Andy Rota/The Observer

McNellis lectures on the qualities of a leader.

Father McNellis began his talk by pointing out our society’s obsession with becoming good leaders and how to do this. He noted that, in many bookstores, whole shelves are dedicated to the topic, while a simple Internet search will yield millions of hits. He defined a leader as someone that you are willing to follow because you respect him. Whether one is a leader, claimed Father McNellis, is not something that is self-assessed, but something that other people see in us. Leadership is a role of responsibility, not a privilege. He then recounted three examples he observed in his own life of genuine leadership.

The first occurred during the Vietnam War, in either December 1970 or January 1971. During one night, the North Vietnamese attacked a village. Usually at sunrise, they retreated, but in this instance, they did not—it was clear they really wanted to decimate this village. Now, during the war, command/control helicopters shuttled generals around. They were neat and clean—not to be used for transporting ammo or the wounded. Father McNellis remembered that the American major to whom he reported did not have an especially remarkable command presence. However that day, things would change.

Over the radio, the American major said he had a wounded person. A nearby helicopter asked, “Victor November or Uniform Sierra?” a coded way to determine if the wounded was Vietnamese, or American, respectively. It was understood that the helicopter only intended to help an American. The American major responded, “Neither, he’s a human being.” After a pause, the helicopter radioed back, “Put out smoke,” an indication he intended to land because helicopters had to land into the wind. Father McNellis commented that while this American major, to him, had seemed devoid of command presence, he was “12 feet tall” after this incident.

The second example of leadership Father McNellis told involved the BC hockey team. He revealed how after the team won the National Championship in Detroit, one of the players skated over to the BC Band and thanked them for being there. He didn’t have to, but still did. The final example Father McNellis offered was a high school memory. He had been in a group of 10 or 12 men, and as conversations can tend to do with men, it became inappropriate. Something said made his friend uncomfortable, who quietly got up and walked away. This friend was not an official leader in any way, but he did the right thing.

Father McNellis pointed out that there is a certain element of character that is present in these three instances. None of the individuals trained specifically for these circumstances, and they weren’t just matters where it was the application of some sort of leadership theory. Rather, they each were a spontaneous response to the situation, naturally arising from the kind of person each man was.

There are two main ways for men to become good leaders. First, in order for men to become good leaders, they first have to become good men. Second, they have to think of the good men in their own life—relatives, teachers, and coaches—and assess what they admire about each of them. Father McNellis then listed some traits probably common to them—integrity, having their word mean something, being just, accepting responsibility, and being serious, sober, and sensible.

Father McNellis cautioned the audience about the trap of thinking that college is somehow not the real world. To the contrary, the choices we make here form the kind of habits and person we will become. He noted that sometimes someone could be less mature as a senior than he was as a freshman.

St. Anselm of Canterbury, author of one of the most famous arguments for the existence of God

“God is ‘that than which nothing greater can be thought.’” This is part of, perhaps, St. Anselm’s most famous contribution to philosophy—his argument for the existence of God in his “Proslogium.”

Anselm was born in Aosta, a Burgundian town. His mother was the first cultivator of his piety. According to the Catholic Encyclopedia, Eadmer, Anselm’s biographer, conveys how his mother taught him about “God, Who dwelt on high ruling all things.”

In Eadmer’s Life of St. Anselm, he conveyed an anecdote about the young Anselm’s spirituality. The young Anselm imagined that heaven was on the summits of the mountains surrounding where he lived. In a dream, he had to scale a mountain and go greet God, the King. However, he was soon distracted by the negligent work of God’s handmaidens in the plain beneath the mountain. Anselm felt he had to report this inefficient work to the King. Once he got to the court, he was hospitably received and questioned as to his purposes.

The most powerful moment was about to transpire. Eadmer wrote, “at the Master’s command some moist white bread was brought him by the cupbearer and he feasted thereon in his presence, wherefore when morning came and he brought to mind the things he had seen, as a simpler and innocent child he believed that he had truly been fed in heaven with the bread of the Lord, and this he publicly affirmed in the presence of others.”

Sadly, after his mother died he lost some of his youthful piety. As Catholic Encyclopedia noted, “it seemed that his anchor was lost, and he was at the mercy of the waves.”

After much resistance from his father, Anselm, desiring religious life, set out. He came under the tutelage of the Abbey of Bec in Normandy. Following reflection as to whether he should become a hermit, perhaps, or a monk, Anselm was finally made a monk in the Abbey of Bec. Throughout his entire life, Anselm would progress from monk, to prior, abbot, and finally archbishop. This was partly a burden for Anselm who originally longed for the contemplative life.

Catholic Encyclopedia corroborated, “Remembering his attraction for the solitude of a hermitage we can hardly wonder that he felt oppressed by this busy life and longed to lay aside his office and give himself up to the delights of contemplation. But the Archbishop of Rouen bade him retain his office and prepare for yet greater burdens.”

One notable prerogative of his spiritual leadership was the council he convened at Westminster. Strict canons were ratified to combat the contemporary problems of the time. An example of his fortitude occurred in the dynamic between him and the King, “Anselm was required to consecrate bishops invested by the King, but he firmly refused, and it soon became evident that his firmness was taking effect” (Catholic Encyclopedia).

Though St. Anselm died on April 21, 1209, his intellectual and spiritual legacy perdures. He was even named a Doctor of the Church, to whom we have access and recourse today through his writings. In the biography he authored, Eadmer painted a picture of Anselm’s death. Catholic Encyclopedia wrote, “Eadmer, the faithful chronicler of these contentions, gives a pleasing picture of his peaceful death. The dream of his childhood was come true; he was to climb the mountain and taste the bread of Heaven.”

According to the Catholic Encyclopedia, “in heaven the just will see God by direct intuition, clearly and distinctly. Here on earth we have no immediate perception of God; we see Him but indirectly in the mirror of creation.” There is no end to the happiness of the blessed in heaven—“it is a dogma of faith that the happiness of the blessed is everlasting.” The reason for this is that “the ultimate cause of impeccability is the freedom from sin or the state of grace in which at his death man passes into the final state (status termini).”

There is a general lackluster perception of heaven in today’s society of a static eternity sitting on a cloud—an image commercially ubiquitous. This is because of people’s failure to listen to the longing of their hearts. Peter Kreeft, from the BC Philosophy Department, echoed this article’s opening Scriptural passage on his website.

“No one longs for fluffy clouds and sexless cherubs, but everyone longs for heaven. No one longs for any of the heavens that we have ever imagined, but everyone longs for ‘something no eye has seen, no ear has heard, something that has not entered into the imagination of man, something God has prepared for those who love him.’”

Today’s theologians further exacerbate the problem of any discussion of heaven. Kreeft noted, “Because these leading theologians are really following theologians, with their noses to the tail of the modern world. They are in fact upside down: not only are their eyes stuck in the mud, but their feet are kicking up in rebellion at the sky.”

In a sense, he explained, they have completely changed the telos and meaning of Christianity. “They want to turn Christianity—which in the clear teaching of its founder was an otherworldly religion of faith, hope, and charity—into a this-worldly religion of prosperity and success (the Right with its electronic Church) or of political revolution (the left with its liberation theology).”

Whether one believes in heaven will make a world of difference to the here and now. Either people see men and women as pilgrims on this Earth, ultimately meant for their homeland in Heaven with God, or they see Earth as all there is, a summum bonum in itself.

Professor Kreeft so articulately conveyed this difference, “So if we see life as a road to heaven . . . the world is charged with the grandeur of God and every event smells of eternity. But if it all goes down the drain in death, then this life is just swirls of dirty water, and however comfortable we make our wallowing in it, it remains a vanity of vanities.”

No one can earn their way to heaven. It is not a tally sheet about how many brownie points one can earn with God. Rather, it is about responding to God’s continual call to repentance and His graces, ever mindful of our need for Him, not our ability to “deserve” heaven of our own doing.

To do this, it is essential to commit oneself to frequent reception of the Sacraments, especially the Eucharist and Confession. Jesus’ message of Divine Mercy to Saint Faustina is one we should continually remember and upon which we should meditate.

Jesus said, “My mercy is greater than all the sins of the world… For you I descended from Heaven to earth; for you I allowed Myself to be nailed to the Cross; for you I let My Sacred Heart be pierced with a lance, thus opening wide the source of mercy for you. Come then with trust and draw graces from this fountain… I never reject a contrite heart … You will give Me pleasure if you hand over all your troubles and griefs. I shall heap upon you the treasures of My grace.”

According to the Catholic News Agency report on Laetare Sunday, “Pope Benedict said that an illustration of this joy can be found in the story of the blind man healed by Jesus in today’s Gospel reading from John. The blind man not only gains his physical sight but comes to believe in Christ.”

The Pope delineated the two responses to the miracle present in this particular Gospel narrative—gradual acceptance and outright ignorant rejection.  Regarding the first, the Catholic News Agency paraphrased the Pope, “The blind man himself goes through a gradual ‘walk of faith.’ He meets Jesus who heals him, considers him a prophet, and then his spiritual ‘eyes’ are opened to see Christ as the Son of God.” The Pharisees, on the other hand, were spiritually blind. Since they didn’t accept that Jesus was the promised Messiah, they consequently did not accept the miracle. Benedict then challenged his audience to reflect upon which attitude of these two each of us takes.

