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The X-Games™ have always been the place where over-the-edge athletes throw down adrenaline-pumping stunts that blow the minds of spectators. Those who really excel at these death- defying sports often embrace a dark and murky culture of dissent, dissatisfaction, and dissing anything that resembles rules or conformity.
But a few of these dare-devils have been raising an uncomfortable stir. Sponsors and organizers are nail-biting over what fans will think when they learn their bad-boy, rebel heroes have embraced Christianity. In this lesson we’ll find out who some of them are, and how it happened…

x-treme biker

When motocross racing newcomer Brian Deegan won the1997 LA Coliseum Supercross, he astonished the crowd by hopping off his moving bike at the finish line. It launched riderless into the air. That was to be the first of many shocking stunts from Deegan that would rock the motocross world. The move was immediately banned by motocross authorities and racing rebel Brian Deegan found his bad boy niche.

Deegan was 12 years old when his parents divorced. He found a vent for his anger in dirt biking, and turned pro by age 17. He left small town Nebraska for Southern California, FMX headquarters, promising his father he would come back home and go to college if he didn’t make it.

Brian soon switched from motocross racing to freestyle motocross (FMX), which is more about stunts and tricks than riding laps. He soon joined up with other riders who wielded the same revulsion for authority. With Larry Linkogle, Deegan co-created the “Metal Mulisha”, an FMX team that would eventually compete and perform around the world.

In an interview with Phil Bartsch of the Courier Mail, an Australian newspaper, Deegan said “We formed the Mulisha because we wanted to have our own group of guys who stood up against the (motocross industry) establishment. We’re against people trying to make you do things you don’t want to do, like dress and look how you don’t want to look.”

The Mulisha became known for their raucous, destructive behavior, shaved heads, tattoos, wild parties and busted hotel rooms. Deegan chose a skull with a Nazi helmet for the Metal Mulisha emblem, marketing the symbol in a multimillion dollar clothing line.

x-treme talent

The X Games (formerly known simply as “X-treme Sports”) began to include Freestyle Motocross in 1999. Deegan has taken 3 Gold and 7 Bronze medals, competing in at least one X Games event annually.

He was the first ever to do a 360 in competition – an aerial back flip on the motorcycle while ramp jumping. The trick was named the “Mulisha Twist”. Deegan became internationally known for his willingness to invent new tricks risking everything to entertain an audience.

x-treme attitude

“For me, I would say my whole life was being a rebel; trying to form an image of this guy who has done a lot of sins, a lot of bad things. (I was) trying just to build a name – basically glorifying being a bad person…” Deegan goes on to express his growing emptiness he felt inside. “ I just was hurting the people I loved and doing the bad things.”

x-treme pain

The Metal Mulisha packed stadiums wherever they went. But ripping on a bike in FMX competition has the potential to rip the rider’s body as well as take his life. Like ancient gladiator games, spectators are as eager to see a crash as they are thrilled with a successful death-defying trick.
In May of 2005 Brian Deegan attempted a back flip for the MTV cameras filming Viva La Bam. He tried to slice through a 40 mph crosswind. The jump went bad. He took the handlebars in the gut, exploding his kidney, lacerating his spleen. He crash landed and writhed in pain on the ground.

x-treme promise

“In my head, I knew I was dying.” recalls Deegan. Rushed to hospital, the surgeon told him that he might not make it. Then and there he made a promise to God. “That was the final moment when I said, ‘You know what? If I live through this, I am going to fully follow Christ.’”
The day after his surgery, his wife Marissa fueled his desire to live by announcing that she was pregnant with their second child.

x-treme change

In an interview with Chris Palmer of ESPN Magazine Deegan said, “ That was be being a dumb kid. I tried to uphold an image and shock people. We had to be gnarly all the time. When I realized how stupid that was, people called me a sellout. But I didn’t owe them anything.” He also said, “It took me years to realize that I was a [expletive removed] idiot. It took me another 2 years to get away from it.”
True to his promise, as soon as he recovered he found a church for his family to attend and began opening up his home for a bible study and faith sharing for his biking brothers.

x-treme influence

Soon other members of the Metal Mulisha joined Deegan in his search for God. “I was able to bring Jeremy Lusk into our bible study. Twitch was in our bible study, just our close friends that we really cared about and it started to grow.”
They started taking heat for expressing their Christian faith in a culture that despises religion. But they found strength to stand up for their beliefs in each other. “I think the main thing,” said Deegan, “ is finding people that you can associate with. I continued to grow. Through that, we (all) really started to learn about God and the bible. That was pretty much how our walk started advancing.

x-treme loss

Jeremy Lusk was one of Deegan’s closest friends and a teammate, and he had recently been baptized. On February 9, 2009, while performing a back flip trick called the “Hart Attack” at a show in Costa Rica in front of thousands of motocross fans, he crashed and crushed his skull. The Metal Mulisha were devastated, but continued in their public outpouring of faith.

x-treme wake-up

“At this point, I’d say Jeremy Lusk passing away – you know I see my best friend, and just seeing him laying there – you know after he passed, down there in Costa Rica, I was just like, you know what? I go, this has to be the strongest awakening for me going, ‘You better figure it out, you better just follow Christ from this day on.’ It just really made me see how short that life can be and you don’t know what is going to happen the next day, and so why not live your life to where when you’re gone, you can be like, ‘Man, I lived the best life I could possibly live. I affected people in a positive way.’

x-treme witness

Deegan, when asked about his making his faith public, told The New York Times, “In the end I said, ‘who’s more radical than us?’ Everything we do is full-on. Once we went to church, we were full-on Christians, too. And we’re going to go for it. On the mic, I’ll say it. On TV, say it. The next thing you know, I have way more people pumped on me.”
So many fans began to question what it meant to give one’s life to Christ that Brian Deegan was moved to share his faith with his fans in an interview posted on YouTube called “Faisst Pastor PJ and Deegan Gospel” part 1 and part 2.

x-treme struggle

Brian De­­agan spends a lot of time up in the air flipping motorcycles. But his life is becoming grounded in Christ. He strives to be a better person with God’s grace. “You know we had our ups and downs. We have done a lot of bad stuff and it still happens. I am still a sinner, I’ll admit it. I have my moments. I’m not happy for the things I’ve done. I feel bad the next day and I don’t want to do it again. The thing is, I am trying to become a better person, a better dad, a better husband, a better friend.

x-treme sacrifice

X-treme motocross has something in common with the real Cross. When an FMX biker, rally car racer, or any other extreme sport athlete performs, they offer every bit of themselves to their sport. Risking great injury and maybe even death, they pour it all out on the altar of that dirt track; to feed their fans hunger for a rush, and to gain their prize: the medal, respect, and money.
When such radical people come face to face with the intense, “full-on” love, giving, and selfless sacrifice that Jesus made on the cross (and we witness at Mass), they have a deep understanding of what it takes to do that. They get it, they respect it, and want to follow it.
God’s love for us, and giving that love to others, is the missing element that they were searching for but could never satisfy with an adrenaline high. Their desire to be unique is answered by Christ’s individual love for each of us. And as they continue their Christian walk, they find themselves more radical and different than ever before.

Saints and Heros

St. Joseph Cupertino

Joseph was born in 1603, to a very poor family. Joseph was prone to sickness and injury, which made him an expensive child to take care of. He was also prone to daydreaming and getting lost in his thoughts, and this made him so unreliable that he couldn’t even accomplish the simplest chores. So his mother sent him away to live with an Uncle who was a Franciscan priest. His uselessness made him unwelcome there as well, but his humility earned him another chance.
Joseph struggled with his problems and found humble tasks to do in the stable. Through his sufferings, Joseph grew closer and closer to God. Though he was a terrible student, in Seminary he was miraculously only asked questions he knew and the Bishop skipped over testing him at the final exam, so he graduated and became a priest.
Over time, the poor and sick became aware of this special, humble man and flocked to him. Rumors spread that he could heal the sick. Afraid that Joseph would become a circus act and embarrass them, his order and the Bishop tried time and again to hide him away.
No matter what, people found him and listened to him and brought their sick for healing. IOnce when the shepherds he prayed with were too busy to come to the chapel, he called the sheep and they all came and actually said “Bah” when it was time to respond to the prayers. All the while, Joseph continued to accept the ridicule and censorship put on him by his brothers.
Joseph was also known to do aerial stunts, although he didn’t use a dirtbike. When he prayed sometimes he would get so excited to talk to God that he would literally float in the air. Once some men were trying to set up a very heavy crucifix at an outdoor chapel. Joseph saw them struggling, flew over and picked up the cross that many men could not lift, and flew it to the top and set it in place for them.
Joseph lived a hard and troubled life, but was always humble and concerned for others. He was not afraid to be radically different or to embrace the cross. H­e is the patron saint of air travel and people with mental disabilities.

Mother Dolores Hart, OSB

Dolores Hicks was born to aspiring Hollywood actors, and says that she always wanted to be part of the Hollywood scene. Dolores’ childhood was marked with pain due to her parents marital troubles. She was an exceptional young girl though, and at a a very young age she was already on her way to being a movie star.
She had gone to college, and was engaged but realized that the marriage wasn’t right for her, so she broke it off.
Her biggest break came when she was cast alongside Elvis Presley in a movie. She instantly became a teen icon with the stage name Dolores Hart.
She was shooting two movies in Rome, and met the Pope. He had a profound effect on her, as did being in ROme and playing St. CLare in a movie about St. Francis. While starring in a broadway show, she began taking trips from NYC to Connecticut to visit a famous Benedictine Monastery of nuns there on her breaks. She was in love with the peace she found there. The extraordinary woman who was in charge of the abbey helped Dolores realize that her heart was longing to be more closely united to Jesus. Even though she loved movies and acting, she loved the peace and joy of being with Jesus more. So in 19…. she left it all behind and joined the convent, and has been there ever since.
Dolores has continued to reach out to fellow Hollywood stars, sharing her experience and wisdom with them. She devotes her time to giving the gift of theatre to her local community, and is currently the only nun who is a voting member forbv the Oscars®.

Bible Blurbs

“…the LORD declares, ‘… I will honor those who honor me…’”

1 Samuel 2:30

“I gave them your word, and the world hated them, because they do not belong to the world any more than I belong to the world. I do not ask that you take them out of the world but that you keep them from the evil one.”

John 17:14-16

“Every athlete exercises discipline in every way. They do it to win a perishable crown, but we an imperishable one.”

1 Corinthinans 9:25

“For the Son of Man has come to seek and save what was lost.”

Luke 19:10

Catechism Clips

1432 “The human heart is heavy and hardened. God must give man a new heart. Conversion is first of all a work of the grace of God who makes our hearts return to him…”

440 “the true apostle is on the lookout for occasions of announcing Christ…, either to unbelievers… or to the faithful.”

1229 “From the time of the apostles, becoming a Christian has been accomplished by a journey…”

1285 “…[the baptized] are… as true witnesses of Christ, more strictly obliged to spread and defend the faith by word and deed.”

Pope Quotes

“Be prepared to put your life on the line in order to enlighten the world with the truth of Christ; to respond with love to hatred and disregard for life; to proclaim the hope of the Risen Christ in every corner of the earth.”

Pope Benedict XVI,
Message for World Youth Day 2008

“…the Spirit of Fortitude and Witness… gives us the courage to live according to the Gospel and to proclaim it boldly.”

Pope Benedict XVI,
Message for World Youth Day 2008

“Those who allow themselves to be led by the Spirit understand that placing oneself at the service of the Gospel is not an optional extra, because they are aware of the urgency of transmitting this Good News to others.”

Pope Benedict XVI,
Message for World Youth Day 2008

“But you, my dear young people, do not be afraid to proclaim the Gospel of the Cross on all occasions. Do not be afraid to go against the grain!”

