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CAMPUS MINISTRY OFFICE: The Campus Ministry Office is located in Our Lady Chapel.

phone: [440] 473-3560. e-mail: blazekj@gilmour.org

CLOSING PRAYER:

~ A Prayer of Tramsfiguration ~ O God,

We open our eyes and we see Jesus — his life transfigured to a beam of light,

the light of the world, your light.

May your light shine upon us.

We open our eyes and we see Moses and Elijah — your word restoring us,

showing us the way, telling a story —

your story, his story, our story. May your word speak to us.

We open our eyes and we see mist —

the cloud of your presence which assures us of all we do not know,

and what we do not need to know. Teach us to trust.

We open our eyes and we see Peter’s constructions —

his best plans, our best plans, our missing the point, our missing the way.

Forgive our foolishness and sin

We open our eyes and we see Jesus — not casting us off,

but leading us down, leading us out —

to ministry, to people. Your love endures forever.

We open our ears and we hear your voice, “This is my beloved Son, listen to him!”

And we give you thanks. Amen

Vol. XXII, No. 35 August 5-6, 2017

Our Lady Chapel

Our Lady Chapel is a Roman Catholic community founded in the love of the Father, centered in Christ, and rooted in the Holy Cross tenets of building family and embracing diversity. We are united in our journey of faith through prayer and sacrament, and we seek growth through the wisdom of the Holy Spirit in liturgy and outreach, while responding to the needs of humanity.

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BRINGING UP THE OFFERTORY GIFTS: Would you and your family or group like to bring up the gifts at the offertory at Mass? In the past, our Council people have invited people to bring up the gifts, and we have found that many — if not most — of you like to be asked. But in using this method, we may be leaving people out, especially if it is done as a “last minute item”. So, we are posting a sign-up sheet on the Easel in the narthex of the chapel. If you or your family or group would like to bring up the gifts on a certain Saturday or Sunday — or if you are open to doing this at any time — please call the chapel office [440-473-3560]. We look forward to opening this beautiful experience to all in our community.

PLANTING SEEDS OF HOPE AND GOODNESS CONTINUES: Once again this year, we are going to undertake our Planting Seeds of Hope and Goodness school supply program. Our Lady Chapel is working to assist the needy children of St. Adalbert’s Parish. Come join us as we work together to help these children get the next school year off to a good start come this Fall. While Fall seems to be a long ways off, we need to begin this project now — even as the summer months provide challenges of their own to each of us.

The following is a list of school supplies that need adopting to help with this effort — Facial tissue boxes; Clorox wipes; No.2-pencils; and boxes of crayons [regular size]. Any and all quantities of these supplies are welcome!].

Here is how you can be a part of this outreach. Simply shop for items on the list. Kindly return the items between now and August 6th to Our Lady Chapel. If you do not have time to shop, simply place an envelope in the collection basket and mark it “St. Adalbert’s” or drop it off in the chapel office. “Come Grow with us” — as together, we work and plant our seeds of hope and goodness to this community. Thank you in advance for your generosity and helping the children of St. Adalberts! Contact Patty in the Chapel Office [440-473-3560] if you have any questions.

COME TO THE FEST — A FULL LIFE: The FEST 2017 is Sunday, August 6th from noon until 10:00 PM at the Center for Pastoral Leadership, 28700 Euclid Ave. at Bishop Rd. in Wickliffe, as we bring together 39,000+ from across our region for a day of faith, family, and fun – and it’s FREE. Come and hear the best of the best of the national Christian artists, including Grammy Winners and Nominees for King and Country, Laura Story, Matt Maher and David Crowder. The day also includes dynamic activities for all ages, opportunities for prayer and reflection, a large outdoor Mass followed by fireworks and more. This is a great family day. Come join in the fun and prayer.

ALL PEOPLE LIFTED UP WITH JESUS: The death and resurrection of Jesus are God’s way to open for all people the door to eternal life. Jesus said: “When I am lifted up from the earth, I shall draw all people to myself” [John 12:32]. Indeed, all people, from all times and places, are lifted up with Jesus on the cross and into the new life of the resur-rection. Thus, Jesus’ death is a death for all humanity, and Jesus’ resurrection is a resurrection for all humanity. Not one person from the past, present, or future is excluded from the great passage of Jesus from slavery to freedom, from the land of captivity to the promised land, from death to eternal life.

—Henri Nouwen

AWE AND WONDER: May you experience each day as a sacred gift woven around the heart of wonder. —John O’Donohue

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PRAYER REQUESTS: Jesus calls us to pray for one another. Please keep all these people in your prayers

PRAYFRS FOR THE SICK: Dubsky who is recovering from a stroke.

For Findley Stay, husband of former Gilmour Teacher, Emily Stay, father of Allen [‘87], who is hospitalized for medical testing.

For Albert Ciprian, neighbor of Maintenance Directeor, Dan Kohn, who is undergoing surgery on Monday.

For Alice Filsinger, who is undergoing treatment following a stroke

For Lisa Hill who is undergoing treatment for cancer.

For Christine Livers who is recovering from brain surgery.

For Kurt Leidli [‘87 ], brother of Christopher [‘85],who is ill.

For Mary Ellen Basile, who is undergoing treatment for lung cancer.

For Vijay Singla, Brother of Science teacher, Neena Goel, uncle of Nikhil [‘13] and Nupur [‘17] Goel, who is undergoing treatment for liver cirrhosis

For Jessica Kunevicius [‘95], sister of Olivia [‘97], who is in long-term rehab following cardiac arrest.

For James Porter, father of William [‘84] and Daniel [‘92] Porter, grandfather of Jacqueline [‘10], Nicole [‘12], Michelle [‘15], and Danielle [‘18] Porter who is seriously ill.

For Steve Shea, brother of Theresa Stark, who is undergoing treatment for lymphoma .

For Joseph Seiler, grandfather of Thomas [‘13], Nicole [‘14], Justin [‘16], John [‘18], and Joseph [‘20] Hollis, who is ill.

For Philip McNulty, nephew of Mike and Janet Heryak, Cousin of Lilian [‘09], Rosa [‘12], and Edwin [‘17] Heryak, who is undergoing medical treatment

For Tom Libbers, brother of Brother Edward Libbers, C.S.C., who is undergoing treatment for cancer.

For David Simonetta, father-in-law of Upper School Science Instructor, Jessica Grassi Simonetta [‘05] who is critically ill with cancer.

For Justin Tarr who is critically ill with brain cancer.

For Nicholas Zanella, who is undergoing medical treatment

For Teddy Prusock, nephew of Lower School associate, Nina Prusock, who is undergoing neurological testing.

DRESSES FOR HONDURAS: One of the nurses in our Gilmour Clinic is involved in a dressmaking project for the children of Honduras. They have devised a method of making sundresses out of common pillowcases, and then adorning them with other items for decoration. And that is where you come in. If you have any old buttons, ribbon, ric-rac, lace or other sewing trim, please bring them in. The group would like to collect these items to help decorate the dresses they are working on. This is an on-going project; the dresses will be sent to Honduras every time there is a mission trip. The next trip is scheduled for March of 2017. There is a basket in the narthex of the Chapel to collect any donations you may have. Thank you for your help!

