I've been thinking about my work at Salesian High School, an all boys high school in New Rochelle, NY. They call it "Oratory" and it has really been a living example of the oratory that Don Bosco set up in Turin, Italy. It is a work that I've never experienced before and frankly didn't know how to respond for a while. I am not saying that I was horrifically shocked by the attitude of the kids there... well, yes and no.
When I was working for the youth in other places, some of them needed to be watched closely. The preventive system, a system of working with youth developed by Mama Margaret and learned by Don Bosco, was quickly learned and applied. But things are quite different, in a most positive way at Salesian High School. The preventive system is still used, but the youth there are so good, and i mean GOOD. there I am able to accompany the guys there more, Lead them closer to God. Really, I've been taught a lot about God there by those same kids that I am sent to teach and be with.
The other guys at the Formation house know that my week isn't complete until Friday when i head to the Oratory. The community at the school really bring out the best in all their students, and it shows, their behavior is amazing, they look out for themselves and others both bodily and spiritually. It gets me thinking, these students are holy, they make me want to be come a better man, closer to God so that i can accompany them along their path.
Many of the young men from the oratory are in another group called the Friends of Savio. I helped them on their trip to NYC and was blown away on the reverence they had when we entered St. Patrick's Cathedral. I didn't expect to not have to say, "quiet down, we're entering a church." rather, it was the young men who were speaking up and making sure that all were behaving properly in the presence of Christ.
I applaud the community at Salesian High School, but more so the Students there. I pray that they continue to be the find young men that they are being molded into.
This past Friday, The Salesians of Don Bosco celebrated our 150th birthday! We have spent the year praying for our congregation, for the young that we serve, and for our benefactors. May God bless us for another 150 years and more! The Rector Major, The man appointed to be Don Bosco here and now, Don Chavez made an address:
Today is the 150th anniversary of the founding of the Salesians! All of 2009 has been a year of special grace for us as we remember the 150 years of our congregation! Today Salesians all around the world renew their profession to live obedient, poor and chaste for the sake of the Kingdom of God and for the salvation of souls! The following are the words of our Rector Major, Fr. Pascual Chavez:
On the evening of 18 December 1859 at the Oratory of Saint Francis in Don Bosco’s room a group were gathered together, their intention “to promote and maintain the true charity that is needed in the work of the festive Oratories for youth abandoned and in danger”; as Fr Alasonatti writes in the minutes of this meeting. In the same minutes we then read: “The above mentioned participants decided therefore to band themselves into a Society or Congregation while, while aiming at the sanctification of each member by mutual assistance would strive to promote God’s glory and the salvation of souls, especially those in greater need of instruction and formation.”
1859 therefore is the year of the birth of our Congregation. So I want to propose to all the Confreres that we live 2009 as a year of grace, remembering where we come from, who we are, are where we are heading. With this celebration of our charismatic identity the pilgrimage of the casket of Don Bosco begins in all the Regions of our Congregation and in this way preparation starts for the bicentenary of his birth in 2015.
This event will be for all of us a spiritual and pastoral journey, that will begin with the Solemnity of Don Bosco on 31 January 2009, that will have as key moments the 24 June, his name-day, and the 16 August, his birthday, and will culminate on 18 December 2009 with the renewal of profession by all of us Salesians. We shall give special thanks to Mary on 25 May, the Solemnity of the Help of Christians. In this way we are given the opportunity to “start afresh from Don Bosco”, Founder of our Congregation, of the Salesian Family and of the vast Salesian Movement.
Our Lady of Guadalupe Feastday: December 12 Patron of the Americas
Our Lady of Guadalupe December 12 (USA) When we reflect on the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe we learn two important lessons, one of faith and one of understanding.
Missionaries who first came to Mexico with the conquistadors had little success in the beginning. After nearly a generation, only a few hundred Native Mexicans had converted to the Christian faith. Whether they simply did not understand what the missionaries had to offer or whether they resented these people who made them slaves, Christianity was not popular among the native people.
