The Abdali souk is in full swing, but everyone knows it will soon be shut forever because a developer bought the valuable piece of land where it sits. Since I awoke early this morning, I toured the souk while going out for a walk. I bought two sports jackets, one pair of dress pants, and two corduroy pants for 14 JOD. Some will tell me I've overpaid, but when I looked around, everyone was sleeping out in their temporary shops. I'm not going to haggle for price reductions when people depend upon this for their livelihood.
It was quite peaceful, but now I know why people stay up late at the souk. They have no place to go. It is somewhat dangerous for them as they sleep with money in their pockets and they look dead to the world in the wee morning hours. I love watching the world wake up.
I'm also learning the value of their wares so I propose a price before they tell me their price. It works out much better and it is always good to carry a bag plastic bag in your hands because it shows them you are serious about shopping and that you already bought something at a price that is acceptable to you.
Leather jackets, corduroy pants, and fleece are in the souks these days. One of my priest colleagues jives me because I had pants that tie together instead of having the usual belt. This sets him off and he wants to buy me a new pair of pants. I'll show him today that I bought a pair for 2 JOD. He'll be both happy because I have proper priestly pants and embarrassed when I tell him I bought them at Abdali. Always keep them off-kilter just a little bit.
Saturday, October 12, 2013
Wednesday, October 9, 2013
Ah! They are Getting it
I am now having great fun with one of my Biblical Studies groups. Last year I slogged through meeting after meeting with everyone expecting me to do all the work and to let them simply ask questions. In the end, we kept coming back to, "Did Jesus really have brothers and sisters" and "Is Mary a perpetual virgin," and "What really is the communion of saints." No matter the number of times I answered the questions, the same questions were asked. I labored through presentation after presentation noting my dissatisfaction with the methodology, but they were all satisfied that I did the work and they were able to comment that I was doing a great job.
This semester I am asking each person to present and each is doing a terrific job. Better yet, they like presenting. They remark that they are learning a lot about the materials and that each topic seems coincidentally designed just for them. Their prayer styles are quite diverse, the songs they choose to play add to their personality, and the topics are artfully given. They feel empowered by the end of the day.
I try to deflect questions back to the presenter so he or she can have the first shot at teaching and they are giving very solid answers. They are becoming experts in their chapters and they remain in control of the discussion. It is quite a relief for me and at the same time it is beautiful to see what is emerging from within them.
The past two weeks we spent time talking about Catholic marriage and what makes a marriage strong. At one point, I was able to articulate what I am hoping happens with each of the people in the group. I want them to come out of their shells, speak with authority that arises from their experiences, trust in their innate goodness and in their well developed skills, and reach their potential. Their faces brightened because they know I believe in them, but that it is complicated because they are in a culture that squashes their individuality.
As we were speaking of mutual love in marriages, I reminded them that they are a valuable part of the marital team and that it is always best that they take care of their own needs and desires first while not neglecting the needs of their spouse. What they want and need is important for them to talk about with their partners. Again, I watched as people fidgeted in their seats as they were getting enough courage to believe in themselves. One woman raised her hand and asked if I would conduct a gathering for married couples so they could talk about all the material I raised in the group so they could develop healthy ways of strengthening their relationship. We talked about choosing to fall in love each day, finding joy as an individual within a marriage, developing gifts and finding private time and enough space to develop as a person, and committing to loving oneself and by extension their spouse as well.
People were happy with the discussion because the presenter did such a beautiful job and because they felt affirmed. They do hunger for religious knowledge and for spiritual development. Therefore, we are planning a retreat for later this month where people can have some silence and structured sharing. I'm delighted that we can finally move into new areas of spirituality. I'm watching people come alive before my eyes and they want more. It is beautiful.
This semester I am asking each person to present and each is doing a terrific job. Better yet, they like presenting. They remark that they are learning a lot about the materials and that each topic seems coincidentally designed just for them. Their prayer styles are quite diverse, the songs they choose to play add to their personality, and the topics are artfully given. They feel empowered by the end of the day.
I try to deflect questions back to the presenter so he or she can have the first shot at teaching and they are giving very solid answers. They are becoming experts in their chapters and they remain in control of the discussion. It is quite a relief for me and at the same time it is beautiful to see what is emerging from within them.
