Understanding the Meaning of DESERT in our Journey....

by Bapa Eliseo "Jun" Mercado, OMI

For the three Semitic religions, the desert is a common MATRIX. It is no accident that the spiritual traditions of the three above monotheistic religions are rooted in this very harsh condition. The desert is a vast arid and inhospitable land and no amount of glamour and romanticism even from the ancient “spiritual writers” can change its cruel and harsh realities.

As a young religious, I had always wondered why our religious life had its deep roots in the desert. I tried to fathom this mystery by actually venturing into the harsh desert of Upper Egypt in 1981. With a guide I visited the caves of our ancient and venerable Desert Fathers. There I sat in one of the caves to simply get a physical and spiritual “touch” of the environment that gave birth to a spirituality tied to the beginnings of monasticism. The caves showed many crude stone carvings of crosses made by people that tried to “find” God in the desert. Being brought by a tradition of touching holy and sacred grounds, I began milling around and touching the cross carvings in the walls as I relished the memories of the holy men and women who lived in these caves.

It was there that I discovered the meaning of asceticism. There was no way to survive the desert without being ascetic. The desert’s harsh environment imposed a regimen on life that reduced needs to the barest minimum. The very environment, i.e., the desert, had become the “enemy”. In such a place, one would readily discover that the sole reliance would be on God. Discipline and ascetical practices were introduced to reduce want and needs, understood then as the “tools of the devil”. An ancient Arabic saying goes this way: “anyone who ventures into the desert and comes out becomes either a saint or a fool”.

The desert is one of the powerful symbols in Islam. The prophet Muhammad was often drawn into the cave of Hira in his search for the true God. It was in one of his journeys into this cave that the first revelation (Sura 96) was made. The experience with the “divine” was so moving that tradition celebrates the event as the “night of power” (laylat-ul qadr) during the month of Ramadhan (the 9th lunar month of the Islamic Calendar).

The first revelation is an invitation to “Read” or “Recite” (iqra) in the name of God, the Lord of creation. The strong emphasis on the invitation to “recite” shows that the initiative in the journey to God is begun by God. It is an invitation to a relationship that begins in the acknowledgement of God’s Lordship (Rabbika) thus a true worship (‘ibadat) of God necessarily must begin with being God’s “reader” or “reciter”. In time, through faithful “reading” and “recitation” of God’s word, the reader becomes “nearer” to God and this would bloom into “friendship” (Siddique). The person who is close to God becomes a friend of God.

The first revelation in the desert is an invitation to become a “reader” in the midst of that harsh and cruel environment. A reader responds to a call to life. Here we hear the echo of Psalm 95: “Today, listen to the voice of the Lord: do not grow stubborn, as your fathers did in the wilderness”.

The voice of God is an invitation to read and recite (iqra) that God is a mighty one and the Lord over all the gods. It is a call to listen to God and to be taught by Him. In chapter 96 (Sura) the reader proclaims that it is “thy Lord who taught by the pen and taught man that he knew not”. It is an invitation to abandon all the idols of the world and cling to the one Lord for unto Him is the Great Returning!

The desert is also a powerful symbol of detachment from the cravings of the more mundane aspects of human beings, that is, comfort and good life. Though legitimate good life is never considered “forbidden” (haram) in Islam, yet a sort of counter movement is occurring within the community through the examples of men and women who are “passionately” taken by God. These “spirituals” under one or more shayks invite people to a much simpler life style that reduces dependency on many things. In fact early ascetics in Islam were also attracted into the desert for reading and meditation of the Qur’an while waiting for the disclosure of the hidden meaning of the word of God.

Dhikr for the 12th Sunday of the Ordinary Time (A)

Text: “Are not two sparrows sold for a small coin? Yet not one of them falls to the ground without your Father's knowledge. Even all the hairs of your head are counted. So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. (Matthew 10: 29-31)

Meditation: Have NO fear! Trust in the Lord. Believe that we are worth more than many sparrows.

DHIKR SIMPLE METHOD

Dhikr is an Arabic word which means REMEMBRANCE.
1st step: Write the text in your heart.
2nd step: Let the text remain always in on your lips and mind - RECITING the text silently as often as possible...
3rd step: Be attentive to the disclosure of the meaning/s of the text in your life.

Dhikr for the 11th Sunday of the Ordinary Time (A)

Text: “At the sight of the crowds, his heart was moved with pity for them because they were troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd.” (Matthew 9: 36)

Meditation: It is tragic to see crowds milling around with no direction and hope… and the shepherd is no where to be found…!

DHIKR SIMPLE METHOD

Dhikr is an Arabic word which means REMEMBRANCE.
1st step: Write the text in your heart.
2nd step: Let the text remain always in on your lips and mind - RECITING the text silently as often as possible...
3rd step: Be attentive to the disclosure of the meaning/s of the text in your life.

Benedict XVI's Address to PCID

"Church’s Activities Are to be Imbued With Love"

VATICAN CITY, JUNE 9, 2008 Benedict XVI gave this address on Saturday upon receiving participants in the plenary assembly of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue.

