Farewell

What thanksgiving, then, can we render to God for you, for all the joy we feel on your account before our God?

St. Paul’s question in today’s first reading is often my own.

Being a seminarian isn’t always easy, there are lots of difficulties that we must contend with, as there are in any Christian vocation. However, as I tell people so often, my past four years in seminary have been great, mostly because of the privilege of meeting, praying with, and getting to know so many people who take their faith seriously.

Jesus challenges us in today’s Gospel to stay awake!
None of us does this perfectly but it gives me great joy to spend time eith those who are at least trying With those who have not been lulled by the hum of modern life.

So as I finish this summer assignment, here on Martha’s Vineyard, I want to thank each of you and those who are unable to be here today for your example of faith, which truly gives joy to my heart.

I especially want to thank Father Nagel, who has given me a great deal of latitude
Allowing me freedom to try a number of different initiatives this summer and who has been a model of Christian hospitality and generosity to me.

As I told Father, the other day, my one regret was that I couldn’t do more. There is so much work to do here and all over our country. We need to wake people up to the fact that there is more to life than 80 years of money making, merriment, and then death. We need to show people that there is truth and goodness and the possibility of happiness available to them,… in this world. We need to show them that even suffering
can serve its purposes and lead to happiness. We need to show people Jesus!

There is so much to do, but how do we the servants awaiting the masters return,
take care of his household?? There of course are many things that we can do, but as I leave you this week, I would just like to share the most important thing, that we MUST do.

The beginning of any faithful servants vigilance, is seeking to know the will of his master.

For the past month we have been blessed to have Eucharistic Adoration here each morning. But whether or not you have been able to come before Mass, for a period of adoration, our Eucharistic Lord is always here in the tabernacle. He always remains with us and is available to us. Making time each day, or a couple times a week to come here to church, to ask the lord what he desires of you today is so important to living as faithful servants wwaiting the master’s return.

And so I pray that each of you will take advantage of his Eucharistic presence, and invite other people especially the young, to come and spend a little time with God, truly present, in this Blessed Sacrament.

When I arrived here, one of the things that struck me immediately, … was how blessed you were that you are able to leave this Church and St. Augustine’s, unlocked and accessible all day long—TAKE advantage of this blessing!

Because spending just a few minutes with out Lord in heartfelt prayer, can change your life. I say this from experience, because it changed mine!


God Bless you all and please pray for priests and seminarians, and pray for me.