaten then Jews because they had God on their side. Meanwhile, Israel was desperate, ready to give up: they were suffering from famine and water shortages.

Judith, a Jew in the town, was a beautiful, wise widow still mourning the death of her husband. However, the fact that she was still seen in the Temple on the Sabbath meant she was a hard-core Jew. Upon finding out that the leaders of Bethulia were going to surrender, she summoned them to her house and gave them a dressing down, saying: “Who are you to put God to the test today, and to set yourselves up in place of God in Human affairs?…You cannot plumb the depths of the human heart or understand the workings of the human mind; how do you expect to search out God, who made all things, and find out his mind?…” She claims it is not about when they decide but when God does and that they should even die trying to keep their faith, praying, setting an example (Judith 8: 11- 31). The leaders conceded and agreed to meet her at the gates later to decide what would happen. Judith then prayed with all her heart. Afterwards, she washed and did a total makeover; she dressed to kill. At the gates, she informed the leaders God would deliver them and taking provisions and a maid, she went to the enemy’s camp.

The Assyrians interrogated her and she explained that since the Jews were going to betray God and surrender, she had fled tell Holofernes how to infiltrate Bethulia.   Holfoernes was so enamoured by her beauty and wisdom his people would covert if they won the war. For the next three days, Judith prayed and remained in the camp. On the fourth day, Holofernes threw a banquet to impress her. In the end he passed out drunk and when they were alone Judith slit his throat, praying for strength.

Taking his head, she and her maid went back to the gates and showed it to the leaders. They then attacked the Assyrians while they were still confused and without a captain. Bethulia was saved.

• What do we learn from this story?

Judith

Judith knew her strengths and weaknesses and asked God to use her as she was. She was also wise enough to put Israel in its place and encourage them to believe. Moreover, she did not use her beauty to get a wealthy husband, as was the norm, but offered it to God for Him to use. Also, while with the Assyrians she didn’t stop praying and fasting because she knew without God’s strength, she couldn’t carry out her work. While it is important to pray and wait on God, through Judith we realise prayer strengthens and urges us to be active. Widows were considered the weakest of the weak in society because they couldn’t provide for themselves but God used a widow not a high priest to carry out His Plan. As long as we’re willing, God’s willing to use us in spite of our weakness. Judith prayed alone with God and this reveals the model relationship they share.

The Israelites

            You can’t box God in or tell him to work before a deadline. Although it’s frustrating, He can wait till the last second to act… God is love and love is uncontrollable. God acts when He sees necessary. Also, when we reach breaking point and feel like He’s a million miles away, He’s at the door knocking. Furthermore, God tests those He loves. This tests our faith and also teaches us how to move forwards in our relationship with Him. We need to push through suffering by leaning on God; in suffering God’ love flourishes. “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11). In order to get to the good sometimes we must get through the bad.

Hollofernes

            We learn it’s not good to have a God Complex and think we know it all! The only thing we can boast about is God!

It’s important to stay true to our faith. We should meet opposition with courage and integrity. Are we willing to move where God wishes? At the end of the book many men wanted to marry Judith, however she was still in love with her husband and refused. Women were defined by the men they married- but she knew who she was through God.

            Sometimes God asks us to do something- and we have to do it while afraid. Stop listening to the voices in your head saying your efforts are pointless (What would have happened if Judith had listened to a voice telling her: “But so many men have dies before you fighting the Assyrians?”)… just go out in obedience.

Speaker: Tutzi Cassar

Date: Saturday 13^th April 2013

No family is perfect, not even families in the Bible, like Joseph’s in the Old Testament. We can’t choose the situation we’re born into but we can certainly change our attitude towards it.

• Who is Joseph?

The story this talk is based on is in Genesis 37: 1-11. Joseph (The Dreamer) is one of the younger sons of Jacob. Jacob had two wives and two concubines. Joseph had 11 siblings, including step-siblings. There was a lot of friction between them because Joseph was the first born of the wife Jacob truly loved, Rachel, and was therefore his favourite. Joseph’s family, like every other, is imperfect.

• Joseph had imperfect parents

Joseph’s father showed favouritism- because Joseph was born to him in his old age, he gave him a special robe to show his love. Such favouritism creates friction between the brothers: “When his brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, they hated him and could not speak a kind word to him.” Parents can tend to spoil some of their children for some reason…but it is still not right.

