In the first reading (1 Kings 19.16-21) we hear: Elijah is called to call Elisha as his successor - and Elisha has done so. The Gospel (Lk 9.51-62) says:
Jesus called James and John to call the village to host the group on the
way to Jerusalem. The village has refused - und Jesus ordered: no revenge!
In the Bible we have soo many vocation-stories; Jesus himself was a master in calling people to follow him! And really the people felt: "I have a vocation".
Until today the RCC has a strong vocation-system:
All Sacraments are seen as a vocation, esp. Baptism, Ordination and Marriage.
(Confession and the Eucharist are underestimated as vocation).
But to become a religious sister is seen until today as a vocation.
Next to the vocation-system the Church has not developped an internal
democratic system: there is no voting (election) for any Sacrament;
no voting for Catechists, Readers, no voting (election) for Mass-attendance.
The only democratic process the Church has developped is the election of a Pope
and the election of a Parish-Council.
In general: Christians believe: God has called them into Life -
Life is a vocation - (there is no democratic election)!
The RCC has now kept for 2000 years a strong "vocation-spirituality".
We believe and we tell people: God is calling me, God has given me this vocation;
We know God as a "Caller". And I'm convinced: The vocation-system is a very good
system (esp. as it goes to integrate democratic principles).
The problem is: we need people ready to take over the task to be "the calling-voice of God"! to call people into their vocation; to activate the call of God.
God calls through people! Who has today the courage to call people into a specific task! Is this not a weakness of our time? For all we wait to make an election...
I miss in the RCC of today the Vocation-system and the democratic system!
Let's call people to attend Holy Mass - it's a vocation! and let's elect people to represent us at the Holy Mass - it's a privilege.
Donnerstag, 27. Juni 2013
Samstag, 22. Juni 2013
12 Sun C Lk 9.18-24 Do you know Jesus ?
Today we get the famous question: "But you, who do you say I am ?"
Sometimes I also like to know what people think and speak about me!
But about Jesus... we have no personal encounter! We only have decided
to know Jesus as the Church teaches us. It means: we know as Catholics
the "Catholic Jesus". After 2000 years of interpretation - he is a mixture!
Many people have pictured Jesus long after the four Gospels: Franciskus,
Ignatius, Therese, Teilhard de Chardin, now also Prof Ratzinger etc...
today we proclaim this multi-coloured "Jesus" and we try to follow him.
For the exercise to follow him - today - we get three rules:
1.) A precondition! I have to renounce myself - it means: I'm not the ruler
of my Life: I'm not the legislater of myself (Parliament), I'm not the judiciary
(Court) I'm only the executive power of the given situation - the CEO -
to make the best out of me.
2.) Also a precondition: I have to take up my cross. It means: Everybody
has to carry the consequences of his own decisions. That's nature...
3.) Now to follow Jesus means:
a) to take over his project No 1: to establish the kingdom of God.
In all my profession, my business, my social liefe - the kingdom of God may be
the guiding light.
b) to take over his methode: to act nonviolently, narratively, vocatively.
Quite a challenging programme! To perform it we need a Community.
And don't forget: Again and again we have to picture a new and more
biblical "Jesus", acceptable for people of today!
Sometimes I also like to know what people think and speak about me!
But about Jesus... we have no personal encounter! We only have decided
to know Jesus as the Church teaches us. It means: we know as Catholics
the "Catholic Jesus". After 2000 years of interpretation - he is a mixture!
Many people have pictured Jesus long after the four Gospels: Franciskus,
Ignatius, Therese, Teilhard de Chardin, now also Prof Ratzinger etc...
today we proclaim this multi-coloured "Jesus" and we try to follow him.
For the exercise to follow him - today - we get three rules:
1.) A precondition! I have to renounce myself - it means: I'm not the ruler
of my Life: I'm not the legislater of myself (Parliament), I'm not the judiciary
(Court) I'm only the executive power of the given situation - the CEO -
to make the best out of me.
2.) Also a precondition: I have to take up my cross. It means: Everybody
has to carry the consequences of his own decisions. That's nature...
3.) Now to follow Jesus means:
a) to take over his project No 1: to establish the kingdom of God.
In all my profession, my business, my social liefe - the kingdom of God may be
the guiding light.
b) to take over his methode: to act nonviolently, narratively, vocatively.
