A laconic presenation on some Marian Facts.

ANSWERING SOME QUESTIONS ON MARY

                                                                                                               IBIYEMI VICTOR

INTRODUCTION

The debate on Mary’s role and importance in the Church has been an enduring issue in Christendom. It has been a tug of war between Catholics and other denominations on their arguments as to the status of Mary in the salvation history. However, the Catholics, strong in unity have asserted their unwavering and unflinching allegiance to Mary as the Mother of God. The purpose of this essay therefore is to showcase under different sections the reasons for giving Mary such honour in the Catholic Tradition of faith.

WHY WE HONOUR HER

Among the various characteristics which prove the Catholic Church to be one true Church of Christ (the four marks of the Church- One, Holy, Apostolic and Catholic), there is also a particular characteristic which is manifest based on the Holy Scripture and which is unique to Catholicism- the honour and devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of Jesus Christ.

This honour and devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary the mother of Jesus Christ is one of the many things rejected by the Protestants. Their claim is that the honour and devotion given to Mary is not in the scripture and as such it is an offence to Jesus. They furthered their argument that the Catholics are wrong praying to Mary because there is only one mediator between God and Man- which is Jesus.

To begin our defense on why we honour Mary, it is good to put to mind the consideration of the similarities between the Fall of man and the Redemption of man. After the fall of Adam and Eve which marked the fall of man. “And the Lord God said to the serpent… I will put enmities between thee and the woman, and thy seed and her seed, she shall crush your head, and thou shall lie in with for her heel” (Gen: 3: 13-15). The question is: who is the woman and who is the seed of which the bible speaks?  

In the Gospel of Luke, God did something fabulous that has never been done in the history of Israel. God sent his Angel to a virgin to deliver the message of the Incarnation of God. The point is how did the Angel greet Mary- the lowly virgin? “Hail Mary Full of Grace… the Lord is with thee, blessed art thou among women. (Lk. 1: 28) The angel who was sent by God honoured her. We must remember that angels don’t convey their message, they convey the message of he who sent them (that is why they are called angels), who are you therefore not to honour whom God honored?

Furthermore, when Mary went to visit Elizabeth, Elizabeth prophesied under the influence of the Holy Spirit of the worth of Mary, she said: “Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of the womb. And whence is this to me that the Mother of my Lord should come to visit me? (Lk.1:43) Mary also under the influence of the Holy Spirit sang her magnificant and prophesied too that: “from now on, all generations shall call me blessed” (Lk. 1:48). Any generation that does not call Mary blessed is a cursed generation!

Form the above and from many unmentioned scriptural passages, it is evident why we honour Mary. We do not worship Mary; we are only giving her what is due just has God himself had honoured her.   

MARY AS THEOTOKOS

Theotokos is a Greek title of Mary, which depicts Mary as the Mother of Jesus. Theotokos is a compound of two Greek words Theo, God, tokos, bearer. Literally, this translates as God-bearer or the one who gives birth to God. Jaroslav Pelikan- a historian translated it more precisely as “the one who gives birth to the one who is God”. Understanding this etymology prepares the way for the explanation of the mystery of the Motherhood of Mary.

The Mystery is this: How can a creature be the mother of her Creator? The puzzle of some Christians, those who refuses the divine motherhood of Mary, is in the fact that it is literally impossible for Mary to be the Mother of God, because, they believe God is the cause of all with neither origin nor source and is therefore without father and mother, or any relation expect for what is homoousian to Him (that is what is in Substance to Him).

On the contrary, most Christians believe God the Son is begotten of God the Father, “from all eternity” but is born “in time” of Mary. Theotokos thus refer to the incarnation, when the Second Person of the Holy Trinity took on human nature in addition to his pre-existing divine nature, this being made possible through the fiat of Mary. 

The Council of Ephesus in 431AD decreed in opposition to those that denied Mary the title of Theotokos (the one who gives birth to God) and called her Christotokos (the one who gives birth to Christ) that Mary is Theotokos because her Son Jesus is one person who is both God and man, divine and human. Within the economy of salvation Mary’s identity, role and status as the mother of God is acknowledged as indispensable and is for this reason formally defined as official dogma.

IMMACULATE CONCEPTION

The Immaculate Conception of Mary is a dogma of the Roman Catholic Church. It is one of the controversial facts about our Lady which most non-Catholics have anchored on in their critique of the importance of the Blessed Virgin Mary. 

The dogma of the Immaculate Conception teaches that Mary was conceived without any stain of original sin. This dogma states “that the Most Blessed Virgin Mary, in the first instance of her conception, by a singular grace and privileged granted by Almighty God, in view of the merits of Jesus Christ, the saviour of the human race, was preserved free from all stain of original sin. She therefore needed no baptism which is given to cleanse us from original sin which we inherited from our first parents- ADAM and EVE.

Notice that the doctrine of Immaculate Conception of Mary was formally proclaimed by Pope Pius IX in 1854 in Ineffabillis Deus. The defined dogma of the Immaculate Conception regards original sin only: the definition makes no declaration bout the Church’s belief that Blessed Virgin was sinless, in the sense of actual or personal sin. However, the Church also holds that Mary was also sinless personally, that she was “free from all sin, original or personal” and that is why she was greeted as full of grace when God sent the Angel Gabriel to visit Mary with his tidings.

