Jacob's Well: Marcellin and Advent
The season of Advent offers substantial amounts of reflective materials, both on the readings of the significant Sundays of these times and the images and stories that prepare us for Christmas and the birth of Jesus. For Marists, looking at the way that St Marcellin reflected on Advent can give us keen insights in his complex character, as well offer some personally reflective resources.
Marcellin was known to draw upon the common Christian spirituality of the era, that drew on the three images of the Crib, the Cross and the Altar as the three most important aspects of the life, message and person of Jesus Christ. His devotion to Jesus is well documented, including in this passage from the Br Jean-Baptiste Furet biography:
“To know, love and imitate Jesus Christ: that is the sum of virtue and of holiness. Father Champagnat knew this truth well and constantly resorted to the life of our divine Saviour for the subject of his meditations. He had a particular devotion to the Child Jesus and each year prepared carefully for the feast of his birth, celebrating it with all possible solemnity. On Christmas eve, he would have a crib made, to represent that divine birth with its accompanying circumstances; he joined with the community in adoring the divine Child lying in the crib on a little straw and addressed to him the most fervent prayers.
"Oh, Brothers", he exclaimed when talking about this feast, "look at the divine Child, lying in a crib and completely helpless; his tiny outstretched hands invite us to approach him, not so that we can share his poverty, but so that he can enrich us with his favours and graces.
He became a child and reduced himself to this state of abjection so that we might love him and be free from all fear. There is nothing so lovable as a child; his innocence, his simplicity, his gentleness, his caresses and even his weakness are capable of touching and winning the hardest and cruellest of hearts.
How, then, can we not help loving Jesus, who became a child to stimulate our confidence, to demonstrate the excess of his love and to let us see that he can refuse us nothing? No-one is easier to get on with and more pliant than a child; he gives all, he pardons all, he forgets all; the merest trifle delights him, calms him and fills him with happiness; in his heart is neither guile nor rancour, for he is all tenderness, all sweetness. Let us go, then, to the divine Child, who has every perfection, human and divine, but let us do so by the path he took in coming to us, that is, the path of humility and mortification; we should ask him for those virtues, for his love and all that we need: he can refuse us nothing.".”
The only other substantive information that Br Jean-Baptiste Furet offers in his book about Champagnat during the Advent season is a reflection credited to Marcellin, reflecting on the Gospel from the second Sunday of Advent of that time, Luke 7:18-35. It provides a particular snapshot of Marcellin’s spirituality, which can be described, at times, as austere, context-specific and individually theological. It also provided an interesting insight into Marcellin’s personal faith and mindset:
We shall conclude the life of our venerated Father by summarizing an impressive instruction which he gave to the Brothers on the subject of constancy, while explaining the gospel for the second Sunday of Advent. "Constancy", he reminded them, “is a virtue that is absolutely necessary to a Christian to save his soul, and even more to a Religious to persevere in his vocation and acquire the perfection of his state. Our Lord's conduct in today's gospel is a convincing proof of this truth. The divine Master pronounces a magnificent eulogy of St John Baptist and before the assembled crowd, declares him to be the greatest of the children of men.
Now, what is it that he particularly praises in the holy Precursor? Is it his innocence, which was such that he probably never in his life committed even a single, fully deliberate venial sin? No. Is it his humility, which was so profound that he considered himself unworthy to untie the straps of Christ's shoes? No. The divine Saviour does not mention humility in his praise of St John. Is it his love of chastity, which led him to reprimand Herod fearlessly for his criminal behaviour? No. In this case; Jesus does not extol the virtue of chastity, however grand and sublime this virtue may be; all his praise is for the constancy of the holy Precursor.
To draw attention to the invincible firmness of St John, Our Lord questions those who surround him, and asks: 'What did you go out into the desert to see? A reed shaken by the wind? No; such a fickle and frivolous character, would not have been so great a spur to your curiosity and admiration. But, what did you go out to see? You went to see a man who is constant in the practice of the rarest and most heroic virtues; a man who never wavers in fulfilling the mission entrusted to him by God; who perseveres in the vocation and austere mode of life that he has embraced; who is steadfast in serving God, in edifying his neighbour, in reproving and correcting sinners and in supporting with unalterable patience and perfect resignation, the persecutions of the wicked: such is the man you went to see.
But why is Our Lord so lavish in his praise of constancy? Because, in some way, this virtue includes all the others and because the others are worthless without it. The important thing, according to St Augustine, is not to begin well but to finish well, for we have Christ's assurance that only the one who perseveres to the end will be saved. Besides, this virtue has to be practised every day and at every instant. In fact, the life of a Christian and still more that of a Religious, is a continual combat. To correct our defects, to practise virtue and to save our souls, we must do ourselves constant violence and struggle against all that surrounds us. We must struggle, for example:
1. Against ourselves, against our passions and our evil tendencies and against all our senses in order to maintain them in restraint and subjection.
2. Against the devil, that roaring lion who never sleeps, who is ceaselessly on the prowl to devour us; against that seducer of the children of God, that angel of darkness who transforms himself into an angel of light so as to hi de his snares 'and catch us more easily in his toils.
3. Against the world and its vanities, its maxims and its scandals; against the bad example of those of our confreres who neglect their duty and the prescriptions of the Rule; against relatives and friends so that we may not be motivated by considerations of flesh and blood, and may love them only in and for God; against those who make themselves our enemies, rendering them good in exchange for evil and, in this way, as the Apostle says, heaping coals of fire upon their heads.
4. Against all the creatures and objects around us, so that our hearts may not be attached to them and that, instead, we may use them simply as means to go to God and to work out our salvation.
5. Finally, we should struggle, with a holy violence, against God himself; we do this by our fervent prayers, by supporting with patience and resignation, the worries, dislikes, aridity, temptations and all the trials to which Providence may choose to subject us.
Now, only unshakable firmness and unflagging constancy can sustain us in such a violent and enduring struggle. It is too much for the inconstant, the faint-hearted and the cowardly; that is why the y are in great danger of being lost, and it is to them that Our Lord is speaking in these frightening words: 'Those who put their hands to the plough and look back, that is, those who are inconstant, are not fit for the kingdom of Heaven.
May your Advent continue to be a time of joy, peace, hope and love.
Jacob's Well: Movies for Ministry 2: The Sequel
Our professional year is drawing to its natural conclusion in the coming weeks. Advent is upon us, and it is one of my favourite times of the year. So, to mark this happy meeting of vocation and vacation, I thought we could return to some movies that serve both purposes. These films are perfect summer fare, as well as great preparations for ministries in the new year. Enjoy the continuation of movies…for ministry!
Clouds
The first recommendation is an emotional rollercoaster, but worth the ride. Based on a true story (for the book, Fly a Little Higher: How God Answered a Mom's Small Prayer in a Big Way by Laura Sobiech), young musician Zach Sobiech discovers his cancer has spread, leaving him just a few months to live. With limited time, he follows his dreams and makes an album, unaware that it will soon be a viral music phenomenon. The music is definitely retreat-able material, and there are many significant scenes that move and inspire. Clouds is available to watch on Disney+
Wit
This movie was highly recommended to me, and while I am yet to watch it, I trust its recommendation. The synopsis of the movie follows: Professor Vivian Bearing, an expert on the work of 17th-century British poet John Donne, has spent her adult life contemplating religion and death as literary motifs. Diagnosed with advanced ovarian cancer, she consents to an aggressive and experimental form of chemotherapy. Facing death on a personal level, she reflects on her life and work. Starring Emma Thompson, and released in 2001, its deep and confronting themes of life and death provide rich material for personal and communal reflection.
Wonder
Wonder (also known as Wonder: Auggie) is a 2017 American drama film directed by Stephen Chbosky and written by Jack Thorne, Steven Conrad, and Chbosky. It is based on the 2012 novel of the same name by R. J. Palacio. The film, which follows a boy with Treacher Collins syndrome trying to fit in, was released in the United States on November 17, 2017, by Lionsgate. A deeply moving movie, its themes of kindness, perspective, prejudice, joy and authenticity makes it a special movie to watch.
Little Boy
Little Boy is a 2015 World War II war-drama film directed by Alejandro Gómez Monteverde. The title is a reference to Little Boy, the code name for the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima, as well as a reference to the main character Pepper's height. I love this movie. The lead character is authentic and wins you over very quickly. With themes of hope, relationships, facing adversity, family and love, it has multiple applications in working with young people.
The Nativity Story
Finally, being the season of Advent, and loving Christmas almost as much as I love chocolate, I have to share one of my favourite movies for the season. The Nativity Story is a 2006 American biblical drama film based on the nativity of Jesus, directed by Catherine Hardwicke and starring Keisha Castle-Hughes and Oscar Isaac. We know the story: An adaptation of the Gospel accounts focused on the period in Mary and Joseph's life where they journeyed to Bethlehem for the birth of Jesus. It is beautiful. It is gentle, substantial, poignant and rousing all at the same time. Do yourself a favour and watch this film.
Happy Adventing!
Jacob's Well: Marist Leadership
With Student Leaders’ Gatherings buzzing around the country today, I thought I would offer a short reflection on some additional resources in the sphere of leadership. Our ‘Leading in the Marist Way’ program for young adults is filled with excellent resources, ideas, and inspirations for leadership, so while I am unable to match the brilliance and heights of that program, here are some small contributions drifting in the ether.
Br Ben Consigli, a Marist Brother currently living and working as a member of the General Council, wrote this excellent article about Marcellin Champagnat and his social/emotional intelligence, highlighting it as a key quality that permeated his leadership.
Br John McMahon, a Marist Brother in Melbourne, and in charge of the Marist Tertiary programs for the Province of Australia, has developed extensive programs and reflections on Marist education and leadership. This article is a more extensive examination leadership models in Marist schools, providing a compelling example of transformational leadership.
Check out the work of our New Zealand compatriots at the Marist Youth office, from the work of the Marist Fathers. They have some interesting resources, information and details about their work in New Zealand. There are two sites of interest. Firstly, there is “in Every Way” which is an online space where people can share the stories, experiences and ideas. Secondly, their “Young Marists” site contains the initial information stop for all things Marist in Aotearoa. Check out their blog on the “In Every Way” website or simply have a look at their work as inspiration on their Young Marists website.
Leadership gatherings in schools are incomplete without practical exercises and scenarios to aid the development process. Check out this website for ideas and games for leadership:
Jacob's Well: Podcasts for Ministry
The summer months are swiftly approaching, and the signs of summer and holidays begin to appear all around us. I thought it might be good to return to some more podcast materials that could be helpful to accompany these coming weeks, refresh the soul with some new listening, or be useful for some summer relaxation. With a focus on faith engagement, these podcasts offer a variety of perspectives for contemporary audiences. As always, the recommendations of these podcasts is not an endorsement of its content, and you are invited to listen with an open and critical ear. Enjoy!
