There has been a church here from likely the first century.
For some the word “pilgrimage” might imply that one is searching for something that has not yet been found. That both is and is not true in the case of a “spiritual seeker.” The Pilgrim knows where one is going on a geographical pilgrimage. In this case to Santiago. The Pilgrim has found enough of what she or he has been looking for to want more. More, the Pilgrim has heard testimony from those who have made the trip before. And, even more, the Pilgrim seeks to see and experience the sites and rituals that bound the Pilgrims together, that gave them strength and courage for their journey. I am sure there are even more reasons than these.
Those of you who read Richard Rohr’s Daily Meditations know that lately he has been writing about two themes. That of the prophetic element in a religion and the role of mysticism. I have thought a lot about both of these things as we make our journey.
Lynn Boughton Pointing out Symbols in the Church
We stoped for a visit, and morning prayers, at this church. Though only foundation lines are able to be seen now, excavation is being done as we are here, a huge Roman city once occupied the grounds where this current church stands. The person who is accompaning us on this Pilgrimage, Lynn Boughton, a lecturer at Cambridge, has a vast knowledge of the meaning of carvings on the doors and in the buildings we are seeing. I won’t mention her by name each time but be aware that most of the information I am sharing is coming from her expertise. Like, for example, this is the area to which Herod and his wife were exiled not long after he had ordered the beheading of John the Baptist. Again, though this is not the actual building, she pointed out stones and signs in the construction, that reflected that a church has been on this spot since, likely, late in the first century. I don’t know about you but it affects me to be in the presence of something this old in our religious tradition.
Also, Lynn is a good metaphor for the value of a “spiritual teacher.” I would never have noticed some of the intricate things she is pointing out to us. The people who conceived of and created the statues and carvings may not have had the information and knowledge that people of our time think make us so special. But they had a depth of wisdom and understanding and a way of communicating their understanding of their world view, especially their religious and spiritual world view that gave meaning to their life. Perhaps the “new physics” may give us a deeper, or newer, appreciation about what it means to be surrounded by “a great cloud of witnesses.” In these places it doesn’t take much creative imagination to feel their presence.
My understanding is the the first Pilgrimage to Santiago began in Le Puy, France. Some people chose to make the Pilgrimage. Others were chosen to make it - they provided comfort and support along the way. Over time each person was invited to decide what he or she hoped to gain from the pilgrimage.
One of my reasons for being on this Pilgrimage is to experience Peter Sills’ expert liturgical leadership. He is providing us with opportunities that are so rich. For example, last evening we went to Vespers in another Benedictine Abbey. We sat with the monks in silent meditation for half an hour before listening to them chant the service. It was, for me, a mystical experience.
I personally do not believe that it is possible to be involved in a liturgical experience like this and remained unaffected by how we relate to events that happen in the world. Radical hospitality, compassion and justice and required for the living of our lives. I believe one makes a Pilgrimage like this to stay reminded of this and to be strengthened for living life in a world like ours.