BOKO HARAM - The Use and Abuse of Kidnapped Girls

Not only did they abuse girls that they kidnapped, but also threatened to sell them if the Nigerian government did not release their fellow terrorists from prison. The kidnapping of girls from a residential school in Nigeria took place over a month ago.The terrorist organization that planned and executed the kidnapping is Boko Haram; a notoriously brain-washed tribal group that claims to be a follower of Islam and yet they only managed to distort the picture of Islam as a religion. For years now, terrorists of Boko Haram have been causing fear among the citizens they visited. Like a Satanic violent cult, they torched homes, schools, market places, and government buildings.They murdered scores of people who disagree with their beliefs or resist their attacks trying to protect themselves. It seems that they are funded by the same sources that continue to fund Islamic terrorism in  the so-called "Arab Spring" in the Arab world, as well as Taliban in Afghanistan, and other militia terrorists in Pakistan, Russia, Iran and Al-Qaeda to name a few. Their goal is to turn the African countries, that they operate in, into Islamic countries based on a strict interpretation of Sharia.

In the belief of Boko Haram, girls must be married at a young age, and forced to stay home to serve their masters. If they are kidnapped, those girls are to be used for the entertainment and sexual pleasure of men of the same organization or a similar one. If those girls are lucky, Boko Haram will trade them for money which will be used for more terror or for the release of their fellow terrorists from prison.

Strangely, not only do they conduct terror operations but also we note that the Nigerian government is slow in pursuing and saving the kidnapped ones. The U.S. government and other Western governments offered their technical assistance in surveillance and military tracking facilities. Yet the plight of the kidnapped girls seems to have been given a lower attention among the world's powerful nations who are able to assist in their release.

The word "Haram" can have several meanings. In Semitic languages it can be derived from "Harm" which means exclusion from the community. In the ancient Christian Churches, it is equivalent to excommunication of a person from participation in sacraments or his exclusion from the community of worship. In Islam, "Haram" is often interpreted as the sinful act forbidden by God in the Qur'an.  In the developed Catholic thought, inspired texts of the Bible are not literally dictated from God. The mind of the Church is not determined by individual impressions or free personal interpretations but by the authority of bishops in union with the Successor of Peter and the assent of the faithful according to the living tradition of the Church. In the Bible too, every person, including women, is created in the image of God. A patriarchal social system does not justify treatment of women as if they were subordinate to men. On the contrary it was a woman, the Virgin Mary, whose "Yes" to God made her venerated above all other creatures including men. She is highly venerated in both Islamic texts and  Christian traditions of Apostolic character.

Of course, no one is forced to believe what was written here. However, moral norms in the world forbid the killing of any innocent person and dictate that a just trial be set up for anyone accused of crimes for prosecution to demand punishment. It is the moral conscience that stands in trial today!

Africa remains a fertile continent for the presence of moderate Christians and moderate Muslims along with Animist religions. Catholic missionaries may be able to open schools and hospitals that care for the population they serve and thus move them to receive the grace of faith. Good businesses may bring hi technology as opportunities to invest in trades and education of local populations. The more there is security and stability the more African nations would become prosperous over time. To serve man, always discerning the call of the Spirit of God, is to serve God!

