There’s nothing like a summer afternoon on the beaches of California. Body surfing in the warm waves of the Pacific, breathing in the salty air while you’re covered in sand, and probably wishing you had put on more sunscreen.
Last month I had the wonderful opportunity to take a large group of our seminarians to San Diego for a time of retreat. It was our second annual summer trip, and I was able to share this ocean experience with the guys, pray the Liturgy of the Hours together, celebrate Mass and show them around my old stomping grounds.
One of my favorite parts of the trip was spending time with the guys and getting to know them by name. It gave me a chance to see the personalities and the charisms of each individual. Sometimes we forget that this isn’t just one big group of men receiving formation – each one has their own characteristics, gifts, quirks, and life stories.
What really amazed me is the wide variety of our seminarians – they come from a range of cultures, families and backgrounds. Some are outgoing, others are more introspective; some have a gift for storytelling, and others have a gift of listening intently; some are theological, and others have a natural ability to “walk with.” Each brings his own life story and experiences.
In the fullness of their personhood, each seminarian has a place in the Church, each has a unique gift to bring to the priesthood.
As I spent time with the guys, I felt like I was experiencing a microcosm of the greater Catholic Church. “Catholic” after all means “universal,” which points to the reality that the Church truly is home to “every nation, race, people, and tongue” as John tells us in the book of Revelation.
But Jesus takes it even further.
He describes His Church – which includes each one of us as His baptized sons and daughters – as His very Body of which each part is good, necessary, and has an important role to play. How wonderful is that! As baptized persons our own characteristics, gifts, quirks, and life stories are part of what make the Body of Christ whole.
And maybe you’re thinking, “Sure Bishop John, but I’m not a seminarian. I deal with addiction” or “I’m chronically ill” or “I struggle with certain teachings of the Church” or “I have too many weaknesses and too much of a past.”
I want to tell you personally; you have a place in the Church.
St. Mark Ji TianXiang struggled with addiction, too. Servant of God Nino Baglieri was a quadriplegic. St. Thomas the Apostle once doubted Jesus’ Resurrection so blatantly that he was known by his friends as “doubting Thomas”. And St. Augustine had a past that could rival most others. Your weaknesses do not disqualify you from being an important member of the Body, they just mean that you fit right in.
Whether you are a seminarian or a lay person, a convert or a “revert,” or you’ve been practicing the faith for 85 years – you, too, have a unique gift to bring to the Church.
In these final months of summer, I invite you to spend some time in front of the Blessed Sacrament with the One who knows you by name. Bring the fullness of your story before the Lord, asking Him to reveal the profound role He has entrusted to you.
Let Him speak to you personally and hear Him say to you: “In the fullness of who you are you are good, you are necessary, and you have a place in the Church.”
