When I recently read  A Pilgrim's Journey: The Autobiography of Ignatius of Loyola , I took a virtual journey with him, the journey from being a man "given to worldly vanities" to that of a humble pilgrim whose only desire was for God. His story reads like a NYT best-seller novel: sarxy and dark, woven with intrigue, unexpected denouement, to a jaw-dropping finish.   

     I first learned of Ignatius ( Inigo Lopez de Loyola 1491-1556) during a retreat presented by a Jesuit in my high school senior year. He spoke of an intimate familiarity with God through prayer. As an adult, that inkling of God was reinforced by Joseph Tetlow, SJ, along with other faculty, in my Spiritual Direction Formation 1989-93, where the emphasis was on Ignatian Spirituality and leading Directees in the  Spiritual Exercises of Ignatius of Loyola . Much later, as would happen (through prayer), a door was opened for me to be part of the Magis Ignatian Program at Oblate School of Theology. Here I have grown in appreciation for the ecumenical application of the  Spiritual Exercises  across denominations for anyone who wants to pray with holy Scripture and go deeper into a relationship with a loving, gracious God. As I teach, I learn more. As I learn, I love more. As I love, I want to experience more. [Hint: 'Magis' means 'more'.]

     For centuries, people of faith have followed the paths of spiritual reflection of Scriptures, laid out by Ignatius of Loyola in his  Spiritual Exercises . We now invite you to join us on a pilgrimage of faith, following in the footsteps of St. Ignatius in Spain, May 9-17, 2018. Bill and I will serve as pilgrimage leaders, along with illume's expert professional staff , on this enriching journey in northeast Spain to explore the life, times and spirituality of Ignatius of Loyola. See the itinerary and details here: http://www.travelillume.com/trc/qzi   Click on Event Announcement.

Most of the time, our feet are led by our minds.  First, we make the grocery list; then our feet take us through the store, following the direction of our minds. Sometimes, however, the feet do the leading.

"Guide our feet into the way of peace." Echoing the words of Zechariah (Luke 1:79), Christians through the centuries have prayed these words as part of their morning prayers. Guide our feet.

Christians, and other believers, often speak of "the journey of faith." In the words of Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, "Faith is not the clinging to a shrine, but an endless pilgrimage of the heart." Most of the time, our hearts and minds take the lead in the journey of faith. But sometimes, the feet do the leading. Sometimes the feet go first, then the mind and the heart follow.

Pilgrimage is such a time. Pilgrimage offers an opportunity to step out of our habitual patterns and accustomed places, to see things with fresh eyes, and to visit places bathed in centuries of prayer. It offers a chance for our feet to lead us in fresh, surprising paths, to places where our minds alone might not take us.

In the wise words of L. M. Browning: "The purpose of a pilgrimage is about setting aside a long period of time in which the only focus is to be the matters of the soul. Many believe a pilgrimage is about going away but it isn't; it is about coming home. Those who choose to go on pilgrimage have already ventured away from themselves; and now set out in a longing to journey back to who they are."

We invite you to join us in such a journey. May God guide our feet.