Reading and Discussing the Bishop's Pastoral Letter
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OVERVIEW OF LETTER AND POST This letter could promote a grassroots spiritual movement of persons and groups who spend time contemplating this letter, discuss it widely with fellow Catholics, increase their friendship with God through fifteen minutes of contemplative prayer each day, and carefully develop and/or improve networks of friends who discuss their unique stories of why they are Catholic and what their unique missions of service both in the church and more especially in the broader society.. This post provides a condensed version of the letter consisting of my underlines interspersed with boxes containing notes intended to initiate conversations with others. The comments both tell my story and sketch my mission. Hopefully this example will encourage others to carefully study the whole letter, likewise underlining sentences and taking notes that begin to articulate their unique stories of why they are Catholic and their unique missions. Hopefully the result will be a flourishing community of persons, conversations, gatherings, and groups at the base of an Apostolic Church. |
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“Every moment and every event of every man’s life on earth plants something in his soul. Each moment brings with it germs of spiritual vitality. If these seeds would take root in my liberty, and if His will grow from my freedom, I would become the love that He is." Thomas Merton, Seeds of Contemplation. I first read this book when I was in high school. It became a lifelong guide for the contemplative dimension of my life. I did not have a vocation to be a Trappist like Merton, however I did spend two years as a Jesuit Novice because like Ignatius I felt called to be a contemplative in action, to find God in all things. The book was a gift of a math teacher at my public high school. It began a lifelong friendship of two amateur theologians. As a mathematician his interest was systematic theology, as a social scientist my interests were historical studies of liturgy, scripture and spirituality. I formalized my study of theology by earning an MA in spirituality from the University of Notre Dame in 2008. Our friendship provided a important supportive contemplative community for us since neither of us received much encouragement from church institutions let alone from society at large. |
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My parents were best friends. When my father, a steelworker, was advised by his doctor to take up fishing as a hobby, my mother joined him. Together they built a cabin near Lake Pymatuning. After I attained financial independent in graduate school, my parents became my best friends. I was a member of a mostly voluntary pastoral staff in a parish in Toledo in the 1980s. We asked ourselves "why we were Catholics?" My faith came from my parents more than from religious education or even my own theological study. Their faith, hope, and charity became my faith, hope and charity. Even their virtues, especially mom’s compassion for others and my dad's deep respect for others, became my virtues but in a different key. Although my mother has been dead for 30 years and my father for 20 years, they live on in me. Our family trinity of loving persons continues to guide and motivate my care for others. |
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When I was a child during the Marian Year of 1954 we built home altars. My best friend and I were altar boys; we played being priest and server at our home altars but knew it was just pretend. I became interested in finding prayers that could be used for home rituals, and thus discovered the Short Breviary, a form of the Hours in English for women religious. The Church already had liturgy that could be done at anywhere. My journey with Hours is the center of my friendship with God. I had graduated to the full Roman Breviary in English during High School. At the time of Vatican II, during my college years at Saint John’s University, Minnesota, I put aside the Breviary to chant Vespers, either in Latin with the choir monks upstairs or using the Gelineau psalms downstairs with the brothers. From an anthropologist, I learned that Native Americans became very ritually creative because they encouraged their children to dance and sing on the peripheries of their rituals. I decided to let ritual development takes its course in my life. The Hours have taken many different forms in the history of the Church. The cathedral offices of the early church were very different from monastic offices. The Benedictine office of the Middle Ages was a hybrid of the two. The mendicant orders developed the Breviary so they could take the office anywhere. The Jesuits abolished choir to give themselves more flexibility. Today the Virtual Divine Office on our electronic devices means that we can celebrate the Hours anywhere, anytime with anyone. Therefore, it is time to encourage most Catholics to experience the Hours virtually so that each one can decide what place the Hours should have in their lives. My experience with the Hours has changed many times over the years; therefore, I encourage everyone to use fifteen minutes a day to experiment with various forms Morning and Evening Prayer, e.g. communal recitation, singing or listening to the chanted Hours, or using the Word on Fire monthly booklets. My blog, Saint Gabriel Hours, allows them to do this, and to share their experiences with others. With Ignatius, I think that quality of prayer is more important than quantity. As a contemplative in action, I integrate the Hours into my life, e.g. during my daily physical exercise whether that be the treadmill downstairs or walking at Mentor Headlands Beach. |
