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Why pilgrimage?

The word “pilgrim,” derived from the Latin peregrinum, conveys the idea of wandering over a distance, but it is not just aimless wandering. It is a type of meaningful movement or journey which takes place in doing, feeling and believing. It is a journey with a purpose, and that purpose is to honor God.

 

Pilgrimage among the people of God has a long history. Once the temple of God was built in Jerusalem (around 957 B.C.), all Jewish men were obliged to present themselves for the three major feasts in obedience to God: Pesach (the Feast of Unleavened Bread, or Passover), Shavu’ot (the Feast of Weeks, or Pentecost), and Sukkot (Feast of Tabernacles, or Festival of Ingathering), according to Deuteronomy 16:16-17. On their way to the Temple, they would sing the “pilgrim songs” e.g  Psalms 119-133. To this day, these feasts are called, “Pilgrimage Festivals” by the Jews.

 

Christian pilgrimages were first made to the Holy Land sites connected with the birth, life, crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ. They became more common after St Helena, mother of Emperor Constantine, travelled to the Holy Land and sought out relics and the places important in Our Lord's earthly life. She and her son built churches at the places of His Nativity, Entombment, and Ascension, and brought the True Cross and other relics to a church built in Rome just to house them. Later, pilgrimages were made to Rome and other sites associated with the Apostles, Saints and Christian martyrs, as well as places where there had been apparitions of the Virgin Mary.

 

Just as the pilgrims from the early centuries, we modern pilgrims also leave our homes and comforts in order to journey to sacred places. We can come away inspired and transformed by it in some way. Going on pilgrimage may give a new sense of awareness and wonder or a greater sense of our purpose as Christians or it may be meaningless. It is entirely up to the pilgrim.

 

The physical pilgrimage is a symbol of the spiritual pilgrimage we are on that is the interior pilgrimage towards finding ourselves in loving relationship with God. Each day we have the opportunity to encounter Jesus through suffering, joys, relationships, and through every aspect of our human experience.

 

May this pilgrimage help you be mercy-mindful in your journey of life and rediscover the joy of being received by God our Father. 

 

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