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PDF versionWe need St Francis now
by Joan Chittister on Sep. 27, 2010
Some things never go way. The best ones, in fact, come back to us in whole new ways. Saints are like that.
The church calendar that formed me, for instance, provided the Catholic community one feast day after another designed to remind us of the heroes of the Catholic community. On those days, congregations held special masses, sang special songs, prayed special prayers and blessed special statues.
On St. Joseph's Day, for instance, the Italians had street fairs in which they spread a family feast from one end of the country to the other in honor of Joseph, the just one, who protected the Virgin and raised the child Jesus in a holy family. And so that Holy Family became a model for us all. For committed children and faithful fathers and strong mothers.
On St. Patrick's Day, the Irish carried shamrocks to remind us of Patrick's exegesis of the Trinity which, we were told, converted the pagans of Ireland and were still a clear icon to us of the God whose presence is "three in one." It was the articulation of a 'mystery' that became clearer as we got older.
On Halloween, all the saints of the church were honored for their faithful lives and their models of goodness. We dressed up to look like Therese of Avila and Ignatius of Loyola and the Children of Fatima rather than Peter Pan and The Terminator and a vampire or two on Halloween.
We named our children for saints. We dedicated our churches to their memory. We presented them as icons and heroes to our children long before celebrities and rock bands and rappers and reality shows conquered the airwaves and took their place. Long before Brittany and DeShaun and Darcy and Travis replaced Peter and Mary and John and Theresa as baptismal names.
In that period, we lived immersed in a veritable "communion of saints," surrounded by signs and images of those whose lives were themselves meant to be templates for our own.
We don't do those things anymore. For many good reasons, both liturgical and theological. At the same time, the stories and the figures go on stirring in my memory, raising old ideals, provoking old memories of beauty and fidelity and awareness and commitment. Only now those figures and those stories ring in strong new ways.
For instance, Oct. 4 is the Feast of Francis of Assisi, il poverello, the poor one, whose voice in the newly emerging mercantile class of the 13th century warned of the greed and corruption and destitution that would come when the world was run more on profit for the rich than it was on a prophetic commitment to the poor. And he was right.
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But Francis was known for more than protests.
Francis loved animals, too. He was a walking apostle for ecology and the protection of woodlands which having been destroyed for parking lots and housing estates leave animals who once lived in caves and forests spilling over into our largest cities. He talked to the animals. He understood them. He knew their place in creation.
Francis talked to the birds about their call to the unceasing singing of the praises of God. When the birds surrounded him, he told them,"My sister birds, you owe much to God, and you must always and in every place give praise to Him; for He has given you freedom to wing through the sky and He has clothed you ...
He calmed the wild. The wolf Gubbio who had been ravaging animals and people alike lay down at his feet like a puppy when Francis scolded him for his violence: "All these people accuse you and curse you ... But Brother Wolf, I would like to make peace between you and the people."
Then Francis led the wolf into the town, and surrounded by startled citizens made a pact between them and the wolf. Because the wolf had "done evil out of hunger", the townsfolk were to feed the wolf regularly, and in return, the wolf would no longer prey upon them or their flocks. In this manner Gubbio was freed from the menace of the predator."
No doubt about it. In a world where species after species is disappearing under the rubric of "progress," where animals are being used for research on materials and cosmetics, where the boundaries between forests and cities are fast disappearing, where bears show up in shopping districts of major cities and crocodiles show up on people's front lawns, we need St Francis now.
It is also becoming clear that Francis knew what we are only now discovering.
In our time, the science that separated us from nature is now declaring that animals, too, have intelligence, have emotions, have needs like ours. Research by Dr. Filippo Aureli, professor of animal behavior and co-director of the Research Centre in Evolutionary Anthropology and Palaeoecology in Liverpool, England, indicates that the study of animal emotions, particularly in birds and primates is providing new insight and information on the emotions of humans, as well as the feelings of animals.
Well, I am an animal lover, too. And I have been threatening for years now that my last book would be Two Dogs and a Parrot: The Spiritual Lessons I Have Learned From My Pets. The parrot, named "Bennie" for obvious Benedictine reasons, is the most obvious educator of them all.
From Bennie I am learning persistence and emotional sensitivity. Both of which are needed in this world of invisible women and neglected children.
Persistence is a very good thing for a woman to know in a man's church. If Bennie needs something, she simply refuses to give up trying to get it. She will knock at her hopper until it gets filled, until the door gets opened, until you put her on your shoulder and make her a real part of the community.
Emotional sensitivity, the awareness of the needs of needy others, is her forte. She stretches herself out on the top of her cage, thin as a pencil, rigid as a piece of steel and stares at you until you stop work and give her the loving she seeks, for her sake and yours. She teaches us to be very aware of very small signals in life.
No wonder that churches to this day bless animals on October 4, the Feast of St. Francis.
St. Francis would find it all very normal, very necessary.
From where I stand, we need to take another look at what animals have to teach us today, yes, but we have to take another look at what the saints have to say to us today, too. Somehow or other, the models we have put in their stead have not, as a class, managed to fill the gaps.
[Benedictine Sr. Joan Chittister is a longtime contributor to NCR. Her Web columns, From Where I Stand, are found on the NCR Web site, NCRonline.org/blogs/from-where-i-stand.]
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Dear Sr. Joan, Your paragraph
Dear Sr. Joan,
Your paragraph on St. Francis, Oct4th... made me think of this item I just read.
