 Father David Théroux, S.S.E. at Mass before reflecting on The Apostle Paul and His Letter to the Galatians on Aug. 21 at Saint Anne’s Shrine in Isle La Motte. This was part of a special summertime reflection series offered to the public by the Edmundites. Father David Théroux, S.S.E. reflected on The Apostle Paul and His Letter to the Galatians on Aug. 21 at Saint Anne’s Shrine in Isle La Motte. This was part of a special summertime reflection series offered to the public by the Edmundites. The Apostle Paul was a prominent Jewish Roman citizen prior to his conversion to Christianity. We find out in his letter to the Galatians where he stands with Judaizers who were teaching that it was necessary to become Jewish before becoming Christian. Saint Paul made it blatantly clear this was never the teaching. Father Théroux explained Saint Paul’s argument to a group of about 25 people in the Boucher Building after a rainy Mass in the outside Chapel. A brief summary of Saint Paul’s life was given along with details about the Jerusalem Conference where the Apostles decided Christians did not have to follow the Mosaic Law. Early Christians followed just a few simple core elements that included the belief that there is only one God and that Jesus is the Messiah. All early Christians were also reading the same literature that would eventually become what we know today as the New Testament, Father Théroux said.  Saint Paul was somewhat heated in his letter to the Galatians. He drove home his main point that Christians are justified by faith alone. He wrote that they were liberated by faith in Jesus, and explained they were free from original sin and all of the dictates of the law. “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” (Galatians: 5-1)  Father Théroux said we are Christians because of faith in Jesus, not works of the law. “Guilt and shame were removed with the death of Jesus,” Father Théroux said. “He put us right with God through faith. We do right because we love Jesus, not because we are afraid of not being loved. We are loved. When we fail at laws, we run back to Jesus.”
This week will mark the last of the 2019 reflection series at the Shrine with Father Berube’s talk on Surprising Conversions: Peter, Paul, and the Woman at the Well on Aug. 28. For more information about The Society of Saint Edmund, our Edmundites, or choosing your vocation please visit http://www.sse.org/vocation.html or call Father Lino Oropeza at (802) 654-2344 or email him at linooropeza@gmail.com.
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Father Richard Berube, S.S.E. reflected on A Woman Clothed with the Sun and a Crown of Twelve Stars on Aug. 14 at Saint Anne’s Shrine in Isle La Motte. This was part of a summertime series that takes place in the Boucher Building each Wednesday. He spoke on the topic a day before The Assumption of Mary Feast Day. He said in popular devotion the Assumption is often thought to be the coronation of the Blessed Virgin. Revelation 12:1 is the entrance antiphon for the Mass and Revelation chapter 12 the first reading of the Mass on the Solemnity. “It is a bedazzling kaleidoscope of images,” Father Berube said quoting author Stephen Harris. “The Book of Revelation describes itself as a prophetic message and a record of visions,” he said. It begins, “A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head.” (Rev. 12:1) What’s revealed in these visions written around the year 100 by John of Patmos is a cosmic battle on a universal stage which scholars have debated over for 15 centuries. The multi-layered symbol at the center of Revelation 12 could be Mary, Father Berube said. “You can’t rule it out, or establish either, that John of Patmos himself was talking about Mary the Mother of Jesus.” The Book of Revelation is a sweep of past, present and future. “It is an unveiling, a revelation, an opening of a curtain on a very visual end-time drama—God’s future for us,” Father Berube said. “This future is an object of hope, but we cannot draw a literal calendar of events from this writing. They do not point to specific events. The images blend and morph with one another.” In reading more from Revelation 12 to the group, Father Berube said Jesus the Messiah is identified clearly. So is the dragon as Satan, and Saint Michael as God's champion. But the woman at the center of this drama is unnamed and is successively identified, and morphs into several identities. “She is Eve, the mother of all of the living and the first one to be pursued by the ancient serpent,” Father Berube said. The dragon is not finished yet, the images continue. She is the bearer of Israel’s promise of a messiah. "She is a corporate image here—a people. She is Israel. As Mother Israel, she fled into the desert to be cared for. She is Israel of the exodus,” he said. "She becomes the mother of the Messiah, and then the mother of those who bear witness to Jesus—the new people of God. She is Mother Church, another corporate image. Virtually all commentators have agreed that these three identities in the text, as intended by the author, are Eve, Mother Israel, and Mother Church in sequence.” Over the centuries, the Church has come to realize that Mary herself can be seen in these visions also. “It’s like seeing something in a painting that you hadn’t noticed before, but once you notice it, you can’t miss it,” Father said. “The Book of Revelation is just like this. The images are moldable and have the potential of revealing things later that you didn’t see at first.”  Through this reading of Revelation 12, we see that Mary, the Queen of Heaven, holds an elevated status that is second only to her son, Jesus. We are led to envision how she embodies God’s people through the Old and New Testaments through the visions of John of Patmos, Father Berube said. “The Book of Revelation is about Mary’s exemplary position in the Church. It is about the hope of the resurrection itself. Mary’s Assumption confirms the promise of our own.”
