A PIOUS REFLECTION ON THE LIFE OF ST. SEBASTIAN

Although today is the feast of the Conversion of St. Paul (happy feast day St. Paulers in South Akron) here is presented a pious reflection on the life of St. Sebastian (January 20th) which was presented as a homily for our feast day this year.

A soldier lays on his bed; a cot perhaps really.  And though he put in a full, difficult day, he is wide awake.  He cannot fall asleep.  His military brain is on alert. It isn’t that he has a troubled conscience.  In fact, his conscience is quite at peace.  Just because something is legal or illegal does not mean that it is moral or immoral.  He is a soldier and he is supposed to obey.  But what about when obedience goes against truth, love, and even God?  So he chose to be as loyal as possible without compromising his ideals, his morals, or his heart.  It was not a rash decision.  Is was born of years of contemplation and reflection.  And even though years later he would be depicted as a young man in his prime, in actuality, though soldier tough, he was an older, wiser man with a heavy white beard.  And so he spent much time considering the consequences of this very day.

Finally came the noise for which he was waiting.  The sound of men coming down the corridor attempting stealth.  But he could hear them.  He was a soldier after all.  And he knew that someone had betrayed him and that it was only a matter of time.  So he gets up and sits on the edge of his bed, already in full uniform save for his weapons to show that he was both ready and that he possed no threat.  He was prepared for this night.

The door didn’t explode open as if they guards were coming to capture an enemy.  He was, after all, the head of the Praetorian Guard, charged to protect the emperor, which he did to the best of his ability.  He was their leader, their father figure, and friend.  No, the door slowly opens, almost politely, and there were his men with conflicted looks on their faces.  Only one word is spoken.

“Sebastian.”

He stands and joins them and they walk down the corridor.  It has begun.

There was no man handling.  No binding.  These strong, proud men shuffle their feet and avoid making eye contact.  No words are spoken.

It is an ugly scene before Dioclesian the Emperor.  Right now it doesn’t matter if he is right or wrong, moral or immoral, if he is good or if he is evil.  What matters now is that he has the power to enforce his will and a soldier is condemned to death.

It is kind of a grotesquely gruesome death.  Not the arrows that will come, but the friends, the comrades, the fellow men-at-arms who suddenly find themselves on the opposite side of the law.  Friends must lead their friend, their authority and father figure, the person they respect to death.

Their own hands must strip the dignity of his uniform from his body, bind him to a stake and stand off at a distance and pull back arrows on the string in the direction of this great man.  Everything is said with their eyes.

“Why did you make us do this Sebastian?  We are soldiers.  This is our duty.  We follow the emperor even when we don’t like it.”

But Sebastian’s eyes convey their own message.  “You have to understand.  I am Christian.  I have a duty to the One Who so loved me.  This is what it is to love; to be able to sacrifice everything for the one that you love even when the consequences are not what you want them to be.”

Now, his friends are expert archers and the also know the human body well and they know where to pierce the body so as to not cause death.  The first flurry of arrows whisper through the air and puncture Sebastian's body causing him to buckle in pain and fall to his knees.  But he looks up and some mysterious glow shines on his face and he now knows how much he loves God and so fills with hope and begins to rise.

You can imagine the soldiers thinking “Just stay down Sebastian.”  But he doesn’t and they are forced to let go another volley of arrows that devastate his body and Sebastian collapses to the ground and they leave him to his death.

They must go on.  But someone else comes by; a woman by the name of Irene and her companions.  She has come to take Sebastian’s body to prepare it for burial.  But there is something odd here.  As she moves the body the wounds well with blood and bleed.  He is not dead!  He is alive!  

So she has him brought to her home where she cleans and tends to his wounds, bandages him, giving his nourishment, and when he is feeling a little better they begin to talk about his adventures in helping Christians.  

But one day the conversation becomes a little more serious.  Sebastian begins to speak about how important it is for all Christians to risk even their own lives for the faith.  "If we do not this, thing swill ever get better."  

“But seriously Sebastian, and don’t take this the wrong way, but how can we realistically accomplish by this?  Even being identified as Christian can lead to our death.  Look what happened to Marcillious, and Markus - look what happened to you Sebastian.  We all risked everything just tending to you.  A lot of good our mission will be if we are all dead, or jailed, or even just ridiculed.

“And of course it is easy for you to rest on your laurels and say, ‘all of you should go out and fight for the faith.’  The risk is over for you.”

That stung like another arrow.  

