Friday, March 16, 2012

Are You a Tourist or A Pilgrim?

Last March 16 Fr. Luke gave a Lenten recollection with the topic "Our Lenten Journey - Are We A Tourist or A Pilgrim?" It centered on the essence of the 40-day preparation each of us must make as we go on our spiritual journey towards the high point of our Catholic faith - the commemoration of the paschal mystery of the passion, death and resurrection of our Lord.

Fr. Luke began his talk by explaining that the spiritual preparation of Lent, is a journey for us Christians. It is a time to search our souls and empty ourselves of our worldliness. Through this emptying, we prepare ourselves to welcome the Lord with humility. Just as the Israelites journeyed through the desert for 40 years before reaching the promised land, and Jesus prayed in the desert for 40 days, so too are we reminded to do the same. Our life here on earth should be in preparation for our resurrection.

Fr. Luke exhorted everyone to assess their own Lenten preparation. Are we just like tourists who go through the journey carrying all our earthly conveniences, stopping at each attraction and then moving on to the next without really focusing on the end goal? Or are we like pilgrims, where the journey itself is the destination, sacrificing and emptying ourselves as we trudge on, and deepening our spiritual preparation?


The question one should ask oneself is: "How am I preparing for my life’s journey - as a tourist or as a pilgrim?"

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