http://saintmeinrad.edu Thu, 16 May 2013 00:00:00 Thu, 16 May 2013 00:00:00 <MultiNodePicker type="content"><nodeId>7341</nodeId></MultiNodePicker> http://saintmeinrad.edu/seminary-blog/echoes-from-the-bell-tower/posts/2013/david-and-me/ Taken from "Suggested Readings" &nbsp;a publication by seminarians and students of Saint Meinrad Seminary and School of Theology, now available in an online edition . &nbsp; The Friday before we left for Christmas break I received three Christmas cards in the mail. In the weeks after Thanksgiving, I received many cards, most from strangers and school children in my diocese with holiday greetings. Offering encouragement, praise and thanks, each is a testament to the love of our one, holy, and Catholic apostolic church. But on that day, there were only three. As I opened each card, I saw the unfolding mystery that is the connectedness of Christ in the lives of the faithful, and the beautiful power of the Presence of God in my own life. The first card I opened was hand-made and crayon-colored. It was onedimensional, a green circle with four straight lines proceeding from it. One of the lines had a yellow ball on the end. The lines were cream colored, except for one that was maroon. Being clueless, I showed it to several guys in the hall before it was identified as an advent wreath. Silly me, of course it is an advent wreath. Opening it I saw proclaimed in large one-inch tall block letters, "MERRY CHRISTMAS JOHN!" the obvious work of a first-grader. There was no indication of who sent this miniature masterpiece. Wow! How humbling is that? The second card I opened had the image of a beautiful stained-glass window. Joseph and Mary gaze lovingly down at the Christ child sitting on Mary's lap. Beautiful pastel shades of translucent glass, the sunlight streaming through, reflecting the love of family. A glance at the back showed the window was in the Old Cathedral, the oldest church of my diocese. Inside lay the Christmas wishes of my great Bishop. Wow! How humbling is that? I opened the third card and saw a magnificent angel, soaring below the Star of David and above Bethlehem, blowing a trumpet. Beneath her was Isaiah 9:6, "For a child is born unto us…these will be his royal titles, wonderful counselor, mighty God, everlasting Father, Prince of Peace". Inside the card lay the simple message, "I hope you are doing well, I wish you a blessed and joy-filled Christmas, I would love to hear from you again, warmest regards, David". Wow! How humbling is that? I have never met David face-to-face. We have been pen pals shorter than a year, at the request of Sister Rita Claire of the Daughters of Providence. David is my age and had he graduated from High School, he would have been in my class. He is a convert with a great zeal for Christ. His personal lay ministry involves counseling young men to their new situation, acknowledging personal culpability, accepting their path, and allowing Christ's healing presence into their heart. This is no small job for the faint of heart. Wow! How humbling is that? All the cards reminded me of Christ's love for me, but the last card was the most humbling. Soon thereafter, I prayed with Christ exposed in the Blessed Sacrament and wrote a long letter to David explaining some of the changes in my life since we shared letters last summer. Shortly thereafter, I received a second card bearing a beautiful picture of Christ the High Priest. The sentiments were again simple, thankfulness for sharing, gratefulness for direction from the Almighty, laughter at our common method for nighttime noise reduction, and acknowledgement of our roles in our respective institutions. With three glorious cards you may ask why David's was the most humbling. Well, David sits on death row along with 3000 plus Americans. In 2012 forty-three men were executed. Their ages ranged from 34 to 63 years old. Two of the forty-three volunteered to die, while forty-one desired life, even life behind bars. Since 1976 America has executed 1200 men and women. Catholic Social Teaching teaches us that life and the dignity of the individual is sacred from conception to natural death. Blessed John Paul II repeatedly asked all the governments of the world for a moratorium on the death penalty. Last September as we approached the Year of Faith the USCCB issued a beautiful prayer calling for an end to the death penalty: "Merciful Father, we ask your blessing on all we do to build a culture of life. Hear our prayers for those impacted by the death penalty. We pray for all people, that their lives and dignity as children of a loving God may be respected and protected in all stages and circumstances. We pray for victims of violence and their families, that they may experience our love and support and find comfort in your compassion and in the promise of eternal life. We pray for those on death row, that their lives may be spared, that the innocent may be freed and that the guilty may come to acknowledge their faults and seek reconciliation with you. We pray for the families of those who are facing execution, that they may be comforted by your love and compassion. We pray for civic leaders, that they may commit themselves to respecting every human life and ending the use of the death penalty in our land. Compassionate Father, give us wisdom and hearts filled with your love. Guide us as we work to end the use of the death penalty and to build a society that truly chooses life in all situations. We ask this Father through your Son Jesus Christ who lives and reigns with the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever. Amen" http://saintmeinrad.edu/seminary-blog/echoes-from-the-bell-tower/posts/2013/david-and-me/ http://saintmeinrad.edu/seminary-blog/echoes-from-the-bell-tower/posts/2013/david-and-me/ Thu, 16 May 2013 00:00:00 <MultiNodePicker type="content"><nodeId>4949</nodeId></MultiNodePicker> http://saintmeinrad.edu/seminary-blog/echoes-from-the-bell-tower/posts/2013/chasing-the-holy-grail/ In the Dark Ages following the disintegration of the Roman Empire, people struggled with war, poverty and disease. Society seemed to have lost its intellectual and cultural center. So, here is a thought: During those dark years, probably few people woke up and thought how glad they would be when the hard times were over and civilization revived in a new explosion of art, music and exploration. They thought the life they had was the way life would always be. They had no way of knowing we would look back on the years 400 - 1000 A.D. and label their time as the "Dark Ages." So, here is a question: Are we living in a new "Dark Age" without realizing where we are? When we see the senseless violence everywhere, we seem to be living in a time of spiritual darkness. Where the human spirit is concerned, our center grounded in faith in the Eternal appears to have fallen apart. It feels as though lack of faith, cynicism, depression, greed and hate gain ground with every senseless act of violence. In addition, in spite of all of our technology, war, hunger, poverty and disease afflict a growing number of people in too many countries. Peace has become the Holy Grail of modern civilization. We continually chase peace, but it is always just beyond our grasp. We have a letter our older daughter sent some years ago when she traveled among the small islands in the San Blas Territory off the coast of Panama. She wrote; "The Kona Indians on these islands have maintained their traditional lifestyle in spite of the pressures of modern society. They believe they are God's chosen people and that God wants them to live in peace and harmony. Any time anyone in the clan causes a disruption, the entire tribe is in jeopardy of not going to heaven. "They don't have jails. They don't need them. They frequently have town meetings where people talk about any problems. It's just like a big group therapy session. Over the years several different missionaries have come to the islands. However, since the missionaries always fight among themselves, which the Indians know goes against God's plan, they prefer their own faith to ours." How can we stop the darkness from overwhelming us? A son of the early years of the Dark Ages (480-583), St. Benedict must have wondered the same thing. His answer was to establish small pockets of peace where work and study and community could flourish. I think we are called to do the same. Our homes can become little pockets of peace where children and parents safely grow in love and faith. Our schools and churches can become havens against the darkness. Each of us must light a candle and let it shine. The little each of us can contribute makes a difference to someone here and now. In J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit , Gandalf says: "Saruman believes it is only great power that can hold evil back. But that is not what I have found. I have found that it is the small every-day deeds of ordinary folk that keep the darkness at bay. Small acts of kindness and love." Just as the Renaissance in art, music and literature grew out of the old Dark Ages, I think perhaps a new Renaissance, one of the human spirit, is waiting just a little further down the road. Just over the horizon, where we can't yet see, there may be a new dawn of faith, a new understanding of how interconnected we are, a new appreciation for our broken planet and a new gratitude for life. Even if we can see it yet, we can help us get there one small act of peace and kindness at a time.&nbsp; &nbsp; http://saintmeinrad.edu/seminary-blog/echoes-from-the-bell-tower/posts/2013/chasing-the-holy-grail/ http://saintmeinrad.edu/seminary-blog/echoes-from-the-bell-tower/posts/2013/chasing-the-holy-grail/ Thu, 09 May 2013 00:00:00 <MultiNodePicker type="content"><nodeId>1664</nodeId></MultiNodePicker> http://saintmeinrad.edu/seminary-blog/echoes-from-the-bell-tower/posts/2013/monastic-work/ "Idleness is the enemy of the soul," St. Benedict says in the Rule (Ch. 48:1). So, along with prayer he prescribes work: "Then they are really monks." Prayer is primary in Benedictine life and at Saint Meinrad, but whether we are serving one another or the wider Church and world, work is necessary to our lives, just as inhaling and exhaling are both necessary to the process of breathing. It is a symbiotic relationship, a rhythm of life in which intervals of communal and personal prayer, work, and our common life together as monks are interwoven into one continuous thread stretching to eternity. To be sure, there is a lot of work to do at Saint Meinrad. Monks are involved with the Seminary and School of Theology, pastoral and parish ministry, our guesthouse and retreat programs, our secular oblate program, the Abbey Press, and our Development Office. Monks minister away from the Hill to youth, prisoners, other religious, military personnel, and students; they assist our lay co-workers in maintenance and repair of our facilities and grounds. Our occupations, interests, and talents are diverse. We are teachers, administrators, writers, artists, psychologists, tailors, laborers, gardeners, students, health-care providers, retreat directors, spiritual guides, pastors, computer technicians, musicians, foresters, scholars, locksmiths, delivery persons, craftsmen, housekeepers, cooks, librarians, firefighters, and carpenters. These are some of the things we do as monks of Saint Meinrad, and it is all work that is very important to us and to those whom we serve. However, none of these works in and of themselves makes us monks. We are not defined by what we do, but rather by the unique way of life we lead in seeking God. We live our lives together here as monks primarily for two reasons: to do the hard work of personal conversion, and to be a collective witness to the world of that unity and integrity of life centered in prayer-all in service to the Church. http://saintmeinrad.edu/seminary-blog/echoes-from-the-bell-tower/posts/2013/monastic-work/ http://saintmeinrad.edu/seminary-blog/echoes-from-the-bell-tower/posts/2013/monastic-work/ Thu, 02 May 2013 00:00:00 <MultiNodePicker type="content"><nodeId>4575</nodeId></MultiNodePicker> http://saintmeinrad.edu/seminary-blog/echoes-from-the-bell-tower/posts/2013/month-in-pictures-april-2013/ I have been talking to a lot of seminarians lately about things they are grateful for. One of the common things I hear people say is that they're thankful for the relationships they have. There is a community atmosphere at Saint Meinrad, where everyone seems like family and, while here, students develop relationships with their classmates, professors, monks and God. Photos from this month represent many of the relationships monks, students and professors have and develop through their studies and work at Saint Meinrad. The photos come from the deacon