Living Monstrance

A priest friend of mine invited me the other day to go kayaking on the Charles River in Boston. “Sure,” I said. Even though I pretty much have lived in Boston all my life, I have never kayaked down the Charles. It was a new trip through familiar territory. So, we met up at his rectory, and drove together to the site.

We picked out a single kayak, a two-seater, and the staff held the kayak out for us to get in. My priest friend said, “Oh, go in front - you will have the view.” So, we hopped in and headed out.

Along the way, he would point out the views on either side, while I picked with the oar to keep the kayak from pulling u-turns. In all my years in the city, I had never seen it from that perspective. It was a whole different view. It was a unique view that I could never have had unless I got into the boat with my friend. We kayaked a total of 12 miles, almost to the ocean and back. I’d like to do it again.

“But blessed are your eyes, because they see, and your ears, because they hear. For, amen, I say to you, many prophets and just men have desired to see the things that you see, and have not seen them, and to hear the things that you hear and have not heard them.” (Mt 13:16-17)

When the Lord calls us to follow Him, it is to see familiar territory from a whole different view. He will put us in the boat with Him, and He will put us in the front seat. Why?

Because the view is ours.