In case you don’t know what World Youth Day is, check out this post.

Jason over at Light & Heavy actually texted me, almost randomly, asking me about what are my favorite and least favorite things about World Youth Day.

I had to give it some thought, but I figured that it would make for a good blog post. I came up with a few favorite things.

Here are my 3 favorite things about World Youth Day:

1. Joy

One pretty obvious thing anyone notices about World Youth Day is how everyone is so joyful and excited! Sometimes it can be a little overbearing or overwhelming, but that is what makes it really cool!

Attending a World Youth Day does take effort, time, and resources. But regardless of these sacrifices, most certainly that the pilgrims who go to World Youth Day really want to be there.

I just recall the times in Rio De Janeiro and Krakow when my pilgrimage group would encounter other groups of pilgrims, and we often ended up doing cheers together like we were old friends. It didn’t really matter who they were or where they were from!

Going to the various events of World Youth Day

Honestly, I think it’s really cool to see other young people really excited and joyful about the faith because I don’t really see that in my day-to-day life.

2. Experiencing the universal church

You know how at the end of the Gospel of Matthew, when Jesus commissioned His apostles to make disciples of all the nations?

Sweet. Fast forward 2000 years later, and I’m fairly certain that has largely been achieved.

And attending a World Youth Day really illustrates that point. Because like literally everyone is there!

I remember walking around the streets of Rio in 2013 and getting frequently stopped by Chileans because they saw our Texas flag flying thinking it was their flag! (Chile’s flag is very similar to Texas’ flag). We danced in the streets with Brits and Brazilians!

In Krakow, I remember seeing the flags of China and Japan flying high. Which those places don’t even have a large percentage of Christians!

To further illustrate the point of experiencing the universal church, another universal observation is that Filipinos are everywhere! I’m Filipino-American, so you can imagine that my Filipino radar is sharp enough to notice other Filipinos out and about in the world. At World Youth Day 2013 in Rio, I met Filipinos from Libya. At World Youth Day 2016 in Krakow, I met a group of Filipinos from Iceland. Crazy!

Lastly, one really aspect of World Youth Day is being able to attend Mass in other languages. Whether you’re hitting up a local church, a language-centric event, or either of the Pope’s Masses, you’ll get to hear Mass said in a differently language. Even though we may all speak different tongues, we all still speak the same language of faith, and that’s a beautiful way to encounter the universality of the church.

3. Visiting local pilgrimage sites

I’m not gonna lie–I’m a nerd. And because of my nerdy tendencies, I do really like visiting interesting churches, shrines, chapels, basilicas, cathedrals, and other places of sacred and/or historical significance.

Thinking back, a lot of the places I’ve been able to visit would have happened had I not attend World Youth Day.

For example, in Rio, my pilgrimage group got to visit the in-city Benedictine monastery, Our Lady of Montserrat. It’s up on a hill within the city. Inside is the most intensely gold-leaf decor (apparently of Baroque style) that I’ve ever seen!

Krakow was particularly ridiculous because how close things are. Just within a short drive from Krakow, my pilgrimage group was able to visit Auschwitz (former Nazi concentration camp where St. Max Kolbe was executed), Wadowice (Pope St. John Paul II’s hometown), the Divine Mercy Shrine (where St. Faustina first received vision’s of the Divine Mercy), and the church containing Our Lady of Czestochowa, which is a miraculous image of the Virgin Mary supposedly painted by St. Luke (yeah that Gospel guy).

As a bonus, here’s a short take on some least favorite things about World Youth Day:

Exposed to weather

In Rio, we were out and about walking around in July. Because the southern hemisphere has opposite seasons compared to us northern hemisphere-ers, July is basically winter time. That means that it was on the cooler side, and rain was a factor too. “Cold and damp” summarizes the weather experience we had in Rio.

Contrastingly, Krakow was very, very hot. That was in July, too. But obviously because it was summer. It wasn’t terrible except for the parts where we got stuck in crowds of pilgrims trying to traverse across town to the camp site for the final events of World Youth Day.

In either case, being outside is just a reality of the experience of World Youth Day. Being adequately prepared, which I tried to be, is a way to counter whatever the weather brings.

Not drinking enough water

Our pilgrimage to World Youth Day 2016 in Krakow actually comprised of other trips to nearby European places. Like Rome. And Prague. Needless to say, I got kind of dehydrated in Rome and in Krakow because summers in Europe can rival that of Texas, where I’m from.

Again, being adequately prepared is a way to counter not drinking enough water. But I just don’t do a good job of reminding myself to drink water.

Fear of missing out on something cool

Lots of things happen during World Youth Day. It’s impossible to catch every single event or experience everything little thing.

Despite having been to World Youth Days in 2013 and 2016, I’ve never physically been to the closing Mass to finish it out! I detail what happened in 2013 in this blog post.

Bottom Line

Honestly, I feel like I’m not doing World Youth Day much justice in sharing with you a few of my favorite things about it. World Youth Day is definitely something to be experienced first-hand.

The joy, the universality of the church, and visiting cool sites have made World Youth Day really memorable and impactful for me.

There’s lots to love about World Youth Day, but as with any pilgrimaging endeavor, there are uncomfortable elements. And that’s okay.

Question for you–have you been to World Youth Day before? What’s your most favorite thing? And your least favorite thing?

JR

JR is a full-time engineer working in the aerospace industry. Apart from having such a fly job, he flies unto the arms of Our Lady and the Church pursuing his faith and a relationship with Christ. Over the past several years, faith and flying via pilgrimages became a thing. When he’s not being fly, JR hangs out with family, friends, his chihuahua, and with thoughts of the next trip.

