Ad Maiorem Dei Gloriam

In Gratitude for Priesthood and Family

2011-09-05T19:22:00.004-05:00

A Prayer for Priests

May God bless you
in your priesthood.
Thank you for your ministry;
You are in our prayers.

There were seven children
and then seven more,
and it was given to the seventh
child to hold them all in all.

Seven times a day he'd pray,
and seven times a week.

He'd care and call and play and all,
just to keep us all in all.

He is the middle child,
whose call is to keep us all
on the middle path.

To keep us moving slow or fast
towards the goal we all aim at,
his name is Pat.

Thank you for all you do,
you are a blessing.

Love, Dan

Deo Gratias

2011-07-17T19:52:00.005-05:00

Hey everybody ...
I wanted to express a note of thanks for all the great messages I have been receiving this day.

Certainly there is no way to express my true gratitude, as the messages of love have come from so many different folks from a zillion points of my life: through email, phone calls (thanks Mom), cards, and Facebook. I just want to acknowledge that these simple and faithful greetings and wishes are sources of life for me. Each one gives me pause to thank God for you and for the times when our paths have intersected.

Many of you may not know that July 17 is also the day my Dad was called to the Lord in 2008. Above is a photo of him and me, and of course my mother the living saint! I was happy to celebrate Mass in my community this morning and offer the Mass for the memory of my Dad.

So, on behalf of my father and the angels who attend to him, I send a sincere prayer of gratitude for those who contacted me today. Never underestimate the power of one message to wish someone a happy birthday. These are blessings for me, and I use them to give me strength and "Spiritus" for the work ahead this year.

I mean ... how do you think it makes a guy feel when over 80 messages come from friends and family all day long. It's like love overload. Which is kinda what heaven is like. Check out this reminder I get from Facebook, like every 10 minutes or so.

Please keep me in prayer as I do my best to serve the Church and her mission. And say a prayer that my upcoming vacation gives me the rest and recharging of batteries I need for 2011-2012.
Peace to you all.

Patrick Alexis Fairbanks

PS: Check out this past site for a little insight to St. Alexis: St Alexis, July 17

Good Friday

2011-04-22T08:34:00.006-05:00

Crux Christi salus mea

Lady Madonna

2011-03-25T17:45:00.003-05:00

2011 years ago, the scene on the left took place in Nazareth. Mary vowed her destiny with the words, "Be it done unto me according to Thy word." Two years ago the scene on the right took place in Chicago. I pronounced final vows as a Jesuit with the words, "I further promise a special obedience to the Sovereign Pontiff in regard to the mission." I am thankful for a few friends who remembered this anniversary, and perhaps a Rosary of Joyful Mysteries would be appropriate tonight.

Click here to find out: What are final vows?

Yellow Submarine

2011-03-24T14:07:00.003-05:00

Fr. Glen Chun S.J. ... our beloved Vocation Promoter, asked me to name one of my blog entries with the title of the famous animated Beatles film. Done, and done!

Saintly Blessings

2011-03-17T14:18:00.003-05:00

On this day of dual saints (click here), may each moment of life bring awareness of God's green grace and electric action inside it.

Peace to all.

Patrick Alexis

Real Love

2010-06-10T22:43:00.005-05:00

In honor of my 10th anniversary of ordination, I now represent the homily from my first Mass – 10 June 2000

Pentecost Sunday (B) – St. Ignatius College Prep, Chicago
Text: Acts 2:1-11 1 Cor 12:3b-7, 12, 13 John 20:19-23

I must admit, I find it rather daunting to stand before so many people who represent all the various stages of my physical, professional, and spiritual life. It’s like looking at an abridged edition of the Pat Fairbanks biography. In one sense I’m glad it’s I who am speaking up here, rather than many of you who could probably tell better tales than I about that saga.

A biographical question for my family: Do any of you remember my first job? When I was 15 I worked at the A&W root beer stand. I guess the actual title of that job, not to give anyone any ideas, was soda jerk. I had to wear one of those funny paper hats with my name on the side. And my job description at the beginning was very simple. It could be summed up in 3 words: Draw root beer.

I would stand at the front counter all day. Take a cold mug and … draw root beer.
At first, that’s all I did, draw root beer. Then my job description became more complex: make popcorn – cook foot longs – count money and finally by the time I was in college, the boss trusted me with all the money and I got to “close out cash register.”

That was my first job. And in many ways, that simple job of serving people refreshments started a change in me. A change that I do see reflected in the new job I started yesterday … Jesuit priest. The title could be also Catholic priest, minister, servant, presider. They don’t have any paper hats for me to wear in this job, but I do have these robes and from time to time this white collar thing. The job description? Well, it’s similar to my first job, … but it can be summed up in 2 words: Draw near.

As a priest, my job is to draw near the people of God through the ministry of the Church. It’s as if the Lord says, “Patrick, you draw near, so that I may draw near.” In this way the priest brings the Lord’s own body close. And when the Lord draws near, people change.

Once during my formation as a Jesuit, I was working in a hospital in Detroit. I was sort of an orderly on the dialysis unit, taking care of simple things for diabetic patients. I remember being asked by the nurse on duty to go in and see what this older man, Mr. Johnson needed in the room down the hall. So, I walked down to his room, peeked in the door, and asked, “Mr. Johnson do you need anything?” And he whispered back to me very calmly, “I need a shave.” Well giving someone else a shave is like trying to tie someone else’s tie for him. Ya just can’t do it from a distance. You’re in an awkward position. And I’d never done that to anybody, so I felt very uncomfortable, …until Mr. Johnson told me that he usually doesn’t shave himself anyway; he liked to go to the barber and have it done. And so if he weren’t uncomfortable with it, I could at least try it. So, I found myself drawing near to him, physically and spiritually, bringing to him that which he wanted the most, and finding myself doing what the Lord would do. What the Lord IS doing.

That experience, and many others like it, have been small affirmations for me that the Lord would like to employ me / hire me to draw near to his people, through the work of the spirit in the church. As a man and wife draw near within the context of a family, as parents draw near their children, or a health care worker or a counselor draws near through their jobs, so the Spirit would have me draw near as a priest. Ordained or not, we all receive our job descriptions from the one boss. Jesus Christ.

Today’s gospel reading shows us the boss, the risen Jesus, as he draws near to friends of his who had become estranged. The disciples were fearful. Locked behind closed doors. In an upper room. Avoiding the bustle of the street. The mood was probably uncertain, because PEACE is the first thing the Lord brings to them when he draws near.

Now many of you may picture that upper room as a place like this fifth floor chapel. A spacious room, Big enough for the kind of drama we hear about in the version from the first reading the account of Pentecost from the Acts of the Apostles: lots of mysterious activity fierce wind filling the entire house, fire everywhere, lots of people talking in tongues. A big production.

But the account we find in the gospel of John, the same apostle who drew near to Jesus at the Last Supper and laid his head upon the breast of the Lord, the description we find in John is one of a close group, perhaps huddled together in fear, so close that Jesus is able to breathe on them.

And what I find particularly striking about this version of the Pentecost story is that it describes exactly what the priest does at the Mass. My friends, this is a job description for the presider:

Jesus came and stood before them. Jesus said to them, Peace be with you. He breathed on them, inviting them to receive the Holy Spirit. He showed them his body. He told them, “As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” “As you draw near, so I may draw near.”

Today, from this upper room, at the end of Mass, I will send the assembly out on a mission of the Spirit to bring the Lord’s touch and breath to other people. As you heard today’s readings, perhaps you too may find a job description for yourself. What sort of language will you be called to speak in the days ahead? Who is it that needs you to draw near? St. Paul reminds us, we are many bodies, and we each have our own specific gifts, but we share the one Spirit. And it may just be your body that brings the right breath of refreshment to someone in need.

Last month, in my parish back in Boston, I served as a deacon for a former pastor of that parish. This aged gentleman, Fr. Readdy, had returned to celebrate his 50th anniversary as a priest. Fr. Readdy was about 80 years old and he had very serious Parkinson’s disease so he couldn’t turn the pages of the Sacramentary book, nor was he able to hold the chalice and paten up at the consecration. Well, this was my last time serving as a deacon, and I felt like it was my final exam.

As the two of us sat there next to the altar, I had to find the right pages for him, I had to whisper to him that he should be standing, I had to be sure he didn’t trip on the steps, at one point during the Creed, I had to fish around in the fabric of his alb to switch the microphone on and off for him.

Unexpectedly, I was called to draw near to Father Readdy, in the same way that the Spirit unexpectedly drew nearer to me. This is exactly how the Spirit works in all of us. Descending upon us, whispering with an unassuming, almost unnoticeable breath. Guiding us and operating in the very fabric of our lives, until, over time, we realize we are actually employed by the Spirit.

We have all been hired to perform, in our own circumstances, simple acts of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. The fruits of the Holy Spirit. The job description of all Christians. So, if yesterday was my ordination, the day when the Lord calls ME forth into a new job, a new life, then today, Pentecost is the day when the Lord calls US forth into a new job. A new life.

(At this point I put my old A&W hat on my head).

Thirty years ago yesterday, June 10, 1970, was the day I started work at the A&W root beer stand. On that day, I walked out of our house in Hamilton, Ohio, headed down a few streets, over the bridge, through downtown Hamilton, past the court house and department stores, walked to the other edge of town to a far off and busy street, and I started the work of drawing closer to people. I broke forth from the security of locked doors into the risky business of social and personal relationships. That’s where the Spirit first gets to work.

I am thankful to my earthly Father for calling me to that job, and today at this liturgy, I am thankful to my heavenly Father for bringing that Spirit to fruition. Also at this liturgy, I lay aside this symbol (the paper hat) and gladly receive two new symbols of my new life: the chalice and paten. Gifts from my family, gifts which represent our communion, our drawing near to the Lord Jesus Christ in our drawing near to each other.

May all of us who share in the body and blood of Christ be brought together in unity by the Holy Spirit.

I Should Have Known Better

2010-06-05T20:59:00.005-05:00

A few weeks back, as I sat in the dentist’s chair rigged up with suction, oral instruments and cotton … I started laughing. The hygienist asked why I was laughing and I gestured to my mouth as if to say, “How in the world can I answer that question.” I waved to suggest that I would tell her later. Afterward, as I got up to leave, she asked again why I was laughing.

I told her, “When I was 9, I remember sitting in Dr. Gaylord’s dentist office ready to get the regular teeth cleaning. That hygienist back then got the electronic toothbrush ready and chirped, 'So, which kind of toothpaste do you want today? Yogi Bear or Huckleberry Hound.' What a dilemma! I thought and thought and replied, 'Oh, I’ll take the Yogi Bear.' She then approached and started to whirr my teeth to sparkling white.”

Yeah, so why was I laughing? It just dawned on me at that moment that my hygienist back then very likely had only ONE flavor of toothpaste at her disposal. Somebody must have instructed her to “give kids a choice.” How nice of her to include me in the saga of my own dental care. Kinda makes modern health care a little less mechanistic. At least that’s what it seemed like.

In any case, it's fun to open up memories from time to time and see how active God was in making life a bit more adventurous for you. Keep smiling.

Tomorrow Never Knows

2010-06-01T11:20:00.005-05:00

A few minutes ago this morning, at the start of the Mass of Mission and Thanksgiving to end the school year at Saint Ignatius College Prep, one member of the class of 2010 (Daniel Brito) came forward to take hold of his class banner and solemnly proceed out of the Church. That exodus symbolized the moving on of the senior class to larger and greater things.

Daniel’s class graduated last week, and I had the honor to invoke the Holy Spirit at that ceremony. The invocation is presented here as my blessing for a fruitful and relaxing summer.
Congratulations to the Class of 2010.
_______________

Gracious God,
On this night to recognize and celebrate the class of 2010
On this night when, for the final time, they gather as one body
On this night when they step forward into the light of life
On this night when they accept the challenge of real discipleship
On this night when they seize the opportunity – the kairos – to express real gratitude

Father of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,
We ask that your Holy Spirit may descend upon this body at this time and to bless these students, and bless too their parents – those present in time and present in spirit.

Gracious God,
Bestow your abundant gifts upon these men and women: these graduates at graduation.
- Give them hands to fold in prayer, from time to time, for you know them inside as truly Religious.
- Give them eyes to look on diplomas with pride, for they are indeed intellectually competent
- From this night forward, Give them voices of optimism and promise, for you have made them open to growth
- Give them feet to walk with the poor, for they intend to move ahead, on their own, committed to Justice
- And give them arms to embrace their parents in gratitude, for they are indeed loving, fully aware that love ought to be shown more in deeds than in words.

As so let us pray for the greater glory of God: Lord teach me to be generous. Teach me to serve you as you deserve. To give and not to count the cost. To fight and not to heed the wounds. To toil and not to seek for rest. To labor and not to ask for any reward save that of knowing that I am doing your will. Amen

Saint Ignatius, pray for us.

That Means A Lot

2010-05-30T11:59:00.005-05:00

A meditation for Trinity Sunday:

For weeks now I have had my computer’s wallpaper set to display Raphael’s “La Disputa,” one of my favorite of the Vatican collection. Click here to see it. It indeed portrays Raphael’s interpretation of the Trinity and a host of human beings arguing and disputing beneath the sacrament. Typical.

However, in preparation for this morning’s homily, I was inspired by the playful lines in the first reading: “I was beside the master craftsman, delighting him day after day, ever at play in his presence, at play everywhere on his earth, delighting to be with the children of men.” (NJB Prov 8:30,31)

Of course the word play is used twice here and how appropriate for the relationship of God’s inner life: delighted playful creation. I then remembered a more appropriate image by Georges de la Tour: Joseph the carpenter. Take a look at it and see if you can sense the relationship between Son and Father, what Proverbs calls playfulness beside the craftsman, … yet where would you locate the Holy Spirit in this image?

