Pixar has done it again. They make us laugh, feel compassion, excitement, sadness, and joy. Yet all they use is a bunch of children’s toys. It’s an amazing accomplishment, showing the power of simple values. Buzz Lightyear is always hilarious with his self-absorbed, yet noble personality. And Woody teaches us loyalty to friends in a heroic way. It’s probably this lesson that most impressed me, but I sure had fun while I learned the lesson. This is a must-see for all ages.

To see a text only version, please go to Page 2…

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!

Lord our God, help us to love you with all our hearts and to love all men as you love them. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Karen Gaffney is a thirty year old long-distance swimmer.  Her many accomplishments include swimming nine miles across Lake Tahoe, competing in the Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon, and being part of a relay team to swim the roughly thirty miles of sixty degree water in the English Channel.  An inspirational person to be sure, Karen Gaffney also shatters the myth that having Down Syndrome, a genetic chromosomal disorder, ruins a person’s life.  She states, “Yes, we are different…But we also are filled with potential and abilities and dreams…”

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. How familiar are you with Down Syndrome? Do you know anyone who lives with this condition? Would you expect someone living with Down Syndrome to be able to do all of the things that Karen Gaffney accomplished?
2. What kinds of preparation does it take to do all of the things that Karen did? Are there things that you are involved in that require this kind of committed preparation?
3. Do you need help from others to accomplish important goals in your life? In what ways do people with disabilities remind us that we all have limitations? Is this a good thing for us to be reminded of?
4. How can helping others do great things also enrich our own life? Do you think Karen parents feel fulfilled seeing her accomplish these goals? What sort of things do people learn about life through parenthood? What sort of things do we learn by helping others?
5. Why do you think it was necessary for Senators Brownback and Kennedy to propose this bill? Should it be left up to the parents on both sides to organize their own support networks and seek out their own information? What role do you think the government should play in situations such as this? Why is it important to present the positive aspects of having a child with Down Syndrome?
6. Do you think our current culture and our current laws respect the principle stated in the Declaration of Independence by the phrase: “…they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness”? In what ways can we promote a greater respect for this principle in our country today? Can you list any other initiatives that try to promote a greater understanding and living out of this principle? What things can you do in your own community to promote this more?
7. Read the Sports Illustrated article listed in the resources below. Do you think the NJ basketball coach did the right thing in allowing Brad to play ball? Why or why not? How did this opportunity impact Brad? His teammates? The members of the teams that he played against? How would this also impact the people in the stands just watching the game – would they have left with a different perspective?
8. Does society treat people with disabilities as inferior people? Can you name situations which support your response? Why do you think this is so? What can we do to change negative attitudes towards people with disabilities? Are there people in your school or your family that are treated differently for one reason or another?
9. How would you react in a situation where you would need to work with someone with a disability? Would that make you feel uncomfortable? What could be done to make you feel more comfortable in that situation? What motivations can we find to treat others with greater respect and charity when our first reaction might be one of distance or fear?
10. Is there any truth to the idea that people would begin to feel differently about Down Syndrome if they met families coping successfully with this situation? How could this be encouraged?
11. Why would God allow someone to be born with a disability of any kind? How would this change someone who knew them?

Partial answer to Question 11:
Through allowing disabilities to exist, God helps us all learn to be more humane, more focused on the deeper worth of each person, more empathetic, more loving, more like Christ. People with Down Syndrome also help us see that being a loving person is more a source of joy than being the most talented, most attractive, most intelligent, etc.

ACTIVITIES

• Determine the names of the acting Senators/Representatives for your district. Write them letters or emails in support of the Bill. You can state your concern that the right to life of every child be protected and promoted. Express your desire that women with difficult pregnancies be given the full support of the government to welcome their children with love and joy. Express your own thoughts on the dignity of each human life.
• Have a mock debate about this bill. Argue the reasons why it is important for the Brownback-Kennedy Bill to pass.

JOURNAL WRITING

Imagine that your parents came to you and told you they were having a baby and your new sibling would have Down Syndrome. How would this new situation impact your life right now? Write about your worries and your concerns. Do you seen any positive aspects of this possible situation after reading this article? Would you have enough room in your life for a sibling with special needs? How do you think your life would be changed?

