FAREWELL RIO!

                                                                                     

                                               
For a very short time people throughout the world were thinking Olympics, feeling Olympics, rejoicing  and crying over Olympics, cheering and cursing over Olympics. All the means of Social Communication were super-saturated with news and views about the Olympics.

 Most significantly it was the Olympics that dominated the Newscasts and the Headlines – taking pride-of-place and most of the space. Few must have been the preachers who did not mention the Olympics in their sermons and conjure up some weighty spiritual message out of a sporting event. 

There was something all embracing about Rio...such a huge variety of events, from horse-riding to rowing, waving swords to hurling javelins, jumping to running to diving, etc, etc. Then there were competitors and spectators representing such a variety of nations, cultures and creeds. 

People went 'Olympian' to please and to be pleased. We, the World,  wanted the very best – medals, record-breaking results, national pride and glory! In crowd reaction and from media commentary I detected an even-handed appreciation of excellence – even though this had been achieved by a rival to one's own national competitor. 

I could not fail to notice that those who had competed so strenuously against one another were for the most part generous in congratulating the winners and sensitive in consoling the losers and even injured. 

To tell the truth, I was greatly relieved. I had feared, not without reason, that some terrorist would seize the opportunity to inflict a horrific tragedy on this excited,good-willed crowd. I prayed, and I prayed, that our Heavenly Father would prevent this from happening. I am certain that people throughout the world would have done the same. 

Throughout the weeks and months before the Olympics athletics had been under a very dark cloud. Up till then it had been bad enough that some competitors had been exposed as enhancing their performance with forbidden substances – cheating! Inspiring heroes were reduced  into being fallen idols. Disillusioned youngsters needed to be persuaded that in the real world deceit is not to be the way to greatness.

As never before we have been made aware of the extent to which systematic cheating had infiltrated and taken over sporting activities - substance abuse, match-fixing, money switching...
 sometimes backed by frightening intimidation. 

I personally longed that these Olympics would be free of any such scandals that inevitably lead to bitterness, shame, anger and cynicism. I would like to think that in the recent Olympics idealism prevailed – the simple view that every kind of sport is meant to be enjoyable, good for one's health and character building. 

Am I being naive, simplistic, in suggesting that those who participated in these Olympics, the spectators and those who followed them yearned for more than breath-taking spectacles? They longed for integrity, innocence, a purity of heart...  genuineness. 

Might not this decency overflow into the nitty-gritty of every-day life...into our homes, neighbourhoods, work-places, in commercial-financial life, and politics? 

I pray we shall not be hearing of recent  super-stars having  been caught  out as not so artful- dodgers. 
May these our day-dreams not  turn into nightmares!

Peter Clarke,OP

FAREWELL RIO!

                                                                                     

                                               



For a very short time people throughout the world were thinking Olympics, feeling Olympics, rejoicing  and crying over Olympics, cheering and cursing over Olympics. All the means of Social Communication were super-saturated with news and views about the Olympics.

 Most significantly it was the Olympics that dominated the Newscasts and the Headlines – taking pride-of-place and most of the space. Few must have been the preachers who did not mention the Olympics in their sermons and conjure up some weighty spiritual message out of a sporting event. 

There was something all embracing about Rio...such a huge variety of events, from horse-riding to rowing, waving swords to hurling javelins, jumping to running to diving, etc, etc. Then there were competitors and spectators representing such a variety of nations, cultures and creeds. 

People went 'Olympian' to please and to be pleased. We, the World,  wanted the very best – medals, record-breaking results, national pride and glory! In crowd reaction and from media commentary I detected an even-handed appreciation of excellence – even though this had been achieved by a rival to one's own national competitor. 

I could not fail to notice that those who had competed so strenuously against one another were for the most part generous in congratulating the winners and sensitive in consoling the losers and even injured. 

To tell the truth, I was greatly relieved. I had feared, not without reason, that some terrorist would seize the opportunity to inflict a horrific tragedy on this excited,good-willed crowd. I prayed, and I prayed, that our Heavenly Father would prevent this from happening. I am certain that people throughout the world would have done the same. 

Throughout the weeks and months before the Olympics athletics had been under a very dark cloud. Up till then it had been bad enough that some competitors had been exposed as enhancing their performance with forbidden substances – cheating! Inspiring heroes were reduced  into being fallen idols. Disillusioned youngsters needed to be persuaded that in the real world deceit is not to be the way to greatness.

As never before we have been made aware of the extent to which systematic cheating had infiltrated and taken over sporting activities - substance abuse, match-fixing, money switching...
 sometimes backed by frightening intimidation. 

I personally longed that these Olympics would be free of any such scandals that inevitably lead to bitterness, shame, anger and cynicism. I would like to think that in the recent Olympics idealism prevailed – the simple view that every kind of sport is meant to be enjoyable, good for one's health and character building. 

