WINTER 2018

FRIENDS AND FAMIIY EDITION

Giving Thanks
On Thanksgiving Day, community members, volunteers
and guests joined together to create, serve and eat a
lovely Thanksgiving feast. We were lucky enough to be
serenaded again this year by the musical stylings of
Rocket Kirchner, one of our long time Loaves and
Fishes crew leaders and Steve Jacobs, one of the
founding members of the St. Francis House Catholic
Worker community here in Columbia, Missouri.
Photos by Kyle Jones and Elizabeth Modde.

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 SERVING POWER—MATTHEW 25.14-30
By Larry G. Brown, 11/19/17
You know how this parable is traditionally
interpreted, namely, use your talents wisely, in fact multiply
the value of your gifts. One of the primary reasons for this
interpretation is the similarity of the Greek word, talantov (a
unit of money) with the English word talent. This word varies
with different translations—CEB uses five valuable coins,
NSRV and King James both use 5 talents, New English uses
5 bags of gold, etc. All scholars would suggest this was a
lot of money; in fact probably equivalent of 144 years of
labor. Whether one interprets the laborers as paid servants,
or probably better translated as enslaved people (slaves)--
when we hear or read these words, this makes it a rather
strange parable.
Granted that
Jesus often turned
things around or
upside down when
he told parables, at
least so that people
listen up, but when
folks first heard this
story, the response
would have been,
“say what?” No wealthy man, no master, would ever leave
slaves or servants with this kind of responsibility—that’s just
weird. So the listeners start to think there is something else
going on here.
Or consider this. Just how often did Jesus teach support
for the wealthy, or would tell about obedient slaves getting
more punishment, or just how often did Jesus encourage
earning more wealth. It seems to me that Jesus is usually
critical of the rich, and overly supportive of the poor, hungry,
needy. Now if one wants to interpret this parable
allegorically, making God the master in story—is God really
being described as “a hard man, reaping where he did not
sow, gathering where he did not plant.” I can still see and
hear an elder in my home congregation when I was a kid,
praying at the table, the same prayer again and again,
always finishing with “Welcome thou, good and faithful
servant, enter now into the joys of my kingdom.” But now I
am thinking who is this one who is welcoming, one who has
taken advantage of everyone to get rich, and now is
rewarding his slaves who further helped him get rich?
This is not good Hebrew and Jewish tradition that
says, one should not charge interest to those in one’s own
community. And the Talmud (the teaching of the meaning
of Jewish law) says quite literally about riches, “Take no
risks; bury it” precisely because wealth and power are the
greatest temptations away from God and the life of faith.
The Talmud says not to take risks
with the life of your family.
We know the Christian story. Jesus refused to be
tempted by the kingdoms of this world, and Jesus clearly
said, “one can’t serve God and money!” If one wants to look
literally at this parable as it stands, the slave who buried the
money was the faithful one, knew the cruelty of the master,
and knew and respected the law. What’s up with this?
In the 1970s two Maryknoll Catholic Priests in
Nicaragua established a faith community on a small island in
Lake Nicaragua, called Solentiname. The community
included artists and farmers, men and women, all of them
were poor lay people, and most could not read or write.
Over time they learned to read by reading and discussing
the Gospels. Ernesto Cardinal, whom I had the privilege of
meeting a few years ago, collected the Bible study
conversations of these humble peasant congregants and
compiled them into a series of books entitled “The Gospel in
Solentiname.” Cardinal wrote that when they discussed this
parable from Matthew, early in the discussion one of them,
William, said, “That’s a lousy parable.” “Because it’s about
speculating with money: something we all condemn, like
putting money out at interest; giving the money to others so
they can work and work with it and just hand over the profits
to the owner of the money.” And later in the conversation
William says, “There’s the bank, there’s a bank there!”
