The Fallacy of Generational Curses

The generational curses have become a perennial issue in our own time.  A lot of hype and hysteria surround the ‘breaking’ of generational curses. The generational curses can be traced to the utterances of Yahweh in some books of the Old Testament. For example, in Exodus 20:5 the Lord says “I the Lord your God am a jealous God, punishing children for the iniquity of parents, to the third and the fourth generation of those who reject me.”

 There are also passages in the OT that appear to suggest that God actually punished the children because of the sins of the parent(s). For example, the death of the child of Bathsheba after the adultery and murder committed by King David ( 2 Sam 12: 15-19).

However, in the prophesy of Ezekiel, the Lord announced a new order. No longer will the children be punished for the offences of their forbears. “The person who sins shall die. A child shall not suffer for the iniquity of a parent, nor a parent suffer for the iniquity of a child; the righteousness of the righteous shall be his own, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be his own” (Ezek 18:20).

Jesus authoritatively confirmed this new order when the disciples asked him whether a man was born blind because of the sins of his parents. Jesus replied: neither this man nor his parents sinned; he was born blind so that God’s works might be revealed in him (Jn 9: 1-3). St Paul says that Jesus became a curse for all of us sinners and nailed the curses to the wood of the cross (Gal 3: 10-14).

The notion of generational curses does not exist in the New Testament. It is futile to have recourse to some passages in the OT even in the NT to justify it. Revelation of God and divine truths are taught in stages beginning from the OT to NT. For example, God commanded the sacrifice of animals for the forgiveness of sins and the circumcision of the flesh in the OT. But these practices (that were once recommended) are abolished in the NT. The idea of generational curses is not an inviolable or immovable code in the bible. It will be futile to quote some passages of the OT to justify animal sacrifice or circumcision of the flesh in our own time.

It is true that the children may suffer the negative consequences of the bad choices of their parents. For example the children may suffer for a long time the consequences of the bad choices made by an alcoholic and abusive father. But consequences are not coterminous with curses. It is almost a truism to say that life is full of twists and turns. It is callously lame to blame one’s parents for all the challenges of life.

Life can be very tough even for the children of ‘virtuous’ parents. "In the world you will have trouble. But be of good cheers I have overcome the world" (Jn 16:33).
 In the face of challenges of life let us turn to Jesus. He will furnish us with the strength we need to carry our cross everyday and follow Him. Come to me all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest (Matt 11:28).

The Vows of Consecrated Life (Part II)

St Thomas Aquinas identifies three stages of the vows of consecrated life (Summa theologica IIa-IIae Q 88 art 1). The first stage is deliberation. The vows presuppose a critical and honest soul-searching. At this phase, the consecrated person carefully examines himself/herself, life, history, motives, strengthens and weaknesses. He critically assesses the denotations and connotations of the vows. He seeks the will of God. He asks the fundamental question in Christian life: Lord what do you want me to do? The goals of this stage are self knowledge and discovery of the will of God. Hopefully, this will lead to the second stage which is purpose of the will.

This second stage is very critical. It is a time of incisive and decisive undertaking. It is the moment of decision and consent. The Christian gives his fiat. He responds willingly and enthusiastically to the invitation to follow Christ as a consecrated person. This is a turning point in the life of every aspiring Christian to consecrated life.

The third stage is profession of the vows. With poise and sense of purpose, the candidate makes his vows in the church and for the church. The consecrated person experiences these stages in his own unique way under the unfailing guidance of the Holy Spirit.


The Vows are Public

The profession of vows is often public not private. The vows are not pronounced in a clandestine manner since they are neither arcane nor esoteric. The profession of the vows often takes place in a public liturgical celebration with a form approved by the Church. The public pronouncement of the vows before God and the people of God instils in the consecrated person the gravity, implications and demands of the vows. Words and external signs can move the heart to devotion; fixed the mind more firmly on the thing promised and on the person the thing is promised.

