Vol. XVI, No. II, February 2010 A Tool for Evangelization, Catechesis and Apologetics I did not come to be served, but to serve. Matthew 20:28 The cat and the silo: an image of God’s merciful message By Fr. Michael Miller his heart and, abusing his freedom, disobeyed 2010 God’s command…. He chose himself over and Fund-Raising While I was walking against God, against the requirements of his around the farm with my creaturely status and therefore against his own goal: $50,000 dad, he told me how he had good.” (CCC, nn. 397, 398) This left man been working near the silo helpless and unable to get out of the situation: when he heard a cat meow- “Closed in the darkness, it was necessary to ing desperately. He finally bring us the light; captives, we awaited a tracked it down to the silo. Savior; prisoners, help; slaves a liberator.” (St. Since the silo was no longer Gregory of Nyssa, CCC, n. 457) There was in use, he had put the bot- nothing he could do but cry for help and hope Fr. Miller tom two doors in place to that it would come. keep out animals. The cat, Each Sunday we profess the joyful truth no doubt, saw these as mere obstacles to the that this hope was fulfilled: “For us men and possible delight inside. Despite having the for our salvation He came down from Heaven; whole farm on which to hunt in addition to the by the power of the Holy Spirit He was born food already supplied, the cat climbed the of the Virgin Mary and became man.” Every doors and jumped in the silo. Once inside, the person participates in this great drama of sal- cat realized that it could not get out; the open vation. We all have been created by the same door was too high and the walls too smooth. God for the same purpose: to know and to love The only thing left to do was cry for help and Him, Who first loved us. We all face the same hope that it would come. Fortunately, my dad basic challenges: do we believe in Him, and heard its cry and opened the bottom door. The do we trust Him? Do we trust Him enough to cat jumped out of its would-be tomb and believe that His commandments are not limits scampered off alive and free. Dr.Photo by Bonnabeau Raymond on our freedom, but are rather the only way in It is a good image of the drama of the spir- “Lord, have mercy!” which we can truly be free? Do we understand itual life. Adam and Eve had the whole garden we cry out during Lent. This ourselves well enough to know that because from which to eat and, unlike the cat, under- picture of the Twelfth Station of we still carry the wounds of original sin, we stood the obstacle put before the tree of the the Cross is taken from Nativity sometimes desire things that will harm us knowledge of good and evil, which “symboli- Church in St. Paul. rather than make us happy? cally evokes the insurmountable limits that “Ignorance of the fact that man has a commandment, which required the response MPLS. MN man, being a creature, must freely recognize wounded nature inclined to evil gives rise to NON-PROFIT and respect with trust.” (Catechism of the of obedience. But as we know, “Man, tempted ORGANIZATION PERMIT NO. 3452 U.S. POSTAGE PAID U.S. POSTAGE Catholic Church, n. 396) The obstacle was a by the devil, let his trust in his Creator die in Cat in the Silo continued page 4 Thomas Monaghan: Dr. Ralph McInerny: A man of faith in action May his soul rest in peace By John Sondag By John Sondag You’ve probably heard that say- ing of life being a huge tapestry, and [Editor’s note: “The Catholic each of us is one of a variety of Servant” recently interviewed threads that is interconnected with Thomas Monaghan when he visit- many other threads. Only at the end ed the Twin Cities. He is the of the world will we be able to see founder and former owner of the magnificent tapestry in its full Domino’s Pizza, and in recent color. years, he has devoted his life to If I were going to make a predic- many enterprises of spreading tion, I think I could safely bet one of and teaching the Catholic Faith. the boldly colored threads that He is currently the Chancellor of would be woven throughout a large Ave Maria University in portion of that fabric would be the Florida.] life of Ralph McInerny, Ph.D., of the University of Notre Dame. “The Catholic Servant”: We He just died from cancer on print about 45,000 copies of our Photo courtesy Ethics and Culture of Notre Dame Center for January 29 at