May 2015 by St. Anthony Messenger

CLEVELAND’S BLESSING HOUSE

ST. ANTHONY MAY 2015 • $3.95 • FRANCISCANMEDIA.ORG

How Catholics Read the Bible I Am a Wounded Healer Prayer to the Rescue Patrick’s First Funeral

Messenger

Meeting

Pope Francis

REFLECTION

The life

—Karen Maezen Miller

of a mother is the life of a child: you are two blossoms on a single branch.

CONTENTS

ST. ANTHONY Messenger

❘ MAY 2015 ❘ VOLUME 122/NUMBER 12

ON THE COVE R

28 Meeting Pope Francis

What a blessing! Pope Francis kisses author Gina Loehr’s daughter Gianna during a private audience. The two were in Rome for a seminar on St. John Paul II’s apostolic letter “On the Dignity and Vocation of Women.”

This mother recalls her face-to-face encounter. By Gina Loehr and Al Giambrone

Photo from L’Osservatore Romano

F E AT U R E S

D E PA R T M E N T S

14 Cleveland’s Blessing House

2 Dear Reader

The front door is always open for families in crisis. By Jerri Donohue

3 From Our Readers 4 Followers of St. Francis Peter F. Vasko, OFM

20 Patrick’s First Funeral My son taught me a lesson in compassionate service. By Hannah Dougherty Campbell

6 Reel Time Cinderella

Breaking Borders

22 Wounded Healer

9 At Home on Earth

Walking through our own pain, with God’s help, leads us to reach out to others. By Richard B. Patterson, PhD

Save the Earth on a Budget

10 Church in the News

34 God’s Word Revealed

27 Editorial Martyrs for What?

To understand a Bible passage correctly, we must consider its context. By Margaret Nutting Ralph, PhD

38 Prayer to the Rescue

8 Channel Surfing

50 Ask a Franciscan How Much Is Enough?

52 Book Corner Scripture

A Texas deacon—and mining expert—pulled out all the stops to save 33 Chilean miners. But without God’s grace, the rescue couldn’t have happened. By Jerry Circelli

54 A Catholic Mom Speaks Expanding Our View

56 The Spirit of Francis A Different Preaching Style

44 Fiction: Lost in the Land of Motherhood

57 Backstory

What could she learn from a purple finch? By Geraldine Ann Marshall

DEAR READER

ST. ANTHONY M essenger

‘Virgin Made Church’ We do not know when Francis wrote “A Salutation of the Blessed Virgin Mary,” a short litany praising the mother of Jesus under many titles. After addressing her as lady, queen, and mother of God, Francis calls Mary “the virgin made Church.” He would have agreed with later scholars who have called her “the first Christian disciple.” Francis goes on to greet Mary as God’s palace, tabernacle, dwelling, robe, servant, and mother. He ends with a praise of all holy virtues that come through the help of the Holy Spirit to make us faithful to God. Although previous Christian writers had described Mary as a pattern, type, or model of the Church, Francis was the first person we know of to use the expression “virgin made Church.” By rejecting everything material as evil, the Albigensians in Francis’ day effectively wiped out any devotion for Mary’s role in the Incarnation—much less for later modeling what being a disciple of Jesus means. May she who pondered God’s actions in her life and prayed over them help us to do the same, always deepening our conversion as disciples of the Lord.

Click the button on the left for more of Father Pat’s reflections on this salutation for Mary.

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(U.S.P.S. PUBLICATION #007956 CANADA PUBLICATION #PM40036350) Volume 122, Number 12, 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. U.S. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: St. Anthony Messenger, P.O. Box 189, Congers, NY 109200189. CANADA RETURN ADDRESS: c/o AIM, 7289 Torbram Rd., Mississauga, ON, Canada L4T 1G8. To subscribe, write to the above address or call (866) 543-6870. Yearly subscription price: $39.00 in the United States; $69.00 in Canada and other countries. Single copy price: $3.95. For change of address, four weeks’ notice is necessary. See St AnthonyMessenger.org for information on your digital edition. Writer’s guidelines can be found at StAnthony Messenger.org. The publishers are not responsible for manuscripts or photos lost or damaged in transit. Names in fiction do not refer to living or dead persons. Member of the Catholic Press Association Published with ecclesiastical approval Copyright ©2015. All rights reserved.

2 ❘ May 2015

St A n t h o n y M e s s e n g e r . o rg

FROM OUR READERS

Gratitude for James I have been a reader of St. Anthony Messenger for many years now—and I almost never write in about articles that appear in the magazine—but I was truly touched by Donis Tracy’s article “James Foley: Journalist, Man of Faith.” I was happy to gain more insight into the life of this man. He was really a special person and someone we should all look up to and try to emulate in our lives. Please accept my sincere thanks for this terrific article, and keep these stories coming, because this magazine is a great learning tool for our whole nation. Tom Brzezinski Schofield, Wisconsin

A Blessing Each Month Bless you, my friends at St. Anthony Messenger, and thank you for Donis

What’s on Your Mind? Letters that are published do not necessarily represent the views of the Franciscan friars or the editors. We do not publish slander or libel. Please include your name and postal address. Letters may be edited for clarity and space. Mail Letters, St. Anthony Messenger 28 W. Liberty St. Cincinnati, OH 45202-6498 Fax 513-241-0399

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Tracy’s article “James Foley: Journalist, Man of Faith.” I also want to extend a special thanks for Amy Ekeh’s “Welcome, Lent.” I found these articles to be so enriching. May St. Anthony Messenger continue to enlighten us! Joan B. Gunther Lewes, Delaware

March Issue a Must-Share I felt compelled to send in a note— something I rarely do—to thank you for the inspiring March issue of St. Anthony Messenger. I have reread several articles because of their depth and pertinence, and I’m determined to share them with as many friends, family, and fellow parishioners as possible. Amy Ekeh’s “Welcome, Lent” article was especially meaningful, as was Father Ronald Rolheiser’s article “7 Easy Tips for Personal Prayer.” There was something valuable on every page, and I just wanted to pat your staff and contributors on the backs for sharing these important messages with all of us during our Lenten journey. As Father Rolheiser reminded us in his article, “We’re surrounded by many voices. How do we recognize God’s voice among and within all of these others? God is the author of everything that’s good, whether it bears a religious label or not.” Thank you, St. Anthony Messenger, for being an example of God’s voice in the world! Virginia Hetland Osakis, Minnesota

Great Job, Amy! As a retired pastor in the Archdiocese of Miami, I wish to express my deep

appreciation for Amy Ekeh’s article “Welcome, Lent” from the March issue of St. Anthony Messenger. All of my friends with whom I shared this article were so delighted. I suggest that you encourage Amy to write more for St. Anthony Messenger. She has a special gift and is a truly talented writer. Monsignor Michael J. Eivers Miami, Florida

Pray for Perspective The question about prayer in Father Pat McCloskey’s “Ask a Franciscan” column from the March issue really touched me. Years ago, when my mom was dying of lung cancer, I prayed mightily that she be cured, but to no avail. After she died, I got the strong sense from God that my mother was actually healed by death. I saw that Mom was relieved to escape her sick body and join God. My prayers had worked— just not in the way I had hoped. In a way, death can be a healing. And all those prayers helped me to heal. I was given courage, endurance, and hope (the qualities referred to in Romans 5:3-5) in the sad months after Mom’s passing, which helped me walk that path. I wonder at some of the angry letters about articles supposedly not being in tune with authentic Catholic teaching. I have a suggestion for these letter writers. When you read something that clashes with your beliefs, pray over it. The insights you gain may change your perspective. Thank you, St. Anthony Messenger, for all that you do to inspire and inform us. Annie Turner Williamsburg, Massachusetts M ay 2 0 15 ❘ 3

F O L L O W E R S O F S T. F R A N C I S

A Solid Christian Foundation

n Luke’s Gospel, Jesus asks, “But when the Son of Man comes, will he find any faith on earth?” If Jesus were on earth today, he may have also asked, “When the Son of Man returns, will he find any faithful in the Holy Land?” Since the middle of the 14th century, the Franciscan Order’s Custody of the Holy Land has been charged with preserving the sacred places in the region. Under the auspices of the Custody, the Franciscan Foundation for the Holy Land (FFHL) has been ministering to the Christians, “the living stones” of the Church there. The FFHL, headquartered in the United States, works to stem the exodus of the faithful from the Holy Land, much of it spurred on by social unrest. “In spite of all of the political turmoil around us, the Custody’s FFHL is still providing hope as well as a future for our Christians,” says Father Peter F. Vasko, OFM, president of the FFHL. In addition to its child sponsorship program, which pays the school tuition of economically marginalized students, the FFHL ministers a host of other humanitarian projects such as housing and job assistance. While the Christians in the Holy Land

Father Peter F. Vasko, OFM

face economic hardships, they also face discrimination. “The Christians are a minority in the land and don’t have any real political power,” says Father Peter. “A good number of Jews look upon them first as Arabs, then [as] Palestinians, and, hence, possible enemies of Israel, while militant Muslims look upon them as pro-West and traitors to the Islamic cause.” It is estimated that there are only 150,000 Christians live in the Holy Land now. “With this crisis of Christians leaving the Holy Land, some Church officials are saying that if we don’t take action now to stem this exodus, within 60 years, Christianity could diminish drastically, and all we will have will be empty religious monuments and museums and no living, worshiping community. This isn’t acceptable!” Father Peter says. As followers of St. Francis, members of the FFHL see their role in much broader terms. “In our situation in the Holy Land, we, too, as sons of St. Francis, try to be free from ‘enemy making.’ Where others created enemies, we try to create brothers and sisters,” says Father Peter.

STORIES FROM OUR READERS Learn more about St. Anthony and share your story of how he helped you at AmericanCatholic.org/ Features/Anthony.

PHOTO FROM INGIMAGE

A Saint and a Good Samaritan

4 ❘ May 2015

My sister-in-law, who lives in Milwaukee, enjoys going to Mass on Saturdays, and usually takes her granddaughter with her. After leaving Mass one Saturday evening in January—with her granddaughter in tow—she thought they’d go out for a bite to eat. She pulled into the parking lot and, upon walking into the restaurant, realized her wallet was lost! She knew she had it at church, because she distinctly remembered putting it back in her purse after the collection basket went around. She searched for her wallet everywhere in the vicinity. It was nowhere to be found. The wallet held not only money but also important forms of ID, so my sister-in-law was deeply worried. They went straight home and started praying to St. Anthony for help. Three days later, she got a call from the restaurant that someone had found her wallet in the parking lot—and not a single item was missing from it! —Susie Ashauer, Greenville, Wisconsin

St A n t h o n y M e s s e n g e r . o rg

Click here for more on the FFHL, and the button on the left to hear an interview with Father Peter.

ST. CLARE OF ASSISI

Forgiving Francis Members of St. Clare’s family probably spoke very negatively about the teenage Francis and his father, Pietro Bernardone, because of their local politics. Clare belonged to the nobility, and Francis’ family members were merchants who sought to break the power of noble families over the city’s political and economic life. In fact, Clare’s family lived in exile in nearby Perugia for over a year. If Clare had been consumed by her family’s politics, she never would have recognized Francis as leading the Gospel-based life she later adopted. –P.M.

CNS PHOTO/OCTAVIO DURAN

While the FFHL is an example of a “light in the darkness” in the Holy Land, he points to those Christians living there as exemplars of faithful discipleship. “The Christians in the Holy Land are truly living the Beatitudes. They hunger and thirst for justice,” Father Peter says. To support the FFHL and our fellow Christians, Father Peter requests three things. “The best way to support our ministry is first by prayer; secondly, by coming on pilgrimage so as to strengthen one’s own spiritual faith, while at the same time learning more about the plight of your brothers and sisters in Christ; and lastly, by your financial assistance to help us fund the many programs which have given hope to our young Christians so as to motivate them to remain in their homeland,” he says. “Let us always remember that we stand on the shoulders of those who went before us,” says Father Peter. “The Holy Land, our Christian heritage, our living Church in Jerusalem, our sacred holy sites—these are the shoulders on which we stand when it comes to our faith.” —Janice Lane Palko

tal Digi as Extr

To learn more about Franciscan saints, visit SaintoftheDay.org.

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REEL TIME

W I T H S I S T E R R O S E PA C AT T E , F S P

Cinderella

CNS PHOTO/DISNEY ENTERPRISES

SISTER ROSE’S

Favorite

Fantasy Movies Maleficent (2014) The Princess Bride (1987) Big Fish (2003) Shrek (2001) Edward Scissorhands (1990)

6 ❘

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Lily James and Richard Madden play lovestruck strangers in Disney’s latest retelling of Cinderella. Disney’s latest version of the oft-told fairy tale of Ella (Lily James), who is persecuted by her stepmother, Lady Tremaine (Cate Blanchett), and stepsisters (Holliday Grainger and Sophie McShera), is a gem. It’s a hybrid of vivid characters, amusing computer-generated images, and cinematography rife with fantasy. It is also—and I mean this as the highest praise—stunning in its simplicity. As Ella’s mother (Hayley Atwell) is dying, she tells her daughter to have courage and to be kind. When Ella’s father (Ben Chaplin) dies, she becomes a servant for her stepmother, and is banished to live in the attic. Her mice friends keep her company there. The girls call her Cinderella because her face is covered in ashes (cinders) whenever she cleans the fireplace. One day, Ella is so frustrated that she rides a horse through the forest and meets Kit (Richard Madden), who is really a prince. She rides away without

saying her name, leaving Kit desperate to meet her again. He convinces the king (Derek Jacobi) to hold a ball and invite all the unmarried young women of the land. It is only because of Ella’s fairy godmother (Helena Bonham Carter) that she makes it to the ball and meets her fate. Director Kenneth Branagh brings his considerable talent and experience to tell the essence of this 17th-century story. The brilliant script, by Chris Weitz, highlights the virtues of courage and kindness in every circumstance—from the individual, to the family, to governing a country. Parents will appreciate the modesty of Ella’s costumes and her girl-next-door appeal. The score, by Patrick Doyle, who has composed music for many of Branagh’s films, is fanciful and light. I predict that Ella and Kit’s waltz will inspire young people to take up ballroom dancing. A-1, PG-13 ■ Mild fantasy peril and mature themes. St A n t h o n y M e s s e n g e r . o r g

CNS PHOTO/FOX

Dev Patel, Richard Gere, Tina Desai, and Judi Dench are light on their feet in The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel.

The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

PHOTO COURTESY OF MAGNOLIA PICTURES

Muriel (Maggie Smith), who manages the India-based hotel for Sonny (Dev Patel), is in San Diego to ask a hotel magnate, Ty Burley (David Strathairn), to invest in their business so they can expand. Ty says he will send someone to India to assess their operation. When Guy Chambers (Richard Gere) shows up, Sonny is convinced he is a spy for Ty, so he ignores everyone else at the hotel to give Guy the royal treatment. Kushal (Shazad Latif), Sonny’s old friend, shows up just in time to complicate things as the wedding date for Sonny and Sunaina (Tina Desai) approaches. Some of our favorite guests, played by Judi Dench, Bill Nighy, and Ronald Pickup, are back. After Maggie Smith’s scathing takedown of Americans’ general inability to make a decent cup of tea, the intricacies and inevitability of growing older—with grace, humor, and love—make for an enjoyable time at the movies. A-3, PG-13 ■ Language and suggestive comments.

Alpert, and Glen Campbell—who went on to illustrious, decades-long careers—and many more who contributed memorable sounds to some of the most popular music of the era. In those days, as even the late Dick Clark admits in the documentary, no one knew that the music on the records was not played by the same musicians who performed them at concerts or on television shows. These talented and dedicated session musicians were so in sync that they could lay down numerous tracks in a day for different groups. One woman, Carol Kaye, played bass guitar and, along with the others, often made up the music as they went along. These musicians were instrumental in creating the rock ’n’ roll soundtrack of an entire generation. The Wrecking Crew was made by Denny Tedesco over many years to honor his father, Tommy Tedesco, a session musician who loved the music. Not yet rated ■ Mild language, sexual references.

The Wrecking Crew is a documentary about studio musicians responsible for some of the most memorable sounds from ’60s music.

