A Cammino with the Saints

St. Francis de Laval and St. Mary of the Incarnation were French missionaries who journeyed to Canada to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ.  St. Francis was the first bishop of the region and St. Mary founded a school to provide education and formation in the faith for poorer families in the area. These missionaries were canonized by Pope Francis last April, and on Sunday October 12th Pope Francis celebrated a Mass of Thanksgiving for these two saints, accompanied by a large group of Canadian pilgrims.  In his homily Pope Francis commented on how these missionaries had a heart for "the smallest and most remote."  He went on to describe missionaries as people with hearts open to allow God to work in through their lives, setting the world ablaze with the love of God.  Great examples for us today as we seek to respond to God's call for us to be missionaries, abandoning ourselves for the service of God and others.

Another great example of being a selfless missionary, at least in my life, is Pope Francis.  At that Mass of Thanksgiving I had the awesome opportunity to meet, speak with, and serve as a deacon for one of my biggest heroes.  Before Mass begins all the Vatican liturgy team gathers all of the servers together (after the second/third walk-through), get us vested for Mass, and then bring us into the Pieta' Chapel where we prayed the Rosary.  Lying on the altar is another set of vestments, a miter, and a crosier.  Towards the end of the fifth mystery we heard the words, "He is here" and were quickly lined up.  All eyes turned as the big wooden door opened and out walked Pope Francis with a huge smile on his face.  He then started making his way down the line, greeting each person.  And during that time, I couldn't help but think of Baltimore.  I thought of my family and friends, my brother seminarians and priests.  I thought of all of the awesome people who have formed me and taken part in my life from all of the different schools and parish communities that I have been with.  And I prayed, "God, whatever joys or graces I experience from this encounter today, I ask that it be shared with all of them..." and I started recalling so many people who I wanted to share in the moment with.

Eventually Pope Francis made it down the line and after almost two years now, I met a man who has become one of my best spiritual friends.  A man who has inspired and challenged me.  A man that I have prayed for and with.  A man who has, just by his example, rejuvenated my own vocation and given all of us a great deal of hope.  He reached out, grabbed my hand, and we shared a firm handshake.  I said, "Holy Father, we are praying for you.  Thank you, because you have brought us much hope."  He smiled and said, "Thanks."  Our Holy Father has a bright and warm smile and has such a way of communicating a peace-filled joy.  He is quick to engage too; one of my buddies said something along the lines of, "Pope Francis, you're friends with Jesus.  I'm friends with Jesus.  That makes us friends.  Will you give me a hug?"  Pope Francis immediately reached out and hugged the guy.  It was so cool.

During the Procession and throughout the Mass my job was to stay on the Pope's left... I was pretty relieved when I found out that I wouldn't really have to remember or say anything.  It was amazing, though, to be next to him and see the people who had come there from all over the world from his perspective.  It was incredibly moving to see the expressions on their faces at Francis passed by them.  Expressions of relief, of joy, of excitement and of fervent prayer.

There were several moments throughout the Mass that were particularly moving.  One of the biggest, I'd say, was the Penitential Act.  As we were singing the Kyrie, something we say or sing every time we celebrate the Mass, I was totally overcome with emotion and started to cry.  It was as if in that moment my whole life came together.  As if everything that I have done, everything that I have been through, the great times and the not so great times, were there and were being brought to Jesus to be healed, reconciled, embraced, loved, and blessed.  It was an amazing experience of reconciliation and celebrating God's great mercy.  And it hit me that this man, standing to my right singing under his breath, has talked so much about mercy and about poverty that I guess I know my own poverties a little more acutely and can taste the loving mercy of God a little more readily, receiving it as a free gift.

One other moment in the Mass that particularly struck me was during the Eucharistic Prayer when one of the concelebrating bishops read the line, "Together with Francis our Pope..."  I looked up at Pope Francis and watched as he closed his eyes and gently bowed his head-- as if he were consciously receiving those prayers from everyone gathered there, from everyone across the world that makes those prayers every time they celebrate the Eucharist.  It reminded me of that great moment after being elected to be the next Pope, when at St. Peter's Square he bowed his head to people all over the world, asking for their prayers.

Sometimes, serving at big liturgical celebrations can be hectic, a little distracting, and nerve-wracking.  But this time, even though there tons of cameras, lights, and crowds- the experience was one of peace.  It was actually surprisingly easy to enter into the eternal moment, into what was really going on, into giving thanks to God for so many blessings, most of all for God's enduring love for us and presence with us.

Pope Francis is a man that reminds me of Jesus.  I would be willing to bet that those "smallest and most remote" who knew them would have said the same of their encounters with Saints Francis de Laval and Mary of the Incarnation.  I'm so grateful for all of the people in my life who have reminded me of Jesus and reminded me of our communal call to announce the Good News by acting justly, loving tenderly, and walking humbly with our God.  Also incredibly excited and eager for the opportunity to serve back home in Baltimore and join our faith community as we recall and discover anew who God is, who we are, and celebrate all the more.

Announcing Great Joy

Ever since the announcement of Pope Benedict's resignation there has been a palpable and awesome feeling in town, an authentic prayerful and discerning atmosphere.  It was clear that his resignation was the result of great humility and joy-filled trust on Pope Benedict's part as he followed what he discerned to be God's will.  There were so many great moments in that last week of prayer and coming together in gratitude for all that Pope Benedict has given us, especially his humble example of discipleship, and in great hope for how the Spirit will work to build our Church and guide it along this new chapter of its always ongoing cammino.

It was incredible to see and in some ways be a part of the whole process and transition.  We were able to host and spend some time with all of the American cardinals before and now after the conclave.  They joined our community for Mass and prayer.  It was a special gift to be able to interact with and see Cardinal O'Brien as he prepared for the conclave, for this great time of discernment.  A good friend and I were able to go to the Mass at St. Peter's at the beginning of the conclave and we posted up in direct sight of where the cardinals enter the main part of the basilica, in hopes that we would get a chance to connect with Cardinal O'Brien before he processed in and ultimately before he entered the conclave to assure him of our prayers for him and the other electors.  