the age of 80. He had paper each month. That’s Dr. Ralph McInerny recently retired from a 54-year about number of people who career of teaching philosophy at Notre fill a football stadium. If you Dame. He grew up in South Minneapolis in St. Helena Parish, where had five minutes, as a seasoned I have worked for the past 28 years. Catholic who has promoted the Even though I may have had only about ten conversations with Faith, to give a message to a Ralph, I can say I knew him because I know his brother Dr. Dennis football stadium of people, McInerny quite well, and Dennis had many “Ralph” stories. Of what would it be? course, there were others who knew Ralph well, like Bob McDonald Monaghan continued page 9 Thomas Monaghan McInerny continued page 10 TheThe CatholicCatholic ServantServant Fund-RaisingFund-Raising GoalGoal forfor 2010:2010: $50,000 $50,000 The Catholic Servant Box 24142 P.O. Minneapolis, MN 55424 PleasePlease helphelp supportsupport ““TheThe CatholicCatholic ServantServant”” throughthrough giftsgifts andand fundraisersfundraisers Page 2 The Catholic Servant February, 2010 Bringing the Faith into the home A Minnesota Spring can teach parents much about raising their children By Dia Boyle Because it is not long-lived, it garden’s plants can, at last, be painful playground battles Pray for patience, and think is no longer winter snow, but put into the earth. By June the result from the desire to reach spring! Spring is spring snow! Early spring in days, though still often chilly out to those outside of his own in the air? It Minnesota is marked by slush, enough to keep us from banish- family. A teenager’s intoler- Dia Boyle is a wife, free- is still Feb- damp raw wind, and the sound ing our sweaters to the backs of ance of our rules betrays an lance speaker, and writer from ruary and of water running in the gutters. our closets, are long and filled increasing ability to think for St. Paul, Minnesota. Minnesota Although by early April we with light. If we have the himself. These stages are diffi- is hardly may ache for flowers and green patience to enjoy it, and the cult for parents and must be This article was funded by the “mud-lus- grass, we make do instead with eyes to recognize its signs, we faced with wisdom and St. Joseph the Worker Chair of cious and green buds on shrubs and bush- will see that springtime in patience and prayer, but they Writing sponsored by an anony- puddle- es, and little yellow-green tips Minnesota is not short and are also evidence that our chil- mous patron. wonderful.” of crocuses and daffodils, pok- fleeting, but long and rich and dren are doing what they are Boyle Ice-bound, ing up around dirty ice piles full of beautiful promises. created to do: become mature frigid, and miserable, rather. and through soggy piles of last The patience that we learn and fruitful sons and daughters Yet just around the corner is a fall’s leaves. As April gives from Minnesota seasons will of God. long and beautiful springtime. way to May we dream of warm serve us well as we raise our “Ha!” you will object. In sunshine, but know that the children. Like sloppy slush and Minnesota we barely have puddles and umbrellas are April blizzards, the difficult spring at all: snow is common essential to a successful sum- phases and stages of childhood in April, tender plants can’t be mer late on. must not be seen as evils, but put in the earth until the end of Slow but sure, however, as promises of progress May. By late June the progress is made. Tulips even- towards the goal: maturity! A mosquitoes are out in force, tually dare to bloom. After baby’s clinginess is a sign that and what little spring we had is dropping every imaginable he can now distinguish his gone. pollen-producing and drain- mother from the masses. A tod- I beg to differ. If spring is clogging item into our yards, dler’s tantrums are an expres- defined by tulips and green the trees do finally leaf out. sion of her free will and yearn- grass, warm sunny days, and The lawns green up, and the ing for independence. A child’s leafy trees then, yes, our spring is late and very short. But to define spring in such a way is to miss it almost altogether. Spring is the death of winter and the preparation for the lush abundance of summer. As such, it begins in March when there is as much daylight as darkness, and the sun is strong enough to melt the snow.