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Bishop Kopacz celebrates Red Mass at St. John Oxford

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Editor’s note: Bishop Joseph Kopacz celebrated a Red Mass at St. John Oxford on Sunday, Sept. 26. Below is a excerpt from his homily.

By Bishop Joseph R. Kopacz, D.D.

During the time that the Diocese of Jackson was preparing to introduce Sister Thea Bowman’s Cause for Canonization in 2018, I discovered that she had done her doctoral dissertation at Catholic University, Washington, D.C. on St. Thomas More’s final masterpiece while imprisoned in the Tower of London for 15 months prior to his execution. There are more than a few blessings in this discovery, and one in particular is the universality of the Catholic Church. A preeminent Englishman of the 16th century, who had reached the heights of the legal and political professions of his time before becoming a saint and martyr, captured the imagination of a 20th century Servant of God, Sister Thea Bowman.

What is the bond that linked these two disciples of the Lord Jesus from over a span of 400-500 years? The English barrister died in 1535 and the Religious Sister was born in 1937.

OXFORD – Bishop Joseph Kopacz delivers his Homily at a Red Mass at St. John Oxford, organized by the St. Thomas More Society at The University of Mississippi School of Law. (Photos by Gene Buglewicz)

More was a confidant and favored companion of Henry VIII until he refused to take the Oath of Allegiance to the King who was declaring himself as the head of the Catholic Church in England. His refusal earned him lodging in the Tower of London, but his imprisonment was not time wasted. In the Spring and Summer of 1534 while he waited in the Tower for formal trial and sentencing More began the writing of A Dialogue of Comfort against Tribulation. He wrote the dialogue to stir and prepare the minds of Englishmen to withstand courageously and not to shrink at the imminent persecution which he foresaw and immediately followed, against the unity of the Church and the Catholic Faith.

More died in physical poverty and worldly disgrace. In A Dialogue of Comfort against Tribulation he left his last testament and the final legacy of his wisdom. Following the example of Jesus at the Last Supper when he consoled his apostles in anticipation of the tribulation to follow with his crucifixion, this intrepid martyr understood the power of words as a lasting legacy when coupled with witness.

Sister Thea removed from the shelves of academia A Dialogue of Comfort Against Tribulation in order to breathe new life into a masterpiece, whose pages still reach out to us, urging enduring solutions to perennially recurring human problems, she stated at the conclusion of her thesis in 1972.

She entitled her scholarly work, The Relationship of Pathos and Style in A Dialogue of Comfort Against Tribulation: A Rhetorical Study, her successful doctoral project to elevate pathos into the realms of logos and ethos.

She contended: “More’s attempt to reach the needs of his audience, to reach their hearts as well as their minds, to fire their imaginations with images of Christ’s suffering, yelping devils, damned souls, or the protective care of God, and to delight them so as to make them more receptive of his message, is conscious and deliberate. Pathos, the endeavor to stir the emotions of his hearers, in large measure determines the distinctive character of A Dialogue.”

Red Mass at St. John Oxford, organized by the St. Thomas More Society at The University of Mississippi School of Law.

Red Mass Facts

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• The Mass is celebrated in honor of the Holy Spirit with those present seeking wisdom, understanding, counsel and fortitude in the courtroom.

• The first documented Red Mass was celebrated in 1245 in Paris; however, it is believed the Mass was celebrated as far back as 1200.
As of 1310 the Mass had become an annual tradition in England to commemorate the beginning of each new Court term. From England the tradition of a yearly Red Mass spread throughout Europe. The tradition was adopted in the U.S. in the early 20th century.

• The name comes from the red garments worn not only by Royal Judges of the Vatican tribunal, but also by the celebrant. The first Red Mass to take place in the U.S. was held at the Church of St. Andrew in New York City in 1928 with Cardinal Patrick Hayes presiding.

• Beginning in 1953, a Red Mass has been said annually in Washington, D.C. with Supreme Court justices, members of Congress and other government departments and occasionally the president in attendance. Today, the Supreme Court include six Catholic justices – Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Samuel Alito, Clarence Thomas, Sonia Sotomayor, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett.

(From George Washington University, History News Network and America Magazine)

Photos play major role in solving archive ‘mysteries’

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From the Archives
By Mary Woodward

JACKSON – “A picture says a thousand words” is an age-old adage that we often use to describe many situations. In archives, that saying is very true. The photos included this week tell many stories, but more importantly these images, along with thousands of others like them in our diocesan archives collection, help us document history and artifacts.

