The Independent State of India was established as a secular republic in 1948. With the various religious identities that abounded, the intention was to reconcile them.. Hinduism, by its nature is a tolerant religion but differences have arisen which have caused tensions, especially between Hindus and Muslims. India's adoption of a secular constitution was meant to diffuse the situation, and by and large, it has been fairly successful. Islam's rise of militant fundamentalism, however, has been a block to the relations between the two religions. This has seen a deepening association in India between religion and politics. This association, perhaps it could be said, signals also Hinduism's difficulty in adapting to modernity and the process of secularisation. This is not surprising seeing that in Western cultures, where the state has been long secularised, the various religions have seen a decline with the split from politics. Indian commentators attribute westerm promiscuity, materialism and individualism to the disparagment of religion and warn against the same thing happening in their own society.
The question of identity and religious authenticity is felt, it seems, most acutely, by young Hindus growing up in the West. Religious identity, however, is a fluid and changing notion both for individuals and for communities. The individual cannot or should not be reduced to a single identity. This reductive approach to the individual person denies the various ways in which he/she can assume different identities as he/she interacts in different contexts, both social and religious, for whatever purpose within which he/she finds him/herself. Perhaps the notion of a single identity presupposes a coherence of belief, action and emotion that many of us fail to realise or demonstrate, Hindus included.
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Sharia
A decade ago, the term 'Sharia' would probably have meant nothignt o a majority of the population of this island and much the same could be said of Britain. Regualr media coverage has changed this and Islam is rarely out of the news.
The Archbishop of Canterbury gave a lecture on Islam in English Law and addressed issues that are central to the practice and theory of politics on all of the continents. He closed his lecture with the words, 'Theology still waits for us around the corner of these debates.' The quesiton concerns the meaning of Sharia Law for muslims. There is the perception that Muslims are answerable to Sharia before the Law of the land. There is also the impression that Islam isistis on the replacement of secular laws by the Sharia system.
Archbishop Williams asked if secular law needs to accommodate some of the religious ordinances of faith communities. This caused a storm of debate across the U.K. and indeed elsewhere. The law in England already incorporates the canon law of the Church of England as regards Church property and appointments. There is also an accomodation of Jewish law in the civil recognition of the findings of a Ben Dith, a court to which Jewish men and women may have recourse on certain matters of marriage and family law. Indeed there is already an accommodation of Sharia law itself, in the availability now of a mortgage and investments system designed in view of Sharia's prohibiyion of the taking of interest on a loan.
Sharia for a muslim is God's will and it encompasses all of the believer's duties to God and humanity and humanity's abode, and it is the standard by which everything human is judged. It's sources are acknoweldged by all muslims to be in the Koran and the Sunna which is the name for the pattern of life as well as the teaching fo the prophet, access to which is by way of authentic and authoritative 'report' (hadith).
Ali Selim, General Secretary to the Irish Council of Imams, called for the commitment of Church leaders to the creation, as a matter of urgency, of 'sound inter-faith relations'. The appointment of Archbishop Brady to the College of Cardinals, he wrote, 'renowned for his personal integrity, kindness, goodness and his hand of friendship across communities, could provide a new avenue in this context.'and Archbishop Diarmuid Martin, by visiting the Islamic Cultural Centre at Clonskeagh, 'has set an example of a new type of visit which can serve the process of strenghtening inter-faith relations. Selim identifies difficulties in first and second level education systems in Ireland as they present 'challenges and difficulties' for Muslims in Ireland. He welcomed, as can be expected, Ireland's creation of a multi-faith school under Jewish, Catholic and Muslim patronage in the Diocese of Kildare and Leighlin.
The Archbishop of Canterbury gave a lecture on Islam in English Law and addressed issues that are central to the practice and theory of politics on all of the continents. He closed his lecture with the words, 'Theology still waits for us around the corner of these debates.' The quesiton concerns the meaning of Sharia Law for muslims. There is the perception that Muslims are answerable to Sharia before the Law of the land. There is also the impression that Islam isistis on the replacement of secular laws by the Sharia system.
