Image and Pilgrimage in Christian Culture #1

14 September, 2015

Page 25

"Pilgrims now tend to come in organized groups, in sodalities, confraternities, and parish associations, on specified feast days, or in accordance with a carefully planned calendar."

From the way this quote is describing pilgrims nowadays, it seems far more forced. They sound as if they are trying to force a pilgrimage and trying to make their own story to tell for generations to listen to and keep this tradition going. What they do not seem to understand is that sacred places and pilgrimages cannot be forced. They must happen naturally by receiving a sign from God that they should do it or him telling them directly. No one can force themselves to be a part of a sacred story. It is definitely not something that can be "in accordance with a carefully planned calendar." Planning it based on a feast day does not mean you will have a repeat of what occurred that day all those years ago. This does not mean there are no more of these in the future, it just means we cannot force ourselves to be a part of it. We are either destined to be remembered for that or we are destined for something else.