Once again, on a night after his body sufficiently healed, the soldier lay awake again on his bed.  And this time he was wrestling with his conscience.  He thought to himself, “If you perform a great enough act to show the person you love that you indeed love him, are you then off the hook?  When a mother goes through such great pain giving birth to her child, does that mean she doesn’t have to sacrifice anymore for her child to prove er love?  If a man gives up everything to marry the woman he loves, does that mean he mean he never need sacrifice for her again?  And if we love God and we perform one great act of love for Him, does that mean we need never risk again for the rest of our lives?  Can we even call it love if that is our mentality?”

So once again, Sebastian sits up on his bed, stands, and sets out to go before Dioclesian.  He comes across him on a set of stairs somewhere out on the Apian Way outside the walls of Rome and gives a prophet’s warning to the Emperor.  “You are mistreating God’s people and breaking his holy law!  Hear this from Sebastian who you tried to put to death!  God spared me and sent me to you to give you fair warning.  Repent of your ways and turn to the Lord and save you soul!”

Dioclesian is petrified.  Is this a ghost come to haunt him?  His bowels turn to jelly and his heart races.  But soon he recovers when he realizes this is Sebastian in the flesh.  Somehow he had survived his execution.  Pulling his wits together he orders his guards to bludgeon Sebastian to death and this time in his presence so that he can be sure that he is finally dead.  He orders the body to be thrown in the gutter and left like so much rubbish.  Then the procession continues.  The fury blows on like a storm passing through after it has done its damage.

The noble heart that loved so much, that was willing to risk everything for God and for his brothers and sisters to prove his love is thoughtlessly left by the side of the road.  A gift rejected.

Dioclesian wins.

Or did he?

The rule of Dioclesian is long over.

Rarely is his name spoken other than in reference to St. Sebastian.

There are no buildings named after him.

Nobody tries to imitate his life.

His name is not on our lips in supplication.

He is not remembered fondly.

He is nor respected for his nobility, his leadership, his love.

And one wonders where he is spending all of eternity.

He is a shadow in the brilliance of our patron, St. Sebastian who has a privileged place in heaven and who like to interceded for us.  

Lord, fill us with that spirit of courage 

which gave your martyr Sebastian 

strength to offer his life in faithful witness. 

Help us to learn from him to cherish Your law 

and to obey you rather than men. 

We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, 

who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, 

one God, for ever and ever.

Amen.

HAPPY SAINT SEBASTIAN DAY!

This may seem odd at first but give it a chance.  It is only 4 and half minutes.



Test your archery skills HERE.  WARNING: Addiction level LOW

FUN FACTS ABOUT ST. SEBASTIAN

St. Sebastian is one of the very few martyrs not pictured in they way he was martyred.  (He survived being shot with arrows, recovered, and then was clubbed to death by Emperor Diocletian.)

The earliest depictions of St. Sebastian was that of an older man with gray hair and beard.  It was only later that he grew progressively younger in art.  

The United States Navy had a patrol ship named the U.S.S. Saint Sebastian in the early part of the 20th century.

(This is a detail from a painting by Eric Armusik that hangs at St. Sebastian Parish, Akron)

In addition to being patron saint of athletes, soldiers, and archers, he has also been known as patron saint of pin makers, (have you ever known a pin maker?), book binders (only heard that once so . . . )   But several sources name him patron saint of those who are dying, police officers, and is one to invoke against plague and enemies of religion.

BUSY DAY

Greetings,

Today I have meetings all day so here is just a quick post.

On Wednesday I went up to The Conversion of Saint Paul Shrine to check on the progress of the painting Mother Mary Thomas is working on written about on the blog several times.  She is still plugging away.

Below you will see a Plain Dealer reporter and photographer.  There is a story coming and I was told, "You are going to blog on this are you not?"  The thing is, I am not sure exactly what I am allowed to blog yet.  There has been no official announcement concerning the thing that I am not telling you and I am pretty darn sure I am not to have the first exclusive so as the say, "Keep your eyes and ears open" and say a prayer for Mother Mary Thomas.

There is going to be a reproduction of the painting made but the question is, "How do you get a picture of it without distortion in order to reproduce it accurately?"  Below you will see one attempt (which unfortunately did not work out because it would have been a boat load of fun.)  They used one of St. Sebastian's pictures as an experiment flying a drone with a camera over it in Zwisler Hall.

(Being a priest is so much fun.)

More news will follow.