          Joseph’s tunic was symbolic. While his brothers wore plain clothes to work, Joseph was clothed in a colourful, floor-length tunic. This distinguished him as the heir to Jacob’s estate. Jacob’s first-born son Ruben, should have inherited- but having committed incest, he lost that birthright. The tunic was also a symbol of purity, so his brothers felt like they were having their faces rubbed in the mud every time they saw him.

His parents are also passive. Once, while the family is travelling, one of Jacob’s daughters is raped. While the brothers are furious and seek payback, the father remains totally passive- he is more worried about the disgrace caused to his family than bringing justice to his daughter. While the brothers schemed and brought the town to it’s knees, Jacob had no time or concern for his family (Genesis 34).

Do you have passive parents? Do your parents show favouritism?

• Joseph had imperfect brothers

Joseph’s brothers were so envious of the love Jacob showed for him they schemed to throw him into a well. We have no choice in our family but we have to make the best we can with what we get.

       Was Joseph selfish? In the reading, Joseph is so moved by his dream that he runs into the fields in his fancy tunic (equivalent to a man’s suit in today’s terms), to tell them about it. You might say he was fanning their flame of dislike for him…. Are you the proud or cocky child in your family? 

• The Dreamer was Faithful

It can take more courage to reveal than conceal. Joseph is sensitive to what is right and wrong. Once he told his father his brothers were doing wrong, even though it meant being disliked even more- sometimes, like Joseph, we are persecuted for doing right. While it costs to take a stand, it pays to do the right thing. Maybe you should turn down a friend’s offer to go out in order to study, maybe it’s time to end a harmful relationship …But in these cases, you would get the grades and a healthy, fresh start.

• Practical Applications

What does Joseph’s story teach us?

1. Someone else’s wrong actions should not justify us disliking someone. (Joseph’s father favoured him based on when he was born and his brothers hated his for that)
2. You’re only born physically once and have no say in the matter but we all have the opportunity to be born the second time spiritually.

• We all have unique talents- God looks at how faithful we are with what we have and knows how far we can reach. We shouldn’t get lost in thinking, “But I’m not like person X”

• A word on Jealousy…

‘Jealousy’ has the word ‘lousy’ in it! Do we take pleasure in the sorrow of others or resent their success? Jealousy if the younger sister of pride and first cousin to selfishness… We envy because we think the good happening to someone else should happen to us.

       Once there were two bedridden men in a hospital. The one by the window would tell the other man all that he saw of the world outside- the traffic, the park, the shops…Although the man loved the descriptions, one day he began to envy the other- why did he get to stay by the window? One night, when the man by the window began to choke, his roommate didn’t bother to call the nurse and he died. The envious man ended up by the window and saw that all there was outside was a brick wall…

       Jealousy betrays, murders and steals and is especially scary in a community where it’s so easy to ask- ‘why are they given such gifts/ responsibilities?’ Sometimes we don’t realise the cost of such gifts. We are a Body- God has given each of us gifts so we can work together. Being One, we must share in each other’s success and loss.          Moreover, we can only overcome jealousy by praising others.

       To staunch envy, we need to blind ourselves and look not at each other but focus on God’s voice and blessing him with our talents. In the long term every action has a consequence, so remain faithful to your gifts so God CAN mould you into his image.

“You cannot prevent the birds of sadness from passing over your head, but you can prevent them from making nests in your hair.”- Confucius.  We were made for greater things than this…

Speaker: Sara Zingariello

Date: 6^th April 2013

There are times in our lives when we doubt God. Sometimes, like St Thomas, all we see is the empty tomb and just can’t believe that Jesus has risen, that there’s any hope left. Throughout this talk we looked at the story of the Disciples of Emmaus (Luke 24: 13-35) to see how Jesus can turn our desperate situations and unbelief into belief.

To recap, this story takes place on the third day after Jesus’ death. Two disciples are travelling and talking when Jesus, who they do not recognise, joins them. The disciples explain how it was the third day after Jesus’ death, the tomb had been found empty- apparently Jesus’ body had been taken. Then, Jesus then explained all Scripture related to Him and His work and later ate with them. In the blessing of the bread, the disciples realised who He truly was, and they rushed back to Jerusalem to tell the 11.

