The Way of the Cross

Updated! Here at last is the full article on The 5th Annual Good Friday Way of the Cross! With pictures!

I'm thinking of naming St. Francis of Assisi as Company of Angels' Patron Saint. In our first performance, the Christmas Pageant, we told the story of how St. Francis originated Christmas Pageants. Now, doing some research, I found out that his monastic order, the Fransiscans, also originated the Stations of the Cross!

Originally, way back in the day, serious sins, when they were confessed, were atoned for through the Penance of making a pilgrimage to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. In Jerusalem. On foot. Uphill both ways. Okay, maybe not the last one, but yeah, Penitents were required to walk to the Empty Tomb. In so doing, when they arrived in Jerusalem, they walked the Via Dolorosa, the Way of the Cross, reflecting on Jesus' Passion and death, until they reached the Empty Tomb. When the Muslims came on the scene and started making violence on the Christian world, this Penitential Walk was no longer a sure or safe thing for Christians. That, incidentally, is why the Crusades happened--they were, initially, defensive wars against Muslim aggressors. Unfortunately, greed and corruption took over later on, but in the first place, the Crusaders were the body-guards of the penitents on their way to the Tomb. Stick that in your Revisionist History Pipe and smoke it!

Francis, who originally was a Crusader, though he never made it to the front lines, got sick, went home, had a true conversion and began to preach the Gospel to all people, and his followers decided that it was not fair for the weak and the infirm and, well, anyone, to be made to risk life and limb to earn God's forgiveness. Yeah, it was a great idea when the Church was confined to the Mediterranean, and there weren't hostile forces cutting the pilgrims down! But times had changed, and so must the Church's practices.

So they developed what we now know as The Stations of the Cross--initially in a Church named for, and designed for, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, with 14 plain crosses labelled for their stations. As the practice became more common, every church put up these stations, often with depictions of what the scene related, and now, some 700-800 years later, it's one of the most distinctively Catholic things that we do!

The Good Friday Way of the Cross
That brings us to today (or at least to 5 years ago). When Pope John Paul II was coming to Toronto, the different Catholic Churches in Oakville decided to prepare for World Youth Day by, among other things, performing the Stations of the Cross on the streets of Oakville as a public proclamation of their faith. This was such an inspiring, and incredibly cool, thing, that they've continued it to this day. And so, this past April 14th, 2006, on a cold and rainy Good Friday morning, over 100 people gathered to walk the 8 km journey in honour of the Ultimate Sacrifice, Jesus Christ.

The following is the text of the Good Friday Way of the Cross pamphlet, with the devotional meditations, along with photos of the scenes.

All responses are bold.

Stations of the Cross
We come together to remember the final steps in the life of Jesus Christ, our Saviour. Jesus saved each one of us, and as we approach each Station of the Cross, let us reflect on our own personal Cross, the Cross each one of us is invited to carry in our daily lives.

+In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

1st Station - Jesus is Condemned to Death
Though Pontius Pilate is unjust toward Jesus, he is the lawful governor and has power over Jesus. The Son of God is obedient. Yet obedience costs Jesus His life. For us to be obedient costs much less, yet how hard it is for us to obey.

How quick we are to condemn those in our own lives--our family, our friends, our classmates, those we work with. When we condemn those around us, we turn away from Jesus, turning the light of hope to darkness. In many countries, people are persecuted for expressing their faith publicly. Yet how many times do we deny our religion or condemn those who do not share our views?

Father, give us the courage to hear You speaking to us and to obey Your Word as Your Son did on our behalf. Let us pray for those who are persecuted for their beliefs. We also pray for the imprisoned and those who feel the chains of restraint emotionally and physically. Help us, Lord, to share the light of hope with our neighbours and friends who suffer emotional or physical abuse.

We pray to the Lord.
Lord, hear our prayer.
Jesus, remember me, when You come into Your Kingdom.

2nd Station - Jesus Carries His Cross
Jesus, You struggle under the weight of the wooden Cross. You are forced to carry it through the streets while being mocked, laughed at, ridiculed.

Some of your friends even deny knowing You. How painful that must be for You, Jesus.

We experience many Crosses in our lives: fears, worries, frustrations. Many of us carry our Crosses every single day--they weigh us down, they handicap us, they prevent us from being able to care for others and love unconditionally. Yet we are strengthened with the knowledge that Jesus promises to be near us at all times. And so, as He carries His Cross, let us carry ours, knowing that Jesus once again is beside us, helping us to carry it.

Let us pray for those who are carrying their Cross--for those who continue to carry their Cross alone. May God bless and grace those who buckle under the weight of their failures and personal challenges.

We pray to the Lord.
Lord, hear our prayer.
Jesus, remember me, when You come into Your Kingdom.

3nd Station - Jesus Falls the First Time
So many people around You, Jesus, yet You carry Your Cross alone. The same people that worshipped You with palms now spit at You in the streets. Struggling under the weight of the Cross, You fall to Your knees. Was there something in Your path that caused You to stumble? Did someone place something in Your way?

When we really stop to think about it, we place obstacles in Your path almost every day. Maybe it is the way that we have of keeping our faith hidden except for Sundays. If no one knows we are Christians, they won't expect anything special of us. No wonder You stumbled.

Forgive us, Lord, for the obstacles we place in Your path. How many times have we fallen on the journey? Every day we struggle under the weight of life's challenges.

Let us pray for those who have fallen in their lives. For those who struggle with addictions to drugs, alcohol, gambling, or other things; that we may lift them up each time they fall. Through our prayers and tangible actions, may we be there for them, and help them seek the help they need to walk again.

We pray to the Lord.
Lord, hear our prayer.
Jesus, remember me, when You come into Your Kingdom.

4th Station - Jesus Meets His Mother
There is nothing more horrible than a mother seeing her child suffer and die. That's why it is so hard to understand how a mother could sacrifice her baby. But that is what happens each day in our world. Millions of babies die each year because they are inconvenient, they may be defective, or it's a way out of a difficult situation.

Lord Jesus, Your Mother shared Your sufferings. How helpless she must have felt.

Lord, we know how difficult it is for married couples, for unwed women, who struggle with a decision about an unwanted pregnancy. Yet we pray that our community will have the courage to embrace their struggle and support them in their time of need. We also give thanks for our mothers and grandmothers, our fathers and grandfathers--the gift of parents who guide us in our faith and welcome new members lovingly into their family.

Let us pray for all those who choose life, for mothers and fathers, and all those who will act as guardians of faith, hope, and love throughout our lives.

We pray to the Lord.
Lord, hear our prayer.
Jesus, remember me, when You come into Your Kingdom.

