Southbend, IN Hospitality

Even though the tour ended technically at the close of October, Brian and I joined Abbye and Jeff Pates for a quick drive from Memphis, TN to Southbend, IN to meet some friends at the Catholic Worker Community there. We arrived at the drop in center and set up some of the equipment. It was the first Friday of the month and so they had Mass and a massive potluck dinner. We enjoyed being together at Mass.

At the potluck, I sat at the table with one of our new friends, Biff, and a family with all six of their children there. They took up the whole table nearly and it was easy to see their parent's features in each of children's faces.

Speaking of children, I read the common revised lectionary before I went to church this morning. It struck me how the passages all seemed to relate to inheritance, children, redemption, righteousness, and reward. In Isaiah 58 the suffering servant receives a reward for giving up his life - an inheritance. In Hebrews, Jesus the Great High Priest, reclaims for the household of God many children. God redeems, gives righteouness, we become his children again sharing in his inheritance. Somehow though, and it isn't all clear in my mind (maybe because I just loaded up on Nyquil) the theme is that whole eternal family is the reward of righteousness and the goal of redemption.

I could feel some of that as Brian and Abbye and Jeff and I traveled together this week. I could feel it in some of the conversations that I was surrounded by at the Catholic Worker Hospitality House. I could hear and see it in the way the folks joined together in the liturgies of the Mass before dinner. It was there when we sang and shared songs and stories for the folks that stuck around to listen.

Good quick trip. I hope to make it up there again someday. Thanks Southbend. Thanks Margie and Biff.