This is a common phrase uttered amongst and between pilgrims on the Camino. The Camino is walked for many different reasons by many different people. You might meet someone who has walked all the way from Prague, Budapest, Berlin, or Paris, or some who walk a much shorter route. You could meet someone who walks one week each summer in the hopes of completing the route from St. Jean Pied du Port to Santiago in 5 or more years, while others have taken months off work in search of something beyond themselves. Some pilgrims camp, others only stay in municipal albergues, while still others stay in the finest accommodations. There are those who carry everything, all the time, while others will take advantage of baggage transport, or mail things forward to themselves. And there are those for whom it is only a true Camino if one walks every step of every day, while some will choose to skip sections for various reasons and rely on motorized transportation such as buses, taxis, or trains, to get them closer to their goal.

Sometimes there is a temptation to think and express that one’s choices are better than others. Conversely, one might feel judged for how they have chosen to camino. Neither is the right side to be on.

During times of temptation, it is good to be reminded that the Camino is for everyone, because one translation of “el Camino” is “the Way”, and Jesus, who is The Way, came into this world for everyone.

Likewise, if on the receiving end of negativity or judgment, there is the opportunity to “offer it up” and unite in the suffering of Jesus, knowing that His Way is the best Way and it is He for Whom we are walking.

Recognizing these aspects of pilgrimage, the Cathedral in Santiago has created some considerations for pilgrims who wish to use a Credencial during their pilgrimage to present to the Pilgrim’s Office when applying for the Compostela (completion certificate). The Compostela is only granted to those who make the pilgrimage with “Christian sentiment” (motivated by devotion, vote, or mercy) and only for those who have fully walked the last 100 kms or biked the last 200 kms. This Christian sentiment might only be with an attitude of search, but we place our hope in the Lord that those who search for Him will find Him. As the Lord says to the prophet Jeremiah: “You will seek Me and find Me, when you seek Me with all your heart.” Jer. 29:13

Therefore, everyone is on their own journey, even if they walk the same roads, and thus it is good to remember to walk your own Camino and focus on the beauty of the journey with the Lord. Rejoice and take delight in your fellow pilgrims, knowing that the ultimate destination of this earthly pilgrimage is union with Christ Himself, and there is room for everyone at His Heavenly banquet.