FACULTY COLUMNCATHOLICISM 101WORLD NEWS

Thursday, January 29, 2015

Go set the world aflame!The TORCH

Archbishop Romero as Martyr

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Pro-Life: March for Life

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Translating the Bible

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BOSTON COLLEGE’S CATHOLIC NEWSPAPER ESTABLISHED 2013

Inside this Edition

Continued on Page 4

Mary Oliver once said, “I tell you this to break your heart, by which I mean only that it break open and never close again to the rest of the world.” Having gone to Ecuador with the Arrupe International Immersion Program my sopho-more year, and returning as a student leader this year, I am a firm believer in the power of a bro-ken heart. A graduate student at the STM told me that one of her professors asked her class, “What ruined you?” This may seem strange, but I think this question is beautiful because a person’s an-swer reveals what has made them who they are. At this point, it is probably pretty apparent that

Arrupe has ruined me. We were challenged to al-low ourselves to be “ruined for life” the first time I was in Ecuador, and while a part of me thought they were crazy, I can’t deny that it happened.

This year, driving into Arbolito, an invasion community outside of Guayaquil, I felt that com-forting sense of coming home. Every part of me felt more alive. I saw friends I had made two years earlier, I met new people, I heard incredible stories and I walked in shoes that looked different than my own, but quickly felt much the same. People tend to ask what we do on Arrupe, and when I say that we spend time in solidarity with the com-

munity there can be a sense of confusion. If the trip is based on being rather than doing, then why do we go so far away when we could accom-plish much the same here in Boston? I’ve asked myself the same question time and time again. In the end I think we need to go away because it is by placing ourselves in an entirely different envi-ronment than that which we are accustomed to

Faith in Action: Ruined for LifeALEX SCHOENING

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Thousands Rally in Nation’s Capital for March for LifeKATIE DANIELS

Bearing signs and banners that declared, “We are the Pro-Life Generation,” thousands of pro-lifers made the annual pilgrimage to the March for Life in Washington D.C. The March takes place on January 22 and commemorates the 1972 Supreme Court case Roe vs. Wade, which legal-ized abortion on demand in the U.S. Over 42 years, the March for Life has grown from a small demonstration into a massive event that draws

thousands to the nation’s capital for a week of ral-lies, conferences, and masses, culminating in a march that winds through the heart of the city.

The March begins at the National Mall, where pro-life speakers ranging from activists to mem-bers of Congress address the crowd. This year, Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz, president of the Unit-ed States Catholic Bishop’s Conference, prayed alongside patriarchs from different Orthodox de-

nominations in what he called a “sign of Chris-tian unity.” High school senior Julia Johnson was also among the keynote speakers. Johnson, who traveled from North Dakota with all 400 students in her high school, identified herself as a member of the “pro-life generation,” saying, “Our genera-tion has seen through the smokescreen of lies.”

From the National Mall, the marchers fol-low a route that carries them past the Capitol

Volume II, Issue 5

Campus NewsThe TORCH // Volume II, Issue 52

CAMPUS NEWSSt. Ignatius Parish Reconfigures Lannon ChapelCHRIS CANNIFF

On the eve of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Boston College Campus Min-istry organized a university-wide Mass, “A Celebration of Faith & Hope.” The Mass was held at St. Ignatius Parish, with Boston College president, Fr. William Leahy, SJ, as the celebrant and Fr. Michael Davidson, SJ, as the hom-ilist. Fr. Michael is a resi-dent minister at Edmonds and also gave the hom-ily at the annual uni-versity Advent Mass.

Several other Jesuits concelebrated the Mass. Music was provided by the Liturgy Arts Group (LAG). There were approximately 800 students in attendance.

During the homily, Fr. Michael addressed the past year’s racial con-flicts, which ignited stu-dent protests. The theme of his homily was how we are called to respond to injustices in society with personal reflection and ac-tive love. By looking at the example of Samuel from the Mass’ reading and the life of Martin Luther King Jr., Fr. Michael encouraged the congregation to contemplate and ask one’s self what needs to change in one’s own life. He pointed to the example in the Old Testament of Sam-uel, who responded to God’s voice calling him in the middle of the night.

“We struggle internally as Samuel did,” said Fr. Michael, referring to Sam-

uel’s doubt of whether it was God calling him. “We fail to think about this question because if we do, we might have to change.” Likewise, Fr. Michael suggested, we must point the finger at ourselves first, rather than at oth-ers and ask ourselves as Martin Luther King Jr. did, “What is it in our lives

that needs to change?”Fr. Michael further

emphasized the impor-tance of not just “toler-ating” people, but more importantly actually car-ing about people. “Rath-er than just not being unkind to others, we need to love others.”

“What’s love got to do with it?” Fr. Michael asked, quoting Tina Turner, a singer and ac-tress popular in the 80’s.

“Everything. When we protect each other’s dignity, then love has ev-erything to do with it.”

Fr. Michael conclud-ed the homily quoting Martin Luther King Jr.’s timeless words, “Dark-ness cannot drive out darkness; only light

can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”At the conclusion of the Mass, Fr. Leahy thanked the community for

coming together and for the efforts made by all to organize the Mass.

BC Holds University-Wide Mass on Eve of Martin Luther King Jr. DayMARGARET ANTONIO

Lannon Chapel, situated in the basement of Saint Ignatius Church, was recently reconfigured by the parish to test what positive impacts a layout change might have on the community that worships there.

The reconfiguration of the chapel involved relocating the sanctuary space and altar, which previously was along the wall that is parallel with Com-monwealth Avenue, to the opposite wall. The lectern, however, remains where the altar previously stood, although now more centered on that side of the chapel so that the lectern and the altar face one another directly. The chairs have also been repositioned into a more circular configuration.

Mass is said in the chapel on weekdays at 12:15 and 5:30pm. On Sun-days, two Masses are held there during the day, one at 10am and the other, which is in Spanish, at 12 noon. On Sunday evenings at 9pm, there is a Campus Ministry Mass attended by many members of the BC community.

Natasha Lopez, A&S ’15, serves as one of the sacristans for the 9pm Mass each week. When asked about her initial thoughts on the new arrangement, she said, “I was unsure what to make of it at first. I felt uncomfortable the first week because I kept making eye contact with the people sitting across from me, which was never a problem in the past. After having Mass with the new set up twice, I’m starting to like it more. Last week, we had many more students come to Mass than I was expecting. One benefit of the new con-figuration is that even those sitting in the back feel a part of the community.”

Fr. Don MacMillan, SJ, one of the campus ministers who oversees the

Mass, commented that one aspect of the reconfiguration that he likes best is its emphasis on the two different components of the liturgy. By placing the lectern facing the altar, the distinctness of the Liturgy of the Word and the Liturgy of the Eucharist is more clearly represented.

The new configuration has also caused some logistical difficul-ties that are being worked out by campus ministers. The position-ing of the Liturgy Arts Group, which provides the music for the Mass, and the positioning of Eucharistic ministers during the dis-tribution of Communion are still being considered and adjusted.

As a sacristan, Lopez said one of her concerns is trying not to be disruptive to worshippers as she carries out her responsibilities.

“With the altar in the center of the room, it’s difficult for me to move around unnoticed. I try not to be visible when I’m moving around during Mass.”

Only two Campus Ministry Masses have been held in the cha-pel since the reconfiguration, and the issues of logistics will con-tinue to be evaluated and addressed over the coming weeks.

Despite these remaining consider-ations, Lopez is pleased with the overall result.

“I think it’s good for the community. The new set up encour-aged people to move around. I think that’s a good thing be-cause people tend to sit in the same place each week with their friends. Now, it’s more open and inviting to meeting new people.”

Campus News The TORCH // Volume II, Issue 5 3

ANNALISE DEAL

“Wade in the Water” Event Identifies Present Racism through Song, Dance, and Word

On January 19, members of the Boston College community gathered in Gasson Hall to commem-orate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s life and work through a multi-medium celebration, loosely based on a Baptist worship service. The event, held annu-ally on MLK Day, is a chance for the community to come together in the memory of Dr. King and re-mind ourselves of what we are called to do to con-front racism as young people and people of faith.