Then in 1531 miracles began to happen. Jesus' own mother appeared to humble Juan Diego. The signs -- of the roses, of the uncle miraculously cured of a deadly illness, and especially of her beautiful image on Juan's mantle -- convinced the people there was something to be considered in Christianity. Within a short time, six million Native Mexicans had themselves baptized as Christians.
The first lesson is that God has chosen Mary to lead us to Jesus. No matter what critics may say of the devotion of Mexicans (and Mexican descendants) to Our Lady of Guadalupe, they owe their Christianity to her influence. If it were not for her, they would not know her son, and so they are eternally grateful. The second lesson we take from Mary herself. Mary appeared to Juan Diego not as a European madonna but as a beautiful Aztec princess speaking to him in his own Aztec language. If we want to help someone appreciate the gospel we bring, we must appreciate the culture and the mentality in which they live their lives. By understanding them, we can help them to understand and know Christ. Our Lady of Guadalupe is patron of the Americas.
I got this from my dad earlier today. He found it on "The Anchoress" blogEnjoy.
"As a bagpiper, I’m often called upon to play at weddings, military events, and funerals. Recently I was asked by a funeral director to play at a grave side service for a homeless man. The man had no family or friends, so the service was set at the county pauper’s cemetery in the Kentucky back woods.
I was not familiar with the backwoods and soon found myself lost. Being a typical man I didn’t stop to ask for directions. I finally arrived an hour late – the staff from the funeral home was long gone and the hearse was nowhere in sight.
There were only the diggers and crew left and they were eating lunch. I felt badly and apologized to the men for being late. I went to the side of the grave and looked down. The vault lid was already in place. I didn’t know what else to do, so I started to play….
The workers put down their lunches and began to gather around. I played out my heart and soul for this man with no family and friends. I played like I’ve never played before for this homeless man.
And as I played ‘Amazing Grace,’ the workers began to weep.
They wept. I wept. We all wept together.
When I finished I packed up my bagpipes and started for my car.
Though my head hung low my heart was full.
As I opened the door to my car, I heard one of the workers say, 'I never seen nothin’ like that before and I’ve been putting in septic tanks for twenty years.'"
The young teenager was busy doing her daily chores, going about the house and taking care of the things that were in her charge, when suddenly a blinding light came.She covered her eyes.Then, she heard a voice.
“Hail, one who is full of grace!” Mary fell to her knees.The voice was not the normal voice of a man.It had a more musical quality to it.She began to tremble.“The Lord is with you!”
What did this mean, she thought to herself.Full of grace?
Indeed, what does it mean?We know from our Popes, particularly Pope Pius the IX, that Mary was sinless from birth.We call this the Immaculate Conception.But what does that really mean for us today?It means that a young woman two millennia ago, did not do anything wrong. Yes... but that cannot be all.No.It’s not all.Mary is for us, in the here and now.She is for us a mother who helps.But she is for us a very special mother.She is a sinless mother.And so the Church today celebrates that fact.Our mother was conceived without sin: the Immaculate Conception.
God loved Mary a lot.This is clear since she was “full of grace.”That is to say, she had ever gift from God.She could have whatever she wanted, because God was there for her, always.To be immaculate means to be without sin.But to be full of grace means to have the gift of God himself, as well as being sinless.God gave her a tremendous gift in her sinlessness, and now we have access to that gift.If we want something, and we feel that our sins are keeping us from just asking for it, we can turn to our mother, Mary.Because she is “full of grace” she can do anything just by praying.She is the Virgin Most Powerful.She gets what she wants, mainly because she only wants those things that God wants.Mary doesn’t ask for anything that isn’t the will of God.She only asks for things that God himself wants to give.But let’s finish our story.
Mary was upset by what the angel had said to her.It frightened her to hear that she was “full of grace,” from this creature she did not know.But the angel reassured her.
“Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.”She was so confused, but she began to see that this strange messenger was an angel; she was still afraid, but a little bit calmer now.“Behold, you shall conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call him Jesus.He will be great, the Son of the Most High God, and the Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and his kingdom will have no end.”
Now Mary was thoroughly confused.The Son of God?Rule forever?His Kingdom will have no end?
But what she said was, “How can this be?I have not had any relations with a man.”
