Feedback Survey
Please consider giving St. Augustine's your feedback on how our “One Book, One Parish” program worked for Lent. Please complete the survey below. The answers go directly to St. Augustine’s. If you prefer to comment anonymously, pick up a survey form from the vestibules in Church.
Week Five: Chapter Seven and Conclusion
Unleashing Your Imagination & Spiritual Wellness Equals Holiness
This week we bring to a close (for now) “One Book One Parish” with chapters 7 and the Conclusion of Paprocki’s book. In chapter 7 the author invites us to consider a vision of something greater than ourselves, and offers some suggestions of how to cultivate this vision. In the conclusion, Paprocki discusses holiness - and how we are called to be holy.
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Ubi CaritasAt the end of Chapter 7 Paprocki mentions this traditional Christian hymn. The lyrics translated mean: Where charity and love are found, there God is. This version is from the community at Taize, France.
"Taize is an ecumenical sung and silent participatory prayer service designed to achieve a contemplative state through music, song and silence."
For more information visit their website at http://www.taize.fr/en_rubrique8.html |
Week Four: Chapter Five and Chapter Six
Recognizing and Setting Limits & Seeking Beauty
Author Joe Paprocki asks the provocative questions: What is your security blanket? What scratches your itch?. Paprocki addresses what happens to us spiritually when we hold on to things too tightly, and the fear that underlies that clinging. In chapter 6 he discusses how we can use things that are not good for us to numb ourselves from life’s painful experiences.
A Letter from a Dad
Dear Little One,
As I write this, I’m sitting in the makeup aisle of our local Target store. A friend recently texted me from a different makeup aisle and told me it felt like one of the most oppressive places in the world. I wanted to find out what he meant. And now that I’m sitting here, I’m beginning to agree with him. Words have power, and the words on display in this aisle have a deep power. Words and phrases like:
Affordably gorgeous, Infallible, Flawless finish, Brilliant strength, Liquid power, Go nude, Age defying, Instant age rewind,
Choose your dream, Nearly naked, and Natural beauty.
When you have a daughter you start to realize she’s just as strong as everyone else in the house—a force to be reckoned with, a soul on fire with the same life and gifts and passions as any man. But sitting in this store aisle, you also begin to realize most people won’t see her that way. They’ll see her as a pretty face and a body to enjoy. And they’ll tell her she has to look a certain way to have any worth or influence.
But words do have power and maybe, just maybe, the words of a father can begin to compete with the words of the world. Maybe a father’s words can deliver his daughter through this gauntlet of institutionalized shame and into a deep, unshakeable sense of her own worthiness and beauty.
A father’s words aren’t different words, but they are words with a radically different meaning:
Brilliant strength: May your strength be not in your fingernails but in your heart. May you discern in your center who you are, and then may you fearfully but tenaciously live it out in the world.
Choose your dream: But not from a department store shelf. Find the still-quiet place within you. A real dream has been planted there. Discover what you want to do in the world. And when you have chosen, may you faithfully pursue it, with integrity and with hope.
Naked: The world wants you to take your clothes off. Please keep them on. But take your gloves off. Pull no punches. Say what is in your heart. Be vulnerable. Embrace risk. Love a world that barely knows what it means to love itself. Do so nakedly. Openly. With abandon.
Infallible: May you be constantly, infallibly aware that infallibility doesn’t exist. It’s an illusion created by people interested in your wallet. If you choose to seek perfection, may it be in an infallible grace—for yourself, and for everyone around you.
Age defying: Your skin will wrinkle and your youth will fade, but your soul is ageless. It will always know how to play and how to enjoy and how to revel in this one-chance life. May you always defiantly resist the aging of your spirit.
Flawless finish: Your finish has nothing to do with how your face looks today and everything to do with how your life looks on your last day. May your years be a preparation for that day. May you be aged by grace, may you grow in wisdom, and may your love become big enough to embrace all people. May your flawless finish be a peaceful embrace of the end and the unknown that follows, and may it thus be a gift to everyone who cherishes you.
Little One, you love everything pink and frilly and I will surely understand if someday makeup is important to you. But I pray three words will remain more important to you—the last three words you say every night, when I ask the question: “Where are you the most beautiful?” Three words so bright no concealer can cover them.
Where are you the most beautiful?
On the inside.
From my heart to yours,
Daddy
As I write this, I’m sitting in the makeup aisle of our local Target store. A friend recently texted me from a different makeup aisle and told me it felt like one of the most oppressive places in the world. I wanted to find out what he meant. And now that I’m sitting here, I’m beginning to agree with him. Words have power, and the words on display in this aisle have a deep power. Words and phrases like:
Affordably gorgeous, Infallible, Flawless finish, Brilliant strength, Liquid power, Go nude, Age defying, Instant age rewind,
Choose your dream, Nearly naked, and Natural beauty.
