A leap of faith

For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that overcomes the world, our faith.
 – 1 John 5:4

There came a man full of leprosy; and when he saw Jesus, he fell on his face and besought him, "Lord, if you will, you can make me clean." And He stretched out his hand, and touched him, saying, "I will; be clean." And immediately the leprosy left him.
 – Luke 5:12-13

Blue Heron nest

One of my readers, Ride, asked me a question about how to respond to non-believers. And especially those that mock the faith.

My answer was not to try to reason with them, but to ask them about their own personal experiences with religion and spirituality in their lives.

I'm not one that is attracted by the works of Christian apologists. They attempt to provide a rational argument for belief in Christ and His Church. There is nothing wrong with their arguments, but I don't think that faith can ever be acquired through reason.

In order to take the "leap of faith" we must be willing to stop clinging to our own personal egotistical belief systems, which prevent us from surrendering to God's will.

One of the temptations that Christ faced in the desert was to throw himself off of a precipice to prove that the angels would come to His rescue and keep Him from crashing to earth. Christ refused. Not because He had any doubt in the capacity of God's angels to save Him, but because it would have been a meaningless and self serving demonstration of His faith in God.

But at some point in our lives we all need to walk out on the precipice and let go of all our worldly attachments and allow ourselves to continue over the edge. Knowing that we are leaping into the loving and merciful arms of our Lord Jesus Christ.

And as we leap we need to say, "Jesus, I trust in You!" These are the words of Divine Mercy that were revealed to Sister María Faustina Kowalska. A simple nun with little education.

The hurdles and obstacles that stand in our way – that keep us from accepting the faith – are not rational ones. They may appear that way. And rational arguments may be successful in lowering some of those hurdles so that they are easier for us to clear.

But without a full act of submission to the power of God, those hurdles will always remain and we will constantly trip over the same unseen obstacles.

Picture a fledgling bird in the nest preparing to take its first flight. It has to trust in a power higher than itself that it will not go crashing to the ground. As it approaches the edge and looks down from a great height, it cannot help but feel a paralyzing fear.

The Virgin Mary was faced with such a moment when the archangel Gabriel appeared before her. Her response was to submit fully to God's will. She said, "I am the handmaid of the Lord." Which can also be translated as "I am the Lord's servant." (Luke 1:38)

Mary said "Yes." And her life was forever changed.

With faith, the hurdles and the obstacles disappear as we soar above them. They are still there, but they become irrelevant small specks in the distance below.

The only way to come to faith is through a personal acceptance of God in our lives. We must first understand how He is calling us. And then respond to that call. There are times in all of our lives when we have felt a closeness to God. It is a matter of recognizing those moments and events, and accepting them for what they are.

God has a plan for each and every one of us. We are all God's children. We are all called to greatness. Our lives are touched by His hand. He showers graces upon us.

I see His blood upon the rose

I discovered this poem by Joseph Mary Plunkett in the Christian Prayer book, which I just recently acquired to be able to say the Liturgy of the Hours. I was quite surprised and inspired when I found it in the back appendix on page 2060.

The words immediately suggested a melody to me, and I began working on composing a song. I found that I did not have to change the words at all, except for a very minor one. Where the original says, "and carven by His power, Rocks are His written words." I wrote instead, "and carved by His power, The rocks are His written words."

I see His blood upon the rose
© 2011 PublicVigil
Lyrics by Joseph Mary Plunkett
Music by PublicVigil

I see His blood upon the rose
And in the stars the glory of His eyes,
His body gleams amid eternal snows,
His tears fall from the skies.

I see His face in every flower;
The thunder and the singing of the birds
Are but His voice—and carved by His power
The rocks are His written words.

All pathways by His feet are worn,
His strong heart stirs the ever-beating sea,
His crown of thorns is twined with every thorn,
His cross is every tree.

I see His blood upon the rose
And in the stars the glory of His eyes

After I had finished with the music, I went online to learn about Joseph Mary Plunket, the poet.

