There is only one road

"He used often to say there was only one Road; that it was like a great river: its springs were at every doorstep, and every path was its tributary. 'It’s a dangerous business, Frodo, going out of your door,' he used to say. 'You step into the Road, and if you don’t keep your feet, there is no knowing where you might be swept off to." J.R.R Tolkien

One of my all-time favorite stories is the Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings.  I first read the books when I was 13 and going to high school in Yorkshire, England.  I would walk home from the school bus stop after dark, in the rain and then curling up to read in the evenings, imagining the world of Middle Earth.  The Road motif that Tolkien uses (as expressed by Bilbo in the above quote) is the blending of life with the presence and the will of God.  In this sense Tolkien echos St Paul who says there is "one Lord, one Faith, one Baptism, one God who is Father of all."  (Eph 4:5-6)

Having spending the past 9 days on "the Road", first at Lourdes and then walking the camino to Saint Jean Pied de Port, I have come back to the metaphor that the journey that we take in life is like a camino.  The Lord invites us to walk with Him, but He allows us to walk alone if we choose to.  One of the spiritual disciplines that we need is that of detachment, that I am detached from particular outcomes and open to where the Lord needs me to be or to whom the Lord needs me to be present to. This is part of the adventure of life.  We have some idea of where we are going, but we are not God, we do not control everything and so we need to be docile to the promptings of the Holy Spirit.  From day to day we did not know the specifics of the path that we would take, who we would meet or where we would lay our heads that night,.  We might lose our way, be given a shortcut, meet an atheist, a devout Christian or some fellow pilgrims.  We might climb hills in the heat, or cold or rain.  We might sleep in a bright, cheery place or a poorly maintained farmhouse.  At the end of the day, God would provide and His provision would be enough.  When morning comes on the morrow, we again shoulder the burden of our packs and walk further along the way.

The same is true in the everyday rhythms of life.  Raising children, working a career, serving in a ministry are all invitations from God to us to encounter His love, in the people we meet, the struggles we endure and the places we visit.  All of these help to form us for the next stage of the journey.  This is where the discipline of a life of prayer helps us to keep our eyes focused on God''s plan for us, and makes it easier to accept the difficulties we find along the way - be they people, places or limitations within ourselves.

Lord, I ask for the grace that I may make you ever more my constant companion as I journey down the road, with you to all whom we encounter.  Shape me through the experiences of my life as we take this journey today together to be your servant and an instrument of your love to others.  Amen

Ending at the Beginning

One Monday we made it to Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port.  We got our credencials stamped and I was able to attend daily mass this evening.  A great way to end the beginning of this pilgrimage.   In the past 6 days we walked from Lourdes to  Louvie-Juzon. From there we made it to Oloron Sainte Marie and then on to Aren.  From Aren to Mauleon-Lichare and then to St Just Ibarre.  Finally, from. St Just Ibarre to here.  We walked about 90 miles in 6 days. 

Saint Jean Pied de Port is where many different French camino's converge, and then move towards Compestela de Santiago.  This is a major pilgrimage destination for those walking the Way of St James, as it is in Compestella that the remains of St James are buried.  In this context, the way points to a path and a journey, for some pilgrims it is an achievement, a badge of accomplishment.  

What is the Way of St James?  In Acts 9:2 St Luke tells us that Saul (later St Paul)  had letters from the Sanhedrin to bring back any men or women of "The Way" in chains to Jerusalem.  "The Way" was an early name for the church, which is the community of men and women who shared their faith with that of the Apostles, iin Jesus Christ as the Son of God who suffered, died and rose from the dead.  This aligns with St John's Gospel where Jesus says that He is "the way, the truth and the life", and the only way to the Father.

Later in the Acts of the Apostles (chapter 12) we learn that St James the Greater, was beheaded by Herod who was king of Jerusalem at the time.  Therefore,  "the way" of St James is the to have the same faith as him, a faith we express in the creed at Mass.  

Being a pilgrim on "The Way" means to take the teachings of Christ to heart.  To be in the world but not of the world.  To live our lives as an invitation to others to see the love and forgiveness that is our path to conversion.   To be aware of the depth of God's love for us, and in response to that love to live a life of conversion, learning day by day to love as Christ loves.

Knackered

When I was a kid growing up in England we used this expression to mean totally exhausted.  That is how I feel tonight.  Drained and ready for sleep.

We entered the Basque country yesterday and today had hot and muggy weather and a long climb.  I began the day with a communal breakfast with the other pilgrims in the albergue and then off to the parish of St Jean Baptist, for morning prayer and Mass.  Mass did not finish until after noon, so that is when I started the camino for the day.  Two hills to climb, in hot muggy weather.  By the time I reached the albergue in st just ibarre I was totally tapped out.

