Pilgrimage is multi-faceted concept that incorporates several notions: journey, experiencing exile, living as a pilgrim or sojourner, and the quest for a true homeland.
There are three forms of pilgrimage: moral, voluntary, or interior. Moral pilgrimage entails a daily life of obedient service to God and others in the place of one's calling. Voluntary pilgrimage required incorporating a spiritual devotion represented by journeys to holy places. Interior pilgrimage highlights the call and acceptance of living the vowed religious life.
Since the exile from the Garden of Eden was the result from the disobedience of Adam and Eve, earthly life can be framed as making the way needed in order to reach the heavenly homeland. To do so, the pilgrim must be prepared to seek forgiveness for sins and commit themselves to a life of obedience, serving God and others. Thus, journeying to heaven can be seen, in essence, as journeying back to God, overcoming the spiritual separation caused by sin.
The pilgrim, while still remaining on earth, remains trapped in a fallen world, confronted by sin, exposed to temptation and often unable to clearly discern the will of God. Spiritual progress is frequently erratic, with individuals demonstrating a lack of understanding and repeated falls from grace..
The earthly pilgrim's great enemies are the Seven Deadly Sins, ready to waylay travelers on the road to heaven, yet there is also the hope of forgiveness, available through the sacrament of Penance. Christians must be alert in order to make use of the resources for the journey offered by the Church as shown by Jesus describing Himself as 'The Way, the Truth and the Life' (Jn 14:6).
The core requirement for the would-be pilgrim wishing to reach the Heavenly Jerusalem is to imitate Christ, obey God, resist temptation and to use their talents and resources to serve others, whether as humble laborer, lord or lady of the manor, whatever station in life happens to be. The Church constantly emphasizes the dangers of sin, the need to resist temptation and the distractions of earthly possessions. There is also an emphasis on the love shown by Christ in dying for the sins of the world and the forgiveness which His death on the Cross makes available to all.
The reality of sin and the hope of forgiveness must be the pilgrim's constant companions on the road of life to the heavenly homeland as we make our way through the spiritual hazards of this world.
(Excerpted from www.york.ac.uk. Miriam Gill and Dee Dyas.)