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Solé Fauste, Josep M. - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

  • La fase precontractual del contrato de franquicia
    'Edicions de la Universitat de Barcelona', 2022
    Co-Authors: Solé Fauste, Josep M.
    Abstract:

    [spa] El trabajo de esta labor investigadora está centrado en la fase precontractual de uno de los contratos más utilizados en nuestro país en las últimas décadas, en las que se inició y desarrolló la actividad franquiciadora como una modalidad de distribución comercial. Un volumen de actividad que todo y siendo importante equivale a la mitad de la mayoría de países anglosajones. Este infradesarrollo dentro del espacio de la UE, algunos autores lo atribuyen a la escasa y dispar regulación sobre la materia en estos países. Esta fase precontractual tiene en la UE una regulación muy escasa y en algunos casos inexistente, por lo que los tribunales deben recurrir en primera instancia a las normas del Derecho Civil y especialmente al principio de la buena fe. La única regulación especial contenida en nuestro derecho positivo, la encontramos en el art. 62 de la Ley 7/1996 LOCM y en el RD 201/2010, que reglamentariamente la desarrolla, limitándose a concretar en que consiste la actividad comercial en régimen de franquicia, el deber de información por parte del franquiciador y el deber de confidencialidad por parte del franquiciado. En la mayoría de los países solo se da una tutela precontractual al franquiciado, considerado como la parte débil del contrato, llegando a equipararse en algunos de ellos con la figura del consumidor para una mayor protección de este. Surgiendo la interesante duda sobre la necesidad de considerar una tutela para el franquiciador, quien también incurre en riesgos importantes con este tipo de contratación. Llegados a este punto, surge la necesidad de dar respuesta a dos interesantes planteamientos relacionados con esta fase precontractual: 1) Suficiencia de la regulación española de la fase precontractual del contrato de franquicia. 2) Suficiencia de la tutela que la normativa española actual ofrece a las partes intervinientes en la fase precontractual del contrato de franquicia. Con esta finalidad, he recorrido a las normas de nuestra legislación vigente, a la doctrina y a las resoluciones de los tribunales tanto nacionales como del derecho comparado de EEUU y Gran Bretaña como representantes del common law y Francia, Alemania e Italia del civil law.[cat] El treball d'aquesta tasca investigadora està centrat en la fase precontractual d'un dels contractes més utilitzats en el nostre país en les últimes dècades, en què es va iniciar i desenvolupar l'activitat franquiciadora com una modalitat de distribució comercial. Un volum d'activitat que tot i sent important equival a la meitat de la majoria de països anglosaxons. Aquest infradesenvolupament dins de l'espai de la UE, alguns autors ho atribueixen a l'escassa i dispar regulació sobre la matèria en aquests països. Aquesta fase precontractual té a la UE una regulació molt escassa i en alguns casos inexistent, de manera que els tribunals han de recórrer en primera instància a les normes de Dret Civil i especialment a el principi de la bona fe. L'única regulació especial continguda en el nostre dret positiu, la trobem en l'art. 62 de la Llei 7/1996 LOCM i en el RD 201/2010, que reglamentàriament la desenvolupa, limitant-se a concretar en què consisteix l'activitat comercial en règim de franquícia, el deure d'informació per part del franquiciador i el deure de confidencialitat per part del franquiciat. En la majoria dels països només es dona una tutela precontractual al franquiciat, considerat com la part feble del contracte, arribant a equiparar-se en alguns casos amb la figura del consumidor per a una major protecció d'aquest. Sorgint el interessant dubte sobre la necessitat de considerar una tutela per al franquiciador, qui també incorre en riscos importants amb aquest tipus de contractació. Arribats a aquest punt, sorgeix la necessitat de donar resposta a dos interessants plantejaments relacionats amb aquesta fase precontractual: 1) Suficiència de la regulació espanyola de la fase precontractual del contracte de franquícia. 2) Suficiència de la tutela que la normativa espanyola actual ofereix a les parts que intervenen en la fase precontractual del contracte de franquícia. Amb aquesta finalitat, he hagut de recórrer a les normes de la nostra legislació vigent, a la doctrina i a les resolucions dels tribunals tant nacionals com de dret comparat dels EUA i Gran Bretanya com a representants del common law i França, Alemanya i Itàlia del civil law.[eng] The work of this research is focused on the pre-contractual phase of one of the most used contracts in our country in recent decades, in which the franchising activity began and developed as a form of Commercial Distribution. A volume of activity that all and being important is equivalent to half of the majority of Anglo-Saxon countries. Some authors attribute this underdevelopment within the EU space to the scant and disparate regulation on the matter in these countries. This pre-contractual phase has very little regulation in the EU and in some cases non- existent, for which the courts must resort in the first instance to the rules of Civil Law and especially to the principle of good faith. The only special regulation contained in our positive law is found in art. 62 of Law 7/1996 LOCM and RD 201/2010, which regulates it, limiting itself to specifying what the franchise business consists of, the duty of information on the part of the franchisor and the duty of confidentiality on the part of the franchisee. In most countries, the franchisee is only given pre-contractual protection, considered as the weak part of the contract, in some of them being equated with the figure of the consumer for greater protection of him. The interesting doubt arises about the need to consider a guardianship for the franchisor, who also incurs in significant risks with this type of contract. At this point, the need arises to respond two interesting approaches related to this pre- contractual phase: 1) Sufficiency of the Spanish regulation of the pre-contractual phase of the franchise contract. 2) Sufficiency of the protection that current Spanish regulations offer to the parties involved in the pre-contractual phase of the franchise agreement. To this end, I have gone to the norms of our current legislation, the doctrine and the resolutions of both national and comparative law courts of the United States and Great Britain as representatives of the common law and France, Germany and Italy of civil law

  • La fase precontractual del contrato de franquicia
    'Edicions de la Universitat de Barcelona', 2022
    Co-Authors: Solé Fauste, Josep M.
    Abstract:

    El trabajo de esta labor investigadora está centrado en la fase precontractual de uno de los contratos más utilizados en nuestro país en las últimas décadas, en las que se inició y desarrolló la actividad franquiciadora como una modalidad de distribución comercial. Un volumen de actividad que todo y siendo importante equivale a la mitad de la mayoría de países anglosajones. Este infradesarrollo dentro del espacio de la UE, algunos autores lo atribuyen a la escasa y dispar regulación sobre la materia en estos países. Esta fase precontractual tiene en la UE una regulación muy escasa y en algunos casos inexistente, por lo que los tribunales deben recurrir en primera instancia a las normas del Derecho Civil y especialmente al principio de la buena fe. La única regulación especial contenida en nuestro derecho positivo, la encontramos en el art. 62 de la Ley 7/1996 LOCM y en el RD 201/2010, que reglamentariamente la desarrolla, limitándose a concretar en que consiste la actividad comercial en régimen de franquicia, el deber de información por parte del franquiciador y el deber de confidencialidad por parte del franquiciado. En la mayoría de los países solo se da una tutela precontractual al franquiciado, considerado como la parte débil del contrato, llegando a equipararse en algunos de ellos con la figura del consumidor para una mayor protección de este. Surgiendo la interesante duda sobre la necesidad de considerar una tutela para el franquiciador, quien también incurre en riesgos importantes con este tipo de contratación. Llegados a este punto, surge la necesidad de dar respuesta a dos interesantes planteamientos relacionados con esta fase precontractual: 1) Suficiencia de la regulación española de la fase precontractual del contrato de franquicia. 2) Suficiencia de la tutela que la normativa española actual ofrece a las partes intervinientes en la fase precontractual del contrato de franquicia. Con esta finalidad, he recorrido a las normas de nuestra legislación vigente, a la doctrina y a las resoluciones de los tribunales tanto nacionales como del derecho comparado de EEUU y Gran Bretaña como representantes del common law y Francia, Alemania e Italia del civil law.El treball d'aquesta tasca investigadora està centrat en la fase precontractual d'un dels contractes més utilitzats en el nostre país en les últimes dècades, en què es va iniciar i desenvolupar l'activitat franquiciadora com una modalitat de distribució comercial. Un volum d'activitat que tot i sent important equival a la meitat de la majoria de països anglosaxons. Aquest infradesenvolupament dins de l'espai de la UE, alguns autors ho atribueixen a l'escassa i dispar regulació sobre la matèria en aquests països. Aquesta fase precontractual té a la UE una regulació molt escassa i en alguns casos inexistent, de manera que els tribunals han de recórrer en primera instància a les normes de Dret Civil i especialment a el principi de la bona fe. L'única regulació especial continguda en el nostre dret positiu, la trobem en l'art. 62 de la Llei 7/1996 LOCM i en el RD 201/2010, que reglamentàriament la desenvolupa, limitant-se a concretar en què consisteix l'activitat comercial en règim de franquícia, el deure d'informació per part del franquiciador i el deure de confidencialitat per part del franquiciat. En la majoria dels països només es dona una tutela precontractual al franquiciat, considerat com la part feble del contracte, arribant a equiparar-se en alguns casos amb la figura del consumidor per a una major protecció d'aquest. Sorgint el interessant dubte sobre la necessitat de considerar una tutela per al franquiciador, qui també incorre en riscos importants amb aquest tipus de contractació. Arribats a aquest punt, sorgeix la necessitat de donar resposta a dos interessants plantejaments relacionats amb aquesta fase precontractual: 1) Suficiència de la regulació espanyola de la fase precontractual del contracte de franquícia. 2) Suficiència de la tutela que la normativa espanyola actual ofereix a les parts que intervenen en la fase precontractual del contracte de franquícia. Amb aquesta finalitat, he hagut de recórrer a les normes de la nostra legislació vigent, a la doctrina i a les resolucions dels tribunals tant nacionals com de dret comparat dels EUA i Gran Bretanya com a representants del common law i França, Alemanya i Itàlia del civil law.The work of this research is focused on the pre-contractual phase of one of the most used contracts in our country in recent decades, in which the franchising activity began and developed as a form of Commercial Distribution. A volume of activity that all and being important is equivalent to half of the majority of Anglo-Saxon countries. Some authors attribute this underdevelopment within the EU space to the scant and disparate regulation on the matter in these countries. This pre-contractual phase has very little regulation in the EU and in some cases non- existent, for which the courts must resort in the first instance to the rules of Civil Law and especially to the principle of good faith. The only special regulation contained in our positive law is found in art. 62 of Law 7/1996 LOCM and RD 201/2010, which regulates it, limiting itself to specifying what the franchise business consists of, the duty of information on the part of the franchisor and the duty of confidentiality on the part of the franchisee. In most countries, the franchisee is only given pre-contractual protection, considered as the weak part of the contract, in some of them being equated with the figure of the consumer for greater protection of him. The interesting doubt arises about the need to consider a guardianship for the franchisor, who also incurs in significant risks with this type of contract. At this point, the need arises to respond two interesting approaches related to this pre- contractual phase: 1) Sufficiency of the Spanish regulation of the pre-contractual phase of the franchise contract. 2) Sufficiency of the protection that current Spanish regulations offer to the parties involved in the pre-contractual phase of the franchise agreement. To this end, I have gone to the norms of our current legislation, the doctrine and the resolutions of both national and comparative law courts of the United States and Great Britain as representatives of the common law and France, Germany and Italy of civil law

Cortezzi Francisco - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

  • Geografia da circulação comercial de um fruto amazônico : o processo de difusão mundial do açaí, do Brasil para o resto do mundo. O caso de Paris (França)
    2019
    Co-Authors: Cortezzi Francisco
    Abstract:

    Originaire du palmier Euterpe oleracea, l'açaí est un fruit endémique de la forêt amazonienne, dont la consommation s’est fortement développée au Brésil depuis les années 1990 et est émergente dans d'autres régions du monde. Consommé surtout sous forme de pulpe et érigé en « superfruit » par des acteurs du marketing pour son potentiel antioxydant et nutritionnel, la baie d'açaí traverse un processus dynamique englobant à la fois son circuit spatial de production et de Distribution internationale ainsi que sa composition de produits dérivés. Dans cette conjoncture, notre recherche a révélé que l’açaí est à un stade avancé de mondialisation, avec un espace de diffusion Commerciale dépassant 70 pays, répartis sur tous les continents. Dans ce contexte, la France joue un rôle important car le commerce des produits à base du fruit a été identifié dans sept des dix territoires d’Outre-Mer comptant plus de 9 000 habitants, ainsi que dans le cadre d’un projet d’exploitation d’açaí à grande échelle en Guyane française. Dans le cas de Paris, des entretiens et des travaux de terrain ont été menés afin de mieux comprendre la dynamique Commerciale et les principales relations spatiales établies par les produits dérivés du fruit dans la capitale française. Ces analyses nous montrent qu’il existe un « axe de l’açaí » à Paris dû à la forte concentration de points de vente sur la rive-droite de la ville. Les résultats montrent l’importance d’une consommation urbaine relevant de classes sociales aisées de la population. Paris illustre un phénomène de consommation de l’açaí dans les métropoles mondiales.Originating from the Euterpe oleracea palm tree, the açaí is an endemic fruit of the Amazon rainforest, whose consumption has grown strongly in Brazil since the 1990s and is emerging in other parts of the world. Mostly consumed in the form of pulp and erected as a "superfruit" by marketing actors for its antioxidant and nutritional potential, the açaí berry goes through a dynamic process encompassing its international production and Distribution space circuit and its derivatives composition. In this context, our research has revealed that the açaí is at an advanced stage of globalization, with a Commercial Distribution space exceeding 70 countries, spread over all continents. In this context, France plays an important role because the fruit-based products’ trade has been identified in seven of the ten overseas territories with more than 9,000 inhabitants, as well as in the context of a large-scale exploitation project in French Guiana. In the case of Paris, interviews and fieldworks were conducted to better understand the Commercial dynamics and the main spatial relationships established by fruit-derived products in the French capital. These analyses show us that there is an " axis of the açaí" in Paris due to the high concentration of selling points on the right bank of the city. The results show the importance of urban consumption especially from the higher social classes of the population. Paris illustrates a phenomenon of consumption in the world's major cities.Originária da palmeira Euterpe oleracea, o açaí é uma fruta endêmica da Floresta Amazônica de consumo emergente em todo o Brasil e em outras regiões do mundo. Primordialmente consumida na sua forma de polpa e estabelecida como uma "superfruta" pelos atores do marketing e por seu potencial antioxidante e, nutricional, o açaí atravessa um processo dinâmico que engloba tanto seu circuito espacial de produção e distribuição internacional, quanto na composição de produtos derivados. Dentro desta conjuntura, nossa pesquisa identificou que o açaí encontra-se em um estágio avançado de mundialização, com um espaço de difusão comercial que ultrapassa 70 países, distribuídos em todos os continentes. Dentro deste contexto, a França desempenha um papel importante, visto que foram identificados o comércio de derivados do fruto em sete dos seus dez territórios ultramarinos com mais de 9.000 habitantes, além de um projeto de exploração do açaí em larga escala na Guiana francesa. No caso de Paris, foram realizadas entrevistas e trabalhos de campo para melhor entender a dinâmica comercial e as principais relações espaciais estabelecidas pelos produtos derivados do fruto na capital francesa. Essas análises nos mostram que existe um "eixo do açaí" em Paris devido à alta concentração de pontos de venda na margem direita da cidade (em relação ao rio Sena). Os resultados mostram a importância do consumo urbano por classes sociais abastadas. Paris ilustra um fenômeno de consumo do açaí nas metrópoles do mundo

