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This year's Week of
Prayer for Christian Unity
centers on Jerusalem and essentials of the faith
The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, to be celebrated January 18-25 in
most Christian churches in the northern hemisphere, will be grounded in the
experience of the churches in Jerusalem.
The theme - "One
in the apostles’ teaching, fellowship, breaking of bread and prayer"
(Acts 2:42) - was chosen by a group of Christian leaders in Jerusalem. The
leaders intend the theme as a call for inspiration and renewal, a return to
the essentials of the faith, and a call to remember the time when the church
was still one.
World Council of Churches general secretary Rev. Dr Olav
Fykse Tveit wrote in a letter to churches introducing the prayers for 2011,
"The unity of the church we seek is not a mere abstraction. For
Christians in Jerusalem, who live in continuity with the apostolic community
of Jerusalem, the mother church of us all, such unity entails prayer,
reflection and a cry arising within a context of despair and suffering.
Together with them we trust that God is ever vigilant as we pray for peace
and justice for all inhabitants of the Holy Land."
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Tuesday 18 January 2011
One in the apostles’ teaching, fellowship, breaking of bread and prayer
Dom Bertrand Oko Cistercian
Our Lady of the Angels
Cistercian Priory,
+ O.C.S.O.
Order of Cistercians
of the Strict Observance
+
Nsugbe; Oyi L.G.A.
P.O. Box 6976
Onitsha, Anambra State
NIGERIA
P.O. Box 6976
Onitsha, Anambra State
NIGERIA
- January 15, 2011:
- Dom Bertrand Oko.
- Born in 1947 in Akpugo, Enugu (Nigeria),
- He entered Awhum in 1977 and made his solemn profession in 1992.
- He was ordained a priest in 1995.
- He had been Prior of Awhum from 2000 to 2006 and
- was Prior of Nsugbe since October 24, 2010.
- Father was 63 years old,
- had been in monastic vows for 30 years and
- was a priest for 15 years
- when the Lord called him.
Sunday 16 January 2011
Sudden Death of Prior Bertrand, Cistercian, Nigeria
SECOND SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME Homily, Fr. Raymond
----- Forwarded Message ----
From: Raymond . . .
Sent: Sun, 16 January, 2011 10:12:34
Subject: Gospel 2nd Sunday of Year A
Perhaps the explanation lies in this being a moment of final revelation; a moment of climax when he fully understood at last the fullness of who and what Jesus was.
+
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| St.John Baptist -Behold Lamb God |
From: Raymond . . .
Sent: Sun, 16 January, 2011 10:12:34
Subject: Gospel 2nd Sunday of Year A
THE BAPTIST AND THE LAMB OF GOD– 2010
Seeing Jesus coming towards him, John said, “Look, there is the lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world” In this Gospel scene John seems to contradict himself.
He tells us who Jesus is and yet tells us that he did not know who he was.
Until this moment he had only known him as one whose sandals he was not fit to undo; one to whose greatness the Spirit and a heavenly voice had borne witness when he came to John for baptism. But now he is revealed to John fully and clearly as the lamb of sacrifice, a sacrifice that would take away the sin of the world.
“Look, there is the lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world” We have all grown very familiar with these words over the years.
They are the words pronounced by the priest as he holds up the host before distributing Holy Communion. The Holy Spirit has guided the Church to use these precise words at this very important moment in the lives of her children, the moment immediately before they receive their Lord in Holy Communion.
Since Jesus assured his Apostles – and their successors – that “He who hears you, hears me” we can therefore be very sure that whatever sentiments are hidden in those words, whatever it is they are trying to say to us at that most sacred moment; then that is precisely what is in Jesus mind and heart as he offers himself to us in holy communion.
By these words Jesus wishes to bring home to us the fact that He isn’t offering himself simply as offering an intimate communion with himself. When his priests hold up the host and say: “This is the lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world” Jesus is saying something more than that. He is wishing to convey to us that he offers himself to us precisely as having sacrificed himself for us; as having given his very life for us.
Indeed the very consecration of the two separate elements of bread and wine are symbolic of the separation of his body and blood for us in his death.
+ + +
Sudden
Death of Prior Bertrand
This morning, in the Mass we remembered
Fr. Bertrand of the community of
Cistercian Priory,
Nsugbe, Nigeria
About
7:30 this morning we received word that
Dom
Bertrand of Nsugbe died.
He had
pneumonia and was at the hospital.
Apparently
he had some x-rays and on his way back to his room died in the Brothers arms.
The Community is in shock.
Dom Bertrand, formerly from Awhum
Abbey, was elected Prior to Nsugbe Priory, only in the Autumn 2010.
We pray for the soul of Betrand and
remember the Community of Nsugbe.
Saturday 15 January 2011
Saints Maurus and Placid, the first Benedictine Oblates
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| Disciples Jesus calls Levi |
Saturday of the First week in Ordinary Time
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Mark
2:13-17.
15 January 2011
Saints Maurus and Placid, the first Benedict
Oblates. Memorial
History and Hagiography are fertile imagination.
