Home from the Monastery

Last weekend, Nathan went up to the monastery of St. John of San Francsico, up near Redding, CA with some friends. St. John of San Francisco lived in Shanghai first and later in San Francisco. St. John established an orphanage in Shanghai and worked many miracles. There are not many US saints, or recent ones, and he was both. He died in 1966 in San Francisco and his relics still remain there. I used to think that something like visitng relics was morbid or even superstious and un-Christian. But really, how many miles to people travel to get a celebrity's autograph, or even the annual family pilgrimage to the world of Disney (not that there is anything wrong with that). Why not travel even the few hours to see and venerate the relics of a beautiful saint? One who gave his life to save the world? Who are our heros, but them first of all? I think that we will try to make some pilgrimages in the coming year.

I was home alone for a while for the first time since we have been married. It was an interesting experience to have so much quiet, and one that I hope to repeat more often. I fared pretty well, mostly because it was only three days that Nathan was gone. But its funny how after two-and-a-half years, you don't sleep as well when your dearly loved one is gone. (Someone joked that they hoped that Nathan wouldn't take up permanent residence there. :) )Yay, Nathan is home again!