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The Magazine of the Catholic Diocese of Lansing

Become a spiritual guru â&#x20AC;&#x201C; find out about individual spiritual direction 5 ways to get your life back in balance Parenting: Re-establish family time s

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We are meant to be human be-ings not human do-ings f r o m

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C. Jones

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s the pastor of a parish community with a large number of young families, I can’t help but be amazed and a little dismayed by how busy family life seems to be these days. When I listen to the schedule of activities that keeps many families with children on the go each day, every day, I wonder how anyone could manage to keep up such a level of activity. I can also begin to understand why there is often great rejoicing when the oldest child is finally able to drive, thereby taking some of the chauffeuring load off mom’s or dad’s plate. The hectic and overfull pace of family life is reflective of an even deeper, more troubling reality. Our consumer-oriented and production-based culture has led us to believe that in order to achieve success we must be on the go all the time. Yet, as someone remarked to me recently, “We’re meant to be human be-ings, not human do-ings.” The quest for a full life does not mean that we have to fill every waking moment with activity. Sometimes, pausing, resting or doing nothing can be activity enough. Perhaps we have allowed ourselves to become confused. Does having the fullness of life mean that we fill our lives up – with toys, gadgets, activities and distractions? When I was a child, growing up in Saginaw, there was an unwritten agreement that at least one weekday evening per week and every Sunday would be kept free of school-based or other extracurricular activities. The agreement, which worked for many years, was in place to ensure that there would be time for church and family-centered activities. What happened to those days? I suspect the agreement was tossed out in favor of football, soccer and all the other little activity and productivity gods we have let infiltrate our lives. At the same time, when was the last time parents banded together to say “No!” to the overactive schedules of their children? After all, it seems to me that coaches and league organizers are working for the parents who pay the fees for their children’s activities. Is all this just the raving of a silly celibate? I hope not, and please don’t get me wrong. I believe that a balance of sports or other extracurricular activities are important for a well-rounded life, but there is a difference between being well-rounded and allowing ourselves to be over-scheduled. I benefitted from a wide range of after-school activities when I was a kid, but never more than one at a time, and mom and dad always made sure that there was plenty of time for family activities, church on Sunday and rest. After all, we are human be-ings, not human do-ings. Thankfully, God, in His wisdom, has provided us with the perfect antidote to the busyness trap we have allowed ourselves to fall into. It has a simple name: the Sabbath (Sunday, for us Christians), and is available everywhere for free. Take one whole Sabbath once a week. Do not break it into smaller parts. Begin by thanking God for the Sabbath by attending Mass with family and friends. The Sabbath may be taken in combination with Sunday dinner or an afternoon nap – or both. It should be shared with those you love – and even those you don’t. If you cannot take it on Sunday, choose another day and take it then. Its effects will be immediate. These effects may include, but are not limited to: a deeper love for God; less crabbiness at home and at work; a desire to take long walks on warm afternoons; a greater appreciation for God’s goodness to us; a deeper love for one another; the ability to be completely unpredictable at times; a renewed sense of purpose; a greater dedication to service; a better appreciation of the good times; greater resources to deal with the bad times; and many more that cannot be listed here. God gives us the Sabbath. God knows we need it. And so our journey in FAITH continues. – Fr. Dwight Ezop is editor of FAITH Magazine and pastor of the Catholic Community of St. Jude, DeWitt.

Thankfully, God has provided us with the perfect antidote to the busyness trap we have allowed ourselves to fall into. It has a simple name: the Sabbath (Sunday, for us Christians), and is available everywhere for free.

Liturgical Calendar: St. Francis of Paola, Hermit April 2 | Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion April 4 | Holy Thursday April 8 | Good Friday of the Lord’s Passion April 9 | Holy Saturday Apri

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Cover Story

Dean and Dirk Welte are two burly twins who played high school football. They’re the outdoorsman type – the kind who are out in the woods on the first day of deer season. They aren’t the kind of guys you’d expect to take a retreat each year. Find out why they do it on page 12. Plus: More on retreats offered by St. Francis Retreat Center, DeWitt, and information on Bethany House for youth. s p e c i a l

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6 Dear Fr. Joe: Are there ancient writings that the Church suppresses as charged in the book “The

You can become a spiritual guru

In the know with Fr. Joe:

A good spiritual director does not so much tell another what to do as ask the right questions. Sr. Sue Eichhorn, O.P., is a personal spiritual director at St. Francis Retreat Center, DeWitt. She thinks many people could do what she does.

Da Vinci Code?” What are the Gnostic gospels? Are they real? – Fr. Joseph Krupp

Theology 101 This nine-part series continues to explore the historic Second Vatican Council with Part 2 of Dei Verbum: a look at Scripture and the Church – Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist

She attended a women’s retreat at St. Francis Retreat Center. “Here, I could be – just be – without the usual commitments, responsibilities and efforts to keep everyone’s lives together. I couldn’t remember the last time I had allowed myself this luxury.”

19 5 ways to get your life back in the balance. 21 Parents’ guide: how to re-establish family time. 22 Let’s get back to the spiritual basics. You need God in your life. Here is how to make it happen. Work Life:

– Tim Ryan

The Journey:

– Dr. Cathleen McGreal

Spiritual Fitness:

– Fr. Bill Ashbaugh m a t t e r s

money: Let God be responsible for your money romance: How can you enhance the romance you already have? time: No time for prayer? Do it first connecting: The danger signs of bad communication

Flowers of faith

Make your own Mary garden come alive indoors or out with these ideas.

how the Mass unifies us in life and love. – Bishop Carl F. Mengeling

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10 It can become easy to stay away from Mass. Bishop Carl F. Mengeling shares why the Sabbath is important and From the Bishop:

FAITH sent writer Nancy Schertzing on her first retreat

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31 Sabbath is about remembering. When we remember, we celebrate. When we forget what God has done Last Word:

through Christ, we suffer spiritual amnesia. – Fr. Charles Irvin e x c l u s i v e

The Passion of the Christ. It took the world

by storm. Find out what Catholics think and find out more about Christ’s passion with these resources.

rday April 10 | Easter Sunday: The Resurrection of the Lord April 11 | Divine Mercy Sunday April 18 | St. Anselm, Bishop and Doctor of the Church April 21 | St. George, Martyr April 23

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The Magazine of the Catholic Diocese of Lansing

Most Reverend Carl F. Mengeling PUBLISHER

Rev. Charles Irvin FOUNDING EDITOR

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national report on clergy abuse a brief look at the national and Diocese of Lansing figures

April 2004 • Volume 5 : Issue 3

Rev. Dwight Ezop EDITOR IN CHIEF

Patrick M. O’Brien MANAGING EDITOR/CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Alton Pelowski ASSISTANT EDITOR/WEBMASTER

Jillane Job SUBSCRIPTIONS/SECRETARY

Evelyn Weitzel SUBSCRIPTIONS

Patrick Dally GRAPHIC/WEB DESIGNER

Rev. William Ashbaugh Sr. John Mary Corbett, O.P Bob Horning Elizabeth Johnson Rev. Joseph Krupp Ron Landfair Patricia Majher Sr. Maria Gemma Martek, O.P. Cathleen McGreal Sr. Elizabeth Ann O’Reilly, O.P. Tim Ryan Nancy Schertzing Sr. Maria Faustina Showalter, O.P. Elizabeth Martin Solsburg CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

On Feb. 27 the National Review Board, the lay group examining the clergy abuse crisis for the U.S. bishops, released a report on the scope of the crisis. What follows is a brief look at the national and Diocese of Lansing figures.

Abuse policy: The National Review Board accused 4,392 priests and deacons of abuse. That is 4.3% of diocesan clergy. The Diocese of Lansing was established after the bishops adopted the cooperated with the study and reported that between “Charter for the Protection of Children” back in 1950 - 2000, 19 (2.1%) of the 887 June of 2002. The Diocese of Accused Clergy priests and deacons that served were Lansing already had a comprehenaccused of abuse. Of these, 13 sive sexual misconduct policy. The (1.46%) had substantiated claims. policy needed only minor revisions The responsibility of bishops: to be in compliance with the national Nationally The national board was critical of bishcharter – one revision was to further ops who knowingly kept abusers in define the role of the diocesan ministry. Bishop Carl Mengeling has review board. Diocese of Lansing stated from the beginning of this crisis Scope of the problem: The national Review Board commis- (1.46% substantiated) that, “no one that we know of who has ever abused a child is actively working in the diosioned the John Jay College of Criminal Justice cese.” If such persons are discovered they are to be to do an independent study of the scope of the reported to the civil authorities and permanently problem (See Page 31). The study reported that removed from ministry. - CNS/FAITH between 1950 and 2002, 10,667 minors

4.3%

2.1%

For more information on Diocese of Lansing abuse policies, abuse prevention and healing retreats, log onto www.FAITHmag.com

Margaret Perrone PROOFREADING

Q. Why does my parish remain standing during Communion?

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

Bob Patten CONTRIBUTING ILLUSTRATOR

Wayne Case Vicki Bedard David Fenech Patricia Garcia Diane Nowak Margaret Perrone James Rhadigan Ricardo Rodriguez David Rosenberg Rev. James Swiat Peter Wagner Sharon Wimple ADVISORY BOARD

Elizabeth Martin Solsburg FAITHhelps

Tim Ryan FAITH Magazine Service

Rogers Printing PRINTING FAITH (USPS 019993) is a membership publication of the Catholic Diocese of Lansing, 300 W. Ottawa, Lansing, MI 48933. Published monthly except February and August. Subscription rates are $15 per year. Individual issues are $2.50. Send all subscription information and address changes to 300 W. Ottawa, Lansing, MI 48933; (517) 342-2595; fax (517) 342-2537 or e-mail j job@dioceseoflansing.org. Periodicals Postage Paid at Lansing, MI or additional offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: FAITH, 300 W. Ottawa, Lansing, MI 48933. ©Catholic Diocese of Lansing.

The General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM) contains theological principles and rubrics (laws) regarding the Mass. It was recently updated by Pope John Paul II. Not much was revised, but you will notice a few changes, most notably in posture and gesture. Liturgy, by its very nature, is communal. The language of the Mass is all plural. We pray together, not individually. So, the uniformity of our “posture is a sign of the unity of the Christian community gathered for the sacred liturgy; it both expresses and fosters the mind and the spiritual attitude of those present.” (GIRM 42) Standing for Communion had been an ancient practice in the Western Church and an ongoing practice in many Eastern Churches. In 2002, the bishops of the United States established norms for the reception of Holy Communion – we would stand and bow our head as we receive both the Body and Blood of the Lord. Actually, the posture of standing for Communion was in the 1970 and 1985

GIRM. The Communion procession is one of five processions in the Mass. Entrance, Gospel, presentation of the gifts, and closing are the others. This procession begins the moment that the priest consumes the Body and Blood of Christ and concludes when the last person in the last pew receives. It is supported by music and song from beginning to end. Together, we approach the Table of the Lord. Together, we receive his Body and Blood. Together, we maintain the posture of procession – if we are able – while all are receiving. And when it is completed, together, we kneel or sit and offer a prayer or hymn of thanks for so great a gift! – Rita Thiron CNS/Andy Carruthers, Catholic Standard

Tom Gennara Christine Jones James Luning (cover) Philip Shippert

St. Adalbert, Bishop and Martyr April 23 | St. Fidelis of Sigmaringen, Priest and Martyr April 24 | St. Peter Chanel, Priest and Martyr April 28 | St. Louis Mary de Montfort, Priest April 28 | St. C

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of Americans give very high ratings to ethical standards of clergy in 2003 – down from 64% in 2001 Gallup Nov. 2003

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St. Julie Billiart: paralyzed with shock when her father was shot s a i n t

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The ‘Passion’ is an Icon not the Gospel according to Mel

Profile: Died:

A quick student: Julie was born on July 12, 1751, at Cuvilly, France. She was one of seven children born to Jean-François Billiart and Marie-Louise-Antoinette Debraine. At the age of 7, Julie had memorized the catechism and would “play teacher” with her friends as students. Although the normal age for reception of first Communion was 13, Julie’s parish priest, impressed by her spiritual maturity, allowed Julie to be confirmed and receive the Eucharist at age 9. At work in the fields of the Lord: By the time she was 16, Julie was locally renowned for her virtue and piety. The villagers called her the “saint of Cuvilly.” She worked in her father’s fields with the reapers, and was fond of sitting on a haystack at lunchtime to teach them the faith. Shocked into stillness: When Julie was 22, someone took a pistol shot at her father. This so shocked Julie that she became paralyzed from the waist down. While bedridden, Julie’s prayer life grew richer, and she spent four or five hours a day in contemplation. Her active ministry included catechizing the local children. A revolution and a revelation: During the French Revolution, Julie had a vision in which she knew she was to begin a religious order. Shortly afterward, she met Françoise Blin de Bourdon, Viscountess Gizaincourt, who was attracted to Julie’s life of holiness. The two women founded the Institute of the Sisters of Notre Dame, which had as its primary purpose the care and education of poor children. The first pupils were eight young orphans. A miraculous healing: On the feast of the Sacred Heart in June, 1804, after making a novena in obedience to her confessor, Julie was healed of her paralysis and walked for the first time in 22 years. In October of that year, Julie, Françoise, and two others made their first vows in religious life, devoting themselves to the Christian education of young girls. A final gift: Julie’s final act of charity was caring for the wounded from the battle of Waterloo. In doing so, she taxed her health and became ill. After three months of suffering, she died with the Magnificat on her lips. She was 64. A Third Commandment saint: Julie’s entire life was devoted to keeping every day holy, but especially during the persecutions of the French Revolution. She offered her home as a safe haven for hunted priests, thus allowing the Sabbath to be kept holy. – Elizabeth Martin Solsburg

