Lenter Reflection :Fourth Sunday in Lent
Praying for those involved in cinema and theatre
Jean-Paul Sartre was one of the world most famous and respected atheists. Today Richard Dawkins is hailed as the prophet of atheism by many, but he is a very tawdry one in comparison with Sartre. Sartre had a most interesting life. While he was primarily a philosopher, he did not shun active life. During the Second World War he served in the French Army as a meteorologist, and later he was involved in the French Resistance. He earned a reputation as one of France’s greatest writers using novels and drama as a means of philosophising. In 1964 he won the Noble Prize for literature, but declined it because he believed by this time that many used literature as an excuse to avoid making a real commitment in the world.
Jean-Paul Sartre
His fight for freedom reflected his interest in the nature of human freedom and this is one of the major themes of his existentialist philosophy - what it means to be free. As one who rejected God his conclusion with regard to freedom was obvious: freedom was a burden; he famously said that we are “condemned to be free”: there is no God, so we are totally free and alone in that freedom. The difficulty of life is living with that freedom which, far from being liberating, seems more like a prison; it is useless. But that was not the last word for Jean-Paul Sartre. One of the world’s best kept secrets is that Sartre seems to have been converted in the last months of his life. The burden of godless freedom was too much; the movement of the heart seeking its God could not be ignored: just a few months before his death Sartre declared that he no longer believed he was a mere product of chance. In conversation with Pierre Victoire (Benny Levy) who spent a great deal of time with Sartre as he was dying, the philosopher declared:
“I do not feel that I am a product of chance, a speck of dust in the universe, but someone who was expected, prepared, prefigured. In short, a being whom only a Creator could put there; and this idea of a creating hand refers to God.”
The two had been discussing Messianic Judaism: Jewish metaphysics had been intriguing Sartre for some time. The atheistic liberals of France were shocked with Sartre’s statement - the godfather of modern atheism had turned! His paramour, Simone de Beauvoir responded by saying: “How should one explain the senile act of a turncoat?” The French prodigal had come in from the cold. Since then, however, his atheist disciples have been trying to explain away this manifestation of faith: he did not mean what he said; he was not making exact statements: please believe us, he remained an atheist to the end! They say he did not have a deathbed conversion, if we examine the evidence it seems that they are correct: he did not come to faith in the last months of his life: he seems to have been undergoing a change for some time. Comments he made in 1974, six years before his death, reveal the process of conversion was already underway then.
Sartre is not the only atheist to come to faith. Another famous atheist and philosopher contemporary with Sartre, Albert Camus, whose philosophy declared that life was absurd, was also moving towards faith and it is believed he may have converted if he had not been killed in a car crash in 1960. Many decadents also found their way home - Oscar Wilde is one such example. We might hope that Richard Dawkins and some of his atheist companions may themselves fond themselves on the path to faith: with God all things are possible. Last week in our reflection we saw the challenge offered to us as people of faith to deepen our personal relationship with Jesus and in the context of our intimacy with him be renewed. Today we are brought to reflect on those who have no faith, who struggle with the concept of God and the notion of redemption, and to see what hope we can offer them as disciples of Christ.
“I do not feel that I am a product of chance, a speck of dust in the universe, but someone who was expected, prepared, prefigured. In short, a being whom only a Creator could put there; and this idea of a creating hand refers to God.”
The two had been discussing Messianic Judaism: Jewish metaphysics had been intriguing Sartre for some time. The atheistic liberals of France were shocked with Sartre’s statement - the godfather of modern atheism had turned! His paramour, Simone de Beauvoir responded by saying: “How should one explain the senile act of a turncoat?” The French prodigal had come in from the cold. Since then, however, his atheist disciples have been trying to explain away this manifestation of faith: he did not mean what he said; he was not making exact statements: please believe us, he remained an atheist to the end! They say he did not have a deathbed conversion, if we examine the evidence it seems that they are correct: he did not come to faith in the last months of his life: he seems to have been undergoing a change for some time. Comments he made in 1974, six years before his death, reveal the process of conversion was already underway then.
