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Q&A with Sonja Corbitt, Author of Unleashed

Sonja Corbitt has been captivating women across the country with a message that prayerful and regular study of the scriptures is the key to hear the voice of God, to see the Holy Spirit at work even in times of suffering, and to receive all the graces God wants to give. In her new book Unleashed, Corbitt--a Southern Baptist who converted to Catholicism--shares her passion for the scriptures by weaving the Word of God with her own experiences to show readers how the Holy Spirit flows through their lives in relationships, prayer, and even in times of suffering. We caught up with Corbitt just before the launch of Unleashed to find out more about her. Ave Maria Press: What led you to convert from being an evangelical Baptist to Catholicism? Sonja Corbitt: My church experienced two contentious, painful, back-to-back splits. Because God had been dealing with a deep father wound in me that provoked my own pattern of anger and rebellion against authority, I knew that disunity in the Church, denominationalism, and rebellion against authority are flatly condemned in the scriptures. Through a sort of circumstantial perfect storm, the Holy Spirit showed me the parallel patterns. So I began investigating early Church teachings through the writings of the ante-Nicene Christians. That led to research on Catholicism from an historical and biblical, rather than denominational, point of view. The last piece of the puzzle was connecting Catholic worship and teachings with all I knew of the Old Testament tabernacle and the temples in Ezekiel and Revelation that predict and prescribe proper worship in the New Testament Church. Since that type of worship is found, fully, only in the Catholic Church, the rest is history, as they say. Ave Maria Press: What do you tell people who find it hard to accept that God is with them during difficult times? Sonja Corbitt: Two things: First, I have found it deeply comforting and helpful to enter prayerfully into the Book of Job. Second, part of our human difficulty is we mostly allow emotion to be the engine of the train and drag us off track, rather than the will. Emotion is sometimes unreliable. Can’t you sit through a movie and experience your emotions being manipulated by what is not real? When the will is the engine, we cling to what God says in His word, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” Our lives remain on track in faith. Emotion is the caboose. Just because we suffer and don’t feel Him doesn’t mean He’s not there. We might say He’s like Scotch tape; you may not see Him, but He’s there. When we suffer, we should cling to His word, cry out to Him, and wait and search until He answers in His word. Ave Maria Press: How can people better come to know the Holy Spirit? Sonja Corbitt: Obedience. Ave Maria Press: Which Biblical character do you most connect with and why? Sonja Corbitt: Abraham: God promised Him an “vehemently multiplying” reward, made him wait 25 years for it, allowed Abraham to monumentally screw up in pursuing it for himself, involved his spouse in its fulfillment, and then asked him to sacrifice it to Him. What Abraham may have suspected was a renege turned out to be the evidence that Abraham’s heart had become so one with God’s that the spiritual fulfillment of God’s promise would be exponentially greater than the literal one.       Ave Maria Press: Do you have a favorite prayer? Sonja Corbitt: I love You. Ave Maria Press: If someone wants to really dig into the Bible for the first time, how would you recommend they start so that they don’t end up feeling overwhelmed? Sonja Corbitt: Begin with a Catholic Bible that includes study notes and one or two other Catholic translations. Follow your interests, reading the study notes and comparing verses in different translations as you go and when you have questions. Then proceed to a Bible study written especially for beginners, like my DVD-driven Ignite: The Word. Your Faith. Your Life. series with Deacon Harold Burke-Sivers. Ave Maria Press: What’s the number one thing we can do every day for our spiritual health? Sonja Corbitt: Spend 15 minutes, first thing in the morning if possible, with God in the Bible. Then increase the time in five minute increments to one hour.

