For many people, petition is the only form of prayer they make. They approach God with faith and trust, and ask for their needs, material and spiritual- in keeping with the second half of the 'Our Father':daily food, forgiveness, guidance, protection, peace. Jesus himself gives us the bold assurances:"Ask and you will receive, seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you"(Mt 7,7). In the Gospels we see him repeatedly answering the cries of those in need and bringing them joy and new life e.g. "Son of David, take pity on me" shouts the blind Bartimaeus(Mk 10,48); "Save us, Lord we are about to die" cry the disciples in the storm (Mt 8,25); "Come with me before my child dies" pleads the official at Capernaum (Jn 4,49)
Though asking seems to come naturally, it is risky; we give the other person the freedom to say 'yes' or 'no', while we wait in silence and uncertainty. In "Open your hearts", Huub Oosterhuis makes these insightful comments:
"Asking i9s the opposite of demanding and the opposite of running away. Anyone who asks opens himself to many possibilities. He makes himself defenseless, but at the same time places himself in that defenseless position without shame, and says: this is me. I am no more that this, this is what I am hoping for...
Someone prays for a cure. He calls God Close to him, calls on his faithfulness and friendship. The meaning of his illness changes in his prayer, its appearance changes,-he himself changes, becomes greater than his fear and pain. He dies, but he die differently...
Praying is asking for this or that or another person, and getting what you did not ask for: the "power" to accept, without any cynicism that this or that or the person is not given to you... That kind of power is called 'Holy Spirit' in the Gospel. "Will your Father in heaven not give the Holy Spirit to those who ask?"(Lk 11,13)"
This is the experience of many people who visit shrines like Lourdes and Vailankanni, or participate in prayer meetings or healing services. They pray for their cure or the healing of their loved ones. But even when this does not happen, they experience a stronger trust, an inner strength,a peaceful surrender.
Louis Evely says something similar: "Everyone who prays begins by asking for something that he wants, something he has set his heart on; but if he prays truly, by the time he has finished, he will have set his heart not on the thing he was asking for,, but on him of whom he was asking it."
God of Life and Love, you know what we need even before we ask you.
Give us the heart of a child who can trustingly place before you all its needs and the needs of others
Give us a sense or responsibility- a readiness to grow in those dispositions which give meaning to our prayer and direction to our lives.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Friday, November 21, 2008
Why Values? Class - II
Today, people, especially the young, are confused about their values and value system. They are facing value conflicts and dilemmas and they are at the loss as to how to cope with all these. If we look at the dramatic and far reaching socio-cultural and political changes that are taking place, even in highly traditional countries we can understand the reasons for their confusion and uncertainty. All around us we see corruption at all levels, oppression of the poor and the under-privileged, and social injustice. Violence, terrorism, murder, looting etc have become too common. Communal conflicts, religious rivalry, scandalous inequalities in the distribution of material resources, power and responsibility are all around us. Besides these, there is breakdown of traditional values without proper replacements, lack of adequate role models, influence of prominent people discarding accepted and correct norms, confliction ideologies and double standards practiced by people in position of power and influence.
The goals of secularism, socialism, democracy and professional ethics are coming under increasing strain. Our physical environment is getting increasingly polluted and depleted of its natural resources posing a great threat to the quality of life. Narrow communalist, linguistic and regionalistic outlooks are dividing people and coming in the way of our developing a unifying national and international outlook.
At the same time there is new awareness among people about human dignity and rights, a greater concern for the poor and the oppressed, the sick and the old. We come across many young people who genuinely come forward to serve the poor and the needy. There are individuals and groups involved in the struggle for justice and eradication of social evils. The workers and women are more aware of their rights and are coming forward to demand their rights.
In the light of all these, it is but natural that people are confused about proper and sound values. Therefore it is essential to guide the young people with proper value system. A life without proper values will become chaotic and disastrous. It will be like a boat without rudder. To guide our life in the right path and to embellish our behavior with good qualities, we need values. Hence it is essential that we take time to reflect on them, identify and clarity them, question, evaluate, confirm or change them in order to live a happy, productive and worthwhile life.” People have to be trained to take a definite stand against all forces of degradation of our times. People have to cultivate an awareness of higher and transforming values of the life lest they settle down with a mediocre contribution of society.
