Expect It
The first religious pilgrimage I went on was to the
Shrines of Canada. The reality of the
trip didn’t really take hold until our group gathered at the airport for our
departure. We flew into Montreal and
hours later we were celebrating Mass at Notre-Dame Basilica. From there were drove over to St. Joseph’s Oratory on Mount Royal. This was just a teaser visit as we would
return later in the pilgrimage to spend more time there. But, as it was, we got a first glimpse of the
inside of the massive church and we watched the sunset from terraces that
looked out over Montreal basking in the vibrant colors of autumn.
Pilgrimage is not a religious vacation. For me, it is setting aside everyday life, to
journey to specific holy places, with the intention of growing deeper in love
with God. So, how does one accomplish
that intent? You do what countless
people have done throughout the ages.
You show up and you open your heart.
God will meet you there, simply because He desires to be in
relationship, to be in communion with you.
Although we visited and celebrated Mass at tremendous
churches, it was at the relatively smaller and more simple gray stone church
where St. Kateri Tekakwitha is entombed that I had a totally unexpected but
very real, tangible experience with the saint herself immediately after confession. The experience surprised me because it was
much more than I could have imagined or asked for.
Since then, I have been on pilgrimage to holy sites in
Ireland, Spain (twice), France, Portugal (twice), Poland and Lithuania. At some point on every pilgrimage, I have had
at least one and sometimes more than one extraordinary encounter with the
holy. What I have learned in these
opportunities is that if you open your heart and take a step closer to God, do
not be surprised when He rushes to meet you, just as the father figure rushed
to the returning prodigal. Not only do I
say that you should not be surprised, I advise you to expect it.
As soon as I post this, I need to pack up and head
out. I am serving as a Spiritual Advisor
on the fall women’s Cursillo for the Green Bay Diocese. I have served on a number of these
teams. I don’t know how, and I don’t
know exactly when, but I expect that all of the women on this Cursillo weekend
who open their hearts, will have an experience of the living God. I can’t wait to see it happen!
His Peace <><
Deacon Dan
Photo by wisconsinpictures on Unsplash
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