BOTH STRIKINGLY DIFFERENT AND SIMILAR

This week we are celebrating our titular feast of St. Sebastian. One event to help us celebrate is the unveiling of a new painting of patron.  Below you will see a painting of St. Sebastian done by Mr. Eric Armusik SEE HERE that we obtained a few years ago.  The painting below his was created by Mother Mary Thomas PCPA SEE HERE that was finished late last year (2014).  Here is the interesting thing about these two paintings: they are both depicting the exact same thing but in vastly different ways; the initial volley of the would be executioner's arrows at St. Sebastian.  But one is more symbolic and one is more literal. 

 

The first one by Mr. Armusik is much more realistic in the school of Carivaggio.  But the message he tries to get across is very symbolic.  That Sebastian's death is united with Christ's is symbolized through various means.  The base of the tree to which he is tied looks very much like the base of the Cross.  Five arrows are used to call to mind the five wounds of Christ.  That Sebastian was intimately connected to Christ is shown through the upward turn of his face and the expression of hope shining through his pain.  His left knee is slight raised off of the ground in a motion of trying to stand and lift himself toward God.  

This second painting by Mother Mary Thomas is much more in the style of El Greco.  The figures and background are much more imaginative but the details of the story much more literal.  What was symbolized above is made concrete here.  It is difficult to see because I was not able to get a good picture of this painting so if you want to see, make sure you stop by the parish this week.  Overlapping the images, the post to which Sebastian is bound is transformed into the Cross of Christ.  Along side the arrows that pierced St. Sebastian and the clubs that would eventually be the instruments of his death (to the right of the picture) is the arrow that pierced Christ side and His crown of thorns.  We don't have to imagine the connection of Christ and Sebastian as Jesus' arms are embracing Sebastian and he, with a serene look on his face, turns his head toward him, almost resting on Christ's chest as did the beloved disciple.

That is the exciting type of things art can do.  And it is also why I recommend parishes that can employ artists to create works unique to the parish.  Nowhere else in the world will you see these images.  You must come to St. Sebastian Parish in Akron.

THANK GOODNESS FOR IRENE

Happy Feast Day of Saint Sebastian

 

(Though we celebrated it here over the weekend.)

 

Finding it difficult to come up with a good St. Sebastian hymn, we wrote our own.  It is to the tune of Thaxed by G. T. Holst (though I realize the wording can be a bit tricky.)

 

St. Sebastian, martyr, patron, your name we joyf’ly laud.

You were a Roman soldier whose heart was pledged to God.

Though the emp’rer Diocletian declared death to be the price,

you fulfilled your soldier’s duty while leading souls to Christ.

O Sebastian, martyr, patron, we lift our voice and sing,

please be our intercessor to Christ our mighty King.

 

When confronted with the martyrs choice of Christ or earthly king,

you turned your thoughts to heaven where saints and angels sing.

Sentenced to be executed for believing in the Name

your were bound and shot with arrows and earned a martyrs fame.

Saint Sebastian, martyr, patron, to you our thanks we bring

you are our intercessor to Christ our mighty King.

 

Though thought dead and left abandoned your noble heart still beat.

Nursed to health you earned the privilege to rest from danger’s heat.

But the Christians persecuted needed you to stand for them,

your confronted wicked rulers and faced martyrdom again.

Saint Sebastian, martyr, patron, your task continuing,

keep us close to Christ our Eucharist, our Savior and our King.

HE WHO DARES MAGNIFICENTLY CAN EXPECT MAGNIFICENT REWARDS

You are invited to join me on a little project, vicariously as it may be.  I’ve commissioned another painting and would like to take you along for the journey.

 

Commissioning a painting is a scary thing.  It is much easier to look in a catalogue and point to something you like, order it, and quickly be done with it.  Then all that is left to do is visit the 5 adjoining parishes and visit the exact same statue or painting that dogs your travels like a fast food restaurant.  Who would want to come to you church/home/museum to see something they could go anywhere to see?  How does that inspire?  (When was the last time you got dressed up and made a night of eating at McDonalds?)

 

The first thing to do (in my book – not all would agree) is find an artist whose style you like and who has created pieces in the past that match what your desires are.  It is important to know your budget right up front.  Have a size and timeline, and basic theme in mind so that a price may be worked out with the artist.  You might suffer from sticker shock so be prepared to say, “Sounds great but I am going to need more time to raise the funds.”

 

Now here comes the first of the really tricky parts though if you have come this far already, you are very lucky.  How much leeway do you give the artist?  Do you want them to create what is in your head or do you want them to be creative?  Most of the time I look for a happy medium leaning more toward the artist.  If you want a paint-by-numbers painting from your head, don’t expect a priceless work of art.  You have taken away the artist’s inspiration and creativity as they try to simply put color on a canvas from a micromanager.  If that is what you want, hire an artist who paints by the square inch and send them a photo.  (It’s cheaper that way too.)