In looking at the image of three bishops strolling down the street how can I conclude who is in the photo and what is happening? The main evidence fortunately is a date in the lower right corner of the photo is given as on Oct. 15, 1924. Please always date photographs and identify the people in them.

Taking the photograph by itself, I can deduce many things. It is of Bishop Gerow, it appears to be in Mobile because the columns in the background look a lot like the ones of the Cathedral there. But after that for those not familiar with the date on the photograph or Bishop Gerow the trail goes cold.

This photo portrait of Bishop R.O. Gerow displays the pectoral cross he used. Through photographs we know that the same cross was worn by Bishop Thomas Heslin before him.

However, as archivist and chancellor, knowing the importance of that date in diocesan history, I can confirm that the photo is from Bishop Gerow’s ordination as bishop, which occurred on Oct. 15, 1924, in the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Mobile. How then can I identify the two other bishops? In order to do that, I need to look no further than Bishop Gerow’s meticulously maintained diary. All the information I need is right there on the page in a beautiful passage:

“The ceremony was in the Cathedral of Mobile, and this was proper. Within its shadow I had been born; within its walls, baptized; here I served for many years as Altar boy; here I had been confirmed; and since my ordination to the priesthood here had been my only appointment; here was the only parish in which I had ever had a domicile.

The Consecrating Prelate was Bishop Allen, who had always been to me a father. He had sent me to college to try my vocation; he had kept me near him during my years as a priest; and I feel that his example and training have done much to mold my priestly life.

The Co-Consecrators were Bishop Jules B. Jeanmard and Bishop James A. Griffin, the latter a close companion during my years of study in Rome. A magnificent sermon was preached by Very Reverend Edward Cummings, S.J. Provincial, with whom I had been closely associated during his years at Spring Hill College.”

From this description, one can be almost certain that the two other bishops are Bishops Jeanmard and Allen. To further solidify this, I can search the internet for images of these two men and see if they match up and determine which is which. Jeanmard is on the left for the viewer and Allen is on the right.

I can only deduce that the man on the far left is a Knight of Columbus in formal attire – sword, sash, top hat. This attire was customary for such an occasion in the early 1900s.

Photographs also help us identify various episcopal symbols such as rings and pectoral crosses. In the image of Bishop Gerow we can see a pectoral cross. That cross is kept in the vault of the archives.

The cropped image, which is of Bishop Thomas Heslin (1889-1911), has the same cross. Therefore, we can date that particular cross in the vault to 1889. It could go back further but the two previous bishops went on the become archbishops and would have taken most of their crosses and rings with them.

The ring in the cropped photo also is in the vault and is engraved as a gift from St. Michael Parish, which was the parish Bishop Heslin was pastor of in New Orleans when he was named Bishop of Natchez in 1889. Therefore, we can date and assign that ring to Bishop Heslin.

So, archives can often be a scavenger hunt and an archaeological expedition. Portraits and photos play a major role in solving so many mysteries. In 2016 our diocesan archive was awarded the Cultural Heritage Digitization Award by the Mississippi Digital Library. The award allowed 600 images from our collection to be digitized and uploaded to the MDL.

You can view this sampling of our collection on their website https://msdiglib.org/. We are a partner listed as Roman Catholic Diocese of Jackson. I hope you will visit the collection and enjoy the journey through diocesan history.

(Mary Woodward is Chancellor and Archivist for the Diocese of Jackson)

(Above) Ordination of Bishop R.O. Gerow (center) on Oct. 15, 1924 at Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Mobile.
(Inset) This cropped image shows the pectoral cross and ring of Bishop Thomas Heslin (1889-1911). (Photos from archives)

