All tagged 2011

Obedience - Listening

John McMahon
Retreats


Michael Fallon MSC began his fifth retreat presentation looking at the roots of the word 'obedience' - in Latin 'ob' means 'right up against' and 'audiens' means 'listening'. Jesus and John at the Last Supper when John leaned on Jesus' breast, exemplify this experience of listening.  In Greek, obedience means 'humble listening' and in Hebrew 'listening, heeding, obeying'. On the other hand a contemporary dictionary definition would be 'doing what you are told'.

Religious Life - Celibacy

John McMahon
Retreats

Today Michael Fallon MSC began his talk for the fourth day of our retreat by reading two articles from Vatican II's Document on the Church, Lumen Gentium, about Religious Life: 'The holiness of the Church ... is expressed in many ways by individuals who, each in his or heBr Pat Connell renewing his vows in December, 2011.r own state of life, tend to the perfection of love, thus sanctifying others (LG 39)' and religious are 'called by God so that they may enjoy a special gift of grace in the life of the Church and may contribute, each in his or her own way, to the saving mission of the Church (LG 43)'.  Michael's focus here is on love, noting the fundamental question for moral theologians is 'what is the next step of love for me?'. When Jesus chose his twelve apostles he said 'I have chosen you to be with me' (Mark 3:14).

 

Baptism

John McMahon
Retreats

On the third day of our retreat Michael Fallon MSC opened his talk on Baptism by quoting the Catechism: 'In baptism we are ... reborn as 'sons' of God, we become "members" of Christ and made sharers in Jesus' mission (N1213).' In Christianity there is only one priest of the order of Melchizedek: Christ.  We all share in this priesthood, we each mediate the Divine (cf Ex 19:3-6). Jesus is identified as a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek (Ps.110) which makes the Temple unnecessary. Marists therefore are a kingdom of priests (in the Melchizedekian sense rather than the sacristy or temple sense) whose goal is to make the whole land holy.   All the baptised share in Jesus' priestly mediation (of the divine). For, as Paul says '... God has poured out his love into our hearts by means of the Holy Spirit, who is God's gift to us (Rom 5:5).'

Religious Experience

John McMahon
Retreats

On the first day of our annual retreat, Michael Fallon MSC spoke with us about religious experience. He explained the word 'religion' from its Latin roots 're' and 'ligare' - to bind back.  What does religion bind us back to?  Our centre, our heart, our God.  Religious experience, therefore is our experience of our communion with God. Teillhard de Chardin sees God as 'The Heart and Beyond of Everything'.  We can tend to make God too small.  'I've been with her for fifty years and every day she is more of a mystery' said a jubilarian on his golden wedding anniversary.