“Honey and Vinegar”

       Novice Louie

Fr. Romolo left us with profound lessons on Christology, commentary on some Psalms and the characteristics of our Founder, St. Gaspar Bertoni. 17 days living with him is a continual recollection for me. Through his talks and of course his humble presence gave me a vividly vision on the way of life that I will embrace soon if granted that is Stigmatine religious life.

These two substances “honey and vinegar” came from the Fr. Romolo’s mouth when he shared to us.  He said that a drop of honey is better than a spoon of vinegar. It is true because honey is sweet which is of course tasty even if we eat it without bread or anything. But we find distasteful the vinegar if eaten purely because its characteristic is sour. We cannot enjoy eating it purely.

I would like to borrow these- honey and vinegar for my reflection on the class of Fr. Romolo. Jesus is the honey and the vinegar is our world that is centered in selfishness.

Jesus Christ’s temptation in the Gospel of Mark and the more detailed one is the Gospel of Matthew 4: 1-11. Jesus was tempted by Satan in the dessert with these three things which are also the very common hunger of man. The first temptation was turning the stone into bread.  Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ (Matthew 4:4). Second temptation ispopularity or fame. The third temptation is power. Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only (Matthew 4:10).

These things power, materialism and fame are all centered on selfishness. These make the world bitter like of the vinegar. We cannot really take this world with one sided view alone that is purely pleasure. If this is how we look at life in the world then we surely feel the sourness of life. Why? Because people will be against each other in terms of popularity, power and materialism. There will be no unity if each of us has self-centered reason in living our life here on earth.

So, the Father in heaven sent Jesus Christ into our world to destroy this self-centered mentality and to guide us to the truth. Jesus lived with the poor and emerged with them. He was accused by the Pharisees and scribe for this act. But Jesus exclaimed, “Good people does not need a doctor, sick people do.”  The Gospel of John revealed how Jesus showed His compassion and mercy to the adulterous woman whom was about to be stoned to death. But He exclaimed, “let the man among you who has no sin to cast a stone at her” (John 8:7). Another is the parable of the prodigal son. The Father welcomed him dearly and gave him a party for his son was dead and now was back to life. The summit of the life of Jesus that teaches about great mercy and compassion was His triumph on the cross where He said, “Father forgive them for they did not know what they are doing.”

Through this act of love of Jesus, the door of heaven was opened again for the whole human race. Jesus fulfilled as the new Adam the salvific plan of His Father in heaven. People have great chance to receive eternal life because of this act of unconditional love through the death of Jesus; our relationship with God has been restored.

The way Jesus lived is like a honey. He showed sweet and tender character to the sinner and to the handicap that were considered a sinner. Even if Jesus received some harsh words from the Pharisees and the Scribes but He continue doing the things that were essential for the sake of the salvific plan of God to save us from the doomed of sin.

That is why many people followed Him. Where ever Jesus goes people flocked together with him. But sad thing to know only few of them has a right intention of following Him. Some followed Him because of physical healing alone. But Jesus did not come for this outside incapabilities but being crippled within our souls.

Knowing Jesus with only for the sake of our selfish reason is useless. In long run we will surely feel tired of following Him. Fr. Romolo said “knowledge of Jesus should not only remain in our mind but should reach in our heart and in our hands.” The total knowledge of Jesus should bring us to love Him more by loving our self and of our neighbor as Fr. Romolo shared to us “if love does not reach to the point of willing to sacrifice for the sake of God is not yet a true love.”

To look and study the life of Jesus is indeed like a honey. But to live and apply the teachings of Jesus into our life is like vinegar once we do not understand the purpose of our life. We come to know our purpose of life in this earth by knowing Jesus. And to know Jesus is to live in accordance with His life which is to go against the current of our time as Pope Francis said. 

The Psalter and Christ

Carlos PezaňaAvenido

 For me, Christology and the Psalter are very interesting subjects. We cannot say that they are distinct from each other because even though the Book of Psalms in the Bible can be found in the Old Testament, and the life of Jesus is written in the New Testament, particularly in the four Gospels, nevertheless, if we read and understand properly each psalm we can say that they are manifestations of the persons of God, who is Jesus, the King of the universe.