Sartre is not the only atheist to come to faith. Another famous atheist and philosopher contemporary with Sartre, Albert Camus, whose philosophy declared that life was absurd, was also moving towards faith and it is believed he may have converted if he had not been killed in a car crash in 1960. Many decadents also found their way home - Oscar Wilde is one such example. We might hope that Richard Dawkins and some of his atheist companions may themselves fond themselves on the path to faith: with God all things are possible. Last week in our reflection we saw the challenge offered to us as people of faith to deepen our personal relationship with Jesus and in the context of our intimacy with him be renewed. Today we are brought to reflect on those who have no faith, who struggle with the concept of God and the notion of redemption, and to see what hope we can offer them as disciples of Christ.
The Gospel today concerns itself with conversion. St John tells the story of Jesus’ meeting with one of the most prominent Jews of his time, one who was struggling with who Jesus was. Nicodemus was a devout Jew and a member of the Sanhedrin, the governing council of Judaism. He was probably a very wealthy man and one of enormous influence. Jesus refers to him as being the Teacher of Israel - the definitive article here reveals that Nicodemus had a high status within the Sanhedrin and the Jewish community. He was fascinated by Jesus and his teaching, but kept this to himself. In our Gospel St John relates how Nicodemus came in the middle of the night to speak to Jesus. For St John light and the darkness, day and night, are important images. Not only is he recording that this prominent Jew came by night, but that he came in secrecy - he did not want anyone to know of his interest in Jesus. But there is another meaning which also becomes clear. Nicodemus, for all his greatness, fails to understand Jesus; he is, in a sense, blind to the spirit of faith: he is in the dark. It is obvious from his questions and misunderstandings that he thinks Jesus is speaking in riddles: Jesus seems to be speaking a different language. In Nicodemus, then, we see a very modern struggle - the struggle with faith. To be willing to listen to Jesus and his teaching was dangerous for a member of the Sanhedrin; in effect it was going against the High Priest, Caiaphas who was a well known adversary of Jesus. Nicodemus was taking a risk in coming to Jesus, yet he came, so at least in this encounter we see that there is hope.
The story of Nicodemus, like Sartre’s, does not end in disbelief, but in an awakening to faith and, ironically, or perhaps more correctly, providentially, it is Jesus’ condemnation and death which finally brings him out. St John, continuing the story of the man’s struggle, shows him in the Sanhedrin speaking up for Jesus during his trail - which, interestingly, also took place at night. As a member of the council he was entitled to do this for the sake of fairness, so Nicodemus did not have to reveal his cards: but he had moved a step closer. The problem of faith was becoming less of an issue as Jesus stood unjustly accused before him. The next time we meet Nicodemus is at the cross. Jesus is dead; Joseph of Arimathea asks for the body in order to give it a decent burial and Nicodemus accompanies him. In the clear light of day, the Teacher of Israel helps take the body of a condemned criminal and blasphemer down from the cross and prepare it for burial. He provided the seventy-five pounds of spices to be used for anointing the body. In all of this we see a commitment. The death of Jesus has eroded the problem of faith. In a spiritual sense we can understand this as the working of grace. Nicodemus is one of those born to faith from the pierced side of Jesus Christ. Though he struggled, ultimately he was seeking the truth, and as Jesus told him “the man who lives by the truth/ comes out into the light,/ so that it may be plainly seen that what he does is done in God.”
The story of Nicodemus, like Sartre’s, does not end in disbelief, but in an awakening to faith and, ironically, or perhaps more correctly, providentially, it is Jesus’ condemnation and death which finally brings him out. St John, continuing the story of the man’s struggle, shows him in the Sanhedrin speaking up for Jesus during his trail - which, interestingly, also took place at night. As a member of the council he was entitled to do this for the sake of fairness, so Nicodemus did not have to reveal his cards: but he had moved a step closer. The problem of faith was becoming less of an issue as Jesus stood unjustly accused before him. The next time we meet Nicodemus is at the cross. Jesus is dead; Joseph of Arimathea asks for the body in order to give it a decent burial and Nicodemus accompanies him. In the clear light of day, the Teacher of Israel helps take the body of a condemned criminal and blasphemer down from the cross and prepare it for burial. He provided the seventy-five pounds of spices to be used for anointing the body. In all of this we see a commitment. The death of Jesus has eroded the problem of faith. In a spiritual sense we can understand this as the working of grace. Nicodemus is one of those born to faith from the pierced side of Jesus Christ. Though he struggled, ultimately he was seeking the truth, and as Jesus told him “the man who lives by the truth/ comes out into the light,/ so that it may be plainly seen that what he does is done in God.”
