As I journeyed to Switzerland, I did not expect that this brief stop-over would be an extension of my prayer for all of Europe in such a way. I arrived during a national holiday and was blessed to attend many local gathering and meet with many many people who live here. It was good to get a sense of what life is like here.
This place is breathtaking... such beauty of His Creation. There are many signs of the Church here... you see beautiful little Churches like this one in what seemed like every few miles, stations of the Cross set up along hiking trails, and grottos for Our Lady cut into every hillside... yet, to most, God is very far from normal life.
I stopped here to pray ... and, a woman who was watering the plants in the church, came over to me. She had tears in her eyes and held her heart. I was wondering if there was something wrong or something she needed prayer for. Then, she said "It is so beautiful to see a young person in the church praying. We never see any young person come here". A woman moved to tears at the hope that young people might come here to know and worship their one true God, their Father who loves them.
To me, my time here was a revelation of the attentiveness of God to all of His creation... that there is no remote location on Earth that He is not passionately pursuing His children. My heart was so drawn to pray for this place.... for renewal of the Church here..... for Jesus to be proclaimed here..... that the restlessness I saw in so many young people I spoke with would be settled the true love of God and His purposes for their lives.
AMEN =)
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