The Pilgrim

One of the lessons that I learned last year on the Camino about being a pilgrim is that we keep moving towards our ultimate destination.  That is why, unless you were injured or sick, they did not encourage pilgrims to stay in a town more than one day- they wanted us to continue moving forward.   

Having always been a person on the go and usually juggling multiple task at once, I was familiar with going from one event to the next and the continuos movement forward.  Then this past year, of not having any real commitments or plans has been a drastically different lifestyle for me- the Scheduler of Schedules!  I no longer had the 5-7 standing events a week like I did when I worked at NCTC.  Now on an average week, I might have one actual commitment.  So my life got slower, slower in a good way... Allowing me to be more focus and present with God.  Not distracted with so many worldly things. And it was a good year for moving forward personally.

Then, I headed off again on a pilgrimage and although this time I am not required to move on, I have found myself naturally moving on.  I come to see what I came to see and then I find a quiet church or chapel and pray for most of the day and then I am ready to move-on.  I do not want to waste the time I am given.  With the concept of a pilgrim, constantly moving, it helps me to think about the bag I carry and really how little I actually need.   

Ultimately as a pilgrim, we are walking towards heaven and on a path that will bring us nearer to God.  Like this trip and constantly moving and not delaying, I think we too must not delay to get nearer to God.  After all, why would we delay the greatest joy that we can/could ever know?

It is amazing when I look back and see how God has woven this pilgrimage together for me and how everything built upon a previous lesson and how it is all interconnected.  As I referenced the steps in my last blog, we continue to move forward and take that next step as a pilgrim in this world.  Sometimes we do not see the next step but we trust and go where we are led by the Holy Spirit and that next step appears.  I was unsure at some points where God was leading me in my prayer time but I went where I thought I was suppose to go and then I saw the next step.  Truly brilliant how everything came together for me on this trip and how God answered my questions in prayer.  Looking back, it is always easier to see the pattern verses trying to see that pattern when we are in the middle.  I believe everything happens for a reason and there are no random coincidences which makes the sequence of events always that much better when you look at the big picture... It all had a purpose.

So I will leave Rome tomorrow to return to Virginia before making a roundabout way back to the DFW area.  From there, I will keep moving and taking that next step and we will see where that leads!  

Colossians 4:17

Steps

As the day comes to an end and I make my walk back to the convent I am staying at for evening vespers, i begin thinking about steps.  There are the 117 stair steps from the market I go to each night to buy my fruit to my convent and then once inside the convent there are the 59 stair steps up to my room.  Yes, each step I take brings me closer to my goal.  In this case, getting into by room to take off the hiking boots and put on the sandals and freshen up before heading downstairs to the chapel.  But what about the bigger picture of my life and my life goal?  Where are my everyday steps taking me?

Having spent the day, mainly focused on the early fathers of our church and their crosses which they happily carried following Christ to their death, a death by martyrdom, I think of our journey in this world. From the prison chains of Paul and his tomb located in St. Paul's Outside the Walls, 

to Peter's prison chains at St. Peter's in Chains, 

or simply the coliseum where early Christians died for their faith, 

or visiting the church that houses the head of John the Baptist, 

among many more.  It draws me in, to think about these humans that showed extraordinary strength when faced with persecution.  Where did that extraordinary strength come from?  From the very source of strength from their faith in God and the grace He bestows on those that trust in Him.  I reflect back to high school, when our theater department did the play the crucible.  I remember as a 9th grader just thinking, all they had to do was say they denounce God (meanwhile telling God they did not mean it) and that they were a witch and they could save their life (after all God would understand).  It was not until I was in college with my intervarsity group, that somewhere along the way I came to understand, why they gave their life versus denouncing God.  To die for your faith, how many are really willing to make that sacrifice?  

Most of us will never be forced to denounce our faith or die, but everyday we make choices that denounce our faith.  When we are afraid to say a blessing for our meal because we are in public.  When we do not correct someone that has made an inappropriate joke or comment about our faith.  When we fail to give credit to God for the blessing in our life and instead take the credit. In so many ways, we put God aside.  One of the reflections, that I had early on this trip when I was writing the things to help me grow was that everything either brings me closer to God or pulls me away.  I then made a conscious effort to rid myself of those things which distract.  In this case it was simply deleting my card game on the IPAD which I did when I wanted to waste time waiting.

Once again, we are constantly taking steps and hopefully those steps bring us closer to God and not pulling us away from Him.  As I have walked around Rome and down the incline and declines, I thought of a homily by Father Jason Cargo sometime last Fall.  He spoke about his time studying in Rome and he ran a marathon around the city.  About the last 5k, he did not think he could go any further and one of his fellow priest saw Father Jason struggling to take the next steps.  His brother priest, came out of the crowd in his dress clothes (including loafers) and ran the remainder of the way beside Father Jason encouraging him the entire way.  

