May 7
The Pilgrims Journal

Next stop on the pilgrim tour, Assos, an ancient city where Aristotle lived, and St. Paul visited. Well not exactly at the same time, but you get the idea. Wow, this ruins of this city are on a hill over looking the Aegean sea. You can even see the island of Lesbos across from it.
I am feeling moved about the visit of St. Paul to this ancient city in which many were contemplating the meaning of life. But, it seems not many really understood Jesus as the Way, the Truth, and the Life. And how many today truly understand? All along our journey there in Turkey to every ancient city we visited, there were Shepherds tending their flocks, and I felt the Shepherd himself, Jesus, tending to us, nurturing and guiding us in such a loving, gentle way. And isn’t that also the message that St. Paul was preaching back then, that Jesus whom they crucified, was loving, kind, and merciful, and that He himself would Shepherd them guiding them to everlasting life.

From Assos we walked down the hillside and continued on to Troas, another ancient city visited by Paul. There was not much unearthed yet in this ruin, but the synagogue which was later converted to a church was exposed there. Amazing grace, that is what I felt there, and it was there in that ancient place where St. Paul preached, and even raised someone to life who had fallen from and upper floor during his sermon, that we were able to celebrate Mass. Isn’t God amazing how he worked all of that out for us? I think that I was so moved by his grace in this place that I had to be conscious of not falling over myself.

God’s love continued to be poured out that day, and when we went back to the bus we found out that finally the bus driver’s wife had delivered her new baby girl. What a gift of grace! We had been praying for her our entire trip, and this was her second time in the hospital. The first time in they wanted to do a C-Section, but it seems that God had other plans.

Praise God and the glory of His creation to Adem’s new baby daughter! Thank you God!

All you works of God, every mountain, star, and sea.

Praise the God of all creation who has called us all to be!