The Lord appeared to Abraham by the terebinth of Mamre, as he sat in the entrance of his tent, while the day was growing hot. Looking up, Abraham saw three men standing nearby. When he saw them, he ran from the entrance of the tent to greet them; and bowing to the ground, he said: “Sir, if I may ask you this favor, please do not go on past your servant. Let some water be brought, that you may bathe your feet, and then rest yourselves under the tree. Now that you have come this close to your servant, let me bring you a little food, that you may refresh yourselves; and afterward you may go on your way.”

The men replied, “Very well, do as you have said.” Abraham hastened into the tent and told Sarah, “Quick, three measures of fine flour! Knead it and make rolls.” He ran to the herd, picked out a tender, choice steer, and gave it to a servant, who quickly prepared it. Then Abraham got some curds and milk, as well as the steer that had been prepared, and set these before the three men; and he waited on them under the tree while they ate. They asked Abraham, “Where is your wife Sarah?” He replied, “There in the tent.” One of them said, “I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah will then have a son.

Jesus entered a village where a woman whose name was Martha welcomed him. She had a sister named Mary who sat beside the Lord at his feet listening to him speak. Martha, burdened with much serving, came to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving?

Tell her to help me.” The Lord said to her in reply, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things. There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her.”

Unlike the Twelve (Apostles), many of Jesus’ disciples do not leave behind family or occupation to follow him as he goes around to preach the Kingdom of God. Many remain in their homes and be of service to Jesus and the Apostles when these happen to be around.

Such is the case of Martha, Mary, and Lazarus, Jesus’ friends whom he loves dearly. Jesus lives an itinerant life. He is on a constant journey. He does not remain long in a town where he is much welcome; rather he moves on that he may preach to other towns as well. Life is a pilgrimage, a constant journey. Life is a journey, not a destination. It is a journey worth taking, worth living, and gives us a sense of purpose. It is a mixture of everything: happiness and sadness, success and failures, comfort and pain, relief and sorrow, and struggle and not giving up.

Along the road are “stopovers.” Jesus stops by the house of Martha, Mary, and Lazarus. He enjoys Martha’s serving and he speaks to Mary about things closest to her heart. Lazarus must be around as was expected of a male family member, though his presence is not mentioned. Jesus’ friendship with them deepens in their experience of little joys, deep sorrow (when Lazarus dies), and great happiness and thanksgiving (when Lazarus is raised from the dead). It is hospitality to people that makes our journey worth living, and gives a sense of purpose.

A journey or pilgrimage can be a life-changing, transformative experience. We are transformed by situations and by the people we meet; and we also transform people’s lives by the love and commitment we dedicate to them. Going on pilgrimage gives us a new sense of awareness and wonder, and it gives a greater sense of our life’s purpose when it is shared with others. In life, we make our journey in synodality. We make friends, connect with our co-pilgrims, listen to them “with the ears of the heart,” feel Jesus walking with us, and recognize his presence when we break the bread of the Eucharist.

Jesus invites us, “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest” (Mt 11:28). Pilgrimage provides the opportunity to step out of the nonstop busyness of our lives, to seek a time and place for quiet and reflection. It gives us the chance to “walk through” the issues that occupy our minds, to have a time of simply “being” rather than “doing.” Pilgrimage is a time to rest in the Lord. This Jubilee Year is an opportune time to be on our feet and journey with Jesus and the Apostles.