In the beginning of the story, how were the disciples feeling? At that point, they’re escaping Jerusalem- their City of No Hope. There was no media, so they hadn’t heard from the Apostles that Jesus had risen. They had hoped in Jesus’ word and suddenly everything they believed in was finished. Furthermore, in Jewish tradition when a person has been dead three days there is no going back, no one could touch the corpse or enter the tomb. They were under the impression that the women who found the empty tomb were not sane and believed that the empty tomb was the sign of a grave robbery. Basically, they had no hope that Jesus was alive and their hearts were full of sadness, anger, betrayal and memories of Jesus’ suffering.  They had left all hope at the gates of Jerusalem and were walking into the sunset- darkness, traditionally, implied no hope.

We have no conclusive evidence of the location of Emmaus. Pope Benedict Emeritus claims that this allows us to understand that Emmaus represents something for everyone. Furthermore, the name of one of the disciples was not given, so that we may assimilate ourselves with them. Basically, the story of Emmaus can become any of our personal stories.  Also, there were 2 disciples, not one, implying that Church and community are important. While individual prayer has value, when two or three gather in Jesus’ name, He has told us He is present.

Although they did not recognise Jesus, He did four things during the long journey:

1. 1.         Jesus Listens

Jesus enquires:

“One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, ’Are you the only one visiting Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?’

‘What things?’ He asked.”

       Then He listens as the disciples tell Him about Himself, His works and teachings. Indeed, Jesus already knows everything we tell Him about our life but He still wants to listen to us. Remember that amazing feeling when you open up to someone? Jesus wants us to be able to be open and free in His presence so we can release all our stress and frustration on Him.

1. 2.         Jesus Identifies

Jesus goes down to their level; He doesn’t ask how they could be so slow as to not recognise who He is but He literally meets them where they were. 

The disciples are Jewish, so Jesus speaks their ‘lingo’- He interprets the Prophets and all they say about Him. Therefore, Jesus doesn’t remain ‘up there’, He comes to our level. He was born and crucified for us and speaks to us through our lives.

1. 3.              Jesus Doesn’t Dictate

When they arrive at their destination, Jesus intends to carry on walking if they don’t ask Him to stay with them. He didn’t impose himself or dictate to them what they would do.

Jesus does not violate our trust but waits for us to make a choice and say ‘yes’. Therefore, we have to be constantly letting God in and asking Him to stay. Remember, Jesus was born in a reeking stable, so the condition of your heart will not deter or disgust Him.

1. 4.         Jesus gives Himself, again

When Jesus blesses and breaks the bread, the Disciple’s eyes are opened, they realise who He is… then He vanishes. Say what? He waits a seven hour journey and when they finally realise who He is, He just leaves?

Pope Benedict Emeritus claimed that this passage has the structure of Holy Mass: first the Liturgy of the Word (Jesus teaches about the Old Testament) and then the Liturgy of the Eucharist (when Jesus gives His body and Blood).  When Jesus offers the bread He vanishes because He gives Himself for us again- He’s there in the bread. We ingest the Host and He then manifests in us.

Today, our culture encourages us to doubt what we can’t see and often what we do see. However, the power of the Eucharist is Jesus within us- Moses climbed a mountain to meet God and couldn’t even look at Him…that’s the power we’re talking about. We need to realise the importance of the Eucharist if we want to meet God and see Him work in our lives. He gave Himself for us and people will know us through our service.

When we are busy, we may feel lost and ask: “Where’s God?” We may feel He’s abandoned us, gone, that we’re in such a bad state He doesn’t want to meet us… Remember that you need to let Him in, especially through receiving the Eucharist and serving others.

Miracle of Lanciano c.700AD

During consecration, a Priest in Luciano doubted that the bread and wine changed into the Body and Blood of Christ. Therefore, Jesus came to his level: the offerings transformed into true flesh and blood, because the priest needed to see it to believe. The flesh has been verified as heart muscle. They are still in the Church because such miracles are there to remind all of us. Although human flesh decays within months of death, centuries have passed and the flesh and blood are still intact.

The empty tomb was a sign of new life. The disciples were journeying into the sunset but really they were heading for a new dawn.

1. Love isn’t for today… it’s forever

Putting a time limit on love means you are putting a condition on it. “I definitely love you while… until… as long as…”

Any concrete love commitment one makes should be permanent. For example, if I am your friend today, I shall always be your friend- I shouldn’t attach conditions such as ‘as long as’ or ‘until’. Basically, if your love is to be effective it simply can’t be retracted in the same way as the point of a pen. 