ordination, the Around the World party, the First Communion at St. Boniface Church in Fulda, IN, and the softball tournament. They were taken by seminarian Charles Peñalosa and me. http://saintmeinrad.edu/seminary-blog/echoes-from-the-bell-tower/posts/2013/month-in-pictures-april-2013/ http://saintmeinrad.edu/seminary-blog/echoes-from-the-bell-tower/posts/2013/month-in-pictures-april-2013/ Thu, 25 April 2013 00:00:00 <MultiNodePicker type="content"><nodeId>4818</nodeId></MultiNodePicker> http://saintmeinrad.edu/seminary-blog/echoes-from-the-bell-tower/posts/2013/supporting-priestly-vocations/ &nbsp; Originally published on From the Back of the Church . The Church in the United States has a vocations problem. (This may seem obvious to most, but there's still a few people that don't realize this.) When people hear vocations, they usually think priesthood and religious life, although these are actually two distinct vocations among the others. (I'm actually a big fan of not grouping priests and religious together- a priest is not a nun with a jacket.) It's also necessary to point out that the vocation problem isn't limited to the priesthood and vowed religious, but also exists for marriage and the dedicated single life. Each vocational group is vital and necessary for the Church, however I'm focusing on vocations to the priesthood, particularly the diocesan priesthood. Our Church is centered on sacraments, almost all of which are administered by priests. Without priests there are no sacraments. Without sacraments, I'm not so sure there would be a Catholic Church. In most areas, the problem is simple- there are not enough priests to meet the needs of the local Church. Is it because God is calling less men to priestly orders? I doubt it. Times are different now, and thanks to societal changes, men aren't realizing the call or aren't able to respond to the call as they could before. A similar problem is occuring with the marriage vocation and its decline in numbers- either couples aren't getting married in the Church, or they aren't seeing it as a vocation with important spiritual essentials including fidelity and permanency. In other parts of the Church, the problem might be more intricate. For example, they have priests, but the average age within the presbyterate (the body of priests in a diocese) could be 70 years, with no one to replace them when they retire. Their replacements may all be young priests or seminarians in their 20's who won't be ready to fill the shoes of the more experienced pastors for a couple decades. Lastly, in some dioceses the problem might be financial. People who complain that the Church has too much money haven't been to a diocese that is mostly rural or where the Catholic population is small and spread over a large area. The tuition alone for a Catholic seminary is around $10k-$12k per semester. With each seminarian in school for 5-6 years, the cost for priestly formation really adds up. A few places have to ask the seminarian to borrow for their education rather than paying the cost (then the diocese provides financial assistance after ordination). This could really discourage men from applying if they are unable or unwilling to do this since most applicants carry debt from previous education or even from life in general (car payment, mortgage, etc). So what can we do to address the problems? Tip #1: &nbsp;Every diocese has a vocation director- know who this is and ask how you can help. This role is usually held by a priest or a team of priests who act in the name of the diocesan bishop in matters of vocations. In some cases, the diocesan bishop may hold the role or parts of the role to himself. Normally at the ordination liturgy, this is the priest who presents the ordinand to the bishop and testifies to his readiness for sacred orders. His primary responsibility is the recruitment of priestly candidates. Depending on the diocese, the vocation director usually also serves as the bishop's liaison to the seminary (if outside the diocese) and oversees the overall training of the seminarian for the diocesan bishop. Typically the vocation director travels around the diocese offering presentations and meeting with applicants. He's usually the one who produces all the vocation posters and advertisements. In this regard, he functions much like a college recruiter. He may ask parish pastors and fellow diocesan priests to assist him with these duties. It can be a hard job, especially if the vocation director is also a parish pastor or has additional diocesan assignments. Tip #2: &nbsp;Support the seminarians in your diocese. A seminarian is affiliated with a particular diocese where they will be ordained and serve as a priest. Support the ones affiliated with your diocese. You may find a seminarian living/working at your parish for the summer or on a pastoral year- he would be an easy one to support. If there's a larger seminary within your diocese, there will be men from other dioceses sent there to study who can be a long way from home (this was the case for me when I was in the seminary), so consider supporting them, too. What do I mean by support? Pray for them. Feed them. Help them a little financially here and there. Seminarians are busy college or graduate students, and therefore have empty wallets (with the exception of a periodic stipend). In most cases, they aren't able to hold meaningful employment while studying or on pastoral assignments. A little money for gas or pizza can go a long way. Tip #3: &nbsp;If you think someone would make a good priest, tell him! This might seem a little rudimentary, but people overlook this all the time. God doesn't send e-mails (at least I've never received one). He uses people like you and I to convey His message. Don't be discouraged if the guy currently has a girlfriend. What it takes to be a good priest is also what it takes to be a good husband and father. The difference is how God calls them to serve. So if you think someone has the call to priesthood, say something to him. Tip #4: &nbsp;Support the priestly vocations that we already have. Don't forget about your pastor and other priests you know. These guys work hard, and often have to work as lone rangers. Nowadays, they typically live alone and may not see another priest with any frequency. The pastor sees himself as the head of a parish family, so it wouldn't hurt to make him a part of yours once in a while. Invite him out to eat with your family after Mass, or have him over for dinner. Even if he doesn't accept, he'll really appreciate the invitation. If he comes over for dinner, you don't have to treat him as an honored guest- priests like respect, but they also appreciate familiarity. Let him set the table before hand or ask him to help dry the dishes afterward, just like you would any other family friend. The company of your family with a home cooked meal is a blessing; even more so he gets to take part in the preparation or clean up. Tip #5: &nbsp;Examine and process your own personal feelings about priests. Some people don't realize how much the pedophilia scandal affected them. It's affected a lot of people with hurt and anger, even they don't know any of the victims or priests that were involved. Has the scandal impacted vocations? Depends on who you ask. Some say it has deterred applicants, others say it has encouraged more dedicated and committed men to the seminaries. But even without the scandal, you'd be surprised what people thought about priests and didn't realize it. On more than one occasion, I've had parents emphasize that the Church needs good priests, but when you would ask them about one of their own kids becoming a priest, you'd get something like "Oh no. Johnny could never be a priest, we're going to have grandchildren." In other words, it's okay to encourage someone to be a priest, just not someone in your own family...that's worthy of a pause for thought. This last suggestion is for priests. &nbsp;Tell people how happy you are! No one is going to want to be a priest if they don't know you, or know how happy you really are. Timothy Cardinal Dolan wrote on Twitter:&nbsp; "As a kid, priests and sisters showed me that giving your life to Jesus was a happy thing to do! If we can recover that, we'd be onto something." (June 18, 2012) Concluding with good news, perhaps priestly happiness is becoming more visible. The numbers for vocations are starting to trend up. Seminary enrollment has been increasing, to the point where a few schools are nearing capacity. That's a good problem to have, even if we won't notice it in the parishes for a few more years. St John Vianney, patron saint for priests, pray for us. http://saintmeinrad.edu/seminary-blog/echoes-from-the-bell-tower/posts/2013/supporting-priestly-vocations/ http://saintmeinrad.edu/seminary-blog/echoes-from-the-bell-tower/posts/2013/supporting-priestly-vocations/ Fri, 19 April 2013 00:00:00 <MultiNodePicker type="content"><nodeId>5049</nodeId></MultiNodePicker> http://saintmeinrad.edu/seminary-blog/echoes-from-the-bell-tower/posts/2013/living-for-the-future/ George Gervase was born in Sussex, England, in 1569. After serving as a soldier in Flanders and with the Spanish army, he entered the English College at Douai, France, to study for the priesthood. Ordained a secular priest at Cambrai in 1603, he was sent to serve as a missionary to England's persecuted Catholic communities the following year. Banished from England after two years of ministry, he made a pilgrimage to Rome, where he decided to become a religious. George entered the newly established Benedictine Priory of Saint Gregory at Douai and, following his novitiate, he returned to England. He was arrested after only two months of ministry and imprisoned in the Gatehouse at Westminster and tried at the "Old Bailey." Blessed George freely admitted he was a priest, for which reason he was condemned to death. It is likely that he solemnly professed as a Benedictine monk shortly before being hanged, drawn, and quartered at Tyburn on April 11, 1608. Blessed George Gervase was beatified in 1929 and he is commemorated in the Roman Martyrology on April 11, the anniversary of his death. In the rule of life he composed for his monks, St. Benedict described the monastery as a "school of the Lord's service" where his monks would live out their commitment to Christ by fulfilling three vows: obedience (a spirit of attentive listening to the abbot, the community, and the Church),conversatio (a commitment to monastic customs and growing in virtues), and the uniquely Benedictine vow of stability. Stabilitas ,the vow of "place," is not necessarily about geography or buildings. To be committed to stability means to commit oneself to both a community and a way of life. However, as Dom David Knowles observed in The Benedictines , "exceptional circumstances, in the past or present, have caused the highest authorities of the Church to call upon such priests as existed anywhere to aid in spreading or maintaining religion in certain districts." This was the work to which Blessed George Gervase, monk-missionary in Reformation-era England, was called and it is in this mission that we discover another facet of our commitment to stability - working to provide for future generations. Whether our stability manifests itself in buildings of brick and mortar, in fidelity to the monastic tradition or, as in the case of Blessed George, working for the survival of the Faith itself, our ultimate end must be the greater glory of God and service to the Church. Stability is not about finding comfort and convenience for contemplation. We create communities and build up the Church because we believe that what we do here and now impacts and shapes the faith and freedom of those who will come after us. A Prayer in Honor of Blessed George Gervase + Almighty and merciful God, Who brought your Martyr blessed George Gervase to overcome the torments of his passion, grant that we, who celebrate the day of his triumph, may remain invincible under your protection against the snares of the enemy. