MAKING ALL THINGS NEW

This past June, two of my nieces performed at Carnegie Hall in New York City.  They did beautifully, and it was a joyous and memorable occasion for me and my family members who were able to make it.  It had been some time since I was last in Manhattan, and my sister and I decided to visit the 9/11 Memorial before catching a train back down to Baltimore.

It’s hard to put into words how I felt about the visit.  Moving, powerful, emotional, tragic, and epic are a few that come to mind, but they do not fully articulate all that was going through my mind as we wound our way through the memorial.  As I sit here now, safe and sound in my house on this 15th Anniversary of that life-changing day, the word hero comes to mind. That adjective has been kicking around in my head for about a month, but not just because of the heroic and brave actions of countless men and women 15 years ago.

This past Monday, September 5th, I went to a Memorial Mass for one of the heroic people in my life.  Father Art Valenzano, one of my heroes, died a year ago, after a nearly ten year battle with cancer.  Unbelievably kind, compassionate, holy, yes, even saintly, for nearly twenty years I had the blessing of working side by side with him.  His impact on me was great, and I will always be grateful for his wise advice, presence, and witness.

This past July, a second great heroic figure in my life passed away.  Another fine and holy priest, Vincent McMurry was a simple man and, as a good friend reminded me recently, Vincent was a “background kind of guy,” not in the spotlight or wishing any recognition.  He was my spiritual director for many years, and the countless wise insights he shared with me during our meetings continue to impact my life.

Friends, this morning I feel blessed to have been able to have two wonderfully fine examples of heroic living in my circle of friends.  There have been others to be sure, but Art and Vincent will forever stand out to me.

Just because I didn’t know any of the thousands of people who lost their lives on 9/11 does not mean that I couldn’t count them among those who have touched my life by their heroic actions.  Their courage and bravery should provide a heroic witness to all of us, no matter who we are and where we live.  I hope everyone reading this will one day have the chance to visit the 9/11 Memorial.  For me, the memorial speaks not only of the tragedy of hatred, violence and terrorism, but more importantly, of courage, bravery, heroism, and the sacredness of each and every human life.

Early this morning, a major earthquake hit the Italian region of Umbria.  It will take time to access the damage and the loss of life, but from the look of things, it’s pretty bad.  Let’s pray for all those affected.  I’ve had the blessing of visiting this area of Italy, where the home of St. Francis is found.  Assisi is a mystical place, and I was just talking about it a few weeks ago with someone who had recently stayed a week there. Assisi sits on the western flank of Mount Subasio, overlooking the valley below.  I’m sure the founders of the town were drawn to the mountain for fear of marauders.  They chose a wise location.

On some mornings during my visits there, I liked to get up early and talk the town.  Because of it’s location on the hill, it can feel like you’re in the clouds, which you literally are.  While out on my walks, alone with my thoughts and prayers, I could often sense that Francis or Claire would be right around the corner, or just down the street.  Their presence in this holy place is palpable.  I’ve been to Assisi probably more than a dozen times, and I have to say it is one of the most amazingly spiritual places I’ve ever visited.

In 1997, another earthquake struck Umbria, and that time Assisi suffered major damage, including the loss of some frescoes by Giotto found in the Basilica of St. Francis.  I didn’t see news about any damage to Assisi in the earthquake today, but hopefully it was minimal.

Earthquakes are a part of life in many parts of the world.  They were certainly a fact of life in my hometown in the LA suburbs of California.  I was amazed several years ago when, sitting in my office in Maryland, I felt the familiar roll of an earthquake.  We sometimes think we can control the world around us, and we are in charge of our fate.  Earthquakes are a reminder of just how much is really out of our hands.  That’s where trust in God comes in…

Today is the Feast of St. Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Jesuits and the writer of one of the most profound documents in Christian Spirituality, the Spiritual Exercises.  Coming to know Ignatius through reading, retreats and incorporating his prayer methods into my daily life has greatly strengthened my relationship with God and the people around me. I’ve become aware that we can find God in all things, and at every moment God never ceases to be with us on our own journey. I’m very grateful to the people who introduced me to Ignatius.

Vinita Hampton Wright from Loyola Press wrote this prayer to celebrate today’s feast.  I hope it strengthens you for your own journey.

Creator God, who loves pilgrims everywhere,
thank you for the journey of your saint, Ignatius of Loyola,
who marked the path for those of us who follow his example in following Jesus.
Thank you for drawing Ignatius to your grace and to a life of spiritual discovery.
Thank you for teaching him about prayer so that he could teach us.
Thank you for using a person so obviously imperfect,
so that we could have hope for ourselves.
May we continue on our journeys—as individuals and as the Church—
following Ignatius’s example of persistence, humility, courage, and gratitude.
May we grow to love you more dearly with every step we take.
May we invite others to walk with us,
and may we become loving and faithful companions to all who journey toward you.
Amen.

