Thérèse de Lisieux - A new classic film - a must see!

My purpose in these posts is to bring a variety of Christian and other writers in a desire to share significant writings that in my estimation contribute to the common good and directly or indirectly give glory to God and extend the Lord's work of salvation to all of humanity. G.S.

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It doesn't happen too often that we can enjoy a film production that is not only beautiful art, but really entertaining, and profoundly meaningful. Well, I had the privilege of seeing one today at an AMC movie theatre here in Chicago - Therese - you'll find a good review at National Review Online. I don't know why, but I wasn't expecting such a powerful production, but I guess I should have known better, and certainly would have if I'd known it was directed by Leonardo Defilippis, whom I first met at Madonna House I think it was in September 1992 or 1993, when I was delighted to watch his one-man performance of John of the Cross. 

You can find out more about Leonardo, the many great productions that are the fruit of his foundaional work and that of the company he started - St. Luke Productions - they have a fine repertoire of live plays they are glad to perform for smaller or larger audiences and with more or less elaborate sets. You can even order their audio and video productions online. We have several of both in our lending library at Becket. 

The grace of the afternoon is that I didn't go alone but went with another priest and three sisters. We were able to share some of our thoughts and emotions afterwards - I had thoroughly drenched my hankie - this is the kind of movie that can really clear your sinuses, unless something inhibits it. It's only as we were chatting afterwards that I found myself saying to some of the teenage theatre crew that the story might actually leave you cold in the sense that it might seem so foreign to what we have come to know and experience of life today in this culture of ours. This occurred to me because of a comment by the homilist at Mass at St. Thomas the Apostle Parish here in Hyde Park this morning - he said that the movie was a little "sweet", but still had a good message. 

As I stood there initiating a chat with the teens, I saw in a flash that I deeply desired to invite them to see it - neither of them had, a boy and a girl - and they seemed indifferent. In the same instant, I realized they might find the film a huge disconnect from the world that they have known until now - both at home and in their society of school, friends, and work, not to mention the marketplace. 

Then I remembered it - the Martin family was unusual even for its own day. Thérèse's parents Louis and Zélie Martin had an incredibly profound spiritual grasp of their faith, relationship with God, and of their Christian vocation. They very deliberately entered into Marriage, so that they attended with exquisite love and tenderness to their children - 5 girls. That's what I told the teens - this was an incredibly sensitive family - perhaps quite different from what we've known, but very precious all the same. 

They seemed intrigued. The movie actually does justice to the kind of home the Martins kept - without the time to also portray the austerity of the era and the relative poverty of the family in comparison to our own lifestyles in the West today - so that in the end, when we watch the movie at face value, we get a fairly good impression of how this family would translate into our own time. 

That's where the gap can hit pretty hard. We could find - if not a disconnect then perhaps a disturbing realization - that our lives are a far cry from this deeply genuine personal love and attentiveness. In the real historical life of the Martin family, the relationships between the parents, between the parents and their girls, and of course among the girls, were characterized by such tenderness and chaste affections that we could find them "sweet" or even unreal. 

Sadly, our "real" world is far from chaste, so far in fact, that we run the risk of becoming jaded, cynical, or at the opposite extreme, so obsessed with pleasures of the flesh as to become almost if not quite incapable of genuine personal intercourse or, if you prefer, authentic personal exchange, honest sharing, trusting openness, and chaste intimacy. 

This family had all these character strengths, modelled and mentored by the parents; so it is not surprising that all 5 girls took their own vocations seriously and pursued what for each of them was the highest ideal of their spirits - religious life. Four entered Carmelite Convent of Lisieux and one entered a convent of the Poor Clares - all contemplatives. They wanted to live the life of a spouse of Christ, literally. How could such a thing happen? Were they forced to it by their parents? Not at all. 

In fact, their parents would have been happy to see them married, as they had done. Simply put, this couple took God so seriously and lived such intense and loving relationships with God and each other as spouses, that their girls learned to discover their own interior life, where God is pleased to dwell with every human being. The art of faith is learning from others, such as parents, how to nurture the desire and gratitude for the gift of faith, and how to discern the presence of God within, and how to respond with honesty, trust, love, and hope. 

This is a movie that would be appropriate even for little children, though they may find it long at points - simply because they may be used to much more action-oriented fare - and there are so many touching scenes that they may also want to cuddle up to their parent or older siblings. By all means, plan to have time before and after to set up the viewing and then be able to share all the feelings, thoughts, and questions that it will have evoked. 

It would also be very wise to pray in advance of planning to go and actually inviting others to go see the movie. This film was made at all points by Christians of deep faith, and I believe that it can easily become a powerful instrument of God's grace, particularly as we entrust ourselves and others to the action of the Holy Spirit in an ongoing way. As the review linked above, this film may be a powerful and very meaningful follow-up for the family to Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ! 

May you have a blessed viewing!

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My purpose in these posts is to help spread the contributions of a variety of Christian and other writers in a desire to share significant writings that in my estimation contribute to the common good and directly or indirectly give glory to God and extend the Lord's work of salvation to all of humanity. G.S.

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© 2004-2021 All rights reserved Fr. Gilles Surprenant, Associate Priest of Madonna House Apostolate & Poustinik, Montreal  QC
© 2004-2021 Tous droits réservés Abbé Gilles Surprenant, Prêtre Associé de Madonna House Apostolate & Poustinik, Montréal QC 

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See the spiritual and live, or ignore it and turn to stone - "Spiritual Development and the Gospel Narratives 4" by John Shea

My purpose in these posts is to bring a variety of Christian and other writers in a desire to share significant writings that in my estimation contribute to the common good and directly or indirectly give glory to God and extend the Lord's work of salvation to all of humanity. G.S.

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These notes are not direct quotes of Professor John Shea's own words, but they are echoes of his words in me as I sit in his evening classes, listen to his lectures, allow his words and the Holy Spirit to move within me and "disturb" me, and allow the Spirit to overflow onto the page in these notes. 

