Friday, April 28, 2006

Therese, The Movie

This week, I watched the latest movie about the life of St. Therese of Lisieux. It's a low budget movie. The acting is not that great. But, that doesn't mean I didn't enjoy watching it.

When watching the movie, you'll understand why she's called "Saint of The Little Ways." It's because of the little good things she did for people around her. She wasn't into changing the world. She was into improving someone's life and make him/her feel loved. It's the message the movie sends to the viewers.




Therese

Tuesday, April 25, 2006

Prayer For an Open Heart

Loving God,

You promised to transform our stony hearts into hearts of flesh, free us from selfishness and indifference.

Increase our capacity for mercy, empathy, understanding, and tenderness.

Purify us so that we may see you in the poor, the lonely, and the brokenhearted.

Draw us into your great heart, and unify us so that our hearts beat as one.

Fill us with such zeal for our faith that it illuminates every part of our lives.

We pray this in the name of Jesus whose whole-hearted sacrifice we celebrate this Easter.

Amen.


Source: My church bulletin

Friday, April 21, 2006

The Case of Monk Vissarionas Korkoliakos

Yesterday, I read this in The Daily Star newspaper:

ATHENS: As Greek churchgoers prepare for Orthodox Easter this weekend, a simple monk who died 15 years ago but has not decomposed is stealing the show from the usual solemn ritual.

The discovery that Vissarionas Korkoliakos remains largely preserved - along with his monastic robes and book of Gospels - is being hailed as a "sign," in a country strong on religious tradition that loves miracles.
[...]
Medical experts attribute his state to low humidity conditions in the above-ground tomb.

"If the body were to be reburied, the process of decomposition would presumably continue," Athens coroner Nikos Karakoukis told Net state television. "If it did not, then the phenomenon would be inexplicable."

Read more...

As expected, different people have different opinions regarding this case. I would go with Athens coroner's opinion on this subject.

Sunday, April 16, 2006

The Last Days of Christ Annual Reenactment

On Saturday, I went with Mark during his assignment for The Beaumont Enterprise to cover the Last Days of Christ annual reenactment at the Christian Cathedral High School in Beaumont, Texas.

I really enjoyed going back in time to the old Jerusalem. As usual, I took many pictures as you can see below.

Happy Easter everyone.



Saturday, April 15, 2006

How Lent and Good Friday Work In Iraq

NOTE: Cross-posted on Fayrouz In Beaumont with a few modifications.


Lent starts the Monday before Ash Wednesday. The first day of Lent is very important for Iraqi Christians. Parents make sure everyone in the family fasts until noon and abstains from eating meat and dairy products for the whole day.

Many people fast all season by abstaining from meat and/or dairy products. Assyrians are very strict and most of them follow this rule. The rest of Christian sectors follow this rule depending on how conservative the family is. I'm a light Lent person when it comes to fasting. So, I setup different rules each year. My older sister and I did fast one year for the whole Lent. That is because my mom was willing to make us something to eat. We both lost a lot of weight as mom wasn't willing to cook a separate meal for us and another one for rest of the family. My mom always reminds us of army commanders. She gives lots of instructions and rules inside and outside the house. You're cursed if you don't follow her rules. But, she brought up tough sons and daughters.

Good Friday is the biggest day of Lent in Iraq and rest of the Middle East where Christians live. I thought it was huge in Iraq until I spent a Good Friday in Jordan. Jordanian Roman Orthodox churches put you directly into the spirit of passion of the Christ. If you ever happen to be in Jordan during Good Friday, remember to watch the procession of the symbolic coffin outside the Roman Orthodox church in Lwaybda, Amman. I say "watch" because you won't find a seat anyway.

Back to Iraq. Chaldean Catholic churches start the service at 3 p.m. The sequence of events is the same as the Roman Catholic churches. So, I don't need to repeat the details. The major difference is visitation of the Cross and the symbolic coffin takes place at end of the service. Churches stay open until 9 p.m during peaceful times. It's the one day of the year that almost every Iraqi Christian, including the church non-goers, go to church. You better show up at church very early unless you're willing to stand on your feet for at least three hours. It's your choice.

One tradition we had, especially in Basra, was visiting more than one church after the service. I don't mean just a Chaldean Catholic church. But, the other sectors and vice versa. Now, you understand why they need to keep the churches open. Every church has Fairouz's Good Friday songsplaying in the background. In short, it's a magical day for Iraqi Christians.