Mary’s Immaculate Conception should not be confused with Mary’s Virginal Conception. The Immaculate Conception is about the birth of Mary, while Mary’s Virginal Conception is about the birth of Jesus- that Mary gave birth to Jesus as a virgin and she remained a virgin. This confusion is a dogmatic heresy that many are guilty of even the media. So, we must be careful to understand this very carefully before explaining it. Mary was conceived by Joachim and Anne who were devout Jews but were born with original sin. But Mary was given the privileged by God to be free from Sin and as such she was full of grace worthy to bear the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity. The feast of Immaculate Conception is celebrated on December 8, nine months before the nativity of Mary.

ASSUMPTION OF MARY

The Assumption of Mary is regarded as the Principal feast of Mary; it is celebrated on the 15^th of August. This feast has a double object: 1) the happy departure of Mary form this life; 2) the assumption of her body into heaven. This feast teaches that Mary was assumed after death both body and soul was taken into heaven. The earliest records of this fact about her Lady was found in the apocryphal treatise De Obitu S. Dominae bearing the name of St. John which belongs to the 4^th – 5^th Century. The fact is recounted by St. Juvenal, Bishop of Jerusalem, at the council of Chalcedon (451), made known o the Emperor Marcian and Pulcheria, who wished to possess the body of the Mother of God, that Mary died in the presence of all the Apostle, but that her tomb, when opened, upon the request of St. Thomas, was found empty, wherefrom the Apostle concluded that the body was taken up to heaven. Hence, the Roman Catholic Church teaches as Dogma that the Virgin Mary “having completed the course of her earthly life, was assumed body and soul into heavenly glory. This doctrine was dogmatically and infallibly defined by pope Pius XII on November 1, 1950 in his Apostolic Constitution, Muniicentissimus Deus.

In his August 15, 2004, homily given at Lourdes, Pope John Paul II quoted John 14:3 as one of the scriptural bases for understanding the dogma of the Assumption of Mary. In this verse, Jesus tells his disciples at the Last Supper, “if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will receive you to myself; that where I am, you may be there also.” According to Catholic theology, Mary is the pledge of the fulfillment of Christ’s promise.

Another fact to buttress the doctrine of Assumption is to stress the privilege of Mary being the Mother of God. Since Jesus shared in Mary’s corporeal composition and Jesus when he died did not experience corruption. It is only granted by the grace of God, the Mother of God who was sinless would not experience any form of corruption because sin brings corruption and the wages of sin is death. (Gal. 6: 8-9).  

APPARITIONS OF MARY

Mary as continued to strengthen the faith of Christians through her appearances and miracles. A Marian apparition is an event in which the Blessed Virgin Mary is believed to have supernaturally appeared to one or more people. They are often given names based on the towns in which they were reported, or on the sobriquet which was given to Mary on the occasion of the apparition.

In some apparitions such as Our Lady Lourdes or Our Lady of Fatima an actual vision is reported, fully resembling that of a person being present. In some of these reports the viewers (most times children do not initially report that they saw the Virgin Mary, but that they saw “a lady” (often but not always dressed in white) and had a conversation with her. In these cases the viewers report experiences that resemble the visual and verbal interaction with a person present at the site of the apparition.       

According to the Catholic Doctrine, the era of public revelation ended with the death of the last living apostle. Therefore, a Marian apparition, if deemed genuine by Church authority is regarded as a private revelation that may emphasize some facet of the received public revelation for a specific purpose, but it can never add anything new to the deposit of faith. Meanwhile, the Holy See has officially confirmed the apparitions at Guadalupe, Saint-Etienne-le-Laus, Paris (Rue d Bac, Miraculous Medal), La Salette, Lourdes, Fatima, Portugal, Pontmain, Beauraing and Banneux.    Apparitions of Mary are held to be evidence of her continuing active presence in the life of the church, through which she “cares for the brethren of her son who still journey on earth”.

Of all Marian apparitions, the best known are Lourdes and Fatima. Over sixty spontaneous healing, out of thousands reported at the Lourdes Spring, have been classified as “inexplicable” by the physicians of the Lourdes Bureau. The Three Secrets of Fatima received a great deal of attention in the Catholic Church and Secular press. 

LITANY OF BLESSED VIRGIN MARY: HOW DID IT COME ABOUT?

The Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary is a Marian litany originally approved in 1587 by Pope Sixtus. It is also known as the litany of Loreto, for its first- known place of origin, the Shrine of our Lady of Loreto (Italy) where its usage was recorded as early as 1558. The litany contains many titles used formally and informally for the Virgin Mary and would often be recited as a call and response chant in a group setting.

