First Sunday of Lent

Readings: Genesis 9:8-15; Psalm 24; 1 Peter 3:18-22, Mark 1:12-15

In our first reading God makes a covenant with Noah and with all creation. After the destruction brought by God, furious with sinful humanity, God now promises that he will never again destroy creation by flood. The waters sent by God destroyed all that was sinful, and corrupt. What now remains is now at peace with God, it is now in friendship with him. The rainbow is now a symbol of this peace. It is a reminder to God and all creation of the covenant between them. In his epistle St Peter reminds us that Christ, innocent and sinless though he was, died for us, who are sinful. The waters which covered the earth at the time of Noah are see by Peter was a symbol of our baptism, which saves us and gives us new life in Christ. Like the waters of the flood, our baptismal waters destroy in us all that prevent us from being in close relationship with God.

In our Gospel reading we join Jesus just as he is leaving the waters of the Jordan, after his baptism, at which God proclaimed his identity. Jesus then goes to a lonely desert place, where he is tempted by the devil. There in that lonely place - where Mark tells us he was with the wild beasts and the angels ministered to him - we know from the other gospel accounts that Jesus had to resist evil, which offered him the whole world if he would turn away from his Father and instead worship the devil. Jesus was physically weak with hunger, for we are told he ate nothing for forty days, yet his spirit was strong as he resisted the false and empty promises of the devil. It is interesting that all the devil could offer to Jesus were things that belong to this world only. He could not offer Jesus life eternal, or happiness, or joy, or peace, say. The devil could not offer Jesus these things because they are not his to give. Only God can offer such things to us.

Jesus, by spending those forty days in spiritual conflict after his baptism, shows us, the baptised, how we must follow him. As we begin Lent let us follow Jesus, the human face and heart of God, with hearts unfettered by the things of this world. Let us walk these forty blessed days in his footsteps, resisting all that is wicked.

Saturday after Ash Wednesday

Readings: Isaiah 58:9-14; Ps 85; Luke 5:27-32

One of the most appealing images for me in the bible occurs in the Book of Genesis. There, at the very beginning of humanity’s relationship with God, disobedience and sin have been chosen by Adam and Eve. They are filled with shame and are utterly self conscious of their nakedness, of how exposed they are before their Maker. So they hide, thinking that the trees of the garden could shield them from the gaze of the all-knowing God. Yet God walks in the garden seeking out the man and the woman, calling out to them “where are you?”. To my mind this seems to be a major feature of our salvation story. Sin, disobedience, human shame and yet God is always seeking us out, calling to us in so many different ways.

The readings for today’s Mass speak so beautifully of this. In the prophet Isaiah God calls to us and reasons with us telling us to do away with the yoke, the clenched fist, and the wicked word. God yearns for us to be truly free and liberated from hardness of heart and pettiness. How do we achieve this freedom? By loving service of our neighbours before ourselves and of God. Through this service our light will rise in the darkness, we will find strength for our bones, and we will be like a spring that will never run dry. In serving others and respecting the Sabbath as a day of rest, we will find true happiness in the Lord.

The Gospel is another powerful statement of how God constantly seeks us out. Jesus goes in search of the sinners and outcasts, in this case Levi (also called Matthew in the Gospels) a tax collector. These men were known as collaborators with the hated Roman occupiers, traitors and exploiters of their fellow Jews. They were despised. Yet Jesus goes to call even Levi and not only to call him but to eat with him, an important sign of fellowship. God’s longing for all of us sinners is clear for he says “it is not those who are well who need the doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the virtuous, but sinners to repentance.” Jesus’ message is clear. This Lent let us turn toward the Lord therefore with hope and confidence in his loving search for us so that we may raise the voice of our hearts in joyful response to him as he calls out “where are you?”

Friday after Ash Wednesday

Readings: Isaiah 58:1-9a; Psalm 51:3-4, 5-6ab, 18-19; Matthew 9:14-15

As we stand at the beginning of Lent, the Church gives us in today’s readings some directions for our fasting in this time of penance. Just like the people of the Old Covenant, we may also be tempted to regard fasting and all sacrifices which we offer in these days as a merely outward exercise. We fast and expect God to see it; we humble ourselves and demand a reward of God.

But the prophet Isaiah tells us today that this kind of fasting will not make our voice heard on high (cf. Is 58:4). Our fasting must rather merely be the external expression of our invisible repentance. In this sense it is a sign of something we already have: sorrow for our sins. But at the same time it is a help and a means for a bigger purpose. It helps us, as Benedict XVI writes in his message for Lent, “to restore friendship with God”.

It does not matter what we abstain from. This is, of course, something which everybody has to decide individually for himself. It could be food, meat or sweets, smoking or alcohol, television or the internet, and so on. But it is important to see that we do not fast for the sake of fasting. This would be ridiculous, for some of the things we cut down are actually good in themselves. We refrain from things which are important – perhaps too important – for us in order to become free for greater love towards God and our brothers and sisters.

We must therefore see fasting in its proper context: it forms a unity together with prayer and almsgiving. We grow in love towards God in prayer and towards our fellow men, especially the poor, in sharing our goods with them. They deserve more than a superfluous fraction of our abundance, as it were, the crumbs from our table. Isaiah challenges us to share our bread with the hungry.

Let us therefore in these holy forty days “mortify our egoism and open our heart to love of God and neighbour” (Benedict XVI). Let us give through prayer and almsgiving what we set aside through our fasting. We can give the time we save to God and the people around us and money and other material goods to the poor. “Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; you shall cry for help, and he will say, Here I am” (Is 58:9).

Thursday after Ash Wednesday

Readings: Deuteronomy 30:15-20; Ps 1:1-2,3,4,6; Luke 9:22-25.

Throughout the ages, Christians have often been accused of being masochists. After all, at the centre of our faith is an instrument of cruel torture - the cross. Some people find our attitude to difficulty and suffering very bizarre indeed, and it seems that our faith requires that we wallow, even enjoy, the suffering that comes our way in life. Even as Christians, the business of taking up our cross does not sit easily with us. In my room when I was a novice, there was a slightly moth eaten piece of cross stitch mounted on the wall. The piece had flowers arranged around a few words which read 'no cross, no crown'. I must admit that in the more challenging times, it was tempting to take it down and put it in a drawer, or at the very least turn it around so that its truth could not remind me that I needed to be more patient and more accepting of the more difficult aspects of life.

In our lives many trials come our way. We do not have to go looking for them, because they seem to be able to find us all on their own! By accepting our trials, from the little daily irritations to the bigger, more challenging moments of crisis and loss in our lives, we seem to have so much to lose. And today's Gospel confirms our suspicion. The way of the cross means we lose our lives. But the dramatic events that Jesus foretells - his own death and resurrection - should always remind us that if we unite our trials and sufferings with him, we will find meaning in them, a meaning which will bring with it new life.