Catholic Cl assifications A-1 A-2 A-3 L O

The Wrecking Crew This wonderful documentary is a testament to the talented Los Angeles session musicians who worked hard and never got the credit for their contributions to ’60s music. Not that they wanted it: these talented artists just wanted to make music and get paid to support their families. You’ll recognize the genius of a young Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys, Herb Fr anciscanMedia.org

General patronage Adults and adolescents Adults Limited adult audience Morally offensive

■

The Catholic News Service Media Review Office gives these ratings. See usccb.org/movies.

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Find reviews by Sister Rose and others at CatholicMovieReviews.org.

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CHANNEL SURFING

WITH CHRISTOPHER HEFFRON

UP CLOSE

Sundays, 9 p.m., Travel Channel Author and cook James Beard called food “our common ground—a universal experience.” And he was right: food can be a bridge-builder. The creators of Travel Channel’s fascinating new documentary series Breaking Borders are following that recipe. Part culinary experiment, part humanitarian effort to strengthen tenuous social fabrics, this stirring new series isn’t afraid to ask tough questions. The premise is deceptively simple: cohosts Mariana van Zeller and Michael Voltaggio— award-winning journalist and renowned chef, respectively—journey across the world to regions plagued by unrest and gather those on opposite sides of a conflict over a meal. In one episode, for example, they traveled to Northern Ireland and assembled Catholics and Protestants to recount the riots there in the early ’70s. While Mariana provides perspective for viewers, Michael prepares culturally relevant dishes. Channel surfers would be wise to give this docuseries a shot. While fences aren’t always mended, dialogue is as much a part of the menu as the wine. And you won’t find better guides than these heartfelt hosts. Breaking Borders reminds us that finding common ground is never easy. But if we can try for it while breaking bread, grace is all the more possible.

American Odyssey

Sundays, 10 p.m., NBC British export Anna Friel first charmed television audiences in the mid-2000s as Chuck, a lovable— not to mention dead—young woman in the quirky comedy-drama Pushing Daisies. Her light-as-afeather comedy chops were noteworthy, which makes her serious turn in NBC’s new thriller American Odyssey all the more startling. An exciting mix of storytelling, pace, and performance, Odyssey tells the story of Sergeant Odelle Ballard (Friel), a soldier in North Africa who learns that an American corporation is funding jihadist activities. Peter Drucker (Peter Facinelli), as a litigator for the corporation, and peace activist Harrison Wolcott (Jake Robinson) begin to piece the connection together stateside. After her team is killed by insurgents, Odelle is left alone to face overwhelming difficulties in a dangerous environment. She must rely on her military training and human instincts to survive. Scenes of combat violence may trouble some viewers, but those unfazed will marvel at this assured series that addresses themes of loyalty, family, and the value of self-reliance. Facinelli, who is finally given a substantive character to play with, delivers strong supporting work here, but American Odyssey is really the Anna Friel show. In a towering performance, the actor gives us perhaps the most complex female character on television today.

Mariana van Zeller and Michael Voltaggio (in the background) raise their glasses to peace in the documentary series Breaking Borders. 8 ❘

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St A n t h o n y M e s s e n g e r . o r g

PHOTO BY VIRGINIA SHERWOOD/NBC

Breaking Borders

AT HOME ON EARTH

❘ BY KYLE KRAMER

Save the Earth on a Budget

be enough, so we hold tight to resources— natural or monetary. This may feel responsible and reduce our environmental impact, but it can also suck the joy out of living. A third way runs between those of the prodigal son and the cheapskate: being frugal. Frugality recognizes that the Earth’s resources and our own personal resources can Connecting with be limited if we waste them. the Earth But they can be abundant if we tend them carefully and Do you follow a household share them generously and budget that reflects your justly. Frugality means living goals and values? Free on a reasonable budget, but online tools can help, like also not being afraid to enjoy mint.com. life and the occasional splurge. Consider setting a budget Preaching about frugality, for your household carbon whether from priests, presiemissions, too. dents, climate scientists, or financial advisors, rarely For about $100, you can works. A serious personal or get a new thermostat that global crisis can be effective; connects to the Internet so can exploring what in our and can be adjusted whershadow side leads us to be ever you are. Your spouse wasteful or miserly, with may thank (or curse) you. money and with the Earth’s goods. But we also have to find a way to make frugality attractive and inviting, like sobriety compared to addiction. As a miser-in-recovery, I don’t honestly know how to do this yet, but I do imagine that the path of frugality, like any virtue, leads to freedom and gratitude and joy, which are the hallmarks of grace. I also suspect we can’t walk this path only on our own strength. Fortunately, we don’t have to. A

Kyle Kramer is the executive director of the Passionist Earth and Spirit Center in Louisville, Kentucky.

Caring for our finances and the environment is often a balancing act between personal responsibility and joy. Fr ancisca n Media .org

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Click here to explore links on this topic.

M ay 2 0 15 ❘ 9

PHOTO FROM INGIMAGE

PHOTO © URBANCOW/ISTOCKPHOTO

ow that the arctic winter is well behind us, my wife and I can look back and laugh (sort of) about the disagreements we had over the thermostat setting. Our current home is much harder to heat than the highly efficient, passive-solar home we sold last year. In response, I vied for warmer clothes and a low setting on the thermostat. Cyndi fought for moderation. Both of us took secret missions to change the thermostat back toward our own preference. One time when she caught me at it, she complained, “You’re not really trying to save the Earth—you’re just a cheapskate!” Ouch. In light of that comment, I’ve done some soul-searching about my relationship with money and the environment, and it has led me to think about three basic approaches in dealing with both personal and planetary goods. One way is like the prodigal son of Jesus’ parable: we squander what we have, ignoring what would be best for ourselves and future generations. This is the way to financial and environmental ruin. The other extreme is my own bugaboo: being miserly. Misers see the world through a zero-sum lens, fearful that there will never

CHURCH IN THE NEWS

❘ BY SUSAN HINES-BRIGGER

Oscar Romero Moves Closer to Sainthood

1 0 ❘ May 2015

CNS PHOTO/JOSE CABEZASI, REUTERS

Salvadoran Archbishop Oscar Romero will come one step closer to sainthood when he is beatified on May 23 in San Salvador. Earlier this year, Pope Francis formally recognized that the slain Salvadoran archbishop was killed “in hatred of the faith.” Recognizing Archbishop Romero as a martyr meant there was no need to prove a miracle for his beatification, reported Catholic News Service (CNS). Archbishop Romero, an outspoken advocate for the poor, was shot and killed March 24, 1980, as he celebrated Mass in a hospital in San Salvador during his country’s civil war. During a press conference on March 11, Italian Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia, the postulator or chief promoter of the archbishop’s sainthood cause, said, “Romero, from heaven, wants every Salvadoran to walk the path of peace and justice.” Archbishop Paglia said that during Romero’s time as archbishop of San Salvador, “Kilos of letters against him arrived in Rome. The accusations were simple: He’s political; he’s a follower of liberation theology.” He said promoters of the cause, however, collected “a mountain of testimony just as big” to counter the accusations. In related news, on March 18 Pope Francis signed a decree approving a miracle attributed to Blessed Louis and Zélie Martin, the parents of St. Thèrése of Lisieux. The decree gave no details regarding the miracle, but promoters of the cause said the miracle that was being studied involved a little girl, named Carmen, in the Archdiocese of Valencia, Spain. Born prematurely and with multiple lifethreatening complications, she suffered a major brain hemorrhage, which could have caused irreversible damage. Her parents prayed for the

On May 3, the late Archbishop Oscar Romero will be beatified at an outdoor Mass in San Salvador. Pope Francis declared Romero a martyr, who was killed “in hatred of the faith.” Martins’ intercession. The little girl survived and is healthy. The canonization ceremony is likely to take place during this October’s synod of bishops on the theme of family.

Cathedral Removes Sprinklers Following Outcry The Archdiocese of San Francisco announced on March 18 that it would be dismantling a sprinkler system that had been installed at St. Mary’s Cathedral. The archdiocese came under fire following a report by San Francisco television station KCBS that showed homeless men and women being drenched by the sprinklers as they sat in the doorways of the cathedral. A cathedral staff member told the station that the sprinkler system—which ran for about 75 seconds every 30 to 60 minutes—had been installed “to keep the homeless from sleeping in the cathedral’s doorways.”

San Francisco Auxiliary Bishop William Justice said the sprinklers, which had been in use for two years, were installed as a “safety, security, and cleanliness measure to avoid the situation where needles, feces, and other dangerous items were regularly being left in these hidden doorways.” He said the problem “was particularly dangerous because students and elderly people regularly pass these locations on their way to school and Mass every day.“ Jennifer Friedenbach, executive director of the Coalition on Homeless, said, “It’s very shocking and very inhumane. There’s not really another way to describe it. Certainly not formed on the basis of Catholic teachings.” Others criticized the archdiocese’s use of water during a drought. A search of city permit records by KCBS also showed that the sprinkler system was installed without a permit and violated the city’s water-use laws. Bishop Justice said the archdiocese is sorry that its “intentions have St A n t h o n y M e s s e n g e r . o rg

The Vatican’s Office of Papal Charities welcomed 150 homeless people on March 26 for a visit to the Vatican gardens and museums, some private time in the Sistine Chapel, and dinner in the museum’s cafeteria, reported L’Osservatore Romano, the Vatican newspaper. When the group made it to the Sistine Chapel, they received a surprise visit from Pope Francis. “Welcome,” the pope said. “This is everyone’s house; this is your home. The doors are always open for all.” The visit was organized by Archbishop Konrad Krajewski, the almoner of Pope Francis. The almoner is responsible for carrying out acts of charity and raising the money to fund them. Previously, Krajewski came up with the idea of installing showers for homeless people near St. Peter’s Basilica, and recruited barbers and hairdressers to donate their services on Mondays. During a discussion on the death penalty, Archbishop Silvano Tomasi told the UN Human Rights Council that the Vatican “fully supports the efforts to abolish” the death penalty, reported CNS. Archbishop Tomasi, the Vatican’s permanent observer to United Nations agencies in Geneva, offered two suggestions to help reach this goal. The first, he said, is to “sustain the social reforms that would enable society to implement the abolition of the death penalty.” The second is to improve prison conditions to ensure the human dignity of prisoners. The Vatican’s College of Cardinals announced on March 20 that Pope Francis had accepted the resigna-

been misunderstood and recognize[s] that the method used was ill-conceived. It actually has had the opposite effect from what it was intended to do, and for this we are very sorry.”

Pope Calls for Year of Mercy On the second anniversary of his election to the pontificate, Pope Francis announced an extraordinary jubilee, a Holy Year of Mercy, as a Fr ancisca n Media .org

tion “of the rights and privileges of a cardinal” by Cardinal Keith O’Brien of Scotland, reported Religion New Service (RNS). Cardinal O’Brien stepped down as archbishop in February 2013, after The Observer, a British weekly national newspaper, ran a story that detailed complaints from three priests and one former priest who alleged that Cardinal O’Brien had made sexual advances toward them. In a statement released on March 20, Cardinal O’Brien thanked Pope Francis “for his fatherly care of me and of those I have offended in any way. I will continue to play no part in the public life of the Church in Scotland; and will dedicate the rest of my life in retirement, praying especially for the Archdiocese of St. Andrews and Edinburgh, for Scotland, and for those I have offended in any way.”

CNS PHOTO/PAUL HARING

CNS PHOTO/MAX ROSSI, REUTERS

N E W S B R I E F S N AT I O N A L A N D I N T E R N AT I O N A L

In an interview on the second anniversary of his election to the papacy, Pope Francis spoke with Valentina Alazraki of Mexico’s Televisa about the conclave that elected him, his life the last two years, and the future. The pope said he is not a fan of the travel the papacy requires, and that he would like to go out of the Vatican unrecognized, perhaps “to a pizzeria to eat a pizza.” He also said that he had a feeling that his pontificate would be brief: “I do not know what it is, but I have the feeling that the Lord put me here for a brief time. . . . But it is just a feeling. So I keep the possibility open.” According to recent findings by the Pew Research Center, Pope Francis has a 90 percent popularity rating among US Catholics, surpassing Pope Benedict XVI’s best-ever popularity, and rivaling that of St. John Paul II. For more Catholic news, visit AmericanCatholic.org.

way to highlight the Catholic Church’s “mission to be a witness of mercy,” reported CNS. The year, with the biblical theme of “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful,” will take place from December 8, 2015, to November 20, 2016. “I frequently have thought about how the Church can make more evident its mission to be a witness of mercy,” said the pope, explaining his reasoning for calling the jubilee. “God never ceases to demonstrate

the richness of his mercy over the course of centuries,” he said in his homily during the Lenten prayer service in St. Peter’s Basilica. Traditionally, popes proclaim a holy year every 25 years, which features special celebrations and pilgrimages, strong calls for conversion and repentance, and the offer of special opportunities to experience God’s grace through the sacraments, especially Confession. Extraordinary holy years, like the Holy Year of Mercy, are M ay 2 0 15 ❘ 1 1

King Richard III Reburied

less frequent, but offer the same opportunities for spiritual growth.

New York’s Cardinal Egan Remembered

People queue for first public viewing of the coffin of King Richard III outside Leicester Cathedral in Leicester, England, March 23.

things. Cardinal Egan died on March 5 at the age of 82. He served as archbishop of New York from 2000 to 2009, and helped the city during its toughest trial following the terrorist attacks on 9/11. Upon hearing the news of Cardinal Egan’s death, Pope Francis sent his condolences to Cardinal Timothy Dolan saying, “I join you in commending the late cardinal’s noble soul to God, the father of mercies,

CNS PHOTO/GREGORY A. SHEMITZ

During his March 10 funeral at New York’s St. Patrick’s Cathedral—which capped two days of public mourning—Cardinal Edward Egan was remembered as a man who valued his faith in Jesus Christ over all

CNS PHOTO/ANDY RAIN, EPA

Richard III, Catholic king of England, was reburied at Leicester Cathedral on March 26, three years after his skeleton was discovered in a coffin beneath a parking lot, reported CNS. Following his death at the Battle of Bosworth in 1485, King Richard was buried by Franciscan friars in Leicester, a city in the Midlands. During the reburial service, which wrapped up five days of commemorative events, Anglican Bishop Tim Stevens of Leicester, said: “Today we come to give this king, and these mortal remains, the dignity and honor denied to them in death.” King Richard seized power in 1483 when he declared the children of the late King Edward IV to be illegitimate.

New York Mayor Bill de Blasio, center, attends Cardinal Edward M. Egan’s funeral Mass at St. Patrick’s Cathedral. Standing in the pew next to Mayor de Blasio are three former New York mayors: Michael Bloomberg, Rudy Giuliani, and David Dinkins. 1 2 ❘ May 2015

with gratitude for his years of episcopal ministry among Christ’s flock in Bridgeport [Connecticut] and New York, his distinguished service to the Apostolic See, and his expert contribution to the revision of the Church’s law in the years following the Second Vatican Council.” Leading up to the funeral, the public was invited to pay their respects for the cardinal at St. Patrick’s. Just prior to the funeral, the bronze doors of St. Patrick’s were opened to begin a processional that included Cardinal Timothy Dolan— current head of the archdiocese— seven other cardinals, and more than 30 bishops, 250 priests, 24 deacons, and 100 seminarians. They were met by an honor guard of New York City police and firefighters and members of the Knights of Malta, Knights of the Holy Sepulchre, and Knights of Columbus. During his homily, Cardinal Dolan told the 2,500 people in attendance that his predecessor’s “‘pearl of great price’ was not his erudition, his love of music and art, his renown in canon law, his administrative acumen or distinctive preaching, his bishop’s ring or cardinal’s hat, but his faith in Jesus Christ.” A St A n t h o n y M e s s e n g e r . o rg

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Cleveland’s

Blessing

House

The front door is always open for families in crisis. BY JERRI DONOHUE

PHOTOS BY WILLIAM RIETER

The humble exterior of Blessing House is balanced by the extraordinary stories of compassion and care for children in crisis since it opened in 2005.

