Soundings 12 2

27 Pages·2012·3.3 MB·English

M a r i a n i s t
Sounding s
A Publication of the North American Center for Marianist Studies
Volume 12, Number 2, 2012
Inside this issue:

Marianist Theme: Mission
Martin Solma, SM

The Story of Creation, the Christ
Story, and Our Marianist Story
Anthony Garascia
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Marianist Soundings

A publication from the
North American Center for Marianist Studies
Issued in the Fall and Spring

The NACMS Advisors Group
This group meets once a year and provides
oversight on NACMS‟s vision, activities, and
budget.
Roland Bunda, SM Luis Melo, SM
(USA Province) (Region of Canada)
Timothy Driscoll, SM Mike Pressimone
(Meribah Province) Carol Ramey* [ex officio]
Debbie Durand Mitch Schweickart, SM*
NACMS STAFF
Mike Gillespie (USA Province)
Laura Luehrmann-Burdick* Gretchen Trautman, FMI
Dave McGuigan, SM (USA Province)
Inside this issue…
(USA Province) Marg VanHerk
Joan McGuinness Wagner* Kevin Wisniewski*
Articles
NACMS Offers
Marianist Theme: Mission
Publications on Marianist Founders, history, spirit, and
contemporary thought. Materials include complete Martin Solma, SM 4
biographies, summaries and analyses of the Marianist
charism, and brochures detailing the essential elements
The Story of Creation, the Christ
of Marianist life. An index and price list are available.
Story, and Our Marianist Story
Programs on Marianist topics ranging from half-hour
Anthony Garascia 10
presentations to week-long programs. Program content

and format are planned to fit the sponsor's request.
Other Features
Links to other resources centers, persons knowledgeable
Editor’s Note 3
about Marianist heritage, and groups or communities
living the Marianist spirit.
Book Review: Have A Little Faith
Programs are conducted by NACMS. Modest stipends
Daniel M. Jordan 21
are charged and based on length of program and
planning required.

NACMS is sponsored by the Society of Mary Province
of the United States. New NACMS Publications 23

Rev. Martin Solma, SM
Provincial

Bro. Joseph Kamis, SM
Assistant Provincial

Layout by 2 • Marianist Soundings
Alison Cawley Archer
* Indicates Local Advisors
Editor’s Note

M
any retreats for high school and college-age students
contain the concept of the “fourth day,” the day after
the retreat when participants return home and begin
to live a deeper sense of faith away from the comfy environs of
the retreat setting. The “fourth day” could last just one day or
permeate deeper for a life-changing transformation. The choice
is up to each student.
The image of the “fourth day” came to the fore as I was
preparing Father Martin Solma‟s article—“Marianist Theme:
Mission”—for this issue of Marianist Soundings. Father Solma
presented the material at a summer retreat for members of the
Society of Mary. While he did not speak in terms of days, I was
struck by many of the same images related to owning faith as
one‟s own. Rather, he talked of the superabundance of God‟s
love and its significance found in seven water jars: the six jars of
the wedding feast of Cana and the jar of the physical vessel of
Christ‟s body on the cross, where water and blood again mix
and love is poured out through the ultimate sacrifice: a humiliating death on wooden beams.
Perhaps we as Marianists can start using the imagery of being the “eighth jar”: the
continuing Eucharistic embodiment of Jesus, where through our acts of apostolic service, our
listening to our Blessed Mother, and following the life-outpouring example of her son, our
physical and emotional sweat from our labor provides a wine of plenty for humanity. (The
image of water is powerful, as hydration is essential for existence.)
In many ways, members of our Marianist Family—educators, social justice advocates,
parish ministers, etc.—live out the concept of being the “eighth jar” through their apostolic
service. I see the “eighth jar” as a way to ensure a Marian call, devoid of pet projects and
special interest. For more on this, read Father Solma‟s article.
He begins his reflection with the pondering of a question. Does the world set the
agenda for the Church or the Church set the agenda for the world? This same question is
addressed in a very practical way in Anthony Garascia‟s “The Story of Creation, the Christ
Story, and Our Marianist Story,” which examines climate change and a response from a
Marian dimension of Church, where feast days and Scripture passages remind us of our call to
protect creation.
God‟s deepest blessing in your life and ministry. May you be filled to the brim with the
living waters of Christ—the “eighth jar”—and with clean water for daily living.
D an

Daniel M. Jordan
Editor
2 0 1 2  3
Marianist Theme
Mission
by Martin Solma, SM

R
ecently, in the community in which I live, there was a
discussion about whether the Church sets the agenda
for the world or the world sets the agenda for the
Church. The person who asked the question was clear
about his position: it is the world that sets the agenda, and the
Church is there to respond. Actually, I think the reality is a bit
more involved.

