The sun beats down. Hour by hour the petals on the flower wither, turn brown, and fall off. The grass turns brown despite daily watering. A fan is needed in the shade. The sweat forms on my arm. It evaporates almost as fast as it collects. It drips down my back.
Such was the heat during spiritual exercises here in Rome. (At least that is how a Canadian experiences it.) But then on top of that, there are zebra mosquitoes. Just imagine a normal mosquito but silent. And instead of one bite, they leave enough bites on your arm to form the shape of the tropical Island whence it came. The first time I was bit, I thought I’d contracted some tropical disease.
Doesn’t that sound like fun?
Instead of fun, I realized these are those little things we can offer up. I am not a masochist – I got some anti-sting stuff from the medical closet and drank lots of water – but when there is something beyond our power; I think we can see God’s voice asking us for a little sacrifice for souls. Now I realize the little things I can offer up rather than have useless suffering.