Pope Benedict conveyed that Jesus “‘continues to reveal the meaning of human existence in the complex storyline of history.’” As the Church readies for Holy Week and the celebration of Easter, Benedict recalls three spiritual fortifications we should exercise—prayer, charity, and recourse to the Virgin Mary, who ultimately leads all to her Son.  Additionally, Benedict reminded people of the sixth anniversary of John Paul II’s passing and his very proximate May 1 beatification.

In other news, the Catholic News Agency also reported yesterday that the March 31 daily news bulletin of the Vatican revealed that Bishop Jean-Claude Makaya Loemba of Pointe-Noire, Congo was removed from his office as bishop of the diocese. This was his 16th year as bishop there.  Reasons cited for his removal as reported by a French Catholic media outlet included leadership and management incompetence exacerbated by “strong tensions” within his diocese, though the Vatican has not officially commented on this report or the particular case.

Moreover, recently, Pope Benedict approved 29 beatification decrees on April 2 after meeting with Cardinal Angelo Amato. These decrees include 22 who were martyred during the Spanish Civil War and a priest beheaded during the French Revolution.

One of the most prominent events on the horizon is undoubtedly the beatification of John Paul II. The Catholic News Agency reported, “The agency [Opera Romana Pelligrinagi] announced that structures are being built around St. Peter’s Square for the huge influx of people. Reception points will serve pilgrims around the Square with bathrooms and refreshment stands, while young adults are encouraged to ‘spend the night safely’ in a village set up outside the city. They announced that the city of Rome awaits all who come ‘with open arms.’”

And they stayed continually at the temple, praising God” (Luke 24:50—53).

The story of Jesus’ Ascension is one that captivates our attention and wonder, and even more so, offers hope to His followers. This event is chronicled in the Gospels of Mark and Luke as well as the Acts of the Apostles. Catholic Encyclopedia defines the Ascension, “The elevation of Christ into heaven by His own power in presence of His disciples the fortieth day after His Resurrection.” Not only is it celebrated the fortieth day after Easter, but also it always falls on a Thursday.

Regarding the Feast of the Ascension, Catholic Encyclopedia stresses its prominence in the liturgical calendar, “It is one of the Ecumenical feasts ranking with the feasts of the Passion, of Easter and of Pentecost among the most solemn in the calendar, has a vigil and, since the fifteenth century, an octave which is set apart for a novena of preparation for Pentecost, in accordance with the directions of Leo XIII.”

Mount Olivet is traditionally regarded as the site of the Ascension, “since after the Ascension the disciples are described as returning to Jerusalem from the mount that is called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, within a Sabbath day’s journey.”

Saint Helena constructed the first memorial there, which was tragically destroyed by the Persians in 614, and rebuilt only to be decimated again, but by Muslims. The only surviving vestige is an octagonal edifice enclosing the stone purportedly imprinted by Jesus’ feet.

The Ascension is integrally related to Jesus’ Resurrection.

Both offer Catholics a chance to practice the theological virtue of hope.

They also comprise the first two Glorious Mysteries of the Rosary.

Even more so, the Ascension and Resurrection are connected with the Passion of Jesus and Good Friday. Our lives are inevitably also going to be tested with trials and suffering.

However, we are consoled by trusting in Jesus and hoping that, if we faithfully follow Him, we too shall be resurrected and united with Him one day.

In the Nicene Creed that Catholics profess at the celebration of every Mass, the community voices its collective hope, “We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come.”

Catholics don’t believe in the Resurrection and the Ascension as some sort of delusion.

Rather, BC philosophy professor Peter Kreeft notes, “The Christian believes in life after death not because of an argument, first of all, but because of a witness.”

He continued, “The Church is that witness; ‘apostolic succession’ means first of all the chain of witnesses beginning with eyewitnesses.”

Kreeft provided the Christian response to skeptics of the Resurrection and Ascension.

The skeptic says, “‘What do you know for sure about life after death anyway? Have you ever been there? Have you come back to tell us?’”

The Christian replies, “‘No, but I have a very good Friend who has. I believe Him, and I follow Him not only through life but also through death. Come along…’”

The Observer: I know your ministry is to help those who are considering a vocation to religious life. Could you describe your own call to the priesthood?

Fr. Devino: My ministry at Boston College is director of Manresa House and Special Assistant to the President. At Manresa House, I have the great privilege of meeting with our students who are considering a vocation to the priesthood, religious life. My own call came while I was in high school…  my mother’s deep faith, my home parish, and my religious education received in a Catholic grammar school and involvement in Campus Ministry while attending a State College.  I remember the priest at the College sharing one Sunday that in three days, he had celebrated a wedding, said the funeral Mass of a friend, had a parish Mass and on Sunday afternoon baptized a baby…  I was caught by the power of those holy moments in people’s lives.

O: What drew you to the Jesuits- a vocation within a vocation?

D: The Society of Jesus is my home, and while I was ordained a Diocesan Priest in 1987, after several years in parish ministry I felt the call to go home… to be at home among a worldwide order of men, I call my brothers. What called me then and holds me even now, is the heart of St Ignatius, the Spiritual Exercises and abiding sense of Christ’s companionship.

O: Could you explain the work of the Manresa House and your role there?

D: My role at Manresa House is one of welcoming students – who in their four years are questioning, seeking, developing, questioning… and so the invitation is always to consider how and where is God calling you.  Manresa House is a great place on our campus, comfortable, homelike and even prayerful; there is a Chapel on the third floor.   Groups use the house for meetings, students study here, many come for conversation and prayer.  My role is to welcome our students and any member of the BC community.  Also, I am the area coordinator for vocations for the Jesuits.  I meet with men in the greater Boston area who are considering a vocation with the Society or who are on their way to applying for entrance into our Novitiate.

O: What advice would you give to someone considering religious life?

D: My advice to someone considering religious life, pray, and then pray some more – find a good Spiritual Director who will help you discern God’s call.

O: Do you have a favorite saint?

D: I have always been drawn to Saint Joseph -  he was a man who could pay attention to the promptings of God in his life -  to this day I pray to Joseph.

O: Do you have a favorite passage from Scripture?

D: Jeremiah 29… “For I know well the plans I have for you.. to prosper and not harm you, plans to give you a future filled with hope”… it was on my ordination card some 24 years ago.

O: What is the most rewarding aspect of your ministry?

D: Being able to bring others to an awareness of God’s great love for them… the Sacraments, especially the Sacrament of Reconciliation -  God loves.. and forgives…  it’s awesome.

O: What is your favorite spot on campus?

D: Manresa House, 24 Mayflower Road… stop by sometime!

St. Francis of Assisi, his hands showing the wounds of Christ, or Stigmata

“Lord, make me an instrument of your peace” begins the popular Prayer of St. Francis. Though probably not actually written by him, the prayer certainly captures the spirit in which St. Francis, patron saint of animals and the environment, lived his life.

“Francis of Assisi was a poor little man who astounded and inspired the Church by taking the gospel literally—not in a narrow fundamentalist sense, but by actually following all that Jesus said and did, joyfully, without limit and without a mite of self-importance” noted Leonard Foley, OFM.

St. Francis was born at Assisi in the early 1180s to an affluent cloth merchant. He was not very academic, and The Catholic Encyclopedia pointed out, “His literary education remained incomplete.” He didn’t show a disposition for following in his father’s footsteps, and his childhood was one of much leisure and many diversions.

New Advent confirmed, “No one loved pleasure more than Francis; he had a ready wit, sang merrily, delighted in fine clothes and showy display.” His outlook would soon change.

In his early twenties, he was taken prisoner when the Perugians defeated the Assisians.

During this time he fell ill with a fever, and he began to contemplate eternity as well as the frivolity of his life to that point. When he eventually returned to Assisi, he was praying in the decrepit St. Damian chapel before a crucifix when he heard a voice.

It beckoned him, “Go, Francis, and repair my house, which as you see is falling into ruin.”

Francis incurred the anger of his father after flinging gold away from the priest of St. Damian’s who had refused to take it for the restoration of the chapel.

In a subsequent renouncement of his inheritance, Francis stripped himself of his clothes when he was taken before the bishop, and returned them to his father saying, “Hitherto I have called you my father on earth; henceforth I desire to say only ‘Our Father who art in Heaven’.”

One day in 1208, Francis attended mass in the Chapel of St. Mary of the Angels. He heard the Gospel which “told how the disciples of Christ were to possess neither gold nor silver, nor scrip for their journey, nor two coats, nor shoes, nor a staff, and that they were to exhort sinners to repentance and announce the Kingdom of God.” It was then that Francis embraced a life of poverty, acquiring a rough tunic and tying it around himself with a rope.

The example of Francis in virtue and poverty soon inspired other followers. Francis called them Friars Minor—possibly after the lower classes, but certainly to serve as a perpetual reminder of their humility.

St. Francis died in Assisi on October 3, 1226 in prayerful imitation of Christ. Franciscan Leonard Foley recounted, “He sang Psalm 141, and at the end asked his superior to have his clothes removed when the last hour came and for permission to expire lying naked on the earth, in imitation of his Lord.” As Francis so faithfully followed Christ and shaped his life in conformity with the Gospel message, let us too shape our lives to imitate Christ’s.

