By Jonathan Pinto
No, this is not about receiving Holy Communion at Mass. It is about the communion among the congregants. One of the most beautiful and least discussed aspects of Mass is the connection, togetherness, and community that is formed among the congregants at every Mass. People may not know one another, and may not interact before, after, or during (if the “sign of peace” is skipped, as it sometimes is), but their mere presence at the Eucharist unites them. And of course if they regularly attend the same service, these bonds can become very strong.
As you know, most weekdays I attend the 10 am Mass at the Brompton Oratory in South Kensington, London. Over the weeks, among others, I’ve noticed a somewhat distinguished looking and casually-though-smartly dressed gentleman at the Mass. And I also observed that he never went up to receive Holy Communion. Two weeks ago, I noticed him as I entered and the thought crossed my mind - I wonder why he doesn’t receive Holy Communion, let me pray for him at this Mass. Lo and behold, at Communion time, he walked up to the altar rail and received Communion. Yes, it could be a coincidence, but as I heard Joel Osteen say in one of his segments, “since I became a believer, a lot more ‘coincidences’ began happening”. And this is a gentleman I don’t know from Adams. I don’t his name, his calling, and since they never have a “sign of peace”, I have never shaken his hand or exchanged a friendly greeting or gesture with him. Maybe it was a coincidence, but I believe it was the Holy Spirit at work.
Yesterday, I was at 1 pm Mass at the Imperial College Chaplaincy prayer room. And as the priest and the rest of us entered from the lounge area (where we were lounging) a noticed a young man already seated. Obviously a student, he looked like he could be Indian, long hair tied in pony tail, with the most intense look in his eyes. Since it is a prayer room the seats are ranged along the walls, and I found myself seated close, and at right angles, to him. As Mass began I could just sense his intensity and that there was something stirring deep within him, and I just thought I should pray for him and for whatever is going on with him. This Mass is as informal as the Brompton Oratory Mass is formal, so after his homily, Fr. Geoff asked us if anyone wanted to say something, and for some reason, I curbed my chronic tendency to open my mouth, and thank God I did. After a typical silence that lasted 30 seconds or so, and just when you expected Fr. Geoff to continue with the service, my pony-tailed friend spoke up, his voice charged with emotion, “I want to ask something, which may not be related, ‘does God forgive everything if one repents’?” From that point on, none of the 10 or so of us (including the priest) could have failed to experience this boy’s struggle. Fr. Geoff answered his question and as Mass went on it became clear that the boy probably wasn’t Catholic or even Christian. He might have just been seeking peace by himself in the prayer room, when we trooped in for Mass. He kept observing the rest of us, and mimicking us in terms of kneeling, standing, sitting, hand gestures and the rest. He might have also have received Communion but the boy just to his right folded his arms to receive a blessing and this boy followed suit. That experience resonated with me the rest of the day. I have participated in thousands of Masses and perhaps have not experienced what this lad experienced. Through him I have experienced the Mass like I never have before. I saw him again today on campus. He looked so much at peace, almost radiant with peace. I tried to say hi to him, but he didn’t seem to remember me. Maybe I am reading too much into this incident, but I can’t help but feel that it was the Holy Spirit at work.
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Saturday, August 9, 2008
Saturday Meeting (2008/08/09)
On previous weeks the topic of time management has been treated in different contexts, so I'd like to bring it to the forefront.
- How do we use our time every day?
- How can we be able to schedule things better to take care of both our obligations as students/workers and our spiritual life?
- How do we handle distractions or unexpected events?
- How do we find time to pray or attend mass with our often busy schedules? Do you have good strategies?
Join us and share your thoughts on this.
- How do we use our time every day?
- How can we be able to schedule things better to take care of both our obligations as students/workers and our spiritual life?
- How do we handle distractions or unexpected events?
- How do we find time to pray or attend mass with our often busy schedules? Do you have good strategies?
Join us and share your thoughts on this.
Saturday Meeting (2008/08/02)
From our session leader Jonathan:
This is a followup to last Saturday's discussion on the
"peace that passes all understanding".
I did a keyword search for "peace" at Biblegateway.com
and got 247 hits. Peace features consistently across the Bible
starting with Genesis and right on through Revelation.
In the New Testament, Jesus uses the word peace both
as a greeting "Peace be with you" and as a a dismissal
"... your faith has healed you. Go in peace!".
And St. Paul refers to God as the "God of peace" in (Heb 13: 20; Phil 4:9).
The 2 passages that we will discuss are:
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world
gives.
Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. (John 14:27).
And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding,
will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Phil 4:7).
