the new st. ann church in effingham is dedicated - The Leaven

Listen, Pray, Loveby Gerald SchiffhorstImagine yourself in a subway stationat rush hour. As you’re hurryingto <strong>the</strong> trains along with everybodyelse, a young man is playinga beautiful melody on his violin.Would you stop to listen?If you k<strong>new</strong> beforehand that <strong>the</strong>young man was <strong>the</strong> world-famous violinistJoshua Bell and that <strong>the</strong> violin he wasplaying was a Stradivarius valued at $3.5million, would you stop and listen <strong>the</strong>n?You may think that if a master violinistwere playing a classical masterpiece on apriceless violin, everybody would notice.But when <strong>the</strong> Washington Post staged thisexact experiment in a Washington,D.C., Metro stationin January 2007, thousandsrushed past Mr. Bell. Only sixpeople stopped to listen.If <strong>the</strong> transcendent beautyof <strong>the</strong> music offered to commutersthat morning is asymbol of a divine momentbreaking into our world andbeing ignored, it’s easy to seehow disconnected we’ve become from <strong>the</strong>present. The here and now has almost nopower to hold us. Each of us is hurtling on<strong>the</strong> subway of our daily routine toward afuture of more appointments, obligations,and distracted busyness.How busy we can become, how preoccupiedwith ourselves and disconnectedfrom one ano<strong>the</strong>r — and from God. Howcan we be prayerful or pursue anythingresembling spirituality if we are so overbookedwe have no time for <strong>the</strong> reality of<strong>the</strong> present moment?Listeningto o<strong>the</strong>rsThe problem of not listening well isfound in all walks of life. Health professionalsare rarely taught to listen to patients,and many teachers struggle to listento <strong>the</strong>ir students amid <strong>the</strong> competingbusyness of <strong>the</strong> classroom. Models of genuinelistening are rare in <strong>the</strong> media: punditson TV <strong>new</strong>s shows tend to fire questionsat guests and interrupt <strong>the</strong>ir answersbefore <strong>the</strong>ir commercial sponsors interrupt<strong>the</strong>m. In social settings, people oftenGerald J. Schiffhorst,professor emeritus ofEnglish at <strong>the</strong> Universityof Central Florida,is <strong>the</strong> author of severalbooks and numerousarticles on literatureand spirituality.seem to be listening, but most tend to beso anxious to find an opening to speak that<strong>the</strong>y’re not really listening at all.Genuine listening requires <strong>the</strong> virtueof patience and <strong>the</strong> ability to slow down<strong>the</strong> rush of our thoughts so we can pay fullattention to ano<strong>the</strong>r, knowing our turn torespond will come. This type of listening ishard and takes practice, so it’s not a habitmany people develop.Giving full attention to<strong>the</strong> ideas and concerns ofano<strong>the</strong>r person is a form oflove, a source of happiness,a type of prayer. It requireswhat Jesus emphasized in<strong>the</strong> first beatitude: povertyof spirit. “Blessed are <strong>the</strong>poor in spirit” reveals thatemptying ourselves of ego byputting our own needs aside is <strong>the</strong> essenceof love. This is what we do when we devotetime to ano<strong>the</strong>r so that we can understandthat person by listening deeply tohim or her: We show that person our love.Real listeners are people who havelearned to overcome <strong>the</strong> fear we all havethat we won’t “get our oar in” <strong>the</strong> conversationor that we must keep one eye on<strong>the</strong> person talking and one on <strong>the</strong> clockso we can make our next appointment.But to listen well, we have to respect <strong>the</strong>o<strong>the</strong>r person in a two-way conversation;we have to look at <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r person as ifhe or she were <strong>the</strong> only o<strong>the</strong>r person onEarth. In taking time to draw o<strong>the</strong>rs out,we make <strong>the</strong>m feel we understand who<strong>the</strong>y really are. Isn’t