FURTHER FORMATION

From The Gospel of Life (Pope John Paul II, 1995) “It is therefore a service of love which we are all committed to ensure to our neighbor, that his or her life may be always defended and promoted, especially when it is weak or threatened. It is not only a personal but a social concern which we must all foster: a concern to make unconditional respect for human life the foundation of a renewed society.
We are asked to love and honor the life of every man and woman and to work with perseverance and courage so that our time, marked by all too many signs of death, may at last witness the establishment of a new culture of life, the fruit of the culture of truth and of love.”

RESOURCES

Information on Karen Gaffney: www.karengaffneyfoundation.com

Catholic pro-life support groups for prenatal diagnosis:
www.prenatalpartnersforlife.org
www.benotafraid.net

Down Syndrome websites:
National Down Syndrome Society
Trisomy 21

Information on the Brownback/Kennedy bill:
Petition to support the Brownback/Kennedy bill

Brad Hennefer:
Story on Brad Hennefer
Brad Hennefer’s gallery
Brad Heffener Golf for Life Foundation

Story about Aidan Milligan: “The Joy of Aidan”

Interview with actress Eva Longoria about her sister Elizabeth

CNN interview of Representative Cathy McMorris-Rogers (Washington) about baby Cole born in 2007 with Down Syndrome:

• “People have just been tremendous, and when I returned after some maternity leave, I brought Cole with me that first night to the House floor.”

Interview with actor John C. McGinley – currently Dr. Cox of “Scrubs”

• His son, Max, has Down Syndrome (John was 2006 & 2007 National Buddy Walk Spokesman):

“A great blessing – Student with Down syndrome inspires school:” The Catholic Review October 13, 2006

Rebecca Dussault is going for the gold, and yet she feels that she has already won. Few would suspect that one person could excel as a young wife, mother and world champion cross-country ski racer.

At age 15 Rebecca started cross-country ski racing, and found herself climbing quickly to the top. She seemed to have the winning combination that U.S. Nordic Ski Coach Peter Vordenberg later described: “Rebecca is a talented an athlete as we have ever had. She has the physical talent, the mental drive, and the emotional support of her family and her strong Catholic faith.” She loved the sport because it brought her into the beauty of God’s creation. She skied with others who shared both her love for the outdoors and for God.

“We used to go skiing in the middle of the night with a group from our church and our priest, who was an avid outdoorsman,” she recalled. “He would celebrate Mass for us in the moonlight.”

A DIFFICULT CHOICE

When Rebecca married her childhood sweetheart, Sharbel, at age 19, she thought her skiing days were over. “My main reason for hanging my skies up at such a young age was to re-prioritize and break away from the spotlight. My skiing had become all-consuming and I realized that I was not going to be able to keep up the demanding schedule and raise a family.” For her, the first priority became and still is her vocation to marriage.

She and Sharbel had been friends since age 11, when his mother home schooled both of them. “We felt a strong bond of friendship we knew would last into marriage and until death,” she said, “We knew we were made for each other unto our eternal betterment.” They are both fervent Catholics.

A year after her wedding, with a spirit of docility in asking God through prayer what He was asking of her, she decided to give up skiing to show what was really important in her life. “I was convicted by the Lord that He wanted more of me than I was giving to Him,” she explained, “and that ultimately I would have to leave skiing to attain this gift of self.” This decision required true courage in taking the risk of giving up a proven and successful life in competitive racing to answer God’s call to focus on her new family.

“I would be remiss if I didn’t share with all of you my truest love of all,” she said, “the Lord Jesus Christ and his holy Catholic Church. My faith is the most important thing in my life.” “Having the same faith formation as my spouse has had unbelievable advantages,” she said, “It was never a question as to whether or not we would fully embrace the Church’s teachings.”

On November 29th, 2001, Rebecca gave birth to a son, Tabor, her “pride and joy.” When she went to the Olympics in Salt Lake City to watch her teammates compete, she hugged her son close and told herself that he was her gold medal.

THE PIVOTAL RACE

After a three-year break, the Dussaults began to discuss the possibility of Rebecca racing again. In February of 2003 she entered a local race where she found herself competing against the two-time Olympian, Katrin Smigun, who was undefeated in all her college races.

