Christian nuns invite Hindu leader Zed to pray together

Hindu statesman Rajan Zed with nuns in the chapel of the Carmelite monastery

Special to Earthpages.org

In a remarkable interfaith gesture, Carmelite nuns in Reno (USA) invited acclaimed Hindu statesman Rajan Zed for dialogue and praying together yesterday.

Zed, who is president of Universal Society of Hinduism, prayed from Rig-Veda, the oldest scripture of the world still in common use, dated from around 1,500 BCE, with lines from Upanishads and Bhagavad-Gita (Song of the Lord), both ancient Hindu scriptures. The nuns prayed from Psalms and Hymnal, and read from Romans in New Testament.

According to Sr. Susan Weber, Prioress of Carmel of Our Lady of the Mountains Monastery, it was a joy to meet and share conversation and prayer together. They have decided to make this interfaith dialogue and prayer an annual feature. Zed presented nuns with copies of Bhagavad-Gita (Song of the Lord).

Rajan Zed started and ended his prayer with “OM”, the mystical syllable containing the universe, which in Hinduism is used to introduce and conclude religious work. After Sanskrit delivery, he then read the English translation of the prayers. Sanskrit is considered a sacred language in Hinduism and root language of Indo-European languages.

Reciting from Brahadaranyakopanishad, Rajan Zed said, “Asato ma sad gamaya, Tamaso ma jyotir gamaya, Mrtyor mamrtam gamaya”, which he then translated as “Lead us from the unreal to the Real, from darkness to Light, and from death to Immortality.” Nuns repeated after Zed– “Om Shanti, Shanti, Shanti” (Peace, Peace, Peace be unto all).

Rajan Zed points out that in our shared pursuit for the truth, we can learn from one another and thus can arrive nearer to the truth. As dialogue brings us reciprocal enrichment, we shall be spiritually richer than before the contact.

Carmelites, a Roman Catholic religious order now spread worldwide, was founded as a community of hermits in 12^th century in what is now northern Israel, and was joined by nuns in 1432. The life of a Carmelite nun is completely contemplative, consisting of prayer, meditation, manual labor, and silence/solitude. Carmel of Our Lady of the Mountains Monastery, spread over 19 acres on a hill overlooking city of Reno in Nevada, was founded in 1954. Roman Catholic Church is the largest Christian denomination. Hinduism, oldest and third largest religion of the world, has about one billion followers and moksha (liberation) is its ultimate goal.

The Dislike of Catholicism: Understanding the Holy in the Catholic Tradition, Part 5 – Psychological reasons

Gross Psychology by Caro's Lines

Copyright © Michael W. Clark, 2008.
All rights reserved.

Part 1 – Introduction
Part 2 – Theory and Method
Part 3 – Theological reasons
Part 4 – Social and Political reasons
Part 5 – Psychological reasons
Part 6 – Philosophical and Historical reasons / Conclusion

Projection onto the Big Bad Institution

Now we turn to those who dislike Catholicism mostly because of their psychological makeup.

Some non-Catholic Christians routinely advocate angry, hateful behavior. And if they see any vice among Catholics they arguably project their own anger – and other shortcomings – onto Catholicism as a whole.

This type of Christian is self-perceived as genuine while Catholics are regarded as invalid. And the self-righteous Christian is often eager to get embroiled in long, heated messaging wars over specific points of doctrine. All too often the ideal of loving in Christ seems more like negative attention seeking–or shall we say, spoiling for a fight.

Projecting personal shortcomings onto “Big Religion” does not just apply to non-Catholic Christians. All sorts of people are prone to this Freudian defense mechanism of projection. Projection is a convenient way to ignore personal issues by blaming something outside the self.

Individuals and groups from non-US nations, for instance, often single out the US as the Big Bad Wolf, as if other nations aren’t acting in their own self interest, and perhaps less humanely than the US.

Religion and Spirituality mutually exclusive?

We also find some New Agers and alleged psychics who believe they have paranormal powers or perhaps special knowledge of unusual phenomena like ETs and UFOs. Often these folks see religion and spirituality as categorically different. For them, there’s no overlap.

If the psi perceptions of self-proclaimed psychics critical of Catholicism were from God, these impressions, insights and intuitions would be accurate and used for the common good.

But sometimes alleged psi abilities and arrogance mix unhappily. Little or no attempt is made to verify truth claims, sometimes boldly proclaimed through the media. And the possibility of “analytic overlay” remains unchecked, a concept first used for Remote Viewing but which could apply to psi in general.

