St. Anthony Messenger August 2018

Sharing the spirit of St. Francis with the world V O L . 1 2 6 / N O . 3 • AUGUST 2018

IN THIS ISSUE:

Catholic book reviews and recommendations PAGES 52–53

ST. FRANCIS

SCHOOL ‘I (STILL) HAVE A DREAM’

ST. CLARE OF ASSISI AND LADY POVERTY MYSTICISM FOR THE MASSES JESUS, THE PROPHET

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VOL. 126 NO. 3

AUGUST

2018

36 ‘I (Still) Have a Dream’:

St. Francis of Assisi School

COVER STORY

By John Feister; photography by Andy Lo

During the 50th anniversary of a key year in the civil rights movement, St. Francis School looks to the future in Mississippi.

18 Radical Saint, Radical Faith:

Clare of Assisi

By Ilia Delio, OSF

She gave up a world of privilege for a world of poverty.

Her profound faith is a model for us all.

22 A Tabernacle of Trees

By Angela Steiert

Under a leafy canopy and with an unlikely trail companion, she replenishes her sense of wonder at God’s creation.

COVER and ABOVE: Faith and the Franciscan charism are at the core of St. Francis of Assisi School’s mission to enrich the minds and spirits of its diverse student body.

26 Mysticism for the Masses

By Richard B. Patterson, PhD

When we open our hearts and quiet our minds, we can experience God’s presence in powerful ways. It starts with paying attention.

32 Jesus, the Prophet

By Father Roger Karban

If we look at Jesus as human, as his earliest disciples did, it may change the way we follow his teachings.

44 Fiction: First Flight

By Janet M. Rogerson; illustration by Barry Ross

Will her fear keep her on the ground?

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VOL. 126 NO. 3

The servant of the brothers should “not become angry at another’s fault but with all patience and humility let the servant admonish and support the other one.”

2018 AUGUST

—St. Francis of Assisi

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14 SPIRIT OF ST. FRANCIS 12 Ask a Franciscan

How Can I Know God’s Will?

24 POINTS OF VIEW 6

Your Voice

Letters from Readers

14 Franciscan World

24 Editorial

14 St. Anthony Stories

30 At Home on Earth

15 Followers of St. Francis

54 Faith & Family

Secular Franciscan Order

Bullying: Not Just a Kid Problem

Finding Bella

Chop Wood, Carry Water

Sister Mary Pia Malaborbor, OSC

50 MEDIA MATTERS 48 Reel Time

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom

50 Channel Surfing In Memoriam: Anthony Bourdain

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What a Hero Looks Like

55

51 Audio File

Ry Cooder | The Prodigal Son

52 Bookshelf

A Mind at Peace: Reclaiming an Ordered Soul in the Age of Distraction

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE 4 From Father Dan

51 Pete & Repeat

8 Church in the News

56 Reflection

5 Dear Reader

16 Notes from a Friar

55 In the Kitchen

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FRANCISCAN MEDIA | MISSION UPDATE Spreading the Gospel

W

Dan Kroger, OFM

e here at Franciscan Media, a nonprofit ministry of the Franciscan Friars of St. John the Baptist Province, know that the way the Gospel was preached in the time of St. Francis is not the same way as it is shared today. That is our challenge: to adapt to new forms of spreading the Gospel message. For the past 125 years, we have shared that message through this magazine.

But times have changed. And we understand that while the way we communicate may continually change, the message does not. Like St. Francis, we seek to push the boundaries of what’s possible in bringing the Gospel to all who need it.

That is why, in addition to this magazine, we provide books, audio, video, and a wealth of free online resources on our website, FranciscanMedia.org. Our Saint of the Day and Minute Meditations features are perennial favorites and have kept pace with today’s lifestyles by being available in print, on our website, and on Amazon Alexa.

As Franciscan Father Frank Jasper points out: “Franciscan Media reaches more people in one day than I have met and reached out to in my entire Franciscan ministry. It’s a multiplication of the message of the Gospel of Jesus.”

Our goal at Franciscan Media is to cultivate an active, healthy spiritual environment wherever our followers need it most, whether on the go, at work, or in the home. In doing so, we hope to spread the Gospel in the spirit of St. Francis.

Thank you for supporting our ministry through your subscription to this magazine, your purchase of our books, or your generous donations. Together we will fill the world with Franciscan spirit.

Peace and all good,

4 • August 2018 | StAnthonyMessenger.org

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PHOTO CREDIT HERE

?

WANT MORE? Visit our website: FranciscanMedia.org

Every week, hundreds of handwritten prayer requests are delivered to Franciscan Media’s home office. Prayer intentions also flood our shrine (StAnthonyShrine.org). Each day, the staff assembles to pray for those in need—especially those who have sent in prayer requests. Father Dan Kroger (left) and Father Pat McCloskey gather beside our St. Anthony statue to read and pray over prayer intentions.

LEFT: MC KOZUSKO/SAM (2)

Daniel Kroger, OFM, Publisher

ST. ANTHONY

MESSENGER PUBLISHER

Daniel Kroger, OFM PRESIDENT

Kelly McCracken EXECUTIVE EDITORS

Christopher Heffron Susan Hines-Brigger

FRANCISCAN EDITOR

Pat McCloskey, OFM ART DIRECTOR

Mary Catherine Kozusko MANAGING EDITOR

Daniel Imwalle

EDITORIAL ASSISTANT

Sharon Lape INTERNS

Jessica Coors, Design Erika Glover, Editorial

dear reader Thank You, Sister Rose

I

met Sister Rose Pacatte, FSP, at a popular Cincinnati restaurant called Washington Platform in 2003. As a lifelong film fanatic, I was eager to pelt St. Anthony Messenger’s new critic with questions that really mattered: Has Spielberg gone soft? Meryl Streep: most talented or most overrated? Why does Al Pacino have an Oscar for Scent of a Woman? Because the table was full of inquisitive editors, I wasn’t able to ask my questions as readily as I had hoped.

Sister Rose is celebrating 15 years with this magazine as the author of “Reel Time,” and I’ve had the privilege of working with her as the editor of that column.

In those years, I’ve learned that her gracious demeanor masks a startling intellect.

Sister Rose is one of the foremost media authorities in the world today. Earlier this year, she received her doctorate of ministry with a concentration in film and pastoral communication. She’s wielded her acumen as a jurist at both the Berlin and Venice film festivals. She’s been a rotating host for Turner Classic Movies and has rubbed elbows with countless Hollywood heavy hitters.

But all of that is secondary to what I admire most about Sister Rose: her faith.

It informs her writing, her studies, and her keen analysis of media. She travels the world—and her faith is her trusty compass. We’re lucky to have her. I’m fortunate to know her.

Thank you, Sister Rose.

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Kingery Printing Co. Effingham, IL ST. ANTHONY MESSENGER (ISSN #0036276X) (U.S.P.S. PUBLICATION #007956 CANADA PUBLICATION #PM40036350) Volume 126, Number 3, is published monthly for $39.00 a year by the Franciscan Friars of St. John the Baptist Province, 28 W. Liberty Street, Cincinnati, Ohio 45202-6498. Phone 513-241-5615. Periodicals postage paid at Cincinnati, Ohio, and additional entry offices.

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FranciscanMedia.org

ILIA DELIO, OSF

ANDY LO

BARRY ROSS

Radical Saint, Radical Faith: Clare of Assisi

‘I (Still) Have a Dream’: St. Francis of Assisi School

FICTION: First Flight

PAGE 18

PAGE 36

Ilia Delio, OSF, is the founder and visionary behind the Omega Center, an online forum striving to facilitate a deepening of consciousness, conversation, and connection as we seek God in our scientific age. She is a Franciscan Sister of Washington, DC, respected academic and theologian, and author of numerous books and articles.

Andy Lo graduated with degrees in mass communications and business, as well as a master’s in business administration, from Mississippi Valley State University. This busy entrepreneur operates his family’s store, Goodwill Groceries, and owns a restaurant, a cell phone repair business, and several rental properties.

writer

photographer

illustrator PAGE 44

Born and raised in New York City, Barry Ross graduated from Pratt Institute with a BFA in graphic arts and illustration. His career has spanned more than 50 years as a nationally recognized illustrator. He also gained renown as a sports illustrator, featured regularly in Golf Magazine, Flying Magazine, and Sports Illustrated.

StAnthonyMessenger.org | August 2018 • 5

POINTSOFVIEW | YOUR VOICE Father Richard’s High Praise You do us proud! What a strong and attractive issue for your 125th anniversary! Thank you! There are so many good things to say about you, especially the balance you express on so many positions—like Father Pat McCloskey’s concise defense of centering prayer in his “Ask a Franciscan” column from the May issue. You lead the Church forward without being pushy or making people take offense needlessly. I call it “Franciscan soft prophecy”! Thank you. Hugs and love and gratitude to all of you!

Father Richard Rohr, OFM Albuquerque, New Mexico

flowing through Christians (including the pope), people will depart and look for spiritual nourishment elsewhere.

Those who have seen and tasted the ever-present, ever-revealing Jesus of justice, mercy, wisdom, compassion, forgiveness, and desire know that his spirit reigns over any ego-driven ecclesial policies, rules, or regulations in the canon archives.

We thank God that Jesus the Christ never once allowed arbitrary religious laws and official positions to defeat the higher authority of love.

Charles Jude and Agnes Budinger Springfield, Illinois

Capuchin Omission

Homilists, Take Note

I’m writing regarding Father Pat McCloskey’s “Franciscan World” column from the June issue, titled “Friars Minor Capuchin.” The end of the column lists the US Capuchin provinces, but not the Capuchin Franciscans Western America Province, headquartered in Burlingame, California. I am just wondering why they were omitted.

I am a recent subscriber to St. Anthony Messenger. Your magazine is special in the realm of Catholic periodicals because of your devotion to St. Francis and his love of nature and animals.

I applaud Susan Hines-Brigger’s January 2018 editorial, “It’s Time to Speak Up.” To the list of current world problems that need speaking of, please add the rampant abuse of animals in nearly every aspect of human life. Since my childhood, family members have modeled love and compassion for all life, not only that of humans.

As a teenager, my eyes were opened to the horror of animal abuse. In my 73 years of regular Mass attendance, I have never heard a homily that spoke to the sin of animal abuse in any or all of its forms. Animals are my best friends— innocent from birth to death!

I agree with the anonymous letter writer in the “Your Voice” column from the May issue (“Church Needs to Address Sexism, Violence, and Other Societal Woes”). He or she wrote about how many homilies fail to help people deal with today’s problems. I have communicated my concerns to pastors to no avail. Priests miss a great opportunity to inform and educate a “captive” audience!

Almuth Stann Burlingame, California

Look to God’s Love for Authority We read with interest two side-by-side news stories in Susan Hines-Brigger’s “Church in the News” column from the June issue of St. Anthony Messenger.

The first (“Priests’ Group Recommends Revisions in US Priestly Formation”) speaks of priestly concerns about the mass exodus of Catholics from the Church and the increasing numbers of Americans who desire spirituality over religiosity. The second (“Cardinal Burke Addresses Papal Authority”) highlights hierarchical apprehensions about Pope Francis’ overt compassion for divorced, civilly remarried Catholics desiring Communion.

It is our opinion that as long as we have hierarchy that is so tethered to canon law and that takes ever-ready aim at every initiative of the Holy Spirit

Mary Gail Lau Fairmont, Minnesota

QUOTES FROM A RECENT ONLINE SURVEY “The new format of the magazine is fresh, clean, and easy to read. Good work.”

“I like finding out about other kinds of work that Franciscans are doing in the ‘Followers of St. Francis’ column.”

“Father Richard Rohr’s articles always give me so much food for thought and meditation. He is so wise.”

“I’m pleased with the new look of the magazine. I especially enjoy articles about contemporary Catholicism and personal stories of faith. The media reviews are helpful too.”

“I am thankful to learn about people in the world who show us all how to follow the approach of St. Francis by performing good deeds.”

“I’m glad you kept the ‘Reflection’ pages—I often use those as posters for my classroom.”

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New Design Needs to Take Different Direction Since the recent redesign of St. Anthony Messenger, I have found the cover images of your magazine to be dark and depressing.

The June photo of Father Rob Galea makes him look dark and sinister. Why do that when his message is one of hope and joy? The May cover—celebrating 125 years of St. Anthony Messenger’s publication—with the drastically stylized artwork was just scary.

The April cover title is “Repairing Christianity’s Most Sacred Shrine.” But the building looks dark, dirty, and excessively cluttered. Your recently revised art direction has gone in the wrong direction. Magazine covers should inspire anticipation, not revulsion.

Dorothy Westermann Eau Claire, Wisconsin

Portrait of St. Anthony ‘Refreshing’ I cannot tell you how much I liked the May cover of St. Anthony Messenger. I happened to see it in a waiting room and was intrigued by the image, so I picked up the magazine and happily read through it. I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the articles.

Keep up the good work and keep showing us new and contemporary depictions of the saints that we have held in esteem for hundreds of years. It is so refreshing to see images that will appeal to new generations.

I happen to be an art lover and have studied European art and religious icons. Believe me when I say that it’s so energizing to see a new wave of styles for our 21st century. It’s art that younger people can relate to and something

that evokes emotion without being depressing—as in Goya’s portait of St. Anthony. Keep up the good work.

Donna DeLacy Glendale, California

A Note from the Next Generation I’m a 12-year-old, soon-to-be seventh grader at St. Monica Catholic School. I’m also a Boy Scout in Indianapolis, Indiana. I’m working on my communication merit badge and am supposed to read a magazine article and then write a letter to the editor.

I chose Angela Steiert’s article from the June 2018 issue of St. Anthony Messenger, “From Guilt to Grace.” I really like this story because it explains how I can see Christ in unexpected people. In my own life, I see Christ in school and in church, which are places I would expect to see him.

However, now I wonder how many times Christ has showed up in my life and I have not seen him. In this article, the writer saw Christ and turned away from him, a decision that bothered her for a long time. I probably have ignored Christ too. This article really explains how God gives us many opportunities to see him and help others.

I know that God’s message is different from the world’s. I hear my pastor talk about that at Mass. The author of the article helped me see that message in a different way.

The next time I am asked to do volunteer service, I will try to keep an open mind and look at the situation with new eyes. Thanks for all you do.

Teddy Isakson Indianapolis, Indiana

Corrections: The omission referred to in Almuth Stann’s letter (p. 6) was Father Pat McCloskey’s mistake.

The quote in the “Reflection” page from the March 2018 issue was from Lewis Grizzard.

DISCLAIMER: Letters that are published do not necessarily represent the views of the Franciscan friars or the editors.

We do not publish libel. Please include your name and postal address. Letters may be edited for clarity and space.

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StAnthonyMessenger.org | August 2018 • 7

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church IN THE NEWS

people | events | trends

By Susan Hines-Br ig ger

BISHOPS RESPOND TO US IMMIGRATION POLICY

People protest the separation of families in San Diego June 23. The associate director for children’s services for the US bishops’ Migration and Refugee Services office says hundreds of American adults have called, offering to provide foster care for the separated children.

t their annual spring meeting, the US bishops condemned the “zero-tolerance” policy for border crossers that has led to the separation of parents and children, calling it “immoral,” reported Catholic News Service (CNS). Pope Francis offered his support, saying, “I am on the side of the bishops’ conference.”

The current policy states that adults who cross the border will be charged with a felony rather than a misdemeanor.

Under federal statute, those charged with felonies cannot have their children detained with them, so children and parents are being separated. The sight of children being separated from their parents and detained in facilities has sparked controversy.

On June 20, President Donald Trump signed an executive order halting his administration’s family separation policy for families who have crossed the US-Mexico border illegally.

At the bishops’ spring meeting, Cardinal Daniel DiNardo, president of the conference, issued a statement on behalf of the bishops regarding the situation. “While protecting our borders is important, we can and must do better as a government, and as a society, to find other ways to ensure that safety. Separating babies from their mothers is not the answer and is immoral,” he said.

At the Archdiocese of Los Angeles’ annual Mass in Recognition of All Immigrants on June 24, Archbishop José H. Gomez renewed his call for immigration reform.