HOW TO FIND GOD: Jesus says that the Kingdom of God is not where you think it is. It is where you don’t expect to find it. Most people look in a Church or monastery. But it can be lived on the street; it can be lived in a house; it can be lived in an apartment; it can be lived on a mountain, in the desert — anywhere. If we accept the God of everyday life, you have God right now. If you’re looking for the God who is going to rescue you from oppression and from the difficulties of everyday life, forget it. Try another universe. —Thomas Keating

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PRAYER REQUESTS: Jesus calls us to pray for one another. Please keep all these people in your prayers.

PRAYERS FOR THE SICK: For Nancy Arndt who is recovering from an aneurism

For John Drahozal, brother of Brother Ronald Drahozal, C.S.C., who is experiencing health issues.

For Marissa Bridgman, niece of Patsy Schauer, who is undergoing treatment for brain cancer.

For Daniel Hernandez, father of Patsy Schauer, who is recovering from back surgery.

For Laura Wagner, mother of Madison Wagner [‘19] who is ill.

For Delia Hernandez who is undergoing treatment for dementia.

For Irene Mohun who is undergoing treatment for breast cancer.

For Sister Dorothy Fuchs, S.N.D., who is under the care of hospice.

For Wendy Myers, friend of Joanne Fisher, who is undergoing treatment for breast cancer

For John Madigan [‘56] who is seriously ill with complications from Parkinson's disease and Pancreatitis.

For Tiho Teisl, Director of Student Service, who is undergoing treatment for cancer.

For Ruth Boseman who is seriously ill.

For Bernice Phelps, aunt of Upper School Teacher, John Overman, and great –aunt of Michael [‘22] and Jack [‘25] Overman, who is critically ill.

For John Fagan, father of James [‘91] and Daniel [‘96], who is being treated for ALS

For Bob Sessions, brother of former Gilmour student, Tom Sessions, who is under the care of hospice.

For Ron Jones, who is seriously ill with pancreatic cancer.

For Jim Plavcan, brother of Gil Plavcan, who is undergoing treatment for breathing issues.

For Mackenzie and Amelia Kahn, daughters of David Kahn [‘97], both of whom have Batton Disease, a progressive neurological disorder.

For Diana Meyers, mother of Alexa Scimone, grandmother of Dominick Scimone [‘18] who is undergoing treatment for rheumatoid arthritis

For Brett Rechel [‘95] who is under the care of hospice.

For Ted Berr, uncle of Allen Stay [‘87] who is undergoing treatment for cancer.

For Bill Musser who is undergoing treatment for brain cancer.

For Tom Miller who is undergoing treatment for colon cancer.

For Mariana Militello, cousin of Alex [’22] and Xavier [‘26] Swinarski, who has been diagnosed with a brain tumor

For Claudia Remington, aunt of Upper School instructor, Cindy Fidanza, who is undergoing treatment for breast cancer.

For Todd King [‘87], brother of Christie [‘91] King, who is undergoing treatment for mirocondra

For Jenny Blender, who is undergoing treatment for cancer.

For Drew Franco, son of Brian [‘90], nephew of Jeff [‘88] and Kristin [’94] Kirkpatrick, who is struggling with a seizure disorder.

For Dennis Kavran, father of Dennis [‘86] and Jennifer [‘95], grandfather of Adam [‘14] and Madeleine [‘16] Miller, who is undergoing further treatment for cancer.

For Lexi Pappadakes, who is undergoing treatment for complications from surgery.

For Maria Ricci, friend of Linda McGraw, who is ill.

For Jeff Warner, brother of Denise Calabrese, who is undergoing treatment resulting from a stroke and seizure.

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SCHEDULE FOR THE WEEK:

Sunday, August 6: Transfiguration of Jesus 10:00 AM

Monday, August 7: NO MASS

Tuesday, August 8: St. Dominic

NO MASS

Wednesday, August 9: NO MASS

Thursday, August 10: St. Lawrence

NO MASS

Friday, August 11: St. Clare

5:30 PM [Eucharistic Chapel]

Saturday, August 12: Transfiguration of Jesus 5:00 PM

Sunday, August 6: Transfiguration of Jesus 10:00 AM

UPCOMING CHAPEL ACTIVITIES:

August 11 ----------------- New Faculty Orientation 8:00 AM

August 12 ----------------- Blessing of College Students at Mass 5:00 PM

August 13 ----------------- Blessing of College Students at Mass 10:00 AM

August 14 ----------------- Vigil for Feast of the Assumption of Mary 5:30 PM

August 15 ----------------- Faculty Day of Retreat Mass for Feast of the Assumption OLC Council Meeting

8:00 AM—4:00 PM 5:30 PM 6:15 PM—8:00 PM

August 17 ----------------- New Student Orientation Twilight at Tudor Freshman Mass

4:00 PM 9:00 PM

August 18 ----------------- Freshman Morning Prayer [at Shrine] 7:00 AM

PLEASE NOTE: The daily Mass schedule will vary over the next several weeks because Father John is taking some time off. Saturday and Sunday Masses will always take place.. Sorry for the inconvenience this may cause.

FAITH EDUCATION: Faith Education will resume in the fall on Sunday, September 10th. Our Sessions go from 8:45—9:45 AM, with the hope that our children would then participate in our 10:00 AM Family Mass. Register your family for classes next year by contacting Patty in the Chapel Office [[440-473-3560]. Even if you attended class last school year, you need to register. If you have any questions, please call Patty in the chapel office. Thank you for taking care of this important responsibility.

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REFLECTION FOR THE WEEK: This weekend, we interrupt Ordinary Time with a most extraordinary celebration — the Feast of the Transfiguration of Jesus. This feast brings us face to face with who is Jesus, and who are we — we recognize that the One God of all is the God of our all — our oneness.

God is close to us at all times — especially with those times of ordinary on-the-level walking around. Take the Eucharist for example. The Eucharist itself can become “usual” and as spiritually tasteless as the species of bread itself. God is more intimate to us than we are to ourselves. There is no distance of space or relationship between God and us. May we experience the Transfiguration more often in our lives.

The Scripture readings for this Feast of the Transfiguration begin with an account of a series of dreams by the prophet Daniel [7:9-14]. His current vision occurs in two parts. The first is a vision of “the Ancient One” — the Lord — seated on his throne, with a myriad of people surrounding him. The second vision is the Son of Man — the risen Messiah — who is coronated, installed, and commissioned to receive dominion, power and an ever-lasting kingship.

