Last Week's Visit to St. Louis

Last Wednesday, I packed my bags and headed east to St. Dominic's Priory in St. Louis, MO. I had three different meetings I needed to attend at my school, Aquinas Institute. I was still a little tired from the retreat, and so was worried I was coming down with a cold. Well, I needn't have worried, because by the end of my visit, I was feeling much better.

My first meeting was about next summer. Generally, every summer comes with a new ministry assignment for student brothers. My first summer as a student was spent teaching high school freshmen reading comprehension. My second summer (this summer last) was spent in Cairo, Egypt--a combination study abroad and teaching experience. Usually, the second summer in studies is spent working for a CPE (Clinical/Pastoral Education) program at a prison, hospital, hospice, etc. I didn't go this route, because I volunteered to go to Cairo. That means next summer I'll be ministering, most likely, in a hospital. The CPE program is an inter-denominational program that attracts Christian ministers of all stripes. It's a full-time ministry experience that includes group sessions to reflect on the challenges and blessings of the experience. While I am not terribly drawn to chaplaincy work, I'm sure the experience will help me grow in my identity as a Christian minister, and so will be valuable.

My second meeting, which happened on Friday, was the primary reason for my visit. Part of the pastoral year experience is coming together to meet with our school-based supervisor and our student peers to discuss a particular incident in our ministry. Theological reflection is the name of the game, and it's an exciting process. Basically, each of us (there were five students) presented an incident from our ministry, and then, as a group, we discerned questions that the related experience raised. Once we have a main question, we draw from scripture, tradition, culture, and personal experience thoughts or examples that may lead to clarity about the incident in question. It's been my experience that theological reflection is a helpful tool in bringing forth and naming that question that is most urgently seeking resolution in our hearts. It's also challenging, because one has to name that question before others--and having to articulate it clearly for others is not always easy. It's also challenging, because it asks one to listen to the wisdom of others and not just rely on one's own opinions. I can't share what we talked about, here, because everything said in the meeting is considered confidential.

The last meeting on Friday was my interview for candidacy. During this meeting, candidates for the various degrees at Aquinas Institute are asked to sit down for a conversation with three of the faculty members. The three professors have had time to review a portfolio that the student has submitted for their consideration--a portfolio that is intended to show the interviewers not only the student's academic success, but his or her success at meeting the goals outlined by the school. Aquinas Institute has five "habits" or "practices" that it promotes and expects its students to grow into: 1) Written and Oral Communication, 2) Collaboration, 3) Theological Reflection, 4) Close Reading of Texts, and 5) Social Analysis. The five practices combined are geared toward molding a theologian who is deeply prayerful and spiritual in his or her study, who is able to then communicate sensitively his or her insights to others in a way that others will be able to hear, and who is able to work with others in accomplishing the work of the Church. I was, I must admit, a little worried about the interview. I wanted to do my best, and I wanted to come in prepared. Luckily, one of my fellow student brothers sat down with me the night before, and we did an interview rehearsal. I need not have worried so much, since the interview was basically a discussion with three people I enjoy and respect. They wanted to know about my experience at the school and how I saw myself as growing as a minister and a theologian. These are things that we are asked to be very aware of in our Dominican formation, so the answers came easily. I even got to talk about Jane Austen and her virtue-oriented philosophy of Christian living! It turned out to be a very affirming experience.

All work and no play = no fun, so to celebrate my successful completion of work, and to enjoy one another's company more, two other brothers and I went to a little dessert cafe. I, of course, ordered a piece of carrot cake, which was delicious. I am embarrassed to say that I was a bit stingy with my cake, and did not share it with the others. It was the perfect evening until the cafe's manager cranked up a CD of jazz music. I love jazz, but the music was so loud my head began to hurt. It gave us something to laugh about, though, so I didn't really mind. Only, it meant that we left a little earlier than we otherwise would have.

Over all, my visit was great fun. I love getting to see the other student brothers, even if they are all so focused on the end of the semester projects.

Since I've been back, by the way, I have finished reading Thackeray's Vanity Fair. It was a very good novel rich with many moral questions to ponder, and several beautiful examples of the love of parents for their children. The ending was very satisfying, and that's all I will say. I hope others will pick it up and read it, although it is quite an investment in time (800+ pages).

