Other books in the series:
Pocket Prayers for Troubled Times
Compiled by John Pritchard
Pocket Celtic Prayers
Compiled by Martin Wallace
Pocket Graces
Compiled by Pam Robertson
Pocket Prayers for Children
Compiled by Christopher Herbert
Pocket Prayers: The Classic Edition
Compiled by Christopher Herbert
Pocket Prayers for Advent and Christmas
Compiled by Jan McFarlane
Pocket Prayers for Commuters
Compiled by Christopher Herbert
Pocket Prayers for Healing and Wholeness
Compiled by Trevor Lloyd
Pocket Prayers for Marriage
Compiled by Andrew and Pippa Body
Pocket Words of Comfort
Compiled by Christopher Herbert
Church House Publishing
Church House
Great Smith Street
London SW1P 3AZ
ISBN 978 0 7151 4238 7
Published 2011 by Church House Publishing
Introduction, Compilation and Individual Prayers © John Pritchard 2011
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise, without the written permission, which should be sought from the Copyright Administrator, Church House Publishing Church House, Great Smith Street, London SW1P 3AZ
Emails: [email protected]
Designed by www.penguinboy.net Printed and bound by Ashford Colour Press Ltd, Hants
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
‘Now is the time to go on pilgrimage.’ So said Chaucer in his Canterbury Tales, and now does indeed seem to be the time when many people are going on pilgrimage. Record numbers of people are travelling to Jerusalem, Rome and Santiago de Compostela. Cathedrals report burgeoning visitor numbers. Eighty-six percent of the British population go into a church for some reason or other during the year.
There is something quite fundamental to human well-being about travelling somewhere together. People do it for many different reasons, but usually physical exercise combines with personal, intellectual and spiritual refreshment. There is a communal dimension as well as the opportunity to ponder alone.
For Christians and other believers pilgrimage is a time to be with God in order to be more fully in life. It reflects in miniature the journey we take with God from birth to death, and then on to the heavenly city. Pilgrimage is therefore an inward journey as well as an outward one. Because it’s different from normal life pilgrimage puts us somewhat off-balance, and therefore, perhaps, we are more open to God.
The purpose of this small book is to put into the hands of today’s pilgrims some prayers and reflections to make the journey more rewarding. They can be used at the beginning, middle and end of each day or at the beginning, middle and end of the whole pilgrimage, always remembering that our entire life is actually a pilgrimage with and towards God.
May these prayers enrich the journey.
+John Pritchard
Bishop of Oxford
TO BE A PILGRIM