Archbishop Williams asked if secular law needs to accommodate some of the religious ordinances of faith communities. This caused a storm of debate across the U.K. and indeed elsewhere. The law in England already incorporates the canon law of the Church of England as regards Church property and appointments. There is also an accomodation of Jewish law in the civil recognition of the findings of a Ben Dith, a court to which Jewish men and women may have recourse on certain matters of marriage and family law. Indeed there is already an accommodation of Sharia law itself, in the availability now of a mortgage and investments system designed in view of Sharia's prohibiyion of the taking of interest on a loan.
Sharia for a muslim is God's will and it encompasses all of the believer's duties to God and humanity and humanity's abode, and it is the standard by which everything human is judged. It's sources are acknoweldged by all muslims to be in the Koran and the Sunna which is the name for the pattern of life as well as the teaching fo the prophet, access to which is by way of authentic and authoritative 'report' (hadith).
Ali Selim, General Secretary to the Irish Council of Imams, called for the commitment of Church leaders to the creation, as a matter of urgency, of 'sound inter-faith relations'. The appointment of Archbishop Brady to the College of Cardinals, he wrote, 'renowned for his personal integrity, kindness, goodness and his hand of friendship across communities, could provide a new avenue in this context.'and Archbishop Diarmuid Martin, by visiting the Islamic Cultural Centre at Clonskeagh, 'has set an example of a new type of visit which can serve the process of strenghtening inter-faith relations. Selim identifies difficulties in first and second level education systems in Ireland as they present 'challenges and difficulties' for Muslims in Ireland. He welcomed, as can be expected, Ireland's creation of a multi-faith school under Jewish, Catholic and Muslim patronage in the Diocese of Kildare and Leighlin.
Religious Tolerance
The New Testament speaks of Jesus as the only way (John14:6), but that does not mean that people cannot come to God through Jesus without ever being able to name him. Jesus came to reconcile all things and all people to himself (Col. 1:20). Regardless, then, of whatever context within which reconciliation occurs, it must surely concern Jesus. Revelation of God and life-changing experiences has been made possible by the work of Jesus, the word made flesh (John 1:1). Jesus also defined his role as to reveal the Father, not to glorify himself (John 14:8). Wherever God is known then, it is the work of Jesus made manifest. Because God is found in other religions, Jesus is also there, silently and modestly doing his work of revelatin. 'All that is noble in the non-Christian systems of thought, or conduct, or worship is the work of Christ upon them and within them. By the word of God, that is to say by Jesus Christ - Isaiah and Plato, and Zoroaster and Buddha and Confucius conceived and uttered such truths as they declared. There is only only one divine light, and every[one] and [their] measure is enlightened by it' (Archbishop William Temple).
Temples way is a very Christian way of looking at things and it is not often well received by other faith communities. However, we need to be faithful also to our own tradition and beliefs, while developing an appreciation and tolerance of others. This is best done by understanding other faiths within the parameters of our own. We can push the boudaries of traditionally exclusive texts in order to underline the mutual inter-penetration of all true faith. We make God very small if we dismiss the possibility outright
Within the traditions of other faiths there is a similar minority tradition of tolerance. In the Qur'an, where the 'people of the book' refer to Jes and Christians, there are 3 texts that stand out:
-to you be your way and to me mine
-truth stands out from error, whoever rejects evil and believes in Allah hath grasped the most trustworthy handfold, that never breaks. And Allah heareth and knoweth all things
-of the people of the book are a portion that stand for the right...they enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong; and they hasten in emulation of all good works; they are in the ranks of the righteous. Of the good they do, nothing will be rejected of them; for Allah knoweth well those that do right.
The Hindu tradition is much more open to this kind of possibility. The Bhagavadgita suggests that even those who in faith worship other gods, because of their love they worship me and also...for many are the paths of men, but they all in the end come to me. This is typical of Hindu inclusiveness.
Exclusivity makes God into a very small, petty and insecure being> The limitless God becomes limited and without unconditional love. The God of the Christian scriptures is a God of prodigal grace. Calvinists say that we are put right with God by God's own grace. Grace, then, can put others of different faiths right with God as well. Paul tells us that it is by grace we are saved and not by works (Eph. 2:8).