We are not meant to take our steps alone and together we can bring one another to the finish line to the ultimate goal. I came on pilgrimage alone (yes, God has been with me without a doubt) and yet at every place I have made friends from my Italian Mamas, the French woman Silvia at the halfway house, the Vietnamese pilgrims whom the Monseigneur made a point to tell his joke twice once in Vietnamese and once in English - just so I could laugh with everyone else, the Indian sisters and Priest from the Papal Audience that are expecting me to come to their place, or the Holland gang that I spent part of the day with as we discovered a hidden tomb and walked around a cemetery together.  Our pilgrimage in this world is not meant for us to take it alone.  So instead of hiding our faith, share your faith.  As Jesus told the disciples, 'do not be afraid.'  I think fear is what causes most of us to not speak up or act out on our faith.  Our society is all about being politically correct but part of being politicically correct, is allowing you to live your faith while others can coincided and live their faith.  After all, you never know when acting on your faith, living your faith will draw someone else into the faith.  So start where you are and begin making steps, even if they are slow at first, kind of like me doing the final steps to my room each night after vespers!  Then as you begin making steps to get to your ultimate destination be like Father Jason's friend and help someone else whom is struggling to take their next step!  God Bless!

The end at Norcia

Norcia has been a quiet and charming town, that for the most part seems to be avoided by most tourist during this time of the year.  The reason for my coming to Norcia was to go to the birthplace of Saint Benedict and his twin sister, Saint Scholastica.  In the center of town, the church of Saint Benedict has been built over the ruins of the family home.  Saint Benedict would go on to be considered the founder of modern monastery life through the rule, commonly known as the Rule of Saint Benedict.  

This summer, after knowing God was calling me to religious life, I wanted to read this rule and so I got the book.  It is truly amazing that something written 1500 years ago to explain how to live a life in a monastery as well as how to govern a monastery is still the standard.  It really just goes to show, that the more things change the more they stay the same.  Anyways, I enjoyed the silence that the churches in Norcia offered as the only people in them were people there to pray as oppose to just pop-in and out to take a photo.  Of how the priest homily in Italian on the Camino, comes back to play.

Anyways, I was able to stay with the Benedictine Sisters at Saint Antony's Monastery and was once again blessed to be able to get to participate with the community for Liturgy of the Hours.  As evening came, a woman came that was staying there and every now and then she would get lost.  I would help her find what page we were on and where we were at.  So when dinner came, she started speaking in italian, only to be surprised that I was not Italian.  Dinner with Paula was really nice as she could also speak English and we talked about many things of faith.  Sister Bernadette also joined in our conversation but it was my conversation with her in the morning which was my favorite.  

After lauds, Mass, terrace, and breakfast at the convent, I was ready to go.  Before I left Sister had a nice talk and various words of wisdom on religious life.  The one thing I appreciated the most was her telling me to not focus on all the means but solely focus on the end.  If I have a clear vision of the end, it will make everything easier whatever challenges come my way. I thought this was great vocation advice, no matter what vocation in life we have chosen.  Hopefully for all the vision of the end - should be eternity with God in heaven.  So we each approach our vocation with that end in mind and we walk the path God has called us to, but always remain focus on the end.  The end is not getting married, taking final vows, or living a committed single life- each of these should only help us get to our ultimate end.  How many of us get caught up on the means instead of the end.  I know I have but will try to be constantly focus on the end in the future.

View from convent window

Wild pigs everywhere!

The call...

"Rebuild my church".  A universal call for each of us to do our part.  In Assisi at San Damiano or inside the Basilica of Saint Maria Delgli Angeli,  you see what Francis took literally (rebuilding small churches that had fallen into ruins) before rebuilding Gods church through people.  The real church that laid in ruins, was the faith of the people.  People that were spiritually craving God, even if they did not know it.  Today we also suffer from a Church in ruins- so many people lost and looking but usually looking in all the wrong places for that joy that only God can bring.  This is where we each must do our part to rebuild God's church.  Fitting that this is what speaks to me in Assisi, but I do not think this has ever left my heart, once it was planted there a while back.

So, How is The Lord calling you to rebuild His church?  A basic sermon on stewardship would come into play here... through your talent, time, and treasure.  True love does not have a formula, we love with everything we have.  So although a tithe is ten percent, that does not mean we only give ten percent of ourselves to God.  Once again, true love has no formula.  Would a marriage be consider a good marriage in the eyes of the world if the husband and wife only gave each other ten percent?  Would you consider a parent a good parent if they only gave ten percent of themselves to their children?  No, it is out of love that we want to do more for those we love.  For the people we love, we will go to extremes at any hour of the day or night.  No cost is too much for those we love.  Is this how we feel about God?  Once Francis understood true love, he gave everything he had to God.  What am I giving to God?