5th Station - Jesus Is Helped by Simon
Travelling from Cyrene, Simon is pressed into service to help carry Your Cross. This is not a job that he asked for, or an honour that he sought. How often do we consider helping others an honour? Not very often. Most of the time we think of it as an inconvenience, something to be tolerated. Do I consider it and 'honour' to help a friend who is into drugs? To speak Christ's love to a homeless, begging teen in Toronto?

Help us, Lord, to reach out to serve the poor and suffering among us. Just as Simon helped You, Jesus, we ask Your grace to respond to those we can help, not just as a special favour to them, but as a way of life each and every day.

We pray for all those who are homeless, those who travel the streets alone with no one to love or care for them. May we serve as beacons of hope to those in need physically, emotionally and spiritually.

We pray to the Lord.
Lord, hear our prayer.
Jesus, remember me, when You come into Your Kingdom.

6th Station - Veronica Wipes the Face of Jesus
Tradition tells us that through this act of kindness, Veronica was blessed to receive Your image imprinted on the cloth that she used to wipe Your brow.

When we reach out to another person in pain we are blessed with Your image also. If we look deep enough into the eyes of the young man with AIDS, we see Your face. If we listen to the girl struggling with drug addiction, it is Your voice we hear. Yet, at times, it is easier to pretend that those people are not our problem. Their disease is not something we caused. Why should we be concerned with them? Forgive us, Lord, for being cold and self-righteous.

Lord, help us see the tears in the eyes of our friends and then help to wipe them away. Each one of us knows someone close who is suffering or who has lost a loved one. May we take the time today to let those close to us know how important they are in our lives, wiping their tears with a kind word, a loving touch, a comforting embrace.

We pray for all those who are sick. May the healing hand of God ease their pain and bring them comfort knowing that God is watching over them, now and always.

We pray to the Lord.
Lord, hear our prayer.
Jesus, remember me, when You come into Your Kingdom.

7th Station - Jesus Falls a Second Time
Jesus, You know what it is to struggle and fall. Because of Your suffering You know how hard it is to get up and try again. That's why every time we make a mistake You understand and You forgive us so easily. You only ask that we continue to try.

Are we models of Christ in our homes, schools, workplaces, and families? Through our actions, oftentimes we fail at living our faith each day. Whether it be comments to those who are different than us or by being indifferent to injustice taking place around us, we seem to forget our faith and fall once again. Yet, even when we fall time and again, You are there offering forgiveness if we are willing to accept it. You fell a second time, Jesus. Give us the grace to pick ourselves up and continue on.

Let us pray for the times when we have failed to be models of Christ in our community. For our personal struggles--may we rise up from the fall and continue on the path, seeking forgiveness and learning from our mistakes.

We pray to the Lord.
Lord, hear our prayer.
Jesus, remember me, when You come into Your Kingdom.

8th Station - Jesus Speaks to Some Women
You seem to speak rather harshly to the women of Jerusalem that day. You tell them to weep for themselves and their sins. You know that mankind has much to be sorrowful for. You wish them to recognise their own pilgrimage rather than weep for Yours.

Jesus, we should be weeping for our sins today. We don't seem to hesitate to exploit this world You have given us, with no regard for the future. What happens when this world has no more to give? We should be weeping for the future that our selfishness and greed are creating for the generations yet to come.

Our world is struggling. Peace at times seems so far away and hatred among nations ever present.

We pray for peace in the world. Just as Jesus spoke with the women, may nations come together to speak the language of peace and hope. We pray for all those who have died due to war and violence--their loss reminds each of us that we should always strive for peace. Peace will come one day because we trust in You, Lord Jesus.

We pray to the Lord.
Lord, hear our prayer.
Jesus, remember me, when You come into Your Kingdom.

9th Station - Jesus Falls a Third Time
Overcome with exhaustion, You collapse a third time on Your way to Calvary. And a third time You pull Yourself to Your feet and move on. Why don't You refuse to go any farther? Make Your tormenters carry You to the place of Your death! Why are You so cooperative?

In the face of pain and death, You continue to move forward. You refuse to give up. What happens to people when they become so overwhelmed they decide to take their own lives? How do they arrive at that point? What could possibly be so hopeless that the only avenue of escape is death?

Young people go through so many difficult times--trying to fit in, relationships, lack of self-esteem. As a community, we need to support each other and let our friends know that they are never alone--that we will continue to help them up even when they fall.

Let us pray for thos whose lives have been lost to suicide. For those who struggle with stress, those who find no answers to the daily questions that torment them. May God watch over them and help them know the light of hope and peace that He offers them because He loves them so much.

We pray to the Lord.
Lord, hear our prayer.
Jesus, Remember me, when You come into Your Kingdom.

10th Station - Jesus is Stripped of His Garments
Lord Jesus, when You finally reach the place of Your death, Your tormenters are not even satisfied with the humiliation You have already suffered. They take Your clothes and roll dice for them, Your last earthly possessions. They leave You without an ounce of dignity.

Today we continue to add to Your sorrow by not acknowledging the dignity of people. There are those who sell their bodies, others who live on the street. We sometimes even forget the elderly among us, forgetting them or ignoring their cry for companionship. How little effort it would take, if we all worked together to make these lives a little brighter.

We pray for those who have been stripped of their garments physically, emotionally, and mentally. For those in our midst who have been abandoned, who have known no love, who return home each day feeling so incredibly alone. May we give them the gift of dignity and respect, remembering that we are each frail in our own way.

We pray to the Lord.
Lord, hear our prayer.
Jesus, Remember me, when You come into Your Kingdom.

11th Station - Jesus is Nailed to the Cross
You cry out, Jesus, as the nails pierce Your flesh. Why are they doing this to You? Is it because You love too much? Is it because You care for others? No, You suffer this way because we care too little. We attach too many strings to our love.

We too persecute people. Their only crime is complaining because they are hungry or cold. Why do we fail to reach out to them? Why do we not hear their cries for help? When we ignore their cries we drive the spikes a little deeper into Your flesh.

We pray for the times when our words have pierced the flesh of those around us. When we fail to look at others through the eyes of Christ, for times when we frive the nail deeper by hurtful words and actions. May we treat others with kindness and care, now and always.

We pray to the Lord.
Lord, hear our prayer.
Jesus, Remember me, when You come into Your Kingdom.

12th Station - Jesus Dies on the Cross
There aren't many there for You when You die. Most of Your followers have gone into hiding because they are afraid. How alone You must feel.

There are thousands daily who die alone in the streets of Calcutta and in Africa. Many are children. We have such surplus today that these suffering people, the least of Your people, do not have to die in want. We forget they exist; we forget they go to bed hungry.

