God moments

On the first full day of meetings, the NFPC diocesan representatives were invited to reflect on the meaning of our theme - Honouring our Priesthood: Where We Meet God. We are grateful to Father Bill Brennan, a priest of the Diocese of Saint John (NB) for accepting our invitation to help us unpack this theme and begin to reflect on the 'God moments' in our lives.

Bill is well known to many of those who have worked with the NFPC for the past number of years. He currently resides in Woodstock (NB) and is pastor of Saint Gertrude's parish in that locale. Having devoted many years to the discipline of spiritual direction and specifically to spirituality of Saint Ignatius of Loyola, Bill is well suited to address the challenge of finding God in the ordinary and sometimes not so ordinary moments of our day.

With his characteristic practicality and with both feet firmly planted on the ground, Bill spoke his personal truth of struggling at times to name the moments in his life when he is privileged to know that God is indeed very present. These moments are different for each priest, indeed for every person, but the truth is that sometimes we are so caught up in the fast pace of life that we miss the moment and must take time to allow these grace moments to catch up with the rest of our bodies, souls and psyches.

Using a series of scriptural references, he invited those present to explore the various seasons of the liturgical year as particular moments when we might be especially sensitive to the presence of God, and the many various ways that this divine presence is made known to us.

We often can find God in the very ordinary, sometimes mundane routines of our lives, if we have the eyes to see and the willingness to look. God is present to us in the anticipatory moments (Advent) as well as the birthing experiences (Christmas) of our lives. We can often identify the hand of God as being present in the sufferings (Lent) and joys (Easter) of our ministry, and we can even find God in the regular routines (Ordinary Time) of our lives. Like the treasure which is hidden in a field, God waits for us to discover the treasure which is beyond all price, the treasure which we are willing to sacrifice everything in order to obtain.

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Conscious of the need to care for our environment, participants at this year's NFPC National Assembly are going green. Each delegate received a coffee mug, a gift from the Island Catholic Schools, which we are encouraged to use during our stay here in Victoria. This is only one of a number of details which have definitely not been overlooked in an effort to make all of us most welcome here on Canada's West coast.

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One of the highlights of this afternoon's activities included the presentation of the NFPC's newest publication. Having published Reflections on Priesthood (2001) and Priestly Wellness (2004), the NFPC now adds the third publication to the public domain. This newest work is entitled The Priest as Servant Leader: Developing Values for Priestly Ministry.

All diocesan delegates who are present here in Victoria received copies of this document today. In the days, weeks and months following their return home at the end of this week, they will be invited to share this publication with the bishops, Presbyteral Councils and priests of their particular dioceses and eparchies.

Priestly Values has been four years in the making. If the sales of Priestly Wellness are any indication, this document too is destined to be on the best seller list of resources meant to help priests to reflect and understand our roles as servants called to model the life of faith for God's holy people.

Stay tuned ... more updates are coming soon.

From near and far

Priests from English-speaking dioceses across Canada are in Victoria (BC) this week for their annual National Assembly, fondly dubbed VANFPCBO 2008 (that's Victoria's Annual National Federation of Presbyteral Councils Blow Out 2008).

Some of the participants have been here for a few days now, but many of them arrived overnight or through the hours of today, lugging baggage behind them, but eager to be here nonetheless. New friends and old are rekindling relationships and beginning to share with one another the stories which are often told when people who don't often get the chance to spend time together actually get to spend time together.

There are quite a few new participants at this gathering, and therefore a brief orientation session was held in order to familiarize our newest members with some of the nuts and bolts about how the Federation is organized, our objectives and how each diocesan representative fits into the big picture.

The NFPC is made up of one delegate from each English-speaking or bilingual diocese and eparchy across the country. These representatives are chosen by their bishops from among the membership of the Presbyteral Council, a consultative body which exists in all dioceses and eparchies. Members meet face to face on two separate occasions each year: at the National Assembly, typically held in the autumn, and at regional gatherings, usually conducted in the spring.

This week, we will do some very worthwhile work, but we will also take time to enjoy the beautiful surroundings and the amazing hospitality which is typical of this part of our country. Enthusiasm and hospitality have already made their mark, including the eco-friendly mugs which were presented to each participant upon our arrival, and individually decorated goodie bags which were prepared for us courtesy of some Grade 2 students.

Following the orientation sessions, the entire assembly got right down to work. The first order of business was a series of regional meetings which allow us to begin discussions of regional concerns, the things which often seem insignificant at first glance, but which can often help the Federation to discover the joys and struggles of priests today in a very personal way.

The theme for this year's National Assembly is Honouring our Preisthood: Where We Meet God. In the first of a series of input sessions, held this evening, His Excellency, John Corriveau, OFM Cap., the current Bishop of Nelson (BC) shared with us some of his wisdom about where priests today meet God. Drawing upon the wisdom of his Franciscan heritage, Bishop Corriveau invited us to reflect on the call for the Church to dare to be counter-cultural.

