A Short Pilgrimage Journey to the Heart of the Church.

A Short Pilgrimage Journey to the Heart of the Church.
St. Vincent De Paul Keynote - St. Vincent de Paul Communion Breakfast.

Deacon Peter Bujwid, St. Camillus Church, Arlington, Massachusetts.
October 18th, 2025

On 7 September this year Pope Leo XIV canonized St. Pier Giorgio Frassati (1901–1925), together with Carlo Acutis.  Frassati was an Italian Catholic activist, he was a member of the Third order of Saint Dominic, he was a member of Catholic Action, he was a member of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul. He was a daily communicant. And he was also an avid mountain climber, using the phrase "Verso l'Alto," meaning, "to the heights," as a motto for his spiritual journey.

I am not a mountain climber, but I do enjoy long distance hiking. Many of you know that my oldest daughter and I recently completing a multi-year hike along the Welsh and English border.

For me hiking is a soul healing experience, but it is also rich in symbolism and meaning for it expresses in a way the pilgrim journey of life. Sunny days are mixed with cold wet days, there are hills and valleys, steep climbs, precipitous falls, beautiful views, muddy boots. It is a pilgrimage.

So today I want to take us on a short pilgrimage, a short spiritual journey.

On this, our pilgrimage, we will have three stops. At each one we will have a moment to pray and consider this waypoint along our journey; like a wayside cross we would find in the mountains of Poland or Lithuania.

Our pilgrimage will follow the steps into the Church itself. From the entryway or Narthex to the Nave where we all gather, to the Sanctuary and the tabernacle. All this in 20 minutes....

 

The first stop – The Narthex - A Warm Welcome

It is a Sunday morning, and you are heading into church for Mass. At the door to the church we are each met with the smiles and hellos from our Welcome Ministers and hopefully our clergy too. These are the same warm smiles and happy voices that are heard at every baptism when the joy of that moment is palpable and clearly present. We bless ourselves coming into the church with holy water to remind ourselves of the joy that was experienced when we first entered the church and became part of the family of God. Our welcome ministers reflect that same happiness and joy and so welcome our catholic brothers and sisters as they enter the house of God.

As Christians we are to be known for our joy since joy is one fruit of faith gifted by God by means of the Holy Spirit. It serves as a witness to the world that there is a hope that transcends circumstances and a peace that "transcends all understanding". Our joy is a witness story and boy the world needs to see it.

Philippians 4:4, the apostle Paul urges believers to "Rejoice in the Lord always; again, I will say, rejoice". This is a central theme in the New Testament that highlights the distinct and enduring joy that comes from a relationship with Christ and remains with us regardless of our circumstances.

That joy that we should express needs to be a real joy and not a mask we put on and takeoff. Yet clearly some Catholics do not exhibit the joy we believe belong to us by means of our faith. But joy can be ours and we can cultivate joy by fully participating in all the churches sacraments, by way of bible study and spiritual reading, by living in love, but also by reflecting on the specific gifts that God has given us.

There is an enemy to joy. The enemy of real joy can take many forms, but principal is the failure to consider, see and recognize God's gifts to us each day. It is the lack of thanksgiving. The gifts of life, of family, of friends, hobbies, of work and rest. The gifts of the seasons, the sun, moon and stars, the gifts of reason and will, studiousness and rest. And the list goes on...

At this first stop of our pilgrim journey at the entryway or Narthex to our church – my question for you is what gives you real joy? It is important for us to consider where we find joy in our lives. Is it in nature or hiking in Wales, is it in playing music, or singing, is it in carpentry, cooking, or puzzle solving, is it in helping a neighbor or stranger, is it in coaching your son or daughters' soccer team. Each of us are wonderfully and uniquely made – where has God put joy in your heart and where is your thanksgiving?

This is the first stop on our pilgrimage journey. For the next minute truly consider a place where you find real joy in your life and then simply thank God for that gift.

[5 minute quiet time and meditation.]

The Second Stop – The Nave - The Glory of the Cross

St Paul tells us that, “God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us. If while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his son, much more now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life (Romans 5:8-10)”.

As people who pray and pray often, we place ourselves regularly into God’s presence. The joy we may have felt upon our entry into the church may at times be replaced by something quite different. For here in the nave of the Church we look up and see the giant crucifix. The cross with Christ crucified. Our Protestant brothers and sisters will display the simple yet empty cross to emphasize the finished work of Christ and the joy of the resurrection. But for us Catholics we have the Crucifix – the cross with the corpus or the body of Christ nailed to it. We remember the suffering, the pain and sacrifice of Christ as this was the price he paid to redeem us. This was the terrible price for our sins to be eternally forgiven. The Cross reminds us that we too must take up our own cross and carry it and this at times will be difficult and at other times almost impossible.