The deep roots are in St. Benedict and St. Gregory the Great.
More specific is the 59th Chapter of the Rule of Saint
Benedict.
Quote …
The Bible and Liturgy roots of the first Benedictine Oblates of the young
boys of Maurus and Placid were offered as the oblata on the altar.
The Biblical and Eucharistic context is in
the Gospel about Levi, named in Mark and Luke, called Matthew in his Gospel.
Mk. 2:14. ‘Jesus went out along the sea. All the crowd
came to him and he taught them. As he passed by, he saw Levi, son of Alphaeus,
sitting at the customs post. Jesus said to him,
"Follow me."
And he got up and followed him. . . .’
The disciples Maur and Placid heard that call and followed.
At this Mass, may our response, our oblata
on the altar, “get up and follow the Lord”.
+ + +
The Call of Levi
(Matthew)
Mat 9:9-13
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Mar 2:13-17
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Luk 5:27-32
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RULE OF ST. BENEDICT
CHAPTER
LIX
Of
the Sons of Nobles or of Poor Men that are offered
IF
any nobleman shall perchance offer his son to God in the Monastery, let the
parents, should the boy be still in infancy, make for him the written promise
as aforesaid; and together with the oblation let them wrap that promise and
the hand of the child in the altar-cloth and so offer him up.
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Jerusalem Bible 'prove'? Mark 2:10
Mass Fri
14 January
Gospel Mark 2:1-12.
The thoughts of the presiding priest
spotlighted the Jerusalem
The Jerusalem
Now I find The New Living Translation also
uses “PROVE”
Most of the translations are.
“That
you may know” versions have been in the main.
Ronald Knox turns his own furrow, translating,
“Now to CONVINCE you”.
The Amplified Bible is the most challenging
variant by the clause, “That you know positively and beyond a doubt”.
Further SEARCH see below Sacra Pagina
Considering that the Greek and Latin word
is consistently unvarying.
There follows ths selection of versions.
Mark 2:10 (New Jerusalem Bible)
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William,
You
have been so kind to pursue this search also.
Thank
you for further clarity.
D.
. .
Knox-Cox commentary - two magnificent passages:
"A dramatic interlude gave Jesus the opportunity of showing
the true nature of his mission (forgiveness of sins), and sufficient
evidence for thinking men of his divine nature".. and .. "This is the
most explicit public claim to divine power that our Lord makes during his
Galilean ministry. He is not claiming delegated power from God.. he claims
authority in his own right as the Messias ('Son of Man'), during his earthly
life. This can only mean that he is God incarnate. He speaks openly like this
mainly for the learned Pharisees; he would have them understand his claim to
divinity from the start."
Jerome commentary - has three good sentences:
"the healing functions as the sign for the validity of Jesus'
declaration about forgiveness"
"Jesus heals by word alone - a fact that confirms the authority of his words about forgiveness"
"Jesus heals by word alone - a fact that confirms the authority of his words about forgiveness"
"the object of the crowd's amazement included both Jesus'
healing power and his claim to forgive sins"
Nelson commentary - adds two reflections:
"[The title] 'Son of Man' - Jesus uses it at this early stage
of his ministry to provoke reflection, and as a hint of his more than human
person. [The words] 'authority' and 'on earth' are direct allusions to Daniel
7:14; Jesus here exercises his authority as universal judge.
Sacra Pagina - has a very interesting translation [based on the
Greek text in Novum Testamentum Graece (27th ed. 1993) / Greek New
Testament (4th ed. 1994) ] and subtle comment:-
But that you might realize that the Son of Man has power on
earth to forgive sin
"This verse constitutes an anacolouthon {new word to me!
Chambers dictionary: want of syntactical sequence, when the latter part
of a sentence does not grammatically fit the earlier}, that is, a departure
from the expected structure of the sentence or flow of thought. Verse 11 could
follow immediately upon v. 9. Many authors interpret the Son of Man saying here
not as a continuation of Jesus' words but as an authorial aside to the reader.
Still, though awkward, the text can be read as a saying of Jesus that interprets
the following action. The key elements of the saying are the title 'Son of Man'
and the phrase 'has power (or authority) on earth'."
In the Interpretation section there are some further reflections
on the richness of "this short narrative for contemporary actualization of
fundamental Christian themes".
Saint Kentigern Solemnity in Glasgow
Thursday of the First Week in Ordinary Time
Saint Kentigern Feast at Nunraw. Pending Homily of Archbishop Conti of Glasgow
St. Mungo(Kentigern), Townhead, Glasgow
Previous Post
13 Jan 2010
St Kentigern (or St Mungo) was born at the beginning of the sixth century. He is said to be a native of East Lothian. Kentigern was brought up by St. Serf in a monastic school at Culross on the Firth of Forth. He became a missionary to ...