Let us pray for the children of the world, that they will be cared for as children of God. We pray that young people everywhere be given the opportunity to have their voice heard, to share their gifts and talents with the community and to weave the thread of faith through their daily actions.

We pray to the Lord.
Lord, hear our prayer.
Jesus, Remember me, when You come into Your Kingdom.

13th Station - Jesus is Taken Down From the Cross
The worst is over for You, Lord Jesus, but the pain has only begun for those who receive Your body from the Cross. Mary, like so many mothers today, receives into her arms the dead body of the Child she bore, fed, clothed, washed, listened to, loved. Help us not to turn our eyes from the tears of the mothers whose children are dying in our streets.

It is never easy to lose a loved one, no matter what the age or circumstance. It is our prayer and belief that these people have moved on to eternal life. We offer comfort to each other and find peace through our faith.

Let us pray for all those who have died, for friends and family who remain behind and mourn their loss. May we be present to those who grieve and offer them our prayers, our hearts, and our hands.

We pray to the Lord.
Lord, hear our prayer.
Jesus, Remember me, when You come into Your Kingdom.

14th Station - Jesus is Laid in the Tomb
Joseph of Arimathea needed to see that You had a decent burial place so he donated his tomb. Not satisfied with doing the minimum, he went to Pilate for permission to bury You. He could have left the details to someone else, but he risked the rejection of his peers and took care of it himself.

So often we are content to do the minimum that is expected. We grudgingly spend one hour at Mass and complain if it is one minute longer. We drop our few coins in hte basket and claim to be doing our fair share. Don't ask us to give our time, too! We tolerate those people who are a little different; don't ask us to love them.

Jesus, You gave Your life; You died a humiliating death, without a word of protest, even though You were innocent. All around us people suffer and we fail to reach out in love to those who are closest to us. Lord, help us to walk our way of the Cross with more faithfulness. You said that in order to follow You we must pick up our Cross daily. Help us to recognise our Crosses, because in accepting them, we imitate Your life. In imitating You we will eventually share in the Resurrection.

We pray for all of us gathered here today. May we live a faith that shows itself through action; may we be messengers of the Good News as we continue our personal journey. May we find strength, guidance, peace and support from our faith and from each other.

We pray to the Lord.
Lord, hear our prayer.
Jesus, remember me, when You come into Your Kingdom.

We pray to the Lord
Lord, hear our prayer.
Jesus, Remember me, when You come into Your Kingdom.

Have a Joyful Easter Season!

Acknowledgements: Thanks to The Oakville Beaver, Alex Luyckx, and my wife, Melissa Watson, for taking the photos used above. Hover your curser over the pics to see which are from whom.

God bless!

Faith

Before I became the Youth Minister here at St. Andrew's, I used to run a Drop-In Centre up near Guelph, known as "The Rock," for "unchurched" kids. Basically, it was a weekly drop-in, put on by local churches, in order to provide a place for teens to hang out on a Friday night. I ran it for a little over 2 years, and it was great.

Recently, one of those kids was doing a Philosophy project for his high school class on whether God exists. This guy is not a Christian, by any stretch of the imagination. He calls himself an agnostic. In doing this presentation, he posted his thoughts from his studies on his blog, "Kataron's Blog". One of our mutual friends, Eric, sent me an email saying that I should check Nate's blog out and comment. So I did, and I read this article:

More God Stuff
I'm too tired to continue my earlier stuff, but after a few comments on that post, I have something on my mind.

One of the things that bothers me most about people is when they assume that they're right, that they have some sort of knowledge that others do not possess. In the case of the comments on the last post, it's Christians assuming themselves correct about all things God. And, of course and to be fair, it's not only Christians, it's a whole lot of other people, but in this case right here, it's Christians. And I understand, I guess. It's what they believe. But it's always just irritated me when somebody tries to tell somebody something with no evidence to support it whatsoever.

And let's face it, religion in general, and I'm talking all religions around this globe of ours, runs on little to no evidence. The Bible? I'd hardly count that as evidence, it's a book. Besides, if we're to believe everything that's written in the Bible...Well then. Too many things in there are just too unbelievable to even be considered as truth. In my oh-so-humble opinion, they're stories on how to live your life. Like fairy tales with morals and such. Don't trust strangers, don't set fire to your pants, etc. But of course, I could be wrong. Everything there could be absolutely true. It's absolutely impossible to know.

This is why I can't believe in any sort of God. I'm an empiricist. I can't believe in anything without evidence. Not really. This goes back to my whole philosophy that I've discussed oh-so-many times. Where everything out of my immediate sensory range does not exist. So right now, as I write this, none of you exist. It's a bit weird if you're...well, sane, but I like my philosophy. But yeah.

I can't believe in anything that I don't have evidence for. That's part of why I go to the youth group, part of why I chose this seminar topic. I'm trying to figure out exactly what's what in the universe at large, but none of the quote unquote "evidence" I find just doesn't cut it for me. Proof is very difficult to come by. With...Well, anything.

But that's what irritates me about people, they firmly believe in these things that they have literally no evidence to support. Because I can't. I can't believe in anything without this evidence. So it usually ends up bothering me when people demonstrate that they can indeed believe in these things without proof. But I guess that's why it's faith, isn't it? But I can't freakin' do that. I can't have faith in anything.

So...Could somebody, Dave, or Eric, or somebody, tell me exactly how it is that you can believe in something without evidence? I don't understand. You can't possibly know this for sure. So how can you believe, how can you have faith in these things?

F*** I'm tired. I don't even remember half the things I said up there. I'm just gonna go sleep, and hope that it makes some sort of sense.

Until next time,
Indeed.
~Kataron

I was trying to think through a "why you should believe with absolutely no evidence" response. But I didn't get too far. Namely, because I don't believe you should believe something with absolutely no evidence.

Christianity, contrary to many people's opinions, is not "blind faith" (I mistyped while I was writing that, and almost said "blond faith". It's not that, either, I assure you). In fact, looking throughout history, Christianity has been believed by some of the most intellectual and intelligent people who have ever lived. Beyond specifically Christian faith, theism (the belief in God) of some sort has been believed by an even greater number of intelligent, thinking, and even empirical people.

But people, like my friend Nate, still believe that believing in God takes an enormous leap of faith, across a wide, bottomless chasm, with alligators in it. The leap is so dangerous or ridiculous in their minds, and impossible to actually make, that they don't even try.

