I spent this past weekend( April 6-9 ) in Bristol, Virginia-Tennessee. Bristol has the unique distinction of belonging to two states, Virginia and Tennessee. As you enter Bristol on State Street there is a huge sign that reads: ‘Bristol, Virginia-Tennessee, a good place to live.’ Locals are proud of their town and some would even like to improve its description by changing it to ‘a great place to live.’

As my plane landed on the runway last Friday in Atlanta ( where I got a connecting flight ) and was taxiing to the terminal, I had a bit of a scare. Suddenly, there was a big rumble and rattling as the plane came to a screeching halt. I looked out the window and saw another plane coming towards us on another runway. It too had come to a sudden halt. The passenger beside me said: “We’ll be reading about this tomorrow.”

I suppose you could describe this as a near miss! Much of our lives consist of near misses, and we barely notice them. We are not really in as much control of our lives as we think. Every moment of our day is a gift, and we should never forget that.

The parish of St. Anne in Bristol where I served this past weekend has also a unique Church. It consists of two Church buildings co-joined into one. The former Romanesque, style Church forms the foyer of a new modern, fan-shaped Church. The foyer, of course, is very large and the apse has been converted into a chapel for daily masses. I had the privilege, this past weekend, of celebrating and preaching at all the masses in this unique Church. The Pastor had left for Florida on his Easter break while I travelled there from Florida to replace him.

My biggest surprise was the weather. Although we were half way through Spring, the weather was just like winter. I woke up to snow and ice on Saturday morning, and it continued like that all through the rest of the weekend.Everybody came to Church wearing layers of clothing. I was caught by surprise. I wore warm clothes, but not warm enough. I needed long-johns, a scarf, and a winter coat.

Despite the weather, it was a glorious weekend. It was the feast of Divine Mercy, and I spoke about the corporal works of mercy that are so dear to to the Lord and to the mission of Cross Catholic Outreach. The parishioners were very welcoming. It is always touching to have people, young and old, come up to you to thank you for coming to their Church to preach and offer mass for them.

As Ed, a parishioner, was driving me back to the Tri-Cities airport in Bristol, Virginia-Tennessee, on Monday, a little sliver of sunshine penetrated the overcast sky. It was just enough to take the cold nip out of the air. I was looking forward again to the Sunshine State.