Icon Productions

el Gibson’s movie is not a fifth gospel, the “Gospel according to Mel,” so to speak. It should not be evaluated as if it is an “eyewitness account” What historical account is absolutely accurate and totally true? I know of none. Nevertheless, but for a few minor artistic devices, Gibson faithfully presents the New Testament’s gospel accounts in his rendition of Christ’s passion and death. It is by no accident that his production company is called Icon Productions. Gibson’s movie is not really a movie it is a huge, moving icon. The way to look at any icon is to see through it. One should first pray for a moment, placing oneself in God’s presence. Then, and only then, you should look into the eyes of the icon and try to see God’s eyes looking back at you. An icon is a window into the divine. Unless you see The Passion of the Christ in that manner I don’t think you will experience the depth of it. Throughout the entire experience, one should see that it is God the Son who is looking at you, looking into your soul, not with eyes of condemnation, but rather with infinitely tender love. It is God offering Himself to us through our rejection of Him. Web exclusive: For the rest of Fr Charles Irvin’s insights into The Passion of the Christ, log onto the new FAITHmag.com See Page 24 for reactions to the movie from Catholics

Also only on the new FAITHmag.com: What’s so holy about the Sabbath? “Remember to keep the sabbath day.” (Exod 20:8) As I reflected on this commandment, I couldn’t help but feel that as a society we have lost some of the meaning and richness behind it. It seems that this command has been reduced to an obligation to take one hour of our weekend to attend Mass – and not one minute more at that! Then it is back into the chaotic world of “horn-blowing” and creative “hand signals” for our neighbors on the streets as we return home. Read the rest of Doug Culp’s article only on FAITHmag.com

28 | St. Catherine of Siena, Virgin and Doctor of the Church April 29 | St. Pius V, Pope April 30

Feast Day:

St. Julie Billiart April 8, 1816 in Namur, Belgium April 8

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Dear Fr. Joe:

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C. Jones

Dear Fr. Joe: what are the ‘Gnostic gospels’? w i t h

F r .

J o e

joeinblack@priest.com

Christians had to meet after dark in secluded places and use secret signs to communicate. During this time period, different groups invaded the Christian underground and began to I had a mom tell me a spread their own unique story about her son. He blend of their religion and missed Palm Sunday Mass Christian thought. because he was sick with During this time, the flu. She and the rest of Christian leaders such as her family returned home with their palm Origen, Clement of branches after church and checked on the A fascination with these Alexandria and others wrote boy. “What’s the branch for, Mom?,” he so-called gospels has been to Christians, warning them asked. “Well,” she replied. “People held manifested in all sorts of about false writings that them under Jesus feet as he walked down the road.” The boy popular culture outlets – were disguised as Christian was shocked. “wouldn’t you know it! The one time I miss movies, books, articles, etc. writings. Now, I am simpliIn this article, I hope to give church, Jesus shows up!” fying a bit, but a key reason real examples of our fascinathese leaders wrote against tion with these writings and screen to inform the viewers Christianity by a good these Gnostic writings is show a bit about where they that the “Gospel of Thomas” amount of time. Possibly is a real document “written rooted in Babylonian mysti- because, quite literally, salvacome from. in Aramaic,” and that “many cism, a basic tenet of this tion is offered to everyone – Let’s start with a popular movie, made in 1999, called scholars” believe it to be the religion is that salvation can not a select few who attain real words of Jesus, written be attained through the dis- “secret knowledge.” “Stigmata.” I remember my covery and mastery of cerWhen Christianity explodstudents asking me to watch by Himself. Now, to be fair, it may be tain “secrets” about God, ed from the underground in it and tell me how accurate it true that “many scholars” heaven, and life itself. This the early fourth century, was. This thriller was about believe the “Gospel of knowledge is not for everythere were innumerable a priest who was called on Thomas” to be authentic, one. Thus, this religion Christian sects that came out by the Vatican to research but they are certainly not steeped itself in secrecy. of hiding and began to comthe Gnostic writing, the biblical scholars. As a side Gnosticism remained “under municate with each other. “Gospel of Thomas.” As a note, the “Gospel of the radar” for quite some Certain premises were uniresult of his research, he Thomas” wasn’t written in time, and is only recently re- versally embraced among became an enemy of the Aramaic. It was written in emerging as a factor in these Churches, and certain Church because he now Coptic, an ancient Egyptian world religion. ideas were universally conknew “the truth about language, which I believe So, how did this group get demned. A council was conJesus.” He came to believe so involved in Christianity vened at Nicaea, in order to that the “Gospel of Thomas” used Greek symbols. That movie promoted a lot to the point that some of determine what was was the authentic Gospel Christian and what was not. written by Jesus Himself and of confusion in young people their writings were about who watched it, and I believe Jesus? Well, we gotta take a It’s from this council that we that the others – Matthew, history lesson here. get the Nicene Creed. Mark, Luke and John – came it is along the same lines as “The Da Vinci Code” in its Remember, from the beginThis council provided clarafterward and were put in concepts. Both are based on ning of the Church (A.D. ity for Christians then and the Bible by the Church, so the Gnostic gospels. 33) until Christianity today, as it informs us what the Church could maintain So what are these “gospels?” became legal (A.D. 314), the Apostles passed on to its power. They are the writings of a Christianity was an illegal, their successors. Some of At the end of the movie, religious sect that predated underground religion. what is written in the Nicene words come up on the Okay! Last month, you talked about the problems with the book “The Da Vinci Code.” According to these stories, the Church works hard to suppress writings that may be true. Are there other ‘gospels’ such as the “Gnostic gospels.”? What are they? Are they for real?

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what year was the first black U.S. bishop born? h i s t o r y

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Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de Leon, driven by legends of a fountain of youth, discovered Florida instead on April 2, WHAT YEAR? He named the land that he found pasqua florida, or “flowery Easter,” because he made his discovery on Easter Sunday. James Augustine Healy, the first black Roman Catholic bishop in the United States, was born to an Irish planter and a slave on a plantation in Macon, Ga., on April 6, WHAT YEAR? Healy was sent north by his father to attend school at Holy Cross College in Massachusetts. He attended the seminary in Paris, France. He then returned to the United States, where he served as a parish priest in Boston before being named bishop of Portland, Maine. Sidney Poitier became the first African-American to win the Academy Award for best actor for portrayal of a handyman who reluctantly builds a chapel for a group of German nuns in the American southwest. The Oscar was presented to Poitier on April 13, WHAT YEAR? Brother, can you spare a dime? Frank W. Woolworth, who pioneered the concept of the “five and-ten-cent” store, was born on April 13, WHAT YEAR? F.W. Woolworth owned more than 1000 stores, and by the time he died, he had amassed a personal fortune of $65 million.

CNS

What was your reaction to Mel Gibson’s movie “The Passion of the Christ”? FAITH asked Diocese of Lansing Catholics what they thought of Mel Gibson’s “The Passion of the Christ.” Many Catholic and Protestant congregations used the film as an opportunity to learn more about Jesus through the vivid depiction of His sacrifice. Some rented out entire theaters to watch the film and then discuss its impact on their faith. See more reactions on Page 24

“For people who believe, it will affirm their faith.”

“It was tough to watch, but beautifully moving.”

Sr. Yolanda Figueroa, CFP Cristo Rey, Lansing

Fr. Jeff Njus St. Patrick, Brighton

Answers: 1513, 1830, 1964, 1852

C. Jones

Icon Productions

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Creed is a direct response to Gnosticism. As a result of this council and the success of the inclusive Christian message, Gnosticism faded away. Let’s get to the common theme in movies and books that the Church has worked to suppress these Gospels. At the beginning (meaning the first 300 years of Christianity), the Church did work hard to fight these Gnostic writings, but lacked the political power to muscle any group out. Remember, we were the persecuted ones – not the ones doing the persecuting. As time went on, the Church didn’t have to suppress the Gnostic writings. They had little to no follow-

ing. Reading some of these “gospels” should easily give one the sense as to why. Confused, convoluted and bizarre beyond reckoning, most people who’ve read them have read edited versions that have removed a great deal of the “weirdness” that they contain. Stories like the one where Jesus killed children for making fun of Him, and then raised them back to life at the behest of His mother, are par for the course in some of these Gnostic writings. Interspersed into these are passages that are pirated from the four Gospels that we read. Unfortunately, Hollywood handles this by dropping the

bizarre in favor of the more palatable or even poetic quotes, like the one verse used over and over in “Stigmata.” “The kingdom of God is within you and all around you. It is not within buildings of wood or stone. Split a piece of wood and you will find me. Look beneath a stone and I am there.” (Gospel of Thomas, v. 3)

These confused and confusing writings, coupled with their exclusive theology, doomed Gnosticism to a lifetime of obscurity. The Church didn’t need to work hard or send out assassins to cover these up. On my bookshelf, I have copies of all the Gnostic writings that I bought at a

FAITH on audio tape: Contact the Diocese of Lansing disAbilities Ministry to order FAITH Magazine on audio tape (517) 342-2500.

“I had an overwhelming feeling of my unworthiness of His ultimate sacrifice.” Joanne Rymar St. Robert Bellarmine, Flushing

Catholic bookstore in 1993. Their copyright date? 1901. Why did I buy these books? I needed them for my Scripture and history classes at seminary. If the Church was working hard to cover it up, they did an exceptionally lousy job. If you want to take a look at translations of these writings on the Internet, you can go to: wesley.nnu.edu/nocanon/ gospels.htm I hope this has been helpful! Enjoy another day in God’s presence! Send your Questions to: “In the Know with Fr. Joe” FAITH Magazine 300 W. Ottawa, Lansing, MI 48933

Or: JoeInBlack@priest.com April 2004

FAITH Magazine

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you’ve got mail: in sacred Scripture, we have a love letter from God

A Love Letter from God – Dei Verbum Part II

Perhaps you’ve seen the romantic comedy, You’ve Got Mail. It reflected the excitement people feel when they receive notes from loved ones. With this love letter from God called sacred Scripture, we’ve all got mail – and we should be excited to read it! Last issue, we said that God’s revelation of Himself in Scripture is like an “instruction manual” for our lives. In reality, however, God’s written Word is more like a love letter than an instruction manual! As Dei Verbum tells us, “ ... in the sacred books, the Father who is in heaven comes lovingly to meet His children, and talks with them.” (DV 21) First of all, there are certain facts about sacred Scripture, which Dei Verbum clearly lays out for us, that serve as the foundation of our understanding: God is the author of sacred Scripture. Sacred Scripture is God’s Word put down in writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. The word “inspired” means literally “God breathed.” The Scriptures are called the “Word of God” because they have God as their author. Scripture alone has the charism of inspiration.

God inspired the human authors of the Bible. The human authors of the Scriptures did not simply copy what the Holy Spirit dictated to them. Rather, God “made full use of their faculties and powers so that, though He acted in them and by them, it was as true authors that they consigned to writing whatever He wanted written, and no more.” (DV 11) Inspiration is somewhat mysterious, but we can understand something about how it works by an analogy with the Incarnation: just as the second Person of the Trinity assumed a human nature, God has expressed Himself in “the words of men” through the aid of human authors. (DV 13) Sacred Scripture teaches the truth. The doctrine of inerrancy follows logically from the inspiration of Scripture. Since God is the author of Scripture, everything that the human authors affirm is affirmed by the Holy Spirit.

