Ithaca, the Odyssey—Coming Home

I’ve been reflecting on the great poem, Ithaca. Ithaca is an island region that’s generally identified with Homer’s Ithaca, the home of odysseys and the home of Odysseus who delayed his return to the island. It’s a classic Greek tale. It explains the notion of coming home, which doesn’t really exist in the physical but rather exists on the inner.

This is something that J-R has taught us. When I came home from Australia in March 2020, it was the beginning of the Covid-19 lockdown. I knew that this was not about arriving home to my physical space; it was about enjoying the journey, especially the inner journey. Like Odysseus and as illustrated in the poem, Ithaca, we’ve all been on a journey looking for our home, for our own Ithaca to go home to, which doesn’t exist in the physical.

I saw how the Covid-19 lockdown inspired and gave those who are entrepreneurs many opportunities, and yet, for those stuck in the past, it gave them struggle. For those of us on this path, it gave all of us the opportunity to go within.

The possibility of not gathering together with friends and family, including our MSIA family, only accelerated the use of technology. It had a positive effect on connecting more easily with one another, and as J-R had told me years ago, the Traveler consciousness transcends technology.

Covid-19 didn’t stop my ministry of Soul Transcendence that I do for J-R. Like Odysseus, I’ve run into obstacles and things that are trying to throw me. Yet I continue doing the work through online J-R Marathons, including the Asilomar Marathon this past December. Technology affords us the opportunity to gather together on Zoom and Facebook rather than in the Brentwood Ballroom. And so many can join us from their homes whenever they want. I may not be traveling to see the MSIA community in person as I had been in the past, but I get to reach out to others across the world where we can be with each other in ways we hadn’t even thought of before.

Business is open for me; I will continue to support J-R’s work, John’s work, MSIA’s work. I will continue to serve the church by doing initiations and ordinations, regardless of race, creed, color, situation, circumstance, or environment—wherever I need to go I will be there for our people and beyond. I will go wherever J-R and Spirit tells me to go. I will be respectful of the current situation, and I do follow the law. And I will do what my Father tells me to do. Love one another, speak kind words, and do the work, and the work will get done.

I’ve learned to jump into adapting and adopting new ways. It’s so clear that the place to lay our heads is on the inner and accessible through se’s, chanting our tones, listening to seminars, and participating online with J-R’s organizations. It’s the way to deflect any negativity from the current climate of a lot of misinformation and, in effect, “put wax in our ears” as Odysseus had his men do as they sailed by the island with the three Sirens.

As J-R and John have reminded us many times, the Traveler is in all of us. We can all go inside and find our Ithaca; inside is where we’ll find our true home.

Thank you, 2020 and thank you, Covid. You’ve provided all of us the opportunity to look to our real home within.

Like John Morton says, “The best is yet to come.” I look forward to seeing you out on the road. God Bless you and be safe.

Love you all,

Rev. Jesus Garcia, D.S.S.

Ithaca Poem by: Constantine P. Cavafy (1911)

When you set out on your journey to Ithaca,
pray that the road is long,
full of adventure, full of knowledge.
The Lestrygonians and the Cyclops,
the angry Poseidon – do not fear them:
You will never find such as these on your path,
if your thoughts remain lofty, if a fine
emotion touches your spirit and your body.
The Lestrygonians and the Cyclops,
the fierce Poseidon you will never encounter,
if you do not carry them within your soul,
if your soul does not set them up before you.

Pray that the road is long.
That the summer mornings are many, when,
with such pleasure, with such joy
you will enter ports seen for the first time;
stop at Phoenician markets,
and purchase fine merchandise,
mother-of-pearl and coral, amber and ebony,
and sensual perfumes of all kinds,
as many sensual perfumes as you can;
visit many Egyptian cities,
to learn and learn from scholars.

Always keep Ithaca in your mind.
To arrive there is your ultimate goal.
But do not hurry the voyage at all.
It is better to let it last for many years;
and to anchor at the island when you are old,
rich with all you have gained on the way,
not expecting that Ithaca will offer you riches.

Ithaca has given you the beautiful voyage.
Without her you would have never set out on the road.
She has nothing more to give you.

And if you find her poor, Ithaca has not deceived you.
Wise as you have become, with so much experience,
you must already have understood what Ithaca means.