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
For you who are making this journey, we are offering you these reflections as your pilgrim’s pouch. Although Jesus sent His disciples in pairs to proclaim the Kingdom of God and cure the sick, He ordered them to travel as light as possible. Your journey is different. Your aim, whether in together with others or alone, is to take part in a pilgrimage, a long journey towards a holy site. Along this journey, you will discover many places of historical and religious importance that will help you better understand how the history and culture of the Maltese Islands and of other far away countries have been woven together.
At the same time, you will be making an interior journey to the most holy dwelling of your true self. It is here that you will become aware that in this physical and spiritual journey, you cannot simply be a tourist or an adventurous explorer. The more you journey forward towards the holy place you desire reaching—be it the destination of your journey or the very depths of your heart—you will feel yourself falling apart and gradually being stripped until there is nothing left except your true self: the image of God that makes you who you truly are, unique because that which is transcendental cannot be solely understood or expressed in only one way!
This journey can be dangerous or might make you give up. This is the reason why you will not make this journey on your own but with other pilgrims that, like yourself, have accepted this challenge. It is important that you are well prepared to travel long distances and in depth with the energy and light you require. This is also why we are offering you the following reflections as your pouch for this pilgrimage, so that you will not get lost on the way and your mind won’t be distracted by many things so you can concentrate on your ultimate goal: to encounter Him who surpasses our expectations and can take us apart and refashion us anew, without breaking us. So that when we complete our journey and return home, you return as a person who has been made whole and transformed. You can return home full of hope and courage to face life because you have found the Hope of your life that gives you a purpose to live and to strive for … and continue to journey daily as a pilgrim of Hope!
The Pilgrim’s Pouch: Shoes
The Pilgrim’s Pouch: The Hat
The Pilgrim’s Pouch: The Staff
The Pilgrim’s Pouch: The Gourd
The Pilgrim’s Pouch: The Scallop Shell
The Pilgrim’s Pouch: The Red Cross
The Pilgrim’s Pouch: The Songs of Ascents
The Pilgrim’s Pouch: Milestones
The Pilgrim’s Pouch: Stone Crosses