Understanding sacred Scripture: Dei Verbum goes on to explain how best to understand or interpret the meaning of the Scriptures. For example, Dei Verbum states that because the human authors are true authors, it is important to get at the sacred author’s intention in order to best grasp the meaning of a passage. This means that when we read the Bible, we must ask what is the author’s purpose in writing a particular passage. Does the author intend to narrate history, tell a story or parable or to utter a prophecy? Is the passage a prayer or a poem? The reason is that truth will be expressed differently in each of these kinds of writing. Many of the apparent contradictions in Scripture can be resolved by keeping in mind that the sacred author does not always intend that we take his meaning literally. The most important rule for understanding Scripture given by Dei Verbum, however, is that “sacred Scripture must be read and interpreted in the light of the same Spirit by whom it was written.” (DV 12) The Holy Spirit, who inspired the human authors of the Bible is the same Spirit who guides the Church “into all truth.” (John 14:25-26) No truth of revelation can contradict the other truths of revelation. A test for the authenticity of revelation is whether it is consistent with both the “content and unity of the whole Scripture” and “the living Tradition of the whole Church.” (DV 12) Many Scripture passages are misunderstood simply because they have been taken out of context. The Bible came from the living Tradition of the Church, and not vice versa. It was the successors of Peter and the Apostles, the pope and bishops in union with him, who authorized the books of the Scripture. Still, the task of authentically interpreting Scripture today is reserved for the pope and the bishops in union with him – the magisterium. We should pause for a moment and consider what a great gift this is! God did not leave us to ourselves to understand His words

The single best way to really grasp the teachings of the Second Vatican Council is to read the documents. Log onto the Vatican’s Web site: www.vatican.va/archive/

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Photo gallery: Bishop Mengeling’s personal photo album continues: Bishop Fulton Sheen is interviewed at Vatican II, bishops are bused to and from Vatican II sessions

The Eucharist is the Body and Blood of Christ. 1Cor 10:16, 11:27-30; Matt 26:26-28; Mark 14:22-24; Luke 22:19-20; John 6:47-63,66 Veneration of Mary Luke 1:28,41-43,48; John 19:25-27; Rev 12:1-6 The intercession of the Saints Jer 15:1; 2 Macc 15:14; Matt 22:30; Luke 15:10; 1 Cor 4:9; Heb 12:1; Rev 5:8, 6:9-10 Power of the priest to forgive sins Matt 16:19,18:15-18; John 20:23 Papal infallibility Matt 16:1819; Luke 22:31-32; John 21:15-17 Purgatory Ps 66:12; Isa 4:4, 6:5-7; Mic 7:8-9; Mal 3:2-4; 2 Macc 12:39-42, 44-45; Matt 5:25-26, 12:32; Eph 4:8-10, 1 Cor 3:11-15; Rev 21:27 Guardian angels Ps 34:7, 91:11; Matt 18:10, Acts 12:15, Heb 1:14 Relics Acts 19:11-12

4 ways to incorporate holy Scripture into your daily life However you choose to incorporate Scripture into your life, you won’t regret your decision! Remember, He has promised that “whoever seeks shall find,” so if you truly seek to know God better in His Word, He will bless your desire abundantly. 1 Reflect on the daily Scripture readings. The Church has taken great care to present God’s Word to the faithful during the Liturgy of the Word. The Lectionary is organized into a systematic cycle of Old and New Testament biblical texts, which covers a large representation of Scripture over the course of several years, between the Sunday and weekday masses. Whether or not you can attend daily Mass, read and reflect on the readings for each day. Follow along in a the Daily Roman Missal, or look up the readings in your Bible. 2 Pray the Liturgy of the Hours. The Liturgy of the Hours, also known as the Divine Office, is prayed daily by clergy, religious and laity all over the world. It is the universal prayer of the Church which flows from the Mass and sanctifies every moment of the day. The hours of the office are comprised of psalms and short Scripture readings, along with

to us. He has given us a guarantee of understanding them correctly by entrusting to His Church His own authority to teach. Without such an authoritative guide, we are left with only each person’s subjective – and often competing – interpretation. Jesus Christ is the center of the Scriptures: Finally, a word or two must be said about the Gospels, the “heart of all the Scriptures.” (CCC 125) Jesus Christ is the center of all revelation, and so His Gospel is the center or heart of the Scriptures. Everything in the Old Testament leads up to Christ, and everything in the New Testament refers back to Him. St. Augustine said, “God ... wisely arranged that the New Testament be hidden in the Old and the Old be made manifest in the New.”

prayers of praise and petition. A breviary, the Liturgy of the Hours prayer book, can be obtained at Catholic bookstores. 3 Join a Bible Study. Inquire at your parish about Bible Study groups to meet God in Scripture and study His Word with others. Check with your favorite local Catholic bookstore for good sources of material to engage in a Catholic Bible study on your own, if a group opportunity isn’t readily available. 4 Read the Bible each day. Devote a portion of your day to reading the Bible and reflecting on what God desires to communicate to you. It could be something as formal as Lectio Divina, a method of reading and contemplating the Scriptures, or as simple as making a commitment to spend 5-10 minutes reading one Psalm or Gospel chapter per day. Let the Holy Spirit guide you in your selection and read slowly, allowing it to penetrate your heart. C.F. Mengeling

Catholics are sometimes told that their faith is unbiblical, but this is simply not true! There is no Catholic doctrine that is not at least implicit in Scripture. Here we have sketched a brief synopsis of the scriptural evidence for some Catholic doctrines that are often touted as unbiblical.

C.F. Mengeling

are these teachings biblical?

C.F. Mengeling

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There are some people today who question the reliability of the Gospels as historical documents. On the surface, it may seem that the four Gospel writers contradict one another and so must not be reliable witnesses. However, it is important to remember that the Gospel writers did not intend to give us a “news account” of the life of Christ! Dei Verbum explains it in this way: “The sacred authors, in writing the four Gospels, selected certain of the many elements which had been handed on, either orally or already in written form; others they synthesized or explained with an eye to the situation of the churches, while sustaining the form of preaching, but always in such a fashion that they have told us the honest truth about Jesus.” (DV 19, emphasis added)

– Sr. Maria Faustina Showalter, O.P., Sr. John Mary Corbett, O.P., Sr. Maria Gemma Martek O.P., and Sr. Elizabeth Ann O’Reilly, O.P. are Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist, Ann Arbor.

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It can become easy to stay away from Mass: why the Sabbath is important f r o m

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In the first issue of FAITH this year, I discussed my experience learning the Ten Commandments in the sixth grade. Sr. Clarilla, our teacher, drew a 10-story building on the chalkboard. The lower three floors were alike and large. The other seven were atop this broad base. Sr. Clarilla said, “The lower three are about knowing, loving and worshiping God. The other seven are about loving our neighbor. If you remove the lower three, the other seven will topple.” Experience teaches us that the Ten Commandments are linked, and they rise or fall together. That’s especially true of the first three, which are about God. The First and Second are fulfilled in the Third. Our knowledge and reverence of God are expressed in our loving worship, praise, thanks, petition and repentance. The Bible presents the Old and New Testament

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people as centered in the Sabbath day. Psalm 122 voices the central role of the Sabbath and Temple: “I rejoiced when they said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the Lord.’” Many early Christians suffered martyrdom for celebrating the Lord’s Day. St. Ignatius of Antioch (†117) wrote seven letters when he was a prisoner on the way to martyrdom in Rome. To the Church at Magnesia, he wrote, “We live according to the Lord’s Day, on which our life has risen. How could we ever live without it?” During Diocletian’s persecution of Christians in 304, St. Saturninus and 50 companions were arrested while celebrating the Sunday Eucharist. According to the Roman record of their trial, Saturninus’ response to the proconsul was, “We have been celebrating what is the Lord’s. We have done this because that which is the Lord’s cannot cease.” St. Felix, at whose home they celebrated, was asked, “Why did you permit the forbidden gathering in your house?” He responded, “I could not forbid them, for without the Day of the Lord, the mystery of the Lord, we cannot exist.”

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In the lives of Catholics for two millennia, the Lord’s Day has been a matter of life or death. Our need for the Lord’s Day comes from convictions of faith, hope and love. A crisis about Sunday, the Lord’s Day, happens when a person’s convictions are no longer operative. Then, the Lord’s Day is seen only as a rule and obligation. When my mom left Europe in 1923, she, like many immigrants, drifted from the faith because of a language barrier. She married my dad, who insisted that we be Lutheran. After she returned to the faith in the mid ’30s, she raised us as Catholics. Like most Catholics in the ’30s and ’40s, we rarely missed Sunday Mass. We arrived at the church before Mass began and left only after the priest left the sanctuary. We usually attended the 7:30 a.m. High Mass, from the Asperges to the “Ite Missa Est.” Uncle August, mom’s brother, was in the choir and he expected us to be present. Our current “Sunday” crisis is one of the most serious challenges facing the Church. Sadly, crises about the Lord’s Day are not new. For instance, in the ’30s and ’40s, some Catholics saw the Sunday Mass as an obligation that was fulfilled as long as a person was present for the principal parts: offertory, consecration and Communion. Coming late and leaving early became a crisis. Our priests tried everything – pleading,

shaming, warning, inspiring. People stayed when they saw the pastor at the exit. When the Lord’s Day is only a rule and not a conviction, it is steadily lessened until only the minimal is left. Looking for excuses becomes more important than asking why one should keep the Lord’s Day. In time, it becomes easy to stay away. What’s at the heart of the Third Commandment? Everything! It’s about God, our Creator and Redeemer, the world and humanity. The Sabbath links them in a unity of life and love. In Genesis, the Sabbath is part of the creation account. That is why the inspired author chose the seven-day week analogy. Creation and humanity are not neutral. They find meaning in the covenant of love that God offers humanity. Only the seventh day has a name. Sabbath means to close, to be at rest and to be fulfilled. The Sabbath calls us to respect and thank our Creator for creation. God is recognized as owner and we as partners entrusted with God’s creation. Thus, when the Sabbath is cherished, so is creation. The author of Genesis knew that the created world and human destiny are linked. Even humanity’s sin affects creation. St. Paul writes, “All creation groans and is in agony, awaiting redemption.” Christ restores the solidarity between humanity and creation. When we understand the

Read more of Bishop Mengeling’s writings on FAITHmag.com

concept of remembrance in relation to our faith, we see that the Sabbath is more than a precept. It is an inner observance rising from our profound need. Remembering opens us to the Lord’s Day and everything, now and forever. It is more than a mental act. We are actively attentive to all that is remembered, so that it is made present to us. We respond to God’s call with decisions and actions that will affect our future. When our remembering is dim and dull, we are in jeopardy. When we suffer spiritual amnesia, there is nothing to celebrate. The inner motivation to celebrate the Lord’s Day is gone. The Sabbath becomes a day of rest and peace when we remember. We remember God, our Creator and Father, in whose hands are all things. We are at peace with God and secure in His providence. We remember our world in its wonder and beauty. The world will not end when we “rest” on the Sabbath. It depends on God’s power – not on us alone. The Sabbath rest is a pause of faith and trust in God, from whom life is given as a gift. We renounce independence from God and our attempts to make the world in our own image. We remember our identity, created in the “image and likeness” of God and beloved of God. We accept the call to a new humanity, shaped by God’s grace. Above all, we remem-

Photo illustration by Patrick Dally

C. Jones

“The rediscovery of this day is a grace which we must implore, not only so that we may live the demands of faith to the full, but also that we may respond concretely to the deepest human yearnings.” – Pope John Paul II

ber Jesus, our Redeemer, who has restored us to our true identity. In Him is a new creation and a new kingdom, which He reveals and achieves for us in the paschal mystery. The redemptive presence and work of our Savior is at the heart of Sunday, the Lord’s Day, as He draws His Church more and more into His life and love. Sunday is a synthesis of the Christian life. It is the condition for living and achieving our goal in our risen Lord – life everlasting. Like the Good Shepherd, our Holy Father, Pope John Paul II, teaches Jesus’ flock. He writes, “Sunday is a day which is at the very heart of the Christian life. ... I strongly urge everyone to rediscover Sunday: Do not be afraid to give your time to Christ! Yes, let us open our time to Christ, that He may cast light upon it and give it direction. He is the One who knows the secret of time and the secret of eternity, and He gives us ‘His day’ as an ever new gift of His love. The rediscovery of this day is a grace which we must implore, not only so that we may live the demands of faith to the full, but also so that we may respond concretely to the deepest human yearnings. Time given to Christ is never lost, but is rather time gained, so that our relationships and indeed our whole life may become more profoundly human.” – Most Rev. Carl F. Mengeling is the fourth bishop of Lansing.

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Dean and Dirk Welte are two burly twins who played high school football. Dean even played in college. They are the outdoorsman type who, on the first day of deer season, you can find out in the woods, or in the spring maybe on a fishing trip in Canada. They also spend one weekend every March at St. Francis Retreat Center in DeWitt. Say again. For the past twelve years, they have been there with men in their parish – St. Paul in Owosso – and men of several other parishes in the Lansing Diocese. Fr. Larry Delaney, the director at St. Francis, describes the Weltes as “full-bodied, all American young men, full of life and vigor. They are all-around healthy, because they

By Bob Horning | Photography by James Luning

have chosen to include the full spectrum of spirituality into their lives. They are also lots of fun.” Why would these two automatically insert a weekend retreat into their calendar every year? After all, they already have a busy schedule and are happy with their families, church and work. Why would they spend their valuable time to do nothing but sit, pray, converse, relax and listen to talks?