John’s Gospel is always contrasting darkness and light, and he shows us how all-encompassing and important is the world of difference between the human and the divine, the flesh and the spirit. In varying degrees all the Gospels show us that Jesus has no time for the flesh, He doesn’t want to give himself to those who want to remain in the flesh and are content, for example, to take delight in their amazement over the works that Jesus does. John calls them signs rather than miracles or wonders in order to take our attention away from the wonder of it and look rather at what is truly important, the spiritual life, life God offers us to live in union with the Divine Persons, which wants to erupt into the visible and social world and take form as love in presence and service.

It’s not necessary for those who study and interpret the Scriptures to hold that the events retold are only literary fictions in order for there to be masterful artifice in the retelling. Over the years, I've read commentators and exegetes give the impression - at least I was left with the impression - that the only artifice in the Sacred Scriptures was that of the writers and that they exercised literary license at the level of the historicity of the events themselves. I've glad to discover in this course that of course there is also artistry in the telling of the event, the telling of the story if you will, and the story can be a true and historical event as much as it can be a literary creation. What distinguishes the evangelists is that they present themselves as eye witnesses and interviewers or reporters of eye witnesses to Jesus and what He said and did until the time of his passion, death and resurrection.

So, we can consider Nicodemus real, as we find him in John chapter 3, but John shows him in such a way as to demonstrate to us what we are to avoid, the incapacity or unwillingness to grasp the spiritual; so that we might understand Jesus’ teaching and call. We are all capable like the Pharisees of reducing spirituality to a religion of accounting, keeping track of pious practices and condemnable sins, reducing God to the One who rewards and punishes. A true spiritual teacher, Jesus turns that view on its head and declares that God has no interest in keeping accounts and judging, but rather in bestowing Himself in love.

Jesus says of himself and those seized by the Spirit, as John says of his community “we speak of what we know.” Jesus brought about an awakening experience of the Spirit in all who received Him. John – under the impulse of the same Spirit – retells the experience to allow us to enter into it ourselves today. At that time as now, there are those who claim to be able to "go into spiritual realms to consult with spirits, particularly of the dead" and John - as all Scripture writers and prophets - conveys God's deep distaste for this practice. He is our loving Father, and He knows that the only spirits we can get in touch with in such ways are the rebellious spirits or angels - devils or demons - which are not to be trusted. Jesus is the true Gate to Heaven – we must give up trying to manipulate God or Spirit through mediums – we are rather to come to Jesus and let the Spirit lead us where He wills, as He did for Jesus. When our mind is stuck in the flesh, we are like the Israelites who got into trouble with fiery serpents, and Jesus is the One on whom we are to look, because He is the life and healing of God offered to us.

In Jesus’ death He revealed to us that He was born of God not to judge the world but to give life. When we are born of God, we also do what God does; we do not judge but pour ourselves out in love. In Nicodemus, John shows that the judgment happens in our refusal to enter into Spirit. John relates Jesus’ teaching that those who prefer their evil deeds and life in the flesh stay in the dark out of fear of being exposed by the light; so they reject Jesus. The flesh is afraid of the light and considers the spirit dangerous and false – its view is wrong side down and needs to be turned over. It uses the religion of keeping accounts to try to tame or put in a box the frightening mystery of the spiritual. Out of fear and insecurity, out of touch with its own spiritual hunger and incapable of compassion for the spiritual hunger of others, it grabs control of religious practices and keeps others outside the circle of the elect.

Calling to Jesus, believing in his Name, we become open to the power of the Spirit filling Him, and like the apostles in the boat who immediately found themselves on the shore from the storm, we become grounded in Jesus, no longer react to the world out of fear, and are ready to pour love into it. Like Jesus first did, the Gospels call us to realize we are borderland beings living in both the physical and spiritual realms simultaneously, called to live in both but lifted by the Spirit above the constraints and misgivings of the flesh. We are manifestations of God’s love, loved by Him and destined to freely be his instruments and willing servants of his passion to transform creation.

Entering within, we are to go out into the world aware of our union with God and radiant of his life, love and power for the world, always resting in Jesus as John rested in Him and He rested in the Father, drawing upon his grace and seeing the world through his eyes. Union with God is what sustains creation in being. We are called to become Jesus and say with Him to others, “Don’t be afraid.” Moral transformation can come to the world only through those who are transformed in this metaphysical way, becoming new persons, born again of the Spirit. The Gospels and other Scriptures point out this way, theology tries to map it out, but we must walk the path and find our own way, because no one can really do it for us.

to be continued.....

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My purpose in these posts is to help spread the contributions of a variety of Christian and other writers in a desire to share significant writings that in my estimation contribute to the common good and directly or indirectly give glory to God and extend the Lord's work of salvation to all of humanity. G.S.

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© 2004-2021 All rights reserved Fr. Gilles Surprenant, Associate Priest of Madonna House Apostolate & Poustinik, Montreal  QC
© 2004-2021 Tous droits réservés Abbé Gilles Surprenant, Prêtre Associé de Madonna House Apostolate & Poustinik, Montréal QC 

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Seeking security keeps us from the poverty and trust that open us to the union and spirit of Christmas - "Spiritual Development and the Gospel Narratives 3" by John Shea

My purpose in these posts is to bring a variety of Christian and other writers in a desire to share significant writings that in my estimation contribute to the common good and directly or indirectly give glory to God and extend the Lord's work of salvation to all of humanity. G.S.

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As I relabel these blogs, we are approaching Advent and Christmas.... It's November 20, 2006. This particular entry is especially interesting in light of the kind of openness and trust we all understand and long for, sadly forget about most of the year, and joyfully remember again as we approach the mystery of Christmas - the festival surrounding the awesome coming to Earth of a God - the Son of God who came among us a a little child destined to grow up to be a man unlike any other, yet given to us as a gift to reveal to us precisely the kind of men and women we are called and destined to become..... Fr. Gilles All references are from the bibliography of the course Spiritual Development and Gospel Narratives, IPS 414 at the Institute of Pastoral Studies of Loyola University of Chicago, drawn up for the students by Professor John Shea.