The purpose of these visions is to encourage the people of Israel that there is coming a time when Israel will again be the People of God, and this people will be a kingdom dedicated to the service of the Holy and Ancient One’s servant. Prophetic fires, clouds and numerous servants of the Ancient One set the stage for quite a royal display. Daniel knew the history of Israel and how foreign kings had dominated their lands and customs. Something extraordinary was going to be revealed if they only kept faith. This faith would include both relying on their past as guided by God and their future as a continuation of God’s faithfulness.

In Matthew’s Gospel [17:1-9] Jesus takes 3 of his disciples — Peter, James and John — to a secluded place up on a mountain. This event takes place shortly after Jesus has fed a large crowd — both physically and spiritually [see Matthew 14].

The Transfiguration of Jesus is a “more-than-meets-the-eye” experience. There is more to the human person of Jesus — there is divinity. The miracles of feeding and curing are in themselves forms of this same transfiguring. These gestures are signs; even though physical and miraculous, they attract people’s attention to Jesus as a human prophet. This Transfiguration in the presence of His disciples announces less of the physical Jesus and more of the trans-physical or divine presence — “Now you don’t see Him and now you do.” The cloud has been a biblical symbol of the presence of the divine and Matthew uses this to announce the presence of the eternal God surrounding the earthly presence of Jesus. The three apostles were being invited to go beyond what they thought they knew to this new way of knowing. They knew what they had experienced, but they did not know what they were being called to believe.

Peter wishes to encapsulate the experience by building three dwelling places, putting on locks, throwing away the keys, and living out the personal experience of what had happened. There was something new being offered and retrenching, seeking the security of privacy, and having more of these delightful, exciting, and ratifying experiences — all would be natural and safe. Instead, Jesus, because He did not come to be alone, did not come to be safe, and did not come to be “figured out”, urged them back down to live on the level.

Jesus is moving steadily toward His being figured on the cross, and this “figuring out” is His destiny and dignity. He invites the Apostles to keep to themselves all they had seen and heard until the “glorfiguration”. They kept His word, but they formed a support-group to discuss what all this was going to mean.

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PRAYER REQUESTS: Jesus calls us to pray for one another. Please keep all these people in your prayers

FOR THE DECEASED:

For Mary Ilyes, wife of former Maintenance Director, Mike Ilyes.

For Carmelita Ferrio, aunt of chapel associate, Patty DeMarco, and Kathy DeMarco.

For Robert Kramer [‘60]

For Patrick Ginley

For Sister Jane Frances Reus, C.S.C.

For Ernest DeFoy, father of Ernest [‘79]

For Cindy Pickering, former Gilmour employee.

For Harry Hobson

For Scott Dillon

For Donald Maglietta

For Fred Weismann, grandfather of Robert [‘05], Megan [‘06] and Molly [‘09] Weisman

PRAYERS FOR OTHERS:

For a couple who is trying to conceive a child.

For a person going through a difficult time.

For a woman diagnosed with lung cancer.

For the families who are grieving the loss of loved ones.

For a greater respect for human life, from the moment of conception until natural death.

For all caregivers.

For all service men and women serving our country, and for their families.

LETTING GO — THE MEANING OF LIFE: The path of descent involves letting go of our self-image, our titles, our status symbols — our false self. It will die anyway. So don’t make anything absolute when it is only relative. This is one of the many meanings of the First Commandment: “You shall have no other gods before me” [Exodus 20:3; Deuteronomy 5:7]. We must let go of our false images of God — which mostly serve our purposes; but we also need to let go of ourselves.

The German Dominican mystic Meister Eckhart [1260—1328] preached: “God is not found in the soul by adding anything, but by a process of subtraction.” But in the capitalistic West, we think very differently. We all keep trying to climb higher up the ladder of success in any form. We’ve turned the Gospel into a matter of addition instead of subtraction. All we can really do is get out of the way. The spiritual life is often more about unlearning than learning — letting go of illusions more than studying the Bible or the catechism.

When C. G. Jung was an old man, one of his students read John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress, and he asked Jung: “What has your pilgrimage really been?” Jung answered: “In my case ‘Pilgrim’s Progress’ consisted in my having to climb down a thousand ladders until I could reach out my hand to the little clod of earth that I am.”

The word “human” comes from the Latin “humus” — which means earth. Being human means acknowledging that we’re made from the earth and will return to the earth. We are earth that has come to consciousness. For a few years we dance around on the stage of life and have the chance to reflect a little bit of God’s glory. As a human, I’m just a tiny moment of consciousness, a tiny part of creation, a particle that reflects only a fragment of God’s love and beauty. And yet that’s enough. And then we return to where we started — in the heart of God. Everything in between is a school of love. —Father Richard Rohr, O.F.M.

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BE CAREFUL — IT’S MORE THAN YOU THINK: One of my favorite “stories” comes from a Protestant Scripture scholar. He and his family once toured a pre-Revolutionary-War home in New England. As they were passing through the living room, he spied a centuries-old musket hanging above the fireplace. An avid gun collector, he spontaneously reached up and reverently touched its stock.

“Don’t touch that gun!” the tour guide yelled. He immediately assured her that he wasn’t going to harm it. “I’m not worried about you harming the gun,” she replied. “I’m worried about the gun harming you.

It’s loaded!” When asked why anyone would keep a loaded musket in such a public place, she answered: “My

ancestor who build this house loaded it one night in front of his family and hung it there, telling everyone: ‘This gun will fire the first shot for the Colonies’ independence.’ ”

“Too bad he died before 1776,” the tourist said. “Oh, no,” the woman replied. “He lived into the 1800’s.” “Then why didn’t he fire the gun?” “Well,” she smiled, “he just never thought George Washington’s little skirmishes with the British

would ever amount to anything.” The man obviously lived through the event he was anticipating, and never noticed it was happening! By narrating Jesus’ transfiguration, our evangelists are assuring us that Jesus’ first followers didn’t

fall into that near-sighted colonist’s trap. They knew who Jesus of Nazareth really was, and what he was doing.

At the beginning of the first Christian century, Jews had been waiting for more than 800 years for a Messiah — a unique person anointed by God to free them from their “problems” and inaugurate an ideal age. They had originally believed that their king would be that person. But after a bunch of royal rotten eggs, they began to look elsewhere. Contrary to popular belief, there was no one scriptural concept of Messiah. Each age had different problems, requiring different Messiahs to take care of them.

The prophet Daniel [7:9-14], for instance, writes in the midst of a 2nd century, BCE, Greek persecution. His people are being horribly oppressed — to the point of martyrdom — for their faith in the Lord. Like all later “apocalyptic” writers, Daniel falls back on God to rescue them from their persecution. Only God can send someone “like a son of Man” to stop the oppression. Though this term originally referred to all humans who, with God’s help, would eventually overcome the Greek menace, Jesus, in Matthew’s Gospel [17:1-9] seems to apply it specifically to himself.

Scholars believe this well-known transfiguration passage is a classic biblical “myth” — a portrayal of something which, though true, can only be expressed in symbolic language. In this case, it’s an insight into the person of Jesus. For his disciples, he’s more than meets the eye.