Questions:
1. What is the nature of the peace that Christ gives us?
2. How is different from the peace that the world gives us?
3. Why does this peace transcend all understanding?
4. How do we recognize Christ's peace (a) in the world in general,
(b) in others, (c) in ourselves?
This is a followup to last Saturday's discussion on the
"peace that passes all understanding".
I did a keyword search for "peace" at Biblegateway.com
and got 247 hits. Peace features consistently across the Bible
starting with Genesis and right on through Revelation.
In the New Testament, Jesus uses the word peace both
as a greeting "Peace be with you" and as a a dismissal
"... your faith has healed you. Go in peace!".
And St. Paul refers to God as the "God of peace" in (Heb 13: 20; Phil 4:9).
The 2 passages that we will discuss are:
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world
gives.
Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. (John 14:27).
And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding,
will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Phil 4:7).
Questions:
1. What is the nature of the peace that Christ gives us?
2. How is different from the peace that the world gives us?
3. Why does this peace transcend all understanding?
4. How do we recognize Christ's peace (a) in the world in general,
(b) in others, (c) in ourselves?
August Schedule
This is our schedule for August, send Jose an email to volunteer for leading.
| 2008 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| August | 2nd | Jonathan | Peace |
| 9th | José | Time Management | |
| 16th | TBD | TBD | |
| 23rd | Chad | TBD | |
| 30th | José | TBD | |
Farewell Party for Jon and Jeff
Some pictures from the farewell party we had for our good friends (and Fellowship founders) Jonathan and Jeff, who had now completed their Doctoral Degrees and have taken jobs out of Pittsburgh.
Thanks Alroy for hosting the party and for the pictures!
Saturday Meeting (2008/07/26)
Alroy served as our session leader. The discussion was based on letter 27 of
C.S.Lewis' The Screwtape Letters.
A summary of the letter:
Wormwood is failing, Screwtape feels, because even though the young man's love is distracting him from God, the young man knows it and is beseeching God in prayer to help him deal with the distraction. This is not good. Screwtape suggests Wormwood try to lure the man away from simple, God-directed prayers by making the man doubt whether asking God for things is appropriate at all. Perhaps he can be made to stop praying.
C.S.Lewis' The Screwtape Letters.
A summary of the letter:
Wormwood is failing, Screwtape feels, because even though the young man's love is distracting him from God, the young man knows it and is beseeching God in prayer to help him deal with the distraction. This is not good. Screwtape suggests Wormwood try to lure the man away from simple, God-directed prayers by making the man doubt whether asking God for things is appropriate at all. Perhaps he can be made to stop praying.
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Saturday Meeting 2008/07/19
From our session leader Chad:
We will be continuing the discussion that Andy started last
week. We did not have time to finish the entire discussion.
The notes from Andy's talk last week are below.
We will be continuing the discussion that Andy started last
week. We did not have time to finish the entire discussion.
The notes from Andy's talk last week are below.
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Saturday Meeting 2008/07/12
From our session leader Andy:
Everyone has heard about John 3:16 at some point - "For God so loved the world..." ...you know the rest. However, there are quite a few interesting verses that follow it immediately that aren't discussed nearly as often: Jn 3:17-21. This paragraph immediately and abruptly following the discourse between Jesus and the Pharisee named Nicodemus is an excellent summary of the story of the Christian faith - not just from God's point of view but also from humanity's. The promise of verse 16 is accompanied by a very stark choice offered to humanity in verse 18: "Whoever believes in Him will not be condemned, but whoever does not believe has already been condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God."
The rationale for this choice is presented in the light of God's recognition of our human weakness: "For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him (17)." This is a very crucial point as people shrink back in fear from God's message, and this fear manifests itself in many ways: doubt, hatred, indifference: "And this is the verdict, that the light came into the world, but people preferred darkness to light, because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come toward the light so that his works might not be exposed" (19-20). However, the encouragement remains: "But whoever lives the truth comes to the light, so that his works may be clearly seen as done in God" (21).
Some warm-up questions:
"Christianity has not been tried and found wanting; it has been found difficult and not tried." (G.K. Chesterton). Yet these verses indicate how God proposes to reach over that chasm of difficulty. Why do people not believe the promise of 3:17? How and why do they fear this?
"Blessed is he who takes no offense at Me" (Lk 7:23): I imagine everyone at some point has run into someone who just can't accept the Good News because they want to see proof: some sign, some miracle. This demand is especially high in this modern age where technology can seemingly make
anything happen and science often endeavors to meet any and every phenomenon with self-contained explanations. What strikes you about people who think this way? What kind of answer would you propose for them?