The gun fired, and the racers took off. Soon, however, Rebecca and Katrin had left the others behind. The crowd was astounded as the two women raced neck to neck for 25 minutes. They crossed the line in a photo finish, but no one had a camera to prove who actually won.

The next weekend, Rebecca challenged Katrin in another race, and this time won. Together with her husband, she decided to begin the process of discerning whether God wanted her to get back into the world of racing.

BACK TO THE SKIS

The Dussaults again lived out the virtue of docility in their willingness to open their hearts and minds to God’s will. In humility they turned to prayer to discern God’s will, knowing that they needed God’s help and guidance. “After a lot of prayer and the determination to keep our family together no matter the cost, we came to the conclusion that now was the time. God had given me a talent and now he had given me another chance.”

Following God’s will would again require courage in taking on the rigors of Olympic training, and now with the added responsibilities of a family: “So here I am back on my skis training hard year round and proving to myself and to others that it is possible to live life to its fullest, be a mom, help run a business and persevere through all the ups and downs. It is all a matter of God’s graces helping me prioritize and schedule my life so that I can accomplish all of my goals.”

RACE SO AS TO WIN

Right now Rebecca has set her goals high: to ski well at the Torino Winter Olympics, to live heroic virtue, to become a saint, and eventually to have more children and educate them at home. With a humble resolution not to do it alone, she brings her family with her everywhere she races, and invokes the help of Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati of Turin as her patron.

“I share all that I am trying to attain with those who are helping me to attain it. Traveling together is three times as full with a family but I would not sacrifice any of it because life is not just about crossing the finish line first. Throughout this journey the Lord has blessed us with family unity and taught us many lessons. I am blessed in every day to be able to share this with them.”

THE WITNESS OF A FAMILY

Sharbel has not just been with his wife every step of the way, but has shared in her struggles and triumphs as well. He has acted as Rebecca’s agent and photographer, taken care of Tabor in all of the hours of training, and has kept the business going so as to support the family. He knows that the greatest victory is not the gold medal, but the testimony of embracing the Catholic vision of marriage and the family.

“Our family has been a silent witness to the vocation of marriage among team members, staff, and perfect strangers,” said Sharbel, “It is very rare for a family to be seen traveling on the race circuit. We have been confronted and challenged to share our faith and our reasons for doing this as a family. We are committed to our marriage and family life. Nothing is more important than keeping our marriage strong and healthy.”

THE SECRET FORMULA

Rebecca has spent the last months in a rigorous training cycle. Her training goal was to have a fit body, to ski technically well and to have a constructive mindset which will enable her to tap into the tools and fitness she worked so hard to put into place in her training. She wants to be able to access all her physical, emotional and spiritual fitness so as to take on the world’s best at the Olympics.

She also has a wealth of motivations to spur her on: “I am motivated by my passion for competition, hard work, success, meeting goals, making friends, seeing the world, sharing my faith within sport, passing tron saint, Blessed Frassati said, “Ever Upward!”

Bible Blurbs

“Whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him” (Colossians 3:17)

I urge you therefore… to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God, … Do not conform yourselves to this age but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and pleasing and perfect. (Romans 12: 1-2)

The LORD God said: “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a suitable partner for him.”….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: 18, 24)

Pope Quotes

“Love is indeed “ecstasy”, not in the sense of a moment of intoxication, but rather as a journey, an ongoing exodus out of the closed inwardlooking self towards its liberation through selfgiving, …and indeed the discovery of God” (Pope Benedict XVI, God Is Love)

“It is part of love’s growth towards higher levels and inward purification that it now seeks to become definitive, and it does so in a twofold sense: both in the sense of exclusivity (this particular person alone) and in the sense of being “for ever”” (Pope Benedict XVI God Is Love)

“It is also your task to proclaim and to witness to the humanizing power of the Gospel with regard to the practice of sport, which if lived in accordance with the Christian outlook, becomes a “generative principle” of profound human relations and encourages the building of a more serene and supportive world.” (Pope John Paul II, June 26, 2004)

Pope John Paul II when he spoke of the value of sports with a supernatural perspective: “Precisely because your competing does not take place for the sake of mere and superficial amusement, but to give proof of your ability and of what fruits a long and arduous preparation may yield, sporting effort is a real school of human virtue, of which the ancient biblical book of wisdom writes: ‘When it is present, men imitate it, and they long for it when it has gone; and throughout all time it marches crowned in triumph, victor in the contest for prizes that are undefiled.’”