Jesus has become the light of their lives. Not only does he fulfill their dreams of God’s presence in their lives — something the feast of tents or tabernacles commemorates — he has a relationship with God like no other human; he’s actually God’s son! He embodies everything the Law and the prophets — Moses and Elijah — convey.

But of course, as I mentioned above, this biblical myth represents an insight. It’s there, and then it’s gone. It just lasts a few seconds. Only after Jesus’ followers eventually experience his resurrection will their conviction about these things become permanent, essential elements of their faith.

In a way, it’s a shame that the author of Peter’s second letter took this transfiguration passage literally [2 Peter 1:16-19]. It’s important that we fall back on our faith insights. Though looking up we, like his disciples, see only Jesus, if we don’t remember what we “saw” before we looked up, we’re liable to still have a loaded musket somewhere around.

.—taken from the writings of Father Roger Karban, which appear on the internet

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AMAZON.COM: Please remember that when you want to buy something from Amazon.com, you need to first go to www.ourladychapel.org and click on the Amazon logo at the bottom of the home page! Because of this simple step — and at no cost to the purchaser — Our Lady Chapel receives a percentage of all purchases that are made from Amazon.com. Ever since we have begun this program, we have consistently been receiving significant checks from Amazon that are being credited to help pay for chapel expenses. This affinity program remains in effect throughout the year, so we ask everyone to continue to remember to start your purchases at Amazon on the Our Lady Chapel home page! Thank you.

Good things do happen in solitude. Jesus often met persons in their individuality. The apostles were frightened at the intensity of this intimacy Jesus was offering them. They were fearful of the unknown and what else was going to be asked of them.

The human and divine natures of Jesus in the One Person is a tremendous mystery. Through His human instrumentality He did His wonderful deeds among humans. His divinity was present constantly and accompanied all His gestures. In the Transfiguration, His divinity met the humanity of the apostles more clearly and closely. In our cultic prayer, our liturgies, Jesus in His One Person with two Natures, meets us as well. There is a part of us that participates in God’s nature! Both our humanity and that sharing in His divinity are met and embrace. Our tendencies are to gravitate toward our humanity’s being met and comforted, but we retrench from our divinity’s being met. We cannot understand that participation — that kind of life within us and so we let it go. We love what we can understand and deny, and neglect the mystical or frighteningly beyond our limited minds.

We, like the apostles, want to form small groups to discuss so we can understand. This is obviously very good. However, we are urged to go into ourselves as well — into our own booth, our blessed solitude — to allow there to be some “transing”, some encountering between the real and total Jesus and the real and total us. It is real, even when we cannot figure it all out. We, like the apostles, will wonder if personal prayer, intimate moments between the mysterious God and the mysterious me, is true or just fantasy. The Apostles relaxed their human demanding, and Jesus walked the closer with them back to the other forms of the real. —taken from the writings of Father Larry Gillick, S.J., whicRh appear on the internet

SERVING THE LORD IN THE POOR: Sat. Aug. 19 For the past year, our teens have been volunteering at Our Savior Lutheran Church Food Pantry [located r ight across the street from the chapel]. The Pantry is open on the third Saturday of every month from 11:00 AM – 1:30 or 2:00 PM. Our Savior Lutheran’s Food Pantry was formed to serve those in emergency situations and/or with on-going need in the cities of Mayfield Heights, Mayfield Village, Highland Heights and Gates Mills. The Food Pantry respects social and cultural diversity and upholds the worth and dignity of those it serves. All those in the area with need will be served equally, as supplies allow. The food pantry is a member of the Greater Cleveland Food Bank. During the course of the past year, the food pantry at Our Savior Lutheran Church served an average of 141 households each time. Our teens have loved this ministry and have been very faithful to it. We would now like to open this ministry up to our entire Chapel Community. If you would like to help on any given third Saturday, please call Patty at the chapel office [440-473-3560] to let us know that you are going to volunteer, or email Elina Gurney at gurney.oh@gmail.com. Come as a family or by yourself .

FINDING INNER JOY: The Gospel is Good News filled with contagious joy, for it contains and offers new life. —Pope Francis

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A HOPE THAT GIVES LIFE: The death of Chester Bennington, lead singer for the popular group, Linkin Park, has stunned the music world. His alarming death by suicide follows that of another popular singer of his generation, Chris Cornell, who fronted the seminal grunge rock groups Soundgarden and Audioslave. While such deaths have not been uncommon in the world of music, the suicides of the rich and famous shock us because we think they “have it all.” In fact, they only prove that success, money, fame, and power do not ultimately fulfill us and cannot shield us from life’s difficulties.

Sadly, these tragic deaths are not limited to the music and entertainment industry, but mirror an overall trend in society. People are taking their own lives at an alarming rate, contributing to the first overall decrease in life expectancy in the United States since 1993.

While the causes of this phenomenon are complex, one contributing factor is increased loneliness. With family units breaking down and spreading out over greater distances, people find themselves more isolated than ever. The lack of support makes it that much harder to deal with the challenges of daily life.

We also live in a culture that highly values success and pleasure. Those who sense that they are no longer contributing to society because of unemployment or sickness can begin to question their worth. This helps explain the appeal of physician assisted suicide, and the fact that it is often chosen not because the patient is experiencing uncontrollable pain, but because they fear the loss of autonomy.

These realities stem from and contribute to a general lack of hope. We can endure just about anything when we see a purpose to it. If we are convinced that our circumstances will improve, we can overcome just about any obstacle that stands in our way. However, when we do not see a point to our suffering, it is easy to fall into despair.

In Matthew’s Gospel [17:1-9], Jesus leads Peter, James, and John up a mountain where he is transfigured before them, revealing to them his glory as the eternal Son of God. This follows his prophecy that he would suffer and die. By revealing his glory to them, he is preparing them to face the horror of his imminent crucifixion. He wants to give them hope that there is more going on than they can see. Though his death will be a crushing blow to them, he wants to burn into their minds his other prediction — that he will rise from the dead.

As believers, we have been given the mission of spreading hope to others — to those who are lonely, we offer friendship and community; to the sick, we often compassion and the promise that uniting their suffering to that of Jesus contributes to the salvation of the world; to those who have sinned, we offer reconciliation; to the young, we proclaim that life has purpose when it is spent in service to others.

Religious practice contributes greatly to a person’s overall sense of fulfillment and meaning. And so, when we propose Jesus Christ as the world’s hope, we are doing more than offering a slate of doctrines to profess or a schedule of rituals to attend. Rather, we are providing hope and meaning to a world that is becoming increasingly fractured and disintegrated. We hold out the truth of the Resurrection, especially when the cross seems heaviest.

—taken from the writings of Doug Sousa, which appears on the internet.

CHILDREN’S BULLETINS: Each week, we are making available a Children’s Worship Bulletin. There are two editions: [3-6] and [7-12]. They are available on the table as you leave. The Bulletin focuses on the readings for the week. These are wonderful tools for your children to learn more about the scripture readings for the week. We hope you will take them for your families or your grandchildren. Thanks.