About its origin, despite the fact that, from the seventeenth century onwards, the litany of Loreto has been the subject of endless panegyrics and ascetical writings, there is a great lack of documentary evidence concerning its origin, the growth and development of the litany into the forms under which we know it, and as it was for the first time definitely approved by the catholic church in the year 1587. Some writers declare that they know nothing of its origin and history: others, on the contrary, trace it back to the translation of the Holy House (1294); others, to Pope Sergius 1 (687); others, again, to Gregory the Great or to the fifth century; while others go as far back as the earliest ages of the Church, and even Apostolic times. However, historical criticism posits it to have been composed during the early years of the 16^th century or the closing years of the 15^th. During the years, the Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary has taken some additions to the original Loreto’s text.

The Litany is majorly structured into six parts:

1.      Mary’s Holiness

2.      Mary the Mother

3.      Mary the Virgin

4.      Symbols of Mary

5.      Mary the Helper

6.      Mary the Queen

The litany portrays such immeasurable gifts and virtues bestowed on Mary by God; as such she becomes the mother of virtues truly full of grace. Reflection on the titles of the litany will unfold before us the grand picture of our heavenly mother, even though we know only little about her life. We will also come to see why Mary’s example, guidance and help is the need of the hour.  When praying the Litany, we have to meditatively say those laudable attributes of the Blessed Virgin Mary.  We must not only say, we must emulate her in these virtues.  

CONCLUSION

Mary’s role in the economy of salvation is undisputable. For those who have not come in terms with that fact are ignorant of the promises of God towards this Woman of Virtues.  She is the new Eve that trampled down Satan. Her Son won salvation and redemption for us by his death. How could some persons say she is just an envelope that drops its message and then becomes redundant? That can never be the tale of the wonders God worked for the whole universe in Mary. Her singular and total participation in the project of salvation is why we honour her and that is why she has been more favoured among all women. Any Generation that does not call her blessed must be an evil generation because the scriptures prophesied that all generations will call her blessed. Let us continue to sing the praises of Mary in the magnificent and in the Litany.

There is woman I love so much………………….her name is Mary.   

CELIBACY AND THE QUESTION OF ITS ORIGIN

IBIYEMI VICTOR

The obligation, necessity and authenticity of celibacy in modern dispensations have aroused suspicious questions as to the origin of celibacy. These wary quests emerge because our modern world gives room for questioning the normally-unquestioned in the life of man and also in the practice of the church. Although that was the fruit produced following the aftermath of renaissance; a fruit that has its atheistic proclivities.

The question put succinctly: can the origin of celibacy be traced to Man or God? This question has placed celibacy-talks amongst the topmost issues in the society and especially in Catholicism. Many have furthered the cause of the removal of celibacy from priestly obligations; some others have attacked this ejection as a debasement of the essence of priesthood arguing therefore the celibacy stands at the center of Catholic Priesthood. For those who have supported its removal, celibacy is nothing but a mere law but for the other side of the divide, celibacy has divine inclinations.  

Clerical celibacy is the discipline by which, in some Churches, only unmarried men are, as a rule, to be ordained to the priesthood. The same discipline holds in some other Churches for ordination only to the episcopate. In this context, “celibacy” retains its original meaning of “unmarried”. Though even the married may observe continence, abstaining from sexual intercourse, the obligation to be celibate is seen as a consequence of the obligation to observe perfect and perpetual continence for the sake of the Kingdom of heaven. Advocates see clerical celibacy as “a special gift of God by which sacred ministers can more easily remain close to Christ with an undivided heart, and can dedicate themselves more freely to the service of God and their neighbor.” (Canon 277)

Historically, while scripture does not address celibacy of priests directly, it was clearly not in practice in the earliest years of the church; I Timothy 3:2 includes among the qualifications for those seeking the office of bishop: “The bishop therefore must be without reproach, the husband of one wife…” (I Timothy 3:2). This means that celibacy has not been the practice of the church from her earliest traditions. However, it came into picture around the fourth century, when the church saw that this practice was needed in the pastoral and spiritual life of the church. The earliest textual evidence of the forbidding of marriage to clerics and the duty of those already married to abstain from sexual contact with their wives is in the fourth-century decrees of the Council of Elvira (305) and the later Council of Carthage (390). In these decrees, ministers were advised not to marry, to remain single and chaste.

Scripturally, Pope Benedict XVI in his book Salt of the Earth saw this practice as based on Jesus’ words in Matthew 19:12: “Some are eunuchs because they were born that way; others were made that way by men; and others have renounced marriage because of the kingdom of heaven. The one who can accept this should accept it.” This scriptural injunction from the Lord himself became a foundation for keeping the law of celibacy for the kingdom of God.

In an exemplary fashion, Paul within a context of having “no command from the Lord” (1 Cor 7:25), recommends celibacy, but acknowledges that it is not God’s gift to all within the church: “For I wish that all men were even as I myself. But each one has his own gift from God, one in this manner and another in that. But I say to the unmarried and to the widows: It is good for them if they remain even as I am ... I want you to be without care. He who is unmarried cares for the things of the Lord - how he may please the Lord. But he who is married cares about the things of the world - how he may please his wife. There is a difference between a wife and a virgin. The unmarried woman cares about the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit. But she who is married cares about the things of the world - how she may please her husband. And this I say for your own profit, not that I may put a leash on you, but for what is proper, and that you may serve the Lord without distraction.” 1 Corinthians 7:7–8, 7:32–35. Paul took both spiritual and pastoral dimensions to validate the need of celibacy.

