Photo: Fall Purples

 

Prayer: Prayer for the Grace to Age Well, by Pierre Teilard de Chardin, from "The Divine Milieu"

When the signs of age begin to mark my body,
and still more when they touch my mind;
When the illness that is to diminish me or carry me off
strikes from without
or is born within me;
When the painful moment comes to which I suddenly
awaken to the fact that I am growing ill
or growing old; and
Above all at the last moment when I feel I am losing hold of myself and am absolutely passive
within the hands of the great unknown forces that have formed me,
In all these dark moments, 0 God,
Grant that I may understand that it is you—
provided only my faith is strong enough—
who is painfully parting the fibres of my being
in order to penetrate to the very
marrow of my substance and bear me away within yourself.

Intended Discipleship: The Twenty-Ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time 2024

                                                         Intended Discipleship:

The Twenty-Ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time 2024

October 20, 2024

www.johnpredmoresj.com | predmore.blogspot.com

predmoresj@yahoo.com | 617.510.9673

Isaiah 53:10-11; Psalm 33; Hebrews 4:14-16; Mark 10:35-45

 

James and John, along with Peter, formed the inner circle of the Twelve, and they should have known the way of Jesus best of all. Jesus expressed alarmed when they boldly spoke their request because it went against everything that Jesus taught. Repeatedly, Jesus clarified that discipleship meant to care appropriately for others and, as the first reading says, in some cases, to lay down one’s life for another. Discipleship is not an elevated state of being, but one that requires sacrifice of what one holds dear.

 

The other ten disciples were annoyed with James and John’s request for status. It shows us that even in the earliest forms of church ministry, clericalism, elitism, and honor seeking were dangers to avoid. Pope Francis has made it clear that he resents clericalism and rigorism, and he is teaching that ministry is about rugged, down-and-dirty service. To quote the Pope in his 2013 address to new priests, he said, “I wish you to be shepherds with 'the smell of the sheep.'" Pastors should be “people capable of living, of laughing and crying with your people, in a word, of communicating with them.” He continued, “Strip yourselves of your pre-constituted ideas, your dreams of greatness, your self-assertion, in order to put God and people at the center of your daily concerns.”

 

The church collectively has safeguarded its perception of its identity. For centuries, church authorities operated in ways to control the spontaneity and vitality of the spiritual life. It created the Inquisition and the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith to guard the orthodoxy of creeds and the expressions of belief. It silenced theologians, restricted minority voices, and disciplined the moral lives of the faithful. Historically, it lorded over those they were sent to serve. When any institution clamps down on its principles, the voices of the squashed become heard in different ways. Today, spirituality evades the control of church regulations and so much good ministry is being done by well-trained ministers and people of goodwill that reflect the teaching of Jesus. 

 

If you look at religion in an unconventional way you will see that expressions of Christian faith are blossoming. While in some areas, church attendance is down, and many people are studying Scripture, reflecting upon the intersection of faith and science, and faith and culture. Spirituality remains an underestimated power, and it is surging in unexpected ways. Faith is often expressed in service to others. Spirituality still exists with those who are done with institutions like the church and among non-believers. Spirituality gives passion, vitality, and ardor to the faith. People are still seeking the good, beauty, and the truth, even if they do not know to call those virtues “God.” We church ministers must be attentive to the striving and seeking while kindling the flames that light other fires. Perhaps, we need to turn our focus away from religion to spiritualty and listen to the inspirations that people are experiencing. This then becomes a church that is integrated with the people, a church the laughs and cries together, a church that journeys through the hard times together, a church that encourages and consoles. This is a fertile field because God is in our midst – just in ways we have not expected.

 

Being a disciple of Jesus means entering into the chaos of another person’s life and bothering to care about them. It is simply spending time with someone and making deeper connections to learn more about the person. Just showing up is an act of love; listening to one’s story is mercy in action. Making the person feel welcome and helping one to belong is a divine act, for that is what God does. God chooses to be with us. God gazes upon us in wonder and admiration. Gazing upon another person meaningfully, without judgments, and loving one another just a little bit more, just as the person is right now, is a life-giving, life-sustaining gift. Simply being together because you like the other person is profound. This is stripped-down discipleship – that reveals the heart of God.