The Deposition,
Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea give the Body of Jesus to His Mother
Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea give the Body of Jesus to His Mother
Jesus and Nicodemus
This conversion fulfils what Jesus said to Nicodemus in that nocturnal meeting: the Son of Man is lifted up as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert so everyone who believes in him may have eternal life. If we look to the reason why the brazen serpent was lifted up in the midst of the people of Israel we see it is to heal - so too with Christ: he is lifted up to bring healing to the heart and soul of man. For Nicodemus that healing was existential: he came to accept Christ as the Messiah: he recognised him and received the courage to declare his faith in public. This is the work of grace. At that moment - at the great defeat of Jesus of Nazareth, or so it seemed, as many of his apostles and disciples deserted him because they were so afraid, Nicodemus comes forward: he was born again. The very doctrine he failed to understand as he listened to Jesus he entered into as he looked upon him on the cross - such is the salvific power of the cross. But then this is why Jesus came into the world. God loved the world so much, Jesus tells us, that he gave his only Son to save the world: to bring the world to recognise who he was and what he came to do.
Faith in Jesus Christ saves. Those who come to know him and love him find in him their salvation and their eternal life: this is the Good News of our faith. The symbol of our faith is the cross and that is no accident: it is on the cross that Jesus won salvation for us by taking sin upon himself and killing it as he died. In his resurrection he rises to new life bringing with him new life for mankind. Both the Gospels and tradition tell us that on the day of Jesus’ death many came to believe thanks to the power of his suffering. Nicodemus’s experience is recorded but others are hinted at: St Simon of Cyrene is converted as he helped Jesus carry the cross. In the Gospel he is mentioned as the father of Rufus and Alexander, two prominent members of the early Church; the evangelist is keen to include this reference to identify Simon and his sons seemingly confirming what tradition tells us - that this man was converted through his encounter with the suffering Jesus and passed this faith on to his sons who are now well known in the contemporary Christian community. St Matthew and St Mark also record a profession of belief on the part of a centurion: a witness to the death of Jesus he is granted a revelation. Tradition gives to this centurion the name of Longinus and sees him as the one who pierced Jesus’ side. He was converted, we are told, as he saw the blood and water flow from the Lord’s side.
Faith in Jesus Christ saves. Those who come to know him and love him find in him their salvation and their eternal life: this is the Good News of our faith. The symbol of our faith is the cross and that is no accident: it is on the cross that Jesus won salvation for us by taking sin upon himself and killing it as he died. In his resurrection he rises to new life bringing with him new life for mankind. Both the Gospels and tradition tell us that on the day of Jesus’ death many came to believe thanks to the power of his suffering. Nicodemus’s experience is recorded but others are hinted at: St Simon of Cyrene is converted as he helped Jesus carry the cross. In the Gospel he is mentioned as the father of Rufus and Alexander, two prominent members of the early Church; the evangelist is keen to include this reference to identify Simon and his sons seemingly confirming what tradition tells us - that this man was converted through his encounter with the suffering Jesus and passed this faith on to his sons who are now well known in the contemporary Christian community. St Matthew and St Mark also record a profession of belief on the part of a centurion: a witness to the death of Jesus he is granted a revelation. Tradition gives to this centurion the name of Longinus and sees him as the one who pierced Jesus’ side. He was converted, we are told, as he saw the blood and water flow from the Lord’s side.
These conversions, particularly the story of Nicodemus and his struggle for faith, should lead us to reflect on our role as followers of Jesus and the mission we have in helping others to faith. As Jesus was ascending to heaven he commissioned his Church to preach the Gospel, and so, by virtue of our baptism each one of us is mandated to become evangelisers. In this secular age, then, how is this to be achieved? For one thing we must look to our history and the lives of the great missionaries to help us.