Love which has a different nature to this has lesser effect. Indeed it is when people believe that the love offered to them has a certain permanent quality that they feel the security to be able to truly remove pretences and masks. Love can’t be a contract with fine print and endless footnotes.

2.Decisions, decisions ,decisions

Recapping what we said last time, love is essentially when we commit to some else’s growth, security and contentment. Let’s dig a bit deeper and see what this means in everyday life.

Firstly, a person’s needs are constantly changing. Therefore, the person who loves them must be an emphatic listener and observe them in order to see what the other may need at that moment: are they lonely and just need some company? Have they experienced success and which to have someone to celebrate with?  Are they dejected and in need of strength? Do they need someone to listen or someone to talk to them?  Adopting this attitude is one of the challenges of true love.

Another challenge is that individuals in the relationship should try to be what they believe the other needs them to be. They cannot just ask the other and trust them that they will know everything they really need. We  must listen but we need to search as well. For example, one lover may believe that the most loving action at a given time would be to gently tell their partner a truth they don’t necessarily want to hear. Or they may believe that there is a need to revisit an unsettled discussion the other had abandoned. In making such decisions, there will be times when we are right and times when we are wrong. However, the reason why these decisions were made- because one truly loves the other- is more important.

It’s essential to realise that these decisions should not hamper the freedom of the other. These actions are a gift offered from one individual to another, so the receiver should be left free to accept or reject the gift.  This is one of the greatest challenges we approach in our relationships with others, on whatever level: while being ourselves and offering our contributions we must never force acceptance or response out of the other.

3. Personal Worth

A fundamental gift of love is a sense of self-worth. While love of one’s self creates a sense of appreciation of one’s goodness which is important for the health of one’s personality and happiness it follows that the love between two people should also create this feeling and knowledge of self-worth. Love must empower another to love themselves. Therefore, our success in loving lies not in the admiration of others for what we achieve but by the amount of people who attribute their sense of wholeness to our love, who can realise some of their beauty and goodness through our looks and words. Basically, in true love, we act as mirrors to each other- we can realise our own beauty and worth when we see it reflected in another caring and loving human being.

4. Affirmation, not Possession

True love means the affirmation and not possession of the one we love.

One of the greatest contributions we could ever make to a person’s life is helping them realise their self-worth. However our love must be liberating and not possessive. Essentially, we must always give our loved ones the freedom to be themselves- love is an affirmation of another as the other – just the way they are. It certainly does not manipulate and try to possess them as mine. Frederick Perls sums it up pretty nicely: “You did not come into this world to live up to my expectations. And I did not come into the world to live up to yours. If we meet it will be beautiful. If we don’t it can’t be helped.” Love empowers us to become our best selves, according to our visions.

Therefore, while one wants the best for the one they love and tries to be what the other needs them to be, this can only be carried out in a way which preserves the freedom of the loved one to feel, think and make their own decisions. Indeed the personhood of the other must be respected just as we preserve and respect our own personhood. Our affirmation of another is based on our belief in their unique and unconditional value as a human being.

It is important that we frequently reflect on the love we offer to realise whether it is affirming and freeing or possessive and manipulative. What is more important to me: that my loved one feel pleased with themselves or that I feel pleased with them? Is it of greater importance to me that you achieve the goals you envision or that you attain those goals which I wanted you to attain? Do I want you to show love to others and for others to love you? In other words, does my love allow you to feel able to relate better to others and to life? Or do I want to be ‘your whole life’? Love aims to help a person become fully alive and a person fully alive loves many people and experiences a variety of things.

Our love should affirm, free and encourage life and growth in all parts of another so that they can experience the heavenly glory which permeates our world.

All the Vital Signs Blogs are inspired by chapters from the book, The Secret of Staying in Love, by SJ Powell.

Excerpts of Pope Benedict’s and Pope Francis’ homilies

Speaker : Fr.Kevin

Date : 30^th March 2013

Trust

When on 19 April, nearly eight years ago, I accepted the Petrine ministry, the words which echoed in my heart were: “Lord, why are you asking this of me, and what is it that you are asking of me? It is a heavy burden which you are laying on my shoulders, but if you ask it of me, at your word I will cast the net, sure that you will lead me even with all my weaknesses”.