And as they wrestled with the spiritual meaning of
the parable they concluded the parable was a condemnation
of this wealth system. They commented that Jesus says
that’s the way the Kingdom of Heaven is, only the opposite:
the rich man that devotes himself just to multiply his money
is the opposite the Kingdom of Heaven. Later another in the
group, Oscar, says about the rich man, “And he looked for
others who were exploiters like him, and he gave them
money so they’d exploit the people and earn more and get
double what he was leaving them. So they were all equal as
exploiters.” Sometimes it takes a person new to the faith to
bring a fresh approach. Granted that later in the
conversation they, as many before and after, “spiritualized”
the parable into a teaching about using one’s talents wisely,
but at least they opened the interpretation with critical
analysis of the system.
But I want us to put this parable into its context,
both the historical context, and in the context of the text of
Gospel of Matthew. Remember that the Gospel of Matthew
was compiled and taught after the fact of the destruction of
Jerusalem and the Temple, and after the experience of
Jesus’ death and resurrection. Historically Rome had more
or less retreated from Judea for a few years after they had
put down the insurrections at the time of Jesus, but then
came back in the Judean Wars of 66 to 70, and destroyed
and dispersed everyone. Some knew they would be back,
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and some thought not. But everybody knew who the Master
was, it was the Roman Empire, and indeed they reaped
where they did not sow, and reaped a terrible vengeance if
one did not play by Roman rules. For the fledgling Christian
community, they believed they could not play by Roman
rules, and as the persecution began to grow, they knew well
the consequences of resisting the Master.
Notice where this parable is situated in the Gospel
of Matthew: as Jesus was concluding his ministry in
Jerusalem, confronting the authorities, and the stakes were
getting higher. Jesus taught in Matthew 24 and 25 about the
final days, and the parable immediately before this one is the
parable of the maidens and lamps—about being prepared.
The parable of the talents is the last in the sequence of the
classic parables; there is only one more teaching that comes
before Jesus’ betrayal, last supper, arrest, trial and
crucifixion. It is the teaching of the judgment of the nations,
where people are judged on the basis of whether they cared
for the least of these (the hungry, thirsty, strangers, naked,
and imprisoned). One can easily conclude from Jesus’
teaching here, that the Kin-dom of God is for those who give
freely to those who have nothing. Those who don’t, get the
punishment.
Just maybe this parable is both a prefiguring of
what happens when one does not play by the Master’s
rules—one may get crucified; BUT one may then experience
the fullness of the realm of God. Maybe this is a parable
about choosing which Master to serve. Not the ruthless Allegory Around the Holidays
master of the world’s wealth, but rather the Master who By Elizabeth Modde
becomes the servant, the slave, and meets the needs of the
least likely to succeed. Now that is the teaching of Jesus Life has gotten busy again.
with which I am most familiar. The risks of investing in the ExcitingUntilTooChaoticTo appreciate.
poor are great, but so also are the rewards. Maybe it is not Snow flurries that spin into a storm--
a matter of serving power, but the power of serving.
I would suggest that we take some lessons from catching a breath against the wind becomes vital.
the humble folks at Solentiname, who chose against the We wonder if we will see it all settled
odds of being destroyed by the wealthy and powerful to into one beautiful sheet
create a liberating community of the least of these. And for
us, what will be our choices? Self-serving or other-serving? coating the Earth --
We are making decisions for the coming year; will these calm, clean, unifying
choices be for those with the greatest need? the scattered leaves and dying grass.

Burry the mess and people see clarity.

“One can easily conclude from
But, Trust that
Jesus’ teaching here, that the Kin-dom of underneath the freeze something grows.
God is for those who give freely to those
who have nothing.”

God gives us the opportunity, gives us the choice;

Jesus demonstrates what can happen. May we, in gratitude,
commit ourselves to showing that the power of serving
others is greater than using one’s power to get others to
serve us. Welcome thou, into the joys of this Kin-dom!

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 A Letter from a Former Guest trust God to take care of me and don’t give up on people. He
By Heather Doe still has some people and children out in the world that care
and they’re not all out to get me out there or hurt me.