This from the PEN today: The top 20 percent of Americans now control a gargantuan 83 percent
of America's wealth (with 40 percent of wealth in the hands of the
top 1 percent of the population). The bottom 40 percent of our people
are such an insignificant sliver (with at TOTAL of 0.3% of our
country's wealth), that you need a magnifying glass to even see them
on the graph. The INEQUALITY of wealth distribution in America now
rivals the situation just prior to the Great Depression.
Is anybody in Congress even remotely paying attention to history? The
last time this happened was in the months PRIOR to the Great
Depression!!
Thanks for all the light you shed. We need you.
Fondly,
Pam Sloane
I had the pleasure of hearing you in NYC at the workshop Spirituality in the Workplace organized by my dear friend, Barbara Litrell, and one of our former professors, Sr Consuela, (Joan Kavanaugh??) several years ago.
Bravo, Sister Joan! As
Bravo, Sister Joan! As always, you've given us an astute commentary on God, the world, and the church... and enjoyable, too. Keep up the great work!
Thank you again & again Sr.
Thank you again & again Sr. Joan. I had the pleasure of hearing and seeing you at St. Johns' University in the 80's. St. Francis' care and concern for all of creation is a hero to all people, to all faiths.
Gee. A man with respect for
Gee. A man with respect for nature and for the poor. Good thing he lived back when he did - Francis wiould be a little out of place these days.
and so must we all take that
and so must we all take that place
now more than ever
large, worn sandals to fill but what else can we do
See how a large beautiful
See how a large beautiful Franciscan church in the City of Saint Francis. has taken Francis' place .....the homeless poor sleeping in the pews..short video of the Gubbio Project..
http://thegubbioproject.org/video.html
Dear Sr. Joan, May God bless
Dear Sr. Joan,
May God bless you always, and surround all you do with Love.
You are a voice for those who have no voice, and I believe a prophet in our times.
Michael
Amen, anonymous Michael, and
Amen, anonymous Michael, and thank you very much for writing this.
Often comments here cause me uncontrollable concern, for which I beg forgivenesses
this, your comment, brought to me what was once called La Prière des Larmes, which I find untranslatable, yet I thank you for this great grace and consolation most gratefully
I find it so deeply hurtful when people here proudly disparage my heroes of our church, and so I am so grateful to you for these few words of yours, like sweet rain in this driest desert
Deo Gratias.
Sr. Joan, You have been an
Sr. Joan,
You have been an inspiration to me for some time. And now I am a Benedictine oblate partly due to your influence.
This article was very special to me because I love St. Francis and I love animals, wild and domestic. I have had many pets over the years and have not always been the best Mom I could have been to them, but I think I have "grown up" a lot in my animal relationships.
I am a member of my parish Social Justice committee and I have always emphasized the importance of caring for all animals as an essential part of social justice. I will be sharing your article with them, as not everyone on the committee shares my views. Thank you and God bless you.
Joanna Harmon
As usual, Sr. Joan, a
As usual, Sr. Joan, a masterpiece and it cuts to your heart. What would I do without my "Killey" the generic name given to our family cat who has taught me devotion, persistence and perseverance. Father Matthew Fox was once asked who his spiritual director was and if I recall correctly, it was his cat. I think that I know what the good father meant. deacon RC Salinas
Thank you for this beautiful
Thank you for this beautiful tribute to St. Francis! There are so many things we just don't get in our society, and you mentioned several in this wonderful article.
Thank you, Sister Joan, for
Thank you, Sister Joan, for shining a light on one of my heroes. Rightly he was sainted. In my hierarchy of Truth tellers and Truth livers, he stands with Mark Twain, the Dalai Lama, Jesus talked of doing kindness "to one of the least".
Buddha, taken by the poverty and misery he was shielded from as a child, lived and walked in the shoes of the poor to know how it was.
With all the political discourse becoming uglier and uglier and our society deliberately becoming polarized to the ultimate, we need to pause and review the lives of heroes like St. Francis. We need positive examples of lives that made the world a better place by not following greed, money and ignorance.
As I pass my half century of
As I pass my half century of being on Earth I cannot remember a time when Francis of Assisi has not been part of my life and I am always reminded of how his spirit rises up in each generation by the writings and reflections on his life and ever so more when reading Joan's reflections on Francis' upcoming feast day. Joan's writings also reminded me of a recent section in a Richard Louv book where he writes about the Third Frontier highlighting the movement of wild animals back into our cities for many reasons (some similar to that of the wolf at Gubbio). Joan, I encourage your threats of writing that last book Two Dogs and a Parrot: The Spiritual Lessons I Have Learned From My Pets. No better launch date of the book would be on a feast day of St Francis of Assisi.
October 4th this year...feast
October 4th this year...feast of St. Francis...will be the day that the Arab nations will meet to consider whether to continue the Israeli/Palestinian negotiations for peace. Let's all pray to St. Francis that peace with justice will finally come to the Holy Land.
Today is October 4th, that
Today is October 4th, that pilgrim´s feast day, and I am on retreat here in Ciudad Juarez, and yes, may peace come to this most holy land . . .
and the wall come down, now
Anybody who has ever had a
Anybody who has ever had a pet dog or a pet cat know that animals have emotions and at least some level of intelligence. I remember a routine by the late comedian Redd Foxx who used to claim that dogs are smarter than people. His reasoning? "Dogs understand people language, but people don't understand dog language."