Once the conclave began, all eyes in town were on that chimney.  I was able to be in St. Peter's Square for all of the "smokings" and the excitement was just incredible.  People stood in the Square for hours in anticipation, almost filling it.  It was great to be there and talk with people from all over the world who are in Rome for all different reasons, all hoping for different traits and defining characteristics in whoever it was going to be, but all invested and excited and hopeful. 

Yesterday afternoon I went to the Square around 5:15 with a couple of friends.  Most people were expecting black smoke, but were anxiously waiting nonetheless.  As you probably saw, a seagull came and perched up on the smoke stack.  It was a great moment, pretty goofy and light-hearted, but at the same time- what a reminder that it's not just us here.  As Benedict said in his last audience, "The Church is not his... it is not ours."  It really does reach out touching and impacting the whole world.  But also, what a connection with St. Francis who is said to have preached to the birds!  Who was so big on preaching the Gospel by living in harmony with all of creation, especially the smallest of creatures.

Once the white smoke came out, and it was pouring out, the place went crazy.  Cheers and expressions of excitement and prayer and joy filled the Square as everyone moved forward to get closer to the balcony, closer to our new Holy Father, whoever it was going to be.  As everyone was making their way to the front of St. Peter's Square, the bells started chiming-- sending a signal to the whole of Rome and the whole world.  It was electrifying!  The bells of St. Peter's were then joined by church bells throughout the City of Rome.  A classmate who lives on the other side of town (and Rome is not a small city) said today that he could hear the bells from where he was; I have also heard that church bells were sounding in and around Baltimore, all signalling that a new Holy Father had accepted the call to lead our Church.  In the Square as the crowd grew and grew people were crying out things that even they didn't understand.  People were praying, singing, talking to each other, calling home.  Everyone was extremely excited.

It had been raining throughout the afternoon, but about ten minutes before the announcement from the balcony, it stopped raining.  All eyes were on the central balcony, and every time the curtain moved- whether it was the wind or people moving around behind it, gasps of excited anticipation raised up.  Then the Swiss Guard marched in from their barracks and formed their ranks below the balcony.  A marching band from the Italian military also marched in, playing the traditional national anthem. 

Then the announcement.  Cries of excitement shot out in the crowd as the thin white curtain was pulled back and the cardinal announcer stepped out onto the balcony, "I announce to you with great joy, we have a pope!"  The place went crazy!  But then as he announced the name of the cardinal who had been elected pope, there were cheers followed by side conversations- WHO?.  Some of the Italians were saying that he was Italian, others that he was Brazilian, still others Argentinian.  I saw more i-phones and smart phones being pulled out in those short minutes than I have seen in my whole life. As the people who were around me and I started to piece it together we realized-- WOW.  He is not from Europe.  He is from the "New World."  He is a Jesuit-- the first ever to be elected pope.  And then in just a few moments as the information was surfacing on different news sites people were yelling out, "He takes the bus to work!"  "They're saying he is a simple man."  "He loves the poor."  You could imagine the eager excitement that was growing in the Square.

"He has chosen the name Francis!"  Conversations turned immediately to St. Francis of Assisi and speculations as to what this might mean.  As we waited for our new Holy Father to emerge on the balcony cheers of "Francesco" echoed throughout the Square.  The vast majority of us had no idea of who this person was or what he even looked like.  But there was an instant connection.  An instant affection for this man who was to be our Father Francesco.  

As Pope Francis stepped out onto the balcony cries of excited welcome erupted as i-pads and cameras were raised to try and capture the moment.  It was such a powerfully emotional moment.  It was so awesome to see this humble man stand there, almost motionless, and imagine how he is feeling and what he is thinking as he stands there just taking it all in.  He began, "Brothers and sisters, Good Evening!"  How simple.  How conversational.  He then invited us to pray together in Italian for Pope Benedict XVI.  Many of us present had been there in that same square just a few days before to express our gratitude and prayerful support of Benedict.  Now we pray for him who is praying for us. 

Pope Francis then did something that shocked everyone.  He said that he would like to bless us, but before he blesses us, he would like us to pray to God to bless him, and let us do this in silence.  He, the Holy Father, the Bishop of Rome, the Supreme Pontiff, then bowed to the people, to his flock as we prayed over him.  Compete silence covered St. Peter's Square as a massive crowd of people from all over the world prayed over their new Holy Father.  That was an incredibly powerful moment full of spiritual gravity, especially looking up at a simple man bowing in prayer.  I couldn't help but break down in tears as I held my hands out in prayer toward our Father Francis, this humble disciple.  He then proceeded to bless all of us there, as well as all of the faithful and all men and women of good will throughout the whole world. 

Before he left, Pope Francis wished all a good night and a good rest.  So simple and conversational.

We heard at the seminary later that night from Cardinal Dolan that as all of the cardinals made their way to dinner Pope Francis chose to not ride in the pope mobile, but to rather "ride with the guys" and get on the bus with the other cardinals. 

The talk around town is full of joy and admiration of this very simple and humble man of God.  The Italian newspapers featured an image of Pope Francis on the loggia at St. Peter's Basilica with the words- "Il Papa dei Poveri-- The Pope of the Poor."  His example of humble simplicity and his authentic affection with the poor has caused a great deal of joyous hope here in Rome as we all look forward to this new phase of our cammino together.

