A Face For The Faceless

This might shock some of you, but I have given up on Downton Abbey. Sorry, sorry to those of you who live on an artistic ventilator from one Sunday to another, but I am afraid I lost interest a couple of years ago, I just got bored. However I have not lost my admiration for the one who is keeping it all together: Dame Maggie Smith, one of Britain's greatest gifts to acting. What conceptual actors take an hour to squeeze out she can do in a moment with one look and you get the message straight away. She's a classically trained English actress, and like all of those who embrace that apprenticeship, she is a master, an actress to her fingertips.

Anyway, this is not a lament for DA, rather a little post to draw your attention to a forthcoming movie which may well be one of Maggie Smith's greatest roles at this stage in her career - the cinematic version of Alan Bennett's brilliant (true) story The Lady in the Van. Maggie plays the eponymous lady who is virtually homeless, living in an old van which she parks in various places throughout the year. A scourge to the denizens of those streets in which she makes her base, Alan Bennett, when he encountered her, invited her to park in his drive for a few weeks - she stayed for fifteen years! However they were fifteen great years for Bennett because they provided him not only with a literary classic, but also a unique relationship that marked his life for the better.

The story is a lovely read, typically Alan Bennett, and it humanises those society often passes over, the people who live on the streets or hidden away seeking warmth and safety in the ruins of our civilization. Miss Shepherd becomes the face for the faceless, and in the encounter with her, when people are bothered to stop, see her and listen to her, they see not just a lady-tramp, but an individual with a life, a story and often an unbearable tragedy. They also discover themselves. And this is the real joy of the story: poor, broken Miss Shepherd is the one who is perhaps the sanest, the most human in the street who teaches those who meet her how to be authentically human themselves.

This is a role made for Maggie Smith, and I look forward to seeing it. Here is the trailer. The movie opens around the middle of November. While you have to be careful about judging a movie from the trailer, this looks good and Maggie's performance seems great - wouldn't it be wonderful if it got her her third Academy Award?

The New Martyr Benedict

Just over a month ago a South African man was beatified, he is that country's first Beatus. Benedict Daswa was a convert to the faith, a teacher, a husband, a father and a catechist whose faithful life as a Catholic was crowned with martyrdom. On the 2nd February 1990, just days before the world celebrated the release of Nelson Mandela from a South African prison, Benedict was being beaten to death because he defied the occult at work in his local community.

Benedict was born Tshimangadzo Samuel Daswa on the 16th June 1946, a member of the Lemba tribe. Interestingly this tribe followed Judaism and so he was brought up observing Jewish rituals and laws.  He initially worked among the herdsman in his youth before going to primary school in 1957 and then secondary school. He had hopes and dreams for his life and career, but these were put on hold when his father died and he had to work to provide for his mother and younger siblings. Keen to ensure they had a good education Tshimangadzo put his brothers and sisters through school.

Around 1961 he came into contact with Catholics when he was in Johannesburg, and intrigued he began a period of instruction which came to fruition on the 21st April 1963 when he was baptised and received into the Church: he took the name Benedict in honour of the Saint of Nurcia, adopting as his personal motto the motto of the Benedictine Order: ora et labora. 

Benedict finally got his chance, and he entered teacher training college. He worked as a teacher in his local area and was an active member of the Church, serving as a catechist. In 1974 he married Shadi Eveline Monyai and they had eight children, all of whom were brought up in the Catholic faith. He was doting father and generous husband assisting Shadi personally in rearing the children and carrying out household tasks which was unheard of at the time. Benedict was highly respected in his locality. He was widely known to be honest and good. As a teacher he showed a deep concern for his students not only in the classroom but he was also there for them when they needed him. His local tribe benefited from his assistance and wise counsel, the chief often having recourse to Benedict for advice.

In November 1989 and January 1990 a series of bad storms effected the local area. Many of the tribes-people turned to the old ways, to witch-doctors to discern what was happening. They concluded that the cause was magic and so urged the people to collect money to pay someone to find the witch responsible. When they came to Benedict he dismissed the explanation provided by the witch-doctors, the storms were natural phenomena he explained, and he refused to make a contribution to the fund. Spurned by his refusal the witch-doctors sought revenge.

On the evening of the 2nd February 1990 Benedict was driving home after carrying out a mission of mercy for a sick child when he encountered fallen trees in the middle of the road. When he got out to clear the road he was set upon, ambushed by a group of young men who stoned him. Escaping he ran to a nearby house for refuge, the woman of the house took him in, but when the mob arrived and threatened to kill her, she told them where they could Benedict. Caught, Benedict was beaten with clubs around the head and boiling water was poured over his mouth and nostrils. His last words were: "God, into your hands receive my spirit".