The first lesson we learn, and the example of St Nicodemus, as we now know him, teaches is that of the power of the cross of Jesus Christ. As Jesus tells us in the Gospel, when he is lifted up he will draw all people to himself; and in today’s Gospel he tells us he will be lifted up as the brazen serpent was, in order to bring eternal life to those who have faith. These are two steps towards God effected by means of the cross - recognition to faith and faith to eternal life. Just a few weeks ago I was visiting the Jesuit Church of St Francis Xavier in Gardiner Street, Dublin. For those of you who have never been to Ireland, this church is one of the most beautiful in Dublin. Built in the Roman Counter-Reformation style, it is the resting place of one of Ireland’s candidates for canonisation, the Servant of God Fr John Sullivan, SJ, himself a convert. A number of other future saints (we hope) also frequented it: the Venerable Matt Talbot, the Venerable Edel Quinn and the Servant of God Frank Duff. As I was praying the large altarpiece over the high altar caught my attention. It depicted St Francis Xavier preaching to the Japanese. Standing on a little hill surrounded by a group of people (some of them seem to be quite important if their clothing is any indication of rank) St Francis is preaching while pointing to a large crucifix which stands on the top of the hill - very much like a little Calvary. The Japanese seemed to be intrigued: they practiced crucifixion as a method of execution: one would wonder what they thought of Francis trying to convert them to the religion of a crucified God. Yet, as we know from the story of St Francis’ life it worked: the counter-cultural image of the executed Lord stopped people in their tracks, and so when we see images of this great Jesuit missionary he is always holding a crucifix in his hand.
The first lesson we learn, and the example of St Nicodemus, as we now know him, teaches is that of the power of the cross of Jesus Christ. As Jesus tells us in the Gospel, when he is lifted up he will draw all people to himself; and in today’s Gospel he tells us he will be lifted up as the brazen serpent was, in order to bring eternal life to those who have faith. These are two steps towards God effected by means of the cross - recognition to faith and faith to eternal life. Just a few weeks ago I was visiting the Jesuit Church of St Francis Xavier in Gardiner Street, Dublin. For those of you who have never been to Ireland, this church is one of the most beautiful in Dublin. Built in the Roman Counter-Reformation style, it is the resting place of one of Ireland’s candidates for canonisation, the Servant of God Fr John Sullivan, SJ, himself a convert. A number of other future saints (we hope) also frequented it: the Venerable Matt Talbot, the Venerable Edel Quinn and the Servant of God Frank Duff. As I was praying the large altarpiece over the high altar caught my attention. It depicted St Francis Xavier preaching to the Japanese. Standing on a little hill surrounded by a group of people (some of them seem to be quite important if their clothing is any indication of rank) St Francis is preaching while pointing to a large crucifix which stands on the top of the hill - very much like a little Calvary. The Japanese seemed to be intrigued: they practiced crucifixion as a method of execution: one would wonder what they thought of Francis trying to convert them to the religion of a crucified God. Yet, as we know from the story of St Francis’ life it worked: the counter-cultural image of the executed Lord stopped people in their tracks, and so when we see images of this great Jesuit missionary he is always holding a crucifix in his hand.
St Francis Xavier preaching to the Japanese,
Gardner Street Church, Dublin
Gardner Street Church, Dublin
What do modern men and women think of the Crucified God? Is this an image which is still understood? We notice that many people today, including some who do not profess much faith, still wear crosses around their necks. Rosary beads are back in fashion as celebrities wear them around their necks. Can we, as Christian evangelisers, see an opportunity of preaching Christ again through the symbol of the crucifix? We all know that in some secular countries crucifixes are banned from public buildings: is this to prevent favouritism to Christianity or is it because secularists fear the power of this image? How can we bring this image of the Saviour to the people of our time so to explain to them that this is the symbol of God’s love for them? Our first step, then, is that of trust in the power of the cross on which our Saviour won salvation for us. As we must trust for our own sake, we must also trust for the sake of others. St Paul in his letters gives us a profound teaching on the power of the cross to save. So, in faith, we place those who do not know Christ under the shadow of the cross of Christ and trust in the grace of the Crucified.
There is another lesson. Sartre’s philosophy is one which reflects on existence, on being, and as any good philosopher would do, he categorises the types of being. As Christians our approach to the question of existence, of being is rooted in God’s intention for humanity and the example of Jesus. Created in the image and likeness of God we share in a unique quality: being for others. As we have our existence from God we recognise that we are created for him, and know that our true happiness - beatitude, is to be found in giving ourselves to him: we can see this as being for the Other. But we are also created as beings for others and this finds partial expression in the need of us to be part of a community; but there is another very important dimension: we are created to be of assistance to our neighbour - to love. These two dimensions of being for others are reflected in the two commandments of loving and loving our neighbour. All of this means that our lives are not private enterprises but are to be lived for others. In the context of our reflection today, we understand that an important of our missionary outreach to our brothers and sisters is our living of the Christian life. Before we ever speak to him of Christ, our lives must reflect his so when they see us coming on the horizon they will already see the Gospel - we are called to be the Gospel in flesh. To lead others to Christ we must be walking towards him ourselves.