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everything there sit two thrones — on one sits a King and on the other sits a Queen — and from these two thrones issues forth all energy, all creativity, all power, all love, all nourishment, all joy, all playfulness, all humor, and all beauty. All images of God are inadequate, but this image hopefully can help us understand that God is perfect masculinity and perfect femininity making perfect love all the time, and that from this union issues forth all energy and all creation. Moreover that energy, at its sacred root, is not just creative, intelligent, personal, and loving, it’s also joyous, colorful, witty, playful, humorous, erotic, and exuberant at it very core. To feel it is an invitation to gratitude.

The challenge of our lives is to live inside that energy in a way that honors it and its origins. That means keeping our shoes off before the burning bush as we respect its sacredness, even as we take from it permission to be more robust, free, joyous, humorous, and playful — and especially more grateful.

—taken from the writings Father Ronald Rolheiser, O.M.I., which appear on the internet.

ENVELOPES: When you need a new supply of envelopes, please feel free to take a supply of them from the ta-

ble in the vestibule, or call Father John at the Campus Ministry Office [473-3560].

When you use your envelope, please make sure that your number is on it. If you need to know your number, please call the Campus Ministry Office. Thanks.

WEEKLY OFFERING: Baskets will be passed during the “Preparation Rite” and will be brought to the altar as part of the Offerings to help offset chapel daily operating expenses. When you choose to use the envelopes, your donations to Our Lady Chapel will be acknowledged so that you have a record for the IRS. Total Offerings: Saturday [7/29/17] ---------------------------------------- $ 1,596.00 Total Offerings: Sunday [7/30/17] ----------------------------------------------$ 370.00

ATTENDANCE: If you attend Mass regularly here at Our Lady Chapel, it would be helpful if you filled out a Registration Form [name, address, phone number, children, etc.] indicating this fact, if you have not already done so. Such information not only helps us to know who is attending Our Lady Chapel; it also is of great assistance to us in record keeping [for our friend, the IRS] of any contributions which you may make.

READINGS FOR THE WEEK:

Monday: Numbers 11:4-15, Matthew 14:13-21

Tuesday: Numbers 12:1-13, Matthew 14:22-36

Wednesday: Numbers 13:1-35, Matthew 15:21-28

Thursday: 2 Corinthians 9:6-10, John 12:24-26

Friday: Deuteronomy 4:32-40, Matthew 16:24-28

Saturday: Deuteronomy 6:4-13, Matthew 14:14-20

1 Kings 19:9-13, Romans 9:1-5, Matthew 14:22-33 19th Week in Ordinary Time:

WISDOM: It is not happy people who are thankful. It is thankful people who are happy

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THE FAVOR OF GOD’S ENERGY: All things considered, I believe that I grew up with a relatively healthy concept of God. The God of my youth — the God that I was catechized into — was not unduly punishing, arbitrary, or judgmental. He was omnipresent, so that all of our sins were noticed and noted. But, at the end of the day, he was fair, loving, personally concerned for each of us, and wonderfully protective — to the point of providing each of us with a personal guardian angel. That God gave me permission to live without too much fear, and without any particularly crippling religious neuroses.

But that only gets you so far in life. Not having an unhealthy notion of God doesn’t necessarily mean that you have a particularly healthy one. The God whom I was raised on was not overly stern and judgmental, but neither was he very joyous, playful, witty, or humorous. Especially, he wasn’t sexual, and he had a particularly vigilant and uncompromising eye in that area. Essentially he was grey, a bit dour, and not very joyous to be around. Around him, you had to be solemn and reverent. I remember the Assistant Director at our Oblate novitiate telling us that there is no recorded incident — ever — of Jesus having laughed.

Under such a God you had permission to be essentially healthy, but, to the extent that you took him seriously, you still walked through life less than fully robust, and your relationship with him could only be solemn and reverent.

Then, already a generation ago, there was a strong reaction in many churches — and in the culture at large — to this concept of God. Popular theology and spirituality set out to correct this, sometimes with an undue vigor. What they presented instead was a laughing Jesus and a dancing God; and while this was not without its value, it still left us begging for a deeper literature about the nature of God and what that might mean for us in terms of a health and relationships.

What do laughter, wit, and irony tell us about the God? That literature won’t be easy to write — not just because God is ineffable, but because God’s energy is also ineffable. What, indeed, is energy? We rarely ask this question because we take energy as something so primal that it cannot be defined but only taken as a given — as self-evident. We see energy as the primal force that lies at the heart of everything that exists — animate and inanimate. Moreover, we feel energy, powerfully, within ourselves. We know energy, we feel energy, but what we rarely recognize its origins, its prodigiousness, its joy, its goodness, its effervescence, and its exuberance. We rarely recognize what it tells us about God. What does it tell us?

The first quality of energy is its prodigiousness. It is prodigal beyond our imagination, and this speaks something about God. What kind of creator makes billions of throwaway universes? What kind of creator makes trillions upon trillions of species of life — millions of them never to be seen by the human eye? What kind of father or mother has billions of children?

And what does the exuberance in the energy of young children say about our creator? What does their playfulness suggest about what must also lie inside of sacred energy? What does the energy of a young puppy tell us about what’s sacred? What do laughter, wit, and irony tell us about the God?

No doubt the energy we see around us and feel irrepressibly within us tells us that, underneath, before and below everything else, there flows a sacred force, both physical and spiritual, which is at its root, joyous, happy, playful, exuberant, effervescent, and deeply personal and loving. That energy is God. That energy speaks of God and that energy tells us why God made us and what kind of permissions God is giving us for living out our lives.

When we try to imagine the heart of reality, we might picture things this way: at the very center of

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EUCHARISTIC MINISTERS: We are currently discerning a new group of Eucharistic Ministers who would undergo training in the spring months. If you feel that the Lord is calling you to this ministry, we would be delighted to include you in that ministry here at Our Lady Chapel. Both adults and teens [must be going into Senior year of High School] are welcome to participate in this very special ministry. We are in need of ministers for both our Saturday evening and Sunday morning Masses. Contact Father John or the chapel office [440-473-3560] if you feel called to this ministry. We are always in need of Eucharistic Ministers.

THE TRANSFIGURATION AND THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST: St. Peter’s second letter was written perhaps as late as 130 AD by an unknown representative of Peter’s community, who wrote of the tradition of the apostle Peter. It is cast in the form of a final instruction to various Christian communities — probably in Asia Minor — given by Peter before his death.

