Never Far From Home

"O precious and wonderful banquet, that brings us salvation and contains all sweetness! Could anything be of more intrinsic value? What could be more wonderful than this? No other sacrament has greater healing power; through it sins are purged away, virtues are increased, and the soul is enriched with an abundance of every spiritual gift. Yet, in the end, no one can fully express the sweetness of this sacrament, in which spiritual delight is tasted at its very source, and in which we renew the memory of that surpassing love for which Christ revealed in His passion."

~Saint Thomas Aquinas, O.P.


Happy solemnity of Corpus Christi! I have particular affection for this feast day, because discovering our Lord's true presence in the Eucharist was the instrument of my "reversion" to the Catholic faith.

Growing up Catholic, and always going through sacramental formation in my various parishes, I always knew the Eucharist was special--that there was some great significance to our Communion, and that it wasn't just like other churches and their partaking of the Lord's Supper. But I didn't really know what that meant. I didn't really know much more than that it was special and significant.

I first truly recognized our Lord, in His Eucharistic presence, during my confirmation retreat in 10th grade, and He then reinforced the reality of His presence the following summer at the Steubenville South Youth Conference in Alexandria, LA. Unfortunately, my lack of spiritual maturity, and lack of involvement in a youth group community led me to quickly forget the reality I had so beautifully experienced during those times. But major seeds were planted.

It took getting to a really low and lost point in my life to realize that what I was searching for the whole time was Him--I was off trying to fill that void in my life, that desire for Jesus, with anything but Him. It took a random retreat I hastily attended at the last minute, a few months before my graduation from high school, for God to allow me another opportunity to meet Him, face to face, in the Most Blessed Sacrament. And there He came. So simply, so humbly, so beautifully. For me. Right in front of me. Despite my failings. Despite running away from Him. He was still there. And always has been!

My entire life changed after that point. I mean, if you REALLY believe in the Real Presence, it should change everything about your life! As Saint Augustine commented--normally, our bodies receive food, in order for us to take that food and turn it into ourselves. But in receiving the Eucharist, we receive the Bread of Angels in order to become what we consume--Jesus, in His fullness.

As I sometimes tell my Protestant friends--when Jesus told His disciples that He would be with them even until the end of time, or when He took bread wine at the Last Supper and said "this is My Body, this is My Blood, do this in remembrance of Me"...do you think He was only kidding?! He wasn't!

The universality of the Eucharist has been particularly beautiful for me during my various travels in the Navy. Anywhere we went in the world, any port we visited, in any country, I knew I could find a Catholic church. And no matter the language, no matter the local customs, no matter what--Jesus would be there, fully, Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity, in His Eucharistic presence. With that reality, I was never far from home. I was at home in every place I visited, all around the world, whenever I was sitting before the tabernacle.

Thank you Lord, for remaining with us. May we become what we eat, and through that reality, transform our world.

My first deer.

Had an unbelievable weekend in Charleston--that will have to be a whole post in itself sometime soon! Got back safely to Virginia yesterday, but not without incident--I hit a deer, at night on a country road! Yikes! It was a little traumatizing, but I am ok. My car is banged up. All I know is that it could have been much worse. So I'm saying some prayers of thanksgiving for my guardian angel today! You should do the same for yours!


Watch out for deer!

Mid-Week Pilgrimage

I am currently on a temporary assignment at a base a couple hours north of Norfolk. We got out of our class very early today after an exam, so I decided to go on a little pilgrimage!

First stop, St. Ignatius Catholic Church in Chapel Point, Maryland, founded in 1641 by the Jesuits. It is the oldest continuously active parish in the United States.

The property overlooks the Potomac River. It was a beautiful, clear, mild day today!



Can you believe it? Since 1641!



Inside the church, with a beautiful painting of Saint Ignatius of Loyola behind the altar.



Next stop was the Carmelite Monastery of Port Tobacco, Maryland. Founded in 1790, this was the first Carmelite Monastery in the United States, and is still a thriving monastery today! It was very peaceful and quiet, nestled in the woods and rolling hills.

From inside their old monastery, which is now a little museum, commemorating the way things were for the four original foundresses.



Inside the chapel. Very simple, and very Carmelite!



There are quite a few new parts to the monastery, including a lovely gift shop, a garden, a vast "front door," and this beautiful statue of Our Lady holding the Child Jesus.



Last stop was the "First Landing," the site where the first English Catholics came ashore to the colonies, seeking religious freedom. They sailed on two ships, the ARK and the DOVE, and encountered many troubles along the journey, but made it to the shores of the colonies on a little island they named Saint Clement's Island, standing in the Potomac River between Virginia and Maryland. They landed here on the Feast of the Annunciation, March 25, 1634. On that day, and at this place, the very first Mass was celebrated in the colonies. Awesome!

The island in the background is St. Clement's Island. The settlers were not sure how the Native Americans would react to their arrival, so they first landed on the island instead of the mainland. One of the priests in the group, Father Andrew White, S.J., wasted no time for evangelization and rowed over to the mainland the very next day, bringing Christ to the Natives. Talk about a priest who was living in the spirit of his founder!



It was a great day. I loved the opportunity to go on pilgrimage to see my American Catholic roots! It's easy to forget that we don't have to go very far to make a pilgrimage. We have so much history right in our backyards!

Gray Hair

As most of you know, I spent most of last year on deployment--seven months at sea. Halfway around the world and back, and many places in between. Life at sea is very simple. It is very ordered. As a holy priest friend always would remind me, "If you take care of order, order will take care of you." Upon returning from deployment, I realized just how much I loved the order of my life at sea! It was definitely "sensory overload" when it got home, and it took a few weeks to adjust. I think it has taken me till now (5 months since returning home, mind you) to figure out how to restore order to my life amidst a culture that is very anti-order.

One of the other things I discovered upon returning home is that I have gray hair. Not just a single gray hair, or a few gray hairs scattered about, but legitimate "clumps" of gray hair! In several places! Now, before you accuse me of vanity and offer me a verse from Ecclesiastes to comfort me, allow me a few moments to offer a rant. Gray hair?!? Sure, I'm in my mid-twenties, and getting older, but gray hair?! Really?? Of course this has been the most delightful opportunity for my mom to suggest that now I finally need to go get my hair highlighted (haha, doubtful).

So now, I am trying to figure out: what caused my gray hair? Seven months of stressful yet ordered life at sea, or five months of struggling to adjust back to the world and achieve order once again? I don't know. I only discovered it in early March of this year, so who knows. I don't even know how you get gray hair. Don't worry, I'm not so worried or obsessed that I've been WebMD-ing gray hair growth or anything, but it is a curious thing as to how it came about.

At the very least, I will look with a little sense of affection to those gray hairs. Even if it is just an old wives tale, I'll take it if it means I have grown somewhat in wisdom. As we look towards the Solemnity of Pentecost (novena starts today!) may we never cease to be open to receive the gifts of the Holy Spirit, especially wisdom! Even if it brings with it a few gray hairs. :-)