Value Inculcation: Value inculcation is a training to question, explore, clarify and understand our own values, beliefs, attitudes and customs. Thus through value education we learn to sift, understand and finally decide for ourselves the correct and noble values that should guide and shape us. Value education teaches us to preserve whatever is good and worthwhile, in what we have inherited from our culture. It helps us to accept and respect the attitude and behavior of those who differ from us. It helps us to develop proper values, attitudes, feelings, behavior patterns and moral character. It helps us to become fully human persons.
Objectives of Value Inculcation:
a) To clarify values and analyze problems: Since we are free persons, we can sift and choose. We can find out whether our values are noble or they are negative values. Negative values refer to those that are contrary to good values. Through value education we acquire the skill to analyse any problem ethically.
b) To analyse human development down the ages: In ancient societies, the human person was the centre and the there was no alienation between people. But today material things have taken the central place and human beings are relegated to the periphery. This knowledge will help us to analyse any problem deeper and not just at the surface level; it will guide us to have a human-centred approach.
c) To achieve an approach to life: All of us want to live a happy life. Real happiness comes only through proper approach to life which is contributed by faith in God and fidelity to good values.
d) To have concern for others: Human being is not an island. We are social beings. We exist in communities and families. This helps us to believe that only through mutual concern and understanding we can make this world a better and fitting place to live in
e) To be critical and to develop a critical consciousness: We should not be passive spectators. We should not be naïve to everything that happens around us. We must see, judge and act. This will help us to acquire the much needed social awareness. By responding emotionally and intuitively with equal amount of rational analysis to any situation, we develop a critical consciousness.
f) To spell out good values and counter values: Proper value clarification helps in this. Society, religion and laws of a nation recognize many actions of human beings as good values: for example, honesty, concern for others, etc. Whereas murder, rape etc. are condemned by everyone as crime, sin and inhuman act. Accepting bribes, back door entries for jobs and adulteration in food and medicine are condemned. These are counter values. Value education helps to use our reason, religious faith and conscience to sift and find out the good values.
g) To achieve a humanistic attitude: Any problem could easily be solved if we have a humanistic attitude. We should be able not only to feel for others but also feel with them, think with them and plan with them. This is possible only when we undergo an attitudinal change by transcending narrow walls created by religion, race, etc.
The Process of Value Inculcation: The inculcation of values is by no means a simple matter. There is no magic formula, technique or strategy for this. Value education in all its comprehensiveness involves developing a sensitivity to values, an ability to choose the right values in accordance with one’s concept of the highest ideals of life, internalizing them, realizing them in one’s life and living in accordance with them. Therefore it is not a time-bound affair. It is a lifelong quest.
In inculcating values, all human faculties such as knowing (head), feeling (heart) and doing (hand) should play a role. Not only should people be enabled to know the right and the good, but also to feel the appropriate emotions and exercise their will to do the right thing.
Sources of Values: Sources of Values are self, others (parents, teachers, friends, peers elders, priests etc) organizations, written materials, visuals, tradition, customs, society, nation and religions.
Kinds of Values: Since every person belongs to the family of humanity with God as the father of all, there are certain basic values which are accepted universally. Without these basic values, the character would be lacking in certain primary traits. The basic values are essential to a profound character just like the foundation to the building. Without the foundation the building would not stand; so also without essential basic values, we cannot build a sound character.
Values could be classified broadly under four headings: 1) Personal Values 2) Social Values 3) Moral and Spiritual values 4) Behavioral Values.
The goals of secularism, socialism, democracy and professional ethics are coming under increasing strain. Our physical environment is getting increasingly polluted and depleted of its natural resources posing a great threat to the quality of life. Narrow communalist, linguistic and regionalistic outlooks are dividing people and coming in the way of our developing a unifying national and international outlook.
At the same time there is new awareness among people about human dignity and rights, a greater concern for the poor and the oppressed, the sick and the old. We come across many young people who genuinely come forward to serve the poor and the needy. There are individuals and groups involved in the struggle for justice and eradication of social evils. The workers and women are more aware of their rights and are coming forward to demand their rights.
