issue no 6 summer, 2005 catholic response to terrorism letter summer 2005pdf.pdfleo xiii in rerum...

V iolence, that is the unjus-tified attack by one hu-man being on another or

by a group of human beings upon an individual or another group, is a disgraceful reality in the experi-ence of the human race. The

Church in her teaching has always been ready to point out the evil that is to be found in violence. However it is in the 20/21st cen-tury that the teaching has become more systematic and detailed as the growth of the human race has

seen a spread of violence in all parts of he world.

The Church sees the origin of violence in the deci-sion by man in the beginning of the human race to turn away from God by sin. This led to a shedding of blood and division between men, and a breaking of social rela-tionships. Sin is seen as pro-ducing a decadence in the human individual and the human race from which flows the tendency to injus-tice and violence. These manifest themselves in a great variety of ways and un-der different forms in human

history. It is these many occasions of injustice and violence which have occurred that has given rise to particular teaching in protest by the Pastors of the Church.

An example of teaching provoked by a particular experi-ence of violence is that of the phe-nomenon of child labour. Pope Leo XIII in Rerum Novarum (1891) pointed out the stunting effects on children of their being forced into work and so deprived of education. This theme was con-tinued by Pope John Paul II who indicated that child labour, in its intolerable forms constitutes a kind of violence that is less obvi-ous than others but it is not for this reason any less terrible. The point of departure for the teaching on violence by the Pastors is found in the understanding that the Church has of human dignity.

All violence is an attack (Continued on page 2)

OGILVIE LETTER

Make Poverty History Rally with Sister Mags Langley † Deacon John Windle reports from Orkney † Fr Paul Wat-son focuses on the Holy Spirit and the Eucharist † Lectio Divina with Sister Moira Donnelly † World Youth Day preview † Bishop John Jukes and the fight against poverty † Abbot Hugh Gilbert and the Liturgy of the Hours † Mgr Eddie Traynor’s reflects on Mary and the Holy Eucharist † New guide for Parish Catechists

ISSUE NO 6 SUMMER, 2005

Catholic response to terrorism

In the wake of the London bombings Bishop John Jukes clarifies the teaching of the Catholic Church on violence

“Let the children come to me”

A splendid new guide for Parish Catechists in the

Diocese of Aberdeen

For more details see 9

Also in this issue

Year of the Eucharist 2004 - 2005

upon the rights of an indi-vidual or of a human soci-ety. The roots of such rights are to be found in the dig-nity of each human being. That dignity is inherent in human life, it derives from the individual human being made in the image and like-ness of God. This dignity can be perceived by human reason but its perception is much enhanced when the link of every human being with Christ the universal Redeemer is brought into account. The Pastors of the Church find it their duty to apply the values of the Gos-pel to every human situation where human rights are offended and when violence is done or threatened.

The ultimate source of human rights is not found in the mere will of human beings, in the reality of the State, or in public powers, but in man himself and in God his Creator. Thus violence, which is always at risk of harming human rights, cannot be simply condoned by reference to personal need or at the command of the State. It is true that in certain cir-cumstances the Church accepts that there can be a right to forceful resistance. But such action can be justified only under very closely circumscribed conditions. How-ever, it is the view of the Church that because in our times recourse to armed resistance can bring great danger, it is preferable that passive resistance be practised which gives “a way more conformable to moral principles and having no less pros-

pects for success”.

Terrorism is one of the most brutal forms of violence. In the last years of his life Pope John Paul analysed and condemned in his annual messages for the World Days of Peace the wave of terrorist actions that were being committed in many parts of the world. His teaching is summarised in the Compendium of the Social Doc-trine of the Church, paragraphs 513-515. There he prophetically deals with the main issues that have surfaced in our own country in the wake of the London bomb-ings on the 7th July 2005. While insisting upon the need to analyse and understand the motivation and causes for the actions of the ter-rorist he utterly rejects any valid-ity in the claim that a terrorist might make to be doing God’s work. In his letter addressed to the Heads of States and Govern-ments dated 24th February 2002,

he insists that no religion may tol-erate terrorism and much less preach it. Rather religions must work together to remove the causes of terrorism and promote friendship among peoples. Would that the world will harken to his voice.

+ John Jukes OFM Conv.

The COMPENDIUM OF THE SOCIAL DOCTRINE OF THE CHURCH, pub-lished by the Vatican Press and also by Continuum in this country, ISBN 0860123545, can be ordered from the Ogilvie Institute, price £12.99 .

(Continued from page 1)

Terrorism is one of the most brutal forms of violence

Sister Mags Lang-ley reports on the Make Poverty His-tory Rally in Edin-burgh

T o be part of the Make Poverty His-

tory Rally in Edin-burgh, July 2, was indeed a ‘great ex-perience’, never to be forgotten. The Lord really blessed our day with sunshine and a light breeze, and no hitches. 225,000 like-minded people all gathered together with one aim: - to put into practice Jesus’ command to care for the poor and to per-suade world leaders to Drop the Debt and work for Trade Justice.

As our coach entered the city we were so impressed with the streams of people, predominantly in white, heading towards The Meadows. Here a praiseworthy group of organisers had prepared everything for the convenience and enjoyment of the participants. There was a stage and a large screen; charity stalls; others pro-viding food, drink and ice-creams; tents for First Aid and Lost Chil-dren and a very discreet police presence.

Cardinals Keith O’Brien and Cormac Murphy-O’Connor car-ried the banner that led the march

round the city centre, and thence followed a mighty throng of peo-ple of all ages, faiths and nationali-ties. I heard a gentleman on Radio 4 the following day, rather dispar-agingly, say that ‘to walk round Edinburgh city was no arduous thing’. Obviously he had not done it, nor waited anything from two to four hours in the procession before leaving The Meadows, or wheeled or carried small children shoulder high along the route! But we all agreed the cause – and the atmosphere of joy created by those who did it – made it so worth-while and none of us would have wanted to have missed it.

Perhaps the most moving mo-ment was at 3pm, when the

cannon boomed and everything came to a halt. The drums, the singing, the whistles stopped.

Then, perfect silence for a minute of reflec-tion and prayer.

