Pilgrim blessing

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
In the Iddakapelle the Benedictine Monastery Fischingen is regularly donated in the morning a pilgrim blessing for all, focusing on the Swiss Jakobusweg open

The pilgrimage blessing is a rite in the Christian pilgrimage, which places the pilgrim on his journey under the blessing and protection of God.

History of the blessing ritual

As early as the 8th century, intercessions for departing pilgrims have been handed down; at the beginning of the 9th century , the priest handed over the pilgrim's insignia , pilgrim staff and bag with accompanying words. With increasing number of pilgrims can be found since the 11th century in the liturgical books, for example in the Missal Vicense , one dating back to the 1078 Missal of Catalan bishop city Vic , molded rites through which the pilgrims was, so to speak publicly in status of a pilgrim. The pilgrims' blessing often took place at the end of a Holy Mass . The elements were:

When the bag was handed over, "according to church custom" was spoken by a pilgrim to St. James:

In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Take this bag as a sign of your pilgrimage
ut bene castigatus et bene salvatus adque emendatus pervenire merearis ad limina Petri et Pauli
so that you may come to the house of Peter and Paul (or: to the tomb of St. James) purified and set free,
to which you want to leave
and after the completion of your way return to us unharmed with joy;
God grant this, who lives and rules for ever and ever. Amen.

When the baton was handed over, the blessing was:

Take this staff to support your journey and your toil for your pilgrimage,
so that you can defeat all host of enemies, get safely to the tomb of James
and return to us with joy after the completion of your journey.
May this be granted by God, who lives and rules for ever and ever. Amen.

During pilgrimages to Jerusalem , the cross was presented to the pilgrim next to or instead of a bag and stick as a pilgrimage sign. In the Middle Ages , acceptance among the pilgrims meant that they could claim the protection titles and privileges granted to pilgrims by the popes and emperors. Even Charlemagne pilgrims had awarded a royal protection and exemption from customs and tolls, for pilgrims to Jerusalem he had with the Caliph Harun al Rashid agreed rights.

The ritual of the pilgrims' blessing also included a short prayer on return.

The reorganization of the Catholic liturgy after the Tridentinum renounced the handover of the insignia. The Roman ritual of Pope Paul the Younger of 1614 provided for the pilgrimage blessing:

Current practice

The pilgrimage blessing is donated to individual pilgrims and groups of pilgrims either in their home parish or at the place of departure, for pilgrimages on the Way of St. James at a pilgrimage assembly point in Germany , France or Spain . In the monastery Fischingen to one is pilgrims badge awarded.

In the Benedictine , which has been valid since 1984 after the Second Vatican Council, the reading of scriptures appears as a new element in the ritual of blessing for pilgrims and pilgrims, e.g. Lk 2,41-49 EU  EU (pilgrimage of Jesus with his parents to Jerusalem) or Gen 12,1-9 EU  EU ( Abraham's train to Canaan ). The texts of the pilgrimage are under the image of the wandering people of God . The celebration of the blessing begins with a song, a sign of the cross and a greeting. After reading the scriptures, the answer is a psalm ( Psalm 121 , also Psalm 122 , Psalm 106 or Psalm 107 has a special meaning for pilgrims ) and a blessing prayer with preceding invocations to the Trinity , to angels and saints , primarily Michael and Mary .

In the German Benediction, the oration is:

God, you kept your servant Abraham safe in every way.
You led the sons of Israel on a dry path through the middle of the sea.
Through the star you showed the wise men from the east the way to Christ.
Also accompany these believers gathered here on their pilgrimage (to St. James).
Let them experience your presence, increase their faith, strengthen their hope and renew their love.
Protect them from all dangers and save them from every accident.
Guide them happily to the destination of their journey and let them return home unharmed.
Finally grant them that they will safely reach the goal of their earthly pilgrimage and obtain eternal salvation.
We ask this of you through Christ our Lord. Amen.

