Neum 1999
THE DOCUMENT OF THE HOLY SEE ON 'PILGRIMAGE 2000' - Adalbert Rebic
THE SPECIFIC FEATURES OF PILGRIMAGES TO FAMOUS ST. MARY'S SANCTUARIES - Stanislaw Kania Sch.P.
ANTHROPOLOGICAL-BIBLICAL AND RELIGIOUS-SPIRITUAL DIMENSIONS OF A PILGRIMAGE, AS THEY APPLY SPECIFICALLY TO MEDJUGORJE - fra Slavko Barbari
Lecturers for this year's seminar are:
Prof Dr. Adalbert Rebic - born 1937 in Hum on Sutla (Croatia). He completed his study of philosophy in Zagreb and in the Graduate School of Philosophy at the Gregorian Papal University in Rome and theology at the Gregorian and the Biblical Institute. Since 1968 he is professor of biblical sciences and oriental languages (Hebrew, Arabic, Syriac-Aramaic) in the Graduate School of Theology at the Catholic University in Zagreb. He was guest professor at the theological institutes of Zadar and Jakovo. At the Graduate School he organized and managed the financial business, and served as editor-in-chief of Theological Review and head of the Graduate School Library. Since 1972 he is President of the Croatian Mariological Institute and organized the Croatian section at international Mariological Congresses in Rome, Malta, Zaragoza, Kevelaer, Huelva and Czestohowa.
He worked in the publishing house "Krscanska Sadasnost [Christianity Today]" as editor of biblical publications and since 1994 as director of "Christianity Today", and chief editor of the religion lexicon in the Lexicographic Institute "Miroslav Krlez" in Zagreb. From 1991 - 1996 he was Head of the Office of Exiles and Refugees for the Government of the Republic of Croatia. During 1995 he was Minister without Portfolio in the Government of the Republic of Croatia. He has been honored with the highest decorations by the President of the Republic of Croatia and by the Academy of Science and Art. He has published 15 significant works and edited 11 anthologies on Marian themes. He has collaborated in theological periodicals both at home and abroad with about 430 titles. He has translated 26 books from various languages. Since 1970 he is a member of the Prebendary College of the Zagreb Metropolitan See. Since 1966 he has organized and guided about 50 pilgrimages to the Holy Land. He is a member of the Society of Croatian literary translators, a member of the Arts Academy of Croatia, a regular member of the Papal International Marian Academy in Rome, a member of the Jewish cultural society "Shalom Freiberger" in Zagreb, and an editorial member of the international theological periodical "Communio".
Rev. Stanislaus Kania - Piarist. Born in Poland February 24, 1948. Completed philosophy, theology and Church History at the Theological Institute of Krakow and the Catholic University of Lublin. He was ordained priest in 1973. He was rector of the Seminary and secretary of the Province from 1982 - 1985. He founded the Mother of God Confraternity of Religious Schools for which he serves as Chaplain. In 1985 he founded SOS for the children of poor families and families with problems for which he still today serves as spiritual director. That is a place where children can learn, play, and find the help of a doctor, psychologist and spiritual director. He is rector of the monastery in Krakow.
Already for 13 years he has been coming to Medjugorje. Since 1988 he is director and publisher of the Medjugorje periodical 'Znak Mira [Sign of Peace]" and of other books and publications that write about Medjugorje. Since 1986 he has regularly organized and led pilgrimages to Medjugorje.
Dr. Fr. Slavko Barbaric - born 1946 in Dragicini, Bosnia-Hercegovina. He studied theology at Visoko, Sarajevo and Schwaz. He was ordained priest in 1971. He received his Doctorate in 1982 in the field of religious pedagogy. Since 1982 he has been in Medjugorje. He writes books and articles on religious subjects. He works in the Shrine. He is the leader of numerous spiritual exercises and presentations. In many parts of the world he has conducted countless meetings on the theme of the Medjugorje events.
150 leaders from fifteen countries attended the meeting. On this occasion the participants made the following
DECLARATION
We have reflected on the Document of the Holy Sea "Pilgrimage in the Great Jubilee of the Year 2000" - the characteristics of pilgrimages to large Marian Sanctuaries - as they apply specifically to Medjugorje. Conscious that pilgrimages play an important role in the life of the faithful, we want to organize our pilgrimages even more wisely so that they truly become an opportunity and an occasion for the faithful to find spiritual edification through them, to deepen their spiritual life and to orientate their way of life towards God.
This is why we make the following recommendation to all Medjugorje Centers and prayer groups:
- - to participate in the pilgrimage programs organized by their local parishes for the Great Jubilee 2000;
- - in light of the above-mentioned Document of the Holy Sea, to prepare, accompany and organize pilgrimages to Medjugorje so that the pilgrims can experience "the silent and attentive contact with God and with themselves", especially in the Sacrament of Holy Confession and in the celebration of the Holy Eucharist.
The Participants
THE DOCUMENT OF THE HOLY SEE ON 'PILGRIMAGE 2000'
On April 25, 1998, the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People published a document about Pilgrimage in the Great Jubilee of the Year 2000 (herein referred to as the Document 'Pilgrimage 2000'). The title of the Document 'Pilgrimage 2000' itself emphasizes the reason for its publication. It is the imminent Great Jubilee of the 2000th year of Christ's birth. "A fundamental goal of the present historical pilgrimage of the Church is the Jubilee of the Year 2000 towards which the faithful are walking beneath the vault of the Trinity."(1) For the Great Jubilee numerous pilgrimages are being prepared, mainly to the Holy Land (Jerusalem and Bethlehem) and to Rome. Pilgrimages of the Great Jubilee are intended to be at the service of deepening spirituality and of morefruitful pastoral ministry.
Pilgrimage has always occupied an important place in the life of Christians, as well as in the life of all the faithful. "In the course of history, Christians have always walked to celebrate their faith in places that indicate a memory of the Lord or in sites representing important moments in the history of the Church. They have come to shrines honouring the Mother of God and to those that keep alive the example of the saints. Their pilgrimage was a process of conversion, a yearning for intimacy with God and a trusting plea for their material needs. For the Church, pilgrimages, in all their multiple aspects, have always been a gift of grace."(2)
Especially today, pilgrimages are a favorite devotion of the faithful. Contemporary society is marked with intense movement. That is, people like to be in motion. In their travel they relax, they get personally acquainted, they get to know new places and new people and, in this way, are in many ways enriched. Thanks to modern means, today the faithful travel far away from their own country to the Holy Land, to the Marian Sanctuaries at Lourdes, Fatima, Czestochowa or to other places either in the world or in their own country. It is for this reason that, in regard to pilgrimages, the pastoral care must have clear theological foundations to justify it and develop it into a solid and enduring practice in the context of general pastoral care. Finally, it is evangelization, the deepening of faith and the spiritual life, that is one of the primary goals for which the Church proposes and encourages pilgrimages.(3)
The Document 'Pilgrimage 2000' is a theological analysis about the meaning of pilgrimages, giving pastoral direction on how to organize and lead pilgrimages. In this sense it is a providential document for the faithful, particularly for those who are responsible for pastoral ministry to the faithful. In it they will find valuable spiritual assistance for a more profound and more intense experiencing of the Great Jubilee. The Document 'Pilgrimage 2000' is intended "to offer an aid to all pilgrims and people in charge of the pastoral care of pilgrimages, so that in the light of the Word of God and of the age-old tradition of the Church, everyone may share more fully in the spiritual wealth found in the experience of pilgrimages."(4)
The aim of the document 'Pilgrimage 2000' of the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants is to give spiritual meaning to the pilgrimages which pastoral care givers are organizing in the course of the Great Jubilee Year 2000. Its aim is to bond pilgrimages firmly with the reality of penance and conversion: a pilgrimage is an opportunity and a motive for the faithful to be spiritually edified, to deepen his religious life and to aim his life's path toward God.
The Document 'Pilgrimage 2000' has six parts, an introduction and a conclusion. In the Introduction (n. 5-6), the motive and aim of 'Pilgrimage 2000' are emphasized, and the Conclusion theologically encompasses the contents of 'Pilgrimage 2000' (n. 57-58). In Part I the Document 'Pilgrimage 2000' describes the Pilgrimage of Israel (n.7-12); in Part II the Pilgrimage of Christ (n. 13-16); in Part III the Pilgrimage of the Church (n. 17-25); in Part IV the Pilgrimage Toward the Third Millennium (n. 26-31); in Part V the Pilgrimage of Mankind (n. 32-39); and at the end in Part VI the Pilgrimage making of Christians today (n. 39-56). 'Pilgrimage 2000' is a condensed theology of pilgrimage. It holds all 58 pages in pocket-book format, is written in an easy style and can be read without difficulty.
Pilgrimage is not only a Christian phenomenon but is found in all religions. "Pilgrimage symbolizes the experience of man as a traveler, (homo viator) who sets out, as soon as he leaves the maternal womb, on his journey through the time and space of his existence."(5) A pilgrimage is the journey of a believer to a holy place which has been consecrated by the manifestation of some deity, or the activity of some religious teacher or the founder of a religion, with the intention of praying and offering sacrifice there. As such, it is a specific experience of faith and a phenomenon connected with all religions, and in existence ever since religions exist. At the holy site a shrine is ordinarily erected in which and around which the faithful gather. Such a holy site can be in or outside the pilgrim's country, sometimes very far away. The goal of making a pilgrimage is ordinarily the attainment of some material or spiritual good which, according to the belief of the pilgrim, can be obtained precisely at that holy place. Pilgrimage by its very nature is ordinarily connected with sacrifice and self-denial. And the good, namely, the grace which the pilgrim receives at the holy site, is precisely the reward for such an executed effort. The good things that are sought can be very diverse and range from the healing of some illness to the attainment of eternal life.(6)
Making pilgrimage is a very favored practice in the devout world because: 1st, it engages all human capabilities (audio-visual, motor, emotional); 2nd, it highlights and deepens the mutual bonds that are a very important factor in religious emotions; 3rd, it stresses the value and prolongs remembrance of the religious events that are connected with the place; 4th, it strengthens the international, social, cultural, and civilizing bonds that surpass the boundaries of a nation or even of a race. On their long journey pilgrims pause, sell, buy, exchange material and spiritual goods, get acquainted with the cultural values of the people in whose midst they have come as strangers (Latin peregrini) and through whose midst they have passed. That is why the making of pilgrimage as such appears relatively late in the history of religion, then, namely, when there is already established a certain advancement in social relations (family, clan, tribe, nation, state, roads, shrines, and the like).(7)
The history of the chosen people in the Old Testament is in fact a magnificent pilgrimage on the paths of faith: the exodus from Egypt, the passover through the Red Sea, the journey through the desert, the trials and sin, the entrance into the promised land, the march into the Babylonian exile and the return from it to the old homeland. Three times a year, namely, for the high holy days of Passover (Pesach), the Feast of Weeks (Shavuoth), and Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkoth), the Israelites made pilgrimage to the holy city Jerusalem. Mohamed was inspired by the practice Jewish and Christian pilgrimage and commanded Moslems: "Make pilgrimage and visit the holy places out of love toward God!" (Koran II, 196). Every year millions and millions of Moslems make pilgrimage to Mecca and Medina. Pilgrimage is even one of the five pillars of the Islamic faith.