“The Holy Spirit will come upon you," the angel answered her, "and the power from the Most High will overshadow you.Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God”And he proceeded to explain to her that her cousin, an old woman, was also pregnant after her husband had a similar vision.
Then Mary, not understanding much at all of what was going on, made a decision.If it is the will of God, then I must do it.Whatever happens, it will be in his hands.
To the angel she said, “I am the handmaid of the Lord.Be it done unto me according to your word.”
That last line is what the Immaculate Conception is all about.Mary was given the gift of complete freedom from sin.We are all, in some way, caught by sin.Some of us are slaves of it.But Mary was not.She was not even affected by it.And what did she do with that gift?“Be it done unto me…” she gave it all to God.As the humble handmaid, she let herself be given entirely to the Father, and as such became the mother of the Son.
Mary knew what to do with her gift.And from that, we received Jesus.Because of her tremendous wisdom in say “yes” with what gifts God gave her, she produced the greatest gift of all, Jesus Christ, our love, our savior, our dearest friend, our Lamb of God.If we are to learn anything from Mary this feast, let us learn how to say yes to God, how to use our gifts for his glory, and not keep them for ourselves.
It has been a while since the last update on the formation of the pre-novices. The past two weeks were spent as we mentioned before at the NCYC and then Thanksgiving. Now it is time for us to introduce some of the events and places that we experienced.
Starting with Chicago, we drove from New Jersey to the St. John Bosco Parish. We were greeted
by the community there. We were able to visit the city during the day, doing some touristy things and general relaxation, but during the evening we were able to see some of the amazing work that the Salesians do there.
There are two daily masses, one in the morning done in English and the other in the evening said
in Spanish. We only went to the Spanish mass, and WOW there were easily 50 people for daily
mass!!! The parishioners know the value of receiving the Eucharist and how it can impact a
life.
On Tuesdays the teenage girls head over to the gym to play some volleyball and on other days
they provide other activities for the youth, CCD classes, youth center, etc.
Some activities were started by the adults in the parish, which is wonderful; it shows how much life the church has. The parents get involved with their faith and the formation of their children's faith. Participation in the sacraments and activities of the Church are well attended... that parish shows that the Catholic Church is not dead, but if full of life.
My weekend begins with the first of my two apostolates: Don Bosco Youth Center on Friday nights. I usually dash off to the Youth Center just after dinner in order to make the necessary preparations for the kids that night. Unlock some doors, turn on some lights, check the restrooms, ask if anyone needs me for some medial chore or two: stuff like that. Juggling, jump rope, jokes, or jovial chit-chat; I keep the kids entertained until we open. Most times, I get so involved with the little ones that I fail to realize that I’m the only staff member outside now; everyone else always snuck inside to pray together before we opened up for the night. I used to feel bad about missing the prayer. That is, until Br. Minh came to me and asked, “When did Don Bosco pray?” The question sounded familiar, but not entirely complete; so I answered mechanically and from distant memory: “When did Don Bosco not pray?” Br. Minh smirked, “That’s right.” And gesturing toward the little ones outside, “Let this be your prayer.” I’ve prayed like that ever since.
In the beginning of October the pre-novices attended the October Leadership Retreat with students from different Salesian High Schools from all over the country. The retreat was held at the Marian Shrine Retreat Center in Stony Point, NY. The high schools involved in the retreat were Don Bosco Prep of Ramsey, NJ, Salesian High School of New Rochelle, NY, Mary Help of Christians Academy of North Haledon, NJ St. Petersburg Catholic High School of St. Petersburg, FL, Immaculata LaSalle of Miami, FL, Archbishop Shaw High School of Marrero, LA, and Academy of Our Lady also of Marrero, LA.
It was a great week, which started out with the loud shrieks of whistles and people yelling. Once the Young Team, the peer retreat leaders, saw that it was just the men in formation showing up they stopped and went back inside and waited for the real retreat participants to show up and shortly there after some people began to show up. After the young people began to arrive for the retreat and before the actual retreat started there was a small dance party in the upper lodge of the retreat center.
