NO to the Easy Life! YES to God's Strength!

We are currently on the road on our way to Covecrest, Lifeteen Camp in Tiger, Georgia.  Our last stop at Belmont Abbey was beautiful to say the least.  I was impressed by the Benedictine community there and Brother Edward's hospitality was second-to-none.  You see most religious communities have a porter, or a greeter.  Someone to welcome pilgrims at the door and care for them while they visit.  There is a long long tradition of porters in the Church.  Saint Maritn de Porres, Saint Andrew Basset and Venerable Solanus Casey.  Interestingly these were all brothers, not priests, but religious brothers who lived out their vocation admirably.

What struck me about my time at Belmont Abbey is how important the ministry of hospitality is within the Church!  We left feeling loved and while being strangers on the interstate, we were made welcomed as friends with these Benedictines.  They live a simple life between the dynamic of prayer and pastoral duties.  Brother Edward was engaged in spiritual direction with the students.   The campus minister, Patrick Ford, was generous to get us a venue to put the Popemobile.  He is also a graduate of Hillsdale College, my Alma mater.

Besides Brother Edward being a Benedictine version of Father John Girotti from Cathedral Parish in Green Bay, he has a devotion to Venerable Casey (Adam Bradley is happy about this I am sure!).  The prayer you see above says:
"Do not pray for an easy lives.  Pray to be stronger."
Isn't it all to easy to want to have lives of ease?  We default to this lethargic mode of being and sometimes this slothful stupor is a difficult place to dig ourselves out.  In fact, we can't!  We need Christ!  We need a Savior!  We need to be pilgrims on the road to shake it up a bit!  WE NEED MISSION!  And boy do young MEN need mission these days or they never become boys to men but live boy all too long.  The Church gives a drastic alternative to a lethargic life-style.  Interestingly, both Brother Nolte up in Richmond and Brother Edward walked like they are on a MISSION!  And they are.  Often I see young men up at the formation center with hands in pockets and shoulders slouched over.  I remember mi madre not allowing that in our house.  Well now Mother Church is saying, "None of that in MY HOUSE!"  We were not made for an easy life, but to pray to be STRONGER!"  My prayer for you is that you may have the strength of Christ. To fall, certainly, but to get up once again and carry the cross to Calvery.
Our theme song from Josh Garrels is appropriate here!
RESIST, HOLD FAST LIKE AN ANCHOR IN A STORM!