Eucharist=Thanksgiving

Well, the Wyoming Catholic Register came out over the weekend... one week ahead of schedule! And since I included a link in the register inviting people in the Diocese of Cheyenne to check out the Vocations blog, I had better update it. It's one of those things that I've been meaning to do as the new guy- but I've also been needing to focus on other, even more important things than the blogosphere.

So I'll put up something about Advent soon, but a reminder that Thanksgiving isn't over. I know, I've eaten enough turkeys for 12 coyotes over the last few days, but seriously- Thanksgiving isn't over. The word Eucharist comes from a Greek word that means "to give thanks." As in, "The night before he died, Jesus gave you (God) thanks."

Every time we gather for Mass, we give thanks. Every time we attempt to model our lives on the sacrifice of Jesus, we give thanks. Every time we make God the center of our lives, we... well, you get the point.

So even though the bird carcass is in the trash and you're already thinking about finding that hideous holiday sweater, take a little time still today to... yup, give thanks.

Peace. Will post another entry tomorrow- maybe about something more timely- like Advent. But then again, I've got 4 weeks...

Adios!

In Spanish the phrase "Adios" literally means "to God" but is commonly translated as "goodbye". Today is my last day as Vocation Director. Hard to believe that seven years have passed. So many memories of the 200,000 miles I've driven in that time, the thousands of miles I've flown, and the hundreds of people I have met along the way. "To God"! Every ministry within the Church ultimately is about the Kingdom of God, about holiness, about service. There were definitely days filled with great joy, just like last Thursday when Brian Hess, Daniel Poelma, and Robert Rodgers were admitted into Candidacy for Holy Orders; they made solemn promises to prepare diligently for priestly ministry four years from now. There have been lots of disappointments too when I really didn't think I was "doing this right" or the "right person for this ministry". Through it all I've experienced God's constancy and have realized ever more clearly that in all things God is the one who calls, nurtures, forms, and missions each person in a particular way. What a blessing for me that today, my last day, is the Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul! The two greatest apostles who shaped the Church in indelible ways! Each of them matured in their ministry and their keen appreciation of Jesus' unique relationship with them and the ministry He entrusted to them. Each of us is a vocation promoter and the Holy Spirit is really the Director of our personal and corporate vocations. I'm excited for Fr. Bill Hill as he begins this tremendous journey and awesome ministry. I'm blessed to get to be the Pastor of St. Mary Magdalen parish in Worland. When I ponder my own vocation journey I really can't believe I've been loved so very much by God! It's been 15 1/2 years since I was ordained December 12, 1994! I've grown so much as a person, and as a priest! God has placed so many wonderful people and situations in my life that have transformed me and also have enabled me to serve those to whom I've been sent. The last seven years I've been particularly blessed by the people of St. Paul's Newman Center, St. Laurence O'Toole parish, St. Paul's Church in Pine Bluffs and the two missions I served in Albin and Carpenter. I've been edified and humbled by the seminarians who've allowed me to advocate for them and to walk with them as they've discerned God's call. I've had the privilege of working with Permanent Deacon candidates and with those discerning religious life. What a remarkable Church we have! What amazing "living stones" I've encountered in each parish in the Diocese. I'm so proud to have been associated with and encouraged by my fellow Vocation Directors along the way. I've been so gifted to have had the chance to minister with and for Bishop David Ricken and for a short time Bishop Paul Etienne. I really admire and cherish the ministry I shared with the Diocesan Staff and my fellow Directors. My life has truly been so richly blessed by the priesthood. I cannot even begin to imagine what my life would have been had I not answered His call. I can only pray that like St. Paul I am able to say, "I have fought the good fight; I have run the race to the finish; I have kept the faith." I deeply love the Diocese of Cheyenne and the good people of Wyoming and am encouraged to know that we'll continue to foster a culture of vocations where each person is able to hear God's call and to live it to the full! I'm a huge fan of Star Trek and end this blog by looking to the future and living the motto "To Boldly Go..." enlightened by the adage, "All things in Christ." Adios!

