THE LIGHT SHINES IN THE DARKNESS AND THE DARKNESS DID NOT OVERCOME IT

Sacred Heart,
Burning in the darkness,
Enflame my heart
With your light and life.

TODAY we are reminded that we have left the European Union.  Some will wave flags; others lament that the vison Sir Winston Churchill had of a ‘United States of Europe’ is, for the time being, dead and buried.  It’s worth reading what he actually said in a famous speech at the University of Zurich three days before I was born – here is an extract (the full speech is here): 

“We must build a kind of United States of Europe (in order) to re-create the European family, or as much of it as we can, and to provide it with a structure under which it can dwell in peace, in safety and in freedom. …  Small nations will count as much as large ones and gain their honour by a contribution to the common cause.”

That enlightened call to build a union of hope hope after years of war and centuries of conflict has fallen away and, coupled with the pandemic, it can seem that there’s a shadow over not only Europe at this time but over the whole world.  Words of hope can feel just like that when faced with suffering and loss.

But I’m reminded of other words, words from John’s gospel set for today’s Mass: ‘The Light shines in the darkness and the darkness did not overcome it’.  In the opening verses of his ‘Good News’, John directs attention to the most important news Christianity needs to share, and he does so in the context of a desert, a desert in which John the Baptist appeared which can stand as a metaphor for what many are experiencing at this time.

In a recent article by Fr. Aiden Nicholls OP which appeared in the present issue of the ‘Fairacres Chronicle’, journal of the Sisters of the Love of God, he writes: 

‘A voice cries in the Wilderness, “Prepare a way for the Lord: make his paths straight”.  John the Baptist realises this prophesy by speaking of Jesus: … John can identify the desert of the human condition, can put his finger on the spot where it really hurts, Jesus and Jesus alone can do anything about it.  John knows what we are like: he knows the heart of man; Jesus does too, he had his own wilderness experience; but Jesus is also the heart of God translated into human flesh.  He is not just a human heart he is the Sacred Heart.  And if he is God made man, then he is someone who can reach into our interior desert; by his influence, by his grace, he can reach me in this most cut off of all lands, more cut off than any pole or any jungle’ (p.31).

As we enter a New Year outside of that Union to which we’ve belonged for half a century and continue to face a pandemic that poisons both body and soul that message of John, that the Light has come which darkness cannot overcome, is unique and needs to be held and shared – for in Him there is no darkness at all. 

Sacred Heart,
Burning in the darkness,
Enflame my heart
With your light and life.

_____________________

John-Francis Friendship
December 31st, 2021

KEEPING FAITH IN A TIME OF CRISIS

I'VE RECENTLY HEARD a number of people talk about feeling utterly defeated by the way the government is pursuing a hard, ‘no deal’ Brexit.  The petitions they’ve signed, marches they’ve attended and letters they’ve written seem to have proved useless and they now view severing ourselves from the EU as inevitable, unnecessary and toxic. And all over the world they see demagogues and dictators stirring up strife and damaging the planet to the benefit of a few rather than the good of future generations.  Others complain that the 'democratic mandate' is being ignored; that it's people vs. parliament, or the judiciary or media. Anger stalks the land and there seems a darkness moving over the face of the earth that’s clouding people’s hearts and minds.

Clergy and spiritual crisis

St. Ignatius Loyola taught that desolation was the consequence of  the heart being overwhelmed by 'evil spirits'.  Sadly that’s become a term associated with fundamentalists, but the loss of such an insight into the way we are influenced – for good and ill – by the movements of spiritual forces beyond our control means we can become affected – subjected – by those which are not life-giving.  I don’t think we should be shy of reclaiming the term.  Of course  we also need to be aware of the ease with which we can project the ‘darkness’ which exists in our own hearts on to others – something which is usually indicated by the strength of our negative feelings about an individual or group who differs from us.  We need to own our sin – that darkness which exists on our hearts – and seek to love the other.

Unfortunately at a time when we need to look more deeply into our hearts I'm aware that the church seems to ignore the spiritual dimension of this crisis.  Clergy, in particular, rather than being advised to give priority to the development of their relationship with God are often encouraged to consider 'well-being' divorced from any religious or spiritual teaching.  This ignores the need to give priority to their relationship with God as they seek to cope with the pressures of life and the effects of that ‘darkness’ which can permeate their hearts.  And if clergy aren’t being taught and encouraged to attend to their spiritual life, if courses designed to help them neglect this essential dimension, then no amount of secular 'well-being' can address our deepest needs at this or any time of crisis.  In my book 'Enfolded in Christ' I pleaded for the church to take the spiritual life of priests seriously and give priority to its development, a matter that continues to need attention as diocese's organise 'resilience' courses for clergy but often seem to ignore what is often, at heart, a spiritual matter.  No wonder, then, that when we are faced with such an existential malaise ordinary Christians don't look at the spiritual roots of such desolation. Unless priests are relearning the basics of being rooted in Christ it's likely they won't be helping the laity in this vital task.

