International Standard Serial Number: ISSN 1943-6467 (print) Volume 21 Edition 3 K R VOLUME 21 EDITION 3 A mjg© Father George Kilcourse with AAIF Co- e Chairs Laura and Franz Green while h at the 2008 AAIF Biennial in Louisville, KY > T ©Copyright 2010 AAIF all rights reserved “Interchurch Families Learning From Benedictine Spirituality with an emphasis on the family, community and society” The American Association of Interchurch Families cordially invites you to register to attend their next Biennial Conference with them at The Holy Wisdom Monastery of the Benedictine Women of Madison, Wisconsin, located at Middleton, Wisconsin Friday July 9 through and including Sunday, July 11, 2010 Further information and Registration materials for this conference are posted at www.aifusa.org The ARK, a Publication of the American Association of Interchurch Families ©Copyright 2010 AAIF all rights reserved International Standard Serial Number: June 2010 ISSN 1943-6467 (print) The ARK page 1 Volume 21 Edition 3 The Body Broken, understand, respect and honor Benson asks, “Which of us Answering God’s Call To the faith of other Christians is would Jesus not have a powerful force here, welcomed?”... The people in love One Another animating that which the Gospel stories who really By Robert Benson; New otherwise might have seemed got grilled about whether or York: Doubleday, 2003. mundane. Reflecting on how not they might enter the difficult it is for even those kingdom were pillars of the One of Benson’s friends, bound by a mutual faith to community, the ones who kept an admirer of baseball, seek a common scriptural all the rules, the ones who stopped to ask him one day, understanding, Benson claimed to know all the truth, “What is the opposite of comments: "We are not called the ones who seemed to feel love?” Benson did not reply to explain the Christ; we are entitled to be included,” right away. Benson had a called to follow the Christ. We Benson observes. “feeling that answer was not are not called to build walls going to fly.” that keep His friends apart from each other; we are Let’s look at the following He responded, “Fear, Fear called to build The Kingdom Bible Verses: is the opposite of love.” together." Alternatively tender, Romans: Chapter 14; sad, regretful and joyous, Verses:10 - 13: Benson explains to us, as Benson offers his tales with the Why then do you judge the reader, using a quote from honesty of a man who doesn't your brother? Or you, why do the Bible ‘This is how they will pretend to have all the you look down on your know that you love me, ‘said answers. He brings to the brother? For we shall all stand the One Who came among us, topic a profound, if chastened, before the judgment seat of “that you love one another.” sense of God's presence in his God; for it is written: "As I daily life and relationships. live, says the Lord, every knee Benson explains, “And Benson's passion will appeal shall bend before me, and sometimes that begins with not to many readers seeking a every tongue shall give praise being afraid of one another. well-crafted to God." So You cannot love those you meditation on a (then) each of us fear. And we are called to “Fear, Fear is the topic that has shall give an love. Be not afraid.” persistently account of opposite of love.” bemused himself (to God). In his book, Robert Benson, Christians of all Then let us no an Episcopal layman and denominations” longer judge one another, but spiritual writer from Nashville, rather resolve never to put a Tennessee, using Although this book will stumbling block or hindrance autobiographical musings appeal to interchurch families in the way of a brother. asks, “why is the fellowship of in its entirety, I have selected believers broken into so many some sections from Benson’s Then let us therefore cease competing parties? Reed book to share with you below: judging one another. This Business Information Review Bible verse is important to states that “Benson's desire to Benson in creating the premise Continued on the next page The ARK page 2 Volume 21 Edition 3 Continued from the previous page of this book. What are the the world, Benson urges us to Some of us are looking mostly bonds that holds us together? use what time we have “to through this window or that Even among the differences, make room for those who are one, while some are on our since it is in our human nature different from us, not less way to have a look into a to compare ourselves one to room.” Benson adds that, “We window from which the view the other, so we can easily must learn to greet each other of the Mystery that we cannot find differences, Benson name looks a little different.” notes that we can also Benson fills the pages with ... “planting something in find strong bonds to personal stories from his life hold us together. the ground with your own experiences to help make his Benson notes that, ”We two hands is an act of point. are bound together