No one goes into their spiritual maturity completely of their own accord, or by a totally free choice. We are led by Mystery, which religious people rightly call grace. Most of us have to be cajoled, seduced, or fall into it by some kind of “transgression,” believe it or not, like Jacob finding his birthright through cunning, and Esau losing his by failure (Genesis 27).
If one walks the full and entire journey, such people are considered “called” or “chosen” in the Bible, perhaps “fated” or “destined” in world mythology and literature. But always they are the ones who have heard some deep invitation to “something more,” and who have set out to find it by both grace and daring. Most get little reassurance from others, or even have full confidence that they are totally right. Setting out is always a leap of faith, a risk in the deepest sense of the term, and yet an adventure, too.
(From Richard Rohr, OFM. Falling Upward: A Spirituality for the Two Halves of Life, pp. xvii, xviii, xix)
South Sudan's Challenge
Healing & Reconciliation
Saturday, February 26, 2011
8th Sunday in Ordinary Time (A)
Dhikr for the 8th Sunday in the Ordinary Time (A)
Text: "Consider the sparrow, they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds. Consider the lilies how they grow, they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these" (Mt. 6: 27-28).
Meditation: If God takes such care of the birds in the air, and ensures their feeding, and sees to it that the lilies of the field are magnificently adorned, how much more then will our heavenly Father take pains to see that the disciples shall not go wanting, since they are more precious in the divine sight than the birds of air and the flowers of the field?
DHIKR SIMPLE METHOD
1st step: Write the text or Dhikr (the Arabic word for REMEMBRANCE) in your heart.
2nd step: Let the text remain always in on your lips and mind - RECITING the text silently as often as possible...
3rd step: Be attentive to the disclosure of the meaning/s of the text in your life.
Text: "Consider the sparrow, they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds. Consider the lilies how they grow, they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these" (Mt. 6: 27-28).
Meditation: If God takes such care of the birds in the air, and ensures their feeding, and sees to it that the lilies of the field are magnificently adorned, how much more then will our heavenly Father take pains to see that the disciples shall not go wanting, since they are more precious in the divine sight than the birds of air and the flowers of the field?
DHIKR SIMPLE METHOD
1st step: Write the text or Dhikr (the Arabic word for REMEMBRANCE) in your heart.
2nd step: Let the text remain always in on your lips and mind - RECITING the text silently as often as possible...
3rd step: Be attentive to the disclosure of the meaning/s of the text in your life.
Saturday, February 12, 2011
6th Sunday in Ordinary Time (A)
Dhikr for the 6th Sunday in the Ordinary Time (A)
Text: "You have heard that it was said to your ancestors, 'You shall not kill; and whoever kills will be liable to judgment.' But I say to you, whoever is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment" (Matthew 5:21-22).
Meditation: The Christian disciple consists in the victory over anger, resentment and ill will. The challenge is to go beyond the prescription of the letters of the law, among which is that of not killing.
DHIKR SIMPLE METHOD
1st step: Write the text or Dhikr (the Arabic word for REMEMBRANCE) in your heart.
2nd step: Let the text remain always in on your lips and mind - RECITING the text silently as often as possible...
3rd step: Be attentive to the disclosure of the meaning/s of the text in your life.
Text: "You have heard that it was said to your ancestors, 'You shall not kill; and whoever kills will be liable to judgment.' But I say to you, whoever is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment" (Matthew 5:21-22).
Meditation: The Christian disciple consists in the victory over anger, resentment and ill will. The challenge is to go beyond the prescription of the letters of the law, among which is that of not killing.
DHIKR SIMPLE METHOD
1st step: Write the text or Dhikr (the Arabic word for REMEMBRANCE) in your heart.
2nd step: Let the text remain always in on your lips and mind - RECITING the text silently as often as possible...
3rd step: Be attentive to the disclosure of the meaning/s of the text in your life.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Exodus of Southern Sudanese affects the Catholic Church in the north
By Elario Zambakari
1st February 2011, on the eve of the just concluded Southern Sudan Referendum, thousands and thousands of the internal displaced southern Sudanese who were here in Khartoum and the other big cities in the north started going back to the south.
North Sudan has only two Catholic Dioceses: Khartoum archdiocese and El Obeid. Most of the Christians in these dioceses are southerners and now with the exodus to the south one can tell from the attendance during Sunday masses how Khartoum archdiocese will be without these Christians.
Some of the parishes have been closed due to the fact that the Christians are no longer there. According to Fr. George Gangara, the education secretary of the archdiocese of Khartoum some of the Catholic schools are already closed due to the fact that the students have gone back to the south.
The archdiocese had opened many primary and secondary schools for the internally displaced persons who came from the south with the war had intensified in that region in the early 1990s.
Nearly all the diocesan priests of Khartoum are southerners. Khartoum being the place where Daniel Comboni died, there are more less 30 different Missionary congregations of Priests, Sisters and brothers.
The results from the referendum held from 9-15 January were published on 30 January. The announcement was made from Juba, capital of the future State and based on examination of 100% of votes, 98.83% of the nearly 4,000,000 voters wanted independence.
1st February 2011, on the eve of the just concluded Southern Sudan Referendum, thousands and thousands of the internal displaced southern Sudanese who were here in Khartoum and the other big cities in the north started going back to the south.
North Sudan has only two Catholic Dioceses: Khartoum archdiocese and El Obeid. Most of the Christians in these dioceses are southerners and now with the exodus to the south one can tell from the attendance during Sunday masses how Khartoum archdiocese will be without these Christians.
Some of the parishes have been closed due to the fact that the Christians are no longer there. According to Fr. George Gangara, the education secretary of the archdiocese of Khartoum some of the Catholic schools are already closed due to the fact that the students have gone back to the south.
The archdiocese had opened many primary and secondary schools for the internally displaced persons who came from the south with the war had intensified in that region in the early 1990s.
Nearly all the diocesan priests of Khartoum are southerners. Khartoum being the place where Daniel Comboni died, there are more less 30 different Missionary congregations of Priests, Sisters and brothers.
The results from the referendum held from 9-15 January were published on 30 January. The announcement was made from Juba, capital of the future State and based on examination of 100% of votes, 98.83% of the nearly 4,000,000 voters wanted independence.
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