Parish Priest: Fr Mike Delaney Mob: 0417 279 437; mdelaney@netspace.net.au
Assistant Priest: Fr Alexander Obiorah Mob: 0447 478 297;
alexchuksobi@yahoo.co.uk
Postal
Address:
PO Box 362
Parish Office: 90
Stewart Street
Secretary: Annie
Davies / Anne Fisher Pastoral Council
Chair: Mary Davies
Parish Mass Times: mlcpmasstimes.blogspot.com.au
Weekly Homily
Podcast: podomatic.com/mikedelaney
Parish Magazine: mlcathparishnewsletter.blogspot.com.au
Archdiocesan Website: www.hobart.catholic.org.au for news, information and details of other
Parishes.
Weekday Masses 30th June – 3rd
July 2015
Tuesday: 9:30am - Penguin
Wednesday: 9:30am - Latrobe
Thursday: 12noon
- Devonport
Friday: 9.30am –
Ulverstone & Devonport
Saturday: 9:00am -
Ulverstone
Next 4th
& 5th July 2015
Saturday Vigil: 6:00pm Penguin & Devonport
Sunday Mass: 8:30am Port Sorell 9:00am Ulverstone
Sunday Mass: 8:30am Port Sorell 9:00am Ulverstone
10:30am Devonport
11:00am
Sheffield
5:00pm Latrobe
Eucharistic Adoration:
Devonport:
Every Friday 10am - 12noon, concluding with Stations of the Cross and
Angelus
Devonport: Benediction with Adoration - first Friday of
each month.
Prayer Groups:
Charismatic Renewal – Devonport Emmaus House Thursdays
commencing 7.30pm
Christian Meditation - Devonport, Emmaus House
Wednesdays 7pm.
Ministry Rosters 4th & 5th
July 2015
Devonport:
Readers
Vigil: M Kelly, B
Paul, R Baker 10:30am:
J Phillips, K Pearce, P Piccolo
Ministers of Communion: Vigil:
M Doyle, M
Heazlewood, S Innes, M Gerrand, P Shelverton, M Kenny
10:30am: B Peters, F Sly, J Carter, E Petts, B Schrader
Cleaners 3rd July: M.W.C. 10th July: B Paul, D
Atkins, V Riley
Piety Shop 4th
July: H Thompson 5th
July: D French Flowers: M O’Brien-Evans
Ulverstone:
Reader: K McKenzie Ministers of Communion: E Reilly, M McKenzie, K McKenzie, M
O’Halloran
Cleaners: V
Ferguson, E Cox Flowers: E Beard Hospitality: M Byrne, G Doyle
Penguin:
Greeters: J & T Kiely Commentator: Y Downes Readers:
E Nickols, A
Landers
Procession: M & D Hiscutt Ministers of Communion: J Barker
Liturgy:
Sulphur Creek C Setting Up: M Murray Care of Church: J & T Kiely
Latrobe:
Reader: M Eden Ministers of
Communion: P Marlow, M Kavic Procession: Kavic Family Music: Hermie
Port Sorell:
Readers: V Duff, G Duff Ministers of Communion: E Holloway, B Lee Cleaners/Flowers/Prepare: A Holloway, B Lee
_______________________________
Your prayers
are asked for the sick:
Let us pray
for those who have died recently:
Anne Morton, Moira Rhodes, Fr Paul Campbell ofm, Eva Zvatora, Pat Malone, Graham
Appleby, Audrey Mitchell, Geok Lan Low, Margaret Everett, Gertrude Haasmann, Mike
O’Halloran, Beryl Purton, Nanette O’Brien, Lorraine Keen, Joseph Sallese, Bridget
Stone,
Let us pray for those whose anniversary occurs about this time: 24th–30th
June – Dean Mott,
Rhys Tobin, Dylan Burgess, Max Stuart, Ruth Edillo, Dudley McNamara, Patricia
Barrenger, Dorothy Smith, Robin Millwood, Bill Wing, Rosslyn Wilson, Leonard
Hamilton, Donald Wilson, Eileen White, Hazel Gaffney & Kathleen Edwards.
May they rest in peace
Readings Next Week: 14th Sunday in
Ordinary Time
First Reading: Ezekiel 2:2-5 Second Reading: 2 Corinthians 12:7-10 Gospel: Mark 6:1-6
WEEKLY
RAMBLINGS:
This weekend (or more precisely the 29th June)
marks 18 months since I arrived in the Mersey-Leven Parish. Sadly, in that time
I have done 70 funerals in the Parish and, happily, celebrated 41 Baptisms. I have seen a number of parishioners move away
to other (warmer) climates permanently whilst others head off for the winter
months and I have seen other people drift away but because when I first arrived
I didn’t know people’s names many of them have been lost into the history of
people who once were here and now have gone.
Anyone can look around our Churches each weekend and see the
gaps where once people were sitting and sharing in the life and story of our
Church, our Parish but now they are gone. For quite some time the Parish
Pastoral Council will assistance from other parishioners worked on and prepared
a Parish Plan which was formalised at the end of 2014 and can be found on the
web site - http://mlcathparishplan.blogspot.com.au/.
In the recommendations that came from the Plan the Parish Pastoral Council
wanted to look at a number of issues including how to better incorporate each
of the Mass Centres in the life of the whole Parish.