Walk Around Siena

As I walked around the town of Siena, I was drawn to walk towards the Basilica of San Francesco.  I did not know it until, i walked inside the church but one of the Eucharistic Miracles is in siena and it is at the Basilica of San Francesco.  So now, I know why I was led to walk this way!

The Eucharistic Miracles are great examples to use when teaching about the bread and wine being the true presence of Christ in the Eucharist (transformed into the body, blood, soul, and divinity of Christ).  On occasion, our church (the people) have been given miracles such as the bread being preserved for centuries, actual blood coming from the bread, and so forth.  These signs are given to us,to help the Thomas in each of us but the true miracle of the Eucharist, in my opinion is each and every time a Mass is said and the consecration of ordinary bread and wine turns into our very Lord.  Then we become tabernacles as we go about our day and if we truly allow God to do His thing in us (His will), then the Eucharistic transform us.  And that there is another miracle, when we really examine our selves -our failures and shortcomings - and yet, God takes us with these and can make us Holy, if we simply follow Him.  And it becomes easier to follow him, when we are physically carrying Him inside ourselves.  I am at my best, when I received Him regularly through the sacrament of the Eucharist. Through that gift, which I deeply want, I become aware of how badly I need Him.

As I prayed in the church, the Friar was kind enough to remove the urn from the tabernacle with the 223 host in it that are almost 300 years old for myself and a few other pilgrims that were there.  I had not expected to get to see the host, since the signage said that it is venerated following Mass of the 17th of each month.  But once again, I will close it out by saying... God is good!

Preach the Gospels at all times and when necessary use words.

The Way of God is beautiful!  So in Medugorje I had the feeling come over me that I wanted to be in Loreto, Italy on September 11 (the significance of this day  is it is the day of my Grandma Brown's birthday).  In Loreto, i would go to the Holy House.  Per tradition, the Holy House is where the Angel of the Lord came to Mary and told her that she would conceive a child through the Holy Spirit and Mary answered with a 'yes' to Gods will.  The house was moved when the Holy Land was lost by the Crusaders and no longer under the protection of the Christians.  For the safe keeping of the house, a family named Angelo moved the stone house.  Thus a legend of Angels moving the house was born. 

Anyways, I followed the holy spirit, took a bus after Mass in Medugorje and arrive in Split that evening.  I purchase my ferry ticket for an overnight ferry, found a church to pray, got wifi to let my family know my whereabouts and I then began walking to board the ship.  I began hearing many people shout 'Ciao Kim' and I see that it is my Italian friends. Due to the language barrier, I had thought they were leaving a different day and now we are on the same boat for the return trip to Ancona and from there they will drive to Loreto to celebrate Mass and then they return to the Naples area.  They offer me a ride on their bus to Loreto the following morning which I accept.  But a bus ride is not why God guided me here.  

So among the group, the many Italian Mamas all have wanted to make sure I was taken care of (my mom would be happy): they fed me, told me to avoid certain groups that were bad spiritually/sects, made sure I knew what was happening at Mass/Rosary, etc.  most of this was done via our chopped English/Italian/Spanish but we also one day found a cafe and used the wifi to use a translator so we could have a conversation.  In addition, to the many Mamas, I also got a new little sister.

This sister was the reason, that God brought me to Split on that day to take the ferry and why he had me come to Loreto on the 11th.  This is where the saying, "preach the gospel at all times and when necessary use words," comes into play.  It also simply comes to saying 'yes' to God, even when we do not know in the short-term where we end up (for we know in the long-term where our 'yes' to God will bring us). 

For God did not want my words but simply my actions. He wants our 'yes' and He wants us then to go do what He has told us.  So little sister and I could not have a conversation truly but through simple words in Italian we were able to make do but more important than any words I said, was simply loving.  On the ferry, I learned little sister has a very heavy heart and because of this, she is drawn to me because she wants that joy/freedom.  The freedom and joy we get when we drop the extra baggage, that God never intended for us.  The joy that comes with God.  My point to ponder here would simply be, what baggage do I hold on to?  Am I willing to drop that baggage?  