by prayer,”... “it might be a our core beliefs” and Benson says, “The walls more sacred and honest they are ever present. that have been built between prayer than any that he us - the ones built out of fear has ever said although he When discussing or pride or ignorance - can be personally struggles with prayer, Benson notes taken down. And we who sit that many people have planting as a form of on this pew must do exactly known this secret for a prayer, but he recognizes that. We are the ones who long time, although he the sacredness of it.” can stop the daily dividing up has only begun to learn of the Body of Christ into this ”that planting something as brothers and sisters - and pieces and, instead, make it in the ground with your own not just the ones who look like more possible for the Christ to two hands is an act of us, act like us, and theologize be seen in the world.” prayer,”...Benson adds that it like us. We must make peace might be a more sacred and with the others on the pew Benson adds, “We must honest prayer than any that he from whom we have been seek out the things that we has ever said although he estranged for so long, and have in common and at the personally struggles with whom we have been so quick same time learn to honor the planting as a form of prayer, to judge. things that but he recognizes the We are not in different we hold dear sacredness of it. I believe that Benson churches; we are in the - our sense of same Church on different he was making a comparison observes community, parts of the pew to “the resurrection of the that in spite our love for body and the life of the world of any the to come,” as he reflected outward appearances of scriptures, our hunger for about the act of planting differences that, “We are not prayer, our capacity for something in the ground with of different faiths or different worship - and work to make your own two hands. religions - we are all them wide enough and deep Christians, all of us. We are enough to include others With a sense of sadness not in different churches; we rather than keep them at a over the amount of time are in the same Church on distance.” wasted by all that divides us in different parts of the pew. Continued on the next page The ARK page 3 Volume 21 Edition 3 Continued from the previous page Benson explains, “We must understanding along with Lectio Divina be willing to cultivate humility compassion. along with certainty, to http://www.jesuits.ca/orientations/intro2lectio.html practice tolerance along with This is an inspiring book. I I first became acquainted with devotion, to seek patience highly recommend it for any the term Lectio Divina while along with piety.” Benson one interested in Christian reading the Psalms of adds, “We must learn to seek Unity. Lamentation during this past the face of the christ in those Lent. I recognize that my who are different as readily as ~ Mary Jane Glauber mother had practiced this with us when we started out the “We must learn to seek the face of the christ in day as children with readings those who are different as readily as we do in the from the Bible, but we had no faces of those who are like us.” proper name for it. My father expanded on this by taking us out into God’s creation by Tell me, what is it you taking us into the forests in we do in the faces of those southern Vermont near the plan to do with your one who are like us.” Appalachian Trail in all wild and precious life? seasons to see that of God Benson concludes that around us. “We must learn to love one -Mary Oliver another.” Protestant Churches and Sects have listened silently for “the This is the task at hand. Continued on the following page This is the conclusion. For us, this is our beginning, “We must all learn to love God provides all one another.” You may that we need, but wonder where and how to humankind must begin. Look inside first and foremost. Begin there. care for that gift. First, ask what you can do to help toward this one goal. Expect nothing in return, not even gratitude nor understanding. Keep focused on this one goal, and try again. Again act mjg© with love. Model love. Again expect nothing in return, not even gratitude nor understanding, but show gratitude and T h e A R K page 4 Volume 21 Edition 3 journey. A journey of love, that requires a sensitivity, an honesty, an ability to leave God creates people free, not to possess beauty; another human being. That's humankind very hard to do. It's difficult to must sustain have loved a human being, and to actually almost have that which is begotten that human being, lovely and and then to allow that human noble being to go forth and to touch and love other human beings, to give them the freedom to mjg© take your love and to give it away. That is very hard. It requires a great deal of discipline.  