The post 3 Favorite Things About World Youth Day appeared first on Pilgrim for Less.

I’ve been to two World Youth Days: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 2013 and Krakow, Poland in 2016. I’ve also been to a few local-level World Youth Days.

Jason over at Light & Heavy led the major pilgrimages to Rio and Krakow. I’ve mentioned before on the blog that I have him to thank that I got introduced to pilgrimages! And again, Jason and I know each other from our home parish and being involved in youth ministry in various capacities.

The way we approached the World Youth Days in Rio and Krakow was to go through a pilgrimage company associated with World Youth Day. With a pilgrimage company that specializes in World Youth Day, we were able to arrange solid itineraries and tours. I know a lot of my pilgrimage reports involve me striking out on my own and doing everything myself, but the World Youth Days were definitely not the case!

With that said, let’s get to it. What is this World Youth Day that I keep talking about?

What is World Youth Day?

From the outside looking in, World Youth Day looks like just a massive (or should I say Mass-ive???) gathering of youth with the Pope.

And that’s a partial, yet true, understanding.

World Youth Day got started because of Pope John Paul II. After many youth gathering in Rome responded to his invitation for the International Jubilee of Youth in 1984, he entrusted to them the notion of World Youth Day.

Pope John Paul II invited the youth again in 1985, coinciding with the UN’s Year of the Youth. He officially instituted World Youth Day, and in the following year, the first official World Youth Day was held in Rome, and the first international World Youth Day was held in 1987 in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Each year, dioceses around the world can host their own local World Youth Day.

But every few years, typically 2 to 3, a diocese somewhere in the world will host the large international World Youth Day.

Here’s a good explanation of what World Youth Day is:

[World Youth Day] is open to all young people who want to take part in a festive encounter with their contemporaries centered on Jesus Christ. This event is an opportunity to experience in first person the universality of the Church; to share with the whole world the hope of many young people who want to commit themselves to Christ and others. World Youth Day is a unique way to deepen your faith and grow closer to Christ, by means of prayer and the sacraments, together with thousands of other young people who share your interests and ambitions.

Quoted from WorldYouthDay.com

I think that’s a good summary, but I would just further qualify it by saying that millions of others show up. Not thousands, haha!

Here are the past and upcoming World Youth Days:

Each World Youth Day also has a theme that is always a line from Scripture. The theme serves as a point of reflection, and the Pope’s talks and reflections for the youth surround the theme.

Is there an age limit for World Youth Day?

Nope!

While it is geared towards young people, typically ages 15-35, World Youth Day is open to all ages.

As an example, while walking around Rio De Janeiro in 2013, the first group of Filipinos I encountered were from Libya (?!?!), and all of them could have easily been my parents’ age.

A lot of young adults go, and families as well.

So don’t worry if you feel “too old” to go to World Youth Day–I assure you that you’re never too old!

What happens at World Youth Day?

Now here’s another counterintuitive point, much like how World Youth Day doesn’t mean it’s just for youth.

It’s not just a day of stuff. World Youth Day is more like World Youth Week.

Typically, especially in recent ones, the schedule involves many events and activities.

Due to circumstances, I’ve not been able to attend some of the major events and activities below.

Scattered throughout the week-long schedule are:

• Shows
• Music performances
• Pilgrimage site tours
• Church tours
• Opportunities for prayer
• Opportunities for repentance and reconciliation

But the major events of World Youth Day are:

Days In The Diocese

A week before the events of World Youth Day, the host diocese opens up churches and homes for pilgrims. Pilgrims immerse themselves in the local community through meals, worship, and culture.

I’ve never been, but I know it’s an option to participate in.

Catechetical sessions

Participating bishops will offer catechesis sessions on matters of the faith. Part of the duty and responsibility of a bishop is to teach the flock.

In these catechesis sessions, the faithful can learn deeper aspects of the Christian faith in order to better understand God, the Church, and how to share the Good News with all.

During the week, catechesis sessions can be found all over the host city according to language. A World Youth Day pilgrim would just need to find the session in their native language in order to participate.

For World Youth Day 2013 in Rio de Janeiro, my group attended a catechetical session hosted by an Australian bishop at a church that was a 15 minute walk from our hostel. Because English. And because convenient.

Official welcoming of pilgrims and opening ceremonies

At the start of World Youth Day, the bishop of the host city will will celebrate an opening Mass and welcome pilgrims.

This event is usually where you to start to really see the whole world represented by the pilgrims present.

In 2013 in Rio, we had opening ceremonies at Copacabana Beach. And in 2016 at Krakow, we were in Blonia Park. Understand that you need wide, open spaces to host hundreds of thousands of people!

Papal welcome

The Pope typically arrives early or mid-week, but after the opening ceremony. This event bring everyone together again to hear the Pope deliver his welcome address and him lead a prayer service.

The papal welcome is usually held in the same place as the opening ceremony.

Walking pilgrimage

The last events of World Youth Day are usually held in an even larger space, and often several miles away.

In order to attend the last events, pilgrims go on a walking pilgrimage and are prepared to stay the night outside.

I think this is the part that really gets you to feel like a real pilgrim since it involves a lot of walking, discomfort, smelling bad, but also joy and hope because of the end goal. The fruit of having this walking pilgrimage is that it’s analogous to our life in Christ.

I heard that back in 2011 in Madrid, it was raining. In 2013, it had been raining terribly in Rio and the original site of the closing events flooded so everything got moved to Copacabana Beach. For 2016 in Poland, it was dreadfully hot and multiple paths to the site were bottlenecked with pilgrims resulting in standing around in the heat with thousands of others.

