Reading One: Wis 2:1a, 12-22 ;
Responsorial Psalm: Ps 34:17-18, 19-20, 21 and 23 ;
Gospel : Jn 7:1-2, 10, 25-30 ;
go to this page(for all three sections listed above on one page)
And here's some audio file; & reflections (video)
I had a wonderful day in the mountains of Asheville, NC yesterday and today, though poor old Charlie my dog was less than thrilled to come along for the ride. Poor dog, he's really old, especially for such a big dog. It took all his effort to just hop in and out of the SUV as we drove from Franklin to Asheville. I tried to do some blogging, but the net teather to my laptop was so lame, it was hopeless. No worry really, but I regret that it posted a garbled post, that I waited and waited to finish, before I just gave up - hence, the garbled post. Oh well, live and learn.
Here's a page with some pictures of my wonderful day at St Francis of Assisi Catholic Church in Franklin, N.C. and a few taken before the trip began. I included a pic of Brad, my tech angel who helped me learn as much about mobile computing in the few short hours I had before the clock ran out. And also a blurry pic (sorry) of the wonderful gift from Kim & Goose, a miraculous medal blessed by Mother Teresa to take with me on the trip, or give away. I chose to give it up to the prayer group at St Marks, with instructions to keep it a day, and pass it on to someone else in the group. It was so hard to give it up, and I suspect it will be just as difficult to each one who gets to have it for a day. And to ask for Mother Teresa to intercede on our behalf, asking Jesus to help us all on our journey through life, and to accept joyfully whatever God's will might be.
Yesterday was a very eventful day. Early in the day, I read a wonderful sentence that stayed with me all day yesterday and today as well. The words were from Pope Leo the Great.
Those who are unequal in their capacity to give can be equal in the love within their hearts.This was followed by mass with Father Tien and the delightful folks at St. Francis of Assisi. After mass, I spoke briefly to Father Tien and asked if he needed to have any work done, which he assured me all was just fine, so I suggested that I clean up the entrance to the church, which was littered with stray cigarette butts and some chewing gum stuck to the concrete. He offered some wise words, effectively telling me that if I was doing this him, there was no need - but if it was for a sacrifice for God, by all means, do it. In so many ways, it such a blessing, and I was filled with the grace that only comes from God, and filled up a bag with litter, scratched the gum off the cement with a stick, and just whistled my way through a task that was very easy, a burden so light it made my heart happy. I was also motivated by all the kind words from the people at St. Francis, the true church we are all part of, in the joy we share in our love of Christ.
Time to hit the road... But where? I was planning to go to St. Joseph's but that got altered as I followed another course. Asheville! When I arrived at Asheville, the first stop was St. Lawrence Basilica - wow! what a beautiful church. How happy I was to find a little alcove with the Blessed Sacrament to the right of the altar. Very beneficial time was spent in the company of Jesus, present in the quiet reflection of adoration, and I read some wonderful words in the many books there to assist in the quiet time.
Poor Charlie the dog, was in the car with windows rolled down, while I was in the alcove. When I arrived at St. Lawrence, I was only planning to take in a quick tour of the church, so I could find my way easily on Friday morning for daily mass at 7:30 am. But this plan was sidetracked by the chance to spend time in adoration. Anyway... that's my excuse for forgetting that I had my cell phone still on, and indeed it is the truth, though I certainly should have remembered to turn it off before I went in the church. Ooops. I got a call, followed by another call from my lovely daughter, and I was concerned it was something I needed to attend to. So I left the alcove and went to see what my sweet daughter needed, and returned the unanswered calls outside the church. I spoke to her briefly, all was well, and checked in on old Charlie the dog, who was not doing well at all. All the hours on the road had taken its toll, and I poured him a cup of water which he gobbled up quickly. Oh NO! No water left in the bottle, & I realized he really needed some more water badly, and went to go get him some. Unfortunately, the church did not have any bathrooms - or least there were not any I could find. I checked in the gift shop, but they had also left for the day, or for lunch. There was no one to ask... where is some water? As I said, old Charlie is really old and I knew he needed some water, and he needed it right now!
There was some water available, but it was Holy Water, one of those big containers with the spout that fills the small dish below. I did not know what to do, and perhaps I panicked, but I remembered the story of how David fed his soldiers that he loved with bread that was forbidden to all, except the priests. But David felt he had no choice, as his men were starving. So I asked God to please forgive me, but I felt I had to do something that was ill advised, because my poor dog really needed a cool drink. And I filled a cup for him with Holy Water, which he received with such joy it is hard to describe. Having been around many folks in the church, I also surmised that to many - this was not a problem at all. While to others, it might be deemed a terrible sin and disrespectful. My heart felt I had no choice, I looked and looked for water, but there was none, and honestly felt it was a life and death matter with a wonderful companion who offered me nothing but a sweet and gentle love. I think both sides are correct too. It was disrespectful, but I also was stuck in a position where I felt it was my only choice. May God have mercy on me, and search my heart for my true intentions. I didn't know what to do. I was lost.
The experience reminded me of something I learned on my faith journey in life. Basically - that God is so big, we must seek Him in everything, and in everyone. Often two views, seemingly in opposition are both partially right, and both partially wrong. I have often wondered about this, as the Gospel is so full of ambiguity and conflicting opinions, yet both sides have Divine merit and truth, even while it might seem on the face of it, that only one view can be correct. I was reminded of my days sculpting in college, about how you needed to always walk around the piece you were working on, and constantly chisel away from all sides and angles. If you only worked on one area, it made the sculpture a real mess. And if you are working on a subtractive work (chisels and removing material, as opposed to clay works, which are additive, meaning it is easy to just stick on more clay where you got a little aggressive on removing clay) - you really needed to move around the sculpture, and take it in from all sides. I think it is also this way with drawing closer to God - you need to listen intently to views that differ from your own, and take it in with the utmost consideration. If you only allow your own views to be accepted, the piece of work - you, gets all messed up.
I was very thankful to remember that some dear friends from college lived in Asheville, and I decided to give them a call to say hello and ask in all humility, if they might be so kind as to offer me and Charlie a place sleep and rest our weary bones. Their kindness and generosity made it easy to see how God was with me this day, as I received a wonderful Indian meal, and a bed to sleep on. Charlie was thrilled to sleep outside under a covered porch, and the next morning he had such a spring in his step, there was little doubt he was feeling much better after a hard day. We enjoyed a quick cup of coffee, and I was off again to St. Lawrence for mass, followed by some more time in front of the Blessed Sacrament. What a wonderful way to begin the day. As I left the alcove, a gentle woman reached out to grab my hand and wish me well, reminding me what a lucky man I was to begin my day this way. The words were so kind and offered with such sweetness, it only added to the amazing experience of adoration. God is great!
Please pray for Charlotte, Peter, Amelia, Louise, Florence, Stewart, and Morgan - who are all suffering from various forms of illness. And please pray for me, if you are reading this post, it is pretty clear I am at times a man in great need of all your prayers. Thank you, and may God bless you, keep you safe, and make your joy complete.