The actual retreat began with icebreakers. This broke down everyone’s inhibitions in being shy with one another, or at least that was the attempt. After the ice breakers the young people were separated into small groups. The small groups were groups that are formed to help those on retreat to share their experiences in a small group setting rather than in a large group setting.
It was a great week to experience in the faith journey of the young people and to be a part of it. There were members of the retreat young team who gave powerful witness talks. One distinctive talk I remember one young lady challenging her fellow retreat participants to live life with intention. This is was we must all do with all aspects of our lives. Live life with intention. I feel personally blessed to have had such a great opportunity to have spent an entire week with young people to experience with them their journey of faith.
St. Rose Philippine Duchesne, Virgin (Feast day - November 18) Born in Grenoble, France, in 1769, Rose joined the Society of the Sacred Heart. In 1818, when she was forty-nine years old, Rose was sent to the United States. She founded a boarding school for daughters of pioneers near St. Louis and opened the first free school west of the Missouri. At the age of seventy-one, she began a school for Indians, who soon came to call her "the woman who is always praying". Her biographers have also stressed her courage in frontier conditions, her singlemindedness in pursuing her dream of serving Native Americans, and her self-acceptance. This holy servant of God was beatified by Pope Pius XII in 1940 and canonized by Pope John Paul II in 1988.
Hey, I am Travis Gunther and I’m from Conway, Arkansas. My discernment path meanders quite a bit to this point and in some ways lives up to the adage “God writes straight with crooked lines.” God keeps finding ways to direct me whether it is through friends and family, spiritual direction, aha moments, or in the silence of my heart.
Back in fourth grade my discernment story begins with one of those aha moments where it hit me that maybe I should be a priest. But then friends at school made fun of me for wanting to be a priest so I put it behind me. But around my junior year of high school several things pointed me back to the priesthood and I considered a vocation as a diocesan priest or a Benedictine. I found the Benedictine chrism attractive but my parents and the Benedictine vocation director encouraged me to go on to college and gain some maturity and life experience while I continued my discernment.
The summer before my college freshman year, Mike Massey, a family friend, invited me to work at a Salesian summer camp in Florida. I thought, “Hey I get to go to Florida, experience a new religious order, and play with kids for the summer.” Well I got to do those things but I also learned about Don Bosco’s philosophy of being a friend and father to the youth. Also the community I lived with ranged in age from early 30’s to mid 70’s and each of them was excited about the opportunity to work with kids. Each had their own way of interacting with the kids, some could do magic tricks, some drew cartoons, and others played soccer. I learned a great deal about youth ministry and life during those six weeks.
That fall I began my freshman year at the University of Arkansas as an architect student. At this point my discernment to the priesthood was put on the back burner but I still kept in contact with the Benedictines and the Salesians I had met. My two years of architecture were great but by the end of my sophomore year I realized the call to the priesthood had moved back to the front burner and that architecture wasn’t where God was calling me. While I was at the University of Arkansas I became very involved in campus ministry and started meeting regularly with a spiritual director.
At this point my discernment was between the Benedictines and Salesians so I asked each community to give me the opportunity to spend time discerning in one of their “average” communities. I spent the summer of 2008 with the Benedictines at Subiaco and the next 9 months with the Salesians in Port Chester, New York working in the soup kitchen, boys and girls club, and teaching Sunday school. I feel the Salesians is where God is calling me and a year of ministry in Port Chester helped me to see how important formation and education is to being effective in our service to others. This year I am committed to continue my discernment as a candidate this time as a student at Seton Hall University in Orange, New Jersey.
I have had many doubts in my discernment, questioned whether I was worthy (I am not, but neither are we to receive the Eucharist and yet Christ still calls us to himself in this way too), and I thought about going home. Yet trusting in God, and giving difficulties time with Christ to work themselves out, I find myself still called to be here. In the words of a wise man I met before beginning my candidacy, “Can you see yourself growing in holiness in this life?” I can, in the joys and struggles of Salesian life, being sent to poor youth, and striving to be a good Salesian.
Come Monday, we, the pre-novices, will leave for our road trip out west. We have on our schedule to hit up Chicago, there is a Salesian Parish there, spend some time with the Priests and brothers and also see what they do at that church.