The Power of Education to Transform Society

Education is such a powerful tool that, when used properly, it can help prepare generations of people into good citizens of the "Kingdom of God." In today's society, people responsible for the education system are  increasingly ignoring the moral responsibility of raising morally-enlightened citizens. Education in Catholic primary and high schools is either private and expensive or, as is the case of most Catholic schools in Toronto, is free but ineffective. In Toronto school boards whether public or Catholic, teachers are required to get all students in a given class to pass to the next grade without necessarily having merited a successful pass. If a teacher disciplines a student or gives him a low mark, the student's parent can complain and get the teacher's credentials questioned. This is the reverse of how our schools managed us when we were students. Kids who did not respect their teachers in the classroom were disciplined by the administration and if they misbehaved, their parents were called to withdraw them (they were basically expelled by the director).Today the school board's policy is based on the relativistic idea that a given child must be allowed to only reach his own potential regardless of the requirements for study and knowledge in the curriculum.  Attention to the individual's potential overrides attention to the social standard for learning. Add to this how evil exploits it and enters into political games in boards and teachers association and children's games of envy, selfishness, and power struggle. Some teenagers exercise peer pressure on their classmates: "Are you still virgin?" or worse they can through bullying provoke their relatively more successful classmates into the temptation of despair, and possibly suicide. Teenagers in schools without discipline or at least communication can become sexually active or do drugs or both. Public school boards care only about the physical health of students. They provide their students with condoms for "safe sex." Unhappy teachers on one hand and classmates without a good moral standard on the other hand mean only that Satan is the victor. This state of affairs is prevalent in liberal societies of the Western world, and we may think the discussion is probably limited to them. However, this does not mean that conservative societies in the Eastern hemisphere are immune. Promiscuity and drugs do exist there too even though they are socially considered taboo.  The widespread access to the Internet has made it possible for students in both East and West to share and watch clips of such immoral acts and/or join in little gangs especially with lyrics of such popular singers and dancers that often call for selfishness and acts of revenge. Although the Internet has made learning material available much easier in the world, it is easier to tempt and destroy souls than help build them. If popular individuals messages on Facebook are envious or hateful then the young will learn as always from their parents who share them. Students that have just graduated from university or college are faced with double the pressure. First they have to find a job in their field of study; and second they have to pay back student loans from the money they could earn. And if a graduate is accepted for a job, the offer is usually for a contract for a limited time with probably half the salary given to the experienced older employee - no job security and no benefits. How will this young person be able to expect a good future? How will  this young person afford to get married and build a family? In an ethically-permissive society, are not we encouraging our young ones to have sex without marriage?  Where is the safety net for future generations?
The issue is complex. Let us only focus on the younger of the young.
How can the community of the faithful deal with this evil in the absence of good moral standards and records of real success in most schools? For almost every child or teenager, parents are also under pressure to work harder in order to please the boss who also works harder in order to please his own boss. By the time a working parent comes home, the child has already done his homework or probably entertained himself with like-minded children using his own phone/computer and is already tired and so the parent too. Talking of helping the offspring get better education becomes an expensive option if parents have to pay for private lessons. In some cases parents are already stressed and each adds to the tension that they are no longer together. Welcome to the single-parent family, which also costs society in welfare payments and costs the family in the loss of bonding and sacrificing love. With the loss of one parent, children then pay a higher price of emotional turbulence and/or mental sickness. As parents and children descend into individualism so too society as a whole is bombarded, over the media, with sad news of murders, crimes, trials, divorce of popular artists and embarrassing acts of politicians. The latest in Canada are the investigations of Toronto's mayor, the self-revelation of Ontario's premier that she is lesbian, and the sudden declaration of the leader of the Federal Liberal Party that every candidate in his party for future elections must be pro-choice; seemingly bowing to radical feminists in order to win their support..Though this picture sounds bleak, it is important to note the central role of the woman in building, and educating her family. This is why I consulted a number of ladies involved in education and psychology to write this article. I have much hope in the role that mothers can play in educating their children. A mother communicates with her child since conception in the womb. If you are in doubt consult the research work of Dr. Alfred Tomatis in audio-psycho-phonology (Cf. Tomatis, Alfred; 1989; "Neuf Mois Au Paradis"; Ergo Press) or visit www.tomatis.com. The bonding of a mother and her child has also been demonstrated in the widely-acknowledged neurological research on oxytocin (the so-called love-hormone) naturally released in sexual love and pregnancy as well as in the ensuing natural bonding between couples and with their children.

