July 2017 by St. Anthony Messenger

FIVE MEDITATIONS ON MERCY

ST. ANTHONY Messenger

A Vatican Astronomer’s

Canticle to

Creation Rising from Rock Bottom Francis Teaches Us to Pray The Bible and Beyond JULY 2017 • $3.95 FRANCISCANMEDIA.ORG

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CONTENTS

ST. ANTHONY

❘ JULY 2017 ❘ VOLUME 125/NUMBER 2

Messenger ON THE COVE R

26 A Canticle to Creation

Some see science and religion as opposed to each other. When Jesuit Brother Guy Consolmagno looks to the stars, he sees a natural fit.

Vatican astronomer Guy Consolmagno explores the heavens in search of higher meaning. By Kathleen M. Carroll

Consolmagno photo: CNS/Paul Haring; Space photo: © NASA, ESA, the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA), R. Gendler, and J. GaBany

F E AT U R E S

D E PA R T M E N T S

14 Five Meditations on Mercy

2 Dear Reader

These Gospel figures show us how to love anyone, in any situation. By Jeanette Martino Land

3 From Our Readers 4 Followers of St. Francis Marilyn Shea, OSF

20 Be a Living Prayer With the guidance of St. Francis of Assisi, you can learn to ground your life in prayer. By Daniel P. Horan, OFM

6 Reel Time The Dinner

Going Off the Menu

32 Rising from Rock Bottom

10 Church in the News

Trinity Sober Homes helps heal the broken souls of those battling addiction. Text and photos by Dave Hrbacek

19 Editorial The Power and Pitfalls of Social Media

38 The Bible and Beyond

31 At Home on Earth

Yes, God speaks to us in Scripture, but also through life’s experiences. By Roger Karban

42 Fiction: Spin the Wheel

8 Channel Surfing

Proudly Patriotic

Did she have the courage to try again? By Ann Turner

37 Catholic Sites to Explore Shrine of St. Thérèse

46 Ask a Franciscan Does Prayer Change Things?

48 Book Corner Little Sins Mean a Lot

50 A Catholic Mom Speaks Let’s Explore!

52 Backstory

DEAR READER

ST. ANTHONY M essenger

A Tireless Peacemaker St. Elizabeth of Portugal (1271–1336), like her great-aunt, St. Elizabeth of Hungary, also became a Secular Franciscan known for visiting the sick, establishing orphanages, and arranging dowries for poor orphan girls who sought to marry. Although her husband, King Denis of Portugal, was unfaithful, Elizabeth prayed constantly for his conversion. After that happened and he begged her forgiveness, she succeeded in establishing peace between Denis and one of his brothers and, later, between Denis and their son, Alphonse. After King Denis died in 1235, Elizabeth considered becoming a Poor Clare but was persuaded to become a Secular Franciscan; that way, she could continue directly serving the sick and the poor. Shortly before she died, Elizabeth established peace between her son, Alphonse, and the king of Castile, his brother-in-law. She was canonized in 1625. Her feast is celebrated on July 5 in the United States, but a day earlier on the Church’s worldwide calendar.

Publisher Daniel Kroger, OFM President Kelly McCracken Editor in Chief John Feister Art Director Jeanne Kortekamp Franciscan Editor Pat McCloskey, OFM Managing Editor/Advertising Daniel Imwalle Assistant Editors Susan Hines-Brigger Kathleen M. Carroll Digital Editor Christopher Heffron Editorial Assistant Sharon Lape

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(U.S.P.S. PUBLICATION #007956 CANADA PUBLICATION #PM40036350) Volume 125, 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. To subscribe, write to the above address or call (866) 543-6870. Yearly subscription price: $39.00 in the United States; $69.00 in Canada and other countries. Single copy price: $3.95. For change of address, four weeks’ notice is necessary. See FranciscanMedia.org/subscription-services for information on your digital edition. Writer’s guidelines can be found at Franciscan Media.org/writers-guide/. The publishers are not responsible for manuscripts or photos lost or damaged in transit. Names in fiction do not refer to living or dead persons. Member of the Catholic Press Association Published with ecclesiastical approval Copyright ©2017. All rights reserved.

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

FROM OUR READERS

More Questions about the Third Secret I am writing to express my surprise at what I read in the May issue of St. Anthony Messenger, specifically the article “The Third Secret of Fátima,” by Donna-Marie Cooper O’Boyle. I believe that Cardinal Angelo Sodano tried to manage the interpretation of the great secret of Fátima. For a while, he convinced Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger that he had the truth. But when Cardinal Ratzinger became pope, he saw things very differently. After he visited Fátima, he said that the greatest persecution of the Church comes not from the enemies without, but arises

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 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

ICONS © ISTOCKPHOTO/ ELIELI

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Fr ancisca n Media .org

from sin within the Church. This agrees with what Cardinal Mario Luigi Ciappi said about the third secret. He was the personal papal theologian for various popes. He said that the third secret tells that there will be a great apostasy in the Church, which will begin at the top and will spread from the Vatican to various parts of the Church. At Fátima, Mary said that the pope, in union with the bishops, should consecrate Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. If this is done, then there would be the conversion of Russia, and an era of peace would be given to the world. If not, the world would see great wars and persecution of the Church. Your article said that the consecration of the world by St. John Paul II fulfilled this request of Mary. If this is true, why are we not seeing the conversion of Russia? Why are we not seeing that great era of peace? Are the millions of refugees worldwide enjoying this peace? Rev. Fred Schneider, OFM Manitowoc, Wisconsin

Ed Lucas Story a Home Run I just finished reading the May issue of St. Anthony Messenger. Being a baseball fan dating back to the 1940s, I loved “Baseball’s Ed Lucas,” by Peter Finney Jr. What an inspiration he is! He never lacked courage or determination. In my view, he’s a true hero. I also enjoyed “Spiritual Guides in the Old Testament,” by Father Timothy Schehr, PhD. Now I see these figures from Scripture in a whole new way. Doris E. Richard Olney, Maryland

Hiking 101 I could really sink my teeth into the fiction from the May issue, “Witness,” by Jim Auer. Thank you, Mr. Auer, for an outstanding story that kept me riveted. On another, less positive note, I must express my feelings about Mark McCann’s article, “Life Lessons along the Appalachian Trail.” Though he mentions that he met people along the trail, he was hiking alone. And while I realize he derived spiritual benefit from that experience, I could not forget the frequent news stories of people traveling alone who face danger and/or death. As a former Girl Scout and Girl Scout leader, and as the wife of an Eagle Scout and mother of three Eagle Scout sons, I would caution readers against this. Always use the buddy system. I was so distracted by what I felt to be a poor decision on the part of the author that I couldn’t benefit from the wisdom he had to share. Coleen Caulfield Lake Hiawatha, New Jersey

Let Jesus, Pope Francis Be Guides to Compassion The letter from Bob Jacobucci published in the May issue’s “From Our Readers” (“Follow the Good Samaritan’s Example”) perplexes me. Common sense told the Samaritan to not take the injured man to his home. That was not the best thing to do for the injured man, and the good Samaritan knew this. He did the best he could for him. If we are not Native Americans, our ancestors went on their own journeys to the New World and were not turned away. Regarding immigration, we should look for guidance from Pope Francis and have open arms for all—as did Our Lord. Andrea Namanworth, OFS New York City, New York Ju ly 2 0 1 7 ❘ 3

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

A Blessed Peacemaker

ister Marilyn Shea, OSF, grew up on a farm in Iowa, enjoying a wonderful balance of work and play. “Some of my earliest memories include riding with my dad on the tractor, feeding calves, taming kittens, sitting outside on a summer night, identifying constellations and catching fireflies, cooking and gardening with my mom, listening to her sing and play the piano, picking wild strawberries, and making bouquets of violets, lilacs, and dandelions. Although I did not know St. Francis as a child, I had already imbibed the Franciscan spirit of finding God in all the beauty of creation as Francis did.” In college, Sister Marilyn met a young sister back from her first year on mission, where she taught first grade. “She was obviously happy with her vocation and suggested that I, too, might like to teach. During the next two years, I met many other sisters and was impressed with the idea of teaching in a Catholic school. Gradually, I became aware of a deep desire and call to enter religious life.” Today, Sister Marilyn is involved in several active ministries and has a passion for teach-

Marilyn Shea, OSF

ing the principles of “active nonviolence,” an idea she describes using the image of two hands. “One hand is held up as if to say ‘stop,’ when confronted with violence or injustice. It is a sign of noncooperation and resistance against anything that causes ourselves or another to be unjustly treated. “The other hand is held out as a welcoming gesture that says, ‘Although I will not tolerate your violence or injustice, I am not against you.’ Active nonviolence is not simply avoiding violence, nor is it accommodating violence by allowing it to go on without comment. The challenge is to become more and more aware of the violence hidden in ourselves and in our society. This involves getting to know people who are discriminated against in our society, hearing their stories, acknowledging our complicity in injustice, and working to eliminate it.” This commitment to nonviolence found a new outlet when Sister Marilyn worked with the Franciscan Action Network and the Unity Productions Foundation to develop a film about the historic encounter between St. Francis and Sultan Al-Kamil of Egypt. “Instead of following the call of the pope to

STORIES FROM OUR READERS St. Anthony Is Always Listening

Learn more about Catholic saints and their feast days by going to SaintoftheDay.org.

Recently, my husband lost his hearing aids. He had a doctor’s appointment and wanted to wear them. We searched the house and garage but couldn't find them. Just before we had to leave, I said a little prayer to St. Anthony to help us find them. On the way there, we both remembered the last time we’d seen them was on the kitchen table after dinner a couple days before. When we got home, I searched through the garbage container in the kitchen. There they were—mixed in with paper napkins! —M.L., Cincinnati, Ohio

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

ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI

Anger at Sin “Righteous anger” is very tricky. My anger at someone else’s sin does not prove my virtue. Francis once said: “Nothing should displease a servant of God except sin. And no matter how another person may sin, if a servant of God becomes disturbed and angry because of this and not because of charity, he is storing up guilt for himself” (Admonition XI). As Matthew 7:3 tells us, a speck in someone else’s eye is much easier to see than a plank in my own. —P.M.

PHOTO BY RON RACK

fight in the Crusades, St. Francis crossed enemy lines in an effort to bring peace,” Sister Marilyn says. “He found there a man equally willing to listen and search for common ground. It is a classic story of interfaith dialogue that is so needed at this time.” The Sultan and the Saint premiered this spring and is slated to appear on public television on December 19. Sister Marilyn and her community in Clinton, Iowa, hope that the film will be a catalyst to help Christians and Muslims build relationships and learn from each other. Peace and nonviolence are challenging topics, Sister Marilyn says. “Sometimes we have a false notion of peace as the comfortable feeling we have when no one challenges our thinking or questions our status as ‘good’ people. “We often fail to recognize our own complicity in a system that gives advantages to some while keeping others disadvantaged. We need to be courageous enough to cross the lines that separate us from one another, to give up our fears, and break down the walls we build around ourselves.” —Kathleen M. Carroll

To learn more about Franciscan saints, visit FranciscanMedia.org/source/saint-of-the-day.

S T. A N T H O N Y B R E A D

Fr ancisca n Media .org

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

Ju ly 2 0 1 7 ❘ 5

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 Dinner

SISTER ROSE’S

Favorite CNS PHOTO/THE ORCHARD

Films about

Racial Justice Cry Freedom (1987) Get Out (2017) Selma (2014) The Birth of a Nation (2016) Snow Falling on Cedars (1999)

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Richard Gere plays a senator facing a moral crisis in the dramatic thriller The Dinner. Paul (Steve Coogan), a high school history teacher, hesitates about going to dinner with his wife, Claire (Laura Linney), his brother, Congressman Stan Lohman (Richard Gere), and Stan’s wife, Katelyn (Rebecca Hall). Claire convinces him to go, unaware that Paul has found something disturbing on the cell phone that belongs to their son, Michael (Charlie Plummer). Stan has arranged the dinner at an expensive restaurant to discuss a family matter that could ruin their lives. The air is filled with tension. Interruptions from Stan’s assistant, Nina (Adepero Oduye), push the family to the brink. The two couples’ sons, Michael and his cousin, Rick (Seamus Davey-Fitzpatrick), have done something unspeakable, and Stan is forcing them to decide what to do before the story goes public. Paul, who has mental health issues, learns that he is the last to know and begins to act out. Beau, the child that Stan and his first wife, Barbara (Chloë Sevigny), adopted from Africa, was a witness to the

boys’ crime and is now blackmailing them. The Dinner may seem, at first glance, to be a food movie with the potential to bring people together, where the grace of shared food transcends the troubles at hand. But this film is the opposite. As Stan’s insistence that they must do the right thing wavers under pressure from the women, he utters words that shed light on our ethicschallenged culture: “There’s no right or wrong. There are only choices.” The Dinner could have been a better movie, but there is far too much going on. A diligent story editor could have helped refine the characters’ backstories, which overwhelm the plot and diminish the strength of placing the drama at a family dinner. The film, based on the Dutch novel by Herman Koch, is written and directed by Oren Moverman. Nevertheless, the acting is top-notch, especially from Coogan and Michael Chernus, who plays the unwelcome maître d’. A-3, R ■ Language, racial violence. St . A n t h o n y M e s s e n g e r

COURTESY OF ROADSIDE ATTRACTIONS

Noa Koler is the intrepid heroine in The Wedding Plan, about an Orthodox Jewish woman determined to find a husband.

The Wedding Plan

PHOTO BY ERIC CARO, COURTESY OF SONY PICTURES CLASSICS

Michal (Noa Koler), a 32-year-old Orthodox Jew, owns her own mobile petting zoo business in Jerusalem. When she meets with her fiancé to choose the menu for the reception, he breaks their engagement. Michal is crushed, but this woman is tireless in her plans. She rents the hall, hires two matchmakers, and declares that she will find a groom in a month. She goes on a pilgrimage, continues to prepare the apartment, has coffee with a man who is hearing-impaired, and finds herself attracted to an unsuitable Jewish rock star (Oz Zehavi). Michal’s friends think she’s crazy, but they lovingly support her as true friends would. The Wedding Plan is Israeli-American writer-director Rama Burshtein’s second film about young Orthodox Jewish women searching for marriage and love. It has a Jane Austen-like quality to it, which is no surprise because Burshtein loved reading her novels growing up. Like her first film, Fill the Void, this new one is an improbable and unique love story, touched with humor and heart. Not yet rated, PG ■ Mature themes.

ple knows, offers to drive her to Paris. Thus, the adventure begins. Jacques takes his time showing Anne the countryside. They stop at country restaurants, and Jacques arranges for them to stay in a hotel overnight, making Anne nervous because she does not know his intentions (they get separate rooms). When Jacques’ vintage car breaks down, Anne fixes it. They stop at a church and, before the statue of Mary and Jesus, Anne lights a candle and prays. She reveals her pain to Jacques, a moment that is transformative for Anne and inspiring to Jacques— and to the audience. It is moments like these that give the film its shine. Paris Can Wait, the directorial debut of Eleanor Coppola—wife of Oscar-winning director Francis Ford Coppola (of The Godfather fame)—is about the renewal of love. At 81, she has given us a delicate road-trip film that looks into the soul of a woman who has given so much of herself to others for far too long. Not yet rated, PG-13 ■ Mature themes.