It is perhaps helpful to reflect on our daily struggles at this special time of Lent. What are the greatest difficulties that I face in my daily life? How do I respond to them? Do I seek the grace to bear my trials with patience and humility, uniting them with the suffering of Christ? Do I allow God to change in me that which needs to change? In a special way, Lent provides us with an ideal opportunity to expose our weaknesses, because we enter the desert with Christ. The stories of the Desert Fathers give us examples of those who followed Christ into the desert, and came out transformed. For us, just as was the case for them, by identifying what holds us back in our imitation of Christ, we can die a little more each day to ourselves, so that we might open the door and welcome the risen Christ this Easter. Let us not be afraid to enter the desert of Lent, so that we may drink deeply from the life giving streams that Christ's death and resurrection pour out for us.

Ash Wednesday

Readings: Joel 2:12-18; Ps 50; 2 Corinthians 5:20-6:2; Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18

Let your hearts be broken not your garments torn (Joel 2:13)

The sign of the Cross is traced on our foreheads with ash, and we begin our annual journey in preparation for the great celebration of the Cross. We are preparing once again to proclaim the Cross as our hope, and to encounter its mystery in all its aspects. We will sing ‘Hosanna!’ with the crowds, we will shout ‘Crucify him!’ We will trumpet forth the great ‘Alleluia’ to greet his Resurrection. But before that, we must be quiet.

When that Cross is traced on our heads, we are reminded that this Cross is the great representation of everything the gift of faith has given us. It is the mark of our freedom. So as we begin this journey, we are reminded: Repent, and believe in the Gospel. We are returning with broken hearts, with broken lives, as people in need of redemption. And our repentance is manifested in our special works of prayer, fasting and almsgiving.

Jesus reminds us that these acts have a real significance. They are an opportunity to turn our broken lives to the Love of God. We must be careful to resist the temptation of trumpeting our actions before the world so that others might see our good works. This only builds up our pride. When these actions are done in secret, they direct our beings to the love that is experienced in repentance.

We come with broken hearts; and when the journey is complete we experience the great joy of the Love that is ours in Christ. There will be plenty of reason for trumpeting at Easter.

Carnevale!

The Oxford community celebrated Carnevale on Sunday 22 February. A festive supper based on the theme of the Venetian carnival was held in the priory refectory as part of our on-going fund-raising efforts for the Priory Renewal Fund. We were joined by members of our Mass congregations for a convivial evening which was punctuated by music.

fr Robert Verrill OP played a fanfare on his trumpet and a trio of friars sang a Tudor madrigal. A recording was made of this song and it is accompanied in the video below with photos from the evening.

The words of the madrigal, which is by Henry VIII, runs as follows:

"Pastime with good company
I love, and shall until I die.
Gruch who lust but none deny,
So God be pleas'd thus live will I.
For my pastance, hunt, sing, and dance, my heart is set
All goodly sport, for my comfort, who shall me let?

Youth must have some dalliance,
of good or ill some pastance.
Company methinks then best,
all thoughts and fancies to digest.
For idleness, is chief mistress of vices all
Then who can say but mirth and play is best of all.

Company with honesty,
Is virtue, vices to flee.
Company is good and ill,
but every man hath his free will.
The best ensue, the worst eschew, my mind shall be
Virtue to use, vice to refuse, thus shall I use me."

GODZDOGZ LENTEN RETREAT 2009

Please join us for our Lenten Retreat, beginning on Ash Wednesday (25 February) and continuing each day until Easter Sunday (12 April). The Godzdogz team will offer a short reflection on the Mass readings for each day and slightly longer reflections for the Sundays and Feasts of Lent.

The poet Robert Herrick (1591-1674) reminds us how to observe the season well: "'tis a fast to dole thy sheaf of wheat and meat unto the hungry soul. It is to fast from strife and old debate, and hate; to circumcise thy life. To show a heart grief-rent; to starve thy sin, not bin; and that's to keep thy Lent".

On the Areopagus - 13 The Basis of our Hope

One of the factors a lot of people speak about as characteristic of many in society today, especially young people, is a pervading sense of hopelessness, a sense that there isn’t much to look forward to and often, sadly, not much to live for. The sense of purpose and of deep inner value is often hard to find. Pessimism and cynicism seem to prevail in many areas of the media. Yet the Christian is called to a life that is extraordinarily different from these things. The First Letter of Peter exhorts the Christian to “always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give reason for the hope that you have” (1 Peter 1:15). Christians have received the gift of hope that comes from that most trustworthy and unfailing source - God our Father, revealed through Jesus Christ. Saint Paul in his letter to the Ephesians states firmly that before they came to know Christ they were “without hope and without God in the world” (Ephesians 2:12). Believing in Christ means coming into possession of a great hope.

What is this hope based on? Pious sentiment? Mad daydreams? Self delusion? No. St Paul is clear in his letter to the Thessalonians. He exhorts them not to grieve over the dead as do those without hope: “we believe that Jesus Christ died and rose again, and so believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep with him” (1 Thess 4:14). It is a hope based on the knowledge of the immense love which God has for us and which he revealed in the death of his only-begotten Son on the Cross. The tortured figure of Christ on the Cross, arms outstretched before the world, as it were to gather us all to himself, reveals the depths of his love and of how far God will go in his effort to save each human being. “He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all - how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?” (Romans 8:32). Pope Benedict explains in his letter on hope, Spe Salvi, that “the dark door of time, of the future, has been thrown open. The one who has hope lives differently; the one who has hope has been granted the gift of a new life.”

This firm hope in the promise of the resurrection occupies a large part of Paul’s thinking. For him the second coming is a glorious occasion. Not only will the bodies of human beings be transformed but all creation will be renewed: “the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God” (Romans 8:21). Therefore we are children of the light, the light of the knowledge that Christ has revealed to us in his life, death and resurrection. We have put on faith and love as a breastplate and the hope of salvation as a helmet. All Christians are called to be beacons of hope in a world too often darkened by fear, pessimism and hopelessness. Whatever our place in life, whatever our difficulties or sufferings, each of us is of incalculable value to God. For he has spoken to us through his Son and therefore we are comforted by our sure hope in Christ’s saving power and by the firm knowledge that “neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:39).

On the Areopagus - 12 Neither Jew nor Greek ... a multicultural world

We find ourselves reminded several times in the letters of St Paul (Rm 10:12; Gal 3:28; Col 3:11) that there is no longer Jew or Greek; in other words, the racial distinctions made by the Jewish law no longer have a place in Christianity.

At one level, this could be interpreted as referring only to the Church: it is clear that there were disagreements in the Church of the first century about whether non-Jews who became Christians should be obliged to observe the whole Jewish law – in other words, whether, in order to become a Christian you had first to become a Jew – and it is equally clear that St Paul believes this is not the case: Christ’s sacrifice has fulfilled the old law, doing away with the distinction between Jews and Greeks and uniting all who follow him in his body, the Church. Although we no longer have the same particular question to deal with, St Paul’s teaching reminds us of the truly universal nature of the Church, where people of all nations are called to share together as equals in the heavenly banquet.

