As Catholics headed toward the midpoint of the Lenten season, Archbishop Patrick Pinder reminded them to turn to scripture as they continue on their journey. He said the words in the gospels are there to encourage, inform, enlighten and console people.
“Turn to these words prayerfully, and receive that enlightenment, that encouragement, and that consolation,” said Pinder during Wednesday’s online midday mass.
Yesterday marked the third week of Lent, which Pinder said he likes to think of as a kind of “spiritual springtime” as people move toward its full bloom at Easter, which is the destination of people’s Lenten journey.
Many Catholics may have made a Lenten resolution and may be coming up on that period where they are struggling to keep their resolution or have even completely fallen from the resolution made; the priest encouraged them to not be disappointed or despair. He said that Lent is a time for people to constantly renew themselves and to start over again by picking themselves up and moving on.
Even those people that may not have made a resolution during this time which he described as one that is “special”, “privileged” and as a “springtime of the spirit” Pinder encouraged people to continue to move towards the goal, which is the journey toward Easter.
“Of course, one of the Lenten disciplines is prayer – and perhaps a very beneficial one is prayerfully reading the sacred scriptures.”
Pinder said it’s a practice that is probably as old as there have been scriptures to read, and that people should engage in the reading prayerfully, which he said from the days of Saint Ambrose of Milan in the fourth century has been more structured, and has become more properly structured now in the form Catholics call Lectio Divina (Latin for “divine reading) – praying prayerfully in stages through the scriptures and allowing words and phrases to speak to them.
Referencing Deuteronomy during his midday Mass and what he termed Moses’ “farewell speech of sorts”, as he had been told by the Lord that he would not cross the Jordan River and enter the Promised Land with the people of Israel – a task for Joshua – Pinder said Moses instructed the people to hear the statuettes and decrees that he was teaching them to observe that they may live and enter in, and take possession of the land that God gave to them.
“Towards the end of the reading, he says take care, be earnest and on your guard, not to forget these things which your own eyes have seen. Don’t let them slip from your memory as long as you live – but teach them to your children and your children’s children. It’s a kind of farewell speech that Moses is giving to the people, not unlike perhaps the kind of talk a mother would give to her children – a child going away perhaps to school or going to start a new job – reminding that child, don’t forget all the values and principles I taught you. Amazing!”
In the next chapter, Deuteronomy 6, is the Ten Commandments, the charter document for living the righteous, virtuous and holy life.
“And we go on to the gospel and we find Jesus saying, ‘Do not think I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have come not to abolish, but to fulfill.’”
Pinder said the fulfilling is seen in the activities that follow what Jesus said. And in the Sermon on the Mount, which he said as it were, is a summation of all the important things that Jesus had to teach.
“Following these words, he would have these activities, which expressed that fulfillment of the law where he says you have heard it said, you shall not kill, but I say you should not even get angry. You have heard it said that you should love your neighbor and hate your enemies, but I say love even your enemies. And of course, this fulfillment of the law comes to its term in the golden rule found also in the Sermon on the Mount – do unto others exactly as you would have them do unto you.”
In Matthew 22, Pinder said you find Jesus in the heat of discussion with the scribes and the Pharisees and being asked about the greatest law, but Jesus summing it up for them by saying that the greatest of the law and the commandments is to love God, and to love your neighbor as yourself.
“So, as we continue our Lenten journey, let us bear in mind that these words are here before us to encourage us, to inform us, to enlighten us, to console us [and] let us turn to these words prayerfully, and receive that enlightenment, that encouragement, and that consolation.”
During his prayer for the faithful, the archbishop prayed that as The Bahamas begins to look toward the COVID-19 vaccine being distributed in the population, that the vaccination process would be done without any hiccups and that it be done well.
He said the position of the Roman Catholic Church as to the vaccines against COVID-19 is that people who are eligible and able to receive the vaccine should do so willingly.
“This is to protect the health of the recipient, the health of those with whom the recipient comes into contact, and especially to protect the most vulnerable for whom infection with this virus could mean serious illness, hospitalization or worse,” said Pinder in a letter dated March 8. “In this regard, receiving the vaccine promotes the common good by protecting an individual’s health, promoting public health and saving lives.”
The Archbishop of Nassau chief noted that the Holy See himself, Pope Francis, had already been vaccinated. Pinder said he intends to receive the vaccine as soon as it becomes available to him.
He also encouraged people to pray for guidance – particularly for those people who have to face difficult and challenging decisions. As well as to pray for those people who may be feeling disappointed, dejected, or alone at this time. He also encouraged prayers for people who have lost loved ones during this period when it is difficult to express our grief in the normal way of celebrating funerals for them and their comfort.
Pinder urged people to continue to be mindful of the fact that the world is still in a pandemic and to remain disciplined, committed, serious and consistent in practicing safety protocols.
The post Enlightenment, encouragement & consolation appeared first on The Nassau Guardian.
source https://thenassauguardian.com/enlightenment-encouragement-consolation/
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