 

You do need to have some idea however.  A certain amount of parameters help the creative process.  “I don’t know, do whatever you want” is as unhelpful as micromanaging.  And the right balance changes with the artist.  Some things to be VERY clear about however:  SIZE!  I find artist say, “Yes, yes” . . . and then find that in order to do what they want change the size.  Write it down, state it, and then shake on it.

 

It is not wrong to have a look at preliminary drawings.  When creating St. Sebastian for example, I might say, “No, no, no!  St. Sebastian was NOT a prepubescent waif,” as many artists seem to want to make him.  Do some research.  The earliest depictions of this saint show him as a white haired older man.  Is that what you want . . .?  What is necessary – what can you live with – what is absolutely out of the question? 

 

So . . . I have an artist.  Her name is Mother Thomas and she is a cloistered Poor Clare nun in Cleveland.  Learn more about her here.

 

Also I have a very rough preliminary drawing that we have had a discussion about and now some new sketches are on the way.  I’ll keep you updated. 

FRIDAY POTPOURRI: THE SAINT SEBASTIAN

Believe it or not there are about 6 safes and vaults at St. Sebastian.  Some of them have been abandoned and are used for storage more than anything else.  When I first got here we were digging through one in the rectory and way in the back in a black box was this chalice.  We brought it over to the church and had it cleaned up. 

I am told that this is the "Saint Sebastian Chalice."  It was commissioned by our founding pastor Msgr. Zwisler.  He requested that the ladies of the parish who had diamond jewelry that they were no longer wearing donate the diamonds to the parish to be incorporated into a chalice.  (If anybody can collaborate or correct this account it would be appreciated.) 

 That the diamonds were donated from various pieces of jewelry would explain why they differ in size so.  The diamonds range from incredibly small to one of respectable size.  (I wouldn't be too excited about diamonds however - like a car it is amazing how quickly they go down in value once they leave the jewelry shop.  As one lady put it, "Call off an engagement and see how much you can get back for that diamond!) 

Just below the cup there is a ring of 9 diamonds.  At the node there is a Chi Rho made up of 16 diamonds.  Around the node is a ring of 16 diamonds.  Around the base is another ring of 31 diamonds.  There is a circle of diamonds around a "Tau" or Greek letter "T" that represents the Cross.  The circle has 12 diamonds in it and the Tau has 3 diamonds in it.  Also in the Tau are 3 blue sapphires and two tiny pearls.  This makes a total of 87 diamonds, 3 sapphires, and two pearls.  It is very striking

Around the base of the chalice is the inscription, "Sancte Sebastiane ora pro nobis" or "Saint Sebastian pray for us."  Below you can see the paten which is very simple.  There is the interwoven monogram "IHS" for Jesus.  Once again you can see me taking the picture in it.  Thanks to our sacristans for keeping things so well polished!

Saint Sebastianites will see this chalice on feast days that are particularly important to the parish such as on St. Sebastian Day.

GUEST BLOGGER: WHAT DRIVES A CATHOLIC ARTIST?

Those of you who belong to St. Sebastian should be familiar with at least a couple of works by artist Eric Armusik.  Two of his paintings of Saint Sebastian were displayed in our parish during our patronal feast day.  Have you ever wondered what drives a Catholic painter?  Mr. Armusik was kind enough to be a guest blogger today to let us find out.  Thank you Eric.

January 20, 2012, the Feast of St. Sebastian is a day I'll never forget. Though I've been a professional artist now for 18 years, and I've created art for several churches, this day was special. It was as if I was trapped in a movie of my own life and a flashback happened, propelling me back 30 years into my childhood. You see, unlike a lot of successful artists in my genre, I didn't grow up with artistic parents, or have access to museums, art classes or even books on art history. I grew up in a small mining town in northeast Pennsylvania called, Ashley, just outside of Wilkes-Barre. All we had in abundance were mountains of black culm and abandoned coal breakers. There was a bright spot though for me, something I hadn't even reflected on until years later as an artist - I had an art lesson each and every week when I attended 9AM mass every Sunday, at St. Leos.