Briefs

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NATION
WASHINGTON (CNS) – President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden will have an audience with Pope Francis Oct. 29, the day before the G20 Leaders’ Summit starts in Rome, White House press secretary Jen Psaki announced Oct. 14. “They will discuss working together on efforts grounded in respect for fundamental human dignity, including ending the COVID-19 pandemic, tackling the climate crisis and caring for the poor,” she said in a statement. Biden and Pope Francis previously met in 2016, when Biden was vice president, after they both spoke at a conference on adult stem-cell research at the Vatican. In recent weeks, there has been speculation that the two leaders would likely meet since Biden would be in Rome. In a recent interview with Catholic News Service, Archbishop Christophe Pierre, apostolic nuncio to the United States, said he was helping the Holy See prepare for Biden’s first presidential visit to the Vatican, sometime during an Oct. 30-31 Rome summit of leading rich and developed nations. “It would be an anomaly if he did not meet the pope while in Rome,” especially since Biden is the first Catholic to be U.S. president in 58 years, the nuncio said.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (CNS) – In his welcoming remarks to open the diocesan eucharistic congress, Memphis Bishop David P. Talley told attendees that “we are all the living body of Christ, in that we are what we receive” – the Eucharist. Christ’s mission “is our mission, for we are members of his body,” he said. “Our work is with our parishes, our parishioners and all of those who have not heard the words of Jesus Christ,” emphasized the bishop, who was installed as the sixth bishop of Memphis in April 2019. Guided by the theme, “That All May Be One” from John 17:21, the Memphis Diocese celebrated its 50th anniversary with its first eucharistic congress, held at the city’s downtown Renasant Convention Center the evening of Oct. 8 and all day Oct. 9. The congress – and the anniversary celebration – was delayed a full year by the arrival of COVID-19, and the havoc it caused. Passion and a sense of purpose were evident nonetheless – and in great abundance. The diocese in western Tennessee was established June 20, 1970, and has a Catholic population of 70,000. The “Opening Mass for All” was celebrated Oct. 8 by retired Memphis Bishop J. Terry Steib, who was the diocese’s fourth bishop, and was its first African American shepherd. He headed the diocese for 23 years, retiring in 2016.

VATICAN
VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Pope Francis has signed a decree recognizing a miracle attributed to the intercession of Pope John Paul I, clearing the way for his beatification. The Italian pope served only 33 days as pontiff; he died in the papal apartments Sept. 28, 1978, at the age of 65, shocking the world and a church that had just mourned the death of St. Paul VI. The Vatican announced Pope Francis’ decision along with a number of other sainthood decrees Oct. 13. In the sainthood cause of Pope John Paul I, the approved miracle involved a young girl in Buenos Aires, Argentina, who developed a severe case of acute encephalitis and uncontrollable and life-threatening brain seizures, and eventually entered septic shock. After doctors told family members her death was “imminent,” the local priest encouraged the family, nurses and others to pray to the late pope for his intercession, according to the website of the Congregation for Saints’ Causes. A panel of experts studying the cause determined there was no scientific explanation for her complete recovery in 2011 and that it could be attributed to the late pope’s intercession. The Vatican did not immediately announce a date for the beatification ceremony.

VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Christian freedom means respecting other cultures and traditions rather than finding ways to impose “one’s own model of life as though it were the most evolved and the most appealing,” Pope Francis said. “How many errors have been made in the history of evangelization by seeking to impose a single cultural model,” the pope said Oct. 13 during his weekly general audience in the Paul VI audience hall. “At times, even violence was not spared to make a single point of view prevail. In this way, the church has been deprived of the richness of many local expressions that the cultural traditions of entire peoples bring with them. But this is the exact opposite of Christian freedom,” he said. The pope continued his series of talks on St. Paul’s Letter to the Galatians by reflecting on the freedom from slavery to sin and death that comes from Christ’s death and resurrection. St. Paul’s assertion is that freedom, given to humanity through grace and love, is “the supreme and new law of Christian life,” which “opens us up to welcoming every people and culture, and at the same time opens every people and culture to a greater freedom,” Pope Francis said.

WORLD
MANILA, Philippines (CNS) – The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines congratulated veteran journalist Maria Ressa on being the first Filipino to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Congratulating Ressa Oct. 10, the bishops highlighted the importance of media freedom in the Catholic faith, reported ucanews.com. The Nobel Prize Committee announced Oct. 8 that Ressa and Russian journalist Dmitry Muratov would share this year’s prize for their “efforts to safeguard freedom of expression, which is a precondition for democracy and lasting peace.” Archbishop Romulo Valles, president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines, said in his message to Ressa: “Recent popes have, on occasion, highlighted the important role that the press plays in gauging the health of a healthy democratic society. “For journalists, their work has become more and more difficult because of the level of disinformation and fake news that continue to spread through social communications. The vocation and mission, therefore, of members of the press (as envisioned by our popes) is to contribute not only for the search for truth but, more importantly, to help build a culture of dialogue,” said the message on behalf of the bishops.

Doctrina Social Católica basada en visión de Vida Humana

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Por Obispo Joseph R. Kopacz, D.D.
En 2022, la Iglesia Católica marcará el 50 aniversario del Mes del Respeto a la Vida en los Estados Unidos, un año antes de la decisión de la Corte Suprema en Roe v. Wade que continúa ensombreciendo nuestra tierra y nuestras conciencias.