This is my personal realization after experiencing more than two weeks of tutelage from Fr. Romolo Bertoni, CSS. After learning the meaning and the interpretation of some of the psalms, I was able to connect them to the reality that some interpretations pertain to the character of Jesus. Thus in this paper I will write piece by piece the things that I have grasped and learned from the teachings of Fr. Romolo about Christology and the Psalter.

The Book of Psalms in the Bible, composed of five sections, hence, I have learned that these sections are divided with the criterion that only some knows, but most probably something connected in honor of the Pentateuch in the Old Testament. Moreover, the psalms are prayers way back in the ancient times that were sung by the faithful, and so, if possible in praying the psalter it must always be sung so that the intention and the origin of the prayer might not be forgotten. When we read the psalms we are not speaking about God, but we speak to God, e.g. “have mercy on me God in your kindness, in your compassion blot out my offense..., or Preserve me God I take refuge in you..., etc.” thus these are acts of our personal dialogue with the Lord, and in speaking to God, we are not only two but three: God, the bad me, and the good me. In other words, the psalms express the need of intimacy or intimate relationship with God.

 There are a lot of categories of the psalms that Fr. Romolo discussed with us. First, there are psalms that speak of trust and confidence in God, or psalms of total abandonment, e.g. the Psalm 23 “The Lord is my Shepherd, there is nothing I shall want, He has put me to green pastures...” this psalm is one of the popular psalms in the psalter, this is considered as the “real precious pearl in the Psalter”. Second, there are psalms that speak of the need of intimacy with the Lord, e.g. the Psalm 63 “O God you are my God for you I long, for you my soul is thirsting, my body pines for you, like a dry weary land without water, so I gaze on you in the sanctuary to see your strength and your glory...”this intimacy with the Lord is meant to be eternal as stated in the whole of Psalm 63. Third, there are psalms that speak about his passion, death and resurrection. Furthermore, these psalms are also called “Messianic Psalms” which the objects or topics are kings. The psalms that are recited in honor of the King can be interpreted also in honor of God. Even though the psalmists do not know about Christ but there are psalms which if you try to understand pertain to the coming of Christ; his passion, death, and resurrection.

       On the other hand, Christology teaches us all the things about Christ, from the words and its nominal definition “Christus” and “Logos” which means “study of Christ”. Fr. Romolo said to us that in studying Christology, it is not enough to know only who Jesus is, or to learn only who Jesus is, but it is also important to follow and learn His will. The best and easy way to know and learn the life of Jesus is to read the Gospels. The Gospels are the expressways to know Jesus; his childhood, his adolescence years, his ministries, his passion, his death and his resurrection from the dead are concretely stated in them.

After all the discussions of Fr. Romolo about Christology, I was able to summarize and interpret the life of Jesus in one word, i.e. LOVE. Jesus is love. Jesus is the answer of God to human longings.  Moreover, only Jesus can fill our heart’s desire; only Jesus can give us complete joy, complete love, etc.

       

Reflection paper about the classes of fr. Romolo

Nidhin

The classes of fr. Romolo were really inspiring and full of knowledge. The classes on Christology, according to fr. Romolo should be an encounter with Jesus. We really start to love a thing only when our intellect presents it as something good. So the intellectual knowledge about Jesus is very important. In our encounter with Jesus we must encounter with the total Jesus that is  Jesus as fully human and fully divine. The human nature of Jesus we understand from the description of the evangelists. On our journey of encountering with Jesus we would have to go through different levels more specifically three levels. The first level is the level of reason. Here we try to understand Jesus with our intellect. The second level is the affective knowledge that is the knowledge of Jesus as our friend. Then the third and the most important level the knowledge that Jesus is the groom of our soul. This process of knowing Jesus is a life long process. We can never say that we have known Jesus fully. We must know Jesus with our experience. The knowing of Jesus must be implemented in following Jesus. Following Jesus demands more sacrifices and these sacrifices must come out of our love towards Jesus, the love that doesn’t reach in personal sacrifice is not good love.

Fr. Romolo had also given us some trust worthy sources of knowing Jesus: They are “Gospels, Creed, Church teachings and our personal experience of Jesus. Since the OT is fulfilled in NT we can say that the Old Testament gives us the testimonies that Jesus is God, because in Jesus we get the knowledge of the true god, the salvific will of the God is fulfilled in Jesus and the mediation is fulfilled and summarized in Jesus.

