The joy of pilgrimage
August 3, 2023 - Thursday, 17th Week in Ordinary Time
Psalm 84:3, 4, 5-6a and 8a, 11
In August 1991, I embarked on my first eight-day pilgrimage from Wroclaw to the Shrine of Black Madonna in Poland. Early in the morning, we gathered at the Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist for a prayer and blessing. Our luggage and tents were organised in designated areas and loaded onto trucks, which would transport them to our nightly resting place. Each day followed a similar routine.
Psalm 84 was sung during an autumn pilgrimage of the Israelites to the temple in Jerusalem. The psalmist longed to see the magnificent temple dedicated to the Lord, to participate in the temple liturgy, and receive God’s blessing. The autumn pilgrimage was for the festival of Sukkoth, known as the Feast of Tabernacles, celebrated in the fall. As with all major Jewish festivals, it had agricultural, historical and future significance. First, it celebrated the ending of the harvest season. Second, it commemorated the journey of the Israelites through the wilderness. Finally, it looked forward to the age to come when all the righteous people would live in God’s presence forever. The highlight of this festival was the building of booths that reminded them that they were also on a journey of faith, like their ancestors.
After the blessing, we set forth on our journey. Through sun or rain, our path led us along paved roads and through the woods. As we walked, we prayed, sang, listened to spiritual conferences, spoke with each other, and had time for personal meditations. Each day, we participated in the Eucharist, often celebrated in the open fields. As the day drew to a close, we would arrive at our destination tired, dirty, hungry and with blisters on our feet. Then, we would retrieve our belongings, pitch our tents, take a shower, and have dinner. The next day, at around 5 am, we would continue our journey.
The psalmist is in love with God’s dwelling place and would like to spend the rest of his life in the temple. The Shrine of the Black Madonna is administered by an order of monks. They take care of the place, welcome pilgrims and provide them with spiritual nourishment. Some of them decided to remain there for life after participating in a pilgrimage. They realised that, as the psalmist said, “better one day in [God’s] court than a thousand elsewhere” (Ps 84:11).
With each passing day of our pilgrimage, we got to know each other and deepened our faith. On the seventh day, we held a ceremony of reconciliation. We wanted to enter God’s dwelling place with an assurance that no brother or sister carries any grudges in their hearts. But, it was also a time when tears were flowing from our eyes. Friendship developed among us and it was so difficult to part from each other. Thinking of going back to our daily life filled many of us with sadness.
Psalm 84 speaks about the joy of journeying with our brothers and sisters in faith to God’s lovely dwelling place. Life resembles a pilgrimage. But in this case, it is a pilgrimage to heavenly Jerusalem, where we shall live with God forever. It brings with itself challenges and conflicts. But as we journey through life, we deepen our faith and develop relationships with God and others that not even death will be able to end. Let us enjoy this journey and with God’s grace reach our destination.