A Pilgrim’s Path

By J. Brian Murphy

This book of poetry was inspired by three life-changing experiences: a year as a medical platoon leader in Vietnam, as an international medical volunteer, and finally, as a pilgrim on a thirty-seven-day pilgrimage on the Camino de Santiago. The last of these moved me to try to describe in verse how these disparate experiences influenced my spiritual life and to share it with fellow pilgrims.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Nov 9, 2018
• ISBN: 9781984565075

Book preview

Prolegomena

On a rocky trail in Spain I encountered God. Now I understood the purpose of the pilgrimage I was on and the need to share it with others. What is a pilgrimage? It is a journey guided by Faith. What is Faith? It is confidence in God’s presence. Individually and together our pilgrimage is a journey of faith seeking understanding (St. Anselm). We are never alone on this journey because our Faith informs us of Christ’s presence, always with us, always within us.

Pilgrims Service

The Pilgrim from Tarsus, builder contracted for His Church

Recognized he was on the home stretch, his reward in sight

We will analyze our own journey’s completion in some way

A pilgrimage with purpose, a mission mostly accomplished

The helpless protected, the lame healed

After all, this is our duty as Christians

The Confessor, Theology without action is the Devils Theology

Father Richard would agree, action must follow contemplation

Father Louis cautioned of the dangers of being a guilty bystander

Dorothy and Francis encourage us to serve the forgotten

Saint Teresa, tormented by doubt, labored her life long

This surely is the Samaritan’s Service, the Catholic Faith lived

Thankful for the gift of opportunity, of Love’s support

The need easily recognized at home and in unfamiliar places

It is the belief in the Mass, the universal good, weightier than

All the evil combined, allowing hope, faith and charity to endure

Emmaus

We saw him only yesterday, standing by the road

His thumb extended, looking for a ride

This pilgrim wore a backpack, not on an urgent fast track

His face suggested nothing there to hide

We stopped and offered him a lift, he gracefully accepted it

I asked him casually, where are you going?

With a smile he replied "many thanks for the ride

I journey to where seeds of Hope need sowing"

No more questions did we ask, we just let his comment pass

Though a certain peace surrounded all three of us,

We dropped him at a prison. He said that since He’d Risen

He continued practicing what was preached to us

Bartimaeus

Hopeless future beckons, long suffering his companion

In Jericho with empty cup, by all he is abandoned

Gazing blindly as pilgrims pass, begs alms to no avail

He raises up with trembling hands his crude unholy Grail

One preoccupied Pharisee, his white robe uplifted, brushes,

The shoeless toes of this sightless beggar, as by he rushes

But a side glance betrays his lies of indifferent affections

A quickened pace to the Synagogue, safe Sanctuary beckons

But this Blind beggar surrenders not, as