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It is hard to believe that it is already the time of year for the annual GK Chesterton Walking Pilgrimage in London. Today's date marks the anniversary of Chesterton's conversion to the Catholic Faith in 1922. Just a couple of days after the 2013 walking pilgrimage, Bishop Peter Doyle appointed a priest to look after the possibility of opening up a cause for GK Chesterton to be Beatified.
Stuart and the other walkers have already set off on this year's walk from St. George's C of E in Aubrey Walk, London, at 8am this morning. This is the old church where Chesterton was baptized as a baby. The walking pilgrimage is now en route to a Traditional High Mass at 1.30pm at Our Lady of Lourdes church in Uxbridge.
After Holy Mass, the walkers will eat their packed lunches before heading off to Beaconsfield, where Chesterton lived, converted, died and is buried. The walk will conclude with a prayer for GK's Beatification at his graveside.
The total distance of the walk is about 27 miles and Stuart is asking sponsors to donate towards the splendid work of Good Counsel Network. A Just Giving page has been established to facilitate this.
As today marks the anniversary of Chesterton's conversion, Stuart and the other walkers will be praying for people to be converted; and also for those who are sick at this time. He invites supporters to pray the following prayer:-
God our Father, Thou didst fill the life of Thy servant Gilbert Keith Chesterton with a sense of wonder and joy, and gave him a faith which was the foundation of his ceaseless work, a charity towards all men, particularly his opponents, and a hope which sprang from his lifelong gratitude for the gift of human life. May his innocence and his laughter, his constancy in fighting for the Christian faith in a world losing belief, his lifelong devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, and his love for all men, especially for the poor, bring cheerfulness to those in despair, conviction and warmth to lukewarm believers and the knowledge of God to those without faith. We beg Thee to grant the favours we ask through his intercession, the end of abortion in this country and especially for (mention your intention here) so that his holiness may be recognized by all and the Church may proclaim him Blessed. We ask this through Christ Our Lord, Amen.
In these times when there is so much ideological warfare against the Church, perhaps we could all do well to learn from the great GKC. It is always striking to see that, even in the midst of apologetic, debate, and even polemic against the likes of the atheistic George Bernard Shaw, Chesterton was able to love, respect and even to befriend his opponents. It recalls his line that angels can fly, because they take themselves lightly. Chesterton had grasped that fundamental mystery of the primacy of God's grace in all things.Â
Regular doses of Chesterton's writings can be a healthy and humorous antidote to spiritual pride; that subtle and dangerous temptation for the orthodox Traditionalist Catholic.Â
That Stuart - another convert who, like Chesterton, has done much for the Church - shares something of the Chestertonian mirth, may be witnessed by his wearing of one of those trendy, red Che T-shirts...
Che-sterton that is!!!
Please pray for the walkers today and give as much to Good Counsel Network as you possibly can!
