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We are all pilgrims. All of us, every one of us. None of us are walking around with these large top-hat looking things on the top of our heads or wear black suits with large belts around our waists or have buckles on our shoes. But we are all pilgrims on a journey looking forward to the time when we reach our home. This morning, coincidently, was how the opening song for mass began: "We are all pilgrims..."
Lisa, Theresa, Judi and I are going to meet again on this Wednesday, July 25th. When I noticed the date I immediately thought of us meeting on this very special Feast day that celebrates the life and work of the Apostle St. James. And, I associate pilgrims with St. James because of the Camino de Santiago. If you are not familiar with the Camino, and enjoy watching movies, I would highly recommend "The Way".
This movie is a fictional piece about a man whose son dies while on on pilgrimage in Spain and the man decides to finish the pilgrimage on behalf of his son. I have no idea why in the world I loved this movie so much, but I did. I initially went with my sister, Jeanne, to see it. Then Ray (husband, not son) and I and Kristin watched it in a hotel while visiting Kristin at the College of Charleston. And then, again, with my mom in New York, after she was recovering from a broken shoulder. I do not think that the movie is particularly Catholic or even talks about spirituality or Jesus out-loud. But when you watch the movie and think about the evolution of this man on his pilgrimage, and his fellow travelers, you cannot help but notice how transforming it is for each of them. Each of them come to do the pilgrimage for different reasons, they each carry different crosses from the life that they took a break from, and the pilgrimage is not easy for them - but it is so beautiful. And, interestingly enough, the viewer interprets the change by "looking between the lines". You get a small glimpse of just how profound the experience is for each of them towards the end of the film. It is very personal and they do not share it with each other and it is different for each of them. The one important element that binds them as one is that Jesus is with them each and every step of the way and He is the cause and the reason that they change inwardly as a result of the experience. Please note that this is only MY interpretation of what I got from the movie.
Our pastor, Father David Boettner is on pilgrimage walking the Camino. I am so envious of him. And he knows it because I keep telling him that. But I am also very happy for him and pray that it is a wonderful, spiritually rich time for him. In thinking about our trip, I realized that we, too, are on pilgrimage when we go to Africa. We are, each of us, setting-out together, trying to grow closer to God, to give Him whatever work He asks us to do, to stretch ourselves by sacrificing in as many ways as He asks us to, and to bring the Enthronement of His Heart and His Love to others and most of all to do His Will.
God is so very good! Is He not?!
A few years ago, we had this wonderful parish mission that Shelly Letendre (amazingly talented and gifted friend that is the leader of our Contemporary Choir at the Cathedral) brought to Sacred Heart. The leader of the mission did something so, so interesting. He took all of the rope belts from the altar-servers albs and tied them together until they made one long rope. He then told us that us that we should imagine the rope stretching out to infinity - a line of rope with no end. On one end of the rope he had wound one piece of black electric tape. Then he held up the end with the tape and held it high. It represented such a small part of the whole rope. He said that the tape represented our EARTHLY LIFE and the rest of the rope represented our ETERNAL LIFE - the continuation of our lives. It was impressive to see it laid-out in that way.
Getting back to the song from mass. We are all pilgrims. We are. Each one of us in our daily lives has the opportunity to pour ourselves out for Him and in Him in the way that He asks us. To give until it hurts. We are all traveling together, but separate. I for one am overwhelmed with gratitude for the tremendous gift and opportunity of walking beside Jesus in this pilgrimage of my life - both here and in Africa.
Lisa, Theresa, Judi and I are going to meet again on this Wednesday, July 25th. When I noticed the date I immediately thought of us meeting on this very special Feast day that celebrates the life and work of the Apostle St. James. And, I associate pilgrims with St. James because of the Camino de Santiago. If you are not familiar with the Camino, and enjoy watching movies, I would highly recommend "The Way".
This movie is a fictional piece about a man whose son dies while on on pilgrimage in Spain and the man decides to finish the pilgrimage on behalf of his son. I have no idea why in the world I loved this movie so much, but I did. I initially went with my sister, Jeanne, to see it. Then Ray (husband, not son) and I and Kristin watched it in a hotel while visiting Kristin at the College of Charleston. And then, again, with my mom in New York, after she was recovering from a broken shoulder. I do not think that the movie is particularly Catholic or even talks about spirituality or Jesus out-loud. But when you watch the movie and think about the evolution of this man on his pilgrimage, and his fellow travelers, you cannot help but notice how transforming it is for each of them. Each of them come to do the pilgrimage for different reasons, they each carry different crosses from the life that they took a break from, and the pilgrimage is not easy for them - but it is so beautiful. And, interestingly enough, the viewer interprets the change by "looking between the lines". You get a small glimpse of just how profound the experience is for each of them towards the end of the film. It is very personal and they do not share it with each other and it is different for each of them. The one important element that binds them as one is that Jesus is with them each and every step of the way and He is the cause and the reason that they change inwardly as a result of the experience. Please note that this is only MY interpretation of what I got from the movie.