There was a mantra I recall hearing with regard to the Catholic faith: "I have been saved, I am being saved, I will be saved." In other words, while we believe and have been baptized into the fold, our goal is to keep growing towards the Lord and not turn back, and one day we will be with
our eternal Father. As a believer, what meaning would you draw from these verses that would help you grow in faith?
Everyone has heard about John 3:16 at some point - "For God so loved the world..." ...you know the rest. However, there are quite a few interesting verses that follow it immediately that aren't discussed nearly as often: Jn 3:17-21. This paragraph immediately and abruptly following the discourse between Jesus and the Pharisee named Nicodemus is an excellent summary of the story of the Christian faith - not just from God's point of view but also from humanity's. The promise of verse 16 is accompanied by a very stark choice offered to humanity in verse 18: "Whoever believes in Him will not be condemned, but whoever does not believe has already been condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God."
The rationale for this choice is presented in the light of God's recognition of our human weakness: "For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him (17)." This is a very crucial point as people shrink back in fear from God's message, and this fear manifests itself in many ways: doubt, hatred, indifference: "And this is the verdict, that the light came into the world, but people preferred darkness to light, because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come toward the light so that his works might not be exposed" (19-20). However, the encouragement remains: "But whoever lives the truth comes to the light, so that his works may be clearly seen as done in God" (21).
Some warm-up questions:
"Christianity has not been tried and found wanting; it has been found difficult and not tried." (G.K. Chesterton). Yet these verses indicate how God proposes to reach over that chasm of difficulty. Why do people not believe the promise of 3:17? How and why do they fear this?
"Blessed is he who takes no offense at Me" (Lk 7:23): I imagine everyone at some point has run into someone who just can't accept the Good News because they want to see proof: some sign, some miracle. This demand is especially high in this modern age where technology can seemingly make
anything happen and science often endeavors to meet any and every phenomenon with self-contained explanations. What strikes you about people who think this way? What kind of answer would you propose for them?
There was a mantra I recall hearing with regard to the Catholic faith: "I have been saved, I am being saved, I will be saved." In other words, while we believe and have been baptized into the fold, our goal is to keep growing towards the Lord and not turn back, and one day we will be with
our eternal Father. As a believer, what meaning would you draw from these verses that would help you grow in faith?
Friday, July 4, 2008
Saturday Meeting (07/05/2008)
From our session leader Christina:
Suffering Conquered by Love - Part II
This Saturday, July 5th, we'll be watching the second half of hip-hop priest Fr. Stan Fortuna's DVD on "breakin' down" Pope John Paul II's encyclical on the Christian meaning of human suffering. Fr. Stan discusses how Christ's sacrifice can help us realize our mission as Christians and how sharing in Christ's suffering helps us develop a closer relationship with God. There's never a dull moment as Fr. Stan discusses everything in his usual, entertaining way!
If you didn't see the first half, don't worry! This week's discussion is not dependent on what we discussed for the first part of the DVD.
Suffering Conquered by Love - Part II
This Saturday, July 5th, we'll be watching the second half of hip-hop priest Fr. Stan Fortuna's DVD on "breakin' down" Pope John Paul II's encyclical on the Christian meaning of human suffering. Fr. Stan discusses how Christ's sacrifice can help us realize our mission as Christians and how sharing in Christ's suffering helps us develop a closer relationship with God. There's never a dull moment as Fr. Stan discusses everything in his usual, entertaining way!
If you didn't see the first half, don't worry! This week's discussion is not dependent on what we discussed for the first part of the DVD.
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Saturday Meeting (06/28/2008)
I'd like to talk about being witness of Christ in our daily life. Specifically, in our
interactions with people around us (colleagues, coworkers, friends) both
personally and as part of a group. Some questions to warm-up the
discussion:
interactions with people around us (colleagues, coworkers, friends) both
personally and as part of a group. Some questions to warm-up the
discussion:
- Often, we may find ourselves in group situations that may lead into sin (badmouthing people, a sexually oriented conversation, etc). How do we react?
- When meeting a new group of people, is our immediate reaction to try to fit in? What if that means compromising our values?
- When given the opportunity to talk about our religious life, do we shy away? Do we watch our words and manners so we don't drive people away by our eagerness to communicate Christ's message?
- What about making the sign of the cross before a meal (in a public place) or when walking by a church? Do we feel self-concious and restrain from doing so? Or do we just do as we should and are ready to start a conversation with whomever asks about it?
