The Courtyard of the Gentiles

The Vatican has created a space for dialogue between believers and non-believers called the "Courtyard of the Gentiles". This name evokes the only place in the Temple of Jerusalem that could be frequented by non-Jews. It was, in fact, the place where sacrificial animals were bought and sold.

The Jerusalem Temple was divided into courtyards, which consisted of concentric rectangles, arranged according to "Sacredness" level: from the least sacred, the Courtyard of the Gentiles open to everyone, to the most sacred, the Sancta Sanctorum. Following this scale, the first would be open to anyone, the second to Jews only, the third to men, the fourth to priests, and the fifth, the "Holy of Holies", only to the High Priest.

Specifically, the dialogue between believers and non-believers, which took place in Guimarães and Braga on November 16 and 17, filled me with confidence; however, designating it the “Courtyard of the Gentiles" certainly makes sense in historical and metaphorical terms, but it is not immune to the possibility of a certain pejorative connotation.

"Gentiles" was the derogatory term the Jews gave to non-Jews, and there were even Pharisees who vehemently believed that God created the Gentiles to feed the fires of hell (where the "bad" Jews would also end up). From this point of view, I believe that, in this day and age, calling "non-believers" "Gentiles" is like calling them "Infidels", the term the Muslims give to all those who do not profess their faith.

When we were little, if there was one thing we hated the most, it was being called names; we should avoid the temptation to call others names based on our worldview – that is, the way we see and are in the world. For this very reason, the Inuit of Northern Canada do not like to be called Eskimos; that is the name we give to them, not the name they identify with. I doubt that non-believers in general, or those who simply do not profess our faith, like to be called "Gentiles".

On this mountain, the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples a feast of rich food, a feast of well-matured wines… Isaiah 25:6

If I had to find in the Old Testament a metaphorical term for this space of dialogue between men and women of good will, I would call it the Banquet of Isaiah. Isaiah is, without a doubt, the least nationalistic and the most universalist prophet of Judaism, an authentic "Christian" avant la letre.

Fr. Jorge Amaro, IMC

Celebrate and live your Faith

So when you are offering your gift at the altar, if you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift.  Matthew 5:23-24

Someone once said that the Christian life unfolds between the Church and the marketplace. "Ite missa est”, the priest would say in Latin as he dismisses the Christians after the Sunday Eucharist. This expression not only means that the Mass has ended but also that we are now on a mission. The Christian is either in Mass, celebrating his faith, or on mission, living out his faith. Celebration and life are inseparable. We celebrate what we live and live what we celebrate.

It is impossible to be a Christian without having a personal relationship with Christ, which is expressed in prayer, and without celebrating that same Christ in the Eucharist, in communion with others who share the same faith. If prayer and penance are the individual celebration of Christ, the Eucharist is the communal celebration of Christ with the community to which we belong, for one cannot be a Christian alone.

Celebrate What You Live, Live What You Celebrate
We deceive ourselves in thinking that even without any public or private manifestation of our faith, we are still Catholics. But this is not true. Those who cannot live according to what they believe will, sooner or later, begin to believe according to how they live.

Everything valuable in life can only be achieved with effort; passivity, the “dolce fare niente”, leads to nowhere, for in life what is good either costs money, effort, or both.

The engines of an airplane not only propel it forward but also keep it in the air. In fact, when the pilot wants the plane to descend, the first thing he does is reduce the engine power, and thus the plane gradually descends. However, if the speed is reduced below 200 km/h, the plane will fall. In this world, due to gravity, what does not have the strength to rise, falls.

Our fallen nature and our instincts already exert a gravitational pull toward evil; to overcome evil and grow as people, we must strive and counteract this pull. Prayer, confrontation with the Word of God, and all religious practices are essential aids. Without them, we are at the mercy of our instincts and the values society promotes. “Stay awake and pray that you may not come into the time of trial; the spirit is indeed willing, but the flesh is weak” (Matthew 26:41). 

Jesus himself experienced that the weakness of human nature requires the help of prayer as an exercise in self-awareness, to keep us in a constant state of alertness, and as a request for divine assistance, for, as Jesus said, “(…) apart from me, you can do nothing” (John 15:5).

To say that someone is a "non-practicing Catholic" is a contradiction, a fallacy. There are no "non-practicing" pianists, singers, or footballers. The gifts, talents, or skills we have, if we do not use them, we lose them. Faith is one of these gifts that only last as long as it is lived and exercised. “What is not used, atrophies,” as the saying goes.

“Love is like the moon: when it doesn’t grow, it wanes”. Faith is the same; it is either growing and strengthening, or it is waning and weakening. The liturgy of faith consists of the sacraments, especially the Eucharist, prayer, and listening to the Word of God.