En realidad, las raíces de una conmemoración más formal del respeto por la vida en el mundo moderno se encuentran en los escritos del Concilio Vaticano II. Gaudium et Spes, la Constitución pastoral de la Iglesia en el mundo moderno, proporcionó un fundamento evangélico para lo que surgiría en las décadas siguientes como los principios de la Doctrina Social Católica.

Obispo Joseph R. Kopacz

“La Iglesia, al prestar ayuda al mundo y al recibir del mundo múltiple ayuda, sólo pretende una cosa: el advenimiento del reino de Dios y la salvación de toda la humanidad. Todo el bien que el Pueblo de Dios puede dar a la familia humana al tiempo de su peregrinación en la tierra, deriva del hecho de que la Iglesia es “sacramento universal de salvación”, que manifiesta y al mismo tiempo realiza el misterio del amor de Dios al hombre. Mientras persigue este objetivo señalado de llevar la salvación a todos, la Iglesia no solo comunica la vida divina a la humanidad, sino que también refleja en cierta medida la luz de esa vida en todo el mundo. Lo hace especialmente a través de su trabajo de restaurar y realzar la dignidad de la persona humana, de fortalecer el tejido de la sociedad humana y enriquecer la actividad diaria de hombres y mujeres con un significado e importancia más profundos. La Iglesia cree que de esta manera puede hacer una gran contribución para llevar una mayor humanidad a la familia de la humanidad y a su historia.”

En esta maravillosa sección de Gaudium et Spes que se traduce como alegría y esperanza, nos sentimos inspirados a mantener nuestros ojos en la meta de la vida eterna, pero nunca apartados del mundo donde trabajamos nuestra salvación.

La dignidad de la persona humana y el tejido de la sociedad humana son parte integrante del Reino de Dios y de la misión de la Iglesia. Esto se afirma con vehemencia en las primeras líneas de Gaudium et Spes. “Los gozos y las esperanzas, las tristezas y las angustias de los hombres de nuestro tiempo, sobre todo de los pobres y de cuantos sufren, son a la vez gozos y esperanzas, tristezas y angustias de los discípulos de Cristo.”

La Doctrina Social Católica se basa en esta visión de la vida humana, la actividad diaria y nuestro destino final con los principios de solidaridad y el bien común que promueven la vida familiar, el empleo remunerado, junto con los elementos esenciales para una vida digna: alimentos, agua, atención médica, educación, vivienda y seguridad, en el contexto de la sostenibilidad de la creación de Dios.

San José, como se reflexionó anteriormente, es un modelo ejemplar de alguien que acepta la vida de madre e hijo. Volvamos a San José y la Sagrada Familia para comprender algunas de las luchas que asolan a la familia humana hoy y necesitan redención. Desde el principio, su Sí a la voluntad de Dios y el don de la vida estuvo plagado de problemas. Se emprendió un viaje agotador desde el norte de Israel hasta Belén en el sur con María a punto de dar a luz con cada rebote en el camino sobre una bestia de carga. Les esperaba la descorazonadora falta de alojamiento.

Sin embargo, su resistencia se hizo evidente en la utilización del establo para traer al Hijo de Dios a la luz del día. Ni siquiera sabemos si tuvieron tiempo de inscribirse en el censo decretado por César Augusto, porque luego de un breve respiro se dieron a la fuga para evitar el veneno asesino del rey Herodes. Las sagradas escrituras nos dicen que José y María con su recién nacido pasaron dos años en Egipto antes de poder regresar a su amada tierra natal y comenzar a construir una vida de estabilidad en Nazaret para el Hijo unigénito de Dios.

Sus primeros años juntos nos ofrecen una dirección para nuestra fe católica y el mundo moderno. Como pareja casada, tenían una profunda confianza y respeto mutuos, una base sólida para superar las dificultades y el odio. Tenían una fe viva en su Dios amoroso, evidente en su capacidad para seguir los impulsos de sus mejores ángulos para aceptar la voluntad de Dios, los unos a los otros, y la urgencia del momento. Sin embargo, con todas sus fortalezas personales y relacionales, en su vulnerabilidad tuvieron que depender de algunos en Egipto que dieron la bienvenida al extraño y les dieron un punto de apoyo para sobrevivir.

Hay una gran cantidad de personas en movimiento en nuestro mundo de hoy, por razones paralelas a las de la Sagrada Familia. A los migrantes, inmigrantes y refugiados a menudo se les despoja de todo excepto de la ropa que llevan puesta. Muchos han demostrado una capacidad de recuperación notable y han sobrevivido. Pero en su vulnerabilidad siempre existe la necesidad de que los buenos samaritanos los acompañen y se recuperen.