“For years now, we have been asking our leaders to fix our broken immigration system. Year after year, they keep telling us, ‘Mañana, mañana.’ Next year. It makes no difference which political party is in power, there is always some excuse.

Brothers and sisters, we need to tell our leaders—no more mañanas, no more excuses. The time is now.”

D

uring an in-flight news conference this past June, Pope Francis told reporters that it was up to individual bishops to decide how to handle the question of allowing Protestants married to Catholics to receive Communion at Mass in special cases. It cannot, he said, be addressed by a bishops’ conference.

The pope was asked about his recent decision requesting that the Catholic bishops’ conference of Germany not publish nationwide guidelines for allowing Communion for such couples.

He said the guidelines went beyond what is foreseen by the Code of Canon Law, “and there is the problem.” The code does not provide for nationwide policies, he said, but “provides for the bishop of the diocese [to make a decision on each case], not the bishops’ conference.” He said that bishops’ conferences can study the issue and offer guidelines that help each bishop handle individual cases.

8 • August 2018 | StAnthonyMessenger.org

Cardinal Rainer Maria Woelki, Cardinal Reinhard Marx, and four other German bishops met with Vatican officials on May 3 to discuss plans to allow greater access to the Eucharist for Protestants married to Catholics.

LEFT: CNS PHOTO/DAVID MAUNG; RIGHT: CNS PHOTO/JORG LOEFFKE, KNA

INDIVIDUAL BISHOPS MUST DECIDE ABOUT COMMUNION IN MIXED MARRIAGES

BOTTOM: CNS PHOTO/GREGORY A. SHEMITZ; TOP LEFT: CNS PHOTO/CLAUDIO GIOVANNINI, EPA; TOP RIGHT: CNS PHOTO/VATICAN MEDIA

A

AN APOLOGY LONG OVERDUE

POPE’S NEW FLIGHT SUIT

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t an event on June 5, Irish President Michael D. Higgins apologized to women and children for their treatment at Magdalene laundries, run by religious sisters, calling them “a deep stain on Ireland’s past.” The institutions were common in Great Britain and Ireland in President Michael D. Higgins the 20th century. The women sent to work in the laundries, the last of which closed in 1996, were given the work of washing laundry as a penance for sins—real or imagined.

Some of the young women were sent by parents or civil authorities for reasons that included having children out of wedlock, being seen as sexually promiscuous, or being perceived as being in moral danger.

Higgins told the women in attendance, “All of you and all the other women who cannot be with us today were failed by these institutions, the experience of which you share, and the religious orders that ran them.”

Pope Francis receives a flight suit from Italian astronaut Paolo A. Nespoli during a meeting with astronauts from Expedition 53 of the International Space Station.

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stronauts from the International Space Station presented Pope Francis with a custom-made blue flight suit with patches of the Argentine flag, his papal coat of arms, and a pair of angel wings with his crew name, Jorge M. Bergoglio, during a meeting with the pope this past June, reported CNS. The crew requested a meeting with the pope after he spoke with them via satellite last October.

CREDIBLE ABUSE ALLEGATION MADE AGAINST US CARDINAL BOTTOM: CNS PHOTO/GREGORY A. SHEMITZ; TOP LEFT: CNS PHOTO/CLAUDIO GIOVANNINI, EPA; TOP RIGHT: CNS PHOTO/VATICAN MEDIA

LEFT: CNS PHOTO/DAVID MAUNG; RIGHT: CNS PHOTO/JORG LOEFFKE, KNA

C

ardinal Theodore E. McCarrick, retired Timothy M. Dolan said the alleged archbishop of Washington, DC, will abuse occurred during the time Cardinal no longer exercise any public ministry “in McCarrick served as an archdiocesan obedience” to the Vatican after an allegapriest in New York. tion that he abused a teenager 47 years ago The allegation was turned over to law was found credible, reported CNS. enforcement officials. It was then thorIn a June 20 statement, Cardinal oughly investigated by an independent McCarrick said: “While shocked by the forensic agency, as per the Charter for the report, and while maintaining my innoProtection of Children and Young People cence, I considered it essential that the first approved by the US bishops in 2002. charges be reported to the police, thor“The Holy See was alerted as well, and oughly investigated by an independent encouraged us to continue the process,” agency, and given to the Review Board of said Cardinal Dolan. “Again, accordthe Archdiocese of New York. I fully cooping to our public protocol, the results of erated in the process.” the investigation were then given to the The Archdiocese of Washington, Cardinal Theodore E. McCarrick, retired archArchdiocesan Review Board, a seasoned DC, said the instruction for Cardinal group of professionals including jurists, bishop of Washington, DC McCarrick to refrain from exercising publaw enforcement experts, parents, psylic ministry came “at the direction of our Holy Father, Pope chologists, a priest, and a religious sister.”

Francis.”

Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo of Galveston-Houston, presiSeveral news accounts quoted the lawyer for the accuser, dent of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops a New York-area businessman now in his early 60s, who said (USCCB), issued a statement regarding the situation, saying: his client was a 16-year-old altar boy being fitted for a cas“As clergy in God’s Church, we have made a solemn promise sock to wear during Mass when then-Msgr. McCarrick fonto protect children and young people from all harm. This dled him. Patrick Noaker, the lawyer, said a similar incident sacred charge applies to all who minister in the Church, no happened a year later, reported CNS. New York Cardinal matter the person’s high standing or long service.”

StAnthonyMessenger.org | August 2018 • 9

church IN THE NEWS

I

n an ongoing court battle over the relocation of the remains of Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, a New York court ruled this past June once again in favor of Joan Sheen Cunningham’s petition to have her uncle’s remains moved from New York City to Peoria, Illinois, reported CNS. The ruling clears the way for the remains of the famed orator and media pioneer to be removed from St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York and transferred to St. Mary’s

CATHOLICS AROUND THE WORLD

A

relic of a bone fragment of St. Clement I was recently discovered by an environmental waste company and turned over to London’s Westminster Cathedral on June 19 by James Rubin (seen above), owner of Enviro Waste. Rubin said he discovered the relic in his warehouse during an office cleanup earlier this year. After researching markings on the relic, he said he knew he had made an interesting discovery. He made information of the find public in the hope that he might obtain more information. Almost 200 people, including Catholic Church representatives, contacted him asking to be given the relic, and he chose to present it to the cathedral, he said.

10 • August 2018 | StAnthonyMessenger.org

TOP RIGHT: CNS PHOTO/VATICAN MEDIA; LEFT AND INSET: FATHER FRANK JASPER, OFM

Bridget Sheen visits the tomb of her great-great-uncle, Fulton J. Sheen.

Cathedral in Peoria, the archbishop’s home diocese.

Officials in the Archdiocese of New York, which has appealed the ruling, issued a statement stating they “will review this decision carefully with our attorneys and determine what next steps might be taken,” saying the trustees of St. Patrick’s Cathedral “have an obligation to respect the wishes of Archbishop Sheen, as clearly stated in his will and earlier insisted upon by his niece, that he be buried in New York.” The archdiocese said the Vatican Congregation for Saints’ Causes stated, “The cause can progress without any transfer of the remains.”

Peoria Bishop Daniel R. Jenky said he hoped the Archdiocese of New York will now “cease its legal resistance” and asked all to pray “for a renewed spirit of cooperation” to move Archbishop Sheen’s sainthood cause forward.

The archbishop’s canonization cause was officially opened in 2012 when Pope Benedict XVI announced that the Vatican Congregation for Saints’ Causes had recognized Archbishop Sheen’s life as one of “heroic virtue,” and proclaimed him “Venerable Servant of God Fulton J. Sheen.”

The first approved miracle necessary for his beatification has cleared two of the three stages necessary for him to be declared “blessed.”

TOP LEFT: CNS PHOTO/GREGORY A. SHEMITZ,; LOWER LEFT: CNS PHOTO/COURTESY MARCIN MAZUR, CATHOLIC COMMUNICATIONS NETWORK; LOWER RIGHT: CNS GRAPHIC/CAROLINE LINDSEY

COURT AGAIN RULES IN FAVOR OF RELOCATING ARCHBISHOP’S REMAINS

US FRANCISCANS VOTE TO UNITE PROVINCES

COURT RULINGS

riars from the six provinces of the Order of Friars Minor in the United States voted on May 30 to form one new organization. The next step in the process is to obtain approval to unify from the order’s minister general, Father Michael Perry, OFM, who is based in Rome.

If Father Perry decides that the reconfiguration would be helpful to Franciscan life and ministry, he will appoint a delegate to visit the friars in the United States.

If his delegate’s report is favorable, it is expected that the process of reconfiguration will move forward.

Father David Gaa, OFM, provincial minister of St. Barbara Province, said he was “delighted” with the outcome of the vote. “This is an important step in the process of revitalizing Franciscan life in the United States,” he said.

The six provinces—the Franciscan Friars of Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Province (Franklin, Wisconsin), Holy Name Province (New York City), Our Lady of Guadalupe Province (Albuquerque, New Mexico), Sacred Heart Province (St. Louis, Missouri), St. Barbara Province (Oakland, California), and St. John the Baptist Province (Cincinnati, Ohio)—have been in dialogue about unification since 2012. A seventh US province withdrew from the process.

The new organization will comprise the almost 1,000 Catholic Franciscan friars belonging to the existing provinces—both brothers and priests—and will be headquartered in a yet-to-be determined location. Franciscan leaders expect that the new province will be officially formed in late 2022 or early 2023.

Msgr. Carlo Alberto Capella

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sgr. Carlo Alberto Capella, a former staff member at the Vatican nunciature in Washington, DC, was found guilty by a Vatican court on June 23 of possessing and distributing child pornography. Msgr. Capella was sentenced to five years in prison and fined 5,000 euros (~ $5,800) by Judge Giuseppe Della Torre, head of the tribunal of the Vatican City State.

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Father Clifford Hennings, OFM, collects a ballot from Father David Kobak, OFM, of St. John the Baptist Province in Cincinnati, Ohio. Final results were shared via Skype by Father Jack Clark Robinson, OFM (inset).

TOP RIGHT: CNS PHOTO/VATICAN MEDIA; LEFT AND INSET: FATHER FRANK JASPER, OFM

TOP LEFT: CNS PHOTO/GREGORY A. SHEMITZ,; LOWER LEFT: CNS PHOTO/COURTESY MARCIN MAZUR, CATHOLIC COMMUNICATIONS NETWORK; LOWER RIGHT: CNS GRAPHIC/CAROLINE LINDSEY

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COMING TO AMERICA

he official World Youth Day (WYD) cross and Marian icon will make a multicity tour of the United States in August 2018, the first time in 25 years such a coordinated journey has occurred. The five stops will include Chicago, Illinois; Miami, Florida; Houston, Texas; Washington, DC; and Los Angeles, California.

The cross has traveled around the globe since 1984, when St. John Paul II gave it to young people. It has been part of every World Youth Day celebration beginning with the first official WYD event in Rome in 1986. In 2003, St. John Paul II presented the world’s youth and young adults with a Marian icon (Salus Populi Romani). The icon has accompanied the WYD cross for the past 15 years. The next international WYD will take place in January 2019 in Panama.

WANT MORE? Visit our newspage:

FranciscanMedia.org/catholic-news

man charged with the murder of two religious sisters in their Mississippi home in 2016 pleaded guilty to the crime on June 21. Rodney Earl Sanders was sentenced to two life sentences without the possibility of parole for the murders, 25 years for the burglary of their home, and another five for stealing their car.

Sister Paula Merrill, a member of the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth in Kentucky, and Sister Margaret Held, a member of the School Sisters of St. Francis of Milwaukee, were nurse practitioners at the Lexington Medical Clinic, about 10 miles from the house they shared in Durant, Mississippi.

They were found dead August 25, 2016.

Sister Mary Gatz, president of the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth, addressed the defendant, telling him: “Mr. Sanders, we will never forget what you did to them and the suffering that has caused so many. But because we believe in Christ and his Gospel, we forgive you.”

StAnthonyMessenger.org | August 2018 • 11

SPIRITOFST.FRANCIS | ASK A FRANCISCAN

By Pat McCloskey, OFM

How Can I Know God’s Will?

I have a very simple but important question: How can I know God’s will in my life?

P Pat McCloskey, OFM

Father Pat welcomes your questions!

ONLINE: StAnthonyMessenger.org E-MAIL: Ask@FranciscanMedia.org MAIL: Ask a Franciscan 28 W. Liberty St. Cincinnati, OH 45202

All questions sent by mail need to include a self-addressed stamped envelope.

lease bear with me because I must question an assumption implied in your inquiry: that God operates in human time. If so, then God could have one plan for you this week and a very different one next week— and you simply want to know how to learn the details of God’s current plan for you.

God, however, does not exist in past/present/future as humans do because that would require imposing our experience of time onto God. Therefore, we cannot say, for example, that God intends you to wear the particular shoes you are wearing today. God’s overall will is that each of us becomes holy (1 Thes 4:3) and that each of us lives as a person made in the divine image (Gn 1:27).

In the musical Fiddler on the Roof, Tevye asks God, “Would it spoil some vast, eternal plan if I were a wealthy man?” God does not have a vast, eternal plan that Tevye should be a poor man, that the Smith family last week should welcome a newborn child with Down syndrome, or that Grandma Jones would have successful heart surgery last month.

God is involved in these situations because no part of creation is apart from God, but God is not involved like some allpowerful chess master, deciding each detail of a person’s life.

If God were, then you would have to say that absolutely everything that happens is always God’s will—including the abuse of children, the use of chemical weapons in war, and every other tragedy or injustice.

After something bad happens (usually to someone else), we may say, “It was God’s will,” but that explanation is obviously absurd in the face of events that are clearly not God’s will (such as those events listed in the previous paragraph).

God does will that we be grateful for the talents and opportunities that we have, that we use them not simply for selfish gain, that we respect the dignity of each person we encounter, and that we use the world’s resources responsibly.

I encourage you to see, judge, and act in all situations as you know God wants you to see, judge, and act.

Saints on the Wrong Days

WE HAVE A DIGITAL archive of “Ask” Q & As, going back to March 2013.

Just click: • the Ask link and then • the Archive link.

Material is grouped thematically under headings such as forgiveness, Jesus, moral issues, prayer, saints, redemption, sacraments, Scripture—and many more!

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his is a very common question. The Catholic Church has a worldwide liturgical calendar that sometimes has two unrelated saints on the same day (for example, Sts. Louis IX and Joseph Calasanz on August 25). For our Saint of the Day Internet feature, Franciscan Media has moved Joseph to August 26 because we seek to have a saint or blessed on each day of the year—except for those that already have an assigned feast of Jesus or Mary.

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St. Joseph Calasanz

In fact, most saints or blesseds are not on the Church’s worldwide liturgical calendar! A country or a diocese may have permission to have its own liturgical calendar.

Elizabeth Seton (January 4) is on the US calendar but, as far as I know, is not on the liturgical calendar for any other country. Some celebrations are obligatory (Lawrence, August 10), but many others, such as Jeanne Jugan (August 30), are optional.

LEFT: MC KOZUSKO/SAM; TOP: YACOBCHUK/FOTOSEARCH; BOTTOM: WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

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WANT MORE? Visit our website: StAnthonyMessenger.org

Your Saint of the Day Internet feature sometimes has saints on days other than the ones listed on the worldwide liturgical calendar. Why?

Quick Questions and Answers Why did God take my grandmother so young?

I’m sorry for your loss, but please know that God did not take her life as though God were making some move on a chessboard. See my response to the first question on the left (page 12). May the Lord help you turn this loss into compassion and not bitterness toward God. I’m quite sure your grandmother would approve.

Catholicism has deep Jewish roots, although many Catholics fail to recognize that. The offertory prayers at Mass, for example, are adapted from Judaism.

On most Sundays the first reading at Mass is from the Old Testament. The New Testament’s Letter to the Hebrews is probably directed to Jewish priests who had become Christians. Marcionism, a second-century heresy, maintained that the God of the New Testament was different from the God of the Old Testament. The Catholic Church swiftly rejected that idea.

