Making Pilgrimages -- Something to think about

[zgraf]

Whoever makes a pilgrimage…does well to make it alone, even if this must be done at an unusual time. I would never advise going with a large crowd, because ordinarily one returns more distracted than before. Many who go on pilgrimage do so more for the sake of recreation than devotion.

– St. John of the Cross, Ascent, Ch. 36.

 

[ffg]

– St. John of the Cross, Ascent, Ch. 36.

Thanks for sharing!

I understand the purpose and agree that a relationship between God and ourselves is personal, thus that alone time is great with God. I love alone time with God.

One of my favorite things is to go to the church when no one is in there, just me and God.

To play devils advocate though -

When we are on pilgrimage (if we are so blessed), we tend to go to Mass.

There are a lot of distractions at Mass, home and abroad, but most especially abroad in those grand old churches.

Having a neighbor you know can be the least of distractions in such cases.

We can make a good ‘alone’ pilgrimage daily by pulling back from the world and spending a bit of time in prayer!

 

[sirach2v4]

The pilgrimage to your local church is the best one that you can make; you don’t need to go to Rome or Chartes or St. Paul’s or the BNSIC in Washington. If you have faith, that should be enough. Some people cannot even get out of a bed, much less travel around the world. We should be very humble. We need the Eucharist, but people have maintained their faith without it.

Fr.John Riccardo, Detroit radio priest, says the holiest thing next to Christ in the Eucharist is the person standing next to you, for whom Christ suffered, died, and was risen from the dead.

God is immanent (close to us) and knows the thoughts of our hearts, and hears the faintest prayer that comes from our lips. That is the shortest pilgrimage.