In the light of all these, it is but natural that people are confused about proper and sound values. Therefore it is essential to guide the young people with proper value system. A life without proper values will become chaotic and disastrous. It will be like a boat without rudder. To guide our life in the right path and to embellish our behavior with good qualities, we need values. Hence it is essential that we take time to reflect on them, identify and clarity them, question, evaluate, confirm or change them in order to live a happy, productive and worthwhile life.” People have to be trained to take a definite stand against all forces of degradation of our times. People have to cultivate an awareness of higher and transforming values of the life lest they settle down with a mediocre contribution of society.
Value Inculcation: Value inculcation is a training to question, explore, clarify and understand our own values, beliefs, attitudes and customs. Thus through value education we learn to sift, understand and finally decide for ourselves the correct and noble values that should guide and shape us. Value education teaches us to preserve whatever is good and worthwhile, in what we have inherited from our culture. It helps us to accept and respect the attitude and behavior of those who differ from us. It helps us to develop proper values, attitudes, feelings, behavior patterns and moral character. It helps us to become fully human persons.
Objectives of Value Inculcation:
a) To clarify values and analyze problems: Since we are free persons, we can sift and choose. We can find out whether our values are noble or they are negative values. Negative values refer to those that are contrary to good values. Through value education we acquire the skill to analyse any problem ethically.
b) To analyse human development down the ages: In ancient societies, the human person was the centre and the there was no alienation between people. But today material things have taken the central place and human beings are relegated to the periphery. This knowledge will help us to analyse any problem deeper and not just at the surface level; it will guide us to have a human-centred approach.
c) To achieve an approach to life: All of us want to live a happy life. Real happiness comes only through proper approach to life which is contributed by faith in God and fidelity to good values.
d) To have concern for others: Human being is not an island. We are social beings. We exist in communities and families. This helps us to believe that only through mutual concern and understanding we can make this world a better and fitting place to live in
e) To be critical and to develop a critical consciousness: We should not be passive spectators. We should not be naïve to everything that happens around us. We must see, judge and act. This will help us to acquire the much needed social awareness. By responding emotionally and intuitively with equal amount of rational analysis to any situation, we develop a critical consciousness.
f) To spell out good values and counter values: Proper value clarification helps in this. Society, religion and laws of a nation recognize many actions of human beings as good values: for example, honesty, concern for others, etc. Whereas murder, rape etc. are condemned by everyone as crime, sin and inhuman act. Accepting bribes, back door entries for jobs and adulteration in food and medicine are condemned. These are counter values. Value education helps to use our reason, religious faith and conscience to sift and find out the good values.
g) To achieve a humanistic attitude: Any problem could easily be solved if we have a humanistic attitude. We should be able not only to feel for others but also feel with them, think with them and plan with them. This is possible only when we undergo an attitudinal change by transcending narrow walls created by religion, race, etc.
The Process of Value Inculcation: The inculcation of values is by no means a simple matter. There is no magic formula, technique or strategy for this. Value education in all its comprehensiveness involves developing a sensitivity to values, an ability to choose the right values in accordance with one’s concept of the highest ideals of life, internalizing them, realizing them in one’s life and living in accordance with them. Therefore it is not a time-bound affair. It is a lifelong quest.
In inculcating values, all human faculties such as knowing (head), feeling (heart) and doing (hand) should play a role. Not only should people be enabled to know the right and the good, but also to feel the appropriate emotions and exercise their will to do the right thing.
Sources of Values: Sources of Values are self, others (parents, teachers, friends, peers elders, priests etc) organizations, written materials, visuals, tradition, customs, society, nation and religions.
Kinds of Values: Since every person belongs to the family of humanity with God as the father of all, there are certain basic values which are accepted universally. Without these basic values, the character would be lacking in certain primary traits. The basic values are essential to a profound character just like the foundation to the building. Without the foundation the building would not stand; so also without essential basic values, we cannot build a sound character.
Values could be classified broadly under four headings: 1) Personal Values 2) Social Values 3) Moral and Spiritual values 4) Behavioral Values.
Voice Mail
We have all learned to live with "voice mail" as a necessary part of modern life. But have you wondered what if God decided to install voice mail? Imagine praying and hearing this:
"Thank you for calling My Father's House. Please select one of the following options:
Press 1 for Requests
Press 2 for Thanksgiving
Press 3 for Complaints
Press 4 for All Other Inquiries."
What if God used the familiar excuse...