One of the effects of being wiped out is that it reveals your core - strengths and weaknesses.  It is a good way to examen how we have grown in our capacity to love when we are tapped out.  If you are pressed into service for one mile would you go two miles with joy?

Suffice it to say I still have my rough edges that the Lord is still refining.  It iz good fo be aware of them so I can work on them. 

Protect us Lord as we stay awake watch over us as we sleep.  That awake we may keep watching with Christ and asleep rest in His peace.

Amen

Rosaries

One of the ways that I pass the time as I journey from one place to another is in prayer, or contemplation.  Since Wednesday I have been walking on average about 8 to 10 hours a day, that is a lot of time for prayer

And whoever gives only a cup of cold water to one of these little ones to drink because he is a disciple — amen, I say to you, he will surely not lose his reward.  

Sometimes I marvel at the creation I am traveling through, at other times on how God is working in my heart and stil.  At other times I am praying for the needs of the elevations communities that I am part of, my family, my co-workers, my parish, the deacons and clergy of Denver and my friends.

One of the best tools for being a.pilgrim is the rosary - each one is a meditation on the life of Christ' s through the eyes of Mary.  It is my goto prayer when I am engaged in strenuous work (like climbing hills and mountains).

I also use the rosary to memorize scriptures For example when I was meditating on the Beatitudes the other day I would recite the verse for a particular Beatitude on each "Hail Mary" bead, and then once a decade pray a Glory  Be and a Hail Mary reflecting on how Mary experienced or lived that Beatitude.

Finally, the mystrried of the Rosary can be paired with the person I am praying for with a particular intention.  Sometimes they just fit, like when someone is suffering and I pray the sorrowful mysteries for them, or when someone is always cheerful and I pray the joyful mysteries for them.  

  

Impressions

In order to receive the Compestela, a document that recognizes that you have made a pilgrimage to Santiago de Compestela. To do this one carries a pilgrims passport called a Credencial.  Along the way you ask various places, pilgrim houses called alburgues, buisnesses and churches to put a stamp on your Credencial, and sometimes they also record your passing through in a registry of pilgrims.

As I walked from Oloron Sainte Marie to Arens, where we chose to bivouack for the night we encountered through the very hospitable town of Orin I paused to rest by the side door to the catholic church.  At least 3 people stopped their cars and invited us around the corner for coffee.  Not understanding it as an invitation to hospitality I politely declined, but after the third invitation we rounded the corner to a small shop where the woman insisted that we stop and rest and enjoy some orange juice and a bit of coffee cake.  She also stamped our credencial.

Later on the outskirts to Aren we passed a farmhouse with a sign inviting pilgrims to help themselves to water, which Brian did.  A very open and welcoming house.

My reflection is that we all make impressions on one another as we journey on the way.  May God let his grace flow between us through these impressions.

Matthew 10:42 - And whoever gives only a cup of cold water to one of these little ones to drink because he is a disciple—amen, I say to you, he will surely not lose his reward.”

Beatitudes

The camino is marked by a series of painted signs.  Wither a seashell (the symbol of baptism, which is at the start of the way), or a white and red stripe, sometimes with an arrow as the path turns.  The signs prompted me to have some scripture to meditate on as I walked.  I chose Luke 6:20-26 because the Beatitudes are the way of Christ's heart, and one of my goals on the pilgrimage is to grow closer to Him.  The Beatitudes are Luke signposts on the way.

Blessed are you who are poor, for the kingdom. Of God is yours.

In what ways am I poor?  Not materially, but there are areas of my life that experience poverty.  What are those places where I am destitute and needing God's grace?  Where am I humble and willing to yield to others?  Where am I trapped by those sins that I choose over and over again.  Where are the places where I can only depend on the grace of God.  It is when I choose to depend on Him that I begin to experience the Kingdom of God and His grace in my life.  Lord help me to identify and open to you the areas of poverty in my life.

Blessed are you who are now hungry, for you will be satisfied.

What do I hunger for?  Where do I have a driving need in my life?  First and foremost this refers to those who are malnourished.  I am not, but I experience hunger in different ways.  One of the transitions I am going through is that of a single father whose children have (mostly) moved out.  After having spent 30 years of my life providing and caring for the comunity of my family, I now hunger for that type of community, both filled with chaos, hardship and joy.

Christ calls on us to provide for the hungry, and he will satisfy our other gnawing needs as well.  He did this for Mary as He died He entrusted her to St John and the church.  Then at Pentecost she was with the 12 as the church was born.  Her need for community was also satisfied.

Blessed are you when you are now weeping, for you will laugh.

