Perseverance in Prayer: Reflection on Advent 2

“My God, I pray you to accept my confessions and also the gratitude I bear you for all the many things which I pass over in silence.  But I will omit not a word that my mind can bring to birth concerning your servant, my mother.  In the flesh she brought me to birth in this world: in her heart she brought me to birth in your eternal light”.  

(Confessions of Saint Augustine; Book ix, Confession 8).

Saint Augustine of Hippo has exerted an incredible influence on the mentality, culture and religious attitudes of Western mind.  He was born to, a pagan father, Patricius and a Christian mother, Monica in 354.  Before his conversion to Christianity on the eve of Easter, April 25, 387 by Bishop Ambrose, St. Augustine led a lavish and extravagant life.  He followed various faith traditions, flirted with astrology as a way to look into the future, and had a son with his mistress.  He studied reason, classical literature and rhetoric in Latin.  He was destined and prepared to be a lawyer or a government servant.  In the midst of all the successful endeavours and adventures, his Mother Monica kept on praying for him.  She accompanied her son to every new town and place to take care of his personal needs.  While Monica tended to his physical needs, she continued to uphold Augustine’s struggles to God in prayer and through her humility, simplicity and faith set an example for her son.  As noted above, her prayers were answered on April 25, 387 as her son Augustine was born in God’s eternal light and time.  What a wonderful mother, a great companion and a worthy servant of God to be remembered as Saint Monica in the church.  

Saint Monica sets an example for all of us to follow in the following ways.  First, we should facilitate the birth of God’s children in eternal time and light.  Second, our prayers should be pure, simple, honest,   and a way to bring human beings, without our own personal prejudice and bias, to God.  Third, we should have the commitment and courage to live out our prayers in the world.  Finally, we should believe that we are there to serve and attend to the needs of the people around us and it is a combination of our service, prayers and witness which enable individuals to be born in God’s eternal time and light.  May God grant us courage to pray and patience to persevere. 

What are we hoping for? Reflection on Advent 1

“Cause of the Poor:  A Theological Perspective”, was the first book published in Pakistan on the topic of Liberation Theology.  The author of the book was Father Emmanuel Asi, a Roman Catholic Priest.  He launched the book on June 8, 1988 to coincide with the sixty fifth birthday of Father Gustavo Gutierrez, a Peruvian Roman Catholic Priest.  Gutierrez introduced and wrote the first book on Liberation Theology.  

The basic premise of the Liberation Theology is to examine economy, sociology, religiosity and cultural values of a geographical area through the lenses of the gospel.  This critical and careful analysis is then compared with the teachings and actions of Jesus, the Son of God,  to determine and ascertain the ways to transform the culture and the society.   The slums and the poor, downtrodden human beings of Peru were the reasons for this vision.  Thus the impetus of the Liberation Theology is to be the hands, feet, mind and heart of God to bring changes in the lives of human beings.  This conclusion was supported by the numerous gospel miracle stories where Jesus transformed human lives and restored their dignity, integrity and lives in an extremely hierarchal culture.  Father Asi was one among many who tried to achieve the same for their immediate situation.  By doing so, Father Asi encouraged many to live out their Christian life and obligation among the masses to engender and cultivate change among them.  The Liberation Theology, thus, brings hope and introduces concrete actions among Christians’ communities to reach out to the less fortunate, with a resolve, to change their circumstances once for all.  

The theme for the first Sunday of Advent is Hope; Hope, for the better days; Hope, for the second coming of our Lord; Hope, for the coming of Baby Jesus in our lives and hope for the kingdom of peace, Justice and equality, a heavenly kingdom, being realized into the world.  But how can the kingdom of God be realized in the world of injustice, hatred, sorrow, pain, hunger and discrimination?  The only way it can be realized is through the imitation of and reliance on Jesus, the Christ.  We must be committed to examine our situation, reflect on the economic, political, sociological, and spiritual issues, and to act justly and rightly to restore one’s dignity, integrity and faith in God and fellow human beings.  This will enable us to be the bearers of hope, good will and God’s love in the world.  May our examination and analysis lead us to concrete actions to eradicate social, religious and spiritual injustices of our culture and society.