"I'm sorry, all of our angels are busy helping other saints right now. However, your prayer is important to us and will be answered in the order it was received, so please stay on the line." If you would like to speak to:
Gabriel, Press 1
Michael, Press 2
For a directory of other angels, Press 3
If you'd like to hear King David sing a Psalm while you are holding, please press 4.
To find out if a loved one has been assigned to Heaven, Press 5, enter his or her social security number, then press the pound key. (If you get a negative response, try area code 777.)
For reservations at "My Father's House," please enter J-O-H-N, followed by 3-1-6.
For answers to nagging questions about dinosaurs, the age of the earth and where Noah's Ark is, please wait until you arrive here.
Our computers show that you have already prayed once today. Please hang up and try again tomorrow so that others may have a chance to get through.
This office is closed for the weekend to observe a religious holiday.
Please pray again Monday after 9:30 am. If you need emergency assistance when this office is closed, contact your local pastor."
Thank God (today) that He doesn't have voice mail and He listens whenever we pray and that will never change.
"Thank you for calling My Father's House. Please select one of the following options:
Press 1 for Requests
Press 2 for Thanksgiving
Press 3 for Complaints
Press 4 for All Other Inquiries."
What if God used the familiar excuse...
"I'm sorry, all of our angels are busy helping other saints right now. However, your prayer is important to us and will be answered in the order it was received, so please stay on the line." If you would like to speak to:
Gabriel, Press 1
Michael, Press 2
For a directory of other angels, Press 3
If you'd like to hear King David sing a Psalm while you are holding, please press 4.
To find out if a loved one has been assigned to Heaven, Press 5, enter his or her social security number, then press the pound key. (If you get a negative response, try area code 777.)
For reservations at "My Father's House," please enter J-O-H-N, followed by 3-1-6.
For answers to nagging questions about dinosaurs, the age of the earth and where Noah's Ark is, please wait until you arrive here.
Our computers show that you have already prayed once today. Please hang up and try again tomorrow so that others may have a chance to get through.
This office is closed for the weekend to observe a religious holiday.
Please pray again Monday after 9:30 am. If you need emergency assistance when this office is closed, contact your local pastor."
Thank God (today) that He doesn't have voice mail and He listens whenever we pray and that will never change.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Youth Group Classes - Values for Life
Introduction:
Dear friends! As you grow from adolescent to adulthood, so many questions come up. You look for meaning in your life. In those times you look for some models and guides. Many young people like you search for meaning in life and if they do not find anyone who can guide them in their search, they may easily settle down to a shallow life and take refuge in a world of their own.
Different factors that influence our Life: Family, Religion, environment, peer group, community, the media and society at large. We do not live in isolation. Nor can we grow in isolation either. We live in a society. The only way for a person to grow to maturity is to get involved in action while trying to develop a personal relationship with God and others. As person living in a society, we need to acquire certain values and good manners that are essential for a respectable and successful life, because our success in life depends mainly on our relationship with God and our neighbor.
Good values are the spontaneous and natural manifestation of good character which is built on sound principles of moral life. God is the foundation and source of all good values. To face a life that is full of challenges, it is essential to empower ourselves with good values. If all our learning and training cannot make us persons with good values, then our education is a failure.
Values – Definition and Meaning: Value comes from the Latin word ‘valere’ which means to be of worth, to be strong. The dictionary gives the following meaning; relative worth, utility or importance, degree of excellence, something intrinsically valuable. Value literally means something that has a price, something precious, dear and worthwhile; hence something one is ready to suffer and sacrifice for; if necessary one is ready even to die for it.
In short we can say values are a set of principles or standards of behavior; they are regarded desirable, important and held in high esteem by a particular society in which a person lives; and the failure to hold them will result in blame, criticism or condemnation.
What Values do? – Values give meaning and strength to a person’s character by occupying a central place in one’s life. Values reflect one’s personal attitudes and judgments, one’s decisions and choices, one’s behavior and relationships, one’s dreams and vision. They influence our thoughts, feelings and actions. Values guide us to do the right things; they also help us to be morally sound. It gives direction and firmness to life and they bring to life the important dimension of meaning which adds joy, satisfaction and peace to life. Values give motivation. They identify a person, giving him/her a name, a face and character. Without values one would be floating like a piece of driftwood in the swirling waters of a river however exciting it may appear first. They bring quality to life.
