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297. What Are You Seeking?

In his visit to USA, the Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI asked the young people and seminarians at St. Joseph Seminary, Dunwoodie, at the end of his address: "Friends, again I ask you, what about today? What are you seeking? What is God whispering to you? The hope which never disappoints is Jesus Christ. The saints show us the selfless love of his way. As disciples of Christ, their extraordinary journeys unfolded within the community of hope, which is the Church. It is from within the Church that you too will find the courage and support to walk the way of the Lord. Nourished by personal prayer, prompted in silence, shaped by the Church's liturgy you will discover the particular vocation God has for you. Embrace it with joy. You are Christ's disciples today. Shine his light upon this great city and beyond. Show the world the reason for the hope that resonates within you. Tell others about the truth that sets you free. With these sentiments of great hope in you I bid you farewell, until we meet again in Sydney this July for World Youth Day! And as a pledge of my love for you and your families, I gladly impart my Apostolic Blessing."

As I read and reread the passage above, I was reminded that we are all seeking something. Even a person with the ideal life situation, be it a fantastic job, a quality home life, good finances, upward mobility, etc., even such a person would be looking for something, something better or just some new ideas. And people who have a lousy job, are looking for a better job. People whose family life is not so great, are seeking ways to improve it. I am always in debt, so I am seeking for a way out of the soup. We're all in debt to a certain extend when we have a large credit card balance, so we seek to spend money wisely. And with these high gasoline prices, and everything else going up, that isn't so easy to accomplish. People who have dead-end jobs, and feel lay-offs any day, they too are seeking - they are seeking stability. And all of us, that is, if we believe in God, we are seeking a closer walk with God, regardless of religious affiliation. And Roman Catholics, especially active ones, they are seeking a closer relationship with Jesus Christ. So we are all seeking something.

When we have a closer relationship with God, and we pray to him (speak with Him) often, then we know that when we are quiet, we will hear His voice. "What is God whispering to you?" as the Holy Father asks. As I write reflections for the website(s), I sit here quietly. I do not put the radio or TV on, because those shatter my calm. I can concentrate on the website work if I have music on, but I cannot hear the whispering voice of the Lord unless it is completely quiet. Some people get fidgety when it is too quiet. I love quiet times. I am always completely at peace. Praise God!

There were times in my life when this was not the case, of course. We all go through periods of inner turmoil. When we are sorely tempted to do some evil thing, there is turmoil in our normally quiet times. Then it is squarely up to us. We need to make a decision, and make it fast. Either we're going to give in to the temptation or we're going to show our mettle and say "No! No way! - I love You too much, Lord, to give in to the tempter." Then, the quiet and peace will return to us, immediately. The more you thwart the evil attempt by the tempter to sway you from your desire to please our Lord in all ways, the more tempted you will get, sometimes, but ultimately there will be great peace and recollection on our part.

There were years and years in my life, when I went from one bizarre behavior into the other. Tempted by so-called friends, who were themselves tempted to something bad, and gave in because they were weak, and for a time in my life I was weak too. But now, that I have found the value of keeping close to Jesus, and I safeguard that relationship as much as humanly possible, I feel Jesus is very close to me, and I possess a great deal of peace and joy in my heart. And, indeed, when reading the contemplative masters, such as St. John of the Cross, and St. Teresa of Avila, they speak of the dark night, followed by a period of peace and joy.

So we are always seeking something. It is my hope, that you, my dear reader are also seeking a close relationship with Our Lord Jesus Christ, with God, so that you may know Truth, and the Word, and come to love Him more and more.

This whole notion of seeking this inner relationship with Our Lord Jesus Christ, for me came about when I became a religious (1996-2002). During those years, I was in two Orders of the Church. The longest part of that time, four and a half years, I was a contemplative monk. And there I had time to think and pray about what I was seeking, and I became used to quiet times. These quiet times began during long walks I took in the Massachusetts countryside, in the forest lands of Harvard Forest (in/near Petersham, MA), where I spent 1-2 hours to day alone in the woods. But I never felt alone, nor was I ever lonely. In the winter, there was a pristine layer of snow, and if the snow was not too deep, I used to go walking, otherwise I'd stay in the cloister. And in other times of the year, there were birds and other animals in the woods. Imagine a shaft of light coming through the foliage, lighting up a small area where a small warbler was sitting, a bird in rich spring plumage - I have never seen anything so beautiful. It was a gift of God to me. God knows what we need, and He gives us simple things of creation, to light our way, to convince us of His love for all of us.

Even though, in 2002, for reasons of health, it became necessary for me to leave religious life and be restored as a member of the laity, I felt singularly enriched by the beautiful experience of coming closer to our Lord, and I promised Him, through the taking of private Vows, to extend my monastic experience by dedicating my life, in whatever circumstances to Chastity (Celibacy) and total Obedience. From previous experience (before religious life) I was already a professed Secular Franciscan, and I came to realize that the SFO was an ideal Lay Order to provide an underpinning or foundation for living these Evangelical Vows in the world. That doesn't mean I am anything special. I am not elite, and no Secular Franciscan considers him or herself elite, but we have the knowledge that if we make great efforts to live up to the Rule of Saint Francis for brothers and sisters of Penance, we will remain closer to Him, and we will be more effective in carrying our the mandates of the Rule. The Rule tells us many many things. We are to be beacons for others, bring them the Gospel of Our Lord Jesus Christ, not in the same way priests do, but from deep conviction to the Gospel life. So what are we seeking? We are seeking always to be the best that we can be. To be examples to others, so that people we meet will see how much we love Jesus by our actions rather than by our words.

