My Brother Survived Cancer and now he Lives

This little email sent from my brother Patrick on March 24, describing his Easter weekend is the story of his resurrection and one I will cherish forever as a reminder Easter in 2008.

I climbed San Gorgonio this weekend (11,500 feet).
Summit achieved!
Friday, 7 mile approach hike with full pack from parking lot to Dry
Lake, roughly 60% on snow covered trail. Slept in the snow with tent. It
was 9 degree in the morning when we got up.
Saturday, summit day, was 3.5 hours (5 miles up) of steep mixed ice and
snow, mostly hard snow the last third of the climb. Used ice ax and
crampons for only second time in my life.
Spent an hour on the summit. Drank a beer and ate sandwiches and smoked
oysters. Returned to camp, drank another beer, packed up and hiked out.
Total mileage on Saturday was 17 miles. I am still grinning.
Soaked my toes in the ocean yesterday. Snow one day, beach at sea level
the best. California living!
Thanks
Pat

Remaining

Today is Holy Thursday which signifies the Last Supper and for the Jewish faith the celebration of the Passover. There is much more to this Holy Day than I can begin to ponder, yet for today my thoughts are on the various characters of the evening. We have Jesus of course who sits with his disciples and shares a meal and reminds us to share a meal often in his memory. There is Peter whose fear is revealed as the night begins to unfold and he denies knowing Jesus and yet later weeps for himself in his lack of courage and for his love of his beloved Jesus. There is Judas the betrayer who also later deeply regrets his action and motive and kills himself surely to be resurrected in the end and then the women who remain who stay and watch and pray. Each character at points in my life is revealed hosting meals with friends, denying Life, when afraid, betrayal to integrity when greedy and remaining even when peace seems distant. Today on this Holy Thursday I will remain with our Lord in prayer and in service to each other in memory of Jesus who represents Life even through death.

Knock and the door shall open

Joe and I took a trip down memory lane two weeks ago. We went to Colorado Springs to see the hangar where he fixed his first jets and then to his first home. When we got to his little Tudor home two overgrown juniper trees hid the front the door, the paint was just as Joe, his mother and father had left it when they painted it some 22 years ago. Joe said shall we knock and I timidly agreed and am glad I did. To our great surprise, Susan who had purchased this home from Joe and his wife at the time, was still the owner and warmly welcomed us in. She immediately recognize Joe who she had only met once and as she turned to grab something on an antique bookshelf, she said "oh, I think these are yours", referring to two old photographs she had saved all these years. They were Joe's and thus began an hour visiting with this very warm woman. She had not changed anything in the house, barely even cleaned it, however despite the physical wear and tear of the home, Susan's unencumbered nature was the blessing of the trip. Meeting this woman who was free from the worldly necessities was loving, kind, welcoming and well holy. I realized I was in the presence of the divine named Susan. I learned two valuable things on this trip with Joe, be not afraid and knock and the door shall be opened.