Running on Faith Archive

Running back downtown from Hamden along the bike path this morning, it felt as if I were breathing in the glory of this Easter day—fully aware, of course, that my seasonal allergies are about to ramp up big time. As I prayed the Luminous Mysteries of the Rosary, I found myself thinking a lot about Pope Francis, who passed from this life into eternity in the pre-dawn hours of Easter Monday.

Jesus begins his Sermon on the Plain (Luke 6:17, 20-26) with a series of blessings and woes, declaring: “Blessed are you who are poor, for the Kingdom of God is yours.” Hearing the Gospel that many scholars suggest was written for those on the margins, those who are poor, hungry, weeping, or persecuted may find comfort and hope to learn that they are not only promised a place in Heaven, but that they are living, even now, the blessed life.

Fr. Ryan reflects on a morning run in the presence of guardian angels who guide and protect us throughout life. A reminder of God’s constant care and love.

This week's Running on Faith To the Members of the Class of 2024: How blessed are we to be here in this sacred place on the Solemnity of Pentecost with your classmates, your family and loved ones, and the members of this local manifestation of the Body of Christ at Yale. Today we give thanks to God for a mission accomplished, and we prepare to send you forth on a new mission, blessed by God and empowered by the Holy Spirit. As we reflect on your time here at Yale, we are in awe of the many remarkable ways in which the Holy Spirit has already been at work in your lives. You have pursued your studies with diligence and passion, seeking knowledge and wisdom, and in a diversity of fields and disciplines, seeking that wisdom which flows from God, the source of all light and truth. Each year STM publishes a summary of your research, which gives us a snapshot of the mission that each of you have accomplished in your areas of study---from historical inquiries into the intersection of apostolic tradition in preaching, to the practical translation of research into actionable policies for energy assistance programs---you are addressing pressing societal issues with rigor and compassion. Your work spans political history and law, health care advocacy—laying the groundwork for new medical interventions, treatments, and therapies—environmental conservation in a world that is suffering so severely from climate change, seeking paths for human flourishing for those who have been discarded or marginalized, and philosophical inquiries demonstrating a breadth of intellectual curiosity and a dedication to effecting positive change in the world. We are all so proud of you. And while it is my privilege as Chaplain to deliver the homily at your Baccalaureate Mass, I asked Sister Jenn, Allen, David, and Grace each to reflect on our shared ministry. As we looked back at your time here at Yale and STM, several key themes emerged. We acknowledge that this is a class that came through almost on the other side of a global pandemic and helped to reinvigorate our programs and ministries here amidst unprecedented challenges that you endured, possibly even before you arrived, in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic. After months and years of isolation and social distancing and experiencing virtual everything, it was you who brought new life and vitality back into this sacred place. You created a welcoming, joyful atmosphere and continued to build friendships and community. And we are grateful for this, and it will be part of your legacy. The past several years has presented a tough landscape with unrest, uncertainty, and polarization. Despite this, you poured into this place and made it a haven for you and your peers to learn, to inspire, to pray, to lead, to serve, to engage and accompany one another through these precarious years. In this chapter of your lives, you found common humanity and spirituality among your fellow students who might have different points of view. You've let your imagination and creativity shape our programming. You lent your prophetic voices and made them heard during the Synod process. You even transmitted the faith, bore witness to your faith, and upheld the dignity and sanctity of life and of all creation. Several of you are pursuing postdoctoral work and furthering your professional careers, while some are engaging in volunteer work or service-oriented careers that exemplify mercy and the cherished principles of our Catholic social doctrine. You have served well as the Body of Christ in a very real way. You've shared the diversity of gifts granted to you by the Holy Spirit, and we are all the better for it. Your creativity, your zeal and devotion to your faith continue to ring in a new era here at STM, proclaiming through your joyful witness that we need one another here at Yale and throughout life, while we all pursue Heaven. Please know that while we hope we as part of this community and as your Chaplains, we hope that we've had an impact on you, the reverse is certainly true. You have made an impact on all of us. You've exemplified what it means to thrive within and help to grow a spirit-filled community. But we know that is not always been easy. And in fact, it's been extremely challenging in different ways for all of you. God knows that you've each endured your share of challenges over these years. The pandemic and polarization have already been mentioned, but many of you have also dealt with the inevitable challenges that come with university life. Certainly, you've faced disappointments along the ways, maybe even failures. Maybe you had to change course unexpectedly, come to terms with insecurities and anxiety, experienced loss, sorrow and heartbreak, loneliness and isolation, sickness and maybe even suffering and loss in your families. Maybe you are missing someone whom you wished could be here today. But we know that they are with you in prayer, on the other side of that very thin veil that separates us from those who go before us and await us in the kingdom. We think of all of this, and we think of the lessons learned, how much you've grown, and how far you've come knowing that God has brought you this far, and will continue to lead you forward with God's grace and blessing. You've accomplished great things, but what's most inspiring is that you've done all of this as Christians, as those who bear the name and loving presence of Jesus Christ at one of the greatest universities in the world. You've shown that it is possible to excel in your various fields of study, to be both intellectually rigorous and spiritually grounded in Jesus Christ, to seek Jesus the way, the truth, and the life, and to pursue justice, righteousness, purity, and authenticity, with humility and grace. Again, we are so proud of you. With God's help, you will continue to do extraordinary things, we know, in your professional life, or as faith-filled spouses, parents, or, perhaps even as priests and religious. I ask that you now think and pray on how you might use your God-given gifts and talents to be a blessing, to be an instrument of Christ's peace, healing power and wisdom and love in the world, and in the lives of those around you. As today's solemnity reminds us, “all of us have been baptized in the same Spirit. That same Spirit, the advocate who renews the face of the earth, which was given to the disciples to strengthen them, to go forth in the name of the Lord.” That same Spirit is being poured out on you today, that you may go forth and live by the Spirit. Some of you may be aware this weekend also kicks off the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage. The eastern route take took place right here in New Haven. And last night at a solemn vigil for Pentecost, our chief Shepherd, Archbishop Coyne, talked about the theology of a pilgrimage. And I think we can use that analogy. We're sending you on a mission, but we also realize that every step we take with and in Jesus Christ is indeed a pilgrimage. And he said: “pray each day that the Holy Spirit may free you to find where God is taking you. A true pilgrimage requires letting go of the very things we try to hold on to and seeking after what God desires of us. We become pilgrims with no path but the one that God would have us follow.” As we prepare to send you forth with our prayers, blessings, and great pride in you.  We join you in thanking your parents, your loved ones, your friends, your mentors, your professors who are here praying with you today and all who played a role in bringing you to this day, for the sacrifices they made, their encouragement and support when you needed it the most. We commend you and your good works to God and in accord with God's great plan for your lives from this day forth. We bid you farewell. Class of 2024. God bless you and wherever you go, whatever you do, know that Jesus Christ is always with you, even until the end of the age. Amen.