If you have the chance, get outside and take a walk or a drive.  Open your eyes to the beauty of God’s creative actions, which never cease.

A few weeks ago, I happened to stop by the retreat center where I lead my retreats.  I had wanted to quickly run in to pick up one of their brochures, and when I got into the building, standing there was a person who I made several retreats with.  I hadn’t seen her in about five years, which, sadly, was the last time I made my own eight day silent retreat.  She asked me if I was joining them this year, and unfortunately, I had to say no.  This darn doctorate!  It doesn’t leave me much time to do anything.

My friend asked me if I had seen Stephen, the person who had directed me on four Ignatian retreats.  Almost as soon as I said no, I saw him down the hall, heading into a conference room.  After I wished my friend well, I headed own the hall to find my former director.  I hadn’t seen him since my last retreat, but he recognized me right away.  We went deep during my annual retreats with him, and with his guidance, I grew to really love Ignatian spirituality.

On the last morning of my fourth retreat, I told Stephen I needed to get out.  I had walked all the trails of the center, and I was bored.  He encouraged me to visit Patapsco State Park, just about a mile or so away.  Within ten minutes I was driving down the road.  Within twenty minutes, I was already on a hiking trail.  It was a beautiful summer day, and I was feeling great.  I mean really great.  I think I was in probably the best shape of my life, and I felt charged with the grandeur of God.  My retreat had gone well, and I had made the decision to apply for a doctoral program, one which would help me formulate a plan to bring Ignatian spirituality to people dealing with chronic illness.

OK, if you were wondering why this blog post was entitled “The Charge,” here it is.  Thanks for being patient!  As I started heading back to the car, there was a pretty substantial hill on the right side of the trail.  As I walked along, I kept looking at the very top, and then, totally out of character for me, I left the trail and literally charged that hill until I reached the top.  I still recall the exhilaration, while at the same time asking myself, “where on earth did that come from?”  I was hardly winded, and didn’t even break a sweat.  Even a year before that charge, I doubted I would have ever made the attempt.  That day will forever be etched in my memory.  “I can do all things in Christ who strengthens me” would be an appropriate Scripture passage to correspond with how I was feeling.

Unfortunately, I now find myself needing to get back into the shape I was  in.  Life has a way of getting in the way, doesn’t it?  Old habits have a way of sneaking back into your life, especially the unhealthy ones.  So, it’s time to begin again.  Have you heard, “New Every Morning” by Audrey Assad?  From the first time I heard it, it continues to encourage me with the thought of God’s constant presence in our lives, and every day can be a fresh start, no matter where we have been.

Tomorrow is the Feast of St. Ignatius.  Since Sundays take precedence, we won’t hear about him at church.  Happy Feast Day nonetheless!

Oh, by the way, I couldn’t find an image which tied to my experience at Patapsco, so this one from pixabay, certainly much more visually grand, conveys my message.

I don’t know about you, but I’m very grateful to be a citizen of the United States of America. Without a doubt, we as a country face many, many problems. One only has to think about the upcoming election to realize the shape we are in. That being said, we’ve faced a multitude of issues over our 240 years, but we have always made it through. And, please God, we will continue to do so.

As we celebrate our Independence Day, my own thoughts echo these words from a letter 41-year-old John Adams wrote to his wife of the Declaration : “I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated, by succeeding generations, as the great anniversary Festival. It ought to be commemorated, as the day of deliverance by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shews, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires and illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this time forward forever more.”

May God bless the United States of America, the land of the free and home of the brave.

photo by pixabay.

When Pope Francis was in Philadelphia last fall, he told a story from the life of St. Katherine Drexel (1858-1955), a native of that city.   in 1887, Katherine and her sisters, who had recently inherited a nearly $16 million estate, traveled to Europe and had a private audience with Pope Leo XIII.  Katherine asked the Holy Father to send missionaries to the United States to care for poor African Americans and Native Americans.  While to pope was amiable to this, he had a challenge for Katherine.  “How about you?  What can you do?”  And so began the desire of this future saint to become a woman religious.  Katherine Drexel devoted her life and her part of her family fortune to serve these two groups.  When she died in 1955, she left a rich legacy that continues to this day.

By chance, I was at a conference today in Bensalem, Pennsylvania.  Someone mentioned that the Shrine of St. Katherine was just a few blocks away, and when the conference was over, I drove up the road to her Shrine.  As I sat in the beautiful chapel in this photo, a chapel which St. Katherine knew well, the words of Pope Leo came into my mind.  It’s a great challenge to all of us, don’t you think?

