Why I LOVE Les Misérables - a story of Love, Truth, Forgiveness and Redemption.

If there was ever any musical that could show the world an example of Christian Love, Truth, Forgiveness, and Redemption, it is Les Misérables. 

I have seen this theatre show many times (as I live in London), and it never fails to touch my heart and bring tears to my eyes. Above, you will find a snippet of the Cameron Mackintosh show 'in concert' - which means you don't see the acting (I highly encourage you go and see the theatre show for that!!!). The lyrics for the profound scene above:


[Valjean is released on parole, and tastes freedom for the first time in 19 years]

The Bishop:
[To Jean Valjean] "Come in, Sir, for you are weary; and the night is cold out there. Though our lives are very humble, what we have, we have to share. There is wine here to revive you. There is bread to make you strong. There’s a bed to rest till morning: Rest from pain, and rest from wrong."

Valjean:
"He let me eat my fill: I had the lion’s share! The silver in my hand; cost twice what I had earned in all those nineteen years. That lifetime of despair and yet he trusted me. The old fool trusted me! He’d done his bit of good. I played the grateful serf, and thanked him like I should. But when the house was still, I got up in the night. Took the silver: took my flight!"

[Valjean steals and runs away, but is brought back by officers for the Bishop to press charges]

Exchange between the two officers:
[ 1 ] "Tell his reverence your story" [ 2 ] "... let us see if he’s impressed".
[ 1 ] "You were lodging here last night:" [ 2 ] "you were the honest Bishop’s guest.
[ 1 ] "And then, out of Christian goodness" [ 2 ] "when he learned about your plight
[ 1 ] "You maintain he made a present of this silver..."

The Bishop:
"That is right.
But my friend you left so early. Surely something slipped your mind?
[The bishop gives Valjean two silver candlesticks]
You forgot I gave these also… would you leave the best behind?!"
[To the officers]
"So Messieurs you may release him: for this man has spoken true! I commend you for your duty; May God's blessing go with you."
[Back to Valjean]
"But remember this my brother: See in this some higher plan. You must use this precious silver to become an honest man. By the witness of the martyrs; by the Passion and the Blood; God has raised you out of darkness, I have bought your soul for God."

Jean Valjean:
"… But why did I allow that man to touch my soul and teach me love? He treated me like any other; he gave me his trust he called me "Brother". My life he claims for God above… can such things be? For I had come to hate the world; this world that always hated me…"

------------------[end script]----------------------


I do not know about you... but I know that when God broke into my heart, I became alive with this brand new second chance. In one mystically transcendent moment, I experienced the overwhelming Truth of God. A God of Love. And Forgiveness. All that I said and done in my life until that point, all I was as a person, a human being, faced the greatest Love of all. I was redeemed - and now I have been given this second chance in my life. And a new outlook!

I get to watch this amazing theatre production hit the big screen tomorrow evening, even though it was released 2 weeks ago. And I can't really express how excited I am! However, I can express some of my highlights of the story.

Based on a book by French author Victor Hugo called Les Misérables, it was brought to the stage as a musical by producers Boublil and Schönberg - who I first discovered when I became besotted with the musical Miss Saigon. Although I now wouldn't agree with the ending of Miss Saigon which tells the story of a a Vietnamese girl falling in love with an American GI during the time of the Vietnam war, only to be abandoned despite giving birth to his son, then committing suicide as the "ultimate sacrifice" so that her son can have a better life in the US with his father, now married to an American woman.

Les Mis is a story of a man named Valjean who, after stealing bread to feed the children of his sister, is put in prison for an excessive time - 19 years. He is offered parole, but breaks it. Taking refuge in the Catholic Church, Valjean steals second-rated silverware to be able to survive. As you can tell from the video above, Valjean is caught by officers, and taken back to the Bishop who can identify the thief. However, beyond most expectations, the Mercy of God shines through the Bishop, who, in a sense, wipes Valjean's interior slate clean. He offers him the first-class silverware and gives Valjean the second chance at a dignified life that he never thought would be possible. Valjean now experiences repentance, and understands the gift of forgiveness that has been given to him, and makes choices to live as a decent and honourable man. In all this time, and to the end of Valjean' story, he is hunted relentlessly by his parole officer, Javert.

To Javert's surprise, he discovers, many years after parole has been broken, that Valjean, who was prisoner 24601, has become a popular and well-loved mayor, who loves all he encounters greatly, offering help when he can give it. Without knowledge of what really happened, a single-mother named Fantine, who works in his factory is thrown out with nowhere to live, but with a child to support, sells her beautiful hair, and becomes a prostitute. Fantine and Valjean meet by chance as she is dying, and hears the story of his involvement in her fate. Feeling remorse for this sorry situation, Valjean takes the care of her daughter Cosette, to heart. He goes to find her, and encounters the comedians of the musical, a bar-owning couple who use this opportunity to exploit Valjean. However, Valjean is not phased by this injustice, as he was prepared to pay any price for Cosette to be under his care. Valjean and Cosette escape Javert's chase, and find refuge at a convent, where Cosette is able to grow up into a young woman, who falls in love with Marius, a revolution activist.

You'll have to see the musical yourself to find out the rest of the story! Or if the theatre isn't possible for you, watch the movie! This is a story with 3 major themes, as mentioned in 'Matt Lucas dreams the dream' - that is FORGIVENESS, TRUTH AND REDEMPTION. It is amazing to think that only the Bishop could have communicated to Valjean the forgiveness he really needed - very symbolic of the Church and her Sacrament of Reconciliation. When do you really know that you have been given that second chance because you're forgiven? When someone communicates that with you! One of the greatest gifts of the Church is this very concept.

