Every Possible Weather in a Day- all of it miraculous

Being here is quite like being in a cauldron whose broth is the Holy Spirit. Kind of a gross image, I guess , being " cooked" but that's kind of how I feel today. I mean, we are exhausted, thrilled, sun and wind burned, damp, and (now that we have hiked out of the Dunloe Gap to Kate Kearney's Cottage pub) warm and beginning to be filled with good food and good conversation.

Pilgrimage is best in places where this happens just in the course of the day.  We started out at Ross Castle- a well restored tower castle, got in 20 foot wooden boats piloted by men (Tom and Don) who had piloted all of their lives, and made our way across these huge lakes. Halfway across we began to get pelted with rain and wind and our boat stopped because of water in the gas lines. As we sat there waiting for the other boat to come (it did and we were fine...  

We got it started again, thanks be to God) it occurred to me that drifting in this torrential rain in the middle of one of the most beautiful places Id ever seen was a miracle. The whole day was a miracle. Being here and now is truly the greatest blessing there is. 

I mean, these kids (and adults, for that matter) live so far away from this kind of thing. We avoid rain and wind.  But within the rain and wind all of us felt God's presence in so many ways- the jack Russell terrier huddling for warmth under the tarps they gave us for our legs- the  boat in our group that pulled along side us and  took is toward our destination- the hot chocolate and coffee that awaited us in Dunloe Gap.  Miracles all. Thanks to you and thanks be to God.

T