OP_030917

20 | March 9, 2017 | The orland park prairie Faith
opprairie.com
Pastor Column
Journeying through the desert
The Rev. Michael Foley
Our Lady of the Woods
“In choosing a bare
bones existence,
we are enriched,
and can redefine success as
an internal process rather
than an outward display of
wealth and power.” - Kathleen
Norris, “Dakota: A
Spiritual Geography”
One of my favorite writers
— and a person I highly
recommend for those who
seek new perspectives — is
Kathleen Norris.
She is a Christian and
she possesses a poet’s soul.
These two aspects of her
life in dialogue with each
In Memoriam
William L. Anderson
William L. Anderson, 88,
of Orland Park, died March
2. He is survived by his
wife, Marilyn; son, Randy
(JoEllen); grandchildren,
Doug Anderson, Megan
(Craig) Harmon, Tiffany
(Nate) Terry and Reid
(Molly) Anderson; greatgrandchildren
Cooper, Morgan
and Madison Harmon,
Bella Terry, Harper Terry,
Finley Terry, Avery, Riley
and Paisley Anderson; sister,
Phyllis; and nephews,
Michael and William Giambrone.
Visitation was held
at Lawn Funeral Home.
Funeral services were held
at Good Shepherd Lutheran
Church. Entombment
at Bethania Cemetery. In
other often contain great
wisdom. I find her especially
insightful as we deal
with Lent, which in the
calendar of most Christians
already has begun.
In many ways, Lent is
a particularly Christian
experience. Its 40 days are
rooted in the 40 years that
the people of Israel wandered
in the desert and the
40 days the New Testament
tells us Jesus wandered in
the desert at the beginning
of his public ministry.
Other religious traditions
have times which also
offer an extended period of
prayer, fasting and charitable
commitment. Yet, in the
Catholic Church, this time is
forever linked to Easter and
is meant to have something
of a desert feel.
Being is a desert —
whether physical, psychological
or spiritual — can be
a scary place. It is a place
of dryness. It is a place of
struggle. It is a place of feeling
alone.
lieu of flowers, memorials
to St. Jude Children’s Research
Hospital, 262 Danny
Thomas Place, Memphis,
TN, 38105, or to the Alzheimer’s
Association, 225
N. Michigan Ave. Fl. 17,
Chicago, IL, 60601.
Frank J. Braccolino
Frank J. Braccolino,
96, of Orland
Park, died Feb. 26. He
was a United States Army
veteran who served with the
9th Armored Division during
World War II. He is survived
by his childr, Emily (Gary)
Oostman; grandchild, Brian
(Kultra) Oostman; greatgrandchildren,
Jackson and
Luciana Oostman; his brother,
Alphonse (Margaret)
Braccolino. Funeral services
were private.
Joseph J. Smoljan
Joseph J.
Smoljan, 86, formerly
of Orland Park, died
Feb. 25. He was a veteran of
the Korean War. He worked
for more than 30 years as an
installer for Western Electric,
AT&T and Lucent Technologies,
before retiring in 1992.
He graduated from S.S. Peter
& Paul High School in South
Chicago. He is survived by
his wife, Delphine Patricia;
children, Anton, Arthur
(Dianna) and David (Michelle)
Smoljan, and Jennifer
(Moody) Younger; grandchildren,
Aksel, Rachel (Toree)
Sanders and her daughter
Perhaps you have had the
experience of actually being
in a desert; and so you know
that it is important to be
prepared. I remember traveling
through the desert in the
Holy Land and feeling grateful
for the water we carried.
No wonder the Bible is
filled with images of gardens
and greenery, flowing
rivers, and a land of milk
and honey. For the people of
the desert, such images must
have offered great comfort.
And yet there were those
who sought the desert. In
Jesus’ time, the Essenes,
among others, looked for
spiritual insight in the desert.
John the Baptist lived in the
desert. Even today, there
are monasteries that dot the
desert landscapes. And Jesus
chose to enter the desert.
The question is why?
I suggest that the quote
by Kathleen Norris provides
insight as to why we enter
the desert. It is to go inside
of ourselves, to wrestle with
who we are, without the distractions
that so easily come
into our consciousness.
I suggest such is the gift
of the 40 days of Lent. In
many traditions, Lent is a
time of deepening prayer,
more generous almsgiving
and physical discipline,
such as fasting.