Andrew worked there over the summer for their camp and is very excited to return to that community. With all his energy, I too am getting anxious to experience Chicago. After a couple days there, we head down south west to Kansas City, Missouri for the NCYC.
The NCYC is the National Catholic Youth Conference, it is a great gathering of young people and i can only expect so much more. Personally, i have never been to nor experienced something with so many people. As we arrive and, God willing, have internet connections, we'll try to keep everything as up to date as possible.
While in Kansas City, St. Therese North will be hosting us. the pastor asked some parishioners to be a host family for the five of us. From their generosity, we will all stay together at the host family, what charity!!! This is truly an experience of Christian love for one's brothers.
Needless to say, we are all looking forward to our trip and to let you know about it as it happens.
St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, Virgin (Feast day November 13) St. Frances was born in Lombardi, Italy in 1850, one of thirteen children. At eighteen, she desired to become a Nun, but poor health stood in her way. She helped her parents until their death, and then worked on a farm with her brothers and sisters.
One day a priest asked her to teach in a girls' school and she stayed for six years. At the request of her Bishop, she founded the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart to care for poor children in schools and hospitals. Then at the urging of Pope Leo XIII she came to the United States with six nuns in 1889 to work among the Italian immigrants.
Filled with a deep trust in God and endowed with a wonderful administrative ability, this remarkable woman soon founded schools, hospitals, and orphanages in this strange land and saw them flourish in the aid of Italian immigrants and children. At the time of her death, at Chicago, Illinois on December 22, 1917, her institute numbered houses in England, France, Spain, the United States, and South America. In 1946, she became the first American citizen to be canonized when she was elevated to sainthood by Pope Pius XII. St. Frances is the patroness of immigrants.
Josaphat, an Eastern Rite bishop, is held up as a martyr to church unity because he died trying to bring part of the Orthodox Church into union with Rome.
In 1054, a formal split called a schism took place between the Eastern Church centered in Constantinople and the Western Church centered in Rome. Trouble between the two had been brewing for centuries because of cultural, political, and theological differences. In 1054 Cardinal Humbert was sent to Constantinople to try and reconcile the latest flare up and wound up excommunicating the patriarch. The immediate problems included an insistence on the Byzantine rite, married clergy, and the disagreement on whether the Holy Spirit proceeded from the Father and the Son. The split only grew worse from there, centering mostly on whether to except the authority of the Pope and Rome.
More than five centuries later, in what is now known as Byelorussia and the Ukraine but what was then part of Poland-Lithuania, an Orthodox metropolitan of Kiev and five Orthodox bishops decided to commit the millions of Christians under their pastoral care to reunion with Rome. Josaphat Kunsevich was born in 1580 or 1584.
Many of the millions of Christians did not agree with the bishops decision to return to communion with the Catholic Church and both sides tried to resolve this disagreement unfortunately not only with words but with violence. Martyrs died on both sides. Josaphat was a voice of Christian peace in this dissent.
After an apprenticeship to a merchant, Josaphat turned down a partnership in the business and a marriage to enter the monastery of the Holy Trinity at Vilna in 1604.
Josaphat faced many problems when he became first bishop of Vitebsk and then Polotsk in 1617. The church there was literally and figuratively in ruins with buildings falling apart, clergy marrying two or three times, and monks and clergy everywhere not really interested in pastoral care or model Christian living. Within three years, Josaphat had rebuilt the church by holding synods, publishing a catechism to be used all over, and enforcing rules of conduct for clergy. But his most compelling argument was his own life which he spent preaching, instructing others in the faith, visiting the needy of the towns.
In October 1623, Josaphat decided to return to Vitebsk to try to calm the troubles himself. He was completely aware of the danger but said, "If I am counted worthy of martyrdom, then I am not afraid to die."
The separatists saw their chance to get rid of Josaphat. Their threats were so public that Josaphat preached on the gospel verse John 16:2, "Indeed, an hour is coming when those who kill you will think that by doing so they are offering worship to God." He told the people, "You people want to kill me. You wait in ambush for me in the streets, on the bridges, on the highways, in the marketplace, everywhere. Here I am; I came to you as a shepherd. You know I would be happy to give my life for you. I am ready to die for union of the Church under St. Peter and his successor the Pope."
