Quote from the Camino de Santiago de Compostela

Anyone who knows me, knows that my experiences as a pilgrim on the Way of St James are one of the things that has shaped me as a human being and as a priest.  I just got back from three weeks on the Camino de Santiago de Compostela in early February, my fourth time on that pilgrimage route.  I saw this quote on the American pilgrims Facebook page today: “It’s not the load that breaks you down, it is the way you carry it.”  Having hiked 325 miles on that rigorous mountainous route in the middle of winter in 18 days, I can tell you that this quote is so true.  I remember the first day of the hike, I did not think I would make it, even though I had been there three previous times.  A couple of days on the pilgrimage trail, my feet ached so badly that I felt like a huge blister was forming on the entire bottom of my foot.  Carrying a 20-lb backpack was not easy either.  Yet, the pilgrimage of St James is one of the great experiences of my life and I hope to go back again next year.  The Lord certainly gives us the courage and strength to carry our loads.