After the oration there will be intercession , our Father, the solemn blessing and a song.

literature

  • Rupert Berger : Pilgrim blessing . In: Walter Kasper (Ed.): Lexicon for Theology and Church . 3. Edition. tape 8 . Herder, Freiburg im Breisgau 1999, Sp. 300 .
  • Dieter Eissing: The pilgrim's blessing . In: Andreas Heinz , Heinrich Rennings: Bless today. Workbook on the Benediction . Freiburg, Basel, Vienna 1987, ISBN 3-451-21064-9 , pp. 308-316 .
  • Klaus Herbers: Way of St. James. History and culture of a pilgrimage . Verlag CH Beck, Munich 2006, ISBN 3-406-53594-1 .
  • Peter Müller: Setting off for Santiago, pilgrimage blessing . In: Peter Müller and P. Angel F. de Aránguiz, He who breaks up comes home too. About being out and about on the Camino de Santiago . 5th edition. Verlag am Eschbach, Eschbach 2006, ISBN 3-88671-126-9 , p. 21-24 .
  • Erich Purk (OFMCap) and Elisabeth Alferink: Departure, pilgrim blessing and travel blessing . In: Erich Purk and Elisabeth Alferink, In the footsteps of Jakobus. Spiritual and practical tips before you set off . Verlag Katholisches Bibelwerk Stuttgart, Stuttgart 2006, ISBN 3-460-31846-5 , p. 59-64 .
  • Manfred Zentgraf: On the Way of St. James. Pilgrim booklet . Verlag Neue Stadt, Munich, Zurich, Vienna 2008, ISBN 978-3-87996-741-4 (This little book contains numerous traditional and modern words of blessing and pilgrim songs that are suitable for the rite of a pilgrimage).

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Sacramentary of Gellone; see: Dieter Eissing: The Pilgrim's Blessing. In: Andreas Heinz, Heinrich Rennings: Bless today. Workbook on the Benediction. Freiburg-Basel-Wien 1987, ISBN 3-451-21064-9 , pp. 308-316, here p. 308 A. 1.
  2. ↑ Sermon of the Blessed Pope Calixt on the feast of the election and translation of the relics of St. Apostle James, celebrated on December 30th , printed in: Klaus Herbers: Der Jakobsweg. On the way to Santiago de Compostela with a medieval pilgrim guide. Tübingen, 6th edition 1998, ISBN 3-87808-312-2 , pp. 67-98, here pp. 76ff.
  3. ↑ Sacramentary of Gellone (9th century), after Dieter Eissing: The pilgrim blessing. In: Andreas Heinz, Heinrich Rennings: Bless today. Workbook on the Benediction. Freiburg-Basel-Vienna 1987, ISBN 3-451-21064-9 , pp. 308-316, here p. 308; James version: Klaus Herbers: The Way of St. James. On the way to Santiago de Compostela with a medieval pilgrim guide. Tübingen, 6th edition 1998, ISBN 3-87808-312-2 , p. 76ff.
  4. ↑ Klaus Herbers: The Way of St. James. On the way to Santiago de Compostela with a medieval pilgrim guide. Tübingen, 6th edition 1998, ISBN 3-87808-312-2 , p. 78.
  5. ↑ Irmengard Jehle: Man on the way to God. The pilgrimage as a religious need of man - demonstrated in the Marian pilgrimage to Lourdes. Würzburg 2002, ISBN 3-429-02475-7 , p. 63.
  6. ^ Rupert Berger : Pilgrim blessing . In: Walter Kasper (Ed.): Lexicon for Theology and Church . 3. Edition. tape 8 . Herder, Freiburg im Breisgau 1999, Sp. 300 .
  7. ↑ Dieter Eissing: The pilgrim's blessing. In: Andreas Heinz, Heinrich Rennings: Bless today. Workbook on the Benediction. Freiburg-Basel-Wien 1987, ISBN 3-451-21064-9 , pp. 308-316, here p. 309.
  8. ^ Rituals Romanum ex decreto sacrosancti oecumenici Concilii Vaticani II instauratum auctoritate Ioannis Pauli II promulgatum. De Benedictionibus. Editio typica, Vatican City 1984.
  9. ↑ Dieter Eissing: The pilgrim's blessing. In: Andreas Heinz, Heinrich Rennings: Bless today. Workbook on the Benediction. Freiburg-Basel-Wien 1987, ISBN 3-451-21064-9 , pp. 308-316, here pp. 309-314.