In his “Introduction” to The Spiritual Wisdom of the Gospels for Christian Preachers and Teachers John Shea notes that the preoccupations of this culture “with physical need, social standing, and financial security” hinder the openness of the soul to the spiritual dimension of all of life. This is something pastors and preachers already know and struggle with, and we have much to learn from Jesus’ deliberate approach to the people and his ministry to them. We are in our turn to do all we can to allow the Gospels to capture their imagination; so that the Spirit can draw their minds - in awe of Jesus - towards conversion to Spirit, who lone can transform their hearts to receive and then to “release spirit into the world” in their daily lives.

Since I was first offered to go on sabbatical as a gift following on a very difficult assignment of these past ten years, I’ve been taken up by reflections on pastoring in the parish setting. There are so many challenges and expectations coming from bishops, people, and priests ourselves; that it’s difficult to navigate through them with a sense of doing all that is most important and essential to our calling. I have a sense that a lot has been written and said about priesthood, pastoring, and ministry in the parish, but have not found much to help make sense and put order in the priorities. After ordination, we send priests out and hope they will “find their way” through the variables of their own condition, personality, and skills, and of the condition and quality of the faith community in the parish. Because of changing demographics, we have all but lost the system of mentoring which allowed young priests time to learn from older and more experienced priests. In the increasing absence of priestly fraternity, they can suffer isolation.

A good friend who died 5 years ago was epileptic and used to refer with wry humor to the ways his psychologist pathologized his faith. Bob would’ve appreciated this article "A model of spirituality for psychotherapy and other fields of mind-body medicine," in Advances in Mind-Body Medicine (2001) 17, 90-107, by Ruth Cohn Bolletino even more than I do. Her treatment of “the new spirituality” which uncritically takes to itself any and all the latest "new age" or other fads loosely based on claims that a particlar practice or substance is spiritual, healthy or restorative describes the trend as the magical thinking it really is. I welcome her call to psychotherapy and psychiatry to incorporate the spiritual dimension as essential to the whole human person in practice, and value her thesis for its practical applications for ministry today in the Church.

All of life is deeply spiritual in terms of our origin, destiny, and by virtue of our being sustained in existence by God from moment to moment. Our situation as pastors and confessors is different from that of physicians, psychologists, and psychotherapists or counselors who have until now kept themselves "independent" from the spiritual dimension, in that our duty and the expectation of the faithful require that we help them connect with the Gospel and our faith tradition; so that they might then make an informed decision in the conduct of their lives.

It has been a long time since I’ve read anything like The Grand Option, by Beatrice Bruteau, and it brought me back to my college years, when I couldn’t get enough of Teilhard de Chardin, a French priest who was a hybrid theologian and anthropologist. As I read chapter 6, part of me felt like this is wishful, almost magical thinking; yet at another level, I was realizing this convergence thinking is so much in the culture that I’ve actually taken it in and do think that way myself. Bruteau contends that unless humanity enters deeply into the sense of wholeness demonstrated by Jesus, the conflicts and divisions in humanity could very well destroy everyone. Jesus did all He could to bring his listeners to realize that we are all literally connected as one living organism, and embrace the implications by living a life in a new solidarity with everyone else - even enemies.

I couldn’t help but think that the Muslim world is experiencing a convergence of its own, only it is not a full convergence, but in opposition to our western culture and society, which it generally perceives as sensual, decadent, even depraved, and in many ways, we can’t really argue with them. As Church people, our desire for convergence may have begun in earnest in a widespread, popular way, with Pope John XXIII, who was so loved by Jews, Protestant Christians, and people of other religions. Jesus brings us to a much wider belonging than we are accustomed to today or in any generation, which connects with this course’s perspective on Jesus’ call to unending repentance from the mind unenlightened by Spirit that ever seeks to narrow our outlook and action and control our motivation and behaviour.

In “Following Jesus into Faith” from The Journal of Christian Healing (Fall 1988), 21-28 by Beatrice Bruteau, Ph.D., a very bold article, one which does not in any way contradict anything I have come to know, understand, or believe about God, Revelation, and the faith journey. On the contrary, without referring to original sin, she puts in contemporary terms the truth that we are already in union with God, and therefore with others and all of creation. It follows we are only separated from God, others, and creation inasmuch as we have become isolated within selfish, sinful, or fearful preoccupations. The highest good for which we have been given life and are being sustained in life by the Creator and Source of all is this very union. Union is the primary motive of prayer, to let the Holy Spirit draw us ever more fully into perfect union, which ever bursts forth into life-giving action, which she calls manifestation.

Our capacity to actively participate in our union with God is obscured, hindered, damaged, or shut down by our sin, but also by various injuries we come to suffer, until we come to the Lord - often through the help of others and the sacraments - and He forgives, reconciles, and heals us. Because of original sin, our own sinfulness makes us think we are separate from God, like the prodigal son. Conversion is what Beatrice calls insight, and the free decision that follows not to accept this perspective, but to surrender it and embrace the gift of our revealed, gratuitous union with God. Repentance is living aware and grateful that our willingness to accept God’s self-bestowal moment by moment is itself grace, the work of the Spirit within us. Discipleship is “following Jesus into faith”, becoming one with his mind and heart, passing through Him as a door into the Father, the Source of All, and returning through Him, one with his action in the world. The prayer of insight daily lets go the misconception that we are separated from God and seeks to enter into the Center where Jesus and the Father are One, and we are one with them and each other, in the Spirit.

Disorder and disease, pain and fear keep us from holding fast to and deepening our union with God and acting out of it, entrapping us with false beliefs incompatible with the truth revealed by Jesus. Such beliefs may act as operating principles in the world, and they lock our mind in the ways of the world and away from divine wisdom. Beatrice contends that by leaving people in these misconceptions – which engender sin – we “retain” their sins, but if we refuse these false beliefs and send them back to people – thus demonstrating their untruth – we “remit” the sins that are engendered by them. People are then free from falsehood, free to let go of the sins until now generated by their false belief. They can accept the unconditional love of God – his gift of Self – that purifies them with the truth. Jesus brings them and us into his own knowledge of and faith in the Father’s love, where He restores our vision of God and of who we are in his eyes, and then leads us back into the world to see it, love and serve it as He does – with compassion and healing – living in God, never to be separated from Him.

