Once again, I am leading a book study. This time the book is Jim Sano's novel "Self Portrait", the 3rd 4th book in the Fr. Tom series. It is a mini-book study over 4 evenings - Feb. 13th, Feb. 20th, March 5th, and March 19th - covering 8 chapters during each meeting.
To help us with our discussions, I came up with questions for us to reflect on and prepare to share during the meeting. The questions are:
- Which character struck you the most in the chapter? Why?
- Which character reminds you of yourself or someone you know? How?
- Do you empathize or sympathize with any of the characters in the chapter? Which one? Why?
- Were there any teachings or references to the Catholic faith that you picked up in the chapter? If yes, what is it and what were your thoughts?
- What do you find most compelling about the chapter? Why?
Below are my thoughts on chapters 24, 25, 26, 27, 28.
***SPOILER ALERT***
Which character struck you the most in the chapters? Why?
In Chapter 25, it was all Mary because, not satisfied with the reasons why Kenny Green was generously giving them the money for the surgery that Billy and Sean gave her, she searches for the truth herself. She talks with Mr. DuBois, Angelo (and learns about Frank Gala, who is a marksman), Tobey, Reggie Hope's mother - Rozzy, and Kenny Green and his mother - Melina. In the end, she focuses on Sean and gets him to confess to he that it was all his plan.
Which character reminds you of yourself or someone you know? How?
While Billy no longer feels guilty about taking the money so that Mary could get the surgery that she needed, he has exchanged guilty for fear - most of all, fear of losing Mary should she know the truth (p. 145).
After his confrontation with Kenny Green, in Chapter 26, Billy realized that Patrick did not commit suicide. Rather, he laid down his life for the ones he loved, his parents - Billy & Mary (p. 166). Fr. Tom encourages Billy to forgive Kenny, saying: "God wants you to forgive him, and my guess is that Patrick already has" (p. 167). Mary encourages Billy to "let [Patrick] be with God."
Do you empathize or sympathize with any of the characters in the chapters? Which one? Why?
In Chapter 25, after Mary gets Sean to confess that he was the mastermind behind the heist to get the reward money to pay for her surgery, Sean reveals his own feelings of "self-rejection" and "lack of self-worth" (p. 158). He felt that he was a placeholder for Patrick and could never be his replacement in the lives of Billy and Mary. This certainly pains him because he loves them so much and wants to take the pain of losing Patrick from them but does not know how.
Mary does not take the money. Fr. Tom tells Billy that he should also know how Mary feels about it and honor her. Their souls are more important so that they can spend eternity together and see Patrick again.
Were there any teachings or references to the Catholic faith that you picked up in the chapter? If yes, what is it and what were your thoughts?
In Chapter 24, Sean brings Jennifer for Thanksgiving dinner to meet Billy and Mary. Mary also invites Fr. Tom and Angelo. During their conservations, Sean reveals that Jennifer does not want them to move in together until after they are married. Jennifer understands what happens to couples whose marriages are broken later on because of these "uncommitted 'mini-marriage'", which the Church calls co-habitation. Fr. Tom, in his usual expert and pastoral way, exhibits the fallacy of a man and a woman cohabitating before marriage (p. 148-149). [Note: I plan to use this in our CALLED TO BE ONE Marriage Class.]
Moreover, in Chapter 27, Billy faces his own fear of rejection by Mary; however, Mary assures him that he "should be able to share anything with [her] and know that "she'll] love him." After he was able to let go and let God, Billy felt free for the first time in a long while. He felt love.
In Chapter 28, Billy forgives Kenny. Kenny declines the reward.
What do you find most compelling about the chapters? Why?
In Chapter 24, during Thanksgiving dinner, Mary, Jennifer, Fr. Tom, and Angelo start talking about the heist and wonder if Kenny Green is claiming the reward money unless he was part of the plan to get the reward money instead of stealing the painting. Interestingly enough, everyone, except for the two officers involved in the investigation, found this odd.
In Chapter 26, we learn from Sean how connected Patrick and Kenny were when he tells Billy & Mary that "Kenny was in the room when Patrick died" (p. 159). He also dropped another piece of information that sent Billy over the edge when he said, "Patrick was under a lot of pressure after the shooting, but he didn't kill himself. He couldn't" (p. 160). Billy pieced the meaning behind this revelation from Sean and immediately leaves the apartment in search of Kenny Green. Billy learns from Kenny the impossible situation that he and Patrick was in: "If Patrick informed the police, you and Mary would be dead. If I didn't take him out, you, Mary, and my mother would be killed" (p. 163). Kenny confesses to Billy that he was the one how shot Patrick.
Previous chapter(s):
Chapters 13, 14, 15, 16 https://dcnphuc2019.blogspot.com/2024/02/lenten-book-study-self-portrait_28.html
Chapters 17, 18, 19 https://dcnphuc2019.blogspot.com/2024/03/lenten-book-study-self-portrait.html
Chapters 20, 21, 22, 23 https://dcnphuc2019.blogspot.com/2024/03/lenten-book-study-self-portrait_5.html
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