The followers of Hinduism make pilgrimage to the River Ganges, the holy river, their "mother", which cleanses them from sin. Buddhists make pilgrimage to places that Buddha consecrated by his life. Shintoists go into deep forrests and meditate in silence in the thicket. Christians, on the other hand, go to the holy places where God revealed Himself or that are connected with the life, passion, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and of His saints.
Pilgrimage is differentiated from tourism: Tourism is an escape from one's own everday life into something unusual, out of the ordinary, entertaining. Whereas, pilgrimage is a journey toward a definite goal, a journey rich in symbolism. A pilgrim travels toward a shrine as to "the house of the Lord" that is, toward the symbolic house of the Lord which, expressed in mythical language, is in Heaven. Thus, symbolism is the specific element that distinguishes pilgrimage from tourism. A symbol is thing containing two truths: one on the level of reality and the other on the level of the conveyed meaning. Three pieces of cloth - red, white and blue in color - are an ordinary object with its own definite meaning and purpose. But when they are put together into a single whole unit, they then become a red, white and blue flag, as the symbol of a state and of a people. A pilgrimage is a symbolic act: a symbolic journey toward God. "O God, you are my God whom I seek; for you my flesh pines and my souls is thirsting for you like the earth, parched, lifeless and without water. Thus have I gazed toward you in the sanctuary to see your power and your glory." (Ps 63, 2-3) For those who believe, life is a journey, a pilgrimage. Their life is firmly anchored in reality, that is, in history, but at the same time, it is a journey, a pilgrimage toward salvation.
In the Part I the Document 'Pilgrimage 2000' (n. 4-8), explains the Pilgrimage of Israel beginning with Adam's pilgrimage, continues explaining the meaning of Abraham's pilgrimage and of the pilgrimage of the chosen people of the Old Testament with the Exodus from Egypt, the journey through the desert and finally the entry into the Promised Land. The Exodus from Egypt acquired a permanent value. It became a memorial (Hebrew zikkaron, Latin memoriale). It is always alive among the people and is repeated in the return from the Babylonian captivity which Second Isaiah celebrated in song as a new exodus (cf. Is 43,16-21) which the Israelites celebrate at every Feast of Passover ["passage"]and which in the book of Wisdom is transformed into an eschatological reality (cf. Wis 11-19). The final goal of such a journey of faith is the "promised land" of full communion with God in the new creation (cf. Wis 19).(8)
The devout believer of the Old Testament presents himself before God as "a wayfarer and a pilgrim" (Ps 39,13; 119,19). The Israelites went on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, to holy Zion, singing joyful hymns, the "Psalms of Ascent" (Ps 120-134). They had an experience with God as the pilgrim who forever walks with His people. The God of Israel is not bound to one definite place, as the pagan gods were. Instead He traveled with His people and is present at every place. In their proclamations "the prophets also indicate a Messianic pilgrimage of redemption, which is also open to the eschatological horizon in which all the peoples of the earth will stream toward Zion, the location of the divine Word, of peace and hope"(cf. Is 2,2-4; 56, 6-8; 66,18-23; Mih 4,1-4; Zac 8,20-23).(9) The goal of this universal movement of the people is the common "banquet for all the nations" at the end of history (Is 25,6).
In Part II of 'Pilgrimage 2000', Christ's Pilgrimage is explained. Jesus is presented as "the Way, the Truth, and the Life" (cf. Jn 14,6) and by His incarnation and birth from the Virgin, He sets out on the way of His people and of all mankind "uniting Himself in some way with each man."(10) Jesus not only shows the way on which one must walk to God, but He Himself walks that way. He in Himself is the way to God. Still a boy He goes on pilgrimage with His parents to Jerusalem, to the Temple. His public ministry gradually takes shape as a continuous pilgrimage from Galilee, through Samaria to Judea to Jerusalem, where He will be crucified. The Evangelist Luke describes Jesus' activity as "a long journey whose destination is not only the cross, but also the glory of Easter and of the Ascension"(cf. Lk 9, 51; 24,51).(11) Luke presents the death of Jesus in the transfiguration on the mountain as an "exodus"(Greek exodos). Jesus calls His disciples to follow Him: "If anyone wants to be a follower of mine, let him renounce himself and take up his cross and follow me. . ." (Mt 16,24).
The disciples of Jesus, more spiritualized and animated by the Holy Spirit at the Feast of Pentecost, go out into the streets of the world, thus being immersed in the various nations of the earth, going from Jerusalem up to Rome, proclaiming everywhere the Gospel of Christ.(12)
"The final destination of this pilgrimage along the roads of the world, however, is not written on the map of the earth. It is beyond our horizon, as it was for Christ who walked with the people to bring them to the fullness of communion with God."(13) It is significant to observe that the Acts of the Apostles defines the Christian life as "the way" par excellence. (Acts 2,28; 9,2; 16,17; 18,25-26 and elsewhere). The Christian life is presented as a pilgrimage toward the heavenly Jerusalem (Revelations), a pilgrimage that has a transcendent end. The Christian is aware that here on earth he is a "traveler", an "alien or foreign visitor" , his "homeland is in heaven".(14)
In Part III the document 'Pilgrimage 2000' explains the Pilgrimage of the Church (n. 12-17). The Church also, the messianic People of God in on the way toward a future and lasting city.(15) The missionaries of Christ passed through all the important Roman roads, caravan tracks and maritime routes; they encountered various languages and cultures, proclaiming the Gospel of Christ: from Asia Minor to Italy, from Africa to Spain and Gaul and later on from Germany to Britain, from the Slavic countries up to India and China. In modern times, they continued toward new countries and new peoples in America, Africa and Oceania, thus delineating "the journey of Christ down the centuries.(16)
In the fourth and fifth centuries, there appears in the Church the monastic movement: "ascetic migration" and "spiritual exodus". Devout people go into the desert and there reflect on the experience of Abraham, of a stranger and a guest, the figure of Moses who guides the people out of Egypt and leads them to the promised land, as well as Elijah, who meets God on Mt. Carmel.(17) At that time, St. Jerome and his disciples, Paula and Eustochium, set out to the Holy Land. They settled in Bethlehem, close to the grotto of the Birth of Jesus. They founded monasteries, lauras, hermitages and coenobia in the desert of Judea and outside of the Holy Land in Syria, Cappadocia, Thebaid and Egypt. St. Jerome and other holy fathers call Christians to go on pilgrimages to holy sites (18) but also warn of over-exaggeration, misunderstandings and misconceptions. Gregory of Nyssa, in particular, warns the pilgrim that "the true journey to be experienced is the one that leads the faithful from the physical reality to the spiritual one, from corporeal life to life in the Lord and not the trip from Cappadocia to Palestine."(19) St. Augustine advises: "Go back into yourself: the truth lives in the person's heart! ... Go beyond your very self!"(20) St. Jerome also warns against formalistic comprehension of making a pilgrimage.(21)
When the Arabs conquered the Holy Land in 638, making the visit of the Christian pilgrims to the Holy Land more difficult, new itineraries in the West were opened: to Rome ("Ways to the See of Peter"), to St. James in Compostela, to the Marian Sanctuary in Lourdes, to Jasna Gora in Czestochowa, to the great medieval monasteries, fortresses of spirit and culture; to places that embody the memory of great saints (Tours, Canterbury, Padua and other places.(22)
In the middle ages we face a great wave of pilgrimages in all directions of Europe and the world, although with some excesses. These pilgrimages nourished spirituality, increased faith, stimulated charity and animated the mission of the Church. "The 'palmer', the 'pilgrim to Rome' and the 'pilgrims' with their specific attires almost constituted some separate order that reminded the world of the pilgrim nature of the Christian community which tends toward a meeting with God and communion with him."(23)
Also a special form of pilgrimage is the Crusader movement which appeared between the 11th and the 13th centuries. In that movement "the ancient religious ideal of going on pilgrimage to the holy places in the Holy Land" was mixed with the new ideas, with the formation of an order of knights, with its social and political aspirations, the awakening of commercial and cultural revolts aimed toward the East, where Islam was present in the Holy Land.
In the 13th century, there appears St. Francis who with his brother Franciscans goes to the Holy Land, to Jerusalem. They will to this very day be the custodians of the holy places in Palestine and beyond in the Near East (Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt). About the year 1300, a Society of Pilgrims for Christ was established. At that time, the Jubilee was proclaimed for the first time in Rome, drawing thousands of pilgrims to Rome. The pilgrimages to Rome thus took place in the successive long series of Holy Years. In this way, Rome became the cultural and religious center of Western Europe.(24)
In the 15th and 16th century, with the discovery of the New World, the eurocentric vision is overcome and the Christianity of the West was divided by conflicts, thus losing its unity, centered in Rome. Alternative pilgrimage sites came about, such as numerous Marian shrines.(25) Nonetheless, in the 18th and 19th century, pilgrimages continued in the life of the Christian community which sustained the faith of the believers from generation to generation, opening new spirituality with new centers of faith (Guadalupe, Lourdes, Aparecida, Fatima ...). Meanwhile, the renewed awareness of being the traveling people of God became a very expressive image of the Church assembled at the Second Vatican Council.(26)
In the Part IV The Preparation for the Great Jubilee of 2000 is set out (n. 18-23). In that context, pilgrimage has an exceptionally great meaning. Already the event of the Second Vatican Council itself was, in a symbolic sense, a great and choral pilgrimage of the entire ecclesial community. The Council came about as a spiritual ascension. The Council Fathers greeted the people of thought as "pilgrims en route to the light".(27) The symbolic image of the pilgrim Church was explained to the pilgrims by two pilgrim Popes, John XXIII to Loreto at the beginning of the Council (1962) and Paul VI to the Holy Land toward the end of the Council (1964). After that followed also the numerous pilgrimages of Pope Paul VI and Pope John Paul II. The pilgrimage of Pope Paul VI to the Holy Land, by which he intended to celebrate the central mysteries of the faith, the Incarnation and the Redemption, inspired a new wave of pilgrimages to the Holy Land from all parts of the world. Through his travels, Pope John Paul II gave an exceptional momentum to pilgrimage as a practice of prayer, conversion and consecration as the Pilgrim People of God.
Vatican Council II in its Constitutions presented the Church as 'a traveler' "present in this world and yet not at home in it"(28), repeatedly highlighting the pilgrim nature of the Church: she has her source in the mission of Christ whom the Father sent, we come from Him, we live through Him and our journey is directed toward Him, and the Holy Spirit guides our ways which follow the footsteps of Christ.(29) The Council itself defines Christian life itself as a pilgrimage in faith.(30)
The Church is missionary by its very nature.(31) The command of the risen Christ: "Go, therefore, make disciples of all the nations!"(Mt 28,19) places its stress precisely on the verb "go", the indispensable method of evangelization offered to the world.(32)
A fundamental goal of the present historical pilgrimage of the Church is the Jubilee of the Year 2000 toward which the faithful is walking beneath the vault of the Most Holy Trinity. This journey needs to be interior and vital rather than spatial.(33)
In Part V (n. 24-31) the Document 'Pilgrimage 2000' interprets the Pilgrimage of Mankind, stressing the spiritual value of pilgrimage and the need for pastoral activity in making pilgrimages. Also in our time humanity is traveling and man feels like a traveler (homo viator) - and is seeking truth, justice, peace and love. He is moving toward the absolute and the infinite, toward God. The movement of mankind in itself contains the "germ of a fundamental desire for transcendent horizon of truth, justice and peace. It gives witness to a restlessness which does not become still but in the infinite God, in the harbour where man can refresh himself from his anguish."(34) On this journey, some of the steps forward are visible: the respect for human rights, the advancement of science and technology, interreligious dialogue...(35) We are witnesses of massive movements of entire nations who desire to flee the dangers of war or natural disasters in their countries or seek a greater security and a greater well-being for their loved ones. On that pilgrimage of mankind, Christianity offers itself as a merciful Samaritan, ready to come to help.(36) In itself, the value of the search, progress and promotion of mutual understanding among people, also contains tourism(37), scientific exploration, cultural and sports travel and travel for commercial reasons. 'Pilgrimage 2000' points out for tourism and commercial agents not to be dominated only by economic interests, but also to be aware of their human and social functions.(38)
There are also the special Christian experiences of pilgrimage: the missionary pilgrims from faraway lands, ecumenical gatherings for the gift of gatherings of praying together for the gift of unity among Christians and interreligious meetings (such as in Assisi in 1986).
