Called to Communion

One of the greatest graces that I have received since saying "Yes" to the call to enter formation to become a priest in the Archdiocese of Baltimore has undoubtedly been the people that I have been with-- the people who I have encountered, the people who I have learned from, the people who I have prayed with. There have been few joys that can compare to the joy of looking out into a congregation while serving at Mass, knowing them and knowing that we are all there at that moment and at that time together for one single purpose- to worship God. And the God that we worship is a God that we know. In Christology and Spirituality courses I have learned that our knowledge of God (gained through direct encounters with God and through the witness of others) feeds and gives deeper meaning to our love for God. And I can say that the people that I have met in formation have definitely helped me to know God more personally and as a result to want to give myself to God more totally and more lovingly.

I am incredibly grateful for the people that I have had the privilege to know and learn from- whether they be in the heart of Baltimore City, in Kingsville, or out in central Maryland. I am also incredibly grateful for the seminarians that I have had the privilege to accompany in worship, learn from, and be formed with. Above is a picture of my classmates and I—just under 60. And the community here at the seminary, including priests and, is around 300. That is a lot of people; a lot of people with strong faith and a tireless willingness to serve. We spend a lot of time together- whether it be eating, playing sports (by the way—any given day here there is something going on out on the sports field: soccer, football, rugby, frisbee, basketball…) studying, socializing, traveling, etc. But the vast majority of our time together is in prayer; and it is in this prayer together that we build the foundations of our community-- a community that exists for the sole reason of preparing us to serve, to exist entirely for others. And so our concept of community far transcends 300. It consists of every single person- who we believe is with us at every single communal prayer; every Eucharist.

In 1997 a seminary in Rwanda was attacked. The attackers broke into the seminary in the darkness of night and gathered the seminarians together in the courtyard. They then demanded that the seminarians divide into their ethnic group- Hutu or Tutsi. The seminarians knew that the attackers would surely kill one of the groups; and therefore refused to divide. They refused to be separated from their brothers and all 40 of them laid down their lives for one another and for the communion that their faith calls them to embody.

Today thousands of people gathered in St. Peter's Square here in Rome for the canonization of 6 saints. Due to our Aussie brothers here, most of our eyes were turned to the massive influx of Australians who have come to Rome to celebrate together the canonization of the first native born Australian saint. This canonization is the culminating moment for all of the Aussies who have come together as a nation and a church in gratitude for Mary of the Cross.

Seeing the massive amounts of pilgrims who had come to Rome for this occasion reminded me of my first trip to Rome in 2000 for World Youth Day, when a group of about 150 from Baltimore joined over 2 million other pilgrims from around the world in celebration of our faith and the communion that we share. It reminded me about how vast our Church is; and about how deep the communion of all Christians and all people of faith is.

One thing that I am coming to realize is that being a Christian requires that we daily lay down our lives for one another in our faith. Being Christian requires that we spend ourselves. Last week we, as a seminary and as a church, celebrated the ordination of our 3rd year men to the deaconate. As a gesture of their surrender of self in service to God and to others they lay prostrate on the ground as the church prays that the saints join in the communal prayer over these men.

May we join with them in spending ourselves daily for others as we live out the Gospel. And may we join the Rwandan Martyrs in their refusal to be divided. May we as Christians stand together. May we work tirelessly for communion- in our families, our schools, our parishes, our neighborhoods, at work; and in every moment may we answer the call to communion.

Living Icons

I spent the past week in a town called Greccio with my classmates on a silent retreat. The week was awesome and was certainly filled with several meaningful insights and a continuous current of peace that did a lot for me personally to confirm who I am, for whom I am, where I am, and why I am here. A major aspect of the conferences was recalling the many heroes of our faith who have served as icons- becoming themselves, through their actions, an image that points to God. One of these icons that I have been learning more of and consequently feeling myself closer and closer to has been Vincent DePaul. Part of my growing interest in and admiration of St. Vincent DePaul has been due to the opportunity to reconnect with an old friend of the family and fellow parishioner at St. Stephen- Fr. Greg Gay, CM. Fr. Greg is a Vincentian who works in Rome, continuing the work and following in the footsteps of Vincent in more ways than one; and it has been an incredible blessing to be here in Rome while he is here and spend time with him.