Now, for anyone who isn't familiar with the Wilkes-Barre area, the community was heavily populated with some of the most beautiful, Gothic cathedrals you'll find anywhere. It is not uncommon to find several Catholic churches on one block. I know it sounds strange. Why would they have so many churches on one block? Diversity of course! On one three block section in town, there was a Polish Catholic church, a Lithuanian Catholic church, an Irish Catholic church, a Russian Orthodox Church a Greek Orthodox Church, a Slovak Catholic church and a German Catholic church. And everyone knew if they went to the mass outside of their nationality, it didn't count. Ha!

Getting back to my being a child in that pew at St. Leos on Sunday...

For a very long time, I did not realize the impact my church and the churches in the area had on my career choice. I was just a little boy admiring and studying the very thing I so desperately wanted to do someday. Even then, when I had no idea where, or how I would learn how to paint; I knew it was all I wanted. I knew that a fire was set inside me and that I needed to find a way.

When I had the opportunity to study art in Italy during college, I found myself seeking out churches all over the country with any free time I had. To me, it was a calling. In my mind, nothing else existed but high art – the art commissioned by the Church. To me, it was not just paint, it was an experience. It did something, it was not ephemeral or stagnant – it inspired!

Years later, when I truly embraced my calling as a religious artist, I began to understand my attraction to this form of art. I desired to create art that spoke to the human heart. I want to inspire and motivate. I wanted to show what my faith meant to me and the best gift you can give others is to express your passion through inspirational art. In the end, I believe that is why I'm so successful as a religious painter. I have that connection, that deep faith and zeal for what I believe. And, because of this passion, it overflows and is made manifest through my work. I refuse to just paint a figure because any decent artist can accomplish that! I paint an experience, I capture a moment, a murmur, and a breath and though it may not always be peaceful or cheery, it means something.

When I painted Saint Sebastian, I was centered. I wanted to best express his suffering, his fortitude, his courage to stand up for his faith at any cost. The choice to use myself for the model was deliberate. Painting religious work is something not very popular in the art world. Often, I get negative feedback from other artists.

The process of painting this beautiful artwork was for me, extremely cathartic. I meditated on his suffering. In my mind, it was all about sacrifice. You feel St. Sebastian's pain. You see is legs are caught mid tremble as he attempts to remain standing but, the force of the arrows collapse his will. Five arrows representing the five wounds of Christ draw parallels between him and his faith. His mouth is open as he inhales from the pain and the shock of his torture. That hurt, that agony, is forever captured to reflect upon – trapped for all eternity in paint and varnish. He is animated by my admiration and understanding of his sacrifice. In my opinion, only a devout Catholic could translate that.

When Father commissioned me to paint yet another Saint Sebastian, I was thrilled! Not only did I have a fantastic patron, but a man who trusted my talent and vision – as an artist, that is a dream. Armed with enthusiasm and artistic license, I went to work. This time, I decided the moment would be more solemn that violent. I wanted St. Sebastian’s gaze to be mournful, thankful and quiet. There is something so tender in St. Irene’s hand as she extends it to tend to his wounds. There is an understanding between them and once again, it is forever captured to reflect upon.

These painting will outlive me, my wife, and my children. They are concrete reminders of my talent from God and the relationship forged between Father and I over the love of ar,t and its relevance to our faith. That understanding humbles me. It makes me continually reflect on God’s purpose for me. I know, without any doubt, I am right where He put me.

It is all about redemption and desiring to be better than we are. It is about never giving up on ourselves and others. Though I was a just a kid from a lower middle class family with no art direction, no idea how or where I’d learn to paint, God provided. He brought the art to me every Sunday and inspired and cultivated that desire right there, in His church. How awesome is that?

When I saw my painting, "St. Sebastian," being raised behind the cross of the main altar at St. Sebastian's Parish in Akron, Ohio, I felt a tremor within me. It was almost a tearful moment. I was that person now - the one that would inspire the congregation though dramatic and spiritually nurturing work. And then it hit me, maybe I would inspire that next little boy who may be sitting in a pew dissecting the layers of paint and trying to mentally figure out how to paint a hand. To me, that truly was a miracle of epic proportions. I feel blessed to have befriended Father Valencheck as both a patron, and a dear friend. To have my work enjoyed and cared for in such a profound way, gives me consolation that I am doing what God put me here on earth to do. God bless.

If you would like more information on Mr. Armusik you can find him at his website here.  On his site is also his Email address if you would care to send him a message.

MONDAY DIARY: WHEN YOU SUDDENLY FIND YOURSELF A SECOND CLASS CITIZEN

FRIDAY A fax was sent to the parish today from our bishop. It stated that “This week the federal government’s Department of Health andHuman Services issued a mandate which requires religious non-profits to cover sterilizations, contraceptive services, and some abortion-inducing drugs as part of their employee’s healthcarebenefits.” It went on to say that a letter was attached that was to be read at all Masses and stuffed into each bulletin.

