A pilgrimage is different than a tour. While on a tour a person might witness things they have never seen before, learn many new things and gain new experiences, the purpose of a pilgrimage is to encounter the Lord in a deeper way. A pilgrimage involves a change of physical location, but is an invitation to a changed spiritual relationship. The pilgrimage is an exterior and interior one.
From February 12-22, 2017, a group of thirty-two pilgrims set out from Edmonton and Toronto to the Holy Land to deepen their relationship with the Lord through seeking an encounter with Him in the very land in which He walked, worked, and preached. In many ways, the pilgrimage was a condensed liturgical year—from the Virgin’s womb to the Empty tomb, and everything in between!
Through this blog, the pilgrims invite you to join them on this adventure, to share some of their insights, and to be an aid in the current pilgrimage we are all on—the pilgrimage through the desert of the Great and Holy Fast to the Lord’s Pascha, His Death and Resurrection! For this reason, the pilgrimage days will not be presented in the chronological order as experienced by the pilgrims, but in an order that is better suited for reflection during this season as we prepare for Easter.
So dust off your trail shoes, get your pilgrimage journal ready, and stay tuned for an adventure of a lifetime!