By celebrating each Centres Feast Day and making a point of
acknowledging the contribution of people in those centres at that time we have
tried to start this process but there is still further to go and the next steps
will be set in place shortly. My regular mentioning in these ramblings of
stories about how to rebuild, reframe or strengthen our communities is not
suggesting that anyone is doing anything wrong but rather asking whether we
need to look to see if there are other ways that we work or other things we
need to consider if the gaps in our pews aren’t going to get bigger.
This weekend I would like to express, again, my thanks to
the wonderful members of our Parish Community for have been the Lay Liturgical
Leaders when a priest hasn’t been available for Mass in all Centres each
weekend. Many have performed this role for a considerable time and have
enriched communities with their prayerful and prayer filled reflections and in
some ways our Parish life is going to be different from the change to Mass in
each Centre each weekend. As mentioned previously I am hoping that there might
be another role which might continue to utilise their expertise shortly but I
have more work to do in that area.
Again, my grateful thanks for all that these wonderful Lay Liturgical
Leaders have done over the years – as well as my thanks to all those faith filled
members of this community who week by week make my role as Parish Priest a
pleasure and a privilege.
Until next week, please take care on the roads and in your homes.
_______________________________
Caritas
|
As our planet becomes more fragile, people are driven deeper into poverty. The Pope urges us to hear “both the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor”.
It’s time for us to safeguard our earth for present and future generations.
Ask Tony Abbott and world leaders to take responsible climate action. Sign this global petition — it will be presented at a global summit in December this year to call on all governments to protect our planet and people.
Once you've signed, why not read our community stories of hope. Caritas Australia partners with communities who bear the brunt of climate change, and need you to act in solidarity.
These communities are already responding to changing climate with an extraordinary display of resilience and creativity. Read their stories »
Thank you for helping to care for our common home.
We’ll stay in touch, with more opportunities to act for climate justice throughout the year.
Negaya and Zhi
Advocacy team
PLANNED GIVING PROGRAMME:
New envelopes have been distributed. If you are not already part of this programme and would like to
join please contact the Parish office. Please
note the new envelopes should not be used until next weekend
SOLEMNITY OF OUR LADY OF
MOUNT CARMEL
Sung Mass will be celebrated at the Carmelite Monastery,
7 Cambridge St., Launceston, on Thursday July 16th 9.30am. The Celebrant and
Homilist will be Fr Greg Chee, OCD. There will be an opportunity to be enrolled
in the Brown Scapular during Mass (scapulars will be available at the
Monastery). A Novena of Masses and Prayers will take place between July 7th – 15th - Intentions may be
sent to Mother Prioress.
Morning Tea will be available after Mass. All are welcome
The Mt St Vincent Auxiliary will be holding a Craft and Cake
Stall at Sacred Heart Church, Ulverstone, after Mass on Sunday 19th
July. Your support will be gratefully appreciated
FOUNDER’S
DAY August 6 2015
OLOL School is
holding its inaugural Founder’s Day in Term 3. This will be a day of
celebrating and commemorating our history as a Josephite School in the Mersey
Leven Parish. We are looking for any old photos or memorabilia to set up a
display on the day.
We are also
interested in hearing from any former pupils or teachers, who would be willing
to speak to students, or write/record an account of what OLOL was like in
‘their day’. If you can help in any way, please contact the OLOL Office, 6424:1744.
ST
PATRICK’S CATHOLIC SCHOOL HISTORY PROJECT:
As part of a school Local History Project, St Patrick’s
Catholic School students would like to interview some local identities and
individuals who have an interest in, and knowledge of, the community,
especially the St Patrick’s Catholic School Community and past and present
Latrobe Parishioners. Students will then create a brief report on the interview
from their particular perspective. Students are especially interested in
hearing from Parish members who would be willing to discuss their own faith
experience – their memories of church, school and faith development.
Individual students will gather information from the
interview and undertake research to complement the knowledge that has been
gained. It is envisaged that the interviews will also be recorded. A brief
report will be created, complemented by relevant photographs or images, which
will then be framed and placed on display in the school. A small photo of the
student interviewers and the person interviewed will be positioned in the final
product and, over time, it is hoped that up to 10 personalities can contribute
to what should be an important ‘living archive’ of our St Patrick’s Catholic
Church and School communities, with a special emphasis on our links to the
Parish.
St Patrick’s Catholic School is, therefore, very interested
to hear from members of the community who may be interested in contributing to
this project. If you have some stories of interest and if you can spare 30
minutes of your time, we would love to talk with you. Please contact St
Patrick’s Catholic School Latrobe on 6426 1626 or via email on stpatslat@catholic.tas.edu.au
FOOTY POINTS MARGIN TICKETS:
Round
12 – West Coast Eagles won by 20 points. Winners; Meriam Murray, unknown
unknown
BINGO
Thursday Nights OLOL Hall D’port.
Eyes down 7.30pm –
Callers 2nd July Jon
Halley & Merv Tippett
Rachel’s Vineyard Retreats
Many women and men who suffer
from an abortion decision remain locked in their own internal prison afraid of
anyone knowing their deep secret. The retreats are a beautiful opportunity for
people struggling with the emotional or spiritual pain of an abortion. The retreat
is a specific process designed to help you experience the mercy and compassion
of God. Rachel’s Vineyard can help you begin the healing process. You can start
this process of healing by calling the confidential phone line 62298739, (Mob)
0478599241 or email rachelsvineyardtas@aapt.net.au
Our next retreat is October 2nd to 4th, 2015.