At the same time, by noting that in Christ there is neither Jew nor Greek, St Paul is also perhaps reminding us that we are first of all ‘fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God’ (Eph 2:19): whatever national culture we might hold as our own through birth, that Christian culture which encompasses and sanctifies all human cultures and which has become ours through baptism is that to which we most fundamentally belong.

Indeed, looking more closely at these texts from the Pauline epistles, it becomes clear that St Paul is not talking only about the Church: Christ’s sacrifice has changed the whole world. In the renewal of creation which Christ’s death and resurrection effected, there is no longer a privileged path to God for those of a certain race: all are called to share God’s love in Christ. As for the Church, so for the world: on the one hand, it is clear that people of all cultures are called to live together in unity, and to avoid putting up artificial barriers.

On the other hand, the unity to which we are called is precisely unity in Christ, and we must not be afraid to challenge an ideology of multiculturalism which treats religion simply as part of a broader culture: this would imply that in a multicultural society, just as its various constitutive cultures are considered equally valid, so should the various religious beliefs found there be treated. Instead we must insist on the teaching of St Paul that the Gospel of redemption Christ offers is for people of all cultures, for in his new creation ‘there is no longer Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and free; but Christ is all and in all’ (Col 3: 11).

On the Areopagus - 11 Just War

The use of arms to settle disputes or further political or economic interests has been a constant throughout human history and the last two thousand years has been no exception. In fact, in recent times the twentieth century has without doubt witnessed to the two single bloodiest conflicts in all human history. Surrounding each conflict and the issue of war in general has been the ongoing debate as to the moral legitimacy of the use of violence to achieve a ‘just solution’ where conflict arises either between states or within them. Within the last decade the commitment of British and American forces to overthrow regimes in Iraq and Afghanistan has kept this topic firmly in the public consciousness and ensured the heated continuation of the debate.

War is perhaps the clearest and most stark reminder of the evil that exists in the world. All of us, as citizens and governments, are obliged, not simply to work for the avoidance of it, but actively for the furtherance of peace in this divided world. Warfare should only be viewed as an act of last resort and should never be an act of hatred or revenge for this is contrary to charity, however, it would be unjust to prevent or impede the right of nations to their own self-defence in grave circumstances and as such there has developed Christian tradition of the ‘just war theory’. Below are outlined the strict conditions identified in §2309 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church to evaluate the legitimacy of military defence:

At one and the same time

• the damage inflicted by the aggressor on the nation or community of nations must be lasting, grave, and certain;
• all other means of putting an end to it must have been shown to be impractical or ineffective;
• there must be serious prospects of success;
• the use of arms must not produce evils and disorders graver than the evil to be eliminated. The power of modern means of destruction weighs very heavily in evaluating this condition.

The application of these criteria will never be simple but it does at least give a rigorous framework with which to evaluate the moral legitimacy of armed conflict and to hold those who are in the relevant positions of authority to account. Those who hold such positions have a grave responsibility toward the common good and as St Paul also reminds us we have our responsibilities toward civil authority, though his language is typically forceful. “It is not for nothing that the symbol of authority is the sword: it is there to serve God, too, as his avenger, to bring retribution to wrongdoers” (Romans 13:4).

The criteria mentioned above are for what is called ius ad bellum, moral justification for going to war. There is also ius in bello, principles that guide behaviour in the prosecution of a war. Many of these principles are incorporated now in agreed international conventions about the treatment of prisoners of war, respect for the distinction between combatants and non-combatants, and so on. Increasingly people speak also of ius post bellum, just consideration of peoples and countries vanguished in war. (The occupation of Iraq, for example, was easily done but planning for post-bellum Iraq seems to have been practically non-existent.)

Above all we must pray for peace and for those who carry its responsibility for us. We must also look forward in hope to the coming of our Saviour when all such evil will be swept away for good and violence will be no more. I leave you with this thoughtful and hopeful passage from Gaudium et Spes §78:

Insofar as men are sinners, the threat of war hangs over them and will so
continue until Christ comes again; but insofar as they can vanquish sin by
coming together in charity, violence itself will be vanquished and these words
will be fulfilled: "they shall beat their swords into ploughshares, and their
spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore (Isaiah 2:4).

The photograph above shows the 'swords into ploughshares' statue outside the United Nations building in New York City.

Areopagus - 10 St Paul on Women

Nowadays the popular view of St Paul with regard to women is not a particularly favourable one. I think for many Christians St Paul can cause confusion and misunderstanding in his attitude towards women in the primitive church. His record is very much a mixed one. In 1 Corinthians 14:34-35, for example, Paul says that women ought to be silent in church, not being permitted to speak, but should instead be subordinate as the law requires. In fact Paul says it is shameful for a woman to speak in church. Paul often reminds the faithful that they are no longer subject to the law, but freed by Christ, so why this reaffirming of the law with regard to women in church? In this particular section of the epistle Paul was dealing with orderly worship, setting limits on the use of tongues and prophecy, in order to ensure orderly, organised worship. Now why this ought to include women remaining silent in worship is not made clear by Paul.

Is this all St Paul says in regard to women? Does he attach importance to gender for the Christian community? In Galatians 3:24-29, St Paul speaks of the equality there is for those who are baptized into Christ. He says “Therefore the law was our disciplinarian until Christ came, so that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer subject to a disciplinarian, for in Christ Jesus we are all children of God through faith. As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves in Christ. There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male or female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to the promise”. In this passage St Paul acknowledges the equality there is among the children of God, adopted through Christ. All are one, all are equally recipients of the promises God has made to Abraham. Paul certainly doesn’t see gender as a cause of division or as a cause of a distinction in the sight of God.

I will focus on two of the many women St Paul mentions by name in his letters, Prisca (sometimes Priscilla) and Junia. Prisca is mentioned in 1 Corinthians and Romans, along with her husband Aquila. In Romans 16:3-4 he refers to them as co-workers in Christ, who had risked their necks for Paul’s life. He sees them as his equals, fellow co-workers, in their role as leaders of a house church. As such, they were both protectors of the church and indeed protectors of Paul while he was with them. It is interesting that he calls both Prisca and Aquila his co-workers, he treats them both equally. He does not say Aquila my co-worker and Prisca his wife but calls them both co-workers.

A second woman mentioned by name in Paul’s letters is Junia. Towards the end of Romans, Paul mentions five women, of which Junia is one. He describes her and Andronicus as “my relatives and my fellow prisoners; they are prominent among the apostles, and they were in Christ before me” (16:7). He refers to these two as apostles, people who carried the message of the risen Christ to others. This is certainly evidence of Paul expressing the equality of all believers in Christ. This is not the writing of a misogynist. In his commentary on Romans, Chrysostom says of Junia “[T]o be an apostle is something great. But to be outstanding among the apostles—just think what a wonderful song of praise that is! They were outstanding on the basis of their works and virtuous actions. Indeed, how great the wisdom of this woman must have been that she was even deemed worthy of the title apostle.”