In the Document 'Pilgrimage 2000' two cities are set out as a special goal of pilgrimages, Rome, symbol of the universal mission of the Church, and Jerusalem, holy place venerated by all those who follow the way of Abrahamic religions, the city from which the law and the word of Yahweh will go forth (Is 2,3).(39) Pilgrimages must not be forgotten to the cities where evil has been committed (Auschwitz, Hiroshima, Nagasaki).
At the end in Part VI of the Document 'Pilgrimage 2000' the Pilgrimage of the Christian Today is spoken of (n. 32-42). This is the most detailed part. In it, the most important elements of pilgrimage are set out and directions for pastoral care of pilgrimages are given. For the Christian, pilgrimage is "the celebration of his own faith ... which needs to be accomplished according to tradition, with religious sentiment and as a fulfilment of his paschal existence".(40) In a special way, this experience takes place in the Eucharistic celebration of the paschal mystery, the reception of Holy Communion and the reading and reflection of the Gospel.(41) For that purpose, pastoral care needs to be developed in the sanctuaries where pilgrims can experience a "silent and attentive contact with God and with themselves", above all in Holy Confession where their sins are forgiven and they become a new creation. Eucharistic celebration is the goal of reconciliation with God and with one's brothers.(42) In the sanctuaries as well as during the time of the journey toward the sanctuary, a spiritual animator who must have a fundamental catechetical preparation should be present to be able to prepare the pilgrims for their meeting with God. The priests who animate the pilgrims during their common journey have a special responsibility in all this.(43)
The encounter with God in the "Tent of Meeting" in the sanctuary is an encounter with Divine Love, an encounter with mankind, a cosmic encounter with God in the beauty of nature and an encounter with one's own self.(44) Not a small number of Christian shrines are the goal also for pilgrimages of believers of other religions. This fact calls for the pastoral care of the Church to respond to it with initiatives of hospitality, dialogue, assistance and genuine fraternity.(45)
Pilgrimage is also an encounter with Mary, the star of evangelization. Marian shrines, great and small, can be privileged places for an encounter with Her Son whom She gives to us. Christians travel on the way with Mary along the roads of faith, the roads of love and the roads of the world so they can ascend to Calvary and there be beside her like the beloved disciple to whom Christ entrusted His Mother; to the Cenacle of the Last Supper in order there to receive from Her risen Son the gift of the Holy Spirit.
THE SPECIFIC FEATURES OF PILGRIMAGES TO FAMOUS ST. MARY'S SANCTUARIES
The etymology of the term "pilgrimage" dates back deeply into Antiquity. The Greek notion per - epi - demos (literally, "a foreigner", "a non-resident") described both a pilgrim and a chance traveller. The original Latin word peregrinus denoted a person travelling through foreign lands, or the one who did not boast a full citizenship. It was made up of two words: peragros, meaning the one who is crossing the field and peregre, meaning away from home, "abroad", "not at home". The term peregrinatio means a being out of one's country, wandering, travelling, visiting foreign countries. It was not until the 12th century that the term peregrinatio started to be unequivocally understood as the religious practice of visiting the holy places. In the Polish literature (especially since the beginning of the 20th century) one may encounter such terms as "pielgrzymstwo", "peregrynacja", "pątnictwo" or "pątnik", used interchangeably with "pielgrzymowanie", "pielgrzymka" and "pielgrzym". The historians readily use the old Polish word meaning, in this case "the pilgrimage to holy places"
The pilgrimage is commonly associated with the trip to places regarded as holy (locus sacre) made out of religious motives, due to the particular presence of God or gods there, in order to perform specific religious acts of devotion and repentance. In other words, the essence of a pilgrimage has always originated from the willingness to interact with the sacrum.
Most of the pilgrimages is connected with the temples, of which the holiest ones are denoted as "sanctuaries". The new Canon Law from 1983 defines the sanctuary as a "church or another sacred place, to which, in accordance with the agreement of the Bishop, numerous faithful make pilgrimages due to the particular cause of their devotion". A sanctuary therefore, is the holy place of God's worship, the place of God's extraordinary presence.
It is estimated that every year, around 240 million people, including 150 million Christians go every year to the centres of a religious cult. In Poland 5 to 7 million people (over 15% of the total population) take part in pilgrimage migration every year. The Roman and Eastern Catholics, as well as the Orthodox Christians, Jews and Muslims make those pilgrimages. Poland can therefore be included among the countries where the pilgrimage activity is particularly developed.
During pagan times the places of cult on the Polish territory included mainly hills, woods, rivers, springs, trees and stones. The pagan tribes treated them with reverence and respect. The pagan cult rites were performed on the top of Ślêża and Łysa Góra mountains. The temples during the pagan times on the Polish territory were rather rare. They were mostly found in Western Pommerania region.
At the beginning of the period of Christianity in Poland the cults of the saints, hermits and the Lord's Sufferance were of paramount importance. It wasn't until the turn of the 12th and the 13th centuries that the cult of St. Mary took hold. The origins of the pilgrimages are connected with St Adalbert (956 - 997) and his death of a martyr.
Gniezno - the town associated with the life of St. Adalbert, where his tomb is located, became the main pilgrimage centre in the early Middle Ages (11th - 13th centuries). Gniezno was always visited by the members of the Piast dynasty - the rulers of the Polish state.
Simultaneously to the cult of St. Adalbert, the cult of hermits was developing on the Polish lands. St. Andrzej Świerad (died in 1034), whose cult has survived until today, is one of better known hermits in Poland. St. Benedict, who died as a martyr in about 1037, was St. Andrzej Świerad's disciple. Other hermits from that period include: the blessed Bogumil-Piotr II, the blessed Juta from Chelmża, Dorothy from Mątowy. The history of the cult of hermits in Poland, especially after their deaths, introduce a very popular, medieval cult of people who had died in the aura of sainthood, especially those raised by the Church to the altars. Their tombs or relics drew the faithful which consequently led to the establishment of pilgrimage centres. Among many unusual personalities from the age of early Christianity in Poland a few were especially revered. Apart from St. Adalbert one should mention St, Stanislaus, the bishop and the martyr, St. Hedwig of Silesia and the blessed Kinga.
The St. Mary's cult appeared on the Polish lands together with the baptism (966). The pilgrimage movement developed at the turn of the 12th and 13th centuries.
The first pilgrimage to St. Mary's sanctuary can be traced to Silesia, where, not far from Środa Śląska the St. Mary's church belonging to the Benedictines was supposed to be located. The intensive development of the St. Mary's cult fell into 13th-14th centuries. It began to replace, so to speak, the cult of the hermits and the saints, popular in the first ages of Christianity. No wonder then, that together with the developing St Mary's cult the number of centres with wondrous images of God's Mother was constantly growing. The breakthrough in the matter was undoubtedly the location of the Monastery of Paulines in Jasna Góra and the subsequent transferral there of the wondrous painting of Black Madonna of Czêstochowa (around 1383).
Jasna Góra is one of the most important and the biggest centres of St. Mary's cult in the world and not only in Christian sense of the word. It is the second, after Lourdes, centre of St. Mary's cult. Jasna Góra is the biggest St. Mary's centre in the Christian world not directly connected with the God's Mother appearances. At the present moment, 4 to 5 million of pilgrims visit Jasna Góra every year, including 400 thousand of foreigners every year from over 80 countries of the world.
Since the very beginning of its origin Jasna Góra has played an important role in the Roman Catholic Church - in the local, Polish and universal sense. The above-mentioned thesis can be substantiated by numerous visits paid to Jasna Góra Sanctuary by representatives of the church from all over the world; and at the end of this Millennium several visits by the Holy Father John Paul II. The role of Jasna Góra was underlined by His predecessors (e.g. Martin V, Alexander VI, Clement XI, Pius X, Pius XII, John XXIII, Paul VI, John Paul I). The Decree of Clement VI, crowning the miraculous painting of Madonna of Czêstochowa (1717,the first coronation outside Rome, preceded by vows made by the Polish king John Casimir, made in Lvov on 1 April 1656, in which he officially recognised and announced the God's Mother to be the Queen of Poland)assured that the Queen of Poland became well known in the Christian world.
The tradition of pilgrimages to Jasna Góra dates back to the origins of the sanctuary (1382). The Sanctuary quickly achieved the international stature (the early 15th century). Almost all Polish kings made pilgrimages there. the 16th century witnessed the formation of traditional Jasna Góra pilgrimages. Since 1711, up to the present time the annual Warsaw Pilgrimage on Foot has been taking place. In the period between two World Wars the international status of Jasna Góra Sanctuary was finally established. The characteristic feature differentiating Jasna Góra from other sanctuaries (and not only the Christian ones!) is its massive character of its annual foot pilgrimages. On average, the number of pilgrims amounts to over 200 thousand, which is about 5% of the total pilgrims world-wide.
The fast development of foot pilgrimages to Czêstochowa, connected, among other things with the 600 years' anniversary of the monastery (1982-83), has been observed since 1977. To commemorate this anniversary some new foot pilgrimages originated, e.g. the Kaszuby region setting off from Swarzew ("600 kilometers for the 600th anniversary"). In the 1980"s, the patriotic motives played almost a tantamount role to the religious ones. The participation in the pilgrimage became a sort of a protest against the regime and against the introduction of the martial law in 1981 and the political repression that followed.
At the present moment the greatest number of pilgrims arrive on the following indulgence days: 3 May (God's Mother, Queen of Poland), 15 August (Ascension of St. Mary), 26 August (God's Mother of Czêstochowa) and 8 September (St. Mary's Birth). The number of the faithful amounts then to 300 to 500 thousand. There are over 50 walking routes which criss-cross entire Poland, leading to Czêstochowa and their lengths vary from several kilometres to hundreds kilometres. On the way to Jasna Góra the pilgrimages visit other sanctuaries along the route , e.g. The Highlanders' Pilgrimage stops at Ludźmierz, Kalwaria Zebrzydowska, Maków Podhalañski, Leśniów; Warsaw University Foot Pilgrimage goes through Niepokalanów, Miedniewice, Smardzewice, Gidle, Mstów; Przemyśl pilgrimage visits the sanctuary in Borek Stary, and the Zielona Góra and Gorzów Diocese Pilgrimage- the holy mountain in Gostyñ. Annually, about 150 groups of the total number of pilgrims of 175 to over 200 thousand take part in the foot pilgrimages. Undoubtedly Jasna Góra is a religious phenomenon in the world-wide scale, especially in the Christian world. No other sanctuary is visited by such a number of foot pilgrims. The influences of the Polish pilgrimage tradition can be found in many countries, especially European ones. It is partially reflected by, on one side the growing number of foreign pilgrims, and, on the other, organisational expertise of Jasna Góra, readily used abroad in organising foot pilgrimages.