 

Scripture for Daily Mass

Monday: (Ephesians 2) You were dead in your transgressions and sins in which you once lived following the age of this world, following the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the disobedient.

 

Tuesday: (Ephesians 2) You were at that time without Christ, alienated from the community of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, without hope and without God in the world.

 

Wednesday: (Ephesians 3) When you read this you can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to human beings in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy Apostles and prophets by the Spirit, that the Gentiles are coheirs, members of the same Body, and copartners in the promise in Christ Jesus through the Gospel.

 

Thursday: (Ephesians 3) I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that he may grant you in accord with the riches of his glory 
to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inner self, and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.

 

Friday (Ephesians 4) I, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to live in a manner worthy of the call you have received, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another through love, striving to preserve the unity of the spirit through the bond of peace.

 

Saturday (Ephesians 4) Grace was given to each of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. Therefore, it says: He ascended on high and took prisoners captive; he gave gifts to men.

 

Gospel: 

Monday: (Luke 12) Someone in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, tell my brother to share the inheritance with me.” He replied to him, “Friend, who appointed me as your judge and arbitrator?”

 

Tuesday: (Luke 12) Gird your loins and light your lamps and be like servants who await their master’s return from a wedding, ready to open immediately when he comes and knocks. Blessed are those servants whom the master finds vigilant on his arrival.

 

Wednesday (Luke 12) Be sure of this: if the master of the house had known the hour
when the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. You also must be prepared or at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.

 

Thursday (Luke 12) I have come to set the earth on fire, and how I wish it were already blazing! There is a baptism with which I must be baptized, and how great is my anguish until it is accomplished!

 

Friday (Luke 12) Why do you not judge for yourselves what is right? If you are to go with your opponent before a magistrate, make an effort to settle the matter on the way.

 

Saturday (Luke 13) Some people told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with the blood of their sacrifices. He said to them in reply, “Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way they were greater sinners than all other Galileans?

 

Saints of the Week

 

October 20: Paul of the Cross, priest (1694-1775), founded the Passionists in 1747. He had a boyhood call that propelled him into a life of austerity and prayer. After receiving several visions, he began to preach missions throughout Italy that mostly focused upon the Passion of the Lord. After his death, a congregation for nuns was begun. 

 

October 23: John of Capistrano, priest, had a vision of Francis of Assisi when he was imprisoned during an Italian civil war at which time he was the governor of Perugia. He entered the Franciscan Friars Minor in 1415 after ending his marriage. He preached missions throughout Europe including a mission to Hungary to preach a crusade against the Turks. After the Christian victory at the Battle of Belgrade in 1456, John died. 

 

October 24: Anthony Claret, bishop (1807-1870) adopted his father's weaving career as a young man but continued to study Latin and printing. After entering seminary, he began preaching retreats and giving missions. He published and distributed religious literature and founded the Missionary Sons of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. He was appointed archbishop of Cuba but was called back to Spain to be Queen Isabella II's confessor. He resumed publishing until the revolution of 1868 sent him into exile. 

 

This Week in Jesuit History

 

• October 20, 1763: In a pastoral letter read in all his churches, the Archbishop of Paris expressed his bitter regret at the suppression of the Society in France. He described it as a veritable calamity for his country. 
• October 21, 1568: Fr. Robert Parsons was elected Fellow of Balliol College, Oxford. He resigned his Fellowship in 1574. 
• October 22, 1870: In France, Garibaldi and his men drove the Jesuits from the Colleges of Dole and Mont Roland. 
• October 23, 1767: The Jesuits who had been kept prisoners in their college in Santiago, Chile, for almost two months were led forth to exile. In all 360 Jesuits of the Chile Province were shipped to Europe as exiles. 
• October 24, 1759: 133 members of the Society, banished from Portugal and put ashore at Civita Vecchia, were most kindly received by Clement XIII and by the religious communities, especially the Dominicans. 
• October 25, 1567. St Stanislaus Kostka arrived in Rome and was admitted into the Society by St Francis Borgia. 
• October 26, 1546. The Province of Portugal was established as the first province in the Society, with Simao Rodriguez as its first provincial superior.

