by Sr. Brigid Corrigan MMM                             England                                                     20.03.2024

Perhaps it was during the invaluable time I spent trundling along on the Yorkshire buses through England’s beautiful countryside as a child that the seeds of a missionary vocation were sown.  Then I began to savour the stillness and serenity of the woods as I peered in from the roadside when the bus halted along the way.  I wondered what mystery lay within.  As we bounced along the country roads, I would let my mind wander to far away places.  While the wonders of life were unfolding, I’d reflect on the people I had heard about in Africa and what we had to share with one another.

That was a long time ago, but the memory of those peaceful moments on my journey remains with me.  Travelling has become part of life for many of us. Often, we can be so caught up with getting to our destination that the golden moments along the way may be missed.  All of us can recall the chance meetings – on trains, buses, boats, or planes, which turned out to be important in our lives, and blossomed into lasting friendships.  We remember too, the times of being kept waiting, be it in land rovers in Africa, waiting for the rivers to go down, or in airports for the fog to clear.  At first there was frustration because we had been slowed down, but gradually perhaps we recaptured the serenity and peace of our childhood as we discovered new joys in our waiting.  St. Paul, the great traveller and missionary, had many an escapade on his journeys, none more than on the journey to Rome.   While shipwrecked off Malta, he used each valuable moment (Acts 28: 7-10).

Our journeys too may be filled with surprises if we allow ourselves the time.  Let us pray for one another as we continue our travels in life, that setting out in faith, we will keep going, full of hope.  Above all, may we return to our homes when our work is done, full of thanks and love for those we met along the way.

First published by MMM in 1986