I do not know little sisters life story or what is happening currently in her life but I do know that she is at a tipping point with God in the best way possible and that soon she will find the rest, joy, and peace through Him that she needs. She just simply must keep saying 'yes', like our Mother Mary.  Without words you can feel someone's  pain and the fixer in me only wants to take it away, but not being able to communicate with words to find out what the problem is makes that impossible.  It also makes me rely on God so much more- literally using His words instead of my own.  To help her on her way, I gave her three scriptures to read- they share God's forgiveness and mercy, His love for us through Jesus' life and death, and God having a place for us.  Every person needs to understand how badly God loves them and how much He wants them.  If we all understood these simple, yet profound truths, I think the world would have peace and joy and not be the world that we see each time we read the newspaper or watch TV.  

In Loreto after Mass, when it was time for the Italians to leave, I said my goodbyes and when it came time for little sister and her mama they cried and of course, that made me cry.  Truly a beautiful part of life, how we weave in and out of each others life and in such a small amount of time, so great of a love can be formed. 

Fitting bible verse from evening vespers:

"To God whose power now at work in us can do immeasurably more than we ask or imagine—to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations, world without end. Amen."-  Ephesians 3:20-21

Prayer & People

My preferred style of prayer is in my mind and heart, but I have realized for many they want to verbally express their prayers be it through speaking or singing.  We all have different learning styles and in the same way we all have different prayer styles.  Just as a teacher must teach to both the student that learns through lecturing as well as the student that learns from hands on experience (among other learning styles); we as a church offer many ways to pray to God.  The silence for me is where I most often meet God and hear God.  I still participate in group prayers and songs, but a lot of times, I will strive to silence out all the noise around me and zone in on the silence I can find within me that God provides.  I am nowhere perfect but I have come a long way from previously being distracted by others. 

 Alas, In Medugorje there were many groups from many countries that were praying in their native language.  This is one thing, which I love about the Catholic Church- our very name means we are universal- even though we do not speak the same language, we have the same faith and we are able to pray together and celebrate Mass together without actually needing to speak the same vocal language because we speak the same spiritual language (from our heart and minds).  Each evening, at the evening prayer service and Mass- we would all gather and say the rosary in our own language.  Then at Mass you would hear the people respond to the Priest in many languages.  Whenever I am with a large community of Catholics from different parts of the world, I have a very strong appreciation for the men and women, who came before and shared the truth to all the corners of the world- starting with the apostles.  So in this very brief blog, I leave you with that thought... Who can I thank for sharing the truth with me?  Most likely there is more than one.  Fitting, I come to that question on the eve of my grandmothers birthday, whom prayers are still with me and my family today from heaven.

Getting to Medugorje

Before heading off to try and make my way to Medugorje, I simply ask Mary to intercede and if i was to go, she would make it work out somehow.  The train from Milano to Ancona was easy enough.  But the public transport in Ancona to the ferry was a bit crazy.  The people told us to wait at the bus stop for the 12 or 20.  I was joined by 2 New Zealand couples and two Aussies.  Between all of us, my Italian was the best which really means my pathetic version of Spanish just with added hand motions was the best.  After 30 minutes - we ask inside because we wanted to make sure and make it through customs to leave the country and make our ferry on time.  Inside tells us to go to the bus stop.  Well I begin reading and realize that the time schedule is color coded by about 10 different categories.  Not by days of the weeks or weekends but literally some buses would only run one day out of the entire month.  

So we begin walking to the ferry port.  Along the way, I simply ask Mary to intercede and to guide me correctly, since everyone is following me and a few of the people are too old to be getting turned around and walking more than needed.  Well we make to the port and I purchase my ferry ticket and with an hour to spare before they allow us to board, I decide on a little hike up to the church on the hill.  Beautiful scenery, beautiful church, but the hill was a good hike.  You know just getting my practice in!

Anyways, on the boat we all gather at the deck for a shared dinner and then I settle in to go to bed.  Awesome conversations today with the many people I met from the travel crew to my bunk-mate.  

We arrive to Croatia around 7:30am and I meet a priest from India that is serving in the Naples Diocese.  He is leading a group to Medugorje and I ask him if he knows when we get to port where the bus station is.  Well, Father John Kennedy takes me under his wing and lets me join his group on their charter bus.  Bam, once again, just feeling blessed by God.  Well, from there Maria, an Italian mama, takes me under her wing - even though she does not speak English.  On the bus, I meet a young woman from Milan that met this outgoing Italian group on the ferry and they brought her under their wing as well and now she is traveling to Medugorje with them as well.  Other then Father, she is the only one that speaks English well enough to have a conversation and we have an awesome Holy Spirit led conversation.  (So the people at my church will find this awesome, as I talked with Father John, we learned that he and Father Victor Cruz are from the same order and he knows him.)