But who cares! Because…everyone is looking forward to the…

Evening Vigil

The Pope hosts an evening of prayer at the final site for World Youth Day on the evening before the last day.

By this point in time, most everyone who is attending World Youth Day will be present.

The Evening Vigil includes our familiar devotions like the Rosary, the Divine Mercy chaplet, reflections, praise and worship, and other spiritually edifying things.

But the high point of the Evening Vigil is Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. The Pope leads Eucharistic Adoration where everyone gathered can adore Christ truly present in the Eucharist–body, blood, soul, and divinity.

Truly powerful stuff.

I. Will. Never. Forget. 2013 in Rio. Why because this part was soooooo awesome! If you can imagine, 2 million people at Copacabana Beach adoring Christ! And even more amazing was Matt Maher performing his then-new song, Lord I Need You, kneeling in front of the monstrance singing to Christ Himself. With all of us, too.

If you can imagine all of Copacabana Beach filled to the brim with people, and 13 jumbotrons spread every so often along the beach, this was the video playing on those screens during Matt Maher’s song during Adoration:

Amazing, truly amazing. I’m not crying–you’re crying!

After Adoration, I’m not so sure what exactly happens (and that’s a different blog post or two), but I know pilgrims prepare to stay overnight in order to be present for the closing ceremonies the next morning.

Closing ceremonies and Mass

Here, everyone joins the Pope for Morning Prayers and the Closing Mass.

Attending church with millions of others, outside, must be quite the experience!

Apart from Mass, everyone looks forward to the closing remarks where the Pope announces when and where the next World Youth Day will be.

How is World Youth Day a pilgrimage?

World Youth Days, again, are primarily to help the faithful encounter Christ through visiting sacred sites, worshipping en masse (in Mass!), and to rejoice in all that.

Going to World Youth Day involves sacrifice and reflection because of the travel discomforts and opportunities for prayer.

So much walking, being exposed to the elements, going from churches/shrines/chapels to the next one, going to Mass, venerating relics–the list goes on, but World Youth Day can most definitely be a pilgrimage.

Bottom Line

World Youth Day is a fantastic way to go on a pilgrimage with its many different events and opportunities.

At World Youth Day, a pilgrim can encounter the universal Church, and together with the Church, encounter Christ.

You get to meet so many people from all over the world with the same desire to grow their relationship with Christ, and that’s really, really cool.

For you, the pilgrim, World Youth Day should definitely be on your bucket list!

Have any questions regarding World Youth Day? Let me know in the comments!

Reference

WorldYouthDay.com

JR

JR is a full-time engineer working in the aerospace industry. Apart from having such a fly job, he flies unto the arms of Our Lady and the Church pursuing his faith and a relationship with Christ. Over the past several years, faith and flying via pilgrimages became a thing. When he’s not being fly, JR hangs out with family, friends, his chihuahua, and with thoughts of the next trip.

The post What is World Youth Day? appeared first on Pilgrim for Less.

Relics and pilgrimages go well hand in hand because major shrines and churches often house significant relics. Relics also connect us to the past or tangibly help us remember about holy people or things.

Let’s dive deeper into relics!

So then, what are relics?

According to Fr. Hardon’s Modern Catholic Dictionary (2008), a relic is “an object connected with a saint, eg., part of the body or clothing or something the person had used or touched” (p. 461). You cannot buy or sell relics.

Relics can range from the actual flesh and bones of holy people, and things that these people have frequently interacted with. Another kind of relic are objects that have touched either those previous categories. Sometimes you’ll hear these categories as a “class” of relics. Here’s a summary:

1. First Class = an actual part of a saint’s body
2. Second Class = clothing or an object used during the saint’s life
3. Third Class = an object, usually cloth, that has been touched to a first-class relic

Another vocab word to know is “reliquary”. A reliquary is an object that holds or contains a relic.

What does it mean to venerate relics?

The proper response to encountering relics is to venerate them. We do not worship relics nor the holy people that they come from.

To venerate is to honor, but not in the same way God Himself is honored. You can venerate a relic by treating the relic with respect, maintaining a prayerful attitude, remembering the person the relic comes from, and asking for that person’s intercession.

Asking for the intercession of holy people is legit because we’re pretty darn sure that they’re in heaven, especially if they are a canonized saint. Their relics are a tangible way to connect us to them.

Other ways to venerate a relic is to kiss or touch the (glass of the) reliquary, making the sign of the cross, or kneeling before it in prayer. However, I again stress that these actions are done out of love for the saint as a way to encounter God and not done out of worship of the person.

Why are relics important?

Relics are important because they remind us of our earthly pilgrimage to heaven. Relics are of holy people who have passed on to eternal glory, and they remind us of the lives and stories of those who lived a life of holiness pursuing God. The relics we have of saints show us that we, too, can reach sanctity.

Relics also remind us of the resurrection. We don’t treat the remains of people lackadaisically because that would be disrespectful. We await the Second Coming of Christ and to be resurrected with Him, and relics help illustrate that reality.

Where can I find relics?

Most churches will actually have a relic of a saint in the altar, especially if that church is named after a particular saint. But that’s not always the case.

If a saint is associated with a particular place or buried somewhere, their relics will usually be in a church, shrine, or chapel.

A good example would be the city of Rome. With so many saints associated with Rome ranging from early Christian martyrs to more contemporary individuals, it’s pretty easy to find a church or shrine housing the relics of a saint.

Sometimes the relics of a saint are scattered geographically. For example, St. Catherine of Siena’s skull is in Siena, but the rest of her body rests in Rome. St. Francis Xavier’s arm is in Rome, but his body is in India. Even in Rome, St. Peter is buried inside St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican, but his skull is at St. John Lateran (along with St. Paul’s skull).