Every Little Thing

2010-04-10T13:07:00.006-05:00

Last week I received an email from a fellow Jesuit -- Fr Phil Hurley -- who works with the Apostleship of Prayer. Phil's message was a good one, but I was excited to read the way he signed his message. He closed with a "motto" added to his signature.

"The great secret, the great mystery is this: there is a heart of the world… and this heart is the heart of Christ.”

This is a quote from Fr. Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, S.J. Fr Teilhard is one of my favorite Jesuit theologians. For him, the supernatural and physical come together in the radiant and loving Heart of Christ.

Years ago, I had the opportunity to visit the grave of Teilhard on a trip through New York state. I was very moved to find the marker and to reflect in the light of the sun. Understandably, many pilgrims before me stopped there to reflect on how rocks and things great and small all radiate the love and energy of God. So, I was not surprised to find little rocks and pebbles placed atop his tombstone. I did the same.

Click on this photo for a larger view. You'll notice by the date on the grave stone that today marks the 55th anniversary of Teilhard's passing.

Keep him close to you, Lord, and allow us each and every one to feel the warm fire of your Your loving Heart everywhere from the smallest photon to the closest Friend.

Thanks, Phil, for the reminder and the inspired invitation to access the power of this radiant Heart in our own prayer. For we are all apostles along the way.

Across the Universe

2010-04-02T11:16:00.006-05:00

“A Jesuit’s vocation is to travel, our study is our worship, and our charism is to find God in all things.” — Father George Coyne, S.J.

I am a fan of public radio, and so I noticed that the latest issue of American Public Media’s Speaking of Faith program hosted two of our most notable Jesuits: Father George Coyne, S.J. and Brother Guy Consolmagno, S.J. Br. Guy is a friend of mine and a member of the Detroit Province, and Fr. Coyne entered from the Maryland Province. It is a truly entertaining and stimulating presentation. You can listen to a podcast or download this Speaking of Faith interview here.

Here’s an article from Wired about Fr. George Coyne, S.J.
Here you can watch a series of YouTube interviews with Fr. Coyne.

Read Br. Guy’s background at the website of the Vatican Observatory.
Watch a fascinating interview with Br. Guy about history, Galileo, science, techies, and the Church.
See Br. Guy interact with Stephen Colbert on The Colbert Report: Gold, Frankincense and Mars
Read Br. Guy’s Blog.

I might also mention that a Chicago Province Jesuit, Fr. Paul Mueller, S.J., formerly of Loyola University Chicago, has recently been appointed superior of the community at The Vatican Observatory. Fourteen Jesuits and a diocesan priest make up the community at Castel Gandolfo, outside Rome. Below are brief profiles of these two Jesuits and a few related links to their stories on the Internet. Check out the Vatican Observatory’s website here. Or meet the Jesuits who work at the Vatican Observatory. Peace to you during this Easter season.

Think For Yourself

2009-07-22T08:30:00.005-05:00

Some of you may be familiar with the famous website: ThinkJesuit.org which is hosted by the Chicago/Detroit/Wisconsin Vocations Team of the Society of Jesus. My counterpart in Milwaukee and I have agreed to upgrade the site to include recent stories, more current podcasts and the same informational material to help men discern a vocation to the Jesuits. Think about it.

Of course it must be emphasized that a Jesuit vocation is not discerned merely by "thinking" about it. A man must first "pray" about his vocation and share that interior dynmaic with a spiritual director. The most authentic vocation is felt below the neck, as it were -- ergo the T-shirts. We also have hats, but those might suggest too much a rational or cerebral process.

Pay a visit to the site if you dare, and better yet, pass on the link to guys you "think" might make good Jesuits.

Gratia vobis et pax adimpleatur.

I've Just Seen A Face

2009-07-16T14:44:00.006-05:00

A couple months ago (when I had intended to write this new entry) the media were in a buzz about the new statue of Ronald Reagan placed in the Capitol building. One commentator said something like, “Reagan is the only statue whose face bears a smile.” Then I thought about a message I received long ago while walking through the streets of Oxford, England. I was a tourist back in 1984, before my Jesuit days, on a three-week tour through the UK, and I loved visiting the two great seats of learning: Oxford and Cambridge. One afternoon as I strolled down a busy Oxford street full of small bookstores, coffee and souvenir shoppes, I noticed my face in the reflection of a store window. Woah! What a grouch. The expression on my face looked something like this one taken by my brother last month.

“What am I so mad about,” I asked. My brother replied, “Nothing, that’s just the way you normally look.” Sweet Mother of Pearl!

Hello, Patrick, are you happy? (yes) Well, why not tell your face!

So, I continued to walk down the Oxford street, forming a new commitment in my head, “Hmmm, I’ve just got to start smiling more.” How hard is that? I usually smile at myself in the mirror after I’ve shaved. And I smile at bank tellers, people in the McDonald’s drive-through, and flight attendants. I even smile at the dentist! So, why not more places and more often?

These thoughts all ran through my head as I walked along the sidewalk, until the store windows ended. Soon I found myself walking along a stone wall with a graffiti message scratched into it. I stopped and looked more closely. No way! A message for me, from … GOD! It had no be so. It was too weird. I pulled out my camera in disbelief and recorded the graffiti for posterity: “Smiling is good for you.”

Since I think this is what I imagine would be “posterity,” I present the photo in digital form today and hope that it brings a smile to your face as well. Tomorrow, my birthday, I will try to make another entry. But for now, keep smiling.

Ask Me Why

2009-03-17T09:55:00.011-05:00

Father, why did you decide to become a priest?

Now and then I supply quick, easy answers to that question: God called me, the Church needs more Jesuits, or I look really handsome in black. Whatever. But deeper reasons why are more subtle: God had been planting in me seeds that slowly grew over time.

When I was young, my Dad (a doctor) used to take me with him on Sunday mornings as he did his “rounds” at Mercy Hospital. When it was my turn to go with him, I loved seeing him at work, and he would introduce me to all the hospital workers, “This is my son, Patrick.” And they’d holler back, “What number are you?” Telling folks I am 7 of 14 never left them with dull expressions. But the best part of hanging out with Dad early Sunday mornings was going with him beforehand to a super-early Mass at a church other than our home parish. St. Mary’s had an early Sunday Eucharist (a quickie Mass), and Dad would take me with him at 9am or something: long before everyone else was up!

St. Mary’s was an older parish, and it had huge stained glass windows depicting the saints: in living color. At least on one occasion, Dad and I walked into church and he pointed up to my right and said, “There’s your patron saint.” I looked up to the last window on the north wall and beheld “my window.” St. Patrick, complete with mitre, snakes and shamrock. How cool was that! Not only did I have my own patron, but there he was in color and larger than life: St. Patrick! Hmm.

Upon reflection, it wasn’t the window so much. I think I was illuminated more so by the fact that I was able to share a unique moment with my father (no small experience for one of ten boys), and a holy one at that. He had named me Patrick and had a window to illustrate what was behind that name. Hmm.

Why did I become a priest? I guess I chose to follow that early Illumination when love and destiny blended in the context of prayer. Thanks Dad. Good vocations are nurtured by good Parents.

Don't Let Me Down

2009-02-15T22:28:00.004-06:00

I saw a news article about Boston College today. A few days ago the CNA reported that BC decided to hang a Crucifix in all of the 151 classrooms on campus.
Click here to read the story.

I am all for the decision to display the icon of our faith, and I find it odd that several professors and faculty on campus disagree with the changes. This and other articles suggest that the Crucifix comes across as divisive -- that it appears offensive to non-Christians who happen to teach there.

Alas, human beings will always look upon the Good (be it self-sacrifice, freedom, or love) and call it something just the opposite. I imagine at the actual Crucifixion that the nearby Roman guards might have held a different interpretation than the mother of Jesus. Sometimes people don't like putting up with love, so they tear it down.

In a country where we have an inundation of icons secular and sour, let's raise this One a little higher. Don't let him down. In the words of George William Kitchin who wrote in 1887: "Lift high the cross, the love of Christ proclaim, till all the world adore His sacred Name."

First Georgetown. Then BC. Maybe next will be Loyola Chicago!
______________________

Oh, and lest I forget the significance of this day ... loving birthday wishes to my model of faith.
Happy birthday to my dear and beloved Mom.

Matchbox

2009-02-02T22:00:00.009-06:00

They used to call it Candlemas Day, or the Purification of the Blessed Virgin. It is a major feast in the Church, one on which many Jesuits have professed Final Vows.
Today Catholics celebrate it as The Feast of the Presentation of the Lord. Your secular friends may grimace and grunt, "Uh ... Ah thot it wuz Grownd Hawg Daay."

Right.

February 2 is forty days after Christmas. And according to Jewish law, the first born was to be taken to the Temple. So, Mary (an observant Jew) was to "bring to the temple a lamb for a holocaust and a young pigeon or turtle dove for sin"; if she was not able to offer a lamb, she was to take two turtle doves or two pigeons; the priest prayed for her and so she was cleansed. (Leviticus 12:2-8)

Simeon was present in the Temple and recognized the baby Jesus as the "light to the Gentiles" or the salvation of all nations. And so we use candles as a symbol of the light of Christ.

Candles are blessed on this day, and then used on the next day to bless throats. All year, the Church uses candles prominently for all sorts of holy events: baptisms, funerals, and the opening of the Easter Vigil. I use a candle in my prayer sometimes, but alas that doesn't make it any more powerful or satisfying. In fact, at times I find my prayer rather dull, routine, and flat -- even when I have a candle burning.

When I was a Jesuit theology student, before my ordination, I took my concerns about weak prayer to my spiritual director, Fr. Howard Gray, S.J. Howard is a guru of sorts and listened carefully and patiently as I would complain about flat prayer and my tepid soul. I told him I'd light my candle and do my breviary, but I didn't feel very connected to God. Howard knew the Lord would grant me the light I needed for deeper prayer: a greater sense of God's presence with me each day.

A few weeks later, I returned to Howard and told him of a revelation (a light going on) that had happened in my prayer recently. I said, "Hey Howard, remember when I told you I lit a candle every day as part of my prayer. And how I felt that my prayer was going nowhere?" He remembered my complaints, and I went on. "Well, the other day, as I was filled with self-pity, I looked down at the little cup where stashed all the wooden matches that I used to light the candle each day. I noticed dozens of matches in that cup!

I then heard a voice inside say to me, "Hey look, you've really made great effort to be present to Me in prayer. I appreciate your daily desire to just show up and seek My presence."

The Lord had granted me a little light, and I had the matches to prove that He was right ... I did desire to be with him. At least I showed up, as the matches reminded me. Whether prayer was deep or flat was not my fault, but just the nature of prayer (alas, the nature of all relationships).

The first line of Psalm 27 reads,
"The Lord is my light and my salvation."
The last line reads,
"Wait for the LORD, take courage; be stouthearted, wait for the LORD!"

Don't Bother Me

2009-01-27T20:23:00.006-06:00

January 28 is the Feast of St. Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274). The breviary states that he "subjected himself to hard discipline." In this painting by Velasquez, we can see how Thomas barely made it through an episode of temptation, concocted by his father. Here's the story:

St. Thomas wanted to be a Dominican, but his father, who was a nobleman from southern Italy, opposed his decision. He ordered his son to be imprisoned in a tower to see if isolating the youth from everyone would make him leave aside his vocation.

Instead of abandoning it, he took advantage of the solitude to pray and study. Seeing this, his father did another bad thing. He arranged for a "public woman" to visit St. Thomas and invite him to sin against purity. It was a chilly day, and a fire was burning in the fireplace of the room where St. Thomas was locked. Talk about symbolism!

When the woman approached to tempt him, he took a stick of burning wood from the fire and threatened to burn the woman should she come any closer. She fled in panic. If you click this photo and enlarge it, you can see the woman leaving in a huff.

Having thus conquered the temptation of impurity, he received the visit of angels who rewarded him with a kind of mystical girdle, that is, an invisible protection against the temptations of impurity. So the Angelic Doctor, St. Thomas of Aquinas, was free of the temptations of the flesh that could disturb the progress of his mind or damage his studies and the great work he did for the Catholic Church.

These comments are taken from Prof. Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira and can be found at this web link.

From the Collect for the Feast:

God our Father, you made Thomas Aquinas known for his holiness and learning. Help us to grow in wisdom by his teaching, and in holiness by imitating his faith.

Rain

2009-01-24T16:58:00.002-06:00

Everything I need to know, I learned from Noah's Ark...

1. Don't miss the boat.
2. Remember that we are all in the same boat.
3. Plan ahead. It wasn't raining when Noah built the Ark.
4. Stay fit. When you're 60 years old, someone may ask you to do something really big.
5. Don't listen to critics; just get on with the job that needs to be done.
6. Build your future on high ground.
7. For safety's sake, travel in pairs.
8. Speed isn't always an advantage. The snails were on board with the cheetahs.
9. When you're stressed, float awhile.
10. Remember, the Ark was built by amateurs; the Titanic by professionals.

Oh, and no matter the storm, when you are with God, there's always a rainbow waiting.

And I Love Her

2008-11-17T13:38:00.007-06:00

November 17 has always had a special place in my heart since it was on November 17, 1987 when I first heard the call to religious life ... Jesuit life. The call itself was clear enough, but it was all the more amplified by the fact that November 17 is also my mom's feast day. My mom was named Elizabeth, likely after her own mother, so maybe we could call her Elizabeth II. I just called her "Mom."

She's not too big on feast days, unless it was my own. (She used to pin little shamrocks on all us kids before we'd head off to school on March 17). But I took it as a special honor to hear the call to the Society on November 17, the Feast of St. Elizabeth.

Sometimes the Lord will use small and seemingly insignificant events of our lives to communicate to us His will for us. Ignatius Loyola knew well that through feelings and motions of the soul, God was likely to communicate directly to the individual of His own love and grace. Through reflection and periodic review of our day-to-day experiences, we can come into closer communion with the Lord. Our desires more closely align themselves with His desire for us.

