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Page 12– www.sandpiper.org.au April 2011 >> from the archives A window to the past Mal Nolan Sandhurst Diocesan Historical Commission In the period from the late 1800s to the mid 1900s, it was common in many churches to have elaborately decorated altars for the various types of devotional ceremonies that were in fashion at the time. There were a large number of pious societies or sodalities at that time and they all had regular ceremonies. In some cases, the extent of flowers, candles and other items in the sanctuary area was so great that it was difficult to see the altar itself. Our picture shows the sanctuary in St Kilian’s Church in Bendigo as it looked on the occasion of the dedication of the Diocese of Sandhurst to the Sacred Heart of Jesus by Bishop Stephen Reville. This large weatherboard church had been opened in 1888 to replace the previous stone church that became unstable. On the back of the photo from which this is taken there is a note that says that this was on Sunday September, 10, but does not give the year. It seems likely that it was 1893, since September 10 fell on a Sunday that year and a similar photo appeared in the Bendigonian newspaper in 1895. Careful examination of the photo shows that the details of the stained glass windows at the back of the altar are different from those in the existing church. The central window contains the figure com- Mystery surrounds what happened to the original stained glass at St Kilian’s Church, Bendigo, above, and when it was changed to the new glass (inset). monly used to represent Christ as the Sacred Heart while the left and right windows contain figures that are quite different from the figures of angels that appear in the windows of the existing church (see other photo). Do any readers know when the windows were changed and the reason for this? Research so far has not found any reference to this in old news reports in newspapers such as the Advocate which contained a lot of news in that period. At the side of the existing windows, there are two brass plates, one in memory of three members of the Mungovan family and the other in memory of three members of the Hayes family, but no dates. One family group died in the period 1879-1912 and the other in the period 1876- 94 but it is not clear when the plates were put there. There is no visible sign of any plates in the decorated altar picture. The wooden panels at the back of the altar (reredos) in the existing church can be seen in the decorated altar photo, along with an elaborate additional section containing a canopy of white and gold which was made by the Sisters of Mercy a few years previously. This canopy was apparently removed at some later stage. There are no less than three representations of Christ as the Sacred Heart, one being a painting in the centre, one a statue on the left of the sanctuary and the other a section in the stained glass window. Anyone with any information on the matters above or any other historic materials such as photographs is invited to contact us and we will arrange for this to be copied. Noticeboard • April 8 School Term 1 ends. • April 14 Chrism Mass. • April 21 Holy Thursday. • April 22 Good Friday. • April 24 Easter Sunday. • April 26 Anzac Observance. • April 27 Term 2 begins. • May 2 Diocesan Celebration of Our Lady of Good Counsel. • May 8 Mother’s Day. • May 14 Bendigo Spirituality in the Pub. Foundry Hotel. • May 14-16 “One Spirit, One Body in Christ, Called to Action,” Harrietville Weekend, Mr Jim Quillinan, Br Michael Herry fms. • May 19 Holy Spirit: eConference, Fr Denis Edwards, Sr Jan Gray, Fr Chris Ryan and Mrs Jan Heath. • June 11 Prayerful Discernment & Decision Making, for Individuals and Groups, Bernadette Miles (Director Campion Retreat Centre), St Kilian’s Parish Centre, Bendigo • June 13 Queen’s Birthday holiday. • July 1 School Term 2 ends. • July 17 Sandhurst Diocese Pilgrimage Preparation (1st). • July 18 School Term 3 begins. • July 24 Numurkah Parish Seminar: Catholic Faith. • August 6-7 Faith, Revelation & Theology seminar, St Brendan’s Centre, Knight Street Shepparton, 9am – 4 pm. • August 7 Sandhurst WYD 2011 Pilgrimage to Madrid – Departure. • August 21 Sandhurst Diocese Pilgrimage Preparation (2nd). • August 27 Sandhurst WYD 2011 Pilgrimage to Madrid – Return • September 4 Father’s Day. • September 6 Following Jesus – Matthew: eConference. • September 21 Diocese Holy Land 2011 Pilgrimage – Departure. • September 23 School Term 3 ends. • October 6 Sandhurst Diocese Holy Land 2011 Pilgrimage – Return. • October 10 School Term 4 begins. • December 22 School Term 4 ends. Diocesan Priesthood Sandhurst Diocesan Vocations Ministry “Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you; before you came to birth I consecrated you; I have appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” Jer 1:5 Contact Father Steve Bohan for information PO Box 36, Yarrawonga Vic 3730 Phone: 03 5744 3030 Fax: 03 5744 3434
