Here is a series of meditation that I made for a pilgrimage we made to a local church to Celebrate the Great
Jubilee and obtain the Jubilee indulgence.
The central purpose of our walk is to celebrate the Great Jubilee. This Jubilee year is a special time for the
Church and the world. The Jubilee year, the year of God�s favor, began as a Jewish celebration. Every
fiftieth year was proclaimed as a �Holy year� of God�s favor. People were asked to remit debts and let their
slaves go free. It was part of the Jewish trust in divine providence, that all things were from God and all
must be returned to His use. We, living after the Life of Jesus Christ proclaim a similar Jubilee, yet with
much greater significance. We are not only called to remit temporal debt, but also, the spiritual debt of sin.
We are called to repentance, reconciliation and grace. It�s a look back to the incarnation and a celebration
of Christ�s coming to earth, the great mystery of the incarnation. It is also a look forward to the future of
the Church and a preparation for a new springtime, a new life within the Church prompted and prophesied
by Vatican II.
We are also planning to receive the great Jubilee indulgence. When we sin, two punishments are
connected, both temporal and eternal. Our eternal punishment, is remitted in the sacraments, particularly
Confession. Yet temporal punishment still remains, to help us pay back our dept to God, others and
discipline ourselves. Because all Christians, dead and alive are united in the communion of saints, our good
works can be offered for others. The merit or good works of the saints and Christ, form the treasury of the
Church. The Church, because it has the authority over sin from Christ, may substitute individual penance
with an indulgence from the treasury of the Church. An indulgence, rather than erasing our debt to God,
allows us to draw strength from the treasury of the saints united to God. Certain acts must accompany an
indulgence (read necessities)
(Sing a hymn, say the Jubilee prayer for the diocese and get a blessing)
(Say Our Father and Hail Mary for the Pope, and intention for the Jubilee)
(Read instructions for the walk)
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Pilgrimage- The journey of a pilgrimage is a symbol of our spiritual journey with God. We, as Christians
are called to follow Christ with faith and hope. By making this journey, we show that we are not satisfied
with our life as it is, and want to improve. We are called to come to Christ more intimately and completely.
We do not want to stay confined to a worldly way of life, but are called to a higher world of life. We never
stop searching for the truth. John Paul II talked of the significance of pilgrimages in his Jubilee Bull �On
the mystery of the Incarnation� : �Pilgrimages have always been a significant part of the life of the faithful,
assuming different cultural forms in different ages. A pilgrimage evokes the believer's personal journey in the
footsteps of the Redeemer: it is an exercise of practical asceticism, of repentance for human weaknesses, of
constant vigilance over one's own frailty, of interior preparation for a change of heart. Through vigils, fasting
and prayer, the pilgrim progresses along the path of Christian perfection, striving to attain, with the support
of God's grace, �the state of the perfect man, to the measure of the full maturity of Christ� (Eph 4:13)�.
We offer this part of our journey up for our own spiritual journey and renewed strength in Christ. St.
Bernard pray for us.
Incarnation - �The word became flesh, and made His dwelling among us, and we saw His glory, the glory as
of the Father�s only Son, full of grace and truth.� (Jn 1:14)
The incarnation of Jesus Christ, the act of God becoming man, is the greatest event in human history. The
vary hand that created the universe was now held onto by the virgin. No longer were we estranged from
God, left to grope and guess for His will in our lives. He, became one of us, sharing in our lives. He taught
us how to Love God, our neighbors, and the truth about the world. This is what the prophets longed to see,
but didn�t. What eye had not seen, ear had not heard, what had never even dawned on the mind of man.
This Christ has revealed to us. Finally, by His sacrificial death on the cross, He made atonement to God for
all our sins. John Paul II describes this mystery best in the Encyclical �At the coming of the Third
Mellenium� : �it is not a case of man seeking God, but of God who comes in Person to speak to man of
himself and to show him the path by which to be reached.� We offer this part of our journey up for a
renewed relationship with Jesus Christ, God made man. St. John the Baptist Pray for us.
Joy- The word Jubilation means: �Rejoicing� or �Exultation�. We are reminded this Jubilee to celebrate the
glorious coming of God, and the amazing works He has done in our own spiritual lives. Through him, we
have truly received �the abundance of grace� (Rom 6:17) and can rejoice always for as long as we remain
faithful to His call we are freed from worry. We can look back and celebrate the many gifts Christ has
offered us that we have in the Church: the sacraments, the communion of saints and the intercession of
Mary.