And eight years later I can say that the Lord has truly led me, he has been close to me, I have been able to perceive his presence daily. It has been a portion of the Church’s journey which has had its moments of joy and light, but also moments which were not easy…

I have felt like Saint Peter with the Apostles in the boat on the Sea of Galilee:

… the Lord has given us so many days of sun and of light winds, days when the catch was abundant;

… there were also moments when the waters were rough and the winds against us, as throughout the Church’s history, and the Lord seemed to be sleeping.

But I have always known that the Lord is in that boat, and I have always known that the boat of the Church is not mine but his. Nor does the Lord let it sink; it is he who guides it…

This has been, and is, a certainty which nothing can shake. For this reason my heart todays overflows with gratitude to God, for he has never let his Church, or me personally, lack his consolation, his light, his love.

I would like to invite all of us to renew our firm confidence in the Lord, to entrust ourselves like children in God’s arms, certain that those arms always hold us, enabling us to press forward each day, even when the going is rough.

Benedict XVI – Last General Audience, 27.02.2013

Joy

Jesus is close to us, present in us and among us as a friend, a brother, and also as a King. Jesus is God, but he lowered himself to walk with us. He is our friend, our brother.

And here the first word that I wish to say to you: joy! Do not be men and women of sadness: a Christian can never be sad! Never give way to discouragement!

Ours is not a joy born of having many possessions, but from having encountered a Person: Jesus, in our midst; it is born from knowing that with him we are never alone, even at difficult moments, even when our life’s journey comes up against problems and obstacles that seem insurmountable, and there are so many of them!

In these moment the enemy, the devil, comes, often disguised as an angel, and slyly speaks his word to us. Do not listen to him!

Let us follow Jesus! We accompany, we follow Jesus, but above all we know that he accompanies us and carries us on his shoulders.

This is our joy, this is the hope that we must bring to this world. Please do not let yourselves be robbed of hope! Do not let hope be stolen! The hope that Jesus gives us.

Francis – Palm Sunday, 24.03.2013

Forgiveness

Go to Jesus. He forgets, he has a very special capacity for forgetting. He forgets, he kisses you, he embraces you and he simply says to you: “Neither do I condemn you; go, and sin no more” (Jn 8:11). That is the only advice he gives you.

After a month, if we are in the same situation as before, let us go back to the Lord. The Lord never tires of forgiving: never! It is we who tire of asking his forgiveness. Let us ask for the grace not to tire of asking forgiveness, because he never tires of forgiving.

Francis – Holy Mass in Parish of St Anna, 17.03.2013.

Cross

The same Peter who professed Jesus Christ, says to him: You are the Christ, the Son of the living God. I will follow you, but let us not speak of the Cross. I will follow you on other terms, but without the Cross.

When we journey without the Cross, when we build without the Cross, when we profess Christ without the Cross, we are not disciples of the Lord, we are worldly: we may be bishops, priests, cardinals, popes, but not disciples of the Lord.

Francis – First Mass in Sistine Chapel, 14.03.2013

What kind of a King is Jesus? Let us take a look at him:

He is riding on a donkey, he is not accompanied by a court, he is not surrounded by an army as a symbol of power.

He is received by humble people, simple folk who have the sense to see something more in Jesus; they have that sense of the faith which says: here is the Saviour.

He does not enter the Holy City to receive the honours reserved to earthly kings, to the powerful, to rulers; he enters to be insulted and abused. He enters to receive a crown of thorns, a staff, a purple robe: his kingship becomes an object of derision. He enters to climb Calvary, carrying his burden of wood.

Jesus enters Jerusalem in order to die on the Cross.

And it is precisely here that his kingship shines forth in godly fashion: his royal throne is the wood of the Cross! It reminds me of what Benedict XVI said to the Cardinals: you are princes, but of a king crucified. That is the throne of Jesus.

Jesus takes it upon himself Christ’s Cross embraced with love never leads to sadness, but to joy, to the joy of having been saved and of doing a little of what he did on the day of his death.

Francis – Palm Sunday, 24.03.2013

Jesus is Alive

TRUST – He is always with me!

JOY – He overcame the world!

FORGIVENESS – He never tires of forgiving me!

CROSS – He is my teacher and master!

