Off to Pray

Dear Friends in Christ,

When I began this blog a couple of years ago, my intention was to use it as a means of sharing with others the joy of being a priest. Not only did I hope that some young man might read it and be moved to answer the call to a priestly vocation, but I also hoped to provide laypeople a window into the life of a priest. Happily, I think both of those goals have been accomplished. I suppose that I also had hoped to communicate through the written word the beauty of the Catholic life as it is lived and experienced in the life of a great parish, and now in the life of university students at the BU Catholic Center. As a priest, I constantly witness extraordinary examples of Christian discipleship in the lives of the lay people around me and in the lives of the priests with whom I serve.  In this blog, I've tried to highlight the lives of these people, so that others might be encouraged in living the life of a disciple.  I had intended this blog to be a place of encounter. I hope that those who have followed it have somehow encountered Christ and drawn closer to Him.

In recent months, it has become clear to me that the present moment is less a time for me to share my experience with you, and more a moment to share my experience with God in prayer.  These things are not necessarily mutually exclusive. Sometimes, however, it is good for a priest to withdraw and ponder in silence. Of the many positive things I've witnessed among the young people at the BU Catholic Center, the one thing that has most struck me is their devotion to prayer. So, because of their example, I've decided to pray more and write less. November seems like an opportune season to reflect, so I'm taking a month's retreat from blogging.

It's an awesome thing, isn't it?  We all have the opportunity to take time in our life to converse with The Lord. Priests are to be men of prayer. Pray that during this month, I become more a man of prayer.  And, of course, I will be praying for you too.  See you in Advent.  God Bless.