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April 04, 2005
Annunciation
Today, Catholics celebrate the Feast of the Annunciation - moved to this date because this year, Good Friday fell on March 25. The intense coincidence of events is dizzying - the passing of John Paul II, Divine Mercy Sunday, the continuing Easter season, and the Feast of the Annunciation.
This is one of the many reasons some of us revel in being part of this Church - the faith in which we live, breath and grow is so much more than just the experience of the present moment. It's an ancient jewel, a well-polished glass through which the events of the present moment are so much more than they may seem on the surface, as light from the centuries, from Scripture, from tradition, shines on these events, these moments, illuminating them, bringing out meaning that, on our own, we're too limited to see. We're not just individual believers, sitting in a room with our Bibles, or even in our church down the street with its decade-old history in a single, culturally-constrained corner of the world.
We consider the death of a Pope, but because of who we are and the deep waters in which we swim, we also consider so much more:
-Our own stance on suffering and mortality. Yesterday during Mass, the words in the Eucharistic Prayer, "...a death he freely accepted" struck me like thunder. The meaning of Jesus' acceptance of death - the sentence for sin, accepted by the sinless one - is slightly different than the acceptance of death by the rest of us, but still, it stands as a most challenging question: Do we freely accept the fact of our mortality - the urgency and importance mortality bestows on our time on earth, as well as the promise beyond what seems, to our doubting eyes, like darkness?
-What we have said to God, as he invites us to do his will. We think of the life of the Pope as a script, partly because it is, indeed, so dramatic. But it wasn't a script. Karol Wotyla had choices every step of the way, just as we do. What did he respond? What is mine?
-John Paul II forgave the man who tried to kill him. He begged forgiveness, on behalf of us all, from the Jewish people. Mercy, the gift of God's love and forgiveness, was central to his ministry, a truth that those who would like to characterize him as a simplistic "authoritarian" fail to see. Divine Mercy is simply that love of God, a love that allows us to live in freedom - true freedom - no longer enslaved to the past, to our sins, or to our sinful inclinations. The refusal to forgive enslaves us. The refusal to be forgiven enslaves us as well. Do you want to be free? Mercy.
-He is Risen...this is the Gospel. The Gospel is not, as some of us seem to think, "be nice." Or even "help other people." No...even the pagans know they are to be nice and help others. It is natural law, built into the human heart. The Gospel is something even more: Jesus life with us now, nourishing us in grace - God's life - bringing us into intimacy with God and giving us the strength - and the responsiblity - to share that Good News with the world. This is the Way - the way beyond mourning for all that binds and saddens us in this life. The way beyond cold darkness. As we view the body of John Paul II, already on its way to dust, we remember, as we hear the Scriptures and pray the prayers, that this is Easter, and in Christ, death has no power, no sting, no victory.
And we do all of this - we ponder all of this and more, we try to deepen our understanding and the way we live it all - not alone, but with billions of others, past and present, disciples and pilgrims, grateful for what the life of John Paul II taught us, and looking to the future for where God will lead us next.
Posted by Amy Welborn | Permalink
Comments
Beautiful Amy, thank you.
It is amazing when you consider the timing of his death. Within the Octave of Easter. On the vigil of Divine Mercy Sunday. I was struck, during Mass yesterday, by the second reading, from the letter of St. Peter, and the Gospel story of (doubting) Thomas.
I didn't know much about St. Faustina and Divine Mercy prior to this but after reading up on it I was astounded to see that JPII died on the final day, when we are to pray for those who are lukewarm.
I am lukewarm! Far too often. JPII was not.
God bless him for so many things, especially his ability to continue teaching all of us.
Posted by: Cheryl at Apr 4, 2005 10:11:20 AM
I am only a fairly recent revert to the church. At almost 53 years old I spent the better part of my life "seeking"...
Now I am home. The beauty of the ritual overwhelms me. I am joined to this line-- to this family-- to the saints in heaven. The gap between us narrows. And I weep with you, my brothers and sisters in Christ for the beauty of the man called Papa. A life offered in service to his Lord. That I/we would give even just a portion...we would see the beginning of heaven on earth.
