YDWTL - Jubilee Pilgrimage

May 27, 2000 A.D. 

The Jubilee, or Holy Year is a period of conversion and grace to be kept every 25 years.  The name comes from the Hebrew word "yobhel" or ram's horn that was blown to announce the beginning of the Holy Year.  It was St. Jerome (385 AD) who translated yobhel into the the Latin Jubilaeiom, meaning "rejoicing". 

The Jubilee 2000 began on Christmas Eve December 25, 1999 with the opening of the Holy Door at St. Peter's Basilica in Rome and ends with its closing on Epiphany January 6, 2001.

To gain the Plenary Jubilee indulgence, the faithful have to visit a designated church and to perform three works of repentance and piety: 1) confession 2) participation in the Holy Mass / Holy Communion 3) prayer for the intentions of the Pope and a deed of charity.  The Pilgrimage to a designated church is part of the Jubilee.

The Jubilee in the Bible is an extraordinary Sabbatical year.  It was celebrated every 50 years.  In the year of the Jubilee the land was completely left to rest, all debts were remitted, land that had been alienated was restored to its original owners and slaves were released from bondage.  This is the spirit of the Jubilee. 

It was in this spirit that a bunch of Yuppie Dazers got together on the last Saturday of May to go for a pilgrimage to the shrine of Our Lady of Mount Carmel a designated Jubilee Church.   We all know that in the universal Church, May is a  month designated to Our Lady, Mother Mary.  We all met in a house not far from the Church, we walked to and from the Church with our lighted candles and said all  parts of the rosary.  One part was said while walking to the Church, the main mysteries of the day was said in the Church, and the last part while walking back to the house.  We also said a special prayer for the intentions of the Holy Father, and though hungry gave up our merienda for that afternoon.  To end our Jubilee pilgrimage and to complete the requirements to gain the plenary indulgence, we had a beautiful solemn Mass at the Christ the King seminary.  It was indeed a great evening!

Very many special graces are gained during the Jubilee year, and especially when we go for a pilgrimage.  The Jubilee will be ending sooner that we think.  Let us use this time for real conversion and try our best to gain all the graces we possibly can.

+BIL

Anna Marco

YDWTL @ 7

Attached are some pictures of the activity.  just click on the thumbnails to view a larger picture.