Fr Reginald Foster: My Unusual Latin Teacher, a Passionate and True "Latin Lover"

Fr Reginald Foster at his workplace in the Vatican Secretariate 

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Why Latin?

There are very few teachers who leave behind an indelible mark in students' life.  I must confess that Fr Reggi is one of them. In Roman circles, he was known as Father Reggi, Pope's Latinist or "Latin Lover." Even though a year of Latin was enough to get the required credits to complete Bachelerate in Theology, because of the persona and his teaching, I opted for another year of Latin at the Jesuit-run Gregorian University in Rome. I should say that among all the languages that I have studied (Kannada, English, Hindi, Russian, Italian, Greek, French and German) learning Latin was fun. It is purely because of Fr Reggi.

Following the Lord Means God Becomes Focus of Our Attention

3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time 24 January 2021

Readings: Jonah 3:1-5, 10; Psalm 25:4-9; 1 Corinthians 7:29-31; Mark 1:14-20

(Vocation of the Apostles, a fresco in the Sistine Chapel by Domenico Ghirlandaio, 1481-82)
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We are living in a world where change is inevitable. People look for change not only in their lifestyle but also in the political life of the country. The euphoria of change is seen in its abundance at the wake of the corona pandemic which hit the world a year ago. From the Atlantic to the Indian ocean the world of politics has seen its change from a ranting boisterous president to a mild but a person of integrity in the person of Joe Biden. As the world breathes a sigh of relief with the inauguration of Joe Biden as the 46th president of the United States, the Catholic world must cheer.  Is it a change from the old self to a new self, or transformation of evil into good? We like to hear the word “change” often even though we may not be ready to embrace change in a radical way. We may accept changes theoretically but in practice, we might like to say let that change come later. In today’s world, we feel days pass by quickly and change occurs at great velocity. We have seen changes in our lives since the time we record our early stages of life. 

I. A change requires a commitment to a new way of life

Hearing God's Voice in our Midst

Second Sunday of Ordinary Time: 17th January 2021

Readings: 1 Samuel 3:3b-10, 19; Psalm 40:2, 4, 7-8, 8-9, 10; 1 Corinthians 6:13c-15a, 17-20; John 1:35-42

(Lamb of God, Photo courtesy: creativecommons)

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I. Learning to listen to the voice of God

“Look, the Lamb of God” the pointed remark of John the Baptist at Jesus should intrigue us. John the Baptizer's job was to point people to Jesus, their long-awaited Messiah. Looking at both the prophets Eli in the first reading and John the Baptist in the Gospel, the prophets knew and recognised the longing for the call of God in their lives and the coming of the Messiah, the hope that had been passed from generation to generation. But this did not begin suddenly; rather, it grew and developed in them as they learned to listen to the voice of God. They learnt the art of discernment that is to know the Will of God. Samuel was no exception. God’s voice is not always easy to discern because it is seldom loud and never brash. It is much more likely to come to us quietly, in the quiet, maybe during the night, as Samuel found.

Baptism - A Sign of Our Belonging to God

The Baptism of the Lord.  Sunday 10 January 2021

Readings: Isaiah 42:1-4, 6-7; Psalm 29:1-2, 3-4, 3, 9-10; Acts 10:34-38; Mark 1:7-11

(The Baptism of Christ, by Piero della Francesca c. 1450-60)

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I. We are guided by our ancestors

Most of the cultures or traditions have definite ways of educating their people. For example, in ancient India, there were sages or gurus who mastered a certain kind of ability to give spiritual counsel to the seekers. Russian history boasts about Starets or elders who have reached a stage where people run to them seeking spiritual advice. 

God Never Stops Making Himself Known

The Feast of the Epiphany (Manifestation) of the Lord. 03rd January 2021

Readings: Isaiah 60:1–6; Psalm 72:1–2, 7–8, 10–13; Ephesians 3:2–3, 5–6; Matthew 2:1–12

Adoration of the Magi, oil on wood by Perugino, c. 1496–98; in the Musée des Beaux-Arts, Rouen, France.

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The feast of Epiphany that we celebrate today symbolizes God’s public manifestation in a concrete way to the three wise men of the East. They have become known most commonly as Balthasar, Melchior, and Gaspar. The child that was born on Christmas is revealed to be the long-awaited king of the Jews. Most of the Orthodox Christians including our Byzantine rite Catholics celebrate Christmas today (Jan. 07th) as the manifestation of the Lord for humanity. So if you meet any Orthodox Christians today or tomorrow you can wish them happy Christmas. There is a discrepancy between the Julian and Gregorian calendars of 13 days. 