Our pastor, Father David Boettner is on pilgrimage walking the Camino. I am so envious of him. And he knows it because I keep telling him that. But I am also very happy for him and pray that it is a wonderful, spiritually rich time for him. In thinking about our trip, I realized that we, too, are on pilgrimage when we go to Africa. We are, each of us, setting-out together, trying to grow closer to God, to give Him whatever work He asks us to do, to stretch ourselves by sacrificing in as many ways as He asks us to, and to bring the Enthronement of His Heart and His Love to others and most of all to do His Will.
God is so very good! Is He not?!
A few years ago, we had this wonderful parish mission that Shelly Letendre (amazingly talented and gifted friend that is the leader of our Contemporary Choir at the Cathedral) brought to Sacred Heart. The leader of the mission did something so, so interesting. He took all of the rope belts from the altar-servers albs and tied them together until they made one long rope. He then told us that us that we should imagine the rope stretching out to infinity - a line of rope with no end. On one end of the rope he had wound one piece of black electric tape. Then he held up the end with the tape and held it high. It represented such a small part of the whole rope. He said that the tape represented our EARTHLY LIFE and the rest of the rope represented our ETERNAL LIFE - the continuation of our lives. It was impressive to see it laid-out in that way.
Getting back to the song from mass. We are all pilgrims. We are. Each one of us in our daily lives has the opportunity to pour ourselves out for Him and in Him in the way that He asks us. To give until it hurts. We are all traveling together, but separate. I for one am overwhelmed with gratitude for the tremendous gift and opportunity of walking beside Jesus in this pilgrimage of my life - both here and in Africa.
Thank you, always - all of you - for your support of our trip, our pilgrimage. Please consider binding yourselves to us spiritually so that we may take all of you with us in our hearts in our travels. You may do this by praying the Consecration prayer below:
CONSECRATION OF THE KENYA MISSION
It is appropriate in our times, to profoundly understand and have a greater conscience of the intimate relationship that exists between the Two Hearts, and of the immense value that an authentic devotion and consecration to the Hearts of Jesus and Mary have in our lives.”
(Pope John Paul II, November 23, 1987)
(Pope John Paul II, November 23, 1987)
To your Sacred Heart, O Lord, we wish to consecrate ourselves and this Mission to Kenya today, June 15, 2012, the Feast of the Sacred Heart. Through this act of consecration, we desire to enter into your Heart, our refuge and protection. Keep us free from all error and confusion, from all frailty, selfishness, and indifference. Please give us wisdom and clarity in all that we do for this Mission and in our daily lives. May we acquire from your Heart the virtues that we most need, the light that will guide our path, and the strength necessary to be faithful to your will in this Mission and in all we do. May your Heart be our treasure and our reward. May the graces of mercy, conversion, and peace that flow from your Heart transform us, giving us new hearts like your heart. Moved by the contemplation of your love, may we become true channels of your grace in a world so in need of your love and of truth. Through the consecration of ourselves and this Mission to your Sacred Heart, may we help to establish in the world the civilization of love.
O Immaculate Heart of Mary, you are the most perfect model of total consecration and dedication to the Heart of Jesus. O Mother, it is our desire to live in your Heart so as to learn to love unconditionally the Heart of Jesus, your Son. Through your Heart, may we truly obey Him and serve Him with all generosity, responding diligently to the desires of His Heart.
We wish to consecrate ourselves and this Mission to Kenya to your Immaculate and Sorrowful Heart, the perfect and sure path to reach the Heart of Jesus. Your Heart, abundantly filled with grace and holiness, is the refuge where we are healed and liberated from all our miseries and frailties. O Most Holy Virgin, we want to belong to your Heart, bearing within us a complete and loving readiness to do the will of God manifested through your maternal mediation. In virtue of this consecration, we implore you, O Immaculate Heart, to guard and protect us from all physical and spiritual evil. May our hearts be inflamed by the fire and love of the Holy Spirit as is your Heart. In union with you, most pure channel through which Christ came into the world, and anointed by the power of the Holy Spirit, may we be instruments in this world, bringing to all the love, joy, mercy, and peace of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
O Hearts of Jesus and Mary, only hope of humanity! You are our hope since in your perfect union of love for God and for humanity, you have given yourselves for the salvation of the world. Through this consecration of ourselves and this Mission to Kenya, we humbly seek to spread the fire of your love and mercy to all we meet and that those who will participate there and here (by their spiritual presence with us), be the light of Truth to all they encounter, so that the world will become a true Civilization of Love. We desire to offer our lives in love and in reparation to your Hearts. With all our lives, we desire to promote and to establish in the hearts of all men the Reign of Love found in the Pierced Hearts of Jesus and Mary. Amen.
And, if you would like to follow Father David's blog about his experiences while walking the Camino, you may do so here:
http://www.fdpilgrimage.com/
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