July 2014 by St. Anthony Messenger

SEVEN LESSONS FROM POPE FRANCIS

ST. ANTHONY JULY 2014 • $3.95 • FRANCISCANMEDIA.ORG

TOM AND MOLLY CAREW

Service in Kentucky’s Hills Joan Chittister on St. Hildegard Hollywood and Holiness Facing the Enemy Within

Messenger

REFLECTION

not only by the

mighty shoves of its HEROES , but also by the aggregate of

tiny pushes of each HONEST WORKER . —Helen Keller

FOREGROUND © KAREN CALLAWAY/CATHOLIC NEW WORLD; BACKGROUND © PIERRE-ALAIN DUTHEIL/ISTOCK

The W o r l d is moved along,

CONTENTS

ST. ANTHONY

❘ JULY 2014 ❘ VOLUME 122/NUMBER 2

ON THE COVER

COVER STORY

Tom and Molly Carew both came to Morehead, Kentucky, with a desire to serve others. For over four decades, that’s exactly what they’ve done.

28 Tom and Molly Carew’s Ministry in the Kentucky Hills They came to Appalachia as volunteers, fell in love, and then multiplied that love over decades of service to the poor. By John S. Rausch

Photo by Guy Huffman

F E AT U R E S

D E PA R T M E N T S

16 Seven Lessons from Pope Francis

2 Dear Reader 3 From Our Readers

How can we live more fully as Jesus’ disciples? Our pope has some suggestions. By Joan McKamey

6 Followers of St. Francis Scott Seethaler, OFM

8 Reel Time

24 The Enemy Within Forgiving ourselves is sometimes the greatest challenge. By Richard Patterson

The Fault in Our Stars

10 Channel Surfing Rehab Addict

12 Church in the News

34 St. Hildegard of Bingen: 12th-Century Feminist

22 Live Well Meditation

The pope emeritus described this Benedictine as brilliant and fearless. Joan Chittister, OSB, explains why. By Alicia von Stamwitz

33 Editorial What Do We Really Need?

50 Ask a Franciscan

40 Hollywood and Holiness Father Richard Leonard, an Australian Jesuit and media expert, explains how film can be a gateway to God. By Christopher Heffron

Messenger

What is ‘Equivalent Canonization’?

52 Book Corner Why the Catholic Church Must Change

46 Fiction: The Neighbor

54 A Catholic Mom Speaks Is Social Media Making Us Unsocial?

Sometimes there’s more than meets the eye. By Janice Beckman

56 At Home on Earth Apart or a Part?

57 Backstory

Choosing Your Stories

ST. ANTHONY M

DEAR READER

essenger

Gethsemane: Jesus’ Agony At the foot of the Mount of Olives sits the Church of All Nations, completed in 1924 with financing from 16 countries. The Friars Minor began working at this shrine in 1392 and acquired the property in 1663. A 12thcentury Crusader church was built over a fourth-century Byzantine church. A grotto nearby has been a place of prayer for centuries. The central feature of the present church (also known as the Basilica of the Agony) is a large rock where Christ is said to have prayed on Holy Thursday evening as 11 of his apostles slept nearby. According to Matthew 26:48-49, this is where Judas identified Jesus for the guards at the Temple (now the site of Jerusalem’s famous Dome of the Rock shrine). According to arborists from the University of California, two of the olive trees in the attached garden may date to the time of Christ. Nine hermitages are available in the garden for guests who make reservations for a private retreat or an extended visit. They are welcome to join the Franciscan community as guests for morning and evening prayer, Mass, and a daily holy hour. Photos, accounts of Jesus praying there, a brochure about the hermitages, and information about shorter visits are all available at gethsemane-en.custodia.org.

Publisher/CEO Daniel Kroger, OFM Chief Operating Officer Thomas A. Shumate, CPA Editor in Chief John Feister Art Director Jeanne Kortekamp Franciscan Editor Pat McCloskey, OFM Managing Editor Susan Hines-Brigger Associate Editor Christopher Heffron Editorial Assistant Sharon Lape Advertising Fred Limke

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ST. ANTHONY MESSENGER (ISSN #0036276X) (U.S.P.S. PUBLICATION #007956 CANADA PUBLICATION #PM40036350) Volume 122, Number 2, 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.

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

FROM OUR READERS

Hope behind Bars John Feister’s May cover article, “Separated by Prison, United by Love,” about transporting children to visit their mothers in California prisons, was powerful. It points out the good that ordinary people can do to help those who are suffering—both the mothers and the children. Every diocese should have a program like the one in California. I plan to pursue such a program for the Archdiocese of Detroit. It’ll help someday when the Lord asks me if I visited him in prison. At least I can say I helped some children visit their mothers behind bars. Mike Clement Birmingham, Michigan

Faith Is Deeper than Mysticism Mark Lombard’s article, “Richard Rohr on Praying like St. Francis,”

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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irritated me! Rohr seems to imply that those who engage in organized religion without pursuing mysticism tend to remain in low-level religion. I found the following statements particularly off-putting: “the word prayer had been so cheapened by misuse,” “prayer means [for many] reciting Our Fathers and Hail Marys,” and “I know priests and religious who have said Our Fathers and Hail Marys all their lives and don’t know how to pray.” Rohr’s statements that prayers of petition are babble deny the power, hopefulness, and trust of intercessory prayer. He seems to imply that mysticism is the best way to experience God, and contemplative prayer is the only true form of prayer. The ability to pray contemplatively is a spiritual gift, but not all of us are wired to appreciate or successfully engage in contemplative prayer or mysticism. I experience God in many ways: in the Eucharist, in art and music, in my family and friends, by joining with others in worship and social outreach, and by appreciating the awesomeness, beauty, and complexity of God’s creation. To my thinking, all of these are forms of prayer that bring me in union with God. Keith Perry Blue Grass, Iowa

Endless Possibilities I loved Mark Lombard’s interview with Father Richard Rohr, who brought the inner life of prayer to the feet of regular people. As he points out, this type of living is meant to be inclusive rather than exclusive. Every minute of every day is, at its best, part of our spiritual life. The good, the ugly, and the mundane are parts of the whole. This requires, on our part, the willingness to not compartmentalize all the different roles in our lives. Easier said

than done! None of us will ever fully understand the mystery of the Holy Trinity. But we can still draw closer to God by experiencing everyday life in light of our faith. I also think that there is much truth in what he has to say about the first and second half of life. It makes me think of a young child learning how to ride her bike with training wheels. That is a very necessary part of learning how to ride. But at some point, the training wheels come off. She still must observe the safety rules and stay in the riding areas that her parents deem close enough to home. But as time goes by and she matures, endless possibilities open up as to where she can go and what she can do with that bike. We, too, can expand how we see and experience life through more mature eyes. Therese Roseburrough Kansas City, Missouri

Incomplete Answers Mark Lombard asked Father Richard Rohr some good questions in his interview, but he never got a straight answer. Rohr does make some interesting comments such as “low-level religion is more tribal,” and “a Sunday service and believing a certain set of doctrines—which organized religion means for most people—is not enough,” etc. To me, it is obvious that Rohr is saying that contemplative or centering prayer is the only meaningful way to pray. However, he never specifically says how to do it. Peter J. Brock Sun City Center, Florida

Sweet Mysteries I loved Patricia Robertson’s May article, “Life Lessons from the Mysteries of Light.” I enjoyed her comments about the challenges that each mystery offers. Ju ly 2 0 1 4 ❘ 3

On a recent survey, we asked a portion of our subscribers what kinds of articles they’d like to see in our pages. Here are some of their responses. ■ I’d love to follow the footsteps of Pope Francis. Also, I love the lives of the saints—especially the new ones. ■ I’m interested in ways to pray to the Holy Spirit.

■ I would very much like to see reporting on Pope Francis, beyond his homily statements and kind actions. I have almost never heard our clergy address this man’s progressive and Christ-like demeanor.

■ I like keeping abreast of the information coming out of Rome and the changes in the Church in America. I’d also like to read about how poverty underlies so many issues such as abortion, health care, and crime.

■ Women’s roles in the Church: Will they ever change? Will they be given the same rights as men someday? Times are changing. Will the Church change with them?

■ I’d like articles on Catholic or Christian organizations that work for social change and lobby Congress. Also, I’m curious about Secular Franciscans—what they are, how to become one, etc.

■ I’m interested in articles about how young people fall away from the Church. How do we bring them back? Two of my grandchildren no longer attend Mass. It worries me.

Join the discussion! Let us know what articles you’d like to see in our pages by e-mailing us at MagazineEditors@FranciscanMedia.org.

In addition to focusing on the lives of Jesus and Mary, these mysteries help us to remember the challenge of removing the darkness of sin from our lives by frequenting the sacraments. Anthony Mirante Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Digital Edition

Saint in the Making?

Hands Off the Hermit! Since Marsha Muzzarelli, the subject of the March article, “The Life of a Modern Hermit,” took hits from people as “selfish” and “vain” in May’s “From Our Readers,” I wanted to counter with my admiration for her vocation of simplicity and focus. The article challenged me to emulate her serenity and focus in my own life. Thank you! Kathy Wiegand New Rochelle, New York 4 ❘ J uly 2014

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The photo at the top of page 41 of May’s “The Joy of the Gospel” should be blown up and sent to all parishes. Pope Francis is already a saint. What a powerful image! Shirley Brooks Warren, Michigan

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

Little Clinic Has Big Impact

“

t’s the children, definitely the children,” says Father Scott Seethaler, a Capuchin Franciscan from Pittsburgh, speaking about what in his ministry to the people of Oaxaca, Mexico, gives him the most joy. During his 45 years as a priest, Father Scott has taught high school and college students; has traveled throughout the country preaching the good news and speaking on stress, worry, excellence, and family values; and has touched thousands of lives through his books, CDs, newsletters, retreats, and his radio program, “Joyful Reflections,” which airs six days a week on radio stations in western Pennsylvania. Yet it’s his work in establishing the Anna Seethaler Hospital in Oaxaca that may be his magnum opus. The hospital is named for his late mother, who he says was an enormous inspiration in his life. In 1999, Father Scott’s ministry took a turn he never envisioned. “I had been visiting friends who were lay Maryknoll ministers working with the poor in Oaxaca, and I was touched by the staggering poverty there,” says Father Scott. Although Mexico is a socialist country, only a small percentage

Father Scott Seethaler, OFM Cap

of the poor have access to health care. “I suggested we build a little clinic,” Father Scott says. Located 320 miles southeast of Mexico City, Oaxaca is one of the poorest states in Mexico, and it is also the name of the capital city. With the help of generous benefactors, Father Scott was able to buy, remodel, and equip the clinic, which opened in November 2000. The “little clinic” has developed into a full-service hospital. It treats approximately 2,300 patients a month. “The hospital does everything except certain complex surgeries and administering chemotherapy,” says Father Scott. The hospital charges patients if they are able to pay something, but many are so poor they can pay nothing, so the hospital must rely on its benefactors. “Once a month five or six members of our staff, including a social worker, go into the mountains,” says Father Scott. “Some of the places are so remote the staff has had to walk the last two miles to see people.” Not only is the terrain an obstacle, but Oaxaca has 16 different indigenous languages.

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

Lost and Found in the Airport

6 ❘ J uly 2014

On our way to California via O’Hare Airport in Chicago, we parked our car at a Park and Ride and took the bus to the airport. Eight days later, before leaving California, we discovered we did not have our car keys. Our daughter-in-law suggested we call the TSA Lost and Found at O’Hare. After many prayers to St. Anthony and the Virgin Mary, Lost and Found called and said they had our keys. We picked them up on our return trip through O’Hare. We had left our keys in the plastic bin going through security. We consider this a minor miracle. —Quinn and Verna Smith, Stoughton, Wisconsin

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

Click here to learn more about the Anna Seethaler Hospital and how you can help the people of Oaxaca.

ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI

Rising above Factions In 1206, Francis was praying near Assisi in the dilapidated chapel of San Damiano. After Jesus on the crucifix spoke to him and told him to rebuild the church, Francis begged stones and did so. He later rebuilt two other wayside chapels, Our Lady of the Angels and St. Peter of the Thorn. San Damiano became the headquarters of the Poor Clares for 40 years, until they moved into Assisi itself. Our Lady of the Angels (the Portiuncula) became the home base of St. Francis. In time, Francis realized that he and his friars were called to rebuild the Church in a much bigger way. –P.M.

CNS PHOTO/OCTAVIO DURAN, OFM

In addition to those treated in the hospital, during 2013, 12 mission trips were made into the remote regions of Oaxaca, enabling the staff to care for an additional 2,300 patients. Numbers are important, but it’s the individual lives, especially the lives of children, that illustrate how important the work of the Anna Seethaler Hospital is. “We had one mother come into the hospital accompanied by a little boy, and we noticed that he was bruised. We learned that the father had been beating the boy because he thought the child disobedient because he would not come when called. We treated the child and discovered that he was deaf. I took the boy back to the father and told him, ‘He’s deaf.’ The little boy won our hearts, and we were able to get him into a school program,” Father Scott says. When Father Scott reflects on how far the “little clinic” has grown, he can’t help but be amazed. “We’ve had fantastic growth, and many wonderful things have happened at the hospital and will continue to happen,” he says. “My mother is smiling.” —Janice Lane Palko

tal Digi as Extr

To learn more about Franciscan saints, visit AmericanCatholic.org/Features/Saintofday.

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Send all postal communication to: St. Anthony Bread 1615 Vine St. Cincinnati, OH 45202-6498

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PHOTO BY FRANK JASPER, OFM

The National Shrine of St. Anthony is located in Cincinnati, Ohio. Consecrated in 1889, it includes a first-class relic of St. Anthony and serves as a center for daily prayer and contemplation. The Franciscan friars minister from the shrine. To help them in their work among the poor, you may send a monetary offering called St. Anthony Bread. Make checks or money orders payable to “Franciscans” and mail to the address below. Every Tuesday, a Mass is offered for benefactors and petitioners at the shrine. To seek St. Anthony’s intercession, mail your petition to the address below. Petitions are taken to the shrine each week. To post your petition online, please visit stanthony.org, where you can also request to have a candle lit or a Mass offered; or you may make a donation to the Franciscans or sign up to receive a novena booklet.

REEL TIME

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

The Fault in Our Stars

PHOTO BY JAMES BRIDGES/TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX

SISTER ROSE’S

Favorite

Historical Dramas Cry Freedom (1987) Amazing Grace (2006) Saving Mr. Banks (2013) The Impossible (2012) Secretariat (2010)

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Shailene Woodley and Ansel Elgort play young people in love in the acclaimed The Fault in Our Stars. The narrator of the story is Hazel Grace Lancaster (Shailene Woodley), who is in her 17th year. She has cancer and knows that she is dying, which leaves her with a kind of wry depression as she drags around the everpresent oxygen tank that keeps her going. The chemo has left her lungs severely damaged. Her mother, played by Laura Dern, insists that she attend the teen cancer support group at the local Episcopal church. There she meets Augustus Waters (Ansel Elgort), who has lost part of his leg to cancer, but is now free of the disease. Hazel and Augustus become friends who can talk cancer like professionals. He likes to play video games, while she reads and rereads a novel called An Imperial Affliction by Peter Van Houten (Willem Dafoe) because it resonates with her. Augustus tells Hazel that he wants to leave his mark on the world so that people will remember him after he dies. Hazel, on the other hand, is satisfied with her family

and loving one person deeply. While they talk about God and the afterlife, she thinks oblivion is what awaits her, but Augustus is firmly in the afterlife camp. Soon, they fall in love. Hazel chose to use her “wish” to go to Disney World years before, but Augustus hasn’t used his yet. He arranges for Hazel and her mother to go with him to Holland to meet Van Houten, who turns out to be a jerk. His lovely secretary feels bad for how they are treated and offers to take them to visit the Anne Frank Museum. Hazel struggles to climb the many stairs to the attic where the young girl and her family hid from the Nazis. The Fault in Our Stars is pure cinematic poetry with heartbreak waiting around every corner. It’s gentle and strong, smart and funny, sad and hopeful. It’s based on the best-selling novel by John Green, who once worked as a chaplain at a children’s hospital. Green says that the book and film were St A n t h o n y M e s s e n g e r . o r g

inspired by the friendship and joy of one young woman, Esther Earl, who died of cancer at the age of 16, in 2010. The performances by the young people are captivating. Not yet rated, PG-13 ■ Some sexuality, brief language.