Friday, June 27, 2008
Upcoming Meetings (July)
This is our schedule for July, send Jose an email to volunteer for leading.
| 2008 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| July | 5th | Christina | Suffering conquered by Love (2) |
| 12th | Andy | Jn 3:17-21 | |
| 19th | Chad | Jn 3:17-21 (cont.) | |
| 26th | Alroy | The Screwtape Letters (27) | |
Friday, June 20, 2008
Saturday Meeting (06/21/2008)
From our session leader Chad:
On Saturday, we will be talking about "living as a Catholic Christian." Jesus taught us how to live in a simple way: "You shall love the Lord your God with all of your heart, ad with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it, you
should love your neighboor as yourself." (Mt 22:37-39). As Catholic Christians, what are we called to become? Are we simply called to just avoid sin or vice or practice certain virtues? Or, is there more to this? Also, as Catholic Christians, how do we reclaim our freedom from the Enemies
of God? They are the World, the Flesh, and the Devil. You can think about these questions before Saturday's meeting.
On Saturday, we will be talking about "living as a Catholic Christian." Jesus taught us how to live in a simple way: "You shall love the Lord your God with all of your heart, ad with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it, you
should love your neighboor as yourself." (Mt 22:37-39). As Catholic Christians, what are we called to become? Are we simply called to just avoid sin or vice or practice certain virtues? Or, is there more to this? Also, as Catholic Christians, how do we reclaim our freedom from the Enemies
of God? They are the World, the Flesh, and the Devil. You can think about these questions before Saturday's meeting.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Saturday Meeting (06/14/2008)
From our session leader Jeff:
I would like to discuss the topic of prayer without ceasing from the
Letter of Saint Paul to the Thessalonians (1 Thes 5:23). I will also bring
some writing from the Philokalia, which is a collection of writings from
the Church Fathers in regards to this topic. I became interested in this
from the book I just completed called "The Way of the Pilgrim". I will
explain more on Saturday.
Some questions for people to ponder are:
- Can one truly pray without ceasing?
- What can prayer without ceasing lead us to in our lifes?
- How can we pray without ceasing in our busy lives as grad students and
young professionals?
I would like to discuss the topic of prayer without ceasing from the
Letter of Saint Paul to the Thessalonians (1 Thes 5:23). I will also bring
some writing from the Philokalia, which is a collection of writings from
the Church Fathers in regards to this topic. I became interested in this
from the book I just completed called "The Way of the Pilgrim". I will
explain more on Saturday.
Some questions for people to ponder are:
- Can one truly pray without ceasing?
- What can prayer without ceasing lead us to in our lifes?
- How can we pray without ceasing in our busy lives as grad students and
young professionals?
Saturday Meeting (06/07/2008)
[Sorry for the late update, here is the topic for archive purposes]
From our session leader Nick:
"We will discuss hope in the the New Testament and the Catholic Church
and how we as Catholics can carry this hope out into the world."
From our session leader Nick:
"We will discuss hope in the the New Testament and the Catholic Church
and how we as Catholics can carry this hope out into the world."
Upcoming Meetings (June)
This is an schedule update for June and beyond.
Each month I'll close the post for the upcoming month and create a new one.
Feel free to volunteer to lead a meeting any time.
Each month I'll close the post for the upcoming month and create a new one.
Feel free to volunteer to lead a meeting any time.
| 2008 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| June | 7th | Nick | Hope |
| 14th | Jeff | Constant Prayer | |
| 21st | Chad | Living as Christians | |
| 28th | José | Witnessing | |
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Saturday Meeting 05/24/2008
From our session leader Christina
Suffering Conquered by Love
"For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever
believes in him should not perish but have eternal life." ~John 3:16
This week, through a video on Pope John Paul II's encyclical, "On the
Christian Meaning of Human Suffering," we can discuss the topics of love,
redemption and suffering and how they all fit together. Fr. Stan Fortuna
-- the hip-hop priest -- narrates the video in an entertaining way and is
the main performer in the music video titled "Everybody Got 2 Suffer."
Suffering Conquered by Love
"For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever
believes in him should not perish but have eternal life." ~John 3:16
This week, through a video on Pope John Paul II's encyclical, "On the
Christian Meaning of Human Suffering," we can discuss the topics of love,
redemption and suffering and how they all fit together. Fr. Stan Fortuna
-- the hip-hop priest -- narrates the video in an entertaining way and is
the main performer in the music video titled "Everybody Got 2 Suffer."
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Saturday Meeting 05/17/2008
From our session leader Chad:
Hey guys!!
I hope everything is going well with you guys!!
