In the time of the first apostles, travel was most well known as something that happened in ships. Whether they travel on water, across deserts or through the air, ships still travel today, bearing their cargo to various and sundry destinations, for all manner of reasons.
Some travel for pleasure, while others travel for business. In fact, the customs card I filled out just yesterday asked the reason for this trip. Choices included 'business' or 'pleasure'. I've often puzzled about how to answer this question, especially when it pertains to a voyage such as the one that began a week ago now.
The reason for this trip was not strictly speaking based on 'pleasure' (alone) for those who made their way to Rome were there to witness a once-in-a-lifetime happening. The last time a Pope was raised to the altar, as the saying goes, and classified among the Blesseds would have to be quite some time ago, when John XXIII was accorded that honour eleven years ago.
Not every one of the Popes is a Blessed, and very few of them have reached the level of Saint. Perhaps that says something about the holiness of the ones called Holy Father, but maybe I'll leave that for the ponderers to ponder.
I suppose that when a priest travels to the Beatification of a Pope, one might consider it a business trip, but here too, I'm not sure that this was (strictly speaking) what was going on either. Many priests were present this week for the Beatification, but very few of us really had to take on any major responsibilities, so when I had to mark the customs card, I thought about closing my eyes and letting my fingers do the walking. In the end, I chose to tell customs that this was a 'pleasure' trip. In truth it turned out to be an education about sainthood, about always striving for holiness, and about never giving up because we are called to be like Jesus who himself has already shown us the way.
So, day one of this voyage was about travelling through airports and connecting to flights. It was about touching base with family and friends, crossing paths with acquaintences who haven't met in years, and about anticipating a moment of blessing for the Church ... ah, and about preparing for the crushing crowds who all had the same idea ... 'go to Rome. You need to be there.' When all the travel was done, almost 18 hours had ticked by, and of course because there are 6 hours of time change, this person's brain was convinced that an entire day had already gone by, even though the adventure had just begun.
Some travel for pleasure, while others travel for business. In fact, the customs card I filled out just yesterday asked the reason for this trip. Choices included 'business' or 'pleasure'. I've often puzzled about how to answer this question, especially when it pertains to a voyage such as the one that began a week ago now.
The reason for this trip was not strictly speaking based on 'pleasure' (alone) for those who made their way to Rome were there to witness a once-in-a-lifetime happening. The last time a Pope was raised to the altar, as the saying goes, and classified among the Blesseds would have to be quite some time ago, when John XXIII was accorded that honour eleven years ago.
Not every one of the Popes is a Blessed, and very few of them have reached the level of Saint. Perhaps that says something about the holiness of the ones called Holy Father, but maybe I'll leave that for the ponderers to ponder.
I suppose that when a priest travels to the Beatification of a Pope, one might consider it a business trip, but here too, I'm not sure that this was (strictly speaking) what was going on either. Many priests were present this week for the Beatification, but very few of us really had to take on any major responsibilities, so when I had to mark the customs card, I thought about closing my eyes and letting my fingers do the walking. In the end, I chose to tell customs that this was a 'pleasure' trip. In truth it turned out to be an education about sainthood, about always striving for holiness, and about never giving up because we are called to be like Jesus who himself has already shown us the way.
So, day one of this voyage was about travelling through airports and connecting to flights. It was about touching base with family and friends, crossing paths with acquaintences who haven't met in years, and about anticipating a moment of blessing for the Church ... ah, and about preparing for the crushing crowds who all had the same idea ... 'go to Rome. You need to be there.' When all the travel was done, almost 18 hours had ticked by, and of course because there are 6 hours of time change, this person's brain was convinced that an entire day had already gone by, even though the adventure had just begun.
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