Shadow casts

So that they even carried out the sick into the streets and laid them on cots and mats, in order that Peter’s shadow might fall on some of them as he came by. Acts 5:15

What matters in life does not usually take the form of a shadow. Yet we see in the scriptures that a shadow, however transient and elusive can mean much more than we think. In Christian life, we seek the light of Christ. We look for ways to reflect the light of the Lord. Our lives are meant to be a facet of the great shininess of God. So we look for the bright light and the giftedness in others to shine the light on our reality. We long to be led by the strong beams of light that expose the path which is filled with voids of darkness.

Recently I came across a light of this sort in the form of a man of God in the Society of Jesus… the Jesuits. He lived at the turn of the 20^th century and died in December 1921. In his short life of 51 years, this man was devoted to the illumination of the scriptures, to the communication of the Word through the study of the ancient texts in their original languages, and to sharing his faith journey with his family, friends and with his brothers in the society… so much so that a fellow brother priest was inspired to accumulate the words of this man and place them in a book aptly called the Life and Letters of Walter Drum. By a stroke of divine intervention, I was able to procure the only book available online. I have enjoyed reading it and experiencing the earnest devotion of the man. His was a brilliant light reflecting the goodness of the Lord… His story was of such inspiration to us, that upon discovering that he was buried nearby in the Woodstock College Cemetery among his fellow Jesuits, Teddy and I made a journey to find his gravesite… we took a bunch of pictures… but the most engaging aspect of the visit was the play of light on the place. It was at sunset and our shadows were quite evident. It strikes me as important to note that even our shadows can be of some consolation to others. When the sun is too bright, when the truth is too hard… we often times step in place and allow our shadows to provide for others. Sometimes even the blind are able to see when a person‘s shadow crosses their face… Yet in this hallowed cemetery, it seemed appropriate that our shadows would be captured in some way…
The lives of these men were offered in service to the Lord and in the shadow of their gravestones let us remember their gifts to us. Let us cast a shadow that reflects their zeal. It is a good thing to remember. To celebrate… and it stands well in the light over in Woodstock.

As the sun sets on the monument, the grave markers surround it in simplicity and order. None greater than the other.
A


Fr Walter Drum is remembered here for his love of life, the Lord, and words. He was a man of drama and devotion. A man who was well traveled and who loved to learn. He created inspiration in others. We would do well to be his companions on this journey.