Alec Baldwin and Diane Lane breathe life into their characters in Eleanor Coppola’s finely crafted Paris Can Wait.

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

Paris Can Wait In this charming film about rediscovering oneself, Anne (Diane Lane) and her husband, Michael (Alec Baldwin), a filmmaker, are leaving Cannes for Budapest and Paris when Anne gets an earache that sidelines her. She tells Michael she will take the train to Paris on her own and meet him there. Jacques (Arnaud Viard), a producer the couFr 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.

■

For additional film reviews, go to FranciscanMedia.org/movie-review.

J u ly 2 0 1 7 ❘

CHANNEL SURFING

WITH CHRISTOPHER HEFFRON

UP CLOSE

BravoTV.com/going-off-the-menu I spent two weeks in Italy a few years ago. The food was game-changing, but what impressed me even more was the care given to preparing the meals and how slowly, almost methodically, the dishes were eaten. This was no drive-thru culture. America moves too fast—especially with our gastro predilections. McDonald’s, Burger King, Wendy’s, and Subway, collectively, earned over 72 billion dollars in 2016. That’s a lot of turbo eating! Bravo’s fascinating, briskly paced web series Going Off the Menu offers a tasty alternative. The first season, hosted by Liza de Guia and Russell Jackson, was a foodie’s paradise: the two had a playful banter that made it watchable. The second season boasts a new host (Graham Elliot), but the premise is the same. Going Off the Menu guides viewers into Los Angeles’ most talked-about underground bars and eateries. So underground, in fact, that few people know they exist. Such VIP treatment, for viewers, is a treat. But look closer. This web series is more than just culinary escapism. It reminds us that food isn’t meant to be inhaled on the go. It’s a communal exercise to be savored with those we care about. Going Off the Menu—at a scant 12–15 minutes per episode—is a bite-sized diversion for those who love food. Dig in!

Retro Report

LOGO FROM NBC; BACKGROUND © SARAHDOOW/ FOTOSEARCH

RetroReport.org A rabbit hole you want to get lost in for a while, The New York Times’ absorbing web series Retro Report takes users back to some of the most galvanizing stories in our nation’s history. In the measured, almost dispassionate tone that has been the Times’ trademark since 1851, Retro Report’s micro documentaries feature stories that still resonate in our collective psyche. The series includes stories that are slightly more obscure. (Remember Sally Field’s shattering portrayal in the 1977 television movie Sybil? Retro Report uncovers the shocking truth behind the real woman—and it’s a doozy.) But the series isn’t afraid to look back at bigger, bolder stories such as the explosion of the space shuttle Challenger in 1986, our culture’s enduring fixation with conspiracy theories surrounding President John F. Kennedy’s assassination in Dallas, and Florida’s voting calamity in 2000. Each episode is more absorbing than the last. Retro Report is perfect for web junkies who want something deeper and richer than the quick highs promised by Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook. What this Emmy-winning series says, without directly saying it, is that our country—relatively young as it is—has a tumultuous history with countless stories worth revisiting. This series makes history fun. Punchy, perfectly edited, and beautifully produced, Retro Report is just good Times.

Going Off the Menu is an enjoyable web series, which takes a look at some of Los Angeles’ underground restaurants. 8 ❘

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

PHOTO BY TORRENEGRA/ FLICKR

Going Off the Menu

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CHURCH IN THE NEWS

❘ BY SUSAN HINES-BRIGGER

Pope, Trump Have First Meeting King Jr.’s books, including a signed copy of The Strength to Love. In one of the lighter moments of the meeting, when the pope met Trump’s wife, Melania, he asked her if she fed her husband potica, a traditional cake in Slovenia, her homeland.

CNS PHOTO/PAUL HARING

Pope Visits Fátima for Canonizations

Pope Francis presents a rare set of Martin Luther King Jr.’s writings to US President Donald Trump, accompanied by his wife, Melania, during a May 24 private audience at the Vatican. During their first meeting, Pope Francis and US President Donald Trump met in private for 30 minutes, following which the president told the pontiff, “I won’t forget what you said,” reported Catholic News Service (CNS). According to the Vatican, the president’s meetings with the pope and other Vatican officials consisted of “cordial discussions,” with both sides appreciating “the good existing bilateral relations between the Holy See and the United States of America, as well as the joint commitment in favor of life, and freedom of worship and conscience. “It is hoped that there may be serene collaboration between the state and the Catholic Church in the United States, engaged in service to the people in the fields of health care, education, and assistance to immigrants,” the Vatican said. Officials said the discussions also included “an exchange of views” on international affairs and on “the pro1 0 ❘ July 201 7

motion of peace in the world through political negotiation and interreligious dialogue, with particular reference to the situation in the Middle East and the protection of Christian communities.” Following their private meeting, Pope Francis and President Trump exchanged gifts. The pope presented Trump with a split medallion held together by an olive tree, which his interpreter told Trump is “a symbol of peace.” Speaking in Spanish, the pope told Trump, “I am giving you this because I hope you may be this olive tree to make peace,” to which the president responded, “We can use peace.” Trump also received a copy of Pope Francis’ message for World Peace Day 2017, as well as copies of three of his documents: “The Joy of the Gospel”; “Amoris Laetitia,” on the family; and “Laudato Si’,” on the environment. Trump gave the pope a large gift box containing five of Martin Luther

During his May trip to Fátima, Portugual, Pope Francis canonized two of the shepherd children to whom Mary appeared beginning May 13, 1917, reported CNS. Francisco Marto, who was 9 at the time of the apparitions, and his sister, Jacinta, who was 7, are now the youngest nonmartyrs to be declared saints by the Catholic Church. At a vigil on the eve of the 100th anniversary of the first apparition at Fátima, Pope Francis asked the tens of thousands in attendance which Mary they wanted to honor. Is the Mary they honor “a woman blessed because she believed always and everywhere in God’s words, or a ‘plaster statue’ from whom we beg favors at little cost?” he asked. The pope led the crowd in the rosary, and then recited a prayer he wrote—an expanded version of the traditional “Salve Regina” (“Hail Holy Queen”). He consecrated himself to Mary and entrusted to her intercession a suffering humanity where blood “is shed in the wars tearing our world apart.” Begging Mary’s assistance, Pope Francis prayed that believers would “tear down all walls and overcome all boundaries, going to all peripheries, there revealing God’s justice and peace.” He also presented himself before St . A n t h o n y M e s s e n g e r

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

CNS PHOTO/ ERIK S. LESSER, EPA

Callista Gingrich, wife of former US Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, has been nominated to be the new US ambassador to the Holy See by President Donald Trump. If confirmed, Gingrich will replace Ken Hackett, who retired in January.

The logo for World Youth Day 2019 in Panama has been selected by the WYD Executive Committee 2019 and the Vatican’s Dicastery for Laity, Family, and Life. The design, by Amber Calvo, a Panamanian student studying architecture, depicts symbols for Mary, Panama, and the Panama Canal. The winning logo was chosen from 103 entries submitted for the event that will take place Janu– ary 22–27, 2019.

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the image of Mary as “a bishop robed in white,” a reference to the third secret revealed to the children at Fátima. The following day, prior to the canonization Mass, the pope stopped in the sanctuary that houses the tombs of Sts. Francisco and Jacinta and their cousin Lúcia, who died in 2005 at the age of 97. The diocesan phase of her sainthood cause concluded in February and now is under study at the Vatican. During his homily, Pope Francis told the estimated 500,000 people in attendance that the hopeful message of Fátima is that men and women have a mother, and, like children

Capuchin Father Solanus Casey moved one step closer to sainthood on May 4 when a miracle attributed to his intercession was formally approved. He is the second US-born man to be named a blessed—the first being Father Stanley Rother—as well as the first person from Michigan. A beatification ceremony is slated to take place in Detroit later this year.

CNS PHOTO

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Bishop Michael J. Hoeppner of Crookston, Minnesota, issued a statement “categorically denying that he in any way forced, coerced, or encouraged” a candidate for the permanent diaconate not to report his claim of sexual abuse by Msgr. Roger Grundhaus, a priest of the diocese. The bishop’s statement came in response to a lawsuit filed that day against him and the diocese.

More than 500 acres of land in South Dakota were returned to the Rosebud Sioux by the Jesuits’ St. Francis Mission in May. The property had been given to the Jesuits by the US government in the 1880s for use for churches and cemeteries. “St. Francis Mission should not continue to hold land that it is no longer using for Church purposes,” said Father John Hatcher, SJ, president of St. Francis Mission. “The mission is not in the property business. I am grateful to the Rosebud Sioux Tribe for the use of this land and happy that we can return it for the use of the Lakota people.”

Pope Francis prays at the tomb of Jacinta Marto before celebrating the May 13 canonization Mass for her and her brother, Francisco, at the Shrine of Our Lady of Fátima in Portugal. Ju ly 2 0 1 7 ❘ 1 1

CNS/L’OSSERVATORE ROMANO

In February, Pope Francis appointed Polish Archbishop Henryk Hoser of Warsaw-Praga to study the pastoral needs of the townspeople and the thousands of pilgrims who flock to Medjugorje each year.

Remains of Oklahoma Priest Exhumed

In a continuation of the “Mercy Friday” visits he made during the Year of Mercy, Pope Francis spent the afternoon of May 19 going door-to-door and blessing homes in a public housing complex in Ostia, a Rome suburb on the Mediterranean Sea. According to the Vatican press office, Father Plinio Poncina, pastor of Stella Maris Parish, put up signs May 17 announcing a priest would be visiting the neighborhood to bless houses. The signs, which indicate a date and give a time frame, are a common sight in Italy in the weeks before and after Easter.

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“But it is clear. Who thinks that Our Lady says, ‘Come, because tomorrow at this time I will give a message to that seer?’ No!” Despite his personal doubts, though, the pope said the “spiritual and pastoral facts cannot be denied: people go there and convert, people who find God, who change their lives. There isn’t magic there.”

CNS PHOTO/DIANE CLAY, SOONER CATHOLIC

clinging to her, “we live in the hope that rests on Jesus.” By following Francisco and Jacinta’s example, Christians can become “a source of hope for others” and counter “the indifference that chills the heart” and “worsens our myopia,” the pope said. “We do not want to be a stillborn hope! Life can survive only because of the generosity of other lives.” On the flight back to Rome, following the trip, while talking with reporters, Pope Francis was asked about the apparitions at Medjugorje. The pope expressed his doubts about the apparitions, citing the findings of a commission chaired by Cardinal Camillo Ruini, the retired papal vicar of Rome. “The report has its doubts, but personally, I am a little worse,” the pope said. “I prefer Our Lady as mother, our mother, and not Our Lady as head of the post office who sends a message at a stated time. “These alleged apparitions don’t have much value,” he said, adding that it was his personal opinion.

The remains of Father Stanley F. Rother were exhumed on May 10 from Holy Trinity Cemetery in Okarche, Oklahoma, as part of the priest’s beatification process, reported CNS. Father Rother’s remains were then transported to Oklahoma City, where they were examined by medical professionals before being reinterred in the chapel at Resurrection Cemetery in northwest Oklahoma City. Rother, a native of Oklahoma, worked in Guatemala and was murdered there in 1981. It was announced this past March that he will be beatified in downtown Oklahoma City on September 23. Last December, Pope Francis recognized the martyrdom of Father Rother, making him the first martyr born in the United States. In anticipation of the event, the archdiocese announced on May 11 that it had launched a website— StanleyRother.org—dedicated to Rother’s life and beatification process. A

The vault containing Father Stanley Rother’s original casket is lifted from its grave site at Holy Trinity Cemetery in Okarche, Oklahoma, on May 10. St . A n t h o n y M e s s e n g e r

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Five Meditations on

MERCY

These Gospel figures show us how to love anyone, in any situation. BY JEANETTE MARTINO LAND

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hen I was growing up, we were encouraged to give things up from time to time—not just during Lent, but throughout the year. For me, that usually meant candy. Even in my early adult years, fasting frequently involved food. It wasn’t always an admirable choice because my ulterior motive often was weight loss. Now that I’ve matured in age and grace, I’ve decided to put more “can-dos” than “can’tdos” into the sacrifices I make. The recent Jubilee Year of Mercy inspired me to focus on almsgiving. Almsgiving (derived from the Greek word for mercy) includes gifts of money, goods, time, and commitment to service, such as performing the corporal and spiritual works of mercy. The key word here is performing—putting compassion into action. We fast on selfishness and feast on service! “For we are his handiwork, created in Christ Jesus for the good works that God has prepared in advance, that we should live in them” (Eph 2:10). How can we become people of mercy? We can look to some of the men and women in the Bible, who show us examples that we can apply to our everyday lives. During the jubilee, Pope Francis called on us to become “ambassadors of mercy.” As we pray these unofficial mysteries of the rosary, we can ask our merciful Father to help us answer that call in our daily lives.

FIRST MYSTERY Mary, Mother of Mercy St. John Paul II writes in his 1980 encyclical, Dives in Misericordia: “Mary, then, is the one who has the deepest knowledge of the mystery of God’s mercy. She knows its price, she knows how great it is. In this sense, we call her the Mother of mercy, our Lady of mercy, or Mother of divine mercy” (9). Let us pray: 1. Mary, Mother of Mercy, help me to love with your motherly love, especially someone who rubs me the wrong way. Fr anciscanMedia.org

2. Mother of Tender Compassion, help me show compassion to the crucified of today, especially those on the margins of society— migrant workers, refugees, victims of human trafficking. Help me to become aware of their needs and take action by supporting legislation for justice for migrant workers and refugees, or collecting toiletries for shelters serving victims of human trafficking. 3. Mary, you were a homeless, young mother. Help me to serve those who are homeless—by working in a soup kitchen, making sandwiches for the homeless, referring them to a shelter, getting involved in Family Promise, or taking the time to volunteer in maternity homes. 4. Mary, Faithful One, you said yes at the Annunciation and surrendered to God’s will. Help me to say yes to God when I’m asked to step out of my comfort zone to join a peaceful prayer protest against abortion or the death penalty. Help me be open to and obedient in doing whatever God tells me.

Mary’s yes to God challenges us to surrender to his will, even when we’re asked to step out of our comfort zone.

5. Mary, Help of Christians, you went in haste to help Elizabeth in her pregnancy. Help me not postpone grace and be a good disciple by responding in haste to someone who needs a ride to the doctor—even when it’s not on my calendar. Mary, help me to respond with mercy.

SECOND MYSTERY St. Joseph, a Faithful Man

PAINTING BY GEORGES DE LA TOUR, LOUVRE MUSEUM, DONATION PERCY MOORE TURNER

In his 1889 encyclical Quamquam Pluries, Pope Leo XIII wrote: “Scripture says little about Joseph, other than that he was ‘just,’ that is, a person who was virtuous in every way (kept the Law). “His importance is recognized by the stupendous trust given to him as guardian of the Christ Child and spouse of the Mother of God. He was not a man of words but of deeds.”

Joseph the carpenter teaches us to use our Godgiven skills and talents to serve others.

