Pilgrimage (by Diane Gallagher)

Guest Blogger Wednesday!  I’ve been reading this awesome book called To The Field of Stars by Fr. Kevin Codd.  It is about this man’s pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela in Spain where, legend has it, that the bones of St. James the Greater are buried.  Pilgrims from every walk of life, age, ethnic background and religion journey together through mountains and wheat fields, blazing sun and torrential rain, with blisters and pulled tendons and back aches to reach the tomb of St. James.  It is a book that has really moved me as I am a big fan of travel and new adventures, especially in the name of spiritual growth.  As I’ve been reading, I’ve begun to mentally plan my trip to Spain:  when will I go?  With whom?  It has stirred up the ole “wanderlust” spirit within, and I have gotten excited about the potential trip. 

Yesterday, I was having an emotionally challenging day.  I was exhausted and having a little pity party for myself.  As I was rocking my fussy, fidgety 1 yr. old in an attempt to lull her to sleep, I began to daydream about this pilgrimage to Spain.  I was rudely brought back to reality when a couple of my supposedly sleeping children began to cry for me down the hall.  “Moooooommmy….I’m scared!”  “My toe hurts!”  We were already getting them all to bed later than we like (that dang summer schedule!) so my patience was worn thin.  I began to have an internal temper tantrum.  I just wanted them to all go to sleep so I could wash the dishes and clean up the kitchen that had been left in a whirlwind as we ran off to pick boys 2 and 3 up from camp (see footnote).  “I can’t do this,” I internally cried to myself, when I heard a whisper deep in my soul – reminding me, challenging me – that THIS was my pilgrimage.  Ugh.  Spain is so much more exciting!  But a true pilgrim perseveres when the going gets tough and endures all kinds of adverse conditions that others would look at and ask “why would any sane person want to go through that?”  I imagine people look at my husband and I with our 7 kids and have the same thoughts.  Pilgrims travel because they believe in the journey…and so do I.  I have days that are so challenging I want to crawl into a hole and escape.  Then there are days that are rewarding and remind me it’s all worth the pain.  I may not get blisters and pulled tendons, but my back certainly aches from carting the baby and laundry and groceries around.  I do have the aches and pains of a pilgrim mother who is journeying toward heaven, and hoping her kids follow.  It may not be as glamorous as Spain, but I believe that this destination will be more worthwhileJ 

As I reflected on all of this, I paged through the dictionary to find the official definition of pilgrimage:  “journey of a pilgrim to a sacred place” and “the course of life on earth.”  I had never thought of my life as a pilgrimage before.  Guess I was wrong.  Bring on the blisters and blazing sun… bring on the crying babies and messy kitchen.  I’m a pilgrim on one exciting journey right here in Erie, PA!

Footnote:  In his book, Fr. Codd shares about the struggles and crosses of the pilgrimage and how refreshing it is when a fellow pilgrim or a kind outsider performs an act of kindness toward you – massaging your feet or tending to a nasty blister, for example.  That night, my husband was that kind fellow pilgrim.  He, too, had an exhausting day but was downstairs doing the dishes and cleaning the kitchen while I put the kids to sleep.  Indeed, a very welcome and pleasant surprise for my weary bonesJ

Pardon the Interruption (by Diane Gallagher)

Guest Blogger Wednesday. :)  The kids seemed preoccupied so I snuck into the office to compile my grocery list and meal plan for the week only to be followed by my 1 yr old who did not want me to be sitting at the computer at that moment.  I became frustrated and slumped over to the couch where Elly began to happily play, so I wrote my blog instead.

My husband lazily woke on his second day of vacation to discover that I had a broken ipod that needed fixing (water and electronics are never a good mixL).  He had been planning on getting his motorcycle inspected or taking a walk at the beach but instead he begrudgingly spent the morning at Verizon.

 Two different scenarios but one similar theme:  what we hope to achieve or do in a day is often very different from what we actually do accomplish.  In other words, as I heard about in a recent homily, life is full of interruptions.  The question is, how do we handle them?  Maybe it’s our sleep being interrupted by a sick child or our leisure time interrupted by needy children (aforementioned needs being anything from hunger to peacemaking or help on the potty).  Maybe it’s our meal prep being interrupted by homework demands or housecleaning interrupted by car pool dilemmas.  Many times my intended plans are good and important, but just obviously not what was supposed to happen that day or at that moment.  Man, do I hate that!  When I have a goal in mind, I can get very frustrated when I do not succeed.  I can get downright annoyed at the child or circumstance that became the obstacle. 

