Announcing:

Saint Mary's Press winner for the week of October 15, 2012

Congratulations to David Wills

David will receive a copy of Breakthrough! The Bible for Young Catholics, a $20.95 value.

As the title suggests, Breakthrough! The Bible for Young Catholics highlights what happens throughout salvation history between God and humanity. God breaks through and connects with human history, thereby establishing a relationship with humanity.

Using the Good News translation, Breakthrough! The Bible for Young Catholics was created for young people leaving childhood and entering adolescence. Its ten special features were created to help make the Bible easier for young people to read and understand.

They will learn about the great people of the Bible, and will see how God has been breaking through in human history and connecting with humanity for thousands of years. Most important, they will discover, in the Bible, how God's messages to key people of faith have meaning for life today.

Breakthrough! The Bible for Young Catholics ISBN: 978-0-88489-862-7, paper, 1,968 pages

American Saints

This coming Sunday, October 21, two new American saints will be canonized. One of them is Kateri Tekakwitha, the first Native American saint to be recognized by the Church for heroic virtue. The other is Mother Marianne Cope, a Franciscan sister who cared for those afflicted by leprosy on the island of Molokai in Hawaii. As her feast day is in January, we will save her story for a future Focus on Faith. For now, let us take a closer look at Kateri Tekakwitha.

Kateri, a member of the Mohawk tribe, was born in upstate New York in 1656, ten years after the French Jesuit missionaries Isaac Jogues, Rene Goupil, and Jean de Lalande and their companions were killed by the Mohawks. The French Jesuit missionaries were canonized in 1930; now they are joined in honor by one of those for whom they worked and died. We can rejoice with all Native Americans this Sunday as one of their own is celebrated for her great faith, remembering the words of Saint Paul: 'For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, slaves or free persons, and we were all given to drink of one Spirit' (1 Corinthians 12:13, NABRE). This canonization may also provide an opportunity for teachers and young people to explore Native American culture, the history and current situation of Native American tribes, and the efforts the Church is making in pastoral and social justice initiatives in their regard. (See http://www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/cultural-diversity/native-american/.) St. Joseph's Indian School, St. Labre Indian School, and Red Cloud Indian School (Jesuits) also have Web sites worth visiting. On this last site, the 20/20 special 'Hidden America: Children of the Plains' is available for viewing.

Just in case you could use a refresher on American saints, here are their names and years of canonization:

North American Martyrs (1930)

Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini, MSC (1946)

Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, SC (1975)

Saint John Neumann, CSsR (1977)

Saint Rose Philippine Duchesne, RSCJ (1988)

Saint Katharine Drexel, SBS (2000)

Saint Mother Theodore Guerin, SP (2006)

Saint Damian de Veuster of Molokai, SS.CC (2009)

Saint Marianne Cope, OSF (2012)

Saint Kateri Tekakwitha (2012)

As we approach the Solemnity of All Saints on November 1, you might invite your young people to investigate the lives of these Americans who contributed so much to the American Church of their time, and whose legacy of faith has been handed down to us.

A final note: You may have noticed a new byline at the top of this Focus on Faith. I have been an editor at Saint Mary's Press for three years and, as the new editor of the Servant Leader, I have inherited the legacy of Steven McGlaun. I realize that I have some pretty big shoes to fill! Steven is putting his faith into action in campus ministry at Saint Mary's University in Winona, Minnesota, right next door to Saint Mary's Press. We miss him, but know that today's collegians need people like Steven-just as much as your young people need people like you! Blessings to you in your ministry!

Joy and peace, Jo

Horizons: A Senior High Parish Religion

Saint Kateri Tekakwitha

Native American Prayer Service

You may want to use this prayer service as an opening prayer for one of your classes or groups this week. This prayer service reflects Saint Kateri's faith, love, and Native American roots.

Prayer Service in Honor of the Canonization of Saint Kateri Tekakwitha

Invitatory: Saint Kateri Tekakwitha was known for her peaceful and prayerful spirit. Let us join with this new saint of God as we pray:

Side 1: The world and all that is in it belong to the LORD;

the earth and all who live on it are his.

