A Pilgrimage: A Call To Step Out In Faith

Funny things happen when you decide to step out of your comfort zone and do something you might never think you would do. After attending the initial meeting for our September Papal visit, I was so full of hope and overwhelmed with the knowledge of how many people would travel to Philadelphia to see the Holy Father.

It gives me cause to pause and ponder the political and spiritual implications. I think about the state of our country, from our idealization of Bruce Jenner to the Supreme Court's ruling on same-sex marriage and the Planned Parenthood scandal. I wonder why our Holy Father would want to visit this land.

With all the immorality that is right there in our collective faces as soon as we turn on the TV. It reminds me of the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah in the Old Testament. It also reminds me that Our Lord came, sought out and ate with sinners, and we are part of the collective sin of our country. We may not agree, believe or support but are guilty by association, Our Country does idealize and commend Bruce Jenner's bravery, Our judicial system is blatantly trying to redefine traditional marriage and our government supports Planned Parenthood and its practices. And yet the Holy Father is traveling here to visit us bringing the love and mercy of Jesus with him.

I ponder the spiritual implications of this visit and wonder what we can do to aid in bringing Jesus to those in need. We are revamping our old convent into a Spiritual Center, when we went through the building, we came across a prayer space with an altar and an empty tabernacle, my heart was filled with joy at the possibilities of this space if Father agreed to put a Host in the Tabernacle.

Being filled with hope I emailed our Parish Priest with my thoughts on the space. No response!! That weekend, after Mass, I ask if he received my email, looking puzzled asks what it is regarding. I eagerly explain my idea, and he shuts me down FLAT. I am a little discouraged but decide to try not to let it get me down.

Remember the Sister, the one who had me so nervous because she was attending Our Adult Faith Formation class, where we are studying St. Teresa of Avila's "The Way of Perfection". Well after class I mention to her that she should pray for us to get the Eucharist in this space, the lovely Sanctuary the previous Priest had left. Then I did not give it another thought.

I had a meeting with Father 3 days later, he wanted to tour the old convent. When he walked into the Sanctuary room, he turned to us and said, all you need is a pik and an electric Sanctuary candle, if you go to the Catholic supply store today, I will consecrate the Host on Sunday and then you can put it in the Tabernacle.

Yes!!!! Less than one week and Jesus will be present in our new Spiritual Center!! Then I remember, the initial request came the day after The Feast of Our Lady's Assumption and will come to fruition the day after the Feast of the Queenship of Mary.

As I speak with the beloved sister after Mass today, to thank her for her prayers, she reminds me that this is her job, to pray and she is good at it. She should be as she has been a nun for 75 years. It occurs to me that even though all of this evil is present in our Country, Jesus is ever-present in every Catholic Church's tabernacles across this great land. and there are Nuns everywhere that spend their days in prayer for you, me, our country and our world.

It sheds new light on our Holy Father's visit to our land. It is to show us that Christ is still here, ever-present in our Catholic Tabernacles and our holy Sisters are unceasingly praying for you, me, our country and our world. He will come to edify the faithful, challenger the luke-warm and find the lost.

May we prepare the way with prayers for Pope Francis!