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Three Ave Books Are ACP Finalists

Three books recently published by Ave Maria Press are finalists for the Excellence in Publishing Awards by the Association of Catholic Publishers. Lisa M. Hendey’s The Grace of Yes is a finalist in the inspirational category. In her newest book, Hendey, popular Catholic blogger and founder of CatholicMom.com, explores eight spiritual virtues she believes are foundational to Christian life. Through her own spiritual journey, she helps readers learn about belief, generativity, creativity, integrity, humility, vulnerability, saying no, and starting over, and shows how these virtues lead to generous living and the ability to joyously say yes to god. Basil Moreau: Essential Writings, edited by Revs. Andrew Gawrych, C.S.C., and Kevin Grove, C.S.C., is a finalist in the theology category. The book is an anthology of  the important published and previously unpublished writings of the founder of the Congregation of Holy Cross, Blessed Basil Moreau. It includes selections from Fr. Moreau’s sermons, pastoral letters, educational treatises, and spiritual reflections, which reveal a figure who was no stranger to difficulty and conflict, but who also was deeply committed to a hope that can only emerge from Christ’s passion, death, and resurrection. When Saint Francis Saved the Church by Jon M. Sweeney is a finalist in the general interest category. Sweeney offers a surprising look at the world’s most popular saint, showing how this beloved, but often-mythologized character created a spiritual vision for the ages that may well have rescued the Christian faith. The book also connects Saint Francis and his teachings with that of Pope Francis today. “It is striking how many of the finalists—across categories—focus on holy people including saints like Pope John Paul II, John XXIII, and Francis and others like Basil Moreau who are models for discipleship,” noted Therese Brown, ACP’s executive director. “Pope Francis’ concerns for mercy and justice have energized a variety of authors and publishers based on what we see in this list.” First-, second-, and third-place awards in each of nine categories, recognizing the best in Catholic writing, will be given at the 2015 Religious Booksellers Trade Exhibit in St. Charles, Ill. A "book of the year" also will be awarded. For more information and a complete list of finalists, check out the ACP website.

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Fr. Raymond in Rome to Further Fr. Peyton Cause for Canonization

ROME—Rev. Wilfred Raymond, C.S.C., president of Holy Cross Family Ministries, is in Rome to further the Cause for Canonization of Servant of God Patrick Peyton. Fr. Peyton, a Catholic media pioneer internationally known as The Rosary Priest, was a member of the Congregation of Holy Cross for 51 years before his death in 1992. An Irish immigrant to the United States, Fr. Peyton founded Family Rosary and Family Theater Productions. Fr. Raymond, Rev. David Marcham, and Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, Archbishop of Manila (Phillippines) presented the the “Positio” for Fr. Peyton’s cause to Cardinal Angelo Amato, S.D.B., prefect of the Congregation of the Causes of Saints. The Positio is a 1,300-page document on the study of Fr. Peyton’s life and ministry—the culmination of four years of work and a 6,000-page report by 35 dioceses around the world. If the Congregation of the Cause of Saints determines Fr. Peyton led a life of heroic virtue and holiness, the cause goes to Pope Francis, who may confer the title “Venerable” upon Fr. Peyton. Find out more about Fr. Peyton and his cause for sainthood on the Holy Cross Family Ministries website. Like Holy Cross Family Ministries, Ave Maria Press is an apostolate of the Congregation of Holy Cross, United States Province of Priests and Brothers.

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Six to be Ordained Priests in Holy Cross

Six men will be ordained priests of the Congregation of Holy Cross at 2 p.m. Saturday, April 11, 2015, at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart at the University of Notre Dame. Most Rev. Daniel R. Jenky, C.S.C., Bishop of Peoria (Illinois), will confer the Sacrament of Holy Orders on Rev. Mr. Matthew Fase, C.S.C., Rev. Mr. David Halm, C.S.C., Rev. Mr. Timothy Mouton, C.S.C., Rev. Mr. Stephen Chase Pepper, C.S.C., Rev. Mr. Daniel Ponisciak, C.S.C., and Rev. Mr. Christopher Rehagen, C.S.C. On Sept. 13, 2014, the six professed perpetual vows of poverty, chastity and obedience and committed themselves to the common life and apostolic work of the Congregation of Holy Cross. Read more about the men on the Holy Cross website. Ave Maria Press is an apostolate of the Congregation of Holy Cross, United States Province of Priests and Brothers.

