Homily Notes for the Ascension of the Lord
A Number of years ago I read two outstanding books. One was called Black Robe by Brian Moore and the other was called The Mission by Robert Bolt. Both these books and now films and they both speak of the missionary activity of the Church at that time with various degrees of success. One of the things that they focused on quite a lot was baptism and conversion for those who they came across. Their focus seems to have been to get as many baptised as possible without any really good catechesis.
Jesus tells us today to go out and make disciples of all nations and to baptise them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. This is a mandate that we need to take very seriously it is all our responsibility to proclaim the Gospel. In the new translation of the Mass one of the dismals is “Go and announce the Gospel of the Lord.”
So how do we respond and do this in today’s World. I think first of all we should learn from the past. Yes I think that it is important to baptise but I also think that it is quite important to do that with also teaching something about the faith that we believe. In the early Church they used the old and planted the Christian Church with it. An example of this is in the Church of St Clement in Rome where they placed a new Church on the Temple of Mithras. This was a clear statement of intent by the Church but also a clear understanding by the Church that they had to work with where people are.
So they evangelised by looking at the world and trying to get into the mindset and working with it. This may mean that rather than fighting against some of the trends that have perpetrated our world today we can use it. I have been interested for a long time in looking at the idea of using social networking as a tool for evangelisation and blogs as a way of getting information out.
But there seems to me a grave danger if we rely on these forms of communication. Again let us look at the past for our inspiration. We read all through history from the Bible onwards that people have been inspired to be Christians by the personal contact of one with faith and sharing our personal experience of how Christ is working in our lives.
So what does that mean for us? Well I think there are a few challenges and things we have to do.
First of all we need to know our faith in order to announce it to the world. This means by reading and trying to understand what the Church is teaching. It is important that even if we don’t agree with what the Church maybe doing we need to come to understand it. Secondly we need to be people of prayer understanding where the Lord wants us to be. Thirdly we need to be happy in our faith if we constantly complain about the faith and the Church what it is doing or is not doing then we will not attract anyone we may even drive people away. But ultimately it is about personal contact and saying to people “Come
and see” and giving that invitation to experience God’s love in their lives.
A few notes on the Books that I have mentioned in this Homily:
spirit.
Robert Bolt was born in 1924. He was teacher until his first novel Flowering Cherry, which was successfull came out. His greatest success was A man for all Seasons.
In 1961 he began the work with David Lean on Lawrence of Arabia. Their films together included the award winning Doc Zhivago and Ryan´s Daughter.
1977 appeared his film State of Revolution After a long period of illness he began to work for the screen in 1984.The resulting film was \"the Bounty\".
Then he began to work at his latest work with Robert de Niro and Jeremy Irons:The Mission
The Mission plays in Paraguay. It is placed in the 18th century in Asuncion
Before I begin with the story, I want to introduce you to some important people:
Rodrigo Mendoza
He is the maincharacter of the story
He was born in 1710 in Cádiz. His mother died when he was four, and his father, in 1924 when Rodrigo was fourteen His father died in 1924, when Rodrigo was fourteen.
He has to keep his brother, a challenge for a fourteen year old boy. That forms his character. He get´s rough and ready for every challenge which would come.
Felipe Mendoza
He is the brother of Rodrigo. Felipe has a good character and is well educated.
Carlotta
The daughter of Don Cabeza
who is an unscrupulous slave trader. This trade made him great and influential.
Father Gabriel
Superior of the Mission San Miguel. born in Ireland. When he was eighteen he started a riot and killed a person, was arrested and then they let him free with the condition that he leaves Ireland.
Afterwards he started a new career with the Jesuits order, was sent to Asuncion and started 200 miles up the river a new Mission the mission of San Miguel.
