He has aged a bit. I guess the Big Apple will do that to you. And he was definitely thinner. I don’t think that it was just a forgiving camera angle. Monday’s inauguration was certainly most interesting. Presidential inaugurations always are with all the speeches and all the politicos and political wannabe’s in the limelight. The individual that caught my attention at the ceremony’s start at noon wasn’t any president current, outgoing, or former, but rather a man of the cloth. It was the Archbishop of New York that delivered the initial opening invocation. He was followed immediately by Reverend Franklin Graham, son of the famous preacher. Timothy Dolan has been the Cardinal Archbishop of New York since 2009. I remember sitting with him and our former Archbishop, Charles Chaput, when the Cardinal was the guest speaker at our priest convocation about ten years ago or so. I remember Cardinal Dolan as a big man both in size and personality. He shared with us all how he simply liked to eat and loved a good meal. He, himself, would joke about his size and never having to shop for clothes in the “petite” section. He is the type of man who causes all heads to turn when he walks into a room. I recall how we spoke at the table that day about a movie that was out at the time. Both archbishops had seen it and Archbishop Chaput remarked that it was one of the best movies that he had seen in its portrayal of priesthood. The Cardinal agreed. If you’ve never seen the movie, Calvary, I recommend it – though it’s not for children. At the convocation, I don’t remember the Cardinal’s words spoken to us in his talks, but I do remember his presence, his demeanor, and his friendly greeting to me when I passed him several times in the hallway those couple of days away. At the inauguration, Cardinal Dolan confidently strode up to the podium and began his prayer. Quoting scripture, he said, Be still and know that I am God! Then, he referenced Washington, Lincoln, Patton, and MLK in their own prayers – that need be ours. I noticed that the Cardinal Archbishop kept looking skyward. He wasn’t looking at the Capitol dome, he was looking beyond it. He was looking up to the Almighty Himself. I know at times during the celebration of Mass, I look skyward also and look not at the church ceiling, but beyond. I believe that all of us need to be able to look beyond at times; to look to the heavens and to look into Heaven, Itself. I can picture the Lord, Himself, looking heavenward and looking homeward when He so often went off by Himself to pray. Take time today and everyday to look to Heaven. Prayerfully look towards our Home and begin to see God, Himself, inaugurating a new time of Hope!
Peace!
Fr. Wilson