Am I being naive, simplistic, in suggesting that those who participated in these Olympics, the spectators and those who followed them yearned for more than breath-taking spectacles? They longed for integrity, innocence, a purity of heart...  genuineness. 

Might not this decency overflow into the nitty-gritty of every-day life...into our homes, neighbourhoods, work-places, in commercial-financial life, and politics? 

I pray we shall not be hearing of recent  super-stars having  been caught  out as not so artful- dodgers. 
May these our day-dreams not  turn into nightmares!

Peter Clarke,OP

THE SPIRIT IS BLOWING

THE GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

7-FEAR of the LORD

A friend told me that as a little girl she had a picture of a large eye hung on her bedroom wall. That was to remind her that God was always watching to see and punish her every fault. So behave! And so she did. She obeyed Him, because she was terrified of Him. Such an ogre could inspire submission, but never love. Her whole relationship with God had been warped by that terrifying impression.

But that certainly is not the image Jesus wants us to have of God. He wants us to respond to Him as a loving, caring, merciful Father -like the Father in the Parable of the Prodigal Son. He’s full of love mercy and compassion. He wants only what is best for us. He watches us because He loves us and wants to protect us.

The God who is love would not have provided us with a special gift to terrorise us into submission. Instead, St. John’s 1^st Letter tells us,

"There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear; for fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not reached perfection in love,"

(I Jn. 4.18)

 

So, how are we to understand the Holy Spirit’s Gift of Fear? It’s certainly not meant to terrify us. So let’s take an image different from the watchful eye, eager to catch us out, condemn and punish us.

Let’s think of a couple who are so close they feel secure in each other’s love. They certainly are not terrified of each other. They are filled with hope that their present happiness together will last and increase. Their only fear is that they will do something that would weaken or, worse still, destroy their love for each. It’s not fear of each other that makes them spontaneously do what they know will please the one they love. Rather it’s fear of themselves and their doing anything, which would undermine their loving relationship. They don’t want do anything that would offend the one they love. They do recognise that sometimes they will fail, but confidence in their love for each other, they trust they will be forgiven.

Pope Francis makes the point that loving fear of offending God provides an instinctive protection against sinning. It’s inspired by love, rather than terror of punishment.

The gift of fear protects our love for God and enables us to rest secure in His love. That transcends fear of punishment. This gift provides stability to our love for God and is a great source of hope. Terror of His punishment would drive us to despair, and has nothing to do with the Holy Spirit’s gift of fear.

 

Isidore Clarke O.P.

THE SPIRIT IS BLOWING

                                  THE GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT   6. PIETY  

                                                                                                

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         
Worship, Adoration, Gratitude – as a matter of justice we owe God that supreme act of justice.  Why? -because all that we are, all that we have comes from Him.     What is more, God  wants  us to accept Him as the most loving, the most caring of parents. This combination of RESPECT for One who is greater than ourselves and LOVE for One who has chosen to see us as His beloved children is known as ‘PIETY.’

On Mt. Sinai  the Lord God revealed to Moses that His Chosen People were duty bound to show Him a level of respect that belong to Him alone, “I am the Lord your God… You shall have no other Gods to rival me,” to which He immediately adds, “I act with faithful love towards thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.”   (Exodus 20.2,6).
It is our glory that we are in such a beautiful, intimate relationship with our Creator.    To Him we owe respectful, obedient love – that is, Piety. Something of the sort must surely filter down to the most basic  of human relationships – those within the family…the nursery of humanity.  For better or for worse the level of  this Domestic Piety will impact upon the stability and contentment of the home, and ultimately on society itself.
Knowing this the Creator  decreed , ).“Honour your father and mother so that you may live long in the land that the Lord God is giving you,”(Exodus 20.12

We are entitled to infer  that the orderliness and  decency  of  Domestic Piety   should be woven into  those situations that require leadership and co-operation - a reasonable exercise  of authority, a willing compliance and, most certainly, mutual respect. This surely is basic common sense. Would that it were common practice!
This bed-rock justice in human affairs becomes a dimension of religion when inter-action between humans is determined by what God intends and requires of us. Our  Piety towards God then leads to Piety  towards each other. It is in this context that the Holy Spirit breathes His Gift of PIETY  into  individuals and into society itself.
Jesus – the Son  of God, the Son of Mary, lived Piety from the Nazareth  childhood  within the family, (Lk.2.51),  to the Calvary  obedience even unto death.   (Phil. 2.8).


  St. Paul described how a culture of Piety is meant to Christianize family life,  “Whatever you say or do, let it be in the name of the Lord Jesus, in thanksgiving to God the Father through him. Wives, be subject to your husbands, as you should in the Lord.  Husbands, love your wives and do not be sharp with them. Children, be obedient to your parents always, because that is what will please the Lord.  Parents, do not irritate your children or they will lose heart, (Col. 3)
Speaking globally, our relating to God is scarcely flourishing; to a large extent traditional family relationships are  floundering.  There is an urgent  need for us to re-discover and strongly promote the Gift of the Holy Spirit known as ‘Piety’.
Peter Clarke, O.P.

