The Graces of a Closed Door
“There are two ways of getting home; and one of them is to stay there.
The other is to walk round the whole world till we come back to the same place.”
-G.K. Chesterton, The Everlasting Man
The Jubilee Year comes to an end with the closing of the Holy Doors of St. Peter’s Basilica on the Solemnity of the Epiphany, still celebrated in Italy on January 6th in accordance with ancient tradition. As the unique graces of this ‘Ordinary Jubilee’ come to a close, thankfully we don’t have to hold our breath until the next Jubilee in 2050. Rather, we have only to trust that the gracious God of all generosity will be inviting us deeper all throughout the coming year, and the year after that—that is until Christ comes again, revealed in glory!
I am certainly reflecting on this as I depart later this week for a sabbatical that will run through the end of June. I do so in profound gratitude for the unique opportunity given to priests to find refreshment, new perspective and ongoing personal and professional growth. I look forward hopefully to the opportunity to rediscover the value of being over doing and allowing leisure and a different pace of life to open up some new space for spiritual and intellectual engagement as well as physical activity.
Someone reminded me recently that mothers don’t get sabbaticals. This is true, and it causes me to be even more aware of the blessing that this time is in my priestly life! I have been humbled by the encouragement I have received as I have prepared for this long-anticipated time away. I might likewise encourage you to embrace rest, prayer and leisure as you are able, especially in the weekly gift of Sunday. After eight and a half intense but remarkably blessed years in our parish, I am ready for an extended change of scenery and adjustment of pace.
I have shared with many of you about the unforeseen challenges to secure my long-stay visa to spend the entirety of the time in Rome as I had originally planned. Alas! Signs of the Lord’s Providence abound, and I am feeling peace even with some of my plans in flux as I will need to spend some of the time in the US. I will share a few updates along the way.
Like the magi, I trust that I will not return exactly as I left. They found the Christ Child and returned home by another route, with a changed perspective that would lead to them being considered Saints Caspar, Melchior and Balthazar, whose relics are venerated in the Cathedral of Cologne in Germany.
I am truly thankful to Archbishop Hebda for his permission to take this time away as well as for Fr. Rumpza who has been asked by the Archbishop to serve as the Parochial Administrator of our parish in my absence. I also commend Fr. Miro and other brother priests who serve so generously. I am thankful to our hard working and dedicated parish staff and to our other parish leaders from various councils and parish groups. I am grateful also to each one of our parishioners! Let’s pray for each other.
Let’s look forward together to the unique graces that the Lord has in store for each of us in the coming year. As only our God can do, when He closes a door, He opens a window. His grace is ever on offer.
Happy trails to you, until we meet again!
~Fr. Howe