Following The Signs

The tomb of  Santiago (Saint James) is most assuredly the most sign posted location in the world. With thousands of kilometers of paths from all over Europe, there are more signs and yellow arrows than one could ever count. I wonder if anyone has tried.

The signs range from large signs that can be easily seen to small and obscure, to faded yellow arrows that can be elusive to the eye.

They can be anywhere.

On a rock in the middle of a grape vineyard.

 On a sidewalk.

On a tree or stonewall leading into the forest.

In the middle of the road.

Just about anywhere that a yellow arrow can be painted.

And when there are no signs, Pilgrims make their own, just so the next person won't get lost.

It is easy to lose the way, by chatting, daydreaming, not paying attention, or paying too much attention to beautiful scenery.

One must be vigilant about looking for signs, and it is particularly important to look carefully for signs when walking in the dark.

Being attentive and looking for signs while walking the Camino,  again made me realize how true it is that the Camino de Santiago becomes that metaphor for life. Every day we must be attentive and look for "signs". The signs that keep us on the right path, that help us find our way when we have strayed, that keep us moving in a forward direction, that keep is mindful, helpful, generous and kind.

Call it what you will, intuition, gut feeling, grace. There is always that little "sign", that magic moment when we have a choice to act in a certain way to be more loving, more giving, more appreciative of the things around us, more attentive and more caring of our fellow human beings.

"We are not human beings having a spiritual experience, we are spiritual beings having a human experience."

There are opportunities to realize the truth of the above statement every day of our lives, we just have to be silent, watch, feel, and look for the signs.

I wish you peace, love and laughter
Rita

note: You may have to click on the photo to enlarge to see where the yellow arrows are.

Embracing Saint James

We spent our last 3 days in Santiago, exploring the streets of the medieval old town, and generally relaxing and enjoying good food, good friends and the city sights.

I spent a lot of time going back to the cathedral, the Pilgrim's office and the giant plaza, looking for friends and other Pilgrims and sharing the pleasure of their arrivals. And I loved going to the cathedral early in the morning and sitting quietly and having Saint James to myself.

One of the traditions is to go behind the altar in the cathedral and give Saint James an embrace. It was a special Camino moment for me, to finally greet the Saint that I had walked so far for.

I made sure I was early to attend the Pilgrims Mass, so that I could get a good seat in the cathedral.
The Pilgrim's Mass is overflowing each day with 800 to 1,000 including Pilgrims, other worshipers and tourists.
It was quite a thrill to see that even during the Mass the tradition of hugging Saint James continued and every now and them my attention was drawn to the rear of the huge gold and silver altar to see Pilgrims giving Saint James an embrace.

Another tradition is to walk or take a bus to Finesterre, which was believed to be the end of the world during medieval times. My journey was complete when I reached Saint James, so I had no desire to go any further. I did hear from fellow Pilgrims who made the journey that it did not have the same feeling as being on the  Camino; that it was not a the pilgrimage, but just a beautiful walk to the ocean.
 
I think that leaving Santiago de Compostela was more emotional than arriving, if that's possible. I felt like I needed more time to absorb and reflect on my experience before returning home. But when it came time, I was happy to return home to my family. I will have plenty of time to sit and contemplate the messages and lessons I received from the Camino.

