Program Booklet - St. Bonaventure University

St. Bonaventure University
June 19-22, 2014
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Welcome Message
June 19, 2014
Dear Participants,
Welcome to St. Bonaventure University and the 2014 Thomas Merton Conference
Going Home and Coming Forth: Merton as Mirror and Model. We are honored to
have you with us in the next few days and hope that this time on our campus can be
enriching and fulfilling.
Our Conference Committee has been working diligently to provide you with a
wonderful conference experience filled with information, prayer and fellowship! Our
goal is to give you a rejuvenating time on campus that can lead to ongoing spiritual
formation in your own life.
If you need anything during stay on campus, please do not hesitate to contact our
Welcome Desk, Julianne or Monica. We hope you enjoy this wonderful campus and
a great experience of Franciscan hospitality!
Peace and all good,
Julianne E. WallaceMonica Mattioli
Conference CoordinatorConference Coordinator
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Transportation
All conference participants will be lodged in the Townhouses on the East Side of Campus. If you need
assistance with getting back and forth from the West Side of campus, please contact the Welcome Desk
at 716-376-7808.
Evening Socials
Every evening of the conference, we invite you to a special dessert social in the Foster Courtyard
(Thursday and Friday) and in the Swan Atrium (Saturday). This is a time to decompress from the day
and discuss all the days events with your new friends. We encourage you to join us. There will be a
cash bar available as well as special dessert treats!
Richter Center
Our fitness center on Campus, the Richter Center, is open Thursday and Friday from 8 a.m. -6 p.m. If
you wish to use our fitness facilities, please sign in at the front desk of the Richter Center. The Richter
Center is closed on Saturdays and Sundays. Feel free to walk or run on our Allegany River Trail which
runs behind campus.
Computers
Computers are available for use by Conference Participants in the Freidsam Memorial Library. Printing is available upon request. To logon to computers use the following info:
Username: labguest3
Library Hours
Password: Sbumerton2014
Monday-Thursday 8a.m.-8p.m.
Friday 8a.m.-5p.m.
Saturday 10a.m.-4p.m.
Sunday Closed
Conference Information
Your stay on campus...
Book Sales
Franciscan Institute Publications has made several of its titles, as well as some other Merton books,
available to sell during the conference. Books will be on sale in the Quick Center from 12 p.m.-6 p.m.
on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Checks and cash are accepted.
Welcome Desk
If you need information or have any questions, the St. Bonaventure Welcome desk is open between the
hours of 8:30 a.m-6:30 p.m. Call them for information, transportation or any other needs: 716-3757808. If you have questions when the Welcome Desk is closed, contact campus security at 716-3752525.
Emergency
For medical emergencies, call 911. For other emergencies, contact Campus Security at 716-375-2525.
Lunch on Sunday, June 22nd
Boxed lunches are available for purchase on Sunday, June 22nd. To purchase a lunch, please sign up at
the Registration Desk on Thursday June, 19th.
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Conference Schedule
Thursday, June 19, 2014
1:00 PM- 5:00 PM
Conference Registration
Quick Arts Center (QCA)
10:00 AM-5:00 PM
Merton Exhibit Open
QCA
12:00 PM-5:00 PM
Bookstore Open
QCA
5:00 PM- 7:00 PM
Dinner
Hickey Dining Hall
7:00 PM
Opening Prayer/Welcome
Jones Trustees Room-Doyle
7:30 PM
Keynote #1
Christine Bochen
Jones Trustees Room- Doyle
Foster Courtyard in Doyle
9:00 PM
Dessert Social
Friday, June 20, 2014
7:30 AM- 9:00 AM
Breakfast
Hickey Dining Hall
9:00 AM
Morning Prayer
University Chapel, Doyle
9:30 AM
Keynote #2
Fr. Daniel P. Horan, OFM
Trustees Room- Doyle
Merton Exhibit Open
QCA
10:00 AM-6:00 PM
10:45 AMBreakDoyle Lobby
11:00 AM
“a lax life”: Paul Spaeth
Jones Trustees Room- Doyle
12:00 PMLunchHickey
12:00 PM-5:00 PM
Book Store Open
QCA
1:30 PM
Breakout #1
1A: Cottage Trip (Leaves at 12:45)
Hickey Circle
1B: The Political Theology of Thomas Merton
109 Swan
1C: Merton On-Campus TourFriedsam Library
1D: Tony Bannon209 Swan
2:30 PMBreakSwan Atrium
3:00 PM
Breakout #2
2A: Cottage Trip (Leaves at 3 PM)
2B: Kenosis as Coming Home and Going Forth:
Aridity and Transformation109 Swan
