A Street full of Wheelbarrows

The work at the evening assistance of Pastor Johan and Pastor Marianna at CRC Project Kroonstad continues, with fresh carrots being given out to those in need by a dedicated volunteer.

Fresh milk is made available for the hungry at home. Illness and absence from school has dropped since the Pastors began their life saving mission in Kroonstad.

Pumpkins are bagged for those in need.

Elderly with illnesses are helped by food and the Pastors' outreach programme.

And in the evening, the transport home with the food needed is wheelbarrows. I watched in amazement as a street full of wheelbarrows were silhouetted against the setting South African sun. Another day was over, so much good had been done - but more help is needed. If you wish to help Pastor Johan and Pastor, please contact Rev. Catherine at lumierecharity@yahoo.co.uk.

The work of Pastor Johan and Pastor Marianna

Pastor Johan came in from his pastoral visits, ready for the afternoon giving of food to the poor and those in need. Many helpers who were being assisted in learning skills were there to assist in the giving out of the food. For hours the numbers of those in need came from all areas, looking for the food which enables them to keep their families alive. Pumpkins from local farmers ensures healthy vegetable diet for those in need. The reduction of illness and the improvement in the living conditions of the people in the area in the past years has simply been astounding.

As the afternoon stretches into evening, potatoes are bagged and given out to those requiring assistance. In the dusty South African sun, people labour to organise food for those back at home. The cameraderie, mutual respect and fun is clear as the work continues.

The area itself is dusty - water is given for parched throats, and I was very glad to receive cool and refreshing glasses of water from the CRC office, which is offered with hospitality to all who stop in and are thirsty.

Pastor Johan and Pastor Marianna minister out in the township area, bringing ease and comfort through their dedicated service to many in need.

The amount of food given out daily is staggering. Here is a small portion of the daily needs of the poor.

Potatoes for the Poor

A few months ago I visited the project of Pastor Johan in Kroonstad towards which Lumiere Charity for a number of years has given donation. Prior to my sister's husband passing away unexpectedly from a heart attack at the young age of forty, he had taken me to this project and asked me to assist in whatever way I could. In September, I brought some funding from Lumiere, and was invited to see what work is being done. The area in the township has been developed, and is bringing much assistance to the people in the area. Potatoes are sorted, and given to poor families together with vegetables, milk and assistance in many ways. Equipment has been made available for the people in the area, and all band together to sort the potatoes and bag them for poor families.

Pastor Johan is a dedicated Minister, who devotes his life to helping those in need. He is developing the project further, offering service and assistance to the hungry, unemployed, street children and rag pickers. Pastor assists in providing shelter, and here is shown in one of the new rooms being developed for outreach services to the poor.

These containers are in the process of being upgraded and made suitable for the outreach services. Pastor Johan and dedicated volunteers work at making suitable facilities ready, and to date a beautiful church which is also used for meetings, singing, and to house clothing and shoes for the poor has been built. The church forms a landmark for the area.

Pastor Johan makes transport available for many children and adults who wish to worship or make use of the social outreach facilities of assistance with problems, assistance in financial difficulty, assistance in shelter, Aids programmes, street children and rag picker assistance, assistance of the elderly and infirm. The transport is sometimes filled with lively children shouting happily on a day out. All in Kroonstad know when the bus is out, because the children sing happily, and enjoy services or outings which brighten up their day and are educational and helpful. The distinctive yellow bus is seen parked outside the church.

The beautiful Church offers a place where the weary and struggling in the townships can spend some time in prayer, with refreshment offered by the Pastor in the afternoons, with food and drink such as water and milk to take home to hungry families. Pastor offers training and employment to people who work in the Church, on buildings, with equipment, sorting potatoes, organising refrigeration of food, vegetables and milk. Pastor Johan is helping by Pastor Marianna, his wife who is also dedicated to the service of the poor.

Pastor brings food and assistance to elderly, infirm and those in need of assistance in Kroonstad. This dedicated lady spends time ministering to those in need, and the day I spent with her there we joined in a time of worship, dancing and singing which left the elderly ladies there delighted and happy. Thereafter, the elderly ladies and gentlemen all enjoyed the fruit and food brought by dedicated Pastor from their CRC Project. If anyone wishes to donate towards the wonderful work done by the Pastors at this Project, please contact Rev. Catherine at lumierecharity@yahoo.co.uk.


*Photographs were taken by Rev. Catherine and Pastor Johan

The Blind Lady

It was four am in the dark South African morning, and Dad was well on the go with his Charity rounds. He had invited me to go along with him as it was 'a special visit'. I was intrigued, and when Dad mentioned something special with that Irish twinkle in his eye, it always promised to be an interesting time. We bowled along the dusty township road in the creaking old red Mazda that at times seemed to be held together with some pieces of twine and a prayer, and the tyres shook over a rutted village road as we went further and further into the shack areas. Overhead the one white star sparkled brightly, the Free State wind blew with the balmy scent of South African foliage, and I couldn't have been happier. The little dog Norman, a feisty and loveable black-and-brown daschhund, perched with his legs up against the seat and his ears flapping in the breeze from the window.

Eventually we stopped outside a little shack. A stately elderly lady sat fully dressed in the doorway, her feet encased in slippers and her two hands clasped on a small knobkerrie, a walking stick. She had a scarf tied neatly around her head, and her whole stature was one of eager expectancy. Dad whispered to me, 'This lady is blind, and unable to get to town for her pension. I bring her food every day, and blankets and shoes when she needs them. I also bring food for the family. Stay here and talk to her, while I visit the family'. And Dad, with his impeccable Irish Tramore courtesy, knocked at the corrugated iron door of the main shanty and whipped off his old veldt* hat as the lady of the house answered the door with as much courtesy as if he were meeting royalty.

