Sisters Rose Margaret, Mary Jacinta, Therese Martin, Mary Louise Sahm, Josetta Marie, Marie Clement and Arleen Bourquin attended the Assembly of the Brothers of the Poor of St. Francis at Bergamo Center in Dayton Ohio (July 23 - 27, 2006). It was a time of joy and a time for developing true brotherly and sisterly relationships. Br. Daniel Crosby*, a Capuchin priest and older brother of Michael Crosby (also a Capuchin), was the presenter on the topic of the Beatitudes for the Franciscan Pilgrim.
Br. Dan’s basic hypothesis is that we as Church must be on the way, we must be looking at Jesus because He told us “I am the way, the truth and the life.” During times of insecurity, there is a tendency to move towards the static, towards institutionalization. We turn to rules and decrees to force members to march in step. There is a false sense of security when we can point out that everyone is doing the same thing. Pilgrimage, on the other hand, means that each member is walking the path to which they have been called. Pilgrimage implies change, leaving behind, movement. It is active not passive. It involves seeking not security.
1. Blessed are those who are in touch with their longing for more, they will be grasped by THE MORE.
Seeking THE MORE means that we must go deeper, looking for meaning beyond the surface. If we stand on the shore or the ocean, we may miss the beauty, the variety of life that lies beneath. Pilgrimage involves boarding a glass bottom boat or putting on diving gear so that we can see the bright colors of the coral or swim with the dolphins. Pilgrimage is the way to THE MORE.
2. Blessed are those who travel lightly, they will be free to receive gifts in abundance.
When we walk in pilgrimage, we need to leave behind all that would encumber us. The more we have to carry, the more tiring the journey will be. We need certain essentials: water, food, a change of clothes and perhaps a compass. For the spiritual pilgrimage, we need faith, a sense of hope, and love for God, ourselves and others. We need to shed psychological baggage that may encumber us along the way by ridding ourselves of bad habits and offering forgiveness to those who have wronged us.
3. Blessed are those who accept setbacks along the way, they are going to be full of trust and have no fear.
There are many things that can interrupt our pilgrimage. Bad weather may delay or even cancel our flight, our map may not be as accurate as we thought, or the road we chose to follow may be blocked. Emotions that we thought we had healed may creep in to disturb our serenity, and prevent us from making progress towards our plan or our vision.
4. Blessed are those who appreciate every one and every thing, they will have the joy of always arriving.
Appreciation of everyone and everything can help us fight the feelings of discouragement. Others may be able to introduce us to new paths. A colorful sunset can help us experience the greatness of God.
5. Blessed are those who are suspicious of tourist traps, they shall not be detoured from their goal.
Many things on the pilgrimage road may be attractive and tempt us to dally or gather trinkets that later will prove to be useless to ourselves or those who we had planned to gift with them; just how many statues, pictures, rosaries does one really need?
6. Blessed are those who are careful of what they eat and drink along the way, they will not get sick or make others sick and they will find THE FOOD that nourishes.
Most travelers to foreign countries have had some experience with drinking water or ingesting food that led to the annoyance of an upset stomach. If we choose foods that have been carefully prepared for us and drink potable water, we can avoid that pitfall. Jesus told the woman at the well that he could give her living “water” and at the last supper, He said, “This is my body, take and eat.” In the Eucharistic liturgy, our thirst is satiated in the Word and our spirit nourished by the Bread of life.
7. Blessed are those who are wise enough to travel with others from the past and the present, they shall be protected and their joys and their pains will be multiplied.
All of us need companions on our journey. Some may travel with us for years while other may give us an important lesson in a brief chance meeting; some will offer us encouragement when the pilgrimage seems daunting and others may offer us protection from threats that we can’t see. Traveling with others stretches us to go places and do things that we would not do alone. When our path no longer moves in the same direction as our traveling companions, there is pain in the separation.
8. Blessed are those who upon arrival find depth and delight but nothing really new for they have found their home and become a home for others.
If we have traveled well the pilgrimage that is life, we will discover that the transition into the fullness of life will be an extension of the life that we have lived on earth. We will find ourselves at home with the God we have loved along the way.
* The Capuchin Friars use the title “Brother” as a way to express the equality of their members.