My mom was not too big on feast days, but she is a great one for reflection. She made a prayer space for herself next to her room, and she reads spiritual material when she can. In her own way, she likely does a brief Examen from time to time. Her mother was a great fan of the Jesuits, and my mom swears that it was only by her intercession that I too was led to follow the Lord along the path of Ignatius. AMDG.

The Saints

2008-11-05T21:55:00.002-06:00

Today the Society of Jesus celebrates the Feast of All Jesuit Saints and Blessed, a day when we remember well-known and not-so-well-known Jesuits who lived out their Christian lives heroically. I would like to pass on the words of a good friend, Fr. Brian Lehane, S.J., who reflects upon these names of holy men who have gone before us in the Society of Jesus.

Acknowledging this feast day to the young men at his Jesuit high school, Fr. Lehane writes, "We may believe that the saints and blessed belong to a former age, but at the end of the millennium, Pope John Paul II commissioned a Martyrology for the 20th century, so that we might not forget the exemplary love of God and neighbor shown by so many 20th century Christian men and women. Jesuit provinces from around the world contributed the names of members who suffered and, in many cases, died for the faith during various persecutions.

"Over three hundred names were gathered, including familiar names like Blessed Miguel Pro of Mexico, Fr. Alfred Delp of Nazi Germany, and Fr. Ignacio Ellacuria of El Salvador. Thirty Jesuits died in Nazi concentration camps, and almost fifty died at the hands of various Communist governments. In 1997 former Detroit Province Jesuit Thomas Gafney was murdered in India because of his stance against drug lords, and in 2001 Canadian Jesuit Martin Royackers was murdered in Jamaica, defending his parishioners from gang violence and political corruption.

"The two Jesuits murdered in Moscow last week join a long list of Jesuits who, when they were novices, prayed to Christ this prayer from the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius: "I deeply desire to be with You in accepting all wrongs and all rejections and all poverty, both actual and spiritual--and I deliberately choose this, if it is for your greater service and praise" [98]. Today we remember especially all those Jesuits persecuted for the sake of righteousness, and we pray that many more men will step forward and answer Christ's call to serve Our Lord in the Company of Ignatius Loyola."

Click here for a complete list of Jesuit Saints and Martyrs.

On a lighter note, I close with this link from another good friend, Fr. James Martin, S.J. who writes for America Magazine. Fr. Jim stars in this brief video which gives a quick look at a few of his favorite saints. To read more about the saints from the experience of Fr. Jim Martin, click here to see a copy of his popular book, My Life With the Saints .

Words of Love

2008-08-15T19:24:00.006-05:00

On this date, Jesuits mark many sorts of beginnings. For many Jesuits, August 15 was the date on which they pronounced first vows. For some, it was the day they entered the Society. For others, this date serves as the start of the work year, when matters “gear up” for another year. So it is for me. We all look to this date not only as a watershed during the year, but most importantly as a major feast for the Church and for the Society of Jesus: the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary into Heaven. It is the beginning of her life eternal, a gift which foreshadows the life we will all possess. It is in the context of this life eternal that I share with you the news of my father’s passing last month. In fact, on the morning of my own birthday, July 17, my dad – Joseph P. Fairbanks, III – was received by the Lord into his loving arms, receiving his greatest reward. In faith, I know that his soul dwells in the presence of God; his body, as yet, remains in the ground in St. Stephen’s Cemetery in Hamilton, but the truth of Mary’s Assumption teaches us that the Lord will bring all things to Himself, including all bodies, all souls, all worlds. Through Him, it was all created, and so in Him he will receive and renew it forever. We await that day when we will all share eternal life – body and soul – with the Father, Son, and Spirit, a time at which I am sure my dad will lose no more hands of bridge, no more games of backgammon, and no rounds of golf to anyone, neither son nor doctor nor lawyer. The picture below shows how it might be when I arrive at the heavenly gates with my dad to show me the way. Oh, and the picture above comes from the Jesuit church in downtown Philadelphia, “Old St. Joseph.” Check out the site here: http://www.oldstjoseph.org/ I drove through Philadelphia today on my way to Connecticut. I will say more about that pilgrimage in coming blogs. Meanwhile, may we all continue on our own pilgrimages, making the best of body and soul, until we hand it right back to Him who loves us.
God bless you, Dad.
Love, Pat

Chains

2008-06-29T20:48:00.004-05:00

Today happens to be the Feast of Sts. Peter and Paul – two great Christian leaders. One served in Rome as a symbol of Church unity, the other was sent to the ends of the earth as a symbol of Church missionary activity. For me, this feast is significant mostly on the account of St. Peter in Chains, which was today’s first reading (Acts 12:1-11). Indeed I felt a connection here because I was raised a Catholic in the parish of St. Peter in Chains, and my home diocese (Cincinnati) is headed at the cathedral of St. Peter in Chains. I was also baptized on the Feast of St. Peter in Chains (Aug 1, 1954) and I selected for my Confirmation name … St. Peter.

But the reading this morning captured me (in chains) because of the telling of the angel. Lately I have been drawn in prayer to consider the role of the Lord’s angel in my life. Our faith teaches that we are committed to an angel throughout the course of our earthly life, and I believe that is true. St. Anselm, for instance, believed that “every soul is committed to an angel when it is united with the body.” St. Thomas Aquinas wrote that not only do baptized Christians receive an angel, but so does every member of the human race. These guardians never leave us, even when we sin, and will accompany us to our eternal reward. The most appealing part of the reading from Acts is that St. Peter thought the guardian who released him was a dream, and that it just couldn’t be real. In fact, Peter learned a bit more clearly what “real” means. He was really freed and really given grace from God. Created spirits, to whom we bodily humans have been assigned, really love and care for us on behalf of the One who created us. Thank God!

Nunc scio vere quia misit Dominus angelum suum (Acts 12:11)

Got To Get You Into My Life

2008-05-26T15:10:00.008-05:00

Each day, I receive a regular e-mailing from a very wise Jesuit in Detroit. Fr. Brian Lehane S.J. writes a daily column for the students at the Jesuit high school there, and then he e-mails them to many of us around the province. This article moved me so much that I thought I’d share it with you:

“Visit any Jesuit institution, and you will inevitably see the letters "IHS" depicted somewhere. On churches and inside on the decorations, the "IHS" is featured prominently in stone, paintings, or even in stained glass as in the picture here. The letters, known as the "sacred monogram," are the first three letters of Jesus' name in Greek, transliterated into English as IHSOUS.

Ignatius Loyola and his First Companions adopted the sacred monogram, adding rays of light, three nails, and a crossbeam through the "h," as the official emblem or seal of the Society of Jesus. When Jesuits built their schools and churches throughout the world, they would be sure to feature prominently the distinctive sacred monogram. The mother church of the Jesuits, the Church of the Gesu in Rome, features a majestic "IHS" in its dome. Travel today to old city centers in Eastern Europe or to the jungle missions of Paraguay and you will see "IHS" on the front of buildings, usually indicating the institution was once a thriving Jesuit institution. But where did the Jesuits get the monogram?

The Franciscan St. Bernardine of Siena (1380-1444) is largely responsible for developing and promoting devotion to the Holy Name of Jesus by popularizing the sacred monogram. Bernardine was so devoted to the name of Jesus that he is largely responsible for having the name "Jesus" added to the "Hail Mary." Bernardine lived at a time when superstition and factionalism were especially problematic. Christians were relying on superstitious symbols to combat evils, and warring clans were identifying themselves (and their homes) with shields and political insignia designed to incite their enemies. Bernardine developed a new insignia on a wooden plank – we still have the plank he used – that contained the sacred monogram "IHS" surrounded by rays of the sun. He exhorted Christians in the Italian cities to replace family crests with a sacred image above their doors, indicating their allegiance to one Lord alone. When he would conclude his preaching against superstition and gang violence, Bernardine would invite his hearers to venerate the sacred monogram as a sign of their fidelity first and foremost to Christ and His way. The devotion took off.

When St. Ignatius and his early companions were looking for an insignia for their new Religious Order in 1540, they could do no better than choose a variation of Bernardine's creation. The SPIRITUAL EXERCISES has a famous prayer experience called a "Meditation on Two Standards," where `standard' refers to something like a flag. Under whose flag will you serve, the flag of Christ? or that of Lucifer? Will you give your allegiance to the true Lord and His way? Or will you settle for a different way that is ultimately self-destructive? Ignatius is not talking here about sinning due to human weakness; that happens to us all. He is talking about the fundamental orientation we choose for our lives. Yourself? Or others? Jesuit institutions bear the insignia of the name of Jesus to show where their loyalties lie. Despite our failures and limitations, we return over and over again to that fundamental choice to follow the Lord's way – in service to those in need. We lift up the name of Jesus and acclaim Him as our Way, our Truth, our Life. We renounce false ways of living – the greed, the dishonesty, the violence – and recommit to the Gospel values the Lord has taught us. Let us remember, every time we see the IHS displayed, that there's power for a better world in His name."

-- Fr. Brian Lehane, S.J.

click picture to enlarge

That Means A Lot

2008-05-22T11:55:00.002-05:00

I want to wish a happy birthday to Fr. Eric Knapp, the pastor at St. Xavier Church here in Cincinnati. I say “here” because as I write this, I am in Cincinnati filling in for Fr. Eric who took the week off to get away. I am happy to take his morning Mass and the round of Confessions afterwards. In fact, this morning was a rather light flow of penitents, so there were a few minutes when I sat in the confession box waiting for the next person to enter. As I did so, I was listening to the noon Mass going on out in the church, and I could hear Fr. Joe (a Jesuit friend of mine) as he preached his homily. He said a few words that stuck with me, and I wrote them down because they meant a lot to me. He said, “I have always liked the saying ‘progress over perfection.’ In fact, I think the word ‘perfection’ is the worst word in the English language. None of us is perfect.” Joe’s words rang true. God does not see us as perfect, in fact he sees us with all our our weaknesses, and He graces us with strength to move ahead (progress) however we can each day. Progress means a lot more than perfection. It means we are still on the journey, still in need of God’s help, and still hope-filled for that perfect destiny (Heaven) which is God-given, not something we gain for ourselves.

Please Mr. Postman

2008-05-19T17:56:00.003-05:00

It has come to my attention that "my interested publics" would like to see more posted entries on this blog space. Always ready to rise to the challenge, I try to accommodate when possible. However, a higher frequency of blog entries comes with a cost ... more banal subject matter. Do people want to know that I rescheduled a dentist appointment today, or that the province office ran out of large hosts, or that I ended up choosing photo proof #18 for my formal portrait? If so, then on we go. Get ready also for more shoddy grammar, more trite sentence structure, and shorter paragraphs ... sometimes with no pictures. But never fear, we shall always try to supply an appropriate Beatles title to the post. So, in response to all the pleas for more ... I am happy to post what I can when the moment should happen. pf

I Call Your Name

2008-03-17T00:12:00.007-05:00

Happy St. Patrick's Day.

If you click on the web link below, you'll be taken to a site called "Orthodox Wiki" it's sort of a Wikipedia for the Eastern Orthodox Church (as distinct from the Roman Catholic Church):

http://orthodoxwiki.org/March_17

When you click here, you'll see an entry explaining the various saints whose feast are celebrated March 17. Only two are pictured in icon portraits. Apparently two famous saints -- at least they are famous for me. You might find it as curious as I do that March 17 happens to be the feast day of these two prominent saints: one for the West (Roman) and one for the East (Orthodox) -- namely: Patrick and Alexis. I tried to ask my parents why they named me Patrick Alexis and they can't seem to come up with a good explanation, except that I was born on the Feast of St. Alexis, July 17 (7/17), which used to be his feast on the Roman Catholic calendar before Vatican II. I think the name Patrick was just a favorite, and my grandmother was of Irish descent. But get this, today Alexis has no Roman feast, but they still observe Alexis in the Eastern Church ... on March 17. What does this mean for me? Scit Solus Deus. I am not a big fan of coincidence: that "it just so happens." I am more likely to believe ... to have faith that "something else" is happening. I'd rather remain open to see what that "else" has to show. So far it's been kind of cool. Since I was little, I loved toying with the occurrences of the number seven in my life experience (some of you know many of them), and this is just another twist -- only a little more scary. Mysterious! We all know that March 17 is St. Patrick's Feast, but it is still quite the conundrum as to what meaning this day (the 77th day of this year) carries for me, the 7th child of two mysterious parents. Happy Feast of St. Alexis.

I, the LORD, have called you ... (Isaiah 42)

PS: I was really tempted to use as the title for this entry, the famous Beatles song: "You Know My Name, Look Up the Number."

Return to me with all your heart

2008-02-06T07:55:00.000-06:00

Joel 2:12
The Lord invites us to rend our hearts, not our garments. What's all that about? Rending or breaking something is a sign of one's sacrifice unto a higher power. In ritual, people do that to animals, skin, and bread. God showed us such a loving sacrifice in the breaking of the body of his Son. During this Lenten time of sacrifice -- when we give back to God that which we enjoy (our lives) -- we are encouraged to sacrifice of ourselves in a more interior way (your heart) than just a symbolic or external sacrifice (the color of your sweater). Before you are marked with ashes, bring your heart back where it belongs.
On this Ash Wednesday, Chicago is waiting for this highly anticipated "snowstorm." So far, nothing yet. Birthday blessings on my nephew Michael and on all those who begin this holy season of prayer.