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I am not surprised that Pope Francis and the Bishop are encountering difficulties describing our apostolic role as laity. When I was a voluntary parish staff member it was natural to call what I did ministry. When I served persons in the public system it was nature to call what I did service. But they were really highly similar things involving my skills as a planner, researcher and social scientist. Some theologians tried using ministry for everything; others tried using service for everything. Both those ideas failed to gather consensus. More recently discipleship has become a popular word to describe our roles as laity. But it implies being a follower when in fact what is required is leadership in the world. Vatican II has a word for what we do because of our baptism. It is called the apostolate, and there is a whole Vatican II Decree on the Apostolate of the Laity that has largely been ignored. Why? Most of us do now think of ourselves as apostles, or even priests as apostle, although we recognize the bishop as a successor to the apostles. Apostolate is a very churchy sounding word, people would have wondered what I was talking about if I had described the work that I did to empower persons with mental illness as an apostolate! When I came to Lake County I had the opportunity to write a grant for an innovative program for persons with severe mental illness. The many talented persons with mental illness who were volunteers in our agencies had a lot of ideas that I thought should be taken seriously. I called my proposal a Leadership Development Program and modeled it upon a local program design to promote leadership in the non-profit sector. I was confident that volunteers in the public mental health system could provide leadership because I had experienced leadership by volunteers in my Catholic parish in Toledo. We might call what we do servant leadership; I am a great fan of Greenleaf’s book. However a more accurate word is spiritual leadership. It is not religious leadership coming from either office in the church or from church teachings. Rather It comes from our charisms “ For the exercise of the apostolate, the Holy Spirit Who sanctifies the people of God through ministry and the sacraments gives the faithful special gifts also (cf. 1 Cor. 12:7), "allotting them to everyone according as He wills"(1 Cor. 12:11) in order that individuals, administering grace to others just as they have received it, may also be "good stewards of the manifold grace of God" (1 Peter 4:10),to build up the whole body in charity (cf. Eph. 4:16).From the acceptance of these charisms, including those which are more elementary, there arise for each believer the right and duty to use them in the Church and in the world for the good of mankind and the building up of the People of God, in the freedom of the Holy Spirit who "breathes where He wills (Apostolate of the Laity, Chapter 2) |
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On my blog Saint Gabriel Hours, I emphasize spending FIFTEEN MINUTES a day in prayer for three reasons. First Saint Ignatius emphasized that it was better for a Jesuit who is serving others to spend fifteen minutes in quality prayer than to spend several hours in self-centered prayer. Second one of my graduate mentors wrote a book for young faculty members based on his research that showed the best way to write articles, prepare lectures, and develop relationships with other faculty members was to use small chunks of time, e.g. fifteen minutes. Finally, a recent book by Robert Dunbar claims that the average person is capable of having only about 150 meaningful relationships at one time. He calls these “friends” in contrast to “acquaintances," people we simply recognize. Dunbar describes our relationships in terms of three concentric circles. We spend 40% of our social time with an inner circle of about 5 very close friends, averaging 8.5 hours a month, a whole workday, but only 17 minutes a day. We spent 20% of our social time with about 10 best friends, averaging 2.1 hours per month. Finally, we spend the remaining 40% of socializing with an outer circle of 135 good friends, averaging only 20 minutes a month. We see most good friends for an hour or so several times a year, e.g. at professional meetings, or sports events, or during holidays. In what circle does God fit? If our relationship consists only of going to church for an hour each Sunday (half a workday), God is a best friend but not a close, intimate friend. If our relationship consists of going to church about once-a-month God is just a good friend not even a best friend. However, many more people pray daily than go to church weekly. If a person decides to pray only one of the Hours daily (about 17 minutes) God becomes a close, intimate friend! |
