• About
    • About Me
    • Privacy Policy
  • Ministry
    • Video
    • St. Peter Institute
  • Contact

A Little Flower Grows

Catholic Lifestyle Blog

What I Learned about Pilgrimage on My Trip to Europe

August 26, 2016

My trip to Europe this summer was not a vacation or a touristy trip. It was a pilgrimage. While it certainly had its share of adventures, excitement, and seeing/doing/experiencing cool things, the trip was meant to be a pilgrimage and therefore a spiritual journey. Thus the main focus of the trip was deepening our spiritual lives and growing closer to God through prayer and a spirit of pilgrimage.

I learned a lot on this trip about what pilgrimage is and about what it means to have a spirit of pilgrimage. And through it all, I grew and changed significantly. Allow me to share with you some of what I learned.

Going with the flow is part of pilgrimage.
Sometimes you don’t know what’s happening next in the schedule, or how long it will take to get somewhere. Or maybe you do, but then the schedule changes unexpectedly, or you take a wrong turn and it takes twice as long to get where you’re going. Whatever happens, just live in the moment. You are always right where you’re meant to be. Embrace the journey and don’t worry. Adopting this attitude is part of embracing a spirit of pilgrimage.

Suffering is bound to happen, and it’s part of pilgrimage.
Pilgrimage is certainly not free of struggles and sufferings. On my trip, nearly everyone got sick (sometimes more than once), and there were a multitude of other illnesses and injuries people experienced. A few people had a family member back home that passed away while they were abroad. And everyone endured sufferings like exhaustion, being annoyed by someone, being homesick, and plenty of other small annoyances and trials. But it’s all part of the journey and part of pilgrimage ~ especially because these sufferings made for excellent opportunities for sacrifice.

Living simply is part of pilgrimage.
We ate and lived quite simply most of the time, with a few moments of “luxury” in between. Most of the time we were staying in monasteries with a religious order, so we ate their simple meals with them. Or sometimes we bought food for the whole group on the spot at a grocery store. Furthermore, all of us lived out of a hiking backpack, with about a week’s worth of clothes and a couple pairs of shoes, for 5 weeks. This pilgrimage gave us a chance to take a step back from our comfortable, convenient lives in America and experience the joy and grace of living simply.

Pilgrimage is less about tourism and more about God.
While there were some touristy moments and excursions (like freaking out when we saw the Eiffel Tower in Paris), tourism is not the purpose of pilgrimage. In fact, on this trip, we spent more days at the monasteries where we were staying ~ praying Lauds and Vespers, doing chores, having time for personal prayer, and spending time together ~ than we did seeing all the sights of Europe. Because the purpose of pilgrimage is to grow closer to God and to deepen our spiritual lives.

On pilgrimage, God speaks to people’s hearts in different ways.
There’s no denying that God worked in the hearts of every one of us over the course of our trip. And oftentimes it varied from person to person. Some people received certain graces or gifts from God that I did not, even though I might have liked to. Some people endured extraordinary sufferings, physically or emotionally, that I did not, and God used it to speak to their hearts. God spoke to everyone in a different way ~ a unique way. And the unique way in which God worked in each person’s heart was perfectly fitting for that person and exactly what God wanted for that person. This aspect of pilgrimage that was beautiful to watch.

On pilgrimage, graces abound during and after.
There were times on my trip when I didn’t or couldn’t make the most of a moment that would have been very special and grace-filled. For instance, during the prayer vigil with the Pope during World Youth Day, I was still reeling from experiencing heat exhaustion earlier in the afternoon, and it was hard for me to enter fully into prayer and be fully present at the beautiful event. At first it saddened me as I felt like I had missed out on fully experiencing the beauty and graces of the vigil. But I realized something ~ that grace is available not only during a moment, but also after. God can (and often did on this trip) bestow graces on you as you go back and reflect on a certain experience and pray about it. Graces can abound both during and after a spiritual experience or encounter.

Pilgrimage is a reflection of our pilgrimage to heaven.
Our lives are a continual journey toward heaven, toward eternal, blissful union with God in heaven. And pilgrimage, like the one I made this summer, is a reflection of that. We were on a physical journey through France and Poland that culminated in World Youth Day, seeking to encounter God, to deepen our relationships with Him, to receive His graces, and to grow in the love and joy of Him. And this very much reflects the way in which our lives are lifelong pilgrimages to God in heaven.

Sincerely,
~Stephanie
facebook // instagram // pinterest

Related

Categories: Europe, God, reflections, summer 2016, thoughts

Related Posts

Jesus, I Trust in You
5 Things World Youth Day Taught Me
Highlights of Europe: Lisieux
Previous:
Highlights of Europe: Prague
Next:
Highlights of Europe: Paris

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

About Me

Hi, I'm Stephanie!

Catholic wife, mama of two, and homemaker. Michigan native, thrift shopper, and tea drinker. Embracing and striving for authentic womanhood as God designed. Welcome to my little corner of the internet, where I share from my heart about wife life, mama life, and Catholic life. Pour a cup of tea and stay awhile!

