Reflections
-
How Pope Francis Changed My Life
When a friend or family member dies, I often write a letter to that person in my journal. Below is the letter I wrote to Pope Francis the morning I heard of his death… Dear Pope Francis, I awoke this Easter Monday morning to the sad news of your death. You were truly my shepherd. Your message of hope and vision for a new creation changed the trajectory of my life. I think back. When you were elected Pope, I was a General Manager for a large steel company. My focus was on making steel products. I had reached the pinnacle of my career and wielded a certain amount of…
-
A New Image for Good Friday
On the First Sunday of Lent, I visited the Metropolitan Cathedral in Mexico City. I saw a most unusual crucifix. It is sometimes called the black Christ (Cristo Negro), but most often is referred to as the Miraculous Cross of Poison. The cross was originally like white marble, fashioned in the 1600s for the Porta Coeli (Heaven’s Gate) Dominican seminary. How did the cross turn ebony black? The accounts vary but agree that there was a man who had a particular devotion to this near-life-sized crucifix. He would faithfully kiss the feet of the corpus after Mass. The man had an enemy who wanted him dead. His enemy…
-
My call? Well, I wanted to be like that man
I spent some time last week with my old friend, Pastor Fred. He’s a retired Baptist minister, 91 years old. I visit him from time to time, especially when I need stories infused with faith, hope, and perseverance. “When did you know you wanted to be a pastor?” I asked. “I wasn’t called all at once. My awareness came gradually. There was, however, one experience that stands out. He grew up in a mill town in Georgia. Both his parents worked in the nearby textile mill. His dad worked the evening shift, his mom the morning shift. That way, someone would be home to take care of him. Textile…
-
It is better to light one candle…
While walking around the magnificent Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City, I captured a photo of one solitary man praying before thousands of candles. It spoke something profound to me. I asked my wife to give me a caption for this photo. She said, “You are not alone.” I imagined his prayer being represented by a solitary light. But joined with countless others. I was on side of the basilica called the Quemador de Veladoras (simply translated “Burner of Candles”). It was a wide pedestrian road. On the other side of the road were many pilgrims, young and old, sitting in the shade on the curb eating…
-
What’s better than official prison release papers?
Let me tell you a story about the power of accompaniment. Erwin was released from a prison in Florida in December. He’s 70 years old. He is now homeless in Hickory, NC. He sleeps on the streets when the Salvation Army shelter lacks space. When a person is in prison Social Security payments cease. His first step out of homelessness is to reinstate his Social Security. He went to the Social Security office, and they said they couldn’t do anything until they saw official release papers. He didn’t have them. It’s understandably hard for a homeless person to keep up with a lot of papers. He called the prison and asked…
-
A beautiful echo from the prayers of the past
Last week, I was on a pilgrimage to the shrines of Mexico. As I prayed in each church, basilica, and cathedral, I discovered a new dimension of my faith. Several of these 500-year-old buildings were built with sweeping Romanesque columns that pull the eyes toward heaven. I was inspired by the genius of the architects and the faith of the people who built these magnificent places of worship. As I sat in each church, my senses came alive. I smelled a faint aroma of centuries of incense and beeswax candles. I saw remnants of the smoke giving the walls and ceilings an ancient hue. I loved the feel of the…
-
How to Avoid Spiritual Gluttony During Lent
As a spiritual director, I’ve asked a few people what they are doing for Lent. I was impressed by the variety of responses: a new biblical or spiritual reading plan, extra hours in Adoration, regular Stations of the Cross meditations, subscribing to a daily app or podcast, or volunteering at a local charity… Some were planning to do more than one. These are all good activities, but I was a little overwhelmed. My follow-up question: How will these bring you closer to God? A puzzled look usually follows. The assumption is that if a person is doing a lot of holy activities, then being in the presence of God will certainly follow. But…
-
A Happy Goodbye to a Faithful Friend
In 1995, the diocese gave me a gift: a one-volume Book of Christian Prayer. I was accepted into Aspirancy, a year to discern my call to the diaconate. The formation director said, “Deacons are required to say Morning and Evening Prayer. But I want you to start now.” He gave all the aspirants the same shiny new book. I look at that book now. It’s unusable. The spine has collapsed, some of the ribbons have been replaced by sticky notes, the pages sometimes need a little coaxing to stay open, and the leather cover is about gone. I was hoping the book would make it until the Church released the new translation…
-
Two ways to grow in the spirit of gratitude
In the letter to the Ephesians, Saint Paul gives a very specific instruction: “Be filled with the Spirit… giving thanks always and for everything.” (5:19-20) Here are two simple ways to put this into practice, and change your life and life of those around you. One is to start a gratitude journal. Just recently, four of my spiritual directees had mentioned the benefits of keeping a gratitude journal. Each day they write down five or so specific things for which they are grateful. They each said it was having a profound impact on their spiritual life. One even invited his spouse to join him in the activity before their evening meal. It’s…
-
When the Spirit Heals with the Gift of Tears
I didn’t expect to start crying, but I did. I was leading a healing retreat. I made the mistake of going off-script. The Holy Spirit took over. What I experienced then is often called the Gift of Tears. It is a gift from the Holy Spirit where a person is overwhelmed with God’s love. In my retreat talk, the Holy Spirit prompted me to describe a time when I was at the bedside of my dying father-in-law. The last few days of his life he was mostly incoherent. But in his final lucid moment, he turned to me and said, “You’re a good man, Scott.” Soon after he died. These…
