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I wasn’t the only one on retreat last week. Turns out the three NZ Marist seminarians studying in Rome Hemi, Joseph & Lachie were also retreating and (like me) not very up-to-date with the news of the week.
This morning Lachie sent through a reflection – not a simple repetition of media facts but his personal link to Francis. Certainly no-one else has made a connection between winter Saturday morning in Otautahi’s Burnside Park and the pope.
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Myself, Joseph and Hemi started our annual silent retreat in Formia (an hour south of Rome) on Monday morning – and it finished on Sunday morning – turns out we missed a bit.
My favourite picture – or rather video- during Francis’ time as pope came just a few weeks ago. Seeing him wrapped in a blanket getting wheeled through St Peter’s – wearing not his usual white “pope getup”- but black pants looking absolutely shattered – but at the same time a little cosy.
Keithy – my grandfather on my mum’s side – yes it is weird that we call him that but then again my family is by default weird – just celebrated his 90th Birthday at Somerset in Christchurch.
When I was 5 years old I told Keith to his face: “You’ll definitely be alive when I am 7, but you’ll definitely be dead when I am 12.” As I write this – I’m now just a month out from turning 28.
The reason I say this – is on the eve before my 12th birthday Keithy came to watch me play for Burnside Rugby Under 12’s against Christchurch Rugby Club – standing on the sideline when I came off for half time he said to me “I’ve only got one more day left…”
Now as Keithy has got older – he has gone from wearing shorts to our 8:30 am frost bitten kick offs at Burnside Park in June – to being rugged up in black pants, with a blanket wrapped around him, in his chair (pushed by Din (Nana Denise)) and a hot water bottle hidden on his lap.
When I saw that video of Francis – I saw Keithy. I saw a man that would have gone to watch his grandchildren (if he had them) playing football in the suburbs Buenos Aires. A man who would have given blanky rides down the hallway, horsey rides and maybe a Speights to someone well under the age of 18.
If you can see a little bit of your grandfather (Keithy) in the Pope, and perhaps maybe a little bit of the Pope in your grandfather – then you know that Francis must have done something right. The Vicar of Christ – up until the end – helped me to see Christ in himself and in those I love. What more can we ask for from our Pope. I loved Francis – hell I still love him. And I will continue to pray for him and now through his intercession as I continue my formation journey.
So although I missed his funeral – I will be sure to pop into St. Mary Major now on my way back from school every now and again.
Lachie Bartlett sm
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Superb reflection Lachie. Thanks. It brought the humanity of Pope Francis home in a truly Kiwi way..
I love this
So appropriate for today . The Feast day of St Peter Chanel. A Marist Missioner in the Pacific who was martyred and is Patron of all Marists…Priest, Sisters, Brothers and their Students. Thanks.
Beautiful Lachie.thank you John for sharing
Awww this is beautiful. Now I miss my grandpa.
Neat story tx John & Lachie. This highlights for me how Francis not only showed us a way to live in Christ but also a way to die. Very poignant at Easter.