In the Gospel of John, it is clear that the Word became flesh (the
great mystery of the Incarnation) in order to reveal the “love
that washes out every other love,” as St. John says in his
prologue. There is a message, a revelation, a mission that the
enfleshed Word has when entering human history: to reveal the
Face of God that no one has ever seen. The word that St. John
uses is our word for “exegesis,” meaning to interpret or unfold,
to enflesh and express in the most bold and concrete human
terms the mystery of the One that Jesus calls his “Father.” That
Father Martin Solma is
is quite a mission, and it is one Jesus is sent to accomplish—most
the Provincial of the
explicitly and in an unvarnished manner, at the “hour” of
Society of Mary‟s
exaltation on Calvary.
Province of the United

States. His educational
background includes
It is clear the mission is God‟s mission; anything we do, any of
teaching religion and
our talk about mission, must make it clear that we are
English at Marianist
participating in what the Father has sent Jesus to do. As a South
schools in Michigan and
African missiologist put it: “It is not the Church that undertakes
Ohio, as well as spending
mission; it is the missio Jesu which constitutes the Church.”
thirteen years working
Empowered by the Spirit of Pentecost, we, like Jesus, are sent.
with Our Lady of
“God so loved the world,” St. John says, “that he sent his only
Nazareth Primary School
son . . . not to condemn the world but to save it” (Jn 3:16-17). In
in Nairobi, Kenya. In
the end, it is God‟s agenda that is most important for people of
addition, he has
faith, but it is the world of human beings, with all of its issues
ministered as novice
and preoccupations, needs and desires, that must somehow
master and regional and
receive what is being offered. For this to happen, we need to
district superior in East
understand the world‟s agenda, meet it on its own terms, and
Africa.
love it in the way that Jesus did. Our brother‟s initial question
presents a false dichotomy.

4 • Marianist Soundings
Throughout the Gospel of John, the theme of “sending” is prominent. The primary focus of
the fourth Gospel is the mission of Jesus:

 He is the one who comes into the world, accomplishes his work, and returns to the Father.
 He is the one who descended from heaven and ascends again, taking all of creation with
him because of his enfleshment.
 He is the Sent One who, in complete dependence and perfect obedience, fulfills the purpose
for which the Father sent him.

The entire Gospel is about sending and being sent. Therefore, it is not surprising that John‟s
Gospel is laden with the vocabulary of sending—the term and its derivatives appear almost
sixty times. When Jesus declares at the moment of his death that “it is finished,” he is
referring to the mission he was given and which is brought to completion and fullest
expression as he expires and “hands over his Spirit.” As I mentioned in a previous presentation
(click to read Father Solma‟s past presentation on Mary), the blood and water testify to the
completion of the mission as the new family, and we might say that the “Family of Mary” is
formed, and this little “Church” is washed with the gift of the Spirit.

If this were not enough, Jesus makes it more explicit when, on the evening of the first day of
the week, he comes through the locked doors, and he offers his Easter gift of “peace,” which
fills the disciples with “joy.” Then he says, “As the Father has sent me, so I send you” (Jn
20:21). He breathes on them and says, “Receive the Holy Spirit, whose sins you forgive, they
are forgiven; whose sins you retain, they are retained” (Jn 20:22-23). Filled with the Spirit,
Jesus‟ disciples extend his reconciling and empowering mission. And we are part of it.

Etched in the deep memory of Marianists is the story, also from the Gospel of John, about the
wedding feast at Cana in Galilee. It puts a Marianist twist on this theme of mission and forms
a central part of our religious patrimony. In the dining room of the regional house in Nairobi,
Kenya, there was a large banner, made by Brother Fred Silbereis. It had a silhouette of Father
Chaminade and another symbol or two. Across the center of the banner were the words, “You
are all Missionaries.” Now, the words were written in a rather stylized cursive script. Once,
during a come and see program, a young Kenyan misread the script and said, “You are all
millionaires.” Needless to say, he was one of the first to submit his application. “You are all
missionaries,” “do whatever he tells you,” “the director who never dies”—all phrases that are
deep in our collective memory and express what it is we are about as Marianists with a
mission.

The Cana story is told simply enough. You will not only notice there is a time reference to
“the third day” (possibly part of the week-structure of the first chapters of John, as a new
creation is being prepared) but also a clear reference to the third day of the resurrection.
Surprisingly, it is Mary who is first introduced and, in some ways, is the center of the story.
She is the one who has been invited and, in a parenthetical way, Jesus and his disciples also are
included. It is a wedding feast. For those familiar with the deep symbolism of the Hebrew
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Scriptures, the wedding feast is the preeminent symbol
for God‟s relationship with the People of Israel. Now,
“there is no wine”; the feast is in jeopardy; the great
banquet of God‟s relationship with God‟s People is
nearly bankrupt. Something new is needed! For me,
what is significant is that it is Mary who realizes this,
the woman who senses that something is needed. And it
is she who knows where to turn. Despite Jesus‟
seemingly off-putting remark, as he refers for the first
time to “my hour,” she confidently tells the servants to
“do whatever he tells you.”

