I shall use my column this week to share the text of the homily I preached at the Liturgy for the closing of Fatima devotions for 2007. 

“My sisters and brothers, we have gathered here at the Laventille Shrine to celebrate our faith and to close the devotions to the Mother of God under the title of Our Lady of Fatima. I welcome everyone to this liturgy. I welcome not only those who are present but also those who will listen to the liturgy on radio and view this liturgy on television. 

Programme changes

The devotions to Our Lady of Fatima here at Laventille have developed over the years. Allow me to refresh your memories:

1) The devotions are now preceded for many who are here with a procession from a designated place with the Blessed Sacrament. The procession has the two-fold purpose of providing witness to the Catholic Faith and of initiating the evangelisation process for the many people who watch with interest as the procession passes them. 

2) After the procession arrives at the Shrine, those in the procession join the community that is already here for a Holy Hour before the Blessed Sacrament. At three in the afternoon, the community prays the Chaplet of Divine Mercy.

Then the youth choir for that month which comes from one of the schools or parishes in the Archdiocese leads the community in praying the Rosary. Finally, a pastoral theme is presented to the people by representatives of one of the pastoral commissions of the archdiocese. The Holy Hour concludes with Benediction

An obvious attempt has been made to involve youth in these Marian devotions through school or parish youth choirs and the assistance of youth from the Laventille parish contributes to the entire programme.

3) During the entire afternoon, priests are available to the pilgrims for the Sacrament of Penance. 

4) Instead of a sermon on Mary that had traditionally followed the Mass, we now close the afternoon with the liturgy of the Sunday during which the homilist considers both the readings of the Sunday and a theme about Mary. 

5) All the changes I just mentioned show that the Laventille Shrine is a living body. It is flexible and open to change. At the end of each year, all the elements of this special afternoon are evaluated as plans are made for the following year.

The Readings for the 28th Sunday of the Year   

The reading from Second Kings can only be understood in the context of the prior section of Second Kings. Let us look back together: Naaman is a powerful Syrian general.

He had a servant who had been captured in a raid on Israel years before. In spite of his power, he had contracted leprosy. The servant told him to go to Israel, to the prophet Elisha to be healed.

That was a troublesome recommendation for this powerful and proud general. However, he listened and went to Israel. When he came to Elisha’s home, Elisha tested him. He refused to see the general. Elisha sent his servant to tell Naaman to wash in the Jordan.

The general became angry, but at the advice of his servant, he obeyed. He was healed. He went back to Elisha to thank him and offer him a gift. The prophet would not accept a gift from the general. The general then made a strange request. He asked permission to carry dirt from Israel back to Syria.

Let’s examine the reading’s meaning carefully:
1) There were many people in Israel who had leprosy and none of them was healed. Later in salvation history we find included in Luke’s gospel, the one exception, Naaman the Syrian (Lk. 4:27). Why was he the exception? Because the faith and the trust and the obedience he manifested – the preconditions for healing - were too weak in Israel for the people to be open to healing.
2) Naaman came back to thank God. The theme of gratitude will return in the gospel.
3) What is the point of the dirt from Israel? The point is this: Naaman, as a public figure in Syria, would have to worship the God of Syria as part of his duties. However, in private, because of his experience of being healed, he would offer sacrifice to the one true God on the dirt from Israel. His call is an example of God’s plan for all people - the universality of salvation.

What are the issues from the reading that apply to us today? Consider these points: Are the preconditions for relationship with God – faith, trust and obedience – present in our lives and do they affect how we pray? Do we thank God explicitly when God answers our prayers?

Are we open to the universal call to salvation by God or do we belong to a restrictive club that excludes others?

The Reading from Second Timothy

Paul is in chains in prison and he knows that he will not be freed. He will die for the faith. Paul is convinced that his sufferings and death will contribute to the salvation of others. He is confident in the fidelity of the God who saves i.e. that God will use his life to bring forth salvation.

He is advising a young priest how to live his life. He tells Timothy that suffering, stress and rejection are a part of ministry. Paul then gives two specific points of advice:
1) if we die with Christ e.g. death to sin as a result of Baptism and if we persevere until the end of our lives, we will be saved;
2) We may deny Christ but, if we repent, Christ will never deny us.

The application of the reading is both challenging and consoling. It is challenging because we know we can change our minds. The new evangelisation of Pope John Paul II is about people who have changed their minds.

 It is consoling because, if we sin, we know we can rely on the willingness of Christ to forgive and reconcile us if we repent.  The Scriptures are clear: We have every reason to hope.

The Reading from Luke’s Gospel

The Gospel from Luke makes a not too subtle point that the Jews understood immediately: Naaman, the powerful general, who came back to Elisha to say thank you was not one of the chosen people.

Neither was the Samaritan, the only one of the ten lepers who came back to thank Jesus. The point is the need for explicit gratitude in prayer and openness to the universality of salvation – no exclusive clubs, no marginalised people. Remember the people who accepted Jesus were the pagans, not the Jews who were the chosen people.

Aspects of Mary’s Spirituality

What do those readings have to do with Mary, the Mother of God? The answer is the readings are about spirituality. I want to give you an image to help you remember five aspects of Mary’s spirituality which the Church recommends for our imitation.

The image is the five fingers on your hand. Each finger is a reminder of one of the five aspects of Mary’s spirituality. The five aspects are: Presence, Prayer, Charity, Witness and Mission.

Presence: Read the Scriptures carefully and note well that the evidence about Mary is   she was present to people. As we try to incorporate the spirituality of Mary into our own lives we have to remember presence. Many people who are struggling are frequently all alone. They are looking for presence, for someone to listen, for someone to care, for someone to make real for them the message of love taught by the Lord.

Prayer: Read the Scriptures carefully and note well that the evidence about Mary is she was involved with the major events of New Testament salvation history in a special way. She was with Jesus, the apostles and disciples and she prayed with them and for them. It is very important to note that she persevered in prayer even when things looked very bad.

Charity: Read the Scriptures carefully and note well that the evidence about Mary is she cared about others and touched their lives with kindness and love. Remember, Elizabeth, the young couple at Cana, John at the foot of the cross, the apostles before Pentecost – all were beneficiaries of her love.

Witness: Read the Scriptures carefully and note well that the evidence about Mary is that people drew strength from her witness – how she hung in during tough times, how consistent her witness was in the various moods of her life.

Mission: Read the Scriptures carefully and note well that the evidence about Mary is she was with Jesus at every important moment of New Testament salvation history. She is the co- redemptrix – not in the sense that she was equal to Christ but in the sense she has been given the mission to bring forth new life in the Church through her intercession. As such, Pope Paul VI declared Mary to be the Mother of the Church.

Conclusion

Although this liturgy is the closing liturgy for the 2007 devotions to Our Lady of Fatima, I want you to remember these five aspects of Mary’s spirituality until we re-gather in 2008.

Every time you look at your hand, I want you to recall the number 5, how it refers to the spirituality of Mary and to our spirituality as we imitate Mary.

When I speak of catechetics, I remind you of the “Think Four formula” which I have explained many times. I now offer you another formula. When I speak of the Mother of God, I want you to think about that I have just explained, the “Think Five formula”.

I look forward to seeing everyone here at Laventille next May.”