July 2002
Index
- God is First!Family is Second. Job is Third. By Father Bob Camuso
- Service across borders By Steve Egge
- Holy Spirit as Healer Retreat By Dawn Moore
- Introduction of Jeff Smith By Fr. Bob Camuso
- Note from Jeff Smith By Jeff Smith
- Loaves & Fish Campaign
- Upcoming Events
God is First! Family is Second. Job is Third.
By Father Bob Camuso
One of the tenants of our SacraMentors program is that God is to be first in a person's life. Then comes one's family and, finally, one's job. Recently, one of our SacraMentors brothers, Joe Kiibler, asked me if there was support in Sacred Scripture for such a priority. I gave Joe only part of an answer. What follows is a fuller explanation.
Probably the best support in the Bible for the idea that God should be first in a person's life is found in the great commandment given by Jesus:
"You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart,
with all your soul and with all your mind,
and with all your strength.
This is the first and greatest commandment." Mt 22:37; Mk 12:30
When Jesus says we must love God, what he means by the word "love" is faithfulness and not feelings we normally associate with love, like affection or tenderness. The reason for this is that there may be times when we do not feel love for God. Nevertheless, we are still called to respond with love for God through acts of obedience and faithfulness. Sometimes we do not feel love for members of our family, yet we love them anyway as we respond to them with concern and care.
For Jesus, love of God is an act of the will that is supported by the choices we make each day. In addition, Rabbis teach that when Jesus says, with all your heart…soul…mind, the word heart meant will, soul meant life, and strength (mind) meant wealth. What this means is that all of our resources are to be directed to God. Although this may sound unrealistic in our modern and materialistic world, what so often happens when we do give all to God is that we get more in return. Jesus put it this way:
"There is no one who has given up house or brothers
or sisters or mother or father or children or lands
for my sake and for the sake of the gospel
who will not receive a hundred times more…" Mk 10:29
Of course, we don't earn God's grace by making all our resources available to God. God's grace is always a gift. But it is a grace to give to God. Giving to God is its own reward. The "hundred times more" Jesus refers to is discovered each time we realize what a joy it is to give. Remember, all we take with us when we leave this life is what we gave away.
If we truly obey the Great Commandment, then nothing else in our life should have a priority over God. From Sacred Scripture, it is clear that we are to love God first. The second part of the Great Commandment that Jesus gives us is this:
"You shall love your neighbor as yourself." Mt 22:39; Mk 12:31
The Jewish scholar, Hillel, interpreted the above commandment in this way:
"What you hate for yourself, do not do to your neighbor.
This is the whole law; the rest is commentary."
—The New Jerome Biblical Commentary, p. 622
We are to love God first, and then treat our neighbor as we would like to be treated. Our neighbor includes the people who not only live next door to us, but also those who are next to us. Like wives, husbands, children, other family members, friends and the people with whom we come in contact each day. The most important responsibility we have among all these people is our family, especially if we have children. Thus, family is number two in importance in our lives. When parents place a priority on making quality time for their children and teaching them gospel values, the children have a much better chance of being successful in society and as Christians. It follows, also, that if God is kept first in our lives, then it is most likely that we will pass on values found in Scripture to our children and our neighbor. Those values help to protect children in society and help them to live happy lives in this world and in the next.
Finally, our job is third. This is especially difficult for men to accept. The reason is that from early childhood most males are taught that what we do is more important than the simple fact that we exist as children of God who are to be loved unconditionally, as God loves us. When I was a boy, my father would come home from a hard day's work in the construction business and the first thing he asked me was, "What did you do today?" How different I would have felt if he had said, "I thought about you today and how much I love and appreciate you for being you." Even members of our families affirm us greatly for making more money or gaining more power or status and can be very upset with us if we lose any of what we have gained. Thus, while we may agree in our minds to the idea that God is first, we know in our hearts that our job is really the number one thing for us. If you need more proof, just tally up the hours and the amount of anxiety you spend each week over your job.
Yes, it is true that someone has to bring home the bacon. But does that mean God should be left out of our jobs? The great Benedictine tradition follows the motto, ora et labora, which is Latin for "prayer and work."
Note that God is first here and work is second (Benedictine men and women, of course, do not have families). The point of the motto is that God is not to be separated from work. Work can be a form of prayer.
What would happen, for instance, if, in every act of work you do each day, God is present to you through prayer? The Holy Father is known to pray for seven hours a day—alone, at Mass and while he works. To pray as we work is known as contemplative prayer. Here's how it works: I call to mind God's presence as I am typing this article (work) and I feel a sensation of God's peace and love and notice that my anxiety dissipates over getting this article done on time. When I feel peace and love and less anxiety in my work, I do a better job and feel better about myself, which also benefits my family because I am more at peace when I am with them. This is one more benefit of making God first in my life.
God is first. Family is second. Work is third. When we live according to this order of priorities, we will surely discover more of the joy of living here during the brief time we have on this earth.
Service across borders By Steve Egge
As we grow and expand our horizons, certain things seem to capture our interest. Another way to put it is that the spirit leads us and our true self confirms that "it is good". Such has been the case with my involvement with the NPH orphanages in Latin America.
Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos means "Our little brothers and sisters". The NPH system is a little different than most orphanages. It was started by Fr. William Wasson in 1954 who responded to the needs of a boy who had lost both his parents and was jailed after being caught stealing from the poor box in the back of the church. Fr. Wasson adopted the boy and the others who were jailed with him with the idea of never adopting them out, raising them as a family with other orphaned and abandoned children as brothers and sisters and providing all the love and education that is possible. The children are given a home and a chance to break out of the cycle of poverty that is so pervasive in Latin America. When they leave the orphanage most of the children have the education or a skill that will allow them to support themselves and their eventual families. No help is given from the governments, all support comes from donations and work by the orphanages themselves. There is a benefactor in Mexico who has paid for every NPH child from Mexico who has the desire and talent to attend college. It is amazing to see such good work make such a difference in so many lives.
I was introduced to the orphanage while on a peace and justice retreat in Cuernavaca, Mexico. While there, we took a tour and played with the little children in the kinder program. I had a minimum of two kids on my back for "rides" the whole time! My wife and I were so touched we became sponsors or "Godparents" to one of the children in the orphanage. This connection has been truly a blessing with both of my son's working for them for a short time in an orphanage in Nicaragua. Their limited view of the world has been expanded dramatically and their hearts changed by the hearts that touched them.
These experiences led to a suggestion that for a service project, our SacraMentors men's group at St. Andrew Parish could sponsor a child. I brought literature about NPH to the weekly meeting and it occurred to our group this would be an opportunity for us to reach out and be a mentor to someone in need. We all chipped in $30 and sent in the suggested yearly donation of $25 per month to Friends of the Orphans Northwest in Bellevue (one of the sponsorship offices for NPH), and requested a child in Mexico and eagerly awaited a response. Finally a letter came and we were introduced to Luis Ricardo Pardiño Leon who was born on February 27, 1983. We received his picture and a letter from him which was accompanied by a translation. He was currently enrolled in the bachillerato (high school) and he described his interests and what a typical day would be like.
I felt truly blessed because our family had planned to attend the annual international meeting in Mexico of the orphanage system (they have houses in Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, El Salvador, and Haiti) and I would have a chance to meet Luis.
I was able to visit with Luis on 3 separate days and each was a blessing. Thanks to my wife and children, communication was possible as neither his English nor my Spanish is good enough to use in a conversation. Luis came to the orphanage with his older sister three years ago, driven here by friends from his home in Chiapas. He had lost both his parents, but has an uncle living near his home. From talking to him and others it seems that he has adapted well to his new home. He has a year and a half left of high school, is on the school basketball team, plays guitar with the folk mass group, recently came in third in the all school chess tournament, and wants to go to college. I gave him a photo of our apostle's group with everyone's name on it and found out he has two other "godparents" but I was the first he had ever met in person. It was so wonderful to meet this energetic and kind young man. I have so much hope for him.
Upon returning home, I sent Luis down a Shaquille O'Neal jersey (his favorite player) and a college logo t-shirt for his birthday. We have been able to correspond regularly via e-mail. He works on his English and I work on my Spanish. At the very least, I have begun to close my correspondence with "Que Dios los bendiga" or "May God bless you". As I share with my brothers in Sumner, they too have begun to correspond with Luis. This service project has created a wonderful common bond in our group with a delightful young man. Hopefully over the years our group can maintain an active communicating relationship, visit occasionally, stretch ourselves to mentor across borders.
Holy Spirit as Healer Retreat By Dawn Moore
A one-day retreat entitled "The Holy Spirit as Healer" was presented on May 18th at St. Anne's Parish. Fr. Bob, thank you for the wonderful experience and your time. I know I do not just speak for myself. The retreat touched us all in some way. But for me the retreat brought me in a full "healing" circle.
I was not able to share my feelings or thoughts with the group. I had to think them through. Words and thoughts were just floating throughout my head. It was hard for me to be open and share. I needed to distance myself and have space and just listen with an open heart to what the Holy Spirit, Fr. Bob and the others in the group could offer me. When I got home that evening, I was able to sit and feel the presence and peace of the Holy Spirit, and understand the words that were shared at the retreat.
You see, two days before the retreat I found out that my natural father had passed away just a month before. I did not realize the impact this would have on me emotionally. I mean, after all, it had been forty years since I had last seen him. But I knew the bond between father and daughter was still there.
The guilt and anger I felt was very overwhelming. Mostly, this was directed toward myself for letting my pride get in the way and not making a real effort to go visit him. I feared his rejection would be too painful.
Four years ago while attending a SacraMentors women's series at St. Anne's in Seattle, Lory Misel was presenting the "Father Wounds" talk. I was finding this talk very difficult and Lory sensed it. He asked me to do a role-play. First, I played the role of my Father and how he experienced me as a child. Then I played myself at the age of five and how I experienced my father. That was very powerful and emotional for not only myself, but also for the other ladies that attended. It helped me start the healing process of the anger and bitterness I had for my father for leaving me when I was five. In coming back to St. Anne's for this recent retreat, I once again experienced the pain, anger and feeling of being abandoned. This was very difficult for me.