Examples of his humble disposition to live the Gospel have spread throughout Rome and the whole world.  In under two days he has shocked Rome.  After praying at a famous portrait of Mary at the Basilica of St. Mary Major the Holy Father made a stop to pray at the altar of St. Igantius of Loyola, founder of the Jesuits.  He then went to the guest house where he had been staying before the conclave to gather his things (which I hear he carried himself) and pay his bill.  Oh, by the way, he did not make this trip in the pope mobile, but instead rode in a simple sedan.  Sure, it's not the public bus- but it still preaches a message.  

This coming Tuesday Pope Francis will celebrate the Mass of his installation as the Successor of Peter here at St. Peter's Square.  Many many people are sure to attend.  But rumor has it that Pope Francis has invited nuncios, papal delegates, and bishops from around the world to express their spiritual connection with him by not making the trip to Rome, but instead to spend some time with the neediest in some form of charity.  What an invitation!  Participate in celebrating his installation, in celebrating our faith, in celebrating the Gospel by being with the poor.  

I believe that same invitation is offered to all of us as well.  I plan on spending some substantial time on Tuesday afternoon with some of my homeless friends here in town.  Maybe this is something we can all participate in.  Maybe this is an invitation we can all accept.  Who is "neediest" in your family or in your town?  Who can you spend some time with on Tuesday?  

How will you participate in celebrating the Gospel?

Seeing the Church Alive!

Last Wednesday I had the awesome opportunity to attend Benedict XVI's last ever Wednesday audience in St. Peter's Square.  In anticipation of this great opportunity just about every university in Rome cancelled classes, so after our morning Mass and breakfast a couple friends and I made our way to St. Peter's Square.  What we encountered there was a living Church.

My friend Mark, from Iowa, brought an American flag.  In the picture to the left you can see my friend Jimmy, from New York, proudly carrying the flag into the Square.  We arrived in an already half-full St. Peter's Square at 8:30 in the morning, two hours before the scheduled start of the audience.  Our first goal was to find a good spot in the Square to set up shop.  We had heard that the Holy Father was planning on making his rounds throughout the Square in his pope mobile, so we made sure to find a spot towards the middle of the Square, but along one of the barricades since we knew the pope would be coming by there.  Luckily we found a great spot.


The atmosphere was incredible.  People from all over the world trickled into the Square.  Some had on collars, some habits, some tee shirts and jeans.  The excitement shared by all was palpable.  Soon after we found our spot along the barricades a group of Italian teenagers gathered to our left and a group of religious sisters joined on the right.  On the other side of the walkway, directly in front of us was a group of Mexican pilgrims who had brought signs and Mexican flags.  As we got closer and closer to 10:30 the crowd grew and grew, which means our level of personal space shrunk smaller and smaller until we were standing shoulder to shoulder.  But it was worth it.  It was worth it to look around and see flags and banners representing countries from all over the world.  It was worth it to meet and talk with people from all walks of life and from all over the world.  It was worth it to stand in gratitude and prayer with thousands of people, expressing our thanks and love for this man who has proved himself as a simple man of prayer and discernment.

Then the organ music started.  The focus of all present quickly shifted to the front left corner of the Basilica as Pope Benedict XVI slowly made his way into the Square.  Without hesitation he went directly towards the crowd.  He made his way, winding back and forth along the barricades, through the Square, waiving at us, blessing us, and stopping here and there to kiss babies.  The anticipation and excitement grew as we realized that he was definitely coming our way and would soon be right in front of us.  The Swiss Guard and Vatican Police shuffled through the crowd and made their last second preparations and checks of our row.  Then everyone around us stopped looking at the mega-screens and looked at the corner of our aisle as the pope turned the corner and made his way towards us.

As the Holy Father got closer I tried to take as many pictures as I could, but after taking this one I put my camera away.  Time to enter into the moment.  All of us were waving and cheering as he reached us.  But then something unexpected happened.  As Benedict passed us, he looked directly at us.  He and I maintained eye contact for 20-30 seconds.  And as he passed I yelled out, "Grazie Padre!"  It was great to then see him continue making his way through the crowds and to see the excitement and different gestures and cheers of gratitude and thanks.

He then made his way back towards the Basilica to take his seat in the front.  He began by welcoming all who were there and thanking the whole Church for their great love and support.   "Thank you from the bottom of my heart; I am truly moved.  In seeing you I see the Church alive!"  At that the crowd erupted in an emotional applause.  "In seeing you I see the Church alive!"  What an awesome reality.  We are the Church.  In talking about this with friends and classmates afterwards we shared our thoughts and ultimately shared stories of how different people in our lives and different faith communities helped us to see the Church alive.  I think back to St. Stephen and Loyola Blakefield.  Loyola College and John Carroll.  St. Gregory the Great, St. Augustine, St. James, and Immaculate Heart of Mary.  I think of my friends and family.  I think of teachers and students.  I think of coaches and players.  In all of them, I realize that the Church is alive!  Later on Benedict said, the Church is "not an organization, not an association for religious or humanitarian purposes, but a living body, a community of brothers and sisters in the Body of Christ, who unites us all."  How true.  We are brothers and sisters.  We are alive.  We are the Church, the Body of Christ.

In his address Pope Benedict spoke a great deal about the Church, speaking with excitement, hope, and joy.  He spoke not as one with fear or one who wants to point fingers or complain, but one who has faith.  Faith in God who is the Creator of all and the ultimate end of all.  He said that the Church belongs not to him, nor to any one else-- clergy or not-- the Church belongs to God, to Jesus Christ.  It lives in the Spirit.

He said, "I would like to invite everyone to renew firm trust in the Lord.  I would like that we all entrust ourselves as children in the arms of God and rest assured that those arms support us every day on our cammino, even in times of struggle.  I would like everyone to feel loved by God who gave his Son for us and showed us his boundless love.  I want everyone to feel the joy of being Christian."  Not a bad invitation.