Extendiendo la realidad de la vulnerabilidad, damos gracias durante la conmemoración de este mes de respeto a la vida a todos los que acompañan y sirven a quienes están al borde del colapso.

Las razones pueden ser innumerables, pero el objetivo es la restauración de la dignidad humana, el fortalecimiento del tejido de la sociedad humana y la construcción de un mundo más humano. Esta es la mentalidad que conviene a los discípulos del Señor Jesús al servicio de todos los hijos de Dios.

Este es el logo en español del Mes del Respeto a la Vida 2021 que la Iglesia Católica de EE. UU. Celebró en octubre. Como parte del Año de San José declarado por el Papa Francisco, la celebración de este año “destaca el ejemplo de ese gran santo”, dijo una declaración del 27 de septiembre del arzobispo Joseph F. Naumann de Kansas City, Kansas, quien es presidente de la Comité de Actividades Pro-Vida de la Conferencia de Obispos Católicos de los Estados Unidos. (Courtesy RespectLife.org)

Catholic Social Teaching builds upon vision of human life

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By Bishop Joseph R. Kopacz, D.D.

In 2022 the Catholic Church will mark the 50th anniversary of Respect Life Month in the United States, one year before the Supreme Court’s decision in Roe v. Wade that continues to cast a shadow over our land and consciences.
The roots for a more formal commemoration of respect for life in the modern world are found in the writings of the Second Vatican Council. Gaudium et Spes, the Pastoral Constitution of the Church in the Modern World, provided a Gospel rationale for what would emerge in the decades to follow as the principles of Catholic Social Teaching.

“While the Church helps the world and she receives much from the world, she has one object in view; the coming of God’s Kingdom and the salvation of the whole human race. As she pursues this appointed goal of bringing salvation to all, the church not only communicates the divine life to mankind but also in some measure reflects the light of that life over the whole world. She does this especially through her work of restoring and enhancing the dignity of the human person, of strengthening the fabric of human society, and enriching the daily activity of men and women with a deeper meaning and importance. The church believes that in this way she can make a great contribution toward bringing a greater humanity to the family of humankind and to its history.”

Bishop Joseph R. Kopacz

In this marvelous section from Gaudium et Spes that translates as joy and hope, we are inspired to keep our eyes on the goal of eternal life, but never aloof from the world where we work out our salvation.

The dignity of the human person, and the fabric of human society are part and parcel of the Kingdom of God and the mission of the church. This is ardently stated in the opening lines of Gaudium et Spes. “The joys and the hopes, the griefs and the anxieties of the men and women of this age, especially those who are poor or in any way are afflicted are the joys and the hopes, the griefs and the anxieties of the followers of Christ.”

Catholic Social Teaching builds upon this vision of human life, daily activity and our ultimate destiny with the principles of solidarity and the common good that promote family life, gainful employment, along with the essentials for dignified living: food, water, health care, education, housing and safety, in the context of sustainability for God’s creation.

St. Joseph as previously reflected upon is an exemplary model of one who accepts the lives of mother and child. Let us return to St. Joseph and the Holy Family to understand the some of the struggles that plague the human family today and are in need of redemption.

From the outset his “Yes” to God’s will and the gift of life was beset with trouble. A taxing journey was undertaken from northern Israel to Bethlehem in the south with Mary about to give birth with every bounce along the way atop a beast of burden. The disheartening lack of lodging awaited them.

Yet, their resiliency became apparent in their utilization of the stable to bring the Son of God to the light of day. We are not even certain if they had the time to register in the census decreed by Caesar Augustus, because after a brief respite they were on the run to avoid the murderous venom of King Herod. The sacred scriptures tell us that Joseph and Mary with their newborn spent two years in Egypt before they could return to their beloved homeland and begin to build a life of stability in Nazareth for the only begotten Son of God.

Their early years together offer us direction for our Catholic faith and modern world. As a married couple they had a deep trust and respect for each other, a solid foundation to overcome hardship and hate. They had a living faith in their loving God, evident in their capacity to follow the promptings of their better angles to accept God’s will, one another, and the urgency of the moment. Yet, with all of their personal and relational strengths, in their vulnerability they had to rely on some in Egypt who welcomed the stranger and gave them a foothold for survival.

There are a whole host of people on the move in our world today for reasons that parallel those of the Holy Family. Migrants, immigrants and refugees are often stripped of everything except for the clothes on their back. Many have demonstrated remarkable resiliency and have survived. But in their vulnerability, there is always the need for Good Samaritans to accompany them and get them back on their feet.

