He s here! ELIE WIESEL S NIGHT

Transcription

1 C.S. LEWIS Our tragedy is not that we suffer, but we waste suffering. Pain is God s megaphone to arouse us from our deafness. It is only when we are afraid or bewildered, aware of our own helplessness, that we turn to God. If we are to be re-made, re-born, turned around, we must be first broken into pieces.

2 CATHOLIC CATEHCISM Jesus Christ invites his disciples to follow him by taking up their cross in their turn. By following him they acquire a new outlook on illness and the sick. St. Paul says, Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ on behalf of his body, which is the church. (Colossians 1:24). In 2 Corinthians 12:9 Paul also says: Power is made prefect in weakness. I will boast most gladly of my weaknesses, in order that the power of Christ may dwell with me.

3 He s here! ELIE WIESEL S NIGHT One day when we came back from work, we saw three gallows rearing up in the assembly place, three black crows. Roll call. SS all around us, machine guns trained: the traditional ceremony. Three victims in chains and one of them, the little servant, the sad-eyed Angel. The SS seemed more preoccupied, more disturbed than usual. To hang a young boy in front of thousands of spectators was no light matter. The head of the camp read the verdict. All eyes were on the child. He was lividly pale, almost calm, biting his lips. The gallows threw its shadow over him. This time the Lagerkapo refused to act as executioner. Three SS replaced him. The three victims mounted together onto the chairs. The three necks were placed at the same moment within the nooses. Long live liberty! cried the two adults.

4 But the child was silent. Where is God? Where is God? someone asked. At a sign from the head of the camp, the three chairs tipped over. Total silence throughout the camp. On the horizon, the sun was setting. Bare your heads! yelled the head of the camp. His voice was raucous. We were weeping. Cover your heads! Then the march past began. The two adults were no longer alive. Their tongues hung swollen, blue-tinged. But the third rope was still moving; being so light, the child was still alive.

5 For more than half an hour he stayed there, struggling between life and death, dying in slow agony under our eyes. And we had to look him full in the face. He was still alive when I passed in front of him. His tongue was still red, his eyes were not yet glazed. Behind me, I heard the same man asking: Where is God now? And I heard a voice within me answer him: Where is he? Here He is. He is hanging here on the gallows...

6 GOD STANDS ACCUSED BENEVOLENT? Why does God allow bad things to happen? GOOD AND LOVING? Why does God not intervene? WHERE IS GOD NOW?

7 WHY SUFFERING? CRUEL VENGEFUL GOD? PUNISHMENT? TEST?

8 SHEKINAH : Jewish perspective of Elie Wiesel s Night The indwelling presence of God in the world God does not forsake the suffering world God shares the suffering of his people in exile, in prison, hangs on the gallows at Auschwitz and waits... The only credible theology for Auschwitz is one that makes God an inmate of the place

9 SHEKINAH GOD IS PRESENT IN THE WORLD GOD DOES NOT FORSAKE THE SUFFERING WORLD GOD SHARES IN THE SUFFERING OF HIS PEOPLE

10 THE SUFFERING OF JESUS GOD IS NOT APART FROM HUMANITY OUR SUFFERING IS WHERE GOD MEET US JESUS HISTORY IS OUR HIS-STORY

11 JESUS SUFFERING ANGUISH GRIEF DISMAY SADNESS DESERTION REJECTION My God, my God why have you forsaken me? Jesus came, he suffered, he wept!

12 JESUS AND THE CHURCH JESUS, SACRAMENT OF HEALING CHURCH CONTINUES JESUS WORK THE SACRAMENT OF THE ANOINTING OF THE SICK WHAT GETS HEALED? HEALING BODY, SOUL AND SPIRIT

13 Gospels contain the healing miracles of Jesus: Physical ailments and defects Social sins Outcasts and Marginalized Jesus accomplishes the healing through prayer and the response in faith of the person(s). Used various earthly signs Faith in Jesus as Messiah Faith in God Jesus used various earthly signs and symbols to accomplish the healing of people: Spittle, Laying on of Hands Mud and Washing 13

14 Scriptural Foundation: The miracles of Jesus. Miracles of physical healing Sight to the Blind [Jn.9:1-12] Hearing to the Deaf [Mk.7:31-37] Mobility to the Lame [Mt.8:5-11] Miracles of spiritual healing. Samaritan Woman [Jn.4: 30] Expulsion of Demons [[Mt.8:28-34] Woman taken in Adultery [Jn.8:2-11] Good Thief [Lk.23: 39-43] 14

15 And Jesus summoned the twelve and began to send them out in pairs, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits; and He instructed them that they should take nothing for their journey, except a mere staff--no bread, no bag, no money in their belt-- but to wear sandals; and He added, Do not put on two tunics." And He said to them, Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave town. Any place that does not receive you or listen to you, as you go out from there, shake the dust off the soles of your feet for a testimony against them. They went out and preached that men should repent. And they were casting out many demons and were anointing with oil many sick people and healing them. (Mark 6:7-13) 15