2C: Merton On-Campus TourFriedsam Library
2D: Tony Bannon209 Swan
4:00 PM
Free Time
5:30-7:00 PMDinnerHickey
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7:00 PM
Open Space Gatherings
8:00 PMNight PrayerUniversity Chapel
8:30 PM
Dessert Social
Foster Courtyard- Doyle
Saturday, June 21, 2014
7:30 AM- 9:00 AM
Breakfast
Hickey
10:00 AM- 5:00 PM Merton Exhibit Open
9:00 AM
Morning Prayer
9:30 AM
An Interview with John Eudes Bamberger
University Chapel
Jones Trustees Room
10:30 AMBreakDoyle Lobby
11:00 AM
Contemplative Walk: The Sights and Sounds of Merton’s Bonas
12:00 PMLunchHickey
12:00 PM-5:00 PM
Book Store Open
QCA
1:30 PM
Breakout #3
3A: Cottage Trip (Leaves at 12:45)
Hickey Circle
3B: Mount Irenaeus TripHickey Circle
3C: The Political Theology of Thomas Merton
109 Swan
3D: Merton On-Campus TourFriedsam Library
Conference Schedule
2:30 PMBreakSwan Atrium
3:00 PM
Breakout #4
4A: Cottage Trip (Leaves at 3:00)
Hickey Circle
3B: Mount Irenaeus Trip
4C: Merton On-Campus TourFriedsam Library
4D: Lifelong Learning and the Search for the True Self:
Implications for Higher Education and Civic Engagement 109 Swan
4:00 PM
Free Time
5:30 PM- 7:00 PM
DinnerHickey
8:30 PMEvening PrayerGrotto
9:30 PMDessert SocialSwan Atrium
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Conference Schedule
Sunday, June 22, 2014
7:30 AM-9:00 AM
BreakfastHickey
9:00 AM
Keynote: Michael Higgins
Jones Trustees Room- Doyle
10:30 AM
Eucharistic Liturgy
University Chapel
11:30 AM
Conference Ends
12:00-4:00 PM
Merton Exhibit Open
QCA
Shrine of St. Therese, St. Bonaventure University
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Christine Bochen, Professor of Religious Studies, Nazareth College
“Taught English among Franciscan football players at St. Bonaventure
University, and then became a Trappist monk at Gethsemani, KY in
1941,” Merton quipped in a brief and amusing biographical note he sent
to a fellow poet in 1967. However, as Merton’s journal and autobiography make clear and this keynote presentation will illustrate the seeds of
the contemplative and prophetic vision which Merton would come to
embody and express were already being sown and taking root during his
time at St. Bonaventure.
Bochen is a professor of religious studies at Nazareth College in Rochester, N.Y. A founding member and past president of the International Thomas Merton Society, Bochen edited “The Courage for
Truth,” a volume of Thomas Merton’s letters to writers; “Learning to Love,” the sixth volume of Merton’s journals; and “Thomas Merton: Essential Writings,” an anthology of his writings published in the
Modern Spiritual Masters Series. With William H. Shannon and Patrick F. O’Connell, she coauthored
The Thomas Merton Encyclopedia.
Revisiting Merton’s Heart:
A New look at the Franciscan Influence on his Life, Thought, and Writing
Fr. Daniel P. Horan, OFM
While many are generally familiar with Thomas Merton’s early interest in
and eventual withdrawal from Franciscan life as an aspiring friar and his
time teaching English at St. Bonaventure before entering the Trappist Order,
few are aware of the lifelong influence the Franciscan intellectual and spiritual tradition had on his personal life, his theological thinking, and spiritual writing. This keynote address provides an introduction to some of the
ways in which the Franciscan tradition influenced many of Merton’s classic
themes, including his notion of the “True Self,” his view of Christ and in the
Incarnation, and his theology of creation. What began with his own introduction to the Franciscan tradition in New York City was fostered under the mentorship of several
Franciscan friars at St. Bonaventure and continued to shape his life, thought, and writing for the rest of
his life.
Program Notes and Speaker Bios
Already Then: Merton at Bonaventure
Fr. Dan is a Franciscan friar of Holy Name Province (New York), a columnist for America magazine,
and the author of several books including, most recently, “The Last Words of Jesus: A Meditation on
Love and Suffering” (2013); and “Dating God: Live and Love in the Way of St. Francis” (2012). His next
book, scheduled for release in Fall 2014, is titled “The Franciscan Heart of Thomas Merton: A New
Look at the Spiritual Influence on his Life, Thought, and Writing” (Notre Dame: Ave Maria Press).
He has previously taught in the Department of Religious Studies at Siena College and in the Department of Theology at St. Bonaventure University during the summer of 2012.