When do I weep?  The church calls me to weep for my sins, to have a sorrowful heart when I have wounded others.  I weep when I lose a loved one to death.  I weep when I am aware of my wounds.  Mary wept at the foot of the cross and as she held Our Lord when he was taken down from the cross. 

Yet, behind this Beatitude is the fact that God enters into suffering and death out of obedience, and as a result of His sacrifice

God brings death to life.  This is a cause for laughter as God has the last laugh over death.

Blessed are you when people hate you, insult and exclude you and denounce your name as evil on account of the Son of Man.  Rejoice and leap for joy on that day.  Behold your reward will be great in heaven, their ancestors treated the prophets in the same way.

To bear insult, calumny, hatred and to be labeled as evil because of your willingness to be a Christian, or for your decision to follow Christ can be difficult.  These trials are dificult to endure, whether you experience them at work, from friends or family.  I understand these trials as the cross, which is an evil I that I would not wish on my worst enemy, but the Lord has asked me to embrace and endure.  Lord, grant me the grace to leap for joy on these occasions.

 

Las Posadas

I was introduced to the tradition of Las Posadas at my first parish, St Anthony of Padua.  9 days prior to Christmas the Church would gather in the evenings to re-enact Mary and Joseph seeking a place to stay in Bethlehem.  Two of the youth would dress as Mary and Joseph and they would go from room to room or house to house.  At each Posada (inn) Mary and Joseph would sing to see if there was room. For them to stay.  The inn keeper would respond in song that the inn was full, then everyone would pray a decade of the rosary.  Mary and Joseph would then seek another place.

We stepped out from the Petit Couvent in Lourdes into  cool and damp autumn morning.  We found the Camino easy to navigate as the signage on the trail is very clear.  The trail begins along the river Pau for many miles through a dense forest

After several miles we came to the Shrine of Lestelle-Betherram, which has a beautiful church.  When I stopped in mass was just ending.  It was the only church we found that had anyone in it.  After receiving the final blessing we climbed the hill out of the river valley, which had the stations of the cross on them, so praying the stations we climbed to the "cross of the heights" which had a great view and picnic tables, so we had lunch.

We soon came to the Church in Asson, which was our destination for the day, but we felt that we could go further, so we pushed on.  

When we arrived at Bruges we started to look for a place to stay - and now las posadas come to mind.  The first place we came to required reservations, and was full.  They said that there was an albergue in the next town Mifaget right next to the Church.

In Mifaget, the church of St Michael's is right next to the road.  St Micheal is the patron saint of pilgrims.  In the church there was a sign that the hostel for pilgrims was closed during Covid and has not re-opened.  

We started to call around to places to stay, and after 30 minutes or so found refuge in a Convent converted to a bed and breakfast in Louvie-Juzon, another 8 or 9 km away.  So shouldering our packs we pressed on arriving here at 7.30 pm.  

Unlike Mary and Joseph, The innkeeper and his wife welcomed us and made us feel at ho e.  They are very gracious hosts.  God always provides, in ways we do not expect.  He gives us the grace, perseverance and gifts to find a welcome home at the end of the journey.

Lourdes

I just spent the past two days immersing myself I to the activities at the Shrine to Our Lady at Lourdes.  There is much to see, do and experience here.  I stayed at the Petit Couvenr, just west of the sanctuary.  Had a chance to go to confession.   Prayed at the grotto for those who asked me to pray for them. Time at mass (in polish), adoration and praying g the rosary with about 10,000 people in 15 different languages.

The Couvent

If I had to sum up the experience here it would be in 3 ideas.

The Certainty of Witness

The need to pray for and care for the sick

The universality of the catholic church 

Bernadette encountered the Blessed Mother in a series of visions at a young age.  She shared what she experiences and the. Desired to fade into the background.  As a result the Shrine at Lourdes flourished.  She moved I t to care of the sisters from Nevers and later became a nun caring for the sick.  She died at the age of 35 of tuberculosis.  72 known medical miracles have been credited to Lourdes and over 7000 cases are under consideration.   In all of this Bernadette said that she did not need to convince others but simply to share her experience.

The Grotto at Lourdes

The need to pray for and care for the sick.

I ran into many groups here on pilgrimage.  From a diocese, or parish etc.  From all over the world. Australia, Sri Lanka, Italy,  Kenya, Croatia, Philippines,  and many other places.  Each group had 10 or 20 or 50 people i. Wheel chairs, that they cared for and brought to the baths and the liturgical.  The first proclamation of the gospel was christ healing the sick.  It is good to see t he desire to include the sick in the life of the church as a primary focus 

The Universality of the Catholic Church

Last night I went to the candlelight procession where we prayed the rosary with about 10,000 Catholics from all over the world.

