January 2025
Tourism is great, but it’s not way to sainthood.
Living in New York made me no stranger to tourists. Living and studying on Wall Street I had to budget extra time in the warmer months to get to class and avoid the masses of tourists hardly aware of where they’re going.
While tourism has its place in life I find that the modern world we live in, beautiful and like the rest of history flawed, presents to us a journey which is just kind of… okay. I’m here to take and take it quick. Consume. Indulge. Even numb. With luxuries, with distractions, with gimmicks, with beauty even. The epic hero now prefers a life insuring his pain and discomfort is brought to zero.
When I was on pilgrimage earlier this year I remember feeling a sense of homecoming. Something felt very right about taking time to get to a destination and suffer for it. I felt more at home searching for home than actually being home. It was a sort of camaraderie with the saints. They lived with the fire of a pilgrim.
Pilgrimage is hard. The jet lag hits like a train. The days are long. People you liked annoy you in the most unique way when you’re sleep deprived. Sleepy holy hours. Uncontrollable weather, pepto bismal, and questionable water sources. Sleepless nights, rough resting quarters, questionable food. But…
Incredible sunrises, laughter from delirium, raw conversations, walls come down… more walls come down, honesty, bravery, sacrifice, even heroism at times. Healing, loving, comforting, bonding, dancing, swimming, running. A pilgrimage is an epic journey. A pilgrimage is a foretaste of our run home.
This valley of tears we traverse is not for the faint of heart. I get tired at times.. I am tired. But one thing and one thing alone keeps that fiery spirit to fight an enemy tempting me to forget my journey home: His eternal glory.
My friend, my fellow pilgrim, there’s a goodness in staying awake on this journey. Of keeping feet solid on the ground while our eyes are fixed on the horizon. To be fed properly through the sacraments, prayer, and friendship. To train fervently in mind and spirit. And to remain far from dangers or path ways that want to reroute us to the valley of death.
Be not afraid.
xx Mariana