A priest named Elias went to the house where Josaphat was staying and shouted insults and threats to everyone he saw, focusing on calumniating Josaphat and the Church of Rome.
Josaphat knew of the plot against him and spent his day in prayer. In the evening he had a long conversation with a beggar he had invited in off the streets.
When Elias was back the next morning of November 12, the servants were at their wits' ends and begged Josaphat's permission to do something. Before he went off to say his office he told them they could lock Elias away if he caused trouble again. When he returned to the house he found that the servants had done just that and Josaphat let Elias out of the room.
But it was too late. The mistake had been made. Elias had not been hurt in anyway but as soon as the mob saw that Elias had been locked up they rejoiced in the excuse they had been waiting for. Bells were rung and mobs descended on the house. By the time they reached the house, Elias had been released but the mob didn't care; they wanted the blood they had been denied for so long.
Josaphat came out in the courtyard to see the mob beating and trampling his friends and servants. He cried out, "My children what are you doing with my servants? If you have anything against me, here I am, but leave them alone!" With shouts of "Kill the papist" Josaphat was hit with a stick, then an axe, and finally shot through the head. His bloody body was dragged to the river and thrown in, along with the body of a dog who had tried to protect him.
The unsung heroes of this horrible terrorism were the Jewish people of Vitebsk. Some of the Jewish people risked their own lives to rush into the courtyard and rescue Josaphat's friends and servants from the bloodthirsty mobs. Through their courage, lives were saved. These same Jewish people were the only ones to publicly accuse the killers and mourn the death of Josaphat while the Catholics of the city hid in fear of their lives.
As usual violence had the opposite affect from that intended. Regret and horror at how far the violence had gone and the loss of their archbishop swung public opinion over toward the Catholics and unity. Eventually even Archbishop Meletius Smotritsky, Josaphat's rival, was reconciled with Rome. And in 1867 Josaphat became the first saint of the Eastern church to be formally canonized by Rome.
Let’s start off with a little quiz…. When I say “Religious Community” what do you think of? If I say “Prayer” what comes to mind? What do you associate “Work” and “Study” with? I am willing to wager that you said Religious Community is quiet. I bet that when you read “Prayer” you thought chapel. And when your eyes scrolled across the words “Work” and “Study” you immediately thought of it being stressful and burdensome. None of these presumptions are incorrect. For Salesians however, these stereotypes are altered. With this in mind I would like to welcome to a day in the life of a Salesian Candidate.
The Salesian Spirituality is different then most religious orders. We are not quiet, unless it is called for, Prayer is not reserved for just the Chapel but is evident in everything we do, and Work and Study is a major part of the Salesian life. In fact as a Candidate, I am asked to divide my energy as 90% towards studies, and 10% towards my apostolic work.
An average day starts at 6:10 am, rising before the sun, I know it sounds rough but it’s not so bad. Morning Prayers start at 7:00 am immediately to be followed by Mass. Though it is early morning, a great amount of energy is put towards our Praise and Worship of God as we say the Prayers of the Church, and attend the celebration of the Mass. The Readings are PROCLAIMED each and every morning from a tired-eyed lector, and the Homily is UPLIFTING and motivating. It is spiritual nourishment for all that is to come in the day. Every spiritual nourishment should be accented by physical nourishment, thus right after Mass the community proceeds to breakfast. The usual breakfast includes a wide variety of delectable cereals, and a wonderful array of different milks. However we only have orange juice to supplement our juice category.
Following the delectable cereal, many of us go to Seton Hall University for classes. With the obvious assumption of schooling, and receiving an education, Seton Hall also offers a time for community growth as we partake in various recreations such as Racquetball or Frisbee. Many of us even eat lunch together and discuss our day.
Magically seven hours pass and we are back at the Don Bosco Residence. Here we have Evening Prayer, Spiritual Reading, and recitation and meditation of the Rosary. It all brings about a balance to the day. Evening Prayer is a nice way to reflect on all that God has done for our day thus far, and also gives us a chance to talk with God. Spiritual Reading is some more nourishment that aids in our growth. It allows the opportunity to grow deeper in our discernment. The Rosary is recited several ways. Some remain in the Chapel and recite it silently, others recite it in the stillness of their rooms, and others walk as they meditate on the mysteries.