That’s why the homily on interruptions struck such a chord with me.  The homilist pointed out how often Jesus’ plans were interrupted.  For example, He thought He was going to the mountain to pray, but instead was approached at least three times, according to one gospel account, and asked to heal someone – a leper, the centurion’s slave, Peter’s mother-in-law (Matthew 8).  Each time, He said “yes” and tended to the need at the moment, laying aside His own plan for the day.  He didn’t whine about it or say “no” because He was planning on praying and preaching that day.  This doesn’t mean He would never say “no” to an interruption if what He was doing at the moment was the priority, but it’s all about knowing when we need to be open to interruptions and allow them to change our course for the day vs. when we need to stay the course we are on.  When a friend calls to do coffee, and I am in the middle of paying my bills, I may need to say “no” to the tempting interruption.  But if that friend is upset and needs to talk, I may need to stay up late that night to get the bills paid.  Knowing the difference is the true challenge.  All I can do is pray my morning offering each day – surrendering my day to God – and then pray that I can follow His subtle or blatant nudging, trusting my gut when there are no obvious signs.  I know I make poor calls sometimes and don’t always distinguish between a necessary or unnecessary interruption, but I at least hope this awareness will help me be a little more patient the next time that anticipated two-hour nap becomes a 15 minute snooze because of a poopy diaper.  My days unfold the way they are supposed to, with just the right crosses and victories necessary for me to get to heaven.  Why fight it?

Somebody's Watching (by Diane Gallagher)

Guest Blogger Wednesday :) I was rushing into the new woman’s hospital to visit my niece who had just lost her baby six weeks prior to her due date.  We were devastated for them, so I wanted to express my sympathy and support – but had a limited window of time as my sister was sitting in the van with my two little ones, and she had to be at work soon.  I had never been in this new hospital and was totally unprepared for the heavy security that visitors had to go through in order to enter the facility.  There was a line at the desk where you had to show ID and have your photo taken.  Of course, I did not have my wallet on me since I had jumped out of the van quickly so I was trying to get the security officer’s attention just to determine if I really had to have my ID for this brief, solitary visit.  Unfortunately, he was too busy tending to the people in front of me to pay me any heed.  I was getting more and more anxious as I watched my allotted time ticking away, and I finally stepped out of line.  I noticed a receptionist sitting at a desk in the lobby so I rushed over to ask my question.  I was huffy and abrupt, very obviously annoyed.  When I asked if I could enter without ID, a gentleman next to the receptionist asked whom I was there to see.  When I told him, he very graciously extended his sympathy for our family’s loss and asked if I was a Toohey.  I reluctantly admitted that I was, and he proceeded to inform me of his fondness for my parents with whom he was acquainted and offered to facilitate a quick entry for me into the building.  I immediately apologized for my impatience, and he brushed it off, but internally I was mortified.  It was a humbling moment.  I suspect that if I had known the employees at the hospital or realized that they knew my family, I would have been more patient and kind in my response to the situation.  I subconsciously let my guard down simply because I thought these people were strangers, and I wasn’t accountable for my deeds.  My impatience reflected poorly on my family, myself, and God whom I claim to follow.  Where was my whole “golden rule” behavior?  “Do unto others as you would have them do to you.”  I’m not just supposed to exhibit that attitude when it is easy and convenient.  It’s supposed to be a part of my every interaction. 

I remember my sister sharing a story about a time she went to a party.  The host and hostess were upstairs in the baby’s room, gossiping about some of the guests and didn’t realize the baby monitor was on. Awkward.   Likewise, a friend of mine accidentally pocket dialed the person that she and her spouse were “venting” about at that moment.  What timing!  These incidents are good reminders of the behavior we should always be demonstrating, though.  My sister had been appalled by the baby monitor conversation and responded that none of us should ever be saying anything in private that could not be shared in public.  Yikes!  Another good lesson for me.  I don’t generally gossip but can definitely say more than I should, especially to my husband, in the name of “healthy venting” when I’m struggling with a person or situation.  The bottom line is that I shouldn’t be saying or doing anything in private or in public that would embarrass me, get me into trouble, or disappoint my Heavenly Father.  I frequently tell my children to ask themselves if they would be saying, watching, doing what they are if Jesus was standing next to them.  I guess I should apply this to my life as well.  I have a feeling I will be learning these valuable lessons until the day I die, being human and all.  Hopefully, I won’t destroy my family’s reputation in the process.J