One should remember, however, that in Poland Foot pilgrimages are not typical only for Jasna Góra - this tradition dating back to hundreds of years ago concerns most Polish pilgrimage locations. Even small, local centres host, during religious or jubilee ceremonies, foot pilgrims from neighbouring parishes or decanates. Kalwaria Zebrzydowska, Ludźmierz, Piekary Śląskie, Wambierzyce, Bard Śląski, Kodyñ, Gietrzwald or Wejherowo have kept the pilgrimage tradition alive to this day. One should mention here one sanctuary, exclusively for foot pilgrims - Wiktorówki - the centre devoted to St. Mary, Queen of the Tatra Mountains, located in the mountains, at the altitude of 1150 meters above the sea level. Apart from the main August ceremony (August 15th), several thousands of Highlanders walks there to the Midnight mass and on the New Year's Eve.
Matka Boska Ostrobramska in Vilnius in Lithuania has been as much revered as the Black Madonna from Czêstochowska since the 19th century. The pilgrimage groups from all over Poland wandered to Vilnius. It was then when Vilnius started to be perceived as one of the national sanctuaries. The incorporation of Lithuania to the Soviet Union after the World War II made it impossible for the Poles to visit Vilnius. Only in recent years the tradition of visiting Ostra Brama has been reborn.
Contrary to contemporary tendencies for the secularisation of the individual and social life, there has been a marked growth in pilgrimage migrations in the last twenty years. In the Roman Catholic Church, it is definitely associated with epistolary visits of John Paul II. It is estimated, that the total number of people taking part annually in the pilgrimages of the supra-regional character amounts to 220 to 250 million, including 150 million (60 to 70%) of Christians. It is said that in Europe alone, about 30 million Christians, mostly Catholics sacrifice their holidays (or a part of it) to take part in the pilgrimage.
The biggest centres of Christian religious cult, attracting almost 25 million of pilgrims (15% of migrants, followers of this religion) include: Rome, together with the Vatican (about 8 million), Lourdes (6 million), Jasna Góra (4-5 million), Fatima (4 million), Guadelupe (2 million). Among the Christian sanctuaries the paramount role is played by St. Mary' sanctuaries. They belong to - according to the Holy Father to " the spiritual and cultural heritage of a given nation and radiate a great power of attraction". Most of important Christian pilgrimage locations (about 80%) are connected with St. Mary's cult.
The locations of appearances of St. Mary have played an important part in the development of the cult and with the pilgrimages connected with it. In the contemporary Catholicism, out of many such places in Europe, the most important are La Salette (1846), Lourdes (1858) and Fatima (1917). Medziugorje (1981 is equally important. Outside Europe the most important one is Guadelupe in Mexico (the appearance of the God's Mother in 1531).
Gietrzwald, situated in Poland, in the Warmia region is notable in the panorama of St. Mary's pilgrimages. The local appearance of the God's Mother from June 26 to September 16, 1877 was the only event officially approved by the Church. It is interesting to compare the statistics of these appearances with those in Lourdes where the God's Mother appeared 18 times, in Fatima - 6 times and in Gietrzwald where she appeared over 160 times . Thanks to these appearances Gietrzwald is called a "Polish Lourdes".
A very special centre is Lourdes, which , since the time of St. Mary's appearances in 1858, has changed from a small rural town into a specialised religious centre, thanks to the development of pilgrimages. The developing religious function was accompanied by the development of infrastructure necessary for the growing number of pilgrims. The accommodation boasts of over 18 thousand of rooms ( one room per person!). Out of 400 shops, over 85% sells religious articles. There are 5-6 million pilgrims annually, coming from over 120 countries. Foreigners dominate in the organised tours (over 60%). The special group visiting the sanctuary are the sick (about 60 thousand annually) out of which 60% are foreigners. They mainly come to Lourdes on special trains (trains blancs) which, thanks to a sophisticated system of railway sidings can be stationed there for several days. Despite being situated in the outskirts of Europe the availability of Lourdes is very good - thanks both to railway connections, road system and to its own airport Tarbes - on Lourdes which can service 500 to 800 passengers annually. Thus, Lourdes can be classified as one of the biggest charter flight airports in France (along with Paris and Nice). All this makes possible to treat Lourdes as the location of the functional monoculture type , depending on the arrival of the pilgrims. Lourdes is sometimes called "hotel-town" ("ville-d'hotel").
The centre which is comparable to Jasna Góra as far as the number of pilgrims is concerned is Fatima, whose development is connected with the famous appearances of the God's Mother in 1917. There are about 4 million of pilgrims arriving here every year. While comparing Lourdes to Fatima, one cannot fail but notice the slower development of the latter one. It was not until the middle of the 1960's that it became to be perceived as a n international centre, It was obviously due to the location of Fatima at the outskirts of Europe and the consequent poor availability. Also the political system was not conducive to international pilgrimages. The foreigners coming there now belong to over 100 countries. People of Portuguese origin constitute a substantial group of foreigners. Most of them come on the 13th of August in connection with "the National Pilgrimage of Portuguese Emigrants". The characteristic feature of Fatima, setting it apart from other Western European pilgrimages are the foot pilgrimages ( over 30 thousand annually). The accommodation is somewhat varied, 5000 places (over 1000 beds for 1000 inhabitants).
The centre of St. Mary's cult which has been developing rapidly in recent years, connected with the appearances dating back to 1981 is Medziurgoje in Herceg-Bosnia. Then, a small village, "miraculously" spared the horrors of war has developed into a pilgrimage centre with a well- developed accommodation. The appearances of the God's Mother, happening on the daily basis, attract pilgrims not only from Europe but from the whole world. Even the ambiguous stand of the Church as to the genuine character of the appearances does not deter the pilgrims to come there, mostly in buses. In Poland, Medziugorje is becoming more and more popular and it seems likely that more and more Poles will be coming to this sanctuary.
While going to Medziugorje, Polish, as well as foreign pilgrimages, stop at the Croatian sanctuary in Marija Bistrica. There are half a million of pilgrims here annually. Maria Bistrica figurine, famous for its miracles has been declared the Queen of the Chroats and its Sanctuary has been considered the Croatian National Sanctuary since 1971. Pilgrimages from all over the world come there, including a lot of foot pilgrimages.
The biggest pilgrimage centres, not connected with St. Mary's cult include: the Holy Land with Jerusalem, to which the faithful from all over the world come - Christians, Jews and Muslims; Rome, together with the Vatican (the tombs of the apostles, St. Peter and St Paul, and the seat of the Holy Father). Recently, one has observed the growing number of pilgrimages to the tomb of St. James the Superior in Santiago de Compostela.
How can the phenomenon of St. Mary's sanctuaries, attracting such a huge number of pilgrims be explained?
The sanctuariesthrough their attracting and radiating power make the pilgrims seek the possibility to meet the God's Mother. While making pilgrimages to St. Mary's sanctuaries, both to those connected with old appearances of St. Mary (Lourdes, Fatima) and to those where the appearances are still continuing (Medziugorje), and to those sanctuaries which are famous for the images of St. Mary, people are aware that they encounter there the God's Mother. They perceive Her not only as the Mother of Jesus but also as their own mother, their guardian who is able to obtain certain graces for them, close to them and understanding the problems of each man, every time and in each place. In the general understanding of the faithful a sanctuary constitutes, unlike other churches or chapels - a phenomenon of a specially sacred nature. It is a place of interest which arouses imagination and eerie unease: it "lures" and invites; leaves one in suspense of something extraordinary, not because of a clear realisation but rather through a sensed "mystery of faith" which it embodies. The story itself of the "miraculous place", recounted stories, architecture and the souvenirs, and especially the sacred image - the holiest heart of the entire place - a solemn liturgy, masses and the countless crowds of pilgrims who pray, the visits of church and state dignitaries, scientists and artists - all these are conducive to the feeling of admiration, reflection and prayer and call for a deep religious and theological thought.
The Holy Father John Paul II ponders over the phenomenon of St. Mary's cult, the sanctuaries and pilgrimages in his "Redemptoris Mater". He cites that the constant presence of the Blessed God's Mother Mary in Church, which introduces into the world the kingdom of Her Son can take different shapes, both in the contemporary times, as well as in the entire history of the Church. It also provides a various range of means of expression and a multifarious acting power. And it is precisely here, where the Pope, among other ways and dimensions of manifesting of this presence, points at great pilgrimage centres in which "the Christian faith has built magnificent temples throughout the ages, such as Guadelupe, Lourdes or Fatima and in other countries, among which how can not one mention Jasna Góra in my homeland?"
In "Redemptoris Mater" we find the ultimate base upon which the Marian devotion and the pilgrimaging of the God's Folk to all those special places sacred by her presence, take its origin - to Her sanctuaries and temples " in order to, within the motherly presence of Her, who believed, find the strengthening of one's own faith". >From this point of view - the Pope concludes- "one may speak of a certain geography of faith and Marian devotion" embodied in sanctuaries scattered all over the world, where the pilgrimages are undertaken " not only by individuals or local communities but sometimes entire nations and continents seek the meetings with the Mother of the Lord".
The Marian sanctuaries are perceived as places where the Blessed God's Mother, albeit always present in church, performs from the God's will her spiritual maternity in a special way.
For the god's Folk a sanctuary is the place of special religious experiences and soul transformations. These redemptory events are infused with the special presence and maternal love of the God's Mother Mary. from the point of view of theological reflection one should assume that God has chosen sanctuaries as the places of His special mercy, where , unlike in other temples He wants to show his kindness and confer graces to man through St. Mary. That is why the faithful experience in St. Mary's sanctuaries God's acting in a more tangible way; they also experience their contact with Mary in a more intensive way and witness exceptional miraculous events. These events often take a real dimension in miraculous recoverings and conversions and such feats of God's Grace that individuals, as well as groups undergo a profound change.
As a spiritual leader of numerous pilgrimages to Medziugorje an to Polish St. Mary's sanctuaries I have been observing the reactions leading to the meeting with the God's Mother in Her sanctuaries. I observe joy embodied in songs and prayers. The atmosphere of the pilgrimages is permeated with the hope that She, to whom we are going will understand, listen and help - as someone close and loving. The pilgrimages to the Holy Land and Rome has a slightly different character. There, the pilgrims "follow the past's footprints"; they want to find the places where Christ, Mary and the saints used to live. The pilgrimages to St. Mary's sanctuaries, on the other hand is infused with the spirit of present times. One gets the impression that people are getting ready for a meeting with ever -present Mary - a good and loving Mother. Whether they really meet her during the pilgrimages - well, the millions of conversions and recoverings, happening now and in the past in the world sanctuaries testify to that.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Jaboski Z. A., OSPE: El movimiento de peregrinación a Claromontana en Czstochowa. Tradición y actualidad., "Peregrinus Cracoviensis", No 3, 1996.
Jackowski A.: Viajar de peregrinación, Wyd. Dolnolâskie, Wrocaw, 1998.
Jackowski A., Kaszowski L.: Claromontana en el sistema de los centros de peregrinación del mundo, "Peregrinus Cracoviensis", No 3, 1996.
Nalaskowski Jan OSPE: Claromontana a la luz de la reflexión teológica sobre los santuarios marianos, "Peregrinus Cracoviensis", No 3, 1996.