I'll leave it at that.
I wonder what "emotion" a dog
I wonder what "emotion" a dog is feeling when she eats her own young?
I'll leave it at that.
similarly wonder how our
similarly wonder how our nation feels as it sounds our young to die is meaningless imperialist wars of colonization and genocide
how do we feel as we eat our young, deny them education, jobs, health care, wages and a life
and send them to die at war, or to kill themselves with the edspair of war and her unending trauma and guilt
how do we feel to eat our young, jeff?
and work for peace
srtuggle for true justice
live the Magnificat of Mary
A carpenter friend lost two
A carpenter friend lost two fingers a couple years ago, quite a shock to one who depends on his hands (he also played Dobro guitar) but he is back at work, though more mindful. Last week while snorkeling in Hawai'i he watched down on a group of sea turtles and stared at one that had lost a front arm after a fellow snorkeler made an charade motion. He made eye contact with the turtle, pointed to the turtles arm then pointed to his own fingers and made a biting motion; the turtle looked where it's missing arm was and made a biting motion in return.
Francis is very dear to my
Francis is very dear to my heart....another part of his journey which rings out for our times, is his openness to interfaith dialogue. He journeyed to a distant land to talk to a leader about their faith, and was treated with great honour because of his own faith and approach to other. There's so much we could learn from Francis....
Thank you for the column on
Thank you for the column on St. Francis whose feast day is my dog, Bentley's, birthday. Our pets do indeed teach us so much. Bentley just went through surgery this week after eating a razor...he has no idea why he must wear a blue donut around his neck until the stitches are removed....but he does not complain...he just adjusts. I call that a lesson. Three hours after surgery, he was wagging his tail. It was over and he had moved on. Bentley is my healer as I grieve the loss of my husband just weeks ago...he has no idea that he is so important to me as he races across the room to me when I weep.
This is the beauty of our pets...they are not self conscious...they give and teach with out a clue that they are doing it...just by being. If only we could follow their lead....
"Persistence is a very good
"Persistence is a very good thing for a woman to know in a man's church"
And that man's name is Jesus.
that man is
that man is WOjtyla-Ratzinger-Dolan-Morlino-Law and the rest, unk
Jesus has very little left to do with it . . .
Feed the hungry
Give water to the thirsty
Heal the sick
Clothe the naked
Bury the dead
Liberate the imprisoned
Love thy enemy
If anyone requires your coat give your shirt as well
Turn the other cheek
Judge not
Bring the Good News of Liberation to the poor, of this Jubillee YEar of forgiveness of debts
Been there? DOne that?
Charles, why are you
Charles, why are you hypocritical as to constantly demand respect and titles for McBrien and Chittister and yet you can't even do the same for the Holy Father??
ok, so add Burke´s name too,
ok, so add Burke´s name too, ok, and marciel, who played such a strongly influential role under karol wojtyla?
anonymous, dude, where´s my title, anyway?
I can´t get no respect . . .
Bravo, Uncas, bravo
Bravo, Uncas, bravo
Uncas on Sep. 28, 2010. You
Uncas on Sep. 28, 2010.
You stated:
("Persistence is a very good thing for a woman to know in a man's church"
And that man's name is Jesus.)
-------------------------------------------------
Yes, and if the men who run the Church in Jesus' name would remember that this is Jesus' Church---women would not have to be living out the virtue of Persistence each and every day.
They are well aware that this
They are well aware that this is Jesus' Church. They walk in his footsteps daily and suffer ridicule and persecution by those who oppose the Gospel of Jesus.
"The top 20 percent of
"The top 20 percent of Americans now control a gargantuan 83 percent
of America's wealth"
The top 20 percent also pays the gargantuan percentage of the taxes, and directly or indirectly provides most of the jobs. Have you ever been hired by a poor person who benefits from the immoral redistribution of wealth that the government and Marxist nuns are so proud of? In the words of the Great Ronald Reagan-a rising tide raises all ships. Keep on taking wealth from the producers and giving it to the looters. Then tell us about the poverty that results.
Uncas; The modern
Uncas;
The modern conservative is engaged in one of man's oldest exercises in moral philosophy; that is, the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness.
Have you not yet received the
Have you not yet received the Gospel According to Gecko?
Greed is Good . . .
feed the poor
sell all that you have and give the money to the poor
that is not a suggestion but a commandment
of Love
that is going for broke . . .
from a time when greed was a great sin
as it was and is now and ever shall be . . .
not since the reagan-bush and
not since the reagan-bush and cheney-bush tax breaks, Unk!
where do you get your statistics anyway?
Just pull them out of your hat?
What Marxist nuns?
Mother Teresa with her free care for the dying?
Reagan made all ships sink except the wealthiest yacht.
Remember when as governor of California he hoped all those getting free canned goods from an open pantry program get botulism?
there was no great in reagan
And no Catholic
All that wealth does not go to the workers, but to themselves.
REagan made us a third world economy complete with oligarchy
COme with me to Ciudad Juarez and buy some burritos for the poor and starving
and see what we need to do in the usa
I remember Reagan as the man
I remember Reagan as the man who thought that ketchup was an adequate "vegetable" for the school lunch program — yep, I heard him direct many patronizing remarks such as that toward those 'lesser people'.
.
I remember his fantasy "Star Wars" plan for our already overblown military — a fantasy that crashed and burned of its own high-priced stupidity.