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Dirk, who is a network engineer in Mt. Pleasant, puts it this way: “It is very easy to get tied up in all of the possessions this society has placed on our streets, in our homes and at our work place. When a person is surrounded by constant sin and evil, it is easy to lose track of why we are here. As a Christian, I need a reality check to put my mind, heart and soul where it really belongs – with Jesus. If I did not have this annual cleansing, I would have a hard time dealing with all the mayhem life likes to throw at us. This retreat is a total rehabilitation of my soul. It rekindles my relationship with God.” Dean, an engineering supervisor for the Shiawassee County Road Commission, says, “We were not made for this world. God has designed us for eternity. With that in mind, the world can be a cruel and harsh place to live. A retreat offers a life sustaining environment that is available nowhere else. God has our complete attention. There are no distractions or interruptions. You get a full connection with your loving Father. It is truly a small glimpse of His glory.” That attitude wasn’t always characteristic of the Weltes. A year before their first retreat in 1992, Dirk had gone through a divorce and Dean was having a problem with drugs and alcohol. They had failed to follow the path set out by their parents, Mike and Kay,

whom they both credit as being outstanding parents and models of faith. Mike Welte was a pipefitter at General Motors, before retiring in 1992. Kay stayed home to raise their four boys, and now is secretary at St. Paul School (K-8). “They are wonderful, spiritual people,” their sons say. It was the consequences of straying from their upbringing that got them interested in their first retreat, at the age of 24. And it was their mother, who has been going to retreats as long as they can remember, who encouraged them to attend. At the retreat, Dean recalls being “stirred, blown away. We saw that we had been living in a comfort zone, picking and choosing the parts of Catholicism that we liked.”

Dirk adds, “We realized then that we had a long way to go. We had one foot on the right path, but the other was going in the wrong direction. We needed to make a big adjustment. We had a void in our hearts, and God is the only one who could fill it.” After that initial weekend at St. Francis, they were hooked. The annual event has become more important and necessary than hunting deer or catching trout. “I can’t wait until it gets here,” he says. “And I am never let down. After being battered and beaten all year long, it is a chance to get cleaned up and recharged. My wife, Sue, and our two kids are glad to see me go, not just to get rid of me, but because they know I will be rejuvenated.” Many of the same men go on the retreat from year to year. And though they don’t see a majority of the other men at all in between, “after two minutes of gathering together each time, it’s like we haven’t been apart,” Dean says. “I could name all of them and how they have affected me and the others.” Remembering one of his first retreats, Dean shares, “There was a person hurting beyond belief. He was looking for answers. With the grace of God working through me, I was able to help him relieve some of the tension, not by words exactly, but by opening my heart and showing him how much I loved him and how much God loved him. Would you believe that person is now a deacon and I go to him for my spiritual guidance? We are all drawn there for a reason, to help those who need help.” “We have seen the retreat change so many lives besides ours,” Dean says. “Fr. Delaney is inspirational and gets us thinking in the Spirit instead of the flesh.” According to Dirk, the atmosphere provides “a chance to put down your guard, put on your slippers, and relax. The result is more hugs and tears than a man could imagine. “The reaction of one man who attended last year for the first time was ‘I can’t believe I have gone this long in life without a retreat.’ He has lined up three or four men for the next one.” Whenever given the chance, Dean and Dirk encourage young men to attend, because of how it helped them at a young age. They challenge youth not to be too macho to go. “If every young person could do this retreat, the world would be

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a different place,” they say. During the weekend, as at any retreat center, there are several ways to connect with God. Over the years, Dirk has come up with a formula that works for him. “God speaks to me through Fr. Delaney, Sr. Sue Eichhorn, O.P., the lay volunteers, Dcn. John Sundwick and other retreatants. I have learned to take everything God gives me through these people, absorb it in my soul, then take myself to a quiet place. It could be out in the pine trees, in the barn, in my room, or in the chapel. I then pour my heart, mind and soul into an intimate conversation and time of prayer On 95 acres in DeWitt, just with God. I am now 37 years old, and can honestly say that God west of Lansing, sits has changed my life through St. Francis Retreat House.” St. Francis Retreat Center Dean experiences God speaking to him primarily through the and Bethany House. Fr. Larry other men on retreat. “I feel through their testimony that God is Delaney, who has been director at St. Francis for 15 years, lists three calling me specifically, and wants me to listen to him and follow goals the retreat center has for him just like the other men at the retreat,” he says. those who come there. “I’ve found out over the years that God speaks to us in a whis1 To get away from their per. He doesn’t yell. If you close your eyes and let Him take you hectic pace of life. into His arms, He will softly whisper in your ear how much you 2 Have the time and quiet mean to Him, and how He loves you unconditionally.” to listen to the Lord. Since twelve months pass between one retreat and the next, 3 Strengthen one’s relationship the Weltes have had to work on ways to make the benefits conwith God, or, in some cases, tinue throughout the year. Dean says that whenever he gets become reacquainted. down emotionally or spiritually, he thinks about the guys and When talking about the need for a the retreat. He is also helped by looking over the retreat program retreat, Fr. Delaney cites a Jesuit and the notes that he took. For Dirk, the secret is staying close to Scripture. “One Special Retreats May 7-8 thing I do every morning is Mother/Daughter spend a half-hour in prayer Retreat time and devotions. That is all part of growing in the May 21-22 Christian life. It acts like a Divorced and Separated Retreat cell phone charger for me.” Sept. 24-26 2004 St. Francis As for Fr. Delaney, the June 16-17 Retreat Schedule Oct. 1-3 Weltes are impressed with his Nurturing Spiritual Oct. 8-10 To register, leadership of the retreats, Growth Oct. 22-24 contact your parish except in one area – “his (517) 627-5534 Oct. 29-31 representative or call corny MSU and Irish jokes. the St. Francis Retreat Nov. 12-14 July 12-18 He is always bashing us U-M Center at (517) 669- Men Directed retreat fans. When we found out he 8321 or toll-free (313) 730-8759 April 2-4 raises 20-25 rabbits, pheas(866) 669-8321. April 23-25 Aug. 6-8 ants, peacocks, turkeys and For more, log on to Sept. 10-12 Married Couples www.stfrancis.ws. fancy chickens on the Alcoholics Aug. 13-15 grounds, we had a way to get Mens’ & Womens’ Anonymous Singles Retreat back at him. We offer to help Retreats: Women out if they become overpop“Free at Last!” Call (734) 654-7933 Aug. 27-29 ulated. We are pretty good Retrouvaille: A Lifeline The suggested donaor (989) 723-7200 shots. for Troubled Marriages tion for the weekend is May 14-16 “Seriously, though, if there (517) 669-8321 $110. Aug. 13-15 is a model priest, he is it. He Nov. 5-7 Women Nov. 19-21 is the meat and potatoes of April 16-18 Alcoholics Contemplative the center; someone who is April 30-May 2 Anonymous Men retreat for women inspirational, but at the same June 25-27 Call (989) 725-2300 (quiet) time has the firmness to get July 9-11 June 11-13 Dec. 3-5 his point across.” July 23-25 Oct. 15-17

St. Francis Retreat Center and Bethany House

Sept. 17-19

Dec. 10-12

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study stating why most people never sign up for one. “It showed that they are afraid of three things,” Fr. Delaney says: 1 Afraid of the unknown 2 Afraid to be by themselves 3 Afraid of what we or God may say or do to them. “It is important instead to look at the experience positively, not fearfully,” he continues. It is a chance to hear God speak. If we fill our life with noise, we can’t hear him. Don’t be afraid of the quiet part. Some people don’t think they can be holy for a whole retreat – that retreats are just for priests, nuns or special people. But that’s not the case. Our focus is on the universal Church.” An individual can come for the weekend or on weekdays for a private retreat if there are rooms available. The conference rooms at the center can be used by other groups for daytime or overnight meetings. On the site, too, is a gift shop with books and music to help with spiritual development and renewal. It also has gift items and religious goods. St. Francis Retreat Center: www.stfrancis.ws (517) 669-8321 toll-free (866) 669-8321

Bethany House, which is just over two years old, is the youth counterpart to St. Francis. It offers retreats, formation programs and special events as it “seeks to evangelize and educate youth based on the teachings of Christ, develop their personal relationships with God and deepen their appreciation of His Church, so they may go out into the world and spread the Gospel.” Fr. Jerry Vincke is the director. Bethany House: www.bethanyhouserc.org (517) 668-3747

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you can be a spiritual guru meet Sr. Sue – she is a personal spiritual director

You are a mystic, and you probably don’t even know it. Mystic spirituality is the ability to perceive relationships, to see the divine presence in plain, everyday living. Most of us, however, haven’t been fitted with the proper lenses so that our eyes can perceive what God is putting in front of us. As you read these words, I am sure you are aware of the many voices calling you to do any number of things. For a moment now, listen now to your soul. Isn’t it telling you something, asking you to slake your thirst, asking you for food? Is not your heart longing for God’s presence? God’s Holy Spirit is right now, in your ordinary day, offering you what you know deep down in your heart you really need – closeness to Him. We’re all so concerned with what this world offers us, but what about what God offers us? We need to experience His loving closeness. Without it, we seek bread that doesn’t satisfy. Perhaps you feel that only priests, monks and nuns can By Fr. Charles Irvin | Photography by Tom Gennara

discover God’s presence in others, in themselves and in the events of our lives. Yet, we all have urges and quests, which captivate our thoughts, feelings and desires. If you seek God, you will find Him. (cf. Matt 7:7-8) If you go to any Catholic bookstore, you will find an abundance of books on spirituality. They are written for ordinary, everyday seekers, not just priests, monks and nuns. All sorts of people are questing for a deepened spirituality – and you are too! Why not respond now? We can discern the movements of God’s Holy Spirit within us. It’s a habit of the heart. All we need are a few easy-tolearn lessons that will allow us to be more consciously spiritual – to discover that we’ve been mystics all along. And you can help others in developing their own relationships with God. When you develop your own spirituality, you will end up spiritually helping others. Are you feeling distant from God? Is your life more burdensome than it is life-giving? Are you facing some major decisions, some significant transition in your life? Do you feel like you’re steering between a rock and a hard place or that you have a hungering for a new sense of God in your life?

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When you stop and think about it, a good spiritual companion knows the right questions to ask us. It really boils down to that, doesn’t it? If you don’t ask the right questions, you won’t be headed in the right direction or arrive at the answer you’re really questing.

Help is available for you. You can be trained to help yourself and others. Spiritual direction is a pastoral ministry in which one Christian assists another in discerning God’s personal communication with him or her. Growing in intimacy with God and experiencing His presence, power and love is the fruit of spiritual development. A good spiritual director does not so much tell another what to do as ask the right questions. The goal of spiritual direction is to “direct” our attention and help us focus on how we are responding to God’s personal love for us, as well as responding to what He is offering us. A spiritual director is a companion who “listens in” on our conversation with God and looks over our shoulder as we act in response to God. When you stop and think about it, a good spiritual companion knows the right questions to ask us. It really boils down to that, doesn’t it? If you don’t ask the right questions, you won’t be headed in the right direction or arrive at the answer you’re really questing. Knowing the right questions requires a modest knowledge of Scripture. It is also essential to have an answer to the question, “What kind of a God is God?” Answering that question requires openness to the promptings of God through His Son, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit. It is not necessary that one be highly educated and an expert in such matters. Many of the saints were simple people, regarded as quite ordinary by those around them. Think of how often God has used “little people” throughout history. Sr. Suzanne Eichhorn, O.P., a Grand Rapids Dominican sister, is very well-trained in the ministry of spirituality. She offers several spiritual programs at St. Francis Retreat Center, DeWitt. There are directed retreats and opportunities for personal spiritual direction at the retreat center. Many people are already familiar with these spiritual renewal events and highly recommend them. But there’s something beyond them for those who want more. Beginning as an educator at Aquinas College in Grand Rapids, Sr. Suzanne moved to Detroit in the early 1980s to

become a part of the Dominican Center for Religious Development. From there she came, in June 1989, to St. Francis Retreat Center. She has taught in our diocesan training programs for permanent deacons and lay ministers, and has given retreats at St. Francis Retreat Center. Additionally, she gives spiritual direction for a great many people. Twelve years ago, she began a new ministry which offers an internship in spiritual direction. Throughout the years, she and team members from the Dominican Center have trained spiritual directors, who are presently ministering in Michigan’s Catholic dioceses as well as in a significant number of Protestant churches throughout the state. A number of priests have been trained in this program, too. Just because one is ordained a priest does not mean he would be a good spiritual director. Many, if not most, priests willingly acknowledge that fact. It is a specialized ministry requiring some specialized training. I believe there are many people out there in parish settings, hospital ministries, campus ministries and others, who could become excellent spiritual directors if they were given some appropriate preparation. Do not quench the Spirit’s whisperings and urgings! God is raising up those who love Him to make His presence more real in the world. Today, more than ever before, our world desperately needs to receive His daily bread and His life-giving Spirit. God is waiting for you in your busy and demanding life. Do not allow false humility to hold you back. False humility is a work of the evil one – a ploy designed to keep you from letting the light of Christ shine forth into the lives of others. Remember that God has fallen in love with ordinary people. Just as He comes to us in common bread and ordinary wine, so also He comes to us in our own simplicity, in our shared human nature. The communion of saints is, after all, not an elitist club. Having a spiritual life is something God made for us all. He wants to live in us all, not just in a privileged few.