Also, expressing the vows publicly strengthens the resolve of the consecrated person to avoid violating the vows not only through the fear of God but also through respect for people (Cf. Ibid). In Nigeria, the profession of vows whether temporary or perpetual often takes place in a colourful and elaborate ceremony. It is a tremendous sight, full of power and beauty. It provides a stellar opportunity for the family members of the professed to express their joy and support; the family members also gain some insight into the nature of consecrated life.


A Stupendous and Gratuitous Gift

The sacred vows are first all a gift of God. The evangelical counsels constitute a stupendous, unmerited, undeserved and gratuitous gift. “The evangelical counsels are above all a gift of the Holy Trinity. The consecrated life proclaims what the Father, through the Son and in the the Spirit, brings about by his love, his goodness and his beauty” (Vita Consecrata, n. 20). Nobody can take the honour on himself. The consecrated person is fully aware that he is undeserving of this gift, that there is nothing he/she could have done to merit his/her vocation and the gift of evangelical counsels.

The consecrated person is awed and humbled by the awareness of God’s generous and irrevocable gift; and is forever grateful to God for such supernatural gift of his/her vocation. Inasmuch as one’s vocation is gratuitous and unmerited, the pronunciation of the vows is an expression of gratitude to God – a song of praise. It is an outburst of awe, wonder and mystery. The consecrated person observes his/her vows with an attitude of gratitude.


A Response to God’s Unique Call

The vows are first of all a response to God’s calling. You did not choose me, I chose you: and I commissioned you to go out and to bear fruit (Jn 15:16). The initiative is from God: “it is an initiative coming wholly from the father (Cf. Jn 15:16), who asks those whom he has chosen to respond with complete and exclusive devotion” (Vita Consecrata, n. 17). The vows are free and radical responses to God’s call to follow in the footsteps of our Lord Jesus Christ as enunciated in the Gospels. The religious is both responsive and responsible.

The response demanded from the consecrated person is voluntary, spontaneous, unreserved, and generous. He responds with his whole life for all his life. He generously responds to this call in his own historical context according to promptings of the Holy Spirit and the specific needs of the Church. The different content and context of one’s vocation admits of some divergence and convergence. That is why there is a great variety of responses in the Church namely: monastic life, mendicants, societies of apostolic life and the secular institutes. The multiplicity of different forms of consecrated life is considered as both a gift and activity of the Holy Spirit.

The Vows of Consecrated Life (Part1)

A vow is simply a promise to God.  The religious vows are sacred promises made to God, in the Church by which one is incorporated into a canonically approved institute. According to Canon law, “by religious profession members assume by public vow the observance of the three evangelical counsels,  are consecrated to God, and are incorporated into the institute with rights and duties defined by law” (CIC 654). The vows set consecrated persons apart from the people; they become ‘consecrated’ persons by the virtue of this total dedication.


Varieties of Vows

There are three major vows (also known as evangelical counsels) often professed by most consecrated men and women namely; poverty, chastity and obedience. The vows can be differentiated according to their duration. Thus, we have temporary and perpetual vows (sometimes called first and final vows respectively). Temporary vows are taken for certain period of time and they can be renewed a number of times before the perpetual vows. Perpetual vows are professed for one’s life time.

A vow can also be simple or solemn. A simple vow is a promise made to God concerning certain actions or inaction but not recognized as solemn as such by the church.  A vow can be public and still be simple. A solemn vow is any vow designated as such by the Church. Though most religious orders and congregations profess three vows, there are exceptions. Some congregations profess the fourth vow. For example, the Jesuits profess the fourth vow of obedience to the Pope, while Daughters of Charity profess the forth vow of service to persons who are poor.



The Purpose of Vows

The vows of consecrated life are essentially an expression of a unique, personal and intimate relationship with God. Vatican II suggests two fundamental reasons for professing the vows:  “first, in order to be set free from hindrances that could hold him back from loving God ardently and worshiping Him perfectly, and secondly in order to consecrate himself in a more thoroughgoing way to the service of God” (Lumen Gentium, n. 44).