Until later,
Br. Paul, OP~

The Seekers' Retreat

This weekend's retreat was the kind of experience that makes me feel like I'm somehow a different person. I totally did not expect that to be so. We, the campus ministry office and the student team leaders, have been planning the retreat since practically the beginning of the semester. There were so many details and jobs to do that, in a way, I was not looking forward to the retreat as a retreat. I felt nervous about my assigned jobs, and I was thinking of the weekend as just work--and the hardest work of the semester. I kept thinking of the good times to come after the retreat.

Luckily, God's grace was working on me right from the beginning. I entered into the moment, and just started to relax and to enjoy myself. It helped that just before I went over to Newman on Friday, I typed out what I wanted to say in my preaching moments on Friday and Saturday. Just having my thoughts on paper helped me to let go of some of my worries.

I don't want to go into a play-by-play of events, because I don't think that is interesting or necessary. Where grace is working, there isn't always one thing you can point to to say that that's where I encountered the holy. That's true in this case. There wasn't just one moment that made me aware of God's presence or of the miracle of our Christian fellowship--that was the work of the whole event. It was such an ordinary event, in many ways, and yet I feel like I witnessed the Transfiguration or was in the upper room at Pentecost.

Two key moments, though, do stand out for me.
There was a moment of clarity or insight when I realized I was a minister of the Church. For a while, I have struggled with taking on leadership roles, and ministry has been my weakest area in my vocation. That may sound strange, but, for me, I was more focused on prayer, community life, and study. Ministry always was kind of a second fiddle. So much so, I even had a vocation crisis of sorts last year, during which I wondered if I wasn't called to be a monk instead of a friar. Thankfully, the Holy Spirit stepped in and helped me to realize that I was asking the question in the wrong way and too soon. I see now, he knew I needed to have this year's experience before I could take on the fourth pillar of Dominican life, that is, ministry. The moment of clarity happened after I finished praying the rosary while walking in the apple orchard just outside the main meeting room. I realized that God was with me, because he was working through me. Mine wasn't only, or primarily, a receiving role, but a giving role...and, finally, I was comfortable with that. Not just comfortable, I was excited about it.

The second moment occurred during one of the talks that a student presenter was giving. All of the talks were terrific, but in this particular talk I was given the grace to understand that woven into the words the student was saying was the Gospel itself. I listened to him just as I would listen to our Lord sitting before me. Christ was present to me, to us, in a powerful way through that student's testimony. What did he have to say that was so moving? Nothing we don't hear over and over--that people want to be loved. That God loves us. That we should love each other more and not get caught up in substitutions for love. There's nothing new about the Gospel, in one sense, because it's so instinctively ingrained in the human DNA--but getting to hear it preached so naturally, so concretely, so personally floored me. I couldn't help myself, when the time came for those who wanted to, to embrace the presenter, I had to say, "I love you." That's the power of the Gospel when it's preached effectively--it compels you to love.

The Holy Spirit is moving in the world, and is working in the lives of people. So many people are pessimistic about the future and dismissive of college-age men and women, but what I have seen with my own eyes and heard with my own ears from members of this coming generation confirms that they are no strangers to the mystery of God. They have been put through various martyrdoms already, and have been refined in the fires of human experience. Thanks to grace, they have not gone through this alone, nor have they lost their way. They have been saved by God. And their salvation contributes to the salvation of the entire world.

Holy Spirit, God of Irresistible Beauty and Wisdom, it is right to give you praise, for you have born our crosses with us and have delivered us from death. Stay with us, now, and walk with us on our way to paradise!
Br. Paul, OP

What a week!

As I anticipated, this week has been super busy. It's only Friday morning and already my work log says I have worked 45 hours this week. That doesn't include the work hours that will come from going to the retreat this evening.

So what have I been doing? Most of the quiet work hours have been devoted to retreat related work. I will be preaching three times during the retreat, and leading an Examination of Conscience prayer time. I wanted to collect my thoughts for these events.

Monday night I attended the Catholic Chat group. The topic of discussion this week was a continuation of the previous discussion on Tradition. This time, however, we focused on questions related to the Bible. The standard questions were asked regarding a fundamentalist interpretation versus a Catholic approach to biblical interpretation. Much of this discussion had been covered at the beginning of my Bible study group, and I mentioned that the Church's position on this question is covered in the document Dei Verbum. It was fun, however, talking about stories like the Creation Stories, Noah's Ark, Jonah and the Whale, and discussing what these stories really mean if we do not take them literally. Of course they mean a great deal, because they are the human effort to make sense of an encounter with God. Being a student of literature, I don't have the same bias against fiction as some people. I know that the Gospel truth can be proclaimed in a novel, or a movie, or in an autobiography...Our Lord told parables, which are just stories, and no one dismisses them as being of less importance than his other sayings. In fact, those are the stories that most often stick in our heads.