There's A Place

2008-01-01T20:48:00.000-06:00

I drove from Chicago to Detroit last night, New Year's Eve. Tomorrow starts an 8-day retreat for our candidates, and so I wanted to make it here before the 9 inch snowfall. I was successful. It started to snow as the clock struck midnight and 2008 began. This morning, I went outside to take a walk and noticed a pile of fresh snow near a small evergreen bush. It looked like baking power: pure white and a very fine, dry powder. I scooped up a handful and took a bite. Woah! OK, if you live in an area where snow falls fresh, try this little experiment to see what a number it does on your memory. Bite into some fresh snow and see if you aren't transported back to your life at age 6. Suddenly, as I bit the handful of snow this morning, I saw our front living room at Christmas and some of the presents I got around the year 1960. It was only an instant, but it was sure and somehow a-physical. The memory was not stored in my head or chemistry, but above me ... "up there" someplace where my life waits for the last judgment. Hopefully that little memory of grace will get me through Purgatory a little more quickly. Happy New Year.

Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Ps 51:9

A beginning

2007-12-30T20:10:00.000-06:00

So there I was sitting in Skip and Laura’s apartment having Christmas dinner around the table with family as we all engaged in family conversation. Maybe you saw the picture in my photo gallery at the right. Anyway, we chatted on about the true meaning of Christmas and whatever, like such as ... when Phyllis posed this question: "So Pat, have you ever read the whole Bible?" I wondered, "Uh ... ya mean like cover to cover?" And I replied that I had at one time tried to read the whole Thing but stopped around the book of Judges or something like ... such as. Of course with over 40 years of attending Mass, I am almost sure I ran across a great majority of the Biblical texts, but I can't say I have read "The Whole Thing," as it were ... or like such as. No one else at the table made any claim to having read the whole Bible through and through, so I thought I'd offer a challenge. I told the folks gathered there that I might just look into that idea as a way to start the New Year. Maybe it will be one of my New Year’s resolutions to read the Sacred Scriptures from start to finish. If anyone wants to join me, I'd be happy for the company. We could do something like 10 pages a day or maybe 5 chapters a day, whatever. In any case, I do read the Bible every day anyway, in things such as Mass and prayer, and the Office and others like such as. But still it would be cool, the next time someone (like such as Phyllis) asks me have I ever read the whole Bible cover to cover (Genesis to Revelation) ... Then I would be able to proclaim with pride (which is sort of like a sin) "Yes indeed." So join me if you'd like. The fun begins January 1, 2008 at Genesis 1:1 ...

"In the beginning ..."

I've Got A Feeling

2007-11-18T12:57:00.000-06:00

Sometimes it does start with a feeling. My journal entry from November 17, 1987 reads "At midnight tonight I was lightly touched about my calling to enter a religious community ... it seems I finally found a direction." On November 18, the journal reads, "Last night I believe I finally heard the call to a vocation to an order." The entry for November 19 reads, "This afternoon, I drove downtown to St. Xavier Church and found one brochure on Jesuits USA, the last one. I sat in church and read it entirely. Back home, I wrote to Chicago to send me some information on formation." That was twenty years ago. What has happened since? A splendid time: months of prayer, struggle, anticipation, friendships, and spiritual confirmation. Til eventually the Lord led me to actually enter the Jesuits. Since then: more prayer, building relationships and defining the Self, conforming Myself to Himself. Service. More prayer and lots of desire. Experiments coupled with direction and discernment. Pronouncing public witness to the 3 vows. Engaging in a lot of studying. Later, teaching, then preaching. A lot of moving and leaving. Poland. Bolivia. Peru. Mexico. All started twenty years ago with a feeling! Who knew? Then ordination: the change! The devotion and the donation. Being called by you to speak of Him and bring Him near. Being unworthy yet highly favored. Baptizing. Forgiving. Wedding. Taking. Blessing. Breaking. Sharing. Man I wish I could do this better. Right now He has sent me to help others hear the call and respond. Now, I'm the one to receive requests for information on formation. Sometimes I mail out brochures; always I send out prayers. I've got a feeling this is what the Lord had in mind. As far as my journal goes, I wish I could visit it more than I do. Now I write not in pencil on journal pages but in binary on blogs and walls. But no matter where I write it, it's good to jot something down whenever I've got a feeling.

Last month I had my vocation story inserted into the pages of our province website. It is a little condensed into three paragraphs. Maybe one day I'll write a book. Meantime ... blogs.

No Reply

2007-10-28T13:10:00.000-05:00

Yesterday Adam took me to see "Across the Universe." A kind of Beatles theme movie about young people during the 60s. You can see the trailer if you want. Anyway, the movie was OK, not THAT fantastic ... kind of tedious. But as we drove home, Adam asked me what was my favorite Beatles tune of all time. Not in terms of historical import (such as: "Yesterday" because it had been covered the most, or "Paperback Writer" because it inspired the Beach Boys to do "Good Vibrations" which led to Sgt. Pepper) ... Adam just wanted to know what MY favorite song was. I had no reply ... really, until I just blurted out, "I guess, uh ... 'No Reply'." Which, I do, I love that song. Based on the criterion that if you played it fifty times in a row, I'd still like to hear it, sing with it, and move to it.

It is a classic John song: "despairing at the world of lost love" ... which is another story. And there is this spot (at 1:28) where John and Paul's harmonies are so striking, not to mention the drum syncopation (at 2:02) which is one of Ringo's best. OK, so maybe that's my favorite Beatles tune .... but I also like "If I Fell" quite a lot. And there must be something said for "Across the Universe" itself. After all, that John song was the one which drew me in 1970 (at the age of 16) to buy my first Beatles album. I was doing the dishes one night and heard it on the radio (55 KRC) and thought to myself, "I have to go buy that album tomorrow." I did. Ironically, my first was the Beatles' last: "Let It Be."

Oh, and if you want to see what John thinks of Paul's "Let It Be," listen to him sing "Let it A, Let it B, let it C, let it D."
CLICK HERE to listen.

It's all too much.

She Loves You

2007-10-13T17:19:00.000-05:00

I found a cool web site today as I was surfing. It is run by an old friend of mine and his wife. They are a Catholic couple in Georgia who do podcasts, videos, and ... yeah ... make Rosaries.

Why not say the Rosary?

How much time does it ask? I am sure we have all wasted 20 minutes on ... uh ... web surfing. And what better way could you spend 20 minutes than contemplating MYSTERY? Anyway, here are the links. Think about it.

Click the image above for a closer look. And isn't it coincidental that 90 years ago today three children were inspired in Fatima to pray in such a way?

http://www.rosaryarmy.com
http://youtube.com/user/gregwillits

I'll Follow the Sun

2007-09-29T10:45:00.000-05:00

This morning, I dragged myself out of bed to see the Sunrise. I capitalize Sunrise because I like to think it has something to do with the rising of the Son to the world. It turns me on, OK.
Anyway, this morning's was particularly beautiful. I live on Lake Michigan at the end of Loyola Ave so it's a blast to walk over to the lake and wait. I figured that today's Sunrise would be about 6:44 or so. Turns out it rose exactly at 6:45 am. Not a cloud in the sky, the spark of orange light ignited on the horizon and grew into a disk in less than 3 minutes. I couldn't look right at it, but I took in the colors nearby: a lot of morning blue, some horizon rose, white whisps, and a lot of gray soaring gulls, and some black speck planes. Took time for prayer, maybe thought of you, and then sipped my warm coffee as I headed back into the house.

Now here's the puzzler: I checked the Sun-Times to see the time for tomorrow's Sunrise: 6:46 am. Usually, no suprise, the sun comes up a minute later each day until December 22 when it travels back up towards our tropic. Then I looked at the times for moonrise, also another hobby. Today it will rise at 8PM. Tomorrow the moon rises at 8:44 PM. Monday it rises at 9:37 PM, Tuesday at 10:41. WAIT ... one day it rises at 8, then 44 minutes later, then 53 minutes later, then 64 minutes later ... WOAH. How come the intervals of moonrises are not uniform, or systematic? So, I sent my question in to "Ask An Astronomer" and I patiently await my answer. Enough hobby for this morning. Time to enjoy the sunny Saturday.

The Two of Us

2007-06-17T16:13:00.000-05:00

This is me with MY DAD, whom I love with my whole heart and soul. Today is Father's Day, and a guy feels a certain responsibility to connect with his Father in ways not usual. So, yes, I called him ... knowing he'd be sitting there at home watching a golf game. Just a few minutes ago, I ended my obligatory chat with Joseph Philip Fairbanks III, M.D. And how grateful am I for his life? VERY. Of course, he wanted to hand the phone off to mom or someone else, but I told him ... "This is all about You!" We exchanged solemn words and sentiments, and then I had to let him get back to watching golf. If it wasn't for my Dad, I wouldn't have a love for card games, a college education, a puppet stage, any siblings, or ... my life! Man, am I glad I have had just that brief time to express my love for my Dad. Hope you had the same chance. Happy Father's Day to all my sibs who are Pops. And thanks to the Father in Heaven for giving me the best there is.

Oh, and let's not forget to wish Happy Birthday to Audrey Ann who was born this day, seven years ago. Shortly after her birth, I had the honor of baptizing her in full immersion: my first. And I sure it was her first as well. I love you Auds, Uncle Pat.

Slow Down

2007-05-30T09:48:00.000-05:00

This is my nephew Andrew, also my godson. Today he is 15 and a young man who enjoys life. This is a shot of him watching the Chicago subway roll past ... too fast. What a blast! And I know he thinks he "hast" to hop on and ride along. He wants to go fast too. All teens do.

So, my words to Andrew are these, which make life last ... Slow Down! Take time for prayer Andy. Listen to birds. Contemplate water. Instead of yelling at your siblings or running away from their madness ... watch them ... ponder what they are ... and thank God you have 'em. Same for your folks. How freaked out would your mom be at the kitchen counter while she's cutting the cheese and you are just staring at her (in prayer) thanking God she's your Mom.
OK, not everybody has a priest godfather, but lucky the ones who do ... like you ... nephew Andrew.

Golden Slumbers

2007-05-12T07:38:00.000-05:00

Man, there is nothing like visiting family for a few days of R&R. I am between directing retreats: one at Milford last week, one at Manresa next week. In between I decided to mosey on up here to Minnesota and serve as my nephew Stephen's Confirmation sponsor. What a great time that was Thursday night at the Cathedral in St. Paul. The photo here shows us all smiles (although my sister claims that my smile is more of a goofy face). Notice Stephen's Holy Spirit tie! The Beatles title for this post (Golden Slumbers) refers not only to the great rest I am having here at my sister's house, but also to the this cool juggling video Stephen showed me. My nephews are both jugglers, and so of course the best tune for juggling is "Golden Slumbers" by the Beatles. Check this video out ... OK for now. I'll try to be more committed to this blog. After all, Confirmation is the Sacrament of Commitment.

And I Love Her

2007-04-08T22:09:00.000-05:00

We call Friday Good because of where it leads ... to the Good News of the Resurrection. When you consider life and all the events therein, the same principle applies: we are all created Good and (hopefully) headed for Good because the source of our lives and our final destination are the same: Jesus Christ, Who is nothing but Good. Sacred art tries to convey the goodness of God through the creative talent of those so inspired. I like this rendition of the Resurrection by Rogier van der Weyden. It is part of an altarpiece in Berlin, and you can see that it depicts a Resurrection event most Christians have never heard of: the appearance of the Risen Christ to Mary. The Gospels don't tell of this "event," but the long tradition of Christian writers (including Ignatius Loyola in his Spiritual Exercises) hold the opinion due to the great love of Christ for His Mother. My guess is, if the Lord loves each of us as much as he does His own Mother, then how quickly will he run to be with us at the hour of death -- so to make it the start of new life? Maybe you'd like to browse the link below to see if there are other renditions of Resurection art that stir your heart. Happy Easter season.

http://www.joyfulheart.com/easter/resurrection_artwork.htm

Good Friday

2007-04-04T12:44:00.000-05:00

I wonder why they call this day "good." If they asked for a new name, I am sure people might suggest "Holy Friday" or "Passion Friday" or even "Sad Friday." Those are more apt to the feelings and senitments of the events we recall. Still ... Good is good. I'd like to say a little bit about Good Friday and a little something about this painting by Nicholas Tournier which I saw in the Louvre last year. Included here at the foot of the Cross are Mary, John, the Magdalene, and St. Vincent de Paul. Are you somewhere in the scene as well? Where?

What You're Doing

2007-03-17T23:54:00.000-05:00

Happy St. Patrick's Day.
I had a great feast today and one of my goals was to write a blog on March 17 and post the various things I've been up to. But it is going to turn midnight any second, so I better post this now (so I can accomplish my goals) and I'll tell you what I've been doing later. God bless you. And St. Patrick ... pray for us.

I'm A Loser

2007-02-05T07:32:00.000-06:00

Question: Is there an appropriate Scripture for those defeated in Super Bowl LXI?

Answer: Well sure … check out Paul’s letter to the Corinthians, where “BEARS” are mentioned by name.

“Love is patient, love is kind. It is not jealous, nor pompous. It is not inflated, it is not rude, it does not seek its own interests, it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury, it does not rejoice over wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth. Love BEARS all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” (1 Cor 13:4-7)

Sounds like St. Paul is telling to “Wait til next year!” ___________________________________________

Meanwhile, let me just pass on Birthday Greetings (Feburary 15) to the best mother in the whole world. When he wrote those words about LOVE, St. Paul was actually describing OUR MOM. So faith, hope, love remain, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

Now that kind o’ love should definitely keep us warm during these chilly days of mid February. In her eyes, everyone's a winner.
We love you Mom.

It Won't Be Long

2007-01-24T20:16:00.000-06:00

CHICAGO BEARS !
2006 SUPER BOWL CHAMPS
Ok, I have never been that big a football fan; in fact it is my least favorite sport (next to Zurkhaneh and Zorbing). But Chicago has caught the SuperBowl fever and we are all for Lovey Smith, who has had a remarkable season. In any case, one cool thing about this year's battle is that we here in the Jesuits are calling it a "Chicago Province Super Bowl" because it includes two of the major apostolic cities in our 4-state province: Chicago vs. Indianapolis.