By pronouncing the vows, the consecrated persons enter into a profound and exclusive relationship with the Trinity. This unique relationship between the Trinity and the consecrated persons is spousal in nature. The consecrated persons are totally and irrevocably united with God. God becomes their ALL. Ultimately, the goal of the vows is union with God. The profession of the vows is a pledge of total, unequivocal and unreserved dedication to God. The profession of vows is an act of self donation; the pledge of ultimate self giving.

An Irresistible Invitation

“Come to me, all who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matt 11:28). In order to appreciate the full import and impart of this invitation, we have to consider very closely who is inviting us. Far more important than the invitation is the person who is inviting. In this context, the person who is inviting us is Jesus- the second Person of the Trinity. The Word in Whom and through Whom we are created. The Word who displayed his everlasting love by assuming our flesh, who ultimately died for us on the cross. Because the person who is inviting us is supremely divine, this invitation assumes a unique dimension and meaning.

“Come to me” is a beautiful invitation, so timely, so loving, so consoling, and so reassuring.  Just knowing who is inviting us even without knowing why we are invited- we are already full of hope; anticipating wonderful, stupendous things. This invitation is an expression of love, a manifestation of tenderness, an initiation of God’s boundless mercy, a clear sign that the Lord sees and feels what we are going through.  This tender appeal is a “divine penetration into man’s true condition…Jesus looks with clear-sighted compassion into the inmost history of all hearts, and sees the toil and the sorrow which weigh on every soul.” It is a pledge that the Lord will put an end not just to our sorrow but the cause of our sorrow.

Considering the fact that this gracious invitation is coming from our loving Savior and expressed with infinite compassion, it becomes almost irresistible. Who will be blind not to see who is extending the invitation? Who will be deaf not to hear such affectionate invitation full of tenderness? Who will be so slow in responding to this urgent invitation? Who does not desperately desire the rest that only the Lord can offer? It is a huge disservice to labour in vain and carry our burdens alone when the good Lord is graciously, almost impatiently waiting to assist and comfort us.

We will spend our whole lives responding to this loving invitation. Our response is absolutely consequential. We come to Jesus not with fear or trepidation. We come to Jesus with reverence and trust.  And He will give us rest, relief, and refreshment. The Lord’s promise can never fail. The Lord will always fulfill his promise. Only God can give us the rest we desperately desire.

St Patrick's Breastplate

I bind unto myself today the power of God to hold and lead, His eye to watch, His might to stay, His ear to hearken to my need: the wisdom of my God to teach, His hand to guide, His shield to ward; the Word of God to give me speech, His heavenly host to be my guard.

Christ be with me, Christ within me, Christ behind me,
Christ before me, Christ beside me, Christ to win me,
Christ to comfort me and restore me, Christ beneath me,
Christ above me, Christ in the hearts of all that love me,
Christ in the mouth of friend and stranger.

I bind unto myself the Name, the strong Name of the Trinity, by invocation of the same, the Three in One, and One in Three, of Whom all nature hath creation; Eternal Father, Spirit, Word: praise to the Lord of my salvation, salvation is of Christ the Lord. Amen.


I bind myself to God's power to guide me, God's might to uphold me, God's wisdom to teach me, God's Eye to watch over me, God's Ear to hear me, God's way to lie before me, God's shield to shelter me, God's host to secure me...Against the snares of demons, against the seductions of vices, against the lusts of nature, against everyone who meditates injury to me, whether far or near, few or many.

Composed by St. Patrick

The Immaculate Heart of Mary

The Immaculate Heart of Mary is a symbol of love. It is a symbol of undivided love of Mary for God the Father, her motherly love for Jesus her Son, and her faithful love for the Holy Spirit. It is also the symbol of her ardent love for all of us her children.  The Immaculate Heart of Mary is most pure, most chaste, most generous and most compassionate.

