IN EXILE
By Father Ron Rolheiser, OMI
The opening pages of the Bible offer us a series of stories set at the beginning of history which are meant to explain why the world today is as it is. The Adam and Eve story about original sin is one of those stories. There are others. These stories, because they use imagery that might make them sound like fairy tales, can seem total fantasy to us, but they are stories that are truer than true. They happened. They happened to the first man and woman on this planet, and they continue to happen today in a way that affects every man and woman throughout history. They are stories of the heart, not meant to be taken literally, but carrying lessons for the heart.

One of these “in the beginning,” foundational, archetypal, stories is the story of the Tower of Babel. In street language, it goes like this: In the beginning (before time was like it is now) there was a town called Babel which decided it would make a name for itself by building a tower so impressive that all the other towns would have to admire it. They began building the tower, but something strange happened. As they were building it, they suddenly all began to speak different languages, were no longer able to understand each other, and scattered around the world, each now speaking in a language incomprehensible to everyone else.

What’s the lesson? Is this meant to explain the origin of the different languages of the world? No, rather it is meant to explain the deep, seemingly irreconcilable misunderstandings among us. Why do we forever misunderstand each other? What’s at the origin of this?

There are multiple ways this story can be used to shed light on the divisions in our world today. Here’s one: Writing in The Atlantic last year, social psychologist Jonathan Haidt suggested that there is perhaps no better metaphor to explain the divisions among us today than the tower of Babel. His argument runs this way: Social media, the very thing that was meant to connect us not only to our friends and families but to people from around the globe, has in fact led to a radical fragmentation of our society and to the shattering of all that had seemed solid, the scattering of people who had been a community. Take America, for example; while we might still be speaking the same language, social media and cable news echo chambers have supplied us with different sets of facts, values and visions that make actual conversation increasingly impossible.

As the recent tensions around the U.S. presidential elections made evident, as a society we no longer speak the same language in that we can no longer understand each other on virtually every key issue – global warming, immigration, poverty, gender, health, abortion, the place of religion in the public sphere, whose side truth is on, and, most important of all, what truth is. We no longer share any common truths. Rather, we all have our own truth, our own individual language. As the popular saying goes, I have done my own research! I don’t trust science. I don’t trust any mainstream truths. I have my own sources.

And those sources are many, too many to count! Hundreds of television channels, countless podcasts and millions of persons feeding us their idiosyncratic version of things on social media so that now there is skepticism about any fact or truth. This is dividing us at every level: family, neighborhood, church, country and world. We are all now speaking different languages and, like the original inhabitants of Babel, are being scattered around the world.

In the light of this, it is noteworthy how the original Pentecost is described in scripture. The Acts of the Apostles describes Pentecost, the coming of the Holy Spirit, as an event which reverses what happened at the tower of Babel. At the tower of Babel, the languages (the “tongues”) of the earth divided and scattered. At Pentecost, the Holy Spirit descends on each person as a “tongue of fire” so that, to everyone’s great surprise, everyone now understands everyone one else in his or her own language.

Again, what is being described here is not about literal human languages – where at Pentecost everyone suddenly understood Greek or Latin. Rather everyone now understood everyone else in his or her own language. All languages became one language.

What is that common language? It’s neither Greek nor Latin nor English nor French nor Spanish nor Yiddish nor Chinese nor Arabic, nor any other of the world’s spoken languages. Neither is it the less-than-fully-compassionate language of the conservatives or the liberals. It is, as Jesus and our scriptures make clear, the language of charity, joy, peace, patience, goodness, long-suffering, fidelity, gentleness, faith and chastity.

This is the only language which can bridge the misunderstandings and differences among us – and when we are speaking it, we will not be trying to build a tower to impress anyone.

(Oblate Father Ron Rolheiser is a theologian, teacher and award-winning author. He can be contacted through his website www.ronrolheiser.com.)

KNEADING FAITH
By Fran Lavelle
“On the evening of that first day of the week … Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, ‘Peace be with you.’ When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.” (John 20:19-20)

We are actively being called to the “upper room” to discern the presence of God in our midst. So too we are called to embody the peace of Christ in our own lives and in the world. We are called to be witnesses and workers.

Under Pope Francis’ leadership, the Synod on Synodality completed the formal meetings on Oct. 27 in Rome. While the formal process of the Synod has concluded, the work of the Synod has just begun. The Synod in its entirety represented a new way of being church. It embraced the whole church. The mere fact that lay leaders, young and old, were active participants in the Synod speaks volumes about how the hierarchy, specifically Pope Francis, sees the value of everyone.

I was on a webinar recently hosted by a Jesuit magazine and Gerald O’Connell, a noted journalist, was included on the panel. As a correspondent he has covered the Vatican for years. His experience as an observer and a lay person was one of deep gratitude. He said seeing people from across the globe from every nation, every background, lay and ordained, men and women, young and old, and witnessing them speaking about matters of faith and being listened to – truly heard, was incredible. Father James Martin, SJ further went on to say that the way of synodality can really help us begin to heal as a church and a people.

In my humble opinion, we need synodality now more than ever. If you do not understand why, check your email exchanges and text messages from friends and family whose politics are different than yours. In general, it is unhealthy to carry hatred. For followers of Christ, it is deadly. I have been posing the same question for a decade now and I seem to have gotten little traction. How do we as a politically divided nation end the divisive rhetoric? How do we see one another through the lens of Christ as one? If we cannot find a way back to one another as the Body of Christ, how will the rest of the nation heal? Politics is part of governance. We need to be engaged in issues of the day that promote the ideas of liberty and justice for all. I get that. What has become unhealthy is the full-on attack of anyone who holds a different opinion, or experience.

