Sermon July Fourth: Our First Sunday Back

At Father Bob's suggestion, I'm posting the sermon I preached last Sunday.

Pilgrims, thank you all for one of the holiest experiences of my life!

--Pastor Elizabeth

Sermon, Old Donation Episcopal Church, 7/4/2010 (Elizabeth Felicetti)

In today’s Old Testament reading, we encounter Naaman, an army commander favored by the king; a mighty warrior afflicted by leprosy. A young slave tells Naaman’s wife that God could heal Naaman through the prophet Elisha. We have wisdom here from an unexpected source: a slave. Naaman listens to the slave, and through the king, seeks healing from Elisha. Elisha gives him a simple task: to wash in the Jordan seven times.

Naaman is disappointed by Elisha’s message—it seems too easy. He’s a very important man with a very serious disease, and expects a more complicated cure, something dramatic that would be appropriate for such a mighty guy. But he again finds deep wisdom from an unexpected source: his servant, who says, “if the prophet had commanded you to do something difficult, would you not have done it? How much more, when all he said to you was, ‘wash and be clean’?”

Naaman listens to the servant, and is healed.

Spiritual wisdom doesn’t always come from the people we might expect. We might expect it, for example, from someone older, from someone ordained—not necessarily someone without power. A slave. A servant. Or, a teenager.

Two weeks ago you all sent me off with 18 others—fifteen teens and three other adults—on a pilgrimage to Ireland. As promised, we immersed ourselves in Celtic Christianity and emerged changed. While studying today’s readings with the pilgrimage in mind, I was especially drawn to the two wise servants, who make me think of our wise young people. On pilgrimage, they consistently came up with great and deep wisdom, blessing all of us.

On the fourth day of our pilgrimage, we went to Croagh Patrick, the mountain where Patrick fasted and prayed for 40 days. It was a gray and rainy morning. On the trek up the mountain, which was covered with slick rock and loose gravel, a few pilgrims were standing in front of a sign, clearly trying to obstruct what the sign said. After we convinced them to step aside, we saw to our dismay that the sign read, “Do not attempt to climb the mountain in rain or fog.” It was raining and foggy that morning.

I talked to a couple of people who were coming down the mountain. They encouraged me to take the group as far as the gate, but not to go farther, as the terrain became increasingly slippery. I knew a few of the kids really wanted to make it all the way to the top, and I was torn. But when we reached the gate, as I explained to the pilgrims, I knew that there was no way I could justify to their parents ignoring a sign that warned of rainy and foggy conditions, especially on a day when one of the pilgrims wasn’t with us because she was in the hospital getting stitches. So, we turned back at the gate.

I checked in with various kids on the way back down: how did they feel about the decision?

Matt Vecerkauskas was the wise servant that morning. He said, “I’m disappointed. I really wanted to climb Croagh Patrick. But then, on the way down, I realized that I had been so focused on getting to the top that I didn’t notice the streams with little waterfalls that were at the side of our trail. I was missing out on part of the journey, on the beauty of God’s creation. So now I’m glad we didn’t go, because I took so many pictures and so appreciated these beautiful streams.”

Those were wise words, weren’t they? I had been sad about turning back, especially as the sun came out not long after we reached the foot of the mountain, but was so grateful for Matt’s profound insight into pilgrimage. Because a pilgrimage is not about the destination—rather, the journey, drawing closer to God as a community.

The following day, I was again blown away by the wisdom of one of our pilgrims: this time, Kathryn Cintron. We were at Clonmacnoise, an ancient monastic site with several famous high crosses. As Kathryn and I were looking at one of the crosses, she suddenly said to me with deep authority, “Touch it,” as she held out her hand to the cross. I did. She then went on, “Now that you’ve touched it, you’ll always be connected to this cross.” She closed her eyes. “Feel it. Think about the people who created this cross and why.”

