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On Camino in those kilometres of walking alone silently, it taught me that prayer isn't always about words. The glorious beauty of the countryside and those wonderful people who I met, the pilgrims and the local people all just filled me with a great joy and love!
A joy deep within my being, as I recognised this beauty was all part of "God's Creation" that I was contemplating.
Have other pilgrims recognised this experience as prayer ?
Beautifully expressed.Walking the camino is a special form of prayer. You are a pilgrim, fulfilling a holy role in a holy place, walking where holy people walked before you, making it even more holy by your presence. The camino de santiago is engineered for prayer. Not everybody knows that, or appreciates it. No matter. If you are there and being a part of it, well. No words required. No explanations needed. Prayer is often just being still in God´s presence, after all.
Walking the camino is a special form of prayer. You are a pilgrim, fulfilling a holy role in a holy place, walking where holy people walked before you, making it even more holy by your presence. The camino de santiago is engineered for prayer. Not everybody knows that, or appreciates it. No matter. If you are there and being a part of it, well. No words required. No explanations needed. Prayer is often just being still in God´s presence, after all.
Yes, Orison when it is turned towards the Centre of Reality, God and Heaven, is the heart of all true prayer.
I learned that on the Camino too
I learned something too when the light dawned and I looked up the word "Orison"Yes, Orison when it is turned towards the Centre of Reality, God and Heaven, is the heart of all true prayer.
I learned that on the Camino too
I learned something too when the light dawned and I looked up the word "Orison"
The act of attempting to communicate with a deity(Orison) when it is turned towards the Centre of Reality, God and Heaven, is the heart of all true prayer.
Thank you JabbaPapa a lovely enlightening post, we both were Blessed on the Camino
Thank you Margaret such wonderful descriptions throughout your post on your thoughts ,what you saw ,and what you sensed. That was it the gratitude we both felt was the key and on the top of O'Cebreiro the holiness was in the air you breathed. I went up to the top of the hill and looked around 360 degrees it was amazing . The Church run by the Franciscan monks with The Cross of Christ casting its shadow on the wall, "yes we're able to catch glimpses of the divine. "pilgrim
" I knew a new silence within as I walked. There was no longer any need for words. I walked, and knew that 'thankfulness' was key- that my feel might hurt, but I could forget about that, and notice all the good things around me."
And now, having rambled on for too long, I would have to say I agree with Rebekah, though I hadn't really realised it before. I had a sense, particularly strong in certain places, that I was walking where thousands had trodden before. Those little medieval bridges that you walk over somewhere after Cirauqui are to my mind some of the most sacred places on the Camino. Walking over them I was aware of the stream of pilgrims, hundreds of years long, that had walked there before me, all heading for Santiago. And on the top of O'Cebreiro the holiness and the weight of past pilgrims was almost palpable. I have read something recently about 'thin places' where 'the distance between heaven and earth collapses and we're able to catch glimpses of the divine.' For me, O'Cebreiro was a 'thin place'.
Margaret
I hope to experience such a place...pilgrimb, your post has had me thinking and remembering here. I was actually 'inspired' to walk the Camino when I was staying in the youth hostel in Cahors back in 2006, as a 'tourist' exploring bits and pieces of France. In the dorm room I was in, there was a lovely Frenchwoman who had started her pilgrimage in Le Puy who had been walking alone for three weeks. She radiated a deep, simple sense of joy, and when she spoke of walking the Camino this joy just shone out of her. There was an Englishwoman in the same room, and she was commenting to me afterwards that all that sounded far too dangerous for a woman alone- but somewhere inside me, a little bit of inspiration had taken hold, and I was already thinking.... hmmmmm, I might like to do that. The feeling became even stronger the next day when I accidentally stumbled upon the Chemin out of Cahors, climbing a cliff above the river where the view was superb, and wandering along beside fields filled with red poppies amongst all the other lush green growth. I knew real joy on that little walk, and my inkling to walk grew deeper...
I would have to say though that when I started walking the Chemin from Le Puy just under two years later, there was some joy and silence, but there was also a lot of very noisy talking to God on my part. I had many many things to say to God, about being orphaned, and how hard that was, and how did he expect me to believe when he didn't exactly help me then... Plus I found I was thinking back over my life, and remembered people I had neglected or had issues with. The first part of my walk from Le Puy was actually quite 'solitary' in many ways as well. (I spoke some French, but it was quite rusty, and I spent a lot of time 'alone'.) I had plenty of time 'alone' as I walked to yell at God, and remember some not so positive things about my relationships. And to be honest, I actually feel a bit sorry for those people who walk the CF always in a crowd, who never have that 'alone' time to think and yell at God!
But after about ten days, things changed. I had done all the yelling and thinking I needed to do- and as my feet walked, I knew a new silence within as I walked. There was no longer any need for words. I walked, and knew that 'thankfulness' was key- that my feel might hurt, but I could forget about that, and notice all the good things around me.
