Cut Down Trees, Jail And My Heart

My parents would confirm that as a child I had a very sensitive heart. Maybe better described as a thoughtful or compassionate heart. I had a heart that was concerned for others both human and creation. I was their child who wanted to have a funeral for the trees we cut down in the yard. I was the child who made sure that my sister’s dolls had their clothes on before they went into the cupboard. I was the child who would sit in front our fish tank and try and make the fish smile because they looked sad. I was the child who made sure even the smallest piece of paper was recycled. Little did I know that my compassionate heart then would help shape me into who I am now and that it was the start of my Franciscan journey.

I thought of that last night as I journeyed home from my first experience of prison ministry. I really didn’t think that I was going to enjoy or want to be there, but by the end of the night, my heart had been opened up again and I do want to go back. This heart of mine seems to connect with the heart of others and that became obvious again last night.

I think I was worried about going because I thought I would want to make everything okay or better for the inmates. That never became the case at all, my heart opened up and I simply listened and shared. I was welcomed into a sacred space and it was simply having ‘coffee’ and then praying with the community gathered.

The scripture for the day was the prodigal son and as is the tradition there, the scripture was proclaimed by each person reading a line. 30 voices proclaimed the Word of God. The shared reflection that followed was amazing. Insights from both inmates and volunteers deepened my experience of the prodigal son and God’s love and mercy. Sitting around this circle with my brothers and sisters my heart was filled up and I saw a whole new side of our awesome God. 

I also realized that over the past few years my compassionate heart had being playing it safe, maybe even guarded. Not that I wasn’t still using it but maybe just not to its fullest (like when I was a child). As this Franciscan journey continues I am excited about the possibilities that this new openness in my heart will lead me to discover about God, my neighbours and myself. As the sayings go ‘Love Serves’ and ‘I Am Third’. May my God always be first, my neighbor second and myself third as I seek to journey deeper in faith. Francis definitely is influencing this path. I think I am beginning to understand his compassionate heart more and more.

I pray in thanksgiving for the gift of my compassionate heart and for the God experience to continue to shape it and open me up. It really is amazing what cut down trees and visiting a jail can do to someone!

The Rubber Hits the Road...The Gospel Brought to Life

Saint Francis always said that we were to bring the Gospel to life. In the last week I have seen it brought to life, have been challenged to live it more and have been encouraged in my journey. Let me explain…
 

I live in a house with 8 other men, 6 of them are Friars and 3 of us are the journey to hopefully join them as solemnly professed Brothers. Two of our Brothers are in their 90’s, they both offer so much to our community – it is inspiring. The older of the two joins us for meals and prayers. He has great stories and insights to share. His laughter is infectious and his quick wit keeps us on our toes. The other Brother does not join us, as one of our other Brother says he is ‘living as a hermit in a fraternity’. Yet he contributes in other ways… he does slowly make his way to join us for Mass each day, and then he disappears for the day. He spends most of his day by himself in prayer and contemplation, but also walking the streets of our city. He is well known as being the Franciscan of the Street.

After living here for nearly two weeks, the two of us finally met up in the kitchen one night. At the fridge door for about 30 minutes I was immersed in the Gospel. He spoke of the foundation I need, the humility that is needed to be a Brother, the need to rely on the Spirit and how we must desire to become more like Christ. Our short conversation which was me mostly listening left me intrigued, enthused and I had grown as a human, a Christian and a Franciscan. He reminded me to pray to my guardian angel each day (thank you Mom for teaching me that prayer as a child and for telling me about awesome Saint Michael). He also reminded me that the Franciscans don’t make me, I come to them as I am; they are a shell, a means for me to develop, grow and mature in my relationship with Jesus. I wish I could have recorded the conversation, it was one of those ones you want to take notes on and playback when you are looking for inspiration.

The Gospel was brought to life, I am thankful for God moments.

 

Last week also saw me begin in two of my ministry opportunities. I had the chance to begin my weekly ministry with the Soup Kitchen. It really was my first time in such a situation. I have toured a soup kitchen, I have prayed in one, I have even chopped vegetables in the back of one, but I have never been on the front line. I was thrown into the mix quite quickly and was serving soup, clearing tables and talking to the guests. It was an interesting morning to say the least. The one thing that kept running through my mind was ‘these are my brothers and sisters who are guests at my table’. I tried to share lots of smiles and kindness.

That same day I also walked into a Care Home for an interview and began my ministry there within the interview. The Volunteer Coordinator was so Christ-centered. She was driven out of love and compassion and hospitality. After my interview and as the tour of the facility was ending, she introduced me to a group that was enjoying coffee. They happened to be a group of Sisters (nuns), well before you know it I had a chair pulled up at the table and we are sharing stories and discovering a shared journey. After that visit I was then sent to visit an elderly priest. We visited briefly and I left in gratitude for the gift of life.