I spoke to the old lady, 'Dumela, Mme,' and went through the Sotho form of greeting courtesies as my beloved South Sotho friends had taught me in my youth. Mme Maureen* courteously asked me when the Father was coming. I explained that the Father was my dad, and he would be coming shortly after visiting her family. She bent over her walking stick, and fixed me with her unwavering sightless gaze. 'You do know what the Father does for me, don't you?' she asked. 'He looks after my family with food, pap, clothes, blankets, oil and candles so they don't need to use my pension anymore. Before we were so poor, that the pension I got was all we had to live on. Then Modimo (God) sent the Father, and he took care of my family. Because of him, my grandchildren are now going to school, and have shoes to wear. Now the Father organises for me to go to the pensions office with my daughter, he takes the two of us together so we can draw my pension. Then the Father takes me to the doctor, so that I can get the medicine I need to keep me well. Now I am much better, before I was on blankets on the floor, and could not walk. Now I can walk, and I have a bed. A proper bed. You are very blessed, little one, to have such a father. He truly is a great man.'

And I watched as Dad came out of the shack, followed respectfully by three little children, two boys and a girl, all dressed and ready for school, and their mother who was giving them instructions as to how to behave for the day at school. We all climbed into the car, with the matriarch in the front seat and Norman sitting quietly in the back of the car on his best behaviour. As we made our way into the nearest town, the exquisite South African dawn broke through the baobab trees on the veldt with gold, red and tawny rays. Once the children had excitedly run off to school, Mme Maureen and her daughter went in for the pension, and then we drove on to the doctor. Once all had been organised, and the two ladies dropped off at home, it was time to get to the first soup kitchen, where Dad organised food for the homeless, street children, prisoners just released from prison and unemployed. I couldn't believe the range of his good works, done in the name of the Lord.

And now, many years later, I still can't get over the last words of Mme Maureen. She said, 'Yes, I always look forward to a visit from the Father. But mostly, because he always spends time to talk to me, and asks me about my life. Before the Father came, I used to be so lonely. I used to sit in my room, and have no-one to talk to. My daughter was so busy. But the Father explained to her and my family that it is important I have someone to talk to. And now people visit me all the time.

The Father, he brought me happiness and an end to my loneliness. Before I was blind and I could not see anything at all. Now I see with the eyes of my heart, because the Father has taught me to feel happy and useful again. I told the Father I was of no use anymore, and he made me see that I am so important to my family because I have the time to talk to the children and teach them the old ways of ubuntu, of the importance of community and caring. I am important because I have brought them life and brought them up. But most of all, I am important because I am me, a special person.' And Mme Maureen beamed with pride. 'Yes, I am special. Because each of us is special.'

And I realised as Dad and I drove home after a very busy day at the Free State Soup Kitchens Charity, that the greatest gift Dad had brought to this family was an end to the loneliness Mme Maureen had suffered. In the spirit of Lumiere, please think of someone in your neighbourhood or area who is elderly, ill, or blind. Please extend your hand in friendship to them, and assist them in some way that they need. Another option is to visit a Retirement Home, there are many people who are elderly who sometimes have no-one to visit them. Perhaps Providence has ordained that you be the one inspired to bring happiness into their lives with a visit, assistance, flowers or card. As we go into this New Year, may God bless your and your families, and all those who are elderly and ailing that we - the larger human family - may link hands so that no-one may feel lonely, uncared for, or unwanted.

*veldt - felt
Dumela, Mme - good day, ma'am
Mme Maureen - name has been changed
* Photograph taken by Rev. Catherine of street art in Africa

Module 6 - Breaking of Bread Service

GOOD SHEPHERD CHURCH SEMINARY

MODULE 6

THE SACRED RITES 

BREAKING OF BREAD SERVICE

 

 BREAKING OF BREAD SERVICE;

Also called Eucharist; the Eucharist; Divine Liturgy; the Mass; Lord’s Supper; Holy Communion. As priests we encourage people to remember Jesus by leading them in the Sacred Christian rite of the Breaking of Bread. Jesus makes Himself present bodily in the act in which a group of people share food and drink together in His memory. We break bread as Jesus did at the final supper with His disciples, and remember His words, ‘Take, eat, this is My Body’. (Matthew 26;26).

Then we take a cup of wine and share it with each other, remembering Jesus’ words, ‘Drink from it all of you; for this is My Blood of the covenant’. (Matthew 26; 26 – 28).

In the very act of sharing, the bread and the wine become the Body and Blood of Jesus. That is to say, Jesus becomes bodily present in the meal. Sharing food and drink is a symbol of sharing our life, while the food nourishes. The Breaking of the Bread or Eucharist is a powerful symbol of Jesus’ love. As priest, we bring people together at the Breaking of the Bread to remember Jesus in a special way. In coming together as a group to worship Christ, we realize that spiritual power increases as people gather together. Jesus encouraged this understanding with His words, ‘For where two or three are gathered in my Name, there am I among them’. (Matthew 18;20).

In every tradition people have worshipped together. In the Christian tradition, the word communion expresses the deep interaction in love and communication between Jesus and each individual in the worshipping group during the Breaking of Bread Service. As we share the blessed bread and wine,  we remember the great love of Jesus for us. The Breaking of Bread reminds us of the sacrifice Jesus made for us; giving His Life so that we could pass after this earthly life into immortality in a joyous destiny in Heaven. The word Eucharist comes from the Greek noun Eucharistia, which means thanksgiving. The Last Supper is described in five books of the New Testament; Matthew 26; 26 – 29;  Mark 14; 22 – 25;  Luke 22; 17 – 20;  John 13 – 19 and 1 Corinthians 11; 23 – 25.