What does the expression “descended into hell” in the Apostles’ Creed mean?

It’s simply a bad translation of ad inferos (to the netherworld). It is not hell as in eternal separation from God. In the ancient world, most people did not see the afterlife as a time of reward or punishment. People there were like shadows. This expression in the Apostles’ Creed acknowledges that some (many?) people who lived before Jesus will be in heaven. Because they couldn’t get there ahead of Jesus, they were in a holding pattern in the netherworld.

LEFT: MC KOZUSKO/SAM; TOP: YACOBCHUK/FOTOSEARCH; BOTTOM: WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Did the Catholic Church ever officially teach that all Protestants go to hell?

No. Some individual Catholics may have taught that, but that has never been the official position of the Catholic Church. In fact, in the 1950s, Father Leonard Feeney, SJ, was formally excommunicated for teaching that only baptized Catholics could go to heaven. He was reconciled to the Catholic Church, but it never accepted his teaching on this subject. God is not waiting for our instructions about who should be admitted to heaven.

Going to Sunday Mass in my parish has become a chore.

Our pastor, a holy man, is difficult to understand. The choir is like nails on a chalkboard. I find watching Mass on EWTN very fulfilling. Isn’t that enough?

A televised Mass is not an acceptable substitute for attending in person but rather is a blessing for those who would like to be present in person but cannot be—usually because of illness. Priests should preach well, and choirs should support the prayer of those assembled. Even if they don’t always do that well, however, the Scriptures are always proclaimed, God is praised, the Baptism of those present is reaffirmed, and Jesus is offered in holy Communion.

BREAD s

FRANK JASPER, OFM

Why do we Catholics have no Jewish legacy? Jesus was Jewish!

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ST. ANTHONY

The National Shrine of St. Anthony is located in Cincinnati, Ohio. Consecrated in 1889, it includes a first-class relic of St. Anthony and serves as a center for daily prayer and contemplation.

The Franciscan friars minister from the shrine. To help them in their work among the poor, you may send a monetary offering called St. Anthony Bread. Make checks or money orders payable to “Franciscans” and mail to the address below.

Every Tuesday, a Mass is offered for benefactors and petitioners at the shrine. To seek St. Anthony’s intercession, mail your petition to the address below. Petitions are taken to the shrine each week. viSit our webSite to:

StAnthony.org

s

mAil poStAl communicAtionS to:

St. Anthony Bread 1615 Vine St. Cincinnati, OH 45202-6498

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StAnthonyMessenger.org | August 2018 • 13

SPIRITOFST.FRANCIS “The soul reaches the beauty of its perfection only at the price of pain.”

—St. Padre Pio

FRANCISCAN WORLD

Secular Franciscan Order

By Pat McCloskey, OFM

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IN 1918 at the age of 31, Padre Pio received the stigmata, the marks of Christ’s passion, in his hands, feet, and side. At his friary in San Giovanni Rotondo, he often heard confessions for up to 10 hours a day, starting at 5 a.m. His midmorning break included a blessing of sick people.

The stigmata complicated Padre Pio’s life greatly but were a major influence on the compassion that he extended to penitents. Many of them helped to build a 350-bed “House for the Alleviation of Suffering.” He was canonized in 2002; his feast is September 23.

—Pat McCloskey, OFM

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WANT MORE? Learn about your saints and blesseds by going to: SaintoftheDay.org

St. Angela Merici

Venerable Matt Talbot

Some women and men have joined the Secular Franciscan Order and then gone on to found new religious communities—St. Angela Merici, for example. St. John XXIII was a seminarian when he joined the Secular Franciscans. Venerable Matt Talbot (1856– 1925), once a very active alcoholic and later a Secular Franciscan, has inspired many people struggling with that disease.

SecularFranciscansUSA.org

ST. ANTHONY STORIES

Finding Bella

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t. Anthony is my patron saint. My second son is named after St. Anthony and was baptized on his feast day, June 13, 2000. I have the normal stories of St. Anthony finding keys, checkbooks, purses, and so on. But my favorite St. Anthony story is about how he helped us find our second dog. We prayed to St. Anthony to help us find the perfect dog for our family.

We were living in Canberra, Australia, at the time and had begun our search. We found a family that lived in southern Australia who were looking to downsize from two dogs to one. We were going to adopt their goldendoodle, and we arranged for their dog Bella to be shipped to us. We had started this discussion toward the end of May. The owner said the only day that she could get Bella to the airport to ship was June 13! That is when we knew Bella was an answered prayer.

St. Anthony helped us find the perfect dog, and he let us know that he had done this through the day that we received her.

—K. Schmank, Australia

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JOHN FEISTER

He spent countless hours in the confessional, announcing God’s mercy.

TOP IMAGES: WIKIMEDIA CREATIVE COMMONS (3); BOTTOM: HANNAMARIAH/FOTOSEARCH

ST. PADRE PIO

ithin the Franciscan family, this is the largest single group, numbering approximately 40,000 in 2002. Laypeople quickly took note of the Gospel life that Francis of Assisi and his brothers were living and wanted to follow that within the married or single vocation to which they were already committed.

Soon called the “Third Order of St. Francis,” it is now known as the Secular Franciscan Order. Several other religious communities still have third orders that respond to a similar desire.

Francis’ “Exhortation to the Brothers and Sisters of Penance,” now dated between 1209 and 1215, is their foundational document and serves as the Prologue to their Rule of Life, which was most recently updated in 1978.

This worldwide order is organized into local, regional, and national fraternities supporting their members’ spiritual growth and works of mercy.

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Her mother had worried about this “party girl” who would stay out all night with her boyfriend.

JOHN FEISTER

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ow little we understand contemplation! Sister Mary Pia Malaborbor, OSC (the Order of St. Clare, or the “Poor Clares”), 48, knew her contemplative calling from an early age. During her youth in Los Baños, Laguna, in the Philippines, “I always would play a nun, wearing veils and such,” she says, laughing. One day, on a field trip from school, Sister Mary Pia visited a convent and made a joke about staying. The joke nudged at her.

St. Clare herself sneaked out of her parents’ home to join the friars; Sister Mary Pia had to sneak out too. Her mother had worried about this “party girl,” she says, who would stay out all night with her boyfriend. Now the opposite! But her mother would have nothing of this talk of becoming a nun.

“When I came to the convent, initially the nuns would not come out [to receive me]. I think they knew I needed my mother’s blessing.”

The sisters knew that this was Sister Mary Pia’s own battle to resolve. “It reminds me of St. Clare’s story,” she says. Sister Mary Pia’s mother and uncle came to talk sense into her, but she knew her calling. Her mother left, forlorn. After a month of waiting in a nearby church house and some peacemaking days at home, Sister Mary Pia was accepted into the convent.

Sister Mary Pia took her vows among the Poor Clares in Los Baños, never imagining what the future would hold. Along the way, she was elected to be abbess of her community (a renewable three-year term). There she modeled simplicity in spite of the hierarchical local culture: “One postulant was shocked that I was mopping—she couldn’t believe it!”

Sister Mary Pia Malaborbor, OSC

SURPRISING TURN

When her terms were complete, she took a sabbatical and helped in formation at a Poor Clare monastery in Taiwan. It was there she met Sister Doris Goerke, a Poor Clare, then president of a US federation of Poor Clares, visiting from Ohio. They started chatting in the back of a car, between destinations. “She told me of a need for sisters in the United States. I had prayed, ‘If it is your will for me to go to other communities to help. . . .’” Before she knew it, she crossed the Pacific.

Now, in 2018, she is abbess at the Poor Clare Monastery in Cincinnati, Ohio. Her life of contemplation is set in a beautiful, woods-surrounded convent (and visited, for better and worse, by a swarm of bumblebees, perhaps seeking their own quiet). “Our ministry is prayer,” she explains. “We are behind the scenes, praying for those who are, so to speak, on the front lines.

“People ask us to pray for them because they say, ‘It gives us strength.’”

Simplicity is her hallmark. “The abbess always shows love and compassion for each sister. She washes their feet; she wakes them up in the morning for morning prayer.”

It’s a practice her sisters return to throughout the day, sometimes together, sometimes alone. She has devoted her life, in prayer, to Jesus: “When you read the letters of St. Clare to St. Agnes, you know how much Clare loved Jesus,” reflects Sister Mary Pia. “Clare even cries in front of the San Damiano crucifix. You realize the effect of her contemplation. She’s been looking at the crucifix for all of her life.

That’s an inspiration for me.”

—John Feister

On the go?

St. Anthony Messenger has a digital edition that is available to all print subscribers.

• Does not change your print subscription • Easy to register at: StAnthonyMessenger.org

Want more inspiration?

Visit the website FranciscanMedia.org for: • Saint of the Day • Minute Meditations • Family resources • Prayer downloads • Information on the seven sacraments

FranciscanMedia.org StAnthonyMessenger.org | August 2018 • 15

SPIRITOFST.FRANCIS | NOTES FROM A FRIAR

by Friar Jeremy Harrington, OFM

Loving Graciously remain inspired by St. Francis of drink; instead, each must criticize and Assisi praising God in all creation, despise himself.” and what a joy it is for me to walk outIn the Rule, Francis told his folside and soak in the beauty of God’s lowers not to judge others but to be world. Sometimes, however, St. Francis’ “peaceful and unassuming, gentle love for Brother Wolf is emphasized and humble, speaking courteously to more than his love for people. everyone.” He cautioned them not to He saw as his become “angry or mission sharing the disturbed because of good news. He and the sin of another, Francis saw as his his brothers walked since anger and mission sharing the from village to village disturbance hinder to tell everyone about charity in themselves good news. He and God’s love. In his joy, and others.” his brothers walked sometimes Francis Francis observed picked up two sticks strict fasts himself but from village to and played them like was sensitive to the village to tell a violin and sang in limitations of others.

French.

I love the story of the everyone about The poor received brother who cried God’s love. special attention. In out in the middle of his Testament, St. the night, “I’m dying Francis says the Lord of hunger!” Francis led him among the lepers who were jumped up, woke up the other brothbanished outside the walls of Assisi. ers, and told them to set out what food Francis lived among them, nursed their they had so they could share a meal. He wounds, and treated them with dignity. didn’t want the hungry brother to be He counts as a great blessing that God embarrassed by his hunger and eating gave him brothers, St. Clare and her alone. sisters, and lay married and single peoHe called the chosen leader of each ple to follow his Gospel way of life. friary a minister (servant). In a letter to the ministers he wrote: “There should MERCY GIVEN not be any brother in the world who I want to imitate Francis’ love for othhas sinned, . . . who after he has looked ers and his nonjudgmental attitude and into your eyes, would go away without sensitivity to each person. Here are a having received your mercy.” couple of examples.

That’s the attitude I want: Love When Francis left home and people and don’t be quick to judge, but Assisi, he took off his fine clothes and be quick to excuse and forgive. Francis returned them to his merchant father. loved everyone—graciously.

He put on the rough tunic of a beggar.

But he told his followers not to “look Jeremy Harrington, OFM, is the associate pastor of down or pass judgment on those they Transfiguration Parish in Southfield, Michigan. He see wearing soft and colorful clothing is the former publisher of Franciscan Media and and enjoying the choicest food and editor of this publication.

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FOTOSEARCH: NOTEBOOK: NU1983; STATUES: CHRISTOPHER IWANCIO, OFM CAP

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St. Francis of Assisi encouraged his brothers to be gentle and to rid their hearts of malice and avarice. He encourages us to do the same.

StAnthonyMessenger.org | August 2018 • 17

St. Clare of Assisi walked away from wealth and position to embrace a radical life of poverty and prayer. For the founder of the Poor Clares, being poor and being a child of God were closely linked: She had a God-centered understanding of poverty.

ARTWORK: CNS/STEPHEN B WHATLEY; BACKGROUND: KITTIKORNPHONGOK/FOTOSEARCH

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Radical Saint, Radical Faith:

CLARE of ASSISI She gave up a world of privilege for a world of poverty.

Her profound faith is a model for us all.

By Ilia Delio, OSF

ARTWORK: CNS/STEPHEN B WHATLEY; BACKGROUND: KITTIKORNPHONGOK/FOTOSEARCH

I

n every age, a saint is born. Not that someone is born a saint, but there is something about him or her—a characteristic or trait that distinguishes a person. Clare of Assisi is one such person. Born in 1194 to a family of nobility, Clare was the first of three children. It is said that her mother was apprehensive about Clare’s birth and went on pilgrimage to pray for her safe delivery. While she was at prayer one day, she heard the words: “O Lady, do not be afraid for you will joyfully bring forth a clear light that will illumine the world.”

The word for clear in Italian is chiara; hence the name Clare, or “bright one.” Clare grew up in a household of holy women, including her mother, sisters, and cousins.

Poverty and penance were practiced at home among the women, and Clare gained a reputation for holiness at a young age. While she probably heard Francis of Assisi preach at the local church of San Rufino in 1208 or 1210, it is likely that her religious vocation was in place long before their encounter.

Clare was 17 when she met Francis in 1211. According to “The Acts of the Process of Canonization,” Francis had already heard of Clare before their first meeting. It is unsure what the meetings between Francis and Clare involved, but it is likely that he spoke to her about following Christ and living the Gospel life. At about the age of 18, with the consent of Bishop Guido of Assisi, Clare decided to devote herself to a kind of penitential life closely linked to Francis and his brothers, whose form of life Pope Innocent III had approved orally only a few years before. On the night of Palm Sunday 1212, Clare ran away from home and was received into Francis’ fraternity at the small church of the Portiuncula, below the town of Assisi in the Umbrian valley.

The Italian scholar Maria Pia Alberzoni says that the beginning of religious life for Clare, as for Francis, was obscure since there was no clear path to follow. After Clare

joined Francis and the brothers at the Portiuncula, where Francis began his movement, Clare received the tonsure and dressed as a penitent. Francis then placed her in the monastery of San Paolo delle Abbadesse, where she was received as a servant, since she had given away her belongings to the poor and had no dowry to warrant entrance into the monastic community.

The sources indicate that her family opposed her radical choice of life and tried to get her to abandon it by use of force, but without success. After some time, Clare moved to San Angelo in Panzo, where she was joined by her sister Catherine (who would be known in religious life as Agnes).

Although their uncle Monaldo tried to capture Catherine and bring her home, he was unsuccessful. Both Clare and Catherine eventually moved to the convent of San Damiano.

There, they would devote their lives to poverty.

CLARE, THE RADICAL

We read daily about poverty around the world. Sometimes the stories are directly beneath the stock market quotes or surrounded by stories of the world’s wealthiest people. The juxtaposition may be coincidental or purposeful. I tend to think the latter is true because poverty makes us nervous.

The unnerving quality of poverty makes St. Clare’s emphasis on poverty difficult to grasp. Her desire to be poor, however, was not a glorification of human deprivation or neglect, but her desire for God. Had she not beheld the poverty of God as the immensity of divine love, I wonder if she would have pursued a life of poverty so vigorously or urged Agnes to do so. In her first letter to Agnes, she writes, “You have rejected all these things and have chosen with your whole heart and soul a life of holy poverty and destitution.”

It is difficult to understand how a woman of the aristocracy could choose a life of destitution and be happy, unless StAnthonyMessenger.org | August 2018 • 19

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she had an understanding of poverty beyond material means. Clare had a God-centered understanding of poverty. For Clare, the logic of poverty was the logic of love. She saw the poverty of God as a fountain of love—a love that brings us into being, sustains us, and yearns for us. Her emphasis on the centrality of love is characteristic of Franciscan spirituality.

‘BECOME POOR’

DEEPGREEN/FOTOSEARCH

When we are free of physical attachments, we are able to achieve our spiritual goals. St. Clare is the model for this ideal.

Only the poor and humble can fully capture the poor and humble love of God.

How do we center ourselves in the love of God? Clare’s answer is simple and disarming: Become poor. Clare encouraged Agnes to pursue a life of poverty. It is hard to admit in a consumer culture that poverty is the key to the fullness of life. To the secular mind, it seems absurd. Western culture is immersed in a capitalism based on the idea that worldly success is a blessing of God. The type of poverty that Clare and the Franciscans speak of is opposed to the spirit of capitalism and self-sufficiency. It means to be dependent on others. That is exactly what Clare and Francis saw in the mystery of Jesus Christ.