this what we all seek:to be known for who we are, to be loved?Some years ago my wife Lynn and Ilearned a simple strategy we still use whenthorny issues arise in our marriage: We setaside a period when both of us can disconnectfrom <strong>the</strong> outside world, sit side byside, and face each o<strong>the</strong>r. Each of us <strong>the</strong>ntakes whatever time we need to talk while<strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r listens, not interrupting (unlessto ask for clarification). Then <strong>the</strong> roles arereversed.When we have shared this listeningstrategy with o<strong>the</strong>rs, <strong>the</strong>y are invariablyamazed at how easy it is to use twenty orthirty minutes of real communication toclear <strong>the</strong> air when misunderstandings occur.To know you can speak without interruptionfor a set period means you mightactually be heard.Listeningto GodWe listen best to those we know, andwe get to know <strong>the</strong>m by listening to <strong>the</strong>m.If we learn to give loving attention to o<strong>the</strong>rs,this habit of listening can carry overto our relationship with God. Listeningdeeply to a friend or family member is oneof <strong>the</strong> many ways of encountering God.Two of <strong>the</strong> more traditional ways of listeningto God come from <strong>the</strong> monastic tradition.The first uses <strong>the</strong> wordless prayerof contemplation. Thomas Merton calledcontemplation “listening in silence.” Whatare we listening for? The Catholic mysticaltradition would respond: We hear <strong>the</strong>voice of God that comes as a wordless invitationto be in his presence. The scripturalbasis for such contemplative prayeris <strong>the</strong> example of Jesus, who often fled to<strong>the</strong> mountains to be alone in <strong>the</strong> silence ofGod and who advised us, “When you pray,go to your inner room, close <strong>the</strong> door, andpray to your Fa<strong>the</strong>r in secret” (Mt 6:6).The second tradition is <strong>the</strong> ancientprayer practice of lectio divina (sacredreading), in which we read a line of Scriptureand reflect on God’s invitation tolisten to his word. Fundamental to thispractice is silence. The body is still, <strong>the</strong>mind is quiet, limited to turning over <strong>the</strong>scriptural word or words until we let goof all words and enjoy resting silently in<strong>the</strong> presence of God. In “New Seeds ofContemplation,” Merton says that prayerusually begins as petition but ends in <strong>the</strong>wordless contemplation of God, who is beyondall language and knowing.When asked why he used parables inhis preaching, Jesus responded that manypeople “look but do not see, and hear butdo not listen or understand” (Mt 13:13).Frustrated by many people’s lack of attention,more than once Jesus said, “Whoeverhas ears to hear ought to hear” (Mk 4:9).The Gospels contain numerous variationson this imperative to pay attention.The repeated use of “behold” often seemsto be a call to stop and listen: Somethingimportant is about to happen. So, too, <strong>the</strong>influential Rule of St. Benedict, fa<strong>the</strong>r ofWestern monasticism, begins with <strong>the</strong>word “Listen!” The way to make listeningprayerful, writes <strong>the</strong> contemporaryBenedictine monk David Steindl-Rast in“Listening Heart,” is to let go of self and beaware of God.An act of loveMany people beginning <strong>the</strong>ir exposureto this type of prayer often see silence asemptiness or absence; in fact, contemplativesilence evokes presence. Words don’tlast, but silence does. Ordinarily, silencemeans being quiet and passive. But sacredsilence is active. Of course, our attentionto <strong>the</strong> silence, our awareness of it, makesit prayerful, just as we have to be attentiveto those we listen to.One way to define prayer is to thinkof it as total attention. Giving a friendfull attention takes effort; giving attentionto prayer is even more demanding.As Steindl-Rast points out, listening to afriend requires <strong>the</strong> gift of our presence; itmeans suspending our preoccupations sowe can be fully present