6.1  PRACTICAL POINTS FOR THE  PRIEST TO REMEMBER; SOME PEOPLE ARE ALLERGIC TO WHEATEN BREAD,  OR HAVE PROBLEMS WITH TAKING WINE AT THE BREAKING OF BREAD RITE

Some people are allergic to wheat or are wheat intolerant. These medical conditions are called coeliac and wheat intolerance. This means that bread made of wheat makes them very ill, at times necessitating medical care. So gluten free bread or gluten free hosts (bread made of other flour such as rice flour, potato flour instead of wheat flour) are used by the priest to ensure that every person can receive communion with health safety. This bread is easily available in many food departmental stores or in health stores, and is marked at gluten free or wheat free bread which is suitable for coeliacs.

Other people are recovering from alcohol dependency, and therefore the drinking of wine in taking the cup presents a problem for them. In this case dark red grape juice is a good substitute. We as priest will ensure that the broken bread and cup of wine  given in Jesus’ Name are offered quietly without others being made aware of any communicant’s special need. We as priests need to have Jesus’ sensitivity to the suffering of others.

6.2 CHALICE AND PATEN FOR THE BREAKING OF BREAD SERVICE;

In Christian tradition, Jesus our Saviour used a standing cup vessel – since called the ‘Holy Chalice’ – to serve the wine during the Last Supper. As priests following Jesus’ example, chalices and patens are used in the rite of the Breaking of Bread. A chalice and paten are symbols of the priest’s ministry. This vessel and paten are treated with respect and reverence as holders of the sacred mystery of the Breaking of Bread and giving of the Cup of Wine.

The paten - which is a small dish - is used to hold the bread during the Breaking of Bread. Wine is poured into the chalice, and Jesus’ words are spoken by the priest over the wine, as we remember Jesus’ sacrifice of Himself for us in His Life and Death.

Wine is poured into the chalice, and the words of the consecration as first spoken by Jesus are said over the wine as we remember Jesus' sacrifice of Himself for us in His Life and Death.

We, as priests, celebrate as Jesus' shepherds to His people, the mystery of His Life, Death and Resurrection, every time we celebrate this Holy Remembrance.

The ceremony of the Eucharist is as follows;

6.3  BREAKING OF BREAD SERVICE; 

SCRIPTURAL WARRANT 

An appropriate lesson may be chosen by the minister, or one of the Eucharistic texts:

Mark 6: 30­ - 44 or John 6: 1—14 (22—40) — Feeding the 5000

Luke 24: 13—35— Road to Emmaus,

or if used primarily with children, one of these: 

Mark 9: 33—37— Receive the child in My Name

Mark 10: 13—16 —Jesus blesses the children

or if used at the bedside of the sick, from: Psalm 46—God our Refuge and Strength

John 6: 47 - ­51—Bread of Life 

Ephesians 2: 4—10 — By grace you have been saved
  
I John 4: 13—19   — Perfect love casts out fear

I John 5: 13—15 — God hears us

COLLECT

Almighty God, unto Whom all hearts are open, all desires known, and from Whom no secrets are hid,  cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of Your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love You and  worthily magnify Your Holy Name,  through Christ our Lord. Amen.

CONFESSION

Minister: Let us humbly confess our sins. A period of examination of conscience may be spoken or there may be silence. 

Minister: May God Almighty have mercy on you, forgive our sins  and bring us to everlasting life.  Amen.

AFFIRMATION OF FAITH (to be said responsively or by the Minister alone)

Minister: We are not alone.  We live in God's world.

People: We believe in God, Who has created and is creating, Who has come in the truly human Jesus,  to reconcile and make new, Who works in us and others through the Spirit.  We trust God, Who calls us to the church,  to celebrate life and its fullness, to love and serve others, to seek justice and resist evil,  to proclaim Jesus, crucified and risen, our Judge and our Hope. 

Minister: In life, in death, in life beyond death, God is with us. 

People: We are not alone.  Thanks be to God!

COMFORTABLE WORD:  

Hear what comfortable words Jesus said: Come unto me, all you who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly of heart, and you shall find rest to your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden light.  (Matthew 11:28—30)  Ask and it will be given you; seek and you will find;  knock and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and they who seek find, and to them who knock it will be opened. (Matthew 7: 7—8)

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. (John 13: 34—35) I am the bread of life;  whoever comes to me shall not hunger and  whoever believes in me shall never thirst. (John 6: 35)

COMMUNION 
THE BREAKING OF THE BREAD

MINISTER;

“And as they were eating, Jesus took bread” (here the minister shall take the bread) “And blessed and broke it, ” (here the minister shall break the bread); “And He gave it to His disciples, and said "Take, eat; this is My Body which is broken for you.  This do in remembrance of me"

PEOPLE;

“Lord Jesus, You are the bread of life.” 

All may partake of the bread.  All are called by Jesus, and all - without exception - are welcome around the Table of the Lord.

THE BLESSING OF THE WINE

“After the same manner also He took the cup”  (here the minister shall take the cup) 
“Gave thanks, and gave it to them saying, "Drink this, all of you; for this is the blood of the new covenant,  which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me."” 

PEOPLE;

“Lord Jesus, You are the cup of life, the wine that is blessed for our salvation.

Here all may partake of the cup.

THE LORD'S PRAYER

followed by prayers for those communing and  for their particular concerns.

BENEDICTION:

May God grant you to be strengthened with might through the Spirit,  that Christ may dwell in your heart through faith;  that you, being  rooted and grounded in love,  may have power to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. (Ephesians 3: 14—19) Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you; not as the world gives  give I to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. (John 14: 27) .

The Communion Service is made available for use by the Good Shepherd Church by kind permission of Rev. Ron Robinson of the Unitarian Universalist Christian Fellowship who own reservation of rights (1986).

Photograph taken by Rev. Catherine. You may use this image as copyright free for any Christian purpose.

MY DAD WAS A FATHER TO THE POOR

                                             Sean Whittle

In a previous blog I told how my Dad inspired me to begin Lumiere Charity. On many occasions when I was on holiday, I used to go with Dad and help him, my brother Joseph and our dear friend Elsie to give out soup, bread, food and comfort to those who otherwise would have been starving in many areas of the mining towns, townships and rural villages in Free State, South Africa. For 17 years he sacrificed all to feed the poor.  Dad went peacefully to his eternal reward in 2008. My mom Luky Whittle  wrote the following about him, reflecting on Dad who was known as extraordinary Father to the Poor.