This article was written by Br Denis Murphy OP

On the Areopagus - 9 Capital Punishment

At one level, we might think that the Church's attitude to capital punishment is simple. If we invoke the fifth commandment - you shall not kill - then surely there we have the answer. But at the heart of much of the Church's teaching is the good of society at large, and if we take this into account, then we start to understand that this has not always been a simple issue. Punishment for crime in Church teaching has two purposes. The first reason to punish a criminal is to defend public order, to protect the public. If someone kills a person, this is a grave sin indeed, and Christian teaching on forgiveness does not mean that we need to forget and do nothing further. This would be to trivialise what has been done. The result of not punishing crime would be an anarchic society which would not allow the good to flourish. It would also be a failure to recognise that people who commit serious sins have presented, and possibly still present, a risk to society at large, a risk that needs to be managed for the sake of society and the criminal.

Christian teaching also holds that punishment such as imprisonment has an important role in repentance and conversion. Taking an offender out of society by imprisonment allows for a period of reflection on the crime committed, and this gives an opportunity for correction and personal development, which we hope might lead to the offender leading a better life after release. The prison in which I work has the motto: 'unlocking potential, releasing success'. But some crimes are very serious indeed, and the consequences of releasing a dangerous person back into the community might be disastrous. In such cases, states often decide that the death penalty is not only a fitting punishment for the crime, but also has a role in public protection.

The Church allows for the fact that there might be circumstances where there is the need to execute an offender, but, as Evangelium Vitae says, such cases are 'very rare, if not practically non-existent'. In other words, in modern society, where building facilities to house prisoners safely and securely is possible, it is difficult to see how the death penalty can be justified. Using imprisonment, even for life, is more conducive to the common good, since it is possible to provide help and support for offenders, especially in coming to terms with their crimes. It provides time for them to seek God's mercy, and also provides some sort of community with other offenders, in which they can learn to love God and love their neighbour better. To execute a person is to deny them the chance for salvation, something which as Christians we should not wish to deny anyone, however serious their crimes.

On the Areopagus - 8 Bioethics

"So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them." (Gen 1:27)

The importance of this verse from the first creation account for Christian theology, philosophy and ethics cannot be overestimated. The statement that man is created “in the image of God” gives him an inestimable value and a dignity which is unique among all creation. Human life is sacred and its integrity must be defended. But this human dignity is threatened in many ways – not least by man himself: in general, through sin and, in particular, when man turns man into a mere object of his scientific research: when he begins to play God. It is the sin of Adam and Eve that they wanted to “be like God” (Gen 3:5). But although their eyes were opened after eating of the tree of knowledge they do not have God’s knowledge of good and evil. Over the ages until now, man has acquired a knowledge that makes him able, as it were, to assume the role of God. But – like Adam and Eve – he has not perceived what is good and what is evil either.

Christian moral theology tries to consider the questions which concern the dignity of man. It is therefore not surprising that the Vatican’s latest document on bioethical questions bears the title Dignitas Personae, the dignity of the person. People may ask whether the Church actually has the competence and the authority to talk about such questions. It is doubtless not the most central focus of her interest and theological methods are very different from those of natural science. But I think it is necessary to offer a rational theological and philosophical commentary on man’s interference in human life and to give a moral evaluation of it. This includes a whole variety of topics which present many ethical questions: contraception, in vitro fertilisation, abortion, hybrid and chimera embryos, brain death, euthanasia, etc.

The matter is very complex and the Instruction Dignitas Personae shows that the authors have sought advice from scientists and doctors. To a certain extent, these considerations seem to concern only experts. But the recurrent theme is the dignity of the person and their integrity from the moment of conception to natural death, and this is an issue for everybody. We all live in a society where we can take part in the shaping of public opinion. And when we look, for example, at the situation in Britain, it is incredibly important to do so. Human life in this country is in a very difficult situation. Statistically, the most dangerous place for an unborn child is in the mother’s womb. And British legislation is one of the most hostile in Europe with respect to human dignity. Do we really want to live in a society where the weak, the disabled, the sick, and the old are seen to be better off dead? Do we seek a culture of life or a culture of death?

Now is the time to decide whether we should be allowed to do everything we are capable of; whether a good end justifies bad means; and whether we can go on interfering in God’s plan for our world by usurping his role and playing dice with matters of life and death. It is up to us to raise our voice for human dignity.

Quodlibet 14 - Gender in God talk.

I've a heard a friend who did a Theology degree refer, a number of times, to the Holy Spirit as "she". I've read that the Spirit is given a feminine noun in Hebrew, so why does the Jerusalem Bible refer to the Spirit exclusively in the masculine? Likewise the Nicene Creed - "He proceeds from the Father and the Son." What is the Church's teaching about the 'gender' of the Holy Spirit?

'Spirit' is feminine in Hebrew (ruah), neuter in Greek (pneuma) and masculine in Latin (spiritus). In some ways the best pronoun would be 'it', at least when translating the Greek New Testament, except that the Church wants to maintain that the Spirit is a person of the Trinity, rather than (as some modern theologians have proposed) some kind of impersonal force. In that respect, one might say that 'she' is no better or worse than 'he', but - for historical reasons, some good and others perhaps not so good - the traditional pronoun associated with all the persons of the Trinity is 'he'. In the case of the Spirit, this would have been perfectly correct in the Latin which was the Church's language, biblical, liturgical and academic, for most of its history. To use 'she' now would be to make a fairly obvious, or even obtrusive, point.

It is important to point out that the Holy Spirit does not in fact have any gender, any more than the Father; the Son is of course masculine in his human nature, but the one divine nature which the second person of the Trinity shares with the other two is neither male nor female.

This quodlibet question was answered by one of our resident Scripture scholars, Fr. Richard Ounsworth O.P.

On the Areopagus - 7 The Economic Situation

“For the form of this world is passing away”, so says St. Paul in 1 Corinthians 7:31.  Paul was referring, of course, to the end of this present world at the second coming, which he thought would soon happen.  However, according to some financial analysts, this could equally apply to the present economic crisis that has rapidly developed into a recession.  Some economists have gone so far as to say that the present economic woes we are experiencing are in fact the birth pains of the transition to a whole new economic model.  Previous changes in the way in which the global economy functions have resulted in times of economic hardship as entrepreneurs, banks, economists and governments struggle to come to terms with a changed economic landscape where the old methods are no longer effective.  Whilst it may be possible to lay the blame for the collapse of many banks at the feet of those who recklessly offered vast amounts of credit to those they knew could not afford to pay it back, this may in fact have simply been the trigger that was needed to set off this chain of events.  Perhaps something else, not caused by such wanton disregard for the well-being of others, would have had the same effect.  Perhaps in retrospect we could have seen it coming, if we remember all the offers for easy credit we used to receive, all the adverts on TV about debt services, it should have been clear that this credit free-for-all was never going to last for ever.  People had been living on money they did not in fact have and will now have to adjust to the reality of their actual financial situation.  As always, it is those who have the least who suffer the most: let us be sure to keep them in our prayers.   

