Pilgrim's Prayer

on the Napoleon Route over the Pyrenees

 Lord show me the way
and give me strength to follow it

~Pilgrim's Prayer of St Birgitta (of Sweden, 1303-1373)

-given to me by Elisabet from Sweden
 before I started the Chemin from Cluny

For Kay and Craig

'climb' in the Auvergne region

on the first day out of Le-Puy-en-Velay

(This post is especially for Kay and Craig 

who are both about to start walking from Le-Puy-en-Velay in the coming week.)

"Watch your way then, as a cautious traveler

and don't be gazing at that mountain

or river in the distance

and saying, "How shall I ever get over them?"

but keep to the present little inch that is before you

and accomplish that

in the little moment that belongs to it.

The mountain and the river can only be passed

in the same way

and when you come to them

you will come to the light and strength

that belong to them."

~Kelty

Found on the sidebar of Mary Pott's blog 'Landing on my Feet'

in honour of her daughter who died of cancer aged 18  

Courage

 Spring appearing on the descent from the Aubrac Plateau

"Courage doesn't always roar. 

Sometimes courage is the quiet voice 

at the end of the day saying, 

"I will try again tomorrow." 

~Mary Anne Radmacher

Occasionally there were 'hard days' on the Camino.

One such day was the first day of crossing the Aubrac Plateau when I got so wet and cold. 
It wasn't the wet and cold that was so hard, it was the fact I was walking alone in those conditions, 
and knew there was a chance of becoming hypothermic, alone. 

So the next morning, I had to 'make myself' walk on.... 
I had to take my own courage by the scruff of the neck 
and walk on for the second day of the Aubrac crossing. 

And at the end of the day as I descended from the Plateau to a lower altitude,

even though I felt exhausted

there was the joy of seeing the world around me

change into early spring...

The dreamers

 Two Italian women having dinner in Triacastela

-two of the many wonderful dreamers I met along the way...

"Every great dream begins with a dreamer. 

Always remember, you have within you 

the strength, the patience, and the passion 

to reach for the stars to change the world."

~Harriet Tubman

Compostela

"When I got upstairs to the office I asked if they had seen the queue. 

“Tell us” Eva said and when I did she blessed herself. 

“Headbangers” all, I thought fondly. Me included. 

Why else would we stand and wait for a stamp and a certificate 

which to many is just a piece of paper?

The answer is of course that it marks the end of a significant journey. 

A personal pilgrimage which has taken time and effort."

~from Johnnie Walker's blog posting,

about his experience in the Pilgrim Office

When I finally stood in the square in front of the Cathedral in Santiago

I knew I had achieved something that was both

-very simple- a succession of day walks, mostly not too hard, and also

-amazing- a feat of endurance and perseverance that had taken me nearly three months.

I wasn't really sure whether I should ask for the Compostela, or the non-religious certificate, 
but I knew I would treasure the piece of paper I was given at the Pilgrim Office!

Addendum: 25 August 

Rebekah has just reported a tragic death on her blog, where a Frenchwoman died in an accident on the journey home, after finishing her pilgrimage and receiving her Compostela. Those at the Pilgrim's Office immediately arranged a memorial Mass to pray for her. It adds a whole new layer of 'special-ness' to the meaning of the Compostela.

'...my friends at the pilgrim office in Santiago de Compostela got to work. They looked up the pilgrim credentials, they hustled over to the cathedral office, and the Monolithic Catholic Institution everyone rails against worked like a well-oiled machine to celebrate a beautiful memorial Mass for "la peregrina Frances."'

I want to add to the beauty....

Dandelion seen one morning, after leaving Miradoux

"We come with beautiful secrets

We come with purposes written on hearts

written on our souls

We come to every new morning

with possibilities only we can hold

Redemption comes in strange places, small spaces,

Calling out the best of who we are

I want to add to the beauty

to tell a better story...."

~From a blog by Kelle Hampton

called "Enjoying the Small Things".

Kelle has two small girls, Lainey and Nella.

Her baby, Nella, is just a few months old

and was born with Down Syndrome.

Kelle is a photographer who takes exquisite photos of her life
and especially of her girls.

Pilgrimage in the tougher times

Pilgrim leaving Rieutort d'Aubrac
on a morning that promises difficult weather conditions, like the day before.

"Brendan who was leading the Novena said,
“If you don’t feel like doing this,
if you are angry, if you have problems, if your faith is weak…
you are especially welcome…
come on the journey with us and let us support you through these nine days together.”

In that moment I realised that last year that’s what my Caminos
including the nine day journey in Clapham
had done for me.
I’ve learned that pilgrimage is not just for the good times in life,
it can also be about sustaining us
through the times of great difficulty."

~From Johnnie Walker's post
'Pilgrimage is not just for the good times'

You will turn and stand with them

Pilgrim monument in Villares de Orbigo

"The time will come
When someone else who in need
Will turn and run
Afraid to face what lies ahead for them
And you will turn and stand with them
And you'll have found your strength within
Your treasure in a field"

From the song "Treasure in a Field"
By Fr Chris Skinner SM
on his CD "Awesome God"

Shortly after I took this early morning photo,
I happened to have a quiet meeting in a cafe
with a young woman who was rather desperate over her life.
Somehow I seemed to find 'strength within'
from hard times in my own youth
and I hope I spoke quiet words that perhaps helped her.
I still think of her.