Be a Saint of Mercy: Visit the Sick and Imprisoned...like Saints Perpetua and Felicity!

The story of young Perpetua and her companion, Felicity, stands out amongst the many legendary stories of martyrdom in the early Church.  Their story is worth our time and reflection this month, as we ponder our Christian call to visit the sick and imprisoned in our world.

Perpetua was a newly-married, catechumen, noblewoman in Carthage (Northern Africa), who lived during the tumultuous Christian persecutions of the 200's. Her mother, a Christian, encouraged her daughter to privately nurture her faith, while her father, a pagan, pleaded with his daughter to publicly denounce her faith.  Both parents quickly learned of the great depth of their young daughter's love for Jesus Christ, especially as the persecution of Emperor Septimius Severus took place!

As Perpetua's personal diary describes...Perpetua (having recently become a new mother with her first child), her pregnant servant, Felicity, and three other Christian companions, were rounded-up and threatened with imprisonment and death if they didn't denounce their christian beliefs.  To which Perpetua replied, "Do you see this vessel, this water pot?  Can it be called by any other name than what it is?  So also I cannot call myself by any other name than what I am, a Christian!"

For their courageous refusal to denounce their faith, the group was imprisoned until their public execution could take place in the amphitheater.

Perpetua's diary contains a glimpse into her imprisonment:
"What a day of horror!  Terrible heat, owing to the crowds! Rough treatment by the soldiers!  To crown all, I was tormented with anxiety for my baby.  Such anxiety I suffered for many days..."

A Roman law at the time outlawed the execution of a woman while she was pregnant, so it was Perpetua's servant girl, Felicity, whom allowed the group to remain a little longer in prison.  this was a good thing, as the prolonged imprisonment gave the young group of Catechumens the opportunity to be officially baptized and to boldly call themselves Christians before entering the amphitheater!

Young Felicity bravely cried out as she gave birth to her baby girl in the night before the group's execution.  She knew full well the suffering that she was passing onto her child, an uncertain life without her birth mother.  Yet, great joy fell upon Felicity as she learned that her newly born daughter was adopted by a fellow Christian believer!

And so it was, the soon-to-be martyrs joyfully entered the amphitheater, as though they were on their way to heaven.  Welcomed by a jeering crowd, Perpetua and Felicity were beheaded, while their Christian companions were fed to wild beasts.  For their courage and example, these young martyrs are now mentioned in the first Eucharist Prayer of the Mass.

As we reflect on the amazing story of Perpetua, Felicity, and their Companions this month, I encourage you all to read more from Perpetua's diary here:

http://www.ewtn.com/library/MARY/PERPETUA.htm

The story of Perpetua and Felicity reminds us of the humanity of all those who are imprisoned.  Regardless of their story, all humans should be the object of our respect and deserve to be treated with great dignity.

As our Year of Mercy draws to a close next month, we continue to reflect on our Christian call to live the Works of Mercy in bold and courageous ways.  As Catholics, we are blessed to have the holy lives of saints to show us the way to an elevated call to holy living.  We are not being called to simply do nice things for those in need...rather we are called to transform the lives of those around us-to carry the joy of Christ to all those we encounter-especially the sick and the imprisoned!

Thank you God for the example of the saints!

Saints Perpetua and Felicity...Pray for us!

Guest Blogger
Joe Tallman
SPX Middle School Religion Teacher

October's Works of Mercy: Visit the Sick and Imprisoned

Our focused Acts of Mercy this month are “visit the sick” and “visit the imprisoned.”  You might wonder why we have these two together.  How is it possible that these two are related?  In all honesty, if we look beyond the words, we can and do see a deep connection. 

This month’s Works of Mercy are challenging to say the least.  First of all, these Works demand effort and commitment on our part.  We must clearly make a decision to do these Works.  Secondly, these Works move us outside our comfort zones entirely; there is no easy way to visit the sick or the imprisoned.  And, these Works make us confront our own illnesses and prisons.

Let us look a little closer at Visiting the Sick.  