While we think about these two lessons, our Gospel raises another question - another challenge for us in this Lenten season. As we look at Jesus preaching the word, and recognising that as followers of Jesus we were given the mandate to go out and proclaim him at our baptism, the question presents itself: what are we doing in practical terms to play our part in the Church’s mission of evangelisation? What are we doing for the Nicodemuses and Sartres in our world today? The Gospel today is a call to action for each one of us. Vatican II teaches us we are called to preach the Gospel according to our state in life. As a priest I clearly recognise what that means for me, but for the laity, what does it mean?
Thankfully, it means many things. First of all it means fulfilling the obligations of your vocation be it as a parent, husband, wife or single person; also in the professions as a teacher, a doctor or nurse, an actor, musician etc. In all of these various opportunities will present themselves in which you can bear witness to Christ and help others along the road to faith as others will help you. For parents passing on the faith is one of the primary duties; for other vocations it is not as obvious - at first. Many Christians feel called to participate in some of the Church’s more formal evangelical works, and the Church has many of them. As a layman, seminarian and now as a priest I have had the privilege of working with some of the marvellous organisations which were founded in the Church, many by laypeople, to help the Church in her mission of evangelisation. The Legion of Mary, for example, allows men and women work with the pastors of the Church in the area of the spiritual works of mercy, assisting in parishes and even on the missions. The Legion is an association which seeks out the Nicodemuses among us offering the Gospel in a gentle way, in imitation of Our Lady, and helping people in the development of their spiritual lives. The Society of St Vincent de Paul works among the materially poor and is dedicated to the corporal works of mercy. Here Jesus the Good Samaritan reaches out to those in need regardless of who they are, so they may experience the charity which led Christ to the cross for love of us. For those who may be hostile to the Church this practical work of charity speaks volumes and may touch hearts as they see love of neighbour for the sake of Christ in action.
I mention these two, but there are many others including organisations which allow the faithful go on the missions to offer some years of their lives teaching the Christian way to those who do not know Christ, or assisting the poor in underdeveloped countries. As we continue to observe Lent perhaps it is a time to ask oneself, should I get more involved in the Church? Am I fulfilling my baptismal obligation? What can I do as a Catholic in my area to help preach Christ? If Lent is to leave us transformed and renewed, perhaps the expression of this renewal may be a greater, more active role in the Church.
There is another lesson. Sartre’s philosophy is one which reflects on existence, on being, and as any good philosopher would do, he categorises the types of being. As Christians our approach to the question of existence, of being is rooted in God’s intention for humanity and the example of Jesus. Created in the image and likeness of God we share in a unique quality: being for others. As we have our existence from God we recognise that we are created for him, and know that our true happiness - beatitude, is to be found in giving ourselves to him: we can see this as being for the Other. But we are also created as beings for others and this finds partial expression in the need of us to be part of a community; but there is another very important dimension: we are created to be of assistance to our neighbour - to love. These two dimensions of being for others are reflected in the two commandments of loving and loving our neighbour. All of this means that our lives are not private enterprises but are to be lived for others. In the context of our reflection today, we understand that an important of our missionary outreach to our brothers and sisters is our living of the Christian life. Before we ever speak to him of Christ, our lives must reflect his so when they see us coming on the horizon they will already see the Gospel - we are called to be the Gospel in flesh. To lead others to Christ we must be walking towards him ourselves.
While we think about these two lessons, our Gospel raises another question - another challenge for us in this Lenten season. As we look at Jesus preaching the word, and recognising that as followers of Jesus we were given the mandate to go out and proclaim him at our baptism, the question presents itself: what are we doing in practical terms to play our part in the Church’s mission of evangelisation? What are we doing for the Nicodemuses and Sartres in our world today? The Gospel today is a call to action for each one of us. Vatican II teaches us we are called to preach the Gospel according to our state in life. As a priest I clearly recognise what that means for me, but for the laity, what does it mean?