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strength of spirit, showing concern and compassion with great love. Help me be strong in spirit and tender in love, allowing mercy to triumph over justice in my relationships with others. 3. St. Joseph, Pope Francis mentions your greatness “of heart and soul. . . . [St. Joseph was] a man who always listened to the voice of God, . . . a man attentive to the messages that came to him from the depths of his heart and from on high” (Fourth Sunday of Advent 2013 message). Help me to have listening ears and an open heart in order to be attentive to the Holy Spirit’s promptings; give me the fortitude to act accordingly for the good of others. 4. St. Joseph, when the angel told you to flee to Egypt with Mary and Jesus, you and your family became refugees, strangers in a foreign land. It must not have been easy to leave relatives and friends and settle in a new country. Today, many refugees are fleeing to foreign lands because of wars, persecution, or natural disasters. Help me to become aware of their plight, pray for them, and, if possible, alleviate their misery in more tangible ways by providing food, clothing, and shelter. 5. St. Joseph, you showed great love and compassion for Mary and Jesus, even in the difficulties you faced, not knowing the outcome. Help me be more loving and compassionate to others, especially my family, even when that calls for tough love. Help me remember that tough love may be the merciful response in some circumstances. St. Joseph, help me to respond with mercy.

THIRD MYSTERY The Merciful Father of the Prodigal Son Let us pray: 1. St. Joseph the Worker, you protected and provided for your family and taught Jesus the skills of your trade as a carpenter. Help me to fulfill my potential and meet the responsibilities in my life’s circumstances by nurturing both my spiritual and physical needs. Help me use my God-given skills and talents to help my family, friends, and even strangers. Help me put compassion into action. 2. St. Joseph, man of holiness, you had a heart full of tenderness and love. You were willing to divorce Mary quietly, rather than have her subjected to shame or possible stoning because of her being with child before marriage. You took care of your family with

“Let us compare ourselves to the two sons and, especially, contemplate the Heart of the Father. Let us throw ourselves into his arms and be regenerated by his merciful love” (Pope Benedict XVI, Angelus, March 16, 2010). God will never cease seeking us in love! Let us pray: 1. Merciful Father, you saw your son while he was still far off, and you ran and lovingly embraced him, before he even had a chance to confess his sinfulness and unworthiness. You, “filled with compassion” (Lk 15:20), are the face of our Merciful Father. When I feel like reacting and retaliating in anger to someone who has done me wrong, help me respond instead with love and forgiveness. St . A n t h o n y M e s s e n g e r

wrong time? However Simon came to be there, the Roman soldiers grabbed him and forced him into service.

Let us pray: 1. Simon, what were your thoughts? You were probably angry at the Roman soldiers for exercising their authority over you, as well as fearful of what they would do to you if you didn’t obey. You had no choice but to take up Jesus’ cross. You were unwilling, Simon. When I am faced with a situation where someone needs help, whether by force or by choice, help me to be willing and ready to help carry another’s burden. 2. Simon, cross bearer, you not only physically helped Jesus to carry the heavy cross, you alleviated his loneliness by your presence. Looking into Jesus’ loving eyes, and seeing

FOURTH MYSTERY Simon of Cyrene “As they led him away they took hold of a certain Simon, a Cyrenian, who was coming in from the country; and after laying the cross on him, they made him carry it behind Jesus” (Lk 23:26). Had Simon heard about the crucifixion and was he trying to catch a glimpse of Jesus? Or, coming from the country, did he just happen to be in the wrong place at the Fr anciscanMedia.org

2. Merciful Father, you never stopped looking for and seeking your lost son. Help me remember that, no matter what I do or how far I may stray from God, he will never cease to seek me with the same generous and gratuitous love. Help me to forgive others with the same measure of mercy. 3. Merciful Father, the prodigal son was welcomed with joy by you—without question, without reproach. When someone asks for my forgiveness, help me to be quick to respond with joy for a relationship that is being mended. 4. Merciful Father, you showed such tenderness to the son who was lost, as well as to your angry, unforgiving son. He was an icon of God’s tenderness to all of his children. Help me extend tenderness equally to the saints and the sinners in my life. 5. Merciful Father, God’s unfathomable love is demonstrated in this parable—an unconditional, forgiving, radical, embracing love. Help me to always love with this love, unreservedly and instantly. Merciful Father, help me to respond with mercy.

Like the father of the prodigal son, help me forgive others, welcoming them with tenderness and joy.

his fortitude and determination to keep going, step by agonizing step, you began to feel compassion for this condemned man. Your compassion made mercy possible, and you became a willing cross bearer. Help me not only to have compassion for a person holding a sign that reads, “I’m hungry and out of work,” but also to buy a takeout lunch and give it to the person, saying, “God bless you!” 3. Simon, your fear of the Roman soldiers gave way to courage, as you witnessed Jesus resolutely bearing his cross, despite the cruelty of the soldiers and the angry taunts of bystanders. Help me remain courageous in my faith by standing up for the rights of the unborn and the elderly, whether in peaceful protest or in prayer.

When Simon of Cyrene looked into Jesus’ loving eyes, his fear gave way to compassion and courage.

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4. Simon, when you helped carry Jesus’ burden, the experience changed you and the burden became a blessing. When you heard the news of Jesus’ resurrection, you probably could not wait to share your experience with family and friends. How willing am I to tell family and friends of the blessings I have received and to share the Father’s merciful love? Help me remember that mercy begets mercy, and forgiveness begets forgiveness. 5. Simon, you were a cross bearer and a Christ sharer. Your cross bearing forced you to cross paths with Jesus. From that encounter you became a Christian and continued to live the Gospel message of love, mercy, forgiveness, hope, and joy. May I follow your example in being Christ to others! Give me the zeal and courage to evangelize and bring others into God’s kingdom of love and mercy. Simon of Cyrene, help me to respond with mercy.

FIFTH MYSTERY The Beloved Disciple

We can all become the Beloved Disciple when we respond generously to the needs of others, even when it’s not easy or convenient.

Traditionally, John the Evangelist is identified as the Beloved Disciple. Interestingly enough, this Beloved Disciple, “the one whom Jesus loved” (referred to in Jn 13:23), is never named in the Bible. He is “the other disciple,” who raced with Peter to the empty tomb and the one “reclining at Jesus’ side” at the Last Supper. Biblical scholars have differing opinions as to who the Beloved Disciple really is. Father Raymond Brown is among those who believe that the Beloved Disciple is “an image of all disciples.” I believe I am the Beloved Disciple. You are the Beloved Disciple. Am I acting like the Beloved Disciple? Are you?

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Let us pray: 1. Beloved Disciple, my friend’s husband is dying, with only hours to live. I know she’s alone with him because her family is out of town. I’m in the middle of breakfast and have an appointment later this morning. Yet I know she needs me. She is the one whom Jesus loves. What is the merciful thing to do? 2. Beloved Disciple, Edna just had minor surgery. I drove her there and waited to take her home. Edna lives alone and has no one to fix her dinner or help her. Perhaps I could invite her to stay overnight so I can be there if she needs me. It will mean extra work for me, and I have a busy day ahead. Edna is the one whom Jesus loves. What is the merciful thing to do? 3. Beloved Disciple, a coworker’s father died, and she needs money for airfare to attend his 18 ❘

funeral. I’m not sure if she’ll ever repay me, knowing she’s struggling as a single mom. Should I loan her money? The single mom is the one whom Jesus loves. What is the merciful thing to do? 4. Beloved Disciple, a relative has asked to “borrow” money. This is not the first time, and I now know this person has an addiction. Do I exercise tough love and refuse, or do I hand it over and perhaps enable? My relative is the one whom Jesus loves. What is the merciful thing to do? 5. Beloved Disciple, a friend has wrongly perceived my action and become angry. I would like to retaliate in kind, but pray about the situation and gently point out her erroneous thinking. I get a sizzling response! Later, she asks my forgiveness. Do I hold on to the hurt and resentment, or am I quick to forgive? My friend is the one whom Jesus loves. What is the merciful thing to do? Beloved Disciple, help me to respond with mercy.

May these examples resonate with you and invite you to think of other ways you can respond with mercy to the situations in your life. Let us all be missionaries of hope by bringing mercy to our corner of the world. Together, let us build the city of God, one act of mercy at a time. A Jeanette Martino Land resides in North Palm Beach, Florida, and has written hundreds of articles and poetry for over 60 publications, including poems for this magazine. St . A n t h o n y M e s s e n g e r

EDITORIAL

The Power and Pitfalls of Social Media What does our social media use have to say about us? This past April, Dr. David Dao was violently dragged off a United Airlines flight after refusing to give up his seat. Perhaps you’ve seen the video. There are certainly plenty of them available, because once the incident began, the phones came out, and the videos went viral. The same month, a man in Alabama streamed his suicide on Facebook Live. According to Anthony Lowery, assistant chief deputy with the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office, the Facebook Live video had over 1,000 views and was even shared a few times. In 2014, video of the beheading of journalist James Foley was released. People watched. As of this writing, various versions of the video on YouTube have no fewer than 100,000 views. One wonders, if we had cell phones during the time of Jesus, would we have pulled them out to capture video of the crucifixion and then posted it to Facebook? Would we have stopped to gawk and film the injured robbery victim on the side of the road before the good Samaritan got there and then uploaded it to social media? These days, if there’s something to watch, we’ll watch it—never mind the subject matter. If it’s clickable, we’ll take the bait. If it’s exciting, dramatic, or out of the ordinary, all the better. Online bullying and harassment have, unfortunately, become almost commonplace. The fallout is sometimes tragic and deadly. But I don’t want to discount social media as the downfall of our society. There is plenty to celebrate. How we choose to use it will make the difference.

Not All Bad “With great power comes great responsibility.” This well-known quote is certainly one that Pope Francis can get behind. He has repeatedly addressed both the power and Fr ancisca n Media .org

the potential pitfalls of social media, saying it “is a gift of God, which involves a great responsibility. “Social networks can facilitate relationships and promote the good of society, but they can also lead to further polarization and division between individuals and groups. The digital world is a public square, a meeting-place where we can either encourage or demean one another, engage in a meaningful discussion or unfair attacks,” the pope said in his 2016 message for World Day of Social Communications. Through his own social media accounts, Pope Francis has repeatedly cast a light on the good in the world and encouraged us to do the same. He is not alone in trying to raise the bar when it comes to our online lives, either. Many people and organizations use their online presence to promote what is right with the world. We just need to search those people out and help spread the word.

Look Inside We can be one of those people who spread a message of hope rather than despair. Perhaps it’s time we stopped and thought about what messages our own social media activity is sending—both to ourselves and to those around us. What would we find if we went back through our social media accounts and browsing histories? What messages are we sending to others through what we post, share, or click? Are we part of the problem? If so, how can we become part of the solution? The veil of the computer screen or technological ignorance is no longer a valid excuse. We know our comments reach people. We know that we leave a trail of our choices. We’ve lived in this technologically advanced society long enough now that we should know these things. And we should know that with our online actions, we are helping to either strengthen or tear apart the fabric of society. Which side of that equation do you want to be on? —S.H.B. Ju ly 2 0 1 7 ❘ 1 9

Be a Living With the guidance of St. Francis of Assisi, you can learn to ground your life in prayer.

NLIKE ST. IGNATIUS of Loyola’s concentrated, step-by-step instructions for prayer in his Spiritual Exercises, St. Francis of Assisi’s guidance for those who wish to follow his example of prayer and devotion is more diffuse. It is true to think of St. Francis’ writings as occasional and unsystematic. Nevertheless, taken as a whole, they offer constructive clues for what we might describe generally as Francis’ “instructions on prayer.” For the sake of brevity, we will look at four such instructions: the need to prioritize prayer, reverence for the Eucharist, the importance of solitude, and the call to immerse oneself in sacred Scripture. All four of these themes are aimed at leading those inspired by St. Francis’ pattern of life (forma vitae) to move from simply “saying prayers” to becoming a living prayer.

PAINTING BY FRANCISCO DE ZURBARÁNTHE, YORCK PROJECT

First, prayer entered early into the formal vision of the Franciscan way of life in the Rule. After the brief introductory section where St. Francis announced the pattern of life is simply the Gospel of Jesus Christ and outlined the logistics of accepting would-be friars into the community, he then offered a chapter on prayer, fasting, and the general way the brothers are to live in the world. It should come as no surprise, given the curial hand in the formation of this officially approved Rule for the friars, that the Divine Office canonical requirements for the friarclerics would make an appearance. Yet St. Francis was also accommodating those who may be uneducated or illiterate, permitting them to pray a prescribed number of Our Fathers. One may glean from this inclusion that, although not everyone could be expected to pray the Liturgy of the Hours, all the brothers in the community were expected to pray together. Unlike the monastic demarcation between the so-called choir monks and the 20 ❘

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Grounding Your Life in Prayer

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lay monks (those whose responsibilities largely centered on manual labor), St. Francis affirmed a more egalitarian vision of fraternal life and activity grounded in prayer. The importance of grounding one’s life and activity in prayer is seen especially in St. Francis’ explicit instruction on labor in chapter 5: “The friars to whom God has given the grace of working should work in a spirit of faith and devotion and avoid idleness, which is the enemy of the soul, without however extinguishing the spirit of prayer and devotion, to which every temporal consideration must be subordinate.” That the work of the brothers, however conceived in terms of explicit apostolic ministry or manual labor, should always be subordinate to one’s individual and collective “spirit of prayer and devotion” attests to the importance of prayer in St. Francis’ vision of Gospel life. St. Francis reiterated this prioritization in a now-famous letter to St. Anthony of Padua, when he gave permission to teach theology to the brothers: “I am pleased that you teach sacred theology to the brothers, providing that, as is contained in the Rule, you ‘do not extinguish the Spirit of prayer and devotion’ during study of this kind.”

Prayerful Reverence for the Blessed Sacrament Second, St. Francis frequently reflected on the Eucharist and the importance that the brothers approach the Blessed Sacrament in a spirit of prayerful reverence. This personal devotion to the celebration of the Mass, his admiration of the office of the ministerial priesthood (distinct from particular priests who, as he noted with realistic acquiescence, are as finite and sinful as everybody else), and his reverence for the Eucharist are commonly found throughout his writings. From the beginning of his ongoing conversion around 1206 to his death on October 3, 1226, St. Francis’ writings do not include extenJ u ly 2 0 1 7 ❘

sive instruction on the role of liturgical prayer in the life of the community apart from the clerical Daily Office. This is very likely reflective of the shift in friar demographics. In the beginning, those following Francis’ nascent way of life represented a diverse mixture of backgrounds and experiences. Toward the end of St. Francis’ short life, a larger number of ordained priests began entering the community, which shifted the availability of the sacraments within Franciscan houses. Correspondingly, his later texts tended to include references to the celebration of the Eucharist and a call for increased participation in the Mass and reverence for the Blessed Sacrament on the part of his followers.

