A modern day pilgrimage: walking to Cuatro Vientos

July 21 – In the middle ages men and women of faith who travelled to the Holy Land to see the sites of Jesus' life marked themselves with tattoos to show that they had made the voyage. With the advent of modern means of transportation, today the only obstacle to making such a voyage is the cost. Perhaps then, it's time to re-capture the value of pilgrimage: a journey that leaves room for prayer and the action of the Holy Spirit.

Instead of crossing an ocean, World Youth Day pilgrims will have a chance to spend a day making a pilgrimage across Madrid to get the Cuatro Vientos Air Base where the Prayer Vigil and Closing Mass will be held August 20 and 21. The pilgrimage route begins in downtown Madrid, at Principe Pio Station and runs through parks and green spaces all the way to Cuatro Vientos.

According to Alejandro Chico of the WYD Logistics Depatment, the route was purposely planned to run through parks because it's cooler than walking along city streets and thus easier to turn a walk into an experience.

If pilgrims are having a difficult time with the heat and just can't fathom the idea of walking the full eight kilometeres, there are two points at which the route intesects with public transportation. Laguna Station is about halfway through the route. Both Metro (“Circular” line number 6) and Cercanias commuter rail stop at Laguna. Meanwhile, Aluche station is a 20 minute walk from Cuatro Vientos and both the “Casa de Campo” metro line and Cercanias stop at Aluche. The station is also a major hub for buses that service the city and the outlying suburban areas. On August 20 a shuttle bus service will run from Aluche to Cuatro Vientos approximately every five minutes.

WYD Backpack

Here is a picture of what the backpack and its contents will look like.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/madrid011/5959913495/in/photostream

What to Wear: Part Two

The Three Rules of Packing: Part One

Packing List

I shared this with everyone during our time at the Cross in the Woods. However, I wanted to put this up for those in our group that were not able to join us.

This list has been compiled from a few different sources. Here are a few rules to follow as you are preparing to pack.

1. Only one bag
2. Only pack for one week
3. If you thnk you may only use an item once, then don't bring it
4. Talk to others going on the pilgrimage, what can you consolidate among you?
5. Don't bring anything that is too valuable to lose or give away

What to Bring

4-5 shirts, make sure one is a loose fitting long sleeve
3-4 pants/jeans (Remember, no shorts will be allowed in the churches)
socks and undergarments
good walking shoes
light jacket
sleeping clothes
bathing suit
shower towel
something to wear on your feet in the shower
toiletries (use the TSA approved bottles)
sleeping amt
sleeping bag
rain poncho
space blanket
small umbrella
sun screen
camera
small flashlight
tradable items
hat to keep the sun off your face

What I Will Provide

WYD prayer book with journaling pages
WYD/Diocesan shirt
Water bottle
small hand sanitizer (people with big hands can use it too)
bandana
string back pack
over the neck travel wallet

What Not to Bring

more than one bag
anything illegal
anything you think you may only use once

JPII - THE patron of WYD

I encourage all of you to follow along in some way the Beautification of John Paul II. He began WYD. If you do not know his story, please find it. It will change your life.

Exciting!

Pilgrim vs. Tourist

Here is a talk Fr. Will Prospero gave to his pilgrims. He includes the five rules of pilgrimage and the story of St. Ignatius of Loyola. St. Ignatius is one of the patrons saints for this WYD.

On a Journey

When we first began to meet we talked about the story of Exodus (going out). We know the story is about God freeing his people from slavery in Egypt and leading them into the desert towards the Promised Land. We read about the spectacular miracles God performs, the Nile River turned into blood, locusts, flies, frogs, Passover and the parting of the Red Sea. God will care for His people and perform miracles throughout the whole journey! How powerful and great is Our God!

However, that is not the real struggle in the story. It almost seems easy for God to free His people from the slavery of the Egyptians. What seems to be the real issue at hand is how to free the hearts of the people. The hearts of the Hebrews were filled with things from Egypt. They had begun worshipping the Egyptian gods. Even though they were slaves, they knew they could count on the Egyptians providing them food, shelter and protection. To a degree, they had become comfortable in their slavery. They believed that that Egypt did more to keep them alive then what God did. They lived in a lie.

So Exodus is not just about how God freed His people from slavery in Egypt, it is also how God freed the hearts of His people from Egypt. How did He do this? He took them on a pilgrimage, a spiritual journey. As you read, you will notice that the journey was not easy! There were many obstacles and hardships, each one having a purpose. God used each hardship to show the people what was in their heart that kept them from fully letting Him in to it.

John Paul II said to us many times, “BE NOT AFRAID! THROW OPEN THE DOORS TO YOUR HEARTS!” I am sure if we have the courage to do this we will see many things there that don’t leave room for God. During the time you prepare for WYD and the time you are there, God we reach into your heart and pull something out. He will show it to you clearly. Then he will ask you, “Do you love this more than me?” He will then wait for your response. He will keep doing this over and over. When this happens He will not leave an empty space there. He will fill it with Himself! How powerful and great is Our God! Let us pray with the psalmist, “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me.” Psalm 51