Parish Letter Lent 3 B 2009
Anger: The Powerful Emotion
Jesus’ public display of anger (John 2:13-15) gives us an opportunity to look at that powerful emotion, anger, which we all experience throughout our lives.
We all feel angry at one time or another, yet we may not be aware of the anger. As a result, we may not think of ourselves as angry people, or even as capable of anger.
Like most emotions, it is in its expression and manifestation that anger is known. Therefore, it is to the extent that people exhibit anger that they are deemed as angry or not angry people.
We label differently the individual who is slighted by another and walks away without saying a word and the one who throws up a tantrum at being wronged. Yet, both do experience the powerful emotion of anger.
Anger is a useful indicator that we see that things are not in order, especially the order that we want. How we see things may be correct or incorrect, but that is what makes us angry.
Anger shows us how much we care about a relationship, an individual, a cause, an issue, a situation and indeed ourselves. If we did not care, and if these things were not important to us, we would not be angry about them.
We do not choose to be angry - we get angry as a matter of course. What we can choose is what to do when we are angry. We can choose to act out our anger, to express it, to let others know that we are angry.
We can also choose not to act it out, to suppress our anger, to turn it inwards rather than outwards. Our choice to, or not to, act out our anger can be based on our knowledge, or lack thereof, of the negative effects of that behaviour.
We can be afraid that our acting out will hurt and harm others. We can be afraid of the consequences of showing that we are angry to someone who is more powerful than we are.
We can tell ourselves that we are not angry, or we can simply deny the reality of our anger because of the costly consequences.
It is hard to show that we are angry to a powerful person. It is much easier to show that we are angry to those who are weaker than us, the more vulnerable and fragile. Unfortunately, we often act out our anger against the powerful on the weak - the “soft” targets.
Acting our anger out can bring about tremendous relief and feelings of satisfaction, even though consequences may follow. Not to act out our anger - denying or suppressing it - ensures there are no painful consequences, but does not take the anger away. It turns it inwards and makes it a negative force against us.
Unexpressed anger is often unresolved and can lead to a number of other negative feelings emotionally and physically. Many complications of the spirit and body are related to poor anger management.
Since anger is an unavoidable reality of human experience, the multimillion dollar question is: ‘How do I manage my anger?’ and not: ‘How can I not be angry?’
The Greek philosopher Aristotle taught that: “Anyone can become angry – that is easy. But to be angry with the right person, to the right degree, at the right time, for the right purpose, and in the right way – that is not easy” (The Nichomachean Ethics).
This is, at the same time, an acknowledgement that to be angry is human and that through anger management we can be good people, in spite of our anger.
Jesus’ angry outburst and acting out in today’s Gospel has often been called “holy anger,” “righteous anger” and “divine anger.” That is true and in place. However, we must not lose sight that it was also a “human anger” because Jesus was fully human.
As a human being Jesus got angry about things, people, and relationships that mattered to him. His anger shows us that he cared about the temple, about the people of God, about God and about the things of God. His anger was a normal reaction to a situation and a relationship that had gone bad.
Today’s gospel challenges us to acknowledge that getting angry is part of being human and alive. It calls us to an awareness of our anger - each one of us has things that make us angry, things that we care and are passionate about.
This awareness helps us to choose well what to do with our anger, how to channel that energy into something constructive and life-giving, rather than destructive and diminishing to life.
As we seek to follow Jesus more closely in his passion this Lent, let us work on our anger. Jesus has been there and has done it - he can help us where we have difficulties with anger.
Let us pray that the Lord may teach us how to be angry with the right person, to the right degree, at the right time, for the right purpose and in the right way.
Yours in the Most Holy Redeemer
Fr William Guri, C.Ss.R.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Parish Letter Lent 3 B 2009
Anger: The Powerful Emotion
Jesus’ public display of anger (John 2:13-15) gives us an opportunity to look at that powerful emotion, anger, which we all experience throughout our lives. We all feel angry at one time or another, yet we may not be aware of the anger. As a result, we may not think of ourselves as angry people, or even as capable of anger. Like most emotions, it is in its expression and manifestation that anger is known. Therefore, it is to the extent that people exhibit anger that they are deemed as angry or not angry people. We label differently the individual who is slighted by another and walks away without saying a word and the one who throws up a tantrum at being wronged. Yet, both do experience the powerful emotion of anger. Anger is a useful indicator that we see that things are not in order, especially the order that we want. How we see things may be correct or incorrect, but that is what makes us angry. Anger shows us how much we care about a relationship, an individual, a cause, an issue, a situation and indeed ourselves. If we did not care, and if these things were not important to us, we would not be angry about them.
We do not choose to be angry - we get angry as a matter of course. What we can choose is what to do when we are angry. We can choose to act out our anger, to express it, to let others know that we are angry. We can also choose not to act it out, to suppress our anger, to turn it inwards rather than outwards. Our choice to, or not to, act out our anger can be based on our knowledge, or lack thereof, of the negative effects of that behaviour. We can be afraid that our acting out will hurt and harm others. We can be afraid of the consequences of showing that we are angry to someone who is more powerful than we are. We can tell ourselves that we are not angry, or we can simply deny the reality of our anger because of the costly consequences. It is hard to show that we are angry to a powerful person. It is much easier to show that we are angry to those who are weaker than us, the more vulnerable and fragile. Unfortunately, we often act out our anger against the powerful on the weak - the “soft” targets. Acting our anger out can bring about tremendous relief and feelings of satisfaction, even though consequences may follow. Not to act out our anger - denying or suppressing it - ensures there are no painful consequences, but does not take the anger away. It turns it inwards and makes it a negative force against us. Unexpressed anger is often unresolved and can lead to a number of other negative feelings emotionally and physically. Many complications of the spirit and body are related to poor anger management.