.
I remember the Iran-Contra scandal while Reagan was sliding off into Alzheimer's disease barely able to follow a conversation, and his VP daddy-Bush claiming the White House was "not in the loop" and so were not guilty of federal and international crimes perpetrated by Executive Branch insiders. It was WAY worse than Watergate.
.
I remember Reagan's cheery nonsense claiming that when the rich got richer and had no regulation/accountability, all of their largess would somehow "trickle down" to the 'lesser people'. We know how that worked out.
.
I remember the man with a pathological obsession with communism (a communist under every bush in his mind). His Randian economic notions were a direct outgrowth of his obsession.
.
I remember his wife consulting with astrologers and psychics when planning her husband's travels — she was obsessed with fear for his safety. The couple had to be coached by their PR handlers for their occasional photo-ops "going to church" so they would know what to do and not look ridiculous. The list of weirdness is endless.
.
Reagan was an actor by trade, and with great finesse and affability sold Americans a truck-load of rubbish — something for which our nation has paid a high price since those so-called "great" Reagan years. Anyone who thinks the man and his economic policies were "great" is either uninformed, deluded, lying or wasn't even born at the time. Some of us who lived those years remember it well, and sadly watched what Reagan set in motion destroy our nation and the working middle class.
.
That is the late (not-great) Reagan legacy — Sic transit gloria mundi.
.
Aileen USA, thanks for
Aileen USA, thanks for reminding all those who worshiped President Reagan about what he actually stood for as governor of Californis and President of the USA. I am in total agreement with your comments. You are also correct about his destruction of the middle class in America and the recent Bush Administration continued the attack on middle class Americans. I hope that people will remember that the republicans have stood for the rich.
Uncas, In your eagerness to
Uncas,
In your eagerness to trumpet Reaganomics (a derivative of of the philosophy of the atheist Ayn Rand that was embraced by a self-avowed New Age actor) you missed the entire spiritual point. Your diatribe against the author of this essay (and against the poor) is 'exhibit A' for our Lord Christ's statement that "it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than a rich man to enter the Kingdom of Heaven".
.
Think about it. Reflect on last week's gospel message about the rich man — it wasn't the rich man's wealth that was sinful; it was his attitude toward the poor... his attitude of "I've got mine and deserve to have it". Sadly, your theology is askew — and your economic notions are functionally that "wide chasm" between yourself and the Kingdom.
.
Even way back in the eighties
Even way back in the eighties the architect of Voodoo Reaganomics, DAvid Stockman, recanted, and admitted it was all smoke blown in the eyes of the American people to rob us, when he wrote: Triumph of Politics: Why the Reagan Revolution Failed.
yet unc keeps the faith . . .
thank you Aileen, that gospel
thank you Aileen, that gospel truly is a powerful warning that takes no prisoners!
I am glad to understand here with you that we heard the same one in the States that I heard in Ciudad Juarez!
Jesus said to the Pharisees: «There was a rich man who dressed in purple garments and fine linen and dined sumptuously each day. And lying at his door was a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who would gladly have eaten his fill of the scraps that fell from the rich man’s table. Dogs even used to come and lick his sores. When the poor man died, he was carried away by angels to the bosom of Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried, and from the netherworld, where he was in torment, he raised his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. And he cried out, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me. Send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am suffering torment in these flames.’ Abraham replied, ‘My child, remember that you received what was good during your lifetime while Lazarus likewise received what was bad; but now he is comforted here, whereas you are tormented. Moreover, between us and you a great chasm is established to prevent anyone from crossing who might wish to go from our side to yours or from your side to ours.’ He said, ‘Then I beg you, father, send him to my father’s house, for I have five brothers, so that he may warn them, lest they too come to this place of torment.’ But Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the prophets. Let them listen to them.’ He said, ‘Oh no, father Abraham, but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’ Then Abraham said, ‘If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded if someone should rise from the dead.’” – Luke 16:19-31
Dear Uncas, I can't believe
Dear Uncas, I can't believe you expect us to fall for that bit of misinformation going around as political election propaganda: the very rich pay "the gargantuan percentage of the taxes!" The very reason administrations of the past inserted the "alternative MINIMUM tax" section into the tax code was that the very rich have ways and means to avoid paying the ordinary tax the rest of us pay.
How, pray tell, is a 3-5% "redistribution of wealth" (from 35% to 38-40% top tax bracket) more immoral than the redistribution of "trickle-down" - that didn't - of times past? Add to that the fact that those who were supposed to contribute to the "trickle down" movement began to take salaries/perks of as much as 350% as the rest of us. I have never been hired by a poor person who's "benefitted from immoral distribution of wealth" because, in fact, the wealth simply has not been redistributed. The poor have not gotten richer - only poorer. Perhaps you've heard some of the latest facts about poverty: there are more of us in that category, not less.
What are we to infer, imply, assume, connote or denote from your applying the adjective "Marxist" in front of the noun "nuns" used in a universal sense? Is "Marxist" supposed to be "immoral"? I thought that adjective described redistribution. What makes this amorphous group of nuns "Marxist?" Why does this offend you as it seems to? What if they followed Ayn Rand; would that make them any better, more moral? Nuns, like you and me (I assume you're a baptized Christian) are by virtue of baptism and choice, followers of Jesus the Christ. That's really all I can assume of their witness, as well as yours. Also it's really all I expect that you assume of me. We may not read the gospels in the same way but that's what animates our life's journey no matter what path we're on....