Discipulado previsto: Vigésimo noveno domingo del tiempo ordinario 2024

 Discipulado previsto:

Vigésimo noveno domingo del tiempo ordinario 2024

20 de octubre de 2024

www.johnpredmoresj.com | predmore.blogspot.com

predmoresj@yahoo.com | 617.510.9673

Isaías 53:10-11; Salmo 33; Hebreos 4:14-16; Marcos 10:35-45

 

Santiago y Juan, junto con Pedro, formaban el círculo íntimo de los Doce, y ellos eran los que mejor conocían el camino de Jesús. Jesús se alarmó cuando ellos expresaron con valentía su petición, porque iba en contra de todo lo que Jesús enseñaba. En repetidas ocasiones, Jesús aclaró que el discipulado significaba cuidar apropiadamente a los demás y, como dice la primera lectura, en algunos casos, dar la vida por otro. El discipulado no es un estado elevado del ser, sino uno que requiere el sacrificio de lo que uno aprecia.

 

Los otros diez discípulos se sintieron molestos por la petición de Santiago y Juan de tener un estatus social. Esto nos muestra que incluso en las primeras formas de ministerio eclesial, el clericalismo, el elitismo y la búsqueda de honores eran peligros que había que evitar. El Papa Francisco ha dejado claro que resiente el clericalismo y el rigorismo, y está enseñando que el ministerio consiste en un servicio duro y sencillo. Para citar al Papa en su discurso de 2013 a los nuevos sacerdotes, dijo: “Deseo que seáis pastores con ‘olor a oveja’”. Los pastores deben ser “personas capaces de vivir, de reír y llorar con su pueblo, en una palabra, de comunicarse con ellos”. Continuó: “Despojaos de vuestras ideas preconstituidas, de vuestros sueños de grandeza, de vuestra autoafirmación, para poner a Dios y a las personas en el centro de vuestras preocupaciones diarias”.

 

La Iglesia, en conjunto, ha salvaguardado la percepción que tiene de su identidad. Durante siglos, las autoridades eclesiásticas actuaron de forma que se controlara la espontaneidad y la vitalidad de la vida espiritual. Crearon la Inquisición y la Congregación para la Doctrina de la Fe para proteger la ortodoxia de los credos y las expresiones de la fe. Silenciaron a los teólogos, restringieron las voces de las minorías y disciplinaron la vida moral de los fieles. Históricamente, se enseñorearon de aquellos a quienes fueron enviadas a servir. Cuando una institución reprime sus principios, las voces de los oprimidos se escuchan de diferentes maneras. Hoy, la espiritualidad evade el control de las normas eclesiásticas y tantos ministerios buenos están siendo realizados por ministros bien capacitados y personas de buena voluntad que reflejan la enseñanza de Jesús.

 

Si se mira la religión de una manera no convencional, se verá que las expresiones de la fe cristiana están floreciendo. Mientras que en algunas zonas la asistencia a la iglesia ha disminuido, y muchas personas están estudiando las Escrituras, reflexionando sobre la intersección de la fe y la ciencia, y la fe y la cultura, la espiritualidad sigue siendo un poder subestimado, y está surgiendo de maneras inesperadas. La fe se expresa a menudo en el servicio a los demás. La espiritualidad todavía existe entre aquellos que han terminado con instituciones como la iglesia y entre los no creyentes. La espiritualidad da pasión, vitalidad y ardor a la fe. La gente sigue buscando el bien, la belleza y la verdad, incluso si no saben llamar a esas virtudes “Dios”. Nosotros, ministros de la iglesia, debemos estar atentos a la lucha y la búsqueda mientras encendemos las llamas que encienden otros fuegos. Tal vez, necesitamos desviar nuestra atención de la religión hacia la espiritualidad y escuchar las inspiraciones que la gente está experimentando. Esta se convierte entonces en una iglesia que se integra con el pueblo, una iglesia que ríe y llora junta, una iglesia que atraviesa juntas los momentos difíciles, una iglesia que anima y consuela. Este es un campo fértil porque Dios está en medio de nosotros, sólo que de maneras que no esperábamos.

 

Ser discípulo de Jesús significa entrar en el caos de la vida de otra persona y preocuparse por ella. Es simplemente pasar tiempo con alguien y establecer conexiones más profundas para aprender más sobre esa persona. El simple hecho de presentarse es un acto de amor; escuchar la historia de alguien es misericordia en acción. Hacer que la persona se sienta bienvenida y ayudar a que uno se sienta parte de ella es un acto divino, porque eso es lo que hace Dios. Dios elige estar con nosotros. Dios nos mira con asombro y admiración. Mirar a otra persona de manera significativa, sin juzgar, y amarnos un poco más, tal como es la persona en este momento, es un regalo que da vida y la sustenta. Simplemente estar juntos porque te gusta la otra persona es algo profundo. Este es el discipulado despojado de todo, que revela el corazón de Dios.

