As I write this, I am riding a train between Assisi and Rome in Italy. Another deacon, a priest, and I have been leading a pilgrimage from my parish to the Sorrento area, including the Cathedral of St. Andrew in Amalfi, which houses the Apostle’s tomb; sites in Rome, including St. Peter Basilica and other places in the eternal city; and sites in Assisi, including the Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi, the Basilica of St. Clare, and the tomb of St. Carlo Acutis at the Church of St. Mary Major.
We are passing through the beautiful Apennine Mountains and down onto the flatter land between the mountains and the sea. The scenery is attractive whether it is the forested mountain sides or towns that date back to medieval times or the cities that have predominately modern architecture but are just as old.
A pilgrimage can, and hopefully should be, a trip of a lifetime, giving the participant the opportunity to experience facets of our faith and the Church into which we are baptized in new ways that are educational and bolster our knowledge of the life of faith in God.
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In the Catholic Church, the principal meaning of a pilgrimage is that it is a spiritual journey. It is not a vacation but an outward journey meant to foster inward change of heart, mind, and soul. It is an opportunity to draw oneself closer to God.
While in St. Peter Basilica at the Vatican, I heard one person, who was struck with genuine awe, say, “I always have words to describe what I see; right now I have no words.” Awe is defined as a complex emotion combining reverence, admiration, respect, and wonder. People seeing the remarkable beauty of Italy’s centuries-old churches invariably find themselves closer to our Lord.
St. Peter Basilica houses Michelangelo’s Pieta statue portraying our Blessed Mother holding Jesus’ deceased human body after He was removed from the cross, her face deeply sorrowful. One cannot gaze upon that visage Michelangelo carved and not be moved to feel some level of sorrow as well. While I gazed at this powerful work of art, I experienced those feelings and appreciated how they made me feel closer to both Jesus and Mary as well as recalling people dear to me who have passed from this world. Others with me in that moment were even moved to tears as they felt the same emotions.
The word pilgrimage is derived from the Latin word peregrinus, which means a foreigner, stranger, or someone traveling a great distance. In a very broad sense, the Church views all its members as a “pilgrim Church.” We are a people journeying together through this world toward the final heavenly home to which God calls us.
In the Church, a pilgrim is called to keep the primary goal of life in mind, a focus on our hoped for destination: Heaven. A pilgrim is often involves physical exertion, such as walking long distances, which we have done in Italy, and feeling a bit of discomfort, like tiredness, weariness, and sore feet, all of which I am feeling as I watch the countryside pass by our view out the train window.
Our pilgrimage has indeed been a journey: toward Italy, toward the various sites we planned to visit, toward the churches and chapels at which we worshipped and gave thanks to God.
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As with any significant journey, there have been stops and starts, as well as pauses to check our directions. This mirrors our own journeys toward salvation, with our personal spiritual stops and starts and the need to check the direction we are both going and taking. In the life of faith, we do this actively through prayer and the sacraments, especially the Eucharist, which is the source and summit of our life of faith.
Our exertions on this pilgrimage also are physical exercises that help clear our minds and hearts so that we can better seek God’s grace and healing. This also teaches us reliance on others and leads us to acknowledge we each have limitations and need to depend on others and our Lord along our path through life.
One sees this on a pilgrimage in various ways, such as those sore feet and knees I mentioned. This is also shown in the way pilgrims help each other, offering help with a heavy suitcase or assisting someone descending a high step while exiting a bus. That spirit of reliance and assistance has been present every day of this journey. I pray always that this will be the case for all people in the world. That is a way of being we all need to foster and promote.
This pilgrimage we are on in Italy is a finite activity, but the pilgrimage we are on through life and eternity is infinite. It is my prayer today that all we do in our lifelong journey of Catholic faith as followers of Jesus Christ be inspired and motivated each and every day by the spirit of pilgrimage learned during these travels.