We interviewed him about his vocation for this issue.

O: What drew you to the Jesuits- a vocation within a vocation?

A: I was a resident advisor and had the good example of Jesuits who were present to me as an undergraduate.  I found the Jesuits to be inspiring, especially in their ability to enter into the lives of the people whom they were called to serve.  I found that attractive and felt that the Father was calling me to that life, too.  God worked in me through the example of a great priest.

O: Could you explain your ministry with getting the nightly 10pm Mass on Upper and leading students in the Exercises of St. Ignatius here at BC?

A: When I was sent to serve as chaplain at Upper Campus I found a great openness from Campus Ministry to start a 10 p.m. Mass at Saint Joseph.

We had a similar Mass at Marquette and Creighton and I knew that there would be students who would like to near the end of their school days with the Eucharist.  I love our 10 p.m. Mass.  We have a great variety of people who attend, some of whom are daily Mass goers and others whom we see on occasion.  Everyone is most welcome–it is a marvelous gift for all of us.

The same is true for the Exercises.  Campus Ministry supported us and we were able to draw some of our seminarians together to help in that program.

O: What advice would you give to someone considering religious life?

A:Be prayerful and be in spiritual conversation so that you might gain insight about the movements of the spirits in your life.

O: Do you have a favorite saint?

A: I love Ignatius Loyola, Margaret Mary Alacoque, and Claude de la Columbiere.  Of course, I love all the saints, but if I had to choose ones whom I turn to in my prayer with frequency, those are the ones!

O: Do you have a favorite passage from Scripture?

A: “All things work together for those who love God”

–Romans 8:28

O: What is the most rewarding aspect of your ministry?

A: To see people gain greater interior freedom.  We strive for sharp minds and sharp hearts.  I love when people experience a convergence of these two important aspects of their formation.

O: What is your favorite spot on campus?

A: I love the entrance to Burns Library.

O: Why did you start the s’Upper T Club?

A: I love Boston College students, I love (sometimes hate!) the T, and I love food.  s’Upper T is a convergence of all things good!

On its website, it poses the question, “Are you interested in exploring your Catholic faith and becoming a vital resource for renewal of the Catholic Church?” Members of the board provide their ideas and leadership to the Church in the 21st Century Center at BC, which “seeks to be a catalyst and resource for the renewal of the Catholic Church in the United States by engaging critical issues facing the Catholic community.”

The students meet about bi-weekly. The main focus of the SAB is Agape Latte. Its past roster has included Mark Herzlich, Fr. Jack Butler, Kerry Cronin, Fr. Ken Himes, Professor Braman, Jerry York, and Fr. McGowan. Topics have ranged from dating and prayer to voting and marketing ethics. Archived footage can be found online at youtube.com/ChurchIn21stCentury.

John Kelly, a member of the junior class and advisor on the board, said that for him, “The most rewarding aspect of the committee is getting to bring in speakers for Agape Latte who we on the Student Advisory Board know well and believe have life experiences other students on campus would connect well with.”

As for the criteria that the C21 Student Advisory Board uses in selecting speakers, he added, “When we look for speakers, we look for men and women on this campus who have an interesting life story and one we believe will be well received and connected with by the greater student population.  We look for speakers whose life has focused on living life to its greatest potential.”

“The great thing about C21 and Agape Latte is that our speakers are often very different from one another, but they share a common theme of being men and women who have unique experiences in their life that they have used to make them stronger people.”

The Board’s activity, though, does not end with Agape Latte. John explained some of their other projects. “As students, we are charged with helping our staff administrators find speakers, publicize the events to the student body through fliers, social media, and our ‘coffee on the quad’ event, and then working out the logistics of setting up for each event.”

He continued, “In addition to Agape Latte, Karen Keifer and C21 will ask us periodically throughout the year to help out with other speaker events.  C21 also creates podcasts to put on its website that focus on a wide range of issues within the Catholic Church and, in some cases, they will have us as students provide our perspective.”

So if you find yourself looking to give back to BC in a meaningful way, regardless of your class year, consider joining the C21 Student Advisory Board. They can be reached at <church21@bc.edu>.  Also, don’t forget about the first Tuesday of the month, when Agape Latte takes place in Hillside Café.

Most have a superficial understanding of saints as a kind of rare class of Catholic “superheroes.”

However, sainthood is a tangible reminder that following Christ is not only possible, but also the vocation to which all are called.

The Catholic Encyclopedia delineates that canonization, the last step on the road to sainthood, is a “decree regarding the public ecclesiastical veneration of an individual.” The process is usually lengthy and always thorough so that truly holy persons are set as examples for all Catholics. No stone is left unturned in the investigation process—from the testimony given by the person’s life to any of his or her writings.

Declaring saints is not an outdated, bureaucratic formality of the Church. Cardinal Saraiva Martins stressed the relevance and importance of saints in a 2006 interview with Zenit, “Why Pope John Paul II Proclaimed So Many Saints.”

“Sometimes there is talk of a kind of inflation of saints. Some speak of there being many saints but I answer immediately that there aren’t at all too many saints. The number of saints and blessed increased in John Paul II’s pontificate. He alone proclaimed more saints and blessed than all his predecessors together since 1588,” said Cardinal Martins.

The process to sainthood begins with the faithful, who may request that their local bishop open the case for a particular person. The bishop does not require Vatican authorization to do this, and the person under investigation at this stage is called “servant of God.” The diocesan work at this stage entails an examination of the life and writings of the person, as well as the testimony of witnesses. All this data is compiled and conveyed to the Vatican’s Congregation for the Causes of Saints.

Subsequently, the Congregation reviews the information, consulting theologians, and presents to a group of cardinals and bishops that in turn presents to the Pope. If the Pope approves, the person is then referred to as “Venerable.”

At this point, a miracle attributable to the Venerable’s intercession must be proved. To this end, a team of five medical and two professional experts is convened. Four qualities must characterize a miraculous healing: that it was rapid, complete, lasting, and inexplicable. If these conditions are met, the findings are again presented to the Congregation and Pope, who ultimately decides if the person will be then called “Blessed.” Finally, another miracle, verified in the same way, is required for canonization. A saint is formally canonized at a Mass, usually held at the Vatican.

In his “Weight of Glory,” C.S. Lewis alluded to saints, and how in this life’s here and now we either help or hinder each other from becoming saints—the ones who are united with God for eternity.

“It is a serious thing to live in a society of possible gods and goddesses, to remember that the dullest and most uninteresting person you can talk to may one day be a creature which, if you saw it now, you would be strongly tempted to worship, or else a horror and a corruption such as you now meet, if at all, only in a nightmare. All day long we are, in some degree, helping each other to one or other of these destinations.”

Ultimately, saints are a witness to us of God. Boston College’s own Peter Kreeft posited that the joy of the saints is one argument for God’s existence, “If there is no God, how can life’s most fundamental illusion cause life’s greatest joy? If God didn’t do it, who put smiles on the lips of martyrs?”

Professor Kreeft succinctly observed, “The saints reveal God. They are advertisements, mirrors, little Christs. They are perhaps the most effective of all means of convincing and converting people.”

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:3). The poor in spirit, according to New Advent, are those who are readily willing to endure poverty for glory of God. “In spirit” is key here, since the kingdom of heaven is not necessarily rewarded for the mere condition of physical poverty, but rather the spiritual disposition to serve God, regardless of life’s trials.

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted” (Matthew 5:4). The mourning mentioned in this Beatitude does not consist of the various humiliations of life, but rather the endurance of pious people in a world where evil is a veritable force that wreaks havoc. This Beatitude reminds us that ultimately evil will not triumph, and that those who mourn and persevere “will be comforted.”

“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth” (Matthew 5:5). Jesus taught that the meek—those who humbly serve God and their fellow men—will be heirs to the “land”—a metaphor for His spiritual kingdom. New Advent noted that this Beatitude echoes Psalm 36:11, which mentions the Promised Land of Israel.

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled” (Matthew 5:6).  With this Beatitude, Jesus segues from describing the blessings of certain dispositions of spirit to the blessings of certain ways of acting. Those who zealously yearn for justice and spiritual perfection shall ultimately be granted the very wish they seek. This particularly calls to mind when Jesus said, “Knock and the door will be opened to you” (Matthew 7:7).

“Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy” (Matthew 5:7). The fifth Beatitude underscores the importance of the Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy. Mercy is not something only to be received and not given. Instead, Jesus reminds us that mercy begets mercy, and it is in the practice of showing it to others that one shall receive it.

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God” (Matthew 5:8). Most interpret the “pure in heart” mentioned in this Beatitude as consisting of chastity or a clean conscience. More probably, though, it is a good intention—which will be rewarded by “seeing” God, the One for Whom we were created.

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God” (Matthew 5:9). It is important to note the word “peacemaker.” Jesus, as the Catholic Encyclopedia pointed out, does not merely elevate the “peaceful.” Instead, he blesses those who actively “do their best to preserve peace and friendship among mankind and between God and man, and to restore it when it has been disturbed.”

“Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:10). In this last Beatitude, Jesus offers hope and encouragement to those who presently are repaid for their kindness and righteousness with the sneering of the world. This persecution is transient, while the final reward of those persecuted will be eternal happiness.

