We usually hear from readings from the Old Testament in our Sunday Masses, but during the Easter season, we hear the story of the Early Church in our first readings from Acts of the Apostles. We hear about the missionary journeys of Paul, Barnabas, and their companions, of the miracles they performed in the proclamation of God’s kingdom, of the way they were criticized by the Pharisees and other Jewish leaders, and even thrown out of certain towns. In the midst of their challenges and obstacles, the disciples of Christ and the leaders of the Early Church encouraged the faithful and called for unity. Today, we hear about the Council of Jerusalem, the first council of the early Church, addressing what it means to be a disciple of Christ, addressing whether Gentiles needed to first obey the Jewish laws and customs prior to their conversion to Christ. This reading from Acts speaks about how with one accord under the guidance of the Holy Spirit they made their decisions and chose representatives.
The first week I was in Spain, our new pope was chosen. I was amazed to see an American chose pope, especially one who grew up in Chicago and served as a missionary in Peru with the Augustinians. As our reading from Acts speaks about unity, that seems to be a main theme under Pope Leo XIV, as he stated this in the homily at his installation: “I come to you as a brother, who desires to be the servant of your faith and your joy, walking with you on the path of God's love, for he wants us all to be united in one family. Love and unity: these are the two dimensions of the mission entrusted to Peter by Jesus.
Back when he was chosen as Cardinal in 2023, he talks about unity in the context of the teachings of St Augustine and in his life as a member of the Augustinians: “When I think of Saint Augustine, his vision and understanding of what it means to belong to the church, one of the first things that springs to mind is what he says about how you cannot say you are a follower of Christ without being part of the church. Christ is part of the church. He is the head. So people who think they can follow Christ ‘in their own way’ without being part of the body, are, unfortunately, living a distortion of what is really an authentic experience. Saint Augustine’s teachings touch every part of life, and help us to live in communion. Unity and communion are essential charisms of the life of the Order and a fundamental part of understanding what the church is and what it means to be in it.”
I look forward to learning more from Pope Leo XIV. In a world where there is so much division and discord, where people feel emboldened to attack and destroy rather than work with others in the midst of differences and diversity, some of the things we are hearing from Pope Leo XIV gives me a lot of hope.
One of the things I love about the Camino in Spain is how it brings people together from all around the world. Many faithful Catholics and Christians from all different denominations, but also those who are not Christian as well. They are all drawn to a Catholic pilgrimage that started more than 1200 years ago, centered on the remains of St James, the apostle, which were rediscovered in northern Spain in the early 9th century in the midst of the Moors from northern African occupying that area.
The cathedral square in Santiago de Compostela is filled with hundreds arriving pilgrims filled with so much joy and hope. All of us pilgrims have our physical struggles on the Camino. But we also have many ways that the Camino feeds our souls and our faith. I think of the pilgrimage trail I hiked these past three weeks. Some of the trail has large ascents and descents. Some of it goes through mountains and remote areas down rocky paths, while some of the trail goes through paved roads through large cities or busy highways. Some of it does not even look like a trail. Some of it goes down roads built by the Romans when Spain was a part of the Roman Empire. As I hiked along the trail, I thought about the feet of the millions of pilgrims that journeyed on that trail many centuries before me. It is humbling to be a part of the pilgrimage of the Way of St James. I am always grateful to have the opportunity to be a part of it. When I hug the statue of St James in the cathedral, I feel the unity of the Church embracing me.
I want to end with a pilgrim’s prayer that is applicable to all of us on our pilgrim’s journey through life:
May the light and love of God bless and direct your steps. May the paths open to your encounter. May you welcome silence into your heart and keep with gratitude the beautiful memory of good things. May God take you by the and to the arms of St James, the Apostle. May you return home full of light and joy. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN.