However, throughout history, many of the brilliant men and women who believe in God, have thought out "proofs" that God exists (which is a bad term to describe them, since in contemporary usage, "proof" equates to "indisputable fact", whereas back in the renaissance era, when they were first known as "proofs", "proofs" merely meant "evidences"). Briefly, I'll examine the four major ones:

The Cosmological Proof
Initially presented by none other than Aristotle, the Greek Philosopher, this proof basically says that all matter comes from somewhere. Everything is caused by something. You're here, for example, because your parents fell in love, and, sparing you the details, had a baby. They're here because their parents did the same, and so on and on back to the original people. All life is the same, and so is all non-life. Everything that is around us had a beginning. Everything had a cause. Now, Aristotle says, we cannot keep going back forever with our causes. It is necessary that there be a First Cause--and that First Cause is what Aristotle called "God". So, in a nutshell, because there is a world, and that world had to come from somewhere, there must be a God to have made the world.

The Teleological Proof
Taking the Cosmological Proof one step farther, the teleological proof (yes, I know they have weird names. That's because philosophers love making up fancy-sounding names to make themselves seem even smarter) looks at this world, and sees how amazingly intricate and complex it is. That kind of complexity could not be the product of simple chance, but indicates a designer. Often this proof is known as the "Watchmaker Argument" because that is its most common analogy. If you found a watch lying on the ground, looking at its gears and springs and hands and numbers, and seeing how they all work together to make the watch keep accurate time, you would logically assume that someone designed and built that watch, rather than thinking that it was the result of some random convergence of metal pieces. So with the watch, so with the world: the way that everything works, from our solar system down to our DNA, and each piece fitting together and playing its part, indicates to us the presence of a Great Designer who made all of this. That Great Designer is God.

The Ontological Proof
This one is kind of my favourite, but not too many other people like it. Personally, I think that's just 'cause they don't get it. It was first thought out by St. Anselm of Canterbury in the Middle Ages. Basically, it goes like this: God is defined as "that which nothing greater can be conceived." That is to say, God is completely perfect, and if you listed a bunch of attributes or qualities, and compared which would be better, then God would possess the best attributes. So, what is better, for something to be physical or spiritual? Spiritual, therefore God is Spirit. What is better, for God to be evil or good? Good, therefore God is Good. What is better, for God to be all-powerful, or not? Obviously, all-powerful. And so on. Now, the clincher of this argument comes with the question, which is better, for this perfect being to exist, or not to exist? Obviously, such a being existing would be better than that same being not to exist. So since the definition of God used is "that which nothing greater can be conceived", and I can think of a God who does actually exists, and a God that is only imaginary, and that the imaginary God is obviously inferior to the real God, then, by definition, God must exist.

Think of it this way:
A: God = that something which nothing better could ever be thought up.
B: It would be better for something to exist than to just be imaginary
C: Therefore, if there is the choice between something which nothing better could ever be thought up, actually existing or not, then the one that exists is better than the one that doesn't
D: God, then, by definition has to exist.

I know, it's confusing. So on to the last proof:

The Moral Proof
This one was made popular by C. S. Lewis (The Chronicles of Narnia guy) in his book, "Mere Christianity". He points out that all people throughout the world have an inate sense of right and wrong. This sense of right and wrong is amazingly consistent throughout all cultures and all times, so much so that if your at the mall, trying to find a parking spot, and you are waiting for a person to get into their car so you can have their spot, and when that car pulls away, someone else swoops in and takes your spot, your immediate reaction is "That's not fair!" Why? Just because you didn't like what they did? No, but because you and the other person both recognise that your being there first entitled you to that spot. This premise of a moral law is how societies make their laws.

Now, the fact that each person is programmed wtih this law in their hearts is evidence that there is a Lawgiver who wrote that Law. Otherwise, morality would simply be a matter of choice, and there would be no ability to appeal to anyone's sense of fairness or decency--no one would have such a thing! So the fact that, whether we live by the morals we instinctively know to be right or not, we all know them, and therefore know that God has given them to us.

So this is some of the evidence for God. However, that evidence is "circumstantial." It proves that there is a likelihood of X conclusion, but does not do so without the possibility of other explanations. Without direct evidence, these proofs aren't enough to convict.

When we look at that bottomless pit of alligators that we call "faith", however, the logic of these and similar arguments drastically closes the gap. But as I said, the evidence could possibly be interpreted to fit different conclusions (the question isn't, "what's possible?" though, it's "what's most probable?"). So the great chasm is narrowed. For some people, it might be narrower than for others. The thing of it is, it's not closed. A leap of faith is still necessary.

But God is aware of this, and so He has taken it upon Himself to narrow the gap even further. He has, throughout history, revealed Himself to us--through prophets who speak in His name, through miraculous signs, and finally and most fully through Jesus Christ, who was God-in-the-flesh, who came to reveal the fullness of truth about God! Through that Revelation, God has closed the gap still further. Now the great Leap of Faith is much more of a simple step. But just as logic didn't take us all the way to belief, God doesn't reveal Himself so as to take away the necessity of faith. He makes faith in Him easier to have, but leaves faith as a necessary requirement. Why?

Because, as the Bible tells us in Hebrews 11:6:

Now it is impossible to please God without faith, since anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and rewards those who seek Him.

So, in my mind, there are two options. Have faith and wait for greater evidence, or wait for greater evidence in order to have faith.

As a Christian, I chose route #1, and I believe that I got the further evidences that follow. Our good buddy, St. Anselm, when writing his proof (see the Ontological proof above), said this: "Credo ut intelligam." In case your Latin's a little rusty, that's "I believe in order that I might understand." Not much of an empiricist, he was. But he understood the truth that I've been trying to relate above. On the one hand, God has, as one writer has put it, "left His fingerprints all over the world." On the other hand, that same God, who longs to know us, paradoxically hides from us. Why? To see if we'll take that step of faith and seek Him. God is not an academic abstraction. He is a person, who desires a relationship with us. But we have to reciprocate that, and we do that by faith, and seeking Him. God is playing hard-to-get.

Think of it this way: popular culture, many movies, etc. and many people believe in the concept of a "soulmate." They believe that out there somewhere is the person whom they are destined to be with. Now, if that's true, and a person believes it, then they have a level of "academic" or "theoretical" certainty. However, unless that person, in believing this truth about their "soulmate", acts on that "faith" and tries to seek this other person out, they will never find their soulmate. If there is a soulmate for that person, and that person is destined to be with their soulmate, that does not lead to the conclusion that the soulmate will simply fall from the sky into their lap. They have to participate in the search. And, perchance the soulmate did happen to fall from the sky into the person's lap (maybe the soulmate's into skydiving), the two people must still continue to work in order to make a relationship work.

