Today was a day of travel and setting out on the road. Not knowing exactly what the Lord had in store for us after our overnight flight to Istanbul. We had time to get to know each other and to become accustomed to the time difference as we walked a bit blurry-eyed through the streets of Takism Park Square to find our way to the house of the Lord. Along the 2 mile road we marvelled at the wonderful mix of modern and ancient culture in the people from the traditionally clothed women in long dresses and scarfed heads to the innocence of youthful school children costumed in their Turkish dance clothing; we marvelled at the wonderful mix of modern and ancient culture in the buildings from the high rises changing the distant new city skyline to the 2nd-4th century aqueducts and old stone city walls; and we marvelled at the wonderful mix of modern and ancient culture in the food before us from the American influence of McDonalds and Burger King to the Turkish Delight, Turkish Kebobs, and Turkish pancakes. From all around us the heartbeat of the people seem to say as one man along the street said to me, "Welcome to paradise." But Paradise is not of this world, so what was the Spirit of God speaking to us today.
It truly is a place of coming together! Mostly I just marvelled at the Lord. He led us down this amazing street that about 2.5 million people a day walk and our destination was St. Anthony's Church. When we found it, we went inside to pray and rest in the Lord. And truly we did find it, we all felt a coming home. Surely this is the Paradise the Lord is drawing us to, a coming home in Him. Just before we left the church after lifting up all of our prayers and yours before the Lord, I met a woman who told me a bit of her story. She introduced herself to me a an Ethiopian refugee. She said she has been here in Istanbul for a year, but that it is hard for her. She said the people at the church were helping her. I felt the warmth of God, and assured her of our prayers. So we all went on our way, and I spoke of her need to the members of our group that were with us.
Later in the evening the rest of our group arrived in time to share a meal together and then to have Mass, the real meal, as we joined in our hearts with Jesus sharing in his Word and in the breaking of the Bread. Sitting there hearing the Word of God from the Acts of the Apostles, I understood just how present the Holy Spirit was with us today. In the reading Philip was sent out to minister to an Ethiopian eunuch to share the Word with him, life through Jesus, and he baptized him. Philip was taken up by angels as the Ethiopian went away rejoicing. God revealed himself to us through the witness of the Ethiopian woman taking refuge in Istanbul and being helped by the church.
As a group we lifted up her need as well as yours.
And our prayers rise like incense before us!
So we pilgrims have set out on the road with the warmth of the Holy Spirit in our hearts and the hand of the Lord himself to lead us to Paradise, as we too are drawn deeper into His heart sharing His love with the travellers on the road before us.
