Paul Zalonski – Page 498

Saint Sharbel Makhlouf

Every one who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name’s sake, will receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life.

God our Father in Saint Sharbel Makhluf, You gave a light to Your faithful people. You made him a pastor of the Church to feed Your sheep with his word and to teach them by his example. Help us by his prayers to keep the faith he taught and follow the way of life he showed us.

Saint Sharbel Makhlouf (1828-1898) was born in a small Lebanese mountain village who became, at 23 years old, a monk of the Lebanese Maronite Order and later ordained a priest in 1859. He is known for his intense devotion to lectio divina, the Eucharist and the Blessed Virgin Mary. Sensing a deeper call in 1875, he began a solitary life (as a hermit) which he lived for twenty-three years of his life. Sharbel’s witness taught us about the virtues of poverty, self-sacrifice, and prayer in world dominated by an attraction to money, power and fame. Since July 24, 2004 Saint Sharbel has been introduced the liturgical observance in the sacred Liturgy.

Archbishop Francis M. Zayek said of Saint Sharbel:

“Reading about the holy hermits of the desert, we used to consider many reported facts as mere fables. In the life of Blessed Sharbel, however, we notice that these facts are authentic and true. Blessed Sharbel is another Saint Anthony of the Desert, or Saint Pachomius, or Saint Paul the Anchorite. It is marvelous to observe how you, Maronites, have preserved the same spirituality of the fathers of the desert throughout the centuries, and at the end of the nineteenth century, 1500 years later, produced a Sharbel for the Church.”

(The icon was painted by iconographer Christine Habib el Dayé. Other pieces of the artist’s work can be seen here and she can also be found on Facebook.)

Recipe for a thriving religious order

Recently, the National Catholic Register published an
article on the life of nuns at the Valley of Our Lady Monastery, located on 112
acres in Prairie du Sac, outside of Madison, Wisconsin. The author brings out
some salient points that contribute to the “success” of this particular
monastery. Let’s be clear, success is not defined here in terms of secularity but ways that allow for a vocation to thrive according to the Divine
Plan. Let me draw your attention to two things that struck me. Mind you, these
items (see below) are not new at all but they do spell out what is needed to help contribute to
the resurgence of religious life if it’s God’s will. Sadly groups like the Sisters of Mercy, the Sisters of St Joseph, the various Franciscan and Dominican sisters’ congregations to name a few, would think these comments are inaccurate, too shrill and not relevant for the “modern world.” Truthfully, I think these groups want to die because they are too “relevant” matter. BUT when you see women attracted to congregations like this monastery, the Alma Mercy Sisters and the Franciscan Sisters of the Martyr Saint George and not to the secular-looking groups, then one has to ask the hard questions. Having defend the general thesis of the article, let it be known I am not totally in
agreement with Father Mullady’s acceptance of BlackBerries but I can’t have
everything.

1. When asked what she thought was attracting young women to this
ancient contemplative order, Sister Bernarda replied, “To begin with, God.” She
added, “Then, perhaps, the desire for a life of prayer, solitude, simplicity,
with an ancient liturgy in Latin and Gregorian chant, and a simple, traditional
habit. Also, we follow the directives of our order and the Church.” Sister Mary
Bede boiled it down to this: “When you’re looking for a traditional,
habit-wearing, Divine Office-saying order, it narrows down your choices a bit.”
She preferred the Cistercians to some of the newer orders, explaining,
“Definitely, it’s a comfort knowing that the Rule of St. Benedict has
sanctified hundreds of thousands of men and women throughout the ages. It helps
to live a life in faith — that God will work through our superiors and rule to
bring about our sanctification.” When asked what keeps her order so grounded in
its ancient origins and traditions, Sister Mary Dolores responded, “There is a
preservation of identity; progress comes not from something entirely new, but a
returning to the charism of the founders. In tradition, the past is present but
updated.”

2. Dominican Father Brian Mullady has seen many traditional orders
survive the decades after Vatican II. Theological consultant for the Institute
on Religious Life in Libertyville, Ill. — a collaborative effort of Catholic
bishops, priests, religious and laity to foster and strengthen vocations to the
consecrated life — Father Mullady said: “Mostly they weathered the changes by
adapting the things that needed to be adapted for young people — there are
sisters on the Internet and carrying BlackBerries — but preserving the habit,
the cloister, silence, reading at table, living in community.”

Read the rest of
the article.

A second look at the bishops’ work on the Bible with Nikola Eterovic

His Excellency, the Most Reverend Nikola Eterovic, Secretary General of the Synod of Bishops, Vatican City State, will deliver a talk titled “Pope Benedict XVI, the Bible and the Synod of Bishops.”

The archbishop will review the seminal work of the of the world-wide gathering of bishops and other experts on the Word of God which happened in October 2008.

The talk is sponsored by the American Bible Society and is being presented at their NY Offices.

Details:

Date: Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Time: 6:30-7:30 p.m.

