The Lord's Prayer from a Justice Perspective - CANCELLED

IN CONSIDERATION OF THE PRESENTER'S HEALTH, THIS PROGRAM HAS BEEN CANCELLED

At the very heart of the Lord's Prayer is the reality of the kingdom of God.   It represents God's vision of the abundant life for humanity, a life that is really meaningful in a society worthy of human beings.  It also constitutes the basic vocation of every disciple of his:  "But strive first for the kingdom of God and God’s righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well" (Mt. 6:33; Lk. 12:31). 

Divine "righteousness" points to the most important and, today, severely tested Christian concern of social justice -- a recognition of the dignity and rights of one's neighbours or the concern for fellow human beings in the societies in which we live.   Because of this, the Lord's Prayer is worth exploring as starting point and, perhaps, even as a framework in discussing justice matters which the 1971 Synod of Bishops declared as "a constitutive dimension of the preaching of the Gospel."

This two-part presentation will explore both how social justice is rooted in the Lord's Prayer and how it is expressive of social justice. In examining its various petitions from this particular viewpoint, we gain insight into the "why" and the "what" of social justice.

Presenter

José M. de Mesa is a lay theologian, recognized as one of the most important theologians of the world today by the Missionwissenschaftliches Missio in Aachen, Germany. He is presently a University Fellow at De La Salle University, Manila and a Professor of Applied Theology at the Inter-Congregational Theological Centre in the Philippines. He also teaches regularly in Theological Union in Chicago and East Asia Pastoral Institute and is a published author.

Thinking Theologically - Why? How? - CANCELLED

IN CONSIDERATION OF THE FACILITATOR'S HEALTH, THIS PROGRAM HAS BEEN CANCELLED

Life is filled with decisions to be made whether these are matters that are personal, communal or societal.  Such decisions are influenced by certain beliefs and values that people presuppose.  This is true for both people of faith and those who do not believe.

How then is the Christian different when quite often such decisions are made without any reference to or consideration of what one believes.  Financial decisions may rely simply on economic data and opinions.  The use of money is, for instance, ordinarily not seen in the light of faith.  Social decisions may be based on one’s knowledge of society and social relations.  What influences one’s affective life may draw mainly from insights gained from psychology.  Faith, while claimed to be supremely important in Christian life, often hardly affects decisions that Catholics make.  Faith then turns out to be inoperative in practice.  It is merely given lip service.

Theologizing or doing theology is what enables every Catholic and the church as a whole to see the necessary connections between life and faith.  It is the process of deliberately and consciously relating faith to human experiences so that the former can impact the latter.  Far from an activity engaged into only by church professionals like the clergy and religious brothers or sisters, theological reflection is part and parcel as well as the responsibility of being a Christian for the following reasons.

First, doing theology enables us to rationally comprehend what we believe.
While faith is not based on reason, it is not irrational.  To learn in theology that apart from being called “Father,” for instance, God is also regarded as “mother” is to discover the church’s judicious use of human language to comprehend who God is for us.  To provide a further example, such thoughtful reflection would probe into the rights and responsibilities of every member of the church arising from baptism as the fundamental vocation of Christians. 

Second, reflecting theologically strengthens our faith by deepening our understanding of it.
To understand why Catholics gather for the Eucharist on Sundays, not merely to fulfil an obligation but to experience their being church, is a good example.  Being able to articulate theologically the significance of what we practice actually deepens our sense of faith.

Third, to do theology is to intentionally relate the faith to the challenges of our contemporary globalized world.
Is occasional financial help to the poor all that our faith requires of us today as the official church sees it?  Is environmental irresponsibility indeed a new form of sinfulness?  Are our cultural traditions as distinct peoples of any importance in being Catholic?  What has Catholicism to do with people of other faiths?  How should we regard and relate to them as believers?

Those who follow Jesus are asked to love God not only with their whole heart, but also with their whole mind.  Engaging in serious theological reflection is an expression of our love for God.

About the facilitator

José M. de Mesa, a lay theologian, is recognized as one of the most important theologians of the world today by the Missionwissenschaftliches Missio in Aachen, Germany. He is presently a University Fellow at De La Salle University, Manila and a Professor of Applied Theology at the Inter-Congregational Theological Centre in the Philippines. He also teaches regularly in Theological Union in Chicago and East Asia Pastoral Institute and is a published author.

The Power of Silence: Participants' comments

Fr Sebastian Painadath’s session held at Luther Center on 22nd and 23rd April, 2012

Below is a compilation of the various participants' comments received, using the actual phrases found in the evaluation forms.

A.    Regarding aspects or components most helpful in facilitating the meditative process

1. Overall guidance and slow explanation given by the facilitator like oneness with earth, body, breath, rootedness like the tree to the ground……the symbols and images.
2. The practice time for meditation, the silence, the gong, the ambiance and conducive environment, guidance during the meditation sessions and the step by step process to go into quiet and silence within the stillness
3. The Jesus-Om-Jesus chant
4. The reference to the scriptures, the tree metaphor for the trinity
5. The inner landscape diagram, the levels of consciousness, psyche and heart/inner space
6. The calmness of the guru, making the message and the person one
7. The Q & A sessions helped
8. The idea of cosmic consciousness and the comparison of similarities of religions helped in meditating effectively.