Every 3 or 4 prayers and we switched to another language, yet all one faith.   We had mass here each day in english, French, spanning,Italian, dutch, polish, philippino etc. There were pepple here from all walks of lode.  Rich and poor, black, brown, and white.   Everyone had a sicere faith and tjat is the point of ourunity.  What a great site to witness

Peace

Paul 

Rain

It is somehow appropriate that when I arrived at Lourdes, the place with miraculous water that I arrive in a downpour.  Then, we walked to a convent, which was not the place where we were to stay.  (I failed to make the convent we had reservations at sufficiently clear).  We jad to backtrack and then following google we made our way up an ill used path, to the back gate of the convent where we were to stay only to find that the gate was locked.  Still raining steadily , we backtracked again and finally by long and roundabout way came  to the front door of the Petit Convent.  After some confusion about the reservation we had a place to stay while we are at Lourdes.

By the time we got into the dry I was soaked to the skin.  It turns out the the raingear I brought has lost its effectiveness.  

Water cleanses, washes away, purifies, makes us clean, here at Lourdes the water from the grotto has been documented to miraculously heal abut 70 people, from re-fusing a broken femur, to healing turburculosis, or giving sight to the blind and healing the dumb so they can speak.  So I don't mind being soaked if it brings me a deeper understanding of the grace of God which flows through my life 

 

Christ the same yesterday and today

During one virtual today (actually friday), I began with morning prayer and mass at my parish - St Thomas More in Centennial, Colorado.  Evening prayer was prayed somewhere over Nebraska or South Dakota as I flew through the night.  My friend Brian Chrstensen and I landed in Keflavik, Iceland where I prayed morning prayer

Sunrise at Iceland

From there we caught the next flight to Paris, Where we arrived in the mid afternoon.  That is when the fun began.

I made my last post from the bus that took us from the airport to the Opera bus terminal in central paris.  It was hard to stay alert after being on the go for 24+ hours.  When we departed the bus we decided to walk to the Auberge Adveniat as rush hour traffic was impossible and we watched people walk faster than our bus.  After some messing around with google apps we made it to the Auberge by foot.  We got checked in at 5:30 pm.  I really wanted to attend mass at Notre Dame and I knew the saturday evening mass was at 6pm, so having checked in, I decided to try to attend mass at Notre Dame - which was 45 minutes away by foot.  Never to be one to be put off by seemingly impossible deadlines I ser off and in typical, paul "go mode" cut a trail across paris along the Seine to Notre Dame weaving in and around the people on the way.  Notre Dame is a huge tourist hotspot, that  just reopened after the fire in 2019.  Like St Marks in Venice there were a ton of people in line to tour the Cathedral.  When I told the security guard that i was there for mass and he ushered me right into where the congegation was gathered.just as the priest started the litrugy. 

One of the wonderful things about Catholicism is the universality of the church, so while I did not speak a lick of French, I knew the mass and the universality of the faith, sharing the sign of peace with those sharing in the Eucharist.  After Mass I took some quiet prayer time to thank God for a safe jouney and all the helpful people I have met so far.  Praying the evening office in the geart of a grand cathedral.  It was awesome.  

At around 8pm exhaustion overtook me so I made my way back to the Auberge at a liesurely pace and, after a refreshing shower I fell into a deep sleep.  

Christ is the same, yesterday, today and tomorrow, for all peoples and all time, 

Patience in transit

One of the hardest things to do is to figure out public transit in a new country when you don't speak the language.  Some of my most intense experiences of this was in Japan, Greece and Italy.  We have worry, am i in the right place?  Will the bus come before I drop dead of exhaustion?  Did I buy the right ticket or did I just miss the bus?  "Martha, Martha, you are worried about many things...  Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her."

Dear Lord, grant me the patience to trust in your providence and the courage to know that by your will iit s getting 

Bon Voyage

Denver, Colorado. 

Today, I am leaving Denver to begin a pilgimage.  I began the day with morning prayer and mass at my parish, and now I am at the airport awaiting my flight. 

This year is a year of Jubilee for the church and I wanted to participate more fully in it.l, so I am headed on a journey of encounter, accompaniment, hope and healing

When I prayed morning prayer the following verse caught my heart.  "I have been crucified with Christ and the life I live is not my own;Christ living in me." (Gal 2:19b)

Lord, help me to allow this word to rest in my heart and bear fruit for all whom I encounter on the way....

Apostolic

Intro

Built on the rock of Peter, the Church stands firm through his successors. Pope Leo, our shepherd, leads us in mercy and love—but as sheep, are we ready to follow?

