Our lives are filled with thresholds as we are continuously invited to cross borders and journey into new territories. It’s likely when thinking of the word “threshold” that the image of a doorway comes to mind—it’s that strip of metal, stone, or wood that separates one room from the next. Just as the threshold of a doorway marks the transition from one room into another, the image of a threshold can serve as an appropriate metaphor for our own transitions between one season of life and the next. The dictionary defines a threshold as “a point of entry or beginning,” but as pilgrims, we know t ..read more

Whether we’re traveling abroad or navigating everyday life, our journeys will always contain challenges and trials. While traveling, our flight might become delayed, we could get lost in an unfamiliar city, or perhaps we struggle communicating in a foreign language. Obstacles in our everyday lives might look like troubles at work, conflict in relationships, health issues, or even the prison of acedia or apathy. Such obstacles can often feel like Sisyphean tasks—a phrase alluding to the Greek myth of Sisyphus and his continuous attempts to push a boulder up a hill only to watch it roll down ag ..read more

Every journey begins with longing. It’s not often that we take the time to tend to our longings in everyday life, but they’re there on the periphery or are simmering just beneath the surface. They are yearnings sourced deep within that speak to our propensity for change, our need for inspiration, and the questions of the soul. As author and contemplative Phileena Heuertz says, “Complacency is a stalemate to the journey. Longing propels us forward.” Our longings are waiting to give birth to our journeys—all we as pilgrims need to do is to say “yes.” Whether that journey takes you on an adventu ..read more

  Seekers and travelers have long sought out guides for the journey. Whether touring a sacred site abroad or navigating everyday life right at home, guides are invaluable to any meaningful journey. They are the experienced ones, after all, who have already traversed the terrain that lies before us. Whether the territory is a new city or uncharted corners of the soul, guides offer much-needed insight and inspiration along the path.  Of course, for pilgrims who long to connect with the transcendent, the ultimate guide is the Sacred Guide. Whether you use that name to describe the Holy ..read more

We’d all appreciate a sign from time to time to help us know the right path to take, wouldn’t we? Pilgrims walking the Camino de Santiago de Compostela don’t necessarily need a map to make the journey—they simply need to follow the yellow arrows that indicate the direction of the path. Just like the pilgrim on the road to Santiago de Compostela, there are arrows for the pilgrim on the interior journey, too—signs that you can always trust to lead you to your inner destination, whether you are a pilgrim abroad or in everyday life: what draws you in and what you have resistance to. What draws yo ..read more

Curiosity is an essential posture for the pilgrim and a trademark perspective for any seeker. It is wondering (pondering) that fuels wonder (awe), after all, and both are necessary to propel us forward on our journeys both at home and abroad. The curious pilgrim is eager to engage their journey’s unfolding and is open to wherever the path might lead.  To cultivate the curiosity of the pilgrim, begin each day by exploring the following questions:   1. Where am I located? When it comes to the practice pilgrimage, location doesn’t simply refer to a pilgrimage destination or the stops t ..read more

You might not use the word “ritual” every day, but it’s likely that you participate in rituals on a regular basis.  Weddings, church services, graduations—each is a common occurrence that follows a ritualistic format, imbuing the event with meaning. For a wedding, the ritual begins when the wedding party enters. What once was ordinary now becomes sacred space as those who are about to make lifelong vows arrive at the altar, a word that literally means “high place.” The high point of the wedding ceremony—the apex of the ritual—occurs when the vows are exchanged, and each element of the ce ..read more

Traditionally, pilgrimage has been defined as a journey to a sacred site. It’s true—destinations such as the Holy Land, Rome, and Iona have attracted pilgrims for generations. However, when we focus solely on the destination, we can often miss the true invitation of pilgrimage, which is ultimately a journey of transformation. The old cliché “the journey is the destination” is, in fact, accurate. While tourists travel to destinations, pilgrims know that the process of journeying is just as valuable as the destination itself and is essential to transformation. The reason the practice of pilgrim ..read more

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