Not long ago, in the mining town of Virginia, Free State, a stone was laid on the grave of my late husband Seán Joseph Whittle (pictured). It holds a statue of the Sacred Heart, about a metre tall, and a dedication. Whenever I look at the simple inscription, so fitting to grace the grave of so humble a person, I remember Seán, the man whose industry, sweetness, brilliance of intellect, charm and humour for half a century brought a deeper dimension to my life than I might otherwise have known.

We shared tragedy together after the birth of Joseph, our third child, who sustained brain damage during a most complicated confinement. Rather than dividing us, this shared pain drew us closer together.

Although two such different characters as Seán and I were bound to clash, I learned from his quiet example. While he seldom reprimanded me for my verbal excesses, I learned to emulate his silent example of respect for others.

I like to think that I taught him something from my side. As a miner, he earned good money and received excellent fringe benefits. However, as one penniless immigrant who had married another, he experienced what I considered to be an almost obsessive need for security, insisting that charity should start at home. For my part, I believed everyone should share in our good fortune. Sometimes there was friction between us on that account.

I think I convinced him of my point of view the day I explained that the price of a 25kg bag of special nutritional soup powder, fortified with vitamins and minerals, enough to feed hundreds, is equivalent to that of a bottle of whiskey. A massive bag of maize meal costs less than some CDs do. Seen in this way, charity comes cheap at the price.

When he became a pensioner, I was pleasantly surprised when he founded a soup kitchen, which he ran for 17 years. He used the money he had saved to meet the calls on the soup kitchen bank account. Welkom, where we lived, had its full quota of unemployed miners. He kept thousands of them fed until they found jobs. He was dearly loved by his needy clients. Driving besides him in town, I felt I was sitting next to Nelson Mandela. Everyone smiled and waved.

                                                    Seán Whittle distributing food

Assisted by our Joseph, he rose at five in the morning to cook the food he had put ready the previous evening in massive pots on six primus stoves in the garage before transporting it to various venues in towns and townships in his ancient red car. He collected bread, which had reached its sell-by date from a local bread factory, to the chagrin of some pig farmers who had previously collected this bounty and felt he was trespassing on their territory. Queues of up to 300 people were served daily. A fellow parishioner, a mechanic, kept his ancient Mazda roadworthy, never charging him for labour and sometimes even secretly supplying some of the spares free.

When his generosity became so blatant that Seán felt bound to challenge him, he countered: “Do you think you’re the only person who wants to go to heaven?”

It amazed me that for 17 years, our unproductive (humanly speaking) son Joe with his mental age of five kept thousands of people fed by his hard work and sheer physical strength. By the time Seán ran out of his own money, people were giving him donations which kept the streams of soup flowing. Whenever during the month the donations ran out, he filled up the gaps from his pension and my salary. It was a source of never-diminishing wonder to me that everyone always got something to eat and that our own family survived as well. When I got too ill to work for a while we thought we’d have to close the charity down, but a benefactor contributed a monthly cheque equivalent to my salary until Seán had a stroke and his work ended.

For his service to the community, Seán received the Melvin Jones award from Lions International and the Paul Harris award from the Rotarians. People sometimes told me he was a saint but I didn’t experience him as such for his osteo-arthritis coupled with his incredibly hard work sometimes caused him to be brusque, impatient and withdrawn.

I never felt overawed at the incredible effort he put into the running of his charity, rather experiencing it as keeping a nice sense of balance between his human frailty and his generosity. I grew resentful when I felt the work was playing havoc with our social lives and our family life. Yet, watching him at his work and seeing the mountains of food prepared in our humble garage by only two pairs of hands, I felt in awe, like the Hebrews who watched Moses go up to the mountain to meet God. If that sounds contradictory I can’t help it. That’s how it was.

Only once did I object. He had sold a flat we owned jointly with the bank and after settling with the latter we used the money to pay off the soup kitchen overdraft. Less than a week later he wanted to borrow a further R500. After a week of financial stability I had got used to sleeping well at night. I told him I would not let the soup kitchens take us down, “Charity begins at home, remember?” Shocked, he said he couldn’t believe it was I talking. “Believe it!” I said. “If Our Lord wants you to run the soup kitchens; he has to see to it that the money is provided. If you and I end up bankrupt, we won’t be able to help ourselves; much less others.”

Then I left home for a church function where one of our priests gave me R500 for the soup kitchens. Less than an hour after my refusal I arrived back at home, triumphantly waving the notes in the air. Seán broke down and wept. After that he never again spoke about finance for the soup kitchens with me and I asked no questions about money. Ignorance is bliss.

I asked him one morning if he wasn’t scared of being killed in the townships where he moved so freely despite the political violence. Though he generally answered one question with another, this time he gave me a straight answer. “I’m always scared, but even if I knew I was going to be killed today, I would still go and feed the poor.” That day my regard and respect for him reached their summit.

“When you die and get to heaven, a shout will go up to welcome you,” I said warmly. A deeply humble man, he was horrified, “Please, please! Don’t say that! It’s wrong! I’m a dreadful sinner!” “Another thing,” I continued, ignoring his protests, “when you die, I’ll put a stone up on your grave which will read: ‘He was a Father to the Poor’.” He didn’t argue further but burst into tears and went out.

A lot of water had run under the bridge since that day. Seán had continued to feed the poor until he sustained the stroke, which forced him to take to bed where he remained until his death three and a half years later.

Joseph tended him lovingly as he uncomplainingly suffered the agonising pangs of osteo-arthritis, becoming almost paralysed in the end. The charity continued in other ways when others initiated similar projects. Seán had shown them that it is possible to serve the poor on a shoestring.