Proposed Actions:
1. The Church leadership (bishops and priests) need to implement the directives of the Church on the family and the upbringing of good children. Churches need to organize effective seminars with videos accessible of their websites and tailored to the various needs of different generations where the faithful are attracted to learn the moral teachings of the Church especially on education.
Bishops and priests need to be a Christian example for their fellow faithful in humility and accessibility as Pope Francis has demonstrated. We can only look to the leadership of Pope Francis; a moderate pastor who communicates well with the young, the outcast, the poor, and the weak. How dared he to challenge the mafia, the men of power and excessive consumerism, and global Capitalism without condemning anyone remains a powerful display of the courage that Christ showed in his love of his enemies! Probably this is where the lessons should be drawn for the Christian community in dealing with this generation of young minds.
2. Leaders of youth groups in parishes must coordinate spiritual/moral formation of the groups by effective educators in the Church.These activities, using videos, computers and high tech facilities if required, must take priority over fun games, parties and outings and be given on a weekly basis.
3. Parents need to understand the needs of their children and communicate daily with them - If you do not love your children who will love them? Love them with wisdom. Parents must be careful not to show favouritism for one child over another. Husband and wife need to talk daily and show appreciation for each other on little things. Love is more than emotions for it is the grace that carries the world.
Parents in Canada can join an organization such as PAFE to register their defense of Christian teachings on moral issues with school boards.

Education is a powerful tool that can help us be transformed, and society too, albeit slowly, into little children of God (Matt 18, 3) who increase in wisdom.
In Luke, it is written: And [Jesus] went down with [his parents] and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them; and his mother kept all these things in her heart. And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature, and in favor with God and man. (Luke 2: 51-52).
 It was Caiaphas who had given counsel to the Jews that it was expedient that one man should die for the people (John 18, 14). That was Christ who sacrificed his life for the world to live, but who today would sacrifice a bit of time to help families and future generations live the joyful eternal life? Are we the educated wise or the foolish ones (Matt 25, 1-12)?

The Fear of Thomas!

[On the evening of that first day of the week, when the doors were locked, where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, "Peace be with you." When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side.  The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you." And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained. Thomas, called Didymus, one of the Twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples said to him, "We have seen the Lord." But he said to them, "Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and put my finger into the nailmarks and put my hand into his side, I will not believe." Now a week later his disciples were again inside and Thomas was with them. Jesus came, although the doors were locked, and stood in their midst and said, "Peace be with you." Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here and see my hands, and bring your hand and put it into my side, and do not be unbelieving, but believe." Thomas answered and said to him, "My Lord and my God!
(John 20: 19-23).
 This was the Gospel's reading in both Byzantine and Roman Catholic Churches this past Sunday April 27 2014.  Friday April 25, it was Fr. Georges Farah who gave an impressive lecture on the meaning behind this reading.  Georges Farah said: The Gospel is the word of God that can be seen in multiple dimensions. It is a historical reality that after his Resurrection Jesus came to the disciples and gave them his peace. It is a historical reality that  Thomas doubted it. But it is also the story of fear in men and women who constantly need the risen Jesus Christ to come in and give them his peace. While we are full of fear in the closed room and our doors are locked, Christ  is the One who enters In  our being in spite of the locks, approaches us and invites us to communicate with him and live in the joy of Easter. We are Thomas in our doubts that there is no life for us with  the risen Christ beyond this life. We are Thomas that sees the challenges of science as too overwhelming in the material world we increasingly live in that only science can save us here. We have forgotten the source of science who makes it possible that humanity advances in its limited awareness of him who creates all from nothing.  We have forgotten the power of the Holy Spirit who guides the Church, the People of God.  God wants you and me to live and have joy eternally. He is full of compassion that he does not leave the disciples until he has strengthened them and poured the life-giving Holy Spirit in breathing the Spirit in them. We are the disciples in Syria, Egypt, Lebanon and the entire world for we are afraid that God has forsaken us or will forsake us to the Devil. We are Thomas in North America and Europe because we doubt now the Christian faith we inherited. Yet Jesus calls and comes in the Eucharist every Sunday. In him there is no fear. In him there is only hope, faith, and, above all, love. Let's love each other and those who do not love us. Let us thank God for the canonization of Blessed Pope John XXIII and Blessed Pope John Paul II, great leaders of the faithful who served Christ. Their canonization as saints in the same Mass by Pope Francis and in the presence of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI is an important step in the direction of the unity of all in the Church. In spite of much resistance to the Spirit, we ask our loving God to unite us all in the global human family as we await the New Jerusalem in which he will be "all in all." 
    



  

The Goal of the Expanding Universe!

