In the spring of the year, as the birds begin to sing, the buds appear on the trees, and the fawns are seen grazing in the meadow, we are reminded of new life. For the Christian this bespeaks the Resurrection of Christ by which we have hope for eternal life in the land where there is no more death, no more suffering, no pain or misery. We hope and long for the New Jerusalem, the home which we were promised and for which we were made. How fitting, then, that we should consider “Pilgrimage” in the spring following after an issue on “Death.” How much more fitting that we should consider it in this year of jubilee, the theme of which is “Pilgrims of Hope.” What is it we hope for but to participate in the resurrection?
This issue, then, considers pilgrimage in four distinct themes. It begins with pilgrimage in its most basic sense, as a journey to a particular place with religious significance. Geoffrey Chaucer provides us with a prologue to our pilgrim tales by describing the pure freshness of the spring showers and the new life in the nests of birds, as folk from sundry places—knights and ladies, priests and friars, millers and plowmen, honest folk and fraudsters—all make their way to venerate the bones of the holy martyr, St. Thomas Becket. Fr. Kenny Ang presents the journey to a sacred site as a “microcosm of our lives,” an image and, in a way, a model for how we live journeying to our heavenly homeland.
Next, we take a trip to the Holy Land with Egeria, a fourth-century religious woman with an unquenchable desire to see every holy site she can discover. Then, back to Egeria’s homeland, but forward to the twenty-first century, Karl Trautmann tells of his pilgrimage on the Camino, why he went, what he learned, and what miracles took place along the way. Interspersed among these pilgrim tales are four of the “Psalms of Ascent,” psalms that were sung as one approached the Temple in Jerusalem to remind us that the true goal of our pilgrimage is not Canterbury or Jerusalem or Santiago de Compostela, but heaven.
The second part, then, reflects on the pilgrim Church, the People of God as they remain on the earth facing persecution, fighting temptation, and seeking salvation. It begins with the people of Israel as they set off on their pilgrimage to the Promised Land, a journey that will take them through the Red Sea to be assembled at God’s holy mountain; a journey which will be filled with trials, persecutions, and forty years of penance; a journey on which they will enjoy God’s constant presence, guidance, and providence; a journey on which they will delight in the heavenly bread, their viaticum. This sets us up for Augustine’s description of the pilgrim Church as it has existed on earth in the midst of persecution since Cain killed Abel.
This persecution is not just from those found outside the Church, but most especially from her own members. Bad Catholics do more to cause the Church suffering than any heresy, schism, or oppressive government, all of which remain outside her. It is because of the sins of her members that the Church on earth remains, while holy, “ever in need of purification and it pursues unceasingly penance and renewal” (Lumen Gentium 8). The Church on earth is yet on its way to become the perfect and spotless bride (Eph 5:27) that exists already in heaven in Mary and the saints.
Those of us who remain on earth must fight the good fight (1 Tm 6:12), run so as to win the crown (1 Cor 9:24), work out our salvation in fear and trembling (Phil 2:12), not only on our own but as members of the Body of Christ, bearing one another in love (Eph 4:2). The First Letter of Peter reminds us that we live on earth as exiles, as aliens, as pilgrims, as people who do not belong to this world but to the next. Does this mean we should leave the world to fend for itself? Certainly not. Peter would have us fulfill our duties as citizens of the world, being obedient to the authorities and living a life that bears witness to the hope that is in us.
This brings us into the third part of the present issue, which reflects on the pilgrimage of our lives. As members of the pilgrim Church on earth, we are still pilgrims requiring purification and penance, a daily conversion from sin to sanctity. The excerpts from the Catechism of the Catholic Church remind us of different forms of penance that we can take advantage of to foster an ongoing conversion. Christina Debusschere’s piece reminds us also of the importance of penance and thanksgiving to God for His endless mercy, not only while on pilgrimage but also in our daily lives.
The first canto of Dante’s Inferno reminds us of the need for a guide as we make our way through the darkness of this life—sometimes even through what can be described as “hell”—to someday approach the “portal of Saint Peter.” Because this pilgrimage of life is an ongoing conversion, we hear from Deborah Gyapong the long struggle of finding Truth and Life, while St. Paul provides his own account of his conversion on the road to Damascus, his turn toward Christ as he was leaving Jerusalem.
The final section introduces a unique form of pilgrimage, that of the Crusades, which sought to restore Jerusalem and the holy sites. The story of the fall of Jerusalem during the first Crusade as told by the bishop William of Tyre—an important historian of the early Crusade period—tells of the supernatural aid that the crusaders received. Though they were overwhelmed in numbers, discouraged, or simply tired, they constantly found divine assistance, just as we do in our daily lives if we have eyes to see it. After the Crusades were ended and the Christians defeated, Br. Felix Faber, a Swiss Dominican, led a pilgrimage to Cyprus, a Greek island long subject to Ottoman raids, where he sought to reverence the miraculous cross of St. Dysmas, the good thief. Then, in the seventeenth century, Henry Maundrell tells of the long-standing practice of tattooing pilgrims to Jerusalem, a practice still maintained by some Christians today. This reminds us of the mark we bear as members of the pilgrim Church, the baptismal character, the brand of Christ. The issue concludes with a letter home from Stephen, Count of Blois and Chartres, to his wife, to remind us that while we remain here as the Church militant, fighting sin and the devil, we must keep at the front of our mind our home to which we will come after the battle is won.
In the spring of the year, as we begin another lent and reflect on the death of Christ, we look forward to the new creation begun with the Resurrection on Easter Sunday. While we struggle against sin and wrestle our flesh into submission, let us remember that we are on a journey and keep our eyes on the goal. This world, this life, is passing, fleeting, fading, and what is real and true and perfect awaits us on the other side of death. Our time on this journey is short when eternity is kept before our eyes.
And thus I get to plug our next issue. Our summer issue will be on “Time”: the past, the present, the future, and eternity. If you have an idea for an article to be included in the next or any future issue, please send me an email at info@tradmag.org, or reach out through our contact page. We are always looking for writers to provide a balance of both the new and the old from the treasury of Catholic tradition. And, of course, we gratefully welcome your support in the form of prayers, sharing the articles and audios, and financially through paid subscriptions on Substack or buying TradMag merch at our store.
One last thing. In order to avoid overwhelming everyone with a huge drop of articles, we will be publishing the four sections in four weekly installments, both in the written format and in the audio format.
Now, since I’ve jabbered on long enough, let’s set out on our pilgrimage.
Aaron P. Debusschere
Editor
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