In his Rule, Francis writes: “They must rejoice when they live . . . among the poor and the powerless. . . . Let them . . . remember, moreover, that our Lord Jesus Christ . . . was not ashamed. He was poor and a stranger and lived on alms.”

Francis perceived that Christ lived dependent on others so that God’s goodness could be revealed. When we allow others to do things for us, God’s goodness shines through them. Poverty is not so much about want or need; it is about relationship. Poverty impels us to reflect on our lives in the world from the position of weakness, dependency, and vulnerability. Poverty calls us to be vulnerable, open, and receptive to others—to allow others into our lives and to be free enough to enter into the lives of others. While Clare and Francis call us to be poor so that we may enter into relationship with the poor Christ, they also ask us to be poor so as to enter into relationship with our poor brothers and sisters in whom Christ lives.

In her second letter to Agnes, Clare writes that she is to “gaze upon him [Christ].”

Although she does not explicitly link poverty and gazing upon Christ, the foundation of poverty in her first letter and the call to “gaze upon him” in her second letter suggest that poverty is the basis of spiritual vision or contemplation. To gaze is not simply to see, but to see with the eyes of the heart. It is the vision of the spiritually poor person who is inwardly free to contemplate the presence of God. If we are to enter into real relationship with God, we must become poor; we must embrace our poverty.

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POVERTY EQUALS TRUTH

Economic poverty is not difficult to attain.

Spiritual poverty, however, can be. It means relinquishing that which we possess to smother the ego or barricade it against the intrusion of others. It is the antidote to human violence—to the need to assert ourselves over and against others. Gazing upon the crucified Christ gave Clare insight into the human person. She realized that becoming poor is not contrary to the fulfillment of human nature, but rather the very fulfillment of our humanity.

Christ reveals to us that the human person is poor by nature. Our poverty, however, is a forgotten poverty because the sin of selfcenteredness has made us “grabbers” and “graspers.” That is why conversion is the movement toward poverty: Poverty is the basis of authentic humanity. To be truly human is to be poor.

Poverty means that human life, from birth to death, hangs on the threads of God’s gracious love. While we may enjoy a wealth of goodness today, we may lose that wealth tomorrow. Life is radically contingent; nothing has to be the way it is. Everything is gift.

Poverty reminds us of the deepest truth of our human existence: that we are created by God and are dependent on God in an absolute sense. It is the sister of humility since it prompts us to recognize that all we have is gift. Humility is the acceptance of being what we are, with our strengths and weaknesses, and responding in love to the gift of being.

Humility can open one to the renewing spirit of grace and make possible the return of creation to the Father.

DEEPGREEN/FOTOSEARCH

DEPENDENCE ON GOD

Thomas Merton said that if we were truly humble, we would not bother about ourselves at all—only with God. Such an idea seems possible only for the saints. Yet when we are free from attachments, we are able to pursue our spiritual goals, to really live in love and devote ourselves to a life of adoration. This does not mean turning our attention away from earth to an imaginable place called heaven. Rather, to adore God is to see the goodness of every created thing on this marvelous planet. It is to realize that everything is created by God, reflects the power, wisdom, and goodness of God, and is destined to share life in God.

Poverty allows us to contemplate the goodness of God in creation because it makes us free to see things for what they are: unrepeatable, unclonable, loved-into-being gifts of God. Only one who can taste the world and see it as an expression of God’s love can renounce the spirit of possessing it. In human relationships, poverty allows us to be open to one another, to receive and share with one another.

Clare of Assisi did not elaborate on the poverty of the human person, but she knew it in the depths of her soul. She fought for the “privilege of poverty” because she knew that if she failed to be dependent on others, she would ultimately fail to be dependent on God. Like Francis, she firmly believed in a God enfleshed in fragile human nature—the Incarnation. Had she sought a nice, clean, minty type of God in heaven, she might have opted for more autonomy. But she believed that God has come among us and revealed to us, in the poverty of being human, how to live united in love to God and to one another.

She realized that only the poor and humble can share in the poor and humble love of God. Clare’s path to God through the depths of poverty impels us to admit that real relationship with God requires humble humanity. Only when we come to the truth of who we are (and who we are not) as poor persons can we come to that place of vulnerability in our lives where God can enter. Only then can we know what it means to be a human being embedded in a world of goodness.

This article is adapted from Clare of Assisi: A Heart Full of Love (Franciscan Media), by Ilia Delio, OSF. Ilia is a Franciscan sister and theologian specializing in science and religion.

She is the author of Compassion: Living in the Spirit of St. Francis, also published by Franciscan Media.

Clare of Assisi: A Heart Full of Love explores the saint’s deep desire to live a Gospel life.

Go online to order the book: Shop.FranciscanMedia.org For 30% OFF use code: SAMClare StAnthonyMessenger.org | August 2018 • 21

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A Tabernacle of Trees

Under a leafy canopy and with an unlikely trail companion, she replenishes her sense of wonder at God’s creation.

I

do not remember my age, but I remember the moment.

Surrounded by trees dripping moss and the pungent scent of decomposition, I crouched in a forest and stared down at an impossibility. My young mind struggled to grasp the yellow slug, dotted with dark spots of varying size, that was making its way across the trail I was traversing. It was nearly a foot in length. Filled with disbelief, I watched its slow glide over the leaf-strewn earth. And I have loved banana slugs ever since.

I did not enter the tabernacle of trees surrounding my suburban home often as a child, but when I did, I always looked for that wonder of nature—the banana slug. As I matured, I found myself drawn more each year to the natural world around me, and today I regularly hike the trails surrounding the city of my youth, which I returned to eight years ago. Seven minutes from my home is a handful of trailheads that lead into Forest Park. Located in Portland, Oregon, it is one of the largest urban parks in the United States. Within minutes, I can soak in the lush, fern-filled

woods and fresh air.

And I find that, though I am older, I still peer along the path ahead to glory in each banana slug I encounter and equally mourn each one squashed by a careless foot. For though I am still fascinated by these creatures, my awe has evolved into a relationship of stewardship for the well-being of each banana slug I find. If one is in a precarious position on one of the well-used trails, I will find a few sticks and move it to the side of the trail, out of reach of indiscriminate feet.

During a recent hike on an always-new-yet-familiar trail, I was gifted once more. Along the path on which I walked was a banana slug deeply enmeshed in its most recent meal.

This was new for me. For all the fascination and attention I had paid to these creatures, I had never watched them do anything but traverse the forest floor. So, there I squatted, enraptured, as I watched the banana slug consume the flowers on a plant by opening its large, undulating mouth to suck the petals and foliage down its throat.

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SMILEUS/FOTOSEARCH; INSET: SHAKZU/FOTOSEARCH

By Angela Steiert

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God’s creation is full of marvels both great and small, from towering trees to banana slugs creeping along the forest floor.

Why does the banana slug hold such a place of reverence for me? I wondered this after once again shepherding a 6-inch friend to safety across the hiking trail. I realized that the banana slug was my first memory of the natural world overtaking me with awe. It was maybe one of the first times I accepted nature not just as a standard backdrop to my human story, but instead as something unique and individuated from my own existence. The banana slug opened the door for me to the marvel of creation.

As I continue hiking and greeting banana slugs sharing the path, I hope I can hold on to the wonder of that child within me—to that moment where I encountered the impossible and was forever changed.

Angela Steiert is a writer and poet who resides in Portland, Oregon. She teaches theology at a Catholic high school and holds a master’s degree in theological studies from the Jesuit School of Theology in Berkeley, California. Her article “From Guilt to Grace” appeared in the June issue of St. Anthony Messenger.

NATIONAL SHRINE OF ST. ANTHONY Br. Norbert lights candles asking St. Anthony to intercede with the Lord for your intentions.

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www.stanthony.org The Franciscan Friars, Province of St. John the Baptist 1615 Vine St, Ste 1 Cincinnati, OH 45202-6492

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POINTSOFVIEW | EDITORIAL

Bullying: Not Just a Kid Problem “There’s no place for bullying in the kingdom of God.” —Father Roger Lopez, OFM

“

One who is habitually cruel, insulting, or threatening to others who are weaker, smaller, or in some way vulnerable.” That is the definition of bully according to the MerriamWebster dictionary.

But when you think of a bully, what do you picture? Is it a grade school or high school student who picks on one of his or her fellow classmates? Is it the stereotypical movie representation of a jock who knocks a tray out of someone’s hand to the uproarious laughter of the whole cafeteria? Those would be reasonable and accurate scenarios.

Bullying among kids is a serious problem. Some have called it an epidemic. And, thanks to our obsession with social media and its perceived anonymity, it seems to be getting worse. The days of schoolyard confrontations have expanded to include online bullying and harassment. In some cases, the viciousness of bullying, either in person or via a computer screen or cell phone, has even driven some kids to take their own lives.

In response, a number of programs have been established to try to help schools and parents address the problem. But there is still work to be done by all of us. Maybe some of that work is to look inward at our own lives and behavior.

Unfortunately, the bullying of the younger generation is only part of the equation. Why? Because bullies grow up and sometimes become adults who engage in the same behavior.

We just don’t talk about it as much.

Racism, gossiping, derogatory posts on social media, workplace harassment—these forms of bullying may seem different than those faced by kids, but they are still bullying.

The website StopBullying.gov points out: “Kids learn from adults’ actions. By treating others with kindness and respect, adults show the kids in their lives that there is no place for bullying. Even if it seems like they are not paying attention, kids are watching how adults manage stress and conflict, as well as how they treat their friends, colleagues, and families.”

Yes, our kids are watching our behavior and emulating what they see. Are we part of the problem or part of the solution?

YOU ARE WORTHY

If it isn’t enough to realize that bullying has a detrimental effect on society in general, we must also realize that it affects our faith. Bullying flies in the face of the fact that we are created in the image of God.

In their document “Economic Justice for All,” the US bishops spoke to this: “Human personhood must be respected with a reverence that is religious. When we deal with each other, we should do so with the sense of awe that arises in the presence of something holy and sacred. For that is what human beings are: We are created in the image of God.” Pope Francis has also addressed the damage bullying can cause. In fact, this past January he recalled an incident from his own childhood concerning a woman named Angelina in his neighborhood who was constantly ridiculed by others, especially children, because of her mental illness. Bullying, he said, is the work of the devil.

Father Roger Lopez, OFM, a teacher at Roger Bacon High School in Cincinnati, Ohio, offers a suggestion as to what we should do in the face of bullying. He reminds us: “It’s equally a sin to just stand by and allow it to happen. That’s cruel also. Sometimes we have to be the voice for those who don’t have one.”

That message applies to all of us—not just our kids.

—Susan Hines-Brigger

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Mysticism

for the

W

hen I hear the word mystic, I tend to think of great saints such as Hildegard of Bingen, John of the Cross, or Teresa of Avila. Each of them experienced profound encounters with God, often describing them in poetic ways. As with sainthood, being a mystic seems to be a state reserved for extraordinary people.

But suppose that you and I can also become mystics. Is this even possible? It is if we begin by understanding that mystical

experiences are not merely some emotional response to mystery and beauty. Rather, these experiences are rooted in a faith that sees God as manifest in our lives in a meaningful way every single day. If, on a daily basis, we open our minds and hearts to God’s presence, then we become open to the gift of mystical experience.

This has been a hard lesson for me, as I like to be in control. One time, for example, I headed out to the Guadalupe Mountains,

WISANUBOONRAWD/FOTOSEARCH

When we open our hearts and quiet our minds, we can experience God’s presence in powerful ways. It starts with paying attention.

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e

Masses about 90 miles from El Paso. I had visited this place often and had some remarkable mystical encounters with wildlife. On this particular day, I set out planning to have a mystical experience. None happened. As I prepared to follow the trail down from the mountains, I thought, It’s not going to happen today, and let go of the expectation. In that moment of letting go, I took a last look around and there was a young deer watching me! I could almost hear God chuckling. Only by accepting that I was unable to manufacture a mystical experience could I become open to one.

SENSING GOD AT EVERY TURN

Many of these experiences have indeed come to me when I have been away from day-to-day

By Richard B. Patterson, PhD

living. So, to become a mystic, must I become like Henry David Thoreau or John Muir and retreat to the wilderness? Here Rabbi David Wolpe’s notion of “the normal mystic” is very helpful: “In the eye of another human being, in the daily activity of average people, the normal mystic seeks the presence of God. . . . The normal mystic looks at life as you and I know it, but with an acute eye, one that tracks the almost imperceptible or often overlooked suggestion of God in every corner, at each turn” (The Healer of Shattered Hearts).

Rabbi Wolpe’s reflections remind us that we can sense God’s presence in the ordinary as well as in the spectacular. Essential to mystical experience is the sense of connection, not only to God in some personal way,

This awe-inspiring view of the Milky Way from Big Bend National Park in Texas reminds us of God’s presence. But we don’t always have to retreat to the wilderness to experience mysticism.

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“I feel like singing.” And so, as loud as we could, we sang “Amazing Grace.” As we finished, my wife pointed to the top of the canyon walls. Several hawks were circling as if giving us an “Amen.”

While breathtaking vistas in national parks—such as the one pictured above in Texas’ Santa Elena Canyon—can be doorways to the divine, we can also sense God in everyday moments. The key is to quiet our minds and pay attention.

veteran who had a horrific experience that involved a heroic effort he made to rescue his friend from a burning vehicle.

Sadly, I have heard such stories before. But for some reason this young man’s story touched me at a deeper level.

Mystical experience can also be just a little unsettling.

Recall that one of the mystical saints I mentioned was John of the Cross. His best-known work is The Dark Night of the Soul, in which he cautions that the road to mystical connection with God can include a sense of deep separation from God, even God’s absence. We can’t fully identify and embrace God’s presence unless we also know God’s absence.

Very unsettling.

In a similar vein, mystical experience can include a deep sense of horror in the face of tragedy. Perhaps as you watched the towers fall on 9/11, you had a sense of horrific awe that defied words.

HARDWIRED FOR MYSTICISM

If you still doubt that you are fully capable of mystical experience, perhaps a little science will help convince you.

FDEVALERA/FOTOSEARCH

but also to God in the angry driver in the car next to me, in the homeless veteran on the street corner, in the brother or sister addict struggling to get on the path of recovery. Clearly, I feel connected to the people I love. But mystical experience reminds me that we are all connected, and the source of that connection is God. Here we begin to get a sense of why people are not in such a hurry to pursue the mystic’s way. If I truly aspire to become a mystic, then I am embracing not just the wonder.

I am embracing the pain. For to feel a connection is to feel pain as well as wonder. Mysticism may be the experience of wonder, but it also can be the experience of deep compassion grounded in a faith that understands God’s presence in pain.

I work as a clinical psychologist, and so you might assume that experiences of mystical compassion happen often in my work. They don’t. I definitely try to treat everyone I see with respect and empathy. But, occasionally and unexpectedly, I feel a deeper connection to someone and to his or her pain that goes beyond therapeutic conversation. I can’t predict it.

This happened just this morning. I met with a young 28 • August 2018 | StAnthonyMessenger.org

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Several researchers of the brain have explored neurological aspects of meditation and spiritual practices. What they found is fascinating. When one meditates, one part of the brain called the parietal lobe decreases its activity. This is a part of the brain that gives us a sense of self and separateness from others. When this part of the brain is damaged or “goes dark,” the result is a sense of connection that is the essence of mystical experience. Similarly, when meditators focus on “heart meditation” that involves reflecting on those we love, parts of the brain that relate to empathy become more active.

Some people object to what they call reducing God to neurology. To me, these scientific insights have quite the opposite effect. They strongly suggest that the Creator built into us the type of brain functioning that can provide a deeper connection to the God of our understanding. The fact that we all appear to be hardwired for mystical experience is for me dramatic affirmation that God exists and wants a deep mystical connection with each of us.