Once the men had gone the terrified woman ran to fetch Benedict's brother, but Benedict was dead. The funeral took place on the 10th February, the celebrants wore red vestments, convinced already that here was a martyr who died for the truths of the faith. Benedict's death led to his mother's conversion to Catholicism, and to many other blessings and graces for his people whose veneration for his memory found Church approval with his beatification last month.

Blessed Benedict's death is significant for many reasons today. Apart from the extraordinary witness of laying down one's life for Christ, his dying in defence of the faith in the face of the occult resonates with us in these times when interest in the occult is growing again. Such practices preternaturalise God's creation, makes children of God subject to superstition, to questionable "energies" and leaves them prey to spiritualities" and practices that undermine rather than enhance faith. The occult, no matter how innocent, helpful or interesting it may seem, is a door which can allow demonic forces enter into our lives with disastrous results.

Benedict's life is also one of significance for Christian men today. As men seem to be drifting away from the faith, oftentimes not because they do not believe but rather because they can't be bothered, Benedict's example and passion for the Church is one our men need to hear about. Men find their true selves through the faith, it enhances, transforms and strengthens the virtues inherent in their manhood making them better men, husbands and fathers. 

Blessed Benedict has been raised up at the right time for all of us. Let us pray that God will soon grant a miracle through his intercession so he will be canonised before long. More information here.

A Few Thoughts On The Synod

To be honest with you I was not looking forward to this post because it would require a few thoughts on what has been happening since I took my break. But what can you say? The landscape of the Church has changed so radically in such a short time many of us are left breathless. Well, perhaps, not changed, but things have been brought to a head so decisively. Many are scratching their heads and wondering what to do, others are deeply worried and some on the edge of despair. To all of them I say: "Have Faith". 

The Lord did not found the Church to allow her fall beneath the whims of churchmen and women of any given time and fashion. Nor will she become a pawn of the world, an instrument to confirm all that is wrong with the world through a corrupt reading of the Gospel. The Lord will not allow it, his permissive Will will permit the Church to be brought to the edge, and we are getting near the edge, but she will not fall over or be pushed - "Thus far and no further!" God will intervene as he has in the past and will in the future for as long as the world lasts. The Church is Christ's sacrament of salvation in the world, his Bride, he is not going to give up on her, he will defend her. This is a moment of testing for us and we must rise to the test and be found worthy. Now we pray, fast, offer penance and seek renewal, because God is speaking to us in this crisis. And what is he saying?  Well, we have to discern that. 

We may enter a serious crisis, but we have been there before, and such moments actually assist the Church to strengthen her faith and understand the teaching of Christ in a deeper way. If it was not for the Arian Crisis and the Christological heresies we would not have had such a rich understanding of the Lord's nature. In this present crisis it is the very nature of man and woman that is disputed, the new heresy seeks to redefine man, woman, marriage, sex and family and is trying to pull the Church into its way of thinking and part of this heresy's modus operandi is to deny the reality of sin. But we already have the antidote to this corruption - the Gospel, of course, but also the teachings of St John Paul the Great. Though we recognize how important these teachings are, we have yet to plumb the depths - his philosophy and theology of man, woman, sex and marriage contain the Church's answer to the anthropological heresies that seem to be prevailing in the world and in the Synod hall. This crisis, among other things, will help us recover and understand in a deeper way who we are as human beings, created and redeemed. 

The Communion issue, the dissolution of the Church issue are part of this bigger picture, not mere unpleasant diversions, but an indication that something is wrong that needs to be set right. The Church is called to be prophetic - to face the world and proclaim the truth about humanity. I think when this Synod ends our orthodox bishops and cardinals will realise just how prophetic they need to be, that they can no longer take a back seat or fall into complacency: the rot is in the Church as it is in the world and it has to be dealt with. And I think this will ultimately benefit the New Evangelisation (which has fallen off the radar for many these last few years). As more and more human beings fall victim to the sexual revolution, as they seek not just the meaning of life and the meaning of existence, but the very significance of being human, it will be the Catholic Church which will have the answer. In the future we will not only proclaim Christ, but also the true nature of humanity in relationship with Christ.

For now, we need to hold firm, and pray for the Pope, Cardinals and bishops. It may well be a hairy ride and we will have to parse very carefully what everyone is saying, but at the end of the day we have the truth in the Scriptures, the Catechism, and, on the issue of marriage and the family, in the teachings of John Paul the Great: let these be your guides.

