END OF THE YEAR

QUIET NOVEMBER DAY

END OF THE YEAR

Robert Trabold

Quiet day – no people – beach

empty. Full sunshine but stiff

 breeze. Colder air coming tonight.

Seashore – yellow –brown

dunes going to sleep – green

will return in the springtime.

Sky is vast – blue for now

clouds went away. Air clean

can see far to the ocean.

Ocean deep blue – rough

sea waves in the distance

white foam wild.

November – end of the year

like the waves of the sea

time marches on – fast.

Where will it all end?

Big mystery – life can be

hard so many wars – violence.

Like deep blue sea – sky

life are mysterious – many questions

few answers – nothing clear cut.

Vast ocean – blue sky are

beyond me. God – Jesus

vast – mysterious.

I know Jesus loves me

whole world. Will not

forget us in this vast space.

Sea – sky are beautiful

beauty is beyond me.

I cannot reproduce it.

Sign, behind it all

Eternal love – welcoming Father.

He knows our pains – loneliness.

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END OF YEAR – 2014

Robert Trabold

            I was fortunate this year to make two long pilgrimages. I made a two week one to Spain and visited Castilla y León where John of the Cross and Theresa of Avila worked, died and are buried. I also made another two week one to Québec, Canada and visited the many shrines in Québec city, Trois Rivières and Montréal. These trips were deep spiritual experiences for me. I visited shrines dedicated to many saints and the Blessed Virgin reminding me how God has worked in history to reveal Himself/Herself through the ages. While at the shrine, I participated in the religious life with the many other pilgrims showing me how the Lord continues today to reveal Himself. To make these pilgrimages, I had to make two long trips. I flew to Madrid from New York City and then by bus travelled to the various shrines. I drove from New York City to Canada and visited the shrines in three cities. Those trips were long and I took time out to travel so that I could spend some time in these holy places. I know that the Lord and the saints appreciated my effort. Taking these long trips to holy spaces reminded me that they are symbolic also of my pilgrimage on earth. My life on earth in one sense is a long trip and I am travelling to my true home which is eternal life. I am a pilgrim during my many years on earth.

            As we end the year 2014, it is good for us to reflect on our pilgrimage on earth and what it should mean for our daily life. This stepping back is important because we can become so involved and busy with our everyday affairs that we forget the ultimate goal of our life and earthly pilgrimage. This forgetfulness is very common because as humans, we are busy in our adult life with work, studies, family, and all the responsibilities we have. They can overwhelm us.  Also the world and its many material things can seduce us.  Our life can be orientated around money, having many nice things, etc. Also we can live with pride and selfishness and forget that we are just human beings who are finite and need the assistance of the Lord to direct our life with maturity and Christian values.

            It is a challenge then to keep in mind the ultimate goal of our life and pilgrimage on earth.  One of the things that can help us focus on the important things is our faithfulness to meditating twice a day in silence, each time for twenty minutes. When we take time out to meditate daily, we step back from our many activities and cares and sit in silence in the presence of the Lord. It is a deep encounter where we feel that God loves us and wants us to reciprocate with the same. If we are faithful during the years to this prayer, our life changes and becomes orientated to the way of God. We are no longer pulled in every direction but focus on Christian living and being a witness to this in the world. This is a challenge because our life in the world has its temptations and it is hard to stay focused on the true path.

            I am grateful that I made these two long pilgrimages to Canada and Spain because they are symbolic of my life on earth. I have to keep focused on the final holy place where I am destined to go. I am also grateful that the Holy Spirit has led me to the contemplative prayers movements that have blossomed in Western Christianity in the last fifty years. Taking time out and being faithful to the two periods of meditation each day keeps me focused on the true meaning of my pilgrimage on earth. In this trip, the Lord is calling me and all humans to a life of love with Him and this should permeate our whole self. This is no easy task and we have to work on it. With the years, we will grow in our awareness of how Jesus loves us and is waiting for our response.  This growth in love on our part will be the basis of our life and will not let us feel lost in our world with its many cares and problems. Things do not go always as we want them but in all things, Jesus loves us and will care for us. This gives us confidence in our pilgrimage on earth. There will always be rocky days but we know that the Lord is with us. As we end the year 2014, it is good for us to reflect on this which will help us orientate our life in 2015 to the holy pilgrimage to which we are called.

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