Pope John Paul II, April 4, 2004,
Palm Sunday Address to Youth

Virtuous Verbiage Verification

adrenaline – a stimulant chemical produced by the body to help it cope with stress or trauma. It has many effects on the body and brain, including raising the heart rate and extreme mental focus

awakening – a moment when one comes to a new understanding of things they didn’t know or care about before.

baptized (baptism) - the first sacrament of initiation into the church, when someone is accepted into the family of God, the stain of original sin is washed from their soul, and they become a Christian.

bible study – when a group of people get together and read, discuss, and learn more about the bible. Usually the people talk about how to really use what is said in the bible in their daily life.

dissent – conflict or division when one or a few members of a group of people disagree with the popular opinion or rebel against what the group thinks is normal.

faith sharing – when people discuss with each other their experience of God and their faith, and how God has touched their lives.

gnarly – beyond extreme, totally outside of what is normal or expected, even in a grotesque way, but also interesting and demanding attention.

image – a way someone portrays themself, the way someone wants others to see them.

motocross – when a witness tells their story about what they saw or experienced.

radical – extreme, beyond the normal.

raucous – loud, rough, rowdy, disturbing the public peace.

revulsion – violent feeling of disgust.

selfless – more interested in the good of others than in one’s own good.

Discussion Questions

1. Brian risked his reputation, losing his teammat­­es, alienating his fans, and ruining his career when he took his faith “public”. What are some things we might risk if we spoke up publicly about our faith? Are they as big of a risk as Brian took? Does it give you hope that in the end Brian didn’t lose anything, but actually gained support for his faith?
2. Brian and his fellow Metal Mulisha members, as well as many people involved in Xtreme Sports, often take unnecessary risks in their quest for a thrill or a rush. Is this risky behavior healthy? What are some other ways people act out this kind of risk-taking behavior? What are some healthy ways we can feed the desire for that adrenaline rush, without putting ourselves in danger?
3. Brian Deegan attributes his entrance in to dirt biking and extreme sports as a release for anger he felt when his parents divorced. Do you, or does anyone you know, engage in risky behavior out of anger? Is this a good way to handle anger? Who ends up really getting hurt if we respond this way when someone makes us angry?
4. Brian’s story, how he ignored God and faith until he was faced with death and then had a change of heart, is not uncommon. Many times people don’t see a need for faith in their lives until they come face to face with death. Is it the best thing to put God off until tragedy strikes? Wouldn’t it be smarter to have a strong faith all along? What if we put God off until later, and never get the chance to turn to God until it is too late?

Activities

1. Host your own “X-treme Believer” awards… Make a list of people you know or know of who make their faith public and aren’t afraid. They can be your priest, teachers, parents, grandparents, or even famous people. Collect the ballots, vote, and give some sort of award or certificates to the winners. You might even find a place at your church or school where you can publicly post the results.
2. If you have a facebook™ or MySapce™ account available, see if you can find a page for Brian Deegan or Metal Mulisha, and post a comment that you appreciate their openness to sharing their faith.

Journal Writing

Pick one of your favorite celebrities. Write a fictional story about what might happen to them and their career if they turned to God and spoke out about it. How would the media respond? And their fans? What kind of positive influences might they have? How would it affect you?

Debate

Split in two teams. The topic for the debate is:

Should we start believing and following Jesus now, or will there be plenty of time for that later, after we do what we feel like?

Be sure to use information from the lesson, the Bible, the Catechism of the Catholic Church, your Parish priest, and other reliable resources to back up your arguments.

Lord, make us grow in respect for your most amazing gift, the gift of life. Remind us that wherever we are at, you cherish our lives and are reaching out to us. Amen.

Tabloid socialite and TV personality Kourtney Kardashian recently made a decision that shocked Hollywood and rocked the reality TV world.  The pop media is still in a frenzy over the news.

Kourtney, who is 30, is the oldest sister on the E! network’s Keeping Up With the Kardashian’s, and recently finished a season of her own show: Kourtney and Khloe Take Miami with her sister.

Los Angeles native Kourtney Mary Kardashian is the daughter of the late Robert Kardashian, who was OJ Simpson’s famous trial lawyer. Her mom, Kris, is married to Bruce Jenner, the 1976 Decathlon Gold Medalist. Kourtney is a graduate of Marymount High School, an all-girls Catholic school in LA. She earned a degree in Theatre Arts from the University of Arizona in Tucson, in May, 2002. After that, Kourtney assisted her mom in opening several children’s clothing boutiques in New York and LA called “Smooch”.

Reality Shows

Her first stint with reality TV began in 2005 with Filthy Rich: Cattle Drive, a show that followed celebrity kids working on a Colorado cattle ranch. The premiere of Keeping Up with the Kardashian’s in 2007 featured models Kourtney, Kim, and Khloe, who were joined by the rest of their family. This includes brother Robert, Jr. also a model, and step-sisters Kendall and Kylie Jenner and their parents Kris and Bruce Jenner.

Moving to Miami, Florida, Kourtney and Khloe began shooting their own reality show Kourtney and Khloe Take Miami, which aired on August 16, 2009. But that’s not all that aired that week. Kourtney also broke the news that she was pregnant.

Reality Bites

In an exclusive interview with People Magazine, (August 12, 2009) Kourtney revealed her thoughts as she struggled with what to do next.

“I definitely thought about it long and hard, about if I wanted to keep the baby or not.”

Kardashian reflected that the “choice” of abortion is often made without a lot of thought and information:

“… I don’t think it’s talked through enough. I can’t even tell you how many people just say, ‘Oh, get an abortion.’ Like it’s not a big deal.”

She felt a lot of confusion and turmoil at this point.

“I called my best friend crying, and I was like, ‘I don’t know what to do.’ She said, ‘Call your doctor, and at least find out the risks and stuff.’”

Alternate Reality

Kourtney’s doctor suggested that she do research in order to make an informed decision.

“I looked online, and I was sitting on my bed hysterically crying, reading these stories of people who felt so guilty from having an abortion,” she recalls.

“I was reading these things of how many people are traumatized by it afterwards.”

It began to dawn on Kourtney that abortion was not a choice for her after all.

“I was just sitting there crying, thinking, ‘I can’t do that,’” she said. And I felt in my body, this is meant to be. God does things for a reason, and I just felt like it was the right thing that was happening in my life.”

“For me, all the reasons why I wouldn’t keep the baby were so selfish…”

Reality, Man…

Her boyfriend, Scott Disick, 26, came to her side to offer his support even though she had broken up with him already.

“He wanted me to talk about it more, but I just kept to myself.”

He said, ‘I really want you to keep it [the baby], but I will support you whatever you decide to do.’”

“I really wanted to think it through for myself, and not hear what my sisters were saying, or what Scott was saying,” Kourtney explained.

“Even though I took it all in, I wanted it to be my decision.”

But the advice her doctor had given Kourtney at that first visit stayed with her.

“My doctor told me there is nothing you will ever regret about having the baby, but he was like, ‘You may regret not having the baby.’”

“And I was like: ‘That is SO true.’”

“And it just hit me. I got so excited, and when I told Scott, he was so excited.”

When asked about future plans for marriage to Disick, Kardashian said,

“We talk about marriage all the time.”

Then she adds:

“I just feel like there is so much to do… We should do everything for the baby right now and I’ll worry about myself later.”

Harsh Reality

Perhaps the most convincing information about the effects of abortion comes from those who know first hand what an abortion can do to both a mother and her baby. Some women who have had an abortion write their testimonies, the stories of their sufferings, and post them on web sites such as silentnomore.org , afterabortion.org , or abortionfacts.com . These post-abortive women hope others read the testimonies and learn from them, and might be spared the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual suffering they experienced after their abortion.

Dr. Alveda King, Director of the African American Outreach at Priests for Life and niece of the late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., applauded Kardashian’s decision. In a LifeNews.com interview Dr. King said,

“I am a member of the Silent No More Awareness Campaign, which posts the largest collection of such testimonies on the internet precisely for the purpose of exposing the truth about abortion.”

In another interview Dr. King said:

“Kourtney’s testimony is so encouraging. She found messages from post-abortive women like myself on the Internet.”

It takes a courageous woman to give a testimony of the painful results of choosing abortion, as Dr. Alveda King knows. But saving a child’s life makes it worth the pain.

Reality Check

The flashy, anything-goes lifestyle of reality TV star Kourtney Kardashian and the decision she made proves a very important point. Anyone, no matter who they are, no matter how they live, no matter what they do, can find the truth by seeking it with an open heart.

Kourtney didn’t want opinions. She began to ask real questions about abortion. What will it do to me? What will it do to my child? Before she made up her mind, she gave herself the chance to really check things out. Asking was the most important thing in the life of her unborn child. It saved his/her life.

Kourtney Kadashian’s current lifestyle may not change much right away. She is still the glitzy socialite chic with a TV camera covering her every move.

But who knows what questions she may ask in the future? One thing is for sure. If she asks God for His help, she is sure to get it.

Reality Babe–y

Kourtney Kardashian soul-searched until she found the courage and determination to accept new life.

“This baby was unexpected, but it’s 100 percent still a blessing,” says Kardashian. (8/26/09 from TransWorldNews)

Her choice of love over selfishness was a life and death decision. True love makes sacrifices.

Regardless of her career, or what others would think about her decision, regardless of what might happen to her in the future, Kourtney chose the life of her baby over her own needs.

For her, it was selfishness to do anything less.

Kourtney’s baby is due around Christmas. We pray she will continue to hear the voice of God.

Bible Blurbs

“Can a mother forget her infant, be without tenderness for the child of her womb? Even should she forget, I will never forget you.”

Isaiah 49:15

“Children, too, are a gift from the LORD, the fruit of the womb, a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children born in one’s youth.”

Psalm 127: 3-5

“You formed my inmost being; you knit me in my mother’s womb… My very self you knew; my bones were not hidden from you, When I was being made in secret, fashioned as in the depths of the earth… my days were shaped, before one came to be.”

Psalm 139:13-16

For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy.

Luke 1:44

CLICK HERE to read and search the entire bible, ONLINE!

Catechism Clips

1738: “….Every human person, created in the image of God, has the natural right to be recognized as a free and responsible being. All owe to each other this duty of respect…”

1931: “Respect for the human person proceeds by way of respect for the principle that “everyone should look upon his neighbor (without any exception) as ‘another self,’…”

2227: “Children in turn contribute to the growth in holiness of their parents.”

2271: Since the first century the Church has affirmed the moral evil of every procured abortion. This teaching has not changed and remains unchangeable…

2323: Because it should be treated as a person from conception, the embryo must be defended in its integrity, cared for, and healed like every other human being.

Ever wonder what the church REALLY says about something? Ever hear people talking about what Cathoics believe and think, “That doesn’t sound right?” CLICK HERE and check it out for yourself!

Pope Quotes

“How bitter the irony of those who promote abortion as a form of ‘maternal’ healthcare! How disconcerting the claim that the termination of life is a matter of reproductive health!”

Pope Benedict XVI, Angola, March 23, 2009

“… we ask Mary, Mother of the incarnate Word and our Mother, to protect every earthly mother: those …together with their husbands, …and those that, for so many reasons, find themselves alone in facing such an arduous task.”

Pope Benedict XVI, Sept 7, 2008

“Selfishness and fear are at the root of (pro-abortion) legislation. We in the Church have a great struggle to defend life… The Church says life is beautiful, it is not something to doubt, but it is a gift even when it is lived in difficult circumstances. It is always a gift.”

May 9, 2007

“Children are the major richness and the most precious good of a family.”

Pope Benedict XVI, Dec. 3. 2005

“…This unique contact (of a mother) with the new human being developing within her gives rise to an attitude toward human beings – not only toward her own child, but every human being – which profoundly marks the woman’s personality.”

The Gospel of Life, Pope John Paul II

CLICK HERE to see all the Pope’s writings! You might be surprised at what they have to say!