“Thus says the Lord, your redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: I, the Lord, your God, teach you what is for your good, and lead you on the way you should go” (Isaiah 48:17). The Prophet Isaiah has been playing like a pump-up mix tape throughout these first two of weeks of Advent, giving us words of assurance, peace and hope. On Wednesday, right as our students and faculty entered the real crunch of this semester’s final days, we heard Isaiah 40: 28-31:

For me, the most difficult part of the Boston Marathon is not the hours of anxious waiting in Hopkinton leading up to the start of the race, nor the pounding downhill for the first eight miles that come back to bite you later in the race—or, even Heartbreak Hill. Rather, it’s the short little stretch that occurs well after you’ve hit the wall, are on your last legs, and then the course dips down underneath a bridge into a short tunnel. The transition from light into darkness, then from the darkness back into the light, is shocking and disorienting. You’ve got to keep it together, your feet under you and your heart, mind and eyes focused on the light at the end of the tunnel. The finish line is just a few strides up the road.

"To be grateful is to recognize the Love of God in everything God has given us—and God has given us everything. Gratitude therefore takes nothing for granted, is never unresponsive, is constantly awakening to new wonder and to praise of the goodness of God. The grateful person knows that God is good, not by hearsay but by experience."

So, I thought I would take a little breather from the necessarily serious tone “Running on Faith” has been taking over the past couple of weeks to share something a little lighter. As we know, in addition to our faith, one thing that has helped us to live day-in and day-out with social isolation and lockdown has been Netflix and other streaming services. Life in the Chaplain’s residence is no different in that regard, as Father Pat Reidy, C.S.C., (our resident student priest in his third year at Yale Law School) and I have burned through our fair share of shows throughout this time.

When I went for a run a few hours after Joe Biden received the number of electoral votes to be named the 46th President of the United States, it felt surreal after an election week unlike any other. The weather was unseasonably gorgeous. On the streets in the neighborhood I was running through (on the way to a trail around a reservoir) there were all kinds of people out: individuals, couples, families—adorned with every expression of diversity.