This letter is well chosen for this Feast of the Transfiguration since it presents Peter’s personal wit-ness to the Transfiguration of Christ which recounted in Matthew’s Gospel [Matthew 17:1-9]. Peter’s second letter begins with Peter defending himself against the charge that he “cleverly devised myths” [2 Peter 1:16-19]. The early Christians expected the Parousia — the victorious second coming of Christ — to occur soon. A century after the death of Jesus in the year 30, critics were scoffing at belief in the Parousia because the earliest apostles were long dead and Christ had failed to return. The author has Peter defend his teachings on the second coming by referencing his own experiences of the transfiguration. He was an eyewitness when “that unique decla-ration” came to Christ from God’s “majestic glory” — “this is my Son, my beloved, with whom I am well pleased.” Linking himself with James and John, Peter testifies that they heard God’s voice when they were on the mountain with Jesus. He goes on to insist that his prophet-ic teaching on the Parousia is “altogether reliable.” Peter concludes with an admonition: “You will do well to be attentive” to this teaching on the Second Coming as “to a lamp shining in a dark place, until day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.”

The second coming of Jesus is intimately tied to the Transfigura-tion of Jesus — it is at the heart of our faith and our life. It is for this reason that the author of Peter’s second letter is insistent on the reliability of Peter who was an eyewitness to the Transfiguration of the Lord. He insists that the second coming of Jesus — which will occur in God’s own time — is foreshadowed in the Transfiguration of Jesus.

Although the timing of the Parousia is an important issue for some Christian groups, most Christians today live their faith on a daily basis without great concern about the end of the world and a final judg-ment. However, there is great interest in the coming of the Lord in the present moment — in meeting Christ in everyday life. We could say there is a hunger for transfiguration type experiences that open our minds and hearts to the presence of Christ who reveals the glory of God.

It is not unusual to hear individuals give witness to such experiences. A social activist: “I was moved to tears when I listened again to Martin Luther King’s ‘I Have a Dream’ speech.” A mom who worked two jobs to pay for her son’s college education — “My heart almost burst with pride when that fine young man of mine walked on that stage and received his diploma.” A happily married man — “there have been times when my beautiful wife and I made love and I felt not only close to her but also to God.” A nature lover — “When I see the first flowers of spring my soul smiles with a renewed sense of hope.”

What are your most significant transfiguration experiences? —taken from the writings of Father James Bacik which appear on the internet

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STANDING BEFORE THE MYSTERY: The Feast of the Transfiguration comes around every year on 6th day of August, but we usually miss it because it is not a Holyday of Obligation and it most frequently falls on a weekday. This year, however, this lovely feast lands on a Sunday, and so we are able to give it greater consideration. It is good that we do this because the Transfiguration is a very important feast — yet all too often one which is forgotten.

In the life of Jesus, the Transfiguration is one of the two occasions which are called “theophanies” — where God the Father makes himself known. The other theophany is the Baptism of the Lord. Actually, the words of the Father spoken at both events is very similar — “This is my beloved Son, he enjoys my favor.” Added here on the occasion of the Transfiguration are the words: “Listen to him.”

We can imagine that the Apostles Peter, James and John were quite bewildered at seeing Jesus bathed in light conversing with Moses and Elijah. This explains the intervention of Peter who suggests putting up three tents — one for each of them. Then after it is over Jesus commands them not to tell anyone about it since Jesus understood just how confusing it would be. It is only in the light of the resurrection that the Apostles reflecting on this extraordinary incident must have realized its true significance.

Why did the Transfiguration of Jesus happen? One common explanation is that Jesus was trying to prepare the disciples for the approaching events of His passion and death. These authors feel that the purpose was to give the Apostles a glimpse of Christ’s glory so that they would realize that his suffering and death were preliminaries to something much greater. But to be honest, this theory doesn’t make much sense because this revelation is only given to a very small inner group of Apostles. Surely all of the Apostles and even the wider group of disciples would have needed strengthening, so why weren’t they all present? And this explanation holds even less water once we recall that those present were forbidden to speak about it to their confreres.

The Transfiguration was clearly a moment of deep communion between Christ and the Father. The presence of the two patriarchs — Moses and Elijah — is surely meant to express the continuity between what Christ was about to accomplish and all the events of the Old Testament. The definitive intervention by God in the world through the sending of his only Son is therefore understood to be in direct continuity with all the other interventions by God in past history such as Noah’s Ark, the sacrifice of Isaac, the giving of the Ten Commandments — just to name a few.

It is also significant that Moses is present at the Transfiguration since we know that although he had led the people of Israel out of slavery in Egypt and through forty years traveling in the desert he is not permitted to enter the Promised Land, dying as he does on Mount Nebo before the end of the journey. Here though Moses now makes his entrance into the Promised Land standing alongside Jesus, the one true Savior of the World. He arrives at the very moment of the fulfilment of all God’s promises — the most significant and opportune time of all.

Elijah, the greatest of the prophets, was also predicted to return again. He did not actually die but had left the world on a heavenly chariot and in the Book of Malachi it is prophesied that Elijah will return before the Last Day as the harbinger or herald of the Messiah. Here on the Mount of the Transfiguration he clearly fulfils this important prophesy.

The reason why the Transfiguration was restricted to a few is that the clamor and distraction that it would have caused would have been overwhelming — imagine if it became generally known that Moses and Elijah had returned. The arrival of these two patriarchs of Israel would have caused such a commotion among the people that the message of Jesus would have become obscured and his work of

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WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE AN ALTAR SERVER or LECTOR? We continue to be in need of Servers and Lectors. Any student who is in the 3rd [and up] grade

is invited to become an altar server; any student who is in the 5th [and up] grade is invited to become a lector. These are both wonder ful ministr ies — a great way to serve God and the faith community. If you would like to take advantage of these opportunities, please give your name to Father John. You do not have to attend Gilmour to be an altar server, lector, or to be involved in any other ministry at Our

Lady Chapel. Please call the Chapel office [440-473-3560].

again to him at the Last Supper, on Calvary, and at the Resurrection. We have to worship Him daily in our homes. We need to receive Him at least once a week in communion.

We need the Eucharist. And we need to trust in Him. We need to have faith that if we are open to Him, He will draw us closer to Himself today than ever before and use us as instruments to draw others to Himself — even when we don’t feel His Presence. The Presence of the Lord, whether we feel it or not, is not ours to hoard. Christ did not come to the world to create a selfish clique of people who turn in upon themselves in all things. He came to the world to bring His Joy, His Happiness, His Peace and His Presence to all people. A religion that closes in on itself, is not religion at all.

True religion lives in God’s presence and brings this presence to others. But how are we to do this? Remember what the Prophet Micah said: “What does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” [Micah 6:8]. To do justice means that we treat others as God treats us. You remember the parable of the steward who was forgiven a great debt, but who refused to forgive another man who owed him a pittance. The steward was condemned by the master because he was unjust. He did not treat others as God treated Him [see Matthew 18:21-36]. On the opposite, the Good Samaritan is called justified because he brought God’s mercy and compassion to someone who needed help, even though that person might have grown up being taught to hate Samaritans [see Luke 10:30-37]. To do justice means to bring to others the love and compassion we have received from God.

