The excitement is palpable. There are pilgrims everywhere. The flags they carry have as many colors as the most diverse artist palette. The pilgrims sing and chant. Many take turns singing their national anthems at the main square of Krakow as they take over most of its space. This afternoon I sat at a cafe on Krakow’s beautiful main square and I watched the world go by. I saw flags from Lebanon, El Salvador, Brasil, Germany, Croatia, Australia, France,... Read more
I arrived to Krakow, Poland last night to participate for the first time in a World Youth Day. There is great anticipation as hundreds of thousands are slowly gathering in the city in order to live out their faith together along with Pope Francis. We are all waiting for the arrival of Francis and the start of World Youth Day. Though the Pope does not arrive until Wednesday, there is already plenty of activity in the city. Groups of young... Read more
La hospitalidad cristiana no trata de solamente ser agradable hacia los demás, cualquiera puede ser agradable: incluso los malvados pueden ser agradables los unos a los otros. La hospitalidad cristiana se basa en el reconocimiento de Cristo en el prójimo, así como San Benito escribió en la regla de vida para sus monjes: “que todos los huéspedes que lleguen sean recibidos como Cristo, ya que Él va a decir, ‘vine como un invitado y fui recibido.’” La hospitalidad cristiana es... Read more
Christian hospitality is not about being nice, anybody can be nice: even evil-doers can be nice to each other. Christian hospitality is about recognizing Christ in the other, as Saint Benedict wrote in the rule of life for his monks: “Let all guests who arrive be received like Christ, for He is going to say, ‘I came as a guest, and you received Me.’” Christian hospitality is to worship, adore and serve Christ as Mary, Martha’s sister, did at his feet. Christian... Read more
La semana pasada pasé unos días en las montañas de Georgia. Al pasar por la ciudad de Clayton, vi un cartel grande que decía “Welcome – Bienvenidos.” Era el cartel de la iglesia católica de Saint Helena. Giré hacia la izquierda por un camino bonito y después de un breve momento pude observar la iglesia a mi izquierda. Su torre blanca surgía en contraste al cerro verde arbolado detrás de ella. Estacioné mi carro y me acerqué. La puerta estaba... Read more
I am staring at a blank page. The cursor blinking steadily, mocking my inability to develop a topic for my next column. Of course, my dilemma is now resolved since the page is no longer blank. What a relief! But my task has now been transformed, its objective changed. I must no longer write a column, I must now write an article that is long enough for publication. I have conquered the most difficult stage of writing: starting to write.... Read more
Last week I spent a few days in the Georgia Mountains. While driving through the town of Clayton, I saw a large sign that read “Welcome – Bienvenidos.” It was the sign for Saint Helena Catholic Church. I took a left turn down a beautifully landscaped road and after a few seconds, the parish stood to my left. Its white tower stood in contrast to the green, wooded mountain behind it. I parked and approached. The door was unlocked so... Read more
Unos meses después de ser ordenado, me pidieron que escriba un breve artículo para el boletín diocesano de vocaciones reflexionando sobre mi experiencia como un sacerdote recién ordenado. Por primera vez desde mi ordenación, este proyecto me dio la oportunidad de sentarme y repasar cómo mi vida había cambiado rápidamente y radicalmente de ser un seminarista a ser vicario parroquial donde me llamaban “Padre” al igual que todo otro sacerdote. La transición fue casi inexistente. Una mañana entré a... Read more
A few months after being ordained, I was asked to write a brief article for the diocesan vocation newsletter. I was asked to reflect on my experience as a newly ordained priest. For the first time since ordination, this project gave me the opportunity to sit back and reflect on how quickly and radically my life had changed from being a seminarian to being a parochial vicar who was called “Father” just like every other priest. There had been very... Read more
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Pilgrims everywhere, Francis in Czestochowa
As far back as I can remember, there was an image of Our Lady of Czestochowa on the hallway of my house in Peru. She was framed with simple wood and placed on top of a beautiful, old, white chest. As a kid, her appearance always caught my attention and struck my curiosity. She had dark skin and wore unusual clothes. Her most striking characteristic was the set of scars on the right cheek. My mother once explained that the scars... Read more