The process of synodality can move us beyond our divisiveness and so much more. When we adopt a synodal way, we become more aware of the importance of the whole body. In seeking solutions to issues that impact our parishes and schools, synodality offers a way to hear from and consider the voices of those who might not otherwise be heard. It offers a prayerful environment that allows the Holy Spirit to breathe insight and wisdom. Synodality provides an open space to listen in order to hear, to hear to understand, and understand to discern a path forward.

The words of Cardinal Blasé Cupich of Chicago give us a great visual image of what the Synod on Synodality means. He said it is not so much a landing strip, but a launch pad. In other words, it is a place for departure not necessarily landing. I love that image. We need a place of departure if we are going somewhere. And we do need to go somewhere. We have heard it in our own listening around the diocese. We have heard it in our Pastoral Reimagining process, we have heard it from clergy and laity alike. The Spirit of God is always moving forward. Our ability to prepare for both challenges and opportunities that lie ahead of us deserve a launching pad.

The Nov. 12, 2024 edition of America Magazine included a “Q and A” article with Cardinal Cupich, in which Gerald O’Connell asked what the Cardinal’s take away from the Synod was. He responded:
“We have taken another step forward with regard to building a culture of synodality in the life of the church and calling everyone not only to be co-responsible for the church but for all of us to say that everybody counts, that everybody matters. There are people who, maybe for too long, have been given the impression that they don’t matter, they don’t count. And the Pope, in his closing words yesterday, emphasized involving “tutti, tutti” (“all, all”). I believe that is the way forward for us, to make sure that we now take actions to not only establish a broad base of co-responsibility in the life of the church, but we reach out to those people who feel that they don’t count.”

We are being called to the launch pad. We are being asked to do our part to take up the difficult work of our faith that we may be one. Let’s go!

(Fran Lavelle is the Director of Faith Formation for the Diocese of Jackson.)

FAITH IN EDUCATION
By Karla Luke
For 31 years, my mother dedicated herself to shaping young minds as a second-grade teacher. Growing up, I never imagined I would follow a similar path – until I taught my first middle school class at St. Frances Cabrini Catholic School in New Orleans. From that moment, I discovered an unexpected and profound joy in working with students and seeing their growth and success. Their energy, curiosity and potential filled me with a sense of purpose and helped me to see God’s plan for my life. Since then, I’ve dedicated my career to Catholic education, cherishing the privilege of building meaningful relationships with young people.

It’s not enough to declare that young people are the future of the church; they are its present. As Catholic educators, we are tasked with nurturing in them a love for God, others and their faith. This week, I was reminded of this sacred duty with the announcement of an upcoming canonization that holds profound significance for our times – Blessed Carlo Acutis, the first millennial to be declared a saint, will be canonized on April 27, 2025 by Pope Francis.

The remarkable life of Blessed Carlo Acutis

Carlo Acutis, born in London in 1991 and raised in Milan, Italy, exemplifies the intersection of modernity and faith. From a young age, Carlo displayed a deep love for God, actively participating in his Catholic school, church and community as a catechist. Despite his ordinary academic performance and unassuming demeanor, Carlo left an extraordinary legacy of faith.

A technology enthusiast, gamer and music lover, Carlo used his passion for computers to create websites that cataloged Eucharistic miracles, bringing the beauty of faith to the digital age. At just 15 years old, he was diagnosed with leukemia, facing his illness with profound faith, declaring, “I offer all the suffering I will have to suffer for the Lord, for the Pope, and the church.” Carlo died in 2006, and his cause for canonization began in 2012.

Today, Carlo is enshrined in his tomb wearing Nikes and jeans – a modern saint for a modern world. His life is a powerful reminder of what is possible when young people are formed in their faith.

A model for today’s Catholic educators

In Carlo, we see a reflection of the “Carlos and Carlas” present in our schools today – children with limitless potential for spiritual and moral development. Pope Francis calls Carlo “a model of holiness in the digital age.” His life challenges parents, teachers, administrators, religious and clergy to ask: How are we fostering the growth of faith in our young people?

The Archbishop of Assisi highlighted Carlo’s unique ability to evangelize in modern times, saying, “The computer … has become a way of going through the streets of the world, like the first disciples of Jesus, to bring to hearts and homes the announcement of true peace.”

The responsibility of Catholic adults

As adults in the Catholic faith, we bear both the responsibility and accountability to accompany our young people – the “young church” – on their path to holiness. Catholic schools play a vital role in this mission, partnering with parents to cultivate the spiritual, moral and intellectual development of students. Blessed Carlo Acutis offers us a roadmap for this journey.

Carlo once said, “To always be close to Jesus, that’s my life plan.” Let us help our children adopt this vision, supporting them in their faith through our schools, churches and homes. Together, we can prepare the next generation to live with faith, purpose and holiness in a world that desperately needs their light.
As we await Carlo’s canonization, let us reflect on the lives of the young people around us and recommit to nurturing their spiritual growth. In their potential lies not just the future of the church but its vibrant, faithful present.

For additional information on the extraordinary life of Blessed Carlo Acutis visit: https://bit.ly/3V8np4Q.

(Karla Luke is the executive director of Catholic Schools for the Diocese of Jackson)