He became ever more quiet and one day he said: “When we open our eyes in death…” In the end he sometimes became muddled in his speech and reactions. Yet he remained sane. The Sunday before he died, he said: “Please tell that man sitting beside my pillow to get off and go away.” “Why? Is it an ugly man?” I asked. “No! It is a very beautiful man. But I don’t want God to come and fetch me yet.” “Why hold back if it is your time?” “Because I want to suffer for the remission of sin.”

The day he opened his eyes in death seemed to me to be a day like any other. I came home from my teaching job. In the morning I had told him my students were battling with a project and asked him to offer up his sufferings of the day for the success of the assignment.

“How did the students fare?” he asked. I cooked, and Joseph fed him. Then our widowed daughter Jacinta at whose house we stayed helped Joe and me to clean him up and change the bed linen. Our two granddaughters joined us and we were sitting on the bed, laughing and talking, when Seán said, “I’m concerned about the fact that you and Jacinta are so free with your money.”

When I explained that we were learning to be frugal and managing to keep our heads above water he visibly relaxed. Suddenly the eyes of Jacinta, a nurse, narrowed. “Daddy, are you battling to breathe?” “How can you tell?”

I telephoned a doctor who instructed me to bring him to the hospital immediately. As we tried to lift him into his wheelchair, he stiffened. He had always been terrified of death. I had my arms around him and melted with compassion for him. I heard myself say: “Look at you having a panic attack. When you were born, God did not need your help. When you lived for 75 years, he kept you alive without your assistance. Whatever is happening to you now, just surrender. God still doesn’t need your help.” At that point the tension left his body. He relaxed and died with his beautiful head against my shoulder.

That was on August 26, 2008. A year later we erected a stone on his grave. As I had promised him the day he cried so much, it reads: “He was a Father to the Poor.”

* Blog post with kind permission from Dr. Luky Whittle

A Christmas Story

It was Christmas time, and I was in town rushing past some shops to get supplies in for Christmas. I heard the desolate weeping of a young boy in a dark alleyway, and stopped. As I stood there, trying to see where the crying was coming from, I heard an older boy comforting him. 'Don't cry, my brother,' he said. 'Be strong.  Why are you crying?' 'I am so hungry,' the younger lad replied, sobbing again. By now I could see the thin shoulders of the older brother as he took the young lad in his arms to comfort him. 'Don't cry,'he said again. 'I'm your brother, and I love you. We love each other, that's all that matters'. The younger boy said with real heartbreak in his voice, 'But we're all alone in the world. No-one else cares. No one.' I moved into the shadows, and started speaking with the young boys.  By the time I moved on, they were sitting having a full meal with a hot drink, and assistance for them organised. They looked slightly bemused. They truly had thought no-one else in this world cared about them. But I knew better. It had been against all odds that I had quickly volunteered to go into town to buy potatoes and some outstanding supplies for Christmas lunch. I had not planned to go, but had felt a strong need to quickly visit town. I knew why now.

Many times we are inspired to do something, we just get a strong feeling - and then, at the end of the day, it turns out that our assistance was needed in some small way. I believe that this is Providence at work. I have never forgotten the heartbroken crying I heard, or how shocked I was that there are still children that are starving in large towns. It was a Christmas message to me that there still is no room in the inn for so many, and that there is so much scope for help with food, shelter, clothing, medical assistance and education. Perhaps there are children in a family or in the streets near you who need assistance - in the spirit of Lumiere, please go out to them, and help with a meal and assistance. It is no accident when you meet someone in need like this - it is Providence matching their prayer and need to your ability to help. Providence reaches out to us daily to build our goodwill and caring.

And, as I left the young boys, I told them, 'Don't ever think that no-one cares. You are both very precious; there is only one of you, you are unique; and God created you. He cares, and He will never forget you. I believe that He sent me here today because He knew you needed help.' And their wide eyes held deep in their depths a tiny flicker of hope - that maybe their life was important, and that they were worth so much. It is indeed tragic that the wonder of each human life is not always matched with understanding as to how precious each gift to us is - if each of us who reads this blog post make it our goal in life to enable each person to feel how unique and valued they are, surely so much happiness will result. So, happy Christmas to you all, and please do a good work in the spirit of Lumiere for someone who is desperately in need.

Module 5 Prayer for the Priest

GOOD SHEPHERD CHURCH SEMINARY

 MODULE 5

 PRAYER FOR THE PRIEST

Objectives;   By the end of this module you should;

1 Be able to begin a strong personal prayer life
2 Understand that Jesus Christ was a Man of great personal prayer
3 Be able to draw up a personal programme of prayer for yourself as priest
4 Be empowered to lead others in prayer

Contents
Introduction; We follow Jesus of Nazareth Who spent much time in prayer. His deep prayer led to strong and decisive action and service of others.

Jesus of Nazareth – a Man of Prayer
5.1 Jesus has called us to be people of prayer
5.2 Prayer – a sign of Jesus’ humility
5.3 What is prayer?
5.4 Why do we pray?
5.5 How to develop prayer in our lives
5.6 Prayer resources for Christians
5.7 Choice of Prayer Resources
5.8 Prayer transforms our lives

INTRODUCTION

Jesus of Nazareth was a Man of Prayer. We as priests follow in His Footsteps, and draw inspiration from His Life and Values. A strong value of Jesus’ was His personal and public prayer life. So we, too, strive to become people of strong prayer. From our prayer life will flow our devoted and whole hearted service and ministry as priests of Jesus Christ.

JESUS OF NAZARETH – A MAN OF PRAYER

5.1 JESUS HAS CALLED US TO BE PEOPLE OF PRAYER
Jesus of Nazareth has called us to be ordained as priests. A priest is an authority on spiritual matters. A priest administers the Sacred Rites, preaches, and cares for the needs of the people to whom s/he is called to minister to.