Upon arrival, we depart ways and I begin to find lodging.  I move away from the touristy area and head up the hill near the base of the mountain.  I share a community meal with fellow pilgrims of bread and water and we ate in silence to fast and pray for peace in the world, especially syria and the middle east, per the popes proclamation.  In my meditations today, I really just thought about peace and what causes us to go to war.  Oh, the hearts of men...

So I participate in the evening prayer and mass and then settle in for the evening.  I woke up early and decide to go to walk up cross mountain before heading to the afternoon mass.  On the walk up to cross mountain, there are the stations of the cross and you can pray them during your walk. From there I sat at the top for a few hours and just read my bible and thought.  As I was about to head down, I hear 'Americana' and its my Italian friends.  They are about to walk down and so I walk with them and we begin to pray the rosary.  There are a number of them that are older and need to go a lot slower and so I end up helping one of the women whom has bad legs make our way down the rocky path.  I will say, it is awesome how many older people make this journey because it is a rough path and many would skip it to avoid the pain.

  Sidenote: The cross at the mountain was put there by the town in 1933 in honor of 1900 years from Christ death and resurrection.  

As we walk down, I am going a lot slower then I would have because I am having to show footing and holding the hand for one of the women.  What should have been a less than one hour walk down and to the church becomes a 2 plus hour walk down the mountain.  On my mind is the mass at noon but I do not want to rush the women that are struggling and I simply have the faith that God will take care of it and so I focus on getting them down.  I am truly amazed by Gods grace and protection because I walked a good amount of the way backwards since I was having to hold the ladies hand as she made her steps.  Once again God provides.  

Anyways, about half way down, the women says, 'sorry kim' because she knows we are going slow and I tell her 'gratize, Camino Cruz- cinco- Simon'. She says station 5 and we both laugh.  As we near the bottom, she tells me she will pray 10 Hail Marys for me and I thank her.  Then she says she will do it daily always for my vocation.  On the grand scheme of things, me helping her down the mountain was a very small act.  Yet, her act of daily praying for me and my vocation... All I can say is wow.  I can not express, how beautiful or how much that means to me.  We get to the bottom of the mountain at two minutes until Mass and I take off.  Well, God is good because Mass started 15 minutes late and i got into the church before it began.  Talk about God taking care!

Create a clean heart in me

So before leaving the states, everything kept coming back to love.  The desire to increase my love for God and others kept coming up again and again.  Loving everyone (literally everyone) as God calls us to, is not a strength of mine and it is something I have been working on for a while and will probably get to work on my entire life (without Gods grace).  I am not sure what it was about my visit with the Franciscan sisters before I left but everything kept returning to love.  So this has been an increase area of my focus and prayer time.

So that is the state of mind, when I came oversees.  Then in Lyon, I really begin thinking about my heart and how I want a pure heart.  Well fast forward to Ars and I see Saint Jean Marie Vianney and I come to know his heart.  A simple, pure heart only filled with the love of God which made him love man.  I had some heart to hearts with God where I let him know my desire for a pure heart.  Then, God responded and continues.  Every mass and every office reading had something to do with a clean heart, a pure heart, and each time it deepened my desire.

Switching gears for a moment-   So in the dinning hall of the convent, I am quick to make friends with people, even if we do not speak the same language but as reference before, it seems like we can somehow manage... International telephone game.  So one morning at breakfast, I meet a woman and as we talk, she tells me she is from Paray le Monial.  This town means nothing to me and so she then says, you know Saint Margaret Mary and the Sacred Heart image.  I guess I really never had thought about where the image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus had come from but during that conversation my heart stirred a little.  So we depart ways and I go to morning lauds with the Sacred Heart sisters (just wait they will tie back in to the story).  During lauds, a verse hits me and I know at lunch I have to speak to that woman again, because I think my trip is about to take a detour.  

At lunch we talk again and she offers me a ride to go that afternoon but I have already made a commitment with Sister Therese that I will spend the afternoon with some of her friends (the town locals).  Sister Therese is the sister that after the international telephone game thinks something good of me and always smiles and pats me on the back.

 The woman was returning to her home that evening and was leaving out of town the following day, so by the time I would arrive in Paray, I would miss her but I knew God was keeping me for a reason.  So the afternoon with St. Therese friends we go for a lovely walk in the Ars countryside (minus the gunfire from hunters in the field we are walking beside).  During the walk, Chantal is very excited and talks about Divine Mercy, the Scared Heart, Mary, and many other topics.  She ties everything together without me even having to ask.  She tells the story of St. Margaret Mary and Jesus giving her the image of the Sacred Heart.  That the French King did not do as he was asked and the country had many ills.  The grandson, repented of their family not doing as Jesus had asked as he awaited his executions in the dungeons during the French Revolution.  Finally the country did as was requested and the sacred heart of Jesus was venerated.  In honor of the sacred heart they built the Sacré-Coeur Basilica in Paris (if you recall that is where I started off last year with my pilgrimage).  The same sisters that are there at the Sacré-Coeur Basilica are part of the same order of sisters that I met in Ars and did the divine office with.  Then it all ties in with Saint Faustine and the image of Divine Mercy.  