A good spiritual director does not so much tell another what to do as ask the right questions.

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If you, or someone you know, might be interested in spiritual direction, contact Sr. Suzanne Eichhorn at St. Francis Retreat Center, 703 E. Main Street, DeWitt, MI. 48820. Or call: (517) 669-8321. April 2004

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A ba was set b ticipants satisfying digest lat deepen t

FAITH sent writer Nancy Schertzing on her first retreat find out what it was like

The full moon welcomed me from above the black pine trees lining the drive. I stepped out of my car and walked tentatively to the St. Francis Retreat Center front door as a wave of uncertainty and fatigue washed over me. Images crowded my mind with the projects I’d left undone, my children begging me to stay at home, my calendar bursting at the seams with meetings for the coming week. I questioned whether I had made the right choice, suspending my life to attend this women’s retreat weekend. I opened the large wooden door and stepped into a warm, softly-lit foyer dominated by a life-size crucifix. Sitting at the front desk, an older woman smiled warmly in greeting. I gave her my name and she reviewed the registration list. “Have you been here before?” she asked. “Never,” I replied. Her smile widened, “Oh! You’re in for a real treat!” She assigned me to Room 26, reviewed some simple paperwork for the weekend and directed me down the hall to my room. The hallway, like everything else I had seen, was clean and simply furnished. I followed it down to its end,

turned right into another hallway and found Room 26 just a few steps away. As I opened the door and stepped inside, I was taken by surprise. This tiny room with cinder block walls and Spartan furnishings put me immediately at ease. I felt a sense of peace well up from somewhere deep inside. I closed the door, set my suitcase on the stand, slipped off my shoes and lay down on the twin bed. Before I knew it, I was quietly sobbing, releasing the burdens, the pain, the goodbyes that I carried with me into this weekend. I knew no one there, and had left so

By Nancy Schertzing | Photography by Tom Gennara

much unfinished work at home. Still, something about this room, this whole place, seemed to assure me that everything was OK. These walls offered refuge from the hectic schedule, the needy family, the relentless crush of daily life. Here, I could be – just be – without the usual commitments, responsibilities and efforts to keep everyone’s lives together. I couldn’t remember the last time I had allowed myself this luxury. Marveling at that realization, I sat up and reached beyond the bed for the box of tissues resting on the desk. My eyes were drawn to the wall above the bed, to a stylized print of Jesus bowed by the weight of His cross. A caption under His figure features the French words, “Mort, oú est ta victoire?” which translated is “Death, where is your victory?” The phrase struck a chord in me. I considered its meaning for a while until I became aware of voices moving past my door. I decided to follow them down to supper. Stepping into the dining room, the smell of comfort food and sounds of easy conversation enveloped me. Women of all ages, sizes, income- and education-levels chatted happily and were eating heartily all around the room. After filling my plate and making small talk with my tablemates, we settled into a discussion about faith and retreat experiences. We left the table that night as friends and walked together to the first session. After dinner and throughout the next day, a team of people offered presentations and lectures. Their subject matter was universal, yet it applied personally to my life and – I guessed from the many heads nodding in agreement – to the lives of my retreat sisters. A banquet of guidance, encouragement and wisdom was set before us during those hours. Some retreat participants picked over the words and messages, finding satisfying morsels and tempting thoughts they might digest later. Others savored moments of deep insight

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A banquet of guidance, encouragement and wisdom s set before us during those hours. Some retreat parpants picked over the words and messages, finding sfying morsels and tempting thoughts they might est later. Others savored moments of deep insight to pen their faith for years to come.

5 ways to get your life back in balance w o r k

to deepen their faith for years to come. While many find public speaking terrifying, some women overcame their fear and spoke powerfully. By swallowing their fear, they transformed themselves and their struggles into lessons of God’s love and forgiveness. From answers to lecture questions to moving testimonies, some spoke bravely of such personal challenges as divorce, illness, abuse and conflicts at home or at work. And in the process, they transformed these losses and challenges into strength and sustenance for life’s journey. Between lectures and organized prayer, the weekend included time for rest, prayer, talking or exploring the retreat center grounds. As comforting as my little room was, the grounds had attracted me since I first glimpsed the full moon over the pines. I headed out a door and found myself facing a stand of apple trees, limbs bare except for the occasional withered fruit hanging from a twig. Judging from the inviting bench and carefully pruned branches, I could tell this orchard has offered respite to many in warmer weather. I promised myself I would rest there if I returned in the spring or summer. For now, I simply acknowledged its stark, winter beauty and continued on my exploration of the grounds. Nestled into 98 acres of rolling grasslands punctuated by stands of majestic pine and oak, the retreat center seemed even more a place apart from daily life as I wandered. I breathed the fresh, frosty air and followed various paths and hillsides, marveling at the beauty before me. Along one path, I rested on a boulder and contemplated the beauty of this retreat weekend and of my daily life. Somehow, this brief time apart had helped me see and appreciate the many gifts each day holds. Family, work, commitments, even challenges and loss – I could suddenly appreciate them. I raised my eyes in a prayer of thanksgiving. As I looked up, I discovered a cloud immediately overhead catching the sun’s rays and splitting them into a faint rainbow. Still drinking in the beauty, I walked slowly back to my room and discovered I had some time before the next presentation. With no meetings to attend, no children to chauffeur, no dinner to prepare, I found myself once again in the luxurious position of simply being. I lay back on my little bed and allowed my mind to roam over the gifts of the retreat and of life. I thought of Jesus’ example of taking time apart – in the desert, on the mountaintop, in the tomb. Surely, His time away from the demands of daily life fortified Him and allowed Him to reflect. My eyes drifted once again to the print on the cinder block wall. Death, where is your victory? Where indeed, I wondered. From my new vantage point, it suddenly seemed just part of the banquet we live each day. I resolved to savor the bitter along with the sweet, remembering that each transforms and nourishes us on our journey. Here, I could be – just be – without the usual commitments, responsibilities and efforts to keep everyone’s lives together. I couldn’t remember the last time I had allowed myself this luxury.

C. Jones

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o we take full advantage of our rest time? When we look forward to vacations or Sundays, we usually focus primarily on physical rest and entertainment. That’s fine, but what about our spiritual well-being? Does an hour in church on Sunday adequately address our need for spiritual renewal – particularly as it relates to our work life? Not too long ago I visited a workshop called Careers through Faith at St. Andrew Parish in Saline. This workshop is meant to help people who are struggling with their careers. Some may have lost their jobs. Others are burned out and unhappy in their current positions. While the workshop helps them with basic skills for job hunting, its primary purpose is to help the participants understand their skills and talents so that they can choose a career path that best reflects the purpose God has in store for them. It was a powerful experience to witness the participants developing a sense of purpose and confidence. But, it also caused me to wonder why we typically wait for a crisis in our lives before we turn to God for help. A key purpose in honoring the Sabbath is to proactively refresh our spirits and ask God for direction. The following are five ways in which we can focus our energy to take advantage of the Sabbath: 1 Worship Attend Mass in order to refocus our lives and to be strengthened to “Go in peace to love and serve the Lord” throughout the week. 2 Reflect on the purpose of our work Are we truly pursuing what God is calling us to do? 3 Search for balance Are we striking the right balance between our work life and family life? Do we have different moral standards for how we treat people at work compared to how we treat people in our personal lives? 4 Service Are there ways in which we can serve others on the Sabbath as well as at work everyday? 5 Family and friends Spend time with family and friends. Forget about work for a while. By focusing on these things we can better establish the balance that God desires for our lives. The Catechism teaches, “The Lord’s day helps everyone enjoy adequate rest and leisure to cultivate their familial, cultural, social and religious lives.” (2184) This commandment, like the rest, isn’t imposed upon us, as just one of the requirements to get us into heaven. It is for our own good and sense of peace in this life. The Sabbath was made for us; we were not made for the Sabbath. (cf. Mark 2:27) For more information on Careers through Faith, contact me at my e-mail address above. – Tim Ryan is an information technology professional in Fowlerville and has earned a master’s degree in pastoral studies from Loyola University New Orleans. He is a member of St. Joseph Parish, Gaines. April 2004

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your marriage matters a new series to help you strengthen your marriage

Online Resource: YourMarriageMatters.com The Diocese of Lansing Family Ministry Office provides marriage

stewardship: you’re responsible for God’s money m o n e y

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Stewardship. It’s that 10 percent thing, you know – giving of the first fruits. Who really gives 10 percent anyway? Asking that question is how we justify why we don’t! Stewardship is more, however, than sharing our good fortune – time, talent and treasure – or a yardstick for giving. Rush Limbaugh says he functions with “talent on loan from God.” A steward is one who is entrusted with someone else’s affairs. All that we have is God’s. Our gifts are not really our own. Rather, we are given the privilege and challenge to manage them for God. Wow! As married couples, we must deliberately decide what to do with these gifts. What actions as God’s stewards of life will you demonstrate to your children, so they might learn to give of themselves and know the source of that giving? – John Morris is a diocesan FOCCUS couple trainer.

no time for prayer? do it first

danger signs of bad communication: escalation & invalidation c o n n e c t i n g

Time tip: If you resolve to pray once everything else is done, you’re putting God last in your priorities, regardless of where you claim He is. Make Him first. Pray first; do everything else later. Don’t worry if you have a lot to do. If you commit to prayer, God will help you through everything else.

Like a roadside sign that tells us “hazardous conditions ahead,” there are definite negative patterns of communication to be aware of in marriage. The following ideas are borrowed from the book Fighting For Your Marriage, by Howard Markman, et. al. The first danger sign is escalation. This is when both partners respond negatively to each other in an argument. The volume tends to go up along with increased anger and frustration. You say things you later regret. The antidote to this behavior is to stop the argument before it gets out of hand. Agree to talk about the issue as a couple. Remember your team-marriage. You work things out together. You can also agree to talk about the issue later, so you have time to cool down. It’s OK to disagree; it’s the escalation that hurts the relationship. The second danger sign is invalidation. It’s when you don’t acknowledge the feelings or thoughts of your spouse. You don’t have to agree, but you do need to accept what the other is saying or feeling. Invalidation may also come across as “putdowns” or ridicule of your spouse. Invalidation is a terrible way to communicate. It says to the other, “I don’t accept you for who you are.” Do you ever feel invalidated? Talk about it.

(tip from Time Management for Catholics by Dave Durand)

– Tony Sperendi is a group speaker for couples in marriage preparation.

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Make time and stick to it. We can learn a lot watching a world-class athlete train for a major championship. It takes discipline, commitment and a lot of work over an extended period of time before excellence is achieved. To succeed, athletes make use of every available minute preparing for and building up strength to endure over the long haul. The same is true with marriage. It takes self-sacrifice, discipline and total commitment in the form of a covenant. A successful marriage doesn’t just happen in our spare time. We must make time for it in our daily schedule. – Tom and JoAnn Fogle are members of the diocesan Family Ministry Committee.

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marriage resources: Retreat day for couples: Communication & Intimacy in Marriages: You Can’t Have One Without the Other will be held April 3, from 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m. at the Diocesan Center, Lansing. Tony Sperendi will be the presenter. To register, contact the family ministry office.

parenting: ways to re-establish family time

arriage & family resources. Call (517) 342-2471 or (517) 342-2458 for more

How can we enhance the romance we already have? r o m a n c e

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A proven method: Once a year, go on a retreat or attend some kind of marriage enrichment. Most of us don’t hesitate to go on business trips or conferences to learn about a new product line or sharpen our work skills. We come back to work refreshed, ready to try out new ideas and approaches on the job. The same thing can be done for your marriage. Marriage enrichment programs like Worldwide Marriage Encounter require only a weekend, but offer couples a lifetime of marital rewards with new insights and skills that can dramatically recharge any marriage. One of the many things we learned when we attended a Marriage Encounter weekend was that marriages repeatedly cycle through the three stages called Romance, Disillusionment and Joy. This knowledge gives us hope because we know that experiencing a difficult time of “disillusionment” can ultimately lead to deeper intimacy and renewal in our marriage when we use the skills we learned on the weekend. If you think romance is a wonderful state for your marriage, wait till you get a taste of the spiritual high in “Joy”! – Rick and Diane Peifer are members of the diocesan Family Ministry Committee.

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Time and eternity Him: To the young, O God, you give energy and curiosity; Her: To the middle-aged, the benefit of their experience Him: And the fruition of talents developed. Her: To the old you impart the satisfaction of life well lived and the hope of seeing you face-to-face. Him: When do we come to feel less immortal? Her: When will we confront our sinful paths and patterns that keep us from recognizing your own image in one another? Together: Teach us – now is the hour to turn fully to you – So that the time we have left is sufficient to prepare for an eternity with you. The alternative – eternity without you – is too terrifying to contemplate. Guide us in the path we must go. Amen. – Pat Nischan is a consultant to the diocesan Family Ministry Committee.