Well, we will be having our fellowship meeting tomorrow at 5 pm in the Newman
Center, and I will be leading. It feels good to lead again after a little
hiatus!!
For the meeting tomorrow, we will be talking about a topic that is deep to my
heart: Christian Love. Think about the following questions:
1. What does it mean to say that God "loves" us? We have heard this statement
throughout our entire lives, but what does it really mean? Is the context of
"love" that Jesus was talking about in Jewish times different than our modern
context of "love", or is it really not all that different? After all, "love",
although it changes in context, has an eternal meaning.
2. What did Jesus mean in the bible when he said that we should all "love" one
another as Christian brothers and sisters? Does this mean we should always go
all out 100% for our brothers and sisters? Even the pan-handlers that we pass
in Oakland? In other words, how far should we go? Should we actually treat
complete strangers in life like actual brothers and sisters if they need help?
3. In Catholic theology, how does God express his love to us? What is the
ultimate show of this love?
Alllllrightyyy, I think this is a great topic and I look forward to discussing
it tomorrow! I already have lots to say on this topic. In case you forget,
our meetings are at 5 pm in the Newman Center, and we would love to see new
faces!!
Also, as I have been promising, I will have at-least two new Praise and Worship
songs for all of us to sing tomorrow. Fun times!!!
See you all tomorrow!!
Chad
Hey guys!!
I hope everything is going well with you guys!!
Well, we will be having our fellowship meeting tomorrow at 5 pm in the Newman
Center, and I will be leading. It feels good to lead again after a little
hiatus!!
For the meeting tomorrow, we will be talking about a topic that is deep to my
heart: Christian Love. Think about the following questions:
1. What does it mean to say that God "loves" us? We have heard this statement
throughout our entire lives, but what does it really mean? Is the context of
"love" that Jesus was talking about in Jewish times different than our modern
context of "love", or is it really not all that different? After all, "love",
although it changes in context, has an eternal meaning.
2. What did Jesus mean in the bible when he said that we should all "love" one
another as Christian brothers and sisters? Does this mean we should always go
all out 100% for our brothers and sisters? Even the pan-handlers that we pass
in Oakland? In other words, how far should we go? Should we actually treat
complete strangers in life like actual brothers and sisters if they need help?
3. In Catholic theology, how does God express his love to us? What is the
ultimate show of this love?
Alllllrightyyy, I think this is a great topic and I look forward to discussing
it tomorrow! I already have lots to say on this topic. In case you forget,
our meetings are at 5 pm in the Newman Center, and we would love to see new
faces!!
Also, as I have been promising, I will have at-least two new Praise and Worship
songs for all of us to sing tomorrow. Fun times!!!
See you all tomorrow!!
Chad
Thursday, May 8, 2008
Saturday Meeting 05/10/2008
We are having a meeting again this Saturday, 5pm, in the Recreation Room of the Newman Center.
We will continue meditating on the Lord's Prayer (thanks to Jonathan for the suggestion). The opening line, "Our Father", means our self-recognition as a community, and the shared bond among all humans of being children of God. However, we are sometimes so self-absorbed in our daily lives that we forget to make a stronger community. Do we usually recognize and are able to find God in others? Do we treat everyone as a sibling? Even the people that we don't like? Do we reach to new people and make them feel comfortable and help them adapt when they come into our lives (i.e., classroom, job, neighborhood)? Are we usually "too busy" to make new friends or hang out with old ones? Just a couple questions to warm up for the session.
We will also pray the Novena to Our Lady of Perpetual Succour, and set some time aside to plan some social activities we can do as a group outside of the meeting setting.
We will continue meditating on the Lord's Prayer (thanks to Jonathan for the suggestion). The opening line, "Our Father", means our self-recognition as a community, and the shared bond among all humans of being children of God. However, we are sometimes so self-absorbed in our daily lives that we forget to make a stronger community. Do we usually recognize and are able to find God in others? Do we treat everyone as a sibling? Even the people that we don't like? Do we reach to new people and make them feel comfortable and help them adapt when they come into our lives (i.e., classroom, job, neighborhood)? Are we usually "too busy" to make new friends or hang out with old ones? Just a couple questions to warm up for the session.
We will also pray the Novena to Our Lady of Perpetual Succour, and set some time aside to plan some social activities we can do as a group outside of the meeting setting.
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Babies' pictures
These are recent pictures of the Hilgenberg's babies.
Please, keep praying for the success of Jaydlin Jo's treatment and surgeries.
Please, keep praying for the success of Jaydlin Jo's treatment and surgeries.
