Becoming a Pilgrim
A “pilgrimage” is normally understood as a journey to a fixed place with the goal to venerate what is held there (i.e. the relics of saints, or the site of a significant event). Yet, this is a very narrow definition of a pilgrimage. In Lumen Gentium, or The Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, that came out of the Second Vatican Counsel, the council of Bishops recognize that God is calling all of his people to a pilgrimage to Heaven. To eternal unity with the Trinity.
God is in all things, and he has called us to walk the highways and byways of our community while trying to raise families, and do our jobs. I consider this our Aimless Pilgrimage, not because we don’t have an end to our trip, but because we don’t know the path we will take to get there.
I see things through a Catholic world view, but we don’t have a monopoly on making a pilgrimage. While the pilgrims of my dreams walk down rods to Santiago, Canterbury, Jerusalem and Rome, may people will have different routes, and I hope each of us finds meaning along the path . Feel free to join me wherever life finds you.
For fun, here are ten rules to guide us on our Aimless Pilgrimage .
(Why ten? Because ten seems to be a good number for rules!)
Rules of the Aimless Pilgrimage
- Look for beauty of God in all things (enjoy the view).
- Walk deliberately and prayerfully on your path … even when you don’t know where you are going.
- Respect your fellow pilgrims and help them when you can.
- Always share a smile with those you pass on the road (It’s free).
- Take your family/friends on your pilgrimage (even if just in your heart).
- Don’t take wooden nickels (Maybe I need to work on this one).
- “I” before “E” except after “C” (ok, this one is weak too).
- From time to time stop to reflect on where you have been.
- Trust that God is taking you where you need to go.
- Pick up after yourself (seriously, I’m not your mom!).