____________________________
Pope Francis on avoiding environmental catastrophe
A Reflection by Fr Bruce Duncan
Other information on the Encyclical can be found here
 Popes write social encyclicals in times of social crisis or at great turning points in history. Pope Francis’s Laudato Si is no exception. He sees the world facing unprecedented twin crises: from climate change; and unresolved issues of global hunger and poverty, resulting in growing conflict, violence and displacement of peoples. ‘Peace, justice and the preservation of creation are three absolutely interconnected themes’ (# 92).
‘We are faced not with two separate crises, one environmental and the other social, but rather one complex crisis which is both social and environmental’, and we need to combat poverty, restore dignity to the excluded and protect nature (#139).
Francis insists on the urgency of these matters. ‘Doomsday predictions can no longer be met with irony or disdain. We may well be leaving to coming generation debris, desolation and filth.’ Our contemporary consumption and waste ‘can only precipitate catastrophes’. (#161).
Francis does not pull his punches on the effects of climate change, warning of imminent catastrophe unless the world acts urgently to reduce greenhouse gases. He laments that the world lacks leadership and it is ‘remarkable how weak international political responses have been (#54).’ He says that ‘our common home is falling into serious disrepair. He sees signs that ‘things are now reaching a breaking point’. ‘There are regions now at high risk and aside from all doomsday predictions, the present world system is certainly unsustainable’ (#61).
The high hopes of making rapid inroads against hunger and poverty with the Millennium Development Goals have only been partly realised, and Francis is using the encyclical to support more determined efforts through the UN Sustainable Development Goals. But efforts to eradicate hunger and poverty are being compromised by the effects of climate change, which are bearing most heavily on the poor.
The looming environmental threats remind the world as never before that we are all in this together, that there is such a thing as the ‘common good’. This is a call for ‘all hands on deck’, that everyone is involved in a common responsibility to reduce our ‘footprint’ on the planet, living more frugally, with less waste and certainly less extravagance.
‘Reducing greenhouse gases requires honesty, courage and responsibility, above all on the part of those countries which are more powerful and pollute the most.’ (169). He warns that even systems of ‘carbon credits’ could be used ‘as a ploy which permits maintaining the excessive consumption of some countries and sectors.’ (#171).
But the encyclical is not a science paper. He accepts the overwhelming consensus among climate scientists that global warming is a real threat, indeed an unprecedented emergency, with disastrous consequences likely in agriculture, from declining water resources and from rising sea levels.
Inequality
Underlying the document is the Pope’s critique of the astonishing inequality within and between countries, stemming from an economic system based on competitive individualism: ‘we should be particularly indignant at the enormous inequalities in our midst, whereby we continue to tolerate some considering themselves more worthy than others.’ (#90).
He criticises powerful sectional interests which strive to maximise profits in the short term and can often shape or corrupt economic policies to suit their own narrow goals. ‘Their behaviour shows that for them maximizing profits is enough. Yet by itself the market cannot guarantee integral human development and social inclusion.’ (#109). He rejects the mindset that allows ‘the invisible forces of the market to regulate the economy, and consider their impact on society and nature as collateral damage.’ (#123).
Without using the term neoliberal economics, that is clearly his target, which Francis blames for channelling fabulous wealth into the hands of a small minority while leaving vast numbers struggling in acute poverty. He rejects ‘a magical conception of the market, which would suggest that problems can be solved simply by an increase in the profits of companies and individuals.’ (#190).
He blames an exaggerated free-market ideology for the corrosion of ethical standards in international finance and business corporations that resulted in the global financial crisis.
‘Saving banks at any cost, making the public pay the price, foregoing a firm commitment to reviewing and reforming the entire system only reaffirms the absolute power of a financial system’ which can only give rise to new crises (#189).
He is critical of the type of development which is overly driven by technology, as if it could resolve the problems facing the planet without ‘a development in human responsibility, values and conscience.’ (#105). ‘Put simply, it is a matter of redefining our notion of progress. A technological and economic development which does not leave in its wake a better world and an integrally higher quality of life cannot be considered progress. Frequently, in fact, people’s quality of life actually diminishes’ (194).
Dialogue with believers and non-believers alike The Pope has framed his encyclical within the hymn to creation of St Francis, a profound and joyous song of wonder and amazement before the great Mystery of life and the world with all its many marvellous creatures. St Francis felt intensely the presence of what we call God in every aspect of his world.
The Pope is drawing from this a new way of communicating across religious and philosophical boundaries about the sense of Mystery we all share. This can evoke a sense of thankfulness and respect for every living thing, of deep reverence for such treasures. He is drawing on a spirituality which is ancient and traditional, but also open to people of all faiths or of none.
Dialogue is a foundational word for the Pope. He is not trying to dictate politics or specific solutions, but calling for a global dialogue, involving especially those with specific expertise about what needs to be done. He has learnt from his own mistakes as a priest, that listening involves not just understanding the words people use, but an effort to go behind the words to appreciate the pain in their hearts and the goodness they are yearning for.
