Tuesday the 9th, the 2:15 alarm heralds a new day. Well, not quite because it was still dark outside, but my chauffeur arrived on time for the drive to Manchester Airport. Terminal 2.

Terminal is such a sad word for the launchpad to new adventures. The 9th is St. Columba’s Day, and indeed, he launched many saints into the British Isles and the island from his “runway” on Little Iona. Such a little place, and beauty is often the doorway, the gateway to Truth. St. Columba wrote, “Alone with none but Thee, my God, I journey on my way”.

As always, I say the Jesus Prayer for all those who are on board the plane. Mums, dads, babes in arms, the elderly, the flight attendants, and of course the pilot. The heavenly flight attendants were also there, the angels attending us and helping us on our way. In our spiritual need, they also care for our safety. Each of us has a guardian angel. We shouldn’t forget it.

And as we land, the temperature is reversed. The 13 degrees of Manchester becomes the 31 degrees of Thessaloniki. There to meet me at the airport is another chauffeur. How can it be that we are in the same world and yet the temperature is so different?

Watermelon, strawberries, and koulouri* form the basis of the light meal. It is a refreshing repast in the heat of a Greek summer. Simple food, not unlike St. Columba, who recommended bannocks, barley cakes, vegetables, fish, and water for his monks on the Holy Island.

A siesta was called for and indeed received. Possibly not what the monks did in their own typikon on Iona. Father B, who was also tired and weary from his travels, also gave in to that captive host, Ypnos**.

In fact, Father B was suffering from high temperatures. So the first aid team brought medication from the pharmacy. He and Presbytera will return tomorrow and not remain here. So as the Scottish poet wrote, the best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry. However, the short time of renewal, of seeing one another again, was enough to cement those little stones which we compose within the church and then to the restaurant for a meal.

Such love and friendship is the conduit for the Holy Spirit. And it is the condiment also, as Jesus says, the salt of the earth. Even in unforeseen circumstances, as St. Paul writes to Timothy in chapter 4, verse 2, be ready in and out of season, whether the time is favourable or not. Each of us, who are called to Christ, drinks of that rich fountain of his mercy. St. Ephraim the Syrian writes, thanksgiving be to him, who caused a stream to flow forth in the mouths that had been closed so that they might give praise without end through the Son to the worshipful Father.

My love and prayers to all, especially for travellers. Amen.

*A koulouri (pronounced koo-LOO-ree) is a traditional Greek street food consisting of a circular bread ring encrusted with toasted sesame seeds. Crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside, it is often referred to in English as a Greek sesame bagel.

** In Greek, hypnos, “ύπνος” (pronounced ýpnos) translates to sleep. It can be used literally to describe the resting state or figuratively, such as referring to the eternal sleep of death.