Dear Chris,
Congratulations on your graduation from high school. I’m sorry I am not able to congratulate you in person. I am sure you are ready to begin a new chapter in your life.
I heard you were accepted to five colleges. That in itself is quite an achievement. I see you have chosen Gonzaga. I hope you will thrive there.
I have sent you some gifts on the occasion of your graduation. You may not think much of them now, but I am hoping you will grow to appreciate them.
Your mother wrote to me that you are in one of those phases in your faith journey where you have a lot of questions. As your godfather I thought I would try to address this in some way.
I contacted your parents to ask for advice on having a rosary made for you. I had one made for me by the Sisters of Carmel. It has a Celtic Cross and an Our Lady of Knock centerpiece. I wanted those to acknowledge my Irish ancestry. My mother had a small carved cross with a center you could look into and see a photo of the site in Knock Ireland where Our Lady appeared with St. Joseph and St. John the Evangelist along with a Lamb on an altar in front of a cross. I used to look into it frequently when I was a little boy.
The beads are black onyx. The chain is sterling silver. The side medals on mine are St. Ignatius in honor of the gift I received when I was introduced to his Spiritual Exercises and St. Philip Neri. When I was a boy, I read a comic book from the vestibule of my parish about St. Philip Neri. I was motivated by what I read to choose St. Philip Neri as my confirmation saint.
Your mother suggested having yours made with the Celtic Cross and Our Lady of Knock centerpiece because you had really enjoyed your visit to Ireland and to act as a reminder of that visit. Your rosary also has black onyx beads and sterling silver chain. Your side medals are of St. Christopher and St. Michael.
Your mom also suggested you might appreciate a compass with some scripture verse inscribed on it. I got you one of those. It sounded kind of hokey but when it came it impressed me that it was more substantial than I expected it to be, and it actually works. I doubt this is something you’ll want to carry with you all of the time, but I do like the scripture passage on it:
I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you. (Psalm 32:8)
There is also a copy of the book, Manual for Men. I will say more about that later.
What follows are thoughts I have on matters I think are important as well as some events in my life that I recognize as important moments in my life. I would encourage you to reflect on the events in your life that have had a significant impact. You may not recognize them at the time they occur.
Enjoy this new chapter in your life. I have included a card that has all of my contact information. The image of the Divine Mercy is on the card. It is there to remind you of God’s love. Feel free to contact me anytime even if it’s just to say hello. If you want to talk about what I have written, or anything else, I would be happy to do so.
Or you may decide I am an old man and what I have written has no relevance today and just toss it all in the trash. I would still encourage you to talk with me, your dad, a priest or other trusted individual you may know.
Good luck!
Love,
Your Godfather,
Greg
July 14, 2023
© 2024 Greg Gillen
Image Credit/Amazon – NAUTICALS HOUSE
