Theology of the Catholic Faith- Book 2 by Melvyn Brown

On The Eve of Release of The Theology of the Catholic Faith

The portrayal of belief and the ingredients of faith as believers in Christ comes through spontaneously in the latest volume of Melvyn Brown’s book : Theology of the Catholic Faith (2). The book will be released in Calcutta on Friday 25th September 2015.
Special autographed copies can be had on request for a donation towards the Ambassadors For Jesus apostolate. Contact Melvyn on his email address: melvynbrown21@gmail.com
The book is dedicated to Pope Saint John Paul II. There are published liturgical articles which will interest the lay reader and the religious. It will make a fine coffee table placement.
If you are in the neighborhood call across at 3 Elliott Road, Calcutta 700016 any weekday from 6-7 p.m.(excluding Saturday and Sunday).

SPEAKING ABOUT SPIRITUALITY By Melvyn Brown

I have just been to Sunday Mass and discovered that the analysis of Spirituality in the sermon went over the heads of most parishioners. I will try to make a small attempt to present ‘spirituality’ in a more mundane understanding.
To begin with, there is no spiritual vacuum. Faith transforms. It creates an ascendancy of healthy moral and social values. Belief is a rich and marvelous experience open to all, not only to the mystic. Call it faith or belief, the spiritual dimension within exerts its potential to do good beyond our earthly understanding.

Two forms of spirituality exists, Physical and mental.
Physical spirituality is the advocacy of action in prayer and performance for the Creator’s attention. Prayer Beads contribute to most cultures a form of physical activity some-times for concentration; for rhythm to thought; for the power attributed to vibrations. In Hinduism, Buddhism and Taoism, prayer beads prove their potency.
The triumph and fulfillment of prayer in physical spirituality comes on bended knees, raising the arms, using the voice in psalms, chants and song; the sound of ringing bells in temples, churches and places of worship add to this form of holiness. Burning of candles, incense and joss sticks no less.
Dance plays a significant role as well. The Hindu temple dancers. The fertility dances of Egypt, the rain dances of Africa; dances to invoke the Gods for every temporal want, from an abundant harvest, to worship of the almighty. In China, since the constitution was amended in 1982 to permit freedom of religion, the spiritual form of dance is being revived.

The art of physical spirituality is to mobilize energy, prayer and piousness into the web of material creativeness, into paintings, sculpture, designs for houses of prayer; wood carv-ings of statues, they all form the bulwark of the early years of Christianity. Stone figures in Hindu temples are earlier than the millenniums even before Egypt built golden figures of their Gods and pharaohs. Taoism and the Chinese form of spirituality are preserved in images of semi-precious stones in jade, crystal and amber (the most commonly used stones.) Chinese craftsmen were the early masters of the clay figures. They all practiced physical spirituality.
Next, I will conclude with Mental Spirituality.
                                                               - Melvyn Brown (Copyright. 2015)


Speaking about Spirituality - Part- 2     By Melvyn Brown

I had spoken about Physical Spirituality earlier. Today I will tell you a few words on Mental Spirituality.
Mental spirituality is non-rigorous, yet equally demanding. It debunks the feats of shamans and in a less show of attention performs an epiphany of sincere dialogue with the universal forces. There is a wave of theology to prove mental spirituality or for that matter, the concept and existence of God. “Believe”, said Jesus, “and all things are possible”. True.




















Belief in mental spirituality will attract the power of good always. Prayers are petitions, practiced by mystics and monks, priests and maulanas across the earth. Religion is no longer the ‘opiath’ of the masses. Religion in the form of mental spirituality compounds a way to cleanse sin and evil without the harsh realities of physical transgression. There is no mind-bending struggle with the power of mental prayers. It is basically a simple act of putting manual effort to spiritual visions.
The simple message in mental spirituality is to harness the floodgates of belief that there is a God who is responsible, loving and ever prepared to forgive and assist us in our honest and sincere desires. Never think negatively. Let it be known that spirituality in deed and thought never lost a soul.

Faith in the Christian Family

CHRISTIAN PARENTS AND FAITH IN THE FAMILY  By MELVYN BROWN

Young people sense the Divine Presence of God in the world. Parents and many adults have the opportunity to nurture the gift of faith in children; faith which will sustain them through life and as adults in the future.
Parents, in guiding their children in faith will not always have all the answers.  “It’s all right to say you don’t know,” said Cardinal Ronald Hart. There’s a lot of mystery about faith. Don’t give simple answers because some answers are not so simple. It will take a lifetime to under-stand them. Robin Bose, a catechist said, “ The most important thing that parents can teach their children is that they are not alone in the world. They are loved by a God who is the source of all love.”
God can be found in everyday moments which parents can share with their children. One Bengali-Catholic mother found that she and her six-year old daughter got their day off to a good start when she played ‘Christian music ‘.
A lady I know spends time at home and says, “It’s good for your children to see you at prayer. This teaches them more effectively than a lecture. “
“If a child sees the parent struggling to do the right thing, sometimes failing, the child will have compassion “, said Mary Mathew, a junior school teacher. She suggests that a parent who tries to live by the Gospel’s values, strives for a healthy spirituality, respects human dignity and is sensitive to the needs of others.
While many parents are eager to pass along the faith that has meant so much to them, some struggle with how to introduce religion to their children. One parent said; “What are they going to believe when we don’t know what we believe? “ The answer is found in prayer, self-performance, in helping the helpless, in attending services and asking God to guide and help.
When one parent enrolled her daughter in the local parish Sunday School, she discovered her own faith rekindle. She believed that she had to do more leading by example.
Youngsters have a spiritual sense that can be tapped. The large numbers who turned out to greet Pope John Paul II during his visit to Calcutta indicated this interest.
Faith is a great legacy. Yet, ultimately it is a gift of God – as individual, as unique as each of His beloved children.
Psalm 25: 4-5 says, “Make me to know your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths. Lead me in Your truth, and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation. “
A Catholic priest once impressed me when he said : “ God speaks most powerfully in the wilderness experience, for instance, when the family faces divorce, unemployment, illness or other trouble, God is with us throughout life and ‘ can do things in you if you’re open to Him’. So, let us as a family open the door of Faith in our own family, each to his own.