Growing up on the east coast, I never would have guessed that California would have such an impact on my faith.
Recently, I was in Napa, California, at the 15th Annual Summer Conference for the Napa Institute. After settling down from a few travel woes on the way home, it struck me that California has had a strong influence of priesthood.
It begins in 2015, ironically in Washington, D.C., not in California. During my sophomore year at Catholic University, we had the occasion of hosting Pope Francis during his papal visit to the United States. During his visit, he canonized Saint Junípero Serra, the apostle to California.
At this time in my life my discernment had stalled a bit. Before entering that academic year, I had resolved to just enjoy the year; to neither really discern marriage nor the priesthood, but to let life (and grace) come to me. I had effectively made the resolve to stand still.
Then, very early in the year, September 23 to be exact, the Lord showed me how misguided I was. It came at the end of the homily during the canonization Mass. Pope Francis preached in Spanish, but the closed caption on TV screens gave a translation of his sermon. I read the late pontiff preach:
Father Serra had a motto which inspired his life and work, not just a saying, but above all a reality which shaped the way he lived: siempre adelante! Keep moving forward! For him, this was the way to continue experiencing the joy of the Gospel, to keep his heart from growing numb, from being anesthetized. He kept moving forward, because the Lord was waiting. He kept going, because his brothers and sisters were waiting. He kept going forward to the end of his life. Today, like him, may we be able to say: Forward! Let’s keep moving forward!
These words struck me to core, and for the life of me I could not shake them. “Always Forward” became a phrase in my life that I pray is shaping the way I live. When I had finally realized that I had chosen to stand still, and the Holy Spirit was inspiring me through Saint Junípero Serra to keep moving forward, my prayer life changed drastically. Discernment become easier because I knew the goal was always the same: heaven. The question became more focused: how do I move forward, today?
Oddly enough, this same lesson about moving forward has been tucked away in my imagination since childhood, hidden in a scene from one of the classic 1970s Rankin and Bass stop-motion Christmas movies, Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town. In it, Kris Kringle is captured by the mean old Winter Warlock and the twisted trees of his forest. But instead of fear or retaliation, Kringle offers the Warlock an unexpected gift that begins to thaw his cold, hard heart. The Warlock hesitates, worried the change will not last, admitting, “I really am a mean and despicable creature at heart, you know. It’s difficult to really change!” Kringle simply laughs and replies, “Changing from bad to good is as easy as taking your first step!” Then comes the song I’ve never forgotten: “Put one foot in front of the other, and soon you’ll be walking out the door!”
“One foot in front of the other” is exactly how Father Junípero Serra walked some 24,000 miles over the course of his missionary life. And one step was all that Saint John Henry Newman needed, a saint I happened to be praying with at the same time these words were taking root in my heart. His poem Lead, Kindly Light has long been a quiet anthem for those seeking to follow God’s will without seeing the full road ahead:
Lead, Kindly Light, amidst th’ encircling gloom,
Lead Thou me on!
The night is dark, and I am far from home,
Lead Thou me on!
Keep Thou my feet; I do not ask to see
The distant scene; one step enough for me.
Fast forward to February 2023, I found myself in Napa Valley for the first time. Through a close friend I was invited to attend the study week that the Napa Institute’s Shepherd’s Circle hosts. Shepherd’s Circle supports and provides ongoing formation for priests under the age of 40 in the United States, centered on the pillars of liturgy, fraternity, and formation. As a newly ordained priest, I was a little intimidated at first. But rather quickly I realized a powerful truth: the bond of priests is truly deeper than friendship, it’s ontological.
Since then, the Shepherd’s Circle study week has always been the moment that pushes me to keep moving forward. Not only is it a time of motivation and encouragement from priests across the country, but also a moment of renewal that makes me a better parish priest. I found the Summer Conference to have the same effect, but in a different way.
Rather than just a small group of priests, the Summer Conference brought together bishops, religious priests and sisters, and a large number of laity. From a diverse set of backgrounds, from Hollywood to Wall Street, and the even the great midwest (there were even a few Canadians), came people with a singular mission: to renew the Church and transform the culture. Through their various ministries, apostolates, families, and networks, each person was discerning how we move forward as a Church, a nation, and as individuals.
Before the Summer Conference, I had the opportunity to visit the Carmel Mission Basilica with some friends. Admittedly, I did not realize that this was the final resting place of Saint Junípero Serra, and so I was delighted when we stumbled upon this friend of mine and I was able to stop and pray. Kneeling there, I began to think: Who would have thought all those tiny steps would have brought me here?
There is a book on my shelf that one day I intend to read. I think about the title quite often: Dream and Your Dreams Will Fall Short. If anyone were to ask me what I wanted in life, or my predictions for myself, anything I could think of would be woefully insufficient to what is actually possible. If my life were up to me, California would not only be a distant state but also distant thought.
Praise God that the life He has marked out for me is beyond my wildest dreams. If it were up to me, I would have stood still long ago. Yet, He keeps calling me forward, one step at a time. Somehow, that road has led me from Washington, D.C., to Napa Valley, from childhood Christmas specials to the tomb of a saint. And through it all, Saint Junípero Serra’s words remain the compass: Siempre Adelante — Always Forward!
