Dear friends, if our churches were open this weekend, many of us would hear the Gospel about the raising of Lazarus. It is one I’ve reflected on often, and I’d like to share one of my meditations on it with you.
Just click below and let the Holy Spirit guide you. Share it with as many people as you think need it, and if you can’t get it to work, shoot me an email and I’ll send it to you directly
Out of the Darkness
PS: If you see this on Facebook, it crossed over automatically. I gave up social media for Lent so I won’t see your comments there – leave them here instead so I am sure to get them!
Last month I
had the incredible experience of hiking the Camino de Santiago in Spain. Here’s
the second installment about the adventure!
An often-repeated
comment by people who have hiked the Camino is that they were touched by others
they met along the way. (Have you seen the movie The Way? If so, you
know what I mean). I expected to make new friends in our pilgrim tour group,
but I didn’t expect to be moved by strangers on the walk. As always, God is
full of surprises.
One morning,
after snapping pictures of several beautiful vistas, I accidently dropped my cell
phone into the zippered air vent of my jacket instead of the zippered pocket. Did
the walkers 500 feet back see it fall? Or did they just happen to find it? Did
the Holy Spirit point it out to them?
All I know is that from my spot on the road ahead, I gradually noticed
their shouts: “Amigo! Friend! Pilgrim! Peregrino! Hey!”
When I finally
turned around, a couple was quickly approaching, the woman frantically waving my
cell phone above her head.
“Thank you!” I
exclaimed, my heart pounding and panicked at the thought I almost lost it. For
the next few hours I thought about my excessive affection for my phone. It’s loaded
with pictures and important contacts to be sure, but after all, it’s just a
phone. What other possessions am I overly attached to? I remembered the admonition
to enjoy the blessings and gifts God gives you while you have them, but
graciously let them go when it’s time. It gave me something to pray about for
the rest of that day.
These
were not the only kind strangers. Although nature provides plenty of outdoor
bathroom space along the trail, most hikers try to use an indoor one.
Twenty-two years ago, my baby sister got married and recently I reminisced about little snippets of that day.
I remember my sister’s beautiful dress and how sweet and young she looked. I remember mixed look of pride and hope and worry on my parents’ faces. I remember Neil sneaking outside to take a few quick puffs on his cigarette anytime an opportunity presented itself, meeting other relatives over their common vice. I remember Gina twirling and twirling with abandon on the reception dance floor as her dress flew in wide circles around her. And I remember dancing a bit crazily myself with my sisters to the immortal words of Sister Sledge: “We are family. I got all my sisters with me…all the people say can they be that close?” Continue reading →