Back In The Saddle, Blogwise

Well, I think I had better get back blogging. As you noticed I took a break with so much going on - my aunt's death, my father's illness, some time for holidays and then just a need to get some space to take in all that has happened personally in the last year or so. As most of my brother priests know full well, pastoral ministry is demanding and time is the one commodity we need more of, but then our bodies and spirits flag if we don't take time out. Anyway, as I see this blog as part of my ministry I had better get back into it.

Happy Feast Day!

Wishing all the members of the Fraternity and our friends every blessing on this feast of St Genesius. May he intercede for all your needs.

Novena to St Genesius Day 9

Called to be Prophets

As St Genesius stood on stage in the moments after his conversion he testified before the Roman Emperor that Jesus Christ was God. This would lead to his martyrdom. At the heart of our Christian life is our love of Jesus, a love that comes from faith and leads to a deeper faith, which leads to a greater love. Like Genesius, as servants and prophets of the Lord, we are to stand before the world and declare that God exists; that Jesus Christ is God, and if we embrace him, we shall have life in his name. In an age when men and women wish to see the world revolve around them, best seen in the rising cult of celebrity, we testify to the fact that it does not: the world was made for us, yes, but everything revolves around God, and it is only when we acknowledge that and turn to praise him and abandon ourselves to him will we be glorified. The irony of the age, as taught by Jesus, is that those who seek to be first will be the last, but it is the humble, the poor in spirit, who will be first, the kingdom of heaven is theirs. Our true flourishing is in Christ. Genesius understood this, that was why he could abandon his ambition to be rich and famous. 

NOVENA PRAYERS

Prayer to St Genesius

Holy St Genesius,

martyr for Christ,

by the grace of the Holy Spirit

through your acting 

you came to discover

the truth of the Christian faith.

In your first profession of that faith

you were baptized through the shedding 

of your blood,

offering your life for the praise and glory

of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

Pray for those who dedicate their lives

to the theatrical and cinematic arts.

Like you may they find the presence

of the Lord in their work 

and generously open their hearts

to his teaching,

living it in the midst of the challenges 

and demands of their calling.

In this novena, I remember most especially…., commending him/her to your care.

Let us pray: 

Eternal Father, in your love you call all men and women to come to know you and to share in your divine life. Through the intercession of your martyr, Genesius, who responded so generously to the grace of conversion, grant that the same grace may be given to those who as yet do not know you, and may be renewed in those who do. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Prayer for healing through the intercession of St Genesius

Lord Jesus,

you took pity on the blind Bartimaeus

and healed him;

you raised Lazarus from the dead

and freed Mary Magdalen from seven

devils to count her among your disciples.

You made the blind see, the deaf hear,

the dumb speak, the lame walk,

you cleansed lepers and cast out demons.

You preached the Good News to the poor 

and bless those who are faithful to you.

Through the intercession of your 

faithful martyr, Genesius, 

grant your healing and consolation to the sick. 

Give them the strength to carry their Cross 

in union with you.

(We remember in particular _________.)

Help us to remain faithful to you in health 

and in suffering, conformed to your Cross; 

open our hearts to your will 

so your grace may transform our lives. 

Novena to St Genesius Day 8

Called to be Prophets

One of the dark aspects of human existence has been the way vulnerable life has been treated. Too often in history the weak and powerless have been mistreated, oppressed and killed because those who were stronger sought to take advantage of that weakness. Our age is no different despite our belief that we are better and more enlightened than past ages. We may may technologically more advanced, but in many areas we are less enlightened than our ancestors: chronology is no guarantee of authentic progress. The very existence and defence of abortion, euthanasia and various technologies that manipulate and destroy human life, be it embryonic or post-natal is a sure sign that we are as brutal, if not more so, than the tyrants of the past. Being a Christian today, responding to our call to be prophets, means that we must testify to the sacredness of human life particularly when it is at its weakest and most vulnerable, The Servant of God, Cardinal Terence Cooke, a man who suffered from cancer for many years, teaches us that human dignity increases when it s vulnerable and burdened - he learned this lesson from Christ himself who revealed his divine strength on the cross. As Pope St John Paul II teaches us human beings are not objects, we are not to be used for the benefit of another person. As disciples of Christ, his prophets in the world, we are to testify to the unique value of every human life, to the Gospel of Life.

NOVENA PRAYERS

Prayer to St Genesius

Holy St Genesius,

martyr for Christ,

by the grace of the Holy Spirit

through your acting 

you came to discover

the truth of the Christian faith.