The concept of Redemption here is very simple. As Jesus paid the price of our original sin, so did the Bishop pay the price of Valjean's spiritual freedom. He was no longer chained with guilt and hatred. He was now free to love. And love, he did. There are many love stories here... from the bar owners Thenardier and his wife, to Marius and Cosette. But one love story strikes me very personally. That of Éponine, the natural daughter of Thenardier, who is in love with Marius. Throughout my past, I have experienced the same "second-best" feeling. My (so-called) love was never enough to be first choice with guys I had previously been really interested in.  This story of unrequitted love is one that rings very resonantly for me. On a personal level, Les Miserables helped me to understand better the sacrifices I made without knowing it, as a girl who didn't matter as much as another. But that is the nature of human love. God's love is unconditional and infinite, great and wondrous. And He gives His Love to all humankind equally. If you could ever conceive an even greater mystery than this, then I have yet to learn of it.

One of my favourite quotes from the script is "To love a person is to see the face of God". That's why this wonderful musical is such a brilliant way for anyone and everyone to be touched by the Truth about God. His Love, His Forgiveness, and the price Jesus paid on the cross, to show me how much He loves me.

CONCLUSION to MARY in the work of Evangelisation & Family Renewal

Below is a conclusion to the published and copyrighted "Mary in the work of Evangelisation & Family Renewal" by Frank Padilla of RESTORATION MOVEMENT FOR FAMILY AND LIFE MINISTRIES, INC. based in Mandaluyong City, Philippines.
I spotted this little booklet at a religious articles store in Tayuman, Manila. I couldn't help but share this wonderful knowledge of Mary's indispensable role in the New Evangelisation, and her relationship with the building of our families. I hope you have enjoyed reading the previous posts on this important and necessary topic of the Catholic Faith.

CONCLUSION

Evangelisation, family, Mary - all are intertwined. All go together, according to the very plan of God.
If all Christians were to really live out their vocation as disciples of Jesus Christ, their basic work would be described in one word - evangelisation. Now according to the plan of God, this work of evangelisation should be done within the context of family renewal. Thus evangelisation and family renewal make up the one work and mission. These are the most crucial aspects of work in the kingdom, especially for this third millennium.
In this work, which is God's work given to human beings, we look to the one person who was given by God such an important roll in salvation history. She is the Blessed Virgin Mary. We look to her for help, for wisdom and guidance, and for inspiration. We submit ourselves to her maternal care and protection. We rely on her powerful intercession.

May the work of all Christians not only proclaim Christ and his salvation to the ends of the earth. May their work not only strengthen and help renew Christian families. May their work also make known the indispensable role and the critical importance of our Blessed Mother in God's plan for the life of the world.
May all the peoples of the earth honour and venerate her. May the words of her prophetic canticle truly come to pass:

"Behold, from now on, all generations will call me blessed." (Lk 1:48)

Responding to MARY in the work of Evangelisation & Family Renewal - part C

Below is an excerpt published and copyrighted by Frank Padilla of RESTORATION MOVEMENT FOR FAMILY AND LIFE MINISTRIES, INC. based in Mandaluyong City, Philippines. It is so well written, that it's well worth sharing! 
This is the penultimate post about Mary in the work of Evangelisation & Family Renewal.

DEVOTION TO MARY

"Extol her, and she will exalt you; she will bring you honours if you embrace her" (Proverbs 4:8)

In the work of salvation (through the process of evangelisation), and in the life of the family, we see the one person, aside from our Lord Jesus Christ, who is so important according to the plan of God. That person is Mary.

If we are to evangelise effectively, if we are to build strong Christian families, we need Mary. She is the mother of the Saviour, the handmaid of the Lord, the spouse of the Holy Spirit. She is the Queen of heaven and earth. She is the Star of [the New] Evangelisation. She is our intercessor and our mediatrix. She is the mother of the Church. She is co-Redemptrix with Jesus. She is our Mama Mary.

... And so our final response is devotion to Mary.

We should be devoted to Mary because of who she is and her importance in God's plan of salvation. She is our beloved mother who wants to bring all her children home with her in heaven. She is the disciple par excellence, and so is a shining model for us to emulate in our own call to discipleship. She can truly inspire us. She is full of wisdom. She always points us to Jesus. She can intercede in a powerful way for us.

How do we manifest our devotion to her? We do so by imitating her godly virtues.



First, like Mary, we must always trust in God and not be afraid.
Mary was greatly troubled when the angel Gabriel spoke to her. But Gabriel told her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favour with God." (Lk 1:30). Mary wondered how she could conceive when she had had no relations with a man. Racing through her mind would also have been the thought that according to the law of Moses, the penalty for those guilty of adultery (Mary and Joseph were betrothed, but she had not yet gone to live with him in his home. For the Israelites, marriage consisted of this two-step process) was death by stoning. Then, when Jesus was presented at the temple, Simeon told her that a sword would pierce her heart (Lk2:35). Mary had every reason to be afraid, but she was not. She simply trusted in God's word.

We too must trust and not be afraid. Though there are many people and circumstances we could be afraid of in the world, we put our hope in the Lord, because he is our Saviour. "God indeed is my saviour; I am confident and unafraid." (Is 12:2). The antidote to fear is not courage but rather trust. "Though an army encamp against me, my heart does not fear; though war be waged against me, even then do I trust." (Ps 27:3). We always have God to turn to. "Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God. Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus." (Phil 4:6-7).

The fear that is in the hearts of many in the world in fact points to the necessity of evangelisation. People need to know Christ and the power of his resurrection. They need to know that they have a Saviour, in whom they  can trust. They need to realise that God loves them so much as to offer His very own Son for their sins. "What then shall we say to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He did not spare his own Son but handed him over for us all, how will he not also give us everything else along with him?" (Rom 8:31-32).