Some places around the world also have collections of relics. I know that St. Anthony’s Chapel in Pittsburgh, PA has the largest collection of relics in the United States.

And lastly, sometimes relics go on tour. Relics go on tour for the faithful to venerate. In North America, I know that the relics of St. Maria Goretti, St. Padre Pio, St. Francis Xavier, and St. John Vianney have passed through.

Cool and Weird Examples of Relics

I’ve been all over the place, and I’ve encountered some weird and cool examples of relics.

Most recently, I went on a pilgrimage to Atlanta, GA to venerate the heart of St. John Vianney, a French priest from the 1800’s. Amazingly, his heart is still preserved, which makes sense because he had such a heart for his priestly ministry. See featured photo.

I’ve encountered vials of Pope St. John Paul II’s blood in reqliuaries inside of the John Paul II Shrine in Washington, DC, JP2 University in Escondido, CA, and North American College in Rome. Weird, but cool.

When I was in Japan, I was before the very bones of St. Paul Miki and his companions in Nagasaki inside St. Philip’s. 26 of them were martyred on a hill via crucifixion, where the Museum and St. Philips now stand, during Japan’s isolation period and Christian persecution.

I’m a Knight of Columbus, and Fr. McGivney was our founding Father, as it were. I went to go visit the church where he started the Knights, and in the corner of the church is an above-ground stone tomb where he is buried. He’s not a canonized saint…yet.

In Washington, DC at the Franciscan Monastery of the Holy Land, they have the body of St. Innocent, a child martyred in Rome from the early centuries.

While praying in front of an abortion clinic, visiting a church in middle-of-nowhere north Texas, and in an obscure church in Rome, I’ve visited relics of the True Cross—(supposedly) pieces of the very wood that our Lord was crucified on.

Also in Rome and related to the True Cross, I’ve visited relics related to Jesus’ Passion including thorns from His crown of thorns, one of the nails that pierced Him, and part of the INRI sign. They’re found in an unassuming basilica down the street from St. John Lateran at the Basilica of the Holy Cross in Jerusalem.

I’m sure there’s more, but lastly, I’ve also visited the relic of the manger—the food trough that Jesus was laid in after being born. It’s inside of St. Mary Major in Rome.

A last note—St. John Vianney’s heart and St. Innocent, mentioned above, are of a category of relics we call “incorrupt”. Being incorrupt basically means that the relic has not undergone expected decay. It’s pretty wild, dare I say miraculous! St. Innocent lived over 1500 years ago, but you can still see his hand with flesh. St. John Vianney’s heart, though black, is still intact despite being over 150 years old. Even his body is incorrupt.

The most dramatic examples of incorrupt relics are the full bodies of saints who are very much dead in the flesh, but look like they’re sleeping. See St. Bernadette.

Bottom Line

I could probably go on and on about relics! There’s so much to unpack and so many more weird and crazy examples.

Ultimately, visiting relics is a great excuse to go on pilgrimages! Relics are not for worshipping others, but rather, they help us remember our call to holiness and that there are very real people who have lived out this call.

Question for you—what’s a relic you’ve recently visited? Let me know in the comments!

References
Hardon, John A., S.J. (2008). A Modern Catholic Dictionary. Bardstown, KY: Eternal Life.

Featured photo courtesy of Light & Heavy.

JR

JR is a full-time engineer working in the aerospace industry. Apart from having such a fly job, he flies unto the arms of Our Lady and the Church pursuing his faith and a relationship with Christ. Over the past several years, faith and flying via pilgrimages became a thing. When he’s not being fly, JR hangs out with family, friends, his chihuahua, and with thoughts of the next trip.

The post What are relics? appeared first on Pilgrim for Less.

I became involved with the Schoenstatt community at a pretty young age – 14, to be exact. My parents have always fostered a strong Marian devotion in me, and so when our family came in contact with Schoenstatt and learned that it is a movement specifically dedicated to growing closer to Christ through Mary, we quickly sought after more information. My mom signed my sister and me up for a girls youth summer camp, and the next thing we knew we were loading up a van with a bunch of new teenage friends and trekking down 7 hours to the southern coast of Texas for a week of fun, fellowship, and faith!

Now, I was asked to share my experience of Schoenstatt in terms of making pilgrimages. More specifically, the question was: “Coming from a Schoenstatt perspective, why bother going to visit shrines, and how do you turn such visits into pilgrimages?” In order to do that, I’ll give a brief synopsis of what Schoenstatt is and a little bit of the history behind the movement’s spirituality/Shrine-building nature.

What is Schoenstatt?

Schoenstatt is an official movement of the Catholic Church founded in 1914 by a man named Fr. Joseph Kentenich. He was a priest of the Pallottine community and was serving as the spiritual director for a boy’s minor seminary school in a little town called Vallendar, Germany. As their spiritual father, Fr. Kentenich encouraged the boys to search for freedom in the cheerful service of the Blessed Mother Mary. The boys, inspired by his influence, decided to turn the little garden shed that they used as a meeting space into a humble shrine for their Blessed Mother. Their little sodality of young men soon began to grow. After watching their spiritual fervor increase for some time, Fr. Kentenich proposed that they each make consecrations to Mary (the “Covenant of Love” as he called it) and invite her to not only dwell in their Shrine, but more fully in their hearts and their lives. Based on this spirituality, the group grew over the years and is now a worldwide movement with hundreds of Shrines all around the world! (To learn more about the history and spirituality of Schoenstatt, click here)

Why visit Schoenstatt shrines?