We can cry out with King David in the psalms: �Shout Joyfully to the Lord all the Earth, worship the
Lord with shouts of gladness.� (Psalm 100)
We offer this part of our journey up in thanksgiving for the grace of God. St. Cecelia pray for us.
Reconciliation- Although the Church is the mystical body of Christ and she is constantly striving to come
closer to Jesus Christ her head, she is nonetheless comprised of sinful members who are imperfect and make
mistakes. One central theme that our Holy Father has emphasized for this Jubilee year is reconciliation with
those we have hurt individually and as a community. As in a parable spoken by Christ, we cannot offer our
sacrifices to heaven unless we first make amends with our brothers and sisters. Only when we seek this
peace by loving our enemies can we truly love God who is mysteriously present in them. We must follow in
our Holy Father�s footsteps by understanding our enemies, how we may have hurt them, and apologizing for
our actions. We offer this part of our journey up for all the sins committed in the name of Christ. St. Maria
Gorretti pray for us.
Fasting/Penance - What is the purpose of Penance? How does it strengthen our relationship with God?
Pennance is acts of mortification, self-denial and reparation that are directed at reuniting ourselves to God.
The fruits of penance are endless. Primarily, penance is a sign of our sorrow for sinning and a sincere desire
to repent. It shows other that we truly desire to return to God. Penance also develops self-control, by
learning to chose to live without unnecessary worldly desires. Penance also acts as reparation for sin,
helping us to repair the damages our sins have done to us, other and our society. Finally, and most
importantly, it is an act of satisfaction for our sins. It does not replace Christ�s offering on the cross, but
rather draws us closer to sharing in it as St. Paul stated: �In my flesh, I am filling up what is lacking in the
afflictions of Christ on behalf of His body, which is the Church.� (Col 1:24) Also Peter stated: �Christ
suffered for you so as to leave for you an example that you should follow in His footsteps� (1 Pt 2:21)
St. Rose of Lima pray for us. We offer this part of our journey up for the suffering souls in purgatory.
Sin- �All men have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God� Because our first parents, the first man and
woman, disobeyed God, we have all shared in the consequences. We are born with a tendency for the things
of the world, and this tendency draws us away from God for �the spirit lusts against the flesh, and the flesh
against the spirit.�(Gal 5:17) Our sins are grievous in many ways. First, in the fact that they stop us from
achieving true happiness and chain us down into depression. Second, they hurt our relationships and all we
love. They offend God who loves us so much and deserves our undivided love, honor and adoration. They
become habitual and make us slaves to their deceitful lies. Yet, we have hope for God has sent His Son to
be our Savior. In the cross is true and complete atonement for our sins which is readily available for us in
the sacraments. �We who have died in Adam are made alive in Christ� (1 Co 15:22)
We offer this part of our journey up for our own mortification and strengthening against sin. St. Lucy
pray for us.
The Church- We, in our baptism were individually united to Christ, and thus to the Church. We must not
be forgetful nor unthankful of such a gift. Christ, intending to share His salvation with the entire human
race, appointed the apostles to be the heads of His Church, primarily Peter. He, having founded the Church,
also sustains it, and guides it by the Holy Spirit. By His Church, the very body of Christ made up of a
marvelous diversity of peoples. He reaches out to the world to guide and sanctify it. All men and women
called to the Church are united and strengthen into one people and one body by the bond of charity. Christ�s
holiness is shared with His members in the sacraments. No mystery allows us such closeness to God, and
each other than that of the Catholic Church, the universal Sacrament of salvation.
We offer this up for a renewed understanding of the Church�s role in society. St. Gregory the great Pray
for us.
Ecumenism - One of the great marks of the Church is it�s �unity�. However, in today�s world, there is much
disunity within the Church. Not only de we have separated brethren in various denominations, there is much
division within the Roman Church herself. Many people do not want to collaborate with the shepherds that
Christ has appointed nor work together for God�s will. Let us not be a part of such movements. How can
we transform the world while bickering among ourselves? �A house divided against itself, cannot stand�
(Mk 3:25) We must work in charity, to rebuild this unity, avoiding both extremes of compromise and
intolerance, to seek an answer to Christ�s prayer that we may all be one. Let us follow the advice of Saint
Paul, �let there be no division among you, but be united in the same mind, and in the same purpose� (1 Co
1:10)
We offer this part of our journey up for all the disunities within the Church. St. Cyprian pray for us.
