A practical guide to being a follower of Christ

Before I entered the seminary I spent time considering the legal profession. I worked, as part of such discernment, at a law firm where I met some faith-filled individuals who have become lifelong friends. Two of them are a couple, both lawyers, who live in one of Toronto’s comfortable suburbs.

Recently, during a regular supper at their home, a conversation about morality led to a discussion about the challenge of speaking truth at difficult times. Various moral situations they encounter in their professional lives were taxing them as people of faith. They both said it was difficult to speak publicly about faith matters or to stand up for moral truths, but they tried as best they could, even occasionally at risk of a personal or professional setback. Then they said something which made our evening discussion go on for some time: “Faith has a place, but it can’t be in every place.”

Feelings of this sort are common among people who sincerely wish to find “the place for faith” in their lives. My friends were seeking a balance between living their faith and stating their beliefs in a way their world could understand — a balancing act not new to our era.

Eighty years ago, in a radio talk, T.S. Eliot spoke on the theme of faith in society. “The Church exists for the glory of God and the sanctification of souls,” he said. “Christian morality is part of the means by which these ends are to be attained …. To accept two ways of life in the same society, one for the Christian and another for the rest, would be for the Church to abandon its task of evangelizing the world. For the more alien the world becomes, the more necessary becomes its conversion.”

In other words, we can’t just have witness that is private; rather, our witness is always public and even more necessary when faced with a “moral corner” that is contrary to His truth. When Eliot spoke and wrote from Britain in the late 1930s, the world was a different place, but perhaps not so different as we’d like to believe.

As a parish priest I often encounter people who call themselves “spiritual” and describe themselves as non-believers on certain topics. While this might have shocked society a decade ago, or even scandalized Elliot’s era, what’s different today is the lack of social stigma attached to unbelief. More people, I am told, are simply telling “their truth” about what they believe (or don’t). So we have reason for concern, but not for manning the lifeboats.

Our role as believing and practicing followers of Christ is to move forward with a lively Christian confidence and exceptional clarity, care and depth. We are the leaven. We can make a difference in some practical ways.

First, keep a daily appointment with God. We witness who we know and if we don’t know Him, then we witness what we think. Make sure your day includes time with Him.  For me, it’s at the start of the day. For others it may be in the evening, or mid-way, or on the way to work, school or a social event. Whenever it is, don’t let anything replace that appointment — it is the crux of your witness.

Second, as my spiritual director puts it, before you “preach” make sure to “purify.” Make sure you have a clear heart. Don’t allow personal agendas to drive your words, but make sure His heart is behind what you say. When I face moments where I have to take a stand, I read the words of much wiser people, reflect on what the Church in its tradition has truly taught and then often begin with a hushed “Come Holy Spirit.” I want His clarity and charity to prevail, not my pride to rule. Easier said than done, but God gives us grace.

Finally, and this might seem odd, make sure to regularly celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation. When we examine our actions and invite His grace to take the lead, we clear the way for humility. Often, a gentleness of spirit surpasses what we can say and becomes a powerful witness to truth.

As I left supper with my legal friends, I felt we would have the conversation a few more times before we saw eye to eye.  But I also felt someone else was in the room that day guiding all of our words. I am glad I went, glad we spoke and even more glad that He was there.

Priests Retreat Week

This week I was blessed to be among 33 of my brother priests for a week long retreat at Mount Carmel Retreat Centre in Niagara Falls. I went into the retreat with the words of St Augustine: "Silence and Patience are the Companions of Wisdom" truly in mind. 

The retreat leader was Bishop William McGrattan, the Bishop of Calgary. I know him well as he was my seminary professor at St Peter Seminary in London. He and I have always had a good relationship and I have always found him easy to listen to, clear in style and presentation - he did not disappoint. It was good to reconnect with him, and even have a personal one to one visit together. Ora Pro Vobis. 

The days were full, but balanced. We had a series of talks on the priesthood (3 each day). Each had some wonderful insights and contained tremendous affirmation. Bishop McGrattan was personal and personable in each, and I walked away with a kernel from each presentation. 