Theologically, the Church teaches that priesthood is a ministry conformed to the life and work of Jesus Christ. Priests as sacramental ministers act in persona Christi, that is, in the person of Christ. Thus the life of the priest conforms to the chastity of Christ himself. The sacrifice of married life for the “sake of the Kingdom" (Luke 18:28–30, Matthew 19:27–30; Mark 10:20–21), and to follow the example of Jesus Christ in being “married” to the Church, viewed by Catholicism and many Christian traditions as the “Bride of Christ”.

CONCLUSION

It is clear from the above that celibacy has both origins. Even though it was later legislated by the church under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, it has been a scriptural cum spiritual practice that Jesus recommended and St. Paul later confirmed it as a virtuous practice befitting those who can sacrifice their entire life to God. Therefore, concerning the origins of celibacy, it can be reconstructed as a practice that began officially in the fourth century, however, it has been a recommended practice for the would-be followers of Jesus who are ready to devout their entire being to serving God and doing his will.  

The Holy See has officially re-affirmed the discipline of clerical celibacy in the Latin Rite of the Catholic Church. Pope John Paul II in Pastores Dabo Vobis stated that the “unchanging”essence of ordination “configures the priest to Jesus Christ the Head and Spouse of the Church.” Thus, he said, “The Church, as the Spouse of Jesus Christ, wishes to be loved by the priest in the total and exclusive manner in which Jesus Christ her Head and Spouse loved her.”

HOLY WEEK: THE JOURNEY FROM JERUSALEM TO CALVARY

THE THEOLOGY OF HOLY WEEK IN THE ECONOMY OF SALVATION

The Paschal Mystery of Christ as been described by the fathers of the Vatican II as the culmen at fons of the Christian faith. The holy week is a microcosm the reenactment of the paschal mystery of Christ. Hence, the Holy week celebrations are the windows through which Christ manifested in its terminal apogee his vocation on earth. This explains why the celebrations of the Holy week are specially designed and aptly liturgically manifesting the importance and the significance of the different days that collaborate to put to fore the last days of Jesus on earth. Its importance has been more established in the various documents, encyclicals of the church reiterating the need for active participation and devotion to every liturgical gathering of the week together with all the distinct liturgical celebration which serve the purpose of anamnesis and epiclesis for and on the faithful. The Holy week thus has been characterized as a journey from Jerusalem to Golgotha depicted from the triumphant entry to the cross of crucifixion. It was indeed a summary of the Christian faith. Christ remains the centre of the Holy week as he has been all through the liturgical year; however, he occupies the central stage at this critical point with acute alacrity. This week is therefore coloured with some kind of theological readiness and willingness to accept the fate allotted to the suffering servant of Yahweh as Isaiah had proclaimed in the prophecy. Christ is therefore attached to all the celebrations and comments of the scripture and he is seen at every scene doing the will of God even to the point of death. Without the Holy week it would not be wrong to affirm that there would be no Christian Faith. This is so because the Christian faith magnificently celebrated today was a product of the agonizing fate the messiah of the world has to bear. The Hand of God has beautifully prepared this week long festivity for Christ as a culmination of his physical life and as a beginning to our own eternal life. It is the terminus of death and the prolegomenon to life everlasting. It is therefore apt that for any derivation of plenitudes of grace, an individual must commit himself actively and intrinsically into the activities of this peculiar period or else the redemptive graces of the season may be suspended till further notice. A better way to showcase this is to delve into the week chronologically. A substantial immersion into the waters of the Holy week is bathing in the life of Christ who is the fountain of life. The week presents a diurnally experience of Jesus, knowing him more and loving him more. It is essentially a personal search for the identity of Jesus.          

PALM SUNDAY: THE PARADOX OF HISTORY

On the first day of the week, Jesus sets his face and feet to Jerusalem the Holy City. Jesus ascent into Jerusalem is fashioned form a primary goal. There was a festival and as an ardent Jewish adult, Jesus hurries to attend the festival- a festival that would later be the sacrifice of himself as the victim and also the priest. The preparation of Jesus towards the Passover indicated the important of worship to him. Meanwhile, a crowd followed Jesus ad his disciples, they had been expecting him and asking if he would attend the festival. But what is the major concern of the people asking whether Jesus will come? They wanted him to declare himself chiefly if he was the messiah. Jesus has been manifesting a lot of miracles and signs. He was going around doing good. (Acts 10:38). For the people of Israel, Jerusalem would be the best place and more so, the festival will be the best forum for such messianic declaration which will obviously be a political coup d'état against the Romans which they had longed for. If he refused the proclamation of himself as the messiah, he may never come then, they thought. On the other side of this expectancy is the band and brood of vipers, the Pharisees who are waiting anxiously and furiously for him to attend the last festival as a human being because he would not miss this chance like the many he had dogged and slipped when they tried to kill him.