And now, having rambled on for too long, I would have to say I agree with Rebekah, though I hadn't really realised it before. I had a sense, particularly strong in certain places, that I was walking where thousands had trodden before. Those little medieval bridges that you walk over somewhere after Cirauqui are to my mind some of the most sacred places on the Camino. Walking over them I was aware of the stream of pilgrims, hundreds of years long, that had walked there before me, all heading for Santiago. And on the top of O'Cebreiro the holiness and the weight of past pilgrims was almost palpable. I have read something recently about 'thin places' where 'the distance between heaven and earth collapses and we're able to catch glimpses of the divine.' For me, O'Cebreiro was a 'thin place'.
Margaret
On Camino in those kilometres of walking alone silently, it taught me that prayer isn't always about words. The glorious beauty of the countryside and those wonderful people who I met, the pilgrims and the local people all just filled me with a great joy and love!
A joy deep within my being, as I recognised this beauty was all part of "God's Creation" that I was contemplating.
Never...... The holy Grail is buried on the hill of The High Kings in Tara.As you may know @pilgrim b legend has it that the Holy Grail is to be found in the church at O Cerbeiro.
Buen Camino!
Never...... The holy Grail is buried on the hill of The High Kings in Tara.
Can't argue with photos, or the internet.
Can't argue with photos, or the internet.
What a lovely answer. So is thisWalking the camino is a special form of prayer. You are a pilgrim, fulfilling a holy role in a holy place, walking where holy people walked before you, making it even more holy by your presence. The camino de santiago is engineered for prayer. Not everybody knows that, or appreciates it. No matter. If you are there and being a part of it, well. No words required. No explanations needed. Prayer is often just being still in God´s presence, after all.
Thank you to both of you, and to pilgrim b too. HHAnd now, having rambled on for too long, I would have to say I agree with Rebekah, though I hadn't really realised it before. I had a sense, particularly strong in certain places, that I was walking where thousands had trodden before. Those little medieval bridges that you walk over somewhere after Cirauqui are to my mind some of the most sacred places on the Camino. Walking over them I was aware of the stream of pilgrims, hundreds of years long, that had walked there before me, all heading for Santiago. And on the top of O'Cebreiro the holiness and the weight of past pilgrims was almost palpable. I have read something recently about 'thin places' where 'the distance between heaven and earth collapses and we're able to catch glimpses of the divine.' For me, O'Cebreiro was a 'thin place'.
Margaret
Thank you too thehappyhermit, and great to see your very first message today on the forum. Welcome !!!What a lovely answer. So is this
Thank you to both of you, and to pilgrim b too. HH
No I didn't know about that legend Mendiwalker you learn new things on this forum every day!As you may know @pilgrim b legend has it that the Holy Grail is to be found in the church at O Cerbeiro.
Buen Camino!
No I didn't know about that legend Mendiwalker you learn new things on this forum every day!
Buen Camino!
Yes! I definitely find that prayer without words comes when walking a pilgrimage. Here's an article I wrote about the experience for the Sisters of the love of God:
http://pilgrimpace.wordpress.com/2011/02/28/the-walking-becomes-the-praying-2/
'The Walking Becomes the Praying' is a phrase borrowed from Alan Ecclestone and Charles Peguy.
There is so much richness in pondering all this, isn't there? Thanks for the prompt to reflect on it again
Andy
I loved this blog post. How true it is about walking becoming prayer and how important that it helps us into prayer without words, in love.Thanks! and Buen Camino to you!
The next for me will be a short Camino and Retreat at the beginning of February
Andy
One persons prayer is another's meditation. The rhythm of walking with simple achievable goals vaguely in mind; contemplating the detail of the ever changing environment, can bring peace.
Can't help but notice religion all over this thread, so, posters, do keep an eye on your Violation Points, it would be a shame to see you banned ....
Walking the camino is a special form of prayer. You are a pilgrim, fulfilling a holy role in a holy place, walking where holy people walked before you, making it even more holy by your presence. The camino de santiago is engineered for prayer. Not everybody knows that, or appreciates it. No matter. If you are there and being a part of it, well. No words required. No explanations needed. Prayer is often just being still in God´s presence, after all.
Yes, definitely.....I had the same feelings myself many times as I walked....smilesOn Camino in those kilometres of walking alone silently, it taught me that prayer isn't always about words. The glorious beauty of the countryside and those wonderful people who I met, the pilgrims and the local people all just filled me with a great joy and love!
A joy deep within my being, as I recognised this beauty was all part of "God's Creation" that I was contemplating.
Have other pilgrims recognised this experience as prayer ?
100%. Both of my Camino's were "prayer walks" and I'm guessing I prayed with words less than 5% of the time. My motto is "Every step a prayer". When I was praying for a specific person I often would simply breathe their name each time my left foot hit the ground. There is a as saying that talks about Pilgrims "praying with their feet".On Camino in those kilometres of walking alone silently, it taught me that prayer isn't always about words. The glorious beauty of the countryside and those wonderful people who I met, the pilgrims and the local people all just filled me with a great joy and love!
A joy deep within my being, as I recognised this beauty was all part of "God's Creation" that I was contemplating.
Have other pilgrims recognised this experience as prayer ?
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