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
The “Wednesday” or “Mahim” Novena
Native Bombayites (or “Mumbaiites” if you prefer the official appellation, which I obviously don’t) know the novena to Our Lady of Perpetual Succour as either the “Wednesday” novena, since that is the day on which the services are held, or the “Mahim” novena, because services are held at St. Michael’s Church, Mahim (a Bombay neighborhood).
The keen-eyed among you would have noticed that I used the term “native Bombayites” which is more general than say Bombay Catholics. And therein lies the rub. Everyone in Bombay, Catholic or otherwise knows about the novena. Since in Pittsburgh, or anywhere in the world for that matter, it is hard for anyone to be more than one handshake away from a Bombayite, test this out: ask them, whatever their faith, whether they have heard of the Wednesday or Mahim novena, and if they haven’t, I will buy you a beverage of your choice!
Not only has the whole of Bombay heard of the novena, devotion to Our Lady of Perpetual Succour has transcended the Catholic flock and draws large numbers of people of all faiths. I have seen Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, and Zoroastrians there, on a regular basis. In fact, it appears from visual inspection (very unscientific no doubt) that the majority of those attending the novena services are non-Catholic (and since in India, most Christians are Catholic, non-Christian as well).
To really appreciate how much faith people of all faiths have in Our Lady as intercessor, one must consider that Bombay has 2 seasons, hot and humid, and extremely hot and humid, and the human cattle cart (also called “Western” and “Central” railway) has two periods, peak and superpeak.
Most Bombayites, (like in other major metropolitan areas, no, Pittsburgh does not qualify) commute from North to South in the morning and from South to North in the evening, the afore-mentioned “superpeak” periods, when individual bodies in train compartments merge into contiguous gloms of hot, sweaty, smelly, sticky human flesh. It is under these circumstances that the teeming millions who love Mother Mary, after a hard’s day work, break their journey home, fight their way out of the train compartments, and negotiate the crowds on the sidewalk to enter the extremely over-crowded premises of St. Michael’s Church to attend the 30 minute long novena service, after which they will have to negotiate the crowds once again, make their way to Mahim station, wait for the train, insinuate themselves back into the fleshy glom, and then proceed home where they will have to cook, clean, attend to their kids and whatnot.
What strange force compels ordinary folks (not tri-athletes) to repeat this gruelling ordeal every week? Faith in a mother’s love. Our Lady is not just the Mother of Jesus, but to the non-Catholics, their mother, a universal mother, who most persuasively presents her children’s needs to God. To see thousands of people, at each of the 16 services (4 of which are in Indian languages) every Wednesday, clutching their novena booklets for dear life, and praying and singing lustily is uplifting, not just spiritually, but almost literally… you expect the roof of St. Michael’s to fly off with the power of the agglomerated fervour.
The beginning of my faith in the Mahim novena is unique yet perhaps not atypical. I used to take piano lessons with Mrs. Aida Francis (“Aunty Aida”) whose apartment building has a common wall with St. Michael’s church. In general, because of the novena-related traffic complications, she avoided having students who did not live within walking distance of her place, take their lessons on Wednesdays. But for reasons that I cannot recall, I was an exception and iron-manned it out to Mahim from Dadar, either by bus or taxicab (splurging my parents’ hard-earned money of course!). This was circa 1988-89. I had been going to Mass daily, more or less, for around 4-5 years and I thought I had faith and spirituality all figured out. (I still do!) So every Wednesday when I saw the throngs pouring out of St. Michael’s I would think, “Silly people. They think God is a shop-keeeper and will give them what they want in exchange for nine visits to the services. Don’t they know that the Christ’s words were ask, and you will receive? I don’t recall Him saying, ask my mother nine times and you will receive.”
And I continued to be content, smug, and condescending, till… Lo! And behold! The seed of a new idea began to germinate. What if I am wrong? What if there is something here that keeps these people coming back week after week?
After weeks of puzzling over this to no satisfactory conclusion, I decided to put the novena, and Our Lady to the test. I had just come off one of my most disappointing years. I had applied to the top 4 business schools in India and had been rejected by all 4. Not only that, gauging from my peers who had been accepted, I knew that my credentials were not strong enough to ever warrant admission to any of the top schools. So if Our Lady could get me admission, I would believe. And no, not admission to any of the top schools… that would not convince me, but to the #1 school in the country, the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad (IIMA). (According to a 2002 study by The Economist 2002 the hardest b-school to get admitted into, in the world with around 250 applicants per accepted student.) Founded in collaboration with Harvard Business School, and with a campus designed by the famed Chicago architect Louis Kahn, the school had an aura that far outshone its nearest rival, IIM Calcutta.