* * *

I am pleased to have this opportunity to meet you at the conclusion of the Tenth Plenary Assembly of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue. To all of you taking part in this important gathering I extend cordial greetings. I thank in particular Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran for his gracious words.

"Dialogue in 'veritate et caritate': Pastoral Orientations" -- this is the theme of your Plenary Assembly. I am happy to learn that during these days you have sought to arrive at a deeper understanding of the Catholic Church’s approach to people of other religious traditions. You have considered the broader purpose of dialogue -- to discover the truth -- and the motivation for it, which is charity, in obedience to the divine mission entrusted to the Church by our Lord Jesus Christ.

At the inauguration of my Pontificate I affirmed that "the Church wants to continue building bridges of friendship with the followers of all religions, in order to seek the true good of every person and of society as a whole" (Address to Delegates of Other Churches and Ecclesial Communities and of Other Religious Traditions, 25 April 2005). Through the ministry of the Successors of Peter, including the work of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, and the efforts of local Ordinaries and the People of God throughout the world, the Church continues to reach out to followers of different religions. In this way she gives expression to that desire for encounter and collaboration in truth and freedom. In the words of my venerable Predecessor, Pope Paul VI, the Church’s principal responsibility is service to the Truth -- "truth about God, truth about man and his hidden destiny, truth about the world, truth which we discover in the Word of God" (Evangelii Nuntiandi, 78).

Human beings seek answers to some of the fundamental existential questions: What is the origin and destiny of human beings? What are good and evil? What awaits human beings at the end of their earthly existence? All people have a natural duty and a moral obligation to seek the truth. Once it is known, they are bound to adhere to it and to order their whole lives in accordance with its demands (cf. Nostra Aetate, 1 and Dignitatis Humanae, 2).

Dear friends, "Caritas Christi urget nos" (2 Cor 5:14). It is the love of Christ which impels the Church to reach out to every human being without distinction, beyond the borders of the visible Church. The source of the Church’s mission is Divine Love. This love is revealed in Christ and made present through the action of the Holy Spirit. All the Church’s activities are to be imbued with love (cf. Ad Gentes, 2-5; Evangelii Nuntiandi, 26, and Dialogue and Mission, 9). Thus, it is love that urges every believer to listen to the other and seek areas of collaboration. It encourages Christian partners in dialogue with the followers of other religions to propose, but not impose, faith in Christ who is "the way, the truth, and the life" (Jn 14:16). As I said in my recent Encyclicals, the Christian faith has shown us that "truth, justice and love are not simply ideals, but enormously weighty realities" (Spe Salvi, 39). For the Church, "charity is not a kind of welfare activity which could equally well be left to others, but is a part of her nature, an indispensable expression of her very being" (Deus Caritas Est, 25).

The great proliferation of interreligious meetings around the world today calls for discernment. In this regard, I am pleased to note that during these days you have reflected on pastoral orientations for interreligious dialogue. Since the Second Vatican Council, attention has been focused on the spiritual elements which different religious traditions have in common. In many ways, this has helped to build bridges of understanding across religious boundaries. I understand that during your discussions you have been considering some of the issues of practical concern in interreligious relations: the identity of the partners in dialogue, religious education in schools, conversion, proselytism, reciprocity, religious freedom, and the role of religious leaders in society. These are important issues to which religious leaders living and working in pluralistic societies must pay close attention.

It is important to emphasize the need for formation for those who promote interreligious dialogue. If it is to be authentic, this dialogue must be a journey of faith. How necessary it is for its promoters to be well formed in their own beliefs and well informed about those of others. It is for this reason that I encourage the efforts of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue to organize formation courses and programmes in interreligious dialogue for different Christian groups, especially seminarians and young people in tertiary educational institutions.

Interreligious collaboration provides opportunities to express the highest ideals of each religious tradition. Helping the sick, bringing relief to the victims of natural disasters or violence, caring for the aged and the poor: these are some of the areas in which people of different religions collaborate. I encourage all those who are inspired by the teaching of their religions to help the suffering members of society.

Dear friends, as you come to the end of your Plenary Assembly, I thank you for the work you have done. I ask you to take the message of good will from the Successor of Peter to your Christian flock and to all our friends of other religions. Willingly I impart my Apostolic blessing to you as a pledge of grace and peace in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

The Pharisee's Come back with a Vengeance!

Dhikr for the 9th Sunday of the Ordinary Time (A): The Pharisees’ Come back with a Vengeance!

Text: Go and learn the meaning of the words, 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' I did not come to call the righteous but sinners." (Matthew 9: 13)

Meditation: It is tragic that today, we are seeing more and more officials who are sticklers of the law and rituals… Tsk, tsk, tsk! The Pharisees have come back with a vengeance!!!

DHIKR SIMPLE METHOD

Dhikr is an Arabic word which means REMEMBRANCE.
1st step: Write the text in your heart.
2nd step: Let the text remain always in on your lips and mind - RECITING the text silently as often as possible...
3rd step: Be attentive to the disclosure of the meaning/s of the text in your life.