Volume 12

Volume 12, Issue 1

January 2008

TAU CROSS REGION

The Newsletter of the Secular Franciscan Order for The Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, Nassau and Suffolk Counties, New York

ALL ALWAYS SEEMS TO BE A BUSY TIME OF YEAR FOR ME, AND THIS YEAR WAS NO EXCEPTION. THE NAFRA MEETING WAS HELD THE FIRST WEEK IN October, (most of the time it is at the end of October) at the Shrine of Our Lady of Snows, in Belleville, IL. This meant the national fraternity was together for the Transitus and the Feast Day, an unusual occurrence. We drove to St. Louis, (just across the Mississippi River) to St. Anthony of Padua Church for a wonderful Transitus service with Friars, Poor Clares and many local Seculars. The Feast Day Mass was at St. Joseph’s Shrine in St Louis where the annual memorial service for our members who have died during the year took place.

The work of the meeting concerned two main items. The Apostolic Commissions (Peace and Justice, Ecology, Family, and Work) structure as we know them have been done away with. In their place a JPIC (justice, peace, integrity of creation) Commission will be formed. The need for the commissions and their effectiveness, had been discussed for several years, and a committee had been appointed to recommend the necessary changes. This new form of highlighting ways to live the Rule will focus on the whole Rule, not just parts of it.

A Franciscan Advocacy Network (FAN) is being formed by the Franciscan Family in the United States, and at the NAFRA meeting we voted for the SFO to

join FAN. This is an opportunity for the seculars to be part of the forming members of FAN, and take our place with the other orders. This group will be centered in Washington, D.C. and will advocate for Franciscan and Catholic values in a broad range of government programs and legislative issues. Membership in FAN requires financial support. In 2008, $4000 has been budgeted for FAN, and NAFRA is asking for voluntary contributions from the regions of $1 per member to raise a total of $15,000. In 2009, the Fair Share the region sends to NAFRA will increase $2, - $1 to cover increasing NAFRA costs, and $1 for FAN. Our council has discussed this and we think our treasury will be sufficient to absorb this increase, if every fraternity pays their Fair Share.

Last year NAFRA passed an amendment to the National Statues, Article 18, # 13: Affiliation with a local fraternity. This concerns those who without joining the SFO, want to participate in its life and activities (GC.Art.53.5 and 103.1). This article is on hold for the time being while clarification of exactly what it means and what was understood it meant when it was passed is worked out. Meanwhile continue to be welcoming and hospitable to visitors to your fraternities.

In other business, Tau Cross Region contributed $1074.91 to the Youth Commission’s H20 Lenten project for clean water. This was the 3^rd highest regional donation, 10 fraternities and 2 individuals from the region participated.

Fraternity. Although her own family is grown now, Irene continues to serve others including her Franciscan family. Jim Abercromby received the Peace Award for his ongoing care and concern for the poor and the many apostolic works he does for the less fortunate. Jim is a member of Cure of Ars Fraternity. The awards were given out at our Fall Gathering, on Oct. 22.

75 of our brothers and sisters attended a celebration for the 8^th centenary of St. Elizabeth of Hungary, our Patroness, at St. Anne Church in the Bronx on Nov.17^th. Fr. Brendan Connelly, OFM, celebrated Mass, Sr. Margaret Holden, SFP, gave a reflection on St. Elizabeth in today’s world, which was followed by dinner. Thanks to the Poor Clare Fraternity for volunteering to do the clean up. Many thanks to David Burger, SFO, from Immaculate Conception Fraternity who organized the day and for his generosity in doing so. †

Pauline DiCicco, Vice Minister: (631) 423-7431; email dicicco1@optonline.net

Fr Matthias Wesnofske OFM Cap: (212) 564-9070 ext 244; email Mwesnof1@aol.com

HUMILITY

S POLITICAL CANDIDATES ARE PROCLAIMING THEIR VIRTUES AND TALENTS DURING THE PRIMARIES, LET US consider humility. HUMILITY is not a popular subject for consideration, not only among politicians, but also among ourselves as followers of the Little Poor Man., the Poverello.

