8. BLESSING OF PILGRIMS
before they set out for the holy shrines
In accord with ancient ecclesiastical discipline, pilgrims who
are to visit the holy shrines should obtain a letter of
recommendation from their Ordinary or pastor before they set out.
Having put their affairs in order, they prepare themselves with
sacramental confession, assist at Mass and receive holy
communion. In this Mass the Collect for pilgrims (pro re gravi)
is said. After Mass they kneel before the priest who says the
following (for the music see the music supplement):
Antiphon: May the almighty and merciful Lord lead you in the way
of peace and prosperity. May the Angel Raphael be your companion
on the journey and bring you back to your homes in peace, health,
and happiness.
Then the Canticle of Zachary is said; and after the canticle the
above antiphon is repeated. Then the priest continues:
Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Our
Father (the rest inaudibly until:)
P: And lead us not into temptation.
All: But deliver us from evil.
P: Save your servants.
All: Who trust in you, my God.
P: Lord, send them aid from your holy place.
All: And watch over them from Sion.
P: Let them find in you, Lord, a fortified tower.
All: In the face of the enemy.
P: Let the enemy have no power over them.
All: And the son of iniquity be powerless to harm them.
P: May the Lord be praised at all times.
All: May God, our helper, grant us a happy journey.
P: Lord, shows us your ways.
All: And lead us along your paths.
P: Oh, that our life be bent.
All: On keeping your precepts.
P: For the crooked ways will be made straight.
All: And the rough places plain.
P: God has given His angels charge over you.
All: To guard you in all your undertakings.
P: Lord, heed my prayer.
All: And let my cry be heard by you.
P: The Lord be with you.
All: May He also be with you.
Let us pray.
God, who led the children of Israel dry-shod through the sea, and
showed the way to the three Magi by the guidance of a star; grant
these pilgrims, we pray, a happy journey and peaceful days, so
that, with your holy angel as a guide, they may safely reach
their destination and finally come to the haven of everlasting
salvation.
God, who led your servant, Abraham out of Ur of the Chaldeans,
and kept him safe in all his wanderings; may it please you, we
pray, also to watch over these servants of yours. Be to them,
Lord, a help in their preparations, comfort on the way, shade in
the heat, shelter in the rain and cold, a carriage in tiredness,
a shield in adversity, a staff in insecurity, a haven in
shipwreck; so that under your guidance they may happily reach
their destination, and finally return safe to their homes.
Lord, we beg you to hear our request that you guide the steps of
your servants along the path of well-being that comes from you,
and that in the midst of this fickle world they may always live
under your protection.
Grant, we pray, O almighty God, that your family of pilgrims find
a safe route; and heeding the admonitions of blessed John, the
precursor, come finally to Him whom John foretold, your Son,
Jesus Christ our Lord.
Hear, Lord, our prayers, and kindly accompany your servants on
their journey; and as you are present everywhere lend them your
aid at all times, so that with you as their shield they will be
defended from all dangers and pay you their homage of gratitude;
through Christ our Lord.
All: Amen.
May the peace and blessing of almighty God, Father, Son, + and
Holy Spirit, come upon you and remain with you forever.
All: Amen.
They are sprinkled with holy water.
If there is only one pilgrim the prayers are said in the
singular; but if the priest who bestows the blessing is a member
of the pilgrimage they are said in the plural.
9. BLESSING OF PILGRIMS
on their return
P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.
All: Who made heaven and earth.
Next the following antiphon and psalm are sung (for the music see
the music supplement):
Antiphon: See, thus is the man blessed who fears the Lord.
Psalm 127
(for this psalm see Rite for Marriage within Mass)
After the psalm the above antiphon is repeated. Then the priest
continues:
Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Our
Father (the rest inaudibly until:)
P: And lead us not into temptation.
All: But deliver us from evil.
P: Blessed are they who come in the name of the Lord.
All: Blessed be you by the Lord who made heaven and earth.
P: Look with favor, Lord, on your servants and their works.
All: And keep them in the way of your precepts.
P: Lord, heed my prayer.
All: And let my cry be heard by you.
P: The Lord be with you.
All: May He also be with you.
Let us pray.
We beg you, Lord, be appeased, and lavish on your servants pardon
and peace, so that being cleansed of all their transgressions
they may serve you with tranquil hearts.
Almighty everlasting God, the ruler of our lives and destinies,
grant to your servants continual and abundant peace, so that
those whom you have brought back safely to their various
occupations may bask in the security of your protection.
God, the support of the lowly, you who console us by the love of
our brethren; bestow your grace on our brotherhood, so that we
may always see your presence in those in whom you live by your
grace; through Christ our Lord.
All: Amen.
May the peace and blessing of almighty God, Father, Son, + and
Holy Spirit, come upon you and remain with you forever.
All: Amen.
They are sprinkled with holy water.