Who then can separate us from the love of God? Nothing at all (Rom 8:35, 38-39). We simply trust in God.




Second, like Mary, we must be obedient to God.
With full faith and trust in God, Mary responded to the angel, "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word." (Lk 1:38). Mary presented herself as a servant. She recognised her lowliness (Lk 1:48). She recognised that God would do great things for her, but that to Him alone was the glory. (Lk 1:49).

We too are servants of Christ. Nay, we are slaves of Christ, for he has purchased us at the price of his precious blood (1 Cor 6:20). We belong to him. What servant does not obey the master?
But it is not just a question of a master-servant relationship. Rather it is about a relationship of love. Jesus says, "If you love me, you will keep my commandments." (Jn 14:15). In fact, in his last supper discourse, Jesus connects obedience to love a number of times (Jn 14:21, 23, 24; 15:10, 14, 17). If we love God, we must obey Him.

One of the greatest areas of obedience is responding to the Great Commission. Jesus has given us a charge. We are to proclaim the gospel to the whole world. We are to work in season or out of season. We are not to count the cost. We are to hold nothing back. We are to give our all, even life itself. By this, "you are glorifying God for your obedient confession of the gospel of Christ" (2 Cor 9:13).

At the wedding in Cana, where Jesus performed his first miracle, Mary told the servers, "Do whatever he tells you." (Jn 2:5). Mary tells us the same thing. We simply need to obey.





Third, like Mary, we must be willing to suffer.
Mary suffered much. While pregnant, she traveled some distance to Bethlehem to be enrolled in the census. She gave birth in a filthy manger. She had to flee to Egypt with her newborn infant. She lost Jesus in Jerusalem. She saw her Son considered crazy by their own relatives, betrayed by Judas, abandoned by his disciples, denied by Peter, rejected by the people, tortured by the Romans, and finally crucified as a criminal. She had been forewarned by Simeon when she and Joseph presented Jesus in the temple. He said, "you yourself a sword will pierce" (Lk 2:35).

We too will suffer pain and affliction in the world. This is a consequence of our own sin, or the effect on us of the sin of others, or simply due to the assaults of the evil one. Suffering is very much part and parcel of living in the world, which is a valley of tears. Especially when we oppose the works of the enemy, he will attack us. He is able to cause physical and emotional pain. But suffering is intended by God to be redemptive. It disciplines us, it purifies us, it shows us our own human weakness and helplessness, it leads us to total dependence on God, it humbles us.

Thus, while not having to look for suffering in life, when it comes, and it certainly will come one way or another, we embrace it. We look to the good it will cause, to happen in our life. We know that God can make straight crooked lines. In the same way, he can bring good out of bad. He can make suffering an instrument of our redemption.

And of course, to suffer, especially for the sake of righteousness, is to participate in the cross of Christ. It is the means of moving forward as a disciple, as we take up our cross. It is the greatest of privileges, as God allows us to be afflicted just as He allowed His Son to be afflicted.



Fourth, like Mary, we must maintain our joy.
Mary exulted, "my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour." (Lk 1:47). Despite all her suffering, she chose to look at all the blessings she received from God. She was privileged to bring the Saviour of the world, into the world. She was the mother of God. She was treated in a very unique way by God, chosen from among all the women of the world. Indeed, again she exulted, "The Almighty One has done great things for me" (Lk 1:49). Mary rejoiced at Jesus' birth, at his presentation in the temple, at the generous words of Simeon and Anna, at the thirty years of family life they had in Nazareth, at his first miracle in Cana, at his healing and blessing many people, at his resurrection, and the outpouring of the Spirit on Pentecost, at the birth of the Church. Hers was not an easy life, but it was a life filled with joy.

We too, like Elizabeth and John in her womb when Mary visited, rejoice in the coming of Jesus into our lives and into our homes. We rejoice in the time of his visitation. We rejoice in the salvation brought by the  Saviour. We rejoice in the many miracles, big and small, that we experience in our day-to-day lives. We rejoice in the privilege of proclaiming Christ to the world.
When we have our focus right, when we put on the mind of Christ, we will be able to see all the things in life that we can and should rejoice in. These include even affliction and suffering, for its redemptive purpose. Whatever happens, whatever our situation, we can live out Paul's directive:

"Rejoice in the Lord always. I shall say it again: rejoice!" (Phil 4:4).

Responding to MARY in the work of Evangelisation and Family Renewal - part B

Below is an excerpt published and copyrighted by Frank Padilla of RESTORATION MOVEMENT FOR FAMILY AND LIFE MINISTRIES, INC. based in Mandaluyong City, Philippines. It is so well written, that it's well worth sharing! This is part of a series that I'm sharing... please see previous posts of this month if you're interested!

FAMILY RENEWAL

"For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named" (Ephesians 3:14-15)

The second part of our response is to work for the renewal of the family and the defines of life. Family and life go together. It is through the family that life comes into the world, and that life is nurtured in the family. It is the family members who go into the world to evangelise and do mission.

The enemy Satan knows the importance of the family. Strong Christian families are threats to his dominion over the world. Strong evangelising Christian families are even more so. Thus the enemy is committed to destroy the family. We see especially in this third millennium diabolical attacks as we had not seen before - such as the strong move by anti-life forces to make abortion a universal human right, the growing acceptance of same-sex marriage, the assault on the Catholic Church from without and from within (The Catholic Church is the only effective institution that stands in the way of secular humanist, radical feminist and homosexualist forces in forcing their anti-family and anti-life agenda upon the world).
We need to resist the forces of evil. But we should not only be defensive, we must be proactive and go on the offensive. We do this by building strong Christian families.