Remote viewing also involves the awareness that we can incorrectly interpret incoming data. A misperception can occur when our conscious minds get in the way and our imagination or existing mindset fills in the blanks or jumps to a conclusion about a remote viewing impression. Remote viewers call this “analytic overlay” and good remote viewers take steps to minimize it.¹

In fact, some psychics seem so entrenched in their paranormal, imaginative or perhaps pretend world that they have no appreciation for Catholic mysticism. The self-important psychic knows best. And that is all.

Most mature Catholics, however, don’t flaunt or advertise their spiritual gifts for profit or self-aggrandizement. Along these lines, St. Paul says that any such gifts are utterly meaningless without true, unselfish love.

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.  (1 Corinthians 13:1-4).

Fallen Away Catholics

Another consideration is the so-called ‘fallen away’ Catholic who dislikes Catholicism. Assuming fallen away Catholics did not suffer sexual or other kinds of abuse in their past experience with the Church, it seems probable that some – certainly not all – began as cradle Catholics who went to church as a matter of routine, possibly compelled or coerced by their families.

Due to their early conditioning and psychology these people might never have become firmly established in the Holy Spirit. Catholicism just didn’t work for them. And later in life they perhaps embrace something else that provides tangible numinous experience and communal support–for example, a non-Catholic religion or cult.

These individuals may be quite happy with a new path for their entire lives. Memories of Catholicism could conjure up combined feelings of familial coercion, boredom, etc. No wonder they would dislike Catholicism as adults. Quite possibly they’ve never been consciously aware of the Holy within the Church.

And if they once did experience the Holy within Catholicism, bad memories and new interests could combine to eclipse or replace their recollection of most, perhaps all, of their positive Catholic experiences.

The parable in Mark 4:2-9 of seeds variously planted on a path, rocks, thorns and good soil comes to mind:

In his teaching he said, “Listen! A farmer went out to plant his seed. He scattered the seed on the ground. Some fell on a path. Birds came and ate it up. Some seed fell on rocky places, where there wasn’t much soil. The plants came up quickly, because the soil wasn’t deep. When the sun came up, it burned the plants. They dried up because they had no roots. Other seed fell among thorns. The thorns grew up and crowded out the plants. So the plants did not bear grain. Still other seed fell on good soil. It grew up and produced a crop 30, 60, or even 100 times more than the farmer planted.”

Then Jesus said, “Those who have ears should listen.”

But let’s not jump to conclusions nor overly generalize. No doubt many who leave Catholicism continue to experience God in their lives. And many may be on an extremely healthy path, according to God’s plan.

Some Catholics might stop going to church simply because the Mass no longer speaks to them or because the demands of work conflict with their desire to attend. In their heart, mind and soul, however, these individuals might still see themselves as true Catholics or, at least, as God-fearing persons.²

—

¹ Steve Hammons, ‘Remote Viewing’ has Basis in Science, Military Intelligence.

² This article isn’t too concerned with non-Catholic spiritualities. Of course, many non-Catholics, religious or not, enjoy extremely healthy relationships with God. And from a Catholic perspective even those who don’t necessarily believe in God or belong to a particular religion, to include agnostics and atheists, are integral to God’s plan.

Proceed to Part 6 – Philosophical and Historical reasons

…

Lauding Catholic-Jewish dialogue at Budapest, Hindus urge all religions to work together

Budapest – 07-01-2007 – 14h33

Originally uploaded by Panoramas

Special to Earthpages.org

Hindus have welcomed the three-day dialogue between Jews and Catholics, which concluded yesterday at Budapest (Hungary), focusing on the role of religion in civil society.

Acclaimed Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada (USA) today, said that it was wonderful to see the worldʼs two major religions coming together and stressing building trust and confidence, growing friendship, defending human dignity and rights, promoting respect and mutual understanding, responsibility for society, guaranteeing freedom of religion, educating future generation about religious values, commitment to economic justice and human solidarity, concern for vulnerable members of society in view of present economic crisis, etc.

Zed pointed out that serious and honest interfaith dialogue was the need of the hour. Religion was the most powerful, complex and far-reaching force in our society, so we must take it seriously. And we all knew that religion comprised much more than our own particular tradition/experience.

Rajan Zed further says that all religions should work together for a just and peaceful world. In our shared pursuit for the truth, we can learn from one another and thus can arrive nearer to the truth. This dialogue may help us vanquish the stereotypes, prejudices, caricatures, etc., passed on to us from previous generations. As dialogue brings us reciprocal enrichment, we shall be spiritually richer than before the contact.

Roman Catholic Church is the largest of the Christian denominations. Judaism is a monotheistic religion of worldʼs about 14 million Jews whose most sacred text is Torah. Hinduism, oldest and third largest religion of the world, has about one billion followers. Moksha (liberation) is the ultimate goal of Hinduism.

The Dislike of Catholicism: Understanding the Holy in the Catholic Tradition – Introduction

Jesus le nazaréen by *Katch*

Copyright © Michael W. Clark, 2008. All rights reserved.