Once again, as the Regional Spiritual Assistant, I feel I can best serve the Region by speaking of spiritual things, and the spiritual and the temporal, the worldly, the secular, rub shoulders. This is true with regard to the proper conduct of the Order and the virtue of humility. We need Ministers and Councils, we need the sharing of ideas, we need formation, we need laws and regulations, Rules and Constitutions. But so often a lot of time is spent at the Regional Executive Council Meetings discussing problems in fraternities that arise because of the lack of humility. Fraternities know the rules and regulations, but there is a spiritual element missing. We are aware of conflicts and dissension, disputes and uncharitableness, results, (obvious to the outside observer) from a lack of genuine humility.

There is a section in the formation book, “Imitating the Life of St. Francis” (page 155), which I think is important. The authors clearly make the distinction between self-hate and a lack of self worth, which can lead to emotional sickness, and the genuine humility as expressed by Jesus Christ and Francis of Assisi. Humility is truth. Humility is honesty. The lack of humility, which we sometimes see manifested in our fraternities, is that which says, “My talents are mine. I will show them off, and take the credit. My ideas are important; my preferences must be respected; my ideas are not to be questioned.” The tragedy of so many good people is the infection of pride that runs through their whole lives. One can also be proud of the holiest things such as prayer and kindness. One can even be proud of humility. Oftentimes members will not accept the decisions of others, will be so stubborn and become blind to the opinion of others, not even allowing another to speak. Some feel they have all the answers to all the problems of the world. Some have their particular apostolate or their favorite devotion and feel that everyone should have the same enthusiasm for that apostolate or devotion. Some might feel that if they give in to someone else’s ideas they have lost the game or contest.

Humility and poverty are connected. According to Pope Benedict, the Third Order is particularly called upon today to master the tension between owning and living as if owning nothing. The Third Order is called to a poverty of spirit. Humility is poverty of spirit. The love of littleness, to be minor, is true and genuine poverty. Humility is perfect poverty. Humility is counter-cultural.

St. Francis speaks of humility with regard to superiors as ministers. Ministers are to be feet washers. With regard to education, we are to know self first of all, with honesty. In warnings against self complacency, we are not to glory in the virtues and graces one might possess. Virtues and graces should be manifested in deeds and not in words. Simplicity and obedience are the products of humility. The ideal of Franciscan obedience would be superiors and subjects in humble contention for the last place and united in rivalry by the bond of fraternal love.

Finally, growth in humility will make the Order stronger, more spiritual and a greater sign of love, joy and peace in our society. †

RANCISCAN FORMATION IS THAT PROCESS OF GIVING SHAPE TO AND BUILDING UP OUR VOCATION AS SECULAR FRANCISCANS. THIS FORMATION NEVER ENDS—IT IS A LIFELONG process. Our FRANCISCAN FORMATION DIRECTOR is the Holy Spirit. In addition, each fraternity has a FRATERNITY FORMATION DIRECTOR, who was elected to the fraternity council to direct the process of formation in that fraternity. This is for those who are just beginning the process ("initial formation") and for those who have already been professed ("ongoing formation"). While the Formation Director has the overall responsibility, anyone who assists in the formation process—either initial or ongoing—is called a FORMATOR. It is helpful to rotate the role of Formator for ongoing formation at each fraternity gathering. In this way, the brothers and sisters grow by sharing the responsibility.

The comments above apply to our monthly fraternity gatherings, where ongoing formation is carried on. Most fraternities either have a person give a talk on Franciscan spirituality, or they read together from a text (for example To Live As Francis Lived or Pick More Daisies). In either situation, this is followed by discussion in which each brother and sister is invited to share.

