Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
For part of this week, I’ll be away at the annual priest convocation for the Diocese of Trenton. I know I’ve written about this previously, but it’s something I very much look forward to each year. It presents an opportunity for some of the hallmarks of psychological and spiritual health. And because of that, it’s worth talking about them in light of convocation.
It is good and necessary for all of us to take the occasional break from the ordinary routine of life. This can take a variety of forms; a vacation, a retreat, a weekend getaway, or simply engaging in an activity that we enjoy. If we don’t make the time and space in our lives to step out of the here and now, we run the real risk of burning ourselves out. If it’s all the same all the time, the crush of the mundane can be detrimental to our overall health. That’s one reason why the convocation is held outside the diocese, to make sure that priests actually get away for those days. Make sure you’re doing the same!
Friendships matter. Everyone needs good friends in their lives. Human beings are not built to be in isolation, but rather relationship. And while there are many important relationships in our lives such as parents, siblings, spouses, and children, there’s a difference from them and a good friend. A true friend is part sounding board, part equal, part encourager and challenger of an individual. Sometimes they’re right by your side in thick and thin and in other times, they’re the ones who can call you out on something that needs correcting. A good friendship is invaluable and one of the joys of the convocation is my ability to spend time and catch up with my priest friends. Please make sure you’re maintaining good friendships in your life.
There’s always more to learn. Part of the pathway to maturity is coming to realize that there are more things in life that you don’t know than you do have knowledge of. And unless you are the world-leading expert in a very narrow field of study, there’s definitely more information you can gain. And there’s something wonderful in that. How boring would life be if you did, in fact, know it all? Discovery of new knowledge is interesting and pushes us to be inquisitive of the world around us. A major aspect of the convocation is the speaker that is invited to present talks for our further edification. And I strive to take what I learn at convocation each year and bring it back to my ministry here in the parish. And so, keep up your intellectual curiosity and never be afraid to continue learning, regardless of where you are in life.
These are annual lessons for me with convocation. And I hope we might all grow in them and from them.
Peace and Goodness,
Fr. Dan
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