Thank You

Man...I don't even know where to start. The long, long anticipated date of being invested with the Capuchin habit finally found it's way around. ­­After two years of formation with the friars, I can say that there were times I felt like this day would never come. Spiritually, there were days that went up and down, over and over again. With resident candidacy and postulancy in the picture to help with my discernment process, I felt deep in my heart that I was ready to approach the novitiate year with a certain steadiness and completeness enough to where I can be stable in prayer and go to God with the surety that I would come out with an answer. I said I was ready to experience the year and experience the voice of God in the silence of my own prayer. As the investiture ceremony got closer, I tried to prepare myself...

Investiture

I asked God in my prayer to allow me to remember my faults, my weaknesses and everything that I had done wrong and ultimately get it all out, lay it all down so that He could take it all up. As they called my name a realization came to me, that as I was thinking about all this God had brought out the once feeling of shame and sadness and He had replaced it with love and an immeasurable joy in my heart.

That night it was hard for many of us to contain our excitement. We had just been robed with the habit of St. Francis, the garb of the leper, the garb of the lesser and those who had always been left out. This is what Friars wore for the past 600 years since the birth of the Capuchins, and 800 since St. Francis had founded the Order. That thought was circling my mind through and through as I walked around outside looking up at the california sky with millions of stars visible.

 And if you live in the mountains at all or in the country you know that looking up is sort of like looking straight into the eyes of God. And I think with that you get a powerful, tiny glimpse of who God is, and his infinite love for us. Even if it's only for a moment, it leads us to understand God and his divine care and unconditional love for each of us. In that moment, not only had I been invested with the Capuchin Habit but I was invested also with the reminder that since the beginning God had invested me with his love. It's beautiful to think about God investing us with his love so it was an amazing experience to share with my brothers.

Friars from Province of Mid-America, Fr Frank Grinko (Novice Master) and Fr. John Cousins (Vicar-Provincial)

Seventeen guys from the various provinces around the US

The thing is we are all robed with God's love, we are all invested with His love. Despite of our faults and weaknesses, God still places on us his love through the habit of grace.This has been the message for me.

  Lastly I want to thank everybody who has supported me in my discernment thus far. My family, you've been amazing in support and prayer, encouragement to fight and never give up. To my brother Nick, my sisters, mom and dad, Thank you. To all my friends from Lifeteen, WT Catholic Student Center, Pro-Life Bootcamps, DC March for Lifes, Conferences, The Knights of Columbus, everybody I've had the pleasure in knowing at St. Gregory's, the monks, seminarians, priests throughout my days. Capuchin Friars who have guided me on the journey the past 2 years, thank you. To those who have dedicated prayer time to me, time to write me letters and send me cards, thank you from the deepest part of my heart for your support and encouragements, it won't be forgotten. If I missed you, than I'm talking to you.
                                                                                                                                                                             Thank You,

                                         -Br. Vincent 'Vinny' Mary, OFM Cap

A Lesson from Death

Lately, it's been a normal ride, just doing things to get them done. However, it's easy to get caught up. Just in life, I get caught up and find myself making myself a little too comfortable. It's like I am falling in love with everything that has been created. Falling in love with the world and what it has to offer. Like money, possession, wealth, fame, even lust and false pride. The great thing is that through all of this there is something always missing. There's no true joy or happiness. The philosopher Aristotle writes that there are four things that constitute false happiness. Those are wealth, fame, honor, and riches. The desire, is wanting to leave these things and pick up something more meaningful, like the cross.

In the Gospel of Luke, we read of Jesus telling his disciples that whoever does not pick up their cross and follow him, can't be his disciple. It's as simple as that. There's an idea of dying to yourself and rising with something greater. The idea of leaving yourself behind, all that you have and all that you want and "seek Jesus or die trying" as a good friend of mine from South Africa would say in his heavy accent.


Anyway, I realized this in a better way tonight. It was after mass as I said goodnight to everybody. I walked away, then I heard bells from the Church to ring. One by one they rang with complete silence in between. Me and my friend looked at each other and ran back to the church. We knew what had happened, In monastic communities, bells are rung when a member passes away. As we were running my mind flashed and I remembered reading about Peter and John running to the tomb of Jesus after his resurrection. I thought of them. I went inside and prayed, it was at that moment I realized that our dying of the things here on earth can be just as painful and discomforting. It reminded me of how necessary it is to forget about the things that have no meaning or value when we pass. I was amazed at how there was a soul being lifted at the same time by God and then called to enter his Kingdom.

Rest in Peace Father Charles Massoth., O.S.B.