Saints & Heroes

Found his faith, lost his head

Blessed Franz Jägerstätter

Lived in Austria
May 1907 – August 1943

Franz was born shortly before World War I. His parents were not married, and his early years were spent living with his grandmother. When he was 9, his father was killed in the war. His mother then married his step father, who adopted him and gave him his last name.
As Franz got older, he became a bit wild and liked to party. He got a girl pregnant and had a daughter. A few years later, he met Franziska Schwaninger, who was from a nearby village. He fell in love with her and the two were married. They decided to go to Rome for there honeymoon. Something happened to Franz during this time. His heart began to feel drawn to God and his Catholic faith.
Franz and Franziska had three daughters. He became very involved at his church, eventually being made responsible for taking care of the church property and things, and setting up for Masses and ceremonies. Franz became a Third Order Franciscan, meaning he was a lay married man who had a normal job and family, but did his best to live a life like St Francis and his Friars.
During this time Hitler and the Nazi Party was in full power. The Anschluss began, as Germany started taking over their neighboring countries. In Austria, people voted to make Austria part of the Third Reich without a fight rather than be taken by force. Most Austrians knew if they voted no, they might be arrested, beaten or even killed. In his village, Franz was the only one to vote “no”.

Once Austria joined the Third Reich, the Nazis began forcing Austrian men to serve in the German Army. Franz knew that the Nazi ideals were in direct opposition to his faith. He knew it was wrong to take a persons freedom and dignity away. He also knew of the violence with which the Nazis treated those who disagreed with them, and how they treated Jews. He decided that as a Catholic, he could not fight for such a government.
His priest, bishop, and friends all encouraged Franz to go along with the Nazis, because they were concerned about his wife and children being left fatherless. But Franz had already lived part of his life ignoring his conscience, and decided he could not do that any longer. Even if he was going to be the only one, he would not compromise his morals or beliefs.
He refused to report for duty and was arrested and given a military trial. After he was convicted Franz was beheaded on a guillotine on August 9, 1943.
No one, except maybe his wife, knows exactly what caused Franz to abandon his former rowdy lifestyle and embrace his faith. In a time in his life when he was far from God, he heard and turned his life around. And as the darkness of fascism swept up everyone around him, he managed to hold on to the light of Faith. Franz made the supreme sacrifice of love for life and freedom. He was named Blessed by Pope Benedict XVI on October 26, 2007, and is on his way to being canonized as a saint.

True pioneer of women’s rights

Dorothy Day

Lived in New York
Nov. 1897 – Nov. 1980

Dorothy was born on November 8 in Brooklyn, NY. She ended up living in Greenwich Village in the heart of the roaring 1920’s. This period of time saw many advances in technology, economic boom, the rise of communism, and a subculture of speak-easy bars opposing Prohibition. For many people, this all led to a sense of contempt for authority and traditional morals. It was against this back drop that Dorothy began pursuing her passionate career as a journalist.
As the 20’s came to a crashing end in the Great Depression, she wrote about controversial topics, such as women’s rights, birth control, and socialism. But while her political views seemed razor sharp, her personal life was a bit hazy.
Dorothy lived a loose lifestyle, having two “common law marriages”. Tragically, she ended her first pregnancy with an illegal abortion because she didn’t want to give up her career or lifestyle. When she found out she was pregnant a second time, she retreated to a beach house in a secluded vacation spot in Staten Island, NY. Here she gave birth to her only child: a daughter named Tamar. The experience of being a mother, especially after suffering the effects of abortion and years of promoting birth control, caused her to call in to question her previous thoughts about God, herself, and society. Dorothy returned to New York City a different person.
She became piously devoted to the Catholic faith, in which she found the answers to many of the social problems that concerned her. She renounced her previous lifestyle and the selfishness that went with it. She decided to live “voluntary poverty,” serving the poor, living with the poor, and being poor herself.
She started a newspaper where she wrote openly about the plight of the poor and criticized those who took advantage of them. She opened houses for homeless, and even took in the mentally ill. She helped workers protest for fair treatment. In a time when it was nearly impossible for the less fortunate to find help, but Dorothy was there with what little she had.
Dorothy also denounced the sexual revolution of the 1960’s. She said she had seen the damage that “free love” behavior could do first hand. Many people like Dorothy decided to make working for social justice more important than authentic faith. But Dorothy always held fast to Catholic teaching. The reason she did what she did was the person of Jesus Christ, and she followed and served him faithfully right where she found him present, the Catholic Church.­
The Servant of God Dorothy Day died on November 29, 1980.
While her life does not follow the path one commonly associates with sainthood, Dorothy heard the voice of God in the midst of darkness and responded with abandon. Pope John Paul II opened investigation for her cause to be canonized a saint.

Virtuous Verbiage Verification

abortion – ending the life of a human being in the womb at any stage of development.
(The medical term Spontaneous Abortion refers to a miscarriage, which can sadly occur naturally and is not the result of a human action. A Procured Abortion is when the baby’s life is ended whether directly, or as a result of some other medical procedure and is immoral.)
choice – the act of selecting one of two or more options.
(In the context of Life issues, the word choice is often used incorrectly. First, an alarming number of women who have abortions state that they feel they have no other “choice”. Second, in moral situations, if someone knows something is wrong, it isn’t really a choice. But pro-abortion activists know that by labeling it a choice, they make it politically incorrect to tell a woman that abortion is not a moral option.)
compromise – when 2 sides of an argument come to an agreement by giving up something.
(Compromise can be good, unless the thing one gives up is their morals, beliefs or conscience.)
decision – something someone has made up their mind about and is committed and resolved about.
guilt(guilty) – 1) the acknowledgement that one has done something wrong. 2) feelings of remorse or sorrow for something one has done
(Guilt can be good if it leads us to repent and change. But guilt is a serious problem if we punish ourselves with these feelings to the point of despair and neglect of God’s mercy.)
post-abortive – a term used to describe the psychological, emotional and spiritual state of a woman who has experienced the tragedy of abortion.
(PAS (Post Abortive Syndrome), or PASS (Post Abortive Stress Syndrome) is a term used to describe the symptoms of this condition, which is very similar to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. However, the American Psychological Association refuses to accept it regardless of the number of women reported to be suffering from it.)
regret- sadness or disappointment, usually related to some past thing done or left undone
sacrifice – accepting suffering or discomfort for the sake of some good thing, for self or especially others
selfish(ness) – a sin of pride, which consists of holding one’s own wants and needs as being most important, above any other
testimony(ies) – when a witness tells their story about what they saw or experienced
Third Order – someone, usually a married person, who does not actually join a religious order, but lives their life following the teachings and rules of that religious community as best they can in their current state of life.
turmoil – intense stress or suffering, usually leading to chaos or disorder

Discussion Questions

The APA, which governs the practice of psychology in the USA, refuses to accept Post Abortive Stress Syndrome (PASS or PAS for short) as a form of post traumatic stress disorder. Even though tens of thousands of women report suffering the symptoms after having an abortion, the APA insists that abortion doesn’t have a side effect on women.

• Why do you think this is?
• What reasons might they have for not wanting to acknowledge this syndrome?
• Should post abortive women be able to pay for treatment with health insurance?

1. Kourtney mentions that she can keep her baby because she is well off and can afford it.

   • Do you think the poor or less fortunate are limited in their actual “choice” because they can’t financially support their babies?
   • Is that fair or just?
   • What can or should be done about it?

2. Margaret Sanger, founder of Planned Parenthood International, said, “We don’t want the word to go out that we want to exterminate the Negro population.” Dr. Alveda King reaches out to African-American women because she doesn’t believe they are presented alternatives to abortion equal to other social groups.

   • Is it possible that race is a factor in how and where abortion is marketed and made available?
   • Obviously, not every abortion supporter thinks like Sanger, but could Planned Parenthood’s agenda be tainted by her ideas?
   • Should society work to make sure all women and babies are cared for and provided for equally?

3. The Kardashian sisters have not behaved like very good role models. Their provocative style of dress, sexually loose lifestyle, and often selfish and destructive behavior, seem to make them an example of what NOT to do.

   • Can people who are far from God’s plan do really good things? How?
   • Do you think Kourtney is responsible for this change herself, or is it a grace from God?
   • Ca­­n God reach us, and can we hear Him, even if we aren’t listening?

Journal Writing

Write about the time when it was hardest for you to do the right thing. Try and remember what you were feeling and what influenced your decision. Write about the people who either helped or hindered you from doing the right thing. Then, include a paragraph or two about wha­­t you might do differently or what you might do exactly the same if you were in that situation again.

Activities

1. One reason Kourtney’s decision is so shocking is the sacrifice she is willing to make for her baby. People who live surrounded by glamour and comfort often find it hard to sacrifice for others. Make a list of the people who have made sacrifices for you. Pick a way to thank them: with a card, a call, a text, or in person.
2. With your teacher or parents permission, visit some of the websites mentioned in this article. Read some of the stories presented by women like Dr. Alveda King; the stories that so deeply moved Kourtney. Make sure to pray for those women, and all women faced with the “choice” of abortion.

Debate

Split in two teams. The topic for the debate is:
“Can a baby ever be an accident or a mistake?”
Be sure to use information from the lesson, the Bible, the Catechism of the Catholic Church, your Parish priest, and other reliable resources to back up your arguments.
Remember, the point is to find the truth, not just to win!

It was an exciting moment. Carrie Prejean’s turn had arrived to answer a question from a judge during the final round of the Miss USA pageant. When the question came, Carrie’s stomach turned. The judge wanted to know what she, as the reigning Miss California and the potential Miss USA, thought about “gay marriage.” She knew what the man wanted to hear. But she also knew what she truly believed.

Carrie wondered: should she give the popular answer or speak her conscience? She quickly prayed for guidance.

We’ll get to her answer — and its aftermath — in a minute. But first, let’s take a quick look at Carrie’s life leading up to the Miss USA pageant. That will help us zero in on the point of this lesson: True marriage is worth defending … even when it costs you dearly.

Young love

Carrie Prejean was a shy child but, in high school, she became a four-sport athlete. Her softball team won a national championship. Then, encouraged by her parents, she joined a youth group at her evangelical Protestant church. She found that she loved to learn more about God, his love for her and his love for everyone. This knowledge became a source of deep joy for her.

Her parents and her church also taught her that her faith and her values would be challenged in the world today. She made a personal commitment to Christ and to her Christian values, prepared to deal with the challenges this commitment would bring.

You really think I’m pretty?

When Carrie was 17, some people began insisting that she enter beauty pageants. “I didn’t even know what a pageant was,” she told the press recently. But Carrie had always liked challenges and trying new things. The idea that she could be competitive in a beauty contest stirred her imagination.

Going for it

Carrie isn’t exaggerating when she describes herself as someone who can be very enthusiastic once she decides on a goal. She got the name of a woman who helps organize beauty pageants and called her. When the woman met Carrie, she seemed impressed. She explained the basics of the pageant and gave Carrie some information to look over and some forms to fill out. So it was that, at 17, Carrie entered her first beauty contest … and won!

College!

In college, Carrie continued participating in beauty pageants. She spent her freshman year at a state school, but after prayer and discernment decided that she wanted to attend a Christian college. She transferred to San Diego Christian College, a school known for promoting a strong faith life.

Carrie greatly enjoyed her new school. She saw the environment of faith and intellectual challenge as an opportunity to prepare for the future: She wanted to be a Christian leader. She wanted to help bring Christ to others and make a difference in the world. Most of all, she wanted people to know the deep sense of satisfaction she had found through a personal and prayerful relationship with Jesus.

Reaching out

Besides her studies and her beauty pageant preparations, Carrie also got involved in outreach programs to the handicapped and the hurting. She took part in a ministry to women exploited by prostitution and pornography.

Beauty strategy

During this time, Carrie’s attitude toward beauty pageants was, “Just be joyful and be myself. Be happy with who I am and try to show kindness to everyone else.” It worked. Her successes mounted with each contest. This past November Carrie won the Miss California USA pageant. She was also voted Miss Congeniality by her fellow contestants.

Prepping

Winning the Miss California USA title was exciting in itself, but it also qualified her for the Miss USA pageant. She decided to take a semester off from school to prepare for the pageant. She worked out, followed a demanding diet and studied many of the topics she might be asked about.

The Miss USA pageant took place in Las Vegas over a two-week period. Only the last day of the pageant, April 19, was shown on national television. Which brings us back to the question that changed her life.

