Pilgrimage

The jubilee invites us to travel, breaking the boundaries. Travelling entails a change of place and oneself and hence requires proper preparation, mapping of the road, and destination. In this perspective, that pilgrimage from the Jubilee actually starts before the travels that journey as far as the choice to embark. The etymology of the word "pilgrimage" says a lot about its original and still relatively unchanged meaning. It is derived from the Latin "per ager," which means "across the fields," or perhaps from "per eger," meaning "border crossing." Both possible roots suggest how sensitive a journey is, really.

Abraham narrates his journey as follows from the biblical point of view: "Go forth from your land, your relatives, and from your father's house." With these commands, Abraham sets off on a journey which ultimately leads him to the Promised Land, where he goes down to history as a "wandering Aramean." In the same vein, the ministry of Jesus could be termed a journey, which began from Galilee up to the Holy City, Jerusalem…"As the time drew near when Jesus would be taken up to heaven, he made up his mind and set out on his way to Jerusalem" (Luke 9:51). It is He who asks His disciples to walk this way and now entails others to follow Him, the Christians, who are obligated to assume this course, to make this journey after Him.

A journey slowly matures its potential offering myriad directions to follow and spaces to unveil, composed of concrete situations, moments of pedagogy, sacred rites, and liturgical actions. But besides this experience, more importantly, our co-journeyers offer us new insight and alternate perspectives. Most importantly, looking into creation will enable us to understand how taking care of the environment “is an essential expression of our faith in God and our obedience to his will” (Pope Francis, Letter for the Jubilee 2025). Pilgrimage creates the possibility for conversion to reshape one’s being toward God’s holiness. In this respect, the inter-pilgrim otherness also becomes part of the shared condition of men and women who for different reasons have to leave their dwelling place in the search for life for themselves and their families.