I write these “To Such As These” posts every now and then to explain some aspect of the Catholic faith to children. I try to use simple language so you can just read it directly to them instead of having to put it into your own words! The category name is inspired by Jesus’ words in Matthew 19:14: “Let the little children come to me, and do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of heaven belongs.”
Today, we will be looking at pilgrimages, in light of World Youth Day. I am quite fond of World Youth Day, and pilgrimages in general, as my own World Youth Day experience really drove me to become more engaged with my faith and was the catalyst for my lifelong pilgrimage!
If you have any topics you’d like me to cover in this category, pop them in the comments and I’ll add them to the list!
Not long ago, you may have heard, the global Church held an event for its young people called World Youth Day. Perhaps you know someone who went, or maybe you were able to go yourself! Everyone who attended the event was called a pilgrim.
You may have heard this term used to describe other people, too – it’s not just a word for people going to World Youth Day. Pilgrim is a word used to describe a person who is taking a journey, usually a long way from their home, for a religious purpose.
This means that there are other famous pilgrimage sites. Many people who went to World Youth Day in Lisbon, Portugal also visited a place called Fatima, which is where the Virgin Mary appeared to three young children. There is the famous Camino de Santiago de Compostela in Spain, which leads to a shrine for St James – keep this one in mind, we’ll come back to it a little later. Large numbers of people travel to the Holy Land each year, to walk where Jesus walked. Many people go to the Vatican, too, to listen to the Pope or maybe even visit the tomb of our first Pope, St Peter. Every single person who goes on one of these trips is called a pilgrim.
Some people choose to go on pilgrimages in groups while others travel alone, but pilgrimages are about encounters, or meeting others. There is always the meeting with God through the prayers we make along the way or once we get to our destination, and there is also the aspect of human encounters. Even if you know everyone who is going with you, chances are, you’ll get to know them in a new or different way as you journey together. If you are travelling alone, you will likely meet other pilgrims on their way to the same place! Ultimately, these encounters, human or spiritual, can lead us to grow and change. And that’s really the great beauty of pilgrimages.
As Catholics, even if we never leave our hometown, and never go anywhere religious other than our own local church, we are all pilgrims on this Earth. This is symbolised in our baptism. A typical baptism for infants uses a scallop shell to pour water over the infant’s head. This shell is traditionally associated with the Santiago de Compostela pilgrimage. These shells are abundant in the region of Spain where this famous walk is. Those who walk this trail cannot bring enough food and water for the journey, because the full trail can take over a month to walk! In the early days of this pilgrimage, there were no restaurants or hotels along the way yet, so pilgrims would carry one of these shells and rely on God acting through the kindness of locals to give them food (which they would eat from these shells) and a place to sleep.
Our common pilgrimage is a spiritual one that lasts all our life. All of us are here on Earth to share the Good News with the people we meet, and we are all journeying back to God. Let us recall and imitate the reliance of the early pilgrims on the Lord as they walked the Camino de Santiago de Compostela, as we go through life, trusting that He is with us, every step of the way.
Talking points:
- Have you ever been on a pilgrimage? What was the biggest thing you got out of it?
- If you could go on a pilgrimage, where would you go? What would you want to see?
- Think about going on a pilgrimage with someone you love and someone you could learn to love better. Do you think you could learn something new about them? How might your relationship change after a pilgrimage?
- Tell me about one encounter you have had this week that has helped you to change or grow.
Let me know how you would explain pilgrimages to your little ones. Is there anything I missed? What has your involvement with pilgrimages been like? Have you taken your kids on any? I’d love to hear about your experiences in the comments!
Until next time, let’s pray for each other. And remember, we can do Mom things through Christ who strengthens us!
Mom Things Through Christ 