 This week, while on the bus, a little baby girl smiled to me and I smiled back to her. I know in my heart that she liked to connect with me because she felt my innocent looks that I wished to ask her mom to only let me carry her for a minute. I know that in spite of my sins and shortcomings, God our Father loves every one of us.  Think of your mom, dad, spouse, children, and friends, and you will find God and his love through many of them.  Or probably you will find the joy for which God created you, as Fr. Henri Boulad suggests, when you enjoy the food you eat and bless Him for what He gave you in food that carries in it the fruit of the earth which is itself an offering of love. We are all interconnected and relational. For nearly six years I gave a course to adults on database systems including the Relational Model implemented in information technology at Sheridan College near Toronto. 

The first surprise is that in our busy days, we hardly think of love. We have no time for love. Yet we receive love, otherwise we would have disappeared.  Surprise yourself and read this 
article. The entire universe is a blessing that gives glory to God. 

In this article, I attempt to connect you and myself to the great surprises we have had in the past few weeks. From there I draw your attention to a reflection on the victory of Christ that surprises me more so in the natural phenomena whose mysteries are not fully understood yet and the ecstatic experiences of mystics who surpass my ordinary experience.  I particularly remember the words of Maurice Zundel "God knelt before Man" to restore Man!

The canonization of two recent Popes in one day raised a lot of interest especially because of the rich work that each of them contributed to the world. 

Pope John XXIII, elected in 1959, shocked the Catholic world when he announced his intention to convoke an Ecumenical Council in order to renew the Church, make her teachings understandable by a changing world, and seek unity of all Christians. John called himself "Your brother Joseph" when he invited leaders of other Churches and Christian communions not in union with the Catholic Church. He attributed the thought to a sudden inspiration by the Holy Spirit for a second Pentecost. The Second Vatican Council (Vatican II) lasted for 3 years starting in 1962 but the "Good Pope", known for his compassion and care for the ordinary persons, died from cancer in 1963. The Council was completed by Pope Paul VI described by Yves Congar as a saint. In his funeral the world (political and ordinary people) was mourning "Papa John", an old man of courage whose intercession between the U.S. and the U.S.S.R.  over the Cuban Crisis in 1961 helped avoid a military confrontation between the superpowers - a man who dared to challenge the "old guards of the Church as if she were a museum" for the Church is our living mother and is still delivering saints today as she did in ancient times.

Pope John Paul II, elected in 1978, was by contrast a determined man who sought to implement Vatican II with rigor and invigoration unknown in modern history. He is credited with initiating the World Youth Day and presiding over its activities in many countries; the re-evangelization program worldwide; his travels to most of the capitals of the world in order to strengthen his Christian brothers; his visits to many Christian Patriarchs and leaders as well as his encounter with Jewish and Muslim leaders visiting their sacred places in his historic pilgrimage in the Middle East; his reaffirmation of moral values in sexual ethics; his pro-life stance where, in collaboration with Islamic countries and other traditional countries, he defeated the radical program of contraceptives promoted at the U.N. Conference on Population held in Cairo in 1993; his interfaith meetings and prayers with representatives of other confessions; his beatification and canonization of servants of God more than all his predecessors together; his initiation of collaborative conferences with scientists and scholars and his official recognition of the Theory of Evolution; and above all his solemn apology in 2000 for sins by sons and daughters of the Catholic Church throughout its long history. When he died of illness complications in 2005 after 26 years on the See of Rome, it seemed that no one pope could ever fill the shoes of John Paul the Great.

As John XXIII is revered by mostly liberal Catholics, while John Paul II is revered by conservative Catholics, the canonization of both popes in one celebration by Pope Francis is widely regarded as a step to unite liberals and conservatives into one mystical soul. The Catholic Church is indeed very large and is the sacrament of unity of humanity that all people in every spot in the world long for. If this is true, the goal of the expanding universe can be understood; that is unity of all in God who creates and sustains all.

Of course, non-Catholics will object to this description, but who said they are not in a way attached to the Catholic Church? To our Protestant brothers and sisters, Evangelical Anglican Bishop Tony Palmer said it clearly in his message to the Conference of Evangelical and Pentecostal ministers associated with Kenneth Copeland Ministry: You are Catholics. And the Protestant ministers applauded him. He had come with a video message from Pope Francis after meeting earlier with him. Watch both here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uA4EPOfic5A

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NZ9Ssvs5cgY The messages probably have an emotional overtone but they reflect what John Paul II, basing himself on the Gospel,  reminded the World Council of Churches "Let everyone know that Catholics believe in  salvation through Jesus Christ alone".