In today’s society, we are bombarded with advertisements and messages that immediate gratification, sex, money, and power will bring happiness. The Beatitudes from Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount could not comprise a more relevant antidote to such signals. The Beatitudes stand in stark contrast to the current hedonistic obsessions of our culture, and remind us that true and eternal happiness is only found in following God Himself and living according to the messages of Jesus.

Q: Could you describe your call to the priesthood and the Jesuits?

A: My call to the priesthood began to solidify in my senior year of high school. I went to Catholic Schools, was an altar boy at my parish, and volunteered in service programs organized by my high school, B.C. High, and the Archdiocese of Boston. My exposure to Jesuits at B.C. High led me to inquire about religious life as an option rather than diocesan priesthood. To be honest, I liked the Franciscan habit and thought that was going to be my path until a Jesuit counselor suggested I give them a try! I did and here I am some 50 years later. I loved the idea of saying Mass and giving homilies, sharing the Eucharist and letting the people know that God loves them and has a few requests for them in order to continue His work on earth; baptizing, absolving, officiating at weddings and accompanying grieving families when they bury their loved ones. It’s all wonderful, not easy but love is love. So, my call to priesthood is very much entwined with my call to the Society of Jesus. As I grew in the early years, it became clear to me that I was being called to be a companion of Jesus, He was doing the calling, He wanted to be my companion. Ultimately it was the perfect way to spend my life multi-tasking in ministry and in a relationship with Jesus.

Q: What is the most rewarding aspect of your work with Campus Ministry?

A: I always thought that I would be the high school teacher as many Jesuits were before me. I got into Campus Ministry in high school because there was an opening and it looked like fun. Don’t get me wrong, teaching is fun too! The most rewarding ministry in Campus Ministry for me is the daily opportunity to help introduce Jesus to those who are searching for Him.  Also, it is a holy opportunity to companion people on their journeys to better self-knowledge and understanding. There are many ways to do this. Leading prayer, suggesting books, having conversations about God and creation, values, beliefs; being kind and loving to one another, encouraging people to find their skills and talents that will enhance their opportunity to find God in themselves and see God in others. These are some of the rewarding moments I experience and the community experiences. And it is a mutual experience, I learn a lot from these exchanges and conversations also.

Q: Do you have a favorite saint?

A: I have to say it is St. Ignatius of Loyola, our founder. But there are others who also inspire me, such as St. Francis Xavier, SJ, Bl. Peter Faber, SJ, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, St. Teresa of Avila, Bl. Mother Theresa of Calcutta, Bl. John XXIII; and non-canonized saints such as Fr. Pedro Arrupe, SJ, Fr. John W. Kelley, SJ, Fr. John W. Chapman, SJ, R. Sargent Shriver, Archbishop Oscar Romero, Archbishop Samuel Ruiz, Archbishop Dom Helder Camara.

Q: Do you have a favorite passage from Scripture?

A: I have many but to narrow it down for editorial purposes I would say Matthew 5:1-12 (The Beatitudes) and James 1: 19-27 (Doers of the Word, not hearers only.)

Q: You lead BC students regularly on service immersion trips- what lessons do you hope they take away from the trips?

A: I have been blessed to be asked to lead immersion programs to the City of Boston and to Cuernavaca, Mexico. These programs are in imitation of Christ’s walks in Scripture. He came upon many hurting people, stopped to help them and encouraged his followers to do the same. That’s why we do them, pure and simple. It’s what Jesus did and still does through us. As Jesus fell in love with people, so we fall in love with the poor and marginalized whom we meet in these programs. I don’t even like calling them “programs.” They are opportunities to be human and loving with each other and are all part of God’s work. These moments should be the ordinary thing we do and live each day. Students will say they are “life-changing”! That is my hope. The other event I help organize is the Ignatian Family Teach-In. Participants listen to and dialogue with many social justice activists. It is an amazing gathering of Jesuit college and high school students and faculty who struggle for justice in this country and many others. It is completely rooted in the gospels. Prayer and reflection are essential parts of the experience. Again, my hope is that students learn their role in the struggle for justice and know that God is with them.

Q: What advice would you give to someone considering religious life?

A: I would tell them to ask questions. I would tell them not to be afraid to explore the possibilities. I would tell them to pray, seek direction from a spiritual director, be happy and keep smiling.

St. Peter, Patron Saint of the Papacy

“And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it” said Jesus (Matthew 16:18). As the first pope, Peter is an especially important saint to study.

Born as Simon in Bethsaida, his brother was fellow apostle Andrew. Simon would settle in Capharnaum and become an associate of John the Baptist. At Simon’s first meeting with Jesus, Jesus said that Simon would soon be known instead as Cephas (translated as Peter).

New Advent, a Catholic encyclopedia, noted the special importance Peter began to assume among the Twelve Apostles.

“Though of irresolute character, he clings with the greatest fidelity, firmness of faith, and inward love to the Saviour; rash alike in word and act, he is full of zeal and enthusiasm, though momentarily easily accessible to external influences and intimidated by difficulties.”

A hallmark that distinguishes Peter from the rest was his loyalty to Christ. One time while sojourning with the Apostles, Jesus asked them who people were saying he was.  They answered that people conjectured Jesus was John the Baptist, Elias, or Jeremias. Jesus followed by asking who the Apostles thought he was and Peter confessed that Jesus was the Christ. At this point, Jesus made the remark at the opening of this article and added, “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven” (Matthew 16:19).

Thus, Jesus set Peter as the leader of his flock here on earth. New Advent emphasizes, “This foundation created for the Church by its Founder could not disappear with the person of Peter, but was intended to continue and did continue (as actual history shows) in the primacy of the Roman Church and its bishops.”

During the Passion of Christ, Peter thrice denied that he knew Jesus out of fear and misunderstanding the salvific work Jesus was undertaking. Immediately upon seeing Jesus’ gaze after this denial, Peter realized what he had done. After the Resurrection, Jesus gave Peter the opportunity to make amends for his earlier faltering, and Peter thrice confessed his love for Christ.

Following the Ascensions of Christ, Peter spent time doing missionary work and evangelization in the East. At the end of his life, he was doing God’s work in Rome, where he was condemned to death and became a martyr for the faith.

In artistic representations, Peter ubiquitously is in a place of honor that is close to Christ. One of the most prominent artistic associations with Peter, however, are keys—representing the authority Jesus entrusted to him and which has been passed down through time in the primacy of the Catholic Church.

The most important lesson we can take from Peter’s saintly life is perseverance in fidelity to Christ, regardless of the number of our falls. Throughout his life, Peter wavered occasionally in his faith, but he ultimately persevered in service of the Lord to the point of death.

Roman authorities are already planning for May, and their estimate for the attendance at this beatification is about two million people. The event requires neither tickets nor reservations. The last event to draw a similarly large crowd was the death of John Paul II on April 2, 2005, the eve of Divine Mercy Sunday, after a lengthy struggle with Parkinson’s disease. With such a large crowd anticipated this May, large screens will probably be set up on streets adjacent to St. Peter’s Square for spillover crowd to view the ceremony by Pope Benedict XVI.

The historic nature of this particular beatification is no surprise in the story of a man who changed the world. John Paul II was born in Poland as Karol Wojtyla. His papacy was unlike any other—knowing more than 12 languages and visiting over 100 countries, John Paul II reached out to millions and promoted a culture of life. One hallmark of his 27-year tenure as pope was his Theology of the Body, which stands in stark contrast with the unfortunate promiscuity and degradation of marriage so ubiquitous in modern times.

At his funeral, the crowds chanted “Santo Subito”—roughly translated “Sainthood Now”—for the man whom many considered saintly during his life. Pope Benedict waived the traditional five-year wait after someone’s death before the process leading to canonization can be opened. This is truly a fitting exception for an exceptional man, who faithfully led the Church as the Vicar of Christ.

Reverend Pawel Danek, who works in a museum of the family home of John Paul II, said in USA Today, “The Holy Father has confirmed what we all felt somehow. For us, John Paul II’s holiness is obvious.”

Beatification is the penultimate step to sainthood. After May 1, the first Sunday following Easter this year, he will officially be called Blessed John Paul II. A second verified miracle is required for canonization. The Catholic News Agency reported, “The Rome diocese’s website carries dozens of testimonials from individuals claiming cures at the hands of the late Pope, but to qualify as a miracle the recovery must be sudden, complete and permanent—as well as inexplicable by doctors.”

On the night of June 2, 2005, after praying through the intercession of John Paul II, Sister Marie Simon-Pierre heard an inner voice prompting her to get a pen and write—a task that had become progressively harder as her Parkinson’s advanced. She heeded the command and was surprised to write clearly and without any trouble. Following that night’s sleep, she woke up—in her words—“completely transformed.”

Saint Nicholas, the charitable bishop and inspiration for Santa Claus

Santa Claus. Most understand the popularly commercialized character who is ubiquitous from Thanksgiving to December 25. Few, however, realize what tradition tells us about the “real” Santa Claus—Saint Nicholas of Myra.

