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Articles and Reflections: Journey to Holiness
| Men from the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis attended an Evening of Prayer and Reflection on Friday, November 19th, 2000 in the Cathedral of St. Paul with Archbishop Harry J. Flynn and Auxiliary Bishop Frederick Campbell. |
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Journey to Holiness
There is something about late evenings in November. The Church year is drawing to an end and the cold of the night keeps one in a realistic if not somber mood. Walking into the majestic sacred space of the cathedral there was a healthy sense of the last times as hundreds of men stood in confessional lines to receive the sacrament of reconciliation. The visual sense was enhanced by two very different sounds of the church-- The prayerful chanting of the St John Vianney Schola and the rousing contemporary hymns performed by men from parishes throughout the Archdiocese.
The center of the evening for the thousand men was the concelebration of the Eucharist with priests of the archdiocese and Archbishop Harry Flynn. In that central act of the Church's prayer life, the Archbishop reminded us all of the many times throughout the gospel that Jesus went away to pray. He urged us just as we pray in public at Sunday Mass to find moments and times during the day to privately turn our hearts and souls to God in prayer. After Mass, Archbishop Flynn led us through a careful reflection on the need and methods of forgiveness. While the real life living of his demands would not be easy, anyone who follows his teaching would be well rewarded at the time of his next "Our Father". Jerry Koch a layman from Epiphany parish who has helped lead a huge revitalization of male spirituality in his parish gave us a short inspirational message on fathering and the practice of blessing one's children. His self-effacing style as a speaker contrasted with his obvious exercise of spiritual leadership in the home. It was a great lesson for all or us whom are both less self effacing in public and less forthright as spiritual leaders in our homes. Bishop Campbell as always was the most articulate in tying our duties and identity as men to a full acceptance and practice of our Faith. The evening ended with the beautiful Night Prayer of the Church.
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Archdiocese of Saint Paul & Minneapolis
- Office for Marriage, Family and Life
Phone: 651-291-4488 / Email: spmmfl@archspm.org
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