We didn’t have the Latin Mass today. Instead we had Bishop Francisco González leading the celebration of the Jubilee Mass for Religious. Bishop González himself was celebrating fifty years of religious life, as were many nuns in attendance. Others were celebrating forty years. I think they said one priest was celebrating seventy years as a priest. My goodness.

Bishop González spoke of having enterered the seminary at the tender age of eleven. He also said that all of the children in his family, himself and his brother and sister, all entered religious life. He didn’t recommend that for all Catholic families, though.

Appropriately enough, the Gospel today is from St. Mark, and I think it says something about religous life.

(Jesus is off praying in a deserted place)

Simon and those who were with him pursued him
and on finding him said, “Everyone is looking for you.”
He told them, “Let us go on to the nearby villages
that I may preach there also.
For this purpose have I come.”

Simon and the others come searching, looking for guidance, looking for God, looking to God. And to that Jesus says, well okay then, let’s go. That’s why I’ve come.

And that’s what Bishop González emphasized, about himself and all his religious brothers and sisters, that they were called, and they said yes. They said, well okay then, let’s go.