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Greetings! How are you? Perhaps after reading the title for this eNewsletter you’re thinking to yourself, “Has Fr. James finally lost it with his whimsical wanderings?” To that question I would respond with a quote from Gandalf the Wizard in The Fellowship of the Ring, “Not all who wander are lost” (sparknotes.com). Within the fictional works of The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien there are small yet courageous creatures named Hobbits.
Two of the more famous Hobbits - Bilbo and his nephew Frodo - happened to share the same birthday of September 22nd. As such, fans of the books and the movies would eventually come to celebrate today as National Hobbit Day. A website that I came across recommended having a feast, giving gifts, and going on an adventure in honor of this occasion (nationaltoday.com). You might also choose to read from one of the books or watch one of the movies. From a faith perspective, we can pause for a moment and think about how God is at work within our lives even when we seem lost.
Within the Fifteenth Chapter of the Gospel according to Saint Luke we read the three parables of "The Lost Sheep,” “The Lost Coin,” and “The Lost Son.” Each story progressively helps the listeners of Jesus and us as the readers to reflect upon the merciful patience of the Lord and the opportunities that we have to make a return to the King. In thinking about our own life’s journey we might recall moments in which we were wandering away from God’s Grace and how He has tenderly sought us and prepared circumstances for us to be found. May the goodness of the Lord help us to live like a HOBBIT: Humble. Obedient. Blessed. Brave. Imaginative. Thankful.
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