Adapted from A Deep but Dazzling Darkness: A Christian Theology in an Inter-faith Perspective, Timothy Kinahan
Temples way is a very Christian way of looking at things and it is not often well received by other faith communities. However, we need to be faithful also to our own tradition and beliefs, while developing an appreciation and tolerance of others. This is best done by understanding other faiths within the parameters of our own. We can push the boudaries of traditionally exclusive texts in order to underline the mutual inter-penetration of all true faith. We make God very small if we dismiss the possibility outright
Within the traditions of other faiths there is a similar minority tradition of tolerance. In the Qur'an, where the 'people of the book' refer to Jes and Christians, there are 3 texts that stand out:
-to you be your way and to me mine
-truth stands out from error, whoever rejects evil and believes in Allah hath grasped the most trustworthy handfold, that never breaks. And Allah heareth and knoweth all things
-of the people of the book are a portion that stand for the right...they enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong; and they hasten in emulation of all good works; they are in the ranks of the righteous. Of the good they do, nothing will be rejected of them; for Allah knoweth well those that do right.
The Hindu tradition is much more open to this kind of possibility. The Bhagavadgita suggests that even those who in faith worship other gods, because of their love they worship me and also...for many are the paths of men, but they all in the end come to me. This is typical of Hindu inclusiveness.
Exclusivity makes God into a very small, petty and insecure being> The limitless God becomes limited and without unconditional love. The God of the Christian scriptures is a God of prodigal grace. Calvinists say that we are put right with God by God's own grace. Grace, then, can put others of different faiths right with God as well. Paul tells us that it is by grace we are saved and not by works (Eph. 2:8).
Adapted from A Deep but Dazzling Darkness: A Christian Theology in an Inter-faith Perspective, Timothy Kinahan
hindu worship
Daily worship is known as puja and for most Hindus is usually carried out in the home. A shrine richly decorated with pictures or statues (Murtis) of favourite gods is set aside for this purpose. Wealthier families sometimes set aside a whole room as a shrine, and worship there individually or as a family. Puja begins with the simplest but most important prayer (mantra) - the saying of the sacred word Om to make contact with the divine. This is followed by the recitation of other mantras from the scriptures and the offering of gifts such as sweets, money, fruits etc. to a particular god.
Worship is also carried out in the Temple (mandir) under the supervision of a Brahmin or a high caste priest. Although Hindus beleive that their God is everywhere, they also believe that the Temple is his special home. Only the priest is allowed to come close to the divine presence which 'resides' in the inner sanctuary of the building, in the Holy of Holies, known as the garbhagriha (womb-house).
Before worship begins, members of the congregation carry out elaborate rituals of purification, which may involve washing the feet, rinsing the mouth or preparing special food. The priest leads the worship by reading from the sacred texts and saying mantras. Small devotional lamps (divas) ar elit, and after worship, the people share the food that has been blessed and offered to the gods.
"LIGHTS ARE LIT IN HINDU HOUSEHOLDS TO GUIDE LAKSHMI, THE GODDESS OF FORTUNE, INTO THE HOME" from the Mahabharata
Worship is also carried out in the Temple (mandir) under the supervision of a Brahmin or a high caste priest. Although Hindus beleive that their God is everywhere, they also believe that the Temple is his special home. Only the priest is allowed to come close to the divine presence which 'resides' in the inner sanctuary of the building, in the Holy of Holies, known as the garbhagriha (womb-house).
Before worship begins, members of the congregation carry out elaborate rituals of purification, which may involve washing the feet, rinsing the mouth or preparing special food. The priest leads the worship by reading from the sacred texts and saying mantras. Small devotional lamps (divas) ar elit, and after worship, the people share the food that has been blessed and offered to the gods.
"LIGHTS ARE LIT IN HINDU HOUSEHOLDS TO GUIDE LAKSHMI, THE GODDESS OF FORTUNE, INTO THE HOME" from the Mahabharata
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Follicular Tonsillitis
THE TONSILS
The tonsils are composed of lymph tissue, located either side of the palate at the back of the mouth and at the opening of the throat. This tissue is also found at the back of the tongue and stretches down into the beginning of the oesophagus, the G.I. tract.