Wow.

I don’t know what stuns me more right at this moment – the blatant violation of the Constitution of the United States which is only a thinly veiled attack on the Catholic Church, or that our bishop is speaking out so boldly and quickly! I must say that it fills me with a bit of pride and excitement That he has done so.

This past weekend we celebrated the feast of Saint Sebastian and I warned the congregation that someday their faith might be put to a similar trial – particularly those who worked in the medical fields.

That day came more quickly than I anticipated.

How big will this be? Will it go out in a puff of smoke? Or will this be the beginning of a war on the Church? Will a bishop end up in jail? Will we have our tax exempt status taken away from us? (Given

in to this mandate is not an option.) I imagine much of it depends on the reaction of the populace that understands that any violation of the Constitution places the whole Constitution in jeopardy.

Wanting the parish to know that their pastor is also taking this seriously I yearned to make a statement right away. I went over to the church and said a prayer before the painting of Saint Sebastian. Tonight (around 7PM) before my next appointment, I copied and blew up the pertinent parts of the bishop’s letter, “We cannot – we will not – comply with this unjust law . . .” put it on parish letter head and stuck it to all the doors of the church.  I call the bishop and leave a message that the letter is great.

This comes to mind tonight: The Chicago Archbishop, Cardinal Francis George, remarked, “I expect to die in bed, my successor will die in prison and his successor will die a martyr in the public square.”

SATURDAY I woke up this morning with a mixture of excitement and nervousness. The excitement is that there is something happening that could galvanize us as a Church. There is a cause for which we can all unite. The nervousness was about what could be in store for us if

this remains the law of the land.

Fr. Pfeiffer came home late from his retreat last night and the morning was the first opportunity to talk. How seriously do we need to take this? We don’t want to be reactionary but neither do we want to think that missed the opportunity to help bring strike down this unjust law.

It is time for the homily at the 4:30 Mass. I point to our patron Saint Sebastian and remark, “Last week we talked about how our patron stood up to a corrupt government and remarked that we should be ready to face such opposition if we encounter it. That day has come!” Then I read the letter sent to us from our bishop. “We cannot – we will not” conform to this unjust law. At the end of the letter the organ stuck up “Faith of Our Fathers” and we sang.

Faith of our Fathers living still
In spite of dungeon, fire, and sword.
O how our hearts be high with joy
When ere we hear that glorious Word
Faith of our Fathers
Holy Faith!
We will be true to thee to death!

A Man for All Seasons (St. Thomas More)  52 seconds.  Watch it!

SUNDAY I wake up and go downstairs to read the letters to the editor of the Plain Dealer. (There is nothing in the Beacon Journal) They basically told the Catholic Church that it needs to buck up and get over it. Nobody sees that this is a blatant attack on the Constitution of the United States. They do not see that once part of the Constitution can be ignored it all can be. They feel safe because

they don’t mind this action, but what about when it recoils on them? Why is this not emblazoned on the front page of my newspapers? Have they fallen so far?

The letter was read again at the 9AM, 11AM, 1PM, and at the 5PM Mass the people clapped. One man from out of state said, “I realize that you were only reading your bishop’s words, but that was one of themost stirring homilies I have ever heard! I am taking this letter to my bishop!”

I read that in one diocese they have instituted praying the St. Michael Prayer. I write my representatives in congress. At the Chesterton we are reading book two of Napoleon of Notting Hill. The topic turns to this legislation for a while.

MONDAY I take Sebastian for a walk. We come across a man with a dog who is a regular playmate of Sebastian. He asked me how things are going and I tell him about this legislation. He states that he is for, at least in part, all the things that are included in that package. “It is about pooling money.” I state that it has little to do with any of those things. This is a blatant attack on the Constitution of the United States! Everyone no matter what they believe on reproductive rights should be screaming angry! That the conversation kept turning to contraception, abortion, and sterilization was unnerving. In this case these are all moot topics.

The point is, if you remain silent while this is done to the Catholic Church, then don’t be angry, surprised, or resentful when the government comes into your religion and passes laws and imposing

penalties forcing you to act against your core beliefs. That is what this is about.

I stand in awe that this is happening and happening so easily. We wonder how such things happened in other countries throughout history?

Like this.