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Fr. Theodore M. Hesburgh, C.S.C. (2017-2015)

Rev. Theodore “Ted” M. Hesburgh, C.S.C., 97, died at 11:30 p.m. Thursday (Feb. 26) at Holy Cross House, Notre Dame, Indiana. Fr. Hesburgh, a priest of the Congregation of Holy Cross for more than 70 years, was president of the University of Notre Dame from 1952 to 1987. He was one of the nation’s most influential figures in higher education, the Catholic Church, civil rights, and national and international affairs. “We mourn today a great man and faithful priest who transformed the University of Notre Dame and touched the lives of many,” said Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C., Notre Dame’s president. “With his leadership, charisma and vision, he turned a relatively small Catholic college known for football into one of the nation’s great institutions for higher learning. “In his historic service to the nation, the Church and the world, he was a steadfast champion for human rights, the cause of peace and care for the poor,” Fr. Jenkins said. In accord with Father Hesburgh’s wishes, a customary Holy Cross Funeral Mass will be celebrated in the Basilica of the Sacred Heart at Notre Dame in coming days for his family, Holy Cross religious, University Trustees, administrators, and select advisory council members, faculty, staff and students. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to the Father Ted Hesburgh, C.S.C., Fund for Excellence in Catholic Education at Notre Dame or to the Congregation of Holy Cross. A University tribute to Father Hesburgh will take place in Purcell Pavilion at the Joyce Center at a time to be announced. For more on Fr. Hesburgh’s life and for other arrangements as they become available, see the special tribute pages on the University website. 

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Ave Maria Press Unveils New Logo to Kick Off 150th Anniversary Year

NOTRE DAME, Ind.—Ave Maria Press is commemorating our 150th anniversary in 2015 with a new look. An apostolate of the Congregation of Holy Cross, United States Province of Priests and Brothers, Ave Maria Press is unveiling a fresh, new company logo as part of our anniversary celebration.  The logo reflects Ave’s Marian heritage and devotion, emphasizing Ave (the first word of the “Hail Mary” in Latin) in our name and including a light-blue graphic image of the turning pages of a book. Ave was founded by Rev. Edward Sorin, C.S.C., with the publication of the first Ave Maria magazine on May 1, 1865, twenty-three years after he founded the University of Notre Dame. Fr. Sorin wanted the magazine to honor the Virgin Mary, focus on Catholic families, and showcase the best American Catholic writing. The first issue was a sixteen-page weekly edited by Fr. Sorin himself. Many had doubts about whether the publication would survive, but it did for more than a hundred years and at one time was the most popular Catholic magazine in the country. Fr. Sorin believed that The Ave Maria magazine would “be the source of most abundant blessings, one of the best things ever done in the Congregation, and ultimately a glorious work for our Blessed Mother.” We believe Fr. Sorin would be proud of his legacy today. “Planning for our anniversary has given all of us at Ave Maria Press a welcome opportunity to step back from our day-to-day work and reflect on the history and legacy of the wonderful publishing ministry that Fr. Sorin founded 150 years ago during a very different era,” said Thomas Grady, publisher of Ave Maria Press. “Fr. Sorin might be mystified by the way we create and distribute our work in a digital era (as I frequently am!), but I hope he would recognize that we have remained faithful to our mission to proclaim the Gospel, serve the spiritual needs of the Church, and join the Congregation of Holy Cross as ‘educators in the faith.’” Rev. Anthony Szakaly, C.S.C., president of the Ave board of directors, agrees: “Fr. Sorin’s vision of deepening the faith remains the basis for everything that Ave Maria Press does today.” Ave is a leader in publishing Catholic high school religion textbooks, parish resources, and books on prayer and spirituality under the Ave Maria Press, Sorin Books, Forest of Peace, and Christian Classics imprints. “As the magazine evolved into Ave Maria Press, this ministry has touched the lives of countless individuals throughout the world who have been privileged to be inspired by the words of some of the best spiritual writers of our time,” said Rev. Thomas J. O’Hara, C.S.C., provincial superior of the U.S. Province. “In a world where so many search for guidance in their lives or grasp for spiritual insights, Ave Maria Press has become a leader in providing such guidance.” In the tradition of Holy Cross, Ave strives to make God known, loved, and served through the spiritual, pastoral, and catechetical books that are at the core of our publishing mission. The Ave Maria magazine ceased publication in 1970, but the publishing ministry continues to flourish. Ave Maria Press remains one of the oldest, continually operating Catholic publishing houses in the country. Among our highly acclaimed titles are Lisa M. Hendey’s The Handbook for Catholic Moms; The Artist’s Rule by Christine Valters Paintner; Rebuilt by Michael White and Tom Corcoran; A Book of Hours by Thomas Merton; and Basil Moreau: Essential Writings, edited by Revs. Kevin Grove, C.S.C., and Andrew Gawrych, C.S.C. Perennial reader favorites include: Together for Life by Joseph Champlin with Rev. Peter Jarret, C.S.C. – Ave’s all-time bestseller Praying Our Goodbyes by Joyce Rupp With Open Hands by Henri Nouwen Riding the Dragon by Robert Wicks Encountering Jesus in the New Testament and This Is Our Faith by Michael Pennock This year we are introducing two new textbooks approved by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops: Jesus and the Church and Foundations of Catholic Social Teaching. There will be several events in the coming months to celebrate Ave’s 150th anniversary, including an open house at our 1865 Moreau Drive, Notre Dame, Indiana, offices on April 30, 2015. On May 1, the actual date of Ave’s founding by Fr. Sorin, there will be a Mass and dinner at Moreau Seminary on the campus of Notre Dame. The Mass will be celebrated by the Most Rev. Kevin C. Rhoades, bishop of the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend (Indiana), with Ave staff and their spouses, board members past and present, and members of the Congregation of Holy Cross in attendance. In addition, Ave’s staff has compiled a commemorative history that will be published prior to the official anniversary. There will also be special anniversary promotions for customers throughout the year. Find out more at avemariapress.com/anniversary.

