A REFLECTION ON PILGRIMAGES

As people in our country become more affluent and overseas travel more simple and affordable, there are more Catholics interested in taking pilgrimages. The idea of the pilgrimage is not a new or a Christian idea. All major religions have pilgrimages as part of their traditional practice of the faith. Perhaps the most well known and established would be the Hajj, the pilgrimage to Meccah, which Muslims are obliged to do if able at least once in their lifetime. Buddhists to the significant places in the life of Buddha and Hindus to holy sites and temples. Pilgrimages are often to sacred places where some significant event took place in their faith.

Pilgrimages were a common practice in the time of Jesus for the Jewish people. There were three great pilgrimage festivals which according to the Law obliged one to offer worship in the Temple in Jerusalem. These were the Passover, the feast of Pentecost and the feast of Tabernacles. The Gospels tell us that Jesus was often in Jerusalem to fulfill these obligations and his last pilgrimage to Jerusalem ended with his passion and death.

From the time of the early Church, Christian traditions began to develop and pilgrimages naturally became a part of this. A popular place was the Holy Land, the places of Jesus’ birth and death, later to places associated with the apostles and saints and the tombs of martyrs were particularly significant at this time. Some would even travel to visit a holy monk or hermit to seek spiritual direction or ask his blessing. In the Middle Ages, without efficient transportation, pilgrimages were long, tiring and even dangerous. It could involve months, even years of walking, in all conditions. Each night, the pilgrim might camp outdoors, stay at an inn or find refuge in a monastery before continuing the next day. People went on these pilgrimages sometimes as a form of penance, to ask a favour of God or to fulfill a vow they had made. In later centuries to more modern times, popular pilgrimages include shrines and places of apparitions of Our Lord and Our Lady and also to Rome and the Vatican.

Pilgrimage is not just going somewhere, it is not the same as a holiday. I could visit any number of tourist attractions, the pilgrimage is different. Two things set the pilgrimage apart, it is spiritual and it is symbolic.
When we go on a pilgrimage, we separate ourselves from our daily routine and everyday concerns. In our hectic lifestyle today, that might require us to travel out of the country! Nevertheless, we are going in search of something greater, in search of God and we travel to a place of particular spiritual significance.
Often it is not so much the destination that is important but the journey. And journey in our faith is a powerful symbol. It brings memories of the journey out of Egypt into the Promised Land, the journey of our own life of faith, and our eventual journey back to God.

Perhaps we could reflect on the story of Jesus cleansing the Temple. (John 2:13-25) This happened during the time of the Passover pilgrimage. The pilgrimage had become a big business, travel agents, money changers, hotel owners and those selling the animals for sacrifice and other religious goods were more interested in their business and profit than the spiritual. Jesus driving out the vendors, was a purification and that is something we have to do to our motivations. The World Youth Day is a pilgrimage. Why are we going? What are we hoping for? These are questions only we ourselves can answer. But Jesus challenges us to look deep within ourselves.

The World Youth Day pilgrimage is not so significant for its location than the fact that people of faith will be gathered there to celebrate and share the faith and be together to study and pray. In this way, we join with all the pilgrims in the world, all the pilgrims in history who have made the journey, searching for God. We ask God to walk with us on this journey.

Gerard