And..we're back

I'm going to attempt to rejoin our Fall trip in progress. If you lost track, you can go here for the last post. We left off driving through Southwest Missouri to arrive in Fayetteville, AR for the night.

I would love to tell you there is a lot to see in Fayetteville but not on our radar (A kind way of saying we weren't too interested in the house where Bill married Hill and lacked the time to properly learn how to call a razorback). So, after breakfast, we headed due West to Oklahoma City. The plan was to make it to St. Joseph Old Cathedral in time for Confession and Mass but on our trips "plan" actually translates to "suggestion". Sometimes you need to sleep in and with a sick 4-year-old, that's what we did.

We arrived as the incense was dispersing and got to look around the beautiful old church. 

simple, beautiful

Yes, it was still the Extra Ordinary Jubilee of Mercy!

added bonus ;0)

 I chose this church for the Holy Door and because it is the oldest parish in Oklahoma City, but also for what is across the street. This Cathedral sustained some heavy damage on April 19, 1995, as a result of the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building. 

It was a blessing to be inside the church before we headed to the blast site. I think it helped to have God central in our mind before journeyed to the place where hate and anger claimed 168 lives.

A plaque on the former playground spot

9:01 on one side, 9:03 on the other...in two minutes, everything changed.

The pool covers the ground where the building used to stand

One chair for each soul lost (smaller chairs for the little people) with St. Joseph's in the background

It was a difficult place to be. It was a good discussion about anger overtaking your life and causing destruction for yourself and those around you. It is a hard thing for little people to understand. I was so grateful when we crossed the street to return to the car and saw, on the ground where the parish house stood prior to the blast...

What we couldn't explain in so many words, this made clear. Jesus wept that day, and every day when innocent life is taken. God certainly doesn't will tragic things to happen and when it does, He grieves as we do. He stands with us, in good times and tragedy. He is never far away.

On to Dallas and the deeeeeep South. Stay tuned, y'all.

We are blessed.