Fr. Dan is completing a Ph.D. in systematic theology at Boston College and serves on the Board of
Directors of the International Thomas Merton Society. You can learn more about his work and
speaking engagements at www.DanHoran.com.
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Program Notes and Speaker Bios
Special Session: “a lax life”
Paul Spaeth, Director of Friedsam Memorial Library at St. Bonaventure University
There would be no Merton connection with St. Bonaventure University if it was not for Robert Lax.
Beyond their friendship Lax was a formative influence on Merton in many ways. Setting aside that
relationship this talk will provide an overview of the life and works of Robert Lax, from his days at various journals in New York City, to working at a script department in Hollywood, to traveling with two
different circuses. Lax left behind a trail of publications put out by graphic artists, small presses and
major publishing houses. He left America for France, finally living most of his later life on the island of
Patmos having found a place where, in his words, grace could flow to him.
Special Session: Open Space Gatherings
On Friday evening at 7 p.m. all attendees will have a chance to attend “Open Space” gatherings. If you
are interested in a specific Merton Topic and would like to hold an open discussion about this topic,
feel free to put your suggestion up on the Message Board just outside the Board of Trustees room.
Those who also have an interest in your topic can sign up for the gathering. Rooms will be assigned
based in the popularity of the session. More specific directions will be given out during the conference.
Special Session: An Interview with John Eudes Bamberger
Fr. Daniel P. Horan, OFM, will interview Dom John Eudes on various aspects of the Cistercian life. At the end of the interview, we will
open up questions to the audience.
Rev. Fr. Eudes was the fourth Abbot of the Abbey of Genesee in
Pifford, N.Y., for more than 30 years. A psychiatrist, he joined the
Cistercian Order in 1950 at The Abbey of Our Lady of Gethsemani,
where he studied with Thomas Merton.
He continues to live at the Genesee monastery while teaching and
working in the community.
The bell
seemed to be telling me
where I belonged
as if it were calling me
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home.
This contemplative walk, led by Fr. Dan Riley, will take us back around campus to all the important
Merton sites. But this time, we will have moments of prayer and contemplation, as we journey through
the campus and walk in the footsteps of Thomas Merton.
The Great Friendship/Le Grand Amitié:
Thomas Merton and Robert Lax
Michael Higgins, Vice President for Mission and Catholic Identity, Sacred Heart University
Merton and Lax were not only great friends, they had a great capacity for
friendship. That capacity was as much spiritual as emotional and in the
early days Olean and St. Bonaventure’s had both a critical and creative
role to play.
A native Torontonian, Higgins is an author, Vatican affairs specialist for
the Globe and Mail and CTV Network, Catholic educator, CBC radio
documentarian, scholar and administrator. He was professor of English
and Religious Studies at St. Jerome’s University in the University of
Waterloo, where he also served as chair, associate dean, vice president
and president. He assumed responsibilities as president and vice
chancellor of St. Thomas University in Fredericton, New Brunswick, in 2006.
Higgins is a professor of Religious Studies and vice president for Mission and Catholic Identity at
Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, Conn. He has edited and co-edited, authored and co-authored
13 books including: “The Jesuit Mystique;” “Power and Peril: The Catholic Church at the Crossroads;”
“Heretic Blood: The Spiritual Geography of Thomas Merton;” “The Muted Voice: Religion and the Media;” “Stalking the Holy: The Pursuit of Saint-Making;” “Suffer the Children Unto Me: An Open Inquiry into the Clerical Sex Abuse Scandal;” and “Genius Born of Anguish: The Life and Legacy of Henri
Nouwen.” “Heretic Blood,” “Suffer the Children” and “Genius Born of Anguish” are award winners and
Stalking the Holy, Genius Born of Anguish and Power and Peril are national bestsellers.
Program Notes and Speaker Bios
A Contemplative Walk: The Sights and Sounds of Merton’s Bonas
He is a regular contributor to Commonweal and the Literary Review of Canada and a columnist for
the Telegraph-Journal and the Irish Catholic. He is the recipient of many awards, the most recent of
which is the 2013 Gold Medal for International Radio Documentaries awarded by the New York Festivals. He was recently elected a Senior Fellow at Massey College, University of Toronto. He is married
and has four children.
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Program Notes and Speaker Bios
Breakout Session Descriptions
Breakout
Session
Descriptions
A Place Apart: A Visit to the Marcus Family Cottage
Breakouts 1-4
Br. Ed Coughlin, Vice President for Mission and Ministry at St. Bonaventure University
During his time at Columbia University, Olean native Robert Lax
invited his friends, Thomas Merton among them, to join him
during the summer at a family cottage just outside the city of Olean.
