On Earth as It is in Heaven

 

 

Gran Corno Peak during the Sunday climb

 

 Sunday was one of the most beautiful days of my life. I carried your prayer intentions-causes around my neck in a sleeve. I received 6 pages worth of prayer intentions and I spent most of the time in prayer. With me were a few friends from the seminary. They have been with me since practically day one of my vocation.

 

 As we reached further up into the mountains the air got thinner. Since I was without breath I prayed during much of the journey. One lesson I learned was just as when there is little oxygen no matter how much one inhales your body cannot recover and just so it is when you are without grace.

  

At 12 noon we reached our vertical limit. I confess, we didn't make it to the top. There was the possibility that since the trails are still snowed over we would have had to have pro gear (and thanks to a vow of poverty I didn't have crampons and an ice ax nor a guide). We stopped to pray a psalm and a decade of the rosary. I hope you joined me wherever you were. To date Gran Corno (tallest peak in the circuit) is the only mountain that I haven't been able to summit in my life.
I guess I'll have to be back this summer! Throughout the day I prayed (mainly because I didn't have extra breath) and this psalm came to mind.



Psalm 121

 

I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills,

from whence cometh my help.

My help cometh from the LORD,

which made heaven and earth.

He will not suffer thy foot to be moved:

he that keepeth thee will not slumber.

Behold, he that keepeth Israel

shall neither slumber nor sleep.

The LORD is thy keeper:

the LORD is thy shade upon thy right hand.

The sun shall not smite thee by day,

nor the moon by night.

The LORD shall preserve thee from all evil:

he shall preserve thy soul.

The LORD shall preserve thy going out and

thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.

 

 





View of Campo Pericoli - on the right is Corno Grande

 

 



After a long descent (some times I find them more difficult than the climb) we made it safe and sound to the base just about a vertical mile below. It's hard to imagine that I had climbed up a complete vertical mile up. Not only that climbed back down with a smile.

 

We visited a beautiful shrine dedicated to Blessed Pope John Paul II and I left our prayer intentions under his feet asking for special graces. 

 

"If you are what you should be you will set the world ablaze"

John Paul the Great

 

 

Here are a few things I'd like to share:

 

Video: 44 seconds of what life is like at 8576 ft (2614m)

Photo Gallery

PS: I hope we can do it it again this summer.