If we confined ourselves to what is known with certainty about Saint Nicholas, it would not be surprising that few people know about him. EWTN notes, “Yet the one fact concerning the life of Nicholas of which we can be absolutely certain is that he was bishop of Myra in the fourth century.” St. Methodius, the patriarch of Constantinople in the mid-800s, wrote a biography of St. Nicholas. Since it was about 500 years after the life of St. Nicholas, much of it was based on tradition and legend.

It is regarded that Nicholas was born in Patara, Lycia, in Asia Minor and brought up in a very financially comfortable household. His parents died when he was young, leaving him with a considerable inheritance. Nicholas intended to use it for charity. An opportunity soon presented itself when a local citizen lost his money, leaving all three of his daughters without the resources for dowries to marry. Nicholas, upon hearing this tragic predicament, took a bag of gold one night and threw it in an open window of the man’s house. The gold was used as dowry for the eldest daughter and she soon married. Nicholas repeated this charity for the other two daughters.

This instance with the family in Patara is no isolated occurrence. Examples of charity in the life of Nicholas abound. In another anecdote, the governor was bribed to execute three men. Nicholas intervened, though, procuring the release of the men from the executioner. He then reprimanded the governor, who subsequently repented.

While Nicholas was an exemplar of charity, this trait did not mean he was soft and precludes strength against heresy. One tradition holds that at the Council of Nicaea, Nicholas slapped the dissenter Arius. It is also held that Nicholas ardently fought paganism, even tearing down a temple to the Greek god Artemis, a pagan spiritual center in his district.

In his person, charity and spiritual strength were combined. Rightly so, Nicholas became a leader in the Church. By divine providence, he was in the city of Myra when the clergy were electing a new bishop. Guided by the Holy Spirit, the people elected Nicholas. This transpired during Diocletian’s persecutions. Greek tradition relates that Nicholas was seized and imprisoned, not to be released until the holy Constantine took power.

All traditions agree that Saint Nicholas was buried in his spiritual homestead, Myra. His feast day is celebrated on December 6. Two centuries after his death, during the reign of Justinian, his feast was being celebrated, and a church was already built over his tomb.

An anonymous writer in the tenth century acknowledged the popularity of Saint Nicholas, “The West as well as the East acclaims and glorifies him. Wherever there are people, in the country and the town, in the villages, in the isles, in the farthest parts of the earth, his name is revered and churches are erected in his honor.”

In Germany, Switzerland, and the Netherlands gifts were often given in his name at Christmas. It was the Dutch Protestants who populated New Amsterdam and brought this tradition to popularity in America. As EWTN observed, “The Eastern saint was converted into a Nordic magician: Saint Nicholas—Sint Klaes—Santa Claus.” His traditional emblems include children, a mitre, and vessel.

As we ready ourselves during Advent for Christmas, and the popular tradition of exchanging gifts in the name of St. Nicholas, let us remember the incredible charity, and devotion to the Truth that Saint Nicholas heroically exhibited in his life.

Ordinary Time occurs between the seasons of Christmas and Lent and between Easter and Advent. More specifically, Ordinary Time comprises two periods. The first runs from the Monday following the Baptism of the Lord through the Tuesday prior to Ash Wednesday. The second runs from the Monday following Pentecost through the evening prior to Advent. Ordinary Time, therefore, covers about 33 weeks of the year.

The biggest misconception is that Ordinary Time is some sort of “break” or “boring” period in the liturgical year. However, nothing could be further from the truth. Ordinary Time celebrates the Holy Trinity and “the mystery of Christ in all its aspects.” Many special days occur throughout, including Corpus Christi, All Saints, the Assumption of Mary, Christ the King, and numerous feast days of the saints. The liturgical color of Ordinary Time is green, which is fitting since it is one of the most pervasive colors in nature.

A couple of explanations persist regarding the origin of the phrase. It may be that the Latin from which the English “Ordinary Tim\e” comes is “Tempus Per Annum”—literally “time throughout the year.” However, it also may come from the word “ordinal”—meaning “numbered”—correlating with the various Sundays that are numbered. Moreover, it has been suggested that the etymology of the phrase simply borrows from the English word “ordinary” which carries a sense of ordered time.

The history of the wording is relatively recent. Only after the Second Vatican Council was the phrase actually officially used to designate the period between Epiphany and Lent, and the period between Pentecost and Advent. Before the Second Vatican Council, the respective periods were referred to as “Season after Epiphany” and “Season after Pentecost.” These sayings became anachronistic with the institution of the new Catholic liturgical calendar in 1969. It is noteworthy to realize that the Church in the Patristic period, while the times after Epiphany and Pentecost existed, never explicitly labeled these times with a name.

As we come to the close of Ordinary Time, with Advent close approaching, let us not forget the value of Ordinary Time. Kairos, or God’s time, always transcends and yet intersects chronos, the linear time in which we live. Sometimes, the most ordinary in our lives can turn out to be quite extraordinary. It was a seemingly ordinary birth in Bethlehem, which quite extraordinarily made the salvation of humanity possible.

Still in search of a worthy master whom he could serve, he encountered Babylas, a hermit who encouraged him to submit to Christ. Babylas baptized Christopher. Nevertheless, Christopher did not submit to prayer and fasting. Rather, he wholeheartedly devoted himself to carrying people across an arduous stream.

One day, Christopher was carrying a child who steadily became heavier as they crossed the stream, making Christopher feel “as if he had the whole world on his shoulders.” When he questioned the child, he found out he was carrying the Creator of the World Himself, Jesus. It is from this encounter that Christopher’s name derives meaning, literally, “Christ-bearer.”

In a display of His authenticity, Christ instructed Christopher to plant his staff in the ground. The next morning it was found that the staff miraculously had grown into a palm tree, bearing fruit.  This miracle providentially converted many, much to the aggravation of the local king, who had Christopher imprisoned, tormented, and beheaded.

Pious devotion to Saint Christopher was widespread. In 1386, a brotherhood was founded bearing his name to help travelers over the Arlberg mountains. In 1517, a temperance society also in his name existed in Munich. There were even coins minted with his image in Wurzberg, Wurtemberg, and Bohemia. We must all become “Christophers” or “Christ-bearers.” St. John of the Cross once said, “And I saw the river over which every soul must pass to reach the kingdom of heaven and the name of that river was suffering: and I saw a boat which carries souls across the river and the name of that boat was love.” In our hearts, little boats that they are, we must carry Love Himself, Christ.

Holy statues and images are often hung at the entrances of buildings and on bridges, bearing the inscription, “Whoever shall behold the image of St. Christopher shall not faint or fall on that day.” His feastday is celebrated on July 25 and St. Christopher is primarily invoked as the patron of travelers. So as many of us prepare to travel home for Thanksgiving, let us remember the story of Christopher’s heroic martyrdom and pray that all who travel arrive home safely.

Kerry Cronin speaks to more than 300 students about the dangers of hookup culture

Last Monday, students packed into Cushing 001 to hear philosophy professor Kerry Cronin’s talk, “Sex and the Single Student.” The Saint Thomas More Society sponsored the event, which was standing room only before Professor Cronin even arrived.

She began her talk by recounting a trip to White Mountain with BC seniors eight years ago. Toward the end of their outing, she asked them how they felt about leaving behind the relationships and boyfriends or girlfriends they had during their years at BC. Their response took Professor Cronin by surprise.

The seniors explained that relationships and dating don’t happen at BC. Instead, students hookup. This was news to Professor Cronin and provided the impetus for further inquiry. It sparked many conversations she had with students about the hookup or “physical intimacy with no perceived follow-up.”

Professor Cronin delineated three groups into which students generally fall. There are those students in “pseudo-marriages” who have very intense, time consuming relationships. Second, there are those students who participate in the hookup culture. Finally, there are those who opt out of the hookup culture.

In focusing on the second group, Cronin categorized five kinds of hookups: the pure hookup, the regular hookup, friends with benefits, the mistake hookup, and the hookup with hope of a future relationship.

Professor Cronin pointed out that the hookup culture, at first glance, seems very laidback and stress-free. However, if you dig deeper, you’ll find many unspoken rules at play. She listed ten rules of the hookup culture—among them the requirements to be chill (not awkward), drink alcohol, not talk, not act interested, and to remove one’s feelings completely.

Many laughs were shared throughout the night, especially with some hookup rules like “know where your shoes are” and “it’s a good story—now tell it to people.” Some people nodded their head as Professor Cronin listed each rule, simultaneously laughing and acknowledging the truths about the hookup culture that she was delivering.

The humor in Professor Cronin’s presentation comes from the absurdity and complete lack of meaning that drives the mentality of the hookup culture. She conveyed how her conversations with students revealed that they had become sad, depressed, and confused about what to do after the momentary thrill of the hookup had subsided.

Having diagnosed the problem, Cronin offered her prescription—the alternative to the hookup culture—a thing called “dating.” She explained a “Level One” date to the crowd. It lasts 45 to 90 minutes, but no longer than 90 minutes. There is no alcohol, and you must ask your date out in person. The person who asks should also pay.

The “Level One” date is information gathering, essentially saying to the other person, “I’d like to get to know you better as a person.” This stands in stark contrast to the hookup mentality, militantly propagated under the euphemism Boston College Students for Sexual Health, which desensitizes people to relationships and attachment while objectifying others’ bodies.

The night ended with 3 gift certificate prizes—all to local eating establishments and with the encouragement for the winners to go on dates. They included $25 to JP Licks, $50 to Finale and $100 to Tartufo.

