The spirituality of the Camino de Santiago

Peregrino en el Camino

It is clear that there are many and several reasons why hundreds of thousands of pilgrims who arrive to Santiago de Compostela every year, make the Camino de Santiago alone or with the company of friends or family. Of course there is an adventure component, attracted to do something different and live experiences in contact with nature and other pilgrims. There is also the tourism component, being Spain and Galicia a country to enjoy for its landscapes, its lodgings and its gastronomy. But we also find a third important component, the spiritual one.

The Camino de Santiago, like many other pilgrimages in the world, and more so being one of the main ones, has been originally and essentially preserved by its spirituality. Although the spirituality of the Camino de Santiago is not something that can be measured or has a specific value, the truth is that many times the pilgrim ends up feeling this intrinsic value, whether or not he is a believing person. And, let's face it, the experience of doing the Way can change our lives.

Spirituality can come on the Path

People who have experienced or come to feel the spirituality of the Camino de Santiago know that, without a doubt, this experience can change their way of life. At a minimum, the concept they had of the Camino de Santiago. There is a very beautiful phrase that describes spirituality or experience: "He began as a walker and ended as a pilgrim." And, of course, they are two very different things and it happens constantly, both in devout people and in those who begin their Way without any religious feeling.

The transformation of people who make the Camino de Santiago in any of its routes, can be produced by a lot of factors, the religious being the most obvious. But not the only one: the possibility of living a unique adventure in life, the fellowship that is lived with other pilgrims, the possibility of enjoying and immersing yourself in the most beautiful and peaceful nature ... The Camino de Santiago has been designed in a way completely organic to feel their spirituality in many of their virtues, which transforms a large number of pilgrims.

As the pilgrim moves towards Santiago, as he meets places, fellow Camino, beautiful places that seem out of the best stories and stories ... as his body gets used to the Camino de Santiago, they can experience this spiritual transformation That is why there are people who repeat the Camino de Santiago dozens of times on all their routes, people who decide to stay near the Camino, who change their priorities in life in favor of what they have been able to feel on their trip. It is not only a physical Path, it is also an inner Path.

Naturaleza en el Camino

The Way changes you, you dont return the same

Many people agree that upon their return from the Camino de Santiago something has changed within them, you do not return the same as when you left. The Way and its experiences, especially if we take a long and leisurely trip, help us find ourselves and reflect on our day to day. The personal journey while we reflect and think, walking kilometer after kilometer, is an interior journey that in a few experiences we can perform as adequately as on the Camino de Santiago. As we say, the Camino has been naturally designed to facilitate this experience.

And this feeling can reach us whether we are believers or not, Catholics, Buddhists or any other religion in the world. We live in such a busy society, so given to absorb ourselves completely, that an internal reflection on us and our life is only possible at times like this: doing the Camino de Santiago, while traveling through a beautiful spot in solitude and discover the simplicity of the stuff. It is a true spiritual connection that favors personal development.

The Camino de Santiago for a believing person

It is obvious that a Catholic person can more easily experience the spirituality of the Camino de Santiago while traveling. In this case, pilgrims who perform the Way simply for a religious reason, are advised that in addition to preparing physically and technically, they also do so spiritually. Traditionally, pilgrims who made the Camino de Santiago by a religious component could be divided among those who did it for personal devotion, to fulfill a promise or vote, or as penance for their sins.

Believers who want to prepare themselves spiritually for the trip can come and seek advice at their local pastor, who can help them in the spiritual material for reflection and prayer along the Way. Many believers also wish to receive the Pilgrim's Blessing before beginning their Way, and it is advisable to learn well about the journey, the sacred points to visit and the history of the Way and the Tomb of the Apostle Santiago in Compostela, the final objective of the journey.