St. Anthony the Abbot Catholic Church

            The most important event of the Old Testament is the perfect illustration of this Christian truth: the Exodus.  God freed his Chosen People from slavery in Egypt, but then they had to travel through the desert for forty years, experiencing hardship after hardship, before God led them into the Promised Land.  That's an image of the Christian life.

            When we believe in Christ and receive baptism, we are freed from slavery to ignorance, sin, and the devil.  But then we begin a long journey of purification in which God teaches us to be like Christ, preparing our hearts and minds for heaven, our Promised Land.

            In the Middle Ages this truth was taught to Christians in a very effective way.  When people went to confession, the priest would often give them a pilgrimage for their penance, especially if their sins were grave or deeply ingrained.  As a result, great pilgrimage churches rose up across Europe and the Mediterranean, most especially in Rome and even in Jerusalem.  Pilgrimage routes were established, and every time a pilgrim reached a town along the way, he would go and ask the parish priest to stamp his pilgrim's book.  For the most part the pilgrims traveled on foot, slowly, and slept in courtyards and outdoor colonnades.  They often started off their pilgrimages with a heavy pack full of extra clothes and belongings, but very soon they would have to lighten their load.

            These pilgrimages reminded Christians that this life was just a journey.  And just as a pilgrim won't stop too long as he makes his way to his destination, so too we as Christians in the world should not let ourselves be seduced by sin, but instead we should forge ahead in following Christ.

            The most practical application of this fundamental Christian truth has to do with how Christians react to tragedy and suffering:  our current Pandemic, for example.  Since we know that this life in this fallen world is meant to be a journey and a battle, we are able to persevere through trials and tribulations that come our way, to keep on going even through the valleys of darkness.  Jesus has walked the path of Calvary before us, so we can follow in His footsteps with confidence, never losing hope.

            We know that God can bring good even out of the greatest evils, just as He brought salvation and the Resurrection out of the horrible failure of the Crucifixion.  As a result, we have strength to weather any storm that comes our way.  We don't have to understand why God permits certain hardships and sufferings, because we already know that in the end He will never let us down.  The Christian can pray, persevere, and find hope even amidst tears and terrible darkness, because we know that Christ's victory will be ours, if we just keep walking by His side.  Walking by His side is not complicated.  It means three things.  First, it means an ongoing effort to grow in our prayer and sacramental life.  Second, it means an ongoing effort to understand and follow Church teaching, both about faith and about moral issues.  And lastly it means an ongoing effort to be like Christ in our own lives - in the excellence of our work, the dependability of our character, and the self-sacrificing faithfulness of our relationships.  This is how we walk close to Christ along that path of our pilgrimage, following his lead towards our eternal home.

            Today and every day, let us thank our Lord for the great gift of His friendship, and let's promise that we will never again try to walk through life alone.               

Alleluia! Alleluia!

Fr. Pecchie