Using Solitude to Reconnect with God Third, the incorporation of a part-time hermitic life into the broader pattern of life was an important dimension of St. Francis’ own spirituality and approach to prayer. While a commitment to itinerant ministry is central to the Franciscan Rule, with St. Francis emphasizing the importance of establishing relationships with others by meeting them where they are in the streets and villages of the world, he also believed in the need for the brothers to reconnect with God in an attentive and deliberate way. This was demonstrated by his own practice of regularly retreating to hermitages and quiet places. He also

went to the trouble of composing a short “Rule for Hermitages.” It reveals at once the importance of experiencing and preserving solitude and the communal, fraternal dimension of lived Franciscan prayer: “Not more than three or at most four friars should go together to a hermitage to lead a religious life there. Two of these should act as mothers, with the other two, or the other one, as their children. The mothers are to lead the life of Martha; the other two, the life of Mary. . . . The friars who are mothers must be careful to stay away from outsiders and, in obedience to their minister, keep their sons away from outsiders, so that no one can speak to them. The friars who are sons are not to speak to anyone except their mother or their minister, when he visits them, with God’s blessing. Now and then, the sons should exchange places with the mothers, according to whatever arrangement seems best suited for the time. But they should all be careful to observe what has been laid down for them, eagerly and zealously.” The freedom with which Francis invoked the maternal imagery and the model of Martha and Mary from the Gospels is striking. Though not often well known among modern Franciscans, scholars have noted nonetheless the distinctive contribution that St. Francis’ vision of nondominating governance within the fraternity, frequently conveyed in feminine imagery, has made to Christian spirituality. Solitude was not only an important ingredient

BEN WHITE PHOTOGRAPHY; (ABOVE LEFT) PHOTO FROM CNS/LARRY A. PEPLIN, MICHIGAN CATHOLIC

Finding a quiet place to pray and reflect on the Scriptures enhances our spiritual experience and makes it easier to hear God.

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

(RIGHT) CNS PHOTO/COURTESY MUSEUM OF THE BIBLE

in Gospel life for Francis himself, but was also intended more generally to be a mainstay of Franciscan prayer by offering an opportunity for small communities to care for one another and provide the space for ongoing, deep encounters with the divine.

Recognizing the Life-Giving Quality of Scripture

may happen to find them in writing. If they are not kept properly or if they lie thrown about disrespectfully, they should pick them up and put them aside, paying honor in his words to God who spoke them. For by God’s words many things are made holy, and the sacrament of the altar is celebrated in the power of the words of Christ.” Though he did not outline any particular program or method of reading and meditating on Scripture (e.g., a formal process of lectio divina), St. Francis did communicate

Fourth, St. Francis’ way of Christian living and approach to prayer were both deeply tied to sacred Scripture. Though the early sources recalled his self-deprecating identification as an idiota, or “unlearned person,” St. Francis most certainly knew how to read and write. It can be difficult for modern people, living centuries after the invention of the printing press and used to mass-produced paper, to appreciate how important the written word was in Francis’ time. For the most part, the material needed to write a copy of a biblical book or the prayers for the Mass was difficult and expensive to acquire. Unlike our liturgical books and Bibles today, Scripture was often Frequent nighttime trips to the bathroom, copied out onto a variety of pages. All Natural embarrassing leaks and the inconvenience Clinically-Tested These pages, usually unbound, had the of constantly searching for rest rooms Herbal Supplement tendency (as most loose papers do) to in public – for years, I struggled with • Reduces Bladder Leaks bladder control problems. After trying become scattered and lost. This even • Reduces Urinary Frequency expensive medications with horrible happened in churches. side effects, ineffective exercises and • Safe and Effective – St. Francis was very concerned about No Known Side Effects undignified pads and diapers, I was ready the way these particles of Scripture • Costs Less than Traditional to resign myself to a life of bladder leaks, Bladder Control Options isolation and depression. But then I tried were cared for (or, more accurately, • Sleep Better All Night BetterWOMAN. not cared for). He was almost obsessed • Live Free of Worry, with making sure that all pieces of the When I first saw the ad for BetterWOMAN, I was skeptical. Embarrassment, and So many products claim they can set you free from leaks, Inconvenience Scripture were well taken care of and frequency and worry, only to deliver disappointment. treated with respect and dignity. In a When I finally tried BetterWOMAN, I found that it You don’t have to let letter addressed to the entire order, he actually works! It changed my life. Even my friends bladder control problems control you. shared his vision of the importance of have noticed that I’m a new person. And because it’s Call now! all natural, I can enjoy the results without the worry caring for Scripture, commanding the of dangerous side effects. Thanks to BetterWOMAN, friars to go out of their way to gather, I finally fought bladder control problems and I won! protect, and venerate even the most seemingly insignificant scriptural texts: Also Available: BetterMAN® “He who is of God hears the words The 3-in-1 Formula Every Man Needs – of God (John 8:47), and so we who Better BLADDER, Better PROSTATE, and Better STAMINA! are called to serve God in a more speOrder online at www.BetterMANnow.com. cial way are bound not merely to listen Limited to and carry out what he commands; Time Call Now & Ask How To Get A in order to impress on ourselves the Offer greatness of our Creator and of our subjection to him we must keep the liturgical books and anything else that CALL TOLL-FREE contains his holy words with great or order online: www.BetterWOMANnow.com care. I urge all my friars and I encourage These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Use as directed. Individual results may vary. them in Christ to show all possible BetterMAN and BetterWOMAN are the trademarks of Interceuticals, Inc. ©2017 Interceuticals, Inc. respect for God’s words wherever they

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in subtler ways the necessity of living by the word of God. This is seen in his emphasis on the Daily Office prayed in community as well as through the extraordinary frequency with which he cited the Scriptures in his own writings, Rules, and prayers. St. Bonaventure, in his Legenda Major, described the unique way in which the poor man from Assisi was able to understand the meaning of Scripture, such that he astounded even the most learned and wise scholars of the day: “Unflagging zeal for prayer with a continual exercise of virtue had led the man of God to such serenity of mind that, although he had no expertise in sacred Scripture through learning, his intellect, nevertheless enlightened by the splendor of eternal light, probed the depths of Scripture with remarkable incisiveness. For his genius, pure and unstained, penetrated hidden mysteries, and where the knowledge of teachers stands outside, the passion of the lover entered. Whenever he read the sacred books and something struck his mind, he imprinted it tenaciously on his memory, because he did not grasp in vain what his attentive mind heard, for he would mull over it with affection and constant devotion.” Francis’ memorization of, reflection on, and constant reference to sacred Scripture led to his being imbued with the very narrative of God’s self-disclosure. In turn, he was inspired to draw on passages from the Bible, especially the Psalms, to compose his own psalmody and prayers. This is seen most clearly in his creative Office of the Passion, which was modeled on the personal devotional offices com-

“God is the One who is closer to us than we are to ourselves.” —St. Augustine of Hippo

monly found among monastic communities. Here Francis wove together various psalms from the Hebrew Bible with his own devotional interludes and psalm-like additions. The importance of Scripture in prayer was seen by him as an essential element of evangelical life.

Becoming a ‘Living Prayer’ St. Augustine of Hippo famously remarked at various points in his expansive corpus that God is the One who is closer to us than we are to ourselves. This experience of divine immanence, of the presence of God among and within creation, was the keystone of St. Francis’ whole approach to prayer, although it is safe to say that he did not realize this overnight. It is always important to remember the lifelong experience of ongoing conversion when calling to mind St. Francis’ spirituality and form of prayer. As noted earlier, he began his renewed commitment to Christian living in young adulthood with what we might anachronistically call a “literal” approach to discipleship. His focus was on the externals of affective religiosity, such as attending Mass and physically rebuilding churches. The increasing number of relational encounters—the living among lepers, the unsolicited brothers and sisters, the reception of Clare, and other experiences— shifted, over time, the poverello’s vision of prayer. In the beginning, as Thomas of Celano noted, Francis of Assisi was one who merely “said” prayers, but over time became a “living prayer.” If prayer is, as we might all agree, always a form of communication with God, then we are in some sense always praying because God is always already present to us (again, St. Augustine’s insight about God’s immanence and proximity to us). It is, in a sense, a form of hubris to think that we can simply turn on or turn off the prayer channel, as if we had the ability to select when God is able to receive our missives. In truth, not only what we say or think, but how we act, what we prioritize, how we love, how we care for one another, and so on all combine to communicate something to the God who is at all times nearer to us than we are to ourselves. Long before Ignatius and his successors in the Society of Jesus popularized the expression “finding God in all things,” St. Francis of Assisi’s understanding and experience of prayer were precisely this form of ordinary mysticism. He came to realize in time that the words said in the Divine Office, the community’s partic-

ST. AUGUSTINE BY PHILIPPE DE CHAMPAIGNE; GIFT OF THE AHMANSON FOUNDATION

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

CNS PHOTO/GREGORY A. SHEMITZ

with God and neighbor, including his nonhuman neighbors. There is no explicit strategy or instruction manual proposed as a means to achieve this mystical awareness. And yet, St. Francis’ own narrative of lifelong conversion and his model for how to prioritize the elements of one’s life—never extinguish the spirit of prayer and devotion, embrace regular solitude, and so on—provide us with a pattern of life, a guide for our own journeys, and a series of points for reflection. The goal of prayer (if prayer can ever be said to have a goal) in the Franciscan tradition is, to put it simply, nothing more than for each of us, in our own way and in our own contexts, to become more and more a living prayer. A

Prayer is a verb as well as a noun. As St. Francis demonstrated, caring for those in our community transforms us into living prayers. That enables us to share the word of God in a practical and meaningful way.

This article is an excerpt from Prayer in the Catholic Tradition: A Handbook of Practical Approaches, edited by Robert J. Wicks (Franciscan Media). ipation in the celebration of the Eucharist, and the charitable acts of love and mercy were not as distinct as one might first assume. Instead, for St. Francis, prayer was always a journey of growing more deeply in relationship

Daniel P. Horan, OFM, is a Franciscan friar of Holy Name Province (New York), assistant professor of systematic theology at the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago, and has written several books, including God Is Not Fair, and Other Reasons for Gratitude (Franciscan Media).

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ACanticle In the 17th century, the best solar observatories in the world were cathedrals, built to determine the date for Easter. The present Vatican Observatory, with facilities in Rome and in Tucson, Arizona, keeps the Church looking skyward.

CNS PHOTO/ANNETTE SCHREYER; (BACKGROUND) NASA, ESA, THE HUBBLE HERITAGE TEAM (STSCI/AURA), AND R. GENDLER (FOR THE HUBBLE HERITAGE TEAM) AND J. GABANY

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to Creation Vatican astronomer Guy Consolmagno explores the heavens in search of higher meaning. B Y K AT H L E E N M . C A R R O L L

esuit Brother Guy Consolmagno, director of the Vatican Observatory since 2015, finds it altogether baffling that some people still see science and religion as being somehow opposed. “The hard-

est thing I have to deal with,” he tells St. Anthony Messenger, “is trying to figure out where people are coming from when they don’t see them as a natural fit. That is mysterious. Why would anybody think they’re conflicted? It’s like asking, ‘How can you be a fan of the New York Knicks and also drink Coca-Cola?’” People think of both science and religion as “big books of facts,” he says. “Everything about that description is wrong.” Our scientific understanding “constantly changes, constantly grows.” The same is true for religion. If it were a book of facts, he says, “You could just memorize it; you wouldn’t have to practice it. Both science and religion are taking what we thought we knew and trying to understand it.” J u ly 2 0 1 7 ❘

The Jesuit teacher wraps it up with a quick lesson: The “grand war” between reason and faith, he explains, “was invented at the end of the 19th century. It had nothing to do with Galileo. It had nothing to do with Giordano Bruno. It was a political invention to serve the secular interests of the day. In Europe, secular governments saw the Church as a threat and wanted to bash it. In America, the politics of the day was controlled by people who saw immigrants from central and eastern Europe as threats to the American way. The excuse to keep them out was that they were ignorant; their religion was against science.” The science of the 19th century was profoundly influential in every area of life. “We had electricity and steam engines that looked like they were going to solve all of our problems.” While technology is terrifically useful, Brother Guy says, it doesn’t solve the real problems, the human problems. For example, “There was this wonderful understanding of how life evolved that Darwin had come up with, and people used that and abused that to support their own horrible ideas. Whether it was social Darwinism, which said helping the poor was hopeless because they are naturally inferior, or the hideous racism that said we can eugenically create the master race— we eventually found where that led.”

Looking Up Even if science and religion go hand in hand, Brother Guy often hears from those who still think it strange that the Church has an observatory. People ask him, “Why does the Vatican have a space program?” He tells them, “The dangerous answer is: Why would anyone? Why does the US government care about space?” Detroit-born, Brother Guy says his first love was science, but he always grappled with the big questions, whether astronomical or philosophical. “I was a researcher at MIT [Massachusetts Institute of Technology], 30 years old; I was a PhD, a postdoctoral fellow. And I would lie awake at night asking, ‘Why am I wasting my life studying astronomy? There are people starving in the world! Couldn’t I be doing something more useful than this?’ I quit astronomy. I quit science. And I joined the Peace Corps,” where he was sent to Africa, teaching astronomy at the University of Nairobi, in Kenya. This seemed an odd turn for someone who had left research academia behind for a more hands-on approach to doing good in the world. 28 ❘

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“The amazing thing about the universe is that it can be understood.” —Albert Einstein EINSTEIN PHOTO BY ORREN JACK TURNER; BACKGROUND FROM PIXABAY

Brother Guy says: “Every weekend, I would go up-country to where my fellow volunteers were teaching—in the small schools, in the little villages—and I would give a little talk about astronomy and set up my telescope. Everybody in the village would look at the moon through the telescope. “It finally dawned on me: this is an important part of being a human being, to have this curiosity—about the universe, who we are, where we come from, how it all fits. We have to feed that curiosity. We have to feed our souls. You have to feed your intellect, or else you’re nothing more than a well-fed cow.” After all, he says, “we don’t live by bread alone.” And we have to admit, too, “that the answer is not simply, ‘God did it.’” The religion that offers that simplistic answer for every question, he says—brace yourself—is paganism. “But we’re Christians; we have rejected the pagan gods. We believe in a God who decided to create and the first thing he creates is light— so he’s doing nothing hidden, nothing in the dark. God says that everything he has created is good. He invites us, his creation, to enjoy it, and one way of enjoying it is learning how it works.” The sense of wonder at the created world is certainly familiar to Franciscans. Brother Guy thinks Francis of Assisi can teach us a lot about how to look at the world. “G.K. Chesterton said that the way the pagans looked at nature was to view it as a cruel mother; and the way that Francis looks at nature is as a sister—and St . A n t h o n y M e s s e n g e r

Describing his work as “science evangelization,” Consolmagno has been a guest of The Colbert Report, On Being with Krista Tippett, and a half-dozen science fiction conventions in the United States. He also spends time in the classroom. Here, he talks with students at the Faith and Astronomy Workshop at the Redemptorist Renewal Center in Tucson, Arizona.

CNS PHOTO/NANCY WIECHEC

not just a sister, but a little sister. A dancing, joyful little kid who you can laugh at and love. “Nature is not something that controls us or that we control,” he says, “but it is our sibling, to be loved and cared for. More than that, science teaches us a really important lesson: even things that look chaotic can be understood. That there are things that seem to be out of our control, but that we can control. When we encounter problems in life, you don’t blame the gods. You ask, ‘How can I make things better?’” It was Albert Einstein, reminds this astronomer, who said, “The amazing thing about the universe is that it can be understood.”