  • Geografia da circulação comercial de um fruto amazônico: o processo de difusão mundial do açaí, do Brasil para o resto do mundo - o caso de Paris (França)
    HAL CCSD, 2019
    Co-Authors: Cortezzi Francisco
    Abstract:

    Originating from the Euterpe oleracea palm tree, the açaí is an endemic fruit of the Amazon rainforest, whose consumption has grown strongly in Brazil since the 1990s and is emerging in other parts of the world. Mostly consumed in the form of pulp and erected as a "superfruit" by marketing actors for its antioxidant and nutritional potential, the açaí berry goes through a dynamic process encompassing its international production and Distribution space circuit and its derivatives composition. In this context, our research has revealed that the açaí is at an advanced stage of globalization, with a Commercial Distribution space exceeding 70 countries, spread over all continents. In this context, France plays an important role because the fruit-based products’ trade has been identified in seven of the ten overseas territories with more than 9.000 inhabitants, as well as in the context of a large-scale exploitation project in French Guiana. In the case of Paris, interviews and fieldworks were conducted to better understand the Commercial dynamics and the main spatial relationships established by fruit-derived products in the French capital. These analyses show us that there is an " axis of the açaí" in Paris due to the high concentration of selling points on the right bank of the city. The results show the importance of urban consumption especially from the higher social classes of the population. Paris illustrates a phenomenon of consumption in the world's major cities.Keywords: Açaí; Amazon; Production space circuit; Global Distribution; France; Paris.Originaire du palmier Euterpe oleracea, l'açaí est un fruit endémique de la forêt amazonienne, dont la consommation s’est fortement développée au Brésil depuis les années 1990 et est émergente dans d'autres régions du monde. Consommé surtout sous forme de pulpe et érigé en « superfruit » par des acteurs du marketing pour son potentiel antioxydant et nutritionnel, la baie d'açaí traverse un processus dynamique englobant à la fois son circuit spatial de production et de Distribution internationale ainsi que sa composition de produits dérivés. Dans cette conjoncture, notre recherche a révélé que l’açaí est à un stade avancé de mondialisation, avec un espace de diffusion Commerciale dépassant 70 pays, répartis sur tous les continents. Dans ce contexte, la France joue un rôle important car le commerce des produits à base du fruit a été identifié dans sept des dix territoires d’Outre-Mer comptant plus de 9 000 habitants, ainsi que dans le cadre d’un projet d’exploitation d’açaí à grande échelle en Guyane française. Dans le cas de Paris, des entretiens et des travaux de terrain ont été menés afin de mieux comprendre la dynamique Commerciale et les principales relations spatiales établies par les produits dérivés du fruit dans la capitale française. Ces analyses nous montrent qu’il existe un « axe de l’açaí » à Paris dû à la forte concentration de points de vente sur la rive-droite de la ville. Les résultats montrent l’importance d’une consommation urbaine relevant de classes sociales aisées de la population. Paris illustre un phénomène de consommation de l’açaí dans les métropoles mondiales.Mots-clés : Açaí ; Amazonie ; Circuit spatial de production ; Diffusion mondiale ; France ; Paris.Originária da palmeira Euterpe oleracea, o açaí é uma fruta endêmica da Floresta Amazônica de consumo emergente em todo o Brasil e em outras regiões do mundo. Primordialmente consumida na sua forma de polpa e estabelecida como uma "superfruta" pelos atores do marketing e por seu potencial antioxidante e, nutricional, o açaí atravessa um processo dinâmico que engloba tanto seu circuito espacial de produção e distribuição internacional, quanto na composição de produtos derivados. Dentro desta conjuntura, nossa pesquisa identificou que o açaí encontra-se em um estágio avançado de mundialização, com um espaço de difusão comercial que ultrapassa 70 países, distribuídos em todos os continentes. Dentro deste contexto, a França desempenha um papel importante, visto que foram identificados o comércio de derivados do fruto em sete dos seus dez territórios ultramarinos com mais de 9.000 habitantes, além de um projeto de exploração do açaí em larga escala na Guiana francesa. No caso de Paris, foram realizadas entrevistas e trabalhos de campo para melhor entender a dinâmica comercial e as principais relações espaciais estabelecidas pelos produtos derivados do fruto na capital francesa. Essas análises nos mostram que existe um "eixo do açaí" em Paris devido à alta concentração de pontos de venda na margem direita da cidade (em relação ao rio Sena). Os resultados mostram a importância do consumo urbano por classes sociais abastadas. Paris ilustra um fenômeno de consumo do açaí nas metrópoles do mundo.Palavras-chave: Açaí; Amazônia; Circuito espacial de produção; Difusão mundial; França; Paris

Roberto Ganau - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

  • smes growth in international markets export intensity export diversification and Distribution strategies
    Economia e Politica Industriale: Journal of Industrial and Business Economics, 2017
    Co-Authors: Eleonora Di Maria, Roberto Ganau
    Abstract:

    Depending on the firm’s resources and capabilities, international Distribution strategies may lead to either high market control (Commercial subsidiaries) or flexibility and speed (collaborative or independent forms) in entering foreign markets. This strategic choice is particularly crucial for SMEs’ internationalisation strategies. This paper investigates the relationship between SMEs’ Distribution strategies adopted abroad and their export performance, defined in terms of export intensity and diversification. The research hypotheses are proposed distinguishing between small- and medium-sized firms, as well as differentiating between regional and global markets. The empirical analysis refers to a sample of about 2600 Italian SMEs observed over the period 2004–2006, and considers different destination markets: the 25-country European Union area (regional market) and the rest of the world (global market). The empirical results suggest that Commercial Distribution based on agreements has a higher impact on SMEs’ export intensity than the other two Distribution modes in the regional market, with the FDI-mode having a higher effect than the use of local traders. On the contrary, SMEs’ export intensity in the global market seems to benefit more from the use of local traders, while non-equity agreements present the lowest effect. Agreements-based Distribution modes have the highest impact on SMEs’ export diversification, followed by FDIs and then by the Distribution through local traders.

  • smes growth in international markets export intensity export diversification and Distribution strategies
    Economia e Politica Industriale: Journal of Industrial and Business Economics, 2017
    Co-Authors: Eleonora Di Maria, Roberto Ganau
    Abstract:

    Depending on the firm’s resources and capabilities, international Distribution strategies may lead to either high market control (Commercial subsidiaries) or flexibility and speed (collaborative or independent forms) in entering foreign markets. This strategic choice is particularly crucial for SMEs’ internationalisation strategies. This paper investigates the relationship between SMEs’ Distribution strategies adopted abroad and their export performance, defined in terms of export intensity and diversification. The research hypotheses are proposed distinguishing between small- and medium-sized firms, as well as differentiating between regional and global markets. The empirical analysis refers to a sample of about 2600 Italian SMEs observed over the period 2004–2006, and considers different destination markets: the 25-country European Union area (regional market) and the rest of the world (global market). The empirical results suggest that Commercial Distribution based on agreements has a higher impact on SMEs’ export intensity than the other two Distribution modes in the regional market, with the FDI-mode having a higher effect than the use of local traders. On the contrary, SMEs’ export intensity in the global market seems to benefit more from the use of local traders, while non-equity agreements present the lowest effect. Agreements-based Distribution modes have the highest impact on SMEs’ export diversification, followed by FDIs and then by the Distribution through local traders.

Missouri Province Of The Society Of Jesus - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

  • Review for Religious - Issue 69.2 (2010)
    Missouri Province of the Society of Jesus, 2012
    Co-Authors: Missouri Province Of The Society Of Jesus
    Abstract:

