World Youth Day USA Guides Stateside Pilgrimage Leaders Guide | Page 9

the book of Deuteronomy, there are many

community of the Church, there is no

instructions on how these feasts and

discipleship. The Church, a community of

pilgrimages should take place. “Three times a

missionary disciples, is a pilgrim people. In

year, then, every male among you shall appear

Baptism, we become pilgrims on a journey,

before the Lord, your God, in the place which

following in the footsteps of Christ by being

he chooses: at the feast of Unleavened Bread,

joined to him through the Church, the Body

at the feast of Weeks, and at the feast of

of Christ. In and through the Eucharist, the

Booths” (Dt 16:16). Although the men alone

salvific work of the Lord is not only

are instructed to go up (to Jerusalem or to

celebrated but is actually and continually made

wherever the Lord commanded), it was

present and participated in. As the source and

understood that the feast and pilgrimage was

summit of the Church’s life, the Eucharist is

for the entire community – and the notion of

the Church’s, and thus the disciple’s, regular

corporate identity was firmly established.

“pilgrimage” in a powerful way.

Certainly, practical considerations played a

In this full context, the Christian pilgrimage

role. The Jews in Galilee would have a much

(like the journey of World Youth Day) is a

harder time going to the feast/pilgrimage than

special and physical expression of being the

those in Judea. It would be difficult to leave

Church, reminding pilgrims that their mission

behind homes and cattle unprotected and

in the world has a greater destination beyond

unwatched. Having a corporate identity meant

the world: in the communion of saints united

that every Jew participated in the feast—

with the Triune God.

vicariously through the men who went up to
Jerusalem and directly by celebrating in their

In the Church, pilgrimage and community are

homes. For example, in the Passover feast, the

inseparable. Not only is the community the

homes of all Jews were free from leaven. The

backdrop on which the pilgrim’s journey to

fasting from leaven was not just practiced by

World Youth Day takes place, but it is an

those who went to Jerusalem.

experience for the entire community. Those
who cannot go are invited to participate with

The significance of pilgrimage, community,

the same sense of corporate