The past two weeks we spent time talking about Catholic marriage and what makes a marriage strong. At one point, I was able to articulate what I am hoping happens with each of the people in the group. I want them to come out of their shells, speak with authority that arises from their experiences, trust in their innate goodness and in their well developed skills, and reach their potential. Their faces brightened because they know I believe in them, but that it is complicated because they are in a culture that squashes their individuality.
As we were speaking of mutual love in marriages, I reminded them that they are a valuable part of the marital team and that it is always best that they take care of their own needs and desires first while not neglecting the needs of their spouse. What they want and need is important for them to talk about with their partners. Again, I watched as people fidgeted in their seats as they were getting enough courage to believe in themselves. One woman raised her hand and asked if I would conduct a gathering for married couples so they could talk about all the material I raised in the group so they could develop healthy ways of strengthening their relationship. We talked about choosing to fall in love each day, finding joy as an individual within a marriage, developing gifts and finding private time and enough space to develop as a person, and committing to loving oneself and by extension their spouse as well.
People were happy with the discussion because the presenter did such a beautiful job and because they felt affirmed. They do hunger for religious knowledge and for spiritual development. Therefore, we are planning a retreat for later this month where people can have some silence and structured sharing. I'm delighted that we can finally move into new areas of spirituality. I'm watching people come alive before my eyes and they want more. It is beautiful.
What a Day
Open the windows for a little fresh air. The air temperature outside is around 74 and the air feels clean and invigorating. It feels like mid-spring when the flowers are waking up. Guess what? They are! The irises and other stem flowers are poking through the earth getting ready to open in a few weeks. While I really miss the New England foliage, it is compounded by new growth here in Jordan.
Each year I would dry out and press colorful leaves to send to friends across the country to remind them of autumn's splendor.
I started my day off by going to paint class. I'm doing two large paintings simultaneously. They are three feet by four feet so they require a lot of paint. I'm learning to be more generous with the application of paint because it makes it much easier in the long run. I'm developing techniques for new brush strokes. The paintings are coming along fine. In two more classes, I will have finished paintings four and five.
The art instructor gave me a huge compliment and I don't even think he meant it. He invited me to this three month class that will focus on five types of portraits. He said I must participate because I'm the best portrait painter (as a student) in Jordan. He said my faces resemble real life best of anyone. Not for a moment do I think it is true, but they are nice words to hear.
I finished my first very rough draft of my book on prayer and I received very kind feedback from a good friend.
I'm also involved in this Arabic-speaking play. I don't know how I landed up in this because (a.) I'm not an actor, (b.) I hardly speak Arabic, and (c.) I really didn't think I auditioned. Anyways, I am cast the role of Paul (an angel) and some of my scenes are exciting. I don't know how I'll memorize anything because most of the stuff is in Arabic. Even the songs!
Our chorus conductor said I am very brave for doing this. We did a photo shoot the other night which came out great. The play will be fun, but I need it to be over quickly because I'm over my head in this endeavor. We have five days of performances.
For the past two nights I have slept in my newly renovated room. Last night I slept well because the room is much more quiet than the old rooms, one of which had four large windows. Having only one good-sized window keeps the noise levels down. The room is also darker at night because I now have drapes to cover the windows, and finally, I have a clock that keeps time accurately because my other clocks lost 3 and 1.5 minutes respectively each night. I am in the throes of moving in so life will be disorganized for a while, but the light is at the end of the tunnel.
I'm still bemused by the driving. As I think about it, I cannot fault the drivers all that much. There is no custom that you stop at the end of a road to merge onto another lane. No stop signs exist so there isn't a good practice of obeying the laws. People bully their way into their lanes and do not think there is anything wrong with it.
Also, with regards to traffic lights, they are not placed across the intersection so you can see them. They are at the beginning of the intersection so that your head has to be turned at nearly a 90 degree angle to see when it changes. Nothing is placed in front of people's vision, which keeps them focused on the nearby and the immediate. Our minds are trained to follow our eyes. It we are not looking out onto the horizon, then the only thing we pay attention to is our very immediate surrounding. Having an expanded vision would train people to take in their remote and proximate environments. Life is not constructed that way here.
Each year I would dry out and press colorful leaves to send to friends across the country to remind them of autumn's splendor.
I started my day off by going to paint class. I'm doing two large paintings simultaneously. They are three feet by four feet so they require a lot of paint. I'm learning to be more generous with the application of paint because it makes it much easier in the long run. I'm developing techniques for new brush strokes. The paintings are coming along fine. In two more classes, I will have finished paintings four and five.