It starts with individual renewal. Every person must have a personal relationship with Jesus as Saviour and Lord. Everyone must live in the power of the Holy Spirit. All should grow in holiness unto the Father.
Then husband and wife together need to be renewed in their spousal relationship. In the mystery of Christian marriage, they have become one (Gen 2:24). They live to love and serve the other, and both of them love and serve God. They grow in understanding and living out self-sacrificial love, in the very manner of Christ, with their relationship patterned after the very relationship of Jesus with his Church (Eph 5:22-33).
Then the circle of renewal radiates outward, to encompass their children. The parents "bring them up with the training and instruction of the Lord." (Eph 6:4). The children grow to become obedient to and to honour and respect their parents (Eph 6:1-2). The very home becomes a school of formation in holiness and Christian virtues.

The renewed and evangelised family then evangelises other families. Family members go into the world to bring the gospel to every creature in every situation. They do this in the normal day-to-day environments of their lives - with their neighbours, relatives, co-workers, schoolmates, friends, even strangers. If they go forth with a desire to proclaim Christ, God will give them the opportunity.
The evangelised families form associations for mutual support and strength. Such lay associations, with more members and more resources, can then do an even greater work of evangelisation.
Ultimately, evangelisation spreads from the home to the neighbourhood, then to the town, then to the counties, then to the whole country, and thence to the whole world. Empowerment for mission truly brings the good news not just to Jerusalem, not just to Judea and Samaria, but to the ends of the earth.
Thus will the covenant of God with Abraham be fulfilled. "In your offspring all the families of the earth shall be blessed." (Acts 3:25).

Responding to MARY in the work of EVANGELISATION and FAMILY RENEWAL - part A

Below is an excerpt published and copyrighted by Frank Padilla of RESTORATION MOVEMENT FOR FAMILY AND LIFE MINISTRIES, INC. based in Mandaluyong City, Philippines. It is so well written, that it's well worth sharing! I have recently posted 4 blogposts leading up to this... please check them out so that you fully understand what this, and the next few posts are talking about :)

OUR RESPONSE

We have seen that evangelisation, family and Mary are all intimately linked together. Evangelisation is our basic mission in life as disciples of Jesus. Family is the basic unit of society and is key to the work of evangelisation. Mary is co-Mediatrix and co-Redemptrix with Jesus, is the Star of [the New] Evangelisation, and is our powerful intercessor for our challenging work on earth.

How do we respond to this?

EVANGELISATION

"See, upon the mountains there advances the bearer of good news, announcing peace!" (Na 2:1)

We see that evangelisation proceeds from the salvation already won be Jesus on the cross. Salvation is God's work, It is divine work. It is achieved simply by God's grace and not by our human efforts.
But at the same time, in God's mysterious way, God uses human instruments to accomplish His divine purposes. Jesus accomplished everything on the cross, but then left the very precious gift of salvation in our hands. God has left it up to us to proclaim Christ and the salvation won on the cross. Thus Jesus issued his Great Commission to the disciples, and consequently to all of us.

This is a great mystery, that sinful human beings can do the divine work of a holy God. But this is precisely what God ordained. Paul said, "in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ on behalf of the body, which is the church" (Col 1:24). Was JEsus' sacrifice laching? By no means! What God is doing is giving us the privilege of participating in the redemptive work of Christ.
We have already seen that one's experience of salvation depends on the process of evangelisation. People are sent, they preach the good news, others hear what is preached, by God's grace they believe in the gospel message, they then call upon the name of the Lord, and they appropriate for themselves the salvation won by Jesus for them on the cross (Rom 10:13-15).

Evangelisation is crucial work, entrusted by God to us.

The work of evangelisers is so crucial and so important that it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!" (Rom 10:15). The full quote from the prophet Isaiah is as follows: "How beautiful upon the mountains are the fee of him who brings glad tidings, announcing peace, bearing good news, announcing salvation, and saying to Zion, 'Your God is King!'" (Is 52:7). The gospel is glad tidings; it is good news. It brings salvation; it brings peace. It proclaims and establishes the lordship and kingship of Jesus over us.

Evangelisation is what connects people to salvation; it is what connects humanity to God. "This faith comes from what is heart, and what is heard comes through the word of Christ." (Rom 10:17).
We have seen that evangelisation brings us automatically unto spiritual warfare. This is because evangelisation is the very work of God and so is rabidly opposed by Satan. Satan will attack us with everything he has got. Thus we are instructed by Paul to put on the armour of God (Eph 6:11). Part of the armour is to have our "feet shod in readiness for the gospel of peace." (Eph 6:15). Proclamation of the gospel throws us into spiritual warfare, but it is the proclamation of the gospel that protects us with the armour of God.

Our response to God's call is to proclaim the gospel. We must realise how important this work is. It is literally about life or death for people, about darkness or light for their lives, about hell or heaven for all eternity. It is about the great privilege given us by God to take hold of and be entrusted with the gift of salvation, to become His instruments for passing this salvation on to the world.

Paul realised this. "If I preach the gospel, this is no reason for me to boast, for an obligation has been imposed on me, and woe to me if I do not preach it!" (1 Cor 9:16). We have an obligation to fulfill. We have been "entrusted with a stewardship" (1 Cor 9:17). God has made Himself dependent upon us. If after all these we still do not take the work of evangelisation seriously, then indeed woe ought to be upon us.

Evangelisation is God's work. Therefore we can expect that God will do everything to ensure that it proceeds according to His plan. However, since God has depended on us, and we very often are not that perfectly attuned to God's will, we can be the obstacles to the work. So we have to really strive to do our part.