End of Year for Priests

On Friday June 11th, Pope Benedict XVI brought the Year for Priests to an end during the celebration of the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. This has been a year of gratitude for the gift of the priesthood of Jesus Christ that is extended in every baptized person but in particular through the ministerial priesthood conferred by the rite of ordination. Pope Benedict intended this year to be an occasion for priests to grow in holiness by focusing on the person of Jesus Christ the Great High Priest who is the model of priesthood for all of us. It was also to have been an occasion for intercession for our priests on the part of every person. As the Vocation Director I felt a particular urgency about this year. Only deep faith and an appreciation of who Jesus really is, can inspire a young man to open his heart to hear God's call and then to give his life away in loving service through, with, and in Jesus. This is where each of us is constantly invited into silence. We are called to dialogue regularly with God in private prayer and also in the celebration of the mass. It is there that we realize anew the God of the call!

For the Diocese of Cheyenne this has been a year full of unmistakable blessing! In August Fr. Rob Spaulding was ordained to the priesthood, in December Bishop Paul Etienne was ordained as our new bishop, and on May 24th Fr. Tim Martinson was ordained a priest! Two priests and a Bishop! Not bad for the least populated diocese in the contiguous United States! On a personal note, this was my seventh year as Vocation Director so it was my jubilee year! What a terrific year! Lots of amazing successes and cause for encouragement. I honestly believe that Jesus is still calling men to heroic gift of self in the service of the Church and of society. I see this in the quality of seminarians that we have for this diocese and of the men considering the call. We'll have 10 seminarians this year and each one could definitely be successful at other endeavors but has heard God's call and is striving to answer it.

One of the most profound gifts to me is to be a member of the presbyterate, order of priests, who serve the Diocese of Cheyenne. We just returned from our annual priest retreat and I am constantly humbled and inspired by each priest's gift of self. Every story is different but at the heart of each is the experience of God's ineffable love that called them into service as a ministerial priest. Also the unmistakable role of our Blessed Mother has animated and informed each of our lives. I am truly proud to be a priest of this diocese!

This is my last month as Vocation Director. On July 1st, I'll turn over the reigns to Fr. Bill Hill and entrust to him and Bishop Etienne what I have so keenly been aware of: the stewardship of the mystery of God's call! We have so much to be grateful for and so much to do. The future for the Diocese of Cheyenne is one filled with challenge. From 1968-1976 there were no ordinations to the priesthood. The class of '68 is now beginning to retire. So the need for active vocation ministry and open hearts is still very much at hand. The exciting aspect to vocation discernment is captured in Ps 37: "If you trust in the Lord and do good, then you will live in the land and be secure. If you find your delight in the Lord, he will grant you your heart's desire." God seeks only to give us our fullest joy and true happiness! In nearly 16 years of priesthood and at the conclusion of my 7th year as Vocation Director, I can honestly say that this year has definitely been a wonderful Year for Priests!

Habemus Sacerdotem

On Monday May 24th, the Diocese of Cheyenne received a new priest! Fr. Tim Martinson was ordained at St. Mary Magdalen Catholic Church in Worland. Over 40 priests of the Diocese of Cheyenne, 10 deacons, and several of his classmates were also present in addition to a full church and Fr Tim's mother, three brothers, and their families. This was Bishop Paul D. Etienne's first ordination as a bishop. Fr. Tim entered the seminary right out of High School and attended Conception Seminary College for four years. He entered St. John Vianney Theological Seminary for five years and was assigned to St. Patrick's parish in Casper for a Pastoral year. Many of those who ministered with him in Casper made the trip as well.

Fr. Tim celebrated his first mass on Tuesday May 25th the Memorial of St. Bede. Fr. Tim was assisted by two deacons: Deacon Bill Hill of Jackson and Deacon Ken Pitlick of Newcastle. A priest's first mass is truly a remarkable event as he acts "In persona Christi Capitis" for the first time liturgically making present the paschal mystery for the salvation of God's holy people. The Gospel for the mass was from Mk 10:28-31, "Peter began to say to Jesus, 'we have given up everything and followed you.' Jesus said, 'Amen, I say to you, there is no one who has given up house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands for my sake and for the sake of the Gospel who will not receive a hundred times more now in this present age: houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and eternal life in the age to come." These words accurately capture Fr. Tim's journey, and every man's journey to the priesthood or consecrated life as well as every woman's journey to consecrated life, as well as every baptized person's expectation of discipleship. What hope could be seen as the Holy Spirit acted through Fr. Tim and consecrated bread, wine, and a people into the body and blood, soul and divinity of Jesus Christ!