As the Holy Father states, the Saints give us beautiful examples of Holy lives lived in pursuit of Jesus Christ, and we too, seek to follow their example. In fact, it is a good thing to become familiar with the lives of the Saints and Blesseds of the Franciscan Order, as well as of the entire Church, so that we can take these examples and turn them into models for ourselves to improve our relationship with God and with our fellow man.

The Holy Father continues, "Nourished by personal prayer, prompted in silence, shaped by the Church's liturgy you will discover the particular vocation God has for you. Embrace it with joy." Although the Holy Father may have been referring here to a vocation to religious life or the priesthood, for he was talking at a seminary, this good advice can refer to any vocation in life. Marriage is an excellent vocation, and of course here we mean marriage of one man to one woman. Embrace it with joy! Work at it every day! Love your spouse as you would love your God. Show your spouse every consideration and this love will come back to you, if not in this life then in the next.

But for some people, life isn't so rosy. There are many people who are suffering greatly. I know one fellow, overseas, who grew up in a nation that regarded homosexuality as a public sin, and he was imprisoned for it, for a long time. Regardless how we think about this path in life, this choice, being gay is a personal choice or condition, and should never have been regulated by a nation's law. That is just plain unjust. As a result, this fellow is being regarded suspiciously and is now hampered in his desire to volunteer for the Catholic Church as a whole. His public incarceration took place many years ago, yet he is being denied again and again for something that most nations do not consider unlawful. My heart goes out to him. He is trying so hard to be a disciple of Jesus Christ but he is being stopped by many people who treat him with distrust and even Bishops are telling him not to share his life's experiences (metanoia) with other Catholics. We ALL have a duty in the Catholic Church to evangelize. So why can't he? If he is guilty of anything, it is of following a lifestyle not accepted by the mainstream in his country. We need to take off our blinders and see that such injustices are not taking place in our country. Even the Church agrees, that homosexuality isn't a sin - but acting out, forming relationships of homosexual nature, that is what the Church considers a mortal sin. Our Lord wishes for us to love our sisters and brothers as we love God and as we love ourselves. And for the person whose story I've described here, I feel great empathy and sorrow that he is being persecuted so much. Please, let us pray for Derrick, that a way be found that he can move about and spread the love of Our Lord Jesus Christ as all Catholics are called to do.

Many people are being treated inappropriately, just because they do not follow the norms followed by the mainstream. These are good people, who are seeking just like all of us are, to find our what our Lord wishes them to do. There are Catholics who treat women who have had an abortion with such great distaste that it shows in conversation. Let us not become hardened to a point where we no longer feel compassion for suffering humanity. This is not of God! Let us love all people. When I meet someone, a stranger perhaps, I do not distrust them, for I have a basic love for all people. People are inherently good! When subsequent interaction with a person indicates that there is need to be vigilant, or cautious, I will act accordingly. That is why I have no problem talking with people even with total strangers. And most of all, that is why I have a willing ear, and lots of patience to listen to people. As you become better at listening, rather than interrupting constantly, you will learn something about the other person. That is not to say that I let people run roughshod over me. I am not so tolerant of people who try to take advantage of my (good) nature, and neither should anyone else. But when you practice listening, and this is really my point in bringing this up, you will also be able to hear that very quiet whisper from God. Be a friend of inner silence for that is where you will often find Our Lord! And, when you find Him, you will come to learn how to treat other people as He wants us to do.

We are Christ's disciples today. The Apostles and all the other followers of Jesus Christ when he walked in what is now the Middle East, were the disciples at that time, but we are also following Jesus Christ and so we are His disciples today. Be worthy of that consideration, my friends. That is not to say that the disciples in the time of Christ were perfect men. They were sinners just as much as we are. There is only one who is perfect and that is Our Lord Jesus Christ, and by His Grace, His, and our Mother, the Virgin Mary. Our Lord is perfection itself. How great it is then, to be loved, unconditionally, by one so great, so perfect as God is!

As the Holy Father continues to the seminarians at Dunwoodie (that's near Yonkers, NY, by the way), "Shine his light upon this great city and beyond. Show the world the reason for the hope that resonates within you. Tell others about the truth that sets you free." Shine His light upon the place where you live and work and beyond. Show to the world the reason for that hope that resonates within us. The Holy Father came to USA to tell us about Jesus Christ our only Hope. Set your sight on Him, repent, for the time comes nearer, give all you have to the poor, as He said in [Mat 4:17-19] "Jesus began to preach and say, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." As he was walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon who is called Peter, and his brother Andrew, casting a net into the sea; they were fishermen. He said to them, "Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men." Allow Our Lord to make you fishers of men, too, as you go out and evangelize the Catholic Faith, the Faith of Jesus Christ, to those who will listen. That is what we should do, according to the Holy Father. The mandate from the Vatican is to Evangelize, let's get into it, my sisters and brothers!

May God bless you!

Fred Schaeffer, SFO
04/28/2008

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