The art instructor gave me a huge compliment and I don't even think he meant it. He invited me to this three month class that will focus on five types of portraits. He said I must participate because I'm the best portrait painter (as a student) in Jordan. He said my faces resemble real life best of anyone. Not for a moment do I think it is true, but they are nice words to hear.
I finished my first very rough draft of my book on prayer and I received very kind feedback from a good friend.
I'm also involved in this Arabic-speaking play. I don't know how I landed up in this because (a.) I'm not an actor, (b.) I hardly speak Arabic, and (c.) I really didn't think I auditioned. Anyways, I am cast the role of Paul (an angel) and some of my scenes are exciting. I don't know how I'll memorize anything because most of the stuff is in Arabic. Even the songs!
Our chorus conductor said I am very brave for doing this. We did a photo shoot the other night which came out great. The play will be fun, but I need it to be over quickly because I'm over my head in this endeavor. We have five days of performances.
For the past two nights I have slept in my newly renovated room. Last night I slept well because the room is much more quiet than the old rooms, one of which had four large windows. Having only one good-sized window keeps the noise levels down. The room is also darker at night because I now have drapes to cover the windows, and finally, I have a clock that keeps time accurately because my other clocks lost 3 and 1.5 minutes respectively each night. I am in the throes of moving in so life will be disorganized for a while, but the light is at the end of the tunnel.
I'm still bemused by the driving. As I think about it, I cannot fault the drivers all that much. There is no custom that you stop at the end of a road to merge onto another lane. No stop signs exist so there isn't a good practice of obeying the laws. People bully their way into their lanes and do not think there is anything wrong with it.
Also, with regards to traffic lights, they are not placed across the intersection so you can see them. They are at the beginning of the intersection so that your head has to be turned at nearly a 90 degree angle to see when it changes. Nothing is placed in front of people's vision, which keeps them focused on the nearby and the immediate. Our minds are trained to follow our eyes. It we are not looking out onto the horizon, then the only thing we pay attention to is our very immediate surrounding. Having an expanded vision would train people to take in their remote and proximate environments. Life is not constructed that way here.
Tuesday, October 8, 2013
The Well or Zamzam
The Well of Zamzam (or the Zamzam Well, or just Zamzam; Arabic: زمزم) is a well located within the Masjid al-Haram in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, 20 m (66 ft) east of the Kaaba, the holiest place in Islam. According to Islamic belief, it is a miraculously-generated source of water from God, which began thousands of years ago when Abraham's (Ibrāhīm) infant son Ishmael (ʼIsmāʻīl) was thirsty and kept crying for water. Millions of pilgrims visit the well each year while performing the Hajj or Umrah pilgrimages, in order to drink its water.
Muslims believe that the Zamzam well is a contemporary miracle, never having gone dry despite the millions of litres of water attributed to the well consumed every year. It had been deepened several times in history during periods of severe droughts.
Islamic history states that the Zamzam Well was revealed to Hagar, the second wife of Abraham and mother of Ismail. According to Islamic tradition, she was desperately seeking water for her infant son, but she could not find any, as Mecca is located in a hot dry valley with few sources of water. Muslim traditions say that Hagar ran seven times back and forth in the scorching heat between the two hills of Safa and Marwah, looking for water. Getting thirstier by the second, Ismail scraped the land with his feet, where suddenly water sprang out. There are other versions of the story involving God sending his angel, Gabriel, who kicked the ground with his heel and the water rose.
The name of the well traditionally comes from the phrase Zomë Zomë, meaning 'stop', which, according to legend, was a command repeated by Hagar during her attempt to contain the spring water.
According to Islamic tradition, Abraham rebuilt the Bait-ul-Allah ("House of God", cognate of the Hebrew-derived place name Bethel) near the site of the well, a building which had been originally constructed by Adem, and today is called the Kaaba, a building toward which all Muslims around the world face in prayer, five times each day. The Zamzam Well is located approximately 20 m (66 ft) east of the Kaaba.
Friday, October 4, 2013
Tom Reese - Francis: A Pope of the Council
Francis a pope of the Second Vatican Council
Even though he was not at the Second Vatican Council (1962-65), Pope Francis is a pope of the council. Not only is he completely committed to the changes that came out of the council, he is also committed to completing the unfinished work of the council.