As for me, I plan to watch the Bears win from my living room here at the Jesuit community at Loyola Chicago where we will have a rather hefty Super Bowl Bash going on. To be fair, I plan to travel to Indianapolis the very next morning, to console the defeated. Isn't that one of the spiritual works of mercy?

Which brings me to the next question: what Beatle song title will I use to commemorate a Bears victory? It remains to be seen.

Julia

2006-12-23T10:40:00.000-06:00

Some may be wondering where I am these holidays and what I’m up to. So, I will try to enter a few words as events unfold. Friday December 22 I drove seven hours from Chicago to St. Paul to visit my friend Julia Hobday and her family. Here is a picture of Julia, Hud, Tommy, and Lily. The last time I saw Lily was when I baptized her. She didn’t remember me from back then. We ordered out Thai food and then I hugged them all goodbye and drove to Inver Grove Heights, MN to visit my sister Jane and her family. That post is next.

I Call Your Name

2006-12-21T09:48:00.000-06:00

`Tis the season, and many folks are showing up to my BLOGSPOT wondering where I am these days. Well, I do have a new home address, having moved last June to Loyola University Chicago. That mailing address is: Arrupe House Jesuit Community, 6525 N. Sheridan Road, Chicago, IL 60626. But I also have a very fine and more dependable address at the central offices of the Chicago Province Jesuits. We are at: 2050 No. Clark St., Chicago, IL, 60614. Both addresses work fine; the latter gets to me faster. I would put my cell phone number here on this blog, but I don't want a ton of crank calls especially from those "Anonymous Callers" (inside joke). If you really need to call, you can see my phone number at the website for my new job: http://www.jesuits-chi.org/vocations/index.htm
I know, I know. That picture is a bit "much." I am working on getting a new one put in there. But the new ministry as director of vocations for the Chicago Jesuits is going well. I would ask you to continue prayers for vocations, as many gifted and talented young men don't even consider that the Lord invites them to walk with Him as priests in the service of the Gospel. May these holidays help guys find a way to listen more clearly to His call. Blessings on everyone who reads this, and maybe I can be more attentive to these posts during the new year.
Gratia vobis et pax a Deo Patre nostro et Domino Iesu Christo.

Your Mother Should Know

2006-12-17T13:53:00.000-06:00

On one occassion in 2006, I had the pleasure to track down and visit with my old pal Sioux. I hadn't heard from her since we last uttered, "Mishyameenit." Both of us being a "seven" meant that we needed to keep in touch in order for good times to roll. So, I called her up and found out that she is OK and living with her lovely Mom, Rosemary. They both hit some hard times, but the Good Lord kept them in His care. I visited these two ladies and had a wonderful time catching up and smiling. Above is a picture of Sioux and her "Mama" both in good spirits. Later this year we also met up at St. Clement's and shared a time of joy with our buddy Gerry and the memory of his late mom. It was good to get reunited with Sioux and find out that she knows "Paris" -- almost as well as Gerry and I know Paris. So, I thought I would insert a shot of me in front of the Eiffel Tower. That is a gesture of congratulations to the two lovebirds: Paris and Molly. God bless you both.
May 2007 bring joy and peace to all of us.
And to quote Mary Richards, "Thank you ... Mama."

You Can't Do That

2006-09-02T14:07:00.000-05:00

A meditation upon: Folding sox

Saturday must be wash day for most Jesuits. This morning there were a lot of folks lining up to use the washers in my new Jesuit community here on the campus of Loyola Chicago. Of course, in my house we don’t actually line up to use the laundry room, we just bring our baskets downstairs and set them among other baskets waiting for a free machine. When someone’s wash is done, of course the brother Jesuit is not there to empty his washer and throw his clothes into the drier. Nor is he there later to empty that drier and fold or remove his clothes. So, invariably, one other kind brother does it for him (else a machine would never be “truly free” to use by another).

Anyway, this morning, one kind soul had the goodness of heart to fold my laundry. How nice, I thought, until I noticed (to my horror) that the socks had been rolled in that “ball” fashion. You know how that is … one sock is crumpled into the other, whose elastic neck keeps it tightly bundled into a small roll-puff the size of a grapefruit. I hate that. The elastic of the one sock gets stretched too far out (and stays that way for about a week) so that when you put it on later, it “feels” used … it does not have the tight freshness of a new clean sock. It feels like someone’s been wearing it. It is stretched out of shape more than the other one. Yuck!

Then, as I carried my basket back upstairs to hurriedly undo the little sock-balls … I started thinking back on how I learned how to fold socks in the first place. Simple. My mom. The saintly mother of fourteen children (see previous post) had her own science of daily washing laundry that we must have all picked up from her like some genetic instinct or primal theory of life. Then I began to ponder the mere miracle that doing laundry for a huge family must have been. As I unfolded, I thought, “How did that woman do this?!”

After mom did the laundry, she brought several large baskets up to her bedroom to set out all our clothes on her bed in little rows of piled clothing, lined up in order of age. This row of shirts, pants, undies and socks for Billy, the next row for Pat, Jim, and then that row up there, along the pillows, the clothes for Steve. Later, we had to come into our parents’ room to collect what we owned and place it neatly in our own bureau drawers.

It seemed easy back then when I was ten, but now … I imagine what a mystery it must have been to manage that feat (no pun intended). I have nine brothers. That’s a lot of piles of laundry, and my folks’ beds weren’t that big. How in the world did we figure out whose clothes were whose? Shirts and pants were easy, I guess. Underwear (all tightie whities) had an initial written on the tag; but the big mystery was socks! How could my mom ever tell whose sox were whose? Something in my memory tells me that we all had a different color: blue, brown, green, argyle, whatever. Maybe mine were always black, explaining perhaps why I was attracted to the priesthood. I do recall owning a lot of black socks. Indeed I never had white socks because I had to wear goofy corrective leather shoes, and white socks only went with sneakers. Something tells me that any white tube sox were arranged (and assigned) according to the colored stripe on top: Skip = red, Tom = green, Ed = blue. Who knows. I invite my siblings to relay what they remember about this mysterious science of family laundry to me, as I may add it to the story. It really makes for a great tale, and even better memories.

My socks are unbundled now and nicely folded into my Jesuit drawer. Earlier, I was caught between 1) complaining about Jesuit community life, and 2) being thankful that this good soul had the courtesy to fold my laundry. I eventually fell into the latter response and was moved to share that moment of grace here. Thank you, … whoever. Thank you, mom. And I suppose I agree with my inner voice of justice that tells me, “If you don’t want your socks stretched out of proportion … get your bare feet down to the laundry room to fold your own ‘darn’ socks.”

All Together Now

2006-07-29T11:19:00.000-05:00

For the second time ever, during July 2006, the Fairbanks Family gathered for a reunion of the two parents and fourteen kids. What more can be said than ... a splendid was guaranteed (and enjoyed) by all. To see more pix, click the "pictures" link to the right.

It's Only Love

2006-07-10T20:44:00.000-05:00

St. Xavier Parish in downtown Cincinnati indeed has a beautiful worship space. Here is a shot looking up the main aisle. However, my point-of-view is just the reverse each morning as I preside. I have a view from the altar all the way down to the front door where the baptismal font gurgles away. The people here are friendly and very faithful, and it's only love that keeps us all together. Summers are great here, and it's nice to be back home for a few weeks.

Speaking of love, at the end of July (a week after my 52nd birthday), my family (all 14 kids and 2 parents) will have a family reunion up near our home in Hamilton. Should be a great gathering filled with boasting, roasting, and toasting. It's only love, and that is all.

When we take that updated photo, you'll be able to see it here.

Carry That Weight

2006-06-15T14:12:00.000-05:00

Ouch! My back is killin' me as I carry books and boxes and bundles from one community to another. Yes folks, I have moved from central Chicago to the campus of Loyola University Chicago, pictured here. My new home is just off to the left, three doors from the lake.

Please make a note of my new address: Arrupe House, 6525 No. Sheridan Road, Chicago, IL 60626. If you want my cell phone number, call me and I'll give it to you. ;-)

Paperback Writer

2006-06-02T18:12:00.000-05:00

It was a nice day in Chicago today, and so I decided to ride my bike downtown to the Loop. I ended up (by chance) to the Barnes and Noble at the intersection of State and Jackson (see my bike route from my house to the Loop in the aerial photo). When I entered, I was drawn to the table for “summer reading” and noticed all the various paperbacks and hardbacks beckoning me to buy them to fill the spare (?) hours of my time this summer. For some reason, I think that I WILL have spare hours for reading this summer, so I fell into their trap.

By the way, I preferred the summer reading table to the obnoxious and brazen “DaVinci Code” table … a display of about twelve “new” titles about the film, the book, the scandal, the code, the priests, the church, whatever!!! I was turned off. What will these books be worth in a year? Nada, mi amigos. Read the book, don't need to see the film. Thank yaw.

At the summer table, I picked up a copy of Slaughterhouse Five and thought I might do that one, but then I thought another look at Brave New World might be smart. Yeah, I was drawn to the classics (although NOT The Canterbury Tales). I could see myself reading another C.S. Lewis book (such as The Great Divorce). I am not much of a “new fiction” guy, even though this odd, off the wall book, Stuart: A Life Backwards looked kind of intriguing. I put it down when I read that the dialect of the narration is … uh … some kind of British accent. Buh-bye.

Then I picked up a big black book with large white letters in the title 31 Days, because I was interested to know which 31 days this book concerned. I thought maybe it was about the first 31 days of the Beatles’ 1964 visit to the U.S. but it turns out the author wrote about the 31 days following the resignation of Richard Nixon (yawn). The subtitle was a help: “the crisis that gave us the government we have today.” Uh, if there is a book that explains why the present administration is our country’s worst, this could be it. Still I dropped it like a hot iron and moved closer to Charlotte’s Web (my best friend’s favorite book).

Then something occurred to me as I flipped through Barak Obama's autobiography Dreams From My Father ... I really shouldn't be buying a book at all. Why is that? because, back in my room I must have about 200 books, many of which I have not fully read. In fact, I just bought Jim Martin's new book My Life With the Saints (not a football book) and a wonderful little guide to St. Augustine. Plus I have all the other Narnia books to go through, not to mention about 5 other C.S. Lewis classics. So, I scolded myself for even thinking of buying yet another book until I had satisfactorily complete one that I already have.

In the end, I couldn't buy anything even if I wanted to. The only object in the pocket of my worn blue jeans was … the key to my bike lock. No tuve dinero. When I was done with the visit to B&N, I headed back out to the street and unlocked my bike, laughed at the busy folks running around corporate American Chicago, and said a prayer that I might read something edifying and inspirational this summer, until my real job starts in August.

Welcome to June.

Free as a Bird

2006-05-21T16:46:00.000-05:00

Our group of six are now finished with our tertianship experience, and now we are free to be sent back to work and continue our lives as Jesuits. You may recall reading about our tertianship earlier.

It is the Lord who sets us free with the Truth of His Word. So I am starting a new blog site based on one of my favorite Scripture verses John 8:32 ... "You shall know the truth and truth will set you free." You can find it at http://John832.blogspot.com

Part of the inspiration for this came from my tertianship experience, but I also felt very moved by the Gospel reading early this morning at St. Ignatius College Prep where I had the pleasure to celebrate Mass with a small group of students during their "post prom" celebration at school. I want to thank them for their faith and for their prayers. They are young people pursuing truth on the road to freedom.

As for me, the freedom of tertianship energizes me to assume a new ministry as Director of Vocations for the Chicago Province Jesuits starting in August. You can see links to those spots on the new blog site too.

Oh, what's the picture above? Click on the photo to enlarge it. It is a masonry symbol on a building at the University of Chicago. The words are written in Greek. Horizontally it reads "Truth" and vertically it reads "Freedom." They intersect on the letter "theta" which is the first letter for the Greek word "Theos", meaning God. God is the Source and End of all Truth and His loving Son leads us to the Freedom of eternal life.

Only A Northern Song

2006-04-26T08:22:00.000-05:00

If you look closely, you can see three volcanoes in this photo taken (with my cell phone) as I flew from Portland to Detroit last weekend. The Jesuit vocation directors met in the great Northwest for several days to plan for the coming year; what a great time to meet my new colleagues and catch up on how great is the glory of God. The large volcano you see here is Mt. Hood, just east of Portland. The one on the right is Mt. Adams (I think) and the one on the left ... just off the wingtip, is Mt. St. Helen. A fourth volcano (Mt. Rainier) was visible from the plane, but not in this photo. It should be right above Mt. Hood.

God's gifts come to us in packages large and small, and they never stop. Let us keep our eyes and ears open during this Easter season and marvel at the many ways our Lover steers our compass pointer to what is True and Steadfast.

May the glory of the LORD endure forever; may the LORD be glad in these works! God looks upon the earth, and it trembles; if God touches the mountains, they smoke! I will sing to the LORD all my life; I will sing praise to my God while I live. (Psalm 104:32-34)

Here Comes the Sun

2006-04-16T11:56:00.000-05:00

Resurrexit sicut dixit
He is risen, just like He said. Alleluia.

Hey, I was looking for an appropriate Easter picture to celebrate the Day the Lord has made, and the coming season of seven wonderful weeks. All I could think of was the picture we took on Beal Avenue when I was about four. Looks like I am taking that Easter egg hunt a little too seriously, huh?

To the right you will see a link to my pictures. Click on that link for more Easter pix from the past. Let us pray ...

Creator of unfailing light, give that same light to those who call to you. May our lips praise you, our lives proclaim your goodness, our work give you honor, and our voices celebrate you for ever.

The Inner Light

2006-03-22T09:43:00.000-06:00

As you may or may not know, all of the titles for these blog entries are names of songs by the Beatles. This title "The Inner Light" from 1968 was a song written by George Harrison and based on a text from the Tao Te Ching which goes like this.

