Jim and I did our first walk together out of the city of Lucca, through its pleasant suburbs and soulless industrial parks. Jim observed how brightly colored the homes were — burnt umber, brick, deep yellow — and how lovely these colors were offset by the green growing things. Isn’t that part of the pleasure of travelling with someone? Sharing in their perspectives and finding details you might not notice? And then, for just a brief moment, we walked through a forest
if I had to choose, I would, of course, choose the forest, but there is an integrity to seeing where people live, where they work, and how it all fits together. God bless the homes and the labors of the people of Italy, and those of my people of Padre Serra.
Psalm 127:1–3: Unless the Lord build the house,
they labor in vain who build. Unless the Lord guard the city, in vain does the guard keep watch. It is vain for you to rise early and put off your rest at night, to eat bread earned by hard toil— all this God gives to his beloved in sleep.
May all your efforts be blessed, and may God count you among His beloved!
Much love from your priest,
Fr. Patrick
Ah the journey through life.
The opportunity to pause and enjoy.
Chris