Off to the Desert

Seven Martyrs of Thailand - the letter of Sr Agnes to the local police

It is Lent, time to go to the desert, the most fertile place for spiritual nourishment.  So this week, I am hitting the road and heading west to revisit the Shrine of the Seven Martyrs of Thailand, a most special place; a truly, holy place.  

This is not time for words. Rather it is time to go within, to listen, to be nourished at the deeper levels of existence where life is truly lived and seen for what it is truly about.  

Let us go to the desert.   Vaya con Dios. 

 

All at once

Early Chinese currency was of this style

Chinese New Year, Tet, Valentine's Day are all  important celebrations in this region, and beyond.  As I faced the celebration of mass on Sunday, I was quite amazed to realize that all three came together at once.  I knew on the spot that not one should be ignored, with each deserving acknowledgement in the perspective of celebrating life.  

To be honest, being who I am, these three major celebrations are not of great personal significance to me.  I know they are most important celebrations, even essential, in certain major parts of the world and in many people's lives.  Without reservation then, I respect universally their significance for others.    

As they matter more here than back home, I observe and respect them in my Bangkok, even when they may not be part of my upbringing or personal culture.  Both these parts of me recede to the background, happily giving precedence to what matters much more in my here and now.  

There is the recognition of others around me, all of whom matter.  There is the recognition of other cultures around me, all of which are just as important as mine.  These celebrations matter very much for they are in my present sphere of influence which includes the many others who make up my life and world, and they matter much more than who I am, a western, Aussie male.   

So much all at once.  What to choose?  What to do?  

Choose them all and allow our Christian perspective to place them all under one heading - celebrating life.  Life is worth celebrating in any good way and for any good, human motive, whatever the origin of celebrations and milestones.  No one way, no one culture, no one person is foreign to us as Christians.  Being universal, we are able to embrace all that is good for the sake of humanity and proclaiming the good news to all.  

So celebrate all at once, happily in unison, under the universal umbrella of our faith.       

I'm getting it back

Even in the most dire of situations, peace and unity are the way to go.

The experience of our recent lockdown has revealed to me that I need to get my life back in more ways than one.  What do I mean?  

Of late, I have noticed myself over reacting in negative ways to people and events far too often.  I could say that as I age, I happily get more direct in dealing with unwanted baggage.  Well, to be honest, it has been more than that as I have been picking on certain individuals far too often, far too readily.  

The pattern is that these poor souls feature in my history of life hurts.  They then come my way quite innocently and I readily pounce upon an opportunity to vent. The trouble is that I saw these hurts as being in the past but obviously not so.  Otherwise, why do they affect me as they do?  Hence, I am given a rude awakening that tells me I need to own my issues so that I can act upon them.  I then best acknowledge that this is not about them, but about me for I have obviously and unwittingly allowed them far too much space in my universe for far too long, and I cen see the impact upon me.  

I keep saying to everyone that the best advice ever given me on coming to Bangkok was to "create your own universe and only allow those you choose into it".  Now I see its implications for good and healthy living.  

This motif for life in my Bangkok is not about not engaging the other, nor keeping the other at a distance, nor is it about having to be friends with everyone.  It is about something much more and deeper, an ingredient for healthy life and good care.  

It is about not invading other people's personal space, even if for good reason.  It is about not letting others invade my personal space for good reason, so that I can best look after the other and myself.  Maybe it could be described as 'let the issues of others be their issues and my issues be mine'.  At the core of this way for living in the messiness and chaos of life is a key principle of life  - show respect to the other and self at all times.   

And you know what?  Respect has been one of the three constant themes I have identified as being offered to us through our shared experience of the pandemic.  Amazing!  It takes a pandemic and much more for me to learn a lesson in life.  I can be a hard nut but I am gatting it back.  We just need time to stand back, give everyone some space and reflect on the wider picture.  

Be happy at getting it back.  

Simple human words and actions

Be sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit

Words matter. Actions matter even more.  Both of these truisms speak loudly to me as I reflect on the past week with the cathedral community and our pastoral activites which centred around the celebration of Confirmation during mass this past Sunday. 

Confirmation is one of the formally instituted seven sacraments in the life of the Church.  I appreciate it is a big word as it is one not generally used.  So what does it mean?  

When studying theology, we were given a simple definition.  A sacrament is a "sign of God's love".  This implies that our whole world is sacrament - creation, the immense universe, people around us loving and struggling for the good of all, a new day; so the list goes on.   A question then arises.  . How is the concept of sacrament valid and visible when violence, destruction and abuse so abound in our world?   

Well, the Church has the answer in its seven specific sacraments celebrated within its midst.  Each has a speciifc purpose and task whici is to assure us once and for all in the midst of our harsh and flawed world that here we meet God, that here we achieve good, that here good is built up, that here God is truly with us.  

The sacraments achieve what they say, putting us in touch with God and God's power here and now.  Amazing!  Using simple human words and actions we connect with the deeper, spiritual reality of our lives and world.  Amazing!  

Simple human words and actions become symbols that take us into the deeper and ultimately real realms of life with God, into a spirituality that sustains us.  They tell us that the human and divine are one through the action of God.  God wants us here.  He is not taking us somewhere else but firmly planting us in it as our companion and guide.   It is here we enter into relationship with God and neighbour, build up our world in solidarity and pursue that spirituality that nourishes us and puts us in touch with what truly matters in life.   Simple human words and actions are able to achieve so much more than we could ever imagine.  Amazing!