Part 1 – Introduction
Part 2 – Theory and Method
Part 3 – Theological reasons
Part 4 – Social and Political reasons
Part 5 – Psychological reasons
Part 6 – Philosophical and Historical reasons / Conclusion

Introduction

Ask a person on the street the difference between a Catholic, a Protestant, an Evangelical and a Fundamentalist and chances are they won’t have a clue.

These days I’m trying not to write about myself but while sitting in a graduate level seminar for Religious Studies, a fellow doctoral candidate raised an interesting point.

He said that researchers should state their personal biases at the outset of a study rather than pose as some kind of objective reporter.

Indeed, the whole notion of objectivity is under siege these days. Any scholar or scientist worth their salt will realize that they cannot escape bias. Even religious people claiming to gain a revelation from God should pull back and ask if this “truth” is situated in a particular context that’s right for them or perhaps the times.

This much said, I’ll tell just a little bit about myself so readers can better understand why I’m writing this and also perhaps identify any shortcomings (I’m sure there are many).

Before my conversion to Catholicism I had little interest in organized religion, spending childhood summers in nature at Georgian Bay and winters seeking the thrills and aesthetics of downhill skiing.

Apart from dimly remembering a Sunday school class or two back in early childhood, I was a non-churchgoing kid. Weddings and funerals. That was it.

But I was curious. Why are we here? How are we here? Where does the universe end? My mind just went that way and I kept asking without getting too many answers.

In my late teens I began to gravitate toward the slightly more immediate disciplines of psychology and sociology, to Freud and then Jung along with Max Weber, Emile Durkheim and Karl Marx.

During my twenties and thirties I looked at most aspects of East-West philosophy, the New Age and non-Christian religions. And in 2001 I ended up a bona fide Catholic.

Make that, a progressive bona fide Catholic.

Since then I’ve encountered many critics of Catholicism. And I understand pretty well why people dislike it.

When telling a fellow Catholic about my plans to write this article, she suggested that I entitle it “Why people LIKE Catholicism.” But after some reflection I feel that DISLIKE is better because essentially I’m replying to the critics.

Not that I don’t think for myself. I do. But I’m hoping to promote dialogue because I continue to experience the holy within the Catholic tradition.

Proceed to Part 2 – Theory and Method

Mysticism and the Idea of Sainthood, Part 3 – Different Interpretations

Urban Saint

Originally uploaded by cobalt123

Copyright © Michael W. Clark 2008.
All rights reserved.

This is Part 3 in a series.

Part 1 » One or Many?

Part 2 » Mysticism, Science and Politics

Different Interpretations

Apart from the idea that the Catholic saints are not just spiritual but political writers, it’s also conceivable that

(a) Saints receive visions that match their innate predispositions and developmental conditioning. That is, God reveals images understandable to a saint according to his or her beliefs and cultural environment.

Another interpretation says

(b) A given saint actually creates a unique interior perception and corresponding spiritual reality.

According to this somewhat popular New Age view, we all create our own reality and truth is whatever we happen to believe in. Notions about this life and the afterlife are fully contingent upon one’s belief system and, as some would have it, desires.

While this may sound quite ridiculous to some, it is a philosophical position similar to solipsism in that it perhaps cannot be disproved by reason.

Solipsism essentially says I alone am, while the self-determination paradigm says I create my outlook and future possibilities among other individuals who also create theirs. And can we really prove either position to be false?

An additional view combines (a) and (b). This is the notion that

(c) God reveals material appropriate to a saint’s beliefs and social milieu, and sometime afterward the saint engages in a secondary, creative process of interpretation.

Those favoring possibility (b) usually maintain that it would be too disruptive for a saint locked into categories (a) or (c) to discover that other people’s truths are just as real as his or her own.

A further possibility is

(d) God reveals an absolute, immutable truth to a saint (e.g. the Holy Trinity).

According to this perspective, absolute truth exists independent of any philosophical or linguistic juggling which human beings may engage in.

The Discernment of Spirits

To complicate matters, Catholic theology stresses the importance of discerning interior perceptions which are from God from those derived from demonic powers or the imagination.

Catholic teaching says we – that is, everyone and not just saints – are continually under attack by evil and knowingly or not are in a constant state of spiritual warfare.

This notion of ‘attack’ refers not just to our own inherited and developmental weaknesses and proclivities but also to external agents of spiritual evil.

The devil, as it were, knows our weak spots and continually tries, like a hacker searching for vulnerabilities in a computer operating system, to enter and control or strongly influence the psyche so as to bring about negative effects.

The Catholic Church also recognizes the possibilities of hallucination and delusion. To what degree these mental activities are created by the person or brought about by external influences is a matter of ongoing debate.