Then Benedict moved in a more personal direction, speaking as a simple man, as a grateful Christian.  He thanked all of those who have helped him over the years, from the Vatican officials to people all over the world.  "A pope is never alone: now I experience this truth again in a way so great as to touch my very heart." He went on to describe how he has received so much love and support and notes of gratitude and assurance over the past years of his pontificate from so many people, including heads of state, religious leaders, and ordinary people like you and me.  "These people do not write me as one might write, for example, to a prince or a great figure one does not know.  They write as brothers and sisters, sons and daughters, with a sense of affectionate family ties.  Here one can touch what the Church is."  What a statement.  The Church is and should be a body of brothers and sisters who feel a familial affection.  Who speak to one another as brothers and sisters.  Not as an organization but as a living body.  These ecclesiological reflections of our Pope-Emeritus require a great deal of consideration as we move on as a Church.  We would do well to ponder the significance of these words from our former Holy Father.  We would do well to let these words take root in us as we strive to live the Gospel together in our parishes and other faith communities.

He concluded his remarks with words of assurance and courage, words of hope and of joy.  "In our heart, in the heart of each of you, let there be always the joyous certainty that the Lord is near, that he does not abandon us, that he is near to us and that he surrounds us with his love!  Thank you!"

After concluding his remarks, addresses were made to the Holy Father in various languages, including Arabic, expressing sentiments of gratitude and prayer from the members of the Body of Christ all over the world.  And before leaving, Pope Benedict XVI gave us his final blessing.  But before doing so, he made sure to explain that he meant this blessing to reach across the whole world and to reach each of our families and loved ones, especially those who are suffering.  As I received this blessing I thought of all of the members of my family and my friends back home-- especially those who are going through difficult times, no matter how big or small.  And we were all together in prayer, in receiving the blessing through this simple man who was leaving a role of governance to adopt the life of a simple monk, a life of prayer, solitude, and great great joy.

Our Holy Father-Emeritus gave us a lot to think about, reflect on, and live up to that day.  We are the Church.  We are the Body of Christ.  And in seeing one another, no matter the differences in location, nationality, position, point of view, may we truly see the Church alive!

Listening to the Father

Our Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI is resigning as the Pope.  He is stepping down as the leader of the Roman Catholic Church because that is where his discernment has led him.  This is what he believes to be God's will both for his life and for the Church.  This is what he has heard from the Father in the silence of his prayer.  It is always awesome to see someone discern God's will and then follow it.  It is exciting to see someone do what they believe to be the right thing.  And so ever since hearing the news about Pope Benedict, I have been really pumped and filled with joy at seeing this good man do what he believes to be God's will.

This past Sunday I had the opportunity to join several thousand others in St. Peter's Square for Pope Benedict's last Sunday Angelus.  Every Sunday the pope makes an address (usually a reflection on the Gospel reading of that week), leads everyone there in a prayer called the Angelus, and then greets all of the different language groups and people present from all over the world, in their language.  In addition to the Sunday Angelus, the Holy Father also holds a public audience every Wednesday morning.  These gatherings tend to be more informal and usually include some form of a teaching from the pope as well as an occasional guest bishop, head of state, performer, etc.  Some of the seminarians at the NAC make it to just about every Sunday Angelus; it becomes a part of their weekly routine.  I try to make it about once a month, and this was my first  Angelus since Super Bowl Sunday.

This past Sunday was Pope Benedict's last Sunday Angelus, and you could tell.  There was something special about this gathering.  By the time I got to the Square it was packed.  The whole of St. Peter's Square was filled with people from all over the world.  Some waved flags, some held banners.  Some talked and sang songs, some stood silently in prayer.  Some pushed to get closer, some climbed onto the shoulders of a friend to get a better view.

Standing under the colonnade, leaning on one of the columns I saw a steady stream of people entering the Square.  I saw men and women, young and old, priests and religious sisters, families and parish groups.  At one point I saw several older Italian women entering the Square.  By this point the place was packed and everyone was standing shoulder to shoulder, and I overheard one of the women, who was a little shorter than me... which is pretty short, say, "As long as we can hear him.  That is enough."


Immediately I started to think of everyone back in Baltimore who I wish could have been there with me.  And so I tried my best to bring them all there in prayer.  My family, my friends, teachers, coworkers, parishioners, students, brother priests and seminarians, etc.  As I was praying for all of these people, a humble Pope Benedict XVI emerged at his window, the same window from which many popes before him have spoken, including his predecessor John Paul II, the same window from which on October 11, 1962 a joy-filled John XXIII delivered his famous "Discorso della Luna" address on the eve of the opening of the Second Vatican Council-- expressing his paternal love to the whole world, the same window from which our Holy Father Benedict XVI addressed the world on that same day 50 years later-- expressing the same paternal love and affection, while at the same time acknowledging the sobering reality of the great work that lies ahead of us as the Church.  On October 11, 2012 Pope Benedict said, "Over these fifty years we have seen the reality of original sin, and we have seen the reality of personal sin... we have also had in these fifty years a new experience of the presence of God."  He went on to talk about how God has remained with us, never abandoning us; how God has continued to transform and illumine us.  The fire of Christ and the fire of the Holy Spirit continues to bear light in our lives.


As Pope Benedict emerged in this historic window the crowd erupted in applause.  He put his hands up in his typical gesture of greeting large crowds, and then without hesitation dove into the Gospel, which in this case was the account of the Transfiguration in the Gospel of Luke.  In his reflection, Pope Benedict pointed to the relationship between the Father and the Son-- the relationship that is for us the grounding and font of all life and all hope and all truth and all love.  He said, "Jesus was transfigured as he prayed: his is a profound experience of relationship with the Father during a sort of spiritual retreat that Jesus lives on a high mountain..."  During this spiritual retreat Jesus listened to the Father.  He communed with the Father.  He abandoned himself to the will of the Father.