Love also has its liturgies: if it is not expressed in words, poetry, songs, caresses, and intimacy, it begins to fade. Faith leads to the practice of good works, and these make faith grow. Love is the same; to love is to want the good of the other and to put yourself at the service of that good.

Eucharist and Charity
The Eucharistic bread being broken is an image or a symbolic act that reminds us that to be Christians, other Christs, we must share our bread with those in need. In this sense, the Eucharist, beyond being the celebration of the passion, death, and resurrection of the Lord, is also a sacrament of remembrance.

Not only of historical facts but also a symbolic act that reminds us of other gestures of Christ (such as riding a donkey into Jerusalem, washing the disciples’ feet, or driving the peddlers out of the temple). All this shows us that the ritual celebration of the Eucharist only has value for those who also celebrate the existential Eucharist, that is, those who share the bread with the poor.

The authentic Christian, the 100% Christian, is the one who not only celebrates the memory of the Lord with the community in the Church, but also individually in his or her life, who gives alms, helps, and puts into practice the words of Matthew 25: "I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat…". Those who only break bread in the Church but do not do so in life are half Christians, just as those who break bread in life but not in the Church.

Christ is in the bread that is given as food; thus, we too must become bread for others. We must share our time, energies, and resources, to the point of giving even ourselves. Christ is bread, bread is Christ, and the bread we share is Christ given to others. In this way, Christian practice merges with Christian praxis. The Eucharist extends throughout life. "Ite missa est": the ritual ends, and the existential begins. When we share the physical bread after the spiritual one, we recognize Christ in others.

Conclusion – Faith is an attitude toward life that is celebrated in the sacraments, especially in the Eucharist, and is lived out in charity toward others. Life cannot be divorced from celebration, nor can celebration be divorced from life. Those who do not celebrate what they live do not live what they celebrate.

Fr. Jorge Amaro, IMC

Religions' Village - The Golden Rule

To promote tolerance and interreligious dialogue, with the aim of ending "holy wars" and achieving peace in the world, the second Aldeia das Religiões (Village of Religions) took place in the village of Priscos, Braga (Portugal), between the 25th and 28th of October 2012 (the first was held in Brazil in 1992).

"Do not do to others what you do not want them to do to you" is the best-known version of a rule that a Canadian missionary christened as the Golden Rule because, with a few variations, it exists in every religion on our planet. I will mention a few:

Hinduism - This is the supreme duty: do not do to others what could cause pain if it were done to you. Mahabharata 5:1517

Buddhism – In dealing with others, do not use ways that would be painful to you. The Buddha, Udana-Varga 5.1

Confucianism - A word that sums up the basis of all good conduct: kindness. Do not do to others what you do not want them to do to you.  Confucius Analects 15:23

Judaism - What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbor. This is the whole Torah; everything else is commentary. Go and learn it. Rabbi Hillel Talmud, 31

Islam - Do not consider yourself a believer until you wish for others what you wish for yourself. Prophet Muhammad, 13 of Nawawi Hadiths 40

Christianity - In everything, do to others as you would have them do to you; this is the law and the prophets. Matthew 7:12

By formulating the Golden Rule in the negative, these religions only tell us what we should avoid; Christianity, on the other hand, in expressing it in its positive form tells us what we should do. Although the Islamic formulation is also positive (which may be due to the undeniable Christian influence on this religion, born 600 years after Christ), it expresses a desire and does not command an action. It therefore does not go beyond the level of good intentions...

What makes me good is not my effort to avoid evil, but my effort to do good. While negative formulations and the expression of a desire leave me in the "dolce fare niente", the Christian formulation, the commandment of Christ, takes me out of my passivity, my inertia, my laziness or my comfort zone, making me an activist for justice and peace.

Fr. Jorge Amaro, IMC

Faith, the Currency of Humn Relationships

For we walk by faith, not by sight. 2 Corinthians 5:7

Human beings are not only autonomous, free, and independent beings but also profoundly relational. We are born from a relationship of love, and we grow as human beings if we are loved unconditionally. We may have everything in life, but without love, we have nothing. We may reach the top of society, but if we do not love and are not loved, we will not be happy. More important than knowing why we live is understanding who we live for.

Human life is born and develops in relationships with others. These relationships can be analyzed by the sciences, especially by the human sciences, but they possess something that goes beyond the scientific realm. Science serves to know things, but it is not enough to know people. Faith and love are the foundations of human relationships, and neither can be the object of scientific study.

Knowing and Loving
Knowing something implies mastery and control. If I know the principle that regulates the rain, I can manipulate it, as the Chinese did before the Olympic Games to ensure it would not rain during the ceremony. However, God is not known in that way. God is known as people are known through intimacy and relationship.

A person only reveals and makes himself or herself known when he or she is loved. Conversely, when an enemy knows us, we become vulnerable. Just like a person, God only reveals Himself to those who love Him. We cannot know God or another person without getting personally involved. God and human persons cannot be reduced to laboratory objects. Loving implies commitment; knowledge without love becomes manipulation.

