To be a pilgrim (from
the Latin-perigrinata, meaning stranger) means
to go from being a stranger to God to being a
friend of God--and deepening one's spiritual
life. A pilgrimage usually includes a prayerful
intention, penance and practicing the presence
of God along the way-whether encountering Him in
churches, adventuresome places, in prayer or
thru other pilgrims. Weeks ago I made a
pilgrimage to Lourdes, France, along with two
other Baltimore priests--Fr Farmer, pastor of St
Thomas Aquinas church, head of Pro-Life for the
Diocese, and Fr Sal Livigni-chaplain at Johns
Hopkins Hospital, and priest with the longest
hair in the Archdiocese! Simply put, as Fr
Farmer said during our pilgrimage: "Each day is
better than the one before." We had a beautiful,
spiritual time-and adventure. I learned that
pilgrimages have many meanings: not just the
main goal of the place of pilgrimage, but also
all the subtle spiritual lessons God provides
along the way. Here are some of the lessons,
meditations and spiritual messages (included
after "M") we learned…
Intercession: Just
before leaving BWI we went thru a checkpoint and
a young man engaged us in conversation-Anthony.
Dressed in black clerical attire we musta'
looked like "men in black-on the fly". Anthony
asked us what church we belonged to and said he
was active in a nearby church. We told him where
we were going- Lourdes, a place of healing and
pilgrimage. Not being Catholic he was intrigued,
and then asked prayers for one of the church
members who was very sick. On our pilgrimage we
remembered Anthony and his sick friend
throughout in prayer. He made a favorable
impression on us, and we therefore remembered
him and his intention in prayer, as we had the
privilege going to Lourdes to pray intercede-few
others have this opportunity. One of my fellow
priests remarked how nice Anthony was and that
he possibly would not have asked for our prayers
if we were not dressed as priests (full
disclosure: I don't go overboard and dress as a
priest when: showering, swimming or surfing!)…
M: How can you be open to, and pray for,
"strangers" and thereby become "friends" in God?
Consider carrying a cross or rosary or some
sacramental that will help introduce others to
the Faith.
Jesus is First: Once in
France we were enamored by the art and spiritual
beauty of the "Eldest Daughter of the Church".
Clovis -king of the Francs, in the 400's,
converted along with the whole country, the
first to so in the West as a country, and
thereby France gained this title. At each
beautiful church and cathedral along the way it
is easy to get inspired, gawk and simply forget
just why the Church was built in the first
place-for Jesus. Each and every time we visited
some church my fellow pilgrims -Fathers Sal and
Jim, would enter the church and, while everyone
else would be admiring the stained glass
windows, ornate statues and high clerestory
windows and walls, my pilgrim-priest- friends
would make a bee-line to the tabernacle-where
Jesus was truly Present in the Holy Eucharist,
to kneel and pray: God was more important than
ornate stones. They did this in every church,
every time. Then they would go through the
church and enjoy the earthly splendor with a
heart full of Jesus…M: Keep Jesus first in your
life. Cultivate devotion to Him, esp. in the
Blessed Sacrament. Lead others to Him by your
prayerful example! Before the pilgrimage Fr
Farmer said: "I don't care what we do each day
as long as we have Mass and a Holy Hour." We all
kept faithful to that with each other's help.
Holy Silence: In Paris
one of the famous churches is Sacre Coeur,
Sacred Heart Basilica, which stands upon a hill
overlooking the City of Light. It is impressive
and inspiring. What is inside is even more-so:
Christ. They have continual Eucharistic
Adoration in the Church. Now, people being
people, they talk and sometimes ignore
Jesus-especially while on tour. Well, I was
struck by-and am in gratitude to-two men who
were quite assertive in promoting silence. This
was their job. They were unashamed to walk up to
people and tell, or motion to them to be quiet.
They were unabashed about it, with a big,
assertive "Shssh" anytime someone began talking.
