These reflections are a result of more than 40 years of ministry as a Roman Catholic priest. Most of these years I spent in the Diocese of Charlotte which covers Western North Carolina. Now I am retired, and live in Medellín, Colombia where I continue to serve as a priest in the Archdiocese of Medellín.
If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. (Lk 9:23)
A good reminder for this second day of Lent. This journey with Christ to the Easter that never ends is an invitation that comes to us each day. And even if we fall on our face, the next day the Lord picks us up, takes us by the hand, so that we can continue the journey.
God is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger, rich in kindness.
Lent is not about what we will give up . . . rather Lent is about what God has done in Christ. May your Lenten journey lead you to the Easter that never ends!
Today is Mardi Gras Day or Fat Tuesday as it was called. Those of us from Mobile, Alabama, know about Mardi Gras. We grew up going to parades. We knew that Mardi Gras also existed in New Orleans . . . but we also knew that Mobile's Mardi Gras was older and better. When I was little and my mom had friends studying at Charity Hospital, she took me to Mardi Gras in New Orleans. I just remember that it wasn't like Mobile's celebration at all . . . and I never went back to New Orleans' Mardi Gras. The reason for this season of festivities before Lent began as a necessary religious preparation for Lent itself. During the old days, when the Lenten Fast was very strict and there was no refrigeration, Mardi Gras (from the French, literally Fat Tuesday) was essential. It was necessary to use up all the animal-based foods before the Fast began. In the ancient church the Fast included eggs and butter. Which is why one received an egg at Easter. It was a sign that the Lenten Fast was over. It had nothing to do with Easter bunnies or Easter baskets. In Latin American countries this season is called Carnival . . . from carne, which means meat. Mardi Gras or Carnival is not an excuse for excess in food or drink. It is simply a time to prepare for the great Season of Lent when the whole Church goes on retreat with the candidates for the Easter Sacraments so that all of us can be prepared to celebrate the Triduum (the Three Days)--from Holy Thursday Evening to Easter Sunday. So let's get ready and let's celebrate!
February 2, 2020
Fifty years ago today on February 2, 1970, I was received into the Catholic Church at the Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Mobile, Alabama. I was 20 years old.
A few Sundays ago we heard the gospel of the call of the first disciples. With Jesus, it is always a call to follow him. We don’t stand still . . . we’re on the move. Most of the time we’re playing “catch-up”, trying to catch up with the Lord who always goes ahead of us into Galilee.
For me, it was a call to ministry and service. A mere eight years later I was ordained a priest. I could never have dreamt of a more exciting and challenging journey.
As I look back over these fifty years, I can only say “thank you” for all the moments where God’s presence has been revealed. Not many of us are able to remember our baptism . . . which is a shame. Being 20 years old made all the difference in my life. Should babies be baptized . . . well, of course. But when God works it out so that one comes to the water a little older . . . it’s not a problem, rather it’s the most remarkable experience of grace. I will always be grateful.
As we start this new year 2020, I have been remembering my mom, Norma. My mom was fearless. I remember her wanting to ride in a hot air balloon, so dutiful son that I was, I arranged it for her and her best friend. I’m not sure if her friend really wanted to go up in the balloon, but once mom climbed into the basket, her friend followed.
I think of mom and her balloon ride here at the beginning of 2020, because somehow we all need a little bit of her courage. New adventures await us. Let’s pray that we all have happy landings!
