Resting in the Empty Tomb - Responding to our Pain and Struggles

This morning, I along with 15 other seminarians, had Mass in the empty tomb of Christ at the Holy Sepulcher.  It was here that Christ was taken off the cross and laid.  It was here that He was raised from the dead. The tomb itself is just big enough to fit 3-4 people in it.  The tomb itself is surrounded by a small entrance room and doors.  The altar for Mass is placed right above the slab where Christ was laid.   As we followed the priest into the entrance room and tomb; the doors were shut behind us. It was just the seminarians, the priests, and the Lord (while various tour groups were walking, talking and praying outside the tomb!  What an intimate setting to find myself this morning.

It was during Mass that I reflected on Holy Saturday!  It was that agonizing day of waiting through pain and loss before the Resurrection.  Outside of the actual pain experienced on Good Friday and the Crucifixion by our Lord, Holy Saturday is a pain felt strongly by Christ's loved ones!  Remember Christ died on the cross and the knowledge of his coming Resurrection was not clear!  There was a great pain of sadness and unknown among the disciples of Christ.  The anguish in their heart remained, all the hope they had in the coming Messiah had vanished.  Everything was completely gone!  

And that's where my heart went to this morning. I have many friends who are struggling in life; those who have lost loved ones to murder and injustice, those who have lost loved ones suddenly to health complications, those battling cancer and other health diseases like ALS. That's not to mention those facing non-life threatening diseases, but encountering great angst about their future.  Each and everyone of these encounters are people struggling with what the Apostles struggled on Holy Saturday!  Hope has seemed to vanish.  The questions about why and what now begin.  What happened to all that the Lord had promised us?  

These questions are unavoidable, and yet these questions once again allow us to reaffirm our faith.  Unlike the Apostles who actually experienced the actual Holy Saturday without the Resurrection Sunday, we know and have celebrated Easter Sundays since that great moment!  We once again, even in our sadness and struggles, can say Christ is Risen!  

As I sat in the empty tomb and was able to kiss the slab where Christ had laid, I was once again reminded of the Angels proclamation, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified.  He is not here, for he has risen," as he said," Come, see the place where he lay." (MT 28:5-6) Lent is a time of preparation to receive the great news once again! It is time to sit in our struggles and once again proclaim the Resurrection of the Lord!

The Good Thief: Remembering the Need for God's Mercy

Shortly after arriving into Jerusalem, our class was able to celebrate Mass at the foot of Calvary in the Holy Sepluchre.  It's is a surreal experience to be able to go to the spot, where Christ was crucified marked by three distinct holes in the rock where the crosses were locked into place.  Just to the right of the spot, there was the altar in which we celebrated Mass.  

I couldn't help to be drawn of the good thief on the cross found in the Gospel of Luke: 

[Rebuking the other criminal on the other side of Christ] "We indeed justly; for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.  Jesus remember me when you come in your kingly power.  And Jesus said to him, "Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise." (Luke 23: 41-43)

It was there that the thief admitted his guilt and asked the Lord for mercy.  Today, there were 33 seminarians, priests and faculty at the foot of the cross asking for the same thing at Mass; "remember me Lord!"

It was told to me (and as I get older I completely agree) when you were young you seek justice; but when you are older, you seek mercy.  It's no coincidence that kids have an uncanny ability to tell the adults what is fair and unfair.  They are quick to point the many injustices like Suzy having more ice cream than me, which is clearly not just. Or Johnny's parents allow him to stay up later.  Sometimes in our foolishness we seek justice as adults, many times it looks silly.  As we progress in age, and in my case less hair on my head, we are consistantly humbled by our failures usually followed by empty resolutions. It is clear, the false idea of being invincible and able to do anything in our youth, comes to a hault when we realize we are mortal and filled with weaknesses.  The need for God's mercy pervades our bones.  And I once again am brought to the Mass at the foot of Calvary.  I find myself like the thief, recalling my need for His constant mercy.  

Lord remember me when you come into your Kingdom!

St. Dismiss, the criminal who stole heaven, Pray for us! 

Getting Caught up in the Show: The Devil, the Greatest Actor

So I have to confess, I have a problem with getting hooked on movies and tv shows. And now with Netflix and Amazon Prime, I have countless tv seasons at my finger tips!  Now, there are lessons we can learn in stories, but at the same time we can be led astray by the things we watch!  To start off Lent in the Holy Land I was given new insight about the need to be careful not to get caught up in the alurement of show!

