Matteo Ricci, S.J, was a Jesuit priest and missionary to China. He was one of the first Christian missionaries in China for more than 1000 years. Ricci and a group of Jesuits were the first Roman Catholic (Latin) missionaries to China. He is sometimes called Apostle of China, and for good reason. Here is his story, the story of a remarkable man.
A scientist, "Rennaisance Man", Jesuit priest and deep thinker, Ricci was all of these as well as great missionary. Ricci was born in 1552 in Macerata, a small town in Italy, just east of Rome. The elder Ricci sent his son to Rome to study law. Instead, the young man of sixteen entered the Jesuit novitiate of Sant’Andrea.
Ricci greatly desired to serve in the Chinese mission, and he got his wish. Ricci was ordained a priest, and was sent to Macao, the Portugese territory in South China. There, he taught humanities and completed studies in theology, as well as learnt the Chinese language, a difficult language to master especially as it has no fixed alphabet. At the same time, the young priest battled poor health and illness.
Ricci arrived in South China in 1582, and arrived at the imperial court of Wanli in 1601. Ricci began missionary work in China, and soon learned the elegance, grandeur and majesty of ancient Chinese civilisation. Ricci saw his mission differently from saints such as St. Francis Xavier, and carried out his mission primarily through the scientific apostolate.
He mastered classical Chinese and gained influence among the court officials and intelligentsia by introducing western maps and even a clock. In 1607 he and Chinese Catholic mathematician Xu Guangqi (himself converted due to Ricci's effots) translated the first parts of Euclid's Elements into Chinese. Ricci's work on a Chinese-language atlas of the world included coining Chinese names for European countries. many of which are still in use in Chinese today.
Ricci brought Western advancements such as triggonometry, the Gregorian Calendar (the Jesuits in China reformed the Chinese calendar system), Venetian glass and western philosophy to China. He also translated Confucius' teachings into Latin (the name Confucius is Ricci's own latinization). Ricci translated Christian teachings from Latin into Chinese, expressing the rich meaning behind them and winning over countless converts from among court officials. He taught Chinese scholars how to construct a memory palace to remember facts and figures. However, he became involved in a bitter and needless controversy over Chinese ancestor worchip. Nevertheless, he still was a mighty champion of Chinese culture, and Catholic morality.
In 1610, Matteo Ricci–known in China as "Li-ma-teu," died from "the strain of the apostolate which demanded a multiplication of the self." He left 2,500 Chinese Catholics, including many of the educated class. Of the eighteen Jesuits laboring there, half were indigenous Chinese.
Today, the Chinese regard Ricci as nothing less than a national hero. Even the Chinese Communist Party acknowledged this. Matteo Ricci stands out even today as a beacon of culture, something the Catholic Church has always stood for over the centuries.
On 9 April 1984 his cause for canonization was introduced. His cause has been completed on the diocesan level, giving him the title "Servant of God". If you have information relevant his cause, such as miracle reports through his intercession or documentation, contact Curia Diocesana di Macerata, Piazza Strambi, 3, 62019 Macerata, Italy.
Sources:
About Matteo Ricci: http://www.spiritus-temporis.com/matteo-ricci/
http://matrix.scranton.edu/about/ab_matteo_ricci.shtml
http://www.faculty.fairfield.edu/jmac/sj/scientist/ricci.htm, which in turn quotes: Archivum Historicum Societatis Iesu ( AHSI ) Rome: Institutum Historicum
Bangert, William A History of the Society of Jesus. St. Louis: St. Louis Institute, 1972uis, 1810
Boyer, Carl A history of mathematics. New York: Wiley, 1968
Burke-Gaffney, M. W. Kepler and the Jesuits. Milwaukee: Bruce, 1944,
Cajori, Florian A history of mathematical notations 2 vols. Chicago: Open Court, 1928
Encyclopedia Britannica. 24 vols. Chicago: Benton, 1959
Gallagher, Louis China in 16th Century: journals of Matthew Ricci New York: 1953
Gillispie, Charles. C. ed., Dictionary of Scientific biography. 16 vols. New York: Charles Scribner and Sons, 1970
Oldenburg, Henry ed. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society. vols. 1-30. London: 1665-1715
Reilly, Conor "A catalogue of Jesuitica in the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London" in A.H.S.I. vol. 27,1958, p. 339-362
Sarton, GeorgeThe study of the history of mathematics. Cambridge, Mass: Harvard, 1936
Sommervogel, Carolus Bibliothèque de la compagnie de Jésus. 12 volumes. Bruxelles: Société Belge de Libraire, 1890-1960
Mention of Matteo Ricci is made in the Dictionary of Scientific Biography: Vol. 3 p311, Vol. 4 p457, Vol. 7 p19, Vol. 10 p103, Vol. 11 p402-403, Vol. 14 p162-4.