Abiding Together
The Abiding Together podcast “provides a place of connection, rest and encouragement for women who are on the journey of living out their passion and purpose in Jesus Christ.” It is hosted by Sr. Miriam James Hiedland SOLT, Michelle Benzinger, and Heather Kym, who discuss important themes of the spiritual life through conversations with one another, interviews with holy men and women, and seasonal book studies.
https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/abiding-together/id1206416686
Word on Fire
Bishop Robert Barron, the auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, is active in engaging the world through modern media and communication. One of his projects is a weekly podcast on Catholic faith and culture. In the Word on Fire podcast, Bishop Barron shares insights from the greatest Catholic thinkers as well as practical advice for all Catholics trying to live well in their day-to-day lives. A listen for those looking for greater theological content.
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-word-on-fire-show-catholic-faith-and-culture/id1065019039
Another Name for Every Thing with Richard Rohr
I know a number of people in our network are fans of this podcast, so it wouldn’t be a proper resource sharing if it wasn’t included! The podcast is a conversational podcast series on the deep connections between action and contemplation. Richard is joined by two students of the Christian contemplative path, Brie Stoner and Paul Swanson, who engage their real-life experiences, questions and insights with the invitations of the topics of the week.
https://cac.org/podcast/another-name-for-every-thing/
Harry Potter and the Sacred Text
For something a little more obscure and off-the-wall, this podcast has been a favourite of mine for years. Vanessa Zoltan and Casper ter Kuile host a weekly podcast that takes one chapter of a book from J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series and explores a central theme through which to engage with the characters and context in a unique way. The project originated at Harvard Divinity School, where both engage in the studies of religion. Using traditional forms of sacred reading from several different religious traditions, they offer a refreshing perspective on prayer in a contemporary setting.
Jacob's Well: Sin and Grace
This week’s topic has confounded me for quite some time. Not because I don’t have plenty to say (could I ever been accused of that!?!!), but because it has called me to reflect on the most fitting way to approach it. I wanted to get it right. I wanted it to be good. I wanted it to hit the mark. And, as I hope it will become clear, these desires of mine are the living experiences of the idea in action. This week’s Jacob’s Well lives in that beautiful congruence of page and pathway.
The topic that was suggested to me is, waiting for it, sin. Yeah. Easy, right?!? Not a loaded word at all! The simple question for me to answer is: what is it? So, here is my attempt to navigate this powerful, confusing, and misunderstood idea.
One of the first things we are taught as children is an understanding of right and wrong. This is important, both as an individual who is trying to grow and develop to their greatest potential and as a member of a community where actions have consequences and effects that ripple into the world. Next, the concepts of good and evil are developed, taught, and explained. In this process, all four concepts start to overlap, muddle, and merge. Being right somehow began being good, and all wrongdoing is evil. But what happens if this simplicity is limited? And, in the mix of all this, we find ourselves in the realm of sin. We have equated sin with evil, and it has made all the difference. Our lives become trapped in recognising, judging, and sentencing sin and sinful actions. Something is amiss.
The act of translation is a funny thing. It is not meant to only be an academic or intellectual exercise. These words are the shape of history in action. They are the best ways that people, over time, gave voice to the experience of the deep, the wild, and the confusing. Our words have power, for ourselves and with others. Dumbledore acutely expressed this in his famous statement of the magical wonder of words. The study of words in the Bible is a key tool is working out the core meaning of concepts and ideas that consciously or unconsciously dominate our lives.
The word “sin” appears often in the biblical texts, and, of course, sin is an English word. The common Hebrew term translated “sin” is chait and in Greek the usual word is hamartia. Both terms mean “to miss,” in the sense of missing or not reaching a goal, way, mark, or right point.
Here are a couple of examples of where the word ‘sin’ in biblical contexts makes no sense if the term is understood as doing something evil.
The meaning of the word is usually defined by the context of how it is used. So, for example, In the Book of Judges (20:16), slingers from the tribe of Benjamin are described as being so good with their weapon that they can "aim at a hair and not chait." Could this mean to "aim at a hair and not sin"? It makes no sense. The more logical translation is to aim at a hair and not "miss," i.e. not to hit off target. Another example is in the Book of Kings I (1:21). King David is on his death bed and his wife, Bathsheba, comes to him and says, "If Solomon does not become king after you then Solomon and I will be chataim." Solomon and Bathsheba will be sinners? It means that Solomon and Bathsheba will not reach their potential, will not make the grade, will not measure up. The Hebrew for one of the many sacrificial offering is chatot, from the same root as the word chait. This offering (called in English a "sin offering") can only be brought for something done unintentionally. In fact, if a person purposely committed a violation, he is forbidden to bring a chatot. It is truly a "mistake offering" rather than a "sin offering." These three examples offer a glimpse of the experiences of the early Jewish people and God.
Unfortunately, sin has been weaponised, used as the mechanism that it was never intended to be. As a result, we have been conditionally to believe that the remedy of sin is punishment. It’s not. The remedy of sin is grace. The ever-giving nature of God (the God who is pro-giving, or for-giving) is the balm that heals this ongoing struggle with missing the mark. Sin is the space between what we do in navigating life and who we can be at our fullest and best. At its most foundational, sin is the action of separation from God and others. This is where our freedom is found: always in love, and a decrease in this separation. St Augustine, one of Christianity’s greatest minds, came to the same conclusion: it is our steps away or towards God that defines our whole existence. In our Christian tradition, we know that God understands that we make mistakes, fall short, or even intentionally miss the mark. And yes, there are consequences that require us to address those actions. But we are called to something deeper, to move out of the space of judgment and persecution, and into a space of responsibility, ownership of one’s actions, and to the saving nature of God.
As resources for this week, check out some of Fr Richard Rohr’s reflections on sin and grace (as we know, it just isn’t a MYM resource if Rohr doesn’t get a shoutout?!).
Richard Rohr and Sin: https://cac.org/sin-symptom-of-separation-weekly-summary-2017-08-26/
Richard Rohr and Grace: https://cac.org/grace-is-key-2017-05-08/
Here is a (somewhat heavy) beginning point for accessing St Augustine, as a philosopher: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/augustine/#Lega
Have a blessed week!
Jacob's Well: The All-Time: Saints, Souls and Hallows’ Eve
This time of year is increasingly fraught with holiday tension. Amidst the growing trend in Australia to mark and celebrate Halloween, this observance is often matched with the catch cry, “It is an American holiday! It is Un-Australian to celebrate it!” or “It is a pagan holiday! Stay away!” I, for one, have been caught in the tension of hiding behind my Halloween embarrassment and my desire to join in the festivities of what is essentially a fun holiday. Far from being an occasion of worshipping the Occult, for most of us, it involves being a justification for eating more sweets and chocolates, watching a scary movie or two, and having permission to wear a costume in public for a couple of days a year (just ask Domenic in the Mascot office: no one will forget that clown costume for a while!)!
In fact, Halloween has its origins in our Christian traditions, and in fact, has scarce connections to non-Christian celebrations. It is commonly known that the day derived its name from Hallows’ Eve, another name for holy or saintly. It is the twin feast days of All Saints and All Souls that came first before the commercialisation of the day transformed it into the macabre and secular (not that there is anything wrong with either!).
All Saints Day is our beginning point. The exact origins of this celebration are uncertain, although, after the legalization of Christianity in 313, a common commemoration of the saints, especially the martyrs, appeared in various areas throughout the Church. The designation of November 1 as the Feast of All Saints occurred over time. Pope Gregory III (731-741) dedicated an oratory in the original St. Peter’s Basilica in honour of all the saints on November 1 (at least according to some accounts), and this date then became the official date for the celebration of the Feast of All Saints in Rome. St. Bede (d. 735) recorded the celebration of All Saints Day on November 1 in England, and such a celebration also existed in Salzburg, Austria. Ado of Vienne (d. 875) recounted how Pope Gregory IV asked King Louis the Pious (778-840) to proclaim November 1 as All Saints Day throughout the Holy Roman Empire. Sacramentaries of the 9th and 10th centuries also placed the Feast of All Saints on the liturgical calendar on November 1. According to an early Church historian, John Beleth (d. 1165), Pope Gregory IV (827-844) officially declared November 1 the Feast of All Saints, transferring it from May 13. However, Sicard of Cremona (d. 1215) recorded that Pope Gregory VII (1073-85) finally suppressed May 13 and mandated November 1 as the date to celebrate the Feast of All Saints. In all, we find the Church establishing a liturgical feast day in honour of the saints independent of any pagan influence.
Along with the Feast of All Saints developed the Feast of All Souls. The Church has consistently encouraged the offering of prayers and Mass for the souls of the faithful departed in Purgatory. Within Catholic tradition, it was held that, at the time of their death, these souls are not perfectly cleansed of venial sin or have not atoned for past transgressions, and thereby are deprived of the Beatific Vision. The faithful on earth can assist these souls in Purgatory in attaining the Beatific Vision through their prayers, good works, and the offering of Mass. The teaching on Purgatory has evolved over time. On 4 August 1999, Pope John Paul II, speaking at a general audience, reminds us of the Church’s teaching on purgatory, said: "The term does not indicate a place, but a condition of existence. Those who, after death, exist in a state of purification, are already in the love of Christ who removes from them the remnants of imperfection as "a condition of existence.” Similarly, in 2011, Pope Benedict XVI, speaking of Saint Catherine of Genoa (1447–1510) in relation to purgatory, said that "In her day it was depicted mainly using images linked to space: a certain space was conceived of in which purgatory was supposed to be located. Catherine, however, did not see purgatory as a scene in the bowels of the earth: for her it is not an exterior but rather an interior fire. This is purgatory: an inner fire." Increasingly, the day is an opportunity to remember our loved ones who have gone before us in death. For me, watching the movie “Coco” is a beautiful example of the unique honouring that can happen on this day.
There are two cultural traditions that I want to draw your attention to is at the congruence of Christian and societal cultures. In the Philippines, in marking the Feasts of All Saints and All Souls, people gather in cemeteries, in ways that is completely unfamiliar to us in Australia. The tradition starts with cleaning the graves and grave markers by pulling weeds and repainting them days before All Saints' Day, a public holiday. On All Saints' Day, a vigil is held, and prayers are said. Families set up tents and stay all day and night at the graves of their loved ones, picnicking with favourite Filipino foods such as chicken and pork adobo, rice, junk food, and soft drinks as if the dead are still among them. For those who cannot make it to the cemetery, they light candles just outside the doors of their homes and make food and alcoholic drinks offerings to their dearly departed in the altar.
In Mexico, All Saint’s Day is celebrated with the first day of the Day of the Dead (Dia de los Muertos), known as “Día de los Inocentes,” honouring deceased children and infants. It is not an occasion for mourning but rather a popular celebration with colourful decoration and a lot of cheerfulness. On these holidays in Mexico, marigolds are everywhere, as people believe this flower attracts the spirits of the dead. People wear the clothes of their departed relatives. They paint skulls on their faces and wear skeleton masks and costumes. Altars are built in homes to honour loved ones. Some even eat and drink the favourite foods and beverages of the departed.
This time is an opportunity to celebrate the legacies and memories of those people who have led lives of faith, hope and love. May it be a time to remember with deep affection and gratitude, and a time of action to keep building our future on goodness, discipleship, and joy.
Jacob's Well: A YouTube Breather
As we hit mid-October, the unforgettable year continues to throw a lot at us all! We can almost see the end of the year coming, and with Christmas bells very quietly wisping in the air, we all need a bit of a breather. Here are some more YouTube distractions/comforters to help you along this week.