MONDAY DIARY: Producing A PAINTING IS WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS of rhetoric

Back in the seminary, during my more idealistic days, I got into a debate with one of my professors about art and the Catholic Church. Standing firm that the Church as patroness of the arts should never, ever order their “art” from a catalogue, the professor kindly (tried) to point out that if a parish could not raise the funds to commission an artist to produce an original piece of art this might be a sound alternative. That idea was rebuffed. “If a community cannot raise the funds for true art!” I fumed, “then they don’t really want it!”

Since then my views have somewhat, but not entirely, softened. Catalogue art is safe art. There are no worries. You know exactly up front what it is that you are getting and if you are a little hesitant, just go to one of twenty parishes that already has your piece in it in order to see if you really do like it. Commissioning art is risky. One never knows exactly what one will get! There is a reason it is called original. But without taking that chance, we will never discover new talent; never experience new pieces.

From time to time I put my wallet where my rhetoric is. Most recently I commissioned a work of our patron saint by Eric Armusik. (You might remember him from this post a number of months ago.) I sent him the dimensions of a painting for which I was looking and some possible subject matter and then let him go to town. A few months later a giant package arrived in the mail. A kind parishioner and friend was there and I asked if she wished to stick around for the grand unveiling (or unwrapping I suppose) and she readily agreed and took these pictures. (Thanks J. D.)

The knife was in my hand and ready to cut when the secretary came back and said that some new parishioners had just registered and wanted to meet me. So I had to leave and greet a delightful young couple who had just moved to the area and hide my angst concerning the contents of the package in the hall.

After they left I leapt back into the hall. The camera was still poised to snap and now we were joined by our business manager and the unwrapping began. Let me tell you – this thing was wrapped to be towed by submarine across the Atlantic. It seemed to take forever to carve through the cardboard, plastic, and wood. (Sebastian – the dog - was very helpful.) And then – there it was! Saint Sebastian being nursed back to health by Saint Irene! Exquisite! A snippet in the life of our patron forever captured in a new piece of art.

This painting (on semi-permanent loan to the parish for as long as I am here) will hang in the rectory dining room. However, in honor of our feast day, this weekend it will be on display in the church building in the McDonough Resource Library (the old baptistery) if you would like a viewing.

Eric Armusik, the artist, lives in Hamburg, PA with his wife and three children. He was first inspired by the artwork of his home parish growing up and now hopes to continue in the fine tradition of creating works for the Church. He also does other projects as well but hopes to be able to do more commissions for and about the faith. If you would like more information you can find out more about him at his website here.

HAPPY SAINT SEBASTIAN DAY

The story of Saint Sebastian (patron of my parish and whose feast day it is) is a great story. You can read more about it here if you wish. But the best part of the story was his clinging to Christ and His teachings despite social pressure not to. The emperor Diocletian would have just been the tip of the iceberg though that was quite enough to get you killed alone. Imagine the social pressure among his fellow soldiers, among the citizenry and clergy who wielded power in his day and would apply pressure to try to get everyone to conform to the present day social norms. At work, about town, probably even among his acquaintances there would always be the constant threat to His love of God and the Eucharist save for that bit of time he had with like minded persons in prayer and sacrament. Yet through it all he stood as a strong and sure peg in a storm.

He is a model not only for us but for the Church in general – particularly in this country. Go back five hundred years and the Christian world (consisting almost entirely of Catholics and Orthodox) would have been in agreement on social and doctrinal issues to the greatest extent. Today, sadly, the Christian Church is divided more than ever. In 2002, 82% of persons in the United States declared themselves Christian. Approximately 24% of all Christians in the U.S. consider themselves Catholic. 76% of that number consider themselves Protestant or that part of the Christian world that is not Catholic. It is difficult to say how many Protestant denominations there are because some Protestants do not consider themselves a denomination and many ecclesial communities come and go on a regular basis. That being said there are approximately 217 denominations but somewhere between 300,000 and 600,000 church communities.

Keeping that in mind, in 1930 the Anglican community divided from the commonly held belief that contraception was a sin for married couples to use. Since that time the Catholic Church has come to stand virtually alone in U.S. concerning the combined topics of contraceptives, abortion, premarital sex, the indissolubility of marriage, masturbation, marriage between one man and one woman, and the dignity of every single human being. ALONE! Like St. Sebastian it matters not what the government says, what our entertainment world says, what our friends (other Christian ecclesial communities) say, what today’s experts say, the Church, and she alone stands alone with truth not caring what arrows are thrust at her. Why? Because she believes that it is true and best for all her people spiritually, mentally, and physically, and will not tell you otherwise because that is what you may want to hear.