Archangel Gabriel brought a message from God to our Mother Mary. She responded positively to God’s request from her Immaculate Heart. “Let it be done to me according to your word.” With these adorable words our Lady gave her consent to become the mother of God (LK 1: 26-33).

Mary visited her cousin Elizabeth (Lk 1:39-45). The child in Elizabeth's womb leapt for Joy. The song of gratitude (Magnificat) exuded from the Immaculate Heart of Mary. My soul magnifies the Lord, my spirit rejoices in God my savior…

The Immaculate Heart of Mary was bruised and anguished. A sword of sorrow pierced the loving Heart of Mary in fulfillment of Simeon’s prophesy. Mary saw her Son dying on the cross, her Immaculate Heart was sorrowful and distressed.

This Immaculate Heart would rejoice at the resurrection of Jesus on the third day. The Immaculate Heart of Mary was filled with hope at the sight of the Ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ into heaven.

The Immaculate Heart of Mary is our shield against sin, temptations and evils. It is the refuge of sinners. It is our refuge when we are facing the challenges of life. There is nothing we ask the Immaculate Heart that we will not receive because it is most loving, compassionate and understanding. The Immaculate Heart of Mary assists us to live a good Christian life and attain the reward of eternal life.

Pope Pius XII consecrated the world to the Immaculate Heart of Mary on Oct 31, 1942. Pope John Paul II in union with bishops all over the world also consecrated the world to the Immaculate Heart of Mary on March 25 1984.

The Tale of Two Processions

The joyful procession led by Jesus entering the town of Nain and the sorrowful procession led by a corpse leaving the town evoke a profound imagery of human existence (Lk 7:11-17). Our existence is essentially a tale of two processions of life or death. The two processions represent the consequential choices we have to make in realms and realities life.


THE PROCESSION OF LIFE

The procession of life was led by Jesus- the author of life.  Jesus says: I am the way, the truth and the life (Jn 14:6). Jesus, the Way was also leading the way. The disciples led by the Life were  enlivened; following the Light were illumined; taught by the Truth were enlightened;  strengthened by the power of god were energized. In the company of Jesus, the disciples were happy and joyful because the joy of the Lord is their strength (Neh 8:10). The procession of life is both a lively possession and a lovely company.


THE PROCESSION OF DEATH

The procession of death was led by a corpse- a lifeless body. A large crowd of mourners was following this procession. This possession was anything but joyful. The people following this procession were sad, mournful and sorrowful. Their hearts were filled with anguish, agony and pain of a great loss. The mother of the young man swooned and was inconsolable because she lost her only child. She was shaken and shattered. She was absolutely devastated.


SYMBOL OF SPIRITUAL LIFE AND SPIRITUAL DEATH

Life is a tale of two processions. The two processions are symbol of Christian life (spiritual life) and sinful life (spiritual death). The first procession- the procession of life is the imagery of those living authentic Christian life by following Jesus. We follow the procession of life when we live according to the Spirit, follow the commandment of God, cultivate virtues and avoid vices, carry our cross everyday and follow Christ. Like obedient sheep, we follow the shepherd wherever He goes (Rev 14:4). Our ultimate reward is eternal life.

The second procession- the procession of death is allegory of sinful life. The people in this rueful procession follow the way of death. We follow The procession of death when we live in hoary denial of existence of God, live unspiritual life, live according to flesh, wallow in our sins, ignore the commandments of God, and follow our depraved inclinations. The road to damnation is broad and many travel it (Matt 7:13). The wages of sin is death (Rom 6:23).

LIFE AS A PROCESSION

We often say that life is a journey. But life is more a procession. Since we do not undertake the journey of life alone. No man is an island. We undertake the journey of life in a procession, in the company of others. We have to choose between the procession of life and the procession of death, between spiritual life and spiritual death.  Who is leading my procession? In whose company am I travelling? Where is my destination? We will spend our whole life answering these fundamental questions.

Lord you will show me the path of life and in your presence happiness forever (Ps 16:11).