I have a disability and have spent some time in a
few shelters in Missouri and Kansas. I came to the Lois I’m very thankful for the kind care, love, support and sharing
Bryant House very frightened and lost and off one of my serving hearts in the women’s house and the kind lady
medications. There was a married couple that ran the house whom I don’t know who donated the Mary Kay
and two college-aged students who were female and anti-age cream and eye stuff which made
another male who were serving the homeless there. My first me feel like a woman and help me be
night I was terrified of people and afraid they were going to able to have the means to experience
hurt me. The wife of the husband came and rocked in a chair self-care.
beside me and comforted me and assured me that the Lois Thank you very, very, very much, staff
Bryant House was accustomed and trained to work with at Lois Bryant House in Columbia,
people with mental disabilities. Her voice was soft, sweet Missouri.
and very comforting to my soul. She was gentle, intelligent,
educated, but very empathetic and soft-spoken and gave Welcome our new community member:
great comfort and warmth to my soul. Annalise Evans
Then I met her husband the next day, he was also
kind-hearted, tender, appropriate, considerate and a kind but I joined the Catholic worker community of Columbia,
fun soul. He played the piano which the music was a great MO in late September of 2018. Rugby has been my identity
comfort too. I felt like I was in the 101 Dalmatians movie and for half my life. I have played and coached rugby for fifteen
wondered which number I was. One of the college age med years. One day I realized I had three friends outside of the
student workers offered me some of her banana protein rugby community, two of which were my siblings. Seeking
shake the next morning and a week later she invited me to serve others and to be a part of new community, I came
yoga with her. A new college-age girl worker fixed my bike across St. Francis by way of Catholic Worker Elly Lang. We
and offered to go to Tai Chi classes with me once a week. worked together at Rainbow House in Emergency Children’s
The other male worker, well he makes me laugh and has Shelter here in Columbia MO. For a year I picked her brain
good taste in Disney movies and romantic comedies and lets about her community and the Catholic worker movement
me make popcorn and s’mores and shares his homemade before getting involved. I can now say I’m blessed with the
chocolate peanut butter cups. opportunity to serve and be a part of community that
This shelter was unique in that it felt like a home. It challenges me and our community to become more.
felt like a home, because well it was a home, but more
because the workers in the female house were loving, caring,
fun, sharing, serving souls.
Right when I got scared and started to whine to
Jesus about the cold, a worker 10 minutes later brought up
some coats for me and the other girls. Someone donated a
self-care jar. It’s fun for us to read these daily with the staff.
Another kind lady from Jeff’s church donated Mary Kay anti-
age cream for me to feel like a human girl again. I could
never afford that.
I had my needs met and a lot of extra love on top. I’m a
Christian, I read my Bible or try to everyday. I heard one
person in the homeless community say no way I’d stay there
it’s Catholic. I admit I was scared at first, but I don’t think you
can put a label or name on human care and kindness for
homeless people either. Homelessness is a terrifying thing.
You experience grief, low self-esteem, hunger, a lot of fear.
You feel lost, unsettled and scared 99.9% of the time.
To come to the Lois Bryant House and stay was a
rest for this weary soul, a place where there was a lot of love,
care and comfort and a testimony of human care and
kindness and servants that were happy to serve me. This
was healing to my soul (mind, emotions and will) that I can
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 Spinning Tires on Social Media:
By Todd Lombardi
Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, and every other form
of social media are now home to political echo chambers
that are not going away anytime soon. I can hear my own
ears ringing sometimes from the cacophony of left-leaning
articles and trash talk on conservatives lambasted on my
newsfeed after Facebook’s algorithm decided that my
clicking and scrolling habits show preferences towards this
content. I do enjoy these posts. However, I have also fallen
into the habit of patting myself on the back when I read
these articles which accomplish nothing but to confirm what I
already thought. But every now and then, I see posts from
now distant high school and college friends who fell into the
opposite echo chamber as me relaying wildly different
opinions and insults. I don’t have to look far to find politically
opposed friends bickering incoherently in the comments
section. Based off of this I have two questions I never
seriously tried to answer until now.
