by Leela Ramdeen, Chair, CCSJ
MY NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTION
TO STRIVE TO BE A BETTER CHRISTIAN; TO LIVE THE KIND OF LIFE THAT WILL DRAW ME CLOSER TO GOD, TO MY NEIGHBOUR AND TO GOD’S CREATION.
IT IS ONLY THROUGH RECONCILIATION WITH GOD, NEIGHBOUR, CREATION AND SELF CAN WE BUILD THE CIVILISATION OF LOVE.
LEELA RAMDEEN, CHAIR, CCSJ
“Let us imitate the Magi. Thou seest him not now in the crib, but on the altar; not a woman holding him, but the priest present, and the Holy Ghost poured out abundantly upon the sacrifice” (St John Chrysostom)
Today our Church celebrates the feast of the Epiphany, which, as our Catechism (CCC528) tells us, “is the manifestation of Jesus as Messiah of Israel, Son of God and Saviour of the world. The great feast of Epiphany celebrates the adoration of Jesus by the wise men (magi) from the East, together with his baptism in the Jordan and the wedding feast at Cana in Galilee.”
The three wise men (Magi), Balthazar, Caspar and Melchior, who followed the light of the star were not Jews but Gentiles. This is a clear indication that Christ came to save ALL of humankind. We are all God’s children, made in His image and likeness. We know that, as the Holy Father has said, the source of the light that shone in the sky over Bethlehem is Christ: “God is light; in him there is no darkness” (I Jn 1: 5).
Some of my most memorable memories of my years as a teacher are those that relate to Nativity plays I directed each year. I was saddened to read an article by Sarah Ditum in the UK Guardian of December 23 entitled: “The nativity play has come to the end of its run”. Inter alia, she wrote: “The nativity play has become a pain for teachers, parents and kids alike. Time to leave the Christmas story out of it altogether.”
I recall that last year an Infant school in Reading, Berkshire, England, staged an “atheist nativity play”. Some of the words used in the play show a total lack of respect for the Christian faith. Comments by the principal and the teacher who re-wrote the traditional Bible story highlight the challenges we Christians face in a highly secularised world.
In May 2010 journalist Peter Seewald interviewed Pope Benedict XVI about the Holy Father’s book – Light of the World: The Pope, the Church, and the Signs of the Times. In his report of the interview, Russell Shaw, Editor of Our Sunday Visitor – Bringing Your Catholic Faith to Life, wrote:
“Seewald’s interview suggests certain conclusions about Pope Benedict XVI. No one is more aware than he that he presides over the Church at a difficult time marked by rapid growth in places like Africa and Asia and shrinkage in parts of the secularized West. Catholicism needs new ways to deal with a widely shared ideology of libertarian individualism aggressively pushing much it opposes.”
Opposition may be great, but God has a plan; have faith, Christianity is alive and well. The journey of the Magi continues to reveal Christ to those who do not know Him or who have drifted from their faith. A recent Pew Forum survey entitled: “Global Christianity”, shows that Christianity is the world’s largest religion. About one-third of the world’s population – 2.18 billion are classified as Christian. Sadly, “only about a quarter of the world’s Christians live in Europe today, compared to two-thirds a century ago”. Today, Christianity is growing in Asia, Africa and the Americas. According to the survey, “about half of all the world’s Christians are Catholics, with Protestants accounting for 37%, and Orthodox Christians 12%.”
We must pray for the success of the Synod of Bishops 2012 which will focus on the theme: The New Evangelisation for the Transmission of the Christian Faith. A reading of the Lineamenta, the document prepared in advance of the Synod, highlights some of the challenges the universal Church faces as she seeks to evangelise with “a new focus, new methods, and new energy”. I agree with the Scottish Bishops that, “in a very real sense the Lineamenta argues more or less explicitly that the whole Catholic Church is herself is in need of a new evangelisation.”
Let us use our Archdiocese’s second Pastoral Priority – Revitalizing Catholic Culture and Identity, to proclaim our faith with pride, and to live the faith we say we profess: “… your light must shine before men and women so that they may see goodness in your deeds and give praise to your heavenly Father” (Mt 5: 16).
The Magi brought gifts for baby Jesus. May our New Year’s resolution lead us to offer ourselves – our time, talent and treasure – as gifts to the Lord so that together we will build His Kingdom here on earth. This is truly the time for a new evangelisation for the transmission of our faith.
