Pray
Sr. Lynn Marie McKenzie, OSB, JD, JCL
Sr. Lynn McKenzie became a Benedictine Sister at Sacred Heart Monastery in Cullman, Alabama over 35 years ago. As a Benedictine, she seeks to live a balanced life of prayer and work in keeping with the Benedictine motto of “Ora et Labora.” However, she recognizes that this is a lifelong effort, not something achieved once and for all, but rather a principle by which to live. She has spent almost thirty years practicing law and serving the needs of clients for whom justice is a little known experience. Her life of prayer in the community of Benedictine Sisters at Sacred Heart Monastery has been vital and life-giving. It is through prayer and community that she is able to live the Rule of St. Benedict. Sr. Lynn will share her experience of how prayer helps her as she tries to be a faithful seeker of God in her daily journey, intending and hoping to live a life of fidelity, but realistic about the challenges. She will also share her ministry as a lawyer representing children and adults and some of the lessons from this ministry. Sr. Lynn says that “Prayer: Faith Prayed and Lived” is central to her life as a Benedictine Sister.
Reflect
Dr. Brant Pitre
Dr. Brant Pitre is Professor of Sacred Scripture at Notre Dame Seminary in New Orleans, Louisiana. He earned his Ph.D. in Theology from the University of Notre Dame, where he specialized the study of the New Testament and ancient Judaism. He is the author of several articles and the books Jesus, the Tribulation, and the End of the Exile (Baker Academic, 2005), Jesus and the Jewish Roots of the Eucharist (Image Books, 2011), Jesus the Bridegroom (Image Books, 2014), Jesus and the Last Supper (Eerdmans, 2015), and The Case for Jesus (Image, 2016). Dr. Pitre is an extremely enthusiastic and engaging speaker who lectures regularly across the United States. He has produced dozens of Bible studies on CD, DVD, and MP3, in which he explores the biblical foundations of Catholic faith and theology. He currently lives in Gray, Louisiana, with his wife Elizabeth, and their five children. Dr. Pitre will offer his reflections on how we can “Pray the Scriptures.”
For more information, please visit Dr. Pitre’s website: http://www.brantpitre.com/index.html
Witness
Bishop Fernand Cheri, OFM
Bishop Cheri is a Franciscan Friar of the Sacred Heart Province (St. Louis) and has been ordained for 37 years. He has served at Our Lady of Lourdes Church, New Orleans; St. Joseph the Worker, Marrero, LA; St. Francis de Sales, NO; and St. Vincent de Paul, Nashville, TN. He taught at St. Augustine High School, NO; Hales Franciscan HS, Chicago; and at Althoff Catholic High School, Belleville, IL. He was an assistant Campus Minister at Xavier University, Director of Campus Ministry at Quincy University in Quincy, IL; and now is auxiliary bishop in the Archdiocese of New Orleans. Bishop Cheri has served as a member of the liturgical planning committee for the National Black Catholic Congress in Chicago 2002; the planning committee for Unity Explosion 1991 in New Orleans; the Bishops’ Committee on the Liturgy Subcommittee on Black Catholic Worship 1984 to 1990; the National Joint Conference of Black Catholic Religious Planning Committee 1983-1990; and the Black Catholic Theological Symposium 1978. He works with the Lyke Liturgy Committee for the Archbishop James P. Lyke Liturgical Conferences; and was chairperson of Lyke Conference 2005 in St. Louis. He is now a member of the Lyke Foundation, dedicated to the development of Black Catholic Worship. He is the convener and facilitator of Go Down Moses Retreats for African American Catholic Young Men and has worked with KUJENGA Youth Leadership Programs in Chicago and the St. Louis/Belleville area. He is a revivalist, preaching across the country. His strength and testimony comes from God’s Word in Scripture, “My grace is enough for you, for in weakness power reaches perfection.” (2Cor 12:9) You will be inspired as Bishop Cheri encourages us to “Go forth and witness.”