So! Why should you visit these Schoenstatt shrines as pilgrimage places? Well, these little chapels are actually meant for pilgrims. Like, that’s their whole purpose! Fr. Kentenich taught that there are three pilgrimage graces of the Shrine, i.e. when a person visits a place that Mary has chosen to dwell in (and she chooses to do so when she is invited and consistently welcomed there), that person will receive and be impacted by: the grace of a home, the grace of inner transformation, and the grace of apostolic zeal.

A Home

The grace of a home is knowing that Mary accepts and welcomes all pilgrims into her heart and desires to nurture them like the Mother that she is. What especially enhances this experience in a daughter Shrine (i.e. an exact replica of the Original Shrine) is the fact that every daughter Shrine is the same, down to every last statue, symbol, and pew. When I’ve traveled from one Shrine to another, whether it’s in Austin, Texas or Cologne, Germany, I immediately feel at home and at peace upon entering because of the physical (and spiritual) familiarity.

Inner Transformation

The grace of inner transformation follows the grace of the home because Mary, in her Shrine, invites us to be transformed by the love of Christ and interiorly changed into new persons. This is why many pilgrims bring special petitions to the Blessed Mother, often in the form of written intentions on slips of paper – on one side, they will write “What I ask” and on the other side “What I offer.” This exchange is an integral part of the Covenant of Love…it is a giving and receiving of sacrifices and graces, in the effort to be transformed and renewed by Mary and Jesus. These little offerings are left in special jars in the daughter Shrines, and burned once a month on “Covenant Day” (the 18th of each month, in honor of Schoenstatt’s founding on October 18th).

Apostolic Zeal

Lastly, the grace of apostolic zeal is the culmination of the graces of home and inner transformation: you have been received by Mary, invigorated by her love, and now you feel filled with zeal to go out from the Shrine and into the world to do the Blessed Mother’s noble work of bringing more people closer to her Son! In Schoenstatt, the duty of making “disciples of all nations” as Jesus told His apostles is taken very seriously, and we make pilgrimages to the Shrine to remind ourselves of who we are and Who we wish to evangelize for. One of my favorite memories at Schoenstatt girls camps was when we would close our daily Masses with the parading hymn, “Yes, Mother Send Us.” I can still hear a joyful chorus of girls voices singing: “Yes, Mother send us out from here! We want to go into the world! For you have loved and formed and led us all; sent by you we dare to bring your message to our age!”

While the Shrine is a place of grace – a transformative and rejuvenating home – it can only serve its purpose if the people are intentional in their visits. Mary’s presence is due to our invitation and our seeking out…if we come to the little chapels expecting just to see a pretty picture, our hearts will have no room for the graces she wishes to bestow.

Visiting the Original Shrine

I actually had the privilege of visiting the Original Shrine in Germany when I was 18 years old. I and two of my friends decided to spend our summer serving in the community of the Schoenstatt Sisters in Vallendar, Germany. During that time we were able to make many pilgrimages all around the country and share many wonderful experiences together while journeying to places of grace. It was then that I began to truly understand the depth of Fr. Kentenich’s spirituality and devotion to Mary. By visiting and making intentional pilgrimages to historical places in his life, I learned about how he truly believed that a Shrine could be erected anywhere…not just a daughter Shrine, but a shrine on the side of the road (“Wayside” shrines), a shrine you can carry with you and pass around in a community (“Pilgrim” shrines), a shrine you can bring your family to every day to make offerings and draw strength from (“Home” shrines), and most importantly, a shrine that you erect within yourself to spiritually house the Blessed Mother and her Son, carrying them throughout the world as sort of pilgrims themselves (“Heart” shrines). I highly encourage anyone to make a pilgrimage to a Schoenstatt daughter Shrine (to find locations, click here).

Discover the graces that are waiting for you, and then consider the power of erecting little shrines to the Blessed Mother in your own life. Who says you can’t create your own places of pilgrimage?  

Rachel in Germany

Question for you! Are you part of a movement or actively participating in a devotion that has you visiting shrines?

JR

JR is a full-time engineer working in the aerospace industry. Apart from having such a fly job, he flies unto the arms of Our Lady and the Church pursuing his faith and a relationship with Christ. Over the past several years, faith and flying via pilgrimages became a thing. When he’s not being fly, JR hangs out with family, friends, his chihuahua, and with thoughts of the next trip.

The post Schoenstatt Pilgrimages appeared first on Pilgrim for Less.

With Christmas around the corner, despite the heavy commercialization and secularization of the holiday, it’s important to remember the real reason for the season: Jesus. Because in the days leading up to Christmas, we’re anticipating the arrival of our Lord, Jesus Christ, born of the Virgin Mary in Bethlehem (and wow that would be cool to pilgrimage to the manger, which apparently some pieces of it are in Rome (look at the bottom of the page))

Lately, one thing I’ve been reflecting on regarding this blog is “why?”. You know, questions like “why does this blog exist?”, “why go on pilgrimages?”, “why does it matter to save time and money going on them?” and so on. At some point at the end of my time of reflecting, I concluded that, before everything else, Jesus is the ultimate “why” for us Christians.

Why?

Christ is king! He’s the reason.

For all seasons.

Some Good News

33 Pilate entered the praetorium again and called Jesus, and said to him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” 34 Jesus answered, “Do you say this of your own accord, or did others say it to you about me?” 35 Pilate answered, “Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have handed you over to me; what have you done?” 36 Jesus answered, “My kingship is not of this world; if my kingship were of this world, my servants would fight, that I might not be handed over to the Jews; but my kingship is not from the world.” 37 Pilate said to him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I have come into the world, to bear witness to the truth. Every one who is of the truth hears my voice.” (John 18: 13-17, NAB)

In this Gospel passage, Jesus is teaching Pilate that His kingdom is actually not of this world. But Pilate’s understanding of Christ as king seems to be “king of this here land” versus Christ’s own understanding of kingship. Jesus wants Pilate to understand that His kingdom and mission is spiritual (Link to Liturgy, n.d.).