All of the above could be considered our “formal” ongoing formation. But did you ever consider that whenever we gather together as Secular Franciscan brothers and sisters, we are in the process of ongoing formation? In addition to our monthly fraternity gatherings, there are many opportunities available, such as:

gatherings of several fraternities [check the Calendar of Upcoming Events below to see some of these opportunities]

Regional gatherings – our annual Chapter every April at St Adlabert’s in Elmhurst and the Fall Regional Gathering every October at St Joseph’s in Babylon. [See the report on this year’s Fall Gathering below.]

Franciscan Retreats and workshops - we offer a Regional Retreat at Cormaria every April; in addition, we publicize other Franciscan opportunities. [See Calendar of Upcoming Events below.]

gatherings involving Seculars from several regions [See announcement of FLIC below.]

National gatherings, such as the Quinquennial Congress—a gathering of Seculars from throughout the US, held every 5 years. This year it was held in Pittsburgh. [A report was given at our Fall Regional Gathering by those who attended.]

A final note: Do you realize that each one of is called to be a Formator? At the monthly gatherings, we help form each other by sharing our own spiritual journey. In addition, when we attend gatherings such as those mentioned above, we are being formed—and we are also given the opportunity (and the responsibility) of bringing back to our brothers and sisters some of what we received. We can’t keep it to ourselves! If you are good at taking notes and writing up your experiences at these events, you can assume the role of Formator by writing a few paragraphs for your Fraternity Newsletter and the Regional Newsletter. In that way, we share our ongoing formation with each other. †

On October 6, in The Bronx, Anthony Picorelli and Michael Sharkey were admitted into Poor Clare Fraternity. Dorothy Madden, Minister, presided; Fr James Villa was Friar Witness.

On October 22, in Elmhurst, Kathryn Cudd was admitted to St Adalbert Fraternity. Connie Watz, Minister, presided. Rev Paul Miskiewicz, OFM Conv, was Friar Witness.

On September 8, in The Bronx, Philomena Joseph, Annie Kandakuzarn, Filomina Onappe, Jossey Paily, George Patteril and Joseph Thottuvalil were professed into St Thomas (em) Fraternity. Barbara O’Neill, Regional Minister, presided. Fr Matthias Wesnofske OFM Cap was Friar Witness.

On September 16, in East Islip, Bernice Panzer was professed into Il Poverello Fraternity. Karen Marzovilla presided. Fr Matthias Wesnofske OFM Cap was Friar Witness.

On September 21, in St James, Barbara Consorte was professed into Blessed John XXIII Fraternity. Elizabeth Wittish, Minister presided. Fr Matthias Wesnofske OFM Cap was Friar Witness

On October 21, in Babylon, Carl D’Angelo was professed into St Agnes of Assisi Fraternity. Al Rocco, Minister presided. Fr Joseph Arevalo witnessed.

On October 28, in The Bronx, Brian Gallagher was admitted to St Barnabas Fraternity. Kathleen McElligott, Minister, presided. Rev Matthias Wesnofske OFM Cap and Bro Salvatore Patricola OFM Cap were Friar Witnesses.

· September 29: Canticle Series, topic “Franciscan Spirituality” presented by Brother Ed Bacon OSF, at Mount Alvernia, Centerport

· October 13: Day of Recollection, sponsored by Our Lady Queen of Angels Fraternity, at Cenacle Retreat House, Ronkonkoma

· November 16-18: Franciscan Retreat at Bishop Molloy Retreat House, Jamaica, attended by 22 Seculars and 4 Franciscan Brothers; the Retreat Master was Fr James Gavin OFM Cap.

· November 17, Celebration of Feast of St Elizabeth of Hungary: brothers and sisters from 3 fraternities gathered for Mass at St Anne Church in The Bronx while 10 brothers and sisters gathered at St Elizabeth of Hungary Church, Melville, for Evening Prayer and Mass.

