World Youth Day 2019 USA Leader Guides Stateside Leader Guide | Page 9

there exists a certain fluidity in communities participated in the feast through the men who
today, which is not always welcoming or went up to Jerusalem.
nurturing. Even in such cases, when pilgrims
return and start sharing their stories, fluid The Catholic Church, too, has a communal
communities can become more solidified. identity as a community of missionary
Our modern culture often focuses only on the disciples; a pilgrim people. “Through Baptism,
individual; however, in the Judeo-Christian we are freed from sin and reborn as sons of
tradition there is also the sense of each God; we become members of Christ, are
individual being a part of a greater incorporated into the Church and made
community, of a people. sharers in her mission” (CCC 1213). St. Paul
says: “For as in one body we have many parts,
The Jewish people held three annual and all of the parts do not have the same
pilgrimages or feasts: “Three times a year, function, so we though many, are one body in
then, every male among you shall appear Christ, and individually parts of one another”
before the Lord, your God, in the place which (Rom 12:4-5).
he chooses: at the feast of Unleavened Bread,
at the feast of Weeks, and at the feast of Thus, the Christian pilgrimage (like the World
Booths” (Dt 16:16). Although the men alone Youth Day journey) is an expression of being
were instructed to go up to the place the Lord the Church. Pilgrims go on this pilgrimage not
commanded, the pilgrimage was undertaken only for themselves. The Christian pilgrimage
for the entire community – women and is to heaven to join the communion of saints
children included. Certainly, practical united with the Triune God.
considerations played a role. The Jews in
Galilee would have a much harder time going In the Church, pilgrimage and community are
to the feast or pilgrimage than those in Judea. inseparable. Not only is the community the
It would be difficult to leave behind homes starting point on the pilgrim’s journey, but it
and cattle, both unprotected and unwatched. serves as a reason to go. Those who cannot
Because of the strong emphasis on communal go are drawn into it because they are part of
identity of the Jewish people, when the men the community of the Church. They are
left on pilgrimage, everyone was deeply aware invited into a solidarity that is meaningful—
that it was for everyone. Every Jew because the Church gathers in Panama, they do
too. The stateside gatherings, viewing parties,
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