Micah says that we are to love kindness. I am convinced that if anyone were to ask the original disciples what was Jesus like when they spent those three years with Him, they would have said: “He was kind.” I think about the woman caught in adultery. She was embarrassed. He was kind to her [see John 11:4-11]. I’m thinking about the little girl he rose from the dead —Tabitha. Jesus told her parents: “She's hungry, get her something to eat” [see Mark 5:38-43]. I'm thinking about the way he reached out to Peter, a disciple who publically denied him three times. He was too kind to give up on Peter [see John 21]. Micah says that we are to walk humbly with our God.

We need to point to God’s presence in our lives and recognize how good He has been to each of us. We need to let people know that just as His Love has overwhelmed us, He will overwhelm them. We need to walk with Him humbly recognizing who we are: sinners that He is turning into saints. We need to be happy . We do not walk alone. He is with us always, until the end of time. No one wants to join the “First Church of the Perpetual Grouch”. But people do want to be with people who are sincerely happy — people who know that God is with them.

Usually at the start of the school year, teachers will ask children to write an essay or to talk about their summer. I challenge you — whether you are little children or are in Senior Show and Tell, or whether you are adults who have come to a realization of what truly matters in life — I challenge you and I challenge myself: Tell people about the mountain. Tell them about the experience of our Loving, Wonderful Savior. Speak to them in a language they can understand — Be Just, Love Kindness and Walk Humbly with God. If we have the courage to do this, we will bring the mountain down to the valley. —taken from the writings for Father Joseph Pellegrino, which appear on the internet.

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TRANSFIGURATION OF THE LORD — BRINGING THE MOUNTAIN DOWN: If you ever go to Breckenridge, Colorado, you will see a large, round topped mountain overlooking the village. That’s Mt. Quandary — it’s a 14,000 footer, and a rigorous but make-able hike — even for someone like me. I remember climbing Quandary one summer. I had to get up early to get onto the trail by 7 AM. It’s about a five hour hike, but thunderstorms start rolling in during the early afternoon, so you have to get up the mountain by noon and only spend a little time on the summit. When I did it, I really hated to turn around and leave the mountain. The view was spectacular. You could see the peaks of Rocky Mountain National Park to the North. You could see Pike’s Peak to the Southeast. But I didn't want to become a human lightning rod, so I started down by one and was safely below when the storms hit the peak a couple of hours later. When I got to the bottom I had a “Rocky Mountain High”. I felt a real rush knowing that I had done it. For the rest of my stay in that area, I would look up at Mt. Quandary and feel that same rush — that same high.

Peter, James and John felt a huge rush on the top of a mountain in Matthew’s Gospel [17:-19]. They saw Jesus there, transformed, or transfigured. His face shown like the sun. His clothes were dazzling white. Moses and Elijah were also there. “It is good for us to be here,” Peter said. “Let us pitch some tents for everyone, so we can hold on to this experience.” But they couldn’t do that. They had to leave the mountain, and rejoin the people of the world — people searching for the mountain, people searching for the experience of God. The rush the disciples felt on the top of that mountain was infinitely better than the one I felt after climbing Mt. Quandary, but not better than the feelings I have had and hopefully you have had when we sense the Presence of the Divine, the Presence of Jesus among us and within us. Sometimes we feel this Presence during a Parish Mission, or during a retreat.

Sometimes we feel this Presence in Church during one of the peak celebrations of the year — Christmas, Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Easter Sunday. Sometimes we feel this presence at special prayer events like the Eucharistic Adoration or XLT — the Life Teen praise, worship and adoration services. Or sometimes it will come during what might seem to be a routine event — like Mass — as though Christ’s offering Himself on the Cross for us could ever be routine. But what happens between the rushes, between the experiences? If we just live to go from one experience to the next, we’ll live in two worlds — the nitty gritty world of everyday life with its problems and trials, and the wonderful world of the retreat, service, etc. Besides, not everyone has these experiences or has them in the same intensity. Not having these experiences does not mean that we don’t treasure the Presence of God. St. Theresa of Avila wrote that she went thirty years feeling empty and dry. St. Theresa of Calcutta wrote something similar. She said that for many, many years she never felt God’s Presence, but He was there all the same. Religion must be more than those wonderful experiences we may or may not have.

The very word religion comes from the Latin: “religio”, and means being tied to God. If we Catholics are serious about our faith, we need to be tied to Jesus Christ in every aspect of our lives. We frustrate ourselves if we are holy on the mountain, and everything but holy when we leave the mountain. We become bitterly disappointed when we look for feelings instead of for God. We need to nourish the Presence of the Lord and we need to bring this Presence to others. But how can we do it? How can we nourish His Presence in our daily lives and bring His Presence to others? That is why we have the Eucharist. That is why we have the Scripture, the Word of God. That is why we have the Mass. We receive the Eucharist to unite ourselves to Him who is our Love and to build up our commitment to Him. We read Scripture to make His Word a Living reality in our lives. We celebrate the Mass to be united

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salvation most likely jeopardized. Thus the Transfiguration is clearly meant to demonstrate Jesus’ role as the connecting point between

heaven and earth. Because of the incarnation, Jesus is the person who can unite both heaven and earth. His work of salvation marks the breakthrough that provides the means by which God and we can be united. This fact also has implications for our own life of grace — through Baptism, we become adopted Children of God.

On the Holy Mountain, Jesus was revealed in his true majesty and glory; he is seen for who he is — both God and man, who is completely at one with his Father. The Transfiguration, then, is one of the most significant moments in Christ’s life. It is on a par with his Baptism, his Death, his Resurrection, and his Ascension. It is a shame that this Feast is not celebrated with as much deference and solemnity as those other great feasts.

It is interesting that St. Pope John Paul II — when he established a new set of Mysteries of the Rosary called the Luminous Mysteries — made sure that he included the Transfiguration. The five meditations of those new mysteries are titled: the Baptism of Jesus, the Wedding at Cana, Jesus’ proclamation of the Kingdom, the Transfiguration, and the Institution of the Eucharist.

The Feast of the Transfiguration calls us to deep meditation. In reflecting on it, there are so many theological insights to ponder. We can think about God’s glory and how he wants to share it with us; we can reflect on the many interventions that God has made in the world as represented by the presence of Moses and Elijah; we can reflect on the role of the Apostles, and the confusion they often experienced, and yet they ultimately understood and proclaimed the entire message of Jesus; we can realize that there is a time for being silent and a time for proclaiming God’s message; we can ponder the words of the Father approving Christ and his work as well as his instruction to us to listen to the words of Jesus.

The call of the Father to “listen to Jesus” is probably the most important message of all. We should listen to Jesus because he alone has the words of eternal life. He alone can bring us salvation. He alone can provide us with true and lasting peace. He is the reality that each of us is called to live.