Since anger is an unavoidable reality of human experience, the multimillion dollar question is: ‘How do I manage my anger?’ and not: ‘How can I not be angry?’ The Greek philosopher Aristotle taught that: “Anyone can become angry – that is easy. But to be angry with the right person, to the right degree, at the right time, for the right purpose, and in the right way – that is not easy” (The Nichomachean Ethics). This is, at the same time, an acknowledgement that to be angry is human and that through anger management we can be good people, in spite of our anger. Jesus’ angry outburst and acting out in today’s Gospel has often been called “holy anger,” “righteous anger” and “divine anger.” That is true and in place. However, we must not lose sight that it was also a “human anger” because Jesus was fully human. As a human being Jesus got angry about things, people, and relationships that mattered to him. His anger shows us that he cared about the temple, about the people of God, about God and about the things of God. His anger was a normal reaction to a situation and a relationship that had gone bad.
Today’s gospel challenges us to acknowledge that getting angry is part of being human and alive. It calls us to an awareness of our anger - each one of us has things that make us angry, things that we care and are passionate about. This awareness helps us to choose well what to do with our anger, how to channel that energy into something constructive and life-giving, rather than destructive and diminishing to life. As we seek to follow Jesus more closely in his passion this Lent, let us work on our anger. Jesus has been there and has done it - he can help us where we have difficulties with anger. Let us pray that the Lord may teach us how to be angry with the right person, to the right degree, at the right time, for the right purpose and in the right way.
Yours in the Most Holy Redeemer Fr William Guri, C.Ss.R.
Anger: The Powerful Emotion
Jesus’ public display of anger (John 2:13-15) gives us an opportunity to look at that powerful emotion, anger, which we all experience throughout our lives. We all feel angry at one time or another, yet we may not be aware of the anger. As a result, we may not think of ourselves as angry people, or even as capable of anger. Like most emotions, it is in its expression and manifestation that anger is known. Therefore, it is to the extent that people exhibit anger that they are deemed as angry or not angry people. We label differently the individual who is slighted by another and walks away without saying a word and the one who throws up a tantrum at being wronged. Yet, both do experience the powerful emotion of anger. Anger is a useful indicator that we see that things are not in order, especially the order that we want. How we see things may be correct or incorrect, but that is what makes us angry. Anger shows us how much we care about a relationship, an individual, a cause, an issue, a situation and indeed ourselves. If we did not care, and if these things were not important to us, we would not be angry about them.
We do not choose to be angry - we get angry as a matter of course. What we can choose is what to do when we are angry. We can choose to act out our anger, to express it, to let others know that we are angry. We can also choose not to act it out, to suppress our anger, to turn it inwards rather than outwards. Our choice to, or not to, act out our anger can be based on our knowledge, or lack thereof, of the negative effects of that behaviour. We can be afraid that our acting out will hurt and harm others. We can be afraid of the consequences of showing that we are angry to someone who is more powerful than we are. We can tell ourselves that we are not angry, or we can simply deny the reality of our anger because of the costly consequences. It is hard to show that we are angry to a powerful person. It is much easier to show that we are angry to those who are weaker than us, the more vulnerable and fragile. Unfortunately, we often act out our anger against the powerful on the weak - the “soft” targets. Acting our anger out can bring about tremendous relief and feelings of satisfaction, even though consequences may follow. Not to act out our anger - denying or suppressing it - ensures there are no painful consequences, but does not take the anger away. It turns it inwards and makes it a negative force against us. Unexpressed anger is often unresolved and can lead to a number of other negative feelings emotionally and physically. Many complications of the spirit and body are related to poor anger management.
Since anger is an unavoidable reality of human experience, the multimillion dollar question is: ‘How do I manage my anger?’ and not: ‘How can I not be angry?’ The Greek philosopher Aristotle taught that: “Anyone can become angry – that is easy. But to be angry with the right person, to the right degree, at the right time, for the right purpose, and in the right way – that is not easy” (The Nichomachean Ethics). This is, at the same time, an acknowledgement that to be angry is human and that through anger management we can be good people, in spite of our anger. Jesus’ angry outburst and acting out in today’s Gospel has often been called “holy anger,” “righteous anger” and “divine anger.” That is true and in place. However, we must not lose sight that it was also a “human anger” because Jesus was fully human. As a human being Jesus got angry about things, people, and relationships that mattered to him. His anger shows us that he cared about the temple, about the people of God, about God and about the things of God. His anger was a normal reaction to a situation and a relationship that had gone bad.
Today’s gospel challenges us to acknowledge that getting angry is part of being human and alive. It calls us to an awareness of our anger - each one of us has things that make us angry, things that we care and are passionate about. This awareness helps us to choose well what to do with our anger, how to channel that energy into something constructive and life-giving, rather than destructive and diminishing to life. As we seek to follow Jesus more closely in his passion this Lent, let us work on our anger. Jesus has been there and has done it - he can help us where we have difficulties with anger. Let us pray that the Lord may teach us how to be angry with the right person, to the right degree, at the right time, for the right purpose and in the right way.
Yours in the Most Holy Redeemer Fr William Guri, C.Ss.R.
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Exaltation of the Holy Cross
Parish Letter 24th Week A 2008
The Exaltation of the Holy Cross
St Paul, whose year we are celebrating, admits, at the beginning of his letter to the Corinthians, that the content of his gospel message – Christ crucified – did not fit into the either the Jewish or the Greek cultures of his day:
“And so, while Jews demand miracles and the Greeks look for wisdom, here we are preaching a crucified Christ; to the Jews an obstacle that they cannot get over, to the pagans madness, but to those who have been called, whether they are Jews or Greeks, a Christ who is the power and wisdom of God. For God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength. ” (1Cor 22-25)
According to Paul’s accurate observation of his contemporary culture, a crucified Christ makes no sense in terms of any worldly evaluation. If we observe carefully our own culture today, we will come to the same conclusion. Yet, Paul insists that both Jew and Greek are called to follow the crucified one.