Because the tonsils are composed of this specific tissue, the function of the organs is to fight infection, especially localised infection. This is because the lymph tissue necessarily (by virtue of its name!) contains lymphocytes, the cells specifically designed to fight infection. However, it is thought that tonsils had a more active role in fighting infections in societies less developed than ours today. This is because there is clearly no adverse effect in patients who have tonsils removed. They do not seem to be more prone to infection than those who still have tonsils intact. It is thought, therefore, that while the tonsils contain lymphocytes, the infection that these cells are programmed to respond to are those which are obsolete these days, such as worms and parasites.
TONSILLITIS: CAUSES
Like any tissue in the human body, tonsils are prone to inflammation if they are exposed to irritating factors such as bacteria or virus. Follicular tonsillitis is an inflammation of the mucous membrane that covers the lining of the follicles and the tonsils. It most commonly occurs between the ages of 10-25 years. Most of the time, tonsillitis is caused by a virus. The bacterial infection in tonsils is that which causes strep throat. It is a condition which seems to occur primarily in Spring, possibly because of rapid changes in temperature and the oscillation between dry and wet weather.
SYMPTOMS
Typically, flu-like symptoms may occur including muscular aches and pains, chills and fever and an attendant sore throat. It is possible that head, neck, ear and face pain may also occur.
A visual examination of the tonsils will show inflammation of the tonsils, evident from a deep redness. There will also be a yellowish or white matter on them, similar in appearance to mouth ulcers. If the tonsils are badly infected, the patient will be unable to swallow saliva and will have a coated tongue. In children, nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain might be present.
CONTAINMENT
Follicular tonsillitis can be highly infective and the usual precautions need to be implemented. The patient needs to use cutlery and utensils that are not used by other people. Handwashing and good oral hygiene are also essential. The patient is best avoided when suffering the fever and chills associated with the conditon.
TREATMENT
The risks involved with Follicular Tonsillitis are dehydration and extension of the infection to nearby organs. The uvula may become inflamed and swollen and result in difficulty breathing. It is important to treat the infection as well as preventing the complications that may occur. If the patient is unable to tolerate oral fluids, admission to hospital for I.V. fluids may be necessary.
Penicillin is the antibiotic of choice for the treatment of Follicular Tonsillitis. However, prescription depends on the specific patient, his/her specific infection and takes into account allergies and past medical history.
Gargling with warm salt water or antibacterial mouthwash with a local anaesthetic ingredient will help to ease the pain and resuce inflammation and infection.
Analgesia is usually also prescribed to enable the patient to swallow and reduce discomfort.
The tonsils are composed of lymph tissue, located either side of the palate at the back of the mouth and at the opening of the throat. This tissue is also found at the back of the tongue and stretches down into the beginning of the oesophagus, the G.I. tract.
Because the tonsils are composed of this specific tissue, the function of the organs is to fight infection, especially localised infection. This is because the lymph tissue necessarily (by virtue of its name!) contains lymphocytes, the cells specifically designed to fight infection. However, it is thought that tonsils had a more active role in fighting infections in societies less developed than ours today. This is because there is clearly no adverse effect in patients who have tonsils removed. They do not seem to be more prone to infection than those who still have tonsils intact. It is thought, therefore, that while the tonsils contain lymphocytes, the infection that these cells are programmed to respond to are those which are obsolete these days, such as worms and parasites.
TONSILLITIS: CAUSES
Like any tissue in the human body, tonsils are prone to inflammation if they are exposed to irritating factors such as bacteria or virus. Follicular tonsillitis is an inflammation of the mucous membrane that covers the lining of the follicles and the tonsils. It most commonly occurs between the ages of 10-25 years. Most of the time, tonsillitis is caused by a virus. The bacterial infection in tonsils is that which causes strep throat. It is a condition which seems to occur primarily in Spring, possibly because of rapid changes in temperature and the oscillation between dry and wet weather.
