#100
 

A good four years

    I have been very blessed by four and a quarter years as a monk. Poor health brought about a mutual decision by the superior and myself to leave the monastery for good. Now some people would berate a religious institution for sending sick monks of friars away. If you look at it carefully, small orders, new orders cannot cope with people who have chronic health problems. The old, fully established order, on the other hand, have both the resources and personnel to take care of the sick. In any case, I could have said, 'No, I am staying,' but I didn't so there is nothing else to be said. I look back on these four and a quarter years as a great source of grace in my life that brought me much closer to God than I ever had been before.

    Long before I joined the monks I was professed a Franciscan in the Secular Franciscan Order (SFO). This occurred on October 4, 1994. Since I had made no vows when I was a monk, I could and did return to Divine Mercy Secular Franciscan Fraternity in Vero Beach, Florida, as an active participant. They were delighted to have me back. You see, I was one of the three founding members of this fraternity and its first minister. So events have come full circle, I guess. I've returned and we'll see what the Lord wishes me to do.

    My home parish, Saint Helen's, also have claimed me again. I will continue to bring Jesus to the sick at the local hospital as a Eucharistic Minister, and will also participate, again, in a "Re-Membering" group (whose mission it is to bring lapsed and alienated Catholics back into unity with the Church), and various other activities. I also sing in the Liturgical Ensemble, a small dedicated choir singing in SATB voices at the Sunday 6:00 p.m. Mass, and at St. Helen's Charismatic Prayer Group.

    When I left the monastery on a Tuesday in late June, I envisioned that finding a place to live would be a large problems. Ultimately I prayed on it, and then left it in God's hands. On the following day, Wednesday morning, I set out in a rented car [which was very expensive because I had no insurance yet] to search for a residence. I wanted to either rent in a 55+ housing area, or purchase a manufactured home. First I went to a rental place and discovered that there was a 2-year waiting list for 1-bedroom apartments and the 2-bedroom places for which there was also a waiting list were out of my financial reach. Then I remembered a mobile home park where a friend of mine lived and there I met with the manager who showed me a large single-wide, 6-year old mobile home with carport on one side and a screened porch on the other. It was beautiful, spotless, fully furnished including dishes and the price was right. I bought it. So here it was Wednesday mid-morning and I had a place to stay. By noontime, I was sitting in it, relaxing with the (central) air-conditioner on and I was thanking God for all he had done for me.

    By Friday I had telephone and a few days later DSL for the Internet connections. Then I set off finding a used car. I didn't want to pay more than a certain amount, since my funds are limited at the moment, and I found a low-mileage, 9 year old car which was in great shape and, again, the price was right! Thank you, Jesus. You were there for me, and everything was very good.

    It is great to be back with my friends. I used to live in this town for 9 years prior to 1996. It is great to be able to be useful in a different way in the Church. At my parish there is a "Consolation Ministry" - I am thinking about it; perhaps they can use my tenor voice at funeral or Christian burial masses. Right now I have all this time on my hands for the first time in my life. I certainly don't want to just join every activity but carefully pick out what I can do, and can do for the people of God. Some people have the financial resources to give funds to churches, etc. Since I am short of those, I'd like to give a part of myself, my voice, my hands, my mind. I hope my readers will do the same for the love of Christ.

Peace!