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In this jubilee year, Pope Francis has invited each of us to be a pilgrim of hope. In this spirit, the Young Adult Initiative will publish monthly blogs related to the jubilee year and our role as pilgrims on the journey.

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In 2017, I went on a pilgrimage to Ireland with a group from my parish. We stopped at many incredible places along the way, from the Marian apparition site in Knock and humble stone churches in County Mayo to a 6^th Century monastic city in Glendalough and a modern-day parish in Kildare.  Our priest celebrated Mass every day – uniting the Body of Christ around the Eucharistic table. We shared rooms and meals with strangers who quickly became companions and friends. Our days were marked and sanctified with prayer. We walked until our feet hurt, but there was joy in the ache of our bodies at the end of the day.

It was important for us to learn the difference between being a pilgrim and being a tourist.

A pilgrim seeks an encounter with the Lord in each place they visit.

A pilgrim travels simply, with only the essentials needed for the journey.

A pilgrim must be patient, understanding that their journey will take effort and include moments of hardship or suffering.

A pilgrim recognizes Christ in each person they meet.

A pilgrim is open to being transformed by God’s grace through their experience.

We can think of the whole jubilee year as a time of pilgrimage with the Lord. Pope Francis has asked us to consider ourselves pilgrims of hope, seeking “an opportunity to be renewed in hope” with God’s word as our guide. (Spes non Confundit, 1)

And if this whole year is a pilgrimage, then Lent is a pilgrimage within a pilgrimage. A jubilee within a jubilee. A time to go deeper.

The Lord is inviting you on an interior pilgrimage this Lent.

He wants to walk with you through the landscape of your heart – the hills and valleys, fertile soil and barren ground, newly discovered spots that are ripe for adventure, places of memory where you return year after year, dangerous places where you are afraid to go alone. The Lord wants to travel with you because He loves you and desires to bring His abundant life to every corner of your heart.

Let’s embark on a pilgrimage with the Lord as our friend and guide. Let’s surrender the journey into His care – there is no one kinder, gentler, or more trustworthy than the One who created our hearts for Himself.

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Prayer Exercise: Inviting the Lord into Your Heart

Think of your heart as a place to go on pilgrimage this Lent.
 

Before you begin the journey, ask yourself:

What necessities do I need?

What can I leave behind – what is weighing me down?

Where do I hope to go?

What do I seek?

Have I invited the Lord to go with me?

Imagine yourself walking with the Lord through the various landscapes of your heart.

Who is leading?

What places do you visit?

How would you describe these places?

What feelings stir in your heart?

Have a conversation with the Lord in each place you visit.

First, take time for silence.

Ask the Holy Spirit to fill your heart as you converse with the Lord.

What does the Lord notice or point out to you?

How does He speak? What does His voice sound like?

Where is He asking you to spend more time?

Where does He desire to bring life, healing, or change?

What do you still want to ask of Him?

reflect on the experience. 

Thank the Lord for His companionship.

What did you learn about your heart?

What delighted you?

Which places bring you pain when you visit?

Where are you still afraid to go?

Where do you need to return or discover on your next trip?