Difference in Readings - Vigil vs Mass during the day

In the Catholic church, greater solemnities are often celebrated with different sets of readings at the  different times of celebration - for example, the readings for Easter Sunday are different for the Vigil vs the Mass at Dawn, vs the Mass during the day vs the Mass in the Afternoon.  Today is no different - the readings for the vigil Mass are all different than the readings for today.  Last night the readings focused on Peter and John healing a lame man, St. Paul recounting his conversion and Jesus asking St. Peter if he loved him on the beach after the resurrection.  Today the readings focus on the imprisonment of Peter by Herod, St. Paul’s readiness for martyrdom and with Jesus asking the apostles who he is.  The Church does this to help us live these great feasts fully.

How well do you know Christ?

In the Gospel today, Jesus asks the apostles - “Who do you say that I am?”  In effect Christ is asking “Do you know me?”  Peter answers the question with the greatest degree of clarity - “you are the Christ - the Son of the Living God…”  Jesus responds to Peter with a blessing and a mission - to be the rock of Catholic Faith which nothing will overcome.  In the Gospel from last night  Christ says to Peter - “Feed my sheep” which ties into today’s reading in which Christ gives Peter the grace to bind and to loose.  The gift of Christ to the Church through St. Peter is his faith - his answer from today’s gospel is an Apostolic Faith.

The Apostolic ministry of St. Paul

The life of St. Paul provides us another insight into the Apostolic ministry that both he and St. Peter shared in.  The second readings from today and last night book-end the life of St. Paul.  In the reading from last night he reflects on how God called his mother’s womb to encounter Christ - which he did on the road to Damascus to arrest Christians and bring them back in chains.  After his Baptism by Ananias in Damascus Paul was sent by the Church to proclaim the Gospel to the Gentiles.  In the s and for the gift of proclaiming Christ to the world.  In today’s readings, St Paul writes to St. Timothy saying “I am already being poured out like a libation, and the time of my departure is at hand.  I have competed well; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith.”

After writing this St. Paul was beheaded by the emperor Nero in 67 AD as part of his persecution of Christians - another example of the world attempting to silence or corrupt the teachings of the Church - which ultimately failed in keeping with Christ’s promise from the Gospel today - “You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it”.

Not an accidental faith

To have a Catholic faith does not mean that my faith accidentally aligns with the Pope as if we are free to differ.  It means that my faith is a gift that I received from the Church.  If there is an area where my faith does not align with that of the Church it is I who need to examine that faith and figure out where I have erred because it was to Peter (and his successors) that Christ gave the power to bind and loose.

Aligning to Peter gives a grace of certainty

Some of us can see this as a challenge because of our American concept of freedom we might think “If I have to align my faith to that of St. Peter, then I am not free…”  Yet in reality this is a safeguard that Christ gave to the Church - that my faith is preserved from error and distortion when I align it to the teachings of the Church - This is part of what we mean when we say that we believe in 

• One (that our faith is the same), 

• Holy (that we are called by God to something greater),

• Catholic (that our faith and our call is universal) and 

• Apostolic (that our faith is the same as the Apostles) Church.

What do Peter, Paul and Leo have in common?

Jesus said to his disciples if you want to be the greatest of all, you must be the least of all, the servant of all.  In this way when men enter into the Apostolic ministry they surrender their own will, and seek to obey and serve the Church. Priests (like Fr. Chris) do this when the Archbishop assigns them to a new Parish.  The Archbishop did this when Pope Benedict sent him from Rapid City to be the Archbishop of Denver.  Pope Leo did this when the cardinals asked him to accept the ministry of the Papacy - which he did.

Take care not to let others co-opt the Faith

Know that some will seek to co-opt the Catholic message

There are many forces in the world that seek to use the Church for their own purposes.  The first readings for today’s celebration both touch on this point - In the reading from the Vigil Peter and John heal a lame man, and then have to defend the proclamation of Christ to the Sanhedrin.  In the reading from today Herod arrests and beheads St. James to win favor with the crowds, and then tries to double down by arresting St. Peter as well.

This practice is alive and well today.  For example, when Pope Leo was elected to the Papacy each report of the election wrapped the news with their own particular ideological framing - trying to communicate to their audience who the pope was based on how they thought he would support or oppose their particular values.

As Catholics we need to be aware of this and make sure that we are not allowing these influences to shape our relationship with the Holy Father - because Christ desires us to be one as He and the Father are one.

Listen then to the words that Pope Leo used to begin his ministry.

“Dear brothers and sisters, these are the first words spoken by the risen Christ, the Good Shepherd who laid down His life for God’s flock.  I would like this greeting of peace to resound in your hearts, in your families, among all people, wherever they may be, in every nation and throughout the world.  Peace be with you!