This year, the event was of particular signifi-cance in light of the year’s events in Ferguson, Staten Island, and around the country, and be-cause it marked the 50th anniversary of the Sel-ma, Alabama march led by Dr. King. The large number of the people, who overflowed out of Gasson 100 into the hallways, added even more energy to an already exciting and emotional eve-ning, filled with song, dance, and inspiring words.

The music was provided by the “Voices of Free-dom,” a collaboration of student groups Against the Current, BEATS, The Liturgy Arts Group, and Voices of Imani. These groups also collaborated with the Spirit and Truth Dance Ministry, who ac-companied their voices with worship dance. Sexu-al Chocolate also performed a tribute to Dr. King.

The evening began with a passionate perfor-mance of “Wade in the Water,” after which the event was named. Following several Bible read-ings, Campus Minister Rev. Howard McLendon

set the tone for the evening by encouraging full vocal participation in the Baptist-style worship.

“Yesterday I sat quietly in mass in St. Ig-natius church, and went about the Catho-lic rituals” he said, “so tonight I invite you to participate fully in this church.”

The vocal involvement aspect of the service was quickly embraced, as the service moved on the two spoken word poetry performances. The first was by MLK Scholar Patience Marks, and the second, titled “I (I) Have (Can’t) A Dream (Breathe),” was by students Mashaunda McBarnett, Ashlie Pruitt, and Daniel DeLeon. Both performances called out specific acts of racism committed in Amer-ica this year, and demanded change as Dr. King would have. They were the perfect introduction into the main speaker of the event: the Rev. Bran-don Crowley, pastor of Myrtle Baptist Church and Doctorate candidate in Theology at BU.

Rev. Crowley spoke on the topic of “beloved community,” a theological concept Dr. King wrote and spoke about extensively that is essentially the idea that God’s plan for the world is that human-ity live in loving unity with one another. He de-scribed an instance in his own life in which he believes to have seen what such a community looks like and then broke down the image to dis-cuss more broadly what “beloved community” is.

The scene he described was of a winter day

in Cambridge, where he observed four chil-dren from four different racial backgrounds jumping rope. He then went on to give three reasons why this scene depicted beloved com-munity, because, as he said, “any good black Baptist preacher is gonna give you three points.”

Firstly, the children watched out for the “man in the middle” just as we should worry about those that are stuck in the middle, forgotten by society and struggling deeply. He named the poor, racial and ethnic minorities, women, the LGBTQ community and others as the “man in the middle” in our society. Secondly he described how the children didn’t let the dangerous or cold climate keep them from playing. Thus, in a po-litical and social environment that can be cold and harsh, we should not be deterred from help-ing and loving one another. Finally, he described how the children’s act of play was simply a way of loving one another, regardless of race. Though the children—“one black, one white, one Asian, and another Latina”—likely did not realize it, they were the incarnation of Dr. Kings dream.

Rev. Crowley left those present with the call to continue fighting for Dr. King’s dream, which is not yet manifest, and has reached a point of tentative stagnation. “The Bible de-scribes justice like an ever-flowing stream but it seems mighty dry around here,” he said.

During the final week of Boston College’s win-ter break, Campus Ministry sent over one hun-dred students to communities in Latin America through the Arrupe International Immersion Program. The program is named after Fr. Pedro Arrupe, the 28th Superior General of the Soci-ety of Jesus, who strongly felt that following the Gospel requires Christians to experience soli-darity with a suffering world. Boston College’s immersion program aims to provide partici-pants, student leaders, and mentors the opportu-nity to learn first-hand about the lives and his-tories of foreign communities living in poverty.

The program sent nine groups of students to Latin American countries including Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, Nicaragua, Be-lize, and Jamaica. Each group includes four-teen to sixteen Boston College students, two of which are post-undergraduate mentors. Partici-pants aim to build life- and faith-sharing com-munities in which they can deepen their faith, develop a sense of responsibility and compas-sion for those who suffer, and learn about the complex realities of people living in poverty.

Arrupe International is more than just a one-week commitment. It is a year-long experience. Participants are chosen each spring through a pro-

cess that includes both a written application and an interview. Throughout fall semester leading up to the trip, groups meet on a weekly basis and attend a two-night retreat. Alex Schoening, A&S ’15, one of two student leaders for the Ecuador trip, tells The Torch that these meetings “allow the group to start the community-building process early and educate participants about the unique histories of the countries they will be visiting.”

“This isn’t a typical service trip. We need to prepare them for a solidarity experience,” Mag-gie Aasen, A&S ’15, leader of the Puebla, Mex-ico trip adds. Preparation during fall semes-ter also includes a great deal of fundraising.

The groups departed from Boston on January 2 and 3. Each community allowed participants to encounter solidarity through different experi-ences. Some trips focus more on simply getting to know members of the community and their stories, while others allow students to experi-ence solidarity through active participation in the daily life of a community member. Senior Brittany Burke, LSOE ’15, who traveled to Gua-temala, tells The Torch that she found solidar-ity through “experiencing the joys and chal-lenges of living in an indigenous community alongside the people who shared their hearts

with us. I came to understand the true value of community both while working alongside my host brother as we picked coffee and while learn-ing traditional Guatemalan dances among the bright and life-giving children we encountered.”

Arrupe groups will continue to meet on a weekly basis for the remainder of the academic year. Weekly meetings and presentations allow participants to process their experience and dis-cern how they can incorporate it into their ev-eryday life. Schoening explains, “Coming back, we talk about what the purpose of going on the trip was. The theme of Arrupe is falling in love. So now the question is, how do we stay in love?”

Alyssa Stella, A&S ’15, a senior leader of the Chiapas, Mexico trip, tells The Torch, “Arrupe’s mission is so incredibly important because it al-lows students to step outside of their comfort zone, experience a piece of the reality in which people different from ourselves live every day, and break down the barriers that separate us. Wit-nessing and being a part of other suffering and joy is transformative—it disturbs you, challenges you, makes you ask important questions, while giving you a new understanding of your place in the world and a passion to create positive change.”

Arrupe International Immersion Program Provides Students with Solidarity ExperienceSTEPHANIE JOHNSON

Campus NewsThe TORCH // Volume II, Issue 54

Thousands Rally in Nation’s Capital for March for LifeKATIE DANIELSbuilding and ends in front of the Supreme Court. The almost two mile trek can take more than two hours to complete as throngs of college stu-dents, families, priests, and nuns mingle and talk as they walk. Some groups pray the rosary; others sing, cheer, or simply take in the crowd around them. Andrew Craig, LSOE ‘17, says that walking with fellow pro-lifers was one of the highlights of his first trip to the March. “It gives you the chance to see just how many people value all life,” he said. “There was a great sense of solidarity and love among everyone there that I saw.”

The theme of this year’s March was “Every Life is a Gift.” In an editorial for The Hill, Jeanne Monahan, the president of the March for Life, explains that the theme honors the 25th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, which expanded opportunities for the disabled in the U.S. While “the

March for Life fights for the right to life for every little one not yet born,” she wrote, “certain groups have a significantly less likelihood of being carried to term by their mother.” Such a group includes preborn babies diagnosed with fetal abnormalities, 85% of whom will be aborted. The statistic, Monahan sug-gests, makes it imperative to educate the nation and create “a culture of life.”

Thirty students from Boston College’s Pro-Life Club joined this year’s March, along with 25 students from MIT, BU, and St. Thomas More Col-lege. For freshman Alex Gum, his third trip to D.C. for the March was a chance to re-experience a connection with the thousands of other march-ers. “It is hard to explain the feeling of knowing that the countless people surrounding you have the same thing on their minds and in their hearts,” he said. “It made me realize how a common goal can bring us all together.”

Cont’d from Page 1

Two Gunmen Attack Charlie Hebdo OfficesSOFIA INFANTE

WORLD NEWS

On January 7, 2015, two masked gunmen entered the Paris office of French satirical newspaper, Charlie Hebdo, slaughtering eleven men and wounding eleven others. The attackers were seeking retribution for the depiction of the Muslim prophet, Muhammed, in one of the newspaper’s previous issues. The offices had been firebombed in 2011 for the newspa-per’s depiction of the Prophet of Islam. Charlie Hebdo has not infrequently drawn criticism for its excessive sanitization of nearly all the world’s pop-ular religious faiths and graphic depictions of revered religious figures.