The prophet Jeremiah, speaking for God, says this:

"When you search for Me, you will find Me; when you search wholeheartedly for Me, I will let you find Me" (Jer. 29:13-14, emphasis mine).

An atheist is not going to find God, unless he begins to search for God. But even in the searching, the atheist is no longer an atheist, because to search for something, you have to believe that it's there to find! The same is true for the agnostic. In some ways, the agnostic may actually be farther from finding the truth, because they, by definition, are committed not to a stance of "convince me", but "you can never convince me."

Only the romantic will find his soulmate, because he will be searching.

Only the theist will find God, because he will be searching.

God bless.

CoA Week 7

~Company of Angels~
"...You have had a clear picture of Jesus Christ crucified, right in front of your eyes..." -Gal 3:1

Weekly Bible Reading

1 Corinthians 1:17-25

After all, Christ sent me not to baptise, but to preach the gospel; and not by means of wisdom of language, wise words which would make the cross of Christ pointless. The message of the cross is folly for those who are on the way to ruin, but for those of us who are on the road to salvation it is the power of God. As scripture says: "I am going to destroy the wisdom of the wise and bring to nothing the understanding of any who understand." "Where are the philosophers? Where are the experts?" And where are the debaters of this age? Do you not see how God has shown up human wisdom as folly? Since in the wisdom of God the world was unable to recognise God through wisdom, it was God's own pleasure to save believers through the folly of the Gospel. While the Jews demand miracles and the Greeks look for wisdom, we are preaching a crucified Christ: to the Jews an obstacle they cannot get over, to the gentiles foolishness, but to those who have been called, whether they are Jews or Greeks, a Christ who is both the power of God and the wisdom of God. God's folly is wiser than human wisdom, and God's weakness is stronger than human strength.

According to St. Paul, why does the Cross make Jesus seem powerless to the Jews, who demand miracles?

Why does the Cross make God seem foolish to the Greeks, who seek for wisdom?

How does the Cross actually show that "God's folly is wiser than human wisdom, and God's weakness is stronger than human strength"?

For Memory:
"The message of the cross is folly for those who are on the way to ruin, but for those of us who are on the road to salvation it is the power of God." (1 Corinthians 1:18)

History Makers

I'm not personally involved in or associate with the Catholic Charismatic Movement, but I was raised Pentecostal. By definition, I am a charismatic Christian, even if my normal expression of my faith doesn't emphasise that. But every now and again, I get the urge for some good, Spirit-focused, charismatic teaching. Now is one of those times. :D

History Maker
Delirious?

Is it true today
That when people pray
Cloudless skies will break
Kings and Queens will shake?
Yes it's true!
And I believe it
I'm living for You

Is it true today
That when people pray
We'll see dead men raised
And the blind set free?
Yes it's true!
And I believe it
I'm living for You

I'm gonna be
A history maker in this land
I'm gonna be
A speaker of truth to all mankind
I'm gonna stand
I'm gonna run
Into Your arms

Well it's true today
That when people stand
With the fire of God
And the truth in hand
We'll see miracles!
We'll see angels sing!
We'll see broken hearts
Making history!
Yes it's true!
And I believe it
I'm living for You

I'm gonna be
A history maker in this land
I'm gonna be
A speaker of truth to all mankind
I'm gonna stand
I'm gonna run
Into Your arms

I'm gonna be
A history maker in this land
I'm gonna be
A speaker of truth to all mankind
I'm gonna stand
I'm gonna run
Into Your arms
Into Your arms

This song by Delirious? asks the question, "Is it true today?" Is it true today that when people pray, cloudless skies will break, kings and queens will shake? The imagery refers to the days of Elijah the prophet, who was sent by God to speak to the Israelites who had turned away from God to serve the false god, Ba'al, because of the rule of the wicked King, Ahab, and his wicked wife, Jezebel. God bestowed miraculous powers on Elijah, so that he prayed, and there was a droubt in the land for 3 years. During that time, Elijah called fire down from heaven as proof that God hears and answers prayer. At the end of those 3 years, Elijah prayed again and the rain came (check out 1 Kings 17-18).

Is it true today, that when people pray, we'll see dead men raised and the blind set free? The imagery here goes back to the Gospel, where Jesus raised the dead, and healed the blind, as well as many other miracles that attested to His identity as God come among us (Check out John 9 and 11, for examples). These miraculous signs were given by Elijah and by Jesus as evidence of the truth of their message. But the song doesn't ask, "Is the Bible true?" or "Did these things happen 2000-3000 years ago?" The song asks us, "Is it true today?"

Yes it's true!
We believe in a God who is present among us, who does not change, but is the same "yesterday, today, and forever". God did not retire from the miracle business! God is just as active in the world today as He ever was! But just as with Elijah, or the Apostles, God works through us, His people. And if we want to see miracles, then we've got to pray, we've got to believe, and we've got to be ready for Him to use us!

At our Confirmation, we received the Holy Spirit, and we were taught, correctly, that He gives us gifts: Wisdom, Understanding, Counsel, Fortitude, Knowledge, Piety, and Fear of the Lord. These gifts are found listed in Isaiah 11:1-2, and when the Spirit comes, He gives all of these gifts to each of us, and develops them within us as we respond to Him and use them.

But the Bible also tells us about other gifts that the Holy Spirit brings us. In 1 Corinthians 12, St. Paul writes,

There are many different gifts, but it is always the same Spirit; there are many different ways of serving, but it is always the same Lord. There are many different forms of activity, but in everybody it is the same God who is at work in them all. The particular manifestation of the Spirit granted to each one is to be used for the general good. To one is given from the Spirit the gift of utterance expressing wisdom; to another the gift of utterance expressing knowledge, in accordance with the same Spirit; to another, faith, from the same Spirit; and to another, the gifts of healing, through this one Spirit; to another, the working of miracles; to another, prophecy; to another, the power of distinguishing spirits; to one, the gift of different tongues and to another, the interpretation of tongues. But at work in all these is one and the same Spirit, distributing them at will to each individual (vv.4-11).

As St. Paul makes clear, unlike the first list of gifts, the Holy Spirit doesn't give all of them to everyone--but He will give some to each of us if we are open to receiving them! Why does He give certain ones to some and different ones to others? To remind us that, as the Body of Christ, we need each other, and that these gifts are to serve the entire Church! When we stand together in the Spirit, then spectacular things can and will happen!

So as you read this, I challenge you to be open to all that God has in store for you! Don't sell yourself short. Don't settle for less than all that God has! We all have a role to play in His Kingdom. Don't fall for the lie that religion is about church on Sunday and the rest of our lives the rest of the week. Follow God wholeheartedly, open to His Spirit, and you will see miracles! Imagine being the one that God uses to heal a desperately sick person! Imagine being the person whom God uses to speak His Truth into someone's life, and seeing them come to faith in Him! Imagine the adventure that God has for your life!

