Prayer and Reflection

Deer hunting season in Wisconsin is a significant, state-wide event. Hundreds of thousands of hunters wear blaze orange and head out to the woodlands. It was not uncommon when driving along a country highway to see dozens of tiny orange specks dotting the landscape. We lived in Wisconsin for many years and become accustomed to the enthusiasm surrounding the season.

I am not much of a hunter but eventually succumbed to the popularity amongst my friends and purchased a deer hunting license. Tucked away in the attic at the time was an old single shot 20 gauge my father had bought at K-Mart years ago. He took me with him a handful of times pheasant hunting when I was young. Neither of us ever were able to bring anything home. It is why we didn't go hunting much. Since the 20 gauge was the only thing I owned, it was repurposed as my deer hunting gun.

I decided that my sons should come along with their father to learn how to hunt. Equipped with our new blaze orange outfits, we headed into the woods one early fall Wisconsin day. It wasn't hard to find a large parcel of public land for us to wander and find a deer. We weren't the first hunters to traverse this land as there was a myriad of trails. Thinking most deer would hang out in less used areas, I directed my two sons to follow me off the trail. I rushed forward to make sure to outpace any other would-be hunters.

We bushwhacked into what seemed prime deer hunting and waited for several hours. Nothing came our way, and as the sun began to go down. I decided it was time to head back to the car. It didn’t take long to realize that I was lost. Much later, we stumbled back to the parking lot. Our journey had been difficult. Their confidence in my woodlore had been lost. In my rush to be a deer hunter, I had not studied a map or brought a compass. I had become too focused on the results and not enough on preparation. Had I taken the time to review the map and reflect on our journey, things would have turned out differently.

Reverence, reflection, and prayer are essential aspects of our faith. They don't come easily as our fast-paced world with endless amounts of data and connectedness pulls us in many directions. We rush ahead to get through our tasks for the day hoping for time to rest at the end, but the end never comes. There is always more to accomplish. The story of Elijah (I Kings 19) tells of God coming in a "still small voice." Parker J. Palmer shares that listening to God's Spirit can only happen when we quiet ourselves. We must take time each day to connect with God.

This weekend we held the dedication of our new chapel. It is appropriately named the Brother Thomas Puccio C.F.X. Chapel after our esteemed Xaverian Brother that has given his life's work to the school. This sacred space is in the school's main corridor, accessible to students, faculty, and staff whenever the school building is open. Our new chapel will provide a space for prayer, worship, and reflection. It will serve as a place for our entire community of the importance of our faith and its expression. I invite you to visit our chapel the next time you are in the school building.

In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:6