Love in the time of Small Pox

Today I got to partake in a wonderful experience. I got to sit down and think hard about some complicated issues. I got to read up on an awesome former Pope of the Church. And I got to chill a lot. Thank God for Saturdays. But as part of my goals for the New Year, I want to write more.  So here I sit at 11:34pm Central time (12:34a EST) writing about life back at the seminary.

It's been a little more than a week since I got back to the Hill and so far so good. I have to admit, there has been a little bit of envy as during this J Term, which is essentially a shorter class condensed into two weeks, first philosophy has had a lot of reading and work to do, and the rest of the guys here seem to have it pretty easy. But the reading is all about Church fathers, doctors and mystics, so it's pretty interesting stuff to read. A classmate and I will give a presentation at the end of the week about Pope Paul VI.  For those of you who don't know much about Paul, I jokingly with my classmate called him the hipster pope today. He was talking about everything the Church has been saying before it was cool. Aside from bringing the close of the Second Vatican Council, he was the author of Humanae Vitae which many faithful Catholic now call prophetic in its ability to predict when the use of contraceptives has brought our society. He was the first pope to really push for ecumenism, or reaching out to build bridges with other faiths, he spoke about the need of universal health care and the dignity of the human person, and petitioned world leaders to end war. He was a pretty legit guy and it's interesting to go back and trace the steps he began and how they have come to fruition very much in our current Pope, Francis.

I got the chance to experience a short pilgrimage today. A short walk (though made more difficult by large hills) from the Holy Hill of the Archabbey of St. Meinrad, is the small church of Monte Cassino.  In 1871, there was a smallpox outbreak in the area of Southern Indiana. The outbreak began around Christmas, and so on January 5th, students and monks from St. Meinrad pilgrimaged to Monte Cassino for a Mass and began a novena. On the final day of the novena (nine days later) they made the pilgrimage again, praying a rosary on their journey. From that moment forward, not a single case of smallpox was discovered. Every year since, the seminary has made the pilgrimage in thanksgiving for the graces and healing received. It was really beautiful today to make that trip with a lot of brothers, praying a rosary as we went. To become a part of history, yes, but most importantly to give thanks to God for all the good things He has done for us and for this community.

The one think I'm noticing more and more, with myself especially, is we tend to get wrapped up in ourselves. In our opinions. In our idea of what's right and what's wrong. We got about acting like we have it all figured out and are this great source of knowing.  And the most important part of this, I believe, is being able to be open and listen others. To place ourselves outside ourselves for a moment and just love our neighbor. And, yes, sometimes that means telling our neighbor they are wrong when they are definitely wrong. Just as we are wrong about a lot of things, so are other people. But it also has to be done in such a way that they don't feel like we are attacking them. Christ said "Go forth and sin no more." He didn't focus on the sin, but he acknowledged it. And He called us to better.

So pray for me. I need them because I am a sinner. And I'll pray for you. That you, like me, may gain a better understanding of God's will in our own lives and in this world. And that we can stop focusing so much on all that is wrong and work on loving.

God bless.