Brother Uncas, I am
Brother Uncas,
I am wondering, that man Jesus mentioned in the previous post; what was payrole?
Peace,
Edd
I believe you missed the
I believe you missed the point. Who do you serve? Do you serve God by showing respect and caring for all of God's creation - nature and one another? Or do you serve money - profit first at all costs?
And don't forget St. Therese
And don't forget St. Therese of Lisieux on October 1st. Unlike Francis (as far as we know), she tackled the issue of loss of faith and responded to this spiritual crisis by re-doubling her acts of kindness. Only love mattered. She also had interesting insights about the treatment of women within the Church (writing to the effect, "poor women they were the only ones faithful unto Calvary, yet they are so easily ex-communicated") and had trenchant remarks about the weaknesses she witnessed among an all male clergy. Arguably, she and Francis are the two greatest saints since Apostolic times. And their feasts come within a week of each other.
Dear sister Joan, To
Dear sister Joan,
To remember the heroes of earlier days is important - those who brought the gospel to the ordinary people - laymen and laywomen of the day, by their everyday life and commitment. They brought the Living Word among the people - actualising it - so that people could recognise that He was among them.
Who is doing that today? Would we recognise him or her? For me personally, I have discover the profound mystery of Pope Benedict - everything he does or say is such a pround mystery. He shocks me to reality - He wakes me up from my slumber. He preach the gospel by being a Mirror - in his intellecutalism, triumphalism, vanity, prejudices etc etc I can discover my own intellecutalism, triumphalism, prejudices etc etc.
In my longing for someone to trust - to depend on in moral questions - he trows be back on myself - my own experience and my own concience - because what he says is just too strange - too inhuman to have anything to do with me and my life - if I want to be compassionate at all - towards my self and my neighbour.
Had our beloved Pope Benedict been a little more diplomatic and vague - he could not have had this pedagogical Mirroring effect on me. Recently I discover that I was just like him in my irritation over so many of my coreligionists that I don't even find Christian! I, just like our Pope would like to have a Church with only One ideology - the pure Church committed to Christ - and kick the rest out!
Because of our Pope, I understand so much of the Church that I would never have been able to understand if he was not Mirroring me or putting issues out so clear cut!
In the last edition of London Review of Books, Colm Tolbin has written a review of the book: The Pope Is Not Gay!" by Angelo Quattrocchi:
http://www.lrb.co.uk/v32/n16/colm-toibin/among-the-flutterers
I am quite sure that the pope is a very special gift and blessing to our Church so that we should be able to understand more about ourselves and our beloved Church. I think that the pedagogy of Mirroring is a very important way of preaching the Gospel for us in our time.
@Uncas: Poverty is much
@Uncas: Poverty is much greater now in this country than it was in Reagan's time, when the top 20 percent controlled much less of America's wealth and paid much more in taxes. For the middle class ships, the tide has not been rising.
So I understand, vertical
So I understand, vertical redistribution of wealth upwards is a good thing and downwards is immoral. By "Looters", you mean the banksters that drove the financial institutions into the ground and walked away with millions in bonuses? Re creation of jobs ... I know the folks in China and India are very appreciative.
"Francis of Assisi saw the
"Francis of Assisi saw the whole family of creation somehow profoundly related to Christ. And when the Word of God entered history at the Incarnation and dwelt among us, St. Francis saw this as a cause for celebration among all creatures.
Francis' sense that all creatures are somehow interconnected in Christ is the reason he could rhapsodize about "Brother Sun and Sister Moon." His Canticle of the Creatures, in which he praised the Creator through Brother Sun and Sister Moon and all the creatures, is not poetic overstatement. It is the practical expression of his theological and spiritual vision. It is no coincidence that Francis is the patron saint of ecology. He who perceived this world as Mother Earth recognized that it is the home of him whom he loved: Jesus Christ. Care and concern for creation is care and concern for Jesus' own home."
--Stephen Doyle, O.F.M., is a Franciscan priest and biblical scholar.
Uncas on Sep. 28, 2010. You
Uncas on Sep. 28, 2010.
You stated:
("The top 20 percent of Americans now control a gargantuan 83 percent
of America's wealth"
The top 20 percent also pays the gargantuan percentage of the taxes, and directly or indirectly provides most of the jobs. Have you ever been hired by a poor person who benefits from the immoral redistribution of wealth that the government and Marxist nuns are so proud of? In the words of the Great Ronald Reagan-a rising tide raises all ships. Keep on taking wealth from the producers and giving it to the looters. Then tell us about the poverty that results.)
--------------------------------------------------------------
Who are the "looters" Uncas? And how about taking your theory to the people of Central and South America who have put up with centuries of poverty. In these countries---only about 4% of the population control almost 97% percent of the country's wealth. Where is the justice there?
Secondly, before you call the 'nuns' "Marxist", I suggest that you carefully read the books of the Old Testament "Numbers, Leviticus, and Deutronomy"---all of which established the Holiness Code of Israel---and they are largely based upon social justice issues.
In these book, the people were reminded that they were once immigrants who came to Israel, and by treating the original inhabitants with justice and kindness---they became a unique people, bound together in unity and solidarity.