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t’s 11:00 on a hot summer night. Notre Dame Sister Mary Berigan joins a woman and her three preschoolers at a picnic table in a city park. Using a flashlight for illumination, the mother completes paperwork necessary to place her children at Blessing House, the crisis nursery Sister Berigan oversees in Lorain, Ohio. Later, the mother weeps as she straps her kids into car seats in Sister Berigan’s van. For the next week or so, however, she will tackle major problems, confident that they are safe. “Every time I think I’ve seen the most difficult situation for kids to come from, somebody shows up at the door, or we get a call about somebody,” Sister Berigan says. Sometimes the police are present when Sister Berigan is summoned to a home to pick up children, an increasing number of whom come to Blessing House from environments poisoned by drugs or domestic violence. While a woman extricates herself from an abusive relationship, her children are safer elsewhere. “We have met folks in parking lots, in the mall, whatever, so that we could transition the kids . . . and not be followed,” Sister Berigan says.

Lost in the Shuffle Less dangerous problems, such as sudden eviction or loss of utilities, prompted Sister Berigan and her friend Donna Humphrey to found Blessing House. These, and similar dilemmas, still lead most families to seek its help. Sister Berigan, a parochial school principal, and Humphrey, a certified public accountant, had recognized the need for an emergency shelter for children when both were volunteering with Voices for Children, a national advocacy group. Humphrey explains that when a child’s future must be determined in court because St A n t h o n y M e s s e n g e r . o r g

of allegations of abuse or neglect, the children’s services social worker often is grappling with a heavy workload and, therefore, is unable to gather all the information pertinent to the case. Voices for Children can step in. “They train volunteers to investigate a child’s situation solely from the aspect of ‘What is best for this child?’” Humphrey says. As court-appointed guardians ad litem, she and Sister Berigan were authorized to speak to teachers, neighbors, doctors, Scout leaders, and others to learn everything they could about a child, and then report the findings to a judge. Although assigned different cases, the Fr anciscanMedia.org

longtime friends frequently made home visits together. “What we started to find were families that weren’t abusive to their children or purposely neglecting their children,” recalls Sister Berigan. “But they were getting overwhelmed.” Parents struggled with problems caused by poverty, such as the temporary shutoff of utilities for nonpayment. Some kids came to the attention of children’s services, for instance, because they wore unlaundered clothing to school day after day. Meanwhile, single parents often had no trustworthy person to watch their offspring while they dealt with a temporary crisis.

Children find more than just shelter at Blessing House. When they need it most, their home is made warmer by the soothing presence of Moses, a certified therapy dog.

M ay 2 0 1 5 ❘

(Right) Both courtappointed guardians ad litem Sister Mary Berigan (left) and Donna Humphrey (right) opened the doors of Blessing House to assist families who had run out of options. (Far right) After their housing situations are resolved, these children pictured here will add their handprints to the hundreds of others on the Blessing House’s playroom walls. “If the mom or dad doesn’t have an appropriate relative for the kids to stay with for a short period of time, how do they have the time or energy to get everything done they have to do?” Sister Berigan asks. Humphrey points out that a mother can get in trouble for leaving her children with the wrong adult. “She shouldn’t be losing them when she had no other option,” Humphrey says.

A Leap of Faith Sister Berigan’s experience eventually pushed the two friends to open a children’s shelter. One evening, the nun brought a 2-month-old baby home to her convent. During a visit with a teenage mother she had befriended, Sister Berigan learned the young woman had made the painful decision to relinquish her infant for adoption. There was no emergency nursery where the mother could place her child until Catholic Charities arranged for a temporary foster home, and so the teen insisted Sister Berigan take the baby girl with her. Sister Berigan later discussed the episode with Humphrey. “Wouldn’t it be nice to have a place where children could go when their families had an emergency and there was no safe place for them to stay?” Sister Berigan mused. Humphrey, who describes herself as “practical,” realized how ambitious such an undertaking would be. She embraced it, nonetheless, trusting that they would find a way. “From the very beginning, God’s message to us was ‘If you take care of the ones I send you, I’ll take care of you,’” she recalls. The women researched crisis-care nurseries 16 ❘

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around the country and then traveled to Michigan, Indiana, and Wisconsin to study operations similar to the one they proposed. Next, they presented their plan to Sister Berigan’s religious community. “We explained what we wanted to do as a mission we felt God was calling us to,” Humphrey says. “With that approach, we were able to truly understand that if God wanted it to happen, it would.” Her sisters agreed that Sister Berigan should leave her job as an elementary school principal to oversee the project. They also pledged financial support. Before long, Jane Jonesco, an attorney working in fund development, volunteered to help with legal matters and fund-raising, and she contributed countless hours to those tasks. Humphrey and her husband, Pat, a deacon, are associates of the Sisters of the Humility of Mary. That community also contributed money. In addition, Blessing House received an early grant from the Sisters of Charity of St. Augustine, and ongoing donations from Protestant congregations, Catholic parish groups, local foundations, businesses, and civic organizations. A series of coincidences led Sister Berigan and Humphrey to a sympathetic landlord and St A n t h o n y M e s s e n g e r . o r g

PHOTOS BY WILLIAM RIETER

a perfect house, and then to contractors who remodeled it. “As we encountered each challenge—getting funding, finding a house, getting a license, getting the right people [for staff]—we were blessed with what we needed when we needed it,” Humphrey recalls.

A Safe Haven The women found a name for their project in Mark 10:14−16 (“Let the children come to me. . . . Then he embraced them and blessed them”). The nonprofit, nondenominational home became “Blessing House.” Blessing House opened in April 2005, one of only two children’s crisis-care centers in Ohio. With the exception of two or three days each year, the yellow two-story home has been occupied ever since, even on Thanksgiving and Christmas. Staffed 24 hours a day, it can shelter as many as 10 children. Kid-friendly themes— dogs, Noah’s ark, lighthouses, and hot-air balloons—decorate its spacious bedrooms. The fenced-in yard boasts swings, a slide, a sandbox, and plenty of room to play. Because of its handicapped-accessible first-floor bathroom, the facility can accommodate children in wheelchairs. As director, Sister Berigan draws on her skills Fr anciscanMedia.org

and experience as a school administrator. (Above) Far from a cold, Humphrey serves as business manager, han- serious environment, dling payroll, writing grant proposals, and Blessing House makes kids feel right at home with preparing the budget. The first child, a little boy, arrived at Blessing fun, colorful bedrooms— House soon after it opened. To commemorate decorated with everything his stay, Sister Berigan invited the preschooler from Noah’s ark to Blue’s to dip his hand in finger paint and leave his Clues. mark on the bare playroom wall. From that lone print, a cherished tradition was born. Hundreds of children aged two days to 12 years have found a safe haven at Blessing House, and most of them gleefully left their handprints in vibrant primary colors on its walls. Babies leave tiny footprints. About 50 percent of the time, parents are waiting to place their children in Blessing House. “Usually the waiting list consists of families who have housing issues and are temporarily staying with family or friends and need a place Click the button above for their children to go while they make to hear about a similar arrangements to deal with their housing prob- program that helps those in need. lems,” Humphrey says. Agencies refer parents to Blessing House during emergencies ranging from homelessness to hospitalization of a parent. On one Click here to learn more tal Digi as occasion, Sister Berigan colabout Cleveland’s Blessing Extr lected children at a hospital House. moments before their mother delivered a baby. In some cases, children come to Blessing House while their single parent embarks on a marathon of job interviews. Others stay while children’s services personnel explore the possibility of placing them with relatives. A small number of children leave Blessing House for foster care. M ay 2 0 1 5 ❘

Grace Center Provides ‘Cheerleading’ for Parents

PHOTOS BY WILLIAM RIETER

After they weather an emergency, parents whose children found a safe haven at Blessing House often need additional support. The crisis-care center provides further help to about 90 percent of the families who use its services. The others either decline assistance or do not need it. From its earliest years, Blessing House has distributed clothing, school supplies, and, occasionally, furniture or used appliances, and it sponsors an Adopt-a-Family program at Christmastime. “We connect those who want to give with those who need,” Sister Berigan says. In the autumn of 2012, Blessing House expanded its efforts to stabilize families by opening Grace Center in an adjacent building. Parents explain their greatest concern to social worker Lea Arcuri, who helps them develop a stepby-step plan to address problems ranging from utility bills to a child’s misbehavior. The social worker also recommends resources before trouble escalates. “The gift of Blessing House is that the center of everything is love,” Arcuri says. Arcuri describes Blessing House staff as “cheerleaders” for parents who have nobody else to encourage them as they work to improve their lives. Trusting relationships develop, and many families remain in touch after they no longer need assistance. Sister Berigan still hears from the parents of the first child to stay there.

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Initially, most guests stayed at Blessing House for 48 hours. In recent years, the average stay has stretched to six or seven days, and some kids remain for several weeks. “In the beginning, families came with one area of need,” Sister Berigan recalls. Now parents who are juggling multiple problems turn to Blessing House. “Situations are more complex for some families and it takes longer to resolve problems,” Sister Berigan explains. Parents sign papers to put their children in the care of Blessing House, but they retain legal custody. Most mothers visit or call daily. Blessing House does not charge parents for its services.

Not Just Housing, but a Home While children often arrive under chaotic circumstances, Blessing House’s attentive caregivers quickly settle them into a predictable, comforting routine of meal, bath, and bedtime. “Almost all [staff members] are very actively practicing faith-based individuals,” Humphrey says. “They’re here because it’s more than just a job to them.” Caregivers talk with the kids, do crafts with them, and help with homework. “Probably one of the best things we have to offer is an adult who spends time and is interested,” Sister Berigan says. So that their education is not interrupted, Sister Berigan chauffeurs Blessing House guests to their regular classes, driving to three or four schools each week. To date, she has delivered students to 83 elementary schools, Head Start programs, and preschools. Her certified therapy dog, Moses, usually rides with them. He is the current in a series of adopted golden retrievers who have accompanied Sister Berigan to work since Blessing House opened. Moses is a magnet for new arrivals. “He’s so nonthreatening, they’ll sit down and pet him,” Sister Berigan says. Older children read to Moses. Younger ones snuggle beside him. Out in the yard, the gentle threelegged dog—a powerful model for handling adversity—romps with the kids. Blessing House has sheltered more than 900 children so far. “I am continually amazed and humbled by the fact that we have served that many children,” Sister Berigan says. She often receives touching reminders of the impact the emergency shelter makes on individual lives. Last summer, she drove a little boy who had spent many weeks at Blessing House to a permanent home with his grandSt A n t h o n y M e s s e n g e r . o r g

mother. En route, her small passenger seemed worried. At last he blurted out his concern: How could he reach Sister Berigan if he needed to return to Blessing House? When the nun assured him that his grandmother had the phone number, the child insisted that he should have it, too. Sister Berigan promptly gave the recent kindergarten graduate her business card.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll never forget it,â&#x20AC;? recalls Sister Berigan. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It was in his shorts pocket when he got to Grandmaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s house.â&#x20AC;? Such moments reinforce the sense of mission Sister Berigan and Humphrey share as they confront the unending challenge of fund-raising. They are resigned to the imminent loss of a significant source of funding; yet they are confident that they will find a way to replace it. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We operate on the belief that God is calling us to do what we do and that our needs will be met,â&#x20AC;? Sister Berigan says. Meanwhile, the women cherish the thankyou Sister Berigan recently received from a teenager who had stayed at Blessing House years earlier. â&#x20AC;&#x153;You fed me. You clothed me. You made me feel like it was my actual home,â&#x20AC;? the girl wrote. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s very humbling when something like that happens,â&#x20AC;? Humphrey says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;But itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s God saying, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;This is what I want you to do. Just let me take care of it and I will.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; â&#x20AC;&#x153;I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t think God is done with us yet.â&#x20AC;? A

(Left) The direct impact of the efforts of Blessing House are felt both by the staff and the families assisted long after a child leaves a handprint on the playroom wall.

Jerri Donohue is a freelance writer from Brecksville, Ohio. She is a frequent contributor to the Catholic Universe Bulletin, the newspaper of the Diocese of Cleveland, and most recently wrote â&#x20AC;&#x153;From Pain to Purposeâ&#x20AC;? in our September 2014 issue.

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Patrick’s First Funeral My son taught me a lesson in compassionate service.

ILLUSTRATION BY MARY KURNICK MAASS

BY HANNAH DOUGHERTY CAMPBELL

“

om, I got my first funeral!” Patrick shrieked into the phone. I was taken aback by his glee at this step up from an altar server at Sunday Masses to a formal funeral Mass. Altar servers, I’ve learned, whisper amongst themselves during training that they get paid for funerals and weddings. “I’m scared I’ll mess up,” he continued, the 20 ❘

M ay 2 0 1 5

prior jubilation draining from his voice. The reality hit—someone had died. I come from a large Irish Catholic family in Philadelphia, and I am proud to say that my three uncles who were priests inspired us to be faithful in the practice of our Roman Catholic religion, as did our parents. My brothers Michael and John became altar boys back in the 1960s, when Mass was in Latin and St A n t h o n y M e s s e n g e r . o r g

memorizing the Latin liturgy was almost another school subject to master. During their grade school years, they served many Masses wearing the black cassock and white surplice that our mother washed, starched, and ironed, as well as the red cassocks for their choir sessions. It was just assumed that boys would be altar servers back then—unlike today when many young men choose sports and other activities for various reasons. Thankfully, the ranks of altar servers have been greatly boosted by young ladies willing to dedicate their time for God’s glory. I still laugh when I recall the times Patrick ran from a finished football game directly to church for a wedding, his hair matted and sweaty from the helmet. He donned his altar server clothes, but there were a few times he forgot to change his cleats, which peeked out from under his surplice. I often wonder if the bride noticed. When his younger brother, Andrew, became an altar server, Patrick took him under his wing, showed him the ropes, and made faces at him when it was time to ring the bell or bring the wine and water cruets to the priest.

head at him in silence, as if to say, “Go ahead. Be strong. Do your job.” Mass was beautiful, and I strained my ears to hear Father say that “Bernadine” was a good Catholic woman. Her husband, Joe, slumped forward as Father moved to console him. Her two grown sons took turns at the podium to eulogize her. They spoke of how “Mom” had been diagnosed with cancer the Sunday after Easter, and how their lives had all changed once the cancer came. Each son choked back tears, and took turns reading when the other couldn’t go on. The two men cried for their mother, speaking of her dyeing Easter eggs for her grandchildren over the years, and how she was probably showing the angels in heaven how to dye them. They loved her and would always remember how she gathered them to pray the rosary before she died. So this is how it goes, I thought. This might be, this should be, how my children feel about me when I’m gone. It no longer mattered that I didn’t know Bernadine personally, or that she didn’t know me. Our sons were crying together, along with me, for her.