Many issues were dealt with at Vatican II, but generally speaking, the most important issues were also the most controversial, according to Jesuit Fr. John O'Malley in his important and readable book What Happened at Vatican II. Some topics were so controversial they were taken off the council's agenda: clerical celibacy, birth control, and reform of the Roman Curia. To these three, O'Malley would also add the Synod of Bishops, which Paul VI created during the council without letting the council participate in its creation.
We have already seen Pope Francis put reform of the Curia and the Synod of Bishops back on the church's agenda.He and his new secretary of state have also stressed that celibacy is a law that could change, indicating it is once again open for debate.
Other controversial issues at the council included the place of Latin in the liturgy, the relationship of tradition to Scripture, the relationship of the church to the Jews, religious liberty, and the relationship of the bishops to the pope. The amount of time the council spent dealing with these issues was enormous.
Pope Francis is no fan of the Latin Mass. Has anyone ever seen him say the Mass in Latin? He is very comfortable with Jews and even co-authored a book, On Heaven and Earth, with a rabbi. And while he is willing to speak prophetically about issues of justice and peace, he is reluctant to see the church play the heavy in the political arena. He is so respectful of religious liberty that he has said, "Proselytism is solemn nonsense, it makes no sense. We need to get to know each other, listen to each other and improve our knowledge of the world around us."
O'Malley calls these the "upfront" issues of the council, but behind these issues were three others that explain why these upfront issues were so controversial. The three issues were:
1. The circumstances under which change in the church is appropriate and the arguments with which it can be justified.
2. The relationship in the church of center to periphery, or, put more concretely, how authority is properly distributed between the papacy, including the congregations (departments or bureaus) of the Vatican Curia and the rest of the church.
3. The style or model according to which that authority should be exercised.
From the beginning of his papacy, people have noted the simple style with which Francis exercises his authority (issue No. 3). He confesses that as a Jesuit superior, he was too authoritarian, made decisions too quickly without consultation. He learned from his mistakes and acted differently as archbishop of Buenos Aires, Argentina. His hatred for clericalism and careerism in the church is well known. A leader is not a prince but a servant of the community.
In looking at reform of the Curia, Pope Francis is clearly thinking about redistributing authority from the center to the periphery. He is going to go beyond tinkering with Pastor Bonus, the constitution governing the Roman Curia, and allow more decisions to be made at the local and conference level.
Finally, he is not afraid of change in the church. While respecting the history and tradition of the church, he does not idealize them as a perfect Eden to which we must return. Rather, he says we must learn from our history and tradition so we can journey with faith into the future, trusting in the inspiration of the Spirit.
It is no surprise that Pope Francis has made some people in the church nervous, just as the council made some people nervous. Francis is simply bringing to fruition what was started at the Second Vatican Council.
Thursday, October 3, 2013
Awesome Realization
On Wednesday, I had a meeting with the Jerusalem Patriarch, the Apostolic Nuncio, the Jordanian archbishop and twelve other Catholic leaders from the Middle East. They represented Jerusalem, Palestine, Cyprus, and were Orthodox, Armenian, Melkite, Maronite, and other representatives. I was called forward to speak about the status of Christian immigrants to the Middle East, which went well from the applause I received.
As I presented my report, I realized the weighty responsibility we have in the region and that I have in the parish. While my predecessors focused primarily on the Filipino population, I have brought a balance to the parish's demographics. The Filipino community has real concerns and they have a very well functioning embassy that tries to serve them in many aspects of life. Some of the other minority populations do not have the same embassy strength behind them.
While the Filipino are probably seventy-five percent of the population, the Arab community requires much care and attention. The Africans (Somali, Sudanese, Kenyan, Nigerian, and South African) do not get much pastoral care and they are a significant community. The Indians are another large group of parishioners who do not seem to have a cohesive strategy for pastoral care. Sri Lankans have their own priest, but many still come to the English-speaking parish. Many Europeans and North and South Americans attend the parish and they are active enough to ask for what they need. Asians that include Koreans, Japanese, Indonesians, and other groups need additional support. I wish I could find ways to represent them all better. Many of them need legal representation. The sweeping needs of the whole community is astonishing to me when I think of the great responsibility placed within my hands as I am responsible for the care of their souls.
However, as I watched, listened to, and learned from these Patriarchs, I realized that they are an impressive assemblage of Church leaders. They asked intelligent and compassionate questions and were truly concerned for the welfare of Christians in the area. They pointed out that many Arab Christians left the Holy Land, which we represent, but they have been replaced by new categories of Christians. The demographics are changing radically. The numbers are not necessarily shrinking, but they are changing, and a great deal of these immigrants are English-speaking.