April 2011 Adult Faith Education www.sandpiper.org.au – Page 13 >> adult faith education Introducing the Gospel of St John In the final weeks of Lent, during Holy Week and through the Easter season, we will listen to the Gospel of John, a rich source for prayer and reflection. This article forms the first in a short series focused on the fourth Gospel. The City of Ephesus In around 180CE, Saint Irenaeus of Lyon identified the apostle John, the son of Zebedee as author of the fourth Gospel and the letters of ‘John’; “John, the disciple of the Lord, who leaned on his breast, himself issued the Gospel while dwelling in Ephesus’ where John lived “till the times of Trajan’ (98 – 117 CE). Irenaeus’ information came from Polycarp, a personal friend of the apostle John, and others who had seen Jesus. Other early writers, including Justin Martyr and Polycrates who lived in Ephesus (in today’s Turkey), referred to a long residence of the apostle John in that town. Ephesus was a multicultural port city. After Alexander the Great conquered the region around 333 BCE, Greek language was used a great deal and Greek ideas were very influential. When the Romans took over, their systems of law and government became dominant. Architecture in Ephesus reflected Greek and Roman influences. The people came from diverse backgrounds, including Jewish people of the diaspora. The ‘diaspora’ refers to the growth of Jewish communities in many regions outside Palestine whose ancestors fled their homeland because of persecution and troubles, especially due to foreign invasions, throughout the centuries. In the early days of the Christian mission, Jewish Christian leaders, including Paul, went first to teach the Jewish communities in each new town they visited. It was Paul, together with married couple Priscilla (or Prisca) and Aquila, who founded the very first Christian community in Ephesus. The ‘Beloved Disciple’ In time, a Christian community developed in Ephesus. Its leader appears to have been a Jew from Palestine, an eye witness to the life of Jesus. Revered as an ideal disciple, “the disciple whom Jesus loved”, appears at important moments in the Gospel, but is never named. The Gospel portrait of the ‘Beloved Disciple’ is therefore probably based on a real historical person, known to the community, possibly their founder and leader. Whether this was John the son of Zebedee, one of the twelve, we do not know. A ‘Johannine’ community, faithful to the traditions handed down by a ‘Beloved Disciple’, seems to have been responsible for the Gospel and letters of ‘John.’ In John 21:24 the Gospel author is linked to this disciple. Many Scripture teachers believe ‘the Beloved Disciple’ is an author in the sense of being the ‘mind’ behind the Gospel and letters of ‘John’. The ‘Beloved Disciple’ shared deep knowledge and insight regarding Jesus and the meaning of his life, death and resurrection. The Gospel and Letters of ‘John’ contain similar language and ideas but, with careful reading, different situations and time frames emerge. There is evidence these writings may have come from several writers, reshaping and editing the words through several stages and decades in the life of the community. One writer, the author of the third letter of John, is identified as an elder in the community. The letters are concerned with different ways of understanding Jesus, community divisions, problems concerning leadership and authority. Historical situation The fourth Gospel probably emerged near the end of the first century and the Letters soon after. A papyrus (the John Rylands papyrus) with a gospel fragment dated around 130 CE, indicates it was already circulating by this time. A Greek term, aposunagogas, meaning to be ‘put out of the synagogue’ appears in the gospel. The term describes compulsory expulsion from synagogues, beginning with