Joseph Mary Plunkett

Born in Dublin in 1887, Joseph Plunkett wrote many poems of rare mystical force. He must have been something of a mystic, attracted as he was to St. John of the Cross, St. Teresa of Avila and St. Francis de Sales. Plunkett was one of the signers of the Proclamation of the Irish Republic and was imprisoned by the English army. He was executed in 1916 for his part in the 1916 Rising. Shortly before his execution on the morning of May 4, he married his fiancée, Grace Gifford, in the jail’s chapel. Plunkett was 28 years old.

Because of his great love for the Incarnate Word and the Word’s close connection to all created things, Plunkett seemed to see Christ’s destiny and great love as forever entwined with this earth and this universe. There are images of earthly romance in this poem: the rose, the stars, the tears, the flowers reflecting the face of Christ, the singing birds. One also senses, I believe, the throbbing heart of the Bridegroom in “the ever-beating sea.”

Taseer's death casts a pall over religious minorities in Pakistan

Salman Taseer with Asia Bibi (center)

By now you have all heard of the assassination of Salman Taseer. His confessed killer, Mumtaz Qadri, says unrepentantly that Taseer deserved to die for his opposition to Pakistan's "blasphemy" laws. And many Muslims in Pakistan apparently agree.

The increasing radicalisation of Pakistani society was today laid bare when mainstream religious organisations applauded the murder of Salman Taseer, the governor of Punjab, earlier this week and his killer was showered with rose petals as he appeared in court.
[...]
Qadri appeared in court, unrepentant, where waiting lawyers threw handfuls of rose petals over him and others in the crowd slapped his back and kissed his cheek as he was led in and out amid heavy security.

The assassination barely drew a raised eyebrow from the White House and the State Department. The most that Secretary of State Hillary Clinton could come up with was a pro forma statement of regret.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton condemned the assassination, saying Mr Taseer's death was "a great loss".

"I had the opportunity to meet Governor Taseer in Pakistan and I admired his work to promote tolerance and the education of Pakistan's future generations," she said.

"The United States remains committed to helping the government and people of Pakistan as they persevere in their campaign to bring peace and stability to their country."

There's nothing in Clinton's statement about the central issue surrounding the assassination of Taseer which is religious freedom. There is nothing demanding an end to Pakistan's "blasphemy" laws which are used to persecute Christians. There is nothing demanding the pardon and freedom of Asia Bibi, a Pakistani Christian condemned to death for her religious beliefs.

Just a few months ago Pope Benedict XVI spoke out publicly in support of Asia Bibi, saying that he felt a “spiritual closeness” to Bibi and her family. In the context of the outspoken public support for Taseer's assassin, one can imagine how the Pope's statement is viewed among the more conservative members of Pakistan's Muslim majority.

Mr Taseer was known for his positive stance towards better equality and rights for women and for minority faith groups. Several times he spoke out against the Blasphemy Law of Pakistan most notably during the recent case of Aasia Bibi, for whom he also demanded a pardon.

Today at his funeral thousands attended as his black coffin was draped with a flag of Pakistan and carried by military helicopter to its resting place at Calvary Ground Graveyard.

Although Pakistan's Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and Interior Minister Rehman Malik represented the government and the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party, their were notable absentees. Those missing including President Asif Ali Zardari the President and close friend of Mr Taseer also missing were political rivals Nawaz and Shabaz Shariff from opposing Party Muslim League.

There is an investigation underway of the circumstances under which Taseer was publicly executed.

Elements of the case are suspicious such as how one member of the elite team was able to shoot the Governor without being killed himself. He was part of a 6 man crack team that were commissioned to protect Mr Taseer. Yet when retaliation shots were fired 5 innocent bystanders were shot dead and the killer was apprehended without wound. From outward appearances it would seem that the killing was a planned assassination that involved a larger party then so far uncovered.

The assassin, Qadri, who was one of the bodyguards assigned to protect Taseer was a member of the Elite Police which specializes in counter-terrorism and VIP security duties. The Elite Police are trained by the Special Service Group (SSG), also known as Black Storks,  which is a special operations military unit of the Pakistan Army.

