Fifth Sunday in Lent or Passion Sunday – 17th March 2013

Dear Readers,

My name is Fr. Franz Devantier of Saint Titus, Independent Old Catholic Church (IOCC) of Africa, operating in South Africa, and also creator of this blog.  My background was that of a liberal Catholic Priest, and a Traditional Catholic Priest in South Africa, and then an independent Priest in the Catholic tradition.  I was incardinated into the IOCC by Archbishop-Primate Emeritus Maurice McCormick founder of the IOCC of America.  

IOCC of America

Primate Archbishop George Le Mesurier,  IOCC of America
Primate Emeritus Archbishop Maurice McCormick, IOCC of America
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IOCC of Africa

Bishop George Otieno Odhiambo, IOCC of Africa

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Saint Titus IOCC South Africa

Saint Titus IOCC Newsletter

Father. Franz Devantier, IOCC South Africa

In nomine Patris, et Filii, + et Spititus Sancti.  Amen   (In the name of the father, and of the Son, + and of the Holy Ghost.  Amen. )

Fifth Sunday in Lent or Passion Sunday – 17^th March 2013(Colour of Celebration – Violet)

Traditional Catholics:

If he who is of God hears the word of God, and he who is not of God cannot hear His words, then let each one ask himself:  “Do I take the words of God to heart”? (Saint Gregory the Great).

Liberal Catholics:

Intent:  Humility

On this Sunday the altar cross and the processional cross are veiled in violet gauze.

Roman Catholics: (Tenth Sunday of the Year)

The Lord is my light and my salvation.  Who shall frighten me?  The Lord is the defender of my life.  Who shall make me tremble?

Commemoration of the Saints

March 17^th: St. Patrick, (Bishop, Confessor):  The Holy Bishop Patrick is the Apostle and Patron of Ireland.  He used with profit the talents received from God to convert the whole Irish people which, thanks to him, has always been strongly loyal to the Holy See.  He died A.D. 464.

March 18^th:  St. Cyril of Jerusalem, (Bishop, Confessor, and Doctor of the Church).

March 19^th:  St. Joseph, (Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Confessor).

Announcements:

-> We are still collecting names for submission as Marriage officers, under Saint Titus.  If you would like to become a marriage officer under Saint Titus, then please contact Fr. Franz  devantierf@gmail.com

News:

Pope Francis I

-> Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, 76, from Argentina was elected as the Catholic Church's new pope Wednesday night. He is taking the name Francis. Thousands of Catholics gathered under umbrellas outside St. Peter's Basilica, eagerly listening to the church's 266th pontiff, who addressed the faithful from the balcony.

"As you know, the duty of the conclave was to appoint a bishop of Rome. It seems to me that my brother cardinals have chosen one who is from far away, but here I am," said Pope Francis, who is now the first pope from Latin America. He then recited the Lord's Prayer.

The new pope replaces Benedict XVI, whose surprise resignation last month prompted the 115 Roman Catholic cardinals to initiate a conclave, a Latin phrase meaning "with a key," to pick a new leader for the world's almost 2 billion Catholics.

Francis, a Jesuit, is the first pope ever elected from Latin America, a region of the world with 480 million Catholics.

Sacred References:

Romans, chapter 12, second verse onwards.

Luke, chapter 18, ninth verse onwards.

Hebrews, chapter 9, verses 11 – 15.

John, chapter 8, verses 46 – 59

Kings chapter 17, verses 17 – 24.

Galatians, chapter 1, verses 11 – 19.

Luke, chapter 7, verses 11 – 17.

Homily:

This Sunday we think of the coming events for our lord.  We think of how he will be blessed by having palm leaves thrown down for him to walk on.  Not long afterwards, he will be accused and hung on the cross to die.  A little further along we see our Lord being resurrected, and some time later ascending into heaven.  This Sunday is really an opportunity to rethink our own relationship with Jesus the Christ.  An opportunity to examine ourselves, and decide where we are; and where we would like to be with regards to our relationship with the Christ.

We have the opportunity to transform ourselves, by renewing our minds.  Ok the above consists of two big and grand concepts in one sentence, so I will break it down.