After his Scriptural reflection, the Holy Father made an unusual transition in subject-- he spoke to us about himself.  He addressed us as a man who wants to convey something personal.  He said, "Dear brothers and sisters, I feel that this Word of God is particularly directed at me, at this point in my life.  The Lord is calling me to 'climb the mountain', to devote myself even more to prayer and meditation.  But this does not mean abandoning the Church!  Indeed, if God is asking me to do this it is so that I can continue to serve the Church with the same dedication and the same love with which I have done thus far, but in a way that is better suited to my age and my strength."

At this point the thousands gathered in St. Peter's Square were in silence, something that is not particularly normal.  The atmosphere was one of prayer.  I think that part of this silent reverence was in a way a certain awe that we all had-- awe at a man listening to God's voice and daring to follow it.  Awe at realizing that we have a God who speaks to us, who calls us to a greater friendship.

He then led us in the Angelus.  After the Angelus he proceeded to greet and address the different language groups present in their language.  As he did this you could hear in his voice echoes of the heart.  You could hear his fatigue.  You could hear his tiredness.  But through the fatigue, you could hear the effort with which he did his very best to pronounce every word of each of these greetings.  After these greetings he waved to the crowd one last time and then proceeded to give us and our loved ones his blessing.

Watching and listening to Benedict XVI on Sunday I couldn't help but be moved by what all he has endured as our Holy Father, what all he has led us through.  And at the same time what all remains to be done.  I continue to be in total awe and gratitude to Pope Benedict throughout this selfless discernment.  He truly believes that he has heard the voice of the Father calling him to a new service, a new labor of love.  I suspect that though we will likely no longer see or hear from him, Pope Benedict will enter into a powerful solidarity with us, with all of us in the human family.  In his prayer, in our prayer, we are one.

Tomorrow, Wednesday, I will be going to Pope Benedict's last public appearance-- his Wednesday audience in St. Peter's Square.  The crowd is expected to be enormous, and so a few friends and I are planning on heading down there around 6:30 or 7:00 to get in line.  The Square will open at 8:00 and the Holy Father's address will begin at 10:30.

Fr. Damien, A Man of the Gospel

Today the Church around the world celebrates the third Sunday of Advent, also known as Gaudete Sunday.  As we wait together for the coming of our Lord and the fulfillment of our hope we are reminded of joy; joy which is the effect of God's presence with us.  Our attention turns, in the midst of our waiting, our impatience, our struggles with the present, to the sure joy of our faith, the joy of having God with us and being with God.  In our first reading today we are called to joy: "Shout for joy!"  "Be glad and exult with all your heart!"  We are filled with joy because our God is with us and is in our midst.  He has chosen to join himself with us, to forgive and liberate us, and to forever be our Lord, our Brother, our Savior.  "He will rejoice over YOU in gladness... He will sing joyfully because of YOU."

And so today we, with the Church throughout the generations, without fear and without hesitation rejoice in and announce the Gospel, the GOOD NEWS.  As our Holy Father, Pope Benedict, reminds us so often, the Good News is a person, it is Jesus Christ- who is love and came to be forever with us.

Sometimes it is tough to do this.  It's not always easy to express joy and to rejoice in the hope of our faith.  We all experience pain and weather what seems like more than our fair share of deserts.  And yet somehow God remains with us and against all odds fills us with joy.  It is not always easy, either, to find good examples and leaders who unreservedly and fearlessly announce the Good News.  Early on in my formation as a seminarian in Baltimore I had the awesome opportunity to be with and learn from a true hero, a true man of the Gospel who lived joy, Fr. Damien Nalepa of St. Gregory the Great Parish in West Baltimore, best known as Fr. D.

Fr. D. passed away this summer unexpectantly in his sleep.  His absence is surely still felt by many throughout Baltimore, but his witness lives on.  Fr. D. was a simple man who gave his whole life to the people of Baltimore and to living the Gospel.  He was a blast to be with and never stopped serving.  Fr. D. had a contagious joy that he spread everywhere he went.  He spread this joy with prisoners at the Baltimore City Jail where he served as chaplain.  He spread joy to the recovering addicts who would meet and congregate in the church basement of St. Gregs.  He spread his joy with the hungry who came through the weekly soup kitchen in the church basement, the young families who would come to the church food pantry, the countless who benefited from the Christmas giving program-- both givers and recipients.  He spread joy with his brother priests and life-long friends, those relationships which had been formed around the joy of Christ.  He spread joy with the surrounding neighborhood of Gilmore Homes.  And most of all, Fr. D. spread joy in the parish community, the CHURCH FAMILY of St. Gregory the Great, a booming and vibrant family of people from all walks of life who come together to worship, to praise, and to give of themselves for the community.  And so I could not think of a better example, a better icon, of Gaudete Sunday than Fr. Damien.

Maybe the story which best describes Fr. D. took place as I was leaving his viewing this past August.  As I crossed the intersection of Gilmor and Baker Streets, a man who was sitting on the park bench called out to me, "Hey father!  Come over here, I want to meet you."  It may seem odd, but after spending a summer at St. Gregs, I wasn't surprised in the least.  So I walk over to the park bench where this man, a middle-aged construction worker on his lunch break, and another man from the neighborhood stood up, "I want to shake your hand.  You knew Fr. D., didn't you."  They continued, "Yeah, we sure are going to miss him.  We all knew he was on our side.  He was here for us.  So we wanted to meet you; you're one of them, one of the pastors."  As the conversation continued, I was floored at how big of an impact Fr. Damien had on these two men and on the whole community.  They knew that he was there for them.  They knew that they were loved.  And it was because of this, because of this awesome impact that Fr. D. had on them, that they wanted to meet me, a friend of Fr. D and another Catholic who wanted to give his life to being with them and for them, like Fr. D had done.    