However, with these tensions on both sides of expectancy for the advent of Jesus, the reality that played itself in the scene was a triumphant entry of Jesus to Jerusalem. The entry was a fulfillment of the prophecy of Zachariah. They were shouting Hosanna in the Highest; the original interpretation of Hosanna refers to an urgent supplication like “come to our aid”. Hence, this supplication corresponds to the anticipation of the Israelites of a messiah that will liberate Israel; from the hands of their “oppressors.” This messianic tone filled the whole temple with lauds and joy and the king rode on a young donkey, this again was a symbolism of the humility o the Lamb of God. He rode on a donkey that has never been ridden; this was a mark of his purity. He is given birth to from the ingenuity of a pure virgin.           

THE OTHER DAYS: JESUS THE DIPLOMAT

The days after the Passion Sunday were the hidden days of the Lord, though he taught in the temple corners, the Pharisees and scribes sought to kill him but he would always escape them by fleeing, slipping from them and by disappearance because his time had not come. During these trying days, the Lord Jesus was teaching his disciples about his death and resurrection but the disciples would not understand him. They would only understand him when he had risen from the dead. The conclusion of it all is the unbelief of the Jews. It was as if the seemingly messiah has failed in their expectation; hence they lost faith in him and disbelief his teachings even though he accompanied them with signs and wonders. However, the Gospel of John depicted this unbelief in accordance to the prophecy of Isaiah that “he has blinded their eyes, he has hardened their hearts” (Is. 6:10) 

After the welcome of Jesus through the triumphant salutation and reception, Jesus entered the temple and saw the profane activities of the people of Israel especially as regards the commercial enthronement of economist and marketers making the temple into a busy market. Because of the devotion that burns in the heart of Jesus, he cleansed the temple by flogging out and turning their goods and money on the ground. Again, he did this to emphasize the actions that are befitting to the house of God. It should not be a den of robbers but a house of prayer. The week continues with the preaching of Jesus especially about his exit from the world and the preparation for that cruel act of the leading figures of the society. As the days unfold, core mysteries began to emerge especially in the Triduum which marked the pinnacle of the Holy Week mysteries.

HOLY THURSDAY: THE TWIN INSTITUTION

Two major inaugurations took place on Holy Thursday that is worth remembering all the time; the institution of the Holy Eucharist, the Passover meal of our Lord and the institution of the priesthood of Christ. The institution of the Eucharist necessitated the installation of the priesthood of Christ. The last supper is the Passover of the Lamb of God that indicated that the hour has come for Jesus to be delivered from the world. In other words, Jesus was celebrating his anticipated departure with his disciples already at the event of the last supper. However, during the Lord’s Supper, Jesus wanted to leave them an example they must follow, what is this example? While they were at supper, Jesus washed the feet of his disciples. This was a significant manifestation of a bundle of virtues. Nevertheless, what Jesus wanted to point out in deed was the reality and virtue of service. Hence, all the disciples must be servants to others in bringing the word of God to others. Even at the refusal of the impetuous Peter, the Lord explained in detail the need for washing the feet of his disciples. This became a major point of call in the whole scene of the Passover. It was indeed another of those impossible parables of Jesus. “The master washing the feet of his servant” is unbearable to the Jewish ears. Just like ears too, it sound twinkling and awkward at the same time. But that is the example he has left us to follow, that is the Christian visa to heaven.

After the manifestation of this great sacrament of service, the devil entered the man who is to betray Jesus. Altogether again, Jesus began his farewell discourses. In this discourses, the Lord taught them that he is the true vine and we are the branches. He characterized the future relationship that should exist between his disciples and the world and he promised the Holy Spirit. This began his priestly prayer for his disciples. He prayed for unity, for love and harmony among them also for endurance and perseverance. But suddenly he disappeared!           

GOOD FRIDAY: THE DEVIL ON THE BACK OF JESUS

But why the cross? It is hard to dance with the devil on one’s back. Jesus fate to suffer death is never a trivial task that should be forgotten by any at all circumstances. The most dreaded of all Fridays was the day the Lord was tortured, carried his cross and eventually died for the fulfillment of the will of God which was to drink of the sorrowful cup. The trial of Jesus was such a controversy and the judgment passed as well was in fact providential. Though tried for blasphemy, he was not guilty because HE IS WHO HE IS. The prize of redemption was a plenitude of grace for humanity. Series of event line in queue on the discourse of the cross but essentially, Jesus underwent death to give us life, he underwent the cross to give us the crown. He improvised himself to make us rich. For God, the perfect way of redemption must come from the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross to magnificently express the quantum ergonomic salvation that was won for us. What more can we say about the cross that to accept all the crosses we have been called to carry in our own lives.        

HOLY SATURDAY: THE HOLIEST OF ALL NIGHTS

A sadden still silence shadows the whole universe. The author of life has been killed, what an irony! The weeping eyes can no longer weep for air has stand still. We are all suffocating in trepidation and horror. He is in the grave doing what? Is our hope, a bunch of hopelessness? There is a total enigmatic dilemma for the disciples. Maybe he is not the Lord after all, some said. For he said he will rise again, that he is the life and that anyone who comes to him will never die, but he is dead himself, is that not a shameful faith that we have entrusted in his teachings and miracles? There was great silence and confusion in the land, the confusion abounded because people would not talk to each other so they could not even share their hopelessness and unbelief. They all waited anticipatorily for the next minute to watch the drama that would happen again for the king of glory has been crucified. It is another search altogether for a new messiah and seeker. 

