Pilgrimage: A Journey of Transformation

A Day with Friends.

On the Camino, the favorite saying is: “It’s your Camino.” Everyone walks at their own pace. Everyone walks for their own reasons – some are looking for a spiritual experience, others just want to enjoy the community of the Camino, and others want the accomplishment of a 500-mile walk. Walking the Camino is a slice of life.

I shared my Camino with two friends. Most days I don’t get to walk with them because I can’t keep up. They are jack rabbits. I am a tortoise. I do not mind because it lets me walk with many different people every day. I can spend a lovely morning walking with someone new – talking and enjoying their company. Then, my walking companion will move on, but someone new comes to walk with me for the next part of the day.

Today, however, was a special day. Instead of walking all the way to Puente La Reina, my friends and I stopped in Uterga the day before. It meant that we had a short walking day – so we took a little detour to see the Ermita de Santa María de Eunate. La Ermita means hermitage – and it is located where the Camino Frances meets the Camino Aragonés. It was built in the 12th century – and its octagonal in shape. Its origins seem to be a mystery. But if you have time to go to Eunate, the Ermita is worth a visit.

This post may seem like a break from our retreat on the Camino. It is not. The day was about enjoying the company friends. It reminds us that God is about relationships. Not only our relationship with God, but our relationships with others and with ourselves.

As I write these reflections, I have returned from my walk on the Camino. I am working to bring my Camino experiences into my daily life. The past week, I have been filled with worries – worries about work, moving to a new house, and getting my old house ready for sale. Last Tuesday, I felt so stressed I turned to scripture to calm my mind. The daily reading was Luke 10:38-42. It was the story of Martha who was busy serving the people at her house while her sister Mary sat at Jesus’ feet listening. The passage that spoke to me was Jesus saying:

“Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things.
There is need of only one thing.” (Lk 10:41)

I have heard the story of Martha and Mary preached as if Martha was wasting her time with earthly responsibilities. This interpretation has always struck me as diminishing to women and the work we do to make certain everyone is fed and cared for.

On Tuesday, however, I read the story with new eyes. When Jesus said, “you are anxious and worried about many things,” it was as if he was speaking to me, telling me to let go of my worries and anxieties. That the only thing that is important is our relationships – our relationship with God, with Jesus, with others, and with ourselves. Jesus did not tell Martha that her work was unimportant – he said do not worry. Focus on what is truly important, and the rest will work itself out.

For this reason, spending the day enjoying the company of friends and visiting La Ermita is an important part of our retreat. It reminds us that we do not have to work so hard to find God. He is present in the everyday experiences of our lives.