Why a Pilgrimage?
Our J2A class is preparing for Confirmation and Pilgrimage as a completion of their four year journey towards adulthood. J2A has been developed to culminate in a Pilgrimage, not a mission trip, to focus on the internal bond with God. Here is the description of a Pilgrimage from the J2A Manual:
Happy are they whose strength is in you,
whose hearts are set on the pilgrim’s way. (Psalm 84:5)
From the time of the very early Church until today, Christians have made pilgrimage to holy places as a part of their discipline and life of faith. Long before the notion of vacations, holidays, and mission trips, individuals within the Christian tradition set out to see the places where our Lord and his saints walked, slept, prayed and preached the Good News. Individuals confront the struggles of travel in unknown territory, as well as all the demands of living as a pilgrim community for the time of the journey. In the midst of all these tasks entail, there is the possibility of tremendous joy and laughter and growth… and the chance to meet our Lord in new and deeply personal ways that are sometimes surprising.
Pilgrimage has become a central feature of the Journey to Adulthood program. At the end of the fourth year, the J2A class travels to a "distant land" in search of God and their own destinies. Preparing for this trip takes tremendous amounts of time and energy. Planning, fundraising, filling out applications for passports and medical releases, as well as learning about the travel destination, all takes time, but it is time well spent. The task of raising money is especially meaningful and important, because it allows young people the opportunity to see firsthand how very difficult it can be to earn enough money for something they deeply desire. Whatever else they may feel about the religious or emotional significance of such a journey, for most of them this will be the first time in their lives that they have traveled across the ocean or across the country without parents or schoolteachers. Something about all of these dynamics rolled together creates an atmosphere in which God can move in new and exciting ways.
The 2016 Pilgrimage will take place July 9 thru 16. Eight youth and 3 adults will travel to Foundation Royal St. Katharine, London England.
WHAT IS A PILGRIMAGE?
Pilgrimage is not a vacation or a sightseeing tour or a mission trip. Vacations create time for relaxation and refreshment. Sightseeing tours are a time for taking in the wonders of a distant land and culture. Mission trips are principally a chance to share in spreading the Gospel. Pilgrimage is all of that and more – it is time we set aside to journey in the footsteps of the faithful Christians who have gone before us. By mindfully walking in their footsteps, we put ourselves in touch with our tradition, our roots, our God.
Pilgrimage is a time for seeking and finding God in new ways. Once normal activities, relationships, and obligations which sustain our day-to-day lives are removed, individuals are free to look again at their understanding of God and their need for God’s grace and presence in their lives. It is important to note here that every moment of pilgrimage does not have to be meaningful, nor should it be. There must be time for play, laughter, quiet, and rest. But somehow, even in the lighthearted activities which enhance our relationships, there is something afoot. God is moving in the hearts of these pilgrims in ways which are undeniable.
The blessings of pilgrimage can take time. It is not always while we are on pilgrimage that its true effects show. Certainly the very fact that we are away for two weeks (a good time frame for pilgrimage) helps. This is long enough for even a free spirit to begin to long for familiar food and the comfort of their own bed. But what happens on pilgrimage has to be processed in the life to which we all must return. Some pilgrims may say very little while traveling and even in the weeks and months that follow, but time will show that the long-term effects are profound. It is not only a trip that will never be forgotten: it is a journey which changes lives.
