It seems just like yesterday. The first major decision of my adult life as a Catholic was the choice of my parish – the place where my spiritual journey would be cultivated and nurtured. The place where I would learn to love the sacraments so whole-heartedly. The place I would spend hours upon hours crying, praying and laughing with our Lord in simple and sweet adoration. The place I would be taught to be a man by our Blessed Virgin Mary. At the time, I was still very fresh-faced in regards to my knowledge of the faith (God knows on paper that it didn’t seem like a perfect match), but for some reason the Spirit lead me to make a choice – and that I did. Needless to say, after experiencing missions upon missions, assignments upon assignments, the Lord knows that whatever I have given will always be firmly rooted in where I have first received. Yes, I have laid to rest my head in this humble parish by seeking comfort in it, but more prevailingly they have taught me to rest my heart in the very same way.
If the saying goes, “home is where the heart is”, then you will find pieces of it scattered through the confessionals, scattered throughout the Adoration chapel, spread out throughout the pews, throughout the vastness of the youth centre, distributed to the pastors and priests and religious, with the parish workers and laity, to the kids I would see during daily morning mass, and to all of those who I’ve had the pleasure of greeting, meeting, or serving with.
Surrey 1 Chapter, home of the Salesians of Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish, not only will I cherish thee for blessing me the opportunity to experience fullness of faith, but I will also always cherish every one of you for allowing me to, for the first time in my life ever, experience true joy. The truest joy that I know I will be taking with me wherever I go from hereon out in my journey and pilgrimage with and to the Lord.
I still have a lot of my heart to give. Lord, send me.
Even when many years have past and I may no longer recognize your faces (which, truth be told, is starting to seem like now) know that I am praying for all of you very deeply by name and that the peace, happiness, and conviction you feel belonging and serving in that chapter is akin to that which I once felt and am still feeling and will always feel – the joy of the Lord and a heart overwhelmed.
With that, I leave you with the words of a wise man named St. John Bosco:
“Love the Church, revere the Holy Father, receive the sacraments often, frequently visit Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, be very devout to the Blessed Virgin, offer Her your heart, and you will be able to overcome all battles and allurements. When it is a question of doing good and rejecting or combating error, trust in Jesus and Mary, and you will be ready to tread human respect underfoot and even suffer martyrdom.”
St. John Bosco, Pray for Us