to ano<strong>the</strong>r. To givesomeone else attention is an act of love.So, too, with prayer: We give up our egofor a time, losing ourselves and resting inGod. Our silent attention to God is an actof love; God’s silent presence with us is aneven more beautiful act of love. This is <strong>the</strong>goal of contemplative prayer, which takesplace wordlessly in our hearts. To be in<strong>the</strong> timeless present of contemplation isto be in God’s time.Most of <strong>the</strong> people who attend my retreatson contemplative prayer want atime to be quiet, slow down, and pay attentionto <strong>the</strong> here and now. They learn thatprayer is much more than asking God forhelp with problems; it is about asking tobe in God’s presence by being fully awareof <strong>the</strong> here and now. The most rewardingand powerful way of praying is simply listeningto <strong>the</strong> gentle whisper of God thatElijah heard. (See 1 Kgs 19:11–13.)God speaks to us every day. To hear hisvoice, we have to climb out of <strong>the</strong> darksubway of our tightly scheduled lives andsilently enter <strong>the</strong> light of God’s present reality.Since <strong>the</strong> voice of God comes in unexpectedways that don’t always involvewords, we have to be open to it in <strong>the</strong> contemplativelistening of silence or in <strong>the</strong>voices of those we love.From <strong>the</strong> November 2010 issue of Liguorianmagazine. Reprinted with permissionof Liguorian magazine. For subscriptioninformation, visit its Web site at:www. liguorian. org.“Giving fullattention to<strong>the</strong> ideas andconcerns ofano<strong>the</strong>rperson is aform of love,a source ofhappiness,a type ofprayer.”

14 COMMENTARY THE LEAVEN • december 10, 2010Catholic Press AssociationAward Winner1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998,1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004,2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010Quote of <strong>the</strong>Week“[Building <strong>the</strong> <strong>new</strong>church] united us. Itappears to me that nowwe have more vitalityin <strong>the</strong> parish. I’m totallyimpressed with <strong>the</strong>younger people, how<strong>the</strong>y grabbed ahold ofthis project. I’ve beenhere 77 years, and I feelgood about our parish.I’m impressed withwhere we’re going.”Gene Hegarty ,parishioner of St. Ann, EffinghamSee story on page 1third Week of adventDec. 12third SUNDAY OF ADVENTIs 35: 1-6a, 10; Ps 146: 6-10; Jas 5: 7-10;Mt 11: 2-11Dec. 13Lucy, virgin, martyrNm 24: 2-7, 15-17a; Ps 25: 4-9; Mt 21: 23-27Dec. 14John of <strong>the</strong> Cross, priest,doctor of <strong>the</strong> churchZep 3: 1-2, 9-13; Ps 34: 2-3, 6-7, 17-18, 19, 23;Mt 21: 28-32Dec. 15WednesdayIs 45: 6b-8, 18, 21b-25; Ps 85: 9-14;Lk 7: 18b-23Dec. 16ThursdayIs 54: 1-10; Ps 30: 2, 4-6, 11-13; Lk 7: 24-30Dec. 17FridayGn 49: 2, 8-10; Ps 72: 3-4, 7-8, 17; Mt 1: 1-17Dec. 18SaturdayJer 23: 5-8; Ps 72: 1, 12-13, 18-19; Mt 1: 18-25Idon’t want to brag, but Imay be single-handedlykeeping <strong>the</strong> coffers of <strong>the</strong>3M Company overflowing.You see, I’m one of its bestcustomers when it comesto Post-It notes.And, deep down, I’m wondering ifFa<strong>the</strong>r James Martin, SJ, isn’t secretly on<strong>the</strong> 3M payroll. I say that because oneplace where I use Post-It notes is to markmemorable passages in <strong>the</strong> books I read.The latest one by Fa<strong>the</strong>r Jim, entitled“The Jesuit Guide to (Almost) Everything”(HarperOne, 2010; 420 pgs.;$25.99), is so good it’s put a huge dentin my Post-It inventory.Every holiday season, I recommenda few books that have grabbed my attention.If you’re still searching for thatspecial something to give someone onyour list — something that will make animpact long after <strong>the</strong> eggnog is gone and<strong>the</strong> Christmas tree is discarded — checkout <strong>the</strong>se titles.Fa<strong>the</strong>r Jim’s leads <strong>the</strong> pack. Subtitled“A Spirituality for Real Life,” his bookprovides “a friendly introduction for<strong>the</strong> general reader” to <strong>the</strong> spirituality ofSt. Ignatius