After the last hill we rounded the bend and The Mead-ows was in sight, so we hastened our step and congratulated each other as we entered the precinct - ex-hausted but fulfilled. Thoughts of African women and children having to walk miles for water, medical care and schools cer-tainly spurred us on.

A big thank you to all who sup-ported us with their prayers. May God bless all who devised, pre-pared and worked in so many dif-ferent areas to make the day such a success. Will the object of it all be equally successful? We must con-tinue to pray.

Sister Mags Langley FMM

A gr-eight experience!

Silence for a minute of reflection and prayer

With kind permission of ‘Bible Alive’ we bring you this article written by Fr Paul Watson, Director of the Maryvale Institute, Birming-ham

T he Liturgy of the Word and the Liturgy of the Eucharist are the two ba-

sic parts of the Mass and impart the essential message of the gos-pel. In words and actions the Eucharist makes actively present the very work of redemption ac-complished by Jesus through his death on the cross and glorious resurrection. In this work of re-demption, Jesus has taken upon himself the sin of every one of us and has offered his life as a sacrifi-cial act of worship to the Father. This act was so pleasing to the Father that he now sees the whole human race as reconciled to him and, in his Son, every per-son can become a new creation, a son or daughter of God.

These truths are not only

proclaimed but their reality is made present every time that the Eucharist is celebrated. The pri-mary goal of any proclamation of the gospel is to bring individuals to personal conversion to Jesus. No matter how many times we hear this message, sooner or later, it will move us to embrace Jesus with utter gratitude and acknowledge him as our only Sav-iour. It may be that we are moved to renew our conversion to him, or even to acknowledge it in a new and more profound way. We needn’t be surprised, if after years of going to Mass, we one day experience a clear insight into the amazing reality of salvation and the realization that no one but Jesus could have done this for us. Now the gospel is no longer just something I happen to be-lieve. Suddenly it is the pearl of great price, the buried treasure that I have now discovered – something that has been there all the time, but I hadn’t really no-ticed it.

Such an experience of conver-sion to Jesus can potentially occur for any individual person at any particular celebration of the Eucharist. It is because the Eucha-rist is in various ways a genuine proclamation of the gospel. Moreover, it is a proclamation in the power of the Spirit. The Holy Spirit is powerfully present whenever the Eucharist is cele-brated. The Spirit is ready to en-ter and fill the life of any person present who is open and willing to receive the Spirit of God. In short, the gift of the Spirit, the outpouring of the Spirit, is an essential part of the gospel mes-sage. If it is part of the gospel message, then, in truth, the send-ing and gift of the Spirit is also what is made present in the Eu-charistic celebration.

THE ACTION OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

Over the years, in Bible Alive we have sought to make the mys-

(Continued on page 5)

Holy Spirit and Eucharist

OGILVIE LETTER

tery of our faith more accessible to more and more people. Regarding the Eucharist, one aspect of this mystery has been the centrality of the Father. Many people have told us that they had not appreciated that the whole Mass is an act of prayer and worship to the Father. The sacrifice of Jesus is made pre-sent precisely in order to enable us to share in Jesus’ deep communion with his Father. The ultimate goal of the Eucharist is to bring us into communion, not simply with Je-sus, but, along with Jesus, we come into the intimate presence of the Father. This is the direct fruit of Jesus’ sacrifice. We are cleansed of sin, we become new creations and, as such, we ap-proach with the Son the throne of the Father.

In this whole movement towards the Father, we should not think of the Father as simply waiting pas-sively to receive our praise. The Father is active. In the first place, it was his initiative that his Son should become incarnate — taking on not only our humanity, but also humanity’s sin. It was by the Fa-ther’s anointing of Jesus with the Spirit (at his baptism) that Jesus was empowered to undertake the mission of the suffering servant. It was the Father’s will that his Son should sacrifice his life to redeem sinful humanity. But the Father’s involvement did not stop there. He responded to his Son’s obedi-ence with grace upon grace. He raised his Son to life with a new outpouring of his Spirit. The risen incarnate Jesus is now so richly endowed with the Spirit that his humanity is totally glorified. This means that whenever we human beings make contact with the glo-

rified humanity of Jesus, the same Holy Spirit is communicated to us. In other words, in our communion with Jesus, the Holy Spirit is poured out upon us. Thus, when-ever we enter, with Jesus, into the presence of the Father, he, the Father, lavishes upon us, through his Son, the gift of the Spirit.

THE SPIRIT IN THE LIFE OF JESUS AND IN THE SACRIFICE OF THE

MASS

Have you ever noticed that in the earthly life of Jesus there are three occasions when the Holy Spirit is given to the Son? At the Annunciation, Jesus is conceived in the womb of Mary by the power of the Holy Spirit. The di-vine Son becomes man by the Spirit’s agency. At his baptism, the incarnate Son receives his mission and is empowered as the Saviour who will sacrifice his life. At the resurrection and ascension, there is a final gift of the Spirit to the obedient Son making him Lord and, as Lord, he is the one through whom the Spirit is poured out on each of us.

It is significant that during the celebration of the Mass the Holy Spirit is invoked or called upon three times, in a way that parallels the three outpourings of the Spirit in the earthly life of Jesus. Over the bread and wine on the altar the priest stretches out his hands and prays to the Father asking: ‘let your Holy Spirit come upon these gifts to make them holy, so that they may become the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ’. As at the incarnation, the Spirit makes Jesus present in our midst. At the end of the Eucharistic prayer the whole reality of Jesus

and his sacrifice is offered to the Father: ‘Through him, with him and in him, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all glory and honour is yours almighty Father, for ever and ever’. It is the Holy Spirit who enables Jesus to carry our sins to the cross and ourselves to the Fa-ther. Finally, after the consecra-tion, the priest prays anew for the Spirit. This time it is to beg the Father that we, who share in the body and blood of Christ, might be ‘filled with the Holy Spirit and become one body, one spirit in Christ’, or ‘brought together in unity by the Holy Spirit’. We are asking to have a share in that out-pouring of the Father’s gift by which his Son was glorified.