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My best experience of a faith sharing community was in Toledo in the
1980’s as a member of a mostly voluntary pastoral staff. The parish had been
reduced from two priests to one pastor. We had a woman religious as pastoral
associate and a deacon. Lay ecclesiastical ministers were not yet available. A diverse group of talented volunteers took up the slack. Our social justice minister was an African American public-school teacher. Our youth minister was a union shop steward. A couple who gave marriage encounters led our RENEW program. The women’s group was led by woman whose life had been profoundly transformed by her daughter’s suicide. Several staff members had experience in Cursillo or charismatic groups. I was recruited for my skills as manager and social psychologist to help make this work. Our group meetings started with about fifteen minutes of prayer. We each took turns using our own spirituality to share our prayer lives. Our public-school teacher shared the stories that she had used with children to help them discover themselves and relate to others. The Divine Office led me to construct a brief service of hymns, readings and liturgical chants with commentary. We encountered each other at the depths of our own very different prayer lives. Our volunteer accountant was reluctant to lead prayer. Eventually he shared with us his inability to pray. A few minutes into his sharing we recognized that the parable of the Pharisee and the Publican was being repeated. His inability to pray was the best prayer of all. |
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What is missing from this section? Anything about the Liturgy of the Hours. The time has arrived to liberate the Hours from the Breviary of the priest and the choir stalls of monks into the daily lives of the People of God. The good news of the Saint Gabriel Hours blog is that we can pray the Hours (Morning and Evening Prayer) anytime anywhere with anyone. All we need is an electronic device connected to the internet or the Word on Fire monthly booklet that reads straight through like a book. No need for elaborate instructions to find the right text. Saint Gabriel Hours provides the complete text recited by a small group, the same text completely sung by a cantor, and a hymn for the Word on Fire booklet. It also provides an additional hymn choice, and alternative music for the psalms, the Gospel Canticle, and Lord’s Prayer. There are links to the USCCB site for the daily readings from Mass to be used as a substitute for the short readings. In short enough choices to allow each person to customize the Hour while fostering community among those who use the blog so they can talk with each other about their choices and experiences. Why have priests not encouraged the laity to pray the Hours, especially since Vatican II did. The answer is simple. Without collecting the resources for easily praying the Hours anywhere, anytime, with anyone I would not be encouraging others to pray the Hours. When Bishop Barron decided to provide a monthly booklet for the same reason it became obvious to me that we are entering a period like many times in the history of the Hours when how we pray them will change dramatically. Priests have the obligation to pray Morning and Evening Prayer (which each take about 15 minutes). They also are required to pray the remainder of the Hours which adds up to about an hour day! I use my treadmill for about thirty minutes each morning and evening. I could pray all the hours. However, I prefer to pray just Morning Prayer and Evening Prayer using my website to first listen to the group reciting the hour and then singing it with the cantor and/or other sung alternatives. Saint Ignatius advises us to meditate deeply on the same things rather than moving on to different topics. I think that priests should spend fifteen minutes in mediation on both Morning Prayer and Evening Prayer, then share parts of these Hours in group meetings or personal counseling thereby encouraging the laity to join in praying the Hours. Those who do this should be dispensed from the rest of their daily obligation. They are creating a community that prays the Hours. |
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I have spent a lot of time over the decades in small faith sharing groups such as RENEW and Bible study. However, the voluntary pastoral staff group in the eights was far superior to any of these because: 1) we all had substantial but diverse responsibilities in the parish, 2) we brought to the table diverse experiences from our professional and personnel lives, and 3) had diverse spiritualities as evident in our prayer lives. I think Commonweal Local Communities (CLCs) have the potential to be even better faith supporting gatherings and networks. Commonweal covers a vast number of topics under religion, politics and culture There is a lot there to take us beyond our experiences. CLCs are a grassroots movement. They are encouraged to focus on the things that matter in their local communities. What focus them is the pursuit of the common good, a value that can be shared by other Christians and those of little or no faith. If I were still working in the public mental health system it would enable me to gather together not only with fellow Catholics but other Christians and persons of good will whom have shared with me the pursuit of goodness, truth, beauty, justice and equality. Most importantly I could invite many talented persons with mental illness to the table. Beyond the mental health system, I am sure there are many opportunities to gather together very diverse groups of persons of good will, especially volunteers. |
