travels close to and a long way

travels near and a long way
via fr. david may also

i’ve been on the road a touch extra than standard recently. the primary half of can also i traveled to calgary, alberta, with fr. kieran kilcommons to provide retreats to the clergymen of that diocese.

our subject matter had to do with catherine doherty’s vision of the priesthood in its conformity to the excessive priesthood of jesus christ. which could sound a touch highfalutin, however we mentioned our own experiences as clergymen in living out, or seeking to live out, this spirituality.

it ended up being a totally down-to-earth retreat, one which seemed to be favored via our brothers from the diocese of calgary. for father kieran, it changed into a piece of a homecoming, considering he was born and raised in that diocese.

anyhow, the retreat gave absolutely everyone an possibility to reflect on our studies as monks in pretty diverse instances. yet i personally felt that we had been sharing in an revel in of christ that was essentially the equal.

our subject matter blanketed such subjects as: the pass is our resting location; the move: purpose of our lifestyles; your presence, father; mary within the lifestyles of clergymen; speak to us approximately god: preaching the phrase, and prayer of the coronary heart.

we additionally added in conjunction with us presents of catherine’s e book at the priesthood, pricey father, which turned into additionally tons preferred by way of many that were there.

monks as a set are not continually easy to talk to, specifically about non secular things, and mainly about the priesthood itself. we clergymen can sense we’ve got heard all of it earlier than, and now we should listen it again.

there can also were a number of that at our retreat, however we told memories to illustrate our points, and after sufficient years of being a priest, you end up having pretty a few tales to tell. they appeared to revel in the memories.

we additionally had the possibility to do it twice, for the reason that institution became divided into , assembly at unique locations. i suppose we both had been endorsed by the receptivity of this organization of priestly brothers. there was a simplicity of faith, now not continually a given with every priestly group.

a couple of weeks after returning home, i found myself making plans every other journey, this time to winslow, arizona, in which we have had a house for sixty five years.

sure, this particular assignment, so loved by means of catherine because of the identity with the humans amongst whom we stay, is only 10 years younger than our unique foundation in combermere.

our directors determined that a priestly presence could be of assist to the house right now, even for simplest a week. so, i travelled right down to winslow through ottawa, chicago, and phoenix.

this little ride inside the summer season, or close to the start of summer season, reminded me of every other journey by way of bus and educate some forty years in the past, while i used to be a seminarian and have been assigned to paintings at our residence in winslow for that summer season.

i’ve many reminiscences of the great time i spent there, and i delivered the ones memories with me whilst i travelled to winslow this 12 months.

i’ve simplest had time for a visit there of every week or so, perhaps three or 4 instances in the ultimate forty years.

but there is some thing so deep within the relationship with our pals in winslow, that it become as though not anything had changed in 40 years; or higher placed, it become as though one may want to select up a verbal exchange of forty years in the past, or 30, or 20, and resume as though it simplest took place the day before today.

certain friendships are like this, and i don’t recognize why except that there is a few form of bond within the coronary heart this is past time and distance and is part of eternity.

you are usually collectively with friends which includes these, and you convey each other in prayer, without necessarily announcing loads of prayers (even if you do pray such prayers). your love is your prayer, and love does no longer come to an stop, so neither does your prayer.

anyhow, it changed into excellent to see vintage friends and to make new ones.

one specially moving moment become assembly once more with a group referred to as the covenant group. these men have stood through each other for as long as 50 years in some cases. they meet to pray together, and to share non secular communication; and on the coronary heart of this are brothers who aid one another and are actual to one another through thick and thin.

they realize that existence has its united states of americaand downs, and that we are not constantly everything we would really like to be. so, to preserve a covenant you have to have forgiveness, and mercy for each other, and yet name one another to the reality.

it become as if i were attending their conferences since my last go to to winslow. i felt welcomed as a brother, and became able to have the joy of celebrating mass with them, hearing confessions, and enjoying the assembly collectively, each the prayer assembly at the beginning, and the time for reflection afterwards.

thrilling that places as various as calgary, alberta, and winslow arizona, each gave evidence of the energy of fraternity in the church, whether clerical or clerical and lay collectively. of direction, inside the latter instance it’s far the madonnas (ladies staff of mh) who have laid down their lives 12 months after 12 months in winslow.

all forms of packages were attempted, however the finest of those is definitely to like and be present to the people.

from time to time, they’ve been capable of have a clergyman living in the residence or a layman, and you can actually see the advantage of this in many ways, this is, to have all three companies of madonna residence present.

however whatever is viable personnel-sensible, what topics maximum is the affection that we share together as we attempt to stay the gospel and to be the gospel.

my week in winslow very quickly got here to an give up. i was all over again touched by using the warm hospitality of the people of that town.

whether or not in celebrating julie lynch’s renewal of promises on june eight in the parish chapel followed by way of a celebratory breakfast, or in journeying a neighbour, 91 years of age, who took it upon herself afterwards, unbeknownst to her involved daughter, to go to the grocery save in her very own car to buy us a big, juicy, sweet watermelon; or playing a experience up clear creek at the boat of close buddies the afternoon before leaving for canada, we touched together a reality that always stands the check of time: to love each other as christ loves us.

now i’m home again, that is to say, back in combermere in my poustinia, writing a recovery article for the september difficulty. summer season is simply starting right here as i write this, although it will almost be over by the time you read it.

we’re nevertheless celebrating our 75th anniversary in the course of this yr, which include this month a big open residence for each person of our pals who would like to come and share it with us.

i sense blessed to have touched this remaining couple of months the peace and consolation of the gospel shared generously by means of such a lot of who have gone before me.

our international is in a precarious kingdom, it is going with out pronouncing, however there is a energy that endures, extra than any precariousness of the arena as we realize it today.

it is the energy of the gospel shared in simplicity, sustained with the aid of prayer, and incarnated day by day in one thousand ways, most of them hidden and finished in obscurity however having first-rate strength, all of the equal, to assist store this global from itself.