God has shown me a valuable lesson in the cancellation of the Israel trip.
- sonlitknight
- Apr 2
- 3 min read
As I started to really look at the itinerary of my revised trip, some things stood out to me about 18 destinations in 17 days. Here are just some of my observations;
Lisbon, Portugal is the birthplace of Saint Anthony of Padua, one of the go-to saints for ''impossible causes''. (I know a little about those).
Santarem is the site of a 13th century Eucharistic miracle.
Fatima, Portugal is of course, the site of the greatest public miracle of at least the last 2 centuries and home of three more saints- Lucia, Francisco and Jacinta.
Alba De Tormes and Avila both surround the lives of 2 of my favorite Saints- Theresa of Avila and John of the Cross and two others I need to learn more about- John of Avila and Saint Vincent.
Loyola is, of course, associated with Saint Ignatius of Loyola.
Lourdes has a miraculous history so strong that it rivals most of the miracles in the Bible.
Tolouse is the burial place of Saint Thomas Aquinas, one of the most brilliant minds to every live.
Rocamadour is yet another marian site associated with many miracles. It is also home of, and burial site of, Zaccheus of Jericho, the very same Zaccheus who climed a tree to see Jesus. Zaccheus was married to Saint Veronica who wiped the face of Jesus on the way of the cross, miraculously preserving His image on the cloth.
Para Le Monial is associated with the miraculous appearances of Jesus to Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque where she is given the Sacred Heart Devotion.
At Nevers, we return to the miracle of Lourdes. Our blessed lady appeared there 18 times to Saint Bernadette Soubirous. Here, I will see Bernadette's miraculously preserved remains.
Lisieux is of course associated with ''the little flower''- Saint Therese of Lisieux who's ''Story of a Soul" is one of the 3 best-selling books of all time (The Bible, Imitation of Christ). Her "little way" has given hope to millions (myself included).
Paris is where I will see the site of the apparition of the Miraculous Medal as well as the recipient of those visions- Saint Catherine Laboure- also miraculously preserved. I will also see the church associated with Saint Vincent DePaul.
Counting Saints alone, I count at least 17. Each Saint has publicly documented miracles associated with their recognition as saints. Add to these, the many miracles associated with some of these places- Fatima, Lourdes, Rocamadour, Paris... and a message emerges that is very humbling.
In my mind was building a perception that, after visiting places like Nazerath, Cana, Tabgha, Mount Tabor, Gethsemene, Bethlehem and Jerusalem, that Fatima, Lourdes and the others might seem anti-climatic by comparison.
I see now what a tragic mistake that is. None of these more recent miraculous persons and places can be understated because they don't supplant the Biblical stories but are our lifeline to it. Today's miracles support the historicity of yesterday's. We know they are not fables because the same God who cured lame men in the waters of Bethsaida, cured them at Lourdes as well.
If my heart can't be stirred standing in Fatima, where 70,000 people saw the sun dance, then I am truly spiritually dead.
The point really hit home for me when I realized that my 21 consecutive days off, including weekends, will now be 22 because Columbus day is a holiday for us. Why is that significant? Columbus day (observed) falls on October 13th this year. October 13th, 2025 will be the 108th anniversary of the miracle of the sun at Fatima.
There are no coincidences. As I seek miracles and graces, many are attached to this trip. Somehow, God may still make Israel happen at some future point. For now, my heart is bursting with joy for this trip.
From Washington to Lisbon will by the farthest I have ever traveled by air- about 3,000 miles or so. However, I will travel well more than another 1,000, over land, before I reach Paris. This trip is going to be amazing.
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