1: Does posting actually change minds? I gave up posting
politics on Facebook a long time ago because it felt so
hopeless and full of hate. Have I been justifiably saving my
energy?
2: Are there better ways to change someone’s mind? Can
those of us too tired of arguing on social media do better?
As it turns out, it is mostly fruitless to post online to
change the minds of the general population. According to
Pew Research only 14% of people who use social media
have ever changed minds even just once because of
reading posts. To re-emphasize, this is not a 14% success
rate; each person in the 14% needs only to have changed
their mind one time in over a decade. Depending on your
frame of reference, this number is unsurprisingly low.
However, it seems even lower considering the sheer number
of people who use social media and the frequency of
political posts on the platforms. The only group that does
seem to change their mind on social media to any
meaningful frequency is men aged 18-29 of which 30% said
yes. However, the research does not say which way young
men are being pulled. So for all we know, young men are
changing their minds to become more conservative with age
as is the historical trend.
But I also believe from personal experience that
even in person, to wholly change another’s mind is difficult.
So although the 14% is depressing, it may be more reflective
of reality. The difference with reality though is that the
person at least has to hear what the other has to say
regardless of whether or not they listen. Also if the issue
directly affects the individual, it adds a face to it. This is
important because I think as humans we care about
individuals far more than we care about groups. So I believe
that without an individual to reference on any political issue,
there are not many of us who would change our minds.
Given this information and opinion, there are
perhaps better motivations and methods we can have to
post on social media. Rather than sharing headlines that
spark outrage or articles explicitly made to change minds,
we can put more effort into sharing pieces that educate and
induce empathy. Videos are a potential work around; it adds
a face, a voice and emotion. Plus, many of us prefer to
receive information orally which means we can reach friends
who normally don’t read any articles.
None of this guarantees any success though, so
saving energy for other battles may be the best route for
many of us. And sharing articles is still a great way to
evolve ideas of those who share similar values but haven’t
fully developed their thoughts. Some of us do enjoy the
arguing though. We need to examine ourselves and how we
best engage others in meaningful conversation. Even if we
enjoy spinning our tires with online debates, at the end of the
day we should avoid hurting and entrenching our friends.
Who knows? Maybe one more person will be a little more
empathetic because of it.
Thank you for your support!
During the holiday season, it is common to give
thanks and to look for ways to “give back” to the community,
including by seeking out “service” opportunities to interact
with our sisters and brothers who are not as fortunate as we
are. We welcome your presence and even your presents for
our guests and for our work. We are here 365/66 days of
the year. Thank you to all who support us financially and
through volunteering.
When we experience life at St. Francis House, we
receive so much: community, laughter, tears, friends and
more than likely something to eat. We feed house and clothe
people, give them a place to bathe and do laundry and more
importantly, feel like they are a guest-- not a client or a name
on a list. We try to see the unique grace in each individual,
to be evangelized by the poor folks among us.
So if you are looking for an opportunity to walk
alongside our less fortunate brothers and sisters, it doesn’t
have to during the holiday season. We will always welcome
you whether at St. Francis House, Lois Bryant House or
Loaves & Fishes. The door is open. Come on in.
From left:
Community
members Kyle,
Bo, Todd and
Kristen at the
Teacher’s Pet
Christmas
Dog Show.
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 Guest OP/ED: Another Scandal in the
All-Male Priesthood
By Roy Bourgeois
As a Catholic
priest, I did the
unspeakable. I
called for the
ordination of
women in the
church. The
Vatican was swift
in its response. The
Congregation for
the Doctrine of the
Faith informed me
that I was “causing
grave scandal” in the Church and that I had 30 days to
recant my public support for women’s ordination or I would
be expelled from the priesthood.
I told the Vatican this was not possible for me.
Believing that women and men are created of equal worth
and dignity and that both are called by an all-loving God to
serve as priests, my conscience would not allow me to
recant. In my response, I felt it was also important to make
clear that when Catholics hear the word “scandal” they think
about the thousands of children who have been raped and
abused by priests—not ordaining women.
