Recognizing Providence
Dear Friends on the journey of Lent:
During these past weeks I have been filled with a grateful heart with your expressions of care and love as I prepare to move on to another chapter of life. Honestly, my thirty plus years in being with you has been an enormous experience of growth, maturity and coming to a deeper level of appreciating our relationship in service to Christ. Many of you who live the vocation of consecrated life, single life, or marriage often speak of your awareness after some years of recognizing the providence of God in your being chosen. The reality of God is actively involved in your choices and decision to live as disciples and coming to a full appreciation of how the Spirit moves in your way of following. Most certainly, I am humbled with the awareness of having faith-filled certainty that I was called to be a priest, and that call includes being sent to St. Johns by Bishop Vlazny, now realized by the hand of God.
I spoke with him recently as he lives in retirement having served as the Archbishop of Portland, Oregon. At the time in 1994, I was serving as the Vicar General of the diocese and was aware that Lake City was open for a new Pastor. This, I thought, was the right place for me as I had been asking him for some time to become a Pastor and leave the diocesan work. My thoughts and aspirations were obviously not those of God or the Bishop as he said, “no”, and assigned me here. The Spirit was moving in him and perhaps I was just looking for an assignment next to a beautiful lake. Whatever the case, this gift of staying with you as been a treasure.
You know well that I have made mistakes and offended some of you as we developed new ways of being a parish community and created major renovations projects in order to become an active and fully participating community of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I am sorry for any way some of you have been hurt by me, and together we seek reconciliation and peace with the compassion of Christ. Also, you know well that all of our moving forward was because of many leaders in the parish community and an exceptional staff. Margaret Kelsey, our parish Administrator, has given abundantly with her competence and leadership with the staff and all of you. I am grateful for her on-going way of listening and being of service is remarkable along with many others.
As Moses came to the burning bush, God asked him to remove his sandals in front of His presence. Honestly, the presence of God/Christ/the Spirit has been so evident during these many years that I feel called to remove my sandals in front of the Mystery of Love as my experience with you has been on holy ground. The discernment of my heart in this time is to acknowledge and see the many ways in which the movement of the Spirit unfolded with the surprise of grace/gifts being given by the One who makes us. We have been able to bear fruit from a well nurtured fig tree and we know well it was more than our effort or great ideas but a presence that led us forward and there is more to come with the new Rector. God is not finished with our community and the wisdom of new life will continue as we belong to Christ, not an ideology.
This is only a beginning of identifying blessings as I have not spoken of the Mayo Medical Community and our way of being good neighbors. I could write volumes about this miracle of grace in being connected with the healing beyond measure. Also, the Rochester Catholic Schools is another asset that has been a pearl with my time along with so many. Our school in South Sudan/Uganda, is a total wonder as Father John came into our midst from another land, and your response to him and the mission of going to the peripheries has been filled with hope and beauty.
It is time to bring this portion to a close. Many of you are asking me how the transition is going, and I often speak of grief for me and for you. It is important to let ourselves be uncomfortable and trust in the unknown. However, I offer a couple of fun experiences about moving forward. I checked with my bank to begin the process for a loan in purchasing a home and he said, yes, of course, but it will not be amortized in a thirty-year agreement. Okay I get it; my time is limited. A little flip side as I visited with my financial planners asking about my expenses in the future like property tax, insurance on a home, and they put a plan together. During the presentation they arrived at a financial conclusion, and I asked, ‘so at what age did you calculate my future?’ and the response: 100.
Only God knows and these days I walk asking to let “God be God”.