Professor Cronin’s relatable, accessible presentation resonated well with the audience. The great turnout is a testament to the relevance of her message. You know what a Level One date is. So what are you waiting for? Go ask someone out to coffee, and move BC one step closer to being a campus of meaningful relationships… “men and women for others.”

In our times where there seems to be a watering down of the faith in some sectors of education, Anthony of Padua, a Doctor of the Church, is a very relevant example of defending the faith.

He was born in 1195 in Lisbon, Portugal and died in 1231. Though his time here was short, his life teemed with work for the Church and the glory of God. St. Anthony wanted to profess the Catholic Faith with his mind and his heart, at every moment.

Anthony initially was a member of the Augustinian Order, but he left them to join the Franciscans when he was just 26 years old. He was inspired by the zeal of five Franciscan “protomartyrs.” These men, who themselves all became saints—Bernard,

Peter, Otho, Accursius, and Adjutus—gave their lives for God in Morocco in 1220. Their terribly mutilated and decapitated bodies passed by St. Anthony’s monastery on their return for burial. This set Anthony’s soul on fire that he too might be able to offer his life in such a heroic way for God.

Anthony was known for the simplicity of his teaching—which was at once unassuming and faithful to Church teaching. He was often called the “hammer of the Heretics.” In his defense of the faith, Saint Anthony turned to the Mother of God.

His great protection against their lies and deceits in the matter of Christian doctrine was to utter, simply and innocently, the Holy Name of Mary. Anthony’s recourse to Mary reminds us of the confidence and trust in the opening of the Memorare, “Remember, O Most Gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to your protection, implored your help, or sought your intercession was left unaided.” Mary leads all who approach her to her Son Jesus.

Whenever Anthony realized that heretics to whom he was preaching the Truth were not listening to him, he would leave and go preach to fish. Some have tried to misconstrue this anecdote as meaning that Anthony literally intended to teach fish. Rather, he did this for the glory of God, the delight of the angels, and the easing of his own heart.

In art, Anthony is often depicted with a book, to represent his gift of preaching, and the Infant Child Jesus, Who appeared to him once.

Today he is known as the saint to pray to when one has lost something.

It is popular to teach children to ask Anthony for help with finding lost things, invoking, “Tony, Tony, look around, something’s lost that must be found.” This is reflected in modern culture with the “St. Anthony Help Me Find” feature on the American Catholoc website.

His feast day is celebrated on June 13. Large St. Anthony celebrations are held all over the world.

Lisbon honors the day with a municipal holiday. featuring parades and is a popular day to be married. In Boston’s North End, the Italian community observes a weekend of festivities to commemorate the saint. The festival includes Masses, parades, and special Italian food dishes.

When his body was exhumed about 336 years after his death, his tongue remained incorrupt. It is thought that this is because of the perfect teachings that had been formed upon it.

Cecilia’s feast day is November 22, and she is celebrated as the patroness of music. As such, she is often portrayed in art holding organ pipes.

She was born in Rome and married to a man named Valerian. She confided to him that an angel guarded her lest anyone try to defile her purity. She prayed frequently, seeking the saints’ intercession that her virginity be protected. Valerian asked her if he could see the angel. She said he could—on one condition.

Valerian went to Pope Urban and was baptized Catholic. Upon his return to Cecilia, he saw an angel next to her with “flaming wings.” The angel had two crowns of roses and lilies for Cecilia and Valerian.

Valerian’s brother Tibertius soon entered their room and he was curious about the scent of flowers. When he learned what had happened, he too was converted. Subsequently, Tibertius and Valerian were called to the ministry of burying the martyrs persecuted daily by the Roman prefect Turcius Almachius. They were apprehended, and upon their refusal to pay the Roman gods homage, executed.

As for Saint Cecilia’s ministry, she converted 400 people. Like her husband and brother-in-law, she too was seized for evangelizing. Almachius ordered that she be suffocated in the baths, but she remained unscathed. Then he ordered for his executioner to behead her. Three times he swiped at her neck, unable to fully decapitate her.

She remained alive for three days, during which people came to collect her blood and pray with her. Upon her death, Saint Cecilia was buried by Pope Urban.

Questions linger how much fact is mixed with fiction in the narrative of Cecilia’s life that we have today. Much of it originates from a fourth century work on the “Loves of Cecilia and Valerian.” The purpose of this work was the glorification of the virginal life, and taking the place of the [then contemporary] sensual romances.

Saint Cecilia was not known or venerated in Rome until about the time when Pope Gelasius (496). In 821, though, Pope Pascal I had a dream in which the Cecilia and Valerian were buried in the cemetery of Saint Celestas. He went there, and took with him what he deemed to be their remains, conveying them to the Church of St. Cecilia where he began a monastery.

Regardless of which particular points of Saint Cecilia’s story are romanticized, the lesson remains clear. She valued virginity and her relationship with God, even to the point of sacrificing her life. We should find courage in our day-to-day temptations against purity in the story of Saint Cecilia, drawing strength from the story of her heroism and God’s grace to defend ourselves.

According to the press release by Rev. Howard McLendon, the purpose of the multi-faith service is “to continue to grow [Boston College’s] opening exercises, which seek God’s blessings for the new academic year.” The service came after the recent school-wide Catholic Mass of the Holy Spirit, which was held in O’Neill Plaza. The Mass of the Holy Spirit is a tradition at Jesuit high schools and universities originating in the Middle Ages to begin each new school year.

Two musical groups were featured, the Noor Ensemble and Wendy John and Praise. The first offered Moroccan music including vocals overlying traditional Middle Eastern instrumentation. The second group, Wendy John and Praise, contributed music spanning the jazz, gospel, Caribbean and world beat genres. Spiritual readings and prayers culled from the faiths practiced by those in the Boston College community were included.

The service began with a declaration of intent mediated by the Reverend Judith Steward, the Episcopal Affiliate Campus Minister, in which the community pledged, “to celebrate each other” and “be instruments of the Creator’s peace and unity.” Father Demetri Tonias, the Orthodox Affiliate Campus Minister, offered the opening prayer, after which the Reverend Howard McLendon, the Multifaith Campus Minister, welcomed everyone.

Leon Ratz, co-president of Hillel, delivered the first reading from 1 Kings. It was the story of God appearing to Solomon in a dream, offering him anything he wanted. Solomon asked for “an understanding mind” and God was so pleased with this that he made Solomon wiser than any other.

Osman Emara, a member of the Muslim Student Association, delivered the second reading from the Qur’an. The passage exhorted us to “make peace” between any “two parties of believers” that are fighting. Finally, Dr. Mary O’Shan Overton read The Whelks by Mary Oliver for the third reading.

Following a responsorial prayer by Father Tony Penna, Director of Campus Ministry, the Noor Ensemble performed a traditional song “Oh My Prophet.” At the end of the service, Dr. John Makransky, Associate Professor of Buddhism and Comparative Theology, led a guided meditation.

He encouraged envisioning a teacher who has “inspired”—one whom is “loved to be around.” He instructed participants to picture this teacher with them, smiling and communing, experiencing “oneness with loving energy.” Then Wendy John and Praise offered a stirring performance of “Shout to the Lord.”

Father Jack Butler, Vice President of University Mission and Ministry, closed the multi-faith service with a prayer. He said to be quiet and look out the window at the beauty of creation. Then he encouraged everyone to “still our hearts” and become aware of how the room was being shared. He concluded with the invocation to the “united spirit of us” so that it would unite and help give glory to creation and “the transcendent we know as God, whatever our tradition.”

On his website, Boston College philosophy professor Peter Kreeft addresses this issue in his essay “What Difference Does Heaven Make?”

He articulately posed the question, “At death we find out which vision is true: does it all go down the drain in the end, or are all the loose threads finally tied together into a gloriously perfect tapestry?

Do the tangled paths through the forest of life lead to the golden castle or over the cliff and into the abyss? Is death a door or a hole?”

If Heaven exists, it is a destination that affects how we travel on this Earth. If nothing exists after death, life truly is “vanity of vanities” (Ecclesiastes 1:2).

What one believes in after death shapes this life’s decisions, because if there is nothing, then life has no meaning, and actions incur no consequences.

But if the words of Jesus about His Father’s house are true, it makes a world of difference.

In his novel The Great Divorce, C.S. Lewis conjectured that Heaven and Hell retroactively imbue a person’s life with meaning. If a person goes to Heaven, even the worst and most trying times in life are transformed into stepping-stones toward eternal happiness.

If a person goes to Hell, even their most blissful moments are tainted, as they were part of a road that ultimately led to perdition.

There are those who would like to do away with the doctrine of Hell. They think it is far too harsh an idea to teach. The reality they forget is that people freely go there.

If only Heaven existed after death, actions still would have no consequences, just as if there was nothing after death.

Any discussion of life after death would be woefully lacking without mention of Hell. Kreeft pointed out, “Hell is part of the vision too: the height of the mountain is appreciated from the depth of the valley, and for winning to be high drama, losing must be possible.”

Especially for us seniors, we must keep our eyes on Jesus. It is easy to get lost in the hurricane of career fairs and resumes, competition and pressure.

