A reading from the book of Cesca

In those days, many thousands of catholic college students came together in a land called Orlando to attend a conference of the Fellowship of Catholic University Students of national proportions. Upon the conclusion of the conference, a Sunday, the students came together to celebrate mass with a Cardinal then were sent out to the corners of the nation to bring the good news to college campuses everywhere; a daunting task, but one the students were ready to face. And there was much rejoicing.


There was a particular group of students who hailed from the land of Fort Collins and belonged to the tribe Colorado State University. After mass the students had the rest of the day to enjoy Orlando before returning to their homeland. Many of the rich members of the group had headed off to the wonderful world of Disney to spend their free day in the Magical Kingdom, while the group which was left planned on entertaining themselves by spending the day roaming the lovely hotel: riding down all 28 floors in the glass elevator, swimming in the beautiful pool, and participating in other fun yet unremarkable activities, and it was to this group that a holy mission was brought by a prophet from a foreign land.


After spending a week of starving in the hotel, surviving only by occasionally paying the painfully lofty fee of for a $4 cup of coffee from Starbucks and a $6 sandwich from the expensive hotel food court, the students' wallets were thin and their bellies empty. Then a prophet brought good tidings of great joy: there was a 7-11, a land flowing with coffee and slurpees, not too far from the hotel! "It is a treacherous journey, you will cross through many large roads, with no cross walks to guide you," warned the prophet "but your faith and perseverance will be well rewarded." Many of the students were dismayed by the threat of peril, and chose not to attend the mission, but a small group were motivated by words heard earlier that day by the Cardinal, and by the loosely translated words of the prophet Jeremiah:


"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I created a 7-11 near the Marriott resort for you. 'Ah Lord God!' I said, 'I know not how to get there, I am too young'

but the Lord God answered me 'Say not "I am too young." To wherever I send you, you shall go; In whatever 7-11 I bring you, you shall drink coffee. Have no fear before them, for I am with you to deliver you' says the Lord."


And so, with these words in their heart and the promise of coffee at 10 cents per ounce set before them, the brave few of them set out for 7-11 with the prophet's blessing. Upon exiting the hotel and traveling a few yards one student realized the sidewalk ended and, despite the encouragement of her fellow pilgrims, turned back and returned to the safety of the hotel while the rest continued onward without the comfort of the sidewalk. After walking through the marshy the grass along the road through the resort they saw in the distance that the land changed and became a place of plush grass, lovely ponds, and f another sidewalk, and there was much rejoicing! But they were dismayed when in the midst of this land they found warriors in grotesque dress riding large beasts and wielding strange weapons. They drew closer and found at the beginning of the path an ominous sign confirming the travelers' fears; they had come upon the land of Gold Course, and the sign harshly warned against trespassing on this coveted land.


At this a number of the travelers drew back in fear and refused to go further, saying that the inhabitants of the land were too powerful and fearsome to face. The other travelers, recalling the promise made to them, urged those who drew back to continue with them, but to no avail. They sadly parted ways with their brethren, and the five brave souls which remained true to the mission set before them continued their trek through the hostile land of Golf Course. After a few close calls they came to a place where the path veered to the left and continued deeper into the land of Golf Course, leaving in front of them nothing but a large hedge. They wondered where to go when through the hedge they heard sounds of an automotive nature. It was the road the prophet had foretold of! So the students crawled through the hedge marking the edge of the resort and emerged on the other side to see a daunting path lay ahead of them.


Before them lay a large river of rapidly flowing 65-mile-per-hour death; four lanes in each direction with a twenty foot median dividing them, and as the prophet had foretold, no crosswalks to guide them safely across. Nor was there a sidewalk! Rather, there was a band of marshy grass along the shoulder of the road that abruptly turned into a swampland. But Behold! the 7-11 was in sight, about a mile up the road the neon green and orange lights shown like a shining beacon of hope. And the students took hold of this hope and began the trek, clinging to the straight and narrow path between the raging river of cars and the alligator infested swamp (you think I'm exaggerating, but it really was alligator infested. Alligators are like Florida's squirrels. Some of our friends saw one on the golf course and captured photographic evidence of it.) all the while waiting for an opportunity to safely (relatively speaking) cross the eight lanes of speeding cars.



Finally this opportunity presented itself and the five companions dashed across the road, safely making it to the other side. Now they had but another quarter-mile to journey and nothing stood between them and their destination! Nothing that is but another six lane river of rapidly flowing death! But God had brought them safe thus far, and they trusted in God to carry them across the final stretch. So they sat and pined after the 7-11 which stood but yards before them and waited for the time in which they could cross safely too it. About four minutes later, the time appointed by God came, and the students dashed again across the road through a particularly swampy patch of grass, in which one of the travelers nearly lost her shoe, and made it safely to the parking lot of the 7-11. And their was much rejoicing.

Moreover, their rejoicing continued when they found that not only was there a 7-11, there was also a Chinese Buffet, which also served sushi, and cost a mere $6.50 during lunch! At this praise and thanksgiving to God, who skillfully created the Heavens and Orlando, burst forth from the 5 companions in a fountain of rejoicing. They partook of the oriental banquet set before them then continued to 7-11 to stock up on food for the rest of the night and the plane ride home then, finally and with much joy, recieved that lifegiving drink which drives the dreams of champions; coffee!


In high spirits they left 7-11 and began their journey back to the Resort, knowing well the perils which lay before them, but ready to face them with perseverance and joy. Just when they thought their sucessful trip couldn't get any better one of the travelers exclaimed in suprise. The rest of the travelers turned to face the swamp and found before them and armadillo! Not just any armadillo, a covanental armadillo, much like the rainbow after the flood. An armadillo wich signified the fruits of trusting in God's plan and How we are rewarwded in suprising ways beyond one's ability to imagine when we follow the path He sets before us. And there was much rejoicing.




Deo Omnis Gloria