Also 36 entries are found in Sommervogel; some examples are the following:
Ki ho youen pen - Geometrica Practica (Peking, 1595 ;later reprinted in Nanking,1865)
Hoen kai tong hien tou cho - Explanation of the celestial sphere (Peking, 1607)
Also quoted in this essay are:
Gilbert Highet: The Art of Teaching. New York: Knopf, 1954, p. 222-223.
Joseph Needham: Civilization in China. vol. 3 Cambridge: University Press, 1959, p. 173.
John F. Baddeley: Russia, Mongolia, China, 1602-1676. New York: Burt Franklin, 1916.
Cause for sainthood: http://saints.sqpn.com/ncd07089.htm
Servant of God Matteo Ricci, S.J, ora pro nobis.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Saturday, December 5, 2009
What is Jesus like?
According to the teaching of the Catholic Church, Jesus has two separate natures, human and divine, united within His one Person. Therefore, He is both God and man at the same time. This is what enabled Him to die and atone for us - His dual nature. The other reason was that He was perfect, the most holy, perfect man that ever lived. He was sinless.
Although Jesus was perfect, Jesus was also human. He understood our faults, failings and saw them in others. Jesus was accustomed very much to life as we know it. While He may not have had cars and subways in his day, He was accustomed to manual labour and the sweaty smell of men (remember that He was a carpenter). He was also accustomed to intellectualism and both its merits and its many failings - remember that He debated with Israel's finest and sharpest lawyers in the temple.
Jesus also felt human emotion. When Lazarus, his friend, died Jesus wept. (John 11:35, the shortest single bible verse). Was Jesus scared before He died? I bet He was. Surely. He cried tears of blood! (Luke 22:39-46). Yet, obiediently, He modeled the way for us by obeying his heavenly father.
Our Christian culture sometimes, quite regrettably, porrays and overly stern and judgemental view of God. While this is true in the sense that God wishes us to turn from our sins and not willfully engage in sin, He loves us. Always. He said to the woman caught in adultery - in the very act - "Neither do I condemn you. Go, and sin no more." He forgave Peter, who became an apostate and denied Him thrice. He even made Peter the first Pope! He will always forgive us, as long as we are sincerely sorry and come to him with a humble heart.
Jesus is God, and God is love.
Recommended further reading/watching:
-The Passion of the Christ (movie) starring Jim Caviezel and directed by Mel Gibson
-A Life of Jesus by Shusaku Endo
Although Jesus was perfect, Jesus was also human. He understood our faults, failings and saw them in others. Jesus was accustomed very much to life as we know it. While He may not have had cars and subways in his day, He was accustomed to manual labour and the sweaty smell of men (remember that He was a carpenter). He was also accustomed to intellectualism and both its merits and its many failings - remember that He debated with Israel's finest and sharpest lawyers in the temple.
Jesus also felt human emotion. When Lazarus, his friend, died Jesus wept. (John 11:35, the shortest single bible verse). Was Jesus scared before He died? I bet He was. Surely. He cried tears of blood! (Luke 22:39-46). Yet, obiediently, He modeled the way for us by obeying his heavenly father.
Our Christian culture sometimes, quite regrettably, porrays and overly stern and judgemental view of God. While this is true in the sense that God wishes us to turn from our sins and not willfully engage in sin, He loves us. Always. He said to the woman caught in adultery - in the very act - "Neither do I condemn you. Go, and sin no more." He forgave Peter, who became an apostate and denied Him thrice. He even made Peter the first Pope! He will always forgive us, as long as we are sincerely sorry and come to him with a humble heart.
Jesus is God, and God is love.
Recommended further reading/watching:
-The Passion of the Christ (movie) starring Jim Caviezel and directed by Mel Gibson
-A Life of Jesus by Shusaku Endo
Jesus - Who is He?
