There’s something tender and unexpected I’ve been noticing as I prepare to begin the Camino.
It’s this:
I feel like I’ve already started.
Even though I haven’t reached Spain,
even though my boots haven’t touched the Camino itself,
my heart has already begun to walk.
The Pilgrimage Begins With Yes
There’s a moment before any true journey when something shifts inside us.
We name the desire.
We pray through the fear.
We say yes to something unknown, sacred, and bigger than ourselves.
That “yes” is the threshold.
And that’s when the pilgrimage really begins.
In the silence.
In the planning.
In the letting go.
In the opening of the heart.
Long before we arrive at the trail, God has already begun shaping us.
Becoming a Pilgrim at Home
Over the past weeks, I’ve walked familiar trails.
And yet, I’ve walked them differently.
Slower.
More aware.
More open to the presence of God in birdsong, strangers’ smiles, and even sore muscles.
That’s the Camino already doing its work.
It begins not with geography, but with intention.
Not with a plane ticket, but with a pilgrim’s heart.
The Invitation
If you’re preparing for a journey—or discerning one—know this:
You may already be on your way.
You may already be learning to walk differently.
You may already be becoming the pilgrim God is calling you to be.
Don’t rush it.
Honour the “yes” you’ve already given.
Trust that your journey has begun—right where you are.
A Pilgrim’s Prayer for Beginning Before the Beginning
God of the journey,
Before I set foot on the trail,
You have already been at work in me.
You stirred the desire.
You planted the call.
You invited me to walk—
not just across land, but toward You.
Bless this in-between space,
this sacred pause between decision and departure.
Teach me to walk, even now—
in prayer, in presence, in preparation.
And when the road opens before me,
let me step into it with peace,
knowing that I’ve already begun.
Amen.
Thank you for walking with me in spirit.
Buen Camino,
Fr. Don+