With my pack nearly ready and my walking shoes well worn in, it would be tempting to think I’ve done all the preparation I need.
But there’s one thing I’ve come to realize in these final days before departure:
The real preparation is not in the packing —
it’s in the surrender.
Not to the itinerary,
not to the weather,
but to the transformation that pilgrimage brings.
Not Just a Journey—A Re-shaping
People talk about how the Camino changes you.
But it’s not magic.
It’s not something you force or orchestrate.
It happens in the slow, silent work of the road.
In the aching feet, the stranger’s kindness, the unexpected detour.
It happens when you stop trying to hold it all together
and let God shape you moment by moment.
A Prayer, Not a Performance
This is not about becoming someone different.
It’s about becoming more true.
More real.
More present.
More grounded in grace.
Pilgrimage peels away the unnecessary.
It quiets the noise.
And it makes room for God to do what only God can do.
I’ve begun praying not just for strength or safety, but for willingness —
willingness to be shaped by the journey.
The Invitation
Wherever you are — whether you’re walking a literal pilgrimage or simply navigating a new season — this invitation is for you too:
Let the journey change you.
Don’t resist the slow work of the Spirit.
Trust that grace knows the way.
And believe that transformation often comes one quiet step at a time.
A Pilgrim’s Prayer for Transformation
Holy and patient God,
As I walk this road,
I offer more than my footsteps —
I offer my heart.
Shape me through the silence.
Teach me through the ache.
Surprise me through grace I don’t expect.
Help me to let go of who I thought I had to be —
and become who You are quietly forming me to be.
Let this journey be a holy fire.
Let it refine me, restore me, and return me more fully to You.
Amen.
Thank you for walking this transforming road alongside me.
Buen Camino,
Fr. Don+