Reports suggested that Qadri, 26, was a known radical in the police service who had previously been declared by his superiors to be unfit for guarding VIPs. He told interrogators he was proud to have killed a blasphemer.

Reports also said Qadri, part of Taseer's security force, had tipped off other guards about his plan to kill the Punjab governor. The other bodyguards did not seem to react as Qadri fired a whole clip of bullets into Taseer in a market in central Islamabad and then laid down his weapon.

The absolute support of some mainstream Muslim organizations for the assassination of Taseer is demonstrated in some of the following statements.

"Salman Taseer was himself responsible for his killing," Munawar Hasan, the head of Jamaat-e-Islami, one of the two big religious political parties, said. "Any Muslim worth the name could not tolerate blasphemy of the Prophet, as had been proved by this incident."

Qadri was in the Barelvi sect, which is followed by most Muslims in Pakistan. However, on the issue of the blasphemy law, the Barelvi clerics had joined hands with the pro-Taliban Deobandi. The issue was sparked by Taseer's championing of a Christian woman, Asia Bibi, who was sentenced to death for blasphemy late last year.

"No Muslim should attend the funeral or even try to pray for Salmaan Taseer," a statement from Jamaate Ahle Sunnat Pakistan, one of the biggest organisations of the Barelvi, representing 500 religious scholars, said. "We pay rich tributes and salute the bravery, valour and faith of Mumtaz Qadri."

Taseer's assassination showed how free speech has been curtailed in Pakistan. The religious scholars warned that others could meet the same fate.

"The supporter is as equally guilty as one who committed blasphemy," the Jamaate Ahle Sunnat Pakistan statement said. It added that adding politicians, the media and others should learn "a lesson from the exemplary death".

The impact on the public debate over Pakistan's "blasphemy" laws is devastating according to Catholic Archbishop Saldanha of Lahore, Pakistan.

The assassination of a Pakistani governor who opposed the country’s blasphemy law will make it “virtually impossible” for anyone to speak out against it, the Archbishop of Lahore has warned.
[...]
“We were very shocked to hear the news,” Archbishop Lawrence J. Saldanha of Lahore told Vatican Radio. “We feel that this is definitely a move against those who are opposing the blasphemy law.”

The governor was “a quite outstanding critic” of the blasphemy law and had called for its repeal several times.

The archbishop expressed the Catholic Church’s sadness at his murder. He reported that there is increasing intolerance of any form of dissent in Pakistan and less hope that the blasphemy law may be overturned.
[...]
Meanwhile, radical Islamic groups have called nationwide strikes to counter any effort to repeal the blasphemy law.

“Initially when the High Court sentenced Asia Bibi to death, many members of civil society spoke out against this law and there was a general sense that it needed to be repealed. Now that tide has turned,” Archbishop Saldanha said.

Catholics feel increasing marginalized, he explained, and have had to increase security around churches especially during Christmas.
[...]
He said Catholics “live from day to day, hoping and praying and quietly going about their business. And not making any waves. Certainly the mood is very gloomy, and there is fear and tension. But at the same time, they come to church and they get an uplifted feeling.”

On a personal note, I had written an article about Asia Bibi at the end of November 2010 following the Pope's declaration in support of her. This was the first time I had become aware of her case and the general persecution of Christians in Pakistan. I can only imagine the sinking feeling that must have come over Asia Bibi and her family when they heard of the death of Punjab governor Salman Taseer. Just imagine if they could do this to him, what would they do to Asia and her family?

There was a general feeling of optimism surrounding the case of Asia Bibi following the Pope's pronouncement, that she would be swiftly pardoned and freed from prison. Now all of that optimism is gone. Asia remains in prison and condemned to death, and her family is in hiding. Even if she is freed, she would not be able to continue living in Pakistan or any other predominately Muslim country for fear of her life

It is up to Christians around the world to rally in support of victims like Asia Bibi and to denounce Pakistan's blasphemy laws. Certainly with all the financial assistance that the the United States gives to Pakistan for their support in the war against terrorism, our government could apply pressure to Pakistan to bring about change leading to greater religious freedom. After all isn't that one of the goals of the war against terrorism?