Now Fr. Tim enters into the life and ministry of the Catholic Priesthood! He has become a "public person" a "man for others" and will be for us all a living witness of the joy of answering God's call! How very precious the love of God truly is, here is a gifted young man willing to persevere through 10 years of formation, in order to answer Jesus' call to the priesthood. What inspiration and hope for us all when the cross seems extraordinarily heavy in our lives, or the road of discipleship seems interminable, when prayer seems dry and inconsequential. What a witness to love! Just as Jesus "laid down his life for his friends" so too has Fr. Tim given his life for the local church, the Diocese of Cheyenne. How can we do any less? How can we give into timidity or selfishness and not answer God's call ourselves, or tarry along the way? The same Holy Spirit that animates and illumined Fr. Tim's journey is part of our faith journey too!

Let us all rejoice in the Priesthood of Jesus Christ! Let us rejoice in the priesthood of Jesus that touches our lives through the priests in our lives! Let us pray for our seminarians and those discerning God's call to priesthood, diaconate, religious life, marriage, and the single life! Let us rejoice in God's particular love for us, and for the call God makes to each of us to holiness!

Transition!

St. Francis of Assisi once said, "Always preach the Gospel, and if you have to use words." From May 9 to 16 I had the honor and gift of traveling with 14 college students and their campus minister to Oklahoma City to work with Habitat for Humanity for five days. Pictured above are Aaron McRee, Ted Cramer, Mike Kline, and Brian Neely. Aaron has been our liaison and guide for this mission work for 15 years. Fr. Carl Gallinger started this mission trip 15 years ago as a vocation trip to offer the opportunity to transition from the academic year into the summer with a view toward the bigger picture through the lens of service. A powerful image of this in my mind is that the first mission trip happened just a month after the Oklahoma City bombing. In the midst of chaos and destruction a group from Wyoming brought love and unity. Now all these years later Habitat for Humanity and many others look forward with great expectation for the Newman Center group from St. Paul's to come! These young people continue to evangelize in powerful way. "What a great joy it has been for me personally and for us at Chaparral Energy to have been a witness to God's hand through each and every one of you!!! To volunteer a week of your time on the Habitat projects before beginning your summer break or your new job is admirable. The positive impact which you have directly provided to each recipient of a new home will be immeasurable. But, I think you know that. Otherwise you would not be here. What you may not realize is the impact you had on us at Chapparal." This was sent by email from Mike Maly the CEO of the Oklahoma City based Chaparral Energy Corporation!

This was also a powerful pilgrimage in faith. Transitioning into the summer from the rigors of the academic year in this way affords a last opportunity to spend time with dear friends with whom God has worked in profound ways. As a priest, and as a Vocation Director, I was so taken with the joy, faithfulness, and maturity of each of the members of the group. Conversations that I had with each one around tenets of faith or living patiently with others or persevering through difficult tasks (we worked in lots of rain and mud, and with lots of different personalities) were a reminder to me of the subtle but powerful way that the Holy Spirit guides and sanctifies us.

Perhaps the most enduring aspect of this mission trip and of the Church herself is the power of community. We priests generally live alone or with one other person, but for 8 days to be part of a 16 member family was a true encounter with Trinitarian life. Thinking of others, relishing particular qualities, hearing each other's stories and aspirations, trials and experiences of resurrection and faith. I am certain that the times we prayed Mass together were a major aspect to this and animated and illuminated the "thanksgiving" that was lived in the moment. This was the first trip I've taken since the announcement that I'll be leaving vocation work July 1st to return to parish ministry. It was a good way for me enter into transition from a way of ministry I've known for 7 years and beginning something new. It is such a grace to remember that God is with us always, that we encounter Him through the sacraments, and live the Good News in community, particularly community in service! "Always preach the Gospel, and if you have to use words!"

