Since I'm back in Namibia (after my refreshing CH-May-Holiday 2016) we have gone
to celebrate the Priesthood in Osire (29.05.2016 with dances, poems and a Braai), in
Fatima (Otjiwarongo 12.06.2016 / with best wishes and a pick-nick ), in Tsumeb (19.06.2016 in St. Barbara + in St. Francis / with a great dinner) and in Okakarara (26.06.2016 / with more people than ever and a pick-nick).
The joy of the Believers has shown me, they appreciate our priestly Service, they are grateful for a good prepared lively Celebration of the Eucharist. I have shown them that a Priest is a mediator for the relationship with God and exactly this Service can best be done only as we have the feeling "we go together the way into the fullness of Life". Without Community a Priest is lost and unable to serve.
We give thanks to God for the Grace to perform (now + here for me for 50 years) the
priestly Service - including all the joys and difficulties, all the experiences and failures.
The Communities have discovered: to be a Priest is a joyful Life-style, a very interesting journey. The song came up again: "The Church must be a sign of Life, a Community serving serving Humanity, Humanity".
The Gospel (Lk 9.57-62 in Okakarara) has proclaimed very clear: for a disciple of Jesus,
the establishment of the Kingdom of God has priority (a new Heaven + a new Earth / where fullness of Life is at hand). It's the Service of the Priest, to remind the Community of this challenge and to accompany the believers into this adventure. The great question: where and when a disciple of Jesus has to prioritise the Kingdom of God - get the clear answer: NOW + HERE.
To live the presence as a chance to establish the Kingdom of God is the brand
of a real disciple.
As a Supervisor of the APC's I have seen again (20.-25.06.2016 in Tsumeb and in Otshikuku) how much the performance of Arts is an exercise to concentrate on this famous HERE + NOW. I wish strongly that the Confirmation-Course in our Parishes and Communities should become an exercise, a training to focus one's attention to the crucial HERE + NOW. The real Life happens HERE + NOW as Jesus said: "The right time is now and the Kingdom of God is now and here at hand" (Mk 1.15)
Montag, 27. Juni 2016
Freitag, 17. Juni 2016
How much do we know Jesus Christ ?
I know myself - somehow ..... - esp. after 77 years of life-experience.
I can tell you some of my skills, strengths, successes, some of my weaknesses, failures...
Jesus also cares about his IMAGE - Lk 9.18-24
Until today it's a good idea to ask people around us,friends and coworkers
"Who do the people say I am" ??? Sure I will learn a lot about me!
They will tell me today what IMAGE I have over-there; of what I'm well known....
but they will not tell me which person, which spirit I'm embody.
(Such a thinking is now rare...)
But exactly this is the very question of Jesus: Which personality (person, spirit, culture)
I represent for you? Jesus is interested to know: "do the people know my secret? "
I give shape, effectiveness, word, presence to whom?
It seems Peter (in the name of the early Church) has well understood the question.
The Apostle Petrus (until today Pope Francis) is convinced "Jesus is the Christ of God".
This proclamation is not easy to understand - we try...
"Christ" means: the anointed of God (by God).
Today we have a lot of "oil" to make the face, the body more beautiful, healthier etc...
we use ointment very often but not in biblical sens.
At confirmation or at ordination ointment is understood as fortify...
But this is not enough. Anointment as a Christian, as a Priest means "embody".
The anointed of God = God is incarnated.
As Christians we believe the Spirit of God is incarnated in Jesus, in the baptised people,
in the Church (and some say: also in Nature and in the Universe).
As the Lord speaks (cf. Zech 12.10-11 "Over the Citizens of Jerusalem I will pour out the spirit of kindness" - we hope these Citizens will accept this spirit and embody the spirit of kindness - what means: to show a kind spirit and a kind behaviour.
After we got the Gospel of today
we are asked a) Do you know Jesus; what answer you may give to the question?
b) Do you know what people say about Jesus?
c) Did you know to be a Christian means
"to embody the Spirit of God in our daily life" ???
I can tell you some of my skills, strengths, successes, some of my weaknesses, failures...
Jesus also cares about his IMAGE - Lk 9.18-24
Until today it's a good idea to ask people around us,friends and coworkers
"Who do the people say I am" ??? Sure I will learn a lot about me!
They will tell me today what IMAGE I have over-there; of what I'm well known....
but they will not tell me which person, which spirit I'm embody.
(Such a thinking is now rare...)
But exactly this is the very question of Jesus: Which personality (person, spirit, culture)
I represent for you? Jesus is interested to know: "do the people know my secret? "
I give shape, effectiveness, word, presence to whom?
It seems Peter (in the name of the early Church) has well understood the question.
The Apostle Petrus (until today Pope Francis) is convinced "Jesus is the Christ of God".
This proclamation is not easy to understand - we try...
"Christ" means: the anointed of God (by God).