The Eucharist is an amazing sac-rament in which the whole paschal mystery of Christ’s redemption of humanity is made present. This month we have looked at the gift of the Holy Spirit as key element of the paschal mystery. It is part of the inexhaustible wonder of the Eucharist that the gift of the Spirit is also being made present in this daily sacrament. Just as we have needed to have our eyes opened to the closeness of the Father in the Eucharist, perhaps in these days of the Pentecost season we might pray not only to see the Holy Spirit in the Eucharist but also, at the Eucharist, to be personally filled with his presence.

Fr Paul Watson, Director of the Maryvale Institute


Sister Moira Donnelly RSCJ outlines the practice of Lec-tio Divina in prayer

I wonder how many people can remember when they first had a copy of the Bible in their

hands? If, like me, you happen to be a Scottish Catholic over fifty years of age, the chances are that there was no Bible at home and you grew up without owning a Bible of your own. Then, forty years ago, a big change began to take place as a result of the Second Vatican Council.

It was in December 1965 that the Vatican Council gave us the Decree on Revelation which strongly recommended to all Christians the frequent reading of Scripture. It stressed that this reading should be prayerful, mind-ful always that we are entering into a dialogue with God who still speaks his Word today. For many Catholics, this was something new, an invitation to explore for themselves the treasures of the Bible.

REDISCOVERING LECTIO DIVINA

During the forty years since this document was written, there has been a great rediscovery of the wisdom and power of God’s Word in Scripture. Since then, many forms of Scripture Study and prayer groups based on Scripture have developed throughout the world. One of the most ancient and well tried methods being used again in many places is that of Lec-tio Divina or Sacred Reading. It is particularly well known and ap-

preciated in the developing coun-tries of Latin America and Africa where it has brought new energy and enthusiasm to Christian com-munities.

A CHRISTIAN TRADITION

In the early centuries of the Church, and before that in Juda-ism, this way of praying with Scripture was widely practised. It was used by the Desert Fathers and Mothers and came into Europe through the Benedictine tradition. During the Middle Ages it was a privileged form of prayer both in the monasteries and among the laity. In the upheaval of the Reformation period, however, it fell out of use in ordinary parish life but remained part of the mo-nastic way of prayer. And it was from the monasteries that it began to spread out again in recent years to lay people.

HOW DO WE SET ABOUT PRAC-

TISING LECTIO DIVINA?

As the Abbot of Worth wrote in an article on the subject:

“Lectio is a particular style of read-ing: prayerful, meditative, reflec-tive, reverential. It has something in common with sipping wine or reading poetry. To get the hang of it, we may need to adjust our mindset. Modern education en-courages us to master, to domi-nate and to criticise. For Lectio, however, we need to be docile. In Lectio we do not so much read the text as allow the text to read us.”1

We come to it, therefore, (Continued on page 7)

Rediscovering Lectio Divina

OGILVIE LETTER

in an attitude of openness, a will-ingness to listen and to be changed. In the presence of God we come with our whole being - head, heart, thoughts and emo-tions, and allow God to touch us. To quote Abbot Stephen again:

“Like massage, reflexology or aro-matherapy, Lectio is less some-thing that we do than something we allow to be done to us...Lectio enables us to go the extra mile by being carried.” 2

There is a pattern to Lec-tio Divina which is usually de-scribed in the terms used by the 12th century Carthusian, Guigo II, in a delightful letter on the con-templative life called The Ladder of Monks. He speaks of four phases:

1. Lectio (Reading) We begin by reading a chosen text or, better still, hearing it read. We then re-call the words to mind and then, if necessary, read the text again to remind us of them. At this stage, we are deepening our familiarity with the text.

2. Meditatio (Meditation) At this stage, we quietly reflect on any word or phrase that seems to stand out for us. Meditation has been compared with sucking a sweet and getting the flavour, or ruminating- chewing the cud! As we ponder the text in this slow and prayerful way, it often reveals some deeper meaning, especially some specific meaning for our-selves.

3. Oratio (Prayer) The whole process of Lectio is prayer but at this stage we enter into dialogue

with God, expressing our hopes, desires, fears or gratitude. We may feel prompted to use words from the Gospel passage which we have chosen, eg: “Lord, be merci-ful to me a sinner” or “Lord, I be-lieve: help my unbelief.”

4 . C o n t e m p l a t i o (Contemplation) Some writers do not include this as a separate stage. Michel de Verteuil, an ex-cellent authority on this practice, sees all of prayer as contemplative. However, he speaks of a move-ment which often takes place, from spoken prayer to silent prayer of the heart. When this happens, words and images are stilled and our awareness of the presence of God is heightened. It is at such a time, above all, that God can act on us to transform us.

HOW TO BEGIN USING LECTIO DIVINA IN PRAYER

When beginning Lectio, it is probably most helpful to choose a short narrative passage from the gospel, eg: the storm at sea, the cure of Peter’s mother-in-law, the rich young man. Later, one might move on to some of Jesus’ teach-ing and to other parts of Scripture.

It is also very helpful to begin us-ing Lectio in a group. In the small Christian communities of Latin America, for example, the group sharing after Lectio is considered to be an intrinsic part of the exer-cise and has led to the transforma-tion of both individuals and par-ishes. The same is true in Milan where, for many years, Cardinal Martini has led sessions of Lectio in a crowded cathedral.

The actual time given to Lectio can be adapted to suit most people’s schedules. Ideally, one

might give it the better part of an hour but it can be prayed in as lit-tle as twenty minutes if that is all the time available.

WHAT DOES THE PRACTICE OF LECTIO DO FOR US?

The Welsh poet, R.S.Thomas, ends his poem Kneeling with the words, “the meaning is in the wait-ing.” This is very true of Lectio Divina. Just by opening ourselves to God’s Word, we allow some-thing to happen to us. We are touched by God. It is rather like the experience of St John at the Last Supper when he laid his head on Jesus’ breast and listened to the heart-beat of God. In that drawing near and resting and listening lies the transformative power of Lectio Divina.

With so much to be gained, why would we hesitate to begin?

Sister Moira Donnelly RSCJ 1 Let This Book Read You, an arti-cle by Abbot Stephen Ortiger in The Tablet, 14 April, 2001. 2 ibid.