CATECHISM CLIPS

2826: By prayer we can discern “what is the will of God” and obtain the endurance to do it.

1604: Since God created him man and woman, their mutual love becomes an image of the absolute and unfailing love with which God loves man. It is good, very good, in the Creator’s eyes.

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. For this reason the Second Vatican Council, using an ancient expression, calls the family the domestic church.

SAINTS AND HEROES

BLESSED PIER GIORGIO FRASSATI (1901-1925)

Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati was born in 1901 in Turin, Italy. His sister Luciana described him as representing “the finest of Christian youth: pure, happy, enthusiastic about everything that is good and beautiful.” He was an athlete and outdoorsman, enjoying all types of activities such as hiking, riding horses, skiing and mountain climbing. He also had a good sense of humor, with a love for laughter and practical jokes. Pier was from a wealthy family, but he lived simply so as to give to the poorest of Turin. He often served them in a hidden and humble manner. He contracted polio and died on July 4, 1925.

SAINT ELIZABETH OF HUNGARY (1207-1231)

Saint Elizabeth of Hungary was born in 1207 and died before her 24th birthday. At the age of 4 she was betrothed to 11-year-old Count Ludwig IV and was sent to Germany to be educated at his castle. The two children grew and were schooled together, forming a solid friendship. Elizabeth would often help the sick and the poor, and although she was criticized for this at court she refused to defend herself. Ten years later, the two were married, and they enjoyed several happy years together. They understood each other, and shared the task of raising four children.

Elizabeth was devastated when her husband died, only six years after the wedding, but she gave herself over to a life of poverty and working with the poor until the day of her own death. One of her daughters, Gertrude, also became a saint.

Virtue Vocabulary Verification

Courage- The capacity to meet danger without giving way to fear; to have the courage of one’s convictions; to be willing to put one’s opinions and beliefs into practice

Discern- To perceive, comprehend or recognize God’s will in a situation

Docility- Part of the virtue of prudence that allows us to learn from or be led by another

Humility- Virtue that reminds us we do not know everything and that God can be trusted to guide us as a good Father.

Vocation- An inclination, in response to a call, to undertake a certain kind of work; a calling

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

1. What are some of the qualities of the type of friendship Rebecca and Sharbel shared? How did this contribute to the success of their marriage?
2. Why is it important to discern God’s will for our lives? What advantages or benefits does it give to us?
3. How have Rebecca and Sharbel attempted to discern God’s will for them? How can we do this in our own lives? What other ways, besides prayer, do we hear God speaking to us?
4. What things do the Dussaults do to keep marriage and family life as a priority? In what ways do they give witness to the vocation of marriage?
5. How can a good spiritual life contribute to making a person a good athlete? How can a good athletic life help one’s spiritual life?
6. What kind of message are the Dussaults giving to the world? Imagine that you are designing a poster for Rebecca’s promotion. What slogan could you put on it?

JOURNAL WRITING OPTIONS:

1. Make a list of Rebecca’s priorities, and number them from the most important to the least important. Then, do the same for your own priorities and goals. What is most important to you? What is the least important to you?
2. Have you ever given up something and then found it returned to you again? Write the story of how you decided to give it up, what your motivations and difficulties were, and how you felt when you got it back.
3. Make a personal training program for your spiritual life. Pick one virtue that you want to excel in, and make of list of 5-7 concrete exercises that can help you practice that virtue. Make sure your training is rigorous, and will challenge you to grow. How can you practice this virtue at home? With your family? With friends? In your prayer?

ACTIVITIES:

• Sports Scripture Contest: Hold a timed contest in which students look through their Bibles to find passages related to sports (Run, Race, Strength, etc.). Students write the verse and reference on a sheet of paper to be submitted to the judges. The one with the most quotes is the winner.
• Rebecca Dussault says on her website: “Work out with people who need inspiration. Don’t be afraid to do an easy workout with someone who you may impact greatly.” Ask students to “adopt” a friend, younger sibling or neighbor whom they can do athletic activities with. Make a special effort to motivate and inspire them.
• Invite a speaker to the classroom on the theme of spiritual exercise/physical exercise, to speak about our need for both and some ways to practice health in both areas.
• Ask students to research on the Internet the life of St. Ignatius of Loyola, and to then write a summary of his recommendations for how to train for a life of holiness.