—taken from the writings of Father Alex McAllister S.D.S., which appear on the internet

CLEAN OUT THOSE CLOSETS AND SERVE OTHERS: Summer is upon us and fall is quickly approaching. It is another time to once again clean out the closets. Clothing that no longer fits, or has been replaced by new items, can become great items for others. Always remember the words of Jesus: “The poor you shall always have with you” [Matthew 26:11]. Please continue to bring your gently used men’s, women’s and children’s clothing to the Lennon Board Room, or place it in the cedar chest which is located in the Chapel narthex [just press the key button to open the chest]. We partner with Fatima Center to help provide clothing for general use. Also, business work clothing for this season is especially needed. The Fatima Center helps men and women prepare for job interviews. If you have some of these items, this would be a good time to send them along. Clothing for all seasons is accepted, but please try to keep in mind that storage facilities are limited at Fatima — so it would help if you could focus on summer and fall items at this time. You may pick up a tax form when you drop off the clothing here at Our Lady Chapel — there are forms in the cedar chest. Clothing may be brought on the weekend, or during the week. Thank you. If you have any questions, please contact Patty in the chapel office [440-473-3560].

SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION: Father John will be available to celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation with you on every Saturday between 3:30 – 4:00 PM. Confessions are also available “by appointment.” The Reconciliation Room is located in the small chapel directly across from Father John’s Office

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BRINGING IT TO LIGHT: It was way past my bedtime. My contacts were way dried out, and all I wanted was Nutella. I was in my best friend’s car — a Volkswagen Jetta that she named “Genevieve” — because we girls are relational and befriend even our inanimate objects. We had just finished a campus ministry meeting that went late, and I was ready to get dropped off. Truth is that there was a certain heaviness in my heart, and I was not talking about it. The past few days I was in a gloomy funk, which made it easy for me to be plagued with negative thoughts — and I was doing a great job hiding all this. As we approached my house, I started to unbuckle my seatbelt.

And then there was that inner nudge. OH NO. NOT THE NUDGE. You know — the one that gives you the daunting idea to do something right that you really should do. It said: “Tell her what’s going on.”

“Nope. Not happening. I don’t want to burden her or seem like I’m complaining.” But the idea didn’t go away. “Fine. I’ll just vaguely ask for prayers,” I compromised. I obviously wasn’t going to shake this

feeling. My friend was pulling up to the curb of my house. Meanwhile this is all going on in my heart.

Well, here it goes. “Hey, real quick before I go, I just wanted to ask for some prayers. Yeah, so weird, but today all day and especially at the meeting I was just feeling so inadequate, and I couldn’t stop comparing myself to everyone and felt like I was useless and doing so little. So would you just mind praying for me?”

Before I could even finish my sentence, my friend nearly jumped out of her seat and screamed: “Are you kidding me? I’ve been feeling the same thing, and I was literally just about to drive home and cry in my bed! This is spiritual attack — we have to pray!”

She whipped Genevieve into gear and pulled into the nearest parking lot. Immediately we started praying together, renouncing the lies we were hearing, asking for God’s graces and consolations. She prayed: “Heavenly Father, how good it is that you have given us community and each other. You yourself live in the Trinity and show us that it is good to be together especially in times of darkness. We bring to the light what plagues us because we know Satan shudders at the sound of Your name. We renounce the lies that Satan is telling us and ask that You help us to believe how magnificently You have made us. Please give us the peace of heart to go home and rest in You. Jesus, all this in Your most holy and precious name we pray. Amen.”

And just like that, I immediately felt lighter. It was incredible what that time together did. I couldn’t help but think of the time in Scripture when Jesus said: “For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” [Matthew 11:30]. And just in case someone is like me and didn’t know what a “yoke” was, it is a wooden neckpiece that is fastened over the necks of two animals and attached to the cart that they are to pull.

Imagine being the only one pulling your cart behind you. Pretty miserable right? That’s what I had been doing this whole time. But when I look over to my right I see Jesus running towards me from a distance. He willingly, with zeal, puts the yoke on and starts pulling the wagon next to me. Wow! The difference is like night and day. Then the Lord adds: “I brought your friend to help too.” I look over, and He brought my friend to help me carry the load! Now all 3 of us are pulling the wagon together. Suddenly, I can run because the Lord provides. That is the beauty of asking and bringing things to the light.

The burdens that I tend to carry in my cart can be fears, past wounds, and spiritual attack. Spiritual attack is the enemy’s tactic to undermine our relationship with God by using tricks like whispering lies to make us feel discouraged, unworthy, and isolated [see John 10:10].

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My campus minister once told me that spiritual attack can be like sitting in a dark closet with the evil one. Picture this: he has night vision — and you don’t. He can throw some pretty good punches because he knows exactly where you are, but you’re just playing defense hoping to protect yourself. But to play offense, you have to flip the switch to turn on the light. With the light being on, Satan is still in the space but now you can fight back. With the Lord, you can aim your punches to hit exactly where you know he will have to back down. Because of prayer, you know exactly what to ask for. “The seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!” [Luke 10:17].

Bringing our spiritual attack to the light is exactly what the evil one does not want us to do. It brings us closer to God. Here are some ways we can do that:

Pick a strong teammate. This person of the same gender can be a spir itual fr iend, a youth minister, or a trusted person who can lead you and who you can consistently confide in.

Vocalize your heart. As hard as it may be to say some things out loud, it creates a space for them to speak truth into that certain part of your life. Be specific when praying together. Jesus says that when two or more are gathered in His name, He is in their midst [see Matthew 18:20].

Call on Jesus. Satan flees at the sound of God’s name because it has power beyond measure [see Mark 16:17-18]. Satan wanted me to stay in the dark about my struggles that day, which would have made me prone to thinking I am alone. He wants me to remain isolated. Imagine if I hadn’t asked my best friend for prayers. She too would have thought she was the only one in darkness that day.

That initial ounce of courage does take strength, and may seem daunting but when we turn on the light, we take a leap of faith and pay the Lord a huge compliment. We entrust our struggles and worries to Him. In turn we build our relationship with Him and make room for Him to work. When we trust in Christ and belong to Him, the enemy has no chance at having the final word in our lives. We will have struggles but take courage, because the battle has already been won.

—taken from the writings of Timea Zabo, a college student

THE CHAPEL FACEBOOK PAGE: Did you know that the chapel community has a Facebook page? Did you take any photos at our recent outdoor picnic that you'd like to share? Feel free to post them here. Just go to www.facebook.com/ourladychapel, and share the memories. While you’re there, be sure to “like” the page so that you'll see updates in your feed. Help us build our on-line community!

LIFE TEEN & EDGE: LifeTeen and EDGE will be star ting up soon. Sunday, August 27th is our kickoff day. Bring your friends. We meet right after Sunday Mass, 11:30 AM -1 PM, in the Lennon Board Room. Please call the Chapel office 440-473-3560 to let us know that you will be

joining us and to sign up to receive our texts and/or email reminders. We ask you to do this because lunch is provided. LifeTeen and EDGE have a Faith-Service-Social component, and we look forward to your participation. All are welcome. Please join us for a wonderful experience. If you are going to be going with us on any of our trips, you need to have a signed Parental Permission form.

We will make this form available at our first meeting, or if you want to fill the form out before hand, please call the Chapel office. Please continue to remember all our teens and young people in your prayers.