How to Understand the Universe A century ago, Consolmagno says, while the most influential thinkers and leaders of the day were generally in favor of going wherever science might lead, there was one strong countercultural voice: “The Church. Because whether the science was right or wrong (it turns out the science was wrong), it was horribly immoral. The Church has always had the task of reminding people that just because you can do something doesn’t mean it’s a good idea.” Science, he explains, was invented by the monks in the medieval universities, and was supported by those institutions. Then he says something that might seem counterintuitive today: “Most of the skill of doing science is Fr anciscanMedia.org

skill that you learn in a theology class. It’s rationality, it’s trying to understand things you couldn’t understand—by using reason.” Until the end of the 19th century, he explains, scientists were either noblemen, medical doctors, or the clergy. No one else had the education—or the free time—to go out and gather leaves, or sort and file. “What do we call that work of sorting and filing?” he asks. “It’s called clerical work, because it was done by clerics. They were trained to record the data of births and deaths in their parish, and they used that same skill to keep track of births and deaths of animals and plants, to keep track of the weather.” Knowing the longtime weather patterns was the result of recordkeeping by the parish priest. “Anyone who suggests that science and religion are opposed is trying to sell something that has nothing to do with science or religion,” he concludes.

The Scientist in the Pew “I became a Jesuit after I’d been a scientist for 20 years,” Brother Guy says. When he “came clean” about his religious convictions, “I did wonder what my scientist friends would think. But the most common reaction was ‘let me tell you about the church I go to.’” Citing findings by CARA (the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate), Brother Guy says, “People in church on Sunday tend to be better educated than the general population. As a result, they’re more likely to be scientists, doctors, and engineers. If you want J u ly 2 0 1 7 ❘

CNS PHOTO/ANNETTE SCHREYER

Serving also as curator for the Vatican meteorite collection, Consolmagno, shown here holding a meteorite at the Vatican Observatory, describes astronomy as “a profoundly religious act.”

to find the atheist on campus, you don’t go to the astronomy department.” Consolmagno urges Catholics to cherish science as part of their birthright. He says, “Science is a gift of God to the Church. To try to take it away from religious people deeply damages science because you’re cutting it off from the majority of the human race, who might otherwise be great scientists. And any religious person who is afraid of science, first, has no faith in their faith, and second, they’re losing their very heritage, what our Mother Church has given us.”

The Big Bang Theory: The Other Side In his talks, Brother Guy often amazes audiences by telling them that the Big Bang the-

ory—that the universe is expanding from an original, single mass—was actually formed and named by a Belgian priest, Georges Lemaître. He reviewed the theories of Albert Einstein and realized that the universe must be expanding, and therefore must have once been condensed. Lemaître told Einstein, “Your calculations are correct, but your physics is atrocious.” At first, Einstein himself ridiculed both the priest and the theory; later, he came to share Lemaître’s views, and the two became lifelong friends. In a series for the BBC on how the universe will end, A Brief History of the End of Everything, Consolmagno offered a bookend of sorts for Lemaître. He covered some of the most cutting-edge astrophysicists’ theories, but as a Jesuit, Consolmagno sees another dimension. He says: “The science of the end of the universe is very different from the science of the beginning. We have data from the past; we have no data from the future. So everything is a wild guess. It’s an extrapolation. Everything that we’ve thought of is probably wildly wrong in some way.” Like the Virgin Mary (in Luke 2:19), he says, we are given lots of wonderful things to ponder in our hearts. “The important thing—in science or religion—is never to stop because you think you have the answer. You never have the answer. If you think you understand the Trinity or quantum physics, you’re wrong. “We realize in a beautiful way that all the simple answers don’t work.” If we take the Gospel account of the Resurrection at face value, Brother Guy says, “then that means that this body actually matters.” He strikes an ecological note, true not only to the Franciscan spirit, but to everyone, including this Jesuit: “What I do with this body matters. This physical universe matters. What we do in the universe matters. You can’t say it’s OK to trash the planet because we’re going to go off to heaven somewhere else. You can’t say it’s all right for me to abuse someone because God will save their soul later. It’s frightening, because it means it matters. And it’s reassuring, because it means it matters to God.”

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Kathleen M. Carroll is an assistant editor of this publication and editorial director for Franciscan Media. She has a BA in English literature from the University of Cincinnati. Her most recent book is St. Francis of Assisi: A Short Biography (Franciscan Media).

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

AT HOME ON EARTH

❘ BY KYLE KRAMER

Proudly Patriotic

Refugees from Burundi are finding ways to rebuild their lives with help from the gardens at the Passionist Earth and Spirit Center. Fr ancisca n Media .org

Despite the trauma they experienced in Burundi and the multiple challenges they face in America, they are gentle, kind, and good-humored. Our land and our community are richer for them being here. In tumultuous times, and especially in this red, white, A New Perspective and blue month of July, it’s tempting to equate patriotism Consider taking part in a with an insular “America “refugee simulation exerfirst” worldview. Certainly, cise,” which many cities we should protect and prostage to raise awareness of mote American interests. But what refugees go through. doing that starts with understanding that our country Look around your house or cannot thrive in isolation. apartment and imagine We are part of one earth, one what you would take if you global community. We are only had 10 minutes to connected by ecological conpack and would never be cerns, by the flow of goods allowed to return. and services and information, and by the common bond of Did you know that 75 humanity. We are our brothpercent of refugees are ers’ and sisters’ keepers, and women and children, and we all rise and fall together. only about two percent of Too much of our national refugees actually end up rhetoric about immigration being able to resettle in a revolves around abstract— new host country? and almost completely unfounded—fears of criminals or terrorists and the concerns about losing jobs to foreigners. How different might that conversation be if more of us were able to spend time with flesh-and-blood immigrants, to swap stories, and to discover how much common ground we share? What if to be proudly patriotic meant opening our minds, hearts, and homes to those most in need of welcome—the kind of welcome Mary and Joseph sought so long ago, when they were refugees? Who knows what amazing goodness could be born? A

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Kyle Kramer is the executive director of the Passionist Earth and Spirit Center in Louisville, Kentucky. Ju ly 2 0 1 7 ❘ 3 1

CNS PHOTO/DAI KUROKAWA, EPA

PHOTO © ALISTAIR COTTON/FOTOSEARCH

n anti-immigration wave is washing over America and much of the Western world. This wave often drowns out the sensible voices of our pope and bishops, who teach that we must create “a world where immigrants, refugees, migrants, and people on the move are treated with dignity, respect, welcome, and belonging.” At the Catholic-rooted, interfaith spirituality center I direct, we made a choice to be a public witness of hospitality in the face of anti-immigrant animosity. In partnership with Catholic Charities, we now work with several legally documented refugee families who have fled the violence and political oppression in their home country of Burundi. Together, we have created “New Hope International Farm,” a community garden program on our 21-acre property, which allows these families to grow organic fruits and vegetables for their own subsistence and, eventually, for sale. Most of our new Burundian friends were small-scale farmers back in East Africa; they know what they’re doing and they work hard, trying to improve their lives and make a new home in their newly adopted country.

Rising from

Rock Bottom Trinity Sober Homes helps heal the broken souls of those battling addiction. TEXT AND PHOTOS BY DAVE HRBACEK

ARK TOMPKINS was cruising down Interstate 10 in San Antonio, Texas, on his motorcycle in March 2014. A doctor specializing in foot and ankle problems, he cut out shortly before noon after seeing patients and examining their charts. Riding the bike was one of his favorite hobbies. And he was planning to die doing it that day. Alcoholism and depression were putting a choke hold on him. He had never recovered from a painful divorce, and on weekends he would stop at a liquor store and buy a gallon of wine. Always, by the time he went to sleep that night, the bottle was empty. But the booze didn’t cure the pain he felt deep inside, so he looked for another way out. “I was suffering from really bad depression,” says Tompkins. “That’s when I got it in my mind that I was going to end it. I jumped off my motorcycle in the middle of Interstate 10 in San Antonio. It was March 18, 2014. I went tumbling down the highway. I was missed by five or six cars going 65 miles an hour. It was pretty much a miracle that I survived.”

An Ongoing Miracle Today, the miracle of physical and spiritual healing continues for Tompkins. The latter came through treatment and, in April 2014, his journey to Trinity Sober Homes (TrinitySoberHomes.org) in St. Paul, Minnesota. The first and only Catholic sober house in the country, it was a perfect fit for Tompkins, who had grown up Catholic but never really embraced the deeper, spiritual side of the faith. He classified himself as spiritual but not reliFr anciscanMedia.org

gious; but that all changed when he walked through the doors of Trinity Sober Homes. This refuge for men with alcoholism launched its first house in 2012. It now has three houses serving a total of 41 men who are 40 and over. “I started to really look into my relationship with God,” he says. “I was able to live that at Trinity with other people who were doing the same thing. It just really made it come alive for me. It’s my life now.” After staying there for about a year, he moved out of St. Gabriel House and in with three other men who also had lived there. Eventually, he found his own apartment, where he lives today. He is still a frequent visitor to the homes, where Father Bob Hart celebrates Mass is celebrated once a month. Father Hart, a priest of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, himself sobered up in 1985. A spiritual coach with Trinity Sober Homes, he plans to continue celebrating Mass as a way of giving back what he received when he first started his journey into recovery.

Paying It Forward In fact, that theme of giving back is why the homes exist in the first place. It started back in 2009, when a middle-aged executive named Tim Murray found himself on Father Martin Fleming’s doorstep in St. Paul, where he had been helping men in recovery since the 1970s. Back then, he had opened several houses on

Mark Tompkins’ addiction to alcohol left him so despondent, he was ready to take his own life. One fateful day could have been the end; in fact, it was only the beginning. (Left) When Tim Murray met Father Martin Fleming in 2009, he was at rock bottom. His physical and spiritual recovery rejuvenated him, though, and the two went on to found Trinity Sober Homes.

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(Above) St. Gabriel House was the second location to open its doors to men struggling with addiction. The program seeks to heal men—body and souls. (Above right) The first of the Trinity Sober Homes, St. Michael House, opened early in 2012. Since then, 112 men have walked the arduous journey to recovery guided by the steady hand of this Catholic ministry.

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his property called Bethany Village. He had seen firsthand how the disease of alcoholism had destroyed the lives of people he knew, and he simply wanted to help these men pick up the pieces. One of the many troubled men he met was Murray, whose life was a train wreck of broken marriages and broken dreams. A CEO for several companies during a successful business career, he drowned his ambitions in alcohol. He had reached the point where he would fall asleep in his car after his favorite St. Paul bar closed, then wake up the next morning and stumble into work. He hoped the other employees wouldn’t notice, but that’s hard when you’re their CEO. Finally, he hit rock bottom in August 2009 when he got drunk, rolled down St. Paul’s famous Ramsey Hill, and was pulled to his feet and taken to detox by several men in recovery themselves. Sharing a room in close quarters with other drunk men finally shocked him into taking a look at his own life. Murray checked into treatment, completed the program, then walked out looking for a place to live. That’s when he discovered what so many alcoholic men find out: there is a shortage of space for older men looking for a sober home. At the same time that his search led him to the doorstep of Father Fleming, it also reconnected him to the Catholic faith of his childhood. This chance encounter was the first of many of what he now calls “God shots.” “I have a great-uncle who’s a monsignor, I have an aunt who’s a nun, and I was an altar boy myself,” Murray says. “I said, ‘Father, I don’t think I can go back to the Church. I’ve committed too many sins. I’m too embarrassed, and I can’t do it.’ And, without blinking, he reached over, touched my forearm, and said: ‘Tim, the Church is a hospital for sinners; it’s not a museum for saints. And now that you’ve come back to the Church, there have been

nothing but choruses of angels cheering in heaven for your return. Welcome back.’”

Welcome Home The welcome mat was never pulled away during his two-year stay at Bethany Village. As Murray got stronger in his recovery, Father Fleming brought up the idea of offering housing to other men trying to stay sober. He would keep Bethany Village open, but the 87-yearold priest now had a man with energy and business acumen who could add to it. Thus, the two men together decided to launch Trinity Sober Homes. The first home, St. Michael House, opened early in 2012. Later that year, St. Gabriel House opened. Finally, in 2016, St. Raphael House opened its doors. A total of 112 men have reaped the benefits of a Catholic sober home experience. Murray is proud to point out that 71 percent of these men have stayed sober. And he is equally proud to note that most of them have grown in their faith, thanks to resources such as spiritual coaching, regular Masses, and Catholic paintings and statues scattered throughout the homes. It is nearly impossible to roam any hallway without some reminder of the Catholic faith. “Father Fleming talks a lot about the importance of the centrality of the Jesus event, keeping Jesus at the center of all we do,” Murray says. “The spark of the divine exists within all of us. For those of us who are drug addicts and alcoholics, a lot of that got covered up by lots of gunk. And what the program and confession allow us to do is clear that gunk so that that ember, that spark of the divine, can glow more brightly. If you get enough men close enough together in community— and if you don’t try to program but just step back and let the Holy Spirit breathe a little breath—sometimes you can get a flame of love and community that is like nothing else. That’s what happened to me, and that’s what happens St . A n t h o n y M e s s e n g e r

here. We have men who are ready to leave but don’t want to because you can’t find this anywhere else.” There are no forced conversions here, only lots of opportunities to encounter God in a setting that builds fraternity among the men who live together, each paying a modest rent of $795 a month. That helps offset the total cost of $1.8 million that it took to buy and remodel the three homes. Financial help from Premier Banks and the generosity of donors keep the doors open and recoveries staying on track.

A Philosophy of Wellness Tompkins shudders to think about where he— and others—would be without Trinity Sober Homes. He thought he had the world by the tail when he finished medical school and residency in his 20s and started working as a doctor in Pittsburgh. He poured himself into his work and got married not long after he started practicing medicine. “I met the beauty queen and had the fairytale wedding,” he says. “She ended up having an affair within a year and a half. It was just a horrible, horrible divorce, and that’s when my drinking became more of an issue. I had some suicidal tendencies. “And then I had a [new] relationship [with a woman after the divorce]. I finally trusted somebody again. I fell in love, but it turns out she was carrying on a dual relationship at the same time. It devastated me, and I had some financial problems in the practice. I was suffering from terrible depression. That’s when I got in my mind that I was going to end it.” Tompkins now shares his story freely as a way to encourage other men battling the

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demons of alcohol and drug addiction. He recently gave his testimony at the annual fund-raising banquet for Trinity Sober Homes last September. In attendance was Archbishop Bernard Hebda, who was installed in the archdiocese four months prior. He gave a few remarks and also said a blessing. “Archbishop Hebda is just a wonderful, new breath of fresh air to us. We’ve had an opportunity to meet with him several times,” Murray says. “I don’t want to speak for him, but my sense is that he is thrilled that this is a laydriven ministry.” No doubt, Archbishop Hebda would be impressed with the quality of the homes. These are not run-down apartments that look as if they are run by a slumlord. Rather, they are tastefully decorated and filled with fine art and furniture. Ornate woodwork can be found in almost every room and hallway, and the backyards feature beautiful, well-kept gardens. It’s all in keeping with a philosophy that Murray says is important to the recovery process. “Father Fleming believes very strongly— and I concur—in a dress-right, feel-right philosophy,” he explains. “He learned this in the military. Men begin to transform in their lives when they are in an environment where they feel good about themselves. The beauty and quality of these homes create an environment that makes you say to yourself, I may feel like a loser, I may feel like a Catholic that can’t come home, I may feel like I am unworthy, but like the prodigal son, I am welcomed back.”

