Walking a journey with God

Brendan McManus SJ :: I’m taking some time out to reflect over the last few weeks. My time in Santiago has been a real pilgrimage: lots of physical and mental challenges, lots of prayer and discernment and walking a journey with God. I was blessed to have had the experience of meeting several hundred pilgrims, between celebrating Mass, group sharings and one-to-one sessions, over three weeks. What stays with me are the faces, the conversations, the stories and the personal ‘mountains’ in people’s lives. What I’m taking away:

Most people walk to remind themselves who they really are, pilgrims or searchers on a journey to God or the divine (or Mystery or higher power). We have been created by God and recognise God’s voice: we are not independent, egoistic consumers as contemporary culture would have us believe. The Camino is like a spiritual retreat where we get to step out of our ordinary lives, turn off all the ‘noise’, and listen to our hearts. 

We need to be reminded that God is always with us, this is particularly true on the Camino but also our life journey. We are more open to God on the road as we get away from distractions, technology and busyness. Therefore we need to cultivate this same space in our ordinary lives: bring this home with us, create solitude, live who we truly are, be a light for the world and help others, embrace nature, declutter and simplify our lives. 

On the Camino we learn to listen as everything speaks to us: nature, symbols, fellow travellers, the world. God is always trying to communicate with us and uses everything to do that – we need to be more reflective in our lives, to start to notice things, live more fully, reflect and get in touch with a deeper part of ourselves. 

God works with us individually, has a very specific message that speaks to our heart. God speaks to us directly and immediately in a way that we can learn to recognise and interpret. It is an inner experience that is personally customised and unique, a message for us individually. 

This life journey is going somewhere, there is a plan. God is guiding us on the road, we have to adjust and make decisions. Mistakes and false turns are revealed, as well as a sense of direction and purpose. I need to figure out what’s not working and what I need to do more of. This is the work of discernment or ‘separating’, clearly identifying good and bad, and making a choice. 

We need to face going back home from the Camino with a new sense of energy and reform of life. God is highlighting things in our lives that are not working and those that are; we have to prioritise and decide on what to change in our lives. This has to mean concrete decision and actions. We have a choice about how we live and what we prioritise. 

It is possible to always be with God on our life journey, but much more difficult back home post Camino. We need a lot of help and have to put certain structures in place to help us. These would be some prayer/meditation, space for solitude and walking, a group of like minded people, regular reflection such as the Ignatian Examen and journaling. 

Finally, this is all good news that God continually seeks us out, holds us in a loving gaze and always offers a road back. There is hope and purpose and meaning. Don’t believe the hype, just get on the road!