For us, Jesus is king because He gave us everything. The air we breathe, the food we eat and drink, the land we live on, the people in our lives, and so on. Most profoundly, He gave us Himself. Because of all that He has given to us, we owe Him everything (Link to Liturgy, n.d.). He’s not going to rule over us with an iron fist like a terrible, authoritarian dictator, but rather He desires that we live life abundantly (John 10: 10). Moreover, His kingdom is everlasting and the gates of Hell will never prevail against it (Matthew 16: 18)!

We can experience Christ’s kingdom by being part of His Church, and sharing in His Church’s mission of making disciples of all nations (Matthew 28: 16-19). In order to serve Him as king, we give Him all of our heart, all of our soul, all of our strength, and all of our mind (Luke 10: 27). And in serving Him as our king, we’re able to serve others (Link to Liturgy, n.d.).

Really taking it to heart that Jesus Christ is king is such an important “why” we do anything as Christians.

Response

Sometimes it’s easy to forget that we’re not made for this world. As we get caught up in the temporary things of this life, it’s easy miss out on the fact that we’re made for heaven! We’re on an earthly pilgrimage towards heaven, but so many things can distract us. As we try to overcome those distractions and pursue the way, the truth, and the life (John 14: 6), in all things good, true, and beautiful, we must not lose sight of the fact that Jesus is not of this earthly world. “My kingship is not of this world”, He says.

Pilgrimages can be tempting opportunities to have selfish motivations. Some examples of such motivations include seeing exotic locales, selfies with monuments, luxe travel accommodations, and so on. These are distractions. The real motivation for going on pilgrimage is to have an encounter with God, usually associated with a place. It’s easy to forget that if we get caught up in distractions and not remembering the real reason for all seasons while we’re on this earthly pilgrimage towards heaven.

As you and I embark on more pilgrimages in the future, let’s not ever forget that Christ is king.

Here’s a cool song that, in my opinion, fits well with the theme that Christ is king:

Oh, and bonus fact: the country of Poland recently declared Christ as the King of Poland, officially.

Question for you: what are you going to do differently starting today to remember that Christ is king?

References

Link to Liturgy (n.d.). Christ’s Kingship. Retrieved from https://linktoliturgytv.com/christs-kingship

Images

Featured photo: Świebodzin, Pomnik Chrystusa Króla // Wikipedia

JR

JR is a full-time engineer working in the aerospace industry. Apart from having such a fly job, he flies unto the arms of Our Lady and the Church pursuing his faith and a relationship with Christ. Over the past several years, faith and flying via pilgrimages became a thing. When he’s not being fly, JR hangs out with family, friends, his chihuahua, and with thoughts of the next trip.

The post The Reason For All Seasons appeared first on Pilgrim for Less.

I was tuned into Morning Glory on EWTN Radio yesterday (feast day of St. James), and they were talking about the Camino de Santiago, or “Way of St. James”, which is a popular pilgrimage people go on in Spain. I forget the name of the priest that was walking about the Camino, but he added the point that we don’t need to necessarily go over to Europe in order to have a pilgrimage experience. You can easily visit a different church or other nearby holy sites and turn those into pilgrimages. I wholeheartedly agree!

The Sunday Pilgrimage

Remember that pilgrimages are journeys to sacred places as an act of devotion. If you think about it, going to church or Mass on Sunday is, in fact, an act of religious devotion. Sure, your typical pew-warmer probably treats going to church on Sunday like an obligation, but however deep the depth of one’s intention of making it a devotion, going to church is still an act. One thing I love about visiting Catholic churches, even on Sunday at Mass, is that they are immediately convincing that it is a sacred place due to the presence of the tabernacle with a lit candle indicating that Christ, truly present in the Eucharist in body, blood, soul, and divinity, is there.

With that said, I really think that you can turn this Sunday into a pilgrimage.

Here are some steps and ideas:

1. Where are you going?

The easiest location would obviously be your own church. It’s easy because you know how to get there, it’s familiar, and you can switch up how you approach going to your own church (see below).

A variation would be going to a different church or parish nearby. Or you could take it next level by going to a different church across your diocese. And if you’re hipster and have a monastery, convent, or shrine nearby, you could go to these places for a Sunday pilgrimage. I recently spent a weekend at a Benedictine monastery.

2. How are you getting there?

I live in Texas so most places would take too long to get to via walking, or the weather is too extremely hot or too extremely cold to walk. Therefore, most people ’round these parts drive to get to places.

But walking and biking are legit too. I’m going off of vague memory here, but if you do the Camino Real (visiting the 21 mission churches along the California coast) and buy their “passport booklet” thingy, I’m fairly certain that riding horseback is a checkable box you can input on how you went about the pilgrimage. So there’s that.

Of course, you could skateboard too.

3. What spiritual extra are you going to do?

Pilgrimages require some sort of spiritual intention, in my opinion. Otherwise, it’s easy to treat a pilgrimage like any other trip or vacation. With a spiritual intention or doing something extra spiritually, it helps keeps you accountable in keeping the pilgrimage intentionally spiritual.

I’ve already talked about how I solicit prayer requests before every pilgrimage and how the Moleskine notebook is a great notebook to keep those in. Feel free to steal those ideas.