What is both fascinating and terrifying to note is the fragility of the social stability of liberal democracy.  Since mutual respect and tolerance of others, in our society, is not founded on love of neighbour but on indifference to those around us, a decrease in prosperity can so easily harm the relations of people who live not in communities, but as isolated individuals.  This has been seen in Britain recently with the protests over Italian workers being brought in by Total oil refinery.  Whilst one can of course sympathise with those who are struggling to make ends meet in difficult times, it is crucial to remember that the world has become far smaller than ever before.  We live in a globalised world where the prosperity of Britain depends, indeed has been achieved by, our openness to foreign enterprise and foreign workers, enabling a much higher degree of efficiency and productivity than would be possible if Britain were to close herself off.  It has been demonstrated beyond doubt that the Great Depression of the 1930s was worsened by the protectionist measures of those who thought they could improve the situation by raising barriers to international trade.  In our own times, this would not only be disastrous for our economy but would also contradict the scriptural command to welcome the stranger found in our Jewish heritage in Leviticus “The stranger who sojourns with you shall be to you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself; for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God” (Lev. 19:34) and in the words of Our Lord “I was a stranger and you welcomed me” (Matt. 25:35).  People coming from many nations, particularly in recent times from former Soviet-dominated countries, have contributed hugely to the prosperity of this country and it would be not only massively ungrateful, but also deeply unjust, to make them feel unwelcome now that times are harder.  Let us pray that throughout the continuing economic difficulties, the love of Christ as shown in St. Paul, who became all things to all men, will triumph over greed, selfishness and xenophobia.      

In the News ...

Brother Robert Verrill has been interviewed by the BBC about the monastic taster weekends at Worth Abbey.

In other news: a council-member of the Protestant Truth Society seems concerned at our presence at Lambeth Palace. I think we can assure Rev. Stockford that we will not be having an auto da fé.

And here is a photograph of the entrance to the Dominican church at Rosary Priory, Grenada. It lost its roof and one of its walls to Hurricane Ivan in 2004 and still awaits rebuilding:

On the Areopagus - 6 Spiritual Powers

Human beings are unique in the animal kingdom. Unlike other animals, it is not enough for us to simply cater for our bodily needs; we are always seeking something more. Our desire is infinite; we have a deep spiritual hunger. In Jesus Christ we receive all the spiritual nourishment that we need. Christ calls all people to Himself. "Let anyone who is thirsty come to me. Let anyone who believes in me come and drink" (Jn 7.37). Sadly, many people search for this spiritual fulfillment outside the Church. One only has to look on the internet to realize the level of interest in subjects such as astrology, witchcraft and the occult.

Because of the sin of Adam, the relationship between what is spiritual and material was damaged and our natural state of friendship with God was lost. In the letter to the Romans, Paul talks of an inward struggle: "In my inmost self, I dearly love God’s law, but I see that acting on my body there is a different law which battles against the law in my mind." (Rom 7:22-23)

There are two great temptations in this spiritual struggle. On the one hand, there is the temptation for the body to rule over the spirit. Spiritual power is then seen in much the same way as a force of nature, something that can be controlled and used for our own finite ends, whether it be predicting the future, or just trying to experience some 'spiritual' sensation. At the other extreme, there is the temptation for the spirit to totally suppress the body. Matter is then seen as fundamentally evil, the bodily senses are not to be trusted and ‘enlightenment’ is reached when there is total emotional detachment from the material world. St Paul warns people against both sorts of temptation. In the first letter to Timothy, he says: "Do not have anything to do with godless myths and fables of old women. Instead, train yourself to be godly" (1 Tim 4:7). In the letter to the Galatians, Paul’s warning is even more severe and he gives a long list of the sins of the flesh that prevent people from inheriting the Kingdom of God (Gal 5:19-21). Warning against the other sort of temptation, St Paul tells us that "some people will abandon the faith by following deceitful spirits, the teachings of demons, and the hypocrisy of liars, whose consciences have been burned by a hot iron. They will try to stop people from marrying and from eating certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. For everything God created is good, and nothing should be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving" (1 Tim 4:1-4) .

The reconciliation between what is spiritual and what is material is not something we can achieve through our own efforts, but only through Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ, who is truly God did not consider it demeaning to take on human flesh. By His death and resurrection, our damaged human nature is healed, our friendship with God is restored, and we receive the spiritual power to offer true Divine worship.

On the Areopagus - 5 Freedom

In the eighteenth century, Jean Jacques Rousseau deplored what he saw as the denial of our human freedom by modern systems of state and thought: “Man is born free, and everywhere he is in chains.” Whatever political, ethical or religious system one follows, there may be a degree of empathy with this statement.

The twentieth century saw the free world of western civilisation threatened from within in a manner more alarming than ever before. Horrific inhumane acts were carried out by regimes described by Hannah Arendt as ‘totalitarian’: fascism, Nazism, Stalinism. Arendt saw totalitarianism as more dangerous than tyranny – tyranny for her is a political form like a desert, which presents conditions that are difficult for human life. Totalitarianism is like a sandstorm that covers all life, suffocating and eradicating the world. Yet many people were enthralled by these systems, kept them going, and sought even to destroy their detractors. We now know that the downfall of these systems ensured freedom for many people. Modern society now seeks to protect freedom at all costs.

But it is when something is sought ‘at all costs’ that we stand in the gravest danger. Might it be said that we have become slaves to freedom, allowing our insatiable thirst for freedom to injure our society and prevent us from being truly free human beings? Never have we been more conscious that we are born free, and yet it seems that everywhere we are in chains. In his last homily as Cardinal Ratzinger, Pope Benedict XVI warned of a ‘dictatorship of relativism,’ one that recognises nothing as definitive, seeking its ultimate goal in one’s own ego and desire. Does not this sound like the State of Nature described by Hobbes – the one Rousseau so detested? What is our true reality: are we a miserable existence needing strict regulation to be what we are, or are we rational creatures born free, destined to be free, but deluded in what will make us so?

“The truth will set you free” (John 8:32). When they heard this they wondered what he meant. They are the descendents of Abraham, and have never been slaves to anyone – oh really, were they not slaves to Egypt, Babylon, Greece, Rome? But this is not what concerns Jesus: “everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin” (John 8:34), and who among us casts the first stone? Yes we are enslaved to all kinds of things, but why do we insist on looking for freedom at all costs? There is a freedom at no cost: the freedom of truth, that truth spoken by Jesus. And there we see that the chains forged in libertarian thought are forged by ourselves. We do not have to do it by ourselves! We were born free; we are born to be free. As Paul puts it 'for freedom Christ has set us free; stand fast therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery' (Galatians 5:1).

Blackfriars Got Talent!

On 24 January, Blackfriars Oxford played host to its first talent competition. Held as part of an on-going series of fund-raising events for the Priory Renewal Fund, the afternoon saw friars and members of our Mass congregations come together and showcase a range of talents. The event was good fun and generated much laughter and enjoyment for all involved, as well as funds for a good cause! Below are a few more photos from the event:

A father-daughter ballet duet!

