The way of a pilgrim

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Has anyone read the book The way of a pilgrim? I am a traditional Catholic and I prefer Latin Mass to English Mass but I do like some of the prayers that would be considered Eastern. I love the Jesus Prayer. I’m reading The art of prayer right now, which I know is an Eastern Orthodox book, but it still applies for Catholics. I was thinking about getting The way of a pilgrim but I wanted to make sure it was a good book and that it wasn’t against Catholic teachings or anything. I would post this post in the book club but I’m not a member.
 
I read this book during the summer…easily on my top three. It changed my prayer life, simply put. I believe this book was popularized (to Catholics) by Fr. Walter Cizek, SJ after his imprisonment in Russia, and has become more popular in Catholic circles since. The Jesus Prayer is very popular in Eastern Catholicism. Therefore, there is no problem praying the Prayer frequently. I can’t recommend this book enough. It is by no means anti-Catholic.

Also, I am a traditional Roman Catholic.
 
I’ve read it, and it’s sequel THE PILGRIM CONTINUES HIS WAY.

Although the pilgrim is Russian, and therefore Orthodox, there is nothing in the book that runs counter to Catholic teaching. Apart from the setting in Russia and references to works such as the PHILOKALIA that Westerners will not be familiar with, the protagonist may as easily have been Catholic (except that Catholicism has not had professional pilgrims in modern times).

By all means, read it.

ICXC NIKA
 
paul11b said:
Has anyone read the book The way of a pilgrim? I am a traditional Catholic and I prefer Latin Mass to English Mass but I do like some of the prayers that would be considered Eastern. I love the Jesus Prayer. I’m reading The art of prayer right now, which I know is an Eastern Orthodox book, but it still applies for Catholics. I was thinking about getting The way of a pilgrim but I wanted to make sure it was a good book and that it wasn’t against Catholic teachings or anything. I would post this post in the book club but I’m not a member.
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I discovered it as a cradle Catholic/practicing evangelical protestant, when I was curious about Orthodoxy. Within about a year, I had visited several Orthodox churches, and converted (reverted) to the Catholic Church. A very powerful book. It helped me to understand that the rosary is NOT just a series of rote, repetetive prayers.
 
graceandglory said:
I discovered it as a cradle Catholic/practicing evangelical protestant, when I was curious about Orthodoxy. Within about a year, I had visited several Orthodox churches, and converted (reverted) to the Catholic Church. A very powerful book. It helped me to understand that the rosary is NOT just a series of rote, repetetive prayers.
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Does anyone know if there are any free resources for this book?
 
I read “The Way of a Pilgrim” many years ago and thought it was excellent.

I have also read “Poustinia” by Catherine de Hueck Doherty, who was Russian Orthodox and then converted to the Latin Rite. It is very similar in spirit to “The Way of a Pilgrim” as it is about the prayer of the heart.

There is a cause for the canonization for Catherine. “Poustinia” means desert, and she is writing about the desert experience of prayer. She tells a lot about the Russian people who went to live in a hut in the woods and pray and become closer to the Lord. Because of that she began a retreat designed to introduce people to experience solitude in prayer. If I remember correctly a person was to stay a day or two in a little cabin with only a loaf of bread and a pot of coffee or tea, and a Bible.

The point she makes in the book is that we need to find that place of solitude and prayer in our daily activities as well as in times of silence. It requires practice! 🙂
 
I first read it about two decades ago (before I was Catholic or even Christian), and I’ve just recently reread it. I love it.

My copy is from Shambala, and it’s an abridged “Pocket Classic” translated by Olga Savin. Could someone please suggest another translation so that I could read an unabridged version?

I had no idea that there was “The Pilgrim Continues His Way”!!!

How about this one?

Thanks for your suggestions!
 
“Way of the Pilgrim” is a decent book, not one of my personal favorites on the Jesus Prayer, but it has inspired many, including my wife (now if only we could find our copy. Personally I was ecstatic to learn that you’re reading “The Art of Prayer.” As one who makes prayer ropes/chotki for use with the Jesus Prayer I always recommend this book over “Way of the Pilgrim” whenever I’m asked to give recommendations. I would say certainly read “Way of the Pilgrim” if you get the chance; there are plenty of inexpensive copies available out there. I do urge caution, however, as the “pilgrim” discusses the various “physical methods” of the Jesus Prayer. These methods ought only to be used under the guidance of an experienced spiritual father, without such a guide these methods have proven to be physically, psychologically and spiritually dangerous. Such methods include postures, breathing techniques, bows, prostrations, etc. BE WARNED!!! I have heard stories of people using these methods in disobedience to their spiritual father, and literally being driven insane by them. Read the section in “The Art of Prayer” on the Jesus Prayer specifically. In it St. Theophan the Recluse discusses the physical methods, their dangers, and what ought to be focused upon instead. 👍

To the person who wrote about Catherine Doherty, I believe she actually converted from Russian Orthodoxy to Russian Catholicism. If memory serves me correctly, her husband was a Russian Catholic priest. Both were good friends with my personal hero, the Melkite Catholic Archbishop Joseph Raya!

Incidentally the teachings of Orthodoxy are all “orthodox” in that they are all in line with the essentials of Catholic dogma. Where Catholics and Orthodox differ is primarily on matters of dogma defined post-Schism. It is generally noted by historians and theologians alike that what lead to the East-West Schism was primarily political factors; theological opinions were later used to justify the division. But this really has nothing to do with the thread at hand.