The perpetrators, which were killed in a shootout several hours af-ter holding the city of Paris in terror, identified themselves with the Al-Qaeda branch based in Yemen, which is known as Al-Qaeda in the Ara-bian Peninsula, or AQAP. Ultimately, the attack left twenty dead. Although not explicitly prohibited in the Quran, many Muslims consider the de-piction of Muhammad in any medium to be blasphemous or idolatrous.

The attack has occasioned a wave of support for Charlie Hebdo from across the world, as comedians, politicians, and religious leaders have come forth in support of freedom of speech and freedom of the press. President Obama offered his condolences in a statement saying, “I want the people of France to know the United States stands with you today, stands with you tomorrow… We grieve with you, we fight alongside to uphold our values – values that

we share – universal values, that bind us together as friends and as allies.” On January 11, a rally of about two million people was orga-

nized in support of Charlie Hebdo and to remember the victims and their families. The peaceful march was decorated with signs display-ing the slogan Je Suis Charlie or “I am Charlie”, which has been tak-en up by supporters of free speech. The pencil has also become a pow-erful symbol of free speech, representing freedom of expression.

At the State of the Union Address, lawmakers paid tribute to the vic-tims by holding up pencils. However, reactions to the tragedy and its af-termath have been mixed, as some commentators have been quick to note that the march and the Je Suis Charlie slogan have played into the extrem-ist’s hands by alienating the Muslim communities in Europe and reinforc-ing the idea that Muslims cannot live in the West without belittling their own religion. Commenting on the respect due to every person’s religion, Pope Francis said, “ One cannot provoke, one cannot insult other peo-ple’s faith, one cannot make fun of faith” but noted, “To kill in the name of God is an aberration.” He went on to say, “In theory we can say a vi-olent reaction to an offense or provocation isn’t a good thing ... In theo-ry we can say that we have the freedom to express ourselves. But we are human. And there is prudence, which is a virtue of human coexistence.”

The TORCH // Volume II, Issue 5 5World News

FOCUS Holds Biennial Conference for Catholic Students

SEEK 2015 is a biennial event held for college students looking to deepen their faith by FOCUS, fellowship of Catholic University Students. The organization sends modern day missionaries, re-cent college graduates, to one of what are now 100 campuses in their network. FOCUS began in 1998 at Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas in re-sponse to Pope John Paul II’s call for a new Evan-gelization. The first SEEK conference was held six-teen years ago and had twenty-four attendees. This year in Nashville almost 10,000 people came to hear speakers on various topics concerning faith, to pray, and to meet other Catholics from around the country. The event, mostly attended by college stu-dents, was energetic despite many of them have had traveled as much as 30 hours by bus. On the first night, keynote speaker Matt Fradd, a Catholic apologist, kicked off SEEK with an animated and relatable talk on his own faith journey and existential preoccupa-tions. From the beginning of the event it was clear that it was aimed at the young, not in a diminu-tive or silly pop-culture focused way, but in a way that recognizes the unique position of people who are in the process of questioning and having their beliefs questioned in the college environment.

Over the next three days, attendees started off the day with the Mass and then specific talks on the unique roles of men and women in relation-ships catering to participants of each respective

gender. Some of the most inspiring moments to young people sometimes overwhelmingly con-cerned with their futures, were the words of Sis-ter Mary Gabriel of the Sisters of Life, and former atheist Jennifer Fulwiler. The first exposed the harsh but simple truth that the world “promises everything but delivers nothing,” and so we can-not fall into settling for something inauthentic simply because we are afraid of what our lives

would look like without the façade of happiness. Despite the fact that college is a place where one is supposed to be focused on how they can improve themselves and grow intellectually and spiritually, it often becomes one in which young adults accept the view that their worth is derived from their material acquisitions and achievements—and even worse that this is what will bring them hap-piness. Fulwiler expanded on this idea by shar-ing her transformation from someone obsessed with looking the part of a successful modern woman, to a newly converted Catholic obsessed

with looking the part of Catholic womanhood, to finally accepting herself as a unique member of the faith whose devotion was not based on hab-its or personality but on what was in her heart.

Keynote speaker Helen Alvare, associate pro-fessor of Law at George Mason University and former Secretariat for Pro-Life Activities at NCCB, spoke about her systematic detachment from material desire, starting with taking pay cuts

in her work as a lawyer in order to do what she found meaningful and helpful to clients. Even today she does not concern herself with the conditions of the furniture in her house, because it is inexpensive and not worth crying over when a drink is spilled on it. She explained that this lifestyle of not having an excess of material possessions is freeing because it translated into less worry, and more ability to fo-cus ont the important things in life.

After hearing so many wonderful speakers and engaging with their faith, the attendees of SEEK 2015 left with a sense of renewed com-mitment to living authentically despite return-ing on an unchanged society. However, even if the world continues to say that what is impor-tant is the fleeting pleasure found in materialism, physical contentment, and mindless entertain-ment, young people can endeavor to change this and dictate what worthy pursuits are. SEEK was beginning of this process, as in order to change the external, we must first change in internal.

LAURA MCLAUGHLIN

LIBBIE STEINER

Archbishop Romero Recognized As Martyr

On January 8, 2015, a Vatican commission officially declared that Sal-vadoran Archbishop Oscar Romero was assassinated as a martyr for the Catholic faith. This is seen as an impor-tant step on the road towards sainthood. Romero was murdered in 1980 for his vocal criticism of human rights violations committed by the Salvadoran government. An Italian daily newspaper, Avvenire, was the first to report on the commission’s decision to recognize his martyrdom.

Archbishop Oscar Romero served as Archbishop of San Salvador during the 1977-1980 period. He became an out-spoken critic of the Salvadoran regime’s death squad ex-ecutions, torture and prolonged imprisonment, and disap-pearances. He was often called the voice of the people of El Salvador, giving stirring sermons that were frequently broadcast via radio to the far reaches of the rural areas of the country condemning the horrific violence. Many Latin American Catholics look to Romero as an example of the struggle for peace and justice in unjust and oppressive soci-eties. The day before he was assassinated, Archbishop Oscar Romero gave a sermon urging Salvadoran soldiers to refuse to carry out government policies of terror and violence. Romero was killed while saying Mass on March 24, 1980.

The announcement of his martyrdom means that the Vatican now rec-ognizes that Romero’s death was in odium fidei, meaning “in hatred of the

faith” in Latin. The Archbishop’s cause for canonization was first opened up in 1993, but it stalled with the Congregation for the Doc-trine of the Faith from 2000-2005. Following the election of Pope Francis in March 2013, the Holy Father met with Archbishop Vicenzo Paglia, the official promoter of the cause of Romero’s sainthood. Now, with the recognition of martyrdom, Romero is officially on the path to beatification and canonization. In order to become beatified, it usually needs to be proven that the deceased person has caused a miracle or multiple miracles, but people declared to be martyrs of the faith do not need to have caused miracles.

On August 18, 2014, Pope Francis was flying to South Korea and spoke about his opinion concerning the pos-sible canonization of Archbishop Oscar Romero. The Holy Father said, “for me Romero is a man of God, but the process has to be followed, and the Lord, too, has to give his sign… If he wants to do it, he will do it.”

According to Avvenire, the Congregation for the Causes of Saints voted unanimously to declare Rome-ro a martyr of the faith. Though there has been some opposition from critics of Romero in the past, say-ing that he was murdered more because of poli-

tics than because of religion and should not be considered a martyr, the Vatican has cast its vote regarding their position on this subject.

“From the beginning of the event it was clear that it was aimed at the young, not in a diminutive or silly pop-culture focused

way, but in a way that recognizes the unique position of people who are in the process of questioning and having their beliefs

questioned in the college environment”

The TORCH // Volume II, Issue 5 World News6

Egyptian President El Sisi Attends Coptic Christmas Mass

On January 6, Christmas Eve in the Gregorian calendar, Egyptian presi-dent Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi attended the Coptic Christmas Vigil at St. Marks Coptic Orthodox Cathedral in Cairo. By doing so, he became the first Egyp-tian head of state to attend a Christmas Mass, demonstrating his desire to repair relations between Sunni Muslims like himself, and minority Copts.

