So many of the pilgrims I encounter are wonderful people who seem to have an aversion to any form of organized religion. Our conversations are positive and interesting, but I wonder how God wishes me…us… to respond? It’s almost a badge of honor to be able to say, “I’m spiritual but not religious,” as if adding religion to the equation means one is not truly enlightened and free. I love my “spirituality,” and know the Spirit can unite us beyond religious teaching, practice and tradition. But I also love  my religion and don’t know how I could possibly be spiritual and not religious. The word  “religion” means to bind together opposites: body/ soul; heaven/earth. How can I ever commit myself to a particular faith community and be a part of its life, being formed and transformed by its teachings, if I refuse to value religion?

This entire Camino infrastructure was built,  not just with spirituality, but with religion and religious faith. The beauty of specifically Catholicism is that the human person is part of a LIVING PEOPLE with a past rooted in every culture and language. The rituals, sacraments, saints, seasons, social justice teachings, music and architecture are meant to embrace each and every human being in their DIGNITY given by God alone. Each person is “planted” in this communal, spiritual AND religious SOIL so that they will flourish and blossom. 

The worst thing we can do as a catholic people is force the religious tradition on others…even our children. For too many years, centuries, parents left it primarily to the schools,  nuns and priests to form their children in the faith. But Children need their parents to teach them and show the Way. Each  house becomes a domestic “church” with the supper table, at which meals are shared,  connected with the  Eucharistic table, at which the meal of the Body and Blood of Christ is shared.  In order for parents to do this, they have to become adults in the faith, learning and studying scripture and the catechism; they have to develop a daily discipline of prayer, showing their children that they are believers and don’t rely on religious leaders to do what is needed. And they have to participate at Sunday mass knowing that their life depends upon it. 

I know the horrible abuses of religion, especially when it is interewined with political power and prestige.  For centuries, the Catholic Church weilded extreme power in what was the Roman Empire. This  power created inquisitions and crusades, putting to death countless people seen as heretics. Currently, we are experiencing the terrible effects of the abuse of power on the part of many of our bishops in protecting priests and other church leaders who did horrific things to children and teens. These are realities that need to be faced and dealt with on a continual basis. The Church can NEVER again be the political power of a nation. It always goes bad. 

Our church has done many injustices to women, those who disagree, gays and lesbians, indigenous people, and those who have no voice due to some aspects of their background.  But our church and its institutions have done countless acts of justice and mercy, both corporal and spiritual. The heart of the Catholic Church is the beautiful people creating a tapestry of color and beauty. And the leaders are a part of this wonderful tapestry held together and strengthened by the Spirit of Christ.  As Paul says in today’s first reading from Ephesians, we are all adopted by God as His sons and daughters. A wonderful people, pilgriming in time and space, the priesthood of baptism and the priesthood of the ordained, washing feet in service. We are together, a spiritually religious or religiously spiritual people celebrating in a church which is a hospital of mercy for sinners, who want to become saints…a lifetime endeavor. 

Pray that I LISTEN to these primarily young people and respond in a way that might attract them, and not further alienate them. 

Buen camino. Fr. Frank

Jesus is saying some very harsh things in today’s gospel. He’s in a tirade against some if the leaders and teachers of his time, who like to make pronouncements about following the Law, do little, if anything, to follow the heart of the Law: love of God and neighbor. They were the worst of teachers because their example….their witness…was totally missing. Hypocrisy, the greatest enemy to religion and the church, was exposed by Jesus. They were not pleased, and neither would any one of us be overjoyed at experiencing  our hypocrisy exposed, particularly if it is so public. 

Our Lord is not doing this to humiliate us, but to free us by facing the inner truth of our hearts. When we face this “inner truth” as unpleasant as it can be, we can change!!! Yes, we can live out a love  that doesn’t judge or impose but one that is patient, kind, generous and filled with joy. 

Let us be led by the Spirit of Jesus that wants us to take responsibility for those in the world who are demeaned and have no voice. Our faith begs us to become witnesses and teachers who live out the Beatitudes and Matthew 25: “I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink…”We will be judged by how we live out these gospel values. The only judging that should take place is when each one of us judges OURSELVES by how we live out the Law gospel Love and whether or not people can see us as authentic witnesses and teachers. Peace. Fr. Frank

Some of the leaders consistently criticized Jesus for not following the letter of the Law. Jesus responds by saying that it is what lies WITHIN the heart that truly matters, not external appearances. In other words, you can follow the letter of the Law, appearing to be holy, but be filled with evil within. The words Jesus uses are strong and harsh, many would say even judgmental. But he doesn’t seem to care about such sensibilities, since he frequently lashes out at individuals who love to point their finger at others who aren’t following all the laws and prescriptions. 