The cross is central to being a Christian. It is a paradoxical sign that communicates victory over loss, weakness transformed into strength, and triumph over tragedy. It is the crucified Christ alone who is true power and wisdom.
The cross puts our human suffering into perspective. The cross transforms meaningless suffering into something full of meaning and value, even beauty. We know that suffering is part of the human condition.
Some suffering is actually caused by the terrible acts of violent individuals bent on reaping destruction in the name of whatever cause. We have seen that recently in the political disturbances in our country.
We see it every night in TV reports, and every morning in newspaper accounts of the world’s numerous troubled spots. Some suffering comes in the form of tremendous natural disasters, such as the devastating hurricanes currently wrecking havoc in the Caribbean and the US. Yet, another form of suffering accompanies the human condition – incurable diseases, such as HIV/Aids and cancer.
Still, the results of accidents, psychological and emotional stress, broken and strained relationships and the pressures of daily life, compounds the human condition. All suffering, no matter what its cause, presents a challenge and causes much distress, anxiety and pain to humanity. What makes it even more difficult is the innocence of those who suffer. What sense can we make of this suffering, how do we react to it?
Paul was no stranger to suffering (read 2Cor 11:23-33). He seems to draw attention to suffering as an integral part of what it means to follow Christ and what it means to be an apostle. Paul is aware that proclaiming the truth can lead to much suffering and rejection. Paul saw a profound paradox at work in his life through his sufferings: “Therefore I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities for the sake of Christ; for whenever I am weak, then I am strong.” (2Cor 12:10)
This is the Christian paradox that Paul teaches us. What in worldly terms is perceived as weakness is actually strength in terms of God grace and mercy. No symbol so embodies this truth as the cross. Life in Christ means embracing the cross. It requires not that we flee from suffering, but we accept it and learn to live with it constructively.
It is possible to live and love, to be free and to grow, to heal and flourish in the face of of suffering. For Paul, the Christian faith was born in suffering. Jesus willingly took on the humiliating and excruciating torture of death by crucifixion so that he could show others the way of victory through suffering.
Jesus is the model who gives confidence to Paul. On this feast day of the Cross, let us model ourselves on Jesus as St Paul did, and teaches us.
In the Most Holy Redeemer
Fr. William Guri, C.Ss.R.
The Exaltation of the Holy Cross
St Paul, whose year we are celebrating, admits, at the beginning of his letter to the Corinthians, that the content of his gospel message – Christ crucified – did not fit into the either the Jewish or the Greek cultures of his day:
“And so, while Jews demand miracles and the Greeks look for wisdom, here we are preaching a crucified Christ; to the Jews an obstacle that they cannot get over, to the pagans madness, but to those who have been called, whether they are Jews or Greeks, a Christ who is the power and wisdom of God. For God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength. ” (1Cor 22-25)
According to Paul’s accurate observation of his contemporary culture, a crucified Christ makes no sense in terms of any worldly evaluation. If we observe carefully our own culture today, we will come to the same conclusion. Yet, Paul insists that both Jew and Greek are called to follow the crucified one.
The cross is central to being a Christian. It is a paradoxical sign that communicates victory over loss, weakness transformed into strength, and triumph over tragedy. It is the crucified Christ alone who is true power and wisdom.
The cross puts our human suffering into perspective. The cross transforms meaningless suffering into something full of meaning and value, even beauty. We know that suffering is part of the human condition.
Some suffering is actually caused by the terrible acts of violent individuals bent on reaping destruction in the name of whatever cause. We have seen that recently in the political disturbances in our country.
We see it every night in TV reports, and every morning in newspaper accounts of the world’s numerous troubled spots. Some suffering comes in the form of tremendous natural disasters, such as the devastating hurricanes currently wrecking havoc in the Caribbean and the US. Yet, another form of suffering accompanies the human condition – incurable diseases, such as HIV/Aids and cancer.
Still, the results of accidents, psychological and emotional stress, broken and strained relationships and the pressures of daily life, compounds the human condition. All suffering, no matter what its cause, presents a challenge and causes much distress, anxiety and pain to humanity. What makes it even more difficult is the innocence of those who suffer. What sense can we make of this suffering, how do we react to it?
Paul was no stranger to suffering (read 2Cor 11:23-33). He seems to draw attention to suffering as an integral part of what it means to follow Christ and what it means to be an apostle. Paul is aware that proclaiming the truth can lead to much suffering and rejection. Paul saw a profound paradox at work in his life through his sufferings: “Therefore I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities for the sake of Christ; for whenever I am weak, then I am strong.” (2Cor 12:10)
This is the Christian paradox that Paul teaches us. What in worldly terms is perceived as weakness is actually strength in terms of God grace and mercy. No symbol so embodies this truth as the cross. Life in Christ means embracing the cross. It requires not that we flee from suffering, but we accept it and learn to live with it constructively.
It is possible to live and love, to be free and to grow, to heal and flourish in the face of of suffering. For Paul, the Christian faith was born in suffering. Jesus willingly took on the humiliating and excruciating torture of death by crucifixion so that he could show others the way of victory through suffering.
Jesus is the model who gives confidence to Paul. On this feast day of the Cross, let us model ourselves on Jesus as St Paul did, and teaches us.
In the Most Holy Redeemer
Fr. William Guri, C.Ss.R.
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Parish Letter 20th Sunday A 2008
On one of my early hospital visits, I walked into a Parirenyatwa Hospital ward, where a parishioner was recovering. It was midmorning, between the visiting hours, so the place was very quiet with patients either sleeping or resting. I found the parishioner sitting up and spent some time with her. We talked for a while before we prayed together. She wanted me to sing a song with her and we did that. I anointed her and gave her Holy Communion. I sat by her bedside for a little while before saying goodbye, promising to pray for her and to come again.