While some of the arguably less elegant Catholic thinkers make a firm distinction between psychological and spiritual disorders, arguing that mental illness is a purely medical issue whereas possession is a spiritual one, the subtler intellects in the Catholic fold consider some combination of physiological, psychological, social and spiritual factors in trying to understand the overall human experience.

Proceed to Part 4: Saints and Medical Science

Mysticism and the Idea of Sainthood, Part 2: Mysticism, Science and Politics

Rosicrucians – The Science of Mysticism

Originally uploaded by dogwelder

Copyright © Michael W. Clark 2008.
All rights reserved.

This is Part 2 in a series.

Part 1 » One or Many?

◊ ◊ ◊

To follow from Part 1,  it seems simplistic to assume that all forms of mysticism are identical.

As Rev. Sidney Spencer says,

before we can fruitfully generalize, we must know something of the different forms which mysticism has assumed through the ages.¹

Keeping this in mind, the present segment is not a comparative study. The reader is referred to Spencer’s Mysticism in World Religion (1963) for a good interdenominational survey.

The following is limited to some Catholic saints and persons recognized as having lead holy lives.

Science and Mysticism

Contemporary researchers often try to test the claims of alleged mystics with a scientific methodology. But choosing a scientific methodology appropriate to mysticism isn’t easy. Science, itself, takes several forms and is variously defined.

Many theologians, for instance, believe that theology is the ‘master science’ because its truth claims originate from God.

Clinical psychologists, on the other hand, tend to stress controlled experimental models involving hypothesized cause and effect, correlation and statistically based predictions.

And some philosophers and postmodern theorists spend untold hours questioning just what science is, if it’s anything more than just another kind of modern myth.

These questions aside, it seems the best approach for testing interior perception would combine psychological, medical, sociological, philosophical and theological models.²

The Saints Speak

My article Krishna, Buddha and Christ: The Same or Different? touches on the theological idea of ‘universal salvation.’

Universal salvation involves the belief that hell isn’t eternal or, in some instances, that hell doesn’t exist.

Proponents of universal salvation generally believe that even cruel, perverse tyrants either immediately or eventually enter into heaven along with those who’ve lead good lives.

This is an intellectually attractive idea. Most people don’t like the thought of souls entering into eternal hellfire.

But after reading the diaries of Catholic saints and holy persons such as St. Faustina Kowalska, St. Teresa of Avila, Sister Josefa Menéndez and the Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich, among others, one might become skeptical of the idea of universal salvation.

These mystics speak of interior visions which apparently reveal the condition of living souls and of those in the afterlife.

While some living souls are perceived as holy and deserving of heaven, others are allegedly trapped within the bonds of evil and doomed to hell unless they repent and change for the better.

The saints also speak of souls existing somewhere in-between these two extremes. So-called ‘lukewarm’ souls commit various venial sins, such as gossiping or indulging in dishonorable desires, and likely require purgatorial purification.

But these saintly perceptions are not always oriented towards others. St. Teresa of Avila, for instance, had a vision of the nasty spot in hell where she, herself, would apparently end up in if she didn’t change her ways.

Teresa was very frank about her personal battle with evil. In her autobiography she recounts an incident where “my good angel prevailed over my evil one.”³

And Josepha Menéndez had regular visions of the horrors of hell, visions which could only be described as disturbing.⁴

Meanwhile, Anne Catherine Emmerich had interior perceptions of seemingly ordinary people who apparently were saints, strategically placed by God near centers of great sin and corruption.

According to Emmerich these unrecognized saints suffered dearly for many others around them, calling to mind the two related ideas of intercession and the taking of sin.

The Polish St. Kowalska, currently favored in Catholic circles, claimed to inwardly perceive and intercede for others in spiritual distress. Oftentimes she suffered, so she writes, for other people at a considerable physical distance.

Critics of such diaries contend that Catholic copyists or editors most likely added and removed passages to conform to Church teachings about hell being eternal.

The apparently grand ideological scheme of the Church, critics say, encouraged clerics to meddle with said texts as an apparently justified means to an end.

This hypothesis is, of course, possible but seems doubtful, especially in connection with the more recent saints such as St. Kowalska.

The original pages of St. Kowalska’s handwritten diary are available for public scrutiny and not all that she writes about clerics and her religious sisters in the published Divine Mercy Diary is complimentary by any stretch of the imagination.

If covert editing was condoned to try to make the Church look good and bolster its often challenged teachings, why wouldn’t the alleged backroom editors remove the unflattering material found in St. Kowalska’s Diary?

Other critiques have rightly noted that the religious diaries of saints would have been read carefully by a Superior and ultimately by the Catholic hierarchy.