Without opening your door,
you can know the whole world.
Without looking out your window,
you can understand the Way.

The more knowledge you seek,
the less you will understand.
The Master understands without leaving,
sees clearly without looking,
accomplishes much without doing anything.

I suppose this is the Beatle song that comes to mind when I think about my work as a jail chaplain during the months of March-April. I chose this particular ministry based on my own prayer and movements of the Spirit during my long retreat. Maybe I will extend some of my thoughts and reflections here as I go. One of the most striking facets of life in the jail that I've noticed is the amount of barriers there are between ministers (chaplians, volunteers, etc.) and the inmates. It is a minor miracle just to get THROUGH all the red tape and orientations and check points ... simply to see someone and chat for a while. Security I suppose. To balance out the passage from the Tao, let me offer this passage from the Gospel of Luke 4:18 -- "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed." May that apply to all of us.

Real Love

2006-03-08T15:07:00.000-06:00

Well, it is indeed all about LOVE. My retreat is over after 30 days of silence, prayer, reading, and reflection. And man what a splendid time guaranteed for all by the Master of the Universe. In a few days I will post a little dialogue that explains what this was all about. For now I am doing some other studying. Our group is doing a close examination of the Constitutions of the Society of Jesus, and later this month I will be volunteering at the Oakland County Jail as a prison chaplain. Thanks for all the prayers that folks sent our way, and many many of you were in my prayers in particular.

For the next three months, I am living here at the Jesuit novitiate north of Detroit: 2599 Harvard Rd., Berkley, MI 48072.

All You Need Is Love

2006-01-28T17:08:00.000-06:00

During the month of February (Feb 3 to March 5) myself and five other Jesuits will be engaged with the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius Loyola ... the 30-day silent retreat. This retreat will be held at the Colombiere Center, a Jesuit retreat house just north of Detroit. This is also the location of our Jesuit infirmary, where all of us (Chicago and Detroit provinces) end up when we can no longer slurp our soup! Here is a shot of the building itself. See more at the "see my photos" link to the left.

Please pray for us during February, and feel free to convey to me any intentions you might have as we pray. Use the email link at the top left of this page (before Friday Feb 3). To see more of what this tertianship experience is about, click: http://www.jesuits-chi.org/publications/Partners/Partners_fall_2005/FA05_Formation.pdf

Much of this retreat will be spent reflecting upon the many magnificent gifts I have received from God ... many of which have come from knowing the people I love and care for. If you are reading this, that most likely includes YOU! So, thanks for showing me a little bit more of what God means by "LOVE."

Thanks very much for your love and prayers. Peace to all.

Long, Long, Long

2006-01-25T18:57:00.000-06:00

Greetings from Detroit.

This is a view from my bedroom window here at the Jesuit novitiate in Berkley, Michigan. While the novices are away, five others and I are here until May as we complete our "tertianship" experiement. The final stage of formation before final vows. Thus far we have been reading closely the autobiography of Ignatius and now we are studying the history of the Jesuits.

Next up is the LONG retreat. Remember that we will be in seclusion up at our retreat house in Clarkston, Michigan for the "long retreat" ... the full 30-day Spiritual Exercises of Ignatius Loyola. Please keep us in prayer.

Plus, if you have any intentions or prayer requests for me, please send them before Feb 1 to my email address: pafbanks@yahoo.com

If you would like more info about the tertianship stage, please click this link to read about us ...

http://www.jesuits-chi.org/publications/Partners/Partners_fall_2005/FA05_Formation.pdf

Peace to all.

Magical Mystery Tour

2006-01-12T13:51:00.000-06:00

Bonjour from France. Here I am in front of Le Cathedral Notre-Dame de Paris. But the mystery is to look closely to actually find me. Then look closely for the rising moon.

The pilgrimage to Paris was superb and relaxing. January is not the best time for tourism, so the city was mine for the asking. However, some chilly and cloudy mornings made it impossible to see much of this beautiful city. In this photo to the right, don't worry about not seeing the upper portion of the Eiffel Tower; it is covered in fog. And it was not a good idea to sip a cold drink at an outdoor cafe on the Champs-Elysses. But inside worked fine. And the museums!

See more photos on my Flickr site, the link is here just to the left on my blog page. Au revoir.

It's All Too Much

2005-12-28T18:03:00.000-06:00

"It's All too much for me to take, the love that's shining all around us" Even though these are the words of the late great George Harrison, I apply them here to my visit last fall to Peru and especially to Machu Picchu.

This is the only picture that proves I was actually there, and I want to thank Nigel Young for passing it along. As many of you know from prevuious posts, I found a spiritual and very lasting peace in Peru. It has nourished me in the last few months and remains in my heart as a place of great power.

Having said that, I wish everyone the best of New Years ... expect the best and take advantage of the possibilities during the 12 days of Christmas. 2006 will only come this way but once. I pass on to you the words of the famed Megan McKenna, ...

"There is an ancient tradition that God gives each of us a gift for each of these 12 days ... but they are wrapped in the new clothes and rags, and papers of Incarnation ... so sometimes it's hard to recognize the gift until you open it, or you miss it, or don't think it's what you had in mind etc. So I pray you are alert to catch the gifts of God these 12 days ... they are always gifts of light and joy and hope ... and may the new year coming towards us be filled with peace, ever more peace for all of us and earth."

Visit Megan at http://meganmckenna.org/

With all the best wishes for a great year, I remain yours in the Lord.
Patrick

Let It Be

2005-12-24T18:13:00.000-06:00

Gloria In Excelsis Deo
et Pax Hominibus Bonae Voluntatis

Imagine

2005-12-08T13:47:00.000-06:00

Imagine all the people living life in peace.

When I Get Home

2005-11-29T20:51:00.000-06:00

OK, here are some thoughts I have had of late ... having just recently returned to the good ol' USA.

- When I landed at the airport in Chicago, I was amazed to see water fountains from which people can just … drink freely.
- People on the street speak … the same language as I do, and I can understand them.
- Unlike Lima, our intersections here seem to have an overabundance of stop signs and traffic lights.
- I have this urgent and strange desire to read everything I couldn’t get my hands on in South America.
- On my computer, I was so used to looking for “Escritorio” to save files … I forgot it was called “desktop.”
- Unlike keyboards in public Internet sites in South America, the @ symbol is easily accessible on US keyboards.
- I find that I am cold … seeing as how the temperature today in Chicago was 25 F.
- I miss rice.
- And indeed I miss all the people I met. Sigh.

Across The Universe

2005-11-21T11:04:00.000-06:00

"Words are flowing out like endless rain into a letterbox ... " and there are simply not enough of them to say appropriately how GRATEFUL I am for everyone here for making this South American journey a smooth and enriching experience.

Leaving is very difficult, and saying goodbye or thank you is even harder. The words are so cheap, but the senitment profound. So, let me throw in a picture.

This is the new moon setting in the west as seen from the southern hemisphere.

The first day I arrived in Bolivia, as the plane landed in LaPaz at about 5 am, I beheld a smiliar sight, the faintest of crescent moons ... but it was rising. A moon rising in the morning is very old, almost finished after 29 days of shing. But a cresent setting in the west is brand new, ready to reveal more of itself and reflect His light.

That's why I choose this song title and this picture to symbolize the end of my trip. I feel like I have been across the universe and that I have found pieces of life and matter that have rejuvenated me and charged me with fire and energy (see Teilhard de Chardin for more on that).

I return to Chicago on November 22, my little brother's birthday. Love and kisses to him (although his mouth is probably covered with slobber) and love and blessings to all I met in South America: Thomas, Alex, Pablo, Ryan, Tatiana, Cesar, Stephen, Caitlyn, René, Gary, Jorge, Emily, Kevin, Megan, Gonzalo, Roy, Fritzi, Oscar, Frances, Martin, Chi Chi, Ana, Pancho, Seu Chin, Fabián, Carmen, Sergio, Raffo, Christina, Ale, Victor, Attilie, David, Chuck, Pato, Juan Manuel, Marcos, Teresita, Jaime, Jose Antonio, Adolfo, Edy, Rey, and especially young Anthony who did his arithmetic perfectly in Pamplona. More and more of you too. Thank you.

Tell Me What You See

2005-11-16T14:45:00.000-06:00

Hmmm, let's see ... in this landscape I see the city of Arequipa, Peru in the foreground (including what looks to be the Jesuit novitiate where I am staying) and several mountains ... no ... VOLCANOS in the background.

On the right is the famous Mt. Misti, rising high into the sky at over 5,000 meters above sea level. The city itself is 2,000 meters above. To the left are the Chachani Volcanos, a little higher than Misti. In any case, this is close to the view I woke to the morning of Wednesday November 16. I am hosted by the Jesuits at the St. Stanlaus Kostka novitiate. They have 8 novices in the house, and all of them are as gracious and helpful to this graying priest as can be. I am most grateful.

We celebrated Mass this morning, the Feast of St. Roque Gonzales,S.J. and the 16th anniversary of the martyrs of El Salvador.

To read a bit about this anniversary, and the upcoming 20th anniversary of the Maryknoll martyrs (December 2nd) click here: http://www.rtfcam.org/martyrs/UCA/UCA.htm

I am privileged to be in this least Society of Jesus where finding God in all things I see (especially volcanos) is an every day pleasure. Peace to all.

With A Little Help From My Friends

2005-11-14T22:10:00.000-06:00

Greetings all from Lima, Peru. I won't say too much about the city of Lima itself ... I'd like to keep this message positive. But I can speak positively about the people in Lima, they are fantastic!

Here is a shot of me with a few of the scholastics (seminarians) who live here in La Cominidad San Juan Berchmans. This is a great community of guys who are studying humanities and philosophy in Lima at the Jesuit college here. From the left are: Gary (from Bolivia), Marcos, Oscar, and Pancho. I have been visitng them for a week, and tomorrow I will travel to the lovely city of Arequipa, an hour south of here by plane.

I will write more later, but I wanted to send this photo. For more pictures, please click the "See My Photos" at the left. Bye for now.

Mother Nature's Son

2005-11-05T19:31:00.000-06:00

This title ... "Mother Nature's Son" is indeed a Beatle song, but it is also one of the few tunes recorded later by none other than John Denver.
Why do I mention John Denver? Well, read on.

One of the major destinations of my trip to South America was to visit the ancient ruins at Machu Picchu (shown here). It is a nice visit and the ruins tell of an Inca culture that lived about 500 years ago in the heights of Peru. The masonry and plan of the sacred site reveal an intelligence and ingenuity that rivals modern architecture. Plus, the differences in construction indicate a spirituality among the Inca, and the plan of the site shows the primacy of natural phenomena in the lives of these ancient peoples. OK, enough of Machu Picchu. You can read more about it on the web. What I didn't expect was ...

That the three hour train ride DOWN to Machu Picchu from Cusco would be so overwhelming.

As you may know from previous posts, I have been in Cusco for a few days, waiting to get a cheap ticket to Machu Picchu. OK, I did that. With a lot of hassles. On the morning of Thursday, Novermber 3, at 6am, our "Vistadome" train left Cusco station on a zig-zag trek up the hills surrounding the city.

During the first hour of our 3 hour trek, I was really taken with the happenings and goings on of the local folks living in the (poor) suburbs around Cusco. As I peered down to the barrios from my comforatble seat on the train, I could see people were just getting up for work, school, chores, whatever. It was fascinating.

Little kids would wave to our train as they walked several kilometers to their schools. They waved at us. Why? Did they even know who "we" were (mostly European tourists) or where we were going. No. They just wanted to wave. And it moved me sincerely.

Side note: on the town square of Cusco are many many kids who make a living selling postcards for their folks: cards of Machu Picchu and Cusco. I asked several times of these kids, "Ah, here is Machu Picchu ... have you ever visited that place?" All of them ... all of them looked at me as if I were on some drug. No, they answered. They may not have even known what it was.

Same with the kids who waved at our train. I wondered if they knew who we were and where we were going. Good questions for those of us "on the train," too.

As we left the environs of Cusco, the train entered an area of fertile valley and farmland northwest of Cusco. It was then I decided to put on my Ipod. A tune was moving in my head and I wanted to hear it. The music was John Denver.

OK, stop laughing.

Many of you who know me well, know that I love the Beatles. But a yet smaller few know that I am a big fan of John Denver and have seen him in concert about 12 times (You'll have to ask Jo Ellen for the correct number). Anyway, I wanted a "soundtrack" for my trip through this fertile valley and eventually up to Machu Picchu. The trip was to be 3 hours, and I wasn't about to listen to the Irish lady behind me scratch her thighs incessantly.

I turned on the music and relaxed. That's what music is for.

And I watched out the Vistadome windows (in the celing as well) and the most magnificent scenery on God's green earth passed by my eyes. Green mountains and hills, farmland, streams and a lovely morning sky. The morning shone on people at work, walking, waving, and gathering vegetables or eggs for breakfast. It was simplicity and life at its best. The music played on in my ears as I looked.

"He climbed cathedral mountains, he saw silver clouds below, he saw everything as far as you can see. Now he walks in quiet solitude, the forest and the streams, seeking grace in every step he takes. His sight is turned inside himself, to try and understand the serenity of a clear blue mountain lake. "

So, as the train moved down through the valley and past small Peruvian communties of men working the fields, women sitting by the road selling peanuts and textiles, and kids trotted off to school or work ... waving. I listened and prayed at 7 am as the sun shone brightly on the Urubamba valley.

"I've been lately thinking about my life's time, all the things I've done and how it's been.And I can't help believing in my own mind, I know I'm gonna hate to see it end. I've seen a lot of sunshine, slept out in the rain, spent a night or two all on my own. I have to say it now, it's been a good life, all in all, it's really fine to have a chance to hang around."

