Today I wanted to start preparing for the spiritual side of our upcoming journey. I have been working on equipment and physical preparation, but have not done much for spiritual preparation. So I began by finding the Ultreia Song, a 12th century song about the Camino.
Then I followed up with finding various prayers that I may want access to along the way. Feel free to borrow any of them:
Pilgrim’s Prayer / Codex Calixtinus – 12th Century
God, You called your servant Abraham from Ur in Chaldea,
watching over him in all his wanderings,
and guided the Hebrew people as they crossed the desert.
Guard these your children who, for love of your Name, make a pilgrimage to Compostela.
Be their companion on the way,
their guide at the crossroads,
their strength in weariness,
their defense in dangers,
their shelter on the path,
their shade in the heat,
their light in darkness,
their comfort in discouragement,
and the firmness of their intentions,
that through your guidance they may arrive safely at the end of their journey
and, enriched with grace and virtue,
may return to their homes filled with salutary and lasting joy
Prayer attributed to St Francis
Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace;
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is discord, harmony;
Where there is error, truth;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
Where there is sadness, joy.
Grant that we may not so much seek
To be consoled as to console;
To be understood as to understand;
To be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive;
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
And it is in dying that we are brought back to eternal life.
With gratitude and humble trust
As saints of old their first fruits brought
of orchard, flock, and field
to God the giver of all good,
the source of bounteous yield;
so we today first fruits would bring:
the wealth of this good land,
of farm and market, shop and home,
of mind, and heart, and hand.
A world in need now summons us
to labor, love, and give;
to make our life an offering
that others too may live.
The Church of Christ is calling us
to make the dream come true:
a world redeemed, your kingdom come,
all life in Christ made new.
With gratitude and humble trust
we bring our best today,
to serve your cause and share your love
with all humanity.
O God, who gave yourself to us
in Jesus Christ your Son,
teach us to give ourselves each day
until life’s work is done.
Day by Day
Day by day, dear Lord of Thee three things I pray
To see thee more clearly
Love thee more dearly
Follow thee more nearly
Day by day
Third Step Prayer
“God, I offer myself to Thee—to build with me and to do with me as Thou wilt.
Relieve me of the bondage of self, that I may better do Thy will.
Take away my difficulties, that victory over them may bear witness to those I would help of Thy Power, Thy Love, and Thy Way of life.
May I do Thy will always!”
The Daily Examen
St. Ignatius Loyola included in his Spiritual Exercises a prayer called “the Examen,” which derives from the Latin word for examination. It is a meditation with roots not only in Ignatian spirituality, but also in the spiritual practices of the ancient Stoics. There are many versions of the Examen today, but all have five steps. Here is a simple rendering of some key elements:
1. Place yourself in God’s presence. Give thanks for God’s great love for you.
2. Pray for the grace to understand how God is acting in your life.
3. Review your day — recall specific moments and your feelings at the time.
4. Reflect on what you did, said, or thought in those instances. Were you drawing closer to God, or further away?
5. Look toward tomorrow — think of how you might collaborate more effectively with God’s plan. Be specific, and conclude with the “Our Father.”examen
God, be with us on our journey and help us be safe and to spread God’s love.