We are held in existence by the ever-flowing Breath of the Father shaped by the Word of the Son, and in faith we correspond to the will of the Father by thinking the truth that comes from Him, seeing it as real around us, will that it actually be, and feel and relate to it as present, without wavering or doubting. I know this as true and it helps me understand more clearly what happened to me in the seminary in 1978. I was visiting the sick at a hospital, entered a room where an elderly man lay apparently dying, his wife and son standing as far from him as they could. Simply responding to inner impulse, I talked with them and slowly moved closer to the bed until I invited them to pray with me for the man. I invited them to lay hands on him with me, and prayed simply with faith and hope. They were grateful, and a few weeks later called me with great joy to invite me for dinner, as he had miraculously recovered and was now back home. I never fully understood what had happened until now. I was not aware of myself but attentive to the others and conscious of being one with the Lord. He was free to do what He wanted, and in this case it was to restore the man, for now, until his appointed time. Since then, I’ve certainly experienced what the author calls the doubting and doubling of the mind, and walking in uncertainty, especially when I'm less in touch with my union with God and more preoccupied about getting from God some particular outcome, such as healing for the sick person..

As Jesus was tempted, so are we, not just for 40 days, but throughout life, to believe the great deception, the great lie which has engendered all the disorder, fear, and sin in humanity. As the Spirit refashions our mind and we put on the mind of Christ, we live in all truth and it sets us free to actually live as children of God and to call others to this truth that there is nothing to fear, because we are spirit, and it can never be injured or killed. I am also flesh, which will suffer and die, but only to be raised up into immortality. What is lost will be restored a hundredfold. Baptism reclaims the mind for God and restores its sight to vision of God in the Spirit to enter in through Jesus to the path of life and walk in it our whole life long. This is the great healing. We are to so enter the mind of Christ that “we are ourselves in direct contact with the love that is God” and know the Father and his love even as Jesus does; no longer needing intermediary manifestations of his love for us.

This is what Jesus revealed when He became poor, and yet the Father still loved Him; cold and hungry, and yet the Father still loved Him; tempted and agonizing over the Father's will, and the Father still loved Him; persecuted and arrested, tortured and dying on the cross, alone, abandoned, and the Father still loved Him. Jesus breaks our misconceptions that when we suffer God has forgotten us or doesn't care. We are to walk on this path as disciples, apprentices under the mastery of Jesus, beginning now to practice doing all that He himself has done and given us to do. Accepting the reality that our spirit within is as formless as the Spirit who sustains us in being, we can be detached of all expectation or preference, and be open to become part of God’s self-manifestation – in sacramental and ordinary moments – drawing all people to Him.

Those who reduce the devil to the tangle of impulses within us that would prevent us from embracing conversion and being transformed deny the truth revealed in the Scriptures. Our inner struggles are very real, but they are not the full picture. I believe all that the Christian tradition professes and acknowledge the reality of the spirit entity referred to as Satan (the accuser) or devil (the one who pulls apart or destroys). Being fully human, Jesus was tempted in every way that we are – the apostles believed this too – and we are all tempted to self-sufficiency, pride, and appetite for privilege, power over others, and preoccupation with our own safety.

However, to make the case that Jesus was human, we don’t need to reduce him to the lowest common denominator of human - He wasn't just tempted at the level of the comfort of his flesh or psychological advantage, his social status, and influence. We believe as Christians that Jesus was primarily tempted to accomplish his very lofty mission with human means, relying on himself and his privileged position, rather than relying on his Father in complete trust. He overcame his temptations by accepting to be weak, like us, which is one reason why Jesus is himself the way we must walk; since we are most definitely weak. It is one reason why we are so encouraged and empowered by his temptations to walk after Him, with Him.

to be continued.....

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My purpose in these posts is to help spread the contributions of a variety of Christian and other writers in a desire to share significant writings that in my estimation contribute to the common good and directly or indirectly give glory to God and extend the Lord's work of salvation to all of humanity. G.S.

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© 2004-2021 All rights reserved Fr. Gilles Surprenant, Associate Priest of Madonna House Apostolate & Poustinik, Montreal  QC
© 2004-2021 Tous droits réservés Abbé Gilles Surprenant, Prêtre Associé de Madonna House Apostolate & Poustinik, Montréal QC 

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Jesus put himself on display to draw us into his faith experience - "Spiritual Development and the Gospel Narratives 2" by John Shea

My purpose in these posts is to bring a variety of Christian and other writers in a desire to share significant writings that in my estimation contribute to the common good and directly or indirectly give glory to God and extend the Lord's work of salvation to all of humanity. G.S.

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This Gospel Narratives course with John Shea is continuing to have a big impact on me, and on the other students as well, I believe. I will search the web to see whether I can find any of the articles he has given us to read, and if I do, I will hot link them into my post, but if not, I can at least give the references so you can find them if you really want to. 

Just from memory, one article talks about how Jesus came so that we might be saved, we believe this, but the Father's will and Jesus' intention is that we should enter into his own faith. He lived his life on display, as it were, at least to his disciples, and the Holy Spirit inspired the Gospels in order that in every generation, time, and place, all who hear the Good News might be drawn into Jesus' life and faith.

To put it differently, Jesus wants us to enter into his Baptism experience and know as He knows that the Father loves us, loves me, and wants to find his pleasure in us / me. The Father's pleasure is that the world might enter into the union He intended human beings to have with Him when He first created us in Adam and Eve - the first man and woman - the first ones to have within them as their constituting identity a spirit, a soul in the image and likeness of God. 