We started our Ash Wednesday with Mass in Capernaum, a town of St. Peter's mother-in-law and most likely the beginning of one of the earliest Christian communities.  In the homily, the priest focused on the Gospel where Christ calls the people not to be like the hypocrites.  The priest defined a hypocrite as someone who is an actor.  As an actor, they act to portray someone/something they are not.  A person will portray on TV to be a doctor, lawyer, cop, etc. but in real life is not one.  A hypocrite in the Scriptures act to be humble, but in reality was very prideful of their actions.  They act to be caring for the poor and the sick, but they dismiss the poor and the sick when they encounter them on the street.  It was then that it was made clear.  The greatest hypocrite and actor is the devil!  He portrays to give something substantial, but in reality gives something very shallow.  He promises to bring about freedom and fulfillment, but what he really brings about is enslavement and destruction, a life of sadness and anguish.

On Easter Vigil, we will be blessed to have countless people proclaiming their Baptismal promises for the first time.

Do you reject Satan?  (Response, "I Do")

And all his works? (Response, "I Do")

And all his empty show [also can use the word promises]? (Response, "I do")

Satan is putting on a show!  Trying to deceive us! That is why Lent is so important.  It's a time to go beyond the show that the world portrays.  To take our faith deeper with fasting, alms giving, and praying.  We need to ask the Lord to help us remove all distractions from Him.  Let's not get caught up in the show and let's start living!

"This, rather, is the fasting that I wish: releasing those bound unjustly, untying the things of the yoke; Setting free the oppressed, breaking every yoke; Sharing bread with the hungry, sheltering the oppressed and the homeless; Clothing the naked when you see them and not turning your back on your own" Isaiah 58:6-7

Mind Blown: The Sun and Its Reflection off the Water

We are finishing up our stay around the Sea of Galilee before we head to Jerusalem for our last 5 weeks in the Holy Land.  The trip has been going by so fast!  One of the things I wanted to do before leaving the Sea of Galilee was to watch the sun rise over the waters.  So I woke up early this morning to get to a balcony overlook at our hotel to over see this breath-taking biblical scenic view.  As I waited for the sun to rise, I couldn't help but to imagine Christ calling the Apostles from their boats, Christ walking on the waters, the various healings that happened in the small towns surrounding the sea like Magdala and Carpernaum.  You know; NBD (No Big Deal).  

As the sun was about to crest over the horizon, the birds began to chirp and you could see flocks of birds making their way to the sea port to grab the scraps left behind by the fishermen.  As the sun began to rise over the mountains and clouds, I couldn't help but grab my phone and capture this picture; after thanking God for such a beautiful and peaceful morning.  

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Neeedless to say, the view was breathtaking.  And as all the seminarians came together for breakfast, we started sharing our various morning adventures.  Many went for a small hike along the sea to catch the sunrise on the shore.  Some went hiking up to the Mount of Beatitudes to catch the sunrise.  It was over discussion over the sunrise that it was brought to my attention that the sun always reflects off the water in the direction of the person viewing the sunrise  (take a look at my picture again, there is a distinct sunlight reflection off the water pointing to me).  It's like the sun was intentionally shining for me!  My mind was blown away by this new found truth.  Clearly, the sun sends off rays of light that encompasses the earth.  These rays are not uniquely directed, but spread broadly across the earth.  But when it reflects off the water, the light seems to be pointing directly to me!

Isn't that true with the love of God!?!  God sends his love over all of His creation, yet there is something about His love that is specifically for me!  I've always heard the saying that Christ died for ME.  But it's hard to imagine it because I know He died for me, but his death was for the salvation of all humanity.  Now I see it more clearly; the Son (sun) whose love shines over all, gives off a unique ray of light/love over the (troubled) waters (cross).  His Death was for me! Needless to say, my mind was blown and I need a clean up on aisle; my brain.

The Lord truly loves us all, and yet uniquely He loves us individually!  So the next time you see the sunrise or sunset over the water, note how the reflection of the light is directed to you and you alone!  It is a sign of God's love for you!

She Said Yes! A Call to Orders!

