Reflections
My Reflections
A Pilgrimage Within a Pilgrimage
My journey on the Camino is a true pilgrimage for me. I'm taking the time to get to know strangers, pray, discern, and yes I'm even trying to be quiet and listen. That last one I think is harder than the miles.
But this isn't the first pilgrimage I've been on. And it isn't yours either.
Every human life is a pilgrimage. The moment we were brought into the world, we were set upon a path toward heaven itself. St. Augustine, writing from the restlessness of his own wandering life, captured it simply, "Our hearts are made for God, and they will not rest until they rest in Him." That restlessness, that sense that this world is never quite enough, is a compass pointing home.
A pilgrimage strips away the comfortable noise of ordinary life and forces a person to ask the questions they've been too busy to ask. Where am I going? What am I carrying that I should put down? Am I walking toward something or away from it?
Those are not just Camino questions. They are life questions.
Compared to eternity, the years we spend on this earth are extraordinarily brief. It's a gentle but urgent reminder that the decisions we make today have eternal weight. The kindness we extend, the sins we confess, the prayers we whisper, the moments we choose God over comfort, these are the miles that matter.
What do pilgrims do? They simplify. They sacrifice comfort for something greater. They talk to strangers who become friends. They pray more than they normally would. They face unexpected hardships and discover that they are not walking alone. In life, we are never walking alone.
The Camino has been walked for over twelve hundred years. Countless souls have made this same journey seeking healing, forgiveness, and renewal. That same grace is available to every person.
So here is the question worth sitting with today: What would it look like to live as a pilgrim? Not just for a few weeks on a trail, but every single day?
It would look a lot like slowing down. Simplifying. Praying. Listening. And fixing our eyes on what is eternal.
We should be preparing for heaven.
What Makes a True Pilgrim?
It's a question that comes up on the Camino. I've heard it more than once on my journey.
Instead of staying in an albergue every night and sleeping with thirty of my new best friends, most of my nights have been spent in hotels. Rather than hauling a twenty-pound pack across the meseta, my luggage is transferred ahead to the next destination while I walk the trail with only water and snacks. I figure I paid my dues when I was younger, and I didn't want to add additional burden to an already demanding journey.
So does that make me less of a pilgrim than those who rough it? And what about the cyclists that ride bikes on the Camino? Are they even pilgrims at all?
Are all the people who complete the Way of Saint James actually carrying out a true pilgrimage? Pope Francis said a real pilgrimage has three characteristics: a spirit of silence, immersion in the Gospel, and service to the least.
A pilgrimage is a physical journey in pursuit of a spiritual goal. That definition says nothing about the mode of transport or the quality of the accommodation. It says everything about the direction of the heart.
At dinner the other night, I shared the table with a father and his daughter who were walking the Camino. Twice the father mentioned that he wasn't a "good Catholic." After the second time, I asked him to look around this room full of pilgrims. "Is anyone here less of a pilgrim because of how they travel, or how heavy their pack is?"
We can all do a better job of practicing our faith. But let's not be so quick to judge. Not even ourselves.
What makes a true pilgrim is intent. It's what's happening on the inside. And that is something only God can see. Judgment belongs to Him.
Buen Camino.
Happiness is Intentional
This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. — Psalm 118:24
This is one of my favorite verses in the Psalms because it reminds us to live in the moment. At home I struggle with that, but on the Camino it has come surprisingly easily. I know what town I'm walking to next, and that's about as far ahead as I plan.
In everyday life, it's easy to be weighed down by the struggles of yesterday and the fears of tomorrow, so much that we miss today. Too many people wake up every morning wishing for a better yesterday. That trap can paralyze us. If we want to live in the miracle of the moment, we have to be intentional about it.
That intention starts with gratitude. I don't need a study to tell me that the most thankful people in the world are also the happiest.
It's easy to fall into the "I'll be happy when…" mindset, where we tie our happiness to a future outcome that may or may not come. When it does come, the happiness is real but brief. It fades faster than we expected, and we move on to the next goal. That isn't true happiness. It's just the next finish line dressed up as fulfillment.
True happiness is a byproduct of being in sync with God's will. That doesn't mean we'll be happy every moment. But if we start with gratitude, live in the moment, and intentionally discern what God desires of us, happiness will come.
Amen.