continued from the previous page Still Small Voice” of God so parents demonstrated. It also means that in the this is not a concept that is Lectio Divina process one must have from encountered Jesus Christ. One exclusively Roman Catholic. "MANY PATHS TO PRAYER" must have been led to Episcopalians and by Vincent Dwyer understand and to touch and Presbyterians refer to this to feel the person of God practice as Lectio Divina as What I try to describe here is within oneself. He is real. well. The early Reformed really a journey. It's a spiritual Private prayer becomes Churches also continued Continued on the following page this practice of singing the Psalms in an effort to read, “Give us this day our daily bread” ~ to absorb, or to study the Humankind must cooperate and work carefully with the gifts that Psalms or scripture. God provides. Humankind has been given free choice as a gift. Learning before books How many ways can we show our humble appreciation for the were easily accessible for all was often done by many gifts we have received, but that we may take for granted as repetition. always being present and available? In the following, we learn how a young monk became aware of how to pray and the nature of prayer in our lives. mjg© I am including it for interchurch families since it applies equally for us, and it can be used so easily in our homes as my own The ARK page 5 Volume 21 Edition 3 Lectio Divina continued from the previous page critical. You begin to realize us against. The test of that prayer is spontaneous, a your intimacy with beautiful response to God. God is in the intimacy Just as you can't program your you've achieved with dialogue with someone you your sisters and love -- it has to come out of brothers.  your heart, so too with prayer.  I remember one time And yet if you have never in the monastery -- as experienced in a human a young monk, my dimension the ability to deal in reasoning went signs, to know through your something like this. It whole being that you are was said that if you communicating love and that meditate a half-hour a mjg© you are receiving love, then day then you were there is no way that you can sure of salvation; step into the relationship with contemplation is a God provides diversity and God and all of a sudden pure gift of God, but variety in the beauty that begin to think that you can if you put more time surrounds us deal with God in signs. It into it, you're won't work. You can get probably better caught in a world of illusions disposed to receiving the gift. church to pray.  which all the the mystics warn Being pretty practical, and with my Irish  And I had a special spot in background saying, that church. It was the second "Well, God, if I got pillar behind the brothers' God is present ~ in the air we breathe, into this outfit I choir stall. So if I was coming ought to at least in from the cloistered walk I'd in the sun that bathes the fields with arrive at make my profound bow in the light, in all that we see and do, God is contemplation or centre, go to the left hand side there something," I began and then down behind the to invest a great second pillar, and that's where deal of time in I'd rendezvous.  "prayer".  At the beginning I used to I built it up to a point spend most of my time where I was kneeling there, but then as I spending probably spent more and more time I six hours a day had more and more trouble before the blessed with my knees. Then I took a sacrament, maybe stool out of the brothers' even more. When chapter house and used to I'd come in from carry it with me. Then I mjg© work or maybe it decided, "Well, I really don't was class, whatever have to go back and forth for it was, I would head the stool since I'm here most of immediately to the the time. I'll just leave it here," and so I had it hid there.  Lectio Divina continued on the following page The ARK page 6 Volume 21 Edition 3 Lectio Divina continued from the previous page  Everything was unbelievable. What the hell. And now he's day I'm spending before the As soon as I'd arrive at that sitting on my stool!  No, it's blessed sacrament."  He said, spot, I'd be in passive prayer. not my stool. It's our stool."  "Your prayer is fine?"  I said, Sometimes I'd I'd have all "Just unbelievable."  He said, wonder if I was these "No problems?"  I said, "Well, going to He said, "I think you'd distractions. I have one little problem." ascend or what And then was going to better spend more time finally he'd So I described this distraction. happen to me. leave. I'd He looked at me and he said, But then I out working in the make my "Fili mei, would you like some would arrive bow, I'd go advice?"  In my little soul I was sometimes and fields." over there saying he's about to tell me one of my and, pfft, I'm I'm on the maybe the seventh brother monks fine. or eighth mansion of St. would be there, in my spot. Beautiful.  Teresa and I'm going through Then I'd have to back up and Well, I went to see the old some particular trial, and "Oh, in the centre of the main hall I abbot one day who was one yes, Reverend Father. Speak would kneel in the infirmary of the great men in my life, a to me."  