Last evening I received the news from my Vocation Director from the Diocese of Joliet that I received, along with my other classmates, a "Call to Orders."  This, in a sense, is the Church saying "Yes" to my vocational call toward ordained ministry.  This is huge because the Body of Christ, the Church, is a person!  And just like in marriage, both parties need to say yes before the marriage can occur!  There are many people who may have the desire or feeling to be called to a priestly ordination, but the Church must also agree to their calling.  If the Church says no, then no ordination takes place, just has if a person said no to the wedding vows.  One can't force their self on the other. Though I have been affirming my yes in my call toward ordination as I have been in seminary, the "Call to Orders" is necessary to proceed toward ordination.

It's quite a task to achieve the "Call to Orders" as I reflect on the various steps in the 6 years of formation toward priesthood.

I accounted the following steps needed to be achieved:

1.  You need to go through an extensive application process to study for a diocese.  It involved a 28 page application from the Diocese (I did this twice because I had left)  This includes a 6-8 hour psych evaluation (luckily I only had to do once), 3 one-on-one interviews with the approved Diocese Vocation team (I did this twice), and a meeting with the Bishop (done twice).  All need to give a thumbs up to be accepted to the Diocese, of course the Bishop being the final say.

2.  After you have been accepted by the Diocese you need to be accepted by a seminary that will help you in your studies and formation, which usually includes its own interview

3.  Once in the seminary there are usually two evaluations a year; one in the fall and one in the spring.  The spring evaulation is a crucial one because the evaluation from the seminary gives the Diocese a thumbs up or thumbs down on continuation of seminary formation.

4.  Your summers are under constant supervision and also have evaluations.  My various summers have been a catechesis programs for kids called Totus Tuus, spending a summer in Mexico studying Spanish, and Hospital ministry known as CPE (one of my toughest summers ever).

5.  To enter Major Seminary involved another interview process and boards process.

6.  In major seminary there are class endorsements that are necessary to be approved.  If half of your classmates don't endorse you, the seminary takes steps to correct the issues that your classmates see or dismiss the seminarian.  

7.  I had a parish internship which involved the evaluation of my pastor, parish staff, and parish families.

8.  One of the final steps in seminary (at least at Mundelein) is called certification process.  This grabs final input from all faculty, professors, and students.  Once input has been collected the Rector of the seminary along with the Dean of Formation will either certify or dismiss the seminarian.  If certified the  seminary is informing the diocese that they believe you are worthy for ordination.  

9.  After being certified, I personally wrote a hand-written letter to the Bishop of Joliet asking for the Call to Orders. At this point, the Bishop, once receiving the letter, can either approve or deny my Call to Orders!  

Being in the Holy Land to receive the Church's yes has been a great joy and to be quite honest I'm still trying to grasp this reality!  March 27th is 6 1/2 weeks away!  I know the Church's response! Now, I just need to get myself to the Cathedral floor and laying of hands by Bishop Conlon.  I ask for your continued prayers as I constantly reaffirm my yes to the Church!

(Praying in adoration at the Church of the Annunciation where Mary said yes to the Archangel Gabriel! It is here that I asked the Lord to give me the grace to respond with that same Yes!)

Misinterpretations! The Need for the Lens of Christ!

While we were in Bethlehem, we had the opportunity to celebrate the Church's memorial of St. Agatha on February 5th.  Her death is venerated in early Church history as a martyr for desiring to remain a virgin for Christ.  A Roman prelate desired to marry Agatha after she had expressed her desire to remain a virgin for the Lord.  When she would not marry the Roman Prelate, he had her placed in a brothel.  But she was known to be protected by the Lord and no man ever touched her in the brothel.  When the Roman Prelate heard this, he was furious and had her tortured.  The torture included having her breast cut off.  There was then a failed attempt at burning her at the stake.  She was placed in prison where it is believed she was visited by St. Peter who healed her wounds.  She eventually died in prison as a virgin for the Lord.  She is found and celebrated to this day in the Canon I of the Mass!

Outside of this amazing story of this great saint, I can't help but chuckle of how misinterprations has led this great saint to be the patroness of bakers.  Like most Saints, when they are drawn in great churches and paintings, the saint is usually pictured by the way they were martyred. For  example, you will see St. Paul usually with a sword because he was killed by the sword.  St. Agatha is usually pictured with her breasts on a platter.  Well of course, when you look at the picture, you can see how the bakers believed that she was their patroness and would seek her blessing on her feast day.