In order to be a good and effective priest, we draw inspiration from the way Jesus lived His Life; we follow in His Footsteps, live the way that He did, and make His priorities our priorities. Jesus lived His life well on earth, both praying Himself and teaching others to pray. One of Jesus’ great values was prayer. So we, too, value prayer. Jesus was the author of the great Christian prayer that every Christian prays daily; the Our Father.

“Our Father, Who art in Heaven,
Hallowed by Thy Name;
Thy Kingdom come, Thy Will be done,
On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day, our daily bread,
And forgive us our trespasses,
As we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
But deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the Kingdom, the power and the glory,
For ever and ever, Amen.” (Matthew 6; 99 – 13 and addendum).

Jesus prayed to the Father for the strength and ability to perform healing acts for others. Jesus performed great acts of healing after prayer. He taught in the synagogues, the main place of worship and prayer in the villages and cities of His time. After His teaching, He healed with authority. Jesus prayed and taught in the synagogue of Capernaum, and healed a man in the synagogue. Afterwards He and His disciples James and John went to the house of Simon and Andrew, where Jesus healed Simon’s mother-in-law. That evening after sunset, Jesus healed many of various diseases at the back door of Simon and Andrew’s house. (Mark 1; 21 – 34.) So there is a link between the prayer of Jesus, and to His acts of healing.

Jesus taught in the synagogue in Capernaum. He worked that day healing a man; throughout that day He healed many others, working well into the evening. He felt exhausted, and was glad of His bed in Simon’s house. Prayer had been the mainspring and strength that kept Him going through this creative day of service.

Jesus prayed to the Father for guidance and discernment. On one particular day described in the Gospel of Luke, Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray. He spent the full night praying to God. (Luke 6; 12 – 16).

The time eventually came for Jesus to fulfil His mission. He went to Jerusalem, a dangerous endeavour for Him, as He knew He must in order to fulfil His mission. As Jesus’  end of life came nearer, He continued in deeper prayer. He prayed for Himself, that God the Father would glorify Him, as He had glorified the Father by completing the work He had given Him to do on this earth. (John 17; 1 – 5).

Jesus prayed tenderly and strongly for His disciples, Whom He loved and whom He had taught. (John 17; 6 – 19). These disciples, though more at home in the fish markets, working at home and in tax collectors’ stalls, made the change. Through the power of Jesus’ prayer and their own prayer to the Father,  theybecame such powerful preachers, healers and priests that they changed the entire world order of the Roman empire to a new order; Christianity.

Jesus also prayed for all of us, who would believe in Him as the Son of God through His disciples’message. (John 17; 20 – 25). Let us take heart, the Son of God Himself prayed for us personally, two thousand years ago.

At the last, when Jesus knew He was on the brink of the disaster of losing His Life to political cause, He threw Himself down beneath the olive trees in the Garden of Gethsemane, and pleaded with His Father out of fear not to have to fulfil His destiny. This was His greatest moment; He had been totally faithful throughout His Life and in His prayer; now human fear at the threat of being tortured, degraded and executed made Him plead in prayer for another way. (Luke 22; 39 – 46). Yet He accepted God’s decree, which was that this was His destiny. What a powerhouse Jesus’ prayer must have been to enable Him to accept this crushing response to His prayer. God’s ‘No’ which we often receive in prayer is often harder to accept than His ‘Yes’ or ‘It is time for you to wait before I give you what you ask for’.

5.2 PRAYER - A SIGN OF JESUS’ HUMILITY
The simple fact, often mentioned in the Gospels about Jesus is; He prayed. This reveals much about Jesus’ personality and set of values as Son of God. He valued prayer, and so should we. Jesus was fond of praying, and out-of-doors. He loved nature, and the peace it brings. Mark implies in the Greek text, that Jesus’ prayer was continued and a repeated action. This Mark did by telling us, “Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place, and there He prayed”. (Mark 1; 35). The final verb ‘prayed’in the Greek text is expressed in the imperfect tense, which denotes continued and/or repeated action. Mark thus implies that Jesus spent a significant period of time in that prayer, which began in the dark and ended after sunrise. Jesus prayed through the transition from night into day.

Jesus also prayed from the transition from light into darkness – day to night. Jesus prayed directly after He multiplied the numbers of loaves and fishes to feed the hungry crowd. This happened late in the day, (Mark 6. 35). Mark describes the apostles getting into the boat to sail away, while Jesus remained behind on shore. Once Jesus had sent the disciples away, He departed to the mountain to pray. The prayer of Jesus was not broken off until very late, ‘the fourth watch’. (Mark 6; 48). Jesus’ preference for nocturnal prayer might well have been because of the peace of the night, and the beauty of the vast expanse of the Palestinian sky at night. The Psalms reflect the work of God in Creation in the sky; in keeping with the rapturous devotion of His ancestor David, Jesus looked at the sky during the day and the night. When Jesus prayed under the heavens, He not only spoke, He listened. The skies, the moon, stars and sun all have a story to tell us of the One Who created them;

“The heavens recount the glory of God,
And the firmament declares the work of His Hands;
Day unto day tells the story,
And night unto night imparts the knowledge.” (Psalm 19; 1 – 2).

Jesus prayed regularly from the very beginning of His public ministry. This was, obviously, the habit of a lifetime. He probably began praying seriously in His childhood, taught and nurtured by the example of His mother Mary and His protector Joseph, both devout people of prayer themselves according to the Gospels. So Jesus’ value is to be our value as priests – in accordance with the example and teaching of Jesus, we set out to be people of deep prayer. This means that we need to know what prayer is, and how to go about developing our prayer.