Facing Down Fear

As the telecast began, the host named 15 finalists. Several rounds of competition followed until only five girls remained. For the final round, each finalist would have to answer a question from a celebrity judge. The girls picked judges’ numbers from a bottle and Carrie ended up with Judge No. 8 — Perez Hilton.

This man’s real name is Mario Armando Lavandeira. He is famous for his abrasive personality and insulting commentaries on TV and the Internet. He is also famous for promoting changing the definition of marriage so gay couples can get “married.”

“Vermont recently became the fourth state to legalize same-sex marriage,” said Mr. Hilton. “Do you think every state should follow suit? Why or why not?”

This was a loaded question. Perez Hilton was setting Carrie up to either cave in to popular pressure or make a fool of herself in front of millions of people.

Or so he thought.

At first, Carrie tried to soft-pedal her beliefs. “I think it’s great that Americans are able to choose one or the other,” she said. “We live in a land where you can choose same-sex marriage or opposite marriage.”

But as she spoke these words, she heard a still, small voice speaking to her heart. Which crown did she want more — the Miss USA crown or the crown Christ wanted to give her?

She interrupted herself in mid-thought. “And you know what?” she said. “I think that in my country, and in my family, I think that I believe that a marriage should be between a man and a woman — no offense to anybody out there — but that’s how I was raised and … I think that it should be between a man and a woman.”

Media Firestorm

As Carrie spoke these words, an immediate reaction rose from the audience. Most people applauded, encouraged by Carrie’s bravery and honesty, but there were also some boos. You probably already know that Carrie lost the contest.

Afterward, a famous television reporter asked her about Perez Hilton’s question. Carrie was surprised that such a famous reporter would want to talk to the runner-up rather than the winner. In her mind, what happened to her was simply a side story. She soon began to find out that this was not just a side story. It had already become national news.

Digging up dirt

In May, a celebrity-gossip blog ran a photo of Carrie partially undressed. Her back was to the camera, and the image was not especially racy by today’s standards, but the organizers of the Miss California pageant announced that they were investigating. Carrie, they said, might have her Miss California title taken from her.

Speaking in her own defense, Carrie stated that she had posed for the shot when she was 17 and pursuing a career as a model. She objected to the release of the photo.

“I am a Christian, and I am a model,” she said. “Models pose for pictures, including lingerie and swimwear photos. Recently, photos taken of me as a teenager have been released surreptitiously to a tabloid Web site that openly mocks me for my Christian faith. I am not perfect, and I will never claim to be.”

She has also pointed out that she was “naive and young” at the time of the photography and regrets having made the decision to pose for that particular shoot. Maggie Gallagher, head of the National Organization for Marriage — which works to keep marriage between one man and one woman — spoke out in Carrie’s defense. “You don’t have to be a perfect person,” said Gallagher, “to have the right to stand up for marriage.”

“You’re fired!”

The media circus followed Carrie around for weeks. Then, on June 10, the final ax fell. Carrie was stripped of her Miss California crown. This was the title that had gotten her into the Miss USA pageant to begin with.The organizers of the Miss California pageant claimed Carrie had not been cooperative in carrying out her duties. Carrie disputed that claim.

“They don’t agree with the stance that I took [on gay marriage],” she said. “They don’t like me. From Day One they wanted me out, and they got what they wanted. … I was very respectful of people even when they slandered me and humiliated me,” she added. “I have not once stooped down to their level.”

With these words, and with her acceptance of embarrassing defeat, Carrie showed the world what Christian forgiveness looks like.

A Crown lost, a crown gained

Carrie may have been stripped of her crown as Miss California, but she certainly can stand tall. She has been given a crown of courage, even if many mock her and call her a hypocrite. She has stood up for marriage at a time when it is extremely important to do so.

Marriage really matters. It matters for all of society. Carrie has done her small part to witness to the beauty and truth of marriage.

Battles ahead

What does Carrie Prejean’s future hold? That remains to be seen. She still has many choices ahead of her.

One thing is for certain: The battle for the truth about marriage will continue. Legal experts foresee a very heated and difficult battle, because, with the approval of gay “marriage” in many states, the Christian view of marriage may be considered bigoted “hate speech” by government.

We Catholics, too, will be called on to defend marriage. Will we have the courage to stand firm as Carrie Prejean did — even when it means losing something we have worked hard for? When we experience loss, we can remember that nothing is truly lost when we stand up for truth.

On the contrary, we help others. Let us continue to speak the truth with love. Christ will give us our crown, and we will know the happiness of having helped others with our lives.

Bible Blurbs

“God created man in his image; …male and female he created them. God blessed them, saying: ‘Be fertile and multiply’…”

Genesis 1:27-28

That is why a man leaves his father and mother and clings to his wife, and the two of them become one body.

Genesis 2:24

“…for I will honor those who honor me…”

1 Samuel 2:30

Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 5:10

Catechism Clips

372: Man and woman were made “for each other” – not that God left them half-made and incomplete: he created them to be a communion of persons… for they are …complementary as masculine and feminine.

2202: A man and a woman united in marriage, together with their children, form a family. This institution is prior to any recognition by public authority, which has an obligation to recognize it.

1778: In all he says and does, man is obliged to follow faithfully what he knows to be just and right.

2333: Physical, moral, and spiritual difference and complementarity are oriented toward the goods of marriage and the flourishing of family life.

2360: Sexuality is ordered to the conjugal love of man and woman.

Pope Quotes:

“… the need to avoid confusing marriage with other types of unions based on weak love is especially urgent. It is only the rock of total irrevocable love between a man and a woman that can serve as the foundation on which to build… a home for all mankind.

(May 11, 2006)

Marriage is engraved in the human being himself… man leaves his parents and is united to a woman in order to form only one flesh, so that the two may be a single existence.

(April 6, 2006: Meeting with young people)

The sexual difference that distinguishes the male from the female body is not a mere biological factor… man and woman, by becoming one flesh, can achieve authentic communion… and cooperate with God in the procreation of new human beings.

(May 11, 2006)

Thus, …marriage is not an invention of the Church: it is really created right in the moment that man is created, as a fruit of the dynamism of love in which the man and the woman find themselves and thus also find the Creator who called them to love.

(April 6, 2006: Meeting with young people)

Today the various forms of the erosion of marriage, such as free unions and “trial marriage” and even pseudo-marriages between people of the same sex… makes the body despicable, placing it… outside the person’s authentic being and dignity.

(June 6, 2006)

Saints & Heroes

Defended marriage, ‘til death did him part…!

Blessed Peter To Rot (1912-1945)

Peter, the son of a tribal chief, was one of the first of his tribe to become Christian. His family was from Papua New Guinea, in the South Pacific. He was always very smart, and was always a leader, both in school, and at sports.

When he got older, he was sent to school to become a catechist and teacher. He worked to teach and defend the Catholic faith. He later got married and became the father of three children.

In 1942, during World War II, the Japanese invaded New Guinea and imprisoned all of the missionaries who had been working there. Peter brought food to them in the prison camps.

In 1945 all religious activity was prohibited, but Peter continued to fulfill his duties in secret, including teaching, bringing people the sacraments, and hiding the Eucharist in a cave.

The Japanese decided they could win support of the local people by making it once again legal for a man to marry more than one woman. This had been outlawed when Christianity spread there. Peter openly and publicly opposed this legalization of polygamy.

One of his fellow villagers, a man who spied for the Japanese, wanted to take another man’s wife for his own. Peter went to the man’s house and reminded him that marriage was a sacred union that he could not destroy. The man listened to Peter, but became bitter and looked for ways to trap Peter and hand him over to the Japanese. Not long after, the man found out Peter had celebrated a Catholic wedding with two couples. The man had him arrested for breaking the laws about religious practice.

After several months in a prison and a concentration camp, he was murdered by two military guards who hated the Catholic faith. They injected him with a terrible drug and he died a vicious death.

He had told people he was prepared to die for his faith and his people, and so he did. And he became the first native from the South Pacific to approach canonization.

Her body crushed, but her faith stronger than stone…

St. Margaret Clitherow(1556-1586)

In the sixteenth century, King Henry the VIII of England wanted a son very badly. In order to have one, he divorced one wife, had another beheaded, and separated the Church of England from the Catholic Church because the Pope would not approve.

Following this, there were violent persecutions of Catholics, people who chose their loyalty to God and the church over the king, and who were willing to stand up and say the king could not simply dismiss the bonds of a sacred marriage.

Margaret was 15 when she married John Clitherow, a butcher. She had three children, and became a Catholic at 18. Her husband approved of her conversion, even though it could be dangerous.

Margaret became a friend to the Catholics of northern England. She even hosted secret masses in her home. She cut a secret escape hatch from her attic to the neighbors house, so priests and nuns could escape if soldiers raided her house.

Her love of her faith inspired her son to become a priest. He had to leave the country because it was illegal to be a Catholic priest there.

Eventually, Margaret was discovered and arrested, charged with harboring Catholic priests. She knew that if there was a trial, her children would be brought in to court, tortured, and forced to testify against their mother. Margaret also knew that if she refused to plea guilty or not guilty, she would be immediately executed, but her family would be spared a torturous trial. So she refused to plea.

She was sentenced to be crushed to death. Even her executioners were so moved that they could not kill her themselves, so they paid a few desperate beggars to do it for them. They placed a sharp stone behind her back, laid a wooden door on top of her, and piled rocks on the door until she was dead.

Margaret believed in the sanctity of marriage, and that no political pressure could sway her faith in God and love for his church.

Virtuous Verbiage Verification:

bigoted: utterly intolerant of any creed, belief, or opinion that differs from one’s own.

conscience: one’s best judgment, in a given situation, on what is right or wrong. It is our duty to “form” our conscience – this means to learn what is objectively right from wrong, so we can make the right choices.

discernment: a process in which one prays and listens to the Holy Spirit, in order to figure out what the will of God is.

enthusiastic: having or showing great excitement, motivation, and interest

happy/happiness: the sense of contentment, fulfillment, and being satisfied. We become “more” happy as we get closer to God, and we will only be completely happy with Him forever in Heaven.

marriage: the vocation (or life-calling) from God, to one man and one woman, empowered by grace through the sacrament of matrimony, to become united to each other physically, spiritually, and emotionally. This bond is permanent (until death), and it is exclusive (they only unite with each other, never with anyone else). The fruit of a true marriage is openness to children, through which a man and woman participate in the very life and love of God.

naive: inexperienced, simple-minded, lacking the knowledge that one learns from experience, gullible

right: 1) good, just, correct 2) a privilege one naturally deserves or is guaranteed by a government: “the right to life”, “inalienable rights…”, “the right to remain silent…”

slandered: defamed, had one’s reputation ruined by another’s false claims or accusations

surreptitiously: with sneaky and secret plans, especially related to an attack or a trap

Discussion questions:

1. What does it mean to be “tolerant” of others? Did Carrie Prejean say anything that was “intolerant” of others? Were Perez Hilton and the officials of the Miss USA/Miss California Pageants tolerant of Carrie’s religious beliefs? Does being tolerant require that you change your beliefs? Is it possible to “accept” a person without accepting their beliefs?
2. Does the Catholic church define marriage for one man and one woman because it hates homosexuals and wants to punish them for not “fitting in”? Or is the Church really looking out for what is best for ALL men and women?
3. Since God designed marriage to be “life-giving” and “procreative,” is it ok for a man and woman who are married to refuse to be open to having children, even if they are totally capable of doing so?

Journal Writing:

• Make a list of some of the things you believe in the most and feel the strongest about… the kind of things you would be willing to stand up for no matter what. Write about why you believe in those things, and if you think they mean enough to you that you would sacrifice your dreams or goals for what you believe in like Carrie did.
• Imagine you have a friend who lives in a country where there is no freedom of speech or religion, a place where this friend could be arrested for simply stating what he/she believes. write a letter to this friend and encourage them to hold on to their beliefs.

Debate:

Divide in two teams. The debate topic is “Does a government have the right to define marriage without taking into account the religious beliefs of the majority of its people? Is this a matter of separating church and state? Or is this a matter of government taking away some freedoms of religion and speech?”