An Often Overlooked Ministry A Mother’s Support To ease Patrick’s worries about serving the funeral of this soul unknown to us, I offered to attend the Mass the following day. That night, I had a tough time falling asleep. Was the deceased a man or a woman, young or old, married or single? Please, God, I prayed, don’t let this be a child. The next morning, as Patrick prepared his cassock, he looked much older than his 10 years. There was no jovial Irish twinkle in his eyes this day, no smile because he’d be taken out of school for a few hours. He was solemn and intent on doing his best. After dropping him off at the front entrance to Sacred Heart Church, I slipped quietly into a pew. When the organ began to play, I felt conspicuous—did the attendees wonder who I was and what I was doing there? My mind raced until the sound of the coffin being wheeled up the center aisle, followed by grieving family members, struck me with sorrow. When the priest and altar servers came from the altar with lighted candles to meet the casket, I saw tears in Patrick’s eyes. I nodded my Fr anciscanMedia.org

We can sometimes take altar servers for granted, but I know they get up on many cold winter mornings and hot summer days to assist in weekday and weekend sacraments. They are to be commended and thanked for their dedication. My favorite Masses are the ones where the priest introduces altar servers by name. Isn’t it a blessing when in our happiest or saddest hours, the beauty and wonder of a young boy or girl assisting in the Mass reminds us that we are all God’s children? We reflect each other from the pulpit to the pews, sharing in the sacraments, with the Eucharist, in life’s milestones. We can only wonder what they learn by watching our demeanor during these times. May we give them strength, courage, and kindness for the path they’ve chosen; may we pray for their futures as we walk along God’s plan and path together. A Hannah Dougherty Campbell is a freelance writer from Haverton, Pennsylvania. She says her three uncles who were priests “lived enjoying the fun and special moments of our lives in good times and sad times.” M ay 2 0 1 5 ❘

Wounded Healer Walking through our own pain, with God’s help, leads us to reach out to others. B Y R I C H A R D B . PAT T E R S O N , P H D

ILLUSTRATION © ANNA GODEASSI / i2iART.COM

AVE YOU EVER READ a book that changed your life? I have read many that influenced me in important ways. Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird gave me a role model for being a father. Carl Rogers’ On Becoming a Person guided my early efforts in learning to be a psychotherapist. John Sanford’s The Kingdom Within opened me to the spiritual potential of my nighttime dreams. But there is only one book that really changed my life. As I left the Army and entered private practice, I found myself longing to find some sort of bridge between my psychological profession and my spiritual life. After lunch one day, I went to a bookstore and passed by a title that intrigued me. That book was The Wounded Healer, by Henri Nouwen. I read the book and embraced Nouwen’s notion that our wounds can become a source of healing in our relationships with others. I found myself nodding to words such as these: “Whether [the helper] tries to enter into a dislocated world, relate to a convulsive generation, or speak to a dying man, his service will not be perceived as authentic unless it comes from a heart wounded by the suffering about which he speaks.” I embraced his notion, and then conveniently filed it away. Then, in 1983, I found myself drawn to read the book again. As I read it, I found myself returning to this thought: “You know what your biggest wound is. Now face it!” I resisted for a few more weeks, but the thought and Nouwen’s book wouldn’t leave

Fr anciscanMedia.org

me. Finally, through my clearest experience of grace, I woke up (literally, as well as symbolically) on June 2, 1983. I confronted my addiction and began the process of seeking help. I faced my deepest wound. That journey has never been easy and continues to this day. But it has deepened my understanding of what it means to try to become a wounded healer. Since then, I have come to know many other wounded healers. Some are professional therapists, but most are not. But all of these special people have a firsthand understanding of pain, healing, and the spiritual power found by facing our troubles. I think of the many addicts I have known, and their reaching out to other addicts. I think of a woman married to a man with schizophrenia, and her reaching out to other families with a member who suffers from mental illness. I think of many veterans struggling with the horrors of post-traumatic stress disorder, yet sharing with others their learnings as they try to heal. These people have chosen to learn what they can from their own journeys of woundedness, and to share that learning with others.

The Original Healer The original wounded healer is, of course, Jesus. He took on our humanness so that he might share our own woundedness. Thus, he knew fear. He knew loneliness. He knew temptation. He even knew despair as he cried out, “My God, my God! Why have you forM ay 2 0 1 5 ❘

Steps to Becoming a

Wounded Healer

1 2 3

In your journal, take an inventory of your wounds— healed or unhealed. Don’t judge. Just notice. Assess what steps you need to take to face those wounds. What gets in the way? Pride? Shame? Fear? Decide which healing path might work for you: support groups, 12-step programs, spiritual guides, or psychotherapists. Reach out.

PHOTO FROM INGIMAGE

As you heal, be grateful and celebrate. Gratitude is a key attitude of the humble wounded healer. Celebration is sharing in God’s joy.

saken me?” How often have you made such an outcry as you struggled with your own wounds? The saints are also replete with wounded healers. St. Paul draws on his own struggles to deepen an understanding of moral battles. St. Thomas More battled fear and depression as he struggled to speak his conscience. Even Blessed Mother Teresa, a saint of our times, acknowledged struggles with the darkness of doubt. This honesty deepens her credibility, especially to someone like me for whom doubting is an ongoing part of the journey. Thus, when I encounter a saint who faced inner darkness and tried to build an edifice of compassion on those wounds, I feel these are people I can approach. We have other modern-day examples as well. Bill W., the cofounder of Alcoholics Anonymous, drew on his own addiction to build an organization that now helps addicts worldwide. Psychiatrist Viktor Frankl drew upon his experiences in the Nazi death camps to formulate logotherapy, one of the few psychotherapies that talks directly about suffering. Harold Kushner drew upon his own family 24 ❘

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tragedy to write When Bad Things Happen to Good People, a work that has helped millions face senseless suffering. What I’ve come to see is that wounded healers offer many things: knowledge, resources, and creative problem solving. But what they offer more than anything else is that most elusive, yet most important, spiritual and psychological experience: hope.

Offering Hope We all know that the three cornerstones of the Christian message are faith, hope, and charity. I have heard many sermons on faith and charity, but few on hope. Hope, in many ways, may be the greatest need we have as we struggle to live in an increasingly troubled world. I’ve come to see that my own work involves helping people find it. Without hope, there is little motivation to face wounds, to heal, and to make changes. Quite simply, the message is, “If I can heal, so can you!” What wounded healers then do is to help each sufferer find within himself or herself the seed of healing. I cannot heal anyone. But I believe within each of us is everySt A n t h o n y M e s s e n g e r . o r g

thing we need to heal. We just don’t always believe that. God didn’t just dump us into this world with a pat on the back and a wish of “Good luck!” Rather, God, knowing how challenging life can be, equipped us with everything we need to cope and to grow. Most of us stumble along the way and lose sight of this. As we grope in the darkness, we may believe that hope and healing are found externally— perhaps in religion, perhaps in therapy, perhaps in some New Age guru. Much like Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz, we go through all kinds of misadventures trying to find our way home. If we’re blessed, we may cross paths with someone who helps us see that the answer we seek was within all along. Does such a point of view leave no room for God? The healing potential within each of us comes from God! But we must find and activate it. Jesus gave us a clue when he said, “The kingdom of God is within you.” I have come to believe that this is one of Jesus’ strongest sayings, and it is one of the ones that got him killed. It is a revolutionary thought: God is residing within each one of us, waiting. It is this healing power that a wounded

healer models. He or she is living proof of the existence of the kingdom within. I know I never would have healed myself. I’d tried that, but it didn’t work. I needed that infusion of grace as well as an introduction to a roomful of wounded healers who, by their sharing, helped me find and maintain the hope that I, too, could heal. Click here for more on The late Charles Snyder, an wounded healers. Click the expert in positive psychology, button below to hear an believed hope was made up of interview with the author. willpower and waypower. In other words, Snyder argued that we must be motivated to pursue a goal and that we have the necessary skills to do so. This issue of waypower is a sticking point because many of us in the throes of despair believe that, as much as we might want to change, we lack the ability to do so. An encounter with a wounded healer can help me consider that perhaps I do have the waypower after all. This is done because I see that the wounded healer is not that different from me and that this gives him or her credibility. As I hear a fellow addict chime in, “It works if you work it,” the fact that this addict is not so different from me raises the thought:

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YOUR PETITIONS to St. Anthony include help in ﬁnding anything that is lost — from misplaced rings or keys, a lost love or a pet that has strayed. Let us pray with you for your intentions. www.stanthony.org To post your prayer intentions or light a candle, visit us at www.stanthony.org.

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“Maybe so. If it worked for him or her, perhaps it can work for me.”

An Ongoing Process The common ground we find with a wounded healer can sometimes be surprising. As I was battling denial early on, I heard the testimony of a man who was a stereotypical alcoholic. He had literally been dragged out of a gutter by a policeman. I thought I had nothing in common with this man. But then he spoke of self-hatred.

PHOTO FROM ISTOCK PHOTO © PEOPLEIMAGES

Growing as a Wounded Healer ■

Listen. A large part of healing occurs in the telling of our stories. How powerful it is to meet someone who has been down the same path and is willing to listen.

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Don’t advise. Simply share your own experience, strength, and hope. In doing so, I am not telling you what to do. I am merely sharing what I found helpful in the hope that it may be of use to you.

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Seek out more help as you need it. My own wounds are still unfolding and continue to teach me.

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Don’t be a guru. It is tempting to view oneself as “more advanced” or “wise.” If we feel drawn in that direction, we need to be quiet and learn.

His words have stayed with me: “When I looked in a mirror, I hated who I saw.” That experience I knew. Though he and I differed on the surface, we were brothers underneath. Thus, help can often come in unexpected ways. As Anne Morrow Lindbergh (herself a wounded healer) wrote in her book Gift from the Sea: “We must use any signposts that exist to help us through the wilderness.” For me, a grubby homeless man, unshaven and dirty, was one of those signposts. There is an irony here. Wounded healers don’t heal. They know the power to heal comes from a spiritual source and that each one of us has the potential to connect with that source. This is one powerful aspect of Jesus’ 26 ❘

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rich statement, “The kingdom of God is among you.” The wounded healer— whatever his or her spiritual path—does not pridefully take credit for the healing. He or she is simply passing something along. I have known many people who try to be helpers without facing their own wounds. I remember one man training to be a therapist. I suggested there might be a need for him to consult with a therapist himself. His response? “I’d never do anything like that!” Not a good sign. As one heals on the path to becoming a wounded healer, it is very tempting to rest on one’s laurels, being content simply to enjoy one’s new life. As one person early in recovery said to me, “I’m not drinking. Why would I want to hang around with a bunch of drunks?” I pointed out to him that these weren’t a bunch of drunks hanging out in a bar. It was a bunch of drunks trying to help each other “keep the plug in the jug.” Beyond that, I pointed out to him that he might have something to offer to others and that the helping of others might help him stay sober. He went back to his meetings. Becoming a wounded healer is always a process—never a finished project. There is always more to learn about being of help to others. Thus, I must always remember first to listen and remember that the wounded healer path may begin when I face my wounds, but it continues for a lifetime.

Light Conquers Darkness About a year after he died, I read a book titled Wounded Prophet: A Portrait of Henri J.M. Nouwen, by Michael Ford. In this book, it was revealed that Nouwen had been gay. Apparently there had been pressure on him to “out” himself while he was living, but he did not. I had no opinion then and don’t now on that issue. What I do know is that when I learned about Nouwen’s struggle, I loved him even more. I always sensed that he struggled. Now I knew a bit more of how. His credibility in death grew with me. It seems appropriate then to leave you with one of Nouwen’s many rich thoughts on woundedness: “The more I try to disentangle myself from the darkness, the darker it becomes. I need light to conquer my darkness, and that I cannot bring about myself.” A Richard B. Patterson, PhD, is a widely published psychologist in El Paso, Texas. He is married and the father of four. St A n t h o n y M e s s e n g e r . o r g

EDITORIAL

Martyrs for What? Archbishop Oscar Romero is officially recognized as a martyr—finally.

Was Romero a Martyr? This is the question that has delayed Romero’s cause for beatification and possible canonization. Some Catholics (including several bishops and a few cardinals) argued that Romero was murdered for political reasons and not “in hatred of the faith” (the tal Church’s definition of a martyr). Digi as Extr By the reasoning of Romero’s critics, were Sts. Peter and Paul true Click here for more about martyrs? Those who conArchbishop Romero’s life. demned them to death were indeed politically motivated. What about the 21 Coptic Christians beheaded last January by ISIS forces in Libya? Surely, they were martyrs for their faith. While he was alive—and especially after he died—Archbishop Romero was falsely accused of favoring a liberation theology based on Marxist ideas. Following Jesus involves not simply believing certain statements; it involves external actions with which other people in the polis (Greek for “city”) can and often do disagree. Saying that Archbishop Oscar Romero was murdered for political—but not religious—reasons validates an overly privatized understanding of Christian faith and discipleship. Fr ancisca n Media .org

CNS PHOTO/LUIS GALDAMEZ, REUTERS

On February 3, 2015, Pope Francis signed a decree recognizing as a martyr Archbishop Oscar Arnulfo Romero (1917–1980) of San Salvador, El Salvador. Murdered by paramilitary forces while celebrating Mass in a hospital chapel, the archbishop was immediately considered a martyr by many people. Three years after Archbishop Thomas Becket of Canterbury was murdered in his cathedral by four knights of King Henry II in 1170, the Church recognized him as a martyr and a saint. Why the difference?

Archbishop Oscar Romero’s tomb will draw even more pilgrims after his May 23 beatification. Not all Christian martyrs are Catholics. At Rome’s Colosseum on May 7, 2000, St. John Paul II was joined by other Christian leaders at a prayer service honoring 20th-century martyrs from the Catholic and Orthodox Churches, as well as Anglicans, Protestants, and other Christians killed for their faith.

Martyrs Increasing Reliable theologians and historians have observed that the 20th century saw more Christian martyrs than the previous 19 centuries combined! The good news of Jesus Christ has challenged political and economic systems of every variety in each century. In his 430-page book The Catholic Martyrs of the Twentieth Century: A Comprehensive World History (Crossroad, 2000), Robert Royal includes one short chapter on Archbishop Romero and martyrs in Latin America (where the majority of Catholic martyrs may have died in that century). In previous centuries, most Christians were martyred by nonbelievers. Increasingly, they are being martyred by other baptized Christians who don’t like how these martyrs live out their faith (their “politics”). Blessed Oscar Romero reminds us that faith must always be expressed externally— no matter who agrees or disagrees, no matter whether that is described as politics or not. —Pat McCloskey, OFM M ay 2 0 15 ❘ 2 7

Meeting Pope Francis

OD ALWAYS SURPRISES US; he bursts our categories; he wreaks havoc with our plans. And he tells us: Trust me; do not be afraid; let yourself be surprised.” I couldn’t have agreed more with Pope Francis when I heard him preach these words. It was October 13, 2013. I was standing in St. Peter’s Square with my father and my 4-month-old baby. As I watched him on the large-screen TVs from half a mile away, it was all the more amazing to think that, just the day before, we had kissed his ring and spoken with the pope face-to-face.

“ This mother recalls her face-to-face encounter. BY GINA LOEHR AND AL GIAMBRONE

Gift of a Lifetime The opportunity to meet Pope Francis had come as a surprise. In fact, our entire visit to Rome was the result of an unexpected invitation. 28 ❘

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Gina Loehr and her daughter Gianna join other participants of the Vatican seminar on St. John Paul II’s apostolic letter “Mulieris Dignitatem” (“On the Dignity and Vocation of Women”) at a private audience with Pope Francis.

PHOTO FROM L’OSSERVATORE ROMANO

Fewer than two months earlier, on August 27, I had been awake at midnight feeding my baby, Gianna Agnes, when I heard a ding as an e-mail landed in my inbox. Who’s e-mailing me in the middle of the night? I wondered. A quick glance revealed the subject line: “Greetings from Rome.” I didn’t know anybody in Rome, so this was all the more curious. Opening the message, I was astonished to see a note from the Pontifical Council for the Laity inviting me to participate in a study seminar commemorating the 25th anniversary of St. John Paul II’s apostolic letter Mulieris Dignitatem (“On the Dignity and Vocation of Women”). Baffled at how they had obtained my name and e-mail address, I reread the e-mail in disbelief. How on earth had I been added to this list? My confusion was quickly trumped by my excitement. Attending this seminar seemed too good to be true. Mulieris Dignitatem wasn’t just any papal paper. This was a document that had radically changed my life. This letter was largely responsible for my return to Catholicism after a period of deep anger and hostility toward the Church. Through these reflections, I had come to realize that as a woman I had an irreplaceable mission in the heart of the Church. I had also begun to comprehend the nobility of motherhood, both spiritual and physical. The letter helped me appreciate motherhood as a gift to humanity, a blessing for women, and a vocation from God. As I lay awake nursing my baby that night, I contemplated the irony of the situation. If it weren’t for the life-changing ideals of Mulieris Dignitatem, I would have persisted in my former resolution to swear off motherhood. Now, because of embracing those ideals, it would be impossible for me to attend this seminar. How could I travel to Rome and participate in the three-day event with a 4-month-old nursing infant? Even if that were feasible, the conference fell right in the midst of harvest season on our farm, so my husband couldn’t care for our other three children while I was gone. Motherhood, it seemed, was preventing me from joining these discussions about womFr anciscanMedia.org

anhood and maternal nature. So I declined the invitation.

