By Ezekiel Bartlett
A pilgrim’s journey is one unique to the individual, even though it is often communal. Last week, the first-year cohort embarked on a pilgrimage to revere Saint Mary of the Cross MacKillop, Australia’s only canonized saint. Father Jake, Yousif, Dawn and I visited many of the sites relating to her life, primarily the Mary MacKillop Centre in Penola holding exhibits of both Mary MacKillop and Rev. Julian Tenison Woods. We continued our journey through Hamilton, where Mary’s father is buried, making our way to Mount Gambier. After an early start on day two, we drove to Cape Bridgewater and set out on a 22km walk along the beautiful coast of Victoria.
The two pioneers, MacKillop and Woods, modelled the Christian life. Along the hike, I came to realise the trail I was following had been walked before, but not in the same way as I, nor any other pilgrim. It was the same old trail, but it was my path because my thoughts, decisions and experience could not be duplicated. I was following a plan and achieved the end result, but it was still unique. Similarly, Woods and MacKillop’s missionary goal had been achieved before in other places by other people, yet it was their journey that was so momentous for Australia. Their resilience, courage and ambition saw them meet the needs of so many. They walked the same old trail that Christ set out, followed the same rubric as the Church, yet advocated a new path and subsequently bore new fruit.
Nearing the end of the walk, I realised that we could apply this same principle to our own lives. I am called to follow the same old trail that Christ walked and follow the rubric of the Church, but God has a unique plan for my life, and He lets me take the next step. He wants me to walk my path on His trail, and He invites all to do the same.