My Retirement Date is coming up fast

 

Orémus. Deus, qui beátam Hedwígem a sǽculi pompa ad húmilem tuæ Crucis sequélam toto corde transíre docuísti: concéde; ut eius méritis et exémplo discámus peritúras mundi calcáre delícias, et in ampléxu tuæ Crucis ómnia nobis adversántia superáre: Qui vivis et regnas cum Deo Patre, in unitáte Spíritus Sancti, Deus, per ómnia sǽcula sæculórum. R. Amen.

Let us pray. O God, Who taught blessed Hedwig to forsake worldly vanities that she might with her whole heart humbly follow Your cross, grant that, through her merits and example, we may learn to renounce the perishable delights of the world and, by embracing Your cross, overcome all things opposed to us. Who livest and reignest with God the Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, world without end. R. Amen

 

    The beautiful collect from the feast of Saint Hedwig came to me as one more "road marker" on my discernment path concerning my choice to request that the Holy Father retire me from diplomatic service at age 70 (14 August 1950).

    Obviously his positive response, setting 31 December 2020 as the day (nunc pro tunc) for me to end my working career, was the unquestionable sign.

    The warm welcome to come home to Sioux Falls, South Dakota, from so many quarters, both official and personal, to the city of my birth, baptism (1950), priestly (1976) and episcopal (2004) ordinations, was another. That was where I graduated from high School and where as a young priest I served for three years at the same O'Gorman High School and for two more years at the Cathedral of Saint Joseph, my sacramental home, before returning to Rome for studies and entering diplomatic service for the Holy See (1985-2020). 

    Sign or no, the process of buying a house has gone quite smoothly. Whether that is a sign and if the hurdles in arranging my flight home, attributable to our beloved "pandemic", is a countersign, are among the questions that will be left unchallenged or unexamined.

    The Latin title from this my retirement blog chapter is taken from the "Aufer a nobis", the prayer of ascent to the altar. It is a statement of intention concerning my priorities for whatever time will be granted before others carry my body to the grave up on St. Michael's hill, to rest until that Trumpet shall sound to call us all forth to judgement before the Throne of the Living God. 

   "...a sǽculi pompa ad húmilem tuæ Crucis sequélam toto corde transíre..." is Hedwig's claim to fame. I will hope for something modestly similar to mark the rest of my days. 

    Between now and January, I have some more homilies in German, French and Italian, which will be posted ad montem... and maybe in English still a couple of book recommendations. Thereafter we will take things as they come.

PROPERANTES ADVENTUM DIEI DEI