In the Gospel of Luke, following the annunciation, Mary goes to see her cousin, Elizabeth. Feminist theologians and scholars have written about the importance of female friendship and kinship based on this scene in the gospel, and for many reasons, it's one of my favorite passages of scripture. I do believe that these friendships, or bonds of kinship are critical...when we can not understand ourselves, and yet others understand us on a deeper level than we think possible.
I have been privileged to experience my own visitation. Over the thanksgiving holiday, I made the decision to visit my dear friend, Jeffrey. Jeffrey and I, as you know, faithful reader, have taken pilgrimage together and are planning for another in August. But our story goes back further...to seminary 10 years ago. We were seminarians together at CDSP in Berkeley from 2005-2008. Both of us are second career priests coming out of the diocese of LA. So for three years we had breakfast at Yali's cafe and lunch on Eucalid. I have this great picture of us together, newly ordained, processing out of the pro-cathedral...all hopes and dreams for making the church and the world better.
It has been a long ten years since that photo...failed relationships, unmet expectations, questions about our calls. More than one dark night of the soul has been experienced. But this is why we have these kindred spirits...to welcome us when we're lost.
So this holiday, I went to Jeffrey's for a feast of cheese and champagne. To work through this most recent dark night of the soul,to begin to dream about Mexico City in August, and to experience Mary.
To begin with, I have been wearing a necklace I'd gotten out of the habit of wearing. I've been wearing it almost daily now for months. It has a Camino she'll from Alexis, a sand-dollar from Matt, a hand of Fatima I bought from the guy who over-prices his jewelry at General Convention, and three ---count them---three Mary meals on it. One is Guadalupe, one is a Miraculous MeMedal from France (courtesy of Viviane), and the third is a Miraculous Medal from the Shrine of Our Lady of Good Help. I'm like that guy in Brendan Frazier's "The Mummy" who wears all the talismans on a necklace to make sure he's covered). Anyway...
So the previous weekend I had been at Jeffrey's and seeing that he was deep into his unknowing, I decided it was time to really encourage him to welcome Mary...to give all his worries to her, and to remind him, as Viviane did recently for me, that Mary loves him. And that she has more than enough room under her mantle for his concerns and grief. So I brought for him on this visitation, a Miraculous Medal that I had picked up at the cathedral in New Orleans. I do this...I buy prayer cards and medals and milagros to give to people, without knowing who I will give them to.
While in LA, Jeffrey and I talked about it all...job uncertainty, broken hearts, burial plots, family chaos. But we also laughed...that hysterical, loud, eyes tearing up and sides hurting laughing. It's the kind of laughing I imagine Mary and Elizabeth did when they pondered the absurdity of their situations. How could this be? This wasn't planned. It's not three way we thought life would turn out.
Yet another lesson learned from Our Lady...we say yes, even when we don't know what's to come, how it will turn out, or who will greet us with open heart and mind.
I have been privileged to experience my own visitation. Over the thanksgiving holiday, I made the decision to visit my dear friend, Jeffrey. Jeffrey and I, as you know, faithful reader, have taken pilgrimage together and are planning for another in August. But our story goes back further...to seminary 10 years ago. We were seminarians together at CDSP in Berkeley from 2005-2008. Both of us are second career priests coming out of the diocese of LA. So for three years we had breakfast at Yali's cafe and lunch on Eucalid. I have this great picture of us together, newly ordained, processing out of the pro-cathedral...all hopes and dreams for making the church and the world better.
It has been a long ten years since that photo...failed relationships, unmet expectations, questions about our calls. More than one dark night of the soul has been experienced. But this is why we have these kindred spirits...to welcome us when we're lost.
So this holiday, I went to Jeffrey's for a feast of cheese and champagne. To work through this most recent dark night of the soul,to begin to dream about Mexico City in August, and to experience Mary.
To begin with, I have been wearing a necklace I'd gotten out of the habit of wearing. I've been wearing it almost daily now for months. It has a Camino she'll from Alexis, a sand-dollar from Matt, a hand of Fatima I bought from the guy who over-prices his jewelry at General Convention, and three ---count them---three Mary meals on it. One is Guadalupe, one is a Miraculous MeMedal from France (courtesy of Viviane), and the third is a Miraculous Medal from the Shrine of Our Lady of Good Help. I'm like that guy in Brendan Frazier's "The Mummy" who wears all the talismans on a necklace to make sure he's covered). Anyway...
So the previous weekend I had been at Jeffrey's and seeing that he was deep into his unknowing, I decided it was time to really encourage him to welcome Mary...to give all his worries to her, and to remind him, as Viviane did recently for me, that Mary loves him. And that she has more than enough room under her mantle for his concerns and grief. So I brought for him on this visitation, a Miraculous Medal that I had picked up at the cathedral in New Orleans. I do this...I buy prayer cards and medals and milagros to give to people, without knowing who I will give them to.
While in LA, Jeffrey and I talked about it all...job uncertainty, broken hearts, burial plots, family chaos. But we also laughed...that hysterical, loud, eyes tearing up and sides hurting laughing. It's the kind of laughing I imagine Mary and Elizabeth did when they pondered the absurdity of their situations. How could this be? This wasn't planned. It's not three way we thought life would turn out.
Yet another lesson learned from Our Lady...we say yes, even when we don't know what's to come, how it will turn out, or who will greet us with open heart and mind.