Most important knowledge I got through the Christology class of the fr. Romolo is that the hidden life of Jesus is a proof that he was fully a human being. He had really undergone all the life situations that I have in my life and he had also many trials and miseries in his life too. These knowledge gives me courage and more assurance that Jesus can really understand my feelings and troubles as a human being with limitations. Jesus public life also encourages me to do many missions for the people of god as He had done and loved them and lived only for them.

Another important knowledge I had received from sharing of fr. Romolo is about the special devotion of our congregation; the devotion to Five Wounds and the devotion to the Holy spouses. They always go together. The five wound are the signs of love of god towards the human kind. We are saved through these wounds. This is a mark or seal of the Nuptial union of Jesus with man. The holy spouses are the models of the nuptial union of man to Jesus. The stigmata are the signs of union in the midst of sufferings. In the life of holy souses also we find these sufferings. They also abandoned themselves and their all dreams for the fulfillment of the will of God. In the life of Jesus also we see this sufferings and abandonment of his will for the fulfillment of the will of God the Father, “Yet not what I want but what you want” (mk. 14:36).

Fr. Romolo’s classes on the psalms were also inspiring and rich in knowledge and devotion. Those classes helped me to understand the meaning and the importance of the liturgical prayers that we do every day. The psalms don’t speak about god but these are the dialogue to god. When we pray the psalm we speak to god. These are not simply inspired ideas but inspired prayers. The psalms include all the feelings and emotions of man so it can be considered as the best prayers. The symbols that are used in the psalms are the beauty of the psalms. The whole creation joins together with us when we pray the psalms. There would be always a triangle form of god, man and creation in all the psalms. The last one that is the creation is changeable and it can be replaced with our feeling or our enemies. Psalms are also giving us some hints about Jesus Christ. Therefore we can conclude that the subjects that fr. Romolo had chosen for us are interconnected and leads to the knowledge of Christ and the necessity of following him.

REFELCTION ON THE CLASSES OF FR. ROMOLO

NOVICE JOBIN THAYYIL

In the class of Christology Fr. Romolo explained very well about Christ. He explained deeply about the life of Jesus. It really helps me to understand well about Christ and increase my personal relationship with god. Iam trying to bring out the main points. Christology will help us to improve our personal encounter with Jesus. I cannot get things those are above my understanding. Faith is basically knowledge.  The personal love to Jesus is a life long process. Man is unhappy until he reach God. Christ is the son, image of God, redeemer, savior, one who gives us spirit, and mediator etc. we can find Jesus through the teaching of the church. God’s plan of salvation is fulfilled in Jesus. Jesus is the fulfillment of Old Testament. God reveled himself that is Jesus. The OT book remained the privilege of the hope of salvation. All prophesies are fulfilled in Jesus. There was a hidden life of Jesus because the evangelists reported only some about the infancy of Jesus. Jesus was a good teacher, a God who forgives sins, performer of miracle and a judge. Christ had a personal relationship with God the father. He felt an eternal relationship with God that he is the son of the Father. Jesus called God with name father. He used the word Abba. It is a kind of intimate relationship. Jesus never fails to trust. We were saved through this trust and love.  Jesus also had a good relationship with human. He was a friend of everybody or he loved everybody with out any discrimination. He loved children. He forgave the sins. He was a man of compassion. He was a man of extra ordinary intelligence. He was a man of prayer and activity. His life was his message. God is the answer for all our questions.Man is not happy without God.

Fr.Romolo also explained very well about psalms. Through psalms we speak to god. They are not only beautiful concepts but inspired idea. There are psalms of praise, repentance,praise of kings and community etc. psalms are the micro cosmos of human kind. According to Calvin they are the anatomy of the soul. They are the light of faith. We contemplate our faith through psalm. They were composed of different stages of theological age.  Theology of psalm is that discovery of God can be done through personal prayer and personal knowledge. We can find God through personal prayer and personal knowledge. Psalms are celebrations of the law. Through the psalm we get an image of God who is a close friend walking with us. Sin in psalms is breaking of relationship. Psalms are also reminding us the need of intimacy to God. Psalms are inviting us to be communion with god. Some of the psalms were composed in the temple or for the use of the temple. We also remember God’s graces and secrets through psalms. Psalms are also uses to glorify God. There is a mutual possession in psalms. I posses God and God posses me.