Six stone water jars, each holding 25 to 30 gallons.
That is a lot of water, but it is even more wine, and
these are filled to the brim. This will yield at least 900
bottles of wine for a little wedding party of maybe 50
people in a small outpost of a town like Cana. We are
not talking here about “just enough” or “cheapy-
cheapy” provisions. We are talking SUPERABUNDANCE, more than could possibly be used,
enough to slake everyone‟s thirst and to fill their joyous hearts to overflowing. It is like the
bread that Jesus later provides to the hungry crowd . . . more than enough; like the gift of
abundant water that he promises to the Samaritan woman at the well; like the gift of life in
abundance the Good Shepherd says is his mission; like the gift of the Spirit he breathes into
them on the night of Easter. This wedding feast is the first great sign Jesus does in the
Gospel, and his disciples begin to believe in him. The last sign, where the Mother of Jesus also
is present and where “water and wine”/“water and blood” are also indicated, is the
superabundant life of the Spirit that Jesus gives on Calvary. It becomes the seventh jar, if you
will, that brings God‟s entire plan and Jesus‟ mission to completion.

In both scenes, Mary is referred to as “Woman,” a reference to the first Woman of Genesis
who became the “mother of all the living.” This role and this title are now conferred upon the
Mother of Jesus, who becomes our Mother and the Mother of all beloved disciples (the
Church) on Calvary. What is important in this story is that Jesus‟ great mission of bringing
God‟s love to the world, a superabundant love that brings Easter peace and joy, is initiated by
Mary. She is the one who bridges the depleted feast with the New Wedding Feast in which
the very best wine is saved until last. It is little wonder that Father Chaminade saw such
apostolic dynamism and missionary potential in this beautiful story which is so much part of
our Marianist heritage.

“Do whatever he tells you.” I remember hearing a Sister of Notre Dame remark after a Mass
in which this Gospel story was read, and about which a very fine homily was given, “So, how
do I know what he is telling me to do?” This touches on our Marianist way of doing
discernment. How do we know what Jesus is telling us to do today? The following elements
suggest themselves.

6 • Marianist Soundings
● Mary is observant; she realizes something is wrong. This is certainly a reference to her
sensitivity, but it also says something about reading events on a deeper level. It is not just that
the party was about to come to an end, embarrassing enough as that would be, but that
something essential was missing. People were “thirsty,” and that which brings joy to the
human heart was about to be finished. We need to be people who are attentive to the world in
which we live, its hopes and dreams and pains and sorrows, as Pope John XXIII said before
the Second Vatican Council. We need to be “plugged in” and to be able to engage the people of
our time with the questions they have, the hopes and fears they harbor, and the deficiencies
and poverty they endure. What we propose must also match the need, for the world in which
we live is the arena for our discernment.

● Mary knows where to turn. Even before Jesus manifested anything about himself or his
mission, she knew. This intimate knowledge came from years and years of living with him,
speaking with him, trusting him, and knowing him in the most intimate way possible. If we
hope to carry out our mission and to discern what it is Jesus is telling us, we have to know
him and spend time with him. The Rule of Life says we spend a generous amount of time each
day, about an hour, in personal prayer. As I look back over so many years of my religious life,
I am ashamed to say that too often the press of the immediate trumped my personal prayer
time. Without prayer, our mission can become MY project, and MY project can become the
all-consuming focus of my life.

● Mary does not try to do it all herself: she turns to others for assistance. She goes to the
servants who know a lot about water and about lifting heavy jars. She says what she says
simply and trustingly. She is not a micromanager, and she also trusts that others have good
ideas on what to do and how to do it. As you know, we have embarked on a significant project
with our Vision 2020 strategic plan. A large part of this plan calls for developing a different
vision of how we do ministry: not “staffing,” “owning,” and “running,” as good and fruitful as
these have been for much of our past. But, given the realities of our life today, we need to
develop an understanding of “sponsorship”: what it means to partner with others and what it
implies to put the name “Marianist” on a building, on a project, on an educational institution,
on a retreat center, or on a parish. Moreover, what does it mean for us to partner with
members of the wider Marianist Family in building a network of sponsored apostolic works?
We cannot do it all alone. Doing it with others, partnering with others, is messier, more time-
consuming, and more demanding. But, it also is enormously fruitful and empowering,
extending our charism and our influence far beyond what we can possibly do by ourselves.
This is a very new vision and a very different way of doing business for the mission.