Today we have a lot of "oil" to make the face, the body more beautiful, healthier etc...
we use ointment very often but not in biblical sens.
At confirmation or at ordination ointment is understood as fortify...
But this is not enough. Anointment as a Christian, as a Priest means "embody".
The anointed of God = God is incarnated.
As Christians we believe the Spirit of God is incarnated in Jesus, in the baptised people,
in the Church (and some say: also in Nature and in the Universe).
As the Lord speaks (cf. Zech 12.10-11 "Over the Citizens of Jerusalem I will pour out the spirit of kindness" - we hope these Citizens will accept this spirit and embody the spirit of kindness - what means: to show a kind spirit and a kind behaviour.
After we got the Gospel of today
we are asked a) Do you know Jesus; what answer you may give to the question?
b) Do you know what people say about Jesus?
c) Did you know to be a Christian means
"to embody the Spirit of God in our daily life" ???
Montag, 13. Juni 2016
The Power of Forgiveness
A wonderful story HOW JvN embodied the Spirit of God (Lk 7.36-8.3). The Pharisees
are good people: they go every Sunday to Church (Synagogue), they keep all the Ten Commandments and a lot of Rules, they pray a lot, they care for order and for a pious society... one of them had the courage to invite JvN... but a woman (who had a bad name in the whole City) came also in... bringing with her... we know what happened...
The Pharisee didn't sent the bad woman away but he discovered now for sure: this JvN
is not a real Prophet - he knows nothing - and he associates himself with "such people"
and worse: It seems this JvN is of the opinion: if she can show so much love God must
have given her already much love - it means God gave her forgiveness - not to understand!
And now the Sacrilege: In public JvN says: "your sins are forgiven".
This famous word is for us the embodiment of the Spirit of God; JvN makes her conscious what God has done to her.
For us normal pious people (like the Pharisees) - this story is a challenge: Sometimes we should make a jump and go on the level of Jesus Christ... we should say: "I forgive you" (all your sins). Sure we need the law. Reason demands: thieves must be punished... the one who breaks the marriage-bond, the liar, the speed-maniac, the corruption-masters.... they all must be taken to court... you cannot do what ever you like... but for JvN there is an other higher level: after justice comes forgiveness (not revenge). JvN knows better: if you got a hard insult, if you are damaged... you cry for justice - right so - but for your own spiritual health - try to forgive... it's your medicine.
This is the Good News of the Kingdom of God (of the fullness of Life): without forgiveness the relationship will never be restored; great forgiveness opens the door for great love - for the renewal of love. JvN now is well known as the one who forgives - he has spoken the word in public - he is a great Healer of his own personality and of the sinner and of the society. More and more people discover today: Forgiveness is a special contribution of Christianity towards the human evolution.
God is a GIFT - given-present
in the Life I live, in the Love I share, in the Being that I am.
A secular view: living, loving, being become the manifestations of God.
God is a drive to live - where love is present - as enhancer of Life
are good people: they go every Sunday to Church (Synagogue), they keep all the Ten Commandments and a lot of Rules, they pray a lot, they care for order and for a pious society... one of them had the courage to invite JvN... but a woman (who had a bad name in the whole City) came also in... bringing with her... we know what happened...
The Pharisee didn't sent the bad woman away but he discovered now for sure: this JvN
is not a real Prophet - he knows nothing - and he associates himself with "such people"
and worse: It seems this JvN is of the opinion: if she can show so much love God must
have given her already much love - it means God gave her forgiveness - not to understand!
And now the Sacrilege: In public JvN says: "your sins are forgiven".
This famous word is for us the embodiment of the Spirit of God; JvN makes her conscious what God has done to her.
For us normal pious people (like the Pharisees) - this story is a challenge: Sometimes we should make a jump and go on the level of Jesus Christ... we should say: "I forgive you" (all your sins). Sure we need the law. Reason demands: thieves must be punished... the one who breaks the marriage-bond, the liar, the speed-maniac, the corruption-masters.... they all must be taken to court... you cannot do what ever you like... but for JvN there is an other higher level: after justice comes forgiveness (not revenge). JvN knows better: if you got a hard insult, if you are damaged... you cry for justice - right so - but for your own spiritual health - try to forgive... it's your medicine.
This is the Good News of the Kingdom of God (of the fullness of Life): without forgiveness the relationship will never be restored; great forgiveness opens the door for great love - for the renewal of love. JvN now is well known as the one who forgives - he has spoken the word in public - he is a great Healer of his own personality and of the sinner and of the society. More and more people discover today: Forgiveness is a special contribution of Christianity towards the human evolution.
God is a GIFT - given-present
in the Life I live, in the Love I share, in the Being that I am.
A secular view: living, loving, being become the manifestations of God.
God is a drive to live - where love is present - as enhancer of Life
Samstag, 4. Juni 2016
get up to...