As I was walking out of the ward, a man lying in the far corner said to me: “What about me? Do you not pray for me too? I am not a Catholic but I need some prayers.” I felt chastised and humbled. I walked over to him and said, “Of course I will pray for you. It does not matter that you are not a Catholic.” And I prayed with him. As I was about to go, I looked around and saw the look on the faces of the other patients, and I knew better to start praying with them before more chastisement.
I learnt something very important on that hospital visit. When I visit the hospital I am ready to pray for more than those on my list. I used to worry about being seen as imposing my faith, infringing individuals’ religious rights, proselytizing, and taking advantage of the infirm and other similar concerns of religious freedom. I take the precaution of waiting for those outside my pastoral jurisdiction to invite me first.
I have come to appreciate in a very sensitive way, the utter loneliness that people experience in hospital and the pressing need they have for human contact and social engagement. Faced with these needs, they surrender their ideological and creedal fortifications and become vulnerably open to the healing prayer available. It is a dangerous vulnerability, yet it is necessary.
In today’s gospel, the Canaanite woman makes herself dangerously vulnerable. Her position was diametrically opposed to that of Jesus on many levels; she was Canaanite – he was Jewish, she was a woman – he was a man. This position had serious social, political, racial, sexual, and religious connotations. Their dealing with each other would inevitably violate some sacrosanct code of behaviour in a reprehensible manner.
Jesus had ventured into this pagan territory to cool off the tension caused by his and his disciples’ non-conformity to social and religious propriety. Interacting with this foreigner and woman was going to dent Jesus’ reputation and confirm him as a deviant.
Jesus responded to this woman who was tormented by the torment of her daughter by testing her faith. She did not give up but pressed on, arguing that even if Jesus saw her as a dog, she deserved his consideration, since dogs are not denied the leftovers. Jesus saw her reasoning as evidence of her great faith and granted her wish.
Her persistence on behalf of her daughter, her desperation after trying only God knows how many remedies; her readiness to cross racial, social, sexual, political and religious barriers impressed Jesus. That was her great faith, for faith is more than a nice feeling of being loved by God, but faith takes up all our deepest pain of being human and longing for wholeness and healing. The Canaanite woman had it – she was a human being grappling with the pain of being human and needing wholeness for her tormented soul and that of her daughter.
I have learnt, in my pastoral care for the sick, that sickness is a time of religious significance for most people. There is a religious need that we experience when we are sick which goes beyond our denominational difference. In fact, it goes beyond most divisions that keep us apart. I see it more as openness to God than simply to an available minister.
At the behest of their religious mothers, I have been at the bedside of many a lapsed Catholic and have been amazed by the faith of the faithless. The sister of a man who had long abandoned church said to me as we watched him in a coma: “This is a special time for him. God has given him this time when he cannot talk to any of us for a purpose. This is the time for my brother to talk with God.” The next day the man died peacefully.
Those who take care of the sick and bear the burden of sickness vicariously, like the Canaanite woman who was tormented by the torment of her daughter, experience this profound need for God. I learnt this when a junior doctor at Parirenyatwa grabbed me by the arms on the corridor and begged me: “Father please pray, pray for the sick and pray for us too. There are things that we cannot do, but only God can do.” Here was another person tormented by the torment of others and longing for their wholeness and healing.
It is for faith as great as this that Jesus grants their wishes. Let us pray for the gift of faith. Let us pray that we too may be tormented by the torment of others and relentlessly bring their case before Jesus who will grant our wish. Amen.
In the Most Holy Redeemer Fr. William Guri, C.Ss.R.
Woman, you have great faith.
As I was walking out of the ward, a man lying in the far corner said to me: “What about me? Do you not pray for me too? I am not a Catholic but I need some prayers.” I felt chastised and humbled. I walked over to him and said, “Of course I will pray for you. It does not matter that you are not a Catholic.” And I prayed with him. As I was about to go, I looked around and saw the look on the faces of the other patients, and I knew better to start praying with them before more chastisement.
I learnt something very important on that hospital visit. When I visit the hospital I am ready to pray for more than those on my list. I used to worry about being seen as imposing my faith, infringing individuals’ religious rights, proselytizing, and taking advantage of the infirm and other similar concerns of religious freedom. I take the precaution of waiting for those outside my pastoral jurisdiction to invite me first.
I have come to appreciate in a very sensitive way, the utter loneliness that people experience in hospital and the pressing need they have for human contact and social engagement. Faced with these needs, they surrender their ideological and creedal fortifications and become vulnerably open to the healing prayer available. It is a dangerous vulnerability, yet it is necessary.
In today’s gospel, the Canaanite woman makes herself dangerously vulnerable. Her position was diametrically opposed to that of Jesus on many levels; she was Canaanite – he was Jewish, she was a woman – he was a man. This position had serious social, political, racial, sexual, and religious connotations. Their dealing with each other would inevitably violate some sacrosanct code of behaviour in a reprehensible manner.
Jesus had ventured into this pagan territory to cool off the tension caused by his and his disciples’ non-conformity to social and religious propriety. Interacting with this foreigner and woman was going to dent Jesus’ reputation and confirm him as a deviant.
Jesus responded to this woman who was tormented by the torment of her daughter by testing her faith. She did not give up but pressed on, arguing that even if Jesus saw her as a dog, she deserved his consideration, since dogs are not denied the leftovers. Jesus saw her reasoning as evidence of her great faith and granted her wish.
Her persistence on behalf of her daughter, her desperation after trying only God knows how many remedies; her readiness to cross racial, social, sexual, political and religious barriers impressed Jesus. That was her great faith, for faith is more than a nice feeling of being loved by God, but faith takes up all our deepest pain of being human and longing for wholeness and healing. The Canaanite woman had it – she was a human being grappling with the pain of being human and needing wholeness for her tormented soul and that of her daughter.