In a statement on religious freedom which Pope Benedict XVI released on January 1st he stated:

"Each person must be able freely to exercise the right to profess and manifest, individually or in community, his or her own religion or faith, in public and in private, in teaching, in practice, in publications, in worship and in ritual observances. There should be no obstacles should he or she eventually wish to belong to another religion or profess none at all."

Related articles:

• Christian persecution in Pakistan
• Pray for peace on earth

The Mall as a Temple

I hadn't been to a shopping mall in a while. In fact I don't remember the last time. Let's just say it has been many months.

Every Sunday I attend Mass. I see my fellow Catholics kneeling in prayer. I am surrounded by stained glass images of the Saints. I am absorbed in devotion to Christ in the company of not just those present, but also those who have entered into Heaven, and people all around the world who are hearing the same readings from the Bible that day, and even those souls in Purgatory who are striving to reach perfection so that they too can abide in God's eternal presence. This is what the Catholic Church calls "the communion of saints".

There are prayers and incense and candles. The priest is dressed in robes appropriate to the current season in the Church's liturgical year. There is music and singing that celebrates God's love for His Creation.

And then I went to the Mall.

There were people busily going from store to store with shopping bags filled with their purchases. There were bright signs that beckoned me to enter one store or another. There was music that stimulated the inner urge to buy. There were life size posters of models in the latest fashions.

And I realized that the Mall is the Temple of modern secular society.

It's where we go to worship our secular gods of materialism and wealth. And we pray for the money to be able to purchase the objects of our desire. We go through the rituals of exchanging money for goods in order to receive the blessings of the gods of Levi's, Macy's and Abercrombie and Fitch.

We believe in the power of the brand. We have faith in the ritual of the return; and the joy everlasting of a good purchase.

We rejoice at the return of the prodigal sons and daughters who had given up shopping, because now the Malls are full again – overflowing with the communion of consumers. As our fellow consumers around the world flock to identical malls and purchase the identical products and brands that we have purchased.

We are reminded by the images of our role models, the saintly celebrities, who we imitate by dressing in the same fashions. So that we might attain the same blessings which have been bestowed upon them by secular society.

We seek to achieve the eternal fame of those who have died and have gone to live in Hollywood heaven among the stars. We aspire to become like them, and imitate their dress and hair styles and postures in order to come closer to the spotlight of fame,

We adore the iconic images of the celluloid heros and heroines of the past – blessed Marilyn Monroe and blessed James Dean. We fill our homes with memorabilia devoted to their adoration.

And every week we religiously return to the Mall. Seeking spiritual comfort in the surroundings, even when we have no intention of partaking in the ritual of the purchase. But simply shopping in anticipation of the coming day when the paycheck will rise again; meditating on the glories of buying.

God among us

He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world knew him not. He came to his own home, and his own people received him not. But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God; who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth; we have beheld his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father.

– John 1:10-14

Our Lady of Grace

Zoë Labouré was born on May 2, 1806 at Fain-les-moustiers, As child she had consecrated herself to the Blessed Virgin Mary.   Her mother died when she was eight, and when her elder sister, Louisa, left home to become a Sister of Charity, the duties of housekeeper and helper to her father fell upon her. When her mother died she chose the Blessed Virgin for her mother, and when she was about 14 or so she heard a call to the religious life. After some opposition from her father, she was allowed to join the Sisters of Charity of St Vincent de Paul in Paris, France in 1830 becoming Sr. Catherine Labouré.

Here, St. Catherine describes the second apparition of Our Lady to her:

On November 27, 1830, the Saturday before the first Sunday in Advent, at 5:30 P.M., while I was making my Meditation in deep silence, I seemed to hear a sound, like the rustling of a silk dress.

Turning my eyes in that direction, I saw the Blessed Virgin near the picture of St. Joseph. She was well proportioned and so beautiful that I could not describe Her.