Recently, my wife and I were hiking through the Santa Elena Canyon in the aforementioned Guadalupe Mountains.

We were filled with awe and joy such that my wife said, “I feel like singing.” And so, as loud as we could, we sang “Amazing Grace.” As we finished, my wife pointed to the top of the canyon walls. Several hawks were circling as if giving us an “Amen.” In that moment, I felt a deep connection to the canyon, to the hawks, to my wife, and especially to God. Anyone who knows me knows that I am no saint. But in that glorious moment, I was a grateful mystic.

I encourage you to become open to the possibility of mysticism as a special faith-enriching part of your spiritual journey. You don’t have to go to a monastery or even to a national park. Just pay attention and remember that God is a God of plenty. Monasteries and national parks can indeed be doorways to the divine. But you can find just as many doorways to the divine in your hometown. That’s how God planned it.

DOORWAYS TO THE DIVINE

Richard B. Patterson, PhD, is a clinical psychologist from El Paso, Texas. He has had a number of articles published in this magazine, including “Who Do You Say That I Am?” (September 2017).

Given the spontaneity of mystical experience, is there any type of practice that can nonetheless help us develop that capacity? We are more open to mystical experience when we pay attention. This process can be helped by having some way of quieting our minds, usually through some form of meditation. Most of us have within our heads a constant flow of chatter made up of things to be done, worries, daydreams, and a variety of noise. Quieting that is no easy task.

We Catholics have available to us an effective meditative tool for quieting our minds—the rosary. The repetitive nature of the rosary can have a calming effect on our minds, especially if we allow our breathing to relax as we pray.

In a similar way, other types of meditation involve quieting our minds by trying to keep focused on our breathing, a piece of music, a work of religious art, etc. The trick here is to not get annoyed when your focus drifts away to what you’re going to have for dinner or which bill needs to be paid. When that happens, gently bring your focus back. You may also find “heart meditation” appealing. In this approach, one quiets oneself and focuses on a heart filled with love flowing out to others. By quieting one’s mind, it becomes more open to hearing God and thereby experience the mystical. Don’t forget: Prayer is talking to God while meditation is listening to God. Becoming more aware of your senses also opens you up to the mystical. How often do you eat your food without tasting it? Fail to see the sunset on your ride home from work? Not listen to a loved one because of the noise inside your head? I am guilty of all of these ways of not being in touch with my senses. My son Ben taught me an important lesson in that regard. Once, he came into my home office to talk. As he did so, I kept glancing at the computer to the point where Ben asked, “Dad, can I have your full attention?” The mystical way does indeed open up when we devote our full attention.

MYSTICISM 101 William James, in his classic work The Varieties of Religious Experience, identifies four elements that define an experience as mystical: 1. INEFFABLE. By and large, as one tries to articulate a mystical experience, he or she finds words inadequate. As Rabbi Abraham Heschel said, “To become aware of the ineffable is to part company with words.” If you are a parent, for example, try to put into words the experience of seeing any of your children for the first time. As I try to express how filled my heart was, I can only shake my head at how my words fall short.

2. NOETIC. They give us glimpses of deeper truths beyond what our intellects can define. For me and perhaps for you, certain experiences have given me an experience of God far different from what I might read or study. At the very least, through mystical experience I might sense God’s power, the deep beauty of all creation, even a sense of deep connection to God’s creation.

3. TRANSIENT. As much as I might wish, I can’t hold on to such an experience. It passes. But, as James later notes, some memory of the experience lingers and can modify my inner life. Again we see the connection between mysticism and faith. As I reflect on these moments, I am reflecting on my evolving relationship with God. 4. PASSIVE. We can’t manufacture them, as much as we might try.

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POINTSOFVIEW | AT HOME ON EARTH

By Kyle Kramer

Chop Wood, Carry Water

A

Kyle is the executive director of the Passionist Earth & Spirit Center, which offers interfaith educational programming in meditation, ecology, and social compassion.

He serves as a Catholic climate ambassador for the US Conference of Catholic Bishopssponsored Catholic Climate Covenant and is the author of A Time to Plant: Life Lessons in Work, Prayer, and Dirt (Ave Maria Press, 2010).

He speaks across the country on issues of ecology and spirituality.

He and his family spent 15 years as organic farmers and homesteaders in Spencer County, Indiana.

EarthandSpiritCenter.org

?

WANT MORE? Visit our website: StAnthonyMessenger.org

the rest to God? What if that simple approach is actually the deepest form of discipleship and even delight, both for God and for me?

What kind of lovely world might we have if we yearned not to escape it or to impose our grand plans upon it, but simply to dwell in it gratefully and gently?

HELPFUL

TIPS1

Your Spiritual Path

Jesus spoke in parables, which are very similar to Zen koans.

Look up a few koans online and see if you can find any parallels with Jesus’ teachings.

2

What are the humdrum tasks in your life that you’d like to leave behind? For a day or a week, could you do them as if they were an essential part of your spiritual path?

3

An essential part of spirituality is radical self-honesty. What ideas or ideals do you hold about holiness that may actually get in the way of authentic spirituality?

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LEFT: PHOTO COURTESY OF KYLE KRAMER; FOTOSEARCH IMAGES: TOP RIGHT: XILIUS; LOWER RIGHT: BUDABAR

Kyle Kramer

Zen Buddhist teacher I know recently shared with me a famous saying from his tradition: “Before enlightenment, chop wood and carry water. After enlightenment, chop wood and carry water.”

As a Catholic, I often find these sorts of Zen koans, or teaching riddles, frustratingly inscrutable. But this one spoke to me immediately.

On one level, “chopping wood and carrying water” represents the small, necessary day-to-day tasks that support our lives; the modern version might be “changing diapers and doing dishes.” In an age when some priests-in-training claim that “these hands are for chalices, not calluses” (when I worked at a Catholic seminary, I heard that very phrase) and when our secular prophets foresee a world where automation will free us from all labor, I really appreciate the reminder that spirituality isn’t about escaping this world through some sort of esoteric transcendence.

It’s about engaging our responsibilities with a new perspective, seeing them as the sacramental gifts that they are. It’s a blessing and a privilege to be alive in this world and to do the work we are given to do—dirty fingernails and all.

There’s another meaning to this saying, though. Not only does it keep spirituality firmly tethered to earth, but it also puts the kibosh on ambition. Chopping wood and carrying water are, after all, very humble tasks.

I’m beginning to see how much I’ve been driven by the idea that enlightened people end up doing great things. They have big visions and big dreams—and they deliver.

After all, Paul’s zeal ultimately helped convert the entire Roman Empire to Christianity.

Martin Luther King Jr. brought about tectonic changes in civil rights. Gandhi freed an entire nation from British colonial rule. The measure of one’s spirituality, in other words, is what one accomplishes.

Part of my midlife journey is the struggle to let go of such ambition, which comes from the ego, not from God. What a profound relief might it be simply to do what I discern is mine to do, however small it seems, and leave

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If we look at Jesus as human,

JESUS, THE PROPHET as his earliest disciples did, it may change the way we follow his teachings.

T

he late author Father Ed Hays often reminded us, “Jesus’ first followers imitated him long before they worshipped him.” Why have many of us reversed that chronology? Is it possible Jesus’ divinity has actually become an obstacle to our carrying on his ministry?

Given the only material we have to work with, we can’t be certain when the disciples of this first-century itinerant preacher began to suspect that there was something very different about him. This is not surprising, especially since Scripture scholars can’t agree on when Jesus himself initially became aware of his divine prerogatives, or even when he actually became God. Our Christian sacred authors differ on the timing of that latter event, something the late biblical scholar Father Raymond Brown referred to as the “Christological moment.”

While we traditionally ask, “When did Jesus become human?,” our biblical writers ask, “When did he become God?”

WE SEE HIM AS DIVINE

Though most followers of Jesus today are convinced he existed as God for all eternity, such a belief wasn’t always an essential part of Christian faith. We need only read the Christian Scriptures carefully to confirm that point.

Paul, our earliest Christian writer, states in Romans 1 that Jesus only became God when God raised him from the dead. According to Paul, this Galilean carpenter was just a human being during his earthly ministry and was eventually rewarded for that ministry by being raised as God. Mark, the first evangelist, appears to place that life-changing moment at Jesus’ baptism, when God proclaims from heaven, “You are my beloved Son!” Matthew and Luke seem to agree that he was conceived, with no preexistence, as both God and human in his mother’s womb. John, however, writing his well-known prologue in the mid-90s CE, trumps his biblical predecessors, declaring that Jesus was God for all eternity— from the “beginning.”

As we discovered in our grade school religion classes, mainstream Christians eventually overlooked or forgot all other scriptural opinions and bought into John’s theology, a theology that opens the door for us to worship long before we imitate.

Yet we can never forget two important points. First, every writing in the Christian Scriptures was composed after Jesus’ We can’t be certain when his disciples began to suspect there was something different about Jesus, portrayed here as The Twelve-Year-Old Jesus Teaching in the Temple. Even Scripture scholars disagree on when he became divine.

WIKIMEDIA COMMONS/LUDOVICO MAZZOLINO, CIRCA 1524

By Father Roger Karban

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WIKIMEDIA COMMONS/LUDOVICO MAZZOLINO, CIRCA 1524

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resurrection. Second, we have absolutely nothing written by anyone who actually experienced the historical Jesus. Our sacred writings were produced by second- and thirdgeneration Christians, individuals who experienced only the risen Jesus, a person whom they regarded as being divine— no matter when his Christological moment took place. That train had already left the station, whether it pulled in at his resurrection or had been on the tracks forever.

THEY SAW HIM AS HUMAN

Scholars wouldn’t even be discussing the Christological moment if Jesus’ immediate, first-generation followers had known about his divinity. They followed him not because he was God, but because he offered them a way of living more fulfilling lives than anything else that had come their way. We can only presume they regarded him as the latest prophet in a long line of biblical prophets, starting with Moses.

Prophecy was the normal biblical way for Yahweh to convey his will to the chosen people. That meant, in order to surface God’s will for the community, one first had to surface the prophets Yahweh had embedded in every community. These unique individuals were the people’s conscience, pointing out the future implications of their present actions. Contrary to modern belief, rarely did any of them predict future events. They were concerned with the present, stressing what God demanded of the Israelites here and now.

No wonder so many died with their sandals on. People who

had successfully muted their consciences also did what was necessary to mute the prophets.

As far as we can tell, the people of faith who encountered Jesus during his historical ministry simply regarded him as one of Yahweh’s prophets. Matthew 16:13b mentions this.

When Jesus asks his disciples, “Who do people say I am?,” they respond, “Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” The vast majority of Scripture scholars presume Peter’s answer—“You are the Christ, the Son of the living God”—is a post-Resurrection statement of faith read back into the Gospel. If Jesus hadn’t yet risen from the dead, no one would, or could, have come to that conclusion.

Though widely rejected, biblical prophets always attracted a small band of followers who cared for the prophets’ physical and psychological needs. Since no prophets actually wrote the biblical collections of oracles attributed to them, they had to have some disciples who did write down and order their sayings, eventually publishing them in the format that we access today. But none of these followers ever seem to have regarded any of their mentors as God. In their minds, the prophets were simply humans, like themselves, who were commissioned by God to pass on God’s will to his people. They faithfully carried on the prophets’ ministry by making certain others would hear that word in the future and also carry it out.

Jesus’ original disciples fall into this category. Though

WIKIMEDIA COMMONS/CARL WILHELM FRIEDRICH OESTERLEY CIRCA 1833

Jesus’ disciples regarded him as a prophet to imitate, rather than a God to worship. It was only after his death that Christians discovered his divinity, as portrayed in the painting Jesus and His Disciples on the Sea of Galilee.

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he, like all prophets, ministers against the background of others who also claim to be proclaiming Yahweh’s word, his followers see in him something they don’t see in those others. He, unlike the “court and shrine” prophets of his day and age, constantly takes them back to the beginnings of their faith, reminding them of the just relationships with others that God originally demanded of his people.

Like his authentic prophetic predecessors, Jesus not only doesn’t profit from his ministry, he suffers—to the point of being crucified—for passing on God’s word.

TRUE DISCIPLES

They followed him not because he was God, but because he offered them a way of living more fulfilling lives than anything else that had come their way.

WIKIMEDIA COMMONS/CARL WILHELM FRIEDRICH OESTERLEY CIRCA 1833

The only way someone can validly be a disciple of a prophet is to follow through with the prophet’s oracles, especially what he or she says about relating with others. But if they do, they’ll also suffer as the prophet suffers. Jesus’ historical disciples quickly discovered this. As the late peace activist Father Daniel Berrigan often reminded us, “If you’re serious about following Jesus, you’d better look good on wood.”

Obviously some individuals who claimed to be Jesus’ disciples eventually created a moral loophole for themselves once they discovered his divinity. They got off the hook by

substituting worship for imitation. One need only glance at the signs outside many Christian churches. I constantly see the times listed for “worship” services.

But I don’t ever recall seeing an “imitation” service advertised.

Perhaps the only thing we’re consistently imitating is the behavior of many ancient Israelites. Karen Armstrong hit the nail on the head in her landmark book A History of God. Speaking about those whom the eighth-century BCE prophet Amos addressed, she points out: “They preferred a less demanding religion of cultic observance, either in the Jerusalem Temple or in the old fertility cults of Canaan. This continues to be the case: The religion of compassion is followed only by a minority; most religious people are content with decorous worship in synagogue, church, temple, and mosque.”

We might get into heaven just by worshipping Jesus, the Son of God. But we’ll only change the world for the better by imitating Jesus, the prophet. Which do you think he prefers us to do?

Father Roger Karban is a priest in the Diocese of Belleville, Illinois, who holds a licentiate in theology from Gregorian University and a doctorate in Scripture from St. Louis University’s divinity school. His article “The Bible and Beyond” appeared in the July 2017 issue of St. Anthony Messenger.

A QUESTION A CHALLENGE A L I F E S TAT E M E N T

ORDER OF FRIARS MINOR

BECOMEAFRIAR.ORG

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I (Still) Have a Dream

ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI SCHOOL

By John Feister Photography by Andy Lo

During the 50th anniversary of a key year in the civil rights movement, St. Francis School looks to the future in Mississippi.

I

t’s not as if St. Francis of Assisi School hasn’t struggled before. Back in 1951, in rural, segregated Greenwood, Mississippi, the very idea of a school for black children run by northerners (Catholic priests and nuns) was an affront. Yet the Franciscans stood by their witness at St. Francis of Assisi Mission, supported the civil rights movement—in which Greenwood played an important role—and participated in the change and growth of their community.

Sixty-seven years later, though, Greenwood’s Leflore County has the lowest-ranked public school system in Mississippi, which means it’s one of the least effective in the United States. Even so, St. Francis School, an alternative for the local black community, and increasingly for Hispanic immigrants, struggles to stay alive.

“It’s been precarious from the get-go,” observes Brother Craig Wilking, OFM, a parish staff member. “Now we’re at a stage of listening to the community again and helping them to craft a solution.”

For the past 67 years, St. Francis of Assisi School in Greenwood, Mississippi, has nurtured both the intellects and the faith lives of its students. Diversity and a strong sense of community are hallmarks of this Franciscan place of learning.

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St. Anthony Messenger took a trip to Greenwood to see for ourselves this ministry of Franciscans and their partners, the Franciscan Sisters of Charity and the lay staff of St. Francis School. It is a dark, evening drive from the interstate for over 100 miles across the countryside into the edge of the Mississippi Delta, along the Yalobusha River.

Greenwood is 130 miles from Memphis and 90 miles north of Jackson, the state capital.

A welcome sign, through a rainy windshield, declares Greenwood to be the “Cotton Capital of the World.”

Greenwood, population 16,000, was the cotton capital of the world in the 19th century, which made it a center of slavery.