I was staggered by Kathryn’s insight, and wondered who was supposed to be leading this retreat. Sure, the kids were giving presentations each day, but until that moment, I had still felt that as the priest, I was the leader. But I experienced a shift at that moment, realizing that we truly were on pilgrimage as soul friends, tending to each other—not just me leading others. I touched the cross and wondered whose hands had created it, how the bible had touched them, how Christ had worked in their lives. And I will always feel connected, as Kathryn said I would. I know I will also always feel connected to her.

We had better luck with the airlines than previous pilgrimages, but our final flight was an hour and a half late, which meant we would be unable to make our connection in Newark—and so, we had to take a connecting flight some seven hours later than planned. This also meant we would have ended up traveling for over 20 hours instead of about 12. While I was glad that our group of 19 wouldn’t be split up among different flights, I was less than thrilled about so many hours in Newark, and knew that the other pilgrims felt the same way. But, the long time in Newark gave us time for a final reflection. It was hard to hear each other, with announcements about other flights constantly blaring, and rows of seats facing each other aren’t quite as good as comfortable circles—but nevertheless, we were able to engage in some excellent reflection.

Many people kept returning the conversation to one special day, a week ago Saturday, when we went to Kildare and spent time at two of St. Brigid’s holy wells. I had been somewhat nervous about that day, as our driver Maggie had said, “I have no idea what you are going to do in Kildare. There’s just not much there.”

We met Mary and Phil, two nuns, who welcomed us into their home, took us to the visitors’ center, and then to Brigid’s Cathedral. We were awed by the Cathedral, and excited by its round tower, one of only two round towers in Ireland that one is able to climb. We negotiated a group rate and most of us climbed to the top of the tower and enjoyed the view.

We had Eucharist at Brigid’s wayside well, then said good-bye to Mary and Phil and continued to the other well. Once again, it had been raining. We considered eating lunch on the bus, but then Dan said, “Let’s just risk rain and check out the other well.” We risked soggy sandwiches and went on.

We were rewarded with sunshine as we made our way to the second well, and I was surprised by how beautiful it was. The black and white photo I had seen didn’t do it justice. Clearly, this was a holy place—so holy that two other pilgrims not from our group were already there, looking at us a little warily as fifteen teens and four adults descended on this place and started to pass out sandwiches, I spontaneously decided that we should eat in silence so that we would not disturb these other two pilgrims.

A few eyes were rolled, but this turned out to be one of the holiest times of the entire pilgrimage. We did eat in silence, and journaled, and prayed. Many of us washed our faces in the well, used its holy water to make the sign of the cross. Some became overwhelmed by emotion, and I watched us minister to each other. Again, it became clear that I was not leading a pilgrimage, but was just one on a journey, one of nineteen soul friends.

When we were back in the airport, reflecting on our time together, Heather Lustig said of that day, “I learned that my life is so busy, and that I need to build time into it, maybe 20 or 30 minutes a day, that I can just spend in silence like we did that day, and reflect.”

Again, simple but deep wisdom, from unexpected sources, like Naaman’s servant. Heather came to that insight on her own, clearly led by the Holy Spirit.
Naaman was able to be healed by God through Elisha, which we expect, given the greatness attributed to the prophet Elisha by our Scriptures. But God’s healing and wisdom was further spread through two servants, which might not expect; in fact, we might even overlook such humble people.

Wisdom is not limited to those who have been around a long time, or who have had special schooling—the Holy Spirit is all around us, making itself known to all kinds of interpreters. Keep your eyes and ears open, so that every day can be a pilgrimage.

Flight Delayed!

Our flight is be late leaving Dublin so we will be unable to make our connection in Newark. All 19 of us are therefore booked on a later flight and are scheduled to arrive at 11 PM tonight. Parents, please call the office for details!