5.3 WHAT IS PRAYER?

Prayer is listening to and talking with God. It is about an ever deepening relationship with God. Prayer is the lifting of our hearts and souls to God in conversation. We discuss with God quietly within our heart what He wishes us to do with our lives. We share with Him our disappointments, our pain, and ask His advice as to the way forward in many instances in our lives. We ask forgiveness of God in prayer for the mistakes we make, and ask Him to bless others and heal the effects of the pain our mistakes have caused them in their lives. We ask for healing for ourselves and others in prayer. We ask for blessings for ourselves and others, and for strength to deal with difficult times. Prayer is thus a relationship, a close familial relationship with God Whom Jesus assured us is our Father as much as He is Jesus’ Father. So we are all family; and prayer is the conversation and relationship we have with God as we move forward.

We can also pray to, that is – have communication with – all who have passed before us into eternity. Many people pray to holy people who have left us great examples of strength and godliness in their lives, such as Mary, Jesus’ mother; Joseph, Jesus' protector; Jesus’ disciples, such as the first disciple He appeared to, Mary Magdalene; Matthew, Mark, John, Salome, Jude.  Members of our own family often guide us and pray for us after they have moved after death into eternity– we can pray to them for assistance too. We also pray to the angels who are such strong bearers of the mercy and strength of God to us in our daily work and trials. The great Archangel Michael and other angels such as Archangel Gabriel, are in the service of God helping humanity. Gabriel was chosen by God to bring the message of His Love to Mary, and to ask her to consent that He incarnate Jesus in her womb.

5.4 WHY DO WE PRAY?
We pray in order to get closer to God, and we pray because Jesus taught us that to pray is essential for our lives as Christians. We pray because God has taught us to pray in the Bible. Prayer is an important part of a Christian’s life, enabling us to find a greater sense of God’s purpose in our lives.

5.5 HOW TO DEVELOP PRAYER IN OUR LIVES
As a child many of us were taught to pray with our hands together and our eyes closed. This is not essential for prayer. It is a stepping stone where we become accustomed to taking our minds off what is around us, and focusing our inner being on God. With practice this becomes easier, and we are able to focus on inner dialogue with God with greater ease, and without the need to close our eyes.

Prayers can have many aspects, but these are the most common;
Adoration; Praising and glorifying God for Who He is.
Confession; Asking forgiveness for wrong actions we have done, and the right things we have failed to do.
Thanksgiving; Expressing gratitude for the many great gifts God has given us, and that we receive each day which enrich our lives.
Supplication; Praying for others, for our nation, for our countries, and for ourselves that God may guide and lead us in our ministry as priests.

Prayer can take place privately, or with family and friends. Some people choose to meet regularly with others in a prayer cell, which strengthens them in their prayer calling. Churches pray in church services of worship and the Sacred Rites, also in house groups, church meetings and on other occasions.

Written prayers can be used, but prayer can also be spontaneous and improvised. Prayers can be said out loud or silently.

5.6 PRAYER RESOURCES FOR CHRISTIANS

The Our Father;
This prayer was composed by Jesus, and is said by Christians internationally.
“Our Father, Who art in Heaven,
Hallowed by Thy Name;
Thy Kingdom come, Thy Will be done,
On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day, our daily bread,
And forgive us our trespasses,
As we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
But deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the Kingdom, the power and the glory,
For ever and ever, Amen.” (Matthew 6; 99 – 13 and addendum).

The Apostles’ Creed;
Christians pray the Apostles’ Creed together as a community, as a sign of our communal belief.
“I believe in God the Father Almighty,
Creator of heaven and earth;
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,
Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
Born of the Virgin Mary,
Suffered under Pontius Pilate,
Was crucified, died, and was buried;
He descended into hell;
The third day He rose again from the dead;
He ascended into heaven,
And is seated at the right hand of the Father;
From thence He shall come to judge
The living and the dead.
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.”

Prayer to the Holy Trinity;
Christians believe in the One True God. We further believe there are three Dimensions to our One God; that of Paternity (Father), that of loving and faithful offspring (Son), and that of life-giving and soul-strengthening energy (God’s Spirit, also known as The Holy Spirit). These three Dimensions in one True God are known as the Holy Trinity.

Prayer to the Holy Trinity;

“Glory be to the Father,
And to the Son,
And to the Holy Spirit.
As it was in the beginning,
Is now, and ever shall be,
World without end. Amen.”

Prayer in honour of God’s choice of Mary as mother;
The ‘Hail Mary’;
Christians universally have honour for the earthly mother of Jesus, chosen by God.

The angel Gabriel was sent by God to Mary on His behalf to request her to accept the motherhood of Himself in His dimension as earthly Son. He was to be named Jesus. Mary accept this role, and her human ovum was activated by the Godhead Himself, a wonderous and unique occurrence (Luke 1; 26 – 38).

Many Christians remember this by praying the following prayer called the ‘Hail Mary’, inspired by the angel’s greeting from God in the New Testament.
“Hail Mary, full of grace,
The Lord is with thee;
Blessed art thou amongst women,
And blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.

Holy Mary,
Mother of God,
Pray for us sinners,
Now and at the hour of our death.
Amen.”

The Beatitudes:

These blessings were spoken by our Lord Jesus Christ during his ‘Sermon on the Mount’ teachings (Matthew 5; 3 – 10).
“Blessed are the poor in spirit,
For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn,
For they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
For they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
For they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful,
For they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart,
For they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
For they will be called sons of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Prayer for assistance through the help of St. Michael the Archangel,
faithful follower of God:
This prayer is often prayed by Christians in honour of the great Archangel Michael who at the behest of God did successful battle in heaven against the forces of evil. If we are in danger or fear, this prayer is of great help;
‘Blessed Michael the Archangel,
Defend us in the hour of conflict.
Be our safeguard against the wickedness and snares of the devil.
And may God restrain him we humbly pray.
Do this in the Name of Jesus Christ our Lord,
Amen.’