Location: The American Bible Society

1865 Broadway (between 61st & 62nd Streets) New York, NY 10023

RSVP Alicia DeFrange at 212-408-1260 or by emai adefrange@americanbible.org

Saint Bridget of Sweden

Lord, our God, you revealed the secrets of heaven to Saint Bridget as she meditated on your Son’s Passion. Grant that we your servants may find great joy when your glory is revealed.

“In Christ’s death, I have died now;

In Christ I live anew.

With faith in God’s Son, Jesus,

That keeps me ever true,

I know the love he’s shown me,

That washed my sin away.

His cross, which daily guides me

Informs me as I pray.”

Thus Bridget, monarch, mother,

Good spouse and Christian wise,

Lived Jesus’ sacred Passion

And, e’er before His eyes

She loved the poor and lowly,

Gave all her store away,

Called men and women to her

To live the Gospel way.

Give glory to the Father,

Whose loving plan ordained

That we should each be bought back

From sin and sorrow’s shame!

Give glory to Christ Jesus,

Whose death has set us free!

Give glory to the Spirit;

To God, the One-in-Three.

James Michael Thompson

76.76.D; suggested tune: O Sacred Head Surrounded

Each priest is intimately connected to St Paul, cardinal says

The priestly figure should not be detached from the
person of Paul. Saint Paul shows all of us a way of living, a way of creating a
relationship with God. The priesthood is a privileged way, and as such it is
not separated from all that Saint Paul himself is, what he teaches and tells us.
Therefore, I believe that this association and connection between the Year for
Priests and the Pauline Year is and will be very good and very important.

Cardinal Andrea Cordero Lanza di Montezemolo, emeritus archpriest of the
Basilica of St Paul outside the Walls

Saint Mary Magdalene: Disciple of the Lord

Early in the morning of the first day of the week, when Jesus had arisen, he first appeared to Mary Magdalene, from whom he had driven seven devils.

Heavenly Father, Mary Magdalene was the first upon whom Your Son enjoined the task of announcing the joy of Easter. In union with this Apostle to the Apostles, enable us now to follow her example of heralding the living Christ so that we too may see Him enthroned at Your side.

We especially remember the Order of Friars Preachers today because of Saint Mary Magdalene’s patronage.

Seeing Jesus next to you

We’re in the middle of the annual Vacation Bible School. About 150 kids ranging in ages 4-11 are attending the week. Each day a member of the clergy (or the seminarian) gives an explanation of the day’s Scripture passage who then ends the 5 minute lesson with a prayer. Well…

Father Ignacio (our fearless new curate) told the assembled and burgeoning bible thumpers that they had to be attentive to Jesus, and that Jesus was especially present in the person next to him or her. Kids being kids, a teacher turned to the person next to her and saw a little man picking his nose. While it’s a nice idea to think Jesus is present in all people I thinking there are limits when someone, even a kid, is picking his nose. Don’t you think? OK, I am not a parent but ya know….

Jesuits suppressed: the 236th anniv

Today is the 236^th anniversary of the promulgation of Dominus ac Redemptor, the papal bull of Pope Clement XIV (a Conventual Franciscan) suppressing the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits). In this bull the pope dissolved the Society without condemning it because it is said that he did revere many of its members. Hence, the suppression had nothing to do with enmity (Franciscans vs. Jesuits) as much as it had to do with the significant criticism the Society faced and the likely realization of the threat of Church schism if the pope didn’t do something with the Jesuits. Faced with the pressure of a fragmented Church, Clement did what he had to do. By the time of this unusual papal intervention, the Jesuits were expelled from Brasil, Portugal, France, Spain and Parma.

The Jesuit order was restored in 1814.

An annual event at graduation time of the non-Jesuit students at Rome’s Gregorian University is a wreathe laying ceremony at Pope Clement XIV’s grave at the Basilica of the Twelve Apostles. There newly graduated students offer a prayer asking the pope to intercede before God to have the Jesuits suppressed once again. One wonders about the efficacy of Clement’s ability to ask the Lord for a favor.

Ave Maria University fires Fr. Fessio, again!

As it’s reported in a few places, Jesuit Father Joseph Fessio, the well-known and gifted teacher and leader was fired by Ave Maria University. The matter of his dismissal revolves around all things, financial matters of the university. Something mentioned here before. So, one must ask if the university is going to be able to make it in the long haul or is the pizza man’s dream over. All are called upon to pray for the Holy Spirit’s guidance for Father Fessio and, of course, for Ave Maria who once again makes an imprudent decision just because someone disagrees with their philosophy. Sounds like the roundheads are at it again. Read the news article on this event. Father Fessio’s email follows:

This morning, (Monday, July 20th) Dr. Jack Sites,
Academic Vice President of Ave Maria University, flew from Houston, where
he was attending a meeting of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools,
to San Francisco, to inform me personally that I was being dismissed from Ave
Maria University. Our meeting was amicable and Dr. Sites, as always, acted as a
Christian gentleman.