You call the 'nuns' "Marxist." But are you aware that Karl Marx recognized the plight of the working poor during the Industrial Revolution more than 30 years before Leo XII wrote his social encyclical "Rerum Novarum?"---supporting the rights of the working poor. And are you aware of the 13 encyclicals written from the 1890's up to our current time---which recognizes the rights of the poor to their share of the world's wealth?
In our country today----tell me---how many articles of clothing do you have that are made in America? The clothing manufacturers don't care a pin about America's workers---who have lost their jobs. They want cheap, cheap labor----and they get it from workers in China, Indonesia, and India. And these people live in shacks that we wouldn't house our pets in. I just picked out the clothing industry---but there are other areas as well. The 'producers' are interested in one thing and one thing only---$$$$$$---not in any branch of the Christian message (like St. Francis'). And the producers are not interested in the human value and worth of the people toiling in sweat shops, either. Oh, jobs are provided----overseas----not here.
St. Francis turned his back upon riches for many reasons. One of them was that he felt that people were so much more important than money. And that is not a Marxist concept. Jesus stated the same thing, too, in Luke 12:22-31 and Matthew 6:19-21, 25-34. I strongly suggest that you broaden your understanding of what the full scope of the Virtue of Justice entails---before calling the 'nuns' Marxists.
we remember how without any
we remember how without any basis in fact and without any evidence leading Catholics in the Reagan administration, people like Kirkpatrick, Wild Bill Casey and Al Haig, called our martyrs Marxist nuns: Sister Dorothy Kazel, Sister Ita Ford, Sister Maura Clarke, and Jean Donovan, who went along that night for the ride.
" . . . animals, too, have
" . . . animals, too, have intelligence, have emotions, have needs like ours." Thank you for this! I especially love this quote from the article. Four years ago my father died unexpectedly and I was devastated. Two weeks after his funeral, a stray mother cat and four tiny kittens appeared in our yard. The mother was thin and hungry, and very affectionate toward us even though her kittens were quite wild. Gradually the kittens came to trust us and as the weather got colder we made a place for them in our garage. Eventually we adopted the mother and one kitten, and found homes for the other three. While both our cats are special, the mother, named Perdita, I believe was a final gift from my father to me as she came at a time of great sadness. Perdy hardly leaves my side. If I'm having a bad day, she seems more in tune and if I shed a few tears, she mews and puts her face to mine until I calm down. She is a truly remarkable feline. Now, if only I could teach her the difference between yelling and cheering for football games, and genuine emotional distress!
Dear Sister Joan, I believe
Dear Sister Joan,
I believe St. Francis knew, instead of feared, his fellow creatures. It seems to me that he was comfortable living in community with all living things. There are many organizations whose mission is to protect nature and all living creatures on our planet. There are also many organizations who want to house and feed the poor on Earth. I am not sure that these goals are compatible. The more people we have to build homes for and feed, the less natural spaces we have for those other beautiful, intelligent creatures of the Earth you speak of in your essay. Remember too, that it is one thing to care and be responsive to a domestic pet, it is another to care and be responsive to creatures of our Earth whose survival depends solely on the Earth's resources and must compete constantly with human beings.
Obviously, there are no easy solutions to our social, economic, and environmental problems when you consider the global diversity of culture, religion, and geography.
Dear Sr. Joan, There are many
Dear Sr. Joan, There are many saints in Heaven who give us caution and through many different examples. When St. Benedict established his Monastic Rule much wrong was going on throughout the world. Little praise was given to GOD and the peoples were going about worshipping false idols much as we are doing today. In his wisdom and charity Benedict decided to establish an Order of monks and nuns to leave the world aside and praise GOD 24/7, 365 through works, prayers,and giving of oneself fully to GOD. Today this Rule is dead as are most of the Orders started to do as the establisher of Monasticism, St. Benedict did. When people think back to when they were children and realize how much the Monastic Life has changed it is not a pleasant picture. There are shadows left and not very strong evidence of the early beginnings. Monastics were self sufficient and practising their Faith with the focus on GOD. Today there are many distractions. Ironically the monks that followed St. Francis and who continue to follow his Rule have not changed. They continue to wear their brown habits and sandals and are tonsured and their Rosary beads are evident and worn by all. One wonders how much impact this type of example has on people who witness these monks as they travel about the country. When St Francis left his very wealthy family he removed all of his rich adornments and handed them to his mother. He proceeded into the countryside and clothed himself in animal pelts. He prayed hard to ask GOD'S help in how to best serve HIM and the end result has lasted through the centuries. The Franciscans have not yielded to the worldly since they came into being. A little food for thought.
tommy, dude, you do realize
tommy, dude, you do realize you are here directly addressing the Reverend Sister Joan Chittister, OSB, past president of American Benedictine Prioresses, who has written several of the standard works on Benedictine history and spirituality, and whose latest we are all waiting eagerly for its delayed release.
Despite your declaration that "Today this Rule is dead as are most of the Orders started to do as the establisher of Monasticism, St. Benedict did." the Rule is very much alive. I cannot follow your grammatical structure after the dependent conjunction, but the Rule is very much alive, as the Reverend Sister Joan Chittister OSB makes living and grace filled testimony.
Most Franciscans I meet are not dressed as you describe, yet strive to live honestly, mercifully and compassionately the spirit and rule of Saint Francis, in our urban, suburban and distant deserts.
Take Friar Richard Rohr, OFM, of the New Mexico Province, for one example.
Above all read please the great Friar Boff . . .