To be honest, this brief interaction was the proudest moment that I have ever experienced of being a seminarian.  I have prayed and gone to confession at the site where Jesus rose from the dead; I have dipped my hands into the Jordan River; I have shaken the pope's hand and kissed the ring of Peter; but those moments, as awesome as they were, made a whole lot more sense and were given a deeper understanding and appreciation after having encountered these two men who saw in a Catholic priest someone who mattered.  These men recognized, because of the clothes that I was wearing, that I was there for them out of a deep joy-filled love.  Fr. D. lived this joy-filled love day after day.  He talked to everyone he saw and was always looking for new ways to help, new ways to assist people with their needs for food, shelter, money, support, prayer, school supplies, etc.

Fr. Damien was also committed to justice, not as a concept or an agenda, but as the right thing to do for real people living in a real world.  He saw the West Baltimore community as his responsibility and therefore that community was also the responsibility of St. Gregory the Great Parish.  The church family on Gilmor and Baker streets announces the Good News and takes care of the people in their neighborhood.  They are an anchor, working for the wellbeing of the people of West Baltimore.  In my short summer with Fr. D. at St. Gregs we welcomed and blessed the homes/appartments of several new-comers to the area, visited men and women in prison, gave food to the hungry, sat and talked with people struggling from addictions, distributed clothes and school supplies, and asked/begged for money for the church.  We also worked with the youth of the parish and the surrounding neighborhood, praying with them and encouraging them to open their hearts to Christ.  Living the Good News for Fr. Damien was a constant.  It started inside the chapel with prayer and the sacraments and flowed out into the community in everything we did.

In his fight for justice, Fr. Damien was able to speak so that he was heard and make a difference in an area stricken with senseless violence and rampant drug-enduced despair.  He entered into these dark realities with a constant smile and an unwaivering determination.  He was known to literally chase drug dealers off of their corners saying, "We don't want your business here!  Go away!"  He started a program called the Gun Turn-In, a program that sought to get guns off the streets.  His thought was that the less guns out there, the less accidents or gun-related crimes there could be.  He also knew that taking a public stand for justice is always noticed, and being a person of peace does make a difference.  And so Fr. Damien was known for putting together peace rallies and taking the Gospel message of Peace and Reconciliation to the streets.

Fr. Damien Nalepa was a man of peace.  He was a man of joy.  He was a man of the Good News.  We are called to be the same.  We are called to be Good News to the poor, to be ministers of joy, to be Christians.

Today, on Gaudete Sunday, allow yourself to be filled with joy.  God can and will do it.  Then share joy.

Home in Charm City... the Land of Pleasant Living

I love Baltimore.  From all of the places that I have been in the past two years, there is no place that can compare to Charm City.  For lack of a better phrase—my roots are here—and I am thrilled to be home.  Directly after landing at BWI my parents and I met up with a lot of old friends at the infamous Ryan’s Daughter on Belvedere Square.  It was awesome to say the least. 

As can be expected, some things have certainly changed, both around town and within myself, over the past two years.

For one, it seems like zombies are really popular these days.  I don’t get it.  I thought the movie Zombie Land was pretty funny, but other than that I really don’t get the fascination with zombies.  It seems like some people are taking the whole thing pretty seriously… who knows.

Another big change has been adjusting to the lay of the land, especially with new landmarks.  I would have never said that I am all that good with directions and knowing my way around town—especially considering that ever since I started driving I have mapped out places in relation to either Charles St. or York Rd.  So some of my memories of where things are and different possible short-cuts have gotten a bit rusty, but that has definitely not been helped by the growth of different areas.  Who would have thought that Fallston would have a Walmart, McDonalds, Burger King, the Acme, and still be building… 

It has been absolutely incredible to be able to spend some quality time with family and friends.  My supervisor for the summer at Immaculate Heart of Mary parish, Fr. Michael Carrion, has been really awesome in encouraging me to spend time with family and friends, and so I have been able to spend most of the afternoons on Sundays with my family… a highlight from a couple of weeks ago was going to collect the eggs from the chickens at my parents’ house with my grandfather.  He has slowed down a bit in his old age, but I can’t remember hearing him laugh as much as when he was telling me how he started warning the chickens, “Either start putting out more eggs… or else!”

It has been awesome to spend time with my nieces and nephew!  My classmate from Baltimore, Chris deLeon, has taught me a valuable lesson.  He calls it expectation management.  So as I was coming home after having been gone for two years I followed my good friend’s advice and did a little bit of expectation management.  Well, I was totally blown away at how excited they were to see me and hear about where all I had been and then talk about what all they had been up to over the past two years and what all we are going to do this summer.  They, really my whole family, have been an incredible inspiration to me and have kept me going in times of doubt and struggles with discernment and trust.

I finally got to congratulate my sister Theresa and her husband Sammy and two of my best friends in the world, Ben and Jen Livingston, on getting married.  To be honest missing those weddings and the birth of my niece Samantha were some very difficult sacrifices, but it was awesome to be able to hug them and celebrate their weddings over some good food and the official beverage of Ireland.  It has been difficult too to be here, probably less than a 15 minute drive from them and not be able to spend all that much time together because of responsibilities around the parish.  We will have some good times, though, before September.

It is awesome to be in a parish, especially Immaculate Heart of Mary.  Fr. Mike is a great pastor who really pours himself out for the parish community, and the parishioners are a true family—there for and with each other.  I have really enjoyed working with and getting to know the parish staff, a great group that is really good at what they do, always looking for ways to improve and renew their ministry, and a lot of fun.  One of the daily highlights is our game of jeopardy at lunch.  I have been pretty busy around the parish, helping with daily Mass, Communion Services, wake services, funerals, giving reflections, spending time with parishioners, visiting the neighboring nursing homes and hospitals, and brainstorming possibilities for young adult ministry.  This has really been a great assignment and I am looking forward to experiencing and learning more during my time here.

