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About this blog
Two years ago we were blessed with the opportunity of visiting Portugal for our 50th wedding anniversary. Our youngest daughter, our sweet rebel, had been to Fatima 2 years before had come back to the church after the experience. So needless to say my husband and I were so excited to go back with her to this holy shrine. I had all these wonderful. peaceful visions in my head of this wonderful place where Mary, had appeared to 3 shepherd children in a rustic meadow.
Our trip had been filled with amazingly beautiful vistas of the seacoast, ancient monasteries and castles, so the morning we arrived at Fatima was going to be the highlight of this wonderful journey. Not so much!! My lovely little meadow was totally covered with concrete and macadam and there were people all over the place who didn't seem to realize that this was my "holy ground". I was mortified by the huge " gas fired furnaces" where you could place wax replicas of various body parts or candles for your loved ones and their affirmirties. The beautiful Basilica was closed for repairs and the new Basilica at the opposite end of the complex was way too contemporary for my taste and full of noisy tourists. Need I say more?
But amidst all of my dissappointment at the commercialism and destruction of my quiet little meadow I saw the wonder and hope in the eyes of our daughter and my heart was filled with gratitude to "Our Lady" . In the 2 years since our visit my love for this "holy place" has grown and I realize it is beause I see it now through my daughters eyes.
It seems to me that we need to look at the things of life through anothers eyes. We need to look at the people and the circumstances in our lives through Jesus' eyes.