Several days ago, going through my  things, I encountered something that today I want to share with you one way or another was part of my life. There was a time in the past, I read a book that life to a trip on a train.

One reading was extremely interesting, when well interpreted. That’s right; live is like a train ride, arrive to embark and disembark, some accidents, some good surprises in some stops and great sadness in others.

When we are born, we enter in this train and we find ome persons that will appear to be always on the trip  with us: our parents. Unfortunately, this is not true: in some station they will get off the train and leave us orphans of their care, friendship and company that is unmatched, but this does not impede us. During the trip, interesting persons will come and be super special for us, they embark.

Our brothers arrive, friends and marvelous people of love.  Many persons take this train, only for passage, others will encounter in this trip only sadness, still others will circulate through the train, soon to help someone in need. Many get off the trains and they are missed forever, others pass through it in a way that way they vacate their seat no one notices. It is curious to note that  some passengers that are not paying as expensive a ticket  are in a different car from ourselves and we are thankful to take this trip separated from them, that which does not stop is clear that during the trip we may cross over with great difficulty from our car and we enter theirs, only that unfortunately, never will we be able to sit at their side, for already they will have someone occupying that place.

It does not matter that this a voyage, trouble arrives, dreams, fantasies, hopes, farewells, but never returns. we make this voyage, then in the best manner possible, trying to relate ourselves well with all those passgengers looking at each of them. What they could have better remembering always that in each moment of the trip, they could falter and probably we will need to understand this because we also will falter many times and with certainty there will be someone that will understand us. The great mystery, finally is that never will we know in which stop will we get off, much less our companions, nor even who will be seated at our side. I remain thinking that if we want to get off this train will I have feelings of missing those on board? I believe so.

Separating myself from some of my friends will be done with minimal pain; leaving my brothers they continue the trip dreaming with certainty there will be a lot of sadness, but  cling in the hope that in this moment I will be in the principal state and I will  have the great emotion of arriving with a suitcase that I did not have when I embarked and that is going to make me happy, I will be thinking that it may grow in value.

Friends, we travel on the road with this train may be quiet, but it  may be worth it that when the hour to disembark arrives our empty place may bring feelings of loneliness and good memories for those that continued to travel.

God bless you,

Marcelo Moraes

Missionary of the Canção Nova (New Song) Catholic Community

translated from Portuguese