I. We are pilgrims and seekers

God is Our True Home and Family

The Feast of The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph - 26 December 2020

Readings:  Eccl. 3:2-6,12-14; Psalm 128:1–2, 3, 4–5; Col 3:12-21; Lk 2:22-40

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I. Early signs determine the future

Simeon, the man of God, who was a righteous and devout man prophesized about the baby Jesus: “Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising of many in Israel” (Lk 2:34). In the same temple there was also a prophetess, Anna, who was eighty-four years old, also knew who this baby Jesus going to be. It is very essential to note right here that the role of the prophet was not assigned only to men but also to women. I have seen often the neighbours or relatives who come to see the new baby express their feelings towards the lowly child with joy. They say the child looks like its mother or father; it has beautiful eyes, nice cheeks and so on. I have also heard people say about the child and what it may become; just like its father or mother or someone else. In a similar way, both Simeon and Anna incidentally prophesize about this newborn child in a temple in Bethlehem.

Christmas - God's Loving Intervention in the Ordinary

Christmas 2020

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I. God intervenes in difficult times

"Joy to the world! The Lord is come

Let earth receive her King!"

As we sing this beautiful popular Christmas hymn on this day, we must raise our hearts and minds in praising the Lord for this wonderful feast that we celebrate, the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. This feast which is so familiar and so dear to us in this special year of suffering should not dampen our hearts and spirits in rejoicing. Because Jesus came into this world when things were not so good to the Israelites. People lived under Roman rule, social and religious problems made the life of ordinary people difficult and dangerous. Those who were haves had too much and those who had too little survived with minimum things. Perhaps we are living in such precarious conditions today as we celebrate this Christmas.

Advent - A Sign of Finding God's Favour

Fourth Sunday of Advent - 20 December 2020

Readings -  2 Samuel 7:1–5, 8–11, 16; Psalm 89:2–5, 27, 29; Romans 16:25–27; Luke 1:26–38

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I. God is full of favours who fills us

“Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favour with God" (Luke 1:30). Perhaps we would like to hear again and again these beautiful words of angel Gabriel addressed to a young virgin of Nazareth. They are so much comforting, soothing, fulfilling, encouraging and energising. We need these words as we end this calendar year with so much anxiety and uncertainty. For our good fortune, we have tremendously encouraging words on this Fourth Sunday of Advent. As we inch closer to celebrate the birthday of our Lord Jesus Christ, certainly God has something very concrete to say to us. Our God is full of hope and courage. In Him and through Him we can do anything to find a future of certainty and unambiguity. God in our midst is like a rock; for He is our salvation and strength. “Rejoice, you who enjoy God’s favour! The Lord is with you” (Luke 1:28) must ring in our ears as we put our trust in Him. Perhaps with the things of this world, we can get caught up in the busyness of our lives, or so overwhelmed by all that is going on around us. As a result sometimes it can be so hard to find joy or recognise God's favour. It is easy to feel like we have been abandoned. We can question where God is in the world today. Therefore, sometimes we need to stop, and take the time to look around, we can spot the little things that remind us that God is with us  and filling our empty selves with so many favours too.

Advent: Being a Joyful Witness of the Gospel

Third Sunday of Advent - 13 December 2020

Readings: Isaiah 61:1–2, 10–11; Luke 1:46–50, 53–54; 1 Thessalonians 5:16–24; John 1:6–8, 19–28

(The Apparition of Christ to the People [1837-57], a photo by Gandalf's Gallery)

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I. A time to rejoice in the half-way of Advent

We are in the middle of the Season of Advent. The liturgy of this Sunday invites us to rejoice. Therefore, the third Sunday of Advent is traditionally called the Gaudete Sunday. In Latin, Gaudete means "to rejoice." Just like Lent, Advent is also a time to practice some sort of mortification and penance. Even though this kind of penitential elements might not be practised in Latin Rite Catholic Church but is very much prevalent in Byzantine Rite Churches (in Slavic countries like Russia, Ukraine, etc.) where people abstain from taking meat and other diary products. In the midst of such a dry and penitential atmosphere Gaudete Sunday or the Rejoice Sunday brings a little reprieve, a note of anticipated delight in the mid-way of Advent. Hence, the readings of this Sunday brighten us up especially Prophet Isaiah and St Paul amply describe the theme of joy in a very vibrant way asking people to rejoice because "God has clothed us with garments of salvation" (Is 61:2). We can rejoice because our Messiah did come.  God kept – and continues to keep – promises.  Rejoice!