With this week we take Faith on the Road to Inverness, Florida – just north of Tampa.
Two things stand out for me. First, our Lady has been heavy upon my heart and mind recently. We’ve recently watched a movie on our Lady of Guadeloupe on Pureflix and another documentary on Formed. Then, we watched ‘The Second Greatest Story” on Formed in which our Lady of Fatima plays a big role. This new year’s commitment is to reconsecrate my life to God through our Lady.
The next thing I realized during Mass, or re-realized is more accurate. The priest who celebrated Mass is from Africa. He started his homily by saying Merry Christmas in Swahili – “Krismasi njema.” He then ‘went around the room’, asking how to say Merry Christmas in the languages of this church. Spanish, Tagalog, German. This struck me that in our journey with Faith of the Road, we’ve visited 45+ different Catholic Churches from Florida to Maine to Pittsburgh to Cullman AL. No matter where we went or the ‘language’ spoken, the Catholic Church is the same everywhere. Go to Poland or Italy, or the Holy Land – you will know you are home even if you have no clue what they are saying.
Wherever you go within our Church, during Mass, Heaven touches earth. Jesus becomes present in the Sacrament of the Altar, the Eucharist. Holy water at the doors renew and remind us of our baptism. The Host of Angels and Saints sing ‘Holy, Holy, Holy’ and we join in.
frohe Weihnachten – щасливого Різдва – Feliz Navidad
Santo, santo, santo