On the Camino, it’s easy to judge other people’s journey by the places they stay or the food they eat. You can’t stay in a hotel or eat at a good restaurant to be “authentic” , nor can you send your backpack via a service to avoid carrying such a heavy load. Or if you take a train or taxi skipping some of the “steps.” To make such judgements is so horrible because there are pilgrims living with the after  effects of chemotherapy, surgery or the debilitating realities associated with MS or ALS. Yes, many people are walking this difficult journey carrying a heavy inner load of suffering. They are an inspiration to all, perhaps more so than the self-appointed authentic pilgrims who simply wish to be noticed.

Jesus teaches the most beautiful antidote to judging by appearances: give ALMS. May this sacrifice of money to help one in need purify our inner intentions…the ones that lie within the heart, unseen by all…except God. 

Buen camino. Fr. Frank. 

The Visitation celebrates Mary’s journey to “visit” her cousin Elizabeth who was  pregnant with John the Baptist. In the greeting between theses two mothers, John “leapt for joy” in the womb of Elizabeth as she joyously called Mary “blessed among women.” But what is frequently overlooked in the Visitation scene is Mary’s response, a beautiful prayer echoing the prayer of Hannah in the Book of Samuel :  “My soul proclaims the greatness of God my spirit rejoices in God my savior for he has looked upon his servant in her lowliness…”

It is a few verses later that Mary, the humble Virgin declares: “God has shown the stength of his arm, he has scattered the proud in their conceit…he has cast down the mighty from their thrones and lifted up the lowly…he has filled the hungry with good things while the rich he has sent away empty.” 

These are not sentimental words of piety but a subversive message proclaiming a new world about to be born. This world  vision, given impetus and clarity by Mary, will only come about through many “labor pains.” How appropriate to use the image of “labor pain” in trying to describe the birth of the Kingdom that Jesus preached and Mary foreshadowed. New life…new purpose… new directions…a “new heaven and a new earth”…a clashing of the new with the old erupts. There will be conflict and pain in the gradual birthing of the Kingdom of Jesus into full blossom. So be it…

How often have I heard a mother say that the pain in giving birth, while not totally being forgotten, is so worth the joy  in the life that came forth. Mary, Mother of the Church…Mother of God…is at the heart of this subversive experience in which the lowly, the humble, the powerless, the poor will be raised in dignity. But it won’t be easy. 

Buen camino. Fr. Frank

Mary encountered an angel,Gabriel, who “announced” God’s desire to have her be the human instrument of the Incarnation. Without her YES, Jesus could never have been conceived and we would  never have been redeemed. This WOMAN accomplished her yes and the pregnancy without a man, her Spouse being the Holy Spirit. Jesus received the totality of his humanity from the humble Mary,  who surrendered to the overshadowing of the Spirit. 

Gabriel has been depicted in so many ways through the medium of art and portrait. My favorite depiction is Light, the angel Gabriel portrayed through rays Light. The Annunciation is not a past event that happened only to Mary, but a present reality open to every human being. An angel, Gabriel or other, shines on YOU, overshadowing you with the “announcement” that you are to give birth to God…to Jesus in YOUR flesh and humanity. 

Just let the Encounter with this Messenger happen…look…wait…surrender sighing deeply, letting out the breath of fear only to breath in the Spirit of new Life. This encounter can never happpen without nurturing an awareness of a God Who wants each and every human being to do their part in the great restoration of the world. This  restoration is completely and utterly dependent upon the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Christ, the only Savior, who gave his life so that we may receive the power to re-create. This power is rooted in selfless love of all, especially the outcast. 

And the Church shines powerfully when it refuses to align itself with any particular political party or economic theory. The more the Church is at odds with any political power, the better she is. The fate of the church must mirror the fate of Christ: to be condemned, stripped of riches, carrying the cross of suffering and injustice, dying to power that controls…RISING to a new Easter Life that is the definitive response to evil and sin. 

The Annunciation is the news that this is happening now, in our world and in our church. No wonder there is so much confusion and violence in the world, because the force of evil does not see the message of Christ and the gospel as “good news.” Our response must be rooted in peace and a refusal to give in to the violence. The Church, our parish, must spread its “arms” of embrace, not in an ivory tower, but on the cross. 