It was a simple and rustic place that would provide the space in
which young men were able to dream about their futures, conduct
writing experiments, read some of the many books Fr. Irenaeus had
loaned them from the St. Bonaventure Library, enjoy long
uninterrupted conversations, and have an occasional cold beer at
the Halfway Inn just a short distance away. In many ways, that place
became a “sacred space” as Merton discerned his calling and met
some of the significant others that would become integral partners
on his journey. Our visit to the cottage will includ some readings from that period in his life and
reflections on its significance for him in the next few years.
The breakout session will provide participants with an opportunity to visit the Lax cottage, review its
significant in Merton’s journey and, for those who are interested, raise a short glass of beer in his memory.
For this session, please meet at the Hickey Circle promptly at 12:45 PM (For Breakouts #1 and #3) and
3:00 PM (For Breakouts #2 and #4).
The Merton Campus Tour
Breakouts 1-4
Paul Spaeth, Director of Friedsam Memorial Library
The last stop of Thomas Merton in the world before entering into monastic life was the campus of what
was then St. Bonaventure College. The layout of the campus, and the major buildings that he knew
have, for the most part, remained intact since Merton’s time. These tours will highlight the main reading room of Friedsam Memorial Library (finished the year before Merton arrived) and proceed out
and around the building, highlighting where Merton walked among the buildings and monuments that
still stand today as a living archive.
Tours will begin in the Reading Room at the Friedsam Memorial Library
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David Golemboski
Breakout #1 on Friday, June 20 at 1:30 PM
Breakout #3 on Saturday, June 21 at 1:30 PM
Merton broke ground as a monk by engaging deeply with the political
events and movements of his day. His political views were fundamentally shaped by his theological commitments and his understanding of the
monastic vocation, and in this session we consider Merton’s perspectives
on race, war, and other important social issues. We will look particularly closely at occasions where Merton broke with others on the religious left, and consider how Merton’s
distinctive political approach might offer a model of faithful political engagement for our time.
Golemboski is a doctoral student in the Department of Government at Georgetown University, where
he studies political theory, focusing on the liberal tradition, religion in public life, and Catholic social
thought. He is a graduate of the University of Louisville and Harvard Divinity School. His writing has appeared in America, Commonweal, The Merton Annual, The Merton Seasonal, and other publications. He
has served on the International Thomas Merton Society board of directors and is co-chair of the ITMS
Retreats Committee.
Merton and Photography
Tony Bannon, Executive Director of the Burchfield Penney Art Center at Buffalo State College
Breakout #1 on Friday, June 20th at 1:30
Merton and Photography
Thomas Merton was close to becoming as significant a photographer as
he was a poet. Widely recognized as a vigorously experimental man of
letters, he also quickly mastered not only the craft of pictorial photography,
but the art of seeing uniquely through the camera eye. Tough minded yet
mysteriously beautiful, Merton’s photographs, made during his last several
years, provide a rich vehicle for contemplative thought.
Program Notes and Speaker Bios
The Political Theology of Thomas Merton
Breakout #2 on Friday, June 20th at 3:00
Merton and the Technology of the Camera
Merton’s love affair with the camera in his last years runs counter to the warnings about technology he
declared during that same period. How are the two positions - art and technology - reconciled?
Dr. Anthony Bannon first served as the director of Cultural Affairs at the State University of New York
College at Buffalo and director of the Burchfield Penney Art Center from 1985-1996. His first tenure
at the Burchfield Penney was marked by significant growth and pivotal acquisitions to the collection,
including 1,485 objects from collector Charles Rand Penney.
In 2012, Bannon was awarded the St. Bonaventure University Gaudete Medal, George Eastman House
Medal of Honor, and Britain’s Royal Photographic Society’s J. Dudley Johnston Award for his leadership in historic research. He has also been recognized by the Arts and Cultural Council of Greater
Rochester, Public Relations Society of America Rochester Chapter, Buffalo’s Chamber of Commerce
and Arts Council.
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Program Notes and Speaker Bios
Kenosis as Coming Home and Going Forth: Aridity and Transformation
Breakout #2, Friday, June 20 at 3:00
Meghan Robinson, Pastoral Associate and Pastoral Musician
Description: Threaded throughout Merton’s writings is his awareness of God’s invitation to kenosis.
Whether he refers to this self-emptying as “the desert of contemplation,” “spiritual nakedness,” the
shedding of the “false self,” etc., he ultimately shows us this that amidst this painful stripping away,
kenosis is a continual summons to “come home,” realizing our identity in Christ. In embracing our
“coming home,” God sends us forth with the joy of knowing God’s love in a deeper, transformative way
– a way that exudes freedom and compassion.
This session is twofold: We will take time to look at the wisdom Merton brings us in the midst of aridity and transformation. This will help to set the foundation that leads us to an opportunity for individual reflection and communal prayer.
