"Throwback Thursday" is popular on social media these days. Although it is Sunday, I felt a deep sense of nostalgia today so I thought I would focus a little attention on the past while looking ahead to the future. The Feast of the Baptism of the Lord which we celebrate today formally brings the Christmas season to a close. We will enter back into "Ordinary Time" tomorrow.
I was in Fort Collins, Colorado yesterday and took the opportunity to attend Mass at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish. I thought it would be good to get a sense of what is happening in the parish since I am speaking to the men of the parish this coming Friday night. It was a blessing to hear the pastor's homily and be reminded in a very direct manner that we have each been baptized and have a mission to fulfill. Are we living our lives in accordance with God's will for us?
After we returned home I was looking through some more of my mom's "stuff" that had been set aside after her death in October. I found a box of photos and started a trip down memory lane. With the evening's homily still fresh in my mind I began asking myself some pertinent questions about my life's mission and purpose. Am I fulfilling God's will in my life? As I looked at some of the old photos I felt a little like the person who had said, "God's will for me must be trial and error."
While some aspects of life may look like random components not really fitting in anywhere, I can look back and see how the hand of God guided me through each and every facet. I wish I could have seen that more clearly at the time I was going through it. Here is a glimpse into how I view the last 40 years in 10 year increments.
I was in Fort Collins, Colorado yesterday and took the opportunity to attend Mass at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish. I thought it would be good to get a sense of what is happening in the parish since I am speaking to the men of the parish this coming Friday night. It was a blessing to hear the pastor's homily and be reminded in a very direct manner that we have each been baptized and have a mission to fulfill. Are we living our lives in accordance with God's will for us?
After we returned home I was looking through some more of my mom's "stuff" that had been set aside after her death in October. I found a box of photos and started a trip down memory lane. With the evening's homily still fresh in my mind I began asking myself some pertinent questions about my life's mission and purpose. Am I fulfilling God's will in my life? As I looked at some of the old photos I felt a little like the person who had said, "God's will for me must be trial and error."
While some aspects of life may look like random components not really fitting in anywhere, I can look back and see how the hand of God guided me through each and every facet. I wish I could have seen that more clearly at the time I was going through it. Here is a glimpse into how I view the last 40 years in 10 year increments.
Sports was a big deal when I was young. When I had the privilege of playing both baseball and basketball at the college level I dreamed about playing professionally and making lots of money. That fantasy was never realized. However, ending my college athletic career in 1983 found me in the best physical condition I had ever been in during my young life. It would be the best condition I would ever be in again. The strength and stamina developed during those years served me well when I was diagnosed with cancer just three short years later. There was purpose beyond money that these years of discipline and physical endurance had been set in place. I am grateful for what I learned during these formative years in my young adulthood.
The 1982-1983 Season: Northeast Missouri State University at the University of Missouri-St. Louis
School is over and real life enters into the picture. Get a job and start looking forward to vacation each year. There has to be more to it than that. Right? After being diagnosed with cancer at the age of 25, going through surgery and months of chemotherapy treatments, I knew there had to be more to life than going to work, coming home, and doing it all over again the next day with very little purpose other than receiving a paycheck. What was my purpose? What was my mission?
Jump ahead ten years to 1993. I have survived the chemotherapy treatments, been married for five years, have a daughter, and a beard. (I found this picture in my mom's box of things. She hated my beard. That is why it was fun to grow it.) Other than aggravating my mom, it was one of those things I did after recovering from chemo because I could. Losing all of my hair and being sick for so many months was a real struggle. The beard was a symbol of moving forward. I had passed the 5-year survivor mark.
In 1994 I began my five year journey toward the diaconate. I was ordained in 1999 and began working full-time for the Church the following year after an additional year of schooling. Being a deacon has led to many roads that I never imagined. We jump now from 1993 to 2003 to the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in Pueblo, Colorado with Bishop Arthur Tafoya.
In 1994 I began my five year journey toward the diaconate. I was ordained in 1999 and began working full-time for the Church the following year after an additional year of schooling. Being a deacon has led to many roads that I never imagined. We jump now from 1993 to 2003 to the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in Pueblo, Colorado with Bishop Arthur Tafoya.
As we prepare for the Rite of Election this year I was fondly reminded of this celebration in Pueblo. It was good to witness the growth of the faith community especially at St. Benedict's Parish in Florence, Colorado as their group came forward.
Finally, I jump ahead to the current decade. Actually, I will cheat a little and jump 11 years this time instead of ten. Mom and I traveled together to the Grand Ole Opry, EWTN studios in Irondale, Alabama with stops in Hanceville and Cullman, Alabama to visit shrines. A stop at Steak-n-Shake was also a part of the visit. This was in October of 2014.
My life and ministry in the Diocese of Cheyenne continues to be a tremendous blessing in my life. I sincerely hope and pray that I am fulfilling my purpose and mission as a baptized child of God. On this Feast of The Baptism of the Lord I am grateful for the gift of faith.
This Friday I get to share faith with men from Northern Colorado. The flyer handed out this weekend at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church takes some of the pressure off of me. I'll let you examine the flyer and see why.
This Friday I get to share faith with men from Northern Colorado. The flyer handed out this weekend at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church takes some of the pressure off of me. I'll let you examine the flyer and see why.
My prayer for each of us is that we correctly discern God's will in our lives. May we then have the courage and perseverance to follow it. All of us received a candle at our baptism lit from the Easter candle. If we were baptized as infants our parents and godparents received it on our behalf. We were instructed to keep the flame of faith burning brightly. How brightly is the light of faith shining in your life?
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