So that was my deal with Our Lady. You get me into IIMA and I will believe.
And as the rest, as they say, is history. Not only did IIMA admit me, none of the other top schools did! Go figure!
So 20 years later, here I am, thousands of miles away from Mahim, still praying the Wednesday novena, every Saturday with the rest of my fellowship buddies, and on other days of the week, individually in my office. I call it my “heavy artillery”. When I feel especially needy and daily Mass is not providing adequate strength, I turn to the little book that is my big gun, that fires my petition so strongly and compellingly that it has never failed to get results.
Thanks Mom.
Jonathan.
The keen-eyed among you would have noticed that I used the term “native Bombayites” which is more general than say Bombay Catholics. And therein lies the rub. Everyone in Bombay, Catholic or otherwise knows about the novena. Since in Pittsburgh, or anywhere in the world for that matter, it is hard for anyone to be more than one handshake away from a Bombayite, test this out: ask them, whatever their faith, whether they have heard of the Wednesday or Mahim novena, and if they haven’t, I will buy you a beverage of your choice!
Not only has the whole of Bombay heard of the novena, devotion to Our Lady of Perpetual Succour has transcended the Catholic flock and draws large numbers of people of all faiths. I have seen Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, and Zoroastrians there, on a regular basis. In fact, it appears from visual inspection (very unscientific no doubt) that the majority of those attending the novena services are non-Catholic (and since in India, most Christians are Catholic, non-Christian as well).
To really appreciate how much faith people of all faiths have in Our Lady as intercessor, one must consider that Bombay has 2 seasons, hot and humid, and extremely hot and humid, and the human cattle cart (also called “Western” and “Central” railway) has two periods, peak and superpeak.
Most Bombayites, (like in other major metropolitan areas, no, Pittsburgh does not qualify) commute from North to South in the morning and from South to North in the evening, the afore-mentioned “superpeak” periods, when individual bodies in train compartments merge into contiguous gloms of hot, sweaty, smelly, sticky human flesh. It is under these circumstances that the teeming millions who love Mother Mary, after a hard’s day work, break their journey home, fight their way out of the train compartments, and negotiate the crowds on the sidewalk to enter the extremely over-crowded premises of St. Michael’s Church to attend the 30 minute long novena service, after which they will have to negotiate the crowds once again, make their way to Mahim station, wait for the train, insinuate themselves back into the fleshy glom, and then proceed home where they will have to cook, clean, attend to their kids and whatnot.
What strange force compels ordinary folks (not tri-athletes) to repeat this gruelling ordeal every week? Faith in a mother’s love. Our Lady is not just the Mother of Jesus, but to the non-Catholics, their mother, a universal mother, who most persuasively presents her children’s needs to God. To see thousands of people, at each of the 16 services (4 of which are in Indian languages) every Wednesday, clutching their novena booklets for dear life, and praying and singing lustily is uplifting, not just spiritually, but almost literally… you expect the roof of St. Michael’s to fly off with the power of the agglomerated fervour.
The beginning of my faith in the Mahim novena is unique yet perhaps not atypical. I used to take piano lessons with Mrs. Aida Francis (“Aunty Aida”) whose apartment building has a common wall with St. Michael’s church. In general, because of the novena-related traffic complications, she avoided having students who did not live within walking distance of her place, take their lessons on Wednesdays. But for reasons that I cannot recall, I was an exception and iron-manned it out to Mahim from Dadar, either by bus or taxicab (splurging my parents’ hard-earned money of course!). This was circa 1988-89. I had been going to Mass daily, more or less, for around 4-5 years and I thought I had faith and spirituality all figured out. (I still do!) So every Wednesday when I saw the throngs pouring out of St. Michael’s I would think, “Silly people. They think God is a shop-keeeper and will give them what they want in exchange for nine visits to the services. Don’t they know that the Christ’s words were ask, and you will receive? I don’t recall Him saying, ask my mother nine times and you will receive.”
And I continued to be content, smug, and condescending, till… Lo! And behold! The seed of a new idea began to germinate. What if I am wrong? What if there is something here that keeps these people coming back week after week?