Speaker: Tutzi Cassar

Date: 23rd March 2013

The disciples asked Jesus one thing: ‘How do we pray?’ because they knew that His strength and identity came from prayer. This talk takes us back to the basics of prayer, tackling questions such as: What IS prayer? How do I pray? Why do my prayers never seem to be answered? How do I know for sure God wants me to do something?

                In groups, we discussed what can distract us from prayer. Various ideas about what can damage our prayer life emerged, including: distractions in general, such as entertainment or friends, pride, bad time management, thinking it’s okay to miss just one prayer, a busy schedule, feeling like your prayers are useless and that you’re speaking to yourself and convincing yourself that service can replace prayer. Indeed you have to understand a problem before you can plan to overcome it.

                Remember- prayer is a dialogue, so sometimes you have to slow down and wait for an answer. Jesus mentions 4 requirements for effective prayer:

1)    Pray with Faith

Through the Old and New Testament, confidence in God was crucial to prayer. People asked Jesus to heal because they had faith- the woman in the market place believed that if she touched Jesus’ cloak, she would be healed from a decade-long illness and she was. Moreover, Jesus tells her it was her faith that made her well (Luke 8: 40-48).

                “Have faith in God,” Jesus answered.“Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them.Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” Mark 11: 22-24

                Although all things are possible for one who believes (Mark 9:23), sometimes we need to pray to God to help us in our unbelief. Also, if you were going for a major operation, you would probably research your surgeon- likewise, the only way to know God and hence come to trust Him is by reading scripture (Romans 10:17) and also listening to testimonies. Only then can we realise how great and faithful God is.

                When Jesus visited Nazareth He was amazed at the people’s unbelief, and due to their lack of faith couldn’t carry out any miracles (Mark 6: 5-6).  On another occasion He was amazed at the faith of the pagan Centurion. How do we approach prayer- are we only rational or are we faithful? St Augustine addresses the reason-faith dilemma: “God does not expect us to submit our faith to him without reason, but the very limits of reason make faith a necessity.” and “Faith is to believe what you do not see; the reward of this faith is to see what you believe.”

 Why does Jesus need faith to perform miracles? God wants to live and act through us: faith opens a channel to God and allows Him to establish a link with us so that divine power can flow. Furthermore, Jesus tells us to address God as ‘Abba’- which is an intimate term for ‘father’- it’s time to rediscover that trusting, total faith we see in children.

2)    Forgive

It is impossible to pray if you are harbouring animosity, hurt or grudges.

“Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.” (Matthew 5: 23-24)

“And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.”  Mark 11: 25

                Holding onto grudges and resentment clogs our spiritual arteries so that when we try to pray, we just can’t connect. But… How can we forgive people who have harmed us? How can we swallow our pride? Maybe the answer would be to stand before a crucifix and realise that that is the greatest injustice of all time- pure innocence tortured and killed to pay off the debt of your- and every other human’s- sin. Comparing that to your own burden can give you solace and put things in perspective.

3)        Pray with Persistence

We need to pray all the time – for days, months, years; Abraham prayed for 25 years before he had Isaac and Tutzi and Stephan prayed for 14 years before they founded the Youth Ministry we know today. If we automatically receive graces we pray for, we may not value them. In fact, God wishes us to grow our heart as we wait- we gain experience, build faith and mature in God, until we are ready to receive a certain grace or change the direction of our prayers.

Remember, the Apostles had been out fishing all night with no luck but when Jesus told them to cast their nets again in the same area, against all odds, they saw a massive haul. We should never give up even in absurd circumstances because we can never know what God has planned.

4)        Pray in the name of Jesus

“You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.” John 14:14

Jesus said this during the Last Supper- one of His final messages was that we can ask for anything in His name and it will be done for us. ‘Asking in Jesus’ name’ basically means that we know God’s will and align our prayers with that. We get to know God’s will through reading scripture, learning, silent and prayerful reflection… We will be praying for the right things, for things in line with God’s will which lead to growth, peace and above all, love. If we pray for those things, we will see God at work!

Speaker: Rob Rizzo

Date: 16^th February 2013

This talk presented us with a fundamental reason for our experience with God and facts that it’s real. In order to take the most from this article about the talk, you need to approach it from an open-minded perspective. It is based on the question “Why am I Christian?” and talks about core facts about faith which apply to everyone, wherever you are in your walk with God.