Who is Jesus? There is so much confusion about Him in the world today. To atheists, agnostics and others, He was simply a carpenter from Nazareth in Israel who was crucified by the Romans for revolting. To the never-ending line of self proclaimed gurus and self-made spiritual coaches today, He is just one in a long queue of saviors sent to the world.
To us Catholics, and most other Chistian groups, Jesus is the one Savior sent from God to save mankind from their sins. According to the Bible and Christian Doctrine, Jesus died on the Cross to atone for our sins through the sacrifice of Himself. However, to Christians, Jesus is not just someone sent by God, but also-at the same time-God Incarnate (God made into flesh). According to the Catholic Church, this means that he has two separate yet united natures: human and divine. He was also sinless. He did not sin, and so could die on the Cross to redeem us from our sins.
What is necessary to be "valid" for this redemption? Firstly: all who genuinely know the Good News of the Lord and the news of his salvation must ask God to take away their sins, and believe (having faith) in Jesus and his death on the Cross. Secondly (and this is where the teaching of the Catholic and Protestant churches differs), they need to live and act out their faith by at least trying to keep from sin and engaging in good works. (James 2:20, "Faith without works is dead").
To us Catholics, and most other Chistian groups, Jesus is the one Savior sent from God to save mankind from their sins. According to the Bible and Christian Doctrine, Jesus died on the Cross to atone for our sins through the sacrifice of Himself. However, to Christians, Jesus is not just someone sent by God, but also-at the same time-God Incarnate (God made into flesh). According to the Catholic Church, this means that he has two separate yet united natures: human and divine. He was also sinless. He did not sin, and so could die on the Cross to redeem us from our sins.
What is necessary to be "valid" for this redemption? Firstly: all who genuinely know the Good News of the Lord and the news of his salvation must ask God to take away their sins, and believe (having faith) in Jesus and his death on the Cross. Secondly (and this is where the teaching of the Catholic and Protestant churches differs), they need to live and act out their faith by at least trying to keep from sin and engaging in good works. (James 2:20, "Faith without works is dead").
Quotes 1
Here are some quotes I dug up. They spoke to me in their own way and I hope they speak to you too.
The wild worship of lawlessness and the materialist worship of law end in the same void. Nietzsche scales staggering mountains, but he turns up ultimately in Tibet. He sits down beside Tolstoy in the land of nothing and Nirvana. They are both helpless — one because he must not grasp anything, and the other because he must not let go of anything. The Tolstoyan's will is frozen by an instinct that all special actions are evil. But the Nietzscheite's will is quite equally frozen by his view that all special actions are good; for if all special actions are good, none of them are special. They stand at the crossroads, and one hates all the roads and the other likes all the roads. The result is — well, some things are not hard to calculate. They stand at the cross-roads.
-G.K Chesterton
"Ought history to hide the faults of men and Orders? It was not after this fashion that the Saints laid open the scandals of their times... God indeed has conferred upon His Church the prerogative of infallibility, but to none of her members has He granted immunity from sin. Peter was a sinner and a renegade, and God has been at pains to have that fact recorded in the Gospels".
-Jean-Baptise Henri Lacordaire, O.P.
"But after all it seems to me that Catholicism is not a solo, but a symphony… If I have trust in Catholicism, it is because I find in it much more possibility than in any other religion for representing the full symphony of humanity. The other religions have almost no fullness; they have but solo parts. Only Catholicism can present the full symphony".
-Shusaku Endo
The wild worship of lawlessness and the materialist worship of law end in the same void. Nietzsche scales staggering mountains, but he turns up ultimately in Tibet. He sits down beside Tolstoy in the land of nothing and Nirvana. They are both helpless — one because he must not grasp anything, and the other because he must not let go of anything. The Tolstoyan's will is frozen by an instinct that all special actions are evil. But the Nietzscheite's will is quite equally frozen by his view that all special actions are good; for if all special actions are good, none of them are special. They stand at the crossroads, and one hates all the roads and the other likes all the roads. The result is — well, some things are not hard to calculate. They stand at the cross-roads.
-G.K Chesterton
"Ought history to hide the faults of men and Orders? It was not after this fashion that the Saints laid open the scandals of their times... God indeed has conferred upon His Church the prerogative of infallibility, but to none of her members has He granted immunity from sin. Peter was a sinner and a renegade, and God has been at pains to have that fact recorded in the Gospels".
-Jean-Baptise Henri Lacordaire, O.P.
