Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Given the craziness of the Carnival and other pressing concerns, please allow me to a slight diversion with my letter this week. I may or may not, be in a bit of time crunch as I write this, given that it’s just several hours before the Carnival begins as I sit down and type. I’d like to speak about an exciting experience I’ll get to have this summer and consider the wider impact these kinds of experiences have on us all.
I am generally speaking, somewhat of a homebody. For the most part, while there are certainly places that I would like to visit at some point, I am not exactly a jet-setter. I’ve been very blessed over the years, and much of my seminary experience allowed me to do fairly extensive traveling as a young man. I’ve largely had my fill.
However, from July 10th-15th, I am going to be a priest chaplain for a mini-pilgrimage/retreat. I’ve done a couple pilgrimages as a priest and while they can be great in many ways, they are not something that I seek out. It can be very consuming, those kinds of trips; with lots of daily travel and tight timelines and keeping the group together. But this trip in July is quite different. As a chaplain for Legatus, an organization for Catholic business leaders, I was invited to consider being the spiritual leader for this trip around Denver Colorado. Denver is the place of the very first World Youth Day, they have a big seminary, and it’s the home of FOCUS, a Catholic evangelization group focused on college students. But it’s not really the place you might think of going to take a pilgrimage. But with this trip, the destination isn’t Denver itself, but rather what’s known as the Monarch Pass, situated in the Rocky Mountains. It’s for Mothers and Daughters and it includes several days of hiking and spiritual reflections throughout. For the old Boy Scout in me, this really spoke to me and I’m deeply looking forward to it.
Which brings me to the wider point that I would like to make. Not every trip, pilgrimage, or even vacation is meant for everyone. We all need those opportunities to go off and recharge, even if that looks more like a staycation. But what works for one, might not work for others. And that’s ok. It’s the same in our spiritual lives and in our prayer. Not everyone follows exactly the same path, although we all have God as our goal and destination. Not all devotions resonate the same for people. But when we find something that works for us, speaks to us, really grabs our attention, then I hope you seize those opportunities and pursue them. That way, the goodness of God might be shown to you and you continue to grow closer to Him, who is our ultimate source of rest and recharge.
Peace and Goodness,
Fr. Dan
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