One Simple Thing:
A mixed bag
In the epilogue of Thomas Merton's "autobiography of faith,"
The Seven Storey Mountain, Merton
spends several pages sorting out the relationship between contemplation and
action. There he offers a classic definition of contemplation: "Contemplation
means rest, suspension of activity, withdrawal into the mysterious inner
solitude in which the soul is absorbed in the immense and fruitful silence of
God and learns something of the secret of His perfections less by seeing than
by fruitive love."
But, he says, "to stop here would be to fall short of
perfection." What also needs to happen is the pouring out of that love into
action. All are called, Merton says, to live what tradition calls the "mixed"
life of contemplation and action, "to become fused into one spirit with Christ
in the furnace of contemplation and then go forth and cast upon the earth the
same fire which Christ wills to see enkindled."
For us to hear and respond to that call in the midst of our
"mixed" life of trying to live our faith in a world of constant activity,
demands, noise, exhaustion, and occasional craziness, the "mix" of
contemplation and action might be just what we need to negotiate our way
anchored in God. We can do that by taking some time for contemplation and
resting in God, certainly, and also by doing our work and being in our
relationships prayerfully, with an awareness of God's holy presence. I'm
reminded of something Abbot Stanley Gumula of Mepkin Abbey, a Trappist
monastery in South Carolina, said to novice Dismas Warner, who had asked him
how he prayed when working: "I try not to be doing my own will. I try to keep
my mind on the job, and not to talk too much while doing it."
-Joel Schorn
Joel Schorn is a writer, editor, and STEP
facilitator living in Chicago. To see books by Joel.
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Thomas Merton's birthday is January 31st.
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Course Participants
 Longer Course Access
We are happy to announce a significant change in STEP course procedures-- access to courses will now be available for one year. You will continue to have access to the course material and discussion posts for review and a refresher of all you've learned.
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STEP Financial Assistance Program
Dear Friends,
I wanted to let you know that this year's funds for the STEP
Tuition Assistance Program have been exhausted.
We are very excited about the response, grateful to our benefactors who
made this possible and happy to announce that new funds will be available beginning
July 1, 2009. At that time I will send
an e-mail announcing the program and letting people know how much money will be
available. In the meantime, I am glad we
were able to help so many people (nearly 100) find the money to defray some of
the costs involved.
Peace,
Tom Cummings, Director, STEP
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University of Notre Dame
Saturday Scholar Series
Notre Dame offers discussions with some of its most engaging
faculty speakers on some of the most pressing issues of our time each Saturday during home football weekends. These lectures are broadcast for all. Here is the complete list of the most recent offerings.
Saturday Scholar Series Fall 2008
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What's New at STEP?
 STEP is now on Facebook--
Become a Fan!
You
have likely heard someone talking about Facebook. You may even be a
part of it. Facebook is a popular, free social networking web site.
Users can join networks organized by city, workplace, school, and
region to connect and interact with other people. Millions of people
use Facebook daily. In the interest of increasing the
visibility of STEP we have created a STEP Facebook page.
We encourage
you to check out
the page and to become a fan of STEP. We are also advertising to all Notre Dame Alumni who are active on Facebook, encouraging them to take a course.
Check it out and let us know what you think. STEP's Facebook page Comments and suggestions are always welcome.
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Los Angeles Religious Education Congress
February 27 - March 1, 2009 
Will you be there? STEP will. All are welcome to stop by the University of Notre Dame's booth at the Congress. We will be at booths 830 and 832. Stop by and meet some of the faces of STEP and learn about other programs offered by Notre Dame. _______________________________
Upcoming Events
February Course Session
February 23 - April 3, 2009
April Course Session
April 20 - May 29, 2009
STEP Exhibiting at L.A. Religious Education Congress
February 29 - March 2, 2009
For more information
STEP Exhibiting at National Association of Lay Ministers (NALM) Conference
May 27 - 30, 2009
For more information
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The Church
The Pope on YouTube
Google has teamed up with the
Vatican Television Center and Vatican Radio in a joint venture to give
Benedict XVI his own YouTube channel.
According to the Vatican press office, texts and video footage of the
Pope's speeches supplied by Vatican radio and television would be
posted directly onto the video-sharing website. The site went live Friday, January 23rd.
Visit the Vatican on Youtube.
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World Communication Day 2009
Pope Benedict's message for the 43rd World Communications Day,
dedicated this year to the theme "New Technologies, New Relationships:
Promoting a Culture of Respect, Dialogue and Friendship." In his address, he offers some reflections on the new technologies and their intersection with faith:
"The new technologies have also opened the way for dialogue between
people from different countries, cultures and religions. The new
digital arena, the so-called cyberspace, allows them to encounter and
to know each other's traditions and values. Such encounters, if they
are to be fruitful, require honest and appropriate forms of expression
together with attentive and respectful listening. The dialogue must be
rooted in a genuine and mutual searching for truth if it is to realize
its potential to promote growth in understanding and tolerance. Life is
not just a succession of events or experiences: it is a search for the
true, the good and the beautiful. It is to this end that we make our
choices; it is for this that we exercise our freedom; it is in this -
in truth, in goodness, and in beauty - that we find happiness and joy."
To read the full address
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