Grieve and rejoice. We are being made new.
Posted by: step by step at Apr 4, 2005 10:50:05 AM
Ohmigosh! That was beautiful. You articulated everything I've been feeling for days.
Thank you.
Posted by: Toni at Apr 4, 2005 10:56:33 AM
AMEN Amy. Thank you.
Posted by: Jenny at Apr 4, 2005 12:03:33 PM
Thank you so much, Amy.
I could not help but think of how united our Church is now in mourning. I pray that we remain in such unity so we can act like the Church as described within the first reading yesterday (rather than Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5).
I pray that each of us pays greater attention to the annunciations each of us receives.
Posted by: Fr. Shawn O'Neal at Apr 4, 2005 12:16:31 PM
Thanks, Amy -- As Toni said, you've verbalized things so many of us are feeling these days. This morning I went to check out the pet food store for some cat food, and got talking with the owner, a Jewish lady. The chat led to the Pope's death, and she said she felt a tremendous sadness at his passing, and praised him as a man who crossed so many boundaries with his loving attitude. Just goes to show you, once again, how much difference JPII made in his lifetime. Along with the sadness and sense of loss, I also feel joy for him, as he is now "home". There's also a small tinge of pride (God forgive me, LOL) in belonging to a church that has such a rich communal heritage. Just another reason that being Catholic is so great. Thanks again.
Posted by: Pat Gonzalez at Apr 4, 2005 2:12:42 PM
The Eastern rites did not move the feast, keeping it on Good Friday, which itself made for rich layers of meaning.
Posted by: JACK at Apr 4, 2005 2:26:09 PM
Tim Cavanaugh of Reason magazine, of all places, notes that it was also a first Saturday.
It's interesting that the Divine Mercy coincidence has made so little impact in the mainstream press. On the few occasions when it was brought up on TV, it was usually by George Wiegel or someone else from the Catholic press. There was a posthumous papal document commemorating the feast issued yesterday, but an article mentioning it just called it a "second Sunday of Easter letter." Today's Providence Journal had a picture of mourners standing in front of a giant "Gesu, confido in te" poster, but the caption made no mention of the poster.
Posted by: James Kabala at Apr 4, 2005 2:38:25 PM
Did the Byzantine Rite simply replace the services for Good Friday with those for the Annunciation, as is the traditional practice when Good Friday falls on the March 25?
Posted by: George at Apr 4, 2005 3:08:32 PM
No, the Slavic Byzantines merely layered the services, i.e. they had both. The Melkites or Byzantines from the Middle East however did move the Annunciation to the Monday after Easter I believe.
Posted by: John at Apr 4, 2005 3:13:48 PM
No, the Slavic Byzantines merely layered the services, i.e. they had both. The Melkites or Byzantines from the Middle East however did move the Annunciation to the Monday after Easter I believe.
Posted by: John at Apr 4, 2005 3:16:16 PM
Very well written Amy, especiallythe second paragraph "This is one of the many reasons..."
Thank you and God bless you and all your good work for the faith.
Posted by: Chris Sullivan at Apr 4, 2005 4:36:39 PM
George Weigel and many others have written about the "surprises" of John Paul II's pontificate, starting from his unexpected election. Most of us have followed John Paul II's words and actions rather closely, but, if we reflect on his life once more, I think that we will be struck by some surprises. One of them might be John Paul II's commitment to ecumenical and interreligious initiatives.
Perhaps, then, on this Feast of the Annunciation, we can recall some of the Holy Father's words, especially about Mary, at a mosque in Damascus:
"The fact that we are meeting in this renowned place of prayer reminds us that man is a spiritual being, called to acknowledge and respect the absolute priority of God in all things. Christians and Muslims agree that the encounter with God in prayer is the necessary nourishment of our souls, without which our hearts wither and our will no longer strives for good but succumbs to evil.
"Both Muslims and Christians prize their places of prayer, as oases where they meet the All Merciful God on the journey to eternal life, and where they meet their brothers and sisters in the bond of religion. When, on the occasion of weddings or funerals or other celebrations, Christians and Muslims remain in silent respect at the other’s prayer, they bear witness to what unites them, without disguising or denying the things that separate. ...