Day 10

We have now reached the apex of our Irish journey, the final throes of our ten day epic. We began the final morning of our foreign odyssey with the free continental breakfast provided by our gracious hosts, The Times Hostel in Dublin. After consuming the breakfast fare we endeavoured to make haste to the bus to visit the – Kilmainham Jail. This jail held Irish prisoners, many of whom were infamous political leaders of their time. Such men as these led rebellions against their tyrant rule, and inspired hope in the hearts of their Irish followers. To handle these men and other criminals that came through its doors, the architects built the structure to hold one prisoner in each cell. In previous times prisoners were grouped together and were able to become better criminals by learning from each other, so such an idea was an innovational feat.

After this riveting tour we then settled into our hostel quarters to prepare for our outing on to the streets of Dublin. Within our community we factionated ourselves into smaller groups to go forth through the city in search of a good meal and souvenirs. We were given a special freedom to do so on our own. The sights and sounds of the city were refreshing and created a unique experience for each one of us. As we went about the town we practiced meaningful and thrifty shopping. In the process we spread the good word of our journey to a friendly waitress and she wished us well and blessed encounters. We met up about halfway through and again dispersed to run rampant amongst the unsuspecting populous. At five we returned to the hostel for a pasta dinner, once again courtesy of our Host(el)s. Following our meal we went to a pub to see the famous Merry Ploughboys at The Merry Ploughboys Pub. There we experienced authentic Irish Coke Products, Music and Dancing. Some of us even partook in the dancing when they summoned Lizzie and Karl to the arena to dance with the performers. There was much rejoicing, followed shortly by jubilant praise.
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=enSYlCEz5VI)

It seems as though our Irish pilgrimage is coming to a close. Each and every one of us has learned much about ourselves, each other, and our Lord. We have experienced a wide range of emotions in the process of this journey. Together as well as on our own we have pondered the questions: What does being a Christian mean to me? What does being an Episcopalian mean to me? And what does it mean to be a part of this community? Our pilgrimage to Ireland is ending, but it is the beginning of a life long journey that each of us will embark to our own religious understanding.

Truly,

Kathryn Grace Cintron and Karl Maher for the Confirmation Class Pilgrims

Day 9

On this day of June 28 we began with a tour of Glendalough. Glendalough was an early Christian monastic city founded by Saint Kevin. It contains the most intact and beautiful round tower in the world and has one of the most defined set-ups of an old monastic city. There were three rings in these cities and in Glendalough the inner ring was for the most reverent of areas while the second ring housed the religious peoples of the monastery. The third ring housed the main work force of the city with the congregation and their different commerce shops. Most monasteries were completely self sufficient due to the immense population and the sites chosen by the founders. Saint Kevin was considered a great miracle worker. He is even said to have stood in the lake at Glendalough so still that the birds nested in his hands and he stayed there until the babies flew off on their own. Glendalough also contains St. Kevin’s Church, which is still very much intact despite the years of weathering. The gatehouse to the city is also still intact, and the gatehouse was very important because it was the main entrance to the city, and a pilgrim, traveler or person on business could tell Glendalough was a sanctuary because of the cross etched in the stone designated it as a holy place.

After the tour we went on a hike to the two lakes in the valley. The name Glendalough means “between the lakes.” The walk was beautiful despite the intermittent rain and the constant bugs, and we stopped for lunch under a grand old tree with perfect branches for sitting. We then spent time at the second lake and walked back to where our bus was parked. Along the walk the group was treated to the lovely singing voices of Sam and Ted, whose song selections included “Take It Easy” by The Eagles, “Free Fallin” by Tom Petty, “Back in Black” by AC/DC and “You’re the One That I Want” from the musical Grease on the bus ride home.

When we got back to the hostel we had about an hour of down time before we had to leave for Evensong at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Dublin. The Cathedral was very beautiful and the service was filled with the music of a fantastic mens choir. St. Patrick’s was much like Christ Church in the sense that there were many historical items around the church and St. Patrick’s was preaching place of famous author Jonathan Swift.