Marie Cooke, Diocesan Youth Officer, previews the World Youth day event in Cologne

"We have come to worship him" (Mt 2:2): this is the theme of the next World Youth Day. It is a theme that enables young people from every continent to follow in spirit the path taken by the Magi whose relics are venerated in this very city, and to meet, as they did, the Messiah of all nations.”

S o begins the message written by Pope John Paul in anticipation of

the XXth World Youth Day event which will be held in Cologne from 15-22nd Au-gust 2005. The message written last August is re-leased by the Pope so that it can be used in preparation for the pilgrimage itself. For the first time, when John Paul, at the close of the last WYD event in Toronto in 2002, an-nounced the venue for the next one, he didn’t add his usual ‘I will meet you there’. He may not be there physically, but his presence will still be very much a part of the whole proceeding he instigated twenty years ago. Indeed he ended his message with:

“My dear young people as you move forward in spirit towards Cologne, the pope will accompany

you with his prayers. May Mary, "Eucharistic woman" and Mother of Wisdom, support you along the way, enlighten your decisions, and teach you to love what is true, good and beautiful. May she lead you all to her Son, who alone can satisfy the innermost yearnings of the human mind and heart. Go with my blessing!”

WYD is a pilgrimage – certainly not a holiday – as groups of young people walk, pray, so-

cialize with, share with, put up with, learn to accept, others – and themselves. On a trip such as this, personalities blossom, worries and troubles are unburdened, selfish-ness goes out the window and tol-erance and charity are given room to grow and develop. The survival of the fittest is replaced by care for the weak and vulnerable. There will no doubt be blood, sweat and tears – but there will be far more laughter and joy and peace and

kindness and hope renewed, or even enkindled for the first time.

Events like WYD bring together young Christians from every part of the world – rich and poor – so that they can learn from each other and develop the sense of solidarity which is intrinsic to the catholicity of our faith commu-nity. This year there will be a strong ecumenical slant which fits in so well with our own perspec-tive as we team up with a group

from the Church of Scotland again. The catechesis of WYD ensures that young people realise that faith is not to be learned – but to be lived – day by day in har-mony with the rest of hu-manity. Getting to know Christ means opening up to change and the renewal of every aspect of our daily lives in order to really em-brace the values of the gos-pels. WYD is the ‘sower’ of

many seeds and an intimate ex-perience of what the Kingdom of God could, and should, look like in our world. Many adults could learn from the enthusiasm and prayerfulness which permeates all the WYD liturgies – informal set-tings, usually in the open air, but with a sense of God’s presence that is tangible and awe-inspiring in its intensity.


“We have come to worship him”

All roads lead to Cologne

OGILVIE LETTER

The programme of WYD begins for us on 11th August with four days in Berlin where we will meet with the young Germans from St Matthias’ parish and a group of Argentinian young pil-grims. This is my former parish and the biggest in the archdiocese with a beautiful cathedral-sized church and a very active parish community. We will have litur-gies together, discussions, under-take social service projects, and share cultural experiences – e.g., we will put on a ceilidh. We then travel to Cologne on the 15th where a full timetable of events will keep us on the move from morning to night with the high-light being an overnight vigil and final Mass with the Pope in the former mining area of Marienfeld – aptly named ‘Mary’s field’.

Among our WYD group of 32 will be Patrick and Chris who will join us after doing a year’s voluntary service in Africa. It is a pleasure to be able to spon-sor young men who have already put their faith into action and our young people will learn much from them.

We successfully raised the £14,000 needed to subsidise all our young people – thanks to the boundless generosity of parishion-ers across the diocese and to the efforts of the Youth Service team. Be assured that all our benefactors will be remembered in our prayers throughout WYD.

Accompanying young people to WYD - as with all youth ministry - takes stamina and en-durance and is not for the faint-

hearted, but the rewards are un-quantifiable – we may gain grey hairs and ulcers but also, surely, substantial remission from Purga-tory! I wouldn’t miss the experi-ence for anything and consider myself both blessed and privi-leged. Our parish communities are impoverished by a scarcity of young people – their absence hurts us more than them – and WYD shows how vibrant our communities of faith could be if all ages were involved.

We head off on our jour-ney with 32 diverse individuals and will return with a community of 32 friends who have encoun-tered the presence of Christ within everyone they have met. The task of the local Church will then be to sustain and nurture these young people so that this positive experience is not unique but a catalyst for lifelong faith en-richment.

The WYD2005 anthem is Venimus adorare eum and ex-plains what WYD is all about:

We're children anointed, his prophets are we

Gathered here together to meet Him that way:

in bread and wine, and in you and me.

And when people ask, then say:

Venimus adorare eum, Emmanuel – God is with us.

Venimus adorare eum – Immanuel – Gott ist mit uns.

Marie Cooke


Marie Cooke, our Dioce-san Youth Officer, has recently been appointed Principal of the Margaret Beaufort Institute in Cambridge. Marie, who had consider-able experience of working with young people at parish and dean-ery level, was made Diocesan Youth Officer in 1998 by Bishop Mario Conti. As an experienced cate-chist working in the Highland Deanery, and a graduate of the Maryvale Parish Catechists’ Course, Marie was invited to be-come a member of the Ogilvie Advisory Committee at its incep-tion in 2001. Here she played a key role in championing the inter-ests of catechists and articulating the needs of parishioners in our far-flung diocese. She took re-sponsibility for the organisation of the Parish Catechists’ Course and its component study days and her ‘presentations’ were always well received. In spite of her heavy workload she undertook the BA in Divinity at Maryvale through distance learning and followed it with a Masters Degree. All of us at the Ogilvie Institute wish to thank her for her enormous contribution. She will be sorely missed. We wish her every success in her new post. TONY SCHMITZ

The Margaret Beaufort Institute is a Roman Catholic house of studies for women in Cambridge specialising in theology, spirituality, and leadership for lay ministry.

Our Marie marches on

The right to development In the light of the recent G8 Summit at Gleneagles Bishop John Jukes, in the first of a series of articles unpacking the “Compendium of the So-cial Doctrine of the Church”, looks at the principles under-lying a nation’s right to de-velopment and the fight against poverty

I n the month of July here in Scotland there has been a

meeting of the represen-tatives of the eight most prosperous nations of the world. This meeting was the latest of a series of such encounters in which these nations seek to address matters to do with trade and commer-cial relations between them and other nations in the world. In recent years these meetings have been made the tar-get for demonstrations. On this occasion a slogan “Make poverty history” has been employed to gain attention and sup-port in order that in their deliberations the leaders of the eight nations will take action to respond to the widespread ex-perience of poverty tending to destitution of many nations.