However, if we remain focused on our ultimate goal, Him for Whom we are created, our road is set out before us. After all, as Augustine said in his Confessions, “God, you have made us for yourself, and our hearts are restless till they find their rest in you.”

The ongoing intent of this column since I began it is to examine a thought-provoking dichotomy from the Catholic vantage point.

Father John Corapi, a well-known Catholic preacher often featured on EWTN, always urges us to keep the ultimate dichotomy in sight. He reminds us of one of the most basic truths we believe in, “In the end, forever, you and I will be in heaven or hell…Period.”

Pope Benedict XVI in Malta

Pope Benedict visited the Mediterranean island of Malta from April 17 to April 18. Though at first glance this may seem superficially short, his trip teemed with sightseeing and outreach, including a Mass at the Floriana Granaries and a meeting with sexual abuse victims.

As publicly released on the Vatican website, Pope Benedict outlined three important reasons for his excursion to reporters on April 17. The first is Malta’s celebration of 1,950 years since Saint Paul shipwrecked on the island. The Pope, therefore, noted the particular relevance of Paul’s message at the conclusion of his Letter to the Galatians, “faith working through love.”

Second, the Pope conveyed his affinity for being “in the midst of a lively Church.” He cited the flourishing condition of vocations there. “I know that Malta loves Christ and loves his Church which is his Body, and knows that even if this Body is wounded by our sins, the Lord loves this Church nevertheless and his Gospel is the true purifying and healing force.”

Third, the Pope reminded us that it is precisely at Malta “where waves of refugees arrive from Africa and knock at Europe’s door.” This should move us to help Malta in providing for the refugees, showing a true spirit of charity. Once the pope landed in Malta, there was a welcoming ceremony at the International Airport of Malta, which preceded his visit to the Cave of Saint Paul.

At the Cave of Saint Paul, Pope Benedict highlighted the unexpectedness of Paul’s own visit to Malta. The meaning of this for us, then, is to realize sometimes God has different plans than we conceive on our own. His Holiness observed, “Sailors can map a journey, but God, in his wisdom and providence, charts a course of his own.”

The following day, Pope Benedict celebrated a liturgy at the Floriana Granaries. After this he met with a group of people who were victims of sexual abuse by clergy. They convened at the Apostolic Nunciatore, according to the official Vatican report. He listened and sympathized with their suffering, conveying his own shame about what they endured while also praying with them.

Pope Benedict “assured them that the Church is doing, and will continue to do, all in its power to investigate allegations, to bring to justice those responsible for abuse and to implement effective measures designed to safeguard young people in the future.”

The penultimate activity of His Holiness in Malta was a meeting with the native youth.

He exhorted them not to become discouraged if at times Saint Paul did not seem to be loving in his correspondence. Pope Benedict taught that what may seem too demanding from God is actually a love that is exacting precisely because it is so deep and intense for us.

The Pope said, “Because he loves us so much, he wants to purify us of our faults and build up our virtues so that we can have life in abundance. When he challenges us because something in our lives is displeasing to him, he is not rejecting us, but he is asking us to change and become more perfect.”

Extending this sentiment, the Pope later closed his trip with remarks at the International Airport of Malta, where he quoted Saint Paul saying, “Let all that you do be done in love.”

Moses’ face shone because of his encounter and his experience of God, who is the all-good, all beautiful, and ultimate end, and for Whom we were created to praise, know, and love. Yet how often in our modern culture do you see on campus, on the T or anywhere you may walk people’s faces downtrodden and looking like zombies?

Far from refreshing people, technology and its constant hold on our lives through texting and the computer have robbed us of the radiance that our faces should have. We have been robbed of a contemplative awe, which has been replaced by a need for immediate gratification and cheap pleasure.

Look at the example of our society’s attitude toward sex. The prevailing sentiment supports one-night stands. Saving oneself for marriage is the exception. All that matters is the pleasure, and not the gift of oneself to his or her spouse within the marital vows made before God.

Our society’s cheapened view of sex can be owed to a lost sense of beauty. Regrettably our society has reduced sex to plumbing that provides pleasure. However, if people truly realized that in that special act between one man and one woman heaven touches down upon this earth, when God’s creative power joins with the love of a couple to welcome a new life into being, they would not take it so lightly.

Our culture has become bored. With technological advancements and ever expanding scientific knowledge, we have become arrogant, losing a sense of mystery and awe. Our ancestors had a much better hermeneutic of the world than we do.

Their vision was up and outward. Most ancient cultures had a profound regard for the night sky. The vastness of space and the beauty of the stars was not just an airless vacuum with disparate balls of burning gas. It was a starting point of meditation, and a mystery that led one’s thoughts and heart to contemplation of that Creator who set it all in motion.

Some change has happened though, which has situated people in our times to have an entirely opposite view of our ancestors. Cynicism and reductionism have given us tunnel vision. We think we have all the answers, so there is no longer any awe. Everything is reducible to instinct and atoms.

When we lose a sense of God, our Creator and the architect of this universe, we also lose a correct sense of ourselves and each other. Our anthropology becomes skewed. Father Ken Himes, in his course The Moral Dimension of Christian Life, taught that the beginning of morality is, indeed, a sense of mystery, before the presence of another. He used a memorable phrase to capture the idea that mystery can lead to morality. He said that the sense of “awe” before another’s presence led to an “ought” –or a way one should act toward that person.

As you begin each day anew, set aside some time for quiet reflection in the presence of our Creator. Like Moses, ascend the mountain in contemplative awe, and when you come back down, let your face shine for others.

Wilkes was introduced as a native of Cleveland, Ohio, and graduate of both Marquette and Columbia, in addition to his service with the United States Navy. He is the author of about twenty books, including The Good Enough Catholic: A Guide for the Perplexed and Excellent Catholic: The Guide to the Best Places and Practices.

Wilkes took the podium and first praised Boston College’s C21 Center as “a jewel in the crown” of theological study, where the spirit of Vatican II is “stirred up and promulgated.”

He then began his talk by speaking about his high school crush. Wilkes conveyed his short stature of 5’1” and how this ruled out athletics. He really wanted a letter jacket to win over his crush, so he chose the alternative to sports—writing for the school newspaper.

Under the guidance of his high school counselor, Wilkes attended Marquette, a Catholic university, for journalism. Not exactly an exemplary student with a 2.34 GPA, he entered the Navy as a post-graduate, because, as he put it, “the selective service board” did not forget him. While abroad during his service, he noticed the discrepancy between the news he read as it was reported back home and the situations he would see outside the porthole. This realization is where his “writing life began.”

After the Navy, Wilkes went to Columbia for journalism and continued on to write for the NY Times and the New Yorker. He detailed how he heard the Gospel of the rich young man whom Jesus told to sell everything and follow Him. Following this, Wilkes tried to be “homeless, penniless and happy” but he was not. He subsequently experienced fortunate times, in which he had frequently appeared on television. Still, this did not make him happy.

A life changing experience for him was his interview with an Irish Catholic priest, Father Joe. Wilkes admired him for his imperfections—that even though he was racist and violated the vow of celibacy—Father Joe still had a love for the priesthood and the Church. Wilkes said, “The Catholic life does not have to be a perfect thing. We are not Hallmark cards.”

Wilkes went on to say that he has been picketed for “not being Catholic enough” and accused of “sounding like a Lutheran.” He claimed that to be Catholic you don’t have to fit “into a nice, neat, little category.” He further maintained, “Everybody is a cafeteria Catholic. People don’t just have dessert, but some mashed potatoes too.” He similarly said we “pick and choose,” for example, a little “social justice and liturgy” because we all have “to eat a balanced meal.”

Before the question and answer portion of the night, he referenced Sister Helen Prejean, whose story was told in Dead Man Walking. She said that God had given her a “little flashlight” and “not a high beam.” Wilkes said he tries not to worry about the big picture, but just the daily situations God puts before him.

Some Jewish leaders thought that the true Messiah would be one of earthly conquest in the secular sphere. Jesus did not fulfill their conception though. He came to redeem us all through suffering borne out of love. Even the centurion came to realize Jesus as the Messiah when he “saw how he breathed his last”—how Jesus lay down his life for all of mankind.

From Palm Sunday through Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday, and Easter Sunday, we are called to meditate on and be especially attentive and present for the Holy Week’s remembrance of the Passion. This is the apex of our liturgical year as Catholics.

Do we go through life, day to day, avoiding any suffering at all costs? How open are we to the trials God may be sending us? If our attitude is one that any suffering must be avoided, we lose sight of what can redeem us.

The Catholic mystic Saint John of the Cross wrote, “And I saw the river over which every soul must pass to reach the Kingdom of Heaven and the name of that river was suffering; and I saw the boat which carries souls across the river, and the name of the boat is love.”

There is no denying when you turn on the news or just simply recollect from your own daily experiences that there is suffering out there. No one goes through life able to avoid it unscathed. The difference among people is how they view the suffering they are dealt. Either they run from the suffering or unite it to Christ’s sacrifice on the Cross, thereby allowing themselves to be drawn closer to Christ and transformed.

When I ran track in high school, there was a saying repeated many times by my teammates. It went, “Pain is weakness leaving the body.” The sentiment of this motivational quip is that through suffering, one becomes stronger. Spiritually, this holds true as well—when united with Christ.

