Companions of St. Anthony (original) (raw)

September 2024

Dear Companion of St. Anthony,

Even with the temperature still feeling very summer-like here in Ellicott City, as I drove down one of our local roads the other day, I noticed the leaves already starting to fall from the trees. The unofficial beginning of Fall is happening with our honoring of Labor Day, but before we get swept away in the mad dash of the school year towards Christmas, let us stop, take a deep breath, and take stock of a few things together.

One of my favorite spiritual writers, Ruth Burrows (aka Sr. Rachel Gregory, OCD), suggests that we could all benefit from not only taking more time for prayer, but also for intentionally preparing for our times of prayer with God. Many of the pilgrims that come to the Shrine of St. Anthony comment on how just driving up our lengthy driveway, they already feel a sense of God’s peaceful presence descending upon them. That short half mile through our lush trees proves an effective separation from the busyness of life to be present to God.

Being followers of Jesus, we will benefit in our fast-paced lives, from intentionally slowing down (as you are supposed to do when entering our Ellicott City, Campus -hint, hint:). I suggest that this slowing down not simply be looked at as a place to rest and then dive back into the “helter-skelter” when we are done. I believe that by slowing down and preparing intentionally for our quiet time with our Lord, we increasingly realize that this time spent in prayer is inviting us to enter more deeply into the best things life has to offer. Perhaps better said, “The best things that God has to offer us.”

I think our beloved St. Anthonys’ preaching was so popular because in listening to him those in the crowd sensed they were being nourished like at a delicious feast. A feast that not only satisfies our appetite for meaning, warmth and purpose, but also leads us increasingly to hunger for a deep relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ. Preparing for our prayer, -aka- intentionally inviting Jesus to be the center of our lives, allows us to have our priorities straight when we arrive. He will lead us to a distancing of ourselves from any things, activities or relationships that are a waste of God’s time, towards living lives filled with things, activities, and relationships that are meaningful in God’s sight.

St. Anthony, Pray for us.

Peace,

Friar Gary W. Johnson, OFM Conv.