First, our empowerment comes from the Holy Spirit. Thus we need to be baptised in the Holy Spirit. When the disciples received the outpouring of the Spirit on Pentecost, Peter preached a sermon and three thousand persons were converted (Acts 2:31). Then the Church grew rapidly, as "day after day the churches grew stronger in faith and increased in number." (Acts 16:5).
The promise of the Father is that "you will receive power when the holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." (Acts 1:8). Baptism in the Spirit is empowerment for worldwide mission, which is the commission given by Jesus to his disciples.

Part of the baptism in the Spirit is growing as witnesses. What we proclaim is supported by what people see in us. We witness to the reality of Jesus present in our lives. And since the empowerment comes from the Holy Spirit, we become true witnesses as we ourselves grow in holiness. Peter said, "as he who called you is holy, be holy yourselves in every aspect of your conduct, for it is written, 'Be holy because I am holy.'" (1 Pet 1:15-16).
We were created in the image and likeness of God. We are to once again reflect that image. As witnesses, people need to see Christ in us.

God went to great lengths to bring salvation to the world. The Father gave His very own Son as a sacrifice for our sins. Thus has God made a way to restore us to Himself. Unfortunately, many still have not heard the gospel. For those who have, many still do not accept his good news. As Paul said, "But not everyone has heeded the good news; for Isaiah says, 'Lord, who has believed what was heard from us?" (Rom 10:16).

It is our task, bu the grace of God, to work and live such that we become credible witnesses, so that people will believe what they hear from us. We must not become the very obstacles to the effective proclamation of the gospel. God's word has power, God's grace is sufficient, and God has already prepared the harvest. If only we would become a holy people bursting with zeal for the gospel, then we will experience God's hand upon us, and see the evangelisation of the world.

MARY in the work of EVANGELISATION and FAMILY RENEWAL - part 4

Below is an excerpt published and copyrighted by Frank Padilla of RESTORATION MOVEMENT FOR FAMILY AND LIFE MINISTRIES, INC. based in Mandaluyong City, Philippines. It is so well written, that it's well worth sharing! This is the final part of the second section of the little booklet.

THE ENEMY

"I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers" (Genesis 3:15)

There is one person whom we can never ignore in our work of evangelisation ad family renewal. That is Satan. Satan opposes anything and everything that is of God. Satan wants to destroy God's work, foremost of which is the family. Satan attacks and oppresses those who do the work of evangelisation.

When we evangelise, we automatically get involved in spiritual warfare. When we evangelise, we are working to bring Satan's captives away from his dominion and back into the kingdom of God. He will not idly sit by as that happens. He will attack with all his might.
When we work to renew and strengthen the family, Satan also will not sit idly by. He is committed to destroy the family. He does not want to see family relationships that reflect the relationship within the Godhead. He opposes the formation of homes that are pieces of Kingdom ground. He will strongly move to destroy the training facilities for evangelisers and missionaries.

Now when we talk about Satan and spiritual warfare, we see that in the midst of it all is Mary and her Son Jesus. This makes the conflict a family affair. Look at the Bible, which relates to us the history of salvation, from Genesis to Revelation. In the book of Genesis, Satan is able to thwart God's plan causing Adam and Eve to disobey God and this sun, resulting in their punishment and eventual expulsion from paradise. But God does not give up His plan of having His creatures together with Him in perfect and eternal bliss. So if not there in paradise, then it would be later in heaven. God then puts His plan of salvation into action, beginning with a prophecy about the Saviour. "I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will string at your head, while you strike at his heel." (Gen 3:15). Amidst the gloom and doom, there is this ray of light and hope.

The woman and her offspring mentioned are two persons who are not even supposed to be in the scene in paradise. The only protagonists there, aside from God, are the serpent, Adam and Eve. But according to the prophetic word, the offspring of the woman is Jesus. And the woman of course is his mother, Mary.
The spiritual warfare was occasioned by God's plan of salvation. According to that plan, mother and Son are at the forefront of the spiritual warfare that has started in paradise.

Now fast forward to the book of Revelation. Actually, as we shall see, it is more of fast backward to a time even before the creation of the world and the conflict in Eden.
Here we see in Jon's vision the appearance of "a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under feet, and on her head a crown of twelve start." (Rev 12:1). She was pregnant with child and about to give birth. Then there was a huge red dragon waiting to devour her child when she gave birth. The woman did give birth to a son, and the dragon failed to devour him. She herself fled to a place prepared by God.
"Then war broke out in heaven" (Rev 12:17). The archangel Michael with his angels fought against the dragon with its angels. "The hugh dragon, the ancient serpent, who is called the Devil and Satan, who deceived the whole world, was thrown down to earth, and its angels were thrown down with it." (Rev 12:9). Satan was defeated by Michael. This happened before the events in paradise. In Eden it was already Satan who tempted Eve and caused her and Adam's downfall.

The spiritual warfare did not end with the epic battle in heaven. The dragon pursued the woman. Then, angry with the woman and frustrated with its inability to destroy her child, it "went off to wage war against the rest of her offspring" (Rev 12:17). Those are us! As we do the work of evangelisation, we engage in spiritual warfare. This war is intense, as "the Devil has come down to you in great fury, for he knows he has but a short time." (Rev 12:12).

Once again, as in the book of Genesis, the spiritual warfare is between the serpent and the woman and her son. And again, the son is Jesus and the woman is Mary. As we look at the history of the work of salvation, punctuated by constant spiritual warfare, we see that it is Jesus, and Mary, who are right in the midst of it all.