The saints, so this argument goes, wished to appease the known and imagined biases of their religious superiors and wrote accordingly.

One common example given here is the medieval saints’ intense disdain for women:

If God loves women and men equally, critics contend, why would a leading mystic like St. Teresa of Avila – who apparently saw through the veil separating heaven from mere appearances and social conventions – write about her supposed female inferiority?

It is enough that I am a woman to make my sails droop: how much more, then, when I am a woman, and a wicked one?⁵

Did Teresa really believe in gender inequality or was she just toeing the line of chauvinism?

The notion that saints tailored their writings to please Catholic authorities could also apply to those aspects describing the nature of heaven and hell.

Proponents of this view maintain that the saints knew full well they would be risking a fiery death at the stake if they contradicted the Church’s teachings, enforced by the Holy Inquisition.

In a nutshell, these critiques suggest that saintly discourse was not just spiritually but also politically motivated.

—

¹ Sidney Spencer, Mysticism in World Religion (Harmondsworth: Penguin, 1963: Preface)

² Intuition and Insight: Toward a Practical Theory of Knowledge was my preliminary attempt to develop a working method for assessing truth claims derived from interior perception and to understand some of the many possible factors contributing to intuitive errors. Because this was such an ambitious and daunting task, however, the piece is currently in revision.

³ Follow this link » The Life of St. Teresa of Jesus and search (Ctrl+F) for the relevant quotation.

⁴ Some of the more hideous visions of Sister Menéndez are reproduced here » http://www.geocities.com/vicarium/hellfire.htm

⁵ Follow this link » The Life of St. Teresa of Jesus and search (Ctrl+F) for the relevant quotation.

Proceed to Part 3: Different Interpretations

Famous American band produces groundbreaking album on Vedas and presents to Hindu leader Zed

The only Sanskrit rock band of the world, “Shanti Shanti”, has come up with a groundbreaking new album on the oldest scripture of the world Vedas, and they presented the first copy to the acclaimed Hindu leader Rajan Zed in Nevada (USA) today.

This CD titled “Veda”, produced by Ganesha Publishing BMI, contains shlokas (hymns) from all four Vedas-Rig-veda, Sama-veda, Atharva-veda, and Yajur-veda, some as old as 1,500 BCE. With extensive research and selection process, it took one year to complete this CD, which is their sixth album.

“Shanti Shanti” consists of American sisters Andrea Devi Forman and Sara Anjuli Forman, their younger brother Micah Mahdev Forman and father Robert Henry Forman. The Formans have never been to India, never had a Sanskrit teacher, and still Andrea and Sara can spontaneously chant, read, write, and translate Sanskrit since they were nine and seven years old respectively.

Devoted Catholics, Andrea and Sara have also translated and chanted Ave Maria, a traditional Christian prayer, in Sanskrit. They have toured various countries and various states of USA giving packed Sanskrit musical performances. They have been in various television shows, mentioned in various publications, and extensively written about. 

“We fell in love with the overwhelming stillness, exuberance, clarity and amplified sensory awareness of Sanskrit poetry which we have attempted to share with you in this record,” Andrea and Sara stress.

Youth, specially of India and those living in foreign countries coming from India background, need to learn from the example of Forman sisters who have mastered ancient language Sanskrit (also known as “the language of the gods”) and are promoting it in a big way on their own inspiration, living in a non-Sanskrit environment and coming from a heritage with no Sanskrit background, Zed points out.

Andrea and Sara thanked Rajan Zed, who is president of Universal Society of Hinduism, for blessings, encouragement and guidance, while presenting him with the first copy of the new album.

—

Details of the picture attached: Andrea (left) and Sara Forman (right), lead singers of Shanti Shanti rock band, presenting the first copy of their new album “Veda” to acclaimed Hindu leader Rajan Zed (center) in Nevada (USA).

Picture by: Roger Bowen Weld

The Holy Spirit – Fr. Thomas R. Harding, Th.D.

Alfa et omega. The beginning & the end.

Originally uploaded by Sint-Katelijne-Waver

This homily has been posted with the direct and generous permission of the late Fr. Thomas Harding, Th.D. (1918-2005).

Because 1998 was the year of the Holy Spirit it is important that we emphasize the role of the Holy Spirit in the PLAN OF GOD and in this period of the history of the Church from the First Pentecost until the end of time and for all eternity.

In the Apostles’ Creed we say: “I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Holy Catholic Church, the Communion of Saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body and life everlasting. Amen.”

In the Nicene Creed we say: “We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son. With the Father and the Son, He is worshipped and glorified. He has spoken through the Prophets. We believe in One Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. Amen.”

