Father Eric de la Pena “Someone else will fasten a belt around you and take you where you do not wish to go” (Jn. 21:18)
It’s hard to believe that classes will begin this Monday at The Catholic University of America. Where did summer go? When I think of summer, I think of the beach, of catching plenty of sun and then cooling off with a nice swim in the ocean. The last thing I think of is being back in class, sitting in a lecture! Then, poof! Where did my daydream go? I was just starting to enjoy it and now it is suddenly gone! Time seems to warp when we are having a great summer. We wait for it all year, and when it comes it slips away too quickly.
Father Eric de la Pena
Peter must have felt something like this in his encounter with Jesus. He was just beginning to understand and enjoy his friend’s company. The three years of being together on the road with Jesus with his band of apostles must have supplied Peter many good memories to cherish. But like any good party or vacation, even the time spent with Jesus had to end, and Peter had to move on with a new task. He was to lead the flock that Jesus entrusted to him. It must have been a big change from Jesus taking care of everything for them. Now, as Jesus warned Peter, someone else would even tie a belt around him and take him to where he does not want to go. Ministry is not doing only those things that we enjoy, but doing what we are supposed to do.
Perhaps Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio felt a similar pain when he was elected to the See of Peter. As the leader of a billion Catholics worldwide, he no longer is free to leisurely roam his favorite streets of Buenos Aires, to visit the poor and ordinary folks who became his friends there, to take a more leisurely time for solitude and prayer. Like Peter, he has to go where he does not wish to go because he is keenly aware of a calling and a mission from God. Since he assumed the Petrine Office, Pope Francis has spent minimal time in the Papal summer residence, Castel Gandolfo. Most of his summers have been spent working for long hours at the Vatican and living at the modest home of the Vatican’s Casa Santa Marta’s guest house. Yet, Pope Francis seems to joyfully take on this yoke. He truly images a father who works hard out of love for his children.
As we all return to class and regular work this week the example of Pope Francis can inspire us. His dedication to his ministry calls us to see that God’s purpose and will is embedded in the daily fulfillment of our tasks. The student ministers whom we trained last week in the Office of Campus Ministry display that kind of enthusiasm as well as they prepare to share the joy of the Gospel not just through words, but also through the programs they will run and the personal encounters they will have with everyone they serve. If we can all acquire this gentle loving spirit of submission to God’s will, then we too can keep on smiling like Pope Francis despite the strains that we find in the duties of every day.
— Father Eric de la Pena, O.F.M. Conv., is an associate chaplain for faith development at The Catholic University of America.