Loyola and shows “how tofind God in everything and everythingin God.” Fa<strong>the</strong>r Jim writes with clarity,honesty and humor. Everyone, from abeginning pray-er to a seasoned pro, willfind much food for thought here.Since many people feel <strong>the</strong>y’re toobusy to read, especially “dry and boring”spiritual books, <strong>the</strong>se next two willprove <strong>the</strong>m wrong. “Reflections for BusyPeople: Making Time for Ourselves,Jesus, and God,” (Paulist Press, 2009;126 pgs.; $14.95) is written by a formerteacher of mine, Jesuit Fa<strong>the</strong>r GeraldO’Collins. Through short, two-to-threeThe 50 or 60 women in<strong>the</strong> room looked likemost women you wouldmeet anywhere on a givenday in <strong>the</strong> grocery store,<strong>the</strong> elementary schoolparking lot or <strong>the</strong> coffeeshop.Representingages 17 to 70 andattractively dressed,<strong>the</strong>y helped <strong>the</strong>mselvesto coffee andthird sunday ofadventMt 11: 2-11doughnuts and chatted about <strong>the</strong>irday-to-day activities <strong>the</strong> way mostwomen would at a genteel Saturdaymorning ga<strong>the</strong>ring.But as soon as <strong>the</strong> retreat beganand each woman came to <strong>the</strong> microphone,<strong>the</strong> veneer of gentility quicklydissolved and <strong>the</strong> ordinariness becameextraordinary. Story after emotionalstory poured forth — personalaccounts of <strong>the</strong>ir life experiences —revealing a depth and magnificenceof God’s power and presence that fewobservers would have guessed merelyMark my wordsThese books will really stick with youpage essays, he helps readers exami<strong>new</strong>hat it is to be human, how Jesusimpacts and influences us in this life,and ways to prepare for our final moveto be with God in eternity. Each entrycan easily be read while waiting for <strong>the</strong>coffee to brew or before drifting off tosleep at night.The second work — “Moment by Moment”(Ave Mara Press, 2000; 96 pgs.;$13.95) by Carol Ann Smith, SHCJ, andEugene F. Merz, SJ — is “a retreat ineveryday life.” This wonderfully simplework provides readers with 32 “moments”for prayer. Each contains Scripturepassages to meditate on, questionsto pray about, a practical action, andan examen prayer to say at <strong>the</strong> end of<strong>the</strong> day. The book helps readers “attendmore deliberately to <strong>the</strong> gift of life andto choose to reorient our lives to God inways that make <strong>the</strong>m more meaningful”and to “pause in <strong>the</strong> midst of any busytime in order to be aware of yourself,your desires, your longings.”A <strong>new</strong> year is a time for resolutions.Author James L. Papandrea asks: Doyou feel your life is fragmented, disorganized,chaotic, too fast-paced? If so, hispractical workbook will remedy <strong>the</strong> situationand bring life back into harmony.“Spiritual Blueprint: How We Live,Work, Love, Play and Pray” (Liguori,2010; 144 pgs.; $16.99) leads readers toexamine and write about (right <strong>the</strong>re in<strong>the</strong> book) <strong>the</strong> five “homes” of <strong>the</strong>ir life— body, hands, heart, mind and spirit.Its very accessible style encourages readersto see which of <strong>the</strong>ir “homes” need<strong>the</strong> gospel truthAdvent is really about surprises“They willsee <strong>the</strong> gloryof <strong>the</strong> Lord,<strong>the</strong> splendorof our God.”— Is 35:2moments before.In <strong>the</strong> first readingfor this week,<strong>the</strong> prophet Isaiahdescribes an unbelievablesight: <strong>the</strong>desert blooming with“abundant flowers,” itsdesolate silence breakingforth into “joyful song.” James’epistle offers <strong>the</strong> image of a tilledbut barren field waiting for fruitfulnessthat is all but invisible. Andsomewhere in <strong>the</strong> wilderness, a fiery,eccentric-looking preacher prepares<strong>the</strong> way for <strong>the</strong> Lord, who, at <strong>the</strong> time,to be rebuilt, remodeled, redecorated orsimply appreciated and savored.Our primary spiritual book should, ofcourse, be <strong>the</strong> Bible. However, it can beintimidating. These last two works canhelp make <strong>the</strong> Scriptures a better sourcefor guidance and prayer.For many people, <strong>the</strong> Old Testamentis a great mystery and how it fits into ourChristian life can sometimes be underappreciated.Mary Katharine Deeleyadmirably deals with this in “Mo<strong>the</strong>rs,Lovers, Priests, Prophets, and Kings”(Liguori, 2010; 120 pges.; $10.99).Subtitled “What <strong>the</strong> Old Testament TellsUs About God and Ourselves,” this booklooks at a number of Old Testamentfigures — like Jeremiah, “<strong>the</strong> prophetwho got a message from God in an artstudio” — and helps readers understand<strong>the</strong>m better. For each character, Deeleypresents a short passage of Scripture,gives its backstory, explains its meaningin everyday life, suggests reflectionquestions and closes with a prayer basedon <strong>the</strong> person being explored. It’s highlyreadable and makes <strong>the</strong> Old Testamentcome alive.Finally, Paulist Press recently published“The Catholic Prayer Bible”($29.95). Billed <strong>the</strong> “Lectio Divina Edition,”almost every page helps readers topray better by means of a little box off to<strong>the</strong> side of <strong>the</strong> Bible verses. The box containsa short explanation of <strong>the</strong> verses,gives readers an idea to reflect on, presentsa short prayer, and concludes withsome action step. It links reading <strong>the</strong>Scriptures with living out our faith.God wants to be a vital force in ourlives. These books can open up ourhearts, in <strong>the</strong> midst of busy lives, to giveGod that opportunity.Incidentally, if you do give any of<strong>the</strong>se books as a gift, don’t forget to alsoinclude plenty of Post-It notes.was walking among <strong>the</strong> people, stillunrecognized.During <strong>the</strong> season of Advent, becausemost of us know what’s coming— <strong>the</strong> birth of Jesus at Christmas —we “over-anticipate” and look for <strong>the</strong>Lord’s appearance in all <strong>the</strong> expectedways and places. Despite <strong>the</strong> obviousliturgical shift from green to purple,we still can feel like we’re in “ordinarytime.”But Advent is really aboutsurprises, about seeing <strong>the</strong>magnificence of God breakingforth in <strong>the</strong> unexpected,<strong>the</strong> overlooked and <strong>the</strong>hidden. Advent calls us tofine-tune our eyes and earsto <strong>the</strong> “splendor of our God”already in our midst — and<strong>the</strong>n to tell o<strong>the</strong>rs what wehave seen.ship throughout <strong>the</strong> process. He saidthat Catholics build <strong>the</strong>ir churches andmake <strong>the</strong>m places of great beauty, notto glorify <strong>the</strong>mselves, but to be imperfectexpressions of <strong>the</strong>ir love for God.“We believe our churches are madevery special by <strong>the</strong> One who makes himselfpresent here in <strong>the</strong> Eucharist,” said<strong>the</strong> archbishop, “<strong>the</strong> same one John[<strong>the</strong> Baptist] prophesied about, who weare unworthy to hold his sandals and bein his presence.“But he makes himself present hereuniquely in <strong>the</strong> Eucharist to us, as wellas in <strong>the</strong> proclamation of <strong>the</strong> word ofGod.”After <strong>the</strong> homily, <strong>the</strong> archbishopoffered <strong>the</strong> prayers of dedication, incensed<strong>the</strong> altar and <strong>the</strong>n anointed itwith sacred chrism. The walls werealso anointed. Afterward, <strong>the</strong> churchlights were turned on and <strong>the</strong> altar wasdressed.Archbishop Naumann greeted parishionersat <strong>the</strong> end of Mass, whichwas followed by a catered pulled porkdinner in <strong>the</strong> parish hall.The <strong>new</strong> church was built on <strong>the</strong> siteof <strong>the</strong> old church. And although it isn’ta copy, it has an updated but traditionaldesign that echoes <strong>the</strong> older structure.The rectangular structure has a footprintof about 60 by 110 