One morning, as I was climbing over an old stone fence, I noticed a snail sitting on one of the rocks. Given that I had a lot of time on my feet, I found myself thinking about the snail. Everyone has heard the expression “a snail’s pace.” A snail is not going to break any speed records. But if it keeps moving forward, it will eventually get where it wants to go. And so was my life on the Camino. And so is the spiritual life.
This particular day was a short one, only about 13 miles. When I thought of how little I had walked, it seemed like a waste of time. It did occur to me, however, that 13 miles is a lot of ground. And what was ultimately most important was that I progressed forward. I did not quit. I kept moving ahead, even at what seemed like a snail’s pace.
The spiritual life is just that. In order to progress, we must renew our commitment to Christ daily and then be committed to doing this over and over again.
—from St. Anthony Messenger’s “Finding God on the Camino“
by Fr. Dave Pivonka, TOR
