The Gospel reading for today was about Joseph’s encounter with an angel in a dream who told him not to be afraid to take Mary into his home. I love when the spiritual world meets the human world and the first message is of peace, ” Do not be afraid.” Joseph was a faithful man and did as he was encouraged to do. Thus, the Holy Family was created. They lived with trials and tribulations from the beginning as they had to travel a long distance with Mary about to give birth. Then, the place that was provided for them was an animal stable. Quite a difficult start to their marriage. But, they were faithful and trusting. Joseph emulated selfless love as he cared for Mary and her son.

For the next few days before Christmas, I’ll share some photos of one more place I was blessed to visit – the Holy Family Shrine located in Eastern Nebraska, off of Interstate 80’s Gretna exit. I thought it would be appropriate given the name and focus of this extraordinary place. From their website:

“The Holy Family Shrine is a retreat, a faith-filled experience, and a peaceful setting designed to help visitors strengthen their faith through prayer and reflection. Consisting of a Chapel and a Visitor Center, every aspect of the Shrine was designed from a holy vision and brought to life for pilgrims on the highway. The Shrine provides an opportunity for quiet contemplation in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament, as well as a unique and sacred space for church-oriented meetings and family events. Truly a one of a kind sanctuary to draw closer to nature, your faith and the Lord.’

There is a water feature that begins with a large corkscrew type metal structure hanging from the ceiling. Water follows the corkscrew from the top to the bottom where it drips into a pool. This pool feeds a stream that flows from the visitor center outside to the walkway that connects to the chapel. The visible stream continues underneath the pews and collects in another small pool under the altar. Then it is recycled back to the visitors center to start all over. Walking around the outside you can hear the drone of vehicles on the highway. But inside the glass and wood chapel, there is only the peaceful sound of water trickling.

I Found God today remembering a beautiful shrine dedicated to the Holy Family.