 

Escritura para la misa diaria

Lunes: (Efesios 2 ) En otro tiempo vosotros estabais muertos en vuestros delitos y pecados, conforme a la época de este mundo, conforme al príncipe de la potestad del aire, el espíritu que ahora opera en los desobedientes.

 

Martes: (Efesios 2 ) Ustedes estaban en ese tiempo sin Cristo, alejados de la comunidad de Israel y ajenos a los pactos de la promesa, sin esperanza y sin Dios en el mundo.

 

Miércoles: (Efesios 3 ) Al leer esto, podrán entender mi comprensión del misterio de Cristo, que en otras generaciones no se dio a conocer a los seres humanos, como ahora ha sido revelado a sus santos apóstoles y profetas por el Espíritu: que los gentiles son coherederos y miembros del mismo Cuerpo y copartícipes de la promesa en Cristo Jesús mediante el Evangelio.

 

Jueves: (Efesios 3 ) Me arrodillo ante el Padre, de quien toma nombre toda familia en los cielos y en la tierra, para que os conceda, conforme a las riquezas de su gloria, 
ser fortalecidos con poder en el hombre interior por su Espíritu, y que Cristo habite por la fe en vuestros corazones.

 

Viernes (Efesios 4 ) Yo, preso en el Señor, os ruego que andéis como es digno del llamamiento que habéis recibido, con toda humildad y mansedumbre, soportándoos con paciencia los unos a los otros en el amor, solícitos en preservar la unidad del espíritu en el vínculo de la paz.

 

Sábado ( Efesios 4 ) A cada uno de nosotros se nos dio la gracia conforme a la medida del don de Cristo. Por eso dice: Subió a lo alto y tomó prisioneros; dio dones a los hombres.

 

Evangelio:

Lunes: (Lucas 12) Alguien de la multitud le dijo a Jesús: “Maestro, dile a mi hermano que comparta conmigo la herencia”. Él le respondió: “Amigo, ¿quién me ha nombrado tu juez y árbitro?”

 

Martes: (Lucas 12 ) Ceñid vuestros lomos y encended vuestras lámparas y sed como siervos que esperan el regreso de su señor de una boda, listos para abrir inmediatamente cuando él llegue y llame. Bienaventurados aquellos siervos a quienes el señor encuentra vigilantes a su llegada.

 

Miércoles (Lucas 12 ) Tenedlo presente: si el dueño de casa supiera a qué hora 
viene el ladrón, no dejaría que entraran a robar en su casa. También vosotros debéis estar preparados, porque a la hora que no esperáis, vendrá el Hijo del Hombre.

 

Jueves (Lucas 12 ) ¡He venido a poner fuego en la tierra, y cómo quisiera que ya estuviera ardiendo! Hay un bautismo con el que debo ser bautizado, ¡y qué grande es mi angustia hasta que se cumpla!

 

Viernes (Lucas 12 ) ¿Por qué no juzgáis vosotros mismos lo que es justo? Si tenéis que ir con vuestro adversario ante un magistrado, esforzaos por arreglar el asunto en el camino.

 

Sábado (Lucas 13 ) Algunas personas le contaron a Jesús acerca de los galileos cuya sangre Pilato había mezclado con la sangre de sus sacrificios. Él les respondió: “¿Pensáis que, por haber sufrido así, estos galileos eran más pecadores que todos los demás galileos?

 

Santos de la semana

 

20 de octubre: Pablo de la Cruz, sacerdote (1694-1775), fundó los Pasionistas en 1747. En su niñez recibió una vocación que lo impulsó a llevar una vida de austeridad y oración. Después de recibir varias visiones, comenzó a predicar misiones por toda Italia que se centraban principalmente en la Pasión del Señor. Después de su muerte, se inició una congregación de monjas.