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Brusie Wants to Give 1,000 Books to Pregnancy Resource Centers

Pro-life advocate Chaunie Brusie, author of Tiny Blue Lines; Reclaiming Your Life, Preparing For Your Baby, and Moving Forward with Faith in an Unplanned Pregnancy, wants to get her book to those mothers who need it most. One way she can help women see their unplanned pregnancy as an incredible new beginning is to get books into the hands of pregnancy center leaders, staff members, and volunteers. Heartbeat International, a network of pro-life pregnancy resource centers throughout the world, has agreed to give 1,000 pregnancy help workers a copy of Tiny Blue Lines during its 2015 conference. The organization has already made Tiny Blue Lines a “Shelf Help” resource on its website. Brusie must supply all of the books in order to make that happen, so she’s taken to crowdfunding the project . Her drive, on flowerfund.com/tinybluelines, ends March 31, 2015. You can read more about her plan in her Oct. 31 blog about the project. Brusie is the creator of the popular parenting website TinyBlueLines.com. For more information or to set up an interview about the project, contact Chaunie Brusie at chaun08@yahoo.com.

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Author Spotlight: Dan Horan, Author of The Franciscan Heart of Thomas Merton

Not many people realize that one of the most influential spiritual writers of the twentieth century, Thomas Merton, was deeply influenced by Franciscan spirituality even though he was a Trappist Monk. Dan Horan, OFM, both a Franciscan Friar and expert in Thomas Merton, shows us why this was the case and gives us a unique insight into Merton's life and work in The Franciscan Heart of Thomas Merton.   We caught up with Horan amid a very busy speaking schedule to ask a few questions about his newest book. Ave Maria Press: You have the unique perspective of being both a Franciscan friar and an expert in the life and work of Thomas Merton. What was it in your life that attracted you to both?  Dan Horan: I came really to know both Thomas Merton and the Franciscan intellectual and spiritual tradition while a student at St. Bonaventure University. It’s an interesting biographical overlap with Merton’s own story because it was also at St. Bonaventure, when he taught in the English department in 1940-1941, that he came to study the Franciscan tradition in depth.   There was always something about Merton’s honesty and humanity that attracted me to his writings and insight. Likewise, both St. Francis and the tradition that bears his name are approachable and down-to-earth models for authentic human living. Neither Merton nor the Franciscan tradition gets old for me and I’m continually learning something new along the way of my own spiritual and intellectual journey. Ave Maria Press: Some readers of Merton books may not know the story of Thomas Merton and his early association with the Franciscans. Can you explain briefly where his Franciscan roots originated?  Dan Horan: Sure. Merton’s connection to the Franciscan tradition really began with his reading of Etienne Gilson’s book The Spirit of Medieval Philosophy in which the philosopher introduces his readers to some of the great Medieval Franciscan theologians and philosophers. Merton credited his reading of that book to changing his outlook on Catholicism in general and shortly afterward he sought baptism in the Catholic Church.  Merton then discerned a call to religious life and sought the guidance of his Columbia University mentor, Dan Walsh, who said that Merton had a true “Franciscan spirit” and he should consider joining them. At that point, he sought to enter the Franciscan friars (in fact, the very same province that I belong to headquartered in New York City) and was accepted.  There are a number of complex factors that came together and led to Merton’s eventual withdrawal from the Friars (I talk about all of this in Chapter Three of the book) and he then accepted a job teaching English at St. Bonaventure University, a Franciscan college. It was there that he actually became a Franciscan as a Third Order member, studied the Franciscan theological and philosophical sources with some of the greatest scholars of the twentieth century, and befriended a number of friars who helped guide the young Merton to his ultimate vocation as a Trappist Monk.   