By Blase Gebes
Diocesan Seminarian

This was an incredible summer for me as I was one of the Perpetual Pilgrims in the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage. In two months, we walked 300 miles and drove 1200 miles in our 15-seater van which served as our mobile adoration chapel. Being on the Marian Route, I “pilgrimed” from the headwaters of the Mississippi to the National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis.

I witnessed the tremendous pastoral work accomplished in the hundreds of priests and parishes we visited. I found parish ministry exceedingly beautiful and I fell in love with Jesus and his flock in a new way as God poured out great personal graces to me throughout this summer. I look forward, God willing, to my priesthood in western South Dakota as I reap even now the little treasures of spending all day, every day this summer with our Lord.

A typical day for our group looked like this: begin with Mass followed by a quick breakfast, walk several miles to the next parish, spend an hour in prayer, drive to the next town with Jesus exposed in our van, spend more time in prayer, eat a sack lunch, walk to the next several parishes, more prayer time, eat dinner, give a testimony during a holy hour, and finally close the day by sleeping in a new host home every night. I loved serving the Masses and processions so that I was close to nearly all of the liturgies. I greatly flourished in it. I was joyfully tired.

There have been many treasured moments with Jesus on my pilgrimage. One such time was on our ten mile walk to the Shrine of Our Lady of Champion in Wisconsin. It was just the eight of us permanent pilgrims, two chaplains, and Jesus. We were each invited to hold the ombrellino (little umbrella) over Jesus while the rest of the group stayed back a few paces so that we could each pour our hearts out to the Lord in verbal prayer for an extended time of intimacy. Soon my turn came and I have never felt so close to the Lord. Words were not needed as my heart was touched to His consoling, tender heart. Once while I was incensing in procession, the world around me fell away as I locked eyes with my Lord. My heart turned to pure praise as each waft of incense truly represented my prayers rising to heaven. Many of my stories revolve around that simple pattern of being united to our Eucharistic Lord.

I want to close with a reflection from my pilgrimage. As we saw in the many parishes of differing backgrounds, it is Our Lord in the Eucharist that unites the Church. It humbles me to think that no one in two thousand years has walked this much with Jesus since the apostles. For me, the pilgrimage was as though Jesus had called us into his inner group of apostles and granted us a special intimacy for our mission. Our earthly pilgrimage this summer was a constant reminder that the whole Church is on pilgrimage. This familiar world is not our true home. We are only home with God. He infuses us with His love and grace during the quiet moments of Eucharistic adoration. He prepares us to be Eucharistic missionaries ready and willing to share Him with the world. Please give your heart to our Lord in adoration. It is there that He will strengthen you on your heavenly pilgrimage.