When you have a daughter you start to realize she’s just as strong as everyone else in the house—a force to be reckoned with, a soul on fire with the same life and gifts and passions as any man. But sitting in this store aisle, you also begin to realize most people won’t see her that way. They’ll see her as a pretty face and a body to enjoy. And they’ll tell her she has to look a certain way to have any worth or influence.
But words do have power and maybe, just maybe, the words of a father can begin to compete with the words of the world. Maybe a father’s words can deliver his daughter through this gauntlet of institutionalized shame and into a deep, unshakeable sense of her own worthiness and beauty.
A father’s words aren’t different words, but they are words with a radically different meaning:
Brilliant strength: May your strength be not in your fingernails but in your heart. May you discern in your center who you are, and then may you fearfully but tenaciously live it out in the world.
Choose your dream: But not from a department store shelf. Find the still-quiet place within you. A real dream has been planted there. Discover what you want to do in the world. And when you have chosen, may you faithfully pursue it, with integrity and with hope.
Naked: The world wants you to take your clothes off. Please keep them on. But take your gloves off. Pull no punches. Say what is in your heart. Be vulnerable. Embrace risk. Love a world that barely knows what it means to love itself. Do so nakedly. Openly. With abandon.
Infallible: May you be constantly, infallibly aware that infallibility doesn’t exist. It’s an illusion created by people interested in your wallet. If you choose to seek perfection, may it be in an infallible grace—for yourself, and for everyone around you.
Age defying: Your skin will wrinkle and your youth will fade, but your soul is ageless. It will always know how to play and how to enjoy and how to revel in this one-chance life. May you always defiantly resist the aging of your spirit.
Flawless finish: Your finish has nothing to do with how your face looks today and everything to do with how your life looks on your last day. May your years be a preparation for that day. May you be aged by grace, may you grow in wisdom, and may your love become big enough to embrace all people. May your flawless finish be a peaceful embrace of the end and the unknown that follows, and may it thus be a gift to everyone who cherishes you.
Little One, you love everything pink and frilly and I will surely understand if someday makeup is important to you. But I pray three words will remain more important to you—the last three words you say every night, when I ask the question: “Where are you the most beautiful?” Three words so bright no concealer can cover them.
Where are you the most beautiful?
On the inside.
From my heart to yours,
Daddy
Key #5: Recognizing and Setting Limits |
Key # 6: Seeking Beauty |
Week Three: Chapter Three and Chapter Four
Thinking Before Acting & Holding on Loosely
In these chapters, author Joe Paprocki provides some tips for discernments, especially when under pressure. He also discusses anger, and how sometimes that can be a good thing. In Chapter 4, Paprocki invites us to look at our wealth and material possessions and invites us to generosity. He also makes suggestions about how we can learn to be content with what we have.
Key #3: Thinking Before Acting |
Key # 4: Holding on Loosely |
More information about Ignatian Discernment
Discernment of spirits is the process of trying to listen and discriminate to how God is calling us. Jesuit priests and laypersons talk about discerning God's will in the midst of the decisions we make.
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Week Two: Chapter Two
Actively Seeking the Good of Others
As we continue reading 7 Keys, we are challenged to look at the things/people we value most. We are also invited to consider how we can actively seek the good of others. The two videos on the right talk more about about the Ignatian principle of Indifference.
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At the end of the chapter, Paprocki makes a reference to Sheryl Crow's song "Soak Up the Sun."
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And more about Ignatian Indifference...
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Week One: The Introduction and Chapter One
Seeing Yourself As You Really Are
This week we begin our One Parish, One Book adventure. Discussion groups are having their first meetings. An updated list of groups is below. If you want to join a group, contact the parish office by calling 638-0585, or using the comment box found at the bottom of this page.
Our 7 Keys Blog also begins this week. We will have several people blogging over the 5 weeks we are reading this book. The first blog post is by Fr. Tom. You can connect to it by clicking on the 7 Keys Blog header found at the top of the page. You can offer your comments on the blog page. Feel free to add your reflections on the Introduction and Chapter One as well as on Fr. Tom's blog. |
An Attitude of Gratitude... |
More about the Examen.
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The Lunchtime Examen invites you to pause at noontime (or whatever time fits your calendar) to review your day in the presence of God. This six-session series is led by Jim Manney, author of A Simple, Life-Changing Prayer: Discovering the Power of St. Ignatius Loyola’s Examen. - See more at: http://www.ignatianspirituality.com/ignatian-prayer/the-examen/lunchtime-examen/#sthash.9dzGXfMX.dpuf
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Picked up your book - now what? Join a Discussion Group!!
If you got your copy of 7 Keys to Spiritual Wellness.and started reading you may be longing to join a discussion group. Discussion groups are going to begin the week of March 9th and continue through the week of April 6th. A variety of groups are being offered. Join one of the groups below or if you would like to invite a group of friends to get together for a group, contact Debbie Krisher at the parish office, 638-0585 or complete the form below to get more information.
Daytime Groups (at Church unless otherwise stated)
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Evening Groups
Check out what Joe Paprocki has to say about his book. |