Each day also had the celebration of the Eucharist as our core, personal time for devotion before the Blessed Sacrament and individual recitation of the Rosary. It was here that I found myself reflecting back on 20 years as a priest. Grateful for my first Pastor, Bishop Peter Hundt, and the stable foundation in priesthood which he gave to me as a young curate. I found myself looking back on the example of Bishop Gerard Bergie, my second Pastor, and the freedom he gave me to serve in new ways. I found myself reflecting on the amazing people of faith that I have encountered in the parishes where I have served - Holy Cross, Georgetown, St Margaret Mary, Hamilton, St Joseph, Guelph and St Joseph in Fergus. Grateful to the Bishop who ordained me, Bishop Anthony Tonnos, for his solid example and Bishop Matthew Ustrzycki for his ardent friendship. Both taught me much in many a car ride together.

Each day I also spend some time before the relics of St Therese of the Child Jesus where I brought the intentions of so many of the parishioners of my current parish - St Mary of the Visitation. I have served here now for almost 11 years (more than half my priesthood). More so than any other place, they have helped shape my priesthood and ministry. Here too my heart was grateful for those I serve with in ministry, and those we have the privilege to serve. 

But I have to admit something...the greatest graces and blessings came from a place I wasn't sure about, and being somewhat introverted was a little nervous about, in the personal one to one discussions I had with my brother priests on the retreat. One was celebrating 62 years as a priest - I listened in awe. It came from one who was celebrating 5 years as a priest - I listened in gratefulness. It came from a priest who had served in foreign missions - I listened in gratitude. It came from one recently arrived in the Diocese - I listened in admiration. It came in the humour around the table, and from the wisdom in the room. It came in watching us serve each other, in con-celebrating together and even in teasing each other (which I must admit I was the "victim" of often).

Thank you to my parish for giving me the week away. Thank you to Bishop Douglas Crosby, for investing in us as priests with this opportunity. Thank you to Mount Carmel Retreat Centre for the outstanding hospitality. But thank you most of all to my brother priests for your example to me...you did more for me this week then you may have known.

The Way, Truth and Life

Have you ever come into the middle of a group having an intense conversation and not having a clue what’s being said? Today’s Gospel from John feels like that. “Do not let your hearts be troubled, have faith in God...in my Father’s house are many dwelling places.” Jesus is midway through a talk with his friends and what he is saying sounds so strange.

This whole scene takes place before Easter on HolyThursday, at the Last Supper. Jesus begins to tell His disciples one of them will betray Him and that he will be leaving them soon. That would certainly give a feeling that something horribly bad is about to happen, and we all know what that something was. As we read, we can tell his disciples were beginning to sense trouble as well. But in this conversation, (which will conclude in next week’s Gospel), Jesus is letting his friends know that no matter what will happen next, they need to KEEP CALM! (“Do not let your hearts be troubled.”)

While it may appear that everything they had hoped for and devoted their lives to was going to end in disappointment on Calvary, things won’t be as they seem. Yes, Jesus will leave hem…yes he will die, but it will not be the end, he is going to come back! And when he does, he will take us with him to the Father! That’s what he means when Jesus says he is going to the Father to prepare a place for us.

Philip wondered how we can be so sure that Jesus can deliver on this promise! If Jesus could give him a glimpse of the Father, it will convince him. Jesus then makes a statement that could bring nothing but hope: “Philip…whoever has seen me has seenthe Father…(because) I am in the Father and the Father is in me.” “The Father...dwells in me.” To our ears, more strange language. To the Jewish disciples, they fully understood this to mean: “I AM God!” Yes!

Jesus is going to the Father for another very special reason: that we may be able to continue to do the work Jesus did while he is in the world. “Whoever believes in me will do the works I do and will do greater ones.” We will hear in next week’s Gospel how that will occur: that Jesus will ask the Father to equip us to accomplish his work. Wow! That sounds like a tall order considering Jesus cured the sick, raised the dead, and cast out demons. Are we up for the challenge? Jesus will not leave us unequipped.

Good Shepherd Sunday - Love Without Limits

It’s Easter Sunday. The pouring rain stopped yesterday. We’re wearing our best “church” clothes. Our parents tell us not to go outside right now. But it’s Easter and it’s sunny now and we sneak out anyway. All of a sudden, we fall down and scrape our knee and get our brand-new outfit all muddy. We might expect to hear, “I told you not to do that! Don’t you ever listen to me?” But our parent’s first reaction is to take us in their arms and comfort us and tell us everything is o.k.  We experience their love without a word being said. In human terms, it’s a love without limits. It’s what parents do. They look beyond what has happened and replace that with love.

