There he is, comprised of over 5,000 individual pieces of stone from 16 countries. He’s known as Touchdown Jesus because his outstretched arms, measuring 42 feet from thumb-to-thumb, look like a referee’s signal for a touchdown, especially when viewed through the goal post from the Notre Dame stadium. But the real name of the mural that decorates the south wall of the Hesburgh Library is the Word of Life.

This is the last stop along our walking tour of the campus. We’re cold and tired from crisscrossing the many paths worn by the millions who’ve walked this way before us. I sit on the concrete walk and look up at the mural. Notre Dame must really be devoted to its faith, its belief in God, Mary, Jesus. This mural is just a bunch of stones in a pattern—shades of yellow, brown, white, gray, rust, black. Still, I feel something, someone breathing down on me, cutting through the bite in the air.

Silently, I take Marsha by the hand, and we walk back to the Morris Inn. Somewhere over my shoulder, the larger-than-life Jesus with his arms raised blesses the world, blesses us.

May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind always be at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
and rains fall soft upon your fields.
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of His hand.¹⁸

Captions and Credits:
(Top) The Word of LIfe Mural on the Hesburgh Library. (Bottom) Irish Blessing by the Priests courtesy of YouTube.