SYMPTOMS
Typically, flu-like symptoms may occur including muscular aches and pains, chills and fever and an attendant sore throat. It is possible that head, neck, ear and face pain may also occur.
A visual examination of the tonsils will show inflammation of the tonsils, evident from a deep redness. There will also be a yellowish or white matter on them, similar in appearance to mouth ulcers. If the tonsils are badly infected, the patient will be unable to swallow saliva and will have a coated tongue. In children, nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain might be present.
CONTAINMENT
Follicular tonsillitis can be highly infective and the usual precautions need to be implemented. The patient needs to use cutlery and utensils that are not used by other people. Handwashing and good oral hygiene are also essential. The patient is best avoided when suffering the fever and chills associated with the conditon.
TREATMENT
The risks involved with Follicular Tonsillitis are dehydration and extension of the infection to nearby organs. The uvula may become inflamed and swollen and result in difficulty breathing. It is important to treat the infection as well as preventing the complications that may occur. If the patient is unable to tolerate oral fluids, admission to hospital for I.V. fluids may be necessary.
Penicillin is the antibiotic of choice for the treatment of Follicular Tonsillitis. However, prescription depends on the specific patient, his/her specific infection and takes into account allergies and past medical history.
Gargling with warm salt water or antibacterial mouthwash with a local anaesthetic ingredient will help to ease the pain and resuce inflammation and infection.
Analgesia is usually also prescribed to enable the patient to swallow and reduce discomfort.
Monday, March 14, 2011
Sunday, March 13, 2011
LENTEN TRIVIA!!
Hot Cross Buns are divided into 4 quarters because the Greeks and Romans used to make them like this to indicate the 4 quarters of the moon. They are eaten on Good Friday morning and are made with spices as a reminder of the spices in the Good Friday story in Luke's and John's Gospels!
Lent as a word comes from the lengthening of the days at this time of Year.
The Easter Egg is the sign of new life and was a part of pre-Christian Spring Festivals. For Christians this became a symbol of Christ breaking out of the tomb.
Purple is the Church's colour of preparation during Lent (and Advent).
The Paschal Candle is a large candle that is placed in the church and remains there for the entire chuech year. It is the symbol of the Risen Christ overcoming death and darkness. The date of the current year is inscribed on the candle as well as the letters A.D. (the year of the Lord).
New Easter Clothes: During the Middle Ages in Europe people in their New Easter Clothes would take a long walk after Easter Mass, in a kind of procession preceded by the Easter Candle. The tradition evolved and is especially popular in New York on 5th Avenue.
Easter From 'Eostre' a Spring Festival celebrating the goddess of Spring.
Spy Wednesday So called because of Judas' betrayal of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane
Good Friday The only day in the year that we call 'good'!!!!!! The word good is supposed to come from the word 'God'.
Maundy Thursday, otherwise known as Holy Thursday. From 'maundatum' meaning 'command' because of the commands that Jesus gave his disciples at the Last Supper
Lent as a word comes from the lengthening of the days at this time of Year.
The Easter Egg is the sign of new life and was a part of pre-Christian Spring Festivals. For Christians this became a symbol of Christ breaking out of the tomb.
Purple is the Church's colour of preparation during Lent (and Advent).
The Paschal Candle is a large candle that is placed in the church and remains there for the entire chuech year. It is the symbol of the Risen Christ overcoming death and darkness. The date of the current year is inscribed on the candle as well as the letters A.D. (the year of the Lord).
New Easter Clothes: During the Middle Ages in Europe people in their New Easter Clothes would take a long walk after Easter Mass, in a kind of procession preceded by the Easter Candle. The tradition evolved and is especially popular in New York on 5th Avenue.
Easter From 'Eostre' a Spring Festival celebrating the goddess of Spring.
Spy Wednesday So called because of Judas' betrayal of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane
Good Friday The only day in the year that we call 'good'!!!!!! The word good is supposed to come from the word 'God'.
