Profound Experiences

[ACL]

I'd like to hear about all your profound experiences on the camino.

I'd have to say the most beautiful night for me on the camino was staying with David whom many of you know, during that time he had a host with him called Andrea, who as we arrived welcomed us with food and water..

We spent the evening discussing many things, and then were offered a place to sleep,

They took us around to the back of the building and there were these incredibly cosy rooms in the back, with lots of mattresses bunk beds, lit up with candles.. It was magical..

Andrea brought some mattresses outside and as we lay back we witnessed a magnificent meteor shower.

Andrea told us stories full of metaphors, and Dan (my walking partner) offered to wash my feet.
It had been a hard hot day. But for the first time I felt so free and clear.

The first of many.
Buen Camino

 

[MKalcolm M]

I have described this experience before on this forum, so apologies to those who may have read this before.

While walking the Norte in 2013, I stayed at the monastery in Sobrado and attended the evening service which had beautiful Gregorian songs sung by the monks. There is a huge disused church there, the size of a cathedral and it is completely empty and open to the elements. Early in the morning I walked around inside, and my walking stick made a noise on the floor which echoed through the central dome, reverberating around and around. I tried it again, amazed at the acoustics. I am completely tone deaf and have no musical ability whatsoever, but in order to try the acoustics I raised my voice and sang a note. It too echoed and reverberated all through the dome, so completely entranced, I sang more. I cannot describe what happened next other to say that it was a completely unique experience which I have never had before, but for a moment I could sense the spiritual memories of the building, hearing mass being sung by the choir, smell the incense, see the light of the candles and feel the deep atmosphere of the monastery in its past. It was deeply moving and I stood there weeping, totally overcome. It was by far the most powerful spiritual experience I have ever had.

In contrast, when I arrived in the cathedral in Santiago, I was told not to let my walking stick, which had accompanied my foot fall for 800 kms make a noise when it touched the floor!

 

[mspath]

Although one might need to ring their bell in winter
the Roncesvalles monastery is always open to shelter pilgrims as it has done for one thousand years.

January 24, 2009, I walked 18 k in 5 hours through strong wind, heavy rain, sleet and eventually dense snow up the Valcarlos route to the almost mythic monastery of Roncesvalles! Saw few people and no other pilgrims; I would be the only one staying in the old winter unheated albergue.

The monk who answered the bell and stamped my Credential also invited me to their evening benediction. As always it was lovely. The service was held in the ancient Romanesque church (wonderfully heated!!) in front of the magnificent silver sculpture of the Virgin. Three monks assisted and asked me to stand with them at the altar.

...In retrospect how special it was that cold snowy night to be the single pilgrim where crowds have stood and will continue to stand throughout time. ...

Margaret Meredith