Meghan Robinson is a Pastoral Associate and Pastoral Musician in the Diocese of Rochester, NY. Ministries with which she is involved include: pastoral care, social justice and outreach, confirmation, adult
faith formation, liturgy, and music. She is also a liaison for Ecumenical and Interfaith Dialogue for the
Rochester Diocese.
Meghan holds a Bachelor’s degree in Music Education with a concentration in organ studies from Nazareth College and a Master of Arts in Theological Studies from St. Bernard’s School of Theology and
Ministry. She is currently an ITMS board member and is co-chair of the ITMS retreats committee.
An Afternoon at Mt. Irenaeus
Breakouts 3-4 Saturday, June 21st
Fr. Dan Riley, OFM, Guardian of Holy Peace Friary at Mt. Irenaeus
After a 35 minute ride, we will arrive at Mt. Irenaeus and
almost 400 acres of wooded hilltops with trails and ponds,
set aside for “prayer and peaceful re-creation.” Imagined as
a place of solitude and community and named after Thomas
Merton’s friend, Fr. Irenaeus, the Mountain began in our
hearts during the turbulent 60’s when division and rancor
as well as longings for peace and racial justice rocked even
our Bonaventure campus. Encouraged by Naomi Burton
Stone for over 20 years, and with the blessings of visits from
Bob Lax and Br. Patrick Hart, we have continued to find our
Franciscan/Merton way.
Mt. Irenaeus is a communal setting formed in collaboration with many, especially collegians from
Bonas. The Mountain is grounded in a Franciscan wisdom tradition, enjoying ways of learning that
include fireside conversations, cooking, Lectio Divina, silent walks in the woods, and Eucharist in
our chapel opened to all guests. The setting is alive with Tom’s love of the land, learning and love of
life! Our visit begins gathering in our House of Peace with reflections on Merton and the openness of
contemplation as a “place” for finding our “original unity.” After short walks, times for reflection we
will assemble in our Chapel, “Holy Peace,” for meditation and conversation with Merton’s consciousness, his openness to the world’s longings for peace. After time on one’s own and time, refreshments,
visits with friars and collegians who share life and ministry at the Mountain we will return to Bonas for
supper.
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Breakout #4 on Saturday, June 21st at 3:00
Timothy Shaffer, Director for the Center for Leadership and Engagement at Wagner College, Staten Island, NY
Thomas Merton’s connection to St. Bonaventure University was
through his time teaching English before leaving for life as a monk at
the Abbey of Our Lady of Gethsemani. While leaving behind higher
education in a formal sense, Merton entered into a religious life and
community that was shaped profoundly by a passionate commitment
to education and lifelong learning. From the time of his entry into
the monastery until his untimely death, Merton offers insight into
the practice of a reflective life in search of what he called the “true self.”
For those who work in or are associated with higher education, Merton’s life and practice offer a model
for colleges and universities increasingly exploring their roles in broader communities through what is
often referred to as “civic engagement.” This break-out will explore Merton’s writing about the search for
the true self, the openness to learning, and the tension between contemplation and action as they relate
to higher education’s civic engagement mission to improve the lives of individuals and communities.
Shaffer is currently the Director for the Center for Leadership and Engagement at Wagner College, Staten
Island, NY. Shaffer received his B.A. in Theology from St. Bonaventure University (Magna Cum Laude)
and went on to attend the University of Dayton, receiving his Master of Arts in Theological Studies (his
final thesis: A Secret Son of Francis: The Franciscan Influence in the Thought and Writings of Thomas
Merton) and a Master of Public Administration. His educational pursuits continued at Cornell University in Ithaca, NY, where he received a Doctor of Philosophy, Education. Shaffer has written numerous
articles to include “What Should You and I Do? Lessons for Civic Studies from Deliberative Politics in
the New Deal” in The Good Society and “A (Not So) Secret Son of Francis: Thomas Merton’s Franciscan
Lens for Seeing Heaven and Earth” in The Merton Annual.
Program Notes and Speaker Bios
Lifelong Learning and the Search for the True Self:
Implications for Higher Education and Civic Engagement
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Worship Aids
Morning Prayer-Friday June 20
Morning Prayer
Friday, June 20th, 9:00 AM
Note: This prayer is taken from Franciscan Morning and Evening Praise
Published by the Franciscan Federation. Some adaptions have been made to the original Morning Prayer
to reflect our special focus on Thomas Merton.
Call To Worship The Toll of the Bell
Presider:
Assembly:
Almighty, most holy, most high and supreme God, all good, supreme good, totally good, You who alone are good
May we give back to you all praise, all glory all grace, all honor all blessing.
