A Hiker’s Guide to Catholicism

With the coming of autumn, I find myself once more reflecting on the journey of my Catholic faith. These little self-imposed introspections can sometimes leave me feeling a little drained, but they are certainly good for the soul. They usually lead to a deeper appreciation for the life God has given me, the family that I call my own, the gift of words that spills out from my heart to my keyboard, and the love that has sustained me through it all. I have come to see my Catholic faith as a life-altering journey, sometimes tearing down the strongholds of selfishness and pride, sometimes lifting me up to the heights of heaven, but always, always turning me into the man God has called me to be.

Over the spring and summer seasons, for some insane reason, I load up my backpack way too heavy with supplies and venture out onto the trails of the Northeast for a little test of personal fortitude. I have wondered why I choose to push myself out onto the winding rocky paths up steep climbs and through dark forests only to end up exhausted by the time I reach the nearest shelter where I try to catch a few hours of sleep before getting up and doing it all over again. But I think I have figured it out. These little 3-day excursions grant me a deeper sense of myself and capture so perfectly what my Catholic faith is all about. I thought I would pass on a few insights in this short Hiker’s Guide to Catholicism.

 
Testing and Trials of Faith

Every journey we take, whether we like it or not, is a test of our strength, our will, and our resolve. It calls for great faith to set out into the unknown, wondering if we will survive the trials and make it to the end. It is in this realm of uncertainty, in fact, that faith brings life to our souls. As I take these little trips into the woods, I know I must choose my steps carefully, lest I stumble and fall along the way. I carry with me what I think I will need to sustain me on my journey. I know that compared to the thru-hikers I meet, my pack is very overweight, but I bear the load because I know that at the end of the day, my fresh clothes, toiletries, and trusty tent will offer me a comfortable night’s sleep and a feeling of security and wellbeing.

I know that, as a Catholic, I carry with me more than what other Christians would consider necessary for the journey of faith. But I take comfort in the traditions, the writings, the additional Scriptures, and the sacraments that keep me grounded and bring me contentment at the end of the day. Is there a danger of turning those things into idols? Perhaps. But I have been on this path long enough to understand the nature of these great gifts. I know they are precious provisions that bring strength and refreshment as I travel the road to heaven.

Mapping Out My Journey

The trails I hike are usually well-traveled and well-marked with blazes. Still, even the most seasoned hiker will carry some sort of map to guide the way. I have an app on my phone that allows me download the trails I hike with all the waypoints marked out for me to follow using my GPS. When I can, I also carry a PDF version of the trails to direct me to water sources, roads, and shelters. Should I wander off the path or become confused as to where I am, I know I have a way back to the safety of the trail. Each year as I begin my journeys, I use these tools to map out the individual hikes I will take.

Similarly, I know that I have the tools of my Catholic faith to guide me along my journey. The teachings of the Church and God’s Word provide the vital information I need for getting to my next destination. They are my heavenly positional guides, reminding me that God above knows my every step and is there to keep me on the narrow road. The waypoints of truth are laid out and the principles of faith established so that I can calculate carefully my individual journey towards the goal. I choose my steps, but I know that God continues to speak to me through his Spirit, his Word, and his Church. In this, I am confident that I will always find my way.

The Confessional of the Woods

Hiking for me is the ultimate reality check. There, on the trail, I am pushed to the brink of exhaustion and come face to face with my physical and spiritual limitations. I cannot pretend I am someone I am not like I may sometimes do in the ordinary day to day world in which I live. Out on the rough roads and rocky ascents I am forced to admit my weaknesses. It is then, that I find myself confessing to my Father those sins I try so hard to hide, doing my penance as I struggle to move beyond the safety of my own strength into submission to the will of the One who sustains me and guides me all the way.

Like these open-air revelations, I find that the sacrament of Confession calls me to break down the barriers to self-absorption, as I lay my faults before the Lord on the road to reconciliation. The journey to the Confessional may be a short walk, but it is truly an uphill climb through a thorough Examination of Conscience as I surrender to the truth of my own frailty and bring my sins out into the open so that I may be absolved and readied for the altar and the Eucharistic feast.

Rocks, Rain, and Rough Roads

My favorite parts of the trails are those lovely little paths that meander through the woods besides babbling brooks or still ponds overlooking an idyllic countryside scene. Unfortunately, those are few and far between. Much of the Appalachian Trail, for example, is rough and rocky, full of steep climbs or muddy paths. Oftentimes, I end up walking in in the rain, even though I specifically ask God to spare me from wet hikes. I confess that this may leave me a bit irritable, but I endeavor to make the most of these experiences. I spend time in prayer, meditating on why God allows rain to fall upon our lives and why He seems to lay out difficult paths before us. While there may not always be any great revelations, I do find myself in a place of resolve, where I accept that no experience is ever wasted. There in the wet woods I become content to wait for future dry days and holy insights to come.

Jesus never promised us that the road to heaven would be smooth and packed with peaceful moments. He did promise us that He would be with us and share His easy yoke as we traveled along the way. As I have walked these many years with my Savior, I have learned that rain cleanses and renews, that rocky climbs strengthen feeble knees, and that trials and struggles are often strict schoolmasters, teaching us invaluable lessons about how to live the Christian life. And when the beautiful vistas come, I breathe in their purity and bask in the joy they bring. In all this, perhaps what is most important, is that I have discovered that the journey itself is a beautiful blessing, and it is glorious to surrender to the will of the One who has laid it all out before us.