OK, this isn't the first time I have been inspired by Nature. In my life, I have sat under a huge green leaf in Malaysian waiting for the rain to stop, I have taken in the splendor of the Southern Alps in New Zealand, I have swum in the cool waters of the Gauly River while rafting through the valleys of West Virgina, I have wept in the forests of the Smokies, and prayed aloud to God among the Rockies with no other sites around but snocapped mountains. I have been awed by the heights of the Scottish highlands and meditated on hundreds of sheep which populated a Polish mountainside at dusk. I have roatsed on the beaches of South Carolina and frozen my toes in the knee-high snows of an Ontario winter. God has been good to me and I have been able to receive His grace and his lessons.

What baffles me now is this one.

I cannot be any more grateful for the life I have been given and the places I have seen. The gifts that came to me while riding that train were again a clear messagae to me of love and Providence, beyond my abilites to accept it all. And I continued to listen...

"I wanna live my life with you, it's all the dreams that I know. I'm bringing me home to you, that's all that I have to give. My life, my love, my everything, it's you I choose to be with."

Somehow the combination of music and the fantastic scenery at every bend composed a prayer for me, a communication with God as I know him most clearly. The music of John Denver, as corny as it is, inspires me. It speaks for me. And the Ipod kept them coming.

"Welcome to my morning, welcome to my day. Yes, I'm the one responsible, I made it just this way. To make myself some pictures, see what they might bring. I think I made it perfectly, I wouldn't change a thing. "

Maybe a picture here could help you get a sense of what I saw moment after monet, around every turn, through every mountain tunnel. Another surprise, another gift, another opportunity to weep.
You can't see people in this view, but along the tracks and the river and road, there were plenty of Peruvian families living life as we swiftly whisked by. Somehow I wanted to just stop and talk to them .
I have to say it now, the children made the journey. As the train passed through little barrios and neighborhoods, I could see a couple brothers walking arm in arm to school, wearing little Catholic uniforms, other kids were sitting in the mud helping Dad collect potatoes early in the morning. Other kids were clinging to mothers selling soda at the train stops. Some waved, some were scared, but all of them were alive with Peruvian life, in whatever form it took. And music.

"For the children and the flowers are my sisters and my brothers, their laughter and their loveliness would clear a cloudy day. Like the music of the mountains and the colors of the rainbow,they're a promise of the future and the blessing for today."

Then the music and the morning sun coming though the windows got to me and I felt my eyes start to well up. Hmmm. Ignatius was right: the truest sign of God's presence is when you start to cry. It was all too perfect for right now. Why me? Why now?

"Sunshine on my shoulders makes me happy. Sunshine in my eyes can make me cry. Sunshine on the water looks so lovely. Sunshine almost always makes me high."

As we passed through little farm communities of people waking up, we eventually came to what the tour books described as a trip through a gorge, the Urubamba River gorge. No, my friends, this was more than a gorge. It was pure spirit. It was plants, rocks, blue sky, clouds, people, animals, farm crops, water trickling in the river, and the smile on my face as I took it all in!

"And oh, I love the life within me, I feel a part of everything I see.And oh, I love the life around me, a part of everything is here in me.A part of everything is here in me, a part of everything is here in me."

For me, this is Revelation. I could supply you with the classic arguments for the existence of God, but they would pale at this one. Meditation on Nature allows me (invites me) to reflect on where I've been, the good stuff and the bad stuff I have done. Through it all, in all the placesI have been and the poeple I have sen, the Lord God has consistently opened Himself up to me and said, softly, simply in the sights and smells of Nature ... I love you and want the best for you.

"So many years ago, I can't remember now, someone was waiting for me. I had the answers to all of my questions, love was so easy to see. I didn't know. When I was younger, I should have known better, I thought that nothing was new. Through all the spaces, in all of the changes, the one I lost sight of was you. I didn't know, I didn't know. I could see you in singing skies and dancing waters, laughing children, growing old,and in the heart and in the spirit, and in the truth when it is told."

Then, as the train brought us through the valleys and farmland, we reached the portion of the Andes which is snow-capped montains. The folks in the car let out gasps and the Japanese took pictures. I just listened to music and wept as I saw the world in its beaty before me. Indeed, like a coward, I tried to hide my emtions from the folks behind me or next to me, but I kept a Kleenex in my pocket and just let it come.

"All alone in the universe, sometimes that's how it seems.I get lost in the sadness and the screams.Then I look in the center and suddenly everything's clear.I find myself in the sunshine and my dreams. And I'm looking for space and to find out who I am, and I'm looking to know and understand."

Several times on this three hour trip I was moved to tears, by the simplest of things. The contrast of a red flower on the blue sky background, the granduer of a mountain top and the smell of the crisp air as I lowered my window to take it in (hoping to dry some of my tears). The simpicity of eyesight and how horribly I take it for granted. How badly I have used my eyesight in the past, and how grateful I am now that I can see what postcards try to caputre.

"Love, love, love, such a mystery, golden lights shining down on me.Soft and warm as the morning, but I never saw it, till you opened my eyes.Floating in circles I'm flying, it feels so good that I'm crying.Down, down, down, deep inside of me, love sweet love's all that I can see.Golden light keeps on shining, shining forever since you opened my eyes."

I am not sure if John Denver were a Christian, but who cares. For me his music speaks of the love I have for my Beloved and the life He has so generously given to me, for free. The earth is full of free connectuions to the Divine. Don't miss them. Sometimes it takes a trip like this for me to wake up and realize the Truth.

These lyrics here are all Denver music, but they are just words. It's something about music and the natural sound of the wind and the perfection of unspoiled scenery that just grabs a person right around the heart ... especially me.

All of these lyrics served as background to my trip that morning, and most of them added a special significance to the experience of travelling, or waitng, and of being on this journey to someplace ahead.

I am sure we've all that experience. For you it may be the smile of your kids face or the touch of your lover's embrace. Whatever it is, hopefully the experience of "God with us" helps you to undertsnad how much a gift you are to the world and how much God's gifts come so freely, so often, and so simply ... every day.

"Make believe this is the first day, everything all brand new. Make believe that the sun is your own lucky star, and then understand the kind of gift you are. The gift you are, like the very first breath of spring. The gift you are, all the joy that love can bring. The gift you are, all of our dreams come true. The gift you are, the gift of you."

So, thanks for bearing with all this text and the lyrics as well. It was a great day, even when I fianlly reached the "shrine" of Mchu Picchu and tried to collect my thoughts there too. But for my money, the best gift of November 3 was that ride through the mountains.

Tomorrow is November 7 and I fly to Lima, where I am told it is hot, muggy, dusty and gross. I am certain I will be able to find my Love there too. More on that later.

Good morning, good morning

2005-11-01T17:56:00.000-06:00

Cusco, Peru is almost 4000 meters above sea level, and it is a haven for tourists who enjoy backpacking. There are tons of cafes, churches, cutsie shoppes, and sounvenir stores. I am sure L.L. Bean would LOVE to have an office here. Most tourists are Germans or Scandanavians on their way to hiking adventures at Machu Picchu -- the ancient Inca shrine. As for me, I am also heading that way, but for more spiritual and inspirational reasons. I have always had bad feet, so I am not into hiking the old Inca Trail. Anyway I forgot my orthopedic shoes.

This picture shows the Cusco town center where I just walked through in order to reach this Internet spot. On the left is the main Cathedral, and on the right ... you guessed it ... the Jesuit church: always trying to compete with the diocese. The Jesuit community, ironically, is directly behind the cathedral, just off the left side of the photo.

This morning I took my coffee to the square at 7am to see it for the first time. I stood just to the right of the cathedral, where you see the arched buildings, and was bombarded by the early hawkers and vendors trying to sell me whatever they could. It seems the tourists were not awake yet, 'cept for me. It was peaceful and beautuful. Later this day (All Saints Day), I was treated to a tour of the Jesuit apostolates and adult education centers in the more remote barrios of Cusco. My Jesuit pal also drove me to a site of pilgrimage, El sanctuario del Señor de Huanca. It is a site of great importance for the local Catholics and pilgrims who walk through the mountains and beautiful valleys to reach this place. You can read more about that shrine by clicking here: http://www.santuariojesus.org/

Until my next post, keep the faith all. Fare thee well.
Patrick

Sun King

2005-10-30T18:57:00.000-06:00

When Lennon and McCartney wrote this song for their final album, they were thinking of the power held by their manager, Alan Klein, an idiot of a fellow, whom John liked but Paul hated. Thus the split the following year ... and so it goes.

For my money, this song title refers to the red skin on my face ... the result of the Sun King of the heights of Bolivia and Peru. It only took a few minutes at the top of Calvario in Copacabana for my skin to turned parched. Then when I reached Peru the following day, I spent a few more hours in the market place at Puno and paid the price for not having sun screen. Here it is called bloqueo and comes in a small envelope for about 5 cents US. I bought five of them. Cough medicine costs even more.

Now here's the odd thing ... I got this sunburn dressed not in a bathing suit on the beach but in four layers of clothes and coats holding back a nasty cough earned in LaPaz. On this sunny sunny day in Puno, I wore a Tshirt under a long sleeved Tshirt, and on top of that a flannel shirt and then a windbreaker with hood. Yes, I wanted to prevent further coughing and cold, so I dressed warmly. Even though the temperature was 65 or so, the clothes were not uncomfortable, because it is so DRY!!! Rather, they were a help to ward off chill in the shade (and to protect me from VERY strong sunlight when I stepped out of the shade). It's like walking on the moon. Shade is about 40 degrees, and sun is about 70.

OK, the other thing I really like a lot is watching the toilet flush. Only down here in the southern hemisphere can one enjoy the contents of the bowl flush COUNTER CLOCKWISE. What a thrill.

Ah ... the famous Coriolis force. Now that's something the tour books don't tell ya about.

Many thanks to the Maryknoll community here in Puno for giving me a room for 2 nights before I take off Monday for Cusco. Their house is very convenient and friendly and loaded with tons of English books and USA video movies (all pirated). I will leave here Monday afternoon and send my next post from the friendly marketplace of Cusco, Peru. Hasta luego.

From Me To You

2005-10-27T19:13:00.000-05:00

Welcome to Copacabana. On the shores of clear and crisp Lake Titicaca in western Bolivia.

Leaving LaPaz this morning was no picnic, as I still have a sniffling runny nose. The high altitudes and chilly nights do a number on gringos.

Here is a shot of sunny (but chilly) Copacabana, Bolivia. It is one of the furthest most western spots until you cross over into Peru, which I will do on Saturday, I think. This place is GREAT. The sun is beautiful, the lake (Titicaca) superb, and the people more friendly than you can imagine. This evening I had a GREAT dinner at a spot up the street from this Internet cafe, and tomorrow I will scope out the cathedral (just to the left, out of the picture), and hope to climb the little mountain from which this phto was taken. It is the slow season here and I think I am the only one in my hotel.

Lake Titicaca is the highest lake in the world, and my runny nose tells me that Copacabana is even higer up than LaPaz. BRING SWEATERS if you plan to come. My suitcase is empty because of all the layering I had to do with clothing this evening. For springtime, this is a cold place. No wonder the place is filled with blonde-haired tourists from Germany, Scandanavia, and France ... lots of places that are chilly.

Peace for now,
Patrick

Old Brown Shoe

2005-10-26T19:27:00.000-05:00

So here I am walking along what´s called a "Zona Peotonal" in LaPaz. These are zones for pedestrians only. Like an outdoor mall. It´s just a downtown street with no cars. I am gawking at hawkers, minding my own tourist business when all of a sudden ... I am confronted by a young man wearing a ski mask.

He stands before me and points to the ground. Shocked, I thought he wanted me to lie down in the street because this was a robbery. Never mind there are hundreds of people around in broad daylight. I am surely doomed, I think.

Then it occurs to me ... the passage in the Lonely Planet Guidebook (a must have) that described these street beggars who will shine your shoes for 3Bolivianos (roughly 30 cents). Of course, that´s what this was. He was pointing NOT to the ground but to my shoes (which were indeed filthy black leather from walking Cochabamba barrios).

So, now that understood, I asked how much ... "Tres Bolivianos" he said under the muffled mask. But I waved him off out of habit, not wanting to be bothered. Then I paused and thought, "Come on, your leather shoes are filthy and it is friggin 30 cents Fairbanks!!"

It was one of the best 10 minutes of my day.

The ski mask? Young men in Bolivia are so desperate for any spare change they can muster up, so to avoid public embarrassment from those who might recognize them, they all wear ski masks so as not to be put to shame.

Shame on me for presuming the worst of him.
Shame on me for developing a habit of waving off the poor.
(Yes, I gave him more than 3 Bolivianos!)

Thank you and good luck my friend, whoever you are.

The Night Before

2005-10-26T06:35:00.000-05:00

Last night I rode into LaPaz Bolivia on a very nice bus from Cochabamba ... 7 and a half hours. When we finally made our destination about 4 pm Tuesday, I noticed that LaPaz was kinda like ... a bowl of Cheerios.

Picture a bowl of Ceerios, almost totally eaten, with a lot of little soggy Cheerios at the bottom in milk, and many little other Cheerio dudes hanging onto the side of the bowl. That´s what LaPaz is: kind of a bowl of a city, with the downtown area right in the middle, and all around it, little houses and huts and building hanging onto the surrounding hillsides.

OK OK maybe I was hungry as we rolled into town, but it is a beautiful city nonetheless. The picture here can sort of give you an idea. I am here for 2 days as I make my trek along Lake Titicaca and then to Cusco, Peru. The Jesuits here are really nice, and this morning I will get a tour of their "collegio" here (middle school /high school) and then off to see some museums and the cathedral. It seems Bolivian vocations come from parishes more than high schools, so I found out. And the greatest number from LaPaz (probably because it´s the largest city). But cities more so than the rural areas are fertile grounds for vocations. Maybe that´s why the saying goes ...

Bernardus colles,
valles Benedictus amabat,
oppida Franciscus,
magnas Ignatius urbes.

