From birth to death, the condition of each individual is that of homo
viator . .. The history of the Church is the living account of an unfinished
pilgrimage . . . Pilgrimages have always been a significant part of the life
of the faithful, assuming different cultural forms in different ages. A pilgrimage evokes the believer's personal journey in the footsteps of the Redeemer; it is an exercise of practical asceticism, of repentance for human
weaknesses, of constant vigilance over one's own frailty, of interior preparation for a change of heart. Through vigils, fasting and prayer, the124 Pilgrimages and Shrines: A Recognition Long Delayed
pilgrim progresses along the path of Christian perfection, striving to attain, with the support of God's grace, "the state of the perfect man, to the
measure of the full maturity of Christ." (Eph. 4:13; MI, 7)