Guardian Angels Murray calls himself blessed to be able to witness the recovery journeys of so many men,

(Below left) A welcoming, beautiful, and serene environment—such as this garden at St. Raphael House—greets the men who are ready to make a change in their lives. (Below) Once a month, Father Bob Hart celebrates Mass at St. Raphael House. Keeping Christ at the center of the ministry rekindles the flame of faith and builds a strong community based on belief.

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(Right) Cofounder Tim Murray feels blessed to have witnessed so many men pull back from the brink of death from their addictions. Frequent, casual conversations imbued with faith often make a big difference.

A statue of an angel in St. Michael House’s garden is one of many reminders of Trinity Sober Homes’ integral Catholic identity.

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some of whom might not be alive without the help of the program. In a matter of seconds, he can rattle off the names of men whose lives have been transformed while living under the roofs of Trinity Sober Homes. “I think about Tom J., who struggled, relapsed, and came back,” Murray recalls. “His wife died while he was in the house. She had terminal cancer. And he made the decision to continue to stay with us so that he wouldn’t have his children lose two parents at the same time, since he was at the point where each time he was relapsing, he was close to dying. I think about [the family] now being reunited, and I think about how, despite the loss of their mother, those children have regained a father. “I think about some of the guys living here, like Mike G., who’s been here five years and will probably continue to live with us [for the long term]. He’s an exMarine who came here with a chip on his shoulder and is now the most loving, welcoming guy in the house. He’s the first one to say, ‘Hey, welcome to the house.’ He’s sort of like the house mom. He takes people under his wing.” The guardians of the houses—the three archangels after whom the houses are named— certainly have had a hand in the homes’ successes. Murray and Father Fleming both wanted unmistakably Catholic names for the homes

to go with their unapologetically Catholic identities. After discussing several possibilities, they decided that archangel names were a perfect fit, starting with St. Michael. “St. Michael really is seen as the archangel defeating the dragon, the serpent, Lucifer,” Murray notes. “And to us, alcohol represents all of that. And so the image of St. Michael having Satan or the serpent under his foot, poised with a sword, is exactly the kind of hope we want to give to men, which is, ‘Hey, with God’s help, you can get your alcoholism or drug addiction under control.’ Archangels are God’s helpers and God’s messengers.” The question is: Will there be another house to name after an archangel? “That’s the $64,000 question everybody asks,” Murray says. “Most people in business define success by growth. But I don’t think that’s the right metric. Success should be— and is—defined by what percentage of our men are sober 12 months after they’ve stayed with us. “I really believe that the long term is not in my hands. When people ask me what my long-term plan is, I say, ‘Do you know what my long-term plan is? To be sober when I go to sleep tonight.’ Everything else is in God’s hands.” A Dave Hrbacek holds a BA in journalism from the University of Minnesota and is a photographer for The Catholic Spirit, the official newspaper of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. St . A n t h o n y M e s s e n g e r

❘ SHRINE OF ST. THÉRÈSE

CNS PHOTO/NANCY WIECHEC

CATHOLIC SITES TO EXPLORE

House of the Little Flower

s far as settings go, the Shrine of St. Thérèse may boast the finest view in the United States. The shrine— including a stone chapel, crypt, and labyrinth—looks out on jagged, snowcovered mountain peaks rising above the opposite shore. To walk the shrine’s grounds is to be filled with wonder at the magnificence of God’s creation. The shrine was the brainchild of Father William G. LeVasseur, SJ. At a time when there was no Catholic retreat center in Alaska, Father LeVasseur intended this shrine to fill that spiritual void. Bishop Joseph Raphael Crimont, who served as vicar apostolic of all of Alaska, gave his permission for the project and dedicated it to St. Thérèse of Lisieux, who had just been canonized in 1925. Work on the chapel began in 1937. It is not easy to reach the shrine. It lies 22 miles outside Juneau, and there is no public transportation to it. Your only options are to rent a car or join a tour bus, but bear in mind that tour buses rarely stay longer than 30 minutes. Retreatants have a choice of accommoda-

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tions: the Lodge, which sleeps 24; the Jubilee Cabin, which sleeps 14; and the lovely Little Flower Cabin, which sleeps four. There is also the one-room Hermitage Cabin, which has no electricity or running water—a much more ascetical experience for those who visit. The shrine is a testament to a holy woman. In her brief life, St. Thérèse dedicated herself to contemplation and deepening her love for God. When you’re visiting the island, ask the Little Flower to intercede for you that God will grant you those gifts. A Adapted from 101 Places to Pray Before You Die by Thomas J. Craughwell (Franciscan Media). Next: Bishop Frederic Baraga Driving Tour

Shrine of St. Thérèse 21425 Glacier Highway Juneau, AK 907-586-2227 ShrineofSaintTherese.org

A LA SKA

• Juneau

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The

BIBLE and

Beyond Yes, God speaks to us in Scripture, but also through life’s experiences. BY ROGER KARBAN

hen people ask during what period of history, besides the present one, I would prefer to have lived, I have no problem answering. I would have loved to have been alive during the 1,100 years when people were adding books to the Bible. Our Hebrew and Christian Scriptures basically took shape between the 10th century BCE and the second century CE. During that time, people of faith were not only composing the writings we find in our scriptural canon; they were also deciding whether they should be in that canon. Our biblical canon wasn’t divinely decreed. One need only go online to find collections of religious writings composed during the biblical period that are not part of our Scriptures.

Making the Cut Our sacred authors weren’t the only ones writing holy books. Why did some writings make it in while others were left out? As far as we can tell, neither Yahweh nor Jesus ever appeared to anyone and insisted, “I want these specific books in my Bible!” 38 ❘

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Almost 50 years ago, during a Catholic Biblical Association meeting, the late Father Dennis McCarthy gave one of the best definitions of canonicity I’ve heard. “These particular books were included in our Bible,” the Jesuit Scripture scholar said, “because they helped the most people over the longest period of time to understand their faith.” Contrary to popular wisdom, these specific writings didn’t give anyone his or her faith. Instead, people of faith turned to them when they wanted to understand the implications of the faith they already professed. Their actual faith didn’t come from books; it came from them experiencing either Yahweh or the risen Jesus in their daily lives. It was their reflections on those experiences that eventually became our Scriptures. One of my favorite Peanuts cartoon strips revolved around Snoopy’s quest for a drink of water. Charlie Brown’s dog is in the yard, thirsty. Eventually he clenches his water bowl between his teeth and walks over to an outdoor faucet. But he quickly realizes he has only one set of teeth; he can’t turn on the faucet and hold the water dish under it at the same time. While he’s mulling over his dilemma, there’s St . A n t h o n y M e s s e n g e r

a sudden cloudburst that completely fills his dish. As he walks away from the faucet, the bubble above his head reads, “I’m going to have to think about this one for a long time.” That’s similar to what happened to people of faith during those 1,100 years. They thought a long time about what happened in their lives of faith. The result of their thinking fills our Bible. Rarely did the implications of what happened actually take place while it was happening. Usually it didn’t enter their minds for months or years. But once it did, and they shared their insights with other people of faith, it developed into books and writings that people saved.

The Role of ‘Save-ables’ in Our Lives I always give the same first-day assignment to my college Scripture classes. Students have to come back the next day with a list of five objects in their homes or apartments that they’ve saved through the years, and tell me why they’ve saved them. Rarely is the object something of monetary value. Often it’s a ticket stub from a memorable game or concert, sometimes just a battered cork or a crushed flower. Most of the time, items like these end Fr anciscanMedia.org

up in the “free box” at an estate sale following a person’s death. Although those items are almost worthless to anyone else, the students won’t accept a thousand dollars for them right here and now. In almost every case, the saved objects are things that have helped those people understand themselves. Holding them in their hands, they see themselves in a unique way. None of us were gifted with a cigar box of “save-ables” on our first birthday. Instead, we spend a lifetime collecting them, a lifetime of understanding who we are, and discovering the implications of those insights. But in a parallel sense, we were gifted with a book of faith save-ables at the moment of birth: our Bible.

Not Eyewitnesses, but Faith Witnesses Those who created the Bible assumed each reader would simply use their writings as an example for eventually developing his or her own faith book. The problem was that, by the second century CE, many people of faith— both Jewish and Christian—came up with the idea that those special writings were composed by eyewitnesses to most of the events they J u ly 2 0 1 7 ❘

In writing the Scriptures, the evangelists were functioning more as faith witnesses—not actual eyewitnesses—to the events that had occurred during the lifetime of Jesus, interpreting events through a personal lens.

narrated. We Catholics have frequently fallen back on the statement, “Revelation ended with the death of the last apostle.” Once the last one died, we believed we no longer had eyewitness accounts of what the historical Jesus actually said and did. But the reality is that those writings were, in fact, mostly secondhand accounts. Catholic Scripture scholars today are convinced nothing in the Christian Scriptures—even the Gospels —was composed by anyone who actually knew the Jesus who lived between 6 BC and 30 AD. Even the earliest Christian author, Paul, confessed that he never knew Jesus “in the flesh.” Like all of us Christians 20 centuries later, the only Jesus they experienced was the risen Jesus: quite a different entity than the first-century Palestinian carpenter, whom scholars refer to as the historical Jesus. Disregarding what biblical experts have discovered in the last 150 years about the creation and collecting of our sacred writings, we’ve been taught to zero in on these unique past writings as the only example of God’s revelation, often at the cost of ignoring God’s revelation in our own lives. Perhaps that’s one of the reasons we have such difficulty accepting biblical contradictions. By forgetting that these writings are personal implications of God working in our lives and not literal firsthand accounts, we can’t figure out how God can contradict God. Yet, as author Keith Nickle reminds us, “Matthew and Luke wrote their Gospels because they didn’t agree with Mark’s Gospel. John probably wrote his because he didn’t agree with his three predecessors.” Those sacred writings were composed not just to convey history, but also to interpret history. There’s simply more than one implication of Yahweh and the risen Jesus working in our lives. Our ancestors in the faith had a broad enough belief system to include even contradictory theologies in their biblical collection. In some sense they were telling us, “Here they are; take your pick of what most coincides with your experiences.”

The Benefits of an ‘Open Canon’ Having a book of canonical faith implications in our hands certainly impedes many of us Christians not only from actively experiencing 40 ❘

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the risen Jesus in our own daily lives, but also from discovering some implications of those experiences. Our sacred authors never addressed these items during the 1,100 years when the biblical canon was open. A closed canon has a way of also closing people to acknowledging God working in their lives, crushing an awareness of all the ancient faith our ancestors shared. But if we could add to Scripture today, what would we include? I presume that would vary from person to person, depending on each one’s experiences. Yet I believe almost everyone would demand we include St. Francis of Assisi’s Peace Prayer: “Lord, make me an instrument of your peace. . . .” This prayer’s petitions resonate with people of many diverse faiths, and it’s already included as an extra in many deluxe coffee-table editions of the Bible. On a personal level, I would add Robert Bolt’s mid-’60s play and movie, A Man for All Seasons. Though the drama is essentially a fictional account of St. Thomas More’s 16thcentury relationship with England’s King Henry VIII, it gave me many insights into confronting the authority structures that constantly crisscross my life—both religious and civil. As a Christian, it’s not always clear what to do and when to do it. Bolt seems to have been inspired to point me in the right direction and help me reflect on the faith directions I’d already taken. The first time I heard Lonestar’s 2009 song “I’m Already There,” my brain kicked into high gear. The song’s lyrics revolve around a man who’s on a trip and calls home to speak to his family. Both his wife and one of the children take the phone to tell him how much they miss him and want him to hurry home to be with them. He responds, “I’m already there.” Then, among other things, he assures them, “I’m in the beat of your heart . . . the shadow on the ground . . . the whisper in the wind.” He ends by asking, “Can you feel the love that we share?” It helped me better understand Jesus’ earliest followers, who expected him to return quickly in the second coming. Though they wanted him to hurry home, he eventually assures them that his love for them guarantees he’s already there in the people, events, and situations of their everyday lives. He’s among them in a new and unique way. They simply have to refocus their eyes, and they’ll experience him in others. Paul had parallel insights in his well-known Galatians 3 passage on the risen Jesus as a new creation. We simply can’t St . A n t h o n y M e s s e n g e r

expect Jesus to be here as he was during his earthly ministry. In a similar way, long before I knew anything about closed or open canons, the first time I heard Gerard Manley Hopkins’ “The Leaden Echo and the Golden Echo,” I knew it was a keeper. Better than most retreat sermons I’d endured, the Jesuit’s poem outlined our basis of faith in Jesus of Nazareth. As the poem’s young girls, who are admiring their beauty reflected in the water of a well, eventually discover, one only gets to keep in eternity what one gives to others right here and now. It’s at the heart of Jesus’ life and message. If we were putting the Bible together today, I’d certainly lobby for its inclusion.

1865, second inaugural address. Ever up to date, he ended with the recent Academy Award-winning movie Spotlight. Elaine, a retired teacher of literature, simply mentioned two classic poems: Gerard Manley Hopkins’ “God’s Grandeur” and E.E. Cummings’ “I Thank You God for Most This Amazing.” Both focus on the wonder and awe that nature inspires in people who take the time to see. Through the years, she’s come to realize that so much of God’s nature comes to us through the natural world. Probably based on our common Jesuit training, Jack also listed three Hopkins poems: “Heaven-Haven,” “The Windhover,” and “Spring and Fall.” At the same time, he

Our Personal Canon

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CNS PHOTO/GRETA HAUSSMANN, BASILICA OF THE NATIONAL SHRINE OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION

I believe our whole mindset changes once we go beyond biblical writings. We begin to look at our life’s experiences from a completely different perspective. Instead of simply being handed all the implications of our faith in one neat book, it becomes our responsibility not only to find some of our own, but also—following the practice of our sacred authors—to be brave enough to share them. With this in mind, I recently checked with four friends on what they would include if given the opportunity. Tom, who frequently works in the field of mental health, mentioned the importance of Martin Buber’s I and Thou in his own quest for meaningful relationships. During the period when he was dealing with the suicide of his daughter, he found Andrew Solomon’s The Noonday Demon extremely helpful in understanding the depression that killed her. He added Alvin Toffler’s Future Shock because it clarified his instinct that the future is more important than the past. And he surprised me with his inclusion of Alcoholics Anonymous’ 12-step program. He looks at it as an experience of spirituality that encompasses all of life. Bob, deeply involved in social justice issues, immediately suggested the book and movie To Kill a Mockingbird, Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, and John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men. He then included a classic of the civil rights movement: Martin Luther King Jr.’s April 16, 1963, “Letter from Birmingham Jail.” And he reached back a hundred more years to incorporate Abraham Lincoln’s March 4,

included Oscar Wilde’s “The Selfish Giant,” a beautiful tale of conversion. Given that the Holy Spirit is just as much at work in God’s people today as it was over 2,000 years ago, what books, songs, plays, poems, or movies would you add to your personal biblical canon? What things help you understand your faith? A

There are multiple ways to share God’s word beyond Mass. Daily activities, experiences with music and literature, and conversations with others about the impact of the Spirit— all are ways that ancient texts are relevant today.