 

23 de octubre: Juan de Capistrano, sacerdote, tuvo una visión de Francisco de Asís cuando estaba preso durante una guerra civil italiana en la que era gobernador de Perugia. Entró en la Orden de los Frailes Menores Franciscanos en 1415 después de poner fin a su matrimonio. Predicó misiones por toda Europa, incluida una misión a Hungría para predicar una cruzada contra los turcos. Después de la victoria cristiana en la batalla de Belgrado en 1456, Juan murió.

24 de octubre : Antonio Claret, obispo (1807-1870), adoptó la profesión de tejedor de su padre cuando era joven, pero continuó estudiando latín e imprenta. Después de ingresar al seminario, comenzó a predicar retiros y dar misiones. Publicó y distribuyó literatura religiosa y fundó los Misioneros Hijos del Inmaculado Corazón de María. Fue nombrado arzobispo de Cuba, pero fue llamado de regreso a España para ser confesor de la reina Isabel II. Reanudó sus publicaciones hasta que la revolución de 1868 lo envió al exilio.

Esta semana en la historia de los jesuitas

 

• 20 de octubre de 1763: En una carta pastoral leída en todas sus iglesias, el arzobispo de París expresa su amargo pesar por la supresión de la Compañía en Francia. La califica de verdadera calamidad para su país.
• 21 de octubre de 1568: El padre Robert Parsons fue elegido miembro del Balliol College de Oxford. Renunció a su puesto en 1574.
• 22 de octubre de 1870: En Francia, Garibaldi y sus hombres expulsan a los jesuitas de los colegios de Dole y Mont Roland.
• 23 de octubre de 1767: Los jesuitas que habían estado prisioneros en su colegio de Santiago de Chile durante casi dos meses fueron llevados al exilio. En total, 360 jesuitas de la Provincia de Chile fueron enviados a Europa como exiliados.
• 24 de octubre de 1759: 133 miembros de la Sociedad, desterrados de Portugal y desembarcados en Civita Vecchia , fueron recibidos con gran benevolencia por Clemente XIII y por las comunidades religiosas, especialmente los dominicos.
• 25 de octubre de 1567. San Estanislao Kostka llegó a Roma y fue admitido en la Sociedad por San Francisco de Borja.
• 26 de octubre de 1546. Se erige la Provincia de Portugal, primera provincia de la Compañía, siendo Simón Rodríguez su primer superior provincial.

Photo: Three Pumpkins

 

Poem: “Being” by Tanaya Winder (Contemporary American, a member of the Duckwater Shoshone Tribe of Nevada)

 Wake up, greet the sun, and pray.

Burn cedar, sweet grass, sage – 

sacred herbs to honor the lives we’ve been given, 

for we have been gifted these ways since the beginning of time.

Remember, when you step into the arena of your life, 

Think about those who stand beside you, next to, and with you.

Your ancestors are always in your corner, along with your people.

When we enter this world we are born hungry, 

Our spirits long for us to live out our traditions 

that have been passed down for generations.

Prayer, ceremony, dance, language – our ways of being.

Never forget you were put on this earth for a reason –

Honor your ancestors.

Be a good relative.

 

Photo: Purple and Sun

 

Spirituality: An Interview with Fr. Predmore; Profile in Catholicism

 Gordon: When you received your vocation, with whom did you first discuss it, and what was their advice”

 

Father John:  Several priests and bishops kept inviting me to consider seminary and I wanted to do a thorough review a vocational life. One Bishop recommended that I speak to A Jesuit and to receive spiritual direction. This was the most fortunate step I could have taken because it helped me clarify all the different movements that were pulling at me. Spiritual direction helped to clarify what was of God and what was also good and holy but perhaps not as lasting. Examining the life of Saint Ignatius of Loyola helped me to see that discernment is a process that takes time and patience, and that God's call is offered in many ways. Christ would have been happy with any choice I made, and i had to decide what was giving me the most happiness. I went on a pilgrimage to the Ignatian sites in Spain, which confirmed my deep attraction to The Jesuits. I told several parishioner friends who were pleased with my process, and I spoke with the Jesuit vocation director, who affirmed the positive steps I was taking.

 

Gordon: When and where did you attend seminary, what was the most challenging course that you took and why was it so challenging?