Belle COURTESY OF RADIUS-TWC

Dido Elizabeth Belle (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) is the illegitimate, mixed-race daughter of British Captain Sir John Lindsay (Matthew Goode). When her mother dies, Lindsay takes Belle from the seaport and asks his brother, Lord Mansfield (Tom Wilkinson), and his wife, Lady Mansfield (Emily Watson), to raise her. They agree, with reluctance. Belle grows up with her cousin, Elizabeth (Sarah Gadon), and they are good friends until it is time for them to look for husbands. Belle must also contend with racism in her own home, as the cultural mores of the late 18th century demand that Belle take her meals in the parlor, not with the family. While one man proposes to Belle, she is attracted to a law student, John Davinier (Sam Reid), who informs Belle of a pending lawsuit about slavery that her uncle, as the Lord Chief Justice of England, is to decide. Belle challenges her uncle to do the right thing in this beautiful film about the tension between cultural mores and law in high-society England. Many of the issues in the film are those that Jane Austen wrote about in her many novels. Belle is a true story with outstanding production values. It is the best film I have seen in over a year. Not yet rated, PG-13 ■ Mature themes.

Fed Up takes a sobering look at our nation’s growing dependency on high-fat, high-sugar foods.

Fed Up This documentary is an exposé about how sugar came to be a key ingredient in almost 100 percent of all processed foods in the United States. It also explores the role that sugar, the food industry, and the Food and Drug Administration play in the obesity epidemic and overall poor health of our citizens. While important and probing documentaries about food-related issues already exist, such as Food, Inc. (2008) and Fat Head (2009), Fed Up—backed by physicians, nutritionists, and other experts—contends that it’s what you eat that matters, not some slogan that encourages you to eat whatever you want, hoping you might exercise and burn those calories off. Sugar, in the dozens of forms used in processed foods, is treated and stored as fat by the body. This sweet substance, the film says, is the new tobacco. Not yet rated, PG ■ Images of smoking, brief mild language.

Catholic Cl assifications PHOTO BY DAVID APPLEBY/FOX SERACHLIGHT

A-1 A-2 A-3 L O

Gugu Mbatha-Raw and Sarah Gadon star in the period drama Belle, which is based on a true story. 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.

■

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

J u ly 2 0 1 4 ❘ 9

CHANNEL SURFING

WITH CHRISTOPHER HEFFRON

UP CLOSE

Thursdays, 10 p.m., DIY Network House-flipping has been a staple of reality television for over a decade, and I enjoy watching the rehabbing and reselling of houses as much as the next person. But the result is too often the same. Sure, these houses now have sleek granite countertops, recessed lighting, and new hardwood floors, but where’s the soul? Enter Nicole Curtis, a flipper on a deeper mission. A licensed real estate agent by trade, Curtis is also a self-taught rehab expert and designer who purchases abandoned, historic homes, sometimes hours before demolition. And like a pint-sized General Patton, she storms these projects with her team and oversees the work. But unlike her contemporaries in the house-flipping industry, the energetic Curtis gets her hands dirty—literally. She’s fond of Dumpster diving and scouring vintage stores for lighting fixtures, furniture, and other materials that bring these houses back to their original glory. The heartbeat of this show is Curtis herself. Stubborn, gifted, and devoted to the homes she rescues, she has no use for fashionable—and often costly—trends. She often researches the history of these houses and the neighborhoods in which they’re located for a true, authentic redesign. That makes Rehab Addict a richer television experience. Curtis, a single mother whose son often works alongside her, reminds us that home is where the heart is. It sometimes just takes a little sweat equity to get it beating again.

Desperate Landscapes Monday-Friday, 9 a.m., DIY Network Perfect summer viewing, Desperate Landscapes is hosted by the formidable Jason Cameron, a contractor who finds the ugliest, most neglected yards in America and reinvents these outdoor spaces into gorgeous oases—all in one day’s time. What I like about this do-it-yourself program is that, under Cameron’s guidance, homeowners actually participate in the process. These yard redesigns are no quick fix, and these often hapless landowners actually seem to learn how to salvage an outdoor space. But what really makes the show tick is Cameron. Don’t let the dry sense of humor fool you: this contractor is a conceptual thinker with the know-how and enthusiasm to make it happen.

Life Below Zero

Thursdays, 9 p.m., National Geographic Channel Those who complained that last winter was difficult to endure should have a piece of humble pie and tune in to National Geographic’s Life Below Zero, a documentary series which chronicles the day-to-day struggles of seven Alaskans. Whether they’re battling persistently hungry carnivores, subzero temperatures, or that never-ending expanse of snow, the subjects of this series are resilient and relatable. Life Below Zero beautifully captures how isolation can make an inhospitable environment even more difficult. And sensitive channel surfers should take note: Alaska is not for the faint of heart, nor is this series sometimes. But it’s an honest, gripping look into how people can thrive in practically any setting.

Nicole Curtis hosts DIY’s funny, informative renovation series Rehab Addict. 1 0 ❘ J u ly 2 0 1 4

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

Rehab Addict

On of “Sword of the Spirit” Masterpiece Cold-Cast Bronze Sculpture This fully-sculpted masterpiece depicts a valiant spiritual warrior arming himself with the “sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.” Inspired by the stirring message of Ephesians 6:10-18 and Renaissance bronze statuary.

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CHURCH IN THE NEWS

❘ BY SUSAN HINES-BRIGGER

CNS PHOTO/PAUL HARING

Pope Makes Trip to the Holy Land

Pope Francis prays at the Western Wall in Jerusalem May 26. The pope stood for more than a minute and a half with his right hand against the wall, most of the time in silent prayer, before reciting the Our Father. On the tail end of a three-day trip to the Holy Land to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Pope Paul VI’s meeting with Ecumenical Patriarch Athenagoras of Constantinople, Pope Francis spoke with members of the press on the plane, addressing his trip and other issues, such as priestly celibacy and the sex-abuse crisis, reported Catholic News Service (CNS). The first day of his trip, Pope Francis celebrated Mass in Amman, Jordan, where he recognized the “many Christian refugees from Palestine, Syria, and Iraq.” Throughout the visit, the pope met with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople a total of four times, participating in an ecumenical prayer service at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and issuing a common declaration call1 2 ❘ July 2014

ing for “communion in legitimate diversity” between their Churches. The pope said the two also discussed what he called the “ridiculous” problem of Catholic and Orthodox Churches celebrating Easter on different dates, and the possibility of common efforts by the Churches to protect the natural environment. The pope visited key biblical sites throughout the region, often celebrating Mass at the different locations, such as Manger Square in Bethlehem, outside the Church of the Nativity. Following that Mass, Pope Francis extended an invitation to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, and later to Israeli Prime Minister Shimon Peres, to travel to the Vatican to pray together for peace between their nations. Both have accepted, and will travel to the Vatican on June 8.

During his visit to Yad Vashem, the pope kissed the hands of Holocaust survivors and elaborated on God’s words to Adam after the fall, asking: “Who convinced you that you were God? Not only did you torture and kill your brothers and sisters, but you sacrificed them to yourself, because you made yourself a god. “Grant us the grace to be ashamed of what we men have done,” the pope prayed, “to be ashamed of this massive idolatry, of having despised and destroyed our own flesh which you formed from the earth, to which you gave life with your own breath of life.” On May 26, Pope Francis visited the Western Wall, where he stood for more than a minute and a half with his right hand against the wall. He spent most of that time in silent prayer, before reciting the Our Father. The pope then followed custom by leaving a written message inside a crack between two blocks. Rabbi Abraham Skorka, a longtime friend of the pope from Buenos Aires and an official member of the papal entourage, said the pope’s message contained the text of the Our Father and of Psalm 122, which is traditionally prayed by Jewish pilgrims who travel to Jerusalem. Stepping away from the wall, the pope simultaneously embraced Rabbi Skorka and Omar Abboud, an Argentinian Muslim leader, who is also a friend of the pope. “We did it,” Rabbi Skorka said he told the pope and Abboud. On the final day of the trip, Pope Francis planted an olive tree sapling in the Gethsemane garden, as Pope Paul VI did in 1964. Local Franciscans were said to have grown the sapling from a cutting from one of St A n t h o n y M e s s e n g e r . o rg

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 Letters sent by former first lady Jacqueline Kennedy to an Irish priest will no longer be put up for auction. Vincentian-run All Hallows College in Dublin announced in May that it was selling the correspondence between Kennedy and Vincentian Father Joseph Leonard, a priest who had befriended her when she visited Dublin in 1950. The letters detailed Kennedy’s struggles with her Catholic faith after the assassination of her husband, President John F. Kennedy, in 1963.

Three new members were added in May to the US bishops’ National Review Board. The all-lay board was established by the bishops in 2002 to provide an independent review and to critique how well US Catholic dioceses are dealing with sexually abusive priests and those whom they abused, and to keep track of what policies,

the eight oldest trees in the garden, dating back possibly to 900 years ago. On the airplane while returning to Rome, the pope addressed members of the press, speaking on issues such as sex abuse and priestly celibacy. The pope described the abuse of children by priests as “such an ugly crime” and a “very grave problem.” He said the betrayal of a priest’s duty to lead young people to holiness was comparable to performance of a “black mass.” The pope then said he will soon meet with a group of six to eight sexabuse victims from various countries, including Germany, the UK, and Ireland. He also will celebrate a private Mass with the group in the Vatican guesthouse, where he lives. Cardinal Seán P. O’Malley of Boston, a member of the recently established VatiFr ancisca n Media .org

US President Barack Obama announced on May 14 that Jesuit journalist Father Thomas J. Reese was appointed as a member of the US Commission on International Religious Freedom. Father Reese is one of nine members— three of whom are Catholic—on the commission, which serves as a monitoring and advisory panel to the federal government on religious freedom abroad.

CNS PHOTO/GREGORY A. SHEMITZ

Pope Francis is not happy about a recent banquet held at the Vatican following the canonization of Sts. John XXIII and John Paul II. The banquet, held on the veranda of the Vatican Prefecture for Economic Affairs, cost a reported $25,000, according to Cardinal Guiseppe Versaldi, president of the Prefecture for the Economic Affairs of the Holy See. The VIP buffet was funded by private sponsors, but the cardinal told Italia 1, “I can’t reveal what [the pope] said. I informed him about it and I can only say that he was not pleased, so to speak. But I can assure you that these incidents will not happen again.”

personnel, and programs the bishops were establishing to create a safe environment for children. The new members are Assistant US Attorney Donald J. Schmid of Granger, Indiana; Judge Mary. K. Huffman of Centerville, Ohio; and Nelle Moriarty, a marriage and family therapist in Rochester, Minnesota.

Archbishop Claudio Celli, head of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications, told journalists at a celebration of the Church’s World Communications Day in New York that the Catholic Church cannot ignore the opportunities for evangelization that the Internet offers. Unless the Church engages social media, Archbishop Celli said, “We will wind up talking to ourselves.” For more Catholic news, visit AmericanCatholic.org.

can commission on child protection, will be present at the gathering, the pope said. On the topic of priestly celibacy, Pope Francis said, “Celibacy is not a dogma of faith; it is a rule of life that I appreciate very much and believe to be a gift for the Church. Not being a dogma of faith, the door is always open.”

Vatican Official Rebukes US Nuns’ Group In what he called unusually “blunt” language, Cardinal Gerhard Müller, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, rebuked officers of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR) for honoring a Catholic theologian whose work was judged “seriously inadequate” and for promoting futuristic

ideas he described as “opposed to Christian revelation,” reported CNS. The LCWR, a Maryland-based umbrella group, claims about 1,500 leaders of US women’s communities as members, representing about 80 percent of the country’s 57,000 women religious. The group is currently undergoing a major reform that was ordered by the Vatican in 2012. During the April 30 meeting with LCWR officials, Cardinal Müller voiced “increasing concern” about the organization’s promotion of the “concept of conscious evolution” in various publications and in the “directional statements” of some member congregations. Cardinal Müller said, “Conscious evolution does not offer anything which will nourish religious life as a privileged and prophetic witness Ju ly 2 0 1 4 ❘ 1 3

Pope Paul VI to Be Beatified On October 19, during the closing Mass of the extraordinary Synod of Bishops on the family, Pope Francis is scheduled to beatify Pope Paul VI, according to CNS. The announcement came on May 9 when Pope Francis signed a decree recognizing a miracle attributed to the intercession

CNS PHOTO/GREGORY L. TRACY, THE PILOT

rooted in Christ revealing divine love to a wounded world,” he said. “The Gospel does! Selfless service to the poor and marginalized in the name of Jesus Christ does!” He further noted that he was saddened by plans to give a major award at the group’s annual assembly next month to St. Joseph Sister Elizabeth A. Johnson. In 2011, the US bishops’ Committee on Doctrine criticized one of Sister Johnson’s books as containing “misrepresentations, ambiguities and errors” related to the Catholic faith. The LCWR’s award to the theologian “will be seen as a rather open provocation against the Holy See and the doctrinal assessment,” Cardinal Müller said. “Not only that, but it further alienates the LCWR from the bishops as well.”

An estimated 2,000 people attend Holy Hour May 12 at St. Paul Church in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in reaction to plans for a satanic ritual “black mass” to be held in a pub on the Harvard University campus. of Pope Paul, who led the Church from 1963 to 1978. The miracle involved the birth of a baby in California in the 1990s. The family’s name and city have not been released, but according to news reports, a pregnant woman whose life was at risk along with the life of her baby was advised by doctors to terminate the pregnancy. Instead she sought prayers from an Italian nun who was a family friend. The nun placed a holy card with Pope Paul’s photograph and a piece of his vestment on the woman’s belly. The baby was born healthy. For Pope Paul’s sainthood cause, physicians continued monitoring the child’s health up to the age of 12, and everything was normal.

CNS PHOTO/FELICI, CATHOLIC PRESS PHOTO

‘Black Mass’ Cancelled following Public Outcry

Pope Francis will beatify Pope Paul October 19 during the closing Mass of the extraordinary Synod of Bishops on the family. 1 4 ❘ July 2014

Plans by a Harvard University students’ group to hold a satanic ritual “black mass” on campus May 12 were cancelled following protests from religious leaders as well as students, alumni, and faculty at Harvard, reported CNS. An estimated 2,000 Catholics and others gathered that day at the nearby Massachusetts Institute of Technology before a eucharistic procession down Massa-

chusetts Avenue to join the Holy Hour at St. Paul’s Catholic Church. The event was being sponsored by the Harvard Extension School Cultural Studies Club. The club was working with the New York-based Satanic Temple, a group known for promoting controversy such as pushing to have a statue of Satan built outside the Oklahoma capitol. The Harvard club dropped its sponsorship of the reenactment shortly before it was scheduled to take place. Harvard University President Drew Faust issued a statement calling the club’s decision to sponsor such an enactment “abhorrent; it represents a fundamental affront to the values of inclusion, belonging, and mutual respect that must define our community.” She said she would not, however, cancel or ban the event. “The decision to proceed is and will remain theirs,” she said. The Boston Globe reported that the club said the event “was meant to be educational, not offensive.” Boston Cardinal Seán P. O’Malley told reporters May 12 that the archdiocese and the Catholic community took offense to the planned “black mass” but that “we have no way to prevent it other than to try and explain to people how evil this is,” he said. A St A n t h o n y M e s s e n g e r . o rg

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Lessons from Pope Francis

How can we live more fully as Jesus’ disciples? Our pope has some suggestions. BY JOAN MCKAMEY

HAT DO A FIRST-CENTURY JEW, a 13th-century Italian, and a 21st-century Argentinean have in common? When they’re Jesus of Nazareth, Francis of Assisi, and Jorge Bergoglio (Pope Francis), the unity of their message outshines differences of culture and time. By choosing the name Francis, our pope points to St. Francis as a model of Gospel living. He says, “For me, [St. Francis] is the man of poverty, the man of peace, the man who loves and protects creation.” St. Francis, in turn, points to Jesus who said, “This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (Jn 13:35). Let’s look at seven lessons from Pope Francis’ first year and consider how his actions challenge us to live more fully as Jesus’ disciples.

