Distance: 25.8 km, Intermediate
Today’s journey brings us to the small village of Foncebadón, a place that for many years was almost an abandoned outpost on the Way of St. James. Yet, here in this village, we find the highest point on the French Way. Known as the Cruz de Hierro, this iron cross stands atop a 5-meter (16.4ft.) high wooden post. It points the way to Santiago, our eventual destination, and reminds us that we are the church and carry Christ’s message with us.
On our pilgrim journey, we travel always in the shadow of the cross. Today we are reminded that the mountaintop experiences of our lives spur us on. From these places of consolation, we carry on in the shadow of the cross, bringing the love of Christ we have experienced out into the world. (If you’re looking for scriptural evidence, look no further than the Transfiguration (Matthew 17:1–8; Mark 9:2–8; Luke 9:28–36) in which the disciples see Christ in pure glory and then come down the mountain and head toward Jerusalem and the Cross.)
In Foncebadón, we look toward the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela. Legend says that when the Cathedral was being built, pilgrims were asked to bring stones to help in its construction. These stones remind us that the Church is built by our efforts and that, in the shadow of the cross, all that we carry can be used to build up the kingdom of God.
With this in mind (and with the cross at their back), pilgrims traditionally throw a stone brought from home. (I’ll cast a stone I’ve brought from Wellesley and hold your own “stones” in prayer in a special way today.) This is an act both of letting go of a weight we carry and finding that in that surrender and offering the Church is ultimately built up.
Today, find a stone to hold while you walk/pray. As you hold it, reflect on the Kingdom that God calls us to help build. What does that Church that Christ commands us to build look like? How are you being called to contribute your gifts/stones to build a more solid structure? What does a Church made of small stones look like? What does it mean for you to be a member of this type of church?