Sojlan I., Jackowski A.: Claromontana ante otros centros de peregrinación en Polonia, "Peregrinus Cracoviensis", No 3, 1996.
ANTHROPOLOGICAL-BIBLICAL AND RELIGIOUS-SPIRITUAL DIMENSIONS OF A PILGRIMAGE, AS THEY APPLY SPECIFICALLY TO MEDJUGORJE
I. MAN IN HIS SEARCH FOR GOD
Pilgrimages are known in all religions. They are an expression of a person who searches for God in places where He has revealed Himself in a special way; where He has offered persons the possibility to feel His presence more easily or with particularly gifted persons, who - through their gifts - have become a special sign of God's presence. This is why there are places of pilgrimage which attract people and where they come in their search to experience God in a new manner, that is, to experience peace, joy, love and hope. With each pilgrimage, a person leaves behind his everyday life, his work, his family, his friends, his security and - longing for a new encounter with God - starts on his journey to places and to people who have proven themselves as "gifted", so as to help him in his new experience with God.
Although the basis and the primary motive of every pilgrimage is the longing for God, leaving behind everyday life and opening oneself to God, there certainly are secondary reasons for a modern pilgrimage - getting to know the world, people and their customs. However, if these secondary motives become the most important, then we are dealing with tourism. The primary as well as all possible secondary reasons are greatly helped by the curiosity of a person which, at the first moment, can override all other motives. Some places of pilgrimage developed because of God's direct intervention into the lives of one or several persons. (This is how most of the Marian Shrines, associated with apparitions, have developed). Alternatively, they developed in the course of time, often after the death of a person especially chosen by God, or even through the charismatic engagement of individuals within the Church.
Irrespective of how a place of pilgrimage developed, a pilgrim always searches for the same thing. Because pilgrims come out of different motives, it is the duty of those responsible for the Shrines to help each pilgrim become aware of the true motives of his pilgrimage - the encounter with God who is waiting for each person. Every available means should be employed in order to achieve this so that what should happen, does happen - the encounter between God who is waiting and person who is searching. This is why one should always ask: "Who is the person? What does he want and what answer is God offering him?" The special spirit of our pilgrimage enables us to say that - man in himself is THE QUESTION AND SEARCHING OF THE ANSWER, WHILE GOD IS THE ANSWER AND THE EXPECTATION OF THE SEARCHER.
II. MAN IN HIS SEARCH FOR PEACE
Man is a spiritual and a physical being. He was given an intellect, a free will and a broad spectrum of spiritual experiences. Man carries in himself a profound longing for self-realization. He continuously seeks this realization and what he is searching for can be explained in this manner: Man is a being who longs for peace. That is why, one can say, without a doubt, that a persons home is where he finds 'his peace'. The search for peace is the main motive of every human activity, and that, for his entire life. We know from experience, that man is prepared to do every good thing, even to sacrificing his own life, when he feels 'peace' on that way. However, we also know that, if man has not found this peace, even if he has done good and opened himself to positive human values, he will start to look for this peace in a world of the negative and the destructive. In this way, a person seeking peace is capable of destroying himself, others and everything around him.
If one looks at the development and growth of a person from the moment of his conception, then one realizes that he needs peace in order to be able to develop and grow at all. When the mother is at peace, then also the child she is carrying under her heart will enjoy this peace and will be able to develop 'happily'. But, if the peace of the mother is disturbed for any reason while she is carrying the child under her heart, then the child no longer feels good and is born with profound consequences of restlessness, from which he sometimes will not be able to free himself for the rest of his life. After being born, the child wants to be accepted and loved so that he can continue peacefully with his life on this earth. But we also know from experience, that many children feel a restlessness within themselves, caused by jealousy, as soon as they realize that their family is expecting a new child. It is only after the jealous child has experienced that it is not being threatened, but even enriched, by the newborn and it continues to feel loved and accepted that peace returns to the child. As he grows up and develops, nothing changes. The person only expresses his restlessness in another manner and searches for his peace in another way - either in a positive or in a negative way. Here we are confronted with a fundamental question: Is the person an exile who lost his "peaceful home" a long time ago and is now trying in any way possible to find it again, or was he born with the longing in his heart to find the peace that goes beyond all promises that the world in which he lives offers him? We do not want to analyze all anthropological and psychological theses and questions now, since they all have one thing in common: the concrete person, who has been given an intellect, a free will and a soul wants to live in peace; but the world, which he experiences empirically, does not completely assure him of this peace and this is why he is tirelessly searching for it and cannot free himself from the desire to make the realization of this peace. In order to experience this peace and to be able to remain in his "peaceful home", all segments of the person, that is his intellect, his free will, his mind and his soul, have to be satisfied.
In this, human beings differ fundamentally from the animal kingdom. Animals do not venture outside themselves in order to find peace. In order for them to be at peace, it is enough that their hunger is appeased, their thirst quenched and their instinctive needs are satisfied. Even the most blood-thirsty animals forget their aggression as soon as their instinctive needs are satisfied. We should not forget that anthropology, psychology and sociology all try to convince human beings that they only need a little more than the animals in order to find peace; but this 'little more' does not surpass the horizons of this world. And again, our experience shows us: the more satisfied a person is on a physical-instinctive level, the more restless, aggressive and dangerous he becomes towards himself and his surroundings if his being is not permeated with the spiritual reality.
III. THE BIBLICAL IMAGE OF MAN - THE RESTLESS EXILE
The biblical image of man is transcendental. God created man in His image (cf Gn 1,27). God gave man the possibility to collaborate with Him and, together with Him, to find peace and happiness on this earth. Man was placed in this earthly Paradise where, in friendship with God, he enjoyed peace. However, something happened which the Bible defines as Original Sin. Man made a mistake by reaching for something forbidden, thus destroying his alliance with God and their reciprocal union. He could no longer stand God's presence because His footsteps and His presence frightened him and he, therefore, had to hide. The consequences for man were grave. He does not want to admit his sin and puts the blame on someone else: the man, Adam, on his wife, Eve, and Eve on the serpent-Satan, who deceived her. And man loses his peace, his existence is threatened because everything has turned against him and he has to leave the earthly Paradise, his "peaceful home" and, as an exile, he is exposed to difficulties, problems, hard labor and has to eat the bitter, hard earned bread (cf Gn 3, 17-19). According to the Bible, man once enjoyed peace, lost it and was driven out of Paradise and so became an exile. His exile became a pilgrimage for him because God did not abandon him but gave him hope, by announcing a woman with a child, who will conquer evil and return man to the lost Paradise, a new "peaceful home". The entire Biblical history speaks of man who wanders in search of God who manifests Himself and who goes towards man, offering him peace.
According to the Bible, man stands between the recollection of life in Paradise and the internal need for eternal peace, promised already on earth, but only revealed in the Eternal Kingdom of God, the kingdom of peace, justice and truth. The prophets were continuously striving for peace, they prayed and sang about the peace that, in His love, God will give His people. All the prophetic expectations should have been fulfilled in the Messiah, who was to come and create new conditions for the realization of the final, messianic peace.
In the tradition of the Bible, various places of pilgrimage are mentioned; places where people come to search for their God and an encounter with Him. Mention is also made of religious encounters, of pilgrimages. One of them is Shechem, where God's people gathered in His Shrine and where the alliance with God was formed (cf Jos 24,25). In addition to Shechem, Bethel (1 Sm 10,3), Beersheba (Am 5,5), as well as Ophra and Zorah (Jgs 6,24 and 13,19f) are also mentioned as places of gathering.
Later, all shrines were abolished and the Feast of Passover (1 Kgs 23), the Feast of Weeks and the Feast of Tabernacles (cf Dt 16,1-17) were introduced which are being celebrated in Jerusalem. There are two reasons for such gatherings: to assemble the people before their God and to protect them from idolatry and heresy. So the Temple in Jerusalem remains as the only place of pilgrimage. A multitude of people from Palestine and from the Diaspora gathered around the Temple with the same goal: that the people may maintain the right faith and not wander away from their God. Those were days of prayer and adoration of the true God, days in which devotion to the Holy City was expressed and a deep togetherness of God's people was realized. Pilgrimages are not realized only as an actual visit to a holy place, where God manifested Himself, but are also an eschatological event. One talks about "a day of salvation" which is envisioned as a gathering of pilgrims of all nations and of unbelievers. In Isaiah, the Lord says, "I come to gather nations of every language; they shall come and see my glory. I will set a sign among them; from them I will send fugitives to the nations: to Tarshish, Put and Lud, Mosoch, Tubal and Javan, to the distant coastlands that have never heard of my fame, or seen my glory; and they shall proclaim my glory among the nations. They shall bring all your brethren from all the nations as an offering to the Lord, on horses and in chariots, in carts, upon mules and dromedaries. To Jerusalem, my holy mountain ..." (Is 66, 18-20). And the prophet Micah writes, "It is the day; and they shall come to you from Assyria and from Egypt, from Tyre even to the River, from sea to sea, and from mountain to mountain" (Mi 7,12).
Here it is sufficient to recall Psalms 120 to 134 in order to fully understand the meaning of a pilgrimage for the people of Israel:
"I rejoiced because they said to me,
'We will go up to the house of the Lord.'
And now we have set foot within your gates, O Jerusalem -
Jerusalem, built as a city with compact unity.
To it the tribes go up, the tribes of the Lord,
According to the decree for Israel,
to give thanks to the name of the Lord.
In it are set up judgment seats,
seats for the house of David.
Pray for the peace of Jerusalem!
May those who love you prosper!
May peace be within your walls,
prosperity in our buildings.
Because of my relatives and friends I will say,
'Peace be within you!'
Because of the house of the Lord, our God,
I will pray for your good."
(Ps 122, 1-9)
Biblical revelation makes it clear, that man is called upon to do everything on his part in order to accept what God, in His love, has prepared for him. For this reason, man is called to conversion, as a way to peace, on which he leaves everything behind that is hindering him from experiencing and living peace. In order to succeed in this conversion, which means to abandon this world and its promises and to open oneself to God, who is peace, an individual, a family and, from time to time, also the entire people did not only have to pray but also to fast, to believe and love, to reconcile and forgive, to finally overcome all difficulties and to find the peace which God promises. And all this occurs in a special way on a pilgrimage.
Pope John Paul II writes about the pilgrimage of Israel in the document Pilgrimage in the Great Jubilee 2000, No. 8: "To the people of God, the victims of discouragement who are burdened with unfaithfulness, the Prophets also proclaim a messianic pilgrimage of salvation, open to the eschatological horizon, where all peoples of the world will gather on Sion, the place of the Word of God, the place of peace and hope. Reliving once more the experience of Exodus, the people of God must permit the Spirit to liberate them from a heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh. On their life's journey, they must express justice and a jealous faith. They must become a light for all people until the day, when the Lord God will offer 'a banquet for all people' on the holy mountain."
IV. JESUS, THE PILGRIM
Through history, in the fullness of time, God Himself becomes man through His Son, Jesus Christ, and goes towards man whom He wants to bring back into the "peaceful home". So, one can say that Jesus Christ is also a pilgrim; however, with different connotations. During his pilgrimage on earth, He did not search for God but for man and offered him the divine, simple way to peace, which comes from God, because He gives peace (cf Jn 14,27). His incarnation is the beginning of a pilgrimage which continued at the moment when Mary and Joseph brought Him to the Temple to present Him as their firstborn son, according to the Scriptures and the law, requiring each firstborn son to be presented to the Lord (cf Lk 2,22-26).