I realized I am part of something very large and important. These men are working hard for their people and they have hearts of gold. I realized my mission to Jordan has greater weight than I realized in my first year. In the first year of pastorship, I looked inwards to bring order and structure to the parish; in this second year, I must look outwards because there are needs that I do not even know about yet. I am part of a worldwide team of Catholics and I feel emboldened to do my best at bringing our brothers and sisters together.
As I presented my report, I realized the weighty responsibility we have in the region and that I have in the parish. While my predecessors focused primarily on the Filipino population, I have brought a balance to the parish's demographics. The Filipino community has real concerns and they have a very well functioning embassy that tries to serve them in many aspects of life. Some of the other minority populations do not have the same embassy strength behind them.
While the Filipino are probably seventy-five percent of the population, the Arab community requires much care and attention. The Africans (Somali, Sudanese, Kenyan, Nigerian, and South African) do not get much pastoral care and they are a significant community. The Indians are another large group of parishioners who do not seem to have a cohesive strategy for pastoral care. Sri Lankans have their own priest, but many still come to the English-speaking parish. Many Europeans and North and South Americans attend the parish and they are active enough to ask for what they need. Asians that include Koreans, Japanese, Indonesians, and other groups need additional support. I wish I could find ways to represent them all better. Many of them need legal representation. The sweeping needs of the whole community is astonishing to me when I think of the great responsibility placed within my hands as I am responsible for the care of their souls.
However, as I watched, listened to, and learned from these Patriarchs, I realized that they are an impressive assemblage of Church leaders. They asked intelligent and compassionate questions and were truly concerned for the welfare of Christians in the area. They pointed out that many Arab Christians left the Holy Land, which we represent, but they have been replaced by new categories of Christians. The demographics are changing radically. The numbers are not necessarily shrinking, but they are changing, and a great deal of these immigrants are English-speaking.
I realized I am part of something very large and important. These men are working hard for their people and they have hearts of gold. I realized my mission to Jordan has greater weight than I realized in my first year. In the first year of pastorship, I looked inwards to bring order and structure to the parish; in this second year, I must look outwards because there are needs that I do not even know about yet. I am part of a worldwide team of Catholics and I feel emboldened to do my best at bringing our brothers and sisters together.
Thomas Reese: German bishops table new translation
German bishops table new translation
The German bishops have tabled a controversial new translation of the mass that had been a bone of contention between them and the Vatican under the papacies of John Paul II and Benedict XVI. The new translation was supposed to be released this advent, according to the liturgical website Pray Tell.
The new German translation was done according to the norms set by the 2001 Vatican document Liturgiam authenticam, the same document that guided the English translation currently used in the United States.
The president of the liturgy commission, Cardinal Joachim Meisner (Cologne), presented the concluding report of the episcopal commission Ecclesia celebrans. Like its English equivalent Vox Clara, Ecclesia celebrans was created by the Congregation for Divine Worship in 2004 to devise a more literal translation of the Latin missal.
The report said, "In comparison to the current German-language missal, whose high textual quality stands without question, the translation of the commission is marked by a style that can be designated as tighter, more sober and concentrated." The report acknowledge that the translators fulfilled their task "in accord with their understanding of the Latin text and their sense of the German language," but noted the negative reactions to the translation from Swiss, Austrian, and German bishops.
The report notes that the bishops' permanent council advised in June 2013 against making a decision of approval at this Fall plenary session. "At the present time there is no further information on the timeframe." In other words, the translation is dead unless the German-speaking bishops' conferences want to bring it up again.
The dispute over the German translation had been festering for years. In 2010, the president of the German Bishops’ Conference, Archbishop Robert Zollitsch, said that the current text was adequate for the Roman requirements for an authentic translation of the Latin text. He saw no need for a new translation.
For example, the bishops opposed changing the words of consecration from "for all" to "for many." Like the International Commission on English in the Liturgy, the Germans had been working on a better translation in the 1990's, but the English and German translations were put aside when the Vatican insisted on more literal translations.
While many English-speaking liturgist had the same objections to the new English translation as did the German bishops, Bishop Donald Trautman of Erie, Pennsylvania, was often a lonely voice of opposition among the American bishops. Conference presidents like Cardinal Francis George of Chicago strongly supported the new translation.
If the American bishops, like the Germans, had objected and moved more slowly, the new translation could have been prevented.
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