And people complied; then silence reigned. It's
so easy for our churches to become parlors or
museum halls and lose the sacredness....M: Am I
silent and still in my own church to help others
pray- so that Jesus may penetrate into the
deepest recesses of my heart to make it one with
His Sacred Heart?
Silence and Stillness:
In one of the world's most famous churches--
Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris-there is lots of
action, but there is little time-or space-to
stop, be still and silent, and attune to God's
glory thru the amazing art and architecture.
There are crowds, the selling of religious
items, candle lighting, tour groups, and the
general din of human traffic milling about a
gigantic church. I realized: you just have to
desire and work to get out of the general stream
of traffic-off of a main aisle, sneak into a
pew, drift away from the crowd-and then focus on
God's manifestations, perhaps on the beauty of
the high altar, the amazing stained glass
windows, on the towering walls inlaid with
celestial beauty, or upon the rose windows. One
has to make a conscientious effort to stop and
be still to "breathe it all in"-otherwise you
will just get swept up in the treadmill of human
traffic. It takes a conscious effort. It's
amazing how much silence and stillness will help
you in the spiritual life!... M: Take twenty
minutes a day (at least, and then increase) of
meditation time-"Within: think about, thank
Him." Practice stillness, silence.
Travel Light:
Baggage-always baggage. After may trips abroad I
am still learning: I always pack too much for
trips and still own too much. From train
stations to airports to hotel staircases-I
lugged around my luggage and sometimes thought:
less is more. I met some camping pilgrims in
Lourdes and was edified by their witness and
simplicity-all they had were backpacks. They
were like walking spiritual messages-Travel
light-focus on the Lord…M: What baggage-
physical and/or mental-weighs your down? What
can you get rid of?
Confessions: One of the
main aspects of a pilgrimage is renunciation of
sin .Yes, it is nice to travel, meet new people
and encounter God in beautiful scenery. But: we
need greater and deeper conversion in our souls
and need to reconcile to God in a concrete way.
I was amazed and inspired at the confession-
lines at Lourdes-always somebody, somewhere
making a confession. I myself heard a confession
at the Grotto late in the night. Pilgrimages and
holy places inspire conversion and, really, if
we admit it and fathom the depth of our Sacred
Tradition, conversion comes thru heartfelt
continual Confession and Communion …Ars: When
touring the world's most famous parish priest's
house-St. John Marie Vianey-I noticed a display
by his bed, which showed how frequently he heard
confessions (people from all over France and
Europe went to this country pastor to confess
sins). The display-"clock" showed that just
about every other hour of the day and night he
heard confessions. The "secret" of this man's
spiritual success, popularity and sainthood:
Confession. "Confess your sins to open another
and you well be healed" (Jas. 5:16).He knew that
sacramental reconciliation was the Medicine of
the soul. When in the church we priests actually
sat in the famous confessional of St John Vianey.
I made a confession there and then Fr Sal asked
to make a confession. I was going to remain
where I was (in the penitent's seat) when Fr Sal
suggested we change places so that I actually
sit in the confession priest seat of St John. He
said, somewhat assertively, "It's important."
Sacramentals-rosaries, candles, holy water,
confession seats (!), are helpful and
important-God works thru them and bestows
grace.. M: When was your last confession? Do you
have sacramentals in your life, home, at work?
Service: Part of
holiness is service. I met a priest in Lourdes
who was seventy-five yrs old, "Fr Ed," who was
from Detroit. Big deal? He was so kindly and
unremarkable; you could miss the "subtle living
sermon": He joyfully and lovingly gave of his
time, talent and treasure -in his retirement-to
travel to Lourdes to hear confessions. Imagine
that as a vacation! He showed us pilgrimaging
priests the way of sacrifice, fortitude and
service…M: How can you sacrifice and serve Jesus
and others?