16 "So they (the Twelve Apostles) went off and preached repentance. They drove out many demons, and they anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them." (Mark 6:12-13) "Is any among you sick? Let him call for the presbyters of the Church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; and the prayer of faith will save the sick man, and the Lord will raise him up; and if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven." (James 5:14-15) 16

17 The Lord Jesus Christ, physician of our souls and bodies, who forgave the sins of the paralytic and restored him to bodily health, has willed that his Church continue, in the power of the Holy Spirit, his work of healing and salvation, even among her own members. This is the purpose of the two sacraments of healing: the sacrament of Penance and the sacrament of Anointing of the Sick. (CCC1421) 17

18 JESUS, SACRAMENT OF HEALING Our mission is to do what Jesus did. Gospels We read of Jesus concern for the sick. Over time emphasis shifted from healing to forgiveness of sin. Deathbed then became the time for extreme unction. Vatican II: Anointing is not a sacrament for those only who are at the point of death but is intended for all those who are seriously ill.

19 Jesus, Sacrament of Healing (contd) The sacrament is now a community celebration. By the sacred anointing of the sick and the prayer of priests the entire Church commends the sick to the suffering and glorified Lord, asking that he lighten their suffering and save them; the Church exhorts them, moreover, to contribute to the welfare of the whole people of God by associating themselves freely with Christ s passion and death (see Romans 8:17; Colossians 1:24; 2 Timothy 2:11-12, 1 Peter 4:13) Sickness involves more than bodily illness. Anointing heal us through faith.

20 CHURCH CONTINUES JESUS WORK The whole purpose of the sacrament is to help heal people and continue the work Jesus did when he was on earth. The anointing mirrors the actions of Jesus when he walked the earth. Go tell John what you have seen and heard. The blind regain their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have the good news proclaimed to them. (Luke 7:22) Acts 3:1-9 A crippled man from birth asks Peter for some money. Peter said he didn t have any gold or silver, but he would give the crippled man the ability to walk.

21 When the Church cares for the sick, it serves Christ himself in the suffering members of his Mystical Body. When it follows the example of the Lord Jesus, who went about doing good and healing all (Acts 10:38), the Church obeys his command to care for the sick. (Mk 16:18) The Church shows this solicitude not only by visiting those who are in poor health but also by raising them up through the sacrament of anointing and by nourishing them with the Eucharist during their illness and when they are in danger of death. Finally, the Church offers prayers for the sick to commend them to God, especially in the last crisis of life. [Decree from Sacram Unctionem Infirmorun, Paul VI 1972] 21

22 THE SACRAMENT OF THE ANOINTING OF THE SICK Introduction and Penitential Rite Readings and laying on of hands Blessing the oil and anointing - prayer and anointing with oil are the essence of the sacrament Prayer and Communion - communion may be distributed

23 WHAT GETS HEALED? The anointing is the is the prayer prayer of Christ of Christ and His and church His for church the physical for the and physical spiritual and health spiritual of a person health who of a is person ill. who is ill. It is a sacrament for the living; it can help the person -It grow is a spiritually sacrament (achieving for the wholeness living; it can and peace help the person - grow with spiritually Jesus Christ (achieving wholeness and peace - heal physically, with Jesus overcoming Christ bodily - heal physically, overcoming bodily and emotional suffering and emotional suffering - be be assured assured of of God s God s love love and mercy and mercy Serious illness and aging (trial, pain, fear, isolation, depression and Serious doubt) illness the sacrament and aging can (trial, help pain, the elderly fear, and isolation, the ill to use depression the healing and power doubt) of Jesus the Christ. sacrament can help the elderly and the ill to use the healing power of Jesus Christ.

24 Holistic Listening Listening with our whole selves

25 HEALING OF BODY, SOUL AND SPIRIT Physical health is related to mental Tensions, fear and anxiety about the future affect our mind and body and spiritual health. Old age and the fears and isolation that can accompany it; it is a powerful sign to see senior members place their limitations and dependence in the hands of Christ who accepted human limitation and freely embraced suffering and even death. Sacraments are acts of faith; they grace the whole person body, soul and spirit. Blessing over the oil asks God to send the power of your Holy Spirit, the Consoler, into this precious oil. Make this oil a remedy for all who are anointed with it; heal them in body, in soul and in spirit, and deliver them from every affliction.

26 IN GOD S HANDS... God alone knows what kind of healing the sick need most: - that a wound may be healed - that a fear turn to confidence - that loneliness be embraced by the support of a praying community - that confusion in the face of all the whys why me, why suffering, why now turn to insight

27 Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick: Who can receive the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick? 1.Those who are baptized 2. Those who have reached the use of reason 3. Those who are in a state of health that is seriously impaired by: a: Sickness b: Wounded c: Weakness of old age d: Preparing for surgery. 27

28 KAHLIL GIBRAN, The Prophet Your pain is the breaking of the shell that encloses your understanding. Even as the stone of the fruit must break so that its heart may stand in the sun, so must you know pain. It is the bitter potion by which the physician within you heals your sick self. Therefore trust the physician. The cup the physician brings, though it burn your lips, has been fashioned of the clay, moistened by the Potter s own sacred tears.