Audioguides

What am I blessed with in my life? 

For whom do I particularly wish to ask for blessings on my pilgrimage? 

To whom can I be a blessing in my life?

I allow the atmosphere of this place to impact me. I take my time and I listen to my mind. I take a few deep breaths and I consciously observe myself. I ask: How am I present with my body, my mind and my soul as I begin my pilgrimage? I allow peace to settle within me. I light a candle and I begin my journey with optimism.

What distracts me from meditating? 

What helps me to be in harmony with myself? 

Where do I feel the presence of God?

As I walk to Eidenberg, I look for a place which provides a good view over the Danube. The river has two banks: one which is on the far side of the water, and one which is on my side. Sometimes, or perhaps quite often, I do not feel present with myself, but rather, I feel as if I am on the far side of the river. In the hustle and bustle of everyday life, I am challenged by many demands, and sometimes I may allow myself to drift away from myself. I gaze upon this miracle that is the Danube. Water, which is collected within the ground, springs up from many sources to become a stream, and later a river. The Danube travels 2,850 kilometers and is enriched by many tributaries until it flows into the sea, part of a great water cycle. I am experiencing God's magnificent creation.

When have I experienced failure in my life? 

When have I discovered new experiences as a result of life's challenges? 

Which failures in my life would I like God to support me with?

I can also experience both growth and decay, endings and new beginnings in nature. As I walk through the forest, I notice traces of past storms. I see that new, young plants are taking root on decaying wood. From bare ground, new life sprouts again. In my own life, too, things have not always passed smoothly. Problems, failures, and farewells trouble me. And yet, over time, situations can be transformed. New life grows. The musician Leonard Cohen sings: "There is a crack in everything, that's how the light gets in."

What experiences have I had with listening attentively to people, to nature, and to God? 

What prevents us from listening attentively? 

What helps us to focus when listening?

The first words of the Rule of Saint Benedict is a call to listen. This can be an important reminder in these distracting times, which can deafen us to our inner voices. "Obedience arises from listening to one another correctly," so says Saint Benedict. While on the journey today, I will concentrate on listening. What do I perceive?

• Birds singing
• The wind whistling
• Leaves rustling beneath my feet
• A person speaking to me

As I listen, I sense within myself the emotions that these sounds awaken within me.

Where in the world and in our lives have we failed to find the right balance? 

How do you understand, as our mission as Christians, to appreciate the world around us? 

When could it be more rewarding to show restraint in our decisions?

A major concern for Saint Benedict is that we should try to find the correct balance in life. Every generation, including our own, tends towards excess. Think of our relationship with God's creation. The search for the right balance is an important impulse for us. As I walk, I am aware of my pace. I consider what and how much I am carrying in my backpack. What are my expectations of these paths, of the hostels, and of my provision? I also observe the landscape that surrounds me. What is still natural and unspoilt? What have humans changed? These questions move me.

What are the joys and the burdens of living in a community? 

What do I contribute to my community? 

How do other people support me?

In the forecourt of Bründlkirche Church in Bad Leonfelden, and along the path ahead, I observe the trees. Some stand alone, upright, spreading out in abundance, their forms clearly defined, yet exposed to the elements. Others grow close together, almost intertwined, either supporting each other or hindering each other's development. I think of this, and I make a connection between the trees and my own relationships.

What lifelong dream fulfills me? 

When has this dream been beyond my reach? 

What sort of dream might God have for me or for us?

The expansive landscape along this pilgrimage route invites me to dream as I walk. I think about my future and about goals that I hope to achieve in my life. Vyšší Brod Monastery, which was originally established by monks from Willhering in the Middle Ages, has experienced both good times and bad. The monastery was closed down during many years of occupation by the Nazis and later by the Soviet regime. But in the early 1990s, a new monastic life was reborn. Today, gradually, the buildings of the monastery are being restored. Hope in God will not allow us to perish.

What is my life's calling? 

How do my profession and my calling intersect? 

Do I hear a call from God in my life?

In the courtyard of the rectory in Vorderweißenbach, we hear water trickling from the elaborately designed fountain. Water flows as if it has memories of the past. It purifies and quenches our thirst. Without water, no life exists. With water, something can keep on flowing. Perhaps I will hear the call to go to the spring of life. "All my springs flow from you, O God." Psalms 87:7. I can meditate on the questions of the pilgrimage in front of the painting "The Annunciation," which is in the courtyard of the rectory in Vorderweißenbach.

Where do I find support in my life? 

Am I able to endure silence? 

What meaning does the Holy Scripture have for me?

On my journey, I pick up a stick and I hold it firmly in my hand. I feel the strength of the wood. I allow the feeling to sink in for a while.  The landscape of Upper Mühlviertel motivates me to reflect. I leave my daily thoughts behind, and I let nature inspire me. Today I don't have to do anything. I can simply be who I am. Just be myself. I let myself go.

From whom do I experience love in my life? 

To whom do I pass on love? 

What does love mean to me?

Saint Bernard tirelessly speaks of God's love and humanity's response to it. From the sacred heart of Jesus, the rays of God's merciful love shine on us. I seek sources of light in my surroundings. Rays of sunlight glittering upon wet leaves. Small windows of light between dark clouds. A sunbeam falls from between the branches of trees. In doing so, I try to immerse myself in the warmth of the light. I absorb this warmth into myself.

What do I share with other people?

How could I give away what I do not need?

Who could benefit from my help?

A well-known Hasidic story that has been passed down to us by the philosopher Martin Buber tells the following: An old rabbi once asked his students how they should determine the hour when night ends and day begins. Is it when at a distance, you can distinguish a dog from a sheep? asked one of his students. No, said the rabbi. Is it when you can distinguish an apple tree from a birch tree? asked another. No, said the rabbi. So, when is it? asked the students. The old rabbi replied: It is when you can look into any person's face and see before you your sister or brother. Until then, the night is still with us."

What do I do to take care of my own body and soul?

How can I treat myself with care?

How frequently do I reflect and do I pray?

I am aware of my whole body and mentally I take a journey from the bottom of my feet to the top of my head. I try to feel all of my muscles and my organs. In doing so, I may notice that I'm barely aware of some parts of my body. My body functions naturally in a miraculous way. My digestion, my metabolism, my heartbeat, all function automatically without my intervention. I am breathing. I am filled with appreciation and wonder."

What fulfills me in my life?

What does faith mean to me in my life?

Where would I like to begin again?

Bernard of Clairvaux knows that one is only able to share what one has already received. With his image of the bowl and the pipe, he makes it clear that being a Christian is about being filled with God's love, which we then pass on to others. At the Rodl stream, or at the Gramastetten forest bath, I form my hands into a bowl and I fill them with water. And as I do this, I allow the image of the bowl and the pipe, and also the questions, to fill my mind."

What gives me direction in my life?

What new revelations have I discovered while on this pilgrimage?

What should be the next step in my life?

Bernhard calls Mary, the mother of Jesus, the Star of the Sea. In times without compasses or navigation systems, sailors oriented themselves by the stars. Mary, as the Star of the Sea, is like a navigation device that leads us to Jesus Christ, her son. On the banks of the Danube, near Ottensheim, I take time to reflect on my last few days. I am back here at the banks of this great river. And now, I am completely at peace myself."

Blessing | Feeling | Maturing | Listening | Restraining | Sharing | Dreaming | Calling | Supporting | Being loved | Loving others | Loving oneself | Containing | Guiding | Transforming