The Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes is worth the trip, no matter how far you have to trek. I traveled down there before beginning the Camino de Santiago because I wanted to ask the intercession and protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary on this pilgrimage.
This was my fourth time there, and each time has been special. In January, the town is pretty much closed up, so creature-comforts are hard to come by. That's a plus, as there are too many tacky stores selling cheap goods anyway. With all the commercialism in Lourdes, the walk from the train station to the Sanctuary can be an assault on the senses. But once you enter the Sanctuary, it is all tranquility and peace. Entering the Sanctuary is like coming home to an old friend. With so many pilgrims praying there year-in and year-out, only special things can happen there.
The Lord spoke profoundly to me about the importance of learning how to love Him all over again in a basic way. That's what is so great about messages from the Lord -- they are never too complex or hard to grasp. Usually the Lord asks us to do something that we know how to do (or have done before), but this time in a fresh, renewed way.
The Sanctuary is open from 5 am until Midnight each day. Last night I was there around 9 pm, and had the Grotto (where the Virgin appeared to Ste. Bernadette) almost all to myself. I was so privileged to be at the same spot that Mary spoke 153 years ago. It was sublime, holy, and memorable.
It's now off to Lyon (closer and closer to starting the Camino at Le Puy-en-Velay).
-Joseph
Monday, January 17, 2011
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Paris, Part 2
Greetings all,
I'm still in Paris, enjoying all the usual things (which in my case means architecture-- especially churches -- pastries, sightseeing, and eating).
So many have the wrong idea of Paris; they may think of it as a risqué city, full of decadence. Some think of it as the town that features the Eiffel Tower and the grand church of Notre-Dame. Others may view it as a place with a large, confusing airport. I can't judge others' experiences, but for me Paris is a wonderful city, with many delights and people who care about culture and beauty. Amidst this grand metropolis, it all somehow fits together and works well.
Take the Paris Metro (subway) for example. It is heavily used. No matter where you live in Paris you're only a few blocks away from a station. The price is reasonable ($1.50 no matter where you go), and where else can you actually open the door of the subway car before the train has come to a full stop? You have to love that feature. The trains are frequent, so waiting time is minimal.
This town is a haven for the epicurean in all of us. You can't walk on the sidewalk more than 50 yards without running into something that deals with food. In fact, in order to conceal my gluttony, I just eat at different pastry shops on the same day. Yesterday I was at the "Grande Epicerie de Paris" (huge gourmet food store) that just makes you want to move in.
This town also has an interesting Catholic history. With beautiful churches scattered everywhere and a tradition that stems back some 1,700 years, Paris can claim quite a few chapters in any church history book.
So what's not to like?
-Joseph
I'm still in Paris, enjoying all the usual things (which in my case means architecture-- especially churches -- pastries, sightseeing, and eating).
So many have the wrong idea of Paris; they may think of it as a risqué city, full of decadence. Some think of it as the town that features the Eiffel Tower and the grand church of Notre-Dame. Others may view it as a place with a large, confusing airport. I can't judge others' experiences, but for me Paris is a wonderful city, with many delights and people who care about culture and beauty. Amidst this grand metropolis, it all somehow fits together and works well.
Take the Paris Metro (subway) for example. It is heavily used. No matter where you live in Paris you're only a few blocks away from a station. The price is reasonable ($1.50 no matter where you go), and where else can you actually open the door of the subway car before the train has come to a full stop? You have to love that feature. The trains are frequent, so waiting time is minimal.
This town is a haven for the epicurean in all of us. You can't walk on the sidewalk more than 50 yards without running into something that deals with food. In fact, in order to conceal my gluttony, I just eat at different pastry shops on the same day. Yesterday I was at the "Grande Epicerie de Paris" (huge gourmet food store) that just makes you want to move in.
This town also has an interesting Catholic history. With beautiful churches scattered everywhere and a tradition that stems back some 1,700 years, Paris can claim quite a few chapters in any church history book.
So what's not to like?
-Joseph
Monday, January 10, 2011
Paris
This morning I arrived in Paris. Those transcontinental flights are always too long and claustrophobic. Either I'm getting fatter or the aisles in the planes are getting narrower.
I was going to leave on 25 January, but moved it up a couple of weeks.
If you haven't been to Paris, make plans to go. It's an incredible city, with something for everyone. I would never be so arrogant as to try and describe what it is, because I couldn't. Paris is a different experience for each person. It's a city with some of the most interesting nooks and crannies that you can imagine. Modern streets abut alleys that are several hundred years old. There are restaurants, pastry shops, and bakeries every fifty yards. Yes, this is my kind of town!