So as we enter this Holy Week, consider your own attitude toward suffering. If you find that you already seek to unite your daily pains with Christ, stay firm on the path you are on. If you find that you recoil and run from any inconvenience and pain life brings, spend some time before Jesus in the Tabernacle, meditating on the Stations of the Cross, and soon you find yourself agreeing with the centurion, meditating on how Jesus breathed his last.

Pope Benedict begins by analyzing the term “justice”, as it is understood in the everyday vernacular.

He observes that Ulpian, a Roman jurist from the third century, largely influenced this understanding, which is “to render every man his due.” Pope Benedict conveys one aspect of justice: that which concerns itself with material needs. Jesus Himself worked to render this justice through His healing of the sick. However, Pope Benedict notes that most peoples’ conception of justice stops there, and they fail to recognize a deeper need that is so often overlooked, namely people’s spiritual need for God.

In his next topic, Pope Benedict examines the nature of injustice. Again, he exposes the weakness and inaccuracy of the common perception of what injustice actually is. He explains that most see injustice as an external force. The consequence of this is that society must remove those external forces which they deem impediments to justice.

Pope Benedict reminds us of Jesus’ message on this point, “This way of thinking – Jesus warns – is ingenuous and shortsighted. Injustice, the fruit of evil, does not have exclusively external roots; its origin lies in the human heart, where the seeds are found of a mysterious cooperation with evil.”

Pope Benedict proceeds to a discussion of “sedaqah”—the Hebrew word for justice that aptly encapsulates the Lenten message Pope Benedict means to communicate.

It means both and right relations with one’s neighbor and accepting the will of God. Pope Benedict’s reflections say that these are not mutually exclusive definitions. On the contrary, the two “are linked because giving to the poor for the Israelites is none other than restoring what is owed to God, who had pity on the misery of His people.”

Pope Benedict’s Lenten reflection on justice culminates with a discussion of “Christ, the Justice of God.” This necessarily involves the justice rendered by Christ on the Cross. There, the ultimately Innocent One paid the price of the guilty so that the guilty might “receive in return the blessing due to the just one.” This seems contrary to Ulpian’s interpretation of the meaning of justice, in that God’s justice—at the least—appears to render the opposite of one’s due.

Pope Benedict explains that the meaning of the Cross for justice is a need for the other, and the revelation of man’s sense of “self-sufficiency” for what it truly is—smoke and mirrors.

Pope Benedict articulates, “Humility is required to accept that I need Another to free me from ‘what is mine,’ to give me gratuitously ‘what is His.’ This happens especially in the sacraments of Reconciliation and the Eucharist. Thanks to Christ’s action, we may enter into the “greatest” justice, which is that of love (cf. Rm 13, 8-10).”

The full text of Pope Benedict’s Lenten message can be found at http://www.vatican.va.

In this story, the disciples were never without Jesus. Even amidst the “violent squall” and the “waves…breaking over the boat,” Jesus was there “asleep on a cushion.” Too many times we allow storms to well up in our lives, from the obligations of school and work. Then when we do get rest, we fill it with time staring at a computer or television screen. And we wonder why we don’t feel at peace, but rather always anxious about what item on our to-do list we have to cross off next.

This story in the Gospel of Mark alerts us to an important lesson. It is that Jesus is always there. The only thing that changes is whether we seek Him out or not. Even while we are on the “boat” of our built up egos and false senses of self-sufficiency, he is there for us, waiting to be summoned for help. However, He will not force Himself on us. He loves us too much, so the initiative lies with us.

We have to “wake” Him. How do we do this? If possible, one can visit a Church at any time, and see that Tabernacle candle flickering—reminding us that He is there, waiting. If one cannot make it to a Church, he is still available. All that one has to do is quiet one’s mind for a moment or two, and ask Him for help to become re-centered.

Jesus said in Matthew 7:7—8, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.”

It IS as simple as that. As the story goes in Mark, Jesus spoke those words at the opening of this article, and “the wind ceased and there was great calm.” Only Jesus, though, can speak those words and calm the storm. We cannot speak the words ourselves—or give ourselves peace. Jesus is the only refuge in which the human heart will find its peace. As Jesus’ words are restated in every Catholic liturgy, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you” (John 14:27).

In Luke 10:38—42, the story of Martha and Mary is recounted. Martha complains to Jesus that her sister Mary is not helping her with the affairs of the house and duties of hospitality while they hosted Him. Mary, rather, “sat beside the Lord at his feet listening to him speak.” Jesus replied to Martha, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things. There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her.”

As we continue to study for midterms, and gear up for the end of an academic year that is fast approaching, will we choose the better part?

The Catholic News Service (CNS) noted the discrepancy between the participants’ assessment of the meeting and the outside media coverage. According to CNS, the Pope and the Bishops saw the meeting as “major accomplishment, combining a frank admission of mismanagement with truly collaborative discussions on how to avoid such mistakes in the future.”

To those observers outside the Vatican, the meeting seemed to make no substantive progress. Three elements were absent. There was no ecclesiastical reorganization or firings, meeting with the victims of the abuse, or any mention of future plans to visit Ireland.

Concerning anything along the lines of ecclesiastical firings, the dynamic of this meeting was not particular directives like that. CNS explains that the meeting was not meant to go “over specific points of proposed sex abuse norms.” A conference in 2002 dealt with that topic. This meeting was different from 2002, because the Irish bishops have now set many plans in place to protect children and cooperate with authorities.

Concerning the lack of a papal meeting with the abused, it should be noted that when such meetings took place in the United States and Australia, there was minimal outside coverage. Similarly, any future meeting that could occur would occur away from the spotlight.

Finally, regarding the absence of any plan to visit Ireland, the pope is nevertheless still reaching out to the Catholic community there. He has a forthcoming pastoral letter that is anticipated prior to Easter, addressing the Irish Catholic Church.

CNS reported, “‘Papal whitewash’ and ‘The pope has ‘washed hands’ of our abuse’ were two not untypical headlines in Irish newspapers the next day [after the two-day meeting ended].”

These headlines, sadly, miss the very fact that the pope called these meetings himself—signaling his underlying desire to help the Church there. Still, his desire to help does not equal an intent to overpower and do the work of the Irish bishops for them. Upon his return to Ireland, Archbishop Martin of Dublin reflected, “I believe the future of dealing with this question [of clerical sex-abuse] is in the hands of the Irish church.”

CNS conveyed that the Vatican is beginning to realize that the sex-abuse scandal is not a disparate set of instances relegated to a few countries. Rather, it may be a wider problem—evidenced by the reports surfacing in Germany of abuse while this very meeting between the Irish bishops and the Pope was occurring.

Despite this, there are good signs from the Vatican. A paradigm shift seems to have taken place.

CNS explained, “By all accounts, there’s been a shift in attitude inside the Roman Curia since 2002. At that time, the sex abuse crisis in the United States still found many Vatican officials in denial or very defensive; today, according to the Irish bishops, virtually all of the 10 Vatican department heads in attendance offered genuine support and help.”

Yes, God set forth the 10 Commandments. And through His Church, He does guide his flock by teaching what kinds of actions are objectively wrong. However, it us not up to us to decide and judge the soul of the person who does fall into sin. We all fall into sin.  Rather, we are called at all times to entrust ourselves and others to God’s infinite mercy.

To those who “keep score,” what did Jesus mean when he responded to Peter’s question asking how many times he must forgive his brother? Jesus said, “I say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times” (Matthew 18:22). What does Jesus mean when he said, “If you bring your gift to the altar, and there recall that your brother has anything against you, leave your gift there at the altar, go first and be reconciled with your brother, and then come and offer your gift” (Matthew 5:23—24)?

Saint Faustina, a Polish nun, received the message of Divine Mercy from Jesus. He appeared to her and said, “Before I come as a just Judge, I first open wide the doors of My mercy” (1146).

Jesus Himself wishes to stay His Justice, and it is upon Him that we must model ourselves. How dare we approach His infinite mercy, while we ourselves refuse mercy to others, excusing ourselves because we deemed some petty old dispute undeserving of our forgiveness?

The very prayer that Jesus taught us says, “Forgive us our trespasses….as we forgive those who trespass against us.” Every time we say this prayer, we ask God to forgive as often as we forgive, or—sadly—to be as harsh with us as we are with others.

Often those who “keep score” so meticulously well for everyone else around them do a very bad job holding themselves accountable. To the “scorekeepers” out there, I can assure you that God in His infinite wisdom could do a far better job at assessing your life than you do, but does He? No, look at the parable of the Prodigal Son, that mirrors the relationship between God and man. The younger of two sons squanders his inheritance, only to realize his wrongdoing, and sets out to tell his father that he sinned against him. So, the son returns to his father, hoping at least to become a hired hand. The father sees his son returning from a distance and runs to him, having his servants bring his son a robe, ring, and sandals and kill the fattened calf (Luke 15:11—32).

The father did not cast the son’s sins in his face, or whip out a tally sheet. Instead, the father embraced his repentant son with mercy. Similarly, God embraces us with His mercy, but it is infinitely greater.

Saint Faustina conveyed the words of Jesus Himself to those who insist on keeping score and refusing mercy. Jesus said, “He who refuses to pass through the doors of My mercy must pass through the doors of My justice” (1146).