Faith

Archbishop Christopher J. Coyne of Hartford, Conn., participates in a eucharistic procession marking the beginning of the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage's Seton Route. OSV News photo/Gregory A. Shemitz, courtesy of Knights of Columbus

Friday, May 24, 2024Faith

Submit a Letter to the Editor

Of the countless initiatives associated with the National Eucharistic Revival, I'm convinced that these processions are the most significant.

Jaymie Stuart
Wolfe

The Catholic internet has been very busy lately, mostly debating and dissecting one fervent young man's commencement speech at a small Catholic college in Kansas. But while endless hash and rehash has been going on, all four of the eucharistic pilgrimages that will converge at Indianapolis have begun.
Of the countless initiatives associated with the National Eucharistic Revival, I'm convinced that these processions are the most significant. Like everyone else, I've thought many times about attempting the Camino de Santiago. I'm just not sure how long I'd last. I imagine the clergy and young people on these substantially longer routes are wondering how they'll feel when -- or if -- their initial excitement wears off. When feet are hot, blistered, tired, and sore long before the end is in sight, things could get difficult. The conditions around them might not change much, but those inside them might. On the other hand, once they've acclimated to the pace and traveled a few hundred miles, maybe it all gets easier.
My adopted city of New Orleans is on the Juan Diego Route, traveling north from Brownsville, Texas. The pilgrimage is scheduled to stop here the first weekend in June -- during the height of LGBTQ+ pride activities. I expect New Orleanians will take that in stride gracefully, the way they do hurricanes and most everything else.

But because I've spent the majority of my life in the Archdiocese of Boston, I was sad to see that the Bay State was not on the East Coast Elizabeth Ann Seton route. As an alumna from a little college in Cambridge, I was even less happy to note that the pilgrimage would be originating in (of all places!) New Haven, Connecticut. Whoever made that decision obviously wasn't thinking clearly. Besides, if you're walking all the way to Indiana, what's another 136 miles?
The fact that Boston Catholics -- and many others -- will have to watch this initiative unfold from a distance led me to consider another set of questions: What route am I on? And where does the road I'm walking take me?
Checking the route and our progress along it from time to time is a necessary component of living our faith. That's because it's too darn easy to get off track. A little to the left or right, a bit more of this to the detriment of that, and we can find ourselves on a road that doesn't lead where we hope to go. Sometimes, we find ourselves swept up by traffic that makes it more difficult for us to get off at the next exit or make a U-turn. Or on a dark and unfamiliar rural road with few lights or signs to guide us.
And yet, each one of us and all of God's people together are called to walk in witness. Our Christian lives are essentially the same as the eucharistic pilgrimages that are currently underway. We are led by the Most Blessed Sacrament, the self-gift of Jesus Christ given to his disciples from the beginning. We accompany one another on the way. Some will join us for the entire journey, others for part of it. We will pass through all kinds of weather and terrain and make significant stops along the route. And yes, we will grow tired and achy, hot and uncomfortable. We will certainly suffer.
Before it is complete, the adventure will inspire, overwhelm, and bore us. No doubt there will be times when we want to abandon the pilgrimage route entirely or find an alternative path. That is precisely when we must follow the route we are on even more closely. When we decide to do otherwise, we usually end up getting lost or going in circles.
The fulfillment of our lives isn't found in Boston or Indianapolis. We are on the way to God's kingdom. Now is the time to take stock. Now is the time to be honest with ourselves about the parts of our lives that aren't on the route God has laid out for us. Today, there is still time to redirect our hearts. Today, we can choose to embrace the pilgrimage to heaven more fully and once again.

- Jaymie Stuart Wolfe is a Catholic convert, wife, and mother of eight. Inspired by the spirituality of St. Francis de Sales, she is an author, speaker, and musician, and provides freelance editorial services to numerous publishers and authors as the principal of One More Basket. Find Jaymie on Facebook or follow her on Twitter @YouFeedThem.