Out of Darkness Comes Light

This morning I woke up and for the first time since we've arrived in Madrid, the sky was overcast and it even appeared as though it was going to rain. Typically we have been awakened by the sun streaming through our windows and the oppressive heat bearing down on us as early as 9am. Today was bearable as we made our way to Catechesis. The mood of our group began like the weather this morning; some were recovering from illness, others fatigue, nonetheless, we trudged along like good pilgrims and sat down for our second day's lessons of praise and worship.

The church that we have been going to for our Catechesis is off of the beaten path and it was refreshing and comforting to walk in and recognize familiar faces and share warm smiles with others we had met yesterday. There is a gorgeous stained glass window that sits in the back of the church with a depiction of a dove with wings spread below the Eucharist in an array of colors. Today as we walked in and took our seats, the church was a little dark, due to the overcast sky outside and as we began singing our welcome song of the morning, the sun began to shine through the window and the church was filled with the colors of the stained glass and warmth of the light. It might have been my own perception, but I felt that in that moment, everyone in the church lifted their voices higher as though they knew God was listening intently to our praise and was literally shining His light upon us. It was an incredible moment and Abigail and I looked at each other and knew that we both felt that same sense of God's presence there with all of us.

It has been difficult at times to keep that mindset of God's presence being manifested in others especially when the crowds become overwhelming and people are pushing and swarming around you trying to squeeze past. Today the Pope arrived in Madrid and though our group did not go down to welcome him, the evidence of his presence was felt throughout the city. Today the Metro, which has been our main source of transportation around Madrid, decided to go on strike between the hours of 11-1 and 6-8:30. I'm not exactly sure of why they chose those specific times to not run, but it did shut down the system for those times when the Metro wasn't running. Abigail, Clare and I decided to do a little shopping today and were caught in the craziness of the people and other pilgrims waiting for the Pope to drive through the streets. Personally, I do not enjoy being pushed and shoved and pulled through crowds of people to make my way to where I need to be. However, I, as well as others, have learned to offer those inconveniences, fears and worries to God and pray for our safety along the way. We are truly blessed to be able to come back to our residence where we have quiet to reflect and be in community with one another. The time we are spending here is similar to how the day began; there will be dark times and difficult things that we will have to deal with, however if we allow God to enter into our lives, His light will shine through the darkness and be a beacon of hope for all of us to follow and carry with us.
-Emily

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