He believes everyone has something to contribute and a right to be heard in matters which concern them, especially in economic change and development, so that the poor are not just pawns of the rich or powerful, or cast aside as useless. The Pope draws from his own experience that even very poor people in slums can have happy and meaningful lives, though their material resources may be slim, because of the quality of their relationships and sense of community. Nevertheless, he wants everyone to have decent living conditions, secure housing and work, education and reasonable life opportunities (#222).
Underlying the encyclical is the ‘see, judge, act’ methodology he used when he summarised the conference of the bishops of Latin American at Aparecida in 2007. He wants the new encyclical to lead to action, not just in international forums, but by everyone in their own circumstances. He gives instances of how people can live more simply, reducing their use of energy and resources. These are not trivial matters. He wishes to show that we all need to find ways to live more simply (#211). Pope Francis favours the empowerment of individuals and groups, to take initiatives and to organise together, such as in cooperatives, or in small-scale farming and production (#129, 179).
Conclusion
The encyclical’s message about the urgent moral dimensions of our present crisis are not entirely new, as both Popes John Paul and Benedict also drew attention to the mounting ecological dangers. But it is unprecedented that a pope has devoted an entire encyclical to this issue, which he links in with the Church’s longer tradition of social teaching, especially its critique of ‘economic liberalism’ or what we would now refer to as neoliberalism.
Though some parts of the document are written in Francis’s clear and popular style, others have written various sections, especially Cardinal Turkson and his team at the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, along with the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences, both which have been consulting extensively with leading international experts in economics, climate science and the environment.
The Pope regrets that international agreements have not recognised the ‘urgency of the challenges’; but though ‘the post-industrial period may well be remembered as one of the most irresponsible in history’, there are reasons to hope (#165).
He is calling for a commitment by everyone to living responsibly so that others can live a fulfilling and happy life. We should be striving ‘boldly and responsibility to promote a sustainable and equitable development within the context of a broader concept of quality of life.’ (#192).
______________________________
New family synod document a mixture of welcome, criticism of modern life
An Article by Joshua J. McElwee taken from the National Catholic Reporter Jun. 23, 2015
VATICAN CITY
The Vatican document outlining the initial working positions for October's highly anticipated global meeting of bishops on family life issues offers little to no clear indication of how world prelates have responded to Pope Francis' call to openly discuss difficult issues facing families, such as divorce and remarriage.
The document, which many anticipate as a possible barometer for how the bishops' discussions at the fall event might evolve, instead mainly focuses on restating many positions adopted at the meeting held last year with an occasional emphasis on showing mercy to those facing burdensome situations.
The document also appears to reiterate some of the culture-war language that has sometimes marked the church's language in recent decades and reaffirms the church's moral teaching in several areas, including the prohibition on the use of birth control.
It also does not seem to offer substantially new options for divorced and remarried people seeking the ability to take Communion in the church.
Released by the Vatican on Monday only in Italian, the document is the preparatory working instrument for October's Synod of Bishops, the second of two back-to-back global bishops' meetings on family life called by Francis.
The first meeting was held in October 2014 and concluded with the publication of a final document that seemed to narrow a tone of openness to modern society that had reportedly marked the bishops' two-week discussions.
Francis also warned bishops at the conclusion of that meeting against the temptation to "transform bread into stone and throw it against the sinners, the weak, and the sick -- to turn [the bread] into 'unbearable burdens.' "
Tuesday's document for the 2015 synod reprints many portions of the points of the final 2014 document as a launching pad for this October's meeting, but also adds a number of new arguments and positions.
The Vatican's office for the synod described the document as the fruit of its earlier call for bishops around the world to send in responses to a series of 46 questions meant to help prepare discussion for this October's meeting. The call is said to have resulted in thousands of pages of responses the office has had to organize and summarize.
At first reading, Tuesday's document, known in Latin as an instrumentum laboris, tries to balance a sense of openness and mercy with criticism of modern societies and ways of life.
Divided into three parts -- on listening to the family's challenges, discerning the familial vocation, and the mission of the family today -- the 78-page document opens by discussing the various cultural, social and anthropological changes facing families.
In one example of criticism of modern life, in its eighth paragraph, the document lists as among those challenges "a certain vision of feminism that considers maternity a pretext for the utilization of women and an obstacle to their full realization."
Included among other challenges: effects of the global economic downturn, poverty that touches many families globally, issues of social exclusion, lack of access to clean water, war, and the continuing migration crisis from north Africa and the Middle East.
In terms of taking an open tone toward real-life struggles of families, the document later declares: "The church must instill in families a sense of ecclesial belonging, a sense of 'us' in which no member is forgotten."
"All may be encouraged to grow in their abilities and to realize their true life in service of the Reign of God," it continues.
Later, the document also calls for open-mindedness toward Catholics who do not appear to be living in accordance with church teaching.
"A style of communication open to dialogue and free from prejudice is necessary particularly with regard of those Catholics that, in area of marriage and family, do not live, or are unable to live, in full accordance with the teachings of the church," it states.
Taking up the issue of divorce in its third section, the document mentions discussions that there could be some sort of "penitential path" for people who have been divorced and remarried without first obtaining annulments in order to allow them access to the sacraments.
But the document suggests that such a path would require such people to refrain from having sex in their new relationships before they could take Communion.
Current church teaching prohibits people who divorce and remarry without obtaining an annulment of their first marriage from taking Communion. Discussions at the 2014 synod are known to have focused on that prohibition, asking if the church might be able to change to allow some sort of penitential way to give remarried people access to the Eucharist.