For me, the great thing about the discussion was getting to hear from fellow Catholics about what their relationship with the Holy Scripture is like. Each person had something to say about how he or she reads the Bible, and this was a great witness to me that the Holy Spirit is powerfully using his word to call people into relationship with him. We don't have to read the Bible in a very closed minded and uninformed way in order to respect it and have a relationship to it. In fact, Catholics can enjoy the Bible and use it as the spring board to diving deeper and deeper into the mystery of God.

On Tuesday, I attended Staff Day with the other Newman staff members at the Norbertine monastery, as I wrote about earlier this week. Later that evening, the friars had our community night, so I enjoyed a night off with the other brothers, and sat and talked and watched television with them--including the latest installment of NCIS.

Wednesday I had to do my prep work for my Divine Mercy and Bible study meeting. This week, the Bible study group was moving on to the Book of Wisdom. This book is one of my favorite books of the Bible, like Tobit. Wisdom's poetry is first rate, and the description of Lady Wisdom is very mystical. The opening chapters of Wisdom, however, do not focus on Lady Wisdom, herself, but begin by explaining the behaviors and beliefs which seperate people from God. Wisdom--this beautiful manifestation of God--desires to make her home with us, but we, in a million little ways, repulse her. During the meeting that night, students pointed out that Wisdom's message seemed timeless, since the very arguments outlined by the unbelievers in the book are those that people of today use. At the heart of Wisdom's argument is that a person who has little to no belief in Divine Justice and the judgment, or in the afterlife, will lead a life void of true wisdom. They will argue from a relativistic point of view, not taking into account the "hidden things of God" or the hope of final reward. It is worthy noting that Wisdom is one of the first books of the Bible to make an explicit argument for the belief in an afterlife.

Lady Wisdom does make an appearance, however, and I could tell that many of the students were eager to focus on the question of her identity. Who is she? Is she Jesus? Is she the Holy Spirit? Is she something other? That discussion, however, I have reserved for our exploration of Wisdom chapters 6, 7 & 8. We will also discuss her other appearances in the Bible, including passages in Proverbs, Sirach, and the Gospel of Luke (7:35).

And then, Thursday night, I attended the faith-sharing group, during which we discussed this Sunday's readings. They are powerful readings that the group felt foreshadowed the Advent season and the Feast of Christ the King. The heart of our discussion was the Christian understanding of the Second Coming and our new lives with God. I shocked the group, a little, by praying "What are you waiting for?" We are expected, as St. Paul said, to wait with eager longing for the Lord's return. Of course, I have in my head, all during the meeting, the Advent antiphon: "I am coming soon, says the Lord, to reward everyone according to his deeds." It's both a positive and a sobering thought.

And today, of course, I wait with eager longing for the beginning of the retreat. This retreat has been months in the planning and coming, so I think all of us who have worked on it are ready to have it happen. Maybe that's the most fitting metaphor for the coming of Christ. If we oriented our whole lives toward that event, of course we would be eager to have it happen.

Please pray for all the students attending the Seekers' Retreat, and the students and staff who are leading it!
Br. Paul, OP

Tuesday: Staff Day at the Norbertine Monastery

One of the joys of being on any staff is usually the "staff day"; a day set aside for staff development. Today was that day for the Aquinas Newman Center. It was the first time that I have attended a staff day for a group other than the public library or for a Dominican community to which I belonged. I love staff days, namely because they bring together people who work together, but who might not be connecting as they should, and they force us to take an internal look at who we are and what we are doing. In this way, staff days can get a little tense.

The day began with a beautiful and simple liturgy of prayer in the chapel. We had three readings and a responsorial prayer. I can't replicate it all here, since it's copyrighted material, but I can quote the reading from St. Anselm of Canterbury, which I read:

"Come now! Flee for a while from your tasks, hide yourself for a little space, from the turmoil of your thoughts. Come, cast aside your burdensome cares, and put aside your laborious pursuits. For a little while give your time to God and rest in Him for a little while. Enter into the chamber of your mind, shut out all things save God and whatever may aid you seeking God; and having barred the door of your chamber, seek Him."