The Holy Spirit in the Old Testament

There are Biblical texts dealing with the Spirit of God from the Book of Genesis in the Old Testament to the Book of Revelation in the New Testament. We will mention a few of the familiar ones.

In Genesis 1:1-2a:4a we read “In the beginning, God created heaven and earth and the earth was void and empty and darkness was on the face of the deep and the Spirit of God moved over the waters. Then God said ‘Let there be light’, and there was light God saw how good the light was.” This is actually the second account of creation by the Priestly author of a later date.

The first account by the author known as YAHWIST because he referred to God as YAHWEH is in Genesis 2:4-7 where we read: “At the time when God made the earth and the heavens while as yet there was no field shrub on the earth and no grass of the field had sprouted, for the Lord God had sent no rain upon the earth and there was no man to till the soil but a stream was welling up out of the earth and was watering all the suiface of the ground The Lord God formed man out of the clay of the ground and blew into his nostrils the breath of life and so man became a living being.”

The YAHWIST has no interest in the formation of cosmic light or the sun, moon and stars as Father George Montague says in his book entitled The Holy Spirit: Growth of a Biblical Tradition, because his interest is restricted to the earth and the things that immediately touch human life: water, earth, the sown land, animals, woman. His interest is centred in man who is ADAM for the ADAMAH, earthman from the earth.

Other popular texts from the Old Testament referring to the Holy Spirit or adaptable to His action are as follows:

In Isaiah 11:2-3. we read: “The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him; a Spirit of wisdom and understanding, a Spirit of counsel and strength. a Spirit of knowledge and of fear of the Lord and his delight shall be the fear of the Lord.” There is no explicit mention of piety in this text but it may be included in the opening words of the quotation. At any rate these Isaiah gifts are the general characteristics of the Messiah who is to come and, we hope. of his future followers who receive the Holy Spirit and His gifts in Baptism and Confirmation.

In Jeremiah 31:31-33, we read: “I will make a new covenant… I will put my law within them and I will write it upon their hearts.”

In the prophet Ezekiel 36:26, we read, “I will give you a new heart and place a new Spirit within you, taking from your bodies your stony hearts and giving you natural hearts.”

In the prophet Joel 3:1-2, we read: “I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh. Your sons and daughters shall prophesy. Your old men will dream dreams, your young men shall see visions. Even upon the servants and handmaids, I will pour out my Spirit.”

As we say in the Nicene Creed: “He” that is, “the Holy Spirit spoke through the prophets.” He truly spoke through all the prophets of the Old Testament and through Jesus Christ, the Priest, Prophet and King of the New Testament!

The Holy Spirit by His Inspiration is the Principal Author of the books of both Testaments. And yet it is difficult to find a direct quotation from the Holy Spirit Himself in the Scriptures. There are many indications of the Holy Spirit speaking in the New Testament:

MATTHEW 10:19-21 “When they hand you over, do not worry about what you will say or how you will say it. When the hour comes you will be given what you are to say. You yourselves will not be the speakers; the Spirit of your Father will be speaking in you..” This is commonly referred to as “the Dabitur Vobis” which translated into English means: “It will be given to you.”

Another oft-quoted text in this regard is JOHN 3-8: “The wind blows where it will you hear the sound it makes but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone begotten by the Spirit.”

The text of Paul to the Romans 8:26-27 is very comforting for all of us: “The Spirit too helps us in our weakness, for we do not know how to pray as we ought; but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in speech. He who searches hearts knows what the Spirit means, for the Spirit intercedes for the saints as God Himself wills.” Again St. Paul says in I Corinthians 12:3 just before he lists the charismatic gifts of the Holy Spirit: “And no one can say ‘Jesus is Lord’ except in the Spirit.” So when you pray, be open to the Holy Spirit and He will take over. Invite Him to take over and your prayer life will improve immensely.

Thus the Holy Spirit is constantly in communication with the Church and with her members from within. We are Temples of the Holy Spirit and since He is dwelling within us, we receive His messages directly in our minds and hearts and it is our obligation to accept them and act upon them.

The Holy Spirit in The New Testament

In his constitution on Confirmation in 1971, Pope Paul VI said the New Testament shows how the Holy Spirit assisted Jesus Christ throughout His whole Messianic Mission:

1) At the Annunciation the Angel Gabriel said to Mary: “The Holy Spirit will come upon you and that which you conceive will be called the Son of God.” Luke 1:35

2) On receiving the Baptism of John the Baptist, St. John the Evangelist said: “I beheld the Holy Spirit descending upon Him like a dove and it stayed upon Him!” John 1:32

3) After His Baptism, St. Mark said: “He was led by the Spirit into the desert and He was in the desertforforty days and forty nights, being tempted the while by Satan; and He was with the wild beasts and the angels came and ministered to Him.” Mark 1:12-13