feet. It has a75-foot bell tower, slightly shorter than<strong>the</strong> 1897 church. The bell is <strong>the</strong> onlyobject that survived <strong>the</strong> 2008 fire intact.The exterior is red brick with beigecast-stone highlights. The design has amixture of Gothic and Romanesque elements.The roof is dark gray asphaltcomposite.The 8,700-square-foot interior hasa spacious nar<strong>the</strong>x (ga<strong>the</strong>ring space)that features an off-white ceramic tilefloor with an inlaid dark brown/red,polished cross.The 240-seat sanctuary has a bluecarpet and white walls. The pews areTHE LEAVEN • december 10, 2010dark brown oak. There is a choir loft,with rounded windows overlooking <strong>the</strong>nar<strong>the</strong>x. The ca<strong>the</strong>dral roof features exposedwooden box-beams with arches,to echo <strong>the</strong> windows and o<strong>the</strong>r designelements.The altar area has blue walls and amaroon reredos, upon which a largebeige wooden crucifix is mounted. Thealtar is handicapped accessible via aramp behind <strong>the</strong> reredos. The altar featuresstatues of St. Joseph and St. Mary.A statue of St. Ann and <strong>the</strong> Virgin MaryDon & Kathy MayerYour Catholic connectionto residential real estate.local <strong>new</strong>sBeautiful <strong>new</strong> sanctuary an expression of <strong>the</strong> priority of faithContinued from page 1Leaven photo by Joe BolligArchbishop Naumann offered a prayer before receiving <strong>the</strong> church key, which he in turn gave topastor Fa<strong>the</strong>r Benjamin Tremmel, OSB, to unlock <strong>the</strong> doors. In his homily, <strong>the</strong> archbishop said Catholicsmake <strong>the</strong>ir churches beautiful as an expression of <strong>the</strong>ir love for God and <strong>the</strong> priority of faith.K E A T I N GM u d J a c k i n gS e r v i n g N E K a n s a s S i n c e 1 9 7 6FOUNDATION REPAIRCracked • Bowed • Settled Wall Repairv Wall Bracingv Waterproofingv Steel UnderpinningMUD JACKINGRaise & Levelv Patiosv Drivesv Garage Floorsv Slab HousesLocally Owned& OperatedFREE ESTIMATESPiers Driven to Load-BearingStrata or BedrockKansas City Lawrence topeka(913) 262-9352 (785) 865-0006 (785) 246-012815as a child backs a bank of vigil candles.The liturgical furniture is dark oak,with white marble topping <strong>the</strong> altar,ambo, tabernacle and baptismal fount.The floor is off-white ceramic tile withinsets of four-by-four-inch squares ofbrown/red, highly polished granite.The windows are Romanesque, witharched tops. There is one large rosewindow behind <strong>the</strong> altar and 12 in facingrows of six on <strong>the</strong> walls. At <strong>the</strong> timeof <strong>the</strong> dedication, only <strong>the</strong> Sacred Heartrose window and four o<strong>the</strong>r windowswere installed. The remainder will bemade and installed soon by TobiasonStudios of St. Joseph, Mo.The rooms of <strong>the</strong> interior include asmall half-basement storage area, vestingroom, reconciliation room, and amultipurpose area that will serve as acry room, bride’s room, and for eucharisticadoration.An enclosed breezeway connects <strong>the</strong>church with <strong>the</strong> parish hall, for accessduring all kinds of wea<strong>the</strong>r.The general contractor was FreeCountry Design of Atchison; <strong>the</strong> architectwas HTK Architects, PA of OverlandPark.The total cost of construction andfurnishings was approximately $2 million.The parish incurred no debt thanksto insurance on <strong>the</strong> old church, a successfulfundraising campaign, and contributionsfrom people from all faiths in<strong>the</strong> community, as well as <strong>the</strong> archdiocese.The parish has 106 families.Concrete WorkAny type of repair and <strong>new</strong> workDriveways, Walks, PatiosMember of Queen of <strong>the</strong> Holy Rosary ParishHarvey M. Kascht (913) 262-1555ERA Manning & Associates, Inc.9870 Quivira Rd.Lenexa, KS 66215Office: (913) 754-3106Residence: (913) 492-8649E-Mail: don@dkmayerteam.comWeb Site: www.dkmayerteam.comMultiple listing serviceMLSEach ERA® Office is Independently Owned and Operated