Altamirano, Father Ribero
the heads of the Jesuits Order
Hontar
An important local politician
Gaspacho
A negro. The number one enemy of Mendoza
Tiberio and Victorio
slave traders they work together with Gaspacho
Guaranis
They´re living in the rain forest. Slave traders catch this natives to sell them as a special kind of servants called encomiendas to the influential people.
After the death of his father Rodrigo Mendoza sells his boat . He gets enough money to pay for the school of Felipe. Then Rodrigo works on a ship which is on a journey to Santa Fe
In Santa Fe a Senhor Palacio takes him for one Dinero for his work to Asuncion. he does´nt pay and disappears.
Rodrigo finds work as a slave trader. He works with Gaspacho, Tiberio and Victorio, who catch Guarani and sells them as encomiendas
Victorio who is the leader of the Expedition doesn´t pay. So Rodrigo kills him.
Nobody, except Gaspacho knows that he has done that. It is evident that Gaspacho is now dangerous for Rodrigo but Gaspacho disappears before Rodrigo can do anything against him.
He is now the leader of the expeditions and earns enough money to keep Felipe for the next years. He buys a villa and makes a few Expeditions for Don Cabeza. Years leave and Mendoza sends Felipe to Europe with a tutor.
Gabriel who leads the Mission of San Miguel discovers natives above the falls of Iguacu, which are 300 miles up the river from Asuncion and only 100 miles away from the mission
Gabriel begins to teach them . Only a few weeks later they build a church.
and he founds a new mission the mission Upper Paraná.
One months later comes Mendoza with conquistadors. He takes 5 Guarani with him.
Gabriel who wants to have them back consults
Father Ribero in Asuncion and the father signs a paper which says that the whole surroundings at the falls of Iguacu belongs to the Jesuits Order
In the meantime Mendoza in Asuncion falls in love with Carlotta.
Felipe returns from the journey.Carlotta soon likes Felipe more than Rodrigo and so the brothers have to fight for the love of Carlotta. Felipe, who does´nt know how to handle a weapon dies.
Rodrigo now thinks about his life and in his mourning he turns to the church. Gabriel takes him to the new mission and he finds an new sense of life. He becomes a lay brother and everybody in the mission likes him although he has catched five Guaranis
Meanwhile in Asuncion
Don Cabeza, and Hontar, the politician wants to occupy the land around the mission, thinking that there is gold in the missions
So they consult Altamirano the head of the church and Ribero.The greadiness for gold wins and so Altamirano who knows that he works against his own people
gives the Order to destroy the missions
Altamirano wants to save the life of Mendoza and Gabriel and orders them to come back to Asuncion, They refuse.
Don Cabeza sends an army of conquistadors to the missions. Among the conquistadors there is also Gaspacho the enemy of Mendoza. the conqu. destroy the mission of San Miguel and kill all the natives.
Afterwards the conquistadors march to the mission Upper Paraná. The Guaranis want fight and so Mendoza who has vowed that he will never fight must teach them how to handle a weapon
The following battle ends into a massacre.While the battle goes on Mendoza faces Gaspacho but before they can fight somebody shoots him in his back. Gabriel seeing this runs towards him and was killed by Gaspacho
Weeks later the search for gold begins, ending one week later, everything is over. The search has ended. Nothing has been found
In 1961 he began the work with David Lean on Lawrence of Arabia. Their films together included the award winning Doc Zhivago and Ryan´s Daughter.
1977 appeared his film State of Revolution After a long period of illness he began to work for the screen in 1984.The resulting film was \"the Bounty\".
Then he began to work at his latest work with Robert de Niro and Jeremy Irons:The Mission
The Mission plays in Paraguay. It is placed in the 18th century in Asuncion
Before I begin with the story, I want to introduce you to some important people:
Rodrigo Mendoza
He is the maincharacter of the story
He was born in 1710 in Cádiz. His mother died when he was four, and his father, in 1924 when Rodrigo was fourteen His father died in 1924, when Rodrigo was fourteen.