5.7 CHOICE OF PRAYER RESOURCES
Pray to God in the quiet sanctuary of your room to inspire you which are the best prayer resources for you to use. The Bible is a great source of prayer; there are many prayer books in libraries, online and available in churches. Find a source of Christian prayer which brings you comfort, strength and support on your life path towards eternity with God. Then pray those prayers as you feel inspired. It is good to pray daily.

Another helpful resource is to have your own prayer journal, where you write prayers that give you inspiration. You can illustrate these prayers with pictures, or drawings which have meaning and beauty for you. You can press leaves and flowers, and stick them in. Keep your prayer journal near your prayer place for easy reference when you need to pray.

As priest, learn a number of prayers ‘off by heart’ – that is, the old fashioned method of learning the prayers over and over again until you can recite them from memory. This can be of great assistance if you need to pray in public for someone else, and have no prayer book or resource with you. It also helps you to give words of inspiration, spirituality and wisdom to people in distress if you have memory resource of prayers. Many such prayers are found in the Psalms, such as that wonderful Psalm 23 of King David, ‘The Lord is my Shepherd.’ This often prayed Psalm is a great comfort to people in distress of spirit, or dealing with grief.

Psalm 23
The Lord is my Shepherd
‘The Lord is my Shepherd, there is nothing I shall want;
He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside quiet waters,
He restores my soul.
He guides me in paths of righteousness, for His Name’s sake.
Yeah, though I walk through the valley of darkness;
No evil will I fear, for You are with me.
Your rod and Your staff give me comfort.

You prepare a table before me,
In the presence of my foes;

You anoint my head with oil,

My cup overflows.
Surely goodness and love will follow me,
All the days of my life.
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever,
Amen.’

Another often prayed Psalm is that which Jesus prayed on the cross;

Psalm 22

My God, My God, why have You forsaken me?
‘My God, My God, why have You forsaken me?
Why are You so far from saving Me,
So far from the cries of my anguish?
My God, I cry out by day, but You do not answer,
By night, but I find no rest.’

The Psalms can be found in the Old Testament Section of the Bible. They are also easy to find online, or in church or prayer books. Research and find psalms which are helpful to you, and make them a part of your regular prayer life. Church bookshops and Prayer bookshops are great places to browse in order to buy prayer books which will help you in your prayer life, and as priest ministering to those in need.

Many people of prayer, and priests, make use of small books of prayer which have set out prayers for Morning, Evening and Night. These are helpful for priests who lead busy lives, and who wish to have a resource for prayer.

5.8 PRAYER TRANSFORMS OUR LIVES
Prayer transforms us into another Christ. Many Christians believe that we are called to model our inner lives on the beautiful example of the life Jesus Christ led here on earth. Jesus was free to love each infant, child and adult he met with all His heart. He was kind and understanding to men who had diseases such as leprosy who begged for healing (Mark 1; 40 – 41). He made it His Life’s work to heal every kind of disease and sickness that tormented the lives of people (Matthew 4; 23). Jesus uplifted people by means of teaching. He taught the beauty and freedom of God’s Plan for our lives in the synagogues (Matthew 4;23).

Jesus brought comfort to us who struggle with the lessons we learn each day in our daily lives, by preaching and teaching that we will be blessed if we are humble people, looking to find happiness with what we have instead of what we do not have (being poor in spirit). He preached that if we look for justice and what is right, we will find it. Jesus inspires us to show mercy, be pure and clean in heart, and to be bringers of peace in His Name. Jesus assured us that if we suffer difficulties here on earth because of our belief in His way of life, that we would receive blessing in the kingdom of heaven, eternity (The Beatitudes Matthew; 5; 1 – 12).

Jesus tried to save us from the effects that stress and worry bring into our lives (Matthew 6; 25 – 34.) He inspired us not to think harshly of others, but to have positive thoughts and caring thoughts about others, and about ourselves (Matthew 7; 1 – 6). He assured us that God the Father is deeply interested in our lives and welfare, and that if we reach out in prayer for assistance, it surely will be given to us. We might not always understand how we receive it, but years later when we look back, we will see that our prayers have never gone unanswered (Matthew 7; 7 – 12).

Jesus affirmed faith and deep prayer in men’s lives, such as in that of the soldier centurion in Capernaum, who servant He generously healed with expressed wonder at the soldier’s amazing faith and belief in spiritual discipline (Matthew 8 : 5 –13).

Jesus was kind to children, transforming their lives by His caring. He gave new life to a young girl who was the daughter of a leader of the local synagogue (Mark 5; 35 – 43). He was caring to women. He healed a woman who had suffered agonies for years, and was sensitive and kindly to her about the pain she had endured (Mark 5; 25 – 34).

Jesus was loving and caring towards infants and little children, and had words with His disciples who had driven the mothers and children who had come to Jesus for blessing away from Jesus. The gospels tell us that Jesus was indignant , and after scolding the disciples, He tenderly took the children in His arms, telling the disciples that the kingdom of God belongs to such as the children. After embracing the children, He laid hands on them to give them God’s blessing (Mark 10; 13 – 16).

Jesus was understanding of the plight and deep grief of widows, women who had lost husband and income, and status in their community. He was gentle and caring to the young man who had lost his life, and whom his widowed mother was grieving in the town of Nain. Jesus touched the young deceased man’s coffin, and he was restored to life again. Jesus had been touched by the son’s mother, who had been grieving, as the young man was her only son. Jesus had comforted her, telling her tenderly, ‘Don’t cry’. (Luke 7; 11 – 17).

Jesus was able to be emotionally comfortable in the presence of both men and women. His disciples John reclined comfortably next to Jesus at the Last Super (John 13; 25). He was comfortable with Mary sitting at His feet (Luke 10; 39 - 40).  

Thus regular and sincere prayer helps us to follow in the steps of Jesus Christ, to be as caring, kind and faithful to the Father as He was on His earthly Life, and as wonderful in His resurrected state as He is now.

*Photograph taken by Rev. Catherine. You may use this image as copyright free for any Christian purpose.