The challenge of living the Gospel, I am thankful for God moments.

 

Also during the week I had the great privilege of meeting another community of the Poor Clares (so much joy there), had supper with some of our Brothers from a nearby community, Skyped with a dear friend, chatted with my Grandparents, parents and family, and received a few e-mails that made the flame burn brighter. I have had the chance to do some faith sharing with my fellow Postulants, have laughed and cooked and prayed and pondered and celebrated life in community. I was reminded to be a modern saint and to continue to share the love. That message came at the right time and I picked up my cross again joyfully and hope-filled.

The encouragement of the Gospel, I am thankful for God moments.

 

The journey continues, the rubber has hit the road… and the Gospel is engulfing my life more and more… this is not a race, it truly is a journey... I need to remember that.

 

'Start by doing what's necessary; then do what's possible and suddenly you are doing the impossible.' - St. Francis

Gathered at the Table of Goodness and Joy

God’s goodness and joy definitely follows us, maybe better said; leads us from place to place on our journey. We need to be sure to know and remember that and discover it wherever we end up or go.

That thought has been running through my mind for the last week as I settle into my Postulancy year and my new home. The message of God’s goodness and joy being here was made evident again to me over the weekend as we gathered for Eucharist.

We are very privileged to live in a Friary that has a chapel that serves the community around us and they gather with us for Sunday Mass. We have to weekend Masses and each group is its own little community. Both groups warmly welcomed us, made us to feel at home and shared with us their joy and excitement about us being here. No matter where we go as Catholics we are home, for we gather around the Table of the Lord to break bread, and that breaking bread with this new community, that will be my community for the year, opened me up to God’s goodness and joy again.

After we had gathered at the Table of the Lord, we gathered around the table of a community member. A Sunday tradition that dates back to her Mom doing this for the Friars. We were invited to her home and sat at table with new faces, but were made to feel like we had been there for years. Laughter and stories were shared over coffee and baking. I smiled as I thought of my family gathering for Sunday Brunch or my friends and those from the parish I left gathering to do the same. Again I was reminded of God’s goodness and joy. For where we are, there it is and again we discover God and all that awesome love. I truly have been lead from my family to community to a new community. I am connected to all because of God’s goodness, joy and love. The gift of being at table both the Lord’s and a neighbor’s is such a blessing!

Highlights from my first week:

-          Beautiful summer weather

-          New walking paths and beautiful sights

-          New stories to hear and share

-          Having my own sink in my room

-          My space being all set up and functional

-          No mosquitos! (sorry folks back home)

-          Time to read

-          Gathering with my community of Brothers (and neighbors) for prayer, Eucharist and meals.

 

-      Prayers of my family and friends.

 

God is so full of goodness and joy and love, what a blessing to be immersed in it!

 

On this Labour Day… I give thanks for all the hard working people who help build communities and homes and those who support their neighbors. I pray for those struggling to find work and for students and staff returning to school this week.

A Whole New Place

Greetings from the West Coast!

I have officially begun my Postulancy Year with the Franciscan Friars!

Here are the stats to bring you up to speed:

1. Left home 1 week ago (give or take).

2. Spent 5 day son retreat with the Franciscan Brothers - good retreat, good food, good company.

3. During that week - 3 of us were welcomed officially into the Franciscan Community as Postulants. We were presented with the Word of God and a Tau Cross (Franciscan Cross)and welcomed by each member of the community.

4. Week ended with 2 Brothers making their Solemn Vows during a beautiful Mass, followed by a great reception.

5. Our director and the 3 of us Postulants headed West. We had the chance to visit with the Poor Clares and spend a night in a Monastery, (both very interesting).

6. We have arrived at our large home, which includes a chapel, meeting room, sitting room, kitchen and 3 bathrooms (maybe 4 - have to do some more exploring). It has 3 floors and plenty of space.

7. There are 9 of us sharing the house, the duties and the bathrooms! We range in age from 28 - 98.

8. We each have our own good-sized room, which includes a bed, desk, closet, book shelf, and sink.

9. There have been many laughs and adventures already and we live in a beauitful area of the city.

10. Morning Prayer at 7 am and Mass at 7:30 am, Evening Prayer at 5:15 pm.

That gives you a taste of what the last week has looked liked. Lots more to come, as we beginning planing the year out and will be given assignments to work on, not to mention classes begin next week.

Let the adventure continue. God is so good!

Most powerful, holy, lofty, supreme God: You are good, most good, the supreme good! You alone we give praise, glory, thanks honor, and all good! Amen. Amen! So be it. So be it!

Beginning Today: A Prayer for the Journey

Good and Awesome God,

I give You thanks for the gift of life You have blessed me with.