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. http://saintmeinrad.edu/seminary-blog/echoes-from-the-bell-tower/posts/2013/living-for-the-future/ http://saintmeinrad.edu/seminary-blog/echoes-from-the-bell-tower/posts/2013/living-for-the-future/ Thu, 11 April 2013 00:00:00 <MultiNodePicker type="content"><nodeId>7226</nodeId></MultiNodePicker> http://saintmeinrad.edu/seminary-blog/echoes-from-the-bell-tower/posts/2013/darkness,-the-theological-virtues,-and-finding-the-inflection-point/ Originally published in Homiletic &amp; Pastoral Review Magazine . According to many Catholic theologians, there are two purifications in the spiritual life: a purification of the sense, and a purification of the spirit. The purification of the sense is brought on by loss of friends, fortune and the like (1). In this, we are deprived of consolations in order to bring us to trust in God more than in our own resources. In this purification, temptations, which involve chastity and patience, are frequent. (2) The purification of the spirit involves the higher levels of the soul, so the temptation involved in it are against the theological virtues. (3) These temptations are, by their nature, greater than temptations involving patience, although patience is also involved in their resolution. When these temptations are met correctly, a final purgation can happen, leading to an upward inflection to the highest level of awareness of God, or the unitive way. It appears, though, that the final purgation of the spirit can be forced by external circumstances rather than by a deliberate practice of infused prayer. This is dangerous because it is unexpected, and, it is happening in a person not prepared by the regular practice of infused prayer. The purgation that is sought by a Christian is looked for and welcomed; the purgation which we are unprepared to meet, that comes from the sudden disasters of life, is more likely to force a downward inflection to the darkness of separation. When one is assailed by what seemed to be life and death matters of family and fortune, at first, a little hope is lost; then, a little faith; eventually, when one sees the faith decreasing, hope decreases further. The process accelerates until even charity is affected. "And, because the wickedness is multiplied, most men's love will grow cold." (4) At the end, there is a downward slope leading to darkness, and even to leaving the Church, as all faith has been lost, with blame laid on God, who is seen as a fiction, an invention of the earthly power structure. This may be the ultimate darkness on earth. To echo St. Peter: "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. (5) In this state, there may still be the knowledge that the Church is the one founded by Christ himself, so leaving the Church is leaving him as well. Then, there is no hope at all. This is the explanation for the high suicide rate among people abused by priests. Because of the authority of the person involved, and the fact that it strikes at the heart of faith, the loss of faith is accelerated, and no resolution can be found. A form of clericalism is at the heart of this problem, a belief that ordination does more than the Church claims that it does. A person who believes that ordination changes a person's free will, and level of sanctity, will fall prey to despair when confronted with evil in a priest. The same principle applies when the person engaged in evil acts is not a priest, but who also has religious or moral authority by virtue of their state in life, such as a parent. How can one recognize these inflection points, and through an act of will, make them turn upward rather than downward? Ultimately, the downward inflection consists of distrust in God, and a focus on the importance of self. The upward inflection involves abandonment to divine providence, and a focus on reflecting the light of Christ. The temptations during this crisis manifest themselves in temptations against the theological virtues, so the focus during this period has to be on the three formal motives of the theological virtues: primal truth, omnipotence, infinite goodness. (6) Prayer is the first shield against temptations. When disaster strikes, prayer is the first and best response, in praying even when it seems that God is merely the imaginary playmate of a child. One must focus prayer on the internal process, not the outward cause of despair; God has that under control. "We believe, in the absence of every other reason, for the sole and unique motive: God has said it." (7) This is the fundamental definition of faith when all else has been lost. People experiencing the cross, "do not lack entirely the relief of consolations; for they are aware of the great rewards they reap by bearing their cross. When they willingly submit to it, their burden of suffering is turned into confidence that they will receive consolation from God. The weaker the flesh becomes through affliction, the stronger the spirit is made by inward grace". (8) And here is the hope for the future that results from faith: the knowledge that the omnipotent God is in control, even in the absence of outward signs. Another shield against temptations is to internalize all the words on hope and God's omnipotence, especially as manifested in endurance, and the words on faith and God's truth, and on love and his goodness. Memorization is a first step toward internalization, memorization of both prayers and scripture. "But, he who endures to the end will be saved." (9) For each of us, every day is the "end times" because we do not know when Christ is coming, either at the Last Day, or for us individually. Each day we experience "the tribulation and the kingdom, and the patient endurance." (10) A person must "desire self-control, and not allow oneself to be dominated by exterior things; to reduce the imagination, the feelings, and even the intelligence and memory to the position of servants of the will, and to make the will conform, without ceasing, to the will of God … " (11) Faith is more than accepting suffering; it is rejoicing in it, because we then become more like Christ. "Jesus has many lovers of his heavenly kingdom, but few crossbearers. Many desire his consolation, but few his tribulation. Many will sit down with him at table, but few will share his fast. A desire to rejoice with him, but few will suffer for him." (12) "Our faith is never more alive than when what we experience through our senses, contradicts and tries to destroy it." (13) The same thing is heard from soldiers who tell of never having felt more aware of themselves and their surroundings than before they had experienced battle. "If I say, 'Let only darkness cover me, and the light about me be night,' even the darkness is not dark to you, the night is bright as the day; for darkness is as light with you." (14) God made everything, and governs everything. There is no place where he has not been. So, we need not fear where we are going either, as he will be there also. (15) "Now, I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I complete what is lacking in Christ's afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the Church." (16) If we suffer like Christians, we apply the merit of Christ's passion to other souls. St. Augustine wrote that the sufferings were filled up by Christ as the Head. But, now it is the time for the Mystical Body of Christ, the Church, to suffer. (17) Fr. Frederick Faber wrote that suffering is the greatest of the sacraments. We unite our sufferings with those of Christ's and, in so doing, we participate in the efficacy of the Precious Blood. (18) Our participation in the efficacy of the Precious Blood at Mass helps us individually, but through our suffering, our participation helps both us, and the people for whom we offer our suffering. To focus on the offering of our suffering for someone else's benefit, is the outward focus on the reflection of Christ's light that is needed to combat the self-pity that takes us on the downward path. "Then, they were given a white robe, and told to rest a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brethren should be complete, who were to be killed as they themselves had been." (19) Even if we may not be called to be martyrs and saints raised to the altar, we are to help complete the number of smaller saints and martyrs which has been ordained by God's will. "You are seeking for secret ways of belonging to God, but there is only one: making use of whatever he offers you. Everything leads you to union with him. Everything guides you to perfection, except what is sinful or not a duty." (20) Too often, we see the way to perfection as being paved with only beautiful paving stones. The idea that imperfections are also guides to perfection is foreign to us. We like to think our imperfect path is due to our not living in a perfect world of contemplation, but even nuns and monks have problems with each other in community. Contemplatives have internal imperfections which seem at times to block the way to sanctity. God "comforts us in a our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as we share abundantly in Christ's sufferings, so through Christ, we share abundantly in comfort, too." (21) Our purpose in suffering is not necessarily for us to reach sanctity, but to reflect the light of Christ to others, by reflecting the hope of Christ to others who suffer. In this way, we reach sanctity through a more external path. "Since his uncreated hands do everything for me, why should I run about seeking help from ignorant, helpless creatures who have no real affection for me?" (22) We should not rely on people, even priests, who often are no better equipped to deal with spiritual upheavals than anyone else. Mother Teresa knew this in the darkness of Calcutta, as she experienced no sense of God's presence for years, and spent extended periods without access to a spiritual director. "From within and from without, I find no one to turn to. He has taken not only spiritual but even human help." (23) She knew that spiritual help, and human help, are of a different quality and an efficacy, the spiritual far more than "even" human help. Seeking human help rarely is useful-as even though there are many who suffer in so many different ways, so few people have the degree of introspection to become intimately familiar with the way of darkness, or how to articulate guidance through it. This requires being already in the unitive way, at least part of the time. To reflect his light, we must reflect all parts of it, words and deeds, carrying our crosses even to death. The Son of God didn't come to play "patty-cake" and die of old age. We are to follow him in all things, even to the shedding of blood, though sometimes white martyrdom seems worse, being more protracted and less certain as to its outcome. We are not sure of its outcome because of the worldly causes or nature of our suffering. We refuse to believe that it qualifies as spiritually genuine suffering or martyrdom. This is a kind of false humility. "Pain is, in appearance, the most useless of things, but it becomes fruitful by the grace of Christ, whose love rendered his sufferings on Calvary infinitely fruitful … Pain makes us desire God, who alone can heal certain wounds of the heart, and who alone can fortify and remake the soul. Pain invites us to have recourse to him who alone can restore peace and give himself to us." (24) Someone who is not a Christian may cry out to God in suffering, asking for him to take away that suffering. But a Christian will cry out for him to use that suffering. "Instead of stifling her missionary impulse, the darkness seemed to invigorate it. Mother Teresa understood the anguish of the human soul that felt the absence of God, and she yearned to light the light of Christ's love in the "dark hole" of every heart buried in destitution, loneliness, or rejection." (25) To saintly souls, "If he takes from them their powers of thought and speech, their books, their food, their friends, their health, and even life itself, it means no more to them than if he did the exact opposite. They love what he does, and find his activity always sanctifying. They do not reason about what he does, but approve of it. They know it is never without significance." (26) This is a process like winnowing in a storm. We are afraid that the wind is too strong, and some of the grain will be lost. But nothing is lost. "What this year contained has gone into the abyss of eternity. Nothing is lost. I am glad that nothing gets lost". (27) "You would be very ashamed if you knew what the experiences you call setbacks, upheavals, pointless disturbances, and tedious annoyances really are. You would realize that your complaints about them are nothing more, nor less, than blasphemies-though that never occurs to you. Nothing happens to you except by the will of God, and, yet, his beloved children curse it because they do not know it for what it is." (28) Realizing what it means, that God's care for the fallen sparrow is a sign that his care for us is assured, (29) we then believe in the promise that "I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten." (30) The restoration is of years, or time, rather than physical crops, which are replaceable. Time is not replaceable, and here it represents all irreplaceable things: confidence, joy, trust, and faith. Eternity is not just endless time, it is outside of time, so in eternity, God can restore our years of prayer, labor, and suffering. "It is no easy thing to bear sufferings joyfully, especially those which are unmerited. Fallen nature rebels and, although the intellect and will are above suffering because they are able to do good to those who inflict suffering on them, nevertheless, the emotions raise a lot of noise and, like restless spirits, attack the intellect and will. But, when they see they cannot do anything by themselves, they quiet down and submit to the intellect and will. Like some kind of hideousness, they rush in, and stir up a row, bent on making one obey them alone, so long as they are not curbed by the intellect and will." (31) The will is the key to finding and turning our inflection points upward. The will is the one thing over which we have complete control. There is a popular belief that if one doesn't have faith, then one just doesn't have it. However, faith is an act of will, just as much as the propensity for it is a gift. And hope and charity are just as dependent on the will as is faith. "We are now living in a time of faith. The Holy Spirit writes no more gospels except in our hearts. All we do, from moment to moment, is live this new Gospel of the Holy Spirit. We, if we are holy, are the paper; our sufferings and our actions are the ink. The workings of the Holy Spirit are the pen, and with it he writes a living gospel; but it will never be read until that last day of glory, when it leaves the printing press of this life … The book is on a press and, never a day passes when the type is not set, ink applied, and pages pulled … The paper is blacker than the ink, and the type is pied; the language is not of this world, and we understand nothing. We shall be able to read it only in heaven." (32) Endnotes: 1. Reginald Garrigou-LaGrange, Life Everlasting and the Immensity of the Soul (TAN Books, Rockford, IL, 1991) 33. 