Stating that there was a "common agreement" among bishops for the discussion of some sort of new process to welcome divorced and remarried people, the document says the discussions suggested a way of "taking consciousness of the failure" of the first marriage "with penitence."
Yet it states those discussions also included verifying the nullity of the first marriage and a commitment by the remarried person "to spiritual communion and a decision to live in continence."
Noting, however, that some bishops stressed the need to better accompany divorced people in their spiritual lives, the document also suggests that their exclusion from some ministries in the church in some places -- such as serving as a lector -- could come to an end.
The church might need to "rethink the forms of current exclusion practiced in the liturgical-pastoral field," the document states.
The document also says there was an "ample consensus" among the world's bishops that processes to annul marriages be made "more quick and accessible, and possibly free."
The document also acknowledges challenges that individuals who wish to use birth control face, saying they are "constantly" struggling to reconcile two poles of thought:
what their conscience is saying to them about the morality of contraception and what the "objective moral indication" says about its use.
"When the subjective poll prevails, the risk is easy, selfish choices," the document states. "In the other case, the moral norm feels like an unsupportable weight, not responding to the needs and possibilities of the person."
"The marrying together of the two aspects, lived with the accompaniment of a competent spiritual guide, will help the spouse to make fully humanized choices and conform to the will of the Lord," it continues.
Yet earlier in its considerations, the document states a need for "responsible procreation."
"The generative action must be understood in the optic of responsible procreation and of the commitment to take care of children with fidelity," it states in a section on the "fecundity" of spouses.
Addressing particularly the role of women in family life, the document says that so-called "feminine emancipation" in Western countries "demands a rethinking of the work of the spouses in their reciprocity and in their common responsibility toward family life."
It also seems to criticize the process of in vitro fertilization, saying, "The desire of a child 'at any cost' has not brought happier or more solid family relations."
In many cases, it states, that desire "has aggravated the inequality between women and men."
It continues: "A better appreciation of women's responsibility in the church can contribute to the recognition of their determinate role: Their intervention in decision process; their participation, not only formal, to the governance of some institutions; their involvement in the formation of ordained ministers."
The document contains a short, three-paragraph section on ministering to gay people, "Pastoral attention to persons with homosexual tendencies."
"Every person, independently of their sexual tendencies, is respected in their dignity and should be received with sensibility and delicateness, both in the church and in society," the document states.
"It would be desirable that diocesan pastoral projects reserve a specific attention to the accompanying of families with persons of homosexual tendencies, and of the persons themselves," it continues.
Speaking about the family as a place where future priests are sometimes formed, Tuesday's document also proposes that seminarians live with a family for a time to better understand their struggles.
"It is clearly perceived a growing need to include families, in particular the feminine presence, in priestly formation," it states. "It is suggested that seminarians, during their formation, live for an appropriate period with their family so they may be guided in ... taking adequate consciousness of the current situations of families."
A short preface by Cardinal Lorenzo Baldisseri, the secretary general of the Vatican's synod office, precedes the document. It concludes with a prayer to the Holy Family and entrusts the work of the upcoming synod meeting to them.
The synod meeting is to be held Oct. 4-25 at the Vatican and is expected to see several hundred bishops come to Rome for the discussions.
The Vatican has been releasing the names of those bishops -- elected by bishops' conferences and then confirmed by Francis -- periodically as the pope gives his affirmation to bishops' elections from various parts of the world. Up to now, the Vatican has not announced the participation of any women in the discussions.
As of this point, the United States is to be represented at the synod by Louisville, Ky., Archbishop Joseph Kurtz, president of the U.S. bishops' conference; Galveston-Houston Cardinal Daniel DiNardo, vice president of the conference; Philadelphia Archbishop Charles Chaput; and Los Angeles Archbishop Jose Gomez.
[Joshua J. McElwee is NCR Vatican correspondent. His email address is
jmcelwee@ncronline.org. Follow him on Twitter: @joshjmac.]
