“Without the recognition of the soul’s journey within us, we are lost and only part of what we were intended to be.”
Extract from the book The Camino: A Journey of the Spirit
Together with other colleagues, led by Fr. Terence Spiteri, OSA, we embarked on a trip that turned out to be much more than we could ever have dreamed of or imagined. Our Camino began with just curiosity, a backpack, trekking shoes, and a planned route of 119 kilometres, taking us from Tui to Santiago de Compostela in Spain. Every individual had different reasons for being there, and surely, no one predicted where this experience would lead us.
The Weight We Carried
As from our first gathering, before taking the first step of thousands, through readings from the Bible and other self-reflections, Fr. Terence guided us towards an unravelling of thoughts of unresolved pain we did not even know we carried and questions we were too afraid to ask and answer.
Slowly but steadily, every step we were taking was becoming a request to listen to the crunch of dried leaves, the chirping sounds of free birds, or the deep ribbits of frogs jumping in ponds. However, the loudest sound that was echoing was the silence we usually try to cover with noise.
Stranger Ties and Realisations
Something that one can only completely experience during the Camino is the ties pilgrims form with strangers. That happy, joyful, and hopeful ‘Buen Camino’ you hear every time someone crosses paths with you, the joy you feel whenever you can wish a good journey back to your fellow pilgrims. Feelings that cannot be verbalised but ought to be lived.
We lived moments where the pain from blisters, too much sun, and sore muscles was going to take over. But right during those moments, pilgrims who were really and truly struggling to keep taking those steps, one after the other, coming from all walks of life, somehow materialised in front of us, reminding us that we need to keep on fighting, with the help of God, believing that He will give us all the strength we will need, always; we are never alone.
A Path that Fortifies
At times, we walked alone, in silence and peaceful moments of solitude, which became sacred. There were other times when we laughed all together, etching joyful memories in our hearts. But there were also times during which just one word, a hug, or an immensely wonderful view cracked something open within us, breaking out tears. These tears freed us from the weight we had been carrying, which made it difficult for us to keep up with life.
Then, a moment we also always looked forward to, the evening. Together, in the presence of God, we talked about fear, grudges, or expectations we let go of, realisations we had, and what, ultimately, we hoped to take home and start our actual Camino of life with.
This is Just the Beginning
Our final steps reached our planned landmark, Santiago. This finish line is the starting point of what one could describe as the hardest part of it all: life. The Camino taught us to walk slowly, listen intently, and appreciate what surrounds us.
We embarked on this journey looking for answers, but we learnt to sit with the questions, perceiving relief in that stillness.
¡Buen Camino!
Daniela Buttigieg
