A Cause for Celebration

I missed out anh Tho's ordination in Stockton, CA last week. I had planned to come but the plan just didn't work out. Ordination Mass usually does my soul good when I have a chance to re-examine my belief in the sacramental life. I know I would have also enjoyed seeing so many good old friends through the Salesian family network. It doesn't matter how long I have been away from them, physically, and it doesn't matter what I am doing in life now, I always feel at home being around them and spend time with them. If I can't create the Salesian spirit where I live now, I think I should move to a town where there is the Salesian presence. I just thought of this from my last retreat. I just happened to share the same retreat experience with some high school students. But during the retreat, I just couldn't feel like a Salesian in front of young people any more. Of course with the kids at my church, I'm comfortable being around them, talking, playing, working, praying with them... because I'm their HT, their teacher. Family spirit in the community context ... Probably that is what missing? I don't know.

I do have a community to which I belong. I just sometimes wonder why people come together in my community: Common interest? Common missions? Common faith? Common fears? Common history and tradition? ... Which of such commonalities can bring forth life and spirit that can sustain the community and make it a faith-filled one? That makes me wonder sometimes whether I'm going the right direction when trying to create so many activities for the kids to do these years.

I have in the past established and maintained some meaningful personal relationships with people in my community, but I just wonder if I'm still doing it now the way I'm running my group. I just feel like I'm too caught up with the organizing events to have time for real and personal relationship with the people I'm working for and working with. Maybe that is what missing!

We all need that real presence and real relationship to make our lives meaningful, and that can't be done without the sacramental aspect of our coming together. I want that presence in my life, and want to be that presence to the people in my life.

Congrats, a Tho! Wish you continue being a great Salesian priest.