Pray, Click, Buy

One of the hardest parts of a pilgrimage is fitting everything in.  There is usually so much to do and see and not enough hours in the day.  So how do you get the most out of the limited time you have on pilgrimage?  The key is to narrow the focus, focus on the real reason for taking the pilgrimage.  The pilgrimage is all about the journey with God so that should be the focus of your time.

Recently I heard a simple mantra for how you spend your time on pilgrimage that might help you whilst on the WYD pilgrimage in August.  Bishop Julian Porteous uses three simple words to guide every pilgrimage group that he leads: "Pray, Click, Buy".

1. Pray - the pilgrimage is about our time with God so spend the most amount of time in prayer. Don't rush the time in prayer, take time to kneel in the pews or light a candle. The two questions that you should be asking are "God what are you doing in this place?" and "God, What are you saying to me at this time?"  When you place the emphasis on prayer you will spend your time wisely on pilgrimage.
2. Click - sometimes tourists spend most of their time trying to get the best photo.  Pilgrims on the other hand capture the moments in their heart rather than on film.  Photos are useful to tell the stories back home so if you have time after prayer take some photos without holding the group up.
3. Buy - only if you have spare time in a location do you spend time buying souvenirs.  There is nothing worst than moving from souvenir shop to souvenir shop in every location you visit.  The souvenirs are mostly made in another country so it is not a real experience of the culture you are visiting. The souvenir shop is the last thing on a pilgrims mind. 

So when you are heading over to the WYD pilgrimage focus your time in that order.  Let people know before you go that souvenirs are the last thing on your mind, not the first.