Quite a challenging programme! To perform it we need a Community.
And don't forget: Again and again we have to picture a new and more
biblical "Jesus", acceptable for people of today!
Freitag, 14. Juni 2013
11 Sun C : the story of FORGIVENESS Lk 7.36-50
The second reading of today (Gal 2.16-21) tells us the new conviction of Paul:
keeping the LAW will not redeem us!
(because it brings no forgiveness and - don't forget: without forgiveness there
is no redemption).
People will get redemption as they decide for Jesus Christ, who is redemption
(and as such witness of God).
The Gospel of today shows us this new conviction of Paul
in a story of Jesus:
A) The Pharisee keeping all the time he LAW is righteous. He also accepts
in theory: pardon brings love; but he himself is not giving signs of Love.
His conviction: keeping the LAW brings redemption!
B) But the sinner-woman is exactly giving the signs of Love, because
she got forgiveness. She is redeemed (performing Love is redemption):
tears as waterdrops clean the feet,
kisses as love-gestures rejoy the heart,
hairs as wind refresh the body,
oil as coronation makes him the chosen one.
C) keep it real... !
In our story it seems Mary of Magdala was able to show her signs of Love to
a real man: JvN, the one who has forgiven her. We hope...
And today ? Some people of today they "love" Jesus in their dreams, in their consciousness. They have a picture of Jesus deep in their heart and they
love this picture (not the real Jesus). This behaviour is good but also a great
question-mark! the picture of Jesus in our heart needs a great attentiveness,
but Love ?
D) The Christian way...
1. We keep the LAW: to make coexistence possible...
2. We forgive: to empower people to love
3. We know: to keep the LAW, to forgive, to love - must be real,
embodied in our daily Life.
keeping the LAW will not redeem us!
(because it brings no forgiveness and - don't forget: without forgiveness there
is no redemption).
People will get redemption as they decide for Jesus Christ, who is redemption
(and as such witness of God).
The Gospel of today shows us this new conviction of Paul
in a story of Jesus:
A) The Pharisee keeping all the time he LAW is righteous. He also accepts
in theory: pardon brings love; but he himself is not giving signs of Love.
His conviction: keeping the LAW brings redemption!
B) But the sinner-woman is exactly giving the signs of Love, because
she got forgiveness. She is redeemed (performing Love is redemption):
tears as waterdrops clean the feet,
kisses as love-gestures rejoy the heart,
hairs as wind refresh the body,
oil as coronation makes him the chosen one.
C) keep it real... !
In our story it seems Mary of Magdala was able to show her signs of Love to
a real man: JvN, the one who has forgiven her. We hope...
And today ? Some people of today they "love" Jesus in their dreams, in their consciousness. They have a picture of Jesus deep in their heart and they
love this picture (not the real Jesus). This behaviour is good but also a great
question-mark! the picture of Jesus in our heart needs a great attentiveness,
but Love ?
D) The Christian way...
1. We keep the LAW: to make coexistence possible...
2. We forgive: to empower people to love
3. We know: to keep the LAW, to forgive, to love - must be real,
embodied in our daily Life.
Mittwoch, 5. Juni 2013
10 Sun C / 09.06.2013 / THE CALL TO LIVE...
In the Old Testament it was the profet Elijah (1 King 17.17-24), in the New
Testament it was the profet JvN - they have shown us: Our God is God of Life!
Very clear JvN has proclaimed in Mk 12.27: His God is God of the living!
The Jahwe God is not only the Creator of Life he is also the CHALLENGER,
as JvN told to the dead man of Nain: "Young man, I tell you to get up".
Therefore - as we believe in God and as we follow Jesus-Christ - we also call
people lo live... to live unto the fullest (John 10.10). God challenges us
to walk the resurrection way towards the fullness of Life.
Once we discussed: what is Life or how is Life ? A fast answer:
50% problem-solving / 25% nothing special / 25% joy
It means a great part of our pilgrimage consists of problem-solving -
Christians are people who have learnt how to solve problems!
a) nail the problem b) look for causes c) draft a solving strategy d) take it on
But - and this is a daily mission - we also may encourage people to solve
their problems. We all need this challenge, somebody who gives us the courage,
to solve our problems... there are too many problems not solved!