Finals Week

This week is Finals week in Laramie! Lots of projects and endeavors coming to conclusion. Last weekend I traveled to Green River and celebrated masses with the parishioners of Immaculate Conception parish. Their pastor is Fr. Tom Sheridan, who is our last active Irish born priest! He has been a priest for 46 years and is currently able to retire. It was a wonderful gift to spend time with this community. I gave the last "Vocation Homily" of the year which brings to conclusion a cycle of travels and homilies in this Year for Priests. For seven years I've had the privilege and responsibility of encouraging men and women to consider giving their lives away in service of the Gospel. While I was in Green River I met Sr. Betty Lorenz, OLVM, who has been in Green River for 17 years! During that time she has been the point person for evangelization efforts of the parish, in 17 years she has been an essential factor in over 80 people entering the Catholic Church! What a legacy!

I returned late Sunday night so that I could prepare the end of semester vocation dinner for Finals Week. I enlisted the help of my cousins Dennis and Petra Fink, my cousin Carrie Brumbaugh, and Teresa Viapondo and we made my signature stuffed enchiladas. We served about 45 students as they took a break from studies. Hard to believe that the semester is coming to a close but what a blessing to see so many fruits of community and faith among the students and residents here at St. Paul's Newman Center. Community is always a constant call to selflessness and attentiveness to others. Particularly since what has brought us together is divine life in the person of Jesus!

It seems to me that the end of the semester, and in this case the academic year, is always a time to be grateful for the hard work that led to this point and an opportunity to recommit to the "mission" entrusted to us as members of the Church. So much planning had to happen in order for me and others to be available for service here in Laramie and in all the parishes I've visited this year. A motto of the Benedictines of Conception Abbey and the seminarians at Conception Seminary "The love of Christ urges us!" serves as an apt description of what motivates everything we do so that others can come to discover their vocations and to live them for the glory of God. May this month dedicated to Our Lady be a joyful time of "doing whatever he tells you."

Discernment Dinner with Bishop Etienne

Last evening Bishop Etienne joined nine young men for mass, prayer, dinner, and to guide them as they consider God's call in their lives. The readings for the mass aptly captured the liberating urgency of God's call, "But whoever enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens it for him, and the sheep hear his voice, as he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out..." (Jn. 10:1-10) Jesus continues to call each of us by name to the fullness of life through a particular vocation: to the priesthood, religious life, marriage, the diaconate, or the single life. What was particularly amazing was that we were hearing the Gospel from our Good Shepherd, Bishop Etienne! Bishop Etienne earned a Licentiate in Sacred Theology from the Gregorian university in Rome with a specialty in Spiritual Direction. He offered some very helpful suggestions to the men who attended after he shared his own vocation story.

The Bishop assured us that every time we pray, even if we are not aware of any feelings of God's presence, that God is in fact with us. The challenge and the call is to remain faithful to a personal life of prayer. Basic keys to prayer are a regular time for prayer, a consistent location for prayer, and perseverance in prayer. Also important are reconciliation and mass, especially daily mass as often as possible. These are the regular channels of grace for us. The bishop mentioned that each vocation is unique and a mystery. God calls us to look for the places where His peace is noticeable to us and to be aware in the everyday of the ways that God tugs at our hearts. Adoration can be a very important encounter for us with God.

It was a real blessing to have the Bishop share his discernment journey with us and to offer encouragement for the times when discernment or saying "yes" to God's call can be a real trial. He mentioned that the cross is at the center of every vocation and that the presence of trial, anxiety, difficulty may in fact be a sign that we are on the right track! It was so obvious that the Bishop is truly joyful at being a priest and also at being a bishop. He repeatedly told the young men that the priesthood is absolutely a life of joy and fulfillment! What good news! To hear from Jesus and our bishop that the journey of discernment will ultimately yield the fruit of peace and joy!

World Day of Prayer for Vocations: "Witness Awakens Vocations"

This weekend, April 24th and 25th, we celebrate the 47th annual World Day of Prayer for Vocations! The entire Church is called to pray that Jesus' call to "follow Him" will be heard in the hearts of the young men and women who God is calling to the priesthood, religious life, marriage, the diaconate, and the single life lived for the Gospel. The theme for this year is: "Witness Awakens Vocations" Pope Benedict wrote, "Every priest, every consecrated person, faithful to his or her vocation, radiates the joy of serving Christ and draws all Christians to respond to the universal call to holiness. Consequently, in order to foster vocations to the ministerial priesthood and the consecrated life, and to be more effective in promoting vocations, we cannot do without the example of those who already have said 'yes' to God and to his plan for the life of each individual. Personal witness, in the form of concrete existential choices, will encourage young people for their part to make demanding decisions affecting their future."

