I haven't said much about prayer in my writings about the Camino.
I've called this walk a prayer walk, a time to pray about my life - direction, choices, discernment - while going for a long walk, so it's quite appropriate to say a few things about it here.
Over the past few years the Jesus Prayer has become important to me. "Lord, Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, have mercy on me, a sinner." Or the shorter version which I most often use, "Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me." Five times in the gospels, people come up to Jesus and say these words, or variations thereof, and in the tradition of the early church this was a really important prayer (and it continues to be so for many Christians today). If interested, I wrote about it here.
The reason it's such a popular prayer is because it's so poly-functional. It fits all contexts of life: praise, thanksgiving, petition, repentance, supplication, you name it, the situation fits: Lord, Jesus Christ, have mercy on me!
So this is the prayer I have chosen to pray on this walk. I pray it everyday, all the time, when I walk, when I eat, when I rest, when I'm in a conversation, even in my sleep: whenever it comes to mind, I pray it. Sometimes I pray it when I come across a spontaneous thought ("Wow, the view from atop this mountain is gorgeous!"), sometimes it's a little more directed ("My blister hurts like hell"), and sometimes it's quite specific, intentional, about a particular issue/person ("Bless Ralph as he continues to heal from his horrible accident").
Before starting the Camino, I sent an email to family and friends, offering to pray for them while on the walk. I suggested anyone who is interested, to send me his/her list of requests, and I would raise them in prayer to God. To my surprise, about 25 of my loved ones responded positively, and consequently, I left home with quite a robust prayer list. Over the past two weeks, my list has expanded, both in terms of people to pray for, as well as things to pray about. This means that I spend a good portion of each day's walk in prayer.
So, what does this actually look like in practise on the Camino? Here goes. I choose a person to pray for, based on who is on my heart and mind. As I walk and ponder life, thoughts eventually lead me to someone on my list, family or friend. Once this happens, I bring to mind the concerns s/he shared with me. The next step is simple: I pray the Jesus Prayer 100 times, replacing "me" with the person I pray for: "Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on Bob." I try to do it slowly, thoughtfully, and with varied emphasis (if it's a supplication I emphasize mercy, if it's a prayer of confession I add a sinner to the prayer, if it's a prayer of praise or thanksgiving I emphasize Lord). This gives the prayer a determined focus, direction, and rhythm. It takes me about 15 minutes to "cover" one person. Then my thoughts continue, until I arrive at another person on my list.
As I remember the particular concerns I'm holding up to the Lord in prayer, I sometimes forget the number of times I've prayed already. While this is not a huge deal (God forbid I pray for Bob 99 or 101 times!), I do try to bring in a count system. Right now it's just my hands, the left hand to count in "tens", the right hand to count in "fives". I'm beginning to see the importance of prayer aids, like rosaries or prayer beads. They would come in handy at this point, but as of yet I don't have any.
I don't pray specifically for everyone everyday. Since I made a promise to everyone who responded to my invitation, I do keep track on a notebook who I've prayed for. But as fair as I try to be, I do end up praying for some people more than others. Ralph, for example, is constantly on my mind. Jennifer too, is in my heart. Oralia, and the relational pain she's experiencing, is heartbreaking. In terms of people I've met while on the Camino, I pray for Markus and Martin often.
So, what does this actually look like in practise on the Camino? Here goes. I choose a person to pray for, based on who is on my heart and mind. As I walk and ponder life, thoughts eventually lead me to someone on my list, family or friend. Once this happens, I bring to mind the concerns s/he shared with me. The next step is simple: I pray the Jesus Prayer 100 times, replacing "me" with the person I pray for: "Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on Bob." I try to do it slowly, thoughtfully, and with varied emphasis (if it's a supplication I emphasize mercy, if it's a prayer of confession I add a sinner to the prayer, if it's a prayer of praise or thanksgiving I emphasize Lord). This gives the prayer a determined focus, direction, and rhythm. It takes me about 15 minutes to "cover" one person. Then my thoughts continue, until I arrive at another person on my list.
As I remember the particular concerns I'm holding up to the Lord in prayer, I sometimes forget the number of times I've prayed already. While this is not a huge deal (God forbid I pray for Bob 99 or 101 times!), I do try to bring in a count system. Right now it's just my hands, the left hand to count in "tens", the right hand to count in "fives". I'm beginning to see the importance of prayer aids, like rosaries or prayer beads. They would come in handy at this point, but as of yet I don't have any.
I don't pray specifically for everyone everyday. Since I made a promise to everyone who responded to my invitation, I do keep track on a notebook who I've prayed for. But as fair as I try to be, I do end up praying for some people more than others. Ralph, for example, is constantly on my mind. Jennifer too, is in my heart. Oralia, and the relational pain she's experiencing, is heartbreaking. In terms of people I've met while on the Camino, I pray for Markus and Martin often.
What are the personal concerns that I've brought with me on the Camino? There are about a million of them, but the main ones are vocational and relational discernment.
Vocational: I went to university, worked in the marketplace (x2), did a missions term, went so seminary, and then studied chaplaincy. What's next? What door awaits me? Will I recognize an opportunity, and will I have the courage to walk through it? How open am I to the Lord's leading?
Lord Jesus Christ have MERCY on me!
Relational: if I'm honest, the relational challenge for me is more on my mind than the vocational. Put simply, growing up, I'd never imagined I'd still be single at this point in my life, and this causes me great stress, pain, and disappointment. Subconcsiously, 2 statements that my mom said to me over the years have come to mind recently: 1- "You should take the search for a life partner seriously, otherwise you will end up alone when you're older." 2- "You will probably never marry."
How prophetic. When I was younger I kept waiting for the "perfect" fit in a woman, letting some very good opportunities pass by. And now, I wonder if indeed I ever will marry.
Companionship. Connection. Why is it so hard to find that in our world? These are the things that are on my heart.
Lord Jesus Christ, have MERCY on me!
The picture above was taken at a bar in Alto de Acebo, near the halfway mark of today's walk. It's actually in the province of Galicia. I've finished my stay in Asturias, and will spend the rest of my Camino in Galicia.
The bar is quite isolated, in the middle of nowhere. The nearest town's an hour's drive away. The owner, pictured, has lived here all his life, and in fact, this establishment has been owned and passed on by his familial ancestors for upwards of 300 years. Absolutely amazing, the number of pilgrims they've served over the years. What a ministry!
The picture below is of a Frenchman, Erwan, who I met on today's walk. He started his walk in France about 2 months ago, and has made his way all the way here. Just over a year ago he had back surgery and was told he'd in all likelihood never walk again, and yet here he is, a true pilgrim.
LORD Jesus Christ, have mercy on Erwan!
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