Spiritual warfare

There is a spiritual warfare going on which requires us (as it always has) to embrace faith in the power of the Incarnate, Crucified and Transcendent Christ.  We're called to keep our heart fixed on Him lest it become the victim of anger and rage or ceases to return to the Fountain of Life.  If we are not being refreshed by those streams then we'll become exhausted – drained of the grace offered by God.  Whilst we should not cease from opposing corruption we need to do so because we are rooted in Christ, who has conquered the powers of darkness.  We need faith that this darkness has ultimately been overcome and then face life with the compassionate love of God – with faith and hope and love.  To deepen our prayer, meditate on the scriptures and realise the need to Retreat from time to time from the ‘battleground’ of life and immerse ourselves in places of prayer.  There’s no doubt that we are, as always, facing a time of warfare and we need to tools which will help us:

‘Take up the whole armour of God, so that you may be able to withstand on that evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Stand therefore, and fasten the belt of truth around your waist, and put on the breastplate of righteousness. As shoes for your feet put on whatever will make you ready to proclaim the gospel of peace. With all of these, take the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.’ (Eph. 6.9ff)

We will need the support of a spiritual director, the grace of the Sacraments and a deepening of contemplative prayer.  That's why I developed the Spiritual Association of the Compassionate Hearts of Jesus and Mary  - to try and offer some on-line resources to nurture the heart as we face hard times.  The Church of England needs to remember the importance of the spiritual tools she has but which are turning rusty and to reclaim our spiritual heritage.

God of reconciling hope,
look with mercy upon us
and guide us through the turmoil of the present time.
Protect us from the snare of the Evil One
and from the forces of darkness.

As we give you thanks for all that has been
so we commend the future into your hands,
that we may live together in righteousness and peace,
in bonds of love and mutual respect.

We ask this in the power of the Three in One.
Amen.

HOMILY PREACHED ON THE OCCASION OF THE TRIGGERING OF ARTICLE 50 (BREXIT)

at the Midday Eucharist

March 29th, 2017

SOUTHWARK CATHEDRAL

_________________________

+ In the name of God, the All-Compassionate, the All-Merciful.  Amen.

Today is a momentous day in the life of our nation and it would be wrong to ignore what is happening, possibly even as we celebrate this Eucharist.  For our Prime Minister is to send a letter to the European Commission to announce that we wish to withdraw from the Union.

It is a day when we are divorcing from a relationship that has lasted 44 years.  For some this is the ending of a marriage made in heaven; for others it is the opposite.  Some will lament the death of a dream – of the hope for a more united world.  Others see this as the dawn of a new age when we take back control of our laws and borders.  And there are those who see this as a second Reformation – in the first we separated from Rome; in this from Brussels.  It certainly heralds a paradigm shift:

‘As, in a theatre,

The lights are extinguished, for the scene to be changed

With a hollow rumble of wings, with a movement of darkness on darkness,

And we know that the hills and the trees, the distant panorama

And the bold imposing facade are all being rolled away—‘

So wrote T.S.Eliot in his poem, ‘East Coker’.  And he prefixed those words by saying: ‘I said to my soul, be still, and let the dark come upon you Which shall be the darkness of God.’ 

Whatever the outcome of this movement we hold to Christ who is our hope.  Whose life-giving Passion, Death and Resurrection we proclaim as we celebrate this Eucharist.  Of Him in whom there is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free.  For we are all one in Him. 

Perhaps, in a way, we are entering upon our own Holy Saturday, that time of waiting as the old order passes away, yet we know not the new which is to come. 

Later on in ‘East Coker’ Eliot wrote these words which emerged from his own Christian faith: “I said to my soul, be still and wait without hope, for hope would be hope for the wrong thing; wait without love, for love would be love of the wrong thing; there is yet faith, but the faith and the love are all in the waiting. Wait without thought, for you are not ready for thought: So the darkness shall be the light, and the stillness the dancing.”    

Amen.