Along the journey of faith, we encounter doubts and it is when we address these doubts that we find truth. Essentially, we are all looking for truth. Moreover, we have to be prepared to answer questions about why we hope when we are questioned by others or indeed question ourselves (1 Peter 3:15).

This talk challenges us to recognise the reasons why we are Christian: Am I Christian because God is my Problem Solver? But what happens when there’s a problem God can’t solve- like when someone close to me dies? Am I Christian because it puts my mind at rest that I’m doing good? However, I can live a good life and not be Christian- lots of atheists are good people. Is my faith a matter of culture? In this case, we’re just going with the flow… what about when I want to become my own person? What happens when I realise my beliefs are not my own? Am I Christian because it fills the emptiness inside of me? Maybe I have a Christian lifestyle- I read the Bible, share, have Christian friends….But my faith still feels empty. Am I Christian because it leads me to Heaven? Maybe I’m comfortable with that idea- I’ll enjoy life now and enjoy God later…. But what’s the point of life now, then?

All those above reasons are okay reasons- but they aren’t THE reason one should have for being Christian- one can dig even deeper. Each of those reasons leads us to doubt whether this is all there is to faith, whether God exists and what part He plays in our life.

We exist to have a relationship with God and love Him- that’s when we discover the fullness of our being. Deep within us we feel a natural need to trust something greater than us and psychiatrists know that every natural desire can be satisfied- for example if you get thirsty, somewhere in nature there’s water you can drink. “Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.” John 17:3 (NIV). God is infinite so that every day He provides some new growth, He will never run out and we will never know Him fully- so every day is an adventure.

So that is the ideal reason for believing. Now it’s like Jesus is proposing to us: we have to say yes or no to spending a life with Him. But…is God true? Is any of this true? Quite simply, Jesus couldn’t have just been a good man if He went and lied about rising from the dead. He’s either a good man who doesn’t lie or bad man who lies. Every person has a different experience of God so that is not a reason for God to exist. Nonetheless, facts about God’s existence can be found mainly in the form of miracles and their scientific evaluation. During the canonization of a saint, miracles are confirmed by scientists to be occurrences that go beyond scientific explanation. Moreover, saints claim these miracles are done through them by God. These facts and faith together can help us draw conclusions such as that if miracles occur, God lives, therefore Jesus did not lie about rising and was a good man and it follows that He is God.

It’s time to make a yes or no decision about our faith. A decision must be followed by action- so if we choose yes, our choice is strengthened through quiet time praying with a Bible, attending mass, going for walks to reflect, fellowship (hanging out with other Christians)…and for the times when we’re wavering, when we want to open the door but just can’t, we can just tell God, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24) (NIV) and He’ll be right there beside us. 

My dearest Children,

Jesus wants me to tell you again, how much is the love He has for each one of you – beyond all that you can imagine. I worry some of you still haven not really met Jesus – one to one – you and Jesus alone. We may spend time in the chapel – but have you seen with the eyes of your soul how He looks at you with love? Do you really know the living Jesus – not from books, but from being with Him in your heart? Have you heard the loving words He speaks to you?

Ask for the grace, He is longing to give it. Never give up this daily intimate contact with Jesus as a real living person – not just an idea.

How can we last even one day living our life without hearing Jesus say ” I love you” – impossible. Our soul needs that as much as the body needs to breathe the air. If not, prayer is dead – meditation is only thinking. Jesus wants you each to hear Him – speaking in the silence of your heart.

Be careful of all that can block that personal being in touch with the living Jesus. The hurts of life, and sometimes your own mistakes – may make you feel it is impossible that Jesus really loves, is really clinging to you. This is a danger for all of you. And so sad, because it is completely opposite of what Jesus is really wanting, waiting to tell you.

Not only that He loves you, even more – He longs for you. He misses you when you don’t come close. He thirsts for you. He loves you always, even when you don’t feel worthy. Even if you are not accepted by others, even by yourself sometimes – He is the one who always accepts you.

My children, you don’t have to be different for Jesus to love you. Only believe – you are precious to Him. Bring all you are suffering to His feet – only open your heart to be loved by Him as you are. He will do the rest.

You all know in your mind that Jesus loves you – but in this letter Mother wants to touch your heart instead. Jesus wants to stir up our hearts, so not to lose our early love …

Why is Mother saying these things? After reading John’s letter on “I thirst,” I was struck so much – I cannot tell you what I felt. His letter made me realize more than ever how beautiful is our vocation. How great is God’s love for us in choosing us to satiate that thirst of Jesus, for love, for souls – giving us our special place in the church. At the same time we are reminding the world of his thirst, something that was being forgotten.