Making a Plan A few days later, I was on the phone with my younger brother, now a priest, who had given me my copy of Mulieris Dignitatem years earlier. I mentioned the surprise invitation. When he asked if I had responded yet, I told him I had turned it down. Silence. Mood change. “Do you realize only 100 women from the entire world are invited to this event?” he asked with a note of melancholy disbelief in his voice. I emphasized how much I would have loved to go, but added that mothering my children had to take priority over leaving them in order to reflect on motherhood. He sympathized with the logistical difficulties, but then went on to uncover the mystery surrounding the invitation. A colleague of his, who has connections with the Pontifical Council for the Laity, had inquired about my work and interests. My brother mentioned my dedication to Catholic women’s concerns, and they discussed my possible contribution at this seminar, specifically as a mother of young children. The only problem was that all the spaces were already filled! So he and his colleague began praying that, through the intercession of St. Monica, a wife and mother, I would be invited to attend nonetheless. Then, on St. Monica’s feast day, special permission had been granted for me to go, and I received the invitation. With this news in hand, my husband, Joe, and I revisited the idea, brainstorming solutions. Perhaps my parents could come up from Ohio for the week? Dad could be a travel companion and babysitter while Mom helped out with the children at home. As we were discussing this, the phone rang. It was my dad. “Gina, rumor has it that you received an invitation to some kind of event in Rome. If there’s anything we can do to help make this possible, we’d love to do it.” I looked at Joe in astonishment. This really was too good to be true! I contacted the secretary in Rome to ask if I could still accept, M ay 2 0 1 5 ❘

PHOTO FROM GINA LOEHR

(Right) The day before Loehr was to leave for Rome, she and her family happened to be at the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in LaCrosse, Wisconsin, where this painting of St. Gianna Beretta Molla hangs. During the visit, Loehr’s daughter Gianna was blessed with a first-class relic of the saint.

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE SHRINE OF OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE

(Far right) Loehr and Gianna Agnes stand in front of a shrine to St. Agnes at Sant’ Agnese in Agone, Rome. Friends and family of the Loehrs prayed to St. Agnes to intercede on behalf of little Gianna, so that she would be healed of blindness.

but it was too late. They had just offered my spot to someone else. A week later, another e-mail appeared. “I can confirm we are able to receive you as a participant in the seminar,” the secretary wrote, “and we would be very pleased to welcome your baby, Gianna, with us, too. . . . It will be a beautiful sign to have a mother and child in our seminar that is dedicated precisely to that theme!” 30 ❘

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It was now September 9. We needed to depart for Rome on October 8. Thus began a flurry of activity to arrange travel details, including a special element: the trip would include a spiritual pilgrimage on behalf of Gianna. After a scare early in my pregnancy due to a hemorrhage, Gianna had been born strong and healthy, except for her vision. We had already been praying that she would be healed of her blindness through the intercession of her patronesses, St. Gianna Beretta Molla and St. Agnes of Rome. Now we would be visiting their homeland. We sketched out a plan to visit the Church of Sant’ Agnese in Agone, where a relic of St. Agnes is kept. It was conveniently located near the Basilica of St. Augustine, which houses the mortal remains of his mother, St. Monica. But try as we might, we could not find a shrine or even a relic of St. Gianna anywhere in Rome. Then God surprised us again. The day before we left for Italy, my family was in LaCrosse, Wisconsin, for a wedding. My brother concelebrated Mass there at the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Upon walking into the magnificent basilica, we noticed a side altar with a painting of St. Gianna Beretta Molla. There, beneath the mural, rested a firstclass relic locked in a glass case. My brother arranged for one of the Franciscans from the shrine to take out the relic and bless Gianna St A n t h o n y M e s s e n g e r . o r g

with it. Our pilgrimage had begun, right here at home.

A Journey Begins

A Once-in-a-Lifetime Experience The third day of the event brought the culmination of the conference: our private audience with the Holy Father. This was a scheduled part of the seminar that the attendees were expecting. But my dad had received his invitation only the night before. The conference organizers had expressed their appreciation for his presence and his service by arranging for him to come along. This was especially exciting because, just a Fr anciscanMedia.org

PHOTO FROM GINA LOEHR

We departed the next day. Soon, we visited the sacred sites and offered our prayers for Gianna. On our third day, my father and I arrived at the Palazzo San Callisto, an “offcampus” Vatican facility next to the ancient basilica of Santa Maria in Trastevere. Dad wheeled Gianna around the marble porticoes in her stroller while I attended the sessions. I felt as if I had stepped right into the heart of Mother Church. The universality of Catholicism was so evident in those gathered. They came from 24 countries representing every continent. They were a mix of married and consecrated laywomen, with several religious sisters, some married men, a few monsignors, and Cardinal Stanislaw Rylko. There were teachers, nurses, social workers, scientists, missionaries, journalists, lawyers, students, doctors, catechists, professors, artists, authors, theologians, and, of course, mothers. But I had the distinct privilege of being the only mother there with her baby! Everyone seemed pleased that our philosophical discussions of women’s issues were accented by the gurgles of an infant. Throughout the seminar it became clear that Mulieris Dignitatem meant many things to many people. For me, it meant a new insight into motherhood. For others, the focus was on the call to transform culture through the influence of the “feminine genius.” The profound Marian meditations were especially important for some participants, while others were inspired by John Paul II’s exegesis on Christ’s revolutionary treatment of women. Discussions centered on how the document could serve as a springboard for promoting a greater contribution of women’s gifts, both in the Church and in the world, and how it could help develop the “profound theology of women” called for by Pope Francis.

week before our trip, the two of us had completed a manuscript for a book about Pope Francis. Now we were both going to be able to see him in person. Although this was a wonderful surprise, it did pose a problem: Dad hadn’t packed a suit. He planned to be babysitting, not visiting the Supreme Pontiff of the Universal Church. I was uncomfortable with the idea of showing up underdressed, so that night we hit the streets looking for a lastminute meet-the-pope suit. Rome is a shopper’s paradise, but nothing we found seemed quite right. As we debated what to do, I finally asked half-jokingly, “What do you think Pope Francis would want you to wear?” Drawing on what we had learned about our new pope, Dad answered quickly, “He would want me to wear the Al Giambrone accompaclothes I packed and give the money I would nied his daughter Gina and granddaughter have spent on a suit to the poor.” “That’s true,” I replied. We bought a tie Gianna on their whirlwind—and exhausting— instead. The next day, Dad wore the (nicest) outfit trip to Rome. in his suitcase and the tie. He was the only man at the papal audience not wearing a dark suit, other than Pope Francis, who sported his white cassock and the black shoes he received as a gift before leaving Argentina for the papal conclave. Dad and I were both struck by the Holy Father’s humility in person, not just because of the simple shoes, but because of his entire demeanor. He entered the magnificent Clementine Hall with a friendly smile, without pomp and circumstance. He took his time crossing the Click here for more room, greeting us all with a tal Digi as on Pope Francis. nod of his head and a few small

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waves as the cameras began to flash. Then, just as he reached the middle aisle, he stopped in his tracks, looked straight at Gianna, pointed at her, and grinned. My heart leapt. And then it sank when he turned and headed for his chair. I had dreamed of him going “off script,” as he so often does, to personally greet Gianna and bless her. What an ending that would have been to our Roman pilgrimage. But there was more to come. The cardinal made his introductory remarks. Then Pope Francis gave us a brief address, mentioning M ay 2 0 1 5 ❘

Pope Francis was approached by an usher who whispered to him. The pontiff tapped his watch and said something in reply. Then, much to everyone’s surprise, the usher walked back to the third row and welcomed the guests to come up. The Holy Father had spontaneously decided to greet everyone present in the room. When my father’s turn came, I watched him enjoy a short, jovial exchange in his broken Italian with Pope Francis. When it was all over, I asked Dad what the pope had said to him. “He said, ‘Pray for me.’”

PHOTO FROM L’OSSERVATORE ROMANO

Sharing Our Blessings

Little Gianna will have quite the story to tell about her meeting with Pope Francis. After learning of Gianna’s medical troubles, the pope offered her kisses and a blessing.

Click the button below to hear an excerpt from Gina Loehr’s book on Pope Francis.

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the importance of Mulieris Dignitatem. Afterward, he stepped forward and the tuxedo-clad ushers invited the speakers and organizers in the first row to come forward and meet the pope. Not knowing what would happen next, my heart began beating fast as I suspected that those of us in the second row might also go forward. Sure enough, the usher gestured to me, and I took my place in line. When the guest in front of me stepped aside, Pope Francis’ face lit up. He reached out to embrace Gianna, kissing her on the head. He asked me her name, and then kissed her again, grinning all the while. Then, my Italian-speaking friend (my brother’s colleague) leaned over my shoulder and told Pope Francis about Gianna’s vision. He looked at me and said with compassion, “Un problema?” “Si,” I knew enough to reply. He stepped forward, laid both hands on Gianna’s head, closed his eyes and prayed silently over her. Gianna seemed to be gazing right at him. Then he looked back at me. I kissed his hand, thanked him, and returned to my seat, overflowing with joy. Dad was seated several rows behind me, and it was unclear whether he, or anyone else, was going to be invited forward. After greeting the first two rows, and a few families present,

We hardly needed an airplane to fly us back home. The entire experience had been such a remarkable gift from God. And the surprises of the pilgrimage continued to unfold. We can’t help but think, for example, that the visual responses Gianna began to show shortly after the trip, and now her functional vision, are an answer to the prayers made in Rome. And someone else was surprised thanks to our pilgrimage, too. After our return to the States, Dad and I drove up next to a disheveled man standing on a street corner with a cardboard sign. Dad rolled down the window, greeted him, and handed him the cash equivalent of an Italian suit coat. The man’s eyes nearly fell out of his head. As the fellow reached for the money, Dad said, “I have a favor to ask you.” The ragged man looked concerned. “Say a prayer for Pope Francis,” Dad continued. Self-concern changed into concern for the pope. “I will do that. I will pray for him. Is something wrong? I haven’t heard. Is he sick?” “No, but he’s got a big job to do,” Dad replied. “Yes, he does,” the man agreed. Then he added, “He’s my favorite pope because he really cares about people in poverty.” “That’s right. And he’s the one who inspired me to give you this money.” “I thank you for it,” the man said sincerely as he folded up his sign and turned to go. The truth is, we would have avoided this entire encounter if God hadn’t gently “burst our categories” during our unforgettable pilgrimage to Rome. Yes, I have to agree with Pope Francis. God is full of surprises. A Freelance writer Gina Loehr and her father, Al Giambrone, are coauthors of the book Saint Francis, Pope Francis: A Common Vision (Servant Books, 2014). St A n t h o n y M e s s e n g e r . o r g

â&#x20AC;&#x153;How much do I love this devotional? Lots! What kind of woman would benefit from having a copy of this in her purse? Every kind! Tomeoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pithy writing will have you laughing out loud, reflecting thoughtfully, and praying with your whole heartâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;sometimes all on the same page!â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x201D;DANIELLE BEAN, author of Momnipotent

A perfect gift for busy moms! No matter how busy or complicated life becomes, God can be found in the details of the day. In this lighthearted yet realistic look at the ups and downs of daily life, Teresa Tomeo provides daily reflections to soothe the souls of Christian women everywhere. Her wisdom and humor will show you how you can experience Godâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s presence in the most ordinary moments. ISBN 978-1-61636-882-1 +VGO 6 r To order, visit %CVCNQI (TCPEKUECP/GFKC QTI QT ECNN

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Teresa Tomeo has done it again! Inspirational and entertaining at the same time, Walk Softly and Carry a Great Bag is a down-to-earth and eminently practical guide for todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hyper-busy woman. If you want to know the secret of how to transform the distractions of everyday life into opportunities for spiritual growth, get this book!â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x201D;MARCELLINO Dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;AMBROSIO (â&#x20AC;&#x153;Dr. Italyâ&#x20AC;?), author of When the Church Was Young

Godâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Word Revealed To understand a Bible passage correctly, we must consider its context. BY MARGARET NUTTING RALPH, PHD

LTHOUGH WE MAY KNOW that not all Christians read and interpret the Bible the same way, we may feel hard-pressed to explain the differences. It helps to begin with what we share in common: all Christians accept the Bible as God’s inspired word and revere it above all other literature. The Catholic Church teaches that all Christians should be “nourished and ruled” by Scripture (Vatican II, “Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation” 21). It’s not difficult to understand what it means to be nourished by Scripture. We’re to be fed by Scripture daily and hear it as a living word that guides us as a light on our paths. The nourishment of Scripture corrects and encourages us, helping us name our faults and grow in love. As parents provide nourishment for children, our heavenly Father nourishes us with the Eucharist and the biblical word of God. To be ruled by Scripture might sound threatening or off-putting to some. We may not like the thought of anything or anyone ruling us. But being ruled by Scripture is simply recognizing its authority because it is God’s selfrevelation. If we acknowledge God’s authority in our lives, we’ll also recognize the authority of God’s inspired word in the Bible.

God’s Living Word

When we correctly understand what inspired biblical authors have taught, we’re better able to understand the moral order God has established, the way God desires that we live. Scripture can help us make wise decisions and live in cooperation with God’s will rather than thwarting it with our selfish and sinful choices. All Catholic liturgies are built on a foundation of Scripture because we believe it speaks to us in our present circumstances, giving us guidance and inspiration. We’re acquainted with hearing Scripture as a living word and are familiar with those passages and stories that appear in the Lectionary, the book from which the Bible readings are proclaimed at Mass. We’re accustomed to hearing homilies that place the week’s readings in conversation with our lives. Some of us “break open the word” in faith-sharing groups where we explore what the readings say to us in the context of our lives. Many of us read and reflect on Scripture in our daily prayer. Fr anciscanMedia.org

All of these prayerful uses of Scripture are essential. Scripture is a living word that nourishes us as pilgrim people, a people on a journey to greater closeness with God. Scripture is far from simply a historical artifact, important to past generations but no longer nourishing for us.

Consider the Context In addition to being a living word that nourishes and rules us, guiding us to make wise choices, Scripture teaches eternal truths that are true for all generations and cultures. In order to understand these eternal truths, we must put Scripture passages in the context in which they appear in the Bible. If our interaction with Scripture is limited to hearing it as a living word in the context of our own lives, and if we never seek to understand passages in their original contexts, we’re treading on dangerous ground. We may misunderstand God’s word and use the authority of Scripture to justify our own desires, misunderstandings, or prejudices. We’re in danger of abusing Scripture for our own purposes rather than allowing ourselves to be called to conversion by Scripture and ruled by the universal truths taught by the inspired authors. For this reason, the Catholic Church teaches us to root our understanding of Scripture as a living word in a contextual understanding of the biblical text. Before we can understand what the inspired biblical authors are teaching and “what God wants to reveal through the sacred authors for our salvation” (Catechism of the Catholic Church [CCC] 137), we need to put Scripture passages in their biblical context. This is where the Catholic approach to Scripture differs from that of some other Christians. Biblical fundamentalists, those who don’t consider context, believe that the Bible can teach with authority on every subject, even scientific topics. Catholics and most Protestants, however, acknowledge that the Bible includes presumptions of the times its books were written that we now know are not scientifically accurate. Of course, the biblical authors are not trying to teach science. To correctly understand the truth taught in a passage of Scripture, we must consider three contexts: the literary form, the presumed beliefs at the time of the author, and the 2,000-year process of revelation. M ay 2 0 1 5 ❘

Literary Form

How did the Scriptures influence St. Francis? Click the button below to hear more.

We’re already familiar with the concept of literary forms or genres. When we read a newspaper, we adjust our expectations to fit the literary form used. We know a front-page story informs, answering who, what, when, and where. An editorial tries to persuade. A comic strip uses fictional characters to amuse. A political cartoon critically analyzes, often attributing to a public figure words that the person never said. The Bible may look like a single book with chapters, but it’s actually a library of books that contain many different kinds of writing. As with a newspaper, the books of the Bible use many different literary forms. Any literary form can be used to teach truth. The Bible probes truths that respond to such questions as Who is God? Who are we in relationship to God? and How are we to live so as to please God and fulfill God’s purposes on earth? It’s extremely important that we consider the literary form in which any passage of Scripture appears. Why? If we ignore the context of literary form, we’ll likely misunderstand what the author is teaching. “To interpret Scripture correctly, the reader must be attentive to what the human authors truly wanted to affirm and to what God wanted to reveal to

us by their words. In order to discover the sacred authors’ intention, the reader must take into account . . . the literary genres in use at that time” (CCC 109–110). In other words, we understand that the authority of Scripture rests in what the inspired author intended to teach, not in whatever meaning we might attach to words taken out of context. We must consider the literary form in order to correctly understand an author’s intent and meaning.

