By Cliff Garvey
Minister of Evangelization

Since childhood, I have been an avid (if not obsessive) reader. My parents would walk into my bedroom on school mornings to wake me up, but would find me wide awake and reading with a flashlight. As an adult with a deep interest in Catholic prayer and spirituality, I am always hoping to discover new books and ways of praying that might help me to truly become the person that God has called me to be.

Recently, I was blessed to discover several books by or about Blessed Charles de Foucauld (1858-1916), a priest and hermit who was martyred in Algeria during the First World War. After a misspent youth, Blessed Charles journeyed first to the Holy Land and then into the deserts of North Africa in search of his own “Nazareth” where he could imitate the life of Jesus: as carpenter, laborer, teacher, and faithful servant of God.

Blessed Charles did not seek to imitate the public ministry of Jesus. Instead, he sought to imitate the hidden life of Jesus — a solitary life of hard work, humility, and poverty. He sought to imitate the Jesus who took “the last place” in the world, who descended from the right hand of God to toil as a day laborer in a small town.

This weekend at Palm Sunday Mass, we read from Saint Paul’s Letter to the Philippians (2:6-11) in which we are reminded that Christ Jesus left heaven where he enjoyed equality with God to live and work among us as a tradesman; and to humble himself, suffer, and die for us through the horrific indignity of crucifixion. According to Blessed Charles, Christ took the very “last place” among all of God’s creation. He writes: “Jesus had so taken the last place that no one else has ever been able to take it from him.”

This truly incredible act of humility inspired Charles de Foucauld to abandon a life of pleasure, privilege, and riches. It inspired him to live a life dedicated to the simple gospel values of decency, hard work, and humility. It inspired him to cultivate and practice the virtue of spiritual poverty — the realization that everything we have is truly a gift from the God who loves each of us beyond measure.

By seeking his own “last place”, Blessed Charles did not seek to become a martyr like Christ (even though he did ultimately die as one). That would not have been true to the spirit of his vocation. Rather, he sought to lovingly surrender his life and will to God, so that he might become the man who God called him to be; and so that God might work through him for the salvation of souls.

During this Holy Week and beyond, let us pray for the courage and grace to follow Blessed Charles de Foucauld to our own personal “last place” where we might encoun- ter Christ Jesus through prayer, fellowship, and service to God’s Church and to each other.

May the Lord give you peace — now and always!
Cliff

Cliff Garvey
Minister of Evangelization
Catholic Community of Gloucester & Rockport
Contact: cgarvey@ccgronline.com

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Our Holy Triduum Schedule

This year, Holy Family Parish and Our Lady of Good Voyage Parish will gather as one community to commemorate Christ’s passion and to celebrate his glorious resurrection. All are invited to join us at Saint Ann Church, Saint Joachim Church, and Our Lady of Good Voyage Church for the Catholic Community of Gloucester & Rockport’s observance of the Holy Triduum and Easter Sunday. All are welcome!

Holy Thursday, April 2nd
Morning Prayer | Our Lady of Good Voyage Church | 8:30am
Mass of the Lord’s Supper | Saint Ann Church | 7:00pm
Reposition of the Blessed Sacrament | Our Lady of Good Voyage Church | Until Midnight

Good Friday, April 3rd
Morning Prayer | Our Lady of Good Voyage Church | 8:30am
Stations of the Cross | Saint Ann Church | 12:00pm
Good Friday Service | Saint Joachim Church | 3:00pm
Good Friday Service | Our Lady of Good Voyage Church | 7:00pm

Holy Saturday, April 4th
Morning Prayer | Saint Ann Church | 8:30am
Easter Vigil Mass | Saint Ann Church | 7:30pm
Note: No Morning Mass & No Vigil Masses

Easter Sunday, April 5th
Mass | Our Lady of Good Voyage Church | 7:00am
Mass | Saint Ann Church | 8:00am
Mass | Saint Joachim Church | 9:30am
Mass | Our Lady of Good Voyage Church | 10:00am
Mass | Saint Ann Church | 10:45am
Mass | Our Lady of Good Voyage Church | 12:00pm

Please invite your family, friends, and neighbors to join us! For more information about Holy Week and Easter in the Catholic Community of Gloucester & Rockport, please contact Father Jim at frjim@ccgronline.com. Please join us! All are welcome!

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Assisi Project Online Retreat
Lent with Saint Francis of Assisi
Holy Week: “Absolute Poverty, Absolute Love”