Want to visit the great theme parks of the USA but are COVID-stuck!?! The Undercover Tourist provides great high-quality videos of rides, locations, and seasonal decorations from Disney World, Universal Studios, and Hollywood. While they are not the same as the real thing, I found myself with a smile and a bit of an uplift in mood visiting this channel.
Who doesn’t love a movie soundtrack!? Their power to soothe, lift, scare, and grief with us can create a lifetime of memory. Check out Ambient Worlds. They have taken the soundtracks from all of our favourite movies to produce hours of background music, as well as music that fits for seasons, occasions, and moods. I often have them playing while I work, read, or am scrolling through my phone.
Ted-Ed and their Riddles. I know I have shared this channel before, but there is so much to it! One of their richer sub-sources is all the riddles that they have animated and published. I know some of you may find these more frustrating than fun, but they are definitely worth a look and have definite uses in our ministry. One of my favourites is the Infinity Hotel Paradox!
Enjoy these virtual experiences!
Jacob's Well: Anti-Poverty Week
Even before the COVID-19 pandemic made a profound impact on our lives, the pandemic of poverty was already affecting the lives of hundreds of millions of people all over the world, including in Australia. In 2020, just before the government created temporary pathways of reducing poverty, and ignored other growing gaps in wealth distribution, there are more than 3.24 million people, or 13.6% of the population living below the poverty line, including 774,000 children. It is a staggering statistic in a country as wealthy, stable, and socially mobile as Australia. We can often fall into the illusion that poverty cannot exist in a so-called developed country like Australia, but the fact is that it can become more hidden, stigmatized, and deceptive in our great home of the Southern Cross.
Anti-Poverty Week was established in 2002 by the Social Justice Project at the UNSW. It is deliberated aligned to the United Nations International Day for the Eradication of Poverty (October 17), from which it drew its inspiration. The aim of the week is to strengthen public understanding of the causes and consequences of poverty and hardship around the world and in Australia. In addition, the week encourages research, discussion, and action to address these problems, including action by individuals, communities, organizations, and governments.
Here are some great resources to access, in order to complement your existing knowledge, as well as help inform others about its important aspect and reality of our world and our lives, especially our brothers and sisters who are most seriously impacted by poverty, and those who contribute to either its continuation or eradication.
The first place to start is the organization that spearheads the initiative: Anti-Poverty Week, coordinated through a National Facilitating Group, and sponsored mostly by the University of NSW, the Scully Fund, Berry Street, St Vincent de Paul, Life Course Centre, and the Brotherhood of St Laurence. Their website is full of resources, fact sheets, and activities for schools: https://antipovertyweek.org.au/
The United Nations has more resources, information, and initiatives to end poverty that you might think! You could easily fall down a rabbit hole or two investigating all the information that the UN releases! As mentioned, this Saturday 17th October is the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, and that is running a #endpoverty campaign as part of the day. Start here: https://www.un.org/en/observances/day-for-eradicating-poverty
Check out this article from the Guardian in June of this year, which highlights the ongoing challenges of poverty, its underlying causes and contributors, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic: https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2020/jul/11/covid-19-has-revealed-a-pre-existing-pandemic-of-poverty-that-benefits-the-rich
Pope Francis has just completed his latest TED talk, and he remains a powerful voice in highlights the failure of the current economic system. He continues to highlight, as well, the connections between climate change, poverty, and the need to create a more sustainable way of living for everyone, especially the poor who are the ones who feel the consequences of all these realities most acutely. The video is only 13 minutes in length, and definitely worth it. Check it out here:
Jacob's Well: Our Spiritual Songs II
As the seasons change, and times in Australia begin their focus on daylight and sun, I thought it is auspicious to return to a musical interlude for this week’s Jacob’s Well. We all know how music heals, lifts and transforms us. While we are divided by geography and circumstances, music always builds and strengthens the bonds that unite us. Here are some additions to the MYM Corona Comforts Spotify Playlist that might help you through the day. Don’t forget its address: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3nvlMNqv8D0zr7sO1hqrrE?si=hrH9hy6BRGWu4p-Yi-LWug
OneRepublic- Wild Life
OneRepublic has just released a new song, ‘Wild Life’ and they are stealing MLF’s ideas! Fitting with this year theme, its ethereal reverberation and the iconic vocals of Ryan Tedder offer an uplifting pop song to start the day, or a retreat session!
I Surrender- Hillsong Worship
MYM Sydney has been recommending some great music in the last few weeks with its Music Monday choices. I love them all! ‘I Surrender’ by Hillsong Worship has been on repeat over this last weeks. Consistent in the style of the band and the genre, its slow crescendo-ing draws me deeper into prayer and love.
Meet Me in the Middle of the Air- Paul Kelly
We love this song, especially after ABC’s 7.30 report produced a stunning video of the song with the Melbourne landscapes. Paul Kelly (with the Stormwater Boys) is a music genius and a national treasure! “Meet Me in the Middle of the Air,” is a spiritual song unparalleled in his work, and in the Australian music landscapes. Paul Kelly has a complex relationship with religion, faith and God, but few people could produce a song so poignant, prayerful and moving. Based on Psalm 23, with the emblematic title drawn from 1 Thessalonians 4:17, this song never fails to stir the heart and touch the soul.
Any other suggestions for our spiritual songs collection?
Jacob's Well: Literature from Indigenous Australia
Reflecting on the input from Shannon Thorne from around the Well (from Marist 180, proud Kamilaroi man), one of the lingering thoughts for me is the invitation to keep broadening my education and to listen directly to the voices of Indigenous people in Australia. We can do this in the relationships we build with people in our communities, areas and networks. We can listen to Indigenous elders and voices on our radios, televisions, social media feeds and in written articles and editorials. We can also access the enormous library of books, fiction and non-fiction, that explore historical and contemporary expressions of people’s lives.
Over the weekend, I investigated a number of suggestions for contemporary literature written from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives. Here are some of the recommended books to honour the voices, histories and cultures of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. The synopses are taken from other writers who have reviewed these works.
Our Home, Our Heartbeat by Adam Briggs, Kate Moon and Rachael Sarra
Adapted from Briggs' celebrated song ‘The Children Came Back’, this book is a celebration of past and present Indigenous legends, as well as emerging generations. At its heart honours the oldest continuous culture on earth. Readers will recognise Briggs' distinctive voice and contagious energy within the pages of Our Home, Our Heartbeat, signifying a new and exciting chapter in children’s Indigenous publishing.
Finding the Heart of the Nation by Thomas Mayor
Since the Uluru Statement from the Heart was formed in 2017, Thomas Mayor has travelled around the country to promote its vision of a better future for Indigenous Australians. He’s visited communities big and small, often with the Uluru Statement canvas rolled up in a tube under his arm. Here, through the story of his own journey and interviews with twenty key people, Mayor taps into a deep sense of our shared humanity. He believes that we will only find the heart of our nation when Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are recognised with a representative Voice enshrined in the Australian Constitution.
Too Much Lip by Melissa Lucashenko
Wise-cracking Kerry Salter has spent a lifetime avoiding two things - her hometown and prison. But now her Pop is dying and she’s an inch away from the lockup, so she heads south on a stolen Harley. Kerry plans to spend twenty-four hours, tops, over the border. She quickly discovers, though, that Bundjalung country has a funny way of grabbing on to people. And the unexpected arrival on the scene of a good-looking dugai fella intent on loving her up only adds more trouble - but then trouble is Kerry’s middle name. Gritty and darkly hilarious, Too Much Lip offers redemption and forgiveness where none seems possible.
Growing Up Aboriginal in Australia edited by Anita Heiss
What is it like to grow up Aboriginal in Australia? This anthology, compiled by award-winning author Anita Heiss, attempts to showcase as many diverse voices, experiences and stories as possible in order to answer that question. Accounts from well-known authors and high-profile identities sit alongside newly discovered voices of all ages, with experiences spanning coastal and desert regions, cities and remote communities. All of them speak to the heart - sometimes calling for empathy, oftentimes challenging stereotypes, always demanding respect.
Respect by Aunty Fay Muir, Sue Lawson and Lisa Kennedy (illus.)
This tender and thoughtful picture book is the first in a new series, Our Place, which welcomes and introduces children to important elements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture. Using spare and poetic text, a young girl is encouraged to respect culture, stories, song, ancestors, Elders, and Country. Authors Aunty Fay Muir and Sue Lawson have previously collaborated on the excellent language book Nganga, and you may know illustrator Lisa Kennedy from her work on Welcome to Country and Wilam: A Birrarung Story. The gorgeous language, universal themes and vibrant illustrations make Respect a truly beautiful book to pore over with little people.
Homeland Calling edited by Ellen van Neerven
Homeland Calling is a collection of poems created from hip-hop song lyrics that channel culture and challenge stereotypes. Written by First Nations youth from communities all around Australia, the powerful words display a maturity beyond their years. Edited by award-winning author and poet Ellen van Neerven, and brought to you by Desert Pea Media, the verses in this book are the result of young artists exploring their place in the world, expressing the future they want for themselves and their communities.
Australia Day by Stan Grant
As uncomfortable as it is, we need to reckon with our history. On January 26, no Australian can really look away. There are the hard questions we ask of ourselves on Australia Day. Since publishing his critically acclaimed, Walkley Award-winning, bestselling memoir Talking to My Country in early 2016, Stan Grant has been crossing the country, talking to huge crowds everywhere about how racism is at the heart of our history and the Australian dream. But Stan knows this is not where the story ends.
Welcome to Country: A Travel Guide to Indigenous Australia by Marcia Langton
Welcome to Country is a curated guidebook to Indigenous Australia and the Torres Strait Islands. Author Professor Marcia Langton offers fascinating insights into Indigenous languages and customs, history, native title, art and dance, storytelling, and cultural awareness and etiquette for visitors.
Black Politics by Sarah Maddison
Author Sarah Maddison interviewed a number or prominent activists, politicians and Aboriginal leaders including Mick Dodson, Tom Calma, Alison Anderson and Jackie Huggins, in an effort to put together a text that explores the dynamics of Aboriginal politics. If you’re looking to familiarise yourself with the numerous challenges faced by Indigenous communities, this book is a must.
Born Again Blakfella by Jack Charles, with Namila Benson
Born Again Blakfella, written by Jack Charles with the help of Namila Benson, chronicles the life of the musician and Senior Victorian Australian of the Year, who was stolen from his mother when he was merely a few months old. Often referred to as Uncle Jack Charles, the Aboriginal Elder shares his story in his eye-opening new autobiography.
Jacob's Well: The Circular
Last week, Br Ernesto Sanchez, the Superior-General of the Marist Brothers, released his first Circular, “Homes of Light.” It is number 420 in the history of these unique documents. You can find it here: https://champagnat.org/en/brother-ernesto-sanchez-presents-Circular-420-of-the-marist-institute/. Its release inspired me to answer the questions, what is a Circular, and what are they about?
The Circular is a type of message to a group of people. They are situated in a tradition going back to Saint Marcellin Champagnat, whose first Circular was composed in 1828. Since then, in the style proper to each person and each period, we find them, in thousands of pages, with news about family, information, instructions, recommendations, reflections on our life and mission. The other unique element about them are they are written by a Superior-General: it is a tradition reserved for this position, although a number of them had some help, and traditions are always malleable!