Let’s Connect

Recent Posts

  • 8 Tips to Get More Done with an Infant
  • Welcome to My Blog Relaunch!
  • 8 Essential Baking Supplies Every Beginner Needs
  • Top 9 Powerful Novenas for Catholics
  • Top 6 Highlights of the San Francisco Bay Area

Topics

Blog Archive

Selfie Shade Match - trèStiQue

Follow Me on Insta

alittleflower_grows

“The homemaker has the ultimate career. All othe “The homemaker has the ultimate career. All other careers exist for one purpose only - and that is to support the ultimate career.” • A beautiful quote about homemaking from one of my favorite authors, C.S. Lewis.

Fellow homemakers & mamas, we are not “just” homemakers or “just” stay-at-home moms. We have the most important job in the world: caring for our children & our homes, forming little souls, shaping the next generation, and most importantly, raising future saints. 

It is a privilege and a blessing to have such a job, one that God designed women for in a unique way. May God always give us the we need to do it well. 💕
New mamas, I know how hard the transition can be w New mamas, I know how hard the transition can be when you bring a new baby home. When you feel like you can’t get anything done anymore. Between feeding, changing, and holding the baby, oftentimes there’s no time (or energy) for anything else. And while caring for your baby is of course a worthy job, it doesn’t change the fact that there are things you need or want to do. 

I get it—I’ve been there and still am! But I’ve figured out some hacks along the way that I want to share with you.

So mamas, here are my top 8 tips to get things done, even with an infant in the mix!

1. Prioritize prayer over everything.
2. Make checklists.
3. Prioritize 1-2 tasks for the day.
4. Babywear.
5. Take advantage of small windows of opportunity.
6. Accept help.
7. Practice teamwork with your spouse.
8. Go easy on yourself.

Read all the details in my newest blog post! Link in bio. And always remember mamas, you’re doing a great job, and God chose YOU to be the mother of your baby! There is no greater mother for your baby than you! 💗

What are your best tips for keeping up with tasks after a baby? Let me know in the comments!
One of my favorite quotes about motherhood comes f One of my favorite quotes about motherhood comes from my favorite saint (and the namesake of my little babe featured in this video), St. Thérèse the Little Flower: “The loveliest masterpiece of the heart of God is the heart of a mother.” Her own mother is also a canonized saint, St. Zélie—so I know Thérèse spoke from firsthand experience! How beautiful that the love in our own motherly hearts is a reflection of God’s love for us! Let’s strive to live up to that reflection, and to follow St. Zélie’s example in our own motherhood and raise wonderful saints.
Hi, I’m Stephanie 👋🏻 Welcome if you’re n Hi, I’m Stephanie 👋🏻 Welcome if you’re new here, or welcome again if you’ve followed me before! I’m revamping & relaunching this account, as well as my blog (A Little Flower Grows) with a whole new sense of inspiration and mission ✨

A little bit about me:
• I’ve been married to my husband, Marcus, for a little over 4 years
• We now have two babies, Benedict (20 months) and Therese (6 months)
• I’m a full-time stay-at-home mom and homemaker, and it’s my dream job
• I’m a devout Roman Catholic
• We live in southeast Michigan where I grew up
• Check out my blog post to read more! (Link in bio)

I can’t wait to dive into this account and blog to bring you inspiring, encouraging content on womanhood & motherhood from an authentically Catholic perspective. 

Please feel free introduce yourself in the comments—I can’t wait to get to know you all!
Yesterday’s Memorial Day cake, baked by yours tr Yesterday’s Memorial Day cake, baked by yours truly 🇺🇸 Speaking of baking, did you catch last week’s blog post about my top 8 essential baking supplies?! Hop on over to read my list - from one beginner baker to another - of baking supplies that every beginner needs! Link in bio👩🏻‍🍳
——
I hope everyone had a wonderful Memorial Day weekend! 🙏🏻
New post on the blog today about my top 9 favorite New post on the blog today about my top 9 favorite, powerful novenas 🙏🏻 “Personally, I love novenas. As someone who appreciates schedules, I think it’s something about the nine-day structure that draws me to novenas. Plus I have found them to be extremely powerful and efficacious in my life for many an intention - not the least of which is the finding of my now spouse...” 💕 Continue reading #ontheblog ➡️ link in bio!
In 2016, I had the opportunity to spend time in Po In 2016, I had the opportunity to spend time in Poland for World Youth Day in Krakow, including visiting John Paul II’s hometown of Wadowice. What a blessed time it was - I’m still reaping the graces of that pilgrimage four years later. ——
I have soo much love for JP2. He was the pope of my childhood - the first papa from as far back as I can remember. I have so much appreciation for his Theology of the Body that first blew my mind in high school and that I was privileged to study more deeply in college. I love so many of his other writings too, and gosh I just love him in general.
——
Happy heavenly birthday to an amazing man, pope, and saint. St. John Paul II, pray for us! 💕
Happy Mother’s Day to my mom! And to my grandma Happy Mother’s Day to my mom! And to my grandma and mother-in-law! Three mother figures that I am so blessed to call mine 💗 Thank you for all you do for us and for being the best. We love you all! 🥰
Load More... Follow on Instagram
Theme by SkyandStars.co
Back Top

Copyright © 2023