Here are some more ideas:

• Bring a journal and take note notes during the homily or do spiritual journaling. Dynamic Catholic has a great article on how having a Mass journal can benefit you.
• Stay after Mass for 15 minutes for extra prayer time (THEN go grab your donuts or Knights of Columbus pancakes).
• Show up early to the church in order to actually catch the start of the Rosary before Mass.
• Read the Mass readings BEFORE Mass. I love using the USCCB’s site to access the readings of the day quickly, and there are good apps out there that do the same. Or use the missal in your pew. That works too.
• While driving to your church:
  • Listen to silence (ie. no music)
  • Listen to a good Catholic or Christian podcast (there are great podcasting priests like Fr. Mike Schmitz)
  • Listen to your local Christian music station
• Do an act of service or work of mercy after Mass. I’m on rotation to visit nursing homes once a month as part of my parish’s ministry to the sick.

4. How can you learn more about the place you went to?

Or perhaps another way of putting it is, how can you be a local tourist? No, I don’t mean walking into your church with your fanny pack and a huge DSLR sticking out from the middle of your chest. But rather… do you know the history of your parish? I know parishes in my diocese have cool and interesting histories. If you don’t know the history of your church, ask someone who does know! Call the office, talk to the pastor, or talk to a long-time parishioner or member of the church.

Similarly, do you know the significance of the features of the church? Sometimes the stained glass, architecture, decorations, etc. have further significance than merely being there to make the church look nice. My own parish actually has cool little hidden things that can be found in a few stained glass windows and paintings. One of my other favorite churches in my diocese is a German painted church, whereby every design on the walls of the inside of the church are actually painted on and not actual brick or tile.

Lastly, the easiest way to learn more about the place you went to is to ask a parishioner! One time, when I visited Philadelphia and went to Saturday evening Mass, my travel buddy and I ended up talking to some parishioners at their insistence. But through those conversations, we received a free book, and recommendations to some of the good local restaurants in that Philly neighborhood. Pretty awesome.

How A Sunday Pilgrimage Can Benefit You

I like the idea of a Sunday pilgrimage that’s unheard of, and no one thinks to treat going to church on Sunday as a pilgrimage.

Here are some benefits to a Sunday pilgrimage:

• A warm up to bigger pilgrimages
• So easy because there isn’t a whole lot to plan
• Quick and cheap
• Gives you an opportunity to be even more intentional with your Sunday experience and less going-through-the-motions
• Learn more about your local community

A question for you–if you turned Sunday into a pilgrimage, how did it go?

JR

JR is a full-time engineer working in the aerospace industry. Apart from having such a fly job, he flies unto the arms of Our Lady and the Church pursuing his faith and a relationship with Christ. Over the past several years, faith and flying via pilgrimages became a thing. When he’s not being fly, JR hangs out with family, friends, his chihuahua, and with thoughts of the next trip.

The post How To Turn Sunday Into A Pilgrimage appeared first on Pilgrim for Less.

Before I go on pilgrimage or if I travel somewhere with the intent, I do one thing before I go–I ask for prayer requests and intentions.

Why do I ask for prayer requests and intentions?

Several reasons. When I pray for these requests and intentions, they help me remember to keep the journey spiritual. Especially when I’m traveling for other reasons and can squeeze in a side pilgrimage of sorts, having something and/or having people to pray for helps me keep in mind these things as I go encounter God while traveling. This also effectively holds me accountable to pray because I would just feel incredibly bad saying that I would pray for these requests and intentions and not doing it would be a real jerk move of me. Lastly, it’s just good to pray for each other and lift each other up.

What do I do with those intentions?

Usually, I will pray for them whenever I visit a church or go to Mass or Adoration. Oftentimes, I get to visit more than one church and have multiple opportunities to pray for the intentions that I carry with me on a pilgrimage.

Sometimes I’ll even pray for them whenever I’m in transit going somewhere like when I’m riding a train or bus.

Last year, when I went on a pilgrimage to Nagasaki, Japan, I got to visit a handful of different churches in the city. While there, I prayed for the intentions I carried with me in front of the relics of St. Paul Miki and some of his companions, the friary that St. Max Kolbe hung out at, the church where the Hidden Christians revealed themselves and where Pope St. John Paul II celebrated Mass in the 1980’s, and a few other normal churches.

What inspired me to do this?

Back in 2013, I had the blessing and privilege to be able to go to World Youth Day Rio De Janeiro chaperoning some of my youth group. In preparing for this World Youth Day pilgrimage, we asked our parishioners for prayer intentions to take with us. Even at work, I asked one coworker of mine who ended up asking many people around the office for prayer intentions on my behalf. We made copies of these intentions for everyone to have so that we could pray for them while visiting churches, going to Mass, going to Adoration, and attending the other World Youth Day events.

Since World Youth Day 2013, I’ve made sure to ask for prayer intentions and requests before every pilgrimage.

What are the effects of carrying prayer intentions and requests on pilgrimages?

I find it fascinating to collect prayer intentions and requests from others. Inevitably, I learn the trials and sufferings of others or the very things that are on their hearts at the moment. Whenever I make somewhat public calls for prayer requests and intentions, especially on social media, sometimes I hear from people I hardly ever talk to, but who have some heavy or serious things they need prayers for. That’s why I consider it very important for me to actually pray for these intentions whenever I go on pilgrimages, and why I really try to strive for keeping the pilgrimage spiritual.

Whenever I post about collecting prayer requests on social media, I like to share pictures of the sacred places and churches that I visit in the thread. It helps people know that I’m actually praying for them, and I’m often thanked for doing so.

Here’s an example of me asking and me posting follow up pictures when I did the St. Patrick’s Day pilgrimage:

We’re all in need of God’s love and mercy, and all of us are charged with the mission of helping each other get to heaven. For me, beginning a pilgrimage with prayer requests helps me grow in my faith and in relationship with people. I get to encounter God as I’m on a pilgrimage while also encountering a deeper relationship with my family, friends, and peers who asked me to pray for them and their intentions. And that’s awesome.