THE SPIRIT IS BLOWING

GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

5 -FORTITUDE

"I can do all things through Him who strengthens me,"

(Philip. 4. 13)

St. Paul’s confident words sum up what the Holy Spirit’s Gift of Fortitude is all about. Surprisingly, he wrote this while he was imprisoned in Rome, waiting possible execution. And throughout his ministry he was certain that absolutely nothing could destroy God’s love for him, his love for God. He had to cope with opposition from within and from outside the Christian community -persecution, stoning, flogging and shipwreck. And yet he did not give up. Resolutely he pressed on to the goal of eternal life and happiness in Christ Jesus.

 

Paul would have been the first to admit that in himself he was weak and that he was utterly dependent upon a God-given strength, which we would call the gift of fortitude. With this we cease to depend upon our feeble human efforts but place our trust in God. As we draw on His infinite power we can, as Jesus promised, move mountains.

 

Through the gift of fortitude we receive a confidence that with God’s help we can attain the eternal happiness to which He has called us. We are not daunted by the difficulties and temptations that may threaten our eternal salvation. The gift of fortitude prevents us from sinking into a spiritual lethargy or becoming quitters. It gives back-bone, stamina and resilience to all the virtues. It gives us a divine momentum, a dynamism towards the Kingdom of heaven. It gives us a special Christ-like courage and inner strength to resist retaliating when attacked and provoked. We’re prepared to risk being thought a coward and weakling.

 

Like all the other gifts of the Holy Spirit, it flows from our receiving a share in God’s own life at baptism. It raises us beyond our creaturely limitation so that we can instinctively draw upon God’s own strength. The closer we are to Him, the more in tune are we with God and the more powerful are His gifts. Like all the other gifts of the Holy Spirit, that of fortitude is essential to our eternal salvation. We all need God to help us not to be intimidated by the crosses we have to carry, the strength to overcome the difficulties and temptations, the stamina to keep moving on our journey to the Kingdom of Heaven. We certainly need the Spirit of Fortitude.

As we receive this gift our spontaneous reaction must be that of the psalmist,

"Not to us, LORD, not to us but to your name be the glory, because of your love and faithfulness,"

(Ps. 115. 1).

Isidore Clarke O.P.

 

THE SPIRIT IS BLOWING

THE GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

4 -THE GIFT OF COUNSEL

We have already seen how God, through the Gifts of Wisdom, Knowledge, and Understanding, INFLUENCES OUR CONSCIOUSNESS about the things of this earth and of supernatural realities. We thereby share in God’s perspective and appreciation.

It is through the Gift of Counsel that the Holy Spirit MOVES OUR CONSCIENCES so we make godly, prudent, decisions about what God wants us to do or avoid doing.

Thus we are more than SPECTATORS on the boundaries who know everything but don’t have to do anything. We are PLAYERS on the field who have to make decisions and take the consequences. Through the Gift of Counsel the Spirit enables us to discern what God expects of us and to act accordingly.

The schooner with its sails hoisted is our metaphor for our being responsive the Gifts of the Holy Spirit. From this it follows that if the sails are in tatters, though hoisted, they will be useless.

FOR THE MOST PART WE ARE ONLY OPEN TO THESE GIFTS WHEN WE ARE IN A STATE OF GRACE.

Exceptions would have to be those leading a life of squalid foolishness, as did the Prodigal Son. They are not excluded from the impulse of the Holy Spirit. Prompted by the Spirit, he "Came to his senses," and resolved, "I will leave this place and go to my father and say: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you;" (Lk.15.18).

The Holy Spirit gave him the courage (Gift of Fortitude) to journey back home – no matter how his father might receive him. You see how several of the Gifts come into play at the same time according to the circumstances. Think of our schooner hoisting sails of various shapes and sizes according to the waves and the wind.

When speaking of the Gift of Counsel the Church refers to that occasion when Jesus said to His disciples, " You will be brought before governors and kings for my sake, as evidence to them and to the gentiles. But when you are handed over, do not worry about how to speak or what to say; what you are to say will be given to you when the time comes, because it is not you who will be speaking; the Spirit of your Father will be speaking in you," (Mtt.10.18).

On such occasions the Holy Spirit enables us to draw upon a deeply imbedded awareness that has become second-nature to us through our habitual closeness to God. He finds for us the appropriate words and the courage to voice them.

To shift our attention from crisis situations to the everyday living of you and me I quote Paul writing to the Colossians, "We ask God to fill you with the knowledge of His will, with all wisdom and understanding that His Spirit gives. Then you will be able to live as the Lord wants and always do what pleases Him," ( Col.1.9).

Peter Clarke, O.P.