Fr Robert Hendrickson
Dear Friends in Christ,
The other day one of the youth pilgrimage chaperones and I took the youth going on pilgrimage for a 9 mile hike from Tubac to Tumacacori. The description of the path we read described it as “mostly flat and shady” which, technically, was correct—had we remained on the path!
Somehow we took a wrong turn. We ended up slogging through thick brush, stickers, and more. Each step brought the fear of a rattlesnake or two! This detour lasted an hour or so in the desert warmth. It was flat. And mostly shady given the near impermeable thickness of the Riparian foliage.
This is precisely the kind of wrong turn that, in so many circumstances, would have produced grumbling, complaints, or outright mutiny in some circumstances. The kids, however, handled it beautifully. No complaints, helping each other along the way, looking out to make sure everyone was making it along, finding ways to support the leaders while asking good questions and making helpful observations.
Honestly, it was like the perfect encapsulation of healthy church! They all just got it. Sometimes there’s a clear path. Sometimes stuff comes up. The way we handle it determines who we are and, more importantly, really defines where we’re going. It was a gift to see it and to be a part of it.
The kids reflected the best of what the church can be in both easy times and challenging ones. They showed the spirit of pilgrimage that is always at the heart of the Christian journey. We make our way, sometimes through thick difficulties, all the while looking for ways to support one another and asking for the help we need to make it, too.
As I told them, pilgrimage is a pack activity. Church is, too. It’s an endeavor that finds its success in one another’s flourishing and in our shared navigation of life’s losses and victories alike. Taking up our cross and following begins with helping one another carry each of ours. The crosses we carry are as varied as the hands holding them.
May we find in one another the strength to bear our crosses and the joy of pilgrim hope no matter the road we walk together.
Yours in Christ,
—Fr Robert