As mentioned, we have over four hundred of these messages, but they vary in length, content, context and style. Each Superior-General has put their own flavour in their Circulars or used them for specific purposes. In addition, they are changed over time, as technology and contexts has amended their purposes. For Champagnat, getting a message to the Brothers with specific instructions and practical news was his major concern, as sending letters in the post was the most effective means of mass communication. In more recent years, the Superiors-General have shifted to more philosophical and reflective ground. The Circulars have been more focussed on setting and communicating vision, reflecting on history, theology and the mission as key themes. Again, others have focussed on a specific topic, setting the tone for detailed action, as Br Benito Arbués, the eleventh Superior-General did in his Circular, “Concerning Our Material Goods.”
To give you a glimpse of their depth and breadth, here are some of the Circulars that continue to inform our Institute:
One of the first Circulars from Marcellin was short, concise and still full of richness. The Circulars started as short letters to the brothers. Here is an example:
Marcellin Champagnat
1830-08-15
This letter was no doubt a Circular intended for all the communities. The original, in fact, shows traces of another letter which was placed on top of it before the ink had dried. From these traces we can see that the other letter, at least in its opening lines, was identical with this one. We can therefore conclude that in the beginning Fr. Champagnat himself wrote out copies of his Circular letters to the eighteen communities which then made up the Institute, except perhaps for those he was going to visit within the next few days, to whom he would deliver the message in person.
As for the vacations, after the community moved down to the Hermitage, they had been and still were two months long, as before (Avit, AA, p. 98). We also know that the schools reopened around All Saints, so the vacation normally began in early September. Given the disturbances taking place in the country at that time, why was it thought better to delay the start of the vacation by two weeks? We have no way of knowing for sure. To get some idea of the climate of French society at this time, see the Introduction, above, and also Life, pp. 174-176; Avit, AA, pp. 96-98; O.M., I, pp. 481-482.
Jesus, Mary, St. Joseph
My dear friends,
I’m afraid I didn’t inform you that the vacation would begin only on 15th September. All the parish priests want it this way, and they say that the glory of God is involved here.
Don’t be frightened; Mary is our defender. The hairs of our head are all counted, and not one of them can fall without Gods permission. Let us be totally convinced that we have no greater enemy than ourselves. Only we can hurt ourselves; no one else can. God has said to the wicked, you can go just so far and no farther.
I leave you in the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary. We do not forget you in our prayers. Pray for us, too.
I have the honour to be your very devoted father in Jesus and Mary,
Champagnat, sup. of the M.B.
Marys Hermitage, 5th August 1830
There have been many Circulars that reference or centre Mary, but this one marked one of the most challenging, renewing and visionary of Br Sean Sammon’s Circular. It offered a contemporary interpretation of the person of Mary, as well as invited the reader to take courageous action to move to new and confronting spaces. It also offered questions for reflection, marking a shift in style that invited personal and communal consideration. Check it out here: https://champagnat.org/en/Circulares/in-her-arms-or-in-her-heart/
Br Charles Howard, the only Australian Superior-General, was a man of tremendous presence and intellect. One of his great insights was the Circular “The Champagnat Movement of The Marist Family.” Written in 1991, the letter was ahead of its time: The Church, and many provinces of the Marist Institute, have been very slow to honour the longstanding vocational call and promise of the “laity.” This Circular outline many of the invitation and visions that we are only now still enacting and growing with our Marist Associations, and other movements of Marists around the world. It is also one of the first that explicitly addresses all members of the Marist family, not only the Brothers. Check it out here: https://champagnat.org/en/Circulares/the-champagnat-movement-of-the-marist-family/
Four down, four hundred and sixteen to go!
Jacob's Well: Marist Pilgrimages
In this third segment on pilgrimages, here are some examples of pilgrimages in our Marist story that are continuing to take shape. Although our short-term circumstances may limit the physical pursuits of these pilgrimages, the anticipation and preparation are just as important as the external movements towards them. They are all part of the journey.
Marcellin and his pilgrimages
The spiritual gifts of pilgrimages were instilled in Marcellin by his mother, Marie-Louise, from an early age. Although unable to travel great distances, pilgrimages to significant places of Christian history were popular throughout France in Marcellin’s time. One significant site for Marcellin and his family was La Louvesc. It is the site, of the Basilica of Saint John Francis Regis, a popular saint in France where his tomb is contained and is the site of significant religious history for the country. Currently, it also holds the incorrupt body of Saint Therese Couderc, founder of the Congregation of Our Lady of the Cenacle, and a contemporary of Marcellin.
One of the first recorded pilgrimages of Marcellin to this site came at the conclusion of one of the most difficult years of his initial education. At the end of one year, June-July, 1806, Father Perier, Superior of the seminary told him that he should not consider advanced studies. Saddened but not disheartened, Marcellin made a pilgrimage with his mother to La Louvesc, to the Tomb of Saint Regis, to implore Mary's help. During other times in his life, especially in times of difficult and seeking intercession, Marcellin would journey to this same holy place. In 1823, Br Jean-Baptiste Furet writes, “When the new troubles struck, Marcellin prescribed special prayers and called on the Community to fast for nine days on bread and water. He himself made a pilgrimage to the tomb of Saint John Francis Regis at La Louvesc, interceding with him for the necessary light and strength.” According to the testimony of Madame Sériziat on Father Champagnat's pilgrimages to La Louvesc, "The good Father Champagnat went rather often on pilgrimage to La Louvesc, on foot through the mountains. On his return, which was at night, he knelt on the door-steps outside the exterior church door and, bareheaded, remained in adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, awaiting in this manner, the opening of the church in order to be able to celebrate Holy Mass."
For Marcellin, a pilgrimage came at a time of great need and questioning. To journey with questions, doubts, and to ask for help are vital part of the pilgrim’s experience.
L’hermitage: the heart of Marist pilgrimages
The historical and spiritual home of the Marist Brothers, and those who follow in Champagnat’s footsteps, has always been L’Hermitage, located near the town of St-Chamond, in France. Built by Marcellin Champagnat and his first Brothers, the Brothers first moved from La Valla to the Hermitage in 1824. In 2010, the renovated Hermitage was inaugurated as a centre for Marist pilgrimage. The community welcomes and accompanies mainly Marist groups from around the world and local parish groups. It is an international community of Brothers and Laypeople, living under the same roof, sharing in a fraternal life, praying together and being co-responsible for their ministry to pilgrims. It is a special and beautiful place.
You can check out a virtual pilgrimage to Marcellin’s bedroom in the L’Hermitage, as well as the Chapel, constructed for the Feast Day of Champagnat this year: https://champagnat.org/en/dia-de-sao-marcelino-champagnat-peregrinacao-virtual/
LaValla and surroundings places
LaValla is more than a name for a building or a magazine. It is often referenced because the village, and a number of surrounding places and villages, are part of the fertile ground that gave life to the early Marist story. LaValla, Marcellin’s first parish, as well as Le Rosey, Marhles, Les Maisonettes, Le Bessat, and a number of other villages, are important sites of thousands of Marist pilgrims for decades. Being able to tread the streets where Marcellin walked is akin to travelling back in time. Walking through the harsh inclines and terrain of the mountains and hills of this area gives new insight into the conditions that led to the Memorare in the Snow story. Wadding in the cool waters of the River Gier as it cascades through the valley and refreshes the fields of L’Hermitage gives added weight to the imagery and spirituality of “Water from the Rock.” It is special country. It can be home. It can provide answers and refreshments, as well as challenges and questions. It calls you. Can you hear it?
Fourvière
Another important place of pilgrimage for Marists, across all branches of the greater Marist family, is the Marian shrine at Fourvière dedicated to Our Lady since 1170. Fourvière is an ancient site, now part of the Historic Site of Lyons World Heritage Site declared by UNESCO in 1998. Fourvière Hill was originally the location of the Roman Forum and a temple. As early as 1168, a Christian chapel was built on the hill, which by that time had already become a Marian shrine. The chapel was dedicated to the Virgin Mary and to the medieval English Saint Thomas Becket (1118-70). Its popularity as a place of pilgrimage increased significantly after Lyon’s preservation from plague in 1643 was interpreted as an answer to the prayers of the city leaders.
The interior of the chapel, restored in 1751, has not greatly changed since this time. The Basilica was consecrated in 1896, in fulfilment of a vow by the city of Lyon, and in thanksgiving to Our Lady for protecting the city from the ravages of the Franco-Prussian War of 1870, and Fourvière has always been a popular place of pilgrimage, as can be seen from the plaques placed round the wall of the chapel.
On 23rd July 1816 the twelve Marist aspirants, priests and seminarians, climbed the hill to the shrine of Our Lady of Fourvière. They placed their promise to found the Society of Mary under the corporal on the altar while Fr Jean-Claude Courveille celebrated Mass. After communion which they all received from Fr Courveille’s hand, they read out their declaration promising to devote themselves and all that they had to the foundation of the Society of Mary. On the left of the chancel is a plaque commemorating this event, and on the opposite side of the plaque commemorating the Marist Brothers (FMS). Since these early times many Marist celebrations have taken place either in this chapel or in the basilica but the first time that the four branches of the Marist Family celebrated together at Fourvière was on the 150th anniversary of the Fourvière pledge, 24 July 1966.
I hope this gives you all a taste of the concept and reality of pilgrimage in our Christian tradition. May you be inspired to continue to listen to God’s gently whisper, to pack a bag, and take those needed steps towards your personal invitations of freedom, growth and adventure.
Jacob's Well: Christian Places of Pilgrimage
The Christian sense of pilgrimage has a long history, though it is never explicitly explained in detail as a religious practice in the scriptures. Pilgrimage seems to mark its recorded beginnings as part of the Catholic tradition in the fourth century, when Christians wanted to travel to the places that were part of Jesus’ life, or to the graves of the martyrs and Saints Peter and Paul in Rome. As mentioned previously, pilgrimage is not a uniquely Christian practice, but its longevity and significance has added depth to one’s discipleship. A few pilgrimage trails, most notably Europe’s medieval Camino de Santiago, have been reconstituted in recent decades and become popular with Christians and non-Christians alike.
Pilgrimage is both a social and an interior process, and occurs both in individual or small group contexts, such as hiking the Camino de Santiago, and in organized group contexts, as with the tour groups that travel to Rome, Lourdes and Fatima. As was true in the Middle Ages, many people who travel on pilgrimages carry symbols like a scallop shell or a special scarf that mark them as pilgrims. These listed pilgrimages marks some of the more well-known and established routes of Christian history.
Pilgrimages to Jerusalem and the Holy Land
To a Christian, Jerusalem during the Middle Ages (500–1500) was a place of hope and desire. As a place of desire, Christians wanted to visit and experience the tactile as a way of deepening one’s relationship with Jesus by walking in the streets and churches that marked important locations in his life. As a place of hope, Jerusalem and other sites in the Holy Land set the heart on fire, because these sites were the origins of their faith. To be close to these places meant to be close to Jesus. This idea remains as true for Christians today, as it did hundreds of years ago.