    Issue 69.2 of the Review for Religious, 2010.Our Faith Past and Present Looking Forward Personal Witness QUARTERLY 69.2 2010 Review for Religious fosters dialogue with God, ~dialogue with ourselv~es, anddialogue with_ one another about the holiness we try ta live according to charisms of Cathqlic religioUS life¯ As Pope Pa~il Vl said,~our~way of being’church is~ today the way of dialogue. Review for Religious (ISSN 0034-639X) is published quarterly at Saint Louis University by the Jesuits of the Missouri Province. Editorial Office: 3601 Lindell Boulevard ¯ St. Louis, Missouri 63108-3393 Telephone: 314-633-4610 ¯ Fax: 314-633-4611 E-Maih reviewrfr@gmail.com ¯V~reb site: www.reviewforreligious.org Manuscripts, books for review, and correspondence with the editor: Review for Religious ¯ 3601 Lindell Boulevard ¯ St. Louis, MO 63108-3393 POSTMASTER Send address changes to Review for Religious ¯ P.O. Box 6070 ° Duluth, MN 55806. Periodical postage paid at St. Louis, Missouri, and additional mailing offices. See inside back cover for information on subscription rates. ©2010 Review for Religious Permission is herewith granted to copy any material (articles, poems, reviews) contained in this issue of Review for Religious for personal or internal use, or for the personal or internal use of specific library clients within the limits oudined in Sections 107 and/or 108 of the United States Copyright Law. All copies made under this permission must bear notice of the source, date, and copyright owner on the first page. This permission is NOT extended to copying for Commercial Distribution, advertising, institutional promotion, or for the creation of new collective works or anthologies. Such permission will only be considered on written application to the Editor, Review for Religious. ~ gournalof Catholic ~pir~ua~t~y Editor Associate Editor Scripture Scope Editorial Staff Advisory Board David L. Fleming SJ Philip C. Fischer SJ Eugene Hensell OSB Mary Ann Foppe Tracy Gramm Judy Sharp Paul Coutinho SJ Martin Ersparner OSB Margaret Guider OSF Kathleen Hughes RSCJ Louis and Angela Menard Bishop Terry Steib SVD QUARTERLY 69.2 2010 contents prisms 116 Prisms 118 131 our faith The Mystical Element of Religion Lawrence Barmann draws from Friedrich von Hiigel’s writings that religion, if it were to be fully developed in an individual, must have three interacting elements-- the institutional, the doctrinal, and the mystical. What Does It Mean to Be a Priest? Martin R. Tripole SJ finds that the definition of priesthood by Archbishop Daniel Pilarczyk, along with Pope Benedict xvI’s understanding that the "purpose of every priest’s mission is one of worship," integrates the traditional elements of a priest’s identity. Questions for Personal and Group Reflection 149 165 past and present Early Church Models of Some Elderly Ministries James J. Magee reports on facilitating reminiscence groups of ~emiretired women religious, inviting them to see how early church history can infuse them with imaginative century-spanning attentiveness to the needs of others. Medieval Nuns of Morienval: Midwives of a New Day Deborah Smith Douglas shares the wonder and appreciation for the first diagonal stone rib at the abbey church at Morienval that marks the visionary courage and openness to change of an unknown 12th-century abbess. Review for Religious 173 180 God’s Irresistible Call Invites Us to Hope Juliet Mousseau reflects on her call to enter religious life to find the wholeness and the joy that comes from living according to the image of God that lives within us. To Imitate the Angels’ Purity: Ignatius’s and John Paul’s Counsel Vincent L. Strand SJ comments on St. Ignatius Loyola’s brief counsel on chastity in the light of Pope John Paul II’s Theology of the Body. Questions for Personal and Group Reflection ¯ 196 201 Evening Counsel M. Evelynn Reinke SND allows us to enter with her into the wisdom reflections of three Old Testament women-- Sarah, wife of Abraham, Elizabeth, wife of Zachary, and Ann,a, widow in the temple. Cardinal Newman and Don Bosco Leo J. Heriot SDB compares llfe events in two important churchmen of the 19th century--John Henry Newman and Don Bosco of Turin. 209 Scripture Scope: Theological and Spi.ritual Observations on the Psalms 214 Book Reviews 115 69.2 2010 prisms 116 Te Jubilee Year for Priests began on the solemn feast of the Sacred Heart, Friday, June 19, 2009, and will conclude on that same feast day, June I 1, 2010. Pope Benedict xvI desired that the year might mean the deepening of commitment of all priests in building up the Kingdom and in radiating God’s love. The pope also intended that the role and mission of the priest might be more clearly perceived by all the. faithful. During this celebratory year, as a priest I hear the call to. be reflective about my l!ving of this vocation and its witness and mission. The past decade or more has not been an easy one for us who are priests. In the United States, Canada, and Ireland particularly, the child sex-abuse cases have cast a dark shadow over a large segment of church ministers. Whether correctly perceived or not, it seems that some bishops may have been more eager to save face than to care for the alleged priest-offenders or deal personally with the identified victims. Many priests have felt the distance to be a chasm between themselves and the bishops with whom they work. As a religious priest, I have been graced always to have religious superiors who exercise loyalty and personal care for everyone of us in good times and in bad. Review for Religious Then there is the continuing controversy about priestly ordination for women. Although there is a church position that this is not a matter for study or discussion, the question, especially in view of the practice of many Christian churches, remains. For many of us priests, it is hard dealing with good and holy women who feel reduced to a secondary status in the church’s life and mission. Their pain, disappointment, and sometimes anger at the church authorities’ dismissing of the ordination question touches us and leaves us with only compassion to offer. But how do I celebrate as priest? The heart of my celebration is the Eucharist. How wonderful that by priestly ordination I am designated to lead the community in our giving ourselves together with Christ to God the Father and to one another and all our brothers and sisters. This repeated act of surrender expressed in every Mass speaks out the meaning and direction of all our lives. What a privilege in the Liturgy of the Word to try to relate the word of God--empowering and enlightening--to our everyday lives! The action of the Eucharist allows for no controversy. Then there are the sacraments celebrating significant moments in people’s lives--their marriage, the baptism of children and adults into Christ, the forgiveness of sin in reconciliation, and the anointing at times of serious illness and at death. Mary has been described as "the reed of God," and I as a priest am meant to. be a similar conduit for God and God’s action at these special times. All the incidental moments of presence and conversation often become truly sacramental in my priesdy role and function. This is how I minister; this is how I serve. Like the risen Christ inviting us to share .in his joy of victory, I seek to share my joy of being gifted as priest. David L. Fleming SJ 117 69.2 2010 our faith LAWRENCE BARMANN The Mystical Element of Religion Whatever else one might say about Pope Pius X’s encyclical Pascendi dominici gregis of 1907, one cannot deny that it mostly stifled two gen-erations of theological creativity in the Catholic Church and that it marginalized some Catholic thinkers who otherwise might beneficially have nourished Catholic life and thought. One of these marginalized Catholics, and one of the most important, was Baron Friedrich von Hiigel. He thought and wrote not in the neo-scholas-tic tradition which was alone approved by the Vatican at the beginning of the 20th century, but rather in a thoroughly idiosyncratic manner which manifested influences from pre-Christian classicism and post-Christian modernism as well as from the entire Christian tradition. His great two-volume work, The Mystical Element Lawrence Barmann, emeritus professor of Theological Studies at Saint Louis University, writes from 5435 Vicar Court; Saint Louis, Missouri 63119. Review for Religious of Religion as Studied in Saint Catherine of Genoa and Her Friends, was published in December 1908. An eminent contemporary scholar of Western mysticism has called it "one of the masterpieces of the modern study of mysti-cism." This work has much to offer today to Catholic seekers of a deeper and growing spiritual life, and it certainly deserves a reconsideration on the occasion of its centennial. Friedrich von Hiigel ’was the eldest son. of a German father and a Scottish mother, and inherited the title of Baron of the Holy Roman Empire. He was born in 1852 in Florence, Italy, where his father was Austrian minister to the court of the grand duke of Tuscany. As a boy in Italy he gained a sense of what Western Christianity had been before the split which the Protestant Reformation brought about; and that sense, he tells us, remained as a vivid consciousness throughout his life. It was an ampler pre-Protestant, as yet neither Protestant nor anti-Protestant, but deeply positive and Catholic, world, with its already characteristically modern out-look and its hopeful and spontaneous application of religion to the pressing problems of life and thought, which helped to strengthen and sustain me, when depressed and hemmed in by the types of devotion prevalent since in western Christendom. The post-Tridentine type of Catholicism, with its "regimental seminarism, its predominantly controversial spirit, its suspiciousness and timidity," failed to win his love. So he sought and found elsewhere well within the Roman Catholic Church "things more intrinsically lov-able." In the course of his search he developed the desire eventually to write about one of those "large-souled pre-Protestant, post-Mediaeval Catholics" whom he had discovered in the early Italian Renaissance. Toward 119 69.2 2010 Barmann ¯ The Mystical Element of Religion the end of his life von Htigel explained to his niece why he had chosen Stl Catherine Fiesca of Genoa as the subject for his study of the mystical dimension of reli-gion. "I wanted a heroic Christian who was almost a Neo-Platunist, an Institutional who, in some ways, hung loosely on institutions; a deep thinker beset with much psycho-physical disturbance," he told his niece. He said that he was not aiming at a work of art, but "at taking in as much as possible of real life--to show very original and exquisite spirituality having to live on largely in this rough world, to get somewhat conventionalified to suit the array of even very good people." Decades of reading, research, prayer, consultation, spiritual direction, and conscious living eventually prepared von Htigel to begin to write on the mystical dimension of religion. He told his niece in 1920 that¯ he thought all religious books should be "the quintes-sence of a long experience and fight in suffering and self-transformation." There can be no doubt that this was how his own book was written. It began with a jour-nal article which he published in 1898. Since 1870 yon Hiigel had lived in England with his family, and after his marriage in 1873 to Lady Mary Catherine Herbert he lived in the Hampstead area of greater London. Sydney Mayle, the Protestant publisher of the Hampstead Annual, asked von-Hiigel to prepare an article on one of the great Catholic mystics, suggest-ing Franci~ of Assisi or Teresa of Avila. But yon Hiigel chose Catherine of Genoa, about whom he had already been making a study. In writing the article he cleared up for himself a number of issues pertaining to mysticism with which he had been wrestling. One of these issues was the theory of spiritual puri-fication about which various saints and mystics had Review for Religious written. Some of this theory von Hiigel agreed with and some not. He agreed that "God, our own souls, all the supreme realities and truths, supremely deserving and claiming our assent and practice,--are both incompre-hensible and indefinitely apprehensible." And both must be realized in our actual knowledge and practice. He also agreed that one’s increasing apprehension of these spiri-tual realities happens "more through the purification of the heart than through the exercise of the reason." He also agreed with the mystics that the primary function of religion is not the consoling of the natural man as it finds him, but the purifica-tion of this man, by effecting an ever-growing cleav-age and contrast between his bad false self, and the false, blind self-love that clings to that self, and his good true self, and the true, enlightened self-love that clings to the true self; and the deepest, gener-ally confused and dumb, aspirations of every human heart, correspond exacdy to, and come from precisely the same source, as the external helps and examples of miracle, Church or Saint. The true exceptional is thus never the queer, but the supremely normal, and but embodies, in an exceptional degree, the deepest, and hence exceptional longings of us all. And, finally, the Baron agreed with the traditional mys-tical theory which taught that the purification of the natural man would take place through his voluntarily immersing himself in something necessarily painful to the false, animal man, but willed and accepted by the true spiritual self. Where he disagreed with the writings of some of the Catholic mystics themselves, though their real-life practice belied their theory, was in bow this necessary purification was to take place. The traditional teaching was that purification of the natural man was achieved 121 69.2 2010 Barmann ¯ The Mystical Element of Religion The traditional teaching was that purification of the natural man was achieved by turning away from the particular, by abstraction and becoming increasingly absorbed in the general. by turning away from the particular, by abstraction and becoming increasingly absorbed in the general, "as lead-ing away from the particularity of the creature to the simplicity of the Creator." Von Hiigel argued that the process should not be an either/or practice, but rather a double process of both. For him "the most difficult and yet most complete and most fruitful condition and therefore the ideal, would be the plunging into the concrete and coming back enriched to the abstract, and then return-ing, purified and simplified, from the abstract to transform and elevate the con-crete." VChat this means is that one does not need to flee involvement with the world or repudiate the importance of one’s work within it. Rather, one’s work and involve-ment in the world have a purifying value and conse-quently have a normal necessary place in the very theory of spirituality. For von Hiigel, God "is the supremely concrete, supremely individual and particular, and the mental and practical occupafon with .the particular must ever remain an integral part of my way to Him." In his 1898 article von Hiigel also dealt with the issue of the physical and psychic health of the historical mys-tics, and he concluded that there was no necessary con- Review for Religious nection in St. Catherine of Genoa’s life, nor in that of any of the true mystics, between their health problems and the moral/spiritual characters of their teachings. A few years later William James was to deal with the same issue in his Gifford Lectures at Edinburgh on "The Varieties of Religious Experience. Interestingly, James came out in the same place as yon Hiigel had, noting that Saint Teresa might have had the nervous system of the placidest cow, and it would not now save her the-ology, if the trial of the theology by these other tests [i.e., "philosophical reasonableness and moral helpfulness’] should show it to be contemptible. And conversely if her theology can stand these other te~ts, it will make no difference how hysterical or nervously off her bal-ance Saint Teresa may have been when she was with us here below. Once Mayle had von Hiigel’s article in hand, but before it was actually printed, he made the Baron an offer to publish a Small book on Catherine of Genoa and various questions suggested by her life. Nearly every sentence of the original article needed expansion and clarification, and this is what von Hiigel intended to explore in the book. Almost immediately he came to realize that Mayle’s offer of 24,000 words would be inadequate, and he plodded along for ten years before the two-volume study was published by Dent in 1908. But during those years he also spent endless hours and days working and writing in an effort to prevent the Vatican from condemning the biblical studies of Alfred Loisy and the theology of George Tyrrell. In a letter to Tyrrell in 1901 about his progress on the book, the Baron wrote: I can’t help hoping now, more strongly than at first, that the result of the whole will be a living organism, something that will be able to enter into other minds 123 69.2 2010 Barmann ¯ The Mystical Element of Religion 1241 and hearts, and grow and bring fruit there. Certainly the effect upon myself is being considerable: I have become a good bit more of a person, please God of the right, the spiritual-humble sort, by battling and toiling with .and in and over these great realities and problems. But von Hiigel’s consistent poor health and his battle to preserve openness in the church for serious Scripture scholars and theologians who were breaking new ground caused him to tell Tyrrell six months later that "my strength goes in trying to console and sustain friends scattered about over the face of Europe. And this again, I should not mind or complain of, still I want badly to express myself, in my writings, if only once, and as well as I can. But I cannot do both,--attend to my friends and my book." He did, of course, do both. Reading yon Hiigel’s Diaries for those years between 1898 and 1908 and especially reading his correspon-dence with Tyrrell, one comes to realize what a struggle the production of his book had been. After its publi-cation it was .widely reviewed and almost always very favorably. Several criticisms by the Anglican bishop Charles Gore the Baron felt were completely justified: "That the style is often heavy, sometimes slipshod; that there is too much of quotation, or semi-quotation in it; and that the narration portion is without any narrative charm." But almost all of the reviewers recognized the profound character and worth of this exhaustive study of Christian spirituality, and von Hiigel even acknowl-edged that Gore "has been very kind about the book." The Baron himself thought that the best of the whole work was volume two, in which he developed in detail his theory of Christian mysticism. His reviewers, however, almost universally thought that chapter two Review for Religious of the first volume was the high point of the book. And it is, perhaps, that ~hapter which could be most fruitful for the lives of contemporary Catholics and Christians generally. It was in this chapter two that von Hiigel presented and explained his idea that religion, if it were to be fully developed in an individual, must have three interacting elements--the institutional, the doctrinal, and the mystical. In the first chapter of his first volume von Hiigel had demonstrated that all life and truth are deeply com-plex no matter how great their seeming unity, from the human perspective at least. And in his second chapter he said that he "should like to show the complexity special to the deepest kind of life, to Religion; and to attempt some description of the working harmoni-zation of this com-plexity." He began by showing how all three elements of religion appear in the child’s consciousness, then the youth’s, and finally the adult’s; he also shows how at each stage one element is predominant. For a child whose parents or teachers belong to some traditional institutional religion, the child’s first impres-sion of religion ordinarily comes from their explanation of an external religious symbol or place or book in a way which appeals to the child’s imagination and mem-ory and which henceforth represents authority. These The Baron himself thought that the best of the whole work was volume two, in which he developed in detail his theory of Christian mysticism. 125 69.2 2010 Barmann ¯ Tbe Mystical Element of Religion 126 earliest impressions precede the child’s ability to choose between them and even any really distinct consciousness of them. But from this time "the External, Authoritative, Historical, Traditional, Institutional side and function of Religion are everywhere evident." Religion, yon Hiigel says, "is here, above all, a Fact and Thing." As the child grows into an adolescent, however, "there wakes up another activity and requirement of human nature, and another side of Religion comes forth to meet it." Now it is the reasoning, argumentative, abstractive side of human nature which comes to the fore. The adoles-cent begins to question the old impressions, and religion at this point becomes "Thought, System, a Philosophy." And, finally, in the fully adult person a third activity comes into play and is met by a third element of reli-gion. At this point "certain interior experiences, certain deep-seated spiritual pleasures and pains, weaknesses and powers, helps and hinderances, are increasingly known and felt in and through interior and exterior action, and interior suffering, effort, and growth." Through this an individual comes to t

  • Review for Religious - Issue 70.2 (2011)
    Missouri Province of the Society of Jesus, 2012
    Co-Authors: Missouri Province Of The Society Of Jesus
    Abstract:

    Issue 70.2 of the Review for Religious, 2011.Virtue Movements Ignatian Insight Consecrated Life quarterly 70.2 2011 Review for Religious fosters dialogue with God, dialogue with ourselves, and dialogue with one another about the holiness we try to live according to charisms of Catholic religious life. As Pope Paul Vl said, our way of being church is today the way of dialogue. Review for Religious (ISSN 0034-639X) is published quarterly at Saint Louis University by the Jesuits of the Missouri Province. Editorial Office: 3601 Lindell Boulevard ¯ St. Louis, Missouri 63108-3393 Telephone: 314-633-4610 ¯ Fax: 314-633-4611 E-Maih reviewrfr@gmail.com ° Web site: www.reviewforreligious.org Manuscripts, books for review, and correspondence with the editor: Review for Religious ¯ 3601 Lindell Boulevard ° St. Louis, MO 63108-3393 POSTMASTER Send address changes to Review for Religious ° P.O. Box 6070 ¯ Duluth, MN 55806. Periodical postage paid at St. Louis, Missouri, and additional mailing offices. See inside back cover for information on subscription rates. ©2011 Review for Religious Permission is herewith granted to copy any material (articles, poems, reviews) contained in this issue Review for Religious for personal or internal use, or for the personal or internal use of specific libra~ clients within the limits outlined in Sections 107 and/or 108 of the United States Copyright Law. A copies made under this permission must bear notice of the source, date, and copyright owner on th first page. This permission is NOT extended to copying for Commercial Distribution, advertisinl institutional promotion, or for the creation of new collective works or anthologies. Such permissio will only be considered on written application to the Editor, Review for Religious. ~ gournal of Catholic ~piri~uali~ Celebrating 70 Years Editor Book Review Editor Scripture Scope Editorial Staff Advisory Board Michael G. Harter SJ Rosemary Jermann Eugene Hensell OSB Mary Ann Foppe Tracy Gramm Judy Sharp Paul Coutinho SJ Martin Erspamer OSB Margaret Guider OSF Kathleen Hughes RSCJ ¯ Louis and Angela Menard Bishop Terry Steib SVD quarterly 70.2 2011 contents prisms 116 Prisms 118 132 virtue movements Salesian Simplicity: How a "Little Virtue" Can Go a Long Way Thomas F. Dailey OSFS examines simplicity in the teaching of St. Francis de Sales and the religious life of the Visitation of Holy Mary, founded in 1610. He proposes that their "hidden life" of "little virtues" provides meaning even for those beyond the monastery’s walls. Personal Reflection and/or Group Discussion Telling Ou.r Story: Movements of Transformation Beatrice M. Eichten OSF offers ideas for sharing the story of transformational moments in our lives to better under-stand what we have experienced and to allow God to be more alive and active in our lives. 146 ignatian insight 0 Approaching the Principle and Foundation from St. Ignatius’s MysticalWorldview Edward McCormack builds on the insights of Gilles Cusson and Joseph Tetlow, and sets the Foundation within the context of Ignatius’s mystical experience at Manresa and the resulting worldview in order to better understand the role the Foundation plays in the Exercises, particularly with regard to the preparatory period. Review for Religious 165 Discerning the Spirit: A Personal Journey Richard J. Hauser SJ testifies to the importance of appropriating the discipline of the discernment of spirits in our daily Christian living. 179 194 201 consecrated life @ Apostolic Visitations: Clare of Assisi’s Insights from the Thirteenth Century John V. Kruse examines how Clare of Assisi responded nearly 800 years ago to papal visits that sought to shape the form of religious life that Clare desired to live. Her example has tnuch to say to women religious experiencing the Vatican visitation and investigation of women religious in the United States. Consecrated Life in the Ecclesiology of Vatican II Amy Hereford CSJ discusses the place of consecrated life in light of the ecclesiology of the Second Vatican Council, the new Code of Canon Law, and recent developments. Personal Reflection and/or Group Discussion A Grain of Hope: Canada’s First Carmelite Nun Mary Patricia of the Holy Spirit OCD and Mary Ruth of the Sacred Heart OCD recount how deep desires and a providential encounter led to the founding of the first monastery of Discalced Carmelites in Canada. departments 209 Scripture Scope: Ezekiel: The Strangest of All the Old Testament Prophets 215 Book Reviews 115 70.2 2011 prisms 116 ~hen I was a young boy, my mother thought it would be good for me to know how to swim, so she took me to the local pool and arranged for me to take lessons. I found the whole experience a bit intimidating. But once I learned to overcome the fear of having my head underwater, I was quickly off to explore the deep end of the pool. While I am still a bit hesitant to jump into cold water, I have no fear of swimming.., or taking on new challenges. That memory returned to me as I began editing Review for Religious. And though I am older now and have much more experience, old fears occasionally lurk in the shadows. When our publication was invited to attend a recent seminar on the theology of consecrated life sponsored by the USG/UISG, the unions of superiors general of men’s and women’s religious congregations, I began to wonder if I was getting in over my head. My long-time mentor, Dave Fleming, assured me that I would represent the Journal well and that it would be a most valuable learning experience. Twenty superiors general and thirty theolo-gians assembled in Rome between February 7 Review for Religious and 11 to "take careful stock of the situation of the the-ology of apostolic consecrated life at this present time; to identify the main questions and challenges being posed to this theology by the situation of the world and the church today, in view of the future journey of conse-crated persons and the Institutes to which they belong; and to catalyze renewed study and research in this field so as to enhance the vitality of the witness to be given by consecrated persons." The participants, equally divided between women and men, represented all the populated parts of our planet from Oceana through India, Africa, Europe, to North, Central, and South America. We looked at the context of religious life in the cosmos from the "big bang" to the eschaton. We talked about the tensions of living our traditional vows in a post-mod-ern- even post-Christian--globalized world. We strug-gled to be mindful of ecological issues and the need for collaboration among the old orders and with the laity and members of emerging new religious communities. The presentations were rich in diversity and were fur-ther refined and nuanced in the ensuing conversations in small work groups or over dinner. None of the participants had clear answers or simple solutions. That was not the goal of the seminar. We did, however, pledge ourselves to keep pursuing questions, exploring mystery, and sharing our discoveries. That is what Review for Religious has been doing for 70 years in simple and profound ways. We hope to be a vital medium to enable that conversation to continue. Immersion in a pool of such rich thinking and expe-rience was invigorating. It is reassuring to be reminded, once again, that we have good company in the deep waters of religious life. Michael .G. Harter SJ 117 70.2 2011 THOMAS E DAILEY Salesian Simplicity: How a "Little Virtue" Can Go a Long Way virtue movements Four hundred years ago, simplicity was retrieved by two saints and given a new form.~ In June 1610, Francis de Sales and Jane de Chantal established the religious order of the Visitation of Holy Mary in Annecy, France. Begun with three nuns who would spend their day in prayer and occasionally visit the poor and sick in town--a radically new apostolic twist at the time--the order now has numerous monasteries throughout the world and includes those sisters who took up residence in the "Mater Ecclesiae" monastery in the Vatican in 2009. The superior there succinctly describes the particular charism of this religious order in Thomas E Dailey OSFS holds the Fr. Louis Brisson Chair in Salesian Spirituality and is Professor of Theology at DeSales University, where he is also the founding director of the Salesian Center for Faith & Culture. He may be addressed at DeSales University; 2755 Station Avenue; Center Valley, Pennsylvania 18034. Review for Religious terms that match the focus of the conference at which this paper was originally presented: "The spirit of the Visitation is one of profound humility toward God, and great meekness toward the neighbor--a spirit that does not put the accent on exterior austerity. The sisters must supply it with interior renunciation and with a great simplicity and joy in the common life.’’2 That spirit of simplicity aligns directly with Francis de Sales’s vision of the virtuous Christian life and takes a distinct form within the contemplative life of the Visitation order. And, as we will suggest, this four-hundred- year-old tradition remains especially relevant for the pursuit of holiness in the hectic world of the twenty-first century. Simplicity as a Virtue in Salesian Spirituality For St. Francis de Sales, simplicity paves the way to holiness. In his classic book on that subject--an Introduction to the Devout Li~--this Doctor of the Church posited the then revolutionary idea that holiness is pos-sible for everyone, not just the professionally religious monks and nuns, and that this holiness is realized in and through one’s vocation or state in life. In his view, what makes the possible actual is the life of virtue. Seeking to forge a middle ground for religious devo-tion between the supereminent tendencies of spiritual mysticism and the austere practices of ascetical, discipline, he champions the exercise of "little virtues"--those vir-tues that are able to be practiced in an ordinary way amid everyday relationships. He explains that "We do not very often come across opportunities for exercising" magnificent feats of virtue (like courageously saving someone from a burning building), but little ones-- like gentleness, modesty, and humility--are continually 119 70.2 2011 Dailey ¯ Salesian Simplicity What unites the various aspects and exercises of simplicity is the notion that this virtue entails being "transparent," called for as "graces which ought to color everything we do." Thus, he encourages the practice of "the best virtues, not those which are most highly esteemed; the most excellent, not the most visible; the truest, not the most conspicuous.’’3 Concerning simplicity, which he names most often in the various lists of the "little virtues" that appear throughout his writings, de Sales suggests any number of ways in which this can be carried out in one’s daily comportment. For example, in terms of fashion, simplicity shows itself in the propriety of one’s clothing. Adding wit to his wisdom, he writes, "Old people are always ridiculous when ...... they try to make themselves pretty. Such folly can be put up with only in youth.’’4 Or, in terms of language, simplicity calls forth words that are both frank and honest, while it challenges us to hold our tongue when called upon to speak about ourselves; as the saint explains, Without doubt, whoever speaks little of himself does so extremely well; for, whether it be that we speak in accusing ourselves or in excusing ourselves, in praising ourselves or in despising ourselves, it will always happen that our speech serves to entice us to vanity. If, therefore, some great charity draws us to speak of ourselves and our relatives, we must hold our tongue about it.5 Even more so, simplicity in speech is opposed to any sort of equivocation; in Francis’s view nothing so out- Review for Religious rages truth as duplicity, "For those who attempt to shield truth by artifice actually kill and suffocate it.’’6 Finally, in terms of relationships, where, according to Wendy Wright, Francis gives to simplicity its partic-ular nuance, to be simple means to act without cunning or guile.7 It enables us to avoid prosaic illusions, those illusions of grandeur which in reality are nothing more than mental temptations: There are souls that make great plans to do excel-lent services for Our Savior, by eminent actions and extraordinary sufferings--but actions and sufferings which there is no opportunity to carry out and per-haps never will be. Based on this, these souls think they have done some great thing in love; in this they are very often deceived, for while they embrace in desire what seems to them to be great future crosses, they anxiously avoid the burden of lesser ones that are present. Is it not an extreme temptation to be so val-iant in imagination, and so cowardly in execution?’’8 Instead of being so deceived, devout persons seek simply to serve God, even if they do not experience contentment in doing so: It is necessary to consider that there is no vocation that does not have its trouble, its bitterness and its distaste; and, what is more, if this is so among those not fully resigned to the will of God, each would wish volun-tarily to change his condition to some other.... From where comes this general inquietude of spirit if not from a certain displeasure that we have about what is contrary, and a malignity of spirit that makes us think that another is better than we are? But it is all the same: whoever is not fully resigned, who turns this way and that, he will never have rest .... A person who no lon-ger has the restlessness of his own will is content with everything: provided that God be served, it does not matter in what manner God employs him: provided that he does his divine will, it is all the same to him.9 121 70.2 2011 Dailey ¯ Salesian Simplicity To use a modern term, what unites these various aspects and exercises of simplicity is the notion that this virtue entails being "transparent." As Wendy Wright describes it, in living a simple life [a]ll the ornament and artifice on the outside is peeled away; all the complicated criss-crosses of self-reflec-tion and multiple considerations on the inside are also gently relinquished and given second place .... And that transparency then is a window through which God and the deepest center of the person can come together. Nothing remains between God and person.’° But the transparency of a virtuous life that is unadorned and unpretentious does not render simplic-ity a simple thing! On the contrary, this "little" virtue, when lived to its fullest, encompasses the whole of life in its adherence to the will of God in all things. In other words, it entails a perfect correspondence between who we are and how we act. That is the way of life sought by the Visitation sisters, for whom simplicity is consti-tutive of their particular charism in the church and for the world.~l 122 Simplicity as Sanctity in the Visitation Order For the Visitation sisters, the Salesian understanding of simplicity as a virtue extends beyond the practices of everyday life to encompass the totality of their exis-tence. Simplicity, in this sense, is an attitude of being more than an attribute of action. Cultivating this atti-tude is the direction that Francis de Sales sets for the spiritual life of Jarie de Chantal and for the religious order she would lead. From his first encounter with her in Dijon,12 Francis emphasized the need for Jane to develop a more simple life. As the amusing story is told, he took the opportunity Review for Religious at one of their first encounters to indicate blithely that her manner of dress should reflect her state in life as a widow: One day that Madame de Chantal had come to dine, she appeared a bit more dressed up and decked out than she ordinarily did. "Madame," said the bishop, "do you have plans to remarry? .... Oh, no, Monsignor," she replied quickly. "Well then," replied the saint, "it should be necessary to take down the flag.’’13 But more important would be Jane’s interior focus; over the course of several years, his spiritual direction led her to simplify her entire life. That process of simplifi-cation- what Wendy Wright describes as St. Jane’s own "call within a call"14--would also come to characterize the entire religious order that she established with him. Rooted in the twin Salesian virtues of humility and gentleness, the foundation of the Visitation order had only a simple aim, which Francis de Sales explains in a letter to the cardinal archbishop of Lyon, who objected to the sisters’ practice of leaving the monastery to visit the sick. Francis writes that the purpose of this new group of nuns is to give to God daughters of prayer and souls so interior that they be found worthy of serving his infinite Majesty and of adoring him in spirit and in truth. Leaving the grand orders already established in the church to honor Our Lord by excellent exercises and brilliant virtues, I wish that my daughters would have no other intention than to glorify him by their abasement; that this little Institute of the Visitation be like a poor dove among innocent doves, whose care and concern is to meditate upon the law of the Lord without making themselves seen or understood by the world; that they dwell hidden in the cleft of the rock and in the secret of the recesses in order there to give to their Beloved, by their living and dying, ’123 70.2 2011 Dailey ¯ Salesian Simplicity some proofs of the grief and the love of their hearts, expressed by their lowly and humble groaning.~s That "hiddenness" of their life discloses their sin-gularity of purpose. It also gives rise to a distinguishing feature of this new order, namely, the practice of admit-ting as sisters women who, through age or infirmity or widowhood, were too frail to undertake the penitential austerities of other contemplative orders. Instead, the Visitation sisters would practice an interior discipline, one cultivated through the progressive development of personal simplicity amid a joyful common life.16 The way by which the sisters would grow in simplic-ity is mapped out for them most clearly in the Spiritual Conferences--a compilation of informal question-and-answer sessions conducted in the courtyard or parlor of the monastery, in which the bishop clarified the distinctive way of life for the members of his new institute. Notwithstanding the limitations of the liter-arT form or the reliability of the published versions,17 these conferences do reveal the mindset of St. Francis de Sales, for whom simplicity is nothing less than the pursuit of perfection. That pursuit begins with the realization of what exactly this virtue is. The holy bishop tells the sisters, "Simplicity is nothing other than an act of pure and sim-ple charity that has only one goal, which is to acquire the love of God. Our spirit is simple when we have no other aim in all that we do or want."18 Then he indicates to them, by way of the biblical story of Martha and MarT, that simplicity and charity are inseparably linked, such Simplicity runs counter to any interior agitation. Review for Religious that the "act of simple charity allows us to look at and have no other goal in sight in all our actions.’’~9 And this, he claims, is a distinctively Christian virtue. He then explains that the sisters’ singularity of focus through simplicity2° will facilitate their pursuit of holiness by fleeing them from the torment of spiritual restlessness and inquietude. Born from the humility that recognizes the inevitable imperfection inherent to human nature, simplicity runs counter to any interior agitation, as the saint explains elsewhere: You know that God wishes, in general, that one serve him, by loving him above all things and our neighbor as ourselves .... That said, it is necessary to do so in good faith, without finesse or subtlety, which would be in the manner of this world, where perfection does notreside, in a human way and according to this time, while waiting to do so in the divine and angelic world and according to eternity. Neither pressure nor agitation of purpose serve any good; desire is good, but let it be without agitation. It is this pressure from which I [wish to] shield you, as the mother imperfection of all imperfections.21 In more positive terms, simplicity is the corollary of that liberty of spirit that comes from love. Speaking again to the sisters, he claims that Simplicity banishes from the human spirit both the need and the anxiety that many develop, so they say, as they search for the ability to love God by the sheer number of exercises and other means. It seems to them that if they do everything that the Saints have done, they will most certainly be satisfied. What poor people! They are to be pitied! They torment themselves to find the art of loving God. They don’t know that there is none except to love Him. They think that there is a certain ingenuity to acquire this love which is truly found only in simplicity.22 70.2 2011 Dailey ¯ Salesian Simplicity 1261 Ultimately, the sisters’ simple love for God can and should integrate all the aspects of their life. In other conferences, their founder explains how related vir-tues can help them to practice this simplicity. Through humility they learn to embrace the mortifications and abjections of everyday life, for, in his words, "our misery is the throne of God’s mercy.’’23 Through wonder about their imperfections in contrast to the divine goodness exercised in their regard, they are invited to place their confidence entirely in God.24 Through the joy this con-templation brings, they are called to exercise holy indif-ference in all matters; on this point the saint concludes his final conference with this fa

  • Review for Religious - Issue 67.3 ( 2008)
    Missouri Province of the Society of Jesus, 2012
    Co-Authors: Missouri Province Of The Society Of Jesus
    Abstract:

    Issue 67.3 of the Review for Religious, 2008.LiVing Spiritually Being Mentored Praying Revisiti:ng Religious Life QUARTERLY 67 3 2008 Review for Religious fosters dialogue with God, dialogue with ourselves, and dialogue with one another about the holiness we try to live according ~ to Charisms of Catholic religious life, As Pope Paul Vl said, our way.of being church is today the way of dialogue. Review for Religious (ISSN 0034-639X) is published quarterly at Saint Louis University by the Jesuits of the Missouri Province. Editorial Office: 3601 Lindell Boulevard ¯ St. Louis, Missouri 63108-3393 Telephone: 314-633-4610 ¯ Fax: 314-633-4611 E-Maih review@slu.edu ¯ \Veh site: www.reviewforreligious.org Manuscripts, books for review, and correspondence with the editor: Review for Religious ¯ 3601 Lindell Boulevard ¯ St. Louis, MO 63108-3393 Correspondence about the Canonical Counsel department: Elizabeth McDonough OP ¯ Pontifical College Josephinu,n 7625 North High Street ¯ Columbus, Ohio 43235 POSTMASTER Send address changes to Review for Religiou~ ¯ RO. Box 6070 ¯ Duluth, MN 55806. Periodical postage paid at St. Louis, Missouri, and additional mailing offices. See inside back cover for information on subscription rates. ©2008 Review for Religious Permission is herewith granted to copy any material (articles, poems, reviews) contained in this issue of Review for Religious for personal or internal use, or for the personal or internal use of specific libraryI clients within the limits outlined in Sections 107 and/or 108 of the United States Copyright Law. All l copies made under this permission must bear notice of the source, date, and copyright owner on the ~ first page. This permission is NOT extended to copying for Commercial Distribution, advertising,, institutional promotion, or for the creation of new collectivd works or anthologies. Such permission ~ will only be considered on written application to the Editor, Review for Religious. Editor Associate Editor Canonical Counsel Scripture Scope Editorial Staff Advisory Board David L. Fleming SJ Philip C. Fischer sJ Elizabeth McDonough OP Eugene Hensell OSB Mary Ann Foppe Tracy Gramm Judy Sharp Paul Coutinho SJ Martin Erspamer OSB Margaret Guider OSF Kathleen Hughes RSCJ Louis and Angela Menard Bishop Terry Steib SVD QUARTERLY 67.3 2008 contents prisms 228 Prisms 230 240 living spiritually Holy Spirit Spirituality James W. Kinn draws upon the Gospel and Acts of St. Luke and the Gospel of St. John to show how these might lead to an effective spirituality of the Spirit in our lives, A Charity Spirituality for Educators Judith Metz SC explores ways in which the special virtues of the Charity family (humility, simplicity, charity) offer educators guidelines to greater personal spiritual depth and an enriching way of being present in an educational environment. 226 255 266 being mentored St. Th6r~se’s Contribution to the Catechism Joseph E Schmidt FSC reflects on the citations of St. Th~r~se of Lisieux found in the Catechism 6f the Catholic Church, particularly emphasizing her contribution to the understanding of prayer. DeSales’ ~sion of Ecclesial and Consecrated Life Alexander T. Pocetto OSFS presents Francis de Sales’ understanding of consecrated life, especially modeled in the Visitation, to give us a deeper appreciation of its relevance to the life and work of the church today. Re’view for Religious 281 286 praying Christian Prayer’s Trinitarian Shape John Carroll Futrell SJ weaves together many scripture passages to demonstrate how, consciously or not, Christian prayer has a Trinitarian shape to it. Personal Reflection / Group Discussion Midnight Prayer in the Ignatian Exercises Philip Shano SJ proposes that we take a fresh look at what benefits a "midnight meditation" can have for a person in retreat. 290 3O4 revisiting religious life ~ The Social Matrix of Religious Obedience Bernard J. Lee SM presents the importance of relational power, the power of the weak, and a meticulous discernment in forming the social matrix of religious obedience. Of Tabernacles and Televisions Patricia McCarthy CND challenges religious to reflect on the importance of the presence of the Blessed Sacrament in their home lives today. Group Reflection / Discussion departments 317 Scripture Scope: St. Paul’s Corinthian Correspondence 322 Canonical Counsel: The Lacuna Canon: Equity and Practice 327 Book Reviews 227 67.3 2008 prisms 228 T feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary is celebrated on the last day of the month of May. It may seem to be just a timely liturgical setting between the feast of the Annunciation and the feast of the Birth of John the Baptist. But on closer examination, the content of the feast seems to set a direction for our Christian living throughout these middle months of the church’s liturgical year. What we celebrate is the simple event nar-rated in Luke’s Gospel about Mary’s hastening to help her cousin Elizabeth in the latter months of her pregnancy--a fact which Mary had learned about through the message of the angel Gabriel. It is more than a pleasant visit of relatives. We signify something more by our use of the word visitation. Visitation has a purpose. There is a certain expectation that a visitation is meant to accomplish something. The meeting between par-ties at the time of a visitation has a significance. A meaning of some import is attributed to this encounter. For Elizabeth the very greeting of Mary upon her arrival causes a special stirring in her womb. Elizabeth is inspired by the Spirit to recognize the early pregnancy of Mary, hardly visible to the human, eye. Moreover her faith professes the specialness of Mary, her cousin, by proclaiming that she is "blessed among women." Somehow the leap of the baby within her womb led Elizabeth Review for Religious to proclaim that this baby in its first formation in Mary’s womb is truly the blessed One. For Elizabeth, the simple appearance of Mary saying "Here I am" produces such an explosion of faith--an extraordinary moment of spiritual consolation. For Mary, Elizabeth’s profusion of faith is like a warm-ing confirmation of all that the angel had told her. She truly is highly favored by God. Her fiat allowed God to find a human home within her. Mary’s own faith was so strength-ened by Elizabeth’s words that she could only break forth in her own prayer of praise of God. Mary was the first to realize what it really means to bring God to another. Why do we recall this event with our special celebra-tion? What appears to be just a simple helpful visit between two cousins--mothers-to-be--sets a tone and direction for each one of us in our Christian vocation. For us it is meant to be more than just a celebration of an event, however special this event is for Mary and for Elizabeth. We are led to reflect on all the "visits" in our life--how we are being called to make each one of them a visitation. Like Elizabeth, do we find ourselves "blessed" by all the people who appear, unexpectedly or not, in the doorways of our lives? Do we allow ourselves to find God actively working in their lives and ours? Does the ordinary everyday interaction call forth in us a leap of faith that consoles us deeply? Like Mary, do we find that we truly are the "bearers of God" in the simple everyday give-and-take of human conversation? Are we continually in amazement that God desires to work through us in so many effective ways? Looking back on each day’s incidents, do we experience a quiet gratitude, a desire to praise the God who chooses to shine out through the limitations of our all-too-human words and actions? David L. Fleming SJ 229 67.3 2008 JAMES W. KINN Holy Spirit Spirituality living spiritually 230 "Perhaps the most neglected area of theology in the West is that of the Holy Spirit," says George Montague.1 He sees an urgent need for such a theology. In 1983 Raymond Brown, the great scripture scholar, noted "an almost total absence of comprehensive books on the Spirit in the New Testament.’’2 Pope John Paul urged: "The ecclesiology of the [Second Vatican] Council must be succeeded by a new study of and devotion to the Holy Spirit, precisely as the indispensable complement of the teaching of the council.’’3 Recently some efforts have been made to fill this vacuum.4 The present article offers a description of the two dominant pneumatologies found in the New Testament and hopes to show how these might lead to an effective spirituality of the Spirit in our lives. Let us begin with the way the New Testament speaks about Jesus. The synoptic James W. Kitm, an actively retired diocesan priest, wrote about John of the Cross in our 66.2 (2007) issue. His address is 6318 243rd Court; Salem, Wisconsin 53168. Review for Religious Gospels all depict Jesus as imbued with the Holy Spirit, who is the divine influence in his life and ministry. Luke, especially, presents a consistent Spirit Christology in narrative form.5 That is, when he speaks of Jesus as the unique Son of God, as the long-awaited Messiah, and as Savior of the world, he generally refers to the Holy Spirit’s influence on him. He describes God’s presence and power in Jesus’ life in terms of the Spirit. God as Spirit is dynamically active in Jesus in a unique way. We are familiar with the way John’s Gospel speaks about Jesus as the revelation of God. The prologue describes Jesus as God’s Word (Jn 1:1-14). God as Word "comes down" and is embodied in the person and min-istry of Jesus. This Word is the manifestation of God in history. The rest of John’s Gospel does not speak of this "Word," but it presents Jesus as the definitive wisdom and revelation of God. The Wisdom of God, prominent in the wisdom books of the Old Testament, is repre-sented and even personified in Jesus and his teaching.6 John’s Gospel presents Jesus as the light of the world, as the whole truth to be believed, and as the visual image of God: "Whoever has seen me has seen the Father" (Jn 14:9). These two ways of describing Jesus in the Gospels are paralleled by the two ways of understanding the Holy Spirit. The New Testament teaches that God is present and active in his Holy Spirit, so that all Christians may know God, love God, and be inspired to follow Jesus. Again we will follow Luke and John. Luke’s Theology of the Spirit Just as Luke’s Gospel presents the Spirit as the energy present and active in Jesus, so in the Acts of the Aposdes, beginning with Pentecost, Luke shows the Spirit as pres- 231 67.3 2008 Kinn ¯ Holy Spirit Spirituality ent in and empowering the early church. At the end of his Gospel, Luke relates the promise of Jesus to his apos-des: "I am sending the promise of my Father upon you; but stay in the city until you are clothed with the power from on high" (Lk 24:49). At the beginning of Acts, Jesus says: "Wait for the promise of the Father about which you have heard me speak; for.., in a few days you will be bap-tized with the Holy Spirit" (Ac 1:4-5). Thus Jesus teaches that the Spirit is the power to be given to the apostles and the dynamic principle of their role as wit-nesses of "the way" of salvation through faith in him. Then Jesus summarizes the whole mission of the apostles and the work of the Spirit in them: "You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth" (Ac 1:8). The Spirit will inspire them to be witnesses to Jesus, starting in Jerusalem and continuing all over the world. Luke follows this paradigm throughout Acts, mention-ing the Spirit fifty-seven times. Because of that frequent reference to the Spirit, some would like to characterize this book as the Acts of the Spirit. Consider how effectively Luke describes the Spirit’s work in Acts. First, the Holy Spirit empowers the dis- Just as Luke’s Gospel presents the Spirit as the energy present, and active in Jesus, so in the Acts of the Apostles Luke shows the Spirit as present in and empowering the early church. 232 Review for Religious ciples to witness to Jesus: "We are witnesses of these things, as is the Holy Spirit who is given to [us]" (Ac 5:32). The Spirit inspires the early believers to speak in tongues and to prophesy: "They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim" (Ac 2:4). Then the Spirit comes upon the new believers in Jerusalem: "They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and contin-ued to speak the word of God with boldness" (Ac 4:31). Next Peter and John are sent to Samaria to lay hands on the newly baptized: "Then they laid hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit" (Ac 8:17). The Spirit also marks out the first new assistants (deacons) as those "filled with the Holy Spirit" (Ac 6:3). The Spirit directs individual missionaries: Philip (Ac 8:29-39), Peter (Ac 10:19-20), and Paul (Ac 20:22). In Paul’s case the Spirit directs him again and again (Ac 20:23). Also the Gentile converts are specifically seen as inspired by the Spirit: "The Holy Spirit fell upon all who were listening to the word. [The Jews] were astounded that the gift of the Holy Spirit should have been poured out on the Gentiles also" (Ac 10:44-45). Later the Spirit selects Barnabas and Paul for the mission to Cyprus: "The Holy Spirit said, ’Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them’" (Ac 13:2- 4). Then, in the Council of Jerusalem, the Spirit inspires their decisions: "It is the decision of the Holy Spirit and of us..." ( Ac 15:28). Finally, the Spirit continues to aid the "overseers" in tending the flock: "Keep watch over.. ¯ the whole flock of which the Holy Spirit has appointed you as overseers" (Ac 20:28). Let me draw some conclusions. The constant inspi-ration and guidance of the Holy Spirit is the distinguish-ing feature of Lukan ecclesiology. Luke’s pneumatology 233 67.3 2008 Kinn ¯ Holy Spirit Spirituality flows from his Spirit Christology. This pneumatology can be most effective for our Christian life and spiritu-ality. It can easily be understood by modern Catholics, because it begins with the historical person of Jesus as seen in the synoptics; what we naturally see there is an integral human being, Jesus, who is empowered by God’s Spirit to accomplish our redemption. This pneu-matology can be very appealing to us because it shows the continuity between the Spirit’s empowering Jesus and the Spirit of Jesus empowering us. Finally, with this Spirit theology, we can easily see a parallel in our Christian lives. God’s Spirit dwells in us by grace in such a way as to empower us to live after the model of the Spirit-driven Jesus (Mk 1:12). 234 John’s Theology of the Spirit Let us begin with John’s Christology. The prologue of John’s Gospel presents Jesus as the Word, the Logos, the Verbum. After this, chapters 1-13 present Jesus as "the truth," the "light of the world," the wisdom of God. To know him is to know the Father (Jn 8:20); to see him is to see the Father (In 14:9). John’s Christology might be summarized by saying that Jesus is the revela-tion of God, the human expression of God. Then in chapters 14 to 16 John’s Jesus promises the disciples a "new Advocate" (Jn 14:16). Jesus himself is their original Advocate: "We have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ (1 Jn 2:1), and now he promises the Spirit as an Advocate who will take his place and "be with [them] always" (Jn 14:16). Jesus even makes this assertion: "I tell you the truth, it is better for you that I go. For, if I do.not go, the Advocate will not come to you. But if I go I will send him to you" On 16:7). The disciples will somehow be better off after he has left Review for Religious them and sent them the Holy Spirit as their permanent Advocate. We can understand Jesus’ amazing assertion here by considering the five Paraclete sayings in chap-ters 14 to 16. 1. "I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to be with you always, the Spirit of truth, [who] remains with you and will be in you" (Jn 14:16-17). Here Jesus sets out the entire work of the Paraclete in his followers. He says that the Paraclete will dwell with them permanently as a new presence of Jesus in all of them. The meaning of this immanence is that there is a permanent spiritual status for all who believe in Jesus, and he assigns this divine immanence to the Spirit/Paraclete. 2. "The Advocate, the holy Spirit, that the Father will send in my name--he will teach you everything and remind you of all that I told you" (Jn 14:25-26). To "teach" in John is practically a verb of revelation, but the Spirit will not bring a new revelation: "He will not speak on his own, but he will speak what he hears .... He will take from what is mine and declare it to you" (Jn 16:13-14). In John the teaching 0f Jesus contains all that the disciples need to know, all the revelation of God. The proper function of the Spirit of Jesus, then, is to make them understand Jesus’ teaching clearly. Jesus promises that the Advocate "will remind you of all that I told you." Often, in John’s Gospel, Jesus promises that later--after the resurrection--the disciples will remem- In John the teaching of Jesus contains all that the disciples need to know, all the revelation of God. 67.3 2008 Kinn ¯ Holy Spirit Spirituality ber what he told them and come to understand it (see Jn 2:22; 12:16; 13:7, 19; 14:19-20, 29; 15:20-21, 26; 16:4, 12- 13). He means that they will understand the deep mystery of redemption (through suffering and death) only after they have known his passion. These functions of the Spirit of Jesus, teaching and reminding, are also meant for us. Pope John Paul affirmed this: "The promise is not limited to the aposdes and their immediate companions .... It extends to the future generations of disciples ... of Christ.’’7 3. "When the Advocate comes.., the Spirit of truth that proceeds from the Father, he will testify about me. And you also will testify" (Jn 15:26-27). This will not be two sources of testimony, but only one; the Spirit will encourage the disciples internally to witness to Christ. When they experience opposition from the world, the Spirit of truth will work within their hearts to strengthen them in their own faith and provide them with unshakable confidence. 4. "[When the Advocate] comes, he will convict the world in regard to sin and righteousness and condemna-tion; sin, because they do not believe in me; righteous-ness, because I am going to the Father and you will no longer see me; condemnation, because the ruler of this world has been condemned" (Jn 16:8-11). In John’s Gospel, there is no mention of formal public trials and judges (as are mentioned in Mt 10:17-18 and Mk 13:9). Rather Jesus’ concern here seems to be for the same theological conflict that characterized his public life, namely, the great opposition between him and the world, the struggle for and against Jesus. Specifically here the Paraclete will prove to the disciples that the world is guilty of sin, the basic sin that consists in refus-ing to believe in Jesus. This sin is described often in John’s Gospel (Jn 3:19; 9:41; 12:37; 15:22-24). Review for Religious The disciples will continue this contest against the unbelieving world, and the Paraclete will be their "coun-sel for the defense" to prove the world guilty of disbe-lief in God and his Word. The Spirit will also witness against the world to prove the world wrong about righ-teousness or justice, by showing that Jesus, whom it judged guilty, was really innocent and just. The final element in the Paraclete’s witness against the world is condemnation, that is, proof that in condemning Jesus the world itself was judged. For, in the person of the Paraclete, Jesus is still present after his death; so, if Jesus’ passion repre-sented the confrontation of Jesus and the prince of this world (Jn 12:31; 14:30), then Jesus’ victory over death is also his victory over the prince of this world (see 1 Jn 4:3-4; 5:4-5). 5. "The Spirit of truth.., will guide you to all truth; ¯.. he will speak what he hears, and will declare to you the things that are coming" (Jn 16:12-13). The func-tions of the Paraclete here are similar to those in John 14:26, that is, to teach and to call to mind, but they are further developed here, especially by the addition of two phrases. The phrase "guide you to all truth" (or "guide you along the way of all truth," as in the Anchor Bible) seems to include more than a deeper intellectual under-standing by teaching a way of life that follows Jesus. The Johannine understanding of "way of truth" is not an abstract system of faith but a sphere of action, similar to the Hebrew Scriptures’ way of life in conformity with the Mosaic law, and also similar to "the way" in the Acts of the Apostles.8 The phrase "declare to you the things that are com-ing" does not involve any new revelation, for Jesus also says the Spirit "will speak what he hears." Raymond Brown says that this "consists in interpreting in relation 237 67.3 2008 Kinn ¯ Holy Spirit Spirituality 238 to each coming generation the contemporary signifi-cance of what Jesus has said and done.’’9 The Paraclete will help each generation to uncover the deep meaning of the person and mission of Jesus for their particular time and place. Parallels and Some Points John’s pneumatology is quite parallel to his Christology. The Spirit of Jesus will perform many of the same functions as Jesus did for his disciples: teach them, be their advocate in trials, intercede for them with God, encourage them, lead them to all truth, and guide them into the future. The Spirit of Jesus will be both a permanent presence and an active teacher and guide. The Spirit will dwell in all Jesus’ disciples. Once Jesus has departed, the Spiri

