Fruits of the Labor

Memento Mori. It’s a Latin phrase that means ‘remember death’ and it’s something countless saints of God have practiced and encouraged over the centuries. It is the invitation for each of us to remember that we are ‘strangers and sojourners’ in this world and that our destiny is Eternal Life. But to enter into the glory we must be judged. I often consider what that moment will be like. Like the servants entrusted with talents that are called to show what they’ve made of them, so too will I be summoned to stand before the Just Judge and give a reckoning for my labors. One consolation is the rare of occasion when I see the fruits of my labors in some way. One such fruit is the reason I was in Brooklyn, NY this weekend. One of my spiritual daughters, Sister Marie Trône du Roi Bethea, SSVM, made her perpetual profession of vows in her religious community, The Servants of the Lord and the Virgin of Matara. A consecrated Bride of Christ, she received her ring and has entrusted herself to her beloved spouse, Christ our God. While the vast majority of the work is hers and the spiritual directors during her time in religious life, I am blessed to have been able to walk with her from the start and to accompany her with my prayers. If nothing else, I will be able to stand before the Lord and say that I have helped one of His brides. I know there are many other fruits - at least I hope so - but I rejoice especially in this one today.

Shown below are Sr. Trône & me after the Mass, Sister Receiving Holy Communion, and Fr. Taylor Reynolds (from Alexandria) and myself with some of the SSVM Sisters from LA.

On Bugs and the Love of God

Earlier this week I was down at the main house of the Madonna House Apostolate (as opposed to the priest retreat house) waiting for a brother priest so we could ride up to the retreat house. I noticed some beautiful flowers and went over to have a closer look. As I drew close I noticed a number of bugs chomping away on a few of the plants. I noticed that the leaves had been consumed from the entire top of the plants as the bugs were slowly eating their way down from the top. I watched for several minutes and could see them eating but the bites were so small they were almost indiscernible, and yet the leaves were entirely gone on the top of the plant. It made me think of just how many little things in my daily life nibble away at my soul - creature comforts, emphasis on productivity, rushed prayers, bad habits and sins. How many little ‘bites’ they have taken out of my soul that are slowly, indiscernibly quenching the fiery love of God in my heart!

Catherine Doherty, who founded the Madonna House Apostolate, was a rather prolific writer in her day. I recently read one of her works entitled Strannik, which means ‘pilgrim’ in a Russian. In it she speaks of how often pilgrims are called to pilgrimage and they follow the call but they don’t know why they are there. While the Lord certainly has much in store for me of which I am yet unaware, I do know that there is one thing He wants of me during this pilgrimage upon which I find myself: to be set ablaze. It is for that reason that I chose to come here first instead of immediately starting the Camino in Spain. Here I have had some time to ‘come aside and rest a while’ as the Apostles of the Lord were called to do. This rest has taken various forms - extra prayer time, a good bit of reading, meals with the community and fellow guests, chopping wood, stacking wood, prepping vegetables for meals, and moments spent simply enjoying the beauty of the Madawaska Valley. And yet it is all rest for the soul. It is a time to try to rekindle the fire.

In the Gospel for today (20th Sunday of Ordinary Time) the Lord speaks about how He came to set the world on fire and how He wished it were already ablaze. His Sacred Heart burns with love for us and He longs to have that love set our hearts on fire for love of Him as well. This is my hope - to burn with love for God. This Tuesday I will have the grace of going to Poustinia, the Russian word for desert. There are little cabins set aside here for more intense times of prayer. They are likened to a desert because it is the person alone with God. The individual arrives at the door of the little cabin with a jug of water, loaf of bread, and a Bible (and for me a Breviary) with the sole intention of prayer, fasting, and reading the Word of God. As I go to spend that time with the Lord know that each of you reading this will be carried there in my heart. Just inside the door of this retreat house is a little sign from Catherine’s poem ‘What is a priest?’. It says ‘The heart of a priest is open like Christ’s for the whole world to walk through.’ And so, for all of you who have walked into my life - my heart - I will be praying for you and your intentions and ask your prayers for me too.