I recall several years ago, and in the middle of the night, I heard a crash in my basement. So, I went down there to see if I could find what the noise was. I did not know if perhaps the boiler had blown up, or if something had mysteriously fallen from a shelf, or if we had an unwelcome animal or intruder running around in there. With trepidation I went into the basement to see what I could find.

At the first stop on our pilgrimage, we spoke about joy, yet at times life is difficult and lacking in all joy. Our prayer lives become difficult, dry, even uncomfortable as we can be invited to a gradual decent into the basement of our lives. For sin has taken hold of each man and woman and sin can overpower lives and derail them. By way of the sacraments and in prayer we invite Christ’s light to shine into every nook and cranny of the basement of our lives. And at times that light reveals what we prefer to keep away, hidden, unacknowledged, left in the dark.

‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.’ (John 8:12). This verse from John’s Gospel inspired Holman Hunt (1827–1910) to paint the world-famous image of the ‘The Light of the World’. In this picture we see Jesus, dressed as a priestly king, veiled in darkness and carrying a lantern (the light of truth or the light of Christian doctrine). The landscape is dark, and the hinges of the door are overgrown with Ivy. Jesus is knocking on the door of a soul for there is no door handle to open the door, for the door needs to be opened from the inside.

Each room of the house, which is our life, needs the light of Christ. In prayer we open the door to each room and invite Christ to come in. In so doing we see more clearly the truth, and impact and even the evil of our sins and soon we may feel like the worst of sinners, since the light reveals first before it can heal. This is why so many saints can say, “I am the worst of all sinners.” Prayer does not always take us to that mountain top experience, or even the lightly salted mundane everyday life, at times prayer can be difficult and challenging.

But God has known us from the beginning. He is neither surprised nor shocked. It is us who can be shocked, appalled, find ourselves defeated by our own history. Where God forgives, it is we who withhold forgiveness from ourselves. In this case we must learn to be gently and kind to ourselves.

To love and love fully, we accept our sinfulness for we are the fallen creature, this is our condition. Our concupiscence – our proclivity to sin remains with us despite our Baptism. Quite rightly we do not like it, but we must accept this reality. Why? Because the Lord accepts and loves us, died for us, as we are. It is God who does the work of purification – his job not ours. At times we hold tightly to our sinful pass with a wrongful tenacity and pride. In prayer we can release those reins of ownership, and we open the door to the Christ who wishes to come in and shed his light upon us.

On this our second pilgrimage stop, look closely at the cross and consider what you see. Consider Jesus now on the Cross in his Glory. Infact see the Cross itself as a manifestation of Glory. Let the light of that Glory shine into the darkest and deepest recesses of the basement of your life.

For the next minute or so listen, as Christ knocks on the door to your soul. He brings his light but where should it shine?

[5 minute quiet time and meditation.]

The Third Stop – The Sanctuary - Anchors away

“Behold the lamb of God, behold him who takes away the sins of the world”. Our final stop is the sanctuary and before the tabernacle and the Holy Eucharist. Christ came into creation and lived amongst us and continues to do so. Our desire is to be close to our God and our creator who already knew us before time began. Picture the body of Christ not on the cross but held up for all to see, in the form of the holy Eucharist. Living and Alive.

As we travel to the heart of the Church, the sanctuary and to our God, we leave behind the devastating effects of mortal sin and make the effort to uproot even venial sins. Our driving force now is not a fear of punishment, nor the threats of eternal hell but rather the pursuit of God in love. A desire to know our God at the level of intimacy. We begin to recognize God as a loving creator, as love itself poured out for us. Where else can we go, what else is there for us to do with the little time we have? How can we love more? For we already resist sin and make the effort to bring about that which is true, good and beautiful in our lives and for those around us. Consider, perhaps that there is something more to be done than resist venial sin! Something more than resisting any temptation to venial sins.

Here St. John of the Cross helps us to understand that venial sin may not hinder a soul as much as that soul’s attachments. This is a holy insight - again, attachments may hinder us more than venial sins. To be clear, that is not to say we should not resist venial sin – we absolutely must since all sin is an afront to God.

And here we are given the image of the little tethered bird. Whether it is a cord or a thread in each case the little bird is unable to take off and fly as it is intended to do, as it is designed to do, for which it was created. In this image the cord represents deliberate sin, and the thread represents our attachments. But in each case the little bird is prevented from taking off and flying. For sure the cord of deliberate sin is much heavier and will hinder both flight and free movement on the ground. The thread of attachments will not hinder free movement but will hinder flight just as much as the cord. In each case the bird is unable to fly – the soul is unable to fly.

Our attachments are sticky. This is the place where my views, my understanding, my opinions, my routines, my good acts, my memories even, can be a thin thread that prevents the soul’s flight.