Friday, April 14, 2006

Attacks On Churches In Egypt

It's heartbreaking to hear of new attacks on the Coptic community in Egypt. It happened again in Alexandria today. The Associated Press reports:

CAIRO, Egypt - Worshippers at three Christian churches came under attack from knife-wielding assailants during Mass Friday. Police said one worshipper was killed and more than a dozen wounded in the simultaneous attacks in the northern city of Alexandria.

Police were searching for three men, one in each attack.

Hundreds of Christians gathered in angry protest outside the Coptic Christian churches, and witnesses said clashes erupted between Christians and Muslims.

Read more...


This is very depressing. I'm worried about Iraqi Christians during this holy week. Now, I have to worry about Egyptian Christians too.

Arabist Network has more details on this new attack.

Thursday, April 06, 2006

Interviewing Iraqi Dominican Brother
Mohannad Al-Tawil

Q: At what age did you decide to become a Dominican brother?

A: My childhood wasn't the starting point of my vocation call. Even though I grew up in a faithful family, my desire to devote my life to God wasn't my main concern in life. I'm grateful to my family. Without them, I would have never made this decision, which is not easy indeed. My family let my faith grow gradually and they were aware of the church's role in educating the Christian youth. So, they encouraged me to go to church and engage in different activities to serve the church and its people. So, I started to spend most of my time at church to find not only purity. However, another thing attracted me and made me feel that my place is at church, each time I left church, I felt that I forgot something there. However, I didn't remember what exactly it was.

My church service progressed and I became the church librarian. Then I was given a second task, which was to teach the Bible to children and the youths.

Then the first Gulf War came in 1991. It motivated me to fulfill my vocation call. After I worked with Caritas as a volunteer distributing food to poor families and the starving, I saw my people's struggle in general and children especially. I asked God to show me his stand about the pain and suffering of my people. Between my country's destruction and the coffins that started to move here and there to their resting places. The answer didn't come easily. Slowly, I realized God was there with every tear dropping from a child's face, with every scream of a woman who lost her son or husband, with every old person looking for medicine to relieve his pain. God was suffering with us in every moment. He exists and never disappeared.

This fact attracted me more and more to God and let me make the decision to devote my life to God in 1995. Because of my university studies, I had to wait until 1996 to be accepted to the Dominican Brothers. They accepted me as a willing candidate for two years. In 2000, they sent me to France to officially start my journey at the Dominican Order of Friar Preachers.



Q: Why did you choose to become a Dominican brother instead of an ordinary priest?

A: Living with a group is very important for me. That's what distinguishes a friar's life from a priest's life. A monastery is a group of brothers. I gained my strength from that life. As for why I choose the Dominican order, I feel Dominican life permits me - more than others - to spread the word of God. It's a life that depends on prayer, living as a group member, apostolic service and study. These four concrete pillars make a Dominican a real brother and preacher.



Q: Can a Dominican Brother become a priest? If yes, what are the required steps to become a priest?

A: Yes of course he can. But in the starting year, the goal of a Dominican is to be a friar. He spends his first year working on the three vows of abstinence, obedience and poverty. The starting year is focused on deep reading of the Holy Bible and the explanation of spirituality of the order and its founder St. Dominic. Then the brother vows the same three vows for three straight years, or for one year and then renews them by the end of each year, or makes the decision to leave the order.

After the three years of temporary vowing or three years of renewing the vows yearly, the brother can vow the eternal vows for the rest of his life, or renew his vows another year while thinking of his decision. This way, he has three years to make the right decision. Afterward, the church decides to ordain him as a friar. He can be ordained a deacon at the beginning and later as a priest.



Q: As a young Dominican brother, how would you inspire young Catholics to become priests or nuns?

A: Devotional life is definitely not a forced lifestyle. A family can’t force a son or daughter to become devoted. Today, an aware young person can make his own decision and can consult his family indeed. This point is not new. Jesus himself says, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.”

We say a person who wants to enter the vocational life is a person who posses a vocational call. Because of the advanced technology and science available for young people these days, the church has to follow this advancement to become closer to the young generation and for the young generation to feel the church is close to it. For example, the internet is very important in the lives of young people. Presence of church via the internet and preaching the good news that Jesus Christ spread among us will echo among young people.

Work with Boy- and Girl- Scouts is another example where the church can become close to the young. They won’t feel marginalized or left in a corner where the church doesn’t care about them. The more the church values work done by the young and shows interest in their thoughts, the closer it become to them and they to it. This makes them understand that vocational life wouldn’t prevent them from using their talents. Contrarily, their talents and hobbies can be used to serve the word of God.



