Pilgrimage

I am going on a pilgrimage with members of The Church of St Mary of The Angels Singapore, together with three very knowledgeable Spiritual Directors, our well-loved parish priests! The 15-day trip will take us to Portugal, Spain and France.

A pilgrimage as we know, is a journey, usually to a sacred place or shrine. Each of us has our own concept of how to make that journey, and what we hope to gain from it. For some, it is a journey to connect with God; for others, a quest to make God the center of their lives. Whatever our intentions, we have to prepare ourselves both physically and spiritually; physically so that we do not fall sick during the journey that may inconvenience our fellow pilgrims; and spiritually to 'empty' ourselves of all our preconceived ideas and notions so that we have 'room' to learn something new. 

Santiago de Compostela, Spain

If we keep our hearts and minds open, there are a lot of things that can speak to us along our pilgrim way. The break of dawn over the valley, the evening glow of the sun setting  over the horizon, the trees, the mountains, the rivers, flowers, the rocks and stones, the animals we see - all can offer us insights not only into the vastness but the uniqueness of our world!  We only have to stop to look, listen, feel and breathe in what is around us to experience God's beauty and gift to us. Along the way we will also meet people from all  walks of life; pilgrims like us, and from them we too learn that we are all a small part of the universe, yet connected in many ways in our hopes, fears and aspirations.     

Santuary of Arantzazu, Basque Country, Spain

For me, personally, it will be a journey into myself, a journey of 'self-stripping' to be exact. Yes, I am going with 'excess baggage' - the trappings of pride, ego, hurts, greed, envy, self righteousness and a long list more, all accumulated from years of working and living in the fast lane. Through prayer, I hope to slowly strip off those baggage, my false self, and to allow my real self to emerge; the 'Higher self', as my friend SN puts it. A  selfless self. A self that can allow God to work in and through me.     

Lourdes, South-West France

Yes, I hope to come back a 'lighter' person; blessed with the grace to be able to see the goodness of God in every aspect of my life: my family, the people I meet, the circumstances that present itself in my daily life. We know that once we experience God's love and goodness, we will want to share with others, the same gifts and blessings, so freely given to us, from an all embracing and merciful God.   

Monserrat, Barcelona

Sagrada Familia, Barcelona

It will not be easy, but God knows our human weakness. The least I can do is to be aware each moment of my life of His presence, His love, compassion, kindness, forgiveness, generosity to me - and with that awareness, the same extension to all my fellow human beings and all of God's creatures, great and small.  

        
        Our real journey in life is interior; it is a matter of growth, deepening, 
        and an ever greater surrender to the creative action of love and grace
        in our hearts.                 
                                                -Thomas Merton-

A common thread, Hong Kong

Wan Tau Tong is one of the older residential estates in Tai Po, Hong Kong. It is in a good neighbourhood and has a shopping mall which housed a supermarket, a restaurant, several small eateries, a confectionery, a fast-food outlet, a launderette and more.

The best part of it, is the ground level recreational area where there is a big pavilion, for people to sit and relax and enjoy the flowing fountain nearby. It is linked by a covered walkway to the mall and to the different blocks of apartments. Since it is an old estate, many of its residents are elderly folks, long past their retirement age. You can see them sitting in the pavilion, some in their wheelchairs, when the weather is good, to take in the fresh air and to pass the day. It is an ideal place to socialize, so you can see some of them playing card games around a small table; some would be exchanging news, perhaps reminiscing the good old days; some lucky ones have maids to see to their needs and care for them; some are introverts, sitting quietly by themselves, watching the world go by; while others just stare into nothingness, lost in their own world. 

As I observe their grey hair, wrinkled faces and hands, I feel a lot of respect for them, because one must never forget that it is through their toils and sweat and sacrifice that our nation is built. 

One day when I was there, we heard the siren of an ambulance pulling into the estate, and not long after, a patient was wheeled out on a stretcher and lifted into the ambulance. Everyone at the pavilion stopped what they were doing and looked; perhaps wondering silently to themselves, "who is it today?"; or "when will it be my turn?". Yes, they are all acutely aware of their own mortality. Shouldn't we too?

Tibetan Buddhism teaches us to think of our death before we can begin living. A strong message indeed, but with deep meanings. If we can delve into that, think of it often, we can then have a clearer sense of what is more important to us in our lives. Our world will open up because this very simple philosophy teaches us the values of compassion, love, service, kindness, generosity. In short, to be selfless. The Law of Nature will know how to give back, in abundant joy and peace.

            "Anything that is of value in life only multiplies when it is given"
                                                                     Deepak Chopra