The Catholic Church has always taken to heart, albeit in different ways, the admonitions of Jesus to place the relief of our suf-

fering brethren as the first call upon our attention and love. It was in the twentieth century that the Church initiated close atten-tion to the principles by which the political organisations of mankind should act in the alleviation of suf-fering and poverty. This close at-tention is part of the Social Teach-

ing of the Catholic Church.

This teaching gained a de-velopment from the initiative of Pope John XXIII. That great Pope in his Encyclical Letter Mater et Magistra started the process of stating principles and reflections upon the needs of humanity and what should be done to meet

them. Pope Paul VI and Pope John Paul II in a series of great teaching documents continued to insist upon the need always to sustain the basic dignity of each human being, coupled with the right to development of each nation, and the fight against poverty.

The right to development is set out in the Compen-dium of the Social Doctrine of the Church. In paragraph 446 we read: "As the Magisterium sees it, the right to develop-ment is based on the following principles: unity of origin and a shared destiny of the human family; equal-ity between every person and between every human com-munity based on hu-man dignity; the uni-versal destination of the goods of the earth; the notion of

development in its entirety and the centrality of the human person and solidarity”. These notions re-quire some unpacking.

By magisterium we under-stand the duty laid on the Bishops of the Catholic Church by Jesus to


OGILVIE LETTER

teach the truth about the purpose of God for the human race. How-ever, this duty has definite limits. The Pastors of the Church do not believe that they have been given a mandate to issue directives to po-litical leaders as to the practical decisions to be taken to bring about development and the elimi-nation of poverty. The Bishops’ duty, led by the Pope, is to remind all of the values of the Gospel, for-mulating them in a modern idiom that all can understand.

The unity of origin and shared destiny of the human family is the teaching found in the Old Testament as transmitted origi-nally to the Jewish people and adopted by the Church. Behind the simple narratives of the Book of Genesis are profound truths that are the basic starting point for the growth and interaction of the whole human family. The human family and each human being is ultimately from God in origin and is destined to return to God by loving obedience to His will.

From the starting point set out in the previous paragraph, we derive our conviction as to the essential equality between individ-ual human beings and the commu-nities to which each belongs. This teaching does not deny the unique-ness of each individual and differ-ing personal gifts and needs but asserts our common nature and therefore essential equality. It re-futes any sense of nationalism that

would desire to claim superiority above another while accepting that specific national characteristics can be very significant for social cohe-sion in a community.

The teaching of the Old Testament, reinforced by that of Jesus Christ on material goods, is that the earth belongs to us all. This teaching does not destroy private ownership but sees it as a practical way of ensuring that each individual can have access to the goods of this earth and also to be equipped with the capacity to help another human being in need.

So the magis ter ium teaches that development is not simply a matter of the provision of material goods to others, but ac-tion that can contribute to the full development of the whole human person. It is not a matter of simply supporting the social structures of a particular country, but above all the focus must be upon sustaining the full God-given dignity of each human person. This is summarised by the word solidarity. However,

this understanding of relations be-tween human beings must, when translated into social action, be tempered with another element that of subsidiarity. This reminds us that in our outreach to the poor “they should not be seen as a prob-lem but as people who can become the principal builders of a new and more human future for everyone”. (Pope John Paul II)

+ Bishop John Jukes OFM Conv.

The COMPENDIUM OF THE SOCIAL DOCTRINE OF THE CHURCH, pub-lished by the Vatican Press and also by Continuum in this country, ISBN 0860123545, can be ordered from the Ogilvie Institute, price £12.99 .


FOR THE YEAR OF THE EUCHARIST

THIS IS OUR CHURCH, James A. Comiskey

The Liturgical Press £4.50

ISBN: 0-8146-2597-5

A little book which explains to children the church building and objects used in worship to help set the scene for the liturgical celebration.

CHILDREN DISCOVER THE MASS, Mary Doerfler Dall, Ave Maria Press £14.95

ISBN: 0-87793-948-9

A really excellent photocopiable resource that not only explains all the parts of the Mass but provides materials to make a cut-out church – complete with priest, deacon etc – a solution to the vocations crisis?. There are also worksheets and a Mass booklet which can be coloured and used by the children in the parish on Sundays.

CHILD’S GUIDE TO FIRST HOLY COMMUNION, Elizabeth Ficocelli, Paulist Press £7.50

ISBN: 0-8091-6708-5

A colourful hard backed book that children will enjoy reading – or having read to them – and would make an ideal gift for a First Communicant. Note the parish priest – Fr Mario – now who does he remind you of?

FAITH SPEAKS, James C. Sewell, Carson-Dellosa £7.99

ISBN: 0-88724-227-8

A way to enhance the Liturgy of the Word – expressing the scriptures in Sign Language. A sim-ple resource for children which brings God’s Word to life.

TEACH ME ABOUT THE MASS: Our Sunday Visitor, Paul & Joan Plum £2.95

ISBN:0-87973-847-2

Inexpensive photocopiable workbook with nice pictures and explanations suitable for young children

25TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE DEATH OF OSCAR ROMERO OSCAR ROMERO: MEMORIES IN MOSAIC, Marie Laopez Vigil, CAFOD/DLT £9.99

ISBN:0-232-52371-1


Resources for Catechists

OGILVIE LETTER

Story of the life and death of Archbishop Oscar Romero of El Salvador, in his own words and in the words of the people who knew him.

THE VIOLENCE OF LOVE, Oscar Romero, The Plough Publishing House £9.50

ISBN: 0-87486-951-X

A collection of quotations from the homilies, speeches and writings of the Archbishop of El Salvador who was murdered because he spoke out against injustice and became the voice of the poor and oppressed.