Most people think that the Franciscan influence stops there, but Merton’s writing and reflection continued to be shaped and informed by the Franciscan tradition throughout his whole life.  Though he was indeed a true monk, he also had a special place in his heart for the Franciscan heritage and worldview. Ave Maria Press: Thomas Merton is known for his insight into the “True Self.” In your book you trace this concept back to a Franciscan perspective. Can you explain the connection there?  Dan Horan: The origin of and the theological foundation for Merton’s notion of the “True Self” can be traced back to the original work of a medieval Franciscan friar named John Duns Scotus. Scotus argued that what makes something a particular or individual thing was not external or extrinsic to that thing (as many other theories held), but that everything is particularly loved into existence by God with a unique, inalienable, and unrepeatable identity that is really identical with a thing’s very existence.   This “principle of individuation” (the technical term) of Scotus is called haecceitas in Latin (meaning “this-ness”), which Merton refers to during his studies of the tradition and around the time he begins working on what will become his book New Seeds of Contemplation in which the “True Self” concept first appears.  In a 1946 letter to Mark Van Doren, a former professor of his, Merton expresses his enthusiasm for the work of Scotus and mentions he wants to write a book on Scotus’s thought. Merton scholars believe that what became New Seeds was in fact that same book. Throughout New Seeds the insights of Scotus are found everywhere, but especially in the sections on the “True Self” and in Merton’s reflections on the Incarnation.  Ave Maria Press: How would you say Franciscan spirituality influenced Thomas Merton’s interest in interreligious dialogue?  Dan Horan: Well, Merton himself actually credits Francis of Assisi with being perhaps the greatest example of someone engaged in Christian interreligious dialogue. At other point in his writing, Merton points to Francis and the encounter the medieval saint had with Sultan Malek al-Kamil in 1219 in Damietta, Egypt, during the height of the Fifth Crusade as a model for engaging non-Christians today. This is further emphasized by Merton in his writings about Pope John XXIII’s encyclical Pacem in Terris (1963). Aside from the many explicit ways Merton names Francis as a model, I think the way in which Merton engaged with Muslims and Buddhists, in addition to those of other religious traditions, bears a stark resemblance to the way Francis went about interacting with women and men of other traditions in his own time.  Both Francis and Merton were way ahead of their times in their respective historical contexts.   Ave Maria Press: If there was just one lesson from the writings of Thomas Merton that every Catholic should know, what would it be? Dan Horan: That is a difficult question to answer because Merton has so much insight and wisdom for every Catholic. I still believe that Merton’s writing on the “True Self” is very important for women and men today to hear and understand. The way Merton popularizes Scotus’s deeply insightful notion of how God loves all of creation into existence and knows and holds each person’s truest identity says a lot about the dignity of each and every human person in a world that is quick to evaluate people based on external appearances, wealth, status, and the like.  What the “True Self” also reminds us of is the absolute need we have to work on our relationship with God, because Merton affirms that it is only in finding God that we are able to find our true selves. Thank you, Dan, for sharing these additional insights with us and for offering such a unique perspective on the life and work of Thomas Merton. 

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