From the Pastor&
     Did you hear about the man who walked into the doctor's office and said, "Doc, I have this terrible headache that never leaves me.  Could you give me something for it?"
     "I will," said the doctor, "but I want to check out a few things first.  Do you drink a lot of liquor?"
     "I never touch the stuff."
     "How about smoking?"
     "I think smoking is disgusting.  I've never touched tobacco in my life."
     "This is a bit embarrassing to ask but, you know how some men are, do you run around a lot at night?"
     "Never.  I'm insulted.  What do you take me for?  I'm in bed every night by ten o'clock at the latest!"
     "Tell me, the pain in your head, is it a sharp shooting kind of pain?"
     "Yes, that's it, a sharp, shooting kind of pain."
     "Well, my friend, it's a simple problem.  Your trouble is you have your halo on too tight.  All we need to do is loosen it a bit.
  (Anthony de Mello, S. J., Taking Flight:  A book of Story Meditations.)

     We tend to think of saints with halos.  But what is a saint?  The dictionary defines a saint as a person recognized for holiness.  A famous nineteenth-century definition says, "a saint is a sinner, revised and edited."  But the best definition I like is:  "A saint is someone who make goodness attractive."  The traditional  Lives of the Saints included some rather weird people who do not make goodness attractive.  There are those who refused to take a bath; whipping their bodies until they bled; or St. Simon who lived on top of a pillar for years.  We wouldn't want any part of their holiness.
     Fortunately, there are many saints who make goodness attractive.  Normal women and men who spent their lives caring for others with joy.  Some even possessed a great sense of humor in the face of persecution or torture.  These kind of people are living witnesses to God's compassion and love.
     The Second Vatican Council states that all the baptized are called to holiness:  not only monks and nuns, but ordinary folks like the construction worker, plumber, electrician, secretary, teacher, sales person, computer specialist, lawyer, florist, parish priest, etc.
     How do we do this?  How do we make goodness attractive?  We have values and morals that influence our decision making instead of the latest opinion polls.  Others find us approachable.  We have hope.  We trust that God loves us and is at work in us.  The love of God we believe in fills us with joy.  We look out for others, especially the poor.  We keep our sense of humor. 
     People are looking for role models, especially the young.  They are disappointed by elected officials who cheat on their spouses.  Professional athletes use their millions for drugs and act like spoiled children.  But there are role models all around us, too kind and humble to draw attention to themselves.  Thank God for those men and women of integrity, honesty and goodness.
     One way of beginning the spiritual walk is to read and reflect on the "real" saints who reflected goodness.  Our    Twilight Retreats this year will be on Saints, one a month.
October:  Katherine Drexel
November:  Thomas Merton
December:  Thea Bowman
January:  Maura Clarke and Companions
February:  Dorothy Day
March:  Therese of Lisieux
April:  Francis of Assisi

     Come to all or as many as you can make it to. 
5:15 Arrival  5:30 Conference 6:15 Supper
7:15 Conference 8:00  Compline  8:30 Departure
     Open to anyone who is simply interested in the Spiritual Life:  Catholic, Protestant, Muslim, Jew, Non-Believer&
     Watch for the Twilight Retreat Series brochure with dates listed.

Fr. Bill