He has to keep his brother, a challenge for a fourteen year old boy. That forms his character. He get´s rough and ready for every challenge which would come.
Felipe Mendoza
He is the brother of Rodrigo. Felipe has a good character and is well educated.
Carlotta
The daughter of Don Cabeza
who is an unscrupulous slave trader. This trade made him great and influential.
Father Gabriel
Superior of the Mission San Miguel. born in Ireland. When he was eighteen he started a riot and killed a person, was arrested and then they let him free with the condition that he leaves Ireland.
Afterwards he started a new career with the Jesuits order, was sent to Asuncion and started 200 miles up the river a new Mission the mission of San Miguel.
Altamirano, Father Ribero
the heads of the Jesuits Order
Hontar
An important local politician
Gaspacho
A negro. The number one enemy of Mendoza
Tiberio and Victorio
slave traders they work together with Gaspacho
Guaranis
They´re living in the rain forest. Slave traders catch this natives to sell them as a special kind of servants called encomiendas to the influential people.
After the death of his father Rodrigo Mendoza sells his boat . He gets enough money to pay for the school of Felipe. Then Rodrigo works on a ship which is on a journey to Santa Fe
In Santa Fe a Senhor Palacio takes him for one Dinero for his work to Asuncion. he does´nt pay and disappears.
Rodrigo finds work as a slave trader. He works with Gaspacho, Tiberio and Victorio, who catch Guarani and sells them as encomiendas
Victorio who is the leader of the Expedition doesn´t pay. So Rodrigo kills him.
Nobody, except Gaspacho knows that he has done that. It is evident that Gaspacho is now dangerous for Rodrigo but Gaspacho disappears before Rodrigo can do anything against him.
He is now the leader of the expeditions and earns enough money to keep Felipe for the next years. He buys a villa and makes a few Expeditions for Don Cabeza. Years leave and Mendoza sends Felipe to Europe with a tutor.
Gabriel who leads the Mission of San Miguel discovers natives above the falls of Iguacu, which are 300 miles up the river from Asuncion and only 100 miles away from the mission
Gabriel begins to teach them . Only a few weeks later they build a church.
and he founds a new mission the mission Upper Paraná.
One months later comes Mendoza with conquistadors. He takes 5 Guarani with him.
Gabriel who wants to have them back consults
Father Ribero in Asuncion and the father signs a paper which says that the whole surroundings at the falls of Iguacu belongs to the Jesuits Order
In the meantime Mendoza in Asuncion falls in love with Carlotta.
Felipe returns from the journey.Carlotta soon likes Felipe more than Rodrigo and so the brothers have to fight for the love of Carlotta. Felipe, who does´nt know how to handle a weapon dies.
Rodrigo now thinks about his life and in his mourning he turns to the church. Gabriel takes him to the new mission and he finds an new sense of life. He becomes a lay brother and everybody in the mission likes him although he has catched five Guaranis
Meanwhile in Asuncion
Don Cabeza, and Hontar, the politician wants to occupy the land around the mission, thinking that there is gold in the missions
So they consult Altamirano the head of the church and Ribero.The greadiness for gold wins and so Altamirano who knows that he works against his own people
gives the Order to destroy the missions
Altamirano wants to save the life of Mendoza and Gabriel and orders them to come back to Asuncion, They refuse.
Don Cabeza sends an army of conquistadors to the missions. Among the conquistadors there is also Gaspacho the enemy of Mendoza. the conqu. destroy the mission of San Miguel and kill all the natives.
Afterwards the conquistadors march to the mission Upper Paraná. The Guaranis want fight and so Mendoza who has vowed that he will never fight must teach them how to handle a weapon
The following battle ends into a massacre.While the battle goes on Mendoza faces Gaspacho but before they can fight somebody shoots him in his back. Gabriel seeing this runs towards him and was killed by Gaspacho
Weeks later the search for gold begins, ending one week later, everything is over. The search has ended. Nothing has been found
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