When he was 12 years old, Jesus continued on his pilgrimage. In accordance with the law, He went with His parents to Jerusalem (cf Lk 2,41) to pray in the Temple, according to the customs of the feasts, "Thrice a year shall all your men appear before the Lord God" (Ex 23,17). From time to time, during His public life, Jesus set out on pilgrimages on various feast days (cf Jn 2,13; 5,1 ff). Jesus' ascent on the mountains, His fasting in the desert and His death on the mountain outside of town are stations on His pilgrimage which ends on the hill of Ascension (cf Mt 5,1-2; 4, 1-11; Jn 19,17; Acts 1,6-12).
He promised His Apostles to remain with them. He sent them to the ends of the world and He realized His presence in His Eucharistic presence, journeying with His people through history to the end of the world and the end of time. Reflecting on the pilgrimage of mankind, the Pope writes in the document Pilgrimage (Pellegrinaggio), No. 29: "The journey of mankind, which encounters tensions and contradictions, is thus being led into the Kingdom of God through this undeceivable pilgrimage which the Church has to announce and realize courageously and in complete loyalty and perseverance because she has been called upon by her Lord to be the salt, the yeast, the light and the city on the mountain." Only in this manner, the ways will be opened where "kindness and truth shall meet; justice and peace shall kiss." (Ps 85,11) Every Christian is called on this pilgrimage of the Church, of the people of God and of all mankind. "For a Christian, a pilgrimage is the celebration of his own faith - a manifestation of the cult which needs to be lived faithful to tradition - with intense religious sentiments and as a realization of his paschal existence" (Pellegrinaggio, No. 32)
In short, the purpose of a pilgrimage is the search for God who manifested Himself at different places, in various ways and at various times. In order for such an encounter with God to occur on the pilgrimage journey, man has to leave his everyday life, set out on his journey and celebrate his faith in prayer and cultic celebration, so that God can liberate him from his old sin and evil and, to again, together with him, set out as a pilgrim on the journey towards the Kingdom of God. That is why in places of pilgrimage, 'divine service' has to be formed which is to become a 'human service'.
V. PILGRIMAGE - SETTING FORTH AND GOING UP
From what we have said so far, it is clear that - due to his anthropological-psychological and religious-spiritual reality - everything has to be done in order to motivate a person to take a step forward, to open himself, to accept, to encounter and to remain on the way towards God, who remains faithful to him. God manifests Himself in places of pilgrimage in exceptional ways through the Bible and special people. This is what motivates a person to abandon his everyday life and to turn towards such places. God first offers man His presence with the intention that, in his search for this loving presence, he will find Him. In the experience of this loving presence, man will empirically experience liberation from the burdens which accumulated on his earthly pilgrimage as a result of his own weakness and sinfulness, as well as the sins of the others. After one has experienced the liberation from the burden of one's sins and their consequences, one should follow the experience of peace, joy, love, hope and trust and should accept the presence of the Lord in one's life. One should do everything possible in order to remain in this presence, even if life is not always easy. Even if one is separated from the divine presence, one should again begin to search for and realize it. The more profound the experience of peace and love is, the easier it is to remain on the way with God and to fight against everything that separates from God.
So that man can break away from the embrace of sin more easily and to free himself from its consequences, each place of pilgrimage should offer various forms of meeting with God. According to the Bible and the experiences of the Prophets, there is first of all a CALL to leave the city, to abandon everyday life and to search for a place of peace and silence. In other words, to go into the desert, then to set forth and to climb the mountain where the Prophets prayed and encountered the Lord, returning again to their place and city to continue their task. Nonetheless, in the practice of the biblical pilgrimage, the Temple was the most important center where the faithful gathered. At these places where the faithful were called, they PRAYED AND FASTED. Offerings were made in the Temple, where the cult was celebrated and where there was RECONCILIATION WITH GOD AND MAN. Following this, the faithful returned renewed and ready to ACCEPT their tasks, to do good and to think of the orphans and widows.
In other words, on the one hand, man comes to the place of pilgrimage with his wishes, but burdened with his difficulties and his sins and their consequences. That is why it is necessary to make it possible for him to remember to see everything in the light of God's love and mercy and to experience the truth of Jesus' words calling all those who labor and are burdened to come to Him, so that He can give them rest and peace (cf Mt 11,28). The pilgrim must be helped on his pilgrimage journey to be able to walk on the ways of the biblical pilgrim, to take the time, that is, not to permit him to do everything hastily, as if he were a tourist looking at general points of interest. He must pause and take his time; he must climb the mountain; in the Temple, he must meet the Lord who forgives and gives him back his peace.
VI. MEDJUGORJE - TODAY'S OFFER
In light of what we have said so far, it is not difficult to understand what is happening in Medjugorje and what must happen; that is, how the divine service should be formed and why it has to be formed, what form it has today and why Medjugorje offers what it does. The fact is that no other Shrine, and thus also no other Marian Shrine, has developed or is developing, as Medjugorje has. I also dare say that not a single one represents the ideal form of a place of pilgrimage, taking into account man's search for God who offers Himself, as is the case in Medjugorje. (One possible exception could be pilgrimages to the Holy Land, because there, meetings are possible in places where God revealed Himself and where Jesus worked).
1. THE APPARITION HILL
The first apparition of Our Lady took place on the mountain Crnica, which today is called Apparition Hill. She called us to peace, prayer and fasting, faith and love. She appeared to children, who are already adults today, whom one can meet and with whom the pilgrims are also meeting. Everything began with the call to peace and belief in God in a country where atheism was the official ideology. On the one hand, the government reacted vehemently against it but, on the other hand, the crowd felt an unbelievable urge to come and see, to experience and respond.
According to his nature, man searches for peace. Through the Queen of Peace, God offers him this peace, thus fulfilling his deepest desire as a fullness of physical, psychological and spiritual good. People began to move. In a biblical sense, Apparition Hill is also a Bethlehem - an invitation to peace with the birth of Christ and, as a mountain, it is an invitation to set forth and go up. On Apparition Hill, a pilgrim experiences the first call and the first opening of his heart under those "conditions so well-prepared" for that. It is a place where man experiences joy and peace and there is not a single pilgrim who does not visit it. For this reason, a well-organized pilgrimage must include the "setting forth and going up" of this mountain.
On Apparition Hill, the joyful and the sorrowful mysteries of the Rosary are prayed and one remains in silence at a place which is marked as the place where the visionaries saw Our Lady. One must take one's time when ascending Apparition Hill but, especially at the apparition site itself one needs much time in silence. In this silence, one should read some of the messages of Our Lady and think about them. One should consecrate oneself to her, that is, consciously accept her as a Mother, because it is at this particular place that she so often said that she is our Mother. Here, one should open oneself to her blessing, as he so often repeats in her messages, "I bless you with my motherly blessing". Here, at this same place, it is also good to make the decision to accept Mary as our Teacher, because she teaches us and leads us to her Son.
As important as it is to come here with a group, it is equally important to come alone, to pray, to remain with Jesus and Mary while praying the Rosary and to hear her voice calling us to peace. This is the same peace to which the Angels called us when Jesus was born. It is particularly recommended to pray for peace at the cross opposite the second station of the joyful mysteries because it was here that, on the third day of the Apparitions - on June 26, 1981 - Marija Pavlovic saw Our Lady with the Cross, crying and repeating: "Peace! Peace! Peace! Only Peace! Peace between God and man and peace between men." Many pilgrims also go to Apparition Hill at night and relate wonderful experiences in prayer. Thus, what Jesus often did is being repeated in setting out at night to pray on mountains.
2. THE BLUE CROSS
In the course of time, another place for silent prayer has evolved, where many individuals and smaller groups also spend time in personal prayer. Its name was given accidentally, because someone had placed a blue cross at the spot where Our Lady appeared when the police had forbidden any gatherings on Apparition Hill. Here, Ivan's prayer group met many times when the meeting was only for his prayer group and Our Lady would appear to Ivan during this meeting. Also in this place, as in all other places of prayer, one should spend time in prayer, in silence and remain in an atmosphere of prayer. Mirjana also often prays at this spot on the second of the month when she meets with Our Lady and prays for the non-believers. All these inspire the pilgrim to "set forth" for this spot and to pray there. There is also a practical side to this place of prayer. Those pilgrims who cannot "ascend" Apparition Hill or Mt. Krizevac because of their physical condition are often able to make it to the Blue Cross and can experience prayer on the mountain here.
3. KRIZEVAC
After the encounter on Apparition Hill, where the first call was heard that resounded in the hearts of the visionaries and later in the hearts of millions of pilgrims, the biblical pilgrimage continues. The pilgrim who comes, burdened by weaknesses and sins, wounded by the weaknesses and sins of others, must continue on the way, which is also the way on which Jesus passed after Bethlehem. This way led Jesus over another mountain and to another ascent with the Cross to the top of Mt. Calvary. The pilgrim who follows the pilgrim Jesus "sets forth and ascends" Mt. Krizevac. Here, one is able to encounter Jesus who suffers and dies; who passes His test as the King of Peace while on the Cross, by accepting His suffering with love, by praying and forgiving. Mary is also here, suffering and remaining faithful to her Son; loving as He loves, praying as He prays and forgiving as He forgives. In the light of Christ who thus passes through the final portion of His pilgrimage, a pilgrim recognizes, on one hand, the immeasurable love that suffers for him and on the other, the human evil, in which he recognizes himself, his own behaviour and the behaviour of others. This realization does not leave any bitterness in his heart because Jesus also did not die in bitterness. This realization awakens the desire to forgive and to seek forgiveness and reconciliation. In ascending Mt. Krizevac, the pilgrim comes in contact with death and life, transition and eternity, love and hate, prayer and condemnation, reconciliation and revenge, violence and mercy, poverty and greed, weakness and power, truth and lie, the tomb and the resurrection, the goodness and malice of man, the fall and the ascent. Through such an encounter on Mt. Krizevac, the pilgrim's heart opens toward God and is ready to repent for his sins, to forgive and to ask for forgiveness. Here, the person understands his own way on earth with God and others. Without such an encounter, a person would not be able to get in touch with his own suffering nor would he be able to open himself towards God, due to his sufferings and misfortunes. In this way, his soul is being prepared for a new encounter, which takes place in the Temple.
One should set aside a great amount of time for prayer on Mt. Krizevac. Here, the Way of the Cross is prayed, consisting of 16 Stations. The first Station shows the Garden of Gethsemane and the last, the Resurrection. One should pray in front of each Station and reflect about Jesus and those around Him and through all that look at oneself, one's own behaviour and those around him. If one climbs Mt. Krizevac in this manner, then that which should happen in him, does: the recognition of the redeeming love of Jesus, the recognition of one's own sin and weakness and of the need for salvation. It is especially important to pray for faith so that everything turns to the good for those who love God. One does not go on Mt. Krizevac to liberate oneself from one's crosses, but to learn how to carry them and to help others carry theirs. When climbing Mt. Krizevac, it is particularly important to pray in silence in front of the cross in order to consciously unite with Mary who remained under the Cross and called us also to come before the Cross and to pray. In deep meditation before the Cross, one's own wounds and the wounds of those whom we have wounded, as well as the sufferings of the family, the Church and the world are presented to Jesus. Especially here, one should pray for spiritual and mental healing.
"Dear children!