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t may feel like your family is going a million different directions, seven days a week. Between the kids’ sports schedules and other weekend commitments, perhaps you have a hard time going to Mass or eating dinner together, or having other quality time as a family. Is it even possible to make time for your family, while still carving out time for what everyone wants to do? When I was young, I watched commercials showing happy people using their “labor saving” appliances. It seemed that dishwashers and microwaves were going to give us more leisure time than any generation had ever known. Instead, time management has become a booming business in affluent countries. As a society we aren’t happier than we were before these inventions came along. This Easter season, it might help to ponder an image of God that Jesus gave us, “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener.” (John 15:1)

“ ... every branch that does bear fruit He prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.” (John 15:2) Families establish habits. It may be that time is consumed in a way that once made sense but is no longer effective. Keep an “hour-by-hour” log for three weekends to get a sense of how time is being spent. Then, review your log to see how you might make small changes. Look at the impact of the changes on each person so that the family as a whole stays healthy. When you pray, ask your Father to help find places to cut back on time commitments. “Make level paths for your feet.” (Prov 4:26) If you procrastinate, then something that isn’t important suddenly becomes a high priority because it “just has to get done.” Pace yourself so that you aren’t overwhelmed. It isn’t possible to donate money to every worthy charity and it isn’t possible to give your time to every good cause. Another way to pace yourself is to be satisfied when a task has been done adequately, even if it isn’t perfect! “ ... His mother treasured all these things in her heart.” (Luke 2:51) Imagine that the years have flown by, and like Mary, you’ve built up memories to treasure. What are the moments that make you smile? Shared activities? Family jokes? Watch to see what makes the faces of your children light up. The word “silly” is said to have come from the word “selig,” which means “blessed” in Greek. Share laughter to help keep the Sabbath holy! Research shows that our behaviors are influenced by what might be, not just by what has happened in our past. We think about our “possible selves.” In 1888, Alfred Nobel, expecting to read an obituary about his brother, Ludvig, instead saw a headline that announced his own death: “Le marchand de la mort est mort” (The merchant of death is dead). The newspaper reported how Alfred’s invention of dynamite was used in warfare instead of noting its uses in blasting tunnels and cutting canals. This premature obituary shaped Nobel’s desire to associate his name with a legacy of peace and his will established the Nobel Prizes. We, too, have the opportunity to change, to grow fruitful as branches nourished by the true vine, Christ. – Dr. Cathleen McGreal is a professor of psychology at Michigan State University and a certified spiritual director. April 2004

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back to spiritual basics you need God in your life – there are ways to make it happen s p i r i t u a l

I was once teaching a religion class about the importance of Mass when a few of the students announced that they do not have time to go to Mass. “Mom and dad are too busy,” they said. I asked them if they were too busy to eat each day? “No,” they replied. “Are you too busy to go and see a friend?” “No,” they said. “Well, tell mom and dad that you are going over to a friend’s house to eat on Sunday. When they ask you who the friend is, tell them, ‘Jesus. He invited me to His house for a banquet.’” It is truly heart-wrenching to hear children say they are too busy to go to church on Sundays. If we are too busy for God, we are too busy!

That is why God gave us the Third Commandment. God knows our propensity to “do.” Keeping holy the Lord’s day goes directly

If we are too busy for why God gave us the th our propensity to “do.” Ke goes directly against ou

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against our fast-paced, frenzied culture. The emphasis in our culture is to do, do, do. Do this, do that, and the more you do this or that the better you are. Well, all the “do, do” is just that. When all our attention is focused on doing, we become beasts of burden. Our restless souls pull a heavy load that may not lead to life. What life we have can drain from us. We become dry wells. Of course, doing is not all bad. We are made in God’s image and likeness and God worked for six days. But on the seventh day, God rested. So we, too, need a rest. And we especially need to rest in the Lord! That is the only

rest that will give us true refreshment. Jesus said, “Come to me all you who are weary and find life burdensome, and I will refresh you. Take my yoke upon your shoulders and learn from me for I am gentle and humble of heart. Your souls will find rest, for my yoke is easy and my burden light.” (Matt 10:28-30) Many people have difficulty relaxing and being alone with God. The busy hurried pace becomes a habit that is hard to break. It is hard to put down the world’s yoke and put on the Lord’s. The world’s yoke can make us feel guilt when we are not doing something. Even the seemingly harmless activities like talking on the phone or checking the e-mail or turning on the TV can become yokes that occupy our attention so much that they keep us from God. When we do find time to be alone with God, the noise of our lives is still buzzing inside us. Tomorrow’s problems and plans intrude on just being with the Lord. Prayer is nearly impossible in such a noisy inner world, for prayer is lifting our hearts and minds in loving attention to God. The world snaps its whip and drives us on. When we struggle with this, we are still wearing the world’s yoke. But we can do something about this with the Lord’s help. Our spiritual fitness this month is to take off this yoke and put on the Lord’s. We must learn to be with God. – Fr. Bill Ashbaugh is pastor of St. Joseph Parish, Howell.

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1. Be faithful to the commandment to attend weekly Mass. The Mass is the greatest prayer on the face of the earth, because it is the prayer of Christ and the body of believers united to Him. In the Mass, the Lord brings about our union with Him. He gives us His Body and Blood, and we enter into a holy communion with Him. Learning to be with God begins here. Under normal circumstances, it will be impossible for a baptized Catholic to come to a deeper rest in God without attending Mass. 2. Make a commitment to be alone with God each day. Sunday is the Lord’s day, but every day is given to be lived in union with God. A daily prayer time is essential to grow as a disciple and experience the refreshment of soul God desires for us. 3. Rest in the Lord in prayer. This may be the most challenging. It is hard to quiet ourselves and stop the inner drive to “do.” Meditation is one way to stop the inner noise and enter into a time of rest with God. By meditation, St Francis de Sales tells us, we use our minds to consider and try to come to a deeper understanding of God and the things of God. As we grow in our understanding, the Holy Spirit will deepen our love of God. It is then that we will be refreshed. Rivers of living water flow to us. 4. Contemplate God’s creation. Some people ponder God’s creation in order to draw closer to God. Look at a sunset or sunrise or anything in nature you find beautiful. Let it flood the mind with its own beauty. The noise inside is overwhelmed and drowned. Then, think about the One who made it possible. Tell God how glorious He is. Think about the sun. Look around and see the sunlight – such light fills the earth and allows good things to grow and enables us to see.

Think of light flooding into your soul. It is God’s truth. In the light of God’s truth our lives become clear. God’s love for us becomes more clear. Love God and thank God for the light of truth, for without it, how cold and dark our souls would be! This is just one meditation. You know you have done it well if the meditation has quieted the inner noise, and you feel refreshed. Love for God and the things of God will grow. A conversion occurs and we experience the peace of the risen Christ. Meditation strengthens the mind and the heart to focus on what is most important in life and to let go of what is not important. It helps us “be” – it helps us sit at the Lord’s feet, and not be driven by anxious concern. 5. Practice meditative prayer. If you are wondering what you can meditate on, I always recommend the sacred Scriptures. Jesus gave us so much to think about. He often gave short meditations to teach us. Here are some that He used from nature: the birds in the sky, the wild flowers, the grass of the field (Matt 6:2634); the grain of wheat (John 12:24); the mustard seed (Luke 13:18); the yeast (Luke 13:20); the fig tree (Luke 13:6). Check out one of these passages and spend some time thinking about His teaching. Can you think of anything else in nature that would teach a similar thing or some other aspect of our faith in God? Ask God. He is with you to teach you. 6. Go on a retreat or pilgrimage. Jesus said, “Come by yourselves to an out-of-the-way place and rest a little.” (Mark 6:31) From time to time in our journey to God, we need a longer break to get more grounded in God. A pilgrimage to a shrine, church or holy place can help. Catholic newspapers often advertise pilgrimages, or you can make up your own. Call your local priest if you need help. Most priests have some good ideas where to go for retreats or pilgrimages. We are very blessed in our diocese to have St. Francis Retreat Center. See pages 14-19 to learn more.

A. Seebaldt

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sy for God, we are too busy! That is he third commandment. God knows do.” Keeping holy the Lord’s day nst our fast-paced, frenzied culture.

Fr. George Michalek is made a monsignor at the cathedral On Feb. 2, the feast of the presentation, Bishop Mengeling officially conferred papal honors on Msgr. George C. Michalek at St. Mary Cathedral, Lansing. Nearly 800 people attended the celebration, which included solemn vespers. During the installation, Msgr. Michael D. Murphy, one of the priests under whom Msgr. Michalek has served, read the papal decree granting the honorary titles “Chaplain of His Holiness” and “Reverend Monsignor.” The monsignor’s current pastoral assignments include his role as diocesan tribunal judge and residency at St. Mary Cathedral, diocesan master of ceremonies, vice chancellor for the diocese, St. Mary Cathedral museum curator and diocesan archivist. He was ordained priest by the late Bishop Kenneth J. Povish on Oct. 14, 1978. – Anne Seebaldt (The Catholic Times)

St. Thomas Aquinas Parish records second CD The choirs of St. Thomas Aquinas Parish, East Lansing, have recently recorded their second CD, following their wellreceived debut album in 1998. The new CD,“Precious Lord, Take My Hand,” features the children, youth and adult choirs and is now available from the parish office. The cost per CD is $15, plus a $1 mailing fee. To order, call (517) 351-7215. April 2004

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The Passion of the Christ what do Catholics think about the film that is taking the world by storm? By extension, Gibson’s film suggests that all humanity shares culpability for the crucifixion, a theological stance established by the movie’s opening quotation from the prophet Isaiah which explains that Christ was “crushed for our transgressions.” Once Christ begins His laborious way of the cross, Jewish individuals emerge from the crowd to extend kindness – including Veronica wiping His face and Simon of Cyrene helping carry the cross, as a chorus of weeping women lament from the sidelines. The Roman soldiers are unimaginably – even gleefully– sadistic in flaying Jesus to within an inch of his life. “The Passion” is exceedingly graphic in its portrayal of the barbarities of Roman justice. According to Gibson, much of the visual grisliness of Christ’s suffering sprung from his own personal meditations on the Passion. As depicted, the violence, while explicit and extreme, does not seem an end in itself. It is not the kind of violence made to look exciting, glamorized or without consequences. It attempts to convey the depths of salvific divine love. In contrast to Jesus’ physical agony is the emotional desolation seen in the figure of the Virgin Mary. When Mary utters, “When, how, where, will you choose to be delivered from this?” the viewer is pierced by the depth of Mary’s understanding of Christ’s divinity and her sublime acceptance of seeing her Son suffer. It tears at one’s heart to see Mary struggling to get close to Jesus as He walks through the winding, narrow streets carrying the cross. Seeing Him suddenly fall, she is transported, along with the viewers, to Christ’s childhood, to a time when she was able to scoop Him up when He stumbled. When she finally reaches Jesus, and He is on the ground, crushed by the weight of the cross, it is He who comforts her with His words, “See, Mother, I make all things new.” The juxtaposition of the wounded and bleeding body of Christ on the cross with scenes of the Last Supper compellingly underscores how the Eucharist is truly the Body and Blood of Christ. Other indelible images include a derided Jesus faltering under the weight of the cross intercut with His earlier triumphant entry into Jerusalem and a single raindrop – a tear from heaven – heralding Christ’s death. The power of the cross is also keenly conveyed. Jesus does not recoil from either the horrific scourging at the hands of the Roman soldiers or from carrying the burdensome cross. Instead, He declares His “heart is ready” and embraces the cross as if comforting a fallen sinner. These are truly moving and emotional points in the film. The movie was classified A-III – adults – by the U.S. bishops’ Office for Film & Broadcasting for “gory scenes of scourging, torture and crucifixion, a suicide and some frightening images.” It carried an MPAA rating of R – restricted.