THE BELOVED DISCIPLE

"Then he said to the disciple, 'Behold, your mother.' And from that hour the disciple took her into his home." (John 19:27)

There were many happy times in the life of mother and Son. One was the delightful incident at the wedding in Cana. The wine had run short and Mary brought it to the attention of Jesus. Jesus rebuffed her, saying his time had not yet come. Mary just confidently "said to the servers, 'Do whatever he tells you.'" (Jn 2:5). Jesus then performed his first miracle.
Even here, mother and Son teamed up to redeem the disastrous situation of wine running out in the midst of the wedding celebration.

But the most important work of redemption happened on the cross at Calvary. Jesus gave his life for the salvation of the world. True to her prominent role in the history of salvation, it was fitting that right there at the foot of the cross was Mary. She was right there at the beginning when Jesus came to live in and from her womb' she was right there at the end when Jesus gave his life and died on the cross. She was there in the beginning when enmity between her and the serpent was pronounced by God, with the prophecy that her Son would crush the serpent's head; she was there in the end at the foot of the cross when Jesus, together with his subsequent resurrection, did in fact crush the serpent's head.

Now something else very significant happened. "When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved, he said to his mother, 'Woman, behold, your son.' Then he said to the disciple, 'Behold, your mother.' And from that hour the disciple took her into his home." (Jn 19:26-27). Jesus, after his death and resurrection, would ascent into heave. But the tandem of mother and son would continue in the work of salvation. Jesus gave Mary and John to each other.

John represents all of us. We are the disciples whom Jesus loves and whom he looks to to proclaim the salvation he won on the cross to the whole world. In order for us to effectively do that, we need our mother Mary. She is the one ho gave birth to the Saviour, and she is the one who has been prominent in the spiritual war that has descended upon the world.

Just like John, we are to take Mama Mary into our homes. With her wisdom, guidance and intercession, we will be able to effectively face and defeat the enemy. With her maternal love present in our homes, we will be families that God can use to accomplish His work of salvation.

MARY in the work of EVANGELISATION and FAMILY RENEWAL - part 3

The Blessed Trinity is one of my favourite (if not THE favourite) Mystery of the faith for me to contemplate. 

Below is an excerpt published and copyrighted by Frank Padilla of RESTORATION MOVEMENT FOR FAMILY AND LIFE MINISTRIES, INC. based in Mandaluyong City, Philippines. It is so well written, that it's well worth sharing! This is the second part of the second section of the little booklet.

THE TRINITY

"The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God." (Luke 1:35)

Salvation is the work of God. More particularly, salvation is the work of the Trinity, the three Persons in one God.

First you have the Creator. God created the heavens and the earth (Gen 1:1) and also the first man and woman (Gen 1:27). God gave them dominion over His creation (Gen 1:28). God placed them in the garden of Eden. This was paradise, where everything was provided for them. Here there was no darkness, pain, tears, sickness, affliction or death. They walked with and related to God directly. God's plan was for them to live eternally with him. But sin entered and paradise was lost. God punished our first parents, but spoke prophetically of a Saviour who would crush the head of the serpent (Gen 3:15). God's intent is to bring us back to Himself, to restore us to paradise. Thus God sent His own Son into the world, to win for us salvation. Salvation, resulting in the fullness of life with Him, is in accordance with the place of the Creator-God from the very beginning.

Then you have the Redeemer. He is our Lord Jesus Christ. He is the God who actually came down to earth, became man, and went to the cross for us. By his death and resurrection, he conquered the enemy, sin and death. He has given us new life. In him we experience our salvation. 

Finally you have the Sanctifier. He is the Holy Spirit. It is He who makes real for us the presence of Jesus in our lives. Jesus had promised his disciples, when he issued his Great Commission, that he would be with them "always, until the end of the age." (Mt 28:20). Jesus does this by his spirit, by which he has baptized his disciples (Acts 1:5). It is the Holy Spirit who empowers us for mission. Jesus said, But you will receive power when the holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." (Acts 1:8). The Sanctifier enables us to live holy lives, by which we can truly become witnesses to the world. The Holy Spirit sends us forth on mission. In the book of Acts, we see that it was the Holy Spirit who set apart Barnabus and Saul for the work to which He called them (Acts 13:2), and sent them off on mission to Seleucia and to Cyprus (Acts 13:4) On the other hand, the Holy Spirit prevented Paul and Timothy from preaching the message in the province of Asia and from going on into Bithynia (Acts 16:6-7). It is the Sanctifier who allows and directs the work of evangelisation to proceed. 

Now all the above description of each of the three Persons of the Trinity relate to their function in the Godhead. It is about what they do. But what is more important is who they are. Here is how we then describe the three Persons of the Trinity.

First you have the Father. Jesus reveals God as a Father. We are all His children.
Then you have the Son. He is Jesus, His is our brother.
Finally you have the Holy Spirit, which is the love that binds Father and Son together. Without love, then a father and a son are only two people who are related by blood to each other, but do not make a true family. Without love, the place where father and son live is only a house, a structure of residence, and not a home. It is love that makes a family and a home.

Wat does the above tell us? The Trinity is a family! There is a Father, there is a Son, and there is the love that binds them together, which is what makes for a true family. 
So even in the Godhead, we see the great importance of family. God has revealed Himself not just as Creator, Redeemer and Sanctifier, but as a family! In God we see the intimate connection between evangelisation (or salvation) and family. In what God does, He is about the work of salvation. In who God is, He is about family. Salvation and family go together. 

Now in our human experience, whenever we talk of family there are important persons involved. In the revelation of God as family - with Father, Son and the love that binds them together, we seem to be missing a crucial person. Yes, it is a mother!
So who is needed to complete the picture? It is Mary. Thus we look to the Divine Family composed of the Trinity plus Mary. God is our Father, Jesus is our brother, and Mary is our mother. Of course, we are all bound together by love that is the Holy Spirit. 

