Cyril's reflection

Fantastic week.  It was really good to get away from the day-to-day and do something completely different. I really valued the sense of camaraderie, fellowship and togetherness we had throughout the week. I would like to share a couple of experiences.

Before the pilgrimage I was slightly apprehensive about the week, as I was not sure what to expect. Well the first thing that needed to happen was for me to de-clutter my mind, things that were occupying it had either happened in the past or may be happening in the future. I needed to think about the here and now, and all the 'noise' needed to go. Right from the start I was marvelling at the beauty and complexity of God's creation and the de-cluttering had started. I needed patience though for this was going to take a couple of days.

I found the reflections very powerful and moving, not only from the words themselves but also from the locations, and the fact that we could do our own thing. Having been brought up as a traditional Anglican I was reminded that the act of kneeling to pray is quite humbling and it does concentrate the mind. Being quiet in the presence of the Lord is something I need to do more and more and it needs to be disciplined. It is not something that can be rushed into.

The week helped me think about what is important and what is less important, the latter certainly includes any physical discomfort I felt during the course of the walk.

Over the week I kept coming back to one portion of scripture, it was a great help.
Matthew 6: 25 - 34.
²⁵ ‘Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? ²⁶ Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? ²⁷ Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?

²⁸ ‘And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labour or spin. ²⁹ Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendour was dressed like one of these. ³⁰ If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you – you of little faith? ³¹ So do not worry, saying, “What shall we eat?” or “What shall we drink?” or “What shall we wear?” ³² For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. ³³ But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. ³⁴ Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.