Extending the reality of vulnerability, we give thanks during this month’s respect life commemoration to all who accompany and serve those who are on the brink of folding. The reasons can be legion, but the goal is the restoration of human dignity, the strengthening of the fabric of human society, and building a more humane world. This is the mindset that is befitting of disciples of the Lord Jesus in service of all of God’s children.

In memoriam: Sister Mary Gianini, OP

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SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Dominican Sister Mary Gianini, OP, died peacefully Sunday, Oct. 3, 2021, at St. John’s Hospital in the 66th year of her religious profession. Known for a time as Sister M. Mystica, she was born in Greenville, Mississippi, in 1930, to Philip and Rosa (Aguzzi) Gianini. She joined the Dominicans in 1954 and professed her vows in 1955 at Sacred Heart Convent, Springfield, Illinois.

Sister Mary taught first and second grade children for 36 years, preparing them for the sacraments. In Illinois, she taught at parochial schools in Granite City, Evergreen Park, Odell, Bethalto, Chicago, Springfield and Jacksonville. Sister Mary also taught grades 1-2 in Brawley, California, and served a year each at the religious education centers in Hillsboro and Arcola, Illinois. For a dozen years after leaving classroom teaching, she provided hospitality for visitors to Benincasa Renewal Center, Riverton, and later at Siena Hall in Springfield.

Proud of her Italian heritage and her Mississippi roots, Sister Mary often spent summers assisting in the medical records department at St. Dominic Hospital in Jackson, allowing her time with her sister Ann (Jack) Mellott in Columbus, Mississippi and brother Gus Gianini, Cleveland, Mississippi, both survive her. She is also survived by three nieces; three nephews; and many great-nieces and nephews and cousins.

Sister Mary’s funeral Mass was held on Oct. 11, 2021, at Sacred Heart Convent Chapel with Dominican Father Michael DeTemple, as celebrant. She is buried at Calvary Cemetery.

Mass and graveside services can be viewed at https://springfieldop.org/sister-mary-gianini-op/.

Memorials to honor the memory of Sister Mary may be made to the Dominican Sisters Retirement Fund, 1237 W. Monroe St., Springfield, IL, 62704.

Love doesn’t require potato salad

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GUEST COLUMN
By Reba J. McMellon, M.S., LPC

Matthew 22:39 – You should love your neighbor as yourself…
People can change and grow. It’s important to recognize that opposite is also true.

Reba J. McMellon, M.S.,LPC

Our commandment is to love our neighbor as ourselves. Unless you really don’t like yourself, it is important to recognize healthy versus unhealthy characteristics in others so you can gauge who to love up close and who to love from a distance.
Love doesn’t mean inviting everyone over for potato salad.

It is biblical to recognize when to set healthy boundaries. Think of Jesus’ response to the Pharisees and Sadducees. He was polite but concise. Notice Jesus did not invite Pontius Pilot or the Pharisees to the last supper. Why? Because they would have ruined the whole thing. Some may argue, but it’s the last supper, shouldn’t Jesus invite everyone. Well, no.

The enemy would have you believe everybody is worthy of potato salad at your dinner table. But that might ruin the whole love thing.

Below are five characteristics of people who won’t change and will test your spirit if you spend too much time with them.

  1. People who blame others for their own mistakes:
    They often say things like, “I apologize if” instead of “I apologize because.” They go to extreme measures to avoid personal responsibility, feigning forgetfulness, ignorance, devil made them do it, etc. These kinds of people don’t realize fault doesn’t mean your bad, it means you made a mistake. People who blame others for their own mistakes don’t change or grow because they don’t take responsibility for their own behavior.
  2. People who always have to be right:
    People who always have to be right can’t learn because they won’t listen. These type people frequently interrupt and talk over people. Instead of changing the way they think, they change reality to fit their way of thinking.
  3. People who react to conflict with anger and aggression:
    People who react to conflict with anger and aggression shut down dialogue. Think of bully behaviors. They blowup, turn their back, shutdown, name call, cry, yell, etc. to avoid communication. Change requires honest communication.
  4. People who ignore the needs and feelings of others:
    Think about pushy salespeople. They ignore the customer’s genuine needs and push their own agenda. People who are good at assessing the needs of others and responding accordingly have the ability to grow and learn. People who ignore the needs and feelings of others don’t care enough to change.
  5. People who feel superior:
    Healthy people are confident and are able to accurately assess their own competence. They enjoy learning from others. Unhealthy people won’t acknowledge their lack of knowledge enough to listen and learn. Nobody knows it all. There’s no harm in that, only harm in an unwillingness to learn. It’s hard to learn if you are the center of your own universe.