Activity:

Write letters of support to Carrie Prejean. Offer her encouragement for the many more choices she will have to face as she continues to grow. Find out how to send them to her, or send them to us at O.F.I.A. and we will send them to her.

When the news broke last month that the captain of an American cargo ship had been captured by pirates, it is likely that many people didn’t realize how dangerous and terrifying that really was.

Johnny Depp as Capt. Jack Sparrow. CNS photo from Walt Disney.

Arrr… Danger ahoy!

From Peter Pan to the Pirates of the Caribbean, everyone loves a good pirate story. But real pirates aren’t silly swashbucklers like the romanticized treasure hunters we know from movies and books.

On Wednesday, April 8, 2009, four ordinary-looking Somali fisherman, all less than 20 years old, used grappling hooks and rope ladders to board the merchant vessel ship Maersk Alabama. Armed with AK-47 assault rifles, they were seeking to take control of the ship and its crew at gunpoint.

Some armed Somali pirates. US Navy photo - Public Domain.

The ship was off the coast of Somalia, carrying medical supplies and food destined for refugee camps. Some of these things belonged to Catholic Relief Services.

Violence breeds violence

Somalia is probably best remembered from the movie Black Hawk Down. Recently, however, this north-east African country has been in the news for many of these types of pirate attacks.

Years of civil war and unrest have left the country very poor, and so many people there turn to violent means of providing for themselves and their families.

A Map of Somalia

Somalia has hundreds of miles of coastline along very busy shipping lanes in the Indian Ocean. Ships here are an easy target for these pirates. Sometimes the pirates are interested in stealing the cargo on the ships. However, most of the time they are looking to get ransom money.

Walking the plank

When they learned that there were pirates on board, the crew went below deck and locked themselves in safe rooms. They had managed to capture one pirate. Only the captain and one other crew member stayed on deck to negotiate with the pirates. What happened next is what makes this particular story very different from the other cases of piracy in the news lately.

The captain of this ship, Captain Richard Phillips, was so concerned about the safety of his crew that he did something unthinkable… He asked the pirates to take him as their prisoner, and in return let his crew take the ship and go free. Once the ship and crew were at a safe distance, they would exchange Captain Phillips for the captured pirate.

The lifeboat on a crane. US Navy photo, Public Domain.

Tide turns against him

The three armed pirates liked the idea. Capt. Phillips led them to one of the ships small lifeboats, climbed in it, and had it lowered into the water. Captain Phillips was in close quarters with the men who could easily have killed him at any moment. He showed them how to operate the boat. And then the plan went horribly wrong.

The crew of the Alabama, as they had agreed, brought out the injured pirate for the trade. But now that the pirates had their friend, they didn’t release their prisoner. They kept Capt. Phillips as a hostage, and were holding him for ransom.

For five days these bandits held him under constant guard. There was water and food, but there were no bathrooms or showers. It was unbearably hot in the enclosed lifeboat; so much so that Capt. Phillips said he dreaded the sun coming up in the morning. The captain and his captors sat, waiting. The pirates weren’t sleeping and were becoming agitated.

Real Navy aerial surveillance photo. US Navy photo, Public Domain.

At one point, Capt. Phillips even tried to escape. He pushed one of the pirates guarding him overboard, and dove in the water and swam away. He swam towards a US Navy ship, the USS Bainbridge, that was following them. But it was nearly a half mile away. Before long, he was caught again; only now the pirates were very angry with him.

Real Navy aerial surveillance photo. USS Bainbridge keeps watch (above) over Capt. Phillips in the lifeboat (below). Public Domain.

Is Davey Jones comin’?

By this point, the outcome didn’t look too bright for Captain Phillips. “It was just settling everything. Getting ready to die and just settling everything. You know, saying my last thoughts. Andrea, the kids.” He no longer believed he would leave that boat alive. He wondered why the pirates were dragging things out when he was certain they would kill him in the end anyway.

He had known when he went with them that there was a chance he would die. But he had been willing to take that chance freely, to spare his crew. Now, faced with what seemed certain death, he was at peace with his decision.

Mrs. Phillips tries to stay strong as she holds a picture of her husband. (AP Photo/Toby Talbot)

Watching and waiting

Thousands of miles away, in a tiny town in Vermont, the Phillips family was experiencing the turmoil of wondering what was happening to their husband and father. “We did not know what Richard was enduring while being held hostage on the lifeboat, and that was really the hardest part… the wondering,” said Mrs. Andrea Phillips.

Fr. Danielson interviewed at St. Thomas Church. (Photo: Daria Bishop - dariabishop.com)

Mariah, the captain’s 19 year old daughter, expressed the shock of learning that this had actually happened to her family: “This is something that happens to other people. Obviously, I am other people.”

They received visits from Fr. Danielson, their parish priest, who prayed with them and told them not to lose hope.

Captain Phillips was unaware that there were other forces at work in his story. There was prayer power gathering and there was planning by the US Navy.

Living the mystery

Jim Caviezel as Jesus in the movie The Passion of the Christ. (CNS Photo)

These events came about at a very appropriate time of year. The day Capt. Phillips was captured was the Wednesday of Holy Week. The time he made his escape attempt was probably around the time we remember Jesus’ agony in the garden.

On Easter Sunday morning, Fr. Danielson told the Phillips’ friends and neighbors that they should pray more intensely for Capt. Phillips. Father said he believed Capt. Phillips’ story would serve as an example; just like Christ Jesus’ suffering led to His Resurrection, once again God and His goodness would triumph over evil in the end.

Members of USS Bainbridge's Visit, Board, Search and Seizure team. (US Navy Photo: Public Domain)

A Storm breaks loose

Later in the evening on Easter Sunday, things became extremely tense on the little life boat. One of the pirates had gone aboard the USS Bainbridge for medical treatment, and to try and arrange the ransom payment. When the other three pirates hadn’t heard from him in a while, they got restless.

They climbed out of the hatch of the life boat in plain view, and began firing warning shots in the air. The Bainbridge and the lifeboat were both moving, and the waves were bouncing them up and down in the darkness.

2 US Navy SEAL's. (US Navy photo, Public Domain)

Capt. Phillips had no idea what was going on. As he heard the shots, he dove to the deck and got as low as he could. He thought perhaps the pirates were fighting against each other. Or perhaps they were getting ready to kill him.

Salvation is from the SEAL’s

US Navy SEAL snipers took advantage of the opportunity, firing one perfect shot at each pirate. After what felt like a long time, but was only a few seconds later, Capt. Phillips heard the beautiful sound of a US Navy SEAL’s voice, asking him if he was alright. He was saved.

Daniel, Mariah and Andrea Phillips smile with joy and relief as they relay the good news at a press conference. (AP Photo, Toby Talbot)

Capt. Phillips hugs and kisses his wife Andrea after being reunited with her at the airport. CNS photo/Herb Swanson, Reuters.

“Hi, Honey…”

A short time later, back at home, Mrs. Phillips, their daughter Mariah, their son Daniel, and their whole family were relieved and elated to hear Captain Phillips himself, on the phone, telling them he was safe.

Mariah said, “You never know how strong your family can be when something like this happens.”

In a statement about how they survived the emotional torture of the five day ordeal, Mrs. Phillips said, “My family and closest friends held onto our faith knowing that Richard would come home.”

Capt. Phillips made the cover of People magazine.

The town made a welcome home sign. (Photo by Daria Bishop - dariabishop.com)

“I need a hero…”

What makes Captain Phillips a hero? Is it in conquering or strength? No. Like Jesus, his willingness to surrenderhimself as a prisoner, to suffer, and accept even death is where we find his true heroism.

Captain Richard Phillips is an example of love and respect for life. The lives of his shipmates meant so much to him, that he would offer up his own to save them. This is the ultimate sign of love and sacrifice. Whether he realized it at the time or not, Capt. Phillips was imitating Jesus Christ, at the very time when Jesus made the sacrifice that saves us all. He willingly offered himself to save others. He spent a few days in a little “tomb-like” capsule, and on Easter Sunday he got to taste a little bit of Jesus’ Easter victory.

Capt. Phillips is welcomed home by his wife Andrea, daughter Mariah, son Daniel, and mother Ginny. (CNS photo/Herb Swanson, Reuters.)

Just doing his job

Captain Phillips does not consider himself a hero. For him, what he did was just part of his job. He had accepted the job as a captain, and that meant putting the safety of his crew above his own. Yet there is something we admire about this attitude. When we see his example, we know we have met a real man, a man who puts others first.

True manhood is about service and sacrifice. These are qualities we also admire in so many women, especially our own moms (Happy Mother’s Day to all our moms!), but there is something we typically think of as particularly masculine about the willingness to face danger and take a huge risk for others. Men were designed by God to be protectors. They are called to protect their family and protect their communities. They are designed by God to overcome the fear of danger, because sometimes real life is dangerous. Sometimes risk is necessary for really important things.

Daniel Phillips follows as Mariah Phillips holds tightly to her father. (AP Photo/The Burlington Free Press, Alison Redlich)

Imitating Christ

Jesus Christ was a real man. He overcame his fear of danger. He put our safety above his own. Christ, by his life and death, helps men discover what it means to be a man. Let’s ask Christ to raise up more real men today.

For those of us who are guys, we can make a resolution to learn to love others so much that we are willing to sacrifice for them.

For girls, let’s start thanking some of the real men in our lives for what they do for us, starting with our own dads, or those other men who help keep us safe. And let’s show the guys that we also know how to sacrifice with courage, putting our hearts and lives at the service of goodness and love. The world will be a better, safer place.

Christ wants us to help him do this. It’s part of the call to love that he makes to each of us.

Bible Blurbs

“I am the good shepherd… and I will lay down my life for the sheep… No one takes it from me, but I lay it down on my own.”
John 10:14,15, & 18

Jesus answered, “…if you are looking for me, let these men go.”
John 18:8

For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
Matthew 16:25

Catechism Clips

618: …He calls his disciples to “take up [their] cross and follow (him)”, for “Christ also suffered for (us), leaving (us) an example so that (we) should follow in his steps…”

616: It is love “to the end” that confers on Christ’s sacrifice its value… He knew and loved us all when he offered his life…

609: …Indeed, out of love for his Father and for men, whom the Father wants to save, Jesus freely accepted his Passion and death…

610: Jesus gave the supreme expression of his free offering of himself… [when he] transformed this Last Supper… into the memorial of his voluntary offering to the Father…

Pope Quotes

Every witness of faith lives this “greater love” and, after the example of the Divine Teacher, is ready to sacrifice his life for the Kingdom.
Pope Benedict XVI, April 7, 2008, St. Bartholomew’s, Rome

“Only the commandment of love, a love that becomes a total gift of life, is the secret of the Resurrection. “
Pope John Paul II, February 6, 1997

“No one can take [Jesus’] life from him: he lays it down by his own free decision… He gives his life and he takes it [up] again in the resurrection, so as to be able to share it for ever. “
Pope Benedict XVI, Holy Thursday, April 9, 2009

Saints and Heroes

willing to lose her head for her people…

Esther, Queen of Persia

(Lived and died around 500-450 BC)

The Jewish people had been captured and brought to Babylon as slaves. The Persians conquered Babylon and freed the Jews, but the Jews were still not treated as equals.

Xerxes. the Persian king, was a fierce man and demanded complete respect from all of his subjects, even his wife. The Persian people also had very strict laws about women’s roles in society which were very oppressive. In fact, Xerxes banished his own wife for not allowing him to use her and show her off like a trophy.

He demanded that all the most beautiful women in his kingdom be brought to him. If he liked one of them, he would make her his new queen.

Hadassah was brought to the king because she was beautiful. She told no one of her Jewish heritage, and changed her name to Esther, the Persian word for star. The king instantly fell in love with Esther because she was not only beautiful, but also intelligent and brave. He made her his new queen.

Not long after, Esther’s uncle Mordecai heard that someone was plotting to kill the king. He sent word to Esther to warn the king. The king made a record that Mordecai should be rewarded one day.