Oh, and for those interested, there is now a group on the Jesus Prayer. Please come and join! Ask questions, make comments, etc. There are a number of very knowledgeable people in the group who will be glad to answer any questions about the Jesus Prayer that you may have. 👍

ICXC + NIKA,
Phillip
 
I_Thirst said:
I first read it about two decades ago (before I was Catholic or even Christian), and I’ve just recently reread it. I love it.

My copy is from Shambala, and it’s an abridged “Pocket Classic” translated by Olga Savin. Could someone please suggest another translation so that I could read an unabridged version?

I had no idea that there was “The Pilgrim Continues His Way”!!!

How about this one?

Thanks for your suggestions!
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I gave away my copy years ago, so I can’t suggest a version.

I had thought it might be on the web somewhere, as it was written so long ago; but have found no link to it except in Russian.

Good luck, God Bless and ICXC NIKA
 
Can anyone post an excerpt from the Art of Prayer, so I can have an idea of the content? I couldn’t find anything online. Thanks.
 
I’ve decided to order a copy of the Art of Prayer for now. Later I’ll get an unabridged Pilgrim. 👍
 
“The Art of Prayer” is seriously one of my favorite books and I turn to it almost daily. I recommend it because it isn’t one long treaties on the subject of the spiritual life, but rather contains excerpts from the writings of the great Eastern Christian mystics, mostly St. Theophan the Recluse. Most excerpts are only a paragraph or two long; so one can sit down and read an excerpt or two and have enough fuel for meditation for the entire day. It’s nice too because all of the excerpts are in a very simple, down-to-earth language, so they are easily understood and do not require much of a theological background.

If you enjoy “The Art of Prayer” I would recommend you find copies of the writings of St. Theophan the Recluse. He’s wonderful because, unlike the Philokalia which was compiled and intended for monastic use, he was mostly concerned with giving spiritual guidance to lay people, many of whom were married and had a great deal of wordly responsibilities. St. Theophan did a wonderful job in taking the teachings of the Fathers in the Philokalia and translating them into a practical guide for the average layman. 👍

All of this being said, however, I want to point out that devotion to the Holy Name, which is what the Jesus Prayer is all about, has every bit as rich a tradition in the West as it does in the East. St. Francis of Assisi is known for having quite a devotion to the Holy Name. I heard once that anywhere the name of Jesus appeared in the Scriptures he would kiss it. This he did so often that the ink was often worn away!

ICXC + NIKA,
Phillip
 
I love the way of the pilgrim and can’t wait to read the Art of Prayer. The Way of the Pilgrim is great for deepening ones prayer life, but stick to Phillip’s advice and do not try any of the physical techniques without spiritual direction.
 
TrueLight said:
Can anyone post an excerpt from the Art of Prayer, so I can have an idea of the content? I couldn’t find anything online. Thanks.
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So far (and I’m only about half way through the book) it is about how we can draw closer to God through personal private prayer. It is a very good book so far and it has helped me better feel the presence of God during prayer, especially when saying the Jesus Prayer or the Rosary because almost everything he says about the Jesus Prayer can be applied to the Rosary as well. It really helps you to figure out what you can do to feel closer to the Holy Trinity during private prayers.
 
paul11b said:
Oh by the way can anyone tell me what PHILOKALIA means?
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It’s a Greek word meaning “love of beauty.”

As used in WOTP, it’s the title of a book of Greek Orthodox teaching that accompanies the pilgrim in his wanderings.

ICXC NIKA
 
GEddie said:
It’s a Greek word meaning “love of beauty.”

As used in WOTP, it’s the title of a book of Greek Orthodox teaching that accompanies the pilgrim in his wanderings.

ICXC NIKA
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Incidentally, the teachings of the Philokalia are not just Greek Orthodox. A good part of the Fathers in the set are actually from before the East-West Schism and are honored by Rome (naturally ALL are honored by Eastern Catholics). A good number of the Fathers contained in the Philokalia were not even a part of the Byzantine/Greek tradition. Several are from Egypt, some from Sinai, some from Africa, I believe, etc. The Philokalia is really a very broad collection of writings from Church Fathers from across the various Eastern traditions. 👍 It is an excellent work, but when reading it it is good to bear in mind that it was intended for monastics. That is why it is often recommended that one start with the writings of the Russian Fathers (St. Theophan the Recluse, St. Ignatius Brianchaninov, et. al.). The Russian Fathers are wonderful because many of them attempted to take the teachings of the Philokalia and apply them to the average layman’s situation. Oh, and the writings of Nicolas Cabasilas, a Byzantine layman from the 14th or 15th Century I believe, would also be good in this respect, especially because he sought to situate the individual’s spiritual life within the broader context of the life of the Church at large, particularly the Church’s liturgical life. 👍
 
I love The Way of a Pilgrim. And there are a lot of versions of the Jesus Prayer. The version I learned I think of as the Mary prayer, “Mary, mother of God, pray for me: a sinner.”

Whomever was asking about the Philokalia, it was translated and released into English (fairly recently as these things go I think in the 70s through the late 80s,) in four volumes. Vol 4 seems to be what most people begin with as it is most accessible. It’s four volumes that cover the essential early writings on and of Patristic Theology, from church fathers both east and west (a large amount written before the Schism.)

Because of my parent’s families, although I was raised a strict Catholic, I’ve always been somewhere between the East and West (ie having Catholic Bibles as well as St John Chrysostom’s Liturgy, the Philokalia, Koine and Latin lexicons, Ikons and plaster saints. It made for an interesting childhood.)
 
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