· SFO Brunch: third Tuesday of each month at 11:45 am at the Premier Diner, Commack Road. Seculars from several fraternities gather to promote a fraternal bond between our SFO fraternities on Long Island. We talk about Franciscan subjects with brothers and sisters - we're not afraid to speak about spiritual things in public; a grand time is had by all. Contact Frank Harnos (631) 499-0074 for directions.

· Epiphany Party: January 4, 2008, at St Joseph’s Meeting Room, Hewlett, 7:30 pm, sponsored by Blessed Raymond Lull Fraternity. Call Augusta VanDuzen (917) 539-0384

· “Christ in the City”, Retreats at Church of St John the Baptist, 210 West 31^st Street, NYC: Saturdays 4-10PM: Jan 19 (Jesus The Word Become Flesh), Feb 9 (Francis of Assisi, Perfect Joy), Mar 8 (Finding God in Stillness and Solitude); contact Brother Salvatore Patricola OFM Cap, (212) 564-9070 ext 247

· The Franciscans Brothers cordially invite members of the Secular Franciscan Order to days of study and prayer at Mount Alvernia, 105 Prospect Road, Centerport, NY 11721. The day begins at 10 am and ends at 3 pm. A donation of $20 is requested. Cold and hot drinks are provided but participants are asked to bring their own lunch. Call (631) 261-5730 for reservations. The following is the schedule for the next few months.

· April 15-17, 2008: Regional Retreat at Cormaria; cost $165, contact Bob Campbell (516) 599-4256

· August 11-15, 2008: FLIC (Franciscans Living In Community) at Mount St Alphonsus, Esopus NY, attended by SFO’s in Our Lady of the Angels, Solanus Casey and Tau Cross Regions. Cost $300. Contact Bob Campbell: (516-599-4256) or email arcyc@aol.com for more information. [Note: This is the successor to SELF.]

· October 2008: Pilgrimage to Assisi & Rome, 10 days; Fr Matthias will be Spiritual Director; more details forthcoming.

he Tau Cross Region held its Fall Regional Gathering on October 27th at St. Joseph's Parish Center in Babylon, NY. The day was a celebration of the 10th Anniversary of the Tau Cross Region, Father Matthias Wesnofske, OFM Cap's 40th Jubilee as a priest, and the Beatification of Blessed Franz Jagerstatter, SFO, on October 26, 2007.

After Morning Prayer, led by Regional Secretary Raymond Clarke, Regional Minister Barbara O'Neill opened the meeting. Barbara noted that with regionalization, fraternities are not so distant and it is possible for fraternities to get together for various programs and activities. She also mentioned that having Father Matthias as our Spiritual Assistant for these 10 years has been a blessing to us all.

Barbara had attended the annual NAFRA Chapter meeting held at Our Lady of Snows Shrine in Belleville, Illinois. She reports:

1. Our region was the third highest contributor to the H20 project during Lent with a donation of $1074.

2. The Apostolic Commissions will be replaced by one Commission. Formerly the four commissions spoke to only one part of ·our SFO Rule, but we Franciscans are called to live the entire Rule. The mission of this new Commission will be the consideration of articles 14-19 in our Rule, and making recommendations. Applications to serve on this Commission will appear in the next issue of TAU-USA.

3. Some fraternities hold meetings in non-Catholic facilities, which necessitates payment of costly liability insurance. NAFRA has now obtained liability insurance to cover this.

4. The Franciscan Action Network has been formed to bring coordinated and effective voice to matters of Justice, Peace and Care for Creation in our world. Advocacy topics will be both international and domestic in scope. The Tau Cross Region officially joined the first week of October. Detailed articles will appear in the Region Newsletter and TAU, USA.

In his homily at Mass, Father Matthias reminded us that we Franciscans are brothers and sisters of penance, that the call to repentance is universal. He spoke of the Quinquennial Congress last July, how inspiring it was to witness the multicultural gathering of Franciscans and to experience the universality of our vocation. Francis, the little poor man and his message attract people all over the world even today. Because he went beyond the walls of Assisi, the Franciscan Order grew and prospered throughout the world. We, too, must spread the message and grow in numbers and diversity.

