My Brother, Father Charles

• It looks like… you’re not examining your conscience every day.

• It looks like… you’re not reading the Word of God every day.

• It looks like… you’re not doing spiritual reading every day.

• It looks like… you’re not kneeling before the Blessed Sacrament.

… My brother, Father Charles,

• you are worried…

• you are afraid…

• you are frightened…

• you want to run away…

… My brother, Father Charles,

• have you forgotten that Jesus told us, “Come to me, all you who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest”?

• have you forgotten that the Bible keeps telling us “Do not be afraid,” so often that people say there is one for every day of the year?

• have you forgotten that when the disciples were afraid in the boat, Jesus said to them, “O you of little faith,” and calmed the sea?

• have you forgotten that Peter walked on the water when Jesus told him “Come,” and sank and was afraid when he looked at himself?

… My brother, Father Charles,

• remember, Jesus told us that in his name we would cast out demons;

• remember, Jesus told us we would tread on snakes and not be afraid;

• remember, Jesus asked us to go ahead of him to Galilee, where we would see him… and Galilee is every place obedience sends us;

• remember that you may not recognize Jesus, like the disciples on the road to Emmaus, but be sure that he is beside you, just as he is beside everyone.

… My brother, Father Charles,

• you know the way, but you hesitate…

• you know the way, but you’re afraid…

• you know the way, but things are distracting you…

• you know the way, but… you’re not walking it…

… My brother, Father Charles,

• Mary listens to you as she listens to everyone;

• Mary protects you as she protects everyone;

• Mary rescues you from your problems as she rescues everyone;

• Mary is your mother, as she is everyone’s mother.

My brother, Father Charles… I’ll say to you what they said to the blind man by the roadside in Jericho: “Take heart; get up, he is calling you.”

Father Charles Hitti, Antonine

Saint Roch Monastery, Dekwaneh

9-11-2015