A brave solo act by one of our many young talents from the Blackfriars 9.30 Mass congregation.

All abuzz about a fly...

fr David Rocks OP and fr Robert Gay OP perform 'Vincent' in a flute and guitar duet.

The panel of judges included fr Richard Ounsworth OP

The young winner of the talent competition who read out a poem he'd written himself. Congratulations, and many thanks to all who participated in and supported Blackfriars Got Talent.

Friars’ Passions 11 – A Pilgrim’s Progress

From the time, as a teenager, that I joined a walking team attached to my cadet squadron, I have nurtured a great love of the outdoors coupled with a real enjoyment of the physical challenges it can pose. Whilst almost obsessive about walking and hiking as a youth, in latter years my enjoyment from this pursuit is derived less and less from the sense of the distance achieved and more from the beauty of that which I discover en route. At least, that is what I tell myself if I have to keep stopping. Having done a great deal of walking both here and abroad I find the real lure is the time it forces you to set aside to think and to pray. If you are out for a long hike it is almost impossible not to pray, to start to think about all that makes up our lives, to work through problems and difficulties or simply give thanks for the time away from all the distractions of modern life and the quiet beauty of our surroundings.

My most memorable trip, just before I entered novitiate, gave me the chance to do just that. I took two weeks off from work and walked the last 200 mile stretch of the Camino de Santiago de Compostela with a good friend (who was also about to take a plunge in life and get married), and it was perhaps one of the most testing and rewarding experiences of my life. With all we needed strapped to our backs we set off for two weeks into some of the most breathtaking scenery I’ve come across, met some wonderful people and enjoyed many both prayerful and hilarious moments! The utter simplicity of our daily, pilgrim existence was remarkably comforting. We slept in refugios (huts with bunk beds), ate the wonderful local food and walked - simple and cathartic. I remember one moment as I sat on a mountain looking at the clouds driving through the valley beneath me and feeling utterly at peace, utterly calm. In those sort of extraordinary moments it is much easier to feel closer to God and although the challenge is to appreciate and give thanks for his presence wherever we find ourselves, it is those sorts of moments that can provide forceful yet sublime reminders of His great presence. Immersing ourselves in the beauty of Creation can give us the courage we need for the road ahead. If it is answers you are looking for, as St Jerome advised in the 4th century, solvitur ambulando – and he was right!

On the Areopagus - 4 Glorify God in your body

According to recent statistics, almost US$100 billion worldwide is spent on this, and almost 5 million websites disseminate it; that's almost a fifth of the entire internet. 42.7% of internet users patronise this industry, and according to the BBC, 74% of cases undertaken by family therapists and counsellors are directly affected by it. The issue at hand, which is silently entering our homes through the internet, is pornography.

The word itself, often used so nonchalantly, occurs several times in St Paul's letters, especially to the Corinthians. It comes from the Greek porneia, meaning sexual immorality. St Paul explains to the Christians of Corinth: "Shun immorality. Every other sin which a man commits is outside the body; but the immoral man sins against his own body. Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God? You are not your own; you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body" (1 Cor 6:18-20).

We believe in a God who loved us so much that he became human, taking his body from the virginal flesh of Mary; whose body was broken and raised on the Cross for our salvation; whose body - still bearing the marks of the nails and lance which pierced his body - was raised from the dead in glory. Jesus gives us his body in the Eucharist as an abiding memorial of his suffering love for humanity, through baptism we are incorporated into his body, the Church, and through sharing in his Eucharistic body and blood we share one life with Him. Until he returns in glory, Christians are the body of Christ and, with our own human bodies, we continue his work of salvation in the world, longing in hope for the raising and glorification of our bodies when we will be eternally united with God.

So, the body is central and sacred in our Faith. So too is sex, which is the union of the bodies of two persons in a love so fruitful that a third person is created. This beautiful and privileged act of sexual love, which mirrors the fecundity of the Trinity itself, is sacred to Christians. Sexual immorality, seen in this light, is not something private that is done in front of a computer: it affects families, real relationships, and deeply wounds the person. It also makes God's Spirit, who dwells in our bodies as in a temple, sad. It harms the body of the Church of which every one of the baptised is an integral member.

Pornography falls disastrously short of the great good that is sex; it twists the truth about sex - which is good, normal, and healthy - and makes it a secret compulsion, prone to all manner of deviation, and ultimately unhealthy and de-humanising. Research has shown that what begins as 'soft core' becomes increasingly 'hard core', as one's threshold for sexual titillation incrementally pushes the boundaries. Pornography has been shown to be addictive, and every addict needs more to achieve a 'high'.  Some people might think I am overstating the point and regard pornography instead as just some 'harmless fun'. But as C. S. Lewis noted back in 1955, "everyone knows that the sexual appetite, like the other appetites, grows by indulgence... There are people who want to keep our sex instinct inflamed in order to make money out of us. Because, of course, a man with an obsession is a man who has very little sales-resistance."

Others argue that pornography celebrates the body and our sexuality, or that sexual enjoyment of the body does not harm our soul or person. However, Pope Benedict XVI, in his letter on God's love (Deus caritas est), has noted that "Eros, reduced to pure 'sex', has become a commodity, a mere 'thing' to be bought and sold, or rather, man himself becomes a commodity. This is hardly man's great 'yes' to the body. On the contrary, he now considers his body and his sexuality as the purely material part of himself, to be used and exploited at will. Nor does he see it as an arena for the exercise of his freedom, but as a mere object that he attempts, as he pleases, to make both enjoyable and harmless. Here we are actually dealing with a debasement of the human body: no longer is it integrated into our overall existential freedom; no longer is it a vital expression of our whole being, but it is more or less relegated to the purely biological sphere" (para.5). For a Christian, then, the body communicates and our bodily actions are like sacramental signs. It is body language that, at best, reveals the self-gift of love.

The ever-burgeoning sales figures of the pornography industry, and the increasing numbers of young men and women who casually engage in viewing and participating in internet pornography, both testify to the truth of what the Holy Father and C. S. Lewis have said. The statistics also point to the deep loneliness and desire for love that lies at the core of our humanity. Blessed Teresa of Calcutta called this loneliness, so prevalent in the West, the greatest poverty in the world. Such profound loneliness cannot be assuaged or solved by a retreat into pornography or casual sex. Indeed, this only deepens the wound and widens the gap between persons. A person who is ensnared by pornography needs to be rid of this false love and learn how to connect with people in real relationships, to experience the vulnerability of loving another person, and to give himself in love rather than take and possess via the realm of pornographic fantasy. So, fr Timothy Radcliffe OP says that "the first step in overcoming lust is not to abolish desire, but to restore it, liberate it, discover that it is for a person and not an object."