WEB RESOURCES:

• Rebecca’s personal website: http://www.dussaultskis.com/
• Winter Olympics 2006 coverage: http://msnbc.msn.com/id/9134568/
• National Catholic Register article by Gina Giambrone, published in Volume 82, No.6, February 5-11, 2006 issue http://www.ncregister.com

Around 6:00 pm on April 19^th, the bells of St. Peter’s rang out again, and people all over the city dropped everything to race to the Vatican. Habemus Papam! We have a new pope! Everyone gathered in the square waited for the announcement of who it was: Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger! Crowds of young people hugged each other with joy, and, electrified by his appearance on the balcony, began to chant: Ben-e-dic-tus. In this lesson we will learn more about our new Pope, who he is, what he stands for, and why we the young people look ahead to his pontificate with hope.

Growing Up in Tough Times

Joseph Ratzinger was born on April 16, 1927 in Marktl am Inn, Germany. That area of Germany (Bavaria) is known for the strong Catholic faith of its people and their contagious joy. 

This joy was truncated, however, when Adolf Hitler took over Germany in 1933 and eventually launched the country into Word War II. Joseph’s father, a retired policeman, opposed the Nazi regime, and as a teen Joseph himself refused to join the Hitler Youth organization, even though this meant he would be given less financial help by the government for his studies. 

He had felt attracted to the priesthood since a young age, and during his teens he joined a high school seminary. Eventually he and all his companions were forced, like all other German youth, to enter the army. Joseph was 16 years old when he was conscripted in 1943.  He testifies that “the next two years were very difficult”, and at the end of the war all soldiers were taken prisoners, but eventually he was able to return home. 

As a priest, bishop and cardinal, Joseph Ratzinger has often spoken out about the evils of the Nazi system.  

He resumed his studies for the priesthood immediately after his release, even though his old seminary had been destroyed by the war.

Gift for Theology

He was ordained a priest when he was 24. Even during his seminary years it was clear that he had a special gift for the study of the faith (theology), and so he was asked to become a professor at the seminary and then at the university. He served the Church many years as a priest and theology professor, studying and instructing others on different points of Catholic teaching. His classes were very popular among the students for the depth of understanding that he showed and for the love of Christ that his explanations stirred in them. He very much loved his work as professor.

During the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965) he was named a special consultor to the bishops, in spite of the fact that he was much younger than almost all the other experts. 

Wider Mission

At the age of 50, much to his surprise, Pope Paul VI asked him to head the large archdiocese of Munich, Germany. He was consecrated as archbishop, and a month later was named a cardinal. 

In 1981, when he was 54, Pope John Paul II asked him to take a difficult position in Rome as the Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. It was not a job he wanted, because it often entails receiving vicious criticism, but he knew this was the way Christ had called him to serve the Holy Father.

This responsibility gave him a special role of safeguarding the integrity of the Catholic Faith, and answering questions of how to be faithful to Church teachings. He worked very closely with the Holy Father on these projects. The Catechism of the Catholic Church that we currently use was one of the projects that he and his commission worked on for six years.

Unimpressed with himself

What is this man who has accepted Christ’s call to be our Holy Father like? The first word used by those who know him is always “humble”. As Cardinal, one could often see him walking across St. Peter’s Square on his way home or on his way to a meeting with the Pope, stopping to greet anyone who approached him along the way, and often giving directions to those who did not even know who he was. 

An Italian journalist, Vittorio Messori, says that he is a “man, among other things, of subtle humor, quick smile.” This sense of humor helps him not take himself too seriously, or react to the criticism of others. “I remember one afternoon,“ wrote Messori, “when we were at table, after he received an award for something. He wanted me to tell him some of the jokes circulating about him in the parishes. I told him some of them and realized that he was really amused.”

True spiritual fatherhood

Pope Benedict XVI understands from the example of the John Paul II that a true father gives everything he is and has to care for his children. The word “Pope” means father, papa, or dad, and so we call him the Holy Father. 

A father is the one who can help us when we have an important question, when we are confused about something. Through his teaching at the university level, his kind advice to seminarians, his books and articles, and his statements as Prefect of the Doctrine of the Faith, Joseph Ratzinger, now our Holy Father, has always been there to counsel and instruct in the truth.