I have learnt, in my pastoral care for the sick, that sickness is a time of religious significance for most people. There is a religious need that we experience when we are sick which goes beyond our denominational difference. In fact, it goes beyond most divisions that keep us apart. I see it more as openness to God than simply to an available minister.
At the behest of their religious mothers, I have been at the bedside of many a lapsed Catholic and have been amazed by the faith of the faithless. The sister of a man who had long abandoned church said to me as we watched him in a coma: “This is a special time for him. God has given him this time when he cannot talk to any of us for a purpose. This is the time for my brother to talk with God.” The next day the man died peacefully.
Those who take care of the sick and bear the burden of sickness vicariously, like the Canaanite woman who was tormented by the torment of her daughter, experience this profound need for God. I learnt this when a junior doctor at Parirenyatwa grabbed me by the arms on the corridor and begged me: “Father please pray, pray for the sick and pray for us too. There are things that we cannot do, but only God can do.” Here was another person tormented by the torment of others and longing for their wholeness and healing.
It is for faith as great as this that Jesus grants their wishes. Let us pray for the gift of faith. Let us pray that we too may be tormented by the torment of others and relentlessly bring their case before Jesus who will grant our wish. Amen.
In the Most Holy Redeemer Fr. William Guri, C.Ss.R.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Parish Bulletin
Parish Letter I8th Sunday of the Year 2008
Come ... all you who are thirsty!
After hearing of the death of John the Baptist, the Gospel tells us, Jesus withdrew to a lonely place. He wanted to be alone to grieve over his friend and cousin, his precursor and herald. He needed time alone to ‘regroup,’ to process the loss of John, to put closure to their relationship. But no sooner than he got there, the crowds had already caught up with him. We see Jesus here facing the challenge to balance his personal need to take time out and mourn the Baptist; and the pressing needs of the people who sought him. When he saw the crowds, he took pity on them and healed their sick.
This Gospel reveals to us a very important truth about Jesus. He was true God and true human being, as we profess in the Creed. What shines out in this Gospel is his genuine humanity. As a human being he felt loss and all the emotions that we feel when someone we know and love dies. He felt the need to be alone, to refocus his life after the loss, to honour the beloved dead. He knew that he would not be much use to those who needed his help when he was feeling this low. This is an idea that many people today, as many others throughout history did, find difficult to understand and accept – that God can be a human being all the way! That God can feel loss and pain, get tired and need rest. That is the mystery of the Incarnation – God became a human being and lived among us.
Then he feeds the multitude miraculously.
It is easy here to emphasize that it was because of his divinity that Jesus performed this miracle. There is no doubt about that – only God can do something like that. Yet, it is important to acknowledge that it is because of his human ability to empathise, to feel with and for others, that Jesus worked the miracle. In his own neediness, he was able to see the need of others. Contemporary spirituality has often called Jesus “the wounded healer.” He knew and bore the wounds of our human condition; hence he understood the pain of the wounds of others. Because he had experienced need he felt for the needs of others. Only God-become-human can do that. So if we make his humanity shine in this miracle we are at the same time making his divinity shine!
Isaiah, the prophet in the first reading, talks about the everlasting covenant out of the favours promised to David. Through the words of Isaiah, God calls out to all who are thirsty, hungry, and have no money. He wants them to come so he can fill them with plenty. Jesus fulfils this promise in today’s Gospel – he fills with plenty the crowds who were thirsty, hungry and had no money. He filled the sick with healing. He felt pity for those who were abandoned. God became a human being so that his promises, given through the prophets, may come true.
St Paul, whom we commemorate this year, came to know Jesus and his life was transformed. It was his encounter with this God who became a human being that made Paul so utterly convinced of Jesus’ power to save. So he could not think of anything that could come between us and the love of Christ. Even death cannot separate us from the love of God made visible in Christ Jesus our Lord. It is this love of God, prophesied by Isaiah, proclaimed by Paul and made human by Jesus that beckons us in the Eucharist. Let us open our hearts and draw closer to God who calls us.
Yours in the Redeemer,
Fr. William Guri, C.Ss.R.
Fr Gerry's Letter
Fr Gerry Mulligan's Letter to St Gerard's Parish
While I was overseas in July, Gerry Mulligan, our Vice Provincial, was kind enough to come to Zimbabwe and help in our parishes. I was very happy that he came, especially at this time when our country is going through a very difficult phase. While telling our confreres in the UK the difficult situation here, I feared that Gerry might be scared and decide not to came. Knowing fully well what was happening here he decided to come. Gerry responded in the spirit of the true Redemptorist: "Always ready to undertake what is difficult." The letter that he wrote for our Parish Bulletin as he left speaks for itself:
ST GERARD'S PARISH LETTER 17th. Sunday of The Year 2008
One cold day last January in Scotland, Fr Ronnie McAinsh- our Redemptorist Provincial said to me “They were going to be a bit short-staffed in Zimbabwe during the month of July. They needed help with the weekend and daily Masses.” Listening to the rain and sleet battering on the window pane, I said “I’ll go.”
Five months later, on June 29th, standing in the queue for security checks at Glasgow airport I wondered if I had made the right decision. People looked at me strangely when I said I was going to Zimbabwe for a month. I must admit, I felt a bit apprehensive myself after all we had seen on TV during the lead up to the elections.
First impressions can be misleading. When I arrived, so much seemed to be going on as normal. Certainly, the welcome I received from everyone was overwhelming and people seemed to be genuinely pleased that I had come. It was only with time that I began to realize how very difficult and frightening things had been. I was amazed at people’s ability to cope, to survive from day to day and even to keep smiling– something I had remembered from previous visits. I felt in a strange way honoured to be here; humbled that people had allowed me to share these days with them. But, there was tiredness in people’s faces, not surprisingly, and a feeling of disappointment that was so real you could almost touch it.