______________________________
THE HERO-COMPLEX An article by Fr Ron Rolheiser OMI. The original can be found here Several years ago, the movie Argo won the Academy award as the best movie of the year. I enjoyed the movie in that it was a good drama, one that held its audience in proper suspense even as it provided some good humor and banter on the side. But I struggled with several aspects of the film. First, as a Canadian, I was somewhat offended by the way that the vital role that Canadians played in the escape of the USA hostages from Iran in 1979 was downplayed to the point of simply being written out of the story. The movie would have been more honest had it advertised itself as “based on a true story” rather than presenting itself as a true story. But that was more of an irritation than anything serious. Art has the right to exaggerate forms to highlight an essence. I don’t begrudge a filmmaker his film. What bothered me was how, again, as is so frequently the case in Hollywood movies and popular literature, we were shown a hero under the canopy of that adolescent idealization where, by going it alone, the hero singularly saves the world, alone is the “messiah”, and whose self-sequestration coupled with a certain arrogance is presented as human superiority. But that, the classic hero who does it “his way” and whose wisdom and talent dwarfs everyone else, is an adolescent fantasy. What’s wrong with that “classic hero” as he is normally portrayed in some many of our movies? What’s wrong is that the great ancient myths and a good number of anthropologists, philosophers, and psychologists tell us that this kind of “hero” is not the mature archetype of the true warrior or prophet. The mature savior, prophet, or warrior is not “the hero”, but “the knight”. And this is the difference: The hero operates off his own agenda, whereas the knight is under someone else’s agenda. The knight lays his or her sword at the foot of the King or Queen. The knight, like Jesus, “does nothing on his own”. But this isn’t easy to understand and accept. The powerful idealization we throw onto our heroes and heroines is, like love in adolescence, so powerful a drug that it is hard to see that something much fuller and more mature lays beyond it. The obsessive love that Romeo and Juliet die for is very powerful, but a mature couple, holding hands after fifty years of marriage, is the real paradigm for love. The lonely, isolated, unapologetic hero grips the imagination in a way that the more-fully mature man or woman does not: Alan Ladd riding off into the sunset at the end of the movie, Shane; any number of characters played by Sylvester Stallone or Arnold Schwarzenegger; and, not least, the hero of Argo, overruling even the orders of the President in saving the hostages in Iran. The Nobel-prizing winning philosopher, Albert Camus, in his book, The Plague, presents us with what should, by all accounts, be an example of a most-noble hero. His hero is a certain Dr. Rieux who, because he is an atheist, struggles with the question of meaning: If there is no God, then where can there be meaning? What difference does any virtue or generosity ultimately make? Dr. Rieux answers that question for himself by finding meaning in selflessly giving himself over, at the risk of his own life, to fighting the plague. What could be more-noble than that? Few things fire the romantic imagination as does this kind of moral rebellion. So, what could be more-noble than the hero in the movie, Argo, going it alone in taking on the regime in Iran? Charles Taylor has a certain answer to answer this. Commenting on Camus’ hero, Dr. Rieux, Taylor asks: “Is this the ultimate measure of excellence? If we think of ethical virtue as the realization of lone individuals, this may seem to be the case. But suppose the highest good consists of communion, mutual giving and receiving, as in the paradigm of the eschatological banquet. The heroism of gratuitous giving has no place for reciprocity. If you return anything to me, then my gift was not totally gratuitous; and besides, in the extreme case, I disappear with my gift and no communion between us is possible. This unilateral heroism is self-enclosed. It touches the outermost limit of what we can attain to when moved by the sense of our own dignity. But is that what life is about? Christian faith proposes a quite different view.” And so it does: We see this in Jesus. He comes into this world precisely as a savior, to vanquish the powers of darkness, violence, injustice, Satan, and death. But notice how, almost as mantra, he keeps saying: I do nothing on my own. I am perfectly obedient to my Father. Jesus was never a hero, a “lone-ranger” doing his own thing while barely concealing a smug superiority. He was the paradigm of the “knight”, the humble foot-soldier who always lays his sword at the foot of the King.
____________________________
The Franciscan Path of Descent
Taken from a series of emails from Fr Richard Rohr OFM. The original emails and his daily reflections can be found here
Letting Go as a Way of Life
Jesus himself exemplified and also taught us the path of
descent, which Christians have often called "the way of the cross."
The path downward is much more trustworthy than any path upward, which only
tends to feed the ego. Like few other Christians, it was Francis of Assisi who
profoundly understood that.
Authentic spirituality is always on some level or in some
way about letting go. Jesus said, "the truth will set you free" (John
8:32). Once we see truly what is trapping us and keeping us from freedom we
should see the need to let it go. But in a consumer society most of us have had
no training in that direction. Rather, more is supposed to be better.
True
liberation is letting go of our false self, letting go of our cultural biases,
and letting go of our fear of loss and death. Freedom is letting go of wanting
more and better things, and it is letting go of our need to control and
manipulate God and others. It is even letting go of our need to know and our
need to be right--which we only discover with maturity. We become free as we
let go of our three primary energy centers: our need for power and control, our
need for safety and security, and our need for affection and esteem. [1]
Francis sought freedom in all three parts of life. Our good
friend here in New Mexico, Fr. John Dear, puts it very well [2]:
"Francis embodies the Gospel journey from violence to
non-violence, wealth to poverty, power to powerlessness, selfishness to
selfless service, pride to humility, indifference to love, cruelty to
compassion, vengeance to forgiveness, revenge to reconciliation, war to peace,
killing enemies to loving enemies. More than any other Christian, he epitomizes
discipleship to Jesus. . . .
"Francis' logic points the way toward personal, social,
and global justice, and peace. If each one of us practiced Gospel simplicity,
voluntary poverty, and downward mobility, like Francis, we would share the
world's resources with one another, have nothing to fear from others, and live
in peace with everyone."
We always knew that following Jesus was "a narrow
gate," as he himself put it (Matthew 7:13-14). But for some diversionary
reason we thought the narrow path had to do with private asceticism (usually in
regard to the body), instead of simple-living, altruism, non-violence, and
peacemaking. These virtues would have created a very different society and
civilization, but to this day many Christians feel much more guilt and shame
about their private sexual body than about our social body. Much of Christian
history has placed the emphasis on making sexuality the entire issue instead of
just one issue. This seems to me a massive misplacement of attention. Because
of it, the world often rejects any attempt at teaching sexual morality. When
you pay too much attention to one issue, you invariably pay no attention to
another. Francis was "moralistic" about the right things.
References
[1] Adapted from Richard Rohr, The Art of Letting Go: Living
the Wisdom of Saint Francis (Sounds True), CD. This simple tri-part distinction
has been affirmed by many psychologists in many different ways, and is also
used by Fr. Thomas Keating in his understanding of the entrapment of the human
person.