T E N ( P R AY ) ❶PopeL I SFrancis’ first public words were, “Let us always pray for one another. . . . Let us pray for the whole world. . . . I ask that you would pray to the Lord to bless me.” Pope Francis starts each day as he began his papacy, with prayer. He says, “I pray the breviary [Liturgy of the Hours] every morning. I like to pray with the psalms. Then, later, I celebrate Mass. I pray the rosary. What I really prefer is adoration in the evening, even when I get distracted and think of other things, or even fall asleep praying. . . . I stay in front of the Blessed Sacrament for an hour in adoration. I pray mentally even when I am waiting at the dentist or at other times of the day. . . . I ask myself: What have I done for Christ? What am I doing for Christ? What should I do for Christ?” 1 6 ❘ J u ly 2 0 1 4

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

CNS PHOTOS BY PAUL HARING

SIMPLIFY ❷ Much like his namesake, Pope Francis has chosen a simple lifestyle. When serving as cardinal archbishop of Buenos Aires, he took the bus or subway and lived in a simple apartment. As pope, he uses a “scuffed-up Ford Focus” and wears a simple white cassock. His suspension of a German bishop overseeing a $42.5 million church residence renovation (including a $20,500 bathtub!) indicates an expectation that Church leaders spend responsibly. Pope Francis chooses to live in the Vatican guesthouse, explaining, “I need a community. . . . I need to live my life with others.” Clearly, people are more important to him than the additional space and privacy the papal apartment offers, and he views material possessions as fleeting. Fr anciscanMedia.org

(Far left) “Prayer works wonders,” Pope Francis once said. “But we have to believe!” (Left) The pope shuns the pomp and pageantry of the papacy in favor of simplicity. Here, he gets into a very plain Ford Focus to get around.

J u ly 2 0 1 4 ❘ 1 7

REFOCUS ❸ Pope Francis invites us to think more broadly.

The faithful flock to Pope Francis, often hoping for a picture. The pope has said that shepherds should smell like their sheep.

EMBRACE ❺ We will long remember

In a moment of grace and humility, Pope Francis washes and kisses the feet of prisoners.

ENGAGE ❹ Pope Francis engages the world with his genuine smile, humble spirit, and desire to rub elbows with us. While busy leading the 1 8 ❘ J u ly 2 0 1 4

the image of Pope Francis embracing the man with the disfigured face. The pope’s tweets are often prayers or invitations: “Lord, teach us to step outside ourselves.” “Teach us to go out into the streets and manifest your love.” “True charity requires courage: let us overcome the fear of getting our hands dirty so as to help those in need.” As his namesake embraced a leper, so Pope Francis reaches beyond appearances to touch hearts. He says, “We must always consider the person. . . . In life, God accompanies persons, and we must accompany them, starting from their situation. It is necessary to accompany them with mercy.”

Reminiscent of St. Francis embracing the leper, Pope Francis comforts a man with Neurofibromatosis, a genetic disorder.

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

SELFIE: CNS PHOTO/PAUL HARING; FOOT WASHING: CNS PHOTO/L’OSSERVATORE ROMANO VIA REUTERS; EMBRACE: CNS PHOTO/CLAUDIO PERI, EPA

He responded, “Who am I to judge?” to a question about homosexuality: “If a homosexual person is of goodwill and is in search of God, I am no one to judge.” Some thought he was suggesting a change in Church teaching. Instead, he says, “The teaching of the Church is clear, and I am a son of the Church, but it is not necessary to talk about those issues [i.e., women priests, abortion, divorce, gay marriage, contraception] all the time. . . . The most important thing is the first proclamation: Jesus Christ has saved you.” Calling for “mercy above all,” he speaks of his own sinfulness and says, “I’m drawn to prisoners; I’m human like they are.” He washed the feet of 12 prison inmates (including two women and two Muslims) on Holy Thursday, celebrated Mass with hosts made by Argentine prisoners, and met with prisoners in Sardinia and Rio. Referring to the Church as a “field hospital” where people come for merciful care, he tells priests to lead with the merciful face of Christ. Without moving the line between right and wrong, Pope Francis invites us to hold our judgment in favor of sharing God’s mercy.

Church, he makes time for the people who make up the Church. We see him posing for a selfie with visitors to the Vatican and inviting a teen with Down syndrome to ride in the popemobile. When caught in a traffic jam en route to a World Youth Day event, he opened his window and greeted people on the crowded street. He says, “I manage to look at individual persons, one at a time, to enter into personal contact with whomever I have in front of me.” The archbishop who heads the Vatican agency for handing out alms says Pope Francis told him, “You can sell your desk. You don’t need it. . . . You need to go out and look for the poor.” The archbishop explains, “This is the concept: be with people and share their lives, even for 15, 30 minutes, an hour.” He tells how Pope Francis, as cardinal, “would go out at night in Buenos Aires, not just to find people, talk with them, or buy them something to eat. . . . He would eat with them. . . . This is what he wants from me.” And us.

POPE FRANCIS ON TWITTER “Do not be content to live a mediocre Christian life: walk with determination along the path of holiness.” “Let us pray that God grant us the grace of knowing a world where no one dies of hunger.” “If we wish to follow Christ closely, we cannot choose an easy, quiet life. It will be a demanding life, but full of joy.” “The measure of greatness of a society is found in the way it treats those most in need, those who have nothing apart from their poverty.”

“The only war that we must all fight is the one against evil. To be saints is not a privilege for the few, but a vocation for everyone.” “The love of God is not generic. God looks with love upon every man and woman, calling them by name.” “Miracles happen. But prayer is needed! Prayer that is courageous, struggling, and persevering, not prayer that is a mere formality.” Follow the pope on Twitter: @Pontifex

CNS PHOTOS BY PAUL HARING

CHALLENGE ❻ While Pope Francis draws positive attention and press, he’s not afraid to challenge the status quo. He’s initiated a reform of the Roman Curia and an investigation of the Vatican bank. He’s named a new commission on clergy sex abuse, shifting the focus from legal challenges to prevention of abuse and pastoral care of victims and their families. He says the Church must strip itself of vanity, arrogance, and pride. Social structures outside the Church haven’t escaped his scrutiny. He criticizes capitalism and globalization for contributing to a widening divide between the “haves” and “havenots.” He asks, “How can it be that it is not a news item when an elderly homeless person dies of exposure, but it is news when the stock market loses two points?” He says of his position, “The pope loves everyone, rich and poor alike . . . he is obliged in the name of Christ to remind all that the rich must help, respect, and promote the poor.” The pope accepts his own and the Church’s responsibility to work “to eliminate the structural causes of poverty.” But poverty isn’t his Fr anciscanMedia.org

Pope Francis has prayed that the people of Syria will “boldly negotiate the peace long awaited and long overdue.”

only concern. He has held a prayer vigil for peace, called for a day of fasting, and begged world leaders for peaceful resolution of conflict in Syria. He has posed with environmental activists, calling business leaders and politicians to be “protectors of creation.” He speaks out for matters of justice and challenges us to do the same. J u ly 2 0 1 4 ❘ 1 9

REJOICE! ❼ Pope Francis is appealing, in part, because

Time chose Francis as the Person of the Year in 2013. They wrote that the pope encourages all to be better.

he’s human like us. He spends no time on a pedestal, preferring instead to reach out to those in the gutters. He takes his responsibility as a child of God, disciple of Christ, and leader of the Catholic Church seriously, yet he finds joy in being human and sharing real-life moments with others. In his apostolic exhortation, “The Joy of the Gospel,” he writes, “One of the more serious temptations which stifles boldness and zeal is a defeatism which turns us into querulous and disillusioned pessimists, sourpusses.” Pope Francis is no sourpuss! He embraces the joys and surprises of life, much like the young

boy who joined him onstage, hugged his leg, and then sat in his chair. Pope Francis strives for “perfect love” that “drives out fear” (1 Jn 4:18) and “would rather trust God than live in a bulletproof bubble.” Explaining Time magazine’s choice of Pope Francis as 2013 Person of the Year, Nancy Gibbs writes: “In a very short time, a vast, global, ecumenical audience has shown a hunger to follow him.” He is “pulling the papacy out of the palace and into the streets,” she says, “committing the world’s largest church to confronting its deepest needs, and balancing judgment with mercy.” We will do well to follow his lead. A Joan McKamey is the editor of Catholic Update (Liguori Publications). She has an MA in religious studies/pastoral family studies from the College of Mount St. Joseph.

P O P E F R A N C I S AT W O R L D Y O U T H D A Y BRAZIL, JULY 2013

“The culture of selfishness and individualism that often prevails in our society is not, I repeat, not what builds up and leads to a more habitable world: rather, it is the culture

of solidarity that does so; the culture of solidarity means seeing others not as rivals or statistics, but brothers and sisters.” “I ask you . . . to be revolutionaries, to swim against the tide; yes, I am asking you to rebel against this culture that sees everything as temporary and that ultimately believes that you are incapable of responsibility, that you are incapable of true love.”

So that his work might continue... tal Digi as Extr

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“Christians cannot be pessimists! They do not look like someone in constant mourning. If we are truly in love with Christ and if we sense how much he loves us, our heart will ‘light up’ with a joy that spreads to everyone around us.”

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LIVE WELL

❘ BY COLLEEN MONTGOMERY AND JIM BRENNAN

Meditation

editation is a widely practiced, littleunderstood discipline. It’s so littleunderstood, in fact, that some may be unaware they are already meditating! A basic knowledge and understanding of the process can help anyone reap a wide range of benefits that meditation offers. The practice produces a deep state of relaxation, reduces stress and anxiety, restores inner peace, and enhances physical and emotional well-being. It is used to manage illnesses including anxiety disorders, asthma, cancer, depression, heart disease, high blood pressure, pain, and sleep disorders.

Types of Meditation Guided meditation uses images of places or events that evoke the senses—smell, sight, sound, and touch. Imagery can be of a holy place or natural surroundings that God created, such as a lake or mountains. 2 2 ❘ July 2014

Mindfulness focuses concentration on self-awareness. Concentrate on what you are experiencing. Observe your thoughts and emotions, but let them pass without judgment. Tai Chi is a form of Chinese martial art that is a series of self-paced postures and movements in a slow, graceful manner while practicing deep breathing and concentration. Yoga is series of postures and controlled breathing exercises to promote a more flexible body and calm mind. These poses require balance, concentration, and grace. While elements of meditation, such as yoga, concern some Catholics, it is not a belief system. And there are types of meditation familiar to our own faith traditions as well. Rosary and contemplation, for example, can bring us closer to God while aiding in our overall well-being. St A n t h o n y M e s s e n g e r . o rg

To hear Colleen Montgomery’s tips on ways to meditation, click the button on the left.

Follow the Steps

Put Meditation into Practice Implement meditation into your daily routine in a way that suits your lifestyle. Begin with a short session at the beginning or end of the day. It will make a big difference, and the length of time may extend naturally. Meditation can be practiced anytime, anywhere: At Home: Find a time that fits your schedFr ancisca n Media .org

Fundamental elements, or steps, help practitioners maximize the benefits of meditation. Place: A quiet or serene environment creates a mindset that is conducive to meditation. The more experienced the practitioner, the more able he or she will be to practice meditation anywhere, even during high-stress situations. Position: Find a comfortable pose such as sitting, lying down, or a position of your choosing. Or combine meditation with physical exercise, such as walking at a slow pace and concentrating on the movement of your feet, legs, and muscles. Breathing: Controlled breathing is the practice of deep, even-paced breathing from the diaphragm muscles to expand the lungs. Slow breathing enables the body to take in more oxygen and reduces the use of shoulder, neck, and upper chest muscles to breathe more efficiently. Breathe deeply, slowly. Concentrate on feeling and listening while you inhale and exhale through your nose. Attention: Focused attention frees the mind from distractions, stress, and worry. Concentrate on an object, image, or prayer. Think about your blessings. Weave feelings of love, compassion, and gratitude into your thoughts. Mantra: Silently reciting a mantra—a word, thought, phrase, prayer, or Scripture verse—prevents distracting thoughts. Repeat the mantra. You may try listening to spiritual music, the spoken word, or an inspirational or relaxation audio, or have a conversation with God.

Quick Tips ■

Turn off your electronic devices and eliminate all other distractions.

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Count the breaths you take.

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Focus on a candle flame, a scent, a prayer.

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Picture inhaling a color of calm and tranquility. Exhale a color of tension and stress.

■

Practice, practice, practice!

ule and a place that calms you. Shut out the world. Tune in to your soul. At Work: Find a secluded room during a break. Close your eyes and breathe. At Life: While you’re on hold with the credit card representative, or waiting for dinner to be ready, loosen your shoulders, take a deep breath, exhale.

Build Your Meditation Skills Remember that it is common for the mind to wander while meditating. If your mind does wander, calmly return to your breathing. Guide your attention back to the object, sensation, or movement on which you are focusing. Don’t judge your meditation skills. There is no right or wrong way. Experiment until you find the right combination that works for you. What matters is to improve your well-being. Jim Brennan writes about health and fitness from Bucks County, Pennsylvania. Colleen Montgomery is a registered clinical exercise physiologist and certified wellness coach. They collaborate on this column. Ju ly 2 0 1 4 ❘ 2 3

The Enemy

O Forgiving ourselves is sometimes the greatest challenge. BY RICHARD B . PAT T E R S O N

NE OF JESUS’ most troublesome messages is to love our enemies—a great challenge in this era of deepening religious and political hostility, as well as plain senseless violence. But suppose, as Carl Jung once wrote, that the most difficult enemy we must face and forgive is the enemy within? That we ourselves are in need of the kindness, compassion, and forgiveness that we may give willingly to others? Jesus made it very clear, as do most religious traditions, that, in addition to loving our enemies, we are called to love ourselves. This includes loving the enemy within—that truth about you that you avoid, to include your secrets. Perhaps the greatest challenge to loving your own inner enemy is the challenge to forgive yourself. I have known many very spiritual people, loving and kind, of great service to others. Yet many of these same people treat themselves with a depth of judgment and hatred that is completely at odds with their treatment of others. I recall, for example, a very good man holding himself in contempt for what I viewed as humanness. As I listened to how he berated himself, I asked, “Tell me. If someone came to you and confessed to the same issue, is this what you would tell them? That they’re worthless? Disgusting?” The man responded that he would never say such things to another person. I then told him that it appeared that he believed his sins were worse than everyone else’s, and that he was unworthy of the compassion he so willingly gave to others. “Are you really that awful?” I asked. “Apparently so,” was his response. Many of these people insist they know they are forgiven by God. The challenge is for them to accept this forgiveness and then to forgive themselves. Easier said than done!

Turning to God The first step is the obvious one—reaching out to the God of my understanding for for2 4 ❘ J u ly 2 0 1 4

giveness. I am immediately confronted by my image of God and my beliefs about God’s forgiveness. Is the God of my understanding a punitive and angry God, much like the God of the Old Testament? Or is the God of my understanding a loving one, quick to welcome me back when I have strayed? Is the God of my understanding like the father of the prodigal son? Are there limits to God’s forgiveness? Do I believe there are sins beyond the reach of God’s forgiveness? I may be able to adopt a forgiving attitude with things like yelling at my kids or cursing at other drivers or taking a box of paper clips from the workplace. But suppose I am guilty of child abuse, killing someone—whether in combat or otherwise—or infidelity? Are such sins beyond the reach of God’s forgiveness? If this is what I believe, then the chasm of despair can open up in front of me, waiting to swallow me. It would seem, though, that God’s forgiveness is without limit.

