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
