Tag: prayer

From Tourist to Pilgrim

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One of our older sons, JP, lives in Austria, well, for only three more weeks. He’s been living and studying on Franciscan University’s Gaming campus and travelling through Austria and other European countries since mid January.

Thanks to my parents for a three-month-early 25th wedding anniversary gift for us, my husband and I went on a parents’ pilgrimage week to visit our son. A spiritual, emotional,  educational, and in-all-ways beautiful experience that I could not have imagined. Praise God!

I could write a book on the ten-day pilgrimage…and, only God knows, I may. But for now, I wish to share a tiny moment in time that delivered a powerful perspective from our guide, Sr. Sophia Grace Huschka, T.O.R.

On the morning of our first full day, we travelled via double-decker bus to Haubis Bakery for a tour and tastings. When we returned to our bus, we continued our travel day with Sister Sophia Grace leading us in a Rosary then she shared thoughts on “pilgrimage.” (Please forgive me, Sister, if I use your exact words without due acknowledgment; I’m not sure which words are yours and which are mine scribbled on my journal pages. So, we’ll share together and give any goodness from the words for the greater glory of God!)

There is a vast difference between travelling as a tourist versus travelling as a pilgrim. Our week was not merely keeping up with the itinerary to see sights and learn information, but also moving through the days and nights with a particular kind of mental and spiritual mindset. Pilgrimage is not about distance, but depth.

Pilgrims invest themselves. We enter into the world as Jesus would and does; we strive to be open to see the world as He sees and then reflect on those experiences. (And reflect for a while, I will do.) A true pilgrim steps out of his own, regular life and immerses himself into the experiences of the moment.

A pilgrim should be affected by these experiences in some ways—metanoia, continual conversion. He should feel and fully experience the impact which is, in the very least, just as important as the destination.

Pilgrims enjoy community. During our time, we shared in daily Mass, prayed together, shared all the experiences, learned from one another, and found and grew new relationships. (Again, this could be a whole book!)

Finally, the journey, the destination, and all the mental, physical, spiritual dimensions and realities along the way…through these, we pilgrims experience the love of Jesus and grow more deeply in love with Him.

I took Sister Sophia Grace’s words, example, and wisdom to heart for those pilgrimage days and journeyed as a pilgrim. And I must proclaim that I will never travel the same way again nor will I live exactly as I have before. Life is a sacred journey and must be lived as such daily. 

A heartfelt thank you to my mom and dad for the gift, all the staff and faculty on the Gaming campus, Sr. Maria Teresa Tortorice, T.O.R., the T.O.R. friars in Gaming, Fr. Dave Pivonka, T.O.R., and Sr. Sophia Grace Huschka, T.O.R.

  • Dürnstein Castle Ruin (Danube River below in the background)
  • The Café Tomaselli in Salzburg
  • Salzburg
  • Melk Abbey (Benedictine Abbey)
  • Pilgrimage “Family” Picture at St. Florian Monastery Basilica
  • View from Vienna Hotel Room
  • St. Peter in Vienna
  • Michael and JP on Rainy Stroll in Salzburg
  • Denise and JP in Salzburg
  • Basilika Maria Taferl
  • Kartause Maria Thron (Gaming Campus)
  • Sister Maria Teresa, TOR and Sr. Sophia Grace, TOR
  • Bon Voyage…En route to Europe
  • Dürnstein Castle Ruin (Windy and Beautiful)

Ora et Labora: Pray and Work

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Some pre-Lenten thoughts (with us Catholic wives and homeschool mamas in mind, but truth for all) to keep moving with life and growing in Faith during the upcoming time of Lenten prayer and work:

  1. If we homeschool mamas are in constant connection with God through regular prayer (ceaseless is my modus operandi), our eyes and hearts (and thus our homes and families) are more keenly aware of and appreciate the beauty of our days and experience true peace and authentic hope. And it is beautiful! Peace flows. And hope billows; it imbues and energizes us.
  2. If we homeschool mamas are in constant connection with God through our daily work, (and there is much hands-on, emotional, and spiritual work in this vocation…from wiping down counter-tops to putting feelings into perspective to scooping the ashes from the fireplace to teaching Algebra 2 and handwriting to sautéing the onions for the pasta sauce for supper to putting receipts on the budget to helping young adults pack their moving boxes and create their own budgets…), the work is abundant and beautiful and joyful and holy.
  3. Thankfully, through prayer and work, we obtain an increasingly deeper and more wonderful understanding of and love for our perfect God. Thankfully, we get to know ourselves clearly as daughters of God with beautiful, fulfilling vocations. Thankfully, we grasp and internalize an understanding of and an appreciation for the wonder and beauty of all His vast creation. And, as I frequently tell my children, we can (and should) bring that light into the world!

Ora et Labora, my friends!

“Joan of Arcadia”

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I have professed it repeatedly…I’ll say it many times again…it is such a shame, a creative and spiritual loss to the television viewing masses, that creator and producer Barbara Hall’s “Joan of Arcadia” never made it past season two.

Throughout the series (insert sigh of exasperation over the truncated life of this message-filled show), one of my all-time favorite mother characters Helen Girardi (played by Mary Steenburgen) prays, hopes and emotionally and intellectually struggles with her Faith. During one of her initial trials with her maternal-optimism failing her lonely, aching heart, she walks by and then quickly returns to chat with (interrogate, actually) a Catholic priest, Father Ken Mallory (played by David Burke). Ah, Father Ken…a realistic portrayal of a gentle, knowledgeable, humble, compassionate, Faith-filled, insightful man…a great priest! How refreshing to see a Catholic priest on a TV show depicting a priest (or many priests!) that so many of us know and love in our own real lives.

Watch a few episodes of “Joan of Arcadia” and listen to the love and wisdom of God in Father Ken’s own words. I especially cherish his words to Helen (in the episode “death be not whatever”) when she is confiding in Father Ken that she has been meeting with him behind her husband’s back (Will Girardi, the chief of police and fallen away Catholic, played by Joe Mantegna):

Father Ken: “Helen, I think what you’re touching on here is you should be talking to your husband and you miss being able to do that.”

Helen: “But you don’t understand what kind of job he has, and it’s especially bad right now. I just can’t make it worse for him.”

Father Ken: “I’ve married a lot of people, and I remember the words. You’re depriving him of the privilege of living up to them.”

Helen: “Well…when you put it like that.”

What an affirmation of the holy vocation of marriage!

So, thank you, Barbara Hall for your gift of Joan: the clever and provocative script writing, and the deep, realistic, intriguing characters, such as the beloved Father Ken.

And let’s all remember to pray for vocations and for our priests. We need them…our world needs them!