Make A Daily Pilgrimage

Croagh Patrick (Irish: Cruach Phádraig, meaning “(Saint) Patrick’s Mountain”), is a 2,507 foot mountain and an important site of pilgrimage in County Mayo in Ireland. Via Wikipedia

On this last Sunday in July, thousands of Irish people, of all ages, are making an annual pilgrimage to Croagh Patrick, a mountain shrine in western Ireland.  On this July weekend, great streams of pilgrims will be climbing the steep path, strewn with loose rocks, to the top, some 2,500 feet above sea level.  There will be no laughing or shouting, but rather a holy silence as the climbers pray for their special needs to the Lord through the intercession of St. Patrick.  According to the story, Patrick spent some days in prayer on top of this mountain before he went on to convert the Irish people to Christianity around the year 400 A.D.

I remember many years ago trying to reach the summit of Croagh Patrick.  Again and again I fell because of the loose stones and gravel on the pathway.  The steepness of the path took my breath away, forcing me to rest and ease my pounding heart.  Finally, I had to stop completely three quarters of the way up the mountain.  Though disappointed, I felt I had spent a rewarding afternoon.  In a true sense, I had reached out for God and had tried to bring This Divine Invisible Person into my life at the cost of much personal effort on the rocky slopes of Croagh Patrick.

Some impressions stayed with me from that afternoon on the hillsides of this holy mountain.  As I ascended higher and higher, I came to have a better view of the countryside of County Mayo (my mother’s birthplace).  I saw features of the landscape that I would never have seen if I stayed at ground level.  The air grew fresher, more exhilarating and made my heart beat faster.  My heart sang a song of joy because this effort to climb the holy mountain gave me an assurance that I was trying to reach out for the Lord.

Reach for the Lord!  Be conscious of the hunger in our hearts for a closer union with Christ.  Be a pilgrim, not necessarily by climbing a mountain, but rather in the ordinary travels of the day.  Speak out our hopes and visions from our heart: “Lord, I wish to know You better and love You more!”  When we speak like that, we are truly scaling the heights for a better view of God.  Our vision of life changes as we see life and its happenings in a clearer way.  Life takes on a new excitement!  Suddenly we find ourselves singing!

On this last Sunday in July, at Croagh Patrick, among the 30,000 pilgrim climbers, many will change their lifestyles for the better.  Be among them!

Fr. George Mc Kenna