I have definitely experienced this to be true! I've been so blessed in my life to have strong, prayerful, wise, and passionate priests and religious women in my life that inspired me to become a priest! Among them is Fr. Carl Beavers. Pictured above on the far left, Fr. Beavers has mentored me for nearly half of my life and all my priesthood. I still have my class notes from his Senior Theology class in High School. Many people including myself consider him to be a hero. Doesn't hurt that he is a Denver Broncos fan! What I admire about Fr. Beavers is his prayerful dedication to the God, the Blessed Mother, and the Church. I've always known him to be a man with "fire in the belly" for the things of the Kingdom. He's spoken and written about topics that affect not only the parishes he's served, but have guided our diocese, influenced politicians, called all to deeper appreciation for the Gospel's power to influence for the better the common good. His homilies and witness have been a light and a call to holiness. I think also of Fr. Michael Carr my pastor during my High School and seminary years and his gentle wisdom that has taught me so much. Fr. Vernon Clark's wonderful vitality and generous pastoral ministry also were instrumental in my saying 'yes' many times to the seminary. Every priest, religious, and deacon I've know has been an encouragement in one way or another for me to "find (my) delight in the Lord, He will grant your heart's desire."

This year I've invited several religious orders of women to come to St. Paul's Newman Center to speak to the young women who are open and searching for a meaningful way to give their lives in service to God and the Church. I realized in years past that I cannot provide the witness they need as young women so I turned to those heroic women who are living that beautiful call. What a powerful impact that has had this year! Not only on the young women but on me!

As we enter this "Good Shepherd Sunday" let us be grateful to God for the priests, religious men and women, deacons, married couples, families, and dedicated disciples who walk with us and inspire us to find the way of service God has planned for us! Let us also be open to the way that our personal witness can guide and encourage our peers, our children, and others to "give it all for the love of God!"

Encounter with God's Call Weekend

Encounter with God's Call weekend was celebrated April 17-19, 2010 at Conception Seminary College in Conception Missouri. Five young men participated from the Diocese of Cheyenne. We drove 600 miles on Saturday morning, braving severe fog from Laramie to Cheyenne. Almost as a commentary on the spiritual journey of discernment, the weather got brighter and clearer the closer we got to Conception Seminary College! This weekend was very much an experience of "Annunciation". 140 young men from over five states chose to allow God to use messengers to speak to them of His divine will. These were members of the 100 + seminarians at CSC, Priests, the witness of Benedictine Monks, and their peers. God's call manifests itself in unique and mysterious ways in each of our lives but at some point we are invited to "follow me (Jesus)" and for men considering the priesthood that means the choice to discern entering the seminary.

An amazing aspect of this weekend was the discovery by our young men that they are not alone in their desire to discover God's will for them and to enter into discernment of the possibility of the seminary. They got to spend time in recreational activities, to enter into the rhythm of the prayer life of the seminary, and to experience what daily life might be for them as seminarians.

One of the highlights of the weekend was to celebrate Sunday mass and adoration with the Benedictine monks of Conception Abbey in the Basilica. The beauty and enormity of the basilica of the Immaculate Conception provided an encouraging setting in which to experience the sacramental grace of the mass and the foundation of our spiritual life: relationship with Jesus and through Him relationship with the Father through the Holy Spirit.

Spring has appeared at Conception! The wonderful beauty of blooming flowers, trees, and the plethora of birds were signs of the fruits of the Spirit at work in each of these young men and in each of us. When we allow ourselves to brave the risk of answering God's call, new life always buds forth from silence, our active listening, and our cooperation with God's gentle hands molding us in His Son's image for service of the Church and humanity.

