THROUGH UNTRUE
During this Jubilee Year, many Catholics embark on pilgrimages to Rome and other sacred sites. But with the soaring cost of plane tickets, guided tours, and accommodations, it might seem that pilgrimages are only for those who can afford such luxuries.
However, a pilgrimage does not have to be an expensive journey to faraway shrines. At its core, a pilgrimage is a spiritual process where the physical journey serves as a metaphor for an inner voyage toward authentic faith. The challenges, discomforts, and moments of awe that pilgrims encounter are meant to lead them to reflect on the values and truths they hold dear—or those they struggle to accept. A pilgrimage ultimately seeks to deepen their sense of belonging to God, the world, and their fellow human beings. The essence of a pilgrimage is, in fact, a homecoming.
A sense of belonging acts like a human GPS, guiding us back to our true home, no matter how far we’ve wandered. What better time than now to observe a Jubilee Year, especially when homelessness is one of the world’s greatest crises? Millions are displaced—migrants, refugees, disaster victims, orphans, and the elderly abandoned by their families. Homelessness, however, is not only the absence of shelter or basic necessities. A homeless person feels unsafe, unloved, and abandoned. They feel utterly lost, with no assurance of ever being found.
This sense of homelessness is further exacerbated by our internet-driven culture, which erodes the very idea of "home." Social media often leads people to prioritize virtual relationships over authentic, in-person connections. Family members may sit together at home, but if they are consumed by their smartphones and gadgets, they may be physically present but emotionally distant.
In the spiritual realm, this sense of homelessness afflicts those who feel trapped in cycles of sin and betrayal. Like the prodigal son, they lose their sense of belonging to God. They wander far from the path, caught up in destructive behaviors, false beliefs, and fleeting pleasures. Yet, like the prodigal son, they can undertake a pilgrimage back to Jesus, whose love and mercy are unconditional.
Today, we celebrate the Solemnity of the Epiphany, which recounts the journey of the Magi—the wise men who embarked on a pilgrimage to find the newborn Jesus. Their journey was surely fraught with danger, hardships, and doubts. But they kept their focus on the star that guided them. While there may have been an actual star, the author of the story might also have used it symbolically, representing the Magi’s unwavering hope that what they believed in their hearts would come true.
The Magi did not equate hope with what is merely "probable." For them, hope was rooted in their unshakable belief that, at the end of their pilgrimage, they would encounter God and feel at home with Him. Upon seeing Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, they could have uttered the poet T.S. Eliot's words, “We end where we started and know the place for the first time.”
The Jubilee Year does not require us to embark on pilgrimages to Rome or distant churches. It invites us to experience a homecoming, which is not just about returning to a place; it is about reentering a community where grace, mercy, and second chances abound. This is why a true pilgrimage is a process of repentance—not simply feeling sorry for past sins, but undergoing a genuine conversion of mind, heart, and behavior.
Start your own pilgrimage today—a simple, inexpensive journey that will not take you to far-off places. Instead, it will lead you inward, reconnecting you with your authentic truths and values, helping you rediscover a greater sense of belonging to God who is closer to you than you are to yourself.