Beautiful Rubble: On
pilgrimage we visited one of the most famous
monasteries you've perhaps never heard of-Cluny,
in Burgundy. In the 1100's a certain abbot,
"Hugh" and monks began building the largest
church in Christendom (until St Peter's in
Rome). Still, today you can catch a whiff of the
austere beauty of what once was. In later
centuries it was neglected, and then demolished
during the French Revolution. Apparently,
according to one interpretation, its earthly
success became its downfall. Walking thru the
ruins-and seeing an occasional well-preserved
column (soaring way high into the French sky),
and inspecting the various sections of the
mammoth church, I thought-What happened that it
went to ruins? Cluny became decadent-too
successful and rich, losing its focus-Christ,
and saving of souls. Perhaps we need such
"beautiful rubble" to remind us of what can
happen to us Catholics… M: How can I keep my
eyes fixed on Christ and be His missionary?
Annecy: This is the town
of St Francis de Sales. It is simply stunning,
in SE France, just on the edge of the Alps. If
there's one "jewel of a town" to visit in
Europe-this would be it. It is quaintly small
yet with an urbane air; it is clean, it is tres
belle-very beautiful. Gigantic mountains peer
over a pure blue-green alpine lake, and the
town's elegance, and mixture of medieval-old,
and cosmopolitan-new is enticing. But, what is
more beautiful is the life of St Francis
(1567-1622), who helped laypersons become holy
when it was not too popular or acceptable. Thru
prayer and deepened understanding of the
spiritual life, he helped souls to embrace a
serious spiritual life just where they were,
without inappropriate practices. Coming upon his
grand church we were hoping to say Mass at his
tomb and were inspired by the helpful and joyful
Visitation Nuns. We were then overawed at
celebrating Mass right there, by his body. After
Mass we met a humble son and mother who were
visiting Annecy for medical attention. Upon
later reflection, I thought, this layperson's
simple, sincere love of Jesus, the Eucharist and
the Virgin Mary-and of our Church-were just as
touching as any of the buildings and history in
Annecy. In a way, the fruits of St Francis, his
"spiritual children," appeared to us…
M: How can you increase
your Faith and witness it to others? …
Like all Pilgrimages, To
Be Continued…
Read
other reflections by Father John J. Lombardi
Briefly Noted
The Gospel and
Liberation: Regarding the world, Pope John Paul
recently described the "diffusion of the
weakening of the sense of sin and, therefore, of
the importance of the sacrament of
reconciliation in contemporary society." He also
described "the mystery of the Cross, mystery
that brings into the light the tragedy of sin
and, at the same time, proclaims the liberating
and healing force of divine mercy." This
Sunday's Gospel is the heart of the Good
News-Mercy. Our Heavenly Father is Mercy and
Love. St Luke's Gospel, Chapter 15 is a series
of pictures and parables about God-He loves
sinners, and goes out after them- Us! In St
Timothy's stresses that "Christ Jesus came into
the world to save sinners". Who can you help out
of Darkness into Light: people lying,
fornicating, contracepting, hoarding
possessions. But the Father will never give up
on us, on any sinner. The Gospel Parable about
the "lost (Prodigal) son" is often called, by
early Fathers of the Church, the Story of the
Prodigal Father". Why? Because the Sacred Story
accentuates the (Heavenly) Father's role in
Mercy and Love more than it does the son's
waywardness. The "Mystical Dimension" of the
Forgiveness is expressed by St Isaac of Stella:
"And as all that belongs to the Father belongs
also to the Son because by nature they are one,
so also the Bridegroom (Christ) gave all he had
to the Bride (The Church) and he shared in all
that was hers. He made her one both with Himself
and with the Father…Therefore she (the Church)
has the prerogative of to forgive sin, which is
the reason for the command: Go, show yourself to
the priest. The Church is incapable of forgiving
any sin without Christ, and Christ is unwilling
to forgive any sin without the Church…Do not
destroy the whole Christ by separating head from
body, for Christ is not complete without the
Church nor is the Church complete without
Christ."
Remember the
choice--Conditioning by Sin or Mercy's Freedom.