Throughout the week here in Dublin, there have been multiple sightings of the varied morning hair styles of Sam. The styles have been appreciated by everyone in the group and without a doubt by other people in the hostel. When we were at the Hill of Tara yesterday a family was walking a small brown dog with crazy hair (much like Sam’s in the morning) and George stated “see that dog? It’s a Cocker-Samuel.”

We are all hoping for a great last day in the city tomorrow. Peace.

-Sam Belka and Ted Fenter for the Confirmation Class Pilgrims

Day 8: Cathedral and Hill of Tara

Today we went to Christ Church Cathedral in Dublin, and the church service was beautiful; the choir was tuned to perfection and the ninth note hidden in a good acapella group was heard throughout service. Not only the choir was beautiful; the inside of the cathedral was gorgeous. With a tall three level naïve with an arcade, gallery and a clerestory at the top. The bays consisting of the outlining ambulatory were matching with the naïve; they consisted of a ribbed hexa-groin vault, parallel to the enameled tiled floors which depicted rose windows, pilgrims and various other organic designs. The apse consisted of three radiating chapels adorned with beautiful stained glass windows. The crypts were filled with monumental sculptures and fine dining dishes used by King Charles III and other royalty.

With all the beautiful architectural and sculptural aspects of the cathedral, one could imagine becoming distracted by all of the gorgeous detail; the alter table, pulpit and choir seats were recessed inside the crossing arch, the quintessential centre point of the cruciform basilica plan. This area was also surrounded by gothic floral designs on metal and wood, but one’s attention is focused on the service; the welt trained choir, booming voice of the priest during the sermon and slightly embellished procession brings a person closer to God. Even the heavy odor of the incense permeated my inflamed sinuses.

After Christ Church, we headed over to the Hill of Tara, where the high Kings of old would celebrate their power. Coincidentally, the Hill of Slane is directly across the valley from the Hill of Tara, where Saint Patrick made a move against the King; the story goes that Patrick lighted a bond fire when the King was feasting to his power, and that he lighted his fire just before the King lighted his. The King sent over his sentries to capture Patrick and his disciples. When questioned why, Patrick proclaimed ‘I do not celebrate with the false king; I celebrate with the true King, God.’ The morning after, the King let Patrick and his disciples go. The Hill was slightly craggy with many steep sloping hills; the hills were short, so many of the group could not roll down the hills. The site is littered with many sign posts which are printed with Gaelic and English. The hill behind the burial mound was labeled the Royal Seat, more than likely labeling where the King would sit during his bon fire. Because of a time crunch, we were not able to make it to Saint Patrick’s Cathedral, but we will visit there in the future.

--Matt Vecerkauskas and Matt Improta for the Confirmation Class Pilgrims

Day 7

This morning was one of those relaxing mornings, although last night there were sirens going on at 2 or 3 in the morning, and it kept some of us up. Many of us woke up around 8 and were at breakfast by 8:30. Afterwards some of us went to exchange money at 9 o’clock, and then we went on our way to meet with sisters Mary and Phil at 9:30. We had a good lesson about St. Brigid, and Danielle told us all a lot as well. We then went to the heritage house to learn more about Kildare. The ride was very peaceful, and allowed us to relax a while longer and to sleep or look out the window at the beautiful scenery. While going to Kildare we passed the famous site Budweiser horse racing where the Irish horse racing festival was held. While we watched the video playing at the heritage house we learned that very little is known about Saint Brigid, but her mission was to help people and what she did still changes people today. After learning about the saint Brigid, we visited St. Brigid’s Cathedral. Here the most important part of Ireland is found. This is the sight where the light eternal fire was lit. At the cathedral we were all able to climb St. Brigid’s tower, which for some of us was quite frightening. On our way up the tower the stairs were getting narrower and narrower. The view from the top of the tower was amazing. You were able to see around for miles. We took a few pictures while on top of the tower, then began to venture down. I was relieved to see everyone come out of the tower unharmed. We then continued on to St. Brigid’s Wayside Well where we had Eucharist. Audrey and Danielle shared the role of leading part of a Celtic prayer. Danielle read the Scripture which came from the Gospel of Matthew 6:25-34. We, Audrey and Danielle, don’t know how everyone else felt about this reading, but it was especially special to the two of us. This reading was telling you to not worry about what you wear, eat, or drink, reminding us to take each day as it comes because today is enough trouble to worry about. For lunch we visited St. Brigid’s Well. The well was inspirational and emotional for some. Before leaving we gathered together to thank God for the ministry of Saint Brigid. Before we made and ate dinner we took a nice walk through part of the city and went to St. Steven Green park. This park is larger than Central Park. Here some of us played a game of soccer while the rest of us relaxed in the grass writing in out journals and talking amongst ourselves. Some of us returned to the hostel and others remained in the park until we all enjoyed a wonderful breakfast burrito dinner made by Corey, Karl, and George. We were also able to watch the world cup game between the United States and Ghana before going to bed. Sorry USA, you lost. Better luck next time eh?