[2] John Dear, You Will Be My Witnesses: Saints, Prophets
and Martyrs (Orbis Books, 2006).
Voluntary Poverty
Francis was born in 1181 in Assisi, Italy. Already, Europe
and the Muslim world had endured two crusades. The third crusade began when
Francis was a boy, and the fourth when he was twenty-one. In short, the world
was obsessed with war, fear, and security needs. Assisi itself was fighting an
ongoing war with Perugia, a neighboring city. Francis rode off to fight and was
taken prisoner by the Perugians in 1202. In 1204, the Christians of the West
sacked and looted Constantinople, which the Eastern Orthodox Christians have
never forgotten.
Shortly after that, Francis came out of prison dazed,
disillusioned, and feeling there must be something more than all this torture,
cruelty, and aggression. Francis seemed to realize that there is an intrinsic
connection between violence and the need to protect one's possessions, perks,
and privileges. His own father was one of the first generation of propertied
businessmen in the new trading class of Europe. One biographer found city
records of 12th century Assisi showing that Pietro De Bernadone, Francis'
father, was indeed buying up the lands of the poor. Francis recognized that his
father's obsession with money had in many ways destroyed his father's soul, and
so Francis set out on a radically different path than his father, and in some
ways, in overreaction to it.
Francis concluded that the only way out of such a world was
to live a life of voluntary poverty, or what he called a life of
"non-appropriation," and to simply not be a part of the moneyed
class. The rope that Franciscans wear around the waist is a sign that we
carried no money, since the leather belt at that time also served as a wallet.
Francis knew that once you felt you owned anything, then you would have to
protect it and increase it. It is the inherent nature of greed--there is never
enough. For some reason this is no longer considered a capital sin in our
capitalist society. In fact, I have never heard anyone confess an offense
against the 10th commandment. "Coveting our neighbor's goods" is the
very nature of our society.
One of Francis' biographies, written in his own lifetime,
tells of Francis saying, "Look brothers, if we have any possessions, we
will need arms to protect them, and then this will cause many disputes and
lawsuits, and possessions impede the love of God and neighbor. Therefore, let
us decide we do not want to possess anything in this world." This is a
radical idea, one we later Franciscans have not followed very well. We found a
way to have possessions, and yet we recognized that our possessions tend to
possess us after a while. In fact the more we have, the more true this is. Even
so, I have met many poor people who are very materialistic, and I have met many
people of means who are extremely generous with their possessions.
Adapted from The Art of Letting Go: Living the Wisdom of
Saint Francis, disc 1 (CD)
Solidarity
Francis went beyond voluntary poverty in his effort to find
the way out of the world of comparison, competition, greed, and the violence
that comes with it. He also felt that he had to live in close proximity and
even solidarity with the excluded ones in his society. If we are not
marginalized ourselves in some way, we normally need to associate with some
marginalized group to have an enlightened Gospel perspective and to be
converted to compassion. We call this "the preferential option for the
poor."
Francis was one of the first to make this practice clear, and this
very phrase is now included in the official documents of over 80% of the
religious communities of the world. We cannot deny that Jesus both lived and
taught this quite explicitly.
Francis literally changed sides, changed teams. He was
raised in upper Assisi, as one of those who considered themselves the majores
or upper class. In the lower part of town lived the minores or the lower class.
Francis actually moved even further down, into the plain below Assisi where
there was a leper colony. (The word "leper," even in the Bible, is a
term referring generally to the excluded ones. They did not always have the
contagious disease of leprosy, but they were the people society had deemed
unacceptable, unworthy, or shameful for any number of reasons.) On that plain
was an abandoned, ruined church, which Francis physically rebuilt. The
"Portiuncula," or "little portion" of the large Benedictine
holdings, is the birthplace and home of the Franciscan Order. Although
Franciscans do not legally own the church, each year, on August 2, we piously
pay the good Benedictines with a basket of fish to be allowed to
"use" it for another year.
Members of religious communities usually place initials
after their names to indicate their particular Order. We Franciscans use
O.F.M., Ordo Fratum Minorum--Latin for the little brothers, or the "Order
of the Minor Brothers." Francis told us to move down the social class
ladder. We were not to identify with the upper class, nor with the climb toward
success, power, and money. Rather, we were to go where Jesus went, which was wherever
the pain was. We were to find our place not in climbing but in descending.
This
Franciscan vision is utterly countercultural to the worldview of Western
society. We were to be mendicants, or beggars, which would help keep us as
humble receivers rather than ecclesiastical consumers and producers.
Francis resisted priesthood because, I believe, he was
deeply aware of all that invariably comes with priestly ordination (education,
titles, privilege, human respect, income, special clothing). He wanted his
followers to be "blue collar" ministers who lived close to the people
in every way, and not "white collar" superiors. However, poor Francis
was not long in his grave before the Church started ordaining as many
Franciscan men as possible--who soon wore stiff white Roman collars. It gave us
access, credibility, status, and stipends in academia, church, and society. I
know that it was probably inevitable, and not all bad, but it is indeed
dangerous for the soul.
Many of these themes are developed in Eager to Love: The
Alternative Way of Francis of Assisi and are summarized in Chapters 2, 3, and
the Afterword.
