My Readings and Reflections - Nthenge , Dominic Mutuku (10090)

Dominic Nthenge

Nthenge , Dominic Mutuku (10090)

REG. NO. 10090T

{THE CONSECRATED LIFE- Post synodal, Apostolic exortation vita consecrate of the Holy Father John Paul 11}

CONSECRATED LIFE AS A SIGN OF COMMUNION IN THE CHURCH

Church is a mystery of communion and the trinity dwells on it in which the gift of the communion of the father, the son and the Holy Spirit is realised. Church is able to show its triune meaning and reality to world today in which communities of triune communion which in existence contributes to the proclamation of good news of Jesus Christ by creating concrete way of fruitfulness of his new commandment of love. Community life is a form of life to trinity because the members are called to share everything in common and everyone enjoys the fruits of the gift of each other as own. Community life witnesses the life of trinity which employs the idea of serving others generously. Church asks communities of consecrated life of common and great differences to be overcome by the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit which is uniting the communities. Consecrated life is made of a community which witnesses the good news of Jesus Christ and that all they become one in union with Christ, they are really sons and daughters by means of self giving to each other. The ecclesial communion between the laity and the consecrated persons in pastoral work and other initiatives has brought sharing communion in community life and apostolate with the associates and the volunteers, the members of the consecrated life with the association with the laity makes up assign  of communion through consecrated  women who lives in mutual love and equality and has become active in the cause of the kingdom of God through their activities of evangelization, education, participation in the church. By following certain charism in expression of pure love which brings to church extra ordinary apostolic and missionary effectiveness, the communion within this group arises hence becoming a sign of communion in the church. Religious brothers living in the community in fraternity becomes also a sign of communion in the church since they are united for the sake of Jesus Christ particularly in embracing a certain charism in a special way and doing the will of God always, this is characterized by total self giving to Christ in the communities. The mixed institutions also bringing about equality in the communities and having the same obligation as part and parcel of that community, the Holy Spirit is always there to meet the needs of the community. We have the associates of the marriage whereby the living together in fear of Christ and doing will of God always is a sign of communion too where by the also exchange vows to each other.

{ THE EUCHARIST: Life of the church- Encyclichical de Eucharistia of pope John Paul 11 }

THE EUCHARIST BUILDS THE CHURCH.

Eucharist remains to be the centre of the church and participates in its growth as the teachings of the Vatican 11entails. The church grows in the world through the power of God, Christ who is the sanctifier died on the cross and he is celebrated on alter which is the work of redemption carried out in us. The sacrament of the Eucharistic bread unites the faithful by forming one body in which the Christ’s apostles were the seeds of the new Israel who began sacred hierarchy, Christ by offering the body and blood in a mysterious sacrifice and strengthened the church. The apostles by accepting in the upper room invitation by Jesus to take and eat drink it they entered to sacramental communion with him. From that church is built through sacramental communion with the son of God sacrificed for the sake of humanity. Christians are incorporated to Christ through baptism in which one is renewed and consolidated to the sharing which is in form of sacramental communion, we receive Christ and he also receives us and enters in to his friendship with us and it is because of Christ that we have life. Eucharistic communion builds Christ and forms Christ to be one thing with the followers, through instrument of salvation achieved by Christ’s light of the world and salt of the earth humanity was redeemed. The mission of the church remains in continuity with mission of Christ and Eucharist remains to in summit of evangelization, Eucharistic communion confirms the church in its unity with the body of Christ, the union we have with Christ if the gift and grace for each of us which makes it possible with him to share in the unity of his body which is the church. Eucharist incorporates us in to Christ of which it takes place in baptism through the gift of the spirit which is inseparable activity of son and Holy Spirit and is the origin of the church. The gift of Christ and his spirit as we receive in the Eucharistic communion fulfils the fraternal unity rooted in the human heart, in its communion with the body of Christ, the church becomes to be a sacrament and as a sign of an instrument of unity with God and  unity of the human race, Eucharist brings about building up of the church hence human community it is advisable to spend time with Christ  as members of the same body with him which is the church and be close to beloved disciples and feel the infinite love present in his heart, the Christians should be distinguished by prayers above all hence remain to be renewed to spend time in the spiritual converse, in silent adoration and heartfelt love of Christ and in him as Christians we attain consolation and support.

{THE SACRAMENT OF CHARITY: POST SYNODAL Apostolic Exortation Sacramentum caritatis of the Holy Father Benedict XV1.}

THE EUCHARIST, THE MYSTERY TO BE LIVED.

