Claire Burchell: Parishioner of Saint John Neumann Catholic Community, Reston, VA
Claire Burchell
When I returned to church in the late 1990s, I did not know anything about Salesian Spirituality. Even after sitting in the pews week after week in our Oblate parish, I still did not have a clue. I did notice, however, that the priests’ homilies were gentle to the ears.
What changed? After I retired, I was able to spend more time at church, volunteering with various ministries where I experienced a caring community. I read the Introduction to a Devout Life and attended the Salesian classes offered at my parish which enabled me to learn more about Saint Francis de Sales and his wonderful teachings. It was about this time that I started attending the annual Live Jesus! retreats. It was truly amazing to see close to a thousand people from different parishes and states come together to take part in these Salesian Spirituality celebrations.
Eight years ago, my faith was rattled by a personal trauma. For the first time in my life, I decided to seek spiritual guidance from a priest. Father Tom Murphy, OSFS, was such a gentle soul. I would describe him as a “gentle giant” in the Salesian vernacular. As I sat with him many times, he would provide understanding and guidance for my journey.
When the parish had the Friday Stations of the Cross, we would use books by different authors. One evening we were using the “Way of the Cross with Saint Francis de Sales.” As I read the reflections, I noticed that some of them sounded familiar. I commented to Father Tom that some of Saint Francis’ words were his words of advice to me. When I pointed this out to Father Tom his response was, “After all these years as an Oblate he has had some impact on me.”
I always enjoy reading the “Spirituality Matters” section in DeSales Weekly, the Oblate’s newsletter. I find it interesting to see how Saint Francis’ teachings can be intertwined with the daily readings of the Gospel.
At one of the Live Jesus! retreats, Father Jim Greenfield, OSFS, ended his homily with, “Do not worry about what might happen tomorrow: the same loving Father who takes care of you today, will take care of you tomorrow and every day. Either He will shield you from suffering, or He will give you unfailing strength to bear it. Be at peace, then, and put aside all anxious thoughts and imagination.” I was surprised to find out that those were the words of Saint Francis de Sales. These words, more than ever, ring true with me today.