He said that the reason for my dismissal stemmed from a
conversation I had in November of 2008 with Jack Donahue, then chairman of the
board of AMU. At that time I felt it an obligation to speak to the board
chairman before the upcoming board meeting, to make sure he was aware of the
urgency of the university’s financial situation. After I had informed him,
using projections based on publicly available documents and statements, he
asked me what I thought was the solution. I told him that there were policies being
followed that were at the root of the problem, that the present administration
was irrevocably wedded to those policies, and that without a change of
administration the university was at great risk.

Dr. Sites said that Jack
Donahue related this conversation to Tom Monaghan, and it was decided (I don’t
know specifically by whom) that the university could not have a faculty member
making these criticisms of the administration and thus undermining the
university.

Dr. Sites told me that there were unspecified others who had
similar substantive concerns that I was undermining the university.

I continue
to support the university. I pray for its success. I have great admiration for
the faculty, students, and many of the staff. I do disagree with some of the
policies of the administration. This seems to be the reason I was fired the
first time, in March 2007, since the official explanation was
“irreconcilable administrative differences”.

Nevertheless, I think it
is an accurate summary to say that I am being dismissed as a faculty member
because of a private conversation with the chairman of the board in which I
made known my criticisms of the university administration; and because of
allegations which have not been made known to me and to which I have not been given
an opportunity to respond.

I will continue to recommend AMU to students and
parents. And I will continue to think my dismissal is another mistake in a long
series of unwise decisions.

The Bible is for Catholics

How often do you hear that Catholics don’t read the bible? How often do you think (or say) that you aren’t a bible thumper? Do you know bible basics? Do you have a bible in your home? Do you know where to find a bible in your Catholic church? I’d be willing to bet that you can’t even find a copy of the bible in the church. Just today a college student asked me if there was a bible in the church and I had to admit that I wasn’t sure if we had one available. Ironically, today began the parish’s Vacation Bible School with a 140 little kids so the question of how we use the bible is in the forefront of our minds. Mary Elizabeth Sperry compiled a Catholic’s approach to the bible-praying-reading-study-meditation.

The Bible is all around us. People hear Scripture readings in church. We have Good Samaritan (Luke 10) laws, welcome home the Prodigal Son (Luke 15), and look for the Promised Land (Exodus 3, Hebrews 11). Some biblical passages have become popular maxims, such as “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you (Matthew 7:12),” “Thou shalt not steal (Exodus 20:15), and “love thy neighbor” (Matthew 22:39).

Today’s Catholic is called to take an intelligent, spiritual approach to the bible.

Listed here are 10 points for fruitful Scripture reading.

Bible reading is for Catholics. The Church encourages Catholics to make reading the Bible part of their daily prayer lives. Reading these inspired words, people grow deeper in their relationship with God and come to understand their place in the community God has called them to in himself.

Prayer is the beginning and the end. Reading the Bible is not like reading a novel or a history book. It should begin with a prayer asking the Holy Spirit to open our hearts and minds to the Word of God. Scripture reading should end with a prayer that this Word will bear fruit in our lives, helping us to become holier and more faithful people.

Get the whole story! When selecting a Bible, look for a Catholic edition. A Catholic edition will include the Church’s complete list of sacred books along with introductions and notes for understanding the text. A Catholic edition will have an imprimatur notice on the back of the title page. An imprimatur indicates that the book is free of errors in Catholic doctrine.

The Bible isn’t a book. It’s a library. The Bible is a collection of 73 books written over the course of many centuries. The books include royal history, prophecy, poetry, challenging letters to struggling new faith communities, and believers’ accounts of the preaching and passion of Jesus. Knowing the genre of the book you are reading will help you understand the literary tools the author is using and the meaning the author is trying to convey.

Know what the Bible is – and what it isn’t. The Bible is the story of God’s relationship with the people he has called to himself. It is not intended to be read as history text, a science book, or a political manifesto. In the Bible, God teaches us the truths that we need for the sake of our salvation.

The sum is greater than the parts. Read the Bible in context. What happens before and after – even in other books – helps us to understand the true meaning of the text.

The Old relates to the New. The Old Testament and the New Testament shed light on each other. While we read the Old Testament in light of the death and resurrection of Jesus, it has its own value as well. Together, these testaments help us to understand God’s plan for human beings.

You do not read alone. By reading and reflecting on Sacred Scripture, Catholics join those faithful men and women who have taken God’s Word to heart and put it into practice in their lives. We read the Bible within the tradition of the Church to benefit from the holiness and wisdom of all the faithful.

What is God saying to me? The Bible is not addressed only to long-dead people in a faraway land. It is addressed to each of us in our own unique situations. When we read, we need to understand what the text says and how the faithful have understood its meaning in the past. In light of this understanding, we then ask: What is God saying to me?

Reading isn’t enough. If Scripture remains just words on a page, our work is not done. We need to meditate on the message and put it into action in our lives. Only then can the word be “living and effective.”(Hebrews 4:12).

Mary Elizabeth Sperry is Associate Director for Utilization of the New American Bible.