While this move is a historic one, it is not atypical of El-Sisi, who has been forming an alliance with Pope Tawadros II, the primate of the Cop-tic Orthodox Church, since the Pope en-dorsed his military takeover of the presi-dency from Muslim Brotherhood leader Mohammed Morsi in July 2013. Under Morsi’s rule, Coptic Christians were con-tinuously marginalized and heavily per-secuted; troops under his command did nothing to stop Muslim mobs who, on one occasion, attacked St. Mark’s kill-ing two Christians during the fighting of 2013. This episode was repeated through-out Egypt, with scores of Coption and other Christian churches damaged by ex-plosive attacks. Contrarily to his predecessor, El-Sisi’s appearance and speech at the Mass marks yet another move for unity among Egyptians and helps support and include the often-persecuted Copts in the new regime.

The president arrived just before Mass began, and, standing between the Coptic Pope and several bishops, gave a speech to those present. The crowd gathered responded to his appearance enthusiastically, shouting, “We love you!” as he entered the Cathedral. In his speech, he congratulated the com-munity for their holy celebration, and called for unity between all Egyptians:

“Egypt has brought a humanistic and civilizing message to the world for

millennia and we’re here today to confirm that we are capable of doing so again. Yes, a humanistic and civilizing message should once more emanate from Egypt. This is why we mustn’t call ourselves anything other than ‘Egyp-tians.’ This is what we must be—Egyptians, just Egyptians, Egyptians indeed!”

He then closed by appealing to the similarity of all present as people of faith. The president encouraged the Christians gathered that he supports them and wants to help them to be able to safely and peacefully live more

alongside the Muslim majority, which has for so long been hostile to them, “I just want to tell you that Allah willing, Allah willing, we shall build our nation together, accommodate each other, make room for each other, and we shall like each other—love each other, love each other in earnest, so that people will see. Happy New Year!”

Al-Sisi continued on a similar vein in his speech to the Al-Azhar Uni-versity, the largest Islamic institu-tion of higher learning in the Muslim world, saying that incorrect thinking

has lead to the militarization of Islam and ultimately fuels acts of vio-lence. He cautioned the staff of Al-Azhar to stay away from such think-ing and to instead focus on the message of brotherhood in Islam.

Immediately after delivering his speech, the president left the Mass, in order to not disrupt the worship. However, his presence was a warm sign of support unmatched by any of the previous Egyptian presidents, who had previously, at most, called the Coptic Pope to wish him a Merry Christmas.

The last federal government-controlled town, Borno, in northeastern Nigeria, has fallen to the hands of Boko Haram. On January 3, the Islamist terrorist group launched a successful attack on the Multinational Joint Military Task Force (MNJTF) headquarters, a base of operations for Nigerian, Chadian, and Nigerien military forces, located just outside of Baga on the border between their respective countries. With the surrounding towns left defenseless, Boko Haram attacked sixteen towns, the largest of which is Baga, a key fishing and commercial center. The town was completely destroyed on January 7, with fatalities estimated at 2000, comprised mostly of women, children, and elderly who were too weak to flee. Most of those who managed to escape the violence fled to the displaced person camps in Maiduguri, the capital city of Borno, which has a history of Boko Haram attacks. The refugees are estimated to be at 20,000. About 7300 others rowed their way to Chad, which brings the total number of current Nigerian refugees in Chad to 10,000.

The federal government has been extremely slow to respond to this massacre. President Good-

luck Jonathan, seeking re-election in the upcom-ing February 14 elections, took almost a fortnight to recognize the tragedy as even taking place. De-spite this, he made an official statement regarding the Charlie Hebdo massacre, which occurred the same day, within hours of the incident. Ibrahim Gambo, a 25 year-old truck driver and local mili-tia member, said that the militia was told to pull back to make way for a military air strike. Such aid never arrived. Further, local and federal gov-ernment officials are at variance regarding num-bers, with defense spokesperson Chris Olukolade stating that no more than 150 people died in Baga. On the other hand, Musa Bukar, head of the Ku-kawa local government, of which Baga is a part, has stated that 2000 people have been killed, an estimate that Amnesty International has support-ed and helped propagate. The relocation of the refugees has fallen into the hands of the UN Refu-gee Agency, which is moving the refugees to Diffa, a Nigerien city that lies at the border between Ni-ger and Nigeria. This city alone has housed about 90,000 Nigerian refugees since May of 2013.

The international response to this tragedy

likewise has moved slowly, in no short measure, due to both the Nigerian government’s aversion to the topic and the Parisian massacre at Char-lie Hebdo. Bloggers, seeing the lack of solidar-ity as a sign of hypocrisy, have adopted slogans such as “Je suis Baga” and “Je suis Nigerian”, playing off the viral motif of “Je suis Charlie Hebdo.” The Catholic Archbishop of Jos, Igna-tius Kaigama, has similarly called for interna-tional support as Boko Haram seizes town after town in northeastern Nigeria, as they currently control a territory roughly the size of Belgium.

The most recent reports of Boko Haram at-tacks in Nigeria come from Maiduguri and Po-tiskum, the latter being in Yobe, west of Borno. Three female suicide bombers, ten-year-old girls, killed themselves and twenty-one others. Their current activities, however, are mostly focused in Cameroon with a group of militants attempting and failing to seize Kolofata in Cameroon, losing some 200-300 members. Boko Haram has kid-napped 80 civilians from villages of Cameroom and killed three. 24 have been located, three con-firmed to be dead, with the rest still to be found.

JAY CHIN

Boko Haram Razes Baga, Kills 2,000

ANNALISE DEAL

“Under Morsi’s rule, Coptic Christians were continuously marginalized and heavily perse-cuted; troops under his command did nothing to stop Muslin mobs who...attacked St. Mark’s killing two Christians during the fighting of

2013”

The TORCH // Volume II, Issue 5 7World News

On January 12, Pope Francis arrived in Sri Lanka’s national airport, kicking off a weeklong visit to Sri Lanka and the Philippines. The Holy Father met with religious leaders in the ma-jority Buddhist country, but the most memo-rable event was the canonization of St. Joseph Vaz, a 17th century priest who, on January 14, because the first recognized Sri Lankan saint.

Speaking during St. Joseph Vaz’ Canonization Mass in Colombo, the Pope remarked, “His un-divided love for God opened him to love for his neighbor; he ministered to those in need, whoever and wherever they were. His example continues to inspire the Church in Sri Lanka today. She gladly and generously serves all members of society.”

The Pope also visited the Benedict XVI Cultur-al Institute in Bolawalana, where he blessed the Chapel of Our Lady of Lanka. Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith of Colombo launched the project to cre-ate the Institute in 2011 to collaborate with the Sri Lankan agencies to rebuild the small Asian nation after 30 years of civil war. The institute will have departments in interreligious dialogue as well as foreign languages and higher studies focusing on theology, philosophy, economics, and business.

The government of Sri Lanka pardoned 612 prisoners who had been convicted of minor of-fenses and were over the age of 75 in honor of the Pontiff ’s visit. Cardinal Ranjith remarked that the smooth transition of regimes, occurring only a few days before the Pope’s arrival, was surprising and that the Pontiff played a role in it. “The widespread acceptance of the Pope – regardless of religion – was clearly visible in the thousands of citizens who packed the streets and cheered for him as he made his way along the 23 kilometer route from the air-port,” the Cardinal remarked, according to CNA.

Pope Francis then departed for Manila, where his first stop was celebrating Mass with the clergy, religious, and seminarians at Ma-nila’s Cathedral of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, where he pointed out the “power-ful missionary potential” of the Filipino faithful.

One of the most heart-warming moments of his visit to the Philippines was the homily for the Mass celebrated near the Tacloban airport on the island of Lyete, which was devastated by superty-phoon Haiyan in December 2013. The Holy Fa-ther set aside his prepared speech ad addressed the people gathered, many of whom lost family

members to Haiyan, from the heart. “We have the security of knowing that we are not going to weak-en in our faith, because Jesus has been there be-fore us… In his passion, he assumed all our pain,” he said, “So many of you have lost everything… I don’t know what to say to you. But the Lord does know what to say to you. Some of you have lost part of your families. All I can do is keep silent.”

