Photo: Autumn's Glory

 

Poem: Self-Knowledge, by Kahlil Gibran

 And a man said, Speak to us of Self-Knowledge.

And he answered, saying:

Your hearts know in silence the secrets of the days and the nights.
But your ears thirst for the sound of your heart’s knowledge.
You would know in words that which you have always known in thought.
You would touch with your fingers the naked body of your dreams.
And it is well you should.

The hidden well-spring of your soul must needs rise and run murmuring to the sea;
And the treasure of your infinite depths would be revealed to your eyes.
But let there be no scales to weigh your unknown treasure;
And seek not the depths of your knowledge with staff or sounding line.
For self is a sea boundless and measureless …

For the soul walks upon all paths.
The soul walks not upon a line, neither does it grow like a reed.
The soul unfolds itself, like a lotus of countless petals.

Photo: A Line Up of Maples

 

Poem: Excerpts from “Life Goes On” by Howard Thurman

During these turbulent times  we must remind ourselves repeatedly that life goes on... The wisdom of life transcends our wisdoms; The purpose of life outlasts our purposes; The process of life cushions our processes.   The mass attack of disillusion and despair, distilled out of the collapse of hope, has so invaded our thoughts  that what we know to be true and valid  seems unreal and ephemeral...   Let us not be deceived. It is just as important as ever  to attend to the little graces  by which the dignity of our lives  is maintained and sustained.   Birds still sing; the stars continue to cast their gentle gleam over the desolation of the battlefields and the heart is still inspired  by the kind word and the gracious deed...   To drink in the beauty that is within reach, to clothe one’s life with simple deeds of kindness, to keep alive a sensitiveness  to the movement of the spirit of God in the quietness of the human heart  and in the workings of the human mind— this is as always the ultimate answer to the great deception.

 

~an excerpt from “Life Goes On” in Meditations of the Heart by Howard Thurman

 

Prayer: Francis of Assisi

Enlighten the darkness of our minds. Give us a right faith, a firm hope, and perfect love so that we may always and in all things act according to your will.

Photo: Sugar Maples

 

Spirituality: The Third Week of the Synod

 This is the Third Week of the Synod of Bishops – the halfway point of this ecclesial meeting.

Cardinal Representation

 

The Pope is elevating bishops to the rank of Cardinals as a way of getting representation, especially of previously minority voices. One of those voices is Archbishop Shomali Gharib, the first cardinal of Palestinian origin. He serves as the archbishop of Santiago, Chile, where the largest number of people of Palestinian descent live outside of their homeland. Nearly two years ago, the head of the church in Jerusalem, Pizzaballa, was named as the Patriarch of the Holy Lands. The term Patriarch ranks above a bishop and is not a cardinal. The church continues to give voice to people in lands where Christians are minorities.

 

Synodal Proceedings

 

Two fundamental questions the Synod is examining are below. They are essentially “the issues under the issues.”

 

1. What is the institutional church’s relationship to power?
2. What is the institutional church’s relationship to the people of God?

 

The Youth

 

The voice of young people will be the protagonist of a unique web-projected dialogue, between university students from the U.S. and Europe and the leaders of #Synod2024. It will take place next Friday, October 18, at 5 p.m. directly from the Synod Hall in Rome.

 

Theological Pastoral Forum

 

Two “theological-pastoral forums” will take place on Wednesday, October 16, with the following themes: “The Mutual Relationship between the Local Church and the Universal Church.” 

 

Prayer and Peace-making

 

On Friday, October 11, an ecumenical prayer took place in the Square of the Roman Protomartyrs, presided by Pope Francis.

 

Italian Cardinal Matteo Zuppi is visiting Moscow to seek a path to peace in Ukraine and to facilitate the reunification of Ukrainian children with their families and the exchange of prisoners-of-war.

 

No Boundaries: Reimagined “Spaces”of relationship as places of encounter

 

Cardinal Hollerich focused on “Places,” with the fundamental idea that “the Church cannot be understood without being rooted in a place and a culture (IL, 80). Now, more than in the past, the idea of place “has much less of a spatial and geographic connotation than in the past, not least due to globalism and the new digital reality. He asked synod participants to consider what this means for the Church’s mission, and how we should “rethink” the organizational forms of the Church.

 

Spaces of human interaction offer opportunities for the Gospel to be lived and proclaimed.

The discussion centered on mission contexts, particularly cities and megacities, within a dynamic, not static, vision that also considers migration. 

 

Day 11

 

The Synod's General Assembly focused on the inclusion of people with disabilities, the role of women, and the severity of the climate emergency in Brazil.

 

Role of women in the Church in Brazil

Cardinal Steiner highlighted new paths emerging from the Synod. In Brazil, many women and permanent deacons actively lead communities in the Amazon. In the vast Archdiocese of Manaus, which stretches over 90,000 square kilometers, Cardinal Steiner noted that women have been crucial for more than 100 years in the absence of priests. He observed that many women lead communities, serve in ministries, and are deeply involved in charity work and prison ministry. Women represent an essential element of the Church, adding that without them, the Church would not be the same.

 

Regarding women deacons, Cardinal Steiner acknowledged that many women already function as de facto deacons. “Why not restore the ordained female diaconate?” he asked, noting that this role could complement that of male deacons. The issue, he said, is not about gender but about vocation.

 

Environmental crisis in Brazil

The Synod participants also discussed the environmental emergency in Brazil, especially the Amazon, where a month-long drought has rendered rivers unnavigable, isolating many communities. The situation is dire with water shortages affecting regions beyond the Amazon. He lamented the effects of predatory fishing and mercury pollution on the region’s delicate ecosystem.

 

Question on priestly celibacy

Responding celibacy of priests, the Brazilian Cardinal admitted the difficulty of working with only 172 priests for a thousand communities, and the need to deepen the relationship between community and ministry. Cardinal-elect Roberto Repole, Archbishop of Turin, added that thanks to the presence of bishops of the Eastern Churches, "there is a wealth of forms of ministry."

 

Reflecting the Global Church

Cardinal-elect Repole also spoke about the significance of the synodal process for his own diocese. The spiritual depth of the participants and the growing sense of camaraderie among them have left a strong impression on him.

 

The Synod reflects the universal nature of the Church, incorporating voices from diverse cultures while spreading the Gospel. Dr. Ruffini also touched on the inclusion of people with disabilities. Certainly, the subject is close to everyone's heart and more can be done. But when we talk about the marginalized, we also talk about people with disabilities."

 

Schedule of Conversations

 

The Synod participants are working hard and praying as they consider weighty church topics. They are advancing concepts that have not previously been part of the earlier conversations.

 

Day 11:      Focus on disabilities, women, and climate crisis

Day 10:      Focus on decision making

Day 9:        Care of relationships; Christian unity is a symbol of synodality and witness

Day 8:        Walking the path of Christian unity

Day 7:        The diaconate, Christian initiation, and aid to poorer churches

Day 6:        The role of bishops; Aid to Gaza

Day 5:        Embracing the pain of people suffering from war

Day 4:        Overcoming the fear of one another; becoming peacemakers

Day 3:        Lebanon’s message of forgiveness; an invitation to listen to all

Day 2:        The role of the bishop is ecumenical dialogue; pray for peace in Middle East

Day 1:        Study groups to present work and goals to larger gathering

 

 

Sources: Religion News Service, Tom Reese, S.J. and

 

General Secretariat for the Synod of Bishops

Via della Conciliazione, 34

Vatican City 00120

Vatican City State (Holy See)

https://www.vaticannews.va/en/taglist.chiesa-e-religioni.Vaticano.sinodo.html

 

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

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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.