I enjoyed meeting my Redemptorist confreres again at St Gerard’s and visiting the student community at Tafara. It is always good to meet up with your brother Redemptorists and enjoy catching up with all the news of people and having some good laughs along the way. Soon, I was getting familiar with the way from St Gerard’s to Nazareth House and St. Augustine’s Hatcliffe. I enjoyed so much the Masses and the singing.It is always a moving experience to share in Mass, in different places. We have so much in common as we gather at the altar. So many different faces, different lives, different experiences, yet all reaching out to receive the food God gives us, the food we must share with one another.
During the month, people kept saying to me “Thank you for coming to see us at this time.” But I felt that I was the fortunate one because I was learning so much about the goodness and courage of ordinary people, something which survives even in times of great adversity.
I think this must be the power and the presence of God.
One of my many memories is a recent visit to an orphanage.
Whenever I got close to any of the young children and babies, they started to howl and cry. I don’t know if it was my strange voice, or my white face, or my big nose! Something was frightening them. As I moved on to another room, I saw a little boy sitting on the floor. He was blind. He had lost an eye through cancer and the sight in the other was all but gone. I stretched down to take his hand and as soon as he felt my hand , as if he was on springs, he jumped up and threw his arms around my neck and would not let me go. And that was us for the rest of the afternoon. He was fairly heavy– I don’t know how you women carry children around with you for so long! But he wasn’t really heavy, he was my brother. Later on, I asked myself if that was what God was like with us. We reach out our hand to him; it is often all we can do. When he feels our touch he takes us in is arms and won’t ever let us go no matter how heavy we are. It made me walk tall for the rest of the day.
A precious message taught to me by one of God’s little ones.
So as I return to Scotland I want to say thank you for these last four weeks. I wouldn’t have missed them for the world. I will take your good wishes to all those you have been asking me about; Fr. McAinsh, Fr. Webster and Fr. Maguire and let them know of the love and regard you have for them. Thanks also to my own Redemptorist confreres whose hospitality was so warm and generous. Being here has made me proud to be a Redemptorist.
I promise to pay for you and our country at this time. I trust that the seeds of hope that seem to have appeared this past week will grow and grow until you have the life and the country you desire and deserve. During these days as I prepare to return home, some words written a long time ago by Hilaire Belloc have been in my mind;-From quiet homes and first beginnings Out to undiscovered ends. There’s nothing worth the wear of winning But laughter and the love of friends. Dear friends, thank you for your love and your laughter.
Let us pray for one another,
Fr. Gerry Mulligan C.Ss.R
While I was overseas in July, Gerry Mulligan, our Vice Provincial, was kind enough to come to Zimbabwe and help in our parishes. I was very happy that he came, especially at this time when our country is going through a very difficult phase. While telling our confreres in the UK the difficult situation here, I feared that Gerry might be scared and decide not to came. Knowing fully well what was happening here he decided to come. Gerry responded in the spirit of the true Redemptorist: "Always ready to undertake what is difficult." The letter that he wrote for our Parish Bulletin as he left speaks for itself:
ST GERARD'S PARISH LETTER 17th. Sunday of The Year 2008
One cold day last January in Scotland, Fr Ronnie McAinsh- our Redemptorist Provincial said to me “They were going to be a bit short-staffed in Zimbabwe during the month of July. They needed help with the weekend and daily Masses.” Listening to the rain and sleet battering on the window pane, I said “I’ll go.”
Five months later, on June 29th, standing in the queue for security checks at Glasgow airport I wondered if I had made the right decision. People looked at me strangely when I said I was going to Zimbabwe for a month. I must admit, I felt a bit apprehensive myself after all we had seen on TV during the lead up to the elections.
First impressions can be misleading. When I arrived, so much seemed to be going on as normal. Certainly, the welcome I received from everyone was overwhelming and people seemed to be genuinely pleased that I had come. It was only with time that I began to realize how very difficult and frightening things had been. I was amazed at people’s ability to cope, to survive from day to day and even to keep smiling– something I had remembered from previous visits. I felt in a strange way honoured to be here; humbled that people had allowed me to share these days with them. But, there was tiredness in people’s faces, not surprisingly, and a feeling of disappointment that was so real you could almost touch it.
I enjoyed meeting my Redemptorist confreres again at St Gerard’s and visiting the student community at Tafara. It is always good to meet up with your brother Redemptorists and enjoy catching up with all the news of people and having some good laughs along the way. Soon, I was getting familiar with the way from St Gerard’s to Nazareth House and St. Augustine’s Hatcliffe. I enjoyed so much the Masses and the singing.It is always a moving experience to share in Mass, in different places. We have so much in common as we gather at the altar. So many different faces, different lives, different experiences, yet all reaching out to receive the food God gives us, the food we must share with one another.
During the month, people kept saying to me “Thank you for coming to see us at this time.” But I felt that I was the fortunate one because I was learning so much about the goodness and courage of ordinary people, something which survives even in times of great adversity.
I think this must be the power and the presence of God.
One of my many memories is a recent visit to an orphanage.
Whenever I got close to any of the young children and babies, they started to howl and cry. I don’t know if it was my strange voice, or my white face, or my big nose! Something was frightening them. As I moved on to another room, I saw a little boy sitting on the floor. He was blind. He had lost an eye through cancer and the sight in the other was all but gone. I stretched down to take his hand and as soon as he felt my hand , as if he was on springs, he jumped up and threw his arms around my neck and would not let me go. And that was us for the rest of the afternoon. He was fairly heavy– I don’t know how you women carry children around with you for so long! But he wasn’t really heavy, he was my brother. Later on, I asked myself if that was what God was like with us. We reach out our hand to him; it is often all we can do. When he feels our touch he takes us in is arms and won’t ever let us go no matter how heavy we are. It made me walk tall for the rest of the day.
A precious message taught to me by one of God’s little ones.