He built it on the deep waters beneath the earth

and laid its foundations in the ocean depths.

Side 2: Who has the right to go up the LORD's hill?

Who may enter his holy Temple?

Those who are pure in act and in thought,

who do not worship idols

or make false promises.

Side 1: The LORD will bless them and save them;

God will declare them innocent.

Such are the people who come to God,

who come into the presence of the God of Jacob.

(Psalm 24:1-6, Good News translation)

All: Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,

As it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.

Silent Pause

Leader: Each one of us comes before God as who we are, and God accepts us as we are. Yet, he also sees our potential:who we can be. Saint Kateri came to God as who she was: a Native American Catholic woman, contributing her prayer, her good works, and all she had to the life of her community. God accepted her as she was and helped her to become all that she was meant to be. In this Native American prayer, let us pray that God will do the same for us.

Side 1: O Great Spirit, whose voice I hear in the winds, and whose breath gives life to all the world, hear me.

Side 2: I come before you, one of your children. I am small and weak. I need your strength and wisdom.

Side 1: Let me walk in beauty and make my eyes ever behold the red and purple sunset.

Side 2: Make my hands respect the things you have made, my ears sharp to hear your voice.

Side 1: Make me wise, so that I may know the things you have taught my people, the lessons you have hidden in every leaf and rock.

Side 2: I seek strength not to be superior to my brothers [and sisters], but to be able to fight my greatest enemy, myself.

Side 1: Make me ever ready to come to you, with clean hands and straight eyes,

Side 2: So when life fades as a fading sunset, my spirit may come to you without shame.

All: Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.

Silent Pause

Leader: Let us pray for the intercession of Saint Kateri Tekakwitha. As we go about our ordinary lives, may we notice and appreciate the extraordinary gifts of God that we are given each day: in our families, among our friends, and in the whole of creation.

O God,

You blessed Saint Kateri Tekakwitha

with a life of closeness to you

and a great love for her people.

May we, who rejoice in her canonization,

come to see one another,

from every tribe and race and people and nation,

as brothers and sisters.

Together may we care for and heal the earth,

and show respect and care for each person you place in our path.

We ask this through Christ our Lord.

Amen.

(The prayer 'O Great Spirit' is a traditional Native American prayer, author unknown, and can be found on this Web site:http://www.nativeamericangiftshop.com/prayers.htm.)

Break Open the Word

Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time

21-Oct-12

Mark 10:35-45

Opening Prayer

Jesus, in Sunday's Gospel, you invite us to drink from your cup and to make sacrifices in our lives so that others may grow more deeply in their relationship with you. As we share our reflections on the Gospel, we ask that you inspire us to be more effective servants of others in our community. As we serve, we ask you to deepen our discipleship in you. Amen.

Context Connection

Before exploring this Sunday's Gospel, we need to back up and look at Mark 10:32-34. Those verses provide a larger context for this week's passage. Verse 34 contains Jesus's third prophecy of his death (the first two can be found at 8:31 and 9:31). Mark 9:30-37 has a theme similar to this Sunday's Gospel. That Gospel tells us that when Jesus shared the second prediction of his death and Resurrection, the disciples responded by asking Jesus who was the greatest among the disciples.

This week, we read that just before Jesus's third prediction of his death, James and John, the sons of Zebedee, ask Jesus a similar question. They ask Jesus to grant a request without first telling him what the request is. Such boldness makes more sense if we know that James and John had a particularly close relationship with Jesus. We see evidence of this close relationship throughout the Gospel of Mark when Jesus chooses James, John, and Peter to accompany him at significant moments. Two of those moments were the Transfiguration (see 9:2-9) and the agony in the garden at Gethsemane (see 14:32-42). In response to James and John's request, Jesus asks them, What is it you want me to do for you? The two disciples reply, Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory (10:36-37). James and John were asking Jesus to grant them seats on either side of Jesus in the heavenly Kingdom of God. You might ask, What is so significant about sitting to his right and left? In the culture of that time and place, the right- and left-hand seats were places of highest honor. This theme is common throughout the Scriptures, with many references to people seated at banquet tables; the most important people sat on the host's right and left sides.

