06/10/01
A Holy Laughter?
We did a lot of laughing the other day at the expense of martyred
saints.
I suppose I’d better explain that before someone turns me into
the orthodox thought police.
It happened when we were taping a “Catholic Community of Faith”
radio show with Brother Michael O’Neill McGrath, author and illustrator
of “Patrons and Protectors: Occupations.”
It’s all about patron saints, about which Oblate of St. Francis
Brother Mickey knows quite a lot. I tried to trip him up by asking
some obscure questions (which I didn’t even know the answer to),
but he surprised me and CCF co-host Father Greg Sakowicz by answering,
without hesitation.
But about that laughter. It wasn’t AT the saints, mind you, holy
people who gave their lives, often violently, for their faith.
But rather at Brother Mickey’s compelling way of sharing their
stories with an audience less familiar with Butler’s “Lives of
the Saints” than with MTV.
Would you believe St. Francis DeSales, patron of newspaper writers,
sitting at a computer, the words “Jesus lives” on the screen and
parchment rolling out of his printer?
Not your traditional view of sainthood, is it?
Or St. Sebastian, martyred as an archer’s bull’s-eye, now portrayed
as a soccer player (with a tiny arrow sewn onto his uniform)?
The connection? Sebastian is the patron saint of athletes (archery
is a sport, get it?)
This is The Catholic New World’s annual Summer Books issue, an
appropriate time to discuss McGrath’s book, the first of three
intended to reacquaint contemporary audiences with foundations
of our faith.
But before a more tradition-bound reader complains about wrapping
old saints in modern garb, listen to Brother Mickey: When many
of the images of saints were created, medieval artists took figures
from the very early church and put them in 12th century clothing.
Why, he asked with a grin, shouldn’t we do the same thing? He’s
right.
For information on “Patrons and Protectors: Occupations,” contact
your favorite bookstore or Liturgical Training Publications, (800)
933-1800.
And listen to “Catholic Community of Faith,” Catholic radio in
Chicago, Monday-Friday, 9-9:30 p.m. on WYLL, AM 1160. The show
with Brother Mickey is scheduled to air June 15.
Tom Sheridan
Editor and General Manager
Send your comments to Tom Sheridan
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