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Of Road Trips and Rest Stops

Of Road Trips and Rest Stops

Last updated on: February 23, 2018 at 12:55 pm by credo

Of Road Trips and Rest Stops 2018-02-23T12:55:56-05:00 credo

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St. Fidelis

The Cathedral on the Plains. From our trip through Kansas.

The doors close behind me and my eyes have to transition from the blinding sun to candle light. The sound of our footsteps echo off the pews and walls as we make our way down front. My children run their hands along the tops of the pews as we pass by, feeling the grain of the wood. Above the shimmering tabernacle, the red candle gives off its faint glow to proclaim a far more glorious Light is present.

Here, we are as far as we could be from my days leading the band when I worked in the protestant church. Here there is no set-list of songs to help us feel the presence of God. Here there is no effort needed to shed my daily worries, or to open my heart up to commune with God — because the candle is lit; God is present.

We’re halfway to Colorado, and this is our normal stop: St. Fidelis, commonly known as ‘the Cathedral of the plains.’ Millions of cars pass within 2 miles of this gem, and never take the time to experience the sublime joy of its sights and sounds. It’s always empty when we’re here, and it’s always unlocked. Before we leave, I’ll sing something in Latin — the Ave Verum Corpus or the Salve Regina — I always do.

It reminds me of the first time I came here; I wasn’t a Catholic. I came with my College Choir on the way to another concert. Our director brought us all in, because he wanted us to hear the room. The room made such an impression on me, that I came back every time I came through. Then I became a Catholic and the room meant so much more. I meet God in St. Fidelis as often as possible.

Each of us have a St. Fidelis in our lives. A place to encounter God that’s just a few steps off the beaten path. In her new book Taste & See: Experiencing the Goodness of God with our Five Senses, Ginny Kubitz Moyer invites us to reflect on the practices, places, and particulars that we often take for granted. With an affable yet vulnerable writing style, Moyer invites us into her own experience of the world and of her faith.

Taste & See by Ginny Kubitz Moyer – Available on Loyola Press

She beckons you with her description of a box of crayons, with her vulnerability regarding the sacrament of confession, with her experience of the Eucharist, and twenty-two other brief and approachable meditations on finding God in those places we too often take for granted. At the end of each meditation, she invites you to reflect on how you might find your own places to encounter God.

Taste & See is as practical as it is approachable. Each meditation is short enough to read, even for the most distractible person, but the application is substantial enough to give even the most saintly person something to chew on.

I particularly appreciate the invitation to simple prayer. The discipline of prayer can often seem daunting, but Moyer has flung the doors open for the beginner, giving 25 different ways to approach prayer. It’s part choose-your-own-prayer-adventure, and part appetizer-sampler. Moyer knows that not every meditation will appeal to every person, but she does a good job showing a wide variety of options and challenging you to come up with a few of your own.

It’s difficult to write a book that appeals to a wide audience, but in bringing our attention to the real things of life, to the tangible experiences we have every day, Taste & See has a broad appeal. This book is worth your time. And next time you’re driving through Kansas toward Colorado, stop in at St. Fidelis and light a candle for me.

*This post is part of a conversation for the Patheos Book Club on Taste & See. Click here to learn more about the book and to read excerpts.

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