Br. Sixtus with new friends, priests of Burkina Faso, in Lourdes

The American contingent that joins the Ampleforth Lourdes Pilgrimage often has one additional day in Lourdes after the bulk of the pilgrims return to the U.K. It is time to help with some final chores, as well as to quietly reflect on the experience. Brother Sixtus Roslevich offered the following reflection to this American remnant on Friday evening after the close of the pilgrimage.

Some people who travel a lot, whether for pleasure or business, often take along a special familiar thing with them, maybe something to remind them of home. Perhaps you brought a special rosary with you, or a small neck pillow for the plane, things that bring you comfort, safety, or solace. Maybe it’s a small lap robe or blanket for your hotel room, like the actual security blanket carried around by Linus, the character in the cartoon strip, Peanuts. The Church already has a ‘St. Linus’ but if the character Linus was ever to be canonized, I think the symbol of his sainthood, (or maybe of his martyrdom due being bullied by his big sister, Lucy), would definitely be his security blanket.

This is just a silly roundabout way of telling you about two ‘security blanket-type’ items that I rarely ever travel without. One is a copy of the monthly magazine, Magnificat. I’ve been nourished by this periodical for about 25 years since a priest-friend signed me up for an introductory copy. Like so many things in life, the first one is always free. It consists mainly of the readings and the ordo for daily Masses. Whenever I have found myself going to Mass in another country where I am not totally familiar with the language (like France), it allows me to follow along with the prayers. On pilgrimage, however, you may have noticed that our Masses have been special Masses, not necessarily the Masses that the rest of the Church around the world is celebrating on any given day.

In line, preparing to “move off” to the domaine

I want to draw your attention to this past Tuesday’s Mass, July 18th, which would ordinarily have been an Optional Memorial for the priest, St. Camillus de Lellis. I’ve never heard of him but allow me to read to you the short piece in Magnificat that explains his feast day. “After a troubled youth, Camillus was converted to a life of penance through the ministry of a Capuchin friar. Unable to enter the Franciscans because of chronic ulcers on his leg, he sought employment at San Giacomo Hospital in Rome. Camillus found the nurses at the hospital lazy and inattentive. In August 1582, he heard a call to found an order dedicated to the care of the sick. In each patient Camillus saw “another Christ,” in accord with Matthew 25:40: “Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of the least brothers of mine, you did for me.” Camillus died in 1614. He is the patron saint of the sick, hospitals, and nurses.”

Pay attention to that last line: “He is the patron of the sick, hospitals, and nurses.” If you think of the Saint-Frai as a sort of hospital for our Assisted Pilgrims, isn’t that what we have been surrounded by for the past ten days: the sick, a hospital, and nurses?

Before I was a chaplain for my Group One in Lourdes, I was only ever a chaplain one other time, back in St. Louis. Our campus there consists of the monastery, the school, and a parish, and the parish maintains a very successful and active St. Vincent de Paul conference. I was their chaplain for 2 years before I was invited to move to Portsmouth Abbey. Michele was a very active volunteer in that particular conference, along with our friend, Edie. After I left St. Louis, Edie began sending me, every single morning, a daily meditation from a book called Jesus Calling. That daily meditation on my phone or laptop is my second security blanket, especially when traveling.

Monks of the Ampleforth pilgrimage at Mass

If you were with my Group One on Wednesday when we prayed the Stations of the Cross together at the Sanctuary, you may recall that I asked you to think about the concept of diversity, which was actually a part of our training for the British Lourdes Medical Association. The course gave a rather comprehensive list of examples, far beyond the typical black and white race issues which dominate politics in America these days. If you’ll forgive me, I’d like to repeat those 18 important examples of diversity. The BLMA states that: “Diversity can be described as difference. Examples include age, appearance, ability, disability, background, gender, religion, belief, values, culture, race, health, family, friends, job role, sexual orientation, marital status, and national origins.” Diversity is not a four-letter word. I’ll repeat that, “Diversity can be described as difference.” The morning after the Stations of the Cross, the meditation from Edie included that word, difference, which immediately jumped off the page at me. Listen to this, as the author puts these words into the mouth of Jesus: “Do not be afraid to be different from other people. The path I have called you to travel is exquisitely right for you. The more closely you follow My leading, the more fully I can develop your gifts. To follow Me wholeheartedly, you must relinquish your desire to please other people. However, your closeness to Me will bless others by enabling you to shine brightly in this dark world.”

I find it interesting that the writer used the word “other” three times in that short meditation. I’d like to use that word, other, as a segue to a very brief discussion about one aspect of Benedictine charism and ministry, something not all of you may be familiar with, coming from a Sacred Heart school and other schools. That ministry is hospitality. Over the years I have collected references to the idea of “the other” which appear regularly in literature, essays and news accounts, and this ties in with the topic of diversity, because individuals who are described by all 18 of those examples I listed earlier, and many similar ones, are often thought of as the other. One writer even referred to “epic fantasy’s all-too-common hatred of the Other.” The Other is often a very despised figure. You’ve been around Benedictines for ten days. Besides me, there were six monks from Ampleforth doing all sorts of works and liturgies, depending on the skills and gifts they carry with them, and at meals and Masses. I even saw the venerable Fr. Henry walking around with blue rubber gloves on his hands early one morning hard at work. I hope you met them all, please pray for them, I’ve known all of them in varying degrees since my own time as a monk, and I love them all.

Statue of St. Michael at Lourdes

I’m going to end this reflection with a short paragraph from a speech by Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia delivered several years ago at the Bishops’ Bioethics Conference at Dallas TX. He draws a nice parallel between hospitality, let’s call it Benedictine hospitality for tonight, and a hospital, let’s call it the Saint-Frai for tonight. The archbishop says: “A hospital, where people are treated and cured, is a telling metaphor for hospitality, a concept that is key for anyone who wants to think how to welcome, care for and support others in every stage of their lives. The idea of hospitality always implies recognizing the other, someone who is welcomed for who he is, a foreigner, healthy or sick, to our liking or not. We have no claim on him. Only one who treats another just like himself, who opens his heart and his home can bear witness to that highest quality of life, sacredness, which is the first and genuine source of equality.”

There is time now before dinner for you to share with us your own feedback, or reflection, on these past 10 days. I consider this to be sacred ground. This is a time to express your positive thoughts about what you’ve experienced, if you are able. Nothing said here will be reported officially to anyone else. And, please, there is no pressure in case you are still processing everything and simply not yet able to verbalize your feelings and emotions. Believe me, I get it. Thank you.
 

Brother Sixtus Roslevich, O.S.B. is the Director of Oblates at Portsmouth Abbey.