 

Father John: Jesuit seminary Is a long formation process that is carried out In different locations. The Jesuit novitiate was based in Boston where I had an overseas experiment in the Caribbean island of Jamaica and then a hospital experiment at Georgetown Medical Center in Washington DC. During the clinical pastoral education process at the Medical Center, I began to identify my ministerial style and to look at my growing edges and the strengths. I completed my philosophy studies at Georgetown University and enrolled in classes at the Catholic University of America. I then taught for two years at cheverus high school in Portland ME before I attended Weston Jesuit school of theology in Cambridge. One of my first classes was a history of Christ’s presence throughout time and it was challenging because it helped me examine my core beliefs and to identify my worldview and perspectives. This course was a low theology type of class in which we examined the experiences of the people of God as they prayed to Christ. The approach was different from a top down theology class, and i resonated so well with the materials that it generated so many profound questions. This course also introduced a lot of theological terms that I had to comprehend before I could do further studies. To this day I cannot help but study theology and ecclesiology from this perspective.

 

Gordon: Why did you choose to be a Jesuit?

 

Father John: I did my due diligence when I looked at religious life and the priesthood. I visited around 18 different expressions of religious life or priesthood and I kept coming back two the appeal of the Jesuit community. The men seemed happiest and they seem engaged in their work and prayer life. They retained optimism and was working for the Kingdom of God in distinctive ways. I did not find what one would call a typical Jesuit. The men seemed mature, thoughtful, reflective, and pious in a casual way.

 

The biggest inspiration for me was my spiritual director, who i saw for four years before examining religious life. His manner and lifestyle intrigued me and all they wanted to be was a spiritual director as he was. He saved souls and did exhausting work. He helped me recognize insights and invitations, and he guided me through discernment. His tireless work is done one heart and mind at a time, and yet its effect it's exponential. He saved souls, and that's what i want to do.

 

Gordon: What aspect of Saint Ignatius Loyola's life is of most interest by you?

 

Father John: I have studied a lot about Saint Ignatius of Loyola and when I read his autobiography, i am delighted with his attention to do the will of God creatively. When he encounters obstacles, he finds a way around them and is not deterred. His heart and his mind stays opened to God and he is a genius in the way that he navigates challenges that would flummox most people. Perhaps that is why I focus my ministerial work on creativity because Ignatius is the inspiration of creativity and forward movement.

 

Gordon: When did you serve as Web Editor of America Magazine and what is one of your favorite memories when you were there?

 

Father John: I enjoyed my time as web editor of American magazine and I enjoyed working with Tom Reese, who has a political scientist’s mind. I appreciated how he could expand upon various perspectives and enlarge the national conversation on theological and moral issues. I was very grateful for the collaborative process of Jesuits and colleagues working together for the good of the church through the publication of the magazine that is dedicated to thought and ideas.

 

Gordon: When and where did you serve as Director of Mission and Identity and what were your primary responsibilities?

 

Father John: I work at Boston College high school where I assist in the formation of the adults within the community. My work touches the lives of faculty and staff, alumni, parents and retirees, and trustees. I bring the life of Saint Ignatius and the contemporary Jesuit thought to this community. I lead the online group version of 19th annotation retreat, provide “Where is God in your life?” conversations, provide spiritual direction to about 35 individuals, teach at Creighton University’s Christian Spirituality Program, where we award graduate certificates to spiritual directors and master's degrees in spirituality studies. I run a number of online groups such as a Tuesday morning theology book review and classes on the art of compassionate communication. I also lead Creativity sessions including artwork and online poetry and guided meditations.

 

A topic that we have recently explored has been the integration of science with faith Through an evolutionary perspective. It has raised many questions about one's image of God in this globalized world in which we realize we are part of a much larger cosmos. The compassionate communications work is focusing upon empathy as a new consciousness that is needed for people to connect with the common good.

When I was the pastor of the English-speaking church in Amman, Jordan, i began to paint and draw for the first time. Now I have an art studio in Boston, and I lead art and spirituality retreats. The art world and creativity has opened new avenues for reaching Catholics and non-Catholics, and the people who have never attended church as well as people who I've finished with church. Art and creativity has expanded the potential connection of one spirituality back to the church. It continues a mature process of dialogue so that we can understand one another and help each other come to the fuller realization of what God is doing in our lives

Gordon: Thank you for a beautiful and informative interview.
https://www.catholicprofiles.org/post/an-interview-with-father-john-predmore-s-j