  • Review for Religious - Issue 66.1 ( 2007)
    Missouri Province of the Society of Jesus, 2012
    Co-Authors: Missouri Province Of The Society Of Jesus
    Abstract:

    Issue 66.1 of the Review for Religious, 2007.’ Spiritu:alilty Perspectives Community Tod:ay~s Saint QUARTERLY 66.1 2007 Review for Religious fosters dialogue with God, dialogue with ourselves, and dialogue with one another about the" holiness we try to live according to charisms of Catholic religious life. As Pope Paul Vl said, our way of being church is today the way of dialogue. Review for Religious (ISSN 0034-639X) is published quarterly at Saint Louis University by the Jesuits of the Missouri Province. Editorial Office: 3601 Lindell Boulevard ¯ St. Louis, Missouri 63108-3393 Telephone: 314-633-4610 ¯ Fax: 314-633-4611 E-Maih review@slu.edu ¯ Web site: ~w.reviewforreligious.org Manuscripts, books for review, and correspondence with the editor: Review for Religious - 3601 Lindell Boulevard ¯ St. Louis, MO 63108-3393 Correspondence about the Canonical Counsel department: Elizabeth McDonough OP ° Pontifical College Josephinum 7625 North High Street ¯ Columbus, Ohio 43235 POSTMASTER Send address changes to Review for Religious ¯ RO. Box 6070 ° Duluth, MN 55806. Periodical postage paid at St. Louis, Missouri, and additional mailing offices. See inside back cover for information on subscription rates. ©2007 Review for Religious Permission is herewith granted to copy any material (articles, poems, reviews) contained in this issue of Review for Religious for personal or internal use, or for the personal or internal use of specific library clients within the limits outlined in Sections 107 and/or 108 of the United States Copyright Law. All copies made under this permission must bear notice of the source, date, and copyright owner on the first page. This permission is NOT extended to copying for Commercial Distribution, advertising, institutional promotion, or for the creation of new collective works or anthologies. Such permission will only be considered on written application to the Editor, Review for Religious. eview for religious Editor Associate Editor Canonical Counsel Scripture Scope Editorial Staff l~ebmaster Advisory Board David L. Fleming SJ Philip C. Fischer sJ Elizabeth McDonough OP Eugene Hensell 0SB Mary Ann Foppe Tracy Gramm Judy Sharp Clare Boehmer ASC Martin Erspamer OSB Kathleen Hughes RSCJ Louis and Angela Menard Bishop Terry Steib SVD Miriam D. Ukeritis CSJ QUARTERLY 66.1 2007 contents prisms 4 Prisms 19 spirituality Aging and Christian Spirituality: Joy and Resignation Matthias Neuman OSB explores two challenges of aging, namel.v, the ability to enjoy and the need of resignation. Dreams in Prayer and Discernment Jennifer Constantine Jackson examines the human experience of dreams as one resource from the Lord that can assist us on ¯ the road to spiritual maturity. Reflection/Discussion Questions 3O perspectives Confessions of a Franciscan Ethicist Rende Mirkes O~’S shows how being Franciscan can and does affect the way she does ethics. Review for Religious 40 58 Reclaiming Hope, Recovering Dialogue Colleen Mary Mallon OP explores dialogical communion, from the writings of the French Dominican Yves Congar, and reflects upon specific practices of discipleship that promise to deepen communal conversion while offering prophetic witness to a global world. Personal Reflection/Group Discussion community Rose Hoover RC says that being together on the inward journey is a subtly rigorous togetherness not to be missed. 64 An Experience of Jesus and His Brothers Robert Schieler FSC describes his congregation’s Holy Week retreat in which three provinces saw a happily workable way to be energetically together as one. 74 today’s saint Mother’s Quest and Bequest: Theodore Guerin’s Sainthood Mary Roger Madden SP provides a historical vignette of her congregation’s recently canonized American foundress to show the greatness of her spiritual bequest. departments 90 Scripture Scope: The Bible and the Church 95 Canonical Counsel: Bona Ecclesiastica 101 Book Reviews 66.1 2007 prisms Do I want to be holy? When we ask our-selves the question, the answer would seem to be obvious. Since we believe in God and we want to enjoy life forever with God, we are trying to be holy. Probably many of us would find it a bit pretentious to say that right now we are making the effort to be holy. Why is it so off-putting for us to admit simply that we want to be holy? Trying to be holy sounds, well, sanctimonious. We judge that we are priding ourselves on some-thing we are not. We don’t want to be people setting ourselves down at the head of the table in Jesus’ parable, only to be told to take a lower place. All too often we think that to be holy includes all the things that we are not: unfail-ingly pious, always prayerful, never offensive, and ever patient and long-suffering. Perhaps images like the eyes-rolled-up to heaven, the hands folded, and the pallid face featured in many portraits of our saints hold us off from identifying with holiness. We likely need a reevaluation of what it means to be holy. God is the holy One. If God is by nature holy, then we are not naturally holy. But God calls us to be holy and empowers us to "be holy as I am holy." In the sacramental life, we identify these key empowerments in baptism, confirmation, and eucharist. God the Father, in the identifying of us with his Son and in the gift-ing of their Spirit, has truly made us sons and daughters. Being part of God’s family--the ones adopted in Jesus’ name--we merit being called holy ones, the saints as St. Paul frequently refers to his fellow Christians in the various churches to whom he writes his letters. Review for Religqous We might believe that we are called to be holy, in fact, that we are children of God. But what we are and how we act might be two different things. What does it mean for us to act like holy persons? Jesus is our way that we come to understand and live a divine holiness. Holiness, above all, is rooted in our love relationship with our triune God in Jesus. By watching Jesus in action, we discover how we are to live and act holily. Let’s take some examples that we ordinarily do not associate with holiness. Jesus lives his holiness in his presence and in his participation in parties such as the Cana wedding feast and in banquets of all kinds, sometimes held in houses of those consid-ered public sinners such as Matthew and Zacchaeus and at other times in the homes of his pious "betters"--like Simon the Pharisee. Holiness, we see, is made real and strengthened in enjoying life, like parties and banquets. In all kinds of circumstances, Jesus expresses holiness in breaking the rules--usually surrounding Sabbath obser-vances- because of his compassion and love. Jesus, we see, teaches us that holiness is not to be identified just with "keeping the rules." Priests and Levites--good peo-ple- kept the rules of not contaminating themselves by helping a wounded traveler, but it was the foreigner, a false-believing Samaritan, who acted holily. Jesus says that we must act as one who loves neighbor as oneself. Jesus shows us that holiness grows in the conversations and interactions with all different classes of people, sometimes with people who think quite differently from him--the ways of Jesus’ ministering in the gospels. Jesus shows us that dealing with others who think differently from us is a part of our being holy. Simply said, to live holily, as Jesus shows us, is to live an everyday kind of life, graced always by the love of God and love of neighbor. David L. Fleming SJ 66.1 2007 MATTHIAS NEUMAN Aging and Christian Spirituality: Joy and Resignation spirituality Aging, that universal human experience, is one of life’s great mysteries. Why the various stages in the human life cycle: infancy, childhood, ado-lescence, adulthood, and old age? Why should human life be like that? Why do we grow up and then slowly break down, piece by piece, until death comes for us? Our creative God could have arranged matters differently. But the real-ity remains that human life, unless tragically cut short, ends with old age, dissolution, and death-- years that people often find extremely troubling. Old age is where aging really hits home. Aging, especially the last phase, "old age," has become a major social issue for many Western countries. The graying of populations looms in many of them as a social and economic issue. The recent report of the President’s Council on Bioethics, Taking Care: Ethical Caregiving in our Aging Society, puts it pointedly: Matthias Neuman OSB has written for us often. His pres-ent address is Our Lady of Grace Monastery; 1414 Southern Avenue; Beech Grove, Indiana 46107. Review for Religious There is no question that we are on the threshold of a "mass geriatric society.," a society of more long-lived individuals than ever before in human history. For this great gift of longer and healthier life for ourselves and our loved ones we are, and should be, enormously grateful .... At the same time, however, there are good reasons to be concerned about the human and moral shape that a mass geriatric society will take, especially if the "price" many people pay for the added years of healthier life is a period of protracted debility, demen-tia, and dependence stacked up at the end before they eventually die. Such a reshaping of the life cycle will create enormous challenges for nearly every family and for the entire society.! The Catholic ethicist Daniel Callahan pinpoints some of those troubling issues. By 2030 almost 20 percent of the American population will be over 65; the combined costs of Medicare and Medicaid will double; close to half of those over 85 will suffer from some form of dementia. He says: "The projected long-term institutional costs alone, quite apart from medical expenses, will be astronomical.’’2 Aging also appears as an increasing pastoral care issue for the church. The 1999 document of the Pontifical Council for the Laity, "The Dignity of Older People and Their Mission in the Church and in the World," says that the increasing number of aging people in the developed coun-tries of the world will cause some significant shifts in the style and opportunities for pastoral care: The ecclesial community, for its part, is called to respond to the great participation which older people would like to have ih the church by turning to account the "gift" they represent as witnesses of the tradition of fai.th, teachers of the wisdom of life, and workers of charity. [The Church] must therefore reexamine its apostolate on behalf of older people, and open it up to their participation and collaboration.3 66.1 2007 Neuman ¯ Aging and Christian Spirituality Aging doqs not need o be a series of losses th’a can only be eiid ¢ed::i In this article I explore two challenges that aging pres-ents for Christian spirituality. These challenges touch individuals, families, parishes, and the church as a whole. Aging does not need to be a series of losses that can only be endured. Indeed, it offers genuine possibilities for spiritual growth. I came to be interested in this topic for several rea-sons. Seven years ago my father fell on some ice and broke his hip. He never really recovered from that, and spent his last two years in a nursing home. In those two years my parents, my sisters, and I talked much about the reality of nursing-home life, about how many things aging compels the elderly and their families to give up. A year after my father died, my mother fell inside her house and broke her hip. She recovered much better than he did. She had observed the nursing home firsthand and had no desire to go there: "The smells and the food would kill me for sure." Her great effort to do her therapy and avoid the nursing home enabled her (at age 86) to finish the rehabilitation program three weeks early. She was able to return home, but my sisters and I felt she needed a watchful presence around her more than a duplex could-provide. So she moved into a home for the elderly, and Ibecame chaplain for the Benedictine sisters who run the home. My mother and I walk together frequently, our conversations returning now and then to the trials and opportunities of aging. At ninety-two she feels them acutely. I must face my own aging too. At sixty-four, I have had to accept it for some time now. In the last twenty years, I have given up physically competitive sports; my Review for Religious football, baseball, and basketball gear were given away long ago. I still have golf and the treadmill, but the clock is ticking there too. For the last three years, back prob-lems have cut short my summer golf. What encouraged me more than anything else to do some spiritual reflection on aging was a little pam-phlet titled The Grace of Old Age by Father Vincent M. O’Flaherty SJ. He.wrote a series of reflections while a patient in a nursing home himself. His view of aging is special, and he provides some excellent thoughts on the spirituality of aging. Here is one: "When I look at my tensions from the point of view of detachment, I see that each tension is a fear of losing the power to enjoy one of the goods of this life. As a grace, aging is a slow death of the power of enjoying this world.’’4 That last cuts deep. But, as Father O’Flaherty adds, it also makes more spiritual growth possible. But wherein does that spiritual growth consist? Throughout Christian history, old age has not stimulated a lot of sustained reli-gious thinking.5 In developed Western countries, that is due in part to the fact that, until the latter part of the 20th century, most people did not live to old age as we know it. In 1790 the U.S. population over age 65 comprised only two percent. By 1980 that was eleven percent, and in 2004 it was approaching fifteen. The President’s Council on Bioethics says that the fastest-growing age group in the U.S. is "the oldest of the old (people age 85 or over).’’6 In the last quarter century, the increasing percentage of older people has created much investigation into all aspects of growing older. But there is a counterbalance to this increasingly aging population. As the number of older persons in the U.S. increases, the inherent value of any one of them decreases. Previously the elderly’s very "scarcity" was a value. A household with an elderly per-son, with someone who could tell the family’s history, was 66.1 2007 Neuman ¯ Aging and Christian Spirituality considered honored and blessed. In our own day people are more likely to worry about how many older people there are and how they are going to be cared for. Both the joys and resignations, " of old agk can be seen~ hs ways of deepenin~ g onr . relationship with~ God.. Perspective People generally have two ways of considering the onset of old age. Both appear in scientific as well as common thought, and both are mentioned by the Pontifical Commission’s document "The Dignity of Older People.-7 The first way is to anticipate joys, to expect that each age possesses its own blessings, its own joys and achieve-ments. The last years of life offer particular graces: the joy of grandchildren, lessening responsibility, time for relaxation, oppor-tunity to do some things you always wanted to do. The Christian tradition often encouraged this, considering old age a blessing. The Bible provides some examples: "Gray hair is a crown of glow" (Pr 16:31). "You shall rise before the aged, and defer to the old" (Lv 19:32). Older persons are presumed wise, from their great store of life experience. A second way to deal with aging is resignation. This seems the predominant way. People work at accepting the inevitability of aging, and its conclusion. Aging always involves loss. People must give up many things along the way. At each stage of life, valuable and dear things are left behind. Resignation includes a fearful looking ahead to possible situations that one would rather not face. The fear of helplessness, of being a burden to others, remains Review for Religious extremely troubling for many people. With resignation, one tries to be ready for inevitable losses without becom-ing angry about them. There is a whole body of literature on "disengagement theory.’’8 As they advance in age, most people probably experience some joy about their future and some resignation regarding things they fear. All of us have to learn the proper proportions for ourselves. This is a matter of our religious response. Both the joys and resignations of old age can be seen as ways of deepening our relationship with God. Enjoying Joys As people grow older, they do not lose their right to joy in life. They can still partake of joys and pleasures, simple though they may be. The church’s teaching on pleasure and joy has not always been as positive as it might have been.9 From the perspective of Vatican Council II, people are beginning to see life’s legitimate joys as our ini-tial sharing in the resurrection. A nursing-home resident make this point directly: "Despite pain, I am experiencing joy. If that is so, I am experiencing God. I am delighted to wake up in the morning, to have another day to experi-ence God in joy. The simplest things--the weather, the barren trees of winter, the sports scores, reading, staying in touch with families and friends--all give me joy. In all I find a taste of God. Yes, it is tough to grow old, but I have found joy that I did not know in my youth.’’1° Some of the sharper slants of disengagement theory would urge the elderly to disengage themselves from any joys that keep them attached to this world. But a Christian spirituality would encourage older persons to enjoy what they still can. Indeed, other scholars of aging would assert that older people who are not too old can develop abili-ties that they never knew they possessed. Studies suggest that the brain’s left and right hemispheres become better 66.1 2007 Neuman * Aging and Christian Spirituality integrated during middle age, making way for improved creativity in one’s older years. Age also seems to dampen some negative emotions, making it easier to get rid of anger.1~ My own mother in her eighties developed a bet-ter attitude toward death than she ever had previously. It happens to others as well: An editor I know at a New York publishing company provides a case in point. He was in his sixties and con-templating retirement when he realized that he had finally matured into his job. Despite a sharp intellect and a passion for excellence, this man had spent much of his career alienating people with brusque, critical comments and a lack of sensitivity. Now . . . he was finally beginning to master interpersonal communica-tion. As his emotional development caught up to his intellectual development, he morphed from a brilliant but brittle loner into a mentor and a mediator of con-flicts .... His best work was still ahead of him.12 This potential to be creative and surprising is some-thing that those who work with the elderly need to be more aware of. Often they do not give aging people a chance. Sometimes the elderly do not give themselves a chance. Learning new abilities, arriving at positions we could never previously attain, constitutes a great joy of one’s older years. The Vatican document "The Dignity of Older People and Their Mission in the Church and in the World" urges that the legitimate charisms of older people be recognized. These gifts can be real blessings for the entire church.~3 The charism of disinterestedness, the ability to give some-thing or to give of themselves without any thought of return, is a special gift that older people can share with younger generations. Another charism of the elderly is memory, in particular carrying the past forward and creat-ing a shared identity for a family, a parish, or some other group. Similarly the charism of interdependence, the ability Review for Religious to overcome individualism and self-seeking and enter into genuine interactions with others, becomes very specific in the lives of the elderly. In many ways elderly people have a need of being interdependent. Their deeply felt awareness can teach :.., ,-,, -. - o o., < o _. others as well. In our " time Pope John Paul II showed the value of growing old. In - ihvi es the::agingtohave a world that often . adeeperappre¢iatlon of idolizes youth, he showed grace, dig--~~"--’:’"’’-’"~~.>:::c~umauitz~te’sloysi~ndpteasures. nity, and integrity in being old and being old in public. That witness amazed many people, and there is much we still need to learn from it.~4 Let us consider some of the joys that are specific to old age. One is reminiscence--thinking back to the happy and satisfying events of one’s life. That can surely be a genuine joy. My mother has often said that the vacations my family took together give her much to remember and delight in. (For twenty years we went on a week’s vacation each summer.) Another joy as a person ages is to anticipate the contributions one can make by instructing a younger generation and see them grow to maturity, surely a joy for one who looks back on a lengthy teaching career. Father O’Flaherty reminds us that certain joys, although genuine, are limited: "Part of the confusion over the question of happiness in old age comes from a rela-tive definition of fun. Thus we might ask whether living in Sun City is fun. If we look at it from the point of view of entertainment, Sun City has everything. But we should not exaggerate fun in old age; it peaks out with grandma knitting in a rocking chair. Neither a young nor a mature man would be attracted by the fun in Sun City.’’s 66.1 2007 Neuman ¯ Aging and Christian Spirituality Christian spirituality invites the aging to have a deeper appreciation of human life’s joys and pleasures. There are created joys appropriate to each stage of life. These should be identified and savored, even or especially by the elderly. Here Ch