an edict in 85 CE, that forced synagogue members to pray that followers of Jesus of Nazareth would ‘perish’. Of course, faithful followers of Jesus could not make this prayer their own! The earliest Christians were Jews, who continued to worship within Judaism, whilst embracing the teachings of Jesus. They recognised him as the Messiah, the fulfilment of all they believed as Jewish people. The edict of 85 AD caused loss, grief and a total split from the practice of Judaism for Jesus’ followers. With this went the breakdown of connections with family and friends. The fourth Gospel reflects this experience (see John Chapter 9). The Gospel was composed some time after the events of 85 CE. Community Early Gospel readers were Greek speaking Christians of Jewish and Gentile (non Jewish) background. The Pax Romana, or ‘Roman Peace’ that had allowed tolerance of local religious groups was breaking down. After 85 CE, Jewish Christians suffered a break with the faith of their ancestors. Both Gentile and Jewish Christians were persecuted by Roman colonial powers. Denunciation to the Romans had resulted in death for some. Challenges and crises beset the Johannine community from outside and inside. They felt the world was opposed to them. The Gospel refers often to difficulties faced by Jesus’ disciples in the ‘world’. Yet God sent Jesus out of love for the world (John 1:9-10; 3:16)! At the time this Gospel developed, there were people claiming to belong to select groups with the secret knowledge (gnosis) required for salvation by a mysterious redeemer. A ‘Gnostic’ redeemer would come from the heavens to take back a chosen few. The fourth gospel rejects Gnostic teachings. Jesus and his message are for everyone. Discipleship The Gospel seeks to strengthen Jesus’ disciples in difficult times. It also has a universal message for new believers and for the whole world. It is written so that people might come to faith in Jesus and so have life in his name (Jn 20:31). Readers, like characters in the story, must decide how they are going to respond to Jesus Christ. Each is invited to a relationship of complete faith and trust in Jesus. For Jewish Christians, whose synagogue ties were broken, the Gospel presents Jesus as the One who fulfils Ephesus as seen by Sandhurst Diocese pilgrims in 2007. the purpose and meaning of all the The ‘disciple whom Jesus Jewish feasts, including Passover, loves’ (chapters 13, 19, 20 & which is giving new meaning (Jn 6; 13-21). 21), becomes the true ideal Personal journeys of faith, from of discipleship, in contrast with the incomplete to complete faith in Jesus, failures of both Peter and Judas. are a focus of the first twelve chapters. This beloved one remains close to In the final chapters (Jn 13-21), Jesus. He is ready to follow Jesus in self giving love is a major focus (Jn 15:12-14). loving ‘to the end’ (13:1 and 15:12-14). Jesus’ death appears to be the hour The Beloved Disciple shows love of loss and failure. Yet this is the hour has primacy in the life of a disciple. when Jesus’ life of self giving, serving Through this Gospel, and the letters of love reaches fulfilment. It is the hour ‘John’, we know that we are all called of his glory. He loved ‘to the end’ (Jn 13:2) as ‘Beloved Disciples’. and this reality is there for all to see Jesus’ disciples are his friends, (Jn 19:37). The God of love has been commanded to serve and to love one revealed in Jesus. Later, 1 John 4:7 another (13:1-16; 13:34-35; 15:12-14), will state ‘God is Love.” even to the greatest love of laying Jesus’ disciples are sent to continue down of life for others, as he has done. as he has begun; “If I, your Lord and Teacher have Disciples are not perfect people in this washed your feet, Gospel. you also ought to wash one another’s feet...” (Jn 13:14) community as it is among Christians This was as true of the Johannine “Love one another as I have loved today. you...No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s Disciples are chosen and called friends” (Jn 15:12-14) by Jesus, although he knows very ‘’Peace be with you. As the Father well that they (and we) may fail. The sent me, so I am sending you. important thing is to stay in a relationship of faith and trust, love and Receive the Holy Spirit…..’ (John 20:21). closeness to Jesus. The Beloved Disciple and all This is the stance of the Beloved Disciples Disciple.
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