Sun 30 B (28.10.2012) Mk 10.46-52

Mk shows today Jesus as an eye-opener...
(for the participants on the Bishops-Synode but also for us as we try to follow Jesus Christ)

In Mk 1.15 we hear as proclamation:
                  The time is fulfilled
                  the Kingdom of God is close at hand
                  repent (meta-noia = make a U-turn)
                  and believe (make a decision)
and exactly this happens in the Bar-Timaeus story
and surly in many life-stories.

1.) The blind and sidelined person is not satisfied any more with his/her situation;
dreaming about seeing, about a greater participation with the fulness of Life.
The person feels: the own situation is not the will of God or the person ist not
ready any more to accept this situation as the will of God.
But who and where to find a healer? who brings him/her on the way...
(Only the one who discover the srength / the will to get more Life will be able to quit the underdevelopment)

2.) X got to know JvN as saviour and full of pity etc...  and as Jesus really crosses
his way X has decided that Jesus may be his saviour.
(how important is it to keep Jesus Christ in discourse; to discover the life-style of Jesus as an attractive offer... )

3.) X is going public with his decision - against the public-wish; but X got now the attention of Jesus.
(In many parts of the world it's not wished to go public with God and Jesus;
God is only a private affair)

4.) Jesus calls X - and the disciples inform X and give courage.
(It's exactly the task of the New-Evangelisation, of the Parish-programme etc...)

5.) X throws off the stigma, makes a jump into the new situation and approaches Jesus.
(steps everyone has to do; conditions of fellowship)

6.) "What do you want me to do for you?"  asks the one, who's service is to bring fulness of Life. And X decided: "let me see again".
(the possibility "to see again" is already given - no need for a wonder!
only: you must take steps)

7.) But now Jesus didn't perform any wonder, the contrary:
Jesus reveals: "your trust has saved you".
(The meaning of trust; the trust-education in early childhood; the trust as
basic of relationships...)

8.) X, now understanding and not any more sidelined, is able to follow Jesus and
goes on the way.
(A way we read as we observe the life of Saints).

Q + A (faith + service)

Q 01) Is faith in the mystery of God a real service to the Common-Good ?
A       Yes, as far as you represent the love of God for the world.
Q 02) Is faith in Jesus Christ a real service to the Common-Good ?
A       Yes, as far as you live the life-style of JvN.
Q 03) Is faith in the Holy Spirit a real service to the Common-Good ?
A       Yes, as far as you are inspired by the spirit of love and peae.

Q 10) Is it possible to do a service to the Holy Mystery of God ?
A        - still outstanding -  pls wait a moment!

Sun 29 B (21.10.12) Mk 10.35-45

The "Son of Man" himself did not come to be served - but to serve.

Looking around today, we discover: it's now a public theory:
           "govern means to serve".
Nearly every Government, but also the Pope and the Bishops they like to be seen as "public service"; the "Common-Good " (das Gemeinwohl aller) is their goal; good service is highly appreciated.
Only later, on the strategical level, if you ask: HOW to achieve the "Common-Good" -
here is still the place of many conflicts. It's the same in the Church: HOW to serve the salvation of the World - there are very different answers. HOW the Christians Churches are contributing to the "Common-Good" of Namibia? The Churches deliver a real Service? - to the people, to the Nation?

MY conviction is:
A) Christians do a real service to the "Common-Good" as far as they represent,
as they live the Mystery of God.
B) As less you know about the Mystery of God as more your faith is a real contribution to the salvation of Namibia.If you know God and his will too well -
HOW do you present the MYSTERY ???  Your knowledge makes you unfit!

Sun 28 B (14.10.2012) Mk 10.17-30

What a joy to see: a young rich man asks for Life-quality. And exactly such an "asking for..." is for Christianity so important, that the question comes up again and again... (Mt 19.16-22; Lk 18.188-23; Lk 10.25-37) and in all the years never disappeared.
The first answer is very clear: "Keep the commandments". Because the "10 commandments of God from Sinai" are seen as the conditions for humanity to survive. The Human-Righs of today are a secular development of the commandments. In the secular Constitution of Namibia the Human-Rights have a good place (Chapter 3; articles 5-25!) If they are kept well and granted really - the life of many Namibians will improve.

But God has not only given naked Life - He challenges all of us to participate with the fulness of Life. And the rich is the one who has already got a share. Now Jesus shows the first principle for the increase in Life-quality: SHARING
Not only don't steal - but share your riches!
Not only don't lie     - but speak (share your knowledge; experiences)
Not only don't break marriage - but share table and bed.
If you don't share somewhere - you deprive humanity of Life-quality.

In our "Arts-Performance-Centres" we promote Life-quality - but only because
some rich people share their riches with us.

Sun 27 B (07.10.12) "Great FAITH"

1.) Today the Catholic Church opens in Rom a World-Bishops-Synode.
300 Bishops are looking after a strategy for a NEW EVANGELISATION.
They like to strengthen the Catholic Belief in our World of today.

2.) On the 11.10.12 the Catholic Church celebrates the opening of the Council Vaticanum II exactly 50 years ago. 2500 Bishops and a lot of experts came together in Rom to concentrate on the CHURCH: Pope XXIII has asked for an
aggiornamento - to make the CHURCH able to bring the GOOD NEWS to the World of today.

3.) Pope Benedict will open for the whole Catholic CHURCH the "YEAR of FAITH"
and invite all CATHOLICS to deepen and renew their own faith.

As Post-Vatican-Catholics (PVC) we may concider again the subjects of the
Great COUNCIL and of the SYNODE:

A) How do you see the CHURCH? Do you feel you are CHURCH?
Can you see the CHURCH as the "people of God" on a pilgrimage?
Can you see the CHURCH as the "sacrament" of salvation for the world?
Can you see the CHURCH as the "Body of Christ" acting in the name of God?
Take the RomCathChurch of Namibia in your view...

B) Going to celebrate the Eucharist or the sacraments - do you feel only as a spectator or as an active participants? Do you understand what we do in the
Holy Liturgy?

C) Do you accept as a Catholic: it's now a human right to choose freely his/her own religion? The State has to facilitate the activities of all Religions.

D) You are ecumenycally engaged? What could we do more as an ecumenical christian body in Namibia?

E) We see today the Jewish People as the older brother of the Christianity
and don't forget: we are living in the same covenant with God.

F) We know since ever: God loves the World...  but we als Christians of today -
how do we show to everybody our love for the World?

G) Today we know 4 resources of revelation: God speaks to the World (it means
to all of us) through the Bible, the tradition, the experiences and the reason.
It means it's not so easy to find out the will of God for the people of today!

H) Which kind of leadership fits best for the CHURCH? A holy dictatorship?
a seculare democracy? a service-leadership?

We are very grateful for the GREAT-COUNCIL - the old belief became a new face
- it was very needed -
but the facelifting has shown: the old belief tunes not any more...