Learning to Move as a Unit

Our 135 mile pilgrimage on the Camino de Santiago in Spain was a joint effort between the Holy Family/St. Lawrence and St. Pius parishes. What better way to promote unity than asking a medley of persons from both parishes to work together!  At the start the other pilgrims and I were practically strangers, but we quickly grew closer.

“If I, therefore, the master and teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash one another’s feet” (Jn 13). On the first day of our 135 mile pilgrimage we stopped in front of a small stone chapel to pray and reflect on this gospel passage. These were the words we read; the calling of Jesus to his disciples to go and serve all. The apostles went out and performed their duty wonderfully, but we need to remember that this call is not a one person job. It takes two people, one who washes and one who becomes washed. As we walked through Spain our group had no shortage of washers, but many times we found it hard to let ourselves be washed. It’s ironic really, how we get so wrapped up in trying to emulate Jesus in his generous giving that we forget that he received plenty: from banquets with tax collectors to even having his own feet washed with tears and anointed with oil. Sometimes the greatest gift we can give is to simply let another do good works. Over the course of our walk I noticed the others and myself pridefully refusing support, but as the trek wore on being helped became as easy as helping.

A will to be helpful doesn’t matter, though, if we don’t know what is needed. Paying attention proved to be the next big thing I learned.  This was tough because I’m generally a rather introverted person, but as we got closer to Santiago I tried to take note of my fellow pilgrims and get to know them better. This really kicked off after an incident on the trail where we had split into two groups and proceeded to lose each other. When the first group stopped at a cafe for a snack and the second group kept going everyone panicked a little. After this taste of failure we made an effort to look out for one another; paying attention to where the others were and what they needed. This shift in focus made us move as a unit instead of a collection of individual persons. I believe that if our world tries to live this way we won’t be able to help but be unified in Christ. That may take time, but I’ll settle for bringing our parishes together as a good start.

Looking back, I can see that our parishes have already started coming together. To even get us to Spain we needed an enormous amount of help, and when my fellow pilgrims and I asked, money came pouring in from both parishes. For this phenomenal generosity I want to formally thank everyone who donated to our pilgrimage, for seeing our need and washing our feet. All those who gave reflected the image of Jesus. None of this could have happened without you. Thank you and God bless.

Val Laverty