Then be obedient to it!
Be a history maker!

CoA Week 6

~Company of Angels~
"...You have had a clear picture of Jesus Christ crucified, right in front of your eyes..." -Gal 3:1

Weekly Bible Reading

Philippians 2:5-11

Make your own the mind of Christ Jesus:

Who, being in the form of God,
did not count equality with God
something to be grasped.

But He emptied Himself,
taking the form of a slave,
becoming as human beings are;
and being in every way like a human being,
He was humbler yet,
even to accepting death, death on a cross.

And for this God raised Him high,
and gave Him the name
which is above all other names;

so that all beings
in the heavens, on earth and in the underworld,
should bend the knee at the name of Jesus

and that every tongue should acknowledge
Jesus Christ as Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.

What is the "mind of Christ Jesus"?

What was the reward for Jesus' emptying, humility, and crucifixion?

How can you demonstrate this same attitude in your own life?

For Memory:
"This is 'the stone which' you, 'the builders, rejected' but which 'has become the cornerstone.' Only in Him is there salvation; for of all the names in the world given to men, this is the only One by which we can be saved." (Acts 4:11-12)

The Message of the Cross

Yesterday was my second anniversary as a Catholic! This is what it's all about!

Holy Week began on Sunday with Palm Sunday, or Passion Sunday, and the reading of the narrative of Christ's Passion (from Mark's Gospel). And so we enter the greatest week of the year, culminating in the greatest Feast of the Year!

This is what our faith is built around: The Cross of Christ. His death for us shows us His great love for us as it redeems us from our sins and forgives us! Through that wonderful Cross, we have been made sons and daughters of God! The Cross is the source of joy!

Let that sink in. Jesus' suffering and death saves us from our sin. So often, I think, we treat Good Friday as a terrible day as we hasten on to the "happy ending" of Easter Sunday. I was reminded of this fact last Sunday when a small boy asked Fr. Watters, "Why do we call Good Friday 'good' if that's when Jesus died?" Fr. Watters wisely responded, "Because it's the best day of the year!"

Truly, it is! If there were no Good Friday, there could be no Easter Sunday. If there were no Good Friday, we all would still be dead in our sins. If there were no Good Friday, we would not know of God's incredible love for us! And yet, Good Friday honours and remembers the most painful, tragic event that has ever occured--and we indeed call it "Good."

That is why St. Paul wrote, "The message of the cross is folly to those who are on the way to ruin, but for those of us who are on the road to salvation it is the power of God" (1 Corinthians 1:18). A few verses later, he says, "I was resolved that the only knowledge I would have while I was with you was knowledge of Jesus, and of Him as the crucified Christ." Jesus Himself told us that His glory was in the Cross! In fact, it was the Cross that would draw all people to Him. In John's Gospel, Jesus says, "'Now sentence is being passed on this world; now the prince of this world is to be driven out. And when I am lifted up from the earth, I shall draw all people to Myself'" (12:31-32). John comments on this saying, "By these words He indicated the kind of death He would die" (v. 33).

For Jesus, the Cross was His Glory, His Power. When St. John had his vision, in Revelation, he sees Jesus as "a Lamb standing that seemed to have been sacrificed" (Rev. 5:6), and to this Lamb, all the choirs of Heaven bow down and sing

You are worthy...
because You were sacrificed, and with Your blood
You bought people for God
of every race, language, people and nation
and made them a line of kings and priests for God,
to rule the world (Rev. 6:9,10).

In the Crucifixion is joy; in the Crucifixion is victory; in the Crucifixion is redemption. This is why, in every Church, there is a Crucifix--to remind us of the Love and of the Victory in the Cross. "...You have had a clear picture of Jesus Christ crucified, right in front of your eyes..." (Galatians 3:1).

Many years ago in New York, a Gang was passing by St. Patrick's Cathedral. The gang members each dared each other to mock religion and the Church by going into the Cathedral and making a mock confession. One of the guys took the dare, and entered the church. He went into the confessional and began listing off to the priest all the most horrible and shocking sins that he could think of, hoping to embarrass the priest. But behind the screen sat a wise old Cardinal, who prayed to Jesus for wisdom.

When the gang member finished, the Cardinal said to him, "For a confession to be complete and valid, you must do a penance. Here is the penance I am giving you. Over at the back of the Church there is a small chapel, with a life-sized Crucifix inside. I want you to kneel before that Crucifix, look into the face of Jesus, and say to Him ten times, 'Jesus, You died for me, and I don't care.'"

The youth, figuring he'd already gone this far, and might as well go all the way, entered the chapel, knelt before the Crucifix, and began his penance:

"Jesus, You died for me, and I don't care.
Jesus, You died for me, and I don't care.
Jesus, You died for me..."

There, before the Crucifix, as the gang member stared into the face of the One who loved him so much that He suffered and died for him, he could not finish his penance. The grace of Christ came into his life and he had a conversion experience. He got up, went back to the confessional, and made a good confession. Years later, that same man became a priest.

That is the power of the Cross: freedom, peace, and joy. No matter where you've been or what you've done, Christ's hands are stretched out in love for you.

God bless.

What's in a Name?

Overjoyed
Jars of Clay

You name me
Who am I
That I should company with something so divine?
Mercy waits, Overjoyed
Prospect of finding, freeing
Freeing me

Chorus:
Love is the thing this time I'm sure
And I couldn't need you more now
The way that you saw things were so pure
Overjoyed

You name me
Entertain
Thoughts of peace can overcome anything
Mirror spins
Wicked tales
Here lies reflections of
Deceptions of

Chorus

Missing the me from you you gave to me
I don't like the one I have created today
Crossing nameless from the one I've earned
To be the one, the one you gave to me

You name me
Name Me
Finding, freeing me

Chorus

Overjoyed, Overjoyed

Names are important. Especially in a biblical sense, names convey a lot about the nature and character of a person. A Jewish person was not named until the 8th day in order that their name would have some special significance to his or her character, or the circumstances surrounding their birth.

And often, in the Bible, God steps in and changes a person's name--and in so doing, changes that person forever.

For example, in Genesis we have the story of Jacob. When Jacob was born, he was one of a set of twins--the younger one. When his brother, Esau, was born, Jacob's hand was holding onto his heel, as if trying to pull Esau back in. Because of this, his parents gave him the unfortunate moniker of Jacob, which literally means "One who grasps at the heel", and in a more figurative sense means "subplanter" or "deceiver." And like a self-fulfilling prophecy, Jacob lived up to his namesake--so much so that he tricked his brother out of his rightful inheritance. Jacob, out of fear that his brother would kill him for that, runs away. While he's on the road, he has an encounter with God, who, to make a long story short, sends Jacob home after a 14-odd year hiatus.