Wednesday 12 January 2011
St Aelred, 12 Jan. 2011 Fr. Mark
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| 9th Centenary St. Aelred Rievaulx Abbey 2010 |
Introduction to Mass St
Aelred, 12 Jan. 2011
St
Aelred was an influential figure in the beginnings of the Cistercian
Order. He had connections with King
David of Scotland and spent his life in Rievaulx which is relatively near our
own monastery. He is therefore an
appropriate patron of Nunraw.
Aelred’s
great authority came from his deep commitment to the monastic life and his
inspirational teaching and writings. He
didn’t just live in the monastery, he gave himself to it with all his
heart. It is this which attracted so
many monks to join Rievaulx. Aelred
loved the common life, but he must surely have desired more solitude and peace
than his life as abbot allowed him.
Giving
himself to the ideals of the Gospel as lived in the monastery involved suffering,
as is true of all great commitments. But
it shaped him at the same time into the great monk and saint that he became. We thank God for such a patron and pray that
we may learn from St Aelred’s commitment in our own lives.
Penitential Rite
1.
Lord, you called us to leave all to follow
your call.
- Lord, have mercy.
- Lord, have mercy.
2.
Lord, you repay us a
hundredfold for all that we have given up.
- Christ, gave mercy.
- Christ, gave mercy.
3.
Lord, you give us gifts
of love, friendship and loyalty in our daily search for you.
- Lord, have mercy.
- Lord, have mercy.
Conclusion to Prayer of the Faithful
God
our Father, hear us in our daily needs.
May your gifts lead us to joy in your service and to love for one
another.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Mark
Aelred community sermon
St. AELRED 12 Wed 2011
Solemnity
Community Chapter Sermon by Fr. Hugh
Solemnity
Community Chapter Sermon by Fr. Hugh
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| Hugh Randolph ocso |
The Saints are not merely historical
figures, people dead and gone but very much our relatives in the extended
family which is the Church of Christ. People who are interested in us, communicating
with us by their example, their writings and their intercession.
St. Aelred is such a person, the
patron of Nunraw after Our Blessed Lady. We know quite a lot about him, the
things which made him tick. Like all the Cistercian Fathers he was utterly
fascinated by man's ability to love. This was because God is Love and the fact
that we have the divine gift of love means that we can share by grace in God's
own life.
Aelred never thought he was living in
a Golden Age of monasticism or in a great age of the Faith. He rebuked a
novice for thinking that there were no inauthentic monks. In every profession
he said there are people who are not the genuine article. There were Bishops,
and those who aspired to be bishops, who were filled with personal ambition.
Yet Aelred was joyous because he could transcend these problems and also
chronic ill health. It is fascinating to see how the greatest
Abbots of the early Cistercian periods were very sick people for much of their
lives. St. Bernard was in that category and so was St. Aelred yet this did not
deter them from living a deeply contemplative monastic life.
Central to this was Holy Scripture. He
calls the Bible the Star which leads to Jesus, it is here that he will be found.
Vatican II in its Constitution on Divine
Revelation says that it is here that: 'the
Father meets his children with great love and speaks with them'. This is
very much St. Aelred's thought. He sees Sacred Scripture as a privileged place
of encounter With Christ who does not wish us to suffer from weariness and so
visits us in different ways. This visitation can come from the words of others, or their good example or without any intermediary.
It has its fruit in a more intimate and experiential knowledge of Christ.
Sacred Scripture
has a special place in this. He says: 'I tell you brothers no calamity can befall
us, nothing bad or sad come upon us which so soon as we take up the Sacred Text
, will either disappear or be more easily born'. (Col 479)
Aelred had to have special treatment as a sick man. He
suffered from gout and gall stones. The latter was relieved by hot baths which
he took in great numbers each day. A portion of the sick room he used was partitioned
off as an oratory and there he kept his glossed Psalter, the Confessions of St.
Augustine and the Gospel of St. John. He asked for these when he was dying
saying that they had given him the greatest pleasure.
In these books he found people who had found God. He
called' John 'He who knew the secrets'
Aelred was intent on such a discovery. 'Experience
alone teaches' he said. Not something highly emotional but calm and
profound. 'Be still and know that I am
God' He calls such moments Visitations.
In-one of his sermons he said: God does not cease to
visit us. In prosperity and adversity, through the Scriptures and through the
spoken word and through the sacraments, to rouse people and reward them, (AIl
Saints I).
'Love is the hearts palate that sees that you are sweet,
the heart's eye that sees you are good. and it is the place of receiving you
.•• Someone who loves you grasps you.' (Spec. Ch.I)
Aelred's monastery stands now as an empty ruin,
maintained from further dilapidation at great expense by the National Trust. It
is like Melrose once teeming with monks and full of prayer. Many Years ago an
American Cistercian Abbot, staying at Nunraw was taken over to see it. He was
very impressed. Nothing like that in America. When he came back
he talked to us in Chapter and said: Our works fail us
but the love which we do this is written eternally in the heart of God.
Aelred lives on in his intercession for Nunraw and the Order
he loved in the lives of those who find inspiration and encouragement, in his
writings.
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