He said, "Well, the choir and begin my prayer. I spiritual genius in my Holy Spirit doesn't seem to get would place myself in the estimation. Much of what I locked into one spot all the presence of God. If I had share with you came from time. He's very capable of been behind the second pillar sitting at his feet. He had this meeting you even out in the I would immediately go into loveable way about him. He fields. You don't really have to passive prayer and prayer of said, "How's everything be there."  quiet, contemplative prayer, going?"  I said, "Reverend but in this spot it didn't seem to Father, just tremendous."  He He said, "It sounds kind of happen.  said, "How is your life of strange to me that you have prayer?"  I said, "Oh, boy. It no problem and then I would then find myself with must be six or seven hours a somebody comes along.... distractions. My Lectio Divina continued on the following page navy language would come back Franz and Laura Green at “My Old Kentucky Home State Park” of and I'd say, Stephen Foster Fame in Bardstown, KY during the 2008 AAIF "What the hell's Biennial Conference he doing over there?" and then I'd check myself: "No, I shouldn't have said that. I'm back in your presence, Lord; speak to me."  Then I'd look again and say, "Gosh, you know, look at this damn church is empty. mjg© The ARK page 7 Volume 21 Edition 3 Lectio Divina continued from the previous page mjg© Would you really like some would spend on advice?" a tennis court or swimming or I said, "Oh, yes, Reverend something like Father."  that.  He said, "I think you'd better So all of a spend more time out working sudden we in the fields." started having   ________________ all these hierarchical What I'd really like to try to values, on the share with you this morning is top being the to take you back and to look moments that I at the theology of prayer and spend in prayer to show you that for a long or the moments Father George Kilcourse, Laura and Franz time prayer was really unified, that I spend in really one, then we began to spiritual Green at “My Old Kentucky State Park” in Bardstown, foul it up. We began to exercises as Kentucky, just before the start of the 2008 AAIF compartmentalize it.  being the most Biennial Conference in Louisville, Kentucky important As we compartmentalized it elements. We Meditatio, Oratio, and people lost the unity of the were failing to say that really Contemplatio. I'm sure that the spiritual life, this unity that the spiritual life is one. I think priests and religious here comes out of a life of prayer. most people would agree or would recognize that All of sudden I began to value feel comfortable when we immediately because it's in all those moments where I'd be in describe prayer basically as of the classic textbooks.  the chapel as being greater union with God.  than the moments I would Those are the four pillars. For spend maybe in work or Prayer is really my response. a long time in the Church they greater than the moments I As the Holy Father has said, it were not four distinct parts, is a dialogical process. It's they were one.  basically God revealing God's           Lamar Burton - AAIF Board member Self and my response to that. (photo taken at the 2008 AAIF Biennial Or we could say that it is Lectio Divina became Conference in Louisville) union, it is lifting of one's translated in our framework heart, etc. Do you feel into "spiritual reading", which comfortable with that as a became a particular exercise.  definition or description  of           prayer?  Do you?  Meditatio was translated into Now, let's go back to four "meditation", which became a Lamar gave AAIF a pillars of a life of prayer and procedure, a methodology of personal tour of the watch what happens. I'll use prayer, and by that I mean backside of Churchill the Latin to show you what a that you would, for instance, Downs before the 2008 poor job we did at translation. place Jesus before you, or conference mjg© They were Lectio Divina, you'd read something in Lectio Divina continued on the following page The ARK page 8 Volume 21 Edition 3 contemplative mjg© monasteries. The rest of mjg© Carol and Dave Natella, you poor people are Elaine Hall AAIF Board Members, called only to meditate - AAIF Board Member (photo taken at Bernheim Forest just after the 2008 and that is the way it is. (Photo taken at the 2008 AAIF Biennial AAIF Biennial Conference in Louisville, Kentuckyy) Too bad. Some are Conference in Louisville, KY; chosen, some aren't." It's a heresy. I'll never forget Eugene Boylan who was the first one that I heard publicly say that it was a heresy. We are all called to contemplation. You know one of the tragic things is Lectio Divina that many of you have been  continued from the previous page led to believe that you are called only to meditate, you scripture, and then you would are called only to a very create an image of it, and simple form of prayer, and then you would walk with him a tragedy in the history of the that contemplation was like and chat with him and then Church.  