2. Garrigou-LaGrange, 33. 3. Garrigou-LaGrange, 34. 4. Mt 24:12 RSV 5. Jn 6:68 RSV 6. Garrigou-LaGrange, 34. 7. Ibid. 8. Thomas á Kempis, Imitation of Christ, ed. Claire Fitzpatrick (Catholic Book Publishing Co., New York. 1977), Book 2, chapter 12, "The Royal Road of the Cross." 9. Mt 24:13 RSV 10. Rev 1:9 RSV 11. Jean-Baptiste Chautard, The Soul of the Apostolate (TAN Books. 1946; 2008) 23. 12. Thomas á Kempis, Book 2, chapter 11, "On the Small Number of Lovers of the Cross" 13. Jean-Pierre de Caussade, Abandonment to Divine Providence (Image/Doubleday, New York. 1975) 39. 14. Ps 139:11-12 RSV 15. Ps 139. 16. Col. 1:24 RSV 17. Chautard, 119. 18. Chautard, 120. 19. Rev. 6:11 RSV 20. de Caussade, 55. 21. 2 Cor. 1:4-5 RSV 22. de Caussade, 54. 23. Brian Kolodiejchuk, Mother Teresa: Come Be My Light, the Private Writings of the "Saint of Calcutta" (Doubleday, New York. 2007) 249. 24. Garrigou-LaGrange, 31. 25. Kolodiejchuk, 185. 26. de Caussade, 61. 27. St. Maria Faustina Kowalska, Divine Mercy in My Soul (Marian Press, Stockbridge, MA. 2009) paragraph 855, p. 355. 28. de Caussade, 47. 29. Mt. 10:31 30. Joel 2:25 KJV 31. Kowalska, para. 1152, p.422-423. 32. de Caussade, 45. &nbsp; http://saintmeinrad.edu/seminary-blog/echoes-from-the-bell-tower/posts/2013/darkness,-the-theological-virtues,-and-finding-the-inflection-point/ http://saintmeinrad.edu/seminary-blog/echoes-from-the-bell-tower/posts/2013/darkness,-the-theological-virtues,-and-finding-the-inflection-point/ Fri, 05 April 2013 00:00:00 <MultiNodePicker type="content"><nodeId>4575</nodeId></MultiNodePicker> http://saintmeinrad.edu/seminary-blog/echoes-from-the-bell-tower/posts/2013/month-in-pictures-march-2013/ From preparation all the way to giving the sign of peace and receiving communion, the pictures from March represent Mass. I've always believed going and participating in Church was important. It would give me a strong foundation and the right mindset for the week ahead. More importantly though, Church gives people the opportunity to learn about Jesus and have fellowship with others who share the same beliefs. At Saint Meinrad, attending Mass is a normal part of everyday life. In March, I photographed the St. Anthony of Padua Society as they prepared homilies based on a theme and practiced giving them to an audience of peers. The men work hard to prepare for a future where they'll be giving homilies at Mass on a regular basis. I also took pictures at a Mass at the Branchville Correctional Facility, where Br. Zachary Wilberding, OSB, runs a Catholic ministry program. The only prison experience I had prior to photographing the Mass was from what I saw on TV or in movies. I wasn't sure what to expect, but the men were very welcoming and I could clearly see their passion and faith in God. Other photos from the month came from the deacon and priesthood promises and the Feast of St. Benedict. http://saintmeinrad.edu/seminary-blog/echoes-from-the-bell-tower/posts/2013/month-in-pictures-march-2013/ http://saintmeinrad.edu/seminary-blog/echoes-from-the-bell-tower/posts/2013/month-in-pictures-march-2013/ Thu, 28 March 2013 00:00:00 <MultiNodePicker type="content"><nodeId>2475</nodeId></MultiNodePicker> http://saintmeinrad.edu/seminary-blog/echoes-from-the-bell-tower/posts/2013/the-feast-of-the-passing-of-saint-benedict/ Fr. Julian Peters, OSB, gave this homily on March 21, 2013, the feast of the passing of St. Benedict. Looking at old photos and home movies is a popular activity for family gatherings. There are snickers and giggles about hairstyles, clothes and eyeglasses; comments about how much weight has been lost - or, more frequently,gained; scenes of special events and vacations; little kids being silly; grown adults acting stupid for the camera; seeing family and friends long gone. "The Way We Were" - preserved for posterity. "How Far We've Come" - prompted by a moment of reflection. But reminiscing and remembering can be dangerous. To harken back to another time, revisiting the land of the past - no matter how distant it may be - runs the risk of stirring up feelings of embarrassment or regret. Maybe "the way we were" wasn't always so great. And "how far we've come" isn't quite so satisfying. There's certainly an element of that whenever we gather here to celebrate the Sacred Mysteries…. We begin, not necessarily by reminiscing, but certainly remembering and acknowledging that the way we most recently have been living out our faith, bearing the burdens of our human nature, isn't always where we should be. And we give ourselves over to something, someone, greater. Grateful at how far God has brought us on the way to salvation, praying God to see us through to where we ultimately want to be. Today, in a very particular way, we gather as a family, commemorating the passing into glory of our Holy Father Benedict, celebrating his legacy. We are here - monks, oblates, students, alumni and friends - because we have responded, in different times and in different ways, to the voice of the Lord inviting us - giving ourselves over to something greater than our own plans and designs. Following a little Rule for beginners, directing us, with the Gospel as our ultimate guide, to eternal life. Each one of us with a story, each one of us with memories (the photos and movies of the mind), of special occasions and moments of grace. And yes, of silly, stupid and even sinful things we have done. We gather to honor him who continues to instruct us in the school of the Lord's service, through a Rule that is neither harsh nor burdensome, encouraging but also challenging, correcting but ever accepting and loving, coaxing (sometimes pulling) us along the steps of humility, reminding us that while we will assuredly die to this life, we will certainly live unto eternity. Our coming together today poignantly finds us approaching the threshold of the holiest of weeks - when those most solemn rituals will raise our gaze toward Jerusalem, toward the Cross, ready to bask in the light of the Resurrection. With Benedict reminding us that this is what it's all about: preferring nothing to Christ as we immerse ourselves once more in our observance of his Passion, Death and Resurrection. So today, with the words of Saint Paul, we recall "the way we were": "Think of what you were when you were called…not many were wise, or influential or of noble birth…. Yes, God chose the foolish, the weak and the lowly…." In this great act of thanksgiving, we rejoice in "how far we've come," acknowledging that we still have a ways to go. Heeding the instruction of the Master - "So let us open our eyes to the light which comes from God and our ears to the voice from heaven…never swerving from His precepts so that we may deserve to see Him who has called us to His Kingdom." And, never losing hope in God's mercy, we focus anew onwhere we're going, eating and drinking in memory of Him, who lived with us, suffered, died and rose for us. So that what is not possible to us by nature may be supplied by the help of grace, and we may come all together to everlasting life.&nbsp; http://saintmeinrad.edu/seminary-blog/echoes-from-the-bell-tower/posts/2013/the-feast-of-the-passing-of-saint-benedict/ http://saintmeinrad.edu/seminary-blog/echoes-from-the-bell-tower/posts/2013/the-feast-of-the-passing-of-saint-benedict/ Thu, 21 March 2013 00:00:00 <MultiNodePicker type="content"><nodeId>1664</nodeId></MultiNodePicker> http://saintmeinrad.edu/seminary-blog/echoes-from-the-bell-tower/posts/2013/monastic-prayer/ "Nothing is to be preferred to the Work of God," St. Benedict says in his Rule (Chapter 43:3). In the monastery each day, the monks arise before dawn and keep silence until the bells summon everyone into the church to chant the Liturgy of the Hours for Vigils and Lauds. The first words spoken for the day are in unison and directed toward God: "O Lord, open my lips and my mouth shall proclaim your praise" (Psalm 51:17). Before any business or conversation for the day in conducted, the monk is immersed in God's Word so that it may shape his prayer, work, and community life. At regular intervals throughout each day, the monk returns to this time of prayer-in the spoken and chanted Word, in the Eucharist, inlectio divina,in the depth of his heart, and in spiritual counsel. Prayer is the first and last work of the day for the monk, and what guides, sustains, and completes all other work. St. Benedict's Rule is not a complex treatise on contemplation. Rather, it is a practical and adaptable framework for monks to center their time and being in God's presence-in prayer, work, and community life. No matter what we are doing, or how busy we are, we are called back every few hours to the church for our common prayer. And we have two specific periods each day-one in the morning and one in the evening-set aside for personal prayer and lectio divina or sacred reading. When the bells announce these periods, the faithful monk goes, and leaves everything else behind (physically if not always mentally). "Monastic life is not difficult-it's relentless," former novice-master Fr. Harry Hagan, is fond of saying. No matter what else we do, our ordered round of prayer continually calls us back to listen and respond to the Word of God, who is the center of our lives. Over a lifetime, this rhythm of listening and responding to the Word slowly becomes part of us, reshapes who we are, and flows out to encompass all of life. We bring our lives to prayer, and our prayer to our lives. With God's Word permeating our lives, we are confronted with ourselves and extended beyond them into the life of the wider Church and world. It is relentlessly full of grace. http://saintmeinrad.edu/seminary-blog/echoes-from-the-bell-tower/posts/2013/monastic-prayer/ http://saintmeinrad.edu/seminary-blog/echoes-from-the-bell-tower/posts/2013/monastic-prayer/ Fri, 15 March 2013 00:00:00 <MultiNodePicker type="content"><nodeId>4949</nodeId></MultiNodePicker> http://saintmeinrad.edu/seminary-blog/echoes-from-the-bell-tower/posts/2013/make-way-for-silence-this-lent/ While searching for some direction for Lent, we read through St. Benedict's Rule . We found much good wisdom for those living the monastic life, but what about the rest of us? Might there be some way to apply at least part of St. Benedict's Rule to our Lenten journey? Perhaps the easiest thing to do would be to take just a single portion and use that as a focus for the coming weeks. We decided to focus on "silence," which, in our world of cell phones and computers, most of us find to be a precious commodity. In regard to silence, the Rule of St. Benedict cautions us to pay attention to our ways so that we do not sin with our tongue and to "refrain from coarse jests, and idle words or speech provoking laughter." As a way of creating more silence in our daily lives, we decided to talk less, think before we speak, listen more and refrain from idle chatter. However, Tuesday evening before Ash Wednesday began, our son called. Grandson