I took this picture during the 350th anniversary celebration of St. Vincent DePaul's life in St. Peter's Basilica- just before leaving for retreat. This celebration was incredible- so many people from around the world gathering together to thank God for sending his servant, their servant, Vincent. And in a very real way, they gathered also to thank the living icons of Vincent who have impacted their lives. There were people there from all over Europe and beyond and they were from all different walks of life- some old, some young; some rich, some poor; some ordained, some lay; some in religious life as sisters, brothers, and priests; and some interested in learning more about the faith. But there was a common thread to all of them, I believe, and that was that all of them truly believed in their heart of hearts in the indispensible and unconquerable dignity of charity; and in the unfailing triumph of the truth which is love over evil.

During my first year of teaching at John Carroll, Fr. Greg came to visit with and talk with some of the students. One of the students asked him the question, "From all of your travels and the work that you have done, what do you think is the greatest issue or problem facing the world?" Fr. Greg, without hesitation responded, "The true respect for life." He went on to share stories of individuals, families, and communities who he had met who had been the victim of racism, political and religious persecution, etc. Fr. Greg, who has devoted his life to living the Gospel by joining and serving the poor, then went on to address the students directly and tell them that their role in working for justice and recognizing human dignity and a respect for life was absolutely indispensible.

On St. Vincent DePaul's feast day he is quoted in the Office of Readings as saying, "With renewed devotion, then, we must serve the poor, especially outcasts and beggars. They have been given to us as our masters and patrons." This was the effect of Fr. Greg's words to the students at John Carroll and it seems to have been the effect of the many 350th anniversary celebrations of St. Vincent DePaul that took place around the world.

This is such an important part of who we are as Christians. We who worship and can identify with Christ who was born as an entirely dependent child; Christ who worked for a living; and Christ who was crucified are called from the depths of our being to stand in solidarity and community with the poor and the outcast- those who are on their crosses today, in our midst- to join with them in their work for justice and their worship of God. And in so doing we become for others, and sometimes for ourselves, living icons that point to God Himself. We must never forget this importance and the importance and intentionality that we are called to give to preaching the Gospel. Francis of Assisi, since this is his feast day, once said, "It is no use walking anywhere to preach unless our walking in itself is our preaching."

Here is a picture that I took from the front of the Gesu- the Jesuit church in Rome where Sts. Ignatius and Francis Xavier are buried. On the front of the church building there are two statues- of Ignatius and Francis, both inside of a domed space, much like this one. Both Ignatius and Xavier were living icons who built community and devoted themselves to building justice through faith. But above the two statues are two more spaces. Two spaces left empty. I like to think that those two spaces were left empty in expectation of being filled. Possibly filled by a statue of you.

Weakness is Strength

French spiritual writer Henri Nouwen once wrote in a letter to a group of high school students in the Archdiocese of Baltimore that worldly success comes from strength, but spiritual success comes from weakness. In the picture to the left is a man from Assisi who probably experiences this truth. He has chosen poverty as a way of life in order to point to the joy of the Resurrection that comes from and transcends the cross. His picture was made into a gigantic billboard that stands on the wall of the central piazza of Assisi to be seen by every visitor.


And like him, I guess that I too have experienced a good bit of weakness lately. After almost two months of studying Italian- my language skills have shown to be very weak. I also am weak in the great distance between me and family; the distance between me and friends; the distance between me and very real supports in my life. Being in community with over 200 other men who are so gifted and talented in their daily habitual lives of faith has also made me aware of my weakness and many rooms for growth. I also carry the weaknesses of past experiences, as we all do.