In 2010, the Vatican called the ordination of women
as priests a crime comparable to that of the sexual abuse of
children. Judging from its actions however, it appears that
the Vatican views women’s ordination as a crime
substantially more serious than child abuse. The vast
majority of priests who raped and sexually abused children
were not expelled from the priesthood or excommunicated.
Every woman, however, who has been ordained to the
priesthood has been excommunicated by the Vatican.
In 2012, after serving as a Catholic priest for 40
years with the Maryknoll Missionary Order, I was expelled
from the priesthood for refusing to recant my public support
of the ordination of women.
Now scandal is rocking the Church again. This
time, it is the six Catholic dioceses in Pennsylvania.
According to a grand jury report, beginning in the 1950’s,
more than 300 “predator priests” sexually abused more than
1,000 children. After a two year investigation, the 1,400
page grand jury report stated, “Priests were raping little boys
and girls, and the men of God who were responsible for
them not only did nothing, they hid it all. For decades.”
Among the horrific crimes committed by Catholic priests:
*In Erie, a 7 year old boy was sexually abused by a
priest who told him to go to confession and confess his sins
to that same priest.
* In the Pittsburgh diocese, “a ring of predatory
priests shared information regarding victims, as well as
exchanging the victims among themselves. The ring
manufactured child pornography and used whips, violence
and sadism in raping the victims.”
* One priest abused 5 sisters in the same family,
starting to abuse one of the girls when she was 18 months
old.
*Another priest was allowed to stay in ministry after
impregnating a young girl and arranging for her to have an
abortion.
* A priest raped a 7 year old girl in the hospital after
a tonsillectomy. As punishment, the Vatican’s Congregation
for the Doctrine of the Faith decided that he should remain a
priest and “live a life of prayer and penance.”
The Pennsylvania grand jury report concluded that
the Catholic hierarchy “protected the institution at all cost
and maintained strategies to avoid scandal.” Priests who got
in trouble in one diocese were shuffled to another diocese
where more children were abused. The FBI determined that
church officials followed a “playbook for concealing the truth,”
minimizing the abuse by using words like “inappropriate
contact” or “boundary issues” instead of “rape.”
I am convinced that if the Catholic Church had
women priests, the church would not be in the crisis it is
today. I am equally confident that if the Catholic Church
does not dismantle its corrupt all-male priesthood and
welcome women as equals, it will continue to drift into
irrelevance.
Roy Bourgeois is a Vietnam veteran and Purple
Heart recipient, a Nobel Peace Prize nominee and the
founder of the School of the Americas Watch Movement. In
2012, he was expelled from the Catholic priesthood for his
public support of women’s ordination. He is the subject of
the book: Disturbing the Peace: The story of Fr. Roy
Bourgeois and the Movement to Close the School of the
Americas.
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 Unusual Visitor to St. Francis House Joins
Observance of Human Rights Day Action Urging
the US to End its Support for the War in Yemen and
Other Human Rights Abuses
On December 10, 2018, members of the St.
Francis Catholic Worker Community and other human rights
proponents included an unusual companion as they
gathered to observe the 70th anniversary of Human Rights
Day---the Grim Reaper.
In honor of the 70th
anniversary of Human
Rights Day, the group
visited the local offices
of Sen. Roy Blunt and
U.S. Rep.Vicky
Hartzler. The Catholic
Worker contingent’s
intent was to urge
these lawmakers
to uphold human
rights and support
an end to US support
of the Saudi-led war
on Yemen. We also
sought a commitment by these lawmakers to support foreign
policy guided by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,
including ending US complicity with apartheid-like
conditions imposed by the Israeli government upon the
Palestinian people, and recognizing of the right to asylum in
the US for Central Americans and others fleeing brutal
regimes and life threatening situations.