B.    What the participants took away from the 2-day workshop

1. A beautiful experience – the gift to be silent and the grace to meditate everyday.
2. Finding myself one with the Divine and the interconnectedness of humanity and everything in this world/universe. It is profound and beyond imagination, yet logical.
3. Starting and practicing meditation daily – deepening the process….with more discipline…
4. A lot of new knowledge…..and more questions!
5. This is my first such retreat…I feel it is a primer and that if I take off on it, I would be prepared for more.
6. The understanding of the Trinity ….the image of the tree in relation to the god in us.
7. The transforming power of silence…..
8. Meditation requires patience and perseverance….it is a journey of development, meditation is for me.,,,, compassion can result from the process.
9. Peace! Not to expect anything but to trust god’s presence in me.
10. The fellowship shared among friends

C Additional Comments
 
Positive:

• Good food and place
• Beautifully organized – with grace and harmony
• Very well managed sessions by the organizers.
• Venue is excellent, food nourishing, well-prepared. Thank you and God bless the organisers.
• Organisers were so professional! Food was excellent!

 Negative:

• Q&A tend to go off context……also too long at times and took     away time that could have been used for meditation……could it be better to write down the questions and pass to Fr so that questions are not irrelevant?
• Lunch was not spicy enough.
• Silence was broken
• Not too comfortable with the Hindu word “om”
• Bit too much to digest in 2 days
• Understood better on the second day!
• Extend to 3 days to give more meditation practice
• Should make it stay-in, if possible
• Get more 20-40 age-group to attend

Fr Sebastian

• Thank you Fr Sebastian – love the simple and profound content of        both the books. Your divine presence spoke to us deeply.
• Father is extremely respectful and appreciative of ancient traditions  and other religions– if people of the world could do this, it would be a peaceful world!
• Fr Painadath is certainly a great scholar! His theoretical explanations are clear and effective. He is very knowledgable about spirituality and hence speaks with firmness, yet with humility.
• Fr Sebastian is wonderful at explaining the process of meditation

For TTL

•   Thank God for TTL!!! Please keep up the good work!
•   Thank you to the organizers for your vision to bring a person like Fr Sebastian
•   All participants resoundingly said “YES” to continuing this session.

Journeying with Jesus (Gospel of John): Participants' comments

Fr Sebastian Painadath’s session held at Luther Center on 20th and 21st April, 2012

Below is a compilation of the various participants' comments received, the actual phrases found in the evaluation forms.

A.  Regarding aspects or components most helpful in understanding the Gospel:

1. The diagrams, levels of consciousness, moving deeper from ego to essence
2. Gospel references, meaning of the Gospel, beautiful insights and interpretations of St John by Fr Painadath
3. Imagery, symbols and metaphors (especially of the tree, the well ) to go deeper into self
4. Understanding the triune god, the trinity through these imagery and symbols
5. Deeper understanding of our inner life, the inward journey,  taking responsibility for my own growth
6. Meditation guidance, coming into the presence of god
7. Calling me to be divine, divinisation of self

B. Regarding the most important learning:

A number of participants repeated what is in A above. Here are what was written differently by some individuals.

1. That we ….. can grow the Christ within ourselves…..be a channel of the Divine
2. Understanding the depth of meaning in St John……that divinity can be attained by anyone regardless of race and religion…..with plurality of acceptance…we are one in our humanity and with       god…living in harmony with creation and people of other faiths.
3. The cosmic Christ…..this universal cosmic oneness is beautiful and profound
4. How the Church Institution can hijack the wisdom of Jesus and deprive the people of their consciousness!
5. Not to remain in the mental area but go deeper down and draw from the rivers of living water, and into the spirit level.
6. Being a disciple of Christ versus being a Christian

C. Additional Comments, Requests:

For Fr Sebastian

1. Thank you Father for your wisdom and insights into John. We thank you very much.
2. A bit more of group sharing needed.
3. Fr Sebastian is a gifted teacher. We should get him to do more talks, retreats……need for more people to be exposed to “being” than “doing”…for growth.
4. More Bible trainings, scripture study especially on Paul’s letters needed.
5. Can we invite Fr Sebastian for a session on Christ and Other  Religions?

For TTL

1. Well-planned, pleasant venue.
2. Lovely center-piece in hall
3. A good retreat for me.
4. Thank you, organizers!

D. Everyone answered "Yes" to the question regarding recommending this session to friends and family, and 2 participants had the following to add:

a)    Yes. Give a clearer picture of the contemplative aspects of our faith journey
b)    Yes, but they (friends and family) must be ready – only in His time.