Biblical Examples of Forgiveness There are two figures in the Gospels who give me hope that God’s forgiveness is unconditional and without limit. The first is the prostitute about to be stoned by an angry crowd (Jn 8:1-11). Prostitutes may indeed be victims, but their sins are ones that most cultures judge harshly. So it was in Jesus’ time. Yet Jesus confronts not the prostitute but the crowd about to stone her, challenging them to examine their own sinfulness before throwing stones. When Jesus backs them off, he then points out to the prostitute that he does not judge her, and invites her to sin no more. The second figure is one of my favorite saints—St. Dismas. His story appears in the Gospel of Luke (23:39-43). You might know him better as the good thief, one of the men crucified with Jesus. What were his crimes? We don’t know, but it is safe to bet that they included theft and possibly murder. When the other criminal mocks Jesus, Dismas tells him to back off, saying, “We have been condemned justly.” Sounds like someone St A n t h o n y M e s s e n g e r . o r g

Within St. Dismas, known as the good thief, fully accepted the punishment for the crimes he had committed. He asked for and received Jesus’ forgiveness. But was he able to forgive himself?

ANDREY MIRONOV 777/ WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

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who is judging himself, doesn’t it? Yet with hope he turns to Jesus and asks, “Remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Jesus then speaks those powerful words of hope: “Today you will be with me in Paradise.” Wow! Here is a guy at rock bottom, saying he deserves the excruciating and humiliating punishment of crucifixion. Yet Jesus welcomes him, clearly setting Dismas’ sins aside. Were these two figures able to accept Jesus’ forgiveness? Were they then able to forgive themselves? We don’t know. But Jewish scholars often complete unfinished stories in the Bible. And so in that spirit, and knowing the power of forgiveness, I can tell you that the prostitute became a follower of Jesus and that Dismas died in peace.

Become all you are meant to be.

Let your light shine.

Forgiving Ourselves Jesus calls us to forgive and forgive and forgive. Seventy times seven! But Jesus also commands us to love ourselves. The mandate to forgive applies to each of us as well as to our fellow men and women. Why are we able to forgive others yet hold ourselves in contempt, often for the very same sin we’ve forgiven in someone else? For many of us, our sins bring shame—that judgment not of my behavior, but of me as a person. Thus, “I did a bad thing” progresses to “I am a bad person.” We may practice “hate the sin, love the sinner” with others, but not with ourselves. Similarly, under unusual circumstances, I may have behaved in a manner completely at odds with what I thought were my values. The result is fierce condemnation. Such is the bur-

tal Digi as t Ex r

Click here for more on forgiveness.

den carried by many of our combat veterans. As one warrior said to me, “I know now that I have killed. How can I possibly go to Mass?” At a deeper level, though, our inability to forgive ourselves seems to reflect an attitude that somehow my sins are 2 6 ❘ J u ly 2 0 1 4

MELPOMENE/VEER

worse than everyone else’s. Is this not somewhat arrogant? If I fancy myself the world’s greatest sinner, is this not actually rather egotistical? In C.S. Lewis’ book The Great Divorce, he raises the very comforting notion that, even after death, we are offered forgiveness. Yet even then, says Lewis, some people turn it down, choosing instead eternal darkness rather than humbly accepting the forgiveness. Is this not a final sin of pride? So my inability and/or unwillingness to forgive myself are a combination of shame and pride. How can I be released from this self-consuming prison? What follows are suggested steps that can help you forgive yourself once you have taken the step of asking God’s forgiveness, whether through the Sacrament of Reconciliation or some other dialogue with God.

Steps to Forgiveness First, I need to consider the idea that, yes, I am a sinner, but an unremarkable one. There is nothing unique or distinctive about my sinning. I am merely one among many. This is not as easy as it sounds. Our egos want us all to stand out from the crowd, to be distinctive. Yet if I can acknowledge that my sin is no better or worse than anyone else’s, including people I have forgiven, then this allows me membership in the group of the forgiven. Simply put, logic tells me that, if I believe that God forgives others’ sins and that my sins are no different, then I, too, am forgiven. Second, I need to inventory those issues that I have judged unforgivable. I need to make a list, titling it “My Unforgivable Sins.” This may be a shocking exercise. The list may turn out to be much longer than I anticipated, St A n t h o n y M e s s e n g e r . o r g

but I must be searching and fearless in preparing that list. The obvious starting place for this list is my secrets. We all have them: things about us that we’d just as soon others not know, especially those we love. We may even live in fear of being found out. Secrets typically reflect sins we’ve deemed unforgivable. Third, I need to look at each sin and ask myself, “If someone else came to me sharing anguish over a similar sin, how would I respond? Would I respond with judgment and condemnation, or with compassion and understanding?” I realize that I don’t help someone if I make excuses for him or her. Saying things like, “Oh, it wasn’t that big of a deal,” or, “Well, you were pretty depressed at the time,” may not be a comfort, and it certainly minimizes the matter. Remember that when Jesus healed people by forgiving their sins, he always encouraged them to “sin no more.” Jesus didn’t tell the prostitute, “Well, you’ve had a tough life so it’s OK.” By forgiving people, Jesus wasn’t giving them permission to go right back out to the neighborhood bar! But Jesus did not judge or condemn. So ask yourself, “What would I say or do?” If those words you might speak are words of kindness, you then need to ask, “How come those words can’t apply to me?” I need to find some way to speak that forgiveness to myself. Think about an unforgivable sin on your list. Then look in the mirror and try these words on for size: “I love you. I forgive you. Now let’s come up with a plan of action so this never happens again.” Did those words stick in your throat, or did they bring a sense of healing? If this doesn’t work, then speak aloud the words you would speak to someone else. Finally, I may need to make amends. This doesn’t mean necessarily that I am confessing my sin to the person hurt by it. Rather, I might borrow a notion from the 12-step program to make amends, except when doing so might cause the other person harm. I may also want to remember that often the best type of amends is to change Fr anciscanMedia.org

my behavior so that the offending sin no longer happens. Clearly if I struggle to forgive myself, I struggle with hope and may also live in fear. I take all the bad things happening to me as evidence of how unforgivable are my sins. Like St. Dismas, I will see myself as being punished and deserving it. And I live in fear that more will be piled on, in part because my sins are unforgivable.

Finding Peace Within For some, this negativity is insurmountable. Thus, ultimately, I may need to pray. I may need to ask God for help in forgiving myself. I may need to say to God: “Look, I know you’ve forgiven me, but I don’t seem to be able to accept that and let it go. I seem to be holding onto it, judging myself. Please help me to find a way to forgive myself.” If I haven’t forgiven myself, ironically I may commit the ultimate sin— preventing whatever light I have within me to shine, thereby not becoming all that God intends me to

be. In the book Living Buddha, Living Christ, Thich Nhat Hanh observes: “Our capacity to make peace with another person in the world depends very much on our capacity to make peace with ourselves.” Similarly, Henri Nouwen wrote in The Road to Daybreak: A Spiritual Journey, “If I could fully accept the fact that I am forgiven and do not have to live in guilt or shame, I would really be free.” When I haven’t forgiven myself, I am confined by the sourness of resentment and the bleakness of despair. Forgiveness really is freedom. When I forgive, my message is this: “I see who you are, not what you’ve done. Now go and be yourself. Become all you are meant to be. Let your light shine.” As with most elements of the spiritual journey, that cleansing freedom must start within if we hope to give it to others. A Richard B. Patterson is a clinical psychologist in El Paso, Texas. He is the author of five books exploring the intersection of psychology and spirituality. His latest book is Turtle on the Fencepost: Finding Faith through Doubt, published by Liguori Press.

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Tom and Molly Carew’s

Ministry Kentucky Hills in the

They came to Appalachia as volunteers, fell in love, and then multiplied that love over decades of service to the poor.

ESIDES PHOTOS of children, grandparents, and their own wedding, scenes of Broke Leg Falls and a plowed patch on a mountainside remind Tom and Molly Carew of the beauty and stillness that lie not too far from their Kentucky home in Morehead. In the dining room, the sideboard supports a 9-footlong sepia photo taken in 1917 of the 500-plus members of the US Congress with Tom’s grandfather, John F. Carew (D-NY), on a far side. But one photo above all others grabs a visitor’s attention on entering their modest framed house—Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter on the occasion of the former president and first lady’s 1997 “Hammering in the Hills” build for Habitat for Humanity. Years earlier, Tom had founded Frontier Housing, a nonprofit housing corporation, that helped sponsor the ’97 build. The non-

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BY JOHN S. RAUSCH

profit, after nearly four decades, has built over 1,000 homes for low-income families in eastern Kentucky. Molly, working for St. Claire Regional Medical Center in Morehead, entered many of those homes since 1975 as a home-health nurse. Together, Tom and Molly have dedicated their lives not only to raising their own four children, but also to home ministry for families in need.

Exposure to Poverty Tom and Molly met in 1971 during their volunteer days at a center in Vanceburg, Kentucky, run by the Glenmary Home Missioners. The Glenmary Farm, just outside of town and not really a functioning farm, today hosts over 2,000 volunteers per year. The volunteers learn about Appalachian culture, discern their vocations, and do direct-service projects such as fixing homes and visiting shut-ins. With St A n t h o n y M e s s e n g e r . o r g

PHOTOS BY GUY HUFFMAN

camp-like amenities, the Farm challenges participants to pick through their priorities in light of the privation they see around them. “Certainly I owe Glenmary a huge thank-you for giving me a great opportunity,” Tom says. “[Vanceburg] was a very integral part of my formation.” Molly adds with a nodding approval, “It really was an impressionable and important part of our lives.” Born and raised in St. Paul, Minnesota, Molly—described by a former pastor, Father Chet Artysiewicz, as “Midwestern wholesome”—attended 16 years of Catholic education and pursued her bachelor’s in nursing science at St. Teresa College, Winona, Minnesota. “When I came to Appalachia, I felt I had come to a different world,” Molly reflects. “Wow! This is really different!” Molly had applied for a one-week mission Fr anciscanMedia.org

immersion with the Rochester, Minnesota, Franciscans’ college that had connections with Rochester Franciscan sisters in Kentucky. But she found herself on the waiting list. With a late cancellation by another student, she had to decide between a fun trip to Florida or a service tour in Appalachia. “Looking back, you can ask, ‘Was it fate or something else?’” she ponders aloud. “The older I get, the more I know it wasn’t just a fluke choice.” Tom had a similar religious background, with years of Catholic schools beginning in his hometown of Flushing, New York, and ending at the Jesuits’ Fairfield University in Connecticut, where he studied political science and philosophy. Though his grandfather spent 15 years in the US House of Representatives, political life never motivated Tom. Hands-on service to others

Home ownership can break the cycle of poverty. Here, near Morehead, Tom talks with Frontier Housing’s Josh Trent about a wheelchair-accessible home entrance.

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Click here for more on the organizations mentioned in this article.

did. While at Fairfield University, Tom spent a spring break in Vanceburg, Kentucky, as an antipoverty volunteer. “It was a life-changing experience,” he recalls. Like Molly, the difference between Appalachia and his comfort zone blasted him with images and accents that beckoned an internal sifting. Tom explains that when someone goes to a different place, “you have sensory overload, and you start to learn some of the basics of life again.” Tom hit the pause button, then his reset button, and eventually spent 18 months as the Glenmary Farm manager.

Developing a Support Network

PHOTO COURTESY OF TOM CAREW

In the late 1960s and throughout the ’70s, numerous volunteers flooded Appalachia to address the area’s intractable problem of poverty. Groups such as the Christian Appalachian Project, Appalachian Service Project, Habitat for Humanity, Jesuit Volunteers, the Catholic Committee of Appalachia, the Commission on Religion in Appalachia, and various Protestant denominations with their own

and housing. The hills were alive with the pounding of hammers for home repairs, and the screeching of folding chairs dragged into circles for community meetings. After the Vanceburg experience, eventually both Tom and Molly, individually, made their way 30 miles south to the small city of Morehead. Most of their support group consisted of likeminded people from outside the area who stayed and shared a vision of service. They met George Plage and Sonata Bohen, who eventually lived a few years as Witnesses for Peace in Nicaragua, El Salvador, and Mexico, before returning to live an intentionally simple life. The Carews’ friend Doug Doerrfeld, well-spoken, calm, and a good organizer concerned about the environment, eventually chaired the largest community action group in the state— Kentuckians for the Commonwealth. Jim Ward, another who came and stayed, from Akron, Ohio, moved to Morehead to work with Frontier Housing because he believed in its vision. Eventually, he met and married Charlene Ruth, a volunteer working with the Franciscan sisters. On becoming part of the informal Morehead group, Jim reflects, “There was a community of people here that was committed to that kind of mission.” Back in the tiny town of Vanceburg, Dave Kreher directed a sister organization, People’s Self-Help Housing, while his wife, Jan, ran a community-assistance program. And there were others. All of these friends lived an intentionally simple lifestyle. “It’s easier to follow the values you have when you have that support,” Tom reflects.

Committing to One Another In June 1997, President Jimmy Carter came to Morehead for Habitat for Humanity’s “Hammering in the Hills” event. Volunteer crews built six houses in one week. Pictured here (from left): Dudley Herron, the Rev. Don Mantroth, Tom Carew, and President Carter.

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Appalachian programs, offered hope to folks on the bottom. President Lyndon B. Johnson’s “War on Poverty” promoted community development, and for Catholics the spirit of Vatican II encouraged a spirituality of lay involvement. A certain optimism pervaded all these efforts as groups addressed health-care needs, education, economic development,

When Tom became farm manager in 1971, he never envisioned how dramatically his life would change. The first service group he managed by himself that December consisted of six women from St. Teresa College, one of whom was Molly, then a student nurse. The initial contact between Tom and Molly was cordial, but missionminded serious. Yet Molly returned the next sumSt A n t h o n y M e s s e n g e r . o r g

Fr anciscanMedia.org

as friends who brought mounds of food for the feast, then played volleyball and folk-danced long into the night.

