A Temple of the Holy Spirit

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Daniel & Catherine ready for Confirmation I had the privilege of witnessing my son and daughter receive the Sacrament of Confirmation this past Tuesday at the Basilica of Our Lady of the Annunciation in Lancaster, OH. It was a wonderful Mass with a full choir, trumpets, and all the rest. During his remarks, Bishop Earl K. Fernandes mentioned that we too, like the Basilica, are temples of the Lord. It caused me to reflect on this idea. Although I've mostly seen only pictures of the great cathedrals and basilicas in the world, I have seen some amazing churches even in our own diocese. These structures are a testament to the Church's love for God (read the entire Church - Militant, Suffering, Triumphant). They represent great skill, sacrifice, and passion for Our Lord and often times His Mother.  Yet the words of Christ always echo in my mind when contemplating the beauty that surrounds me in those places; “ Do you see these great buildings? There will not be one stone left u
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Out for a hike

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The boys and I decided to get away from the house for a while. Went hiking at two of our favorite places here in the beautiful Hocking Hills. First we went to Ash Cave and then to Cedar Falls. Enjoy....
And they're off!!!


Dad is lagging behind only to get great pictures and make sure no one gets lost. It is not because he is out of shape and can't keep up.

Ash Cave is not actually a cave but a sandstone recess. Here are pictures of the same area in the winter.

Two of my children - lower right. I don't know where the other two are...

Some visitors like to leave their mark on the sandstone walls. This fancy creation was in the sand on the floor of the area. If they had a man dressed like Jesus on one knee beside this it would be a great ad for the area!
Another view of Ash Cave. Note the person standing on top of the falls. INSANE!


This bridge is on the path to Cedar Falls. You can notice a bend in the bridge. The bridge was originally straight across the stream. A few years back we had some bad spring rains that brought flash flooding. Most of the bridges in the park were destroyed. This one was bent. They decided to restore it rather than remove it. To give you some idea of the amount and force of water that must have come through to bend this bridge, it is approximately 35 ft long, 12 ft high above the stream bed, and rest on two 2 ft I beams.

Cedar Falls (this is where I proposed to Nicole)


We weren't the only visitor to Cedar Falls.

The trail back to the parking lot is an adventure in itself.

Comments

Sarah Reinhard said…
This is one of my very favorite areas, Jim. I got all shivery and nostalgic looking at it...as a kid I went to these camps and we hiked our hearts out in that area... :)
9:19 AM
James M. Hahn said…
We don't go nearly as often as we could or should. Suffering from WCSS keeps me from taking the four boys to the heights at some of those places so we stick to the forest floor.

You are all welcome to come back! Still waiting on a visit. ;-)
11:20 PM
Sarah Reinhard said…
Funny you should mention WCSS in a comment that reminds me of the standing invite...

So there's been NO SLEEP this week (not looking for sympathy, just stating a fact), but I have not forgotten. Really. I promise. But I would like to come at a time when I can visit with the lovely Mrs. too! (Oh yes, and the Pretty Pink Princess, though I know it may be a while before she's home)
1:54 PM
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