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July 31, 2021The Heart of Love is the Heartbeat of Life
When I was at my first assignment at St. John the Baptist in Kenmore in 2009, I struggled with many challenges as a new priest. I would often sit at my desk, complaining to God that I wanted to go to a mountain or to a cave to escape all my problems. Then the bishop sent me to Olean in 2012. As I entered upon the city, the Father spoke to me: here are your mountains and here are your caves! I laughed to myself! God truly has a sense of humor! So for the last 9 years, I have ascended the mountain of the Lord only to learn that the burning bush of God’s love and presence is found within the heartbeats of my priestly life lived.
Now the Father is taking me on a new adventure. I have graduated (at 65!) from being surrounded by mountains in Olean to being surrounded by lakes at St. Dominic’s Parish! The Lord wants me to dive deeper into my faith. Jesus wants me to fish for souls! Jesus wants me to walk on water as a pastor! That is a lot of trust! That is a lot of surrender! Yet, God has given me an unquestionable sign of this next phase of my priesthood.
Several years ago, someone in Olean had a dream about me. She literally saw me walking on water! I thought—well—that will never happen, but I was taking that dream too literally. As the mountain revealed the life of Jesus within me, the walking on water revealed the life of Jesus working through me. I have learned that the more I decrease, the more the Lord will increase in me! That is a lot of “heart work”—meaning—Jesus will take care of business if I give Him charge over my heart! So I have said yes to the Father’s plan! ( That plan—that yes included being ordained on the feast of St. Dominic!).
When Jesus was on earth, He never stayed too long in one place because there were always other people to heal and to love. Anyone watching the series, The Chosen, can see how Jesus was being led by His Father to continually go and to search for His lost sheep and bring them into God’s Kingdom of love. However, I have been extremely blessed to remain so long a time at the Basilica of St. Mary of the Angels and later at St. John the Evangelist with an added short stint at St. Philomena’s in Franklinville. Yet—now is my time to go and fish for other souls.
The hardest part about all of this is saying goodbye, but is it goodbye? Peter once asked Jesus: “We have left everything to follow You, what do we get out of this?” Jesus replied: “You will receive many more mothers and brothers and sisters…” No doubt, you have become my family—and once a family—always a family no matter the distance, separating our hearts!
I have climbed the mountain. I am beginning to walk on water. It is because I have been blessed by all of you that I have become the priest that I am today. For you see, as much as I have been your shepherd, watching over you; you have been the sheep who have nurtured and grown me with your love! As Pope Francis once said: “The shepherd must smell like his sheep.” Well, I smell of the good times, I smell of the bad times and I smell of all of the other times that we have shared together. The heart of love is truly the heartbeat of life lived!
And what is the secret to all of this? It is that my priesthood resides in the Immaculate Heart of my Mother! As Mary was Jesus’ Mother, She has become my Mother. Therefore, the fragrance of Her Pure Love enables me to say yes to whatever the Father asks of me. The incense of Her Sacrificial Love enables me “to do whatever Jesus tells me to do.” It is not easy. Truly, it is not easy, but my Mother is always there to help me.
You see, it is the Mother who gathers God’s people. It is the Mother who sets the table. It is the Mother who calls all to dinner. And it is the Mother who has taken my priesthood into Her Heart that I might feed and nourish Her children with the gift of Her Son in the Eucharist! Cherish this gift! Cherish our time together!
Cherish the blessings of God! And give thanks to God that He gave me the mountain I prayed for in my office so many years ago that brought me to you!
God is so good! Now it is time for me to get wet; for like Peter, I will sink before I walk—but walk I will—and fish I will—and gather the lost sheep I will—for nothing is impossible when I surrender to the power of Jesus the High Priest and focus on the Will of the Father!
Our journey continues because you are with me wherever I go! Thank-you! The heart of love is the heartbeat of life when we embrace the gift of others!
Father David Tourville