In the midst of this gloomy misery and wretchedness, some still looked upon the darkness for an emergence of a shining light.     

WILL HE REMAIN IN THE GRAVE?  

How will the Lord of life remain forever in the grave? He arose on the third day; the Lord of life arose from the dead and stayed beside his tomb for the beautiful morning when the first eye will see him. Came running Mary Magdalene in the early hours of Sunday morning, though with a faithless of coming to anoint the Lord and to probably shed the last drain and rolls of tears met a different story all together at the graveside. Her Lord has been stolen. In the attempt to find the thief and restore the stolen body, the Lord himself manifested and she believed. But the message was quite to joyous and heavy in the ears, she begged to let the mouth do its work of proclaiming the goodness that the Lord has risen from the dead.

THE THEOLOGY OF HOLY WEEK AND MODERN CHRISTIANS

It is apt to therefore conclude with a message for modern Christians that the events of the Holy Week are the sagas of our faith. But it does not just end with the narration of a happy ending as it is in fairy tales and some fables. This is a story of faith coloured with divine historiography and providential economy that goaled into the salvation mandate of the Blessed Trinity. It is thence the celebration of the life of Jesus and we cannot be Christians until we immerse ourselves into this celebration to be incorporated with Christ. Unless we unite ourselves with the vine, we will forever remain a broken branch of the divine vine. 

A THEOLOGY OF FACEBOOK FOR YOUNG PEOPLE

In recent times, a new wave of insight about the nature of humanity has taken the centre stage of intellectual and scientific discourse. Ever since the first photographs of our world were beamed back to the Earth from outer space, many people agreed that a new era in human history dawned, and for the first time we could see planet Earth, extraordinarily beautiful in its vibrant colours, yet hanging isolated in a massive unending sea of black universe. From that esteemed moment, humanity saw the truth of what it was, what it is and what it will continue to be: “one robust but fragile community; inextricably bound together, and unalterably responsible for the future of ourselves and the planet.” By the fiat of that great event, humanity was compelled by truth to abandon the narrow perspectives of its thinking and action in warm embrace of the ideal that we are all members of one global human family.

This is the reason why Teilhard De Chardin would say that “Each element of the cosmos is positively woven from all of the others.... The universe holds together, and only one way of considering it is really possible, that is, to take it as a whole, in one piece.” We live in a global planet and we are a cosmopolitan people. Whatever affects life (positively or negatively) in one little village of the world has repercussions for the entire globe. After all, we are said to live in one global village, or more restrictedly, one global hamlet where the forces of scientific and technological change have made the transfer of information and communication a matter of the swift dynamic of split seconds. Big money and ideas exchange hands at a rate faster than the speed of light or sound. These great leaps in human civilization cannot but astound us. As such, the ideal that we are condemned to be global neighbours has become a common patrimony for all human beings.

Facebook is a relatively recent global phenomenon in the world of modern digital Information and Communication Technology and young people are often always interested in what is trendy, chicly, fashionable or in vogue. We can therefore understand why Facebook captures the attention even of the most disinterested young person. Beyond the fashionable nature of Facebook, we must truly admit that there are countless benefits it offers. This means that social utilities that connect people around the world should be welcomed as a noble gift to humanity- an expression of the wisdom, ingenuity, intelligence, inventive skill and creative vision with which the human person has been endowed by God.

Man’s genius has with God’s help produced marvellous technical inventions from creation, especially in our times. Launched in February 2004 having been invented by Mark Zuckerberg with his college roommates and fellow computer science students Eduardo Saverin, Dustin Moskovitz and Chris Hughes, all students of Harvard University, Massachusetts in a dormitory room, originally, the website was limited to students of Harvard but was later expanded to colleges within the Boston axis. Further expansion included all university and high school students in America until it was finally permitted to anyone from 13 years and above across the world. The predecessor to Facebook was ‘facemash’ which Zuckerberg invented in 2003 while a second year student at Harvard. In Facebook, users add people as friends and send them messages, update their personal profiles, notify friends about themselves, chat with friends, and can join networks or fan clubs organized by schools, workplaces, institutions or friends. The website’s name stems from the colloquial name of books given to students at the start of the academic year by university administrations in the US with the intention of helping students to get to know each other better.

The immediate question that arises here stems from the nature of our topic: What is the connection between Facebook and theology? Can we speak of a theology of Facebook in a specifically Christian context? This quest would echo naively in the uncircumcised ears of an average religious person or a novel student of theology. However, looking introspectively there seems to be the possibility of a theology of Facebook. Ostensibly, there seems to be a great gulf between theology and the sociality of Facebook. But is that factual? Are they mutually inclusive or exclusive? These are the quandaries a typical religious mind would cogitate faced with the quest of justifying a nexus between theology and Facebook.