All titles available from the Ogilvie Institute


Deacon John Windle shares some of his experiences of working as a Permanent Deacon on Orkney

T ravellers along the north coast of Caithness look across the Pentland Firth

to the misty Hills of Hoy. A sea voyage of an hour and a half from Scrabster brings you into the old port of Stromness and the main island of Orkney. Our Lady and St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Kirkwall serves a flock of almost two hun-dred souls. Holidaymakers give our community a welcome boost. Cruise ships in the summer and oil tankers in Scapa Flow all year round bring occasional Catholic crew members ashore. Our flock is scattered among a dozen islands most of which have to be accessed by sea or air. There is a chapel-of-ease on Sanday where a thriving group of the faithful gather each Sunday

and attend a Communion service. There is also a chapel dedicated to St. Ninian at Hoxa where the Prayer of the Church is said regu-larly; Communion services are held and also an occasional Mass is said. We look after services at the famous Italian chapel where the deacon assists the Priest at Mass during the summer months. Shortly after I arrived our parish priest fell ill and this meant an increase in diaconal duties, which has been both a challenge and a joy. Regular duties have in-cluded: preaching the homily at Mass; leading Communion and para-liturgical services; editing and producing the Parish Newsletter which we post out to remote is-landers each week and e-mailing copies to Sanday where the inde-fatigable Maurice and Jean Soord incorporate it into their own weekly publication. Education of children in the Faith is undertaken during the children’s liturgies at Mass by

catechists assisted by parents. The deacon helps by generally support-ing and advising catechists. How-ever, the main onus falls on par-ents themselves, supported again by advice and occasional home visits from clergy. Communion is taken to the sick at home and in hospital. Contact with the mainland of Scotland is infrequent due to prohibitive costs of travel, so whilst there is excellent support from fellow deacons by telephone or post the island deacon needs to be very much self reliant. The summer months bring the cruise ships and some of these have a Catholic priest on board as chaplain. We meet priests regu-larly from various parts of the Continent. The presence of Tradition-alist monks on the island of Papa Stronsay who are separated from the Church pose a concern. The deacon assists in advising parish-ioners as to the correct approach


A challenge and a joy

Abbot Hugh Gilbert reminds us of one of the Church’s greatest treasures, the Lit-urgy of the Hours

“And Jesus told them a parable, to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart” (Lk 18:1). The parable is that of the pestering widow, insistent on her rights. For the sake of peace even the corrupt local judge finally yields. Our Lord then makes the application: if such a man accedes to such impor-tunity, “will not God vindicate his elect, who cry to him day and night?” (Lk 18:7).

What has developed in the

Church as the Divine Office or the Liturgy of the Hours, her pre-scribed daily prayer, is nothing other than the Church’s effort “always to pray and not lose heart”. It is the cry of the widowed Church, day and night, to her gra-cious God and just Judge, to her, in one sense, absent, in another sense, ever-present and always coming Husband and Lord.

“Pray without ceasing”, St. Paul wrote in what is the earliest of all the New Testament writings, his First Letter to the Thessaloni-ans (1 Thess 5:17). The first Christians took this seriously. We know from evidence of the first three centuries how Christians

would pray, individually and col-lectively, at the natural turning-points and staging-posts of the day: when the sun rose, at the third, sixth and ninth “hours” of ancient time-keeping, i.e. around nine a.m., midday, three p.m. (cf. our coffee-break, lunch-hour, tea-break), again when the sun set and it was time for the lamps to be lit, yet again perhaps before going to bed, and even at some point in the night itself. When from the fourth century onwards, Christianity be-came a public religion, much of this tended to find formal expres-sion in common worship. It would have been usual for the major


“Pray without ceasing”

in a delicate area. An area of development could well be the care of visiting seamen who are Catholics. The cruise ships and the visiting oil tankers are staffed by many Phili-pinos and others who can only spend a short time on shore be-fore returning to their ships. More visits to the remoter parishioners would also bear rich fruit in building up the Faith. One thing is certain. The life of a permanent deacon on Orkney will never be dull ! Deacon John Windle


OGILVIE LETTER

churches in a city to celebrate a Morning and Evening Prayer which many would attend. It would have involved a psalm or psalms (from the Old Testament book of 150 psalms), a hymn per-haps, a reading, prayers, light, in-cense, some ceremonial. The bishop or a priest would have pre-sided, all would have participated. At the same time, other Christians were becoming monks or nuns around the fringes of the Mediter-ranean world. They too would gather to sing the Psalms of David, often in the night as well as the day. By the sixth century a com-mon pattern of daily prayer had emerged in both the secular and monastic churches. It consisted of the “hours” that would become classical: Vigils or Nocturns (the Office of the Night), Lauds (i.e. Praises, Morning Prayer), Prime (the first hour, when work began), Terce, Sext and None, Vespers (Evening Prayer), and to end the daily cycle Compline (Night Prayer). Vigils, Lauds and Vespers were the major offices or hours. Each would consist of several psalms and, in the case of Vigils, long readings. Lauds would in-clude Psalms 50 and 62 and climax in the singing of the canticle of Zechariah, John the Baptist’s fa-ther, the Benedictus (Lk 1:68-79). Vespers often featured Ps. 140 and climaxed in the singing of Mary’s Magnificat (Lk 1:46-55). As an-cient Israel celebrated a morning and evening sacrifice in the Tem-ple, so the new Israel did too in the Temple of Christ’s Body, the slaughter of animals replaced by the raising of heart and voice. The

other hours were shorter, brief pauses in the working day, occa-sions for turning to God in the midst of activity.

All this was at the service of the New Testament ideal of praying always, praying without ceasing. It was a way of remem-bering Christ and connecting with Him on a daily basis. It was aimed at bringing each day into the pres-

ence of Christ and allowing him to fill it, to make it not just “another day”, but a “day of the Lord”, part of that eternal day which dawned on the day of resurrection and will shine out in full splendour in ever-lasting life, lit by the glory of God.