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I thank the Bishop for asking us to share our stories. My comments on his letter would be very difficult to understand with it. Hopefully putting it all together here now will save me the time of repeating much of it when I enter into conversation with others. Hopefully others will not be shy about sharing their stories. |
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In Servant Leadership, Robert Greenleaf distinguishes between administration and leadership. In his decree restructuring the diocese into twelve deaneries, the bishop has provided us with a new way of organizing and administering parish life. Greenleaf says that leadership, moving an organization forward, can be provided by anyone in the organization from the board chair to the lowest worker. In this letter the bishop tells us that the diocese will move forward to the degree that each of its members deepens their friendship with God through fifteen minutes of prayer a day and participates in a supportive small group. He expects that both prayer and group activity will be tailored by each person. In other words, most of the leadership for daily prayer and forming small groups should come from grassroots efforts. Better administration should help but not replace those efforts. |
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If you pray daily, come worship with us this weekend. More Catholics, about twice as many, pray daily than go to Mass weekly. We should have large signs in front of the Church and on our websites affirming their daily prayer and inviting them to the Lord's Day Eucharist. This initiative should dovetail with encouraging people to pray fifteen minutes each day. For most people daily prayer is likely brief such as grace before meals. This initiative also dovetails with inviting each Catholic to consider the Hours as part of their daily prayer at least on some days. Come early, stay late. When I was on pastoral council many complaints were heard about people coming late to Mass and/or leaving early. I responded that we don’t give them any reasons to come early or to stay late. So naturally people are going to plan to arrive just on time, and therefore many are going to be late, Similarly, many people are going to want to avoid the rush to the parking lot after Mass. With the decline of priests and Mass goers we have few back-to-back Masses. The times before and after Mass are perfect for various types of prayer, and for small group meetings. Why travel back to the parish at some other time when you are already there for Mass? Pastoral staff members and volunteers might complain that these times are already taken up by their other activities. However, the pastoral letter expects much initiative from the average Catholic in regard to prayer and group meetings. They need to lessen their dependence upon voluntary and paid staff. Therefore, all that is needed is space. |
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Instead of complaining that people are staying at home watching television or distracting themselves with electronic device, we should be bringing Mass, the Hours, and abundant resources for prayer and small groups into their homes and electronic devices. Evangelizing virtual reality should be central to our efforts. The virtual dimensions of our parishes should rise like steeples and bell towers in cyberspace announcing the presence of Christ not only to our neighborhoods but to the whole world. Our choirs should be recording the hymns used at Mass on YouTube so that people can prepare for the Lord's Day Eucharist not simply by reading the readings at home but also singing the hymns that will be sung at Mass. We should be challenging young people to help us create videos of the psalms, and canticles of Morning and Evening Prayer which interpret them for our lives, and make them available for us to share anywhere, anytime with anyone. These will become the chants, illuminated manuscripts. icons, and paintings of our contemporary communities proclaiming the Gospel to all who experience them. |
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God has given me a contemplative life, and the solitude to nurture visions, the Hours to grow in prayer, and exposure to the charisms of Benedictine and Jesuit spirituality. During my work life God allowed me to serve the mentally ill who are among the poorest people not only because of their inability to work for money, but their difficulty in finding acceptance beyond others with mentally illness and to have their thoughts, emotions and behaviors respected by those are not mentally ill. I have learned much from them while serving them. Now in late retirement, God has increased my solitude by the pandemic while granting me to the virtual ability to share my visions with others without having to write books as Merton did. |