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October 15, 2023
A SPIRITUAL RETREAT
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According to canon law, every priest is required to make a priest retreat once a year. This is an important requirement to ensure that we remain spiritually healthy in order to be of assistance to you, our people. Jesus gathered his
disciples around Him and taught them privately before sending them out to teach others. If we do not take time to sit at the Master’s feet, how can we possibly know that we are doing His will? We all can become caught up in our own wills, but we are not here to follow our own personal desires—we are, as disciples, to carry out the work of Jesus. And we never truly know what that is unless we frequent His company. We have to take time to listen to His voice above all the other clamoring and noise of the world.
So, last week, I made my retreat with the Trappist monks in
Spencer, Massachusetts at St. Joseph’s Abbey. It was almost ten years since I first went to the monastery and met Brother
Simeon, now Father Simeon. After my first retreat with him all those years ago, he invited me to join him as he was to travel to Rome and conclude his studies for priesthood. Fr. Simeon was
already a scholar, in fact, a professor of classic languages who had written a book on the Gospel of Matthew. Now he was asked by his Abbot to finalize some studies in order to be ordained a priest to serve the needs of the monastery.
I was shocked and honored when he invited me to join him on the odyssey of beginning his journey through Europe from Norway, making our way through Scandinavia, down through
Denmark, France and then Italy. It began in Norway because
Simeon was to give a retreat to the Trappist women in the monastery at Tautra. When the retreat ended, we migrated our way to Rome stopping at various Trappist Monasteries along the way. It was an adventure of a lifetime. I was very privileged to be with Simeon and learned a great deal from him.
So as you may imagine, reconnecting with him in person this past week, was a true blessing. I pray that the spiritually
invigorating grace he provided to my soul will bear much fruit in my humble service to you! See Father Simeon’s photos above. These are from the Saint Joseph’s Abbey website.
A Walk with Our Lady, Mary leads us to her Son:
Join Our Lady as she leads us to the Eucharist with a Marian Walk this Sunday, October 15th. After the 9:00 am Mass in St. Vitus Church, we will walk from St. Vitus to the Parish Center, across the street from St. Mary Church. Visit the Eucharistic Miracles of the World Exhibit in the Parish Center, Attend the Adoration Chapel Open House—All are Welcome! This Marian Rosary Walk takes the place of Faith Formation Classes, and all Faith Formation buildings will be closed on Sunday, October 15th.
God Love You,