So as I return to Scotland I want to say thank you for these last four weeks. I wouldn’t have missed them for the world. I will take your good wishes to all those you have been asking me about; Fr. McAinsh, Fr. Webster and Fr. Maguire and let them know of the love and regard you have for them. Thanks also to my own Redemptorist confreres whose hospitality was so warm and generous. Being here has made me proud to be a Redemptorist.
I promise to pay for you and our country at this time. I trust that the seeds of hope that seem to have appeared this past week will grow and grow until you have the life and the country you desire and deserve. During these days as I prepare to return home, some words written a long time ago by Hilaire Belloc have been in my mind;-From quiet homes and first beginnings Out to undiscovered ends. There’s nothing worth the wear of winning But laughter and the love of friends. Dear friends, thank you for your love and your laughter.
Let us pray for one another,
Fr. Gerry Mulligan C.Ss.R
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Back from Overseas
I returned yesterday from a week in Scotland UK, and a week in Maryland USA. I presented at the Formation Workshop for Redemptorist Formators at our monastery in Kinnoul Perth. The Redemptorist workshop was a wonderful opportunity to meet with confreres from the Northern Hemisphere just as the one in Bangkok was my first encoutner with the East and with our confreres of Asia, Oceania and the Pacific. Its always good to be with a bunch of our guys - the Reds are great. We had confreres from the USA, Canada, the UK, Austria, Slovakia, Poland, Ireland, South Africa, and Zimbabwe at the Scotland workshop. I felt sad at the end of the week of my presentation, when I had just about come to know the guys, to have to move on.
In Maryland I was happy to be reunited with the Redemptorist Community that hosted me when I studied at Loyola. Two of the confreres have just been moved; John Hamrogue to Brooklyn NY and John Lavin to Boston MA. I was fortunate to be there in time for their farewell Mass and party in the Caroll Gardens! I was able to spend some time with each of the members of the Annapolis community and to catch up with each of them. I went out for dinner with Jack Kingsbury, Andy Costello and Pat Flynn on both the Sundays that I was there. It was so nice to go through memory lane and to have uproarious laughter about the memorable lighter moments of my stay in the States.
I did get a chance to meet a good number of the faithful of St Mary's Parish Annapolis. Many people seemed as they were when I left last year, and some seemed to have changed much. Many of the young people have become young adults in the space on one year! It was just like madness when i walked into the St Mary's offices on the Saturday morning and there were all those screams and shouts for joy. I felt like a hero returning home! Harry the musician stood up to the occassion and played Pachabel canon for me at one of the Masses! I was tremendously impressed by the interest in and concern for Zimbabwe that the people of St Mary's showed. Because they know me they have followed events here very closely as they unfolded and asked for my safety all the time. It was very reassuring to know that there is that prayerful support for our cause and plight. It is very encouraging to know that we are not alone.
I visited Loyola College in Maryland, my Alma mater. I met some staff and faculty. I had called earlier and scheduled a meeting with the Admissions Officer David Newton and my Clinical Supervisor Dr Danielle LaSure-Bryant. We had a very good time together and they listened to my Zimbabwe stories with much interest. Just being at Loyola brought back many good memories of my stay in the States. I did catch up through the phone with classmates Laura and Hope and Karlyin actually made it to dinner with me.
I visited my friend Booby in the "Hood" of Annapolis (a black neighbourhood). Unfortunately, I was not able to see Booby, but his grandmother and his mother were there. They were both very happy to see "Mr Williams, the fine gentleman from Africa" as they call me. I regret not having had the time to allow them to teach me to eat crabs again. I went to the barbershop where I used to have my hair cut in the Hood, just to check out on the brothers and to "cut-back" (free speech as practised in the barbershops) just a little bit, if you you know what I am saying. Ah, I could have had my hair cut everyday of the week just for the "cutting-back" with brothers.
I also visited my other clinical placement site at the Calvert County Hospital's Crisis Intervention Center. I just walked in announced, like anyone in crisis coming for counselling. Now didn't I make the receptionist, Brenda, nearly faint! She just couldn't believe that it was I who she was seeing before her. It was so good seeing the wonderful counsellors who taught me the ropes of crisis counselling, which is ever so helpful on the Zimbabwean pastoral scene. Cindy who I did children's group with and Christine who trained me to do the intakes and to take the hot line calls, Janet my site supervisor, Paul the specialist for children and Allison one of the senior therapists were all there. Timothy from Kenya who interned at the same time with me and who stayed on was also there. It was a wonderful afternoon with much glorious laughter.
I caught up with some of the Zimbabweans in the Diaspora who were part of my extended community in USA. I drove up to PA to see Moira, Taka and Memory and we had some sadza! I was again just in time before Moira moves on to Canada to join her mother and Taka to Texas next month. I was able to find half a dozen Fanta's to take to Brenda and Thandi's house, as I always did when I visited them. Shingai came to Annapolis and spent the good part of Saturday with me. We went to Rumshead Tavern and had a good happy hour savouring one of Maryland's finest brews, the Copperhead Ale on tap!
The rest of the Zimbos, I was not able to see - you could only fit so much into a week. I did call Reuben and his family in Texas. Noel in North Carolina called everyday and chided me for coming for only a short time. Kuda called me from Connecticut and I was able to talk to him and his parents who are visiting from Zimbabwe.Fungisai called from Virginia and Girley from California, Chiyedza called from PA and Lillian from Texas as word began spreading among the Zimbos that I was in the States. It was nice talking again to these friends from Zimbabwe and to catch up with their life stories. Each of them spoke of the pain of watching their beloved motherland go though such an enormous struggle about which they can only do precious little to help. We shared our helplessness and encouraged each other to hope for a better Zimbabwe.