Now I'm back in Namibia from our May-CH-Holiday 2016... It was refreshing !!!
We had 3 days full blue sky (like Namibia) 3 days full rain (the whole day) and the other days a good mixture of clouds + sun + rain.
3 times we have gone to celebrate the 50. Jubi of my Priest-Ordination (19.03.1966).
1. At the Parish "Good Shepherd" in the City of Zuerich with the theme "MERCY".
a) God receives us b) God contributes to our human shape c) God let us go into freedom to make our way from Birth to Death d) God will accompany us into all our situations.
The Apero gave me the chance to meet many of the once Youth-Leaders.
2. At the Parish St. Martin in Altdorf / Uri where I was born and ordained. The theme:
"BETWEEN". Jesus has disappeared (Ascension) ... and now ... what are we going to do ?
There was after Church an Apero for all and a lunch for the Lion-Clan and friends.
3. At the Parish "Christ the King" in Kloten ZH with an Orchestra-Mess and the theme:
"EMBODIMENT". After Jesus - we are invited to embody the given Spirit of God. A great Apero gives me the opportunity to meet most of the Parishioners I once have worked with.
The famous slogan of Fr. RR / OMI "cWhat we cease to celebrate we will soon cease
to cherish" shows that I appreciate my 50 year-decision to live as a Priest; I feel it's a challenge and a satisfaction - until today.
After Pentecost we celebrate the Holy Trinity. It means the life of Jesus (and our lives) is
on the one hand embedded in God and on the other hand there is a dynamic relationship between God and JvN ( and us). But - what now is most important - the Feast "CORPUS CHRISTI" (the BODY of Christ) says: Without human embodiment - all the Resurrection,
the Rain of the Holy Spirit (Pentecost) and the Trinity count for nothing. Paulus is such an example: first a strong embodiment for persecution and after his conversion a real interesting embodiment for his new mission (Gal 1.11-17). Paulus is convinced God called him (while he was still in mothers womb) to embody the "Good News", to set the Good News in action, in practice.
Lukas (7.11-17) shows HOW Jesus embodies the Spirit of God in calling the young man of Naim "to get up". Somebody has to call the dead person - if not - the person remains dead for ever. The "Call of God" (Vocation) is nothing or only a narcissistic imagination or arrogance if not embodied into our human communication. We believe: God calls us every day "to get up into the fullness of Life" but somebody has to materialise, to embody this call. The Call must be bodily.... CORPUS CHRISTI.
We had 3 days full blue sky (like Namibia) 3 days full rain (the whole day) and the other days a good mixture of clouds + sun + rain.
3 times we have gone to celebrate the 50. Jubi of my Priest-Ordination (19.03.1966).
1. At the Parish "Good Shepherd" in the City of Zuerich with the theme "MERCY".
a) God receives us b) God contributes to our human shape c) God let us go into freedom to make our way from Birth to Death d) God will accompany us into all our situations.
The Apero gave me the chance to meet many of the once Youth-Leaders.
2. At the Parish St. Martin in Altdorf / Uri where I was born and ordained. The theme:
"BETWEEN". Jesus has disappeared (Ascension) ... and now ... what are we going to do ?
There was after Church an Apero for all and a lunch for the Lion-Clan and friends.
3. At the Parish "Christ the King" in Kloten ZH with an Orchestra-Mess and the theme:
"EMBODIMENT". After Jesus - we are invited to embody the given Spirit of God. A great Apero gives me the opportunity to meet most of the Parishioners I once have worked with.
The famous slogan of Fr. RR / OMI "cWhat we cease to celebrate we will soon cease
to cherish" shows that I appreciate my 50 year-decision to live as a Priest; I feel it's a challenge and a satisfaction - until today.
After Pentecost we celebrate the Holy Trinity. It means the life of Jesus (and our lives) is
on the one hand embedded in God and on the other hand there is a dynamic relationship between God and JvN ( and us). But - what now is most important - the Feast "CORPUS CHRISTI" (the BODY of Christ) says: Without human embodiment - all the Resurrection,
the Rain of the Holy Spirit (Pentecost) and the Trinity count for nothing. Paulus is such an example: first a strong embodiment for persecution and after his conversion a real interesting embodiment for his new mission (Gal 1.11-17). Paulus is convinced God called him (while he was still in mothers womb) to embody the "Good News", to set the Good News in action, in practice.
Lukas (7.11-17) shows HOW Jesus embodies the Spirit of God in calling the young man of Naim "to get up". Somebody has to call the dead person - if not - the person remains dead for ever. The "Call of God" (Vocation) is nothing or only a narcissistic imagination or arrogance if not embodied into our human communication. We believe: God calls us every day "to get up into the fullness of Life" but somebody has to materialise, to embody this call. The Call must be bodily.... CORPUS CHRISTI.
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