To the Orthodox brothers and sisters, Vatican II had already recognized them as true Churches almost in full  union with the Church of Rome and all other Catholic local Churches although not yet perfect. The positive values and elements in other religions are also recognized dogmatically in Iesus Dominus published in 2000 by the Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith (CDF). For more on this and the uniqueness of the Catholic Church, see my writing here.

Earlier on Easter Sunday April 20, 2014, Christians in Churches around the world sang hymns of victory to Christ who in the Byzantine liturgy "has risen from the dead and by his death he has crushed death and has given life to those who are in the tombs." The words "death" and "tomb" are significant since every human person wants to survive death somehow. The bravest of us and a martyr, Fr. Frans van der Lugt, S.J. murdered on April 7 in Homs, Syria had recorded a speech two years earlier in which he pleaded with the killers to let Syrians live and let him survive too in spite of his age. He had no resentment against the conspirators. In fact, all sentient beings such as plants, fish and animals, that were studied show a basic need for survival of death in spite of the Darwinian Principle "Survival for the fittest"! And anthropologists and historians insist that in spite of competition and ugly wars, collaboration was crucial to the survival of humanity. We may learn here from history how important is the arrow of love, central to Christianity.

Probably the most daring and evolutionary interpretation of the victory of Christ and his Resurrection come from the pen of  Teilhard de Chardin, the Jesuit scientist-theologian whose ideas were used in the writings of many subsequent scholars including Joseph Ratzinger (a top theologian at Vatican II who in 2005 was elected to succeed John Paul II as Benedict XVI)  on the truth of the Resurrection of Christ. Teilhard  wrote extensively on the development of the cosmos, life in its different forms and the emergence of the human mind by God's free love.

If we think of the Resurrection of Christ in terms of the mystical theology of Teilhard de Chardin, we will conclude that Christ's fullness of victory will not take place until the "Omega Point" or in other words until the "cosmic" Christ himself has restored creation to his Father. This is when we are united to God in the New Jerusalem and when Christ utters the words "Behold, I make all things new" (Revelation 21: 5). The Triune God then is "all in all."  In the twenty centuries since the Resurrection and Ascension of Christ, the Holy Spirit has been working in the hearts of many who long to return to their source. It was illustrated by Christ in the Parable of the Prodigal Son who, although he returned out of self-interest after losing everything, was surprised by the outpouring love and reception of his dad.

What surprises me most is the fascinating group of mystics and saints throughout history such as St. Anthony of Egypt, St. Bernard of Clairvaux, St. Francis of Assisi with his stigmata or the wounds of Christ that he accepted for love of all , St. Gertrude the Great who at the age of 26 started receiving private revelations from Christ, St. Rita of Cascia who loved her husband in spite of his unfaithfulness and loved her children although in their evil thoughts they wanted to avenge the killing of their dad, St. Teresa of Avila a mystic who spoke to Christ as to a friend, St. Jean-Baptiste Vianney of Ars, and, not the least, St. Thérèse of Lisieux a young nun who promised to shower flowers of blessings on all from heaven and St, Maximilian Kolbe who in 1941 accepted death as a prisoner of the Nazi so that another prisoner may live. Almost all of them had some kind of mystical conversion at some point in their lives or a fascination in God in spite of suffering. But also it seems, according to Peter Kreeft, that mystics and saints are not exclusive to Christian faith. They are individuals who loved God as much as they could in any religion. Fr. Jacques Dupuis, S.J. wrote too that in all religions we can find the work of the Holy Spirit on individuals although adherents of non-Christian religions, if saved, are saved through Christ alone as the official publications of the Catholic Church (e.g. Dominus Iesus, published by the CDF in 2000) recognize. The development of understanding the mystery of salvation has been proposed here by the late American theologian and Cardinal Avery Dulles, S.J. 

