David was on the run. Samuel had anointed him king during the reign of King Saul. This bordered on treason in Saul’s eyes and he picked up his spear, called his troops and tried to kill David. So, David had to run for his life. He lived in two caves: Adullam near Bethlehem and Ein Gedi up in the mountains along the shore of the Dead Sea in the Judean Wilderness. And most priests and religious don’t realize they are reading poems – hymns of prayer – written while David was a fugitive hiding in these two caves. Read the headings of Psalm 57 and 142.
The new director of the Notre Dame asked us to help him coordinate a Deacon’s Renewal Pilgrimage to the Holy Land. We agreed. This would bring 100 deacons and their wives (assuming they are married) to Israel for about 10 days for visiting the holy sites, talks, and a full conference to help them face the challenges of being a deacon. Stay tuned.
And late Sunday we returned home to suffer the effects of jet lag.