Maundy Thursday, otherwise known as Holy Thursday. From 'maundatum' meaning 'command' because of the commands that Jesus gave his disciples at the Last Supper
Lent
Lent is a period of 40 days which precedes Holy Week. Holy Week then culminates in the great feast of Easter. Lent is widely known as a time when people give something up, when they sacrifice something that they will miss a little during these 40 days. Others, however, take something up - like attending mass more frequently or volunteering in community activities and so on.
Of course Lent finds its basis in the New Testament. Jesus is driven, directly after his baptism by John in the Jordan, into the wilderness for 40 days and is there tempted by the devil to deny the mission which was entrusted to him, the mission which would define his very existence. The story of Jesus' time in the desert can be found in the Gospel of Matthew (Mt. 4: 1-11). This is a clever literary technique used by Matthew and is indeed the summation of the whole Christian life. From the very moment of our baptism into Christ, we too are constantly being tempted away. We are shown the attractions of secularism, the freedom of immoral lives without consequences and the temptations of intemperance constantly encircle us. Jesus' resistence to temptation finds beautiful expression at the closure of this story: "Then the devil left him, and the angels appeared and looked after him." This too, is the promise that awaits us when we experience those little triumphs over temptation. This is what Matthew is trying to tell his largely Jewish-Christian community who were being persecuted by traditional Jews and who were being expelled from their local synagogues. They were being tempted away from their Christian mission. Matthew aligns both their sufferings and their providence with those of Jesus in the desert.
Imagine that desert place - it is not hard to do because most of us find ourselves there from time to time. Imagine the howling of the wind around the tall and rough stones. Imagine at night how terrifying the shadows would have been. The light of the world struggled against those shadows to be a certain kind of Messiah. He ignored the Jewish expectation of the Messiah. The Jews were expecting a powerful, political leader who would vindicate them and elevate them as a people. This is not who Jesus was. He left these expectations with John the Baptist in the Jordan. The defeat of satan by Jesus in the desert in the Gospel of Matthew prefigures the defeat of sin and death by Jesus at the crucifixion. Instead of falling down to worship satan in the desert, instead of testing God and throwing himself off a cliff, Jesus is seen, towards the end of the Gospel to be lifted, raised, elevated under the veil of the crucifixion.
And yet that crucifixion, that suffering, that death was very real. We have ideas and images of Jesus, of God and of ourselves. Most of the time, none of them are accurate. Jesus had no illusions. He didn't try to be someone, he tried not to be someone, he tried not to be that expected Messiah.
The desert experience is about deprivation. This deprivation is remembered at Lent and symbolised through the different sacrifices we make. God promises no trial beyond our ability to endure. But we are a mortal, flawed and sinful people who make misery and suffering for ourselves. But beyond all that we live in the hope of immortality because we have been baptised into Christ and because in every desert experience we have, where there are demons and isolation, there is always the hope of God's angels.
Of course Lent finds its basis in the New Testament. Jesus is driven, directly after his baptism by John in the Jordan, into the wilderness for 40 days and is there tempted by the devil to deny the mission which was entrusted to him, the mission which would define his very existence. The story of Jesus' time in the desert can be found in the Gospel of Matthew (Mt. 4: 1-11). This is a clever literary technique used by Matthew and is indeed the summation of the whole Christian life. From the very moment of our baptism into Christ, we too are constantly being tempted away. We are shown the attractions of secularism, the freedom of immoral lives without consequences and the temptations of intemperance constantly encircle us. Jesus' resistence to temptation finds beautiful expression at the closure of this story: "Then the devil left him, and the angels appeared and looked after him." This too, is the promise that awaits us when we experience those little triumphs over temptation. This is what Matthew is trying to tell his largely Jewish-Christian community who were being persecuted by traditional Jews and who were being expelled from their local synagogues. They were being tempted away from their Christian mission. Matthew aligns both their sufferings and their providence with those of Jesus in the desert.