For me, Jesus’ thirst is something so intimate. Jesus must be the one to say to you ” I thirst.” Hear your own name. Not just once. Every day. If you listen with your heart, you will hear, you will understand.

Why does Jesus say “I thirst”? Something so hard to explain in words – if you remember anything from Mother’s letter, remember this – ” I thirst” is something much deeper than just Jesus saying ” I love you.” Until you know deep inside that Jesus thirsts for you – you can’t begin to know who He wants to be for you. Or who He wants you to be for Him.

How to approach the thirst of Jesus? Only one secret – the closer you come to Jesus, the better you will know His thirst. “Repent and believe,” Jesus tells us.What are we to repent? Our indifference, our hardness of heart. What to believe? Jesus thirsts even now, in your heart and in the poor – He knows your weakness, He wants only your love, wants only the chance to love you. He is not bound by time. Hear Him. Hear your own name. Make my joy and yours complete.

Let us pray,
God bless you,
M. Teresa

Quite simply, there are things in life which we can’t do alone. It wouldn’t make sense to marry yourself, you can’t play a football match or lift a heavy piece of furniture alone… and we cannot live our spiritual life alone. Yesterday, we cleared up some facts about the Church- but the fact remains that we have to be part of the Church. On a spiritual level, we need a spiritual family. Furthermore, in this family we take a stand together, we act differently, together and we also look for, protect, teach and love one another. 

From the Cross Jesus said, “I thirst” (John 19:28). It has been proven that during the Passion, much of the blood would have drained from Jesus’ body and indeed He would be suffering intense physical thirst. Moreover, while most people could hold out on the cross for days, after the torture He experienced, Christ died after only hours. However, Jesus also called out to fulfil scripture, something written a long time before: ‘Insults have broken my heart, so that I am in despair. I looked for pity, but there was none; and for comforters, but I found none. They gave me poison for food and for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.” Psalm 69 20-21.

However, Jesus also experienced a spiritual thirst- we see this same thirst in people in need of affection, fulfilment or meaning in life- it is a deeper need than any physical one. In fact, Jesus does not just thirst for was, He thirsts for our love. Many believe that in order for god to love them, they need to change. However, God loves you unconditionally, misses you when you turn away and accepts you even when everyone shuns you, even when you dislike yourself. When you open your heart, then change happens- but that is an effect of God’s love, which you can receive no matter what. Just as many parents would continue to love their children even when they make terrible choices- so God too is like an infallible, loving parent. Also, Mother Theresa reminds us that there is a need for us to love Jesus not just as an idea, but as a person alive today. 

Think of Bruno Mars and his song ‘Grenade’. That song is a cry of unreciprocated love of a man ready to do anything for his girlfriend. Keeping that song in mind can help you understand better how Jesus feels when we turn our backs to Him. In fact, in the Old Testament, God is presented as a Bridegroom who is repeatedly betrayed by the Bride He loves (in the Old Testament this is the Jews, in the New Testament it is the Church). God feels it when we turn our back to Him- on one occasion Jesus wept about this (Luke 19: 41-44).

In our hearts there’s a God-shaped hole which needs filling. We could try filling it with pleasure, relationships, music, hobbies, ambition, adventures, just like trying to open a door with the wrong keys.  But nothing can fill the void- because nothing can take God’s place.

The YOLO attitude is basically the idea that, since you only live once, you should try anything you fancy once. That idea is open to interpretation: for example, the effects could be detrimental if, while in a committed relationship one meets another attractive man or woman and decides to have a fling. While on the one hand this attitude could put our souls at risk, if we interpret it was encouragement to ‘seize the day’, it could lead to our fulfilment. This interpretation leads us to seize every opportunity to build God’s vision for Earth and a relationship with Him- which is brilliant. Because, while we do need family, friends, a living and an income, above all we need God.

In the beatitudes, Jesus says “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.” Blessed means happy- by cultivating a thirst for God, by seeking Him and drinking from his love and Marcy, we will be filled.

Will you take the opportunity?

Day 6: Today we’re celebrating the Eucharist together as one family, it’s never too late to join us… and it’s time to celebrate the ups and downs of this week!