Vacations - 2004

July 2004

Dear Friends in the Divine Mercy of Jesus,

It has been a while since I have written to you all and I apologize for not writing sooner. I write this letter while sitting in my office on a warm July day. Summer, like the Christmas season, holds certain expectations. Vacations, the beach, time to read that book on the corner of your coffee table, sweet tea (for you Southerners!), fresh ice cream, or whatever else we associate with relaxing, being good to ourselves.

Yet the truth is that most of us are as busy, if not busier in the summer, as we are at other times of year. Weddings, birthday parties, reunions, family and neighborhood picnics are some examples. Even vacation itself becomes a project. There is so much we have to do to prepare for a few days away, so much we have to make up when we come back and even things that we just “can’t miss” and may have to come back for on our vacation. Well, I bet you get the picture.

Vacations are important for our physical, spiritual, and emotional health. Carving out time is important. The destination or what we “do” on vacation is far less important than the fact we turn down the dial at least a few notches and rest. It is equally important that we not take a vacation from prayer. At least in many churches in the Boston area Mass attendance drops off substantially in the summer. If anything we should discipline ourselves to pray more and read more when we are off from work and the routine. Then we will really return refreshed.

On another subject, I have been reflecting on what we do with our disappointments, frustrations and sorrows. How do we handle them spiritually? On our spiritual paths we face many detours, boulders in the middle of the road, or even roads that are completely closed. It is not authentic to deny the very real pain that accompanies these moments or events. We may find ourselves angry with God and depressed. The psalms give us a window into the very real, human emotion that accompanies such experiences. In our modern language we might say,” Who is this God who takes such delight in my pain?” Or we may say, “Where is God?” We might even be tempted to stop believing in a loving God altogether.

Praying our chaplet and saying, “Jesus, I trust in You!” is not always easy to pray from our hearts. We do, of course, love Jesus and trust Him, but we also continue to wrestle with our doubts and our difficulties. Such struggles do not mean we are not holy; they mean we are human. Cardinal Newman once said, “A thousand doubts do not make a denial.” As we reflect on our lives and those of our loved ones, do we not often note that after a crisis of faith our faith becomes even deeper and stronger?

In school we often hear the word “curriculum” used. Do you know the roots of the word? It means a path or a track that we run on; “curriculum vitae” is the path or course of our life. It is a rich concept. We are on a path, a track that in Jesus’ Mercy is leading us to Heaven. Jesus knows the way; we do not. People who know me know that I have no sense of direction. I have been going to the Daughters of St. Paul to celebrate Mass approximately three times a month for a year. When I leave the dining room to go upstairs I almost always go toward the wrong door. I take great pride in noting that the last two times I have actually gone out the right door. That is how helpless I am! My point is that even if you are not as bad as me, I bet that you get lost sometimes. Even after stopping several times to ask directions I still get lost. Even when we think we know the way we can still get lost.

The same is true in the spiritual journey. We “think” we know the way, but it is not always the way. We move in the path that we believe is right for us, but God has other, better, and mostly unseen plans for us. A now deceased priest used to say, “God’s ways are usually hidden and always wise.” I underlined “and”, because he would get furious if you quoted him as saying “but.” It is both at the same time, i.e. “hidden” and “wise.” In the present moment we do not always see the wisdom, but upon reflection we do. It is in the present moment that we need trust. God knows where He is going; He knows what He is doing. He has an eternal plan for each of our lives. Remember Romans 8:28 “We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to His purpose.” Burn that verse into your very soul, especially the words: “all things.” When you are in the midst of a crisis turn to Romans 8:28 and say, “God can bring good even out of this mess!”

Any path that leads to heaven is a good path. Any path that does not lead to heaven, no matter how attractive it may appear, is the worst kind of dead end. Keep praying, keep trusting, keep following Jesus who is The Way, The Truth, and The Life.

God Bless you always,

Rev. Richard F. Clancy