• It is better to light one candle…

    While walking around the magnificent Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City, I captured a photo of one solitary man praying before thousands of candles.  It spoke something profound to me.  I asked my wife to give me a caption for this photo.  She said, “You are not alone.”   I imagined his prayer being represented by a solitary light.  But joined with countless others.  I was on side of the basilica called the Quemador de Veladoras (simply translated “Burner of Candles”).  It was a wide pedestrian road.  On the other side of the road were many pilgrims, young and old, sitting in the shade on the curb eating…

  • A beautiful echo from the prayers of the past

    Last week, I was on a pilgrimage to the shrines of Mexico.  As I prayed in each church, basilica, and cathedral, I discovered a new dimension of my faith. Several of these 500-year-old buildings were built with sweeping Romanesque columns that pull the eyes toward heaven.  I was inspired by the genius of the architects and the faith of the people who built these magnificent places of worship.  As I sat in each church, my senses came alive.  I smelled a faint aroma of centuries of incense and beeswax candles.  I saw remnants of the smoke giving the walls and ceilings an ancient hue.  I loved the feel of the…