Yesterday I finally watched the first episode of „The Young Pope.” I have already heard a lot about this show and so far I’m not disappointed. Whatever we say – it definitely confronts us and asks a lot of good questions. Every second dialogue could do for a good homily or a blog post. This time it will be about one sentence that probably no one would pay attention to, but I really liked it. Pius XIII says: „I will never shed my aversion against tourists… because they’re just passing through”
Just passing through. Without engagement, without deeper relationships. Just to see, enjoy and go on. Without obligations. Hop in, hop out, take photos. Is that not the image of today’s world? A Christian has to go deeper, because only in the deep is there pure water. Sometimes I really have to stop sliding on the surface. Stop my daily run and focus on what matters most.
At the same time I remind myself that this life is only a road to the real world. My favourite quote from Catherine of Siena is: „Life is a bridge. Go through it, but don’t build your home there.” The other extreme is going down so deep, that it’s hard to get out. The point is not in growing roots and safely surviving life in what is known. This is probably what attracts me most in religious life – there is no stagnation, only constant looking for the better way of serving God and the people.
So we should not be a tourist on the go and not get stuck in a warm cosy cottage. I think the key is to be a pilgrim. As a pilgrim I know where I am going. I walk the paths that lead me to my goal, but I will not run, because I know that I need to save my strength. I also know that the road itself is important, not because of all the things I will visit and see on the way, but because it will teach me life, and I will meet people there, who will change me for the better.
Life is an amazing pilgrimage. I hope not to be a tourist, who is just passing through – taking a selfie in front of the museum and buying a hot dog at the gas station.