I wish you peace, love, and laughter
Rita

Saint James

Day 33-Santiago

Even though we have arrived and the long trek is done, I was up early and anxious to go.
I walked to the cathedral, only 2 or 3 minutes away. To my surprise it was open.
Even better, I had it all to myself, except a very few other early risers.
I surprised myself. Instead of going directly to Saint James, whom I traveled so far to greet, I went to the Virgen Mary. I thanked her for her prayers along my journey. I think I said more Hail Marys while walking the Camino than I've said all my life.
Then I went to Jesus and thanked him for walking with me as my Savior and my brother.
When I finally sat down in front of the gorgeous gold and silver and bejeweled altar with Saint James in front of me I was awestruck.
No tears, no sound, no thoughts, just me and James.
We looked at each other for what seemed like eternity.
Silence, pure, gorgeous, beautiful silence.
Then I wondered...who had more reverence...me for the Saint?...or the Saint for me?...and I recalled that the gospel tells us that James, son of Zebadee, was in his boat mending fishing nets when Jesus summoned him saying "Follow me and I will make you a fisher of men". James and his brother followed Jesus.
And if one considers that 100,000 people a year make the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela to visit his burial place, it would seem that James is still a "fisher of men" more than 2000 years later.
I smiled at the thought and it seemed like old Jimmy smiled back, and that is when the tears started to flow.

Peace and Love to all
Rita
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Sacred and Mystical Places

"We are not human beings having a spiritual experience, We are spiritual beings having a human experience"

Teillhard de Chardin

Sacred and mystical places are as spiritually meaningful today as they always have been in the history of mankind. Nearly every culture in human history has honored the divine, the mysterious, the supernatural or the extraordinary. They are special places where the physical world seems to meet the spiritual world and these have become our sacred places. They are generally awe-inspiring natural places that are in some way through myth, miracle or legend connected with gods, saints and heroes. They are believed to have "power to heal the body, enlighten the mind, and awaken the soul."

One needn't be religious or even a believer to recognize and even honor that holy places, religious buildings and sacred art are some of the most beautiful things in the world. And since prehistoric times humans have traveled to these sites, making them the most loved and visited places on earth.

The ancient practice of pilgrimage is as popular today as it was in ancient times. And the Pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela is one of the top 3 pilgrimages in the world today only topped by Rome and Jerusalem. The mystery and the spiritual power of the Camino draws both the faithful and the curious.

"The idea that life is a pilgrimage and the really important aspects of life have been revealed to them through their experience of the route is a constant in Pilgrim narratives" says Nieves Herrero Perez, University of Santiago de Compostela.

The words I have heard most often from those who have made the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela is that it is "life altering".

Ten million visitors are expected to visit the resting place of Saint James the Apostle at the Cathedral of Santiago in 2010, which is a Holy Year (when Saint James' day, July 25, falls on a Sunday).

Rita

Medieval Footpath

Saint James(in Spanish, Santiago) was one of the 12 Apostles of Christ. After Jesus was crucified, the Apostles were to go forth and spread the Gospel. As the story goes, James went to Spain where he had little success in converting the locals. Upon his return to Jerusalem he was promptly beheaded by King Herod Agrippa, making him the first Apostle to be martyred. James' followers secreted his body away in a boat and sent it back to Spain where they buried it and it laid hidden for several hundred years. Then, in 813 AD a curious hermit followed "sweet music and twinkling stars" to a remote field in Galicia, in northern Spain and discovered what was to be identified as the tomb of Saint James. King Alphonso II of Spain visited the site, built a church and monastery over the tomb and declared Santiago patron saint of Spain.

Pilgrimages to the site began and by the ninth century, the number of Pilgrims rose over the years, and peaked in the eleventh and twelfth centuries, when about a half million people made the pilgrimage and when many of the towns and cities along the camino were built. Most of these ancient villages have changed very little over the centuries. After around 1500AD the number of Pilgrims dropped off significantly because of reformation, political reasons and other factures. But In 1982 Pope John Paul II visited Santiago de Compostela and popularity soared once again and has grown steadily since then. In 1987, the European Union declared the Camino Europe's first cultural itinerary. In 1993 UNESCO added the Camino to its World Heritage list.
The Gospel tells us that James, son of Zebedee, was in his boat mending nets with his brother John, when Jesus summoned them, saying "Follow me and I will make you a fisher of men". James and his brother did follow Jesus. And if one considers that today 100,000 people a year make the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela to visit his burial place, it would seem that James is still "a fisher of men" over 2000 years later.
Rita