With that said…

A question for you–is there anything you’d like me to pray for?

JR

JR is a full-time engineer working in the aerospace industry. Apart from having such a fly job, he flies unto the arms of Our Lady and the Church pursuing his faith and a relationship with Christ. Over the past several years, faith and flying via pilgrimages became a thing. When he’s not being fly, JR hangs out with family, friends, his chihuahua, and with thoughts of the next trip.

The post What I Do Before Every Pilgrimage: Prayer Requests appeared first on Pilgrim for Less.

I went to an ordination Mass

Ordination can kind of be thought of as a marriage since it images the relationship between Jesus Christ and His bride, the Church.

On May 19, 2018, while the rest of the world was enthralled by some other major wedding going on between two people they likely don’t have personal connections with, I was at the priest ordination of one of my good friends, Jonathan. This was the first ordination I’ve ever attended, and how fitting it is that my first ordination to experience was that of a good friend and also of the first priest to be ordained from my parish. This. Is. A. Big. Deal!

We actually had two priest ordinations, Jonathan and another young man, so the Mass was doubly exciting!

I arrived at the cathedral (same one I visited on my St. Patrick’s Day pilgrimage) about 30 minutes before the Mass started. Not surprisingly, the cathedral was a packed house, and therefore I had to stand in the back of the cathedral the entire time. That’s okay, because thankfully college prepared me with the many standing-only football games I attended. I did find out that the dress shoes I wore aren’t designed for standing for long periods of time. Ouch.

The Mass ended up being about two hours or so. Practically every priest from my diocese was present, and during the parts of the liturgy of ordination that involved all of them, it took a while. But honestly, the Mass felt fast, despite my fatigue from uncomfortable shoes, because I’ve never been to an ordination before, and what I experienced was fascinating.

I could probably spend a lot of time typing and describing each little part, but meh. Let me just share with you the highlights and what I thought of them.

Ordination things that stood out

The laying on of hands is the ancient tradition of the Church to pass down priestly authority and ministry. Prior to this ordination Mass, I thought that it was just the bishop who laid his hands on the new priest to confer the sacrament. But part of the liturgy of ordination also involves having every priest present to lay their hands on the new priest. Pretty cool to see many, many priests lay on their hands for Jonathan and the other newly ordained.

A really cool thing I saw too was the “Kiss of Peace” portion. It’s where the fresh priests are welcomed to the Order of Presbyters by the bishop and all the priests that are present. I mostly saw hugs. But I saw some priests kissing the hands of the newly ordained. This makes sense because whenever a man is ordained as a priest, his hands get anointed with oil as a sign of his priestly ministry because it is the priest’s hands that celebrate the Mass, that heals, and that is associated with the other sacraments.

One of the consolations of standing in the back and center of the cathedral was practically having a front row seat for the procession and recession for the ordination Mass. With that said, I witnessed right in front of me my bishop receiving the first blessings of the men he just ordained.

That was really cool and must be humbling for both bishop and his new priests. I don’t think most of the other people present in the pews saw that happen.

Later in the day, Fr. Jonathan celebrated his first Mass at my parish! I was in attendance as well because I was helping out with a high school retreat reunion, and we intentionally planned the reunion to kick off with Fr. Jonathan’s first Mass. A plenary indulgence is given when the faithful attend the first Mass of newly ordained priest (assuming the other conditions are met: going to Confession within a week, receiving the Eucharist, and praying for the Pope’s intentions). But!!! What really stood out to me and made me shed a few tears because of how beautiful the moment was…. was Fr. Jonathan presenting to his mother the cloth that absorbed the oil when his hands were anointed by the bishop. This cloth will be buried with her at her funeral as a token for her sacrifices and gifts that allowed Fr. Jonathan to be ordained. Likewise, he presented a purple stole to his father, which represent his father’s justice and mercy that allowed him to be priest. It’s tradition for a newly ordained priest to give such gifts to his parents. Because I know Fr. Jonathan and his parents, it truly was a beautiful moment.

AS IF IT WEREN’T ENOUGH–his parents celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary the day before. Then Fr. Jonathan gets ordained. And then he becomes the priest that gives a blessing for his parent’s 50th wedding anniversary. WHAT. That’s crazy (because the timing couldn’t have been more perfect). Well played, Holy Spirit. Well played.

I just wanted to share this because it was truly a joyous day to experience an ordination for the first time. I used this opportunity to treat this day a little bit differently in praying for Fr. Jonathan. I offered a Rosary while driving down to the cathedral instead of playing music in my car, and I tried to keep a prayerful disposition when appropriate. And joyful attitude when appropriate. Because there was cake at both receptions so obviously one had to be joyful.

Here are a few other resources that I think are useful for your further enrichment:

• North Texas Catholic article on Fr. Jonathan
• FAQ on ordinations from the USCCB

After giving it some thought, ordination Masses make great excuses for you to go on a pilgrimage. For less. I only spent gas money and a few hours of my time. Not too shabby.

Have you ever been to an ordination before? What did you think? Share about it in the comments!

JR

JR is a full-time engineer working in the aerospace industry. Apart from having such a fly job, he flies unto the arms of Our Lady and the Church pursuing his faith and a relationship with Christ. Over the past several years, faith and flying via pilgrimages became a thing. When he’s not being fly, JR hangs out with family, friends, his chihuahua, and with thoughts of the next trip.

The post First Time: Going to An Ordination appeared first on Pilgrim for Less.