I have never understood why Paris gets a bad rap on the hospitality scale, as I have received nothing but kindness. Today at the airport a man just missed his bus going to a certain section of the city. Instead of saying "Too bad, the next bus comes in 30 minutes," my bus driver followed the other bus until this passenger could make a safe transfer. But I've seen other acts of kindness this very day.
So it's a big town... but filled with people with big hearts!
-Joseph
I was going to leave on 25 January, but moved it up a couple of weeks.
If you haven't been to Paris, make plans to go. It's an incredible city, with something for everyone. I would never be so arrogant as to try and describe what it is, because I couldn't. Paris is a different experience for each person. It's a city with some of the most interesting nooks and crannies that you can imagine. Modern streets abut alleys that are several hundred years old. There are restaurants, pastry shops, and bakeries every fifty yards. Yes, this is my kind of town!
I have never understood why Paris gets a bad rap on the hospitality scale, as I have received nothing but kindness. Today at the airport a man just missed his bus going to a certain section of the city. Instead of saying "Too bad, the next bus comes in 30 minutes," my bus driver followed the other bus until this passenger could make a safe transfer. But I've seen other acts of kindness this very day.
So it's a big town... but filled with people with big hearts!
-Joseph
Monday, January 3, 2011
January 3
I can almost guarantee that most everyone will be in a good mood on the following four days: Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, and New Year's Day. There's just a natural (supernatural!) ebullience in the people that you encounter on those days. This is natural and the joy felt is absolutely contagious.
I can also say that the first Monday of the New Year (today) brings with it a lot of less than joyous moods, as people go back to work and school. This is much less fun than opening presents, eating cookies and drinking egg nog around a beautiful fire in the living room.
I believe that we too often forget that Jesus' birth in Bethlehem of Judea renewed and reinvigorated humanity. Nothing would ever be the same after the Word took on human flesh. This includes us. Jesus came to save us from our sins, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin, but rather the brothers and sisters of the Lord, God's children by adoption.
I know that we believe that this is wonderful stuff... but maybe we stumble thinking how this applies to us as individuals?
It applies to each one of us through our faith, hope and dreams. The coming of Jesus the Christ anticipated the downfall of sin and death. His death and resurrection redeemed us. So we are a redeemed people, a people who have been "purchased back" from slavery to sin and death. This is cause for rejoicing.
But this joy sometimes only lasts until Christmas is over or the tree gets taken to the road. We can't allow fear to take away our hope; we can't let trepidation rust away our joy. We were created for very special things, so let's match our talents up with God's call. I doubt that God would give us a joyful idea if he didn't want us to follow up on it.
This is a new year. Just like the Magi risked everything by following the star to find the Christ, so too may we take appropriate risks in finding the Lord in new and different ways in 2011.
-Joseph
I can also say that the first Monday of the New Year (today) brings with it a lot of less than joyous moods, as people go back to work and school. This is much less fun than opening presents, eating cookies and drinking egg nog around a beautiful fire in the living room.
I believe that we too often forget that Jesus' birth in Bethlehem of Judea renewed and reinvigorated humanity. Nothing would ever be the same after the Word took on human flesh. This includes us. Jesus came to save us from our sins, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin, but rather the brothers and sisters of the Lord, God's children by adoption.
I know that we believe that this is wonderful stuff... but maybe we stumble thinking how this applies to us as individuals?
It applies to each one of us through our faith, hope and dreams. The coming of Jesus the Christ anticipated the downfall of sin and death. His death and resurrection redeemed us. So we are a redeemed people, a people who have been "purchased back" from slavery to sin and death. This is cause for rejoicing.
But this joy sometimes only lasts until Christmas is over or the tree gets taken to the road. We can't allow fear to take away our hope; we can't let trepidation rust away our joy. We were created for very special things, so let's match our talents up with God's call. I doubt that God would give us a joyful idea if he didn't want us to follow up on it.
This is a new year. Just like the Magi risked everything by following the star to find the Christ, so too may we take appropriate risks in finding the Lord in new and different ways in 2011.
-Joseph
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Change for the Good
I'm pretty sure that some will chalk up my desire to walk the Camino de Santiago as an example of a mid-life crisis. After all, I am mid-life (actually older than mid-life, since I'm 49 now and actuarial tables say that I probably won't make it to 98), and you could say that I'm in a "crisis." But before you jump to conclusions, let's examine how the word "crisis" is defined, as there are many interpretations for the word. The word "crisis" is from the Greek word κρινειν (krinein) which means "to separate, decide, judge." Merriam-Webster defines it as "an emotionally significant event or radical change of status in a person's life." Dictionary.com calls it "a stage in a sequence of events at which the trend of all future events, esp. for better or for worse, is determined; turning point." So I think that crisis is an excellent word in this case.