"Revelation brings together our common humanity from Mother Eve, Mother Israel, Mother Church, and Mother Mary. It is all there. It is all one story, one vision, and we are in it,” Father concluded. Father Berube urged the crowd to read The Book of Revelation all the way through and then to go back and read it a second time with help from the notes in the New American Bible. For more information about The Society of Saint Edmund, our Edmundites, or choosing your vocation please visit http://www.sse.org/vocation.html or call Father Lino Oropeza at (802) 654-2344 or email him at linooropeza@gmail.com.  Father Lino Oropeza, S.S.E., gave a talk about vocations at Theology on Tap with the Burlington Catholic Young Adults group at Church Street Tavern on August 8. Theology on Tap is an international program that usually involves discussions on religious matters paired with local craft brews at a Catholic-owned establishment.
Event organizer, and 2015 Saint Michael’s College graduate, Robert Tracy, 26, said Burlington Catholic Young Adults hosts Theology on Tap at Church Street Tavern on Church Street in Burlington at 6:30 p.m. on the second Thursday of each month. “Father Lino is a younger priest and I always enjoy his talks and homilies,” Bobby said. “I thought what he would have to say would really resonate with this group.” About 20 young adults hunkered down with some comfort food and local beverages upstairs at the popular bar. To quell any misinformation about what vocations actually are, Father Lino first opened up the room for discussion. He asked the group, what is a vocation? One young man said, “To be holy.” Father Lino agreed. He said the moment we were baptized, we were called to holiness. Then he said manifesting that call is quite different for everyone and that he was not altogether comfortable with the frequently used term “God’s plan.” He sees vocation as something more malleable. It is more of a “give and take” and a “working together” with God towards the common goal of holiness. “It’s about working together like a beautiful symphony,” he said. We are not slaves in something called God’s plan. “It’s more like we are all supposed to be joyful players in His Grace,” Father Lino said. “God will never expect us to obey like marching soldiers. We are not puppets.” He asked the group, “What makes you feel whole?” Discerning our vocation comes through prayer and finding out what brings us joy, Father Lino said. It starts with a simple conversation with God, like a song, one note at a time. After a while, the conversation gets fuller and fuller—a conversation that weaves through our life. “Discerning our vocation is about knowing ourselves and getting to know how God works best in our lives,” Father Lino said. “What feels most comfortable to you, to be married, single, or belong to a religious community like the Edmundites? This process takes time.” Bobby said he appreciated Father Lino’s description of the differences between the Diocesans and Religious Priests. “I learned more about the relationship that a local bishop has with a local order and what authority they have with the order. I always enjoy when he does a talk because he always finds a way to word things for us to see it from a different point of view and we are able to grasp the concept better.” Bobby was also inspired to try more things, he said. “You don’t want to be living a life that you don’t love,” he said. “I was inspired by Father Lino’s path to join the Edmundites.” Don’t miss out on the young adult retreat at Dumaine Retreat Center in Jacksonville, Vermont happening September 13 & 14. For more information visit https://vermontcatholic.org/event/young-adult-retreat-dumaine/?fbclid=IwAR1LXPQdkFRjNJ3GrTlaDqLl4VWZpCX-fcXbV-ecAdbYjYmstH3E69i8Brc For more information about Burlington Catholic Young Adults or the next Theology On Tap gathering email burlingtonareayoungadults@gmail.com or visit https://www.facebook.com/BurlingtonCatholics/. For more information about The Society of Saint Edmund, our Edmundites, or choosing your vocation please visit http://www.sse.org/vocation.html or call Father Lino Oropeza at (802) 654-2344 or email him at linooropeza@gmail.com.  The Saint Edmund’s Medal of Honor will be given to Father Ray Doherty, S.S.E. at Enders Island in Mystic, Connecticut this October. This event celebrates the lives of those who reflect the legacy of Saint Edmund, Archbishop of Canterbury and patron of Enders Island and Saint Edmund’s Retreat.