She was standing, and her robe was the color of the dawn, high at the neck, and plain sleeves. On Her head She had a white veil, which fell down on each side to Her feet. Her hair was parted in front and confined in a sort of coif, trimmed with a narrow crochet lace. Her face was quite uncovered, and Her feet were resting on a globe, of which about half was visible.

Her hands were raised up to the height of Her girdle, in a graceful posture, holding another globe, which She seemed to press to Her Heart. Her eyes were turned to Heaven, and Her countenance was most beautiful.

All of a sudden the globe disappeared from her hands, and her fingers were filled with rings with most precious gems. From these, rays of light went forth to all sides, enveloping Her in such splendor that one could see neither Her feet nor Her robe.

As I was absorbed in contemplating the Blessed Virgin, She lowered Her eyes to me, and said: "The globe which you see" (I understood Her to mean the one She had beneath Her feet) "represents the world, especially France, and every single person." And then She added: "The rays are the symbol of the graces I shed on those who ask Me for them."

This year I have asked the Virgin Mary to become more than an intercessor for me. You see I have come to realize that I need a spiritual director. The problem is that I don't even really know what that means or what  I should be looking for. So for the time being I have asked Mary to be my spiritual director.

Her first requirement of me is that I spend time daily with her so that she can properly guide me in my spiritual life. So I made a New Year's resolution to start my day off in meditation with her. She is providing me guidance through her very own spiritual exercise which is the Rosary.

Here she shares with me the wonders of her life spent in the presence of her Son Jesus. She tells me of His birth, life, death and resurrection. She tells me about the appearance of the archangel Gabriel. The coming of the shepherds and the Three Wise Men. The baptism of Jesus by John. The time that the young child Jesus was lost in Jerusalem and she and Joseph found Him in the Temple.

Mother Mary describes to me her visitation to Elizabeth who had miraculously conceived a child at an old age. She describes the events around the presentation of Jesus at the Temple as a baby. How Simeon predicted that her soul would be pierced by a sword, and how she wondered about what that could mean.

She described the wedding at Cana when she told Jesus that they had run out of wine. And how Jesus miraculously turned the water into wine.

She described the immense sorrow that she felt when Jesus was condemned to death and was taken before Pontius Pilate. And how she watched in horror as her Son was first beaten mercilessly to the point of death and then forced to carry His own cross up the hill to Calvary. And how she stood and wept at His feet along with the other women. And then how they had to quickly bury Him before the arrival of the Sabbath.

And then she received the news from Mary Magdalene that she had seen Jesus and that He was not dead after all. But that He had risen as He had promised. And how she was overcome with joy at the news of His resurrection.

And how she in the company of the other disciple of Jesus had prayed for the arrival of the Holy spirit for nine days. And how when the Holy Spirit descended upon them they began to speak in tongues. And some in the crowd thought that they were drunk, but Peter explained that this was a form of intoxication that came from God.

And how when she died she was granted her wish to be carried bodily up into Heaven to be with her Son. And how God and the angels crowned her Queen of Heaven.

All of this she told me and much more. So that I could understand that her Son was truly God among us, Immanuel. And so that I could understand His personal message for my life.

The Mysteries of the Rosary

The Joyful Mysteries

The Annunciation
The Visitation
The Birth of Our Lord
The Presentation of Our Lord
The Finding of Our Lord in the Temple

The Sorrowful Mysteries

The Agony in the Garden
The Scourging at the Pillar
The Crowning with Thorns
The Carrying of the Cross
The Crucifixion and Death of Our Lord

The Glorious Mysteries

The Resurrection
The Ascension
The Coming of the Holy Ghost
The Assumption of our Blessed Mother into Heaven
The Coronation of our Blessed Mother

The Luminous Mysteries

The Baptism in the Jordan
The Wedding at Cana
The Proclamation of the Kingdom
The Transfiguration
The Institution of the Eucharist

No more sorrows

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more.

And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband; and I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Behold, the dwelling of God is with men. He will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself will be with them; he will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain any more, for the former things have passed away."

