Wholeness

The carved wooden door at the entrance of the cathedral, a family collects holy water, vendors sell white lilies outside.

I love what Robert Johnson wrote here about sainthood. That it's not about being 'good,' but about being whole.

When you are following the will of God there is no choice whatsoever. Here I am not talking about following scripture to the letter. That is one way of being happy, but for most modern people this is not a viable solution. Looking for a manual to tell you what to do, whether that manual is the Bible or the latest psychological theory, is not useful. Listening to the will of God as it manifests within your own psyche, hearing what has been called the still, small voice within - this is the religious life. This cannot be reduced to a tidy formula, but one general guideline is to ask yourself what is needed for wholeness in any situation. Instead of asking what is good or what coincides with our personal interest, ask what is whole-making. Sainthood is the result of wholeness, not goodness.

It was listening to the still, small voice within that brought me to Santa Catarina Juquila. When my rational mind said "It's too weird, too unknown, too far, too Catholic, too risky," when that same mindset said about my entire road trip, "It's too irresponsible, too expensive, too dangerous," the still, small voice within simply said, "Go."