At this same time, one of the Persian princes who hated the Jews was gaining favor with Xerxes. His name was Haman. Xerxes liked Haman so much, he gave him complete rule to do whatever he wanted in the kingdom. Haman decided to plot with his friends and use this new authority to exterminate all the Jews in Babylon, and all of Persia.

Esther and her people were terrified. She wanted to ask the king for help. But she knew that because of the laws restricting women in this place and time, if she went to the king without being invited, she could be killed for disrespect.

The Jewish people all fasted and prayed. Three days later, even with the possibility of being executed, Esther went before the king. Xerxes was so happy to see her that he welcomed her instead of having her beheaded. She asked if she could prepare two banquets for the king and his friend Haman. The king accepted.

At the second banquet, Esther bravely spoke out of turn, announcing that she was a Jew, as was Mordecai, the man who saved the king. She also told Xerxes of Haman’s plan to execute them along with all of her people. Xerxes was outraged that Haman would plot against the queen and her uncle. He ordered Haman to be hanged on the very gallows he had prepared for Mordecai.

Esther offered herself, her own life, to save her people out of love for them and love for God and his covenant with them. She is remembered by the Jewish people, as well as Catholics as a great heroine of the Old Testament.

(See the Bible for the Book of Esther. The picture is Tiffany Dumont playing Esther in the movie: “One Night with the King”)

The first saint with his own radio station

St. Maximillian Kolbe

(entered Heaven August 14,1941)

Baptized Raymond Kolbe in 1894, he was the second son of a very poor family.

In 1907, both Raymond and his brother entered studies at the Franciscan Junior Seminary. Here he would be taught and also have the possibility of becoming a priest. As he studied his professors found that he had a tremendous ability in science, military history, and strategy. He thought about leaving the seminary to join the army to fight for his country.

While Raymond knew how much his earthly mother wanted him to be a priest, he also realized he had a special call from his Heavenly mother to fight for her, and for her Son. So he decided to stay in the seminary and join the Franciscan Order. When he took his habit (the robe Franciscan Friars wear is called a habit) he also took a new name: Maximillian.

He always had an intense devotion to Mary, especially devoted to her under the name “The Immaculate”. He founded some of the largest friaries and seminaries in the world, both in Poland, and Japan. He published a magazine called “Knight of the Immaculate,” devoted to teaching people about truth and faith. He publicly denounced groups and societies that were attacking the beliefs of the Church. He founded radio stations dedicated to spreading the Gospel through words and music.

Even though he was still young his health failed; but he persisted in his rigorous work for the Church.

When the Nazis began to invade Poland, he spoke out against them, encouraging his readers and listeners to hold on to the truth. He helped Jewish refugees and others displaced by Nazi cruelty. Because of this, he was arrested and sent to a concentration camp.

While a prisoner, he was a shining light of hope in an otherwise dismal place. Every one who saw him in the prison camps was impressed by him, and he heard confessions and gave sacraments secretly.

This made his captors even more violent towards him, and they eventually moved him to one of the most infamous death camps: Auschwitz, Poland. Because of his faith, peace, love, and positive effect on the other prisoners, he was treated most harshly there.

Then one day three prisoners escaped. In retaliation, the Nazi commander decided that ten men would be starved to death. One of the men picked had a wife and family. Fr. Kolbe told the commander that he would go to the starvation bunker in this man’s place. The guards and commanders all hated Fr. Kolbe, so they were happy to make the switch to get rid of him.

From the bunker, the sounds of hymns being sung and the rosary being prayed were heard. After two weeks, Fr Kolbe was the only one left alive, so one of the criminal henchmen injected him with poison.

After his death, word of his herosim spread all over. He gave hope to a nation under siege and oppression.

(source: www.ewtn.org/saintsholy. The photo is L. Difilipis as St. Kolbe in the play: “Maximillian, Saint of Auschwitz”))

Study Guide

CNS photo/Disney)

Virtuous Verbiage Verification:

Holy Week – the week right before Easter, when we celebrate the time that Jesus gave us the Eucharist at the Last Supper, was betrayed, gave himself over to death, and brought the just souls waiting for Heaven into God’s presence.
Peace – a fruit of of the Holy Spirit. Inner peace is a calmness of soul and reliance on God. External or worldly peace, is both the absence of war or unrest AND the active pursuit of justice and charity for all.
Piracy – traditionally, hijacking a ship in the open sea by force, and stealing it or the goods on board. Often the passengers of the ship are harmed or killed. Piracy has always been considered one of the worst forms of robbery.
Ransom – the price paid to ensure someone’s life or safety.
Sacrifice – offering something one owns or holds dear to give honor to someone else, or for the good of someone else.
SEALs – stands for SEa Air Land… a group in the US Navy specializing in secret or dangerous operations. They have become well known for their rigorous training, near-perfect execution, and daring rescue mission.
Surrender – to give oneself freely and without a fight.

Discussion questions:

1. Do you think what Captain Phillips did was extraordinary? Is it something many people would have done? What might you have done differently?
2. Often times in today’s world we see leaders, in governments, companies, etc…, who are selfish and use their position for their own gain. Can you find any examples of this? How do you think these individuals might have done better if they acted like Capt. Phillips? Do you think Capt. Phillips’ example can help to change the hearts of leaders around the world?
3. The news media chooses to focus on Capt. Phillips’ courage rather than his self-sacrifice. Why is that? Does our society like to talk about sacrifice? Is it a popular idea? Do you think people in our society avoid sacrifice? Why? Why would people focus on one aspect, his bravery, but want to leave out focusing on his willingness to give of himself?

US Navy photo - Public Domain

Journal Writing:

Imagine there are pirates or kidnappers looking to capture you. Someone you know offers themselves to the kidnappers in your place. Write about what might be going through your mind at this time. What do you feel? What do you think about this person? How might this change you? Would you act any differently, or treat people any differently, now that you have been treated with such amazing love?

Debate:

Divide in two teams. One team argue that to be a real “man” Capt. Phillips should have attacked the pirates and started a brawl. The other team argue that what he did, peacefully surrendering himself, actually took more strength and courage. Email us at info@ourfaithinaction.net and tell us who wins and what their arguments were.

Activity:

Write a letter to someone who you feel has laid down their life for you or made sacrifices for you, especially someone like a father or grandfather. If you like, email it to info@ourfaithinaction.net and we may publish it on our website!

Fr Jason Smith gave us this awesome Podcast on the Passion of Christ… Check it out…

It is a large file, so be aware it may take a minute to get started…

Breaking Big

Even if you don’t like their music, there is no denying their success. Though their ages are only 16, 19, and 21, these three New Jersey brothers have already fulfilled a lifetime’s worth of dreams. They’ve sold millions of CD’s and mp3 downloads, starred in movies, and played to packed arenas worldwide. Their pictures and posters line the lockers of tens of thousands of girls, and their fans are so into them it’s almost creepy. So whether or not their latest songs are on your playlist, they must be doing something right to be so successful.

Nick, the youngest in the band, was in a Broadway show at a very young age. By 12, he was approached by Columbia Records and offered a deal to make Christian music. On some of the recordings, Nick’s two older brothers, Kevin and Joe, joined him. The record company loved the sound so much, they decided to market them as “the Jonas Brothers”. Their first album of Christian music didn’t sell well with Columbia Records. But because of both their raw talent and their wholesome family appeal, Disney and Hollywood Records picked them up immediately. Their second CD was almost sold out before it was released.

BB Good in Hollywood

Though they are not making religious music anymore, the same Christian values their parents raised them with still influence their music, lyrics, videos, and, most importantly, their lives. Nick told Fox Extra, “We believe that we are Christians in a pop-rock band. That’s just the way we do it. Our faith is really important to us and it’s a big thing in everything we do.”

Kevin tells Cross Rhymes, “With our music we’re trying to be successful. Our whole thing is to play mainstream music but to be a light in a dark world and to tell people that we are Christians when they ask, ‘What’s so different about you?’ We’re like, ‘Well, we’re Christians and we love the Lord.’ That’s our opportunity to witness to people. We just feel like this is where we belong – ‘This is who we are and let’s just go for it!’”

Lovebug

In spite of their fast-paced, star-studded careers, Nick, Joe, and Kevin seem to be looking for the same things that most teens are. “Like all people our age we are trying to find someone special that we can share time with in our busy lives,” they recently wrote on their MySpace. They admit it is hard to have relationships when they live life the way they do.  Many times they find themselves on different continents than their friends.  This makes it hard to take a girl they like to the mall, the movies, or a school dance.

The Girl

So what kind of girl does a international, teenage, millionaire, heart-throb date? Well, the list of girls linked to the Jonas Brothers includes famous starlets such as Selena Gomez, Miley Cyrus, Camilla Belle, and Taylor Swift. But you will find a common trait among many of the girls that are seen hanging out with Nick, Joe, and Kevin: most of them have stated publicly that they are saving sex for marriage.

Why should this be important to these three TV, movie, and rock stars? Although they are rich, famous, and can date nearly anyone they would want, the boys have decided that chastity is the most important value to them; both personally and in dating relationships.

The Rings

Not too long ago, in an interview on the Disney Channel, the Jonas Brothers told the world that they wear “purity rings” (also called “promise rings”) to symbolize their commitment to living a chaste life until they are married.

Pushing Them Away

Almost immediately, the press began to make a huge stink about the rings. Some news reporters tried to discredit them. Others brought on experts saying that it is not possible to be a mentally healthy teen while making a promise like this to abstain from sex until marriage. Some people accused the boys of using this as a publicity stunt. It seems that the news media and gossip columnists can’t believe that three famous, wealthy, good-looking guys could possibly survive Hollywood careers while holding on to their virginity.

Holding On

But the boys defend their position. They do their best to keep their private lives private. They try to keep their relationships with young women on a friendly level. This is a very mature attitude, because it shows they realize that at their age, and with their busy schedules, it doesn’t make sense to let a relationship get too serious. Nick explained the rings in an interview with Rolling Stone Magazine, “To us the [purity] rings are a constant reminder to live a life of values. It’s about being a gentleman, treating people with respect and being the best guys we can be.”

That’s Just the Way We Roll

Chastity and purity rings all of a sudden became very popular.  From that point on, most of the press for the band consistently included discussions about the rings. A very famous journalist named Barbara Walters wanted to interview the boys.  Walters did her best to get the boys to slip up or back down about their purity rings, but they would not break. There was one other thing that was very evident in their interview with Ms. Walters: these brothers stick together.

Band of Brothers

This is the secret to their success both musically, and morally. They rely on each other, protect each other, and find strength in knowing that they’re living chaste lives together. When one of them was offered a part in the movie Camp Rock, their father insisted that all three be included.  Their father knows that if they stay together, they can survive the crazy rat-race that usually ruins teen stars.

Strength in family

Another source of strength these guys have is their parents. Dad and Mom are their best friends. And they not only give them advice, but they also know the ropes of performing in a band and going on tour. Their parents were performing Christian artists for many years. Dad is actually their manager and vocal coach. “There’s times when he’s Dad and times when he a manager,” explains Joe. “He’s a ‘dadager’… He’s awesome. We love our dad.” But what the brothers especially admire about their parents are their values. Their parents have dedicated their lives to standing up for Jesus and for Christian values (Dad is a Christian pastor and Mom is his #1 helper). They have also shown the boys that, in spite of the fact that they are not perfect, they can walk the talk, and help their sons walk it too.

“Our family is really close,” said Joe. “We kind of built our whole foundation on making sure that our family is really strong. They’ve always been there for us… That’s why we decided to go (on tour) with our own family bus.” Hanging out with Mom and Dad may not seem very cool to many teenagers and pop stars, but the Jonas Brothers have shown that family can give us strength to live up to our values, even when the attraction of easy, loose relationships seems so powerful.

Keeping All the Promises

The Jonas Brothers have shown us that the best way to keep a commitment to God and to their future spouses is to surround ourselves with brothers (and sisters) who share the same values and who are striving to live a life of faith in God. They acknowledge that despite all their wealth, fame, and good looks, the best gift they can give their future spouses is the complete gift of themselves.