David (age 5) had an allergic reaction to an antibiotic and could not go to preschool the next morning. Could he stay with us instead? Of course, and we would be glad to pick up his twin brother, Jamie, from preschool and bring him to our house before lunch. We hurried to the library to check out a SpongeBob video: so much for eliminating idle chatter. Ash Wednesday found us in church early, eager to weed out noise and enjoy the kind of silence that would lead to prayer, reflection and deep spiritual growth. That afternoon, the boys' older sisters Cate and Rachel (also twins) stayed with us while Mom took the boys back to the doctor. Meanwhile, our son and his wife also had a late-afternoon appointment with the bank because they are moving into a new house. We had offered to give the children supper and we had also invited our pastor for a quick bite before evening Mass.The grandkids entertained themselves with cheese pizza and "knock-knock" jokes in the kitchen. The good pastor had salmon with us in the dining room. (The kids think salmon is yucky.) Late Ash Wednesday night, we found ourselves wondering what had become of our vow of silence. Actually, we realized it had worked well on one level. Aiming for silence had made it easier to think long enough to be positive with the little ones. Remembering to listen made it easier to be quiet enough to really hear what the children wanted to tell us. As for refraining from "coarse jests, idle words and speech provoking laughter?" With two 5-year-old boys, two 9-year-old girls and the company of SpongeBob, we may have a way to go with that one. http://saintmeinrad.edu/seminary-blog/echoes-from-the-bell-tower/posts/2013/make-way-for-silence-this-lent/ http://saintmeinrad.edu/seminary-blog/echoes-from-the-bell-tower/posts/2013/make-way-for-silence-this-lent/ Thu, 07 March 2013 03:49:00 <MultiNodePicker type="content"><nodeId>4575</nodeId></MultiNodePicker> http://saintmeinrad.edu/seminary-blog/echoes-from-the-bell-tower/posts/2013/month-in-pictures-february-2013/ Second semester classes are in full swing by the end of February. Students come back to the Hill at the end of January refreshed from the holiday break and ready to grow and learn. February's strongest photos represent education. The Institute for Priests and Presbyterates kicked off the first of three workshops of the World Priests Program. The international priests participating in the program experienced American food night in the St. John Vianney Center. With help from Saint Meinrad's head cook, Josh Lashlee, the priests made chili, nachos, Chicago-style hotdogs, hamburgers and buffalo chicken wings. In later workshops, they will share food and recipes from their cultures. In early February, twenty-two students received the ministry of lector and twenty students received the ministry of acolyte from Archbishop Joseph Tobin, of the Archdiocese of Indianapolis. These ministries will give students hands-on experience and aid in their formation as priests. As the semester moves on, students settle into their routine and classes. February brings life and activity back to the Hill after a quiet December and January. http://saintmeinrad.edu/seminary-blog/echoes-from-the-bell-tower/posts/2013/month-in-pictures-february-2013/ http://saintmeinrad.edu/seminary-blog/echoes-from-the-bell-tower/posts/2013/month-in-pictures-february-2013/ Thu, 28 February 2013 00:00:00 <MultiNodePicker type="content"><nodeId>5049</nodeId></MultiNodePicker> http://saintmeinrad.edu/seminary-blog/echoes-from-the-bell-tower/posts/2013/feast-of-the-chair-of-peter/ The Feast of the Chair of Peter, an ancient celebration of the authority entrusted to St. Peter and his successors, highlights the reality of Peter's special role in the life of the Church. The Gospel for today's (February 22) feast recounts the confession of Simon, the son of John, that Jesus is the Messiah and Son of God (Matthew 16:13-19). In response to this statement of faith, Jesus changed Simon's name to Peter, signifying his new mission and identity: Jesus promised on this "Rock" his Church, which will not be overthrown by the forces of evil and death. He gave him the "keys of the kingdom of Heaven," entrusting him with authority and the power to interpret authentically the law of God: "Peter was by nature simply a man, by grace a Christian, by still more abundant grace one of the Apostles and at the same time the first of the Apostles" (St. Augustine of Hippo, Treatise on the Gospel of John ,124). Jesus placed Peter, the simple fisherman, "over the other Apostles, and instituted in him a permanent and visible source and foundation of unity of faith and communion" ( Lumen gentium , 18). Peter's unique vocation was rooted in his personal relationship with Jesus. Peter was not perfect and his imperfection, combined with his humility, allowed him to recognize his dependence on God. As Jesuit writer James Martin has mused, "Sometimes I wonder if Jesus chose Peter not despite his imperfections but because of them. Peter's knowledge of his own limits led him to understand his reliance on God. It also enabled him to appreciate the love that Jesus had for him, as well as to celebrate the fact that God can work through anyone, no matter how human. And that's not such a bad message to carry to the ends of the earth" (from My Life with the Saints ). Falling as it does, only days before Pope Benedict's resignation (with the accompanying periods of Sede Vacante and Conclave), this Feast of the Chair of Peter invites us to reflect on the ministry of the Bishop of Rome, the successor of St. Peter, in a particular way. In his homily during the Mass of the Possession of the Chair of the Bishop of Rome(May 7, 2005), Pope Benedict observed, "The Bishop of Rome sits upon the Chair to bear witness to Christ. Thus, the Chair is the symbol of the potestas docendi , the power to teach that is an essential part of the mandate of binding and loosing which the Lord conferred on Peter, and after him, on the Twelve…. The power that Christ conferred upon Peter and his Successors is, in an absolute sense, a mandate to serve." Presiding in doctrine and presiding in love are the tasks of Peter's successor and these tasks, Pope Benedict continued, "must in the end be one and the same: the whole of the Church's teaching leads ultimately to love. And the Eucharist, as the love of Jesus Christ present, is the criterion for all teaching. On love the whole law is based, and the prophets as well, the Lord says (cf. Matthew 22:40). Love is the fulfillment of the law (cf. Romans 13:10)." http://saintmeinrad.edu/seminary-blog/echoes-from-the-bell-tower/posts/2013/feast-of-the-chair-of-peter/ http://saintmeinrad.edu/seminary-blog/echoes-from-the-bell-tower/posts/2013/feast-of-the-chair-of-peter/ Fri, 22 February 2013 00:00:00 <MultiNodePicker type="content"><nodeId>5015</nodeId></MultiNodePicker> http://saintmeinrad.edu/seminary-blog/echoes-from-the-bell-tower/posts/2013/police-ride-along/ Red and blue lights shine in your rearview mirror, strobing back and forth. Your heart sinks, and your anxiety kicks in full steam. There is a police officer behind you, pulling you over for speeding or some other infraction. That's one of the worst feelings. But, what is it like from the officer's perspective? Growing up, it had been a desire of mine to ride along with a police officer and check out the action from the officer's side of the steering wheel. I was fascinated by police work from watching re-runs of "CHiPs" as part of my morning routine before school started. My brother and I would re-enact scenes from the show in our driveway on our bicycles. He was Ponch and I was Jon Baker. I recently had the opportunity to ride along with an Evansville Police Department commander and Saint Meinrad alumnus, Dr. Darren Sroufe. Darren serves on our Alumni Board, and I half jokingly asked if I could do a ride-along with him some day. He said he would gladly take me along. Last September, I went on a ride-along with Darren in the Offender Transport Vehicle, a reinforced 18-passenger van with benches lining the sides in the back. This van is used mostly for transporting offenders who have been arrested to the jail. I could go on and on about the different situations we found ourselves in, but my biggest takeaway from the experience was how tense I felt during and after our shift. We responded to some nuisance-ridden areas, and I was very alert to my surroundings. I tried very hard to listen to the details folks shared with us about a crime they may have witnessed. I watched as they waved their hands around. I stared intently at their facial expressions, trying to discern if they were being truthful. I stayed attuned to my peripheral vision to pay attention to our surroundings. All this while trying to be engaged with those with whom we were interacting and following Darren's lead. I asked myself: is this what every response, traffic stop and investigation is like for a police officer? Does this internal stress go away? How long can one stay so alert? There is a wonderful charity and fraternity among police officers because they know the rigors and stresses that come with the job. When they are working, they have to be objective, unbiased, professional and cautiously alert. They don't know who has a weapon or how someone will respond. I enjoyed my ride-along and it helped me understand the perspective of the officer's side of the wheel. It gave me a greater respect for the role law enforcement officers have in our community, and now I better understand some of the tense and heated encounters they face. Always obey the laws, but if you do slip up and are pulled over by a police officer, remember that he or she might be coming from a very adrenaline-stimulated and dangerous situation. For Jesus says, "I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one another. This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." (John 13:34-35) Despite how inconvenient, embarrassing and disappointing it can be to be pulled over, you could be the bright spot in an officer's day, and you can share your faith with the officer by having a good attitude and a humble spirit. Here's to wishing you safe driving, and may God continue to bless our law enforcement officers and emergency responders. http://saintmeinrad.edu/seminary-blog/echoes-from-the-bell-tower/posts/2013/police-ride-along/ http://saintmeinrad.edu/seminary-blog/echoes-from-the-bell-tower/posts/2013/police-ride-along/ Thu, 14 February 2013 00:00:00 <MultiNodePicker type="content"><nodeId>4982</nodeId></MultiNodePicker> http://saintmeinrad.edu/seminary-blog/echoes-from-the-bell-tower/posts/2013/let-these-young-people-lead-the-way/ I was pleased and proud to be asked to make a contribution to Saint Meinrad's new blog. One of my sons, Kenny, was asked to blog a few months ago. I don't like to let the young folks get ahead of me! I fit in two categories of Saint Meinrad bloggers. I'm an oblate of Saint Meinrad Archabbey and a graduate of Saint Meinrad School of Theology. I'm also a former Presbyterian, the wife of a former Presbyterian pastor (not the former wife of a Presbyterian pastor!), and the mother of six children. I do have a day job - I'm a U.S.bankruptcy judge - and am working on another degree or two. I sing in my parish choir, teach adult faith formation and am principal bassoonist in the Germantown (Tennessee) Symphony Orchestra. I'm thinking that one or more of those things will give me something to talk about. But since I started out with Kenny, I think that I'll talk about him first. Kenny is my third son. He and his younger brother, David, form the middle pair. They had two older brothers, Robert and John, and two younger sisters, Evelyn and Judy. Kenny takes a lot of ribbing from his siblings. Kenny, like all of his brothers, graduated from Christian Brothers High School here in Memphis. He liked being a Brothers Boy so much that he continued with them for four more years at Christian Brothers University, also here in Memphis. While he was there, he invited me to go with him on a class trip to Rome, where we stayed at the Christian Brothers Generalate. There we were able to visit a museum that highlights the work of the De La Salle Christian Brothers over more than 300 years of their history. The De La Salle Christian Brothers are a community of religious men founded by St. John Baptist De La Salle. In 1679, De La Salle, then a young priest, was asked to assist in opening a parish school for poor boys in his hometown, Rheims, France. This led to the gathering together of a group of laymen whom he formed to be teachers for his school. As De La Salle continued to follow the promptings of Divine Providence, he eventually found himself the superior of a new religious order of consecrated