Icon Productions

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“The Passion of the Christ” is an uncompromising, interpretive dramatization of the final 12 hours of Jesus’ earthly life. Unflinching in its brutality and penetrating in its iconography of God’s supreme love for humanity, the film will mean different things to people of diverse backgrounds. Co-writer, producer and director Mel Gibson has undoubtedly created one of the most anticipated and controversial films of recent times. Like other films on Christ’s life, “The Passion” does not simply translate a single Gospel narrative onto the screen. Rather it is a composite of the Passion narratives in the four Gospels embroidered with nonscriptural traditions as well as the imaginative inspiration of the filmmaker. The result is a deeply personal work of devotional art – a moving Stations of the Cross, so to speak. The film employs a visceral, undiluted realism in its retelling of the Passion, eschewing Sunday school delicacy in favor of in-your-face rawness that is much too intense for children. Flashbacks of Jesus’ (Jim Caviezel) public ministry and home life in Nazareth with His mother, Mary (Maia Morgenstern), pepper the action, filling in some of the narrative blanks. Each flashback in the film is a welcome respite from the near-incessant bloodletting, but more importantly for how it conveys Jesus’ core message of God’s boundless love for humanity, a love that does not spare His Son death on the cross so that we might have eternal life. Christ Himself freely embraces His destiny, stating clearly “No one takes it (my life) from me, but I lay it down of myself.” (John

– Gerri Pare, David DiCerto and Anne Navarro (CNS)

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The Bible, the Jews, and the Death of Jesus: A Collection of Catholic Documents

“I pray that the film, ‘The Passion,’ will inspire all who see it to imitate Jesus’ sacrificial love and be resolved to promote reconciliation among all ethnic and religious groups.” – Archbishop Sean P. O’Malley, Boston

CNS

Just as Jesus’ passion “moves us to humility and contrition,” seeing “The Passion of the Christ” “can and should do the same for those who see it this Lent.” – Cardinal Francis E. George, Chicago

CNS

Bishops, others weigh in on ‘Passion’

“In the movie, Christ says, ‘No one is taking my life from me; I lay it down.’ He made it clear He was doing it for all mankind. If Christians walk out of this with a commitment to reflect more on Christ’s sacrifice and what it means for them, that’s a good thing.” – U.S. Sen. Norm Coleman, R-Minn. (Jewish) “It is a beautiful representation of the love and mercy of Jesus and the role of Mary, our Mother.” – Mary T. Newman, St. Robert Bellarmine Parish, Flushing (Catholic)

Resources follow on heels of ‘Passion’ movie In conjunction with, or in response to, the release of the movie “The Passion of the Christ,” several books and other aids have been published to help give more understanding to Jesus’ crucifixion. Here are two: The Daughters of St. Paul established a Web site, christspassion.com, which offers one area for greater understanding of the film and three areas explaining Christ’s passion, which are titled “The Passion: What Happened and Why,” “The Passion: Praying with Jesus” and “The Passion: What Can I Do?” Ascension Press has published a 70-page book, “A Guide to the Passion: 100 Questions About Mel Gibson’s ‘The Passion of the Christ,’” intended to enrich the moviegoing experience. Small group handbooks, group leader manuals, and other resources are available online at: evangelization.com. (“A Guide to the Passion” is $5.95 a copy; bulk rates are available. Other resources are free. More information is available on the Web site or by calling: (800) 376 0520. – CNS

The U.S. bishops’ Committee on Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs has recently published a compilation of Catholic teaching since the Second Vatican Council on the Church’s relationship with Jews and Judaism. The book includes excerpts from the Vatican II document on relations with nonChristian religions, “Nostra Aetate,” which condemned all forms of anti-Semitism and affirms the continuing validity of God's covenant with the Jews. It also contains “Criteria for the Evaluation of Dramatizations of the Passion,” a 1988 document from the Committee on Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs. Other documents in the book include “Notes on the Correct Way to Present the Jews and Judaism in the Preaching and Catechesis in the Roman Catholic Church,” which was a 1985 document by the Pontifical Commission for Religious Relations With the Jews, and “God's Mercy Endures Forever: Guidelines on the Presentation of Jews and Judaism in Catholic Preaching,” a 1988 document by the U.S. bishops’ Committee on the Liturgy. – CNS Editor’s Note: “The Bible, the Jews, and the Death of Jesus: A Collection of Catholic Documents” can be ordered for $11.95 per copy by calling: (800) 235-8722. Salvation Is from the Jews: The Role of Judaism in Salvation History By Roy H. Schoeman Salvation Is from the Jews traces the role of Judaism and the Jewish people in God’s plan throughout history, from Abraham through the Second Coming. It gives both Christians and Jews a deeper understanding of Judaism as a religion and as a central component of Christian salvation. The author, Roy Schoeman, is a Jewish convert to Catholicism who realized the full significance of Judaism as revealed in Catholic doctrine – understanding that Judaism and Christianity can only be fully understood when linked in a number of ways. The book examines four areas in incomparable detail: Messianic prophecies in Jewish Scripture, the anti-Christian roots of Nazi antiSemitism, shocking links between Nazism and Arab anti-Semitism and the astounding role of the Jews prior to, and at the Second Coming of Christ. It also includes several detailed accounts of Jewish conversions to Catholicism, such as that of Auschwitz victim, St. Edith Stein, and former Chief Rabbi of Rome, Israel Zolli. The author explains that the book is written for both Catholics and Jews, and adds that “being Catholic does not mean no longer being a Jew.” (Ignatius Press; January 2004; ISBN: 089870975X) April 2004

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Make your own Mary garden come alive, indoors or out

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Have you ever seen a statue of Mary standing in a flower bed in somebody’s yard? Though these ‘Mary gardens’ may look modern, they actually have an ancient history, dating back to 7th-century Europe, when a saint named Fiacre dedicated his flower garden to Our Lady. During the Middle Ages, there were so many flowers named for Mary that one could create a garden focused on specific aspects of her life. For example, Our Lady’s Tears (spiderwort) and Mary’s Sword of Sorrow (German iris) might be used to illustrate her suffering, while Virgin Bower (wisteria) and Our Lady’s Modesty (violet) could celebrate her purity. There were even flowers named for parts of her body such as Mary’s Foot (sweet pea) and Eyes of Mary (forget me-not) and others that described her clothing, including Lady’s Veil (baby’s breath) and Our Lady’s Shoes (columbine). Ever wonder about the origin of the word “marigold?” It’s a contraction of the flower name “Mary’s Gold.” When the Reformation spread through the continent, Marian flowers were renamed in a secular fashion. But, with the help of horticultural historians and folklore experts, hundreds of the original names were rediscovered in the 20th century and serve as the inspiration for Mary gardens, both

public and private, all around the world. The first public Mary garden in the United States was planted in 1932 at St. Joseph’s Church in Woods Hole, Mass. Its 50 flowers dedicated to Our Lady have survived several hurricanes and are beautifully maintained today. Probably the largest Mary garden in the country – installed in 2000 and occupying three quarters of an acre – exists at the Basilica of the U.S. National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C. And another major installation may be found just east of there, at St. Mary’s Parish in Annapolis, Md. In Michigan, the Mary garden at the parish of St. Catherine of Siena, Portage, is very well regarded. Flanking the south side of the church, this garden features a specially commissioned statue of Mary, Model of the Church. Mary gardens make a wonderful parish, school or cemetery project. And you can easily adapt this idea for your home as well. Are you really limited in the space you can devote to gardening? A dish or patio pot can serve the same purpose. A Web site called Mary’s Gardens (www.mgardens.org) is the source for the following smallspace garden ideas.

Indoor Dish Version

Patio Pot Version

Select a dish or other container at least 3 inches deep. Decide whether you will place your garden in a north, south, east or west window. Then, select 4-6 light-appropriate plants from the following list (common names used here): olive tree, shamrock, star of Bethlehem, iris, crown of thorns, Kenilworth ivy, Spanish moss, rue, begonia, lady’s mantle, heart vine, or prayer plant. Place a 1/4-inch layer of charcoal chips or pellets at the bottom of the container for drainage. Then fill with a moist, professional potting soil to 5/6 of the height of the container. Position a small statue of Our Lady and your plants in the dish in an artistic fashion, allowing for a soil space around each plant of 1 1/2 times the diameter of the root mass. Firm the soil, water and

Select a 10” to 15”wide pot and 4-6 plants from the following list (again, common names are used): garden balsam, lovein-a-mist, pansy, sweet scabious, English daisy, annual larkspur, marigold, morning glory, forget-menot, patient Lucy, bachelor’s button, petunia, or zinnia. Choose a location for your patio pot that has at least 5 hours a day of full sun. Then, follow the planting, watering, and fertilizing guidelines described above.

move to the planned location. Add water by filling the space fully from the top of the soil to the rim of the container whenever the soil is found to be dry. Nutrients to encourage plant growth can be provided in a water-soluble fertilizer applied every few weeks. When plant growth slows or stops, reduce temperature, light, moisture and nutrients for 8-10 weeks. Then resume normal care for a new cycle of growth. Prune roots and shoots at the start of a new growth period to maintain desired size.

By Patricia Majher | Photography by Philip Shippert

more about Mary gardens The Web site mentioned in this article – www.mgardens.org – is a wonderful resource for Mary garden information, with pages

devoted to everything from computer-aided garden design to mail-order sources for seeds and plants. Additionally, Vincenzina Krymow has authored a book that combines text describing the legends that inspired the names of many Marian flowers with illustrations drawn from medieval woodcuts. Titled Mary’s Flowers: Gardens, Legends and Meditations, this book is available from St. Anthony Messenger Press and can be ordered online at www.americancatholic.org. April 2004

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things to do Masses for the deaf community will be celebrated in American Sign Language by Fr. Michael Depcik, OSFS, at the St. Mary Cathedral Crypt Church on Sundays, April 4 and 18, at 3 p.m. He will celebrate Mass in the Day Chapel of St. Francis of Assisi Parish, Ann Arbor, on Saturdays, April 17 and 24, at 6:30 p.m. Contact Rose Smith at (517) 342-2532 (TTY/V) for more information. A lecture titled “Authority in the Catholic Church: Gifts and Challenges” will be presented April 14 at St. Mary Student Parish, Ann Arbor, at 7 p.m. The speaker will be Richard Gaillardetz, Ph. D. Sunday, April 4 Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion Luke 19:28-40 (procession) Isa 50:4-7 Ps 22:8-9,17-18a,19-20,23-24 Phil 2:6-11 Luke 22:14-23:56 or 23:1-49 Thursday, April 8 Holy Thursday Mass of Chrism Isa 61:1-3a,6a,8b-9 Ps 89:21-22,25,27 Rev 1:5-8 Luke 4:16-21 Mass of the Lord’s Supper Exod 12:1-8,11-14 Ps 116:12-13,15-16bc,17-18 1 Cor 11:23-26 John 13:1-15 Friday, April 9 Good Friday of the Lord’s Passion Isa 52:13-53:12 Ps 31:2,6,12-13,15-17,25 Heb 4:14-16,5:7-9 John 18:1-19:42 Saturday, April 10 The Easter Vigil (1) Gen 1:1-2:2 or 1:1,26-31a Ps 104:1-2a,5-6,10,12-14,24,35c or Ps 33:4-7,12-13,20,22 (2) Gen 22:1-18 or 22:1-2,9a,1013,15-18 Ps 16:5,8-11 (3) Exod 14:15-15:1 (Ps) Exod 15:1-6,17-18 (4) Isa 54:5-14

For more information on the education lecture series, call (734) 663-0557. On Saturday, April 17, the Lansing Diocese Council of Catholic Women will be holding their annual convention, the theme of which is “Catch the Spirit.” It will take place at St. Elizabeth Parish, Tecumseh, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. The cost is $15. To register, call Nancy Babin at (517) 676-2642. On Sunday, April 17, the diocesan Celebration of Divine Mercy will take place at Holy Cross Parish, Lansing. Eucharistic exposition, prayers including the Divine Mercy Chaplet and the sacrament of reconciliation will begin at 3 p.m. Call (517) 484-9284. april readings

Ps 30:2,4-6,11-12a,13b (5) Isa 55:1-11 (Ps) Isa 12:2-3,4bcd,5-6 (6) Bar 3:9-15,32-4:4 Ps 19:8-11 (7) Ezek 36:16-17a,18-28 Pss 42:3,5bcd;43:3-4; or when baptism is celebrated, (Ps) Isa 12:2-3,4bcd,5-6 or Ps 51:12-15,18-19 (8) Rom 6:3-11 Ps 118:1-2,16ab-17,22-23 (9) Luke 24:1-12 Sunday, April 11 Easter Sunday The Resurrection of the Lord Acts 10:34a,37-43 Ps 118:1-2,16ab-17,22-23 Col 3:1-4 or 1 Cor 5:6b-8 John 20:1-9 or Luke 24:1-12 or at an afternoon or evening Mass, Luke 24:13-35 Sunday, April 18 Second Sunday of Easter or Divine Mercy Sunday Acts 5:12-16 Ps 118:2-4,13-15,22-24 Rev 1:9-11a,12-13,17-19 John 20:19-31 Sunday, April 25 Third Sunday of Easter Acts 5:27b-32,40b-41 Ps 30:2,4-6 Rev 5:11-14 John 21:11-19 or 21:1-14

On Wednesday, April 21, the Michigan Catholic Conference will conduct its sixth Catholic Legislative Day at St. Mary Cathedral Parish Hall, Lansing. Additionally, the first Student Legislative Day will be will be conducted specifically for high school students. Catholic legislators will speak to both groups on pertinent legislative issues. Following lunch, they will head to the State Capitol to observe the House in session. For more, call (517) 316-3586. St. John Student Parish, East Lansing, will present its annual spring concert titled “Open the Gates” on Friday, April 23, at 7:30 p.m. Suggested admission is a bag of food to support the parish food cupboard. A Caregiver Retreat for persons with disAbiliites and their families will take place Saturday, April 24, at St. Martha Parish, Okemos. The retreat begins at 2 p.m. and ends with vigil Mass at 5 p.m. Call (517) 342-2500 to register or for more information. Pregnancy Helpline will present “Roe No More” on Thursday, April 29, 6-9:30 p.m. Norma McCorvey, formerly Jane Roe in the Supreme Court case Roe v. Wade, will tell her journey from pro-abortion icon to prolife advocate. The fundraising benefit will take place at Lake Pointe Manor, Howell, and will include dinner and a silent auction. Tickets are $40. To order, call (810) 494-5433. Two Cursillo Weekends have been scheduled for this spring. The Men’s Cursillo will take place from April 29-May 2 and the Women’s Cursillo from May 20-23. Both will be