USING DIVINE COMPASSION TO COUNTER HATE, FEAR AND DIVISION

Since the country voted for Brexit and Donald Trump was elected President of the USA I have found, in my work as a spiritual director, many people speaking of an ‘existential angst’ they, or their friends, are experiencing.   Feelings of anger, disgust, fear and emptiness seem to exercise a greater hold and the dread of division has entered their – souls.  And I hear (and recognise something) of the way some are almost addicted to exploring news stories concerning these two subjects which are exercising a hold over them that seems unhealthy.  

As I have reflected on this phenomenon I have noticed a remarkable similarity between the effect that focusing on the effects of Brexit and Trump have with some of the teaching of S. Ignatius in what he described as ‘discernment of spirits’.  Ignatius pointed out that the ‘evil spirit’ (ad if someone has a problem with such a term, think of ‘negative life-force’) will seek to “move (a person) toward lack of faith and leave one without hope and without love” (The Spiritual Exercises, n. 317).  Ignatius goes on to say that when this occurs the person who is seeking to live as God would have them live should ‘confront those things that hold us back from such freedom’ - and act against those behaviours which are not life giving (Contra Agere).

For many years I have been attracted by the Sacred Heart of Jesus, finding in that image and devotion a real sense of God’s passionate love for all creation.  More recently I have become conscious of being drawn to explore practicing Compassion and how developing this deep aspect of our humanity can undermine the consequences of being drawn by the hatred, fear and division present in our world. It has also been realised that developing compassion can be a means of growing in personal well-being.  To that end I have been working on developing an Association of Companions of the Compassionate Hearts of Jesus and Mary. 

The idea of such an Association is to provide a means whereby people can commit to live out the compassionate love of God in their lives.  Jesus and Mary reveal aspects of compassionate love – Jesus responded to the world with Divine Compassion and Mary was warned of the pain compassion can bring when, in bringing the child Jesus to the Temple, Simeon prophesied that her soul would be “pierced” by a sword as she bore Jesus in the world.  

The purpose of such an Association would be to encourage and nurture compassion in the lives of all Companions.  Its aim would be to provide a means of commitment with others in developing a compassionate heart for the sake of the world.  And the charism of Companions would be to:

+  seek to be living lives whereby the love of God, realised in the Compassion of Jesus, might be fully realised;

+  recall that the heart of Mary was pierced by a sword as she remained in union with her Son.   Companions recognise that their hearts will also suffer as they seek to love with the heart of Jesus and Mary;

+  know that they cannot do this by their own unaided efforts, rather they seek to turn to Christ’s Compassionate Heart as the Divine well from which they will drink;

+  value the rich resources that come from all religious traditions that seek to cultivate a Compassionate heart;

+  look to the Sacrament of Confession (Reconciliation) as a means of cleansing and for renewing their own hearts.

At present this is an ‘idea in the working’ and I have sought advice as to whether to take this forward. But it seems to me that there is a great and increasing need, not only to act with compassion, but to live out of the Heart of Compassion.

SS. Cyril and Methodius, Patrons of Europe

February 14^th, 2017

BREXIT AND THE REFORMATION

Having listened to Mrs. Emily Thornbury MP being questioned by Evan Davis on Newsnight recently I began to understand the Labour Party’s position on Brexit.  Unlike the Tory Party (which seems to have wholeheartedly embraced a ‘hard’ Brexit) or the Liberal Democrat Party (which clearly opposes it) the Labour Party, containing as it does large numbers of both Leavers and Remainers, recognises it needs to be a Broad Church.  Whilst the country voted by a margin of less than 10% to leave the EU, it needs to accommodate members of both camps.  And, in that, I see clear parallels with the Church of England.

Whilst I am not a Church historian I recognise (as I am sure others do) the similarities between Brexit and the age of Reformation.  Until the 16^th cent. the Church in England had owed allegiance to the Roman Church and many of the laws of this country were dependent on decisions in Rome.  Both the separation of the Church in England from the Church of Rome and Brexit were preceded by many years of agitation.  Popularist preachers, like John Wycliffe and the Lollards, stirred up anti-Catholic feelings and prepared the way for the Acts of Supremacy which gradually made English law supreme and led to the declaration that ‘the Bishop of Rome hath no jurisdiction in this Realm of England’ (Article 37). 

In spite of this formal separation there was a substantial minority who objected and wished to remain part of the Roman Catholic Church.  It is a fact that Henry VIII (1509 – 1547), inspite of initiating the separation of England from Rome did not intend to adopt Protestantism in its entirety and religious doctrine didn’t change ⁽¹⁾.  Whilst Henry persecuted extreme Protestants there were many views as to what separation meant.  As has sometimes happened in the aftermath of Brexit those who wanted to remain part of the Roman Church were abused and persecuted and some were killed.