Jesus lived constantly in the insight of his Sonship in his Father, whereas we find it more difficult to abide in that insight, which is one important purpose of prayer for us - to dispose ourselves to be brought back into that insight. At times, we need help, the help and love of others, and especially their forgiveness. That was the whole point of Jesus' parable of the prodigal son. He came back to his father because he was starving, but had forgotten who he was. He had become identified with his failure, with his sin. He had become his sin and had lost who he was in his family and in his family's love. 

So the father immediately called to the servants to rush out with the finest robe and put it on him as well as sandals, that these external signs of his dignity and place in the father's heart and in his family might jolt him back to the reality and insight that he was the beloved son of his father. 

At his Baptism, Jesus disindentified with sin, even though He was without sin, He affirmed his awareness and will of wanting to have nothing to do with sin and remain in his Father's love and will. The gates of heaven opened then not just for Him, but for all of us and for all time. The Father affirmed his love for Jesus and his pleasure in Him come to do his will and restore humanity to the Father's love. 

The Father affirms his love for us as well. So the question is, have we fallen into identifying ourselves with our sin and failure, or do we enter wholeheartedly into our Baptism and disidentify ourselves with sin and identify ourselves with Jesus as sons and daughters of our loving Eternal Father? 

We have only to listen in prayer for his voice affirming his love for us, and like Jesus, be driven into the desert by the Spirit so that we can be tempted and see clearly all the things that we are not - that's what temptations are - things that we are not. Once we reject our temptations, the Spirit leads us back to the society of people, filled with his power. 

As Jesus said, those who believe in Him and are united to Him will do even greater things than He did, because it's really not about results or external manifestations, rather, it's about the Father finding pleasure in our union with Him in Jesus and then being able to think in us, speak through us, and act in us. As St. Paul said, it is no longer we who live, but Christ who lives in us. 

From a Catholic point of view, this is the kind of insight that we want to bring to our celebrations of Penance and Reconciliation, so that everyone there would really want to disidentify with their sin and failure and be reaffirmed in their identity and dignity and freedom to love as sons and daughers of God. 

To be continued.

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My purpose in these posts is to help spread the contributions of a variety of Christian and other writers in a desire to share significant writings that in my estimation contribute to the common good and directly or indirectly give glory to God and extend the Lord's work of salvation to all of humanity. G.S.

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© 2004-2021 All rights reserved Fr. Gilles Surprenant, Associate Priest of Madonna House Apostolate & Poustinik, Montreal  QC
© 2004-2021 Tous droits réservés Abbé Gilles Surprenant, Prêtre Associé de Madonna House Apostolate & Poustinik, Montréal QC 

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The spiritual is not an object, but a process - "Spiritual Development and the Gospel Narratives 1" by John Shea

My purpose in these posts is to bring a variety of Christian and other writers in a desire to share significant writings that in my estimation contribute to the common good and directly or indirectly give glory to God and extend the Lord's work of salvation to all of humanity. G.S.

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Have you ever heard of John Shea, Roman Catholic priest, professor, and storyteller? Among others, he published the books "Stories of God." and "Stories of Faith." I attended the first lecture ten days ago in the course quoted in the title of this post. He skipped this past Wednesday, and I'll resume attending his lectures this week. I was very deeply touched by his first lecture, as he sat in simplicity on a chair before the class and just spoke, using stories at times to help us make some remarkable connections. 

An internal echo of recognition resounded within me at the Professor’s statement that

“we can never see the spiritual dimension; it is not an object, but a process.”

Instantly, these words gathered together all I’ve ever heard and experienced about how important it is for the person on the spiritual journey not to be preoccupied by their own progress or even faith walk, nor by our experience of God. We are to attend to the divine Guest rather than to how we feel in his presence; just as we are to attend to our neighbor more than to how we feel about him or her. 

We are not to entirely ignore our experience; on the contrary, awareness of what we experience allows us to be and to relate to others in truth. It is healthy periodically to take note of where we are on the journey, to take stock of our condition, and to be aware of our relationship with God – as we do on retreat or during a sabbatical experience such as the one I have just begun – so that this realization can in turn elevate us with gratitude to the Lord and bring us back filled with gratitude to the company, intercourse and service of community and society. 

The phrase “transcendent interiority” he quoted from Van Kaam clarifies the ineffable quality of the spiritual dimension as a living process, and the realization that the soul, which is created capable of and intended for communion with both God and other human beings in the Spirit, transcends our soul’s earthly ability to be aware of itself. The journey to true encounter with others – who are different and outside of myself – is most fully realized by a true encounter with the Living God, who is completely Other than me and beyond me, which in turn begins with the journey inwards beyond what I know and control about myself. 

There is within each of us a transcendent interiority, which is our own spirit that by its nature is capable of knowing the One who is the Transcendent Being beyond all knowing. This knowing is not that with which our mind continually busies itself. Many have taught that the mind can hinder the spiritual dimension of our lives, that it tends to draw all things to itself, and all I know about what has been said and written about this can and has left the impression that the mind is more trouble than it is useful. 

On the other hand, we also know and believe, as St. Ambrose said, that our faith seeks understanding, and in this it is the mind which engages our soul in its search. John Shea the Professor calls the mind, antechamber of the psyche, the gatekeeper of the soul. The mind is the key player in opening the soul to Spirit, where it can drink deeply

“from the well of the Spirit and bring back spirit into the world.” 

Conversely, a closed mind causes a hard heart, “frozen, cut off, stuck in ideas closed to life.” Again, it rang true and I found it so enlightening to hear that 

“the mind clings to ideas that keep it from life…. Sometimes we cling so much to what we think is the truth that when truth comes knocking we refuse to open the door. The mind does this without our permission.” 

I’ve never heard it put so strongly or clearly that “the mind” - that is, the mind without love, without the guidance and wisdom of the Spirit - tends to remain closed and narrow, lulls us to sleep to miss life and miss the encounter with the Living God and our neighbor. 

“It only becomes ‘my mind’ once I love it from deeper within and soften it with spirit I receive” 

and functions in my awareness. That sheds so much light on the Gospels 

“as spiritual wisdom that can open the mind to Spirit and then … release spirit into the world.” 