The goal of any Christian living at that time was to make a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. At the time of the Crusades, the tradition of making such a trip to a sacred place already had a long history, dating back to the 300s and even earlier. The journey was difficult, long and treacherous: modes of transport, communication and provisions were very different to the comforts and ease of today’s tools of travel. Months of hard work, through culturally and linguistically diverse lands add personal and spiritual significance and hardship to the pilgrimage. The reward: Christians wanted to see the buildings that the Roman emperor Constantine had erected to house the holy sites during his reign in the fourth century. The flow of pilgrims slowed with the Muslim conquest of Jerusalem in the seventh century. Also, continuing political turmoil in Europe up through the ninth century made pilgrimages to the Holy Land the privilege of a select few.
By the twelfth century, travel to the Holy Land from Christian Europe was virtually impossible. The desire, however, remains as constant and palpable as ever, and people have continued their attempts to journey to Jerusalem and the Holy Land until the present day.
The Pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela
One of the oldest pilgrimage routes in the world runs through Northern Spain, terminating at the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela. This is the burial site of St. James, whose remains were transported from Jerusalem to Spain by boat. For the average European in the twelfth Century, a pilgrimage to the Holy Land of Jerusalem was out of the question—travel to the Middle East was too far, too dangerous and too expensive. Santiago de Compostela in Spain offered a much more convenient option. Pilgrimages to the area haven’t ceased since medieval times, and the route has enjoyed revived popularity since the 1980s. The Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela now stands on this site.
Traveling pilgrims can expect barebones accommodations along the Camino de Santiago, or Way of St. James. Monasteries provide hostels for travellers and ask for small monetary donations in return. Pilgrims should be aware that a special Credencial, or religious passport, is required to stay at a monastic hostel.
The pious of the Middle Ages wanted to pay homage to holy relics, and pilgrimage churches sprang up along the route to Spain. Pilgrims commonly walked barefoot and wore a scalloped shell, the symbol of Saint James (the shell’s grooves symbolize the many roads of the pilgrimage). Along each part of the journey rests historical sites, churches and traditions that makes this pilgrimage one of the culturally and spiritually richest experiences, for Christians and non-Christians.
In France alone there were four main routes toward Spain. Le Puy, Arles, Paris and Vézelay are the cities on these roads and each contains a church that was an important pilgrimage site in its own right. Check out videos on the world’s largest thurible that swings throughout the Cathedral on special days and upon request (that request being a substantial donation!): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xndYdKR5tY0
Via Francigena: The Pilgrimage to Rome
From Breena Kerr (http://www.bbc.com/travel/story/20181203-a-1000-year-old-road-lost-to-time):
In 990AD, the Archbishop of Canterbury named Sigeric the Serious had a more practical reason to walk to Rome. Having risen into his prestigious office, he needed to visit the Vatican to be ordained and collect his official garments. At the time he made the journey, there were many different paths to Rome. But Sigeric, who’d left from Canterbury, wrote down his route home through Italy, Switzerland, France and into the UK, cataloguing the towns he stayed in on his journey. The route he took now makes up the official Via Francigena. The only part that cannot be completed on foot is the English Channel, which medieval pilgrims crossed by boat (and modern pilgrims on the Dover-to-Calais ferry).
As the Renaissance blossomed in Europe, the Via Francigena began to decline in popularity. Trading routes multiplied and shifted to pass through Florence, one of Italy’s most significant intellectual, artistic and mercantile cities at the time. As the Romans expanded their dominion, they built roads to connect the conquered cities back to heart of the empire.
The Via Francigena became, for the most part, forgotten, although sections remained in use as local roads and footpaths. Things remained that way until 1985. That year, a Tuscan anthropologist, writer and adventurer named Giovanni Caselli was looking for new topics to write travel books about. As an enthusiastic hiker who had also walked the old Silk Road through China, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, Caselli decided to walk the Via Francigena after learning about Sigeric’s route.
“I would go into a town and ask the local people, ‘What’s the oldest route from here to there’,” he said. “And it worked, because the local memory of these paths still exists.” Caselli walked all the way from Canterbury to Rome, crossing the British countryside, the English Channel (by ferry), French Champagne country, the Swiss Alps and the rolling hills of Tuscany.
After Caselli published his book about the Via Francigena in 1990, the route started gaining attention. In 1994, the Via Francigena became one of the Council of Europe’s designated Cultural Routes. Then in 2006, the organisations that oversee the Via Francigena decided on the official route that pilgrims walk today. Many pilgrims see it as an alternative or follow-up to Spain’s better known – and much busier – Camino de Santiago.
Marian Shrines: Places of Miracles
Tied to the history of Christian pilgrimages resides Mary. All over the world, pilgrimages to places with stories, devotions and encounters with Mary, the Mother of Jesus, exist on almost every continent (a Marian shrine at Antarctica is yet to be established: maybe Mary doesn’t like the cold?). Ranging from the well-known places of Lourdes and Fatima, to smaller shrines in most obscures locations in Yankalilla, South Australia, Penrose Park, New South Wales and Canungra, Queensland, the journeying to these Marian places is another benchmark of Christianity pilgrimages.
There are some many more places of pilgrimage to list, both here in Australia and overseas. Hopefully we will be able to visit them one day! What are some of your favourites?
And as a preview for next week, we will look at important Marist places of pilgrimages and the places where Marcellin went on pilgrimage too!
Jacob's Well: Pilgrimage
Another request has arrived. I was asked to share on some of my overseas experiences, and boy, was I excited! I love to share my travel stories, but upon reflection, realise that the same enthusiasm may not exist for other people! For me, I have struggled through hours of photos of relatives and their overseas trips, and I am forever traumatised. Instead, I thought I would share these stories with the underlying sense of their purpose, for me: to go on pilgrimage. In the coming weeks, I want to share some major places of pilgrimage within the Christian tradition, as well places of Marist pilgrimage. Firstly, however, let’s explore together the foundations of pilgrimage.
The act of making a pilgrimage – traveling to a sacred place to encounter the divine – is ancient, probably as old as humanity itself. Its spiritual significance exists in every major religions and faith system. The people of God, descended from Abraham, experienced their seminal formative journey from Egypt to the Promised Land in such a powerful way that it shaped their entire religious, cultural and personal identities.
Pilgrimages are undertaken for many reasons: seeking healing and peace, an attempt to make amends, to do penance, to seek answers to questions, to lose weight or to visit a sacred site. Often, it is thought that the destination is the focus of the journey, and that the way of getting from point A to point B is simply the practical manifestation of getting to this arrival. However, a pilgrim realizes that the journey is essential to the pilgrimage. The journey teaches us about ourselves. Why am I short-tempered with my fellow travellers? Do I dread the details of the journey? What am I feeling on the journey? In addition, the journey allows us to be drawn into a deeper relationship with God. How do I encounter the holy on this quest? What is God inviting me to learn, not only at our destination, but on the way? How is God present with me on the journey?
As Christians, we are a pilgrim people. We are always journeying to the most sacred of places. For some, this is expressed journeying to heaven, or building the Kingdom of God or to holy ground. This sacred place is more aptly described as experiencing the fullness of God coupled with the sense of returning home. This is the invitation and gift of pilgrimage: a journey of growing into fullness, and recognising God is present at all stages. In order to make the most of this journey, we must plan well. We need to be fed: Scripture and the Eucharist will provide some of the sustenance needed. A journey requires a map: the guidance that prayer gives us. We travel with others (family, friends, co-workers, strangers) and we are invited to discern the places and reasons that each of these people are present in our life, into our pilgrimage, for God does nothing by chance.
Pilgrimage is a pervasive theme throughout Scripture. The Apostle Peter refers to it often, and at the beginning of his first epistle, he addresses believers as sojourners and pilgrims (1 Peter 2:11). Similarly, the Apostle Paul constantly reminds us of our pilgrim status when informing us that our citizenship is in heaven: For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ (Philippians 3:20). The letter to the Hebrews is an operating manual for the Christian’s pilgrimage. It locates the Christian squarely in the desert, likening the Christian life to the wilderness wanderings in the Old Testament. The Old Testament is full of references, understandings and experiences of pilgrimages. Our Christian understanding of pilgrimage is deeply informed by our Jewish ancestors.
The invitation of being on pilgrimage is more than a physical one. In our current circumstances, we are limited in being able to access, or not access, the traditional geographical places of pilgrimages. However, we are never limited to take on the perspective and heart of a pilgrim.
There is a richness of literature that exists on pilgrimage, especially in the Christian tradition. Please explore it: I will add some more over the coming weeks. I offer a couple of introductory reflections on pilgrimage that may assist you in moving into a pilgrim’s mindset.
From Dee Dyas, The University of York:
The Old Testament presents several physical journeys which also have a deeper spiritual meaning. The journey made by Abraham and the story of the Exodus from Egypt both emphasise the theme of God journeying with his people and stress the importance of being willing to obey and trust God. Abraham, a key figure in Judaism, Christianity and Islam, is shown in Genesis 12:1-9 leaving his home to go in search of a land which God promises to show him, becoming a 'pilgrim' or 'sojourner' whose willingness to obey God makes him a model of faith and obedience. In the story of the Exodus from Egypt, the Israelites travel through the wilderness to the land of Canaan, experiencing both hardships and God's care and guidance. The Exodus motif plays a key role in Christian thought and the long journey through the wilderness towards the Promised Land was later interpreted as a paradigm or model of the Christian journey through a fallen world towards heaven.
In time, the city of Jerusalem developed into a centre of pilgrimage, a place where God could be encountered in a special way. Pilgrimage to Jerusalem on the three feasts of Passover, Weeks and Booths became a requirement for all male Israelites who would often have been joined by other family members. During periods of exile, pilgrimage to Jerusalem took on additional emotional and spiritual significance.
The New Testament picks up many motifs from the Old Testament but also shows some important changes in emphasis. The Fall of Humankind, and the stories of alienation, disobedience and conflict which follow, provide the backdrop to the drama of redemption told in the New Testament. In the Gospels, Jesus Christ is shown winning forgiveness for humankind through his death on the Cross, making it possible for individuals to return to God and eventually reach heaven, vividly portrayed in the Book of Revelation (Revelation 21:9-22:5). The focus shifts from seeking God in the earthly city of Jerusalem to finding him in Jesus Christ, believed to be God made man.
New Testament writers stress that salvation will be offered for a limited time only before Jesus Christ returns to judge humankind (Matthew 25:31-33). This event, often called the Last Judgement, will be unexpected (Matthew 24:36-44) and cataclysmic (2 Peter 3:10-13), as the created world dissolves and is remade. Human beings therefore need to be aware of the essential transience of this world and its pleasures (John 2:17; 1 Corinthians 7:31; James 1:11) and prepare themselves to face God's verdict on the way they have lived. Christians are therefore encouraged to see themselves as 'pilgrims and strangers on the earth', 'temporary residents' whose true home is in heaven (1 Peter 2:11; Hebrews 11:13). The Christian life itself is thus seen as a journey towards that homeland in which the individual believer seeks to follow and obey Christ through an alien, frequently hostile world (John 14:6; Mark 8:34). Figures such as Abraham are presented as examples of faith to be imitated (Hebrews 11:1-16).
From Robert B. Kruschwitz, Baylor University.
