Opportunities for Pilgrims
There is this idea in the spiritual life that our entire lives are a pilgrimage. A pilgrimage is very different from a vacation. On vacation we get away from our everyday life. We literally “vacate” our responsibilities which provides the necessary leisure and break so that we can re-engage our daily work and responsibilities when we return.
A pilgrimage is a bit different. A pilgrimage is a journey with a destination to encounter God. Meeting God is the goal of the entire trip. Part of the experience of a pilgrimage is getting to the destination. The stops along the way are opportunities for spiritual renewal. The journey of a pilgrim is the journey of a heart on the path of conversion.
In a sense, our whole lives are a pilgrimage on the journey toward God. The ultimate goal is to spend eternity with Him in heaven. The path to the destination is our conversion: we are freed from sins and grow in love of God and our neighbor.
You may guess that these reflections are coming to mind because I’m writing this while away from our parishes. As I type, I am on a train somewhere near Minot, ND. This trip is some combination of vacation and pilgrimage. On the trip we’ve stopped at the Basilica of St. Mary in Minneapolis and the stunning Cathedral of St. Paul in St. Paul, MN. We’ll spend a few nights staying at the Cathedral of St. James in Seattle before flying back to Ohio (the greatest state in the United States). Please continue to pray for me on this pilgrimage and I’ll be praying for all of you.
Also FYI we’ll be doing some less spiritual activities like hiking around Mount Rainier and going whale watching. I’ve been practicing my whale calls all week in preparation. Don’t be surprised if I come back with a humpback whale as a pet.
On a completely unrelated note, last week pastors throughout the Archdiocese received a unique offer from our seminary, Mount St. Mary’s Seminary and School of Theology. The seminary offers evening and weekend classes for lay students. Each parish is able to offer one free class to a new student. Therefore, an individual from each of our parishes is able to take a free class through the seminary. This individual must be a new student. It can be anyone with a high school degree or GED.
This year classes are being offered at the St. Charles Center in Carthegena on Saturdays. There are two classes offered during the fall semester and two during the spring semester. The eligible courses in the fall are “Christology” (the study of Jesus Christ) and “Ecclesiology” (the study of the Church). The two courses for the spring are “Catholic Social Doctrine” and “Liturgy and Prayer.”
Since we receive a certificate for a free class per parish, they are on a first come, first serve basis. If you’re interested, please contact the office or email me at pastor@petersburgparishes.org.
Sincerely in Christ,
Fr. Sean Wilson
Image: St. Lawrence Crowned by Baby Jesus, Claude de Jongh, CC BY-SA 2.0 FR https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/fr/deed.en, via Wikimedia Commons