When You Say Yes to Love, You also Say Yes to Suffering
One of my fellow Franciscans, Murray Bodo, wrote a wonderful
and poetic book about the life of Francis entitled Francis: The Journey and the
Dream. This excerpt from his book captures how letting go, or kenosis
(self-emptying), made space within and without, allowing Francis to be filled
with divine love that then flowed out in joyful service to the world [1]:
It is no accident that Francis of Assisi is the first
documented person to ever carry the physical wounds of Jesus in his hands,
feet, and side, which he did for the last two years of his life. These wounds
are called the stigmata or the "marks of Jesus" (Galatians 6:17).
They surely demonstrate Francis' complete psycho-somatic identification with
Jesus, both crucified and resurrected. Both Jesus and Francis believed, lived,
and taught that we dare not define love apart from suffering. Without
suffering, "love" is mere sentimentality and not nearly enough to
save the world--or anybody. [2]
References:
[1] Murray Bodo, Francis: The Journey and the Dream
(Franciscan Media: 2011, 40th anniversary edition), 46-47.
[2] Adapted from Richard Rohr, The Art of Letting Go: Living
the Wisdom of Saint Francis (Sounds True), disc 6 (CD)
Suffering
"Might the authority of those who suffer bring the
diverse cultural and social worlds together?" --Johann Baptist Metz
I believe this profound question about suffering, from a
modern German theologian, succinctly and precisely expresses the religious
breakthrough that Christ has offered humanity. It is also foundational to
understanding the unique Franciscan view of the world. True gospel authority,
the authority to heal and renew things and people, is not finally found in a
hierarchical office, a theological argument, a perfect law, or a rational
explanation. The Crucified revealed to the world that the real power that
changes people and the world is an inner authority that comes from people who
have lost, let go, and are re-found on a new level. Twelve-step programs have
come to the same conclusion in our time.
Both Francis and Clare had this kind of inner authority that
is still part of their essential message for the world. They let go of all fear
of suffering; all need for power, prestige and possessions; any need for their
small self to be important; and came to know something essential--who they
really were in God and thus who they really were. Their house was then built on
"bedrock," as Jesus says (Matthew 7:24).
Such an ability to really change and heal people is often
the fruit of suffering, and various forms of poverty, since the false self does
not surrender without a fight to its death. If suffering is "whenever we
are not in control" (which is my definition), then you see why some form
of suffering is absolutely necessary to teach us how to live beyond the
illusion of control and to give that control back to God. Then we become usable
instruments, because we can share our power with God's power (Romans 8:28).
Such a counterintuitive insight surely explains why these
two medieval dropouts--Francis and Clare--tried to invite us all into their
happy run downward, to that place of "poverty" where all humanity
finally dwells anyway. They voluntarily leapt into the very fire from which
most of us are trying to escape, with total trust that Jesus' way of the cross
could not, and would not, be wrong. They trusted that his way was the way of
solidarity and communion with the larger world, which is indeed passing away and
dying. By God's grace, they could trust the eventual passing of all things, and
where it was passing to.
They did not wait for liberation later--after
death--but grasped it here and now.
Adapted from Eager to Love: The Alternative Way of Francis
of Assisi, pp. 19-21
Freedom from the Self
"Penance" for Francis was not some kind of dark
asceticism, but it was a proactive free leap into the problem ahead of time.
This man profoundly understood freedom. It is the same freedom that we see in
Jesus when he says "You are not taking my life from me, I am laying it
down freely" (John 10:18). In the opening words of his last will and
testament, Francis brilliantly says, "The Lord gave me, Brother Francis,
to begin to do penance in this way. For when I was broken, it seemed too bitter
for me to see lepers, and the Lord himself led me among them and I showed mercy
to them; and when I left them what before had seemed bitter to me was now
turned into sweetness of soul and body. Afterwards, I waited just a little bit
and then I left the world."
His phrase "left the world" did not mean leaving
creation. It meant leaving what we might call the "system." Francis
left business as usual, and he began what he called an alternative life, which
at that time was called "a life of penance" or abandoning the system.
He decided to live a life focused on alleviating the needs and the suffering of
others instead of a life of self-advancement. Most of our decisions are usually
based on personal, egoic preference and choice. This is the life that we are
called to "leave," the self that Jesus says must "die" to
fall into our Larger Life or True Self. Freedom for both Jesus and Francis was
purely and simply freedom from the self which is precisely freedom for the world.
This is so utterly different than our American notion of freedom.
In order to be free for life, we must quite simply be free
from our small selves. Francis knew that Jesus was not at all interested in the
usual "sin management" task that clergy love to think is their job.
He saw that Jesus was neither surprised nor upset at what we usually call sin.
Jesus was upset at human pain and suffering. What else do all the healing
stories mean? They are half of the Gospel! Jesus did not focus on sin. Jesus
went where the pain was. Wherever he found human pain, there he went, there he
touched, and there he healed. Francis, who only wanted to do one thing--imitate
Jesus--did the same. But you cannot do that, or even see it, unless your first
question is something other than "What do I want?" "What do I
prefer?" or "What pleases me?" In the great scheme of things, it
really does not matter what I want. We are not free at all until we are free
from ourselves. It is that simple and that hard.
Adapted from The Art of Letting Go: Living the Wisdom of
Saint Francis, disc 1 (CD)
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