On the way back, Jacob is accosted by a stranger who appears out of nowhere and wrestles wtih him. This battle royale goes on all night, and as the day is breaking, Jacob's got the guy in a full-nelson. The man tells Jacob to let him go, but Jacob says, "Not until you bless me." The man asks Jacob what his name is. Jacob, in telling him, is admitting more than his name. He's admitting his character. "I'm deceiver. I'm subplanter. I'm Jacob." The mystery man then says, "No longer are you to be called Jacob, but Israel since you have shown your strength against God and men and have prevailed" (Genesis 32:29). Jacob then asks the man his name, but he says, "Why do you want to know my name?" and then disappears. Jacob realises that this was no man, but he truly had wrestled wtih God, and in the encounter, God changed him. No longer would he be "deceiver", but "Strives with God" or "Prince with God."

In the New Testament, we see a similar story, of a belligerent blowhard of a fisherman named Simon. Like his namesake, he loved to hear himself, and often spoke hastily and without thinking things through. However, Jesus saw promise in him, and made him one of His closest disciples. When on one occasion Jesus asked the disciples an opinion poll of who the people think He is, Simon steps up to bat and says that he believes Jesus to be the Christ, the Son of God. Jesus says that Simon isn't just speaking his own mind, but that God Himself had revealed that to him, and so Jesus gives Simon the new name of Peter, meaning "rock" and raises him to lead the Church that Jesus was founding (Matthew 16:16-18). However, the name alone wasn't enough to change Peter, and in the very next instance, he's back to his non-thinking ways. In fact, the fulness of the new identity didn't come until after Jesus' death and resurrection, on the day of the first Confirmation, when Jesus poured out His Holy Spirit on the Apostles on the feast of Pentecost. It was the power of the Spirit that transformed Simon into the Rock that would lead the Church.

And so goes the Sacrament of Confirmation. God gives His Spirit to us as we choose to follow Him. And that Spirit remakes us. This is why we take the name of a saint, to emulate their relationship with Christ. In a symbolic way, we take a new identity. And that new identity is given to us by God, as St. Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 5:17,

"So for anyone who is in Christ, there is a new creation: the old order is gone and a new being is there to see."

However, so often we can fail to live up to that new name. We can make a name for ourselves, and see ourselves according to that name that we have made. We look in the mirror and see "Stupid" or "Failure" or "Loser." We don't see the New Creation that God has made us.

In the song above, the band Jars of Clay reflects on this reality. God has named us, and called us to something that we often don't live up to. This Name should be a source of joy, but often reminds us of our failure instead. But God's mercy waits, and calls us to continue.

Missing the me from you you gave to me
I don't like the one I have created today
Crossing nameless from the one I've earned
To be the one, the one you gave to me

When we've earned something less than what God has given, He calls us to cross over to Him, leaving that old order behind and embracing the new creature that He has created--the new creature that is us!

In the identity that He gives us, the identity of being in Christ, there truly is freedom, and we can be overjoyed!

God bless!

CoA Week 5

~Company of Angels~
"...You have had a clear picture of Jesus Christ crucified, right in front of your eyes..." -Gal 3:1

Weekly Bible Reading

Romans 5:1-11

So then, now that we have been justified by faith, we are at peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ; it is through Him, by faith, that we have been admitted into God's favour in which we are living, and look forward exultantly to God's glory. Not only that; let us exult, too, in our hardships, understanding that hardship develops perseverance, and perseverance develops a tested character, something that gives us hope, and a hope which will not let us down, because the love of God has been poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit which has been given to us. When we were still helpless, at the appointed time, Christ died for the godless. You could hardly find anyone ready to die even for someone upright; though it is just possible that, for a really good person, someone might undertake to die. So it is proof of God's own love for us, that Christ died for us while we were still sinners. How much more can we be sure, therefore, that, now that we have been justified by His death, we shall be saved through Him from the retribution of God. For if, while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, how much more can we be sure that, being now reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. What is more, we are filled with exultant trust in God, through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have already gained our reconciliation.

What does our faith gain for us?

Why are we able to rejoice in our hardships?

If the greatest love is to lay down your life for your friends (John 15:13), how can we describe God's love, in laying down His life for His enemies (Romans 5:8,10)?

For Memory:
"So it is proof of God's own love for us, that Christ died for us while we were still sinners." (Romans 5:8)

CoA Week 4

~Company of Angels~
"...You have had a clear picture of Jesus Christ crucified, right in front of your eyes..." -Gal 3:1

Weekly Bible Reading

1 John 4:7-21

My dear friends,
let us love one another,
since love is from God
and everyone who loves is a child of God and knows God.
Whoever fails to love does not know God,
because God is love.
This is the revelation of God's love for us,
that God sent His only Son into the world
that we might have life through Him.
Love consists in this:
it is not we who loved God,
but God loved us and sent His Son
to expiate our sins.
My dear friends,
if God loved us so much,
we too should love one another.
No one has ever seen God,
but as long as we love one another
God remains in us
and His love comes to its perfection in us.
This is the proof that we remain in Him
and He in us,
that He has given us a share in His Spirit.
We ourselves have seen and testify
that the Father sent His Son
as Saviour of the world.
Anyone who acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God,
God remains in him and he in God.
We have recognised for ourselves,
and put our faith in, the love God has for us.
God is love,
and whoever remains in love remains in God
and God in him.
Love comes to its perfection in us
when we face the Day of Judgement fearlessly,
because even in this world
we have become as He is.
In love there is no room for fear,
but perfect love drives out fear,
because fear implies punishment
and no one who is afraid has come to perfection in love.
Let us love, then,
because He first loved us.
Anyone who says "I love God"
and hates his brother,
is a liar,
since no one who fails to love the brother whom he can see
can love God whom he has not seen.
Indeed this is the commandment we have received from Him,
that whoever loves God, must also love his brother.

How did God show us that He is love?

How must we repay that love from God?

How does perfect love cast out fear?