Buen camino. Fr. Frank 

Pope John Paul was once asked where gays were in a church that seemed to reject them. He responded with no hesitation, “They are in the heart of the Church.” There are so many human beings who need to be reminded that they are in the heart of the church. So beautiful a reality. In the gospel, 10 lepers are healed, which meant that not only was their health restored but their human dignity. They were welcomed in the heart of the community. Most powerful in this gospel story: one of the 10 was a Samaritan, one considered unclean and outside the community of faith. Only this one healed human being returned to say THANK YOU. The dreaded outsider became the hero and focus of Jesus’ teaching. 

A life of gratitude is one which the person knows deeply the Source of blessing and healing and mercy.  The Samaritan connected the healing with Jesus and this connection erupted in gratitude. Those who were witnesses to the healing and Jesus lifting up the Samaritan as a model to be imitated certainly infuriated many. It is so easy to fall into the trap of separating ourselves from those we deem as undesirable, detestable or deplorable. Víctor Hugo called them in the title of his magnificent novel, the “miserables.”

Jesus is calling us, begging us, to see our lives as a blessing, God being the Source of our every breath. We are NOTHING without God. The call of the gospel is to live out of this connection to Divine Love, so that we can take our place, shoulder to shoulder, with the outcast and separated of our world. We, ourselves, are just as much an outsider because we sin and forget that God loves  ALL, especially the ones who are forgotten or pushed to the sides. Spiritual altzheimers is a horrible “disease,” causing so many problems. 

Our church and our parish must be deeply rooted in The Eucharist, a word which means gratitude and thanksgiving. Our faith community needs to continually reach out to transform the stranger into a neighbor. Refugees and undocumented immigrants, the one who is gay, the sick and suffering, human beings  sold in the lucrative business of trafficking,  children being formed by violence, those who can’t afford a doctor, people filled with fear, anxiety and depression, all these are in the HEART of the Church. Our call is to be a community of healing and a parish that brings those who are alienated or disconnected into the HEART of our life. 

As I am learning on this Camino, not everyone welcomes this message for it is uncomfortable. Jesus seeems intent on making us think about our lives and our privileges. He seems to want us to try and create a world where all can work, be educated in fantastic schools, have the ability to care for their health and live without the fear of violence. This world is nothing more than the Kingdom. The people who are the key to the unfolding of this Kingdom are those on the sidelines being refused to be part of the team on the field. Yes, I actually used a sports metaphor, I minor miracle in itself. 

May our parish never relagate people to the sidelines. May our Eucharist and parish life be even more reflective of the world of different cultures and languages. May all “Samaritans” find a home here, which can only happen if we count ourselves as a “Samaritan.” It’s amazing how everything changes  when we walk in the shoes of the outsider. May each one of us be healed of our spiritual leprosy and may we run into the arms of Christ only to say THANK YOU. 

Buen camino. Fr. Frank

There stood in front of me a seemingly endless stairway with each step inching its way to heaven. And this  was a steep incline that I had to work my way up, ever so gradually wishing it would be transformed into a mystical, moving excalator. But no, I had to navigate,  one step at a time, the 25 pounds on my back reminding me, “Take it slowly.” And that I did. 

Life presents itself with a series of emotional and psychological stairways, steps we must climb in  patient perseverance. Yes, we want to make it to the top of resolution quickly, but rarely is this possible. I met a beautiful woman and her daughter walking the ladder of the Camino, step by step. This woman was diagnosed with an auto immune disease that combined symptoms relating to MS and ALS. She has to endure treatments, one step at a time and the medical incline must seem interminable. The doctor gave the green light to her dream of the Camino if only for a week. Her daughter was her human angel transformed,  in one breath, into a human walking stick. Both journeyed, step by step with the daughter telling mom at just the right moment,  “Time to stop and rest.” Mom graciously obliged. I met them on a step of rest on a stairway leading into heaven. 

As I look down my stairway in memory, I see this mom and daughter, imagining how many steps of treatments, doctor consultations, medications and procedures they must climb, step by step. The emotional incline must be steep indeed, making my physical mountain stairway trivial. Yes, life is a series of these of these stairways that lead us to a summit..a plateau..in which the vista of life gets larger and more beautiful, even in the tears. As we continue the journey, a new stairway presents itself with new steps and new challenges. 