The recipient of the Regional Family Award was Irene Gerlett of St. Agnes of Assisi Fraternity. Irene, the mother of eight, has been active for 63 years, serving her fraternity,

The recipient of the Regional Peace Award was Jim Abercromby of Cure of Ars Fraternity. Jim's love and compassion for the poor, the needy and victims of disaster have him working tirelessly to collect and distribute what is needed.

At lunch there were two beautifully decorated and delicious cakes for our region's 10th Anniversary and Father Matt's 40th Jubilee. The gathering was hosted by St Agnes of Assisi Fraternity, who are always so warm and welcoming.

In the afternoon, David Burger (Immaculate Conception Fraternity) spoke about the 17th Quinquennial Congress that was held July 3-8 in Pittsburgh, Pa. The theme of the Congress was "Many Cultures through Francis in Christ." The Congress focused on the multicultural aspects of the Secular Franciscan Order in the United States and aimed to raise the level of awareness of the cultural diversity within the Order. The keynote address was led by Fr Eric Law, an Episcopal Priest from the Diocese of Los Angeles. He presented a framework for effective communication. Workshops were conducted by noted speakers and authors - Patti Normile (Care-giving and the Elderly), Ed Shirley (Spirituality in Today's Secular World), Ron Pihokker (Secular Franciscans and the Catechetical Minister), and Javier Orozco (Francis, Divine Providence and our Secular Life). Morning Prayer and daily Mass were celebrated in different Rites and languages—Eastern Rite, Syro-Malabar Rite, Vietnamese, Spanish and Korean. On two evenings, the Festival of Cultures offered a variety of entertainment—music, song, story-telling, video/slide presentations from Native American, Indians, Koreans, Philippinos, Mexicans, Italians, and Vietnamese. The evenings ended with a social where specialty foods from the different countries were shared. It was a wonderful experience to be part of the larger Franciscan Family on the National level. To learn, to share, to pray, to enjoy each other's company—to experience our oneness in diversity through Francis in Christ.

Continuing the experience of the Quinquennial, Joan Geiger (St Michael Fraternity) spoke about respectful communication as presented by Fr Law. Respectful communication guidelines include R—RESPONSIBILITY (Take responsibility for what you say and feel without blaming other); E—EMPATHY (Use empathetic listening); S—SENSITIVE (Be sensitive to different communication styles); P—PONDER (Ponder what you hear and feel before you speak); E—EXAMINE (Examine your own assumptions and perceptions); C—CONFIDENTIALITY (Keep confidentiality); T—TRUST (Trust ambiguity because we are not here to debate who is right or wrong). The Respectful Communication Guidelines were an introduction to Mutual Invitation and small group fraternity sharing. In Mutual Invitation, the group chooses a leader who will share first. That person invites another person to share. Then that person invites another person to share. You do not invite the person next to you as in round-robin order. If a person is not ready to share when invited, s/he can "pass for now" or "pass." This invitation continues until all in the group have been invited to share.

Then we broke into small groups to practice Mutual Invitation by reflecting on our cultural makeup and a scriptural passage. All who participated felt Mutual Invitation was a positive experience and one that could be implemented by their fraternities.

For years, Secular Franciscans from New England, New Jersey, and New York gathered once a year for several days of fraternity (most recently at Mount Alvernia in Wappingers Falls NY and before that at Villa Maria in Stamford CT). These gatherings were known as SELF (Secular Experience of Living Franciscanism). After a few years’ hiatus, SELF is back, but with a new name—FLIC which stands for Franciscans Living In Community. The first FLIC gathering will be held August 11-15, 2008, at Mount St Alphonsus Retreat Center in Esopus NY. The cost is $300.

FLIC is not a retreat – it is a gathering of Secular Franciscans, and you know what that entails: some prayer, some formation, and lots of socializing. It is “family” coming together.