After weeks of puzzling over this to no satisfactory conclusion, I decided to put the novena, and Our Lady to the test. I had just come off one of my most disappointing years. I had applied to the top 4 business schools in India and had been rejected by all 4. Not only that, gauging from my peers who had been accepted, I knew that my credentials were not strong enough to ever warrant admission to any of the top schools. So if Our Lady could get me admission, I would believe. And no, not admission to any of the top schools… that would not convince me, but to the #1 school in the country, the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad (IIMA). (According to a 2002 study by The Economist 2002 the hardest b-school to get admitted into, in the world with around 250 applicants per accepted student.) Founded in collaboration with Harvard Business School, and with a campus designed by the famed Chicago architect Louis Kahn, the school had an aura that far outshone its nearest rival, IIM Calcutta.
So that was my deal with Our Lady. You get me into IIMA and I will believe.
And as the rest, as they say, is history. Not only did IIMA admit me, none of the other top schools did! Go figure!
So 20 years later, here I am, thousands of miles away from Mahim, still praying the Wednesday novena, every Saturday with the rest of my fellowship buddies, and on other days of the week, individually in my office. I call it my “heavy artillery”. When I feel especially needy and daily Mass is not providing adequate strength, I turn to the little book that is my big gun, that fires my petition so strongly and compellingly that it has never failed to get results.
Thanks Mom.
Jonathan.
Saturday, May 3, 2008
Special Prayer Request
Please keep them in your prayers!
The picture shows new-born (just a couple of days old) twins Braxton Bruce (top) and Jaydlyn Jo Hilgenberg (bottom). One of them is suffering from spina bifida.
Jadlyn Jo needs cardiac surgery, but she is yet too small. So they want to put a temporary tube in the heart to funnel blood the right way as the lungs are getting overloaded. However, the doctors are not able to decide what they need to fix first, i.e., the heart or the diaphram and liver. So we need to pray for guidance.
The family has thanked everyone for their prayers.
The picture shows new-born (just a couple of days old) twins Braxton Bruce (top) and Jaydlyn Jo Hilgenberg (bottom). One of them is suffering from spina bifida.
Jadlyn Jo needs cardiac surgery, but she is yet too small. So they want to put a temporary tube in the heart to funnel blood the right way as the lungs are getting overloaded. However, the doctors are not able to decide what they need to fix first, i.e., the heart or the diaphram and liver. So we need to pray for guidance.
The family has thanked everyone for their prayers.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Saturday Meeting 05/03/2008
Everyday we say the Lord's prayer: "...and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us..."
As humans, we always have even minor conflicts with the people we interact. Sometimes, the professional argument becomes a personal one. How do we handle this matters? Are we willing to forgive (and eventually forget) every time we feel someone has offended us? Do we keep an
"account" of every dispute we have, that we bring out in a new discussion? How is our anger management?
What happens when we trespass against others? Do we usually watch out our own behavior so we do not inadvertently offend some one? Do we sometimes make fun of or "tease" our friends to a degree that may them feel uncomfortable? When somebody makes a mistake, do we fraternally and discretely correct that person, or do we point it out loundly at the risk of lowering everyone's perception about that person?
Just a couple questions to reflect upon, and share during our meeting this Saturday, 5:00pm, at the Recreation Room of the Newman Center. We will pray the Novena to our Lady of Perpetual Succour, and will also have a time to talk about future plans for our group.
As humans, we always have even minor conflicts with the people we interact. Sometimes, the professional argument becomes a personal one. How do we handle this matters? Are we willing to forgive (and eventually forget) every time we feel someone has offended us? Do we keep an
"account" of every dispute we have, that we bring out in a new discussion? How is our anger management?
What happens when we trespass against others? Do we usually watch out our own behavior so we do not inadvertently offend some one? Do we sometimes make fun of or "tease" our friends to a degree that may them feel uncomfortable? When somebody makes a mistake, do we fraternally and discretely correct that person, or do we point it out loundly at the risk of lowering everyone's perception about that person?
Just a couple questions to reflect upon, and share during our meeting this Saturday, 5:00pm, at the Recreation Room of the Newman Center. We will pray the Novena to our Lady of Perpetual Succour, and will also have a time to talk about future plans for our group.
Monday, April 28, 2008
Volunteer to lead upcoming meetings!
These are the dates we will meet during the summer. I'll update this post to show who will be serving as meeting leader each week:
Edit (June): I'm closing this post and created new ones for the following months.
| 2008 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| May | 3rd | José | "as we forgive" |
| 10th | José | "Our Father" | |
| 17th | Chad | Christian Love | |
| 24th | Christina | Suffering conquered by Love (1) | |
| 31st | Bryan | Evangelizing | |
Edit (June): I'm closing this post and created new ones for the following months.
Our new blog
This is the new blog of our group. We will use it to keep track of our meetings and to post articles and news that we think are worth sharing. It will be our place in the WWW.
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