he chose the poor fishermen, the simple folks, the ordinary people, those whom the world consider nothing or no value. Even the Gospel of Jesus portrayed his disciples who are far different from the learned, rich and the powerful during his period. and so we, Pilgrims welcomes you in this life pilgrimage. Pilgrims of Jesus (PJ) Roving-Pilgrim Community Lot 2 Block 6, Brgy. Kaypian, City of San Jos
e del Monte, Bulacan, Philippines, Tel. (02) 379-9772, cp # (0929) 783-5240
History of the Pilgrims' Vocation (PJ)
Going to pilgrimage is an age old religious tradition of the Church both from the east and the west Christian churches. In the history of the Christianity everyone wants to undertake the pilgrimage to Jerusalem. But some good numbers of them did the pilgrimage as a way of life. In succeeding centuries, pilgrim individual ang groups had appeared or surfaced to witness the spiritual aspect of the Church by undergoing pilgrimages from different shrines or holy places and not just in Jerusalem. they tried to recapture the spirit of God and find meaning of man's existence. Other motivations to go on pilgrimage are due to thanksgiving from God's blessing or simply discerning the will of God. Nowadays, in modern period, though many pilgrims has this idea of going in pilgrimage few individuals live in hidden life as pilgrims and made some articulations about the beauty of a pilgrims vocations. One of them is Bro Andrew (a former jesuit priest in India who co-founded with Mother Teresa of calcutta the Missionaries of Charity Brothers in 1963. After 25 years of serving the MC brothers he started to go on pilgrimage on march 1991 singing a new song. he made the first first step of pilgrimage bytalking about the simplicity of life, the underground church, the sanyasi and the spirit of saint Francis. He did also the second step by making it as a permanent vocation until his death. No one has the idea or the intention of founding a new congregation out of pilgrim individuals since traditionally pilgrims live on solitary journey and making some point of rest by undergoing solitude and doing some service or apostolate to the poor. Like bro Andrew and the rest of the pilgrim brothers (individuals and unorganized groups) who look to him as their lead companion or inspirations and they just WANT TO BE ON THE ROAD. some want to find their God or trying to recover their faith, others want to discern more clearly His will if they have vocation, and few want to witness as pilgrim with Jesus and His supernatural. Most of the pilgrims did it for temporary period (one to three years), others just for occassional journey as part of their religious exercises like lent season. But good and matured numbers of young and old men had made it not just their first step of pilgrimage but taking the second step of making it a permanent lifestyle or vocation for themselves as some of pilgrim-hermit or vise-versa. Fortunately there is a thrid step available for a pilgrim to make and that is by organizing themselves in a simple group or a community of brothers. They felt the call of God is to make this their permanent status as a pilgrim in the context of foot-pilgrim band. they want to live as a community of pilgrims undertaking different apostolates while alternating it with pilgrimages and solutide. They are open to the blowing of the Holy Spirit where they will be carried out. They are happy to their present arrangement (hidden or witnessing life) of simply being a pilgrim in a lay status while living like a religious with private vows of evangelical counsels of poverty, chastity and obedience though the Church new Code of Canon Law made a lot of possiblities for the pilgrim to live as consecrated life. Some pilgrims spend much time of solitude as hermits and did some pilgrimages and hospitality to serve the poor. They live in secluded mountain and cities with simple huts and rooms as hermitage without name, without identity, without, property, without propaganda and even without proper recognition from the Church. Some pilgrims are just ordinary lay people doing small things in their parishes and communities serving with all their faithfulness unrecognized and unnoticed but with much prayer life. trust in God and devotion to the mother Church. Most of them are either called "manang" or manong" who had succeeded to maintain the sanity and holiness to the parishes and convents even though they do not have much learning or high education acquired. But they are the real backbones of the Church with their simplicity and this includes their weaknesses. These pilgrims with their varieties of religious involvements in pilgrimages, solitude and apostolates look for a community where they can unleash their vocation as religious pilgrims with much room for considerations, flexibilities and adaptations in their current situations and interest. they must be given chances to make their vocation recognize and fully relize with much deep awareness of such gift from God. It will not be an easy task for a group of matured men and women to live together as they have been used to their present activities but this is the prize of organizing a pilgrim community which is to gome together as one in the Eucharistic celebration. we have to give up some non-essential things to catch the precious one. Come & see and be part of it. Perhaps God is calling you.