Going to a hospital or care facility can be disturbing.  There are sights, sounds and smells in those places that are not part of our regular environment.  We may encounter people connected to machines by tubes and wires.  The machines may make sounds; beeps, whirls, pumping noises, alarm type sounds.  There may be monitors with lights flashing, lines traveling across a screen monitoring heart beats, body temperatures, and respiration rates.  We may smell antiseptic and disinfectant everywhere.  The smell of alcohol from hand sanitizer may be wafting through the halls, blending with a variety of foods and drinks that are being delivered to patients’ rooms.  And, we may see and hear our friends and loved ones in pain or discomfort; perhaps they are confused or disoriented.  Maybe they are unable to respond to our presence; perhaps they do not even know we are there.  Human touch is encouraged.  So there may be lots of handholding, maybe brushing hair out of the face.  Maybe rubbing a back, or just sitting still with a hand on an arm.

What about visiting a prison or jail?

Visiting someone we care about in a prison or jail is also unsettling.  Again, there are sights and sounds, and smells that we are not familiar with.  Antiseptic and disinfectant are clearly present to our noses.  The sounds we hear are different; loud buzzers and bells, whistles, rattling cell doors, clanging bullet and riot proof glass doors abound.  We encounter guards everywhere, armed with clubs, and weapons.  The visiting room is starkly furnished; probably with stainless steel furniture that is bolted to the floor.  There may be a vending machine where soda and snacks can be purchased.  Before getting that far, your personal affects will be stored in a locker and you will be limited to the amount of money you can take with you; change only for the vending machines.  Human touch is limited; if you are allowed to see the person face to face, person to person, a handshake or a hug may be ok, but you might be visiting by looking at each other through a Plexiglas window and use a telephone to talk back and forth with.

In either place there is a loneliness that sets in.  The regularity of human interaction is lacking; conversations about things that matter to the person are limited.  Social outlets are non-existent.  A new routine develops…set times for sleep and waking, for eating and recreating, for bathing and exercise.

In both places one is left to their own thoughts and ponderings, memories, and perhaps regrets.  Maybe their time is used for prayer; for connecting with God.  

As we visit the sick and imprisoned, we may indeed find ourselves identifying our own shortcomings and sinfulness; those things that keep our spirits sick and confined.  Would we not want people to be there for us? Would we not want to know that someone else cared about our wellbeing? Would we not long to see another human being; to feel the gentle touch of someone in our darkest hour, in our loneliest moments? 

Our task, our challenge in visiting with the sick and imprisoned is to be agents of hope and love, messengers of care and compassion, people of tenderness and mercy.  In our actions and words, we are to be the face of God for those who may not remember nor even know God.   What was it Jesus said, “…as often as you do this for one of these least ones, you do it for me…”  (Matthew 25:40)

Dr. Cheryl Fournier
Pastoral Associate for Life-Long Faith Formation
SPX

What Pope Francis says about "Instruct the Ignorant"

Jesus says, Go, for I am with you! This is what is so beautiful for us; it is what guides us.  If we go out to bring this Gospel with love, with a true apostolic spirit, with parrhesia, he walks with us, he goes ahead of us, and he gets there first.  As we say in Spanish, nos primerea...This is fundamental for us: God is always ahead of us!  When we think about going far away, to an extreme outskirt, we may be a bit afraid, but in fact God is already there.  Jesus is waiting for us in the hearts of our brothers and sisters, in their wounded bodies, in their hardships, in their lack of faith.  But can I tell you about one of the "outskirts" which breaks my heart?  I saw it in my first diocese.  It is children to don't even know ho to make the sign of the cross.  This is one of the "outskirts!"  And Jesus is there, waiting for you to help that child make the sign of the cross.  He's always there first.

Excerpt from: The Church of Mercy, pg 19

Be a Saint of Mercy: Instruct the Ignorant...like Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton!

The month of September brings along with it the end of summer break and the beginning of another new school year.  Perhaps it's my age, the inner workings of life with three children in our home, or just the simple change of pace...but for some reason this year's transition to a school routine seems a little more seamless than those of the past.  The intrinsic desire to move forward has taken over.

But maybe it's not as instinctual as one might think for a teacher to just hit this school groove so seamlessly...I wonder this year if maybe there's a more spiritual lesson at hand.  And I'm not so sure this is a lesson just for me, perhaps it's one being taught to us all.

In one respect, I see the Holy Spirit is opening my eyes to some things I need to see-some things to get glossed over as life rushed by.  And as a teacher, I can appreciate the efforts of the Holy Spirit's instruction in my life...so much of what I do daily is to help my own students transform themselves from ignorance to awareness...it's easy to forget as an adult that I have my own ignorance that needs tending to!

As this new school year begins, I have found myself turning more frequently to prayer, specifically silent prayer.