On January 18, the Pope’s final public Mass at Rizal Park in Manila drew crowds of about 6 to 7 million, a new papal record. The homily touched on the importance of Christians’ identity as God’s children and called for a rallying of the family against, “insidious attacks and programs contrary to all that we hold true and sacred, all that is most beautiful and noble in our culture.”

The Pope’s final stop before departing for the Vatican was a farewell ceremony where about 400 abandoned children from various welfare cen-ters performed songs to bid him on the morn-ing of January 19. The Pontiff was escorted to his plane by President Benigno Aquino, whom Pope Francis thanked as he boarded the plane, “You must have worked some extra hours,” he re-marked, leaving the Philippines with a light tone.

GJERGJI EVANGJELI

Pope Francis Visits Philippines and Sri Lanka

March for Life, Washington D.C.

The TORCH // Volume II, Issue 58

Editor-in-ChiefNatalie Yuhas

Editor-in-Chief EmeritusChristopher Canniff

Executive Editor/ Business ManagerStephanie Johnson

Executive EditorEthan Mack

Feature ColumnistsMargo Borders

Katie Rich

Campus News StaffMargaret Antonio

Katie Daniels Laura McLaughlin

Libbie Steiner

World News StaffGjergji Evangjeli, Editor

Jay ChinAnnalise DealSofia Infante

Website EditorKevin Gleason

Layout EditorAlexandrea Ramnarine

CartoonistAndrew Craig

The Torch is a Catholic student newspaper produced by members of the Boston College community that reports on Catholic news both on cam-

pus and in broader society and that probes the vast riches of the Church’s intellectual tradition. Taking seriously the values to which Boston Col-

lege is committed as a Catholic university, The Torch desires an active and healthy exchange of ideas. Moreover, its chief end is to be a tool for the

new evangelization, spreading faith in Jesus Christ as a source of conver-sion and new life.

There are numerous ways for you to get involved: news, photography, web design, layout, editing, etc!

E-mail bctorcheditors@gmail.com for more info.

Sign up for a weekly hour of adoration in Bapst.

For more info please contact: ethanmack12@gmail.com

The TORCH // Volume II, Issue 5Mass Readings 9

February Mass Reading Schedule`

Sunday, February 1, 2015 Reading 1: DT 18: 15-20

Responsorial Psalm: PS 95: 1-2, 6-7, 7-9 Reading 2: 1 COR 7:32-35

Gospel: ML 1:21-28

Sunday, February 8, 2015 Reading 1: JB 7: 1-4, 6-7

Responsorial Psalm: 147: 1-2, 3-4, 5-6Reading 2: 1 COR 9: 16-19, 22-23

Gospel: MK 1:29-39

Sunday, February 15, 2015Reading 1: LV 13: 1-2, 44-46

Responsorial Psalm: PS 32: 1-2, 5, 11Reading 2: 1 COR 10: 31- 11:1

Gospel: MK 1: 40-45

Sunday, February 22, 2015Reading 1: GN 9: 8-15

Responsorial Psalm: PS 25: 4-5, 6-7, 8-9 Reading 2: 1 PT 3:18-22

Gospel: MK 1: 12-15

Andrew Craig, 2014

The TORCH // Volume II, Issue 5 Catholicism 10110

MARGO BORDERS

Saint of the Issue: Gianna Beretta Molla

CATHOLICISM 101

Cornerstone: Silent Retreats LIBBIE STEINER

St. Gianna Beretta Molla, an Italian saint canonized by St. Pope John Paul II in 2004, is known as a saint of the pro-life movement, and is the patron saint of mothers, physicians, and unborn children.

Gianna Beretta was born in Magenta, Italy in October 1922. She had eight surviving siblings and experienced a simple and faithful upbring-ing. At age 20, Gianna enrolled in medical school in Pavia, Italy. She con-tinued her fervent devotion to the faith, attending daily Mass, visiting the Blessed Sacrament in adoration, and praying the rosary. She was involved in service through the St. Vincent de Paul Society and the Sisters of Saint Vincent, and even demonstrated her leadership by speaking at a Catholic Action conference in 1946 about the vocation to marriage.

Gianna received her degree in medicine in 1949. Although she wanted to go to Bra-zil to serve as a missionary, she had poor health, and instead opened a medical clinic in Mesero. She later became a pediatric specialist and was devoted to living an ethical life. She often helped to persuade women not to have an abortion as well as provide care to women who had already had one. She served patients who could not pay, and often helped their families pay for food and medication.

In 1954, Gianna met Pietro Molla, a fellow member of Catholic Action, and the two were married a year later, in April of 1955. They lived in the small town of Ponte Nuovo, where Gianna counseled mothers at a home for mothers and children, and volunteered her medical skills to the community. Within the next three years, she gave birth to three children, one boy and two girls.

Gianna suffered two miscarriages before conceiving her fourth child. She started experiencing problems in her pregnancy, and tests confirmed that she had a large fibroid tumor in her uterus. The doctors gave her the option of abortion, which would save the child, or to perform the risky operation of removing the tumor to save the child. Gianna respected the sanctity of the life inside of her so much that she said yes to life and opted to have the operation.

Gianna had a successful surgery in September of 1961. However, there was still a chance that the baby could be lost dur-ing the length of the pregnancy. When pre-paring to give birth, she again emphasized that the baby’s life must be saved before her own. On April 20, 1962, her baby girl, Gi-anna Emanuela, was successfully delivered by Caesarean section. While the baby was healthy, Gianna developed a severe infec-tion, called septic peritonitis, culminating in a high fever and severe abdominal pain. Both her sister Virginia and husband Pietro

were at her side. She refused medicine to dull the pain because she wished to be lucid while carrying her Cross. Seven days later, Gianna died at 39 years old.

Based on two miracles involving miraculous survivals of chil-dren in utero and their mothers, Pope John Paul II beatified Gianna in April of 1994 and canonized her on May 16, 2004. The feast day of St. Gianna Beretta Molla is April 28, the day of her death. Her daugh-ter, Dr. Gianna Emanuela Molla, survives her as a geriatrician in Milan.

Trudging alone through fresh snow in Dover, Massachusetts in ear-ly January, I reflected on the past five days spent on BC’s Manresa Re-treat. I had grown in love for God and myself, letting go of my anxieties and failures of last year and looking forward confidently to the next year. The daily rhythms of prayer, hiking, meals, Mass, reading, and spiri-tual direction left me with a deeper understanding of how I wanted to grow closer to God. As I walked deliberately along an icy Charles River, frozen leaves crunching beneath my boots, I wondered how I came to be so fortunate as to have an opportunity to walk with God on retreat.

Sometimes the world we live in can feel full of distraction, noise, and chaos. The endless sea of obligations and commitments that make up every-day life can often detract from our spiritual well-being. We become caught up in life and forget to truly live. Making a retreat to purposefully come back into communion with God and ourselves can be renewing and centering.

Retreats in the Christian tradition are as old as Christianity itself. Je-sus secludes himself in prayer several times in the Gospels. The writ-er of the Gospel of Mark shows Jesus “rising very early before dawn, he left and went off to a deserted place, where he prayed” (Mk 1:35). In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus again retreats to pray: “In those days he departed to the mountain to pray, and he spent the night in prayer to God” (Lk 6:12).

The Desert Fathers, beginning around the third century AD, chose to with-draw from society and focus on spiritual matters by living in simplicity. These first monastic communities, founded by Anthony the Great, sought solitude as a way to rid the mind of material and worldly desires. The roots of modern retreats can be seen in their practices of taking meals together in silence, com-munal prayer several times a day, and spending time alone studying scripture.

The Jesuits, in the spirit of the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius Loyola, were the first order to make regular retreats. St. Ignatius spent months in Manresa, Spain reflecting, praying, struggling with God, and writ-ing down what would later become his Spiritual Exercises. Many mod-ern retreat practices can be traced back to the Spiritual Exercises.

