Journey to Remember!

I was looking in the Magnificat reader to see what is being celebrated today and when I saw that one of the optional memorials is for Saint Sebastian I immediately thought about the significance of this month, this year, for me. It was 15 years ago, during this time, that 17 seminarians from Saint Meinrad Seminary in Indiana and two accompanying Benedictine Monks, made a pilgrimage to Rome. At Saint Meinrad, January was an interterm month to do different things. One of those things was a journey to Rome and other areas of interest in Europe. We spent about two weeks in Rome, attending papal liturgies, going to the pope's general audience, and seeing all the sights that Rome has to offer. The highlight of that journey, right before we went our separate ways for about another week or so, was a private audience with the Venerable John Paul II. Being able to meet the pope in person is a moment that will live with me forever and I have the picture of that occasion to look at as a reminder. Why did Saint Sebastian cause me to think about that journey? One of the churches that we visited was the Church of Saint Sebastian, who was a martyr and he has been a popular saint since the sixth century. May Saint Sebastian intercede for us and may we have the courage to live our faith to the fullest as we continue our journey towards the kingdom. God Bless You!!!