Pilgrimage Preparation Post #5

St. Olaf’s Way ~ Summer 2019

Pilgrimage Preparation Post #5 Bless Everyone You Meet 
This simple word “bless” has taken on a more complicated connotation for me in the last few years. It can be, as one friend reminded me, “a loaded word”. Let’s take a look at it. On a very simplistic side, if someone sneezes, we politely say, “God bless you!” National Geographic sites this everyday phrase belonging to the time of the plague in AD 590. Pope Gregory commanded that anyone who was sneezing was blessed immediately as it was the first sign that someone was falling ill with the plague. A command from Pope Gregory morphed into customary use, who knew? Christian denominations may denote individuals who have led holy lives as Saints and bless them with the rank of Saint. These are academic and easily understood meanings for bless, blessing, blessed.
Here is where it gets tricky for me. My handy online dictionary says: to be blessed: being endowed with divine favor and protection. I went to a gift store last week and noticed, decorative pillows, chalkboard signs and even tee shirts with #blessed or simply the word “blessed” written in lovely calligraphy. That is so nice, so lovely. But something niggles at me like a rock in my shoe, or Merrell walking boot. How can some be blessed in this world and some be starving, lonely, and clutching to their children at borders? The pilgrim sign instructed us to, “Bless Everyone You Meet”. But, do I have this power? Who am I to bestow, or withhold, blessings on others? Who is ultimately in charge of blessing distribution? Why can some have a pillow on their screen porch with #blessed and some have no pillow, just a look on their faces that is begging for the blessing of some kind of relief. How can I be a benefactor of blessing? This is  a hard one for me. The sign told me to do it, now what? 
I keep receiving blessings galore and yet I do not know why. It is humbling and I maintain an attitude of fragile anxiety, “why me?” My health has improved, my children, grandchildren and son in laws, are an absolute wonder to me, I have friends who make life rich and fun and good. On August 11 this year Berry and I will celebrate our 35th wedding anniversary!  I have more than I need of food and possessions and of course, I have Shadow, my 158 pound Newfoundland. As I begin my journey next week, there will be lots and lots of time to reflect and to come up with a less cloudy understanding of “Bless Everyone You Meet”. In my simple understanding, I will try to listen better to those I encounter, because I have wanted others to listen to me. I will walk in step with those who are struggling, because I have struggled walking these hard terrains. I will look for ways to just help out others. 
One of the greatest “blessings” I experienced was in Ireland during the summer of 2011. We were visiting Skellig Michael Island eight miles off the southwest coast of Ireland. Here there are ancient monastery “huts” that resemble stone beehives. Somewhere between the sixth and eight century a Christian monastery was founded on this remote island. Today the island is a nature preserve. I was immediately humbled by the dedication of these monks as the island is beautiful but extremely remote. Visitors to the island must climb over 600 steps to visit the monastery. We had just climbed Croagh Patrick a few days before and I was not excited about more upward climbing. Our leader for several days was a delightful, Irish man named Mossie Scanlon. He drove our bus, explained the history of every nook and cranny of this area of Ireland and had an excellent sense of humor. Mossie took us into one of these stone beehives and all of the sudden I received a blessing. It was so unexpected, so beautiful and I will never forget the chills that ran up and down my spine as Mossie broke into song. Here, listen, I will share it with you! Click on the video. 
Amazing! Right? I was so humbled by the magnificent blessing of this song. I wonder how I can be a blessing to others.