              Fr.Romolo also shared well about the ministries that are done by St Gasper. There were many ministries those were done by St Gasperin his time. St Gasper was the spiritual director of the seminarians. He was also spiritual director of mother Neopoldina Nudet and Magdalena de Canossa who were the founderess of two congregations. He was helping in the parish.   He was also doing preaching. Another main ministry of St. Gasper was the prison ministry. There were Marian oratories established by St. Gasper for the formation of the youth. There was also a school run by the saint. He was doing many ministries. These classes really help me to understand about the ministries. It was also inspired me and help me to understand how I have to be in the future. 

Reflection on Psalm

Thawatchai  Krasaesing

In the course Fr. Romolo which there are two lessons, the first he teach about Christology that said the life of Jesus. The second period, it Psalms which I’m impressed the Psalms. Because he shared the important ideas such as Background Material on the Psalms, Psalm forms, The Authors of The Psalms and The Arrangement of the Psalms. He emphasized Psalms in the Catholic life especially prays to make time each day sacred. It is a time that calls us to praise God and meditate in prayer to honor that is filled with mercy and love of God in the midst of His Church.

Fr. Romolo’s class that I’m understand in the Psalm and the value of psalms But and I know the prayers of the people of Israel in the Old Testament to become children of God who have been inspired to write the text conversation with him through the history of salvation that happened to them in various forms such as praise, rejoicing in the greatness of His mercy toward him, the tribute in the creation. And the prayer in private and public for them who help them during they faced with difficulties. Moreover, he explain the psalm in life our founder who show a close relationship with God in his life.

After I finished class of Fr.Romolo which the Psalms instruct me in the most important way; the psalm leads me into this relationship with a God who wants us to interact with him honestly in all our circumstances. Absolutely our lives will end up praising him, because in doing so we stay in that right relation to our Maker and heavenly Father.  

Twenty second week Tuesday

                                                                                                                                     Novice JobinThayyil

It is a normal rule that if we want to order or to give a command to another person we need authority or power over that person. People will obey a person who has power over them. Here in the gospel we can see that Jesus is casting out demon from a person with authority. it really proves his power over evil.

We know that the followers of Jesus also need power over evils. From where we get this power? We can find the answer for this question in the gospel of mk9:4 onwards. There also Jesus is casting out a demon from a boy who was first referred to disciples. The disciple was not able to do that. So they brought the boy to Jesus and He cast out the evil from the boy. After disciple asked to Him that why they were not able to cast out the evil? Jesus answered them, “this kind can come out only through prayer.”(mk: 9 ;28) .

Through these words we can understand that the prayer is the real source of power and authority. When we go through the gospel we can see that many times Jesus is going in a lonely place and pray there.

We are called to be the disciples of Jesus. In Mk 3:14, we read that he appointed the twelve whom He named apostles to be with Him , and to be sent out to proclaim the message and to have authority to cast out demons. So to fulfill His mission we have to acquire power and authority through our prayer and personal relationship with god. The message of the gospel is to be constant in prayer.

August 28, 2013, Wednesday: Socialization time!

August 28, 2013, Wednesday: Socialization time!

Today they had their socialization. They started the events after their recreation around 6 pm. It was also the birthday of Fr. Paul Kritapart. On this occasion, Fr. Romolo, Fr. Michael, Fr. Rafael joined the celebration. This was the 3^rd time that they had their socialization and this time they presented their country’s tourist destination. The main purpose of this event was to get acquainted to its culture and nature of their countries of origin. The presentation of its country lasted about 5-10 minutes. The presentation brought awareness of the beauty of its country to everybody who was present. And of course, the novices made a presentation for the birthday celebrant with the background music of Happy Birthday song. They compiled the photos of Fr. Paul doing his ministries, manual work and leisure time. They called it "the behind the scenes of Fr. Paul’s life." 

The second part of the event was the sharing in the table with fish-grilled food and the stories of one another. They enjoyed eating and conversing with one another outside Novitiate house. The novices grilled the fish with the supervision of Fr. Paul and Fr. Jim. This event reminds them of the teaching of St. Gaspar Bertoni their founder; “to value the community life through common food and conversation.”

Fr. Joseph led the group to have a wine tossed for the birthday celebrant. Then, everyone shouted “happy birthday Fr. Paul!”

The event lasted until 10:30 in the evening. It was not only successful because of the good food that was served in the table but also the atmosphere of fraternal relationship as our founder taught his confreres during his time.

“Through constant communication, fraternal relationship grows”