laymen who oversaw a network of free schools for the poor throughout France. Today there are more about 5,000 Christian Brothers who, together with their 80,000 religious and lay colleagues, serve some 900,000 students throughout the world. (See www.lasalle.org .) Kenny became so interested in the work of the Christian Brothers that he became a LaSallian Volunteer ("LV") after his graduation from the university. For the past two years, Kenny has lived in community with the Brothers and other LVs of the Bedford Park Community in The Bronx,New York. Each morning, he takes the subway into Manhattan, where he and another LV staff the Academic Support Center at La Salle Academy, a high school for boys. Kenny is a tutor who has had the opportunity to work with a wide range of young men of various abilities and backgrounds. He not only helps them with their academic struggles, however. He has taken them on overnight retreats and camping trips, and has fielded occasional questions about their lives and loves. One of the highlights of his years as an LV was a bicycle ride across half of the country last summer. In Chicago, Kenny joined up with a group of riders who had dipped their back tires in the Pacific Ocean in Oregon and continued across the Allegheny Mountains and on to the Atlantic Coast, where they dipped more than their tires into the welcome ocean waters. This was the "LVs Ride: A Coast to Coast Movement" to raise awareness about poverty in the United States and the work of the Lasallian Volunteers. Kenny became one of the "stars" of the documentary that recorded the volunteers as they stopped at schools, food banks and homeless shelters along the way to meet the local people and share their lives and mission. (See www.lvsride.com .) Yes, I'm a very proud mama. More than that, I am humbled at what Kenny and his young friends are doing. These are not the typical teens that you read about in newspapers or watch on TV "reality" shows. These young people are very real and very determined to make a difference in their world. Unlike some of the Boomers of my generation, I have no fear about tomorrow. I have seen the next generation, and I know that the Lord is working marvelous work. On second thought, I'll have to change my opening lines: I am very happy to let these young folks get ahead of me!&nbsp; http://saintmeinrad.edu/seminary-blog/echoes-from-the-bell-tower/posts/2013/let-these-young-people-lead-the-way/ http://saintmeinrad.edu/seminary-blog/echoes-from-the-bell-tower/posts/2013/let-these-young-people-lead-the-way/ Thu, 07 February 2013 00:00:00 <MultiNodePicker type="content"><nodeId>4575</nodeId></MultiNodePicker> http://saintmeinrad.edu/seminary-blog/echoes-from-the-bell-tower/posts/2013/month-in-pictures-january-2013/ The Catholic Church is celebrating a Year of Faith until November 2013. The year is meant to help Catholics reflect on their faith and grow in their relationship with Christ. I believe January's strongest photographs give a glimpse into the faith of the monks, students and people associated with Saint Meinrad. January's photos were taken by Krista Hall and John Honiotes. http://saintmeinrad.edu/seminary-blog/echoes-from-the-bell-tower/posts/2013/month-in-pictures-january-2013/ http://saintmeinrad.edu/seminary-blog/echoes-from-the-bell-tower/posts/2013/month-in-pictures-january-2013/ Thu, 31 January 2013 00:00:00 <MultiNodePicker type="content"><nodeId>4949</nodeId></MultiNodePicker> http://saintmeinrad.edu/seminary-blog/echoes-from-the-bell-tower/posts/2013/a-wellspring-of-faith/ To enter the grounds of Saint Meinrad Monastery deep in the hills of Southern Indiana is to enter a different world. Early one evening after a hectic day at the office, I drove out to Saint Meinrad for a quiet retreat. It had recently rained. On the path from the outer parking lot to my room, I became acutely aware of the smell of lush greenery and the stillness. A few yards away, a solitary robin pecked at a tiny insect. I had almost forgotten the wonderful quiet of an evening in the country. Only one person met me on the path. She graciously changed direction to escort me to my room. That night I opened my windows to soak in the fresh air and quickly fell asleep. Dreams of making this my permanent home were interrupted by a clamor of bells that announced to the countryside the beginning of a new day. I chuckled to myself as I remembered that Saint Meinrad has a sunrise service every morning, not just on Easter. The monks gathered for prayer as the first rays of the summer sun peeked over the fields and lit up the very tops of the stained glass windows.&nbsp; Saint Meinrad is on God's time. Morning is a time for praise. The pace was slow compared to my average "work" day, but I never felt bored. God's time is full of the real business of life. We had much spiritual food to reflect upon and time to study and pray. With the absence of the distractions so common in the business world, I found myself more in time with the rhythm of faith. Ann has likened Saint Meinrad to a wellspring where one finds fresh water; the kind that renews our strength and our spirit. Thirsty people have always sought out deep wells. Once by a well, Jesus met a woman who was thirsty, more in spirit than body. The spiritual water she found at the well so delighted her she hurried to share it with others. A wellspring is a special place where hope is renewed and Easter happens every day. We are blessed to have such deep springs close at hand. Sometimes, we forget we are all connected to Christ, the true source of our living water. The retreat poured living water into the dry channels of my spirit and helped me rediscover my own springs of faith. First published in The Message , Evansville, Indiana (Between 1997-2002).&nbsp; http://saintmeinrad.edu/seminary-blog/echoes-from-the-bell-tower/posts/2013/a-wellspring-of-faith/ http://saintmeinrad.edu/seminary-blog/echoes-from-the-bell-tower/posts/2013/a-wellspring-of-faith/ Fri, 25 January 2013 00:00:00 <MultiNodePicker type="content"><nodeId>1664</nodeId></MultiNodePicker> http://saintmeinrad.edu/seminary-blog/echoes-from-the-bell-tower/posts/2013/our-first-vocation-disciples/ &nbsp; "Follow me." --Mark 1:17 Someone who is entrusted with the service of directing souls recently asked me for advice on how to meet this "daunting obligation" of assisting others in their relationship with God. Specifically, he mentioned a passage from the&nbsp; Rule &nbsp;of St. Benedict that he had been reflecting upon: "More will be expected of a man to whom more has been entrusted. He must know what a difficult and demanding burden he has undertaken: directing souls..." ( Rule &nbsp;2:30-31). In view of the Church's current observance of National Vocation Awareness Week, I thought part of the answer was worth sharing, along with some additional thoughts on the practice of spiritual direction itself. As Christian disciples, we are all advisers of one sort or another. As&nbsp;St.&nbsp;Paul says, we are "servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God" (1Corinthians 4:1), each member of the Body of Christ serving the Head. And yes, as Benedict writes (in reference to the monastery's abbot, but applicable to all Christians), it is an awesome responsibility. Jesus also stresses this, perhaps most notably in Luke 12:48: "Much will be required of the person entrusted with much, and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more." While Benedict was (and is) a great spiritual "adviser," he takes his cue from Christ-always. The&nbsp; Rule , after all, is built upon the foundation of the Gospel. The most important thing that "those entrusted with much" can do is to first of all be authentic disciples. In order to lead, first we must follow Christ our Head. The passage from&nbsp;St. Paul&nbsp;above is an indicator of that: first, we are&nbsp; servants , then we are&nbsp; stewards . After all, as&nbsp;St. Paul&nbsp;also writes, "What do you possess that you have not received?" (1Corinthians 4:7) This echoes Christ himself, who told his disciples: "I am the vine, you are the branches…Without me you can do nothing" (John 15:5). So, the key task of the adviser-or steward, as it were-is to always sit at the feet of the Master in order to learn-a task that will not end is this life. The word "disciple," after all, comes from the Latin word meaning "pupil." Being an authentic disciple entails nothing surprising, nothing unusual-immersing oneself in Scripture and prayer, partaking of God's grace in the Sacraments, being faithful to the Tradition of the Church, and participating in the community of believers. It means incorporating the Gospel message into our very being so that we grow into Christ, our Head through love (cf. Ephesians 4:15). The very first words of the Prologue in Benedict's&nbsp; Rule &nbsp;address this key posture of the disciple. First, and always, we must&nbsp; listen . Then we can speak (advise), but we must&nbsp; always &nbsp;circle back and listen to the Master first. So, what should one do in order to be a faithful adviser? Be a faithful&nbsp;disciple&nbsp;first and foremost. Pray. Read Scripture and other spiritual works. Participate in the Sacraments-especially the Eucharist-and life of the Church, and remain united to its Tradition. Live the Beatitudes. Practice virtue daily. Strive for holiness out of love for Christ. Maintain an open mind and heart willing to perceive and receive all the ways in which God manifests himself in our daily lives. Listen to the Word, and then do it. After all, while we each have vocations (either as a monk, married person, etc., etc.), and we each have particular tasks and ministries in building up the Body of Christ, we are&nbsp; all &nbsp;disciples-pupils-of Christ, at whose feet we sit in order to listen (cf. Luke 10:38-42). As for the specific practice of spiritual direction, the Holy Spirit is the principal "director." Primarily, spiritual direction is a forum in which the Holy Spirit is invoked to freely operate so that the directee may discern the movement of God in his or her life. One of the first things I tell a new directee is: "There are three persons in this room: you, the Holy Spirit, and I-and I am the least important of the three." Though he or she may not express it in such terms, the directee comes to a spiritual director seeking guidance from the Holy Spirit; the director simply provides a human face, a listening ear, and-to be sure-guidance when it is called for. It is essential that this guidance be firmly rooted in Scripture and the living tradition of the Catholic faith, as well as in the spiritual director's own life of prayer. The emphasis is more on "spiritual" than it is on "direction." Spiritual direction is&nbsp;not&nbsp;equivalent to psychological counseling. These are two distinct realms of dialogue, although there are certainly areas where the two intersect with one another. In the case of spiritual direction, the focus is always on the directee's relationship with God and how God is working in his or her life. A spiritual director may on occasion recommend to the directee counseling by a qualified professional. Spiritual direction is also&nbsp; not &nbsp;a manner of faith sharing such as members in a Bible study group may experience. Rather, it is the means by which one's intimate disclosure of his or her interior life, offered in full freedom and all honesty to a trusted (and trustworthy) director, aids one's self-understanding in relation to God. Often, this understanding develops with the director merely listening to the directee-who, by the light of the Holy Spirit, sees more clearly by simply expressing what is already written on his or her heart. God himself is the origin, path, and destination of our seeking, and an open heart will not fail to ultimately find him. Originally published in Br. Francis' The Path of Life . http://saintmeinrad.edu/seminary-blog/echoes-from-the-bell-tower/posts/2013/our-first-vocation-disciples/ http://saintmeinrad.edu/seminary-blog/echoes-from-the-bell-tower/posts/2013/our-first-vocation-disciples/ Thu, 17 January 2013 00:00:00 <MultiNodePicker type="content"><nodeId>4818</nodeId></MultiNodePicker> http://saintmeinrad.edu/seminary-blog/echoes-from-the-bell-tower/posts/2013/going-high-tech-for-holy-mass/ The term "hands free" will never enter your mind if you've got two small toddlers with you in church. If I'm not holding the squirmy one, I'm holding the other who's restless and ready to fall asleep. Because of this, being able to use a hymnal or a missalette during the liturgy can be a rare&nbsp;occurrence&nbsp;for me. This became especially evident when the changes in the Mass were introduced. I even thought about buying a new daily missal to help learn the responses, but I wasn't sure if my kids would give me a chance to use it!