Another area of weakness has come to the surface as well. Every year here at the NAC there is a flag football game on the weekend of Thanksgiving called the Spaghetti Bowl. In this game the new men (60 of us) challenge the old men (almost 200) to the Roman version of the Turkey Bowl. And for some reason these guys, my classmates, asked me to be their coach. Sure, I coached rugby for a while and coached a little bit of volleyball, but I have not played football on a team since the 7th grade- and while I'm a huge Ravens fan, I haven't had the chance to sit in on any of the coaches' meetings or hear the rationale behind calling plays.

So I decided to do what any honest weak person would do- I went out and got some help. I put together a group of assistant coaches who know a ton more football than I do- and these guys are top notch! Not to mention the great athletes that are in our class! We had our first coaches' meeting today, and I am very excited to see how this team is going to unfold. And as we set out on this task our primary goal is 100% participation- that every single new man will in some way contribute and take part in this game, this team, this community.

And as I was praying earlier today I realized that this is how it happens. This is how weakness yields great success, how weakness transcends to strength and victory. The man that I mentioned earlier who begs on the streets of Assisi lives off of the generosity of others. And for all of us that same dependency is a reality. The more we invite others into our weakness, the more we are able to grow in real solidarity. This football team has a much better chance of shocking the NAC community by defeating the old men now because of these guys who have agreed to contribute their skills, experience, and ideas.

And if I am going to be honest, I have a much better chance of being a good man of faith thanks to the countless prayers and support of others. I cannot express how humbling and exhilarating it is to hear, see, and experience the reality that people are praying for me. Hearing or reading that I am the recipient of a Mass intention or knowing that someone is praying for me has literally been life changing. And although I am close to and very aware of those weaknesses that I had mentioned earlier, my experience of them has been one of peace and joy. I believe that is due to the prayers of family, friends, fellow parishioners at St. Stephen, the rugby team at Loyola College, the teachers and students at John Carroll, my brother seminarians and priests, parishioners at St. Gregory the Great, St. Augustine, and St. James who are praying for me.

A little while ago the Rugby Team at Loyola College went on their annual team retreat. Unfortunately I wasn't able to make it. But from what I hear- it was a great success. There's another great example of a group of people coming together for and with one another; another example of community being formed. The more they support one another without hesitation in their weaknesses the more they will succeed both on and off of the field.

Saint Paul

Yesterday was quite the day. It started with a regularly grueling four hours of Italian. And then, after lunch, all of us new men made a pilgrimage to the Basilica of St. Paul outside of the walls- the church that holds the remains of St. Paul. There were several things about this basilica that really struck me. At first it was the sheer magnitude-- this is a huge church, and was the largest church until St. Peter's Basilica was built. Another thing that struck me was the mixture of Eastern and Western Christianity. There were several moving sculptures, images, and representations of the Byzantine and Eastern traditions of Christianity. And yet another thing that really struck a cord with me was the close connection that was made between St. Peter and St. Paul. It was clear- both from an architectural and an artistic perspective- that St. Peter and St. Paul are two of the major pillars of the Church. And these two men, although both taking part in their fair share of public and extreme mistakes, have been instruments of great grace and hope and faith.

On the trip home I kept thinking about and trying to process the fact that I had just seen and prayed with the remains of St. Paul, and one of the most elegant churches in the West. And I found myself looking for reflections of that same beauty; but the trek back to the seminary took us on an interesting ride in the metro. One of my new brothers here at the NAC caught a woman trying to steal his wallet. Luckily she was unsuccessful, but it was a cold reminder of the reality of poverty and desperation here in Rome. And I found myself thinking- how would St. Paul react to this? How would St. Paul and the other apostles react to the current state of Rome?

