February 21, 2010
Dt 26:4-10/
Rom 10:8-13/
Lk 4:1-13
One of the most important people in my life is a teacher. She’s retired now. For several years I was her student. Later I was privileged to work with her as a colleague. She was a world traveler. Each summer her religious order would send her somewhere exotic-an international ecclesial meeting in Africa, a conference for woman in the church in Asia.
Each fall I would talk to her in the copy room: “Where have you been?” I wanted to live in vicariously through her travels. I also wanted to know about whom she’d met, what she’d learned, what talks she’d given. She went to Hong Kong on ne trip because she was already going to Korea. She was in neighborhood, so why not? Sister D had a big neighborhood.
She introduce me to her kindred spirit, Egeria. You’ve heard of the church Fathers, like Augustine, Ambrose, Gregory of Nyssa? She had us read all of them. She also had us read the Church Mother, Egeria. Probably from the late of fourth century, her Travels, or at least big chunks of it, was lost several countries until it resurfaced in the late 1800s. Egeria came from the West and toured the Holy Land, writing about Christian customs, observing, interviewing, interacting, and pollinating the greater Church with tales from her journeys.
Egeria has vivid description of different Lenten practices in Jerusalem. Some fasted for a day. Some took one meal. Some fasted the the whole week, eating only on Sunday and Saturday. She has an interesting observation on the diverse practices: each person does was he or she can; no one is criticized or praised for his or her particulars (travel, 28: 1-3).
The communion of saints offers us a rich collection of fellow travelers becoming Christlke, and more than a few characters.
THOUHG FOR TODAY: It is suggested that we walk a long distance in another’s shoes in order to understand and appreciate him or her. During Lent, let us try to walk in the shoes of Christ in order to appreciate all that he has done for us. What he has done for us let us, do for others.