WHEN DOES YOUR CAMINO START?

This morning my husband asked me when my camino will start.  Will it start when I leave the house?  Will it start when my plane takes off?  Or will it start on the 25th when I begin walking from Assisi toward Rome?

I have read that a camino begins when one leaves one’s house.  Of course a thousand years ago that is how people began their caminos.  They packed a sack and departed from their doorsteps and headed to their pilgrimage destination.  After I walked my first camino in 2019 I was told that my camino had not ended when I reached Santiago de Compostela, but rather this was just the beginning.

I have pondered this question a lot.  Pilgrimage, much like a sacrament, is an outward and visible sign of an inward journey.  It is motivated by penance, devotion, and spiritual growth.  The Way of St. Francis is often referred as the Tau to the Keys as it traces St. Francis’ journey of penance from Assisi to Rome where the Apostle Peter, whom Jesus gave the Keys to the Kingdom, is recognized as the first Pope.

But when does my camino start?  I have come to believe that my camino began when I took my first breath.  Every day is an outward sign of my journey, spiritual 

and otherwise.  As I get older my days begin to feel more spiritual in nature.  Except perhaps when I’m in traffic ;-). 

I’m leaving my house in three hours, at 6:30 pm my plane will depart, and on April 25th I will begin walking toward Rome.  And I’ve been on this camino for a long time already.  This is just another step along the way.

Buon Cammino