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. God was seen as being like  a security camera, used to catch thieves.  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 to do anything that would offend the one they love. They do recognise that sometimes they will fail, but confident 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.

God is not like Orwell’s ‘Big Brother,’ or a security camera, forever watching to catch us out and punish us.  No, He is like  loving parents watching to make sure their beloved child comes to no harm.

 Peter and Isidore Clarke O.P.

7 SUN. of EASTERTIDE -MARKING TIME

This 7th Week of Eastertide falls between the Ascension and Pentecost. It provides an interlude, a time of waiting, which is far from empty. This is a time for prayer. The 1st Reading tells us that the disciples prayed that the Holy Spirit would guide them in choosing a replacement for Judas Iscariot. This disciple, Matthias, would make up the twelve leaders in the new Israel. Their special mission would be to witness to Christ’s resurrection. During this interlude Mary, the Mother of the Church, prayed with the apostles for the gift of the Holy Spirit, Who would enable them to preach the Good News to the whole world.
The Gospel reading also reflects a time of waiting, as Jesus prepared for His Passion. As in the first reading this interlude is prayerful. First, Jesus prays for Himself, that He would be glorified in His death. That it may be a triumphant victory over evil, not a tragic defeat.
Jesus then prays for us, His followers, in our mission to continue His work. He realise that the world is a dangerous place for His disciples. People would resent Christ’s way of life and would persecute those who preach it. The pagan values which surround us can so easily undermine our commitment to Christ. We can become worldly. Jesus tells us He’s not going to take us out of a hostile world. He has work for us to do there. But we do need the support of His prayers if we are not to become worldly.
Not that the world is evil. It certainly isn’t. After all, God has created it, and has seen that it is good. And earlier in John’s Gospel we’re told that God loved the world so much that He sent his only Son, not to condemn the world, but to save it. From what? Quite simply, from shutting God out. Jesus lived among us and died for us, to bring God back into our world, to make it a holy place, where God would be welcome. Our task is to share the Good News of God’s love for us -to be His witnesses, consecrated in the Truth. Christ realised we couldn’t do this by ourselves. So, He prayed that the Father would send the Spirit of Truth. This He did at Pentecost.
Today’s readings remind us that we can’t do God’s work without His help. That’s why the disciples prayed for guidance in choosing someone to replace Judas. That’s why they prayed before Pentecost, for the gift of the Spirit. That’s why Jesus prayed for us, who are to continue His work. And we need interludes of prayer, asking God to help us in doing His work. Time spent in prayer is certainly not wasted, especially today when life is so hectic and we expect instant results.
Isidore O.P.

FEAST OF THE ASCENSION

“God has ascended with a shout, the Lord, with the sound of a    trumpet.       Sing praises to God, sing praises; sing praises to our King, sing praises.  For God is the King of all the earth; sing praises with a skilful psalm…God reigns over the nations, God sits on His holy throne,”

(Ps. 47. 5-6).

Today’s feast marks the conclusion of Christ’s  visible presence among us, the climax of his work of salvation.   It means much more than Christ disappearing into the clouds 40 days after his resurrection.         That is but a symbol of his ascent to glory with His heavenly Father.  His ascension is not so much a question of physically rising in space but the enhancement of the quality of his life.  That is the real meaning of the Ascension.  
Both St. John’s Gospel and St. Paul’s Letter to the Philippians, ch. 2, present the whole of Christ life and work of salvation in terms of a circular movement.
The Son of God became man precisely to raise us from the depths of sin and lift us to heights beyond our wildest dreams. To make this possible He first came down to our level.  He put aside his divine power and glory and became a  human being, as weak and  vulnerable as the rest of us.        Paul tells us Jesus went so far in his descent as to become a slave, obedient to the death of the cross.
He reversed our rebellious pride by become the obedient servant of the Lord.  He plumbed the very depths when he allowed himself to be unjustly executed as a criminal. The God of glory was despised and rejected.        
But Jesus was not defeated by the apparent degradation of the cross.   By dying on the cross his love defeated the malice of sin.       The crucified Christ was the triumphant conqueror of sin and death.      On the cross he was lifted up in glory, not humiliated.   This was the first act in the single drama of salvation, and of Christ’s ascent to glory with his heavenly Father.   Next, after his death and burial, Jesus rose to a new and glorious life, while remaining the same person.   He was no longer weak and vulnerable.   Through the resurrection Jesus, the God-man, has ascended to a state of glory, which transcends our natural human condition.
Far from being a slave, He is now triumphant Lord of heaven and earth.  Now Jesus, our saviour, has ascended to glory one of us, a fellow human being, is seated in majesty at the right of His heavenly Father, as Lord of heaven and earth. What is so staggering is that one of us, the Son of God made man, should be a member of the Blessed Trinity, fully enjoying its life and happiness.  That is the climax of His circular journey of descent and ascent.
But the feast of the Ascension does not just celebrate Jesus’ triumphant return to glory with His heavenly Father.       We believe that the glorified Christ has gone ahead to  prepare a place for us,  and that we will share in the glory of His ascension, if we follow Him.          Jesus promised that when He was lifted up, exalted, on the cross He would draw us up with Him, to Him. When we’ve fallen into sin His mercy heals us and lifts us up back onto our feet.  He raises us beyond our human limitations to share the very life and happiness of the Blessed Trinity.  When Jesus returns in glory He will raise us to share, bodily as complete human beings, in His ascent to His heavenly Father.   This ascent has already been achieved in Christ Himself, and has begun in us, when, at baptism, we started to share God’s own life.          In the meantime, Paul reminds us that we have been raised with Christ, and should to set our sights on the things that are above, where Christ is, not on things that are on earth.  (cf. Col. 3. 1-4).
It’s no wonder the disciples were not saddened by Christ’s ascension, even though they could no longer see Him.           They knew he would remain with them in a different way through love.    They believed He would return to gather his followers to share in His heavenly glory.       The feast of the Ascension not only honours Christ, but gives us hope. Today we have good reason to rejoice!