The Christian and Ignatian tradition of retreats continues at Boston Col-lege with Campus Ministry’s Manresa Quiet Retreat. Offered for five days before the start of the second semester, it is a time of refreshment, recon-ciliation, and reflection. Alex Duran, A&S ’15, has made three Manresa Retreats during his time at BC. Duran remarked that for him, Manresa “sets the tone for the entire year: God, here I am, and I want to get close to you.” Though the quiet can be difficult to adjust to at first, Duran says that it allows one to “get outside of your comfort zone, spiritually and oth-erwise. Our journey in life is to continue to grow with God, and the si-lence helps you do that… Sometimes the quiet calms down a lot of voices.”

During his time in Manresa, Spain, St. Ignatius had a profound spiritual experience by the Cardoner River. In his autobiography, Ignatius writes that “while he was seated there, the eyes of his understanding began to be opened… he understood and knew many things… and this was so great an enlighten-ment that everything seemed new to him.” As I sat by the Charles River, I could not help but think of this moment in Ignatius’ life. How was it that more than 450 years after St. Ignatius sat by the river and was renewed that I, too, would sit by the river and yearn to feel similarly transformed? It seemed that though time had passed, some things had remained remarkably the same.

St. Ignatius, pray for us.

“She often helped to persuade women to not have an abortion as well as provide care to

women who already had one.”

The TORCH // Volume II, Issue 5 11Catholicism 101

Pro-Life: Why the March for Life Still Matters

Last week, I was fortunate enough to travel to the March for Life in Washington D.C. with BC’s Pro Life Club. With hats, gloves, and pillows packed into our bags, we departed Wednesday evening for the overnight journey. Despite our excitement and anticipation for the March, we were miraculously able to sleep for a couple hours on the bus before our arrival at Union Station the following morning. (Note: Much coffee was consumed on this journey.) For those going on the March, it was more than just a journey; it was a pilgrimage. From the moment that I stepped onto the bus, I felt like I was surrounded by a group of people who genuinely cared about others and were passionate about their love for life. As Pope Francis said, “All of us must care for life, cherish life, with tenderness, warmth…to be for life is to open our hearts, and to care for life is to give oneself in ten-derness and warmth for others, to have concern in our hearts for others.”

Before the march began, we attended the Jesuit Mass at St. Aloysius Gon-zaga Church with students from other Jesuit universities such as Georgetown, Fairfield, and Holy Cross. Seeing the solidarity within the pro-life move-ment, especially with other Jesuit universities, was refreshing and inspiring. Often times, it is easy to forget the size of the movement, especially among our generation. At Mass, we listened to speakers discuss how Jesuit ideals are very much in agreement with pro-life ideology, that to be true “men and women for others,” we must protect all life, from conception to natural death. The March itself had a large youth presence, which gives hope to the future. As one of my political science professors told me once, the pro-life is-sue is a “zombie issue,” because it only seems to gain support. Forty years af-ter Roe v Wade, the issue is still being debated. We are the leaders of tomor-row. The movements that we are passionate about today will be the reality of the future, if we only have the conviction to challenge current injustices.

That being said, why do we bother to march? Isn’t it enough to support pro-life causes from home? Don’t I regret consuming that gallon of coffee in Union Station? While it is great to support pro-life ministries, the March for Life offers a unique outlet into the political world, where legal decisions regarding life are made. The March brings hundreds of thousands of people to Washington D.C. each year, many of whom are able to make office vis-its to their elected representatives. After the March, my friend, Kate, and I were able to explore the House of Representatives office building, where we met freshman Congresswoman Elise Stefanik, the youngest woman ever elected to Congress. While it was a bit surreal to be hanging out in a con-gressional office eating chocolate chip cookies and juice, the situation al-lowed my friend and I to ask Congresswoman Stefanik about her pro-life activism and political career. That personal, up-close contact would not have happened if Kate and I had chosen to stay in our dorm rooms that day. It is important that our elected representatives are aware that we pri-oritize life-issues and will passionately make sure that our voices are heard.

As Catholics we are all called to love God and all he has created, espe-cially all human life. We love life in all forms and conditions- from the un-born all the way to the sick and the elderly. Jesus came so that we may have life to the fullest extent, both heavenly and earthly; however, it is up to us to make sure justice is upheld. We can protect the vulnerable in our world through acts of political engagement, such as the March, or though everyday acts of mercy and kindness. Despite the sleep deprivation, coffee overdoses, and miles of walking, the March was quite possibly my favorite BC event of my sophomore year. The March for Life still matters because it is a vis-ceral, joyful reminder that the culture of life is alive and well in America.

EILEEN CORKERY

ALEX SCHOENING

Faith in Action: Ruined for Life

that we experience a discomfort that opens our eyes to the injustices in the world that we often become blind to within our immediate line of vision.

In Ecuador we partner with an organization called Rostro de Cristo, whose mission is to see the face of Christ in all who we encounter. We need to become comfortable with being uncomfortable and that is what trips focused on community and solidarity, such as those in the Arrupe program, provide the space for. Ultimately, it doesn’t matter so much where you are. What matters is that we choose to be broken, and as Fr.

Ken Himes says, “Do service trips for yourself and live your life for oth-ers.” The most important message for me has come through the words of Linda Ellis in her poem “The Dash,” which concludes, “So, when your eu-logy is being read, with your life’s actions to rehash…would you be proud of the things they say about how you spent YOUR dash?” My experience in Ecuador was beautifully heartbreaking and I know that my life will for-ever be changed by the stories that have become tattooed on my heart.

Cont’d from Page 1

The TORCH // Volume II, Issue 512 Faculty Columns

Translating the Bible NICHOLAS KING, SJ

A funny thing happened to me on the way to Boston College (where for this academic year I find myself called a Visiting Professor for the School of Theology and Ministry): I translated the Bible. That sounds more flippant than I intend, but it is true, and I still find it a bit surprising. It has also been a great gift to me from God, a vocation within my vocation, if you like. But how did it happen? It is rare, unless you are St Jerome, to sit down with a view to doing such a thing, and I have to say that I really did not think that I should live to complete it. Best, perhaps, if I tell you how it happened.

I worked for many years, teaching New Testament in South Africa, at one of the most interesting moments in the history of that beautiful country, and was proud to play a part in the unforgettable day when we had our first democratic election, April 24 1994, acting as a District Observer for sev-en polling stations in the Natal Midlands. Then, after all that excitement, I was asked to return to the United Kingdom, to teach at Oxford; and since the South African academic year ends in November, I arrived in Oxford half way through their academic year, and for a while had little teaching to do. So, since I was due to come New Jersey and give a summer school in the gospels of Mark and John, I sat down and trans-lated them both for myself, just to feel what it was like. I ignored chapter and verse, since they are both medieval impositions on the text, and want-ed to get the “feel” of what it was like for the early

readers (or, we should say, hearers, since most of them would not have had the skills of writing or reading) of those gospels, and of their freshness. By various ways, this came to the attention of my publisher Kevin Mayhew, and he asked me if I would agree to do a translation of the entire bi-ble. My response was immediate: “Certainly not!”, but he battered me down, and in the end I agreed to do the New Testament, and not a word more.

He produced that (and it is beautifully done – I say nothing of the translation, only of what the book looks like and how it handles). He then an-nounced that I was working on a translation of the Old Testament, which was not really the case; so I sulked for a while. Then, however, for various reasons, I thought “Why not?”, consulted my Pro-vincial, who said, “It will keep you off the streets,” and started translating the Old Testament. It was not, however, the Hebrew version that I worked

on, which most translations into English give, but the Greek version, known as the Septuagint (LXX).

The reasons for that were three: the LXX was the “bible” of the New Testament authors, and it is generally that which they quote; it was the version of the Bible known to most Jews in that first cen-tury; and there was not at that time a sensible con-temporary translation into English of the LXX. So I sat down and got on with it, learnt a huge amount

from the process (including, I discovered, how much I love the Bible), and, against all my predictions, survived to finish the whole thing. It was duly published late in 2013, and seems to have been well received.

