Traveling
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An Unexpected First Communion and “Becoming” Greek Orthodox — Part 2
If you haven’t read Last weeks post to understand the background and the differences between the Greek Orthodox Mass and a Roman Catholic Mass, you might want to go back and check that out. In a nutshell, we found ourselves with no Roman Catholic masses available on the Island of Santorini, but a very active Greek Orthodox church. In this scenario, a Roman Catholic is allowed and encouraged to attend the Greek Orthodox services and even to receive communion — if the Greek Orthodox priest will allow it — as we share this Sacrament in common with the Greek Orthodox. The only catch is many Greek Orthodox will not allow…
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An Unexpected First Communion and “Becoming” Greek Orthodox – Part One
Okay, I guess I should say up front, that — spoiler alert — our family is still Roman Catholic, but after having spent a week and a half in Greece and experiencing their different rite of worship, we feel a kinship with them that we hadn’t before felt. Maybe I should begin by saying that the Greek Orthodox are Catholic, but they are Eastern Catholics who split from the Roman Catholic Church in 1054 (not to be confused with Byzantine Rites that are Eastern Catholics who recognize the Pope), and there is a history of tension that still exists between them. This tension is over a few differences, including but…
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Shaking Off the Shroud of Fear
This last year and a half has been very interesting, to say the least. Though, to be honest, if you look at history, what we’ve experienced the past 18 months is not really all that unique and not anywhere close to the worst pandemics we’ve had to deal with. Perhaps the difference is that we have white-washed death and dying to such an extent in our culture that many people have actually forgotten that one day they will be dead and buried — 6 feet under — and there is absolutely nothing we can do to change that reality! Perhaps we’ve all become great, big control freaks and finding ourselves…
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It’s Been a While and Where I’ve been
Well, hello there! It’s been a while! Truth be told, it’s been one of those summers where I was just keeping my head above water. We had graduation parties and home improvements and we were getting ready for an epic family pilgrimage adventure, following the footsteps of St. Paul in Greece. I have to admit, I lost a lot of sleep over this trip. I can’t explain it but to say that the world has gone a bit crazy and to leave the shire that is our home and step into the craziness of bureaucracies and rising covid numbers in far off lands — in the middle of this never-ending…
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Barcelona & Staring at the Darkness For Too Long
A few years back, we took our kids to hike a section of the ancient pilgrim path known as the Camino de Santiago. It was on this hike that we had a birds-eye view of a large statue of Jesus, overlooking the city of San Sebastián, Spain. Honestly, we needed that perspective. We needed it because we were trying to regain hope in our hearts. Only a few days before, we had arrived bleary-eyed in Barcelona, and no sooner did we step foot off of our metro, but John was pick-pocketed. Welcome to Barcelona. Oh boy, not the best way to start a trip! Perhaps in retrospect, that rude awakening…
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A Family Hike to St. Anthony’s Chapel in Korčula
Remember when we used to be able to travel? That was fun, wasn’t it? Anywho it’s all going to be okay. Really, it will. In the meantime, there are plenty of adventures you can scrounge up wherever you are around the world. If you find yourself “stuck at home” this summer, finding a local shrine and creating your own family pilgrimage for the day is an awesome way to break up the regular routine and make some memories. Added bonus: it doesn’t have to cost you a penny — and just maybe, you will discover a fondness for family hikes you never knew you had. Extra bonus: it expends all…
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When Beauty Broke Through
“Beauty will save the world” Fyodor Dostoevsky This is a story that didn’t begin so well. It begins with a family of 8 on a bus, weaving around narrow highways to reach the top of a mountain. Don’t get me wrong. The views were fantastic, and it was the only way to get to the top of this mountain without paying an arm and a leg for a 5 minute cable car ride. But I happened to be in the front of the bus with the little guy and the rest of my family was in back — growing ever more nauseous as the bus twisted and turned around the…
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Once Upon a Time in Melaka a.k.a. Making the Case for Pilgrimage
Technically, John and I made our first family pilgrimage to Rome when our oldest daughter was still in utero. Understandably, our life with littles quickly transitioned from world travels to beach travels — and somewhere along the way, we began to lose sight of the importance of pilgrimage. Maybe it was because I assumed deeming something a “pilgrimage” would bring with it extra sufferings and hardships, and I was barely keeping my head above water with so many littles in the mix, as it was. Whatever it was, we likely would have kept choosing family vacations over pilgrimages if it wasn’t for an opportunity that John and I had to…
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Why We Travel With Our Kids
Summer is here and the living is easy. It’s time to start thinking about your next family adventure. Yeehaw! Don’t get me wrong. There is most definitely a time and a place for couple getaways and weekends with friends — but what if you began to see your family as the best partners in any travel adventure? Please note that I didn’t say they are the best partners in a relaxing or spa-like getaway — no, no, no — anybody who has ever traveled with a bunch of kids knows you will likely come home exhausted and ready for another vacation. So get words like “relaxation” and “spa-like” out of…
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Hiking Croagh Patrick and Discovering the Real St. Patrick
Find yourself at a typical bar or pub in America on St. Patrick’s Day, and many a person might be surprised to discover that St. Patrick was not actually a beer guzzling leprechaun. It isn’t likely to win you any friends at the pub on St. Patrick’s day — but it is a point worth making. In fact, Patrick was an amazing warrior of a man. His memory deserves to be kept alive because he had an heroic love for people that once oppressed him — and that love helped transform an entire nation of people. So go ahead, enjoy a pint or two on St. Patricks’ Day — but…
