Feb. 5, 2013: Week 1, Divine Mercy Novena
Start of a Pilgrimage
How many of you have been on a pilgrimage? How would you like to be on a pilgrimage for the next nine weeks? You don’t need to pack a suitcase, but you must be willing to travel light. We Americans when we travel, typically pack a different set of clothes for each day of the trip; thus, our suitcases are significantly larger than that of our European counterparts who typically wear the same clothes for three days in a row. On this pilgrimage, you will need to pack much trust--trusting that God will provide everything for you along the way. You also need to be aware that this is a pilgrimage and not a vacation. On a vacation, we expect to be pampered; on a pilgrimage, we expect inconveniences, discomfort, and even suffering--we expect these to help us grow spiritually. You don’t need a passport on this pilgrimage, but you’ll need to look again at your birthplace and nationality. I’m not talking about your natural birthplace, but your supernatural birthplace. On the day of your baptism, you were given a different kind of passport; a document that shows that you belong to Heavenly Jerusalem.
The word pilgrim stems from the latin word ‘peregrinus’ meaning “foreigner or “stranger.” In a sense, all of us are foreigners or strangers here on earth. This is not our resting place or our home. We are on a pilgrimage to reach our true home, Heaven. A pilgrimage is a journey, assigned by God. It brings the pilgrim not only to a physical place, but out of himself, and into the presence of God. All else falls away. There is only the child, his Father, and eternity...
A pilgrimage differs from a tour in several important ways. It is a personal invitation from God comprised of His offer, and dependent upon the pilgrim’s acceptance. God’s call may vary, but the purpose remains consistent: It is an individual summons to know God more fully. A pilgrimage is a spiritual journey to which the pilgrim joyfully responds “yes” to God’s invitation. I pray that you say “yes” each day to Jesus who invites you to learn more deeply of his Divine Mercy. As you make this nine-week pilgrimage, you’ll come away changed by your encounter with Jesus.
How many of you have been on a pilgrimage? How would you like to be on a pilgrimage for the next nine weeks? You don’t need to pack a suitcase, but you must be willing to travel light. We Americans when we travel, typically pack a different set of clothes for each day of the trip; thus, our suitcases are significantly larger than that of our European counterparts who typically wear the same clothes for three days in a row. On this pilgrimage, you will need to pack much trust--trusting that God will provide everything for you along the way. You also need to be aware that this is a pilgrimage and not a vacation. On a vacation, we expect to be pampered; on a pilgrimage, we expect inconveniences, discomfort, and even suffering--we expect these to help us grow spiritually. You don’t need a passport on this pilgrimage, but you’ll need to look again at your birthplace and nationality. I’m not talking about your natural birthplace, but your supernatural birthplace. On the day of your baptism, you were given a different kind of passport; a document that shows that you belong to Heavenly Jerusalem.
The word pilgrim stems from the latin word ‘peregrinus’ meaning “foreigner or “stranger.” In a sense, all of us are foreigners or strangers here on earth. This is not our resting place or our home. We are on a pilgrimage to reach our true home, Heaven. A pilgrimage is a journey, assigned by God. It brings the pilgrim not only to a physical place, but out of himself, and into the presence of God. All else falls away. There is only the child, his Father, and eternity...
A pilgrimage differs from a tour in several important ways. It is a personal invitation from God comprised of His offer, and dependent upon the pilgrim’s acceptance. God’s call may vary, but the purpose remains consistent: It is an individual summons to know God more fully. A pilgrimage is a spiritual journey to which the pilgrim joyfully responds “yes” to God’s invitation. I pray that you say “yes” each day to Jesus who invites you to learn more deeply of his Divine Mercy. As you make this nine-week pilgrimage, you’ll come away changed by your encounter with Jesus.