Later this week I will be driving to Brooklyn, NY for the Solemn Profession of Vows of one of my spiritual daughters, Sr. Marie Trône du Roi. This is essentially her wedding day, when she becomes a true bride of Christ. It is sure to be a most beautiful occasion. From there I will head to Cincinnati to visit with my family for a day or so before heading off to Europe. My Camino commences in 10 days. St. James, pray for me!

Resting with Our Lord

I arrived here in Combermere, Ontario at the Madonna House last Friday (First Friday!) on the feast of St. Peter Julian Eymard, a great lover of the Eucharist. I’m staying at the Vianney House, a retreat house for priests here at Madonna House, along with a rotating group of men from the local diocese and other countries. They are all here for the same reason I am - to come away for a while to rest with Our Lord in this beautiful place dedicated to Our Lady. At all hours of the day the chapel here is occupied by men offering Holy Mass, praying their breviary, reading spiritual reading, or simply sitting in silence with the Lord. It is encouraging to see.

In addition to my time spent in the chapel, it has been a great joy to experience the cool weather and beautiful nature here in the Madawaska Valley. Sitting outside on the little porch of the retreat house, I am able to enjoy a nice cup of hot tea while watching chipmunks and what I think was a groundhog amble around the yard enjoying their meal times. My mind is still caught up in many things with the parish administration and I still have a few things left to do before I can really let myself enter into this sabbatical, but these gifts of community, nature, and the extra time with Our Lord are a salve to my soul.

In addition to these graces, I was able to celebrate the feast of St. Jean Vianney tonight by offering Holy Mass in the Extraordinary Form with a relic of the Curé on the altar. Lord, it is good that we are here.

Always we begin again…

It has begun. Everything is packed and I have left to begin this time of sabbath rest with the Lord. Soon I will start to remember things I failed to pack or forgot to finish before I left, but it will be too late. Without even getting on the Camino in Spain I am already called to embrace the call to pilgrimage. I recall the many time we told the kids on the March for Life buses to remember they were pilgrims, not tourists. So I begin this holy pilgrimage and entrust to the Lord all that lies behind and all that lies ahead. He is in control of all of these things.

In recent weeks I have often been asked if I will be traveling with a friend or group of friends and I responded that I would be traveling only with the Lord. As I was searching drawers to try to ensure I brought everything necessary, I came across an old friend - shown in the picture below - that I decided was light enough to carry even on the Camino where every ounce counts. I never gave him a name, but will now call him John after the Apostle John, the beloved of the Lord and brother of St. James. I thought it fitting since I will soon journey to the tomb of St. James and because I seek to lay my head upon the Heart of Christ in prayer and grow in love of Him in this time. May Our Lord be my strength, Our Lady watch over me, St. Christopher guide me, and the angels and saints intercede for me to God.

Meet John:

Ecce Venio

Ecce, Venio.

It’s a Latin phrase meaning ‘Behold, I come.’ A dozen years ago these two words would have had no significant meaning for me. But today they mean far more than the words contained here. That’s because the love of God for me - for all of us - is beyond description. In ancient days the people of Israel would offer sacrifices in the Temple of various animals and grains. But the Psalms beautifully anticipate the most perfect sacrifice: “Holocaust and oblation you sought not. Then said I: Behold, I come.” (Psalm 40) Jesus Christ, the Son of God, took on our flesh and came to offer the sacrifice not of birds or beasts, but of His very self. In this He has made of children of God and heirs of Heaven. But it is not enough to simply open the gates and wait for us. He stays here with us in the Most Holy Eucharist to strengthen us so we can persevere in walking the narrow path to Eternal Life. Christ remains with us in the tabernacles of churches around the world, imprisoned not by chains but by Love. He longs to be with us so that we might be with Him in glory. In His revelations to numerous saints throughout the centuries, He has continually sought out for Himself companions to remain with Him in the Eucharist. Adorers who make a point to spend time with Him, who speak to Him what He first spoke to us: ‘Behold, I come.’ Indeed our offerings may be small in comparison to His, but how He rejoices to see us before Him in the tabernacle or monstrance! This is what I have come to know in the depths of my soul in a place where words fall short. Jesus Christ abides with us. And He delights when we abide in Him. O, how He loves us!