Life in Morehead Attracted by the culture of Appalachia and the beauty of Kentucky, Tom moved to Morehead after his stint as farm manager because it offered greater opportunities for service. With poor

a game changer!” providing critical startup funding that transformed Frontier Housing from a great idea to a stable, if fledgling, organization. Indeed, through troughs and peaks Frontier survived and eventually became the largest home builder of affordable housing in northeastern Kentucky, thanks to Tom’s leadership. In 1992, his alma mater, Fairfield University, recognized his contribution to

PHOTO BY GUY HUFFMAN

mer to teach Bible school at Holy Redeemer Catholic Church in nearby Vanceburg. A friendship between her and Tom began to grow. Molly attended St. Teresa on a Navy scholarship, so when she graduated in 1973, she needed to fulfill her twoyear commitment as a Navy nurse. Letters and phone calls kept the couple in touch as Molly served her commission at Portsmouth Naval Hospital in Virginia, 500 miles away. In 1975, Molly accepted a job as a home-health nurse with the Catholic hospital in Morehead. And in 1977, Tom and Molly decided to marry. Looking back, Father Chet can easily understand their mutual attraction. “Service was very important to both of them,” he says, “and they are still very much the same people—very serviceconscious.” He says this convincingly because he has cherished a relationship with Tom and Molly for more than three decades, which included attending their wedding. “The wedding was a four-day event,” Molly laughs. “People came early and stayed late.” She was referring to the passel of family and friends from outside Appalachia who were curious about the region they had only read about in books and magazines. For the ceremony, Tom shunned a tux and wore an embroidered vest of natural linen color that Molly made for him. She also sewed her own wedding dress in the manner of simple elegance. “We had the Appalachian hierarchy here,” Tom says with a chuckle, recalling the near dozen religious priests and brothers who attended. Tom and Molly by then had become key people in the Church’s mission around the area, so the wedding blended the couple’s commitment with the Church’s celebration of presence. During the nuptial Mass that morning, smiles crossed many faces. One of the Glenmary brothers, an inveterate prankster, playfully handed Tom an application to the religious order as he walked up the aisle, on the chance he might have second thoughts. “Yeah, that really happened!” Tom affirms, laughing. The event knitted together the guests

Nurse practitioner Molly brings healing to St. Claire Regional Family Medicine with clinics in Morehead (above) and Sandy Hook, where health care was, until recently, a luxury. housing everywhere he went, he began dreaming about an organization to build and repair homes in town and in the hollows around Morehead. Eventually he met with Glenmary Father John Garvey, pastor of Jesus Our Savior Catholic Church, who encouraged an ecumenical approach that invited the Methodist, Disciples of Christ, and Presbyterian Churches to share the dream. In 1974, Frontier Housing began as a nonprofit corporation, a relatively new legal entity for the area. An initial, small grant came from the US bishops’ Campaign for Human Development (CHD). With minimal resources at first, but with can-do determination, the Frontier website described the humble startup years with modest understatement: “It is said early workers survived on peanut butter and goodwill.” Tom expands on that: “The CHD grant was

Appalachian development by awarding him an honorary doctorate. Meanwhile, Molly enjoyed full-time work as a home-health nurse till the children started arriving and demanded that she juggle her schedule. Sarah brought them joy in 1979, then Maura added more in ’81. Two boys followed: Chris in ’84 and Peter in ’86. “Morehead was a great place to raise a family,” Tom reflects. Besides the beauty of the countryside surrounding the area, the town boasts Morehead State University and St. Claire Regional Medical Center. “It’s a great place to live,” Molly affirms. “You can walk in the national forest, go to a play, listen to an orchestra or bluegrass—and you can walk to it!” These surroundings and cultural amenities enriched the growing-up years of the children, but Tom also recognizes that they “got a diverse educaJ u ly 2 0 1 4 ❘ 3 1

The Road Ahead As Tom and Molly approach retirement age, they recognize their choices about ministry have intentionally taken them in an uncommon direction. “In my early career, Frontier Housing was not a lucrative place to be,” Tom admits. “So financially speaking we’re farther behind, so we’ll work a little longer. “And that’s OK,” he quickly adds. He speaks of a Catholic couple among his friends whose simple lifestyle acts as his model. “Compared to [them], I’m liv3 2 ❘ J u ly 2 0 1 4

ing a very luxurious life. [They] keep me grounded, in terms of my desires.” Indeed, those desires extend even beyond material wealth to embrace a certain quality about ministry. Tom remembers an admonition often repeated during the 1970s by justice workers in the Church: “Don’t build your own empire,” meaning the work is the Lord’s. “We’re merely supplying our hands and feet.”

Since receiving her graduate degree in nursing in 1999, Molly drives daily to Sandy Hook, in the neighboring county, to work as a family nurse practitioner. There she deals with cradle-tograve care among a population underserved according to every social indicator. “I find it real challenging, and I have become good because of the challenges,” she remarks confidently. “I

PHOTO BY GUY HUFFMAN

tion.” The kids saw both sides of the social divide because they were not isolated from any group. They socialized and were schooled with children from all rungs of the economic ladder. As first teachers of religion, Tom and Molly modeled their faith for their children by involvement with the local Catholic parish. For years, Molly taught religious education for various grades, and Tom conducted Confirmation classes. Tom also served on the social concerns committee and the parish council. Their current pastor, Father Paul Prabel, sings their praises to the heights: “They are skilled and polished leaders, but also touch many lives by their everyday witness of strong faith, dedication to family, hospitality to strangers, and willingness to help in whatever way is needed.” He especially revels in Molly’s “joyful involvement in our folk choir,” and Tom’s commitment “as a key member of our parish’s ad hoc committee to remove snow and ice from our parking lot.” Sometimes practical religion means simply shoveling a path to the church door! “In Morehead, the Church has been an integral part of our life,” Molly says. She remembers graduating from high school in 1969 and then really “owning” her Catholic faith. To her, the Second Vatican Council made such a difference with a change of emphasis in theology: “There were home Masses and folk Masses—things that touched the hearts of young people.”

A new home, built with government resources and paid for by working families, is the core of Tom’s work. The homes, like this one that Tom examines with Josh Trent, are built to last. Though he dreamed the idea and founded Frontier Housing, Tom left the nonprofit after 25 years. “As CEO you make decisions, but you can grow stale and become a small person,” he explains. “It was important for me to do something else. I brought the organization as far as I could. They needed to grow under somebody else’s leadership.” Tom continued at Frontier Housing until 2000, when he took a job helping other homebuilders at the Federation of Appalachian Housing Enterprises (FAHE), a coalition of 47 housing groups covering a four-state area to promote safe and affordable housing in central Appalachia. In 2012, FAHE oversaw 6,400 units of housing, both repairs and new constructions, “from shelters, to rentals, to homeowners, to wheelchair ramps, and everything in between,” Tom says with a smile, content with his decision.

have a banner in my office that says, ‘Everyone has a story.’ Everyone who comes to you has a huge life behind them and, hopefully, in front of them.” Tom and Molly know their lives would not be as huge without that first volunteer week in Vanceburg. Tom’s skills led him to develop nonprofit housing corporations; Molly chooses the day-to-day, hands-on practice of caring for patients, one at a time. But whether building homes with families or promoting healing within, Tom’s and Molly’s are home ministries that complement one another. “Never be afraid to try something different,” Molly encourages. “We took a chance.” That chance has made all of the difference. A Father John S. Rausch, a Glenmary priest, has served in Appalachia for over 35 years in economic and social ministry. St A n t h o n y M e s s e n g e r . o r g

EDITORIAL

What Do We Really Need? Pope Francis has exemplified a life of simplicity. Why is it so hard for us to follow? As a mom, I hear the words want and need a lot. Time and again I try to explain to my kids that their wants and needs are, for the most part, not necessities. I remind them that there are so many who do not have the luxury of uttering those words. I pray that I’m getting through to them—at least somewhat. But if they don’t want to listen to me, I’ve surely got a solid backup in Pope Francis. Pope Francis has sent a clear message of the need for simplicity—through both his words and his actions. And let’s not forget that his namesake, St. Francis of Assisi, embraced simplicity himself. For instance, when he was in Buenos Aires, then-Cardinal Bergoglio took public transportation daily, lived in a simple apartment, and cooked his own meals. His election to the papacy has done little to quell that behavior. Why then are there members of the Catholic Church who seem not to have gotten the less-is-more message of Pope Francis’ example?

They Spent How Much? Some recent incidents have clearly displayed that disconnect between wants and needs in the Church. The first took place earlier this year in the Diocese of Limburg, Germany. Bishop FranzPeter Tebartz-van Elst had his resignation accepted by the Vatican amidst scrutiny over his extravagant spending on renovations of both his residence and a diocesan center. According to a 108-page report, Bishop Tebart-van Elst, referred to as the “Bishop of Bling,” spent $43 million on the project, including $300,000 on a fish tank! Then, this past January, Atlanta Archbishop Wilton D. Gregory came under scrutiny for the construction of a $2.2 million bishop’s residence that could also host Fr ancisca n Media .org

archdiocesan events. The 6,000-square-foot residence is located on property donated to the archdiocese from the estate of Joseph Mitchell, whose aunt, Margaret Mitchell, wrote Gone with the Wind. Following public criticism, which Archbishop Gregory admitted was justified, he wrote an apology letter in The Georgia Bulletin, newspaper of the Archdiocese of Atlanta. “I want to thank those parishioners whose prayers, counsel, and concern brought this issue to light and ensured that their archbishop was properly attuned to the important symbolism of simple actions and the challenges faced by many of the faithful in the Archdiocese of Atlanta,” he wrote. To his credit, on April 5, Archbishop Gregory announced that he had “decided to sell the Habersham property and invest the proceeds from that sale into the needs of the Catholic community.” And in the Dicoese of Newark, New Jersey, Archbishop John Myers has been criticized for plans to spend $500,000 to add a threestory, 3,000-square-foot addition to his retirement home. The new wing will include an indoor exercise pool, a hot tub, three fireplaces, a library, and an elevator. In contrast, there are numerous retired (arch)bishops who are living in a more modest way.

Look in the Mirror But before we cast stones, each of us should take a look inward. Are we serving as examples of Pope Francis’ call to simplicity? Are we being good stewards of Just because we can, our resources for the good of all? does that mean we Just because we can, does that mean we should? Sure, should? it would be nice to have a new or updated home, a new outfit, or an extravagant vacation. But is it the right thing to do when there is so much true need in the world? I suspect Pope Francis would say, “No.” —Susan Hines-Brigger Ju ly 2 0 1 4 ❘ 3 3

St. Hildegard of Bingen

12th-Century Feminist The pope emeritus described this Benedictine as brilliant and fearless. Joan Chittister, OSB, explains why. B Y A L I C I A V O N S TA M W I T Z

ILDEGARD OF BINGEN, a powerful and prescient 12th-century Benedictine nun, was canonized by Pope Benedict XVI in 2012. He also recognized her as a doctor of the Church—one of only four women so named in Christian history. At the time, Pope Benedict described St. Hildegard as “a woman of brilliant intelligence, deep sensitivity, and recognized spiritual authority.” He also celebrated her “fearlessness, a feature of every prophet.” So why, if Hildegard was such a luminous figure, did it take the Church over 800 years to recognize her sanctity? What facets of her life gave previous generations pause, and why did the Church decide to honor her in our time? To explore these questions and examine Hildegard’s legacy, St. Anthony Messenger turned to one of the most influential Benedictine women in our own day: Sister Joan Chittister, OSB. Joan is a social psychologist with a doctorate in communications theory and a contemplative’s keen eye. Like Hildegard, Joan is brainy and bold—willing to enter the blistering debates on faith and modern science, faith and feminism, faith and politics. She’s a provocative speaker and a prolific author whose reputation extends far beyond her Erie, Pennsylvania, monastery. Like Hildegard, she’s also a born leader, having served as prioress of her Benedictine community and president of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious. Joan welcomed the opportunity to

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PHOTOS BY BOB SESSIONS

speak about a woman she’s long admired, her sister in religious life, and spiritual soul mate: Hildegard of Bingen.

Q: Hildegard was one of the greatest intellectuals and mystics of her day. Why do you think she was only recently made a doctor and a saint? A: Well, in the first place you have to understand why her holiness and gifts weren’t recognized by the Church a thousand years ago. I mean, her recent canonization is grossly out of time. As wonderful as it is—and it is the perfect time as far as I’m concerned—at the same time you have to wonder why the original canonization process that began 54 years after her death was allowed to peter out, to disappear. Fr anciscanMedia.org

When you look at the profile of Hildegard of Bingen, you could pick her up from the 12th century and plop her down in the middle of New York City in 2014 and she’d have no problem. People would be in awe of her natural brilliance. She would easily find a job, and she would be an international figure. As far as I’m concerned, that explains why it took almost a thousand years for the Church to get around to canonizing her. . . . This woman was simply bigger than life—too big to handle, and too big to understand.

Q: Can you tell us about her intellect and influence?

A: Fortunately, 400 of her letters are extant. She

(Above) The Benedictine Abbey of St. Hildegard was built by Prince Karl of Lowenstein, who wanted to celebrate Hildegard’s spiritual legacy near the site of her original abbeys. About 50 nuns live here today. (Left) This statue is in the Parish and Pilgrim Church of St. Hildegard, which is built on the same spot where Hildegard’s second abbey once stood.

wrote to barons and kings, emperors and bishops, saying, “Get it right. Stop the nonsense. J u ly 2 0 1 4 ❘ 3 5

PHOTO BY CHRISTINE ERIN

Sister Joan Chittister, OSB, is animated when she talks about St. Hildegard of Bingen, a woman she’s long admired, her sister in religious life, and spiritual soul mate.

“If a cloistered woman religious from the 12th century can take upon herself the learning, the authority, and the wisdom position that she did, then we’re all called to key roles in our Church.”

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Shape up. This is what the Gospel demands in this situation.” She also wrote the first medical encyclopedias in Germany. How do you ignore a woman who wrote the first encyclopedias in her region? How do you ignore someone who set out on speaking tours of the Rhine after she was 70? She’s a phenomenal figure, and she’s a woman’s woman. She’s a woman of the Church, too, by which I mean that she read the Church and its mission and ideals quite clearly, and then she insisted that the Church keep them. She gathered disciples around her, and for many years they lived in an anchorage attached to a male monastery called Disibodenberg. But the monastery apparently never made any particular arrangements for this growing group of young women, so one day she got up and said, “I’m leaving. We’re going to go build our own house.” The abbot didn’t like that one bit because she had raised the profile of his monastery. People came from everywhere to visit her, and the dowries of the young women who joined her were a social security program for that monastery. But she picked up the women, the dowries, and everything they had, and she left because it was the right thing to do for her community. It took the world nine centuries to catch up with this woman, and it took the Church nine centuries to catch up with her sanctity, because she was a woman “writ large.”

Q: Why do you think Pope Benedict XVI decided to canonize her [in 2012], at that moment in the Church’s life? A: That’s an even more interesting question. I’m not sure how much conscious thought might have gone into it before Hildegard’s canonization and installation as a doctor of the Church, but I do believe in the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit believes in women. I believe the women’s issue in the body of the Church is coming right out of the awareness of the Holy Spirit, and nowadays you simply cannot ignore strong women. You cannot substitute piety for integrity, strength, and an

ethical approach to the Church in the modern world: qualities that Hildegard epitomized. It’s a grand story that suddenly seems very contemporary.

Q: If we take Hildegard seriously, especially women in the Church today, how will she change us? A: In the first place, I don’t know that she would change us. But she would confirm us. She’s clearly the confirmation of Christian feminism. She’s clearly the call to women to be everything they can be, to be the fullness of themselves, without an ounce of fear. She is the “open sesame” to a woman’s insight and a woman’s Gospel life.

Q: As a Benedictine and a former prioress yourself, do you see any parallels between Hildegard’s experience and yours? A: Well, I’m a Benedictine, and she was a Benedictine. So one similarity would be our spirituality. Benedictinism is based on bringing the spiritual life, as well as the intellectual and social life of a person, to fullness. If anybody is a model of the fact that no woman is to come to religious life to be suppressed, to become invisible, or to be made mute, this woman is certainly the model of our place in the Church and in the world. In that she has a similarity to all of us. She is a model to women religious everywhere, of course, at one level. But she is also a model for all women —laywomen, too—because if a cloistered woman religious from the 12th century can take upon herself the learning, the authority, and the wisdom position that she did, then we’re all called to key roles in our Church. As for me personally, I wouldn’t make any particular association. But she was a cloistered woman in a public role, like Sts. Teresa of Avila and Catherine of Siena, and none of them were wallflowers. Not one. All their voices have shaken this world. So Hildegard’s canonization and elevation to doctor of the Church is just another affirmation of the fact that women have a role to play in the Church. They have a key place to claim and an authority to bring to the issues of our time. St A n t h o n y M e s s e n g e r . o r g

Who Was St. Hildegard of Bingen?