Beliefs of the Time

The beliefs and presumptions of the author’s time and culture are also important contexts to consider. The authority of Scripture rests in what the inspired author is teaching on the subject addressed (God and our relationship with God)—not in something the author says by way of application or example. Applications and examples often reflect presumptions of the time that we, who live in a scientific age, do not share with the inspired author or the author’s generation. For example, the author of the story of creation (Gn 1:1— 2:4) lived at a time when everyone presumed the earth was flat and had a dome-like structure above it. So, the author presents God making

Church Teaching on

Interpreting the Bible Many Catholics are surprised to learn that the official teaching authority of the Catholic Church, the magisterium, teaches us to be contextual readers of Scripture. The first Church document that directed us to do so was the 1943 encyclical “On Promoting Biblical Studies.” Its teachings were reaffirmed in the Vatican II document “Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation” and in the Catechism of the Catholic Church (see 110, 112, 120, and 126). There really is no question about it: we CNS PHOTO/BOB ROLLER

need to consider context in order to understand meaning.

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St A n t h o n y M e s s e n g e r . o r g

Is the Bible Error-Free? Considering the contexts of the beliefs and presumptions of biblical times and the process of revelation naturally brings up the topic of inerrancy. Catholics do accept the inerrancy of the Bible, but we define the word inerrancy differently from how some people define it. Catholics believe biblical authors were inspired on the topics that they were addressing: theological © RENÁTA SEDMÁKOVÁ/FOTOLIA

topics. Inspired authors weren’t inspired on subjects they weren’t addressing, such as scientific topics. Inspired biblical authors teach us the truth we need to know for our salvation (“Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation” 11).

the earth as the author assumes the earth is. On the second day, God creates the dome (sky) that “separated the water below the dome from the water above the dome” (Gn 1:7). As Catholic contextual readers, we believe that what each author of Scripture teaches us about our relationship with God is inspired revelation from God. The author of Genesis is teaching that God made all that exists. At the same time, we don’t claim that Scripture teaches with authority what are presumptions of the time about the shape of the earth. No biblical author set out to teach us scientific facts.

Process of Revelation

The Bible took form over 2,000 years. The process began with events that occurred around 1850 BC and concluded when the books in the Old and New Testaments were accepted as canonical, as official biblical texts, by the early Church around the end of the fourth century AD. The books of the Bible, shared first through oral tradition, then written and edited over time, reveal a growth process on the part of the inspired authors. That is, while an inspired author teaches the truth on a subject, that author may not be teaching the whole truth. A later author, addressing the same topic, will add to the original author’s insights. For example, inspired authors grew in their understanding of the ramifications of the revelation that God is love. Early authors realized that God loved them, the Israelites, and had entered a covenant relationship with them. However, they did not realize that God also Fr anciscanMedia.org

created and loves other nations, even Israel’s enemies. These insights are taught by later authors. An early author believed and taught that suffering is caused by sin. While true, this is a partial truth. Sin always causes suffering, but not all suffering is punishment for sin. This additional truth appears in books written later. Christians believe that Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of God’s promises to God’s people, that in Jesus we’ve received the fullness of revelation. Nearly 2,000 years of ongoing revelation prepared the way for the Messiah, Jesus, the Christ. We misinterpret the Bible if we take an early insight and present it as the fullness of revelation when, in fact, it’s one step in the process of revelation that we’ve received through Interested in Scripture? the Bible. Click here for more. We see, then, that the Bible is a product of the community, has been received by the community, and is proclaimed, interpreted, and lived out within that community, the Church. Through this ongoing process we, the Church, continue to be nourished and ruled by Scripture. A

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This article originally appeared in the newsletter Catholic Update (Liguori Publications). Margaret Nutting Ralph, PhD, is the director of the master of arts in pastoral studies degree program for Roman Catholics at Lexington Theological Seminary, Lexington, Kentucky, and is the author of 14 books on Scripture. M ay 2 0 1 5 ❘

Prayer to the Rescue

A Texas deacon—and mining expert—pulled out all the stops to save 33 Chilean miners. But without God’s grace, the rescue couldn’t have happened. BY JERRY CIRCELLI

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earth. It would require Hall to dedicate all his drilling resources and risk his reputation on a feat that most people deemed hopeless.

Into the Desert

On the job and ready to rescue in the Atacama Desert, Greg Hall stands at the site of the collapsed San Jose mine near Copiapó, Chile, where 33 trapped miners’ lives were on the line.

Hall knew it could take several weeks to locate the men, and it was believed they would certainly be dead from lack of water, food, and oxygen during that time. Hall prayed to God for help. He also asked himself, What would I do if my loved ones were down there? Pushing away nagging doubts, Hall took on the challenge. After kissing his wife goodbye, he left his comfortable Texas home and set out for the disaster site in Chile’s Atacama Desert—one of the driest, harshest, and most barren areas of the world. Hall used every waking minute to plot and plan drilling operations to locate the miners. It was a different kind of work for him; his company was in the business of supplying equipment to find underground minerals, not people. After 10 days of no success in locating the miners, Hall recalls, “I thought by then we were just drilling a recovery operation. I thought we would eventually hit a void, send a camera down there, and we would find all their bodSt A n t h o n y M e s s e n g e r . o r g

PHOTO BY JERRY CIRCELLI; (PAGE 38) CNS PHOTO/COURTESY OF ANGELICA HALL

USINESSMAN Greg Hall, of Cypress, Texas, knows what it’s like to put his livelihood on the line in response to a higher calling. The geological drilling expert did just that in 2010 during a risky endeavor that took place a half mile beneath a barren desert 2,000 miles south of the equator. It was an experience that tested Hall to the core—and reaffirmed his faith— during his formation as a permanent deacon. A successful business owner of Drillers Supply International and an ordained deacon serving Christ the Redeemer Catholic Church in Houston, Texas, Hall has had to delve deeply in search of solutions that don’t always make good business sense—but which are right in the eyes of God. Hall faced an enormous challenge in August 2010 after an earthquake caused a copper and gold mine collapse near Copiapó, Chile, trapping 33 men under 2,600 feet of solid granite. As a major supplier of drilling equipment to that country, Hall was asked by the Chilean government to do the impossible. The South American nation looked to him to locate the trapped miners lost somewhere inside a maze of uncharted tunnels deep beneath the

Deacon Greg Hallâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;pictured here in his home parish of Christ the Redeemer in Houston, Texasâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;tapped into the power of prayer during the incredible rescue of 33 trapped Chilean miners.

CNS PHOTO/REUTERS

By completing an escape hole—with the help of a sophisticated drilling machine—members of the “Plan B” crew injected some much-needed hope into a dire situation.

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ies lying there dead.” Hall reasoned that such a morbid discovery might at least bring closure to the families of the 33 men. On day 17, Hall’s crew hit an opening in the rock, indicating a mine chamber where the men might be located. “Not only did we hit the void,” says Hall, “but we heard banging on the drill pipe. So we knew, miraculously, that at least one person was alive.” After five hours of drawing up the drill pipe, Hall and his crew discovered that red paint had been splashed on a portion of it. They knew that only the miners could have done this. In addition, scraps of paper were found shoved into an area between the pipe and the drill hammer. On one of the scraps was a message, which brought an immediate outburst Click here for more of jubilation from the rescue on the rescue of the crew—a joyfulness that rever33 Chilean miners. berated around the world. The note read, “Estamos bien en el refugio los 33.” Translated, it means, “We are fine, in the refuge, all 33.” Hall shared in the excitement and gave thanks to God. The refuge, a small underground area with supplies, had only enough food for three days for the men. Wisely, after the mine collapse,

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the crew’s supervisor had rationed any remaining food to keep them alive. Before the miners were located, however, their food and water had run out, Hall explained. “They started to pull water out of the radiators of one of the machines down there to drink.” To sustain the men, air was pumped into the small shaft that Hall’s team had drilled, and food and water were sent down. The government then went to work on a rescue plan. As for Hall and his team, they left the desert content that they had done their job of locating the men. Most important, the miners were alive. “We thought our work was done,” recalls Hall. “We packed up all our trucks. . . . I came home and it was good.”

Not Over Yet Hall monitored the situation from his business in Texas, uncomfortable that the timetable for the rescue spanned six months. “That bothered me, because I knew these men had been trapped by an earthquake and it could happen again at any time,” he says. One night, the business owner went home for supper and remembers thinking, What would I be doing right now if that were my son or daughter down there? Would I be sitting here wondering if I’m going to have fish or fajitas tonight? Or would I be down there with a shovel at the St A n t h o n y M e s s e n g e r . o r g

mine site trying to dig my way down? Hall had a sleepless night, tossing and turning with the notion that if anyone could rescue the miners, it would be his company—experienced at drilling through Chile’s challenging geological formations. But the job seemed impossible. The rescue operation would require creating a shaft 24 inches wide through a half mile of solid granite, with no water to lubricate the drill bit (because it could flood the mine). Also, large-bore drilling could cause a cave-in. Praying for God’s continued help, Hall threw his hard hat into the ring, came up with a procedure that could get the miners out sooner, and contacted the Chilean government. They welcomed Hall’s assistance again and looked forward to his arrival to implement a new, expedient strategy, which they termed “Plan B.” Hall’s wife, Angelica, understood the gravity of the situation pulling on her husband and was confident he could hold up. “Greg follows things through,” Angelica says. “If he tells you he will do something, you can take it to the bank. He’ll get it done.” True to form, Hall pulled out all the stops and hit the ground running in Chile once again. He got his top supplier in the United States to manufacture specialized drilling equipment, truck it to airports, and transport it by air to the job site in Chile with turnaround times of under 20 hours. With the whole world watching, Hall and his teams worked around the clock on his plan to extract the miners.

Perseverance and Prayer “The pressure was tremendous,” says Hall. “But I knew what we were doing was right. I knew it was the best chance. So we kept on going—even though it was made very clear to me that if it failed, it was my fault and I was risking everything that I had built there.” With all the stress and pressure, accented by a rough stretch during the latter part of the operation, it seemed nothing was going right. Time was running out, and technical problems Fr anciscanMedia.org

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CNS PHOTO/ALEX IBANEZ, CHILEAN PRESIDENCY HANDOUT VIA REUTERS

(Above) With an exuberant fist in the air, Luis Urzua, the last of the 33 miners to be rescued, celebrates with Chilean president Sebastián Piñera, after being trapped for 69 days. (Right) Rescued miner Esteban Rojas, left, has much to smile about during a Mass of thanksgiving four days after the men were miraculously saved.

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as he prayed: “O God, you are my God—for you I long! For you my body yearns; for you my soul thirsts, like a land parched, lifeless, and without water” (v. 2). “As I prayed,” said Hall, “it just hit me. I think it was the Holy Spirit telling me that I wasn’t alone. That gave me a boost when I really needed it.” In the final stretch of the rescue, Hall continued to pray hard and noticed how great things happened. He said it underscored the meaning of Matthew 7:7—“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” CNS PHOTO/REUTERS Hall needed one more seemingly put the operation in jeopardy. People were impenetrable door opened, however, when he beginning to doubt that the miners could be was only about 75 yards from connecting the taken out alive. Many were predicting Hall rescue shaft to the miners. Just when it seemed and his team would fail. The desert air became the miners would see light at the end of their thick with pessimism. dark tunnel, the drill became lodged in the Hall went to a nearby junkyard in the dark granite. of night, where he could be alone to pray. He His team tried every technical attempt to turned to Psalm 63, written by David while free it, to no avail. Hall was devastated and in an inhospitable environment and con- out of solutions. “We were trying everything fronted with insurmountable challenges and I prayed, ‘Lord, please send your holy beyond his control. angels down to dig out this bit, or we’re finHall could relate to David’s predicament, ished.’” St A n t h o n y M e s s e n g e r . o r g

Standing Strong Against the HHS Mandate Now on firm foundation at home, Hall says he has been facing an even greater challenge than the one he confronted in a barren, faraway desert rocked by an PHOTO BY JERRY CIRCELLI

earthquake. In February 2013, the businessman began digging in his heels against the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Mandate, which would have forced one of his three corporations to offer employee health insurance for abortifacients, contraceptives, and sterilization. “There is no way possible, morally, that I could pay for those things that violate our faith,” says Hall. “On the other hand, our employees are very important to us, and we wanted them to have health insurance. So we sued.” Hall employs about 100 people, with most of his US-based workers at his Minnesota business, on behalf of whom he filed his suit. Hall’s case is one of more than 100 legal challenges to the HHS Mandate and among 12 for-profit cases that have been granted permanent injunctions recently. The permanent injunction means that Hall’s Minnesota business can continue to provide health insurance without the threat of penalties for noncompliance. Hall says he hopes the recent federal decision in his case will encourage others to have faith and trust in the Lord. “It goes to show, yet again,” Hall says, “that with God all things are possible.”

Giving Credit Where It Is Due Following his prayer, Hall says, “Amazingly enough, the bit started moving. We were making progress again, and we were finally able to go down and finish the job. I am convinced that God did that.” The rest of the story is history. After 69 days trapped underground, all 33 miners were rescued alive. It stands as the longest time that anyone has survived after being trapped underground. “I have always made it very clear that God drilled the hole,” Hall says. “I am convinced of that.” When he gives presentations around the country about the rescue operation, technical people often approach him afterward and ask, “What really happened? How did you get them out at the end?” Hall reiterates it for them the same way every time: “God drilled the hole.” A Jerry Circelli is a freelance journalist who lives in Aledo, Texas, with his wife, Joan. A traveler and outdoors enthusiast, he is a regular contributor to The North Texas Catholic, the official newspaper of the Diocese of Fort Worth. Fr anciscanMedia.org

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Lost in the Land of

Motherhood What could she learn from a purple finch? FICTION BY GERALDINE ANN MARSHALL

T 7:30 ON A SATURDAY MORNING, I am waiting for the exact second when my gourmet coffee should reach perfection. I pretend to scribble notes for an overdue writing project. But really I am daydreaming about leaving Cara, my newly 9-year-old daughter, one of 10 girls sprawled across my living room floor, asleep at last. I look down at what I have written: Wanted: tooth fairy (alias mother). Must be light of heart, Always have the right change, Able to retrieve teeth in all situations. Reply to cluelessbutforcoffee@spiritsprings.net P.S. Must not overreact when 9-year-old daughter requests bra for birthday!

ILLUSTRATION BY VINCENT ZAWADA

I imagine my neighbors’ reactions when this ad hits the weekly paper after I leave town and abandon my child. The phone rings. I forget for a moment that I am still standing in my kitchen, listening to 10 girls stirring with little-girl sniffles. In my mind, the paper has arrived, Mrs. Owens across the street has read the paper and, worried, is calling. The phone will just keep ringing until Cara at last stumbles into the kitchen, her sleepy, little-girl voice asking, “Is there anything good to eat for a change?” before she discovers me gone. When I come to my senses and pick up the phone, part of my mind knows the caller’s voice belongs to Peg, my editor. The other part goes on to spell out the rest of my runningaway scenario. “I’m still here, Mrs. Owens.” M ay 2 0 15 ❘ 4 5

“Marilyn, this is Peg! Who’s Mrs. Owens?” My daydream now totally shattered, I think quickly. “Hold on while I pour my coffee.” “And what do you mean you’re still here? Where else would you be at 7:30 on Saturday morning?” Peg never lets anything drop. That’s what makes her a good editor and a lousy friend. She was my friend before I quit work in the city at Cardalot Greetings Company. I stayed on as a freelancer working from home, and now Peg’s my boss. “I promised my elderly neighbor I’d pick up birdseed for her this morning. I guess I thought she thought I might’ve forgotten and gone to the market early without finding out whether she needs thistle, oiled sunflower, or cracked millet.” “Marilyn, you should be thinking about tooth-fairy cards, not birdseed. You told me you’d have the first batch to me by Friday. Remember: ‘You can be great, you can be awful, but being late is tempting fate.’” I hate it when Peg gets to be a bossy boss, even though it is easier than when she’s a nosy friend. She seems to have forgotten that I started the Kids Kards division 10 years ago. While I was pregnant, I understood kids perfectly. When Cara was born, I waited for when she could walk and talk. When Cara was 2 and 3, I was sure I’d be totally in tune with her at 4, 5, and 6. When she was 7, I began writing cards for 8- and 9-year-olds. Now Cara is 9, and I realize that I don’t understand 9-year-olds at all, any more than

ANSWERS TO PETE AND REPEAT 1. A plant is sprouting in the field. 2. Pete has a bigger grin. 3. Scruffy has come to join Pete. 4. Pete’s cheeks are red from the sun. 5. One of the markers reads, “peas.” 6. Pete’s pants now have a pocket. 7. The leaves on the tree are fuller. 8. There is a collar on Pete’s shirt.

