Spirituality of Place

On our second day of pilgrimage, trip leader, Dan Leahy, gave us the theme of “Spirituality of Place.” That night, we were asked four things: (1) How do you understand spirituality?, (2) What places are meaningful to you as places of spiritual encounter?, (3) Has there been a place of spiritual encounter in Le Puy?, and (4) What does spiritual encounter feel like? These are questions that most of us don’t usually ask ourselves, yet it is so important. The way we view spirituality molds the way we see and understand spiritual encounters and experiences. These questions challenged us to not only reflect on what spirituality means to each of us personally, but to listen to how others experience the divine. As I listened in my small group, I was reminded of something--spiritual encounters and feeling divine presence is not reserved for big churches and extravagant places. The most profound spiritual encounters are usually simple, but it requires us to open our eyes and be mindful. While in Le Puy, we visited the original kitchen. It was not fancy by any means--it didn’t have fancy floors or fancy appliances, rather it had cold stone floors and walls with the most basic of necessities, yet in this small room, some of the most profound spiritual encounters took place. This is where the first sisters would gather and discuss their plans, discuss how they would serve and how they would answer God’s call. A spiritual encounter does not have to be emotionally charged and dramatic--it can be simple. The first Sisters saw God in the needs of others, thus every person and situation was a spiritual encounter--an ordained moment from God to fulfill their purpose. What would happen if we treated every moment as such? While I was in Le Puy, I felt the presence of God all around me, not only in the beautiful churches and cathedrals but in the people and the streets. One does not have to go far to connect with the divine.