Vulnerability and Adventure
A "To The Heights" Men's Retreat Spiritual Talk
Editor’s Note: This is a summary of a talk that Fr. Ben Daghir gave at the To The Heights men’s retreat in the Quehanna Wilderness. The retreat was from June 19-21.
Brothers,
Here we are, Day Two.
The challenge is setting in. We’ve just descended a large mountain and climbed another. We are tired. We have crossed the halfway point and the most difficult parts of the trail. The weariness is no longer a future concern—it’s here, in our legs, our backs, and our minds.
And it’s precisely in this place of tiredness—when we’re stretched, when we’re exhausted—that God speaks clearly.
God says, "Follow me."
This is the call. The call echoes across the pages of Scripture.
It came to Abraham: “Go from your country.”
It came to Moses: “Come, I will send you.”
It came to Isaiah: “Whom shall I send?”
It came to Peter, James, and John: “Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.”
It came to Mary: “Do not be afraid.”
There’s a golden thread running through all these stories: God calls those who are vulnerable. God calls the ones who dare to leave comfort and go on an adventure.
I’m reminded of the story from The Hobbit. Gandalf comes to Bilbo Baggins and invites him on an adventure. What does Bilbo say?
"Sorry! I don’t want any adventures, thank you. Not today."
Men, isn’t this us?
How often do we say:
"Not today, Lord. Not this adventure. I like it here. I’m safe here."
But something in Bilbo begins to stir. Deep down, he knows—he was made for more.
Bilbo was not made to stay hidden in his comfortable little hobbit hole. He was made to step out, to be vulnerable, to take risks, to be uncomfortable, and to embrace the adventure he was invited into.
We have tendencies of liking our hobbit holes, our Shire-like places, our lives of comfort.
But the call persists. Because the call is not to comfort.
It’s a call to vulnerability and to adventure.
This is the witness of Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati.
Frassati was vulnerable in Turin—he didn’t hide from the poor, the sick, or the broken. In fact, that’s where Frassati spent his life. That’s where he caught the polio that ultimately killed him.
Frassati was vulnerable before the Lord in adoration. He was vulnerable in confession, where he laid down his pride. He was vulnerable when he spent time with the sick and the poor.
But Frassati also climbed mountains. He also lived the adventure. For Pier Giorgio, vulnerability and adventure went hand in hand.
Brothers, the climb is not just on these trails. The climb is spiritual.
God is calling us. Right now.
But to say yes, we must be willing to listen. To be vulnerable. To leave the comfort of our routine. To step out of our Hobbit holes. To step out of our Shire.
The adventure of following Jesus is the greatest adventure of our lives. It will cost us our comfort. It will cost us our pride. It may even cost us our lives. But it is worth it.
So today, I simply ask:
Are we willing to be vulnerable?
Are we willing to go on adventure?
God is calling.
The question is: Will we answer like Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati?
Verso l’alto.
To the heights!
Fr. Ben Daghir