It is the peace of the risen Christ.  A peace that is unarmed and disarming, humble and persevering.  A peace that comes from God, the God who loves us all, unconditionally.”

Pope Leo captured the essence of the Church in his opening remarks - God loves you and desires for you to share in His peace - so much so that he laid down his life for you.  

[[PAUSE]]

Practical ways to participate in the Apostolic Ministry

Here are some practical ways we can allow our faith to be enriched by participating in the apostolic ministry:

Repent!  Change your thinking

Examine an area of your life where your practice is not aligned to the teaching of the Church.  This might be in the area of how to treat the homeless, immigrants, or maybe closer to home such as the area of birth control, forgiveness (either of others or of self) - your conscience will let you know what that area is - then seek to learn what the church teaches on that topic, and let your heart be formed by Catholic teaching.

Pray for Peter!

Many people already do this, but maybe you do not - pray for the intentions of the Holy Father, and for those of Archbishop Aquila in your daily prayers.  Pray that the Holy Spirit will give them the graces to fulfill their ministry daily.

As Peter, to pray for you!

Stop after mass and ask a priest or deacon to pray for the personal needs of your family.  This is one way to seek the greater presence of Christ into your life.

Take some time this week to find a way to allow this feast of St. Peter and St. Paul to penetrate into your lives.  Seek to find a way to allow the witness of their lives to open ours to the presence of God’s grace.

Closing Thought from the Office of Readings for today…

St. Augustine wrote that St Peter and St Paul “share the same feast day, for these two were one; and even though they suffered on different days, they were as one. Peter went first, and Paul followed. And so we celebrate this day made holy for us by the apostles’ blood. Let us embrace what they believed, their life, their labors, their sufferings, their preaching, and their confession of faith.”

Living Piety

 Acts 15:1-2, 22-29, Psalm 67:2-3, 5, 6, 8, Revelation 21:10-14, 22-23, Jn  14:23-29

1.3 Million men and women have died in the Armed Forces

This weekend our nation celebrates Memorial Day - to honor Americans who gave their lives to protect the freedoms and rights that we have as a nation.  We honor the love and devotion shown by 1.3 million of our fellow countrymen who have died protecting our country since our birth as a nation in the Revolution of 1776.

Grand Army of the Republic

In 1866, after the end of the Civil War veterans of the North formed the Grand Army of the Republic - A Civil War Veterans group of the men who served in the Union during the war.  The Grand Army of the Republic lasted until  1956 when its last member died.  

Happy Decoration Day

In May of 1868 the G.A.R. began our tradition of celebrating Memorial Day by calling upon its members to set aside a day at the end of May to remember their comrades who had perished during the war.  Americans were encouraged to "cherish tenderly the memory of our heroic dead who(se) ... lives were the reveille of freedom to a race in chains”

Major General William Rosecrans - Catholic Convert

One of the men who helped form the Grand Army of the Republic was Major General William Rosecrans - who was a devout Catholic.  Rosecrans converted to Catholicism while he was at West Point.  He later married and convinced his wife and his brother to enter into the Catholic Church.  His brother became the first Bishop of Columbus Ohio, and He and his wife Anne went on to have  7 children, two died in infancy, one became a priest, two of his daughters became nuns, and the other two raised families of their own. 

Spiritual Care for his men

General Rosecrans was placed in charge of the Army of the Cumberland and he first looked to the spiritual care of his soldiers, Catholic, Protestant and Jewish alike.  He saw that there were 44 protestant and 3 catholic Chaplains and made sure that the Jewish soldiers could celebrate the Seder meal during Passover.

Rosecrans knew that God was using him to end Slavery

During the Civil war he increasingly came to believe that God was using him as a Union officer to speed the end to slavery.  In camp he would attend daily Mass and would debate theology with his officers.  He was always seen praying his rosary, and was seen carrying it as he rode up and down the line to rally his men in battle.

Rosecrans was a pious Catholic man

I think we would all agree that General Rosecrans was a pious man - he was devoted to God, to his Family and to his Country.  In a predominantly Protestant culture he was willing to share his faith, to put the needs of his family first and to serve his country even though he was already retired from the Army.

Piety - it does not mean sanctimonious or hypocritical

Piety, or being Pious is not a value of our culture today.  It is seen as being a fake holiness - holier than thou. This is not at all what it is about. 

GN -Piety is a response to unpayable debt.

Piety involves gratitude for the immeasurable debt we owe to God, family, and country. On Memorial Day, we honor military service members who sacrificed their lives for their community and homeland, reflecting Christ's  ultimate act of piety in dying for us on the cross.