Note Jesus's response to James and John's question. He was not angry or upset but instead asked James and John if they understood what they were asking, 'Are you able to drink the cup that I drink . . . ?' They replied, 'We are able' (10:38-39). Jesus's question tells James and John that they will have to suffer for their professed belief in Jesus. Notice, however, that Jesus defers to God, saying that the right- and left-hand seats are for those for whom it has been prepared (10:40), by God the Father.

In verse 41, we learn that the other disciples were angry with James and John for making the request of Jesus. Their anger perhaps stemmed more from their indignation that James and John were bold enough to ask for those positions of honor and thus deprive the other disciples of their own chances to sit in such places of honor.

Finally, in Sunday's Gospel reading, Jesus clarifies the role of a disciple. He says, But whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave of all (10:43-44). Wow, what a statement! The disciples, who are jockeying for first place because they think it will be a position of power and honor, learn instead that the highest honor in the Kingdom goes to those who serve the lowest, the poorest, and the most despised people. In essence, Jesus contrasts the worldview of leadership as power and rule over other people with his view of leadership as service to everyone. That thinking was radical in Jesus's culture--and it is still radical thinking today!

To make his point more directly and definitively, Jesus says, For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve (10:45). In other words, the Son of God serves people without power rather than seizing power himself through suppression and domination.

Tradition Connection

As baptized Catholics, we are anointed prophet, priest, and king. Yes, we are called to the royal priesthood, a calling that asks each of us to make daily sacrifices for the well-being of others. Woven into the fabric of our Catholic identity is the calling of a servant. For the Christian, 'to reign is to serve him,' particularly when serving 'the poor and the suffering, in whom the Church recognizes the image of her poor and suffering founder'1 (Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph 786).

As Catholics, we place a high priority on the image of Jesus as a suffering servant. That image, prophesied in the writings of the prophet Isaiah, says that the suffering servant will acquire greatness because he poured out himself to death (53:12). We recognize the fulfillment of Isaiah's prophecy in the Crucifixion of Jesus. Jesus was willing to suffer pain for the sake of others, so that they might be made righteous. That suffering for the sake of others was the cup Jesus spoke of when he asked James and John if they could share his cup.

Earlier in the Book of Isaiah, several passages are collectively called the servant songs (Isaiah 42:1-7, 49:1-6, and 50:4-9). Those passages portray the characteristics of the ideal servant leader. Because of Jesus's familiarity with the Hebrew Scriptures, especially the Book of Isaiah, he surely had those verses in mind when he spoke about greatness being present in those who serve.

Because of the rich imagery in the servant songs, those passages are read at several liturgical celebrations during Holy Week (the week preceding Easter). We read Isaiah 42:1-7 on Monday, Isaiah 49:1-6 on Tuesday, Isaiah 50:4-9 on Wednesday, and Isaiah 52:13--53:12 on Friday. For further reflection on the servant songs, read Did You Know? near Isaiah 42, and Catholic Connections, near Isaiah 53, in The Catholic Youth Bible. Finally, the People of God shares in the royal office of Christ. He exercises his kingship by drawing all men to himself through his death and Resurrection.2 Christ, King and Lord of the universe, made himself the servant of all, for he came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.3 For the Christian, to reign is to serve him, particularly when serving the poor and the suffering, in whom the Church recognizes the image of her poor and suffering founder.4 The People of God fulfills its royal dignity by a life in keeping with its vocation to serve with Christ.

The sign of the cross makes kings of all those reborn in Christ and the anointing of the Holy Spirit consecrates them as priests, so that, apart from the particular service of our ministry, all spiritual and rational Christians are recognized as members of this royal race and sharers in Christ's priestly office. What, indeed, is as royal for a soul as to govern the body in obedience to God? And what is as priestly as to dedicate a pure conscience to the Lord and to offer the spotless offerings of devotion on the altar of the heart?5 (Catechism, paragraph 786).