    When interacting with people who have some or all of these characteristics, it is wise to make a brief point, set a boundary then walk away. Jesus did it and so should we.

    Love your neighbor as you love yourself requires you to love yourself. So, pause to think before you get out the mayonnaise and start on that potato salad.

(Reba J. McMellon, M.S. is a licensed professional counselor with 35 years of experience. She continues to work in the field of mental health as a consultant and is available for public speaking. Reba can be reached at rebaj@bellsouth.net.)

Teresa of Avila, a saint for our time and all times

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Reflections on Life
By Melvin Arrington

Across the centuries the church has produced numerous holy women named Teresa, among them Teresa of Calcutta (Mother Teresa), Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (Edith Stein), the French saint Thérèse of Lisieux (the Little Flower) and the forerunner of them all, Teresa of Avila.

My wife, Terry, tells a fascinating story about how she was named. Her saintly mother, Stella, had a special devotion to the Little Flower, one that had been passed down from her mother. When she was a young girl, Stella became gravely ill and slipped into a coma. Her mother prayed to Thérèse for a miracle. Sometime later Stella regained consciousness and asked, “Where’s the lady with the flowers?” It appears she had experienced a vision of the French saint in an iconic pose.

When Terry was born, Stella intended to name her for Thérèse, but somehow the name on the birth certificate appeared as “Teresa.” So, as it turns out, her real namesake is not the French saint but the Spanish one, Teresa of Avila. Divine intervention? Who knows? But I do know that Terry majored in Spanish in college and went on to have a wonderful career as a Spanish professor.

Melvin Arrington, Jr

St. Teresa of Avila (1515-1582) was canonized in 1622 and given the title “Doctor of the Church” in 1970, the first woman to be so designated. She’s my favorite October saint (feast day, Oct. 15), primarily because of her lively personality, the compelling qualities of her mystical writings, and the way she achieved, in the spirit of St. Dominic, a balance between the active life and the contemplative.

In an age when women usually remained in the background, Teresa boldly thrust herself into the forefront of Spanish life. She was beautiful, talented and charming as well as shrewd, self- assertive and determined. She had amazing organizational skills and was blessed with intelligence, common sense, good humor and a quick wit, as seen in the following anecdote.

As Teresa was setting out to enter the Carmelite Order, a gentleman admirer helped her into the carriage. In order to step up, she raised her skirt slightly and, in so doing, inadvertently revealed the lower part of her leg, an exposure not overlooked by the young man. Turning to him, she said, “Go ahead and take a good look because it’s the last time you’re going to see it.”

Unfortunately, Teresa was constantly plagued with serious illnesses, including consumption and malaria. At age 24 she became cataleptic and for three days showed no signs of life. The nuns sealed her eyelids with wax, wrapped her body in a shroud, and prepared a grave for her. But when they came to take her for burial, she awoke. Full recovery from this affliction took many months. Late in life, Teresa looked back on all these episodes of sickness and pain and concluded that suffering was sent from God to draw her closer to Him. In spite of these ailments she maintained her trademark sense of humor, as seen in the comment, “Well, Lord, if this is how you treat your friends, no wonder you have so few of them.”

St. Teresa endured eighteen years of spiritual dryness in the convent until undergoing, around age 41 or 42, a “second conversion.” Afterwards, she no longer looked forward to the frivolity and social visits that had so occupied her youth. The new Teresa would now devote herself to mental prayer and recollection, which involves becoming detached from the cares of the world, turning inward, and focusing on the presence of God. Plunging into the deepest level of prayer, she often received mercedes (favors) from God in the form of visions, locutions and raptures. Of course, some became suspicious of these as works of the devil, but Teresa remained undeterred.

Because of a desire to live under a stricter rule, one that would allow more time for contemplation, Teresa undertook her signature project: the reform of the Carmelite Order. Observing a laxity and absence of discipline in the convent, she singlehandedly toiled with the aim of restoring the Order to its primitive rule. The reform was known as the Discalced Carmelites, although the sisters rarely went without shoes (they typically wore crude sandals).

Teresa began by establishing St. Joseph’s in the city of Avila and then traveled all across Spain founding a total of sixteen convents, often in the company of St. John of the Cross, who helped spread the reform to the friars as well. Despite the opposition of some of the sisters and several high-ranking clergy, she remained dedicated to this project and eventually prevailed.