The world is a crazy place, and there are many, many lost and broken people right among us.  What are we doing to help?  It’s not someone else’s job.  The challenge is for you and me.  St. Katherine could have chosen to just give her money away and leave the work to others.  She chose to be the servant, the worker, the provider herself.  It was a blessing to pray where she prayed, and kneel at her tomb.

Sadly, I learned that just this past month, the sisters have decided to sell the 44 acre property, including the Shrine.  St. Katherine’s remains will be moved to the Cathedral in Philadelphia, a church where she prayed as a child.  When I learned this, I felt doubly blessed for my visit today, especially for the randomness of it.

I don’t know what will become of the property, but I hope I’ll have the chance to visit again before it’s gone.

OK, I have to admit it.  Up to this morning, I didn’t know we had an National Trails Day.  Well, on my early morning sweep of the on-line news, I found that the first Saturday in June is, you guessed it, National Trails Day.  You can learn more by visiting the American Hiking Society’s website.  So, now I’m sure you are wondering if I knew about the American Hiking Society.  Nope.  Where have I been!

Anyway, a subtheme of Making All Things New is that we all need to get out and walk, not only for exercise, but also to look for God.  As St. Ignatius said, we can “find God in all things,” and friends, that includes nature.   So, on this first Saturday in June, I hope you’ll throw on your walking/hiking shoes, and get out on some trail near you.  After visiting my local Farmer’s Market, I’m going to surprise my dog Smokey with a hike at the Nature Center a few miles from where we live.  He likes that trail, and its been awhile since we’ve walked it.  My only hope is that every other dog owner in Carroll County doesn’t know about National Trails Day 🙂

(photo via pixabay)

Last night, I finished my task of leading a group through the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius.  The six of us spent 30+ weeks together, sometimes in person, sometimes online, and all of it a very rich and rewarding experience for everyone.  It is a great blessing for me to have seen the transformation of each pilgrim, and, as typical at the end of the Exercises, we gathered for a Mass of Thanksgiving, where together we savored the graces which God gifted to us.

The location of the Mass was Kane Chapel at Mount St. Mary’s in Emmitsburg, Maryland.  A great friend of mine is the University Chaplain there, and he was very kind in celebrating our Mass.  He too has been through the Exercises, and shared a bit about his own experiences.  After Mass, we heading out to a corner pub and had had a celebratory dinner.

Last week at this time, I was preparing to lead a weekend Ignatian retreat for another group.  20+ people participated, and our weekend together proved to be quite fruitful as well.  Now, this group is moving through our on-line retreat continuation, and from their comments, they are continuing to grow deeper in their relationship with God through integrating Ignatian Spirituality into their daily lives.

What a joy it is for me to personally witness the impact of this nearly 500 year old spirituality has on the lives of people living in the 21st century.  What a gift.  What a grace.

Happy Memorial Day.  I’m just getting back from one of our most successful and meaningful Making All Things New retreats.  I met so many great people, all trying to improve themselves: body, mind, and spirit.  St. Ignatius called that approach cura personalis (care for the whole person).  Sometimes we think that such thoughts/concepts are new, but Ignatius was writing about a whole person approach almost 500 years ago.  Thanks to everyone who participated, and I’m very grateful for all those who helped make everything go so well.

Back to Memorial Day.  It’s wonderful to have a three day weekend, to enjoy time with friends and family, maybe catch up on some rest or yard work, but let’s not forget why we have this holiday.  It’s a reminder to every person living in the United States today that countless lives were lost for the freedoms which we enjoy and often take for granted.  The majority of those who have lost their lives fighting for our country died young.  Their adult lives were just beginning, and I’m sure they had dreams of happy, fulfilling and long lives spent with friends and loved ones.  May God bless them for their sacrifice, and may they rest in peace.

“Sing praise to the Lord, O you his saints, and give thanks to his holy name.  For his anger is but for a moment, and is favor is for a lifetime.  Weeping may last for the night, but joy comes with the morning.” (Psalm 30:4-5)).

Anyone who knows me knows that I’m a morning person.  With a little help from a cup or two of coffee, I try to approach the new day with some level of excitement.  From either my bedroom window or in my back yard, I can watch the sunrise, which at this time of year, is about 5:45 am.

I guess the thing I like best about the beginning of the new day is that I’ve got the chance to start fresh.  As the Psalmist wrote, no matter what happened yesterday/last night, we can approach the new day with joy. Our God is a God of second chances, and how often we take that for granted.

Over the next few days, pray about someone who needs a second chance from you.  Offer it, as much for you as for them.  It might just bring a renewed joy to both your lives.

Well, I’m off to see the sunrise!  Have a blessed day.