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Reflections from the back of the bus - Berea
25th June, 2009 - Posted by Ursula Stephens -
Our outdoor Mass at Berea was very spiritual. It would seem the Altar of St Paul is used by many pilgrim groups. Our reading (Acts 17) allows us to reflect on St Paul’s treatment by the Thessaloneans.
Archbishop Mark explains how Paul would have used his Jewish connections as an entree into the communities where he preached and so he preached at the synagogues to Jews and those “men and women of influence” who operated on the margins of the synagogues - Gentiles who did not want to embrace the rules and strictures of the Jewish faith but who were drawn to the evangelising messages of St Paul.
We are called to communal action through the Pauline mission.
We travel on to Thessaloniki the second largest city in Greece. After dinner we take the opportunity to walk down to the port and along the ancient streets the huge city centre where Paul would surely have walked so my centuries ago.
Today we’ve taken another 18000 steps in his footsteps.
“Happy are they who find their strength in you, whose hearts are set on pilgrimage” Psalms 84:5
Tags: Archdiocese of Canberra and Goulburn, footsteps of saint paul, pilgrimage, st paul, Ursula Stephens
Posted on: June 25, 2009
Filed under: Reflections from the Back of the Bus
1 Comment
Pilgrim watcher
June 25th, 2009 at 7:56 am
Hello Ursula,
Thank you very much for continuing to post such descriptive and informative posts. I’m really enjoying them! With all that walking and clambering up and down hillsides to visit monasteries you’ll all be very fit by the time you get back to Canberra. You must be exhausted though! That’s a great many steps you’re taking every day. But. as you’ve commented, it pales in comparison with what Saint Paul did. I hope too that the weather has cooled down for you. Ursula, a question if you don’t mind: you seem very well versed in scripture and the places you’re visiting. Did you do a lot of study before you set out or did you know all this beforehand? Do you think the trip would have been as enjoyable if you didn’t have all that knowledge? Many thanks again for the great posts and all the photos. I hope you’re all well and continue to enjoy your trip.
You’ve all missed Ozgate / utegate or whatever name you care to give it. We’re having a political scandal while you’re all away visiting monasteries and praying at all hours of the day and night. It all started on Friday when a Treasury public servant contradicted the Prime Minister and the Treasurer. And day by day the plot thickens. At first it was all about the poor public servant; but now it seems that said public servant might have had a special, and many say inappropriate, relationship with the now Opposition for several years. There’s a different revelation every day. The latest is that the poor guy is in hospital. He certainly looked very stressed and unwell on Friday night’s news. And that, for those of you who are interested, is the main political story out of Canberra this week. I think they’re all hoping that nothing else happens before Parliament rises tomorrow.
God bless and happy travels.
Pilgrim watcher
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