Dramatic change has come over the decades since the civil rights movement, but still, says Father Joachim (Kim) Studwell, OFM, the church’s pastor, “Everything is seen through the lens of race.” For example, he says, there are still people in town who resent that, 50 years ago, then-pastor Nathaniel Machesky, OFM, took sides in favor of racial equality, helping to organize the 20-month-long Greenwood Movement boycott.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. himself visited St. Francis of Assisi School in March 1968, only three weeks before his Memphis assassination. During the Greenwood boycott, which was reenergized by his death, shots were fired into the church, the Ku Klux Klan distributed anti-Catholic pamphlets, and even a firebomb was directed at St. Francis Center, a community outreach facility. Later that year, the Greenwood Movement resulted in changes in hiring practices and “the use of courtesy titles with black customers,” according to February’s anniversary story in Greenwood’s

FAITH-BASED EDUCATION

Among those who grew up and stayed in Greenwood is the principal of St. Francis School, Mrs. Jackie Lewis. She, her mother, and her daughters are all graduates of the school. Lewis returned two years ago because the school needed her help as resources became fewer and fewer, she says. “My two oldest ones attended up until eighth grade.

We still had eighth grade then, but for the two youngest ones, it was sixth grade.”

It was a different school for her. “We had basketball, we had a band, but we were fortunate enough to have more Franciscans,” she says.

Jackie had retired as a public school administrator, returning to St. Francis first as a fifth-grade teacher, then as principal of the 89 students. “It’s a challenge,” she says. “It’s very different from public school, where you have various people on the top levels who assist with different things” such as financial planning and curriculum. “Here you are everything, from the janitor, the cook, all the way up to the principal—and everything in between!” she says with a laugh. She calls the school a “real gem” in the community. “I’m so invested in the school, in the parish, that I don’t want to see it just dwindle away.”

St. Francis School ends after sixth grade,

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PHOTO CREDIT HERE

OPPOSITE PAGE: (Top) The Franciscan presence is palpable at St. Francis School, as evidenced by Brother Patrick McCormack, OFM, who is teaching students the wonders of watercolor art. (Lower left) Mrs. Jackie Lewis, once a student at the school, has come full circle and serves as principal now.

(Middle right) Third grader Sandra Chavez proudly demonstrates her science project, and children celebrate the annual year-end ball with costumes and dance (lower right).

PLACE IN HISTORY

TOP LEFT: US NATIONAL ARCHIVES AND RECORDS ADMINISTRATION

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (pictured above with Mathew Ahmann at a Washington, DC, civil rights march in 1963) was quite familiar with Greenwood, Mississippi, having visited it multiple times. He arrived in Greenwood on July 21, 1964, for the beginning of a five-day tour of Mississippi towns, going door-to-door to raise support for the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party. Just weeks before his assassination in 1968, he visited St. Francis School.

daily, The Commonwealth. That tiny step is a clue to the intransigence of racism here.

These days, according to art teacher Brother Patrick McCormack, OFM, most young people who have a chance move out of town as soon as they can. But not everyone.

Tonight at St. Francis Mission, young ones in Greenwood are celebrating their history in a school performance to a packed church full of parents. We find a space near the edge of a brimming parking lot as the annual Black History celebration is finishing up. There have been speeches (“I Have a Dream” and others), dances, and songs from the children, and the entire school has just sung the civil rights movement anthem, “We Shall Overcome,” joined by a glowing audience of family and friends. As parents and children mill about in the church-become-theater, Brother Mark Gehret, OFM, pushes a dust mop along the altar floor, cleaning up after the excitement (he keeps the facilities in good shape here).

Tomorrow morning there will be Mass for the children.

TOP LEFT: US NATIONAL ARCHIVES AND RECORDS ADMINISTRATION

PHOTO CREDIT HERE

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and most students can’t afford the local charter (private) school. But for the children attending seventh grade in substandard public schools, the efforts of St. Francis School have not been wasted. “You’re going to have some children who are going to perform regardless,” she observes. “They’re not going to be a discipline issue, and they have developed morals and standards at St. Francis. I think when you learn those things early on, they stick with you.” Many St. Francis students eventually make it to Mississippi Valley State University. Something has worked.

Yet hurdles remain. Persuading the parents toward faith-based education is harder these days than it was in the past, Lewis observes.

Oh, and there’s money. “If we had more dollars available, we could probably serve those people who desire to bring their kids here but can’t,” she says. And she would have a stronger teacher-recruitment program. The traditional source of teachers, those retired from the public schools, has dried up. “Teachers are so burned out when they leave public schools, they’re not going anywhere but home.”

Higher salaries might draw them out.

We got to see a bit more of the school’s can-do attitude about an hour later, when the children celebrated the 85th birthday of their retired pastor, a fixture around the school.

Father Camillus Janas, OFM, had been honored at Mass earlier. Now, Principal Jackie, along with the Franciscan staff (including Father Camillus himself) serve ice cream as the children come through the cafeteria line, one class at a time. At Mass earlier, as a few of the young students had proudly come forward with grateful testimony, this stalwart friar actually choked up—the accolades were a surprise. But soon he was back to his homily and giving the students wise advice: Work hard, keep studying, be kind to one another.

The ice cream seems a reward for that.

‘CHILDREN OF GOD’

St. Francis School hangs on a thread these days, but that doesn’t deter Franciscan Sister of Christian Charity Kathleen Murphy. Her Wisconsin-based congregation serves communities in need in various parts of the United States. She and her sisters are part of the fabric that has held things together here. They’ve been at St. Francis Mission for 35 years, teaching in the school, serving the parish, doing community outreach, and

nurturing a group of Secular Franciscans, which has grown since the parish’s earliest days. In addition to working as religiouseducation director, she teaches kindergarten.

“These are amazing children of God. There’s a lot of hunger—and I don’t mean for food.

In so many cases, there’s a lack of supporting families.”

There’s a lot of “social suffering,” she says, “a lack of understanding of black and Hispanic culture. . . . I think that is something that education can address.” To her, it’s all within a greater context of evangelization, “such a fertile field here,” she says.

Educational segregation is still the norm in Leflore County, she observes, with black and Latino students in the public schools and white students in private ones—a longstanding arrangement for decades in much of the South, including the Mississippi Delta.

Before the civil rights era, black children were in segregated schools with leftover resources from the white public schools. After federally mandated public school integration, most white families headed to private schools.

Funding for public schools then declined. “I don’t think they [white community leaders] really care about it,” Sister Kathleen says.

“For many of our kids,” she says, “this is their faith experience,” a key component of St. Francis School. The number of unchurched families has grown in recent years, she notes.

“We teach the Catholic faith, whether the students are Catholic or not. Most of ours are not, but nonetheless they receive daily religion class,” she adds. “They go to weekly Mass,

“Let the children come to me and do not prevent them; for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these” (Lk 18:16). Father Mark Gehret, OFM, along with all the staff and educators at St. Francis School, strives to live out Jesus’ words by enriching the spirits and minds of students.

OPPOSITE PAGE: An allstudent Mass is celebrated on Wednesdays, where the children sing in the choir, read Scripture, submit prayer intentions, and receive the Eucharist. It’s all part of the spiritual nourishment that is integral to the school’s approach to education.

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have reconciliation prayer services, have their throats blessed, receive ashes on Ash Wednesday, and so on.”

At St. Francis School, there’s also a “sense of safety” and “a sense of community,” she says, that you won’t find in the local public schools. “They’re well educated here. That’s something the parents know.” It’s all about the test in the public schools, she notes, referring to competency tests associated with public school performance. At St. Francis, there are strong academics, “but they need to love learning first.”

That’s what she tries to achieve in her kindergarten classes.

“We feel as Franciscans that this is a home for us. You know it, it’s a perfect fit, and our sisters, no matter who have come, end up being in love with the people.” Her sisters, she says, journey with them. “Francis didn’t try to fix the world,” she explains, but rather, “he would walk with people; he would change their bandages.” That attitude drives her work.

The Franciscan Friars of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Province (OFM), based in Franklin, Wisconsin, have operated this mission since its 1951 beginning. But ministries such as this school compete both for friars and for funding as resources diminish. In fact, the school, funded these days in part by several Franciscan provinces as well as by outside donations, is now living on a year-to-year basis, its future in question. The friars, sisters, tuition-paying parents (as well as those paying partial tuition), and the Diocese of Jackson are all considering whether the school will continue.

But the need is still there. “Racism is more covert today,” says Father Kim, pastor. Institutions, such as a local hospital, needed to integrate to maintain federal funding. “But every hospital LEFT: “These are amazing children of God,” says Sister Kathleen Murphy about her kindergartners.

She is passionate about keeping the school, a place she calls “home,” open.

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TOP LEFT: COURTESY OF CRAIG WILKING

UNCERTAIN FUTURE

TOP LEFT: COURTESY OF CRAIG WILKING

room is a private unit,” keeping races apart.

There’s an academy for white students of means. “This is the reality we live in, and we’re trying to provide an alternative,” says Father Kim. One of his challenges is to engage the families more fully financially, which was not as strong an emphasis in the past.

“We basically are trying to move from a paternalism model to co-responsibility,” he says, an initiative started through efforts of the school principal. She launched a school advisory council—a new idea here. Father Kim observes that some of the families find resources to send their children to the private charter academy after sixth grade; he’s leaning on these families to pay more while they’re still at St. Francis School.

“We want to get away from the mission mentality,” says Brother Craig, who oversees fund-raising for the school, “but you also have to see that we’re in one of the poorest places in the country.” There will be no quick fixes.

Brother Craig, a nurse by training who came to St. Francis from a rural health clinic in nearby Tutwiler, Mississippi, agreed to move here because the school needs him. His cool reasoning and fact-dependent approach from

nursing may well be the medicine St. Francis School needs at this precarious time.

“Our hope is to discern what God wants to do with what we have here,” says Father Kim. Then this joyous man quips, “I have no idea!” He’s only partially kidding. Once again serious, he offers, “As St. Paul says, ‘We walk by faith, and not by sight.’” Then Father Kim adds, once again laughing, “I identify with that!” These are days of uncertainty at St. Francis Mission.

A few weeks after our visit to Greenwood, Brother Craig sent an e-mail after Principal Lewis had talked with parents, one family at a time: “We will be open again in the fall.”

The staff at St. Francis of Assisi school will continue to teach, Father Kim and Brother Craig will continue to develop a sense of coresponsibility among the families and in the parish, and they all will continue to discern the next steps for St. Francis of Assisi School.

As Sister Kathleen would say, “That’s the spirit of what we do.”

LEFT: Brother Craig Wilking, OFM, and four students huddle around a science project: a small but growing plant. What a fitting allegory for the students at this Franciscan grade school—a place Franciscan Sister Kathleen Murphy calls “fertile ground.”

RIGHT: In the beaming smiles of St. Francis School students and in their eagerness to learn, we can take heart that the future will indeed be bright.

John Feister is the former editor at large of St. Anthony Messenger and a frequent contributor to this and other Catholic publications.

Support St. Francis School Donations may be sent to:

St. Francis of Assisi School • 2607 Hwy 82 E • Greenwood, MS 38930 e-mail: StFrancisGreenwood@gmail.com StAnthonyMessenger.org | August 2018 • 43

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fiction

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T S R T I F LIGH F Will

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ar ke e f r e

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By Janet M. Rogerson Illustration by Barry Ross

T

he first landing of my first solo flight had been a cinch, smooth as a baby’s fingers gliding over silk. Filled with confidence, I entered final approach for the second of the traditional trio of landings.

Kenneth, my instructor, stood on the side of the runway, ready to signal me to either come to a full stop or take off again.

I tried not to get distracted when I saw my husband, Don, walking toward Kenneth. Flying lessons had been a birthday present from him that had gotten me back into the air after a 40-year hiatus. I wanted to make him proud, proving that his confidence in me had been well placed.

I touched down with a thump. Not as smooth, but a good landing nevertheless. Kenneth signaled me to go with a thumbs-up. I pushed in the throttle, retracted the flaps, and checked the instruments. The plane lifted off just as I noticed my brother joining Kenneth and Don by the side of the runway.

Climbing to traffic-pattern altitude, I wondered what must be going through Marty’s mind. It had been 40 years since he’d witnessed our parents coming in for a landing in the family Cessna 172 on this same runway. Something had gone wrong; the plane crashed, killing both our mother and father.

I turned downwind, paralleling the runway. I began to sweat. “Focus on flying the plane,” I told myself. Why had Marty come here today? He swore he would never come to this airport again.

“Cessna 0-7-Gulf, downwind for runway 2-4, Plymouth,” I announced on the Unicom frequency.

Plymouth didn’t have a control tower; all pilots announced their positions on the radio, enabling all to see and be seen.

How had my brother gotten up the nerve to watch my first solo?

“Cessna 0-7-Gulf turning final, runway 2-4, Plymouth.”

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fiction witness my solo.

The cause of my parents’ crash had never been found.

“Where’s Marty?” I asked The cause of my parents’ crash had Was it a mechanical failure Don. I didn’t see him, but I never been found. Was it a mechanical or pilot error? Had Mom did see Father Stephen, our failure? Or pilot error? Had Mom gotten distracted, maybe by pastor, waving at me from a gotten distracted, maybe by Dad’s Dad’s ongoing flight instrucback row of people. tion? I know it bugged her Don and Kenneth ongoing flight instruction? at times. She had her license exchanged a guarded glance. and instrument rating and Don said, “He had to leave. had chalked up hundreds of He promised to call you.” hours of flight time, but Dad could never stop being a flight I wondered exactly why he had to leave. instructor.

Someone handed Kenneth a pair of scissors. The room I lined up with the runway centerline, put out the last went silent as he cut off a sizable piece of the back of my notch of flaps, and checked my airspeed. A little slow. shirt—the lucky shirt—the one I’d been wearing since I’d Inching the throttle forward, I resisted the urge to push it in been warned I would solo any day now. all the way and abort the landing.

Everyone clapped and cheered. Kenneth wrote with a I had to come down sometime. black marker on the shirttail, “Karen Rogers. First solo in Now my airspeed was too high. I throttled back but still Cessna 4807G,” followed by the time and date. ate up a lot of runway. “Do not push the nose down,” I comFather Stephen came over and hugged me. His thumb manded myself. “Just keep the yoke back, bleed off airspeed, rosary rubbed against my shoulder when he released me. and let the plane find its way down to the runway.”

“I hope one of those decades was for me, Father.”

The plane seemed to stop in midair, then banged down “All five were for you, Karen. I am so happy for you. I hard on the main gear—as it should, thank God. I let the know how much courage it must have taken.” nose down as gently as I could.

“Keep praying for me, please.”

I breathed out a lungful of air that I didn’t know I’d been “I will.” Another student stepped in to shake my hand. holding. Just a hard landing, no damage. I’d had plenty of “See you at Mass, Karen.” Father Stephen moved aside to let those during my flight training. others congratulate me.

Thank you, God, for bringing me safely back to earth.

After more congratulations and handshakes, Kenneth I rolled out, turned onto the taxiway, and headed for the tapped me on the shoulder. “We still have the postflight tie-down area. I parked, cut the engine mixture, turned off briefing to do, Karen.” the ignition, then let out another breath of relief. Any misDon kissed me goodbye, and I followed Kenneth into the take could have dominoed into a crash. small classroom off the flight school’s office. As soon as the The door opened suddenly. door shut, I burst out, “I’m going to quit while I’m ahead— “Congratulations, Karen! You did a good job,” Kenneth I’ve soloed, and that in itself is a major accomplishment for said. He shook my hand as I got out of the plane. me.” With Herculean effort, I held back my tears.

Don rushed forward and hugged me. “Congratulations!”

“Sit down, Karen, please.” Kenneth filled a plastic cup He released me and said, “You’re shaking like a leaf. Are you with water and brought it to me. “Don told me that becomall right?” ing a pilot had been a lifelong dream, that you’d even wanted “Yes,” I said, without much confidence in my answer. a career in flying.”

“Uh-oh,” Kenneth said. “Looks like you didn’t do the I had to smile. “I was a starry-eyed teenager and thought I shutdown checklist. The radios are still on, and the key is could do anything back then.” still in the ignition.” He shut off everything and retrieved the “Was it the accident that put the kibosh on your dream?” key. “Probably the excitement of soloing. And I should have I nodded. “Marty and I were devastated. I pushed all waited for you to open the door yourself.” thought of flying out of my mind. Then Don started pro“My fault,” Don said. “I pushed Kenneth to the plane. I’m moting the idea a couple of years ago. He even kidded me, ‘As so proud of you, Karen.” a meteorologist, you’d have a big advantage, knowing when We headed for the flight school office. I forced my quakto go or not to go.’ He left aviation magazines lying around, ing legs to steady themselves. prompting me to think about flying again.