Today, in a special way, I invite you to take the cross in the hands and to meditate on the wounds of Jesus. Ask of Jesus to heal your wounds, which you, dear children, during your life sustained because of your sins or the sins of your parents. Only in this way, dear children, you will understand that the world is in need of healing of faith in God the Creator. By Jesus' passion and death on the cross, you will understand that only through prayer you too can become true Apostles of faith when, in simplicity and prayer, you live faith which is a gift. Thank you for having responded to my call." (March 25, 1997)
This is a place of complete composure and spiritual seriousness. Therefore, it is not in the spirit of a pilgrimage to talk, eat or drink on Krizevac or under the Cross, as many unfortunately do at the end of their ascent. It is also in complete contradiction to the spirit of a pilgrimage to sell or buy anything or to leave one's garbage there. One should also descend Krizevac in a composed manner, just as Mary descended from Calvary after all that she had endured and after she had buried her Son. While descending, one could pray the Chaplet of the Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
After such an ascent and descent from Mt. Krizevac, the soul of the pilgrim is ready for new encounters. In church, the pilgrim encounters the resurrected Lord, who gives His disciples the power to forgive sins and to nourish the faithful with the celebration of the Holy Eucharist.
4. CONFESSION
It is not, therefore, by chance that, for many pilgrims, Medjugorje has become the place of confession, leading to conversion. That is why it is important to help the pilgrims to thoroughly examine their conscience as preparation for confession. Within their soul, they are already disposed for contrition, forgiveness and seeking absolution, for a complete purification of soul and heart and for reconciliation with God and man. However, in addition to this preparation, it is also important that priests are always at their disposal and that they consciously take enough time for each confession. As well as listening to the confession, a priest, in the spirit of Our Lady, should not only point out sin and motivate the pilgrim to avoid it, he should also lead him to grow in goodness because the life of a Christian is not only a fight against sin but also a tireless fight for goodness. In other words, according to her messages, Mary not only calls us to create a world without war and conflict, without hate and evil, but she invites us to actively take part in the realization of peace, love and justice. Whoever does not take an active part - even if he does not commit a sin due to a conflict - still commits a sin, because he is not sufficiently active for the good. Mary clearly invites us to confession when she says:
"Dear children!
I invite you to open the door of your heart to Jesus as the flower opens itself to the sun. Jesus desires to fill your hearts with peace and joy. You cannot, little children, realize peace if you are not at peace with Jesus. Therefore, I invite you to confession so Jesus may be your truth and peace. So, little children, pray to have the strength to realize what I am telling you. I am with you and love you. Thank you for having responded to my call." (January 25, 1995)
5. THE EVENING PRAYER PROGRAM
The first part of the evening program consists in praying the Rosary. This is the time of preparation for the Holy Mass. Our Lady herself asked us to prepare ourselves for Holy Mass. During this time and in this atmosphere of prayer, many faithful go to confession. Also during this time of preparation in prayer is the time of the Apparition. The faithful gather because Our Lady is coming. She prays and blesses everyone and in this way, with her presence. She prepares the faithful for the celebration of the Holy Eucharist.
Holy Mass is celebrated so that all faithful of various languages can participate as actively as possible in its celebration. The gospel is read in the respective languages of the pilgrims and, in as much as it is possible, so are the prayers of the faithful. The songs, likewise, are chosen so that the greatest number of pilgrims can participate.
After the Holy Mass, the Creed, seven Our Fathers, Hail Mary's and Glory Be's are prayed followed by the prayer for healing. Our Lady asked us not to leave the Church immediately after Holy Mass, but to remain with Jesus. This is the best time to pray for healing, because before Communion we said to Jesus, "Only say the word and my soul shall be healed!" During this prayer, many inner healings occur and there have also been physical healings. Finally, the Glorious Mysteries are prayed. They are prayed at the end of the evening program and at the end of the day so that the soul and heart can anticipate what awaits one after death; to participate in the celebration of the Risen Lord, and to cast one's spiritual glance towards Mary, as she is gloriously assumed into Heaven and crowned as the Queen. In this manner, the heart and soul open to the life of God and the hope that console and give the strength and the courage to continue on the earthly way until the final victory.
Our Lady asked for such a program. That is why it needs to be recommended to the pilgrims to participate in the entire evening prayer program. It is not so important that every word be understood, since a mystery cannot be understood but can only be comprehended with one's heart. Everyone who has participated in the entire evening program knows how important this is for a pilgrim. Some pilgrims do not take part in the evening Holy Mass with the excuse that they do not understand or that something else - a meeting or an evening meal - has been organized at that time. There are also those who remain at the evening program but walk around the Church during Holy Mass, waiting for the healing prayer. This must be avoided. One should remain for the entire evening program so that one can comprehend what Our Lady desires.
6. EUCHARISTIC ADORATION
In Medjugorje, for the first time in their lives, many pilgrims have experienced the true meaning of Adoration of the Most Holy Eucharist - the encounter with Jesus who has remained with His people in the divine bread. In all his encounters on Apparition Hill, on Mt. Krizevac and in Church, a pilgrim encounters himself in various dimensions and speaks with God of a new beginning in his life - which is the ultimate goal of every pilgrimage.
In the tradition of the Church, there is yet another way to encounter Jesus - in Eucharistic Adoration. Our Lady asked us to adore Jesus, her Son:
"Tonight also, dear children, I am grateful to you in a special way for being here. Unceasingly adore the Most Blessed Sacrament of the Altar. I am always present when the faithful are adoring. Special graces are then being received." (March 15, 1984)
She also asked the parish to have adoration every Thursday after Holy Mass. Thursday is always a special day for the Holy Eucharist and the priesthood. Our Lady speaks about her presence during these moments and she also asks us to fall in love with Jesus in the Holy Eucharist. Only someone who is in love has time.
"Dear children!
Today I invite you to fall in love with the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar. Adore Him, little children, in your parishes and in this way you will be united with the entire world. Jesus will become your friend and you will not talk of Him like someone whom you barely know. Unity with Him will be a joy for you and you will become witnesses to the love of Jesus that He has for every creature. Little children, when you adore Jesus you are also close to me. Thank you for having responded to my call." (September 25, 1995)
In the course of time, adoration was also introduced Wednesday and Saturday evenings and on the vigil of great feast days. In the Adoration Chapel, many pilgrims find a moment of silence and encounter Jesus in the Holy Eucharist. Many pilgrims have discovered adoration for the first time in Medjugorje and have taken it back into their own prayer groups and, in due time, also into the parish community. There already exist groups of pilgrims who have organized perpetual adoration in their parish communities. Adoration is actually an encounter with Jesus in the Eucharistic Bread. When the pilgrim is in adoration alone, it is good to remain with Jesus in silence with as few words as possible. Often the experience of St. John Vianney of Ars is mentioned: "I look at Him and He looks at me." To remain in front of Jesus in silence means to enter into the mystery of His Eucharistic presence, to avoid all haste - be it interior or exterior - and to experience eternity. If adoration takes place within a group, it is necessary to have short meditations which help enter into the presence of Jesus, as well as meditative songs and long periods of silence. Adoration should not be overfilled with reflections as if it were a homily. One should not pray the Rosary or the Litanies but should use the simplest possible prayers and songs so that the soul has time to enter into the silence.
When organizing a pilgrimage to Medjugorje, one should see to it that the pilgrim does not get caught up in too many talks, visits and the like. Instead he should be helped to also find time for this way of encountering God.
7. VENERATION OF THE CROSS
In addition to the encounter with Jesus on Mt. Krizevac, where the pilgrim encounters the suffering Jesus and follows Him on the Way of the Cross, there is in Church every Friday after Mass the Veneration of the Cross, followed by prayers for healing. This is also another good opportunity for a pilgrim to encounter the Cross of our Lord, Jesus Christ, from whom salvation comes and to remain in front of this sign of His love.
"Dear children!
I wish to tell you that the cross should be central these days. Pray especially before the cross from which great graces are coming. Now in your homes make a special consecration to the cross. Promise that you will neither offend Jesus nor abuse the cross. Thank you for having responded to my call." (September 12, 1985)
This is also an important part of the pilgrimage program because it can easily happen that the average believer does not encounter the suffering Jesus at all. A person who does not unite with the suffering Jesus will have difficulties entering into the mystery of love which suffers and triumphs through the resurrection.
If one looks at the Thursday, Friday and Saturday evening programs with adoration and veneration of the cross, one will actually recognize the three solemn days before Easter - Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday - with the liturgy of the vigil and the waiting for the Easter morning. Thus, Sunday morning can be a joyful victory over evil and sin, death and darkness, because one has gone through the sufferings with Jesus of Holy Thursday, the day of the institution of the Holy Eucharist; of Good Friday with His death, and of Holy Saturday with the preparations for the Resurrection.
In this way, one can discover the fullness of the school of Our Lady. She wants to lead us and help us to encounter Jesus, who is our life and resurrection.
8. THE INDIVIDUALS - WITNESSES OF THE PRESENCE OF OUR LADY
The Medjugorje pilgrim, in addition to having an opportunity of being at the places where God has come closer to man through the apparitions of Mary, can also meet the individuals through whom He speaks to us through her - the visionaries. They are important witnesses and a great help on our way to encountering God. Therefore, their testimony is of great importance. Their basic assignment is to simply transmit Our Lady's messages and to talk about their experiences in their encounters with Mary. But both the visionaries and the pilgrims have to take care not to go beyond the limits of the messages and their personal experiences. It would be quite dangerous if the visionaries would become experts for all questions, giving all the answers. Then it could easily happen that the encounters with them would turn into encounters with someone who knows everything or that they would turn into oracles, where people only look for answers without listening to the messages. This would confuse the pilgrims because they would not be able to distinguish between the message of Our Lady and the personal opinion of the visionary. Certainly, in these meetings there is present a curiosity that motivates the pilgrims. In itself, curiosity is something positive, as it motivates the pilgrim to decide more easily to "step out of his everyday life". But this curiosity has then to become the motivation for further encounters with God, who speaks to His people in this manner. (Who would not be curious to meet a person who claims to have daily encounters with Our Lady?) Curiosity enables a person to hear and listen and understand more easily what God is saying. That is why it is important to continue the way across the mountain to the encounter in the Church where one experiences the Sacramental reality.
I am convinced that it is sufficient motivation for a pilgrim who comes to Medjugorje to meet with only one visionary. One should avoid constantly running after the visionaries and over-rating their importance. There is a danger of a "circle of friends" being formed around the visionaries who could be tempted to take advantage of their proximity to the visionaries, by portraying a special image and position so as to enable business and profitable gains off the pilgrims. For example, by making a pilgrim who is staying in one of the visionaries' homes pay more or feel particularly privileged. Such and similar dangers have to be avoided for the benefit of the visionaries, the pilgrims and, finally, for the benefit of the messages they are transmitting.
9. SIGNS AND MIRACLES
It is a fact that many pilgrims who come to Medjugorje testify to having seen special signs in the sky or at the Cross or to have felt the presence of Our Lady and her call with a great intensity. Although it is, of course, not easy to assert objectively what is happening, one must still emphasize that this also constitutes an important factor of the pilgrimage. However, here also the rule applies that the ultimate criterion is what the pilgrim does after having experienced the extraordinary interventions of God. Here, one can also include the spiritual, mental and physical healings. Those who have experienced such healings, by their testimony awaken the faith and the curiosity and inspire people to leave their everyday life and tasks and to go to the people and places which, through the intervention of God, have become the goal of many pilgrims.