And all this continues in the Church now. In Western Christianity, there have been two major forms of the Divine Office or Liturgy of the Hours, namely the Roman Office and the Monas-tic Office. At Pluscarden Abbey in our diocese, the Monastic Office is celebrated seven times a day ac-cording to the Rule of St. Bene-dict. Vatican II gave guidelines for the revision of the Roman Office,

and these bore fruit in the revised Liturgy of the Hours published in 1970. This offers the following hours: Morning Prayer - then either the three traditional hours or one ‘Midday Prayer’ de-pending on possibilities - Evening Prayer - Night Prayer. Vigils is now known as the Office of Readings, following psalms with two lengthy readings from Scrip-ture and the Fathers of the Church. This office can be said at any moment of the day. Each of these different offices or hours consists of a hymn, psalms, a read-ing and prayer. Morning Prayer and Evening Prayer, Vespers and Lauds, are regarded as the “two hinges” of the day’s prayer. One major aim of the recent revision of the Liturgy of the Hours was to make it easier to respect the “truth of the hours”, each separate Office being said at the time of day to which it relates, the whole cycle of 24 hours thus being punctuated and permeated by psalmody and prayer. The ordained and those consecrated to God in the reli-gious life are under obligation to pray the Liturgy of the Hours, and do so on behalf of the whole Peo-ple of God, indeed the whole of humanity. But another major aim of the revision was to make the Liturgy of Hours once again what it always essentially was: the prayer of the whole Church. As Liturgy it is always best celebrated with others (in the family circle too), but even when that is impos-sible it is available for any of the faithful to take up and pray, and so enter into the prayer of the Church.



St Benedict at prayer

Mgr Eddie Traynor looks at the role of Mary in the cele-bration of the Holy Eucharist

M ary is the best of teachers if we are try-ing to learn to con-

template the face of her Son. She guides us toward the Sacrament because of her profound relation-ship with Him. She was present with the apostles at Pentecost and must have been present at all the Eucharistic celebrations of the first Christians who were devoted to the breaking of the bread and the prayers.

We in the Church can try to learn from Mary who invites us to obey Christ without hesitation. “Do whatever He tells you” she seems to say to us, “Trust in the words of my Son”. If Jesus could change water into wine, He can also turn bread and wine into His body and blood so that they truly become the bread of life”. If this seems to us to be an impossible miracle that bread and wine (Continued on page 17)

Mary and the Eucharist

For, essentially, that is what the Liturgy of the Hours is. Not a private devotion, but the prayer of the Body united with Christ, its Head and our High Priest, in his prayer to the Father. The prayer of the Church, the Bride, to Christ her Bridegroom.

It is a privileged way of uniting with our fellow-believers through-out the world, and with them of praising God and interceding for the whole of humanity. It is prayer based on the word of God in Scripture. It is prayer in union with the generations that have gone before us. It is a prayer which can take time to get into it,

to learn, but which, persevered in, puts us in touch with the interced-ing of the Holy Spirit, the true teacher of prayer. It helps us, like pillars help a bridge across a river, “always to pray and not lose heart.” It is one of the Church’s greatest treasures.

+Abbot Hugh Gilbert OSB

Pluscarden Abbey


OGILVIE LETTER

should become Christ, it is noth-ing compared to the miracle of God becoming a man in the womb of Mary. At the annunciation by her simple “yes” to God, Mary conceived the Son of God in the physical reality of his body and blood. She anticipated within her-self what happens sacramentally in every believer who receives Christ in the Eucharist.

In the same way in which Mary was asked to believe that what she conceived through the Holy Spirit was the Son of God, we are asked to believe that Jesus Christ is fully present in us when we receive Holy Communion. When Mary visited Elizabeth she already carried Christ in her womb. In a sense she was the first “tabernacle” in which the Son of

God, invisible to our gaze, was adored by Elizabeth and recog-nised by John the Baptist. Simi-larly, on the first Christmas Mary contemplated the face of her new-born child and Saviour in a way which can inspire us to look upon Jesus in the Eucharist with the same love and fervour.

At the foot of the Cross Mary entered into a spirit of com-munion of desire and self-sacrifice. We can easily imagine her, want-ing if it was possible, to take the place of her Son on the Cross. When we receive Jesus in the Eucharist this is an opportunity for us to recognise our own small crosses, which He carries, and to offer them with Him for the salva-tion of the world.

From the Cross Jesus said to John, “Behold your mother”. When we accept Jesus in the Eucharist we are also asked to ac-

cept Mary as a gift to us. In doing this we take on a commitment to learn to follow Christ, to learn at Mary’s knee and to allow her to accompany us on our journey of faith.

Since ancient times the commemoration of Mary has al-ways been part of the Eucharistic celebration in the churches of both East and West. When Mary pro-claimed “My soul glorifies the Lord, my spirit rejoices in God my saviour”, she praises God through Jesus in Jesus and with Jesus. This is the best response to the great gift we are given in Holy Com-munion. Jesus gives Himself to us so that our lives like that of Mary may become fully transformed into an act of thanksgiving to God for the gift of His Son. “While we do not know how to pray as we ought the Spirit prays in us crying out “Abba Father”.

Mgr Eddie Traynor


A word from our Catechists Barbara Sandison and Fay Nugent have just completed the Maryvale course for Parish Catechists

and have taken time out to reflect on their experience of the last two years

A fter a lot of: “Shall I? Should I?”, I finally com-mitted myself to under-

take the Parish Catechists’ Course and I am pleased to say that I have found the experience thoroughly enriching both in terms of increas-ing my knowledge and of my spiri-tual growth. It was with some trepida-tion and anxiety that I attended the first study day and what a pleasant informal friendly day that turned

out to be. It really set my mind at rest. As I had not done any formal study for a few years the thought of writing an essay was quite daunting. However, after listening to the advisors and speaking with other candidates I realised that there would be no pressure on me and I could undertake the course at my own speed. Although it states that it is a two year course, it is entirely at your


St Peter’s Catechist Fay Nugent

O ver the last two years I have been working to-wards the Parish Cate-

chists Certificate. As the two years draws to a close, it is time to re-flect on what I have learnt.

Topics covered in the course included: Foundations of

Christian Faith; Jesus Christ; The Church; Methods of Teaching; Old and New Testament; Liturgy and Sacraments. I am presently completing modules on Catholic Moral Teaching and Mary in the Mystery of Christ.

All these topics were cov-ered in studies I did almost 20 years ago. It was good to re-visit them in the context of catechesis.

The programme is deliv-ered through distance learning and study days are offered throughout the course. Work is completed at the student’s own pace and can be done to fit in with your lifestyle.

