"Buen Camino:" Heaven-Bound.
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Happy Feast of Santiago, a.k.a. St. James the Apostle!
Eleven years ago today I arrived in Santiago, Spain after 33 days of walking from St. Jean Pied de Port, France. Days of walking in blistering sun. Days of walking in rain soaked socks. Days that nonetheless, will forever be a part of me.
July 25th will always be a day that reminds me of the beauty of perseverance - of not giving up even when it seems illogical to keep walking. There were days when it felt legitimately insane to keep walking, when we could so easily hop on a bus and get to our destination. My friend and I carved out nearly two months to spend in Europe that summer, and instead of lounging on a beach in Spain, we willingly chose to wake up before dawn each morning to walk an average of 20 miles a day, for 33 days.
For those of you who are unfamiliar with the Camino de Santiago (also known as the Way of St. James), it is an ancient pilgrimage that follows the footsteps of St. James the Apostle as he preached the Gospel. Tradition says that though he was martyred in Jerusalem, his body was brought back to Spain where he was then buried. It is one of the most famous pilgrimages, dating back to medieval times, and is believed to have had several other Saints make the journey (St. Francis of Assisi being one of them). While it is rooted heavily in the Catholic Church, it has become popular for many different people with eclectic backgrounds who are seeking meaning in this world.
I'll never forget the moment arriving in Compostela, walking into the Cathedral of St. James and being surrounded by countless other pilgrims. We were reunited with others we had crossed paths with along the way and were surrounded by so many others who were feeling this same victorious joy. It was as if the joy was deeper because we all knew the sacrifices it took to get there, and here we all were, united in it all. It was a moment that shouted an echo of what heaven - the "communion of saints" would be like. And this moment consistently reminds me to look toward the end goal of heaven in my daily life.
A lot has happened in my life since those steps across Spain.
Heartbreaks. A few cross-country moves. Marriage. Babies. Family illnesses. Tragic deaths.
While there has been a lot of joy, there have also been many moments in these last eleven years when it felt illogical to keep walking in the same direction. But when we look at these challenging things we go through, with the eyes of heaven's understanding, the difficulties stop being hindrances and begin to be seen as steps toward our true Home.
Buen Camino, fellow pilgrim. I pray today we are given little glimpses of heaven, in the midst of whatever it is that might be challenging us.
“Let us sing alleluia here on earth, while we still live in anxiety, so that we may sing it one day in heaven in full security.”
- St. Augustine
Eleven years ago today I arrived in Santiago, Spain after 33 days of walking from St. Jean Pied de Port, France. Days of walking in blistering sun. Days of walking in rain soaked socks. Days that nonetheless, will forever be a part of me.
July 25th will always be a day that reminds me of the beauty of perseverance - of not giving up even when it seems illogical to keep walking. There were days when it felt legitimately insane to keep walking, when we could so easily hop on a bus and get to our destination. My friend and I carved out nearly two months to spend in Europe that summer, and instead of lounging on a beach in Spain, we willingly chose to wake up before dawn each morning to walk an average of 20 miles a day, for 33 days.
For those of you who are unfamiliar with the Camino de Santiago (also known as the Way of St. James), it is an ancient pilgrimage that follows the footsteps of St. James the Apostle as he preached the Gospel. Tradition says that though he was martyred in Jerusalem, his body was brought back to Spain where he was then buried. It is one of the most famous pilgrimages, dating back to medieval times, and is believed to have had several other Saints make the journey (St. Francis of Assisi being one of them). While it is rooted heavily in the Catholic Church, it has become popular for many different people with eclectic backgrounds who are seeking meaning in this world.
I'll never forget the moment arriving in Compostela, walking into the Cathedral of St. James and being surrounded by countless other pilgrims. We were reunited with others we had crossed paths with along the way and were surrounded by so many others who were feeling this same victorious joy. It was as if the joy was deeper because we all knew the sacrifices it took to get there, and here we all were, united in it all. It was a moment that shouted an echo of what heaven - the "communion of saints" would be like. And this moment consistently reminds me to look toward the end goal of heaven in my daily life.
A lot has happened in my life since those steps across Spain.
Heartbreaks. A few cross-country moves. Marriage. Babies. Family illnesses. Tragic deaths.
While there has been a lot of joy, there have also been many moments in these last eleven years when it felt illogical to keep walking in the same direction. But when we look at these challenging things we go through, with the eyes of heaven's understanding, the difficulties stop being hindrances and begin to be seen as steps toward our true Home.
Buen Camino, fellow pilgrim. I pray today we are given little glimpses of heaven, in the midst of whatever it is that might be challenging us.
“Let us sing alleluia here on earth, while we still live in anxiety, so that we may sing it one day in heaven in full security.”
- St. Augustine