Father Ray, 89, is a Newton, Massachusetts native, and a former Staff Sergeant in the United States Marine Corps. He is an admired presence on the Saint Michael’s College campus. College alumnus Jerry Flanagan said he first met Father Ray in the fall of 1967 when Father Ray was just starting his position as Director of Campus Ministry. He has served in campus ministry and on the board of trustees at the college for half a century. “I have always considered him my spiritual advisor and continue to meet with him,” Jerry said. “He is and has always been a great role model for me. We consider him a part of our family and I am certain that others would say the same. We all are better people for having known him during his life of service to God, Saint Michael’s College and country. Father Ray answered a few questions on August 5, 2019: What does a day-in-the-life of Father Ray Doherty look like on Saint Michael’s College Campus? I am semi-retired now but am still quite active. I am on the board of trustees, the board of the fire and rescue squad and the advisory board of the college magazine. I take a couple of weekday Masses every week. I help out any way I can. I am not quite as strong as I used to be, but I do what I can. I directed campus ministry for 13 years. I made it a point to get to know the students by name. I got to know some of them just by walking to the dining room. I took the time to stop and talk to them. The LEAP program loosened me up a little bit. (LEAP is a Christian group at Saint Michael's College that helps students find the presence of Christ in their lives through retreats at Saint Anne's Shrine.) What are your thoughts on being honored at Enders Island this October? I think the Edmundites are really good at not putting on airs, not striving for honors. We all like to be honored but generally we are simple in our lifestyle and down to earth with the people we work with. People come to our Masses because they like the liturgies. They are well done. We open up our dining room on Christmas Eve and people get to know us. It’s a good thing. We seem to be well-liked. Why did you fall in love with Jesus? I had a religious upbringing. My parents practiced the faith. We would go to church every Sunday. My father was the head usher in the parish. My mother would walk us up to the front pew. We were always late for Mass. We had one bathroom for six people so it was a struggle to get everybody organized and out. My oldest brother liked to sleep in. They were strong in the faith. They weren’t likely to sit around and talk about holy things but they were faithful. As for Jesus’ love, I took it for granted. I just knew it was there for me. We were not much for throwing the word ‘love’ around. It’s very common now. I knew my parents loved me by the way they treated me. They went through tough times but there was always food on the table. My father had a good business but the Great Depression wiped him out. WWII and Korea got our family back on our feet. Wars have had a huge impact on shaping our culture and building our economy. Did you ever serve in a war? I was a Staff Sergeant in the Marines during the Korean War but it was my education that I received from Saint Michael’s College that saved me from having to go to Korea. I got into journalism. I was editor of the college newspaper. Thank God for John Donoghue. He was a beautiful man and a mentor to me—a second father. He trained me in journalism well. The Marines needed a public information officer. I was promoted to combat correspondent but never saw combat, thank God. Why did you become a priest? It’s not too complex. Growing up in a parish school every boy thought about the priesthood at one time or another, which I did. In college I had a few steady girlfriends but it was when I was about to leave the Marine Corps that I started thinking seriously about my future. I was living in a Quonset hut with 15 other Marines and it was a blessing that just outside the hut was a Chapel. I got into the habit of going to daily mass. I got to know the chaplains there. So the thoughts were coming back to me about becoming a priest and one night when I was in my bunk I felt the call. You know how they say vocation is a call, well I felt that call in that bunk. It felt so strong. The Edmundites were special for me because I had never known priests that well until coming to Saint Michel’s College where I got to know them personally. When I started thinking seriously about priesthood, I naturally thought of the Society of Saint Edmund. When I was released into inactive service I wrote to Father Eymard Galligan who was the vocation director for the Society of Saint Edmund. I had known him as a student. It was a hard letter to write and I was nervous about it because I didn’t know Latin. Masses were in Latin back then. After a long period of not hearing anything, I got a phone call at the last minute that he was coming to see me. He stayed for dinner and then overnight at my home with my parents. It was nice. He sold me that I should give it a try. Here I am today. What is the best part of being an Edmundite Priest? Working with the students when I was director of campus ministry. Celebrating the Eucharist. Getting to be the director of the LEAP program for seven years. I didn’t want to get involved initially but I often feel that way about things where I lack confidence. Then I do get involved and they work out great. Directing the LEAP program was such a turning point in my life. It gave me a chance to know students at a different level than on campus. Some of the students had never had a religious experience in their life. It’s an important program and good to have. People tell