Giving Hope

Nick, Joe, and Kevin also realize they have a responsibility, even in the midst of so much success. They can give hope to others. If they can live a life of purity and chastity amidst the glitz and glam of Hollywood and rock-stardom, they give hope to teenagers everywhere. Girls deserve to know they are worth waiting for. There’s no denying that this is a big part of the success of these brothers.

Attraction

Why are boys so attracted to girls? And why are girls so attracted to boys? Because we are made in the image of God. And God is love. God is relational. God, within his very being, lives in a relationship of love (He is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.), and God lives in a relationship of love with his creatures. So, like him, God made us to love. We are made to love him, and we are made to love others.

Special Love

One of the most special ways to love like God is the love between a man and a woman. In married love, spouses dedicate their lives totally and exclusively to each other. In married love, a boy and a girl are called to be the living expression of God’s love for the other person.

Built on Friendship and Respect

But this type of love does not just happen by a physical relationship. It is built on friendship. It is sustained by respect, kindness, and patience. It only truly works when there is total commitment, after a sustained period of getting to know each other and respect each other. When we put the physical relationship before there is a solid friendship and respect, and before there is a total commitment, we find that love does not last. It simply ends in broken hearts.

Something We Can Learn

So, guys, show tenderness to the girls, but show respect. Show each girl you really can wait.  You may find that it’s not just the Jonas Brothers that the girls are swooning about (although they might not admit it … until they really trust you.) And girls, continue to believe in that special someone. There are good guys out there, guys worth waiting for. Hold on, and God will bless your love.

Bible Blurbs

“I was on guard against sin. So the LORD rewarded my righteousness, the cleanness of my hands in his sight.” Psalm 18:24-25

“Blessed are the clean of heart, for they will see God.” Matthew 5:8

“A clean heart create for me, God; renew in me a steadfast spirit… Restore my joy in your salvation…   I will teach the wicked your ways, that sinners may return to you. Psalm 51:12,14-15

“The LORD loves the pure of heart…” Proverbs 22:11

Catechism Clips

2533: Purity of heart requires the modesty which is patience, decency, and discretion. Modesty protects the intimate center of the person.

2347: The virtue of chastity blossoms in friendship. Chastity is expressed notably in friendship with one’s neighbor… friendship represents a great good for all. It leads to spiritual communion.

2532: Purification of the heart demands prayer, the practice of chastity, purity of intention and of vision.

2395: Chastity means the integration of sexuality within the person. It includes an apprenticeship in self-mastery.

Pope Quotes

“Love is possible…; trust in a love that is true, faithful and strong; a love that generates peace and joy; a love that binds people together and allows them to feel free in respect for one another.”

“My dear young friends, I want to invite you to “dare to love”. Do not desire anything less for your life than a love that is strong and beautiful and that is capable of making the whole of your existence a joyful undertaking…”

“…God has a project of love for your future as a couple and as a family… The love of a man and woman is at the origin of the human family and the couple formed by a man and a woman has its foundation in God’s original plan.”

“Learning to love each other as a couple is a wonderful journey, yet it requires a demanding “apprenticeship”… It allows you to mature in love, in concern and in attention for each other; it helps you to practice self-control and to develop your respect for each other.”

Pope Benedict XVI, WYD 2007

Saints & Heroes

It takes a saintly family to raise a saint…

Blessed Louis Martin (1823-1894) & Blessed Zelie Guerin (1831-1877)
Louis Martin was born in Bordeaux, France on August 22, 1823. Everyone expected that after school he would have a a military career like his father. Louis wished to become a priest, instead. However, since he had trouble learning Latin, he determined perhaps God did not want him to be a priest after all. He went back home and became a watchmaker. He opened his own watch and jewelry store and was successful. Zelie Guerin was born at Gandelain, France, on December 23, 1831. Zelie received a very good education and training that made her a very skillful lacemaker. She attempted to enter the convent, but as she spoke with the nun in charge they concluded that it was not what God wanted for her. Zelie started her own lacemaking business, and she was very successful, too. Both Zelie and Martin each had good businesses and lived a comfortable life, making good money. But they still felt hungry inside for something more. They wanted to feel like they had found God’s plan for their lives. Until one day when they happened to pass each other on a bridge in town. As Zelie crossed, she passed a young man with a strong face, who carried himself with confidence and dignity. She felt like she heard a little voice in her heart say, “This is the one I have prepared for you.” Soon after, she found out who he was, and the two were introduced. The two young people quickly got to know each other. The common faith, values, and spirituality they shared allowed them to fall in love quickly. While many of their friends were marrying for social position, Louis and Zelie saw their marriage as a response to God’s will. Shortly after they got married, they took in a five-year-old boy whose mom had died and left his father with 11 children. They had thought they would live their lives like Mary and Joseph, being married but remaining virgins as a sacrifice to God. But now they learned how much joy they found in caring for this little boy. A priest friend talked to them about how married people can also practice chastity, by loving and being faithful to each other. They decided they would show their love for each other and for God by having as many children as they were able to care for. In the next several years, Zelie would give birth to 9 children. They wanted to have a boy so that he could become a priest. Sadly, 4 of their babies died as infants. But they never despaired, and were joyful and grateful to God for their 5 living daughters. Tragically, when their youngest daughter was only 4 & 1/2, Zelie died of breast cancer. Mr. and Mrs. Martin passed on to their children their deep love for God. They taught them a simple way of prayer and offering your whole life to God. As a result, all 5 daughters decided to become nuns. One by one, Louis gave his daughters to God. The youngest, named Therese, not only became a nun, but a saint; St. Therese of Lisieux! After Therese entered the convent, Louis became very sick, and eventually was paralyzed. He offered his sufferings to God and inspired everyone around him. Just this past year, Pope Benedict XVI studied evidence that a boy was cured by praying for the Martin’s intercession, and declared them Blessed. They are only the second married couple to receive this honor together. Soon, they will hopefully be made full-fledged saints! Their feast day is July 12.

Virtuous Verbiage Verification

Abstain – to deliberately keep from doing something or consuming something as a means of self-denial Chastity – a gift of the Holy Spirit, having control over your thoughts and actions, keeping your actions and intentions pure. Commitment – an agreement or pledge to do something. Purity – state of being free from any stain or sin; being as God made us to be. Purity of morals commonly refers to the virtue of chastity and therefore freedom from any wrongdoing in sexual activity. Respect – high regard, esteem, honor; to treat with special dignity Virginity – having had no sexual relations. Witness – one who gives evidence or testimony; one who offers their own story as proof.

Discussion questions:

1. If the Jonas brothers went to your school, how would they be treated? Would they be accepted for their values, or put down? What if they weren’t so famous or talented – Would people be less tolerant of their values if they were just “ordinary” guys?
2. Look at the Bible Blurb on page 4. It is one of the Beatitudes. Beatitude means complete happiness. Do you think following this Beatitude makes the Jonas Brothers more happy, or less happy? Are they closer to real happiness than their peers who don’t live these values?
3. What does the Church or the Pope think about falling in love? Is it OK for a Catholic to get romantically involved with someone? Does the Church think marriage is only for making babies and not about love?

Journal Writing

1. Imagine you have a friend who is struggling to keep his/her values. Maybe people at school, or a boyfriend/girlfriend are pressuring this friend to do something that is wrong. Write a letter explaining what you just learned about chastity, and living a life of values and purity, and how the Jonas brothers are an example of how to do it.
2. Write about a time when a friend or sibling or a groups of friends helped you stand up for what’s right or avoid a bad situation. How did it feel to have their support? Was it easier? How did you feel about yourself after? How did you feel about them?

A little while back, there was some controversy about Joe Jonas’ break up with Taylor Swift. Split into 2 teams. One team, present the case that Joe is immature and mean for breaking up with Taylor on the phone. The other side, argue that Joe wasn’t mean, that there is another side to the story, and that Taylor Swift was taking things too seriously. But remember, it is a debate… so you still have to be nice!

Activities:

1. Come up with a list of other celebrities you know who live these values; especially ones who also do something like wearing a purity ring.
2. Make a playlist of songs that you think are good, and are by musicians who live a life of good moral values. Write letters or emails to some or all of the artists or their record companies expressing your support for their lifestyle.

The Super bowl XLIII match-up between the Arizona Cardinals and the Pittsburg Steelers showcased two players who have distinguished themselves as men who see the bigger game, beyond the hype. Though they were rivals on the field, off the field Troy Polamalu of the Pittsburgh Steelers, and Kurt Warner of the Arizona Cardinals, share common ground in their Christian faith. In this lesson we will take a brief look at their faith and their values.

For Troy Polamalu, who plays safety for the Pittsburg Steelers, the 2009 Super Bowl was his second time playing in the “big game”.  In 2006, Polamalu helped the Steelers beat the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XL.  He knows what it’s like to perform under pressure.  He has achieved the kind of success that most amateur and even many pro football players will only dream about.

Polamalu normally deflects praise and attention, always reminding others that giving glory to God is more important.  In a 2006 article for Catholic Online, Troy states that “success in football doesn’t matter.  Success in anything doesn’t matter.  As Mother Teresa said, God calls us not to be successful but to be faithful. My prayer is that I would glorify God no matter what, and not have success be the definition of it.”

Troy has dealt with adversity. He was the youngest of five children. Suila, his mother, had to raise all of them alone; on welfare, and in a rough section of Los Angeles. His older brother and sisters were already in a lot of real trouble in high school. “I was just a little hood-rat, walking around parks by myself, hanging out with homeless guys…”

When he was eight years old, Troy’s family visited their uncle and his family in Oregon. It seemed beautiful and serene there compared to the streets of L.A. Even though he was young, Troy saw a chance at a better life. At the end of the visit, he begged his mom to let him stay there. Realizing that this was a better environment for her child, she gave permission.

He loved living with his Uncle Salu, Aunt Shelley, and their three sons. From them he learned about his Polynesian culture; especially, their traditional reverence for family, faith, and personal responsibility. Troy attended Catholic school, and he discovered the power of prayer and dialogue with God at a young age. He developed a deep, personal relationship with God as his true Father. “The beautiful thing about the way I was raised is that I didn’t really have parents, and in that way I had to rely on God.”

Troy defines faith in one word: surrender. “It’s knowing in your heart that God will take care of you… We all have to struggle to overcome our adversities…When Jesus was on the cross, he didn’t say, ‘Father in heaven, He said ‘Daddy.’ This is an intimate relationship. This isn’t praying to the unknown.”

Theodora, Troy’s wife, belongs to the Greek Orthodox Christian church. While they were dating he asked her a lot of questions about her beliefs. As he fell in love with her, he fell in love with her faith. When they got married, Troy passionately embraced her practice of faith. They attend weekly Mass (they prefer to call it Divine Liturgy).  He is described by others as a “soft-spoken, Christian family man.”

Troy prays daily, and he says that should be true of every Christian.  He also prays during his games, both on the sidelines and after each play.  Those who have watched him on TV may remember seeing him make the sign of the cross, a trademark he is happy to bear. To some of us it may seem he makes it backwards, but Eastern Catholics and Orthodox Christians still follow an old tradition of blessing their right shoulder first.

Troy does not spend his free time hanging out with his teammates, studying replay tapes, or watching games; he spends his time with his wife and their new son, Paisios.  “Football is, for me, it’s something I do. It’s like [being] a reporter. It’s what you do, not who you are. Football does not define me. How I am with my faith and how I treat my wife is what truly defines [me] as a man. That is my goal in life: to live that way and believe in it.”

Many players and writers comment about how humble and unselfish Troy is. When he is not able to make a big play, he does whatever he can to help his teammates make one. In this particular Super Bowl game, Troy didn’t play the most outstanding game. He spent most of the game quietly helping to cover the Cardinals’ star receiver, Larry FItzgerald. This kept him out of the limelight and action; but he did his part humbly, and for the first three quarters of the game Fitzgerald had only one catch.

The Steelers won 27-23 in what turned out to be one of the most exciting Super Bowls in recent memory, and  they set a new record as the only NFL team to win six Super Bowls.