"But after all it seems to me that Catholicism is not a solo, but a symphony… If I have trust in Catholicism, it is because I find in it much more possibility than in any other religion for representing the full symphony of humanity. The other religions have almost no fullness; they have but solo parts. Only Catholicism can present the full symphony".
-Shusaku Endo
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
St. Francis and the Sultan
This is an account of St. Francis meeting with the Sultan. It gives a powerful message of peace and hope for all of us, Christians and Muslims, and by extension, all peoples.
"Francis was sick of the fighting. Sick of war being waged in the name of the Prince of Peace. He left Assisi for the lands of the Crusades. He would demand an audience with the Sultan. He would explain everything, the merciful teachings of Christ. On behalf of his Muslim brothers, the Sultan would forgive Francis' Christian brothers. He would be so moved that he would lay down his arms and follow Christ.
Malik al-Kamil had heard about the Poor One of Assisi. Having spent his life learning the mystical side of Islam, the Sultan saw Francis as a fellow Sufi. It would not take much to awaken his Christian brother, who would remember his true nature and embrace Islam.
"As'salaam alaykum, Peace be upon you", the Sultan greeted when Francis entered his tent.
"Alaykum as'salaam, May God's peace be upon you too," Francis answered.
Francis knelt before Malik.
"Tell me about your faith," said the Sultan. "I wish to know what lights a heart such as yours on fire."
Francis spoke with a rush of passion and joy, anguish and acceptance. Malik listened with gratitude and respect. At last, the Sultan whispered, "La ilahha, il allah". The Friar echoed "There is no God but God".
"Muhammadah rasulullah," Malik added. "And Muhammad is his messenger".
Francis smiled. "And Jesus is his word made flesh."
The Sultan hugged Francis. "I'm afraid today is not my day to become a Christian," Malik said, though your faith is beautiful."
"Nor will I convert to Islam," Francis said, though your Prophet seems to understand the teachings of my Lord.
"Thank you for your wisdom," said the Sultan. "You are always welcome here. Pray for me, my brother, and farewell."
(From The Admonitions, V)
What this beautiful story shows is the way for religious harmony. We must always believe in our faith and not every faith, as some do, but we must never force it on others. Our job is always to "propose, not impose".
We should never treat bringing others into our respective faiths as some sort of race. It is a journey, for them and for us. Even the Quran says "There is no compulsion in matters of faith..." (Surah al-Baqarah: 256). The Church teaches something similar.
"Francis was sick of the fighting. Sick of war being waged in the name of the Prince of Peace. He left Assisi for the lands of the Crusades. He would demand an audience with the Sultan. He would explain everything, the merciful teachings of Christ. On behalf of his Muslim brothers, the Sultan would forgive Francis' Christian brothers. He would be so moved that he would lay down his arms and follow Christ.
Malik al-Kamil had heard about the Poor One of Assisi. Having spent his life learning the mystical side of Islam, the Sultan saw Francis as a fellow Sufi. It would not take much to awaken his Christian brother, who would remember his true nature and embrace Islam.
"As'salaam alaykum, Peace be upon you", the Sultan greeted when Francis entered his tent.
"Alaykum as'salaam, May God's peace be upon you too," Francis answered.
Francis knelt before Malik.
"Tell me about your faith," said the Sultan. "I wish to know what lights a heart such as yours on fire."
Francis spoke with a rush of passion and joy, anguish and acceptance. Malik listened with gratitude and respect. At last, the Sultan whispered, "La ilahha, il allah". The Friar echoed "There is no God but God".
"Muhammadah rasulullah," Malik added. "And Muhammad is his messenger".
Francis smiled. "And Jesus is his word made flesh."
The Sultan hugged Francis. "I'm afraid today is not my day to become a Christian," Malik said, though your faith is beautiful."
"Nor will I convert to Islam," Francis said, though your Prophet seems to understand the teachings of my Lord.
"Thank you for your wisdom," said the Sultan. "You are always welcome here. Pray for me, my brother, and farewell."
(From The Admonitions, V)
What this beautiful story shows is the way for religious harmony. We must always believe in our faith and not every faith, as some do, but we must never force it on others. Our job is always to "propose, not impose".
We should never treat bringing others into our respective faiths as some sort of race. It is a journey, for them and for us. Even the Quran says "There is no compulsion in matters of faith..." (Surah al-Baqarah: 256). The Church teaches something similar.
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