● Mary uses a very interesting word in directing the servants: “whatever.” When you are
running out of wine, it is not logical to fills jars with water. Normally, you go to a store, an
outlet, or a winery to do the usual thing: you buy more. What Jesus tells them, though, is
unexpected and unusual. And none of them object. “Fill these jars to the brim.” Take
something close at hand, do something very ordinary, and expect the unexpected. Too often,
in thinking about our apostolic lives, we think in usual categories, our usual frames of
reference, and this is perfectly natural and understandable. But, sometimes, we need a “big
project,” something “new,” something that goes beyond what we have known in the past.
Sometimes, it is not so complicated but needs a shift of attitude, a different optic, a change in
coordinates. The development of the Marianist Educational Associates (MEAs) on university
2 0 1 2  7
campuses, the fostering of lay communities of young people, the empowerment of the laity
with whom we minister . . . all of these are simple enough but can fall into the category of
“whatever.” In other words, be open to the new and the unexpected. Blessed Chaminade
reminds us of this: “nova bella elegit Dominus.”

There also are two groups of people in this story: the waiters who do the work and the
disciples of Jesus who are alerted to this manifestation of Jesus‟ glory and begin to believe in
him. There are no solo performers. Even at the end of the story, we are told that the disciples
accompany Jesus, with his mother, back to Capernaum. A little community is being formed
around Jesus and Mary. Too often, perhaps, we live and work as though my time, my
interests, my career plans, my aspirations were of preeminent value. “After much prayer and
discernment, I have decided. . . .” Sadly this often has no reference to my director, my
community, or my fellow brothers in the Province. And, often enough, big decisions and big
choices are made on one‟s own, and the rest are presented with a conclusion, not a question
seeking assistance and insight. If there is one reality about our life as Marianists, a
nonnegotiable about our way of doing discernment, it is that we do it together. The excellent
work done during the process of developing Vision 2020 is testimony to this Marianist way of
doing discernment and mission. We do it together. I have found, in my life in Africa and in my
service to the Province, that when I can listen to the views of others, especially when they are
contrary to something I think is right, the process is inevitably longer and more difficult, but
the end result is better and more fruitful. That is the way we work. That is the way we seek
together to know what it is that Jesus is calling us to today.

When Father Chaminade returned to France after his exile, he requested the title missionary
apostolic. He understood his mission of meeting the religious indifference and problems of his
day with a missionary zeal and a network of Marian apostolic communities. Perhaps, we can
spend time with him, reflecting upon our own missionary zeal, our Province mission, and our
willingness to do “whatever he tells us.”
8 • Marianist Soundings
Pray With Us

Desiderata
by Max Ehrmann

Go placidly amid the noise and haste, and remember
what peace there may be in silence. As far as possible
without surrender be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to
others, even the dull and the ignorant; they too have
their story.

Avoid loud and aggressive persons, they are vexations to the spirit. If you compare yourself
with others, you may become vain and bitter; for always there will be greater and lesser
persons than yourself. Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.

Keep interested in your own career, however humble; it is a real possession in the changing
fortunes of time. Exercise caution in your business affairs; for the world is full of trickery. But
let this not blind you to what virtue there is; many persons strive for high ideals; and
everywhere life is full of heroism.

Be yourself. Especially, do not feign affection. Neither be cynical about love; for in the face of
all aridity and disenchantment it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth. Nurture
strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with dark
imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness. Beyond a wholesome discipline, be
gentle with yourself.

You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be
here. And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore be at peace with God . . . and whatever your labors and aspirations, in the noisy
confusion of life keep peace with your soul.

With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be cheerful. Strive
to be happy.
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The Story of Creation, the Christ
Story, and Our Marianist Story
by Anthony Garascia
S
ince the Apollo Program in the 1960s and early 1970s
we have gotten a unique perspective of our planet we
call Earth.

Never before have we been able to look back at ourselves and see
our planet as a living, interconnected organism. Since the early
space program, and through the launch of satellites like the
Hubble Space Telescope, we have been able to better appreciate
the depth, complexity, and wonder of our universe.

At the same time, and roughly corresponding with the space
program, there has been an ever-growing environmental
movement to protect life on “the big blue marble” we call home.
A year following the first landing on the moon, we celebrated
Anthony Garascia is the the first Earth Day (1970).
past president of the
International The field of climate change emerged in this fifty-year period as
Organization of scientists began to discover that the burning of fossil fuels was
Marianist Lay causing Earth‟s temperature to rise.
Communities and the
Marianist Lay Network While some may dispute the fact of global warming due to the
of North America. He is burning of fossil fuels, global warming is accepted as a proven
also a member of the fact by the majority of scientists worldwide.
Marianist Visitation
State Community.

Tony is a therapist at a
counseling center in
South Bend, Indiana. He
holds a master‟s in
counseling from Indiana
University (South Bend)
and a master‟s in
liturgical studies from
the Catholic University
of America. His
published works
includes Before “I Do”—
a popular marriage
preparation program.
10 • Marianist Soundings