The Grim Reaper visited the offices with our group
so he could thank the Congress members for boosting his
business. The Reaper is grateful for their persistent votes for
military weapons spending. He applauded their uncritical
support for repressive regimes in Saudi Arabia and
elsewhere. The Reaper benefits from anti-immigration/anti-
asylum rhetoric and policies that block immigrants and
refugees from entering the USA, forcing asylum seekers to
return to dangerous homelands where they face likely death.
Senator Blunt, Representative Hartzler, President Trump
and others promoting these policies have all too often
proven themselves minions of the Grim Reaper, standing by
as he reaps the lives of the (mostly) poor and powerless
victims of these regimes.
Seventy years ago, the USA and dozens of other
nations signed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,
likely one of the most vital documents humankind has
crafted. Eleanor Roosevelt, the chair of the committee
tasked with creating the document and its 30 planks, said
the human rights put forth are “for all people of all nations.”
The Declaration’s purpose is to recognize, name and
promote “the inherent dignity and of the equal and
inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the
foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world,” This
document forms part of the foundation upon which
International Human Rights laws were built.
The Reaper wanted to let the Senator and Congresswoman
know how much he appreciates their help so he baked them each
a cake, frosted in basic black, with the message “Thanks for the
Business!” emblazoned on top in bone-white lettering.
Those joining the demonstration urged Sen. Blunt
and Rep. Hartzler to vote in support of War Powers
Resolutions (HConRes.142 in the House and S.J. Res. 54 in
the Senate)-- calling for an end to US participation in the war
on Yemen. More than 50,000 Yemenis have been killed in
the nearly four years of war, while more than 12 million face
the prospect of famine in what the UN has identified as the
world’s worst humanitarian catastrophe.
When senators overwhelmingly voted 63-37 Nov.
28th on a procedural vote for S.J. 54, it paved the way for a
floor debate and vote on the bill itself. Sen. Blunt voted “Nay”
on that matter, yet again, sadly showing his fealty to death
and corporate military contractors, over the wishes of
Missourians, humanitarian concerns, the tenets of the
Constitution and international law. (Sen. Claire McCaskill,
voted “Yay” for the measure which was co-sponsored by
Sens. Bernie Sanders, I-Vermont, and Mike Lee, R-Utah).
And the Grim Reaper?
Well, he’s always looking for
recruits, but we prefer to
promote life, liberty, justice and
peace around here, so he didn’t
have much luck with us. The
Catholic Workers sent him on
his way. We hear he’s got a list
of other helpers out there,
though.
7
 .In the Bleak Midwinter—The Prelude to Christmas
We forget, here in the US, especially, that the “12
Days of Christmas” begin, not end with the birth of Jesus.
Are we so “tired of Christmas” by the time the gifts are open
that clearing away the torn paper and shredded ribbons on
the floor leads to pulling down the tree and boxing up the
ornaments, proclaiming that “Christmas is over”?” Um, not
so fast. The real meaning of Christmas, the real message
behind “Glory in the Highest, Peace on Earth to all people”
is that Christmas is always coming, and that Christmas is
always, already here.
Mary sings:
“Holy is God’s name.
His mercy is from age to age to those who fear him. John the Baptist preaches:
He has shown might with his arm, “Whoever has two cloaks
dispersed the arrogant of mind and heart. should share with the person who has none.
He has thrown down the rulers from their thrones And whoever has food should do likewise.”…
but lifted up the lowly. I am baptizing you with water,
The hungry he has filled with good things; but one mightier than I is coming.
the rich he has sent away empty.” Luke 1:49-53 I am not worthy to loosen the thongs of his sandals.
He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
Zechariah prophesies: His winnowing fan is in his hand to clear his threshing floor
“In the tender compassion of our God and to gather the wheat into his barn,
the dawn from on high shall break upon us, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.” Luke 3: 11,
to shine on those who dwell in darkness and 16-17
the shadow of death, Merry Christmas to all and to all: Welcome to God’s
and to guide our feet into the way of peace." Luke 1:78-79. ever–evolving, Our ever--becoming New Year.

St. Francis Catholic Worker

1001 Rangeline
Columbia, MO 65201