In this land, among paths, paths and ancient routes, we have seen people set out on their journey. The path of Saint Benedict, that of Saint Thomas Aquinas… roads that cross villages, mountains, history. But at a certain point the question becomes personal: where am I going in my life?
More than speed, direction matters. We can fill our days with steps, commitments, things to do… but that doesn’t mean we’re going in the right direction.
The Gospel puts us before a simple and decisive truth. Jesus says: “I am the way, the truth and the life” (Jn 14:6).
He doesn’t say: I’ll show you a way. He says: I am the road. It’s like saying: it’s not enough to walk, you need to know who you’re following. Because the risk is not stopping, but getting lost. And sometimes we realize it when we are already far from ourselves or from those who have been important to us. But the meaning of the journey is not to move away… it’s to find oneself.
The paths of Saint Benedict and Saint Thomas Aquinas speak of different paths that seek the same thing: a full life, a truth that gives meaning. Saint Benedict, which marked these territories, left a very simple and revolutionary rule: “Ora et labora”, pray and work, together with another decisive indication: do not put anything before charity. And he had the courage to leave Subiaco to get back on the road and start from scratch, reminding us that we can always change while remaining faithful to our vocation. Saint Thomas, instead, it reminds us that inside every man there is a profound thirst for truth, a search that never goes away. And then you understand that the journey is not just taking steps, but uniting the heart, the mind and life.
The Gospel gives us a beautiful image. After the resurrection, Jesus approaches the disciples of Emmaus and walks with them, without imposing himself. And they will say: “Didn’t our hearts burn within us as he conversed with us along the way?” (Luke 24.32).
Life changes when someone walks with you and rekindles your heart, or when you manage to retrace your steps because a new awareness passes through you. True peace is not born when you win, but when you get closer. Not when you’re right, but when you start loving again.
If you really want to change your life, try taking three simple steps.
The first: slow down. You can’t listen to your heart if you’re always running. Stop for a few minutes every day, even just five, in silence, and listen to yourself.
The second: reconcile. Is there anyone you’ve grown distant from? Take the first step, even if it costs you. Overcome pride and go further, beyond the result. Do it for yourself, so as not to leave open accounts.
The third: seek the truth and live it. Don’t settle for what is comfortable, but choose what is right, even when it is most difficult. Often what costs the most at the beginning is what takes you the furthest. Life doesn’t change in big moments, but in daily choices.
A famous aphorism attributed to Seneca expresses it like this: “There is no favorable wind for the sailor who does not know where to go”.
