I had the privilege to travel to Philadelphia to see the Pope last week. It was a great trip and unlike any I have ever been on. It is something I will never forget. I traveled in vans of 15 each with 174 people from Minnesota. All of the people were in the Neocatechumenal Way, an organization in the Catholic Church that focuses on Christian formation of Adults.
I learned a lot of great lessons on this trip. Here are just a few of the important truths.
1. Humility: I have to admit I can be vain. I like to look good, even if I am going to the grocery store. I did not look good on this trip. We had no showers for five days! At first I stayed away from people so they wouldn’t notice how bad I looked, but then I started to not care what people thought. I had a long talk with Father Oscar about humility and he taught me that humility is the basis for all of the other virtues. I now know why. It doesn’t matter what is on the outside, it matters what’s within. On the last day, my seat mate said to everyone, “Wow, someone’s feet smell really bad.” Instead of staying quiet, I said, “It’s mine, and I am sorry.” We laughed about it. Those shoes are probably going in the garbage!
2. Seeing the Pope was not the Important Part of the Trip
When I left on Thursday, I told people I was going to see the Pope. They were so excited! I was too. The closest I got to the Pope was the picture you see at the top of the page. I did learn from the Pope while I was in Philadelphia through his words, actions and the Eucharist we shared together but he is no more important than the people weI encounter every day. Each person has a story, purpose and lessons to teach us. The people around me were the most important part of the trip. Their stories of courage, struggle, faith and joy were inspiring to me. I hope to never forget them!
3. God is at Work in America
It was so amazing to see the numbers of people who came to see Pope Francis. We yearn to have good in our life, it is how we are created. We get distracted from the good. A lot of time we watch the news and it is a torrent of bad news. Not this week! The Pope was in America and we wanted to be there, see him and feel the hope he brought with him. He left that hope here with us, each of us! It is our job to continue to have hope for a bright future. He brought a message of families, hope and God’s love for all people.
4. How Blessed I am
I learned this one the first night. I was dog-tired and we arrived at a Church and school who took us in. I was tired, cranky and hungry. I learned we were going to have a Mass before we ate. I was complaining, it was almost 11 at night! The people who were waiting for us were part of the Neocatechumenal Way in Ann Arbor, MI. It was a family with four children who had prepared an altar of beautiful flowers for us. The minute I walked into the room, it felt right. We should have a Mass. I will never forget the peace I felt walking into that room and the joy on the faces of the people around me. The Ann Arbor mother in the family had not celebrated Mass with a Neocatechumenal Group in about two years. She was beaming with happiness! I can celebrate every week if I want at Queen of Angels on Saturday night. I had taken that for granted, as I do with a lot of the blessings in my life!
5. There are no Accidents; you are Here for a Reason
Father Raul said this at a Mass we had on Monday at a seminary in Philadelphia. It reminds me of a saying by Albert Einstein (just the smartest person ever known), “There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.” I choose the second one. There are miracles in each day! Sometimes we just need to look for them because they are there.
I am so glad I went to Philadelphia on this pilgrimage. I learned so much about myself, God, and my mission in life; to show love because God is Love, to help others, and to go where I am needed.
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