The cleansing tears and healing touch that I experienced at the retreat is helping me to bring the closure I need. The words that were shared by others are helping me with the loss I am feeling, so that I am able to move forward. I know I am not alone. The resistance to even go up and receive the healing touch was very overwhelming for me. Never have my legs shake this severely. I could not stand, I thought I was going to fall. But I said a small prayer to God for strength. What a very powerful blessing I received from my brothers and sisters! I felt as though I was twenty pounds lighter! The warmth and love I felt was awesome!
I have found that I have been kept from the experience of the Holy Spirit because of past wounds. The retreat for me was a way to remove another of life's emotional traumas and continue on with my journey. I could not have gotten through the grief and pain this time without the tools I have learned from the SacraMentors process and blessings I have received from my SacraMentors brothers and sisters.
The retreat was a gift and a blessing presented to me by God and brought me in full circle, from the wounds of abandonment as a child, to my father's recent death and then to the retreat which has helped me to grieve and let go of the past.
Introduction of Jeff Smith by Fr. Bob Camuso
Dear Friends,
It is with great pleasure that I announce our new Executive Director, Jeffrey Smith. Jeff may be known to many of you as a very active SacraMentors member from Sacred Heart Parish at Lacey. Jeff was initiated as a SacraMentor in the fall of 2000. Jeff and his wife, Denise, have three children, ages 16, 13 and 2. Known as an outstanding presenter of the SacraMentors series, Jeff comes with lots of experience speaking before groups. He got much of that experience as an officer with the US Army. Jeff now serves our country at Fort Lewis as a military judge with the Judge Advocate General Corps. I know I speak for all SacraMentors in welcoming Jeff and thanking him for taking on this important role in the SacraMentors movement.
As we welcome Jeff, it is also important to say "thank you" and "farewell" to Greg Carlson, who served as our previous Executive Director. Greg has taken a job in Boise, Idaho, where his family will soon join him in their new home. During a challenging transition time for SacraMentors, Greg took over as Executive Director and helped our board stay focused on the bigger picture of what we are doing and why. I am grateful for all Greg has given to God through the SacraMentors movement.
May God bless you all,
Fr. Bob
Note from Jeff Smith by Jeff Smith
My dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
As I begin my service as Executive Director for SacraMentors, I wanted to introduce myself and to let you know how you can help the SacraMentors movement continue to grow and to change lives.
To those of you who don't know me, I am a member of Sacred Heart parish in Lacey. I have been a SacraMentor since October of 2000 and have served as parish coordinator at Sacred Heart and as a trainer. The many blessings I have received through my participation in the SacraMentors movement, and the changes I have seen in my life and in the lives of others, led me to volunteer to serve as Executive Director.
As with any organization, however, one person cannot do it alone. I need everyone's help so that our movement can expand and touch the lives of significantly more men and women. What can you do? First, I would ask each of you to rededicate yourself to fulfilling our function on earth _ blessing others with love, kindness, and appreciation. Second, make a concerted effort to attend your weekly Apostles' Group meeting. Although during the summer this can be especially challenging, the blessings to be received are worth the effort. Third, I would ask you to prayerfully consider how you can be of service to SacraMentors. Perhaps it is something as simple as inviting a friend to the next series in your area. Maybe your parish coordinator needs some assistance. Or perhaps God is calling you to serve on the SacraMentors board. In that regard, there will be a leadership retreat on September 14th at which new board members will be selected through a discernment process. If you are interested in attending the retreat and perhaps serving on the board, please contact your parish coordinator or me and let us know of your interest.
God bless each of you and have a wonderful summer.
Jeff
Thank you to everyone who contributed to the Loaves & Fish Campaign
Up until now we have relied solely upon the contributions that were given to us when a man or woman attended a series. The dollars we received would be used to defray the costs of the series, and any proceeds would be used to pay for supplies, newsletter, postage, advertising etc. Unfortunately, the funds collected do not even come close to covering these expenses. On many occasions board members cover these costs out of their own pockets because of their dedication to the program.
The SacraMentor program is in need of the resources that any organization must have to both maintain its current programs and expand. If we could begin with our "loaves and fish", we can continue to offer the series to all parishes. You can still be part of this vital work. Please mail your donation to:
SacraMentors c/o St. Annes, 1411 1st Ave W., Seattle Wa. 98119
Attention: Anne Searing
Upcoming Events
Leadership Retreat
September 14th
St. Charles Borrmeo Parish Center
9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
(we will end the retreat with Mass).
One of the purposes of the retreat is to use a discernment process to select new SacraMentor board members.
All parish coordinators, trainers, current board members, and anyone who feels called to possibly serve on the board is invited. Questions and inquiries should be directed to Jeff Smith @ (360) 754-7693.
Women's Series
Sacred Heart, Lacey September 22,29, October 6 & 12
Questions? Call Denise @ (360) 754-7693.
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