St. Jean Pied de Port, France, to Roncesvalles, Spain
Today we begin our pilgrimage. As we walk, we contemplate the beauty of the mountains. When we arrive at the Pic d’Orisson, we see the statute of Mary brought by shepherds from Lourdes. Mary keeps vigil over the valley below and the pilgrims walking past on the Camino Frances.
The spiritual practice of pilgrimage is about finding God through the wanderings of your life and the spiritual transformation that occurs when you respond to God with “yes.” Mary is a wonderful example of a spiritual pilgrim. She begins as a young girl, becomes the mother of God after saying “yes” to God’s call, and then is transformed into a disciple of Christ, showing how our choices bring us into God’s plan of salvation.
In John’s Gospel, Mary’s compassion resulted in Jesus’ first miracle. Mary had compassion for the wedding party and asked Jesus to respond to their need for more wine. Because of the miracle of turning water into wine, Jesus revealed his glory, and his disciples believed in him (John 2:1-11). Mary teaches us that miracles happen when we respond with compassion to the needs of others.
In Luke’s Acts, after Jesus was taken up to heaven, the Apostles and other disciples gathered in the Upper Room to wait for Pentecost. They devoted themselves to prayer. The disciples included Mary, along with the other women who had witnessed the crucifixion (Acts 1: 12). Through this passage, Mary teaches us that faith is best practiced within a community, and that the response to uncertainty is prayer. We are also reminded of the important role of women within Luke’s Gospel, and within the first Christian communities.
My favorite prayer of Mary is the Magnificat – from Luke’s Gospel (Luke 1:46-55). It is a song of revolution – calling forth the ministry of Jesus and showing how Jesus completes God’s plan of salvation for the world.[1] Mary of the Magnificat is a woman of power. She proclaims the glory of God through her pregnancy with Jesus – specifically by answering God’s call with faith. The Magnificat also places Mary’s pregnancy within the larger story of God’s redemption of His People and foreshadows the ministry of Jesus’ caring for the poor and the oppressed. Accordingly, being part of God’s redemptive action means showing mercy for the weak, lifting the lowly, and filling the hungry with good things (see Luke 1: 50, 52, 53).
For people who feel that they do not fit within any organized religion, Mary shows us that we can have a place in God’s story of salvation. Mary did not know where her life would take her. She did not know that saying “yes” to God’s call to be the mother of Jesus would transform her and, as a result, transform the world. Mary just said “yes,” and let God take care of the rest.
On this first day of our Camino walk, we pray the Magnificat (aka the Prayer of Mary). We give thanks for the great things that God has done for us. “[F]or the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name” (Luke 1:49). We pray to be in right relationship with God by not trying to be God, but by living in alignment with God’s Kingdom. Living in alignment with God’s Kingdom obligates us to care for and lift up those who are poor and those who are oppressed. “He has . . . lifted up the lowly; and filled the hungry with good things” (Luke 1:52-53). We are comforted by the fact that even when we fall short, God’s mercy is always available to us. “He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, according to the promise he made to our ancestors” (Luke 1:54-55).
[1] Michael Patella, OSB, “Luke,” in The Jerome Biblical Commentary for the Twenty-First Century (3rd ed., ed. John J. Collins, Gina Hens-Piazza, Barbara Reid OP, and Donald Senior CP; Bloomsbury Publishing Plc, New York 2022) 1304-1305.
Pilgrimage: A Journey of Transformation 
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