No, it´s not Spanish, it´s Latin, and it means that the major religious orders founded ministry in many different types of places:

Bernard loved the hills,
Benedict the valleys,
Francis the towns,
Ignatius great cities.

OK, I am off to make my way among taxis and vendors in this great world capital.
Patricius

Hello Goodbye

2005-10-23T19:33:00.000-05:00

That's right, another Beatles song title to grace the newest message in my blog spot. I am saying Goodbye way too soon after I just said Hello to Cochabamba, Bolivia at the start of Sepetmber. However, this Tuesday I am headed out for more exciting adventures in Peru; let's just hope there are Internet cafes to allow me to post my capers.

Today (Sunday) was a packing day. I am trying to fit three suitcases of stuff into one. This morning I attended (with thousands of other Cochabambinos) the large open air Mass in the center of town, in honor of the closing of the Year of the Eucharist. It was a fabulous event. The temp was about 78 degrees and very arid. So when I stood in the shade, it was like 65. Also today, in Rome, Pope Benedict canonized St. Alberto Hurtado, S.J. He was a Jesuit from Chile who died in 1952 or so. He was a big promoter of ministry to young people. He also is the patron of the house in which I live, and from which I am moving: Comunidad Alberto Hurtado.

As I type this blog, I am receiving messages from my very talented niece Marie, who is on AIM almost as much as I am ... or Jake. Anyway, here's her message to all ... "uhmmm... sure. i am well and pray that i survive graduation this spring when I will be mass marketed to hollywood" Marie is Cuteness personified and will eventually be on the silver screen. Right now she is just on my computer screen. From her message, we know that she obviously believes in prayer ... Hmmm... maybe she will enter the convent one day!

The other thing I am doing now as I type this is watching the World Series on ESPN (spanish version). The weather in Chicago looks chilly. here in CBBA it is again a very pleasant 65 degrees this evening. Another fine clear night. The Score is 0-0 in the 1st inning. But after I sign off, things may change.

Oh, I almost forgot. A shout out to Stephen Taluja for letting me use his laptop. Stephen's web site is a link to the left on this page, so go ahead and click it to see his new messgaes too. he and I both owe a debt of gratitude to Ryan for signing us up to blogspot and Flickr. Thanks Ryan, and thanks Stephen. Too bad I can't stay around until December with you guys, but hey ... jesuits are

Free as a Bird

2005-10-22T09:20:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was my last class in Castellano (spanish). I had to deliver a little ditty of gratitude (sort of a display of the talents I learned) at a gathering of the whole school after the final class. And I also received a "report card" of sorts. No grade, but favorable comments indeed. I guess they don´t notice me still struggling with el preterito. Que buena!

Anyway, now I am off to the second part of my journey: a pilgrimage of sorts to Peru and points between here and Lima. Freedom has its price though. I have to depend on my own sense of discipline to continue using and learning Spanish while I am there. I also have a few reservatiosn about travelling alone. I have done it MANY times before in Great Britain, Asia, and New Zealand. Folks here tell me the trip across the Andes is easy, and muy interesante, but I still hear horror stories about border crossings and vagabonds. So I am hedging my bets on my good ol´guardian angel. He and I should be able to handle anything that comes along.

Tuesday morning I travel by bus to La Paz (where I will get ... uh ... BE very high). After I see the Jesuits there, I will head to Copacabana for a nice lakeside view of Titicaca (tee hee). Then I am off to Puno, Peru to stay with the Maryknollers there for a day, then DOWN (to 11,000 feet above sea level) to visit Cusco and see Machu Picchu.

Stop by this spot to see what I mean ... http://www.sacredsites.com/americas/peru/machu_picchu.html

OK, I am off to La Cancha right now. Some of the Holy Cross volunteers want to see this remarkable Bolivian marketplace in the center of Cochabamba, and I will be their (ahem) tour guide! Ha. We´ll see how that goes. More later.

AMDG

With A Little Help From My Friends

2005-10-18T14:43:00.000-05:00

Yeah ... another Beatle title. Rock and roll.

I just wanted to thank the folks here at the Maryknoll Institute for allowing me to piggy back on their web sites and photos and blogs. I have shamlessly added their links to the left. The latest news is that Roy suffered a jarring attack from a local dog, and he gives a nice account of it on his own blog spot (see link to the left). Also, Ryan has new posts and lots of pictures to enjoy.

As for me, the professors here tell me I have a "final exam" on Wednesday. Surprise. So tonight I am studying. My last class is FRiday and Tuesday I leave for La Paz, Copacabana, and then I cross the border into Peru where I will stay one night in Ouno, then on to Cuzco to visit Jesuits and then Macchu Pichu. I am anticipating the trip, although it will be the first REAL test of my Spanish since I arrived a month and a half ago.

Within you, without you

2005-10-14T11:16:00.000-05:00

At our next community meeting, this Monday evening, the guys in the house want me to give a little presentation on my time here in Bolivia. They also want to hear a little bit about my life, my call to the Jesuits, and my take on language learning. They want it to include stuff within me and without me. Yikes.

I didn´t know there would be a test!

So, I have decided to put together a little Power Point presentation including pictures of family and places I have been, things I´ve done. As with all things, I am getting too freaked out. I am preparing too much, and I presume that the entire "presentation" has to be perfect. Time to take a chill break. I need to keep telling myself ... "You don´t speak Spanish as well as Antonio Banderas" ... and sometimes that helps.

Last night we went to a little concert in downtown Cochabamba. The choir and orchestra from the mission San Ignacio de Moxos came to play oriognal music from the 18th century, on original instruments. Sounded a lot like a chamber orchestra performing sacred music, which they did. It included folk dancing and native songs as well. Nice time.

my last day of classes will be a week from today ... Friday the 21st. Hope my grammar and attention can hold out. Til the next post, hasta luego.

Yesterday

2005-10-10T19:42:00.000-05:00

You may have noticed that I am trying to incorporate titles and lyrics from Beatle songs into my posts.

Yesterday was Sunday and I celebrated Mass in very poor "barrio" -- a neighborhood just south of town. The congragation was about 5 or 6 Salesian sisters and their friends, about 8 or 10 little kids, and a dog. The dog just wandered in during Mass. I guess it´s been Baptized. Thanks to my Jesuit brother Rafael who brought me there and gave me a walking tour on rocky roads and 90 degree temps.

Today (Monday) I start my last two-week stint of spansih classes. The jury is in and my four teachers (one for each of the 4 hours I am tutored) are superb. Especially Oscar. Maybe I will gather more details this week.

Tonight is really chilly (50s) and rainy here in the city of eternal spring. Best of luck to all who read this (especially the volleyball team from hell ... and they know who they are).

Check out my links to the left if you want to see more. Or click on Ryan´s name beneath the picture below, and he has more photos to show.

Go White Sox!

Good Day Sunshine

2005-10-08T15:11:00.000-05:00

Well this is Saturday October 8 ... time to add a few more thoughts to the blog.

Last Wednesday, I returned from a 5 day trip to the jesuit Missions in eastern Bolivia. These missions were little churches founded by the jesuits in the 18th century, right before the Pope put the ol' kabosh on the Jesuits. The churches stood for 250 years or so, until they were rebuilt by a guy named Hans Roth in the later 20th century.

These churches now radiate a spirit and history of the early Society and a hope for the church in Latin America. We laerned a lot on this trip, but unfortunately all we have to show are pictures. Some of the links to other people's sites can give a better picture of what we saw.

For me, I ahve 2 weeks left of spanish classes here at the Maryknoll Language Institute. After a week in the misisons, I feel a little rusty in spanish, but that should pass in time (I hope). Maybe the last two weeks will give me that last shot int he arm. After that, I am headed for Peru. One major site I am looking forward to is Machu Picchu. If you type that in to Google or into Altavista pictures, you can see what I mean.

Well, here are a few thougfhts about my present situation. As of mid-October, I am in the town of Cochambamba, Bolivia. Cochbamba is a smaller city down the mountains from La Paz, a mere 8,000 feet, but still high. I usually find myself breathing for extra air once or twice a day here. The air is always clear and crisp. There is no humidity to speak of, and the temps range from a chilly 50 degrees at night to a high of maybe 80 in the afternoon. Very pleasant. They call it the city of eternal springtime. Indeed it is the place where folks come on holiday from chilly La Paz and from tropical, humid Santa Cruz where I was last week.

On September 1, I arrived at the airport and was taken to the Jesuit community only two blocks away from the Maryknoll language school where we study. The community is called Comunidad Alberto Hurtado, after a famous Chilean Jesuit who is to be canonized this October 23 of this year, by the way. The community has three priests living here, most of whom are teachers at the local university and also work in Jesuit apostolates. There are also 6 or so scholastics who live here: guys studying for the priesthood. Myself and Tom, another American Jesuit, bring the house to about 12 people.

It´s very comfortable here, and very simple. The house itself looks more like a rustic Florida motel. Rooms open up onto a central garden and there are no screens or storm doors or anything. The floors are all tiles and the walls are either brick or plaster. Dust is everywhere (cause it never rains) and bugs, pets, birds, and critters are ever present. It´s not unhealthy, but I do seem to have a family of rats living under my bedroom floor. They keep me up at night and bother the heck out of me during the day. There is hot water in the showers, but not in any of the sinks. The house is very airy and open all the time. You can´t go from room to room without going outside. My room is stark, you could call it a cell, really. Since I didn´t bring a lot of clothes, there isn´t much to fill it up. I have a few books and of course all the Spanish material that the school gave me.

Cochbamba is right now on the same time zone as New York: eastern time. That changes though when the US goes back to standard time. Then we will be an hour earlier here than in New York. Here in the community, our daily routine is pretty simple. The first thing in the morning is Mass at 7:00 am. One of the rooms is a chapel where all 12 of us can fit pretty well. After Mass is breakfast (desayuno) which is toast or cereal or a small sandwich, which we make for ourselves if we want it. Coffee too. If we boil the ¨dirty¨water from the tap, it is OK to drink. So there is hot water on the table in a thermos. Since our classes at the language school start right at 8:00 am, Tom and I have to wolf down a piece of toast and then run to class, ready or not.

The next meal during the day is at 1:00 pm and that is the main meal for folks in Latin America. It is called “almuerzo” and is served like a grand dinner usually: soup, veggies, meat, rice, bread, and a fine dessert. The community has a woman come in to cook and to do the guys´ laundry each day, since everybody works outside the house or goes to school. Since my Spanish classes end at 11:30, I come home usually about 12:30 for the midday meal. And after that, of course is siesta. The whole city basically shuts down and everybody takes the famous Latin American nap for an hour or so. About 2:00 pm, works starts up again. For me, I start my homework, sometimes at school or here in the house. But every night I have “tarea” ... homework in the evning. Then, long about 7:30, guys collect in the dining room again for a final meal, also on your own, which is called “la cena”. It´s lighter, sometimes leftovers, sometimes take-out, sometimes people skip it. But after that, guys usually head for the TV room or read or go to bed. I turn in no later than 10 at night, usually trying to figure out conjugations. Or I go star gazing.

But Spanish is always going on around me … of course, I am in Bolivia. And that is helpful. Morning noon and night. The only channel on TV in English is CNN, although they do have MTV and VH1 in Englsih with subtitles. American movies play on HBO with Spanish subtitles. The Simpsons are dubbed over in Spanish. So, it´s hard to understand Homer. Speaking is OK, because the guys in the house allow for my mistakes, but in school it is trying. Listening is harder than speaking because everywhere people speak with harder vocabulary and with greater speed than I am capabale of handling (right now at least). That will surely get better with time.

Last week, the school arranged a trip to the famous Jesuit missions of the Chiquitos east of Santa Cruz. There are about 6 little country mission chapels that have been established by Jesuits in the 1700s, and they still exist as churches. If you want to see a little website about these missions, go to http://www.comunidadandina.org/ingles/tourism/greatest/i_misiones.htm .

At night before bed, I read a bit more about two sites I am anxious to see in Peru: the ancient Inca ruins of Machu Picchu (which is just northwest of a city called Cuzco) and the city of Lima itself. Lima is large, busy, and dirty, but it is the central hub for a lot of ministry that Jesuits do in the city and around the area. Since I entered the Society, I have heard so much about our work in Peru, but now I´ll hopefully be able to visit and help out if I can.

That is the latest from >Bolivia. Remember always that God is good and brings us countless opportunities for grace and growth ... if we only would see.

Peace to all who read this. And in your free time, drop me a line at Fairbanks@jesuits.net

Patrick

It´s getting better all the time

2005-10-07T15:11:00.000-05:00

A big shout out to my pal Ryan Greenberg for all the help making links and avenues for us to check out pictures and other curious happenings on the Patrick SJ webnetwork. He has connected me to a software site called Flickr which allows me to include pictures in a user-friendly format. Also, on this page, you can see two links above: the one for photos leads you to Flickr and my photos, well ... mine and others, so enjoy. The other is a link back to my home page. Also, the links sections shows various places that are my favorites. Click at your own risk.

I will now try to upload some of the pictures we have taken during our recent outing to the Jesuit missions of the Chiquitos.

Until the next post, Ultima optima.

Cristo de la Concordia

2005-10-07T11:25:00.000-05:00

Photo by Ryan Greenberg.

Here is a nice view of Jesus overlooking Cochabamba.

My Excursion to South America

2005-10-06T09:34:00.000-05:00

Greetings from the Republic of Bolivia.

I will attempt to provide some running commentary and a little background of my trip to South America during the fall semester of 2005.

First, I need to learn how to transfer text and photos to this blog, so be patient. Thanks.

In the meantime, here is a link to an article from Company Magazine from 2003 when they did a story on the same trip that I took last week. Hope you enjoy.

http://www.companysj.com/v202/missionsinamusicalkey.htm

Until the next post ...

Patrick