Somewhere inside me, I've discovered a deep desire to carve out moments for silence.  For me, this happens most frequently in those early moments of the morning when I first wake up, or on my morning jog, and if I'm lucky those brief, but so valuable, moments between one class and the next.

The Holy Spirit seems to be working in these silent moments...it's in my "break" that He continues to teach.

In many respects, it's in these silent moments of prayer and reflection that seem to generate the most fruit...the most direction...the most clarity as I ponder my daily musings.  The silence has become the perfect classroom in which to consider and instruct my child-like ignorance.

An the awareness that has been shared in my silent classroom of prayer has brought me to an abundance of joy that I did not expect!

The greatest lesson that I've taken away from my classes with the Holy Spirit-make time for silence.  Reevaluate the motions of life and cut out what isn't bearing good fruit!  This is something that I have personally struggled with for a long time-and the silence has been hard to find when I'm surrounded by noise and constant commotion.

But I'm realizing that it's because of the Holy Spirit's instruction that I find myself hungering for silence-wanting joy.  I'm changing because of it.  And I've needed the change.

I pray that you hunger for silence too!  And that you taste the joy that follows.

As a theology teacher it's the joy that comes from the transformation of ignorance to awareness that I so desperately want my students to experience.  There is no doubt that my students, and young people in general, are looking for it in their lives.  We see them looking to things like constant entertainment, an overindulgence of food, the constant litany of activities, numerous relationships that never move to friendship, and many other aspects of life for true joy. Along the way they only find fleeting and temporary tastes of it.  But the joy that the Holy Spirit lead us to is anything but temporary...it's overwhelmingly perfect and satisfying.

And so I'm always looking for inspiring and extraordinary stories of joy that will help my middle school students have an encounter worth going back to, time and time again.

So it is through my searching that I came to know Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, her life story, and her beautiful willingness to be led from ignorance to abundant joy!

Elizabeth's story begins like a fairy tale!

Born in the United States, shortly before the American Revolution, Elizabeth grew up in the high society of New York.  Among the many pleasures this lifestyle seemed to offer her, Elizabeth gravitated towards the simple things in life: learning to love and cherish the Holy Bible and the revelation of the scriptures.  Elizabeth found the Bible to be a consistent guide, one that aided her in navigating her youth, but also in her life to come.

in 1794, Elizabeth married the love of her life, Mr. William Seton.  William was a young and successful businessman in New York and offered Elizabeth a life of great happiness.

But the happiness was short lived.

Four years of happy marriage suddenly became a time of obstacle and trial as William's father passed away, leaving behind seven children to care for, as well as the family business to run.  And life got more difficult when their import business quickly fell on hard times, ultimately taking its toll on William's health.

And at the infant stage in their marriage, William Seton's travel and stress caught up with him.  As he eventually died to to contracting tuberculosis during a family visit back to William's birthplace in Italy.

It was ultimately William's death that pushed Elizabeth to enter into a deep personal prayer life.  It was in the silence of prayer that Elizabeth found a joy that was so contagious that she couldn't help but change the way she lived her life.  She was transformed. There was an awareness that came from her time in silence.  And it had a profound effect on her and her family.

Elizabeth's journey from ignorance to spiritual awareness happened quickly.  Within a few short years, Elizabeth came to embrace the teachings of the Catholic Church, the honor offered to the Virgin Mary, and a deep desire to receive the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist! 

Desiring to share the same conversion she had experienced with others, Elizabeth returned to the United States and opened the first Catholic School in Baltimore, Maryland-offering a free Catholic education to all of it's students.

Elizabeth's transformation continued to unfold in dramatic ways as she eventually joined the sisterhood, becoming Mother Seton!  Today there are six religious communities that can trace their origins back to her initial acceptance to the religious life and the community she founded.

Today, we turn to Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton as a model for all who desire to find joy in silence and the courage to rise above our personal ignorance.  She serves as the perfect intercessor for us during our first month back at school!

As we reflect on our Christian call to Instruct the Ignorant this month, may the story of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton give each of us the desire to yearn for silence and the willingness to be transformed by it.

Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton...Pray for Us!

Guest Blogger:
Joe Tallman
SPX Middle School Religion Teacher

Spiritual Work of Mercy: Instruct the Ignorant

This month’s work of mercy at first glance sounds harsh.  Instruct the ignorant!  But when we pause to consider what this work is really calling us to, it makes more sense and seems much more in keeping with what we have come to experience of our merciful God.

