Editorial
A choice... a decision
By Marie-Paule Sanfaçon, m.i.c.
PILGRIMS... ON THE MOVE!
Embark on an inward journey to better understand yourself, take stock of your life, strive for greater well-being. It is an invitation to become a pilgrim of your own existence. Once the decision to embark on this journey is made, we are on our way. The important thing is to do it sincerely. Along the way, the pilgrim will discover the need to evolve, to move forward, to take light or heavy steps according to circumstances. He will not be going alone however, the Lord will help him to stay the course, to reflect and to transform profoundly...
THE CHALLENGE OF GOING ALL THE WAY
In Mark’s Gospel (10:17-31), the rich young man wanted with all his heart to be perfect. He went to Jesus and asked: Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life? Jesus looked at him and loved him. He said to him: Go and sell what you own, and give to the poor [...] Then come, follow me. What a demand! He did not expect that. He had great possessions. Even if, for each and every one of us, the obstacle is not always of a material nature, it is invariably an exhortation to go further in our spiritual journey. In making this pilgrimage, are we ready to meet its requirements? [ … ]
The articles in this issue present different aspects of this itinerary. It is a great pilgrimage that calls for the surpassing of oneself, in dramatic situations such as those experienced by the Haitian people at the moment, or in happier circumstances, like the missionary returning to her own country after 22 years elsewhere, or in the studio where the artists express their thoughts and feelings with brush strokes on the canvas. May these words give you the opportunity to travel within yourselves, and may this year 2025 be for you an invitation to become pilgrims of hope.
Enjoy your Reading!
Getting Started
By Sylvie Bessette
In this Holy Year 2025, Pope Francis has proposed that all believers gather around the theme Pilgrims of Hope. That’s why the issue you’re reading right now focuses on the notion of setting out on a journey.
What does it mean to set out? It means deciding, voluntarily or otherwise, to move through space, to move from point A to point B. A good example of this is provided by migrants, driven from their homelands by various conflicts or seeking a better life elsewhere.
But we can also set off on a journey to explore new lands, or to plunge into the heart of ourselves. Pilgrimages often offer both spiritual and temporal dimensions. This context of travel, of journeying, leads pilgrims to discover themselves in a different light, outside the familiar landmarks of everyday life. Destitution leads to solidarity, various electronic communications are reduced to a strict minimum, effort and discomfort become unavoidable fellow travelers.
FEET, PEOPLE, GOAL
A Dominican priest of my acquaintance recounted how he once went on a pilgrimage. This experience enabled him to observe a phenomenon he had not expected. At the start of the long walk, the men and women look intently at the road, where they put their feet, so as not to stumble or bump into an obstacle. All they see ahead are feet. Gradually, the body becomes accustomed to this new activity, and the gaze rises with confidence. You no longer just see the feet of the people walking in front of you, but the people themselves. Contact is established between the walker and his fellow travelers. You see not only the people, but also the landscape, and think of the goal to be reached [ … ]
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