For (back row) Andrew Kinstetter, Lorenzo Maffin, Joshua Hewlett, Hugh Cook, (front row) Bob Rodgers, Jose Vigil, and Hiep Nguyen, Encounter with God's call was an opportunity to see what seminary life is like and to consider the profound call to serve the people of Wyoming after the example of St. Joseph and of Jesus Himself, the Good Shepherd. For me it was a homecoming and an opportunity for gratitude. 20 years ago I graduated from CSC after four of the best (not by any means the easiest) years of my life. As I reflected over all that I have experienced since then, and traveled with these young men, I rejoiced to rediscover the joy of Encountering God's Call and living it with the help of Grace and community!

1st Holy Communion and the power of the Eucharist

Last Sunday, Mercy Sunday, I had the privilege of celebrating my youngest niece's first Holy Communion at St. Mary's Cathedral in Cheyenne. Emily is the fourth of my brother's children that I have been able to "give" communion to. As a priest, I have been so amazed by the gift of celebrating the Mass and of being able to be an "altar Christus" for God's people. As I was reflecting after Emily and her classmates received our Lord in Word and Sacrament, I was

taken by the profound gift of God's life given to us through the sacramental life of the Church! I was particularly aware that it wasn't "uncle Ray" that gave Emily communion but Jesus Christ Himself! I was awash in gratitude as I saw my family, four generations, sitting in the balcony near the sanctuary: my maternal grandmother, my parents, my Godson and eldest niece Jazmine, and the next generation: my great nephew Santos. All of them given eternal life by the Lord that I get to serve and represent as a priest! I've been meditating about all the places

that I have had the opportunity to celebrate mass ranging from parishes in Wyoming: particularly in Lander as my first pastorate and Pine Bluffs as my second pastorate all the way to Vietnam, Rome, Lisieux France, Australia, and Canada. I can still remember my first Holy Communion at St. Joseph's Church in Cheyenne as I received our Lord with my brother through the ministry of the late Fr. Angel Ornelas. That day my entire life changed as I entered more

profoundly into the life of the Trinity and the Church. It was all I could do to fight back tears of joy, humility, and gratitude at the encounter that my niece now shares with me! Now she will have access to all the graces of the Eucharist as she matures as a disciple of Jesus Christ and as she discovers her own vocation. The challenge for me and for all of us is to live Eucharistic lives in the service of the Gospel and the people in our lives. This is not done with all the pomp and circumstance of dresses and veils but in the garments of the everyday-the invisible baptismal garment that we are clothed in. Most often in the ordinary trials, doubts, joys, and failures of daily life. I've always prayed that each mass and each communion be for me better than the first though I'm not always certain that this is my conscious experience. What a wonderful way to celebrate Mercy Sunday and finish the Octave of Easter! On April 25th my goddaughter Avery will get to share this experience though I will not get to be with her as I will be promoting vocations in Worland. Regardless of distance, new life continues to flow into the world through the Church and especially through the Eucharist!

T-day plus 8

It has been 8 days since we as a universal Church entered the Sacred Triduum: Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday. For the most part life has returned to seeming normalcy here in Laramie. Mass attendance at daily mass has all but returned to pre-Lent numbers and stress levels are up due to the nearness of the end of the semester. I have been pondering what has changed for me this Lent and now into the first week of Easter. Initially I have been very moved and challenged by the generosity of Fr. Carl Gallinger, the Pastor of St. Paul's Newman Center, who allowed me to preside at Holy Thursday and at the Easter Vigil. As the Vocation Director I am based out of the Newman Center so I am not a pastor of any parish. I've been richly blessed by Fr. Carl and the Newman Center Community as I exercise quite a bit of priestly ministry here. This is humbling in that when I was a Pastor in Lander and Pine Bluffs I used to be possessive and really excited about these holy days! I hope that I can realize a wonderfully liberating truth: it's not about me but about God! I am only a humble instrument along with all those around me. So it is not so important that I "do" everything rather that I prayerfully allow God to work through me. The latter allows me to let go and let God. I am hosting the three seminarians from Vietnam this week. They are on Easter break and are not able to return home or take trips like the seminarians from Wyoming, with the exception of Brandon Halvorsen who is studying in Belgium. Hiep, Linh, and Duy are terrific examples of generosity, joy, and humble service to me and to all they meet. They remind me a lot of Jesus' incarnation: His willingness to "leave home" that is to become fully human that we might become one with the Father by baptism, confirmation, Eucharist, and lives striving for holiness. The Vietnamese seminarians are willing to serve in Wyoming the rest of their lives! As the Easter readings suggest to us, Easter is about new life! Nothing went back to the way it was after Jesus' resurrection, in fact in many ways things got more difficult and exciting! All but one apostle was martyred, the Church struggled for the first few hundred years with persecution and in coming to understand the mystery of God and the mystery of the Church itself. The days after Easter are called mystagogia, a time of profound reflection upon the mysteries of our faith as we encounter them anew in the renewal of our baptismal promises. These are vocation days too, days to be attentive to God's call to us and to be generous in our yes! The foot washing was not a once and for all activity but marks the character of our lives as disciples. Lucky for us, we have almost 40 more days to celebrate Easter and to allow the Holy Spirit to help us grow in our faith and service to God and the Church!