As as a citizen I cannot repay my country - so I express patriotism

By being born in the United States - we owe our nation for providing the environment that we benefit from.  That environment - with all the benefits that our country provides is because of the generations that preceded us and created for us the culture we live in.  We call this expression of piety Patriotism - or love of our country.

As a member of my family I cannot repay my parents

By being born into our families we own our parents because they chose to bring us into this world and cared for us, disciplined us and formed us so that we can be successful.  In response to this scripture calls on us to care for our parents as they age and to never grow weary of them.  

As a human - I cannot repay God for the gift of life

By being created and redeemed by God we also owe a debt we cannot repay.  God created us out of nothing in collaboration with our parents, and gives us both a mission, the gift of the church and the gift of salvation from our sins - by Christ dying on the cross.  None of these we are able to repay.  Piety towards God is a recognition of this reality.

Piety is “paying it forward” - making our nation better

Piety is looking at the benefits that we have received through the lens that those gifts in some way are gifts, from our country, from our families and from God.  Piety frames our response to this by asking us to “pay it forward”.  That we have a responsibility, as Catholics, to enter into our society and to make it a better reflection of God’s love as we journey through this life on our way to the Father.  General Rosecrans did this when he led his men into battle so that there could be an end to Slavery - even though this was not a popular decision with everyone - it was the right thing to do - and he and his men were willing to suffer the consequences of that selfless service.  

How do I “pay it forward” in my family?

In a similar way we are called to respond to the gift of our parents, in how we raise our own families, to take the gifts that our parents have passed onto us and to infuse them with God’s grace so that our children benefit from the culture of our families in a greater way than we did from our parents.

How do I respond to God’s gift of life?

Finally, we are also called to respond to God for His gifts of piety by surrendering our hearts to His love for us and His mission for us - that we might become more clearly a reflection of the Love of God in the world. Here are some practical ideas on how we can put piety into practice this week

Pray for the living and the dead

Tomorrow is Memorial Day - take some time to drive out to Fort Logan and wander among the veterans who are buried there - pray a rosary for them, and their loved ones. Pray that God have mercy on the souls of the deceased and that he console those who mourn for them.

Care for the widows and orphans of deceased service members

Consider looking up a charity that cares for the families of those who have died in service to their country - and donate to their cause.  This was one of the original intentions of Memorial Day.

Visit the lonely (your parents)

Take some time out to just visit and be with your families, parents if you have them and they are close.  Call them or visit them and spend time sharing your love with them.

Share Christ’s selfless love with someone in need

Be attentive this week to someone who you discern needs to encounter the love of Christ this week.  The best way to respond to God’s immense gift of love to us is to imitate that love to those in need.

Our practice of piety is rooted in selfless love

The Gospel today shows us how God would have us respond to these gifts that we have received - with selfless love. 

• Love that seeks to better our country in how we participate in our nation. 
• Love that seeks to give of ourselves to our families - in a special way our parents, so that they are cared for as they become weak and old, and
• Love that seeks to serve God in response to His immense gift to us.

All of these gifts are rooted in the practice of, and living out of, selfless love - that is chaste love. - A Love that seeks the good of the other selflessly - without expecting return.

The Gospel and Fish Guts

 How 6 different men encountered God - In a Dream / On the Road / At the Office

In the readings today we have the description of how 6 different Christians encountered God.  For each of these men that encounter re-wrote the rest of their entire lives.  The Prophet Isaiah encountered the Lord in Jerusalem, besieged by the army of a foreign country, in a dream.  St. Paul encountered the Lord in the midst of his wrath and hatred for the Church on the road to Damascus.  Peter, Andrew, James and John encountered the Lord while they were sitting in their boats cleaning their nets from a day of work.

Cleaning Fish Guts and the Gospel

Think about it - you are sitting on the sea-shore scrubbing nets which smell like fish-guts in the hot sun and the Rabbi comes along and asks if he can use your boat to teach.  So you row a little out from the shore, cast out your anchor and continue to go about your work, while the Lord teaches about the Kingdom of God.

What about us here today?  Have we entered into a relationship with God?

I think that it is a useful point for us to reflect on - have we entered into a relationship with the Lord?  I ask that question because there is a portion of the Church for whom being Catholic, being Christian is a social engagement - I was raised this way, or my parents brought me to Church and I thought it was good.  That is a good beginning and the Lord has a deeper vision for each one of us.  

Isaiah’s Conversion

For the Prophet Isaiah, he was asleep when he had a vision of seeing God in heaven - while Jerusalem was surrounded by a foreign army.  He lived at a time when most of the Jewish people had abandoned following God - which is why he cries out “Woe is me, I am doomed! For I am a man of unclean lips, living among a people of unclean lips; yet my eyes have seen the  King, the LORD of hosts!"