April Café Events “The Church of 2000,” the concluding session of the Church History series at St. Mary on the Lake Parish, Manitou Beach, will be held Sunday, April 4, from 11 a.m.1 p.m. Call (517) 547 7496. At St. Mary Parish, Chelsea, Sunday Readings will take place at 11 a.m. with presenter Tony Sperendi, following 10 a.m. Mass. Additionally, mini-classes on Catholic Social Justice will be held Tuesdays during Lent following the 7 p.m. Mass. Call (734) 475-5835. held at Camp Dainava, Manchester. Catholics who want to enrich their spiritual life and learn more about following Christ are encouraged to attend. For applications or more information, visit lansingcursillo.org. Call Msgr. Fedewa at (989) 587-4379, Gene Myers at (810) 2343693, Nancy Tuckey at (517) 784-5257 or Maria Jaimez at (517) 265-2720. The third annual Educational Trust Fund Benefit for St. Francis of Assisi School, Ann Arbor, will take place on Thursday, May 6, at St. John Center, Plymouth. The benefit will help raise awareness of Catholic education and generate important resources for St. Francis School. For more information, call (734) 821-2208. Correction: (FAITH, March 2004, Page 25) “ ... lifted the obligation of meatless Fridays during Lent ... ” should read “ ... lifted the obligation of meatless Fridays except for during Lent ... ”

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how should parishes change: to reflect a new ethnic identity? We were at a national Catholic youth ministry gathering. A full agenda for the week had given way to a Saturday morning presentation on evangelization. During the entire presentation, somehow I felt like there was something missing, like I was being somehow cheated or even ignored.

C. Jones

“Sometimes as Catholics, we are content with just the kids who are coming,” the speaker pronounced. I began to wonder if the speaker’s words were just as true for the larger Church as well. As I sat back and looked around the room, I noted that there were only three black men present, including myself. I and another had been invited as part of new initiative of the sponsoring organization, to enlarge its dialogue with diversity. Are we content with just the same faces who have shown up in our parishes for years, perhaps decades? Or, do we enthusiastically pursue those who, for whatever reason, represent a degree of cultural, ethnic or economic difference? During the speaker’s 15-minute exposition on evangelization, I noted that a single, Eurocentric image of Jesus was used while promoting the concept of outreach to non-white teens. What I found most upsetting, however, was that only one frame throughout the entire presentation depicted an ethnic minority. It was the final image of the presentation, depicting a young black child receiving instruction from an older white female. It spoke volumes about the obliviousness of the presenter – at least at this conference – to recognize the future reality of institutional Church, which will be dominated by people of color. In the United States, our Catholic faith experience is born of the city. Over the last 50 years, since the highway system hastened “white flight,” our cities experienced social and racial demographic change. As a result, the ethnic identities around which we formed our concepts of “national Church” or ethnically-based parishes have changed as well. A question that needs to be addressed is this: How does the average urban-based parish – in light of historical ties and rapid change – reinvent, reassess and reimage itself to an entirely new ethnic and cultural experience, foreign to the central “Euro-based” communities of the parish’s ancestors? The corollary subjects of diversity, racism and multi-culturalism are then front and center in this dialogue, under the banner of what I call “cultural evangelization.” When we consider the issues confronting the Church and nation in terms of diversity, racism and exclusion, we find that

CNS/Catholic San Francisco

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many of our feet – in spite of our best self-efforts – are made of clay. The incorporation of programs, speakers, dialogues and initiatives specifically designed to both enlarge and enliven the conversation, i.e. evangelization, is needed at the parish, regional and national levels. Such conversations must tackle the issue of who is at the table and who is not, as well as theological cultural hegemony, which is based upon an emphasis of a European image of Christianity at the exclusion of all others. We must also ask, “What images of God the Father, Jesus the Son and the Holy Spirit are we presenting to people?” In his book, Catholic Evangelization: The Heart of Ministry, Fr. Robert J. Hater, Ph.D., notes, “Evangelization is a process fostering ongoing conversion within the Christian community.” He further observes, “In simplest terms, the Catholic Church holds that evangelization is the heart and soul for the Christian life. It happens whenever a Christian shares, directly or indirectly, Jesus’ Good News.” Indeed, such sharing must come from equality with others, not dominance, and there is no sharing, no equality, when others are missing from our table. Although now 31 years old, Pope Paul VI’s observation in the apostolic exhortation Evangelii Nuntiandi still rings true today: “The purpose of evangelization is therefore precisely this interior change, and if it had to be expressed in one sentence, the best way of stating it would be to say that the Church evangelizes when she seeks to convert, solely through the divine power of the message she proclaims, both the personal and collective consciences of people, the activities in which they engage and the lives and concrete milieu which are theirs.” (EN 18) The speaker at the conference concluded his presentation with a tale from his youth. “When I was about 13 or so, everyone was invited to a party at Bobby’s house. And you knew it was going to be big, because this was the first dance where the boys and girls came to the same party!” The speaker commented, “Everyone was invited to the party except me, and I can’t begin to tell you how that made me feel. I was just wanting someone to reach out and invite me.” He concluded with “I can’t tell you how excluded I felt.” “I understand exactly how you felt, sir,” I remarked to the presenter.

– Ron Landfair is director of the Diocese of Lansing Office of Black Catholic Ministry.

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New bishop appointed for Maronite Eparchy of Brooklyn, N.Y.

Bishop Untener to undergo cancer treatment

Pope John Paul II has appointed Chorbishop Gregory J. Mansour as the new bishop of the Maronite Eparchy of St. Maron of Brooklyn, N.Y. An eparchy is the Eastern-rite equivalent to a diocese in the Latin-rite church. Born in Flint, Mich., in 1955, Bishop-designate Mansour went to grade school and high school in the Flint area, and graduated from Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo. He was ordained to the priesthood in 1982. The St. Maron Eparchy’s territory includes the District of Columbia and 16 Eastern states. Some 300,000 Maronite Catholics live in the United States and have their geographic roots in Lebanon. – CNS Editor’s Note: A homecoming celebration for Bishop Mansour will take place on Mother’s Day, May 9, at Our Lady of Lebanon Parish, Flint. Call the parish office at (810) 733-1259 for more information.

Most Rev. Kenneth E. Untener, the fourth bishop of the Diocese of Saginaw, announced in February that he will be undergoing treatment for a life-threatening form of leukemia. The bishop, 66, was diagnosed with myelodysplasic syndrome, which prevents bone marrow from producing blood. During his absence, Fr. Thomas E. Sutton, vicar for administration, will direct the daily operations of the diocese, as parishioners and Church leaders continue to pray for and support the bishop in his fight against this disease.

On Feb. 7, Matt Smith, former cast member of MTV’s hit reality show “The Real World New Orleans,” spoke to students at Eastern Michigan University about his Catholic faith. The event was sponsored by Holy Trinity Student Parish, Ypsilanti. A spokesman for Life Teen, which meets at about 800 Catholic parishes in the United States, Smith encourages young people to stand firm in their faith and convictions. He is the webmaster of several Web sites, including porndestroyswomen.org.

Catholic schoolchildren lift the spirits of soldiers overseas The schoolchildren at Agnus Dei Academy, Whitmore Lake, have participated in service projects to support Matthew Brady, SPC, who was sent to serve in Iraq last November. To encourage Specialist Brady, the son of one of the school’s teachers, and his fellow soldiers, the students have taken part in several activities, such as decorating cookies and writing cards to send overseas for Valentine’s Day and Easter.

On Tuesday, Feb. 24, Lansing Catholic Central High School was one of many groups sponsoring a private screening of Mel Gibson’s new film, “The Passion of the Christ.” The event, which included a pre-movie reception for 375 people, raised $15,000 for the high school. Following the screening, Fr. Joe Krupp, chaplain of Lansing Catholic Central, Fr. Dwight Ezop, editor in chief of FAITH Magazine and Fr. Mark Sietsema, pastor of Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church, responded to questions from the audience. During the same week, 3,000 people attended eight private screenings of “The Passion of the Christ” in metro-Detroit, Ann Arbor and Brighton, which were co-sponsored by Ave Maria College and Ave Maria Communications. A professor from Ave Maria College, Ypsilanti, or a WDEO talk-show host presented a talk to each audience beforehand, reflecting on the significance of the film and of Christ’s suffering.

Director of Priests for Life speaks in Davison Fr. Frank Pavone, director of Priests for Life, was the keynote speaker at the recent Genesee County Right to Life banquet. “Faith does not flee from the culture and the world. Faith transforms the world,” he said. “The law does not impose beliefs or make you believe. The law protects people despite others’ beliefs,” he continued. More than 450 were in attendance at the event, which took place Feb. 10 at the K. of C. hall in Davison. Bishop Carl F. Mengeling gave the benediction, and urged the petition override of Gov. Jennifer Granholm’s veto of the Legal Birth Definition Act. B. Bienias

Former MTV star encourages Catholic college students

Catholics gather to watch and discuss “The Passion of the Christ”

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Major recommendations of National Review Board

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Diocese of Lansing Protecting God’s Children program Find out more about our diocese’s Protecting God’s Children program on: www.DioceseofLansing.org • Sexual Abuse Policy • Summary of Audit Report • Victim Assistance Coordinator • Code of Pastoral Conduct • VIRTUS Awareness Training • National Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People

In its report Feb. 27 on the causes of the U.S. clergy sexual abuse crisis, the National Review Board made these major recommendations: Further study and analysis of the causes and context of the crisis, including ongoing diocesan audits of compliance with the charter, like that conducted last year, and periodic review of the effectiveness of current policies. Enhanced screening and formation of priesthood candidates and better monitoring of priests’ lives, ministry, morale and wellbeing after ordination. “Increased sensitivity and effectiveness in responding to allegations of abuse,” including re-examination of current litigation strategies to give pastoral responses a priority over legal tactics. “Greater accountability of bishops and other Church leaders,” including “meaningful lay consultation” in the selection of bishops and greater use by bishops of the consultative and deliberative bodies established or allowed in Church law. Better interaction of Church leaders with civil authorities in dealing with allegations of abuse and in reaching “reasonable terms” of agreement about questions of boundaries between internal Church authority and the rights and obligations of civil authority. “Less secrecy, more transparency and a greater openness to the gifts that all members of the Church bring to her.” – CNS

the Sabbath allows us to see the “big picture” l a s t

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etirement confronts us with the challenge of seeing and understanding ourselves, our lives and our purposes in living. The same is true of the Sabbath. Some enter into it reflectively and experience God’s presence. Others simply endure Mass, hibernate in front of the TV and spend the treasure of the Sabbath on fool’s gold and glitzy emptiness. In my retirement, I’ve been enabled to see the “big picture” of my life. I see the canopy of stars overhead at night and the sun’s morning rays filtering through the trees. I hear God’s voice whispering to me in nature’s sounds. God’s pervasive and constant presence surrounds me in an unending sabbatical, which is filled with wonder and reflectivity. Even though my eyes are in the first stages of cataract development, I see life now through a new lens. The basic equation in all of life is: God offers – we respond. Now, there’s no question that God offers His presence to us always and everywhere. The controlling issue, however, is: How do I respond? The long sabbatical of retirement has given me the grace to see my past, with its decisions, diversions and degrading sins, as I never did before. I ponder and reflect as never before. I can be aware of His presence, actively aware of it and respond to His constant and ever-present love as never before. I pray now as never before. You and I have many sabbath hours that come to us during ordinary weekdays as well as Sundays. They are God’s gifts to us. What do we do with them? How do we respond to God’s ever-constant presence to us? Wonder, reflectivity and humility should be our gifts to Him. All of us are tempted to drift into aimless indolence. In their senior years, people are often challenged to overcome inertia induced by diminishing physical energy, mild depression and loneliness. One of the greatest temptations put to us by the evil one is the temptation to do nothing, to disengage ourselves from others and from God and to wallow in indolence. Sundays, other weekday “sabbath times” and retirement may be challenges. Nevertheless, we must remember that every challenge is a disguised opportunity. And throughout life, we have many opportunities to take a look at the “big picture.” Are we fixated on the trees – or can we see the forest? We can then see the hand of God at work in our lives while giving Him our own Magi gifts – namely our wonder and our reflective gaze upon the gift of His presence to us each day. – Fr. Charles Irvin is the founding editor of FAITH Magazine and is now living an active retirement in DeWitt.

To read the National Review Board and John Jay reports, log onto usccb.org/nrb.

April 2004

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40 reflections on the Father, Son and Spirit for the people of God The Peace I Leave With You provides us with brief moments that are full of spiritual substance and meaning. – Fr. Charles Irvin, FAITH Magazine

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