Praised be Jesus Christ! Saint Teresa of Avila compared the drudgery of life to “a bad night at a bad inn.” The good news is that Heaven promises eternal rest – that’s what we’re working towards and it ought to inspire us to spend each day preparing to meet God face to face. While you’re reading this I’ll be either in Avila, Spain or on my way there – 50 of us are on pilgrimage and have already experienced the usual reminders that we’re not in Heaven yet (e.g. there was a train strike in France on April 18th, meaning we had to take a bus from Paris to Lourdes – not a horrible thing, but we were looking forward to riding the amazing TGV train). I was in Avila in 2004 and experienced some remarkable graces that day. Even though I had not been able to sleep all week due to jet lag I was able to celebrate Mass in the convent where Saint Teresa of Avila once lived. After that I remember being so exhausted that I laid down on a park bench and just collapsed. It was probably quite the sight, me in my Roman collar sawing logs... “a bad night at a bad inn!” Life has its share of suffering and Jesus came to teach us how to bear it with hope in our heart. Some of you have had a real rough patch in your lives and are wondering when you’ll ever feel some degree of happiness and joy again. The Church is a mother and so she prays especially for her grieving children; she reminds us that Jesus came to bring comfort to the sorrowful (and conversely, sorrow to the comfortable). For those of you who were able to participate in our Lenten parish mission, you might remember some of the spiritual insights offered by Father John Paul. The 3rd night of the mission allowed people to come forward and touch the humeral veil Father was wearing as he carried Jesus in the monstrance. For many this was a powerful experience similar to the story of the woman who had suffered with a hemorrhage for 18 years and rightfully thought that if she could just touch the tassel on Jesus’ cloak she would be healed. Jesus is a Divine Physician and He wants to help us with our hurts; but so many times we run from Him and not to Him. This was evident to anyone who came to Father John Paul’s presentation on same-sex attraction the night before the mission began (and all of the talks are on Saint John’s parish website – stjohnsmarshfield.org). This is one of the most difficult topics and Father handled it beautifully: he reminded us that the Christian understanding of human nature is that every person is created in God’s image and likeness and is loved unconditionally by God. He then showed a powerful film titled “The Third Way” that included amazing testimony from people with same-sex attraction who found peace and hope in God. One of the best scenes for me was the man who said he had never been able to tell anyone, but that in the confessional he met a priest who was a true father to him. Many carry their wounds in deep secrecy because being vulnerable to God or others is frightening, and in many cases dangerous. Year after year I taught my students about the struggles of the human heart – when it came to same-sex attraction I always felt inadequate to the task. Father John Paul’s presentation was remarkable in that he captured the mercy and compassion of God, Who truly understands our hurts and how they can move us away from Him and the truth of who we are in His image. God established marriage as a covenant between Him, a man and a woman – no authority on earth can undo what God has created. Just the same, the underlying desire for love is one that all human beings share – our faith teaches us that God alone can heal our desires so that we can experience true love. For all of us, life is sometimes “a bad night at a bad inn.” But the good news is our life in this world is only for a little while – what comes next is eternal!
May God help us find the truth that will set us free, thus helping others find some joy in this world! Your friend in Christ, Father Martin
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Monday - Thursday: 8:30 AM – 5:00 PM Friday: 8:30 AM – 12:30 PM Stay Connected with Our ParishWelcome from Our PastorWelcome to Christ the King Catholic Church! Ever since 1938 this parish has been assisting souls in their quest for deeper union with God. Our mission statement is essentially found in the stained glass window above the main altar: “For Christ our King.” Insofar as God made us and we belong to Him, we have come to... Read More
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