In all this, Mary is so unique. There are many great saints, there are many who reflect the very holiness of God in their lives, but there is only one person who relates to intimately with the three Persons of the Godhead. We are all children of God, but Mary is so much more. She is the daughter of the Father, she is the spouse of the Holy Spirit, and she is the mother of the Son. Among all human beings in the world, only she relates to God in all these familial ways - as child, as spouse, and as parent.

Mary is the common denominator in relating to God in the work of salvation and in our experience of family. 

MARY in the work of EVANGELISATION and FAMILY RENEWAL - part 2

Below is a continued excerpt started in a previous blogpost, published and copyrighted by Frank Padilla of RESTORATION MOVEMENT FOR FAMILY AND LIFE MINISTRIES, INC. based in Mandaluyong City, Philippines. It is so well written, that it's well worth sharing! This is the first part of the second section of the little booklet.


Many Christians do not realise the very intimate inter-connection among the work of evangelisation, the importance of the family, and the role of Mary. Many see the three as important, but in their own separate ways. However, to miss out on the powerful link among the three would be to miss out on the mysterious way by which God intends the salvation on by Jesus on the cross to be experienced by all people.
Let us now see how these the first two elements of evangelisation (salvation), the family and Mary come together, according to the eternal plan of God for the world.

THE SAVIOUR

"the virgin shall be with child, and bear a son, and shall name him Emmanuel." (Isaiah 7:14)

How did the Saviour come into the world?
The Jews were waiting for the messiah, and looked to him as a political king who would liberate them from their enemies. When he entered Jerusalem on the feast of the Passover, the great crowd greeted him as a king. They waved palm branches, which were used to welcome great conquerors (1 Mc 13:51). They cried out "Hosanna!," meaning "grant salvation." They called him "the king of Israel." (Jn 12:13).
How does a great person, a king, enter into the presence of his subjects? It i always with great acclaim, with all the nobles assembled, with the people in adulation. How then should Jesus, the King of kings and the Lord of lords, have come into the world?

If it were up to our human designs, Jesus would have come in great glory, for all the world to see. He would have come amidst a great theophany, just like at Sinai, when "there were peals of thunder and lightning, and a heavy cloud over the mountain, and a very loud trumpet blast" (Ex 19:16). It should be like the appearance of the ark of the covenant as we read in the book of Revelation, where "there were flashes of lightning, rumblings, and peals of thunder, an earthquake, and a violent hailstorm" (Rev 11:19). Jesus should have come down "in fire" with smoke rising as though from a furnace, with the whole earth trembling violently (Ex 19:18). All the angels and all of creation should have exulted in praise to God.

But how did Jesus actually come into the world? The Saviour of the world was conceived in the womb of a simple unknown maiden who lived in a small town in a remote part of Israel, remained there for nine months, and then was born in a dirty manger. Jesus can not in wealth and glory but in poverty and anonymity. Aside from the magi and the shepherds, no one else witnessed the event.

What does this tell us? Among other things, it points us to the important of the family and the process of bringing life into the world. God chose to send His Saviour-Son by way of Mary and the holy family. What God was doing was providing an intimate link between the work of salvation and the family. God was already telling us that it is the family through which salvation is to come to the world.

And so it is indeed that the future of humanity, so dependent on the work of evangelisation, passes by way of the family. And the particular vessel that God chose to carry the Saviour was none other than Mary.

THE FAMILY

"He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them" (Luke 2:51)

Now here is the interesting thing. God desired the salvation of the world, according to His eternal plan when He created our first parents and placed them in paradise. What we lost God desired to re-establish. So God decided that salvation would happen through a Saviour who would come as a baby into the world through Mary. God sent His Saviour-Son knowing how crucial Jesus' work would be. The Saviour was sorely needed by a world enmeshed in sin. Every day, people were dying in their sins.

So did God get Jesus going at once, given how desperate the world was for his saving world? No! "When Jesus began his ministry he was about thirty years of age." (Lk 3:23). God waited thirty long years before Jesus started his public ministry! Now of course we understand that Jesus needed to grow up first. But could he not have started earlier than the thirty years?

Could Jesus not have started his public ministry at twelve years old? After all, when he was lost in Jerusalem, his parents "found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions, and all who heard him were astounded at his understand and his answers." (Lk 2:46-47). Jesus was in animated conversation with the teachers of Israel. He was already so full of wisdom, such that those who heard him were astounded. Later, as Jesus began his Galilean ministry, the people would be "astonished at his teaching because he spoke with authority." (Lk 4:32). But here he was, a child of twelve, and people were already astounded at his words.

Well, perhaps Jesus still needed to grow more in knowledge and maturity. Indeed, he went down with his parents to Nazareth, where he "advanced in wisdom and age and favour before God and man." (Lk 2:52). All right, if not at twelve, how about at thirteen years old? That is when a Jewish boy automatically becomes a bar mitzvah. "Bar mitzvah" literally means "son of the commandment." It is a Jewish boy's coming of age. It afforded him the right to take part in leading religious services, to count in a "minyan," to form binding contracts, to testify before religious courts, and to marry. In the bar mitzvah celebration, the celebrant reads and recites a blessing over the weekly reading of the Torah, and then usually makes a speech, which traditionally begins with the phrase "Today I am a man."

Well, the Talmud (the most significant collection of the Jewish oral tradition interpreting the Torah) says that the bar mitzvah is not about being a full adult in every sense of the word. All right, if not at thirteen, how about at eighteen? The Pirkei Avot ("Ethics of the Fathers" - a traclate of the Mishnah devoted to ethical advice from many of the greatest rabbi of the early Talmudic period) says that this is the proper age for marriage. If not at eighteen, how about at twenty? This is considered the proper age for earning a livelihood. If not, how about at twenty-five?