We don't want a crisis in our loved ones' lives, and goodness knows we will do anything to avoid a crisis in our own. The word "crisis" seems to mean an embarrassing situation for which we didn't adequately prepare or didn't have the moral backbone to withstand. Hardly! It's a time to critically look at our lives, where they came from, and where they're going. While no one likes to feel unsettled, shouldn't we welcome a crisis? Because if we handle the events well, our lives will be better than they are now. For example, if there's a bully at school, he's not going way. The one being bullied has to stand up to him for the situation to get better.
Often times we don't want people to change. Let's face it, we don't want to change! We have gotten to where we are in our lives by doing what we do, complete with our habits and routines. We prefer the status quo. So when someone in our life decides to change, or when events in our own life force change, we are unnerved. Change means doing something different; it means taking a leap of faith. That is often not a comfortable prospect.
When we have a crisis we don't want anyone to know about it. We fear that everyone will think that we're not as solid as we pretend to be. Truth be told, we sometimes don't mind a crisis in the life of someone else, as that will distract others from looking at our own foibles.
So we try to defuse the crisis, do damage control, and then stuff it in the closet, where the rest of our crises lie. As long as we can shut the door of the closet, we relax, thinking we have successfully managed the situation. But those crises could have provided the impetus to more healthy lifestyles, to new and interesting paths in our lives, and better put our God-given talents and abilities at the service of others.
Probably no one goes out looking for a crisis, but we must always remember that if we deal with a crisis well it can mean a newness and freshness of life that can restore our hope and joy. A crisis puts us at a crossroad -- when we have dealt with it we can better follow the right path for our ourselves.
Dealing with a crisis means using the wisdom that God has given, to see from where we've come and where we're going. To see what we've done well and to rejoice; to see what we've done poorly and to make improvements. It means discerning where we can really leave our mark, and how we can best use the time that we have remaining. It means avoiding the brambles that have ensnared us and following the path to which we've been called.
Don't fear your crises: they are God's wake-up calls to fuller service.
So thank God for this time in my life; also, be thankful that I'm going on the Camino de Santiago and not buying a sports car for this "mid-life crisis!"
-Joseph
P.S.: Let's check our closets today; they may need to be cleaned out!
We don't want a crisis in our loved ones' lives, and goodness knows we will do anything to avoid a crisis in our own. The word "crisis" seems to mean an embarrassing situation for which we didn't adequately prepare or didn't have the moral backbone to withstand. Hardly! It's a time to critically look at our lives, where they came from, and where they're going. While no one likes to feel unsettled, shouldn't we welcome a crisis? Because if we handle the events well, our lives will be better than they are now. For example, if there's a bully at school, he's not going way. The one being bullied has to stand up to him for the situation to get better.
Often times we don't want people to change. Let's face it, we don't want to change! We have gotten to where we are in our lives by doing what we do, complete with our habits and routines. We prefer the status quo. So when someone in our life decides to change, or when events in our own life force change, we are unnerved. Change means doing something different; it means taking a leap of faith. That is often not a comfortable prospect.
When we have a crisis we don't want anyone to know about it. We fear that everyone will think that we're not as solid as we pretend to be. Truth be told, we sometimes don't mind a crisis in the life of someone else, as that will distract others from looking at our own foibles.
So we try to defuse the crisis, do damage control, and then stuff it in the closet, where the rest of our crises lie. As long as we can shut the door of the closet, we relax, thinking we have successfully managed the situation. But those crises could have provided the impetus to more healthy lifestyles, to new and interesting paths in our lives, and better put our God-given talents and abilities at the service of others.
Probably no one goes out looking for a crisis, but we must always remember that if we deal with a crisis well it can mean a newness and freshness of life that can restore our hope and joy. A crisis puts us at a crossroad -- when we have dealt with it we can better follow the right path for our ourselves.
Dealing with a crisis means using the wisdom that God has given, to see from where we've come and where we're going. To see what we've done well and to rejoice; to see what we've done poorly and to make improvements. It means discerning where we can really leave our mark, and how we can best use the time that we have remaining. It means avoiding the brambles that have ensnared us and following the path to which we've been called.
Don't fear your crises: they are God's wake-up calls to fuller service.
So thank God for this time in my life; also, be thankful that I'm going on the Camino de Santiago and not buying a sports car for this "mid-life crisis!"
-Joseph
P.S.: Let's check our closets today; they may need to be cleaned out!
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Walking Instead of Driving
In preparation for making the Camino de Santiago, I am trying to walk as much as possible. Then when I start on the pilgrimage, it will be easier.
I'm working at the Basilica of the National Shrine in Washington, D.C. Getting there means a mile walk to the bus stop, then a 15-minute drive to the Metro, and finally a 40-minute subway ride (transferring from the orange to the red line). Getting back home means reversing the process. So it's approximately 90-minutes of travel each way (including roughly three miles of walking).