And a sublime surprise of the natural sciences comes to us through the discovery of the quantum world.  I wrote a little article about the significance of this discovery in many fields of knowledge and technological advances and especially how quantum entanglement is a stamp of the living Triune God of Christians. Another sublime surprise is the rediscovery of the beloved as beautiful in the eyes of the beholder that I attempted to describe here. It is particularly fascinating in nature and in fractals of chaos elegance, but mostly in those mystical experiences or the 4th degree of love of which St. Bernard of Clairvaux says 
"The Fourth Degree of Love: Love of Self for God's Sake
Blessed are we who experience the fourth degree of love wherein we love ourselves for God's sake. Such experiences are rare and come only for a moment. In a manner of speaking, we lose ourselves as though we did not exist, utterly unconscious of ourselves and emptied of ourselves.If for even a moment we experience this kind of love, we will then know the pain of having to return to this world and its obligations as we are recalled from the state of contemplation. In turning back to ourselves we will feel as if we are suffering as we return into the mortal state in which we were called to live.
Can We Attain the Fourth Degree of Love?I am not certain that the fourth degree of love in which we love ourselves only for the sake of God may be perfectly attained in this life. But, when it does happen, we will experience the joy of the Lord and be forgetful of ourselves in a wonderful way. We are, for those moments, one mind and one spirit with God.I am of the opinion that this is what the prophet meant when he said: "I will enter into the power of the Lord: O Lord I will be mindful of Thy justice alone." He felt, certainly, that when he entered into the spiritual powers of the Lord he would have laid aside self and his whole being would, in the spirit, be mindful of the justice of the Lord alone."


Yes, we can connect the above since love is a strong relationship. It was because of love that God creates and sustains everything/everyone, and, in time, became man, redeemed man and rose from the dead. It is my conviction that he is still working in humanity until all become one in his kingdom. This is the beauty of the mystics and the beauty of the mystical theology of Teilhard de Chardin. God never fails. His Word, Christ, achieves everything in the Spirit, even if it takes a long time to possess his creation in his one love. Christ is risen and continues to be risen. 

St. Paul writes "I consider that the sufferings of this present time are as nothing compared with the glory to be revealed for us. For creation awaits with eager expectation the revelation of the children of God; for creation was made subject to futility, not of its own accord but because of the one who subjected it, in hope that creation itself would be set free from slavery to corruption and share in the glorious freedom of the children of God. We know that all creation is groaning in labor pains even until now; and not only that, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, we also groan within ourselves as we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies."  (Rm, 8, 18-23)


With the above fascinating picture we can hope for a universe that will reach its purpose and goal in the Omega Point for the glory of God in his creation and for the emancipation of creation from evil.