In your first profession of that faith

you were baptized through the shedding 

of your blood,

offering your life for the praise and glory

of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

Pray for those who dedicate their lives

to the theatrical and cinematic arts.

Like you may they find the presence

of the Lord in their work 

and generously open their hearts

to his teaching,

living it in the midst of the challenges 

and demands of their calling.

In this novena, I remember most especially…., commending him/her to your care.

Let us pray: 

Eternal Father, in your love you call all men and women to come to know you and to share in your divine life. Through the intercession of your martyr, Genesius, who responded so generously to the grace of conversion, grant that the same grace may be given to those who as yet do not know you, and may be renewed in those who do. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Prayer for healing through the intercession of St Genesius

Lord Jesus,

you took pity on the blind Bartimaeus

and healed him;

you raised Lazarus from the dead

and freed Mary Magdalen from seven

devils to count her among your disciples.

You made the blind see, the deaf hear,

the dumb speak, the lame walk,

you cleansed lepers and cast out demons.

You preached the Good News to the poor 

and bless those who are faithful to you.

Through the intercession of your 

faithful martyr, Genesius, 

grant your healing and consolation to the sick. 

Give them the strength to carry their Cross 

in union with you.

(We remember in particular _________.)

Help us to remain faithful to you in health 

and in suffering, conformed to your Cross; 

open our hearts to your will 

so your grace may transform our lives. 

Novena to St Genesius Day 7

Called to be Prophets

"A man can have no greater love that to lay down his life for his friends", so Jesus tells us. True love, by its very nature, is sacrificial, it is prepared to offer all for the one loved. We see in Jesus the ultimate example of this as he went to the cross for all of us. In this sacrificial offering we see the prophetic nature of love, it is the most eloquent testimony of all, nothing can overcome it, not even death, as we see in the Resurrection of the Lord. As disciples of Christ we are to try and live lives immersed in Christian love, a love which will make demands of us, but in doing so will transform us and conform us more and more to Christ, making us eligible to share in his victory and his glory. We live in an age when love is all the rage, it is invoked on every platform, by every cause. However, much of what passes for love today may not be love at all, and so we find ourselves in situations where love is invoked to defy truth, reality, even God himself. For this reason we must immerse ourselves even more in the sacrificial love of Jesus Christ so to be transformed into authentic witnesses of true love. That will require great endurance, suffering and loss, but our testimony will prove prophetic and even intercessory if we offer it for those who persecute us. 

NOVENA PRAYERS

Prayer to St Genesius

Holy St Genesius,

martyr for Christ,

by the grace of the Holy Spirit

through your acting 

you came to discover

the truth of the Christian faith.

In your first profession of that faith

you were baptized through the shedding 

of your blood,

offering your life for the praise and glory

of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

Pray for those who dedicate their lives

to the theatrical and cinematic arts.

Like you may they find the presence

of the Lord in their work 

and generously open their hearts

to his teaching,

living it in the midst of the challenges 

and demands of their calling.

In this novena, I remember most especially…., commending him/her to your care.

Let us pray: 

Eternal Father, in your love you call all men and women to come to know you and to share in your divine life. Through the intercession of your martyr, Genesius, who responded so generously to the grace of conversion, grant that the same grace may be given to those who as yet do not know you, and may be renewed in those who do. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Prayer for healing through the intercession of St Genesius

Lord Jesus,

you took pity on the blind Bartimaeus

and healed him;

you raised Lazarus from the dead

and freed Mary Magdalen from seven

devils to count her among your disciples.

You made the blind see, the deaf hear,

the dumb speak, the lame walk,

you cleansed lepers and cast out demons.

You preached the Good News to the poor 

and bless those who are faithful to you.

Through the intercession of your 

faithful martyr, Genesius, 

grant your healing and consolation to the sick. 

Give them the strength to carry their Cross 

in union with you.

(We remember in particular _________.)

Help us to remain faithful to you in health 

and in suffering, conformed to your Cross; 

open our hearts to your will 

so your grace may transform our lives. 