Dear Brother Charles, I truly
Dear Brother Charles, I truly realize whom I am addressing as I grew up with Sr. Joan. To await a waterdowned version of SAINT BENEDICT'S RULE is not worth the time to read it. When ST BENEDICT wrote his RULE it was not iintended to live a few years but for all ETERNITY. Today, as I have said previously, the RULE being lived is only a shadow of what it once was. ST BENEDICT established MONASTICISM-away from and not of the world. Perhaps you can justify the changes but SAINT BENEDICT cannot.
have you read the rule
have you read the rule today?
so helpful when read along with the latest commentary from our leading American BEnedicinte . . .
Francis left his wealthy
Francis left his wealthy family yes, but today the Franciscans are one of the richest Orders in the world.
He would never recognise many of his sons with beliefs such as once your dead your dead; Francis was over the top; and wearing handmade shoes with their habits.
Some don't mind a little night life either.
We live in a world of fantasy I"m afraid and the legacy is being exploited by more than just a few.
when Francis returned from
when Francis returned from praying with the Muslim Sultan for peace in the Middle East during our bloody Crusade invasions, he discovered that "perfect joy" is being denied admittance to his own convent. HE then tore the roof off the place in shame for its luxurious protection from the weather while the homeless yet had no roof
L.Newington on Oct. 02,
L.Newington on Oct. 02, 2010.
You stated:
"Francis left his wealthy family yes, but today the Franciscans are one of the richest Orders in the world.
He would never recognise many of his sons with beliefs such as once your dead your dead; Francis was over the top; and wearing handmade shoes with their habits.
Some don't mind a little night life either.
We live in a world of fantasy I"m afraid and the legacy is being exploited by more than just a few."
-----------------------------------------------------
Franciscans are one of the richest Orders in the world--you stated. And I guess that you are their financial consultant, too. St. Clare made Francis' sandals---to allow for the stigmata prints (nail prints) in his feet that he received on Mt. Alvernia.
Sad to say---but you really don't know much about the Franciscans. Nor do you know much about their ministries all over the world---especially in Third World nations. How would you know about the 'night life'? Do you deny the Franciscans the right to have a beer now and then?
And you said nothing about the Franciscan women. I guess you think that they are 'high rollers' too! Walk in a Franciscan's sandals for about a week or so first, before you come out with your biased comments.
I could answer that big bear
I could answer that big bear but I won't.
tom warren on Sep. 28,
tom warren on Sep. 28, 2010.
You stated:
"Dear Sr. Joan, There are many saints in Heaven who give us caution and through many different examples. When St. Benedict established his Monastic Rule much wrong was going on throughout the world. Little praise was given to GOD and the peoples were going about worshipping false idols much as we are doing today. In his wisdom and charity Benedict decided to establish an Order of monks and nuns to leave the world aside and praise GOD 24/7, 365 through works, prayers,and giving of oneself fully to GOD. Today this Rule is dead as are most of the Orders started to do as the establisher of Monasticism, St. Benedict did. When people think back to when they were children and realize how much the Monastic Life has changed it is not a pleasant picture. There are shadows left and not very strong evidence of the early beginnings. Monastics were self sufficient and practising their Faith with the focus on GOD. Today there are many distractions. Ironically the monks that followed St. Francis and who continue to follow his Rule have not changed. They continue to wear their brown habits and sandals and are tonsured and their Rosary beads are evident and worn by all. One wonders how much impact this type of example has on people who witness these monks as they travel about the country. When St Francis left his very wealthy family he removed all of his rich adornments and handed them to his mother. He proceeded into the countryside and clothed himself in animal pelts. He prayed hard to ask GOD'S help in how to best serve HIM and the end result has lasted through the centuries. The Franciscans have not yielded to the worldly since they came into being. A little food for thought."
----------------------------------------------------
I wish that you would study Church history a bit, so that you could get your facts straight.
The Benedictines were founded as the Roman Empire was falling into decay in the West. The Benedictines are not DEAD---they are very much alive and those who follow the Benedictine Rule continue to live out in our own times the vision of Benedict and his sister, Scholastica.
Franciscans are not MONKS---they are called Friars. Francis did not despise the Benedictines, but he wanted his followers to be out among the people "Preaching the Gospel---and even using words at times, to do so." I know very many Franciscan priests (TOR, Conventuals, Capuchins). They don't always wear their habits (the Gray Moors---don't wear brown). And they do wear shoes---especially in cold weather. Haven't seen any 'tonsured' ever---and I knew Franciscan priests as a kid---long, long ago.
Francis did not wear animal pelts---he wore the simple tunic of a poor beggar of his time. He took bolts of clothing that his father had in the store and gave (or sold) it, so that he could give money to the poor. Francis would ask the wealthy if they would give him their warm winter coats (and not ask for them back) so that he could give them to the poor, who had very little or nothing to keep themselves warm for the winter.
Both Benedict and Francis (and all the other founders/founderesses) always prayed that God would show them how best to serve and love God and others.
Dear LittleBear, As your
Dear LittleBear, As your comments indicate you obviously lived in the times of SAINT FRANCIS and know much more than I do about his life. Would you please
explain to me the difference between a friar and a monk?
Ridiculous. Why don't you
Ridiculous. Why don't you also declare that animals have rational souls and that they are created in God's imaged so therefore humans and other species may marry. That's where this is all going.
