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April 25, 2024
Interview with Fr. Peter Shults O.S.B. about the importance of Marian virtues
Ten years of a dedicated service with distinction as a sergeant and medic in the U.S. Army, before entering monastic life and Saint Meinrad Seminary in Indiana, equipped Father Peter Shults, O.S.B., with a deep understanding of what it takes and what it truly means to be compassionate, empathetic and humble as a Catholic in service to the neighbor.
Since his solemn profession in 2019 as a Benedictine monk at Saint Gregory’s Abbey in Shawnee and his priestly ordination in May 2023, Father Shults has found many venues to practice these virtues in his religious and priestly ministry.
In a conversation with Sooner Catholic, he shared his experiences and insights on how to nurture and cultivate humility, compassion and empathy and thus imitate the virtues of the Blessed Mother Mary.
How do you define compassion and empathy?
“Compassion is characterized first and foremost by love in action. It is our response to the demands of love of our neighbors when we see them hurting and feel compelled to help them carry their crosses.
Empathy is the ability to place ourselves in other peoples’ shoes. It is a knowledge and identification that we are all connected in the Body of Christ and because we are connected, we are able to understand what other members feel, what is important in their hour of need and how we can participate in their pain and suffering.”
Why is it important for Catholics to be more compassionate and empathetic?
“As Catholics, if we really want to reach the secular world, spread the truth of Christ and show other denominations the blessing of having Mary as our mother and intercessor, we need not only to speak, but most importantly be able to say, “Let me help you” and truly act by exemplifying the crucified Christ and our Blessed Mother in their virtues and way of life.”
How did your life experience before entering religious life help you become more compassionate, empathetic and humble?
“As a sergeant in the Army, I was in the trenches with my soldiers. Our relationship was built on honesty and trust. They openly shared with me their hurts, joys, fears and victories. I felt so strongly connected to them. It helped me understand what it means to rejoice in other persons’ blessings and suffer with them in times of trials.
“I learned that compassion means to respect another person’s dignity, while empathy means to respond to that dignity. Our Blessed Mother Mary has always been my inspiration. In her apparitions she never chose people respected by the world, the scholars, the wealthy or the famous, but the poor and humble. For example, the young Bernadette Soubirous who struggled with writing and reading, or Juan Diego, a lowly peasant. I was always impressed with their purity of faith and humility and I’m striving to imitate their example of life. True understanding lies in humility.”
How do compassion and empathy help you in your priestly ministry?
“The priestly calling doesn’t only mean to preach a good homily, but also to walk with God’s people in true empathy toward holiness and communion with our Lord. Each day when I pray the Rosary, I ask God and Mary to help me see what they see in humanity and each single person I encounter.
“Compassion gives us a clear vision into someone’s heart, their hurts and joys and enables us to lift up our brothers and sisters and help them grow in grace and holiness. Compassion is like flipping on the lights and seeing more than what we can see otherwise.”
How can Catholics learn to nurture compassion, empathy and humility?
“Reflect on the actions of Mary and the life of Christ and never stop meditating on their compassion and love. Try to imitate Christ and his compassion when he healed the lepper, when he wept with Martha and Mary at the tomb of Lazarus, when he noticed Zacchaeus on the tree who desired to be closer to him.
“In short, we need to make an effort to be close to those whom the world rejects. We absolutely need to refuse the notion of dehumanizing people because of their language or race. And we need to love instead.
“We need to live in the spirit of Mary’s visitation. Like Mary who went to Saint Elizabeth with great joy, so shall we build one another up and repeat with our Blessed Mother the words of her Magnificat. We shall be grateful for one another, and the gifts God installed in our neighbors and in us. When we live in this spirit of Mary’s joy, love, openness of heart to help our neighbor, then humility, compassion and empathy will follow right away.
“Our Blessed Mother Mary and Saint Elizabeth were teaching us a profound lesson that day of their visitation.”
Jad Ziolkowska is a freelance writer for the Sooner Catholic.
