Prayer of La Faba

                                                                     

I thought I had posted my last post on this blog, but thought about something I would like to share.  I think it sums up  my thoughts on the Camino and I am sure of many other pilgrims who have travelled before me.   Shelagh and I first saw it in the Church at the top of O'Cebriero. It is very thought provoking. Maybe it isn't for everyone, but I think we could all learn from it.. Enjoy!

Prayer of La Faba

'Although I may have travelled all the roads,
crossed mountains and valleys from East to West,
if I have not discovered the freedom to be myself,
I have arrived nowhere.

Although I may have shared all of my possessions
with people of other languages and cultures;
made friends with Pilgrims of a thousand paths,
or shared albergue with saints and princes,
if I am not capable of forgiving my neighbour tomorrow,
I have arrived nowhere.

Although I may have carried my pack from beginning to end
and waited for every Pilgrim in need of encouragement,
or given my bed to one who arrived later than I,
given my bottle of water in exchange for nothing;
if upon returning to my home and work,
I am not able to create brotherhood
or to make happiness, peace and unity,
I have arrived nowhere.

Although I may have had food and water each day,
and enjoyed a roof and shower every night;
or may have had my injuries well attended,
if I have not discovered in all that the love of God,
I have arrived nowhere.

Although I may have seen all the monuments
and contemplated the best sunsets;
although I may have learned a greeting in every language;
or tried the clean water from every fountain;
if I have not discovered who is the author
of so much free beauty and so much peace,
I have arrived nowhere.

If from today I do not continue walking on your path,
searching for and living according to what I have learned;
if from today I do not see in every person, friend or foe
a companion on the Camino;
if from today I cannot recognize God,
the God of Jesus of Nazareth
as the one God of my life,
I have arrived nowhere.'
                                                                                                                                                                          

The Way to Santiago

I have to say that the walk from Sarria to Santiago had some of the nicest scenary on the Camino.  We walked past Eucalyptus groves, through Woods, throught beautiful little towns, but... the feeling of the Camino was changing.  In order for one to get their Compostela in Santiago, one has to walk the last 100 km.  You can have walked the first  700 but if you don't walk the last 100 - no Compostela.  This is where one meets a different type of Pilgrim.  More of a tourista type Pilgrim, who rushes from Alburgue to Alburgue.  I also noticed that now the "gouging" was starting.  Prices of food were increasing and some of the Alburgues were not as hospitable.  They just wanted one's money.  It's a shame really,because if you were a Pilgrim who only walked the last 100, then you really don't experience the true "flavour" of the Camino.  It has been a wonderful experience and as we were getting closer to Santiago I felt a little sad that my Camino would be coming to an end.  I have met some wonderful people - people I will never forget, people who walked for all types of reasons. People who have courage. The Camino was  a lot easier than I thought it would be, because I could walk the Camino the way I wanted to walk the Camino.  I stopped to smell the flowers, to meet other pilgrims,  to pet the dogs, to look  at the scenary, to admire the architecture and to laugh and dance and sing.  We did a lot of laughing and singing. 

When we walked into Santiago, we wondered which fellow pilgrims we would see, the  retired Major- Bill from England and his walking companion Bill from California.  We hadn't seen them in awhile. Danijila my young Croatian friend who now lives in Berlin. Mike, who walked in tandem with his aunt, Jurgen, who had tendonitis and had to slow down and of course our Canadian friends, Donna, Vicky, Katherine, Gail and Hope.  The six French pilgrims  we would sing with along the way. And many more whose names I don't know, but who were there with us on our journey.

I felt proud when I picked up my Compostela.  I will frame it and hang it on my wall. But really when one thinks about it, it is just a piece of paper.  The experience of walking the Camino was my real gain.  An experience I will never forget.

Oh.. and the pilgrims, I mentioned in the above paragraph, I saw them all in Santiago and that ......... was the icing on the cake.