A Long Walk

A few years ago I saw a movie called The Way and it was about walking the Road to Santiago in Spain. It featured Martin Sheen and his son, Emilio Estevez.  As I watched the movie, something stirred inside me and I felt an excitement making me wish I could do that walk. Well, maybe not the whole walk but a partial walk to end at the Cathedral in Compostela, Spain!  Last evening I watched Foot Prints, The Path of Your Life of eleven young men who decide to go on a pilgrimage to Santiago. Five hundred and fifty miles of walking would give them blisters on their feet, feelings of exhaustion, thoughts about giving up, personal struggles as well as happiness and feelings of fulfillment as they walked. What kept them going was the friendship and comradery. Watching the movie I saw laughter, devotion, happiness, joy, introspection and tears from these young men.

Aside from the reactions of the men, the photography of the scenery was absolutely beautiful! Water, trees, clouds, animals, fields, flowers and shrines were breath taking! History lessons about the Blessed Mother, St. Francis of Assisi, St. Ignatius of Loyola and the defeat of the Muslim invaders in Spain. The stories were told simply and in cartoon form. When I traveled to Spain and visited the Cathedral where the walk ends, I saw where a stone in a doorway had been worn down by the pilgrims touching it as they arrived from their long walk.  Another fascinating spectacle was watching the large incense burner (thurible) as it swung over our heads. It is one of the largest in the world that weighs 176 pounds and is 5'3" tall! I thought it looked like a small car! We were able to go behind the altar and put our arms around the gold statue of St. James and in the movie the young men also do the same!

What a pilgrimage for those young men who made the long walk. Some of the men did not make it an had to end their walk due to illness. Eleven started out but only seven of the group completed the walk! Once again I felt a stirring in my heart to want to travel the road. But when I thought that I can't even walk a few blocks without getting tired. I knew that traveling the road would be impossible for me!

"It is your road and yours alone.

Others may walk it with you,

but no one can walk it for you,"

Hill Walk Tours