So I leave Ars to Paray and it is a fairly small town and I make my way to the Basilica, then the st. jean adoration chapel, and then to the chapel where the visitation occurred.  After afternoon prayers, I notice a sisters begins to set-up the side altar where St. Margaret Mary is at.  A priest is going to say private mass but she tells me that I can join. Things that are awesome because I was not able to attend mass in Ars before catching the bus and I got to Paray too late, so this worked out perfect.  God is good!  

Photo- side note : So every photo where the mosaic tile of the scared heart comes out with a  bright light.  When just looking at the tile, you see each tile but with the photo it just shines light.  Use the iPad, so there was no flash.

So after some more prayer time, it is time to find a place to spend the night.  I try to ask another sister in the shop if the convent allows pilgrims to sleep there.  The woman I had met from the town had said that as a female they might let me stay there because from time to time they do retreats for women, even though it is a cloister.  Anyways, her French and my French sends me to a halfway house.  The people at the door seem very confused by a backpacker at their door, and I try my best to explain that the sister had sent me, well once they realize I came from the convent they agree.  As I get settled in and read some rules (or at least the parts I can understand) I begin realizing it is not a house for pilgrims.  But oh well, by this point I am heading off for adoration and vespers.  It is when I return for dinner at my house that I come to understand it is a halfway house.  But it is one of the most enjoyable experiences I have ever had and I absolutely love my roommate Silvia!  We converse back and forth between french, english, and charades and it is really some awesome faith talks.  she tells me, she is glad that God brought me here for her but I think I am getting the better deal. We went through a french divine mercy and then i did it in english for her.

Silvia went to pray at 6am, so when I get up and get dress to leave, I see she has left a saint Claude La Colombriere card on my things for me.  God keeps leading because as I head off to go to the Chapel of the Visitation to pray,I go a different path and come upon the church built to host the remains of this Saint.  Once again, God is good.  A quiet church where I can pray my morning prayers before heading off to the chapel to do them in French with the sisters.  I try and do the prayers and mass in French but I want to know what is said so either before or after I always read them in English.

Anyways, I have to say, I am loving how God is working and weaving and I am very happy with the trip detour.  Everything I have is really Gods and the only thing that I truly own because He allows it, is my will which includes how I use my heart.  So the only thing I can truly give God is that.  It seems so simple and yet we can make that so difficult.  From the morning lauds with the Sacred Heart sisters in Ars:

Breathe on me, breath of God,

Until my heart is pure,

Until with you I have one will,

To live and to endure.

Amen, Amen my friends!  Next detour is to Nevers.  I might eventually get to Italy.  But alas, I do not think that it matters so much the where.  More important the who and the why.

The Contrast

In Ars, I have enjoyed the many contrast that I have found.  This morning as I took the brief walk up to the site on the Encounter, I thought about these many contrast.  The site of the encounter is where Father Jean Marie Vianney asked a small shepherd boy if he could show him the ways to Ars.  It was here that the Priest would see his parish for the first time.  In thanks to the little shepherd boy for showing him the way to Ars.  Father Vianney told the boy, he would show him the way to heaven.  What if at each moment of our life, we could tell others this?  Through not only sharing the good news with them, but living out the good news.  Our actions will draw others to God more than our words.  We have all seen the person that preaches about Gods love but fails to allow Gods love to shine forth from them.  And if we are honest with our selves, we can see at times in our life when we have been that person that failed to allow Gods love to work through us.

Another contradiction is the Basilica itself.  After his death, the church wanted to build a basilica that would accommodate the pilgrims that had already been coming to Ars.  The towns people did not want the parish church torn down and so the Basilica was built into  the parish church.  This contradiction is a beautiful contradiction.  If you enter from the old parish side- it is small, crowded, mainly wood, and simple when compared to the Basilica side which is large, spacious with high ceilings, marble, and elaborate.  Yet, this is the very essence of this simple country priest.  Father Vianney interiorly was a very simple and humble man.  Yet, to those that knew him, met him, and traveled a great distance to get to the confessional with him- realized something else... Yes, he was a humble man, but a humble man that walked with a giant daily (aka God).  The two sides of the church reflect this contradiction so well and yet together it does make perfect sense.  