'The Church needs to be present in the world,' he says, 'always ready to imitate Jesus in washing the feet of those who we meet, but the world will not understand the significance of having feet washed unless they are also encouraged to gather at the foot of the cross and experience the truth of Jesus' redemptive act'. The Church needs to speak boldly to a society which defines itself in terms of technological advancements, calling it to learn anew how to spend time caring for each other. In most cases, we must do this one person at a time, but only in caring for one another will we be able to model the life of commitment that Jesus calls us to live.

The NFPC National Assembly continues until Friday of this week. Other updates will be posted here throughout the week.

Inheritance

For the time being, all those participating in Lectio Divina should follow the process outlined just a few days ago. I'll post new passages for you to pray with, and leave it up to you to share the fruit of your reflection if you wish.

For today, look up Ephesians 1:11-14.

Ask Saint Ignatius of Antioch to pray with you, and spend some time pondering in God's presence about the inheritance that He has bequeathed for each of us.

Writing to the saints

As promised, here is the first scriptural reference which may be used for Lectio Divina. Remember to set the scene by choosing a suitable place for your prayer, putting out a bible, and perhaps a candle, and finding a comfortable place to be seated.

Find the letter of Paul to the Ephesians 1:1-10

To make it easy, I've included an on-line version of this scripture passage, but feel free to use a bible if you have one handy. Follow the steps outlined in the blog article from yesterday, and try these questions to help you understand and situate the passage.

• Paul addresses this passage to saints. Can I see myself as one of the saints to whom these words are spoken?
  

• This passage speaks of God's plan for his people; a plan to redeem me, to forgive me and to shower grace upon me. How does this make me feel?

After you have completed the process, what were the highlights of this moment of prayer? What insights have been gained? For what are you thankful?

It's official

How do you like this one ...

The practice of Lectio divina was discussed in the Vatican this past week as part of the Synod of Bishops which is currently taking place there. In fact, it was the Auxiliary Bishop of Valparaiso, Chile who made a very concrete presentation of this type of prayer to the Synod participants.

So in short, here's how it works, at least according to the Chilean experience:

1. Begin by preparing the environment where the prayer will take place. Specifically, an open Bible can be placed on a table and then prepare your heart, quieting yourself before God.

2. Next, call upon the Holy Spirit so that "as the Word was made a book," as in the experience of the first Christian community, so now "the book becomes Word".

3. Afterward, read a Bible passage and use prepared reflection questions to go deeper in the understanding of the text.

4. The fourth step involves actually reading the text. If there is a group of people present, one of them proclaims the Biblical text. Following the proclamation it is fitting to observe a moment of silence so that each participant can personally reflect.

Participants would then be encouraged to annotate the passage, using, for example, question marks beside passages that seem more difficult to understand and underlining verses they consider particularly important.

Thus, each person can discover the key points of the passage, or aids for understanding the passage can be offered.

Then read the passage again, marking it this time with exclamation points beside those verses that invite certain actions or changes of attitudes.

With an asterisk, mark those passages that help you to pray.

5. Then move on to meditation, following the exclamation points. As an aid, ask questions that apply to your life.

6. Next, begin to pray, using the asterisks -- to pray from and with the word of God and what has been lived in the encounter with the Word, that is, with Christ.

7. Finally, take time for contemplation, aided by silence or music. What is important, is that "Jesus takes hold of me, looks at me and I at him, an exchange of gazes."

Thus, the participants move to the last stage, "action," writing a word (for example, dialogue or help) that indicates to them the path to follow and share.

Based on this format, I'll start posting some scriptural references tomorrow, and invite readers to take the time to follow these simple steps, either alone or with a group of people. It will be interesting to see what the fruits might be. Stay tuned.

Making it easy

A few weeks ago, I received an unexpected phone call. Now, let's be clear, most phone calls these days are 'unexpected' in one way or another, but this one truly held a surprise. On the other end of the line was a lady from Saint Francis Xavier University in Sydney, NS.

She had received my name from someone who lived in these parts, and who obviously thought enough of me to recommend that I might be able to help with the Continuing and Distance Education program at St.FX. 'Would I consider,' she wanted to know, 'acting as a local contact for students who are enrolled in the Diploma in Ministry program'.

Shortly after that conversation, I received a book entitled The Shack, and was told that it would be a REALLY good read. Right, I read it in a matter of days, something which, considering the fact that I seldom get enough time to sit tranquilly with a book these days, is saying something about how well written this book is.

If you've ever pondered questions like, 'How can I understand the Trinity', this book is for you. It explains in one of the most simple fashions such mysteries as building community, loving one another and teamwork.

Find a copy and have a read. It's worth it.

Getting to the point

In the coming days ... and weeks, there will be two national elections held on this continent. This indeed is a rare occasion, and it has provided more than its fair share of fodder for the likes of the local and national media types.

Amid all the fuss and bother of rhetoric that is flying freely between the candidates for various ridings in Canada, and between the candidates for the office of President and Vice-President in the USA, it seems difficult at times, if not downright impossible to find the truth about what is really going on or what the real issues are.

What's really at stake? Why do we need to take our civic responsiblility seriously? What role does faith play in all this? Thanks to the folks at the Cathedral of Saint Peter in Wilmington, Delaware, some answers to these questions are available, perhaps for a limited time, on their website. They have created a short video which is quite thought-provoking. Have a look, and please feel free to share your comments.