Q: What’s the solution to the shortage of priests in the Catholic church?

A: This problem isn’t as new as we thought. But, what makes it special now is the spread of Christians around the world. Also, immigration has a big role is showing the urgent need for priests, monks or nuns. For example, the Iraqi church faces a big challenge now. The continuous migration of Iraqi Christians forces the church to send priests to serve the expatriate community wherever they go. At the same time, the church wishes to have workers in God’s field from the expatriate community too.

When we talk about vocations, we’re certainly talking about the young generation. I explained in the previous question the urgent need for the church to show its active presence among the young and its great interest in their talents and productivity.

Today, when we talk about the reduction in vocations, I call for three groups:

First group: The Christian family to deepen and be interested in its children’s faith so they can grow up with God’s grace and discover their role and call inside the Christian circle.

Second group: The priests to be the faithful shepherds to their vocation journey and word of God. That way they become a good example to every young person who wants to serve the church.

Third group: Today’s young generation to become involved in serving the church and discover the happiness that God fills in our hearts when we harvest the fruit of our work.



Q: How were you chosen to join the volunteer team at the Catholic radio station in South Africa?

A: I chose radio Veritas from among other radio stations around the world for many reasons:

First, its founder is a Dominican brother. He’s also manager of the radio station. Being a Dominican brother myself, my coming to the radio station was very well welcomed.

Second: Radio Veritas is the only Catholic radio station in South Africa. It means there’s a shared goal between what I’d like to do in Iraq and what exists in Johannesburg.

Third: Radio Veritas is a simple radio station that was built from scratch with simple efforts. This is exactly what I sought. The start of my project - if it ever sees light - will be definitely simple.

Forth: South Africa went through difficult times and its regime changed from dictatorship to democracy in a marvelous way. Being here will help me live the experience of that population with that great event. In return, I’ll try to apply what I lived and witnessed in my country of birth one day.

Fifth: Christian media was and still is the field I feel I can give all the energy I have for the word of God.



Q: How do you find the South African Catholic community? Is it a big or a small community?

A: The black Catholic church is very active, but the whites suffer a bit from the lack of commitment from the white Christians in South Africa. Sadly, it’s the case with many Christians in Europe, but we need to understand that South Africa is not a Catholic country. Instead, it's a Protestant and Anglican one. So, the presence of the Catholic church is limited despite the number of Catholics in this country, which is estimated at 5 million people. It’s a number we think is good, but it doesn’t allow the church to be the dominant church in South Africa while S.A. has a population of 44 million.

The Catholic church owns one free newspaper that isn’t under the bishop’s control. It’s called “The Southern Cross.”

In fact, radio Veritas is the only Catholic radio station in South Africa. The unique thing about the Catholic media here is its independence. The local church doesn’t control it and it has given it the freedom to work. This is the result of the high trust that was given to the Catholic media. That’s why it’s creative.



Q: Do South African and Iraqi Catholic communities have any traditions in common?

A: What distinguishes the Catholic community here is its love and respect for the priests. It’s similar to the Iraqi Christians' attitude toward priests. The high respect and dignity are shared characteristics between the two groups. The priests here have their word and everyone respects them and tries to consult them to solve problems. Therefore, priests have big responsibilities in this country - similar to Iraqi priests.



Q: How easy or hard it was for you to cope with life in countries other than Iraq?

A: I moved from the Middle East to the Europe at the start of my vocational journey. Then, I visited North America during my studies. Now, I’m in Africa. Changing countries wasn’t easy. I left Iraq after long wars and sanctions destroyed many parts of my country and separated the young generation from the outside world.

I didn’t know how the outside looked. I didn’t know the simplest advances in technology. But, thank God my Dominican friary and my determination to go forward to enrich myself with what my friary life provided me. I wanted to return to Iraq as soon as possible to serve my church and its people. Due to this, I was able to gain many successes in my studies and apostolic work.



Q: How do you see the future of Iraq in the next five years?

A: Iraq is going through a very difficult stage. It’s a stage of complete change in all corners of its life. It’s a fateful stage indeed. It needs everyone’s cooperation to build a country that embraces all Iraqis, a free and democratic country, and a peaceful country that wants peace.

Iraqis sacrificed a lot and they're sacrificing to reach this goal. But the road is very long before this dream becomes a reality. The next five years may be fateful to Iraq’s future. But, we’re full with hope and we pray to God for a safe and stable Iraq.