looking at somebody on the you would move down mountain, and saying, "Not The whole thing was kind of towards movement of the me." foolish in terms of our affection, translation or our of the It actually was a cop-out misunderstanding of it. heart, and We are all for many people like after that yourselves. You read Lectio Divina being translated dried up called to something about the into "spiritual reading" -- how you then mystics. in ... [the world] did we ever contemplation. get to that, particularly when made a You read something in the early Church most resolution about the purifications people couldn't read anyway?  and you that you must undergo in went on to kind of look at that order to really be able to It's true. There weren't that later on in the day. Does that receive the gift of many books around. ring a bell?  That is what we contemplation, and so you'd So it was never meant to be call a methodology; it's a say, "Well, thank God I'm not what we made it procedure.  called to that. I don't have to Oratio became translated into go through that. It's okay for What was it?  Lectio Divina all kinds of prayers and those special people called to was the art of listening. devotions, divine office, and contemplative monasteries, but That's why I said the pope was so forth.  I'm not called. Therefore I opening us to the key of all Contemplatio was translated don't have to face the reality prayer when he started to as "contemplation" and then of such purifications. I will be emphasize in the encyclical you were told, "But a good boy or a good girl the need to relearn and to contemplation is only for and I will meditate."  That was develop the art of listening. chosen souls like myself and Meditatio was not a others who are called to Lectio Divina continued on the following page The ARK page 9 Volume 21 Edition 3 Lectio Divina continued from the previous page procedural method. It was forgot to put it back together What makes them prayer?  merely a presence, a presence into this beautiful unity. -Listening. which from listening brought What did we do?  about reflection, to the point Is it necessary to know that that when you listen, infallibly We put it back into a bunch of you're praying in order to you reflect. It just flows. boxes. And we lost the rhythm pray?  Oratio wasn't of it.  No. Most people really don't meant to be all prayer is believe it. It's a head trip, it's these things too good to be true. that we made If prayer is union with it be. a way God, if it's a response to But as the old abbot used to God or a dialogical say to us, quoting the desert Oratio was process, the fathers, of life.  really when dialogue you reflected But as the "You pray best when between you then found you don't know ourselves and yourself old abbot you're praying." God, then the moving towards prayer of What were they question is, how can petition, prayer of really trying to say God reveal God's used to say thanksgiving, silence, awe, to us?  Self to me. anything that would move to us, They were saying you. It was ability to allow How can God reveal prayer is a way of oneself to move from God's Self to me so quoting the life.  reflection. And infallibly the that I can respond?  Spirit would move you.And Sometimes when it's Well, God certainly desert Contemplatio was a direct and very sweet and can reveal God's Self natural sequential we're kind of feeling through revelation, development of having fathers, wonderful, the Lord the scriptures. God listened. And it was receiving is touching us and can reveal God's Self the gifts of the Spirit and "You pray everything. Boy, I'm through the Church, being able to taste and to praying. through the know what it is to operate best when sacraments. Then along comes under the Spirit's influence, the Lord and says, which in the old days we How else?  Through you don't "Well, you've had called the gifts of the Holy people. Nature. enough of this sweet Spirit. Music. Art. know you're stuff, now you're Literature. This really had a unity. supposed to walk."  In recreation. In praying." God comes along It was a oneness, but as with events. In sin. Is there and takes away the so many things, in trying to any way God can't sweet stuff and we understand it -- and there's reveal God's Self?  say, "Oh, my God, nothing wrong with trying to something terrible has understand -- we analyze, we No. It's too good to be true!  happened. I no longer pray. I abstract it. What have we done?  If this is no longer feel, and therefore true then these are possible What happened here was I'm no longer praying. forms of prayer.  when we abstracted it, we "Prayer often will start out with very sensible consolations Lectio Divina continued on the following page The ARK page 10 Volume 21 Edition 3