I am very spiritual but not a church goer, or even a follower of any organized religion for that matter. However, I love this place.
As I sit here, I contemplate a man walking on his knees around the church and towards the altar at St Jude Greek Orthodox Church. This church sits in the very busy commercial Brickell area in Miami. It’s unusual to see that kind of devotion in Miami. I’ve seen it in other places like Mexico when visiting the Guadalupe, or in Portugal when visiting Fatima, or France in Lourdes; but never ever in Miami. His physical discomfort is his way of asking for help. It’s his prayer. It’s his gift and sacrifice. I sit there and wonder what he is asking for… what is it that is torturing him?
Whenever I am troubled, I’m drawn to this peaceful place. It calms me. I usually sit here and write for a while. Smell the incense that seems to have permeated the walls throughout the years, because it is always there. This is a miraculous place. This I know. Just the fact that so many people will take the time to stop by in the middle of the day…even if it’s for five minutes, is already a miracle. I have observed all kinds of people through the years. Many business men, business women, older folks, young people, people that are clearly suffering, and some that just like to come and experience this good energy like I do.
I’m feeling particularly good because I was lucky enough to witness an act of kindness a few minutes ago just as I was driving here. A young man’s car stopped in the middle of a busy road and two other men and and a mailman helped him push the car to the curb and out of danger. It was nice to watch. A small miracle in Miami. That young man I’m sure will someday pay it forward. That’s the way of the world.
I see so much faith in this place. I feel it. St. Jude is known as the patron saint of impossible or lost causes. It stands to reason that most people here are in some situation that is desperate, or someone they love is. In my case, I ask for the lost souls I love, that they find their way out of the maze. I know they would if only they followed the light in front of them, or if they listened to the beings of light that are put in their path…the problem is that their eyes are shut and their ears are plugged. I guess I pray that they open their eyes… or at least get the wax out of their ears! Sometimes it’s just simply that they need faith. I rarely ask anything for me because there isn’t much I can ask for that I don’t already have. Well, maybe a thing or two…but I really have been very blessed in life. It seems selfish to want more.
I know someone very close to me who experienced something akin to a miracle in this place. They do happen all the time. She was going through a difficult time in her life. She was unhappy in her marriage and was in doubt if to get a divorce or not. Why do we do that to ourselves? I’ve yet to understand it. The fact that she was unhappy should have been enough…but we do that. I know this first hand. I promise never again!
She found refuge here and in this wonderful energy. This is also where I found comfort during my first two tough years after my longtime marriage ended. I still come here when I’m feeling disconnected, seek clarity or just to get inspired. In her case, she found herself here asking for help, for direction on the decision wether to end the marriage or not.
Day after day she would ask, “please send me a sign…if I should get a divorce, please send me a sign.” One day, as she came out of the church into the sun, she sees an old man coming towards her. He looked very much like her long gone grandfather. All she could do was stare as the little old man came directly to her, didn’t say one word, grabbed her hand, placed a little St Jude medallion in it, and kept on walking. Well, if that isn’t a sign, I don’t know what is!
As with everything that seems so difficult or impossible to do…once she took the first step, everything fell into place. She is now very happily married to the love of her life. I do love happy endings!