If you would like to buy a copy, it is not, alas, inexpensive; but then it may last you a lifetime; and you can find it on the Kevin Mayhew website. In addition, my version of the four gospels and of certain other key passages in the Bible, including, I hope, your favourite one, read by the transla-tor, is now, I am told, on I-tunes. Now if I ask you to read it, or listen to it, that

is not really so as to sell more copies; it springs more from a sense that Catholics are ill-equipped with knowledge of the Scriptures, and as St Je-rome remarked, “ignorance of the Scriptures is ignorance of Christ”. Not only that, but God lurks there in the Bible, just below the surface of the text. And God may wish you to hear something.

Nicholas King SJ is a Visiting Professor at the Boston College School of Theology and Min-istry. For the past 13 years he has been at Campion Hall Oxford, as Spiritual Father and Fel-low in New Testament; before that he was in South Africa for a similar period, teaching New

Testament in seminaries and universities, and doing academic administration.

FACULTY COLUMNS

“I worked for many years, teaching New Tes-tament in South Africa, at one of the most in-teresing moments in the history of that beautiful country, and was proud to play a part in the un-forgettable day when we had our first democratic election...acting as a District Observer for seven

polling stations in the Natal Midlands”

The TORCH // Volume II, Issue 5 13Faith Features

FAITH FEATURES

It’s almost a month after the start of 2015 and I have fallen through on every single one of my resolutions. When the new year started, I convinced myself that it didn’t re-ally count until I started the new semester back at BC. When I got back on campus, I told myself that the new semester didn’t actually begin un-til after I had settled into a routine and figured out my classes. Here I am three weeks later, and I still have not committed to any of my New Year’s resolu-tions. All of a sudden, life got crazy busy again, and I got sucked into the endless struggle of balancing work, school, friends, and everything in between.

One of the hardest resolutions for me to keep has been the most important one: the resolution to be more faithful. In the midst of being so busy all the time, my faith has fallen to the back burner. I struggle to say a genuine prayer, and going to Mass sometimes just feels like going through the motion. Something about the whole thing felt extremely superficial and awkward to me. What should I say when I pray? Why does it just feel like I am talking to myself?

After reflecting on it, I realized that the core of my faith is seeing God in others and through beau-tiful moments instead of through focusing on my personal relationship with Him. I can call someone my friend and ap-

preciate all they do, but I am still taking that person for granted if I don’t put effort into the relationship and make time to talk to them and be with them. It’s not any dif-ferent with having a relationship with God. As much as I recognize all of this, I have had a hard time executing changes, and I know it can’t just be my natural tendency to procrastinate.

In all of my resolutions for the past few weeks, I realized I have been too focused on making huge changes instead of focusing on the small victories. A step to becoming healthier includes drinking more water everyday, and that is as much of a step toward my resolution to be healthier as completely cutting out processed food and sweets. Similarly, my relationship with God doesn’t have to center around grand prayers and expressions of faith. In fact, I’m sure that isn’t even what He wants out of a relationship with us. Instead, I am going to try to pray small prayers more often in the day and go from there. A quick thank you goes a long way.

I am definitely an imperfect per-son with many things I need to work on in 2015, and I know that the foundation of all those changes to be found through focus-

ing on my relationship with God, one baby step at a time.

Baby Steps NATALIE YUHAS

By swallowing New England whole, Juno has given me the much sought-after gift of time by stranding me in DC in my friend’s apartment. After reading my assignments, cleaning her kitchen, taking several showers, baking cookies, and dancing around the empty apartment, I settled on using the time for re-flection. My friend had a book poking out of her purse entitled We Have Come to Adore Him: An Introduc-tion to Prayer at the School of Benedict XVI by a cer-tain Fr. Andreas Schmidt. Intriguing, no? (Even for a non-Catholic nerd unlike myself, anything with words looks riveting after scrubbing baked zucchini off of a cookie sheet). I flipped to the dog-eared page to find the subtitle “An Encounter with a Friend.” I read on:

What should we say in this encounter? Just as in every genuine and deep relationship, we share what is really in our heart. Everything that moves you and that you would share with your dearest friend: grati-tude and love, pleas and questions, laments, joy and praise. And as in every friendship – this is impor-tant! – every real encounter is two-sided. Benedict says this explicitly: Prayer involves listening to Jesus’ voice…. We must say to the Lord again and again, “Speak, Lord, your servant is listening!” (1 Samuel 3:9). And not, though we would very much like to say this at times, “Listen, Lord, your servant is speaking!”

Recently, I’ve found myself sitting in Adoration and combing through my mind, searching for things to tell, as this author would say, my Friend. Well, Lord, today has been fine. The rain isn’t great, but I can tolerate it. Did I do well on the essay I turned in an hour ago? Please let me have done well. That’d be swell. I love you, Lord. Oh, and please look after my mother and her broken foot. The litany continues for an hour, until someone comes to relieve me and I head back into the bustling world, “Holy Hour” crossed off my list. But was any of that holy?

St. Ignatius says in his First Principle and Foundation that “the human

person is created to praise, reverence, and serve God Our Lord, and by do-ing so, to save his or her soul.” Praising, revering, and serving can be done in

a multitude of ways, one of which must include prayer. Prayer is our great vehicle, our path to knowing and lov-ing God, just as talking with one another is our road to friendship. But how can we be friends if we merely rat-tle off a stream of consciousness before a monstrance?

First, it is important in Adoration to really take the time and accept that the Creator of the Universe is before you. Ponder that for a moment, and you won’t find your-self complaining about the rain. Next, it is equally impor-tant to realize that this Creator of the Universe is also the Being that loves you the most, that this Being loves you so much that without that love, you would cease to exist. Your entire reason for living is so that Being can love you.

How often do we sit and inadvertently think, “Listen, Lord, your servant is speaking!” Would we dare say that to a professor, a friend, or even anyone we respect? Of course not. Then why do we have no problem saying it to God, who deserves our bent ears infinitely more?

The book’s appendix includes Pope Benedict’s Sydney World Youth Day homily. In it, he says, “God’s love can only unleash its power when it is allowed to change us from within. We have to let it break through the hard crust of our indifference, our spiritual weariness, our blind conformity to the spirit of this age. Only then can we let it ignite our imagination and shape our deepest desires. That is why prayer is so important… Prayer is pure recep-

tivity to God’s grace, love in action, communion with the Spirit who dwells within us, leading us, through Jesus, in the Church, to our heavenly Father.”

Next time you settle down to pray, be quiet and say, “Speak, Lord, your servant is listening,” because it is only in the space between your clanging thoughts that God can speak to you, and unleash His power within you.

Becoming a Listening ServantKATIE RICH

Faith FeaturesThe TORCH // Volume II, Issue 514

Senior Staff Book Recommendations

Chris Canniff // TinkersPaul Harding

Natalie Yuhas // Cat’s CradleKurt Vonnegut

Margo Borders // The World’s First LoveFulton Sheen

Katie Rich // We Have Come to Adore Him: An Introduction to Prayer at the School of Benedict XVIFr. Andreas Schmidt

Gjergji Evangjeli // Into the Silent Land: A Guide to the Christian Practice of ContemplationMartin Laird, O.S.A.

Hang up the HookupsCHRIS CANNIFF

There never seems to be any shortage of discussion surrounding the hookup culture at Boston College. Kerry Cronin’s talks on dating and sex routinely draw huge crowds. Of course, students also spend a lot of time talking about it amongst themselves, albeit with a tone and perspec-tive that is usually different than Cronin’s. While she advocates replacing hookups with proper dating rituals aimed at love, students who are heard talking about hookups are often relating the sordid details of their mis-adventures to their friends. People smile, nod, and laugh along as they hear the stories. But, the overwhelming attendance at Cronin’s talks indi-cates that students know the pain that is involved in hookups and instead want something more—to be valued as people and not used as objects.

The hookup culture is ubiquitous in the social experience of Bos-ton College students from the time they arrive at Freshman Orienta-tion all the way through Senior Week. Second semester senior year is when things amp up, as many students wish to hookup with people whom they have been eyeing all four years. This is where the Senior Five comes into play. Many seniors will come up with a list of five spe-cific individuals with whom they hope to hookup before graduation.