Though I received a chuckle at this misinterpretation in the Church, I couldn't help to think how things can easily be skewed, misinterpreted without the lense of Christ.  Even great saints of our times are constantly being re-interpreted by the times.  For example, athesist claim that Mother Teresa did nothing to improve the condition in India, for she only kept the status quo by serving the poor and the dying.  And after she has passed away, the poor and dying are still there today!  Therefore, Mother Teresa was a failure in their eyes. Yet, their failure is to look at for worldly successes and false understandings behind the motives of the saints.  The great saints in the Church did not become saints by their own desire, but were drawn/called by the love of the Lord. They acted, like Mother Teresa, because they were responding and compelled by the love of Christ!

Then I started to think about how people would look at my life!  Specifically as a man going into a clerical state of the Church.  Many people will look at me (like this summer) as a white priviledged male, who is serving an all male priesthood.  How shovenistic, how masogenist!  Others, as priest have heard it screamed at them, will yell at priests and call them child molester (http://cardinaldolan.org/index.php/an-airport-encounter - this is a great story about Cardinal Dolan addressing this accusation in the airport).  It is clear that these misinterpretations are going to sting me as I move into priesthood.  But again, they seem to interpret my life in one light, when I see my vocation as just a response to my encounter with the Lord. 

Then my reflection (which began as a chuckle of misinterpration of St. Agatha, went to a whole another level.  I asked myself, how many times have I misinterpreted my own life.  In my pains, sorrows, anguish, loneliness, sufferings, etc.  Don't I look to the world to interpret what would remove those things (money, power, physical affections)?  Don't I want all pain and suffering to disappear.  Don't I turn to media, music, pleasures to distract the pains of the heart?  It's only when I look at my life through the lens of the Christ, which involves a great cross, can I see the purpose and beauty of that suffering!  It's only when I seek to be with the Lord, can everything I go through actually make sense!  There will come a time where pain, sorrows, anguish, loneliness, suffering, etc. can't be removed!  Yet, we can find profound meaning my being united with Christ!

Just like the great Saint like St. Agatha, our very lives can be misinterpreted by others and ourselves!  We just need to make sure that we constantly spend time with the Lord, so that we can find comfort and insight through the lens Christ! 

St. Agatha, patroness of bakers, pray for us!

Transfiguration - Relationship, Identity, Mission

(Picture I took from the bus as we ascended up to Nazereth.  Mount Tabor is the Mountain top on the left)

I was blessed to recently be taken up Mount Tabor just outside of Nazereth.  It was here that Christ was transfigured before Peter, James, and John and the voice from heaven said "this is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him" (cf. Matthew 17, Mark 9, Luke 9).  The beautiful part of this trip was that the mountain was covered in rain clouds and as we celebrated Mass at the Church of the Transfiguration on the top of the mountain, lightening continued to strike around us.  You could just feel the power of God in the shaking of the mountain side at each strike.  

(note the poncho andthe low cloud cover at the base of the mountain)

In all the Scripture accounts, Peter wanted to stay and make 3 tents/booths.  Why would he not stay here?  It was here that Christ shone like the sun and Jesus was seen talking to Moses and Elijah (the fulfillment of the Old Testament in the Law and the Prophets).  Jesus, however after this great revelation, takes the 3 men down the mountain and heads to Jerusalem to be crucified.

I couldn't help, but be with Peter on this!  Why couldn't they stay?  Could not these 3 men just remain with Jesus in the glory and splendor of God?  I would want to stay!  But then the truth came to me that is applicable to all: Relationship leads to identity, which leads us to mission.  For example, I have a lot of upcoming weddings this year.  Many of my friends are going to stand before God and the their spouse in the Church, proclaim their vows and then proceed outside the church doors.  Many try to hold onto that great and beautiful day, yet the wedding day is one of the fastest days for the couple.  A new relationship has begun and a new identity in that relationship has taken root.  They came together separated as man and woman, and in the wedding they become one flesh, husband and wife.  With that relationship and identity, the couple now has a mission: to begin their family life together.  The family life in all cases comes with its challenges and crosses in their newly formed marriage.