My life is full of so many blessings and gifts.
Thank You for guiding me on this journey and opening me
up to new adventures with You.
 

As I begin my journey with the Franciscans,

I ask your blessing upon my family.

Bless my Mom and Dad,

Bless my siblings and their spouses,
Bless my amazing nephews and nieces.
 
Bless my Grandparents and Godparents,

Bless my Godchildren and their families,

Bless my many relatives and friends.
 
I am so grateful for their love and support,
They have helped me to encounter You,
Your generosity and lavish love.
 
As I enter this Postulancy year,

I pray for strength and courage, I pray for a deepening trust

and I pray to continue to be open to how You are calling me. 

I place all these people and the journey ahead into

Your hands. I am truly in awe and grateful to be
Child of Yours.

Amen.

 

Saint Francis said: The rule of pilgrims is: take shelter under someone else’s roof, thirst after your homeland (heaven) and make you way in peace. This pilgrim is very excited for the next part of the pilgrimage to begin!

Today I begin my Postulancy Year with the Franciscans. We begin with a weeklong retreat, which will end with two of the Franciscans making their final vows. I am about to head out on the road to the retreat house, give some hugs to family (until Christmas), and enter into the journey.

Thank you to all who have been so supportive and have sent me off in such special ways, my heart is full, and I am grateful. I humbly ask for your prayers.

Peace and Joy of the Risen Lord to you all.

Yes I Can Do This!

This week marks the week that ends one chapter in my life and a new one begins. This has happened throughout history over and over again to so many people. It's always easy to comment on this process when it is someone else's life but when it's your own it's tough to keep perspective.

Saying farewell, one last hug from friends and family, as my brother says one last supper, and of course packing up my stuff; deciding what is important to keep, to take, to give away, to deal with later in life has filled my days. Lots has happened to get me to this point, lots has happened this past week alone and lots is happening this week to ensure I'm ready to go into the next chapter.

So I ponder, looking back with lots of smiles and fond memories. I'm hopeful and excited, I'm grateful and humbled. I remain connected to Christ and know that his strength, courage and joy is what fills me and allows me to look ahead.

I have been reminded several times this week in several ways that all things are possible with God. Through the time spent with my nephews and nieces, acts of kindness, a hug from my Mom and others, questions asked, encouragement given, celebrations, quiet moments, words of scripture and reflections from St. Francis I see the journey is possible.

Still as the suitcase gets packed I pause again and I ask myself: 'can I do this?' I wonder if Francis thought the same thing as his dream began to take hold. Then I feel a sense of peace and say I know I can do this, God is alive and is calling me forth and I am continually assured of God's awesome love.

So Yes, I can do this! With the support of family and friends, through  deepening trust, through the gift of a community of brothers and through God's grace, mercy and love, yes, YES I can do this.

Trust in the Lord

At Mass on Sunday the closing song was ‘Trust in Lord’ (a favorite song of my family). It is usually my Mom who cries her way through this song, but it was me that was overcome with emotion as we sang. The words speak of where I am now and my journey ahead.  The refrain says, ‘Trust in the Lord; you shall not tire. Serve you the Lord; you shall not weaken. For the Lord’s own strength will uphold you. You shall renew your life and live.’

I was overcome with how God continues to work in my life and how God has blessed me with so many gifts and talents and skills and opportunities and awesome people. The words helped me to see the journey ahead will be full of blessings.  So I trust in God more and more, for God is so good and longs to lavish us with unending love and mercy! I desire to serve the world, my family, friends and community in joy and faith. For the times when I will be tired or weak, I know that my God will surround and fill me with strength and courage so I can go forth and live. This is how much my God loves me, and loves each one of us. I will continue to trust and hope and live because of this gift. My life will continually be renewed and opened up to all that God unfolds before me.

I am grateful for Saint Francis slowly nudging me, hinting at me and whispering to me about his path that leads to Christ, I am ready for the adventure that awaits and am open to the path that lies ahead, let’s just hope that it includes final vows as a Franciscan!

I am also very grateful for my family, dear friends and the larger community who support me and continue to surround me with prayers and love. As my nieces reminded me ‘my life would suck without you’. So thank you for filling my life with so much, I don’t know if I can express enough what your prayers and support mean to me.

As I prepare to take leave from the comforts of home and familiar faces I share with you the words from a Garth Brooks song that my nieces sang for me at my family celebration…

There's bound to be rough waters
And I know I'll take some falls
But with the good Lord as my captain
I can make it through them all...
Yes, I will sail my vessel
'Til the river runs dry
Like a bird upon the wind
These waters are my sky
I'll never reach my destination
If I never try
So I will sail my vessel
'Til the river runs dry

Getting ready to sail my vessel into new waters, knowing God is my captain.