{"id":4222,"date":"2024-09-03T14:37:00","date_gmt":"2024-09-03T14:37:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dev.maryknollsociety.org\/magazine\/?post_type=photo_meditations&p=4222"},"modified":"2025-10-14T14:43:24","modified_gmt":"2025-10-14T14:43:24","slug":"longing-to-belong","status":"publish","type":"photo_meditations","link":"https:\/\/dev.maryknollsociety.org\/magazine\/photo_meditations\/longing-to-belong\/","title":{"rendered":"Longing to Belong"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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By Joseph R. Veneroso, M.M.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Far, far worse than wandering alone abroad
A stranger in an alien nation
Is returning to a place you once called home
Recognizing words but no longer their meaning
Seeing unfamiliar faces on friends and family
Then realizing, to your shock, it was not they
But you who have changed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oh you can try your best to put on an act
Pretending to be the person you once were
But in secret desperately seeking
Somewhere, anywhere, someone, anyone
To welcome and accept you as you are now
Experiences, memories, broken dreams
Unrealized expectations and all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Habit beckons you to church, where in years gone by
You sat and knelt and blessed yourself hoping
The words you heard and sang and spoke were true
Standing again in the Communion line as of old
Mysteriously drawn to gaze up at the One lifted high
Suddenly filled at once with shock, surprise and
Amazement to realize the person on the cross is you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At length you reach the source and summit of our faith
And extend your hands, palm-side up
To receive whom you are called to become.
The priest raises the consecrated bread, announcing
\u201cThe Body of Christ\u201d and in that brief moment
Looking at the Host you proclaim \u201cAmen\u201d and realize
The priest is all along looking straight at you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All around you, you see no one but
The blessed fruit of Mary\u2019s womb!
Jesus, your Lord, your God, your all!
Your exile ended, your banishment over,
Your homecoming complete.
Here you are heard. You are seen. You are accepted.
You are loved. You are home.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\"A\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"A\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":22,"featured_media":4226,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_eb_attr":"","_eb_data_table":""},"class_list":["post-4222","photo_meditations","type-photo_meditations","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nLonging to Belong - Maryknoll Magazine<\/title>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\t\n