The next contradiction was the contradiction between his home and his church.  The parish home, upon his arrival was well decorated - too decorated for a simple humble servant of God.   So out with the decadence and in with the bare necessities.   How he decided to live is very  important, he kept the bare minimum when it came to furniture but he surrounded himself with images and books of our Lord and Saints.   Having a hard time focusing on God?  Look around your home and office- what image do you see?  what books are on your self?  i will say if you came to my office (when I had an office) the joke was my walls looked like a general shirts - Lined in order with awards.  Guess what, those awards mean nothing.  When I left last August we had an award ceremony, where I gave away those awards to my staff.  The wall, told people that came to my office- I was a success, I know what I am talking about.  But does that really matter?  I can honestly say, I never did any of it for the award but in a way, with those awards on the wall all about me... We can say what was really important to me... Me!  So Father Vianney lived modestly and surrounded himself with things that called to mind God... Hmm, seems likes a no brainer and yet how many of us fell to do this.

Now in complete contrast to how Father Vianney lived, he desired for God to dwell in the best place possible.  So he took the very modest parish and made small changes.  These changes were designed to glorify God, to call God to the minds of his people, and to help his people understand the importance of Christ.  How do you teach Gods majesty?  You show it.  Well his parish began noticing how little he considered himself in importance when he compared himself with God.  A neat addition, that he made to the parish was the bell tower.  Father Vianney wanted to call his people to God.  This was before the time of mass emails, calendar alerts, commercials, billboards, and text messages.  So the bells would ring and would bring to mind God and call his people from the field to Mass.  I have written previously about the church bells, so no need to restate here.  The part of him restoring the church and wanting to do all he can to glorify God, reminds me of the Priest currently at , my parents church, Father Jason Cargo.  I do not know if he got on their roof, to restore the bell tower, but I do know he has put in his manual labor to help get the job done on their church restoration project.  And yes, when you enter the church, even without understanding the presence of the Eucharist, a person knows they are in a holy place, a place to pray, a place to be reverent.  I have been blessed to visit many beautiful churches during my life, but I know we will never be able to build anything that expresses the majesty of God or His goodness but that should not stop us from trying.  I think our best work looks like a kindergarteners art project to God but God like a loving parent tells us how much He loves it because He knows how hard we tried.  

Father Vianney would serve at the parish of Ars for the remainder of his life.  He desired to let the people know of Gods love and he lived out the acts of mercy that Christ calls all of us to, through educating, sheltering, and feeding those in need.  We know his source of all this came through hours of prayer and the Eucharist.   Anyways, Father Vianney parish came to life and the people came to have a life with God.  It was through the confessional, where people were the most touched by this priest.  A good confession, where one is truly remorseful and desires to sin no more is a beautiful thing.  Yea, you might cry but at the end you leave FREE.  The bags you walked in with; guilt, shame, regret, etc are left there and Christ literally makes them disappear for us.  Father Vianney understood the importance and desire of man to be connected to God and as we learn, nothing separates us faster from God then sin.  In the same way, nothing connects us faster to God then having that sin (that obstacle) removed in the Sacrament of Reconciliation.  Because of Vianney's understanding he spent many hours in the confessional.  Want to see a Christ center church and its people?  Look for one that offers reconciliation and mass regularly (and people are there).  Because a Christ-center church will not be one without sinners -we all fall short regularly but one where people acknowledge their failures and seek to be reunited with God as soon as possible and to have them being in their presence always.

So this simple parish priest that understood the importance of the sacraments became known to neighboring towns and one by one more people began coming to receive the sacrament of reconciliation.  Well, even without the social media of today, word spread and near his final years of his life he would spend up to 17 hours in the confessional.  Three times Father Vianney tried to leave to live a life solely devoted to prayer as a monk but on his final time, he realize, 'no, this is where God called me' and he regretted ever trying to avoid Gods will for his own desire (an honest desire at that, a life of prayer focused on God). 

The Gospel reading on this day was from Matthew 25:14-30

Jesus told his disciples this parable:

“A man going on a journey called in his servants and entrusted his possessions to them. To one he gave five talents; to another, two; to a third, one– to each according to his ability. Then he went away. Immediately the one who received five talents went and traded with them, and made another five. Likewise, the one who received two made another two. But the man who received one went off and dug a hole in the ground and buried his master’s money. After a long time the master of those servants came back and settled accounts with them. The one who had received five talents came forward bringing the additional five. He said, ‘Master, you gave me five talents. See, I have made five more.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. Since you were faithful in small matters, I will give you great responsibilities. Come, share your master’s joy.’ Then the one who had received two talents also came forward and said, ‘Master, you gave me two talents. See, I have made two more.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. Since you were faithful in small matters, I will give you great responsibilities. Come, share your master’s joy.’ Then the one who had received the one talent came forward and said, ‘Master, I knew you were a demanding person, harvesting where you did not plant and gathering where you did not scatter; so out of fear I went off and buried your talent in the ground. Here it is back.’ His master said to him in reply, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I did not plant and gather where I did not scatter? Should you not then have put my money in the bank so that I could have got it back with interest on my return? Now then! Take the talent from him and give it to the one with ten. For to everyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich; but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. And throw this useless servant into the darkness outside, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.’”

