I had an opportunity to visit St. Peter's Basilica in Rome this morning. It has been the week of the Jubilee Celebration of Catholic Art, and it closed with a mass in honor of Fra. Angelico, a famous Dominican artist. One of the brothers had gotten me a ticket to concelebrate. I really didn't want to go, having so much work to do, but I decided in favor of being with the brothers on this feast of one of our own, and I am really glad that I did.

My sister and her family.

It had been two years since I had been down to Lebanon, Tennesee (near Nashville) to see them, and I had to go to St. Louis for a meeting, so what's an extra twelve hours in the car? I am SOOO glad that I did! David and James had grown so much that I wouldn't have recognized them on the street! Why do we put off the things are most important, the people we care about most?

Heading west until I came to the canyon,
I remember I didn't get here
A year ago. I was going to meet Kathleen here,
once more at this place before
she died.

Now in this place of timeless spirits
We were again together.

Having been called here,
I stayed long enough to reverence this place
and these memories
and this call
and this life..

This morning started in Denver at our novitiate. It is the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord, from The Gospel of Luke 2:22-40. Jesus is presented in the temple and the prophets Anna and Simeon recognize him as the Messiah.

It was a glorious sunrise that morning over Denver, and at morning prayer we sang the Canticle of Jeremiah, Luke 1:68-79:

Out of God's deepest mercy
A dawn will come from on high

One of the reasons for driving out West is so that I could stop and see my sister Kathy and her family in Fort Collins, Colorado.

I started out from the Ashram in Kenosha, Wisconsin, on the shore of Lake Michigan. I'd spent the previous day fixing computers here and then just beiong with the community. Always a blessing. It was a lovely, crisp morning, about 5 degrees F and clear as a bell. The light was gathering over the lake, preparing for its return. The community was gathering in the chapel, preparing for meditation. I eased into the car and began my driving meditation so that the day would find me travelling.

The sunset Christmas day. Coming out of my brother's house after a great day of family and toys and games and food, I was caught off guard by the beauty of this sunset through the trees next to his house. I suppose it is very like the sunset many nights, but that does not make it less spectacular. It had snowed all day, but cleared up, so it was clear and crisp. The dark of the trees highlighted the colors and revealed the dark rushing to overtake the lingering light. But it was Christmas, and darkness was Life as well.

Sacred Heart Church, Wadsworth, Ohio

I grew up in this parish, so it is always a blessing to come back here. I always feel like a missionary sent forth from this congregation. It was here I learned my faith.

The Feast of St. Dominic, Sunday, August 8, 1999. We have been getting ready for this day all Summer; planning, preparing, inviting. Much of the Dominican family is here and we have been celebrating three days already with talks on preaching, family, and theology and masses of the Triduum. Now the day is here and the church is jammed with people.

Immediately before mass people are making their last minute preparation. Here is the all-dominican choir. They paused their rehersal for a moment so I could get a group photo.

The mass began with a long procession up the center aisle. On either side of the aistle stood the Order of Martin de Porres, a group of lay Dominicans that far outnumber the friars here in Lima. They were robed in formal black and white and stood at attention in the aistle the entire mass.