Q: In his commentary on Hildegard at the time of her canonization, Pope Benedict XVI described Hildegard as advocating a radical reform of the Church, and he said that she was fearless, “a feature of every prophet.” How do you think that relates to women religious today? A: I believe in our shared call, and I own it as a claim on our souls. There’s something about religious life, and there’s something about religious life for women that is yet to be completely understood. The role of religious life is Fr anciscanMedia.org

PHOTO BY BOB SESSIONS

Hildegard was born in 1098 in Bickelheim, Germany, the 10th child of noble parents. At age 8, her parents sent her to live with the Benedictine anchoress Jutta, whose cell—consisting of a few small rooms—was attached to the monastery of Mount St. Disibodenberg in the Rhine valley. Hildegard studied music, spinning, Latin, biblical history, herb lore, and prayer. At age 18, Hildegard decided to take on the Benedictine habit herself. When Jutta died in 1136, Hildegard was appointed to lead the community of 12 women. At 42, Hildegard had a vision she believed to be an instruction from God, to “write down that which you see and hear.” Though she was hesitant at first—in her day it was forbidden for women to write books—the voice was insistent, and she eventually began work on an illustrated book she called Scivias (Know the Ways). Word spread of her practical and spiritual gifts, attracting more visitors and disciples. In 1142, Hildegard and her sisters left their cramped quarters in Disibodenberg to found a new monastery of their own. Hildegard was hardly an ordinary abbess. Besides her spiritual influence, she was a gifted artist, musician, playwright, and scientist—a true Renaissance woman, some have said, well before that era. She was a courageous advocate for the oppressed and a fiery critic of the corrupt clergy of her day, making not a few enemies among the hierarchy. Hildegard died on September 12, 1179, at the age of 80. Her body of creative work includes nine books on theology, medicine, science, and physiology, as well as 70 poems and an opera. She also left hundreds of letters addressed to emperors and popes, bishops and archbishops, nuns and nobility. In 2012, Hildegard was at long last declared a saint

and made a doctor of the Church. In his homily on October 2, 2012, Pope Benedict XVI celebrated Hildegard’s prophetic spirit, brilliance, and love of creation. “Above all,” he affirmed, “she maintained a great and faithful love for Christ and his Church.”

always to live the Gospel at the grassroots, to be where the people are, and to be where the issues are. We are called to be more concerned about the Gospel on the streets of the world than about the custody of institutions. The liturgy of the Church belongs to the Church itself, and the sacraments of the Church—those are priestly acts. But the whole notion of being a bridge between the streets and the sacristies, that’s the role of religious—to take the sacristy to the streets, and to bring the people in the streets to the sacristy.

That is our spirituality, and that’s what Hildegard did best. When she saw the people being confused by the scandals of the Church in that period, she went from palace to palace, dais to dais, and altar to altar, and she retaught and reimaged in her own life the call of the Gospel for that precise time and place.

Q: Speaking of “place,” I understand that Benedictines take a vow of stability. A: Yes. I saw a poster some years ago J u ly 2 0 1 4 ❘ 3 7

Murals in the abbey are done in the Beuron style, which originated in Germany, but draws on the influence of Egyptian art.

PHOTO BY BOB SESSIONS

that said, “Bloom where you are planted.” I’m an Erie Benedictine. I was a child in Erie. I grew up in this town. I came to this monastery, and this monastery grew out of the soil of this town, in this region, in this country. We have a responsibility, therefore, to be where we are, to remain rooted here. When the murder rate began to rise in Erie, the Benedictine sisters began a street liturgy in this city called “Take Back the Site” to honor homicide victims and to “reconsecrate to life” the land where the bodies had been found. If your son was murdered on 9th and Ash, for example, the sisters went there with as many people as they could gather and held a prayer service, a “living liturgy” of psalms, hymns, and prayers for the family. Now, hundreds of people come, and two other religious communities have joined us. Families look forward to it

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Click here for more on St. Hildegard of Bingen.

because it is publicly comforting to them in the face of their public humiliation and pain. That’s the kind of thing that Hildegard must be understood to be about: she took the Church to the people and she took the Gospel to the Church itself. When there’s a rupture between the sacristies of the Church and the 3 8 ❘ J u ly 2 0 1 4

people on the streets, it’s women religious who must stand up, call it out, and claim the work of binding and healing the divide.

Q: Isn’t that hard to do, though, given the climate in the Church?

A: It is hard, but people know the Church when they see it. People know when the Church is active in their midst—the way you live as a body, as a Benedictine monastery, as a religious community anywhere. The way you live and what you do speaks Church to the people and it speaks truth to the Church as well. That’s what Hildegard did! She didn’t leave the Church when things got tough. She was often upset by the way the Church was being administered, by the things that were being done, but she didn’t leave it.

[as a result]. That bishop put them under what the Church calls interdict, meaning that they couldn’t receive the sacraments, they couldn’t have Mass, and they couldn’t sing the Divine Office. But that community, all of them, hung together and went on living their religious life under those conditions. The people around them knew that the interdict was wrong, and when a new bishop came in, the interdict was lifted. But it is that dogged determination to make the Gospel plain, even in the face of individuals claiming law over love, that is at the very heart of Hildegard’s story. When you get into these stories, you get into the very heart of the function of Church—both ecclesiastically and as a body.

Q: Like Hildegard, you’ve been Q: Can you give us an example of St. Hildegard’s struggles within the Church? A: There’s a famous story of her burying in the monastic cemetery a man who had been censured by the local bishop. The man had been excommunicated, so the bishop demanded that she dig up the body and take it out of blessed ground. Instead, she led her community to the cemetery and they scraped off the tops of every grave with their walking sticks so that nobody would be able to tell where the new grave was. She refused—she absolutely refused!—to dig up that young man just because a bishop didn’t like him and had condemned him to hell. [Hildegard’s] community suffered

described as a prophet and a mystic. I wonder what you think of that. A: I believe that we’re all called to union with God, that we’re all called to speak the word of God in ungodly places and to ungodly situations. So my answer is that we’re all called to be prophets and mystics. The important thing is that you know who you are at all times. Never let any words seduce you or confuse you. Put the center of your heart in the hands of God and you will be fine. A Alicia von Stamwitz is a St. Louis-based freelance writer. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, The Sun, America, and The United Church Observer (Canada), as well as publications in Australia, England, Ireland, and New Zealand. St A n t h o n y M e s s e n g e r . o r g

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Holiness Father Richard Leonard, an Australian Jesuit and media expert, explains how film can be a gateway to God. BY CHRISTOPHER HEFFRON

Karl Malden was critically acclaimed for his role as Father Barry in Elia Kazan’s Oscar-winning classic On the Waterfront.

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N THE 1954 FILM On the Waterfront, Marlon Brando plays Terry Malloy, a longshoreman who struggles to take a stand against the Mob-controlled union that has made life for workers unbearable. One scene in particular rouses a Catholic spirit. Karl Malden’s Father Barry gathers some of the men at the dock and, standing a few feet from the corrupt bosses, speaks out against the injustices the workers face. “Some people think the Crucifixion only took place on Calvary,” the priest says, his voice rising to a howl. “They better wise up! Taking Joey Doyle’s life to stop him from testifying is a crucifixion. And every time the Mob puts the pressure on a good man, tries to stop him from doing his duty as a citizen, it’s a crucifixion.” On the Waterfront was a film ahead of its time because, unlike many of its contemporaries, it tackled a socialjustice issue with a Christian awareness. It won eight Oscars and is considered one of the finest American films ever made. But would it find an audience today? Richard Leonard, SJ, a media expert with a lifetime of studying film, believes so. In an interview with St. Anthony Messenger, he says, “I think moral stories can still find an audience. There are films where the values are better and the material they’re exploring is very strong. I think there’s an audience for a story beautifully realized and acted. So I think it could work again.” If On the Waterfront were released this month—in the heart of the summer blockbuster season—it would compete with the Cameron Diaz comedy Sex Tape, Hercules with Dwayne St A n t h o n y M e s s e n g e r . o r g

Richard Leonard, SJ, is the director of the Australian Catholic Office for Film and Broadcasting and a lover of film since childhood.

“The Rock” Johnson, and Jupiter Ascending starring Channing Tatum. These films are sure to bring in numbers while doing virtually nothing to deepen the faith of filmgoers. Why are films that feed the spirit so hard to find? Leonard has devoted his life to that question. A graduate of the London Film School, he is the author of Movies That Matter: Reading Film through the Lens of Faith (Loyola Press), and is the director of the Australian Office for Film and Broadcasting. Leonard also has a PhD in cinema and theology from Melbourne University. His work with that office is multilayFr anciscanMedia.org

ered. They look at film reviews for the Australian Catholic Press, as well as censorship issues. They offer media education and, finally, pastoral care for people in the entertainment industry. Leonard, to be certain, is a formidable voice in film study and media analysis.

Film as a Teacher Though cinema took a hit with the arrival of television in the mid-1950s— and again in the 1970s—it has always remained a cultural force, and Leonard understands its influence. “Film forms values. That’s why it is a teacher. It

reflects back to us what’s happening in society in a very stark way.” According the Motion Picture Association of America, in 2013 the United States/Canada box office totaled $10.9 billion, proving that it is a powerful medium. Yet it’s also a deeply personal one. Consider the experience of sitting in a darkened theater, close to the big screen, with surround sound. It affects us on a sensory and emotional level. “When we’re looking at that screen and we’re laughing or crying along with the story, and because we have some psychological identification going on, then we’re dealing with our own story too. That makes it a very powerful teaching tool,” says Leonard. But it needn’t be cinema only. Think of Redbox or Netflix as education centers. They have hundreds of stories that can teach us about faith and humanity. Leonard cites the following films as ones that can accomplish that: The Diving Bell and the Butterfly. This is a true story of Jean-Dominique Bauby, a man who suffers from “locked-in syndrome” after a massive stroke. “He wants to find hope, but there is only depression, and then an angel of light assists him to find meaning in suffering.” Hotel Rwanda. In an Oscar-nominated performance, Don Cheadle plays a hotel manager who rescues his fellow J u ly 2 0 1 4 ❘ 4 1

CNS PHOTO FROM UNITED ARTISTS

(Above) Don Cheadle and Sophie Okonedo’s marriage in Hotel Rwanda, Father Leonard says, perfectly captured the virtue of fidelity. (Right) The Lord of the Rings trilogy made over $2 billion worldwide, but also tackled religious themes. citizens during the 1994 Rwandan genocide. Of the relationship between Cheadle and Sophie Okonedo, who plays his wife, Tatiana: “It is one of the best portrayals of the fidelity and self-sacrifice in Christian marriage you are likely to see.” Whale Rider. A young Maori girl in New Zealand, played by Keisha CastleHughes, must fight centuries of customs to lead her tribe. Leonard raves about this “simple and profound film about traditions, patriarchy, the power of women, and the pain of transition.” Leonard also finds parallels to our own Catholic tradition. “This story highlights that, while men may be the only ones allowed to be ordained, that does not stop Christ from raising up his sisters to be some of our greatest leaders.” The Lord of the Rings trilogy. An examination of good versus evil, Leonard sees Peter Jackson’s interpretation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s work as fundamentally religious. “Keep a good eye on the most creative portrayal of the Trinity on the big screen,” he says. “Gandalf is a Father who creates and calls. Frodo is a Son who takes on the form of the least, a hobbit, but whose destiny is to save. And the character Galadriel is a Spirit who inspires, enlightens, and comforts.” 4 2 ❘ J u ly 2 0 1 4

Leonard believes that watching films such as these is a visceral experience because it taps into our own psychologies. “It’s a profound teacher and because cinema is a big screen, big sound, big experience, it has a big impact. Film also moves the emotions, and once you move people’s emotions to laugh or cry or be enraged, then film is plugging into emotions in your own life.”

A Mixed Blessing Catholics must still wade through uneven waters to find films that touch on faith—while films that degrade the human person are abundant. The two subjects that Leonard speaks of with the most zeal are sex and violence, particularly how they are represented. He establishes a good criterion for himself, as both a filmgoer and a media expert. With cinematic sexuality, Leonard recalls how St. John Paul II put the term human dignity back into the international vocabulary. “That’s good criteria for me regarding sexuality and its portrayal in all media,” he says. “Is there a presentation of sexuality where the dignity of everybody is flourishing: the dignity of the people involved in the story or the dignity of the person who’s watching?”

Although Leonard admits that human sexuality is essential to certain films, how it’s delivered is critical. “There can be betrayals of sexuality which are appropriate to the story and are dignified and very well done. There can sometimes be, necessary in the story, criminal sexuality. You can’t tell a sexual child-abuse story or a rape story without at least an implied presentation of horrific events. But filmmakers need to be very careful. They’ve got grave responsibilities in this regard. If it’s necessary to have criminal or abhorrent behavior presented, then I want it done in an implied way.” Violence is tricky terrain as well. The Oscar-nominated Boyz n the Hood, for example, vividly captured the life-anddeath struggles of young African Americans in South Central Los Angeles. Violence, in that case, was an important component—almost a supporting character. It’s when screen violence is made to look stylish or seductive that we’re encroaching dangerous territory. “I want to know if it’s glamorizing or normalizing this behavior. Because it is neither glamorous, nor is it normal. It’s destructive. I want to make sure that it’s told with a terrific amount of attention to the impact of glamorizing St A n t h o n y M e s s e n g e r . o r g

Fr anciscanMedia.org

or normalizing violence and, therefore, legitimating further violence.” Violence is a close cousin with another trend that concerns Leonard, especially in American films: revenge. That theme can sometimes be handled in a comedic way, such as in The First Wives Club, about three 50something friends who wreak havoc on their ex-husbands who abandon them for younger women. But retaliation is seldom handled with such a light touch. More often, revenge manifests through carnage. From Carrie to Kill Bill, Machete to Django Unchained— filmmakers and audiences can be bloodthirsty, and that is a disconcerting trend. “We don’t forgive. We don’t reconcile. We don’t deal with the issues,” he says. “We get our revenge. We have payback and retribution. And I don’t think it’s by accident. I don’t think film creates that phenomenon. I think it reflects back to us what’s happening in society.” One film that still haunts Leonard as a mixed bag is 2004’s The Passion of the Christ. While he praises much of Mel Gibson’s depiction of the last 12 hours in the life of Jesus, he feels the film is unreasonably violent. “Fourteen minutes of the scourging at the pillar—blood and flesh and gore. I came out of the cinema wondering what was going on with Mel Gibson,” he says. “And yet there were Catholic bishops who wanted people in their dioceses to see it. I said to myself, ‘Hang on a minute! I’ve spent the last 15 years of my life saying implied violence is better than explicit violence. And here we have a film that’s explicitly violent.’ Now all of a sudden we’re saying, ‘Well, when it gets to the story of Jesus, all bets are off.’” As a tool for evangelization, The Passion, to this expert, missed the mark. “I don’t find shock ever to be the best way to evangelize,” he says. “I don’t find shock anywhere in the New Testament—from the apostles, disciples, or Christ himself—as a tool for reaching people. I want the evidence. Where’s the evidence that people came back to church or came to love Jesus more? If that’s true, then we should

Seven Films to See Here are seven films that Father Richard Leonard, SJ, thinks every Catholic must see.

Of Gods and Men (2010)

Babette’s Feast (1987)

Dead Man Walking (1995)

The Last Days (1998)

The Mission (1986)

Romero (1989)

The Shawshank Redemption (1994)

“This is one of the finest religious and best Catholic films of all time. As their area is invaded by Islamic extremists, the monks have to discern whether they stay with their people or return to their native France.”

“Pope Francis’ favorite, this film can be read as a parable of eucharistic hospitality and as an homage to an artist, in this case a culinary artist.”

“Forgiveness does not deny things were done, but rises to say that despite what was done, I still forgive you. Sometimes we ask the question, ‘What would Jesus do?’ This film gives us the answer.”

“One of the most moving documentaries I have ever seen. It is like a biblical narrative: the story of scapegoat theology and the purification of memory.”

“Great themes here of the wages of sin and death, repentance, conversion, penance, and forgiveness. Are pride, riches, and greed the motivation for our most destructive behavior? When is it justified to take up arms?”

“Oscar Romero was the most unlikely of social prophets, but became the voice of the poor against El Salvador’s military junta. This is a moving film about the martyrs and the cost of following Jesus.”

“Andy is a Christ figure, an innocent man who is wrongly convicted and persecuted, but who nonetheless sets others free by how he lives his life. Against the odds, and even when the truth lets him down, Andy believes in hope and beauty.”

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CNS PHOTO/COURTESY OF WARNER BROS.

make The Passion of the Christ 2: Jesus Suffers Some More.”

