Bishop Nelson Perez and a group of priests from the Diocese of Cleveland are traveling to Rome and Assisi for a pilgrimage and retreat. Father Dan Schlegel, secretary and vicar for clergy and religious, is sharing some of their experiences. Below is a recap of the fifth day.
The tomb of St. Francis is a holy place. It is a place of silence and reverence, a place of holy contemplation and prayer. Our day began here with Bishop Perez preaching and presiding on the feast of St. Justin. He reminded us about our journeys and how we have been brought to this place and this time by the Lord.
Later in the day, Msgr. McNamara re-introduced St. Francis to our group as a son whose parents were scandalized and disappointed at his total conversion to Christ. His parents thought he was walking away from so much. St. Francis did so in order to gain that which was of greatest importance to him. His conversion was dramatic and all-consuming but gave him freedom from everything that bound him. He received a call from the Lord to “rebuild the Church” and eventually realized its universal impact.
This evening we reflected on the difference between a disciple and an apostle. A disciple is someone who spends time in the company of another. An apostle is one who goes forth from with a mission and a call to proclaim the Kingdom of God is near. We must be both disciples and apostles. But in this time of retreat, we are disciples - spending time with the Lord and allowing Him to discern where and how we are called from here
Father Dan Schlegel