And at the top of each stairway the vision gets larger and more majestic, allowing the spirit to soar…please don’t flee the steep stairways out of fear…climb slowly, step by step, knowing Christ walks next to you, helping you to carry the burden of suffering. He, himself, climbed the steepest stairwell of all: the mount of Calvary being nailed to a Cross. “Come to me all who are weary and find life burdensome and I will refresh you.”  

Buen camino. Fr. Frank

St. Paul was not happy with the Galatians who seemed to fall into the trap of blindly following the Law. Christ transformed the observance of the Law by breathing the Spirit in the church, so that the church becomes a pilgrim people on a journey shaped by that same Spirit. The Spirit moves the people, the church, in each generation, so that the church can discover new ways of spreading the Gospel. Laws, rules and disciplines are meant to shape and anchor the missionary activity of the church, making it faithful to its very purpose: to move into the world expressing truths in new ways. 

The Spirit wants to inspirethe church and its leaders to be creative in the ministries of teaching and preaching. But too often, the “Law” we call “canon law” becomes overly sacrosanct and we fall into the trap of following the letter of the this Law. Some bishops seem overly concerned about the many canons and their applications. How is this any different from Jesus forsaking following the Law in certain circumstances? Are our bishops any different from the Pharisees in the time of Jesus? There is the attitude that says if one transgresses a particular canon, one cannot be a faithful catholic. Paul even reprimanded peter for such an attitude in his letter to the Galatians, which is being proclaimed at daily Mass this week. Yes, even Peter, the first Pope, needed reprimanding. 

The problem with the “law” is that it can become or develop into a closed system of who is in and who is out; who is saved and who is not. Following the law and its letter will never save us, only the passion, death and resurrection of Christ. Religion of strict adherence to the law is dangerous indeed, especially when this ideology is rooted in human beings who hold positions of authority.  This way of leading a people always becomes harsh and rigid. 

The priest at the pilgrim’s last night the mass made it clear: if you’re not catholic, don’t receive Holy Communion.  Certainly, canon law and the tradition of the Church were being followed and the priest faithful and orthodox. But at what price? The authority of the church will be compromised and weakened when the strict observance of the law suffocates the Spirit. The Church must find a balance between being faithful to essential Truths which can never change and allowing renewal and development in how these are expressed. 

Buen camino. Fr. Frank 

In today’s gospel, the disciples ask Jesus to teach them to pray and he responds by giving them the prayers that unites all Christians: the Our Father. Prayer, expressed in words, even the Lord’s own words, leads to a deeper reality  within our hearts: love…God’s Love. When we experience this Love, words are not necessary. They lead us to the Person of God, who takes care of the “rest.”  Yes, prayer is simply “resting in God,” words no longer being necessary. 

So many of us do not go beyond the beautiful rituals of prayer and devotion. We cling to realities that are meant to be go of, so we can encounter the living God dwelling within the tabernacles of our hearts. Even in powerful mantra like praying-the rosary, for example, the repeated words are LET GO OF so that the one praying can surrender to God’s presence. We even need to let go of the beautiful Mysteries we meditate on so God can speak the truth we need to hear. 

As I walk, I LET GO of all your prayers and petitions to God who will answer each and every one of them. And Mary in her unique vocation to give us life, does so by carrying our spoken prayers to her Son. Mary loves each and every human being, no matter if they follow Jesus or not. She is everyone’s Mother. All pilgrims walk underneath a small image of Mary sitting in top of an arch, gazing down in love  on ALL God’s people. Most don’t even notice her presence. 

In prayer we fleetingly connect with that loving Presence which gazes in our hearts in Love… a Presence we rarely take notice of or are aware of. No problem. God is always there waiting. 

Buen camino. Fr. Frank

Walking up a rather steep hill on the Camino the pilgrim is welcomed by a humble, beautiful shrine dedicated to the Virgin Mary. The statue is small, 3  feet, unadorned…truly a statement of humility. The basque people may be deeply proud of their unique heritage and culture, but they are also very humble… earthy. I love  them and their kindness. 

All around the statue are prayer cards and petitions, begging God to hear prayers and alleviate suffering. Mary, as she stands with her back to the Pyrenees and her face to the pilgrims, how appropriate and beautiful, reminds us that she carries our prayers to her Son. Mary is a powerful, humble guide on the pilgrimage, not the one to Santiago but the journey that YOU are on, wherever you live. Life is a pilgrimage and we’re all journeying together, albeit on different routes. We journey in the Spirit, with Mary as our caring Mother, leading the Way. One step at a time…Buen Camino. 

Fr. Frank