"As we make our way through life towards our heavenly destiny, Christians feel the company of Mary, the Mother of Jesus; and Islam too pays tribute to Mary and hails her as 'chosen above the women of the world' (Quran, III:42). The Virgin of Nazareth, the Lady of Saydnâya, has taught us that God protects the humble and 'scatters the proud in the imagination of their hearts' (Lk 1:51). May the hearts of Christians and Muslims turn to one another with feelings of brotherhood and friendship, so that the Almighty may bless us with the peace which heaven alone can give. To the One, Merciful God be praise and glory for ever. Amen."
Thanks.
Neil
Posted by: Neil at Apr 4, 2005 6:16:07 PM
From today's Office of Readings: "Why do the nations protest and the peoples grumble? Kings on earth rise up, princes plot together. The one enthroned in heaven laughs. 'I myself have installed my king on Zion, my holy mountain.'" (Ps. 2: 1-2, 4, 6.)
From Evening Prayer: "What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we looked upon and touched with our own hands, for the life was made visible; we have seen it and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life that was with the Father and was made visible to us, that we have seen and heard we proclaim now to you." (1 John 1:1-3.)
Posted by: BoB Kovacs at Apr 4, 2005 7:33:24 PM
Gabriel's "Be not afraid" was, of course, one of the first verses the pope quoted when he took office. I've never been through a conclave before, so it's a good reminder of providence and a counter to my trepidations.
Posted by: Kevin Jones at Apr 4, 2005 7:44:50 PM
the feast of the annunciation is also the main Marian feast for those who live the total consecration of St Louis de Montfort. This consecration was not only central in the Pope's personal spirituality, but the "Marian Dimension" of the Mystery of Christ was central to his teachings and his theological reflections. After all these years, many still see his Marian teachings as just his personal devotion, and do not yet grasp the central part they play in his understanding of Christ and the Church. these insights that he teaches, he always credited from his reading and living the "True Devotion" of St Louis de Montfort.
Posted by: patrick at Apr 4, 2005 10:07:41 PM
pope john11 well be missed i feel he was a man that wanted every body to just love god and to have pecae in this world i know that i well miss him but know that he is in good hands and you did a good job amy
Posted by: suzanne at Apr 4, 2005 10:49:04 PM
To jog memories:
Papal Prophecies - End Days - St. Malachy
"#9. The Glory of the Olive. The Order of St. Benedict has said this Pope will come from their order. It is interesting that Jesus gave his apocalyptic prophecy about the end of time from the Mount of Olives. This Pope will reign during the beginning of the tribulation Jesus spoke of. The 111th prophesy is "Gloria Olivae" (The Glory of the Olive). The Order of Saint Benedict has claimed that this pope will come from their ranks. Saint Benedict himself prophesied that before the end of the world his Order, known also as the Olivetans, will triumphantly lead the Catholic Church in its fight against evil"
Could there be the possibility that the next Pope comes from the Lombardy Region (a symbolic region for the Olivetans), if you follow St. Benedict? To my knowledge, there is no one from the College of Cardinals that was a Benedictine except a 94 yr old and he is exempt from papal election. If this is the case then Italian Cardinal Dionigi Tettamanzi born in Renate, Milan in the Lombard region of Italy - known for the Olivetans, may be a significant choice. If you read deeper about the Olivetans you will see what I am talking about - The base of the Swiss Alps is the Lake Como area, Lombard region and a stone's throw from Milan (less than 25 miles - about 20 minutes by automobile) and may fit the profile for #9. He is also a Pisces (date of birth 3/14/1934) and has very excellent trends for Pope-dome!
It is symbolic and appropriate that JPII died within 5 days of a solar eclipse (4/8/05), since he was born on 5/18/1920, the day of a solar eclipse!! The funeral/burial will occur on the solar eclipse (4/8/2005) and the Conclave will be between 2 eclipses- a solar (4/8/05)and lunar 4/24/05 - which are significant benchmarks in time! If a Pope is elected in this time period it would indicate an unstable papalcy. (Remember there was a solar eclipse at the time of the crucifixion (JPII wanted passages of this read while on his death-bed) and the earth rumbled. Earthquakes(rumbling earth) usually occur very near eclipses - not always, but a good many do - and they are 6.5 and above on the Richter scale!