Ultimately, the fundamental human desire is for God. As the psalmist says: "O God, you art my God, I seek you, my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where no water is" (Ps 64:1). To our bodies which long for God, Jesus gives us his body and blood in the Eucharist and his Spirit as living water to vivify our souls. Fed by his body, we become part of his body, the Church, and our bodies - now united to Christ in the Church - become temples of the Holy Spirit. Hence, St Paul strongly reminds the Corinthians about the Eucharist and Christ's gift of his body to us. He also reminds them of the meaning of communion and the fellowship of love that the Eucharist entails. Thus, the Eucharist teaches us how to love. Communion in the Church teaches us how to love. Christian friendship, which is the basis of our communion with God and one another, teaches us how to love. Learning how to love and be loved is not easy, but it can be done. There are examples of love and friendship all around us, not least in one's parents.

fr Timothy exhorts us to "have the nerve to live through the crises of love, the turmoil of infatuation, the piercing of our heart, through into the deep and calm water of mature, adult, holy love". Pornography is not 'adult material'. It is for emotional infants, caught in a world of fantasy and false relationships, who dare not set out on this adventure of love and journey into the heart of a God who desires us more than we could ever imagine. Mature, adult, holy love communicates the gift of a person to another, glorifying God with one's body so that, at the end, God may glorify that body at the resurrection of all the baptised.

Therefore, Pope John Paul II said, "'Rise, let us be on our way.' "Let us go forth full of trust in Christ. He will accompany us as we journey toward the goal that he alone knows." It's never too late; now is the acceptable time of our salvation and liberation from the chains that may still bind us.

Friars' Passions - 10 Laudate Dominum, Omnes Gentes

Languages have fascinated me ever since I was a child: I always enjoyed discovering new words in English, as well as studying various foreign languages at school, and my parents still tell the story of the time when, aged 10, I spent most of my pocket money during a family holiday to Wales on a Welsh-English dictionary! The ways in which different languages work and express various ideas provides a fascinating insight into different ways of thinking about the same concept, while of course being able to speak a foreign language also creates huge opportunities for discovering different cultures through literature and conversation with speakers of that language.

Pursuing my interest in languages, I studied French and Russian at university before joining the Order. I have been able to continue my academic study of languages, since we have to learn Latin, New Testament Greek and Hebrew as part of our training. However, knowledge of languages can also play a further and deeper role in my Dominican life: it improves, I hope, my ability to preach, both by giving an insight into different ways of thinking and of explaining things, and also by increasing the number of people with whom I can communicate.

On the Areopagus - 3 Reflections on Hope

Pope Benedict XVI, in a greeting to young people in 2008, challenged them as Christ’s disciples to “show the world the reason for the hope that resonates within you. Tell others about the truth that sets you free.”

One of the pastoral roles undertaken by Dominican students in Oxford is to guide a youth group in the Oxford Priory known as 'Catholics Anonymous'. In Advent 2008 the young people of this group took up the Holy Father's challenge and they shared their reflections on the Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary during the course of a service of prayer in Blackfriars priory church. The service consisted of readings from the scriptures for each mystery, followed by a reflection, and the praying of the mystery itself accompanied by appropriate musical accompaniment that was conducive to prayer and meditation.



The youth group shared their reflections on the mysteries of our faith which were a fruit of their contemplation. These reflections were insightful and thought-provoking, often concentrating on the theme of the hope which our faith in the new-born Christ gives us. One reflection spoke of “the very fragility of this hope, of this state of life, the fact that hope, and patience is often all we have”. Going on to wonder about how the great saints appear so secure in their faith and knowledge despite their human limitations, the reflection went on to say: “But these ultra-pious Saints lived in Advent too, they didn’t know either. Perhaps theirs was an example of astonishing hope, or astonishing trust, but it was not a sign of divinity… Hope then, is the only true compass and our need to live in hope, rather than doubt, seems to lie at the centre of both the Christian life and, when I look again, the Joyful Mysteries”.

Looking at the Visitation, another reflection spoke about the audacity of Mary’s hope: “Doing and proclaiming true good in a society which may frown upon it would make politicians and princes shrink, but filled with the Holy Spirit, Mary proclaims it with fervour, conviction and joy, sure in the hope that all generations will call her blessed”.


We thank our young people for their generosity in giving their time and efforts into organising such a wonderful and prayerful service, which was an inspiration to the friars and laity who attended and which helped us to look afresh at the mystery of the Incarnation.

fr David Barrins OP who has guided the youth group since it began in 2007

St Paul concludes his letter to the Philippians - the community he seemed to love more than any of the others - encouraging them as follows: Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let all men know your forbearance. The Lord is at hand. Have no anxiety about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will keep your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:4-7).

Friars' Passions - 9 Wanderlust

Travelling has been a part of my life since I was 10 years old. From that age, I began to sing in a cathedral choir in Germany, sometimes every weekend. Over the course of several years, we would often go on extended trips touring throughout Germany. It was sometimes very exhausting – but it was wonderful to see so many different parts of my country: from the Alps to the seaside, through the former “German Democratic Republic” and along the Rhine. But I realise now, looking back, that the most important thing was not to see lovely and interesting places, but to meet people in those places, and to be there with friends. It forms you as a group to have such common experiences, good or even bad. And after my time in school, I continued to travel throughout Europe. It was not the fancy destinations which attracted me, but to go to nice places with friends, to spend time together – on which to think back and say “do you remember...?!”

Needless to say the possibilities of travel have changed since I joined the Order. As a religious I have not only the duties of a student but I am part of a community with responsibilities therein. I cannot do or not do whatever and whenever I want, but I have to be considerate of my brethren and need, of course, the permission of my superiors. And I am also a bit less “flexible” in terms of money. On the other hand, even in the Order, many opportunities to travel do arise, and I have met a lot of people from all over the world. It was often not a holiday in the strict sense, e.g., an international Dominican study week in Dubrovnik, a pilgrimage to Calaruega (Spain), the birthplace of St Dominic, a journey with the studentate to Bologna, where St Dominic is buried, but also proper "holidays" with brothers in Salamanca or hiking in the Tatra Mountains. In all these places we have not simply been tourists, but were Dominicans, with Dominicans.

And even if we are separated by language and nationality, it becomes always apparent, that we are one Order. An older brother once told me: “we are suffering from Babel’s confusion of tongues.” Possibly we can help a little bit to overcome the fragmentation of the world and come to the unity to which we are called by God. That may sound too sophisticated, but it is very simple: it means to accept and cultivate friendship when it is given to us.

On the Areopagus - 2 We have a Gospel to proclaim!

On 6 January 2009, the British Humanist Association launched its 'atheist bus advertising campaign'. Originally intended for just a few buses, with a budget of just £5,500, the Association rapidly received over £130,000, enabling 800 buses around the country to carry the slogan: "There's probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life". 

What has prompted this campaign? Ariane Sherine, who created the campaign, said that she was moved to respond in this way by certain high-profile Christian campaigns that declared that "failing to believe in Jesus will condemn you to hell". She added: "There's no doubt that advertising can be effective, and religious advertising works particularly well on those who are vulnerable, frightening them into believing."

