Archive for November, 2006
Kingstree Shrine an Invitation to Slow Down
Sunday, November 12th, 2006
“The Post and Courier”
By Jeff Kirby
It seems as if we always have something to do, or many things that have to be done right away. We live in a fast-paced society that pressures us to keep the pace.
Since we are human beings, and not merely human doers, we sometimes have to stop the rush, or at least try to slow it down. As human beings, we need and desire times for reflection, peaceful thought, and prayer. It’s becoming difficult to find places where we can go and have this part of our lives supported and nurtured.
Recently, Robert Baker, the local Catholic bishop, dedicated a shrine in the Palmetto State.
It’s one of the first of its kind in our region. The idea of a shrine might seem anachronistic and awkward to us. It’s not a regularly used word in our everyday language, and it strikes us as a peculiar reality.
The peculiarity of a shrine, however, is an invitation to us. It stands as a sign of contradiction because it exists solely for prayer and reflection. A shrine runs counter to our hurried pace and current set of rushed priorities because it encourages us to slow down and give some attention to our spiritual lives.
Bishop Baker appropriately named this new house of prayer the Shrine of Our Lady of South Carolina – Our Lady of Joyful Hope.
It has the title of an icon of the same name, which is now available for public veneration in the shrine.
The virtue of hope is highlighted because it is the response of the Christian tradition to the many crises and events in the world, and in our personal lives, which could lead to despair and discouragement.
The shrine is located in Kingstree in Williamsburg County. It takes a good drive to get there. It’s out of the way, so that nothing can get in the way of the person who goes there for prayer and discernment. Kingstree and its area consist largely of tobacco and other farms. It’s a modest place, much like Bethlehem and Assisi, and like the birthplace of Jesus and the hometown of St. Francis, the city can be greatly underestimated and the blessings received from a pilgrimage there can surprise any and every visitor.
In our busy world, with so many obligations and responsibilities, the new shrine reminds us of the shrine within our own hearts.
It calls us to remember the higher things in life: the faith that sustains us, the hope that gives us meaning, and the love that makes us want to live for others. It’s too easy to forget these central realities in the midst of our doings, but these are the realities that make us fully human beings, continually in awe and joyful at life.
Whether we can make it out to Kingstree or not, the new shrine is a gentle exhortation and encouragement to us to pray, reflect, and be at peace.
The Rev. Jeff Kirby is a deacon of the Catholic Diocese of Charleston, studying moral theology in Rome.
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All Saints’, All Souls’ Observances Teach that No Christian Walks Alone
Thursday, November 9th, 2006
“The Catholic Miscellany”
By The Rev. Mr. Jeff Kirby
This past year my family lost a beloved aunt who always brought a little laughter and joy to all who knew her. Aunt Dottie was mentally sharp and a pleasure to be around.
The church celebrated the feast days of All Saints’ and All Souls’ recently. As a pair of back-to-back, solemn observances, they seek to teach a single lesson: no Christian walks alone.
Aunt Dottie and other loved ones who have died came to mind during these feasts. It was an appropriate time to remember and pray for her.
All Saints’ is meant to remind us of our numerous older brothers and sisters in heaven. In his All Saints’ Day Mass, Pope Benedict XVI preached that “the saints are not a restricted caste of elect but a crowd without number.”
He recalled that, along with the many canonized saints, “there are many saints whose faces and names we do not know.” We all probably know many who are in that universally unnamed, yet holy group.
Simply defined by Pope Benedict, a saint is anyone who listens to Jesus, follows him, and does not lose heart in the face of difficulties.
All Souls’ reminds us of our many loved ones who are in purgatory and being purified for entrance into heaven. Through the Blood of Jesus Christ, they are being cleansed for their existence in the presence of our all-holy God. We pray for them here on earth, knowing that through the mercy of God, our intercession helps and consoles them.
In these two feasts, we see the full church as established by Jesus Christ. It consists of us, the pilgrim church on earth, the church triumphantly living in heaven, and the church redemptively suffering in purgatory. It is one church, each member assisting and encouraging the other. Neither death nor time have any power when confronted by the resurrection of Christ and the mystery of his Body, the church. We all walk together.
During the month of November, and throughout the year, we should strive to come to a greater awareness of God’s presence and the enduring fellowship of the many members of the church who are always with us.
Rev. Mr. Jeff Kirby is a deacon of the Diocese of Charleston, studying moral theology in Rome.
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