While our common understanding of ignorance may point us in the direction of rude or discourteous behavior, a more positive and perhaps accurate definition of the word ignorant means,” lacking knowledge or awareness.”   When we pause to think about the life we live, none of us has all the information or awareness to navigate the twists and turns of life.  There is always more to learn and room for growth, and, we can always be more aware of things and people, situations and realities around us.

This work of mercy is one we are all called to employ.  But, we must be prayerfully intentional when we “instruct the ignorant.”  The instruction we offer needs to be grounded in the teachings of Christ, and needs to reflect the values that have been handed down to us through Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition.  Value based instruction, Gospel based instruction, is what we are called to offer to each other by virtue of our common baptism.  

Our instruction of each other is intended to be done with humility; not in a way that says to the other, “You don’t know anything,” or, “I know more than you, so listen to me!”  No, our sharing of knowledge and assistance in raising awareness should always be done with the good of the other in mind.  We have a responsibility to raise each other up, not tear each other down.  Sometimes our words may need to be blunt, but they should never be discourteous to each other or rude (that would be ignorant…that is disrespectful of the other!).

Speaking of rudeness and discourtesy, we also have a responsibility to call each other to proper respect of one another.  Rudeness, curtness and discourtesy are contrary to the Gospel; we ought to call each other to respect of and for each other…to honor the reality that all human beings are worthy of dignity and that we are all made in the “image and likeness of God” (Genesis 1:26)

It seems appropriate that this is the spiritual work of mercy we look to as we enter into a new school year.  Naturally, our attention focuses again on the instruction of our children and youth.  It is also a time when we who are beyond school years recall  the learning that has been a part of our lives…and it is a call for us to continue to learn and grow; to throw off the ignorance that is ours about circumstances that encompass our world, our nation, our state, our city, our parish.

“Instruct the Ignorant” is indeed a work of mercy.  It calls us to look at the individual as a child of God and seek to assist each individual in living his/her human dignity in the most complete way possible.  When we humbly share knowledge and insight with another, and assist another in awareness of their surroundings and situation, we lovingly open the world to them so that they may become more completely who God called them to be; a dignified human being made in God’s image and likeness.

Guest Blogger: Dr. Cheryl Fournier

What Pope Francis Says...Mary, Mother of Mercy

There is a Marian "stlye" to the Church's work of evangelization.  Whenever we look to Mary, we come to believe once again in the revolutionary nature of love and tenderness.  In her we see that humility and tenderness are not virtues of the weak but of the strong, who need not treat others poorly in order to feel important themselves.  Contemplating Mary, we realize that she who praised God for "bringing down the mighty from their thrones" and "sending the rich away empty" (Luke 1:52-53) is also the one who carefully keeps "all these things, pondering them in her heart" (Luke 2:19)

August Parishioner Highlight: Mary, Mother of Mercy

For the theme of Mary, Mother of Mercy, I knew I wanted to interview children.  I thought that since, as Catholics, we view Mary is our mother, that looking at Mary through the eyes of children would give us a fresh perspective.  But how would I be able to get a child-like perspective, in the middle of the summer when many children are out of town or busy with summer activities? Enter, the Tallman family.  A family I have had the privilege to become friends with during my 2 years at St. Pius, Joe through his work at school, Jen through various adult faith opportunities, and the children as an extension of their parents. I was honored to provide music at the funeral of their child Kolbe Claire and to hear Joe's witness of how God, and Mary, comforted them during that trial in their life.  That honor was extended as they graciously shared their home and thoughts with me.

I was welcomed to the Tallman home for this video and quickly became one of the family.  I was offered a uncooked noodle to chew on as dinner was being prepared and my choice of seating at the table. During the evening I witnessed a beautiful example of the domestic church.  I saw two parents teaching their children, in small ways, how to be examples of God's love in the world. Through helping each other spoon food onto their plates, snuggling on the couch before bed time, and stepping outside to wave their guest good-bye I saw simple and concrete ways a family learns to love not just each other, but the world.  Their joy was infectious and I left wanting to share that warmth with everyone I encountered. For though my encounter with Tallmans, I encountered Christ.

Thank you Tallmans for you hospitality and for sharing your testimony with us. This family provides an excellent witness to how Mary leads us to the love and mercy of Christ.

Guest blogger
Emily Schmid
SPX Staff