Adoration: Eucharistic Texts and Prayers Throughout Church History. Compiled by Daniel P. Guernsey. Ignatius Press. San Francisco. 1999.

Here’s a book I received as last Christmas. The person who gave me this gift loved it so much that she also gave copies to each member of our Franciscan fraternity. It draws on the deep tradition of the Church to give us instruction and meditations from the early Church Fathers, from many of the saints and from holy men and women, throughout the history of the Church, right up to the present moment. One section contains numerous prayers for our thanksgiving after receiving Communion, and Acts of Spiritual Communion. Some of the prayers may be new to us, others are those very familiar but which we may not have heard in years. Altogether, this is a book to prepare us for devoutly receiving Communion and for Eucharistic Adoration, with themes and thoughts that can inspire us.

Triumph: The Power and the Glory of the Catholic Church. A 2,000-Year History, by H. W. Crocker III. Three Rivers Press, New York. 2001.

This is another gift I received last Christmas. In 21 chapters the author gives us a brief history of the Church, from its beginnings to the papacy of John Paul II. Here’s what Fr. Matthias Wesnofske, OFM Cap., had to say about it:

“The best book I read this past year...Crocker is a Catholic convert from Anglicanism. It is impossible to put 2,000 years of history into one volume of 500 pages, so this book sometimes struggles covering hundreds of years of history and personalities in a few pages...The book will probably not advance the cause of ecumenism; e.g. ‘Calvin, in fact, claimed more power than the pope, and his theocracy applied the death penalty to a far more sweeping definition of heresy than the Church ever had.’ The chapters dealing with Luther, Calvin, Hus, Zwigli, and Henry VIII are probably the most interesting, but the development of philosophies and theologies over the ages and their applications to more recent Communism and Nazism to relativism and secularism today are beneficial for anyone trying to understand why we are in the situation we find ourselves today as Americans and Catholics. I recommend this book. It will excite you, anger you, thrill you, and make you proud and sometimes embarrassed to be Catholic.”

I think that most of us can find in this book things that we didn’t know. We will also find humor, as well as an entertaining style. Certainly we get a lot of information that corrects the record regarding such things as the Inquisition. In all, I think this is a book of Apologetics, which means that it can help us to deal with the things that other people say regarding the Catholic Church.

The Art of Praying: The Principles and Methods of Christian Prayer, by Romano Guardini. Sophia Institute Press, Manchester, NH 1994. (Originally published in 1957)

This book was part of former Regional Minister Bill McVernon’s private collection, which was offered for sale at one of our Regional meetings after his death a few years ago. I bought it because I’d seen so many references to Father Guardini’s work in other writers I respected. I put it on the shelf for a couple of years and when I finally began reading it, I used it as a daily help to better understand the things I need to know and do in order to pray. It has helpful passages that are easy to remember, such as:

“Faith and prayer must persevere together, for faith is not a feeling or experience in its own right but a bridge between the believer and God. This bridge must remain even if the feeling changes or disappears. Indeed, it is the very nature of faith to persevere, for faith is not rooted in emotion but in character, not in experience but in loyalty; in short, not in the changeable but in the constant elements of life.” (P. 167) And...

“When life becomes weak it does not cease to breathe; it continues to the utmost of its capacity, restoring its strength thereby. It is similar with faith: when it weakens, we should pray to the best of our ability, restoring our faith thereby.” (P. 168) And,

There are chapters on such topics as The Reality of God and the Basic Acts of Prayer, The Most Holy Trinity and Prayer, Oral Prayer, Inward or Contemplative Prayer, and Prayer in Times of Incapacity, as well as other subjects.

What We Can’t Not Know: A Guide, by J. Budziszewski. Spence Publishing Company, Dallas. 2003.

The author teaches government and philosophy at the University of Texas. I saw him interviewed about this book on EWTN and I knew I had to read it. It’s not the easiest book to read, and I had to do so slowly. It would be for anyone who is not put off by having to stop and try to noodle out what the writer is trying to say.