Share with us what helps you understand your faith at MagazineEditors@Franciscan Media.org! Roger Karban is a priest in the Diocese of Belleville, Illinois, who holds a licentiate in theology from Gregorian University and a doctorate in Scripture from St. Louis University’s divinity school. J u ly 2 0 1 7 ❘

Spin the Wheel Did she have the courage to try again? FICTION BY ANN TURNER

manda said it worked: “I only went on two dates before I met Greg.” Greg, who had a thick torso, ran an auto-body business, had two drooling Labs, and liked to watch latenight football. Elly supposed that was all right. But she didn’t want to settle. Seraphina, from their church book group, said she’d struck out after 10 dates. “One drank,” she told Elly, “another talked only about himself and his ex-wife, and the third one wasn’t really ‘into’ church, so I dumped him.” Elly sighed, turned on her computer—an ancient HP from before her divorce, but essential for her medical-billing business—and booted up the Internet. You’d think that something that had the word net in it would connect people more than it does, she thought. Her enormous gray cat, Murgatroyd, nodded sagely and jumped onto Elly’s lap. He put one paw on the keys as Elly prayed, “Please, God, let me find someone who likes to go hiking, likes English TV series, and is Catholic.” It didn’t make sense that God had time to be a holy matchmaker, given all the trouble spots in the world, but still—she hoped. Her mother liked to point out, “You’ve got plenty of girlfriends, honey; you need a boyfriend. Spin the wheel like they do with roulette. Take a chance.” And look how well the last one had worked out. She had been married for 10 years to Keith, a good worker but a drinker. She should have spotted that before, the way he bought kegs of beer, but she was so shy because she felt fortunate Keith chose her. Thankfully, they got an annulment as it was judged not a true

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marriage. “He didn’t want children, and he never told me that,” she sobbed to the priest. There was a lot Keith never told her, apparently.

lly searched “Catholic dating sites” and chose “Faithful Couples.” Just the words made her breath hitch and hands tremble. “You can do this,” she whispered, scrolling through the smiling faces with testimonials beside them. “Marty and Dave kneeling at a wedding Mass!” Dave wrote, “I knew right away she St . A n t h o n y M e s s e n g e r

ILLUSTRATION BY ISABELLE CARDINAL/AGOODSON.COM

was the one for me! This is the best Catholic dating site!” Apparently Marty agreed, if you could tell from the blurred smile behind her wedding veil. Under her wedding photo with a tall, weedy Bob, Sheila wrote: “Mine took a bit longer; I wanted to get to know my dates. I went out three times, and on the fourth one I knew— he was it. Thank you, ‘Faithful Couples’!” “Well, Murgatroyd, what do you make of that?” With two fingers, she pulled up the corners of her mouth. Psychologists said that gesture would help your mood and make you Fr ancisca n Media .org

feel more smiley. Also, raising your eyebrows. It was hard keeping her eyebrows up, but Elly was determined. First she had to create a profile: “Looking for . . .” “Between the ages of . . .” “Located in . . .” “Maybe I should take half a Xanax, Murgatroyd.” She was getting tired of keeping a smile in place. It didn’t help her mood, which she would describe as anxious and shy. “I am very organized,” she wrote in her profile. Messiness was one of the things she and Keith had fought about. “I love to ice-skate and hike in the mountains.” As long as I don’t Ju ly 2 0 1 7 ❘ 4 3

have to stand on any ledges, she thought. “I like Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers movies, and romantic comedies.” Elly realized that made her seem far older than her age—34—but so be it. “I like the Beatles. And always Bruce Springsteen.” And, “I like watching birds, reading books, making soup, and going to Mass.” Should I mention must not criticize the hymns? she asked herself. Keith always wanted the music to be “up-tempo,” but how can “Here I Am, Lord” be up-tempo? “I prefer cats to dogs. Dogs are too licky.” No, change that, she thought, deleting the last four words. After a few sweaty moments, Elly posted a fairly recent picture of herself. Keith took it four years ago, when things started to fall apart. Elly was turned sideways with a faraway look on her face, as if looking for a better life on the horizon. “Come, Murgatroyd, time for a walk, baby.” She slipped the vest and harness over his thick gray fur and attached the leash, something she had spent weeks training him to do when he was a kitten. On the sidewalk outside, two kids returning from school looked at the cat and laughed. “Is that an attack cat? Ooh, I’m scared.” They made a wide berth around the big cat, then collapsed, laughing. “Heathens,” muttered Elly. “Never seen a cat on a leash before!” The cat paused to bat a few orange leaves on the grass, did his business politely against a telephone pole, and continued beside her, as he had been trained to. In some ways, Murgatroyd

was almost as good as having a boyfriend, though obviously he wasn’t spectacular at kissing, opening the door for her, or driving a car. But otherwise, he listened well, kept pace with her, and looked up from time to time as if to say, “I’m here with you, Elly.”

hen they returned home, Elly raced up the steps and unlocked the door with trembling hands. Unhooking the cat’s leash, she ran upstairs to her office and clicked on “New Mail.” “Whoa, three replies already! Maybe this isn’t such a bad idea after all!” She recoiled at the first picture of a muscular man wearing a red hat backwards, holding a weight in one hand. Was that a tattoo on his throat? Of a flying dragon? She didn’t care for dragons. Or tattoos. She shot off a reply: “I don’t think we’ll suit, but thanks.” The second entry showed a man of early middle age with a trim moustache and a cat on his shoulder. “Promising, Murgatroyd!” His name was Lloyd, not her favorite, but she shouldn’t be fussy. As her mom always said, “You are far too persnickety, Elly!” Lloyd worked nearby as an editor for a small magazine, liked crosscountry skiing, and had grown children. “All right, so he has kids, and you probably can’t, and his are grown. How bad is that?” He must have been online, because when she said she’d like to meet him for coffee, he suggested meeting at the local Starbucks tomorrow at noon. He added in the message, “I like your

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smile.” But she hadn’t been smiling in the photo. “All right,” she replied. “I’ll be wearing a red sweater.” She didn’t want to sound too eager. Was red eager? Lloyd responded quickly, “Sounds good. I’ll be wearing a black trench coat and a red scarf.” Keith said that men who wore scarves were too feminine. Real men got cold, apparently, and wore hats backwards on their heads and got strange, frightening tattoos across their throats. Wouldn’t that hurt your Adam’s apple? Elly sighed and shut down the computer.

he next morning, after a cup of strong coffee plus an orange, Elly showered, blew out her straight black hair, and dressed in dark slacks, a red turtleneck sweater, and shoes with small heels. She surveyed herself in the bathroom’s long mirror. “Do I look OK, Murgatroyd? Does wearing red make me look desperate?” She peered at her cat, inviting an opinion. He gave her a wide-eyed look, stretched, flexed his paws, and meowed. “I guess that’s a sign of approval,” Elly said. Throwing on a leather jacket, she went outside, got into her Honda Accord, and drove the 10 minutes into town, where she parked near Starbucks. Her hands were sweaty on the wheel, as she backed and turned several times. “I hate parallel parking!” She wished she’d dared to bring her cat with her. He would have calmed her down. Through the glass door Elly saw her date sitting at a corner table, reading the Times. His trench coat was folded neatly over the back of his chair, and the red scarf was knotted loosely around his gray sweater. It looked like cashmere. Her heart sank. I am not a cashmere type of person, Elly thought. I am a Marshall’s kind of person—on sale. Losing her nerve, she fled the coffee shop, got into her car, and drove back home, taking deep breaths—the way Dr. Muñoz had taught her—to slow her anxiety. Heart beating at a sickening speed, she poured herself a glass of white St . A n t h o n y M e s s e n g e r

wine, stuck a frozen broccoli and pasta dish into the microwave, and paced the kitchen. “I did the right thing, didn’t I, Murgatroyd? It’s good to spot these differences early on.” She sipped the wine, winced, and wished it were coffee. Trouble was, she was a Dunkin’ Donuts kind of girl, not a Starbucks girl, with their fancy decorated cups, tall lattes with strange flavors, and expensive coffee. As a medical-billing clerk who worked from home, she had to be careful with her money. “OK, let’s be polite, kitty-cat, and email Lloyd saying an emergency came up. What kind of emergency shall we invent?” The cat peered back at her. “Medical? No. Car? Nope. Ah, Murgatroyd—you developed a sudden boil on your right paw, and the only time the vet would see me was today at noon. That sounds plausible.” She sent off the message and turned to Number 3 from the dating site. “Let’s try you.” Elly clicked on that e-mail and saw a photo of a tall man in profile standing on a mountain ledge. He wasn’t handsome, more like a rugged guy who had given up trying to look lean. “Bert,” she read. “I love camping in winter—ugh!—white-water kayaking, old movies, Frank Sinatra, ballroom dancing, and cats. I do have a dog.” “OK, two out of six isn’t bad, Murgatroyd.” Apparently the cat had given up on the “Faithful Couples” site, curling himself into a tight heap on the chair nearby and going to sleep. “Spin the wheel, Elly!” she muttered, stabbing at the keys, intent on rescuing something from the day, which was going downhill like so many other days before this. “How about tomorrow, breakfast at the Roadhouse, Bert? 8:00?” She would find out if he could do early mornings. Keith, her ex, hated mornings and only came alive at night, around 9:00, and then started practicing his guitar and drinking. How could I not know that about him? How do you know what is real about someone? Elly poured the wine down the drain, did a walk aerobics DVD, fed Fr ancisca n Media .org

her cat, and finished some medical billing. Before 9:00 that night, she checked her e-mail again and saw, “OK, I’ll be there in a hunter plaid jacket and leather boots. My face is challenging.” What does that mean? Elly almost canceled the date, wondering if this guy was weird or if something was wrong with him, but she could hear her mom’s words: “Spin the wheel, Elly. Take a chance!”

he next morning, she showered, brushed her hair until it crackled, and put on jeans and a stretchy gray top. Carefully, she fastened her silver crucifix, pulled on slightly scuffed boots, and left in a hurry—her secret weapon beside her on the seat. The Roadhouse was 20 minutes away in a long-distance trucking parking lot. It was already almost full, as the restaurant had a reputation for hearty food and big portions. Elly went in, tugging on the leash, and found a corner booth. Looking around, she didn’t see a rugged dude in a plaid hunter jacket. “Ya want some coffee, honey?” the waitress asked. “And hey, you can’t have a cat in here. Put her in your car.” “Too cold,” Elly said. “Besides, he’s my therapy animal. I have a card for him.” Elly held out the card, which certified her as entitled to this accommodation. “Jeez.” The waitress reached out a tentative hand and patted Murgatroyd on the head. “I didn’t know cats could be therapy animals, and I never seen one on a leash.” “Well, now you have.” Elly smiled at the waitress. Just then, the door swung open on a blast of cold wind and a slightly heavy man strode in, wearing a hunter plaid jacket and holding the leash of a black Lab that had a yellow jacket on, proclaiming him a therapy dog. “No!” Elly said, rising and holding out her hand. “Yes!” Bert said, taking her hand and smiling. “Both of us. Different animals. What’s yours for?” “You’re not supposed to ask that,”

Elly said nervously. “I do, all the time. Mine’s for PTSD, after serving in Iraq. An IED.” He turned his face, and she saw scars running from his right eye to beneath his chin. “Best to get this out of the way first, don’t you think?” Elly nodded and sucked in a breath. “Mine’s for anxiety. His name’s Murgatroyd. Meet Bert, honey.” The cat put one paw on the table but did not growl at the dog. Bert said, “Down, Billy,” and the dog sank to the floor. “Favorite saint?” he asked, leaning forward and signaling the waitress. “St. Francis. Yours?” “St. Ignatius. He was in battle and got his leg wounded. That was before he got holy, though. I like soldiers that get holy.” Elly gave him a closer look as the waitress brought two coffees and wrote down their breakfast orders on her pad—two raisin-cinnamon bagels with cream cheese. He had nice gray eyes, heavy eyebrows, a firm chin despite the tug from the scar tissue, and a warm voice. How could you tell what a person was really like, whether his core was solid or not? But just for now—with the animals and the same breakfast ordered, maybe it was enough to go on, Elly thought. It was a beginning. “So, tell me about yourself, Elly.” Ann Turner is a freelance writer from Williamsburg, Massachusetts. The author of 50 children’s books, she has previously written fiction for St. Anthony Messenger, including “The Tarnished Heart” (November 2015).

ANSWERS TO PETE AND REPEAT 1. The apostrophe in Farmers’ has moved. 2. Sis’ hair is now showing on the right side. 3. The sun has moved to the right. 4. The watermelon seeds are now white. 5. Coins have appeared on the table. 6. A banana is missing from Pete’s bag. 7. Pete’s head is no longer tilted to the left. 8. Sis’ shirt now has a scoop neckline.

Ju ly 2 0 1 7 ❘ 4 5

ASK A FRANCISCAN

❘ BY FATHER PAT McCLOSKEY, OFM

Does Prayer Change Things?

CNS PHOTO/L’OSSERVATORE ROMANO

now, but I am not sure of its meaning. I suspect that it is misused or misunderstood by many people who proudly use it. Also, we read in John 3:5, “Amen, amen, I say to you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit.” Is “water” here the same as Baptism?

I understand that if I pray for someone, that action affects me and how I deal with that person—and perhaps others. All our lives, Catholics are geared to praying for others, but what we do after that praying is also crucial. Pope Francis usually ends a homily or talk with a request that his listeners pray for him. What good does that do? In 1 Thessalonians, the first New Testament letter to reach the form in which we know it, St. Paul urged the Christians in Thessalonica to pray without ceasing (5:17). He prayed for them that their faith might continue to grow (2:13). The Letter of James urges Christians to pray for one another (5:14,16). Jude tells us to pray in the Holy Spirit (1:20), and 1 John recommends praying to God (5:16). According to Nelson’s Complete Concordance of the New American Bible, Jesus urges people to pray 22 times in the four Gospels. Related words are also frequently used there. Not everything we might describe as prayer is, as Jesus reminds us, a prayer leading us closer to God and 4 6 ❘ July 201 7

people created in the image and likeness of God. The prayer of the Pharisee in the temple (Lk 18:9–14) is more an audit of God’s records (are they complete?) than a genuine prayer, opening the Pharisee more widely to God’s grace and where it will lead. In effect, the Pharisee is stiff-arming God, trying to force God to reward the things of which the Pharisee is very proud and ignore the rest. The tax collector in that same story has a much shorter but infinitely more honest prayer. We can only hope that the Pharisee eventually learned to pray with equal honesty. When St. Peter was in prison, Christians in Jerusalem prayed for him (Acts 12:5). Pope Francis ends most of his talks with a request for prayers. He imitates the tax collector’s honesty in prayer—as we all should.