A good father is brave, and unafraid of anybody when it comes to protecting us. Even in the face of criticism, he knows how to distinguish good and evil, and stand up for what is right. A father believes in us and builds our own sense of confidence in who we are. He is responsible and faithful to his children, whether they be natural children, or those entrusted to him in a spiritual level. 

A Hero Lost 

John Paul II was a rock and a light for young people around the world. In the midst of a society that treated us with condescension and contempt, telling us we were dreamers and uncontrollable, he showed us we could be great. 

Secular culture invited us to be modern, to destroy rules of morality and follow the waves of fashion without finding meaning to life. Pope John Paul II believed that we could be better, and hoped in us as the force that could transform society. He spoke to us of Christ, of the truth, and of the noble ideals we could attain. He truly loved us and gave himself to us without counting the cost.

A Hero Found

The new Pope knows how much John Paul II meant to the young people, and has already taken steps to assure us that we are not alone. He announced immediately that he will attend World Youth Day in Cologne, Germany this August, gladly keeping the appointment made by John Paul II. 

During one of his first speeches our new Holy Father said “With you, dear young people, I will continue to dialogue, listening to your expectations in an attempt to encounter ever more profoundly the living Christ, the eternally young.”

Rock Solid

Pope Benedict XVI speaks with the same firmness of faith, the coherence and confidence in Christ that we learned from John Paul II. He gives us confidence that adherence to Christ is our stronghold and message amidst confusion. He addresses young people in a way that gives us hope for what the future can bring, if we build our lives on these same principles. 

At his Mass of Inauguration as Pope on April 24^th, he said: “Today, with great strength and great conviction, on the basis of long personal experience of life, I say to you, dear young people: Do not be afraid of Christ! He takes nothing away, and he gives you everything. When we give ourselves to him, we receive a hundredfold in return. Yes, open, open wide the doors to Christ—and you will find true life.”

One young person tries to explain the enthusiasm that has exploded spontaneously for our new Holy Father: 

“Why are we young people so excited to have this new Pope?” asked David Assad, “Because in the midst of this confused world God has given us a clear light, a firm faith, a solid rock on which to build our lives. 

“The shock of the liberal media doesn’t impress us at all, neither do the terrified faces of those aging ideologies before the light of truth.

“We live the eternal youth of the truth of Christ, the truth that does not change, sustained by the rock of Peter. This is the truth that fills us with happiness.”

Bible Blurbs

“’You are Peter and on this rock I will build my Church … I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven’. (Matthew 16:18)

‘Preach the word, be urgent in season and out of season, convince, rebuke and exhort, be unfailing in patience and in teaching… As for you, always be steady, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.’ [St. Paul, 2 Tim 4:2-5]

‘I am the Light of the world; he who follows me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.’ (John 8:12)

Pope Quotes

“”Before my eyes is, in particular, the witness of Pope John Paul II. He leaves us a Church that is more courageous, freer, younger. A Church that, according to his teaching and example, looks with serenity to the past and is not afraid of the future.”

 “Love is the power which God exercises in the world.  To pray is to put oneself on the side of this love-….  As Christians, as those who pray, this is our very highest task.” (Approaches to a Theology of the Liturgy By Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger)

“The Church is not a market, but a family… a guide and witness to unity in the context of the familiarity of the Church with one single teacher, Christ”

Catechism of the Catholic Church

882 The Pope, Bishop of Rome and Peter’s successor, “is the perpetual and visible source and foundation of the unity both of the bishops and of the whole company of the faithful.” “For the Roman Pontiff, by reason of his office as Vicar of Christ, and as pastor of the entire Church has full, supreme, and universal power over the whole Church, a power which he can always exercise unhindered.”

85 ”The task of giving an authentic interpretation of the Word of God, whether in its written form or in the form of Tradition, has been entrusted to the living teaching office of the Church alone. Its authority in this matter is exercised in the name of Jesus Christ.”47 This means that the task of interpretation has been entrusted to the bishops in communion with the successor of Peter, the Bishop of Rome.