Jesus: "I invite you to get up". So many people have not the power, not the skill, not the courage - they find no reason to get up (to solve their problems)..
Often we say: everybody has a vocation! But who is challenging, evoking the
vocation of Life into the fore ?
After the Spirit of Life is poured out, after JvN has given us this his Spirit,
it's a real contribution to every person, to the Church and to the World
as we choose this service:
to invite, to encourage people to participate more with Life...
"come on, we tackle it..."
Testament it was the profet JvN - they have shown us: Our God is God of Life!
Very clear JvN has proclaimed in Mk 12.27: His God is God of the living!
The Jahwe God is not only the Creator of Life he is also the CHALLENGER,
as JvN told to the dead man of Nain: "Young man, I tell you to get up".
Therefore - as we believe in God and as we follow Jesus-Christ - we also call
people lo live... to live unto the fullest (John 10.10). God challenges us
to walk the resurrection way towards the fullness of Life.
Once we discussed: what is Life or how is Life ? A fast answer:
50% problem-solving / 25% nothing special / 25% joy
It means a great part of our pilgrimage consists of problem-solving -
Christians are people who have learnt how to solve problems!
a) nail the problem b) look for causes c) draft a solving strategy d) take it on
But - and this is a daily mission - we also may encourage people to solve
their problems. We all need this challenge, somebody who gives us the courage,
to solve our problems... there are too many problems not solved!
Jesus: "I invite you to get up". So many people have not the power, not the skill, not the courage - they find no reason to get up (to solve their problems)..
Often we say: everybody has a vocation! But who is challenging, evoking the
vocation of Life into the fore ?
After the Spirit of Life is poured out, after JvN has given us this his Spirit,
it's a real contribution to every person, to the Church and to the World
as we choose this service:
to invite, to encourage people to participate more with Life...
"come on, we tackle it..."
Samstag, 1. Juni 2013
Corpus Christi - the great CHANGE / empowering
Level 1 of the great Change:
What we ask for - praying the "Our Father..." - Jesus is fulfilling this prayer
as he gives to the crowd the daily bread, empowering the people to perform
a natural Life. This "bread giving activity" we keep somewho going by our economy-system of today; it is fundamental.
Level 2 of the great Change:
Jesus gives himself as "bread and wine" empowering us to perform a Christian Life.
He knows: a person is bread. But he likes to become bread for everybody, bread
for the Life of the World. This Change we keep going by our Evangelization.
Level 3 of the great Change:
Paulus reminds us (1 Cor 11.23-26), that he received from the Lord:
do this significant action as a memorial (of Jesus).
This significant action means: taking, breaking the bread / thanking God /
saying: "this is my body, which is for you" / animating: "do this as a memorial of me"
In the eucharistic celebration we perform this memorial, empowering us to give thanks to God. But in the same celebration we also empower Jesu Word to become for us now the Word of God and the bread to become for us this Person as Bread of God.
The Spirit without Body is lost.We have to build up the Body and care for...
again and again as a working-field to be inspired by the Holy Spirit.
The feast of today reminds us to care well for the Body of Christ.
What we ask for - praying the "Our Father..." - Jesus is fulfilling this prayer
as he gives to the crowd the daily bread, empowering the people to perform
a natural Life. This "bread giving activity" we keep somewho going by our economy-system of today; it is fundamental.
Level 2 of the great Change:
Jesus gives himself as "bread and wine" empowering us to perform a Christian Life.
He knows: a person is bread. But he likes to become bread for everybody, bread
for the Life of the World. This Change we keep going by our Evangelization.
Level 3 of the great Change:
Paulus reminds us (1 Cor 11.23-26), that he received from the Lord:
do this significant action as a memorial (of Jesus).
This significant action means: taking, breaking the bread / thanking God /
saying: "this is my body, which is for you" / animating: "do this as a memorial of me"
In the eucharistic celebration we perform this memorial, empowering us to give thanks to God. But in the same celebration we also empower Jesu Word to become for us now the Word of God and the bread to become for us this Person as Bread of God.
The Spirit without Body is lost.We have to build up the Body and care for...
again and again as a working-field to be inspired by the Holy Spirit.
The feast of today reminds us to care well for the Body of Christ.
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