The book is particularly important because it aims at bringing to the surface the common sense we all have, but do not take the time to think out. You can call it philosophy, another reason some of us can be put off. But one thing I’ve learned is that we are all exposed to and heavily influenced by bad philosophy, whether or not we want to be. Thus, the reason to be exposed to good philosophy.

The author says, “In this book I hope to achieve two things. The first is to bolster the confidence of plain people in the rational foundations of their common moral sense. This requires not only explaining what these rational foundations are, but also explaining why this common sense is under attack—in particular, explaining how it is even possible for what we all really know to be denied, and why this doesn’t mean that it isn’t really known.” (P. xvi)

The author’s common sense attracts us, as in this comment on the strange opinions and laws about marriage taking hold in society: “Both sexes are needed to raise the child, because the female is better designed for nurture and the male for protection and discipline; both are needed to teach the child, because every young one needs a model of his own sex as well as the other.” (P. 36)

This book teaches us how to think, to test and defend what we think, and to encourage others to think.

Jesus of Nazareth: From the Baptism in the Jordan to the Transfiguration, by Pope Benedict XVI. Doubleday, 2007.

The dust jacket quotes Benedict: “This book is...my personal search ‘for the face of the Lord.’” So many good books are now being written to set the record straight about the Church. This one takes aim at the popular books and media programs about what they call the ‘search for the historical Jesus,’ which wind up with a very different Jesus from the Jesus of our faith.

For example, we hear that Jesus was primarily a social reformer, which has led to many people putting help for the poor above the need for the help of God. Benedict shows how this ‘social gospel’ was really one of the temptations Jesus experienced as He fasted in the desert for 40 days—the temptation to put bread and power ahead of the things of God, and which He rejected.

Again, regarding the third temptation in the desert, in which Satan offers the kingdoms of the world to Christ if He will fall down and worship him, Benedict says, “[regarding] the third temptation. Its true content becomes apparent when we realize that throughout history it is constantly taking on new forms.” The temptations of Christ are those with which we ourselves are faced.

A helpful section is Benedict’s discussion of the Beatitudes. He says, “The Beatitudes, spoken with the community of Jesus’ disciples in view, are paradoxes—the standards of the world are turned upside down as things are seen in the right perspective.” In his meditations on this, and on the Scriptures in general, he notes how important it is that our reading of them become a personal experience, in which we invest the way we live (going from Gospel to life and from life to the Gospel). “Scripture,” says Benedict, “is full of potential for the future, a potential that can only be opened up when someone “lives through” and “suffers through” the sacred text.”

Benedict’s book is about making the scriptures come alive by questioning the meaning and circumstances of what those scriptures relate, continually seeing a clearer picture of Who Jesus really is. In recommending the book, I’m aware that Benedict is, of course, a scholar, a theologian, a philosopher, and that these characteristics shape the way he writes. Some people I know have found difficulty in reading the book especially because of this. I myself have found it accessible. As with What We Can’t Not Know, (reviewed above) we need to keep this in mind when thinking about whether it would be a suitable gift for someone.

This book is like those special songs, pieces of music, or poetry that we love and continually go back to. It’s also another book of Apologetics, giving us new ways to think and talk about the truths of our faith.

Please send items of interest (elections, professions, anniversaries, events, recognition) to Regional Secretary Raymond Clarke, 899 Crestview Avenue, North Woodmere NY 11581 (or email to Raymond.Clarke1@verizon.net)

The TAU is published quarterly, in January, April, July and October. Articles by Fraternity members are welcomed. If accepted, they may be edited. Please submit copy by the 10^th of the month prior to the publication month.

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Please address inquiries or letters to editor Frank Drollinger, 89-14 85^th St. Woodhaven, NY 11421 Phone: 718-296-1756 or fdrollin@aol.com