Understanding the Term Born Again The term born again has become very popular among many Christians

The Gospel of John frequently uses paradox or a misunderstanding of something that Jesus says. In this case, the Greek word translated as “again” can also mean “from above.” Nicodemus, to whom Jesus was speaking, initially understood it to mean “again” and immediately objected that a physical rebirth was impossible. Jesus responded that he did not mean “again” in the sense of physical rebirth. Someone born from above is open to God’s grace and allows that grace to have deeper and wider effects in the person’s life. Jesus is encouraging Nicodemus to be baptized. I share your concern that the term born again can be misunderstood or misused. It can suggest that no further conversion is needed or even possible—as though the person is saying, “God, you’ve got nothing on me now.” That would be a false sense of security, a danger for all people who identify themselves as religious. No human action can force God into a corner, so to speak. God chooses to love in a wildly generous way, which many people over the centuries have found very unsettling. Thus they mentally fashion a narrower God, one more to their liking. In doing so, they also become narrower themselves, constantly calculating who is in and who is out with their very unbiblical God. Perhaps St . A n t h o n y M e s s e n g e r

that happened to the people condemned for not feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, or performing other works of mercy (Mt 25:41–46). “Water and the Spirit” in the quote above does refer to the Sacrament of Baptism. Because we cannot force God into a corner, we cannot say that only people who have received this sacrament can be saved.

Will My Husband Know Me in Heaven? I believe and hope to be with my loved ones someday in heaven. Will my husband, who died almost two years ago, know me and still love me? How will he look? If I have hurt anyone in my lifetime, will he or she have forgiven me by then? My husband was a good Catholic. I hope he is in heaven, but where is it? This is all on faith. What if it isn’t the way we thought it would be? If heaven is sharing in God’s life eternally, how important are any other details about it? Yes, we can presume that your husband will still know you and love you. Jesus, however, cautions against thinking of heaven too literally. He said, “At the resurrection they [people in heaven] neither marry nor are given in marriage but are like the angels in heaven” (Mt 22:30). This is not a put-down of marriage but simply an admission that we cannot force upon God our rules or preferences about what would make us eternally happy. How will your deceased husband look? Close enough to how you remember his appearance so that you can recognize him. The apostles were able to recognize the risen Jesus (Lk 24:36–40). People in heaven will have undergone a purification so that any grudges they held at the moment of death are no longer active in heaven. If they were, then that person would not yet be ready to share God’s life eternally. Where is heaven? I can’t find it for you on any map, but that does not disprove heaven’s existence. If you Fr ancisca n Media .org

are with God forever, by definition, you cannot be disappointed. God is more than enough for any of us.

A Second Baptism Needed? I was baptized, but not as a Catholic. If I become a Catholic now, do I need to be baptized again? Why or why not? The Catholic Church recognizes as valid a Baptism that uses water and is performed in the name of God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. That is the case for the Orthodox Churches and mainline Protestant Churches. The Sacrament of Baptism is not repeated—no matter what a person has done or not done since being baptized. That decision was made in the Church’s earliest years because during times of persecution, some Christians denied their Baptism to avoid a loss of life or lesser penalties. Because persecutions could become less intense, Christians who had

denied their faith sometimes sought to resume the practice of their faith in more peaceful times. Did these Christians need a second Baptism? No. Although they needed to confess the sin of apostasy and do the assigned penance, they were not rebaptized. I encourage you to be received into full communion with the Catholic Church. Most parishes begin in the fall with instructions for adults who have never been baptized or for adults who were baptized in another Christian denomination but now wish to become Catholics. This Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults involves instruction, worship, and practice. 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.

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ST.ANTHONY M essenger

St. Anthony Messenger is only $39.00 for 12 monthly issues. This price includes our digital edition: digital.StAnthonyMessenger.org. __ YES! Please begin my subscription. Ship to: Name ________________________________________________ Address _______________________________________________ City/State/Zip ___________________________________________ Payment Options (Choose one) ___ Please bill me $39.00 for 12 monthly issues. ___ Enclosed is my check or money order. ___ Charge my: __ Visa __ Mastercard Card #: __________________________ Expiration Date ______ Signature __________________________________________ Phone _____________________________ ________________ Mail to: St. Anthony Messenger, P.O. Box 189, Congers, NY 10920-0189 For fastest service, call toll-free: 866-543-6870, M-F, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (Eastern) To order a subscription online: FranciscanMedia.org/subscribe

Ju ly 2 0 1 7 ❘ 4 7

BOOK CORNER

❘ BY CAROL ANN MORROW

Little Sins Mean a Lot Kicking Our Bad Habits Before They Kick Us

CATHOLIC

Best-Sellers from

Amazon A Pope and a President: John Paul II, Ronald Reagan, and the Extraordinary Untold Story of the 20th Century Paul Kengor The Power of Silence: Against the Dictatorship of Noise Robert Cardinal Sarah That Nothing May Be Lost: Reflections on Catholic Doctrine and Devotion Rev. Paul D. Scalia Breathing Under Water: Spirituality and the Twelve Steps Richard Rohr Strangers in a Strange Land: Living the Catholic Faith in a Post-Christian World Charles J. Chaput

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By Elizabeth Scalia Our Sunday Visitor 160 pages • $14.95 Paperback /E-book Reviewed by MITCH FINLEY, author of more than 30 books on Catholic themes, including a recently revised edition of the best-selling The Rosary Handbook: A Guide for Newcomers, Old-Timers, and Those in Between and The Seeker’s Guide to Being Catholic. Little Sins Mean a Lot is not about making a virtue of scrupulosity. Rather, it’s a wise, humorous look at little sins that, if ignored, can become big sins. Each of the 13 little sins gets a chapter of its own: “Procrastination”; “Excessive Self-Interest”; “SelfNeglect”; “Treat Yo’self!: When Small Indulgences Take Over”; “Gossip”; “Judgment and Suspicion”; “Gloominess and Griping”; “Deliberate Spite or Passive Aggression”; “Clinging to Our Narratives Beyond Their Usefulness”; “Half-Assing It, aka ‘Phoning It In’”; “Cheating”; “Sins of Omission”; and “Self-Recrimination.” Even a quick perusal of this list and a few minutes’ thought lead to insights on how easy it can be for anyone to live for years with such behaviors and never fully realize how much control such little sins can have in one’s life. Gossiping, for example, can easily become a habit that does considerable damage to others. In each chapter, Elizabeth Scalia, editor in chief of the English edition of Aleteia.org,

uses a similar method to come to a deeper understanding of her topic. She relies on her own experiences, narrating them in a lively, anecdotal style that easily holds the reader’s attention. She consults Scripture, opens the Catechism of the Catholic Church, and regularly turns to the writings of various saints, popes, and wise people from history. The reader may be surprised to find that there is an easily discoverable consensus, among all these sources, on each chapter’s little sin. In “Treat Yo’self!: When Small Indulgences Take Over,” Scalia relates true stories from her own experience that illustrate how small indulgences can become so habitual that they are no longer small. Next, she quotes the Catechism, showing how spot-on it is on topics such as this one. Then, Scalia quotes St. Philip Neri, St. Teresa of Ávila, and others. It may come as a surprise that, even in the 16th century, St. Philip Neri nailed down the topic of this book in no uncertain terms: “We must take care of little faults: for he who once begins to go backward, and to make light of such defects, brings a sort of grossness over his conscience, and then goes wrong altogether.” Taking a similar approach to gloominess and griping, Scalia has no trouble finding passages from the same sources, plus both the Old and New Testaments, that address these bad habits. St. Teresa of Ávila famously quipped, “God save us from gloomy saints.” Moving right along, in each chapter Scalia does not leave the reader without resources for healing. She transforms insights into remedies. In the case of gloominess and griping, she hits the bull’s-eye, writing, “Cultivate what is called an ‘attitude of gratitude’: grateful hearts do not fall into the sins we’ve been concerning ourselves with.” Turning to excessive self-interest, among the remedies Scalia recommends is to “limit time on social media.” To wit: “Nothing so trains us to obsess over ourselves . . . as social media.” Bingo. Little Sins Mean a Lot is a terrific and slender volume loaded with fine writing and solid spiritual wisdom. Read it and become spiritually hale and hearty. St . A n t h o n y M e s s e n g e r

BOOK BRIEFS

A Spiritual Season Vesper Time The Spiritual Practice of Growing Older By Frank J. Cunningham Orbis Books 160 pages • $18 Paperback/E-book

A Priest Answers 27 Questions You Never Thought to Ask By Father Michael Kerper Sophia Institute Press 144 pages • $14.95 Paperback /E-book Reviewed by ANGIE MIMMS, a journalist, blogger, and former parish communications director. She reads, writes, and asks lots of questions in Northern Kentucky. New Hampshire parish priest Father Michael Kerper offers insights into Catholic traditions and beliefs in an informative book that inspires with its sincere, humble, and generous writing. I was won over by questions such as “Can Catholics believe in reincarnation?” and “Are guardian angels real?” Not a catechism or weighty book, the work comprises short chapters so that it’s easy to pick up and put down. This format also gives readers time to ponder the book’s discussions of prayer, traditions, sacraments, sin, ghosts, angels, and Scripture. The questions and answers in the book are from Father Kerper’s column in Parable, the magazine of the Diocese of Manchester, New Hampshire. In his answers, the author relies on the Catechism, Scripture, tradition, and writings of the saints. He cites sources, but the book isn’t overly scholarly. It’s conversational and easy to read with real-world analogies that help deepen the reader’s understanding. While plenty of the questions were ones I have thought to ask, the answers were thorough enough that I always learned something. I especially appreciated the discussion of guardian angels, an uplifting ending to the book that left me with a sense of comfort and hope. Fr ancisca n Media .org

Aging can become a spiritual practice in itself, suggests Cunningham, who focuses on five facets of particular concern to older adults— memory, intimacy, diminishment, gratitude, and acceptance—as a basis for continuing the quest for a deep and relevant faith.

Word by Word A Daily Spiritual Practice By Marilyn McEntyre Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. 232 pages • $17.99 Paperback/E-book This surprising book of practical meditations offers seven daily reflections on 15 themes— single words the author weaves into an engaging fabric of wisdom. With broad literary, cultural, and scriptural references, McEntyre leads her readers through an enjoyable season of sage and sane observations.

The Heart of Centering Prayer Nondual Christianity in Theory and Practice By Cynthia Bourgeault Shambhala Publications 256 pages • $16.95 Paperback/E-book Episcopal priest Bourgeault offers a short course on centering prayer and examines its place within the Christian contemplative tradition. Delving deeply into The Cloud of Unknowing, she suggests that nondual thinking is a revealing way to reexamine our world and our faith.—K.C. 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 Prices shown in Book Corner do not include shipping. Ju ly 2 0 1 7 ❘ 4 9

A CATHOLIC MOM SPEAKS

❘ BY SUSAN HINES-BRIGGER

Let’s Explore!

ILLUSTRATIONS BY MARY KURNICK MAASS

wo months ago, my daughter Maddie graduated from high school. At her graduation party, I asked guests to write down a blessing, memory, or bit of advice for Maddie to keep. When it came time for me to do it, though, it wasn’t quite so easy. The writer in me wondered why I made the slips of paper so small. There was so much I wanted to tell her. On the other hand, the mother in me didn’t want to do it at all because that would mean acknowledging that my baby was growing up. I thought and prayed about it for quite a while. I reread all the Dr. Seuss books, combing through all the profound words of wisdom they contain. I spent way too much time perusing the inspirational quotes section of Pinterest. But nothing I found

5 0 ❘ July 201 7

seemed to quite encompass everything I wanted to say. Finally, as I was lying in bed one night— because for writers that’s when all ideas pop up—I found the words I was searching for: Never stop exploring. I meant it both figuratively and literally. Her father and I have always been travelers, so I certainly hope she continues to seek out new places to explore. But I also want her to explore things like other people’s perspectives and experiences, her faith, and her own strengths and weaknesses. I believe it’s only through exploring that we continue to grow.

A Lost Art Unfortunately for a lot of us, when we grow up, we lose our sense of adventure and St . A n t h o n y M e s s e n g e r

READY, SET, GO One of the things I love watching is my kids discovering something new and exciting. For my 6-year-old daughter, Kacey, that’s usually something outside and on the ground. This year, she’s fascinated with the cicadas that have taken over our yard and neighborhood. And while her interests may not be the same as mine, watching her takes me back to a time when I took the time to explore the world around me. Stop and think. When was the last time you went exploring? If it’s been too long, perhaps it’s time you did something about that. For the next few weeks, make an effort to explore one new thing each week. It doesn’t have to be grand. Maybe try a new food or recipe. Listen to a different type of music from what you usually do. Learn about a different religion. Take a different route to work, to your kids’ school, or to church. You might even just follow the lead of your children or grandchildren. Let them open up your view of the world around you. And remember to never stop exploring.

exploration and become complacent. The everyday routines of life become, well, routine. We stay the course because that’s what we know and what works. The problem with that, though, is that the world is constantly changing. When we don’t keep up, there becomes a disconnect between us and others. During the 2016 World Youth Day in Kraków, Poland, Pope Francis encouraged participants to go on an adventure—an adventure of mercy. “Launch us on the adventure of building bridges and tearing down

walls, barriers, and barbed wire. Launch us on the adventure of helping the poor, those who feel lonely and abandoned, or no longer find meaning in their lives,” he told attendees. He delivered the message to the youth in attendance, but it certainly is a great challenge for us all!

Adventure Awaits Next month, Maddie will head off to the University of Cincinnati, where she will dive headfirst into her major: exploratory studies. How fitting that seems.

As her mom, I hope she takes the message that I wrote for her to heart. If she keeps exploring, she will open herself up to so many future adventures. What more could a parent ask for? 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@Franciscan Media.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 45)

Fr ancisca n Media .org

Ju ly 2 0 1 7 ❘ 5 1

BACKSTORY

Beyond Words

onth after month, because of the great talent of our art director, Jeanne Kortekamp, you receive a beautiful magazine. Just as do words, visual beauty conveys information and inspiration,

often in ways we never name. Colors, images, styles, type of design, illustrations, and photography all touch our hearts and minds.

PHOTO BY CHRISTOPHER HEFFRON

Next month, for example, we will have the moving story of a Franciscan friar, Father Ibrahim Alsabagh, in war-ravaged Aleppo, Syria. His words, taken from his journal, convey a powerful story. But Jeanne will choose photos from the Custody of the Holy Land that absolutely grip you, and she’ll place them on your pages in a compelling way. That’s what designers and art directors, such as Jeanne, do. The combination of photo selection and careful presentation will offer you a dimension of Father Ibrahim’s story that goes beyond words. Jeanne’s behind-the-scenes work makes this magazine compelling. There are numerous examples in every issue of your magazine. She regularly scours the country—and sometimes beyond—to find talented illustrators. She works with authors to see if there are quality photos for their stories and, if not, finds a photographer to take them. Or, sadly, she might advise this editor not to buy a great article that has no possible visuals (perhaps a compelling story in Timbuktu, for example). I won’t move ahead without her confidence. At the end of this month, Jeanne retires after 22 years of service at St. Anthony Messenger. We’ll be introducing her replacement in a future issue. Meanwhile, though, you’ll get another month, or perhaps two, of Jeanne’s fine touch. Remember, printing and mailing make us work on issues far in advance, so her design will outlast her. Good luck, Jeanne! It has been an honor to work with you. On behalf of all your subscribers and coworkers, thanks!

Editor in Chief @jfeister

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