Someone once said, “Why do dissenters stay in the Church? That is a mystery. It is also why you need a pope and a teaching magisterium.” When the waves of public opinion, the winds of change, the storm of controversy hit she stands firm on her rock foundation with the teachings that have been hers for 2000 years – hers alone – and though her standard is perhaps a bit frayed at the edges, the colors remain true and like St. Sebastian she will stand firm even through the threat of barbed arrows.

HAPPY FEAST OF SAINT SEBASTIAN!

Today is our titular feast day. Actually we had it transferred to Sunday but most of the world is celebrating it today. Blessings to you from the Parish of Saint Sebastian!

More in depth information about our patron here.

An interesting time line of Saint Sebastian here.

FR. LIVINGSTON I PRESUME - PART IIII

This is part of a series exploring what there is to see on the very boarders of Saint Sebastian Parish in Akron.

At this point we find ourselves having to traverse straight through the woods and hills of the Metroparks with no easy way just to swing around on any convenient roads. Here are two options: You might either turn left on Smith, turn left on Sand Run Road, and then pick up the boarder again by turning left on Thurmont.What I did was turn around until I returned to Portage Path, turn right, and then turn right again onto Sand Run Parkway. A good distance down the road you will hit this nifty little feature. This is the ford where Sand Run actually crosses over the street. I remember as a very young child going for a Sunday afternoon drive and coming upon this unusual sight and the street sign that proclaimed, "Ford impassable after heavy rain" and wondering what was wrong with Ford cars that they were singled out as being incapable of crossing over this little bit of water after a rain storm. I think I was in my 20s before I spent enough time thinking about this to pull me out of my childhood musings.

Well, the boarder picks up for a little spell along this road and the abruptly turns left and goes throught he woods again. Our only choice is to continue on until we get to the intersection of Sand Run Parkway and Sand Run Road. (Do you see how this might get confusing?) Turn left, and when you reach Thurmond turn left and then on the second road (here is where I THINK streets might have changes names, so I think it is dubbed Winslow Avenue) turn right and once again we are on the parish boarders, the parish being to your left.

Here we pass through a nice little nieghborhood until we hit Market Street. We should continue on White Pond but it is closed off to through traffic and so we must once again make something up. Turn left on Market and the right on Frank Blvd. This will take you back to White Pond. Turn left and we follow White Pond over the highway and past White Pond until this road dead ends. Turn left on Coply for a short jaunt and then emmideatly make a right on Collier. We follow Collier past farms and nursuries until it dead ends onto a road that may or may not be called Wadsworth Road anymore. (You may remember I said I was using an old map.) Regardless turn left. This road dead ends into a road that may or may not be called Wooster Road. Turn left again.

Eventually you will come over a hill and be given an interesting view of Downtown Akron. If you can spot the twin towers in the middle of the picure that is Saint Bernard, one of our neighbors. It is a beautiful church that was rumored to be closing but was saved from the axe. Don't stare too long though, you need to keep an eye out for Mallaston Ave and it is not well marked. Turn left, goa short distance and then turn left again on Euclid Avenue. This will twist up and hit Diagonal Road. Turn Right. We have just skirted around the Akron Zoo which is actually in Saint Berbard so is not pictured here.

On the corner of Diagonal and Copley we see the John Brown House. According to this web site, "The Akron home of abolitionist John Brown stands at Copley and Diagonal roads in West Akron. Brown moved here in 1844 and worked with Simon Perkins, Jr. in the wool trade. The Perkins' family mansion still stands across the street from Brown's home. The famous abolitionist moved on to win fame in Kansas and at Harper's Ferry. He is now recognized by a permanent exhibit showing his significance as a symbolic hero and martyr of the anti-slavery movement." (The Perkins mansion is half a street off of our project and so not shown here.)

As we cross over Copley we find ourselves back on Portage Path South and almost done with our tour. Coming up on our left is Coach House Theater which I believe is run by the Akron Women's city club. Here is the only site I could find for them which makes the promise that a new web site would be coming soon. I worked at this inimate little theater when I attended the University of Akron running the lightboard for a production of "Night Watch."

Finally we make it to the Akron Woman's City Club. Their website explains, "The Akron Woman's City Club was established in 1923 as a place where women could meet to discuss subjects of interest, hold seminars for education, promote charitable events, and serve as a social center and meeting place for women of Akron. Today it remains one of the oldest and largest clubs for women in America."

A hop, skip, and a jump further and we are back to the Indian, the starting point of our journey. So we turn left into the heart of our territory and back to Saint Sebastian.

Hope you enjoyed the tour.