I can say that St. Jean Marie Vianney, did well with what God entrusted to him. Jean Vianney was not known for his academic excellence, he had trouble in seminary with the Latin and so he was given a small talent (a very small village parish), like the servant only given 2 talents.  But through allowing God to use him in any and all ways possible, those two talents multiply many times.  Because he was faithful to God in small matters, God then gave him great responsibility.  I cannot imagine the stress and workload that our Priest take on (all the life changing moments that they are part of for so many people) but yet, if they simply  allow God to use them the load becomes doable.  No not easy but Jesus never promised an easy path.  So the final question, what is it that God has currently given me to be the steward of?  How am I doing? 

Light & Lyon

So I came to Lyon, to be in the city where St. Irenaeus  taught and fought to protect the churches teachings against the heretics of his day.  St. Irenaeus had heard St. Polycarp, whom was a disciple of the apostle John.  Remind you a completed bound bible as we know it today was not floating around at this time (2nd century) instead the early church fathers had oral tradition and teachings to go along with the scriptures from the old testament along with a few parts of the new testament that had been copied and sent to the various churches.  St. Irenaeus was familiar with the four gospels.  

As I walked the streets of Lyon to the old town, I thought of how appropriate it was that today the church honors St. John the Baptist who died a martyr.  During his life and death he pointed others to Christ and spoke out against the heretics of his own day.  God provides an awesome timeline because in my own planning, I do not think I would have coordinated this.  It was only last Friday that I even decided on what day I would fly out of the country to get into France but oh, the plans of God!

Anyways, the town of Lyon is fairly large and they have many beautiful and ancient churches.   Sadly, many churches are not open all the time or at least during daytime hours but alas, I was never fifteen minutes away from an open church.  I began my walk by heading towards the site where St. Irenaeus church was since it had been destroyed and rebuilt.  Then I continued on to Notre Dame de Fourviere and enjoyed the church and chapels.  The church was designed to appear to be a fort and kingdom all in one, to remind people of the strength of the church and prayers.  The town on multiple occasions, asked the Virgin Mary to intercede for them and in appreciation for being saved by God they built a church in her honor.  I was able to attend Mass and adoration there and after a while I began the walk down the hill.

 

The path zig-zag and there were many times you could decide which path to take but I ultimately ended up at St. philomenas, a very small chapel.  The Francisian sister there, spoke English and told me about the woman, Pauline Marie Jaricot that had built the chapel as a sign of appreciation for St. philomenas intercessory prayer.  She also invited me to stay for Sext prayers that would be happening in a little bit and so I hung around to pray with the other sisters and the Priest that joins them when praying the Divine Office.  On this trip, compared to last time I am much better acquainted with the Liturgy of the Hours and so even though it is in French, I am able to keep up.  

Speaking of the Liturgy, here are some of the things that struck me today:

Office Hymn:

Faith of our fathers, holy faith!

We will be true to thee till death.

Second reading about John the Baptist:

 His persecutor had demanded not that he should deny Christ, but only that he should keep silent about the truth...... But to endure temporal agonies for the sake of the truth was not a heavy burden for such men as John; rather it was easily borne and even desirable, for he knew eternal joy would be his reward

Evening prayer intercessions:

May your Church, in imitation of the Baptist, fearlessly point out the Lamb of God,

– so that people in every age may acknowledge that the Lord comes to them.

Continuing on my day from there I headed out to see some more churches including St. Bonaventures as well as the ancient church, St. Martin d'Ainay.  I have always liked stain glass and one of the things I find really neat is the exterior view verses the interior view.  From the outside, sometimes we cannot even make out the image, it does not draw us in, a d we can walk by without ever noticing it.  Yet when the light is reflecting through the glass from the interior (the way ot is suppose to be viewed from) we see the most magnificent artist creation.  I think it is a lot like us.  Sometimes from the outside, it might not look like much- dirty, dark, and unrecognizable but when we allow Gods light to shine through our interior then we are that most magnificent artwork that God created us to.

Matthew 5:14 "You are the light of the world...."