As a senior last year, I witnessed that intensification of the hookup culture taking place all around me. I recently said to a few current seniors that people behave strangely during their last semester. The stress, the anxiety, the fear of the unknown future—all of this weighs heavily in one’s final months here.

One night last year, I was spending some time with another senior. She and I spent about an hour together talking about the future. She already had a job for after graduation, and it was going to take her far across the country, away from her family. She told me about the uncertainties she was facing about moving to a new city, getting established in her career, and finding stability. We had a great and meaningful conversation. It wasn’t the only one that she and I ever had, but this one stands out because of what happened afterward.

When I returned to my room in Ruby, the first thing I did was check Face-book before starting my homework. Several posts on my newsfeed caught my attention. Someone had started a Senior Five Facebook page. Seniors were anonymously submitting their list of five people, and the moderator of this page was posting those lists for everyone to see—mostly lists of females

sent in by men. The young woman whom I had just been with is very at-tractive. I saw her name on nearly half of the hundreds of Senior Five posts.

The blatant objectification of all of these young women was astonishing. The people who engage in the hookup culture and who submitted these posts had no concern for the people they listed; they saw them simply as objects.

The people who submitted the name of the young woman whom I had been with were not concerned with her, with who she is as a person. The fact that she has fears about her future, hopes for it as well; the fact that she has a family and boyfriend who love her and whom she loves; the fact that she is a faith-filled individual with spiritual aspirations; the fact that she is a human being like the rest of us—none of this concerned them.

She and countless others are the invisible victims of the fashion-able idea that hookups are harmless and healthy. They are invisible in the sense that the true face of the person is deliberately obscured, and the physical body is viewed and evaluated separate from the person.

Somehow, when people hurt other people, they do it because they fail in some way to see that it is another person who is standing there before them. Persons are ends to be loved and respected, not means to be used and discarded. They are not tools towards our goals; they are genuinely other people who must be loved and reverenced according-ly. The first step towards loving another person is recognizing that the other person is there. And so, I think it is time to hang up the hook-ups and to strive for agape—the real and costly love which is self-gift.

As C.S. Lewis noted in The Weight of Glory, by every action we take, we are either helping or hindering every person we encounter towards one of two eternal destinations. He said, “There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal. Nations, cultures, arts, civiliza-tion—these are mortal, and their life is to ours as the life of a gnat. But it is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub, and exploit—immortal horrors or everlasting splendors…Next to the Blessed Sacrament itself, your neighbor is the holiest object presented to your senses. If he is your Christian neighbor he is holy in almost the same way, for in him also Christ, the glorifier and the glorified, Glory Himself, is truly hidden.”

Faith Features The TORCH // Volume II, Issue 5 15

MARGO BORDERS

The Joy of the Christian Life

All I was thinking about as I rushed into St. Ignatius on January 18 is that I had to be out and in my room my 6:40 PM. God, however, often chooses to teach us important lessons when we seem least open to Him. In other words, I was as attentive during the Mass as a six year-old kid who has just been allowed to play with his mother’s phone. Then the Gospel reading came around, and I felt like someone dropped a bucket of ice water on my head.

The events portrayed in John 1:35-42, especially the first interaction be-tween the first two Apostles and Our Lord is astounding to say the least. Jesus’ question, “What are you looking for?” is not simply a run-of-the-mill question; it is a sharp arrow drawn directly from the divine quiv-er, an arrow that leaps off the page when it is uttered and flies with sur-prising speed into the heart of anyone who dares to speak it. Though it seems the easiest of questions, it is usually one of the hardest to answer. Sure, if a magic genie appeared in front of us at any given moment we could easily answer it, but most of those answers are trivial and likely to be also found in letters to Santa Claus, but what is it that we really want?

St. Augustine tackled this question at some point and came up with an ingenious answer. He asked God to let him know who he was and who God was. The Apostles give a slightly different answer. “Rabbi, where are you staying?” they ask. It is my contention—though this is pure specula-

tion—that they ask the right question, but for the wrong reason. St. John continues to tell us that Jesus shows them where He is staying and they remain with Him for the night. Perhaps they wanted to listen to what He had to say following St. John the Baptist’s strange declaration that this man in front of them was “the Lamb of God.” Or perhaps they were looking for an address, so they could come back to see Him at a more convenient time.

Regardless of what their intention was, the fact that they spent the night tells us something about how Jesus steered that question. For that night, and for just about the next three years, they and others lived together with Him. In that light, “Rabbi, where are you staying?” may be seen as a move-in request. That move-in request, however, does not come without its costs. The Apostles came to learn this, since all of them were either executed or died in a Roman prison. Countless of the saints and martyrs throughout the ages knew of the great peril of saying to God, “take me where You will.”

Through the Apostles, God asks each and every one of us that same question, “What are you looking for?” and all of our responses can be narrowed down to two possible kinds of answers. Either something to the effect of, “A million dollars!” or “Lord, allow me to walk with You.” May we ever be so brave as to always seek to honestly come before Christ and ask Him for the second option.

“What Are You Looking For?”GJERGJI EVANGJELI

At the beginning of each new year, you most likely spend time re-flecting on what you would like to change in your life. Everyone comes up with their “New Year’s resolutions,” which probably involve losing ten pounds, stopping your nail biting hab-its, or finally reading those classics that have been sitting on your bookshelf for years.

When I was spending time thinking about my New Year’s resolutions, I came across an article about emotional virtues by Sarah Swaf-ford, a Catholic author and speaker who works at Benedictine College. On her website, she lists a long litany of virtues that a Christian woman should strive for. I glimpsed through the list, looking for some virtue that stood out to me that I could work on this year, some-thing to contemplate and keep my eyes on as I navigate the chaos of the upcoming year.

Surprisingly, my eyes didn’t fall on the more obvious virtues that I’ve heard so much about in my fourteen years of Catholic education, such as gracefulness, humility, or striving for excellence. Instead I was drawn to the more simple virtue of joyfulness, something so of-ten forgotten in the midst of a Christian life.

The idea so easily forgotten and seldom fo-cused on is that joy should be at the center of the Christian faith. Our duty is to love, and joy is the natural consequence of love. Blessed Moth-er Teresa said, “Joy is a net of love by which we catch souls.” We not only gain joy from living Christian lives, but we also attract other people to the faith.

Whenever I have read anything about saints, it has always been clear to me that their lives radiate joy. A saint cannot be sad because they set their

hearts and minds on God, and living for Him brings the greatest joy of all. I see this when I meet religious as well because they have an element of joy in their demeanor that is clearer than people who live for worldly ma-

terials. It could not be more true that living a life for Christ always brings indescribable joy.

Joy is attractive to me because oftentimes meditating on the Christian life can be sober-ing. In serious contemplation of the life of Jesus and the state of humanity, you realize how sin-ful you are as a human, how broken humanity is, and the grave reality of what Christ did on the cross for us- a people that continue to deny Him and live contrary to His teachings de-spite His great conquering over sin and death.

On the other hand, a life lived for Christ brings freedom from the chains of sin and a joy in the closeness of your relationship to God. The Christian life can be sobering and full of suffering, but one should never lose the joy that their faith gives them. We have no reason to be sorrowful, and in our repen-tance and effort to live a holy life, we should always radiate the joy of the Resurrection.

So I will be focusing on this virtue in 2015 and trying to let the joy that comes with being a Christian become visible in the way I live. Give yourself a moment in 2015 to aim for “joy rather than respectabil-

ity,” as St. Philip Neri said. “Let us make fools of ourselves from time to time, and thus see ourselves, for a moment, as the all-wise God sees us.”

The TORCH // Volume II, Issue 516

Catholic School Week

St. Thomas Aquinas, patron of students and Catholic schools, we give thanks to God for the gifts of light and knowledge he be-

stowed on you, which you used to build up the Church in love. We thank God, too, for the wealth and richness of theological teach-ing you left in your writings. Not only were you a great teacher,

you lived a life of virtue and you made holiness the desire of your heart. As we strive to imitate you in the brilliance of your aca-

demic pursuits, may we also follow you in the humility and char-ity which marked your life. As St. Paul said, charity is the greatest

gift, and it is open to all. Pray for us that we might grow in wis-dom and holiness and charity. Pray also for Catholic schools and

for all students.Amen.