Careful Consumers Media, in all its forms, can be thorny. Therefore, Leonard says we must be critical of the media we consume. A dangerous game to play when considering film is to categorize certain ones as sinful without actually seeing them. Harry Potter is a prime example. Though the franchise made a killing at the box office, it scared off many Christian filmgoers, who deemed it evil. Leonard asks that we dig deeper. “The whole series is an incredible narrative about discernment,” he says. “It’s all about making good and bad choices. Some people don’t like the films because it had witches and warlocks in it—Satanism in sugar coating. Well, if that’s true, then we’re never going to read Macbeth again. Last I checked it had witches in it. So is any Catholic seriously going to say that because a witch or a warlock is presented, we can have nothing to do with it? I think that’s a serious poverty of imagination.” Even the contentious Brokeback Mountain, about two Wyoming cowboys who share a secret, doomed relationship, in Leonard’s eyes was unfairly shunned out of fear and loathing. Many looked away when they should have looked closer. “Most condemned that film without even going to see it. That’s always a bad

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Click here for more resources on film and faith.

idea. It was much more complex than simply saying, ‘Oh, it’s a gay cowboy movie.’ It really wasn’t. One character’s dead and the other man is a shell of a human being. It’s incredibly sad. Their lies destroy them. It’s where sexuality can be so destructive. “It worries me that we can be quick on the headline because we think a certain part of our community wants to hear that, when, in fact, if you watch 4 4 ❘ J u ly 2 0 1 4

The Harry Potter franchise scared off many Christian fans who felt it was “Satanism in sugar coating.” Father Leonard urges consumers to think before leaping to conclusions.

the film all the way to the end, you can see there are other themes here. I don’t think you could’ve walked out of Brokeback Mountain and said that was a film promoting the gay lifestyle. I just don’t think it was.” It doesn’t aid in our spiritual journeys to bury our heads in the sand, Leonard feels. “Catholics who say, ‘Film is evil—an instrument of the devil,’ to them I would say, ‘You haven’t seen enough. You’re not as critical a consumer as you need to be.’ There are wonderful films that may not mention Jesus or the teachings of the Church or talk about the Gospels, but they’re singing our song.”

The Future of Film When asked about the state of motion pictures, director Steven Spielberg once opined, “We have forgotten how to tell a story.” His own résumé would suggest otherwise. He’s given us decades of movies that are both commercially successful and able to speak to something deeper, from The Color Purple to Schindler’s List to Lincoln. There are films out there—like Spielberg’s— that can tell a good story and feed the spirit. We just have to be open to them. So what are Leonard’s hopes for the future of film? “I wish the film community would be less interested in making money and more interested in the culture they form through the cinema they make,” he says. “I’m not asking for only Bambi

to be made. But I do think they’ve got to take much more seriously the destructive impact that some of these films have.” Film not only takes a snapshot of where our society is, but it can also be prophetic. In 1998, Australian director Peter Weir gave us The Truman Show, about a man who begins to realize that his entire life is a reality show watched by the whole world. In its initial release, some critics, though in awe of Weir’s work, thought the film’s subject matter was a stretch—even fantasy. But in our current culture of Housewives and Kardashians, it’s hard not to tip your hat to the film for its vision. “Now all of these reality shows later,” Leonard says, “it’s not looking so stupid that, for the sheer sake of entertainment, we would con some poor person, because we do it in small measure for public entertainment all the time.” Leonard seems cautiously hopeful that cinema can continue to offer audiences—Catholic or otherwise—stories that challenge and lift the human person. And, of course, he has his own preferences as well. “I’d love them to tell more real-life stories, heroic stories. I like any film that tells a moral story well: films that get me to think about the implications of where we’re going. I wish we’d make more of those.” A Christopher Heffron is the associate editor of this publication and a student of pop culture. He’s been a film lover all his life. St A n t h o n y M e s s e n g e r . o r g

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The Neighbor Sometimes there’s more than meets the eye. FICTION BY JANICE BECKMAN

ILLUSTRATION BY JASON RAISH

scream followed the sound of scraping metal. Kari dropped the dish back into the soapy water and ran out the kitchen door, wiping suds on her jeans. On the sidewalk in front of her house lay a small, pink, flowered bicycle. The sobbing child on the ground next to it held her knee with one hand and clung to the bike handle with the other. Kari knelt next to the little girl. “It’ll be OK. Let me see your knee. Did you hit your head, too?” The child jerked away from Kari’s touch. Kari looked down into frightened, watery eyes. At least fear had made the child momentarily forget the pain. Her sobbing had stopped. Kari tried to reassure the child. “Amy! Amy, are you OK?” A boy came running toward them. Kari recognized him as the girl’s brother. The family was new on the block. They had moved into the yellow house in March. Only four months, but Kari had seen the children often. “Are you her brother?” Kari asked the obvious question to open a conversation. “Yes. Come on, Amy.” “What is your name?” “Jacob. Amy, come on. I have your bike.” He bent and retrieved the pink handlebar his sister had been clutching. “Wait, Jacob. Amy is going to need a Band-Aid.” And plenty of soap and water, Kari thought. Both children looked as if they hadn’t been exposed to either in quite a while. “Come into the house. We’ll clean up the scrape.” “No thank you; we have Band-Aids. We aren’t supposed to go into other people’s houses.” “Yes, of course. That is a very good rule. My name is Mrs. Randal. Tell your mother to call me if I can help.” Kari watched as the boy steered the bicycle with one hand and held his sister’s with the other as she limped beside him.

ari returned to her half-washed lunch dishes, but a thought haunted her. She had never seen the mother since the family moved in. She knew the father would leave for work at six in the morning. She had seen his blue Ford Focus drive by. Her early mornings made her rely on Ju ly 2 0 1 4 ❘ 4 7

neighborhood gossip to believe the dad never returned before 11:00 at night. He was even gone on most weekends. The same gossip assured her that she wasn’t the only one who had not seen the children’s mother. After that, Kari kept a closer eye on the kids. They never played with any other children that Kari could see. She did hear the mother call them a couple of times, but she didn’t sound very authoritative. In fact, she sounded like she didn’t care if they came or not. Another change was slowly becoming obvious: the children wore the same clothes for days and they hadn’t been washed between wearings. Now, Kari became concerned. Well, it started as concern but soon grew to anger. After only two and a half weeks of observations, Kari was furious. Why did God give children to people who didn’t want them and refused to take care of them? Why did he take them away from people who did? Offers of cookies and games didn’t entice the children onto Kari’s porch or into a friendship. On several occasions, she suggested that they go and ask their mother if it was all right to accept her invitations. The replies were always the same. “We can’t. She’s sleeping.” Mothers who sleep when they should be watching their children need a wake-up call, in more ways than one, thought Kari. She knew how some people used “sleep.” She had done her fair share of “sleeping” until Ralph forced her to get help. If this is how this mother was “sleeping,” something should be done.

fter the first week, Ralph had told Kari he didn’t want to hear about it anymore. She should do something or be quiet. Just like a husband. Discussions with the neighbors always finished with an agreement that something should be done. By the third week, Kari sat staring at her computer. Concentration on the article she was writing became impossible. Three weeks of grumbling—to herself, to the walls, to the laundry, to anything else available—hadn’t cleared her mind for anything else.

4 8 ❘ July 2014

She couldn’t concentrate on work, and her article was due by the first of the month. Action was the only solution. She kept her finger on the page of the phone book and reached for the receiver. What would she say? She played the conversation out in her head. “The neighbors don’t watch their two children and their clothes are dirty.” “How do you know they don’t watch the children, Ma’am?” “Five- and seven-year-olds staying out till 10 and 11 at night?” “There isn’t a curfew in Millingham; it’s not a good idea, but not against the law. Dirty clothes are quite common on children that age. It usually happens minutes after you get them dressed.” Kari pulled her hand back. Obviously, the call would be a waste of time. What, then? She needed proof before she called the authorities. Putting children in foster homes wasn’t something Kari relished, but something had to be done and no one else was doing it. She knew that if she asked to approach the mother she would be told she was sleeping. The children had been warned not to wake her.

ell, Kari had never been warned not to wake her. She grabbed the Sara Lee coffee cake still in the box on the counter. Maybe it was time to be a good neighbor and welcome her to the neighborhood. Kari’s footsteps on the pavement resonated purpose. Let’s just see what is making this woman sleep. Kari had already guessed, but she was going to make sure. Then she would have something to tell social services. “Hi, Mrs. Randal.” Both children stopped their bikes but Jacob, as always, was the spokesman. “Good morning, Jacob, Amy. I’m going to visit your mother.” Both small bodies went rigid. “No, you can’t.” Jacob’s voice was desperate. “We’re not supposed to wake her.” Amy’s wide eyes were pleading for

understanding. Kari obviously didn’t know the rules. “Mommy needs to sleep.” Of course she does, thought Kari. “It’ll be OK,” Kari said. “I just want to give her this coffee cake. I won’t be long.” Kari almost tripped as the children ran in front of her, trying to stop her progress. “Please don’t wake her.” Amy’s voice was almost dissolving into sobs. “We’re not supposed to wake her up. She is supposed to sleep,” Jacob insisted. She is supposed to take care of her children, Kari’s mind screamed. The little band continued their halting forward progress to the porch. The going was slow, but Kari was determined. Only by being careful was she able to avoid the little feet that stayed dangerously close in front of her.

limbing the forbidden steps, Kari realized she had no idea of the woman’s name. Looking down, she asked, “What is your mother’s name?” “Mommy,” was the unison answer. “Uh, what is your last name?” The question brought confused stares. “Jacob, what is your full name? Jacob what?” “Jacob Charles Bradley.” The little boy straightened proudly for the announcement. Kari reached the screen door and knocked, calling, “Mrs. Bradley. It’s Kari Randal, your neighbor. Mrs. Bradley?” The response was too slurred to be interpreted. Kari chose to interpret it as a “come in.” She pulled the screen door and entered. The smell made her stop. It was familiar and disturbing, but she couldn’t identify it. Movement to her left caught her attention and she turned and went into the living room. “Mrs. Bradley.” The response was barely audible as a “yes” in question form. The responder was trying to raise herself to a sitting position on the couch. Her robe was in no better condition than her children’s St A n t h o n y M e s s e n g e r . o rg

clothes. Her eyes were sunken into her head and her skin had a translucent, porcelain quality. Kari took inventory of the jumbled items on the messy end table by the sofa. Then she recognized the odor. How could she forget the smell of cancer, the smell of dying? How could she forget the last days of her little Rachel’s life? She hadn’t even been able to celebrate Rachel’s eighth birthday. That’s when she had started “sleeping.”

Ned, brought his guitar. Soon, a bass and a keyboard were set up on Fred’s front porch. Kari waited until the initial excitement and conversations wound down before she revealed her real purpose for the get-together. The mention of the Bradley family caught the attention of most. Faces first showed shock and then concern as she explained the situation. There were some guilty expressions that Kari could identify with. They had shared some rather harsh opinions about the Bradley family over the past few months. Doris Feisan was the first to speak up. She could make a casserole for the family. Others were quick to join in. Schedules were set up to bring prepared food to the house. A neighborhood watch was initiated to supervise Jacob and Amy. Mrs. Bradley, who Kari discovered was named Susan, received short, but frequent, visits from the women. Kari didn’t have to use much convincing for Ralph to visit with Charles Bradley, the children’s father, and explain the

ari did call the authorities. They helped her get in touch with hospice and home health. Kari learned that the children’s father was working two jobs but, with the medical bills, still couldn’t afford day care for the children. The next calls were to the neighbors. Kari wasn’t sure if her suggestion would be welcomed, but it was soon obvious that the Harmon Street Block Party and Barbecue was a success. Everyone had embraced the idea enthusiastically and pitched in with the food and drink. Carol’s husband,

involvement the neighbors wished to have. Ralph reported to Kari that Charles Bradley was both relieved and grateful, and “a really nice guy.” The day of the block party, friendships were formed; others cemented. It was renamed and everyone continued to enjoy the Annual Harmon Street Good Neighbor Celebrations. A Janice Beckman is a freelance author from Moscow, Idaho. She has previously had a short story published in Liguorian magazine.

ANSWERS TO PETE AND REPEAT 1. The price of the lemonade has increased. 2. Scruffy has joined Pete and Sis. 3. A logo has appeared on Pete’s shirt. 4. There is an extra cup on the table. 5. Sis’ shirt has a collar. 6. An ice cube in the pitcher has melted. 7. Sis’ hair is tucked behind her ear. 8. One of the cups has an ice cube in it.

POETRY Divine Lover

In the Field

Jesus, Brother, Friend, Divine Lover of my soul: Constant Companion.

We work sweating until birds fly over breaking sun into dappled light that falls like snow.

—Jeanette Martino Land

—Judy Rae Cavagnero

Summer Dance Clouds swirling, dipping, pirouetting in unison with one another. Their music, a lovely summer breeze. Their dance floor, an endless ballroom of sky.

Sweet Rain Sweet rain Baptize the Earth, Silver bubbling Joy Make happy grass and trees, In a summer world, Be my poem.

—Marion Schoeberlein —Ryan Cory

Fr ancisca n Media .org

Ju ly 2 0 1 4 ❘ 4 9

ASK A FRANCISCAN

❘ BY FATHER PAT McCLOSKEY, OFM

What Is ‘Equivalent Canonization’? Pope Francis has canonized several people in what news reports have described as “equivalent canonization.” My Catholic education has not prepared me for that term! What does it mean? Why is this done? On April 3, 2014, Pope Francis signed a decree recognizing as saints Jose de Anchieta (“apostle of Brazil”), Marie de’ l’Incarnation (“mother of the Catholic Church in Canada”),

and Francois de Laval (first bishop of Quebec). The pope used this procedure in 2013 for Peter Faber (a companion of St. Ignatius of Loyola) and Angela of Foligno (a Franciscan mystic). Pope Francis dispensed with the requirement of a second miracle in order to canonize Pope John XXIII last April. Pope Benedict XVI had used equivalent canonization in 2012 before declaring Hildegard of Bingen

The Meaning of Paschal

CNS PHOTO/PAUL HARING

I know that words often have a root meaning. For example, our word sacrament comes from the Latin word sacramentum, which I know St. Augustine described as “an outward sign instituted by Christ to give grace.” In preparing for a seventh-grade religious education class about the paschal mystery, I would like to know where we get the word paschal. The Hebrew word pesach (Passover) became the Greek word pascha. Father John L. McKenzie, SJ, wrote in his Dictionary of the Bible that pesach designated both this spring feast and the animal eaten then (lamb or goat) as described in Exodus 12:1-28. In fact, what we now know as Passover was originally two feasts: pesach and mazzoth (unleavened bread as described in Exodus 34:18). Because Jesus’ death happened at the time of Passover, the term paschal mystery refers to his suffering, death, and resurrection. The candle lit at the Easter Vigil and used throughout the Easter season is called the paschal candle.

5 0 ❘ July 2014

and John of Avila as doctors of the Church. St. John Paul II had used this procedure in 1999 to canonize Kinga (Cunegunda), patroness of Lithuania and Poland. Last December, Cardinal Angelo Amato, who heads the Congregation for the Causes of the Saints, explained in an interview with L’Osservatore Romano that the pope can waive the usual judicial process and extend to the entire Church the liturgical cult of someone who is already beatified. Cardinal Amato said that an equivalent canonization requires a longtime liturgical cult, the “constant and common attestation” of credible historians about the person’s virtues, and an “uninterrupted reputation for wonders” obtained through that person’s intercession.

Where Should I Go? Although I am a Catholic, I have been made to feel more welcome at a nearby Protestant church; I feel very spiritual there. I do not want to renounce my Catholic identity, but is it a sin to go to another church that is not Catholic? As you have already experienced, Catholics do not always show the joy and hospitality that you might expect of them. Pope Francis pointed that out late last year in his apostolic exhortation “The Joy of the Gospel.” I’m glad that you feel spiritual at this Protestant church, but don’t you miss the Eucharist that you could be receiving at a Catholic parish? We worship not only for the benefit that we receive individually but also to acknowledge that together we are indeed the body of Christ. Hospitality tends to be infectious. St A n t h o n y M e s s e n g e r . o rg

The Catholic parish closest to you might be very grateful for your contribution to this important ministry. Regular participation at Sunday Mass is in itself a regular renewal of your Catholic identity. I encourage you to take advantage of that opportunity.

