Pilgrimage
Walking to holy ground — the Holy Land, the martyrs' tombs, the saints' shrines
Pilgrimage is devotional travel to holy places — the Holy Land, martyrs' shrines, and saints' tombs — for prayer and penance, attested early by the Bordeaux Pilgrim of 333 and Egeria's Travels around 380. It remains central to Catholic, Orthodox, and Oriental piety, with destinations like Rome, Santiago, and Athos. Reformed and many Protestants, however, rejected shrine pilgrimage as superstitious.
How it traveled
- The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on the Epistle to the HebrewsConstantinople (Istanbul) · c. 407 CEexplains
- The Letters of St. JeromeBethlehem · c. 420 CEapplies
- Expositions on the Book of PsalmsHippo Regius · c. 430 CEexplains
- The Christian PilgrimNorthampton, Massachusetts · c. 1758 CEexplains
Key passages(20)
Each passage is tagged by what it does with the idea: explains it, applies it in practice, redefines it with a new meaning, or challenges it. Relevance shows how directly the passage is about this idea.
The Christian Pilgrim · Jonathan Edwards
That this life ought to be so spent by us, as to be only a journey or pilgrimage towards heaven. Here I would observe, 1. That we ought not to rest in the world and its enjoyments, but should desire
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The Christian Pilgrim · Jonathan Edwards
Instruction afforded by the consideration, that life is a journey, or pilgrimage, towards heaven. 1. This doctrine may teach us moderation in our mourning for the loss of such dear friends, who, whil
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The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on the Epistle to the Hebrews · John Chrysostom
He said to Abraham, “Leave that which seems thy country and come to one that is foreign”: And he did not cleave to his kindred, but gave it up as unconcernedly as if he were about to leave a foreign l
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The Letters of St. Jerome · Jerome
Letter XLVI. Paula and Eustochium to Marcella. Jerome writes to Marcella in the name of Paula and Eustochium, describing the charms of the Holy Land, and urging her to leave Rome and to join her old
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The Letters of St. Jerome · Jerome
Then leaving Rhodes and Lycia behind her, she at last came in sight of Cyprus, where falling at the feet of the holy and venerable Epiphanius, she was by him detained ten days; though this was not, as
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On Pilgrimages. The modern history of this Letter is curious. Its genuineness though suspected by Bellarmine, is admitted by Tillemont, and even by Cæsar Baronius. After having been edited by Morel i
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The Christian Pilgrim · Jonathan Edwards
An exhortation, so to spend the present life, that it may only be a journey towards heaven. Labour to obtain such a disposition of mind that you may choose heaven for your inheritance and home; and m
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The Letters of St. Jerome · Jerome
Letter LVIII. To Paulinus. In this his second letter to Paulinus of Nola Jerome dissuades him from making a pilgrimage to the Holy Places, and describes Jerusalem not as it ought to be but as it is.
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Expositions on the Book of Psalms · Augustine of Hippo
Psalm CXXIII. Lat. CXXII. [On “Degrees,” see p. 593, supra.—C.] 1. …Let this singer ascend; and let this man sing from the heart of each of you, and let each of you be this man, for when each of you
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The Christian Pilgrim · Jonathan Edwards
Why the Christian’s life is a journey, or pilgrimage? 1. This world is not our abiding place. Our continuance here is but very short. Man’s days on the earth are as a shadow. It was never designed by
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The Ecclesiastical History of Socrates Scholasticus · Socrates Scholasticus
Chapter XVII.—The Emperor’s Mother Helena having come to Jerusalem, searches for and finds the Cross of Christ, and builds a Church. Helena, the emperor’s mother (from whose name having made Drepanum
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The Letters of St. Jerome · Jerome
Letter CVIII. To Eustochium. This, one of the longest of Jerome’s letters, was written to console Eustochium for the loss of her mother who had recently died. Jerome relates the story of Paula in det
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Expositions on the Book of Psalms · Augustine of Hippo
Psalm CXX. Lat. CXIX. 1. The Psalm which we have just heard chanted, and have responded to with our voices, is short, and very profitable. Ye will not long toil in hearing, nor will ye toil fruitles
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The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on the Epistle to the Hebrews · John Chrysostom
Homily XXIV. Hebrews xi. 13–16 “These all died in faith,not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off,and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the
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The Letters and Sermons of Leo the Great · Pope Leo the Great
Letter CXXIII. To Eudocia Augusta See Letter CXVII., chap. iii., n. 8. See Letter CIX. above. Leo, the bishop, to Eudocia Augusta. I. A request that she should use her influence with the monks of
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Book Fourth. of the Holy Catholic Church · John Calvin
10. Moreover, the worst of all is, that when once religion begins to be composed of such vain fictions, the perversion is immediately succeeded by the abominable depravity with which our Lord upbraids
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The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom · John Chrysostom
And let us cast everything out of our hands when we are to worship; though it be gold that we have, let us offer it unto him and not bury it. For if those barbarians then offered it for honor, what wi
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The Letters of St. Jerome · Jerome
Letter LXXVIII. To Fabiola. A treatise on the Forty-two Mansions or Halting-places of the Israelites, originally intended for Fabiola but not completed until after her death. Sent to Oceanus along wi
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The Letters of St. Jerome · Jerome
7. Suddenly she made up her mind, against the advice of all her friends, to take ship and to come to Jerusalem. Here she was welcomed by a large concourse of people and for a short time took advantage
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Thoughts Helpful in the Life of the Soul · Thomas à Kempis
IF YOU wish peace and concord with others, you must learn to break your will in many things. To live in monasteries or religious communities, to remain there without complaint, and to persevere faithf
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