Presider:
Assembly:
Glory be to the Most High, glorious God, to Jesus Christ,
the Eternal Word and to the Holy Spirit
As in the beginning, is now and shall be forever and ever, Amen.
Gathering Hymn
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Presider:
Happy are they who faithfully and devoutly strive to live according to their vocation.
Worship Aids
Psalm Prayer
Assembly:
Happy are they who faithfully and devoutly strive to live according to their vocation.
Psalm 43:3-5
Presider:
O Lord, we wait for you, come to us.
(presider side starts first)
Send forth your light and your truththey shall guide me;
let them bring me to your holy mountain,
to your dwelling place.
Then will I go into the altar of God,
the God of my delight and joy;
then will I praise you with the harp,
O God, my God!
Why are you so downcast,
O my soul?
Why do you sigh within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I shall again be thankful
in the presence of my savior and my God.
Glory be to the Most High, glorious God,
to Jesus Christ, the Eternal Word
and to the Holy Spirit
As in the beginning,
is now and shall be forever and ever, Amen.
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Worship Aids
Psalm Prayer
Assembly:
O Lord, we wait for you, come to us.
Reading I Admonition XIX: A Humble Servant of God
Reading II Excerpt from Ch. 5 of New Seeds of Contemplation
Response (assembly response in bold)
Through contemplation transform your entire being in the image of the Godhead Itself; -Through contemplation transform your entire being in the image of the Godhead Itself.
Taste the hidden sweetness; -of the Godhead itself.
Glory be to the Most High, glorious God, to Jesus Christ, the Eternal Word
and to the Holy Spirit; -Through contemplation transform your entire being in the image of the Godhead Itself.
Gospel Canticle
Presider: 16
You will forever behold face to face the Lord your God whom you have
contemplated in this world with so much desire and love.
Worship Aids
Intercessions
(assembly response in bold)
Presider: O God, we look to Jesus Christ, who was born, died and rose again for us and we pray:
Through him you call us to preach the Gospel to all nations: -help us to spread the saving joy of the
Paschal Mystery.
You invite us to share in the peaceful ministry of Christ; -help us work for an end to war and violence,
hunger and homelessness, and injustice of any kind.
Jesus shares his cross with all who suffer; -give them also the patience and strength that unites them to
Christ’s redeeming love.
You offer us the faith we need to weather all life’s daily challenges; -teach us to accept the purifying
work of your grace in our lives and so come to new life in you.
Our Father…
Closing Prayer and Dismissal
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Worship Aids
Friday Evening Prayer
June 20, 8:00 p.m.
Evening Prayer, Friday June 20
A Merton Evening Prayer
This prayer is taken from excerpts of “A Book of Hours” edited by Kathleen Deignan and published by
Sorin Books. This book is available here at our conference at the Book Table.
Call to Worship The Toll of the Bell
Presider:
Eternity is present. Eternity is in the palm of our hand.
Silent Contemplation as the Candles of the Chapel Are lit
Presider:
Oh pour your darkness and your brightness
over all our solemn valleys,
You skies: and travel like the gentle Virgin,
Towards the planet’s stately setting.
Evening Hymn (all stand and proclaim together)
Justify my soul, O God,
from Your fountains fill my will with fire.
Shine on my mind, “be darkness to my experience,”
occupy my heart with your tremendous Life.
Let my eyes see nothing in the world but your glory,
and let my hands touch nothing that is not for Your service.
Let my tongue taste no bread that does not strengthen me to praise Your great mercy.
I will hear Your voice and I will hear all harmonies you have created,
singing your hymns to find joy in giving You glory.
Antiphon (all sit)
Presider:
Go out from yourself with all that one is, which is nothing,
and pour out that nothingness in gratitude that God is who He is.
Psalm (alternate sides, presider side starts first)
The Lord plays and diverts Himself
in the garden of His creation,
and if we could let go of our own obsession
with what we think is the meaning of it all,
we might be able to hear His call
and follow Him in His mysterious, cosmic dance.
For the world and time are the dance of the Lord
in emptiness.
The silence of spheres is the music of a wedding feast,
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But it does not matter much,
because no despair of ours
can alter the reality of things,
or stain the joy of the cosmic dance
which is always there.
Worship Aids
The more we persist in misunderstanding
the phenomena of life,
the more we analyze them out into
strange finalities,
and complex purposes of our own,
the more we involve ourselves in sadness, absurdity and despair.
Indeed we are in the midst of it,
and it is in the midst of us,
for it beats in our very blood,
whether we want it to or not.
Yet the fact remains that we are invited
to forget ourselves on purpose,
cast our awful solemnity to the winds
and join in the general dance.
Silent Contemplation
Psalm Prayer
Presider: O perfect Word!
Whose name is: “Savior”
Whom we desire to hold;
Burn in our heats, burn in our living marrow,
of our own being.