There's an upward moement in the composition of this picture -

the hands suggest the Father drawing up, glorifying, His crucified Son,

the Son's raised hands suggest His raising us up  to share His glory

Our raise hands suggest our "yes" to Christ.

Isidore O.P.

6 THE GIFT OF 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).   To God alone do we owe the supreme act of worship; Him alone must we adore.   Such reverence is inspired by the gift o piety.  The closer we are to God the more we will appreciate His awesome majesty and in comparison, our nothingness.  In wonder we will exclaim with the psalmist, "What is man that you take thought of him, and the son of man that you care for him. . "(Ps.8. 4-5).
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, or loving respect, 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’.  Through this we welcome each other, first, as being made in God's own image and likeness, and, then through baptism, as being His children -our brothers and sisters -sharing His divine life.  This gift of piety should give us a divine sensitivity to each other's dignity and inspire us to treat each other with loving respect.
Peter  and Isidore Clarke, O.P.

5 GIFT OF FORTIUDE

"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.  St. Paul tell us that when he persistently prayed that God would remove some unspecified trial, which he called ‘the sting in the flesh’ the Lord replied, ‘“My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is perfected in weakness.” Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly in my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest on me... For when I am weak, then I am strong."   (2 Cor. 12. 9-10).

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).

Peter and Isidore  O.P.

4 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.  Even so, thank God, the Holy Spirit can touch the minds and hearts of even the worst of sinners and move them to repentance!

 Prompted by the Spirit the Prodigal Son 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).  Even so, thank God the Holy Spirit can touch the minds and hearts of even the worst of sinners and move them to repentance!

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 and Isidore O.P.

3 GIFT OF KNOWLEDGE

‘He knows the price of everything and the value of nothing!’ Something’s only precious to him if it’s costly. It’s impossible for him to appreciate beauty, love and unselfishness because no-one can put a price tag on them. He values a work of art because it cost a fortune, not because it’s beautiful.  Success is measured by his wealth and the costly status symbols he can amass. Something is worthwhile in so far as it’s profitable.  Such people have got their priorities very wrong. 

 The Holy Spirit’s Gift of Knowledge enables us to get them right.   If the gift of understanding enables us to penetrate the Mysteries of Faith and gives us an instinctive insight into the divine, the Gift of Knowledge helps us to identify with God’s approach to His creation. Quite simply He ‘saw that it was good, very good.’  He delighted in His handiwork –and so should we.  Even the smallest and most obnoxious of pests such as rats and cock-roaches are expressions of God's creative love.

Any prayer urging us ‘to despise the things of this world’ is an insult to the Creator of Heaven Earth.  Instead, we should see them as reflecting the glory of God.

Through the Gift of Knowledge we instinctively share God’s perspective on His creation.  Like the wise merchant we're satisfied only with the priceless pearl -the Kingdom of Heaven.  We have the God-given sensitivity to recognise it and the wisdom to sacrifice  everything to obtain it. On the one hand we mustn’t so glorify created things that they become what is most important in our lives. Instead of leading us to their creator we would remain satisfied with what His creatures have to offer.  That’s idolatry.  The Gift of Knowledge helps us to avoid that pitfall.  And so St. Paul urges us, 'Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth, ³for you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. ⁴When Christ who is your^* life is revealed, then you also will be revealed with him in glory. (Col. 3. 1-4 ).

It also keeps us aware of the dignity of the created world, brought into existence out of God’s exuberant love.   He has made us its custodians, responsible for treating it with respect, protecting it, developing it and sharing its fruits, which belong to the whole of humanity.  The gift of knowledge should make us sensitive to the dignity of the whole of creation and prevent us  exploiting and damaging it. 

Above all, through this gift we instinctively share God’s love for our fellow human beings.  They are His children, our brothers and sisters, made in His image and likeness.  The Gift of Knowledge helps us to treat people with God’s love, respect and compassion. It causes us to recognize their dignity as persons, and not to regard them as sex objects to be exploited.  This gift enables us to value and protect even the most insignificant part of God’s creation.   That is very much the theme of Pope Francis’s encyclical. ‘Laudato Si.’

 Peter and Isidore  O.P.