Now consider the love God has for us. It is exponentially greater than what we can ever imagine. Try to recall a time in the life of Jesus when He turned His back on someone. Those who wouldn’t follow, those who ridiculed Him, those with unimaginable sins, those who crucified Him were all people who turned their backs on Jesus but He still pursued them. That is truly a love without limits.

Jesus used the imagery of a shepherd because it was a familiar occupation at the time—perhaps not so much today. What’s the message then? If a spouse or a child or a close friend or even an acquaintance hurt us we couldn’t answer how we would respond because we don’t know the circumstances. Jesus could always answer because his response would always be the same—a love without limits.

Jesus doesn’t harbor ill feelings because of things we’ve done or promises we’ve broken. Jesus forgives despite the magnitude of our sin and that’s the example we’re asked to follow today. We are the sheep and Jesus is the shepherd who knows us, loves us and comforts us. We are also the shepherd to all those we come in contact with. That means it’s our responsibility to protect, feed, love and nurture others just like Jesus did.

Now in the Gospel of John we move to an image of the kind and gentle Good Shepherd, who calls us by name, who invites us to follow while He watches and protects us. This Good Shepherd promises to lead us through the sheep gate as a means to eternal life. This is anything but a lament! This is joyful news! Jesus is offering His followers assurance that He will be present in their lives. For just as a shepherd is doing his job properly when he watches, protects and feeds his sheep, so too will Jesus be doing the same for us. So while Jesus is using symbolic and metaphoric images as He speaks of the Good Shepherd, making it perhaps difficult to fully understand the meaning of all that He is saying, we still follow Him because we recognize His voice, while we avoid following the misleading voice of a stranger. How nicely John's image of the Good Shepherd ties in with the Psalm for today, Psalm 23.

Today's Psalm reflects upon the Lord as our Shepherd. God is portrayed as a faithful and good Shepherd who leads the flock to green pastures (well-being and abundance). God keeps us safe from dangers (valley of darkness). Therefore, we want for nothing and fear no evil, even while surrounded by foes (wolves and lions). And so we listen for the Good Shepherd calling us by name, and we follow when called.

This Sunday marks the 54^th annual World Day of Prayer for Vocations. The church is invited on this day to offer prayers specifically for an increase in vocations to the priesthood and religious life, as well as prayers in support of those who have responded to the call to priesthood and/or religious life. Our Holy Father, Pope Francis, has given this day the theme of “Led by the Spirit for Mission”. Pope Francis has also offered a formal message for the church on this day. Here is some of what Pope Francis has to say:

Pope Francis points out that those who find themselves drawn to God with a desire to follow Jesus “discover within themselves an irrepressible desire to bring the Good News to their brothers and sisters through proclamation and the service of charity … We are simply men and women touched and transformed by the joy of God's love, who cannot keep this experience just to ourselves.” Pope Francis reminds us that this kind of Christian life, priesthood and religious life is “an essential element of faith itself.” The Pope also reminds those who are already priests and religious that they are “called to go forth from the sacred precincts of the temple and to let God's tender love overflow for the sake of humanity.” The Pope concludes his message by addressing the People of God with a request. “I ask parish communities, associations and the many prayer groups present in the Church, not to yield to discouragement but to continue praying that the Lord will send workers to his harvest.” (Pope Francis. Led by the Spirit for Mission. Issued November 27, 2016, Rome).

Through our baptism we have been called to mission, to proclaim our faith by what we say or do in our lives. The reading from First Peter reminded us that there is a code of conduct we are called to follow as we live the Christian life, as we participate in mission. Acts called for a conversion in one's life in order to follow Christ, as we participate in mission. The Good Shepherd reminds us that following Him can lead us to the gift of eternal life, as we participate in mission. Pope Francis, on this World Day of Prayer for Vocations, invites us to discover the “irrepressible desire to bring the Good News,” to be led by the Spirit to mission.

Let us, as a parish community, rejoice in the two young men from our midst who are discerning a call to priesthood and who will soon begin their internship programs (an important final stage of their preparation). Let us also recall those in our midst considering priesthood and religious life as a way of life in service to God’s people. Let us also not forget the priests and religious who serve us.

One way to keep our eyes on the road, is to be aware prayerfully that Jesus is always offering His followers assurance that He will be present in their lives. He often does through the symbol of those around us who seek to be good shepherds leading us toward well-being and abundance and safe from dangers (valley of darkness) .…let’s pray for them…and ask God to give them the strength they need to guide God’s people on the way.  It’s a tall order but it’s where a love without limits starts.