Paging Geoffrey Chaucer

“Stand at the crossroads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where thegood way lies; and walk in it, and find rest for your souls….” Jeremiah 6:16

I guess that all depends on whether some friends of mine want their upcoming pilgrimage preserved as a classic of modern literature.

In this case it isn't a trip to Canterbury & the shrine of St. Thomas à Becket. In this case it is El Camino de Santiago (the Way of St. James) that they will be travelling. This pilgrimage is a 500 mile journey that starts in St. Jean-Pied-de-Port, France, goes across northern Spain & ends at Santiago de Compostela where the remains of the Apostle St. James the Elder are buried. The trip takes about 28 days.

& like the medieval pilgrims who started it all, they will be walking. Well, technically they will start out on 1 May flying from Chicago, Il to Madrid. But once they arrive at St.-Jean-Pied-de-Port it becomes a walking pilgrimage. They leave St.-Jean-Pied-de-Port on 3 May & arrive at Santiago de Compostela on 30 May.

Granted, there will be a few differences. Those early pilgrims didn't have access to the internet to set up a website & blog for the journey. Nor did they have cell phones. & the modern equivelents of those inns will definitely be a little more comfortable. Even so, the basic heart of the pilgrimage remains the same.

So what is a pilgrimage & why are they doing it?

In this case a pilgrimage is a journey with a spiritual foundation & goal. Some pilgrimages focus on the destination alone. But in this case the whole trip plays a part in the spirituality of the journey. Each day they will attend Mass, say 4 rosaries, read Bible verses specifically selected for each day (here), journal their spiritual experiences (& blog about them at times), & maintain periods of intentional silence as they walk each day. Each day they will cover a distance betwen 12 to 25 miles.

So why are they doing it? Why go through the process of sore feet, aching muscles, tiredness & the other hassles they might face when they could fly directly to the shrine?

Colleen Pasnik: "We will be offering our suffering up to further our prayer requests." She expects to feel connected to the generations of pilgrims who went before them.

Tom Becker sees it as a way to get out of his comfort zone. "Getting out of our daily lives makes us available to God's graces. It opens our hearts and minds. This pilgrimage will strip us of our every day existance. I hope to go deeper into my spiritual life to learn to be more Christlike."

For Chuck Olson it is a chance to "get rid of all the distractions in your life to grow in faith."

The DBQ Pilgrims have invited their friends to participate in their pilgrimage as resident pilgrims. We will be joining them in prayer, scripture readings (the same ones they will be reading) & with a personal sacrificial commitment. & while it may not be as difficult, it will still require an additional commitment each day. Anyone is welcome to join in with them.

They have a theme song. Appropriately it is "Step by Step".

A good friend of mine, Fr. Michael Podhajsky even composed a special prayer for the journey. I did have to give him a bit of a hard time for following the tradition of putting San Giuseppe after St. Michael the Archangel. I think you can figure out why I did. & thus I am the only 1 with special permission to switch the 2 arround.

A Pilgrim's Prayer
by Fr. Michael Podhajsky

Almighty God, our loving Father,

You who guide us along the narrow path on our pilgrimage through this valley of tears to our promised inheritance in Heaven, pour out Your abundant blessings upon us as we make this pilgrimage.

Strengthen our steps with Your grace and lighten our hearts with Your love.

May we offer this pilgrimage in reparation for our own sins and for the sins of the world.

May this journey of faith win for us a treasure of grace on our journey to eternity.

O Holy Angels, be our companions and guides.

O Blessed Virgin Mary, on this journey and throughout our pilgrimage of life we dedicate ourselves to you.

Surround us with your loving protection and lead us to bliss of the Sacred Heart of your dearly Beloved Son.

Through your Motherly intercession, may God keep us safe from all evil, in body, mind and soul and from every attack of the enemy.

May the Precious Blood of Jesus cover us in mercy until at last we stand in the holy presence of God Most High to sing His praises for ever.

We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit, One God, for ever and ever.

Amen.

Most Sacred Heart of Jesus - Have mercy on us!

Immaculate Heart of Mary - Pray for us!

St. Michael the Archangel - Pray for us!

Dear St. Joseph - Pray for us!

St. James the Greater - Pray for us!

St. Christopher - Pray for us!

All you holy angels and saints - Pray for us!

l to r: Colleen Pasnik, Bill Pasnik, JoAnn Olson, Chuck Olson, Ruth Becker, & Tom Becker

Jesus Christ, Son of God,have mercy on me, a sinner.
Known as "The Pilgrim's Prayer", this prayer was prayed during the middle ages, silently, mile after mile, day after day, by pilgrims on their way to the Holy Land