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I now have the luxury of discretionary time most mornings. Prayer time is less rushed and more relaxed. It is better to nourish the spirit before tending to the flesh.

So Jesus was an early riser. So am I, provided you consider 6 a.m. early. Continuing on, the Gospel of Mark relates that Jesus “went off to a lonely place in the desert; there he was absorbed in prayer.” My imitation of Christ is less literal.

In prayerful solemnity, we walked the Way of the Cross through the maze of streets that create the enchantment of the Old City. Here Jesus walked, or, as we had become accustomed to say: “Here Jesus walks.”

“What was the most impactful event of the trip?” my friend, Jerry, asked about the pilgrimage to the Holy Land last October (Inland Catholic, De- cember 2018). While several occasions stand out, one was outstanding: the visit to the Kando Store in Bethlehem. “You mean souvenir shopping was the most signifcant event of the pilgrimage?” No, dear friends and followers.

My column for Inland Catholic gives me a compelling reason to revisit these days of pilgrimage. What did I see? What did I feel? What does it mean? For TLW of December, come with me to Bethlehem.

Not much attention has been given to Pope Francis’ apostolic exhortation Gaudete et Exsultate (Rejoice and Be Glad, The Call to Holiness in Today’s World) released on March 19, 2018, the Solemnity of St. Joseph. I liked it. One of the many things I like about Pope Francis is that he doesn’t churn out one encyclical after another. St. John Paul II had a hot pen. You never could keep up with him. Benedict XVI was restrained. Francis has followed Benedict’s example by not flooding us with a torrent of publications. But when it comes to personality and charisma, well, it’s a well to a waterfall. 

I enjoy singing. My modest vocal competence also has been an asset in ministry. While substituting at rural parishes in our diocese and in northern Idaho, I have witnessed the resolute efforts in music ministry where small parishes sing with a big voice. It’s not perfect. Sometimes. it’s a bit awkward when I can’t contribute my voice. I recall a Mass during the Christmas season when the music ministers prepared three Christmas hymns that nobody knew. While I appreciate the attempt to sing something new, three at one Mass?