us that Edmundites are very hospitable. I got into this to serve the poor and I appreciate the vow of poverty. We are pretty middle class in our lifestyle. We have three meals a day. People go on vacations. We share a common life and share what we have. Whatever we earn we turn in to the general fund. That to me is religious life and I like that. You have mentioned many great things in your life have happened last minute. Can you explain this? I don’t like to be overly pious about these things but I do think sometimes it is the case that the Holy Spirit intercedes. I got into college at the last minute. I got saved in the Marine Corp at the last minute by getting an assignment that didn’t take me into Korea. I got into the Edmundites at the last minute. Those are just a few of the things. There are so many more that just seem like the Holy Spirit is working there. What’s the meaning of life? Beautiful! That’s a good question. That question has been going around for a long time. From a religious point of view, which my whole life has been centered around, my purpose in life is to serve God and God’s people, to put it very simply and briefly. I could do a lot better, I am sure. That’s my goal anyway. For more information about The Society of Saint Edmund or choosing your vocation please visit www.sse.org/vocation or call Father Lino Oropeza at (802) 654-2344 or email him at linooropeza@gmail.com. For more information about St. Edmund's Medal of Honor at Enders Island please visit https://e.givesmart.com/events/e8e/ or call (860) 536-0565 or email reception@endersisland.com.  St. Ignatius of Loyola was canonized in March of 1622. He lived his life in the 1500s first as a carousing gambler and then eventually as a seeker of the Lord. He, day by day, chose “what better leads to the deepening of God’s life” in his own daily round. And he left us with many beloved prayers and reflections to savor. The way he chose to live his life gives many of us great comfort as we stumble through our own ups and downs. Brother Frank Hagerty, S.S.E. reflected on St. Ignatius of Loyola and the Ascension of Jesus: Bringing About the Kingdom of God at Saint Anne’s Shrine on July 31. This was part of a summertime series that takes place in the Boucher Building each Wednesday. “He’s been a buddy of mine,” Brother Frank said of St. Ignatius. With a little guitar playing and singing in-between a synopsis of the Saint’s life, Brother Frank educated a group of about 25 on not only the history, but the trail of uplifting glory that still bubbles within so many who strive to walk with this Patron Saint of Spiritual Retreats. How appropriate to be speaking of him at Saint Anne’s Shrine! Without going into too much detail, it was when St. Ignatius was injured badly and bedridden that he was given three books to read. They were the Bible, The Imitation of Christ, and Lives of the Saints. Brother Frank said repetitive reading became a tool to let God lead him. “He became a genius at knowing what was going on inside himself,” Brother Frank said. Through consolation and desolation, St. Ignatius was able to discern God’s will, step by step, within each day. “He found God didn’t want him to hurt himself,” Brother Frank said. “He wanted him to be whole and be himself. This is a good lesson for us as well.” If utilized correctly, our emotions, imagination, humility, and prayers can also be valuable tools for living a blessed life. “If we get wrapped up in the pride of our own gifts, talents, and abilities, we lose God,” Brother Frank said. “St. Ignatius became so good at holding himself in balance. He sets a good example to follow—to let God be in control.” The test is to ask ourselves at any given moment, “Whose flag am I holding right now? Christ the King’s flag or Satan’s?” And then to remember we are being called to humility. Jesus has an ongoing invitation for us to be his partner and to carry on his saving action. We are invited to care for each other, care for the environment, and care for the world around us, Brother Frank said. This is a prayer that St. Ignatius recited every day, “Thanks be to thee, my Lord Jesus Christ, for all the benefits thou hast given me, for all the pains and insults thou hast borne for me. O most merciful redeemer, friend and brother, may I know thee more clearly, love thee more dearly, and follow thee more nearly, day by day.” This was written by Saint Richard of Chichester who was a student at Oxford, taught by our one and only Saint Edmund of Canterbury. Ultimately we understand through our own contemplation, and with help from Mother Mary and all of the Saints, that it’s all God’s Grace in action. “We are chosen for the Kingdom of Heaven,” Brother Frank said, “It is an invitation and our journey is to see this as a gift and to work at being a part of that every day.” For a full list of our mid-summer series of events please visit http://www.sse.org/. See you at Saint Anne’s Shrine Chapel at 11:15 for Mass. For more information, call the Shrine at (802) 928-3362 or email at fstanne@pshift.com. For more information about The Society of Saint Edmund, our Edmundites, or choosing your vocation please visit http://www.sse.org/vocation.html or call Father Lino Oropeza at (802) 654-2344 or email him at linooropeza@gmail.com. |
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The heart of the Society of Saint Edmund’s mission is serving where the need is greatest, a credo that has led us to four core ministries: Social Justice, Education, Spiritual Renewal and Pastoral Ministry. It is through these core ministries that we live out a faith-based life of service and make a real difference in people’s lives by bringing them closer to God.