4) Teaching the people of Nazareth, He showed by what he said that the words of Isaiah referred to Himself: “the Spirit of the Lord is upon me.” Luke 4: 17-21

5) He later promised before He suffered that “the Holy Spirit would help them to bear fearless witness to their faith before persecutors.” Luke 12:12

6) The night before He died, He assured His Apostles that “He would send the Spirit of Truth upon them from the Father.” John 15:26

7) After His Resurrection, He promised the coming descent of the Holy Spirit: “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes down upon you and you Will be my witness in Jerusalem in all Judea and in Samaria and even to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:8. He had told them: “not to depart from Jerusalem but to wait for the promise of the Father.” Acts 1:4

8 ) After praying for nine days in the upper room: “the Apostles and the disciples with Mary, the mother of Jesus and the women and the brothers were ready to receive the Spirit ” Acts 1:13-14

9) On the tenth day it is reported: “When the day of Pentecost came, all the believers were gathered together in one place. Suddenly, there was a noise from the sky which sounded like a strong wind blowing and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then they saw what looked like tongues of fire which spread out and touched each person there. They were all filled with the Iioij’ Spirit and began to talk in other languages as the Holy Spirit enable them to speak.” Acts 2:1-4

10) The Church was born and the believers began to preach the Good News: “There were Jews living in Jerusalem, religious people who had come from every country in the world. When they heard this noise, a large crowd gathered. They were all excited because they heard the believers talking in their own languages. In amazement and wonder they exclaimed: “These people who are talking like this are Galileans! How is it then, that all of us hear them speaking in our own native languages? We are from Parthia, Media and Elam from Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia; from Pontus and Asis, from Phrygia and Pamphylia, from Egypt and the regions of Libya near Cyrene. Some of us are from Rome, but Jews and Gentiles converted to Judaism and some of us are from Crete and Arabia -yet all of us hear them speaking in our own languages about the great things God has done.“ Acts 2:5-11

Titles of the Holy Spirit

1) Advocate: “These things I have spoken to you while yet dwelling with you. But the Advocate, whom the Father will send in my name, He will teach you all things and will bring to mind whatever I have said to you.” John 14:26 Advocate means lawyer, one who pleads our case.

2) Paraclete: “But I speak the truth to you; it is expedient for you that I depart For if I do not go, the Paraclete will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you.” John 16:7-8 Paraclete means “Comforter”, one who gives strength.

3) The Spirit of Truth: “But when the Advocate has come, the Spirit of Truth who proceeds from the Father, He will bear witness concerning me.” John 15:26

4) The Love of God Personified: “And hope does not disappoint because the Love of God is poured forth in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. Romans 5:5

Father Bernard J. F. Lonergan, S.J., the great Canadian Theologian uses this text to contrast the Apostles’ love of God before and after the coming of the Holy Spirit on the First Pentecost. For example, Peter loved the Lord with a human love on the first Good Friday and he denied Him three times during the Passion. However, after the descent of the Holy Spirit, he loved the Lord with the love of God, or with divine love and thus he was able to face persecution and he even asked that he be crucified upside down because he was unworthy to die like the Lord.

There are other titles for the Holy Spirit such as: Comforter, Sanctifier, the promised One of the Father, and the Inner Teacher, the Spirit of the Father and the Spirit of the Son.

Symbols of the Holy Spirit

1) A Dove: The dove has long been a sign of peace, gentleness and hope. “And the Holy Spirit descended upon Him in bodily form, like a dove. A voice came from Heaven: ‘You are my Son, the Beloved with whom I am well pleased” Luke 3:22

2) Wind: The word SPIRIT is etymologically from the word BREATH or WIND. Invisible and formless, the wind can caress us or overwhelm us with its power. “The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” John 3:8

“And when the days of Pentecost were drawing to a close, they were altogether in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a mighty wind blowing and it filled the whole house where they were sitting.” Acts 2:1-2

3) Fire: Fire consumes and purifies, warms us and lights our path. “Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them and a tongue settled upon each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit.” Acts, 2:3-4

4) Water: Water cleanses and refreshes, yet its power can carve a mountainside. “Those who drink of the water that I will give them will never be thirsty; but the water that I will give shall become a fountain of water springing up unto life everlasting.” John 4:13-15

“On the last and most important day of the festival Jesus stood up and said in a loud voice, ‘Whoever is thirsty should come to me and drink As the scripture says, ‘Whoever believes in me, streams of life-giving water will pour out from his heart Jesus said this about the Spirit, which those who believed in him were going to receive. At that time the Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus had not been raised to glory. John 7:37-39

This text is used to illustrate the growth in the Spirit in those who are living The life in the Spirit.

