Following the con-celebrated Mass at St. Patrick's Cathedral, I joined my friends and brothers, who were gathered at the back of the Cathedral. It was decided that we would have a light brunch. Each of us had to rise early to be able to attend theeight o'clock morning Mass, at St. Patrick's Cathedral.
In that Monday morning, I left our Friary at six-thirty. The best way to get to the Cathedral was by means of the subway. About one million people are commuting to work each morning in New York City. The subways are great, but they demand a lot of walking and climbing of stairs. The fast pace of the crowds in addition to the standing and walking is very tiring. After climbing up the subway stairs, I had to walk two long blocks to the Cathedral. When I arrived there it was necessary to ascend and descend many more stairs before I accompanied about sixty priests in procession to the altar and the con-celebration of the Mass.
There are about three-hundred members of the “Fighting Sixty-Ninth” dressed in battle fatigues on one side of the main body of the cathedral and many political dignitaries on the other side. The Cathedral, despite the scaffolding was jammed with a worshiping community of about a thousand people. At the end of the Mass, the entire community sang the Irish national anthem. This was followed with great gusto by the singing of the American national anthem.
Naturally, my friends and brothers were tired and in need of some coffee and light refreshments. We found a fine coffee-restaurant shop a short distance from the parade. Because of the cold and our weariness, we all welcomed the time eat and chat. A little more than an hour later we all departed from the restaurant. But to my surprise, none of us returned to the parade?
It has been ten years since I last marched and shared in the parade. In the past, we all participated in the parade, marching or as a spectator. Now all chose to return to the warmth and comfort of their hotel rooms. It was a welcome choice for me. For I realized that with age, my ability to be part of the parade is history. While returning alone on the subway to my friary, I was reflecting on the difference of our involvement this year in the parade. I thought to myself that, “The parade has passed by us,” we are no longer part of it. And none of us seemed to regret this choice.
After a hiatus of ten years, I realized that we all have changed. And this change could be called – “disengagement.”
Some would like to describe this choice as “getting old.” I prefer the word disengagement. This word describes more accurately what is happening in your life as you enter seventies +. Disengagement is a choice to seek satisfaction in a different life style. We realize that a purpose in life is not accomplished by intense activity. Rather, life is an experience to be immersed in rather than taken over by activity. There is an old Russian saying, “God created men and women not to study life, but rather to experience life.”
This is one of the reasons for the season of Lent. We try to diminish our activities. Then, in place of these activities, we are encouraged by the Church to increase our time for prayer. Prayer is not a matter of words. It is a time we try to experience the presence of God in our lives.
Very often we realize that our activities can be a distraction. Our activities can distract us from the most important reality in our lives, namely the presence of God. We are created to be in union with God. This union, by means of prayer leads us to experience God in the activities of our daily life.
As we enter more deeply into the season of Lent, let us pray, that by means of “disengagement,” we will experience God's presence in each daily activity.
Rev Bernard J Campbell OFM, Cap.
In that Monday morning, I left our Friary at six-thirty. The best way to get to the Cathedral was by means of the subway. About one million people are commuting to work each morning in New York City. The subways are great, but they demand a lot of walking and climbing of stairs. The fast pace of the crowds in addition to the standing and walking is very tiring. After climbing up the subway stairs, I had to walk two long blocks to the Cathedral. When I arrived there it was necessary to ascend and descend many more stairs before I accompanied about sixty priests in procession to the altar and the con-celebration of the Mass.
There are about three-hundred members of the “Fighting Sixty-Ninth” dressed in battle fatigues on one side of the main body of the cathedral and many political dignitaries on the other side. The Cathedral, despite the scaffolding was jammed with a worshiping community of about a thousand people. At the end of the Mass, the entire community sang the Irish national anthem. This was followed with great gusto by the singing of the American national anthem.
Naturally, my friends and brothers were tired and in need of some coffee and light refreshments. We found a fine coffee-restaurant shop a short distance from the parade. Because of the cold and our weariness, we all welcomed the time eat and chat. A little more than an hour later we all departed from the restaurant. But to my surprise, none of us returned to the parade?
It has been ten years since I last marched and shared in the parade. In the past, we all participated in the parade, marching or as a spectator. Now all chose to return to the warmth and comfort of their hotel rooms. It was a welcome choice for me. For I realized that with age, my ability to be part of the parade is history. While returning alone on the subway to my friary, I was reflecting on the difference of our involvement this year in the parade. I thought to myself that, “The parade has passed by us,” we are no longer part of it. And none of us seemed to regret this choice.
After a hiatus of ten years, I realized that we all have changed. And this change could be called – “disengagement.”
Some would like to describe this choice as “getting old.” I prefer the word disengagement. This word describes more accurately what is happening in your life as you enter seventies +. Disengagement is a choice to seek satisfaction in a different life style. We realize that a purpose in life is not accomplished by intense activity. Rather, life is an experience to be immersed in rather than taken over by activity. There is an old Russian saying, “God created men and women not to study life, but rather to experience life.”
This is one of the reasons for the season of Lent. We try to diminish our activities. Then, in place of these activities, we are encouraged by the Church to increase our time for prayer. Prayer is not a matter of words. It is a time we try to experience the presence of God in our lives.
Very often we realize that our activities can be a distraction. Our activities can distract us from the most important reality in our lives, namely the presence of God. We are created to be in union with God. This union, by means of prayer leads us to experience God in the activities of our daily life.
As we enter more deeply into the season of Lent, let us pray, that by means of “disengagement,” we will experience God's presence in each daily activity.
Rev Bernard J Campbell OFM, Cap.
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