Firstly let’s get to grips with transforming ourselves on a physical level.  Transforming yourself on a physical level is related, because everything that we are and stand for forms part of who we are.  So following a balanced diet, and doing a prescribed amount of exercise per week, is a good way to start the transformation.  We don’t want to spiritualize the specific foods that you eat, so we will not get down to specifics.  Some people become vegetarians for religious or spiritual reasons, and others don’t.  Some people eat meat and vegetables, and seem to be able to develop spiritually as well as those who have restricted their diet to vegetables only.  Let’s agree that the content of the diet is not what is the issue, but the balance of the diet.  A diet should give you a balanced intake of nutrients in order to allow your body to operate at its optimum for your specific situation.  The way that your relative physical well-being affects your spiritual well-being, is that if your body is in better balance, then you may be able to focus better on the spiritual aspects of your makeup.  So in other words a healthy body says nothing about your spiritual well-being, but may just make it easier to focus on, if your body is in better shape.

Now when we come to looking at ways to transform ourselves, look at this illustration.  A human body is simply just a collection of flesh, bone and internal organs, that perform certain actions according to the instructions it receives from an intelligence that is you.  So the same body can be found doing good things, just as easily as the same body can be found doing bad things.  That intelligence that we speak of is you, it is your soul, your immortal spirit.  All the pieces that make up who you are from the temporary physical body all the way up to your immortal spirit, form the complete you.  It is the complete you that you will be transforming in some way.  So eating a balanced diet and doing exercise has addressed things on the lowest physical level, but has not transformed you in any meaningful way with regards to any of the higher levels of who you are.

Ok, so we need to transform the controlling part of you, so that the actions that you perform into the future are of a different nature.  To simplify things, we will just speak of transforming the mind or renewing the mind.  How do we transform the mind or renew the mind?

If we look at a very basic mind map, we find the answer.  The sub-conscious mind stores a record of everything that happens to you.  Some of those things that happen to us, form programs in our sub-conscious mind.  Those programs will be realized or come into fruition at some point in time.  So we need to re-program our sub-conscious mind, in order to renew our mind.  Renewing our mind will transform all that we are and stand for.  So the question is really “How do we change the programs in our sub-conscious mind”?

The answer is: By reading carefully, contemplating, and meditating on the words of the sacred writings; we will eventually cause a whole new set of programs to be installed in our sub-conscious mind.  When this happens our mind will be renewed, and all that we stand for will be transformed.  We would have transformed ourselves from who we were, to who we wanted to be.  So the answer is that simple.  Read your bible every day, and spend time during the day thinking about how the specific passage that you have read, can be applied to your own life.

If we think in terms of transforming ourselves by renewing our minds in a group situation, then we can offer these comments:  Firstly doing bible study and prayer and meditation sessions together can make things a lot easier to execute, then if you are working by yourself.  Secondly when there is a group, you will find that nearly everyone is good at something that others in the group are not good at.  In a group situation you will find people on nearly every aspect who are good at that aspect.  So as a group you can perform very well overall, whereas as an individual, you will have your areas that you are good at, but will have to make do with the areas that you are not good at.

Consider this:

Two righteous men went to the temple to pray, a Pharisee and a Publican.  The Pharisee prayed like this, standing where everyone could see him and hear him with his arms lifted up symbolically:  “God, I thank thee that I am not as other men are, extortionists, unjust, or even as this Publican in the temple with me.  In fact I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.”

The publican on the other hand stood in a corner where he could not be seen, and with his head held low he said this prayer in a much softer voice:  “God be merciful to me, a sinner”

Do you agree, that if God were to choose one of them to justify, it would be the Publican rather than the Pharisee.  You see the Publican demonstrated with his words, that his mind had been renewed, whilst the Pharisee demonstrated with his words, that there were still many areas in his life that needed work.  The Publican had transformed himself, whilst the Pharisee simply tried to justify who he was.  Keep in mind that the Pharisee was not specifically a bad person, be we are looking at the next level here, the level of renewing the mind.  He that exalteth himself is abased, he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

To further illustrate how transforming yourself by renewing your mind works, we look at a more advanced step in the process.  We find Jesus the Christ sitting and receiving and healing people in need.  Some people brought in Infants for the Christ to touch, and obviously the disciples needed to learn this lesson, because the Christ said to the disciples:  “Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child shall in no wise enter therein.”  This final lesson speaks to us of to what extent the renewal of the mind needs to be taken to.

Prayer:

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy Name:  Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.  Give us this day our daily bread.  And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.  And lead us not into temptation.  But deliver us from evil.

[Protestants can optionally add:  For Thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory, for ever and ever.]

Amen.

Benediction:

The peace of God, which passeth all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in the knowledge and love of God and of his Son, Christ our Lord; and the Blessing of God almighty, the Father, + the Son and the Holy Ghost, be amongst you and remain with you always.  Amen.

Love,

Rev. Fr. Franz Devantier of Saint Titus, IOCC, South Africa,

devantierf@gmail.com

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