Saints and the Smell of the Trail

I have hiked often on the sections of the Appalachian Trail from New Jersey to New England. One of the best parts of my A.T. hikes is meeting the thru-hikers. They are the ones who have committed to trek the entire Appalachian Trail from beginning to end. They travel light, know the way, and seem to walk it effortlessly. They speak their own language, are totally sold out to the Trail, and have a strength that allows them to persevere as they travel the long and arduous journey to their final destination. They are the extraordinary saints of the journey compared to my ordinary stumbling self. Yet, they never judge me for my overweight pack and my slow pace along the trail. They have the dirt of the road on their bodies and the smell of the trail in their nostrils; yet they have an inexplicable joy and a gentle spirit that extends to everyone they meet along the way. They are the giants and I am the one struggling to make it through. It is a sobering lesson I learn over and over again with every hike I take.

Though each Catholic is certainly a saint, we have been blessed to know that there are those who have totally sold out to the journey and who stand as examples for us to follow. They never seem caught up in the trappings of this world, run the race with a supernatural strength, and speak the language of the angels as they stretch their souls out along the entire journey from this world to the next. They are so connected to their relationship with the One who is leading them home that they shine as models of holy living. They love with the love of Christ, never judging the ordinary believers weighed down with their woes, but encouraging us with their radiant example of what it means to walk the perfect path toward the mountain of God.

 Signs and Sacramental Joys

 It is always a wonder to me how the meals I make after a long trek along the trails seem to taste so much better and satisfy my hunger in ways that normal meals in the safety of home cannot. It is refreshing to savor a cup of hearty tea by the light of a fire as the sun sets and I prepare for sleep. Each bite of food somehow takes me outside myself and joins me in a mysterious way to the grandeur and glory of God’s creation, and the beautiful work he does in me as I travel the narrow ways of the woods to my evening destinations.

These “wilderness sacraments” remind me of the incarnational beauty that is ours as Catholics through the Eucharist. It brings me unspeakable joy to know that God has given us this sign – the summit of our faith – a sign that connects us to the sacrifice of Christ on Calvary. As I consume the Body and Blood of my Savior, I am carried to that sweet eternal moment when heaven and earth were reconciled at the cross. I touch a profound mystery that connects me to the journey of the Church and the sweet satisfaction that is ours in Jesus. I am joined to the awesome reality of God’s Trinitarian love, and that great Wedding Feast that we will all share when the consummation of our salvation is fulfilled in the end.

Never Missing the Moment

All along the trails of New York and New England there are wonders that I may miss if I am so focused on the next goal that I forget to take pleasure in the journey itself. There are many delights of the hike: the satisfaction of drinking water filtered from a cool and crystal clear stream, the comfort of a hot cup of tea at the end of a long day of hiking, the beautiful works of God displayed in the flora and fauna of the woods, and the majestic views from atop a mountain summit after a rigorous climb. On my A.T. hikes I have also experienced “trail magic” – little gifts of food, water, and tasty treats left by lovers of the A.T. at junctions along the trail.

 I confess that there have been times when I was so focused on getting to the next shelter (sometimes for my own safety) that I forgot to “hike my own hike” and failed to notice these little delights along the way. But when I find myself in a good hiking rhythm, I strike a balance between pressing on toward the goal and savoring my experiences along the way. And in this holy equilibrium, I am drawn closer to my Maker, savoring his creation and rejoicing in the salvation that is mine through his Son.

 There are so many beautiful miracles along the road of life that Catholics may miss if we are too focused on reaching the next goal of the journey. If we worry too much about getting our fill of sacraments instead of satisfying ourselves with each new experience of them, we may fail to fully grasp the spiritual significance of each sacred sign. Every day is a mystery that unfolds before us, full of moments to be taken in and treasured in our hearts. Our Catholic faith is a delightful journey in the here and now, a precious gift of joy to be shared in communion with our brothers and sisters who are hiking their own hikes as they too walk in a holy cadence toward heaven’s shining gates. Jesus calls us to live our life to the fullest, surrendering to the power and potential of each and every day.

Embracing the Journey

Hiking is an experience that mirrors so well my walk of faith. The struggles and the joys, the valleys and the summits, and the testing of my body and my spirit, all shape who I am and point me to the wonder and majesty that is my Catholic faith. It teaches me that the trials of life are joyful realities that are molding me into a better man and helping me to participate more joyfully in the transformation of the Church into the Bride who will one day reach the summit of heaven and feast forever before the Father who has loved us with the perfect love of his Son.

 Next year I am sure I will once again overfill my backpack and venture out into the woods for new adventures. Maybe I will explore a new trail or maybe I will retrace a previous hike once more. Whatever the case, I know I will allow the journey to stir within me the power and presence of Jesus Christ and bring new meaning to the precious Catholic faith I call my own. I will use the trials of the hike and the trials of my life to discover more and more just what it means to work out my salvation with fear and trembling. And in the end, I will treasure the journey as I walk with my Savior along the blessed way.