For Memory:
"You must see what great love the Father has lavished on us
by letting us be called God's children--
Which is what we are!
The reason why the world does not acknowledge us
is that it did not acknowledge Him." (1 John 3:1)

CoA Week 3

~Company of Angels~
"...You have had a clear picture of Jesus Christ crucified, right in front of your eyes..." -Gal 3:1

Weekly Bible Reading

1 John 3:16-24

This is the proof of love,
that He laid down His life for us,
and we too ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.
If anyone is well-off in worldly possessions
and sees his brother in need
but closes his heart to him,
how can the love of God be remaining in him?
Children,
our love must be not just words or mere talk,
but something active and genuine.
This will be the proof that we belong to the truth,
and it will convince us in His presence,
even if our feelings condemn us,
that God is greater than our feelings and knows all things.
My dear friends,
if our own feelings do not condemn us,
we can be fearless before God,
and whatever we ask
we shall receive from Him,
because we keep His commandments
and do what is acceptable to Him.
His commandment is this,
that we should believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ
and that we should love one another as He commanded us.
Whoever keeps His commandments
remains in God, and God in him.
And this is the proof that He remains in us:
the Spirit that He has given us.

How do we know what love is?

How should our love for God be demonstrated?

What do we gain from keeping God's commandments?

For Memory:
"Children
our love must not be just words or mere talk,
but something active and genuine." (1 John 3:18)

CoA Week 2

~Company of Angels~
"...You have had a clear picture of Jesus Christ crucified, right in front of your eyes..." -Gal 3:1

Weekly Bible Reading

John 13:31-34

When he had gone, Jesus said:

"Now has the Son of man been glorified,
and in Him God has been glorified.
If God has been glorified in Him,
God will in turn glorify Him in Himself,
and will glorify Him very soon.
Little children,
I shall be with you only a little longer.
You will look for Me,
and, as I told the Jews,
where I am going,
you cannot come.
I give you a new commandment:
love one another;
you must love one another
just as I have loved you."

Where is Jesus going?

Compare and contrast the New Commandment with the Great Commandments from the last reading.

Why is it so important for us to live out this commandment?

For Memory:
"I give you a new commandment:
love one another;
you must love one another
just as I have loved you" (John 13:34)

CoA Week 1

~Company of Angels~
"...You have had a clear picture of Jesus Christ crucified, right in front of your eyes..." -Gal 3:1

Weekly Bible Reading

Mark 12:28-34

One of the scribes who had listened to them debating appreciated that Jesus had given a good answer and put a further question to Him, "Which is the first of all the commandments?" Jesus replied, "This is the first: 'Listen, Israel, the Lord our God is the one, only Lord, and you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.' The second is this: 'You must love your neighbour as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these." The scribe said to Him, "Well spoken, Master; what You have said is true, that He is one and there is no other. To love Him with all your heart, with all your understanding and strength, and to love your neighbour as yourself, this is far more important than any burnt offering or sacrifice." Jesus, seeing how wisely he had spoken, said, "You are not far from the kingdom of God." And after that no one dared to question Him anymore.

What is the Greatest Commandment?

What is the Second Greatest?

In what ways can we live out these Commandments in our everyday lives, practically?

For Memory:
"Jesus replied, 'This is the first: Listen, Israel, the Lord our God is the one, only Lord, and you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. The second is this: You must love your neighbour as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these.'" (Mark 12:29-31)

Company of Angels

I realise that I haven't updated our Sermon on the Mount series in a while. That's because it's on hiatus right now, what with Confirmations and March Break. I'll resume it after Easter. In the meantime, I have a few other talks to put up. Before that, I wanted to introduce Company of Angels, and start getting things going with that.

Before Christmas, I began a drama team for the Youth Ministry. We helped in a big way to put on a very successful Christmas Pageant! But the team was not supposed to disband after Christmas. Instead, those who have remained and I have dubbed it "Company of Angels", taken from the line in Mass just before the Consecration of the Eucharist, where the priest exhorts us to worship with the words, "Now we join with all the company of angels and archangels, singing:" and the congregation responds by singing the Sanctus: "Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of Heaven and Earth. The whole earth is full of Your Glory. Hosanna in the Highest! Blessed is He who comes in the Name of the Lord! Hosanna in the Highest!"

As a theme verse, I have chosen a line from Galatians 3:1: "...You have had a clear picture of Jesus Christ crucified, right in front of your eyes...", since, on the one hand, the phrase in the NJB Bible, "have had a clear picture" is from the Greek word "prographo", which means "to depict or portray openly" and can include writing, visual arts, and drama. On the other hand, the actual statement, about portraying Jesus Christ crucified, is what we're all about--openly and dynamically presenting the Gospel "right in front of your eyes"!

Thus, not only do we want to perform for the Church, but anywhere and any chance we get. To kick it off, we'll be taking a big part in the 5th annual Good Friday Way of the Cross, literally fulfilling the theme verse by portraying Christ's passion out before the eyes of Oakville, on the streets, from St. Andrew's Church to St. Dominic's Church 8 Km away.

If you're interested in joining up with Company of Angels, I highly encourage it, and would be excited to have you. There's just a few things one needs to know:

CoA is a ministry. In presenting the Gospel, you are doing something hugely powerful and important for the Kingdom of God! Drama has been used many times, in many ways, for the conversion of people to faith in Jesus Christ! Awesome!

So it's important to be prepared. We need to be staying close to Jesus, know Him personally, so that when we portray Him to others, that's truly what they will see. As such, beyond just the fun of chilling together and acting, there will be some spiritual formation involved. At each weekly meeting (Sunday afternoons from 2-4 pm, in the Parish Centre), I will have prepared a small sheet with a Scripture passage on it. It is your duty, as a member of CoA, to read the passage and reflect on it, throughout that week. On the sheet, as well, there will be three questions related to the passage, to help guide you as you reflect and meditate on it. Finally, at the bottom of the sheet there will be one or two verses "for memory". These verses will either be from the passage above, or directly related to it. The idea is that you will memorise them. Psalm 119:11 says "I have hidden Your word in my heart, that I might not sin against You." When Jesus was tempted in the wilderness, He responded with the words of Scripture, and He didn't have to whip out His Torah scroll and search for a passage. He knew what it said. St. Paul calls the Word of God the "Sword of the Spirit." Further, if someone in need of counsel or encouragement comes to you, then you have, beyond your own natural ability, God's Word as a help in sharing His light and love with them!

Now, these sheets are for you, not me--in that I don't want you to hand them in (I'll be doing the reading and reflection, too). However, on top of handing out the sheets, I'll also be posting them on this blog. In the comments section, I'll be leaving my own thoughts on the passage. I encourage you to do the same, especially if you're on the team (anyone else is, of course, welcome as well). I'll put the first 5 weeks up pretty rapid-fire in order to catch us up, and then afterward, 1 sheet per week.

So that's Company of Angels. I'll be posting our upcoming events and performances here, beyond the Good Friday Way of the Cross, so stay tuned!

And by all means, join up!

God bless
Gregory