Julia

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

`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

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

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

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

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

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. ;-)

Free as a Bird

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.