There is talk of JPII being beatified/canonized because he was so effective throughout the world! (Not to say there weren't rumblings within the leadership, that his reign was way too long and disagreements were abound).
This is definitely a time of TRIBULATION for the Catholic Church with the scandal of so many priests being pedophiles! This issue is still sensitive as the Vatican did not handle this appropriately. A true breakdown of the Catholic church is occurring - and who can save the it??? How do you undo something like that?
Hence we go back to the Prophecies foretelling of this issue! IMHO there hasn't been a major TRIBULATION of this nature since the Inquisition and the 3 Popes in the 13th (I think) century!
Pope John Paul II will be missed - I loved his charisma and the work he did in forgiveness and reaching out to other religions - which some Church officials thought a sign of weakness for the Church, but to me and others, this was his strength!
Posted by: Pat at Apr 4, 2005 11:17:09 PM
Amy: " Yesterday during Mass, the words in the Eucharistic Prayer, "...a death he freely accepted" struck me like thunder."
On Friday evening we celebrated an impromptu Mass for the Pope (I had just came back from a brief vacation). I broke down at the part of the Eucharistic Prayer where I pray "for John Paul our Pope." I knew it would be the last time I ever said those words.
After Mass, we prayed the Litany for a Happy Death. I broke down again at these words:
V. He has truly borne our sorrows,
R. And He has carried our griefs.
We'll never see another man like him. We sang the Salve for him at all the Masses this weekened.
Fr. Paul Williams, pastor, OLPH, Carrollton, GA
Posted by: Fr. Paul Williams at Apr 4, 2005 11:32:21 PM
Death. Life. Feast days crowded into one another. Good Friday and the Annunciation on one date. Endless debates on the extent of the first two topics. Catholicism On Display as never before in my mid-Baby Boomer lifetime. More impressed than ever with the 2100 Cell Phone Salute- the hundreds of young people taking cell phone pix of John Paul while his pallbearers carried his remains. If I'm a liberal politician, an aging radical academic, an executive of Planned Parenthood, or one of the GoGo60s Catholic dissidents who sprout like dandelions at these events.....I'm afraid. Very afraid.
Posted by: Gerard E. at Apr 5, 2005 7:31:31 AM
I feel the great loss of this man John Paul II to an extent i was not aware i would react so strongly to. I took his presence for granted as if he would never leave us, always be there with his beautiful smile and loving words. His love for the children has always amazed me. I believe he knew they will keep our Church as Christ himself believed. they are our future. There were many days in my life they I didn't think about the Pope unless I saw or read something about Him. He was such a prsence in my life I would like to believe I didn't need to see His picture everday I just knew he was always there. I have felt many times my faith has never left me but maybe I was leaving it. Never again will that happen. My faith in God has been renewed, invigorated and deepened beyond my own understanding. I am overjoyed upon walking out of my own desert and feeling whole again. I will miss Him forever but I know in my heart He will hear all my shortcomings and help me through the dark days of my life. Thank You
God for sending us such a man.
Posted by: marylou dexter at Apr 5, 2005 8:33:07 AM
I am deply sadden by his death, I grew up knowing him and I am very sad that he is gone, I will always remember him. His death has made me cry as if it was a grand parent of mines. We will always remember you as our favorite Pope and I ask for your blessing and for a very special space for you next to God.
Posted by: Ana at Apr 5, 2005 10:36:30 AM
I am not Catholic but have always admired and held John Paul II in great esteem. I have not always agreed with some of the more conservative aspects. I too feel a great loss and have shed tears for his passing. I truly believe that the world is a better place because of his life and work.
Posted by: Frieda at Apr 5, 2005 5:24:18 PM
The sixth seal is about to be broken -- Be prepared.
Posted by: I Am at Apr 18, 2005 8:26:12 AM