Danielle Denney and Audrey Bartholomew

Day Six: Bundles of Fun

Our “Bundles of Fun!” began in the early morning with a standard continental breakfast provided by our new hostel, The Times, in downtown Dublin. Once breakfast ended and some of the girls switched to a more comfortable room, we packed our day bags and boarded the bus promptly at 8:30 am for our first destination. Upon our arrival at Newgrange, we gathered in the rock park to participate in our active morning prayer where we found ourselves spinning in circles to symbolize God’s presence and peace around us. We took a bus up to the Newgrange tomb and listened to our tour guide who talked about the history, reconstruction, and significance of the tomb standing before us. We learned that the tomb was built by the Neolithic people around 3200 B.C., and still remains intact today with its internal structure. Next, our tour guide gave us the opportunity to walk through the tight, dark pathway, which led to three chambers. The middle chamber seemed to be the most significant due to the fact that the sun’s rays hit it during the rare, winter solstices. Having created an opening above the door for sunlight, the Neolithic people clearly had a special connection to the solar system. I think the mystery behind this ancient discovery had us all intrigued for the duration of our time at Newgrange.
After Newgrange we went to the Hill of Slane, which was isolated from the rest of the town. St. Patrick started the monastery that sits on top of the hill, once he returned to Ireland. We were all walking slowly to our destination until we realized that the remains of the building resembled a fancy playground. Since no caution signs were present at the site, the towers, tunnels, and stairwells were free for us to explore. When lunch time came around, the mentors spent quite a long time searching for their, at the time, five year old children. Eventually we sat together in the middle of the monastery and enjoyed a special lunch. The fact that we were eating inside such a symbolic, Christian monument, made the experience deeply moving.

Unfortunately, we had to leave a place where many of us had a strong, spiritual connection, for Mellifont Abbey. Our high spirits didn’t come to an end, for the next monastery’s unique, Roman architectural design represented years of monastic tradition. We found ourselves singing the Doxology in the charter house, which had amazing acoustics. While exploring the grounds, a few pilgrims claimed they discovered a significant archeological find.

Our last stop of the day was to Monasterboice, a cemetery that encompasses two significant high crosses that contained illustrations of Bible stories. Also, a tall, round tower stands on one side of the yard; its existence is still a mystery to us all. As we were taking pictures of the unique crosses and designs, some of us noticed family and friends sitting by the graves of their loved ones. Our enthusiastic mood began to settle into one of respect. The cemetery gave us all a chance to reflect on the people we love and care for back home. Later, we boarded the bus for yet another nap time, as we made our way back to the hostel where Matt I. and Danielle prepared yummy dinner. Since the beautiful, Trinity College sits a block away; we decided to gather there for evening prayer.

-Katie Osterman and Heather Lustig for the Confirmation Class Pilgrims