Evangelism- Christ proclaimed to His disciples: �You are my witnesses.�(Lk 24:48) We as Christians, in
our ever ignorant, indifferent and worldly society are called to preach the gospel more boldly than ever
before. It is necessary for us to bring the message of Christ to our world: those who have never heard it,
fallen away Catholics, atheists, our Protestant brothers and sisters, the poor, and even more so the rich. The
necessity for evangelism is reminded in Paul VI�s powerful Apostolic Exhortation on Evangelization in the
modern world: �....the presentation of the Gospel message is not an optional contribution for the Church. It
is the duty incumbent on her by the command of the Lord Jesus, so that people can believe and be saved.
This message is indeed necessary. It is unique. It cannot be replaced. It does not permit either indifference,
syncretism or accommodation. It is a question of people's salvation. It is the beauty of the Revelation that it
represents. It brings with it a wisdom that is not of this world. It is able to stir up by itself faith�faith that
rests on the power of God.[11] It is truth. It merits having the apostle consecrate to it all his time and all his
energies, and to sacrifice for it, if necessary, his own life.� We offer this next part of our journey up for
those who have never heard the gospel. St. Therese of Liseux pray for us, St. Paul pray for us.
Renewal- Many feel the Church is dying! What is the answer to solve such a problem? Must we become
more lenient in our disciplines and teachings? And if we do, can we still claim to preach the message of
Christ when we cannot remain confident in that message ourselves? Renewal is necessary, but it must be a
renewal centered on God, not apart from him. We are called today, more than ever to embrace the true
message of the Gospel today, to sacrifice ourselves to God as a �sweet smelling incense� living holy live
devoted to His will alone. It is our call as Christians to open up to the refreshing power of the Holy Spirit
which will bring to life the body of Christ. Rather than being called to question the Church and God, we
must question ourselves and accept the promise of God and boldly live out His sacred plan for us: �Jesus
Christ is the Same Yesterday, Today and Forever� (Heb 8:13) We offer this part of our journey for a new
outpouring of the holy spirit into our Church. St. Vincent Ferrer Pray for us.
Sacred Tradition - The incarnation and full revelation of God happened 2000 years ago. How are we today
to know and love God�s message? What we celebrate this jubilee is not only the great Gospel of Jesus
Christ, but also the amazing mystery which has preserved this gift for all future generations. Divine
revelation has been passed onto us by the Church through the magesterium, the successors of the apostles.
In this great treasure trove, we receive God�s message, both in the form of oral teaching and the written
words of scripture. As regarded in the Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation: �Sacred Tradition and
sacred scripture, then are bound closely together, and communicate one with the other. Flowing from the
same divine well - spring, both of them merge in a sense and move towards the same goal� We offer this
part of our journey up for a renewed love of the past and tradition. St Thomas Aquinas pray for us.
Prayer - Prayer is extremely essential in any person�s life. It is a sacred and essential union with God. To
pray, as St. Peter Damien puts it, is to �lift one�s mind and soul to God�. We must do so freely with faith.
To pray, is to enter into a conversation with God, to speak with him to listen to him. It is necessary for us
not to be afraid to approach God without fear, open to His wishes, and His desire. For he who �Seeks will
find, he who asks will receive, he who knocks will have the door opened.� (Mt 7:7) We must not approach
God as a miser, but as a loving Father who is concerned with our needs and wants to listen. One tradition of
prayer, found in many religious communities is that of silence. We ask that everyone spend the next 20
minutes in silent communion with God, listening to His will and decrees, separated form the noise of the
world. We offer this next part of our journey up for a new love of God in prayer. St. Theresa of Avila pray
for us.
Eucharist - What could save us from our sins but the death of God himself? Not only did Christ die for us,
but He willed that all men might share so intimately in His sacrifice that He instituted the Holy Sacrifice of
the Mass that all men might share in His Flesh and Blood given as ransom for the world. What Love has
God shown us that He allows us to eat himself? How dare the creature consume the creator? How dare the
dirty and sinful consume the immaculate? How can the finite receive the infinite? What is there that we can
offer God for such a spectacular treasure? Where can one understand such infinite a mystery? In eating
Christ we come more close to Him than we could ever be to any person.