&nbsp; So a few weeks ago, I found a free app for my smartphone that contained the commonly used texts and responses in the liturgy - the Confiteor, Gloria, Creed, etc. I thought this would be really helpful since I'm not able to use the reference pages in the hymnal or reach one of the worship aids in the pew while holding a small child. One Sunday as I held my daughter when the Nicene Creed started, an idea came to me. While holding her with one arm, I could use my free hand to look at my smartphone and I could finally recite the Creed without stumbling over the words! Well, what I thought was divine inspiration quickly became something else. Toward the end of the Creed, I realized how out of place this must have looked and quickly put the phone away. Sure, I was legitimately using my smartphone as a worship aid, thumbing through the text of the Nicene Creed. But to the people around me, I'm sure it looked like I was reading email, checking Facebook or playing Words with Friends. My wife's "what-are-you-doing" glance definitely confirmed my suspicion. A Catholic radio show host tells another interesting story about mobile devices in the liturgy. He was attending a wedding at a parish he had never been to before. As the bridesmaids lined up at the door of the church, a well-dressed man began slowly walking down the center aisle, carrying an iPad prominently above his head - the same way a deacon carries the Book of the Gospels in the entrance procession. No one was really sure what was happening. Was this some type of e-Gospel book? Was this the beginning of the procession? If so, should he stand up? As the guy walked by, he realized what was going on. It was just the wedding photographer taking a video recording of the aisle that was decorated so nicely. It's no surprise anymore seeing people use smartphones, tablets and other similar devices in public. (In fact, it's more of a surprise to find someone without one.) But in church, we're not there yet and I'm not sure why. Already popular are the Divine Office app, the eBreviary and other similar programs for those who want to pray the Liturgy of the Hours using a mobile device. My parish deacon will tell you he actually prefers the electronic version of the Breviary - it's more portable, easier to read and the pictures are nicer! It's easy to envision future generations of Catholics incorporating these devices into the Mass. Imagine the ambo or pulpit with a touchscreen, complete with an eLectionary and a Prayers of the Faithful app. Instead of a thick, heavy Roman Missal for the celebrant, a thin, lightweight tablet with a cover that matches the color of theMass. It could even receive automatic updates with the latest liturgical revisions and new prayers for recently canonized saints. For the faithful, the parish would have WiFi capability and charging stations in the pews next to the hymnals. (Okay, I think I'm getting a little carried away now, but there's already an app called the iMissal.) We may not be ready for all this now; however, anything that enhances genuine participation in the liturgy is a good thing. It would be interesting if the Congregation for Divine Worship or the USCCB issues norms or similar documents for guidance. If that's going to be the case, how do you say mobile device in Latin? http://saintmeinrad.edu/seminary-blog/echoes-from-the-bell-tower/posts/2013/going-high-tech-for-holy-mass/ http://saintmeinrad.edu/seminary-blog/echoes-from-the-bell-tower/posts/2013/going-high-tech-for-holy-mass/ Thu, 10 January 2013 00:00:00 <MultiNodePicker type="content"><nodeId>1664</nodeId></MultiNodePicker> http://saintmeinrad.edu/seminary-blog/echoes-from-the-bell-tower/posts/2013/the-monastic-day/ "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, as in all wisdom you teach and admonish one another, singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the father through him." -- Colossians 3:16-17 St. Benedict does not refer explicitly to the above Scripture passage in his Rule for monks, but it succinctly expresses what the Rule embodies. The monastic day is designed to carry with it the word of Christ throughout its hours. In gratitude to God, we pray and we work. We do this as a community that strives to make Christ present to one another and the world in everything we do. As human beings, we naturally tend to compartmentalize our lives. We have our work life, our family life, our social life, and (if we have it at all) our spiritual life. But how do these areas intersect and affect one another? The Christian life is one of unity. It is about making the whole of life holy. We worship a God who is incarnate-the Word made Flesh. All that we think, say, or do should radiate Christ. Since monks are not immune to the temptation of living fragmented lives, the Benedictine motto ora et labora -pray and work-expresses the ideal of the Rule of St. Benedict. Faithfully lived within the context of community, it is a sacred rhythm that provides structure and direction for our daily lives and (hopefully) keeps us on the path of life everlasting. Our common prayer, our personal prayer, our various works, and our day-to-day living with one another are not disparate elements, but strands woven together like those of a rope to give the whole of life strength and sacred purpose. All of this requires commitment, humility, and the love of God. One concrete symbol of this ideal is the corridor (or slype) that connects the monastery and church. Each day, after praising God in church, the monastic community processes down the slype and directly into the monastery dining room (refectory) at the corridor's other end for our meals together. It is a reminder that whatever we do, we do for the glory of God, so that God may be glorified in all things through Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 10:31; 1Peter 4:11). All this, of course, is with the recognition that the Kingdom of God is not yet fully realized. This path toward life everlasting is a journey we make each day. http://saintmeinrad.edu/seminary-blog/echoes-from-the-bell-tower/posts/2013/the-monastic-day/ http://saintmeinrad.edu/seminary-blog/echoes-from-the-bell-tower/posts/2013/the-monastic-day/ Thu, 03 January 2013 00:00:00 <MultiNodePicker type="content"><nodeId>4575</nodeId></MultiNodePicker> http://saintmeinrad.edu/seminary-blog/echoes-from-the-bell-tower/posts/2012/year-in-pictures-2012/ When I live day to day, it's often hard to see God's hand working in my life. It's only when I step back and look over a span of time, I realize I'm exactly where God planned for me to be. Lately I've been looking back through all the photographs taken in 2012. God's hand is extremely evident in these photos. They show the many blessings received at Saint Meinrad this year and the many lives that were touched through experiences on the Hill. The photos show happy times and memories and even some sad times too. Most of all, the photographs show that we keep moving into the future and Saint Meinrad continues to grow and change according to God's plans. Please enjoy this slide show of some of my favorite photos from 2012. http://saintmeinrad.edu/seminary-blog/echoes-from-the-bell-tower/posts/2012/year-in-pictures-2012/ http://saintmeinrad.edu/seminary-blog/echoes-from-the-bell-tower/posts/2012/year-in-pictures-2012/ Thu, 27 December 2012 00:00:00 <MultiNodePicker type="content"><nodeId>4751</nodeId></MultiNodePicker> http://saintmeinrad.edu/seminary-blog/echoes-from-the-bell-tower/posts/2012/being-united-methodist-and-benedictine/ There are two certificates on my wall near my office door as a reminder of my faith journey - my baptismal certificate from Dr. John L. Wolfe, First Methodist Church, Parkersburg, in 1951 and my Certificate of Final Oblation, Saint Meinrad Archabbey, Indiana, in 2002. We are all on a journey of Christ-like holiness discovering how we relate to God and share our faith with others. My journey has been formed by the teachings and tradition of John Wesley, founder of Methodist tradition (1703-1793) and St. Benedict of Nursia (480-547). In September 2000, I was diagnosed with dilated cardiomyopathy. This chronic heart situation threw me into a period of spiritual struggle. I was drawn back to my faith as experienced from the time of my baptism and to an early interest in Benedictine spirituality (teachings about faith through the writing and life of Benedict). My experience of Benedictine daily prayer and Scripture reading (especially praying daily the Psalms) occupied and centered me in the days, weeks and months as I struggled with my weakened heart and changing lifestyle. My chronic heart condition continues to be a part of who I am and what my faith journey is all about. On December 12, 2001, during a personal retreat at Saint Meinrad Archabbey in southern Indiana, I joined with the monks of the monastery and other oblates in my investiture as an oblate novice. A yearlong journey as a novice involved changing my lifestyle to live by the Rule of Benedict as I prayed and discerned what God intended for my life. On December 10, 2002, I made my final oblation as an oblate of Saint Meinrad Archabbey. Oblation is a promise, renewed annually, to live the Benedictine life in the secular world. My promise to God, through oblation, is to center my life in God as a follower of Jesus Christ through Benedict's teachings, be obedient to God's will, and be faithful to the Benedictine way of life in daily prayer, Scripture reading, and service as I am attentive in serving God and others. John Wesley's "General Rules of Methodism" teach us to avoid evil, do good and use the means of grace (UM Book of Discipline). St. Benedict of Nursia counsels: avoid evil, use "tools for good works" - pray, study and serve (Rule of Benedict). Although I have some Protestant faith differences with Roman Catholic theology, I have found as a Benedictine Oblate a way to live out my Wesleyan theology and be a faithful United Methodist Christian. I am thankful for my spiritual relationship with the monks of Saint Meinrad monastery in Indiana. The journey keeps me centered in the midst of my chronic heart condition, as I know Christ's ongoing healing. I offer this blessing, adapted from the Rule of Benedict: "Listen. Prefer nothing whatever to the love of Christ. Never lose hope in God's mercy. In all things, may God be glorified. Peace be to all!" http://saintmeinrad.edu/seminary-blog/echoes-from-the-bell-tower/posts/2012/being-united-methodist-and-benedictine/ http://saintmeinrad.edu/seminary-blog/echoes-from-the-bell-tower/posts/2012/being-united-methodist-and-benedictine/ Wed, 19 December 2012 11:58:00 <MultiNodePicker type="content"><nodeId>4660</nodeId></MultiNodePicker> http://saintmeinrad.edu/seminary-blog/echoes-from-the-bell-tower/posts/2012/finding-jesus-at-the-dump/ Earlier this year, because it was my son Patrick's last day at school, I decided to participate in the 8th graders' last all-school Mass. I joined Fr. Chris, Fr. Gerry and Fr. Bill at the altar and assisted at the liturgy. Afterward, I took off my vestments and walked to my dirty truck in the parking lot, using great care not to brush my alb against the side of it as I hung them up in the back seat. While Mass was great, I knew I had an unpleasant job ahead of me. I needed to haul a truckload of construction materials, junk and garbage to what is called the "transfer station" here inKnoxville. There are things you are not supposed to throw into the normal trash dumpsters, like concrete, sheetrock, steel, etc. Our tradition tells us that many of the saints lived in such a way that they spent every minute of their day with God, no matter what they were doing. So, as I pulled into the transfer station, I began to think sarcastically how I might invite the Lord to join me as I emptied my truck full of junk. My smile turned serious as I began to actually work at the task. Then a funny thing happened in my heart. A question came to me as I dropped the tailgate: What am I hauling around that I should get rid of in my own life? What garbage should I throw away? The chunks of sheetrock were painted on one side and, thankfully, were broken into small pieces. I thought, "Sheetrock is a simple cover to the real structure that makes a house strong. Sheetrock is for looks and keeps the insulation in the wall and hides all the wiring and pipes." There are many things that I sometimes put in front of the real structure of my life. I sometimes hide my strengths as a person by not showing my true self to others. There was a long piece of rebar lying back there too. Rebar is solid steel and designed to strengthen concrete slabs and walls. It helps to keep foundations from cracking as buildings settle over time and shift as they