Isn't that a beautiful invitation? Then our development day leader asked us to consider a few questions. The questions were directed toward getting at the heart of what we brought with us to the retreat day. Is it worthwhile to keep? I identified, right away, that the heart of my concerns--that is, the foundation for my anxiety--was my perfectionism. I needed to let go, to relax, to enjoy.

Did I do that? Well, no. This staff day focused on communication and collaboration. And so, like any staff, we all desired to air out our grievances and concerns. I've only been at the Newman Center for three months, and yet I have theories on what is wrong and how to fix it. The expression of everyone's grievances and frustrations only fed into my own frustrations or concerns.

I realized at the end of the meeting, however, that I was allowing myself to project a great deal--making all the problems about everyone but me. Once I realized that, and I stopped trying to solve everything, or stopped hoping to just name my frustration, I could smile again. Emotions are so powerful, and they have a way of taking us hostage if we're not careful. It was enough that I named them to myself, and then let them go again.

It left me wondering, however, where the boundary line for communication is. Would today have been better had we all just said completely what was on our minds? Is it any good to talk about talking, and then not talk? Or, is there a possibility that if we go too far, say too much, of not being able to go back again, and be coworkers?

I'm reminded of St. Thomas Aquinas' basic rule for the morality or rightness of actions: Is it the right act, at the right time, in the right way?

So, I found today very interesting, but maybe more for what it taught me about what was going on inside of me, than for what it taught me about my coworkers and work environment. Of course, what is going on inside of our heads and hearts has everything to do with how we relate to those around us. The key for me was learning to stop looking at the splinter in my brother or sister's eye and start looking at my own plank.

The Weekend in Review: Renatum Dinner & Retreat Prep

This weekend was full of activity, despite the half moon's determination to make me sleepy and sluggish. I probably read 100 + pages of the novel Vanity Fair, bringing to the midway point of the story (yes, 400 pages to go, which is like reading a whole other novel).

The big event of the weekend, however, was the Renatum fundraiser dinner that Aquinas Newman Parish hosted. The center is kicking off a capital campaign in order to make some major changes to the facilities. The changes are geared toward giving the parish and the students more places to use for meetings and informal gatherings. If you're like me, you might be a little skeptical whenever someone is asking for so much money. Once I heard the presentations of both the director of religious education and the campus minister, however, I understood that the renovations to the facility's North Wing, which is presently the Dominican residence, were necessary, not optional. Currently, the students only have one small space in the basement that they can use for their meetings and gatherings. The younger students in religious education don't even have that. The idea is to move the Dominicans to a new building (which the center already owns) and convert the old Dominican residence into class rooms, offices, and gathering spaces. It is hoped, as well, that a larger Dominican residence will be an incentive for the Province of St. Albert the Great to send more friars on permanent assignment to Albuquerque, allowing the community here to have a canonical priory (which requires six assigned brothers to one house). Father Tom's words were very encouraging, noting that in his own experience, other communities have begun with less and have succeeded. It was great that several of the students were able to attend the dinner. (The food, by the way, was delicious.)
The next day, (Sunday) the retreat team gathered for our last Sunday meeting before the retreat this coming weekend. All the loose ends are coming together, at last, and everyone is very excited about taking a time-out from their busyness to just sit with God. I am looking forward to hearing the testimonies that the student presenters have prepared. I have already heard the rough drafts of these talks, and have been most impressed. I don't think that we realize how important it is for each and every one of us to talk about our own experiences with God. People take it for granted that someone wearing a habit has something to say about God. They may even dismiss what I have to say; but what if they encountered not one or two college students, but ten or more who all have something to say about God has come into their lives and saved them? It blows me away to hear someone tell me something so intimate, and it humbles me. It reminds me that God is not just "my" God. He's not just active in my life. He's the God of everyone, and he loves everyone, and he's working with everyone.

New Dominicans!

Yesterday, I walked down to the Dominican Chapel, here at Aquinas Newman Center in Albuquerque expecting the usual mass for the Dominican laity, but I discovered that the mass would have a special ceremony added to the end. Two women and one man were going to be receiving the white scapular of the Dominican Order and begin their official discernment as Dominican Laity. As such, these three, Loletta, Rita, and George, were joining the Province of St. Albert the Great, to which I belong.

The Dominican Order has many different branches. We have cloistered nuns, priests and brothers (called friars collectively), sisters, and laity. There are also associates to the Order.

The Dominican laity is for those people who do not feel called to the vowed religious life, but who do feel a desire to incorporate Dominican spirituality into their lives as single people, or as married men and women.