Dear friends! As you grow from adolescent to adulthood, so many questions come up. You look for meaning in your life. In those times you look for some models and guides. Many young people like you search for meaning in life and if they do not find anyone who can guide them in their search, they may easily settle down to a shallow life and take refuge in a world of their own.
Different factors that influence our Life: Family, Religion, environment, peer group, community, the media and society at large. We do not live in isolation. Nor can we grow in isolation either. We live in a society. The only way for a person to grow to maturity is to get involved in action while trying to develop a personal relationship with God and others. As person living in a society, we need to acquire certain values and good manners that are essential for a respectable and successful life, because our success in life depends mainly on our relationship with God and our neighbor.
Good values are the spontaneous and natural manifestation of good character which is built on sound principles of moral life. God is the foundation and source of all good values. To face a life that is full of challenges, it is essential to empower ourselves with good values. If all our learning and training cannot make us persons with good values, then our education is a failure.
Values – Definition and Meaning: Value comes from the Latin word ‘valere’ which means to be of worth, to be strong. The dictionary gives the following meaning; relative worth, utility or importance, degree of excellence, something intrinsically valuable. Value literally means something that has a price, something precious, dear and worthwhile; hence something one is ready to suffer and sacrifice for; if necessary one is ready even to die for it.
In short we can say values are a set of principles or standards of behavior; they are regarded desirable, important and held in high esteem by a particular society in which a person lives; and the failure to hold them will result in blame, criticism or condemnation.
What Values do? – Values give meaning and strength to a person’s character by occupying a central place in one’s life. Values reflect one’s personal attitudes and judgments, one’s decisions and choices, one’s behavior and relationships, one’s dreams and vision. They influence our thoughts, feelings and actions. Values guide us to do the right things; they also help us to be morally sound. It gives direction and firmness to life and they bring to life the important dimension of meaning which adds joy, satisfaction and peace to life. Values give motivation. They identify a person, giving him/her a name, a face and character. Without values one would be floating like a piece of driftwood in the swirling waters of a river however exciting it may appear first. They bring quality to life.
Heaven Can't Wait - Joke
An 85-year-old couple, having been married almost 60 years, died in a car crash. They had been in good health the last ten years, mainly due to her interest in health food and exercise.
When they reached the pearly gates, St. Peter took them to their mansion, which was decked out with a beautiful kitchen, master bath suite and Jacuzzi. As they "ooohed and aaahed," the old man asked Peter how much all this was going to cost.
"It's free," Peter replied, "this is Heaven."
Next, they went out back to see the championship golf course. They would have golfing privileges every day and each week the course changed to a new one representing the great golf courses on earth.
The old man asked, "What are the green fees?"
Peter's reply, "This is heaven, you play for free."
Next they went to the clubhouse and saw the lavish buffet lunch with the cuisines of the world laid out.
"How much to eat?" asked the old man.
"Don't you understand yet? This is heaven, it is free!" Peter replied.
"Well, where are the low fat and low cholesterol foods?" the old man asked timidly.
"That's the best part...you can eat as much as you like of whatever you like and you never get fat and you never get sick. This is Heaven."
The old man looked at his wife and said, "You and your bran muffins. I could have been here ten years ago!"
When they reached the pearly gates, St. Peter took them to their mansion, which was decked out with a beautiful kitchen, master bath suite and Jacuzzi. As they "ooohed and aaahed," the old man asked Peter how much all this was going to cost.
"It's free," Peter replied, "this is Heaven."
Next, they went out back to see the championship golf course. They would have golfing privileges every day and each week the course changed to a new one representing the great golf courses on earth.
The old man asked, "What are the green fees?"
Peter's reply, "This is heaven, you play for free."
Next they went to the clubhouse and saw the lavish buffet lunch with the cuisines of the world laid out.
"How much to eat?" asked the old man.
"Don't you understand yet? This is heaven, it is free!" Peter replied.
"Well, where are the low fat and low cholesterol foods?" the old man asked timidly.
"That's the best part...you can eat as much as you like of whatever you like and you never get fat and you never get sick. This is Heaven."
The old man looked at his wife and said, "You and your bran muffins. I could have been here ten years ago!"
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
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