Fitting a Pilgrimage into Your Busy Life
“Pilgrimages evoke our earthly journey toward heaven and are traditionally very special occasions for renewal in prayer. For pilgrims seeking living water, shrines are special places for living forms of Christian prayer in ‘Church.’” Catechism of the Catholic Church, Paragraph 2691
A pilgrimage is as much about the journey as it is the destination. The heart of a pilgrimage is an encounter with the Lord, our God. Whereas vacations are about relaxation, sightseeing, and tourism, pilgrimages take us from our comfort zones and self-reliance to surrender and trust in God’s providence for the journey and in our lives.
I have been privileged to travel abroad several times through a study abroad program and group travel, but I went on my first pilgrimage of the Camino de Santiago-English Route and Rome for the Jubilee Year last October. While I had actively sought out international travel opportunities, the pilgrimage was an invitation. An invitation to discern a vocation, celebrate the Jubilee Year, and, most importantly, to deepen my relationship with the Lord.
As excited as I was at the invitation to go on pilgrimage to Rome (and the Camino) in the Jubilee year, I had some resistance to some of the obstacles - both real and perceived -to fitting this sort of trip into my busy life. Perhaps you have been invited or want to go on a pilgrimage, but are feeling resistance on some level in fitting it into your busy life. If so, I am writing to you!
The Obstacles
I will be transparent and say that I am writing this as a single woman with financial means. I have a work situation that provides an abundance of time off and periods of downtime; I have no supervising or caregiving responsibilities. I recognize that my season of life affords greater freedom than others.
Still, regardless of the season of your life,there are many obstacles that can make a pilgrimage seem out of the question. Pilgrimages are beautiful experiences of renewal butyou must acknowledge and discuss the obstacles to discern if the time is right;will require surrendering and trusting God’s call.
Finances
Travel, especially international travel, is expensive. The financial cost of a pilgrimage is determined by the length, site, travel arrangements, accommodations, and possible excursions. It adds up before you even depart for your destination.
Take a quick breath before you start getting overwhelmed. There are many different ways to go on a pilgrimage through a company, your parish, a group, or by yourself. You can research to find the pilgrimage that is best suited to you, your budget and your schedule. You may need three or six months to save and plan.
Some of my friends have held fundraisers or taken on additional jobs to help with the costs. I reviewed my monthly budget to find areas where I could cut back on spending - this included decreasing my spending on eating out. I also paid for my trip over time in several installments.
Time
Pilgrimages require time and some require unique preparation. Before I walked El Camino de Santiago, I spent several months going on walks, slowly increasing the mileage to prepare for the full day of walking the Camino. I’m the crazy Texan who walked almost two miles around 4 p.m. in July and August to increase my endurance. Side note: I do think it helped with my mental endurance of walking so many miles (km in Spain) over six days.
You will have to take time out of your busy life to go on the pilgrimage. I work for a university and the timeframe of my pilgrimage was during a busier time including our Homecoming Seminar. I knew that the timing was going to be difficult workwise, but I gave my supervisor and coworkers ample notice so that they would be prepared for my absence.. Thankfully, she was supportive and I took care to remind my colleagues and students that I would be out for two weeks several times leading up my departure. I also did my best to put my colleague in the best position to temporarily oversee my responsibilities. Intimidating
Pilgrimages are beautiful but also intimidating. It is unnerving to be taken outside of your comfort zone both physically and mentally. There are several factors that could cause anxiety: you may not know the language at your destination and you may not know everyone in your group, if you choose to travel in onet. I knew one person and was familiar with the religious movement organizing the pilgrimage, but did not know anyone else on the pilgrimage. We did have some group video calls to prepare spiritually for the pilgrimage, but it was not until we met at the Madrid International Airport that I met everyone who I’d be spending a great deal of time with in person.
Go on a Pilgrimage
There will almost always be resistance or obstacles trying to stop you from going on a pilgrimage. If the Lord invites and calls you on a pilgrimage – GO! The Lord wants you to encounter Him in a unique way on the pilgrimage that He has planned for you.
Honestly, I signed up for my trip because I wanted to go to Rome. The visit to Rome was a dream come true: St. Peter’s Basilica, the Vatican Museum, tours of the major basilicas, and Mass with the Pope. El Camino was the first part and what needed to be completed in order for me to get to Rome. Though I had the option to only go to Rome, I had decided that if I was going, I was doing both - despite my concerns as a woman with a congenital heart defect.
It's El Camino that I continue to talk about and share with others. The portion that I was worried about was the portion that had an abundance of graces. The Lord met me in so many different ways and prepared me for coming home to Rome.
On the second to last day on El Camino, it was steadily drizzling and was insanely foggy. I could only see so much of the road ahead of me and the rest was all fog. Always at the back of the group, I could see people walking ahead, spaced out, and at times disappearing into the fog.
This was a great visual representation of our lives as pilgrims. There are those in faith walking far ahead of us, some are right alongside us, and those behind us following in our footsteps of faith. That drizzling morning came back to me in St. Peter’s. In the Basilica, there are hundreds of statutes of saints along the main aisle. They lead to the main altar like saints cheering us on in our walk of faith.
We are not made to be alonebut with a community. A pilgrimage tangibly shows us the Body of Christ. When I walked through the doors of St. Peter’s Basilica, I was home. You hear languages from all over the world, Masses said in the side chapels in different languages and see that we are “one, holy, catholic, and apostolic church”.
God planned this pilgrimage for me from the beginning because I doubt I would have ever considered walking El Camino. The Lord knows what we need, when we need it, and He knew that I needed to be in Spain, walking El Camino at that point and time in history to encounter Him with a deeper intimacy.
Life is a Pilgrimage
We as Catholics see life as a pilgrimage. Our journey toward heaven is important. A pilgrimage to a holy site illustrates our lives as pilgrims – to surrender, trust, and receive God’s goodness directly or indirectly through others.
A pilgrimage to a holy destination abroad may not be where God is calling you at this moment. Take heart sister, the company Modern Catholic Pilgrim is bringing the Catholic pilgrimage tradition to the United States in self-lead, group, and Marian pilgrimages to a holy destination. God will meet you where you are because all He wants is to grow in friendship and intimacy with you.
God may also be calling you to step out and visit a holy destination abroad. Trust that when the Lord is calling you, He will open the doors. All He asks that you trust and cooperate with His graces.
Pilgrimages are beautiful experiences. Open your heart and allow the Lord to take you where He wants you to go. Grow in friendship and intimacy with the Lord.
Alexandra (Alex) Harrel resides in Irving, Texas. She is a new student affairs professional within the world of higher education. In her spare time, she loves reading, listening to podcasts, and spending time outdoors. Her favorite prayer is Hail, Holy Queen. You can follow her on Instagram at @2012alexandra.