The Holy Spirit and the Church

God the Father’s plan was to raise all the members of the human race to a participation of the divine life. When Adam sinned, He did not abandon human beings but sent His son Jesus Christ into the world as the Saviour and Redeemer. Christ inaugurated the Church, the Kingdom of Heaven on earth. He is the HEAD OF THE CHURCH.

When the work of redemption was completed, God the Father and God the Son sent God the Holy Spirit into the world that He might continually sanctify the Church and guide her until the end of time to preserve her from error and all dangers. The Holy Spirit, who is the Soul and the Life of the Church, gives her infallibility and indefectibility. He makes sure that the Church is One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic for all time to come.

Moreover, each member of the Church receives the Holy Spirit in the Sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation along with His Gifts and Fruits and all the other wonderful effects of these sacraments. (Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, Vatican II, Numbers 2-8 )

This homily is not to be copied, duplicated, modified nor distributed in any way

Catholics to have serious dialogue with Hindus and others

Autumnal Faith by paulbence photography (CCL)

Special to Earthpages.org

Catholics will have a serious dialogue with Hindus and other religions during the Annual Diocesan Conference of Reno (Nevada, USA) Catholic Diocese in January next.

According to Father Charles T. Durante, Pastor of Saint Teresa of Avila Catholic Church of Carson City, it will include dialogue among leaders of Muslim, Protestant, Hindu, and Jewish faiths besides Catholic. The Conference will be held on January ninth and tenth.

Invited religious figures include acclaimed Hindu leader Rajan Zed, Reverend V. James Jeffrey, Rabbi Myra Soifer and Imam Abdul Rahim Barghouthi, besides Durante.

Catholic Diocese of Reno, established in 1931, covers 70,852 square miles spread in eleven Nevada counties in addition to Carson City. Before 1840, this area was under the Diocese of Sonora in Mexico, when it came under the jurisdiction of Bishop Moreno of California. Current Bishop is Most Reverend Randolph R. Calvo.

Rajan Zed has congratulated the Catholic Diocese efforts in reaching out to other religions for a dialogue. “Religion is a complex component of human life. Dialogue helps us to see interconnections and interdependencies between religions and even similarities in doctrines,” Zed adds.

Demand of public apology by Paramount and Viacom gathering storm

             Hindu Leader Rajan Zed

Special to Earthpages.org

Calls for public apology by Paramount Pictures and its parent Viacom on issues surrounding “The Love Guru” movie, started by acclaimed Hindu leader Rajan Zed, are gathering strength.

Now Nevada Clergy Association (NCA); which is composed of Christian (various denominations), Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, Jewish, Bahai, Native American, etc., clergy; has joined others in asking for Paramount/Viacom apology.

In a statement issued in Nevada (USA) today, Right Reverend Gene Savoy Jr., NCA President, said, “We urge Paramount and Viacom to issue a general public apology over this issue, which will help heal the wounds of seemingly perturbed one-billion-strong Hindu community”.

Rev. Savoy, who is himself a well-respected Head Bishop of International Community of Christ, said in this statement, “We are dismayed at Paramount Pictures, presenter of this movie, for backtracking on their promise to protesting Hindu brothers-sisters, which we consider an unethical business practice. We are also appalled at Paramount and its parent Viacom for utter disregard of the protesters and making no efforts to have an open civilized dialogue with protesters and arrive at a mutually acceptable solution, who have been stressing that this movie denigrates Hinduism and Hindu concepts.”

He congratulated Rajan Zed “for his successful campaign” against the Hollywood movie “The Love Guru” and thanked him for “effectively creating this debate and awakening the future filmmakers to be more sensitive to the feelings of devotees when dealing with faith related issues”.

Rev. Savoy further said, “We at NCA are for free speech as much as anybody else if not more. But faith is something sacred and attempts at debasing it hurt the adherents. Hollywood should be more conscious while handling faith related subjects, as cinema is a very mighty medium and it can create stereotypes in the minds of some audiences. We are concerned that today it is Hinduism; tomorrow Hollywood might attempt to mock another denomination/religion, which can be very painful to the faithful.”

Sometime back, Christian, Jewish, Buddhist, and Hindu religious leaders, in a joint signed statement, described Paramount’s backtracking on their promise to protesting Hindus as “un-Christian, un-Hindu, un-Buddhist, un-Jewish, etc., besides being unethical.”

Meanwhile, various other organizations, including Universal Society of Hinduism, Hindu Janajagruti Samiti, Hindu Alliance of India, Shri Ramayan Pracharini Sabha, Sanatan Sanstha, India Heritage Panel, have also demanded public apology from Paramount and Viacom.

Rajan Zed launched the protest movement against “The Love Guru” in March, saying that it appeared to be lampooning Hinduism and Hindus and using Hindu terms frivolously.