4 6 ❘ May 2015

I understood 6-, 7-, and 8-year olds. I’ve given up understanding children after birth. I tried to explain this to Peg when she called two weeks ago. “I’ve had a great idea,” she’d said. “We’ll do a whole line of cards about the tooth fairy and market them in dental offices! The job is yours and I want the first batch written in two weeks!” She hung up. When I called her back, she would not take no for an answer. “What do you mean you don’t understand kids? You’ve got Cara, haven’t you?” I’d wanted to explain that understanding Cara was my problem, that I wanted to leave Cara, that I am a failure as a mother. Nothing I say to Cara comes out the wise way I imagined it would. Nothing I plan for Cara becomes the magical childhood memory I hoped it would. But I knew that Peg would never let such a statement drop, so I’d agreed to write the tooth-fairy cards. Now that I have proof-positive that I am a failure as a tooth fairy—and as a mother—I fortify myself with a sip of soot-sweet coffee and say, “Peg, I’ve spent two weeks planning a birthday picnic and slumber party. Then, at the picnic, Cara lost a tooth in an apple. She wanted to keep the tooth in the apple so that the tooth fairy could see it, and—” I am relieved Peg hangs up before I can confess that I threw away the tooth.

t happened when I was clearing up the picnic leftovers while Cara and her friends played on the swings and jungle gym. Having carefully put aside Cara’s apple with her embedded tooth, I was pitching apple cores into the piney woods. Cara calls the woods Raccoon Restaurant. Pitching while listening with that constant ear of motherhood, I heard Cara and her best friend, Brittany, talking as they overhanded across the monkey bars. “I’m wearing a bra,” Brittany said in a stage whisper. “My mom says I can wear it every weekend.” I looked and saw Cara still on the monkey bars, staring at Brittany’s

chest. I heard Cara breathe in and blow out a long, slow breath. She was clearly in awe. “Mrs. Owens gave me some money for my birthday. Mom said I could buy anything I wanted. I’ll get a bra, too! Maybe even a water bra, where the water makes you look like you’re growing.” I quit thinking about baby teeth and the tooth fairy and mistakenly tossed Cara’s tooth-embedded apple into the woods—just when Cara dropped from the bars to run and tell me her bra plan. We rushed into the trees just as a raccoon grabbed the apple. I thought he looked a little surprised when he crunched down. Cara cried the whole way home and the other nine girls condemned me silently. When at last I pulled the van into the drive, I was relieved to see my husband, Joel, was home, too. In the kitchen, all 10 girls tried to tell Joel about the tooth at once, Cara gulping back sobs. Joel went into the bathroom and ran the water so long that I finally went in after him. He was sitting on the toilet lid, laughing so hard that tears flowed down his face. Then he looked at my face. I was trying not to cry. “I had everything planned,” I said. “I wanted to give her a nice little-girl party and then . . . ”

oel got off the toilet lid to put his arms around me. “C’mon, honey. We’ll just tell her that the tooth fairy will ask the raccoon for the tooth—somehow it can be magically restored. Cara still believes the tooth fairy can do anything.” He paused and pulled three quarters from his pocket. “Doesn’t she still believe?” I couldn’t answer Joel then—just as I couldn’t answer Peg about why I don’t understand kids. I imagine Cara poised at a brink of possibilities. One second she teeters forward toward the land of bras and periods. The next second she totters back into the land of the tooth fairy. All of this teetering and tottering must be wearing because she spends a lot St A n t h o n y M e s s e n g e r . o rg

of time locked in her room, crying. I spend a lot of time knocking on her closed door, saying that I don’t understand why she’s crying, as she screams though the door that she doesn’t understand why, so how can I? She also spends a lot of time telling me that she hates me, only to later collapse into my arms. Cara pulls me back and forth across trails in the land of motherhood in which I have lost my way. I wish that I could conjure an atlas that would detail Cara in every changing moment. I loved those baby books that told you what to expect month to month. Now I need a prediction for second to next second. I don’t understand Cara at 9, but I do remember myself at 9. I also remember hating my mother. She needed me to grow up too fast, but she could never admit that my childhood got lost in daily demands. I wonder if my mother ever ran away in her mind. Perhaps that would’ve been too dangerous a possibility. My father came back disabled from the war, still able to optimistically produce me; but he never wholly recovered his body or his stability. “Your mother endures for us all,” he’d say. She endured all but his death, for a week later she had a stroke, and a month later she was gone. I found myself pregnant with Cara the next Mother’s Day and cursed both Joel and myself for waiting. My mother had never begged for grandchildren. But once, while we were shopping, I turned to look at the gourmet foods and turned back in time to see her touching a lacy infant dress. Mrs. Owens is Cara’s adopted grandmother. She bought a pink lacy dress for Cara’s first birthday, hugging me while I cried for that first year of childhood slipping away.

leave the girls with Joel to go ask Mrs. Owens if she really does need birdseed from the market. “Come in for coffee, Marilyn,” Mrs. Owens insists. Though Mrs. Owens only makes instant coffee, in her kitchen it is warm and comforting. Gazing through the big kitchen winFr ancisca n Media .org

dow, I imagine myself simply floating away from so much coffee. Mrs. Owens has at least 10 kinds of bird feeders. I look into the overgrown yard with the push mower stopped in the middle, make a mental note to send Cara over to help, and study the feeders. Some are made from milk jugs hung from ancient twine on an apple tree. “How would your birds get along without you, Mrs. Owens?” “Oh, they’re not mine for long. But I do like to watch them right fine.”

A spirited song comes from a small brown bird touched with raspberry, perched on the sunflower-filled milkjug feeder. His song bubbles up like a new spring of healing water at the beginning of time. Again, I wish for perfect family picnics beside such blessed springs. “Purple finch,” Mrs. Owens says. “Migrants, up from the deeper South, here for a month, then north to breeding grounds to raise a family.” She points to a plainer bird with a mottled white and brown belly and nut-brown

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face, with a white streak above and below her eye that reminds me of Cara playing with my rarely used makeup. “There’s a female. Amazing how those little birds can travel all those miles. I don’t understand all of it, but likely the birds don’t either. They just fly.”

n hour later, I leave with a list for sunflower and thistle seed. I wanted to ask Mrs. Owens for guidance about raising Cara at 9, but how could I admit that I am now failing as a tooth fairy and so sure to be heading for disaster in the areas to come: Cara and bras, or worse, Cara and boys? Still, Mrs. Owens has a sixth sense for knowing the needs of birds and mothers. At the market, I keep remembering what she told me about the purple finch. I remember reading in Cara’s Weekly Reader about all the trouble songbirds are having surviving— fewer forests, more cats and raccoons. Yet here, in my own neighborhood, is a bird I’ve never noticed before. That

is a wonder to me. I feel the same wonder I felt when Cara turned over, sat up, and smiled exactly when the baby book promised she would—even though I’d neglected to buy the developmental toys the book said I should. When I get home from the market, all the girls except Brittany have gone home, and the phone is ringing. “Hi, Peg, I’m starting right now,” I say. But the caller is Brittany’s mother. She’s sorry, but Brittany has to come home. Yes, she remembers that Cara and Brittany had planned to spend the day together, but grandparents have dropped in unexpectedly. Would I be a dear and bring Brittany home? As we are traveling home from Brittany’s house, Cara slants her eyes at me and slouches into the passenger’s seat. She wants to go all the way to the mall and buy the water bra. She jingles the tooth fairy’s quarters that Joel must’ve snuck under her pillow while I was gone and counts her birthday money in her new neon-purple change purse. “I know I said you could buy anything,” I’ve just said, “but I’ve

St. Anthony Messenger Wants to Hear Your Voice! The World Meeting of Families will take place in Philadelphia this September. The Synod of Bishops on the Family is at the Vatican in October. There’s no doubt about how crucial families—and the issues they face—are to our Church today. Here’s a chance to share with St. Anthony Messenger readers which issues matter the most to you. Results will be published in our October issue. Please take our survey by June 1 at the following link: survey.AmericanCatholic.org

4 8 ❘ May 2015

got to get used to the bra idea.” Chewing on one long, dark strand of hair, Cara refuses to talk to me. When we pull into the garage, she announces, “This has been the worst day of my life!” While I am still struggling to pull down the garage door, she is out of the car, in the house, and on her way to her room to slam the door.

rummage through the recycling bin to find a plastic gallon milk container. I cut a hole and set a stick below the hole for a perch. I borrow a cup of Mrs. Owens’ sunflower seed and hang the feeder outside Cara’s room. I hear Cara’s window unwillingly crack open an inch. “What are you doing?” my daughter calls. “I made you a present. See? It’s a feeder like Mrs. Owens made.” Her eyes open in surprise—surprise that her mother could make something or surprise at a mother’s gift? Within a few minutes, she is standing beside me, wiggling another loose tooth with her tongue. We move back together and watch a purple finch miraculously find the feeder. He flies almost inside the hole and then away with a seed. I think of all the calories a bird must burn away in migration. I wonder if the land from the heavens looks foreign, or vaguely familiar, or like home. “Endurance,” I say. “What’s that mean?” Cara asks. “It means to keep going, even on the worst days of your life.” When all is said and done, I think, we can give only endurance and love to our children, and to ourselves. When we are lucky, there are visits from the tooth fairy, who can do anything, and purple finches. I put my arm around Cara’s shoulder—lightly so that she doesn’t shrug away. The purple finch is back for another seed. Cara stays still. Birdsong echoes through the air like a memory. “A wonder,” I whisper to my daughter. “A wonder.” A Geraldine Ann Marshall is a freelance writer from Paducah, Kentucky. She is the author of 10 books, including the upcoming Brown Spider’s Miraculous Web (Pauline Books and Media). St A n t h o n y M e s s e n g e r . o rg

POETRY

Looking for Cover

Cumulus Clouds

Smelling the rain not two miles off Aunt Jo sits in her porch swing watching the clover rustle in the breeze.

a gallon of rich country cream

A cowbird darts up into the whispering leaves of a shuddering maple, leaves turning golden red, tipped

hand-whipped into stiff peaks

with brown, luminous leaves ripe with late afternoon sun. She swings idly, back and forth, gently,

flung from the beater into dollops across the blue oilcloth

watching the bird shifting its perch across the limb in cautious hops until a sudden breeze shivers through

—Sheryl L. Nelms

the branches, catches the bird—disappearing against a darkening sky. She traces the climbing ivy down to the grass—where vines

pentecost the Spirit had to come as tongues to flame our mute night into radiance

and clover mingle in green so thick it’s blue beneath the deepening shadows rising as the gathering clouds

—Sister Lou Ella Hickman, IWBS

descend. Her husband’s grave just beyond that shade of oaks; a salesman who dreamed a farm

Harbor but planted roses that never grew grows now clover thick, lush, green bursting with the brush of desperate wings blossoming against the gray of rain not a half mile away.

Is Jesus the Way? Doubts can become times of growth: Decide to believe!

On every table of the house the book has a place ribbons mark the pages and colored tabs signal wait like caution lights in a snowstorm the book stays open like a harbor expecting the ship that will return fingerprints and page crimps reveal an open heart even when unbelief closes the mind: the refusal to learn something radical taking her out to weather another storm.

—Jeanette Martino Land

—Sandra M. Tully

—Herman Sutter

Believe

Fr ancisca n Media .org

M ay 2 0 15 ❘ 4 9

ASK A FRANCISCAN

❘ BY FATHER PAT McCLOSKEY, OFM

How Much Is Enough? I am a Protestant husband and father of two. I have recently been feeling a call to a deeper life of communion with Christ. I make a lot of money in my business. I’ve noticed that the Christians who seem to point to Christ the most are those who have zero appreciation for material things. What would it look like for me to take a personal vow of poverty (unofficial, I suppose) without sacrificing my ability to provide for my wife and children as God wants me to do? I don’t know where to start. Any advice or input would be much appreciated. Thanks for asking. You clearly want to do the right thing; your conscience is very much awake. As you noted, your first responsibility is to

provide adequate support for your wife and children. Not every request by them, however, is necessarily reasonable. The best way to start is probably through quiet example, perhaps through increased community service—not so much at the board or fund-raising level but rather by direct, hands-on involvement. This could be at a soup kitchen, homeless shelter, or some other service for which you have a passion. You can do some things on your own, but you need first to discuss this desire with your wife. If she shares your concern, then I suggest that you identify some initial, small steps that both of you can propose to your children. If your wife is hesitant about this, you might want to discuss how the

House of David?

Scripture says that Jesus was “of the house and family of David” (Lk 2:4). In fact, it was Joseph who was descended from David, and Joseph was not Jesus’ biological father. Normally, a child of a Jewish mother is considered Jewish. Yes, the genealogy in Matthew (1:1-16) and the one in Luke (3:2338) trace Jesus’ family tree up to Joseph—though Matthew ends with Mary as the wife of Joseph. In a male-dominated society, male and female children were identified in terms of their father. Jesus was considered the legal son of Joseph because Joseph accepted this responsibility. Matthew and Luke emphasized that for their readers. “House of David” would be doubly correct if Mary was a direct descendant of David, which is, in fact, possible.

5 0 ❘ May 2015

two of you as parents can help your children understand the difference between genuine needs and optional wants. Proverbs 30:15 identifies three things that are never satisfied, four that never say, “Enough.” Your family may benefit from discussing how much of anything is enough. For what do you collectively have time and energy? That will largely determine how you use your time, talent, and financial resources. If these discussions go well and you make some changes, all of you will be embarking on a “new normal” for your family. There may be some grumbling in making these adjustments. Encourage everyone to remember that, eventually, we all become whatever we choose consistently. The details of our choices may not be as important as the Christcentered values motivating them. Once you begin this “new normal,” you will probably find support from unexpected sources. Good luck!

How Many Children to Have? I once overheard a father of seven children ask a priest if he had to father more children. The priest said that he was obliged to. That answer has bothered me for years. Does not God honor free will? Don’t couples have a right to regulate the number of children they have and how close together they are born? I think the Catholic Church is too hard on people in this area. That priest was not well-informed and, in fact, was not typical of Roman Catholic priests. During a press conference on a January flight from the Philippines back to the Vatican, Pope Francis reaffirmed a couSt A n t h o n y M e s s e n g e r . o rg

ple’s right to regulate the birth of their children. Not all means of doing that, however, are morally good. Because this right is not absolute, for example, a couple with two children and wanting to have another one could not use an abortion to kill an unborn twin in order to have only three children. The most basic human right (life) is not granted after a child is born but flows from an unborn child’s very conception. Not every child can naturally be carried to a live birth, but no one (parents included) has the right to kill an unborn child. Natural family planning is recommended.

Dealing with Infertility My husband and I lost our only child due to medical reasons. I was never able to have more. Well-meaning people sometimes tell me, “God has a reason for everything,” while they sit at home enjoying their healthy children. Usually, I am not bitter, but, quite honestly, occasionally I am. I know that God has asked me to carry a portion of Jesus’ cross, and that, due to this, I should not give in to anger, despair, or depression, but sometimes I do. What you describe reminds us that religious people who mean well can often make a difficult situation even worse. The explanation that you mentioned assumes that God operates in human time (past/present/future) the way that we do—in this case, deciding which couples wanting to have children will achieve that goal. It’s not as though God is picking petals off a flower while saying, “I’ll let this one live and let that one die.” OK, that still leaves you childless and occasionally bitter. You cannot change a past event, but you can assign your past tragedy a more lifegiving interpretation. Bearing and raising children is not the only way to be pro-life. Fr ancisca n Media .org

Could you and your husband adopt a child? Could you help someone else who has adopted a child? Be a mentor for a child or teenager? Granted, that is not the same as bearing and raising your own child, but is your desire to do that more important than the needs of a child who already exists but in very precarious circumstances? Bitterness tends to feed on itself, leaving the bitter person feeling even worse than before. Unfortunately, like the mythical phoenix, it can always arise from its ashes. Bitterness concentrates on a past that we cannot change while not giving due credit to the present and the future (about which we have some freedom to change). One way to influence your present and future is charitably to remind well-meaning but misguided religious people (such as the ones you mentioned): “It’s not that simple. The kind of God you are describing would hinder my faith rather than help it grow.” A

Click the button above to hear Father Pat’s insights on Catholic topics.