These thoughts continued to circulate on the walk from the metro station to the seminary; until the moment when I was just about to enter St. Peter's Square when I heard a familiar voice call out, "Josh Laws!" As I looked around to see who in the world knew who I was all of the way over here in Italy, I saw an old friend- Pat Teranova, who I have worked with a couple of years on Justice Action Week- a week long service/emersion experience for high schoolers from around the Archdiocese of Baltimore that exposes them to central teachings on Social Justice and introduces them to some of the service agencies in the city, in hopes that they will establish relations with and give of themselves in service at these different agencies. And it was absolutely incredible to see Pat. It was great to meet his two friends who were with him and to be able to catch up, even though it was only for a couple of minutes. And as I said my goodbyes to them and made plans to meet them again; I couldn't help but think that this is exactly what St. Paul and St. Peter would expect of Rome-- the center and heart of the Church. They would expect that this is where people of faith, people of justice, people who work together in building something great would meet. This is the place where they will bump into each other and reconnect. This is the place where they will meet to scheme up new initiatives for working towards justice and building peace.

As I continued walking, after making plans to see Pat and his friends again, I kept thinking about this; and being grateful for the opportunity to be here. And as I crossed the pillars of the arms of St. Peter's Square and made my way over to the ramp entrance to the short-cup back to the seminary I saw a man standing over in the corner. As I got closer I saw that he was holding a small white plastic cup. And so, after being reminded why I am here in Rome, I stopped and talked for a while with Giuliano.

Sure, I was wearing clerics and may have been a typical target for someone to get a buck from; and sure, I made small addition to the coins in his cup. But I noticed and was really struck by our conversation. He told me that he sleeps out in St. Peter's Square almost every night, and that he remains steadfast, amidst his struggles, in his faith. And each time that he referred to his faith or to his family he reached out and touched my chest- right over my heart. And he continually, throughout the conversation, referred to me as fratello (brother).

After we had parted and I made my way back to the seminary, I kept thinking about the day as a whole: the experience of going from praying at the tomb of St. Paul to meeting an old friend to meeting a new friend who is a native of Rome and does not have a home to call his own. And I thought- how incredibly integrated this day has been. First I met the remains of a man who taught peace and community; then I saw and got to reconnect with a man who works for peace and community; and then I met a man who is in dire need of peace and community.

This morning, to bring everything together, in the homily one of our priests here at the NAC quoted St. Paul in his homily. He told us that the role of the priest is to be a faithful minister of joy. And as I thought about these words I couldn't help but get excited- excited that I am in formation to be a priest, excited about the fact that our Church is so radical in being focused on others, excited in the reality that there is much work to be done, and excited in the Holy Spirit who is here to guide our every work.

Living Bones

Yesterday I went with a few of the guys from the seminary on the scavi tour at St. Peter's. The tour goes through fairly recent renovations and excavations below the basilica. It starts with ancient Roman burial crypts where middle class Roman pagans burried their dead. And as you walk along the street (still underneath the Basilica) you eventually arrive at an ancient Christian burial site where the ceiling holds the oldest known mosaic of Christ. But the highlight of the tour was the bones of St. Peter. After being discovered and thoroughly tested, the remains of St. Peter were put in a clear box (built by NASA) almost directly under the main altar of the Basilica. Our tour guide, a brother seminarian, told us that John Paul II used to come to this site upon arriving back in Rome after every major trip to pray at the remains of St. Peter. And structurally it is clear that these bones are the heart and central foundation of the Basilica.

I took the opportunity there to pray for my family, friends, and the many parishioners that I have had the opportunity to work and worship with. And as I prayed, I couldn't help but think of how imperfect Peter was. I kept remembering how he had doubted Jesus, sinking into the water, and how he intentionally and publicly denied Jesus three times. But somehow he was invited to be one of the twelve disciples. And somehow he became the first pope- the rock upon which the Church was built. And somehow countless people have come to Rome from all across the world to pray at his remains.

Right after returning to the seminary we all went to holy hour where we prayed, gazing into the Eucharist in a golden monstrance. And as I sat in silence I kept thinking about the juxtaposition- Peter who had publicly denied Jesus Christ and now the Eucharist- in which Christ is truly present.