I’ve always been amazed at Jesus preaching or denouncing, but leaving everyone free to draw their own conclusions and act upon them. Appealing to their minds, he preached that they might open themselves through the wisdom He offered to the source of Spirit, and wasted no time 

“going after what was wrong…. We don’t occasionally repent; we are repentance, because our mind is in a constant state of needing to be changed.” 

When the heart softens the mind and it opens up to wisdom, it allows us to go in and drink from the wellspring of Spirit Jesus said wells up to eternal life within those who worship in spirit and truth. We must cling to the Gospel, to wisdom. So far these impressions are formed in abstract language, and it probably reads as pretty dry, well, in many ways it is. 

 As I continue to relate what's happening in this course, it will become more practical and concrete, and I'm really excited about the possibilities. The point of this course is to try to learn how to preach and teach the Gospels in the same way Jesus did, that is, to invite the mind to open the soul up to the Spirit. 

To be continued.

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My purpose in these posts is to help spread the contributions of a variety of Christian and other writers in a desire to share significant writings that in my estimation contribute to the common good and directly or indirectly give glory to God and extend the Lord's work of salvation to all of humanity. G.S.

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© 2004-2021 All rights reserved Fr. Gilles Surprenant, Associate Priest of Madonna House Apostolate & Poustinik, Montreal  QC
© 2004-2021 Tous droits réservés Abbé Gilles Surprenant, Prêtre Associé de Madonna House Apostolate & Poustinik, Montréal QC 

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How to resist the pressures of the onslaught: "The Son of Man is master even of the Sabbath." Life calls us to live fully and open up to community & cooperation.

My purpose in these posts is to bring a variety of Christian and other writers in a desire to share significant writings that in my estimation contribute to the common good and directly or indirectly give glory to God and extend the Lord's work of salvation to all of humanity. G.S.

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In the middle of this 3rd week on sabbatical, realizing it's the end of the day and 11 days since my last post, I'm so glad to recall this declaration by Jesus. It expresses the space I find myself in at this very moment. You see, I wrote the last post from a wonderful awareness of grace and was filled with gratitude. I can now sense, yes, that grace is still there; however, on the surface, much else is clamoring for attention. Isn't that so often the case, that we are conscious of the essence of life - where our soul really is and is content to be - all the while some not so quiet breezes, if not tropical storms, thrash about on the surface, possibly dividing our mind and maybe even our heart. 

For me, it has been the intensity of the orientation week or 10 days, meanwhile attending to such details as having my door lock fixed (1 week), shopping for breakfast foods once I realized what they have here just won't satisfy my organism's needs (the first few days), giving in and getting a US cell phone for emergencies and my family (you don't want to know how much), picking up some beer and snack foods once I learned that we're responsible for our own and what's in the fridge is for our community social on Thursdays (second week), finally getting my bicycle out for some air and exercise (end of 1st week), clarifying with the Catholic Theological Union Registrar how I was going to get registered for a course at one of the Association of Chicago Theological Schools at Loyola University of Chicago Institute for Pastoral Studies and then going downtown by car for the first time just to see where the Loyola Water Tower Campus is and then a second time for the first class (my second week here) in Gospel Narratives by John Shea (the priest who wrote "Stories of Faith" and "Stories of God" - more about Fr. John and the course in a future posting. 

I just love the course and am delighted I signed up for it. I immediately went shopping for the 3 books required by the professor at the university bookstore (surge of memories from my university days gone by....), got home, and over the next few days put the package of photocopied articles he gave us in order and began reading the current assignments. One of the sisters, on hearing about it, asked to have regular reports; so we just may have a little periodic "reading group" where I might relate some of what I'm hearing and reading and learning - no preparation of course - I'm not here to work or get into that efficiency mode, but to rest and be renewed. 

Talking about it though would help me process what I'm learning and contribute to my overall sabbatical experience and renewal. That isn't all of the whirlwind I've been in! The first 2 weeks, we had wonderful weather with nights at around 70 degrees and days around 84. I was out on the bicycle 3 or 4 times, the last being on Saturday, when I went downtown (ca. 20 km round trip) - my longest ride in probably two years! I think I let my enthusiasm push a little too hard, and coming back in a cool breeze, felt a little sensitive and tired the next few days; so I rested. 

Then 2 nights ago, the air temp plummeted, and my 8th floor room with a view seeing the lakefront to the right, downtown to the north straight ahead, and the city stretching to the left felt like a wind tunnel. A strong wind outside was blowing air in through the air conditioner; so I just had to take it out of the window, only to find the window was broken and already out of its track on one side.... We're having it looked into, but everyone else seems to be happy with open windows and doors; needless to say my body has been feeling "under siege" by drafts. 

Thankfully I came fully equipped and packed so I believe I'm getting the better of it, for now! There's more! Some of our African brothers and sisters are here on a very tight budget, if they have any money at all. I have been deeply touched by them, they are really good and authentic people; so it seemed natural for me - in the course of conversation - to invite one of the priests along with me on a drive. We got memberships at the Athletic Center (brand new) at Chicago University, began to look into his desire to continue his studies after the sabbatical in the area of Clinical Pastoral Education, and then went shopping for swim trunks and sandals for him. His heartfelt and profound gratitude made my day! Christian community is really beginning to happen here as we open up to one another.

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My purpose in these posts is to help spread the contributions of a variety of Christian and other writers in a desire to share significant writings that in my estimation contribute to the common good and directly or indirectly give glory to God and extend the Lord's work of salvation to all of humanity. G.S.

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© 2004-2021 All rights reserved Fr. Gilles Surprenant, Associate Priest of Madonna House Apostolate & Poustinik, Montreal  QC
© 2004-2021 Tous droits réservés Abbé Gilles Surprenant, Prêtre Associé de Madonna House Apostolate & Poustinik, Montréal QC 

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Trapped by time? Get free by giving one day a week to God: the Sabbath / Lord's Day is a gift from God - as are sabbatical rests

My purpose in these posts is to bring a variety of Christian and other writers in a desire to share significant writings that in my estimation contribute to the common good and directly or indirectly give glory to God and extend the Lord's work of salvation to all of humanity. G.S.