In a sense, Peter was settling for the wedding night and not the marriage.  He was not settling for beauty that lied beyond the mission and the beyond the cross!  As I look to my upcoming ordination.  I am imagining moments of great joy; the ability to lay down my life for the Diocese of Joliet, but also to stand and preach the word of God to family, friends, and all the People of God.  But at the same time, I'm well aware of the many challenges that I will be faced with, to the point I can only trust in God's grace to help me in the ordained state.  For I know I am way to weak to take on those crosses by my own strength.  But at the same time, I am realizing, like my friends who are entering marriage, I too am entering into a new identity, a new relationship, and hence a new mission!  Please pray for me as I move closer to ordination and a new mission!)  

(inside the the Church of the Transfiguration where we had Mass)

John Cusack, The Lord, and the Annunciation

I have been blessed to pray the last couple of days at the Church of the Annunciation.  So I've been reading the story of the Annunciation found in Luke 1:26-38.  The Angel Gabriel comes to Mary and announces to her God's plan, but there is one thing that is needed; It is her response and embrace of God's plan!  Her response doesn't come until verse 38.  Reading it for the first time, there is a longing and question... what will Mary's response be?!?  We finally, with great joy, hear the words the Angel came for, "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word."   You can only imagine the shout and joy of the angels hearing that the salvation of all of creation was coming to fruition; that God has physcially entered the world in Mary's womb. 

After reading the Scripture I couldn't help but reflect on the waiting for Mary's response!  All of sudden, it came, without warning.  John Cusack as Lloyd Dobler waiting outside the house of Diane Court played by Ione Skye with a boom box. It's an iconic chick flick scene.  I blame being a child of the 80s and my two older sisters for this meditation. 

Needless to say, I couldn't but help see John Cusack as the Lord!  The Lord is longing for all of humanity. He is longing for all of His creation to be with Him.  To be united to Him.  The Lord waits for Mary's response in Nazereth.  The Lord waits for our response!  As much as we acknowledge free will and the ability to choose freely, our greatest accomplishment is not achieved by our own ability, it is only achieved in our response to God's love.  

So stop being the stubborn like Ione Skye in the movie and let John Cusack. I mean, let the Lord in!!! :)

(The grotto of the Annunciation). Verum Caro Hic Factum Est - the Word Made Flesh Here

Naaman's Leprosy, Jesus's Baptism, and Me at the Jordan River.

We recently had the opportunity to make are way to the Jordan River just outside Jericho.  It was here that people flocked traveling 50-90 miles to hear the John the Baptist proclaim, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand"  (Mt 3:2).  It was also here that Christ came to be baptized, the heavens opened, and the Spirit of God descended upon Jesus and voice could be heard, "this is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased." (Mt 3:16-17).

So you can imagine my anticipation to arrive at this powerful spot in the Scriptures and in the Lord's life.  I arrived to find the Jordan river to be no more then 30 feet wide (it can fluxuate).  The water was muddy from the silt and sand being dragged down the river, not to mention the contaminates from the farm run-offs upstream near Galilee.  In the end, the site I went to go see was nothing, but a dirty creek!

For some reason I decided to read and reflect on the story of Naaman in 2 Kings 5.  Naaman was a commander in the Syria army (the strongest kingdom at the time).  However, the commander, Naaman had leprosy.  He was encouraged by servants to make his way to the land of Israel for a cure.  The king of Syria desiring that his faithful commander be healed, he sent treasures with him to buy the cure!  The King of Israel receiving the commander was scared because he knew he could not heal the commander.  But Elisha, a prophet in Israel, told Israel's King to send the commander to him.  Naaman went off to Elisha expecting some great miracle, but was told by Elisha to go and wash in the Jordan river 7 times.  Naaman's response was similar to my own reaction to the Jordan river, "Are not the rivers of Damascus better than all the waters of Israel?  Could I not wash in them and be clean."  Naaman was not so excited to bathe in the Jordan, for even back then, it was seen as a dirty river, nothing special.  Naaman's servant appealed to him to go anyways, Naaman secedes and washes himself in the Jordan only to have his leprosy cured!

As I reflect on this great story, God took something muddy, dirty, in all reality nothing special like the Jordan River and raise it to be a place of great revelation!  Isn't that what the Incarnation of God all about?  God takes something muddy/dirty (man being made from the earth), He takes something not special and raises it to something beyond our comprehension.

I sat at this sight reflecting about this spot.  And then all of sudden it became real!  If God can do amazing things at the Jordan river, what could He do with my life!  My life is filled with mud, dirt, and in reality not very special.  In my own limits, faults, weaknesses, and sins the Lord takes something and can transform it to something beyond my own expectations!  All I need to do, like Naaman, is allow the Lord to transform the muddy and dirty waters of my life!