age. My faith is kind of like the rebar of my life. It is the unbreakable strength that is beneath everything; it carries the weight of my problems and holds the very foundation of my life together, no matter if my life is going well or badly. There were all kinds of trash items back there, a lot of dust, screws and nails, fast food bags, some scrap PVC piping that had been cut out of a wall, and the remnants of a box spring mattress that someone in the past had burned so all that was left was the rusty springs. Garbage is something I carry around with me, too. Everyone hauls around things that we don't really need - broken relationships in need of repair, cross words said in anger to our kids, talking behind someone's back at work or school. These are things we all do that lack virtue in our lives. And so I asked the Lord to be present with me as I emptied my truck bed full of stuff I no longer wanted laying around in my life. He tells each of us to "ask and you shall receive," and so it was that Christ joined me there at the transfer station and helped me empty my truck. The funny thing is that there were many trucks there doing what I was doing, and heavy equipment operating, pushing our trash into huge dump trailers below. It was loud and noisy and smelled pretty bad. As I worked alongside my Lord, I began to think about what a contrast this place was to church, where it is quiet, there is good light, art, stained glass, and people come to pray and worship. Then it was time to dump that last thing that I had been dreading. It was a treated lumber 4x4x10 post that had a concrete footer still attached at the bottom. It was really heavy, full of splinters and lacked balance, as it weighed 80 pounds on the heavy end due to the concrete. I dragged it to the tailgate and then had to twist the end of the post to move it toward the abyss. Finally, I used the other end of the post as a lever and jumped back as the whole thing headed toward the concrete floor of the transfer station and made a loud crash. The concrete footer held strong and didn't break. Then, as Jesus and I looked down at the post, I realized that it was my pride that lay there. I nodded, looking at the floor as my eyes could not reach His. I thanked Him for joining me and, surprisingly, He got into the truck on the passenger side. As we got to the on-ramp to head north on I-75, He had a big smile on His face and so I asked him what was so funny. He told me, "This is the best part!" Then I realized what He meant and I punched it. The old Dodge V-8 came to life and we rocketed down the ramp at 60 MPH. As I looked into the side mirror to merge, all I saw was a swirling, white dust cloud behind us leaving the last particles of mine: "From dust to dust" came to me. Jesus was hanging out the window whooping and hollering with joy, flailing His hands in the wind. He was having a big time and the joy I saw on His face was pure. Note to self: Get to Confession soon. http://saintmeinrad.edu/seminary-blog/echoes-from-the-bell-tower/posts/2012/finding-jesus-at-the-dump/ http://saintmeinrad.edu/seminary-blog/echoes-from-the-bell-tower/posts/2012/finding-jesus-at-the-dump/ Wed, 12 December 2012 14:27:00 <MultiNodePicker type="content"><nodeId>4575</nodeId></MultiNodePicker> http://saintmeinrad.edu/seminary-blog/echoes-from-the-bell-tower/posts/2012/month-in-pictures-november-2012/ In photography, light is everything. Without light, a picture cannot be made. In the majority of November's photographs, light sets the mood and creates a feeling. From spooky and mysterious in the fog, candle and procession photos, to the feeling of the start of a new day in the bell-ringing photo, light is what makes the pictures so appealing. November was an extremely visual month with All Saints and All Souls days and the thick fog that hung around the Hill on Nov. 8. Special occasions often lead to nice images, but it's important not to forget about the beauty in everyday life. Photographs were taken by seminarian Doug Hunter and me. http://saintmeinrad.edu/seminary-blog/echoes-from-the-bell-tower/posts/2012/month-in-pictures-november-2012/ http://saintmeinrad.edu/seminary-blog/echoes-from-the-bell-tower/posts/2012/month-in-pictures-november-2012/ Tue, 04 December 2012 00:00:00 <MultiNodePicker type="content"><nodeId>4535</nodeId></MultiNodePicker> http://saintmeinrad.edu/seminary-blog/echoes-from-the-bell-tower/posts/2012/benedictine-spirituality-and-you/ Some people think that monks who live in monastic communities, such as Saint Meinrad Archabbey, spend the whole day praying in church or in their cells (rooms). However, just like most everyone else today, monks are very busy people doing their assigned and chosen work for a normal eight-hour workday. Monks today work in a variety of jobs that are also found outside the monastery. These include being professors, writers, editors, artists, musicians, psychologists, printing press and business office managers and workers, computer experts in the IT department, delivering mail and attending classes. They also minister to guests, are pastors in local parishes, and minister to the poor and incarcerated in nearby communities. This work is important in a Benedictine community, such as Saint Meinrad Archabbey, along, of course, with prayer. The basis of Benedictine spirituality is a balance between prayer and work, termed ora et labora, with prayer coming first. It is practiced all over the world by Benedictine monks and lay members of Benedictine communities called "oblates." Oblates include lay women and men, diocesan priests and a few seminary and theology students, who live their normal, daily lives in the secular world rather than in a monastery. Oblates attempt to pray at least the morning and evening Divine Office, also called Liturgy of the Hours, which is a reading of psalms slated for that day, generally in private. They also read from the Rule, compiled by St. Benedict, the sixth-century monk who founded the Benedictine order. This Rule is a blueprint for living a God-centered and balanced life. However, one does not need to be a monk or nun, or even an oblate of a community, to pray the psalms or read from the Rule . In the Archabbey Church, the daily Office, or prayer cycle, includes early morning prayer (Vigils and Lauds) before breakfast, noon prayer before lunch, Vespers (evening prayer) before dinner, and Compline before bed. Oblates in the world generally do not have the luxury of time for all of these daily prayer times. The monks, however, embrace this cycle of prayer along with their work and recreation. Yes, the monks have fun and do a variety of recreational activities, just like people in the outside world. They work out to keep fit, play cards and other games, read, play golf, keep bees and hobby flower and vegetable gardens, do art and craft work, and watch sports on TV. They also have vacation time, when they often travel or visit family. Another aspect of Benedictine spirituality is hospitality. That is why Benedictine monastic communities are friendly and guests are always welcome to visit. The Benedictine oblate also attempts to live his or her life by being friendly and respectful of all people they encounter. As the old saying goes, "You can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar." Prayer, work and hospitality go a long way to help live a balanced life, which many people report gives them purpose and meaning in today's harried and stressful world. http://saintmeinrad.edu/seminary-blog/echoes-from-the-bell-tower/posts/2012/benedictine-spirituality-and-you/ http://saintmeinrad.edu/seminary-blog/echoes-from-the-bell-tower/posts/2012/benedictine-spirituality-and-you/ Fri, 16 November 2012 00:00:00 <MultiNodePicker type="content"><nodeId>4409</nodeId></MultiNodePicker> http://saintmeinrad.edu/seminary-blog/echoes-from-the-bell-tower/posts/2012/community-our-need-to-connect/ For most of my teens and into my 20s, I looked forward to the day when I would live on my own, in my own place. Growing up with three siblings, I was accustomed to sharing bunk beds, a bathroom and what limited closet space there was available. When I moved out of my parents' house for my freshman year of college, it was a matter of learning to share an even smaller dorm room with two roommates - and no closet space to speak of. And later, I moved into a house where I learned to make treaties in order not to disrupt the established peace with housemates who had peculiar ideas about when and how to wash the dishes in the kitchen sink or scrub the toilet.&nbsp; So after 24 years of sharing cramped spaces, making compromises and living by someone else's rules, I was anxious and eager to move out on my own. This, I thought, would be bliss. My opportunity came last year when I took a job at a church in a new city where I knew not a soul. My options were to risk signing my name to a lease with a stranger looking for a roommate in the classifieds or… finally live on my own like I had dreamed of doing for some time. I opted for the latter, and was glad to be choosing an apartment for myself. I hunted around on the Internet and drove around neighborhoods in search of the perfect place. And to my astonishment, within a day, I had found a reasonably priced studio apartment in a lively little neighborhood. It seemed too good to be true.&nbsp; For the first three months, I enjoyed the solitude that came with living alone. I enjoyed coming home to peace and quiet after exhausting, stressful days. But after some time, I found myself staying at work longer each night, not wanting to return to an empty apartment where there was no one to talk to or to share dinner with or to exchange stories about the day. Some days after work, to avoid going home, I would wander aimlessly into places where I could simply be in the company of others - restaurants, art galleries, coffee shops, the library and the gym. But with each passing day, it became clear to me that I needed something that I was desperately lacking - community.&nbsp; Dorothy Day, one of the greatest Catholic social justice activists of the 20th century who helped found the Catholic Worker movement, wrote in her book The Long Loneliness : "We have all known the long loneliness and we have learned that the only solution is love and that love comes with community." She and co-founder of the movement, Peter Maurin, opened houses of hospitality during the Great Depression to welcome the poor, sick, marginalized and lonely, and encouraged Catholics everywhere to have "Christ rooms" to welcome the stranger. Knowing this, I don't suppose it was coincidence last August that led me to find myself on the doorsteps of a Catholic Worker not far from where I live. Outside this Catholic Worker, staked in the front yard, is a weathered but welcoming sign that reads: "A Sacred Space in an Urban Place." It is here that I've found a piece of the community for which I've been longing. Each Sunday evening, and at various other times throughout the week, I gather with a handful of others to pray Liturgy of the Hours, share stories, and to be nourished by the familiar presence of friends. The aspects of living in community that I had resented at one time - making compromises and unceasingly thinking of others first - are now voids I long to fill and that I increasingly recognize as essential for true growth. Because we live in a world where our jobs are more mobile and our lives more hectic than they've ever been before, authentic manifestations of community - which require an element of stability and commitment in order to flourish - are no longer incidental to the places where we live, or even the parishes where we worship. Instead, if we desire true community, we're challenged to find, build or create it intentionally. I'm sure the monks at Saint Meinrad, where I attend classes regularly as a lay degree student, can attest to the sacrifice and deliberate efforts required of communal living. And any family that attempts to carve out sacred moments of time to spend together on a regular occasion could speak to the frustrations and effort that is required to be intentional about coming together to share as a family, rather than simply interact as a collection of individuals living under the same roof. Being community involves a patient tolerance of others' idiosyncrasies, a willingness to share vulnerabilities, and an acceptance of differences. It can be a difficult task creating community, but I think it's necessary, and in the end, produces something much sweeter. &nbsp; &nbsp; http://saintmeinrad.edu/seminary-blog/echoes-from-the-bell-tower/posts/2012/community-our-need-to-connect/ http://saintmeinrad.edu/seminary-blog/echoes-from-the-bell-tower/posts/2012/community-our-need-to-connect/ Tue, 06 November 2012 10:45:00