Talks on the Sacramentals, by Msgr Arthur Tonne - Pilgrimage

 "And when he was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem according to the custom of the feast." St. Luke. 2:42.

During the seventeenth century there lived in Bavaria a certain Raimondo Giuliano. He made an exceptionally difficult pilgrimage to Rome during the Holy Year. On April 1, 1650--that was three hundred years ago--he started out from his Bavarian home carrying a wooden cross that weighed 160 pounds. Day after day, week after week, month after month, he dragged that heavy cross over rocky roads, through rivers, and over the Alps. At last on August 31--five months later--he carried the cross into the Eternal City. He wanted to share in the graces and blessings of a pilgrimage to the Holy City during the Holy Year.

Through the centuries hundreds of thousands like him have made the journey from all parts of the world to the center of Christianity, the headquarters of Catholicity, with the fervent desire of gaining the blessed benefits of such a journey. Today, with our swift planes, our speedy trains, and our luxurious ocean liners, a trip to Rome is a comparatively easy task. But the spirit behind it, the motives and reasons are the same.

In this Holy Year of 1950 it might be well for us to think about pilgrimages--their value and purpose and the proper method of making them. A pilgrimage is a sacramental, unusual, to be sure, but a definite means of winning definite graces. As with the other sacramentals, Mother Church does not command them, but she does declare them good and helpful spiritually.

1. Deeply rooted in the heart of everyone is the desire to visit places where a famous person lived, or where some important event happened. Proof of this is found in the crowds one meets at Mount Vernon, the home of Washington, and at the tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Our newspapers during the Christmas season of 1949 told us that hundreds of automobiles with out-of-state licenses drove by the home of President Truman during his brief visit at Independence, Missouri.

With nobler and deeper sentiments the intelligent Catholic longs to visit the outstanding centers and monuments of his faith. Where is the Catholic who does not long to live for a day or two at least in that land made holy by our loving Redeemer? Where is the Catholic who does not wish to visit Rome and the Vatican and see the Pope in person? Where is the Catholic who does not wish to travel to the spots where our Blessed Mother appeared to men and children?

2. Pilgrimages are the answer to that desire. They are journeys made to shrines, holy places, and centers of religious interest for the purpose of practicing penance, of performing certain devotions, and of gaining certain spiritual helps. Even the ancient pagans had their so-called holy places. The Jews traveled to Mount Moriah and to the temple at Jerusalem. Yes, we read that the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph made a long and taxing trip from Nazareth to Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of the Pasch. It was a distance of seventy-five miles, over mountainous country and miserable roads. Their poverty limited them to a few conveniences and necessities. Christ was only twelve years old, hardly strong enough for such a taxing trip, which must have taken at least five or six days. Yet, the Holy Family most probably made that pilgrimage not only once, but every year as long as they lived in Nazareth. They teach us that making a pilgrimage is a praiseworthy exercise.

3. Pilgrimages are not only praiseworthy and commendable, they are also very helpful spiritually and physically:

a. It is good for a man to get away for a while from his worldly cares and worries, and to think of God and the things of God. Pilgrims do that. A pilgrimage is to the soul what a vacation is to the body; it renews, refreshes, and recreates the spirit.

b. Every pilgrimage has some disagreeable features, although not all are as toilsome as that of the young man of our story who carried a heavy cross all the way from Germany to Rome. Bearing these difficulties can be a precious penance.

c. Making a journey to a holy place tends to promote prayer and devotion and pious thoughts.

d. Ordinarily Confession and Communion are conditions of such a visit. They are received with renewed fervor and thoughtfulness.

4. Blessings of soul and body are often obtained. The conversion of a friend or relative, graces for every day living, great spiritual favors, often result. Likewise, countless physical cures and wonders are worked. Medical science admits this. Experience proves it.

5. One must have a good intention to gain the benefits. Such would be the desire to honor God in some special way, to honor God's Mother, or His special friends, the saints. One may have some special favor to ask for, but the final purpose, aim and intention should be to honor God, to obtain His pardon, or to thank Him for past favors.

6. The Church does not command pilgrimages. They are not essential. Accordingly, one should go only at the proper time, and only when one is able to do so without neglecting more serious and urgent duties. No doubt millions would love to travel to Rome during the Holy Year, but their work, their family responsibilities, their finances make it impossible. The Church has made it possible to gain these blessings in our own diocese.

We might suggest that your annual vacation be made sometime to one of the shrines in or near our country, to some place of special piety and devotion, to some center of spiritual life where your soul will be renewed and strengthened.

At least we will henceforth appreciate the benefit, the value, the reasonableness of such journeys to spots of spiritual interest and help. Amen.