Imagine that desert place - it is not hard to do because most of us find ourselves there from time to time. Imagine the howling of the wind around the tall and rough stones. Imagine at night how terrifying the shadows would have been. The light of the world struggled against those shadows to be a certain kind of Messiah. He ignored the Jewish expectation of the Messiah. The Jews were expecting a powerful, political leader who would vindicate them and elevate them as a people. This is not who Jesus was. He left these expectations with John the Baptist in the Jordan. The defeat of satan by Jesus in the desert in the Gospel of Matthew prefigures the defeat of sin and death by Jesus at the crucifixion. Instead of falling down to worship satan in the desert, instead of testing God and throwing himself off a cliff, Jesus is seen, towards the end of the Gospel to be lifted, raised, elevated under the veil of the crucifixion.
And yet that crucifixion, that suffering, that death was very real. We have ideas and images of Jesus, of God and of ourselves. Most of the time, none of them are accurate. Jesus had no illusions. He didn't try to be someone, he tried not to be someone, he tried not to be that expected Messiah.
The desert experience is about deprivation. This deprivation is remembered at Lent and symbolised through the different sacrifices we make. God promises no trial beyond our ability to endure. But we are a mortal, flawed and sinful people who make misery and suffering for ourselves. But beyond all that we live in the hope of immortality because we have been baptised into Christ and because in every desert experience we have, where there are demons and isolation, there is always the hope of God's angels.
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Ash Wednesday
Back in the day, public sinners or people who were guilty of serious sin under the rubric of serious immoral misdemeanours were invited to come back into the fold of the Church on Ash Wednesday. The sinners were marked with the sign of the cross on the forehead. They were also given a shirt made of animal hair to wear for the duration of Lent and were forbidden to enter the Church (the building) until Holy Tuesday, i.e., the Tuesday of Holy Week, immediately preceding Easter Sunday.
From Ash Wednesday to Holy Tuesday, the sinners were given a penance to do, which may have taken the form of living apart from their families, often in a monastery, where they would do difficult manual labour and pray consistently, while also doing acts of charity. When this observance was complete they would then be considered worthy enough to participate in the events of Holy Week, culminating in the great feast of Easter. The idea behind the removal of the sinner from their families may be based on the Old Testament notion of ritual cleanliness, where sinners or those who had broken the Mosaic Law were explicated from their communities so that other people in the community would not be ritually defiled by the presence of the sinner among them. If one were ritually unclean in the Old Testament era, they would not have been allowed to take part in rituals of worship because they were not considered worthy enough.
Ashes, of course, has long been associated with sorrow and repentance because of its strong link with the Jewish tradition of sackcloth and ashes. The early Church attempted to remain faithful to this tradition and to preserve its orignal symbolism. Until the Reformation, many Protestant churches also employed the practice which ultimately ceased with the definitive split between the denominations.
Today, the priest, as he blesses the candidate who approaches for ashes says, "turn away from sin and believe in the Gospel", a modern version of what used to be said, "Thou art dust and into dust thou shalt return".
So, enjoy your blessings with ashes and be mindful of the rich history and symbolism behind it all. You need not wear the hairy shirt though!!!!!!!
From Ash Wednesday to Holy Tuesday, the sinners were given a penance to do, which may have taken the form of living apart from their families, often in a monastery, where they would do difficult manual labour and pray consistently, while also doing acts of charity. When this observance was complete they would then be considered worthy enough to participate in the events of Holy Week, culminating in the great feast of Easter. The idea behind the removal of the sinner from their families may be based on the Old Testament notion of ritual cleanliness, where sinners or those who had broken the Mosaic Law were explicated from their communities so that other people in the community would not be ritually defiled by the presence of the sinner among them. If one were ritually unclean in the Old Testament era, they would not have been allowed to take part in rituals of worship because they were not considered worthy enough.
Ashes, of course, has long been associated with sorrow and repentance because of its strong link with the Jewish tradition of sackcloth and ashes. The early Church attempted to remain faithful to this tradition and to preserve its orignal symbolism. Until the Reformation, many Protestant churches also employed the practice which ultimately ceased with the definitive split between the denominations.
Today, the priest, as he blesses the candidate who approaches for ashes says, "turn away from sin and believe in the Gospel", a modern version of what used to be said, "Thou art dust and into dust thou shalt return".