Saints and Heroes:

Mother Francis Xavier Cabrini (Love for the Holy Father)

St Frances Cabrini was one of 13 children raised on a farm in northern Italy. Since she was a child, she wanted to be a missionary in China. She received a catholic education and training as a teacher. She tried to join a religious order at age 18, but poor health prevented her from being accepted. A priest asked her to teach at a girl’s school, the House of Providence Orphanage in Cadagono, Italy, which she did for six years. Seeing how well she worked, in 1880 her bishop asked her to found the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus to care for poor children in schools and hospitals. In 1888 the Holy Father, Pope Leo XIII asked her to be a missionary among the poor Catholic immigrants in the United States who were quickly losing their faith in the difficult circumstances there. With great love and faith she and six sisters arrived in New York in 1889. They worked with untiring dedication among immigrants, especially Italians. She quickly received the loving title of “Mother” among everyone she met, because of her profound charity and deep sense of service. She founded 67 institutions, including schools, hospitals, and orphanages in the United States, Europe and South America. Like many of the immigrants she worked with, Mother Cabrini became a United States citizen during her life, and after her death she was the first US citizen to be canonized.

Father Edward Flanagan (Dedication to youth)

Edward Flanagan was born in Ireland on July 13^th 1886. He immigrated to America in 1904 to follow a long-held dream to become a priest.  When he was ordained in 1912 his bishop sent him to work in Omaha, Nebraska. There he saw real poverty: hundreds of unemployed men, with their wives and families, lived in the most terrible conditions. He was especially concerned about the huge number of homeless boys on the streets.  After the First World War ended in 1918, he founded Boys Town, a place for young homeless or destitute boys to live. He gathered hundreds of boys and helped them by his dedication and faith. His motto was “There’s no such thing as a bad boy.” By 1936 Boys’ Town was an official city of the State of Nebraska.  In 1938 a movie called Boys town was created and released based on this true story.  His courage and faith has inspired not only the boys which he helped but thousands others with his heroic fatherhood. His work continues to this day in the many Boys Towns around the world.

Discussion Question Options

What are the qualities of a good father? In what ways should the Pope be a reflection of this? In what ways can you remember that John Paul II showed himself to be a true Holy Father?  

Many Catholics are excited by the new pope, but many media reporters cannot understand why. What reasons could you give, to explain why we look forward with hope to this new Pope, and why people feel excitement over his election?

Why is the Pope different than any other governmental leader? How is the election different? What types of qualities might people look for in a governmental leader? What qualities would be important for a Pope?

Christ said that the gates of Hell would never triumph over his Church, and no matter what happens in the world, the rock of Peter would remain. Does this give you confidence and hope for the future? Does it give you a sense of security, no matter what happens?

Do you prefer someone who tells you the truth, even when it is hard, or someone who just tells you what you want to hear, even when it is wrong? What happens if we disregard the Pope just because we do not like something he says?

Journal Writing Options

One day you will be telling your children, or other young people, what it was like this day when you heard about the new Pope. What was your experience? What hopes and expectations do you have for the future?

What are some ways that you can personally back up the Holy Father, and support him in his mission? What are some attitudes you can practice? Things you can say?

Resolution Ideas

Hold a Catechism trivia contest, with the newest Catechism of the Catholic Church. Questions can come from the content, as well as a knowledge of the general outline and structure of the Catechism.

In groups, students make short reports on the following questions which Cardinal Ratzinger helped clarify. Students look up the reference and the teaching, and give a brief summary of the main points to the rest of the class:

Are all religions equal?

Do Catholic politicians have to vote according to Catholic principles?

What is the difference between separating Church and State, and intolerant secularism?

Is it moral to do research with human embryos?

Is homosexual marriage valid?

When can religion become too involved in trying to change politics (liberation theology)?

How can one show reverence in Mass and love for the true presence of Christ in the Eucharist?

When should a person not receive communion?

Make an informational pamphlet to hand out to other students, families, and parishioners, with facts to help them know Pope Benedict XVI better. Students can divide into groups to find quotes, pictures, a map of his hometown, interesting stories from his youth, etc.

Resources 

To explain the papal election: http://www.catholic-pages.com/pope/

The life and story of Pope Benedict XVI: http://www.catholicculture.org/lit/pope_benedict/ 

Books written by Cardinal Ratzinger : http://www.catholicculture.org/lit/pope_benedict/pope_ben_books.cfm