Wisdom Connection

In Sunday's Gospel, Mark re-emphasizes a critically important aspect of being a disciple of Jesus: to be a follower of Jesus Christ means to be a servant of all people. To be first and greatest is to serve the needs of all, as Jesus did. Just as Jesus asked James and John if they could drink from his cup, the same question is directed to us as followers of Jesus. What is our answer? Mother Teresa of Calcutta fully embraced and deeply drank from the cup of Christ. Can we follow her example and do the same by serving the needs of people in our communities? Without a doubt many people in our own neighborhoods need food, clothing, shelter, health care, and so on, and they are waiting for a servant of Christ to come along. Tomorrow we could start doing for others what Jesus and Mother Teresa once did. Desiring honor and attention is human. However, we learn that true honor and distinction means serving the poorest people. Practice servant leadership!

Acknowledgments

The scriptural quotations contained herein are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, Catholic Edition. Copyright ' 1993 and 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. All rights reserved.

The quotations labeled Catechism are from the English translation of the Catechism of the Catholic Church for use in the United States of America, second edition. Copyright ' 1994 by the United States Catholic Conference, Inc.--Libreria Editrice Vaticana. English translation of the Catechism of the Catholic Church: Modifications from the Editio Typica copyright ' 1997 by the United States Catholic Conference, Inc.--Libreria Editrice Vaticana. Used with permission.

The Lord's Prayer is taken from Catholic Household Blessings and Prayers. Copyright ' 1988 by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Inc., Washington, DC. All rights reserved. Endnotes Cited in Quotations from the Catechism of the Catholic Church

1. Lumen gentium 8; cf. 36.

2. Cf. John 12:32.

3. Matthew 20:28.

4. Lumen gentium 8; cf. 36.

5. Saint Leo the Great, Sermo 4, 1: J.P. Migne, ed., Patrologia Latina (Paris: 1841-1855), 54, 149.

Break Open the Word

Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time

28-Oct-12

Mark 10:46-52

Opening Prayer

Jesus, in the Gospel for this Sunday, you introduce us to Bartimaeus, a man filled with faith and zeal. Bartimaeus was not afraid to loudly proclaim that you, Jesus, are the one sent by God to redeem the world. As we share our reflections on this Gospel, may we come to know how we can proclaim your true identity in the world today. Amen.

Context Connection

Sunday's Scripture passage tells us that Jesus, who was on his way to Jerusalem, had stopped in Jericho, an oasis northeast of Jerusalem and just north of the Dead Sea (See map 6, sector B-4, in The Catholic Youth Bible).

As Jesus and his disciples were leaving Jericho, they encountered Bartimaeus, a blind man who could care for himself only by begging on the roadside or at the city gate. Let's look more closely at the story. Why was the man blind? The Scripture passage does not indicate that he was blind from birth; therefore, we can surmise that he once had sight. His blindness may have been caused by trachoma, a contagious bacterial infection of the inner mucous lining of the eyelids and of the cornea. Flies and lack of good hygiene transmitted trachoma, a common disease during that time. The disease is easily treated today. In the culture of Jesus's day, blindness was often thought to be the result of displeasing God through one's sins.

When Bartimaeus heard that Jesus of Nazareth was passing by, he shouted, Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me! (10:47). Bartimaeus obviously had heard stories of Jesus's power to heal and hoped to gain Jesus's attention. The crowd tried to silence Bartimaeus, but the more they tried, the louder he cried out. Bartimaeus's words indicated that he acknowledged Jesus as a descendant of King David, and, therefore, of King Solomon, who was recognized not only for his wisdom but also for his power to heal. By calling Jesus the Son of David, the bind man also recognized Jesus as the Messiah. Because he proclaimed Jesus as the Messiah, Bartimaeus got the attention of Jesus and the crowd. Jesus asked for Bartimaeus to be brought to him. The crowd that had previously tried to silence the blind man now helped him go to Jesus. The crowd said to Bartimaeus, Take heart; get up, he is calling you (10:49). Jesus asked Bartimaeus, What do you want me to do for you? (10:51). Then Bartimaeus asked for his sight to be restored and Jesus said, Go; your faith has made you well (10:52). Mark then writes that Bartimaeus was healed immediately and regained his sight. We are also told that Bartimaeus did not return to his former way of life but instead followed Jesus. Bartimaeus's choice to follow Jesus was the opposite of the choice the rich young man made in the October 11 Gospel.