At the end we reconvene for dinner. Personally, dinner is where it’s at. It’s time to unwind, enjoy a good meal, as well as each others company. The conversations vary from philosophical debates about “The Game” to questions on religion to talk of our families. Really any topic is bound to rise up.
Most of us perform our daily chores after dinner. It is necessary for a smooth running of the house. After that we are free for the most part. Obviously there is work to be done both for school and for our various apostolates, but the evenings are mostly up to us to plan. Some days we have our evenings filled with Adoration, or conferences, but overall it’s our time to plan and use where we see fit.
You might say that my path to the priesthood began my junior year in high school. If you really want the in-depth look at it though, you can even say it began ephemerally freshman year when several friends asked me: “Hey Mark, are you gonna become a priest?” The answer was no. But that’s only if you wanted to look that far back, anyway. Oh, and for the record, I went to Don Bosco Prep in Ramsey, NJ.
You see, in my junior year, I was unexpectedly deemed team captain of the fencing team. Not a squad captain; not an assistant captain; just a full-blown leap into the position of overall team captain. And well, let’s just say that the promotion of a no-name athlete to team captain is beyond rare in DBP sports.
This, of course, is not to mention the fact that I had just switched weapons from foil to epee in order to fill in missing varsity slots on our team. “Well, that’s just grand,” right? Having a player not fence with his primary weapon and uphold captain standards? Beautiful. Oh, and for financial reasons, our coach had to leave maybe three weeks into the season. Perfect, yea?
It was a most pessimistic beginning to the DBP fencing season of 2007-2008. No coach, no experience, no hope. I don’t think I should have to try very hard to convince you that I was scared out of my mind! My hands shook so terribly that season, I was so scared. And the day of reckoning I remember very clearly: between two meets, I lost five of my six bouts in a row… In a row!
Naturally, I felt pretty lousy by the end of that second meet. I remember coming home that evening, dead tired. I let my equipment hit the floor with echoic THUD and virtually collapsed onto the couch, flicking on the TV. By chance (or fate, if you wish), I came across the movie “Saving Private Ryan” at the scene where American sniper Pvt. Jackson recites a psalm as he zeroes his rifle on an enemy soldier. Say… might that psalm apply in my case? I mean, he has a rifle, and I’ve a blade; close enough, right? … Psalm 144, in case you were interested.
So, come the next meet, I had my psalm memorized. The match begins, my turn is up, I recite the psalm, and behold a 5-0 victory over their best fencer. I rubbed my eyes at the end of that, I didn’t think it was true. The succeeding bouts that match ended similarly: all victories. “Whoa… this really works,” I thought.
That prayer served me so well that season, in fact, that I wanted to share it with the other fencers the following year. With that course in mind, I consulted Fr. Jay Horan, DBP’s Coordinator of Youth Ministry. He helped me to pick out Biblical passages appropriate for team prayers and individual blessings and officially commissioned me as Don Bosco Prep’s first student-chaplain.
And in that process, I rationally thought, “I’m saying all these prayers and such; perhaps I’ve a vocation in this.” You know, as a passing thought. Very cursory thinking. “Let’s check.”
That being said, I signed up for a vocations retreat with the Salesians. But in all honesty, that retreat really didn’t strike very well with me. I didn’t feel the Holy Spirit acting within me there at the retreat. So in logical thought, I dismissed the idea of a priestly vocation for myself.
Well, the season continued as per usual, and I invested myself more and more into my duties as chaplain. I continued saying my personal psalm, carried on with the team prayers, and blessed my teammates before they competed, and received wonderful feedback from my team regarding this personal ministry. But in this, I once more heard the whispering thought.
Boy, was it a struggle, this time. Restless sleep like you would not believe! But in the end, like most vocation stories, I had to admit, “Alright, You win.” . . . I don’t think Psalm 144 was going to help that battle, there.
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