It was under the Regency Council which governed during the minority of his successor, Edward VI (1547 – 1553), that Protestant teaching began to change the faith of the English Church and eroded much of the Catholic heritage which Henry VIII had desired to retain.  This resulted in unrest and a number of protest marches including the Western Rebellion (1549).

Mary I (1553 – 1558) was declared Queen by popular demand (clearly not a Referendum but something similar) after people re-acted against the perceived excesses of Edward.  Many realised she would reverse most of the previous legislation that had separated England from Rome and those who had financially benefited from the break were determined that would not happen. ⁽²⁾  This only caused greater division, persecution and disorder in the country which lasted until her death.

The genius of Elizabeth I (1558 – 1603) was to unite a divided country.  This she did by enabling the Church of England to be broad enough in its doctrine to hold various views whilst maintaining the separation that had occurred.  The ‘Elizabethan Religious Settlement’ was a response to the religious divisions in England.  A series of Acts and revisions to the Prayer Book intended to avoid adopting any one theology to the exclusion of another with the intention of enabling people with many different theological perceptions to belong to the one Church.  The Church of England was not part of the Roman Catholic Church (thus fulfilling the desires of the Leavers) but nor was it wholly Protestant and its teaching was still rooted in much Catholic theology.  Thus, hopefully, appealing to remainers. 

It seems to me that the present difficulties faced by the Labour Party are not dissimilar to the situation in England in the late 16^th cent.  Both leavers (Protestants) and remainers (Catholics) were struggling to dominate society and Catholics were hated for wanting to remain united with Rome.   Is it overly simple to say that whilst ‘Leavers’ have a clear home with the Tories and ‘Remainers’ with the Liberal Democrats the Labour Party is, like the Church of England, seeking to offer a place for all.  And, like the Church of England, is accused of not knowing where it stands?  Or not having any clear teaching?  It seemed to me that Mrs. Thornbury was saying that the Labour Party was trying to find a way for people with different views to live together realising that if we don't we may be eternally divided or dominated by one view.  It is not an easy choice – to try and be broad enough for all – it won’t satisfy those seeking a clear choice and it might anger those who can’t cope with difference.  It is not easy to create a home where those with different views can live together.  But, like the Elizabethan Settlement, it may offer an umbrella under which many can shelter and the Labour Party might take heart from looking into this period in the history of England which occurred almost exactly 400 years ago.

⁽¹⁾ ‘The Religious Policy of King Henry VIII’; Jeff Hobbs

⁽²⁾ ‘The Church 1553 to 1558’; C. N. Trueman

A LETTER TO A CHRISTIAN LEADER

The following letter has been sent to the Prime Minister having been signed by 97 Religious, Deacons or Priests of the Church of England and in Wales: 


The Rt. Hon. Theresa May, MP
London
SW1A 0AA

House of Commons

Feast of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, 2016

Dear Prime Minister,

We, deacons, priests and Religious of the Church of England and the Church in Wales, are writing to you as someone who publicly affirms that they are a Christian and a practising member of our Church. 

It has come to our attention that, as Prime Minister, you are not prepared to support the rights of EU citizens who will live in the UK post-Brexit.  We find your support of this denial of rights deplorable and call on you to review your decision in the light of your membership of the Church, the Body of Christ.  It is clear that your refusal to guarantee these basic rights indicates you have not rejected using human beings as bargaining chips in the political games concerning Brexit.  It is increasingly apparent to us that we are losing our national sense of being part of a common humanity and are allowing ourselves to be dominated by those who espouse the least admirable – if not deplorable – aspects of human nature.  However, we believe that the majority of our people are better than those voices suggest, as loud as they may be in the nation and in your own Party, voices which call us to embrace a spirit of selfishness rather than compassion.    What makes a country great is not the power it wields but the humanity by which it seeks to govern – and this is equally true of national leaders.

As we begin to prepare for the coming of our Saviour and proclaim His gospel of peace and goodwill we are only too aware that when He comes He will encounter fear and hatred, greed and selfishness which stalk our towns as they have not done for many years.  In preparing for Christmas, if the heart of that Faith which proclaims God among us is to be more than a charade but, as many say, is still important to the identity of our Nation, then we urgently call on you to consider your own calling as an Anglican and a Christian. At this time to whom do we lend our ears? To the voices of extremism or to the Gospel of God?