During his post game interview, Troy had his son Paisios on his knee. “It’s a blessing,” he said about winning the game. “I don’t know how much he (his infant son) will remember, but he’ll have two rings in his vault, and, God willing, maybe more. He’s speechless right now as you can see.”

Troy has said he loves playing for the Steelers, because they are a hard working, family owned and family friendly team.

“I hope [winning the most Super Bowls] can be an example to people. It’s a legacy that’s not built on pride. It’s a legacy that’s built on humility and unselfishness.”

Just a few days before the Super Bowl, the teams met with the press for what is called media day. During his interview time, Troy took this opportunity to publicly acknowledge one of his opponents who also uses Super Bowl stardom to share his faith in Jesus:

“Kurt [Warner] (the Arizona Cardinals quarterback) has a platform to share just like every athlete and he is using it.” Daniel Sepulveda, one of Troy’s teammates added, “Every time I hear Kurt Warner talking about his faith… it inspires me to hear guys like that who are willing to share… He’s not on my team here, but we’re on the same team all the time.”

Like Polamalu, Kurt Warner seeks to live his life as an example of his Christian faith.  Warner had also been to the Super Bowl before this one. He led the St. Louis Rams in two Super Bowl games, winning one of them.  Kurt knows the pressure that comes with that kind of spotlight, especially as a starting quarterback.  Unlike Polamalu, however, Warner knows that life in the NFL can be pretty hard if you don’t win.

Some people are calling Warner’s 2009 return to the Super bowl with the Arizona Cardinals a “comeback”.  Kurt identifies the time between his glory days with the Rams and his 2005 arrival in Arizona as a dark time that led him to seek God.  Perhaps, instead of a comeback, this Super bowl visit was a reward for his fidelity.

Adversity has not been a stranger to Kurt. Warner began his career as a free agent, and had to prove himself in Arena football and European leagues before catching his first big break and becoming a Super bowl champion.

In his personal life, Kurt had to work hard to prove himself to his wife when he first met her, as well.  She had two children from a previous marriage, one of them  a son with special needs.  She tried to discourage his interest in her, but Kurt wouldn’t go away.

Today Kurt and his wife, Brenda, have seven children; he legally adopted the two she already had, and they have had five more together.  Their family also struggled when Brenda’s parents, who had retired and just moved to Arkansas, were both tragically killed in a tornado.  All of these events reminded Kurt that God is truly most important in life.

“If you ever really want to do a story about who I am, God’s got to be at the center of it. Every time I hear a piece or read a story that doesn’t have that, they’re missing the whole lesson of who I am.”  Kurt has told the Arizona Republic how much it pains him when reporters don’t take his faith seriously.

He explains that he feels responsible because of the “platform that football has given him”, to share the truth of his faith with others.  He doesn’t want to be “in your face” about it. It is just a very real part of who he is as a person.  It has helped him handle adversity, and it has helped him to handle success as well.

Before the 2009 Super Bowl began Kurt was given a special honor, the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award. This award is given to a player who gives selflessly to his community. Kurt and Brenda have given more than $1.5 million and countless hours of their time to charities like Make a Wish, Habbitat for Humanity, the Special Olympics, and medical mercy missions with the US Armed Forces. Kurt responded,  “I am humbled the Lord has given me such an amazing life to impact others. Of all the awards given to NFL athletes, the Walter Payton Man of the Year is the one that stands out above the rest to me because of what it represents. When people look back at my career I want them to see a fierce competitor, but more importantly, I want to be remembered for my consistency of character and the legacy I hope to leave…”

Although Arizona didn’t win the Super Bowl, Kurt played a great game. He had the second highest passing yardage in Super Bowl history (Kurt also holds 1st and 3rd place in this category), and he broke the record for lifetime Super Bowl passing yards. Warner led his team in a fourth quarter comeback against the Steelers’ #1 rated defense, and nearly won the game if not for an amazing Pittsburgh drive in the final minutes. Kurt said he was proud of his teammates and all they had accomplished.

Fame, success, and football aren’t the driving forces in these two athletes’ lives.  Troy Polamalu and Kurt Warner use their fame, success, and football, as instruments to glorify what they know is the most important thing in life: living a Christian witness, both to the world of football and beyond.  They try to become men of character through football and their love of God, both on and off the field.

The Super Bowl is always the biggest game in football, but there is a bigger game. It’s the the game of becoming real men and women.  Examples like Troy and Kurt help us to examine our own lives nad ask ourselves, are we winning the game about the most important things in life?

Bible Blurbs

“Let us hold unwaveringly to our confession that gives us hope, for he who made the promise is trustworthy.”
Hebrews 10:23

“Not only that, but we even boast of our afflictions, knowing that affliction produces endurance, and endurance, proven character, and proven character, hope…”
Romans 5:3-4

“…until we all attain to …mature manhood, to the extent of the full stature of Christ…”
Ephesians 4:13

“So they called Rebekah and asked her, ‘Do you wish to go with this man?’ She answered, ‘I do.’ … Then Isaac took Rebekah into his tent; he married her, and thus she became his wife. In his love for Rebekah Isaac found solace after the death of his mother Sarah.”
Genesis 24:58, 67

Look it up HERE: www.usccb.org/nab/bible

Catechism Clips

1656: In our own time, in a world often alien and even hostile to faith, believing families are of primary importance as centers of living, radiant faith….

1880:  By means of society, each man… receives certain “talents” that enrich his identity and whose fruits he must develop…

1937: … [God] wills that each receive what he needs from others, and that those endowed with particular “talents” share the benefits with those who need them.

2207: …The family is the community in which, from childhood, one can learn moral values, begin to honor God, and make good use of freedom. ..

Look it up HERE: http://www.usccb.org/catechism

Pope Quotes

“…when sport is practiced in the right spirit, and with respect for dignity, it helps to promote the development of the person…
…Sport helps man to consider his own capacities as a talent and his life as a gift of God…
…Even when sport is practiced at high levels, it is important to maintain an inner harmony between body and spirit in order not to reduce it to a mere search for results…
… [these virtues] must always characterize sporting activity: tenacity, a spirit of sacrifice, interior and exterior discipline…
…as well as a sense of justice, awareness of ones own limits and a respect for others. All virtues for which you must train yourselves in daily life…
…In a period marked by a loss of values and a lack of orientation, athletes can provide powerful motivations to work in favor of good in the various areas of life, from the family to the workplace…”

Pope Benedict XVI
October 6, 2007
Message to the Austrian Alpine Ski Team

Saints and Heroes:

Princess with a heart of Gold:

St. Elizabeth of Hungary (entered heaven in 1231 AD, her feast day is November 17)
As an infant, Elizabeth was promised to marry Count Ludwig of Thuringia (Central Germany), and she was sent to live in his father’s castle when she was four years old and he was ten.  As they grew up together, Ludwig fell more and more in love with her and they got married when he turned 21.

She was strikingly beautiful, with the kind of looks that really stood out in a crowd.  She was also extremely kind and generous. Her husband (the Count) was also very handsome, as well as patient and honest. Everyone loved him, subjects and nobles included.

After they were married Elizabeth passionately served the poor and sick. She fed at least 900 hungry poor people at her own castle every day, and had a hospital built at the foot of their castle-mountain where she would personally go and care for the sick and dying. Ludwig, unlike many other nobleman of that time, never tried to stop or discourage his wife from giving away his money.  He was confident that her virtue would bring God’s blessings upon his family and his people, and they grew closer as their marriage matured.  It seemed they had the perfect marriage.

But when Elizabeth was expecting their third child, Ludwig heard the Pope was sending the Emperor Frederick II on a crusade to the Holy Land. Ludwig joined the crusade and while he was away he died of the plague.  When Elizabeth heard the news she sobbed, “The world is dead to me, and all that was joyous in the world.” She was so devastated that she would run around the castle screaming and crying with grief.  Her in-laws could not deal with her in her grief-stricken state, so they cruelly kicked her out of the castle.

Elizabeth left her children at a relative’s house, joined an  order of Franciscans, and spent the remainder of her life in the full time service of Christ in his poor.  St. Elizabeth never thought of God’s gifts of royalty and wealth as something for herself, but rather as an opportunity for her to be more like Christ. Many other nobleman offered to marry her, but she refused.  She worked so hard for the sick and the poor that she wore herself out and died before turning 24. Immediately, people in her native Hungary began venerating her as a saint.

(source: www.catholic.net/saints)

in Faith & fortitude, he faced a firing squad, and lived…

St. Sebastion (entered heaven in 283 AD, his feast day is January 20)
We don’t really know how many thousands of Christians were put to death simply for believing in Jesus in the first few centuries after his resurrection. Sebastian was one of them. He was born into a noble family from Milan, Italy, and that is where he grew up.

Though he didn’t really like the idea of being in the Roman Army, he knew his physical abilities would enable him to have success as soldier, and that would help him conceal his identity as a Christian.  He was such a great soldier and had such success that he was selected to a very special military position: the emperors own guards.

He had a great amount of passion and burning love for Jesus. That was so obvious to everyone who heard him speak of his faith, and so he led many, many people to become Christians, including many Roman officials and nobles. He often encouraged condemned Christians not to give up their faith and to embrace the martyr’s death with grace. He sometimes healed people’s diseases as a sign of encouragement for them to accept the faith.

When it was finally discovered that Sebastian was a Christian, the emperor ordered that he be tied to a post and shot with arrows. But the story goes that when St. Irene came to bury him, he was still alive. As soon as he was healthy, he put on his uniform and went back to guarding the emperor. But the next time Sebastian saw him, he tried to convince the emperor to become Christian, too. This time the emperor had him beaten to death.

St. Sebastian was like a team captain for the early Catholics, because his strong speeches and coaching helped rally them around their faith. Career and ambition never mattered as much to to him as his his faith. He is the patron saint of athletes, soldiers, and archery.

(source: http://www.ewtn.com/saintsHoly/)

Discussion questions:

Journal Writing

Debate

Some people say public figures like pro athletes should keep their beliefs to themselves and not push them on others. Split into two teams. One team, argues that Troy and Kurt should keep their beliefs to themselves and not push their ideas on others. The other team argues that Kurt and Troy have a right to free speech, and freedom of religion, and are doing a good thing by publicly professing their faith.

Activities:

1. Recently, Troy has become friends with a 12 year old girl named Heather who is very sick with Cancer. When he visits her, he never talks about himself or football, he just plays games with her and listens to her. Visit someone who is sick or elderly, or spend some time with someone who is old or sick in your family, and spend the whole time talking about them, what they think, what they feel, and try not to talk about yourself at all.
2. Some time in the next week, when your friends want you to hang out with them, decide instead to spend that time with your mom or dad, one of your brothers or sisters, or another family member. Practice putting family first!

Virtuous Verbiage Verification

Adversity – a state, condition, or instance of serious or continued difficulty

Character – moral or ethical strength; the principles and motives that control ones decisions and life

Faith – 1. Trust in God; 2. Personal relationship with God; 3. Belief in what God has revealed;  4. Faith is a supernatural virtue (a supernatural power). It is a power or virtue given to us in baptism.

Family – the most basic, primary, social structure, naturally consisting of a father, mother, and their children, where we learn first and most about life. For those whose families are tragically broken, their family may be a single parent or relatives. In a supernatural way, God makes a family out of a community, the Church, and even the human family.

Fidelity – constancy in keeping one’s given word. (CCC 2365)

Free Agent – A player who does not have a contract with a specific team for the next season

Greek Orthodox Christians – Christians who follow the beliefs, traditions, and rituals of the Eastern, or Byzantine, Catholic Church but are not in union with the Pope.

Humility – virtue which consists of knowing one’s own bounds and limits.

Legacy – something one leaves to a successor when they leave or die.

Responsibility – a form of trustworthiness; the trait of being answerable to someone for one’s conduct

Success – 1. the favorable or prosperous result of attempts or endeavors. 2. the attainment of wealth, position, honors, or the like.

Surrender – to give oneself up into the power of another