Recently, a French priest wrote me from Europe and asked me about the title of my blog, “Padre Peregrino.” I admitted that “Father Pilgrim” sounds ridiculous in English, but it seems to work better in the romance languages and other languages. He wrote me about the title of my blog: “It seems to me that it corresponds well to the present circumstances, where we realize that we must move from the ‘classic’ type of parish to a less ordinary type, at least for a European of origin and education, of ‘mission.'”
I replied, “You understood correctly that ‘Padre Peregrino’ was an accidental term. I was kicked out of five Novus Ordo parishes (for trying to apply traditional rules to the vigilance on the Eucharist) and each successive pastor usually let me take University students on the Camino and other international travels as they were not excited to be assigned a vicar like me. Finally, when I said I was only doing the TLM, I started having to move and travel constantly. But this pilgrimage became less painful as I realized it was indicative of two things:
1) ‘We have here no lasting city,’ as St. Paul wrote to the Hebrews and
2) My states of homelessness from my Archdiocese reflects the fact that anyone trying to live the Apostolic faith in the light (or darkness) of the current bishops.”
Recently a friend wrote me about how rejection is tied into understanding this life on earth is exclusively a pilgrimage:
This is the pain of many of the saints and even some mystics say the pain of St. Joseph. He chose Mary and protected her over the wishes of his family and “the family image” and they rejected him.
Or out of jealousy or other faults they reject their own and even want their death like Joseph of Egypt which wound up being an emotional death which I feel is far more painful. But Joseph of Egypt is forever known and loved and the pain the rejection he endured makes all of eternity beautiful and the agony he went through was like a secound it is gone forever and replaced with honors and glory…
This is not my home; my real home is eternity.
This makes you live like a real pilgrim. When did Jesus officially give us a Mother? At the cross…Thank you God for this cross and give me the grace even in this agony to keep thanking you for it.
It is at the cross we find the most Loving Father who gave us an eternal home with no more suffering or tears and unimaginable joy and peace.
It was at the cross we finally can not reject how much we are loved by our forever-family.
Jesus uses wine to describe a lot about us and the journey. We are always the grapes. It looks really romantic when you see the Italians or whoever stomping on the grapes….but it’s horrible for the grapes! Then right when you start to be the new wine and rest and shine in sweetness is when the fermentation process starts and you are ripped up even more and pressed unto darkness etc. but you will be so happy someday and not one tear will be wasted.