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I am so grateful to have discovered the wonder, beauty, and power of the Sabbath 14 years ago at our Fall Priests' Retreat given by Fr. William McNamara, o.c.d., and Sr. Sharon Doyle, both formerly of the Spiritual Life Institute of America. Their respect for the Jewish faith and religious/cultural tradition allowed us to discover the gift of the Sabbath, which God entrusted to Israel as custodians for the benefit of humanity. 

To put it simply, God - who is infinite and "outside of time" - created us to live, for now, within time. The original sin of Adam and Eve - whoever those first human beings were - was a break in the relationship of trust and intimacy they had enjoyed with God until the time of their rebellion. It was being in communion with God their Creator that kept them in a wonderful state of freedom to live among all the other creatures without losing the true sense of who they were. 

Once they broke trust with God, their safety net was broken, as it were, and all of creation - even good things - became potentially dangerous for them. Like many native peoples, they appreciated every creature and respected it, recognizing its link with the Creator. After their fall, however, they began to lose sight of the dignity of worth of each creature, and could fall into using it without respect for it and without remembering from whom it came. They became subject to inner attitudes and feelings such as insecurity, fear, acquisitiveness, greed, and anger. 

Even time became a threat and remains dangerous for human beings to this day. The more we try to control time, the more we end up trapped by it. In his mercy, God gave to his Chosen People in the desert, through Moses, the Ten Commandments (see the Books of Exodus and Deuteronomy in the Torah/Law part of the Bible, in the beginning). God said to the people then and He says to us now, "Listen. I have given you seven days. You may work six days, but you must not work on the seventh day (Sabbath). The Sabbath belongs to Me. Give it back to me, and my blessing will be upon you, and you will not fall under the power of time. 

Observe the Sabbath rest by taking time to worship Me with your family and your people, and then spend the rest of the day in My presence: discussing all that I have done for you, studying my Word to you, delighting in my love and mercy upon you, and celebrating with joy the life that I am giving to you in peace, quiet, mirth, and festivity with your family and friends. Do this, and you shall live. Fail to do it, and you will find yourself living a half life, living to work, a slave of time." 

In the same way that the week has its Sabbath rest on the seventh day, which Jews observe on Saturday (which comes from the word Sabbath), and Christians observe on Sunday, the day on which Jesus rose from the dead and the Holy Spirit descended upon the apostles and disciples; so too the year has its Sabbath at Passover for Jews and Holy Week for Christians. Our years or lives also call for a Sabbath rest, which we can observe by going on retreat once a year for a week or weekend, and for a longer retreat every so often - after 5, or 7, or 10 years. 

We can listen to the promptings of the Holy Spirit within us, or observe the signs in our body, mind, psyche, and soul, and become aware of our need to pause, be still, rest, and get back in touch with the roots and source of our lives; in order to clear the soil of our lives from the brambles and thorns that have grown up over the years and now hinder the growth of the good seen God plants within us. 

Even in the workplace and marketplace the concept of sabbatical not only exists but is valued and practiced. University professors consider the opportunity to go on sabbatical as an honor and a prize, and often use the time to go to a prestigious center of learning or field work and produce an article, book, or study for publication. People in the medical or other professions use the time to get themselves updated to current developments in their field, while also enjoying the time through rest and recreation. 

When they can, professionals bring their families with them on sabbatical, and the adventure becomes an opportunity for the whole family to be renewed and rest. I make this post from Chicago, where I am just beginning a sabbatical rest of just under four months. There are 22 other participants here from all over the world: from Nigeria (1 priest and 1 sister), Ghana (2 priests), U.S.A. (5 priests, 3 sisters, & 1 brother), Rwanda (1 priest), Ireland (1 priest missionary in the U.S.A.), Ontario (1 priest), Germany (1 priest), Tahiti (1 French missionary priest), Tanzania (1 priest), South Africa (1 priest from Uganda), France (1 Nigerian missionary sister), and Sri Lanka (1 sister), and myself. 

Since Friday, we have been giving each other - in a large group - a 30-minute sketch of our lives; so that we may come to know one another better and enter into an experience of community with one another. Of course, this means that rather than only have a few professors and other speakers address us - which will also happen - we also have this wealth of human experience of faith and struggle, from which we are already learning a great deal. 

I already feel myself filling with gratitude for the great gift and privilege of having entered into this sabbatical experience. It is a sacred time, a time for stillness and prayer, for sharing and reflection, for reading and study, a time to be renewed and refreshed, and to rediscover a balance of life. 

"Lord, I thank You for this time of grace from your merciful providence, and I ask your kind blessing on all those people who have in any way made it possible for me to be here, or who now support me in any way and especially through prayer. May this holy sabbatical become an instrument of your blessing and grace for them as much as for me and for my companions that You have assembled in this place. May You be known, blessed, and loved, now and always and forever and ever. Amen."

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My purpose in these posts is to help spread the contributions of a variety of Christian and other writers in a desire to share significant writings that in my estimation contribute to the common good and directly or indirectly give glory to God and extend the Lord's work of salvation to all of humanity. G.S.

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© 2004-2021 All rights reserved Fr. Gilles Surprenant, Associate Priest of Madonna House Apostolate & Poustinik, Montreal  QC
© 2004-2021 Tous droits réservés Abbé Gilles Surprenant, Prêtre Associé de Madonna House Apostolate & Poustinik, Montréal QC 

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Let the secret out: Canadian Catholic women are very strong: Feminine Corporate Power

My purpose in these posts is to bring a variety of Christian and other writers in a desire to share significant writings that in my estimation contribute to the common good and directly or indirectly give glory to God and extend the Lord's work of salvation to all of humanity. G.S.

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This week has been a real eye-opener, no mistake, for me as I participate in the 84th Annual National Convention of the Catholic Women's League of Canada in London, Ontario. Oh, I've known about the League for decades, but I realize now that I didn't really know the League. The realization kind of sneaked up on me, as I arrived and observed an ever wider range of women with different appearance, personality, education, competence, experience, age, and so on. 