Discernment dinner with the Little Sisters of the Poor

On Friday March 26th, the last Friday in Lent, 14 young women gathered with the Mother Superior and the Vocation Director of the Little Sisters of the Poor from Denver. This was a powerful encounter with wonderful women of faith who described their charism (the unique gift and character of their order) as one of joyfully finding Jesus in elderly poor of the world. Pope Benedict canonized the founder of the Little Sisters of the Poor St. Jeanne Jugan this past October 11, 2009. The Little Sisters of the Poor are an international order of women dedicated to community living, radical dependence on God's providence, prayer, and service to those society so easily forgets and ignores, the elderly. The Little Sisters of the Poor (lsp) [even using the lower case for the acronym of their order suggests their poverty] provide homes with various levels of assistance to the elderly who would otherwise be on the streets or completely alone. Sr. Carolyn the Vocation Director of the order described her discernment story as one of total surprise. She had envisioned herself as a wife and mother with lots of kids but during a one chance visit to a community of lsp she was immediately attracted to the joy and utter selflessness of the sisters in their love for one another and for the elderly that are part of their family. She offered the advice to those in attendance and to all of us to always remain open to the wonderful plan that God has for us! What makes these sisters particularly inspiring and challenging is that they literally beg for all that they have: from the daily meals they provide to the elderly, to all the funds necessary to run their institutions and for their own needs. They live in radical simplicity and confidence. They told some amazing stories of the regular intercession of St. Joseph to whom they turn for all the material needs and spiritual support of their apostolate.

As we enter into Holy Week we celebrate another Person who recognized, and continues to, minister to the poor and the sinner, Jesus the Christ!

This is the first day of the rest of my priestly life...

Yesterday the priests of the Diocese of Cheyenne gathered with our new Bishop Paul Etienne for our day of reflection and Chrism mass. Bishop Etienne led the priests and deacons in two sessions followed by prayer. In each session he spoke of the call to deeper intimacy with God and to integrate at a deeper level the insights of St. Paul's letter to the Ephesians 1:1-5. This was a privileged time for the priests and our new bishop. I have always held this day as particularly close to my heart because priests renew their priestly promises and are encouraged as a group with their bishop to grow in fraternal love and support. I truly stood in awe and wonder as I sat and visited with my brother priests during the day. After nearly 16 years as a priest I find myself in the "middle aged" group of priests. Many of my heroes are nearing retirement. Joyfully there is a good sized group of younger priests. What is impressive and humbling is that we are all very different and none of us is worthy of the tremendous gift and responsibility entrusted to us. What is truly awe inspiring is that Jesus knows this and in love called us to this ministry anyway! The Chrism mass is usually celebrated on Holy Thursday to illustrate the integral relationship between the institution of the Eucharist and the birth of the Priesthood in the Church. We celebrate it the Thursday prior to Holy Week because of the great distances priests have to travel in our diocese.