Wednesday, April 05, 2006

Count Your Blessings


Today, upon a bus,
I saw a girl with golden hair,
and wished I was as fair.
When suddenly she rose to leave,
I saw her hobble down the aisle.
She had one leg and wore a crutch.
But as she passed, a smile.
Oh God, forgive me when I whine.
I have 2 legs, the world is mine.

I stopped to buy some candy.
The lad who sold it had such charm.
I talked with him, he seemed so glad.
If I were late, it'd do no harm.
And as I left, he said to me,
"I thank you, you've been so kind.
It's nice to talk with folks like you.
You see," he said, "I'm blind."
Oh God, forgive me when I whine.
I have 2 eyes, the world is mine.

Later while walking down the street,
I saw a child with eyes of blue.
He stood and watched the others play.
He did not know what to do.
I stopped a moment and then I said,
"Why don't you join the others, dear?"
He looked ahead without a word.
And then I knew, he couldn't hear.
Oh God, forgive me when I whine.
I have 2 ears, the world is mine.

With feet to take me where I'd go.
With eyes to see the sunset's glow.
With ears to hear what I'd know.
Oh God, forgive me when I whine.
I've been blessed indeed, the world is mine.


-- Author Unknown

It Must Be a Joke

When I read the following yesterday, I thought it was a joke:

Paris Hilton and Mother Teresa--separated at birth?

Definitely not. But one film director thinks there's enough of a resemblance that he's considering offering Hilton the lead role in his biopic about the Nobel Peace Prize winner.

"[Hilton's] features resemble Mother Teresa's," T. Rajeevnath, who is based in Thiruvananthapuram, India, told Agence France-Presse on Monday. He says a meeting is set for later this month, but there's no word from Hilton's camp.
[...]
Maybe he doesn't know about that infamous video.

Read more...

I think he has a crash on Paris and this is the only way to get her attention. Hopefully, he'll get over it after meeting her later this month.



UPDATE Apr. 8, 2006
Paris proves the director wrong:

According to contactmusic.com, Hilton said: "I heard that. I don't think we look alike." But the heiress insists she is an admirer of the late nun and said: "I love Mother Teresa."

Needless to say Rajeevnath's plan to make the film with Hilton as Mother Teresa appears to be going awry...

Read more...

Too bad for the director.
 

Monday, April 03, 2006

SW LA Churches Destroyed By Hurricane Rita

I went with Mark to Southwest Louisiana on Thursday. He was on an assignment to cover the reconstruction work in areas devastated by Hurricane Rita that hit Southeast Texas and Southwest Louisiana six months ago. I also photographed some of the destroyed churches in Cameron Parish (County), La. during my trip:





Mike McCall wrote me in an e-mail:

The church is the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church [slide 5]...My great grandfather donated the land for the church and our family pretty much supported it. After Hurricane Audrey, it was the only church operating in lower Cameron Parish until St. Eugene and Sacred Heart could be rebuilt.

Thank you Mike for the information about the church.


More slideshows:

Hurricane Rita, The Forgotten Storm.
Animals on the road.

Sunday, April 02, 2006

Two Days of Fasting and Prayer For Iraq

Chaldean patriarch Emmanuel Delly has called for two days of prayer and fasting for peace and security in Iraq. His call has been supported by Pope Benedict XVI. It's also supported by Iraqi Muslims as reported by AsiaNews:

His Beatitude Emmanuel III Delly is above all grateful to Pope Benedict XVI for joining in two days of prayer and fasting for peace and security in Iraq. And he has stressed that this move he proposed is also shared and spread by the country'’s Shiite and Sunni communities who are making the event known through the media in Iraq and the Arab world. In an interview with AsiaNews, the Chaldean patriarch said that at the end of the two days of fasting, he will celebrate Mass in the cathedral, in the presence of Muslim figures who "“want to pray with us."”

Read more...

The prayer and fasting are on Monday the 3rd and Tuesday the 4th of April. Please, remember to say a prayer to Iraq if you happen to read this post.
 

Saturday, April 01, 2006

Lenten Diet, 40 Days of Fitness

I gave up rice for lent this year. It isn't easy when you grow up in Iraq. We eat rice almost everyday. So, when I saw the following article by the Associated Press, I thought it was a better idea than giving up rice, coffee or chocolate:

BOCA RATON, Fla. — Instead of giving up the usual chocolate or coffee during the Lenten season, members of one Florida church are adding something _ exercise.

Advent Lutheran Church kicked off their six-week program "40 Days of Fitness" on March 1 to encourage members to get moving. The program offers free Saturday morning workouts, along with volleyball, yoga and cycling classes during the week.

Read more...

That's actually much harder than it looks.