In response to this recognition of the Truth, one of the Seraphim flies to Isaiah with a burning coal, taken from the altar and purifies him - freeing him to respond to the call of God.  God uses Isaiah’s free response to His love to send him as a prophet to the Jewish people who are living in a time of tumult and trouble - and chose to put their faith in worldly alliances rather than in God.

St. Paul’s conversion story

St. Paul can also be thought of as a prophet.  His title is that he is the Apostle to the Gentiles because he encountered the Lord while he was on the road to Damascus to arrest Christians and bring them back in chains to Jerusalem.  He was convinced that Christianity was against God.  He oversaw the stoning of one of the first deacons - St. Stephen, after which he was bound and determined to put an end to what he saw was a plague upon the Jewish faith.  While he was on his way to Damascus he was struck to the ground, blinded and heard Christ asking him this question - “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”.  His companions then led him to Damascus to a house on Straight Street where he spent three days in prayer and fasting and reflection.  In the mean-time the Lord went to a devout Christian in Damascus named Ananias, and told him to go and help Saul.  Ananias was reluctant to help but ultimately obeyed the Lord and Baptized Saul, who took on a new name - St. Paul.  

Where were you when you first realized that God was real and our faith was there to let you grow closer to Him?

St. Peter says “Always be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope, but do it with gentleness and reverence” (1 Pet 3:15-16a).  As Christians we should be ready to explain to people why we have faith in God.  Remember, Living in Colorado is living in a territory where many people do not know God.  When people ask me why I am a Christian, I share with them the first time as an adult I encountered God in prayer and knew that it was Him, and not some psychological reflection of myself.  After I was discharged from the Military my brothers invited me to attend a Teens Encounter Christ retreat, and on the morning of the last day of that retreat I vividly remember waking up in prayer praising God - and it was a joyful experience.  That retreat changed the course of the rest of my life - and ultimately led me here to St. Michaels…

Where is your relationship with God (1 to 10)?

When I talk about a relationship with God, I mean a friendship that extends beyond the immediate confines of the Mass, into the rest of Sunday, and beyond Sunday into each day of the week.  How much time do we turn to God, in prayer, in reflection, in praise throughout the week?  Give yourself a score from 1 to 10, where 1 is only Sunday at Mass, and 10 is on par with Mother Teresa or Padre Pio.  Where is that relationship for us?

Where would you like it to be?  

Where do you think God would like it to be?

It does not matter how you answer that question (provided that you answer it honestly), because our relationship with God begins with an honest recollection of where we are at with Him today.  As the Lord told Moses - I am a God of the Living not the Dead.  I AM who AM - which is another way of saying I am here in your presence, desiring to deepen our relationship together, so let’s start from where we are at right now.

We can start growing in friendship from now

The readings today challenge us to recognize that wherever our relationship with God is, He is inviting us to deepen, strengthen, and make that friendship more intimate.  So it does not matter where we are or what we have done up until now - what matters is what we do next, today, tomorrow, the rest of this week.  

What if you are unsure about your reason for faith?

There is no better day than today and no better time than now to take some time and ask the Lord to reveal Himself to you.  Be persistent, ask, seek, knock.  Just start with a simple prayer - Lord, by the grace of the Holy Spirit open my heart to understand your love this week.  Pray this each day and then in the evening reflect - in what ways did God reveal himself to me today?  This is how we move from a 1 to a 2 or a 2 to a 3 and so on.

What can I do next? - Overcome your reluctance to share…

One of the things that Catholics struggle with is sharing their faith with others.  We are like a secret club, we meet here on Sunday - everyone has their place, we shake hands or hug at the sign of peace, and we all know how to sit, stand and kneel.  Put us out in the world and many of us are uncomfortable in sharing the reason for the hope that lies within us.  Part of this is because the culture around us has stereotyped Christians as being fanatics, who are superstitious, and believe crazy things.  Part of this is out of a fear of being ridiculed or marginalized.  Part of this is out of a reluctance to share that which is most precious.  

My own hesitancy

After my encounter with the Lord I was hesitant to share my faith - partially because it was so precious to me, and partially out of embarrassment - working in a scientific and technical field I felt that it was against the grain of my profession.  Eventually, I realized that everyone around me could figure out that I was a devout Catholic within about 15 minutes of meeting me - so I ditched the hesitancy and gladly shared with those who inquired.

Share you witness to Christ

If you do understand your testimony, then ask the Holy Spirit for an opportunity to share the reason for your faith.  This has happened to me at work throughout my career.  When someone enquires - share openly, honestly and without hesitation.  Sometimes you might be called to defend the faith, sometimes to share, and sometimes to guide.  As Christ said to Peter - Do not be afraid.  From now on you will be fishing for men!