Faith: The Basis of Trust in Human Relationships
Faith is a reasonable leap, supported by reason. It is like someone walking along a path and, upon reaching a precipice, needs to jump to the other side. Faith is moving towards the future or seeing the present from the perspective of a reality that has yet to be materialized. It’s like sailing without a visible route or like a child leaping into his parent’s arms, trusting that he will be safely caught by his parent.

In terms of knowledge, faith does not fit into logical deductive analysis. It is more related to synthesis and intuitive knowledge. Having faith is intuiting that something is right, even without absolute guarantees; it is like writing a blank cheque, lending money or a book, trusting that it will be returned. Faith is taking a risk and betting on the uncertain.

Einstein’s general theory of relativity was, for a long time, an act of faith, born from Einstein’s own intuition, and only recently have we obtained proof of its validity.

When I accept a cheque for a service rendered, I believe it has funds. It would be offensive, and I could lose a friend if I refused it and asked for cash instead. When boarding a plane, I trust that the authorities have done their work to prevent any danger and that the pilots are prepared and well-intentioned. When eating in a restaurant, I trust the food’s quality without demanding it be analyzed beforehand. In some cultures, like in Ethiopia, the cook tastes the food in front of the guests to ensure safety, showing how trust is at the center of all human interactions.

In marriage, I believe the union will be for life. Even with a bank loan, the bank, after properly checking, grants loan based on the belief that the client will repay the amount. Even credit cards operate on faith. We speak of "faith in the markets" like we speak of "faith in God”.

Even self-esteem is related to faith in ourselves. We may or may not believe in our abilities, and this belief influences how we set out in life. Often, we take risks without being sure, hoping that success will confirm our talents.

If God does not exist, human life lacks meaning
If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile (…) Then those who have died in Christ have perished. If for this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied. 1 Corinthians 15:17-19

The enigma of human existence is deeply connected to the existence of God. If God does not exist, then human being, in a way, also ceases to exist as a person, and his or her life loses its meaning. Philosophers who followed the idea of the "death of God" — Jean-Paul Sartre, Albert Camus, and Søren Kierkegaard — stated that without the existence of a higher being, life becomes absurd. For life to have meaning, there must be criteria to guide our existence that are not the result of human creation — principles that transcend our origin and have authority over us.

Sartre stated that "Hell is other people”. Just as the soldiers of the high priest arrested Christ, God was imprisoned by Feuerbach, judged by Marx and Freud — who, ironically, like Annas and Caiaphas, were also Jewish — and finally sentenced to death and executed by the Nietzsche’s “Pilate”.

Ironically, with the death of God, humanity also died, because life lost its meaning. After Nietzsche, philosophers became thinkers of the absurd and nausea, like Sartre, not so much in response to the "corpse of God”, who has no body, but to the corpse of Man.

However, after recognizing that human existence is intrinsically linked to the existence of God, and even though God pre-exists and exists independently of man, human beings are the creatures for whom God exists. Only a creature conscious of itself can attain consciousness of the existence of God.

As we mentioned when talking about animism, it was the realization of the death of our physical body that gave rise to our spiritual "self"; it was the recognition of death as an end that shaped our understanding of existence as a "being”. Existence is temporal, but "being" is eternal. The desire for eternity, contrasted with the reality of our temporality, made us believe in the existence of God, the creator of all things, and fueled our thirst to know Him.

Another irony of fate: now the other, my fellow human being, with whom I used to live in harmony in society, as Sartre states, has become hell for me. And according to him, the only way out of this hell would be to eliminate it.

At the height of their absurdity, these thinkers even came to deny the trinitarian nature of human beings. A human being does not exist in isolation, but in coexistence with two others — the father and the mother. Either three exist, or none exist. How can others be hell? It is love for one’s neighbor, as for oneself, that guarantees equality, a fundamental principle for society and for human beings as social beings and members of society.

Without love for one’s neighbour, life in society would be impossible, and without society, individual life itself would cease to exist. If everyone thought like Sartre, this world would truly be a living hell.

On the other hand, it is the love of God above all things and people that guarantees us true freedom, an essential principle for the dignity of the human person. Without freedom, there is no full human life, no individual. We are only freed from things and people when we give our heart to God and accept His lordship.

If we do not submit to God, who makes us free, we end up submitting to other human and worldly realities — power, pleasure, wealth, popularity, physical beauty — becoming slaves to these realities and, consequently, idolaters, that is, worshippers of idols.

Conclusion – Without Faith, human life is not possible. To live as a free, autonomous and independent individual, a human being needs to trust in himself or herself. To live in society, in the family, in the community, in society at large, it is essential to trust others and be trustworthy.

Fr. Jorge Amaro, IMC