Much has been made of the slogan's lack of certitude, that there is probably no God, which some say is, technically, agnosticism rather than atheism. However, what bothers me is the second half of the slogan, for it is based on the premise that belief in God, or even the existence of God (however probable), gives rise to anxiety and fear, and is a barrier to enjoying life. If this is true, then the Gospel is bad news rather than good news, and I am in the wrong place! 

On the contrary, those of us who have just celebrated Christmas - the feast of Love incarnate - know that our God is a God of unconditional love and it is He who causes us to enjoy life even more. Ironically, the atheist bus campaign began on the feast of the Epiphany, the day when the Gentile wise men came in search of Love incarnate and found him in the babe of Bethlehem, cradled in the arms of his mother. Those magi who scanned the heavens looking for portents and signs recognized Jesus as the Sign, the sacrament of divine Love. Those who would be wise, who sought meaning and happiness in life, discerned that our humanity was graciously elevated by the coming of Christ, who by his incarnation has joined us to divinity and so assured us eternal life, happiness and peace with God. 

Like those magi, all humanity still seeks to love and be loved. We seek happiness, the enjoyment of life, goodness, truth and beauty. In this we are in agreement with Ms Sherine. And why not? For all human beings are born with this longing for love. However, where we may differ from Ms Sherine is where we find this life-fulfilling love. St Augustine said, "You have made us for yourself, O God, and our hearts are restless until they find their rest in you". So, we Christians find love in God. It is He who holds us in being and brings us to perfection, fulfilling our deepest desires. 

In Jesus Christ who is God incarnate, "perfect love made flesh and blood", the wise men sought and found what all humankind seeks. Others who refused to see this truth sought to kill Him or to deny His existence. Why? Rowan Williams says that "in a world of blocked choices, wrong turnings and drastically false accounts of who and what we are, love of this sort is not going to look obvious or natural. It will seem to be against the grain." And so, frightened by such perfect love and goodness, some seek to kill it while others deny it.

The reality of our human condition is that we live in a world of fear, uncertainty and worry. In a time of war and terrorism, famine and drought, climate change and economic volatility, it is somewhat naive and blase to say, 'stop worrying and enjoy your life'. Clearly, we all live with suffering and hardship, human wickedness and fear. In a sense, we already live in 'hell', that is to say, a world where God is absent because sinful humanity excludes Him. The atheist campaign seems to take the proverbial ostrich-like approach in answer to our woes: pretend it is not so, live it up, take refuge in fleeting pleasures and enjoyment. The Christian approach is to acknowledge the reality of God-given life which is essentially good but because of sin is lacking in truth, goodness and beauty. The reality of our estranged human condition is called original sin, and God Himself has come to free us from sin and give us a share in his divine life: this is good news! 

Christians down the ages have all lived in times of upheaval and been persecuted for their faith. It is not so much failure to believe in Christ that condemns one to hell, but often Christians who have faith have suffered 'hell' on account of their faith; many still die for following the Gospel. In doing so, they imitate Jesus Himself who "descended into hell" for our sakes. Moreover, they remained steadfast in faith and knew a deep unshakeable joy that overcame all temporal worries because they knew the love of God for them. St Paul thus said: "I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8:38f). Therefore, as Herbert McCabe OP puts it, "Christianity is a wisdom concerned with how to love oneself, and how to rejoice in being". We rejoice in being alive and we learn to love ourselves because we recognise that we are first loved into being by God. I repeatedly experienced this joy in the lives of destitute Filipino Catholics living in the most terrible slums of Manila, and their example of love, peace and happiness amazed me and deepened my faith. 

We believe that Christ has come to give us fullness of life. Life itself and all enjoyment, pleasure and the goodness of creation are held in being by God and come from God. Faith in Jesus Christ and knowing Him as our Saviour, our Brother, and our Friend does not threaten our enjoyment of life. On the contrary, Jesus brings our life to perfection, gives us lasting happiness, and fills us with God's goodness. Hence, Aquinas said that the pleasures we experience on earth will be even more pleasureable in heaven: with God, we enjoy life more! 

This, surely, is the Gospel that we believe, and we need to proclaim it. The atheist bus campaign suggests that all too often some Christians have not been preaching good news but scare-mongering. Let us stop doing that, and proclaim a gospel that liberates us from fear, makes us more fully human, offers certain hope and brings true peace and happiness. 

Friars' Passions - 8 Cricket

My interest in Cricket started during my teenage years. Growing up in rural Wales, the sport of preference was Rugby, so I had little opportunity to play Cricket. My interest grew from watching England playing test matches on the television. As many people will know, cricket is a very complicated game, and test matches are played over a five day period. There is a lot to learn before gaining an idea of what is going on. As I learned about the rules, the various techniques and so on, I became fascinated by the game.

There are several things that I love about it. The first thing is that within a five day game, there are lots of little battles that go on: the contest between the bowler and the batsman and the little psychological games that go on between the two, the strategies and planning by the fielding side to get a particular batsman out, and so on. I have learned to appreciate the great skills of a bowler at the top of his game, and to see the beauty of the perfect shot played by a batsman. I also love the various statistics that come with the game, which are indicators of the strengths and weakness of particular players and teams. It is an analyst's paradise! Cricket is not always a high octane, fast paced game, though there are moments of great excitement. However there is an underlying subtlety that is part of its charm for me. Underneath the seemingly sedate pace, there is much strategy and planning, and the team who plans well, holds its nerve, has patience and executes its plans with skill usually comes out on top.

It may sound strange, but I do find similarities between cricket and the Christian life. Living a good Christian life is not always a source of instant gratification. Developing the virtues that make us good followers of Christ does not neccessarily give us much of a buzz or adrenaline rush most of the time. But it does open our eyes to that subtle beauty that is the life with Christ. The more we strive to live in Christ, and to learn about God and what he has done for us through Christ, the more we see a whole range of possibilities opened to us. Through perseverance, we come to see how being a Christian brings us a deep and subtle joy.

Friars' Passions - 7 It's a dog's life

When I was growing up in rural Kilkenny I was surrounded by animals, farm animals, wildlife in its many amazing forms, and of course dogs. As a child I had the usual collection of animals: rabbits, sometimes injured on the road and kept until they could be released, a quick succession of goldfish, hamsters and most of all dogs. Dogs are by far my favourite domestic animal. Dogs are utterly faithful, affectionate and loyal. They offer to a kind owner complete and utter devotion. 

The types of dogs I have had have all been rough haired collies, which in my opinion exemplify the aforementioned characteristics/virtues. When I got home our dog always welcomes me with a display of excitement. While I was living at home I never had to depend on an alarm clock, as I was usually woken with a paw in the face. In the course of my religious life I have never been in a priory that has had pets of any kind, but if I ever become a superior I will try to change that! 

One of the symbols of our order is a dog with a flaming torch in its mouth, and while that was not the reason I joined (contrary to what my novice master thought) it does support my position that dogs ought to be a natural part of priory life. I leave with a quote that a friend e-mailed to me one day, concerning dogs: “My goal in life is to be as good a person my dog already thinks I am”.

Br Dennis Murphy OP is a student of the Irish Province, shown above with his dream dog!