Today, Teresa is best remembered for two mystical writings, Interior Castle and the Way of Perfection, and a spiritual autobiography, in which she writes candidly of poor health, struggles in prayer, devotion to the inner life and experiences of mystical union. The writing style is natural and spontaneous but often rambling, punctuated with digressions, and difficult to understand. Nevertheless, those who make the effort to read these works will be richly rewarded.

And so, we can look to Teresa today as an exemplary saint on several levels. She’s clearly a model for those devoted to renewal and a deeper prayer life, but also someone that those who suffer from illness and pain can pray to and lean on. Women of all ages can be inspired by the life and writings of this Spanish nun. And for all who believe joy to be an integral part of the faith, we join her in saying, “Good Lord, deliver us from sour-faced saints.”

(Melvin Arrington is a Professor Emeritus of Modern Languages for the University of Mississippi and a member of St. John Oxford.)

Lay Carmelites reflect and pray at annual retreat

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By Tom Head, Ph.D. and Dorothy Ashley, OCDS

JACKSON – The Lay Carmelites of Jackson participated in their annual retreat at the Visitation Monastery in Mobile, Alabama from Oct. 1-3, 2021. The Mobile Community of Lay Carmelites (aka “Carmelite Seculars”) were the hosts of this silent retreat. They were well-represented along with Carmelite Seculars from the Gulf Coast area and Fort Walton Beach, Florida. They all belong to the Order of Discalced Carmelites Seculars (OCDS).

Father Stephen Sanchez, OCD, a Discalced Carmelite priest led spirited conferences on the theology of St. John of the Cross, with emphasis on his minor works. Particular attention was given to St. John’s practical admonitions that could be used to avoid the snares of the world, the flesh and the devil. Retreatants also attended daily Mass, received the Sacrament of Reconciliation, had Exposition/Benediction, participated daily in the Liturgy of the Hours and gathered for meals. There was also time for silent prayer and reflection.

MOBILE – Carmelite Secular Aspirants and their Formators with Father Stephen Sanchez, OCD after being clothed in ceremonial brown scapulars. Front, left to right: Billy Yost of Mobile, Jill Therese Hisaw of Jackson, and Tom and Deirdre Head of Jackson. Back, left to right: Robert Gareri (formation director, Mobile) and Anita DeRouen (formation director, Jackson). Blocked from view are Gena Middleton and Kathleen Williams both of Fort Walton Beach. (Photo by Dorothy Ashley, OCDS)

Three Jackson members, Jill Hisaw (St. Therese) and Deirdre and Tom Head (Christ the King) completed their Aspirancy period and were clothed in the large ceremonial Brown Scapular of the Order during evening prayer on Saturday of the retreat, thus advancing to a period of deeper commitment and formation. During Mass on Sunday, one Jackson member, Elmina Johnson, OCDS (Holy Ghost) made her Definitive Promise to the Superiors of the Order of the Teresian Carmel and the local community. Her Promise was entrusted to the Virgin Mary, Mother and Queen of Carmel.

Discalced Carmelite Seculars are members of the Carmelite family of the 16th-century reform of St. Teresa of Avila. These followers are present in the modern world as friars, enclosed nuns and seculars. These lay, third order, seculars come from all walks of life, from every level of education and from every type of work. They are Catholic lay men and women over the age of 18 (married or unmarried) or they can be ordained diocesan priests or deacons. They gather in canonically erected communities monthly for study, prayer, formation and community bonding under the guidance and leadership of the Order.

The local Jackson community, St. Joseph and St. Therese of Lisieux Discalced Carmelite Seculars was founded by Father Josiah Chatham in 1952. It became dormant in 1969 but was revived in 1997 and has met continuously ever since. They have a fraternal and supportive relationship with the Discalced Carmelite nuns of Jackson and often participate together in praying Novenas particularly leading up to the Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel.

The two groups support each other in prayer and celebrate major Carmelite Feast Days together. The three Branches of Carmel, priests, nuns and seculars, are of the same Order with the same Holy Mother Foundress, St. Teresa of Avila. The monthly meetings for the remainder of the year will be held on Saturday, Nov. 13 and Saturday, Dec. 18, 2021, at St. Jude Parish Hall in Pearl at 10:15 a.m. The Jackson community has 20 members from various parishes throughout the diocese including one diocesan priest and one member who lives outside of our diocese.

Those who may be interested in learning more about the vocation of an OCDS are welcome to visit the monthly meetings as part of their discernment. For more information, please contact Dorothy Ashley, OCDS, President at (601) 259-0885 or carmelite57@yahoo.com.