“Then about a month ago, I was reading a book, and one Kenneth opened the door to let me go in first. “Lotta folks are waiting inside for me to cut off your tail feathers.” phrase, ‘God doesn’t love a coward,’ made me think about how fear had closed my mind.” The recollection jolted me. cheer greeted me from a small crowd in the terminal Here I was, letting fear get the upper hand again. lobby: fellow students, instructors, some of the airport He smiled. “Let me tell you what’s next. After some solo line crew, and visitors to the airport who just happened to flying, we’ll start the dual cross-country lessons. We’ll take

A

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fiction one flight at a time, no rush Don opened the door to and no pressure. I want you Marty and his wife, Linda. to enjoy the process.” He I got out two more glasses, He reached into his pocket. “‘This is stood, a signal that the briefpoured wine, and we gathfor Karen,’ were her last words.” He ing was finished. ered in the family room. handed me a chain with a gold thumb “OK,” I said. “Thanks for “We’re so proud of you, rosary on it. your patience.” As I passed Karen,” Linda said. his desk, I noticed a thumb I started to answer, but rosary lying there. “I didn’t Marty blurted, “Mom and know you were Catholic.”

Dad would be proud too— “What?” they wanted so much for you to be a pilot. They’d given up I held up the rosary. on me.”

“Oh, that. Another one of Father Stephen’s ploys to conMarty hadn’t wanted to be a pilot although he’d liked vert me. I always get a little sermon whenever he’s here. He’s flying as a family. He went on. “I never told you about the very convincing. And an excellent pilot.” crash, how I was the first one to get to the plane. It was hor“I didn’t know that.” rible, Karen. Blood everywhere. Dad was already gone, and Kenneth smiled. “The life of a priest is a mystery, known Mom hung on by a thread. I tried to get her out, but her legs only to God.” were pinned under the dashboard. Oh, God . . . .” He buried “He’s convinced you of something, then, hasn’t he?” his face in his hands.

Linda slid from her side of the sofa and put her arm around him. ver a delicious dinner served at our favorite eatery— “Mom said to leave her be, that she loved us, and that we home—and prepared by my favorite chief cook and were the world to her. Then she gave me this.” He reached bottle washer—Don—I spilled out my heart to my favorite into his pocket. “‘This is for Karen,’ were her last words.” He counselor. “With much trepidation, I’m marching forward. handed me a chain with a gold thumb rosary on it.

Or I should say, upward.”

I recognized it instantly. Dad had given it to Mom. There “Atta girl!” Don picked up his wine, and we clinked were wings on the top and an inscription inside the band. I glasses. “So I can plan long weekends in the Bahamas, read it aloud. “To my beloved Marion on her first solo flight. salmon fishing in Quebec, maybe skiing in Vail.”

Yours always, John.” I started to cry.

“Oh, ulterior motives have you, now?”

Marty squeezed my hand. “I’m so sorry I didn’t give it to “You betcha!” you then, Karen. I was afraid it would encourage you to keep “I just noticed you’ve got a thumb rosary in your shirt up your flying. I was terrified of losing you too.” pocket.”

“It’s perfect timing, Marty, on the day that I’ve soloed.” I “Courtesy of Father Stephen. He was giving them out at put the chain around my neck and patted the rosary against the airport. I don’t know how many will get used—some my chest. “How beautiful! Thank you, Marty. I’m so glad we people took them because they couldn’t say no to him.” can finally talk about Mom and Dad.” “Will you use yours?” I asked.

“All because of Father Stephen. I saw him at the airport “It’s been a while, I’m ashamed to say. But yes, I plan to.” giving out thumb rosaries and the memories washed over Tears filled my eyes. “We used to pray the rosary every me, nearly drowning me. I—we, Linda and I—went to talk morning when we were first married.” to him before we came here.”

Don put his hand over mine. “Before raising four kids “Did he tell you he’s a pilot?” I asked. and the pursuit of the American dream got in the way. Let’s “Yes.” Marty smiled for the first time since he’d arrived. start again.”

“And look at this,” he said, holding up a thumb rosary. “I “I’d love to.” couldn’t leave Father Stephen tonight without one of his He took me in his arms. “You are first and foremost in trademark gifts.” my prayers always, you know that. And I’ll pray the rosary whenever you fly.” enneth once told me that soloing was the bridge con“Thank you,” I whispered in his ear and kissed him. necting the dream to fly with the reality of becoming a pilot. Marty and I had crossed the bridge connecting the past e cleared the table and put the dishes in the dishand the present—a bridge to healing. washer.

“How about a second celebratory glass of wine?” I branJanet M. Rogerson is a writer, teacher, and retired flight instructor residing in dished the bottle in front of Don. Before he could answer, the doorbell rang. He set down his glass and went to answer Port Orange, Florida. She is a member of the Mystery Writers of America and the door. I followed, wondering who it was.

International Women in Aviation.

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media MATTERS

reel time | channel surfing | audio file | bookshelf

By Sister Rose Pacatte, FSP

Sister Rose Pacatte, FSP

Isle of Dogs Ready Player One The Miracle Season The Dating Project The Rider

I

n 2015, the amusement park Jurassic World on Isla Nublar was mostly destroyed. Three years later, the aging Benjamin Lockwood (James Cromwell), who is partly responsible for using DNA technology that recreated dinosaurs, wants to relaunch the park as a private sanctuary. He engages Claire (Bryce Dallas Howard), the former park manager, who is now a humane society advocate in the fight to let these dinosaurs live. She convinces Owen (Chris Pratt), a dinosaur trainer, to join a team to recover Blue, the last surviving velociraptor, for the new park.

Eli Mills (Rafe Spall), Lockwood’s top aide, has a private militia waiting for the team.

Claire, Owen, Zia (Daniella Pineda), a paleoveterinarian, and Franklin (Justice Smith), the computer technician who reactivates the island’s tracking system, pursue Blue while the militia loads up the other dinosaurs.

Back at Lockwood’s, an auction is under way in the huge underground bunker beneath the mansion. Investors are attracted to the military applications for the ongoing program to genetically modify dinosaurs.

Director J.A. Bayona directs Jurassic World’s humans and CGI creatures very well,

though the awards should go to the editors.

Writers Colin Trevorrow and Derek Connolly have delivered an uncomplicated narrative that’s easy to follow. Jeff Goldblum reprises his role as Dr. Ian Malcolm, who specializes in chaos theory. He testifies before Congress and cautions legislators about the danger of continuing to play God with creation.

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom is another cautionary tale about our manipulation of nature for power and profit. It is a wild ride from start to finish—filled with chases and explosions. Many ethical questions are raised about cloned life and whether a living creature, however it came into being, should be put to death. The film tilts more toward action than ethics, but it’s still a good film.

A-3, PG-13 • Peril, violence, mature themes.

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EATING ANIMALS: NIRUTCS/FOTOSEARCH, INSET: ENJOYLIFE/FOTOSEARCH; HEARTS BEAT LOUD: BURN LATER PRODUCTIONS

NEWtoDVD

JURASSIC WORLD: FALLEN KINGDOM

LEFT: SISTER NANCY USSELMANN; JURASSIC WORLD: FALLEN KINGDOM: UNIVERSAL PICTURES

Sister Rose is a Daughter of St. Paul and the founding director of the Pauline Center for Media Studies. She has been the award-winning film columnist for St. Anthony Messenger since 2003 and is the author of several books on Scripture and film, as well as media literacy education.

HEARTS BEAT LOUD

F EATING ANIMALS

EATING ANIMALS: NIRUTCS/FOTOSEARCH, INSET: ENJOYLIFE/FOTOSEARCH; HEARTS BEAT LOUD: BURN LATER PRODUCTIONS

LEFT: SISTER NANCY USSELMANN; JURASSIC WORLD: FALLEN KINGDOM: UNIVERSAL PICTURES

D

id you ever wonder where the meat you consume actually comes from? Based on the memoir by Jonathan Safran Foer, this documentary looks at how America’s food production industry changed from small farmers to factory farming in the 1970s.

It explores the ethical, economic, environmental, and public health impact of “confinement buildings,” where animals are crammed into cages. The film also looks at how America went from raising healthy animals for market to the need for fast and cheap meat.

With the exception of organic farming, most meat is filled with antibiotics to ensure that these mistreated animals remain healthy enough to be slaughtered and processed. Several farmers who have resisted industrial agriculture are profiled in the film.

Their stories are grim but hopeful.

Treating animals in a humane way is a

theme that runs throughout the film.

One of the most disturbing elements of factory farming is the slime pools where animal waste is stored and allowed to seep into groundwater and eventually into rivers, streams, and lakes. The effect on fresh water for drinking and fishing is devastating.

There is nothing good about factory farming.

Not yet rated • Explicit scenes of animals suffering and dying.

Catholic News Service Media Review Office gives these ratings.

A-1 General patronage

A-2 Adults and adolescents

A-3 Adults

L Limited adult audience

O Morally offensive

Source: USCCB.org/movies

rank (Nick Offerman), a widower and single father to Sam (Kiersey Clemons), decides to close his vintage LP record shop in Red Hook, Brooklyn, as his daughter prepares to leave for college. Both father and daughter love music, and Frank overhears Sam playing a song she wrote. They jam for a while and create a beautiful song, “Hearts Beat Loud.” Frank wants to become a band. When Sam says, “We’re not a band,” he uses that as the band’s name, uploads the song to Spotify, and it becomes a hit. In the last days before Sam leaves for school, they have a decision to make.

A record executive offers them a contract. Sam is attracted to Rose (Sasha Lane), an artist, though it is unrequited. Frank’s landlady, Leslie (Toni Collette), wants to help him save the shop, but Frank is sure he needs a job to help him care for his shoplifting mother, Marianne (Blythe Danner).

Dave (Ted Danson) gives Frank a job at his bar.

This is a beautiful, gentle film, a look at the bonds of family that transcend generations and challenges. Clemons does her own singing—and she is very good. Offerman underplays his role in a loving, vulnerable way.

Not yet rated, PG-13 • Mature themes.

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reel time | channel surfing | audio file | bookshelf

Anthony Bourdain was a chef, writer, and television host who brought the world into our homes. He passed away on June 8.

In Memoriam: Anthony Bourdain

L

ike an intricate recipe from an old eatery in an undiscovered corner of the world, Anthony Bourdain was impossible to categorize. He could be savory and sweet in one bite. He had immeasurable depth, he could be tough, he was a joy and a challenge, but he was ultimately satisfying. When the world discovered that the famed chef, best-selling author, Emmy-winning host, and world wanderer committed suicide on June 8, we were aghast. How could somebody who lived so loudly yield so quietly?

His first book, Kitchen Confidential, displayed an unmatched writing prowess, but his television shows, such as No Reservations and Parts Unknown, gave him an even broader, bolder platform. And what made his series so innately watchable was that they weren’t as much about food as they were about the people eating it. Bourdain wasn’t intimidated by culture divisions or language barriers. He was a vagabond in the truest sense: curious, hungry for experience, and desperate to understand people, customs, and rituals that differ from our own. He not only embraced “the other,” but he broke bread with him, drank with him, built a bridge with him. How Franciscan is that?

For this viewer, perhaps what I’ll miss most is how easily Bourdain’s acidic worldview crumbled when he immersed himself in the unknown. As he wandered the crowded streets of a Vietnamese village, you could see his patented cynicism erode to something purer, almost childlike. He seemed totally unsure of his next steps—and his moment-to-moment discoveries made him shine. Bourdain showed American audiences that perhaps we live too safely. Routine can be an anchor, but it can also keep us from stretching our legs and absorbing what is unfamiliar.

We can only surmise what drove him to his final, desperate act, but obsessing over his death is a disservice to his life. Yes, Bourdain left us too soon, but I’d prefer to think he’s continuing his great adventure to parts unknown.

stream UP CLOSE

The Dangerous Book for Boys

Amazon Prime

A

series that examines how the imagination can heal a family touched by death, The Dangerous Book for Boys is solid viewing for young channel surfers who love to read. Still healing from the death of its patriarch, the McKenna family is composed of Beth (Erinn Hayes), her three boys, and her eccentric mother-in-law, played with relish by Swoosie Kurtz. The boys’ father, an inventor when he was alive, leaves them a handbook of information that both feeds their curiosity and encourages them to explore the world around them.

Liam McKenna (Kyan Zielinski) takes to the book with abandon— and it’s within his imagination that he reunites with his father.

This Bryan Cranston-produced original series is a delight for adolescents who love adventure stories. Adult channel surfers with a more discerning eye may tire of the sometimes-wooden dialogue, which can deaden the narrative. But the cast, of mostly lesser-known actors, is affable and the issue of death is handled compassionately.

And the criminally underused Kurtz provides a current of humor and quirkiness that lifts the series when it’s needed most.

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RY COODER: FANTASY RECORDS; BRIAN ENO: E.G. RECORDS; PETE & REPEAT: TOM GREENE

By Christopher Heffron

ANTHONY BOURDAIN: DISCOVERY PRESS WEB/TRAVEL CHANNEL, INSET: CREATIVE COMMONS/PEABODY AWARDS/CHARLES E MANLEY; THE DANGEROUS BOOK FOR BOYS: EPK.TV/AMAZON PRIME VIDEO/GIOVANNI RUFINO

media MATTERS

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Editor’s Pick

By Daniel Imwalle

RY COODER | THE PRODIGAL SON

Retro-spective

BRIAN ENO | APOLLO: ATMOSPHERES AND SOUNDTRACKS

RY COODER: FANTASY RECORDS; BRIAN ENO: E.G. RECORDS; PETE & REPEAT: TOM GREENE

ourteen years after the Apollo 11 moon landing, ambient music pioneer Brian Eno released Apollo: Atmospheres and Soundtracks. Featured on the album are Daniel Lanois—who would go on to produce albums by U2 and score films such as The Last of the Mohicans—and Eno’s brother, Roger. A wordless collection of songs, the music is spacious and ethereal, an ideal backdrop for a night of summer stargazing and awe at God’s creation.

One of the most beloved songs on Apollo is “An Ending (Ascent),” with its ever-reaching synthesizer choir and patient, slow build. It’s the kind of song that proves how powerful and emotive instrumental music can be. “An Ending (Ascent)” would go on to appear not only in the moon landing documentary that it was originally written for (titled For All Mankind), but also in the hit films Traffic and 28 Days Later.

Apollo is a collection of music that inspires the listener to look up and marvel at the grandeur of it all.

PETE&REPEAT

he story of songwriter/producer/guitarist extraordinaire Ry Cooder is long and rich.

Now 71, Cooder has played guitar on recording sessions with The Rolling Stones, Neil Young, and Marianne Faithfull, among many others.

He’s scored movies such as Paris, Texas and produced the soundtrack to the Buena Vista Social Club, which won a Grammy and was nominated for an Academy Award.

After looking outward with the bitingly satirical Election Special, The Prodigal Son goes the other direction with songs that bare an inner woundedness that is both raw and beautiful. Eight of the 11 tracks are covers of a smattering of gospel and traditional tunes, with Cooder playing multiple instruments on every song, from his legendary guitar work to banjo, bass, and mandolin. His deep history with stringed instruments—especially guitar—is impressive, but his subtle vocal delivery deserves recognition too. There’s a world-weary quality to Cooder’s singing, especially in the title track as well as “Nobody’s Fault But Mine,” that lends wisdom and depth to the album.

Joachim Cooder, Ry’s son, coproduced the album with his father and plays percussion throughout. This brings a whole other layer of meaning to the biblical parable as, in this album, it is actually a father who is identifying with the famous wayward child. Cooder seems to be suggesting that, no matter who we are, we all need to be called back home to the light of God’s love and forgiveness. In today’s broken, scarred world, this is a most welcome message indeed.