I came on the train with a group of women from the Montreal Archdiocesan Council and other neighboring dioceses, and on arrival we were met by a not quite middle-aged woman with the appearance of a body builder. I discretely asked her, after a few minutes of chatting, whether she might be a farmer or athelete. She gladly admitted to being a farmer now, and had been an athlete in her youth. Well, that was just the beginning. 

At a meeting of Spiritual Advisors, mostly priests and a few bishops and religious women, we discovered that the legislative resolutions that the League puts together, votes on at these conventions, and presents to the various levels of government in Canada, tend to be the kind of ground breaking stuff that finds its way into federal and provincial legislation and services as far as ten or more years later. 

It seems that the League is leading the way, by carefully researching issues that are raised by women who deal with those issues directly. The input of intelligent, resourceful, and deeply committed and involved women across Canada turns out to be a resource that even Cabinel ministers ignore at their own political peril! 

What an amazing service that these women render to their sisters and to all of us in this land! I never realized that it was possible in Canada for ordinary people, and women, to have such a strong voice and position from which to lobby our political process. Some words I spontaneously said to the Montreal Archdiocesan Council a few months ago are turning out to be truer than even I had dreamed: the CWL is perhaps one of our Canadian Church's best kept secrets. Well it's time we get the secret out!

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My purpose in these posts is to help spread the contributions of a variety of Christian and other writers in a desire to share significant writings that in my estimation contribute to the common good and directly or indirectly give glory to God and extend the Lord's work of salvation to all of humanity. G.S.

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© 2004-2021 All rights reserved Fr. Gilles Surprenant, Associate Priest of Madonna House Apostolate & Poustinik, Montreal  QC
© 2004-2021 Tous droits réservés Abbé Gilles Surprenant, Prêtre Associé de Madonna House Apostolate & Poustinik, Montréal QC 

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Mr Bush: we treated all native people like the renegades who attacked us and almost wiped them all out. Then, Viet-Nam, Iraq... who's next?

My purpose in these posts is to bring a variety of Christian and other writers in a desire to share significant writings that in my estimation contribute to the common good and directly or indirectly give glory to God and extend the Lord's work of salvation to all of humanity. G.S.

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Once again this week, I caught a glimpse of President Bush addressing his nation, and anyone else who would listen in, assuring them of his resolve to continue fighting against terrorism. Suddenly, there was a click inside me, and I caught sight of an eerie parallel between this resolve today to rally against these perceived threats coming from Islamic countries and the resolve of American colonists to resist the "red terror" of the American Aboriginal peoples. If I had the opportunity, I'd suggest to President Bush that he might draw great benefit from considering the real possibility he might be pushing his great nation today into the same narrow and ignorant path taken by his predecessors some 2 or more centuries ago when, from an instinct of self-preservation, they misread the culture and civilization of the native peoples - wrote them off as "savages" - and proceeded towards their systematic extinction. 

Today, our more enlightened scientific community has revealed to us that these peoples not only lived but even prospered here for millennia, understanding in great detail the workings of their environment, and living in such a way as to do the least possible damage to it. They succeeded so well that archeologists find relatively few traces of their passage here over time. Even from a cultural point of view, North American Aboriginal Peoples developed intriguingly successful societies, wherein there was relatively little poverty, and a highly developed moral and ethical code of conduct. 

We came to understand the Native Peoples very late, almost too late, in fact we were too late for some tribes that are all but extinct. Our ignorance continued as long as we had any reason to fear them, denying our complicity in driving them away from their ancestral lands and literally robbing them of sustenance and of life itself. We came and took everything away from them, deluding ourselves that we were doing it for their own good. 

Then, when they tried to defend themselves, we said, "You see, these are violent and dangerous people." and thought ourselves justified in speeding up our "ethnic cleansing" solution. Mr. President, are we not today making the same mistake of misunderstanding the civilization and culture of Islam? 

How many times now have we heard people who know the Islamic nations say that these peoples are experiencing - as entire peoples - desperation at the invasion of our western culture and values into their societies? They experience our socially institutionalized greed and unfettered freedom from moral norms and modesty as depraved, as an intrusion and even as an invasion, which they sense as a great violation. Our way of living violates them, and they don't know how to protect themselves from us. 

It is, at least in part, this desperation that is driving otherwise perfectly rational, intelligent, and educated people of all ages to become suicide bombers. Granted, this is not the kind of solution we ourselves - if we were in their shoes - might come to, but simply because we don't fathom such a strategy does not of itself make it insane. Cultural norms are relatively fluid, and people are sane and normal when they situate themselves squarely within the parameters of their own culture and society. 

I certainly don't condone these violent strategies, but in this reflection, I am simply begging the question: Would it not be both possible and desirable for us to try to better understand Islamic society and culture, and the various ethnic peoples who live and believe Islam, and to enhance our lines of communication with them with the deliberate and openly stated intention of seeking mutual understanding? 

Rallying behind the battlecry of zero tolerance for terrorism may be having the unfortunate side effect of treating entire societies as terrorists simply because we don't understand them, much as we did with the "Red Indians" 2 or 3 centuries ago, only this time, instead of us almost wiping out the native peoples of this land, we might find ourselves stirring up a quarter of humanity against us by pushing Islam as a whole over the edge and driving them to unite in self-defense against our intrusive globalizing, amoral culture and our irrational and monolithic understanding and policies with regards to Islam and Islamic nations.

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My purpose in these posts is to help spread the contributions of a variety of Christian and other writers in a desire to share significant writings that in my estimation contribute to the common good and directly or indirectly give glory to God and extend the Lord's work of salvation to all of humanity. G.S.

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© 2004-2021 All rights reserved Fr. Gilles Surprenant, Associate Priest of Madonna House Apostolate & Poustinik, Montreal  QC
© 2004-2021 Tous droits réservés Abbé Gilles Surprenant, Prêtre Associé de Madonna House Apostolate & Poustinik, Montréal QC 

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