This past week I was with my brother Baltimore seminarians.  Every year all of the men in formation get together for a week to pray together and spend time growing in fraternity.  We really have an excellent group of men who are in love with the Lord and his people.  We had a special privilege this year of having our newly ordained priests come and celebrate Mass with us and give reflections on their first month as a priest.  It was inspiring and a lot of fun to hear their stories, even the ones that were more liberally based on fact (Isaac).  It was great to spend the week with these men, goofing off and getting to know each other better.  It was also refreshing to meet the six new seminarians for Baltimore—four of whom are from Loyola Blakefield.  Roll Dons Roll.  The six of them are a bright group and a good addition to Baltimore.  You can really see the fruit of the combined efforts of Cardinal O’Brien and Fr. Austin as well as the rest of the diocese.  All in all it was an awesome and refreshing week that, based off of the seminarians who are very eager to serve in any way they can, gave a great preview of the future here in the Land of Pleasant Living.

One major thing that I have acutely noticed about the reality here in America, after having been gone for two years, that has been a bit troubling is the drastic divide between liberal and conservative.  It seems that the political realm and even in a lot of the cultural and religious identity of our national family is broken to the extent of distrust and a lack of willingness to dialogue.  Being in ignorance myself, I am sure that both sides have good arguments on any number of different issues—but as a proud American I am very uncomfortable with the situation and feel called to help bridge the gaps… not really sure how to go about doing that, but maybe we can all chip in and work on this together.

Lastly, I was able to go to an O’s game last night… they changed Camden Yards quite a bit… (I totally like the changes).  And it seems like National Bohemian is making a strong comeback… maybe we can negotiate a contract with them as the Official Beverage of the Premier See.  Something to think about.

As you can probably tell it has been a real joy to be back home.  My love for our Lord and his people has definitely been strengthened both by being away for two years and by being here in Charm City.  We are a people of Communion.  And it’s great to be a part of it.

Celebrating Together in the Holy Land

I recently read in a reflection written by Brother Roger of Taize that we can live the Gospel only together-- that living the Gospel requires community and communion. I think that this is so true and that I experienced this during my pilgrimage to the Holy Land.

Last month I went with 35 other seminarians and priests from the NAC to Israel for a two week pilgrimage. We were in Galilee for 6 days, including Christmas, and in Jerusalem for 6 days, including New Years. The trip was absolutely incredible and was filled with grace and many substantial periods of silent prayer with the Lord. From the moment we first arrived in Galilee through our last day in Jerusalem I was filled with a sense of being home-- a sense that I have been here before and this place where Jesus lived, taught, healed, and gave himself for us is in some way my home. And in light of what Brother Roger says, I think that I felt so at home in the Land of Jesus because there in some special way I was united with him and with countless Christians from over two thousand years in our effort to live the Gospel.

Like many religious sites which attract pilgrims, the Holy Land stands as a symbol and representation of the universality of our faith. We believe that Christ came

for all people-- for people from every corner of the globe. And it is truly awesome to see people from every corner of the globe coming to Christ on pilgrimage, in prayer, in service to one another, in their parish community, etc. It is an inspiring witness. And it was together that we, believers from all over the world, prayed at these religious sites, together in worshiping the God who came to our world for us and together in praying for our loved ones back home.

Our group celebrated Mass together each day at different religious sites of historical significance. We celebrated on the shores of the Sea of Galilee, on the Mount of Beatitudes (pictured above), in Capernaum where Peter lived, at Peter's Primacy where Jesus forgave Peter and commissioned him to feed his sheep. We celebrated at the spot of the Annunciation in Nazareth, at the chapel of the Upper Room in Jerusalem, in Gethsemane where Jesus had his Agony in the Garden, and in the chapel of the Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre on the site where Jesus was crucified, died, was buried, and rose from the dead. And at all of these celebrations we were mindful of those countless droves of pilgrims who have prayed and celebrated the Mass in these places.

One Mass stands out in particular. We were invited to join a German community of Benedictines

for Christmas morning Mass at their monastery in Tabga, the site of the multiplication of the loaves and fishes. In addition to our group and the Benedictines there were a fair number of German pilgrims there for the Mass too. And in their typical great hospitality the Benedictines did everything they could to help us Americans feel welcome. At the very beginning of Mass the main celebrant, one of the Benedictines, said with great joy in German and in English that today, Christmas, is an international cause for great joy and celebration. The birth of our Lord and Savior is a reality that breaks every barrier and brings life for every single person-- regardless of race and language. And really it is a reality that breaks those barriers forever. That Christmas morning we worshiped together, German and American alike. Our Mass was bi-lingual. We sang hymns in English and German. The readings and homily were in English and German. The prayers were in English and German. And how fitting. How fitting that we praise the universal savior together who came for all, united in gratitude and in faith.

Another international experience that stands out was while we were praying in the Basilica on the Mount of Beatitudes. Our group had spread out in the church and were praying silently on this spot where Jesus gave the Beatitudes when a large group of pilgrims from Africa came in and filled the church. They continued to then fill the church with their prayers and songs as they cried out to our God in their own way. It was interesting to note the differences in how we prayed. Our group sat quietly, spread out, many with Bible or Breviary out, whereas they packed in together and prayed out loud. We were all doing the same thing, but we were doing it somewhat differently-- each in our own way. But we were there together and there was a richness in our diversity.