The Victorious Christ

Listen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XppXi_jZKWk

This Palm Sunday, Christians all over the world celebrated the entry of the victorious Christ in Jerusalem. The entry 2000 years ago was celebrated by crowds singing hymns to the Messiah and carrying palms of trees as a sign of victory. Although the same crowds who celebrated Christ's entry into Jerusalem turned against him on the following Friday, the Church continued to celebrate Palm Sunday as an event that prefigures Christ's coming with power. The Jews still await his coming while Christians await his second coming. The Christian concept of power is distinct from the concept of power in other religions, because the power of God is not magic nor the imposition of a law for obedience, but rather an unending love that is the essence of the living Triune God before all ages and to eternity. God creates everything, including time, out of love. The Father wishes to share his immense joy with creation. He is free and full of joy because he has eternally kept nothing to himself but has given his full divinity to his image the Son. The Son too, in gratitude and love, returns the divinity he receives to his Father and thus he is in full joy and is free. The Holy Spirit is the bond of love between Father and Son. He is also full joy and free because he shares everything he gets with the Father and the Son. He is the life-giver to all creation (Genesis 1: 2). By this same power of the Holy Spirit, Christ was incarnate from the Virgin Mary. The incarnation of Christ could not have taken place without the acceptance and collaboration of Mary with the divine power (Luke 1: 38). Throughout his life, Christ performed miracles by the power of God which is his power only out of love. His teaching was with power and authority derived from his divinity (Matt 7: 29). His passion unto death is not only an example, but the revelation of his power of love in trusting his Father, thanking his Father, and as a human person dying in his Father's hands. Christ's love is revealed in his filial obedience to his mother Mary and to Joseph, his outreach to the enemies of his Jewish culture whether the Samaritans or the Canaanites, his choice of uneducated men to be his followers, his compassion for the prostitutes, the tax collectors, and the socially outcast, and  surely his forgiveness of his killers while on the cross atoning for the sins of the world. His resurrection and ascension body and soul to the Father are by the power of love that brings about the entry of humanity into the mystery of God. The victorious Christ still labours in time through his Spirit in order to bring creation that he so much loved into the new Jerusalem (Revelation 21: 2).
However, the drama of the holy week, that Christ experienced in his suffering to death, continues in fallen and redeemed humanity. The killing of Fr. Frans van der Lugt in Syria last week was followed by much suffering in the Middle East. The Knights of Columbus at Jesus the King Church had launched last December a project to help the Syrian sick and hungry which is a relief (You can probably help in this holy week here).  In Ukraine again reports of Russian army movements are causing alarm in the West (See The Economist here) as well as opposing reports from Russia that Putin is attempting to replace the American dollar with the Russian ruble in the global market of currency which would affect most economies that depend on the American dollar. The same publisher claims that an economic alliance between Russia and China may as well involve Germany (See here). And we wonder how humans betray each other so easily for their own false glory.
Jim Flaherty, a lawyer and economist from top universities who had a long outstanding career in Canada's public service and since 2005 served as Minister of Finance passed away last week at the age of 64 only a few weeks after his retirement in March. He loved his family and worked to help the disabled (See CBC).
Yes, we can mourn the departed but we cannot despair of God's love towards them and us. He is the only hope after all humans could do to survive death. We hold this hope in view of the Resurrection of Christ (See Joseph Ratzinger on the truth of the Resurrection here).
Palm Sunday this year was my 60th birthday anniversary. It was significant for me because in 1986 after my heart attack, I asked Professor Dr. Michael Sole my cardiologist and a top caring researcher, what age he thought I would live to. His answer then was that if everything went well I could live to be 60. Of course he could not predict how long I would live, but the number got stuck in my memory especially because I was so fearful that I could die within 2 years. Dr. Sole did not know then that within 16 years he would diagnose a near-fatal aortic aneurysm for which I was seen by Professor Dr. Tirone David, a top heart surgeon in North America, in 2003. Dr. David explained the high risk associated with the surgery so out of fear I decided not to have the surgery. When I had my kidney cancer in 2004, Professor Dr. Michael Jewett, a top urology surgeon, asked that I confirm with Dr. Sole and Dr. David whether I could undergo a surgery to remove the carcinoma tissue from my left kidney, a surgery successfully performed in 2005 but after which I had a massive bleeding due to my blood anticoagulant. And again after a successful prostate surgery in Montreal in July 2007, I neglected taking my blood anticoagulant.medication which caused a stroke with depression. The strange thing is that I survived until today in spite of all my selfishness, sins and the above medical problems (If interested read the full story written in 2011 here).  When I was seen by Dr. Sole after my stroke, he said to me "God is smiling upon you." Last November he repeated "You have proven us wrong." But who really has proven them wrong? Certainly not I. I only want to live, My family wants me to live. My extended family and friends pray for me. The only one who can give me life is God. This is why my wife always reminds me to be thankful to God; for my aortic aneurysm could have ended my life since 2002; my cancer discovered in a urine checkup, could have ended my life; my stroke could have ended my life'; and still I am growing older.
Only a day before Palm Sunday, I contacted all my friends by email, and on Facebook to respond to a request by an aging man for his 60th birthday anniversary. The responses, some 300, overwhelmed me with the generosity that I could not expect from men and women whose lives are very busy. Yes, I wanted to know who reads me. But I also wanted to see how a little effort can generate a lot of thanksgiving to God, and a lot of  empathy, and a lot of togetherness. If God responds with such generous love to me who is unworthy, how much more would Christ really pour himself when in the holy week so many Christians can pray including you my friends? He uses everyone of us in order to strengthen the other and open himself or herself to God. Such is the victorious Christ!
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen.