The Family Foundation School Catholic Community Bulletin
Pauca Verba (a few words)
As we have a look at this little weekly bulletin (which seeks to teach us many things about living the Catholic-Christian life) we gather for Mass in the morning, instead of the evening. This will be good for us, to worship God on Sunday morning. Of course, everyday belongs to God, doesn’t it? But Sunday is God’s day specially! Sunday is the day that puts aside busyness and enterprise for the praise of God, to thank God, to build Christian community, and to gather for the Eucharist where we recognize Jesus once again in the “breaking of the bread.” That’s why the host is broken!
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And then our Mass will overflow in a day of Adoration here. This is a tremendous invitation! For 7 hours or so, the chapel will be set aside as a place of active prayer – where the Blessed Sacrament will be left on the altar – Jesus calling us to be with him in silence and solitude. Jesus is present in the Sacrament to offer us his presence – his love. Jesus is present in the Sacrament to listen to us in our need, to receive our praises, to receive our thanks, to grant us his pardon.
Could I especially invite those who are feeling troubled, lonely, burdened. Could I especially invite those who are graduating or otherwise leaving in December – to come to the chapel each Sunday and to begin to cultivate a serious spiritual life with worship and silence and thanks at the heart of it all!
Many of us spend the week in a great hurry and without any interior thing going on. Come to the chapel and read the gospels! Come to the chapel and pray the rosary! Come to the chapel and simply sit in silence and ponder the presence of Christ-God on this property and in the lives of the people who come here for repair! Don’t miss this opportunity – it will not come our way again easily – especially after leaving here! Bring a friend!
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In community we all have responsibility for each other in love. Sometimes we help each other well – at other times we handle it badly. Saint John of Kanty wrote:
“Fight all error, but do it with good humor, patience, kindness, and love. Harshness will damage your own soul and spoil the best cause.”
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What a weekend we had here: The Wizard of Oz, with the talents of so many people shared. The presence of family and being with friends. Let’s be done with all the complaining that goes on around us. Let’s be done with harsh criticisms and so much negativity. Let’s be done with inappropriate talk and whisperings. Let’s be done with ingratitude and power-plays. Instead, let’s fill this place with awareness of others, gratitude for the multitude of blessings we enjoy. Let’s work to become real members of family – here and at home. Fundamental to this is being honest: speaking honestly, living honestly. Fundamental to real participation in a family is love, which is seeking the good of others. And there is no love without the cross. Love requires sacrifice!
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When we were little, animals were our heroes. Animals could be magical. Animals were in-the-know. Animals were precious to us and we loved and protected them. And then something happened and, for many of us, animals became the enemy and we started to abuse them, frighten them, neglect them, and even kill them. But we have a lot to learn from animals. These kittens seem to trust each other. They’re comfortable with each other. What about that? Do I trust people? Do I instill trust? Am I cynical (can’t please a cynic)? Suspicious? When I’m honest, living in the light, grateful, un-burdened with resentment: then I can be comfortable with people!
The Family Foundation School Catholic Community Bulletin
Pauca Verba (a few words)
Now that I’m back from Italy we can soon begin the scripture study of about 6 weeks: Saint Luke, the Good News of God’s Mercy. Time and place yet to be determined. We’ll pull six themes out of Saint Luke’s Gospel which will give us good insight into the teaching of Jesus through Luke, the Evangelist. This will be a wonderful opportunity to get to know Jesus better (God as I understand him.) Yes?
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Hopefully by next week we can begin having Mass on Sunday morning followed by a day of Eucharistic Adoration – students coming up to the chapel in small groups (volunteers) to spend an hour of prayer before Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. The container on the altar during Adoration is called a monstrance – which comes from the Latin word monstrare (to show.) Jesus close to us in a world of alienation, disillusionment, loneliness, doubt.
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Whenever I am in Rome I make a point of finding my way to the Church of San Alessio which is in a relatively quiet neighborhood. There, in a side chapel, is found this very beautiful icon entitled the Madonna dell’intercessione (The Madonna of Intercession.) It dates back to the 13th century! That’s the 1200’s and long before Columbus was even born! The Mother of God is very beautiful – looking at us directly. Do I turn away my gaze and find it hard to look at Her eyes? Or do I return Her gaze, looking back in love, thanks and need? The artist was very thoughtful and generous, giving Our Lady a very lovely brooch of silver and precious stones – a grateful heart no doubt. Her veil is gold embroidered and there are pearls on Her dress and mantle. We don’t have pearls and gold to give. Truth be told She undoubtedly would prefer to receive the gift of trust, love for her Divine Son, acts of mercy and tender kindness towards others. I pray for us all when I visit Her. You pray too!
And here is an aerial view of the monastery where I stayed for two weeks in Italy. It is called the Monastero Dell’Assunta Incoronata (The Monastery of Mary Assumed and Crowned.) The Monks of Bethlehem live here. You can see the little hermitages they each inhabit on tiered levels towards the top of the buildings. I stayed in the little hermitage all alone by itself far over on the right side near the woods. A wild boar came out of the woods one night at 2 A.M. – no doubt looking for something to eat. He snorted around for about half an hour and then went off. I offered Mass at the high altar of the church in the center of the complex and climbed the campanile (bell tower) with Brother Marie Luke. The long side building is a library, refectory (dining room), kitchen and bakery, more space for guests, offices. These monks make beautiful pottery to sustain themselves – but their major work is prayer – alone and together in community. These monks spend about one third of their day in the chapel! Needless to say, it’s very quiet here and one half mile up in the air at the top of the mountain sometimes the monastery is in a cloud. When it rains you are in the place where the thunder originates and where the rain is formed. Monks know that much of what we call “the world” is silly and of useless pursuit. They go apart, not out of hatred for the world, but to live authentic lives of simplicity, community, humility, prayer, hospitality. Monasteries are not about having things and about power. We need monasteries so we don’t forget how to live. The monks are very cordial and generous with women, though women would not stay here for long visits. There is another monastery similar to this, but of nuns, about an hour away near Gubbio. There were nine monks living in this monastery from Italy, Spain, France. Two young men from Chile had just arrived to begin a time of introduction to the monastic life – called a postulancy.
A Few Words