I received support in my studies from catechists in our parish, St. Margaret’s, Lerwick, and from the parish priest.

Completing (or nearly complet-ing!) the course has further devel-oped my knowledge and under-standing of the Catholic faith and has encouraged personal spiritual development.

The course equips the student with the basics needed to pass on the Catholic faith and provides an opportunity for a deeper under-standing of the student’s own faith. It has been a worthwhile course to study and was not nearly as daunting as it appeared two years ago!

Barbara Sandison

Barbara works as a parish catechist in St Margaret’s Parish, Lerwick, in Shetland.

PAGE 18

own pace and there are no impos-sible deadlines to meet. Once I was presented with my first set of course papers I couldn’t wait to get started. The course materials were easy to fol-low and well written, in easy to understand prose. They covered a wide range of topics addressed in different modules. There are as-signments at the end of each mod-ule with a varied choice of topics. Thinking I had always opted for the easy choice, it was surprising when speaking to the other candi-dates that they had adopted the same approach; only their selec-tion of topics turned out to be completely different from mine! All that you need for your assign-ment is contained within the

coursework. However, there is suggested further reading for those looking to further their knowledge on a particular topic. There were times when it was quite difficult to apply myself to studying but once I got down to it I thoroughly enjoyed it and did-n’t find it a chore. It was very thought-provoking and on some issues I was quite surprised at how little I did know. I looked forward to the study days; meeting up with the other students and being given the opportunity to voice any concerns we had. It was always encouraging to find that other students were often feeling the same way. The team are wonderful and each lec-ture presented at the study days was interesting and full of infor-mation and delivered expertly in

easy to understand terms. The annual retreat day is a wonderful, enlightening, enriching day and I am looking forward to this year’s retreat day. I always felt that support was readily available and helpfully given not only by the course team but also by others who had previ-ously completed the course. I have found the course very helpful. It has deepened my knowledge of what I already knew and introduced me to new topics and issues. Occasionally I have fallen a bit behind with my studies but I am confident that I will finish the course and look forward to receiv-ing my certificate with pride. Fay Nugent Fay is now working as a Catechist in St Peters in Aberdeen.


Parish Catechist Barbara Sandison

Saturday, 24th September PLAIN CHANT FOR PARISHES 10.30am to 4.30pm Led by Dom Michael de Klerk OSB at Plus-carden Abbey near Elgin. Take a along a packed lunch and a friend. Parish groups most welcome. Saturday, 1st October PARISH CATECHISTS ‘COURSE STUDY DAY 10.00am to 4.00pm at St Mary’s Cathedral Hall, Huntly Street, Aberdeen. All Catechists welcome. Saturday, 15th October LISTENING TO THE WORD STUDY DAY 10.30am to 3.30pm at St Mary’s Cathedral Hall, Huntly Street, Aberdeen. Sister Moira Donnelly discusses St Matthews’s Gospel. Take along a packed lunch. Everybody welcome.

Dates for your diary

PAGE 19 OGILVIE LETTER

If you would like the Ogilvie Re-source Box for Children’s sacra-mental preparation to be sent to your parish please telephone Mary Nelson at the Ogilvie Institute on 01224 638675 and... Do you

know where the Millennium Tapes-try is? It was last seen at Blairs. If it’s now in your parish please get in touch.

Saturday, 10th September ADULT STUDIES IN THE CATECHISM STUDY DAY 10.30am to 3.30pm at St Mary’s Cathedral Hall, Huntly Street, Aberdeen, with Deacon Tony Schmitz. All our welcome to enrol or just to sample the course. Take along a packed lunch. Saturday, 17th September PARISH CATECHISTS COURSE RETREAT DAY 10.00am to 4.00pm at Greyfriars Convent, Elgin. All catechists welcome. Take along a packed lunch.

Experienced Catechists Bernadette Macdonald and Jo Martin have produced this wonderful new

Ogilvie Guide

for Parish Catechists

To order this Guide either in printed format or on CD contact us at the OGILVIE INSTITUTE

“Let the children come to me”

Are you are considering using Echoes parish-based training for handing on the Faith? If so, Deacon Tony would like to hear from you in order to ar-range an introductory training day for programme leaders. Please contact: [email protected]

Echoes Training Day

Maryvale courses offered in Scotland

Certificate for Parish Catechists

Studies in the Catholic Catechism

Listening to the Word

BA in Applied Theology

Diploma in Evangelization

& Ministry

Ogilvie Workshops

Encyclical on the Holy Eucharist

Workshops on Spirituality

Workshops for Readers

Workshops for Auxiliary Ministers of

Holy Communion

Workshops on Liturgy

Workshops for Catechists

Workshops on Catholic Social Teaching

Workshops on Catholic Faith and Culture

Workshops on Scottish Catholic History

Workshops for training Echoes Coordinators

Ogilvie Institute 16 HUNTLY STREET

ABERDEEN AB10 1SH

� 01224 638675

[email protected]

www.ogilvie.ac.uk

DIRECTOR: Deacon Tony Schmitz ADMIN ASSISTANT: Marie Sandison

COURSES COORDINATOR: Mary Nelson

ACTING LIBRARIAN: Debbie Doyle

CHILDREN'S RESOURCES: Sister Mags Langley

EDITOR: Cowan Watson

Course Directory 2005 - 2006

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The DIRECTOR, OGILVIE INSTITUTE, 16 HUNTLY STREET, ABERDEEN AB10 1SH

Revised Guide for Confirmation Cate-chists

Diocesan Policy Statement on Sacramen-tal Preparation of Children (15pp)

The Ogilvie Guide for Parish Catechists (40pp) * NEW

The Permanent Diaconate in Scotland: Norms for Selection and Formation (100pp)

My Book About Confirmation [Part 1&2] by Sister Ann Condon FMM

Children’s Liturgy of the Word [A,B,&C] by Sister Monica McDonald KCSJ

A Silver Garland: A Jubilee Anthology in honour of Archbishop Mario Conti (271pp)

St Peter’s Church: Aberdeen’s Hidden Gem edited by Alasdair Roberts

Ogilvie Publications

available from the

ogilvie institute

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