Overwhelming Grace: The Story of the Visitation

Today, I had the opportunity to visit the Basilica of the Visitation in Ein Karem, a hill-side town just outside Jerusalem.  It was here Elizabeth and Zechariah lived and the place that St. John the Baptist was born and raised.

Today's meditation came around the idea of Elizabeth.  Here she lived a life and was known to be barren.  You can only imagine the many years she cried out in anguish asking for the Lord for a child; to allow her to bear a child.  Many years go by, hope seems to be vanquished, and when she is of old age the Angel Gabriel announces to Zechariah that she will conceive!  Now, everything she had hoped for in the past comes to an instant and scary reality.  You can imagine the overwhelming feeling of, "can I actually do this now?"  She had asked and cried to the Lord for this gift, and now this gift may seem like an impossible challenge in her old age.  But the Lord is always faithful in His calling and gifts.  He sends to Elizabeth the greatest gift of all.  He sends Mary bearing Christ the Lord!  After the Annunciation by the Angel Gabriel, Mary goes in haste (90 miles from Nazereth to Ein Karem) to meet and help Elizabeth for the last 3 months of her pregnancy.  Elizabeth can only respond when they meet, "How is it that the mother of my Lord come to me?"  Elizabeth is given all the grace she needed to fulfill her pregnacy!  Mary, bringing Christ with her, was the instrument of God's grace!

So I turned that reflection on my own calling.  For the longest time I desired to have an answer, a direction for my life from the Lord.  After having a profound experience in the Eucharist and feeling the draw to the priesthood, I have to say the Grace seemed quite overwhelming!  The work, the commitment, the sacrifice.  Not to mention the constant criticism, a life being judged because of the life I chose.  I could only fall back in my prayer of the rosary, asking the Lord to give me the same beautiful grace of having Mary join me in my journey and bring it to completion!

Mary, Mother of God, pray for us!

(Basilica of Visitation - On the wall is a Mosaic of Mary being protected by angels on her journey to visit Elizabeth, her cousin)

Desire for Friendship with God!

I remember growing up in a household that was always busy!  From having a large family, to having two older and social sisters, there were always people over!  Trying to go to sleep when I was a little was always hard because I could hear the party going on downstairs.  So I would sneak down stairs to hear what the laughter was all about and avoid going to bed altogether!  

In high school, I found something similar.  My high school friends would hang out almost every night (each night was nothing special, we would do one of the following and repeat - movie, bowling, shooting pool, hanging out at various houses).  Even though the nights were not to different, the last thing I wanted to do was miss a night out with my friends!  Why?  Well, I didn't want to miss out on the laughter, inside stories and/or jokes from the night.

There have been other times in my life, where I would experience something very powerful and beautiful; like a gorgeous sunset, a clear sky, shooting stars, first snow fall, etc.  My heart would stop and I would start thinking of the people I longed to share that experience with enter my romantic side.  

It wasn't until class on spiritual direction in the Holy Land that all these experiences/longings came together. It was in understanding that friendship is based on shared experiences, this includes our friendship with God.   My mind just started flashing back to all those times: I would sneak out of my room as a kid because I wanted to be apart of the group even if that meant bugging my sisters.  I didn't want to miss out hanging out with my friends in high schol, because I didn't want to have a lesser friendship; I wanted to be "on the inside" (name that TV show).  And when I was captured by beauty, all I wanted to do was share that same beauty and experience with another for a deeper friendship!

This points to a simple truth!  I was made for relationships; but more specifically I WAS MADE (WE WERE ALL MADE) FOR A RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD.

Moving forward into the celibate life of the priesthood, I sit and reflect on my friendship with God.  I reflect on the idea of shared experience with the Lord.  Questions come to mind: Have I shared all my experiences with God?  Have shared my greatest joys and deepest sorrows?  Have I shared my hopes and dreams?  Have I shared my frustrations?  Have I made time to spend time with Him and Him alone?  If I truly am called to this ultimate relationship, what am I doing to have more shared experiences with the Lord.  The Lord will always be my greatest friend because He is always there at every moment.  But I get distracted, I don't invite the Lord into my experiences.  It's easy now to see how I have felt distant from God.  

The Lord is always there and waiting!  All I need to do is invite the Lord into my experiences and everyone of my longings will be fulfilled!