The great departure

In just a short time we will embark on this pilgrimage of a lifetime.

"Making a pilgrimage," says Pope Benedict XVI, "means setting out in a particular direction, travelling towards a destination. This gives a beauty of its own even to the journey and to the effort involved."

The road before us will certainly be filled with many joys and blessings, but also with frustrations and difficulties. All of these are part and parcel of embraking upon a pilgrimage and will all bear good fruit in our lives if we bear them well.

The journey of a pilgrimage is, as it were, a journey through life in miniature, a journey which is to change us upon our return. As the Holy Father reminds us, "The journey back to our everyday life is also fundamental." The journey itself is important, but so, too, is the way home again.

In these days ahead, please keep us in your prayers that we might remain open to the workings of the Holy Spirit. Pray that we be lead to true repentance and conversion that we might be filled with the power of the Holy Spirit. As we journey, we assured of our prayers for you.