Following on from the last Blog post......
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:
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 ??
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.
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.
You may or may not reach this point in the route this time but
don't forget to
bring your personal rock from home to leave at Cruce de Ferro between Rabanal
and El Acebo. You'll be surprised at the importance for many pilgrims of
this mound of rocks with a cross at the top that represents the giving over of
sins or grief’s or hopes to God.