Most people who I talked to in the States, and in the UK, were worried about my going back to a Zimbabwe whose many dangers I had told. Some were courageous enough to tell me that they thought I was a fool to go back. I did not take offense. I know it is utterly foolish to come back to Zimbabwe having had a chance to go out. Many people in Zimbabwe would pay an arm and a leg to get out of this country now. I really enjoyed my time in the "free world" for those two weeks. I could not possibly abandon Zimbabwe at this time. It would be hard for me to have an appetite and to find sleep if I jumped of this ship now. So I came back. I came back because I believe very strongly that Zimbabwe is where God is calling me to be. This is where I can do the will of God and fulfill my life's mission at this time. I am very grateful that I have the opportunity to leave because that helps me to see things differentlly and with new clarity each time. My short time away has re-energized me and re-enkindled in me the fire that I need to keep burning for Zimbabwe. It was a well deserved break and I am ready to pick up the struggle where I left and continue to share hope with those who live daily in helpless hopelessness.
In Maryland I was happy to be reunited with the Redemptorist Community that hosted me when I studied at Loyola. Two of the confreres have just been moved; John Hamrogue to Brooklyn NY and John Lavin to Boston MA. I was fortunate to be there in time for their farewell Mass and party in the Caroll Gardens! I was able to spend some time with each of the members of the Annapolis community and to catch up with each of them. I went out for dinner with Jack Kingsbury, Andy Costello and Pat Flynn on both the Sundays that I was there. It was so nice to go through memory lane and to have uproarious laughter about the memorable lighter moments of my stay in the States.
I did get a chance to meet a good number of the faithful of St Mary's Parish Annapolis. Many people seemed as they were when I left last year, and some seemed to have changed much. Many of the young people have become young adults in the space on one year! It was just like madness when i walked into the St Mary's offices on the Saturday morning and there were all those screams and shouts for joy. I felt like a hero returning home! Harry the musician stood up to the occassion and played Pachabel canon for me at one of the Masses! I was tremendously impressed by the interest in and concern for Zimbabwe that the people of St Mary's showed. Because they know me they have followed events here very closely as they unfolded and asked for my safety all the time. It was very reassuring to know that there is that prayerful support for our cause and plight. It is very encouraging to know that we are not alone.
I visited Loyola College in Maryland, my Alma mater. I met some staff and faculty. I had called earlier and scheduled a meeting with the Admissions Officer David Newton and my Clinical Supervisor Dr Danielle LaSure-Bryant. We had a very good time together and they listened to my Zimbabwe stories with much interest. Just being at Loyola brought back many good memories of my stay in the States. I did catch up through the phone with classmates Laura and Hope and Karlyin actually made it to dinner with me.
I visited my friend Booby in the "Hood" of Annapolis (a black neighbourhood). Unfortunately, I was not able to see Booby, but his grandmother and his mother were there. They were both very happy to see "Mr Williams, the fine gentleman from Africa" as they call me. I regret not having had the time to allow them to teach me to eat crabs again. I went to the barbershop where I used to have my hair cut in the Hood, just to check out on the brothers and to "cut-back" (free speech as practised in the barbershops) just a little bit, if you you know what I am saying. Ah, I could have had my hair cut everyday of the week just for the "cutting-back" with brothers.
I also visited my other clinical placement site at the Calvert County Hospital's Crisis Intervention Center. I just walked in announced, like anyone in crisis coming for counselling. Now didn't I make the receptionist, Brenda, nearly faint! She just couldn't believe that it was I who she was seeing before her. It was so good seeing the wonderful counsellors who taught me the ropes of crisis counselling, which is ever so helpful on the Zimbabwean pastoral scene. Cindy who I did children's group with and Christine who trained me to do the intakes and to take the hot line calls, Janet my site supervisor, Paul the specialist for children and Allison one of the senior therapists were all there. Timothy from Kenya who interned at the same time with me and who stayed on was also there. It was a wonderful afternoon with much glorious laughter.
I caught up with some of the Zimbabweans in the Diaspora who were part of my extended community in USA. I drove up to PA to see Moira, Taka and Memory and we had some sadza! I was again just in time before Moira moves on to Canada to join her mother and Taka to Texas next month. I was able to find half a dozen Fanta's to take to Brenda and Thandi's house, as I always did when I visited them. Shingai came to Annapolis and spent the good part of Saturday with me. We went to Rumshead Tavern and had a good happy hour savouring one of Maryland's finest brews, the Copperhead Ale on tap!
The rest of the Zimbos, I was not able to see - you could only fit so much into a week. I did call Reuben and his family in Texas. Noel in North Carolina called everyday and chided me for coming for only a short time. Kuda called me from Connecticut and I was able to talk to him and his parents who are visiting from Zimbabwe.Fungisai called from Virginia and Girley from California, Chiyedza called from PA and Lillian from Texas as word began spreading among the Zimbos that I was in the States. It was nice talking again to these friends from Zimbabwe and to catch up with their life stories. Each of them spoke of the pain of watching their beloved motherland go though such an enormous struggle about which they can only do precious little to help. We shared our helplessness and encouraged each other to hope for a better Zimbabwe.
Most people who I talked to in the States, and in the UK, were worried about my going back to a Zimbabwe whose many dangers I had told. Some were courageous enough to tell me that they thought I was a fool to go back. I did not take offense. I know it is utterly foolish to come back to Zimbabwe having had a chance to go out. Many people in Zimbabwe would pay an arm and a leg to get out of this country now. I really enjoyed my time in the "free world" for those two weeks. I could not possibly abandon Zimbabwe at this time. It would be hard for me to have an appetite and to find sleep if I jumped of this ship now. So I came back. I came back because I believe very strongly that Zimbabwe is where God is calling me to be. This is where I can do the will of God and fulfill my life's mission at this time. I am very grateful that I have the opportunity to leave because that helps me to see things differentlly and with new clarity each time. My short time away has re-energized me and re-enkindled in me the fire that I need to keep burning for Zimbabwe. It was a well deserved break and I am ready to pick up the struggle where I left and continue to share hope with those who live daily in helpless hopelessness.
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