Pilgrimage typically involves traveling to places that are closely associated—through art, architecture, or a saint’s life—with God’s mission in the world. In its essence, “pilgrimage is a journey nearer to the heart of God and deeper into life with God,” Eric Howell explains. “The hope of all pilgrimage is realized when we have renewed eyes to be happily surprised by God’s mysterious presence in all times and places, even at home.” After sketching the history of this practice, Christian George commends pilgrimage for Christians of all ages and abilities, “as a spiritual discipline that reflects our journey to God, that gives great energy to our sanctification, and that engenders a spiritual vitality that is both Christo-centric and community-driven.”
The history of Christian pilgrimage draws on biblical travels to the festivals at the Second Temple in Jerusalem (537 bc-ad 70). Peter describes all believers as pilgrims (1 Peter 2:11), for they join Abraham’s walk toward a city built by God. Christian George notes, “By the time Constantine’s mother, Empress Helena, brought pilgrimage into vogue by traveling to the Holy Land in 326, a living tradition of sancta loca, or holy places, pertaining to the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ had already materialized.” Detractors from Gregory of Nyssa (c. 335-c. 395) to the Protestant Reformers criticized the physical dangers and spiritual excesses of pilgrimage, yet the practice flourished in the medieval period and revived in the eighteenth century. Great European cathedrals, sites of martyrdom, and places where notable saints had served were added to the list of destinations. Even the Puritans, who objected most to the corruptions of pilgrimage, nevertheless “embraced biblical precedents like Abraham’s journey, Israel’s Exodus, and the sacred travels of the Magi, giving great exegetical and homiletical attention to the pilgrim psalms 120-134, Christ’s infant journey to Egypt, and New Testament passages like these.”
Pilgrimage today “to places like Iona, Taizé, Skellig Michael, Mont St. Michelle, Mount Athos, Assisi, Jerusalem, and Rome…can serve as a unifying commonality among Christians of every denomination and tradition, [which] fosters reconciliation and ecumenism,” George notes. Anyone can practice the discipline of pilgrimage—children seeking to concretize their faith, young people hiking across Europe, or adults seeking spiritual renewal. “Those who cannot travel—the elderly, the poor, the hospitalized, or those with physical disabilities” practice pilgrimage by setting the Lord always before them. He explains, “some of the greatest pilgrimages I have ever taken have been in the midnight moments of my life, the hospital moments when I opened up the Bible and travelled to Jericho, where the walls came tumbling down.
As an armchair pilgrim, I went to Egypt and saw the Red Sea stand up for God’s people to march through.” “The discipline of pilgrimage reminds us to slow down and take life one step at a time. It reminds us that life is an emotional, physical, and spiritual journey that requires upward and inward conditioning. It moves us from certainty to dependency, from confidence to brokenness, from assurance in ourselves to faith in God,” George concludes. “A regular diet of spiritual disciplines like pilgrimage can splash our dehydrated Christianity with fresh faith and gives us a greater hunger for the holy.”
Check out the Metropolitan Museum of Art: Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History Essays: Pilgrimage in Medieval Europe: https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/pilg/hd_pilg.htm
For a musical sense of the purpose and emotional heart of the idea of pilgrimage, based on Psalm 23 and 1 Thessalonians 5: 16-17, have a listen to Paul Kelly and the Stormwater Boys, “Meet Me in the Middle of the Air.”
Buen Camino!
Jacob's Well: Subsidiarity
Continuing to draw on the richness of Catholic Social Teaching tradition, I wanted to share some thoughts on a lesser known, but equally important, concept of subsidiarity. It often gets lost in the workings and emphases of our Church, but it is crucial in building the Kingdom of God that is grounded in justice, fairness, respect for every person and in modelling power structures that are accessible, inclusive and revolutionary. It is often linked with the concept of participation as well, and this link is significant and broad. I will cover this in a future edition.
Firstly, the resources!
I love the resources from Caritas Australia on our Catholic Social Teaching:
https://www.caritas.org.au/learn/cst/subsidiarity-and-participation
PovertyCure is an initiative of the Acton Institute that seeks to ground the battle against local and global poverty in a proper understanding of the human person and society, and to encourage solutions that foster opportunity and unleash the entrepreneurial spirit that already fills poverty-stricken areas of the developed and developing world.
https://www.povertycure.org/learn/issues/human-person/subsidiarity
Secondly, I wanted to share some thoughts (some of the best I have ever experienced) from one of my favourite lecturers and teachers while I was in the Philippines, Francisco Castro. Here are some of his thoughts on subsidiarity that really explain and engage the concept.
In the early centuries of most of our countries, people were grouped in small units. There was still no such thing as big nations with centralized states. Political power, which was in a very minimum, was mostly involved with making sure there was peace and order among people. The different groups and individuals were made to unify peacefully, more or less. So what we would find, at that time, was the dominance of small social units like the family and the village.
2. Slowly, over time, societies became more complex…and slowly centralized States were organized. In passing, it may be interesting look at the history of the Church. What we can notice is that the Church played a social role that later will be done by the State. Affairs like education and health care were more in the hands of Church activities than in the States. If one had any problems, it was mainly the Church who was consulted. Even Kings and Princes consulted the Church.
3. Later on, societies became really complex and the State became more important. Then began the problem of State rule and domination. Some philosophers and even theologians began to promote the idea of freedom in front of centralized State authorities. So there was the beginning of moving out of the “organic” living in society to a more individual living in society. Surely we see the effects even today.
4. Over the course of history more and more societies tried to look for autonomy of local groups. More and more the government was understood as “helping out” the local levels. The totalitarian way was discouraged. Taking care of the whole society should not be the exclusive competence of the State. People, in individual and small units, had to have a voice. This was the start of “subsidiarity”.
5. So this idea of subsidiarity is not anything new in history. During the time of Pope Leo XIII the big problem was industrialisation—many people were in very hard work conditions. Many individuals and families did not have a voice in their work conditions. So Catholics called for help—how to help the voiceless workers of industrialism.
6. Years later, with the “Cold War”, the human rights were so violated by governments. Pope John XXIII for example, had to worry about how to limit the power of States over individuals. He raised the question of how to let everyone have a voice in governance of whole societies.
7. Society is basically composed of people. This is easy to see. But how are people living together—socially? The Compendium gives us an idea of this “living together” by discussing civil society (see Compendium #185). Civil society involves all and everyone in society related as individuals and as groups. Individuals are not isolated from one another. Individuals are social beings—they live “in” a social setting. Each individual is really within a network of relationships with others.
8. As each individual (and we can also add the small social group like the family) lives within a wider social setting, each one can take an initiative regarding how to live and how to pursue happiness. It is not wise to remove this capacity to take initiative. Every social activity must keep in mind the place that each one can have—the role that each one can play for the good of the whole. In society we find more complex and more assembled areas…but we also find individuals. We find the “higher orders” and also the “lower orders”. An example of a higher order is “the economic world” or “the market” or “the State”. An example of the “lower order” is me and my family, me and my circle of friends, or even myself. Social life is not just run by the “higher orders” …it is also run by the “lower orders”.
9. Compendium 186 would insist that a society must have the “attitude of subsidiarity”. This is the attitude of supporting, promoting and developing the “lower orders” of society. Let this not look so abstract. What the document is saying is that people—even in their own levels of social life—must have the chance to say something about the way the whole society should run. Let people—individuals and small social units—have a role. Let people in the “lower level” have a voice.
10. Why is this important? This is important because very often in society the small individual level—the “lower level”—is “absorbed and substituted”. Only the higher order makes decisions. Only the higher order says how society should run…and everyone else just follows. The individual, therefore, is so absorbed in the group and it is the group that substitutes for the individual.
11. So we read that subsidiarity is a way of “assistance offered to lesser social entities” (186). Now because the lower order is respected, the higher order—like the State—should “refrain from anything that would de facto restrict the existential space of the smaller essential cells of society” (186). The initiative, freedom and responsibility of social members in their own realms must not be supplanted.
12. Is this important? Yes, it is. If individuals and very small social units have no voice, they can be easily abused by the higher levels. It is also important because t reminds the higher orders to give space for the lower orders. Again, as we said above, give voice to the people. “This principle is imperative because every person, family and intermediate group has something original to offer to the community” (187). The absence of subsidiarity would result to the ruin of initiative and freedom. There will be the domination of bureaucracy, for example. There will be the domination of big monopolies of higher levels.
13. So how will subsidiarity be put to effect? The Compendium proposes the following (187):
· “respect and effective promotion of the human person and the family;
· ever greater appreciation of associations and intermediate organizations in their fundamental choices and in those that cannot be delegated to or exercised by others;
· the encouragement of private initiative so that every social entity remains at the service of the common good, each with its own distinctive characteristics;
· the presence of pluralism in society and due representation of its vital components;
· safeguarding human rights and the rights of minorities;
· bringing about bureaucratic and administrative decentralization;
· striking a balance between the public and private spheres, with the resulting recognition of the social function of the private sphere;
· appropriate methods for making citizens more responsible in actively “being a part” of the political and social reality of their country”.
14. Be careful. The document is not saying that the higher order be dropped. The higher order must be present and active. But it should always stimulate the lower order. For example, there is the need to “stimulate the economy because it is impossible for civil society to support initiatives on its own” (187). Once the lower order is stimulated and given the chance to take initiatives, then the higher level will again have to refrain from intervening. The Compendium tells us that “institutional substitution must not continue any longer than is absolutely necessary, since justification for such intervention is found only in the exceptional nature of the situation” (187).
Finally, I wanted to share again some glimpses of some of the wisdom of the Church that engage and explain the concept of subsidiarity in a concise manner.
Still, that most weighty principle, which cannot be set aside or changed, remains fixed and unshaken in social philosophy: Just as it is gravely wrong to take from individuals what they can accomplish by their own initiative and industry and give it to the community, so also it is an injustice and at the same time a grave evil and disturbance of right order to assign to a greater and higher association what lesser and subordinate organizations can do. For every social activity ought of its very nature to furnish help to the members of the body social, and never destroy and absorb them.
Quadragesimo Anno (“After Forty Years”), Pope Pius XI, 1931, #79.
State and public ownership of property is very much on the increase today. This is explained by the exigencies of the common good, which demand that public authority broaden its sphere of activity. But here, too, the “principle of subsidiary function” must be observed. The State and other agencies of public law must not extend their ownership beyond what is clearly required by considerations of the common good properly understood, and even then there must be safeguards. Otherwise private ownership could be reduced beyond measure, or, even worse, completely destroyed.
Mater et Magistra (“Mother and Teacher”), Pope John XXIII, 1961, #117.
Private enterprise too must contribute to an economic and social balance in the different areas of the same political community. Indeed, in accordance with “the principle of subsidiary function,” public authority must encourage and assist private enterprise, entrusting to it, wherever possible, the continuation of economic development.
Mater et Magistra (“Mother and Teacher”), Pope John XXIII, 1961, #152.
The same principle of subsidiarity which governs the relations between public authorities and individuals, families and intermediate societies in a single State, must also apply to the relations between the public authority of the world community and the public authorities of each political community. The special function of this universal authority must be to evaluate and find a solution to economic, social, political and cultural problems which affect the universal common good. These are problems which, because of their extreme gravity, vastness and urgency, must be considered too difficult for the rulers of individual States to solve with any degree of success.