Lord Jesus became food and love, a surest gift of his love by eating bread to acquire eternal life through transformation by gift of Eucharist. We become shares in divine life by receiving body and blood of Jesus Christ, Christ nourishes and unites us to himself hence Eucharistic celebration appears as source and summit of churches life. Through it we are in communion with the whole church as sacrifice of Christ and all the faithful. Faithful perceived Eucharist as a manner of life. Eucharist imparts to Christians by affirming the day of the lord which is Sunday and the day of obligation for all faithful, the day is sanctified in which the Christians gather for celebration and remains to be primordial holy day, this day helps the men and women to understand meaning of their lives and work of which they are entitled to rest. With and without mass on that day it remains to be day of the lord the Christians are allowed to know when there is mass and when it is not there. On this day the Christians rediscovers communal dimension of his life as one who has redeemed and by receiving his body and blood deepens our belonging to Jesus Christ who died for us. Eucharist being summit and source of the life of church and its mission has to be translated to the spirituality of a life lived according to the spirit, within the Eucharist the promotion of evangelization of cultures is embraced by fact Jesus Christ is the truth and the outpouring of the holy spirit which brings about the events capable of cultural reality and brings up the gospel. We are nourished by the Eucharistic sacrifice in which it increases what we receive in Baptism with call to holiness in which Christ is the head of his body the church and Christians are chosen race of royal priesthood. Eucharist and consecrated life is embraced by witness of virginity in relation to mystery of Eucharist more so in priestly celibacy and consecration nourishes those involved to complete dedication to Christ. Moral energy contributes to authentic freedom of children of God especially in moral transformation by worshiping the institution by Christ in response to God in which more urgency welcomes Christ in our life and faith cultivates for the Eucharistic consistency for the baptized.

{THE CHRISTIAN MEANING OF HUMAN SUFFERING: Apostolic letter, salvific Doloris of Pope John Paul 11}

JESUS CHRIST: THE SUFFERING CONQUERED BY LOVE.

God gave his only son so that we may be saved from the slavery of sin; it is out of his love to us that he wants humanity to attain eternal life. Salvation came inform of suffering in which in it infinite love is manifested from both the begotten son and his father and this love is directed to the man and the world. The primary concern of Jesus is to protect man from evil and suffering of which the mission of the son is to conquer sin and death, in which by his obedience in to death on the cross he overcomes death by his resurrection. The original sin gives man possibility in sanctifying grace, the salvific mission of Christ which makes man to exist on earth with hope of eternal life and holiness. The death and resurrection of Christ does not abolish temporal suffering from human life nor historical dimension of human existence but through new light in which the dimension of suffering the light of salvation is experienced in the gospel and good news. Jesus Christ did good to the people and this good was geared towards the suffering and those who were seeking help while on the other hand was sensitive to human suffering of the body or of the soul, he took the suffering of the humanity upon his very self. Christ was aware of all what he was to undergo and through his death on the cross he must accomplish the work of salvation and this work has a plan to eternal love with redemptive character. We see Christ reproves peter when he wants Jesus to abandon suffering and death and when he wanted to defend Jesus by saying scriptures should be fulfilled. Christ is united to the Father in his love by loving the world and man. The suffering was fashioned in the Old Testament as a future project of the anointed one of God, so it’s from the real love of God to humanity that he comes up with the plan of salvation to save humanity due to the gap which was created by sin and thus made man to lose good relationship with God so the plan was there before even before Jesus was born. Jesus is innocent but his suffering comes as a result of the sins of mankind and in him all the sins are cancelled through his suffering, Jesus accepts this suffering with the love for the Father which overcomes the evil of humanity, the evil is replaced with the spiritual space of relationship between God and humanity of which the spaced is filled with good. God gave only his begotten son for the redemption and this redemption by the son is consubstantial with the Father whereby in his suffering as man and the only man who is capable to embrace the measure of evil contained in the sin of man. Christ’s suffering was from his free will by volunteering and innocently dies for the sake of humankind and in this he gives the reality of love by which the only begotten son gives to the Father in his obedience, the words of prayer in Gethsemane which is made possible by letting this cup pass from me nevertheless not as I will but the will of the Father who proves the truth of love through the truth of suffering. As Jesus says its finished comes as the fulfillment of the scripture, humanity is reached in its culmination in the passion of Christ.

{Synod of Bishops [11] special Assembly for Africa.  LINEAMENTA: the church in Africa in service to reconciliation, justice and peace.}

JESUS CHRIST, THE WORD AND BREAD OF LIFE, OUR RECONCILER, OUR JUSTICE AND OUR PEACE.

Jesus is welcoming the suffering so that they may attain rest from him, due to the love of God to us he has sent his only son, the word of God who is always upon us who by assuming flesh the word became part of us and its through the son that we get new life and that in him we become children of God. So Jesus Christ became the word of life in us and he remains to be the fulfillment of our lives. The word of God by assuming the nature of humanity, the meaning of the saving character is realised that no one will perish. It’s through cultural  and religious which enables us to understand the word per excellence in which all life comes, Christians are required to be in touch and familiar with the word so that its effect is realised in life, for sure the knowledge of word is very important for Christians especially through personal encounter with Christ who speaks in sacred scriptures, our Christian communities should remain to be places of listening to the word of God and prayerful reading of the sacred scriptures as insisted by pope Benedict XV1.  To read sacred scriptures is praying of which Christians have to encounter risen Christ who speaks to his followers and gives hope in the fullness of life which he gives to the world. It is the Christ who died and resurrected and makes him to be source and fulfillment of all life of which in him God gives world the word of life who reconciles all being whom he made peace on the cross gives us peace and justification in time, by breaking the bread made word present in us to remain limited with him, by breaking bread Christ makes present mystery of death and resurrection. Eucharist makes us the church, the sign of instrument in his love which transforms the world, by belonging to Jesus Christ makes us members of the same family by sharing the same word of life and partakes the same bread of life and by sharing the same blood makes us to be shares of the same life and by being children of God the we are members of the same family of God and of which there is no more hatred, injustices, fraternal wars since blood of Christ circulates in our veins and through that we are entitled to deepen and inculturation to the mystery of the family of God.