In this kind of atmosphere the question of what theology actually is naturally surfaces. Pope Benedict XVI raises the same question when he asks: what in fact is Theology? Has it been described adequately when it is said to be a methodically ordered reflection on the questions of religion or men’s relationship with God? No, for that takes us not a step over religious studies. Theology does not revel on the unresolved mysteries of man, for philosophy of religion and religious studies have that to contend with.  According to the Pope, the path of theology is indicated in the cliché of St. Anselm: credo ut intelligam (“I believe that I may understand”) which indicates an acceptance of what is given in advance.  Anthony Akinwale in his paper On What is Theology asserts that theology is ideally “a speech about God” slightly adjacent to the literal etymological roots that theology is the science of God. This speech about God is what Pope Benedict XVI explains as the advantage of what is given in advance. Hence, they both established the claim that the Word is the ultimate basis of theology; something that can never be entirely absent from the path of faith.

Drawing from the above picture, theology as expressed in the opening chapter of Dei Verbum is essentially a revelation of the face of God to his people. Hence, theology can be seen then in the perspective of God grounding a communion with man. God comes to make a reunion with Man. It is therefore a justified imitation of God when men reciprocate this gesture by showcasing the souvenir of socialization among one another. Men could be said to theologize if they participate or imitate the divine mode of operation by making social connections in the abode that they have been beautifully placed. Hence, there is a sense in which a hermeneutic of theology as communion (fraternity and solidarity) can be ascribed to that relation. As an instrument of communication and the transmission of information, Facebook links people from across diverse national, ethnic, political, social, economic, religious and cultural backgrounds. Through the Facebook utility, people establish connections and relationships of communion between themselves and others, such that we can conveniently say that theologically, this communion can be ascribed to the relationship of fraternity, solidarity and communion which binds all people transcendentally and immanently. 

For us religious people, efforts must be made to get ourselves immersed in the Facebook utility. If nothing seems providential about it, the fact that the Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI’s Message for the Celebration of the World Day of Communications this year (16th May 2010) makes vital recommendations about the importance of digital mode of communication for priests, pastoral ministers, young people and the whole Church in the service of the word of God suggests that we cannot altogether stand indifferent in the cultural matrices that have characteristically dominated public consciousness in recent times. Furthermore, the Vatican II Fathers have advised that it is the Church’s birthright to use and own any of these media which are necessary or useful for the formation of Christians and for pastoral activity (Inter Mirifica, p. 285).The media is a very powerful instrument of social progress and a vector for social cohesion, yet it can also be the vehicle for the spread of propaganda, for the manipulation of people and for the decline in moral standards in many areas of life. This is an area that much consideration must be given as far as catechesis of the young is concerned. When we take a careful survey of the scientific and technological revolution making their debut today, we find the young people at the heart of the ‘jet age’. Many young people today are at the centre stage of the use of the internet, the television, the computer, the newspaper and other many other media of social communication. The use of these media has positive and negative values that can either mould or destroy the lives of very many young people.

Facebook is indeed a powerful tool for the transmission of information and communication at a very fast speed. Through the chat feature and messaging system, business transactions and other transmissions can be performed at ease at a highly economical rate, with the greatest amount of flexibility and comfort. Profile Information and other posts (photos, animations, links, etc) on one’s wall page can contribute meaningfully in drafting the original outlines of a person’s biography. In a general fashion, the ideal of keeping contact with friends and establishing new ties with relations, new friends and colleagues becomes easier and beneficial.  For the Christian, the Facebook utility offers a powerful tool for social communication and evangelization. When one positively uses the opportunity to share ideas on one’s Facebook wall that is accessible to a wide readership audience, he can seize upon the opportunity to stuff the reader’s mind with issues of principal concern for the Christian conscience. Beyond this, the social network utility of Facebook offers the signatory the opportunity of connecting with old and cherished friends, meeting and making new friends and subscribing to objects and properties of Christian virtues like being a fan of the Rosary, the Pope, the Blessed Virgin Mary, particular churches and a host of other fan clubs. This facility opens up new vistas of information and ideas that may not have been accessible to one were one not a subscriber. Facebook helps one to stay current and up-to-date regarding events and happenings around the world.

In the ancient philosophical era, the classic philosopher of all times, Socrates equated knowledge with virtue. With the paradigm shift precipitated by modern science, Francis Bacon the English thinker in his Classic Novum Organum equated knowledge with power. The positive judicious use of the Facebook utility can offer one the opportunity for learning, scholarship, sharing and dissemination of ideas, some sort of a cross-pollination and fertilization of ideas. With knowledge construed as virtue and power, the opportunity of a privileged access to network utilities create the receptacle for the right cultivation of a learning culture imbued with moral values that impact positively on one’s life and style. Although we cannot totally dispense with the fact that some people can count on the utility to perpetrate shoddy activities like cyber-crime, promiscuous display of pornographic literatures, fraudulent activities and unholy alliances between new found friends, the utility purposes to confer immense and invaluable benefits on all users and subscribers. Many users would accede to the fact that the utility of Facebook has linked them with numerous distinguished personalities they would ordinarily not have had the grace of meeting cheaply. Facebook can therefore be viewed with the eyes of a melting pot of peoples of different races, tribes, languages, locality, occupations, careers, creed, and social countenance!

