Feast of Saint Paul Shipwrecked

Good morning. Today I awoke with a special feeling of appreciation for being married and having an appreciation for having a sacramental sense or understanding of what that actually means. This past week I was away from home on business and throughout the week it occurred to me that so many folks see things differently. As Jesus admonishes Peter in today’s Gospel reading, I find myself surrounded by so many reminders that the world in which I live likewise does not see things “as God does, but as human beings do.” Throughout the course of this past week as I was surrounded by lavish accommodations and as I sat enjoying Muscovy Duck Breast with Spicy Plum Sauce with my colleagues, it occurred to me that there was a longing for something far more meaningful. It occurred to me that my inability to relate to some of the events and surroundings of this past week was because I see things differently than some folks. I did encounter a great many wonderful people and I made some friends. It was indeed my pleasure to encounter a number of people who give so much of themselves helping others see their way through from various shipwrecks of their lives. We all encounter shipwrecks and I guess the difference is in how we choose to respond to those various challenges. The difference for me as I give some thought to the experiences of this past week is that I see things as a person 31 years married and that sense of who I am keeps me focused on something far more important than duck with spicy plum sauce. Despite how lavish the accommodations it could not measure-up with what I was longing for. I now am back home and no longer longing. I guess the difference for me as it was for Saint Paul, whose life we celebrate today, is in the direction we take and what guides the choices we make. As Saint Paul noted, if God is what directs our voyage, not one of us will be lost but only the ship. Make a great day!

Today we recall the good life, gifts, and works of Saint Paul Shipwrecked.