10. BREAD AND WATER
A special sign of the pilgrimage is the message of Our Lady to fast with bread and water. Bread is the basic food of man and, thus, also the symbol for life. Also water is irreplaceable in the life of man. It is above all a symbol for spiritual cleansing. These two realities and signs already contain a message: return to life and live, come forth from your impurity and be cleansed.
Simply stated, we are called upon consciously to live for two days only with bread and water. This is the ideal fasting. A person who takes this literally and can live this surely only does something good for his soul and his body. However, one must still take into account one's daily life, problems and difficulties. This call is surely an invitation which is to be responded to in the fullness of freedom and responsibility. Bread and water were also the staple food of the pilgrims in the old days. One could not carry anything else when traveling by foot for several days or weeks. Thus walking and living with bread and water, a person became cleansed and more able to encounter God. He left his everyday life and visited the places, where God revealed Himself, and the persons to whom He appeared.
11. THE COMMUNITY "CENACOLO"
Avery important encounter for the pilgrim is for him to meet with the youth who are in the community of Sister Elvira. They give a concrete testimony of their drug addiction and of their way out from death to life, from their complete enslavement, from crime and atheism to the freedom and peace, that God gives when man opens himself to Him. Here, many pilgrims, especially parents, become aware of their role and realize their possible omissions in the way they raised their children, but they also see the hope that everything can be turned to the good. For young people, this meeting is also very important because in the honest confessions of the addicts they recognize and understand all the dangers of modern evils of drugs and alcohol. Individually and together they are proof of what happens to man when he encounters God and decides for Him. After such a meeting at this community, it frequently happens that a pilgrim wants to go to confession and have a talk with a priest because he has realized his mistakes or because he needs advice. This station on a pilgrimage through Medjugorje helps many people: they return home, conscious of their responsibility and of the dangers that can detain a person on his way to peace, because each type of dependency can be recognized in that a person has become dependent, imprisoned and closed in the horizons of this world. Here, the profound longing to continue on the way of freedom and the decision to fight against enslavement manifests itself.
VII. THE SITUATION OF MANKIND AND THE WORLD - THE DESIRE TO FIND A WAY OUT
All this takes place and forms the place of a pilgrimage and the way of a pilgrimage with all the dimensions man has within himself. If we consciously think about the fact that this is happening at the end of the twentieth century, everything becomes even more interesting and more comprehensible. Today a person searching for God is inundated with a multitude of offers in his daily life which threaten with losing the sense for life, and falling into deep hopelessness, with suffocation and death in the end. The further he distances himself from God, the more he searches for Him and the more sensitive he becomes to all the proposals that offer him any security and that promise peace. More and more, a person departs from his daily routine, if not as one searching for God, then certainly as one indulging in the intoxicating means that estrange him from himself and from all human and Christian values, thus imprisoning him. Drugs and alcohol, sexual saturation and hedonism, the pursuit of power and money are nothing but a "pilgrimage" away from reality into non-reality, from hope into hopelessness, from creative collaboration with God to destructive behaviour against oneself and others. The increasing number of suicides and the legalized killing of unborn life, even at the moment of birth, are nothing but an attempt of man to create a new space for himself where he believes he will be able to escape the monotony of his imprisonment within the horizons of this world. The violence, which emerges in wars and daily murders, is also proof that the framework in which man lives has become too small and that he is searching for an appropriate space to live - but always without God.
Aside from these catastrophic attempts of man to somehow escape from his daily life, the theories of "New Age" are emerging and are being accepted at the end of this century and millennium because they promise people salvation and peace - but without conversion to God. Many meditative movements which attract people and particularly the young, promise peace and salvation, by turning to oneself and finding and activating one's own powers and energies. While some promise a new epoch to come, others foresee catastrophes and apocalyptic events, in which many people and many nations will be wiped out from the face of the earth and only some, or the chosen lucky ones are to survive.
VIII. PILGRIMAGE INTO THE THIRD MILLENNIUM
Pope John Paul II tirelessly invites all Christians and all mankind to prepare themselves for entry into the third millennium, but together with Jesus and Mary. The Encyclical Mother of the Redeemer (1987) speaks of Mary who is on pilgrimage with the Church which is living the Second Advent, and who, as Mother, Teacher and Pilgrim, is preparing the Church for the 2000th birthday of her Son. As the Mother and Teacher of Jesus, she is the one who can best prepare us for the encounter with Him, as she knows Him better than any other saint.
If this word of the Pope can be applied to some place and if Mary's pilgrimage is being realized anywhere, then it is in Medjugorje. Here she comes as a "Pilgrim" daily and has been appearing for nearly 18 years, teaching the people of God how to pray and fast, to be a pilgrim, to find God and to return to Him wholeheartedly. In the message of August 25, 1998 (after 17 years and two months of her presence in Medjugorje), Our Lady says:
"Dear children!
Today I invite you to come still closer to me through prayer. Little children, I am your mother, I love you and I desire that each of you be saved and thus be with me in Heaven. That is why, little children, pray, pray, pray, until your life becomes prayer. Thank you for having responded to my call."
Thus, Medjugorje is a place of pilgrimage in the real sense of the word, concerning the revelations of God, human needs, the possibility of encountering God and also in answer to the invitations of the Pope to prepare the world for entering the third millennium.
IX. WARNINGS AND COMMENTS
One should point out the dangers that arise at any place where many people gather. Medjugorje is no exception. On the one hand, care has to be taken that the messages remain pure and that their concrete application to the Liturgy be clear (prayer, mass, adoration, confession, ascent of the mountains). On the other hand, the protagonists should remain humble and open instruments through whom God works. In any case, care should be taken that the messages are not suffocated by materialism, a spirit of tourism, a chase after money and commercialism. Those accompanying pilgrims should be warned that this not become a "business" for them and those who accommodate pilgrims should not forget the reason for their coming to Medjugorje. It is obvious to everyone that, wherever there is a chase after money and a worldly competitive spirit is present, the true spirit of a pilgrimage is in danger. One should be particularly careful that human curiosity is not misused but channeled and directed in the right way. It can be said without exaggeration that in Medjugorje, the spiritual aspect is still recognizable and that the above-mentioned dangers have not succeeded in suffocating it.
X. AFTER THE PILGRIM RETURNS HOME
After returning home, pilgrims have to take care to continue to live in the same spirit and to refrain from fanaticism and elitism, that is, not to found groups separate of the parish community. A pilgrim should decide for personal and family prayer, he should join a prayer group and, as much as possible, create similar conditions for prayer. Medjugorje was not given to mankind in order to know better than others, but in order to better live the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the only Saviour.
Aside from possible exceptions, one can without exaggerating also say that everywhere there is an effort to remain in the spirit of the messages of Our Lady and to continue to live the Gospel. Here also, Medjugorje has created something which is of exceptional importance. The priests of Medjugorje and also some of the visionaries partake in encounters throughout the world, where thousands of faithful gather and are helped to remain on the right way. It is something no other Sanctuary has.
This meeting also has no other function than to make us more conscious of our role in this magnificent divine intercession and that we fulfill it with dignity. In the hope that through Mary, God will continue to lead us in what He has begun here, we say with her: "Your will be done! I am ready to do everything you tell me to. Help me to understand what it is that you ask of me.
1. The Pontifical Council For the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People, Pilgrimage in the Great Jubilee 2000, n. 23.
2. ibid. n. 2
3. ibid. n. 2
4. ibid. n. 3
5. Pilgrimage n. 43
6. A. Rebi_, "The Phenomenon of Pilgrimage in the Bible and in Islam" in Theological Review 54 (1984) p. 516; T.G. Pinches, "Pilgrimage" in James Hastings, Encyclopaedia of Religions and Ethics, Vol. X, 12a, Edinburgh, 1918; "Pellegrinaggio" in Enciclopedia Cattolica; see headings in other lexicons of religion.
7. A. Rebi_ op. cit. p. 517; F. Heiler, La priere, Paris, 1931, p.150; J.P. Steffes, Wallfahrt und Volkstum in Geschichte und Leben, publ. G. Schreiber, Düsseldorf, 1934, pp.184-216.
8. cf. Pilgrimage n. 6
9. ibid. n. 8
10. Pope John Paul II, Encyclical Letter Redemptor hominis, n. 18
11. Pilgrimage n. 9
12. cf. ibid. n. 10
13. ibid. n. 11
14. Cf Eph 2, 19; 1 Pt 2,11; Hebr 13, 13-14; Rev 21, 4; cf. Pilgrimage n. 11.
15. Vatican Council II, Lumen Gentium, n.9; cf. footnote n. 2.
16. Pilgrimage n. 12; John Paul II, Apostolic Letter, Tertio millennio adveniente, n. 25
17. Pilgrimage n. 13
18. In the fourth and fifth century, there were great organized pilgrimages to the holy sites in Palestine and the tombs of the martyrs. It is from that time that we have travel diaries, such as the Aetheria's Pilgrimage to holy places (4th century) or A Journal of an Anonymous Pilgrim from Bordeaux (4th century) and many other journals of the Holy Land.
19. St Gregory of Nyssa, Letter 2,18: Sources Chretienne 363, 122; Migne PG 46, 1013.
20. St. Augustine, De vera religione 39, 72; CCL 32, 234; Migne, PL 34, 154.
21. St. Jerome. Epistola 58, 2-3; CSEL 54, 529-532; PL 22, 580-581. Pilgrimage n. 13.
22. cf. Pilgrimage n. 14; John Paul II, Discourse during a visit to Vienna (10 September 1983): AAS, 76 (1984), p. 140.
23. Pilgrimage n. 14; Rebi_, "Pilgrimages Today", in Cana 29 (1998) n. 11/316, Oct. 1998, p. 30.
24. Pilgrimage n. 14-15.
25. ibid. n. 16
26. ibid. n.17
27. Message to the world of Vatican Council II, December 8, 1965 in AAS 58 (1966) p. 11; Pilgrimage, n. 19
28. Vatican Council II, Dogmatic Constitution, Sacrosanctum Concilium, n. 2.
29. Vatican Council II, Dogmatic Constitution Lumen gentium, n. 7-9; Ad Gentes n. 5; Pilgrimage n. 20
30. Vatican Council II, Dogmatic Constitution Lumen gentium, n. 8.
31. Vatican Council II, Ad gentes, n.2; Dogmatic Constitution Lumen gentium, n. 17
32. Pilgrimage n. 21
33. ibid. n. 23
34. St. Augustine, Confessions 1,1: in CCL 27,1; PL 32, 661; XIII, 38,53: CCL 27, 772ff.; PL 32, 868.
35. Pilgrimage n. 24
36. ibid. n. 25
37. ibid. n. 30
38. ibid. n. 26-28
39. ibid. n. 31
40. ibid. n. 32; Congregation for Divine Worship, Orientations and Suggestions for the Celebration of the Marian Year (April 3,1987), Notitiae n. 23 (1987), pages. 342-396.
41. Pilgrimage n. 34-35
42. Pope John Paul II, Letter for the Seventh Centennial of Loretto (15 August 1993): Insegnamenti di Giovanni Paolo II, XVI, 2 (1993), p.533.; John Paul II, Homily in the Basilica Aparecidi, Brasil, Insegnamenti di Giovanni Paolo II, III, 2(1980) 99. Pilgrimage n. 33,36
43. Pilgrimage n. 35
44. ibid. n. 38-41
45. ibid. n. 39; John Paul II, Redemptor hominis, n. 37