– Revelation 21:1-4

No more sorrows
© 2010 PublicVigil

Love, you don’t need to cry any more
No more sorrows, no more pain
Peace, falling down from Heav’n like rain
Now we’re free, from our chains

Jesus said to his disciples
When he saw the children
These are God’s angels
Bring them to me!

We were troubled by our burdens
Now we can sing with angels
Hallelujah!
Set me free!

Love, spring is here the winter’s gone
No more cold, and barren ground
Flowers, are everywhere and the robin’s song
Fills our hearts with joyous sounds

Love, sail with me into sunsets
On the evening breeze
Hold my hand,
And stay with me

Share, my cup of wine and bread
And sing with me forever
In Holy communion
Until our last days

Love, you don’t need to cry any more
No more sorrows, no more pain
Peace, falling down from Heav’n like rain
Now we’re free, from our chains

Pray for peace on earth

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom he is pleased!"
 – Luke 2:13-14

Madonna del Sacro Monte di Viggiano

Today, January 1, is the celebration of the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God. The Church also celebrates today the 44th World Peace Day.

The statue of the Madonna del Sacro Monte di Viggiano is displayed in St. Peter's Basilica during the Mass on this day. It is one of many Black Madonnas which is venerated by the Catholic Church.

I am very dark, but comely,
O daughters of Jerusalem,
like the tents of Kedar,
like the curtains of Solomon.
 – Song of Solomon 1:5

The Madonna of Viggiano seems to be based on the more famous Virgen de Montserrat in Spain, affectionately known as "La Moreneta" – roughly translated this means "the dark-skinned one".

La Virgen de Montserrat

Today, also, Pope Benedict XVI issued his Message for the celebration of the World Day of Peace. He titled it "Religious Freedom, the Path to Peace". The Pope has highlighted recently the persecution of Christians around the world. There are the examples of violence like what has been occurring in Iraq, but there are also the attacks on religious freedom in the name of secular humanism which are occurring in the more "liberal" societies. These actions are sometimes cleverly disguised as affirmations of various human rights, when they are actually designed to attack one of the most fundamental human rights which is the right of freedom of religion.

Here are some excerpts from the Pope's message, "Religious Freedom, the Path to Peace".

Among the fundamental rights and freedoms rooted in the dignity of the person, religious freedom enjoys a special status. When religious freedom is acknowledged, the dignity of the human person is respected at its root, and the ethos and institutions of peoples are strengthened. On the other hand, whenever religious freedom is denied, and attempts are made to hinder people from professing their religion or faith and living accordingly, human dignity is offended, with a resulting threat to justice and peace.
[...]
Each person must be able freely to exercise the right to profess and manifest, individually or in community, his or her own religion or faith, in public and in private, in teaching, in practice, in publications, in worship and in ritual observances. There should be no obstacles should he or she eventually wish to belong to another religion or profess none at all.
[...]
The world needs God. It needs universal, shared ethical and spiritual values, and religion can offer a precious contribution to their pursuit, for the building of a just and peaceful social order at the national and international levels.

Peace is a gift of God and at the same time a task which is never fully completed. A society reconciled with God is closer to peace, which is not the mere absence of war or the result of military or economic supremacy, much less deceptive ploys or clever manipulation. Rather, peace is the result of a process of purification and of cultural, moral and spiritual elevation involving each individual and people, a process in which human dignity is fully respected. I invite all those who wish to be peacemakers, especially the young, to heed the voice speaking within their hearts and thus to find in God the stable point of reference for attaining authentic freedom, the inexhaustible force which can give the world a new direction and spirit, and overcome the mistakes of the past.

[NOTE: It is very saddening that the Catholic Bishops in the United States seem to have been afflicted by the secular spirit and have decided not to recognize as a separate Holy Day the celebration of the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God on January 1. Their thinking seems to be that most American Catholics will not be interested in taking time out of their busy week to attend Mass on a Saturday. This is unfortunate. I hope that in the future the Bishops will show leadership in this matter, rather than acquiescing to the most lackadaisical desires of the laity.]