Therefore, we must approach the Sacrament with intense sorrow and devotion for we know that we do not
deserve what God in His infinite and gracious love is offering. We must weep bitterly for our sins for it was
for them and nothing else that Christ was so cruelly sacrificed. We must also allow our jaws to drop in awe
and joy at the love of God present. How could we ever imagine or ask for more? Christ has died! Christ is
Risen! Christ comes to us weekly, if not daily in the blessed Sacrament.
We offer us this next part of our journey in reparation of all the sins committed against the Eucharist,
especially the times we and others have received him irreverently. St. Thomas Aquinas pray for us. St.
Peter Jullian Edmar pray for us.
Mary - Where would we be without Mary? When asked by God to bear His son, salvation for the world,
she did not refuse, but embraced it saying �Let it be done to me according to your word� (Lk 1:38) It is her
obedience that allowed our salvation. As described so eloquently by St. Ireaneus in "Against Heresy" : �it was that the knot of Eve�s disobedience was loosed by the obedience of Mary. For what the virgin Eve had bound fast through unbelief, Mary set free through faith...For just as the former was led astray by the word of an angel - so that she fled from God when she had transgressed His word- so did the later by and angelic communication receive the glad tidings that she should bear God, being obedient to His word� Mary became the �ark of the covenant�, the dwelling place of God, as she bore the very divinity itself. Only such a pure chalice could hold such a sacred treasure. She, The mother of Christ, assumed and exalted into heaven by God, became our mother as well, the mother of the Church. We will now take time to pray the glorious mysteries of the Rosary, remembering Mary�s great part in the plan of our salvation. St. Dominic Pray for us. St.
Bernadette, Pray for us.
Social Teaching - The historical Jubilee, not only focused on man�s relationship with God, but with a
renewal in all of society. All slaves were set free, and people who had possessed extra property returned it
to the original owner, debts were remitted. The social gospel needs to be proclaimed once again. Today,
slaves still exist, underpaid workers in both first and third world countries, working hard to make products
for us. We cannot be unaware of when we contribute to corrupt organizations. Also, the gap of the rich
and poor in increasing drastically, and our society is evermore dictated by money and power. We as
Christians must in some way counteract this culture and work for dignity, freedom and food for all. We
must not ignore the many Lazarus� of our day. If we do, the Gospel tells us our fate. We offer this next
part of our journey up in reparation for all the injustices committed by our society against the poor. St.
Francis pray for us. St. Clare pray for us.
Forgiveness/Repentance - No matter how great our sins are, and no matter how often we blindly return to
them, we can still, return to God. The act of repentance is one that is constantly necessary in a Christians�
life, due to our tendency to Sin, and call towards God. The act of repentance begins with contrition. We
must first recognize our sins and weep bitterly for the fact that they have alienated us from God, our one
true lover. It is then our call to return to him, through His holy sacrament of Reconciliation. Confessing our
sins, not only gives us an actual person to talk to, and great advice, we are connecting with Jesus who in
present in His priest. After a complete and honest confession, we must work to return our debt and repair
the problems we have done. We must not be depressed nor gloomy, but recognize our Forgiving Father
who is always calling us to return to him regardless of the gravity of our sin. As stated by John Paul II: �To
save means to lift up and embrace with love, a love that is always greater than any sin� If God is for us who
can be against us? Come let us return to him. We offer up this next part of our journey for the forgiveness
of all our most wicked sins. St. Jean Vainey Pray for us.
Heaven - The act of a pilgrimage is a symbol of our spiritual life, a journey. Our final and desired
destination is the glory and grace of heaven. it is not an easy journey, and can only be completed with trials.
We still long for our spiritual home. It is only there that what we see now dimly, in a mirror will be brought
to full sight. With perfect bliss, and beatific vision, we will see God face to face, and join in the glorious
worship of the saints. This is our goal let nothing get in the way. We Run for an imperishable crown. Run
to win.
Let the door, as we enter the Church symbolize the threshold to Christ. Let us leave behind sin, and enter
into sacred union with God. We must walk from one place to another, a symbol of leaving this world and
coming to God. We offer these final steps to God as a sign we want to cross the threshold into His life.
Holy Angels of God pray for us.
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