So, enjoy your blessings with ashes and be mindful of the rich history and symbolism behind it all. You need not wear the hairy shirt though!!!!!!!
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Shrove Tuesday
Although Lent officially begins tomorrow, Ash Wednesday, today is a day also strongly linked with the onset of Lent. The word 'Shrove' comes from an old English verb 'to shrive' which was associated with the repentance of sins and absolution, which when undertaken, sins were then said to be 'shriven'. Traditionally and symbolically, this was done by taking the palms used in the previous Sunday's service for Palm Sunday and burning them in a receptacle called a 'shrovarim'. The ashes from this ritual will then be used for blesing the congregation on Ash Wednesday. Therefore, today is about undertaking an examination of conscience, identifying the weaknesses in our lives and considering ways in which we can make amendments.
Today, Shrove Tuesday, has also been known as 'Fat Tuesday' or the French, Mardi Gras The reason for this is linked to the fast that takes place during the 40 days of Lent. Traditionally, again, people tended to fill up on fatty foods and rich foods as a treat before the long fast of Lent.
This day (or some traditions may include more days directly preceding Ash Wednesday) can be referred to as carnival (from carni, meaning 'meat'). As meat was sacrificed during the entire Lenten season, and not just on Fridays, people literally had a 'carnival' of meat before the great sacrifice of Lent!
Finally, as you probably know, today is also popularly known as pancake Tuesday. This tradition is most closely aligned to the English-Speaking world. The idea of the consumption of pancakes on this day is linked to the idea, not unlike that of Fat Tuesday, that the pancake mixture is made from rich ingredients such as flour, milk, eggs, sugar and fats, which would have been traditionally sacrificed during Lent.
Happy 'shriving' and enjoy the pancakes!!
Today, Shrove Tuesday, has also been known as 'Fat Tuesday' or the French, Mardi Gras The reason for this is linked to the fast that takes place during the 40 days of Lent. Traditionally, again, people tended to fill up on fatty foods and rich foods as a treat before the long fast of Lent.
This day (or some traditions may include more days directly preceding Ash Wednesday) can be referred to as carnival (from carni, meaning 'meat'). As meat was sacrificed during the entire Lenten season, and not just on Fridays, people literally had a 'carnival' of meat before the great sacrifice of Lent!
Finally, as you probably know, today is also popularly known as pancake Tuesday. This tradition is most closely aligned to the English-Speaking world. The idea of the consumption of pancakes on this day is linked to the idea, not unlike that of Fat Tuesday, that the pancake mixture is made from rich ingredients such as flour, milk, eggs, sugar and fats, which would have been traditionally sacrificed during Lent.
Happy 'shriving' and enjoy the pancakes!!
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Lenten Preparation
SIX LENTEN TALKS IN AVILA
FRIDAYS: MARCH 11TH – APRIL 15th
March 11th
Friday 7.30 –9.00pm
‘The Paschal Mystery’
with Ray Moloney S.J.
March 18th
Friday 7.30 – 9.00 p.m.
‘CONVERSION’
with Máirtin O’Conaire ocd
March 25th
Friday 7.30 – 9.00 p.m.
‘GOD SENT HIS SON, BORN OF A WOMAN’
with Thomas Stone ocd.
April 1st
Friday 7.30 – 9.00 p.m.
‘BASIC CHRISTIANITY’
with Nicholas Madden ocd.
April 8th
Friday 7.30 p.m. – 9.00 p.m.
‘THE CROSS AND CHRISTIAN LIVING’
with J. Birmingham ocd.
April 15th
Friday 7.30 – 9.00 p.m.
PRAYER
with Micheál Mac Laifeartaigh ocd.
For all bookings & enquiries: Tel: 01 643 0200
E-mail: avila@ocd.ie Web: www.ocd.ie
Avila
Bloomfield Avenue ,
Morehampton Road
Donnybrook,
Dublin
Avila
Bloomfield Avenue ,
Morehampton Road
Donnybrook,
Dublin
Tel: 01 643 0200
E-mail: avila@ocd.ie
Web: http://www.ocd.ie/
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)