Seeing Frandy Marilyn last weekend in the park, and the two of us breaking into the biggest grins, and then sharing a big hug. I spent a little bit of time with her after that and gave her some pictures from last year, and was left really happy after seeing her. She’s cutting coffee now, but hopefully going to live with her grandmother and Ledy in Tegus, the two of them working until they apply to the Pedagogical University (Marilyn) and the Agricultural University (Ledy).
Seeing Sandra in the park this weekend, and impulsively running down the street to catch her. She couldn’t make eye contact though, and talking to her I felt like I was slipping down a greased slide, trying to catch on to anything. I told her I was glad to see her, especially since I wasn’t sure I was ever going to see her again, and she said she was glad to see me, but I could tell that we both felt sad after parting. It was like I wasn’t supposed to see her and I forced Destiny into doing what I wanted it to, and I paid for it.
The pilgrimage of the Virgin of Suyapa to the Basilica in Tegus. The Basilica is unnecessarily huge and had nice stained glass windows, but they looked better in the pictures I took than in real life. There’s a legend that the statue of the Virgin prefers to be in the older, smaller and shabbier church, and often moves there on her own. But, although I couldn’t understand much of the service because of the huge echo, it was great to be in the midst of hundreds and hundreds of people from the parishes in our area, all so enthusiastic and fervent. That energy was really cool, but what was even better was the ten minutes we spent praying in the chapel where they keep the Holy Eucharist. It was such a reverent place, filled with so many very reverent people. While I was praying I felt the Holy Spirit fold me up in a quiet peace and love. It was a moment of security and clarity, and I received a lot of guidance from just that one moment. However, I know that it’s not just a product of that one moment, but of all of the moments I have spent since coming here a year ago praying, reflecting, participating, and just listening. While I was home I felt at times like it was put on pause, but since coming back, especially this week during the various services, I feel more and more at home in myself and in my faith.
Random thought from Holy Hour on Thursday: Jesus was both Man and God. If it is Him that we are to emulate and follow, we need to act, think and speak as both Man and God. That may seem irreconcilable, but it’s really not if we remember that we were made in God’s image. Not necessarily a physical image (we place too much stock in what He or we look like), but we were made in His image when we were given the Godly qualities and abilities of Love, Peace, Wisdom, Respect, Empathy...and now we have to remember the two greatest commandments, and live as humans in the expression and sharing of God inside of us. We can’t lean too far to one side--we should not wait until we die to live with God, but neither should we abandon or ignore our human happinesses, relationships, desires--if that was what was wanted of us, Jesus would have come as either a man, or as God, not both. How have I let God shine through my daily life today? How have I taken a moment to be human today? Have I given others the chance to express their own human and God-like nature today?
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