Father Pat welcomes your questions! Send them to: Ask a Franciscan, 28 W. Liberty Street, Cincinnati, OH 45202-6498, or Ask@FranciscanMedia.org. All questions sent by mail need to include a selfaddressed stamped envelope. This column’s answers can be searched back to April 1996 at StAnthonyMessenger.org.

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M ay 2 0 15 ❘ 5 1

BOOK CORNER

❘ BY CAROL ANN MORROW

Scripture

Top Catholic Books from Joseph-Beth Booksellers

Silent Compassion: Finding God in Contemplation Richard Rohr, OFM When the Church Was Young: Voices of the Early Fathers Marcellino D’Ambrosio, PhD Watch for the Light Dietrich Bonhoeffer et al Pope Francis: Conversations with Jorge Bergoglio Francesca Ambrogetti and Sergio Rubin Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy Eric Metaxas

5 2 ❘ May 2015

God’s Handbook for Evangelizing Catholics By Stephen J. Binz Our Sunday Visitor 192 pages • $13.95 Paperback/Kindle Reviewed by DEACON DAVE PROFITT, a permanent deacon in the Diocese of Covington, Kentucky, and director of the diaconate program for the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. Both Dave and his wife, Lynn, were received into full communion in the Catholic Church in 1994. Growing up a Southern Baptist, the thought of evangelizing with Scripture was not foreign to me. After all, sacred Scripture was all we had. There was no apostolic tradition or magisterial teaching of the Church to guide us in our thinking. After becoming Catholic in 1994, I was shocked at how little the Catholics I met knew about Scripture or even the teachings of the Church, for that matter. Stephen J. Binz has delivered a book that every Catholic should read. It helps us come to know sacred Scripture through the process of lectio divina, a method of prayer that all Catholics could utilize. Reading Scripture while using lectio divina draws us into the deeper mystery of the meaning of Scripture and how to apply it to our daily lives. Scripture touches us differently when we take the time to reflect on the meaning, but, more important, when we reflect on the meaning within the context of the teachings of the Church. That is a critical point of this book.

We must be careful not to take Scripture and run with it—not without understanding the context of the passage. If we do that, we run the risk of proof-texting, which is taking Scripture and making it mean what we want it to mean. When we read it within the beauty of Church teaching, Scripture comes alive and prepares us for our most important task: evangelizing those we encounter. Binz walks the reader at an easy pace through the history of evangelizing with Scripture from the Old Testament through the Gospels and the apostolic Church. He also effectively illustrates that same evangelization through some of the great saints of the Church. Learning this rich history helps the reader see that this is nothing new, but rather a revitalization. Catholics must come to know Scripture in order to convert their own hearts through knowledge of God’s great love. The real meat of the book is in chapters 7 through 9, where all of this is put into practice and gives a clear way for Catholics to implement lectio divina in their daily lives. Chapter 7 deals with forming communities for Bible study, an effective way to grow in knowledge of the word. Chapter 8 goes into the actual aspect of using lectio divina through an easy-to-follow five-step method. This is the heart of the book, and helps the reader enter into this method without overcomplicating the process. Binz does a great job of simplifying the process and making it attainable for all. Chapter 9 invites us to read the Scripture through the eyes of the Blessed Mother. What better way could there be to look at the word of God than through Mary? Binz has written over 30 books on biblical theology. His clear knowledge of the subject matter and his way of simplifying the material make this a comfortable read for anyone. The title is appropriate, for this is an excellent guide to have on hand. It flows very nicely and can benefit every reader, especially those who are beginning to read Scripture but have struggled in their quest. It would be a great resource for RCIA groups and those looking to start a Scripture study. Binz has given us an excellent road map for coming to know Jesus through his word. St A n t h o n y M e s s e n g e r . o rg

BOOK BRIEFS

The Sacraments: Holy in Daily Life Why the Eucharist Matters for Your Life The Practical Reality of Christ’s Power and Presence

Between the Dark and the Daylight Embracing the Contradictions of Life By Joan Chittister Image Books 163 pages • $20 Hardcover/Kindle Available as audiobook from Franciscan Media Reviewed by JAMES A. PERCOCO, the teacher-inresidence for the Journey Through Hallowed Ground Partnership and the Civil War Trust. Raising important questions about faith and spirituality is one of the great gifts of Benedictine Sister Joan Chittister as a writer. Those who are familiar with her work will not be disappointed in her latest contribution to Catholic/Christian inspiration. For the author, “The great question of life is not so much, What is it to be masculine or what is it to be feminine? The great question of life is, What is it to be human?” According to Chittister, if we can satisfactorily answer that last question, “then the humanity of all of us will be safe. Then the humanization of the human race will really be possible.” Drawing her inspiration from a plethora of religious traditions steeped in the words of various mystics, Chittister encourages readers to take heart in their own humanity, as it is revealed in our daily lives or in moments of genuine solitude. In some ways, her book mirrors the words from the film Forrest Gump: “Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you are going to get.” Therein lies the beauty of being human and experiencing our lives as they unfold. For Chittister, it’s all about being open to wonder and surprise. It is in that wonder and surprise that we will not only find our humanity, but also discover our divinity. When that happens, we will indeed be the agents of change God wants us to be. Fr ancisca n Media .org

By Chris Padgett The Word Among Us Press 144 pages • $12.95 Paperback/E-book Far from a heady, out-of-touch dissertation on the Eucharist, Chris Padgett offers 40 short reflections that guide readers to deepen their understanding of the Blessed Sacrament. Padgett’s “Prayer Starters” gently challenge readers to apply reflections to their own lives.

Everyday Sacrament The Messy Grace of Parenting By Laura Kelly Fanucci Liturgical Press 152 pages • $14.95 Paperback/E-book As a mom, Laura Kelly Fanucci has a unique perspective on the Catholic sacraments— informed by everything from giving birth to her first child to chaos at the dinner table. Fanucci walks us through her experience of the seven sacraments as only a mother can.

Spiritually Able A Parent’s Guide to Teaching the Faith to Children with Special Needs By David Rizzo and Mercedes McBride Rizzo Loyola Press 140 pages • $12.95 Paperback/Kindle As parents of a child with autism, the authors offer solid advice to parents who seek to enrich the spiritual life of their special-needs child, including advice on how to talk about the sacraments. —D.I.

Books featured in Book Corner and Book Briefs can be ordered from

St. Mary’s Bookstore & Church Supply 1909 West End Avenue • Nashville, TN 37203 • 800-233-3604 www.stmarysbookstore.com • stmarysbookstore@gmail.com M ay 2 0 15 ❘ 5 3

A CATHOLIC MOM SPEAKS

❘ BY SUSAN HINES-BRIGGER

Expanding Our View

n the 1971 movie Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, the character Veruca Salt is famous for her line, “I want it now, Daddy!” For some reason, that line seems to be popping into my head a lot lately. You see, my husband, Mark, and I have been struggling with what we consider to be our children’s sense of

entitlement. It feels as if we are bombarded daily with statements of “I want,” “I need,” “Can I have?” More than once I have caught myself saying to one of my kids, “Despite what you think, the world does not revolve around you.” I know that we’re not alone in our frustration, though. I’ve heard the same thing from numerous parents.

Sign of the Times

tal Digi as Extr

Click here for more volunteer suggestions and opportunities.

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Now, before I give the impression that my kids are horrible and selfish, let me explain that they are not completely self-centered. They do help take care of my dad, help out around the house—when specifically directed or asked to—and, most of

the time, appreciate their blessings. The reality, though, is that they’re typical kids. They live in a small, suburban area and have very little interaction with some of the larger issues that affect the world around them. But even that’s no excuse. Thanks to the Internet and social media, they should be even more aware than ever of what’s going on. Sometimes kids their age do get it, though. In fact, the other day, one of my daughter Maddie’s friends said something that really caught my attention. Upon hearing my son, Alex, complain about something, she quickly replied: “#firstworldproblems.” Amen! I thought. It was a proSt A n t h o n y M e s s e n g e r . o rg

A CALL TO ACTION

ILLUSTRATIONS BY MARY KURNICK MAASS

There are many organizations that offer ways for young adults to become involved in issues outside of their own little worlds. Find out what issues resonate with your children and help them find ways to volunteer in that area. If your son is interested in animals, perhaps he could volunteer at a local animal shelter or zoo. Does your daughter love working with kids? Perhaps a tutoring or mentoring opportunity is the answer. A lot of schools have volunteer opportunities for students. Encourage your kids to get involved in programs at school. Last year, Maddie joined her high school’s Saints for Life club to help support the pro-life cause. My son, Alex, and daughter Riley have also taken part in such opportunities at school when they made blankets for the local pregnancy center. We are surrounded by opportunities to reach out and help others. Let’s take them.

found statement expressed in a very modern way. Since then, it has become sort of a tagline in our house. I guess sometimes it takes a peer to put things in perspective. And I’m OK with that.

What to Do? As parents, finding ways to help our kids engage with the world outside of their their own lives is always a challenge. I know, personally, I tend to fall back into the “do as I say, not as I do” mode. That won’t work, though, if we truly want our kids to engage in something. So stop and think: Are your kids seeing you act in a way that they are compelled to emulate? Another way to set an example might be to find a way to engage the

whole family in an act of service. Our family once served dinner at a local homeless shelter. I remember the look on our kids’ faces when they saw the issue of homelessness up close and personal. They returned home with a very different perspective on the issue. The challenge is to keep those types of experiences on their radar. Otherwise, the lessons learned will quickly fade away, and they will retreat back into their own little worlds. According to numerous studies, it is estimated that it takes about 21 days to establish a new habit. That doesn’t seem too overwhelming, does it? So why not let today be day number one toward providing a new perspective—outside of ourselves. Let’s get going! A

Click the button below to listen to Susan’s “Marriage Moments.”

Do you have comments or suggestions for topics you’d like to see addressed in this column? Send them to me at “A Catholic Mom Speaks,” 28 W. Liberty St., Cincinnati, OH 45202-6498, or e-mail them to CatholicMom@FranciscanMedia.org.

PETE AND REPEAT These scenes may seem alike to you, But there are changes in the two. So look and see if you can name ILLUSTRATION BY TOM GREENE

Eight ways in which they’re not the same. (Answers on page 46)

Fr ancisca n Media .org

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THE SPIRIT OF FRANCIS

❘ BY FATHER PAT McCLOSKEY, OFM

A Different Preaching Style

CNS PHOTO/PAUL HARING

preacher, not just intellectually but in his entire being” (151). The pope reminds preachers that “we need to develop a broad and profound sensitivity to what really affects other people’s lives” (154). A conversational tone of preaching reflects that sensitivity, helping the Gospels’ beauty be “more clearly recognized and accepted by all.” A preacher’s way of life “awakens the assent of the heart by its nearness, love, and witness” (42). The homilies of Pope Francis reflect his advice: “One of the most important things is to learn how to use images in preaching, how to appeal to imagery. An attractive image makes the message seem familiar, close to home, practical, and related to everyday life” (157). Pope Francis used a conversational tone in announcing a special Holy Year (December 8, 2015, through November 20, 2016) whose theme will be “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful” (Lk 6:36), an admonition that Pope Francis quoted with a smile. Francis of Assisi and Pope Francis can be both conversational and profound. A

5 6 ❘ May 2015

tal Digi as t Ex r

Click here for more on Pope Francis’ advice to preachers as well as St. Francis of Assisi as a preacher.

Pat McCloskey, OFM, is Franciscan editor of this publication. His newest book, Peace and Good, was published by Franciscan Media last November.

Francis’ Preaching Thomas of Split (Croatia) heard Francis preach in Bologna about angels, men, and demons on August 15, 1222. Thomas reported that Francis, who, though he wore a ragged habit and did not have an attractive face, “brought back peace in many a noble family torn apart until then by old, cruel, and furious hatreds—even to the point of assassination.” —P.M.

St A n t h o n y M e s s e n g e r . o rg

ILLUSTRATION BY JULIE LONNEMAN

ope Francis opened his service as bishop of Rome by speaking from the central balcony of St. Peter’s in a very conversational tone; he could have been sitting across from you at the kitchen table. In fact, as archbishop he often did that while visiting the barrios of his native Buenos Aires. He used the same tone in the city’s most upscale neighborhoods. His homilies at large events and at daily Mass are conversational. In “The Joy of the Gospel” (his November 2013 apostolic exhortation), he points out: “The Lord truly enjoys talking with his people; the preachers should strive to communicate that same enjoyment to his listeners” (141). Speaking directly to homilists, Pope Francis writes: “The Lord wants to make use of us as living, free, and creative beings who let his word enter their own hearts before then passing it on to others. Christ’s message must truly penetrate and possess the

Pope Francis gave a conversational homily during the 2013 Holy Thursday chrism Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican.

BACKSTORY

Let Your Voice Be Heard

f you haven’t gotten to it yet, you might want to pay attention to a notice that we placed on p. 48 of this issue. It’s an invitation for you to get your opinions into the public about questions that will be taken up

at this year’s worldwide synod on the family, to be held at Vatican City this October (coincidentally only weeks after Pope Francis will be in the United States). The three-week meeting is part two of a synod process that started last

PHOTO BY CHRISTOPHER HEFFRON

fall with a contentious gathering of bishops representing various regions worldwide. The topic: pressures challenging modern families. In the preparatory document for the synod (these Church meetings always have lots of documents!), Pope Francis invited Catholics around the world to participate. He wants the world’s bishops to hear as many perspectives as possible as they consider how the Church can best bring the Gospel to life in today’s families. The primary method of listening is through local dioceses (bishops are asked to conduct local surveys), but Pope Francis also invites involvement of all Catholic organizations. It’s safe to say almost all dioceses have established a way to gather answers and bring them to the synod. We thought we’d choose a few of the questions,

CNS PHOTO/PAUL HARING

Pope Francis and a representative group of bishops from around the world take up issues critical to families in a two-part synod, concluding this fall.

gather answers from our readers, and share them in our pages. In these special times of papal attention, we at this national, Catholic family magazine are trying all the harder to be one face of the Catholic Church serving families. That includes our special section last October with several energetic articles laying out critical issues for families. And we’ll have a special section later this year with more. You can contribute to this fall’s section by taking a moment to go online and fill out our short survey, which draws on the longer one the bishops are conducting. We’ll publish the results in our October issue. We want to bring the energy, the inspiration, of a Catholic, Christian perspective into your day-to-day. But we hope also to draw you into the deeper life of the Holy Spirit working in and through the Church well beyond your home. Take a few minutes and fill out the family survey! It’s available at survey.AmericanCatholic.org.

Editor in Chief

Fr ancisca n Media .org

M ay 2 0 15 ❘ 5 7

ST. ANTHONY M 28 W. Liberty Street Cincinnati, OH 45202-6498

essenger

Published in cooperation with the Vatican! “These words demonstrate why Pope Francis is becoming such a life-changing, church-changing, and world-changing leader.” —Jim Wallis, editor of Sojourners

This original collection brings the words and wisdom of Saint Francis of Assisi to life through the pope’s uplifting and challenging words. Pope Francis brings fresh new energy to Franciscan ideals such as simplicity, humility, forgiveness, joy, compassion, peacemaking, and care for creation. These inspirational words are collected here for the first time, giving you a simple way to renew your faith. Hardcover with dustjacket | $22.99 | Item #B36859 ISBN 978-1-61636-859-3 Audiobook | $24.99 | Item #A36913 | ISBN 978-1-61636-913-2 Also available as an e-book and audio download. To order, please call 888.322.6657 or e-mail Orders@FranciscanMedia.org