The question you will be asked is why you are making this journey, is it for Religious, Spiritual or Cultural reasons.
Some thoughts on the Spiritual reasons:
These passages are taken from a much longer
article worth reading: ~
Make the most of the journey
For those open to it, every
single step of the Camino de Santiago is a spiritual experience. The experience
occurs on many levels -- the discipline of walking even when it hurts, the
camaraderie and joy of community with other pilgrims, the beautiful and inspiring
scenery, the rich history of the pilgrimage, and a palpable sense of being
surrounded by pilgrims of centuries long past.
If a person chooses it, the Camino de Santiago can also include elements of the classic pilgrimage event even now, centuries after its establishment as one of the primary pilgrimage routes in Christianity. A classic pilgrimage involves certain elements:
If a person chooses it, the Camino de Santiago can also include elements of the classic pilgrimage event even now, centuries after its establishment as one of the primary pilgrimage routes in Christianity. A classic pilgrimage involves certain elements:
o A journey
fraught with difficulty, an ordeal;
o The carrying of
a burden and the burden’s release; and
o The anticipation
of an experience of awe during the journey and at the journey’s end.
Having clarity in advance of the walk is certain to give deeper meaning each step of the way. And it could be that your personal clarity will enrich the lives of other pilgrims who stumble onto you as a they look for clarity in their quest.
o Some questions
you might consider as you walk the Camino.
o Why am I willing
to deprive myself of comforts for a few weeks or more and endure an ordeal?
o What burden do I
carry that I hope will be lifted?
o Is there part of
my life I hope to change, to leave behind me?
o Is there a new
part of myself I hope to discover?
o What commitments
will I make for my spiritual practice while I walk?
o What decision is
pressing on me for which I could use wisdom and guidance?
o What will I
offer other pilgrims as my unique gift for their pilgrimage?
o What important
person(s) from my life will I keep closest to my heart as I walk?
o When I return,
how will I say "thanks" to those who made this pilgrimage possible
for me?
o How will this
pilgrimage help me in my larger purpose of loving God and neighbour?
What daily steps can a spiritual pilgrim
take to deepen their experience?
Every true spirituality begins in humility. If we are to hope to learn great things we must first understand that we are desperately small and weak. Pilgrims can easily succumb to an ironic "pilgrim pride" that ranks pilgrims based on how far they have walked toward the goal of Santiago de Compostela. Someone starting at the doorstep in Brussels is held in higher esteem than someone starting at Le Puy, who carries themselves proudly in comparison to someone who has merely started at St Jean Pied-de-Port. Someone starting in Burgos or Leon is to stand in awe of someone who started in France. Someone who uses a pack service is not as true a pilgrim as someone who walks with a pack. Lowest of all are those who walk only the last 100 kms and whose lunches are brought to them in a van and who carry no packs at all! These are "mini pilgrims" or "van pilgrims," not True Pilgrims like us. So, since pride separates us from God and neighbour our first spiritual commitment would be to practice the discipline of seeing ourselves as no better than anyone else.
After the high ??Every true spirituality begins in humility. If we are to hope to learn great things we must first understand that we are desperately small and weak. Pilgrims can easily succumb to an ironic "pilgrim pride" that ranks pilgrims based on how far they have walked toward the goal of Santiago de Compostela. Someone starting at the doorstep in Brussels is held in higher esteem than someone starting at Le Puy, who carries themselves proudly in comparison to someone who has merely started at St Jean Pied-de-Port. Someone starting in Burgos or Leon is to stand in awe of someone who started in France. Someone who uses a pack service is not as true a pilgrim as someone who walks with a pack. Lowest of all are those who walk only the last 100 kms and whose lunches are brought to them in a van and who carry no packs at all! These are "mini pilgrims" or "van pilgrims," not True Pilgrims like us. So, since pride separates us from God and neighbour our first spiritual commitment would be to practice the discipline of seeing ourselves as no better than anyone else.
Linda & I have both said a number of
times, Geoff & Mark will find a big void in their lives as the preparation
has been consuming them for many months..
After my Camino, what kind of post-Camino
feelings might I have and what can I do with them?
The Camino de Santiago is a spiritual high and I have found myself sitting alone in the cathedral after my pilgrim family has dispersed to all parts of the globe, sadly realising that I once again am no longer a pilgrim. After praying prayers of thanksgiving for my friends and for the joy of the Camino I slowly let go of the sadness and make my way back home.
One of the challenges of coming back from the Camino is trying to explain to people what actually happened. They'll be amazed at the walking of many miles and they'll ask questions like "where did you stay" and "what did you eat," but none of their questions can really help them penetrate the deeper feelings of the pilgrimage.
The Camino de Santiago is a spiritual high and I have found myself sitting alone in the cathedral after my pilgrim family has dispersed to all parts of the globe, sadly realising that I once again am no longer a pilgrim. After praying prayers of thanksgiving for my friends and for the joy of the Camino I slowly let go of the sadness and make my way back home.
One of the challenges of coming back from the Camino is trying to explain to people what actually happened. They'll be amazed at the walking of many miles and they'll ask questions like "where did you stay" and "what did you eat," but none of their questions can really help them penetrate the deeper feelings of the pilgrimage.
You've had a major life
experience and it's important to try to tell someone. Write a letter to a loved
one explaining your camino experience or give a slideshow at your church as a
way to express in your own words what your own camino meant to you. After your
credencial and compostela are framed and hung on the wall there should be some
token of its ongoing meaning in your life.
Consider also:
Helping someone else make the
pilgrimage. For me it was first my wife then my son. This year
I'm going with my sister. I feel if I can spread the word I can help recover
this ancient pathway for pilgrims today and help them in their spiritual
journey. I love to see the joy of the Camino de Santiago fill a person's heart
and in their camino I relive my own.
Giving your scallop shell to a
new pilgrim Why keep it for yourself? Find someone to carry
your shell on their pilgrimage. Share the love.
Sharing your experiences and
advice on Forums like this. Over 100,000 pilgrims will walk to Santiago this
year. Your tips and advice can make a big difference for them. Now that you've
made the pilgrimage your words of encouragement and support will mean a lot.
Returning to the Camino as a
hospitalero. You'll see the Camino from a very different
perspective and by volunteering will make an important contribution to the
pilgrimages of others.
Contributing to your country's
confraternity. Many countries have their own camino
organisations. They'd benefit greatly from your help.
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