Normally, one would say, why not just drive? But besides the need to train for the Camino, I can see so much more by walking. There's no doubt that we can get more accomplished by driving everywhere and completing many errands. But often that just leaves us frustrated, anxious and tired. Walking changes the perspective. There's no doubt that we'll get less done, but we'll have more satisfaction, and the sense of being tired will be a wholly natural feeling, one that puts our minds and bodies in sync.
But there are other hidden pleasures with walking. Besides the great feeling that comes from exercise (and this type of exercise doesn't require using a dreaded elliptical machine at a health club) are the wonderful smells that accompany the walker. There's nothing like the smell of a fall morning, or the aroma of a fire burning in a nearby fireplace in the evening. It's hard to beat getting into a warm train after standing on a freezing Metro platform. And there's nothing like returning to a warm home (usually around 7:35 pm) after being out in the cold.
There's no doubt that you'll get less done by walking instead of driving -- but you'll see, feel, hear and experience more!
I'm working at the Basilica of the National Shrine in Washington, D.C. Getting there means a mile walk to the bus stop, then a 15-minute drive to the Metro, and finally a 40-minute subway ride (transferring from the orange to the red line). Getting back home means reversing the process. So it's approximately 90-minutes of travel each way (including roughly three miles of walking).
Normally, one would say, why not just drive? But besides the need to train for the Camino, I can see so much more by walking. There's no doubt that we can get more accomplished by driving everywhere and completing many errands. But often that just leaves us frustrated, anxious and tired. Walking changes the perspective. There's no doubt that we'll get less done, but we'll have more satisfaction, and the sense of being tired will be a wholly natural feeling, one that puts our minds and bodies in sync.
But there are other hidden pleasures with walking. Besides the great feeling that comes from exercise (and this type of exercise doesn't require using a dreaded elliptical machine at a health club) are the wonderful smells that accompany the walker. There's nothing like the smell of a fall morning, or the aroma of a fire burning in a nearby fireplace in the evening. It's hard to beat getting into a warm train after standing on a freezing Metro platform. And there's nothing like returning to a warm home (usually around 7:35 pm) after being out in the cold.
There's no doubt that you'll get less done by walking instead of driving -- but you'll see, feel, hear and experience more!
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Ευχαριστία
You might be thinking that since I used Latin as a title for my first post, I now am using Greek on the second to try and impress everyone out there. Well, that's not the reason. The title of this post is the word Eucharist in Greek, which means, appropriately enough, Thanksgiving.
Thanksgiving has to be our ultimate attitude toward everything in life. It's more than being thankful for all the blessings that we have in our lives (which a great number of people probably did on this special day). It's about seeing every hurdle as an opportunity, about being thankful to God especially when we're in a difficult bind, about being thankful for the little things that give our life meaning and joy.
It's easy to say "Isn't God Good" when something wonderful happens. But can we say "Isn't God Good" when something which we consider inopportune or downright disastrous happens? It's not that we delight in bad fortune, but rather we are thankful for the opportunity to see what God has in store for us in his serendipity.
Think about it -- when we reflect back on our lives, haven't we learned more about ourselves through challenging times than through easy times? Of course we have. So wouldn't it be logical to just be open to and optimistic about the hurdles that come our way? Why? Because we know that they will ultimately teach us so much about ourselves, and will yield a bounty of God's grace.
This is what the Camino de Santiago represents for me. There will be a great deal of adversity along the way, but the grace of God will be omnipresent. What a tremendous opportunity this will be to see God's workings in action. If we want to see God's handiwork, we must confront (and embrace) adversity.
There's no way around it -- life is a journey, through which we must continually give thanks.
-Joseph
Thanksgiving has to be our ultimate attitude toward everything in life. It's more than being thankful for all the blessings that we have in our lives (which a great number of people probably did on this special day). It's about seeing every hurdle as an opportunity, about being thankful to God especially when we're in a difficult bind, about being thankful for the little things that give our life meaning and joy.
It's easy to say "Isn't God Good" when something wonderful happens. But can we say "Isn't God Good" when something which we consider inopportune or downright disastrous happens? It's not that we delight in bad fortune, but rather we are thankful for the opportunity to see what God has in store for us in his serendipity.
Think about it -- when we reflect back on our lives, haven't we learned more about ourselves through challenging times than through easy times? Of course we have. So wouldn't it be logical to just be open to and optimistic about the hurdles that come our way? Why? Because we know that they will ultimately teach us so much about ourselves, and will yield a bounty of God's grace.
This is what the Camino de Santiago represents for me. There will be a great deal of adversity along the way, but the grace of God will be omnipresent. What a tremendous opportunity this will be to see God's workings in action. If we want to see God's handiwork, we must confront (and embrace) adversity.
There's no way around it -- life is a journey, through which we must continually give thanks.
-Joseph
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