We find freedom, true freedom in looking for God, in finding God, in serving God, in allowing his forgiveness to pierce us as the nails pierced him. The answers to our deepest desires are found only in him.

In this our final pilgrimage stop consider your attachments and name one to yourself. Is it pride in success, attachment to certain feelings or memories, is it attachment to social media, acclaim, recognition. Dare I say it, is it even an attachment to a particular path of prayer that has become routine and comfortable? Once freed the little bird can travel freely but now and always remains attentive to the voice of God.

[5 minute quiet time and meditation.]

Go and announce the Gospel of the Lord

That was our final pilgrimage stop. In these few minutes we traveled from Joy through the darkness of sin and suffering, to the freedom of a cut thread. Our meditation for today comprises just three words, a word that encapsulates our joy, a word that describes a place where light needs to penetrate, a word that describes a single attachment. Think of them now and keep these three words just for today and let them be a holy meditation for you.

And now we are to do what you as Members of the St Vincent De Paul society do so beautifully, and that which St. Pier Giorgio Frassati showed us a century ago by way of his example.

After prayer, and mediation, now that we have rested in the Spirit, we go out and change the world one good action at a time. For we come into God’s presence always to be sent out again, until the whole world knows his love and saving power.

Amen

Deacon Peter Bujwid
October 18th, 2025

C - Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Our readings today focus on the virtues of perseverance and persistence. In our first reading Israel’s battle with Amalek’s army would go well while Moses held up the staff of God with his hands. But when Moses grew tired and brought his arms down the battle would turn against Israel. To help Moses keep his arms up, Aaron and Hur would each hold an arm while Moses sat on a rock. In this case, Moses persevered with the support of others. Something for us to think about when we are hard pressed to keep going.

In the second reading St Paul encourages Timothy to be persistent in proclaiming the word whether the circumstances are easy or hard. To persist and go on when others are discouraged or decide to give up.

And in the gospel reading Jesus tells us, by way of the Parable of the Persistent Widow, that our efforts in prayer should remain resolute and strong. For even this dishonest judge would hear the demands of the persistent widow, and if that be the case then how much more will God our Father listen to us.

Whether we are resisting evil and battling temptation, whether we are encountering difficulties in studying and sharing the gospel message with others, or whether our prayers appear to go unanswered, in each case persistence and perseverance counteract discouragement and forestall a tendency to give up. Today I would like to spend a few minutes speaking about the challenges of prayer since, short of the sacraments, this is a principal means by which we can encounter and know our God and hear his voice in and for our lives. Prayer is foundational to our lives as Catholics, and it comes with its own, and at times difficult, challenges.

Typically, our intercessory prayers may comprise requests for peace, or healing, for reconciliation or conversion, a return to good health, and so on. These are all good things yet at times God seems not to hear us, remains silent, distant or even absent. This experience of God’s silence despite our prayerful efforts, sooner or later comes to most of us at a very personal level. And sometimes God’s silence may last a very long time. Our response to this silence must be a resolute persistence as Jesus instructs us, and as many of the saints teach us. St. Ignatius of Loyola would coin the term ‘Agere Contra’, which means, ‘acting against’. St. Ignatius encourages us to act against the temptation to spiritual desolation – the feeling of dryness in prayer associated with discouragement or spiritual suffering. For God desires that we not only go to him, but to do so often. Like a game of hide and seek, we are to chase our God without giving up. St. Ignatius tell us that God desires persistent prayer and is pleased when we keep knocking and keep chasing. We pursue a positive answer to our prayerful intentions, but God uses this time for our spiritual growth; to bring us closer to him, to experience a closer intimacy. Like the contradiction of the cross, we experience the contradiction of not feeling He is there, but nevertheless his presence is made nearer through these difficulties. Now of course, it is when God feels far away that the last thing we really want to do is pray or meditate but it is precisely in these moments when we go to him, despite our feelings – which may include a feeling of abandonment or even anger, for it is here is this discouraging experience that the seeds are planted for our spiritual reawakening. It is for our own good or for the good of others that God may not immediately answer our prayers or in fact may not do so at all.

That explanation may suffice for a time and may even help us recover our spiritual joy and trust. However, where do we go if even here we continue to receive no answer, or if God's answer to our prayer is a clear “no”. Here we are to recall that each life, including ours, has a particular and tremendous meaning – a meaning that goes well beyond the borders of our individual sense of self. For as Christians we are invited to participate ever more fully in the eternal plan of salvation which aims to gather as many souls as possible into the kingdom of God. We join Christ in this his mission and in so doing at times MUST sacrifice as Christ himself sacrificed. On this side of eternity there may be no explanation why some of our prayers go unanswered, and we are left carrying a cross, but a time will come when all will be revealed and our part therein.