You are playing with the lives of thousands of our fellow human beings – and that is wrong.  We call on the Government to do the right thing and unilaterally declare that, no matter what other countries might fail to do we, as a nation conscious of its civilised heritage, will grant all members of the EU living in the UK at the time of Brexit equal rights with our own citizens.

Yours faithfully,

Fr. John-Francis Friendship SMMS

cc.        The Rt. Hon. Jeremy Corbyn PC MP

            The Rt. Hon. Tim Farron MP

“You and I, we are the Church, no? We have to share with our people. Suffering today

is because people are hoarding, not giving, not sharing.  Jesus made it very clear.

Whatever you do to the least of my brethren, you do it to me.”  

St. Teresa of Calcutta

STORIES TO LIVE BY?

I cannot help but wonder if one of the reasons why there appears to be a growth in right-wing extremism is consequent to the loss of the Christian narrative that influenced the way in which European societies have developed.   By ‘Christian narrative’ I don’t mean ‘what the Church teaches’.   Rather that story which has encouraged people to live beyond the confines of humanity’s primitive instincts which drive our desire for, amongst other things, safety and security.  Richard Dawkins named this as the ‘selfish gene’ and claimed it dominated the evolutionary process, but others have argued that this is not a correct understanding of the process and believe we evolved as social rather than individual creatures. 

Whichever is correct it does seem clear that, at present, a selfish current is at work deep within the psyche of our society and there is occurring a major shift in our cultural identity.   After 2000 years of Christian formation which has, arguably, shaped us and our society in conscious and sub-conscious ways, the past 50 years have seen an erosion of that process which appears to be speeding up.  The Christian narrative is hardly heard in our formative development and, whilst many may not have given it conscious attention, exposure to the telling and retelling of that narrative has given expression to the best in how we perceived our human calling.  It has offered something that has inspired generations of people to seek to transcend themselves.  The Parables of Jesus have been formative in our cultural development – the Good Samaritan, Prodigal Son, Widows Mite etc…  Now they are no longer normative in shaping our culture, what is replacing them?  How can we counter the selfish traits that can, so easily, be determinative?  What stories constantly remind us of the need to forgive?  To know that we are loved in spite of who and what we might be?  To welcome the stranger and see a ‘higher being’ in the foreigner?  To be generous.  To beware the lure of wealth etc …  What common narratives now form us?

Arguably the vote for Brexit was driven by a desire to be rid of foreigners and separate ourselves from others – both desires being ones which the Christian narrative warns against.  The hatred that has erupted both here and in the USA has not been fueled by the Christian narrative, far from it. Rather the worse in our humanity is being given permission to express itself by those who peddle the Brexit narrative.  And to ignore the consequences of the narrative that is now being offered, as history shows us, is deeply dangerous.  At present too many of our leaders are ignoring this and seeking to focus our attention simply on perceived financial advantages whilst neglecting more important concerns.  And just as Jesus was deeply critical of those who ignored the ‘weightier demands of the Law’ (cf. Mt. 23) those of us who call ourselves Christians should be pleased that some politicians are clearly warning us of the dangers of the populist fable gripping so many:

“We are at an ugly international crossroads. What’s happening in Britain is appalling. What’s happening across Europe is appalling. It has echoes from the 1930's.  And America, the most powerful country in the world, has just elected a fascist!  … I don’t use the term fascist lightly, (but) What else would you call someone who threatens to imprison his political opponents?  What else would you call somebody who threatens to not allow people of a certain political faith into their country?  What would you say, or what would you call somebody who was threatening to deport 10 million people?”  (Senator Aodhán O'Riordáin addresses the Taoiseach 10.xi.16)

A counter-narrative needs to be offered that appeals to our social as opposed to selfish genes and reminds us that simplistic solutions cannot answer our deeper needs.  The Scriptures offer a narrative that is increasingly counter-cultural: where story after story deals with the lure and corruption of power, the need to beware hatred of the Other and to learn to love the stranger.  The Christian narrative is not easy to hear and the Church, besotted with issues of sexuality, hardly seems in a place to proclaim it.  Yet I believe that is what we need to do, in season and – more importantly – at this time when the dark forces of Evil (and, yes, the Christian narrative presents us with the reality of evil and how to overcome it) have been welcomed into our midst in the shape of those who offer lies, trade in fear of the foreigner and seek to place the acquisition of wealth above the creation of a just society.  Whether they realise it or not the likes of Farage, Trump and their ilk are the heralds of darkness not of light – and by their fruits we will know them.