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THE ANCHOR-Diocese of FaIl"River-Thurs., Nov. 1, 1973
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KNOW YOUR FAITH
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======~r'~~!·'=~=~====~, A Christian Death Is. Not An Ending , Flavius Josephus -- Ascetic, Historian Traitor I
Occasionally there appeltrs in history a Icharacter whose ~rue life adventures and accomphsh· ments see!'" far closer to fiction than to fab~.
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STEVE
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City, Josephus took notes on e:ents and strategy an.d inter· viewed many on both sides. He also assisted in the negotiations that took place between the besiegers and the Jews. At the fall of the city he was able to save a few friends and relatives. After. the war he returned to Rome with Titus and was compensated for the loss of his Jerusalem property with Roman estates. It seems that Josephus acted as he did i.n the sincere belief that Rome would inevitably
conquer, It was the same feeling that motivated him to write "The Jewish War," which attempted to prove to other subject nations the futility, of revolt against the Empire. The Romans recognized the value of the work as propa· ganda and saw to it that it was published and translated, al· though Josephus himself wrote the book in both Aramaic and Greek. 'The Jewish Antiquities' His other great work was "The Turn to Page Seventeen
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In one our rich sources of. information about the lands of the Bible, I such a man is de· scribzd. He was Flavius Josephus, ascetic, general, historian, a?ologist, Itraitor and opportulUSt.
Facing Death and Sharing Sorrow Our neighbor across the street has two great loves-his family and his work. He often and unexpectedly leaVes the first because of the second. I frequently hear
Born a Jew in Palestine of both pries~ly ahd royal Hasmonean -._.-..-............... Iin1eage, h~ was educated in the tl't~i:if*rmj~l;@j.=:r~;$~mii Law and ~uring his late teens studied an~ experienced the doctrines of the Sadducees; Pharo By isees and Essenes. He even Spent, some time I ~n the wilderness as FR. JOSEPH M.; an ascetic hermit. With. this varied background, CHAMPLIN young Jos~phus was sel)t to the Im:;>erial qty of Rome on a, mission to obtain the release of Jewish pri~oners. His personality the door of his station wagon and wit whCch were destined to slam shut in early morning or insure hi~ a niche in. history late at night as he goes about the, were firs~ Idemon~trated in th~ task of. burying Fulton's dead court of Nero where he charmed and assisting our bereaved. the Empre~s Poppea. These Same Through comdentious effort qualities ~ere t.o make him the . over several decades, this man protege of; three later RQman has built a business inherited emperors, 'respasian, Titus and from his father into a busy pracDomitian. . tice. In the process· he has, nat· Jewish Revolt urally, acquired insights about Josephus returned from Rome death and dying, principles which on the eve of the Jewish revolt I have discussed with him on of 66 A.D. Although a Pharisee, many trips to and from the local his party was at best lukewarm cemetery. ,toward thel revolt. Josephus was He, our other parishioner funevertheless sent to take com- neral director, and I agree parma:~d in GJlilee.- It is difficult to ticularly on this point: a period know exattly what happened of calling hours at the family at this ti~e because Josephus house or funeral home between himself tells conflicting stories the time of death and burial ful· Wake Service in "The J~wish War" and his' fills deep human and Christian autobiography. needs. Visitors should not be can· The revised rit,e of funerals en· I:: seems I that in spite of his cerned. A sermon or speech is lack of enthusiasm for the cause dorses these "wakes" for the not required; mere presence of J,evolution, when the Romans deceased. Article 3 of its. Intro· I .' brings great comfort. So does a began subjugating Galilee, he duction states: "The bodies of kiss, an embrace, a soft word opposed them strongly but futile- the faithful, which were temples ("Sor~y"), an offer of help, a of the Spirit, should be shown ly. I brief prayer said kneeling be· The Romal!l forces were ul!lder honor and respect, but any kind fore the body. the commahd of Vespasian, and of pomp or display should be The family should not fear it wa!; aftet Josephus' surrender avoided. Between the time of either. That great influx of perto the Roritan commander that death and burial there sl)ould be he PTOPhe~ied that Vesparian sufficient opportunities for the sons who come, who care, marwould become emperor. people to pray for the dead and velously lifts up sorrowing In the ye1ar ,69 A.D., when his ,profess their own faith in eternal hearts' and proves an enormous source of support in hours of . prophecy ~as fulfilled he was life." darkness. One always remembers released and on the new emper· Help to Survivors those who came' and easily ex· or's departhre for Rome, Jose· When visiting hours and care ' cuses others who failed to show. phus took I Vespasian's. family of the departed's body are hanAt· this time we also pray for name, Flavius, as his own. dled wit~ Christian simplicity the dead and profess 0llr faith in l . 