The mission statement of the OP Laity of my province reads:
"Called to a deeper relationship of love and service to God,
we are members of the Dominican Order,
who commit to live the Dominican charism as lay people.
In collaboration with the Dominican family(nuns, priests, brothers, sisters, etc.),
we work to promote social justice and peace in society.
Supported by prayer, study, community, and ministry (the four pillars of Dominican life),
we fulfill our vocation to proclaim the Gospel wherever we, as individuals, live and work."

Probably the most famous Dominican lay person is St. Catherine of Siena, Doctor of the Church. Bl. Pier Giorgio Frassati is another popular Dominican lay person of modern times.

If you love Dominicans and Dominican spirituality but do not feel the calling to become a religious, consider becoming a Dominican lay person.

I just want to say that, as a cooperator brother, I love getting to know Dominicans of every branch of the family, including those people who are one with the Order through basic contact with Dominicans, either through our schools, our parishes, or other ministries. All those who desire to follow in St. Dominic's footsteps proclaiming the Good News are welcome as my Dominican brothers and sisters.

To see if there's a chapter of Dominican laity near you, see: http://www.domcentral.org/oplaity/laycat.htm#central

The Vulgate Project: Phil's Additions to Tobit 11:4

Sarah and the rest of the traveling party continued at a comfortable pace toward Nineveh. Along the road, Sarah’s maid approached her and said, “So, you decided to let this man live. What makes him so special? What could he possibly have that seven other men did not? You barely knew him on your wedding day. You still don’t know him! And here we are now, alone in the desert with no protection or help from your wonderful new husband. There is no way that this man can be worth all of this trouble! You should have just strangled him, as you did the rest! At least then we could have remained in the comfort of your father’s home. And you are an expert at burying husbands by now, so I know it would not have been a problem for you!”

Sarah replied, “It is not by my hand, but through God’s will that this man has lived to be my husband!

"Blessed are you, O God of compassion; praised be your name both now and forever.

Let the heavens and all the earth praise you forever.

You have looked favorably on me and have delivered Tobiah to my side, to become my rightful husband. May our life together be blessed with prosperity and good fortune.

May we have many children, and may our legacy be carried through many generations! Show the same mercy that you have shown me to all generations of our offspring. May they be merciful to others, as you show them mercy.

May they always praise you, giving thanksgiving for all that you provide them with!”


Sarah’s maid remained silent the rest of the way to Nineveh.
...
Questions to think about:
1) Does Phil capture the relationship dynamic between Sarah and her maid? (see Tobit 3:7-15)
2) Who else does Sarah's maid sound like as she grumbles?
3) In the original, Sarah has no speaking parts after the "amen" of her wedding night. What might a modern reader desire to hear more from her?

The Vulgate Project: Tommy's Additions to Tobit

A reworking of the introduction to Tobit chapter 3, verse 7
It so happened in Ecbatana in Media Raguel’s daughter Sarah was upset due to a dreadful predicament. She was married seven times, but lost all seven of her husbands to a foul spirit from Upper Egypt. Asmodeus was its name; a devil who roamed the barren desert spreading misery to others along with his kin. When he was wandered into the land of Media he happened to see Sarah, daughter of Raguel. Asmodeus lusted after her radiant beauty, and would not allow any man to touch her. Before Sarah could consummate her marriage with each of her seven husbands, the demon would choke the life out of the men.

A reworking of Tobit 8:3b, The Fight between Raphael and the demon Asmodeus:
The demon planned to murder Tobias, the night he night he took Sarah for his wife. However, Tobias was mindful of Raphael’s instructions and placed the fish’s liver and heart on the embers of incense. The powerful odor of the fish repelled Asmodeus back to Upper Egypt whence he came. However, Raphael chased him faster than lighting to ensure the demon would torment Sarah no more. The fight, when they reached Upper Egypt, was immense. It lasted until daybreak when the strength of Asmodeus was overcome by the angel Raphael. Raphael then bound his vanquished foe by hand and foot and left him in the scorching heat. Asmodeus spent the rest of his days furious over the loss of his beloved Sarah. Eventually, he lost the will to live and died.

Questions to ponder:
1) Would be helpful to the reader to have the information that Tommy adds at that point in the story? (we do learn this information later on.)

2) Compare and contrast Tommy's version of the expulsion of Asmodeus to that of the original. Why might a reader like Tommy crave a more detailed account of this scene? What might it say about the author's purpose for the Book of Tobit that he did not include these kinds of details?