I've been pondering the promises that I renewed yesterday, "Bishop: My brothers today we celebrate the memory of the first Eucharist, at which our Lord Jesus Christ shared with his apostles and with us his call to the priestly service of his Church. Now in the presence of your bishop and God's holy people are you ready to renew your own dedication to Christ as priests of his new covenant? Priests: I am. Bishop: At your ordination you accepted the responsibilities of the priesthood out of love for the Lord Jesus and his Church. Are you resolved to unite yourself more closely to Christ and to try to become more like him by joyfully sacrificing your own pleasure and ambition to bring his peace and love to your brothers and sisters? Priests: I am. Bishop: Are you resolved to be faithful ministers of the mysteries of God, to celebrate the Eucharist and the other liturgical services with sincere devotion? Are you resolved to imitate Jesus Christ, the head and shepherd of the Church, by teaching the Christian faith without thinking of your own profit, solely for the well-being of the people you were sent to serve? Priests: I am. All the bold and italics are mine. What powerful promises made out of an increasingly total love in my heart and in the heart of every priest and our bishop! To give my life away in service to the one I love is truly an honor, a gift, and at times a profound challenge. It has been almost 16 years since I first made those promises. They are still as evocative now as they were then. I try to be aware of them every day as I go about my living of the awesome gift of the priesthood! This was brought home to me after the 150 mile drive back to Laramie. I had just sat down to dinner when my phone rang and I was asked to spend time with a man and his family as he was dying. I celebrated with them the Sacrament of the Sick and the Commendation of the Dying. It was an immediate reminder to me of the power and hope that I get to represent as an ordained priest! Not because of anything that I am or have done, but all for the glory of God and the holiness of each member of the Church and everyone on Earth!

"These are the voyages..."

This weekend I had the privilege of promoting vocations with the parishes of St. Mary Magdalen in Evanston and St. Helen in Ft. Bridger. Fr. Jaime Bueno is their pastor. The readings offered a perfect launch point for vocation discernment. Jesus declares to Martha, "Your brother will rise." She asserts her faith in the resurrection on the last day and then Jesus reveals the fuller truth about himself, "I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?" "Do you believe this?" It is the discovery of Jesus as our life, as our security, that opens our hearts to offer ourselves to God in relationship and in service. This discovery calls for a conversion of heart on our parts. Jesus is the resurrection and the life! It was a powerful experience to celebrate with these communities of faith and to experience their openness to the way that Jesus calls us to follow Him in marriage, priesthood, religious life, the diaconate, or the single life. I got a particular joy celebrating mass in Ft. Bridger, a small mission parish served by Fr. Jaime. It has been my experience that mission parishes really own and celebrate parish life and priestly ministry. I had been a seminarian in these communities nearly 20 years ago and what a gift it is to return and see how much these parishes have grown. I learned that I need to work on my Spanish! Though I was able to offer the entirety of my vocation presentation to many in the youth group in Spanish and English. On Sunday morning I received a surprise gift! The Knights of Columbus from Evanston, primarily led by a High School student and his mother, did a bingo fundraiser for vocations. They presented me with a check for $1,335.51! What a support this will be! Being with Fr. Jaime Bueno was truly an encouragement. I was really sick during my time in Evanston. Must have had the stomach flu, so I felt awful. Fr. Jaime came from Columbia to Wyoming after many years working in missions in Africa, Europe, and South America. Three separate times, in two different counties, people tried to kill Fr. Jaime for his work with the poor! Not only that, while in Africa he experienced the cultural and religious prejudices of other religions. Though it all, he persevered and joyfully served as a witness to the "resurrection and the life!" Now he is serving in another "mission" the Diocese of Cheyenne. After the masses in Evanston I drove back 313 miles on Monday to host a discernment dinner for young men at St. Paul's Newman Center. Fr. Steve Titus was the guest presider and presenter. He related his vocation story as a gentle journey in utter freedom. "God is good! God only gives us what we need to take the next step." He used the image of light in darkness. As though we only have a lantern or flashlight, you can only see so far, just enough to take the next several steps. Fr. Steve described God's guidance working in the everyday events of our lives and in keeping with the general direction of our lives. He suggested not looking for signs, rather trusting that "the God who made the universe is not going to screw up when it comes to leading us to our fullest joy." Prayer, keeping a journal of our important prayer experiences, spiritual direction, and being serious about our moral and spiritual lives are all elements of our discovery of God's call. It was so joyfully obvious that Fr. Steve and also Fr. Bueno are happy in their choices to become priests. It is always an inspiration to me and an encouragement to know that God does have a plan for us and that it is possible to discover it, and in the living of that plan is found an adventure and fulfillment!