I am now on a long layover in Chicago. About two hours ago, I found myself heading for the OHare Airport chapel, for some quiet time with our Lord. Indeed, it was a time of quiet refreshment. I left just before the first of two Saturday evening Masses was to start, ready to face the rest of the layover! It is a little known fact that the Catholic Church maintains chapels in many transportation hubs throughout the world. These chapels often feature some things traditionally seen in Catholic Churches, a cross, a tabernacle, hymnals or missalettes, but they are usually open, too, to worship by others. The OHare chapel used to be in a basement. It was a bit hard to find, but once found, it was a large, very quiet, and devotional space, with Our Lady of Guadalupe in one corner, an altar and tabernacle in another, a bible corner, etc. Now the OHare chapel is on the Mezzanine above terminal two. In order to reach it now, you have to leave the secure zone but it is worth it! The chapel at OHare has daily Mass through the week, and Saturday evening and Sunday Masses, in addition to Protestant services on Sunday, and perhaps once or twice during the week. Many years ago, when my father was to be buried on the day after Ash Wednesday, my brother in law Mike was impressed, and commented on the fact, that there were frequent announcements on the OHare intercom system about the upcoming and imminent Mass times for Ash Wednesday Mass at the OHare chapel. In Italy even the railroad stations often have chapels. The station of Santa Maria Novella in Florence has a rather famous statue of the Blessed Virgin standing on a sideways turned train wheel. A few years ago, when flying out of Brussels, I decided to visit the airport chapel there. Imagine my surprise to find, not just a fully furnished Catholic Chapel, but next to it a fully outfitted Protestant Chapel, next to that an Eastern Rite chapel, complete with Iconostasis, then next along the corridor a Jewish Synagogue, and finally an Islamic chapel. I spent some time in quiet prayer before the Blessed Sacrament in the Catholic Chapel, prayed some of my breviary, but then peered into each one of the other chapels before I left. The presence of these chapels reminds us of the need to stay close to Our Lord throughout the day, even when we are busy engaged in other things. The saints have spoken of building a cloister in our hearts, a quiet place within where we commune with God amidst our daily activities. It can be even better, in fact, it is vital, also to spend some quiet time daily with Him, for often our Lord does come in silence. So, if we can get into a Church for a visit sometime during the day, we should do that, if we can have a quiet place at home where we can find ourselves once in a while, we could do that. Parents, and indeed priests, often find that getting up early to spend some time with our Lord can be the only time of the day that is possible, perhaps in front of a beautiful picture, armed with our bible or prayer books. Our Lord loves us, he wants us to be with him. Let us do what is good for us, also, and hearken to him whenever we can! God bless you!
Posted on: Sat, 14 Jun 2014 22:29:04 +0000