Tradition Connection

Immediately [Bartimaeus] regained his sight and followed [Jesus] on the way (10:52). The past few Sundays we have heard about the difficulties the disciples of Jesus face. Jesus has high expectations of his followers. In Sunday's Gospel we hear the joyful story of Bartimaeus, who encountered Jesus and, as a result, became a disciple. God continuously invites us to deepen our faith and to respond to the invitation of discipleship. However, God wants an authentic yes, which may only come after struggles, such as those experienced by Peter, Thomas, and Paul. Peter denied Jesus three times but, after Jesus's Resurrection, stated his authentic love for Jesus three times. Thomas, who doubted that Jesus had really risen from the dead, placed his hand in Jesus's side and his fingers in his nail wounds and then believed. Paul enthusiastically persecuted the early Church but, after a personal encounter with the risen Jesus, became the disciple to the Gentiles. We may find ourselves asking, Does God really want me? The challenge for us as disciples is to discern God's direction in our life. God's expectation is a willing response and not a grudging acceptance. God seeks a yes that involves many more yeses. The decision to say yes to God's invitation is only the start of how God will work through us. Discipleship by its nature is transforming, ongoing, and never static. It is about ongoing conversion, a deepening of our belief in Jesus Christ. Mary, the mother of Jesus, is a wonderful example of discipleship. Because of her faith in God and her ongoing prayer life, Mary was willing to give her authentic yes to God, a yes that had many other yeses to follow. The Virgin Mary is the supreme model of this faith [faith embracing the mysterious ways of God's almighty power], for she believed that 'nothing will be impossible with God,' and was able to magnify the Lord. . . .1 (Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph 273). As disciples of Jesus, are we willing and able to magnify the Lord?

Wisdom Connection

A crowd of sighted people followed Jesus, but only Bartimaeus, a blind beggar by the roadside, recognized Jesus's true identity as the Messiah. In fact, the crowd tried to keep Bartimaeus from proclaiming the true identity of Jesus, the Son of David. But, in faith, Bartimaeus defied those trying to silence him, and when called, threw off his cloak, a cloak that a blind man might never find again. He knew, in his faith, that responding to Jesus was more important than a cloak is to a poor, blind beggar. What is there for us to learn from the story of Bartimaeus' If we recognize the true identity of Jesus in faith and are persistent in calling upon Jesus, we should not be afraid to give up our comforts to follow him; Jesus will hear us. These encounters with Jesus are opportunities for us to express our faith more deeply--making the task of following Jesus much easier. We should not be shy about proclaiming our belief in Jesus as the one sent by God to save the world. Just as Bartimaeus was an exemplar of faith in Jesus in his day, you and I are called to be exemplars today.

Acknowledgments

The scriptural quotations contained herein are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, Catholic Edition. Copyright ' 1993 and 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. All rights reserved.

The quotations labeled Catechism are from the English translation of the Catechism of the Catholic Church for use in the United States of America, second edition. Copyright ' 1994 by the United States Catholic Conference, Inc.--Libreria Editrice Vaticana. English translation of the Catechism of the Catholic Church: Modifications from the Editio Typica copyright ' 1997 by the United States Catholic Conference, Inc.--Libreria Editrice Vaticana. Used with permission.

The Lord's Prayer is taken from Catholic Household Blessings and Prayers. Copyright ' 1988 by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Inc., Washington, DC. All rights reserved. Endnotes Cited in Quotations from the Catechism of the Catholic Church 1. Luke 1:37,49.

Saint Spotlight

Saint Kateri Tekakwitha

Saint Kateri Tekakwitha will be canonized on Sunday, October 21. Her feast day is July 14 (Roman Missal, Third Edition).

Saint Kateri Tekakwitha was a Native American woman who converted to the Catholic faith. She was born in Auriesville, New York, but was forced to escape to Canada after her conversion, as her relatives shunned and abused her. She died in Canada in 1680 and is honored as a patron of the environment.

Read more at http://saints.sqpn.com/saint-kateri-tekakwitha/.