Repetita (Estonia)

[Patricus I]

"Patience: a minor form of despair, disguised as a virtue."

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The morning they were to fly back to Rome, Philip told the Cardinal Secretary of State an astonishing thing. That he would visit some other parishes in Estonia on the condition that he would only journey as far as they could drive. The Cardinal was aghast with surprise, but quickly leaped to make the arrangements. He practically gave up suggesting such things to Patricus years before, but on a whim brought up the small matter since the Holy Father was seemingly behaving out of character of late. The guess paid off.

During the journey to a nearby city, the Cardinal Secretary continued to probe him for information related to the visions from God. Despite suggesting sanctification, Philip staunchly refused to elaborate. His lips were more tightly sealed than ever, probably because the previous night’s dreaming led him to change his mind about travel. It was only the second time in his life, admittedly on the heels of the first, when a dream impacted his waking behavior. This one saw a dove circling high in the air. Ever circling, the dove flapped its wings on steady beats. It saw him standing below on the ground, watching, but did no more than tip its wing and circle ever endlessly.

Philip woke knowing he needed to circle, although he did not know why.  

Such was how he came to ride back roads around Estonia, but until restlessness (or some other nudge from the Lord) eroded his patience, he was likely to abandon the cause and return to Rome.