  • Review for Religious - Issue 70.4 (2011)
    Missouri Province of the Society of Jesus, 2012
    Co-Authors: Missouri Province Of The Society Of Jesus
    Abstract:

    Issue 70.4 of the Review for Religious, 2011.Unique Approaches Building Community Focus on Joseph Potpourri quarterly 70.4 2011 Review for Religious fosters dialogue with God, dialogue with ourselves, and dialogue with one another about the holiness we try to live according to charisms of Catholic religious life. As Pope Paul Vl said, our way of being church is today the way of dialogue. Review for Religious (ISSN 0034-639X) is published quarterly at Saint Louis University by the Jesuits of the Missouri Province. Editorial Office: 3601 Lindell Boulevard ¯ St. Louis, Missouri 63108-3393 PHONE: 314-633o4610 ¯ FAX: 314-633-4611 EMAIL: reviewrfr@gmail.com ¯WEBSITE: www.reviewforreligious.org Manuscripts, books for review, and correspondence with the editor: Review for Religious ¯ 3601 Lindell Boulevard ¯ St. Louis, MO 63108-3393 POSTMASTER Send address changes to Review for Religious o P.O. Box 6070 ° Duluth, MN 55806. PHONE: 877-467-8687 ¯ FAX: 218-740-6437 ¯ EMAIL: fulfill@superfill.co~n Periodical postage paid at St. Louis, Missouri, and additional mailing offices. ©2011 Review for Religious Permission is herewith granted to copy any material (articles, poems, reviews) contained in this issue of Review for Religious for personal 6r internal use, or for the personal or internal use of specific library clients within the limits outlined in Sections 107 and/or 108 of the United States Copyright Law. All copies made under this permission must bear notice of the source, date, and copyright owner on the first page. This permission is NOT extended to copying for Commercial Distribution, advertising, institutional promotion, or for the creation of new collective works or anthologies. Such permission will only be considered on written application to the Editor, Review for Religious. ~ gournal of Catholic Spirirualit)j Celebrating 70 Years Editor Associate Editor Book Review Editor Scripture Scope Editorial Staff Michael G. Harter SJ Garth L. Hallett SJ RosemaryJermann Eugene Hensell OSB Mary Ann Foppe Tracy Gramm .Judy Sharp Advisory Board Paul Coutinho SJ Martin Erspamer OSB Margaret Guider OSF Kathleen Hughes RSCJ Louis and Angela Menard Bishop Terry Steib SVD QUARTERLY 70.4 2011 contents 340 prisms Prisms 342 364 .377 unique approaches A Tale of Two Scandals: Cornelia Connelly as Nouvelle H~loi’se Barbara Newman tells the remarkably similar stories of two married women who lived six centuries apart, became nuns and then abbesses only through the instigation of their husbands, suffered considerably, and faced numerous canonical difficulties in the founding of their orders. building community The Hum of Being: " Spirituality for Leadership Beatrice M. Eichten OSF describes the ministry of community leadership as a pilgrimage and explores the various spiritual realizations that flow from it--such as the openness to Spirit that comes through moments of emptiness and detachment, and the gifts of loving and being loved. Architecture and Religious Life Thomas A. Krosnicki SVD discusses the impact that the architectural design of buildings--in particular community residences--can have to the benefit of religious life and those they touch by their life and ministry. Review for Religious 386 404 408 .422 426 focus on Joseph Be Saints: Pathway to a Holy Life Joel Giallanza CSC gathers wisdom from St. Andr~ Bessette, whose name is forever linked to that of St. Joseph because of their obvious similarities. Both were simple laborers through whom God chose to do extraordinary things; both knew poverty and suffering; both experienced exile. Above all, both point out a pathway to holiness because they remained faithful to whatever God asked of them. St. Joseph in Focus: Husband of Mary and Guardian of Jesus John M. Samaha SM reminds us why we honor St. Joseph by giving us a simple portrait of the quiet, often overlooked member of the Holy Family. potpourri Lighting Our Modern Spirit: Pope John Paul II’s Luminous Mysteries Carey Ellen Walsh explores the theology and the spiritual gift of John Paul II’s meditation on the rosary in his apostolic letter Rosarium Virginis Mariae. She focuses on how one of John Paul II’s most intimate reflections tends to the hunger in our souls. Multiple Sclerosis: A Gift Marian D. Frantz IHM reflects on how she has coped with multiple sclerosis and, in spite of the physical challenges and fears that accompany it, has come to understand it as a gift. Cremation: A Path to Protect Mother Earth Brian Jordan OFM calls us to rethink our attitudes and practices about how we remember our loved ones through burial or cremation and to develop an attitude of reverence for "Holy Mother Earth" in the process. departments 433 Scripture Scope: The Bible and the Liturgy 438 Book Reviews 444 Indexes 70.4 2011 prisms Erone intense week at the end of the summer, the population of Madrid swelled by more than one million souls. Crowds of young men and women came with the devotion of pil-grims; they participated in workshops and service projects; they baked in the heat, endured a rain-soaked and windswept prayer vigil, and coped with the chaos resulting from poor organization. They sang and prayed together, and blogged about their experiences all over the Internet. Such enthusiasm. Such energy. It all brought back memories of an earlier World Youth Day when I accompanied a group of Jesuit novices to Toronto in 2002. We, too, gath-ered with hopes and dreams, coped with crowds and long waits for something to eat. We, too, spent a restless night on the hard ground soaked through by a cold rain waiting for the final Mass celebrated by the pope. Drenched to the bone, I kept asking myself "What am I doing here?" But the enthusiastic singing of the young people drowned out the question. But I must be realistic. M}- perspective is not that of a young pilgrim. I just sent out invitations for a celebration of my golden Jubilee as a Jesuit. My novitiate classmates and others celebrating Review for Religious anniversaries of entrance and ordination (25, 50, 60, and 70 years of presence and service) are planning on celebrat-ing because we have much to celebrate. We have worked and taught, and borne the heat of the day in many different contexts. But as I look back on 50 years of religious life, I must admit that I have asked more than once "What am I doing here?" Sometimes the question arises because I feel too insignificant to make a difference. More often the ques-tion arises from a sense of wonder and awe about the ways God has chosen to work through me. My choice to enter religious life was well intentioned, but made with total naivet& The ministry for which I pre-pared myself (teaching high school) never materialized. The skills I learned in the process, however, equipped me to serve as an administrator, a forinator, and an editor. Through the years and with much prayer, I have tried to make myself available to be sent where I can best be used. I am privileged once again to live with our young men in formation. Their energy can wear me out, but their enthusiasm is contagious. They show that the church is ever young, ever new, always ready to grow in experience and wisdom. The seeds of faith are sprouting anew in many places. And in other pl~ces fields that have been harvested any number of times still produce with God’s grace. The young pilgrims have now returned home from Madrid and are back in school or settling into their regular routines. But the memories and graces they carry with them will make their lives anything but routine. And as those of us further along the age continuum continue our trust walk with the One who has always accompanied us, we take to heart the prayer with which Benedict sent forth the young people from Madrid: "May no adversity paralyze you. Be afraid neither of the world, nor of the future, nor of your weakness." 341 Michael G. Harter SJ 70.4 2011 BARBARA NEWMAN A Tale of Two Scandals: Cornelia Connelly as Nouvelle Hdlo~se unique approaches 342 This is a tale of two scandals. It is a story of two women who courageously defied con-vention, yet submitted tragically and without reserve to the men they loved. It is a story of two ambitious and charismatic men, whose meteoric rise in the church was surpassed only by the suddenness of their fall. It is a story of two priests married to nuns--and not only nuns, but the founders of congregations-- who remained indelibly married in the public eye. From Romanesque France to Victorian England, so much had changed yet so much remained the same, especially where female subordination was concerned. So, finally, this is a story about the longue durde in Catholic attitudes to marriage, gender, and women’s religious life. Barbara Newman is professor of English, Religion, and Classics at Northwestern University. Her address is Northwestern University; University Hall 215; 1897 Sheridan Rd.; Evanston, IL 60208. Reviev2 for Religious My first, more familiar narrative concerns a Frenchwoman born around 1100. Heloise, of high though illegitimate birth, received a superb educa-tion at the convent of Argenteuil. Raised by her uncle Fulbert, she was granted the rare privilege of private lessons with a famous philosopher, Peter Abelard, who was teaching in Paris. We all know what happened next: Abelard and his pupil fell in love. Their steamy affair ended in Heloise’s pregnancy, Fulbert’s horrified rage, a clandestine marriage, Heloise’s rash denial of the union, and Abelard’s castration at the hands of Fulbert’s hit men. Given the fame of both lovers, the end of their :affair was a cause cglkbre. Finding the pity of his stu-dents even harder to bear than the scorn of his ene-mies, Abelard became a monk at Saint-Denis, though not before compelling a reluctant but obedient Heloise to take the veil at Argenteuil. Their son Astralabe was left with Abelard’s sister on a farm in Brittany.~ But the lovers’ conversion to religious life fueled more scandals. Abelard, who did not suffer fools gladly, had a gift for making enemies. At Saint-Denis, his ’historical research threatened to deconstruct the monks’ patron saint, who also happened to be the patron of the French monarchy. This controversy led to cries of treason and landed Abelard in such trouble that he had to flee by night. Next he ~tried the vocation of hermit, :for which he was totally ufisuited, and soon wound up teaching again at a new foundation he called the Paraclete. Here too he got in trouble, partly because his ever-vigilant enemies objected to his oratory’s dedication. In .the meantime, Abelard was charged with heresy at the Council of Soissons and forced in 1121 to burn his book on the Trinity with his own hands. Eventually he managed to be named abbot of the backwater monastery of Saint- 70.4 2011 Newman ¯ A Tale of Two Scandals 344 Gildas, in his native Brittany, but fared no better there. By his own account, his monks tried to kill him with a poisoned chalice. Heloise too was dogged by scandal. Despite her past, she was elected prioress of Argenteuil. But in 1129 the powerful Suger--abbot of Saint-Denis and no friend to Abelard--had Heloise and her nuns evicted on charges of immorality. These charges may or may not have car-ried a grain of truth. It is possible that Heloise’s regime was lax, though it is certain that Suger had his eye on the nuns’ property; and he mobilized the king, the bish-ops, and the papal legate to enforce his takeover.2 At this juncture Abelard reentered the picture, offering the nuns his now-vacant oratory of the Paraclete. Gossip contin-ued to buzz: if Abelard visited, detractors claimed that he could not live without his mistress, while if he stayed away, they charged that he had abandoned his wife. A few years later, when he published his autobiography, Heloise responded with impassioned fury, lambasting his neglect at the same time that she avowed her undimin-ished desire. But despite the stormy beginning of their correspondence, the two eventually made peace. Abelard endorsed Heloise’s teaching role and warmly praised her learning. At her request he wrote numerous works for her nuns.3 Not least, he authored a rule for the Paraclete, although it seems not to have been observed and signifi-cantly contradicts Heloise’s own rule--a point’ to which I shall return. When Abelard was again condemned for heresy in 1140, by an even more blatantly rigged council, it was Heloise who secured proof of his absolution and arranged for his burial, soon afterward, at the Paraclete. Surviving him by twenty years, she was.buried at his side. My second narrative belongs to