On Pilgrimage

Starting a few weeks ago, I went on pilgrimage with my family to Israel and France. We are now in Italy and will be continuing to Germany and Poland. There is something about taking up a journey of faith with your family and making prayer the center of it. I cannot say that this has been easy for any of us - occasionally we have had the adventure of being cramped in rooms much too small for a family. There are other moments when we have clearly gotten on one another's nerves or have had to deal with disappointed expectations. But despite all these little hardships, there have been many great graces for us, little unexpected things that could never have been planned for, that reassure us as we continue that we are in the hands of God. For the readers of this blog, those who are struggling like me to begin to pray, I want to encourage you to step out in faith this summer, and to try to do so with your family if you have one. Those of you who already are doing something like this - you are so blessed! Do not be discouraged by the trials. I am discovering that even in these, God's Providence is revealed if we are vigilant. Christian prayer has this important dimension - it is always an act of trust in the Lord who journeys with us, it is an act of trust that we never make alone, an act that is meant to be made with those the Lord has entrusted to us. May your summer be filled with beautiful blessings!