Thankfully, it means many things. First of all it means fulfilling the obligations of your vocation be it as a parent, husband, wife or single person; also in the professions as a teacher, a doctor or nurse, an actor, musician etc. In all of these various opportunities will present themselves in which you can bear witness to Christ and help others along the road to faith as others will help you. For parents passing on the faith is one of the primary duties; for other vocations it is not as obvious - at first. Many Christians feel called to participate in some of the Church’s more formal evangelical works, and the Church has many of them. As a layman, seminarian and now as a priest I have had the privilege of working with some of the marvellous organisations which were founded in the Church, many by laypeople, to help the Church in her mission of evangelisation. The Legion of Mary, for example, allows men and women work with the pastors of the Church in the area of the spiritual works of mercy, assisting in parishes and even on the missions. The Legion is an association which seeks out the Nicodemuses among us offering the Gospel in a gentle way, in imitation of Our Lady, and helping people in the development of their spiritual lives. The Society of St Vincent de Paul works among the materially poor and is dedicated to the corporal works of mercy. Here Jesus the Good Samaritan reaches out to those in need regardless of who they are, so they may experience the charity which led Christ to the cross for love of us. For those who may be hostile to the Church this practical work of charity speaks volumes and may touch hearts as they see love of neighbour for the sake of Christ in action.
I mention these two, but there are many others including organisations which allow the faithful go on the missions to offer some years of their lives teaching the Christian way to those who do not know Christ, or assisting the poor in underdeveloped countries. As we continue to observe Lent perhaps it is a time to ask oneself, should I get more involved in the Church? Am I fulfilling my baptismal obligation? What can I do as a Catholic in my area to help preach Christ? If Lent is to leave us transformed and renewed, perhaps the expression of this renewal may be a greater, more active role in the Church.
Missionary through prayer,
St Therese
St Therese
These are, of course, practical questions, but they must never be taken on without prayer, and here we come to the other dimension of our missionary obligations - to pray without ceasing for the Church, the world and the salvation of mankind. The Church has two patrons of the missions: St Francis Xavier, the dynamic Jesuit who travelled to far distant lands; but also the dynamic Carmelite who never left her monastery - St Thérèse of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face. St Thérèse teaches us the value of prayer and sacrifice and its evangelical qualities. Prayer is vital if the Church is to succeed in her mission of preaching Christ in the world. In the Fraternity of St Genesius we see prayer as evangelisation, and so you members of our family of prayer are already participating in the mission of the Church in a spiritual way. This is exemplary, and for some truly heroic as they offer prayer, sacrifice, and perhaps even difficult sufferings, as a means of touching the hearts of others and leading them to Christ.
As Christians, if we are able bodied, we bring these two dimensions, the practical and the spiritual together as we offer ourselves in the service of Christ and his Church. As men and women born into the truth through our baptism we have an obligation to come out into the world, out into the light, to be seen as Christ’s followers. One of the problems of our modern age is that Christianity is being relegated to the private sphere, removed from public life in the name of tolerance. But this is not tolerance. As Christians we must not allow this to happen: Christ was crucified on the public highway and his message was proclaimed in the world, in the open, so all might hear and come to follow him on the path to salvation. We must do likewise. Unlike Nicodemus in our Gospel today we cannot operate by night, hidden in shadows and darkness: we must be like the Nicodemus of Good Friday - living by truth and coming out into the light of day so it may be seen that what we do we do in God, for God and for the good of the men and women in the world. There are plenty of people out there waiting to meet Christ, as the members of his body we are part of him, and so we must go out to them so they may encounter him and come to believe in him.
Fr John Hogan,
Father Director,
The Fraternity of St Genesius,
22nd March 2009
As Christians, if we are able bodied, we bring these two dimensions, the practical and the spiritual together as we offer ourselves in the service of Christ and his Church. As men and women born into the truth through our baptism we have an obligation to come out into the world, out into the light, to be seen as Christ’s followers. One of the problems of our modern age is that Christianity is being relegated to the private sphere, removed from public life in the name of tolerance. But this is not tolerance. As Christians we must not allow this to happen: Christ was crucified on the public highway and his message was proclaimed in the world, in the open, so all might hear and come to follow him on the path to salvation. We must do likewise. Unlike Nicodemus in our Gospel today we cannot operate by night, hidden in shadows and darkness: we must be like the Nicodemus of Good Friday - living by truth and coming out into the light of day so it may be seen that what we do we do in God, for God and for the good of the men and women in the world. There are plenty of people out there waiting to meet Christ, as the members of his body we are part of him, and so we must go out to them so they may encounter him and come to believe in him.
Fr John Hogan,
Father Director,
The Fraternity of St Genesius,
22nd March 2009