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January 31, 2025
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February 1, 2025

Am I a Jubilee tourist or pilgrim?

by Fr Robert Christo, Vicar for Communications

The Jubilee Year is here—a holy opportunity to encounter God in profound ways. But let’s take a moment to reflect. Are you approaching this Jubilee like a tourist on a road trip  or a pilgrim on a sacred journey?

This distinction holds the key to ensuring that the Jubilee is not reduced to mere sightseeing or an excursion but becomes a journey of grace and transformation.

Let’s paint the picture with some local flavour.

Imagine tourists on the road to the Maracas. They arrive with the latest hiking gear, beach wear, ticking off sites, and savouring the unique street food like a checklist. They’re taking selfies at every marker, racing to the next destination, and comparing their selfies and progress to everyone else’s.

A tourist is all about “What all can I get out of this?” They’ll eat the shark and bake, take photos, and even tell everyone they’ve “gone through  the ‘doors’”, but they might completely miss the deep whispers of God in the silence of the trip. They only seek an experience.

A tourist focuses on fleeting, external experiences: surface-level, comfort-driven engagement, a consumer mindset.

Now, imagine the pilgrim. The pilgrim journeys with a sense of purpose, seeking an encounter. Each step is a prayer; each hardship, a lesson. Whether they trip in potholes under the blazing sun or pouring rain, the pilgrim looks for God’s voice in every moment. They stop to rest, not to scroll through social media, but to reflect and ask, ‘What is God teaching me in all of   this?’

Many may have gone on pilgrimages before—to Lourdes, Mount St Benedict, or even to the Siparia Mai in south Trinidad. Those experiences shaped us, but this Jubilee pilgrimage is different. It calls us to go deeper:

• To embrace the Sacrament of Reconciliation, finding true healing and renewal.
• To engage in corporal works of mercy, living out Christ’s command to love the least among us.
• To strive to detach from sin, shedding the weight that keeps us from walking freely with God.
• To understand the spirituality of indulgences, seeing them not as rewards but as gifts of God’s mercy to aid us on our journey.

The tourist wants to experience it all and keep moving. The pilgrim seeks to encounter it all—even the delays, detours, and discomforts—because they know God speaks in every moment. A flat tyre, burnt pelau, or even a wardrobe malfunction can be a holy moment if we let it.

In other words, a pilgrim embarks on a journey of faith, both outwardly and inwardly with intentionality, spiritual depth, and a sacrificial mindset.

Remember, this Jubilee isn’t just an excursion or a lime. It’s not about stamping your passport and racing to the next holy site. It’s about walking through the door with an open and contrite  heart, ready to be changed. It’s about slowing down, listening to God, and discovering what truly matters.

Whether you’re walking the Camino in Spain or making a simple pilgrimage to Tortuga in Trinidad, let this be a time of deep and lasting spiritual conversion and renewal.

Leave behind the mindset of the tourist, and step into the heart of the pilgrim. This isn’t about collecting experiences but about encountering Christ in every step.

So, let’s lace up our shoes, not to race, but to walk the sacred path. The journey calls for more than movement—it calls for deeper transformation. Tourists may rush to the finish line, but pilgrims use this kairos moment to walk with purpose and hope, knowing every step leads closer to the joy of Heaven.

Which one am I ?