Hide us and heal us in the hug of Thy delight,
Whose admirable might
Signs in the furnace of the Triple Glory!
Reading
Silence
Responsory
Presider:
Her love shapes worlds, shapes history, forms an Apocalypse in me and around me:
give birth to the City of God.
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Worship Aids
Marian Canticle (all stand, alternate sides, presider side goes first)
Go, roads, to the four quarters of our quiet distance,
While you, full moon, wise queen,
Begin your evening journey to the hills of heaven,
And travel no less stately in the summer sky
Than Mary, going to the house of Zachary.
The woods are silent with the sleep of doves,
They valleys with the sleep of streams,
And all our barns are happy with the peace of cattle gone to rest.
Still wakeful, in the fields, the shocks of wheat
Preach and say prayers:
You sheaves, make all your evensongs as sweet as ours,
Whose summer world, all ready for the granary and barn,
Seems to have seen, this day,
Into the secret of the Lord’s Nativity.
Now at the fall of night, you shocks
Still bend your heads like kind and humble kings
The way you did this golden morning when you saw
God’s Mother passing.
While all our windows fill and sweeten
With the mild vespers of the hay and barley
You moons and rising stars,
pour on our barns and houses
Your gentle benedictions.
Remind us how our Mother, with far subtler
and more holy influence,
Blesses our roves and eaves,
Our shutters, lattices and sills,
Our doors, and floors, and stairs and rooms and bedrooms,
Smiling by night upon her sleeping children:
O Gentle Mary! Our lovely Mother in heaven!
Intercessions
Presider:
Assembly: 20
Almighty and merciful God, Father of all, Creator and Ruler of the universe,
Lord of History, whose designs are inscrutable, whose glory is without blemish, whose compassion for the errors of men is inexhaustible…
In your will is our peace.
In this fatal moment of choice which we might begin the patient architecture of peace
We may also take the last step across the rim of chaos.
Save us then from our obsessions!
Open our eyes, dissipate confusions,
teach us to understand ourselves and our adversary!
Presider: Assembly: Grant us to seek peace where it is truly found!
In your will, O God, is our peace!
Our Father…
Closing Prayer
Presider:
Worship Aids
Presider: Assembly: Presider: Assembly: This is the land where you have given me roots in eternity
O God of heaven and earth.
This is the burning promised land, the house of God, the gate of heaven,
the place of peace
the place of silence
the place of wrestling with the angel.
All depart in silence.
Prayer Sources
Breath Prayer: Entering the Silence, 487
Opening Verse: “Advent,” The Collected Poems of Thomas Merton (CP), excerpted
Evening Hymn: New Seeds of Contemplation (NSC), 44, excerpted
Antiphon: Dancing in the Water of Life, 178
Psalm: NSC, 296-7, excerpted
Psalm Prayer: “The Word—A Responsory,” CP, 112
Epistle: The Hidden Ground of Love, 115-6, excerpted
Responsory: The Sign of Jonas, 257
Marian Canticle: “The Evening of the Visitation,” CP, 43-44
Intercessions: Passion for Peace, 327-9, excerpted
Closing Prayer: Entering the Silence, 473
21
Worship Aids
Morning Prayer
Saturday, June 21st
Morning Prayer Saturday, June 21
Feast of St. Aloysious Gonzaga
Call to Worship The Toll of the Bell
Presider:
Assembly:
O God, come to our assistance
O Lord, make haste to help us.
Presider:
Assembly:
Glory be to the Father, and to the son and to the Holy Spirit
As it was from the beginning, is now and will be forever. Amen, Alleluia.
Gathering Hymn
Presider:
22
The Lord has given them unending glory;
their name shall be in everlasting remembrance.
Worship Aids
Psalm Prayer
Assembly:
The Lord has given them unending glory;
their name shall be in everlasting remembrance.
Presider:
Servants of the Lord, bless the Lord forever.
Assembly:
Servants of the Lord, bless the Lord forever.
Presider:
The saints will exult in glory; they will sing for joy as they bow down before the Lord.
Psalm 149
Sing a new song to the Lord,
his praise in the assembly of the faithful.
Let Israel rejoice in its maker,
let Zion’s sons exult in their king.
Let them praise his name with dancing
and make music with timbrel and harp.
For the Lord takes delight in his people.
He crowns the poor with salvation.
Let the faithful rejoice in their glory,
shout for joy and take their rest.
Let the praise of God be on their lips
and a two-edged sword in their hand.
23
Worship Aids
Glory…
Psalm Prayer
Assembly:
The saints will exult in glory; they will sing for joy as they bow down before the Lord.
Reading
A Reading from Romans 12:1-2
Respnosory
Let the just rejoice in the presence of God. – Let the just rejoice in the presence of God.
