PENTECOST 2010

 

Pentecost 2010

The Holy Spirit is already within us.
The Holy Spirit is already praying within us.
And we say, "Thank you".

Creation is full of the Spirit
Wind, Light, Fire, Colours,
Flowers, Doves, Butterflies,
And we reach," Thank you".

Babies, Children, Friends,
Sweetness, Gentleness, Holiness,
Eyes, Hands, Feet,
And we recognize, “Thank you".

We touch, we cry, we sing.
We write, we paint, we embrace.
We witness, we proclaim, we shout.
We celebrate, “Thank you".

The Holy Spirit smiles.
The Holy Spirit blesses,
The Holy Spirit warms.
And we pray,”Thank you”.



Happy Pentecost.
John Heijnen, 23-05-10

Emmaus

 

Emmaus

This is the last (and the fourth) of my reflections on Easter. From the first one, called Safely home, about the darkness in the Church caused by erring leaders, and liberating awareness, to the second one, called Waiting for the geyser, about faith after pain,
to the third, called Taranaki Easter, about the glorious sunrise of the Resurrection, to this new one, called Emmaus.

After more than thousand years we are still walking with uncertainness.
How is the Church going to survive after so many accusations?
Even when we are told and believe that Jesus has risen, we wonder how we are going to manage to pass on that story. People are not waiting to hear it. The Church disappeared in so many areas. In other areas the Church is underground like during the first three hundred years. And then the church got involved and confused in so many political situations. Where do we find the truth? How do we recognize Jesus in this dark environment?

At the end of the day, year, or century we must retreat. Personally or communally we are compelled to look for signs, the signs of the time.
Which one might refer to the message of Jesus? Is Jesus present in the goodness of ordinary people? In the mist of history are our hearts burning with recognition? Fearing that we might lose Jesus we must cry out, “Oh Lord, take us home”.
In the breaking of our lives, in pain and confusion, in the brokenness
of the congregation, in the frailty of people’s homes, we see something of Jesus’ pain, his suffering on the cross, but also a hint of freedom, of liberty, of freedom from the anxiety, of peace and goodness, of joy.

In the breaking of the bread the disciples recognize Jesus. Cleopas and hid wife suddenly saw that it was Him who broke the bread at the last supper. It was Him who promised that after three days he would rise again and tell them to pass on this mystery.
So what did the two do? They ran back, even when it was still dark, and told the others what happened on the road to Emmaus. Jesus was there all the time.
Jesus is still here all the time, for me, for us, for the Church, the world! Tell all the sisters and brothers.

Happy Easter time. God Bless.
John Heijnen

Taranaki Easter

TARANAKI EASTER 2010

No one has ever announced his own resurrection.
Jesus Christ said:” I will rise again”.

He did and it was after having triumphed over death
that he came to destroy it.

“I am the resurrection and the life”

However, this mystery of the death and resurrection of the saviour is the perpetual teaching of Jesus.

Let us make the effort, therefore, and rise from the tomb of our sin, for in this is the resurrection of our soul.

I wish you all a Sunny Easter
GOD BLESS

The mountain I painted is Mt Taranaki North Island New Zealand
John Heijnen March 2010

March 25

 

March 25

 

March 25,

March 25 is the national holiday of Greece, commemorating the revolution of 1821.
In the St. Theresa’s parish in Athens and in the whole the church on the same day
we are celebrating the feast of the Annunciation of the Lord. (LK 1:26-38)
The word of the angel (angelus) to Mary:

1.The Holy Spirit will come upon you and power of the Most High will overshadow you.
2. I am the handmaid of the Lord. Let it be done to me according to your word.
3. And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us.

We contemplate the mystery of a God being fashioned in Mary’s chaste womb.
And we try to penetrate this mystery and discover what is applicable to us.
For that we focus on the three operative sentences above, spoken on this wonderful occasion.

God Bless

John Heijnen March 25 2010

Waiting for the geyser

 

Waiting for the Geyser

With my backpacking nephew and numerous tourists I was waiting for the eruption of the Lady Knox geyser at Waiotapu, near Rotorua New Zealand. In front of us was a young family with a little girl who apparently never saw an eruption. She asked her mammy what was going to happen. “Watch the little mountain and the bit of steam coming out of it.”
At quarter past ten the guide explained the history of the geyser. Prisoners using soap washing themselves saw the eruption of a little crater. The guide put some soap in the little mountain. After three minutes the eruption took place. Meters high boiling water gushed out, covering the many spectators with steam with a roaring sound.
The littler girl covered her ears, hiding her face in her mothers arm. Some people left after a short time; many watched the eruption with awe and admiration that nature could give such a show.

All this reminded me of the resurrection of Jesus. His disciples were hiding, never seen a resurrection. They asked Mary, Jesus’ mother, what was going to happen, “Watch with the little faith you have”. One of Jesus’ friends tried to explain what Jesus had said about three days.

Indeed after thee days Mary Magdala came rushing in shouting that she saw Jesus alive. Some of the disciples covered their ears hiding behind each other. Two even left the room and walked away in the direction of Emmaus. But the rest in the end waited in awe about the resurrection of Jesus. They didn’t have to wait long. Jesus all of a sudden was in the room and said “Peace be to you all”. His friends watched in admiration that He would do this to them. He broke into heir hearts with the fullness of love. In a way it was frightening because of their lack of faith. On the other hand it was an invasion into their lives, asking Jesus to teach them how to live their lives like a dance, step for step, touching their fears with his melting song of peace.

What are we going to do on the day of Easter? What is our reaction? Walk away the next day? Sit down in meditation and admiration at the Mystery of the Resurrection?
What about the week after? Still sitting down in meditation or going out to tell that the kingdom has come? Or still walking away to our Emmaus? Will you be ready to recognize the Risen friend in the breaking of the bread? Or walking with him not seeing him in the trees around, or not hearing him in the singing of the birds. Did you not feel the need to ask the question, “Who are you?”
Was your heart not burning within?
In spite of your fears and the distraction noise of different parties He whispered, “Hey, I am already there. Let’s go fishing, people I mean”

Happy Easter
John Heijnen

Safely home

 

Safely home

For many of us these dark, winter mornings are the hardest times. We feel threatened by the attacks on the Church, although the church is not always in touch with reality of ordinary people.
Some feel safely home in the church,(see my painting above)where everything is as it was before Vatican II. Others feel that the principle of compassion is the basis of all religious, ethical and spiritual traditions and of the relation between the hierarchy and the people of the church.
One said that we can recognise the ways we try to hide and avoid facing the truth about the weakness of the church and of ourselves; the way we come to distinguish the reality of our condition from the irrational scenario of alarm, of disgrace of the faults of the leaders, or of self-blame that we fearfully attach to it. “We can only be free if you look us in the face. When you see us as we really are, not as you think we are, you will be free to find your happiness again.”

So, even on the dark of winter mornings, it is possible to allow ourselves to emerge from the gloom of unhappiness about the failing church’s communities to be safely home in a warm and refreshing church.
During the Lenten time we may discover new horizons within our reach. Patrick Kavanagh wrote,” To be dead is to stop believing in the masterpieces we will begin tomorrow.”
Easter after all is the celebration of new light, of the mystery of NEW LIFE.

I wish you all a refreshing Lenten time.

John Heijnen