Hiking the Camino: 500 Miles with Jesus

People of all faith backgrounds or even those with none at all will appreciate Fr. Dave's description of his 500 mile hike to the church Santiago De Compestela in Spain. There is a refreshing honesty throughout as the author considers, decides and ultimately takes the journey through the Spanish countryside with people from all over the world. Walking up to 23 miles a day, but usually less, the story moves along from stop to stop as Fr. Dave, his fellow priest, and the others along the trail share meals, lodging, and a small slice of their lives with each other. The author describes the humble accomodations, the simple meals and the surprising fellowship among those on the journey. There is also Fr. Dave's reflections on his life as a priest in the Catholic Church, along with his doubts and struggles in his vocation. The book details both a physical as well as a spiritual journey. Those interested in reading about the physical journey will be surprisingly move by teh spiritual reflections while those interested in the spiritual side will likewise be entertained by the details of the journey itself. It's not a day-by-day diary so it's a fairly quick read and an enjoyable one.

I just loved the personal testimony of this holy priest. It made me want to hike the camino as he did. It was a spiritual journey filled with poignent and comic situations.

I have been reading and collecting books on the subject of the pilgrimage to the shrine of St. James in Santiago de Campostela, Galicia, Spain for a number of years. I first went to Spain 36 years ago and have been back once. I hope to go again and walk at least part of the pilgrims' way across the north of Spain. It is what was called "the great pilgrimage of the Middle Ages." This book, written by a priest who is a professor of theology is a wonderful example of the universality of human experience and the very special experiences of the individuals who walk the Way.