A 13th century student song says: Gaudeamus igitur, luvenes dum sumus, (Let us be happy while we are young). I will offer you Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the former American President’s interpretation of happiness. He says: “Happiness lies not in the mere possession of money; it lies in the joy of achievement, in the thrill of creative effort. The joy and moral stimulation of work no longer must be forgotten in the mad chase of evanescent profits. These dark days will be worth all they cost us if they teach us that our true destiny is not to be ministered unto but to minister to ourselves and to our fellow men.” The root word for ‘ministry’ or ‘minister’ is the Latin ministerium and it means service. In the final analysis, happiness consists in serving others. How does this relate to youths and Facebook?

Firstly, the progenitors of this leading social network utility are all young people who invented the facility while they were still university students. In an age when young people are given to the free reins of a highly materialist and consumerist lifestyle and the vain pursuit of the ephemeral pleasures and comfort of a transient world, the originators of Facebook remind us by the extraordinary manner of their life and invention that young people can make use of the wide margins of initiative, inventive skill and creative vision which God has endowed them with for the benefit of humanity. In Nigeria, many young people live without jobs or paid employment, and many are given to a life of crime, promiscuity, kidnapping, terrorism, militancy and other behavioural attitudes that arouse the ire of any sane society with clearly defined set of moral values. Many students lack the ability to translate the book or intellectual knowledge acquired all through college and high school into concrete practical results. This is an ontology that Facebook encourages us to challenge. We must be full of creative initiative innovative resourcefulness and zeal for positive personal and integral development. Benjamin Disraeli would say, “Nurture your minds with great and noble thoughts.”

Secondly, as young people, we must be ever conscious of the fact that Facebook is not just a place for fashion show or obscenity as is currently the case with a cross section of Nigerian users. On many people’s wall and profile pages, all one notices is a cascade of photographs, some of which are offensive to a good sense of morality because they are promiscuous, obscene and pornographic. Often times, one encounters people or read comments that are not morally encouraging because of their vulgar, bad-mannered, rude, naughty and offensive statements. To people who labour to preserve a sense of moral consciousness in all they do, such users usually give a bad image of themselves. Beyond social relevance, Facebook helps young people to promote and nurture the noble culture of reading and writing and updating oneself in all things concerned with knowledge, life and human experience. Thirdly, Facebook offers young people endless opportunities to meet new people, make new friends, and connect with old and cherished friends as well as share insights, knowledge, experiences and feelings. What this means is that we must be open to meet new people. It is not just enough to connect with old friends. Imagine how monotonous and boring life will be if all the people we meet everyday are only those we have known.

Fourthly, I want to stress the aspect of evangelization and the propagation of the Christian faith which young people are called to undertake on behalf of the Church. Young people have a special and esteemed place in the Church’s mission of evangelization, and with Facebook, the means for reaching millions of people with the message of the love of Christ is offered boundlessly. This means that promoting the spread of the Gospel is not just limited to the work of priests, religious and catechists, but also encompasses in a grand way the attitudes and interests of young people. All the members of the church should make a concerted effort to ensure that the means of communication are put at the service of the multiple forms of the apostolate without delay and as energetically as possible, where and when they are needed. (Inter Mirifica, p. 288). In a digital age as ours, it will be a painful experience that young people who are the future of the Church and the society do not take up the challenge of promoting the evangelization and catechesis of people. This can be done on one’s Facebook wall page through posting comments for Christian reflection on feast days, solemnities, special liturgical events and even biblical quotes for meditation. Signing up on Christian fan clubs is also a visible, commendable and exemplary way to promote the spread of the faith.

Lastly, we have to be careful of the time we spend Facebooking. While it is a highly recommended social network utility for all young people, we must make prudent use of our creative and productive time in engaging ourselves in activities that will ultimately be of immense benefits for us. One is often likely to meet people who are always online for greater number of hours of the day. Such occurrence leaves one wondering whether they do not have other positive areas where they can channel the exercise of their precious and leisure time. Virtue, it is said, lies in the middle. The secret to using Facebook is not addiction but moderation!

In this whole paper, what practical connections can we establish between youths and the use of Facebook? In the context of our own circumstances as youths and young people, parish groups and youth organizations can open up pages where their members will be encouraged to register their membership. This will greatly assist in the easy transmission of vital information regarding meeting, gatherings and other events to members. It can also serve as a way of notifying or inviting the general public of the events organized by the youths. Finally, I will like to encourage all those who have not yet signed up on the Facebook network to waste no time in doing so. In this age of digital communications, all those of us who are young are urged to ever more find ways of making the world a better place. The more safe and habitable the world is for all of us, the more secure our future. “There comes a time when we heed a certain call; when the world must come together as one.” Now is the time! Facebook is the answer!

“One must also bear in mind the enormous diffusion of the means of social communication. Their power transcends national boundaries, making the individual almost a citizen of the world. The media have enormous influence on the lives of the faithful, both in what they teach and in the attitudes and behaviour to which they expose the faithful. (Sacred Congregation for the Clergy, General Catechetical Directory, Ad norman decreti, 11 April 1971, 2b