Yet, these only are a
means to an end. The real
gift of Lent is venturing into
the desert and having the
courage to face our humanity,
our sinfulness and our
limitations.
Whatever tradition we
are, if we only concentrate
on behaviors we too easily
skim the surface. To go
deeper is what transforms
us. From a Christian perspective,
this journey is one
with and in Jesus, whose
grace transforms us. We
are invited to enter into the
desert.
The opinions of this column are
those of the writer. They do not
necessarily reflect those of The
Orland Park Prairie.
Jaelia, Michael (fiancée Annie
Kinmann), Lindsay, Lauren,
Kaitlyn, Jake, Cole and
Courtney; sisters, Ann Yosue
and Rose Smoljan,; and many
nieces and nephews. Visitation
was held at Shikany’s
Bonita Funeral home in Bonita
Springs, Florida. Funeral
services were held at St. Leo
the Great Catholic Church in
Bonita Spring, Florida. Interment
at Sarasota National
Cemetery. In lieu of flowers,
memorials to avowcares.org.
Have someone’s life you’d
like to honor? Email Assistant
Editor Brittany Kapa at
b.kapa@22ndcenturymedia.
com with information about a
loved one who was a part of the
Orland Park community.
FAITH BRIEFS
Faith United Methodist Church (15101 S.
80th Avenue, Orland Park)
Veteran’s Information
Saturday
Noon-4 p.m. Saturday,
March 18. This meeting is
for veterans and their family
members who are in
need of support groups or
are looking for information
about veteran’s benefits
and services. This event is
hosted by the church’s Veterans
Voices prayer group.
Two guest speakers will
talk about important issues;
Michael LeBuhn will talk
about Post-traumatic stress
disorder, and Sandra Davis
will speak on Agent Orange.
This event is free, but the
a free will offering will be
available for those that wish
to make a donation. A free
lunch will be provided from
noon-1 p.m. For more information,
call Darryl Wertheim
at (708) 444-8560.
Veterans Voices
7 p.m. every third Tuesday
of the month. This is a group
for veterans. For information,
contact Darryl Wertheim at
(708) 923-0021 or Darryl.
wertheim@gmail.com.
Our Lady of the Woods Church (10731 W.
131st, Orland Park)
Eucharistic Adoration
9 a.m.-7 p.m. Fridays.
The church invites all to
spend some quiet time with
the Lord. Eucharistic adoration
will be held in the Day
Church. First hour is vocal
prayer followed by silence.
For more information, contact
the front office at (708)
361-4754.
Christian Reformed Church (7500 W.
Sycamore Dr., Orland Park)
Palm Sunday Choral Cantata
6 p.m. Sunday, April 9.
The church invites all to enjoy
a choir-led service entitled,
“Remember: Where the
Past Ends and Forever Begins.”
Powerful words and
beautiful music will be used
to remember Christ’s sacrifice,
celebrate His triumph
and give Him praise. For
more information, contact
the church office at (708)
532-4900.
St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church
(15050 S. Wolf Road, Orland Park)
A Call to “Reality” Living
Mission
7 p.m. Sunday through
Tuesday, March 12-14.
Mike Patin will present the
parish mission during this
three day event. The media
has presented us with many
television shows that are
deemed, “reality TV”, but
so often these do not reflect
our everyday reality. This
mission aims to show others
how to re-examine aspects of
daily life, and to make room
for the ones who can give us
life. For more information,
call at (708) 460-0042 or
visit sfaorland.org.
Parkview Christian Church (11100 Orland
Parkway, Orland Park)
Parkview Senior Connections
10:45 a.m.-1 p.m. Second
Friday of the month. Join for
a lunch and conversation at
the Orland Park Campus.
Program fee is $10. For more
information or to RSVP, call
(708) 478-7477 ext. 272 or
email merry-o@att.net.
Christ Evangelical Lutheran Church (14700
S. 94th Ave., Orland Park)
Lenten Series: At the
Crossroads
11 a.m. and 7 p.m. Thursdays
in March and April 6.
This series will talk about
God’s presence in the critical
crossroads of life – loss,
transitions, choices, uncertainties
and disappointments.
All are welcome.
AA Meetings
7 p.m. Every Thursday
Have something for Faith
Briefs? Contact Assistant
Editor Brittany Kapa at
b.kapa@22ndcenturymedia.
com or call (708) 326-9170 ext.
11. Information is due by noon
on Thursdays one week prior to
publication.