As prayer continued I thought about how all of us are somehow present in the Eucharist as well- in some kind of harmonious union with God and with one another. And how all of us, like Peter, are incredibly unworthy. I sat for a while thinking about that- our unworthiness, our weakness-- and yet our invitation, our strength.

Directly after holy hour we prayed Evening Prayer as a community. And the response was: "I shall know the fullness of joy when I see your face, O Lord." What a great line! When I read it, the first thing that came to mind was this image of Mother Teresa- the sheer joy that she must have experienced as she encountered Christ in this child. The sheer joy that she experienced when she saw God, face to face.

I spent some time with that one- reflecting on the many times that I have seen the face of God in prayer, in the poor, in family, in the sacraments, in friends, in parishioners, in strangers. And being full of joy.

An attitude of gratitude is the theme for the day I guess. Grateful for these saints who have freely spent themselves in the service of others and for God who continually invites us to do the same in his Spirit.

Friends in Assisi

Things have been going really well here in Assisi. Today is our last day of classes; and tomorrow morning we head back to Rome- which will apparently be very hot. Yesterday the temperature in Rome was over 100 degrees!

As I think back over my time here in Assisi I am incredibly grateful for the experience, the opportunity to be here, and the people that I have met. It has been great to be able to pray in the churches of St. Francis and St. Clare with their religious communities and the many pilgrims here. It has also been great to get to know and form friendships with some of the modern saints of Assisi. Last night a few of us got together to celebrate the birthday of a friend (Adonella). She owns a caffe in town; and we have been fortunate enough to get to know her and be able to practice our Italian as well as learn about Italian culture. In the picture above we are taking part in an Italian tradition as we hoist Adonella in the air- one hoist for every year.

It has also been really great to get to know my classmates here. They are a great group of guys and I am looking forward to getting to know them better over the years.


In an effort to enter more fully into the spirit of St. Francis, a few of us grew out our beards during our time here in Assisi. There were only two of us who had beards when we got to Assisi, but a lot of the guys joined in and sported their beards over the weeks. And just for kicks we decided that yesterday should be Mustache/Mutton-chops Monday; so we all crafted our facial hair in the most ridiculous ways that we could think of. All of us commented on how many looks we got around town.



Well, it has definitely been a blessing to be here in Assisi; and I look forward to being able to come back and visit.

Assisi 1 -- Perugia 0

One of the nice things about being a student in Europe is the ability to travel and see so many different places. Yesterday a few friends and I made a quick train ride over to Perugia, the capital of Umbria. While there we were able to find what we think is the best food deal in Italy- pizza, french fries (fritas), and a drink for 7,50 Euro... not bad. We were also able to attend Mass at the Cathedral.

So I guess you've probably noticed the picture. While in Perugia we observed that just about every Italian ragazzo (person our age) was walking around with a popped collar and what in Italian is called the bursito (which is really a smaller and I guess more practical version of a satchel). So we decided to try and fit in by popping our collars and thought that it might give us a boost in practicing our Italian. No such luck though. Maybe it was because we "un-popped" our collars right after taking this picture. But we eventually found out that most people our age don't start hanging out in Perugia until after midnight, and we had to catch the train back to Assisi (a train that we had to run down a mountain to catch).

When we got back to Assisi, though, the main piazza was swarmed with an international group of high school students who were keeping the rest of the piazza entertained with their dances and songs. It has been amazing to see over the past month how many people come on pilgrimage to Assisi to visit, pray with, and hopefully be somehow changed by St. Clare, St. Francis, and the modern day saints who fill this town. It has also been amazing to see how much life they bring to Assisi. Every night, since I have been here, there have been young groups in all of the piazzas dancing, singing, and praying. A few nights ago there was a group from Germany in the Piazza outside of St. Clare's singing "Country Roads"- small world.

And so, after much consideration, the results are in... Assisi 1 -- Perugia 0.