Pacem in Terris (“Peace on Earth”), Pope John XXIII, 1963, #140.
It is for the international community to coordinate and stimulate development, but in such a way as to distribute with the maximum fairness and efficiency the resources set aside for this purpose It is also its task to organize economic affairs on a world scale, without transgressing the principle of subsidiarity, so that business will be conducted according to the norms of justice. Organizations should be set up to promote and regulate international commerce, especially with less developed nations, in order to compensate for losses resulting from excessive inequality of power between nations. This kind of organization accompanied by technical, cultural, and financial aid, should provide developing nations with all that is necessary for them to achieve adequate economic success.
Gaudium et Spes (“The Church in the Modern World”), Vatican II, 1965, #86(c).
The primary norm for determining the scope and limits of governmental intervention is the “principle of subsidiarity” cited above. This principle states that, in order to protect basic justice, government should undertake only those initiatives which exceed the capacities of individuals or private groups acting independently. Government should not replace or destroy smaller communities and individual initiative. Rather it should help them contribute more effectively to social well-being and supplement their activity when the demands of justice exceed their capacities. This does not mean, however, that the government that governs least, governs best. Rather it defines good government intervention as that which truly “helps” other social groups contribute to the common good by directing, urging, restraining, and regulating economic activity as “the occasion requires and necessity demands”.
Economic Justice for All, U.S. Catholic Bishops, 1986, #124.
The “principle of subsidiarity” must be respected: “A community of a higher order should not interfere with the life of a community of a lower order, taking over its functions.” In case of need it should, rather, support the smaller community and help to coordinate its activity with activities in the rest of society for the sake of the common good.
Centesimus Annus (“The Hundredth Year,” Donders translation), Pope John Paul II, 1991, #48.
It is true that the pursuit of justice must be a fundamental norm of the State and that the aim of a just social order is to guarantee to each person, according to the principle of subsidiarity, his share of the community’s goods. This has always been emphasized by Christian teaching on the State and by the Church’s social doctrine.
Deus Caritas Est (“God is Love”), Pope Benedict XVI, 2005, #26.
Love—caritas—will always prove necessary, even in the most just society. There is no ordering of the State so just that it can eliminate the need for a service of love. Whoever wants to eliminate love is preparing to eliminate man as such. There will always be suffering which cries out for consolation and help. There will always be loneliness. There will always be situations of material need where help in the form of concrete love of neighbour is indispensable.[20] The State which would provide everything, absorbing everything into itself, would ultimately become a mere bureaucracy incapable of guaranteeing the very thing which the suffering person—every person—needs: namely, loving personal concern. We do not need a State which regulates and controls everything, but a State which, in accordance with the principle of subsidiarity, generously acknowledges and supports initiatives arising from the different social forces and combines spontaneity with closeness to those in need. The Church is one of those living forces: she is alive with the love enkindled by the Spirit of Christ. This love does not simply offer people material help, but refreshment and care for their souls, something which often is even more necessary than material support. In the end, the claim that just social structures would make works of charity superfluous masks a materialist conception of man: the mistaken notion that man can live “by bread alone” (Mt 4:4; cf. Dt 8:3)—a conviction that demeans man and ultimately disregards all that is specifically human.
Deus Caritas Est (“God is Love”), Pope Benedict XVI, 2005, #28b.
The strengthening of different types of businesses, especially those capable of viewing profit as a means for achieving the goal of a more humane market and society, must also be pursued in those countries that are excluded or marginalized from the influential circles of the global economy. In these countries it is very important to move ahead with projects based on subsidiarity, suitably planned and managed, aimed at affirming rights yet also providing for the assumption of corresponding responsibilities. In development programmes, the principle of the centrality of the human person, as the subject primarily responsible for development, must be preserved. The principal concern must be to improve the actual living conditions of the people in a given region, thus enabling them to carry out those duties which their poverty does not presently allow them to fulfil. Social concern must never be an abstract attitude. Development programmes, if they are to be adapted to individual situations, need to be flexible; and the people who benefit from them ought to be directly involved in their planning and implementation.
Caritas in Veritate (“Charity in Truth”), Pope Benedict XVI, 2009, #47.
A particular manifestation of charity and a guiding criterion for fraternal cooperation between believers and non-believers is undoubtedly the principle of subsidiarity, an expression of inalienable human freedom. Subsidiarity is first and foremost a form of assistance to the human person via the autonomy of intermediate bodies. Such Underlying the principle of the common good is respect for the human person as such, endowed with basic and inalienable rights ordered to his or her integral development. It has also to do with the overall welfare of society and the development of a variety of intermediate groups, applying the principle of subsidiarity. Outstanding among those groups is the family, as the basic cell of society. Finally, the common good calls for social peace, the stability and security provided by a certain order which cannot be achieved without particular concern for distributive justice; whenever this is violated, violence always ensues. Society as a whole, and the state in particular, are obliged to defend and promote the common good.
Laudato Si’ (“Praise Be”), Pope Francis, 2015, Chapter 4, #157.
[T]he principle of subsidiarity is particularly well-suited to managing globalization and directing it towards authentic human development. In order not to produce a dangerous universal power of a tyrannical nature, the governance of globalization must be marked by subsidiarity, articulated into several layers and involving different levels that can work together. Globalization certainly requires authority, insofar as it poses the problem of a global common good that needs to be pursued. This authority, however, must be organized in a subsidiary and stratified way[138], if it is not to infringe upon freedom and if it is to yield effective results in practice.
Caritas in Veritate (“Charity in Truth”), Pope Benedict XVI, 2009, #57-58.
The principle of subsidiarity must remain closely linked to the principle of solidarity and vice versa, since the former without the latter gives way to social privatism, while the latter without the former gives way to paternalist social assistance that is demeaning to those in need.
Caritas in Veritate (“Charity in Truth”), Pope Benedict XVI, 2009, #57-58.
It is the responsibility of the State to safeguard and promote the common good of society.[188] Based on the principles of subsidiarity and solidarity, and fully committed to political dialogue and consensus building, it plays a fundamental role, one which cannot be delegated, in working for the integral development of all. This role, at present, calls for profound social humility.
Evangelii Gaudium (“Joy of the Gospel”), Pope Francis, 2013, Chapter 4, #240
Let us keep in mind the principle of subsidiarity, which grants freedom to develop the capabilities present at every level of society, while also demanding a greater sense of responsibility for the common good from those who wield greater power.
Laudato Si’ (“Praise Be”), Pope Francis, 2015, Chapter 5, #196.
Jacob's Well: Solidarity
“If you want peace, work for justice.” Pope Paul VI’s invitation in the encyclical Populorum Progressio or “The Development of Peoples” in 1967 marks a significant articulation of one of the keystones of Catholic Social Teaching: Solidarity. The core of solidarity is this, ‘God asks us to look at our lifestyles and to live simply, sustainably and in solidarity with those in poverty.’
Catholic Social Teaching is often described as one of the hidden treasures of the Catholic Church. The tradition of solidarity has been intensively engaged with over the history of the Church, but the reforms and invitations of the Second Vatican Church propelled Catholic Social Thought into the forefronts of theology and education.
It is grounded in the evangelical invitation of Jesus in Matthew 25: In truth I tell you, in so far as you did this to one of the least of these brothers [or sisters] of mine, you did it to me. (Matthew 25:40)
I love the resources from Caritas Australia on our Catholic Social Teaching:
https://www.caritas.org.au/learn/cst/solidarity
Catholic Social Teaching.org.uk is a livesimply initiative, a network of 60+ charities who support the radical idea that God calls us to look hard at our lifestyles and live simply, sustainably and in solidarity with poor people at home and overseas:
http://www.catholicsocialteaching.org.uk/themes/solidarity/
Check out this fantastic article that explores solidarity in the context of Laudato Si.
https://www.americamagazine.org/issue/laudato-si-joins-tradition-catholic-social-teaching
CST 101 is a collaborative 7-part video and discussion guide series presented by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and Catholic Relief Services on Catholic social teaching. The videos bring the themes of Catholic social teaching to life and inspire us to put our faith into action.
https://www.crs.org/resource-center/CST-101?tab=solidarity
Finally, I wanted to share some glimpses of some of the wisdom of the Church that engages and explains the concept of solidarity in a concise manner. If you have made it this far (who knows who reads this!), thanks for being in solidarity with me as we journey into this important awareness!
Solidarity is not a feeling of vague compassion or shallow distress at the misfortunes of so many people, both near and far. On the contrary, it is a firm and persevering determination to commit oneself to the common good; that is to say to the good of all and of each individual, because we are all really responsible for all.
- Saint Pope John Paul II, On Social Concern [Sollicitudo rei Socialis], 38
It is a word that means much more than some acts of sporadic generosity. It is to think and to act in terms of community, of the priority of the life of all over the appropriation of goods by a few. It is also to fight against the structural causes of poverty, inequality, lack of work, land and housing, the denial of social and labour rights. It is to confront the destructive effects of the empire of money: forced displacements, painful emigrations, the traffic of persons, drugs, war, violence and all those realities that many of you suffer and that we are all called to transform. Solidarity, understood in its deepest sense, is a way of making history, and this is what the Popular Movements do.
- Pope Francis, World Meeting of Popular Movements 2014
To love someone is to desire that person's good and to take effective steps to secure it. Besides the good of the individual, there is the good that is linked to living in society: the common good. It is the good of "all of us", made up of individuals, families and intermediate groups who together constitute society. … To desire the common good and strive towards it is a requirement of justice and charity.
- Pope Benedict XVI, Charity in Truth [Caritas in Veritate], 7
It is good for people to realize that purchasing is always a moral — and not simply economic — act. Hence the consumer has a specific social responsibility, which goes hand-in- hand with the social responsibility of the enterprise. Consumers should be continually educated regarding their daily role, which can be exercised with respect for moral principles without diminishing the intrinsic economic rationality of the act of purchasing… It can be helpful to promote new ways of marketing products from deprived areas of the world, so as to guarantee their producers a decent return.
- Pope Benedict XVI, Charity in Truth [Caritas in Veritate], 66
At another level, the roots of the contradiction between the solemn affirmation of human rights and their tragic denial in practice lies in a notion of freedom which exalts the isolated individual in an absolute way, and gives no place to solidarity, to openness to others and service of them. . . It is precisely in this sense that Cain’s answer to the Lord's question: "Where is Abel your brother?" can be interpreted: "I do not know; am I my brother's keeper?" (Gen 4:9). Yes, every man is his "brother's keeper", because God entrusts us to one another.
- St. Pope John Paul II, The Gospel of Life [Evangelium Vitae], no. 19
Interdependence must be transformed into solidarity, based upon the principle that the goods of creation are meant for all. That which human industry produces through the processing of raw materials, with the contribution of work, must serve equally for the good of all.
- St. John Paul II, On Social Concern [Sollicitudo rei Socialis], 39
We have to move from our devotion to independence, through an understanding of interdependence, to a commitment to human solidarity. That challenge must find its realization in the kind of community we build among us. Love implies concern for all - especially the poor - and a continued search for those social and economic structures that permit everyone to share in a community that is a part of a redeemed creation (Rom 8:21-23).