In the song “Jesus and Woody,” one of the three originals penned by Cooder for the album, Jesus asks the late folk singer Woody Guthrie to play for him: “So sing me a song ‘bout ‘This Land Is Your Land’/And fascists bound to lose/You were a dreamer, Mr. Guthrie/And I was a dreamer too.” He rightly could have ended the album on this profound note. Instead, Cooder reminds us of the joy of the Gospel by way of the joy of gospel music in the stomping “In His Care.” Infused with a rollicking sound, this final song sends us forth much like the closing of Mass.

Thanks be to God, and thank God for Ry Cooder.

These scenes may seem alike to you, But there are changes in the two.

So look and see if you can name Eight ways in which they’re not the same.

(Answers below)

GET THE BOOK

Great fun for puzzlers of all ages!

Go online to order: Shop.FranciscanMedia.org For ONLY $3.99 Use Code: SAMPETE ANSWERS to PETE & REPEAT:1) The clouds have grown bigger. 2) There are now five tomatoes in the bucket. 3) A leaf has fallen off. 4) An additional tomato is growing on the vine. 5. The stake is taller. 6) The blue sky is showing more through the clouds. 7) Pete’s shirt has a pocket. 8) His pants have a thicker waistband.

ANTHONY BOURDAIN: DISCOVERY PRESS WEB/TRAVEL CHANNEL, INSET: CREATIVE COMMONS/PEABODY AWARDS/CHARLES E MANLEY; THE DANGEROUS BOOK FOR BOYS: EPK.TV/AMAZON PRIME VIDEO/GIOVANNI RUFINO

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media MATTERS

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By Julie Traubert

Classics Help Navigate Digital World “This is not a book about technology. It is a book about being restored to ourselves and thus finding peace.”

—Father Paul Scalia, Foreword

A MIND AT PEACE

BY CHRISTOPHER O. BLUM AND JOSHUA P. HOCHSCHILD Sophia Institute Press

W

hen I read the book’s title, I had high expectations that it might be the perfect book to help me focus on core values in my life and put aside distractions, many of them almost “essential” to living in the 21st century.

Noting the structure of the book— Living Well, Sensing Well, Thinking Well—I read a few chapters, grateful for the brief Scripture quotes introduc-

A Story of Hope

ing each and increasingly curious as to what practical questions for reflection the authors would include.

There is much about this book that I found valuable, especially reminders about some of the habits of mind and moral virtues I had not reflected on in recent years, such as temperance, resilience, reliability, and attentiveness. But something about the tone nagged at me. At times I was transported back into the 1960s, pre-Vatican II days. Why was I feeling this way? And who were these authors, who provided no biographies for the reader to situate them, except that they were “two Catholic educators who have devoted their careers to making available to today’s students the wisdom of the broad Catholic tradition of philosophical, theological, and spiritual reflection.” The Internet

provided more details. Hochschild is a professor of philosophy at Mount St. Mary’s University in Emmitsburg, Maryland. Blum is with the Augustine Institute, which promotes “the New Evangelization [that] requires Catholics to reclaim a faithful orthodoxy while being witnesses to the living Gospel in our post-Christian culture.”

I recommend this book, but with reservations to some readers who, like me, might be distracted by the book’s privileging of traditional over contemporary thought and of male writers and saints over female ones.

Reviewed by Elizabeth Bookser Barkley, PhD, who chairs the Department of Liberal Arts at Mount St. Joseph University in Cincinnati, where she interacts daily with scholars teaching history, literature, philosophy, and religious studies.

“Ministerial priesthood is not about the perfection of the priest but about God working through his human weakness.”

F

irst and foremost, this is the story of Father Rob Galea’s journey of faith.

As he states several times, he was born into the Catholic Church, surrounded by people of faith in Malta, one of the world’s most Catholic countries. Yet, for most of his teen and college years, he was not really connected to the life of the Church.

His difficulties as a teen begin as he relates his inability to confront depression although he is surrounded by a successful, faithful, and loving family.

The death of two grandparents, during a time when he was struggling with being bullied at school, adds a sense of anger and confusion.

He chooses to play the victim and rebels and acts out for several years, getting into addictive behaviors and petty crime. Then a phone call meant for his sister, inviting her to a parish youth group, becomes his path out of darkness and leads to the discovery of his talents and vocation.

Now living in Australia, Father Galea discusses his ministry in a secular country during the digital age.

He travels with his guitar, camera, and drone because he realizes that the shift to technology is no passing fad.

His YouTube vlog is not a gimmick to get attention but a way to reach out with the message of the Gospel to the

BREAKTHROUGH

BY FATHER ROB GALEA Ave Maria Press

unchurched in the digital universe.

Father Galea’s imperfections are front and center, but the Gospel anchors him.

Reviewed by Mark M. Wilkins, retired teacher and recovering adolescent.

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A HEART LIKE MARY’S

VISIONS OF MARY

MARY: HER IDENTITY, OUR IDENTITY

BY EDWARD LOONEY

BY JILL K.H. GEOFFRION

BY CHIARA LUBICH

Ave Maria Press

Paraclete Press

New City Press

“I entered into the heart of Mary and . . . bitterness and pessimism grew less, and I became more positive.”

“The Marian imagery in the cathedral challenged me to open myself to knowing Christ more fully.”

“So if we do the will of God, moment by moment, we are little Marys.”

F

A

S

or those wishing to begin a daily meditation focusing on Mary, this is the perfect guidebook. Father Edward Looney, a Marian theologian and author, turned to Mary when he realized his penchant for being negative. Because of his struggle, readers can benefit from his solution: imitating Mary’s love for God and others.

Introducing a different attribute of Mary’s heart for 31 days, Father Looney begins each chapter with a Scripture passage followed by a reflection, prayer, and an instruction on how to live that characteristic in daily life. He calls us to rise to the challenge of living with a Marian heart.

pilgrimage to the Chartres Cathedral in France may not be in your budget, but Visions of Mary can bring the cathedral to you. Protestant minister and photographer Rev. Jill K.H. Geoffrion escorts you through this 13th-century gothic church with an eye toward Mary. She spent nine years studying and photographing more than 175 images of Mary in stained glass and sculpture in Chartres and features more than 75 in her book.

Each photo is accompanied by explanatory text that invites reflection about Mary. Rev. Geoffrion illuminates the path to relating to Mary on a personal level, which fosters a better understanding of Jesus.

What I’m Reading The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald Our Souls at Night, by Kent Haruf

Phyllis Zagano is senior research associate-in-residence and an adjunct professor of religion at Hofstra University. She was appointed to the Papal Commission for the Study of Women in the Diaconate in August 2016.

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Robert Lowell, Setting the River on Fire: A Study of Genius, Mania, and Character,

by Kay Redfield Jamison The Climate of Monastic Prayer,

by Thomas Merton Gaudete et Exsultate, by Pope Francis

KIDS’

SPOT T

ince Chiara Lubich, founder of the Focolare Movement (the Work of Mary), died in 2008, there has been a concerted effort to compile her thoughts and writings on the Gospels.

Part of a series gathering Lubich’s texts, this book focuses on Mary, who was central to Lubich’s spiritual doctrine.

Lubich’s first spiritual reflections on Mary in the 1940s form the base of her devotion, and as the years advance, the reader has a front seat to Lubich’s deepening understanding of Mary’s role as Jesus’ mother, as our model, and as a unifying mother of all people.

SAINT CLARE OF ASSISI

WRITTEN AND ILLUSTRATED BY KIM HEE-JU

his graphic novel for kids ages 9–12 tells the story of St. Clare. Children will learn how Clare struggled with her decision to leave her family and a life of wealth to follow in Francis’ footsteps, living in poverty and serving the poor.

Books featured in this section can be ordered from:

St. Mary’s Bookstore & Church Supply

1909 West End Avenue • Nashville, TN 37203 • 800-233-3604

web: www.stmarysbookstore.com e-mail: stmarysbookstore@gmail.com

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POINTSOFVIEW | FAITH & FAMILY

What a Hero Looks Like

By Susan Hines-Brigger

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Susan welcomes your comments and suggestions!

E-MAIL: CatholicFamily@ FranciscanMedia.org MAIL: Faith & Family 28 W. Liberty St. Cincinnati, OH 45202

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A SPECIAL CALLING

But something else hit me when Riley and Kacey were recounting their experiences that day. In those terrifying moments, Kacey didn’t say she wanted me or my husband, Mark. No, she said she was searching for her teacher.

Riley also pointed out how calmly and confidently her teacher had acted. That, to me, speaks volumes about the power and impact teachers have on our kids.

When I was younger and discerning my future career path, I can unequivocally say that teaching was never even an option. I’m not sure why. I like kids; I really do. Otherwise I wouldn’t have four of my own. And I love to learn things. But teaching held no appeal for me.

Perhaps that’s why I have so much respect

for those who do enter the teaching profession. In fact, I actually consider teaching to be more than a career. I consider it to be a ministry.

Not only are these men and women teaching information, they are also helping to form their students in many other ways. They devote their time, energy, and hearts into what they do, often seeing the line between their work hours and personal time blur.

It is the stuff of superheroes. In fact, the big-screen superhero Wolverine is a teacher.

IN GOOD HANDS

I remember something one of the students at Santa Fe High School said after the shooting at her school last May—the week before the lockdown at our own school.

“It’s been happening everywhere,” 17-yearold Paige Curry told reporters. “I’ve always kind of felt like eventually it was going to happen here, too. I wasn’t surprised. I was just scared.”

Each day when I send my kids off to school, that sentiment echoes in my mind and haunts me. When situations happen like the lockdown at their school last year, I wish I could wrap them up and keep them safe from every danger in the world. But I can’t. None of us can. The best I can do is pray and drop them off at school knowing that they are in the hands of superheroes.

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KENVELINA2004/FOTOSEARCH

Susan has worked at St. Anthony Messenger for 24 years and is an executive editor. She and her husband, Mark, are the proud parents of four kids—Maddie, Alex, Riley, and Kacey. Aside from her family, her loves are Disney, traveling, and sports.

LEFT: MC KOZUSKO/SAM; RIGHT: HALFPOINT/FOTOSEARCH

Susan Hines-Brigger

ockdown—that was the subject line of the e-mail I got at work on one of the last days of school this past May. My heart dropped into my stomach. I quickly scrolled down to read the body of the message, though not entirely sure I wanted to.

Apparently there had been a bank robbery, and the police had cornered the suspects in the neighborhood behind the school. At the time of the lockdown, though, the suspects had not been apprehended. By the time I got the e-mail, the situation was well in hand and the communication was sent to let parents know what happened. It didn’t make me feel any better, though.

That night at dinner, I listened to my two youngest kids, Riley and Kacey, recount what they went through.

Riley talked about how they turned off the lights, pushed the desks in front of the door, and huddled on the inside wall. She said they were told to grab any heavy item, such as books or staplers, that they could to throw at anyone who entered the room.

Kacey told a similar story but added: “I had tears in my eyes. I just kept looking for my teacher.”

Suddenly, I had tears in my eyes. She’s 7.

No 7-year-old should be hiding behind her desk. Actually, no student should have to.

in the kitchen

with Rita Heikenfeld

O

ur gardens and farmers markets are overflowing with fresh produce and herbs. I like to incorporate these seasonal veggies and herbs into our favorite recipe for chicken kebabs.

These kebabs are delicious and perfect for casual entertaining or a family supper.

Mediterranean Chicken Kebabs with Red Onion and Bell Pepper

Yield: 4 servings • prep time: 40 minutes (not counting marinating), cook time: 10 minutes

Marinade ½ cup

full-fat, whole-milk plain Greek yogurt

¼ cup

extra virgin olive oil

1 tbls. minced garlic Zest of two lemons 2 tsp.

each dried thyme leaves and oregano

1¼ tsp. salt 1 tsp. tsp.

black pepper cayenne pepper

Chicken and Vegetables 4 skewers 4

boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs (approximately 1½ pounds) cut into 1-inch cubes (about 24 pieces)

2

colored bell peppers

1

large red onion

Basil Lemon Herb Mop

Palmful minced fresh basil 1 tsp.

minced garlic

3–4 tbls. lemon juice

Cut peppers into 1-inch pieces. Cut onion into 1-inch-thick wedges. Set aside.

Whisk herb mop ingredients together. Set aside.

Threading Skewers: Remove chicken from marinade.

Thread skewers as follows: 2 pieces pepper • 1 piece onion • 2 pieces chicken • 1 piece onion.

Repeat two more times.

Grill over high heat until vegetables and chicken are charred on edges and chicken is cooked, about 3–5 minutes per side. Remove from heat and brush kebabs with herb mop and serve.

Tips: When you thread chicken on skewers, leave a bit of space between pieces so chicken cooks through quickly and thoroughly. If using wooden skewers, wrap exposed ends with foil to prevent burning. Serve with a side of couscous and/or a simple green salad.

WITH THE

BIBLE Some of these ingredients have ancient biblical histories.

Mary would have used them in preparing meals for her family.

It’s fun to share this information as you make the kebabs.

• The chickens of biblical times were not unlike our chickens today. Over 5,000 years ago, chickens were domesticated and bred mainly for cockfighting.

It wasn’t until several hundred years before Christ was born that they were bred for food.

• Yogurt was a common food during biblical days. Milk was stored in animal-skin containers, and, after a while, the milk curdled into a kind of yogurt.

I grew up eating homemade yogurt and make it today from my mom’s recipe.

• Olive oil was a common culinary ingredient in Jesus’ time. Olive trees can live for almost 1,000 years!

• When the Israelites were fleeing from bondage in Egypt, they complained about the lack of food in the desert, including onions and garlic, which grew in abundance in Egypt.

• There’s a legend that basil was found growing near Jesus’ tomb after his resurrection. It’s still one of the most popular culinary herbs today.

• Thyme and oregano are descendants of the wild herbs used as flavorings during biblical times.

KENVELINA2004/FOTOSEARCH

LEFT: MC KOZUSKO/SAM; RIGHT: HALFPOINT/FOTOSEARCH

¼ cup olive oil

Instructions: Whisk marinade ingredients together. Stir in chicken. Cover and refrigerate 3–6 hours.

COOKING

FIND THIS AND OTHER RECIPES AT: FranciscanMedia.org/source/recipes

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reflection

“When you seek truth, you seek God whether you know it or not.”

WOOTTIGEN/FOTOSEARCH

—Edith Stein (St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross)

56 • August 2018 | StAnthonyMessenger.org

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—From the foreword by Jeannie Gaffigan Comedienne, actress, and writer

Catholic Puzzles, Word Games, and Brainteasers Volumes 1 and 2 MATT SWAIM

64 pages, $9.95 each

Look for these titles wherever books and eBooks are sold.

For more information, visit avemariapress.com.

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28 W. Liberty Street Cincinnati, OH 45202-6498

Available from the Missionary Oblates

Colorful Miraculous Medal Watch

Each multi-colored clay bead has a different pattern, making the watch as special as the

person wearing it! The watch’s double-strand design is accented with five silver Miraculous medals. The watch face measures 1 inch in diameter. No tricky clasps to operate, the

watch stretches for an easy, comfortable fit.

The Colorful Miraculous Medal Watch will be sent to you in gratitude for your gift of

$12 or more. Your donation will support the ministries of the Missionary Oblates as we

serve poor and needy people in our missions around the world.

$12 $20 $25 Check/Money Order

$30

$45

$ ______

Fr. Andy Knop, O.M.I. Oblate Chaplain Director

Credit Card # ______ ______ ______ ______ Exp. Date ______ /______ Please send ___ Colorful Miraculous Medal Watch(es). #210294 ($12 suggested donation each)

Name ______________________________________ Address _____________________________________ City _____________________ State ____ ZIP _____ E-mail _____________________________________

Please mail to:

#M19ADA8A1

Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate National Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows 9480 N. De Mazenod Drive • Belleville, IL 62223-1160

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Thank you for your generous support!

Donate Now Toll-Free At:

1-888-330-6264 Mon. - Thur. 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Central

To request this item on our secure internet site, visit

oblatesusa.org/ads

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