the nineteenth cen-tury. Cornelia Peacock, born to an elite Philadelphia family in 1809, lost her parents in childhood.4 Raised by an aunt who gave her a superb private education, at 22 she married a clergyman, Pierce Connelly. The Connellys moved in 1831 to Natchez, Mississippi, where Pierce had been named rector of an Episcopal parish. At the birth of their son Mercer, his godfather gave Cornelia a slave as a christening present.5 Though Pierce was well-liked in his parish, the honeymoon did not last. Caught up in a wave of anti-Catholic senti-ment sweeping the nation, he decided to resist it and better inform himself, with the surprising result that he felt called to convert. Cornelia, though shocked at first, loyally followed. As she wrote to her sister, "against my prejudices and in spite of the horrors which I have always nurtured for the Catholic faith, I am ready at once to submit to whatever my loved husband believes to be the path of duty.’’6 In fact, after Pierce resigned his parish and delivered his farewell sermon, Cornelia was the first to be received as a Roman Catholic. Pierce waited to make his abjuration in Rome itself, on Palm Sunday 1836, with pomp and ceremony. The Connellys soon became the darlings of the British recusant aris-tocracy in Rome, where they remained until a finan-cial crisis forced them to return home and look for work. Pierce found a teaching post at a Jesuit school in Louisiana; Cornelia joined him as a music teacher. By now the couple had four children, but one daughter died in infancy and their two-year-old son met with a tragic accident. Fearing that her happiness was too great, the devout Cornelia had asked God to demand some sacrifice of her. Only a day later the little boy, playing with the dog, tumbled into a vat of boiling syrup.7 After two days and nights of agony, he died in his mother’s arms. 70.4 2011 Newman ¯ A Tale of Two Scandals But this was only the first of Cornelia’s sorrows. Soon afterward, while she was pregnant with their fifth and last child, Pierce announced that he had discerned a call to the Catholic priesthood. This time Cornelia did resist, but as soon as she realized how serious her husband was, she released him, which entailed her own consent to a monastic vocation. Returning to Rome, the couple had a private audience with Pope Gregory xvI, and Pierce was ordained with surprising speed in 1845. As for Cornelia, she became a postulant at the Sacred Heart convent of Trinit~ dei Monti, bringing her two youngest children with her. But she was not destined to take vows there. In 1846 Bishop Nicholas Wiseman, soon to become Cardinal Archbishop of Westminster, called Cornelia to England, where he wished her to found an order of nuns to educate English Catholic girls. Thus, before the end of her novitiate, the 3 7-year-old Cornelia Connelly, American wife and mother of three, became--not of her own accord, but by the deci-sions of her husband and her bishop--the first English monastic foundress in two hundred years. At this point the Connelly saga becomes so tumultu-ous that I can give only the barest summary. Cornelia’s Society of the Holy Child Jesus (SHCJ) suffered more than its share of growing pains--lack of resources, litigation over property, internal discord, hostile chap-lains, and increasing strain between Cornelia and her superior, Cardinal Wiseman. These troubles were compounded by the "no Popery" agitation of a ,public deeply-fearful of Catholic emancipation. Mat Cornelia had least expected, however, was Pierce’s rapid disil-lusionment with his new faith. Unsuccessftil in his bids for advancement in the church, ihe missed his wife and resented Wiseman’s ban :on conjugal visits. So the frus- Review for Religious trated Pierce made two hostile, if contradictory, moves in quick succession. First, he wrote a spurious rule for Cornelia’s order, which he circulated in Rome without her knowledge. Second, he pulled the children out of their schools and took ’them to Italy as hostages, with a new demand that Cornelia renounce her vows and return to him. Heartbroken but determined, she refused. The apostate Pierce thereupon sued his former wife in the Court of Arches for restitu-tion of his conjugal rights.8 The case of Connelly v. Connelly dragged on from 1849 to 1851, much to the glee of journalists.9 In 1850 a judge ruled in Pierce’s favor, declaring that a papal~decree of separation had no force in England and leaving Cornelia to face imprisonment or a .... forced return to her husband. While appealing to the Privy Council, she kept a suit of secular clothes in her cell at all times in case she had to flee the realm. Pierce meanwhile scandalized British Catholics with his apos-tasy, even seeking refuge for a time with the fanati-cally anti-Catholic Henry Drummond, a wealthy peer who led an apocalyptic sect. Eventually he returned to Italy, where he spent the rest of his life writing anti- Catholic tracts and serving as an Episcopal minister in Florence. Cornelia won her appeal on a technicality, but she never saw her eldest son again, for Mercer died at twenty of yellow fever. The younger children, Before~ the end of her novitiate, Cornelia Connelly, American wife and mother of three, became the first English monastic foundress in two hundred years. 347 70.4 2011 Newman ¯ A Tale of Two Scandal~ Adeline and Frank, remained with their father in Italy. He managed to estrange them permanently from their mother, returning her letters unopened. But in spite of all this, the Society of the Holy Child Jesus flour-ished. At Cornelia’s death in 1879 it had six convents and schools in England, three in America, and one in France.~° Amazingly, Cornelia Connelly’s case for saint-hood was opened in 1959, and in 1992 she was declared Venerable--the first step toward canonization. The Positio or formal presentation of her case is the first in history to be written by a woman.~ Since no one has ever proposed Heloise for saint-hood, except in the cult of romantic love, why do I call Cornelia Connelly a nouvelle Hgloi’se? I suggest this com-parison to probe more deeply into the case of a woman who filled the roles of wife, mother, nun, and abbess, not in succession but in conflict. Legions of women have become religiously active in widowhood, but few if any have faced down so public a scandal caused by living husbands, while simultaneously trying to establish their monastic authority. In the rest of this article, I will compare Cornelia’s struggles with Heloise’s apropos of three issues: sexuality, motherhood, and the authority of an abbess. In the France of the trouvOres, one could speak of sex more freely than in Queen Victoria’s Britain, but Heloise would have been scandalous in any age. To dis-suade Abelard from their ill-starred marriage, she made a case for free love, claiming that .she would rather be called his mistress’(arnica) than his wife--and even if Augustus, ruler of the world, had asked her to be his empress, she would prefer to be Abelard’s whore (scortum)--a word she chose deliberately for its shock value.~2 In Heloise’s eyes, the true prostitute was the Review for Religious respectable wife who married not for love, but for security and money. As if these ideas were not scandal-ous enough, after ten years as a nun she confessed that she still felt sexual yearnings, even during Mass, and declared that she could never forgive God for Abelard’s castration.13 This was no mere private avowal, but a rhe-torical performance before an imagined if not actual public. Medieval letters were never truly "private," and contemporary documents show that Heloise’s arguments were well known in French clerical circles.14 Romantics (including my younger self) have often been dismayed with Abelard for refusing to respond in kind.15 But how could he? Neither his castration nor the couple’s vows were reversible, so Heloise had either to find a way of coping or face a lifetime of misery, ending in her damnation. Abelard thus faced the.unenviable task of cajoling her to love Christ, her new Bridegroom, in his stead. If his tactics seem ham-fisted to our age, in his own they were supremely pragmatic. When Heloise said that she would gladly follow Abelard to hell; that her "heart was never my own, but was always with you"; that in every decision she had sought to please him, rather than God--it was not from marital duty that she spoke.16 A self-consciously clas-sical lover, she even took the nun’s veil with the cry of a pagan heroine on her lips.17 In Cornelia Connelly we see nothing of the. sort. If she too ended by trans-gressing her culture’s cherished feminine ideals, it was not by her choice. Yet in displaying obedience to her beloved, she vied with Heloise. To please Pierce, she braved her family’s disapproval; left home for the dis-tant, culturally alien South; abjured her Protestant faith (a drastic step in the 1830s); accepted a life of exile; and finally made the supreme sacrifice of her marriage itself, 349 70.4 2011 Newman ¯ A Tale of Two Scandals Where Heloise saw ,oppositiOn-; Cornelia saw con]’un ction:, L, vowing perpetual chastity so that Pierce could be ordained.

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  • smes growth in international markets export intensity export diversification and Distribution strategies
    Economia e Politica Industriale: Journal of Industrial and Business Economics, 2017
    Co-Authors: Eleonora Di Maria, Roberto Ganau
    Abstract:

    Depending on the firm’s resources and capabilities, international Distribution strategies may lead to either high market control (Commercial subsidiaries) or flexibility and speed (collaborative or independent forms) in entering foreign markets. This strategic choice is particularly crucial for SMEs’ internationalisation strategies. This paper investigates the relationship between SMEs’ Distribution strategies adopted abroad and their export performance, defined in terms of export intensity and diversification. The research hypotheses are proposed distinguishing between small- and medium-sized firms, as well as differentiating between regional and global markets. The empirical analysis refers to a sample of about 2600 Italian SMEs observed over the period 2004–2006, and considers different destination markets: the 25-country European Union area (regional market) and the rest of the world (global market). The empirical results suggest that Commercial Distribution based on agreements has a higher impact on SMEs’ export intensity than the other two Distribution modes in the regional market, with the FDI-mode having a higher effect than the use of local traders. On the contrary, SMEs’ export intensity in the global market seems to benefit more from the use of local traders, while non-equity agreements present the lowest effect. Agreements-based Distribution modes have the highest impact on SMEs’ export diversification, followed by FDIs and then by the Distribution through local traders.

  • smes growth in international markets export intensity export diversification and Distribution strategies
    Economia e Politica Industriale: Journal of Industrial and Business Economics, 2017
    Co-Authors: Eleonora Di Maria, Roberto Ganau
    Abstract:

    Depending on the firm’s resources and capabilities, international Distribution strategies may lead to either high market control (Commercial subsidiaries) or flexibility and speed (collaborative or independent forms) in entering foreign markets. This strategic choice is particularly crucial for SMEs’ internationalisation strategies. This paper investigates the relationship between SMEs’ Distribution strategies adopted abroad and their export performance, defined in terms of export intensity and diversification. The research hypotheses are proposed distinguishing between small- and medium-sized firms, as well as differentiating between regional and global markets. The empirical analysis refers to a sample of about 2600 Italian SMEs observed over the period 2004–2006, and considers different destination markets: the 25-country European Union area (regional market) and the rest of the world (global market). The empirical results suggest that Commercial Distribution based on agreements has a higher impact on SMEs’ export intensity than the other two Distribution modes in the regional market, with the FDI-mode having a higher effect than the use of local traders. On the contrary, SMEs’ export intensity in the global market seems to benefit more from the use of local traders, while non-equity agreements present the lowest effect. Agreements-based Distribution modes have the highest impact on SMEs’ export diversification, followed by FDIs and then by the Distribution through local traders.