Title | : | On Pilgrimage |
Author | : | |
Rating | : | |
ISBN | : | 0802846297 |
ISBN-10 | : | 9780802846297 |
Language | : | English |
Format Type | : | Paperback |
Number of Pages | : | 272 |
Publication | : | First published August 1, 1999 |
On Pilgrimage Reviews
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This book, a journal of one year in Dorothy Day's life (1948), is so incredibly beautiful and powerful. Day's spirituality, her deep sense of the sacred in all that she touched, her understanding of the lay apostolate, and of the dignity of marriage comes shining through in these pages. As I read this book, I thought, "If only more people had internalized what Day was saying here, the post-Vatican II crisis would have been much smaller in scope." It is amazing how Day anticipated and lived out so much of what the Second Vatican Council called for. Her profound sense of marriage and how the marriage relationship was an image for the Church and Christ, her understanding of divine friendship, and so many other things were before their time.
In these pages it becomes clear that this woman was a saint. She loved the poor, really loved the poor. She lived with them. She clothed the naked, fed the hungry, helped the lame, visited the prisoner. She and her work were an embodiment of Matthew 25. An incredible book, by an incredible woman.
Also, Mark and Louise Zwick, who run the Houston Catholic Worker House, give a thorough and good introduction to the journal. -
On Pilgrimage was a book read for my book club, and I admit that without the challenge of finishing it in time for discussion (which I failed!), I may not have persevered. I found the book to be full of gold, but as it was a little unstructured, it felt like panning in muddy waters for the treasure. I hadn’t had time to read the introduction, or any supporting material, so at times I was a little loss as to the context, and the juxtaposition of the household descriptions(which I found delightful) and the political discussions (which I found intriguing) was unusual. Despite the fact that I didn’t actually enjoy the book, I am glad to have read it, and hope to return to the many places where I highlighted well-expressed ideas and phrases.
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I'm rereading this diary which Day wrote over 1948. It is as inspiring as I remembered, as interesting in the details (at this point) of living the life of the poor in the country with her grown children, and just as difficult in some of the political/social thoughts Day espouses. It is the rare person, I would guess, who can pick up Day's writing and completely agree with her. Certainly I can't. Nonetheless, if one is ready to agree to disagree, there is a lot of great value here.
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my sweet anarchist communist catholic bohemian baby Dorothy <3 I love you girl
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Dorothy Day has been one of my favourite 'saints' of the modern world. Whether or not she has been declared a saint by the Vatican is irrelevant to me. Many a times in this book she pleads that we all become saints. Dorothy Day, the founder of the Catholic Worker, lived the Gospel and did it to the fullest. Her conversion to catholicism, a story I plan on reading, was absolute. "Love of brother means voluntary poverty, stripping one's self, putting off the old man, denying one's self, etc. It also means nonparticipation in those comforts and luxuries which have been manufactured by the exploitation of others." A challenge most of us wouldn't dare take on and yet she did.
"We are all one. We are one flesh in the Mystical Body, as man and woman are said to be one flesh in marriage. With such a love one would see all things new; we would begin to see people as they really are, as God sees them." Dorothy lived and loved as Our Lord commanded, she believed in the communion of saints and considered them (St Teresa of Ávila, St Benedict, St Catherine of Siena and a few others were her favourites) her friends. The Mass was as important to her if not more than anything else. I highlighted page after page as I read. A woman with flaws and deep regrets (she had an abortion, the reason she'll probably never be a saint) but a woman with so much love in her! She fell in love with Christ and on her way left us with the hope that yes, we all can be saints if we could only truly and deeply love. -
Parts of this book were so beautiful and inspiring - as a mother of young children, I especially loved the parts of the book when she talked about caring for her grandchildren and the challenges of motherhood. She challenges the reader to radical love and to question the comfort of life, to better serve the poor around us.
It was sometimes difficult to read because it went from topic to topic, it was her diary over the course of a year and sometimes also included pieces of articles or notes from talks by priests. It took a long time to read because there was so much to ponder. I will definitely read again (which is something I rarely do). -
This book consists of journal entries written by Dorothy Day over the course of a year. It has a lot of good spiritual reflections on daily life, and an interesting look into life on a farm as well as some aspects of her ministry to the poor. And being a journalist by profession, she is a good writer. This is a book that I would read again in a couple of years.
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I loved this glimpse into Dorothy Day's musings about women and family over the course of a year. I had to keep reminding myself that she was writing in the late 1940s, because much of what she commented on is applicable to today's climate.
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I really like reading about her life. She gives such a different perspective on the world; interesting read.
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One of my heroes . . . or should I say heroin? Didn't live a perfect life, but in the end did good for others.
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Read this over a year; challenging, beautiful, and inspiring. Incredibly interesting to see her diary entries over the course of a year and what she felt like writing.