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This is Laodicea, the last church community written to in the Book of Revelation. It is perhaps my favorite. Look at how the clouds made the perfect backdrop for a reflective mood. Part of the Silk Road runs through this ancient town. In its day it would have been teeming with people, horses, and carts. Alongside the main road through town there are stone tables where backgammon was played. You can just imagine two old men playing as they grumbled about politics or aches in their bodies. Now, it’s just an ancient ghost town. "To the angel of the Church in Laodicea, write this: ‘I know your works; I know that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either cold or hot. So, because you are lukewarm, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. For you say, I am rich and affluent and have no need of anything, and yet do not realize that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. I advise you to buy from me gold refined by fire so that you may be rich, and white garments to put on so that your shameful nakedness may not be exposed, and buy ointment to smear on your eyes so that you may see. Those whom I love, I reprove and chastise. Be earnest, therefore, and repent.’” To interesting things to point out: 1. Laodicea was known for optometry. They actually had eye doctors there and that’s why the references to blindness and eye ointment. 2. In the mountains in the picture, there is a place called Pamukkale. It has hot springs and the minerals in the water make it look like there are permanent fluffy clouds up there. Pamukkale means “cotton castle.” As that hot water flows down the mountain, it becomes lukewarm. Hence the reference to being lukewarm. It’s something the people would understand. It is easy to slip into a lukewarm faith, Catholic Pilgrims. Especially with all the comfort and ease many of us experience on a day-to-day basis. A lukewarm faith is no faith at all, So… Live the Faith boldly and travel well.
Continue ReadingThis is Sardis. It’s the fourth church community written to in the Book of Revelation. Sardis is out in the middle of nowhere in Turkey. All that’s left are these gigantic ruins. The countryside has filled the in the gaps and what was once a training center for warriors, is now a quiet monument to ancient days. Once I learned what Sardis was all about, the letter to the Christians there starts to make more sense. On one side, Sardis is surrounded by very high hills. At one time, like I said, this was a training ground. The building behind me was a gymnasium. Over the hills were enemies and the men had to be watchful otherwise they would be attacked. Now listen to what the letter says: To the angel of the church in Sardis write: I know your works, that you have a reputation of being alive l, but you are dead. Be watchful and strengthen what is left, which is going to die, for I have not found your works complete in the sight of my God. Remember then how you accepted and heard; keep it, and repent. If you are not watchful, I will come like a thief, and you will never know at what hour I will come upon you.” Basically, Jesus is telling the people here that their spiritual life is dead. They need to wake up and get with it, or like the enemies in the hills, death will come like a thief and attack. Perhaps the Christians living here were living more like the Roman pagans and giving in to the cultural pressures to live worldly lives. Jesus is reminding them to stay true to what they heard about the Good News and came to believe in. A timeless message for all of us, Catholic Pilgrims. Live the Faith boldly and travel well this Tuesday.
Continue ReadingThis is the Church of Mary at Ephesus. “To the angel of the Church in Ephesus, write this: I know your works, your labor, and your endurance, and that you cannot tolerate the wicked; you have tested those who call themselves Apostles but are not, and discovered that they are impostors. Moreover, you have endurance and have suffered for my name, and you have not grown weary. Yet I hold this against you: you have lost the love you had at first.” Here at the end of the liturgical year, we get a lot of readings from the Book of Revelation. Living in Turkey afforded me the opportunity to visit all seven churches that were written to in the Book of Revelation and I hope to share them over the next several days, as the letters written to those church communities contain valuable information. Ephesus would have been incredibly impressive in its day. It’s still impressive though it is in ruins. So many saints moved through this area: St. Paul, St. John, St. Polycarp, St. Justin Martyr and more. Our Mother Mary lived not far away from Ephesus. If you read the letter to the Church in Ephesus, you see that they are doing many things right. The Christians there are praised for their endurance, hard work, and discernment. But…they’ve lost the love. This is something we Catholics need to careful of, myself included. If we simply strive to be a bulwark against the ways of the world without doing it for love of God and neighbor, we will become bitter, negative people. If we seek to tough it out in this life without asking for grace, we will become joyless. Where there is no joy, there is no love. We must suffer well, endure hardships well, be on our guard, and be prudent, Catholic Pilgrims. But, to try and white-knuckle it, means love will be lacking and nobody will hear the Good News of Christ. Love makes the Christian life very attractive. Live the Faith boldly and travel well this Monday.
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