Novena to St Genesius Day 6

Called to be Prophets

One of the titles given to Pope St John Paul II is that of "Witness of Hope". His biographer George Weigel, had asked the Pontiff what he would like to remembered as, and St John Paul replied "As a witness to hope". Hope is considered by some to be the forgotten virtue, and yet it is one we need most today. When the darkness surrounds you, and the light cannot be seen, it is hope that keeps the soul fresh and at peace, reminding it that the dawn is never far off. Though we hear so much of progress, as our society is redesigned and human nature redefined and reshaped, in reality there are many crumbling beneath the burden of despair. Our brave new world is not a better world, it is more brutal and despite the enthusiasm and optimism, there is a shadow moving over the hearts and souls of our people. Though despised and persecuted, dismissed or mocked, Christianity is the only thing that can offer hope and light because it offers Christ. His disciples are prophets of hope, who go out into the midst of the world to share that hope which sustains them. 

NOVENA PRAYERS

Prayer to St Genesius

Holy St Genesius,

martyr for Christ,

by the grace of the Holy Spirit

through your acting 

you came to discover

the truth of the Christian faith.

In your first profession of that faith

you were baptized through the shedding 

of your blood,

offering your life for the praise and glory

of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

Pray for those who dedicate their lives

to the theatrical and cinematic arts.

Like you may they find the presence

of the Lord in their work 

and generously open their hearts

to his teaching,

living it in the midst of the challenges 

and demands of their calling.

In this novena, I remember most especially…., commending him/her to your care.

Let us pray: 

Eternal Father, in your love you call all men and women to come to know you and to share in your divine life. Through the intercession of your martyr, Genesius, who responded so generously to the grace of conversion, grant that the same grace may be given to those who as yet do not know you, and may be renewed in those who do. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Prayer for healing through the intercession of St Genesius

Lord Jesus,

you took pity on the blind Bartimaeus

and healed him;

you raised Lazarus from the dead

and freed Mary Magdalen from seven

devils to count her among your disciples.

You made the blind see, the deaf hear,

the dumb speak, the lame walk,

you cleansed lepers and cast out demons.

You preached the Good News to the poor 

and bless those who are faithful to you.

Through the intercession of your 

faithful martyr, Genesius, 

grant your healing and consolation to the sick. 

Give them the strength to carry their Cross 

in union with you.

(We remember in particular _________.)

Help us to remain faithful to you in health 

and in suffering, conformed to your Cross; 

open our hearts to your will 

so your grace may transform our lives. 

Novena to St Genesius Day 5

Called to be Prophets

Too often faith is associated with misery, Christians can be portrayed as staid, gloomy people, old fashioned, out of touch. The reality is very different of course, but there are followers of Christ who do not embrace fully his prophetic call to joy. As a people redeemed we are meant to be joyful, one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit is joy, and those immersed in the presence of the Spirit in this life are to manifest that reality by a joy that exists not only in happy moments, but even in difficulties and trials. This joy emerges from trust: we do not fear, we are not anxious because we have put our trust in Christ, in his saving work and his promises. One of the great Christians of the last century was G. K. Chesterton and he revealed the nature of this joy in his witness and his writing. Indeed many of his fans call him the "Apostle of Joy", and how fitting that title is. Let us pray that his cause will be opened and he will be beatified because we need joyful examples of Christian living to inspire us to be prophets of joy ourselves.

NOVENA PRAYERS

Prayer to St Genesius

Holy St Genesius,

martyr for Christ,

by the grace of the Holy Spirit

through your acting 

you came to discover

the truth of the Christian faith.

In your first profession of that faith

you were baptized through the shedding 

of your blood,

offering your life for the praise and glory

of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

Pray for those who dedicate their lives

to the theatrical and cinematic arts.

Like you may they find the presence

of the Lord in their work 

and generously open their hearts

to his teaching,

living it in the midst of the challenges 

and demands of their calling.

In this novena, I remember most especially…., commending him/her to your care.

Let us pray: 

Eternal Father, in your love you call all men and women to come to know you and to share in your divine life. Through the intercession of your martyr, Genesius, who responded so generously to the grace of conversion, grant that the same grace may be given to those who as yet do not know you, and may be renewed in those who do. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Prayer for healing through the intercession of St Genesius

Lord Jesus,

you took pity on the blind Bartimaeus

and healed him;

you raised Lazarus from the dead

and freed Mary Magdalen from seven

devils to count her among your disciples.

You made the blind see, the deaf hear,

the dumb speak, the lame walk,

you cleansed lepers and cast out demons.

You preached the Good News to the poor 

and bless those who are faithful to you.

Through the intercession of your 

faithful martyr, Genesius, 

grant your healing and consolation to the sick. 

Give them the strength to carry their Cross 

in union with you.

(We remember in particular _________.)

Help us to remain faithful to you in health 

and in suffering, conformed to your Cross; 

open our hearts to your will 

so your grace may transform our lives.