Patience and perseverance are virtues which we can grow in. These are needed to help navigate the challenges of our lives. Jesus encourages us to keep praying despite what may appear at times to be God’s silence. We can look for various explanations to unanswered prayer but regardless, we persist and pursue our God and commend ourselves to him since our faith and trust remain resolute. God does hear all our prayers, and to each one will be given an answer - if not now then in the world to come.

Deacon Peter Bujwid
St. Agnes Church, Arlington, Massachusetts
Sunday 19th October 2025

C - Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Recently I have been recalling memories of my childhood. Little things from 55 or more years ago emerge from my memory banks. I recall the feeling that Sunday had, which was quite different from the rest of the week. The shops were closed; there was little to no traffic – it was quiet and calm, though we lived on a very busy street. I remember that on occasion the Salvation Army would march down the middle of the road with the brass band playing, cymbals crashing, and drums beating, while cars slowly followed behind. I recall the beer delivery to the pub opposite to where we lived. I loved watching the men roll beer barrels down a ramp into an open hatchway in the sidewalk. I also recall that on occasion, when we walked to town, there was a man with a large sign donned like a vest. On one side it read, “repent” and the other side was written, “for the wages of sin is death”. The older I become, the clearer the truth of these messages resonates.

In our first reading we hear about the impending judgement that is to befall Sodom for its sin. For the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah was so grave and serious that God would send two angels to see if what was said of Sodom would justify its destruction. Knowing what these two angels would see and confirm, Abraham made his intercessory prayers to dissuade God from his just judgement. We learn a lot about Abraham in this short passage, about his leadership role, his compassion, his sense of fairness and justice, his love for his family – for Lot his nephew lived in Sodom, and about his relationship with God. You can say that Abraham, fearlessly, and with determination pressed God to be merciful. And this he was able to do because of his faithful, though not faultless, relationship with the Lord.

The power of baptism brings us into the same relationship with God, and it gives us similar Abrahamic powers. And these powers Jesus himself affirms and encourages us to exercise. For God is not a power out there to which we are subject, as if to the wiles and whims of an impersonal force. Jesus tells us we can call God as He does, as Father. For that which separates man from an all-powerful God, is brought into an intimate relationship by way of the cross and the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, as we read in Paul’s letter to the Colossians.

The consequence of sin is death; the extinguishing of life, yet with faith in the power of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, this just sentence is obliterated. As Paul writes, the legal claim opposed to our life is removed from our midst and nailed to the cross.

For us here and today, we are subject, not to a death sentence but to the love and mercy of a Father who wants to give good things to those who love him. Not a snake, nor a scorpion, but profound graces and holy gifts. But what is it that we ask for; what are the requests we make to our heavenly Father? In the days I was watching the Salvation Army march down our street, and the beer barrels rolling down the ramp, I remember asking God for many things, but one of them was a bicycle. It took a while asking but finally, I did get one. And for this I gave him thanks. We can together laugh at that request since it was childish, yet sometimes, we all ask for childish things. Yet we are clearly told what it is we are to ask for, for what it is we are to seek, and for what it is we are to knock for. Buried in the gospel reading today is this line, “how much more will the Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?" 

The Holy Spirit is what you and I should be asking for. And it is by way of the Holy Spirit, that we can ask for truly big things, just as Abraham did – remember he wanted to save two cities filled with men, woman and children. My friends ask for the big things, the profound things in life. Ask for the Holy Spirit for he brings with him, spiritual gifts such as wisdom, knowledge, faith; he brings to us gifts of conviction, of fearlessness, and comfort in times of need. He brings us transformation and healing. He brings us intimacy with God, which is real, deep, extremely personal, profound, and revealing. As we read in the gospel, we are to ask for the right things and to ask them with persistence. We can and must approach God our Father frequently and with persistence for our spiritual welfare and development, because by this all things are won and nothing of true value is lost. But this activity is not just a spectator sport, for the Spirit reveals and empowers but does not replace our responsibility to make the effort, to ask, seek and knock. We must take the steps of the journey to reach the gates of heaven. This journey is neither easy, pain free, nor without many challenges. But we are promised victory if we persevere in faith. As you make this once in a lifetime journey with its tribulations, difficulties, pain, challenges, and yes, its hopes, joys, and visions, be encouraged by the words of Psalm 37, “The steps of the godly are directed by the Lord. He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble, they will not fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand (Ps 37:23-24). Bicycles are fun, hearing the marching band is grand, reliving old memories is happily nostalgic, but life in the Spirit is everything, so ask, seek, and knock for your father is listening and waiting to give you good gifts. These good things may be epic in size and importance, or small and of no clear importance to anyone but you. But to God our Father, He delights in every detail of our lives.

Deacon Peter Bujwid
St. Agnes Church, Arlington, Massachusetts
Sunday 27th July 2025