After reading Sr. Joan's
After reading Sr. Joan's column about how bad things are in Christ's Church, as well as the acrimonious comments in reply, I don't believe that the joyful, loving Francisco Bernadone would be comfortable in that church and neither would I.
Francis animal friends were his brothers and sisters, as was all creation, not messengers of gender equality and social justice. All are entitled to their views, but they are not entitled to recreate Francisco in their image (Hat tip to Daniel Patrick Moynihan). He deserves better than that.
hey techwreck, when you write
hey techwreck, when you write " . . .not messengers of gender equality and social justice."
tell it to Sainte Claire!
Like our Benedictines look to Ste Scholastica and her hold over Ben!
NOT messengers of social justice?
have you read a little thing called the Gospels, techwreck, or even the social encyclicals?
We are all messengers first of the Good News to the Poor announcing the Year of Jubillee in which all debts are forgiven
Read the Magnificat, in which our first Christian prophet Mary announces the poor will be filled with every good thing and the rich sent empty away
Sister Joan, my teacher at
Sister Joan, my teacher at present is a little black lab mix named Sophie. She teaches me wisdom. Observing her, I'm able to get in touch with some of my very remote ancestors. I understand better why I behave the way I do. For example, I bark at things new and unfamiliar. And I can be very territorial--ready to protect and defend what is "mine". The problem is, because of my "superior intelligence", my fear, insecurity etc. I can do so much greater harm. It's strange: the more I have, the more insecure I am. Strange!
For those of you who don’t
For those of you who don’t know, there’s the Saint Francis of Assisi Service Dog Foundation and its partner, Château Morrisette, famous for its dog-themed wines. A percentage from the sales of these wines supports the service dog foundation. Navigate to www.dogs4acause.org to purchase either “Liberty: Service Dog Red” (a dry red wine blended from Chambourcin, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot grapes) or “Independence: Service Dog White” (a fruity white wine blended from Traminette and Riesling). It’s all in a good cause.
Dear Joan, I eagerly await
Dear Joan, I eagerly await for your last book- Two Dogs and a Parrot: The Spiritual Lessons I Have Learned From My Pets. I am a parable lover and composer too. Bennie sounds like my Dreamie the Frog
your friend from India
Maggie
I have finally been promised
I have finally been promised shipment by amazon of her latest commentary on the Rule of Saint BEnedict, to join the others by her upon my shelf and in my daily reading of lectio divina
I highly advise it
Dear Brother Charles, When
Dear Brother Charles, When you finish with the watered down version and commentary about the RULE of SAINT BENEDICT why not write a book report. All on this board need a little humor.
I did review this most
I did review this most powerful commentary on our rule that I have seen since Dom DElatte himself
you may read my book report at
http://www.amazon.com/review/RLBMR4UAESJDY/ref=cm_cr_dp_cmt?ie=UTF8&ASIN...
and get a copy while you are there, before slanderously, calumniously, slaughtering it sight unseen. What are you anyway, a drone?
Certainly not any kind of a practicing Catholic . . .
but hey that´s jsut me, ok, tom?
Dear Brother Charles,
Dear Brother Charles, Obedience to GOD and one's superiors is paramount in leading a holy life. SAINT BENEDICT instructed his followers into the LIFE OF MONASTACISM to practise HUMILITY by becoming one of the community after having served as PRIORESS. None of the former PRIORESS'S at Sr. Joan's convent are currently living among the community as directed by SAINT BENEDICT. All are living in other locations and doing their own thing. What HUMILITY!
Submitted by tom warren on
Submitted by tom warren on Oct. 08, 2010.
You stated:
"Dear Brother Charles, Obedience to GOD and one's superiors is paramount in leading a holy life. SAINT BENEDICT instructed his followers into the LIFE OF MONASTACISM to practise HUMILITY by becoming one of the community after having served as PRIORESS. None of the former PRIORESS'S at Sr. Joan's convent are currently living among the community as directed by SAINT BENEDICT. All are living in other locations and doing their own thing. What HUMILITY!"
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My, my! What bitter, angry words tumble out of our fingers (on the keys), when we are not aware of the changes and branches of religous orders. Religious orders, are composed of human beings, and human beings change over the years. And if an order existing as long as the Benedictines---did not change over the centuries to meet the needs of the living people at each age---the order would have ceased to exist.
There are different branches of the Benedictines. Some follow the 'strict' rule of Benedict. Others, follow the revised rule. Both rules are approved by Rome.
I know of Benedictines (males) who run colleges and universities and are very much involved in the 'outside' world. Some are theologians and spiritual writers----give retreats, conferences, spiritual direction. Others, live a more agrarian life-style and raise sheep, engage in painting (artistic), carve stringed musical instruments. All give glory to God and service to their neighbors ACCORDING to the RULE that they are living by----which was approved by Rome.
And it is the same with the Benedictine women. God loves variety----and so do most people. Within families, there is variety, too. Each religious order is a religious family---and they have variety within their ranks. They are not mass-produced on some kind of assembly line.
You, and some other writers here, always seem to be taking women religious to task when they don't fit YOUR pre-conceived ideas of what a woman religious should be.
Your sense of what the virtue of HUMILITY is, belongs in the patriarchial age, centuries ago. Women do not have to walk two steps behind men anymore. Many if not most, are just as well educated as men, have tremendous amounts of experience in their life-style and from years in the ministry as men are, the women religious are articulate---and they have served on national, regional, diocesan commissions-----and the expertise is respected. So what's your problem? Jealous?
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