No, God waited all of thirty long years before allowing Jesus to go off to his public ministry.

And what did Jesus do all those thirty years? "He went down with (his parents) and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them"( Lk 2:51). He grew up in Nazareth. He was part of the holy family of Mary and Joseph. He learned a carpenter's craft. He learned the scriptures. He learned godly virtues.

But the world was desperate for the Messiah. Was it necessary to spend all of thirty years before starting on his public ministry? Well, perhaps not necessary. But God, who sent His very own Son in order to bring us back to His eternal plan, in His divine wisdom decided that it would happen this way. What does that tell us? This again points to the importance of the family.

The family is the place where children learn about the faith and about godly virtues. The home is a training school for holiness and righteousness. It is a centre for Christian family living. It is a centre for formation, where one learns unconditional love, self-sacrifice, how to become a person for others. It is a centre for evangelisation, where the Christian home functions as the base from which proceeds the work of winning the world for Christ.

In other words, the family and the whom are very, very important for the work of evangelisation according to the plan of God. The family and the whom, and the formation that happens through these, cannot be replaced by the Catholic school, bu Christian peers, bu the parish, or b a Christian lay association. The family is unique in its place in the overall plan of God.

In the holy family of Nazareth, Mary was prominent. As the mother, she was the one who nurtured Jesus as a child. As the highly favoured one who was full of grace, God used her in helping form Jesus. As the maidservant who surrendered herself completely to God's will, she became a channel and model for Jesus' acceptance of the Father's will for him as well.

For us, the role of Mary our Mother is crucial as well. She is the one who knows Jesus the most intimately. She is the one who kept all the wonderful events in the life of Jesus and who reflected on them in her heart (Lk 2:19,51). As Jesus advanced in wisdom, Mary benefited the most from this. She is now the Seat of Wisdom, and she uses Jesus' divine wisdom to guide us. Hers is the heart that was pierced by a sword, and it is with her maternal heart, honed by suffering, that she showers her love on us.

MARY in the work of EVANGELISATION and FAMILY RENEWAL - introduction

Inspired by my 3-week holiday in the Philippines, where I met family for the first time, and re-discovered the gift of family in such a real and concrete way, I couldn't help but share words of wisdom on this very important subject of family - and the Lady who inspires holiness in all families. Upon visiting a religious articles shop, here in Santa Cruz, my eye stumbled on a little book titled Mary in the work of Evangelisation and Family Renewal.

Below is an excerpt published and copyrighted by RESTORATION MOVEMENT FOR FAMILY AND LIFE MINISTRIES, INC. based in Mandaluyong City, Philippines. It is so well written, that it's well worth sharing! This is the first section of the little booklet.

INTRODUCTION

The basic work of every Christian should be evangelisation, which is the proclamation of the good new of salvation in Jesus to others. Further, such evangelisation ought to be done within the context of family renewal. These two aspects of evangelisation and family renewal are the most crucial tasks for the Church that is both missionary and family. The Church exists to proclaim Christ, and to provide an environment of support for those who become members of the body of Christ.

Evangelisation and family renewal are distinct but should be inseparable. The two need to go together, in order to enable Christ's body on earth to fulfill her mandate. The family is both the subject and the object of evangelisation. The evangelised family provides the needed mission base for proclaiming Christ throughout the world.

Evangelisation is God's work, done through human instruments. It is all about salvation. It is proclaiming the salvation won by Jesus on the cross. Jesus already accomplished everything needed for salvation on the cross. When he was about to di, he said, "It is finished." (Jn 19:30). His work was done. However, the work of proclaiming his salvation had just begun.

So before He ascended into heaven, Jesus issued his Great Commission to the eleven disciples. "Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature." (Mk 16:15). "Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations" (Mt 28:19). Why was this necessary, if Jesus had already won salvation for humankind? This was necessary because that salvation needed to be accepted by people, in order to have an effect on their lives. God does not impose anything on people, even the all-important gift of salvation. God respects our free will. So we need to accept. As Paul said, quoting the prophet Joel (Jl 3:5), "For 'everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.'" (Rom 10:13).

From the starting point of salvation already won by Jesus on the cross, to the end point of acceptance by people by calling on His name, something crucial needed to happen in between. There would have to be a very important and indispensable process. "But how can they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how can they believe in Him of whom they have not heart? And how can they hear without someone to preach? And how can people preach unless they are sent?" (Rom 10:14-15) This then, is evangelisation. And so Jesus sends his disciples, including us, to proclaim the good news.

Here we see that evangelisation is crucial, being the most fundamental task of Jesus' disciples. And our participation is crucial. God has entrusted the salvation won by Jesus on the cross to His people.

In all this, family renewal is also crucial. It is the family that is the basic unit of society and of the Church. It is the training ground for God's army of evangelisers. It is the home base for mission. Itis the support environment for the soldiers of Christ. As Pope John Paul II says, the future of humanity passes by way of the family.

The enemy knows this, and so strives mightily to destroy the family. This is being done through divorce and separation, abortion and contraception, same-sex marriage, valueless sex education, and so on. The enemy attacks the family because the family is crucial to God's plan of salvation.

In fact, family and life are the defining issues of the third millennium. Family and life go together. It is through the family that God brings life into the world, and that life is nurtured in the family. Family and life are according to God's plan. And so the enemy, who opposes everything that is of God, and who knows that family is crucial to evangelisation, is intent on destroying the family and imposing the culture of death.

So evangelisation is crucial, and family is crucial. Now there is one more element, or rather person, that is needed, whose rold is crucial as well. That person is the one who ties up evangelisation and family into a neat package.

That is our Blessed Mother Mary. In the whole plan of God, Mary plays a very important and indispensable role.