Feast Days of Saints How are these days selected? Is it according to the day this saint was born? When she or he died? Is there some other factor? The date is often the day the person died, the day of his or her birth into heaven. But because two saints can die on the same day, the Church does not follow this custom absolutely. To my knowledge, the only feasts that honor a saint’s physical birth are the ones assigned to the birth of Jesus, Mary, and John the Baptist. I have never heard of a feast day linked to the day of someone’s canonization. It can, however, be linked to some other notable event in a person’s life. For example, the feast of St. John XXIII will be celebrated on October 11, the day that he opened the Second Vatican Council in 1962. The feast of St. John Paul II will be celebrated on October 22, the day in 1978 that he was publicly invested with the pallium as bishop of Rome. The Roman calendar lists feasts as they are celebrated worldwide. Most saints are not included in that calendar but are listed on other liturgical calendars approved for countries, dioceses, or religious communities. Feasts that fall on certain days of the Lenten or Easter season may be transferred to a nearby day. For example, if the feast of the Annunciation (March 25) should fall on Good Friday, it would be celebrated eight days after Easter.

Honoring One’s Father What does honor mean in the Fourth Commandment? My grade-school child’s father is not loving or nurturing; he refused to marry me and Fr ancisca n Media .org

even advocated an abortion when I became pregnant. He does, however, exercise his visitation rights. This child does not know about the abortion issue, but does feel unloved and is certainly aware that his dad does not support a Catholic education and will not allow the child to attend Mass during their visitation times. Under these circumstances, what can “Honor your father” mean to this child? This is clearly an excruciating situation for you and this child, but it will become even more difficult if you reveal to this child now everything that you have written here. I encourage you not to reveal now the father’s advocacy for aborting this child. That is almost guaranteed to make an already bad situation incredibly worse. Your child has already been sizing up for some years the father’s situation and has established some way of coping with it. You will serve this

child best by doing what you can to encourage a positive way of coping with this man—neither enabling his destructive behavior by telling lies to cover up for him, nor doing anything to make this child’s life any more difficult than it already is. Beyond exercising his visitation rights while restricting your child’s religious freedom, he seems to be a father only in the strictly biological sense. I encourage you to seek whatever help you need to cope with this excruciating and unjust situation. May the Lord be your strength and your guide. A

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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Ju ly 2 0 1 4 ❘ 5 1

BOOK CORNER

❘ BY CAROL ANN MORROW

Why the Catholic Church Must Change A Necessary Conversation By Margaret Nutting Ralph Rowman & Littlefield 209 pages • $34.00 Hardcover/e-book Reviewed by MARK WILKINS, who was involved in parish renewal workshops and retreats before beginning his teaching career. Most authors use the introduction to give a basic overview of the material they are about to present. Margaret Nutting Ralph also uses these pages to present the underlying

WHAT I’M READING ■ The

Joy of the Gospel, by Pope Francis

■ The

Connectivity Hypothesis: Foundations of an Integral Science of Quantum, Cosmos, Life, and Consciousness, by Ervin Laszlo

■ The

Fourth Gospel: Tales of a Jewish Mystic, by John Shelby Spong

PHOTO BY MIKE POSEY PHOTOGRAPHY & VIDEO

■ Heretics

and Heroes: How Renaissance Artists and Reformation Priests Created Our World, by Thomas Cahill

■ The

Little Giant Encyclopedia of Leadership Gaffes, by David Macfarlane

Sister Helen Prejean’s advocacy to abolish the death penalty inspired her to write Dead Man Walking, which then became an award-winning feature film. The last of her five current reads, she says, is to “tickle my funny bone.”

5 2 ❘ July 2014

premises on which she bases her argument as well as the supports from the Catechism of the Catholic Church and canon law. The 10 main chapters do not present any new issues, but do present a different way of framing the questions. Generally, when that happens, the type of response changes. The title and the major points made by the author would be fitting in any year since the opening of Vatican II in 1962. Ralph uses Scripture, Church teaching, and historical context to steadily build her case, starting with the basic question of whether or not the Roman Catholic Church can change teachings on key (not essential) matters. Ecumenism, ordination of women, homosexuality, contraception, abortion, and annulments are issues that raise voices and blood pressure. Yet they are not as fundamental as credal statements from Nicaea and other councils. As I read the book, the significance of ecumenism seemed to grow more important, including the analysis of how official Church teaching on ecumenical relations and worship sets the tone. By the end of the discussion on the other topics, it became clearer that what had been so strenuously condemned as mortal sin was now promoted and practiced by laity and hierarchy alike. We now pray with those for whose conversion we used to pray. Intercommunion certainly represents a wider perspective on the body of Christ than what was officially held pre-Vatican II. Against this background, Ralph constructs her perspective on the possibilities and future direction on the topics of contraception, priestly ordination, homosexuality, abortion, and annulments. She indicates the limits of the opposing arguments, and the historical context for different assumptions. In crafting her premises throughout the book, she brings together an analysis that is thoughtful, passionate, and balanced. Margaret Nutting Ralph has done the living body of Christ a valuable service by pointing out how we can remain faithful to essential principles, while applying them in changing contexts. St A n t h o n y M e s s e n g e r . o rg

BOOK BRIEFS

Expand Your Social Justice Network Faith Meets World The Gift and Challenge of Catholic Social Teaching By Barry Hudock Liguori Publications 159 pages • $16.99 Paperback/eBook

101 Tips for a Happier Marriage Simple Ways for Couples to Grow Closer to God and to Each Other By Jennifer Roback Morse and Betsy Kerekes Ave Maria Press 123 pages • $12.95 Softcover Reviewed by JULIE DORTCH CRAGON, wife, mother of six, manager of St. Mary’s Bookstore in Nashville, Tennessee, and author of Bless My Child, Jesus at My Side, and Visiting Mary: Her U.S. Shrines and Their Graces. “The whole point of this book,” write its authors, “is that you can improve your marriage, even if your spouse doesn’t change a bit.” In a time when strong marriages seem to be an exception, couples young and old can benefit from learning ways to refresh their relationships and to bring joy back into their commitments. Remember that first year of married bliss? Wouldn’t we all like that year to last a lifetime? Jennifer Roback Morse and Betsy Kerekes of the Ruth Institute, which was formed to “promote lifelong married love to college students by creating an intellectual and social climate favorable to marriage,” offer us short, straightforward ways to change the world’s expectations, to look within ourselves, to create joy, and to rediscover love. Simple in format and divided into sections such as “Check Your Expectations at the Door,” each suggestion truly challenges spouses to commit themselves to a better relationship, leading to a happier marriage. Each concise tip leads us to a better understanding of ourselves and of our spouse. Today, couples seem to be constantly pelted with examples of escape instead of routes of joy. Morse and Kerekes get us back on track. Fr ancisca n Media .org

Barry Hudock has written a book about Catholic social teaching without quoting any encyclicals. With all due respect, this serves the average reader well. His book, however, serves as an excellent transition to those sources if you aren’t sufficiently informed and motivated by Hudock’s words alone.

What’s So Blessed about Being Poor? Seeking the Gospel in the Slums of Kenya By L. Susan Slavin and Coralis Salvador Orbis Books 161 pages • $23.00 Paperback To many, the beatitudes don’t seem true or even possible. That’s what Susan Slavin thought before she did feet-on-the-ground mission work in a Kenyan slum. Its residents, however, helped her to know the Gospel truth of “Blessed are the poor.”

Where Justice and Mercy Meet Catholic Opposition to the Death Penalty Edited by Vicki Schieber, Trudy D. Conway, and David Matzko McCarthy Liturgical Press 225 pages • $18.95 Paperback/Kindle Chapters in this study-group-friendly book range from the personal to the theological to the economic, and each chapter concludes with discussion questions. One of the editors is mother to a murder victim. 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 Ju ly 2 0 1 4 ❘ 5 3

A CATHOLIC MOM SPEAKS

❘ BY SUSAN HINES-BRIGGER

Is Social Media Making Us Unsocial?

hen I was a teenager, we had one phone in our house—in the kitchen—for three girls. The cord on it was stretched to capacity as my sisters and I searched for any bit of privacy by hiding on the side of the china cabinet in the adjoining room. Why? Besides actually getting together, that phone was our only means of communication with our friends—and boyfriends. My, how the times have changed! Here’s a case in point. The other day

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

5 4 ❘ July 2014

I was driving my oldest daughter, Maddie, to pick up a friend. As we approached the house, I went to honk the horn to let her know we had arrived. Maddie stopped me before I had the chance. “I texted her to let her know that we’re here,” she said. Really? I thought. We are sitting in her driveway and you felt the need to text her?

Guilty as Charged Now before I point out Maddie’s overuse of electronics and social media, let me be clear that she is not alone. Both my son, Alex, and my daughter Riley are just as bad. And if I’m going to be completely honest, so are my husband, Mark, and I. How many times have I caught myself checking my e-mail or Face-

book feed when I could be paying attention to something else? I bring my tablet to gymnastics with Riley. I relax with my laptop at bedtime. I post pictures of things going on in my life when I should be just experiencing them. These days, it seems that if you want to know what’s going on with your friends—or sometimes even family—you have to log on to Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, Vine, or any other form of social media that seems to crop up every day. It is how we connect, get our news, and get inspired, thanks to Pinterest. But have we become overconnected? How many traffic accidents and deaths are occurring because someone just had to send that text? How many moments are we missing St A n t h o n y M e s s e n g e r . o rg

LET’S RECONNECT So how do we find ways to step away from our overly electronic surroundings and get back to life? Here are four suggestions.

Take a break. Log off of social media for one day, perhaps two. Let some phone calls go to voicemail. If it’s important, they’ll leave a message. Call people instead of texting them.

No phones allowed. I have instituted a no-phones-at-the-table rule in our house. And that goes for Mark and me, too. Enjoy each

out on because we’re looking at a Snapchat someone sent us? And do we really need to know what people had for dinner?

An Upside? I’m not saying there isn’t a place and purpose for social media. It’s huge. In some ways, it can help connect people who otherwise would not be a part of each other’s lives, or who can’t seem to find time to get together. Thanks to Facebook, I have reconnected with many people who had drifted out of my life. Honestly, as an extreme introvert, I kind of like

the idea of being able to talk from afar. In many cases it’s used for truly good purposes. I’ve seen it used for prayer requests and as a spiritual inspiration. There are stories of it being a blessing in times of emergency, such as natural disasters. Heck, even Pope Francis is using social media to spread the Gospel message. It can be a good tool to build community. Community, after all, is a cornerstone of our faith. But community is best achieved by coming together face-to-face to celebrate Mass and the sacraments, and

Stop and think. Reflect on all the times you have been on social media when you could have been directly engaging with something. At a dinner with friends recently, we realized we were all sitting around the table on our phones. It was a sobering reality that even in the presence of others, we really weren’t present.

ILLUSTRATIONS BY MARY KURNICK MAASS

Pay the consequences. I’ve read about how when some friends gather for a meal at a restaurant, they put all their phones in the middle of the table. The first person to grab his or her phone has to pay the tab. I would think having to pick up the bill certainly would be a good deterrent.

other’s company. After a while, it will sink in. In fact, the other day Maddie had some friends over. One of her close friends—who spends quite a bit of time at our house—started texting at the table. When Maddie began to call her on it, her friend quickly put her phone down and said, “Oh, that’s right. No phones at the table.” Sometimes they do listen.

to gather together as a spiritual family. Social media can be a wonderful tool to bring us together, but we also mustn’t forget the importance of personal interaction. Otherwise, what was meant to connect us will quickly cause us to disconnect. A

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 49)

Fr ancisca n Media .org

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AT HOME ON EARTH

❘ BY KYLE KRAMER

Apart or a Part?

2,000 years before scientists. Trinity was the word our tradition came up with to describe our experience of God as the power of love, who creates everything, holds everything in relationship to everything else, and draws it all toward redemption. God, revealed in Reaching Out Jesus Christ, is the composer The next time you receive and conductor of the magnifthe Eucharist, remember icent symphony of creation. how it connects you to the Unfortunately, most of us earth and to everyone who don’t take the new insights of ever has or ever will share science, or even the old in the body of Christ. truths of our own faith, all

that seriously in our daily What habits isolate you lives. We’ve been much more from others? Are there any inclined to buy into the popyou could live without? ular but wrongheaded idea that we’re all free, indepenHow might you reach out dent, self-made individuals, this month in your parish that the suffering of someone or neighborhood to people across the globe isn’t our conwho are lonely? cern, that our actions don’t have much meaningful effect (good or ill) on anyone or anything else. Fortunately, it’s getting harder and harder to keep up those fictions; everywhere we turn, the facts tell us otherwise. In the face of these discoveries is a challenging choice. Will we live apart, tending mostly to our own affairs? Or will we choose to live as a part of a much larger whole, embracing the blessings and burdens of our connectedness? This isn’t an abstract philosophical question; it’s much more dangerous than that. How we answer it will shape how we spend our time, our money, our energy, our love— and eternity. A

Kyle Kramer, an organic farmer, is author of A Time to Plant: Life Lessons in Work, Prayer, and Dirt (Sorin Books).

All of creation works in harmony to nurture the gift of life: bees, flowers, people—everything belongs. 5 6 ❘ July 2014

Click here for more ways to connect with nature.

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

n our small, diversified family farm, July is one of the manic months. We’re as busy as our honeybees, picking vegetables and fruit, harvesting hay, gathering eggs, and battling pests and weeds. We run, sweat-soaked, from one urgent task to the next, wonderfully caught in the web of our responsibilities—but never caught up. Aside from keeping us jumping, months like July remind me how many different parts and pieces make up the complex ecosystem that is our farm, and how all those elements interact with each other. If July on our farm were a sound, I think it would be a full, rich, sometimes chaotic symphony, with all parts contributing something essential to the whole. Much of modern science—from biology to particle physics, from climate science to social science—is now saying something similar, not just about farms but about cities and civilizations, about weather, about the smallest quarks and the most distant planets. Everything, we’re learning, has some meaningful (though mysterious) connection to everything else. Everything belongs, everything matters. Christians were on to this truth almost

BACKSTORY

Choosing Your Stories

here’s a stack of manuscripts in our shop that we call the reject pile. It’s made of all of the failed attempts to get a story into St. Anthony Messenger. Though we can publish only a handful of what comes to

us, there are writers all over the country competing to tell their story to you on these pages. We have a process of evaluating incoming manuscripts; these are the ones that didn’t make it. Sometimes they are totally off-the-wall. We get

PHOTO BY CHRISTOPHER HEFFRON

stories that place people into Bible scenes and imagine what would happen. That might be of interest to some, but we won’t publish it. One time, many years ago, I read a story about cardinals of the Church with some kind of tie to the St. Louis Cardinals. Yes, they all wear red hats. No, we are not publishing that story (even though we wish both groups of cardinals only the best)! The reject pile is partly composed of author queries (article proposals) that we simply don’t pursue for this magazine. Maybe we’ve had a similar article in the recent past, or have one in mind for the coming PHOTO BY JOHN FEISTER

months. Once again, some of them just don’t fit with us. The testimonials about family members—unless you’re related to Pope Francis—find an unhappy home in this pile. So do science-fiction-religion queries. And political diatribes. Some misguided soul might think that it must be fun separating the sheep from the goats, yes from no. Admittedly, we editors chuckle a bit if I bring a ridiculous proposal to read at our weekly editors’ meeting, where we consider queries. But more often, I can see the sincere desire on the part of the writer to share faith with you St. Anthony Messenger readers. That’s a laudable desire, one to be appreciated and handled with care. The most important person in this decision is you, dear reader. Before I reject a manuscript or a query, I, along with the other editors, consider whether this idea or article will serve you best. We know you are here looking for inspiration, for information, for understanding, for entertainment, for a family connection with the Franciscans and the rest of our Church. We do our level best to meet that need and, easy or hard, reject the rest.

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