The Gospel does not only call people together from different nations, but it also calls together people of different Creeds and denominations. To be clear, there is certainly much work to be

done in Christian Unity and the Holy Land is no exception. There are divisions between the Christian denominations and certain te

nsions continue to make those divisions clearly visible. But there is also the reality of people of all Christian faith traditions praying together. Though there was a clash between monks of two different Orthodox traditions in the same church three days before, I went into the cave area where Jesus was born in Bethlehem with Orthodox Christians. Though tensions continue to exist, people from each denomination go to these sites to pray-- and they go together. Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Protestant-- all go together to these places and pray side by side at the site of the crucifixion on Calvary. Side by side at the site where Jesus went on trial and was condemned to death. Side by side at the site where St. Stephen was martyred. Side by side on the site where Jesus rose from the dead. Every single day people from different denominations and different Christian traditions come together and pray side by side, recalling in great gratitude the loving actions of God on earth, bringing with them all of their loved ones from home.

One experience of this coming together really touched me. During one of the days that we were

in Jerusalem we stopped in to pray in a basilica that was built by the crusaders. It is very rare for a church, or much of anything, built by the crusaders to remain standing in Jerusalem. But this particular church building remains because of its beauty and its great acoustics inside. And so groups of pilgrims who visit this church typically sing, raising their prayers to God in this historic church. After our group had been there for a little while we sang the Pater Noster, the Our Father in Latin. The acoustics were impressive as the words of this prayer echoed throughout the church-- plus I think we did a pretty good job singing...

After we had finished singing we spread out. I went downstairs to see the lower level, and as I came back up the stairs I heard an incredible sound; a non-denominational group from America had gathered around the center of the church and was singing Amazing Grace. It was awesome. I sat down and listened to the prayers as they rose up from this circle of pilgrims. They continued their praise, song after song. And as they prayed my spirits were lifted. As they prayed I prayed. And in that moment we were together as Christians, praising our God. And it was good. It was fitting.

I also experienced this transcendental togetherness in the reality of praying in places where Christians have prayed for over two thousand years and being in communion with them. One of

the places where I felt really united to the countless millions of pilgrims who had gone before me was in a place just on the outside of Old Jerusalem where Jesus was held over the night of Holy Thursday, after being arrested in the Garden. Historians and scholars hold that during that dark night Jesus was lowered into a deep and lightless pit that was only accessible through a small hole, just wide enough to lower a person into the pit and pull them up out of the pit. And it was in this pit that Jesus stood and waited.

He had already firmly set his heart on the will of the Father. He had already resolutely determined to give himself, his very life, for all of humanity. He had already said Yes. But he had to wait. And he had to wait in dark silence. He had to wait in solitude.

He had to wait in uncertainty as to what the next day would bring.

While our group was in this pit together (there are now stairs that go down into the pit from the side) we prayed from Psalm 88: "I cry out before you... for my soul is full of trouble and my life draws near to the grave... You have put me in the lowest pit, in the darkest depths... and darkness is my only friend." Strong words that communicate stronger depths of agony. These are words that I imagine Christ would have prayed that night in this very pit. They are also words that countless pilgrims who have gone to the Holy Land may have prayed in that very pit. And how accutely we can relate to them. How powerfully and intimately we can relate to that pit. I imagine every pilgrim who has ever stood in that pit felt the knee buckling shock of standing with our Lord in his despair and fear and darkness. And what a gift, to stand there with Jesus, our Lord and our Brother, supporting him and praying for him and in union with him. And we pilgrims did that together-- together in the timeless and transcendent communion of our faith.

It is so beautiful too to know that in that pit I stood with Christ our Lord and Brother, all of the pilgrims who have stood in the pit over the years, and also every single person who has spent any amount of time in the pits of despair. Every one of us, to whatever degree, can intimately relate to the words of Psalm 88. Every one of us can relate to standing in a low and dark pit with uncertainty as to what tomorrow will bring. And because our God loves us-- Not one of us prays those hallowing words of Psalm 88 alone. Not one of us stands in our pits of darkness and fear alone. We are never alone. Jesus is there with us. Think about it; over that night as Jesus stood there in the dark depths of the pit-- he stood with us and we with him. And that will not change.

In addition to being together with Our Lord, Christians from around the world, Christians from all time periods, I was also in a special way with my family, friends, co-workers, students, parishioners, and fellow seminarians who I took with me on pilgrimage.

As our group celebrated the Christmas Midnight Mass in Galilee we prayed that our gift to God this Christmas might be these people that we bring with us on pilgrimage: may we bring them, their struggles, their joys, their petitions, their needs, and present them to the Lord at the sites where he taught, where he healed, where he called the disciples, where he prayed, where he was baptized, where he reconciled Peter to himself, where he instituted the Eucharist, where he was arrested, where he was held overnight in darkness, where he was put on trial, where he was crucified, and where he rose from the dead. In each of these places I brought these people-- my family, friends, co-workers, students, parishioners, and brother seminarians. And in the act of presenting them to God, in praying with them, I was together with them. I was together in communion with them as I prayed especially that they might share in the ultimate cause for hope and joy-- the Resurrection; especially that they might in some way experience a taste of the Resurrection now-- and that that taste might spark a fire in their lives to somehow live the Resurrection.

This pilgrimage to the Holy Land was awesome. It was personally a time of growing in intimacy and communion with the Lord and with his people. All of these experiences also deepened my understanding of and peace in my ongoing formation and training to be a priest in Baltimore. Part of the role that I hope to enter into in Baltimore is to be a witness to how we are united in so many ways that we may never know; united as Catholics as well as Christians. We are together. We pray together. We live together. We stand in the pits and on the mountain tops of our lives together with one anoty this reality. May we bear witness to our communion and work tirelessly for a greater visible union. And when we all, as people of faith, are persecuted-- as is the case for many Christians living in the Holy Land, as is the case for many Christians living throughout the Middle East and in parts of Africa, as is the case for many Christians in Asia, as is the case for many who suffer violence, and as is the case for people of faith in the United States as religious freedom and the freedom to follow one's conscience is threatened to be denied by the government-- may we stand together. And may we look to our Lord who is with us and to his Spirit who wants so much to guide us.

We are called to live the Gospel. And to live the Gospel together.