As one journey nears the end, another begins
Monday, March 22, 2010
*Father Luis A. Rivero
If you just joined the caravan, welcome! If you’ve been following the journey with me this long, thanks!
It is time for us to take a break from the long road and chat a little in the rest area, so we can compare notes and point out the highlights. As we reflect on the past few months, we can also look with anticipation towards the future. Personally, I am at the point where I can see, in the not-too-distant future, the completion of the journey. After nine years, my seminary formation is quickly coming to an end and ordination to the priesthood of Jesus Christ is just around the corner. The Divine GPS and the gentle comforting voice that indicates the way is getting louder and clearer.
As with any journey, when we reach the end, it is normal for anticipation and excitement to take over, and we become anxious to reach the destination. This is true for my classmates and me. We fight this anxiety on a daily basis and keep each other focused on the many tasks and responsibilities that we have towards our community and our academics. Yet we cannot help but ask that child-like question, “Are we there yet?” And the response is, as that old spiritual reminds us, “Soon and very soon!”
Yet to the very last minute, the journey must be lived. It must be enjoyed in its entirety. Just recently, while talking to a group of people about my vocation, I was asked: “Is it possible to live this way? Is it possible to live the life of a chaste-celibate priest in 2010?” My answer was immediately and unreflectively, “YES!” It is possible to live as a chaste-celibate priest, religious, married or single person nowadays! It is possible because of three ingredients: Faith, Hope, Love! These three ingredients are essential in living any vocation.
In a little over a month (May 8 and YOU ARE ALL INVITED), unworthily, I will join the largest and most wonderful fraternity in the world. A fraternity that works in the world, is in its very midst, but does not belong to the world. Rather, it is a group that has traveled the same road, with some variety yet the same road, on which I have been traveling. A fraternity that has no barriers and that while “in the world” labors and points to something greater — or shall I say Someone Greater, that is the source of these three ingredients of Faith, Hope and Love.
As this part of the journey comes to an end, I have to pack to begin a new one. As I was doing so, I took down the frames that once adorned my room. There was one frame that my third grade students gave me a couple of years ago. It was a farewell gift that the room mothers creatively thought of. Every morning I look at it, as I say a prayer for my students and their families. This frame contains a series of quotes, things I had said throughout the school year. I thought they were not listening but when the mothers presented me with the gift one told me, “When we pulled them (the children) aside they did not even think. The quotes just rolled out and each one was different.”
One of those quotes was something I used to tell them almost daily, something I myself try to live by: “Don’t let anyone take away your Faith, Hope and Love.”
My next journey will bring with it a new group of people to travel with, the parish family I will be walking together with. That gentle voice of the Divine GPS continues to guide me daily as I immerse myself in the few miles that need to be traveled and the excitement of beginning the new journey.
It is only through the reality of that trust in Him, the Living God, His Son the Christ, and the Holy Spirit, that I can firmly say it is possible to live this way. It is possible because it is He who pours out over us the gifts of Faith, Hope and Love. Do you have any experience of these gifts?
Comments from readers
Thanks for sharing this journey with us. It has been a real pleasure to follow it all.
We really appreciated your comments about the third grade frame. That was a special time and I thought I'd tell you story that happened today that is a small reminder of how much you impacted that class.
I was driving Noah to his aunt's house--she's taking him to some University of Miami Football events today. :) As we were driving, I heard him singing something kind of under his breath. I asked him what he was singing and he said it was a song that you taught them in class. All I could catch of it was the words "hush, hush."
I thought the moment was a great reminder of how, like your reminders of always staying in "faith, hope and love," the little things can stay with us and make a difference. Thanks for blessing us and our kids with those lessons three years ago and for following the calling of the Holy Spirit. We look forward to May 8 and to the blessing of your service and example to our community.
Un abrazo,
Robert
La cara de Cristo se ve claramente en El Pobre. Gracias por su labor y como decia nuestro Santo Patron: he sido enviado para evangelizar a los pobres. Como dice no es posible sin un pueblo que sirva como mano derecha y comparta en esta mision. Me alegro mucho en saber que juntos podemos trabajar con y para Cristo. Muchas Bendiciones y ADELANTE!
_____________________________________
Lou,
Thank you for your kind words and sharing in the journey.
_____________________________________
Bishop Estevez,
I thank you for your kind words and for always being a witness and a role model. Thank you for your paternal care and love.
_____________________________________
Fr. Torres,
Thank you for your support and prayers. I look forward to joining you in His priesthood and being filled with the many graces that come with this participation.
_____________________________________
Carol,
I agree with you 100%. In this Year for Priests it is also important to include seminarians. For a seminarian could be translated as a seedling and the priestly heart should be developed in the seminary. Thank you for the reminder and I encourage you to invite your friends to pray for the priests and seminarians on a daily basis.
_____________________________________
Br. Richard,
Thank you for your comments! Indeed the conventional GPS' are not the most pastorally sensitive.
Permitamos escribirle en espa�ol para que no se olvide de nuestras ra�ces.
Que oportuno y bien desarrollado su articulo, en estos momentos que
tanto necesita nuestra iglesia de vocaciones y sobretodo de sacerdotes
que tan valientemente expongan el celibato y su espiritualidad, ojala que
este articulo llegue al coraz�n de muchos j�venes y se decidan a entrar
en ese grupo de nuevos sacerdotes que como usted dedicaran su vida
a llevarnos tras las huellas de JESUS.
Precisamente porque usted esta a punto de ingresar en la vida sacerdotal,
es que me dirijo a su persona para que no olvide ayudarnos cuando este
radicado en una parroquia ya que en los tiempos que estamos viviendo
muchos piensan que nuestra labor no es necesaria, duplicada o que el
solicitar ayuda para nuestra institucion, aminora las donaciones a las
parroquias.
Nosotros somos la mano derecha del p�rroco, nosotros somos como
voluntarios la mejor ayuda que puede tener un sacerdote para llevar el
consuelo material y espiritual a las familias que est�n sufriendo el
abandono del gobierno y de otras instalaciones y que muchas veces
carecen de lo esencial en una casa, que es la comida.
Nuestra visita a las casas, llevando la ayuda material y espiritual y el
que reconozcan que no est�n solos en su desdicha hace a nuestra
iglesia fuerte y a su pastor un verdadero cuidador del reba�o que
nuestro JES�S a puesto en sus manos.
Ojala que el esp�ritu de nuestro gran patr�n haya entrado en su
coraz�n porque San Vicente supo y nos ha ense�ado que la verdadera
cara del pobre es JES�S. Dios lo bendiga y ojala muy pronto pueda
abrazarlo en alguna de nuestras iglesias y trabajemos juntos para
nuestro amo: EL POBRE.
Amen
V�ctor Martell
Presidente
St. Vincent de Paul Society
Your brother in Christ, Lou
You are gifted to approach holy orders with this mindset. You are there because He led you to this point. St. John of the Cross taught that the pursue of holiness was to grow in faith, hope and love. He was very insightful to show that this fountain of life was in the inner being in spite of darkness (la noche). Being a priest is only possible because of believing with hope in spite of our contradictions.
Love with all your heart, Hope with all your life and have Faith with all your soul.
Father Juan Torrres