Let them be filled with gladness. –in the presence of God.
Glory to the Father, to the Son and to the Holy Spirit; -Let the just rejoice in the presence of God.
Presider:
Blessed are the peacemakers, and blessed are the pure of heart, they shall see God.
Canticle of Zachary (all stand, see page 16-17 for the canticle)
Assembly:
Blessed are the peacemakers, and blessed are the pure of heart, they shall see God.
Intercessions (remain standing, assembly response in bold)
Presider
Assembly:
Beloved friends, let us praise Christ, asking to service him and to be
holy and righteous in his ight all the days of our life. Let us acclaim:
Lord, you alone are the holy one.
You desired to experience everything we experience but sin; -have mercy on us, Lord Jesus.
You called us to love perfectly, -make us holy, Lord Jesus.
You commissioned us to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world, -let your light shine on us,
Lord Jesus.
You desired to serve, not to be served, –help us, Lord Jesus, to give humbles service to you and to our
neighbors.
You are in the form of God sharing in the splendor of the Father, -Lord Jesus, let us see the glory of
your face.
Our Father
Closing Prayer
Presider:
Assembly:
24
Let us praise the Lord.
And give God thanks!
Feast of Corpus Christi
Sunday Mass
Call to Worship
Gathering Hymn
The Toll of the Bell
Worship Aids
Mass for the Feast of Corpus Christi
Sunday, June 22nd
25
Worship Aids
Responsorial Psalm
Preparation Hymn
26
Worship Aids
Communion Hymn
27
Worship Aids
Communion Meditation
Panis Angelicus
Sending Forth
All music reprinted with permission from
GIA Publications under License # A700840.
28
Before The
Monastery
“Merton Before The Monastery” is a collaborative
exhibition created by the Friedsam Memorial
Library, keepers of the Thomas Merton Archives at
St. Bonaventure University, and the Regina A. Quick
Center for the Arts, keepers of the St. Bonaventure
University Art Collection.
The exhibition, located in the Winifred Shortell
Kenney Gallery on the first floor of the Quick
Center, features original documents, journals and
other pieces of writing completed in Merton’s own
hand including pieces from Merton’s Bonaventure
The Merton Exhibit
M
erton
Journal and the Fitzgerald File. Additional works
not on direct view have been printed and hung
throughout the exhibition to demonstrate the
breadth of Merton’s interests and works.
The exhibtion further features archival images of Merton,
his friends and associates and the St. Bonaventure
University campus as it would have appeared during
Merton’s time at the University.
29
30
Notes
Campus Map
31
Conference Quick-Look
Thursday, June 19, 2014
1:00 PM- 5:00 PM
5:00 PM- 7:00 PM
7:00 PM
7:30 PM
9:00 PM
Conference Registration
Dinner
Opening Prayer/Welcome
Keynote: #1
Dessert Social
Quick Arts Center
Hickey
Jones Trustees Room-Doyle
Jones Trustees Room- Doyle
Foster Courtyard-Doyle
Friday, June 20, 2014
7:30 AM- 9:00 AM Breakfast
Hickey
9:00 AM
Morning Prayer
University Chapel, Doyle
9:30 AM
Keynote: #2
Trustees Room- Doyle
10:45 AMBreakDoyle Lobby
11:00 AM
“a lax life”
Jones Trustees Room- Doyle
12:00 PMLunchHickey
1:30 PM
Breakout #1
2:30 PMBreakSwan Atrium
3:00 PM
Breakout #2
4:00 PM
Free Time
5:30 PM- 7:00 PM Dinner
Hickey
7:00 PM
Open Space Gatherings
8:00 PM
Night Prayer
University Chapel
8:30 PM
Dessert Social
Foster Courtyard- Doyle
Saturday, June 21, 2014
7:30 AM- 9:00 AM Breakfast
Hickey
9:00 AM
Morning Prayer
University Chapel
9:30 AM
John Eudes Bamberger
Jones Trustees Room
10:30 AMBreakDoyle Lobby
11:00 AM
Contemplative Walk:
12:00 PMLunchHickey
1:30 PM
Breakout #3
2:30 PM
Break
3:00 PM
Breakout #4
4:00 PM
Free Time
5:30 PM- 7:00 PM Dinner
Hickey
8:30 PM
Evening Prayer
Grotto
9:30 PM
Dessert Social
Swan Atrium
Sunday, June 22, 2014
7:30 AM-9:00 AM
9:00 AM
10:15 AM
10:30 AM
11:30 AM
Breakfast
Keynote: #3
Break
Eucharistic Liturgy
Conference Ends
Hickey
Jones Trustees Room- Doyle
University Chapel