- United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Economic Justice for All, 365
The solidarity which binds all men together as members of a common family makes it impossible for wealthy nations to look with indifference upon the hunger, misery and poverty of other nations whose citizens are unable to enjoy even elementary human rights. The nations of the world are becoming more and more dependent on one another and it will not be possible to preserve a lasting peace so long as glaring economic and social imbalances persist.
St. Pope John XXIII, On Christianity and Social Progress [Mater et Magistra], 157
III. HUMAN SOLIDARITY (Catechism of the Catholic Church).
(Please note: excuse the outdated gendered language: this is the language of the Church at a specific time in history and has not been retranslated)
1939 The principle of solidarity, also articulated in terms of "friendship" or "social charity," is a direct demand of human and Christian brotherhood.
1940 Solidarity is manifested in the first place by the distribution of goods and remuneration for work. It also presupposes the effort for a more just social order where tensions are better able to be reduced and conflicts more readily settled by negotiation.
1941 Socio-economic problems can be resolved only with the help of all the forms of solidarity: solidarity of the poor among themselves, between rich and poor, of workers among themselves, between employers and employees in a business, solidarity among nations and peoples. International solidarity is a requirement of the moral order; world peace depends in part upon this.
1942 The virtue of solidarity goes beyond material goods. In spreading the spiritual goods of the faith, the Church has promoted, and often opened new paths for, the development of temporal goods as well. And so, throughout the centuries has the Lord's saying been verified: "Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things shall be yours as well":
Jacob's Well: Mental Health
Our mental health and wellbeing are crucial parts of our overall health. We are growing, as a society, to talk more openly about our mental health. We are learning this truth more and more: it is ok not to be ok.
Here are some resources for your ongoing mental health, for your own use, or to offer as helpful resources to people in our ministries. A number of these services are offering COVID-19 specific services and programs. The online spaces offer privacy and security, while still providing comprehensive and personal service. A number of these sites offer connection to a health care professional if needed or wanted.
Please look after yourself, and please share your feelings and mental health with people in your life that you trust, love and find support. In addition, reach out for help whenever you need it. I am here to listen and be present, as well as other people in our team, in our Marist ministries and in professional mental health services .
Mindspot
MindSpot is a free service for Australian adults who are experiencing difficulties with anxiety, stress, depression and low mood. We provide assessment and treatment courses, or we can help you find local services that can help. The MindSpot team comprises experienced and AHPRA-registered mental health professionals including psychologists, clinical psychologists and psychiatrists who are passionate about providing a free and effective service to people all over Australia. We have a dedicated IT team to ensure that this happens as securely and efficiently as possible. MindSpot is based at Macquarie University, Sydney. We are funded by the Australian Government and contracted by the Department of Health as a regulated clinical service. We are Australia’s only free therapist-guided digital mental health clinic. We provide information about mental health, online assessments, and online treatment to adults with anxiety, stress, depression and chronic pain.
Beyond Blue
Beyond Blue provides information and support to help everyone in Australia achieve their best possible mental health, whatever their age and wherever they live. Beyond Blue is here to help people in Australia understand that these feelings can change. We want to equip them with the skills they need to look after their own mental health and wellbeing, and to create confidence in their ability to support those around them. Our vision is for everyone in Australia to achieve their best possible mental health. Through our support services, programs, research, advocacy and communication activities, we’re breaking down the stigma, prejudice and discrimination that act as barriers to people reaching out for support.
https://www.beyondblue.org.au/
Moodgym
Moodgym is like an interactive self-help book which helps you to learn and practise skills which can help to prevent and manage symptoms of depression and anxiety. It is like an interactive, online self-help book which teaches skills based on cognitive behaviour therapy. Moodgym consists of five interactive modules which are completed in order.
This Way Up
This Way Up is an online initiative of the Clinical Research Unit for Anxiety and Depression, UNSW at St. Vincent’s Hospital, Sydney. At This Way Up we believe that everyone should be able to access practical, effective, and evidence-based resources to help them improve their mental health. Our team of dedicated mental health clinicians have taken the research-backed tools and strategies used in face-to-face psychological treatment, and created practical online courses to guide you through using new coping skills to improve how you’re feeling.
headspace
headspace began in 2006 to address this critical gap, by providing tailored and holistic mental health support to 12 - 25 year olds. With a focus on early intervention, we work with young people to provide support at a crucial time in their lives – to help get them back on track and strengthen their ability to manage their mental health in the future.
Jacob's Well: National Vocations Awareness Week
August 2 to 9 marks National Vocations Awareness Week across Australia. It is an opportunity to engage with the vocational expressions within the Church in Australia. The Vocations Office of the Province of Australia has produced this attached resource for this week.
This resource offers some reflection materials on the life of the Marist Brother. In particular, it launches three videos on three aspects of our life: Mission, Community and Spirituality. These videos were visioned, created, actioned, and produced by Conor Ashleigh, a visual storyteller and communications consultant who has journeyed with numerous Marist communities around the world for many years. His passion and insight into the realities of our world have captured the modern context of the Marist Brother in Australia in a stunning and meaningful manner.
These media presentations will also feature in our social media platforms during this week. Please feel free to check out these platforms, browse our content, and witness the contemporary expressions of Marist Brothers life in Australia. Details of our platforms are listed on the last page of this resource, or search for “Marist Brothers Life” on Facebook and Instagram. Coupled with these videos are some written resources and imagery that offer complimentary perspectives on the life of the Religious Brother.
My invitation to each of you is to spend some time this week reflecting on the beautiful whispering of God in your heart and to God’s invitations in your life. Some questions may assist you:
What are I being called to do at this time?
What are I being called to be?
How do I want to live my discipleship of Jesus more fully?
What expressions of my discipleship am I being called to?
What expression of Christian, Marist and/or religious life am I being called to?
Jacob's Well: Marcellin and his maternal influence(r)s
In this age of social media, the role of an influencer is a source of income for some, and a source of inspiration or guidance for others, for better or worse. There might be people on your feeds that you specifically follow out of interest, or in search of deeper connection with them. Good for you! However, this form of profession has always been with us throughout history: people who, by their example, advice or behaviour, change the way others see or act. Their identification in our lives, and in the lives of other people, whether for good or bad, is important.
A return to Marcellin. A little history about Marcellin, and the women that influenced his life. It is not a coincidence that Marcellin had a strong devotion to Mary: his lived experience was one of being surrounded by courageous, intelligent, faithful and powerful women.
This week, I wanted to share some stories of these women in Marcellin’s life.
From Br Lluís Serra Llansana, (2001), “Founder of the Institute of the Marist Brothers”:
While political events unfold, Marcellin lives a close relationship with his mother. Mrs. Champagnat is involved with the silk and lace trades, and she expands the family income by farm work and milling. Marcellin's mother, Marie Therese, exercises a moderating and calming influence upon her husband activities. A few years older than her husband, her forceful character and her competence in managing home and children make it easier for her to fulfil her obligations. She raises her children carefully, putting the emphasis on piety, social relations and a spirit of thrift. Louise Champagnat, Marcellin's aunt, is a Sister of Saint Joseph. She was expelled from her convent in the Revolution. The influence she leaves upon Champagnat by her prayer, teaching and good example is so marked that he will frequently remember her with pleasure and gratitude. When he is seven years old, Marcellin asks, "Aunt Louise, what is the Revolution? Is it a person or some kind of wild animal?" In the environment of the time, one could not but feel the pulse of history. Marcellin's upbringing unfolds at the intersecting point where the new ideas introduced by his father meet the deep, traditional religiosity represented in his mother and aunt. At the heart of the family, problems are experienced in all their intensity, and find their resolution through a spirit of moderation, one that is more at the service of people than of ideology. There prevails a spirit of community, a closely-knit bond among the brothers and sisters.
Another story from Br Lluís Serra Llansana, “Marcellin's Pilgrimage to Lalouvesc”:
In the summer of 1803 two recruiters for the priesthood visited the Champagnat family to see if any of the boys in the family might consider the priesthood. When the proposal to train for the priesthood was presented to the three sons, it was only Marcellin who showed interest. The one great drawback was that Marcellin was almost illiterate. His father thought this to be too great an obstacle and repeatedly questioned the lad on his intentions but Marcellin's mind was made up: he thought only of becoming a priest.
Marcellin was 14 years old... his decision to enter the priesthood caused him to do some study under his brother-in-law Benoît Arnaud, married to Marcellin's sister, Marianne. Formerly, Arnaud had been a seminarian. Marcellin made little progress in his studies whilst staying with his brother-in-law over two years. Benoît decided to tell Marcellin to forget about studying and to do something else. However, this failed to shake Marcellin's determination. He prayed harder invoking the intercession of St John Francis Regis.
Finally, Benoît brought him back to his mother, declaring that he could not agree with Marcellin's going to the seminary. Yet the more the obstacles piled up in his path, the more determined Marcellin became in his vocation.
His mother, seeing her son's determination suggested a pilgrimage to Lalouvesc (or La Louvesc), in the conviction that they would find help at the shrine of St John Francis Regis. For this Pilgrimage they walked the 40km from Marlhes to Lalouvesc and back in three days. When they returned, Marcellin declared that he had made up his mind to go to the seminary. He was sure it was God's will for him to do so.
Br Seán D. Sammon, (1999), “A Heart That Knew No Bounds”:
What about the women who inspired Marcellin? Marie Thérèse Chirat, his mother, was the first. A prudent person of steadfast character, she married Jean Baptiste in 1775. Marked by “utter integrity, sterling faith, and a love of work,” this woman instilled in her son the rudiments of prayer and the first stirring of his vocation. Louise Champagnat was the second woman to encourage Marcellin. A religious Sister of Saint Joseph and a sister to Jean-Baptiste, she was expelled from her convent by the new government and sought sanctuary with his family during the days of revolutionary excess. Louise assisted in the boy’s early religious formation; she was probably the first to model for him the merging of a life of prayer with one of service to others.
Finally, there was Mary, the mother of Jesus. While a later arrival in Marcellin’s life, in the end, she would make all the difference. Devotion to her was part of the rich texture of faith in the local dioceses of Lyons and Le Puy. Marcellin would, in time, place Mary at the center of the community of brothers he founded. In keeping with the spirituality of his times and particularly of the region around Marlhes, she became eventually for him a “Good Mother,” his “Ordinary Resource”.
Jacob's Well: A Video Break
For the last few weeks Jacob’s Well have been heavy on content. For this week, I thought I would offer a few short videos that may comfort, inspire or help you, in this mid-winter period that overshadows us. You may have seen them, or they may new to you.
The Great Realisation | Tomfoolery (from Kiwi-born Welsh YouTuber and poet, Tomos Roberts). This story will soon be released as an illustrated book.
Psych2Go, an organisation that wants to contribute to positive mental health through access to introductory psychology. Its videos are informative, fun and a gateway to deepen your understanding and wellbeing. Always consult professional help at all stages of your mental health journey. Here is one example of their videos, 7 Things That Harm Your Mental Health.
TED-Ed. It is an extension of TED’s mission of spreading great ideas through animations, where you will find carefully curated educational videos. Highly enlightening and beautiful. “What happened when we all stopped” narrated by Jane Goodall.