'The Jewish War' and a proper spirit, they fulfill eternal life. Individual, private Josephus !iOined the entourage two functions. prayer during those qours pre· of Vespasian's son and succesFirst of all, such practices help . sents no problem; public prayer sor, Titus, ~nd acted as 'the Ro- survivors face in· honest fashion can prove difficlult. I usually man comrhander's interpreter the fact of their beloved's death. find the rosary here long and during the ~iege of Jet:,usalem in I know from personal experi- awkward; but brief excerpts 70 A.D. Needless to say, Jose- ence and through 17 years of from the ritual, satisfactory; and phus' actiohs were considered priestly ministry that coping a prayer service at the end of tra-itoi'ous by the Jews. with death is never a simple, calling hours with just the famDuring tHe siege of the Holy easy matter. Ev'en though OUr ily and late comers, best. ~
FASCINATION: "Death fasCinates and mystifies man. This is true whether we consider the reaction of the little child seeing a dead bird for the first time, the wond~r and awe of the primitive before death, or today's man in face of the same reality." From ,article by Dr. Thomas Francouer. A dead bird lies on a city sidewalk, guarded by a companion. (NC Photo) Death fascinates and mystifies man. This is true whether we consider the reaction of the little child seeing a dead bird for the first t,ime, the wonder and'
By DR. THOMAS :"
FRANCOEUR
41. '; iti awe of the primitive before death, or today's man in face of the same reality. We may come to learn of the inevitability· of
death, yet great questions remain, as does uneasiness and fear. , Man has always sensed a life hereafter. he has buried useful things with the dead for their journey or passage to "happy hunting groupds." He has heard his God describe and call him to the Kingdom of peace and love. But there are those workings of the mind that may still bring discomfort. As old age approaches, the advent of death becomes more real and hope may tend to take on lesser enthusiasm, We find ourselves taking inventory of our lives, wondering what will be· come of our loved ones and Turn to Page Eighteen
Death and Religious Education "Dear Daddy, Leslie and Douglas, pray every night that you'll be healed. They don't understand why someone else they love has to suffer.
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uation and victory over suffering. Maybe that's your greatest gift to us." Suzanne, a young mother of twins, wrote these words to her cancer-wracked father a' week before his death at the age of 63. A year earlier Suzanne had lost her 33-year-old husband,' By Ken, the victim of a braiQ- tumor. In a letter written to her friends FR. CARL J. \ four'months after Ken's death, she described her husband's last PFEIFER, S.J. 'days: "The facts sound terrible: Ken could not walk or talk, he 'ate' through a tube in his stomach, None of us do, but we keep trust- he was blind, his righ~ .side par· ing that there is a greater pur- alyzed. The fact, was that' he pose. But we all thlmk God for was radiant in his faith and suo the peace you display. I wonder' premely confident in his Lord if you know it shows. We talk and he made the rest of us hapabout that and two little people py. Leslie and Douglas and I can see some good in every sitTurn to Page Nineteen
faith in the Resurrection may be strong, we stiil must endure the pain of separation and loss. That prospect causes individuals to react clumsily and in various, unpredictable ways: by open crying, hysterical screaming, si· lent withdrawing, unconscious escaping to avoid reality. It was my funeral directorneighbor who suggested that viewing of casket and body can bring the truth home, especially for those who only r.eluctantly come to grips with what has hap· pened. Moreover, while excessive con· cern for the body's appearance and casket's expensiveness does not seem appropriate, sensitive handling of the physical remains is a praise-worthy procedure. It speaks silently' about our belief in the body as a temple of the Holy Spirit and destined for a share in the Resurrection. Secondly, and above all, ·call· ing hours give relatives and friends an opportunity to share the bereaveds' sorrow, to offer support and to pray for the de· ceased. ' Most of us dread the thought of those moments. Will we break down? What is there to say? Can we handle our grief?