Border Crossings

Well, friends, today is our longest day and we cross

over to summer. We love summer as much as the

keeper does! It's a great passing over. The keeper's

friend who was dying passed on this morning early

very peacefully after a long hard battle with cancer.

She was such a fighter and such a fierce advocate for

hospitality and community. Funeral is Saturday, we hear. We

send love to her family and collection of hundreds of friends.

The keeper was off to a special first Mass at SU this morning. Fernando A was ordained in Spokane several weeks ago and has been celebrating with his family and friends in Texas and Cd. Juarez, Chih. The readings for today's liturgy were all about who's really in charge of the universe, and how God is with us in the all the ways we are to cross to the other side of situations, of our lives, and in the ensuing storms, storm invites us to trust in the power which created the wind and seas and us. Fernando in his homily talked about his trip to celebrate his first Mass outside Cd. Juarez, Mexico, the site of so much violence and desperation these days. He talked about how out of fear he almost didn't go, but it was his family's sadness and broken-heartedness and questioning if God had indeed abandoned all of them to the evils of the narco-traficantes and swine flu and femicides which called him to indeed cross over to the other side in spite of fear. He said there were over 1000 people at his first Mass there, including TV and radio coverage in this little outpost. And he believed that for the three hour celebration with bread and wine and the presence of the Living Christ his people were able to sense that Christ was still in the boat with them through this stormy passage, and they had a taste of hope, of joy, of some peace. And in his telling that story, the keeper said that his storm tossed family gained a whole new community in solidarity with them.

On a different note, I have discovered that the little sparrow has a nest at the base of the pampas grass. I was trying to hunt down those little birds, and the bigger ones hovered over me clicking in panic. It didn't help that the keeper kept taking my picture. And then she lured me away with chicken and "da bird" toy and I fell for it. However, I am sure they were impressed with my leaping skills. I am pretty quick on my feet.