Most feast days of saints correspond with either the date they died or the next "available" date (one that does not already have a feast associated with it). This is not the case with Father Huntington. He died on June 29th in 1935, and that and that day, already the feast of Saints Peter and Paul is a major red letter day and therefore could not be bumped.
And so the date that was chosen was the anniversary date of Father Huntington's life vows. This was a significant moment not only in our particular history, but in the history of the Episcopal Church, as Father Huntington was the first Episcopal priest to take monastic vows. And so, on this date in 1884, the Order of the Holy Cross was born and with that birth, a new life for many men who would follow Father Huntington into monastic vows, and for so many men and women around the world who have been touched by one of us. It is a day in which to celebrate and to give great thanksgiving for this wonderful man.
We have two fathers in the faith that we look to for inspiration. We are Benedictine monks, and so, of course, we look to St. Benedict, his Rule, and the great 1,500 year tradition that goes with all of that for guidance and inspiration. But St. Benedict is the "Father of Western Monasticism" and one of the most important figures in "Church History". His largeness is both a draw to me as inspiration (I really love being a Benedictine monk) but also a drawback because of intimidation (how am I suppose to relate to the Father of Western Monasticism?).
But Father Huntington is a man I can understand more personally. First of all, even the way I speak of him or to him in prayer, with the words "Father Huntington" is telling. I don't refer to him as Blessed James Otis Sargent Huntington, as he is officially known in "Holy Men, Holy Women", but simply as Father Huntington. That seems to be respectful enough by using the surname for the founder of my Order, while being intimate enough by using the title "Father".
For that is what Father Huntington is to me: a father. I was truly blessed to have in my own father (Joseph, who died back in 2003) a man who really loved me, my siblings and mother; a man who had my best interest at heart; and a man who gave me guiding principles that have lasted me a lifetime. This is the kind of man I imagine Father Huntington to have been.
On his deathbed, Father Huntington promised us that he would always intercede for us. I believe he has and continues to do so. Whenever I feel like I am drifting in my own vocation, I find myself down in our crypt, where Father Huntington is buried, asking him to intercede for me, to help me remain faithful to my monastic vocation. The same is true for our entire Order. Whenever I perceive that we need guidance, direction, or inspiration, I find great hope in Father Huntington's promise to always intercede.
The guiding principle that can probably best sum up Father Huntington's approach to faith is his most famous words:
"Love must act as light must shine and fire must burn."
Love. Light. Fire. Act. Shine. Burn. These are all great words for a monastic vocation and for a life of faith in general. The love that Father Huntington had for God and for God's poor was unbounded. His vision was to "act" in both prayer and service on behalf of the poor whether those people were financially or spiritually (or both) poor. Throughout his life, there was so much light shining from him that it must have seemed like fire to those who encountered him. One of the things I most love about Father Huntington is that he talked about joy a great deal. His understanding of leading a faithful monastic life was that it was based on the love of Christ, prayer, and service and that it would lead to joy.
And he was right. Being a monk is a joyful thing. An incredibly joyful thing. Back in 1884, Father Huntington set in motion a movement here in the United States that has led to my being able to live the life that God most wants me to live - and it is a life of joy. Thank you Father Huntington.
I ask you all to please remember our Order in a special way today in your prayer. Ask our God, if you will, to continue to guide us in our vocation, to send us new vocations (there's lots of interest brewing out there), and to always enable us to live in joy as we become more and more faithful to prayer and service.
And please know that we keep all of you in our prayers each and every day.
Peace be upon you.
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